Syd Lastern's Story

Syd Lastern

Syd had awoken that morning in a foul mood. Not minutes after his eyes opened to the plain white room he called his, there was a soft knocking at the door. Syd could easily tell that it was an Ace of his, for who else was stupid enough to knock on the door of the CardMaster before 10 am? He shut his eyes, hoping that the person behind the door would just go away until he had fully awoken, but the knocking continued. He made a low growl in his throat as he ripped the covers off of his body, with Syd only wearing his boxers. Still wiping the sleep out of his eyes, he opened the door to the Ace of Diamonds, who was better known as Teddy Salra- and no, he wasn't very soft, nor was he very huggable. Syd had to look up a little to meet the man's eyes for Ted was slightly taller than their leader was.

"What the hell do you want Ted." Syd said in a low voice, not at all like his normal tenor, which sounded quite sweet. Instead, it sounded gravelly, like his voice was rarely ever used. Ted shifted a little in his boots to get a little more comfortable, and ignoring the fact that the CardMaster wasn't dressed yet, he gave his report.

"Well, Syd, it seems that the Spade and Club of 5 have been compromised. Their last mission had them going after a possible weapons cache, and instead are now in police custody. It was a trap." Syd groaned angrily. He hated having to deal with the police, for they always loved papers. Killing the trees came naturally to those moronic people that Syd could only wonder why there were still trees left. If he got caught up in the legal business, and started getting swarmed by warrants, corruption and shit he would be screwed. Not even Syd could get out of the legal system once you were inside those doors on your own free will. "The techs recieved word around 3:30 am this morning, and the fives are being charged with multiple counts of..." Ted paused, and Syd felt like he had to coax the damn words out of him. The man wasn't very good with English. "A bunch of crap."

Syd nodded, none to happy. "Alrighty, contact the Kings in the area and get their asses back here. We will need their media influence to get those poor bastards out of there alive. Hopefully we don't have to spend too much, but you know what to do if we can't get them out." Ted nodded. "Now, Ted, if you would be so kind as to get your ass out of here so I can shower?" Syd shut the door and leaned against it, his blonde hair resting against the hard wood. Too much to be going on for a morning, especially before ten o clock. He stood up straight and went into the washroom, where he stripped down and stepped into the shower, letting the hot water hit his skin. The steam began to fog up the room quickly as he just stood there, staring at the faucet. He could tell that his brain was going into overload, with the water hitting his face, so he started blinking constantly, hoping to avoid a painful memory, but it was too late.

Syd laid on her bed as, in the background, the shower was running. The room was a frivolous pink color, and he had to laugh every time he was at her house: The walls stood out way too much, making it look like Alicia was a 4 year old obsessed with the color. She always wore the color when she was at school, no matter what part of the clothing it was: She always had it on. Syd was amazed as to how one girl could be so loyal to one color, even though he had always stuck with yellows and greys. He smiled as he heard the shower stop running, and closed his eyes pretending to fall asleep. When she came out of the bathroom - in just her towel, go figure - Syd kept very still and motionless, looking fast asleep as best as he could. He could feel a hand on his forehead, then her lips kissing his forehead, before he struck: He jumped up and grabbed her by the waist, flinging her onto the bed beside him and rolling over her as well. They were both laughing as they lay there, until she kissed him on the lips. It stopped the laughing, her lips caressing his as he returned the favor. The kiss started small, slowly gaining passion until...

"ENOUGH!" Syd slammed his fist against the wall, the water spluttering for a few seconds before continuing. He was panting now, a cold sweat forming over his body as he tried to recollect his conscious. Once his breathing slowed slightly, he finished his shower and jumped out, quickly drying himself off and rushing into his room. In a flash he changed into a simple grey, longsleeved shirt and black jeans, with his converse shoes to match. He effortlessly slipped on his chain of bullet casings, and placed that behind his shirt. Once he pulled on his jacket, he reached for his bed to find the locket resting there, the same as it always had been. Before he could contemplate anything, he shoved it into his pocket and reached for the door: there had been enough incidences this morning.

He made his way down the stairs and into the store, checking to make sure somebody was working the store front. The House of Cards had slowly become his baby, growing into a very popular, LEGIT magic shop over the past 2 years in an effort to make it less suspicious. He unlocked the 'Employee's Only' door and made his way into the Common Room where most of the numbered members were quietly discussing what happened to the black 5s. Syd rolled his eyes, annoyed with the situation already, and spoke up quickly.

"Look guys, being all prissy isn't going to solve our problem. 5 of Spade and Club did as they were told, and went on that job. We didn't suspect it to be a dam cop trap, even the Queens didn't, so stop moping. The contractor is already being hunted down," He stared at the only Queen in the room who had been filling in the people on the details, saying with his eyes 'At least, we better be.' The Queen took the hint and ran back into the ComRoom to inform his fellow co-workers. "And all that is left to do is take care of the 5s, be that mean we save their asses, or their dead. Plain and simple. It would be best if we could save them, since I don't need the cops finding their tattoos and tracing it back to us..." Tattoos of the Network were places quite smartly, with some being under the tongue, like that. They usually were plain, so most could normally never figure out what they were, but still...

Syd's thoughts were interrupted by the muffled words of a girl, to which everybody stopped their quiet conversing to listen to. Um, hello?” Every single man and woman in the room grabbed for their weapons, where ever they may be, and made quite a ruckus until Syd put his hand up to continue listening. Movement stopped as she continued. Is there anyone here, or is your shop closed? I-I’m Nicoletta from Ardente Sundries, I believe you received a call earlier from my mother, Csilla? I was sent with my siblings to exchange the goods that got mixed up by the postal service. Uhh, is there anyone here . . . ? Syd turned his head around to a bunch of very sheepish looking gang members, who all looked away. He frowned deeply, going over to the grate that allowed them to talk to the Queens. "Techies, what is she talking about? Did we receive a call?" He heard some papers swishing about, some screeching of the chairs, and then silence for a good bit until a feminine voice spoke.

"CardMaster, about 40 minutes ago we did receive a call for the front end. We patched it through and thought they were making a mistake, so we ignored it." Syd groaned, highly annoyed by the situation. How bad is the postal service on this damn planet?! He then swung around to the members who still couldn't look them in the eye. His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Alright. Who was on shipment duty?" All eyes gave a quick dart towards the 9s, who were fidgeting in their spots until the Diamond, a very curvacious female named Sharlette, muttered. "We thought it was the redecorating textiles you ordered. They're in the back." Syd rolled his eyes, aggravated. Many of the Network, especially the numbers, had been complaining about the need to redecorate. He waved his hand as a command to go get them, so the 9s ran off to get them.

"You all stay put down here, I can handle a girl. Don't be so damn edgy." He stepped onto the first step of 16 and ascended up to the store floor. There he opened the 'Employee's only door' into the light to see that nobody was running the store front. It dawned on him that it was probably his day to run the store, and he was more than happy to take care of it: But that also left to him having free time to let his thoughts wander, which was dangerous. Best having the thrill of a job than nightmares in the shop.

When his eyes quickly refocused to the sudden change in light, he saw a young lady behind the counter with two twin-like humans staring at him. He instantly deduced that they weren't normal, but who was anymore. What made him stop in his tracks for less than a second was the lady: blonde hair, a steel grey coloured eyes that, if caught the wrong way, could be mistakenly blue, short and lean. Syd thought he knew her, until he remembered She looks like-

NOOO! His mind screamed at him and he shook his head physically, shaking away his thoughts. His face remained the same neutral as it did for everybody that wasn't in the Network, with his dull blue eyes seemingly staring right into another person's mind, yet not looking like they were even focused. He walked up to the counted and leaned on it, looking down on her. The twins kept staring at him, which he returned for a few seconds until formally speaking to the miss.

"Sorry about that miss, I was informing my employees of the error in their actions for not telling me immediately that your mother had called." He paused, his eyes glancing over to the box. It was from a particular company that left hidden messages in the crates for the next weapon cache or assignment, so he had to make sure that nothing had been taken out. Syd kept his monotone stare on the box as he noticed that it had been already opened, so he needed to be sure everything was intact. "This seems to happen too often enough nowadays." He faked a sigh to make it look like he was exasperated with the entire system, but he really didn't care. "Anyways, my employees will be arriving with your package quite soon, they just need to go and grab it from the back. It is fairly large, so you should be grateful you brought more than yourself." He gave a sideways look at the twins before getting onto the point.

"However, I need to know that everything within the box hasn't been broken and is all accounted for. I am sure you are aware that if you had taken any of the goods out and kept them for yourself, that it is an unwritten code that I must keep an item of equal worth? I would rather not have that, so I would like to inspect the box and invoice, which should all be inside. May I?" He motion for the box. He was really being quite formal for it being so early in the morning, but he needed to keep appearances up for the shop's sake.

It had probably been a little more than a minute she’d had to wait before someone had slipped out of the ‘Employee’s Only’ door. In that time, she’d gone ahead and gotten herself down from standing on the very toes of her boots, and ceased from having half herself leaning over the checkout counter. While waiting that short time, Nicoletta had gone on ahead and turned her gaze back to the twins as they curiously seemed to be examining several of the products stocked on the shelves of the magic shop. Amalia maintained that rather dull expression upon her face, as she usually seemed to, while a slight bit of wonderment seemed to creep onto Momchil’s features. Truly . . . as the days passed onward, there was no denying that the two of them were indeed becoming more and more human, little by little.

It was, well, even if the two false humans could be snarky little devils, seeing them growing into their own made her feel a bit happy, and she couldn’t deny herself the smile that happened over her young face when she got to see that. At the same time, it left a dull ache within her heart, a sort of hollowness would surface when she saw the twins acting as the children they looked to be, curious and full of astonishment. That ache was there . . . because it made her remember Aylin, and the things she herself never got to experience with her younger sister. She’d been so young when she had been taken away, and Nicoletta had only gotten to do so much with her. And what she had gotten to do, it wasn’t enough, no, those memories, they just weren’t enough. Some were dull, old, and worn out, barely even coherent anymore.

I miss her. . . . she thought to herself, before hearing the telltale footsteps of someone coming to respond to her earlier shouts.

Quickly enough, Nicoletta had spun herself back about to face the counter, accidently jamming her right knee into the side of it in the process, that earned a quick hiss from her, but it weren’t as if it were a life threatening injury, so the blonde simply sighed and made herself quiet about it. Okay, just get this done and you can go home Nicoletta, you and the twins can just go home and you won’t have to think about Aylin.

She sighed to herself as the door opened up, and revealed the employee who’d come to answer her call. He looked like he squinted when he was exposed to the light, I guess that door must go to a really dark place, basement. . . . she thought, blinking kind of dully. The man looked to the twins, who had ceased their examination of the items on the shelves to look at him upon his emergence. Nicoletta herself couldn’t deny being guilty of staring at him herself, a slightly questioning look happened over her face, and a glint of it ran through her grey eyes. This caused her to tilt her head to the side ever so slightly as she continued to ignore the throbbing coming from her damn knee.

A few things were off about his appearance, but even still, the teenager realized that he didn’t look too far off from her own brother, from looking like Vincente. Of course, this man had longer hair, it was lighter as well, paler skin and eyes that were not at all of the same color. . . . He was about the same height, but, he was built differently, and also . . . he had an entirely different aura about him than Vincente did—it wasn’t the most pleasant of ones to say the least, and the impression he gave Nicoletta made her feel a bit on edge. Like, she needed to maintain a certain sense of cautiousness.

When she realized that the man had sort of, froze in place for a moment or two, looking at her specifically, she couldn’t help but wonder if she reminded him of someone he knew, like he did to her? Well, a lot of people say that everyone has someone out there who resembles them greatly, even if they aren’t related at all. Truthfully, with the expression that passed over the guy’s face, Nicoletta was ready to stand on her tip-toes again, and wave her hand in front of his face and do the routine, ‘Hellooooo? Anyone home?’ bit to snap him of it, but when he seemed to break himself free of whatever had bewitched him so, the girl just blinked and maintained a simple expression when looking at him.

He was taller than she was, but then most people were, even with the sense she had, that sentiment that told her to be wary, Nicoletta herself consciously felt no fear or anything of the sort, there were really no thoughts in her head about him, other than the fact that he kind of looked like her older brother. Even then, there are a ton of things different in his appearance. He looked to Momchil and Amalia again before he went on ahead to actually address her directly. Even with the height difference, and him leaning on the counter to look at her, the girl just stood there quietly, listening to him speak. . . .

"Sorry about that miss, I was informing my employees of the error in their actions for not telling me immediately that your mother had called. This seems to happen too often enough nowadays." He glanced to the box while he was speaking to her, but that was to be expected, the thing had been opened up by her mother after all, and the items inside were meant to be the merchandise he sold in his store.

But that sigh, maybe I’m having paranoia or something, but it seemed sort of . . . off. Nicoletta thought, keeping her mouth zipped shut with her own thoughts. Last thing she needed to go and do now was wind up mouthy and end up getting the shopkeeper angry or irked.

Anyways, my employees will be arriving with your package quite soon, they just need to go and grab it from the back. It is fairly large, so you should be grateful you brought more than yourself." the man looked to the twins, who simply went on ahead and silently returned the gaze with their off-putting, and unnerving crimson gazes, no readable emotion upon their features whatsoever. Whatever the two might have been thinking, Nicoletta herself had absolutely no idea. Even living with the twins for over a year, she still did not know how to read them. "However, I need to know that everything within the box hasn't been broken and is all accounted for. I am sure you are aware that if you had taken any of the goods out and kept them for yourself, that it is an unwritten code that I must keep an item of equal worth? I would rather not have that, so I would like to inspect the box and invoice, which should all be inside. May I?"

When he pointed down to the taped up box, Nicoletta allowed her gaze to follow suit before she turned her eyes back up to looking at him, blinking dully. With her knee still throbbing on her, the girl decided just forget whatever thoughts had been pushing themselves upon her about the man, that lurking sentiment to be edgy, and the slight suspicious, which was roused by his sigh. He was a person as much as the rest of Manus Luna’s population, and she knew nothing about him, so she had no right or reason to assume anything about him in the least. He was just doing his job. . . .

Talk of unwritten codes about products, mixed up shipments, and yada yada, she didn’t get any of that—her mother was the one who ran the shop, she didn’t. Folding her pinky and ring finger into her hand, and securing them in place with her thumb, Nicoletta raised her right arm up, and gave the blonde shopkeeper something of a mock salute. “Just do whatever it is you need to do, the code you’re going on about, or whatever, I don’t know anything about that sort of stuff.” She told him, dropping her arm back down to her side before moving to placing her thin limbs over her diaphragm. “My mom runs the store, I normally have nothing to do with it, and besides, I wasn’t the one who got into that package. She was.” With this, Nicoletta gave him an agreeable enough smile, before the thought of how he sort of looked like Vincente wandered through her mind again.

That thought present in her skull once more, the teenager’s head tilted to the side again, and she absentmindedly tapped her cheek with her index finger before she went and opened up her mouth without thinking about it, “Y’know, you kind of look like my older brother. . . .” She pointed at him without meaning to, and blinked before she went red-faced and she promptly smacked her hand over her mouth. Damn it, why did I go and say that for? There was no reason for me to say that!

While her hand was still present over the lower half of her face, Nicoletta failed to notice the light set of footsteps coming along her right side until a figure entered her peripheral vision. She turned her head to see that it was Amalia standing beside her, the false humanoid’s crimson eyes locked on the shopkeeper’s face still, as if she were examining him thoroughly. “Sister Nico is correct in her musings sir, you do indeed resemble our elder brother.” In the girl’s sleeved covered hands was one of the things she and Momchil had been looking over.

Removing her hand from her mouth, face still tinged red, Nicoletta cleared her throat, “Ah, I’m sorry about that, I sort have a tendency to think aloud, um, I’ll just leave you to it then.” She prattled on, turning around to walk away.

Syd Lastern

Things were getting way to out of hand, but it made Syd so confused that one simple girl brought so many random people into his store.

He waited patiently for her response, until she did something bizarre: She gave him some mockingly weird from of salute, which was responded with an extremely confused expression from Syd. Was shy saying that he was her superiour, or was she just mocking his formalities? His brows furrowed a little before she spoke, and his dulled face resumed. Just do whatever it is you need to do, the code you’re going on about, or whatever, I don’t know anything about that sort of stuff. That explains a few things... Syd thought to himself as she continued. It became extremely apparent that she had no clue what she was doing when she spoke next: My mom runs the store, I normally have nothing to do with it, and besides, I wasn’t the one who got into that package. She was. The lady Nicoletta gave him an odd sort of smile, like she was agreeing with him or something, and he gave a little 'Ah' before grabbing the box to examine it.

Sure enough, everything was slightly disorganized - what do you expect from another person who received the wrong package? - until he found what he was looking for. It was in the shape of a deck of cards, but this one was slightly different, and he could tell instantly: It had the Deck's trademarked D on it, and he smiled slightly to himself. To most, it looked like a regular deck of cards, nothing more, but inside were calling cards for clients, weapons drops, the jazzy stuff. The supplier of the package was a business partner, once a rival group, whose agreement with the Deck was simple: The other group (whose name cannot be mentioned due to confidentiality) would use their extremely large influence in Portum Animas to get the Deck weapons and jobs, while the Deck wouldn't take any jobs against them. It was the only standing alliance that Syd had ever agreed to go into, for they did it out of fear.

He wasn't paying attention to her, instead reaching for the 'deck of cards' when he heard the teen say something, stopping him cold. Y’know, you kind of look like my older brother. . . . Syd whipped his head around, his attention gone from the deck that was now in his hands, and he stared at her. He raised an eyebrow, but underneath his exterior was a very panicked Syd. Don't say it Syd. You know what will happen to you if you do, so don't do it. You have a job tomorrow dude, don't throw it away! That's right, keep thinking about the job tomorrow... No, wait! His inner mind screamed at him, but it was already too late: Syd spoke in a softer voice. "Interesting. It so happens that you resemble my..." He faltered, almost able to stop himself, but instead of halting in his tracks, reworded what he was originally going to say. "A girl I once knew." Anger, pain, distraught, vengeance, and a multitude of depressing and violent emotions streaked through his body, yet only being able to be seen through his pain stricken eyes.

The girl had placed her hand on her mouth, but she had already done the deed: what made it worse was that her little... thing (Syd couldn't tell if that person was human or not, crimson eyes were not usually normal) walking up to Nicoletta and musing over how the miss was correct about the fact. He stared down at the magic tricks, how all of them were completely useless in light of his situation. He wished that he could stop hurting, stop the nightmares, stop the torment, but he knew of no way to. And the more he brought her up, the more this kind of thing would happen. He could faintly hear Nicoletta speaking once again, but he was tuning her out. Ah, I’m sorry about that, I sort have a tendency to think aloud, um, I’ll just leave you to it then. He looked back up at her, finally back in control of his emotional state. But before he could say anything, two new customers showed up in his store, both looking under the age of 12. Syd frowned slightly, wondering why two preteens would be wandering around the fringes of Xibalba, but it was day time still. He would be slightly concerned if it was past 6.

As they conversed, Syd heard a knock from the Employee's Only door, and opened it to find the 9s carrying boxes and textiles. "Here they are." Syd nodded, and indicated with his head where to put them, which was on the counter. After slowly putting the 2 boxes and the one role of textiles on the counter, they went back downstairs and shut the door behind them with a soft thud while Syd turned back to the counter. He was going to call out to the now distracted Nicoletta and tell her that her goods were ready for her to take, but that was when something bad went down: Men in business suits entered. Syd's facial expression remained neutral, but his emotions were slightly tightened with annoyance and caution. Only 2 types of people wore suits in Xibalba: Conmen, and Government Officials. And Conmen at least attempted friendliness.

The officials instantly started snooping around his store, which began to irk Syd slightly. Possiblities swirled through his head, trying to piece together reasons, hoping that they hadn't discovered the location of the network. They had a small force with them, not enough to take out the Network's members that were present, but that wouldn't solve their problems: The government would just come back later. They were even keeping an eye on the kid that just showed up, which made Syd suspect that they believed this place to have some form of foul play. However, Syd kept his expression blank and spoke up.

"Excuse me there, sirs. Do you need something, or can I just see the search warrant that you were issued to search my store?" Syd said with utmost politness. This time he wasn't even having to fake it, he had gotten tips from Azariah when he joined on how to make yourself sound sincere always, and get away with it every time. Syd just hoped that they were just cops searching for clues to a bomb or murder and not with an actual warrant.

Why can I never seem to keep control over my brain? she thought as she turned about on her heel, facing away from the shopkeeper who happened to bear a bit of a resemblance to Vincente. With a still red stained face, the teenager honestly felt like a total idiot for telling someone she’d just met that he looked like her brother. Although, she had heard him say, almost begrudgingly, that she indeed looked like someone he knew. In a way, even if his words had not been the happiest of the bunch, the fact that the man had said that she resembled someone herself, it made her feel a little less like an idiot for blurting out that he looked like her brother. Of course, just flat out saying something like that to anyone was anything but normal. . . . One step at a time, Nicoletta, one step at a time. It’s a problem, you’re aware of it, and you are trying to remedy it best you can, so relax. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she did her best to regain her composure, and to stop feeling like a damn fool.

No matter what happened, she always seemed to have a tendency to go ahead and think aloud, and to make things as awkward as hell for other people. Eventually, she somehow managed to make it happen. Scratching the back of her neck in an uncertain manner, Nicoletta simply allowed herself to take a couple of steps forward, moving around the store while trying to figure out what to do while she waited for the business exchange to be completed, magic and sleight of hand, neither were things she could say she was particularly interested, unlike the twins it seemed. Momchil remained where he had been before, curiously seeming to examine product after product, perhaps attempting to figure out and understand what made the items so ‘magic.’ Amalia, on the other hand, was still standing at the counter, staring at the blonde man who was going to be looking at the package she’d brought in for her mother. The false humanoid’s pallor face was near expressionless, save a semblance of intrigue that was barely notable on her features. Whether or not Momchil and Amalia were slowly becoming more and more humanlike, the two still were unaware of the simple decencies of manners, which included not staring at people for long increments of time. . . . The very sight of seeing Amalia with her faze transfixed upon the man’s face caused Nicoletta to sigh to herself, and place a hand to her forehead.

It wouldn’t matter if she went and told the girl to stop, because Amalia would end up just doing what it was she choose to. . . . The only true sorts of orders she followed from her human sister were those pertaining to labor, or things to do with the Sundries shop. While it was that Nicoletta was looking at her ‘sister,’ that someone shouting at her, using one of her nicknames caught her attention. "Cole!"

How many times have I told people to not call me Cole? she thought, feeling a touch of annoyance well up in her. Nicoletta wasn’t sure how many times she had told people to not call her ‘Cole,’ but she had done it a lot. . . . Though the girl had a powerful urge to give the person using the nickname a good tongue lashing, she refrained from doing so, because the voice was coming from a child, or one whom she considered as such. And . . . also, she knew who it was. Although she wouldn’t go so far to say that she was best of friends with the boy in question who was calling out to her, she did at the very least know him enough to call him a ‘friend.’ Of course it’s him, he’s one of the only people who will not stop calling me ‘Cole.’ she sighed, turning herself around to face the entranceway of the magic shop, knowing full well where he would be coming from.

Sure enough . . . it was him, Alexi. He darted right up to her, getting into the space Nicoletta liked to call her ‘personal bubble.’ The result was a startled look on her face, and her taking a small step backward before the boy could continue with what he had to say to her, "Cole, listen, I just discovered something big, but I need you to promise not to tell anyone first. And I mean not anyone.” he informed her, his voice sounded both serious and frantic, okay, she knew enough about Alexi to know that when he was serious . . . he was indeed serious, whatever he had to say was obviously important. But, the need to go and make her promise not to tell anyone was sort of ridiculous, because, the boy knew that she herself barely had anyone in her life she could call a friend. Yes, she had her brother, but that’s what he was, her brother. . . .

The instance of Nicoletta being called by her unliked nickname garnered the attention of both Momchil and Amalia, who turned their distant gazes to look upon their human sister and the one she called her ‘friend.’ Yes, they knew him too.
Although she found it pointless to go and vocally promise the boy that she wouldn’t say anything about his news to another, the blonde teenager went ahead and opened up her lips to do so, but before the words could even leave her throat . . . Alexi was suddenly shoved right into her by a man she did not know. A man who was not alone, Nicoletta did not know them, but she at least knew where it was they were from. Government agents . . . just like those who detained Aylin. While a small exchange took place between Alexi and the man with a scarred face, Nicoletta felt her small hands tighten into fists at her sides, a terse expression passing along her face. Her jaw tensed up as she bit on her tongue to keep herself from fully speaking her mind toward the arrogant acting bastards.

Control, keep control. she told herself, her heart beginning to pound in her chest from the anger. Ooh, how she loathed these sorts of men. If they even had the rights to be called ‘men’ for what they went and did. They just bust into a place, shove a child out of the way and begin to aimlessly search about for no stated reason. They also went about aiding in taking children away from their families, and they made those left with ‘gifts’ live in fear within Portum Animas’ bounds. Why had he spoken to Alexi? What did that man want with a child like him, or his friend Tammy? Who knows what these asinine, supercilious nimrods are up to. . . . What they could want. There was an obvious look of anger on Nicoletta’s young face, and her very presence had shifted from one of normality, to a slightly foreboding one. One look at her, and it could be easily deduced that she was not happy. The truth was, while she herself was a Gifted, she should have been scared to be so close to those sorts of people, but Nicoletta was just filled with rage. She hated them; she hated all officials from the government like them. . . .

Alexi still standing in front of her, and her still having an apparent glare on her features, Nicoletta set her eyes upon those men while Momchil and Amalia stood as silent as before, being the natural onlookers they were. Oh, those two false humans knew well the extent of their human sister’s displeasure, they knew. . . . "Excuse me there, sirs. Do you need something, or can I just see the search warrant that you were issued to search my store?" the voice of the store’s keeper came from behind her, almost startling Nicoletta from her rage induced transfixion, but it didn’t do enough. She could hear the civil tone in his voice, but at the same time she could hear it, she could feel it was a false one.

With that heart of her still pounding away within her chest, and her body beginning to quiver from the mounting irritation . . . Nicoletta could feel her body beginning to grow a little too warm, a certain heat was beginning to come from her skin that could not be considered a natural occurrence. No, no! Not now, not now! she mentally hissed, realizing just what was happening to her. What her anger was doing to her body . . . to her powers. A few minutes ago, the girl’s upmost concern was the fact that she’d just acted like a total idiot toward the man who she was suppose to be making the exchange with, and now she could not have been in a more opposite situation. Now she had to make sure she did not lose control over her powers in front of the worst people possible, no one could know of her status, what she was. Only her family knew . . . not even Alexi had been made privy to what it was she could do.

Just calm down Nicoletta . . . c-calm down. she told herself, breathing out a shaky sigh, trying to quell her raging heart, and to suppress the unnatural heat beginning to come from her bones.

It was when Momchil spoke up, that the girl was utterly caught off guard however, “Sirs,” the boy began as he set the item he’d been holding onto to the side, “May I please inquire the reasons of your being here? Though I do believe I know the reasons of your presence here already. . . .”

Following this, Momchil’s words were followed up by Amalia’s own, “If your persons would happen to be at this location based upon the threat of bombing within Xibalba or Dominion Hecate, I believe the location of your investigative efforts is wrong. Am I correct, brother Momchil?”

To this, Momchil nodded calmly, “Yes, sister. I am certain that it was reported within the very news this morning that areas under threat for bombings lay upon another street, two blocks over.”

“Indeed so, brother. That is what was stated, or, was it that false information was given out?” Amalia accused, her voice without emotion. This little accusation caused Nicoletta to stop breathing . . . the things Amalia said at times sent a true fright through her, she was so unabashed, fearless.

Nervous now, heat still radiating from her skin, Nicoletta took a step to the side, and forward, ahead of Alexi, “She is not mistaken, Amalia’s memory is never wrong . . . sir.” the blonde strained herself to show even that much respect to the scarred man, a look of obvious tenseness and irritation lay over her as she spoke. “You coming in here and beginning to simply ransack the place without stating a reason, or asking permission from the store’s owner is a violation of the law, being from the government and all, however, I would expect you of all people to know and understand this simple matter.” Nicoletta’s voice took on a sarcastic edge to it, “ After all, that is one of the most basic principles of our city’s existence and establishment, is it not? A certain granted freedom to its citizens, both private and otherwise. So, you are either have proper designation to be on these premises, to carry out a search, or you don't. If the case is the latter, well, then it might be best for you to leave.” A very, very bitter look took over the girl’s face as she had spoken, that mouth of hers running on again. . . .

Even if the store in which she was in was not hers, and even if she were not truly associated with it in any manner beyond the exchange she’d come to carry out, Nicoletta could not hold back her tongue toward men such as them. So, whether she seemed to be a fool or not, that was simply something she could not help.

Alexi wasn't thrilled with them either. Of course, its more of self defense anyway, due to his gift. He then, after thinking through the anger at fear at them, he then backed up a little and noted "Oh, sorry Nicole". Granted, pushing into her wasn't really his fault at all, but Alexi was nice that way. he then asked Nicole "Are you okay? Come on, these people are not worth the time.....". Thats when the man with the scar grabbed Alexi. "Careful what you say there boy....sort of looked like there you were Gifted there......". Now the threat, that made him mad. He was about to hit him as he turned around, but Tammy caught his arm, stopping him. Alexi struggled a little, but Tammy made a noise in protest. Alexi regained himself, but he still wanted to beat the crap out of the guy.

"I cant place it, but i swear iv seen him before...." he noted. Alexi tried to hide it, but he always got a bit more tense around government officials. However, this guy was completely different. Something inside Alex wanted this guy dead. In fact, it felt like Alexi's entire body wanted to rip that man to shreds. He was really tense. Tammy was still holding his arm. Tammy then also looked at Nicole, most likely it was his "Don't do anything youl regret because these people are not worth it nor is it a good idea" look. Well, it was that look, or is "I'm Hungry can we go get ice cream?" look. But Alexi could tell its the first.

Thats when the store keeper ask about a warrant. Most of them kept searching, but Alexi saw one have an annoyed look. But, that one guy with the Scar stepped in, noting on how "this area is known to house criminals". Okay, granted, THAT is true. This is Xibalba. But then again, that is also why it is BS. There is crime everywhere in Xibalba. EVERYWHERE. And the government has never really done anything before.

Actually, thats when it iht Alexi. This is the first time he saw Government people in Xibalba. This couldn't be any ordinary incident. But what? What could have set off this "bomb threat....".

Thats when it hit him. the Car Crash. He was right there. And so was that officer. Harro. The Car, it swerved off the road, but the one that exploded, causing a few more explosions. It didn't hit ANYTHING. it just.....blew up.

It was a bomb.

Alexi was about to suggest they leave, but then, Nicole's siblings started talking.

May I please inquire the reasons of your being here? Though I do believe I know the reasons of your presence here already. . .

If your persons would happen to be at this location based upon the threat of bombing within Xibalba or Dominion Hecate, I believe the location of your investigative efforts is wrong. Am I correct, brother Momchil?

Yes, sister. I am certain that it was reported within the very news this morning that areas under threat for bombings lay upon another street, two blocks over.

Indeed so, brother. That is what was stated, or, was it that false information was given out?

.

Alexi found that whole conversation a bit on the creepy side, but he never voiced that. Tammy never really voiced anything, so who knows what he thinks about all this. Alexi was about to recommend they leave again when Nicole cut him off this time, saying

She is not mistaken, Amalia’s memory is never wrong . . . sir.

You coming in here and beginning to simply ransack the place without stating a reason, or asking permission from the store’s owner is a violation of the law, being from the government and all, however, I would expect you of all people to know and understand this simple matter.

After all, that is one of the most basic principles of our city’s existence and establishment, is it not? A certain granted freedom to its citizens, both private and otherwise. So, you are either have proper designation to be on these premises, to carry out a search, or you don't. If the case is the latter, well, they it might be best for you to leave.

Alexi, seeing their looks on their faces, quickly suggested to Nicole "Nicole, I highly recommend we leave before we get charged with whatever they come up with. Come on, they aren't worth it.... Besides, we need some place a bit less crowded". He looked at the man with the scar. He didnt like him. He seemed familiar in a creepy way.....

She heard Alexi urging her out, to leave this whole mess of a situation so that they could speak about whatever matters he wished to inform her of. Nicoletta however . . . she did not move. Alexi’s fears were not at all unreasonable, his urgings were not either. The truth was that he was probably very much right in wanting to leave. Those who worked for the government were not people to trifle with, the things they could try to do to a person and their lives was a frightening thing to say the very least, regardless however. They detained people whom were gifted, they took people down who got in their ways, and more or less they did whatever they felt like doing. There was one matter though, the fact that they themselves were bound to the law as much as any other person if there was more than a few people around.

With a firm look still on her young face, Nicoletta stood her ground, her stance showing that she was ready for a fight if it came to it. Her mind was made up, and when her mind was made up. . . .

Standing right next to one another were Momchil and Amalia, both without anything in their sleeve covered hands. The two twins stood to the side of this, looking on at the two groups, the officials and their sister, and her friend. They knew, they knew quite well what was going to happen, that Nicoletta was not going to relent now that her temperament had been set. Dull expressions set on their pallor faces, the boy and girl looked at one another for a moment, a knowing glint through their eyes despite the silence. Looking at them in such a state, one could’ve almost thought that they were talking to one another via telepathy, in a way, it was almost unnerving seeing the two as that.

Nicoletta herself remained silent in all this, simply, she kept her owl-grey eyes on the man with a scarred face, he was bigger than she was . . . rather so. His very presence was disturbing, one that kept you on edge. Even if she should have been backing down and just minding her own business, going on ahead to just take her mother’s goods and return home, she just couldn’t bring her legs to move. These goons, what they were doing to the magic shop, why they were even there, none of it concerned her. No, all that mattered was her and the twins moving onto taking the textile bolts and leaving with Alexi and Tammy in tow. But, I can’t just go and disappear can I? No . . . I went and opened up my mouth, let it run free and stuck myself into the situation. Simply leaving now wouldn’t do any good. I’m in this.
A sigh left Nicoletta’s lips as she took her gaze away from the scarred official, something of a . . . smirk came over her face, as she shook her head.

With this, both Momchil and Amalia looked back to the blonde, the most placid of expressions upon their faces. They knew that reaction, and with it, Nicoletta’s choice had been made. Quietly, Amalia drew her crimson gaze upon the young Alexi, and the girl’s lips opened, “Master Alexi, I believe this is where sister Nico would ask us to apologize on her behalf.”

Next Momchil spoke, “As it would seem, your request for departure has been heard, but it has been denied. Our sister seems to have made up her mind to remain here, no matter the consequences.”

“Right, as usual you two.” Nicoletta said, her voice sounding almost worn out. “I’m not leaving. Even if none of this is my business, no one said I was quite done with the errands to which I was attending to here, right?” the girl’s voice spiked up, an almost mocking tone had taken root in it. At her sides, the teenager’s hands had clenched up into tight fists in the fabric of her coat. She was nervous, beginning to shake even as she remembered the incident with Aylin, and her own situation, her powers, her status. What could happen to her if anyone beyond her family found out about what it was she was capable of. Taken away, I’ll be detained.

“I’m sorry Alexi, but I’m not leaving yet. What you have to tell me, it’ll have to wait a bit, but if you want to, you and Tammy can go to my place, and ask my mom if you can wait there for the twins and I to come back from our errands.” She said to him, giving the boy a smile. If he really wanted out of the situation, she didn’t mind him leaving and meeting up with him a little later on, but . . . she couldn’t leave, her stubborn head wouldn’t yet let her. A slightly ironic came from her lips and she turned her neck back and looked at the man who was actually in charge of the store, and she apologized. “I’m sorry for sticking myself in matters which don’t concern me. But I’m not quite leaving.”

Syd could only raise an eyebrow at the entire situation: It seemed completely absurd.

For one, the girl was actually defending his shop. Defending it. If that alone didn't make today qualify for the most odd of the year, it would soon get better. He watched as the government agents ignored her, and the kid - whom he found out just by listening that his name was Alexi - was trying to get her to leave. It was then that things got weirder, for Nicoletta actually decided to stay in this mess, for which Syd was confused. He had to retreat into his mind just to figure out what was going on.

Alright, so we have a bunch of government agents without a warrant rummaging through my store - bad idea on their part, since they probably don't know the rooms of Xibalba very well. Syd gave a little smirk, and his thoughts continued. Then we have this girl who wanted her textiles, Nicoletta. Seems to me she is extremely... what's the word... ah yes, stubborn and headstrong are 2 good ones. She doesn't want to leave something alone that she feels is wrong. Good job she doesn't know what's behind that door. Then we have that kid Alexi - not really sure what his business is.

I’m sorry for sticking myself in matters which don’t concern me. But I’m not quite leaving. Syd retreated from his thoughts only to find more trouble brewing. With a blank expression, he faced the girl and said in his usual manner, "That's alright. While you are a customer who is actually here on business, these government agents," He tossed them a sideways look. "Are the ones that should be leaving, for I have yet to see a warrant, and until I do, I may have to teach them the first rule of Xibalba." He turned to a government agent who had been eavesdropping. "Without a warrant, you are no different than the rest of us, and the rule is: Rummage through a store, and the owner can fire without warning." The agent got tense, so Syd continued.

"I have no reason to shoot anybody here, for you have all just ignored my requests to see the warrant. It would be nice if I could." It was then that a man shoved the kid to the ground, and Syd raised both eyebrows, startled by the randomness. They started going on about how it was treason for the kids to be interfering, yet in reality Syd could call up the cops and arrest these morons if they didn't show a freaking warrant soon. Syd shook his head, then narrowed his eyes. "Brutalizing children now, are we? Is this the government I know?" He was hoping to provoke them, cause he really wanted to shoot them by now: even his neutral-placement in the world had its limits, especially to those who ravaged his store.

The kid who had been pushed then screamed something about a hunter, to which Syd gave a quizical look. Who was this Hunter? Did he mean somebody from my network?

They pissed her off, they pissed her off so damn much. They always did. Whenever they showed up, she almost always lost herself to it by the time they would up and vanish. The memory of Aylin’s detainment was enough to nearly cause her to spiral out of control, to let her powers just utterly consume her. But no matter what happened, that was something she couldn’t allow was it? For the sake of her family, for Momchil and Amalia, she couldn’t just lose it again . . . she had to remain calm and collected. For their sakes, for all their sakes. They were all she had, and if she gave herself up, they were what she would lose.

Haven’t we all lost enough for one lifetime? the blonde thought to herself as her hands remained clenched up at her sides, her gaze had turned downcast, away from the shopkeeper to whom she’d given a haphazard apology for butting her nose in business that wasn’t hers.

The man had said her presence was fine, since she had actual business in his store, but he’d gone onto try to pull the agents into a fit to allow himself proper reasoning for self-defense it sounded like. During all this, Momchil and Amalia simply remained side by side one another, looking onward at the whole of the scene before Alexi’s shout caught the ears of Nicoletta, and they. Though her control still wavered and waned with her powers and her temperament, the sound of her friend’s evidential distress was enough to wrench the blonde teenager from her thoughts, and from wallowing in her own doubts and fears. Bringing her neck back upright, a look of anxiety seemed to play over her features. For Alexi to actually sound distressed, that was certainly something.

She bit down on her lip, shoved all of her worrisome thoughts to the very back of her mind, and did her best to ignore the prickling sensations she was beginning to feel in her palms, a bit of forming heat. No time for this, I can’t let it consume me. And with this, the girl took a flighty step forward before picking up the pace and quickly stepping out of the doorway of the shop to find what it was that had gotten Alexi’s attention.

Her heart skipped a beat in her chest as true anxiety hit her small body, “Oh dear Goddess. . . .” she said quietly, knowing what a Hunter was. It simply stood there, upon the roof of the building across the street, eyeless face turned right toward them, teeth and fangs showing to them fully. “Alexi . . . you and Tammy, get back inside. Now.” Nicoletta murmured to the boy as she very slowly reach her right hand down toward her leg. Even with the threat of a monster looming overhead, she couldn’t conjure up her powers in broad daylight, no she had to take other measures against it. That was the only way.

All of this just had to happen to her on the hottest day of the summer so far, didn’t it? Her mom had to send her and the twins to make an exchange at an obscure shop in the shadiest part of town, with the sun beating down on their heads . . . Csilla just had to go and send her daughter into this mess. . . . And here, all I wanted to do was stay at home, and read. Nicoletta thought to herself, keeping her grey eyes locked on the hulking monster above as her fingers slowly crept toward something kept around her upper leg.

It happened in flash, without warning, the beast suddenly sprung up from the post it had been maintaining upon the building and came flying down, right at her. Just as quickly, Nicoletta had drawn what it was she had been carefully reaching for from a holster placed around her thigh—a small revolver. Before the Hunter could land, Nicoletta had the gun aimed right at it, a tense look upon her face, “Alexi, Tammy get inside, now!” And with those words, she pulled the trigger.

Syd sat there completely confused as the lady that had called herself Nicoletta ran out of his shop. The agents had yet to answer him, so he simply stood there with an indifferent face. Right before she had ran out of the House of Cards, Syd heard the door to the Network open to Teddy carrying a massive load of the textiles with the other another 9 carrying the rest. Syd had raised an eyebrow, until the 9 looked away in shame and mumbled out a "I lost a bet with the other three, and had to hire Ted here." Syd smiled in a bland way, one of sarcasm and mischief. Ted rarely did anything to help others anymore - unless it was for the greater good of the Deck or Syd - except for when he was getting paid, so many of the guild members were losing money because they needed his help and hired him. The Ace of Diamonds then placed the textiles on the counter with a good thump and smiled to Syd as he was being paid by the 9, whose scowl could be visibly seen anywhere in the store.

When Syd had turned back to announce to the lady that her goods had arrived, she ran out the door and, what appeared to be, started freaking out. She mumbled something, and then told the Alexi boy and his friend - interesting name, Tammy - to get inside his shop. Now that his curiosity had been peaked slightly, Syd causally walked over to the doorway to see what was going on, until it hit him: Nicoletta was staring at a Hunter. When it dawned on him that that was what the kid Alexi had originally meant, his eyes widened with understanding and he nodded his head. So that's what the kid meant. Huh, it is a lot bigger than the last one I saw. What Syd was refering to was one of his jobs that he took a while back, one that had the stories going around the common room table all night.

Everybody knew of Syd's obsession with thrills, especially life threatening ones, so nobody was surprised when he took a job that dealt with a Hunter. Now, according to reports and intel, a Hunter was a massive, ferocious and man eating wild thing, larger than a car. So, when everybody heard he had taken the job, most of the Deck had finally thought that he would be kicking the bucket. What they all didn't know was that it was actually a Hunter youth, barely half the size of a normal one that had been terrorizing the client. When Syd had shown up, completely pumped on adrenaline and giddy with excitement, you could only guess at the extreme disappointment he would have felt seeing an animal about the size of a large dog running around the house, destroying the insides. What made the story so famous was the massive humor that followed: Syd took 3 hours just to chase the thing. It completely ignored him most of the time, as if he wasn't human enough for their species to eat, and kept on raiding other rooms of the mansion. By the end of the chase, Syd had been so wound up tight that the laid waste to the creature using his abilities over light, and then destroyed the entire mansion out of annoyance.

Syd did get paid though, which was why the story was known as 'The Joker and the Mini' amongst the Network.

The thing Syd was staring at though was huge, at least the size of a car if not a little larger, with teeth that could cut a man in half. He could slowly feel the blood in his veins start pumping a little faster than normal, his adrenaline starting to kick in: This was what he had been waiting for during that mission, a massive and extremely difficult opponent that could easily cleave him in 2. His tongue slowly protruded out of his mouth a little, showing his excitment, and when Ted walked over to the window and gasped, he mumbled to his Ace of Diamonds. "Get the other Aces on the roof to cover for me, but don't touch the thing: It's mine, got it?" Ted nodded to his CardMaster and ran off with the agents now starting to get confused and now frightened by the Hunter that had appeared.

And then it jumped at the girl.

Now, in these situations, Syd normally would comment on how silly she was: The smart thing to do wasn't shoot it in the face and hope it died, for it would crush your body anyway. Instead, he would have suggested that she first MOVE her body out of the way and then shoot it as much as possible. However, this didn't seem to be her style of fighting, for Nicoletta yelled at her friends to get inside as she would most likely die from the impact of the beast. Syd gave a little sigh, and then remembered that he still owed her the textiles that were inside, so instead of letting her get crushed while he tried to curb his excitement, Syd used the only skill he had to get people out of these kinds of things: running at light speed, or flitting as he called it. After the shot went off, he dashed forward at the girl's body and tackled her, sending both of them flying across the street. He wasn't sure what he hit, but Syd barely felt it anyway - damn intolerance to pain. I could be bleeding out, stabbed in the back, and I wouldn't be able to feel it.

He wasn't sure where she landed after the impact - probably not far from him, since he did tackle her, and that requires the wrapping of the arms around your target - but he still managed a simple. " You know miss, getting killed by a Hunter will not get you back your textiles."

Alexi heard the bang. He also saw Syd tackle Nicole. The Hunter turned towards him. "Woah, how about we just get out of your way, and you just...not....eat us...." he noted, backing up with Tammy, but it swept its arm at Alexi. Now, while it may have been near impossible for Syd or Nicole to see, or and still hard for Tammy to see even, but when the hunter swung, some sort of barrier made of air formed, softening the blow. This sent Alexi back into a wall though. And with a large bump on his head. He also blacked out for split second.

Left. Left. Right. Top. Bite. Right. Tammy. Nicole. Alexi. Blood. Park. Hunter. Wound. Shot.

Alexi, after regaining his head, stood up. That was......something more then archaic. It made less sense then normal. Thats when he saw the Hunter swiping its claw at Tammy. He quickly pulled him back. The hunter then swept the same claw again at Alexi, while Tammy went behind him and started doing something. Alexi moved to the right, and then back to the left as the Hunter swung its right claw. Constantly stepping back at the same time. The Hunter then however lept at Alexi, but Alexi ducted down out of the way. However, the hunter had cut Alexi off from the store. Alexi accidentally tripped and fell back however while backing away.

The Hunter tried to bite Alexi, but when he tripped, it actually helped dodge it. But then, the hunter slashed at him again, slightly wounding him. However, that's when it was hit in the head with a trash can, covering the hunter in trash. Tammy was standing behind it. "Tammy, get ba...." he started, except the hunter then looked at him, not Tammy, when he spoke. The hunter was just hit with smelly, Xibalba trash. It couldn't smell them. It couldn't smell anything really.

Now, as long as Alexi doesn't make a noise, he would be perfectly okay. He was wounded, there was some blood, but it wasn't too lethal.

Smartass. . . . That was the only thing Nicoletta could muster up from her thoughts after she’d been tackled out of the Hunter’s area of landing. She had well heard what it was the shopkeeper had said about the textiles. The teenager wasn’t really sure what had happened, but the blonde was sure of something, that it had happened too fast. The shopkeeper had gotten her out of the Hunter’s way too fast for him to have just up and done it normally. Not to mention how damn hard that had been on her, he tackled her out of nowhere, at a pace that was far above normal, and then she’d wound up getting slammed into something. Nicoletta wasn’t sure what it was she’d hit—maybe a lamppost since the pain she was experiencing was localized to one relative area and not a large part of her body.
It was her shoulder that was throbbing, her left one. Getting smacked up against something at some random speed was not good for her body . . . Nicoletta knew enough about health to get that bit of information down pat.

It took her a moment to regain her composure, and to get a bearing for her current situation and position, what was happening after that. By some ‘miracle,’ she was still holding onto her revolver through all that, and she was also slouched over, something was against her back, probably a lamppost like she thought, but she was definitely lying halfway against the ground—the pavement of Dominion Hecate was rather warm against her skin. Then, there was the pain, when she tried to move herself even a bit, Nicoletta could only muster a seethe in response, yep, her left shoulder was definitely screwed up at the moment.

Okay, the pain is not important right now . . . the Hunter is, and so are Alexi and Tammy. I can’t lie here while that monster is around, capable of hurting those two. . . . My injury can wait, as can what the hell that shopkeeper did. she thought, moving her right arm with her revolver still her grasp, using it to force her torso upward. “Y’know something, I don’t really give a damn about the textiles right now, they are my mom’s anyway, not mine. All I care about is making sure this monster here dies!” she shouted, again drawing the attention of the garbage covered Hunter toward herself. It’s head reared in her direction, and the thing’s teeth showed while Nicoletta remained where she was, breathing heavily due to the discomfort her shoulder was giving her.

The sensation of heat prickling in the palms of her hands was beginning to return to her again. . . . At this rate, Nicoletta had a feeling that what control she had over her powers was not going to hold out much longer.

Syd gave a little smirk when he heard her shout out “Y’know something, I don’t really give a damn about the textiles right now, they are my mom’s anyway, not mine. All I care about is making sure this monster here dies!” She seemed to have her head screwed on straight for somebody that had no clue what she was doing. Or maybe she was just that ignorant? All she had to do was run away with her things, and this Hunter would tear apart Xibalba until he killed it (and, by judging the size of that thing, Syd reconed it would take a lot of bullet holes. He really didn't want to ask Azrael to shoot but if he had to...). Now, as a person of her social standing, that seemed pretty good for her: she got her things, and an apparent threat to her society would be vanquished for a while. Syd just found it hard to not laugh at the fact that she wanted to stay, but he didn't - it was her choice, so it wasn't like he cared much about it.

The Hunter had been momentarily dazed by the trash can flung at its face, which was a useful idea he had to say, but since the girl had opened her mouth, the Hunter knew where he was going to get itself a snack. While that was going on, Syd looked down at his shoulder and swore under his breath. Although he couldn't really feel it, he could see his shirt soaking up with blood as it ran down his left arm.. Wait... where did my jacket go? In his intense speed, his tear-proof jacket had been flung off his body and a few feet away on the pavement, exposing his grey striped long sleeve. Now with a long, jagged tear through the left forearm. Shit.... I liked this one. Hopefully somebody can sew. His vision was blurred for a second, and he swore once again - his forehead had been cut as well. He hung his head in annoyance, and then stood up, unaware of his body's true injuries because he couldn't feel them. Syd shook his hair from his face and stared at the Hunter, who was now advancing on Nicoletta once again.

Syd looked sideways to see the roof of his shop, where four heads were peering over the edge to watch what was going on, with one aiming through the only sniper they had available - Azariah, to be more precise. The guy had a wicked shot, but Syd wanted this one for himself. He needed the rush of pure bliss as he took on something that was easily 5 times bigger than him, and mercilessly butchering it as it probably had done the same to some poor fellow who was now in its digestive track. His excitement level was slowly starting to rise once more and he quickly drew his pistol, aiming it at the beast. With a smile, he fired right towards its head. Before it even turned towards him, he had already started running to a new location, his feet effortlessly and softly jumping from one leg to another, until he was not far from Nicoletta, before he fired again, and repeated the same process once more, in an attempt to not just confuse the beast, but annoy him.

And every time he would fire, he would stick his tongue out in giddiness.

Remember. No Light powers.

Her grey eyes were kept locked upon the monster before her, the Hunter. The expression was a tense one, and her whole body was kept rather still, the thing advanced toward her, but she wasn’t moving from where she was more or less seated upon the pavement, her back half against the lamppost. She should have been trying to move out of the way, but with how her body was feeling, would it have really done her any good to bother trying to dodge yet? The Hunter was smothered in Xibalban garbage, cutting its sense of smell off, leaving the beast only with its hearing to identify the locations of its target—its prey. And because of her need to speak before, that prey just so happened to be her, and she knew that. Against a Hunter, she couldn’t do much of anything on her own, she wasn’t like Vincente, and she definitely wasn’t like her sister . . . she was not a beast hunter like her elder sister Isolde.

No . . . she was the bookworm of the family, the lax one, the girl who preferred to remain indoors, reading or writing, fighting monsters wasn’t her forte. Even if the Hunter was coming for her, Nicoletta already knew that it wouldn’t be so simple for the beast to make a meal of her bony self. She could feel it, control slipping from her grip. As if the irritation caused by those officials before hadn’t been enough of a catalyst to shake the reigns she had over her fire, the threat of death looming overhead well might add enough of a spark for her to lose control completely.

She wasn’t going to die there, becoming the meal for a monster on the streets of Dominion Hecate; her family had already lost enough after Aylin had been detained, Isolde slipped away and become someone else entirely, Vincente nearly died, and her parents had drifted so far apart. If she were to die . . . what would become of everyone then? And what of the twins? What would the two false humans do if she died there? Momchil and Amalia, although they were still adapting to living like normal people, they had never yet dealt with the reality of death. And I will not let those two experience that sorrow. . . .

With her steely eyes shut, Nicoletta heard the sound of nearby gunfire—causing her to lift her head upward, surprise written over her young face. The Hunter found itself pierced by bullets, its tough flesh suddenly vulnerable to something. Nicoletta watched the orange thing slide to a sudden halt, a shrill roar coming from its throat as it succumbed to the pain, and began oozing a strangely green blood from its taken wounds. The shopkeeper of the magic store her mother had sent her to was attacking the thing himself, doing pretty damn well for someone who seemed to mind a simple shop. Everyone has their own story, and are who they are no matter what. she thought, gunfire continuing, the Hunter’s confusion persisting onward.

The whole sight of the battle honestly reminded her of how Vincente handled himself, being fleet of foot rather than relying on brute strength, like Isolde. Ha, I suppose he and my brother have another commonality. . . . Nicoletta laughed to herself, letting her neck drop down as she felt a spike within her body, a sudden rise, the prickling plaguing her beginning to feel like waves of needles piercing her flesh through.

“. . . .there is not much time remaining before I’m consumed, and control is lost. Then, I will be revealed. I cannot allow that to occur.” She told herself quietly, her hand finding its way to the lamppost behind her, gripping onto the rusting surface of it tightly, using it as a support as she forced herself back up to her feet. If the risk of losing control is present, then, maybe I ought to go ahead and take advantage of what I can do, and channel it best I can. It wasn’t impossible for her to actually use her gift and keep it clandestine, after all. . . .

Quickly enough, Nicoletta was looking up, ignoring the pain she was feeling from the knee she had managed to bruise earlier, and the throbbing from her banged up shoulder as well, her decision was made.

With both of her hands gripping onto her revolver, she sprang to life, hastily moving herself to the side before aiming at the still confused Hunter. Taking the thing down without losing total control of herself was not going to be easy, but at the very least, she wasn’t working entirely alone in her efforts, even if said efforts were being conducted separately. As she continued moving, Nicoletta silently moved her left index finger up from its place upon the handle of her gun and placed it at the side of the bullet chamber, pressing into the metal before quickly removing it, and pulling the trigger.

Sure, she wasn’t cut out for these sorts of situations like her brother and sister, but she did at least have a few tricks up her sleeve with what poor control she had over her powers. . . . One of those being what she had just done—infusing one of the bullets of her gun with her fire. It was sudden, and she kept moving even while it happened . . . but in mid-air, before the bullet Nicoletta had fired made contact with the Hunter, the projectile seemed to break apart, fragments of smoldering metal scattered from the once solid shot rained upon the monster, causing it to howl out in pain, rearing around toward the direction it’d been hit from. However, the assailant in question was still on the move, disregarding the pain she felt.

All Nicoletta could do was hope that no one realized that bullet had exploded on purpose. . . .

(sorry for the delay)

Alexi stood up, still bleeding, but not excessively. Tammy was standing a few fet away. Any noise and it would follow, the stentch was still strong on it. But it was slowly falling off, and it was getting used to the smell. But their smell was newer, because of the sweat. Sweat from panic, fear, and such. Alexi looked for anything that could help. But other then a street light, there wasn't much.

Of course! Alexi positioned himself in front of a street light, and Tammy looked around, grabbing a piece of wood and staying back a little. The hunter was hurt then, a bullet exploded mid air. Alexi found himself curious, noting "Since when do bullets explode in mid air?" That got the hunters attention. Thats when Alexi whistled. The hunter looked at him, and it leaped forward. Alexi dove out of the way, and the Hunter knocked over the street light sort of, making it tip over and revealing some wires, along with leaning on the store they were at before. No real damage though.

THats when Tammy through the piece of wood away from Alexi, and it started to follow it, but its sense of smell was regaining, and it began to look at Alexi and Tammy. Tammy and Alexi ran over to the street light, putting out a severed cable. The hunter leaped towards them now, but they stabbed it with the loose electric cable after ducking out of the way. The hunter had a ton of electricity go through it, essentially electrocuting it.

"I don't like Hunters. They don't play fair" Alexi noted, before collapsing. Too much action. Now he needed bandages.

Syd Lastern

Syd had originally questioned the girl when her bullet exploded, but shook his head, dismissing the question. Sure, he was pretty sure that a girl armed with a petty revolver would not have the scientific know-how to somehow make a bullet explode in mid-air, but weirder things had happened before. Syd knew that first hand, so judging wasn't really in his best interests, nor was judging. The Hunter was disoriented from the blast, that was all that really mattered, but now he was starting to get slightly annoyed by the fact that he couldn't claim the kill of this thing for himself - with the Aces on the roof, they would recall the tale later that night, and most likely the Network would dismiss the slaying as a group effort. This got on Syd's nerve, since he seriously wanted to take on one of those things by himself and butcher the crap out of a creature most of the planet feared.

What caught him off guard were the two little pip-squeaked characters that knew Nicoletta - if he recalled correctly, he had heard the names Alexi and Tammy called in their general direction, so that was probably their names. The one with the brown hair started to question Nicoletta's mystery bullets out loud, which Syd knew was a stupid decision. However, he instantly saw through the plan of the kid, and gave a small grin. The Hunter smashed into the lighpole, and then jumped right into the electrical cables of the street lights, and Syd watched as the massive creature was zapped til death. His smile was short lived, and turned into a small and narrow scowl - not only did he need assistance, but somebody else killed the damned thing, not even using their own skills. Just dumb shit luck. He gave a sideways glace at the barrel of Azrael's sniper, only to see the Aces simply shrug their shoulders, and his scowl deepened.

I don't like Hunters. They don't play fair" Syd seriously wanted to make a very rude comment at that moment, somewhere along the lines of 'No shit Sherlock' but he kept his lips closed. Now wasn't the time to aggravate children, especially with the possibility of cops flooding the area soon. It didn't help that cops were already in his shop, and his eyebrows narrowed slightly. He turned back to his shop, and then walked toward the Hunter that was still attached to the live electrical current. His shadowless body slowly paced its way over, and instantly touched the monster. Instantly his body began to course with electrical energy, but he didn't mind it at all: it was more like a recharge than a deadly dash with death. While he touched the beast, he also examined its odd body, looking for weaknesses in its armor-like skin and ways to exploit them. When he was finished, he removed his hand and stood straight up, and stared at the sky. A small smile grew on his lips as he spoke out to Nicoletta.

"Well, your textiles are waiting for you and your siblings on the counter of the shop. I advise you to get them quickly before the cops fill the streets, armed with their papers and pens." He gave a dry smile before he looked her way, then started heading back into his shop. "Ah yes, I guess I should get rid of this Hunter as well." He stopped, then dismissed his thoughts and continued to walk towards his shop. "Never mind, Xibalba always has a way of getting rid of things."

As the best fell to electrocution, Alexi fairing little better from the injuries he’d taken from the Hunter himself . . . Nicoletta found herself not doing quite so well herself. Her shoulder was aching, and her body was throbbing with the need for her inner fire to release itself from the previous battle. It desired to incinerate something. . . . But, there was nothing left o burn up without revealing herself, her status as a Gifted. Death no longer loomed over her head, her life was no longer threatened . . . so why was it that her powers still desired destruction? In this state, what would happen to her? Could she keep control over herself, and resist the urge to burn?

She heard well what was going on around her, and she remembered why it was she’d come to Dominion Hecate in the first place, who’d she come with. The textiles, Momchil, Amalia . . . here for her mother. Her family was still there, and she still had something to do on that hot day, she had been sent to do something simple and had wound up getting caught in a battle with a monster like her sister fought. Mom. . . . I said I’d get your bolts of cloth. Nicoletta reminded herself, her eyes shutting as her small body began to shake from the sense of her powers beginning to overwhelm her. The blonde stood where she had stopped after the battle had abruptly ended, her head cast down toward the ground, her arms hanging limp at her sides, the gun still in her hand. While her shoulder ached in pain, Nicoletta herself had begun trying to stave off the heat that was coming from her bones.

At this rate, she was going to be consumed.

"Well, your textiles are waiting for you and your siblings on the counter of the shop. I advise you to get them quickly before the cops fill the streets, armed with their papers and pens." she heard the shopkeeper speaking to her, but . . . it sounded muffled, completely so. The sounds of Portum Animas were dull in her ears. So, though it seemed rude indeed, the teenager gave no response to the man’s words, simply she stood there as before.

I’m losing the battle . . . the fire is going to win, isn’t it? she questioned herself, body beginning to quiver as her heart sped up in her chest. A nervous gulp came from the girl as in her moment of panic, she found the grip upon her revolver loosening to the point that she let it go, the thing clattering to the pavement below. If I let go now, I’ll end up following in Aylin’s footsteps, I’ll be detained, and forced away from everyone.

Nicoletta didn’t want to have to let go of herself, she wanted to keep a hold on this, of herself and her power, she didn’t want to be shown as a Gifted. But, she wasn’t even sure if she could keep on going as this felt, her body was beginning to ache so much from it. . . . The heat was beginning to consume her from the inside out, her bones felt as if they were on fire, her skin and muscles felt as if they were melting. Tears began to run down the girl’s face as she continued her inner struggle to keep her grip. But, without meaning to, words slipped from her lips as she found for control over her own body, “C-Can’t . . . I can’t keep this up. . . .”

Without warning, she dropped to her knees and her body lolled to the side hitting the hot pavement with a thud. No, Nicoletta was not yet unconscious, but she couldn’t keep standing and holding it at bay. “Go-going to lose it.” She mumbled, voice wavering as her form suddenly tensed up, and her eyes clenched shut. And . . . just as it felt as if she were going to go up in flames and consume everything around her with her fire, incinerate and burn so much, something broke her of those terrible feelings and thoughts.

A voice called from nearby, a voice she knew so well, “Nicoletta!!” Even if she did at times pretend to be annoyed by the owner of that voice, at that moment, the blonde girl could not have been happier to hear it.

Her body felt like it had gone numb for a moment, as she struggled to move her head to look in the direction of the voice who’d called for her. Tears still came from her eyes while the throbbing resumed, yet a weak smile worked over her face as a name came from her lips, “V-Vincente. . . .”

Into view, a sword-toting young blonde man came into view, sharing the same grey eyes as Nicoletta, a look of worry etched upon his face. Nicoletta looked at him, happy to see her brother then. “Nicoletta, what happened to you?!” he cried out, running over to her collapsed form, kneeling down.

“Al-almost lost it,” she told him, her voice soft. “But, I-I think I have control over it now.”

A look of concern overtook Vincente’s face, “You don’t much look like you have control over it sis. . . .”

Nicoletta shook her head, “I think I’ll be all right, it was just an aftereffect of fighting . . . the battle’s over now, and there are more important things to worry about than me,” the girl weakly moved herself up and pointed over to where she’d last seen Alexi with his injuries, “Al-Alexi’s gotten a nasty wound from all this, he needs medical attention. . . . Then, there’s Momchil and Amalia too, they’re still in the shop, waiting to gather the textiles for mom.”

“Nicoletta, the textile bolts don’t matter right now, mom might not thrilled if she doesn’t get them today, but she’ll understand that your health, as well as Alexi’s, comes first. Same for the twins.” Without giving his sister a chance to respond, Vincente looked around and spotted the shopkeeper who looked a bit like himself, of course, while Vincente had much the same thought about that as his sister, unlike her, he didn’t suddenly go and spout it out. “I’m going to assume you’re the one in charge of the shop our mother’s shipping order got sent to by mistake; I apologize for this, but we’re going to have to leave those with you for the time being, Nicoletta’s not doing so well and her friend is injured.”

Syd Lastern

After Syd had made his comment about Xibalba, he nearly made it back into his store until the breeze hit his wound. While he had an intolerance to pain, he was thankful that it wasn't to temperature, so his eyes quickly scanned his bloodied left arm. As he had noticed before, one of his better shirts was now cut and the sleeve was barely clinging to his arm while the blood slowly fell to the ground off of his fingertips. His head than swiveled around, for he realized that he had forgotten to get his jacket. When he found it - it wasn't that far from the Hunter - and sighed as he turned his entire body to face his jacket. However, when he strove for his beloved piece of clothing, he noticed the girl Nicoletta out of the corner of his eye: she seemed to be struggling with something, and he nearly dismissed her when Syd heard the solemn clang of an all too familiar sound.

A gun - nay, a revolver, clanging off of the tired, beaten ground.

His head instantly turned to her, and even though he was just a few steps from his jacket, Syd stopped in his tracks to examine the young girl. He hated the sound - not only did it remind him of a past that he didn't want to remember, but it was a constant throughout his lifestyle. So many times had he heard somebody's gun fall to the ground, it was almost aggravating. Besides, it wasn't good for the shiny revolver that she owned. Syd's deep, dull blue eyes shifted from the golden gun to Nicoletta once more, noticing that she seemed to be having a massive breakdown of her nervous system, even her motor functions. As tears began to fall to her face, something that gave Syd a little startle, he barely made out some of the words she mumbled:

"Can't... I can't" That was all Syd could make out until she fell to the ground. Syd's eyes widened slightly, but he made no move to help her, nor call for help. He simply watched her in a dull trance: as if he was in shock. It felt all too familiar to him, but his flashbacks were put on hold by just the oddness of the situation: Nicoletta, a girl that was strong enough to challenge a Hunter, had mysteriously fallen to the ground in some form of comatose. Syd's brain couldn't comprehend what was going on with her, she just seemed to be burning up suddenly. It wasn't until a young man came running and yelling that he seemed to snap out of his little trance. Syd's face instantly changed, almost like a two - faced demon did, from his actually emotional expression to his originally dull and monotone face. While the man - Syd assumed him to be the brother Vincente that resembled him, for it was quite shocking how similar they looked - attended to his sister, Syd walked over to his jacket and put it on slowly, only to stop at his left arm. He sighed, not wanting to get it bloody, when he felt somebody tap his shoulder. To his shock he saw Azi and Teddy, with Teddy holding a first aid kit. Syd nodded his thanks and bandaged himself up quickly. When he was sure the blood had stopped, he placed his left hand inside his jacket.

When Syd finally was about to walk away, the brother called Vincente's voice ran over to him, to which all three of the Deck turned to the man. “I’m going to assume you’re the one in charge of the shop our mother’s shipping order got sent to by mistake; I apologize for this, but we’re going to have to leave those with you for the time being, Nicoletta’s not doing so well and her friend is injured.” Syd nodded, understanding the idea that the man had tried to instill, but not really agreeing with the idea. He didn't like the idea of somebody else's goods simply relaxing in his store and taking up space. No that wouldn't do. Instead, Syd thought of an idea, and as much as he hated to do so, it looked like he was going to do something for free.

"While I understand your reasoning, I have a counter proposal. For assisting in the take down of the Hunter," Syd nearly grinded his teeth when Azi started snickering. "My employees and myself will carry your textiles for you. I do not need them sitting in my shop and taking up space, so getting them out of my shop is a benefit to myself as well." Syd said in his normal tenor voice, foregoing the monotone that he used around strangers and unlikables. This Vincente and his family were quite intriguing to say the least. He nodded his head, and Teddy walked back into the shop, while Azi turned to Syd and muttered a quick.

"I know you love to show off your stuff kid, but I thought you kept your bullets private..." Azi winked at him and then over at Vincente and his sister before lighting up a cigarette and walking over to the store. Syd looked down and swore quietly: His necklace of bullet casings must have slipped out during the fight, for they were now dangling from his neck in plain sight for anybody looking at him to see. Not really caring by this point, he grabbed it slowly and nonchalantly put the necklace behind his shirt once more. By then, Ted had come out with all of the textiles in his hands, with one for Syd to carry as well. He wasn't much of a lifter, but he needed to at least look like he was going for a purpose.

Alex had fallen into a state of sleep momentarily after passing out. At first, he could see a face. A strange face. But he couldn't quite make it out. Also, his head hurt a lot. His mind also seemed a bit...blurry...or clouded.

Heal. Health. Blood. Wind. Nicole. Blurry. Family. Blurry. Street. Blurry. Blurry. Textiles. Explosion.

Alexi woke back up. Alex tried to get up, but at this point, the adrenaline was gone, the pain was kicking in, and he had a good amount of pain. Alex then noted "May I suggest we get to someplace with proper healing supplies......just a thought....". Alexi then coughed up a hacked cough, and Tammy tried to help him up. Thats when Alex added "I think....there is a place close by..."

Alexi then started to get a headache. Tammy took off his sweatshirt and let Alexi use it as a sort of bandage kind of. Alexi then started to fall over, but Tammy caught him. Alexi noted "Ill be fine, im alright", which was blatenly obvious that it was a lie. Although, he was actually much better then everyone thought and then how he looked.

Just then, Alexi became aware of what everyone else was saying and doing, including the necklace of bullet casings, although he didn't really register that as strange or anything important. Thats when Alexi also was about to say something, but then decided against it, instead saying "Tammy, I think Nicole needs your help more....". Alexi was fairly clueless about how bad his own injuries were, so he really had no idea if she was more wounded then him or not.

(Beta, this place would be where your characters long lost sister is? Or you want that to be later)
(Meh, my head was foggy during this post, so It might not be as good as my others >.>)