Super Hero RPG

[The Kingpin]

Gaara nodded, pleased with what he saw. "The way i saw it you were fairly equally matched for the time being. though i know that was hardly everything" he commented with a smirk...

[Hopeflower]

"Hardly," Ira agreed. She inspected Yoruichi's cut. "It's not as bad as it could've been..." she murmured, almost to herself. Yoruichi winced as the younger teen gently touched the burn around it. "Neither is this. Still, be glad we heal fast," she added with a faint smirk. Yoruichi nodded and watched curiously as Ira turned to Gaara. "I have to thank you. She might never have agreed to this if you hadn't stepped in."

[The Kingpin]

"I think she did intend to eventually, but she just needed a bit of encouragement" responded Gaara...

[Hopeflower]

"Maybe. Maybe not. I don't think even she knows what she's going to do next half the time." Ira rolled her eyes as Yoruichi gave her shoulder a punch. Rubbing her arm absently even though the hit hadn't really hurt, Ira went on, "Either way, I still say thanks."

[The Kingpin]

Gaara shrugged at the gratitude. the number of times he had actually been thanked for anything in his life were so few they could be counted on one hand. he hadn't got used to it. "Well, hopefully now the way's been paved for improvement" he answered....

[Hopeflower]

"Hopefully," Ira said, nodding as she started to head back to the house. Carefully, she stretched her jaw out while her back was turned to the other two. She hadn't made it known, but Yoruichi's headbutt had really hurt and her jaw was still aching. Ouch...damn...where'd she learn to headbutt like that?!

Yoruichi glanced at Gaara. "Coming?" she asked, starting to follow Ira.

[The Kingpin]

Gaara shrugged. "I suppose, yeah" he said, before following slowly, thinking a bit. with the Organisation taken care of, he really didn't have anything left. he had been fueled by vengeance since the day his parents died, and now that he had made all those even minutely connected to their deaths pay, he was left with nothing. his life was an empty void. the only ones he knew as anything more than frightened informants were Ira and Yoru...is my life really so empty? he thought to himself as he walked...

[Hopeflower]

Ira decided this was as good a time as any to raid the fridge. She was leaning on the door to it when Yoruichi entered the house, trying to decide what to drink. She looked up for a second and then back down. "Want anything?" she asked. Yoruichi shook her head. "I'm alright for now." Ira shrugged and pulled out an energy drink, letting the door shut on its own. "Suit yourself. Feel free to steal something to drink when you get thirsty." She hopped up on the counter and popped the seal, taking a long drink of the somewhat bitter liquid.


Why was he doing this? He had given up everything, to become one of Zero's trusted. To show Ira it wasn't as bad as she thought, being an assassin. And she'd betrayed them anyway. Now he was walking, with a heavy heart, to tell his boss that he'd seen her. He hated to do it. He considered her a friend. She'd spoken around him, while with anyone else she was completely silent. He'd thought maybe she was starting to warm up to the lifestyle. And then she'd said no to a job, and taken off. Vanished. Zero had had people looking for her since that day, and no one had found her. Until now. Now he had nothing...nothing but his name, and the number he'd been given upon becoming one of those who belonged to Zero's inner circle. He stopped when he reached his destination.

"Eleven," a cold, feminine voice said. The speaker was standing before a sliding steel door, her arms folded over her chest. She flicked her short, fiery red hair out of her face in irritation. "What business do you have with Zero?" Eleven, who was a tall, ash-blonde man with deep red eyes, tried not to let his irritation show. This was Thirteen, Zero's second-in-command, and pissing her off was never a good idea. When it came to death, she looked at a corpse with the same indifference their leader did. She was also a good fighter, and she was the one who dealt out the more severe punishments without batting an eye at screams for mercy. Eleven had never met anyone quite as emotionless - as inhuman - as Thirteen and Zero. "My business with Zero is for his ears alone," he said. Thirteen narrowed her deep blue eyes. Eleven wondered if he'd made a mistake. Then she nodded and stepped aside. "Whatever it is, I'm sure Seven and I will hear of it soon enough."

An ordinary person inside Zero's room would most likely immediately think, How emo. The only window was shielded from view by black curtains. The walls were painted black, and on one wall, a beautiful picture of a blood red rose was painted. Twined around the stem, which was bristling with thorns, was an acid-green serpent with glittering ruby red eyes. Eleven rubbed at his left shoulder. The tattoo there was a mirror image of the painting. The only difference was, hidden to the average eye, a number in the tattooed rose's petals. A number eleven. Zero had painted the picture, and designed the tattoos himself.

The carpet under Eleven's feet was a deep shade of red. Like blood. He knelt and lowered his head when he felt the menacing presence of Zero enter the room. The trusted had all learned not to meet his eyes unless they were ordered to. "Rise, Eleven," Zero's quiet, icy voice said. No matter his mood, Zero's tone was always cold. His face was no different. It looked as if it were made of white marble – cold, uncaring and emotionless.

Eleven slowly got to his feet, gaze fixed on a point about six inches over Zero's shoulder. Zero was probably the most dangerous of the demons Eleven had met. The almost tribal design on his left cheek proved it. "You have news," Zero said, moving without a sound to sit on his desk. It wasn't a question. "Yes, sir. It's about Ira," Eleven began. "Ira," Zero said, narrowing his eyes. Eleven silenced at once. "Ah, yes….The little traitor who escaped. She was a swift killer. A good killer. A valuable asset, though not irreplaceable. Why have you come with news of her?" His eyes hardened to brittle green jewels. "If this is about another failed attempt to find her -"

"Sir, I have found her!" Eleven interrupted. A second later, he slammed a hand over his mouth. Too late. He'd cut his leader off. His leader, the one he'd sworn to protect and obey. The one who could have him killed at a moment's notice.

And he'd betrayed a friend in the same instant.

Zero was silent for a moment. Eleven cringed and knelt again, expecting to feel one of the boss's daggers slowly lifting his chin for a clean slice to the throat. "Found her..." Zero echoed, voice soft. "A month ago, I would have been glad to hear those words. We were short of people who could kill, and get rid of the remains as well as Ira could... And then...after many failures...I decided I'd be much happier to see her dead." He paused. "Do you know where she is now?"

"I only caught a glimpse of her, sir...but I know which way she flew. There was someone with her."

"Another demon, I take it..." Zero hummed, thinking. "Find out who the other demon is. Find Ira. Kill her. Bring the other demon to me. I want to know who keeps such dangerous company."

Eleven nodded, swallowing hard. "How...how many should I bring with me, sir?"

"As many as you like." Zero waved a hand indifferently. "But not Thirteen. Or Seven. This is the time to prove to me if you're competent, Eleven." He leaned forward. "I'm sure I don't need to remind you what happens if you fail..." And then there was cold metal against Eleven's neck. He suppressed a shiver. Zero's favorite dagger, a long, jagged-bladed weapon that had tasted the blood of many. The narrow, curved tip was tracing a pulsing blue vein. "Oh, and don't let dear Ira know you're really a demon, hmm? I don't know how you hid your scent from her, and I don't really care, but she can't become suspicious before you're ready to bring her in."

Eleven nodded carefully. "Understood, sir. And...if there are others?" he asked.

"Kill them," Zero replied, pulling the dagger away and sheathing it. "They are of no interest to me. Ira is a target now. The other demon will have the option to join us or leave the area. Anyone else...is immaterial. Understood?"

The blonde man nodded again. "Yes, sir."

"Have the people you choose ready to leave tomorrow morning. Dismissed."

Again, Eleven nodded. He turned to go. He had a mission to prepare for...and his target was one he'd hoped he'd never have to look at as such.


Once the steel door had glided shut behind Eleven, Zero slid off of his desk and left the room. He had a lot to think about, a lot to consider. He sat on the edge of his bed and lifted one thin finger to trace his lower lip. Ira wasn't dead. There was another demon to consider. He would have to be very, very careful, in case said demon had...friends that might be angry if she were hurt. He pulled out his second dagger, focused on it, and with a thought, had it hovering in the air, surrounded by a faint white glow. Telekinesis was one of those gifts that came naturally to him. It was similar to the fire that burned in his veins, and his telepathy. With another thought, he sent the dagger speeding through the air, to embed itself with a thunk in the center of a large dartboard hung on the wall. Take a good, long look at the moon, Ira, he thought. Because you won’t live long enough to see tomorrow’s sundown.

[The Kingpin]

Gaara walked into the kitchen, eyes calmly glancing around at the room, finding a small set of glasses by the sink. taking one and filling it with water, he drank it down, cleaning the glass afterwards and putting it back in it's place, before leaning against the wall. "So, how do you feel about the fire now, Yoru?" he asked after a few moments of silence...

[Hopeflower]

Yoruichi blinked. "I'm not sure," she said uncertainly. "I know it's not all bad, but I'm still afraid if I let it go, someone will get hurt." Ira set down her can and fixed her with an intent stare. "But I didn't," she pointed out. She nodded towards Yoruichi's friend. "Neither did he." She kicked the cabinet behind her feet lightly. "Once you let it out, you're in control. That's all there is to it." She picked her energy drink up again. Yoruichi hummed, looking up at the ceiling as she thought about that.

[The Kingpin]

"Consider it like a guard dog. it wants to help you and will if you let it, but it can't do it so long as it's kept chained" said Gaara, the gourd havinge morphed so that it now resembled an armchair, Gaara sitting in it comfortably...

[Hopeflower]

Draining her drink, Ira tossed the can in the garbage and stretched. As Yoruichi nodded to Gaara's words, Ira said gently, "You look exhausted. Go get some sleep." The red-eyed teen looked at her in mild surprise. Ira sighed. "I refuse to sound like a mother when I'm younger than you are. The fight took a lot out of you. Go." Yoruichi glanced at Gaara, murmured a goodnight, and left the room. Ira cracked her neck and rubbed at her chin cautiously, wondering what the damage was. "Ow...that's a bruise..." she muttered, stretching her jaw again. The pain was starting to ebb, so she guessed it wasn't broken.

[The Kingpin]

Gaara returned Yoru's goodnight, a light smile coming to hisa normally emotionless face for a few seconds, before going blank. noting Ira's comment, he chuckled. "That DID look painful" he commented. "Would've been strange if you DIDN'T feel it"...

[Hopeflower]

"She's got a hard head," Ira said, with a small half-smile. "Not surprising, I suppose."

[The Kingpin]

"i suppose in a fight, that's just one more thing she can hit someone with. when in doubt, use your head" he said, amused at the alternate meaning to the saying...

[Hopeflower]

Ira let out a short laugh. "Enemy of glass jaws everywhere," she said, rubbing her own jaw. It was going to be a dark bruise in the morning, she was sure.

[The Kingpin]

"Good thing mine's made of sand then. i can make random annoying comments without fearing the Mighty Forehead of Death" he said with a smirk, before glancing carefully at where Yoruichi went, worried she might randomly hop out of somewhere and try and cook him or something...

[Hopeflower]

"Lucky you," she said dryly. "Best hope she doesn't hear, though." She snickered.

[The Kingpin]

"Eh. she'd probably understand it's a joke. she's probably the only friend i really have....my life wasn't exactly perfect" responded Gaara solemnly...

[Hopeflower]

Ira gave him a curious look, but all she said was, "Seems almost everyone I've met so far has had their life messed up in one way or another." She hopped back up on the counter. She leaned back against the cabinets, getting comfortable. Well, as comfortable as she could get.