{Berlin, Germany} ~~Country Song~~

Samuel would quickly find Jenny and the unnamed, effiminite figure both gone. In fact, amidst his various efforts and actions, he would have barely noticed something was wrong after the point that his grenade had gone off. A large blanket of dry, heated smoke consumed the area for twenty feet, blocking sight of where the two targets had gone off to.

The slender figure sat Jenny onto her feet as he grinned wide, a long scar down the left side of his face now the only mark on his face. And somehow, the look of his eyes gave way to a masculine and dominating presence. The bright red of his irises seemed a bit odd from how his eyes had looked earlier. He patted Jenny on the head, knowing she'd been hit more by the grenade than he had been. "Jesus... Fucking loser, always needing his ass bailed out." His formerly monotoned voice was now rough and deep. Real emotion flowed with his words. A hateful, violent, and utterly malicious tone carried with his voice now.

The man left Jenny behind as he went forward, jumping out and into the clear street. But his landing a few feet from sam was hardly subtle. "SUCK IT, BITCH!" Sam's car exploded forward, flying straight at sam as a large blast of fire erupted under its body. But the car never quite made it to Sam, seeing as the flames managed to move independently and flow straight into the fuel tank, blowing the car apart in front of Samuel's vacinity.

"Just call me Spit... You'll be spitting teeth so much you won't get to talk before I just kill you, anyway." The large hail of shrapnel sailing for Spit was melted down almost instantly as a wall of searing, multicolored flames rolled up in front of him. Bright flashes of red, orange, blue and white flickered in front of him for a second more before completely vanishing. He quickly snapped his head to both sides, popping his neck. His long coat now hung around his form near the middle of his biceps. His clothes were blackened and thick with ash, the swirling hot air around him causing his hair to flail wildly behind him. "Then, when I'm done, I might just have me a taste of that biker chick... That idiot couldn't get laid if he had to repopulate the planet."

_________________

Howahkan, Berlin, Germany

He smiled as the fae somewhat fearfully pointed out that he hadn't answered her question, while the fae tried to hide it, Howahkan was train to make use of such fears against his enemy, without mercy. But she was not the enemy... yet... there was no need to threaten her at this time. Looking towards the fae he 'spoke' calmly, "In due time little fae. I cannot give away my name until I have some form of understanding with one, if not the both of you."

Howahkan listened carefully as the bandaged man began to explain his reasons as well as his origins, "It is not that I am taken back, merely curious. There are few of your kind where I was trained." He replied when the young man took a breath. As he continued, Howahkan listened carefully, So, he is a demon. That is the origin of his powers. Interesting came the reflection as he watched the young man summon what appeared to be wolf ears and a tail. With the explanation that one of their abilities was to see 'souls' in the form of auras, Howahkan wondered what the state of his own soul was, did it show curiosity, ruthlessness, distrust or did it show something he was hiding? No, he asked about my magic, personality and beliefs are of the mind. He dismissed that worry, for now he could continue his own mission without having it compromised.

The bandaged man then confirmed the earlier suspicion, those traits were of a wolf yet as he finished his little talk Howahkan took note of the fact the young man had avoided explaining the bandages to it's fully extent. However he had mentioned that it was a touchy subject.
"Very interesting, I thank you for sharing that bit of knowledge." Howahkan's 'voice' was formal but that was all, his thoughts this time showed no other emotion, "It was not lengthy, it was informative so there is little need to apologize."

Flexing his muscles for a moment, Howahkan reflected how best to explain his own powers without revealing too much about his order's workings and their secrets. "Knowledge for knowledge." He began slowly turning his seat so that it was more in a comfortable position so that he could look at both the fae and the other man, "Understand, my origins are part of a collective secret, I cannot reveal too much without risking the well being of my order. However that does not mean I cannot explain my own tale."
The man paused, his facial wrappings hiding all the emotions that may or may not have been playing on his 'lips' as he gave the two a warning, "I am a member of a clan known as the Tounao Xiemo. My role currently is akin to that of an observer. In simplistic terms I have been sent forth from my clan to see the state of the world, to gain a perspective of the balance of forces. And the reason to why I was chosen was because I lack a certain amount of subtlety needed for the other tasks my brethren are called upon to do. By those grounds one would normally seek death least he or she burdens his comrades. But those who've trained me still saw potential. "

He let his words sink it, Howahkan had been considering whether or not he should display his own magic before the two, the other male had inadvertently revealed some of his while the fae to his knowledge had none. There was always the exception but Howahkan mentally shrugged the idea off, if she had them so be it.
Raising his clenched hands slowly, his eyes began to glow an unearthly green, at first it consumed his pupils but then like wildfire the entirety of his eyes were bathed in magic. With purpose Howahkan opened his hands and the glow surrounded several of the chairs around the table, without any sign of difficulty they rose into the air but behind him something else fluttered; it was a blank piece of paper, most likely it had come from one of the book cases or from the table.
"I am Howahkan of the Tounao Xiemo, you were right when you took note I do not use an element of magic." His words were utterly calm and collected as he continued to show his might, "I am trained to kill, to maim and to destroy." The chairs were slowly brought back down to the ground, almost as if nothing happened, "Yet we are taught to understand for every action there is a consequence. To act in haste is a risk one must always consider."

He looked at the two again, the glow in his eyes slowly begins to die out, "And to use your might without control is unforgivable, to use ones strength to subjugate the weak is a notion not tolerated, for it limits the mind." As he spoke the piece of paper began to glow and fold, after a few moments Howahkan had shaped it into a swan.
Without words it floated in the air before settling down on the table. Perhaps the two would perceive that Howahkan had done this for two reasons, to show his magic and to show his control over it. Whether or not they felt threatened by this show of 'force' mattered little to the man, only that he was not to be underestimated.

Amethyst Ruby Sapphire Emerald: Paper Bird {Berlin}

Ruby had listened intently to the males talking, explaining their powers. As the second man spoke, she kept her eyes on the paper as it was folded into a bird. She stood and smiled, "I'm Ruby, the fastest fae alive!" she announced, hands on her hips, chest puffed out, a very heroic pose. It didn't match the fae's appearance. To show off her speed, she began flying around, only about half her speed which was about as fast as a normal person could run. "And this isn't my full speed!" She grabbed the bird as she flew past it, putting it on the head of the man who'd made it, laughing like a child. She stood at the head of the table, back in her heroic pose.

_________________
They taped over your mouth, scribbled out the truth with their lies, you little spies - You will release your life, joining with the god-damned world of the dead and the lonely. - Я сошла с ума, Mне нужна она
Innuendo Squad's Resident Lesbian
Mother of darkness, mother of light, earth beneath us, soul in flight, songs of love and love of light, guide us to our heart.
We all come from the Goddess and to her we shall return like a drop of rain flowing to the ocean.

~Jennifer Wilmot: Berlin, Germany----You and Your Hand~

Initially, Jenny was taken off guard not by the appearance of the grenade, but being saved by the strange man that the thief had run over before. It was not to say she didn't struggle, even when she got a glimpse of the grenade that was thrown at her. Call it being ungrateful, but she was not particularly amused by the man's display of "chivalry". Especially not when he patted her on the head like she was his pet. 'You're kidding. Now this guy too?'

But what really hit the home run, was the explosion. Though it did mean that this guy wouldn't be leaving any time soon, now the paintings were completely and utterly destroyed.

Well... To say she was annoyed by the homeless man's lack of foresight. You wouldn't be too far off the mark. To her, this man was obviously drunk. 'Or high. Either way, he must be on SOMETHING. No sane person would blow up a car, just like that. Some civilian could have been killed.' From the next few words out of his mouth, not to mention the melting shrapnel, she made her conclusion. 'Definitely steriods.' For now, she decided it didn't matter. Not since this guy threatened another man with death. 'Villain or no villain, the death penalty is exclusively reserved for murder. And since this guy says he fought in the war...'

Jennifer didn't know why, but something about Samuel had an almost heroic quality to him. He could have killed her if he wanted to, he did say he was a "dangerous criminal", but he obviously decided to let her off with a warning. He even gave her advice. She looked to the man surrounded by self generated heat. Him on the other hand. 'Ugh.' He wasn't sure whether or not he was serious. 'Don't I have some bad news for that guy.' Or maybe he just needed to cool down a little.

Slowly, Jenny backed away from the heat, careful to not make a sound. Behind her the water had subsided, back into the sewers. It was going to be tough, using the full force of the city's sewage system, but anything to quell the cockfight before it began. Once again, she heard a roar. Only this time, she summoned more water for her needs, at as high of a pressure she could muster. She wasn't as skilled as any master of the water element, but the more pressure the better. She kept on speeding up the flow of water, driving the river of processed liquid from both sides at once. The moment she reached the manhole she quickly covered it, waiting for the pressure to build up, until the ground began to vibrate. And with a smile, she uncovered the manhole menially, quickly directing the wave of highly pressurized and speedy cool water at the burning man, as to knock him off his feet, and chill him down a bit at the same time. "Whoops" she muttered under her breath.

_________________

Musicmac: "Sam4Books: Always ready to cheer things up with awesome art. Terms and Conditions apply."

{Berlin, Germany}

Spit felt the vibrations in the ground below as Jennifer was starting her magic. the rushing of so much water at once was something hard to not notice when it was all rushing to your own area. Spit began looking at his sides, glancing down the streets. Some few civilians were still running away after the explosion, leaving the street nearly empty for the three of them. There wasn’t any large vehicle nearby, nor anything else that would tell what was wrong.

Then he heard the manhole behind him pop open. Spit quickly turned around and hunched forward, ready for someone rushing him. Sadly, it didn't make him ready for the rushing torrent of sewage water. He straightened up, left eye twitching at the sight. It had already gotten too close to avoid. So, there was only one thing left to do...

"Awww, fuck me..." He then started to grin, remembering something. "Actually, fuck him."

The man suddenly was sent flying back a few feet, skidding over the street's pavement, rolling back several more feet before stopping. The dark black that had covered his clothes was now washed away and his coat began rolling further up his arms as he slowly squirmed on the ground. He slowly sat up, his face now marred with numerous small cuts and bruises, missing the long scar on his left side. He opened his eyes, the dark, maroon irises slowly scanning around.

The former masculinity was gone, replaced by the ambiguous nature of his gaze from before. "Uummmm.... What happened?" The voice was lacking of obvious tone to decide a gender, and lacking any real tone of emotion. "I could've sworn I'd just gotten run over by that parked ca...." The figure froze as it saw the beetle from earlier was no longer where it should have been. "Wait... Where's the car? And... How did it run me over?" The figure began to slowly stand up, not yet noticing the bits of leaves and various filth that was common for sewage water that was lightly splotching its attire. Its long hair rested around him in a long cloak of strawberry blonde, heavy with water.

_________________

{Samuel Onyxroad}

_Berlin, Germany_

Boom! The explosion knocked Samuel back. His was fall was cushioned as he hovered above the ground by an inch, shrapnel fell left and right in either direction of his body, but never came close to hitting him. He shook his head, his ears were ringing. The car, exploded, his thoughts were, the strange man his voice changed, caused, were Samuel's thoughts as he sat up, finally touching the ground. " If carried, more than that tear gas and that flash grenade, I would've been completely screwed." He thought as he stood up. His hat and sun glasses was knocked off, so he picked up and dusted off his hat, setting it back on his head. Samuel then glanced over at the man, calling himself Spit. Was his earlier guess right, he wondered. He rolled his eyes at the lunatic and then looked over to the suppose biker chick. " Well there, goes your proof Kiddo, the damn fool, got rid of it and my ride. " Samuel said as he sighed with his hands now in his dress jacket's pockets.


" So first me, then the girl, alright then, good to know." Samuel said as his retort. " Well, good bye, kids." He then simply said as he started to walk down the street. He gave a little wave as he walked and then said " I don't play other people's games, especially when they my break my toys and goodies." From what Samuel gathered about the guy, he seems like a real hothead, more than a cult member. Suddenly, Spit's voice changed again, returning to what it was earlier. Samuel could only wonder if he was truly a split personally special or trying to play them. It would be stupid for the latter, since he attacked, but people are fucking weird, he figured.

" See you later, Spit. Much later." Samuel remarked." Well, since they made the vehicle here, it won't be that hard to replace. Just need to jack someone else's ride.... Hmmm, I wonder, if he's going to attempt to attack me with my back to him. " He thought to himself.

_________________
"Fate smiles on the strange. So its a good thing, I'm the strangest of all." - William Livingstone, Cirque de la Nuit

Armond Starion
New Wind
-New York City, New York, USA-


He knew this city. It wasn't home, but it was close enough.
Same criminal element.
Same rules keeping officers from making a difference.
Not for long, he mused, No, not at all.

He wouldn't look too out of place- with only a single bag of luggage, he got off the ferry, wheeling it behind him. He wasn't particularly short, or tall for that matter. His long orange hair tied in a ponytail was hidden under a dark brown western hat, complementing his fair skin. It wasn't his style, but he didn't intend to stand out. His eyes, emerald green, occasionally flashed under his hat.

He strode ahead through Manhattan, past several standing policemen. Despite his large suitcase, not a single one so much as gave him a second glance, most likely due to the idea that they had seen everything.

A smirk formed on the man's face as he continued. Not even a cloud in sight.
He stopped, while waiting for an intersection, and checked a small pad in his pocket.
He wasn't far now from his destination.

Not a single eye seemed to be upon him for more than a moment. This man was unremarkable in one of the world's most populous cities. Probably some country singer or something. His existence seemed to be dismissed at every turn.

And he loved every second of it.

His attention snapped his head up for a moment. His sunglasses hid his gaze well enough, but he knew something was going on.
This wasn't the street corner he had started on. Had his mind really been drifting this long?
He cursed in his mind, but kept his cool, adjusting his shirt as he stared up at the mansion ahead.
Are you so surprised... he questioned himself mentally, to believe that a Cult won't have something up their sleeves to assist their own kind to their home? Well, if you wish to be their bee, you'd better get in the hive. Cults aren't famed for their patience, after all.
With a snort to himself, he looked around. There seemed to be a few decent areas of privacy around.
Taking a couple moments, he huddled down and opened up his suitcase.
His former SWAT armor was there, waiting for him.
A grin found itself crawling upon his face as he began putting it on.

A few moments later, now wearing his SWAT armor, he strode toward the mansion, keeping an eye out for anyone else.
If you want the world to change, you have to be willing to break it so.

Kyle Smelt was not too happy to have been called from his nice comfortable bed to deal with a public disturbance. Granted he generally was not a particularly happy person by nature, but now there was actually a valid reason behind his irritability. Normally he would have merely ignored the demand and continued sleeping in only to deal with the caper another day...maybe, if he actually cared enough to deem it worth his time, but after ignoring several high stakes cases and letting two dangerous criminals escape, he could not do things quite on his leisure anymore.

"Swear to almight God, I'm to kill who ever is responsible for this." he mumbled as he guided his car through the well light streets of Berlin.

"Keh stop whining Smelt. You have to actually do the work that they pay you for every once in a while." Came a somewhat cheerful voice over the radio. "Besides, it only breaking up a party. After that you can go home."

Kyle snorted in retort. "I'm still gonna still gonna show those Hos whose boss. Mike "

A loud groan echoed back. "Kyle I thought we went over this. You sound insanely awkward when you try to talk like your a teenager."

"I'm just being real. Not everyone can be as legit as I am."

Another groan escaped throught the radio. "Just go." With that the radio went dead.

"Yeah yeah" Kyle mumbled to himself once more. "I really hate this job." Turning the corner Kyle jerked in surprise when the sound of an explosion filled the air. Slamming the brakes, the car screeched to a halt. "What the hell?" . Did a bomb just go off? Instantly he started up and head down the general area. It was relatively nearby, within half a minute he arrived to a wreaked car and three youths stood squaring off against one another.

"All of you freeze!" He yelled at the youngsters. His hands were already on his wallet as he held up his badge " International police."

_________________
The Dinobots can combine! What they combine to is death!

http://tfwiki.net/w2/images2/d/d2/The_B ... 2_full.jpg

<-Amelia Silea->
Caster
New York, New York

"You never know what one can find..." She murmured, sipping her coffee casually, "when you pay more than just a glance to your resources."
It was to no one in particular, it seemed, a strange thing, but then, this was no ordinary woman- her hair, clearly dyed silver, her pale skin and her icy blue eyes made her almost look ghostlike. Her white labcoat seemed to strike harshly against the earthen greens and browns of the forest.
Adding to the strange nature of this woman, Amelia Silea, were what looked to be two men in trenchcoats, hats covering their faces, scarves around their necks and leather gloves on their hands.
She didn't seem in any rush- she sat on the bench comfortably, right leg crossed over left. She was far more interested in the rock formations than she was her present company, her eyes tracing the cracks and shines within each and every stone.
Silently, she gestured with her left index finger at a particular rock.
One of the bodyguards nodded and immediately ran over, not taking a moment to even get their bearings before kneeling down and digging the stone's full form out and placing it in its hands. Slowly, the bodyguard returned and nodded to Amelia, who examined the stone.
A grin slowly crawled across her face. "We'll take this one with us. Yes. Come now."
She got up, tossed the cup into a trash can and began walking, her bodyguards right behind her.
A mansion.
That is where they were told to meet.
Fitting, she reasoned, as it would take a superior breed to overthrow the current order. Even so, there's no doubt that they'll hedge their bets- I doubt that anyone who refuses their offer will walk out of here alive.
Fine with me.
"There." She said simply, pointing to the grand mansion. The bodyguards nodded in turn and followed her into the building.
She shivered a moment as she passed the entry-gate, a breeze on its way out.
Gliding through the hallways, she came into a well-lit room that didn't seem too deserted, her bodyguards and their objects in tow.
She didn't bother to look immediately to see if she was the only one in the room. What was important to her first and foremost was to see what was in the room- she could feel metal all around- the chandelier, silverware...pipes below...no obvious traps, at least.
"And here we are..."

(Time to get my ass in gear. Cult cut scene should be posted soon by Elend)

His work, his ambition, his life, burning cinders and rumble.

A hellish inferno.

Just like everything around him, that was all that was left.

Like a wounded beast, his mind struggled inch by desperate inch to escape the all engulfing darkness of blissful oblivion. Even with his body broken and with his will shattered, he knew he could not surrender to the comforting arms of death that steadily reached to wretch his soul away.

He couldn’t loose himself here, he still had much to do in the corporeal realm. Countless of otherworldly voices echoed in his mind, screaming at him to fight on, screaming at him to stay alive. From beyond the grave his men demanded retribution, from around the world millions requested salvation and from his own home loved ones cried for his return. Yet the strongest voice, the one that forced him to open his eyes and allowed him crawl from the bottomless pits of the underworld that threatened to swallow him whole, was neither as righteous nor noble. No, what drove him forwards was naught but a savage, primal, bloodcurdling roar for revenge.

They would pay.

Even when all that surrounded him was dust and devastation, even when all who followed him were long dead, even with his body buried beneath countless tons of concrete and reinforced steel.

They….

That day, Special Agent Anderson Green, left broken beneath a support pillar in the ruins of his underground banker as flames closed upon his limp form, encircled by nothing but blood, ruins, fire, corpses and writhing wires hanging like entrails off the walls of his disemboweled base, made a promise.

No, he made a pledge to anything he held dear.

…would pay.

------------------------------------------------------

(Argentum headquarters – Berlin, Germany)

“Well, If this his is what Anderson had in mind when he said he had a plan, I’m not impressed.”

Golden trimmed white robes flowed like a majestic river around his awe-inspiring armor-clad figure, they themselves encased within glimmering gold plate adorned with weapons of all manners and kinds. This noble warrior representing the breathtaking fusion of ancient knight and mystic sorcerer casually strode into the small yet lavish conference room like a regal king entering his own castle’s barracks, with his head held high and his posture stiff.

His hidden vibrant sapphire eyes scanned its occupants with no slight disdain. Even behind the black face mask and goggles, framed by nothing but wild ebony bangs, his displeasure could be seen as clear as the moon of a cloudless nigh sky.

“This little band is the army meant to stop the dark reign of the underworld triad? Anderson must have finally been driven insane!” Scoffed the armored soldier with his arms crossed as he attempted to tower over the unlikely bunch of fighters.

“Here I am, a Archmage of the Elven inquisition, coming all the way from the Inquisition headquarters back in Luna to pick up was described to me as, I quote, ‘a select group of handpicked elite soldiers and mages’ just to end up at a scene straight out of some high school reunion party.” The man grumbled. “Why I should…”

“You’re earlier than agreed.” A female voice descended from the speakers of he room, cutting of the Archmage’s rant mid way. “Although I’m happy to see that the Elven Inquisitors are so quick to come to Mr. Anderson’s aid, I would ask that you hold your criticism until all we expect arrive and are properly briefed on the details and purpose of this operation.”

“You didn’t even…” The Archmage sighed in frustration before turning his head to simply stare at the ceiling for few seconds before responding mustering his irritation at levels that allowed him to form proper sentences.

“Where’s Anderson woman? At this point, it’s to him I want to speak, not his nurse!” The fuming magician shouted.

“Agent Anderson is preparing for his conference with his new agents at the moment. You should know well enough that for one suffering with his level of injuries that takes quite a bit of time and effort to do.” The disembodied voice responded.

Unable to find a proper rebuttal, the archmage was forced to resort to a simple huff.

“Calm down, Mat. City wide scans indicate that our last recruits are in the city and approaching the base. Shortly, Mr. Anderson will tell them they need to know and we will give you both your requested profiles and the chance to return to your proper duties soon afterwards.” The female simply fell silent after that.

The Archmage though, was not very content with her words.

“Do you people even know why you were called here?” He said, turning to the people in the room.

_________________
Made it myself. (Tukinode may not reflect the ideas of his original creator)

Amethyst Ruby Sapphire Emerald: Confusion {Berlin}

The small fae tilted her head to the armored man as she listened , turning only when she head a woman's voice. When she didn't see the woman, she began flying around, trying to discern where the voice was coming from. "I wasn't..." she began, looking around again. She had given up searching for the woman, more out of boredom than anything, and sat on the table, her legs hanging off and swinging.

_________________
They taped over your mouth, scribbled out the truth with their lies, you little spies - You will release your life, joining with the god-damned world of the dead and the lonely. - Я сошла с ума, Mне нужна она
Innuendo Squad's Resident Lesbian
Mother of darkness, mother of light, earth beneath us, soul in flight, songs of love and love of light, guide us to our heart.
We all come from the Goddess and to her we shall return like a drop of rain flowing to the ocean.

[Cult base - New York Ruins]

The pieces were all here. He had given them enough time to sit down, but not more than would take to drain his patience. It was time to make his presence known, he decided. All who were to gather had, any movements spent lingering from this point onwards were moments wasted. His boss may not mind wasting his own time with meaningless entertainment, no matter how brutal; but he hated wasting time without purpose.

The security room he had taken residence in was an interface for every magical barrier and bewitching that had been placed upon the mansion and its underground caverns. Even if old and outdated, these enchantments had been placed by some of the most powerful mages of their time, as such they were unsurprisingly still functioning at peak condition and of course, quite thorough. There was also a series of high-end surveillance system. Even now he could hear them all talking, or not talking in some cases. Some were still wandering in the grounds but he needed to act quickly. Some people never understood the meaning of urgency.

The very moment each of the cultists stepped within the bounds of the mansion grounds, he had known exactly, who, what and how many he was dealing with. Granted, the number of participants left a lot to be desired but the man was content enough with their intensity and size of their magical auras. His boss never really asked for specific numbers, just a minimum level of ability. A level the cultists had little problem reaching, if not surpassing.

With a sigh and a fluid move he stood and dusted himself off. He turned around to look at himself. He never liked suits. But they were necessary, this was business after all. He took a comp out of the inside pocket of his gray jacket and gently brushed his crimson hair with it. In a quick stride he turned and walked through the door. Moving through the catwalks he contemplated his current situation. He was a half drow-half human and even though his boss rarely trusted other beings to handle his jobs, he had given him the honour to do the honours of beginning this new game. He was actually nervous of meeting these ‘people’. He couldn’t say for sure if he could handle them all. They were pretty powerful after all.

That was good though. For all the trouble he went through manipulating the events around them to find and draw them into this base, it would have a shame if he had to follow his boss’s orders to send them to their tasks just for them to suffer a meaningless death. Well, ok, not completely meaningless, his boss would rather enjoy seeing them squirm and struggle.

His boss liked playing games, but broken toys were not of much use.

Regardless, having crossed the tunnel to the base’s dining room he banished such thoughts from his mind. Time to play his part, and it would be a very interesting part indeed. The door of the grand dining room opened with the audible sound of metal grinding on metal, informing all it occupant of the new arrival. Even as eyes fell upon him, the man didn’t flinch.

He kept a steady pace and a level gaze towards the closest high-backed chair of the large table. It actually seemed that he was ignoring them, but in reality he was analysing them. He was tall and deathly pale, his sickly flesh clad in an expensive dark gray suit, ironed and cleaned to perfection. Abysmal black circles made themselves prominent from beneath his obsidian gaze. His eyes were cold, unfeeling, the eyes one long since surrendered. His silky amber bangs waved captivatingly around his head as step by steady step he moved forwards.

With the sound of an apparition moving through the air, he paused before his chair. Slowly and deliberately he removed his coat and with a flourish folded it neatly upon the table. A ringed hand moved to draw his chair back as the other gently moved his hand through his hair. Beneath the jacket he was wearing a burgundy shirt.

Softly he turned, sunk into his chair and pulled himself neatly against the table. His fingers met forming a pyramid in front of him. His eyes closed for a second and the air inside the mansion rippled with his power.

Only then did he move to address at those assembled in the room.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, I request your attention.” He begun, his voice low yet piercing, it sounded throughout the mansion “My name is Luca Della Onirom and the man for which I speak for, is the one that requested your presence this fine evening. I know that all of you gathered here today after a certain invitation. An invitation sent directly by my boss

“There is much I was told to tell and I would ask you to sit down and listen quietly as I speak. For all of you that are still wandering in the mansion I strongly urge you to come in the dining room as fast as possible. Disrespecting my Boss’s words is disrespecting my boss himself. Any who are not inclined to do that or have second thoughts on heeding his call can take this chance to peacefully leave the room.” He said, pausing for a second before continuing.

“For all who remain, you should consider your selves fortunate, for you have drawn the attention of one of the powerful beings on the planet upon you.” Once again Luca pause closing his eyes, preparing for a dramatic comeback..

“You” he said emphasising the word just a tiny bit more than was needed “are about to find your selves under the employment of Tukinode, the frozen room. I, as he, trust that you will serve him well.”

For the last time he paused, his eyes strong as his gaze fell to each and every individual in the great dining hall. His face was speaking strictly business and he asked with a cool voice “Any objections?”

_________________

{Samuel Onyxroad]


_Berlin, Germany_

" So the old cowboy hasn't had his final ride." Samuel muttered under his breath as he recognized the voice. He couldn't believe, after such a long time, he would meet with a fellow "Third Rail" member, another core member to be exact. Samuel turned around his hands held up in the air and a smile on his face. " O Captain, My captain, its nice know, that I'm still not the only surviving member of Third Rail." He said, with a smile. " The girl seems to be a wannabe cop, possesses control over water , and that soaked feminine guy, over yonder, seems to be a split personality special with fire powers, blew up my car." With a stroke of his chin, Samuel questioned " So, what's a fellow american like yourself, Kyle, is doing in a place like this?"

_________________
"Fate smiles on the strange. So its a good thing, I'm the strangest of all." - William Livingstone, Cirque de la Nuit

Suiryuu was about done analyzing the new acquaintances he'd just met, when Noel seemed to be introducing herself to another person as he made his own introduction. He smiled at her and proceeded to take a seat at the table. He didn't have long to wait before things seemed to get underway. It seemed the one who called this gathering of powerful malevolent forces, was finally playing his hand. As Suiryuu expected, the very powerful rarely showed up in person, they just left a powerful mouth piece to do the meet and greets for them. He did like the class and elegance of the way the Frozen Moon -Tukinode did business. The rumors even spread throughout the demon realm, and the real deal didn't disappoint.

Suiryuu decided to be respectful and listen to the man's proposal in full, but as it stood, Suiryuu wasn't too impressed with the aura of the man who sat before them even as his power washed over them and perforated the air of the mansion.

"A very hard offer to refuse I would say, and I mean no disrespect, but you do realize that you're among some of the most powerful beings on the planet right now, right?" Suiryuu started.

"I've never objected to employment or a chance to make worthwhile connections, much like your boss, but I only work for myself. I have no problem doing contract work or whatever comes my way, but I have something of a problem in the lacky department. The last guy who "hired" me to be under him said I didn't listen or obey orders all that well. I didn't hear the rest over his gurgling and gasping for air as he drowned" Suiryuu continued with a chuckle as he reminisced

"Despite the fact that from my observations, as a team; this Cult of the Highborne sitting here would be more than a match for any one individual. Make no mistake, I came here to strike a deal if possible, and it wouldn't be a stretch to say that in this poker game, the chips know their worth." He said smiling

No matter their official arrangement, Suiryuu intended to look at it as something of a partnership. One very powerful organization together with a few very powerful mercenaries they found on the black market.

_________________
My Poetry and More!

Oh I don't know, just how much are we worth? Atrus flicked his hat back, revealing yellow eyes and a white grin in the shadow around him. I know that I'm worth a good few shiny pieces, if I say so myself, but considering the future job ahead of us, oh there are all sorts of things to consider. Mainly like what's in this for us, and why we shouldn't make things...difficult for you? He asked cheerfully to Luca. I mean, not right now of course, this here is just the tip of the iceberg, I imagine this organisatioin could chug along if everyone and everything here suddenly...disappeared, yes? But what's it worth to you to make sure we don't decide to screw you over at some later point. You big gangs always have some kind of collateral in place for pawns like ourselves. And considering the nature of the group, sometimes not a nice kind. I can't tell you how many demons I've had chasing after me after some...disagreements, normally quite petty ones, sometimes very big ones, involving fire, and team-killing. Not that that will happen here of course. He chuckled and popped open one of the rainbow bottles in front of him. I ask this partly due to captain drownies little threat there too. Most worrying to hear from ones team-mate. He took a sip from the bottle and sighed happily.

_________________
“One day you wake up and realize the world can be conquered.”

<-Amelia Silea->
On The Subject of Pawns
New York, New York

A small smile slowly grew from her rested lips.
Not exactly what she had expected, but close enough to satisfy her own guess.
She glanced to one of her bodyguards for a moment.
I've heard that name before, she thought, tapping her lip lightly with her right index finger.
She took her left hand, seemingly casually, and stroked the back of the one bodyguard as a design flew through her mind.
Facial features- eyes, a nose, thin lips...these flashed, not unlike flashbacks.
As her fingertips lay on the back of the bodyguard, it shivered visibly, albeit silently. There was no sound, but it was evident that it was in incredible pain.
Its arms wrapped around its waist in pain as it quivered.
Amelia seemed less than interested in what was going on with her bodyguard, rather- glancing around the room at the other candidates, as well as the half-drow who announced the deal.
With a quiet groan, the bodyguard sunk to its knees, and Amelia removed her hand, covering it with a thin glove.
As the bodyguard looked up, it pushed its hat back, and looked around.
It...had a face. Eyes. Hair. Somewhat androgynous, but it had all these things. It glanced around in wonder before pushing the hat back down.
"Very convincing- I'm quite impressed." Amelia said quietly, almost offhand, without any shock or awe in her voice. Simply recognition. "Objecting at this point would be foolish and obscene. Anyone who came here expecting anything else signed their own death warrant the moment they entered the premises. I don't expect most people who would be foolish enough to reject the offer even lived to see the mansion."
She casually sat herself down, crossing her right leg over her left.
"It may be obvious, but I accept your offer." While this was said in a monotone, it felt icy.
Amelia then leaned back in her chair and placed her hands on the table, folding them.
The bodyguards stayed at her sides, looking all around at the others, their backs to their mistress.
"As for the rest of you- I have no interest in whether you fail or not. Do not attack me, and I will not do the same. We will be working for the same leader, and so, if necessary, I will lend some aid. Don't think I'll bail anyone foolish enough to overextend out, though. Your efforts are your own responsibility." Monotone, again.
She then glanced at the man in the suit who had called them there.
"Don't disappoint me."
--

->Armond Starion<-
Outgunned
New York, New York

His blood felt like ice.
Surrounded. Powerful people all around him, many of whom could, at least in theory, kill him on the spot. His SWAT armor couldn't do much against raw power, and he knew it.
Fear swam in his system, making his breath shallow.
And yet...
this was not an entirely unwelcome feeling.
No, not at all.
Here were people that when he was on the force, he would have had to spend years searching for. All in one place.
Sure, trying to take them down was not on his list of priorities at all, but all the same- he felt a challenge welling up in his belly.
His breath returned to normal, and he unclenched his fists.
The half-drow in the suit had just said something important..but what was it again?
Tsuki....something...tsu...
Tsukinode?! So I AM dealing with some major forces here! Heh, who knows, maybe they'll even do exactly as I'd like with this kind of power.
He slowly smiled to himself, grateful his helmet covered his mouth.
Making his way through people, he stood somewhere relatively close to the announcements.
First thing he noted- the speaker was somewhat nervous- sympathy has its upsides, after all. Next, the bold man speaking about not being a minion, but as an agent...bold indeed.
Yet he was not ambushed. Interesting.
Even so, he wasn't ready to simply follow suit. He waited and listened to another point out the fact that they were, in fact, pawns. He nodded in the general direction of the speaker, although between the fog in his helmet and the sweat from being nervous, he couldn't get a clear view. That sigh though, that threw him off. This guy may have sounded reasonable, but he had no doubt that this guy was a cold-blooded killer.
"He's got a point. The question isn't if we're expendable- but how much so?"
He took a deep breath, and then overheard the woman speaking next in a monotone.
For some reason, that creeped him out even more than the last speaker's sigh, and that's a tough number to beat.
This...did, however, confirm what he had been thinking, at least partially.
The Cult was just as he thought- powerful, but disorganized and decentralized, at least for now. He could only hope that they didn't make powerful bonds as is with this Tsukinode fellow.
He then raised his right hand.
"I accept your offer."

+Keyo: Berlin, Germany+

Keyo listened to the masked man explained what he was "able" to talk about. He kept his silence as the man paused, then he saw the man demonstrate his abilities. His face showing little emotions, his eyes slimly widened. Oh wow! Hey, don't just stand there watching it like a little girl! But its quite interesting... HEY! Heh... Besides, now that I've seen it... Keyo blocked off Yoku's voice as he started to talk, making a mental note of the man's warning, "Interesting there." Keyo watched then the Fae, zooming around and flaunting her speed, which made him smile and giggle slightly. "Quite fast, little one." Keyo then closed his eyes. Like waiting for that as a signal, the darkness around the room seemed to burst into life, pulsing slightly. He slowly opened his eyes, his hair lightly colored with black, his right eye lightly red, he smiled lightly, "Since I have not shared who I am, I will do so now; I am Keyo Norima." The darkness then seemed almost to gather around his back, taking shape. Finally after a moment, the darkness finished molding into a shape, revealing two black wings, unattached from Keyo. Slightly opening, the wings revealed several blade like "feathers", each wing holding a strange beauty to it. "If perhaps you are wondering, I am a user of darkness type magic." The wings then closed, slowly disappearing from sight. Keyo sighed lightly, his original colors coming back.

He then heard two voices arguing with each other, coming into the room. Rather, it was one entering arguing with a voice from some speakers in the ceiling.. He waited, his eyes keen on them. When the man spoke to the three of them, Keyo pushed his hair back slightly. "The letters didn't really say much there." His wolf ears twitched slightly, "But judging from your argument from earlier, I would guess you want us to fight some underground group."

> Karasu Tsukikage, Berlin <
♫ Silent ♫

Tip and tap, he heard his leather shoes as they made contact with the brick beneath his feet. His presence to others however, was completely unknown. His ears tuned in to the wind and so did the sounds that had been carried by it. It was like a whisper, becoming gradually louder until voices could be heard. Karasu chuckled a little to himself as he continued walking along the edge of the rooftop. He was on top of an old building of crumbling red brick. As he made his way, the full moon that hung in the sky behind him acted like the background of a stage play. His body melted into a black silhouette of shadow and seemed almost menacing.

Tip and tap, he took the cigar from his mouth and blew out a cloud of gray smoke into the cold air. It was a cheap cigar with an unrecognizable brand. It was probably a made by a local and sold expensively to unaware tourists for profit. But still he put it back and gave a good puff. A cigar was still a cigar after all. The smoke drifted from its burning ash up in front of his face. Beyond the thin line of wavy gray were a few figures standing in the street. Amusing really, making so much noise in the middle of the night. And in front of the museum no less! Nonetheless, Karasu sat down on the crumbling stone to spectate the coming entertaiment. "Interesting," he smiled as he saw them demonstrate their powers. A light wind started to blow around his body and leaves were brought up along with it. He took of his cigar and shook off the ash with a light tap.

When the gray dusty chunks fell and crumbled on the red brick, all was silent. Karasu was no longer there and in a distance, the sound of a motorbike roared as it sped through the streets.


Some time later...


"Is it because you don't remember? Don't magi know everything?" the reply echoed around the walls of the gathering room. The voice was taunting, yet somewhat smooth at the same time. It had a strange gentleman's quality to it, but childish. In a chair not far from the Archmage himself, a foot dangled playfully from where it was placed on another leg. The foot was covered in rich leather and belonged to a man dressed in a black double-breasted suit. From certain angles, light shined brilliantly on what appeared to be large bronze buttons.

A hand was raised, revealing a set of letters on the fingernails and the black shape of what seemed to be a butterfly, and shifted the bowler hat which rested on a head. The other went into his suit and brought out a small envelope. "I think," the envelope was put down on the table, "We're here to discuss something serious, something important." A pair of gray eyes looked at the Archmage as Karasu spoke, "It could be a political feud, a trap for us, or a war. However, I don't think I know which."

"So, great and respectable Archmage. Care to enlighten us?"

_________________

Captain of Innuendo Strike Forces & Founder of Innuendo Striking Technique

[Hero base - Berlin, Germany]

The archmage's eyes narrowed behind his goggles. Truly, these people knew naught of their intended tasks. They had just willingly signed up for what might as well be an unknown suicide mission without caring for the potential risks. All for the promise of securing a better future for their world. The Archmage could not decide if he were to call them fearless, noble or just plain stupid.

"How brave you are to have walked into what you yourself recognized as a possible trap." The Archmage begun, addressing Karasu's words first. "Nevertheless, you can keep your mind at ease, for it is not. We have already lost far too many good men to consider needlessly harming any potentially useful warriors such as you. For you see, you are right. We are indeed preparing to wage war."

"Although our foes are something much greater, powerful and fearsome than some pitiable 'underground group', as your comrade guessed." The archmage exclaimed, this time eying Keyo. "All the people in this room and all those who are heading to it, can consider themselves as part of a newly formed high spec black ops squad, with the purpose of eliminating potent magical threats that pose a danger to the stability and peace of the world. Your faction's codename is 'Last Spear of Silver'."

"Your current targets are three very distinct and hazardous individuals that single-handedly wiped out the previous ‘Spear of silver’ which had attempted to eliminate them as we do now.” The Archmage said with a grim tone. The horrible fate of the previous Spear had been a devastating blow for the moral of all other similar organizations around the world. Heaviest of all, it’s struck the Elven Inquisitors which had spent a great deal of resources for sake of the war effort. Having personally trained many of the now deceased members of the First Spear, the whole ordeal was a touchy subject for the Archmage. The desire to give some meaning to all those sacrifices was the reason why the Inquisitors were now cooperating so closely with agent Anderson’s second attempt.

“You will be sent out to execute Arthur Vanderei, the acclaimed Genocide berserker, known for having killed thousands of powerful warriors and having declared a one-man conquest against the entirety of the vampire species. You will be ordered to apprehend Maxwell Willis, the Immortal Werewolf, and through any means possible secure as much evidence and information on recent and future illegal armament transactions as you can, including the identities of his clients and incriminating evidence against them. Finally you are to track down and assassinate Tukinode, the Frozen Moon, who acts as the head of an influential syndicate that is rabidly tacking over underworld and uniting it beneath his banner.” The archmage explained, putting the appropriate weight in every name and situation he mentioned.

“Each of these people holds overwhelming power in more ways than one and would not hesitate even for a second to use it all against any who oppose them. Including you.” He spoke, his voice serious. “So, what do you say? Are you up for the task?”

_________________
Made it myself. (Tukinode may not reflect the ideas of his original creator)

Amethyst Ruby Sapphire Emerald: Fear and Confusion

Ruby flew as fast as she could to the top of a bookshelf, looking down at the men. "The best help I could actually do is be a spy." she spoke barely loud enough for them to hear her. "I'm not even supposed to be here."

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They taped over your mouth, scribbled out the truth with their lies, you little spies - You will release your life, joining with the god-damned world of the dead and the lonely. - Я сошла с ума, Mне нужна она
Innuendo Squad's Resident Lesbian
Mother of darkness, mother of light, earth beneath us, soul in flight, songs of love and love of light, guide us to our heart.
We all come from the Goddess and to her we shall return like a drop of rain flowing to the ocean.

[Cult of the Highborn base - New York Ruins]
~ Luca, the Moon's Eye ~

Luca’s eyes looked at them with eyes that were not the slightest impressed. They were acting like any villain would do; some greedy, some overconfident but only one until now insightful, good for her. In all reality he had done a good enough screening so everyone here had potential to comply and they were all powerful enough to not die on their mission. Not that he cared, but his boss did. He lay back as they spoke and he felt the air shiver as the guards gathered behind the closed doors of the dinner.

A sarcastic smile cracked on his face. He may not be powerful as the people here. But he knew them, he had researched about them. Also he had made preparations in the mansion. He didn’t want to be caught by surprise. He always made preparations; raw power was something he didn’t have, so he had other ways of making himself useful.

“Interesting observations, yet incomplete ones” he spoke up “First I would like to apologize for my using the word, employment. You see usually most don’t notice the difference. Consider this more like, a mutual contract of confidence, where you can leave if you want” and if you are lucky you may survive breaking that contract it was a hire alright and that meant killing whomever disobeyed

“Also if you are so interested in collateral then I am not sure what kind of collateral you want” his voice was dismissing and ironic as he waved his hands in front of him “I am sure that most of you are aware of my boss, and as such are aware of his power. And I am not talking about magical prowess but about money, and knowledge, and inventory of the kind more ancient and more powerful than you imagined”

Luca looked at each one of them, he knew that some of these ‘people’ were downright insane so he also knew that even insanity has its order. “I would like to thank the people that so readily accepted the offer. As for the rest, listen to my proposal. You will name your... collateral and I see what I can do about it. Also try to keep in mind that the mission we have for you will involve people you may have seen before. Powerful people I have been told” Luca said with a look that betrayed knowing more than you should. He knew that most people here had history, and a very dark one at that.

Things were never straight-forward when you were involved with the boss’ plans. That man wanted everything to be his; just like a little child; a savage and merciless, not to mention sadistic little child. “If you agree to undertake this contract then there will be a briefing in a few moments. After the briefing there is no going back, the job you will undertake will be dangerous, but for many of you might also be fun” whatever menial and disgusting thing you call fun he added in his mind.

“Before you make your decision, my boss would like to talk to you” Luca clapped his hands twice and a man came in holding a round silver platter with a ring in the middle. “If you want to add something please do it now, he doesn’t like to be interrupted” he gave small sarcastic grin.

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- Cult Base | New York, NY -

Suiryuu had heard all he needed to. Some people didn't quite understand his motives and that was quite alright, but with a little clarification, they could all reach one accord. While some may blindly follow or accept any deal, he wasn't one of them. He picked at most every thing that obstructed his flow for he always followed his own path. The words coming from Lucas made his humanoid face light up a little. He was happy that Tukinode was as reasonable as he'd hoped for lack of better wording. He didn't really hope or wish for anything. If he wanted it, it was up to him to make it happen, or not.

"Thank you Sir, for clarifying. The terms a quite agreeable, and I look forward to hearing from the Frozen Moon himself. As for you all, don't be alarmed by my past antics. That pig had it coming to him and I tend to help my allies. He hired someone to kill me and was notorious for stopping payments and setting up fake accounts. He assumed I was a small fry, I merely proved to him how much of a shark he wasn't." Suiryuu said with a smile.

With that he resumed waiting as the man set up the video conferencing device. Had Suiryuu any idea of killing any of them or fighting at all, he wouldn't have entered the barriers or stepped on the enchantments around the area, and yet he was here. His words were clear enough and needed no repeating. He was here to work and have a little fun while doing it.

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My Poetry and More!

Howahkan, Berlin, Germany

As the little fae introduced herself Howahkan's eyes followed the flying creature until it placed the swan on his head, even as she laughed, the man's eyes glowed once more and the sawn was placed neatly on the table.
So little fae, you claim to be the fastest fae alive. Intriguing. Came the voice once more as Howahkan leaned back into his seat. It seemed that these two 'people' weren't trained in the way he had expected them to be, perhaps through this more insight could be given. Perhaps.

Before he could voice another set of questions two other men entered the room, they seemed to be displeased, it was only the voice of an unseen women that they were silenced. For a short while. It seemed that they held knowledge to whom was organizing this gathering. And his opinion of them thus far was displeasing.
On the one hand they held the group's ability in little esteem, perhaps there was little information given to them... if that was the case then whoever set this gathering together held secrets close at heart. And yet on the other hand there seemed to be a greater threat, one that caused the speaker to hold them in some form of respect.

A list of names and titles, things that mattered little to him. He did not need to know their personal details only that they've marked for death. The information that he needed was the location, numbers and their abilities or theorized abilities were. But then, this was his clan's way of dealing with those who become a threat, this.... agency might have other methods of judgement.
Death is merely a release. Those who fear it do not understand that it is merely a part of a never ending cycle. Howahkan finally responded as the main speaker posed a question his 'voice' seemed to be more hollow than before, There is nothing else that is as a certainty in this world.

->Armond Starion<-
Cultist HQ
Surrounded

It was only after yet another outburst that Armond realized exactly how many people were there.
The Light-user quietly lowered the visor on his helmet to make sure no one else was making eye contact with him.
Perhaps now they would suspect that he was incompetent or a coward.
He hoped so.
Under the safety of his helm, he shot glances around the room. Power-mad maniacs were abound. The woman with the two bodyguards made his gut turn in...something, but it wasn't pleasant. Something wrong there. He naturally averted his gaze, instead following the sound of each speaker in turn.
Tsukinode had to have a good reason to assemble these people. Even hearing from him was a big investment- because anyone who was paying enough attention might just get their hands on more information than was intended.
Something Armond was hoping for.
C'mon, snake, show your head. I'll be your rattle- for now.

He tapped his fingers listening to the next speaker- it seemed the two were working opposing strategies- this guy decided to display his power and tried to get negotiating rights, where Armond...well, he would prefer to keep things about himself as hushed as possible.
No need to give away what it was that made him qualified to be here.
He could only hope that he knew more than Tsukinode on that matter.
He glanced around, looking for others nearby, leaning back in his chair.

<-Amelia Silea->
It was unclear where the woman had gotten her tea, but she seemed quite passive at this point. She had made her point, and she seemed to honestly lack concern on anything else that occurred at that point.
Her two bodyguards remained at her sides as she silently sat, taking in the look of each and every one of the people there in turn.

Amethyst Ruby Sapphire Emerald: The Strange Man

She looked at the man, the one she'd put the paper swan on, and tilted her head at his words. She hated thinking about death but what he said had put it in a new light for her. She still didn't want to die, though.
With a giggle, she flew down to grab the paper swan and place it back on his head before flitting her wings behind him, watching what he'd do. She didn't know how the swan had gotten back on the table, though she was very curious to see how he did it.

_________________
They taped over your mouth, scribbled out the truth with their lies, you little spies - You will release your life, joining with the god-damned world of the dead and the lonely. - Я сошла с ума, Mне нужна она
Innuendo Squad's Resident Lesbian
Mother of darkness, mother of light, earth beneath us, soul in flight, songs of love and love of light, guide us to our heart.
We all come from the Goddess and to her we shall return like a drop of rain flowing to the ocean.