[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/WIA4zqR.gif[/img] [i]and[/i] [img]http://i.imgur.com/fWyAGfR.png[/img] [b]STARRING IN[/b] I just want some damn pizza[/center] 10 minutes earlier; Triad safehouse, some distance away from Milo and the Pizzeria. [color=green]"Hey Han, can you check the door. Should't the pizzas have arrived by now." [/color]One of the four men playing mahjong spoke. By the fully tattooed arms depicting a web full of spiders, one could surmise he was the leader. The others ink was extensive, but not a spider was depicted in their web. The Pizza in this case, was referring to the bi monthly payment the Pizzerias owner payed them in protection money. It always arrived in a pizza carton, along with actual pizzas. The man called Han rose, he was a gangly and thin man. His thin beard looked more like the result of a man who forgot to pack a razor then having any ambitions to grow a beard. He was, by the look of his tattoo sleeve, the second highest ranked of those present. The racket they were running was his scheme. As he opened the door, four other lackeys, these with far less impressive tattoos then his, followed suit. The trio walked in silence up a set of stairs and trough a door that let out into a smokey Chinese restaurant. "Pizza not here yet Han. Sorry." A lazy eyed, husky man in what barely passed as a chefs uniform, asked. Han answered by sighing. "Wei. Chun. Come with me to the Pizzeria. I am asking for my money back." Wei, the larger of the two men, gave a ugly smile. "Sure thing Han." As they proceed to make their way down towards the Pizzeria by car. heir suv took off out into traffic. They didn't notice Cab driving slowly behind them along the street. Josie Kaya, also known as Cabbie, was watching the three men intently trough slightly dimmed windows. As she saw them step inside the pizzeria, she tied a bandanna around her face and stepped out onto the street. When one of them pulled a gun, she began to run. ----- Inside the Pizzeria. Han had entered with a purpose. This was triad Territory. How dare they fuck with him and his. How dare they not pay the protection tax. He pulled his nine millimeter pistol from his waistband and shot a round into the air. People screamed and scrambled for the floor. He pointed at the cashier. [color=palegreen]"You. Where is the owner"[/color] Han asked as his other four companions stepped inside the the Pizzeria, spreading out with their guns visible but not drawn. It was a testament to how brash they had gotten. Cops didn't touch this part of town after all. "I-I can g-go g-get him" He stuttered. At the sound of a deafening bullet leaving the muzzle of a gun, James turned his attention to the newly arrived goons and watched the scene unfold with wide eyes. Panic soon followed and none of the patrons appeared ready for this. "Shit, who did we piss off now?" He clenched his teeth, glancing at Milo for a moment. [color=ec008c]"Don't think this one's on us..."[/color] Narrowing his eyes at the assailants, Milo lowered himself to the floor and motioned for James to do the same. Their best bet right now was to hide from the attackers, at least until the right moment. Hiding behind the chairs, the two kept an eye on the Triad members but didn't intervene yet. None of this had to lead to anyone getting hurt. If the pizza place paid their due, the thugs would probably leave. No goon would actually rob a pizza place, this had to be a payment issue. "Are you feeling well enough for a battle?" James continued in hushed whisperes. [color=ec008c]"I'm feeling like my milkshake got canceled..."[/color] A soft frown crept onto the boy's visage, his pateince waining. "And I'm still not getting my freaking pizza. This day's shit, Milo." James shot back, clenching his teeth. Kaya was running the second she saw the gun drawn. She was unaware of any sort of resistence inside the Pizzeria. But, she could take them. Only one had a gun drown and she was fast. Her eyes blazed white as she smashed trough the door in a tackle. The goon positioned to guard it went for his gun but was met by the elbow of a military trained muy thai specialst. The nasal cartilage was mashed backward as the triad thug stumbled back wards.She kept running, sticking low and pushing the man in a punch, shove, punch clinch, barring Hans line of fire with the thugs body. "Oh crap, where did she come from?" James raised himself slightly to get a better look at the situation, all the while Milo had already made his way closer to the scene using the wild ruckus as a cover. "Milo?" Turning back to see his friend gone, James began to frantically look around until he finally saw the smaller male next to the counter. "For fuck sake, I thought we were going to leave it, just this once...!" While this woman seemed to have things under control, Milo knew one thing about thugs like this. They always had backup somewhere and they didn't exactly fight fair. That gunshot would bring more, almost like a signal. Everyone knew that the police weren't going to join this fray, it wasn't their part of town. Placing his hand atop the counter, the boy gracefully, vaulted over its length and landed on the other side. There had to be an improvised weapon for him to use here. If only he could get to the kitchen. The man who had barred her path went down with a gurgle and she used his falling body as spring board to level a kick at Hans head. Han ducked. He ducked way to fast for her liking. His snake like movement terminated in a kick of his own that Kaya blocked. Her hand shot out and smashed the gun out of his hand. The other thugs were now going for their guns. But they couldn't fire at her, lest they shoot their boss. [color=palegreen]"Who are you?"[/color] Han asked, his hands glowing feint green. [color=#6660CC]"Call me Cabbie. You're Han, yes? Fat Jays second."[/color] She shot back. She had spotted Milos movements, and took it as someone escaping or getting help. From Milos appearence, she decided it wasn't to help the triads. [color=palegreen]"He doesn't like to be called that. You know a awfull lot and have me at disadvantage."[/color] Han shot back before he struck with another unaturally fast kick, kaya rolled under it, rocked him with a left thn just barely avoided getting shot by one of the thugs. She rolled away from the leader, kicked the gunmans legs out from under him and punched him in the sternum as he landed hard. She had underestimated Han, and this could get ugly with so many people still inside. Scrambling into the kitchen, Milo laid eyes on several chefs scared for their lives. Hopefully this would be over before any of them had to get hurt. Just like expected however, the kitchen was full of knives of varying sizes and two quickly found home in his hands. [color=ec008c] "Stay put, alright...?"[/color] He spoke, almost a whisper leaving his mouth. Despite the immensely odd scene taking place before them, seeing how a mere boy acted so cold and calculate in the face of certain death, the chefs nodded in lack of any other response. [color=ec008c]"I can take maybe two bullets before clocking out. Still not fully rested from that last fight...I've got to help her out..."[/color] Discarding the thought for a moment, Milo moved back into the restaurant and moved towards the sound of talking. They were on the other side of the counter, and for the moment combat had subsided but it wouldn't be that way for long. [color=ec008c]"Alright, here goes nothing..."[/color] Taking a deep breath, Milo displayed a nearly inhuman amount of agility as he leaped onto the counter with catlike grace and continued towards a goon reaching for his gun. In a fluid movement, the boy moved from the counter and onto the ground with speed and finesse, the edge of his blades travelling across the goon's fingers before a kick connected with his stomach. [color=ec008c]"You guys are really fucking loud..."[/color] Kaya saw the movement but didn't understand it until one Triad was screaming bloody murder as his fingers were cut by a boy wielding a pair of kitchen knives. She didn't argue with the reinforcement however but was allready in motion. She tossed a glass into the head of the remaining goon Han had brought. With two of them out, one rocked by having a glass thossed right into his forehead, hand had a battle on two fronts. The Chinese man, in a act of confusion and mistaken logic, went for the much more agile 'kid.' "This is a grown mans game kid" He snarled as he drew a short curved knife and went for Milo. The thug who had been dropped with the kick, had by now gotten up to his feet, albeit less then hundred percent. This was however, Wei. And Wei was a large and sturdy kind of guy. He got a distracted Kaya in a bear hug and lifted her off her feet before trying to slam her against the counter. She managed to lift her legs and brace them against the wooden edge however, and pushed with all her might to drive Wei into the jukebox behind them. She rolled away and blocked a punch from the thug she had gotten with the glass earlier, and counted by a sharp elbow right into the mans eye. Dancing between the man's strikes, Milo jumped onto a table and clashed blades with the man before he was knocked off his elevated position, rolling back to his feet as he connected with the ground. This guy was a lot stronger than he looked, and Milo wasn't exactly at his best right now. He would need to find an opening in the man's strikes and focus on dodging them rather than blocking them. His pure muscle mass surpassed Milo's and the boy was already tired as it was, taking on the full blunt of a grown man's force wasn't going to help him wake up. Twirling the blades between his fingers, the boy kicked a chair in the man's direction but it didn't prove to be much of a distraction as he simply stopped the obstacle with his foot. This guy was a trained martial artist, that much was certain. He did however lack Milo's grace, something displayed as the boy charged forth and ran up the chair's backside. With two quick strikes, he managed to land a cut ot the man's shoulder in a vault over his head. Landing behind him, Milo attempted to stab his enemy in the back but he was ready for it, twisting his body around to deflect the attack and delivered one of his own, a strike caught by Milo's free blade before the two managed to get some distance from each other. Heavy breathing left their lips as the combatants analysed each other, measuring their strengths. Kaya was having no more bullshit. Her temper getting the better of her, her connection with the Mother now on full blast, white and purple flames rose from her fists and feet. The thug closest began to back away, looking for a weapon. Wei didn't wait. He went for a punch but it was blocked by a elbow strike that broke the fingers on his hand. He let out a startled, angry cry of pain before he was cought with a flying knee to the face and went trough the window. By now, the patrons had all but escaped. All but for Milo and another guy. She looked to James and while punching out the last remaining goon who was now in full panic mode. [color=#6660CC]"You with the Kid?" [/color] "Uh, yeah! Sorry if we're intruding or anything! Milo's uh...he does that..." Trying not to be seen as he talked, James peeked out between the chairs but kept out of the fight. He wouldn't be much help in this battle either way. Meanwhile however, Milo and Han clashed blades once more, the larger male having difficulties getting beat on his smaller opponent. As Han attempted to hammer his blade down on Milo, the boy used the granted moment to fluidly move out of the way and counter attached with a cut to the man's thigh. Hearing him shout out in pain, Milo slipped between his legs and delivered two deep wounds to the back of his feet, severing his tendons and forced him to his knees. [color=ec008c]"Go to hell..."[/color] Joliting back to his feet, Milo spun around and sunk his blade into the man's neck, seeing how his lifeless body fell to the ground. The merciless look in the boy's eyes would clearly show his cold familiarity with the act. Though, it was also easy to see his fatigue as he nearly dropped down to the bloodies floor himself. Seeing the boy sink his blade into the neck of Han was jarring to say the least. It was also inconvenient. He had information that could be useful in tracking down other safe houses. She would have to hedge her bet on getting Fat Jay at the safe house she did know about. As Milo wavered, she was there in a instant, steadying the boy. [color=#6660CC]"Easy there. Those were some really slick moves kid."[/color] She refrained from mentioning that they were killer moves taken straight out of the manual on how to take down a larger opponent. Whoever the boy was he had training. [color=ec008c]"Thanks..."[/color] Dropping the remaining blade to the ground, Milo's eyes quickly traveled to James. As soon as he saw his friend unharmed, the boy's eyes went back to the woman now holding him. She was built like a tank and it was more than understandable that she could take these guys down with her fists alone. Indeed, this woman was a force to be reckoned with. "You too..." Milo returned, a soft smile crossing his lips. This entire ordeal was new, though. He had never trailed the Triad before. They never came up on the list, so to speak. After this however, he was more than certainly on their naughty list. "Milo!" James ran up to the two, keeping his distance from the bloodstained cadaver on the floor. "Shit, man. Why did you have to make a mess?" [color=ec008c]"Sorry..."[/color] The smaller boy responded. Milo was never trained to capture people, or to keep them alive for questioning. In a true battle such as this, his killer instinct kicked in and keeping his opponent alive was not part of that process. Unless explicitly told to keep the target alive, the thought wouldn't cross his mind. As much as Milo wanted to stray from the bionic past clinging onto his back, he couldn't escape the fact that he was created to kill. In other words, he couldn't always help it when the assassin broke through in a fight. It was how he was engineered after all. "Who were these guys...?" Milo continued, looking to Kaya for answers. [color=#6660CC]"They are the Jade Spider Triads. They rule pretty much all of China Town. And they have been expanding aggressively the past ten years. I have something of a beef with them."[/color] She said. Noting that he had somehow avoided harm entirely, unlike her and her bruised arm, she said as much. [color=#6660CC]"How did you get to be so damn quick. You can't be more then fifteen." [/color] How many excuses could Milo cook up after what he had displayed? He usually tried to avoid being seen when doing these things but this was a desperate situation. He would rather break his cover than leave this woman to deal with the Triad on her own. That kind of selfishness wasn't part of his system. [color=ec008c]"Chemistry..."[/color] "Yeah, that's not vauge at all, Milo." James rolled his eyes. "Uhm, I guess we owe you at least an explination, right? This might not be the best place to talk, though. We should get out of here before more shit hits the fan, too. I'm James, by the way. That's Milo. He doesn't talk much." [color=ec008c] "Hi..." [/color] The boy raised his hand in a soft wave. [color=#6660CC]"Josie Kaya. Cabbie to those in the whole hero game. Still new at this. Don't mention the lack of a cool name and I won't punch you."[/color] She added the latter quickly, grimacing. [color=#6660CC]"It is a placeholder. Anyways. I got my cab just down the road from here. Grab some food and we'll go?"[/color] "Yes! That sounds like a great idea!" James exclaimed. Nothing would get in the way of his pizza now, and Milo could finally get his milkshake. Despite how dazzled everyone was, and scared out of their minds, there was a prepared pizza ready on the counter. Wether it was pepperoni or not didn't matter anymore. The waitress from before still remained, however. WIthout a word, she handed James the pizza and the milkshake, her hands shaking in the process. "I am so sorry this happened! We'll just be out of your hair now..." [color=ec008c]"Yeah, bye..."[/color] Milo muttered, snatching the milkshake from James' hand before he started out of the battle zone. Kaya smiled apologetically an stuffed some crumpled bills into the waitress hand. Then snatched a kebab roll that someone had left before taking a single bite into it. It was shame to waste the food after all. [color=#6660CC]"You're welcome."[/color] She said as she left after the others. She quickly herded them to her cab. A classic, yellow and beat up looking thing, it was to her like staring at the long lost home of a soldier returning home.[color=#6660CC] "Jump in the back."[/color] She said as she opened the door to the drivers seat. Moving into the back, James inhaled the scent of his pizza and didn't waste any time before chewing into the chees covered dough. "So good." He swallowed, a sigh of relief washing over him. "You said you were in the hero business? Well uhm...I guess you could say we are, too? Don't know if Milo's methods are appreciated by everyone, though." [color=ec008c]"You're called Cabbie because you have a cab...heh, I just got it..."[/color] Milo added, his quiet voice filling the cab after James had spoken. [color=#6660CC]"I will punch a smart ass kid. Don't you test me Milo"[/color] She shot back but there was no venom in her voice. It was hard to sound venomous with a face stuffed full of kebab. [color=#6660CC]"mmghh.. God I was so hungry. Been staking out those fuckers for a day and a half."[/color] She swallowed and let out a sigh. [color=#6660CC]"Anyways. Yeah. Kinda. I guess? I mean. Like Milo, I leave bodies behind from time to time. All the heroes are busy flying around, whacking aliens and demons out of the sky. Me? I just got this wierd quasi-religius, mystic connection. It helps me punch better. I don't got shit on a spaceship or satan."[/color] [color=ec008c]"Sorry..."[/color] Milo managed an apologetic smile as he continued to drink his milkshake. [color=ec008c]"Heh, my name isn't really that much, either. Someone once called me Edge...because I have a sword..."[/color] "Well, what else do you want them to call you, Milo? Ninja Brat?" James shot back with a chuckle. [color=#6660CC]"Ninja Brat.. Nah. I like Edge. Reminds me of that lanky dude I watched wrestle as I grew up."[/color] Kaya shot back. [color=#6660CC]"So... Uh. Were do we go. I don't really have a apartment.. You kind of sit in it."[/color] "We have an apartment! Or well, not really. It's a dump that anyone else would call a hideout, and it's on the bottom floor...but they, it fits one more person if you want to stick around. It's not like we pay rent." In truth, the two had found an abandoned shack in a shady part of town. [color=#6660CC]"No rent? Shit. I'll take it. I got a little cash for fixing it up. I got a friend who is handy with tools to."[/color] She grinned and shot them a look. [color=#6660CC]"I think this is the start of a lucrative and mututally beneficial partnerships guys."[/color]