Civilians
Spear of Cerberus
Posts: 109
Preferred Name: Varmun
Pronouns: He/Him
Character Profile: Character List
Character Name: Dante Vasari
Main Account: Isaac
Status: Active
|
Post by Dante on Jul 28, 2015 21:53:16 GMT -5
It felt weird wearing headphones without playing any music. Usually, Dante felt naked without his headphones on. Now he just felt dirty.
But he had to pay attention. He had to be ready.
A gentle breeze rustled Dante’s hood of his disguise. He leaned forward, playing with his touchscreen. His thumbs tapped against the surface, making the handheld buzz gently every time. Every now and then, between waves of enemies in his game, Dante allowed his eyes to roll up and stare across the street, toward an alley about ten meters up the block.
“Eyes down,” said the deep but silent voice of the man beside him. Officer Damon—dressed casually in a coat, hat, and baggy pants—slumped in his seat on the bench, his eyes closed and his hat tilted forward. How he knew Dante had looked to the alley was unsettling and impressive at the same time. He looked so casual, so calm and collected. Dante returned his eyes to his game, waiting.
“It won’t be much longer,” said Damon, blowing at a few long, curly hairs from his mustache.
“What if a bus comes before the trade?” asked Dante, his eyes wanting to look over at the bus schedule nearby. Surely they could only hide out here for so long.
“It won’t. Trust me. Next bus is in fifteen minutes. The trade’s in five. Now calm down. We’re just here to watch the show.”
“… So does that mean I can look or…?”
Damon let out a chuckle and gently punched Dante in the shoulder. A little humor would make them seem more natural, right?
|
|
Posts: 10
Preferred Name: Josh
Character Profile: [HERE]
Character Name: Vainamoina
Status: Seeking RPs
|
Post by vainamoina on Jul 28, 2015 22:55:47 GMT -5
Looking natural seemed to be a good idea when one was hiding their true intentions. However, Vainamoina never looked natural. He was a walking bundle of multicolored robes, most torn and stretched to form some kinf of bulky makeshift wrapping. An enormous, pointed, floppy hat donned his head, the brim wider than his entire body. One couldn't see so much as an inch of skin on the man's body. A gloved hand, tipped with pointed talons that protruded through the fingers of the glove, grasped a black staff. He shuffled along, using the staff as some kind of ornate walking stick. He looked like a walking anachronism. Who dressed like that in this day and age?
He continued to shuffle along the street, paying bystanders no mind as he slowly made his way into an alley. Surely he wasn't stupid enough to be moving around like that in broad daylight, right? No, he had plans for everything. Nothing was ever left to chance. As he walked, tiny spiders made their way out from the bottom of his robes, scuttling along the street and up the walls of the buildings. His eyes and ears. They were small machines outfitted with cameras and microphones, made to transmit data in the form of low-frequency electrical pulses picked up by Vaina's aural implants. He saw and heard everything. No strangers seemed like a direct threat... for now. He didn't trust any of them.
A worried-looking, shabby, balding man greeted Vaina. He looked incredibly nervous, constantly looking over his own shoulder. "This was a bad idea, man. Should have met in the slums. You've got it, right?" The worried man spoke in an urgent whisper, clearly wanting to go ahead and leave. The robed man replied in a calm, raspy voice. "If you're afraid, then leave. I can take my goods elsewhere. But you won't. You need this. Do not attempt to use them on yourself. You'll be rendered comatose. And if you break the vials, I cannot replace them in time."
What he spoke of would be a mystery to bystanders. In truth, he was there for two reasons. The first was the sale of modified, faulty magik jacks. Nearly impossible to tell from the actual, working versions, these were to be given to those who needed to be out of the way in a nonlethal manner. The second reason... was a pair of glass vials, filled with what looked like blood. In truth, they were full of blood... But it was blood ripe with particular antibodies. Those two vials would be enough to cure a certain sickness that had begun to spread through a certain slum neighborhood. It was just a lethal bacteria outbreak. No big deal. He had cured worse. His spiders continued to skitter about and scan the area. If someone made a move, he was ready.
|
|
Civilians
Spear of Cerberus
Posts: 109
Preferred Name: Varmun
Pronouns: He/Him
Character Profile: Character List
Character Name: Dante Vasari
Main Account: Isaac
Status: Active
|
Post by Dante on Jul 29, 2015 8:41:33 GMT -5
The tapping of a stick against concrete came from down the street. It grew closer and closer, and Dante started to move his head, but Officer Damon thumped his thigh against Dante's, and Dante stopped. He kept still, his eyes focused on his game, at least for a moment.
It was hard not to look across the street at the new person. It was natural, wasn't it? Well, maybe not for someone with headphones on and a game in their hands. Still, the stick was too strange a sound for Dante not to look, and he got a quick glance at the person. He (or maybe she?) was dressed in so many layers of tattered clothing. A broad hat hid the person's face, casting all features in shadow. On a summer night like this, up in the Lower Class, that outfit looked too suspicious for Dante not to stare no matter how many times Damon tapped his leg.
But the robed man kept walking, moving up the street before turning down into the alley. Damon finally raised his own head, and he allowed Dante to watch. He said nothing, though, not taking the risk of being overheard. His deep voice traveled, and plenty of people had enhanced ears in this crazy city. He didn't know about spiders, though, and neither did the ambush team.
Along the alley were windows leading into a pair of closed shops. The windows were unlocked, and underneath their sills were four cops lying in wait—two on the left, two on the right, set up in a perfect position to surround the dealer and the customer. Dante and Damon knew the cops were there, and they knew the lesson was about to begin. In a few moments, Dante would see a well-organized team outwit and take down a pair of thugs. The crooks would never stand a chance.
If only they'd kept their mouths shut.
Through his many spiders, the robed figure could hear the cops whispering inside the building, muttering into their headsets. "Simmons, you and I take the guy in the hat. McGrath, Lucas, take the bald guy down. On my mark. 3… 2… 1. Go!"
All four windows swung wide open, and the cops leaped out with the grace of dancers despite their thick Kevlar. "Freeze!" They pointed their guns at the two thugs, not realizing things were about to go very, very badly.
|
|
Posts: 10
Preferred Name: Josh
Character Profile: [HERE]
Character Name: Vainamoina
Status: Seeking RPs
|
Post by vainamoina on Jul 29, 2015 17:44:47 GMT -5
Talking. Orders. Police. All it took were the words. Vaina had thought the buildings empty, or just full of civilians. The machanical spiders had sent him a message that he was wrong. He had seconds to react. Immediately, he pulled a loose sheaf of cloth from his outfit, folding it around the vials and pressing the bundle into the hands of his client. In the same motion, he shoved his client to the ground, only uttering a simple command.
"Stay down."
The windows opened. Four men emerged. They had guns. By all means, he should have been outmatched. But they were in range. A raspy sigh was the only acknowledgement he gave. In a moment, his staff's radar had locked on to the four men. Why did they have to interrupt? He was saving lives. Not like the upper classes cared. The police were always sticking their nose into things they didn't understand. Always fighting for those in charge, but never for the downtrodden. They were about to have a very bad day. Vaina gripped his staff more tightly, electricity suddenly arcing out in four directions. Naturally, the currents were attracted to the guns. It would be damaging. Contact would mean the ignition and subsequent explosion of any ammo. It could get messy. There could be shrapnel. Just to be safe, he hunched over, using his free arm to shield his head.
Now to think of a quick getaway before more came, yes?
|
|
Civilians
Spear of Cerberus
Posts: 109
Preferred Name: Varmun
Pronouns: He/Him
Character Profile: Character List
Character Name: Dante Vasari
Main Account: Isaac
Status: Active
|
Post by Dante on Jul 29, 2015 20:13:57 GMT -5
The electricity ripped through the air and struck the guns. The officers screamed. Damon leaped from the bench and shouted, “Throw them away!” He then turned to Dante and shoved him to the ground, shielding him with his body. The officers threw their guns back through the windows they’d come through, all except one, who’s arms had been sparking too badly to aim. His gun smacked the window and clattered across the ground, where its ammunition exploded and sent shards its magazine flying in all directions. Shrapnel struck the officers, and they fell to the ground, holding their legs.
Damon and Dante were perfectly fine, having been so far away, and they soon rose up, eyes wide as they stared at the scene. The criminals didn’t seem as hurt as the officers, and the bald man was already on his feet. Without wasting a second, he ran deeper down the alley as fast as he could. Damon sprang up from the ground and reached for the back of his belt. He pulled out his gun, and popped out its magazine, leaving it on the ground, lest he suffer the same punishment as his fellow officers.
“Vasari,” Damon said with a harsh, clear voice. “Call for backup. I’m going after them.” He then tucked his empty gun back in his holster and ran across the street. Although Damon was chubby and slow, he was a broad, powerful guy who would hopefully intimidate the robed man. Even if Damon wasn’t fast enough to catch the bald one, he could at least keep the other officers safe.
Dante, however, was fast enough. He bolted to his feet and brought his handheld to his ear, calling the station. “This is Junior Officer Vasari. We need backup on 22nd street. The ambush failed. We’ve got four officers down and one suspect on foot heading…” Crap. Dante had no idea what direction the bald man was running.
He’d just have to catch him himself. He let the transmission end and just bolted down the street, taking a different alley to avoid the robed man as he tried to chase down the bald one.I figure if Varok makes a break for it like your post seemed to indicate, then Dante will lose the bald man’s trail and run into Varok instead, allowing for a fight of some kind. Let me know if you have another idea o uo)7
|
|
Posts: 10
Preferred Name: Josh
Character Profile: [HERE]
Character Name: Vainamoina
Status: Seeking RPs
|
Post by vainamoina on Jul 29, 2015 21:58:09 GMT -5
The gun hit the ground, and the balding man began to scramble to safety. Vaina believed he would be fine. More electric signals from the spiders reached his ears. Two more men. Well... a man and a boy. The man was large and slow. The boy was small and fast. The gun on the ground was exploding. Quickly, Vaina wrapped his tail around his legs, letting the non-essential muscles take the shrapnel that hit. A bit of pain, but nothing too bad. Easy to fix. The police were injured. Good. His free hand vanished into his robes, grabbing one of the many weapons hidden beneath. A simple flashbang. Primitive technology, but effective. The pin was pulled and the grenade was dropped, hidden by his robe. A quick kick sent it flying out from under the hem of his robes, directly at the large, incoming man. He had no time for this.
The bald man was terrified and running for his life. Hell, he could barely run properly. He was clearly out of shape and most likely malnourished. "P-Please, leave me alone!" He yelled in terror as the younger officer quickly gained on him. He couldn't get away at this pace. People were going to die, and it would be his fault.
Vaina assumed his 'friend' would be in danger. As the grenade flew through the air, he suddenly kicked off of the ground, leaping right at the wall to the right of him. There would be a quick glimpse of scaled, clawed feet before his robe fell over them again. His talons dug into the stone before he kicked off, his leg strength combined with his unusually light body allowing him to soar through the air. For a man who shuffled around so slowly, he knew how to move. He continued at that pace, kicking off of various walls in some strange form of parkour as he gained on his targets. A large shadow would make itself known as Vaina soared over the young officer, kicking from a wall one last time and landing between him and his contact. Still... he seemed unusually calm, not even taking any sort of fighting stance.
"You have one chance, child. Leave him be."
|
|
Civilians
Spear of Cerberus
Posts: 109
Preferred Name: Varmun
Pronouns: He/Him
Character Profile: Character List
Character Name: Dante Vasari
Main Account: Isaac
Status: Active
|
Post by Dante on Jul 30, 2015 14:03:55 GMT -5
Dante kept on the bald man. He vaulted over trash cans and kicked off the walls to get extra height before scaling chain-link fences—just like his brother had taught him. Isaac had, unfortunately, never managed to train Dante's eyes. If he wasn't drifting off into space, he had a tight, narrow focus.
Dante didn't notice the robed man's approach until his shadow flew right in front of him and he came crashing down. "Whoa!" With his shoes squealing like tires, Dante came to a stop inches away from the robed man. He then hopped back, crouching down and raising his arms, looking ready for a fight. The robed man, however, did not.
At the man's command, Dante felt a shiver run down his spine. The man's voice was so strange, and the way he stood there, his arms at his sides and his back straight, made him seem even more imposing than had he drawn a weapon. Was he so confident that he could stop Dante without even taking a stance? Did he have more crazy weapons? Was he super strong? He was fast. That much was certain.
"Sir," said Dante, slowly moving to the left, his arms up and his knees bent. "You are impeding the law, and you… Well, you've broken more laws tonight than I can count." The boy had almost forgotten that—yes—this man was a criminal, too (going back to that narrow focus). "Get down on your knees and put your hands behind your head, or I will have to use force." A bead of sweat rolled down Dante's face. Where was Officer Damon? Where was their backup? What the hell had he just gotten himself into?
|
|
Posts: 10
Preferred Name: Josh
Character Profile: [HERE]
Character Name: Vainamoina
Status: Seeking RPs
|
Post by vainamoina on Jul 31, 2015 0:55:57 GMT -5
"No."
His raspy voice issued the simple response, the man unmoving. His assosciate took the opportunity to bolt off, scared for his life. Not that Vaina minded. He had important cargo to deliver. Shame he didn't have time to sell the other goods. The vials were a freebie. Vaina simply stood and stared his opponent down, burgundy eyes barely visible beneath the shadow of his oversized hat.
"In stopping you, I have saved eighty-four lives. Forty-eight children and thirty-six adults. My actions... are those of justice. My mind and heart are unclouded. Stand. Down."
Vaina... didn't like to talk much. His voice was raspy, unpleasant. Not his own. Well... not originally. After nearly twenty years, he still hadn't gotten used to it. At this range, he could no longer hear the messages from his spiders properly. Regardless, they were programmed to come back to him. They ignored the scene of the short fight, instead scuttling over rooftops on the way back to their master. What happened in and around the alley was no longer Vainamoina's problem.
He stood tall, gazing at the nervous child in front of him. Poor, unfortunate youth. If only he knew the devils he served. He wouldn't kill him. But if he continued to interfere... he would hurt him. There would be no other choice. His stance remained relaxed, as if he didn't regard this young man as a threat in the slightest. He was confident he could escape if need be. That wasn't an issue. The only issue was letting his associate escape unharmed and deliver his important cargo.
Nothing would get in the way of that.
|
|
Civilians
Spear of Cerberus
Posts: 109
Preferred Name: Varmun
Pronouns: He/Him
Character Profile: Character List
Character Name: Dante Vasari
Main Account: Isaac
Status: Active
|
Post by Dante on Jul 31, 2015 14:17:55 GMT -5
"Wh-what?" asked Dante, his arms drooping. His brow rose, and he straightened up a little, becoming more and more confused by the robed man's words. The word "justice" rang in Dante's head, and he felt his heart leap.
"What do you mean?" Dante left his stance completely, looking up at the man, his ocean blue eyes staring curiously into burgundy. "Explain… please." A pit formed in Dante's stomach. Only a few nights ago, he had allowed a thief to go home unpunished. None of the other cops knew he had let it happen. Dante had lied and told them he'd lost the thief. Was he going to have to do that again? Would anyone believe him this time?
Dante shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He didn't know what this man wanted yet. Maybe he did deserve to be arrested. Maybe he didn't. Dante had to find out.
"What did you give the other guy? How is it going to help people?" He bit the corner of his lip, trying to figure out how to get a confession out of this guy. "Other… other officers say Robin Hood stories are always lies. Why should I believe you're helping people?" It was far from a demand, but more of a request. Dante wanted a reason to believe him. "Why would you dress like that and do a trade in an alley with a known criminal? That man's been arrested twice for trading drugs and faulty jacks."
|
|
Posts: 10
Preferred Name: Josh
Character Profile: [HERE]
Character Name: Vainamoina
Status: Seeking RPs
|
Post by vainamoina on Jul 31, 2015 16:30:50 GMT -5
...There was still hope for this child. A poor, misinformed soul. He thought himself on the side of justice. In time, he would have his mind warped by the system... or die trying to change it. Such was the fate of all naive do-gooders in the police force. A raspy sigh left Vaina's mouth as he slowly shook his head. This situation was depressing.
"I dress how I please, and I was selling faulty ports and biological material. A means to an end. Entice with favored goods, add the rest as a gift. My gift will save the lives of many sick people. That is all you need to know. It is imperative he escapes safely and returns with what I have given him."
Slowly, he began to walk toward the confused young officer, his stance still relaxed. His steps were very deliberate, almost giving the impression that he couldn't quite walk properly. He straightened his normally-hunched back, adding to his imposing appearance.
"Our immaculate leaders will not acknowledge the suffering of the poor. We've given the world to devils, and now we wonder why it has become hell. If you truly believe the lies fed to you by those devils.. then you are no better than the rich fools who stand atop this dying city. Call your men off. I would rather not kill today."
That was not a request. It was an order. Despite how he looked, his voice carried a sort of... authority. Whether it was confidence in his own actions or just arrogance... Well, the officer would have to decide that for himself. Vainamoina had faith he would make the right choice. If he did not... Well, he wouldn't be able to help the violence that followed. Force must be met with force.
|
|
