[b]Cynthia[/b] Cynthia... she had tried to run. But she'd just found herself tripping again, she hadn't even seen what she'd fallen over. And the man... he was just creeping closer and closer. His grin... it was just growing wider and wider. It wasn't normal! It wasn't... his mouth just seemed like it was all teeth, growing and growing... and then something completely unexpected happened. A girl... she simply... emerged, there was a light, some kind of circle... and she was just there. For a few moments Cynthia stared blankly, disbelieving in what she was seeing before her. The girl had just... appeared out of no-where? The man looking shocked, too, his unnaturally wide grin fading as his expression became a stunned one... and almost... was he scared? Cynthia barely saw what happened. It almost seemed as if the girl was there and then she was directly in front of the man, her hand... her hand inside the man's chest. Cynthia looked away for a moment... but... something seemed different. It was... the blonde girl seemed as if she was reaching into the man, but not into his flesh. As if he was reaching into his very being. Though it was hard for a scared child to really think about that, so all she did was take the strange blonde girl's advice and look away as quickly as possible, covering her eyes. Was she killing him? Was she... Cynthia didn't know what to think about that, she... she was terrified, really. This is why she didn't see what was going on, at least immediately. The man's body jerked. "D-D-Doll..." he tried to pull away, but met no success. And soon, his limbs went slack, his expression blank. It was as if someone had, fittingly enough, cut his strings. Something was being drawn from inside. A pale, white arm, far too thin to be that of a human's. Spidery fingers frantically clenching and unclenching. soon, more was drawn. Pale, smooth flesh, and now a head... blank of features, save for a toothy lipless grin. The grin swiftly faded as the Puppeteer realized his predicament. Soon, he was torn entirely from the body, the former Marionette collapsing as he was pulled free. Immediately the Puppeteer lashed out, spidery fingers grasping and shoving in an attempt to push the Doll away. ---- [b]Ada is in trouble[/b] "Pretty girls shouldn't be wandering out alone..." The voice was far too close. It was soft, pleasant, conversational... which was quite in contrast to the intent of the one possessing it. She was, by appearances, a young woman, in fancy dress herself. She felt it made the situation far more surreal when she appeared to just be robbing the girls. Then... a kiss, a knife applied to the center of the chest and sliced neatly downward... it was an elegant method, she felt. Fitting for her body. An elegant woman, an elegant murder. She supposed her victims made her somewhat identifiable... but her methods made her unlikely to be discovered by anyone who could actually do her harm, didn't they? So, as she happily pressed the blade into her newest victim's back, slicing the fabric of her dress but stopping short of piercing flesh, she felt serene. "You're beautiful aren't you? But I don't want to spoil your beauty with my knife... so you would be wise to hand over your valuables," she purred, leaning close. A false sense of security. The girl would think that all she needed to do was give up her wealth to live... and then be proved oh so very wrong. The shock and horror as they realized what she was doing, it was priceless. She wondered if this city's worthless law enforcement had given her a name. She didn't notice what was happening behind her, so caught up in the moment of her murder. ---- [b]Dead Heart Shooter[/b] The rippling had made her head swirl. But even then, she had seen her! She had seen the girl, the only girl, the one who she needed so much... Dead Heart Shooter had found her anchor in the world, her Doll Master! She was so lovely, black hair up in such a lovely style, a beautiful face, a beautiful body... Dead Heart Shooter would swoon, if there had been any sound in this location. But it lacked sound. It lacked color, it lacked so much in this place between. And so, she Entered. The circle that emerged in the air was black. Thin lines of black, rotating in the air. Complex, intricate interlacing designs filled each layer towards the center. And from that center, ripples spread. Like the surface of water, disturbed, it spread out to fill the circle. And then... A pale hand emerged. It was followed by the rest. Color, sound... It had returned! Dead Heart Shooter could see her Doll Master, beautiful from behind, from any angle... and also the thing that threatened her. She saw it within. The thing's shuddering shape inside the Marionette it had taken. But even still, she smiled. Her Doll Master was so close, she could smell her...! It was such a sweet scent, it almost felt like it would drive her insane! But she couldn't be close to her. Not yet. She had to remove... it first. One hand snapped up and grabbed the Marionette by her collar. Before she could even react, Dead Heart Shooter yanked her back. "Wh-wha?!" was all the Marionette could get out, her knife clattering to the ground as Dead Heart Shooter spun, hurling her towards the nearest wall. With a crash, she slammed into it, bricks smashed inwards as the wall cratered at the impact. A thin cloud of dust rose as the Marionette collapsed out of the crater. "My Master..." Dead Heart Shooter stepped forwards. "I need her! She needs me!" She needed it. She needed her weapon. She'd introduce it. The air shimmer behind the tiny Doll, wavering and warping until it emerged. The shape was a vast iron maiden. Chain spread out from it and wrapped around Dead Heart Shooter's body, securing the huge object to her back. From the bottom of the torture device extended a cluster of weaponry. Dead Heart Shooter flourished her hand, and smiled cheerfully as the Marionette struggled to get up. "Rocket War! She tried to hurt my Master! That makes you angry, right?" asked Dead Heart Shooter, addressing Rocket War. She nodded at its response. "It makes me mad, too! So let's protect her together! Stand back, Master!" The girl turned and smiled up at the black-haired girl. She was so lovely, so, so lovely... And then she stepped forward. Rocket War swung into place.