RPG Slain [M-LSV]

[JT Darkfire]

[SIZE=4][COLOR=DarkRed][CENTER]Slain[/CENTER][/COLOR][/SIZE]

[COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=3][CENTER]Prologue[/CENTER] [/SIZE] [/COLOR]



[B][FONT=Times New Roman]December 18, 2007 10:42 PM
Bellevue Hospital ER
Room 243
Los Angeles, California[/FONT][/B]

Doctor Victor Cruz never had any luck.

He was always scheduled the night shift, the busiest time of day at Bellevue Hospital. All he wanted was a night off every now and then; a chance to get out of the sanitized hallways, enjoy the night life, hang out at the clubs.

Tonight he was not that lucky. Instead of cruising for chicks, he had ER duty.

"Heart beat, stable. Respiratory systems, functioning. Vital signs, clear. And yet he's still comatose. Dammit, what the hell is wrong with this man? Bridget!"

An attractive young nurse walked into the room.[I]Damn,[/I] thought Victor, [I]I'd like to get me a piece of that.[/I]

Bridget was used to the Victor's stare. He was the most well known doctor in the building. He was a creep, and everyone knew it. "Yes, doctor?"

"Get me this man's file!"

Bridget rolled her eyes. "Yes, doctor." She exited the room leaving the "good doctor" alone with his patient.

"All right, let's check his response to external stimuli."

Victor aimed his small flash light in the patient's left eye.

"Hmmm...Seems normal enough." He turned around to record his observations on the chart.

Just when he did, the right eye of room 243's most recent tenant snapped open. His pupils began to dilate into thin, reptilian slits.

His arm reached out and grabbed Victor by the throat. A look of terror crossed the doctor's face. A repeating chant filled his head:[I]Oh God oh God oh God oh---[/I]

[I]Snap![/I]

Bridget walked into room 243 with the file in her hand.

* * * * * * * * *

"Doctor, here's the file you---"

Bridget's mouth dropped open. Lying on the floor, alone in a pool of blood, was the late Victor Cruz.



[B][FONT=Times New Roman]December 18, 2007 11:02 PM
The Streets
Los Angeles, California[/FONT][/B]

The former patient of Bellevue Hospital, Room 243 raced through the streets in a frenzy, demolishing everything in his path. The crazed man rounded a corner, coming face to face with a man in a gray trench coat. He let out a violent howl. The man in the trench coat stood their, almost bored.

This former patient lifted an angry fist, preparing to strike the seemingly powerless victim.

The man in the coat dodged the clumsy blow, pulled a gun out of a hidden pocket, and squeezed a single shot straight into his attacker's chest.

The man in gray turned his back and walked away, pretending not to notice the black cloud leaving the fallen man...



[B]OOC[/B]: Well, the first person has been assigned, and they should begin their post soon. It should be up within a week and a half.These installments will have to do, For everyone out there, sorry for the slow pace, I just want this to flow well.

[Salvation]

[CENTER][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=SlateGray][B]December 19, 2007 10:07 pm
The Local Bar
Los Angeles, California[/B][/COLOR][/FONT][/CENTER]

[COLOR=SeaGreen]Deirdre was sitting at her usual table, her shoulders completely bandaged.

?Did you get in a fight?? Fayt Baltaren walked in and sat directly across from her.

?Not this time. Just a nasty fall.? she said. She kept one hand on her drink, not even looking up at him.

Fayt was probably her only friend. If you would even call him that. She trusted him, and she didn?t have to feel uncomfortable whenever he was around. But she wasn?t friendly toward him. She could not understand why he would stick his neck out just to keep her company. But she was thankful that at least he was understanding of her.

?Nasty fall? What kind of fall?? he asked with a laugh.

?The kind that busts up your shoulder, you moron.? she said.

?Whoa, no need for the insults. I?m sure it was one hell of a fight.?

?I crashed my bike, and ran into an alley wall.? she said as she took another drink.

?Are you serious?? And you only came out with a busted shoulder? You?re damn lucky, you know that??

She smiled for a second as the words rang in her ears. [I]Lucky. Hmph if he only knew? [/I]

He looked at her smile, and rather than be thankful for seeing her smile, he just got uncomfortable. ?Uh, hey don?t do that? you?re starting to creep me out.? he said.

She looked up and laughed a little as she sat up. ?So are you getting a drink, or what??

?I can?t, I?ve got to be going. But I needed to talk to you about something I heard. Talk is going around that your going after the guy in the Grey Trench Coat.?

?That?s right.? she said as she took another sip.

?Well maybe you shouldn?t.? he said seriously as he leaned back in his chair.

?Are you kidding me?? she said as she looked at him. ?Don?t tell me you?re worried about my safety.? she said sarcastically.

?On the contrary. I worry about [I]his[/I] safety. And that?s why I don?t want you going after him.?

?You?re insane.? she said with a laugh.

?He?s a good guy. Just let him walk, Deirdre.?

?Sorry can?t do that. I don?t give up my prey to other hunters.? she said as she stood up.

?Deirdre, he?s saved countless of people, and has been labeled a criminal. Can?t you-"

?A vigilante is a criminal who doesn?t feel the need to adhere to the laws.?

?Give me a break, Dei, you have never given a damn about justice.? he said staring at her.

?Maybe not, but I hate people who can?t seem to save the people within the means of the guidelines.?

He stood up and looked at her straight in the eye. ?I?m betting on the fact that you can give a damn about that too. What?s the real reason here, Deirdre.?

She stared at him and grabbed her jacket. ?I won?t give up my prey. Let him answer for his crimes. If he truly is the hero you say he is, then the authorities will find that out for themselves. As for me, I can really just give a damn about everything.? She walked out of the bar and walked down the streets. He looked on and shook his head.

?Women.? he said and sat back down.

She kept walking, not feeling the cold wind whip around her. She had no destination. She smiled. The only reason she would not give up this man, was because that was all she was good for. That was all she wanted. To put small goals ahead of her, that would get her by everyday, without feeling lost without a purpose. She was lost. But she never looked back on the decision she made. She could have a life if she wanted to. But what good is a life where you hate yourself with every fiber of your [I]own[/I] body?

Deirdre waited until dark. She looked at her watch and it was a half past 1 in the morning. She knew she'd come across him sooner or later.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a man struggling with a monstrous looking person. Not understanding what was going on, she waited and watched as this man fought this beast. Suddenly, he swerved out of the way and shot the monster in the chest point blank. He was standing over the broken looking body, almost sorrowfully.

She walked over and pulled out her gun. "STOP!" she said to the man. He turned around slowly, and she saw the distinctive scar on his eye. He was the man she was looking for.

"Now that you've had your fun, I'm taking you in." she said as she raised her gun to his head.

He stared at her and shook his head. ?You assume too much.? he said as he leaned against the wall.

She shrugged with her gun still pointed at his head. ?I don?t exactly think that fits my description, but you?re entitled to your opinions. Now MOVE.? she said motioning for him to put his hands over his head.

?May I see a badge?? he said.

?I don?t work on Police hours, jack.? she said evenly.

?Then how do I know I?ll be going in for questioning? No badge, no arrest.? he said with his arms folded across his chest.

?Fine.? she said as she shot three bullets. He ducked before the bullets made their mark. Three holes were in the wall where his head was a split second earlier. He rolled behind the alley. She reloaded her gun as she ran after him.

?Bastard, get back here.? she said.

?Do you really think I?d comply?? he said with a hint of laughter.

?I'll wipe that damn smile off your face!!!" she said as she jumped on the trash can and climbed her way up the roof. When she got there, she saw him running across another alley way. She pulled out a small grenade and threw it in the middle of the alley. The explosion rocked the man backward, and she jumped from the roof to the ground with ease. Before the smoke cleared, he threw a trash lid at her, sending her against the wall. The lid had hit her shoulder, reopening a few of her wounds. She screamed in pain and got back on her feet. She ran with her gun out, shooting after him until she cornered him in the alley way.

?This is your last chance bastard, I?m not going to repeat myself. I?ll take you dead or alive. Either way, I get paid.? she said.

He turned around, and there was absolutely [B]no[/B] fear in his eyes.

She ran at him, and the blades opened from her sleeves. She tried to stab him, but he moved and grabbed her right arm and blocked the left. He kicked her against the wall, and she kicked back off and jabbed him in the arm. He didn?t even flinch at the stab, instead he grabbed her neck and pushed her into the wall once more. He was trying to find a way out, but she was determined to kill him right then and there? or die trying

She prayed for the latter.

She hated living, and wanted to end it all. But her stubborn nature wouldn?t allow it. She hated being weak? and suicide, in her opinion, was weak. Dying like this would be worth the wait.

Suddenly, her heart heaved, and she felt her body shake as she fought this man. Her anger was making her lose her balance, and the chill was catching her off guard. Suddenly, she couldn?t fight anymore, and with the open space to move, the man threw her backwards, and her arms flailed, making her own dagger bury itself into her chest. She dropped to her knees as the pain from the wound, and the memories started replaying themselves? her childhood of lost memories, ones long forgotten, and ones she never wanted to relive. The children, her foster parent, her homeliness, and the rape that ended it all for her nine years ago. She remembered dying that night, and how the pain hurt her? and yet she was forced to keep on living? the pain circled within her, and she looked back up at the man. She only hoped her own dagger made it?s final mark.

?Thank you?? was all she said before everything went black.[/COLOR]

[natchan]

Slain Chapter 2

The sunlight slid through the curtains and onto the sleeping Omiyoji?s face, directly across her eyes. She opened them squinting at first due to the sudden brightness, and a groan of unhappiness escaped her lips. She sat up quickly to avoid the light hitting her eyes any longer, then rubbed the sleep from them and yawned. Last night had been a late night for her and she did not welcome the sun with open arms, or eyes at that matter. She allowed her head to fall to her chest as she sat waiting for her body to will itself awake; she almost fell asleep again when her phone rang loudly. She leapt from the stiff motel bed, nearly crashing to floor as she reached for the phone.

?Hello this is, Kita speaking.? She stated answering the phone, her voice groggy from sleeping.

?Morning little Kita, did I wake you?? The voice of her brother asked happily.

?Nope? you missed me by only 3 minutes.? She replied through her yawn.

?I see you are taking this time away from home to sleep in whenever you can.? His voice chuckled on the other side.

?That?s not it at all; I had a late night last night with some low class demons. I just wasn?t quite ready for the sun to come up yet.? She exclaimed as she stood up to open the curtains all the way, allowing the sun to fill the small room.

?Low class huh, nothing to attract his attention I assume.?

?You said it; I haven?t had any luck finding him yet. With my luck, he?s my neighbor and I just don?t know it. How?s everyone else, are they still angry with me?? Kita?s voice sounded distant as she asked the question. There was a pause between them.

?Well Father hasn?t hired anyone or threatened to come after you so my guess is he?s calmed down. Mom on the other hand is worried absolutely sick about you. She?s afraid that you?ve stepped into something far too big for you to handle, but I keep reminding her that you are a perfectly capable Omiyoji and can take care of yourself. Kitsu blames himself for you leaving; he feels that it should have been him out there, and not you.?

?They all worry too much.? She paused to yawn, and then continued to speak. ?So far I haven?t run into anything that?s too much for me. A couple of western demons that I didn?t recognize, but nothing more. How about you, are you?well?? Her voice only trembled for a moment as she spoke. There was a pause between them.

?I am very well, thank you for inquiring so. How?s your shoulder, does it still ache?? Higen was referring to an injury that Kita had received from one of his uncontrollable outbreaks of rage.

?It?s getting better? I can sleep on it now.? Kita attempted to make her self sound cheery. She ran her fingers through her bleached hair, it was getting longer. ?It was great hearing from you Higen; I?ll talk to you soon. I love you.? They said their goodbyes and Kita hung the phone up, blinking back tears. She walked into the small shabby looking bathroom, and gazed at her tired self in the mirror. She decided that a hair cut would be in need soon, the scar on her lip was finally staring to lighten up, and her shoulder?s bruising had hit its yellow stage.

Kita showered and finished getting ready for the day with a chocolate donut, the breakfast of a high class Omiyoji. She left her run down motel and set out on her investigations for the day. She would walk for only 3o minutes before she heard the rumors flying about the demonic activity from the night before, to her surprise she over heard someone talking about a young blond exorcist that had been spotted in the area. The sun was particularly shy today, as it hid behind the darkening clouds. Her heart leapt as she turned a corner to see a flash of grey, but it fell as quickly as it had leapt when she realized it was not him. She stopped at a local bar to listen in on anything that might be of any importance. She didn?t hear anything out of the ordinary, just the usual flirtatious and not so sober men, showering her with compliments. She moved her seat into the back of the bar and pulled her notebooks from her satchel. She opened her book of eastern and western demons, and began to read, taking notes whenever something seemed significant.

Hours ran by without Kita?s attention, her thoughts were racked by a prick of spiritual energy and she packed her books up as fast as possible, heading for the door.

?Where you going in such a hurry missy, you need an escort?? One of the men asked as she dashed toward the door.

?No, but thank you for the offer gentlemen, have a nice evening.? She smiled and left the bar. She ran down the street as quickly as her feet would carry her, and turned down an alley way taking the fire escape to the roof tops. She ran for about 4 rooftops and came to a stop at the end of one, crouching on the edge and narrowing her eyes to peer through the darkness.

Kita's heart raced as she watched the events unfold before her. A higher range mid-class demon stood in the alley way of the dark early morning hours, a man, no not just a man, he stood before the demon. His body did not tremble with the same fear that most felt, for he stood completely still as he held his ground, preparing for the first strike. Kita couldn't tell which would make the first attack, but she did know that it wouldn't last long. Her eyes widened in awe as the demon lunged forward with incredible speed that far surpassed her own, and then to her astonishment, he moved even faster than she remembered. His hand reached out to the demon as it fell past him in an attempted attack on him. His hand caught the demon by the neck and held fast only for a moment as the demon fell, and never stood again. Kita felt words form in her throat, but faltered when she heard the shout of woman break the night; this was not a cry for help but a command for surrender. She shot, he evaded and found his hand around her neck and up against the wall of the alley way. She struggled further and pulled a knife from her sleeve, he released her and she leapt forward in attempt to drive the weapon into her opponent?s chest.

Again the morning light struck the sleeping Omiyoji?s eyes, causing her to wake with a start. She held her head as it throbbed with pain, and a shot of pain rant through her side. What had happened, the last thing she remembered was watching the battle between him and the woman, and now she was in bed with fresh injuries.

?I?m glad that you?re awake.? A female voice replied from the other side of the room. Kita?s eyes shot open and she looked over to the source of the voice, she found a blond woman standing in the doorway. As her eyes focused she recognized the woman as Millenear Delaney, a young exorcist from Rome, a smile gracing her lips.

?I apologize for startling you, but you apparently had some stress with a demon last night and I couldn?t just leave you there.? She spoke kindly.

?I don?t remember fighting any demons. I was watching the man in the grey coat fight, and then I wake up here.? Kita?s voice was full of confusion.

?I can?t imagine that you would remember after the hit you took, I?m surprised that you even woke up after that. I was afraid I was going to have to call your brother.?

[missrelena]

Slain Chapter 3

[I]You would think[/I], Millenear mused to herself as her phone began to buzz in her gym bag, [I]that there would be a better way to notify me of my assignments than a text message to my cell phone. Addresses and names are all very good, but a little detail about what I?m being sent to do would come in handy.[/I] She pulled the still buzzing device from its pocket and flipped it open. The message was short and to the point ? like always. [I]Would a little variety kill them?[/I] She wondered.

The address was nearby, and the name provided sounded female. Unfortunately, under the name was the code P-1. A priority one. That meant Millenear wasn?t going to get her shower. A priority one meant that she was needed immediately . . . a matter of life, death and eternal salvation. Two hours at the gym, and now she was going to skip out on getting clean. This was shaping up to be a real doozie of an evening already. She quickly changed out of her shorts and tank top and into her ?work? clothes. After tying the laces of her sneakers in double knots she grabbed her bag and rushed out the gym door, waving at the doorman as she blazed past. Jogging down the block, she came to the apartment building with the same address as on her phone and started up the stairs. [I]Why is it the first thing demons seem to do is knock out the power so I have to take the stairs? No consideration for my quads.[/I]

Four stories later, Millenear found the apartment without even having to double check her message. The loud crashes and inhuman shrieks gave her enough clues. Catching her breath in an instant, she settled herself in for a long night.

* * * *

?I hate runners!? Millenear shouted as she raced down the narrow staircase and out of the apartment building. The exorcism had been going well. As a mid-level exorcist, Millenear had seen worse than this possession. The demon hadn?t had much time to get comfortable and take full control of its unwitting host. She had been able to drive the dark demonic entity from the woman?s body, but before she was able to drive it from this existence entirely it had fled.[I] Does anyone know how hard it is to track a dark cloud at night?[/I] Millenear would have cursed if it had been in her nature to do so. Fortunately, the evil of the creature was like a sharp pain against the inside of her skull, giving her a compass of sorts to follow. And the closer she got to the demon, the more painful its presence was to her.

Millenear was running full tilt, not even noticing the people she crashed into and pushed past. There was no telling who the demon might choose to inhabit. Any touch of darkness on a person?s soul would leave them open to its power ? and Millenear was realistic to know that everyone, to some extent, had a touch of darkness in them. That didn?t make them bad, just imperfect and human.

Shattering the night, she heard three gunshots echo down the streets. It was coming from the same direction as the demon. Putting on a previously impossible burst of speed, Millenear began summoning her powers as she ran. She prayed that she would be in time to prevent a death. Losing a soul to the demons was the worst thing she had ever experienced, and she never wanted it to happen on her watch again.

Ahead of her, she caught the glow of the holy aura belonging to someone who shared her profession. Those who use the power of light to drive off demons gave off a distinctive aura to anyone who knew to look for it. That was probably why lesser demons tended to avoid them and greater demons came hunting them. Only a person with unimaginable holy powers could mask that glow. Letting her mind slip from its focus on the demon she was chasing to recognize Kita, an omiyo-something that was an eastern equivalent of what Millenear did. She was a cute girl, if a bit of a newbee. If she remembered how the eastern ranks went, Kita was a lower class of exorcist. If the demon Millenear was chasing turned up close by, Kita wasn?t strong enough to handle it on her own.

Bringing her thoughts back to the demon, Millenear began searching for the presence of evil with her senses again. She was nearly knocked to the ground by its nearness. She was practically on top of it. She gave a small yelp of surprise, but Kita didn?t seem to notice. The Asian girl?s attention seemed transfixed on something across the street. Millenear sensed another demon?s fleeting aura from area Kita was staring at. It had already been dispatched, and so was of no concern to the exorcist.

An enraged roar bellowed out of the alleyway behind the girls. A man, high on something illegal from the looks of it, heaved his way out onto the street toward them. Millenear?s ?evil-detector? started sending off alarm bells in her head. Here was the demon she was pursuing. It had come home to roost inside the body of someone who had left themselves wide open to its invasion. If only the people who eradicated these monsters for a living could clinically prove to the world that taking hallucinogens drew demons to a person like moths to a flame, the drug cartel would find themselves hurting for work.

It figured that this particular demon would find a druggie. Not only did the drugs make a person weak to resist possession, but it added to the demon?s powers as long as it was coursing through the body of the host. Millenear just wasn?t having a good night. [I]First, no shower - and now this. Who hates me?[/I]

Forcing her power though her hands, she touched the man-turned-monster. Enraged, he shrieked, wind-milling its arms around to swat Millenear aside. The blonde was able to dodge the brutish attack, but Kita, who was only just now coming to realize that she was in danger, took a fist full in the chest. The small figure was lifted off the ground and slammed into the building behind them with a painful crunch.

?You keep her out of our fight!? Millenear shouted at the monster, not even sure it was lucid enough to understand her. It did, however, get the thing to return its attention to her. He ? it grabbed at her, trying to rip her limb from limb. [I]Why do they always go for my arms? I guess I shouldn?t whine, it?s better than going for my eyes.[/I]

?By all that this earth and mankind holds holy, I banish you from this existence!? she declared, her power backing up her voice and making it ring like a church bell. She formed a knife blade of light emanating from her hand and plunged it into the heart of the addict. While it caused no physical damage to the body, the thing screamed in pain. A dark cloud seeped from the eyes and mouth of the now freed body and limp body. The druggie slumped boneless to the ground. Millenear paid him no mind. She dared not look away from the darkness before her. She retracted the light blade and created a ball of power between her hands with the malleable spirit essence.

?Be gone from here and never trouble this world again.? She shouted as she placed both hands on either side of the cloud and drowned it in the light that they held. The evil presence left, and her ?evil-detector? went quiet in her head.

[I]Wait, didn?t I hear gunshots?[/I] She thought to herself. Millenear looked around, but saw no trace of a gun anywhere. Confused, she checked the druggie over. He had no gun. Who had done the shooting? Who was being shot at?

Looking at Kita, Millenear realized that the girl was a mess. She had a gash on the back of her head and the rasp in her breathing gave away troubles internally. She did her best to heal the girl with what little power she had left. It slowed the bleeding, and her breathing became easier, but it wasn?t enough to be safe. It was a good thing the demon hadn?t been any stronger that it was or Millenear would have been outclassed and out of luck. Sighing, she took her cell phone out of the small hip pouch she used when working. She dialed three numbers and waited for dispatch to answer.

?9-1-1, what is your emergency?? a tinny voice asked.

?Uh, a druggie just attacked someone on the street. The victim?s pretty banged up and bleeding. I had to knock the guy out to get him off her, so I don?t think he?s in great shape, either. Could you send some paramedics to . . .? she looked up at the street signs, then recited the address. ?Yes, I stay on the line till they arrive.?

Millenear gave the usual information to the operator. Her name, address, Kita?s name, no ? she did not know Kita?s address, self-employed, yes ? she knew Kita vaguely, they worked in the same field, they were not together when the attack happened, she was in the neighborhood because she was on a job and doing a house call. It went on and on. The paramedics and police showed up and she went through it all again. This night was just getting longer and longer. The cops agreed to retrieve Millenear?s bag from the apartment building and bring it to her at the hospital if she swore not to go anywhere else because they still had questions for her. Since a police car was her only means of accompanying Kita to the emergency room, it wasn?t like they would have troubles keeping tabs on her.

Several hours, and a phone call to Kita?s brother later (thank heaven for cell phone address books) the triage doctors released Kita into Millenear?s care. The girl was moving on her own power, but Millenear truly doubted that she was aware of what was going on around her. Her eyes were still glassy and the pain killers were dulling any wits she might have left after that shake-up. She had graciously accepted the prescriptions from the doctors, and shook her head wonderingly at the appropriate times when the medical people all marveled at how lightly she had gotten off after such a savage attack. She knew that between the powers the two of them could call on, Kita would be up and moving sooner that they all would expect. She might not be comfortable, but she would be moving.

Another officer, who had been flirting with her off and on all through the early morning hours, offered them both a ride to Millenear?s apartment. Too tired to care about over-eager observation cops, she gratefully accepted the offer. She heaved her now-returned gym bag over her shoulder and carefully levered one of Kita?s arms over a shoulder while Officer Nice took the other arm and slowly shambled in and out of the elevator and into her apartment. The officer left them at the door with a smile and Millenear put Kita in to her own bed, opting for the couch for herself. Her order had gotten her a decent place to live in a decent part of town. She wasn?t paid for her services to humanity, per say, but the order looked after her immediate needs. At least she wasn?t freezing or starving. But now, before sleep ? a shower!

When Kita had completely come to several hours later, Millenear was discouraged to learn that the girl had seen the man in the gray coat, and Millenear had missed him entirely. The man and whoever had been trying to catch him had been nowhere around by the time the cops arrived and set up a perimeter.

?You mean he was right there? Just twenty feet away and I missed him?? she berated herself loudly.

?Yeah, he was there. I now I?m back to square one looking for him.? Kita despaired.

?That makes two of us. So why do you want to find him?? Millenear asked, then settled in on the foot of her bed to listen to Kita?s story.