“As the light eternally blesses the universe with heavenly radiance, the shadows forever lurk in the abyssal crevices of the cosmos, perpetually trying to quench it. We who live in the light must be forever careful of the paths we choose to tread in, for the darkness eternally preys on those who lose their way. As such it is the unspoken duty of those who follow a steady path to prevent the rest from going astray and bring those who have back into the light, for if the lost begin to lead we shall all be swallowed by the darkness.”

- Melador Hatchman, Lord Magus and High Inquisitor of the Elven Inquisition

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

A tempest of magic tore through the surrounding forest.

The powerful sages that gathered, an unparalleled force one thousand strong, led by some who in the future would be known as legends, barely managed to contain the unnatural havoc that had overtaken the magical plane. The center of their focus, the holy tower of Stonehenge, stood defiant against the crushing torrents of the wavering reality. Above it, the moon stared down like a bloated eye and the blighted light of unnatural stars threw its form into shadow.

For a moment the gigantic tower of rock shimmered with the focused power of the myriad of sages surrounding it. Like water in a drain, the wild ambient magics paused their frantic tides and swirled down into the majestic structure. Finally, many thought, they had managed to establish the tower as a common nexus for their collective might. The crowd of sages watched with both exhaustion and relief as the tower crumbled to its very foundations from the sheer pressure of the onslaught of magic that it was trying to funnel. A rare few even felt a twinge of grief when they saw inevitable and predetermined destruction of what they had labored months to build.

It was some moments more before the last of the supernatural energies were drained. The army of sages was at last able to relax and without the magical distortions perverting the fabric of reality, the natural order reasserted itself in the world. It was with great delight that the sages noted that no longer were they surrounded by mutated life, wrathful winds and tumorus stars. The faintest took this opportunity to collapse into much needed slumber while the still strong stared at them with envy, for they knew that although there was not a single amongst them that was not frayed, there was still much to be done before they too were able to rest.

But the gaze of most fell upon the ruins of the tower, now a mere circle of enchanted yet broken stone. There their leaders were holding a meeting. A meeting that would ultimately judge the integrity of the world.

Indeed, beneath ghostly torchlight, four men were locked in a deep discussion held in ancient elven tongue.

“It soothes my soul to see that the ritual was successful.” Exclaimed the leader of the ancient drow.

“Indeed, there’s no telling what would happen if it had not. Imagine if that…that unspeakable thing was left unguarded. I can hear the world falling to its knees at the mere thought.” Retorted the elven king.

“A magnificent exhibition of magical proficiency, this ritual was. I congratulate you Ildor, Grand magus of the elves. Even my kind would be hard pressed to repeat your stunning performance.” The Elder dragon rumbled with an approving nod.

“I am deeply flattered by your words, my lords.” Bowed the one known as Ildor. “But I must ask that you save such praises for afterwards. We have only managed to make the lock by creating its key. It might be safe as it is, but the key is not.”

“You speak wisdom, my grand magus.” Contemplated the king of the elves.

“Once again the young races surprise me. Your servant’s insight is correct elven lord. These are not the times of my youth, where the very world was able to protect itself. As long as there is corruption in the hearts of our people, the key will be in danger.” Mused out the Elder Dragon.

“We must guard it then, until the end of times if we have to. But it must be done in secrecy lest we risk it stolen. Thankfully, our people know naught of this ritual’s true nature.” Said the drow queen.

“You are right your highness. Walls and armies cannot hold this thing. One capable enough must be chosen and then send to take it away, to the far reaches of the world.” Nodded the lord of the dragons.

For a moment the four stood silent, trying to grasp these words and their implications. One had to be chosen, yes, but who? What manner of being could be trusted with this so called key? There dragons were weakening in this new age and risk of it taken was high. The drows were too cunning and curious as a people for such a task, drow thieves were infamous for their ability to take what they fancied even in impossible situations. Even the elves would have trouble to keep it safe, their usual vanity could lead to unnecessary complications. Other races, such as the demons and the young humanity, were unfortunately too corrupt or otherwise plagued by other faults.

It had to be solved with the quality and ability of one as an individual, then his or her race would be of little importance. He had to be trustworthy, unblemished and strong. As the leaders of the world scoured their minds foe one to act as guard, The Grand Magus of the elves came to a decision. He set his jaw and stood forward.

“I’ll take it.” He spoke with unwavering resolve. “I am the one who orchestrated this ritual and I above all wish to see it serve its purpose as it was meant to be. I am bound to duty for its safekeeping and powerful enough to protect it against any evil. If you permit it my lords, I and my line shall be the ones to guard this key till the end of times.”

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[Five thousand years later, Argentum headquarters, Berlin, Germany]

“…And on other news. Infamous businessman and aspiring politician Edward Benjamin Mezmer, has just moments ago finished broadcasting his scheduled speech in the United nation’s conference room. Although the illusive tycoon has once again refused to appear in public, he managed to successfully deliver his message to the world’s leaders and their people through an encrypted voice com channel. During his speech, he emphasized that he would double the security forces in his business buildings, to ensure that no more weapons from would be stolen from his weapon production branch companies and sold illegally. Mr. Mezmer assured his audience that the culprit of the recently exposed gun trafficking ring, would be apprehended and delivered to justice in the near future. Yet to this time, the mysterious mafia lord Tukinode, keeps eluding the long hand of law. Jim, what do you think about….”

“Boss, you were right! Vampire alcove thirty-six in south India’s been wiped out. Four hundred dead, counting a variety of four different races included in the massacre. Fortunately the civilians who choose to run and hide are alright and from what I can hear there have been no underage casualties. Its Arthur alright! This entire thing reeks of Genocide Berserk! I sent half out men to help with the relief effort. I’ll keep you posted. Steward out!”

“This is Arc-mage Count. The stakeout was a bust. Willis just slipped through our guys when we weren’t looking. Agent Green, this is getting ridiculous. The elven inquisition can no longer spear the man-power to keep tabs on the little pup. I know you know he’s guilty and you know we know he’s guilty, heck, the entire magic community knows he’s guilty but with no solid proof, this is just a waste of resources. I’ll try to convince Hatchman to give me a few more months but you better have something good up your sleeve Green, the higher-ups are running out of patience.”

In Berlin exists a two story office building where only a select few are allowed to enter. To the untrained eye, it appears as nothing out of the ordinary. Even the armed guards attending the structure’s single entrance are something one can regularly see in the headquarters of any wealthy company. Yet, what most don’t realize is that beneath this building’s steel walls and reflective bullet-resistant windows, below the lavish cafeteria equipped with chefs of all kinds, just underneath the great conference room with the mahogany table lays a bunker.

Deep within its heart, in a room illuminated only by the light of a thousand monitors and communication devices of all natures, sits a man, a hero. Even with his scarred form obscured by heavy clothes and his crippled and wilted frame confined to a wheelchair, this man fights on for the sake of the world, for the name of justice and retribution. This man, is Special Agent Anderson Green, orchestrate of the Last Sphere of Silver, the final attempt to push back the unnatural darkness that threatened to overtake this unstable world.

Sat as he was, motionless and bathed by lights of every kind, he waited. Today would be the day where his operation would truly start. Sure, he already had agents and of course he had connection with other agencies but never before had he such a great and powerful army of mages under his command. They would arrive today and his campaign would taste glory.

Ever so silently the armored door behind him opened and the ever smiling face of a slender, blond woman appeared from the crack. She was dressed in her work clothes, a short-skirted nurse outfit that seemed to fit her form perfectly. When Agent Green refused to stir, her smile widened and she casually entered the room.

“Mr. Green.” Spoke the nurse in a gentle, melodic voice. “The men you were waiting for are set to arrive in an hour. From what Mr. Owen from the communication department has told me, nearly everyone of your targets received the recruitment letter.”

When her ward said nothing, the woman took it as a sign to continue.

“Reports from our agents in airports and the borders informed me that a satisfying number of the mages we contacted are well on their way to this building. As you commanded, the address was given to them by one of our an undercover soldier cells as soon as they arrived in the country. All of them were silently screened and found to carry no listening of tracking devices. They should be safe to greet. Should I ask the waiters to prepare the conference room in the ground floor?”

Once again, the man remained silent.

“As you wish Mr. Green! Shall we go?” She said and strolled forward. Her hands closed around the wheelchair’s handles and with startling ease, the woman rolled her boss around to face the door. “Come on, lets go say hi to our guests, shall we?” He beamed, moving the two of them into the nearby corridor.

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[At the same time, Cult Hidden Base, New York, America]

With a flick of wrist, he revealed his silver wrist watch and with haggard eyes stared down at the arms of the clock. It was almost time. Silently he stood up from high backed chair of the masterfully crafted round table. With a single swift move he grabbed his neatly discarded formal coat and palmed his grey hat to his brown haired scalp. For a moment he paused and his black eyes scanned the dining room with something akin to admiration. The gigantic pure crystal chandelier that hang over head clashed wonderfully with the lavish yet worn decorations, themselves an incredible mix of old English aristocracy and medieval castles.

Beneath the light of the ever burning bewitched torches that lined the round room, the man brooded the fact that such a patrician contraction could be hidden beneath the rotting remains of an American mansion in the outskirts of the ruins that had once been once known as New York. It was pure irony by itself that the armies of the dark Sion, renowned for their brutality and cruelty, had built such a refined base for their master.

Dismissing the case with a light shake of the head, the grey suited man turned around and headed to one of the heavy doors that lined this round room. The dining table was the heart of the old minion base and from it, one could reach anywhere in the underground complex. The man himself, was headed towards his changing room. He had to groom himself appropriately for the imminent gathering between the newly formed cult of the Highborn. His boss would be rather…displeased if he his intermediate’s appearance was a mess and if there was one thing the man knew, it was that you never displeased the boss, not if you liked your life.

He walked in a brisk pace through the one of the myriad of magically crafted caverns of the underground complex. Like every other part of the tunnels it too was filled with a series of catwalks and stone stairs that hand over a bottomless abyss and would, ultimately, lead one to his intended destination in the recommissioned base.

Even as he walked, the pale man’s hand moved with awe-inspiring dexterity and elegance. He swung on his grey coat over in one swift motion; hastily he removed his hat and combed his hair and with great urgency he tried to straighten his recently ironed suit.

Frankly, he hated rushing like that. One appearance was something to be arranged with the utmost care. He knew though, that his guests would soon arrive and that he had no choice but to move as swiftly as his body and sense of style would allow.

For if the stoic man knew one thing and one thing only it was that you never displeased the boss. Not his boss, not now, not ever, no how.

Not if you enjoyed your life.

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

Zipity do da, zippity day, my oh my, what a horrible day. He skipped from rock to rock, pausing every now and again to regain his balance as some of them wobbled underneath him. This place is fun. He eyed another rock, about four foot down the road, it looked sturdy enough. He leaped forwards, misjudged his landing and almost fell, actually he did but thankfully, instead of falling and breaking his hip on the rock, he managed to circle his wrist and his staff appeared with a whoof of black smoke. The end of it broke into the ground and just allowed him to stop himself as he gripped it with both hands and his feet scrambled for support. Phew, it would have looked bad if I'd shown up limping. He stood up again and started hopping from rock to rock, using his staff to help balance himself and in some cases, to cheat by using it as a third leg.

After a mile or two of this, he'd gotten bored of it and was just happily walking down, leaning on the staff lightly for support and twirling it round his fingers once or twice a minute. What a city this must have been. A dark tendril slipped out from his sleeve and darted into a nearby shop, some crashes came from inside it and then it snapped back after him, flicking a pot of Nescafe into his hand. Hmm... He said as he studied the ingredients. Interesting blend, I wonder if it's still usable. He tried to open the pot and paused as he felt it start to break. Damn, this needs a gentle touch. The pot was covered in black and then was peeled away again, the ancient coffee grains gathered and spilled over his hand. He took a pinch of it and ground it between his fingers, and then greedily crammed the handful into his mouth. Eurgh, a bit too old I think, must have been some life growing in it. Bah, makes me thirsty, I'll just have some of my own stuff.

Another tendril slid out from underneath his jacket, wrapped around the handle of his thermos, another one came out and unscrewed the top and then was held still as the other poured some of his own coffee into it, black of course. The cup was brought into the darkness under his hat, a sipping noise was heard followed by an "ahhh" of satisfaction and then the thermos itself was brought into the shadows. The end of it slowly rose as it quickly emptied itself down his gullet and then was flicked away to the right through a store window, the cup going after it. Oooohh, that's good. A happy haze came over him as he turned a corner and practically glided towards the ruins of a desecrated mansion. Zipity do dah... He began to hum again as a dark haze crept out from his clothes to protect him from the sun's light that burst through the clouds. A few minutes later the cloud of shadow had expanded greatly to a 6 metre radius, just showing his dark silhouette inside it. Then as he entered the house it was sucked in after him leaving no trace in the bright day of what had just passed underneath it.

About ten minutes later he stumbled out of a pitch black doorframe into the dining hall and whistled as he looked up at the huge chandelier. Impressive stuff. He muttered as he walked over to the closest chair. Looks like this groups actually got something going on. He flicked a wrist into the air and a black tentacle flew out and to a small cabinet behind him. It unflicked the catch, spiked into six ends and grabbed some of the dusty bottles in it. Once they returned, three of them started juggling the bottles in the air as the other three ends stretched out back to the cabinet and grabbed a few glasses. Right, lets see what we can make here. The bottles were brought to his face one at a time, their lids popped off and a small amount of them drunk before their stoppers were returned and they rejoined their juggled fellows. Wow, good stuff here, good range of ages too.

From his sleeves dozens of tentacles came out, some of their ends forming the shapes of spoons, others holding small coloured vials, one of two forming the shapes of jars and then their was a flurry of movement and bright liquid colours as he got to work. Soon the movement died as the tentacles began to slip back up his sleeves, their missions completed and their were six rainbow-coloured bottles arranged from smallest to largest. The smallest of them the brightest and the largest, the dullest. He took the smallest and placed it inside his own robes, then took the largest and popped the stopper off. Let's see how good this is then. He poured it into a glass til it was half-full and then took a tentative drink. Mmmmooohh, that's not bad. The darkness under his hat seemed to gain some colour and shifted through the spectrum. Not bad at all. Can I have some?

Atrus jerked and looked around wildly, spilling some of the drink over himself. Who's there? Who said that. I'm over here. The quiet little voice said at the other end of the table. Atrus peered down and noticed something, a mass of small spikey black hair could be seen down there. It shifted slightly and a pair of wide, scared eyes appeared and looked back at Atrus. ...So who are you then little boy? He asked carefully, a hand reaching into his robes and gripping his knife. My name is...My name's...I'm Ignis. The eyes disappeared back under the table and Atrus stared at the shivering dirty black hair.

Right...Probably shouldn't give this to kids but I doubt you're just a kid, right? The child just continued shaking instead of responding and after a few moments, Atrus sighed and filled up another glass. Right, here you go then. A black tendril carried the glass over and left it at the edge in front of Ignis. After another few seconds he reached up and lifted up the glass, some slurping was heard underneath the table and then Ignis peeped back over the table and smiled gratefully at him. Thank you Sir. The glass began to bubble in his hand as it heated up, giving off some multi-coloured steam. You're welcome I suppose. Atrus watched as the child drank the hot liquid in small gulps and then put his feet up on the table. Just keep it down while I get myself some shut-eye, right? Yes sir.

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

+Keyo Norima+

Steam billowed out of the room while Keyo got dressed. The boy had his radio going, a song flowing from the current channel. Humming to the song, Keyo now dressed with only his pants on, wrapped a set of bandages around his chest area. Aww come on, why use those things? Why not wear those... what do you call them.. A cor..? Shut up! As hell if I wear one of those things. Why not? Too tight. Because its sturdier probably than those things. And much more expensive. True.... Finally! something we agree on! Keyo heard the other half of him, Yoku, grunt inside his mind. Keyo stopped, looking at himself. Keyo's body was very slim, and feminine like, with dark blue-green eyes and semi long auburn hair that partially fell between his waist and chest. He hated his body, but he was born this way; his genes were all messed up. He had a girl's chromosomes, but the genes that "differentiated male gender" were on one. His doctor said the condition was rare, but it's something that has affected other males, so he wasn't alone...

Sighing, Keyo finished wrapping his chest. The bandages were hiding a couple of things, one in fact was a long scar running from the top right of his chest to the bottom left, and one other thing. Flipping on the switch for the fan to turn on, Keyo went and got a tank and a set of arm sleeves on. the sleeve on his left would cover the bandages that covered from about above the elbow to the wrist. These bandages were made from his magic, and sealed the actual form of the arm. Keyo stared at the arm for a while, thinking, when he heard the doorbell ring to his apartment. He opened the door, "Hello?"

-Time later-

"Dammit!" Keyo angrily screamed as he jumped rooftop to rooftop, his wolf ears and tail out, his hair flowing loose. He stopped for a moment, thinking about the messenger. I should of had him write down the directions! What, forgot where to go? Yes.. Ha! Lucky for you, I remember! Groaning, Keyo listened to his other self tell him the directions to the "headquarters" the messenger talked about. He finally reached the place, staring at it. "Not as I expected, but eh." He walked up, and saw the guards, on the other hand... The two guards stopped him, which he showed them the letter. "Go on in... Sir."

The inside was much different than the outside; it was definitely hosted by a top notched company. It took some time to really take the place in, his wolf ears pointing different direction, his tail swishing about. Keyo finally snapped out of the awe-like stare, and started to move around the room. It was quite empty yet; he was the only one there. Wonder if there are any more coming.. Probably are. A yawn escaped Keyo; get some sleep, since you were up last night doing homework. Yeah.. but i need something to hold my hair together though.. Keyo formed a small stretchable band from some darkness, then put it around his longer hair. Keyo then sat down in a chair and immediately fell asleep, his ears twitching, his head resting on one of his shoulders.

~Noel; New York~

What a wonderful place New York was... huge buildings, many people, busy streets. Noel has been here once or twice a long time ago, but it was brief. It was when she decided to join the cult, or more like Manah decided on it. Noel was enjoying a nice trip to Florida when she got the call about a meeting being held at headquarters. "Come now or don't come at all" was what echoed in Noel's mind apart from the voice inside her head, complaining about how slow she was taking to get there. "Will you be decent and let me fly as fast as I want? We'll make it there with plenty of time to spare since we left early this morning!" Yeah, but if I was the one in control, we would be there an hour ago! Manah hissed at Noel, some darkness seething from her wings as she started to arrive to New York's city limits. "Yeah, but who's the only one that can take over right now?" Manah's mouth shut, staying silent. Noel knew well that it was only night when Manah can take over so she nodded and quickened her pace to satisfy the bothersome shadow woman. Noel looked at the view of the city, taking it in and smiling just the slightest bit. Even though she was stuck with other people that thought differently than she did, she was somewhat glad she found a place to be, something to do. Manah was only excited to see Arthur in the flesh and assassinate some 'weaklings' while she's at it. For someone who hasn't seen Arthur in the flesh, she was imagining things that Noel would much rather dismiss.

As soon as they were close to the base, Noel landed carefully and soundlessly onto the ground, walking about and was going to head to the mansion when she heard a loud groan coming from her stomach. All this time, she was so caught up in flying and never thought about her actual needs like food and water. She pouted cutely and froze in mid step, turning herself away and headed to central park to pick something up and relax a little. Manah complained the whole way there, but she ignored her long enough to get what she wanted, paid for it, and plopped down on a bench to dig into her meal. This could have waited... now we're here eating in a park when we should be in the meeting room and seeing all of our other teammates! Noel sighed audibly, looking down at her food and making a face. Why can't I enjoy something to eat before I go inside? I'd rather enjoy the sunlight before going into that dark place... I don't ccaaarrreeee! Manah whined, almost like a child. Come on, you bitch... don't be like that She growled low, actually getting annoyed with her for the moment and replied out loud, not thinking about the people around her. "Can you or just give me a moment to let me do what I want??" She stood up and stared at the ground, her reply to Manah loud enough for people to stop what they were doing, staring at her talking to dead air. She looked up and realized what she did, shutting her mouth shut and standing there, seeing the people stare back. Manah fell silent herself, knowing she would be embarrassed slightly too in this situation. Maybe we should just leave... Good enough for me She summoned her wings quickly and shot into the sky, flying away as quickly as she could to hide the heavy blush on her face. The civilians talked a little about her, but then went back to their activity.

Noel glided herself right to the entrance of the mansion, taking in a deep breath and slipping inside. Well, that was something Manah chuckled lightly, a slight demented feel to it. Noel groaned and ate the remaining of her meal before making it into the meeting room, looking around and recalling the memory she had. Seems like this place is as classy as ever! They sure know how to keep this place maintained, eh? Noel frowned, walking further in and seeing someone already there, talking to some kid under the table. Seems like we made it with plenty of time Aaahh, shut your damn mouth, girl or I'll shut it for you. Noel shivered at the thought of that, taking a seat far away from the man, but was close enough to make her known. Her red hair covered her eyes, sitting quietly and staring at the table as she waited.

_________________

Sig and avi are made by me

> Karasu Tsukikage, Berlin <
♫ Fly Me To The Moon ♫

The night sky was brightly lit with the shine of twinkling stars and without a single cloud in sight, it was a beautiful time of the day. The moon could even be seen full, displaying its beauty from a distance with its white surface illuminating the fields outside like a dimly lit chandelier. Passengers inside the luxurious high-speed InterCity Express 2 however, were too tired to even bother themselves with a glimpse of the beauty outside. The First Class Car was dark with only two strips at the floor between the two sides of seats glowing a dim green to navigate anyone who happened to be roused from his sleep by nature's calling. Loud snores, the tapping of laptop keyboards and the occasional flip of page on the curious book were heard but nonetheless, everyone were being suffocated by a blanket of tranquil silence.

A little further back in the ICE2's restaurant car, a little candle sat lit on a table in a corner. Within the circle of weak illumination cast by the candlelight, two figures could be seen sitting in front of each other on the table. One of the figures could be seen slightly hunched in his seat, dressed in a long brown coat dirtied with something black at the tips with an old black turtleneck sweater on the inside. "I don't like it, Crow," the man's voice was strong but sounded gentle. He spoke with a hint of etiquette in him, which had been clearly dulled over the recent years of life. "This meeting you're going to, it's too bloody convenient. It could be a trap, an ambush by those hunters after your head or Sotz knows what," his rough hands reached for a basket on the table, grabbing a bread roll. He sighed as he tore the bread in half and stuffed a slice of bloody ham in between with a freshly sliced tomato and some cheese, the latter of the ingredients had been from a nearby plate piled with enough food for a buffet. "Look, what I'm trying to tell you is be careful okay? You're the last hope for the Families, unlike what some of them think about you," he bit on the sandwich hungrily with his fanged teeth easily piercing through the bread. Little drops of red stained the white tablecloth. However a gentleman he may had been in the past, his hunger easily overwhelmed his restraint.

As the man stuffed in another slice of raw ham into his sandwich, his grayish green eyes took a glance at his companion opposite of him. He called him Crow but he had many names excluding that, some praising and some of shame. They had met by chance at night in London years ago, quickly becoming friends and revealing their histories with each other. He was surprised at first about finding the Traitor of Blood himself on such a chance and admittedly, had been tempted to capture for the bounty on his head. But his pride had been too great for that. "It's a beautiful night," the voice of his friend shattered the silence between them into little pieces. He was looking out at the glass window and the grayish green eyes soon followed suit. Outside, the moon shone brilliantly in the dark skies.

"Tell me, Marcus. Do you believe in God?" he spoke without taking his eyes away from the moon. "I don't know about my faith in Gods, but I do believe in Zotz," the answer came simply after a hesitant pause. His companion stopped speaking for a while before slowly turning to meet his eyes. A glass of red liquid was held at the stalk by his fingers, swishing about as he toyed around with the glass curiously. "Let me tell you a story, Marcus," he took a sip from his glass before settling it on the table. He folded his hands together on his chest and lay on his chair.

"There was once a thief named Kandata, who had been condemned into hell for his crimes. He was a criminal with a cold heart, but had once saved the life of a spider. The Buddha saw his good deed and let down a spider's thread to lead him into Paradise. Midway however, he realized that the thread had been swarmed by the other condemned souls beneath him. He shouted angrily that the thread was his and his alone. The thread instantly snapped and sent them all back into Hell."

The companion took a sip from his glass again and looked at Marcus with a calm look. "The moral of the story is not that humans are stupid. Even though He was the one who had sent Kandata's soul to Hell in the first place, the Buddha decided to fool around with him instead of giving proper help," Marcus had a puzzled look at his face, as if trying to understand the new wisdom he had just been given. "That is the reason I must go to this meeting," he took another sip and fished out an enveloped from his jacket, giving a light tap with his fingers on the words, to Mr. Karasu Tsukikage, before putting it back inside. He finished the glass of red liquid and once more, gazed at the moon outside. Marcus stayed quite and did not know what to do next. So he followed what Karasu did and gazed out into the dark skies, remembering his days as a miserable mugger in Dublin.

"If God will not help us climb out of this Hell, I'll do it myself."
"Oui."


♫ Nocturne No. 20 Cm Sharp ♫

Dear passengers, we have arrived in Berlin. Please make sure that your belongings are with you before leaving. Thank you for taking the InterCity Express 2. We hope to see you again sometime.

The message faded away with a catchy chime and the doors of the ICE2 soon slid open to let off its passengers. Among the small group of people that poured out sleepily into the platform, two distinct figures walked out of the train's restaurant car in a relaxed pace. One man had blond hair and a thick mustache and was dressed in a long dirty brown coat with a black turtleneck sweater on the inside, a pair of blue jeans and work boots. Marcus' dark Riffan Berber skin hardly contrasted itself against the night sky. He looked at his companion a little nervously as they strolled out. Karasu himself was dressed in his usual attire and the polished bronze buttons on his jacket gleamed just like the stars. The pair stopped when the came to a large kiosk in between two flights of automatic stairs.

"I guess this is it," Marcus said simply in front of his friend and held out a hand. "Until next time then, right?" Karasu smiled and shook his hand before leaving. "Until next time, if there is one," the crow muttered quietly to himself as he walked away. When they separated to go their ways, he lifted his bowler hat to wave it as a sign of goodbye.

After the process of picking up a map and a pamphlet of Berlin, Karasu bought an expensive but small box of cigarettes at a shop made specifically to feed on the money of tourists. He walked out of the station and into the cool night air of Germany. Down at the stairs, a red giant of a motorcycle sat idle in a parking spot with a black helmet ready for its owner. He cut one of the cigars and put it in his mouth, lighting it and taking a good smoke before he got on his Honda Fury. In just a few moments, he rode away towards the meeting's location. His jacket was unbuttoned at a few points, fluttering in the wind to create the illusion that he was really a Full-Blooded Vampire with its black wings soaring through the dark skies.

_________________

Captain of Innuendo Strike Forces & Founder of Innuendo Striking Technique

Amethyst Ruby Sapphire Emerald: The Lost Fae

Amethyst was a rather fast fae. She had seen a pretty woman flying and began following her with no idea if she even knew of her follower. She soon lost track of her in the clouds and continued flying, unsure of where she was.
First break in the clouds, she saw water below. There was a few metal contraptions floating at the top and she, hesitantly, landed on the first one. She learned fast to stay on the rubber.
She was currently flying up by the ceiling of a large room. She had no clue where she was nor how she would get out. Below her was a boy, seemingly young.
She pulled her thoughts back to her escape, hoping the door would open soon. She had gotten in with her flight and speed, the guards thinking it had been a bug that flew over the boy's head. She was resting in one of the corners of the ceiling far from the door, wanting to have a straight shot for her escape.
Stupid Ruby! she thought to herself in the faery language, Not only did you let yourself get trapped, you're surrounded by iron! A glance at the chandelier reminded her of the danger of the metal and if that didn't, the burn on her hand sure did. She remained still, waiting for the door to open to make her escape.
However, she soon fell asleep before anyone else entered, having been up all night, and fell to the floor with a thud behind the boy. Even the fall didn't wake her.

_________________
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 life, 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.

{Berlin}

A single slender, pale, and very effeminate figure was walking through the streets. Its dark eyes began scanning around the area, trying to remember where the location was that they were supposed to be heading. The ambiguously gendered figure then tugged at its long coat, closing the front further upon its body. A single thought was wildly running through the figure's mind as they darted glances over everyone walking nearby.

Don'ttouchmedon'ttouchmedon'ttouchmedon'ttouchmedon'ttouchmedon'ttouchmedon'ttouchme... The thought seemed to keep going, never ending and never slowing its pace.

A small child came running down the sidewalk in the figure's direction. Instantly, the person froze, its eyes going wide. A...a.... IT'S A KID!!! It then closed its eyes and tried pushing its limbs closer to its body, making itself seem even smaller than it already was. The child soon came running by. As the kid ran past, the figure began to open an eye and look down. Just as the kid was drawing away, though, his foot brushed the edge of the figure's coat.

"FFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU~~" The figure began screaming out a single obscenity and went running into a wild sprint, dashing down an alleyway. Several cats immediately came running out as various metallic sounds began ringing out from the alley. The figure came out, holding a trash can over its head. Its oddly tonless and squeaking voice began screaming as the figure threw the trash can out into the middle of the street. "KILL IT ALL WITH LIME JUICE! Run, the damned kids are going to start gnawing on your femurs!!!" The figure loudly cried before running off in a blurred dash of madness.

Everyone nearby began staring at the trash can in odd confusion. And then began wondering what that crazy American and its English had just said.

_________________

Berlin, Germany. –Thirty minutes ago-

The muffled sound of the city, filtered through the car window drew Howahkan back to the physical world, closing his mind’s eye once again. The young man wore his traditional clothing, hiding his face from the world around him as his transport gave him a 'tour' of the city known as Berlin. Next to him was his 'host', a so called agent who's task was to bring him to the meeting. Throughout the journey Howahkan had stayed his tongue only responding when the agent asked a question, even then his own reply was normally short.

The world outside of the clan’s temples was noisy, prejudiced, foolhardy and above all else judgemental, these people did not see the world he did. Perhaps it was better that way, the clan’s teachings were not for the faint of heart after all. His eyes shifted to once again regard the man who was leading the tour, due to the fact his face was covered the agent felt ill at ease. Two days before the meeting the man was shocked to discover that Howahkan doesn’t speak to people physically, instead the young man uses his magic to make his thoughts audible to a specific person... part of him wondered if the strangely clothed figure was toying with him, trying to make him a fool or was there some darker purpose?

“Still uneased about my ability to project my thoughts, agent? ” The eerie voice asked with mild amusement,” Or is there something else on your mind that bothers you?”
“It’s Agent Fall, you should know that by now, you’re a mind reader after all.” Came the heated reply as the agent tried to figure out why the garbed man was toying with him.
“You are misinformed, Agent Fall, I do not and have not shown the ability to read the minds of others, at least not with subtlety. It is why I do not rely on it. If my foe felt my presence in his mind he would surely mislead me. ”
“Wait....your previous wat-“
“The previous agent assigned to me during the flight to Berlin made an assumption that merely was incorrect, he did not all of the information required to make an accurate report.”
“Shouldn’t you have advised him about that oversight then?”
“How can I, if I am not told that your agency is trying to gather information on me. Thus far I have only been informed about your ‘agency’ is seeking powerful allies, nothing more. All these observations are without my knowledge thus-
“You don’t trust us in other words.”
“I don’t trust anyone. Not until I know them better, blind faith can only go so far before you invite betrayal.” Howahkan corrected, his face unreadable behind his coverings.
“If that’s the case why accept our offer?”
“Information, the fact that by aiding you; we benefit from mutual accomplishments, there are many reasons. I only need to pick one.”
“How the hell did we find you... you’re not much of a...”
“Hero?” There was a strange sensation that came with that thought, agent Fall could almost feel that the young man was smirking underneath that cloth. “I was simply training myself and observing the surroundings when your agent found me...”
“According the report he witnessed you protect the innocent.”

Howahkan did not respond this time, his emerald eyes had closed once more as his mind’s eye raced to remember the night he had been ‘confronted’ by this ‘agency’. Agent Fall’s words began to fade into the background while his mind visualized the events that transpired three days ago.


Three days prior, Kazakhstan
The cool night air awaited Howahkan as he meditated on the outskirts of the city known as Almaty, the journey across the borders had not been easy due to the guards but he had succeeded in his endeavour, thus far he had avoided needless attention.
Through his red and black clothing he could feel the night’s breeze but more prevalent was the sounds of the city, it’s cars and lights constantly nagged at the back of his mind while he searched for more information, his clan were familiar with technology and while they studied it, they refused to extensively use it, fearing that it may lead to laxity, weakening all that they stood for. Yet Howahkan questioned that, his mentors accepted that view without question but he wondered what the ‘Elders’ thought.
The young man stood up, the ends of the wrappings around his face fluttered as another gentle breeze washed over him, he wished to explore the city to better understand his surroundings.

Nearing the city centre Howahkan observed passing cars, buildings and people, the latter gave him a long look either curious or amused at his clothing. Regardless of which he didn’t care, they could laugh at him for all he could care, their mockery was inconsequential to him.
As he neared an alley a couple nearly ran into him in their haste, they were frightened but Howahkan simply kept watched as the two continued to run, they were followed by a small group of people, they were dirt and through his wrappings their stench was nearly overwhelming.
He would’ve just ignored them but he questioned whether or not it would be right for him to leave the couple to their fate. His clan’s teachings told him that there was no good or evil, only that there were consequences, to assume that one’s action was ‘good’ would be ignorant. One must see beyond that simplistic scope.

“Let us see what the consequence shall be if I give aid to these two.” He mused. It wasn’t hard to track the group, the smell had practically scarred his memory.
As the garbed man drew closer he could hear both parties arguing, it appeared the thugs naturally wanted money, money the couple didn’t have.
“Might I suggest you find another source of income?” He calmly spoke to the gang of thugs.
“Being a hero? Ha wh-“
“Not a hero, merely a man who advises you against the course of action.”
“You hear that boys, hero here thinks he’s something, what’cha gonna do pyjama-“
A bolt of green psychic energy the talkative thug hard in the stomach cutting off his insult, cries of shock at the fact their quarry held magic was unexpected but their confidence soon returned as their ring leader pointed out they had the numbers game.
“You may have the numbers but the surroundings do not work in your favour. ” Howahkan pointed out deflecting a careless punch, at first he restrained himself by blocking but his mind began to focus on insuring that they could not fight back. Been his kicks and punches, Howahkan unleashed his magic as soon as his blow connected, amplifying the damage done. Two would suffer dislocated joints while another lost his meal when the mage slammed his elbow into the man’s solar plexus. The rest broke at that point, preferring to run rather than aid their ‘brothers’.

Howahkan left the scene before the police arrived or the couple could thank him. It was perhaps luck that he had been found less than an hour later by the agent in search of powerful mages, due to him releasing some of his magic their apparatus was able to pick him up on their radar, not to mention he stuck out of the crowds.


HQ, Berlin, Germany. –Present time-

“We’re here.” Came agent Fall’s voice drawing Howahkan from the depths of his mind, he nodded and was able to leave the car when the agent drew his attention, offering some advice, “Listen, don’t do that psychic thing with the others, you won’t make allies that way.”
“That is of little consequence to me. I do not invade their privacy nor are they threatened by my powers. ” Howahkan replied without making eye contact closing the door, “Besides, I am bound by my creed not to speak unless certain circumstances are met.” His ‘voice’ was unimpeded as he gave the agent a nod, watching the car slowly pull away.
The guards allowed him to enter the building, giving him instructions on where to go as well as the typical, ‘Do not go there’ suggestion until he was directed to do so otherwise.

As he entered the meeting room he could see he was not the first to arrive, a rather feminine looking young man sat in one of the chairs, his head rested rather lazily against one of his shoulders. Perhaps he had been waiting for some time for the others to arrive, perhaps there were other reasons. Howahkan did not ask as he looked about the room, it was to a degree luxurious, large and decorated, something he felt was more in common with a hotel rather than a secret agency... but then to everyman his own design.
“Greetings” Howahkan simply ‘spoke’ to the stranger as he drew closer ,his green eyes focusing on the figure once more. “It does appear I have not been the only one approached by these ‘agents’, interesting.”

A sudden movement caught his eye as something small dropped from the ceiling, it was small yet too large to be merely an insect... at least one that was found in this climate. Howahkan raised his hand slightly so not to alarm the other occupant in the room as he inspected. At first the young man suspected some kind of device used to spy on the group, perhaps the agents were trying to gather more information on how they would interact but upon closer inspection Howahkan learned it was the body of a small fae. The little creature was still sleeping as he kneelt and gentle picked her up, letting her rest in his arms.
“I was unaware that they would request the aid of the fae. One wonders how far this little one has journeyed to reach this place.” His thoughts were openly broadcasted as a reflection, akin to the action of talking to one’s self when contemplating. Carefully placing the small fae onto one of the padded seats before Howahkan himself took a seat close close by.

-\ Suiryuu - New York /-

On the outskirts of a once bustling metropolis the waters of the Long Island Sound grew black and steam began to rise from the murky abyss. Though he was still puzzled as to how he was located and contacted in the nether world by this "Cult of the Highborn", he was impressed and his interest was piqued. He had done some research and he knew what he was getting into by merely showing up, but he could handle himself... not that he'd need to. The dragon-demon hybrid was always on the lookout for strong allies and these beings seemed to think in the same vein as he did. No one could 100% accurately speak on the future, but even he could feel the electricity in the air. Things were about to get fun in the realm of the living and he had chosen the side he was going to support. All there was to do now was getting the wheels of fate turning and the ball of water and dirt they called Earth rolling down the path of destruction. Such glorious destruction was on the horizon he could feel it sending shivers up his spine as he took his first steps on land in the Empire State.


His crimson fins shuddered in delight for what was to come. He could sense a few powerful entities in the direction he was heading, and he reacted with a smile. Soon after emerging from the water, everything returned to normal as he did. His body seemed to swallow up the darkness revealing his normal color scheme of blues and orange and the water returned to normal as well. He didn't want the others to get too good a read on what was coming into their ranks lest things turn sour down the road, but anyone worth their salt would have noticed the change in the air from his presence and the sudden shift as he turned back to his normal self if they were close enough. Suiryuu looked out on the landscape to see crumbling ruins and destruction for miles. After half a decade, the scars left in the aftermath of the most recent elemental war were still so vivid, he could only imagine what impact this new development would have. In one hefty leap he took to the sky to get a dragon's eye view of the area and to aid him in locating his new accommodations. He glided on the air currents until he found the place he was looking for. The description he was given didn't give the place justice, but it did blend in just well enough not to trigger any alarms to the untrained eye. With the place on the horizon he glided ever so elegantly as he cut through the sky.

Upon reaching the grounds of the old Mansion, Suiryuu landed with the flapping of wings and running as one might envision a bird lifting off. He came to a stop and quickly assumed his more human guise to explore the grounds. He preferred using it for first encounters, as one could never bee too sure what to expect and how others would react to him, and it was a habit he formed wandering the planet with most of its inhabitants being human after all. They seemed most comfortable around other humans so he chose to blend in. He wasn't expecting hostility, and what was another random human roaming around anyway?

_________________
My Poetry and More!

Serenity :Arrival, Berlin, Germany:

Walking down the streets of Berlin was very comforting for Serenity as she pulled her trench coat closer. Her scarf ends swayed in the wind as she continued on her way towards the building where she was going to meet her fellow companions. The streets were all very quiet as her footsteps echoed in the empty streets. Looking around, she felt a draft fly through her like she had walked into something freezing for a split second. She shook her head to rid her of those feelings and continued down the street, nearing the building.

The two story building with the guards was very incognito compared to everything around it. Serenity almost walked by it, before turned suddenly towards the building. Walking past the guards and giving them a curt nod, she walked into the building and proceeded towards the meeting room. Opening the door, she found herself not alone. Some people had already shown up and getting comfortable. She closed the door behind her and walked around the room, not taking a seat just yet.

((Posting for Z later. This gives you all something though ))

_________________

{Samuel Onyxroad}

_Berlin, Germany, Altes Museum_ Safety Dance _


" We can dance if we want too. " Samuel sung as he skipped like a giddy school girl down a hallway that was between statues and pillars in the Altes Museum in Berlin while wearing head phones as played music on his walkman. " We can go, where we want to." Samuel mentioned as he skipped in his way into the Rotunda of the Museum. He looked up to the skylight as the moon light shine down upon him. His clapped with his black leather gloves on his hands, and started to dance around the greek statues that was all around the room. " We can act like we come out of this world. " He said as he danced his way to the treasury on the ground floor . He stopped for a moment while pumping his arms and then legs to glance at himself in a reflection surface in the museum.

" God damn, I am one sexy bastard." Samuel remarked with a smug grin on his face. He wore a black tuxedo with a bright red dress shirt. In the right breast pocket was his trademark, a blue carnation. Instead of a belt, he wore shoulder straps. Sewn inside the red shirt forearms were metal plates. On top of his slick back brunette hair was a red and black checkered fedora. For shoes, Samuel wore custom made Italian leather shoes. He double finger guns as he pretended to shoot the mirror while he back away. He spun around and clapped his hands as he entered the treasury.

Why any alarms weren't triggered by Samuel, was because he had been manipulating the electricity in the rooms, shutting them off and turning them back on, when he left a room. The live feeds for the camera were completely scrambled whenever he entered a room. The locks on the tumbler, well that, required skill and not powers, which coincidently, Samuel had. After breaking in, Samuel reached dress jacket's pocket and pulled out several business cards with his nickname on it, scattering them every where. Out of all the collections of fine arts and antiques, all Samuel stole was an a painting

On the steps of the Altes Museum, Samuel carried the painting still jamming to Safety Dance. His 1963 VW Beetle Vandetta was parked nearby the fountain with the back open. He leaned the painting against interior of his vehicle, closing the back doors. In the driver seat, Samuel started his car and turned up the radio as he drove like a madman with stolen loot. On the passengers seat was an unopened letter. " And if they don't dance, there no friends of mine." He sung while he drove on the Museum Island grounds.

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

Atrus continued to snooze, his hat pulled over his eyes and with some slight muttering coming from it every now and again as well the occasional mild spasm and jerk. Ignis on the other hand, his drink now depleted had begun to fidget. First he spun the last remaining dribble of liquid around his glass, tipping it to the point that it was about to drip out before twisting the glass till it slid to the centre again and then pouring it to the other side. Once the liquid had eventually been spilled out, he started flicking the glass up into the air and catching it, eventually he dropped it causing to smash on the ground, causing another start from Atrus. Then after some fidgeting in the chair, he started picking at loose threads, pulling them out. Once he'd run out of thread, he seemed to decide to leave it at that before he broke the chair too instead of just ruining it. He fell off the chair and walked round the table, his mass of dirty hair just visible bobbing up and down at the edge of it until he'd reached the seat Noel was at. He shuffled his feet a little, glancing shyly up at her as he meshed his fingers together awkwardly. I'm Ignis. He said suddenly, in a mildly feeble attempt to break the silence. He fidgeted a little more, scratched his head, played with his hair a little and then asked. What's your name?

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

Amethyst Ruby Sapphire Emerald: Wake up {Berlin, Germany}

The small fae soon awoke and looked around, seeing the people. She was instantly afraid. In less than a second, the fae was back up in the corner, looking down at the scene.
Who are these people? she thought to herself as she took a glance at the chandelier. "Who are you?" she asked, trying to keep the fear from her voice, "Where am I?"
She began to fall a little but caught herself in the air. Her head hurt bad. Thinking she would be safe, she flew to sit atop a bookcase, not taking her eyes from the people below her.

_________________
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 life, 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: Tegel Airport, Germany----I Don't Wanna Stop~

The moment Jennifer was invited to the meeting was the moment she almost crushed her face in on hard concrete from all of the excitement. Ever since Mike left, she's been spending her days listening to the radio, hoping for some sort of sign from God himself that she was going to do something worthwhile. Something exciting. Something that didn't involve sitting around and doing absolutely nothing. To say the least things have been pretty dull until that invitation.

Except, she had no idea how to get to Germany.

"Mom!"

Neither did she know how to spill the beans.

"What is it sweety?"

So, she did what any normal teenaged girl her age would've done.

"I need some money."

She gave half of the story.

"For what?" It was hard not to be slightly nervous. Particularly when this was your parents you were dealing with. It probably would've been easier if it was her teachers, it would've been better if she was talking to police.

"Weeeeeeeell, I need to go to this place, for a very important meeting! An-"

"Is it one of those Police Academy things?"

"No-Wait-YES!"

"How much do you need?"

"Ummm....A couple hundred bucks?"

It was moment's like these, that Jennifer was glad that her family got some financial support from the state and government. Coming from a family of law enforcers did have its perks. It took a couple of hours (understatement) to convince her mother to allow her to take a plane all the way to Germany. And it didn't help that she brought up Mike every five minutes.

"So how's that boyfriend of yours?"

"He's NOT my boyfriend!"

"So why did you always sneak out to meet him late at night?"

"Mom! We were just training-Wait, how did you know?"

"Don't think I wasn't the same way at your age."

"Look, he's not my boyfriend okay? He's just some guy, who had some problems. He's not even in this city anymore! I don't even know why we're talking about this!"

Jennifer was glad, to say the least, to finally be away from her. On the plane ride to Europe all she thought about was how free she was going to be, fighting crime, solving mysteries. This was her calling. Sure there was a 99.9% chance she would die, or become crippled, or get lost on some uncharted island. Isn't that what adventure was about? ...Without the dying and becoming crippled for life part. Mostly the plane ride consisted of her sleeping, falling head over heels over the thought of becoming a bigshot heroine, listening to some music and singing horribly, catching her next plane, listening to some more music, sleeping some more, and being woken up by some random old guy only to hear him talk about World War II.

Her final arrival at the Berlin Tegel Airport was like walking into a dream. Just like that time when she heard the news, but different somehow. The toughest part of the journey, she supposed, was convincing security to allow her to bring her bike. It didn't matter whether or not she had family who had jobs working for the CIA, or an uncle who was a firefighter. She was lucky that they seemed to take pity of her.

And now...

Well, now she was cycling through the streets of Berlin, dodging cars, the locals, other people on bikes. All the while listening to Ozzy Osbourne. Her utmost thoughts were focused on finding the meeting place of The Last Spear of Argentum, and she was also busy imagining herself in certain situations. There were a couple of times where she may have accidentally ran into a pole, or a tree, or a person. But for the most part, she tried to stay focused.

She probably would've been at the meeting place by now, if it weren't for a certain thief.

She found him when she was passing the city's "Museum District". She just didn't think she'd actually run into one of those museum robbers they always broadcast about on the radios and television. Seriously though, this guy was just skipping around the district, hopping from one museum to another like a bunny rabbit. At first she thought nothing of it. 'What a weird guy...' she had thought. To her, this was just one of those people who took the phrase "live every day like it was your last" up to eleven. To put it simply, he confused her, and struck her dead in her tracks. She supposed she should of found it odd that he just happened to walk inside the museums just like that. She guessed it was kind of weird how long he took when he was inside. But just like any normal person she assumed he was just another tourist. All tourists wear tuxedos and checkered fedoras after all.

But the moment he came out with the painting, all bets were off. 'Oh my God! it's an actual, honest to God robber!' she had thought, half excited, half frightened. This was it! This was really it! Her first villain ever! 'Alright Jenny, you can do this!' she reassured herself as the man climbed into his car. She swung one foot over her bike, 'You can do this...'. The man's car engine started up. 'You can do this.' And before she knew it she was chasing a car across museum grounds on a bike of all things. To say that she was glad that she happened to owned a racing bike was an understatement.

"STOP! THIEF!"

'In retrospect, it probably should've been obvious from the beginning that a man in a tuxedo and a fedora was up to no good.'

_________________

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

{Samuel Onyxroad}

_Berlin, Germany_ The Hundred Dollar Question_

Driving like a madman with his stolen loot, Samuel felt unsatisfied. He got away, he made no real mistake, and by the time, the guard finds his taunts, then what. In his mind, Samuel knew, normal police officers were no longer pose a threat. It seems stealing things for the hell of it, was losing it's edge. What was once a way to relax, now had become quite a bore. He shook his head, he'll have to find another challenge, maybe pick-pocketing, a so called VIP, for shits and giggles.

On the driver's side mirror, Samuel spotted a figure behind him. A officer, this quick, he thought for a moment. " No, it couldn't be." He remarked a smile had started to form, his foot was easing off the gas, slowly down his vehicle. " What?" Samuel said in confusion as he couldn't believe what he saw. He started to chuckle, it was some crazy chick riding on a crazy bike. " Well, this will be amusing." Samuel went to say as he did the unthinkable, he parked his Beetle on the side of the road. He then, proceed to step outside of his ride and waited for the motorcyclist to catch up.

When she did, Samuel waved her down. " Excuse ma'am, are you sure, you want to chase a dangerous criminal?" Samuel asked as he continued. "Tell you what." He said as he started to search around his pants pocket. He pulled out his wallet and took out a hundred US dollar bill then added " I'll give you a 100 US Dollar bill to stop what you're doing.". After he made the offer, Sammuel's curiosity had gotten the best of him as he had to ask " But I have to ask, what was the plan here? After you chased me, then what? You're seriously not actually thinking of capturing me, are you?"

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

{Berlin, Germany} -- I Don't Wanna Stop

A slender figure with brightly colored hair flew back and bumped into a fender, rolling down and then somehow getting half its clothes stuck under one of the front wheels. There was a sudden, loud thumping near the front of Samuel's beetle. Some light moaning was easily audible. Upon even turning to look, Samuel would start hearing something. "HIT AND RUN! HEEEEELP!!"

The figure began to slowly crawl out from the front of the beetle upon freeing its long coat, a mess of blonde -- nearly hinted with orange -- hair thrown all over the head and torso. It tried to stand up only to slip back and bump onto the hood of the car. It then rolled back over the hood and somehow flew off to the sidewalk. The oddity of the scene itself was bizarre enough, but the way the figure fell away looked exactly like someone had pushed it into the car and had actually rolled off a moving vehicle.

The figure began to slowly try and stand, small cuts and bruises already darting its pale, smooth, feminine face. Its dark eyes were wide with shock as it turned to stare at the car. "That car's all 'munked up, man!" The figure froze and slowly looked up, seeing rows of text flying over its vision. Odd sentences began describing to it precisely what it had just done. But something in a highlighted color was underlined near the top. It tilted its head a bit. "Oh.... That's why I said it was 'munked up..."

The figure closed its eyes before falling forward onto the sidewalk while trying to step forward. Apparently, it lost feeling in its leg for a second too long. "..... Yeah, hey sidewalk... I just LOVE what you've done with your hair today..."

_________________

+Keyo Norima+

"hero's base", Germany.

"Brother..." Keyo shook as his hands felt warm. He saw his sister, laying on the floor, a pool of blood forming around her, eyes seeming to be lifeless. Keyo reeled back, his breathe heavy with panic and fear, No.. No.. "Don't forget.." Keyo's twin sister's voice was but a small whisper, and when Keyo looked at her face, he saw a twisted smile on her face, "you're a murderer.." then her voice changed, one that wasn't hers, "and a monster!" Keyo took a step back, looking at his hands, his hands widening at the sight of blood on them... No.. NO..

Keyo gasped as he woke up hearing hearing a voice echoing throughout the room. Bewildered, Keyo saw a man with a mask next to him. Startled, he jumped from his chair and impulsively turned full wolf, landing on the ground without noise. In his wolf form, his fur took the same color as his hair, which was a light autumn, and his chakrams, normally attached to the holders on his pants, now softly floated next to his front legs, near the shoulders. Ears back while lightly growling, Keyo looked at the man, and also saw a smaller figure next to him, who seemed to waken herself. Changing back to his full human form, Keyo walked closer to the man, "Sorry about that, guess I just had a mightmare, and got me spooked..." He sighed, moving his hair back, as the band he made from darkness earlier dismissed. He looked at the small figure, It's a fae.. A what? Oh you know, those fairies things? Oh... Right...

"Looks like you two got letter I assume?" He then stopped for a moment, "No.. fae's are quite secretive when it comes to their villages, so I suppose she just found her way here.." He leaned on one side, thinking again, when he looked at his chest. He was wearing the same tank and sleeves from earlier, but he had a small blazer like vest without sleeves that only covered about when zipped, but right then, it wasn't. He pulled up on the tank a little bit, trying to hide some of the bandages that were exposed, but it wouldn't happen. Sighing, he quit the attempt, and refocused on the strange man. He could 'smell' the man's soul, it had the scent of a human, while his 'soul aura' shown a color different than a normal color for an element. It was light, but it wasn't the white that signified a light user... "You don't use an element, do you? I can't tell by your aura... it's light, but then it's isn't white like an light user's aura.." He shook his head, trying to recall what the color was..

Z : Dramatic Pause, New York, America :

New York. A town Z did not ever become fond of. Too crowded for Z’s tastes, and the skyscrapers catch all of the lightning strikes, if it does happen in the city. Z glanced back at the subway tunnel, shuddering at the thought of being inside there. Z headed out towards the mansion where the others were. Z was dying to meet them. Skittering across town and running as fast as lightning, Z made it to the mansion with time to spare. Z walked in, acting as if Z owed it or something, the pixie-ish wings on Z’s back fluttering with each step. Walking very softly, Z walked up to where Noel and Ignis were. Z’s arm slid over Noel’s shoulders, acting as if they’ve been pals for a while. “Hey Ignis, the name’s Z”. Winking at him, Z kept one eye shut and the other open, checking on the mansion for the first time. “Nice place…” Z muttered.

_________________

-\ Suiryuu - NY, USA /-

Suiryuu was enjoying his stroll about the grounds of the mansion, taking in the sights and what not. He was mostly eyeing the place to find good spots to ambush or hide for quick get aways if they were ever discovered. His ilk and everyone else who supported the Dark Lord Sion where currently wanted for simply out of the box thinking and the means to kill many with the wave of ones hand. He tends to think it has more to do with the power they wield more so than the chaos that governs their thoughts, but to Suiryuu the 'heroes' are just as dangerous and in need of being dealt with. Damn goodie two shoes and their selfishly naive ideals of peace. War and hatred were just as ingrained in them, He just felt they were either too cowardly or too closed minded to free themselves from the majorities agenda and start carving out their own lives.

After a bit of aimless wandering, Suiryuu stumbled upon the entrance to go further into the base of operations as outlined in the message he got, and followed the path deeper into evil's cold embrace. When he got to the heart of the operation he found that he was a tad late to the party, but was happy to see others already there. Besides the elemental beings about the room, he was almost entrance by the elegance of the base itself. The decor was quite refined and the chandelier at the center of the room was simply brilliant. "Good day to you all, I'm Suiryuu. I hope this is the right place... Cult of the Highborne?" he asked.

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Howahkan. Berlin, Germany

Howahkan was rather surprised at how silent the other man was, it wasn't until he took the time to inspect further that he realized that he was sleeping. That makes two that are in a state of rest. My one cannot help but wonder at this so called agency's agenda. Howahkan thought partially amused.

As he leaned back the fae suddenly awoke, perhaps startled she fled away from where Howahkan had placed her, eventually settling down on a bookcase. As she lowered herself on the object she asked two short questions. "You are in Berlin, Germany. The building we are in is some form of Head quarter from what I've been told. Natraully they told me little else." Howahkan replied to the fae his green eyes following her movements carefully however he had not answered her first question, he continued to follow her even as the other man began to stir in his sleep.
Shortly after that he came back to the waking world, much to Howahkan's interest the young man seemingly used his magic to transform? More importantly he transformed into a growling wolf. At that point Howahkan carefully positioned his body even as he sat, muscles began to become tense as he mentally prepared for the possible pounce, his green eyes began to glow from the briefest of moments until the young man returned to his human form and gave his reasons for his 'aggression'.

"I received no letter truth be told, I was found while I was training." There was a pause as he 'spoke' his thoughts conveyed a sense of deception or perhaps distrust, Howahkan did not part with his secrets easily. Especially since the other man seemed to be able to detect something Howahkan thought only the 'Elders' could.
"You would be correct. If you refer to my physical might then, yes. If you mean my teachings then I am intrigued as to what you see and how. Understand. Both you and the fae. I am not a trusting man, I do not trade my identity without receiving information in return. Much like answering your own question. Knowledge for knowledge." Came the thought, it was a cold but honest answer. As Howahkan looked at the young man, he noticed that he was trying to cover some bandages over his chest "May I inquire if you are injured?"

~Jennifer Wilmot: Berlin, Germany----No Hesitation From the Law~

At first, Jenny was glad, if not relieved to see the criminal's car park on the side of the road. For a moment there she had thought she'd have to chase the man all throughout Germany. But then she remembered that's exactly what she wanted to do. Then she had felt robbed. Catching up to him, she was hoping he'd at least treat her seriously, instead of like some vigilant who tries to do an officer's job.... and fail. She felt like people should know that she's serious about this, or at least treat her that way.

Alas, she was disappointed. The moment the man posed his question, she gave him a deep, unamused frown. 'Why am I not surprised? He's acting like I'm some kid pretending to be some sort of superhero. Well, I'll show him.' The more he talked, the less amused she became. Especially when he offered her a hundred bucks. Like she was going to take a bribe from an offender of the law. 'What does he take me for?...An idiot?' She could already sense the water running through the ancient sewers of Berlin. She could already feel the flowing water, hear its roar as it shook in response to her growing agitation. "Actually, that's exactly what I attend to do" she said a-matter-of-fact-ly. The look on her face told Samuel that she was dead serious, and soon he would be able to the roar of the water underneath as well.

Suddenly a manhole cover exploded right off its place in the wake of a large geyser of sewage water. For a moment it seemed like the geyser would retract back into the dark and dirty underground, until it redirected itself towards the direction of the man himself, giving him a nice shower. It was then that another man grabbed her attention, a rather feminine man who seemed to be rather drunk or high, or a combination of the two. "Hold that thought!" she cried, leaving the geyser sending a shower of rain over the area that would seem to Samuel like ice to the touch as she rushed to the figure. "Are you alright sir?" she asked, turning the man over so he could see the look of concern on her face. She didn't want to ask if he was drunk...yet. "Any cuts? Bruises? Do you need a ride to a hospital?" For a split second she looked at the "dangerous criminal", considering a rather dangerous thought before turning back to the homeless man, prepared to strike back if the cat burglar tried anything fishy.

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Amethyst Ruby Sapphire Emerald: Act Strong, Little Fae {Berlin}

"You didn't answer my first question." She said, trying not to show the evident fear. Looking around, she could see only two men. These men scared her but she would not let it show. Even back amongst her faery friends and family she was always the brave one. That wasn't about to change. She wanted out, wanted to fly around in the sky, to feel free. She knew that wouldn't happen in this room, especially in a place she had no clue about.

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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 life, 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.

+Keyo: Berlin, Germany+

Keyo was about to speak to the man's original question when he inquired about Keyo's bandages, which made him flush lightly, looking quickly to the side, "I won't say injured.. that's a touchy subject for me." He noticed the scent of another in the room, turning to a girl that seemed to try to keep distance from the three of them. Staring at the girl for a moment, he looked back at the man. Adressing the earlier comment of identity, he stated, "I understand. I seemed to taken you back from what I said about your aura, from what it seems of what you said, or have I misunderstand that?" He took a breath, "To say simply, I am a part of a race known as Daemons. The race has many names now a days, such as Yokai, Akuma, or simply Demon. The race started out as wandering souls, until the first of the race 'rebirthed' as living beings. Due to our past connections as souls, much of our abilities and magics are tied to those more affecting souls than bodies."

He shortly paused, re-summoning his wolf ears and tails. "One such ability is the ability to see souls in the manifestation of auras. Older generations had a better sense of this ability from birth, while generations like mine need training. All I can do with my sight is see the elements of a soul and judge the strength of the element's or soul's power by the size of the aura." He waited a moment, looking at the fae when she got from what it seemed, impatient. "Patience is a good skill, I'm sure he will answer that eventually.." He looked at the man again, "As for telling race, I how you could say 'smelled that part of your soul, which in itself is another ability of Daemons. Mine is amplified because I am a wolf daemon, which explains the wolf attributes that I have. Not all daemons are with beast parts however; there are human type daemons as well." Sighing, he rubbed his left wrist for a moment, hoping he would not have to answer about the bandages on his left arm. "But that's about it. If I was lengthy and offtrack, I apologize." Talker.. Shut up you.

~Noel; Cult's base~

There was that moment of complete silence between her and the other man across the way of the room. She wasn't too sure what to do, but the loud crash made her jump like an oblivious cat that was startled from it's own fantasy world. She looked from side to side, noting that it was just a glass that hit the ground, making her take a breath of reief. It wasn't until Ignis came over to her that he was gone and crawling around, making her jump yet again. Her mind seemed to be in a panic stage as Manah growled and prepared herself to shoot darkness at the guy. The darkness was leaking out of her body, beginning to solidify, but Noel blinked and dismissed it to gain control of the body again. Manah wasn't too pleased about that, but Noel ignored her bitching long enough to hear that the man was speaking to her. She swallowed and took in a deep breath, opening her mouth to let herself talk, her voice low, but loud enough to be heard. "I-Im Noel..."

Manah hissed at how open she was willing to be with another member of her team. That's not how you do it! You have to let yourself be mysterious! That way, no one will know about you, and you have the time to understand their motives better and trust them gradually! Noel reclined herself away from Ignis as best as she could in the chair, trying to make herself seem somewhat scared of him. She was having this batter with her and Manah, talking about who they should and shouldn't give information to. Of course, this got Manah into this 'Oh my gosh, I totally just ADORE our leader' crap, and knowing her, she'd give him any information without a second thought. That was the problem though, Noel was just so scared of everyone, even Arthur made her cower in a corner. Maybe that's what he wanted, but maybe toward his enemies more than his allies.

When Z arrived and wrapped their arms around her, it- of course- made her jump. She looked back at the friendly but quirky creature with some mild interest. Manah wanted to just brush her off and move back to obsessing about a certain vampire. Noel seemed a little relaxed with Z's arm wrapped around her shoulders, responding to Z's greeting to the other person near her. "I'm Noel..." She seemed to have said that convinently when Suiryuu walked through the door and said his hello. I guess it worked out so she wouldn't have to say it again. Noel does have trust issues, but she thought maybe these people will have her back when the war actually starts. She had high hope in that, but Manah snorted at her thought. You can't trust a damn person, didn't I teach you that?? Remember all those times when you let your guard down? Yeah, I know you do. Just look at yourself in the mirror and remember what you are. Noel's hopes have always seemed to crumble after that thought. No matter what, she had very little people to trust, but she had to at least try.

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{Samuel Onyxroad}

_Berlin, Germany_ Judgement

" Seriously?" Samuel questioned with an arch eyebrow as this was quite surprising. Suddenly he started to hear a roar underneath his feet. It was the sounds of water, rushing about in the sewer. A manhole cover launched into the air, followed by a geyser of rushing water. "Well I guess you are. " He remarked with a slight nod as he stared at the top of the geyser and then the young girl. It became obvious that the girl was controlling the water as a few droplets of water smacked into his cheek and hit his black dress jacket. The rest of the rain, hit the beetle and the ground, but strangely Samuel wasn't completely soaked, however he did feel quite chilly with what hit him.

"But still too green." Samuel said as he shook his head as she rushed over to the man that slammed into his parked car. Why would growth man collide with a parked car, could be a lot of reasons, for one, he could be a drunk, or he could be cultist on hard times. Something about that man irked Samuel, but it could've been more because the man hit his parked car. Above their heads was the manhole from earlier, being held up by Samuel's influence upon it. He grabbed it as soon it flew up in the air .

Samuel had one shot to defeat this wannabe hero. His gloved hands were at his sides twitching, his eyes connected with hers. A smirk was on his face, it was time. The manhole dropped from the sky in front of Jenny, her eyes would be drawn to it and her ears would listen to the loud thud. He made his move, a flash grenade rolled by the metal lid. If she were to look up, she would spot Samuel placing on his shades. An instant the grenade flashed a blinding light, the sensory pain wouldn't last long, neither would the punch to Jenny's gut as Samuel struck her in the confusion, but that wasn't the only thing he did. When her vision clear, she would see Samuel's index and middle finger pointed at her head. " Kid, I fought against Cultist in the war. An ice cold shower shouldn't have been your first move." He said to her, and then went on to say " But you got moxie, I like that. A lot of good cops, could learn a thing or two from you about that."

" However, that stubborn attitude of yours might get killed someday. You need to know when to fold and when to play your hand." Samuel mentioned while using a card playing metaphor. " So just take the hundred, get stronger, and then come seek me out." He offered once again.

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