The Third Generation 1x1

[BlueJae]

Hell if anyone knows exactly when it happened, if they could pinpoint what day exactly the turning point was made, but it was- it had been. It'd gone from horses to cars, swords to gun, a whole level completely modernized over the course of time, a true shadow of Earth...With one, small, tiny difference of course. Limbo just wasn't a place of humans. It had everything, or most, but humans were little to none in population. A curious thought, of course, just how it would work out with what some consider to be more advanced species ruling a world, just how far might it go- exactly? Something to find out, either sooner or later, but for now it is as it is. A modernized civilization, run under something far from mundane. Though, tell me, was it an evolution or revolution?

 

[BlueJae]

"Is this really necessary?"


"Of course it is, that bastard deserves it anyways."


Hushed voices argued back and forth, one ringing on about how the process didn't work like that in the movies- seemed they were wrong, if only for the moment. The first turned to the veiled woman who towered over them and grinned "I told you I could get it. Hop in." They said, pushing the driver's door and slipping in, then closing it, turning to see their friend in the passenger seat despite having been on the other side of the car literally less than a second ago "Your parents won't be pleased." She said, the other shrugged "Three rules, don't get hurt. Don't get others hurt- and don't get caught. We won't be breaking any of those any time soon, so sit back and enjoy the ride yeah?" The car purred like a cat as the woman made a noise of distaste "Not within my taste." She muttered, they rolled their eyes "Says the woman who drives a Bentley."


"A 1954 R-Type Continental, child. Style matters."


"Yeah, yeah, gotcha." They muttered, slamming on the horn for a successful tug of attention from not only the owner of the car but the rest of the building as well, they could only grin at the angry shouting, seeing the owner pull out his phone to, more likely than not, call the cops- that was, until their jaw dropped when the donuts were thrown in their face. Not literally, of course, no, but to those now worn tires it was a literal meaning. Soon, the car was speeding off out of their view, taking a very sharp corner and speeding off. They picked the phone back up and started shouting, not thirty seconds in they could hear that same familiar sound. The car had been put in reverse and, rather skillfully, was being driven away from the police car that was flashing it's lights viciously at it, riding the Challenger's bumper, but couldn't seem to catch the car as it was gaining speed "This is a bad idea." The woman muttered, only glad that the police couldn't see them due to the illegally tinted front window, not for her own sake but her friend's "Ready for a ride?" They asked, realizing they were about to hit traffic in less than three seconds- and so it was "If I could be sick, right now would be a good time." She muttered back, feeling the car swerve to dodge cars that were coming at it as it reversed past them and invaded multiple lanes trying to lose the loud police in front of them and the bullets that they seemed to be shooting. Rather mockingly, they stuck their arm out the window and replicated the gun shooting with their fingers "Hahaaaaa! This is sick!"


"I certainly feel sick."


"You just said you couldn't."


"Just keep driving."


"Yes m'am." They chuckled, swerving to miss a semi in the middle of an intersection before heading off. Not that this stopped their pursuers, course, when they did take that turn down the alley they hadn't expected it to be a dead end- or the end of the car to smash into a brick wall and- for some odd reason- set off the air back as the back was totaled. They supposed that's what happened when you hit a brick wall at over seventy five, which come on, isn't even that fast. They struggled against the bag pushed hard against them when they heard the sirens "Avery? Avery!" The mentioned archangel might've looked like she was spazzing the way she violently pushed against the air bag, pushing it down best she could, desperately reaching for the rear view mirror, to which she broke with her grip, pulling it down to stare into- catching her own eyes- and reality shifted. "Ohhh saved by the bell." She groaned, pushing the car door open and watching as the police phased right through her, she was nothing but a spirit in their dimension now, one that could only be seen if she wanted to be seen and right now that was the last thing she wanted. She tossed the mirror aside, making the police jump and turn- only to see nothing. Avery looked over when her friend, who had turned to her natural form, levitated over to her "That was too close. What was rule three? Don't get caught hm?" She hissed, quite literally, Avery sighed and shrugged "But we didn't get caught...It is what it is though, I guess, at least that dick isn't ever getting his car back. Hell." She ran a hand through her hair, heading out of the alley way and walking through the mass of silhouettes that surrounded her, she was used to the fact that everything was backwards, by now, but she remembered her first visit. Not a fun one, at all. But, she'd learned to use her own little world to her advantage, and the fact that it was her's and her's alone was a great thing. However, accidentally getting sucked in, or having trouble finding a way out was not. Luckily, only one was more common than the other. She stretched, wings extending behind her, aching to gain air "Let's find somewhere to crash, then?" She suggested, but her friend was gone. Course she was, always had the urge to roam when they came here. She shrugged it off, gaining air, soon soaring along the top of skyscrapers. Even if everything was distorted, the city was just as nice a view. She rolled, known to make tricks in the air, and honestly one of her favorite things to do "Here we go-!" A dive was made, lowering herself to a more closer stance, racing along with the cars of the streets, her wings barely clipping their rushing by selves as she passed them, watching life soar by. It was busy, often too, really, but that was never an issue. She lifted herself, laughing, narrowly missing a bus that had been coming at her. Tipping right she took a corner, bringing herself deeper into the city, farther away from where she had been, sticking her arms out to catch the air- and there it was. She closed her wings around her, making for a spiral as she launched herself. There was a brief shattering sound and soon she was standing at the core of the city. The glass behind her perfectly fine, it'd only shattered in her world, not here, and of course it'd put itself back together there too. She dusted herself off - seemingly no one had noticed her - sighing as she readjusted her jacket, well then. Where to now...She mused, looking around before merging herself in with the crowd.

 

[ROUX]

This city.... This was his city. Or at least, he liked to think of it that way. And while he never wanted to destroy it, he certainly had no qualms with keeping it on it's toes...




<~~~>

​

He was sitting on the top of the tallest building, gazing at the sight before him under the black sky above as his head as his wings stretched out behind him, almost lazily as he watched the movement below. They glowed a stark white contrast to the sky above, matching the odd color of his wispy hair though not t all noticeable enough from this height for people to wonder. And people did wonder, or rather they did when he let them. He was usually alone, partly because of the stares, the whispers, things of the like if he was in fact in his true form. It marked who he was, and who he was tended to be an annoyance most of the time for one reason or another. His wings were white yes, but featherless like a demon's, the soft leathery texture making slight sounds when he moved them. Then there were the horns - so strange, if he thought about it, but easier to appreciate when Lucifer had explained the significance of them. His father...who'd he'd cursed at and berated from even giving him the damn things, for making him life as this...half blooded sort of creature. Or at least that was what he felt like. Or maybe it was just an excuse to vent his anger at the things that were just out of his grasp of control, given that he really couldn't give less of a shit how people looked at him. Just that they had the nerve to.


He didn't usually think of his family, of his past at all, but today he would. Today he'd had to, since that surprising and later exasperating phone call from one of them. Not his parents, no, never them - rather, his older sister. Probably the last person related to him he'd bothered to keep in contact with. They didn't talk often, but at least once a month - Camille because she was a control freak (at least to William) and he himself just because he hadn't been given a reason not to. Of course she'd tried to get him to come back, come back home that is, whether it be for the rare family gatherings or just because she was visiting and apparently it didn't feel the same without him. He never told her that he didn't care, because it wouldn't have been true, so he gave her a reason from something he slightly suspected, that they didn't care, his Fathers anyway. Why should they, after what he'd said and done. And they wouldn't appreciate what he was doing now, and he didn't care about that either. He doubted Michael would understand what certain little project he'd been working on, and Lucifer would probably think it distasteful simply by the blurred motivation of all of it. So why bother dealing with them? Or attempting to get them to understand him...no, it'd never work.


Now though, he was a long way from being an angry teenager, he didn't even have the time to think of what he could have done right, how he could have apologized, the time had come and gone. So when he did end up thinking about them, like now after the call, he found himself needing to do something to loose the memories all over again. And so he would, and he was now.


He shifted backwards, bringing his feet back from hanging over the edge, now laying on his stomach with his wings tucked to his back. Reaching to his left, he closed his fingers around the bolt-action sniper rifle he'd brought, already fully loaded just in case. Though he knew he would only need one bullet. He never needed more than one bullet. And though this one deserved so much more, perhaps a whole volley of the lead thudding into his body, William only had time for one. Needless to say however, he'd manufactured it to deliver the most agonizing pain it could give over the span of exactly sixty seconds, keeping him immobile upon contact, and the area of impact nestled into the precise location of the brain where the blood would not spray, rather run down rapidly from the spot. It was perfect, one of the best, and William had spent a month getting it just right for his next victim. Too bad he'd have to shoot and run.


Maxamillian Pettifer, one hundred and thirty years old, Nephillim, and a well known resident of Redmont City. He did indeed have a seat in the government, and had obviously been taking advantage of it. William wondered how the city would react upon discovering the mass amounts of bodies in Pettifer's basement...even a literal skeleton in the closet. The Archangel was all for new scientific advances, but murdering three dozen people in vicious experiments to try and create a new species? Uncalled for. And vengeance was better served by William's hand then it would be from the city's, knowing their long and tedious trial process, and since the first investigation the police hadn't gotten anything on the man anyway. He deserved to die, and he would die, there was no doubt about it.


By this time William had set up the gun perfectly, flicking off the safety and reaching forward to screw soon the suppressor to the end. He didn't need to be discovered - oh he,d escape, of course, but he didn't feel like being chased anyway, not with the mood he was in. He had actually been so meticulous as to deliver the pictures of the bodies to one of his men to breach the house itself and plant them inside the suitcase the Nephillim carried below. William watched him cross the street, and he was heading at the perfect angle now, the hybrid's finger's tightening around the trigger before smiling under the mask over his mouth. There was a small click, and the Nephillim businessman froze in his tracks, but did not fall. People simply walked around him.


At ten seconds, cars were blaring their horns, and William had deconstructed his weapon.


Thirty seconds, the gun was in the backpack along with the mask as the hybrid backed away from the edge to head for the fire escape, while thinking of the blood that was inconspicuously flowing from the wound down Pettifer's white collared shirt.


Sixty seconds later, shrieks rang below as a dead man dropped to the asphalt, and high up above there were no traces of the killer above - save for the small white card stuck between two glass edges, the black cross defying it's light background, the telltale S in the center being the only thing to mark that anyone had ever been there.


William emerged from two buildings over next, pulling his hat over his head along with a pair of dark sunglasses, melting into the mass of city-goers below, paying no mind to the wreckage. The cops would be more interested in the briefcase than the killer, as he'd planned, and everything was smooth as always. For now, it was out of his mind, a new goal replacing it...it was time to pay a visit to his sister.

<~~~>

Just another day - just another paycheck - and just another criminal cut to his knees.

​

 

[BlueJae]

Avery adjusted the collar on her shirt as she entered the restaurant, her veiled humanoid friend following right behind her, she stopped in the back of a couple only to look back at the woman "You know, maybe you should start dressing better- like you're not going to a funeral?" She suggested, pulling the backpack she'd had off her shoulder and into her hand, the woman didn't answer but Avery could feel the judging eyes on her- for whatever reason "What? Just a suggestion." She sighed, trying to put a smile on as she addressed the host "Ms.Lightwood. Second floor, far left?" It would be a lie to say that she wasn't here at least once a day, not for their food- though that really was delicious - but rather for the atmosphere, which had to be of satisfactory for her to be comfortable somewhere "Yes yes, I'll be on my way then- Oh! And send up the mini chocolate souffle cake and a Kona coffee ice cream sundae?" She made a hopeful face, she watched the eyes roll playful but when the host nodded she flashed them an award winning grin and headed for the elevator near the back of the first floor "Your teeth are going to rot at this rate." Was the first thing she heard as the elevator doors shut them in and she started rummaging through her bag "Oh they will not, if they were going to they would have by now." She said, waving the other off as she pulled out what she was looking for. At first glance it looked like a metal rectangular place that had rounded corners that had a split line through the middle. Weird as that sounded, but oh it was much more than just that. As they stepped off the elevator she bounded for the table at the far corner with the view over the city, or, at least most of it- they weren't that high. Avery pulled out a seat for the woman and pushed her in, seeing as she weighed nothing, then seated herself right next to her "Prepare to be amazed!" She said, wiggling her fingers at her friend as she held the metal in front of her with a glint of pride before she pulled them apart. There was a click before a hologram blue screen popped up betwen them and they started to levitate on their own "Wala!" She said, pulling the floating device into her lap, or close and her fingers pressed against the screen, it was to be biologically unlocked. Once it was, light letters popped up on the screen 'Welcome' it stated, then pulling up to multiple options "To work then?" She smiled, glancing at her friend, who only sat up straighter.


"Allllright, so, if you replay it..." Avery pushed the video back, "he got hit in the neck, a bullet maybe? But he just stands there for a minute, and it takes half of that for the blood to show up...Then he falls at the end." She zoomed in on the wound, examining the bloody collar "Do we know him?"


"We're about to." Avery muttered, pressing a finger to his face, bringing little lines all over it before a profile was brought up "Let's see, Maxamillian Pettifer?" She paused, then snorted before laughing, leaning back in her seat "That's such a weird name! Who would name their kid that?" She could stop the laughter, wiping a fake tear from her eye she sat back up, sucking in "Ok. Ok." She said, breathing out then looking over the file "He worked somewhere in the government, think we should look further into that? Might say something-" She trailed off s an all too pale finger pointed at the screen "He seemed interested in technology, think he would've like your gadget?" Avery frowned, furrowing her brows "What's that got to do with anything?" She asked, the woman shrugged "Maybe he got too into something. If he saw this, do you think he would've wanted one? Or would he have just made his own, he had the money." She said, Avery looked back down at the screen, cocking her head "Yes he did..." She muttered, then switched to the news clip, which had been covering the murder, it'd been what had caught her attention. She had been working on other things, but when the alert popped up in the corner- like it always did when there was breaking new - she couldn't help herself...and...being the curious thing she was she'd started looking into it, though, she wanted to figure it all out before the police did. Just for fun, though it was unlikely at this point the hobby was all too fun "So...Looks like that briefcase was of interest." Avery muttered, watching the camera man push to zoom in on it as it was classified as untouchable. She pushed her finger to it, bringing it up- or rather the model, everything about it and who sold it. Nothing of interest. She sighed, pressing her middle and index to the middle of her head before she felt the fingers moving against the screen "A sector representative for Kyrios." She pointed out, Avery sighed "That's good to know but it's not useful, I mean- Ice cream!" She lit up and nearly slammed the device closed when her dessert came towards her, a grin replaced the previously frustrated frown "You're a saint!" She purred, taking her food from the host that had seen to her at the front "Eat it slowly this time." They said, ruffling her hair, had her tail been out ten to one it would have been wagging. She waved them off before diving right in, looking over at the woman with full cheeks- looking something like a chipmunk "Break time?" She offered, her friend only sighed.

 

[ROUX]

William should have expected the bundle of intensity that was his sister to jump out from nowhere and hug him, but he kept forgetting just how much her children had absorbed from her atmosphere. Too much, it seemed, as he'd been practically run over the moment he'd opened the door by two children and a very large dog - a large and wet dog of some kind. He looked up, grinning genuinely for once and trying to see over the massive creature while the twins prodded at him. He was, however rescued by his sister when the animal was pulled away, followed by the children taking a step back at the amused call from their mother. And there she was, of course not looking a day older than he'd last seen her, only a year ago. He offered him a hand and he took it gladly, and now that he was standing he graciously accepted the embrace from the blonde woman, still smiling as she buried her face into his neck, her own wing's feathers fluttering behind her. He sighed, taking comfort in it. If he had to admit anything, it would probably be that he did miss his sisters, both of them - no matter how much the three of them had squabbled in the past, and even now. Nothing changed, or at lease he didn't think anything had, not this at least. His smile was still evident on his face as she let him go, though a bit of mischief shone in his eyes as he looked her over. "How are you, Cami? Still shrinking, I see?" He prodded, though knowing very well that all 5"3 of her could take him just as easily in a fistfight if she'd wanted. Even if she did avoid anything of the sort like it was the plague.


"Quite wonderful, as are the twins - and I'll have you know, that I haven't shrunk an inch - that's more than I can say for your beautiful god given skin. What'd you get this time?" She asked, pulling his arm out and observing the new ink - well, new to her anyway. It wasn't anything special, just a cross...the same cross that was on the card he'd left earlier. Of course, he wasn't stupid enough to obviously wear the same symbol of his little organization on his skin, so he'd figured out a way to make it only visible to those related to him. To anyone else it's be a blank space, and he doubted any of his family members paid attention to the details of such happenings, not being ones for Nephillim affairs in general. Camille however, never approved of the various tattoos covering his skin anyway, and he always threatened to get on right on his forehead just to annoy her. It'd never happen, but it was an argument nonetheless, but the old kind that you learned to appreciate.


He'd ended up talking for quite some time after she'd put the children to sleep, as they'd only been up because of his arrival, and were now each in their respective rooms. He himself was lounged on the couch next to his sister, one ankle crossed over the other as he listened to everything he'd missed, and some things expanded on from what he'd last known of them. Castiel was away in heaven again, that much was obvious, and William was still surprised Camille hadn't chosen to live there, especially since she'd have fit right in. Something about not wanting her children to grow up isolated in one world or another, shed told him, and Will supposed that made sense. Heaven and hell - so out of the way out of everything to be honest. Limbo was more of the crossroad between the two, and it seemed more real that way, partly why William appreciated it so. But Castiel on the other hand couldn't just leave everything behind, not with the responsibility he held there, and sometimes the hybrid worried for the relationship's sometimes long distance status, but then, Camille wouldn't have married him if he wasn't the right one. God knows how long it took for her to even consider anyone to think about in the romantic way, let alone marry. At least she could hold her own, had found her one. Things weren't so simple for himself...and he was being berated for it now, at that.


"So - you just - said no?"


"Yeah, I did. I don't even understand why she was so upset anyway," William shrugged back against the pillow behind him, oblivious to his own mistake as Camille resorted to rubbing her face in exasperation. "William. When someone says they love you, you just can't...mark it false, and tell tem no!" She exclaimed, obviously fed up that he didn't understand. He didn't though, he really didn't, and maybe it was the fact that he didn't think love actually existed for people like him, but he'd simply delivered the truth. She - as in his Ex of now an entire week - had asked him if he'd loved her after a rather...eventful evening. And he'd said no. He didn't know why, and sure he liked her more than any of the others - and there were countless others - but he didn't love her. It wasn't possible. And he'd almost ended up with a severed hand afterward, and he still hadn't gotten the smell of smoke out of his flat. Ridiculous, was exactly the word he'd filed her reaction under, but according to Camille it could have and should have been worse. Just another thing he'd never thought important enough to bother looking into...and women were too difficult to understand anyway. Why bother?

 

[BlueJae]

Avery had left sometime around early evening, having had her fill of research for the moment, hopping out of the restaurant she readjusted the jacket she had on and popped the collar on it while tucking the one on her shirt in. It was late, dark really, around nine one could say. She adjusted the now packed backpack on her back and looked around, the streets were littered with people more her age- well, physically and actually. She sighed, looking around "Whatever shall we do now?" She muttered, looking over to see her friend looking at her own reflection in the glass of where they'd just been "Head home like a normal child?" She said, referring to Avery rather than herself, who scoffed "I'm not normal, add that to your list of terrible ideas...Hm. I'm still interested in that case..." She muttered, flinching when she felt the wind whip beside her, knowing well that her friend was no longer something close to human- or in Limbo anymore "Absolutely not, I know what that means, and your parents would have your head if they had to bail you out of jail- if even." She hissed, literally like usually, Avery rolled her eyes- then caught her reflection's, ultimately shifting into Contrarium "So then we won't get caught, duh. Do you, by any chance, remember what the address was?"


"If you get caught..."


"They can't catch what they can't see, darling, we're in an entirely different dimension- So calm your dangerous self and let's get a move on." Avery smirked, watching the Pettifer house from afar, cut off from the public, but that didn't seem so stop reporters from flocking the place. She eased towards it, striding at an even pace as she phased through most of the people, who didn't seem to notice at all- and more than likely passed her off as a night's breeze despite their season. Though, she made it her personal mission to avoid any and all authorities, just in case. The closer she got to the house the more excited she became, pulling out her device for scanning- which it did do after all. She ducked under the police tape and slipped inside "Fancy..." she muttered, looking around, she could hear the snort behind her "And did you expect any less?" Shooting a glare she scanned the place- a full horizontal and vertical scan- soon pulling up the map of the entire household "Alright, where should we look first?" She asked, crouching on the floor, shuffling out of the traffic of police "If you were hiding something where would you put it?" The two stared at each other for a long time, then checked the map. As if on cue they started for the back of the house, which ultimately held an entrance to the basement. It would have just been easier to find out where the police had been flocking but where was the fun in that? While she bounded her friend floated after her as she took three steps at a time, landing flatly in the basement- automatically her nose crinkled "Oh god, I think I'm going to gag." She grunted, quickly pulling up her under shirt over her mouth and nose before looking around "Oh. That's why." She muttered, looking around, then she pulled her device up and scanned the area, after it was taken she looked at the replica on her screen and started pressing against the faces. Most seemed unrecognizable but some came up as regular citizens. How he got the down here, she wondered...And what for...She examined the room, feeling the chill of it's colder temperature even in her own dimension. She frowned, walking around, looking all over- examining and scanning the equipment she saw for further research later "So we had ourselves a mad scientist?" She muttered, making multiple three sixties as she walked to make sure that she didn't miss anything from any angle- oh. Oh! She looked up, seeing a computer she looked around and- stepping over each body, inched towards it. She glanced around the room, it was empty for now, and she'd only have so much time. She set her device in front of the screen before her- to which lit up in reaction. She typed away furiously, her friend eying the stairway suspiciously. She was done in a matter of seconds and looked over the files she'd acquired while the computer before her had shut off "We should be leaving now." The words hit her but she wasn't too attentive as she gazed over what looked like entries to a task, but what? She would have to read it over later, though "So, after this, we'll know why he was killed...But who killed him?" She looked over her shoulder, more or less with a determined yet curious look in her eye "A mystery for another day, we need to leave before they come back." Despite the fact that they weren't in Limbo, it still felt like it to be honest. She hurried back up the stairs, stepping out of an officer's way and into the kitchen "Think he had a family?" She wondered, looking back over at the wraith "Maybe he experimented on them too."


"Madame!" Avery had never really given her friend a name, and she was never given one, so she often addressed her as multiple names "Uncalled for, knock that off...Let's get going then, we've got a case to crack." She said, exiting the house, slipping past all the shouting and needy reporters into the night and city- slowly making her way back downtown "Haven't we already?" She could hear the voice but she scoffed "But we don't know who did it, or how they knew what was going on...Detective Lightwood is on the case! Think Leonardo will help us out with this one? Maybe we can use some sick tools for this..." She said, stopping at the first reflectin she could find that was far from her last destination and slipped back into Limbo, looking back at her friend who'd turned back into something more mundane "Now then, let's look over these files somewhere more safe shall we? Then we can really get to work."

 

[ROUX]

William was confused - and when he was confused, and when he was - which was rare - he often didn't stop trying to figure things out until he did understand them. Sadly, this usually left him with doing things that he either wasn't supposed to do, wasn't familiar with doing, or were just plain reckless. When he'd chosen to follow the girl back from the crime scene now flooded with people, that probably was more one of his stupid reckless doings. But then, he hadn't known she was even a real person when he'd begun. He'd been retracing his - or rather, his associates's steps earlier, having bid his sister farewell for a call he hadn't been expecting until at least morning. Someone was investigating the case - someone besides the police. Apparently Henry had kept watch on Pettifer's computer, and the threat - if he could call it that - had made itself known. Sure it could have been some nosy journalist that managed to get to the scene before the police, but then wouldn't they have been discovered within minutes? This had gone on while the cops were thee, and he or she had slipped right past them. And so William had indeed made his way over, standing behind the police line in completely different attire, watching and waiting - and seeing nothing. Nothing but an outline of a person, if he could call it that. It flickered almost, and if it was outlining a person it was smaller than him. It was strange, it moved with unnamed purpose, and he couldn't explain it. So he followed, of course, it was the first thing he'd thought of doing. And surprisingly enough, it'd panned out...sort of. If he didn't end up worse off than he'd started.


He ended up downtown, surprisingly enough, and he didn't mind, it got him closer to where he wanted to be anyway. But it was when this, shape, this flickering outline stopped in front of a mirror - and somehow filled out to be a girl- that was when the warning signs went off. Not because of how she looked, no, a teenage female didn't really intimidate him all that much. It was more the fact that she'd appeared out of thin air almost - had been at the crime scene, and now as he realized it, she could have been the one hacking into the files. He didn't know this for sure, but he didn't like taking chances, not when his whole operation could blow, but he also had to be discreet. Couldn't pull a gun on a minor in the middle of the street no matter how suspicious she felt and looked to him - he'd always look more suspicious to everyone else. So he simply got closer. And closer. And closer even more, until he lightly laid a hand on her upper back, the motion as fluid and natural as if he'd simply been trying to catch up to someone he know on the street to say hello, but the look on his face said anything but. His grey eyes bore into her own hazel as he opened his mouth, the tone casual if anyone else would have overheard, but the words themselves made of steel as he spoke.


"You have twenty seconds to tell me who you are, what you are, and why the hell you were at that crime scene - or you'll discover just how long it takes t recover after part of your spine has been melted. Ben there done that, and I probably heal faster than you do." He wouldn't kill her, no, but he would have no problems flowing through with his threat. His hand was already warm and sparking with blue energy, just hot enough to let her know that he was serious, though none of the abnormal searing flames appeared.

 

[BlueJae]

"I told you you were going to get caught."


"Shut up and help me."


The two made an exchange that took much less that the twenty seconds she was given "Hands off." Avery had braced herself, the warp blast, she knew just how hard it hit, and she couldn't have been more grateful when her friend forcibly dragged her back into the tiny world she called her own- if only to keep away from her spine melting away. There were two ways to get in, draggings and slippings, normally she slipped in by using reflections but she didn't have the time so the wraith had to have pulled her through. It hurt, somewhat, but she would have taken that over her spine losing it's solid shape anyways. She didn't leave, however, didn't run, she just sat on the railing that had lined the sidewalk and looked the other over- and blinked in confusion "And you...Are not the police..." She muttered, eyes flicking over the other, frowning as her transparent self flickered in and out of existence "You're as demanding as one though I'll give you that, but I'd like to keep my spine- er, part of it at least preferably, please and thank you." She said, ultimately shoving the device that had all the important files on it back into her pack. She didn't need him trying to take that, given he couldn't touch her here, but he could see her and apparently he could follow her and that...That was no good. She couldn't go home with that thought in her head, she wouldn't dare drag any trouble back to her parents, so she would sit here until Mr. What's his face left, or she was at least sure he wasn't going to follow her any further than he already had. Her shadow friend curled around her, placing her blades on either side at a safe distance less she need to throw herself back into Limbo to do it again. It wasn't enough to kill him, really, actually it wasn't enough to kill anyone unless they were very small and very fragile. This man was neither, and they both knew that much, but being hit with what felt like a hippo- which was how it worked by the way- was not a fun thing. Especially when it came from above with the knock back effect "How fast do you think he heals?"


"Faster than I do apparently...Don't test it out, play nice."


"Only if he does...He asks too many questions."


The small exchange was only a minor distraction to the task at hand before they both turned back to Will, Avery squinted at him, trying to memorize just what he'd looked like- face wise. It seemed...Vaguely familiar. Like something that had been explained to her before, but it was too far back to recall. Humorous, though, he could see her. Not many could...Not man except for her family that was, which was usually her mother or her father, but he must not have been able to see her friend or else he most likely would have reacted to her sudden assault. Back to the main idea however- if regular people couldn't see her, and he could, then somewhere along the lines they shared a something in common, and that something in common was blood-relation, wherever that may be. Huh, being threatened by your own family, great, now she was probably on his hit list too for her own curiosity...Good, damn it, he could deal with it. She blinked, ah, sometimes she just got feisty, it wasn't her fault, just something she inherited from her mother. For now, she waited, waited very patiently and very politely- despite that more or less 'catch me if you can' expression on her face when she knew very well he couldn't- it was going to get her in trouble she knew it.

 

[ROUX]

His curiosity was slowly being replaced with the irritation, the feel of it almost tangible in the air as he fought not to make a sound as he lay on his back. He hadn't seen it coming, the blast that is, and it had indeed taken him off guard. He didn't appreciate it. But then, what could he do about it? He'd seen her phase - he'd just call it that for now - through the people on the street like a ghost almost, and somehow if he could barely see her, they definitely didn't. So he couldn't touch her when she was like that, he got that alright. But how to get to her then? Or better yet, first of all to stop her, or whatever she had used to make him feel like he'd been run over by all the morning traffic from fifty fourth street. His body heated up, to dangerous levels not for him but for any who dared to touch him, if that. Additionally the heat seemed to crackle around him, heating up the air as well with some kind of unseen energy except for the light blue pops of light around him, and he finally did pick himself up from the ground unsure if the cracking now was the energy from the defense mechanism or the sound of his own bones healing. Either way, he had other tings on his mind, and he was indeed surprised she hadn't started running. But then, she must not have needed to, knowing that he couldn't touch her unless she willed, it, with the element of surprise gone from his options. But one thing was clear for sure, he wouldn't be going anywhere until e got his answers. This kid, whoever she was, knew more than she was letting on and William had no idea how much that was, or why that was, she could have just been snooping or actually working for someone but either way it was far from an ideal situation. His tail lashed behind him out of habit with his current mood, and if he'd been paying attention he might have bothered to attempt to conceal it as he usually always did, but at this point he was to focused on getting his answers from the girl one way or another as he stared her down once more.


"No, I'm not one of the police, and that's where the advantage lies. The police aren't going to be the ones to follow you around all night if I have to, wait until you slip up so I can burn the answers out of you If I have to. Maybe put a bullet or two in you first so even if you do go back to being your little ghostie self, you can't escape the pain of it. And I'd love to have to watch you try and pry bullets out of your calves while keeping up your focus to stay in that form," he snarled, though he didn't advance, his stance did the job for him in terms of getting his point across. If he didn't answer the questions, he'd get to her. Eventually. And he'd eventually forgo the urge to keep her alive in favor of simply ending her to keep her quiet. Sure, he wouldn't get paid for it...but he'd secure future deals. He clenched his fists as his collarbone snapped painfully back into place, his steely gaze never wavering as he waited for his answers.

 

[BlueJae]

"God you're rude." Avery said, nearly out of no where and very, very bluntly "For your information your bullets can't hit me in his world- for one, for two I can stay here as long as I like and I will. I don't slip up. Shoot me I dare you, though, you'll be sorely disappointed when your bullets fly right through my calves." She said the last part in something like a sing song voice while she wagged her finger at him "Do what you want, I'll just drag you around everywhere. Let's go then!" She said, sticking her tongue out, but she couldn't just sit around, no, it wouldn't work like that. She hopped off the railing on the opposite side that faced the street and she started to cross it, if he was going to follow her so be it- she'd just be a pain in his ass then by doing things physical people normally couldn't do- like walking into on coming traffic. Cars flew right through her as she crossed the street, moving to the other side before slipping into an alleyway, moving about the darkened path. She phased right through a chain link fence and kept going only to come out the other side before turning right to continue on. Hmm, what next, what next? Oh, maybe turn left. She did so and found herself walking straight into a shop, closed by the looks of it considering it was dark. She walked right through and came out the other side then moved to head down that street. A main on so it looked like, she'd use the crosswalk just out of consent maybe. Granite it was a green light but she was still using the crosswalk wasn't she? She was, and as such she continued on, moving to hurry off. She paused, squinting to look down the street- oh, nightly performers "Cool!" She grinned, bolting into the overly crowded street to get a closer look, coming up in front of everyone. She swayed on her feet for a while, enjoying the music before running off again. This wasn't anywhere close to her home, and while she shouldn't have been going home it would have been easier just to be in that general area or sector. Hmmm. Soon, night life was still getting interesting, or at least her's was. She moved to dash diagonally across another road until she popped into another shop, open it was, but she only used it as a short cut before heading towards a more dimly lit place. Refusing to look back she kept on, maybe she would head down to the other side of the city... Ah but that was so far! She'd just take the subway. But, to get there- from here- that'd take some time, and she didn't have much obstacles to throw at her follower if it was such a straight shot. Except... "Carry me." She held her arms up as her friend manifested next to her. She was, however, 2.4 times faster than a cheetah- as Avery once calculated, so as she was picked up she was eager to see if Will could keep up. Humming as she was carried, Avery made her way to the nearest station, taking three steps at a time until she merged with the crowd as she walked straight through the ticket booth, why buy a ticket when she could just hop on. And so she did, finding and empty seat with another open one next to it she waited, and waited, just to see if Will had in fact kept up. She might have even awarded him with some answers if he had.

 

[ROUX]

If there was ever a perfect example for why he despised children, this would probably have to be the perfect one - though far from a perfect situation it was, being led on a wild goose chase through the city. Luckily for him however, it was at night, and even through the bright lights of stores and even the traffic on the street flashed where they weaved through the city, the shadows continued to be of help to him. Of course, he hadn't bothered to access those powers, he could keep up rather well at first. Of course he could have flown, would have flown if he had willed it so, but he didn't enjoy being noticed. And the stares wouldn't help his current predicament, dodging traffic by millimeters and already working hard to ignore the yells and noise from the car horns as he weaved on through. It was even less satisfying to know that when he did catch up to her - and he would - he couldn't even let out his frustration, all thanks to her annoyingly useful power. Of all the things he he'd inherited from his parents, he hadn't gotten those mind reading capabilities, which honestly would have been ten times more useful than the brutal yet precise force he was more acquainted with using. No, nothing physical would work here, and all he could do was keep up for now. He would make good on his promise however, he wouldn't leave until he got his answers, and this was the only reason at this point that he was putting up with all the weaving and dodging. He'd lost his patience when she decided to run through the closed store. He growled when he reached it, pulling the locked door back and off of it's hinges before making use of the said shadows from before. He launched himself through it, nearly becoming part of the darkness itself, the only trace left behind while he burst through the wall on the other side where the blue wisps behind him that floated momentarily in the air where he'd once been, before disappearing moment's later. He had indeed blown a hole in the wall with his movements, the whole ordeal taking no longer than a second, and he disregarded the wreckage in favor of keeping after her. Sure, the girl had let herself off with the ideal head start, and he wasn't as fast due to his body still trying to heal from the blast earlier, but he was gaining on her, even if slowly. He was outright sprinting now, seeing her as she left the street performers and deciding to take the way around rather than go through as he flashed in and out of the shadows, using the spots as boosts. It was almost as effective as flying, though without the ever annoying glances he often got from doing so, and he was able to move almost as quickly as a shadow, fast enough both to make up the time he'd lost from the initial surprise and to be too quick for the other residents to catch as he moved. He had been observing her own rapid escape, and though it had indeed been quite random at first, he gathered he knew where she was headed - the subway. There was no way in hell she wouldn't run out of energy crossing the entire city from edge to edge, and he'd stayed just out of her field of vision even as he'd neared. He was close now, but obviously not close enough however, at the way she was moving she'd be on the train and moving before he even got there.


He didn't bother even attempting to pay as he pushed both through and over the mass of people. Usually he would have appreciated the crowd's movement, he just felt safer around people, but at the moment it was nothing but a hindrance, and one that he effortlessly ignored - but had overcome too late.


"God fucking dammit," he cursed, nearly tumbling down to the edge of the tracks an he came to a halt, the stop so abrupt that the soles of his Nike's actually left tracks on the ground from where he'd halted. It made things harder, indeed, and his hand clenched once in annoyance as he watched the caboose shoot by him and into the tunnel - the tunnel. No....his case wasn't over yet, it seemed, and a wild grin flitted across his face, earning him some strange looks from those on the platform around him, but he payed it no mind as he jumped down onto the tracks and began running after the train. His eyes adjusted immediately upon entering the tunnel, the tunnel that was a dark as he needed it to be, and he drew his power to him, actually lighting it up as he shot through, a blue and black flashing blur as he launched himself like a rocket toward the train, moving faster than it even, and grabbing on to the metal ladder on the back, clinging it to it with one, then two hands before opening the back door and dropping inside. He panted, running a hand through his snow colored hair with a sigh, as if he'd just finished a morning jog. Only then did he realize that there was someone indeed staring at him and his wind swept attributes, and he simply shrugged. "Metrocard was glitching."


Leaving the confused transit worker behind, William opened the door to the engine room, then the main section of the train itself, shutting it behind him and passing in between people as he went,his feet steady and practiced as he didn't even bother reaching for handrails and poles to cling to, unlike some of the obviously inexperienced passengers. He spotted the girl almost immediately and glowered at her. Sure she'd given him the run around, but what was the point of this - there was nowhere she could go down here, sure she could phase out of the train but then what? They were moving too fast, and blocked in by the walls, entirely underground. Strange, for someone who'd been so keen on getting away in the first place...but he'd take it. He moved once more, sinking into the open seat beside her, his ashen eyes never leaving her face as he attempted to decipher her intentions. His skin was now back to it's former temperature, or as normal as it could get anyway, his tail curling around his ankle partly and flicking from side to side as he watched her, waiting for some sort of explanation.

 

[BlueJae]

An explanation of any sort, kind, or shape wasn't given, rather "Glad to see you could make it." Avery had her head turned down, flipping through things on what could only be her cellular device, looking through some small print of whatever it was. Ten to one it wasn't her's, but she was in possession of it- whatever it was- so who was to say that it wasn't? To be clear, it was a full map of the subway railways, and not the one they posted up on the side of station walls for the passengers to look at, no, this had every possible tunnel mapped out, even those they didn't use or that were long since useable. Though, there were so many shortcuts, maybe if she could somehow switch the tracks, if that was even possible at all, then they'd get to her destination on a better time. It was common for her to be home late, but then again, not a day late. Or later, depending on just how long she was out, being followed that was, and what good reason was there to answer the other anyways? What was it to him? Unless he was involved somehow, which was a very likely possibility, and she would've loved to look it over but she couldn't, really, not because he could stop her but rather because she didn't need him staring into her other- more useful- device's screen or even knowing it existed if he didn't already. She didn't need him taking that away from her, or anyone really, though they couldn't get in without a biological pass, or in other words her left hand...And she needed that, so she would've preferred he not burn that off seeing as he had the ability to, or just bone in general, which was more than unsettling. Speaking of, it probably wasn't the smartest of ideas to be antagonizing him, but, that was what she was best at when it came to opponents- if he was that even "Did you know if we take a blocked off tunnel on the left it makes for less run arounds and a straight shot?"


"It looks like it's blocked off."


"Fixable." She muttered, glancing out the window at the speeding walls, then made somewhat of a grin before turning to William "Like rollercoasters?" She asked, though didn't give him much time to answer before messing with somethings on her phone, seemingly placing somethings around "So glad things are run electronically. Where would we be without it..." She grinned, feeling the shuttle suddenly jerk and hit something, much to the passenger's dismay, as it rumbled around like it was being thrown. Then again this track hadn't been used in years much less the tunnel and it could've probably collapsed at any time. She'd only switched the tracks, or the way it should've gone, which originally had been shut off and frozen so that the train would never go off course- problem was it just did, and ran straight through the boarded up passageway. What train couldn't take a few flimsy boards anyways? It was the rails themselves that were the problem. How long would they hold, she wondered? Worst come to worse they'd be stranded underground, but she would know how to get out, luckily, as for the rest of them- well she was sure Will would just follow her and they would follow him. But that was if the worst got worse, it most likely wouldn't. For now everyone was being thrown around like ragdolls as the drivers, or whatever you would call them, tried to get things under a handle. That was a bit hard when they couldn't even get up off the floor "It's like a runaway train." She said, turning to stare out the window as they ran off course at an accelerating speed. She could see why the track had been cut off, straight as it was the rails were just all over the place...Or wait, was that because they were old? Or was, had there been a defect in them? She...Probably should've thought of that first. Rollercoaster, it was just like one, if she thought of it that way it didn't seem so bad despite everyone's panic. On the bright side it wouldn't take as long to get to their destination! That was a plus no? It was better than dealing with this on a normal track, right? That would've taken so much longer and risked getting hit by another train. She'd had a death grip on her seat, she could see and feel- kind of, sort of, one got the point- in Contrarium just like anyone else could in Limbo, things were just darker. Much, though to be honest when she'd gone underground it was somewhat easier to work around without all the outside forces working against her sense, which got completely reversed in Contrarium, but, what did it's name stand for after all? She was only surprised to hear the screeching of the wheels, seemed like someone had managed to hit the emergency brake. Though, how long did it take for a speeding train to come to a full stop? And did that match up to the time it would take to reach their destination- actually, where was the exit? She took a glance at her phone "Shit. I suggest you hold on." She pointed out to her oh so persistent follower. She didn't think that through, and it only hit her- literally - when the train burst through the wall leading into another tunnel and made an odd whip, trying to stay on track...Again, literally, before somewhat slowing down due to impact. Though the train itself was a mess, and somewhat broken due to shattered windows and dented metal. All in all, they made it to the station, much to the passengers's relief and the people in the station's horror "Well that was fun." She said, standing, dusting herself off though there was nothing on her, she hopped off, phasing through the doors, and started for the stairs.

 

[ROUX]

He could take feeling like a skyscraper had fallen on top of him , sure, especially because that had indeed happened to him before. He could take running and shadow traveling halfway across the massive city, only to have to actually catch and board a moving train, it was inconvenient, yes, but he'd still handled much worse before coming in to contact with this mystery girl. But if antagonizing him with her near derailing of the train was her goal, than she had absolutely succeeded. And dealing with him, that was never a good thing. He wasn't entirely sure if it was the sound of his wing cracking painfully against the glass behind his back against the glass, the fact that she had effortlessly put dozens of innocent lives in danger, or her daring to make that annoyingly cheerful comment before leaving the rest of them to their pains - one rare human passenger actually not being able to get up from the floor right away, unsurprisingly if their head had been slammed around like everyone else that had been taken off guard. If he'd the time he might have stopped to help, but he was far too irritated to even attempt that level of patience. No, he would keep after her, but he would get his revenge for the lack of answers, and he intended to do it now, whipping out his phone and calling the one person he knew that could get him what he needed. Sure, he couldn't physically touch her, but whatever had been on that device she'd pocketed, it had interested her for sure. And maybe, just maybe...


"Hello?"


"Henry, It's me. Any progress on the files - or more accurately where they might be?" He asked, still following after her with the phone to his ear, settling for having the girl in his sights for now as he inquired about the whereabouts of the copied files.


"Yeah, Will, that's the strange thing...you seem to be literally right behind it - do you know who's taken it?"


"I think I have a pretty good idea. Keep a trace on it will you? This one's tricky. As a matter of fact...want to help me slow her down?" He asked, his voice effortlessly displaying his intentions and he heard the groan from the other side. "Only if it doesn't end with an explosion again -"


"-Hey that was a one time thing."


"One time is too many, or do you not remember having a skyscraper flatten you to the concrete?"


"I'll be fine. That damn device, however, will not."


He'd talked for no longer than five more minutes before pocketing the phone once more, satisfied. If she wouldn't give him answers, he would destroy her own, not even caring whatever questions had driven her to involve herself in a murder case. It was too close to him anyway, and he didn't need her sticking her nose into the issue and making a mess. It wasn't personal, it was more the fact that he trusted very few people with his work., and he needed all evidence that he hadn't personally regulated to be destroyed - the fact that he'd convinced Henry to throw in a little heat helped too, of course. He did dare to get closer to the girl again, now only a few feet behind but not getting any closer than that. Her device, both that and her cell phone, were going to burn. Overheat, really, thanks to his little contact, and of course the evidence could have been nullified without this added factor, but he couldn't touch her, and he'd promised her that heat. And so he delivered, even without touching her at all...he wondered if she'd notice it melting before her bag caught on fire.

 

[BlueJae]

Avery hadn't noticed, really, that William had dropped at a distance or that he had even set her backpack on fire. All she knew was that she suddenly gained a bunch of heat. So, she wasn't sure why she was lifted, or why she was whipped around back and forth until she was flung to the side and thrown to the ground face first. It was only then she realized that it was because her backpack was on fire, and her friend had mostly saved her. Mostly, seeing as the back of her leather jacket was now a bit crispy. She stared her burning bag down, knowing well that her devices would be ruined under all that heat "Fuck." She muttered, it would take so long to make a new one, then again it wasn't like she hadn't already figured the long tedious process out, but it was annoyance worthy- so much that she didn't even realize what the sudden blaze was causing. Light. Light in a dark, dark world "Oh that's going to take so long to rebuilddddd- and my cellphone- what happens if mom calls, she'll wring my neck for worrying her. I was only supposed to be home like hours ago. God I'm going to end up with my grandfather in the abysses at this rate!" She rubbed her face, just a quirk she'd picked up from her said grandfather as she sighed. At least, at very fucking least, it was only the monitor. The device was a hologram, or no, rather, projected one that was hooked up to her own computer at home. Granite, it was tricked out with all her hacking ways for the fun of it, but that was what made it so hard to make.


"I think you should know-"


"That my parents are going to kick my ass? Yeah thanks."


"that we have company."


"You say what now?" Avery blinked, flicking her eyes to William, having expected him to have found a way in, but he hadn't....In fact, he was further away, she squinted at him. Then her eyes flicked past him- Oh. Oh no. She looked down at her backpack, still ablaze "Ohhh that's not good. That's so not good!" She back up, multiple times, almost tumbling over before bolting. She 'hit the gas', only glad that she was so used to running- usually because she was running from the law not from predators. She knew William couldn't see them, but she doubted he'd keep following her now. For all he knew he'd destroyed everything she had- and her automatic way out. She always had a mirror with her in case of emergencies but there hadn't been time to rummage through the burning bag. They were fast, very, very fast, and she could only run so much and so far, the only advantage being the city itself. The buildings like obstacles as well as everything else it held, but most things they would phase through. Like she herself "Remind me to punch him, I really want to punch him." She snapped, trying to look for anything that gave off a reflection, but it was so dark, it would be too hard to see anything "Focus on making it out alive first." She could heard the...What would you call it? Movement behind her. They moved so weirdly, on all fours, but they didn't run they mostly crawled and jumped, only ever leaving the ground when doing the said jumping. They couldn't hear, luckily, so they moved off sight- and normally, what with all the black she wore, she could slip by, but the fire had caught their attention, and even if seeing her for only a split second, she had kept it. "I'm boned, so boned. How do you think my dad would react to getting a call from his brother saying I showed up at his place?" She asked, if only trying to lighten up the sudden panic that seemed to be filing her at that moment "Is now really the time?"


"I'm sorry, would you like me to turn and address our-" She was cut off, cut off by something between a scream and yelp, having been dragged down- the razor like blades in her ankle. She paniced, very hard, to be honest, and it didn't result well. Things...Things got very bright, very fast and there may or may have not been an explosion. She opened her eyes in time to see the rune 'Agony' fade from view "Get up."


"I would- Ow, shit...God that hurts- love to but I think they tore a tendon."


"It'll heal."


"Oh you mean in the time we don't have?" Avery blinked, getting picked up carefully, but rather quickly, between the blades of her companion before she moved "Was it the smartest idea to use angelic magic?"


"You know I can't control that kind of thing." Avery hissed, watching more of them swarm, thousands of them "Oh gooooood." She muttered, taking a death grip into the leathery skin under her fingers, watching the black masses consume the city and what looked to be soon consuming them. Even if her friend was fast, they wouldn't be fast enough to outrun them all, not if they were coming from different directions all at once "Think of something- or you die here." She hissed, making a supernova big enough to keep them off of the two of them for enough time...Or what should've been enough time "Gee, thanks, that is so, so very helpful." To be honest, she may or may have not been silently hyperventilating, but, that's what she did when she was scared- but right now she was beyond that and her ankle was bleeding profusely and refused to heal with all of her sense and coordination out of wack. She didn't want to look, she really didn't, seeing the first few break through, the way their mutated body seemed to inch that much closer. She shut her eyes, shut them hard, feeling the sudden nails in her skin- and then she didn't. What she did feel was her body hitting the ground, the solid, Limbo, Redmont loving ground. She reached out, feeling it. It was cold, and there was light. She pushed herself up, stumbling to her feet, realizing there was more or less a small crowd of watchers. She soon realized why, she was a mess, a mess of torn clothes and blood with a terribly torn ankle. She was bombarded with questions of if she was ok, or if she needed help, she couldn't think straight really- all she knew is that she was back in Limbo. She must have...Must have glitched out. She silently thank her dad for his ridiculous genes, before blinking herself back into reality, and reaching for a phone someone had taken out "Can I...Can I just use that, really quick?" She muttered, they easily handed it to her, she typed in a number though her vision wasn't the best, then again there was blood leaking into her eye. She swayed, not because she was waiting but because she couldn't keep her weight on that one foot seeing as it hurt just too damn much "Hello?"


"Hey mom...Mother...Female guardian that I love so- I uh. I'm in a bit of a shit predicament, had some issues with some distant relative, I don't know- and I...I may or may not be stuck in the middle of the street bleeding out like a hospital escapee so could you- or dad it realllllly doesn't matter- come find me because I'm slowly losing sight in my left eye and I can't navigate home with that. Also, my bag combusted into flames, my spine was almost melted, and my jackets burnt so, excuse me if I look like shit- also excuse my french, I'll uh, I'll just stop now actually." She waited, and waited, but there was no sound from the other side of the phone, well- except for the violent movement, some shouting, and maybe a door slamming. She ended the call, handing the phone back to the owner, thanked them, and dragged herself to the end of the street before nearly dropping like a rock.

 

[ROUX]

William hadn't really been trying to kill her, really. Only thinking of two things - first being getting rid of the very thing that could have gotten him found out, or the others for that matter, and the second being getting his little nugget of revenge for the highly annoying hunt he'd been led on, wasting his then precious time. Two out of two of those things had been completed, and though his intent was indeed to end up burning through her bag, he figured she'd figure out by the heat at her back what exactly was going on. Afterwards however,, she'd taken off again, and with two out of two of his objectives completed, William no longer felt a reason to stay. Though there was something about the girl, he'd giver her that, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it...yet. He didn't have the time or patience to ponder it though, and now had been left without a reason to go after, so he had left without a second thought. It wasn't his business what she was, who she was, and maybe why she was looking into the case - but she wouldn't go back now, or at least he doubted she would, knowing he'd be keeping a look out for it. What a strange night that was, or rather the events than the night itself, but the, most strange things in this city took place under the cover of darkness. Just another contrast to what the government wanted people in Infernum to believe...


Knowing this information however should have served as a good warning however, when he went out about a week later, on a night like his one - though he was doing something very different than he had been the time before, far from the killing, the covering - if anything, something more similar to the chasing. And what's more, he was actually having fun, something he seldom did in public eye, but then that was mainly due the fact that he was too busy bringing Arson to life, and living up to the same at that. But for now, he had indeed allowed his friends - he wasn't a recluse he did actually enjoy socializing and had gained companionship from it - to lure him out for a night out in town, and a night of drifting no less.


If there was one thing William had to pick that he knew inside and out it was cars. A bit of an obsession if you will, and understandable if you thought about it. He couldn't fly - or rather, he wouldn't let himself often at all, and so he'd had to get his thrills another way, and what better than the perfect combination of power and precision, all under the useful technological advances that his world had made, and he'd been glad to watch happen. And what better could he ask for than the perfect machine, tuned and heightened by his own mind and hand, racing against others for the speed of the chase? The answer was nothing. and nothing was what the other racers had gotten after he pulled back around to the line once more, having finished his third race in a row that night, head so far in the game he hadn't even noticed he'd won until people had begun to swarm his car, his friends among them, pulling him out. He'd given the others the slip alright, letting them gain slowly, even giving one the lead, before shifting out of third at the last possible second and drifting the corner like a pro, the screeching of the tires sliding against the ground still ringing in his ears as the city lights beamed down. Yes, today was a good day - or rather, a good night.


Of course now he was relaxed, leaning against the door of his car after he'd pulled over, back to the glass. The top was open, matching the position of most of the other cars, showing off the gleaming customized engine of his '15 Nissan GT-R, nos tanks only half empty even after his three runs. He might have enjoyed winning, but he wasn't trying to blow himself up just yet. Honestly he was much more interested in drinking and conversing with the rest of the crowd, they probably didn't have much time until the authorities actually bothered to scrape the racers off their street, William predicted about an hour or two, which was really fine by him. He wasn't in a rush to go anywhere, though he wouldn't be devastated by having to leave either. He was simply enjoying himself for once - that, and the girl on his arm wasn't a addition either, though she was clinging to him like a damn magnet. The drink in his hand made that little aspect that much easier to ignore, and just appreciate the...sight itself.

 

[BlueJae]

"Oh look at that, she moves pretty fast." Avery was laid out on her bed, having been scooped up by her father after the call and bandaged up. Her mother, however, after ensuring that nothing hurt, she was fine, and just ever excruciating detail about the man she'd encountered- luckily, nothing about why she'd seen him or where she'd been had been in question. So, she took the time, while she had it, to get working on that remaking of her precious device. She hoped, she really did, that her mother took him and made a bonfire out of him for that. For now she'd only got it hooked up into street cameras, it would take oh so long to install everything else back in but her main source, her actually computer, had everything program wise backed up on it so all she needed to do was to sync it. Not to say that this would be quick, no, this was a long process and while as such she started tinkering with the projectors inside the new metal. She made sure to use something of better quality, this time, something that wouldn't burn easily under sudden heat now that she had learned her lesson. When she glanced up she could see the wraith curled up on a giant cushion she'd given her. Her parents had pondered why she needed it if she never used it, easy, it wasn't for her to use in the first place. But, they couldn't have guessed that. Not yet at least. For now, she was switching all around the city, looking for her mother, last she'd seen her she was pretty damn far in for only having just left twenty minutes ago. Then again she was sparing no time, and the people that seemed to cross her path or cut her off weren't so lucky. Then again...She wasn't in a car.


Briar looked around, letting her eyes scan the crowd. She didn't see him, hadn't seen him- not yet. That, of course, wasn't going to stop her. To be honest, she didn't look like she was ready to commit homicide, really, not the way she was so casually dressed or the way she just swayed with the crowd as she moved through it. Full of racers and god knows what else. But- that wasn't what she was there for. She had no interest and she wouldn't- unless it was in her brother. God knows how much he'd screwed up. Maybe...Maybe if he'd put so much as just a little time into getting to know the rest of his family, maybe if he hadn't just ran off, he would've known who Avery was. God, she bet if it was one of Camille's twins he would've known exactly who they were, and maybe not have been so hostile. The two, they were close, closer than she was to him, so that wouldn't have come as a surprise. But he didn't. Didn't put time into getting to know them, so he didn't know Avery,a and he didn't know that his eldest sister had had it up to there with him for one night. But she wasn't just going to ignore him, or what he'd done, her daughter had been a mess and that was his fault for all he'd done, whatever it was, for driving her into another dimension and had put a target on her back none the less. And then he left. He hadn't gone after her after that. Briar elbowed somebody out of the way, hard, before she squinted into the distance. The white hair, and his height, they were both factors that weren't hard to miss. As was the girl clinging to him, she shouldn't have been, things were about to get hot. She stood there, arms crossed, her eyes- normally brown, weren't. Not for that moment, she raised a hand, the rune of 'Damnation' glowing against her back. Alright. So she'd never exactly 'damned' a car before but hey, there was a first time for everything "Set my child on fire and I'll do the same to your's." She muttered, it was a nice car, a very nice one in fact- but that was the point, wasn't it. She watched it's hood start to dent from the inside out, like something was blowing out and the air was getting trapped inside of it. That was the first to blow, but that engine- now that was something. It just- blew. Her eyes trailed down the car, and so did the damage. She flicked her wrist and the tires seemed to throw themselves out, missing her and shooting into the now alarmed crowd behind her, who'd all but screamed at the sudden explosion. They were nothing but an audience though, one she didn't need, so she muttered something under her breath and the trunk of the car popped open. At first there was nothing, then the smoke erupted, slowly massing and clumping until it was filling the air above them. One clawed hand hit the ground, then another, she watched as the creature slipped up and over her, ultimately scaring the crowds and all it's people away. She looked down, dropping her hand, staring straight at her brother- to whom she was advancing towards at an alarming rate, though she was still a distance away she refused to give him time to move. She took out her sword, though she hadn't used it in years, and hit the trigger on it. It extended, turning into that whip like weapon she knew how to use all to well. Needless to say she'd had it wrapped around William's right ankle- just like her own daughter's ruined one, and she jerked on it. Hard, letting the blades dig in as it had him coming barreling towards her. She stepped to the side and let him hit the ground where she'd once been standing, to which had slammed him straight into the ground, before she reeled the blade back in. It wasn't hate that filled her eyes, no, much as she was displeased with him right now she never really could hate her family. And he was, after all, family. But she was pissed, to say the very least, and only because it was his own choice not to keep in contact with her- not to approach her or her family. That was fine, that, that was his own choices. But when it started becoming a problem, when it was clouding his mind on who just not to touch, then she had no choice but to address it- and she was addressing it here and now with that all too familiar fiery gaze. Raphael, often when she was upset, would tell her she was a spitting image of her father, and if she said something completely terrible that it would 'complete the moment'. Sure, it was a joke, and it usually got her to laugh damn that man and her own inability to stay mad at him for too long, but right now that applied all too well- and she was about to complete that moment "Do you know how badly I want to run this through you right now, William?" She asked, crouching down to his level "Or maybe I should melt your spine. Feed it to the hounds, I'd like to see you heal when your bones are missing." To be honest she felt like she was younger, and she was still just as threatening. Archangels, if there was one plus, was that they slowed their aging after a while. So, to be honest, she still- like most of her species- looked to be in her early twenties. But she was older than William, if only by a century or a few decades, and she would've loved to prove it if he wanted to have it out here and now. If there was one thing in this world that you just didn't piss off, it was a mother, because they were bloody terrifying.

 

[ROUX]

Now, maybe if he'd taken the time to stop and think, to process all that his oldest sister was saying and had actually fit the pieces together before reacting, he might have avoided what was sure to only get him in even more trouble than he was already in. He could have at least stopped to fully inquire what he'd done to deserve his favorite car being nearly completely blown up, himself flicked into the concrete like a rag doll, and his sister staring at him like she wanted to make him a shishkabob - with her blade. But he didn't. There were too many surprises, too much sudden pain, and his own grey eyes matched hers as the rage quickly made it's way to replace the surprised indignance he'd originally felt. So no, he didn't think things over before he retorted violently in kind, the angry words simply being trapped in the back of his mind, making them easier to ignore while his body and mind reacted the first way he'd thought of - in violence. The pain in his ankle was severe, he couldn't kick at her without making it hurt more, so instead he rolled over the first moment he could, groaning slightly at the feel of his bones crunching beneath him, but he forced himself to draw from the formerly hidden twin holsters at his sides, bringing both hands up in one fluid motion and pulling the triggers in sync. The Desert Eagles did shoot bullets yes, but regular ones would do nothing against their kind, if only to slow her down, as it'd take a bit for her body to push the lead back out. Unfortunately for Briar, he didn't just need her to be slowed down, he needed her off. Off and away. And surprisingly, even though he was getting back at her for the attack anyway, he was trying to get her out of range, protect her from something else formerly unaware. Obviously she'd had no idea how much Nitro he'd shoved under that hood, and though the engine itself had obviously blown, the gas would only highlight it - and everyone within a hundred foot radius of the vehicle was bound to be blown to bits unless he stopped it. Just another thing to irritate him he supposed, and when he did pull those triggers he let a shock wave of his own energy ripple out with fore with it, shoving her back from him before dropping the dual weapons. He'd tensed his leg, knowing that forcing her back would snap the whip around his ankle again, and he cried out once before gritting his teeth and actually pulling on the whip until he was close enough, albeit on the ground, to the car. He reached out just as the Nos exploded, and his eyes flashed that abnormal white as he absorbed the fire , the smoke being the only thing that expanded rapidly outwards as his body convulsed on it's own with the amount of energy it was attempting to hold. He was at his maximum before the explosion had all been contained, left with the only option being to channel it somewhere else, and he pointed the other hand in the opposite direction. Everything past his palm was shot to smithereens, the typical red and orange flames from the car passing through and over him from white to his own blue before the whole thing gave out, along with his body, and both of his arms dropped to the floor in exhaustion, guns by their sides. And now he had to deal with Briar - Briar, and her words, that now and only now meant anything to him. But what the hell did she have to do with the girl?


He didn't speak, only waited, trying not to cough from the excess smoke that clouded his lungs. Usually he could deal with it better than others, but right now he was not in the shape, and much less the state of mind. His eyes were back to their grey color, though had lost that usual lightness to them as he shifted once more painfully onto his arm, trying to pick himself up.

 

[BlueJae]

Avery looked up, ears twitching "Did you hear that?" She murmured, looking over at her friend, who seemed to be searching for something "Hear what?" She asked, looking as though she was trying to keep something small in between the tiny space between her scythes, what with not having hands and all "Nothing...I guess, must've been my imagination...What are you doing? You look utterly ridiculous- and frustrated, if that's possible for someone with only a mouth on their face." The young archangel said, watching her friend struggle to keep the tiny object in her feeble hold as she leaned forward and held it out to Avery. A hand was extended and something was dropped, it took the girl a second to register just what it was "It's damaged, I'm sorry I couldn't get it out any faster...You really screwed that thing shut tight, and that metal, hard to slice through- even with these, but, I managed. Forgive me, but I don't think we have the tools to fix it."


"Forget the tools, I can't believe you went back for it!" Avery was doing her best to keep her voice down, and doing an ok job at it, though her wings- which had made themselves known- were rustling in excitement "This is great! If we take it to Leo...He can fix it! He fixes everything. I owe you, so find something you want and I'll give it to you." She said, determinedly, staring her friend down who only cocked her head in confusion "I need nothing from you, you've given me all I need, a link between dimensions. Think of it as one of the many favors I'll be doing to repay you back for your's." The teen didn't look convinced, but none the less, she flashed the wraith a smile, which completed the angelic look what with her wings and innocent expression.


Something less innocent, on the other hand, was the sudden string of words that Briar was muttering out of her mouth. The world, if only for a moment, was spinning. There were literally stars spinning around her, but of course, only those of the night sky. She hadn't fully registered what had happened, and what she had wasn't doing her or William any service, until she looked up that was. She surveyed the damage, coming to her own conclusion that seemed to dull her anger if just by that much, enough to keep her from going on another head hunt, at least, or well... Trying to damn any more cars. Lesson learned, one could say. Sitting up though was a pain- and not in the neck, either, rather it felt like her gut somewhere. She quickly recalled being shot, and was it not for it's purpose- she might've been mad. But, she wasn't, at least not at that, and she didn't want to wait for the bullets to fall out. William could wait, if only for a moment, while she dug her nails and fingers through and around under her skin and dug the lead out herself. She would admit, this was not the best idea and it hurt much more than the ache of walking around with bullets in her abdomen would have but she wanted no time to waste and it would've been easier to heal if there wasn't lead refusing to work with her body. She tossed the two aside, standing, shaking herself off, seeing her brother on the ground and trying to pick himself up- just as painfully if not ore than she had. She let out a huff from her nose, taking a moment to recollect what little rationality and logic she'd left while making her way to him, refusing to give up her tall stance- not her height rather the way she stood, something she often did if only to playfully mock Michael for the way he would walk around sometimes, must've been old general habits, but those habits had seemed to stick to her after doing it so many times "Thank you, for that, but that doesn't excuse you from the problem at hand." She said, having made her way to him, and speaking of, offered her own hand as help to get up.

 

[ROUX]

William looked up, contemplating the hand before flat out ignoring it - more out of the habit he'd created of his overly independent lifestyle than just attempting to be rude. He did eventually get to his feet, and regardless of the fact that he continued to be taller than her, he recognized the stance. What's more, he could still feel the unexplained anger that burned in her dangerous gaze, practically threatening to disintegrate him, and if he was anything less than what he'd been born to be Briar very well could have done right that. Whatever he had done he'd done big time, and the fact that she had decided to seek him out both surprised him and worried him equally. She'd been beyond pissed when he first had seen her coming, an almost perfect replica of their father's recognizable distaste as she'd come at him, something very lethally calculated indeed.


Needless to say, none of it phased him.


"What the ever - loving fuck are you doing?"


He was more interested in working out his own anger and irritation, from his car, his body, and the fact that he was facing something - no, someone - far too close to his parents than he'd have liked. There was a reason he'd never gone to see Briar after leaving Hell. They weren't as close as he and Camille, and though that might have been expected due to age, leaving so soon had only heightened it. Both of his sisters often had been annoyed with him anyway when they were all growing up together, terrorizing them sometimes unknowingly, typical little brother stuff. But Camille just happened to be close to everyone she liked, being her typical bubbly, kind - hearted self. William wondered if it was from the humans. But then that left him and Briar, and aside from sparring, every time he'd tried to do something with her, they hadn't seen eye to eye. He wasn't exactly a sadistic little kid, but he'd been practically obsessed with taking things apart any way he could - anything. That and the fire. And o when he had left, he wasn't keen on going to her, knowing she'd only do what he hated so much about her - she was almost always right. Always. And after the huge fight with his parents, the last thing he needed was for someone to tell him what an idiot he'd been - he did enough of that on his own, though obviously not quick enough. Too late now, but having her look at him like this only triggered the annoyance, and he lashed out again, though not with his powers.


"You know what, if you wanted to try and beat the shit out of me and ruin the entire evening you could have at least waited until I was out of range of oh, I don't know, a couple hundred people," he snarled, backing up, scooping up his weapons on the way though unable to escape the rather noticeable limp from the wound around his ankle. Ligaments were strained, mostly torn, but those were mending themselves in seconds. It was the fact that she'd actually snapped his bone from the impact that would take so long, and that was hoping that he didn't have to re-break it to set it right whenever his sister decided to stop wreaking havoc on his time. True, she had scared most of the crowd away initially, and what few had been left had left just after the explosion had been stopped. Now it just left Briar, still angry, though without that damned weapon, and him, his white hair now soiled as well as his cut up face, his body's healing energy having been focused on his leg rather than the trivial-in-comparison jagged slashes dripping blood down his jaw from the concrete.


Now though, he had the time to match those words said earlier with the girl he'd thought he had taken care of a week before. This is exactly why he usually murdered people. He'd spared the girl, and look where it'd gotten him. Next time he would stick to his usual routine, it worked, and cut off any unwanted inquires. Kill them, get the hell out of dodge, and end whatever or whomever decided to come after him as a result of it - though it was fairly important to note that even though he lived in Infernum, he flitted around the country on a daily basis, only going to his actual place of residence if he truly needed too. Far too much to do in this city, or rather, to undo. If people were trying to find him, more often than not it wasn't really him, but his 'alter ego' if you will. Briar on the other hand, had absolutely been looking for he himself, and if this wasn't a perfect example why he stayed away from his family, than he didn't know what else.

 

[BlueJae]

Briar made a face, somewhere between surprised and offended, it was a very female face to do when the male was in the wrong yet still snapped anyways- and as such, she took the female route out "Excuse me? What am I doing? Well I think that's damn well clear, and- mind you, no, I couldn't have waited. I was too busy trying to find the same brother that went after my daughter then left her for dead without a second glance." Briar snapped, her fangs clearly visible when she spoke. She knew she didn't intimidate her brother, and she never tried, she also very well doubted there was anything in this world that scared the man. She didn't know whether to call that admirable or stupid, well no that was a childish term, rash was a better word "Say it were one of Camille's twins, you would've known who they were. I mean not to bring our sister and her family into this, but my point being that your own stubbornness brought my child into harm's way by your hand and very well could have left her dead and without a trace. She would've disappeared, have been killed, and I would've never known where she was or where she went." There was a mixture of something else in there, even if only for a moment, but it was quickly covered up by the anger. She was shorter than him, this was true, but the fact that she had to look up at him made no difference. While it made some feel weaker, it only seemed to piss her off more "I let you do as you pleased, you didn't want much to do with me, about as much as you did with our fathers- it wasn't any of my business to interfere with that, and maybe that's where I went wrong, but this is unacceptable. You may not have known before but I'll make sure that you know now. That girl? That's my daughter, her name is Avery Lightwood, and so help me god William if you ever touch her or go after her again I will have your head for it." She spat the words like daggers, making sure that none were spared and damn well hoping that each made it's way into her brother's head and stabbed themselves there so that he would remember it well. With this, she stepped back, sarcastically bowing "You're free to continue you're 'ruined' evening, I'll burden you no more." She put an edge to her ending words before heading in the opposite direction, holding her hand out into which her sword sprung up and landed in. She put it back where it belonged and like she strode in she strode out- disregarding the stares of everyone around her. She didn't care, couldn't, she was a mother looking after her child and if that meant making a public example of her brother then so be it. Better everyone know not to touch Avery than just one person.


She'd blown off steam sure, but she could still feel the heat on her face from the anger. She took a deep breath for a moment then exhaled slowly, watching her breath hit the cold air and make mist that escaped upward and disappeared. She reached up to rub her face, such a habit, a bad habit as she'd been told, that she learned from her dad. She did it at the same times he did, either when she was stressed or embarrassed. She could only hope that Avery hadn't caught on, as it would seem that there was a slight possibility that it could make your skin fall off- as she swore that's what it felt like it would do at any moment. Then again, she'd been ready to jump right out of her skin right then, but that was clearly unlikely.

 

[ROUX]

Well now he knew he'd screwed up. The brief look of shock on his face could not have been surpassed by anyone else at that moment when the words 'my daughter' came into play, forcibly pressing his brain into making the connection from the Avery Lightwood he had indeed known - even only for a few months or so - but that didn't change the fact that he had once held her in his own arms, taking a turn after everyone else had, hell he'd been a kid himself at the time. And he'd burned her, and probably fucked up her ankle worse than how his own was fairing at the moment...that same being, someone he was related to, and someone who didn't deserve his shit. At least not yet. And not then, no...not even if his suspicion had been bumped up a notch. It was nothing compared to the pang of guilt that shot through his chest at his sister's words - she hadn't finished, and was basically roasting him at the moment. His mind managed to zone back in when she mentioned Camille, and the moment she did he knew where this was going. He hadn't spoken to her at all, really, that was his own fault, and there was no mistake made by her from not going after him. It wasn't Briar's job, wasn't anyone really, but he didn't think she'd have actually minded that much about him leaving. Maybe it was just the fact that he had hurt Avery that had caused her to bring up the subject - he would certainly be thinking about that later, it was something he hadn't really taken into account when leaving. Besides, he'd used the excuse that none of them were used to family member disappearing, one way or another...and he didn't even matter that much. What was he good for? The youngest child, not even a full demon or angel, and it wasn't like Lucifer didn't already have his stupid heirs to the throne - and William had spitefully noted that they'd left too, though for what reason he wasn't exactly sure...


And now, he didn't have the time to be sucked into his own anger, which had indeed flared on its own. He could never quite control his emotions on the subject, and what they were exactly in each moment he did, he couldn't predict. Just another reason why he went out of his way to avoid it, and the people who triggered it - but that was avoid, he didn't mean to hurt them. To be honest, he had wanted to hurt Avery, but that was before he knew who she was. And even when he was irritated, suspicious, and completely on edge of what she could have found he'd not been trying to off her. Never that, never to children, though he hadn't properly taken the time to work out the ratio of the damage he was trying to do, and the amount of power he unknowingly exhibited on a daily basis - and that was when he wasn't stressed about something. Every single person that he'd dared to go after had been a killer, and whether they'd been trying to kill him or had killed others, they were always trained in their own way, and it had made him equally ruthless, both in word and action, with no way to depreciate whether he was serious or not. And he usually was, very much so. Now, however, that little habit would prove to be a challenge...he didn't say sorry. He did not, it just wasn't something he was capable of doing - in fact there were quite a few phrases he refused to ever say again, an entire list. And each and every reason was a solid one in his own mind. The problem was, even if he refused to say them out loud, he still felt it, and felt it greatly, exactly how he was feeling now as the shock gave way to the guilt and it pushed him to follow his older sister, albeit half dragging his leg over the street. He called out after her, his voice strained with the same sound whenever he realized he was in the wrong and didn't rant to talk about it, but did so anyway out of respect...and this time, regret. Regret usually wasn't something William was familiar with, not after that one time. And now, that former incident had caused another one.


"Briar, wait..!."


The young hybrid had no idea what he planned to say to her, probably whatever came out - not in a sense that he was just saying anything to escape her anger, there was no chance of that anyway. But rather, an apology in the best way he could manage. He wouldn't reveal or deny the reasons for his initial reaction, but he'd acknowledge that if he'd known who she was, he'd have gone about it in a better way. His expression hadn't changed from what it'd returned to after the short expression of his regret, still in the half unfazed half guarded look he wore most times, but if the fact that he'd returned his guns to their former place of resting, left his car in the middle of the street, and taken off after her with an injury wasn't enough to express that he wan't just going to leave without making it right - he didn't know what would.

 

[BlueJae]

"No, you have to stay here." Avery explained, putting her hands up as if to put a wall between her friend and her- not literally of course, but the wraith seemed to react as if she had "I don't like the idea of you going out alone. What if the other comes back? You'll be on your own, you handle yourself terribly, and you can't go back to Contrarium for quite a while, or they'll track you down." The creature sounded distressed, Avery frowned, they'd been having a quiet, almost silent, conversation- or rather argument- for quite a while "You know the entrance isn't far from here." She argued back, she'd already stuffed everything into her backpack, though she herself was in pajamas, couldn't go around looking like she was asleep in full on clothing "Far enough for him to find you again, or someone or something else to." She made a face at her overly worried friend "I'll handle it then, I've got to get to Leo and I've no time to waste. I'm waiting only as long as I have to," she said, sliding down in her covers, tucking herself in "and as such, I'm depending on you to wake me up so I'll know when it's time to move. Besides, you know you creep him out and I can't have you doing that when I need him to focus." She said, finding a comfortable position before settling down "Trusting you." She muttered, closing her eyes, knowing those two little words would easily have the Wraith wrapped around to do as she needed. She wasn't sure what about the words compelled the creature to follow through, but she didn't use the words often- if only to make sure they were fully effective for when she did need to use them, and now was a good time. This said, she would drift off until all was settled in the house and the rest were to bed so that she herself could slip out and go off to find Leo to see what he could salvage. Even if it was little to nothing, that had been on of her best chips and she would've preferred to know if there was a way to fix it in any way not for the files but just for the work that she'd all but put into it.


Briar frowned, ultimately slowing her pace despite the fact that all she really wanted to do was go home and throw herself onto the bed or couch. Really, despite her age, she couldn't seem to grow out of her own childish habits that she'd kept from the time she was a kid to then- odd as it was. But, that tone seemed to have her reeling to full stop, her feet eventually refusing to move. She sighed roughly, folding her arms across her chest, turning as she brushed the longer portion of her hair out of her face "What?" She hadn't meant to sound blunt, or rude, it was just the irritation talking, as it would when she wasn't in a pretty mood despite any efforts to turn it around. That and the fact that her ability to hold a grudge could last for decades, really, maybe a century or two. Eventually she would forget whatever the reason but it wouldn't have been for a long time looking at normal standards. For archangels, or any creature who retained immortality or something close to the sorts, who knew how quickly time flew by for them if even at all.


"Valentine."


Pale blue eyes never left the screen, scanning it for any traces though it'd been gone for a very long time "I- I uh...Val. Sera-" They could feel a hand on their shoulder though when their eyes made a quick flick to meet the grey ones that same hand reeled back like it had been attached to something else "I'm aware." They muttered, then spun around in the chair to meet the female staring hard down at them "It's been off radar for a while, and you should be getting to bed." She said, they wagged a finger at her "I can stay up for as long as I please, this one should be heading off, he's been in and out for at least the last hour." They stated, daring to challenge the other, who shot them a glare, their friend shrinking into the background. Long having since learned not to get caught in between the two. Valentine cocked a head "Problem, friend?" They asked, innocently so, before they received a hissing reply "As your supervisor-"


"You think if I cared about supervision I'd still be leaving you here and going off to conduct assignments on my own?" Valentine arched a brow "If I have to make that a direct order so help me." They growled, Valentine scoffed, leaning back "Why would I help you order me around? In fact, go ahead, do it. Nothing you say is going to move me from this spot and that's final." They said, crossing their legs and turning back around to examine the empty screen, their friend beside them frowning "Val...What's that chance of you being right?" He asked, voice almost inaudible but both had grown to listen in whenever his mouth opened "They're about as slim as Seraphine's eyebrows but- I'm always right, aren't I?" The other two fell silent, this was a common fact of course but...Didn't everyone's luck run out at some point? And this one held so many complications...They couldn't understand why Valentine did as they did, they only knew how, and that was very determinedly.

 

[ROUX]

"Look, I didn't know, and that's my own fault. That much is true, and I...can see how it's affecting things now. But you have to understand that I didn't - I wasn't going after her personally, I had no clue, and I wouldn't have hurt her had I known he was yours."


William had breathed out with relief when his sister stopped, and the cross sounding answer was to be expected but it was a rather good sign to him considering the fact that he hadn't been expecting an answer at all. It was about the point when he'd been halfway into his explanation when he realized how empty that had sounded, and not because he wasn't apologetic. But more because he wasn't exactly telling the whole truth, he couldn't. If he had explained to her his violent tendencies and how they'd become reflex, a mindset even, she might understand. But it wasn't like he could explain the questions that would come immediately after that, such as why was he so worried about what Avery had on the device, or how exactly he'd retained and grown so comfortable with the thought or action of hurting other people. Because he wasn't always like this, and she'd know that, he'd left her that way. He left angry, sure, but he hadn't been a killer until much later, and even the first time it was an accident. If he told her this...he wasn't sure if she'd forgive him for anything, not for hurting her only child, nor for letting himself turn into what he now was, what he believed he had to be. As much as he would have loved to rule all the possibilities out with the same excuse he used for everyone else, he couldn't, and Briar wasn't one to just not care about things, not when it came to family. And likewise William still had his own little code, of which he'd just unknowingly broken by hurting his cousin, and of the very few mistakes he never wanted to repeat...hurting his family was one of them. "Briar, I never meant to try and kill her, I shouldn't have even hurt her. And I didn't mean to hurt you either - which apparently I did - but you have to understand, why I never came to see you...I wasn't angry. Not with you, or Raphael. I just didn't want to drag you in to this. Camille, she wasn't going to let me ignore her anyway, still won't. But I never wanted this," he muttered, grimacing and shifting his leg again, trying to see if it was healing correctly and at the same time hiding his eyes from his sister which held just as much guilt as they did sorrow. It was settled then, he'd have to make it up to Avery, to Briar, somehow. How that would be, however, he had no idea...


----


Henry had literally just arrived when he heard an explosion - apparently much smaller than it could have been from the looks of the cars that wee hurriedly driving off as he arrived, his friend's still sitting on the side of the street and smoking rather dangerously. He located Nicholas, who was also off to the side along with a few others, who's eyes were trained on something unseen. He approached, cautiously of course, before raising an eyebrow as the two a ways off in the street, William and another woman who looked absolutely livid. They were both rather tarnished in appearance, and he could guess there had been fighting, though he had no idea why or who she was. He nudged Nicholas's arm gently and looked up at him, gesturing to the two before asking his question. "Who is this? And why is his car blown up and laying in the middle of the road? People do realize that the authorities are on their way, though I have done my bet to delay them, you can't ignore an explosion...and now where is he going?" he asked, making a displeased face as he watched the white haired one follow behind the woman, who was walking off before stopping at something he said. "This is all going to end very badly in about three minutes. Do we stay and help - or do we go? I suggest the latter, given that William seems to have again gone off on his own and gotten himself into trouble. Did you know the girl he was following turned out to be related to him? He left before I could say anything."

 

[BlueJae]

Understand. He'd used the word twice, both times when he'd spoke. No, no she didn't understand, and maybe she would've liked to- maybe somewhere inside where she wasn't in such an unhappy mood towards her brother, but she'd been revoked the knowledge, and as such she stood clueless to anything but the fact that this wasn't a purposeful thing- and maybe that did make it better, in whatever small way that was, and if his goal was to simmer her fire down then he'd succeeded, by a small portion. Whilst still not completely pleased, she was more informed than she had been, but they were running low on time, not her but he himself, and if she raised her gaze it'd meet that of another who held some kind of cane, leaned against it he was, staring directly at her. Her eyes flicked back to William, who's tone was less than satisfactory, but his words made up for it she supposed. For the moment. She stared at him pointedly, lips in a rather thin line, looking much like the other she'd crossed gazes with even if only expression wise "Very well. Don't let it happen again." She muttered, giving him a last examination before moving along, those three minutes had most likely been knocked down to almost one, funny how time ticked by so quickly when you were counting down- and she had been, more so for his sake than her own. On the other hand, she hadn't been the only one who'd been counting down, Nicholas had taken up the task when Henry reported their time limit. He hadn't answered any of his questions, though, until up to that moment- and even then he, dragging an arrange of thoughts across his mind, gave a rather vague answer "Seems there's been a fault." Even then he sounded uncertain, this, this was not of his business but he hadn't been far. No, that and Briar did a damn good job of raising her voice when she was angry, so of course he'd picked up most of what she'd said. Seems they'd, and he did include them all in that, whether one or the other had no part in it or very little at all, had gone after the wrong person- and William was paying the price for that, whatever it be. The woman's gaze, one that had caught his, seemed like something of a warning, for what he wasn't sure. She didn't scare him, no, but he wasn't one for upset females and she was little more than past just 'upset'. He could've asked just what had happened, who exactly the target was that had been gone with the runaway files- not because he hadn't caught it, but because his curiosity had been pricked, and the man didn't give up easily if at all. Defeat, surrender, he didn't know the meaning, no matter the consequences. But, it would have to wait, sadly, for now they needed to get moving, and with the female gone, they hadn't time to wait around for William to just stand there and stare. His fingers shifted, curled around the glass top of the cane, inside, a scorpion laid, waiting to be used. That, however, wasn't now, and as such he only tapped it gently against the ground "Our time's running out," he said, more clearly than the last he'd spoken, making a sideways glance at the sound of sirens in the distance "we should be moving." He said, doing just that before he'd even finished the sentence. They needed to get William and they needed to go, he didn't have the patience for dealing with trivial matters such as the police.

 

[ROUX]

William wanted to go after her. Not because he was angry, but because he felt like he hadn't done enough - let it be said, the last thing he wanted was a kid, but he could have imagined how enraged he would have been if Briar's and his situations were switched. Maybe even worse, thanks to his inability to control that same anger, and he could have and very well might have wanted to completely obliterate anything that had touched what was his, explanations or not. He'd never learned to control the powers branching from his supernatural heritage, and while he had once burned down half of Infernum out of irritation, he could apparently do more. Much more. And that was partly what he was afraid of, and what he'd gone out of his way to hide from his colleges, who he was and where he came from - because SCORPIA would have no problem using his powers for something close to world domination. Because if they knew he'd gotten the abilities from both ends of the universe that were equally feared, they'd use him, and he wouldn't be able to stop that - let alone himself. He could potentially destroy everything...and like before, people he loved by default.


Yesss, you could, and you damn well should. Makes me wonder why you haven't summoned Wrath, she might appreciate you...


William blinked, stopping for a moment when the loudly assertive tone broke through his thoughts, and he felt the presence resonating near him, and he groaned before moving again. Just another side effect of not staying with his parents - or at least not training with Abaddon as he was supposed to be doing, learning not just how to fight, but how to control these damn abilities. And at one point of extreme frustration, he had summoned the two sinful bastards by the names of Pride and Lust...the former being the one who refused to leave him alone when he needed it to. And of course, the thing got off on sticking it's opinion anywhere it could in William's business, perfect times being those where he was actually doing the right thing - or trying to. He mostly attempted to ignore it, Pride that was. Lust didn't show itself until the worst times to be honest, and by worst he meant when he was at the end of his rope with keeping his mouth shut about Nicholas, whether it be because he was feeling that way after a less than appropriate dream, or having been so close to the other for a long period of time to the point where the moment he was able to separate himself he'd internally freak out.


Now however, none of this would help him, and the only thing he wanted to help was Briar, or at least try and make it up to Avery if she'd let him. He didn't know the girl when he should have, and if Briar and Raphael allowed him to even get within twenty feet of her ever again...he'd try to. Try to get to know her that is, as best he could. Besides the thing he'd pulled off a week ago, he wouldn't have to kill again for a bit, unless he did it for himself, and SCORPIA wasn't setting it's sights on anything particular where he'd have to leave. The world was bigger now, and Infernum and Redmont were first, though they were far from the only cities - and where they lived was far from being the only country...shadow of Earth indeed it was, and as populations grew, so did exploration.


William. Will. Willie - are you listening to me? Don't you dare go after her, she just publicly humiliated you. Well, only because you let her you know, you could have taken her. Hello? I know you can hear me. Are you really going to distract yourself by trying to make up something that you were in the right with? You should have just killed her anyway-


"Shut the hell up," William growled quietly, his eyes flitting to the humanoid shadow flitting alongside him. His own actual shadow had disappeared, the other basically stealing it to manifest, as Will was trying everything to shut him out and it couldn't reform completely. But of course, just enough to get on his nerves. He was indeed lagging behind Nicholas however, he didn't feel like catching a lecture from the man, and he planned to lock himself in a room the minute they got back to HQ just for this purpose. He drew level with Henry, who was only slow from messing with the new watch on his wrist, though William wasn't fooled for a second. Everything the man wore tended to have some other technological use - though usually not as a weapon. Henry left that to the other two, instead tending to focus on the other creation's abilities, that sometimes could pull them out of a situation faster than what a weapon could do - for example, that little watch on his arm was currently keeping the location of William's busted car hidden from the city goers. They'd pass through the matter, which was now invisible and able to shift ever so slightly just to let them pass. They'd feel a bit of a sting, but nothing noticeable enough to cause a high level of alarm until Nick decided William could retrieve it without causing even more trouble than he already had. The shorter man wasn't looking forward to the sure argument that would play out between the others, as it did every time something like this happened, and he'd just have to stand there and fiddle with his glasses that he didn't actually need, wondering why he had helped Will in the first place - before remembering that he'd probably wanted to at the time.