Murder City

[Fluffy]

No matter how often they preyed, their beloved city couldn't receive a single ray of sunshine. Always gray, always dark, always cold... Cledora's more of a prisoner than anything else. Her reputation is foul because of the high crime rates. Her colour is dull because of the gloomy weather. Her people are ordinary because they have no ambitions.

Well, not everyone is ordinary.

Cledora is well known for harboring some of the most powerful, most terrifying villains in the world. Some are drawn to the shady environment. They can embrace it; they can call it home. Better yet, there are civilians to harass. The only heroes are the policemen, due to a ban on powered heroes saving the city. Why hand the responsibility over to people who cause more collateral damage? Especially in a city that isn't properly funded. Outside communities wish that Cledora ceased to exist.

The tainted city was the perfect home for Sandra Gwang, one of the many evil doers who called Cledora her home. To the population, Sandy was as regular as the rest. She's employed at a plant nursery and destined to inherit the shop once the owner retires. Gardening is her hobby. It shows at the house she and her grandmother live in, quite literally outside of the city where there's a more colourful life. A humble neighbourhood that had yet to be touched by the city's depression.

Life was not quite that simple, though. Sandy had other names, one of which was known as Fire Lily.

By night, she was not the cheerful, ready-to-serve woman at the nursery. That identity disgusted her, actually. Having to act so pleased to see people and contain her frustrations with people, so that she wouldn't punch them or set them ablaze. She tolerated people, but more than anything, she hated people.

When she was done with Cledora, she would burn it to the ground and move elsewhere. First, she had to drain it of every last dollar and of every last life. The task would take longer than expected, no thanks to the law breaking super heroes looking to stop her. They were foolish to get in her way! In fact, they should be supporting her. She and the heroes had one thing in common: they lived in a place where everyone hated them.

The moonlight was trying hard to be seen through the thick layers of clouds in the sky tonight. Sandy had a serious expression beneath her silvery gas mask; she was about to enter the home of someone she suspected to be a Hero. One that went by the name of Tsunami. He was water; she was fire. That was a problem she needed to solve once and for all.

With her flamethrower in hand, she confidently rushed through the shadows, avoiding the eyes of any nighttime patrols. She was headed to an apartment building she expected Tsunami to be hiding in. Supposedly, he was too afraid of being jailed to show himself in costume, but Sandy wasn't going to risk defeat any longer. If this was the wrong place with the wrong guy, at least she got to play with fire...

'There.' Her eyes glared through the lenses of her mask when she spotted her intended location. Hastily, she sprinted towards it, hoping the sound of her boots tapping against the pavement would draw no attention.

The targeted resident was at the uppermost floor, if she remembered right. Noticing the fire escape platform above, she unhooked her grappling gun and aimed it at one of the bars. Once it attached, she let the chain reel her up, the process slow because of the extra weight of her weapon. In no time, she made it to the platform, bringing her that much closer to the window she was going to crash through for a surprise attack.

 

[October Knight]

View attachment 3523Through an enormous single pane window, against the backdrop of Cledora, desolate and dark, stood a man. His job as a night clerk at "Speedy's deliver service" was hardly satisfying, but it kept him under the radar and gave him access to very detailed maps of the town. Across the hall, where he stood, was a panel of reflective glass, behind it was the sorting room where the other night workers sorted through various packages and letters from all over the country. In the refection, looking back, was a skinny, but solidly built man of about six feet, with shoulder length blond hair and radiant blue eyes. His chiseled jaw line gave way to a pair of full lips and a well shaped nose. In another life he may have been a model or an actor, but in this one he was a cold hearted villain. His appearance was not in the least bit a precursor of the evil that lied within.



Arthur Stein's stomach was sour with disgust. Although the cold, gray weather perfectly mirrored his feelings, the people in this town made him want to wretch. Just under his skin, the alien metal contracted with his muscles, embedded deep within, much like his hatred for humanity. As of late, the senseless destruction he caused seemed to be the only thing keeping him at bay. At his core, he wanted to die, but the joy his misdeeds brought him was just enough reason to keep going.

When the first rays on diluted light hit the city, it was time for Arthur to go home. Working a Graveyard shift had its perks, staying out of the public eye during the daytime hours was one of them. He lived in a small, one bedroom apartment on the east end of the city. After work, he usually made it home before dawn and was suited up and ready for raise hell soon after. It wasn't everyday he attacked the city, just enough to keep his inner demons at bay. The so called 'super heroes' were a joke to Arthur, their foiled attempts had been a nuisance for so long that the cops actually banned them. The essence of a smile carved its self into the corner of his mouth at this thought.

View attachment 3524When Six emerged from the shadows he was dressed just as he felt: Dark and menacing. Over his face was a flesh colored mask of a truly hideous face, with emphasis on terror. Dark empty eye's hung low on his forehead and a mouth was formed into a constant, downward scowl. All over his body were small cuts from where he most often shot his metal tendons from, these were located on both his wrists, in four places on his back, on either side of his spine, and just under his chest in the Solar Plexus area.

Six was a machine, a killing machine.
​

He ran with the speed of ten men and had the strength of a hundred, his body, while well built, had the benefit of many artificial parts, constructed from the alien metal Grantinite, within his flesh colored shell, the entire right side of his body was as hard as steel.


This particular morning, Six made his way down the alleys of the more or less abandoned lower east side. His arms pumping at his sides as he leapt onto the side of a building and catapulted himself off a staircase onto the top on a moving semi truck, he laid low just as it went into a long, tunneled under pass. In the darkness, save for the early morning commuters head lights, Six turned over on his back. The tunnel was backed up with cars, as it always was, and people were rushed and in a hurry to get off to work.

Six tingled with anticipation just as the moment to strike arose.

​

Still on his back, on top of the semi truck, with both arms out stretched now, he let loose with two thick cords of metal tendon. They shot out like metal whips toward the cars below. He heard the sound of metal on metal, and then screaming as the cords from his arms punctured through the cars below and wrapped themselves tightly around the frame of the vehicles. Next, he used the leverage to get to his feet, at the same time, retracting the metal cords. The cars whipped up in air like toy hot wheels as Six crushed them together directly over his head, shattered glass rained down on him, and under his mask was the lunatic smile of a deranged psychopath. He threw the cars forward and released his metal tendons at the same second so they flew through the tunnel underpass and landed some thirty feet away, impacting with other cars as well as one poor man on a motorcycle, whos screams echoed and reverberated through the tunnel.

Six turned now and gazed out upon the sea of cars lined up in the darkness. Just another morning stuck in traffic being assaulted by a villain in the city of Cledora, and Six was just getting started.

 

[Fluffy]

The grappling gun was returned to her belt, where there was a pistol for just-in-case moments. That was all she needed, aside from the second belt hanging in a diagonal position across her chest where her flamethrower ammunition was kept. In reach of strangers, sure, but what would they do with it once they obtained it? They were specially made for her weapon only.

Anyone who happened to see what was going on, would spot a flash of red crashing through a window. Shards of glass scattered mid-air, some falling to the ground many stores below, others falling to the carpet of her target's home. Fire Lily aimed her flamethrower at the bed, since she had crashed into the bedroom, assuming this man would be asleep still.

There was no one slumbering, though.

Cautiously, she walked through the bedroom, stepping on litter along the way. There were several liquid containers on the floor; beer cans, water bottles, orange juice cartons... Doubtlessly, this was Tsunami's place. He was well known by his civilian co-workers to drink a lot, no matter what the beverage was! So as long as they were cold drinks, from what she learned. He was probably the only adult that didn't like coffee.

Something else caught her attention. A noise... A weather man... The television was on! Smirking beneath her mask, Fire Lily made a charge to the living room, where she saw a man speaking loudly to the police. In one hand, he had the phone. In the other, he had a glass of grape juice. He heard the crash in his bedroom and immediately called the cops, probably. How cowardly! Disgraceful!

With a tight grip on her weapon, Sandy swiftly swung it at the man so she could interrupt the call for help. The phone fell from his hand, as did his drink, but not him. Instead, he turned purely into water so he was a puddle on the kitchen floor. That way, he'd receive no damage from her attack. While he regained the shape of a human being, Sandy unplugged his telephone and pushed it off the counter, its fall causing an obnoxious crash.

"L-Listen, I don't want trouble! I just want to follow the rules and not get caught! Want a normal life, y'know? Tsunami is dead. Just call me--"

"Lucas, I know. Lucas Baxter. I know everything about you," she interrupted, taking a few steps closer to him. "What if you're lying? What if one day, you back me into a corner, just like this, and kill me?"

Lucas made a terrified swallow. He was indeed backed into a corner, trapped between the white wall and Fire Lily herself. If he wanted to live, he would have to fight her. At least long enough until the police arrived. Or, maybe he could escape! There was an open window in his bedroom now; he could make a run for it.

The thought of escaping was too much of a distraction, though. He didn't see her gloved fist launching at his face, causing a painful sounding crack to his jaw and a loud 'thud' against the wall. A burn mark was left behind; her fist was engulfed with flames. "Son a bitch!" he screamed, holding a hand to the wound.

Hastily, his other hand reached out, pointing at his kitchen sink. The faucet made a clattering sound before bursting into a stream of water that shot directly at Fire Lily. It bought him enough time to scramble away from her while she frustratingly tried to step away from the water. But to no avail. It had wrapped around her wrist like a rope!

With an angry yell, she used her free hand to point her flamethrower at the carpet of his living room. At the pull of the trigger, it was set on fire, creating a wall of flames that blocked his path.

"You're not going anywhere!" she hissed, firing her weapon again, but this time, directly at Tsunami. In the background, smoke detectors screamed, and neighbours were already going into panic mode.

A duel between water and fire was taking place right in the kitchen of an apartment building.

 

[October Knight]

View attachment 3542Six stood, head cocked back, eye's closed and arms outstretched. He looked almost like a deranged preacher about to give some ungodly sermon, unfortunately for the early morning drivers, the only sermon he would give was one on destruction. A light breeze blew in through the tunnel, it was carrying in the sweet smell of the near by Sea mixed with car exhaust, cigarette smoke and fast food; The smells of the city. Six had been in a dreadful mood all morning, feelings of bitterness swept through him like a fire through dry brush. His emotions, which he kept bottled up while working, were at the billing point. He shot out four metal cords at once, two again from his wrists and two from his back, they shot out like a spring off its coil into the windows of four separate cars, the screams of shock and terror were like a beautifully constructed harmonic symphony to his ears. Glass shattered and metal twisted as Six drew back his metal tendon and jumped gracefully from the top of the semi. He heard the sounds of doors locking as he walked between the rows of parked cars.



If it wasn't obvious before, it surely was now. Six is a madman with no agenda other than the suffering of humans. What he refers to as humans, anyway. While in his 'Arthur Stein' persona, he walks among them during his job and in public, but as Six he is nothing but a spiteful killer with seemingly no emotion.

Six walked towards the other end of the tunnel. He walked like a man on a Sunday stroll through the park; In no hurry, enjoying himself greatly. He got to the other end and turned, with the light from the early rising sun at his back, arms poised, and about to unleash another wave of metal hell upon his victims. Then something caught his eye. Something flying through the air, a man with a long pike in his hand and a scarlet headband with the words "Victus" printed across it in bright red letters. Six reeled back, and cocked his arms, away from the cars and at the self proclaimed "Flying hope" instead. His arch nemesis.

Victus "The flying hope", whos real name is Carl Wright, is another Super hero living within the boundaries of Clemdora. He has been tracking Six for months now, trying to put an end to him and his reckless ways. This was just one of many encounters they had had against each other, it seemed like Victus had taken a personal vendetta against Six. Six, on the other hand, felt that Victus was nothing more than a mild nuisance.

"Victus, you prick. Just when things were getting good!" Six fired two cords of the alien metal from his wrists directly at Victus. One was knocked away and sent recoiling back into Six's body, the other struck Victus in the side and proceeded to wrap around his chest like a hungry boa constrictor. Six squeezed his tendons and tightened it up, coiling Victus in, with long cords of metal, before slamming him to the ground.

"Mwahahahah. The flying hope?" Six said sarcastically with his mechanical like voice "You've been grounded, my friend"

Six proceeded to reel him in like a fish when the sound of Sirens blazed into the early morning air.

The police. The local police force added an interesting element to the situation, not only did they chase the Villains, but also the super heros. So at once, both Six and Victus were at odds with each other..in a truly unique way. Above all else, neither wanted to be caught and risk exposure.

Six released the stunned Victus and said, mockingly.

"How nice of your friends to join the party, Til next time, you flying fool." Six gave him a hefty kick to the ribs before turning to flee.

View attachment 3543He ran like a cheetah, catching quite a bit of air after jumping off the low bridge on the other side of the tunnel. From there he landed on the bank below and headed to the business district with the sounds of sirens slowly fading in the distance. The gears in his body pumped viciously, but Six was far from winded as he made his way to 13th street where the old, completely abandoned, train station was located. This was a place that Six came often, while running from one of the many Super heroes or the cops. It was a place of refuge for him, but more than that, it was a sanctuary. For years now it had been his one place that he could come without fear of being caught or confronted by the many that wished to see an end put to his lunatic rampage.

 

[Fluffy]

Fighting in a burning building was a perfect battlefield for Fire Lily. Especially against somebody who couldn't function very well in heated environments. Tsunami was struggling to conjure up water from his own self, so he made use of what was in the kitchen until he could get an escape plan. The two of them fought the good old fashioned way, fists against fists, with the occasional flamethrower nozzle to the face.

Sandy Gwang was an expert in taekwando. She attended her classes regularly, practicing for hours after her schoolwork. At first, it was to learn self-defense and get more in touch with her Korean roots. After a while, it just became a method to hurt people. Some sort of fighting style was required of someone who was going to put on a mask and create chaos, after all.

During this time, her taekwando was frustrating Lucas to no end.

Sirens began to scream outside, causing the two fighters to pause. Funny enough, she had a flaming fist stopped right above his chest while he was about to make the kitchen sink explode in a geyser of water to put out the flames in his home. Neither of them went through with their plans, though. They needed to scram!

"I can't believe you called the cops, you idiot! They want to arrest you too!" she said harshly to the super hero, shoving him aside so she could make a run for it. Police men didn't scare her... Firemen did, though. They were going to soak this building with high pressured water; she wasn't keen on getting in the middle of it.

Spotting the window she broke into earlier, she rushed towards it, able to run through the fire without harm. Her suit was fire resistant, plus it took a lot of heat to actually burn her. One of these days, she wanted to move to the southern states, where it didn't always rain... Sandy preferred sunshine and droughts.

The leap out the window was going to be skillful and graceful, until a jet of water came streaming at her, coiling around her body quickly. This was the body of Tsunami, trying desperately to trap Fire Lily so she'd be brought to justice. If he could remain in this form, maybe he could disguise as a puddle and--

Well, that wouldn't work.

The two of them made a crash into a dumpster, his fluid body no longer holding her. Without thinking, the two of them climbed out, sprinting across the street. She was trying to escape; he was trying to catch her.

"Hey, they're supers!" someone called out, pointing at the scene of a fleeing duo.

Within seconds, Fire Lily had a superhero and a squad of cops chasing her. She continued to run until she could separate from them, or at least half of them. Unfortunately for her, her pursuers were crazy enough to chase her all over town. They made chase to the more abandoned parts of the city, where a train station was being dominated by overgrowth and buildings were turning to ruins.

Sandy was panting behind her mask, enough to fog up the lenses! There had to be a place to hide around here. More than anything, to catch her breath.

 

[October Knight]

View attachment 3585The air was quite around the abandoned train yard as a light breeze swam through the air, bringing with it a sense of tranquility after the brutal scene at the freeway under pass. Senseless destruction was like a sedative for Six, it wasn't normal, but then again, neither was he.

The villain leaned up against an old box car with his head tilted back, staring at the the old dusty cobwebs and rats nests that lined the rickety wooden roof. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Although most of his body was composed of gears and metal, he was still able to naturally create adrenalin. After he exerted himself there was always a necessary cool down period, this was the time he spent in deep thought, planning and plotting evil doings.

In the distance he heard the sound of sirens again, they whirred and whooped and seemed to be getting closer. A tinge of fury rose up inside him. He thought for sure they were occupied with Victus in the underpass, hadn't they they had gone the other way?

"What the…."

Six only had a moment to react as the scene set itself before his eyes. The first thing he saw was the Villain Fire Lily with that super fool Tsunami close on her tail. Before he had time to react in anyway to this, red and blue lights lit up the train yard and a loud speaker erupted through air.

"Attention, this is the CCPD (Clemdora city police department) we have you surrounded, come out with your hands up and no one needs to be hurt"

​

'Was that a threat?', thought Six. These uniform wearing fools were hardly in any position to make threats. The police were wholly ignored as the Supers measured each other up.
​

"Shit…."

The air was heavy as Six glanced to his left where Fire Lily stood. Although he aligned himself with no one, he couldn't help but feel a mutual understanding between he and her. After all, if sides were to be taken in this odd stand off, it would be Fire lily's that he choose.

As the thickness of the situation no doubt impacted upon them all, another twist was added to the mix. From their right side came the ripping sound of multiple police cars, more cops? And in came Six's nemesis, Victus. Under Six's mask a slight smile was forming, good, he thought, let's do this. Victus, dressed in his usual attire of a scarlet suit with a matching headband across his face that read 'Victus' in bright red letter, gripped his pike with fury and righteousness in his eyes.

The four Supers now stood, Victus and Tsunami on one side of the Box car, Six and Fire Lily on the other. Cops were lined up, weapons drawn on either end.

Things were moment away from total destruction as Six felt the metal cords in his arms begging to be let out.
​

 

[Fluffy]

There really was nowhere to hide, unless something could distract her pursuers. They were determined to capture her at any cost, it seemed. That was inspiring, in a way. Not everyone has given up hope on the dark, depressing Cledora. It was a shame she'd be burning it to the ground someday.

Fire Lily rushed to a broken down car that was half buried in the dirt, many tangled weeds growing over it. She ran to the front of it, which was pointing at the sky, and made a jump into the air with the nozzle of her flamethrower pointed at her chasers. A huge wave of flame spat out of the weapon, engulfing a portion of the police crowd. Their voices were loud with anguish as their bodies perished in the fire, their comrades staring in disbelief at the sight. They did not even notice the red suited beauty twirling gracefully in the air, only to land safely on her feet nearby a fellow villain.

He called himself Six, if her memory served correctly. That's about all she knew about him.

"You bitch!" One of the scrawnier, but bolder, cops shouted while shakily pointing his gun at her. "You just murdered husbands and fathers!"

"Pfff, please. Spare me the touching details," she said harshly, her voice metallic behind her mask.

A quick look was made to Six, who she was now standing next to. She wasn't going to threaten or warn him; they had no reason to be enemies. They fought for similar reasons, she assumed. Plus, she didn't need to make more foes. The meddling heroes and the police force were enough.

Tsunami was glaring at Fire Lily with a look of hatred, his body still entirely made of water. That was for the best, so none of the civilians would know his identiy.

There was some conflict now: aim for the supers or the villains?

"It's your fault, waterboy. Those cops could have lived another day if you didn't call them over!" Fire Lily taunted him, clearly excited to do more damage, just like Six.

"That... That isn't true!" he protested, angrily sending a splash of water in her direction. She held up her flamethrower in defense. The water hit against it quite powerfully, but caused no harm to her or her weapon. A gloved hand then reached out, a ball of fire forming above the palm.

"Did you want to play too? I have plenty of friends here," she said to Six, smirking under her mask.

 

[October Knight]

View attachment 3594Six watched, for the moment very much enthralled with Fire Lily's seemingly complete disregard for human life. He would have almost used the word impressed, but as a super villain he too wanted to show off his hatred for humanity and everything it represented. That super prick Victus was looking at Six with the eye's of a man who wanted revenge, so Six started with him, after nodding slowly at Fire Lily in response to her offer. All in all there is nothing more on this earth that Six wanted than to 'play'.

"Victus. Why didn't you stay where you were like a good boy."

At the same time he let loose with two metal cords from his back, they slithered through the air like mechanical snakes towards Victus. The first one went past him and into the chest of some poor, unsuspecting cop, sending blood and gore flying in a fine mist behind him. The other one wrapped around Six's super nemesis. He pulled Victus into the air and dropped him, face down towards the ground, then stopped at the last minute.
​

"After all this time, Victus, why haven't you given up? I am far superior to you in every way and you have become quite the nuisance."
​

At that moment, Gunfire erupted as the police opened fire, not their small side arms either, they were packing assault rifles. The crack of the high caliber weapons sang out loud in the abandoned train yard, and Six knew that another retreat may very well be in order. However, first thing was first, he hurdled Victus at the cops, sending a group of them flying like human bowling pins. Six watched as Victus flew off into the, sky. For now that was one less problem to deal with. Before he completely retracted the metal tendon, he hooked it onto one of the old freight cars, tearing off multiple layers of wood and metal, the layers fell and landed in the direct line of sight of the police. For a moment they would be covered from bullets, but that wouldn't last long as the cops were already regrouping.

Six turned to Fire lily

"I don't know about you, but this isn't my kind of party."

Just then the cops broke through and had them Surrounded. That little punk Tsunami was still around here somewhere too. They needed a way out.

 

[Fluffy]

The sphere of fire continued to grow at her palm, her fingers beginning to tremble from strain. Conjuring flames into a particular shape took a lot of concentration. So much, that her observation of Six was limited. Not every movement he made could be followed, or even processed. Enough told her that he was letting bodies hit the floor, though. That's all the information she needed to keep building in the fireball!

A laugh echoed in her mask as she watched one of the police men perish. Blood misted in the air, sprinkling over everyone like rain. Not to be a concern, really. It would rain from the sky soon enough to wash them off. In Cledora, it rained everyday.

With a fierce yell, Fire Lily launched the fiery sphere at her enemies. The moment it hit the ground, their bodies set ablaze, as did the grass. Their vehicles went flying in the air from the fireball's heavy impact, the massive weight of the cars crushing any surviving officers that desperately tried to put out the fire. An excited cackle could be heard as she watched the group panic.

Though, it ended sooner than she hoped. Tsunami doused the burning men with water. Some of them were already dead, others were just severely burned, or in the process of dying.

Not much later did the cops pull out their heavy weapons and prepare to fire at all four powered beings. The main targets were Fire Lily and Six, unfortunately, since their intentions were only bad. Defensively, she threatened the circling group of police with her flamethrower, her eyes searching around for her water element nemesis.

"Yeah... Party's over," she agreed with Six. They needed to act fast! An idea was quickly hatching in her mind. She felt it would be better to die trying instead of letting them be captured.

"You're strong, yes? I've heard rumours of a guy with the strength of a hundred or something like that," Fire Lily started to say, her voice fast. There was no time to explain her plan, though, nor did she was to reveal it in front of these people. So, she bent her knees so she could spring into the air, using her flamethrower as something to push off of when she did. Gracefully, she landed on Six's shoulders. She felt silly for sitting on them, but it's what she came up with.

"Quick, hand me my flamethrower. And then charge through these motherfuckers! Like a football player trying to score a touchdown!"

 

[October Knight]

View attachment 3619Being a police officer in Cledora wasn't a good job to have if you liked things such as having time off, raising a family or simply being alive, for that matter. Last years census report put the life expectancy of Cledora's finest in about the 22 percentile. And as the two Villains reaped hell upon them, it was no surprise. Six's eyes shifted now to Victus, seeing as Fire Lily was more than capable of handling the cops. He saw that Victus again had his eye's set on him.

Six raised his hand, palm up, and gave Victus the 'Come on then' gesture. The super Hero made a B line towards him, his pike in front of him. Six swung his arm, letting another cord of metal tendon fly out and wrap around Victus' legs. He then swung him around like a Yo-Yo being misused by a child, and lthen released him into another near by abandoned train. Victus crashed through the window, and if it was not for his super powers he would have surly been dead, or at the least broken into a useless heap, but instead he was on his feet within a few seconds and already preparing another charge. Fortunately, it seemed that the cops had their eyes on him because they opened fire upon the Super hero, causing him to take cover under the rubble.

Six was ready, more than ever, to get the hell out of here. So when Fire lily jumped on his shoulders he didn't think twice. Being from Germany, her reference to American foot ball stumped him for a moment, but he soon realized what she meant and charged towards the cops, his arms pumping at his sides and his metal tendon at the ready. They were like some sort of flame throwing Juggernaut, it would no doubt take a hell of a lot to stop them and Six had no intention of stopping.

The cops saw them charging towards them and immediately took cover, the only logical course of action.

The abandoned train yard sat on a grassy hillside that had steep cliffs that looked down on the western side of the city. Six, running at full speed, headed towards the cliff. It was easily a hundred foot drop to the buildings below.

"Hold on"

said Six, a tinge of excitement in his voice as he leapt off the edge, catching a fair amount of hang time in the process. The ground rushed up below them as Six prepared for the landing on one of the higher buildings. His feet connected with the roof, cracks and abrasions instantly formed where his feet impacted the concrete. A rush of adrenaline was coursing through his veins as he let Fire Lily off and turned to face her.
​

"That was fun, good thing for you I was there"

Said Six, slightly mocking the fact that she had done most of the work in their escape.
​

 

[Fluffy]

A relieved sigh could be heard when she jumped from Six's shoulders. The experience was a little scary, but exciting nonetheless! Together, they pulverized the do-gooders and lit them aflame. She was surprised at how well everything went. It was as if they were meant for a partnership, at least once, because of how well their abilities helped each other. Strangely enough, she felt she could trust him. Even during the risk she took of falling off of him in their hasty escape.

Flamethrower in hand, she turned to face him, taking the time to look him over. She never did get the opportunity to take in his image. There was something futuristic about him; not just because of the metallic accessories. His style resembled something of an outer-space alien. To her, at least. Especially after witnessing his fighting style. Those extensions that shot out of his body were fascinating.

"Yes, that was fun," she agreed, tilting her head. "Thank you so much for helping me. We make a good time.

I'm sure I could have handled it, though."

Fire Lily didn't want his ego too expand too much. She could sense the arrogance in his voice, which she was dealing with calmly so she wouldn't enter a rage that would end with him being set on fire. She probably could have handled her situation solo, but it still would have ended badly in some form. The woman was just too stubborn and self-confident to admit it.

A curious question then came to mind: "Why was Vict-ass harassing you? The Supers don't come out so much anymore, so it was a surprise to see him..."

Fire Lily didn't know if he'd be amused by her crude nickname for the hero, nor did she think about it. She called him that name so often, she didn't notice the difference anymore.

There were plenty more questions for him, however she didn't want to keep him for too long. He probably had someplace to go; she didn't want to interfere with his plans. She had an agenda, too. It would be time for work in a couple of hours.

 

[October Knight]

View attachment 3637The gray outline of the city stood out below them, as thick clouds threatened to erupt overhead. Six loved the gray, cold weather. He thought that part of it was due to the reality that most people -normal people- enjoyed clear sunny days. Six relished the fact that they were unhappy, after all, wasn't that what being a super villain was all about? Six knew that many Villains strived for power and wealth, but never him. He was a curl and selfish person, caring only about the suffering of others. He would fight the Super Heros, but ultimately he lived to make the average human's life a living nightmare. The super heros were more of a distraction to Six.

After the rush of battle had died down, Six began to notice, for the first time, that Fire Lily was very fit. The way her tight, red suit fit over the curves of her body and just the overall way she held herself, with confidence and pride, was very attractive. He felt a familiar heat in his body, one he hadn't felt for a long time. He got lost in a momentary fantasy, involving them in a variety of creative positions on top of the roof overlooking the city, but he was snapped back as soon as she spoke.

He laughed, low and guttural, at her nick name for Victus.

"The bastard has taken my defeat upon himself, it would seem. It all started when I attacked downtown on new years a few years back. The place was packed with people enjoying the evening and celebrating, truly disgusting."

Six sighed, but it sounded more like exhaust being let out of a high horse power engine.

"I had just trashed the civic center when Victus showed up. It turns out he was already downtown at the time, probably secretly helping the police with crowd control or some other equally worthless do-gooder bullshit, when he attempted to stop me. Needless to say he was unsuccessful, but ever since he has been a thorn in my backside."

He turned to her, trying his best not to let his eyes, even though they were covered by his mask, wander to far south of her neck.

"I guess it is obvious why Tsunami was on your tail? Fire and water seem to be sworn enemies"
​

 

[Fluffy]

Six's explanation on his relationship with Victus was most interesting. More than that, she was interested in the way he talked about it. He called the celebrations of the night 'disgusting', and he mentioned 'trashing a civic center'. News on such a spoiled event was aired on television some time ago, she remembered. She had no idea this man in front of her was the cause, though!

The whole ordeal made sense, too. Through the lenses of her gas mask, she looked over the bulk of Six. It was no wonder he was able to charge through those cops earlier! Let alone bring destruction to a building with his bare hands, like he said. She wished she could have been around to witness it for herself.

Fire Lily couldn't help but wonder why he was so hateful of humanity. Every villain had their reasons for it. This one made her most curious, though. From what lied beneath that armour, to his back-story. Something tragic had to have happened to make him so passionate about murdering. That was an exciting touch to his personality, she had to admit. She took great fun in setting fire to structures and the bodies of people, both the guilty and the innocent. This connection she felt with him was alien, though. She never did get into conversation with other villains.

"Ah, yeah. You've guessed it. Tsunami is the bane of my existence. He doesn't yet realize just how easily he can kill me with his water hocus pocus, so I'm trying to kill him while he remains oblivious. What's funny is he's actually afraid of me. He always tries to flee when we're fighting one-on-on, but when he's got allies, he mans up."

Just talking about her situation with that damn Tsunami made her frustrated. It was easy to note in a sigh she made, the exhale so heavy that it made her helmet fog up briefly. The grip on her flamethrower went tighter, too. So tight that one of her fists were shaking. Nothing irritated her more than cowardly superheroes. She'd rather be fatally wounded in a battle with one, instead of chase one all over the city until he was nowhere to be found.

"Anyway... If you didn't know already, I'm called Fire Lily," she said in a friendly voice, though her anger was still detectable in her speaking. She was trying to keep her rage contained, and move onto a different, simpler subject. A gloved hand even reached out to him to shake, if he wanted to. It was a tradition she picked up on from her American mother.

 

[October Knight]

Six stood, stunned, for the moment staring at Fire Lily's out stretched hand. However, it didn't take him long to realize that it was a gesture of kindness..…

"Nice to meet you"

The words felt strained in his throat, like swallowing shards of glass. He shook her hand.

"I am Six"

What came next? This was foreign: Meeting someone out of his element like this, it had been so long.
​

View attachment 3678Six felt a strange sensation while talking to the fellow villain. It was something he hadn't felt since he was human. There was a word for it, something buried deep within his partially metal body. Something that he faked during the long hours at his job at the delivery office. Friendship. It was friendship, however unlike the mock relationships he had with some of his co-workers, this felt real. This felt like true conversion, he was opening up, ever so slightly, and she was responding with genuine kindness. It was beautiful, in a way, and under the slowly rising sun, Six hoped that they could kill together again, very soon.

Six heard the far off whine of sirens. Although he was pretty sure it was ambulances going to the abandoned train yard to collect those that they had left, mortally wounded and otherwise, he still didn't wish to be around when they started looking. The last thing he wanted -or needed- was to fight it out with the cops for the third time in one day!

It was mid morning now, a time when Six, more than anything else, liked to sleep. Some months back he installed black-out curtains over his windows, and thick padding around the walls to blur out the noise from outside. It made sleeping all day a very worthwhile experience.

Six cast a long look over his shoulder, looking back only when the sirens seemed to be getting closer.

"I think it's time we left. I would thank you for your help, but I think it goes without saying."

He headed to the ledge of the building, and from there would head back to his apartment. Then after that, to work.

"Until next time, Fire Lily"
​

 

[Fluffy]

Fire Lily immediately took notice to how much larger his hand was in comparison to hers. This man named Six could defeat her in a duel to the death, probably. Physically, she was meek, and she was certain he could survive against her flames. The acceptance of her hand was a valuable symbol, therefore. This person would be an ally at most; someone she could trust to not stab her in the back. Of course, should he ever try it, she'd stab him right back.

The sun was getting higher in the sky. A sign that they needed to make themselves hidden and cut their conversation short. Fire Lily was mildly disappointed about that. The company of Six was welcomed. This was the first real connection she felt with someone in years. They would meet again at some point, though. She was positive about that.

"Until next time," she replied with a nod, watching him make his exit at the ledge. Fire Lily walked to the opposite end of the building to make an exit of her own.

-----

There was a message for Sandy when she returned home. From her grandmother, to be exact. The old woman always called to tell her what she did the other day and to ask how the house was doing. Her grandma was traveling with a pair of friends on a trip that went planned for years. The absence of the woman was nice, really. There was less hiding to do, less to be careful of.

The nursery closed at seven and she didn't need to be there until noon, so there was enough time for a nap. She needed to stay behind to close shop, anyway. Customer service was not a favourite of hers, but she did enjoy caring for the plants. A strange characteristic to her, she always thought. Someone who could kill a plant in a single touch to make it burst into flames... Yet, was so gentle to them. Caring of them, too.

With that thought on her mind, she set her alarm clock to wake her in a couple of hours and instantly went to sleep.

 

[October Knight]

View attachment 3739Six moved with the speed and agility of a well trained mercenary, although he wasn't, his enhancements were a serious benefit when he needed to cover great distance in a short amount of time. He hopped fences, jumped over parked cars and sprinted at full speed until he reached his apartment building. He lived on the top floor, so all he needed to do was climb through the fire escape and make his way down the hall. There was never anyone out at this time, since most of his neighbors worked during the day, but he was still cautious.

Once inside, he immediately took off his Villain gear and hung it in a secret compartment in his closet. Outside the early mourning sun was rising, but inside, with black-out curtains over the windows, Six stood naked in front of the mirror. He would always do this after 'changing back' looking at his refection helped him make the switch from Six to Arthur. There were goosebumps over his skin, as he tensed up against the cold morning air. The small incisions where the metal tendons shot from were raw, as they always were after using them.

View attachment 3740He walked across the apartment and to the bathroom, where he cranked the shower on full heat.

The hot water felt good as it cascaded off his body and washed all the tension from his muscles. He thought about what had happened and about Fire Lily. He wondered, briefly, how normal people interacted with each other and realized how much he hated them all. After the shower, Arthur emerged, no longer Six, but instead the person he was born. An unassuming man with a very mild German accent.

 

[Fluffy]

Right after her nap, Sandra drove over to work. The nursery she worked at was named Oasis. Nothing too creative, but was still something easy for customers to remember. Referring acquaintances to someplace named Oasis... It seemed productive to the shop owner. And it was. There was no garden shop more popular than this one. Even Sandy herself took pride in the certificates hung up on the walls.

For the next several hours, she tended to the plants and trees, while also making sales. The only employees at Oasis were herself, a middle aged mother and the old woman, who owned the shop. They all got along fairly well. She loved her job, she really did, she just loathed pretending to like everyone. Aside from her passion for gardening, she just needed a 'normal' routine to follow. That would make her much less suspicious when authorities went searching for villains.

This day, she was a little more distant than usual. There was a lot on her mind involving someone in particular. Six was that one. She kept wondering when she would see him again and if they would be able to have a longer conversation. Eliminating him from Cledora was not desirable, which was an alarming factor for her. The good, the bad and the innocent; she intended to wipe them all out eventually.

Huffing to herself, she tossed the watering can from her hand. These thoughts in her mind were frustrating her. There was a terrifyingly angry expression on her face. The flying watering can smacked against some gardening tools that were propped up against a wall, the loud impact making her heart jump and her irritation subside. She rushed over to collect the fallen tools while muttering curse words to herself.

"Sandy, what happened? I heard a crash." spoke the old woman, after stepping outside to see Sandra.

"Just a clumsy accident. No big deal!" Sandy replied nervously, flashing a quick smile after gathering everything and putting it away. The watering can was left unharmed, thankfully. There was no evidence of her tossing it in the mini rage.

"Oh, good. I'd hate it if you got hurt. Anyway, I'm going home now. It's getting dark. The key for closing up shop is on the counter."

"All right, Linda. Be safe."

The two of them nodded and the woman was off, leaving Sandra to her work. For the next hour or two, she finished tending to her work. Closing time was in that same amount of time; she hoped to finish sooner than that so she wouldn't be around after closing. She decided she would go for a walk instead of go straight home, anyhow. Maybe get some dinner, too. She didn't feel like cooking...

 

[October Knight]

View attachment 3776Arthur got dressed, putting on a black cotton shirt with a V cut neck line and a pair of faded denim jeans. Around his waist was a black leather belt with a nickel and gold buckle. He glanced in the mirror before heading out the door, 'looking sharp as always', he thought. Arthur had always been a little narcissistic, but it wasn't really who he was, instead it was more of an act he put on to fool himself into thinking he had normal human emotion….weird as it was, this is how Arthur was able to function in society.

As he walked down the stairs that led outside, to down town Cledora, a light mist had started to fall from the gray skies overhead. Arthur smiled, in Villain form or human form, the man loved rain. Despite his recent attack in the underpass, which would have normally left him happy and content, he felt a strange sense of longing, this was unusual for Arthur. On a normal day he usually would have stayed inside, under the cover of his black out curtains, until nightfall, at which time he would get ready for his mindless job at the delivery office. But today…something felt different. He couldn't put his finger on what it was, only that he did not feel like his self.

He kept under the eaves and overhangs as the rain picked up and far off thunder exploded on the horizon, sending streaks of blue and yellow electricity across the sky. It was nearing dusk now, and Arthur saw that many of the shops were beginning to close. Almost time for him to go to work. He continued on his way when something in one of the windows caught his eye. It was a flower in a store window, a Lily.

Fire Lily

The two beautiful words sang in his head as he caught himself mouthing the syllables of her name. For a moment he stood there, absently looking at the flower, then he glanced up at the sign.

Oasis.

He walked inside and saw a young lady preparing to close.


"Excuse me, if you are still open I have a question about that flower in the window..I believe it is a Lily? I was just wondering how well those do indoors. I live in an apartment with no balcony, so an outside garden is out of the question for me."

Arthur wanted it, he hadn't made the complete connection yet, but it was mostly due to the fact that it was her name.

He couldn't get her out of his head.
​

 

[Fluffy]

The ring of a bell made Sandra freeze. It was a little gold instrument hanging off the door, to alert workers of incoming customers. She was in the middle of removing her name tag, too! A name tag that read 'Sandy' with a smiley face at the end.

"Oh, that one?" She put on a smile while walking away from the cash register so she could get a closer look at the lily he mentioned. Luckily, the flower was distracting enough from the man himself. With him being the only other person in the shop, it was easy to be caught staring. She admitted, he was charming...

The flower he asked about was a Kaffir Lily. A lovely flower with a beautiful shade of red, living in a plain black pot. Briefly, she made a sneer. That flower should not be in the window! The other employee Linda hired must not know her plants too well. Though, the act was understandable. Such a pretty plant should be displayed proudly instead of hidden amongst the others.

Coincidentally, another name for the flower was fire lily.

"One of my favourites. This plant prefers shade, actually. No need for a fancy garden. They can go anywhere in your home as long as the sun isn't beating down on them. They look nice on shady patios, too. Pretty easy to take care of! Just need to water it whenever the soil is dry," she explained, and took the potted flower into her hands. Hopefully she didn't just bore him with the details of the plant. "Did you want to buy it?"

"Oh, and... It's poisonous. But that shouldn't be too alarming, unless you have a curious cat or something," she added with a smirk, then turned to take it to the counter. Even if he wasn't going to purchase it, she was going to bring it to a more comfortable spot of the shop.

 

[October Knight]

View attachment 3806Arthur nodded, not at all bored with her description of the plant. He listened intently to all the specifications about the flower. A slight tinge of a smile creeping across his face at the mention of it being poison. That was nice, thought Six inside Arthur's head. It was like that sometimes for Arthur. While he was in 'normal' attire, he felt as if Six was just a voice in his head, waiting to be released.

As she spoke, something about her voice made him feel comfortable, a way he normally never felt around other people. He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

"Yes, I'll take it. It's very nice. Could you by chance hold it for me until tomorrow? I am on my way to work."

Arthur paused for a moment, then added

"Maybe if I'm lucky my neighbors cat will try and eat it." Referring to it being poisoned.

Arthur almost starting laughing, but then caught himself. That comment had been made by Six. Arthur quickly corrected

"Of course I kid."

A light red shade rose high on his cheek bones. He felt slightly flushed, it angered him. It angered him that he would say something in front of a 'normal' person, why had he said it? Something about her, but what was it? Arthur felt like he was cracking up, she was just a lady working at a local plant shop for christ sake, sure she was well put together and attractive, but why her?

The words were out of his mouth before Arthur had a chance for his brain to react. For a split second he wished he could of had them back.

"Would you like to get some coffee with me at Starbucks down the street?"

It was nearing 8pm, Arthur knew, but he didn't have to be at work until 9. He guessed that his encounter with Fire Lily that morning had left him in need of pursuing company with the opposite sex.