League Of Shadows

@Madam_Jade: Kratesis's lips twisted into a small smile, one that left her eyes untouched and cold. Although not a social soul she felt a certain connection between the anger and the drive.

Quantum computer engaged by the aggressive motions, carefully contemplating trillions of combat possibilities every instant. Motions calm and mind tranquil she meets Jade's eyes with her own. 'But ye are like him.' A simple truth, to an extent.

@Kovak: A figure materialized from the corner of the shadowed room, its emotionless features regarding the lifeless beings at Kovak's feet with a blank expression. The Shogunate took a step forward, everything but his eyes wrapped in grey bandages, body concealed by a white kimono, feet resting upon wooden sandals.

"Who are you?"

@Shogunate: Kovak faced the newcomer with a steely gaze, the bloodied razor held out before him. "Kovak. Whom are you?"

@The_Assassin_:

With her large and round crimson rump. ^___^

"Could you be a dear and rub some oil on my back. I like to keep my skin looking healthy and smooth. This Egyptian based body oil does wonders, but I can't reach my back."

@Naamah_Obyzouth: He is one lucky son of a b****

@Kovak: The boy's soulless eyes were unmoving, not even flickering towards the outstretched weapon, dripping with crimson. Shogunate brushed a strand of jet black hair from his face, his posture almost picturesque, tranquil.

"I am the Shogunate."

The child took another step forwards, calmly raising his slender arm, placing his finger against the tip of Kovak's blade, his movements enigmatic yet empty of any current threat.

"Your skills with this shaft of earthly metal are exceptional, Kovak."

@Shogunate: He pulled the sword away from Shogunate. "Touch my sword again, and I will eviscerate you. Is that clear?" He sheathed the blade. "That said, I thank you. Your words humble me, a mere student. I have much yet to learn of the path of steel."

@Kovak:

"I could use your sword in my service if you have time to spare your skills to a crimson Queen. Silent soldier of shadows grace. Much like a black knight whom moves in angles and sends pawns and Kings alike to the very angels. If put to good use that is, and I have a mind to do so. If you are interested in preforming your arts take this sealed scroll from my hand. Only my champions touch will crack the seal, and only his eyes with reveal the message concealed."

@Naamah_Obyzouth: Kovak stepped forth, recognising the Red Queen for who she was, a member of the Tenebrasque In. He bowed at the neck. "My Lady. I would be honoured to wield my blade in your name." He reached out and placed his hand on the scroll, half-expecting the world to come crashing down around his ears. That's one reason why he wore a helmet.

@Kovak: The boy tilted his head to one side, regarding the man curiously. He kept his arm raised, finger now pointing directly at the man's chest. His voice was winter.

"Eviscerate?"

He paused, a breeze blowing through the thin paper walls that surrounded them, a strand of his lengthy hair flowing across his face.

"Please. Do not put your weapon away."

His head moved a fraction, eyes empty. Slowly, a ball of pure darkness formed inches from his outstretched finger, gathering wisps of black energy from the shadows littered across the dim room.

"Or you will surely die."

As the last word was uttered from his concealed mouth the small sphere shot at the masked figure of Kovak, moving at nigh-impossible speed. It would tear straight through his chest should it's flight be left unopposed.

@Kratesis: Jade pressed slightly harder on the arrowhead, sliding it up directly under the corner of the girl's jaw. Her one visible eye narrowed to a slit as she snarled, "Say that again."

@Madam_Jade: Kratesis pondered. On one hand she wished to test the depth of this ones motivation and focus. Yet on the other mortal emotions were difficult for her to understand at times. Clearly the implication of similarity to Longshot inspired anger, yet what action would that anger inspire?

She was no master manipulator, nor possessed of great social skill. In the arena of conversation she was unarmed. How then to put this Jade to the test, and remain in a position to offer her a boon should she prove the strength of her drive?

Kratesis was unsure. But she was never one for fear or hesitation. She would prefer to try and fail than never try at all.

'Just like him.' Whispered with her eyes locked to Jades, the motion of her throat and jaw moving the arrow tip slightly as she speaks.

@Shogunate: Kovak moved at an incredible speed, unsheathing his sword once more and bringing it to bear, using the flat of the blade to turn the sphere of darkness away. It flew off to his right, and Kovak took a single step, readying his blade again. "I have no desire to kill you, Shogunate, but if you fail to desist, I will not be held responsible for my actions."

@Kovak: The boy watched his the ball of lethal darkness fly across the room and dissipate instantly as it struck the shadows on the ceiling. His eyes reverted back to the ebony clad figure of Kovak, studying him blankly.

"Kill me?"

The child considered his words for a moment, silence coating the atmosphere immediately. Finally, the Shogunate raised his head, eyes narrowed a millimetre.

"I am sorry. That will not happen."

He dropped his arm, brushing another strand of his hair from his cheek and tucking it in behind his ear. He took a calm step forwards, his voice as cold as the very steel that Kovak utilized as his primary weapon.

"I merely want to play."

@Kratesis: Without hesitation, Jade slashed across the girl's neck with her arrow, spinning so that her opposite arm would crash, elbow first, into her cheek. In the midst of her spin, her feet left the ground. The first kick was aimed for her temple. The other was a quick, blunt strike of the heel against her sternum, the impact of which Jade used to repel off of her enemy and roll across the floor, immediately jumping back upright and looking back at her victim.

@Shogunate:"I have no desire to 'play'." If words could have been used as poison, there was no doubt Shogunate would have been infected. "Stay away from me. I have better things to be doing than acting as the chew toy for some rabid mongrel." He turned on his heel and strode away.

@Kovak: The boy paused, suddenly confused. He watched the man stride away defiantly, throwing a fearless denial in the face of the almost regal child.

"I see."

He too, turned away from the man, speaking thoughtfully, emotionlessly to himself.

"You are afraid."

@Shogunate:"Afraid? No. But nor am I going to waste my time in a pointless battle against a being that can obviously swat me like a bug any time he wants." Kovak remarked over his shoulder.

The Demon of silence stood upon a balcony in his new home, clad in an overweight but well-dressed host body, and observed, acclimating himself to the fascinating energy and thought patterns that comprised the astral aspect of the Monastery.

@Kovak: The child's aura was an unmistakable wave of constantly pulsating might and evil power, unconsciously distributed by his body at all times. It was an incredible feat for a human being such as Kovak to be able to recognize it. He considered the man's words once more, looking over his shoulder, eyes as enigmatic as ever.

"Maybe one day when you are stronger, then."

@Madam_Jade: The sharp edge of the arrow head digs into Kratesis's throat, skipping across the trion mesh under her skin but driving in deep enough to send black blood spilling out and running down the pale gold skin of her throat.

Bending at the waist and hunching her shoulders Kratesis effortlessly evades both the elbow to the cheek and the kick directed at the temple by moving her head out of the path of both attacks simultaneously.

Letting the heel strike drive her backwards, falling into a graceful tumbling roll across the floor, materializing her trion bow as she does so. As she rolls into a smooth rise she draws the complex bowstring, three trion arrows upon it. With only roughly two hundred pounds of draw weight the pull is as swift as a serpent, and she unleashes the trinity of trion darts with a tiny smile.

The uppermost arrow sails toward the rafters above Jade, nanites designed to send out nauseating ultrasonic frequencies. The middle arrow explodes into an electrified net of interlocked trion cables halfway to Jade, aiming to ensnare or shock her and failing that it should strike the only exit on that side of the room. The bottom arrow aimed toward the ground, blunt and thick. It spews thick smoke as its nanomachines suck in the air and transform it to a thick choking agent, and sight inhibiting cloud.

@Shogunate:"Perhaps." The assassin spoke flatly.

@Kovak: The Red Hand was able to dive out from under the descending net, but it snared her foot, an agonizing current running through her until she was able to slip free. Her mind was screaming from the high pitched sound filling the air. It was as if an iron spike had been rammed through her skull, but it only stifled her. It could not keep her down. She looked down to see a gray cloud spreading around her ankles, crawling outward. The dark mask covering her mouth was able to filter the air to an extent, but soon, her surroundings would be completely deprived of oxygen. She salvaged enough air for one deep breath, adjusted the setting on her eyepiece, and backed into the fog.

Three shuriken sliced through the fog, flying in a pyramid formation, aimed for the girl's head and sides. The two bottom arrows flew a few inches too far apart, giving them room to strike her if she attempted to doge in either direction. A split second later, an arrow sailed toward its target, aimed directly through the middle of the shuriken triangle. The shadow of the Serpent burst from the fog, smoke pellets exploding around the stranger's feet, and the wall behind her. Jade ran around to flank her opponent, throwing a small, smooth stone at a wooden beam, causing it to ricochet back at her opponent's head from the opposite direction as she jumped and put her feet out, both aimed to strike on the side of the girl's knee.

@Madam_Jade: Calculating the exact trajectory of every projectile within an instant Kratesis then turns to her advanced algorithms of expected events to anticipate possible futures. Callously considering and rejecting hundreds within every twist of her hydraulic hearts, the possible futures narrowing as the shuriken slice through the cloud of choking smoke.

The ultrasonic arrow lodged in the dark wood of the rafters providing perfect pulses for her sonar hearing, giving her a 3D model of already anticipated actions. Smiling at the complexity of the jaded serpents triple threat archery Kratesis simply turns to the side, slipping her slender shape between the outer obstacles.

The red hands upper arrow slipped through the thick fog, and Kratesis's twisting evasion places her left eye directly into its path. The razor sharp arrow of the sinister serpent slices through the violet orb before smashing to a shaft shatter stop against the trion reinforced bone of her skull. Nerves genetically designed to feel less pain, and a mind hardened to suffering prevent total agonized collapse, but nonetheless even Kratesis the neverborn nightmare lets out a little grunt of pain.

Snatching the center arrow out of the air with effortless ease, and snapping it into her quiver, blurring in the thickening smoke and fog. A little flicker of respect for the brilliant trick growing in her mind. Were she not possessed of stultifying speed the exotic archers trap would have been entirely unavoidable.

Even as trillions of trion nanites seep from her pores around her blinded eye the cunning queen of killers snatches the terrible arrow from her injured eye and whips the deadly bow into an easy draw. Bow pointed at the ground behind her, single eye staring at the swift snake as she strikes from the smoke. Letting loose the strained string, sending the bloodstained arrow flying, slamming into a single steel nail driven in the hardwood floor, ricocheting to strike the smooth stone from the smoky sky without ever laying eye upon it.

A single smile lifts her lips as the arrow deflects the flying stone and she smoothly whips her targeted foot into a steel shattering kick at the jade archers jaw, simultaneously evading and assaulting.

The trion nanobots crawl up around her wounded left eye assembling into a metal mockery of Longshots iconic eyewear, glowing sinister red in the inky smoke.

'You're the same.'

@Kratesis said:

@Madam_Jade: Calculating the exact trajectory of every projectile within an instant Kratesis then turns to her advanced algorithms of expected events to anticipate possible futures. Callously considering and rejecting hundreds within every twist of her hydraulic hearts, the possible futures narrowing as the shuriken slice through the cloud of choking smoke.

The ultrasonic arrow lodged in the dark wood of the rafters providing perfect pulses for her sonar hearing, giving her a 3D model of already anticipated actions. Smiling at the complexity of the jaded serpents triple threat archery Kratesis simply turns to the side, slipping her slender shape between the outer obstacles.

The red hands upper arrow slipped through the thick fog, and Kratesis's twisting evasion places her left eye directly into its path. The razor sharp arrow of the sinister serpent slices through the violet orb before smashing to a shaft shatter stop against the trion reinforced bone of her skull. Nerves genetically designed to feel less pain, and a mind hardened to suffering prevent total agonized collapse, but nonetheless even Kratesis the neverborn nightmare lets out a little grunt of pain.

Snatching the center arrow out of the air with effortless ease, and snapping it into her quiver, blurring in the thickening smoke and fog. A little flicker of respect for the brilliant trick growing in her mind. Were she not possessed of stultifying speed the exotic archers trap would have been entirely unavoidable.

Even as trillions of trion nanites seep from her pores around her blinded eye the cunning queen of killers snatches the terrible arrow from her injured eye and whips the deadly bow into an easy draw. Bow pointed at the ground behind her, single eye staring at the swift snake as she strikes from the smoke. Letting loose the strained string, sending the bloodstained arrow flying, slamming into a single steel nail driven in the hardwood floor, ricocheting to strike the smooth stone from the smoky sky without ever laying eye upon it.

A single smile lifts her lips as the arrow deflects the flying stone and she smoothly whips her targeted foot into a steel shattering kick at the jade archers jaw, simultaneously evading and assaulting.

The trion nanobots crawl up around her wounded left eye assembling into a metal mockery of Longshots iconic eyewear, glowing sinister red in the inky smoke.

'You're the same.'

This description was classic. Nice job

@Gambler: Heh, thankies. From you that means something ;-)

Guys, I tried that make your own comic book cover thing. Could one or two of you maybe shoot over there and have a look at my image butchery. Would post it here but don't want to clog up team thread with pointless sh!t

Sitting on the room of one of the assassin's den's many structures the Keresh Outcast sits perfectly still as snowflakes waft down from the heavens, His bare chest exposed to the elements, a large bandage wrapped around his abdomen covering the still healing wound he'd received during a short but bloody battle in Redemption Park.

@614azrael said:

Residing on the top of the roof of her room the Grand Master of the clan watches. Below in one of many court yards her daugher is being observed mixing abilities and energy blades against many of the younger less experienced killers. Imbued with a order to be the victor however the tiers would fight to a point just short of death. For that was Alezra's way, true growth in the art of conflict could only come by a edge of death encounter.(complete with pretty typhoid pic fo no reason lol)

From the shadows behind her a man emerges, his obscene eyes glow with unnatural power. He makes no attempt to announce or hide his presence from her as he nonchalantly walks beside her and watches the assassins. "Relative of yours?" Gideon asks as he lights a cigarette and exhales a thick cloud cancerous smoke.

@614azrael: In that case...

@614azrael:

Gideon flashes his old signature smirk. "Salem Hexonna Roxom, I'm sure she's an old chip off block." Gideon replied as he studied her movements down in the courtyard. "It's hard to believe that we're parents." Gideon let out sigh followed quickly by a lite chuckle. "No, you always made an impact, no matter where you went. Yet, here you are overseeing an organization of killers that essentially must remain unnoticed by the civilized world."

The Static Assassin silently flips through a book on mythical beings, pay special attention to the section concerning Vampires. More specifically how to kill them. Reaching down, he gently places a hand on the large bandage covering his wound, the mass of gauze and bandaging hidden beneath a dark gray v-neck.

In the O'sins there is a rather fierce bare bones sparing match between fellow assassins. Red of course is thoroughly involved with the action, taking on any one who came his way. Most of the assassins in the fight were lower tier assassins so he wasn't throwing any fatal blows this time. Really he was just enjoying the free time and making sure the new generation of assassins were being trained well; they most certainly were too.

@614azrael:

Via the leader's request Red turns the heat up a bit on the assassins. There were very loud pops and cracks screaming in the air and none of them were coming from Red, no those who didn't respond correctly or quick enough were immediately subjected to a crushing hit. Quickly all of the attention shifted to Red and now one by one the assassins were going to try and take him down. They were coming in fast so Red couldn't look in the woman's direction, but still he says "You seem to be handling things rather impressively ma'am. Or would you prefer i call you master for here on out? Is leading really that easy or are you just that good at?" one of the assassins come closer to connecting a hit than Red had expected so he returns 100% of his attention to action in front of him.

@614azrael:

Now there where only three left capable of attacking Red, they took a bit of a time out to hopefully come up with a way to take down there target. While they where occupied he said to Az "Fair point ma'am." he cracks his knuckles when the assassins look back to him "So anything special on the LoS calendar coming up soon, these newcomers are skilled sure, but i would like to get these boys some real practice on the field. If you know what i mean. Also, have you considered team jackets? I know we're assassins, but think about it... We could be assassins with style" He was joking about the last part of course.

Kovak faced the assassins before him. Although they were holding katanas, sais and ninjaken swords, he was devoid of weaponry. "Seriously?" One of the red clad ninjas said, preparing to charge with his sais. "I know this guy is good, but he must have a death wish." The man charged, trying to run Kovak through with the sais.

"Hai!" Kovak retorted, spinning in an intricate turn which disabled the man and threw him into the nearby wall bodily. Kovak watched as the pair of sais clattered to the floor. "Begin." He remarked, and the crimson men began to flank him. He stood still in the middle of it all, an ebony statue in the pale moonlight. They charged, and Kovak smirked. They were, at best, uncoordinated. He jabbed at one man's throat, and his target fell back gasping, at the same time lashing out backwards and catching the Shadow beneath the ribs. He had no doubt that somewhere, his masters would be watching the fight.

@614azrael: "Oh where are my manners?" he says as the last three ninjas came at him "Would you like a piece of these kids?"

@Kratesis: "No!" Jade screamed, lunging to crush her opponent's nose with her head. She slipped a pair of narrow steel spikes out of the dark wraps around her arm, sliding them between her knuckles and punching for the jugular, the cheek, and her functioning eye before making a cruel attempt to jab and twist inside the girl's injured eye.

@Madam_Jade: Quick Kratesis simply ignores the vicious attacks, making no attempt to defend against them. Jade's skull crashes into her nose with a bone jarring impact that staggers Kratesis's head back and the sharp spikes drive into her neck and face.

Already imbued with a significant degree of durability from her mutant DNA, in addition to her mothers genetic material and further re enforced by trion her nose remains unbroken, though her head is knocked back and blood vessels burst, causing a spray of dark blood over her mouth and chin.

The spikes slam into her neck and although unable to penetrate the trion weave, such is the furious strength of the serpents wrath that they drive the weave back into the flesh of her neck and inflict a serious wound onto her jugular. Thick black blood spews from the wound in a gruesome spray.

Her cheek is turned into a mass of mangled flesh as the under skin weave causes the spikes to skip and slide across her face, inflicting far more damage they they would have originally.

Her functioning eye is drivin aside by the power of the headbutt, leaving it unharmed for now, but her injured eye is further mangled by Jades sharp shanks, before the trion completes growing into a perfect replica of Longshots eyepiece.

Her mutant healing ability kicks in at once, quickly beginning the process of reforming her flesh. As it speeds through the stages of healing it quickly comes to resemble a horrible mass of scars and blood, with a gleaming sinister eyepiece on her ruined vistage. A mockery of Longshots scarred facial features. Voice mangled by the damage to her throat Kratesis grunts out her words. 'You hate him enough to destroy him, but ye are too much like him to ever defeat him.'

Ruthlessly she continues, as cold and heartless to Jades obvious emotional pain as she is to the physical pain of her many victims. 'To defeat him ye must become something greater than a pale imitation.' The offer clearly implicit in her words.

@Kratesis: "Be silent!" she cried, reaching out to seize her enemy by the throat and force her against the wall. She stared into the girl's eyes with a ferocity that left brave men trembling as she spoke in a low, feral growl, "I have become what I must to carry out my mission. To slay a demon, your hands must be tainted by blood. Mine are red down to the bone. When the deed is done, there will be one final abomination for me to destroy, one who's presence lingers in my shadow. Despite her curse, I have guarded what little I can of who I was before him, and I will protect it until the day that my own blood must spill. I WILL NOT sell all that remains of me. I will not let the shadow consume me. Not until he is dead. Not until my blade is at my throat and I can rest. Do you understand me? DO YOU?!"

@Madam_Jade: Her flesh slowly crawling back to its proper form, wounds healing her back to undeserved perfection. A spark of understanding flickers in her eyes, as she allows the Jade Serpent to drive her backwards. ' 'Tis not that ye have sold to little, tis instead that ye have bought the wrong things.'

Snapping her hands up to drive Jade's blood soaked hands away from her throat, and exploding into a furious flurry of pressure point strikes, aiming to simultaneously disable every single one of the swift serpents limbs in a soul near instantaneous combo. Her perfect combat skill on display, as the series of over a dozen strikes is delivered in under a second, the sound barrier no barrier at all to Kratesis, and the inhuman accuracy required only a trivial, casual matter.

She has tested the depths of Jades anger, seen the extent of cruelty to which she would seek in her wrath, now she applies a test of a different nature.

@614azrael: (Sorry it's taking me a while to respond, been a busy couple of days.) "Her name's Roisin." His trademark cynical smirk faded quickly and changed into a genuinely warm smile. "She's not very old. I might have another, from back when I lived in Ireland. I'm not exactly sure." Gideon merely shrugged his shoulders as he spoke.

@Kratesis: The eyepiece and mask covered most of her face, leaving only a portion visible, and frozen in shock. She felt a sudden jolt of pain run through her, striking every single nerve in her body, and killing them as it passed. She collapsed to the floor, eyes wide and stressed, locked with the ceiling as she gasped for air. She had been deconstructed before. Broken. It would pass. She would overcome. But until she could, she lay there, helpless.