[center][b][u]Collab: Synthorian, Mikael[/u][/b][/center] In the southern district of Kenan, there was the [b]Ultra-Lux[/b]: a relatively classy casino but nevertheless corrupted and powerful, if its owner's lackeys were anything to measure by. It was here that the birth of a new hunting season began for two demon slayers. Little did they know that their lives would soon change forever. Some parts for the good... some for the bad. The rest would be up to them to determine. ------ "So there he is..." said a mechanically distorted voice. The figure that spoke was a man in a tailored black business suit, crisp white shirt, and red tie. He also wore a black ballistic mask that covered his whole face and only revealing his eyes. His red piercing irises glared down at a body on a metal table. And on said table laid a chimeric being: a human and a demon in one. His face resembled that of the Grim Reaper. And surrounding the dead man was a squad of 12 large, heavily armed men in black armour, their faces obscured by the same ballistic mask that the Suit wore. "Yes, sir. It's Grim's body," replied one of the armed men. Solus Grim's body was covered in bullet holes, each of them entering deep into the chest cavity. "No pulse?" asked the suited man. "No pulse." Despite his peer's confirmation, the elegantly dressed masked man was still unsure, so he placed his fingers on the dead man's neck. Like his Head of Security stated, there was no pulse. A mechanical sigh of relief came out of the Vox in the suited man's mask. "Thank fuck. Didn't think that girl could pull it off." "Should I conta-" began the Head of Security. But he was quickly interrupted by the man in the suit, who appeared to be their boss judging by his authority. "No. Not yet, we must not disturb her with this news just yet. She wanted him alive." "Which was stupid, if you ask me," retorted one of other black armored guards. The room fell silent at his comment, causing all eyes to set on him. "You want to tell her that?" asked his boss. The guard did not respond. "That's what I thought." The room's metal double doors opened. Another two equally armed men appeared behind said doors, they were messengers. One of them spoke up. "The girl is here, asking for the rest of the payment." "Ah, the one who slayed Solus Grim. Bring her in." With a curt nod of acknowledgement, one of the messengers turned around and gestured with his free hand at someone in the corridor beyond. ------------- Ralice sighed. Standing there in the empty ballroom, she felt out of place. She was usually at Solus's side, staying at his heels and observing everything he did; watching his back; making him dinner. Rubbing her forehead, she could not help but feel an extreme sense of betrayal ripple through her. [i]Had this been worth it?[/i] That thought peppered her mind, but someone's arrival broke her train of thought. Her eyes narrowed at the young man and when he beckoned her to follow, her icy demeanor froze right back up. She was going to get through this one way or another. They arrived in the backroom, and Ralice glanced between all of the armed guards and the suit standing behind them. In front of him on a metal slab was... her mentor. Her eyes lingered on him the longest, before looking back up at the suit and his odd mask. But she said nothing. "I have to admit..." Began the masked suit, breaking the silence. "Impressive work." His own gaze started to linger over the body on the table. "He trained you well. But sadly, it just proves that most apprentices will always betray their masters once they have become their mentor's better. Ironically..." The suit gestured towards the body. "...he actually knew that too. I'm sure he saw it coming... Anyway!" He clasped his hands, a little too joyously. "I'm sure you are eager to receive the other half of your payment. Take a seat." He pointed towards a fold up chair conveniently placed beside Ralice's right. "It will arrive shortly." He nodded towards one of his men, who quickly left the room. Ralice kept her mouth shut. Not that she had a moment to speak anyway; the head honcho seemed to like the sound of his own voice. Still, his words sank in a sense of finalty in her heart. She knew she'd use Solus Grim right from the get-go. Just like her lecherous uncle... and so, was every man a stepping stone for her to ascend to the top? She thought about the real answer to that question as she stepped forward. Her eyes, although resting on the boss's general direction, snake-eyed every nook and cranny of the room, raking in details that would serve her if needed. She flipped the chair around, so that the back was facing the man, and then promptly plopped down onto it, with her arms hanging over the side. She tilted her head lightly, a wry grin slipping across her young, but hardened visage: a rare rose cast in iron. "He gave you a lot of shit, didn't he?" Ralice asked coyly. "Not me necessarily, but some friends of mine." Replied the suit, that phrase almost seemed practiced. He was about to say something else when the double doors that lead into the room opened, and the man that recently left had returned, with a large, shiny suitcase in-hand. Ralice ignored the double doors squeaking open, her eyes trained on the masked man. "I see...well, this has been good for me. Let me know if you require my services again," she stated coolly, remaining in her seat. Her heart fought to beat rapidly as guilt tried to seep in and change her mind. [i]But wasn't it too late?[/i] A fair question. She shuffled the thoughts to the back of her mind. "Your capabilities have been noted for future reference. But for now..." The masked honcho took the suitcase and placed it on top of the body that was on the table. The suitcase itself was a Bulletproof Hex-Case. Its walls filled with Kevlar and Titanium Alloy, while at the same time, covered in magical protection. The lock was a bio-metric magnetic lock, that the suit opened easily, the hi-tech case pricking his index finger, drawing a drop of the man's blood and clicking open. "Let me ask you something..." Said the man before revealing what was in the case. "What do you value most?" Her eyes watched him work. It was just like before, a couple weeks ago when she'd received the first half of her payment, which had been 50,000 euros. She stood up out of her chair and stood next to the table, her hand barely touching Solus's right one. She smirked at the sight of the money, hoping the greed was evident enough. Her eyes darted up at his question. "What do I value most?" she repeated his question, her brows arching up. She placed her left pointer finger on her chin, making a little show of thinking hard. "That's not a really fair question to ask a young woman, don't you think?" "I already got my answer..." The man replied, her facial expressions evidence enough to prove his doubts wrong. "Oh, do you?" she smirked coyly. "I also love getting my gun off. And other's..." The man turned the case around, completely ignoring her sensual comments. "The other half. This is where we part ways. But only if you refuse another offer that I have for you. How would you feel about working for me? Under contract of course. Taking down someone like Solus takes a lot of skill. And I could use someone with your talents." Ralice froze. [i]An offer?[/i] Well, that would certainly save her the hassle of finding work on her own. He was certainly a business man: never to mix his affairs with pleasure. "Well... what kind of work would that be, if I may ask, [i]sir[/i]?" she smiled sweetly. [i]Poisonously.[/i] Even he noticed that tone, but he wasn't a man who came unprepared. He had his own tricks up his sleeve should this girl turn out to be troublesome. She sure did for Solus. "What you do best. Terminate individuals who make the lives of my associates difficult." "Oh, I see. So... an exclusive service contract. I gotcha..." Ralice replied, giggling. Then she cleared her throat and pursed her lips. "Sure thing, boss. I mean, after living with Mr. Stiff here for months, it'll be very refreshing for a new change of scenery." Her eyes glanced down at Grim's face, her mouth tugging to the side in disgust. She shook her head, sighing lightly through her nose. Walking around the table, she glanced at the money again. "Hey, you know a good bank?" she asked worryingly. The suit nodded, satisfied that he just obtained a reliable tool. "Don't worry about the cash. I'll have one of my men take care of its deposit in your current account." Ralice nodded. "Well good... I wouldn't want to be left waiting," she chuckled. "What's the next assignment, anyway?" "All in due time. I'm sure your final encounter with your former mentor has drained you." The suit put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a key. "So please..." He presented the key to the young Merc. "...take advantage of our Presidential Suite whenever you visit this establishment." The 'young merc' remained smiling at him, with a rather eerie stare as her eyes slithered down to the proffered key. "Thank you. That is very kind," she replied, snatching up the key, pocketed it, and took the briefcase full of euros off of Solus's dead body. "Oh..." she mumbled, stopping as she made her turn around the table. She glanced back at the suited man. "Mind if I say good bye to him?" she asked as she pulled out a dagger. The amused tone was a little obvious in the man's voice. "Heh, sure thing." He made a gesture to his guards, who left the room without a glance, with him following them, leaving the room last. She smiled gratefully at the men. But her eyes, vicious as hell's bitch, remained on Solus's body. Once alone, she placed the closed money case down and hopped up on Solus, straddling him as she placed her elbows on his chest and glanced down at him with a bemused expression. Her dagger dangled in her right hand, almost carelessly as she struggled to keep her fit of giggles within. But then she sheathed it. "Des'est, ret sau." she mumbled quietly, snapping Solus out of his magical coma. She waited a moment, but remained straddling him. As he came to, she gave him a huge grin as she held her face with both hands and lifted her feet up to drift around. "Good mornin' handsome... didn't imagine they'd leave us alone for a moment, y'know?" Ralice giggled quietly. Solus let out a groan like he has slept for a thousand years. He tiredly opened his eyes to see Ralice lying on top of him. And boy was it a sight for sore eyes. Really, he was just glad he didn't have to look at Exmortis' ugly mug anymore, that pain in the ass Inner Demon of his, because god damn can he ramble. "I doubt they'll leave us alone in here long enough for what you're thinking about right now to happen..." The way she was sitting on him was a giveaway. Or maybe he was just plain wrong and thinking that low of her. "You don't know what I want, remember?" she teased, but kept quiet as she assessed him for weird side effects from the coma spell. His face winced at the soreness in his muscles, it would take a while before he would be able to get up, and he knew full well that Ralice would take advantage of that just to continue lying on him like this for a while longer. Before, he would have threatened her with some violent demise for doing things like this, but now he has simply stopped caring. Or perhaps he just felt like finally accepting affection from at least someone after all these years. He honestly wasn't even sure himself. "You... You brought my gun?" "Heh, 'course.. and a little pick-me-up," she replied, scooting forward and grinding her pelvis (on accident) against him as she popped something in his mouth. A small glass flask with a sweet odor. The contents spilled into his mouth, but wouldn't gag him. Not much, anyway. In a minute or two, Solus was gunna feel like a million bucks, both speed and strength wise. Her eyes lazily half-shut, Ralice then wiped his mouth with her free hand and kissed him softly between the eyes. Not being one to smother him (heh!), the Necromaster's young protege rolled off of him and immediately began pulling gun pieces out of every part of her body. Well, not [i]every[/i] part. But damn near close enough, it'd make you wonder. As she began assembling the Maledictory Eagle, she glanced up at him, half wondering if he was gunna get up or not. Solus slowly sat up and lowered his feet to the ground, sitting on the metal slab. He slowly realized that he was in fact shirtless, probably to help prove those gunshot wounds, one that Solus asked his apprentice to create with live ammunition, to her dismay. But either way, whatever that girl poured into his mouth was working, he was quickly starting to feel better. "Is that a new mix you made?" He asked curiously. "Yeah. It stopped killing my goats, so... seems it works?" she grimaced as she handed him his weapon. "But, can we like, hurry and kill everyone? I [i]really[/i] gotta pee." She pouted her lips innocently at him as she withdrew one of her twin berettas from her ankles and twirled it a couple times as her eyes flashed. Solus swallowed hard after Ralice mentioning that 'It stopped killing her goats'. [i]This girl is going to be the end of me...[/i] He thought to himself before saying as he grabbed the gun. "Really? You couldn't pee while you were waiting in the hall or whatever?" "But I didn't have to then. ...Shut up!" she hissed with a bald-face lie, blushing as well and looking away. "Right..." Solus commented, seeing the blatant lie. Every time something important was going on, she always needed to pee. It was like she did this on purpose, just to piss him off. He walked past her, leaning his bare back against the cold wall right beside the door, making himself ready for the upcoming slaughter and shaking his head. "We'll sneak our way to the bathroom, you can pee there." He glanced at the door, checking where the closest handle would be for him to grab so he could quickly throw the door open for a breach. "You memorized the place, right?" The Necromaster, hoping for the sake of his own life as well as hers that she remembered the floor plan of the casino. Ralice sighed lightly through her nose. She was feeling rather tired, which surprised her a little. Normally she'd be all psyched up and crazy---[i]well, she had been.[/i] She knew that... but something changed. Her eyes glittered up slowly at Solus, his demonic caricatured lips stretching with each syllable. [i]I need to focus.[/i] "Okay, okay," she replied breathlessly, "and yeah, memorized the floor plans. Didn't scan though, Could later..." She groaned lightly, rubbing the spot at the top of her nose. She felt like they were going to die... which was an incredibly ridiculous notion. "Solus..." she mumbled absent of mind, the very same horrified-yet-calm look on her face as when Mikael Clalrian had almost slashed them both in twain about 4 months ago. And Solus recognised that look. "Hey... we aren't fighting an Iotan this time. Relax, we just have overly equipped thugs to deal with." He said in a reassuring tone. "Ready?" Ralice felt a little bit better from hearing his words. She took the safety off on her beretta and nodded. "Yes," she stated coolly, shelling up her heart inside. "Oh wait, here... hold my money," she stated, half-smiling at nearly forgetting it. She handed him the briefcase and then decided to put her berreta away. Instead, she withdrew her twin daggers from their sheaths attached to her belt. [i]Things were about to get bloody.[/i] She'd lead the two of them to the owner's office, kill him, and then they'd make their escape. That was the plan, anyway. Pressing herself up against the wall next to the door, she nodded at Solus to open the door just a little so she could peek out. As he did, she saw two guards standing at their post, staring down the hallway, and completely unaware of their fate. Silent as uncaring death, Ralice slipped through the doorway, hopping up between the guards as she stabbed both of them in the throat. Her arms raked back with all of her strength, nearly cutting their necks in half as they crumpled on the ground. She now faced the door hiding Solus, but she realized there were only [i]two[/i] guards here. Where had the suited man and his armored escorts gone? She had wanted to paint Solus's re-entrance into the story [b]completely red[/b]. With Ralice having found some [i]bloody[/i] inspiration, he opened the door fully and walked up to his companion, firearm in hand as he stepped over the bodies of the unfortunate souls that ended up facing the teenager's wrath. "So far so good..." A little early to say that, but still... He asked her where the hallway lead, turned out that it lead to a ballroom that has only been renovated yesterday, which surprised the Chimera. He expected that he would have woken up somewhere in the basement area, well out of the way of the public eye. At least he didn't need to climb up another floor to reach his target, that will save some time. From this point on he took the lead with his young apprentice in tow. They quickly reached the other end of the hallway, which had yet another set of double doors. He opened one of the doors slowly, creating a small gap that he could peek through. Sadly, he saw nothing on the other side, and his trigger finger needed its itch scratched. He opened the door fully and stepped into the empty ballroom, the iron sights of his Maledictory Eagle trailing his eye sight. And again, nothing, no living beings, not even a fly. This usually spelled an ambush, but he wasn't going assume just yet. The only real life this room has seen recently were contracted renovators. "Where now?" Solus asked his apprentice. Following him made things easier for her. Both now, and in the past, for she really did not feel like a leader in anything. She could take care of herself, [i]sure[/i], but... it was terrifying to her to take care of another person... as easy as it was sometimes. Glancing at the back of Solus's head, she felt a sense of foreboding rippling between them and for a moment, she thought her runes were detecting magic in the vicinity. She ignored it, though. "Hmm," she replied, stopping with her back against the wall and just off the corner of a turn. She pulled out her smartphone and checked her notes on this place. And its [i]schedule.[/i] "Oh, wow. I completely forgot," she whispered to him, "there's a ceremony going on right now, at the top level. Prolly where our target is, huh, boss?" While she waited for him to respond, she was already looking up the building's blueprints to find them a remote, but safer route. "Shit..." Responded the Chimera, he hoped there would be very few people around, but Lady Luck decided to give him the middle finger today. "What to do... What to do..." The man said in thought. The Owner of this lavish place might be there, but he just had this feeling that... he wasn't. His gut was screaming at him like something was wrong. Instead of letting Ralice know his thoughts, all he said was, "Maybe he is. Found us a route yet?" "Yeah," she nodded and put her smartphone away for the last time. "Come," she whispered, giving him a brief smile. She led the way around the corner and then to an unlocked door, where they both ascended a dusty stairwell. By the time they've reached the top, well, they were in good shape. Forget sweat. But Ralice's heart was still pounding, so badly that she could feel it in her ears. "Give me a moment," she breathed, rubbing her forehead. "But yeah, um, just through here, we'll take a left into the servants' work area. Gunna scan and then speed us through it so... you know, [i]stay with me,[/i]" she explained, the last three words drumming the strings of her heart. She knew that he understood the jargon. She'd use her Field Scan spell to locate all moving objects and organisms in an area. It'd only last 5 seconds, but her senses would become so attuned to the stimuli that she could literally zip through every little sneaking opportunity; that moment where a person's gaze was not looking at a certain direction. Yes, it was a spell that helped her find the blind spots of observation. She placed a finger to her forehead and concentrated... then lowered her hand as some of the blood within her faded with the spell's activation. She stared off into space, seemingly distracted by something behind Solus. Her mentor observed her, watched as she casted her spell. A smile creeped along his face. He felt... pride, pride for someone else other than himself. She grew up to be quite resourceful, as well as formidable. He felt so stupid for doubting her way back when he agreed to teach her. If only he could turn back the clock to backhand himself in the face. He noticed her zombified look that went over his shoulder and beyond, causing him to tilt his head and slowly turn around, and see nothing. "You OK?" He asked as he turned back to her. "Uh.. um, yeah, sorry," Ralice replied, blinking and shaking her head. "For some reason I thought that wall there, behind you. Felt like it was gunna... break." Although the two of them would know that she has some skill in divining key future events, it had been many months since the last one, which had led the two of them into some really nasty business. Business that she did not wish to dwell on, despite it having nearly cost her the only man... no, [i]being[/i] that she could truly love with all of her essence. That was what she felt about it anyway. She had to focus--kept that smile of his in her mind. It helped anchor her to reality, which for some reason felt like it was slipping away. What bothered her the most was that she really had no [i]clue[/i] whatsoever about the possible causes. She needed to see a doctor. A shrink even. Leading the way, the two of them zipped through many rooms and corners, staying low and stealthier than fuck. Actually, stealth wasn't even needed. Music was starting to blare loudly as though some party was going on. Everyone dancing, enjoying the lights, the swing of song... and there he was, in the back. She could see him from the shadowy area behind a pillar where she'd secured her and Solus's position. From here, they could spring into action... "Damn this noise," she whispered in Solus's ear as she shifted her weight on her crouching legs. "Wish we could speak to each other's minds. Be easier, you know." After a moment, she added, "What now?" . . . . . . . . [i]A 'Rina Alice Genno'[/i] . . . Solus assessed the situation. The noise could be used to their advantage to move in on the man. But Solus couldn't do anything from here. A shirtless man with a torso covered in bloody bullet holes would be a massive giveaway. But Ralice could definitely do something from here. The question was what... "Alice..." He rarely called her that. "I need you to lure him out of this room, away from the crowd. The last thing we need is panic with people running around screaming. Don't want anyone running into stray bullets..." She nodded to convey her understanding, but the very thought of going out there somewhat frightened her. It was so, well, just [i]social.[/i] Even she was welcomed here, or at least she thought, if her recent 'joining them' was truly legit. "Guess I could waltz in... all casual-like and sit eagle spread next to him? I dunno... Solus?" she replied before prompting him, her eyes squinting as she eyed someone. "Who.. is that?" she whispered, her lips trembling. In the distance across the dimly illuminated dance floor roughly 30 feet away, there was a table next to the head boss's table (where he was busy with several suited men, most likely discussing business, and a few armed guards who kept a professional vigil over the area). And at that table sat a couple people who dranked and chatted very lively, yet among them... somehow [i]there[/i] yet not part of the conversation was a single, solitary person with a hood over his head. It didn't cover his face, in fact his face was visibly seen. [i]Dark gray as demon skin, with lighter white lines that trailed around his face like groomed facial hair.[/i] He sat there very calmly, his one dark, motionless hand over the table, as though he was a quiet little wallflower and not at all concerned with the party. It seemed to the necromaster's protege that he was, in fact, staring right at him and her. Yet she could not make out his eyes, which seemed blacked out and thoroughly hidden... but his grin... [i]That rictus grin...[/i] Ralice blinked, and then tilted her head. [i]He was gone[/i]... and in his place was another person---just another party goer, holding a cup and smiling, and completely unaware of Ralice and Solus. "Did you fucking see that?" Ralice whispered fiercely at Solus, her eyes searching his own. Left and right. Right and left. He did. His face was emotionless and blank. But not his usual stoic emotionless. Just blank, like his soul bailed out of his body and ran for the hills. He felt deep down, that he knew this robed person. That grin, and that overshadowed gaze. Like a long lost memory. But he knew for a fact, that he never met this individual. The only thought that passed through his mind was, [i]...the hell...[/i] A subconscious nervousness that he never felt before loomed over him. That figure just... vanished. He shock the thought away and said, "Let's... let's just carry on with what we were doing...." His gaze still fixated on exactly where the strange hooded man was. "R-Right..." Ralice said, glancing up at Solus. She couldn't see his emotions expressed through his body language, but in a way, she [i]could[/i] feel his emotions. Maybe all beings became empathetic to each other over time? She knew now was not the right moment for soul searching, and so, she holstered her pistols and stood up, stepping out of sight by being completely behind the pillar. "Let me think," she whispered, biting her lower lip. . . . . . . [i]whose thinking oft-times gets her in trouble[/i] . . . Ralice blinked, her focus dispersed. She felt like she was forgetting something. Sighing lightly, she struggled to focus her mental power into a single, efficient solution. But sometimes, effiency wasn't possible and you just had to go with the flow until your foes drop their cards. Steeling her nerves, Ralice closed her eyes and let out a slow breath... And then she wrapped her arms around Solus for the last time, and pulled him behind the pillar and nuzzled him slightly. "Back me up okay? I got an idea," Ralice spoke to him for the last time... The man nodded. "Yeah, I got your back." Ralice gave Solus a wan smile, her eyes---the windows to her soul---misting up slightly, as though her soul knew something that she did not. She let go of him and adjusted her trench coat, the ends of up whipping about as she strolled into the dancing mob, her face all faked up and happy. She was anything but. Ralice let the armed guards see her approach, uncertainty on her face as to whether she could come closer, her intentions clearly to greet the Boss. After a moment, they let her through with a beckon. Smiling, she stepped forward and stopped short when she reached the boss's table. Her hands on her hips and tilted coyly to the left, her acting skills knew no equal. Well, maybe. "Nice party y'got here, Boss. Throw these often?" she asked the owner. As the boss got up, his hand clasping the shoulder of the man he was talking to, a gunshot, louder than the music and the noise of socialization, ran out across the hall. Blood sprayed onto Ralice's face as well as the mask of the Owner. And as Ralice would look at the Boss, she would notice that the man he was holding onto, was pulled out of his chair and his head was a mashed pulp, falling apart as the flesh of his skull began to settle and fall to floor. The Owner pulled him up, he saw this coming... And the panic of the crowd, was slowly beginning to rise as they realized what just happened. [i]Well, goddamn, Solus didn't waste time.[/i] But she kept her guise, acting surprised and wide eyed as she drew her '9 Lives' pistols and whipped around for the perp. In her mind's eye, she didn't worry about the guards behind her--she could see their movement with her scan spell, and a little blood inside her body vanished as payment. But Solus was gone, as had been expected. She crouched, her head turning left and right as she looked for targets. And then, she felt the cold steel of a gun barrel on the back of her head. "Got to admit. Inducing a death like state in Solus could fool most... But not me..." Ralice sighed lightly through her nose. [i]Well shit.[/i] She wasn't even worried about the damage that a bullet in the back of her head could do. Her guardian angel was a nice buffer. But certainly her reputation was on the line here. She could slap someone's mama over this trite... error. Someone was gunna fucking lose their head over this. "Well... that's one for the books, ain't it?" Ralice replied, standing up slowly and raising her hands in the air, her 9 Lives still firmly gripped. . . . . [i]and yet she remains uncultivated[/i] . . . "Get the people out of here..." Ordered the owner to one of his men as he let got of the headless corpse that was once a living man mere seconds ago, letting the body slump to the ground. The armed men began shouting and siphoning the panicking guests out of the room. Only for them to be replaced by more armed men. And yet... Still no sign of Solus. "Where is he..." Wondered the Owner of this massive casino as he searched the room with his eyes. His men were doing the same, searching every corner of the room and even the ceiling with the iron sights and scopes of their automatic rifles and sub-machine guns. . . . . [i]like the dainty, little soul virgin she is[/i] . . . Ralice wondered. Did he leave the room? A small part of her hoped that he didn't... that he would come rescue her. Which was a silly notion all by itself. These men... were [i]no threat[/i] to her. Sure, she'd probably get scraped, punched, and stabbed. But eh. . . . . [i]and so confident of her own superiority[/i] . . . Ralice balked. She kept sensing something that she was [i]sure[/i] wasn't there. But something deep inside her... the inner most region of her essence... was screaming its proverbial head off. She blinked, hearing the owner's thoughts spoken aloud. "You won't win," she muttered. . . . . [i]These weeds... are unfruitful...[/i] . . . Then, an automatic burst from an assault rifle in the corner of the room echoed through the silence. One of the armed men crumpled to the floor, and the perp, was one of Owner's guards. His ballistic mask, something was off about it. The eye holes burned with a bright green flame. He turned his rifle to another armed guard who was simply just too slow to the punch, and got nailed with a burst of lead ripping into his chest. The rest of the guards though reacted just in time to let rip with their guns. From then on, it was pure chaos. [i]Sheesh. He even fooled me.[/i] Ralice couldn't help but smirk. As soon as he started blasting the guards, Ralice activated her pistols' 9 Lives enchantment. With her hands and guns already in the air, the enchantment locked them in place and her sense of gravity shifted. No longer affected by normal planet gravity, but instead her guns' own gravitational field, Ralice used the enchantment to then spin herself in the air right in place. She made a near 180 degree vertical spin and attempted to land on the guy who had taken her hostage, but he completely evaded the maneuver. Unfortunately for her, she'd been expecting success and had released her enchantment already to conserve its energy. This resulted in her falling down with a swear and accidentally letting go of her guns. Her weapons clattered to the ground. "Ugh, dammit. Need more practice," she growled as she somewhat caught herself with her hands, but banged her knees. She glanced up, seeing the man staggering backwards, presumably from her surprising aerial tactic. But then, her eyes still trained on him, her head bumped something as she tried to get on her feet. She looked up, still on her hands and feet. Her eyes took in the details of finely woven black boots, covered by a flowing robe with dark purple fabric, crimson trims, and white lettering adorning the material. Her throat dried as Ralice glared up at person. He wore an ornamental matching belt, with a large folded up collar. It seemed like the white lettering design became more over the top closer to the head... the face. The hooded, overshadowed eyes, and... [i]That rictus grin...[/i] The guests of the party had long gone, yet the music blared on. This guest didn't care. Even as the guards continued firing at Solus in a desperate and yet hopeless attempt to kill him. [i]This guest didn't care.[/i] The boss shouted obscenities at Solus and Ralice, cursing them for their stubbornness. [i][b]This guest didn't care.[/b][/i] And Ralice somehow knew that fact, even as the guest bent over slightly, his utterly complacent smirk growing. He was here... [i]for her...[/i] and [b]only[/b] her. Even if she had been comatose, knocked out, or out of her mental facilities, she'd still know. Because her soul would know. [i]Oh this world and its empty promises. So empty in fact that there is hardly a place to settle down. For them. Yes. These little godlings and their squabbles. So ... uncouth. But such is life. Hmm... oh yes. There I am. Yes. A Rina Alice... Genno. Whose thinking oft-times gets her in big trouble. And yet she remains uncultivated.. like the dainty, little soul virgin she is... and so confident of her own superiority... she has him to thank for that.[/i] Her eyes still captivated on him, unable to move, as if paralyzed... [b]Itzal Slyre[/b] glanced at Solus Grim... even as he fought valiantly and with purpose. [i]These weeds... are unfruitful. Except that one. I like that one. He is persistent. Hmm... oh yes, there we are...[/i] He looked down at Ralice, the shadowy element covering his eyes unsheathing itself only to reveal... Blackness. Just more... blackness. And two little dots in his eyes... as though he had two sets of pupils. [i]That mouth... is empty. She has not eaten. This won't do. How disturbing. A little goddess like herself needs to eat... oh yes... everything is perfect. It will be perfect. Well, it was perfect. Hmm... oh, there it is. The guns. I'll leave them though. Solus will not die then. Maybe. It's a secret for sure.[/i] Itzal craned his head the other way, almost causing Ralice to follow suit, as though she was hypnotized. The guest here certainly did not seem concerned with what was going on around him. And for that matter, none of them save for Solus and Ralice could see him. [i]Funny how light works like that. It goes into the eyes. Disappears. Follow the light vanishings, follow the eyes. You're invisible. Nobody can see you. Well, except Him. But that's alright. Hmm... oh, okay, that should do it. Now then... a little whisper...[/i] Itzal's little grin shrunk, but not too much. It was still there, even as he made lecherous eye-contact with Ralice. "Is your life flashing before your eyes, my sweet little goddess?" he whispered shrilly. "Whu...what?" Ralice replied, chilled to the bone by the fact that this being just called her a [b]goddess.[/b] [i]She's cold. That won't do. This place is awful. But such is the world. A bunch of little awful places all hobbled together. Such a waste of spatial localities... hmm... oh, she's getting up now.[/i] Itzal grinned wider, his unblinking black eyes with dark and white unaligned pupils following her. "You're not the [i]right[/i] Ralice, Rina. You are still who you are... long ago. Oh yes, this... [b]facade[/b] that you've created. Such an interesting pastime for an aspiring goddess like you, isn't it?" Ralice shivered. Her whole body was trembling. She could see what this person was. Just a weirdo in a stupid robe and was either a demon or human with face paint. So why was she so scared out of her wits? [i]Because, my little goddess, you will never know a greater fear than of the one who knows your potential. All potential. It is abstract. You little gods make it concrete. Fascinating. But... you will not live beyond what you are capable of. You will live many times. In fact, you've got quite a streak. Hmm... oh, she's not hearing my thoughts. How strategic of me.[/i] "What.. I- .. Solus!!" Ralice cried and pissed herself as she fell back on her butt and did everything she can to get away from Itzal Slyre. [i]Let him hear you. He needs more... pain. Rape. Destruction. He's not going to make it if he doesn't die. Sad... hmm... better move.[/i] Ralice, her eyes streaked with copious amounts of tears, stopped crawling backwards and turned around, only to bump into Itzal's feet again. And again, that rictus grin and double-pupiled eyes greeted her. "Are you still sore from last night? May I carry you, my saucy little goddess?" Itzal asked Ralice, his black teeth shining in the dim light. [i]Oh, it's my turn. Let's see what happens... so much time has gone by.[/i] Itzal would know, but Ralice would be completely clueless, she didn't even hear the screams. The fighting had ended. 38 bodies littered the room and a few feet behind Ralice, stood Solus, drenched in human and demon blood. The room, oh god, [i]the room.[/i] The gore-fest that surrounded the young girl was enough to make a demon gag. Small bits of flesh dripped from the walls and ceiling, with with the very fluid that kept living being alive covering the walls and floor. What started as a mere firefight, turned into a bloodbath. And Solus, wasn't Solus. His green flames were extinguished and nothing but a black thick pus leaked out of his face and traveled down his neck. Ralice had had never ever seen Solus'... monstrous side before. He had a combat shotgun in his right hand, which opened and let the weapon clatter on to the bloody floor. His voice was twisted and mutational, going from a higher pitch to lower one in a span of half a second each change. "Aaaannnddd... Yyyyyooouuuu Aaaarrrreeee?" Ralice was somehow still conscious. All she could see was red. Feel red. Smell red. Taste... red. She blinked. In the middle of it all, stood Solus. Or what she thought was Solus. She knew he was a Chimera... but ... her thoughts fell apart. Her face slumped forward. She felt like she was dying. She grabbed her throat... Itzal Slyre observed Ralice, his dark gray hand rising to cup his chin in thought. [i]She doesn't know. How unfortunate. For her. So many fusions in this world. Won't last them next life. Or death even.[/i] Still as a statue, his black eyes, blacker than anything ExMortis had ever seen, slithered up briefly to acknowledge his presence. The white pupils in Slyre's eyes, however, danced about carelessly, looking at different things around the room. Or something like that. "It's a common cliche humans use, but yes, if I told you, you'd become a little [i]better[/i] god, and then, you'll probably die," Slyre retorted, chuckling at an inside joke. [i]ExMortis he calls himself. Pathetic. To be trapped. As such. In this weed I like. One day though... the cleaver. Right down the center. That's a good soul.[/i] "Solus..." Ralice mewed sorrowfully, laying down and clutching the side of her head. [i]Oh, that's so adorable. She likes the weed, too! No... not like, [b]love[/b]. Hmm... oh, there we go. ExMortis.[/i] Seeing Solus's head do nothing but tilt in curiosity, yet completely ignoring the poor little goddess... well... [i]This can't be helped. It's not good for either of them. Nutrition.[/i] "You will never be more curious by anything ever again, ExMortis, than a conversation with me... and no, you're not getting one. Not a real one. Not today. Believe what you shall, for what you believe already, well, I'm sure you know the line. He'll tell you," Slyre said again, his voice drawling on in utter boredom. "Come with me, my little goddess. I'm going to deflower your core," he whispered, crouching down and seizing her by her jacket. And then... the lights bent and the shadows delved, the elements melted... and Itzal had vanished--along with Rowdy Ralice a.k.a Rina Alice Genno, otherwise known as Peskay's niece, Caeldrin's charge, Solus Grim's ... well, that'd be telling. [i]I'll be back. None of you will survive without the other. Keep it going. Oh yes... let the memories, experiences, and conflicts flow. All the way down to the Abstract. Thank you, gods.[/i]