[IC] Modern Witch Hunt

[Theodora_21]

Theodora sat in the darkest corner of the bar. Her light green eyes scanned the room for anyone approaching her table. He's late She thought, glance up at the analog clock that hung behind the counter. Sipping her beer she made e final decision that if he didn't show up within the next five minutes she would live. Staying in one place for too long made her restless. She noticed a drunk guy approach her table. She smiled sweetly and declined his offer to go home with him. The drunk guy wasn't too thrilled about that and he tried to grab her arm. Theodora flicked her wrist, sending the man stumbling backwards. He laughed it off, found another pretty girl, and moved went to entice her to go home with him. Great. I hope there are no hunters around. The girl sighed. Just as as she was about to stand and leave, the electronic bell over the door rang, announcing a new visitor. The man walked inside, brushed the loose snow off of his jacket, and headed straight for Theodora's table. She sat straight up in her chair and watched as he approached.
"Theodora?"
She nodded, stood up, put on her own coat, and said, "Follow me." The two walked out of the bar through a side door. They entered and alley way and walked to the end of it where there were the most shadows. "You've got the money?"
The man handed her a bundle of bills. She stuffed them in her pocket. "Where are you hurt?"
The man took off his jacket. A large dark spot was visible on his shirt where the blood was seeping out of an open wound. "Some damned witch did it. She was my ex. When I broke it off with her for-"
"I don't need details. How long have you had the wound?" Theodora asked, stooping to pick up some mud from the ground. She cupped it in her hand and whispered into it.
The man watched her with distaste. "Two days maybe. Are you going to put that mud on me?"
The girl didn't answer. She lifted the shirt and smeared the mud on the open wound. "Let the mud dry for twenty four hours. After that take a steaming hot shower to wash it way. You will have a scar, but he bleed will stop." She smiled at the man and then quickly turned on her heal , leaving him standing there. Once she got further down the alley way, a black cat bounded up to her. She smiled down at him. "Good kitty."
Together, her and the cat walked out of the alley way and into the streets of the busy town.

[King Tai]

Flashing lights with crackling sounds, gun shots going off, cursing and running, explosions. there were two Hunters pursuing on foot after Maxi as he turned to slow the hunters down with a basic lightning shot. The hunters took cover as Maxi slid on the top of a car to turn down another street hoping to find a place to hide in.

The two hunters had their tracking device handy as they continued the pursuit. Maxi started off this altercation when he caught these two hunters trying to bring in a young girl who revealed herself to be an ice witch. of coarse, the confrontation started off violent when he through a lightning grenade spell that caused a ball of lightning to explode while Maxi himself covered the girl so to no electrocute her. He had her run off as he kept the hunters busy chasing after him.

Running into an ally hoping these hunters would just run by, he hid behind a dumpster. Waiting for a minute, Maxi peeked from out the corner, being welcomed with a plasma grenade that went off shortly went off as soon as Maxi jumped to the top of the dumpster and climbed the fire escape. To keep from being shot at, Maxi had to use cover fire to keep the hunters at bay while climbing until getting to the roof. Now that he had time, Maxi jumped from roof to roof until coming to an empty parking lot with construction as Maxi jumped down and went on his merry way and running into the little girl again.

"Hey....why are you still out here? I thought you'd be in a building somewhere?" Maxi looked on curious. The little girl looked on with her crystal blue eyes "I'm an orphan and I was kicked out because I'm a witch..." Maxi gave a sigh "Well...you can't stay out here that's for sure. I can help you find a place to stay where you'll be safe." The little girl hugged onto his lower torso "But...I want to stay with you..." Maxi was trying to get her off him.
"No kid, it's too dangerous to stay with me and plus I can't watch you the whole time. You'll probably slow me down. but if you don't get off of me, I'm going to leave you here..." he said to get the girl to let go, which she did. Looking at that sad a pathetic face of hers, Maxi sighed again. "Ok...look...you can stay with me just for tonight but tomorrow, you're staying somewhere else....ok?" The girl's face lit up and nodded "OK!!" as he had her follow him "Tch....kids....always a problem and always giving you trouble...but....she played her cards right to have me take her in....slick little pop-sickle".... He thought smiling to himself.

[MonsieurShade]

"Please don't do this! I've done nothing wrong! I swear i'll never use my magic again, please don't-AHHHH! GOD PLEASE STOP! PLEASE STOP!". Dimitri closed his eyes and turned his head away as the scent of burning flesh filled his nostrils. He wished to god that he was somewhere else, that he could just turn around and walk away, or at the very least cover his ears. Unfortunately for both him and the person he had pinned against a wall, this was going to keep happening, and neither party had the power to stop it. The wizard that Dimitri chased down and cornered in a downtown sugar mill writhed in agony as the glaive like weapon imbedded in his shoulder crackled to life and sent a bone jarring 25 milliamperes coursing through his skin and muscles. Dimitri gritted his teeth as he felt the wizard's muscles contract around the weapon, though he continued to press down on the trigger of his weapon until the wizard had screamed himself hoarse and went limp. The hunter opened his eyes and forced himself to look at the sad creature on the end of his weapon, "I don't want to have to do this but you aren't leaving me any other alternatives. Just tell me where your friends are and we can end this. I'll even let you go provided you can stay under the radar.".

It was almost like a switch had been flipped in the wizard: Dimitri found himself resisting the urge to take a step back as his quarry's head snapped up startlingly quickly for someone who's shoulder had just been fried by electricity after being run through. If looks could kill, then Dimitri would have been dead five times over at the very least, there was that much venom in the wizard's eyes, "You expect me to believe that? Worst still, you want me to sentence my loved ones to death for an offer of mercy from a murderer? You can-", the wizard's speech turned into shrieks as Dimitri activated his weapon and ramped up the amperage by five mA.
He'd heard these sorts of speeches many times before, yet he always offered a chance for his quarries to escape their fate. Sometimes they took it, others however, ended up like the man he held captive. Dimitri lowered his eyes and turned the amperage in his weapon all the way up to 100 mA, then held on as the wizard's heart began to undergo both arterial and ventricular fibrillation. Dimitri held fast and turned his head away again as the wizard vainly tried to struggle against the process of his own heart being sent into a chaotic series of contractions. It took three minutes for the wizard to expire, after which Dimitri pulled his weapon out of the wizard's shoulder with a sickening squelch and let the body fall to the ground. "I'm sorry. Really I am." He muttered lowly, if not somewhat uncertainly before he beheaded the wizard in a single swing. These days Dimitri didn't know how to feel about what he'd done anymore. His experience with witch hunting had left him numb, which in truth disgusted him more than the atrocities he committed at times.

The witch hunter pulled out his phone with his free hand and rolled the head with his foot to leave the face visible for a picture. 'Target kill confirmed. Could not acquire the known whereabout of other targets despite usage of threats and actions involving bodily harm. Body can be located in the sugar mill on 8th and Bradley's.'. Dimitri attached the photo to the text he'd typed up before sending it to his employers. The response was almost immediate: 'Kill confirmation acknowledged. A total of twenty thousand Homeland dollars has been transferred to your account. Clean up crew is being dispatched. Expect another assignment within the next 72 hours.'. The witch hunter sighed heavily at his response. Twenty thousand dollars. The life of another sapient being, one with a family and friends that they were willing to die for, was worth the price of a used car. Dimitri swallowed a lump in his throat and collapsed his weapon before he made his way for an exit and started looking up directions for the nearest bar. Dimitri wasn't one for drinking in a public setting, but right now he needed something a lot stronger than the cider or ales he kept in his fridge.

[Madly33]

Aidon rolled his pen across his paper writing a letter to the head of his counsel. He leaned his elbow on the desk and looked off at the ground clenching his jaw. five witches he caught that week. Five. It was a personal record for himself. He ran his fingers along the stubble on his face and clenched his jaw. He set his pen down and took a sip of his water out of a wine glass. He let out a deep long breath and sat up. He went to take another sip of his water and looked down at the page covered in black ink, the documentation of the Witch hunts. He looked at for a good long time as if finding a new discovery and reading it for the first time. He set his wine glass down and grabbed the paper severely ruining the work he had just done. He through it into the trash that was next to his desk. Zero.
As Aidon left his office he turned on the T.V. to the news in hope for incite on any new sightings. The hunters were quick to removing the witches and wizards before the news made it on air but sometimes there are...slip ups... He stood watching the news, normal things, robbery, politics, foreign affairs. Nothing that ever interested Aidon. He pulled his coat on, sheathed his hand scythe and pistol hidden under his coat, grabbed a apple and left out the door as he bit into it. He walked into the sunlight, squinting his eyes against the sun. He looked around at the cars passing. "Damn day" he thought.
Pulling up to a parking lot just outside the cities main park, he watched the benches and tables closely. "Like those damn witches know I'm here" He though rejecting the thought of the possibility that they might, their dark magics could fill the mind.

A few hours of waiting Aidon looked up, he saw a girl wonder to the bench and sit. He watched her closely as she pulled a book from her bag and began reading. The book had a strange symbole on the front that when looked at from an angle resembled a skull. "Young Necromancy in the middle of the day.. What are you doing girl" Aidon opened his door and pulled out his pistol. He aimed down at her head pausing for a few seconds than down to her legs as the shot rang through the park and birds flew.

[Grombus]

Trick watched the hunter from the darkness, he watched as he harmed a wizard. He sighed as he watched him interrogate some soul unlucky enough to get caught, flames danced across Trick's fingers as though they had a life of their own. Illuminating his surroundings, the small room in which he camped contained only a chair. Trick leaned forward peering into the darkness, as across the street the screaming stopped, he saw the witch hunter decapitate the man pinned against the wall. Trick chuckled looking forward to burning this man to cinders, as the man made to leave Trick crept out from his hiding place and stalked in the shadows. The pitch black night making a perfect cover for stalking, he stayed just far enough behind the man to see him, yet not close enough to alert the witch hunter. The man started to walk down the street towards civilization, and Trick followed never once losing him from sight.

Stalking silently he followed him to a run down bar, neon signs flashing weakly as though even they didn't want to be here. He watched as the man walked in and took a seat at the bar, Trick stayed outside waiting for the man to finish his drink, he sat down on a public bench across the street from the bar, and he waited. He waited while birds fluttered above and bugs buzzed around him. He waited, because that was all there was left to do.

[MonsieurShade]

"Another." Dimitri grunted over the empty glass in his hand. The bartender serving him gave Dimitri a strained look, however he relented and filled the glass with another three fingers of scotch. Under normal circumstances the look that the barkeep had given would have been reserved for someone whom had drank far more than they could tolerate, in this case however, the look he was giving Dimitri the look due to the fact that Dimitri was a licensed witch hunter. The license Dimitri carried served three main purposes: it allowed him to carry his weapon freely and in full view, worked as a pass onto restricted or otherwise private property during hunts, and acted as an identification card, one that Dimitri was all too happy to flash in the name of getting a drink or two in his system. As far as Dimitri was aware, witch hunters were still receiving mixed views from the public; some viewed them as saints or heroes that did the work that needed to be done, and other viewed them as murderers. The bartender was of the former mentality, however, that didn't mean he was about to let someone with a deadly weapon and the skill to use it efficiently get drunk enough to become violent.
Dimitri drained his glass and savored the burning smoothness of the liquid on his tongue as it warmed his chest and stomach. The witch hunter was about to ask for another, however the look on the barkeep's face ultimately turned him off of the idea. Instead Dimitri slapped his payment down onto the counter along with a nice tip and exited the bar with the intention of finishing off the six pack of Angry Orchard he had in the back of his fridge when he got home.

Upon his exit Dimitri felt a strange prickling sensation on the back of his neck, the kind that one only received when something was either about to go very wrong or when they were being watched. He'd noticed it earlier when he'd been heading towards the bar, however he'd initially chalked it up as post work jitters. Now that he'd gotten a chance to calm his nerves Dimitri's instincts kicked into full force, and all of them were telling him that something was most definitely off. The witch hunter tried to play it casual; he yawned and scratched at his goatee while taking a look around his environment. A couple necking a block or two down, nothing out of place there, a junkie sitting on the corner begging for change, sad, but again normal, and a person on a bench across the street that seemed to be looking his way. The possibility of being stared at wasn't exactly pleasant, but the unpleasantry of the situation immediately took a back seat to the confusion that came when he took note of what the guy was wearing. Unless the guy was coming from or heading to a ren-fair, LARP session, or some sort of cult meeting, his apparel meant that he was either a hunter or a wizard. Then again, maybe he simply had a peculiar sense of fashion. Dimitri decided that it was ultimately none of his business and calmly began walking towards an entrance for the underground subway. If the mystery person wanted something to do with Dimitri he would have to follow him. Dimitri had seen his share of bloodshed for one night, and he was not keen on actively seeking more.

[Madly33]

Aidon Leaned against the wall in the dark, just out of sight for anyone. He waited around the corner playing with the hilt of his scythe. He heard foot steps, he looked around the corner. "Dimitri" He stepped out from the shadows stopping him in his tracks. He pulled off his mask and hood and looked at him. "Any luck tonight?" He questioned ponderous on Dimitri's pace as he walked.

[Grombus]

The man came out of the bar and peered over at Trick, smiling beneath his mask he stood up off the bench and began walking after the man. The hunter in front of him hurried his pace obviously he knew he was being followed. Trick sped up and kept the man's pace, the clicking of hit metal boots on the floor increasing in frequency as his feet carried him faster and faster. They passed through a darkened section of town, all the lights in the buildings were off, trash strewn about the ground. Increasing his speed even more he was running after the man, flames coiling off of his arms and into his hands, taking the form of snakes licking his hands. Trick threw his arm forward sending the snake slithering after the hunter, flame hissing, concrete blackening underneath it. The hunter leaped to the side barely dodging the snake, he staggered to regain his balance and Trick sent the second one forward, it's burning teeth all too visible in it's open mouth. The man fell to the ground and the snake passed directly over his head, singing his hair, and burning his eyebrows.

[MonsieurShade]

Dimitri wandered further into the subway tunnel, becoming increasingly annoyed with the fact that his pursuer still seemed intent on following him for whatever reason. The witch hunter briefly considered turning and telling the guy to go away, however a voice to his side caught his attention. Dimitri forced down the instinct to reach for the weapon that hung to his side as he made out the face of Aidon in the dim lights. "Jesus man, give a guy a heart attack why don't you?" He said before letting out a shaky breath. Dimitri knew well of his fellow hunter's exploits and talents, though that did very little to prepare him for Aidon's somewhat unnerving talent for blending into the shadows. Dimitri recomposed himself, figuring that perhaps it was Aidon that had been following him, "I caught a wizard a bit earlier, tried to get some information out of him about a guild he was part of. The guy wouldn't sell out his friends, so I had to...well...you know. Anyway, was that you following me just now? Why w-", Dimitri stopped as he heard the sound of rushing flames behind him. The hunter gasped and ducked, grabbing Aidon in the shirt and pulling him down as well just as a stream of flames passed overhead. Thankfully aside from a few platinum blond strands of hair going up in flames, Dimitri was relatively unscathed.

The witch hunter stood and spun around to face his aggressor, immediately recognizing the man as the one that had been across the street from the bar earlier. "Goddamn it, did you have to be a wizard? Why couldn't you be a LARPer?" Dimitri grumbled. With the wizard seemingly out for blood, Dimitri tightened his insulator gloves and drew his weapon. WIth but the press of a button the two telescoping ends of the weapon sprang from their chambers, though neither end bore the electrical currents from earlier quite yet. "Look, I'm really not in the mood to do this dance twice in one night. You're outnumbered two to one right now, so it'd be smart of you to retreat while you still have the option to.". Dimitri didn't particularly like the way he'd phrased his suggestion. Where it not for Aidon's presence he would have kept his weapon holstered and tried to approach the situation more peacefully, however the presence of another witch hunter meant that he was forced to speak with bravado at best, and absolute malice at worse, lest he be mistaken for a witch sympathizer. Right now Dimitri wasn't just representing himself, in the presence of another hunter he represented the Cromwell family line. The Cromwell were very accomplished hunters, known well in their field of profession for their ruthlessness and efficiency in the art of slaying witches. He couldn't afford to muddle the family line now, even avoiding doing so meant doing something he really did not wish to do.

[Will]

Logan tinkered in an abandoned apartment building, rats skittering around, creating different weapons made of carbon. Making a makeshift fire extinguisher, but a bit more lethal, an increased fire rate of carbon dioxide entering his targets lungs and burning their eyes. He grinned at the thought. Oh someday. Someday I will have power over this god-forsaken world. he looked at out the window, and put his hand on the sill, termites crawled up and down his skin and he brusquely wiped them off. Watching people enter and exit the bar outside was fascinating, picking up on their social cues and such wasn't all too hard. In Qatar, Logan hadn't gotten much of the social thing as he had mostly been trying to take over the government. Watching people exit the bar was as most as he got, and now he thought he should blend in. He threw his hoodie on as he threw open the window, he jumped out and made a pillar of carbon beneath him just so he could jump down to the concrete under that. He landed in the alleyway and walked out, the pillar of carbon disappeared behind him.

[Madly33]

Aidon pushed his back against the corner as Dimitri threatened the Wizard. He moved his hood and mask back onto his face and drew his Scythe, extending the clip on the bottom to create a two handed weapon. He used the scythes blade to watch the wizard. Dimitri's threat seemed soft but was true, the Wizard was out numbered. Aidon tightened his grip on his Scythe. He knew very well of what Dimitri was capable of and did not want to interfere unless he was needed. "Don't do it" Aidon whispered softly to himself directed at the unknown Wizard. Although there was a string of doubt in the situation, this one seemed different he thought. More powerful, he had never seen a Wizard openly attack a hunter before with so much viciousness. He could scene a cold spine numbing feeling of worry. Aidon disappeared into the shadow of the wall and reappeared on the rafters above. He couldnt help but feel that this Wizard may not be alone. He watched over the situation ready to move if needed.

[Grombus]

"Too scared to fight me alone are you?" Trick spat. Flames wreathed his arms, coiling around his mid section and flaring out of his back forming what looked like burning wings. Trick lifted his arms, pillars of flame shot up around him quickly forming a circle around the area, each pillar brighter and more hot than the last. The one with the scythe seemed to have dissipated, No matter, Trick thought I'll just have to deal with him later. Flames created an impassable wall around Trick and the hunter with the lightning blade. The concrete around the pillars begun to bubble, melting down into a pool. Trick formed his fire into a pair of cards in each hand, aces, burning bright orange and red. He flicked the cards through his fingers, a blur, suddenly he threw one from each hand at the man. Streaks of flames leaving an after image in the air as they soared toward the hunter.

[MonsieurShade]

Dimitri gave yet another heavy sigh -something he found himself to be doing a lot lately- as he opponent began his attack. The hunter held his weapon out in front of him and began to rotate it with near inhuman speed, either blocking the cards or snuffing their flames out entirely through the small vacuum generated by his weapon's rotation, "If you're dead set on this then so be it. I'm sorry it had to turn out this way.". Dimitri had faced fire based wizards before and knew them to be some of the more destructively capable magic users out there, he couldn't afford to take any chances here. As beads of sweat began to dot his forehead Dimitri immediately cranked his weapon's amperage up to one hundred and fifty; it was enough to cause cardiac arrest if he could pierce close to the heart, or at the very least cause paralysis inducing muscle spasms. The weapon crackled and sparked menacingly, a stark and somewhat ominous contrast to the almost listless expression of it's wielder. Dimitri lunged forward, though rather than directly attacking Trick, he jammed the javelin end of his weapon into the boiling concrete and raked it upwards viciously, flinging some of the molten cement directly at Trick's face in an attempt to get his eyes. Dimitri knew that he couldn't stay in the ring of fire for long. If the fight drew on he was liable to die of heatstroke if the flames didn't catch him first. Dimitri couldn't afford to hold back in this battle, he either fought with lethal intent or he died.

[Madly33]

Aidon watched in horror as the flames melted the walls and steel. He had to hold himself back from springing in to help. "Damnit" He whispered as he settled back. He wanted to help but would not move in fear of being blind sided by another Wizard or Witch. The fire wizard that was appon them was already a hand full enough, a surprise second one would surly bring them down. Aidon took out his pistol and aimed at the Wizards hands. If I can get a clear shot I could leave him helpless... He thought. He tightened his grip on on his pistol and slowed his breath. "Come on you flaming shit, hold still" He Whispered to himself in aggression. He fired once and missed completely. Damn it..

[Grombus]

Molten concrete splattered across Trick's mask. Quickly he reached up and removed it, revealing his disfigured face; his lips were more scar than tissue, one eye completely missing. Trick smiled, his scar tissue twisting into a horrific mask. He laughed as flames cover his face with the visage of a demon. One eye was a swirling vortex of fire, his mouth a flickering smile of flame. He pressed a blade to his hand and cut it, instead of blood, fire poured forth, like liquid. He flicked his hand forward, liquid fire spraying towards the hunter, smoke swirling around the floor, coiling up Trick's body and into his cut hand. A blade of fire and smoke sprung forth from his hand. "Burn beneath my molten fury." a voice like fire crackled.

[MonsieurShade]

Being too close to actually avoid the fire thrown his way Dimitri was forced to sacrifice a sizable chunk of skin on his right forearm to protect his face and throat from the lethal flames. A few sparks ignited his shirt, forcing the hunter to tear it away to reveal a chiseled body covered with scars from training and hunts alike. The pain in Dimitri's arm was almost too much to bear as his skin blistered and cracked from the extreme heat, he nearly bit his tongue off to avoid screaming out. An animalistic fury welled up in Dimitri's gut with a heat to rival the flames around him, however he quashed it, refusing to give in to his base urges. He was taught better than that, he fought with his brain, not his emotions. Dimitri locked eyes with the molten visage before him, exuding fury that was cold, laser like, and extremely focused to make up for the fact that he hadn't gone savage with rage and pain, "I'll split you open." he hissed coldly.

Dimitri lunged again, holding his breath as he closed the gap between himself and Trick with alarming speed, though leaving enough space to avoid the range of the sword. This was where his weapon shined, it's range allowed Dimitri to control his opponent's central line if he chose to do so. Dimitri crouched and slashed upwards to split the wizard from his groin to his scalp, leaving Trick with precious few options and seconds for a reaction. The weapon continued to crackle and shoot off small arcs of electricity. The burn that such spark would give more than likely would do nothing to the wizard, but even still, getting zapped with electricity wasn't exactly pleasant unless you were a lightning wielder.

[Madly33]

Aidon couldn't bare to see his fellow hunter and friend be burned alive. Damn me if there is another.. he thought. He lunged forward and down onto the molten ground slowing his fall with his dark cloak. As he landed he re extended his Scythe and a burst of dark wind flew around him. Aidon nodded at Dimitri showing him that he was joining the fight. Aidon closed in on the Wizards back "Tred carefully Wizard" He hissed and clenched his jaw swinging his Scythe along his side. He knew that his threat was weak seeing how this Wizard showed power more than any he had seen.

Aidon looked at Dimitri for a sign of attack or strategy at all. As he looked he watched the Wizard closely for him to move.

[Grombus]

The hunter dashed toward him, weapon ready. Trick weaved to the side, lightning arcing from the blade to him, stinging. Trick dodged the blade and dashed back in, getting cut across his right arm. He dashed forward, ducking low and slicing upward, his blade hissing as it went. Trick aimed not for the hunter but the weapon he held. His blade soared up, smoke slithering behind as the fire roared. "By fire be purged."

[MonsieurShade]

Dimitri smirked as he noticed Aidon join the fray out of the corner of his eye. His relief was short lived as Trick dodged his attack and retaliated with a blow of his own. The cut on his arm burn horribly as the fire served to cauterize his flesh. While this meant that his wounds would not bleed, Dimitri also knew that this meant that there was a high probability of infection if he didn't tend to his arm soon. He snapped back to avoid receiving another blow, but he quickly darted forward again, refusing to give Trick any other openings. This time rather than going for the linear attacks Dimitri went for the unorthodox and frankly downright dirty. Dimitri shot his arm forward, sending the weapon, though his target was not actually flesh. Instead Dimitri stabbed at the open air directly between Trick's legs, then with both hands he yanked upwards sharply to send the flat of the blade into the wizard's groin. Even though he didn't actually attack with the sharp portion of the blade Dimitri knew that what he was doing was petty, cruel, and violated the most sacred of the unspoken rules of male combat, but it was something that needed to be done. "DON'T GIVE HIM AN OPENING!" Dimitri barked to Aidon as he swung he weapon upwards.

[Grombus]

"Eye for an eye, ball for a ball, bitch." Trick said through gritted teeth, he kicked upwards the metal reinforced tip raising toward the hunters genitals. His book covered in flame, he kicked with all his might. The boot only inches away from it's target, a pained smile stretched across Trick's face at the thought of the hunters soon to be lost children. The collective pained gasps signified both attacks had hit, leaving both the hunter and Trick dazed and in pain.