Ludger pulls his watch back away from the man, Giving him a look. "It's not for sale. the thing is cursed." He states trying to come up with as short and simple a halftruth as he can to break the man off of him. Besides, There are more important things you have to worry about then aquiring a new Watch, No?" If ludger had been his parrallel future self he probably would have sold it to thr man and then overused his power while it would convert them into a divergence catalyst before himself again, But indeed, Ludger has more morality than Victor.
@Thuro 116 Pendragon @ all. (Long delay in poat due to losing it in alerts and then recieving no more alerts. Sowwyy.)
In their respective places both Jack and John suddenly snorted for no reason, providing evidence of the oft forgotten fact that once they'd been the same man.
The transfusion of energy complete, Jen gently punched Trunks on the arm, wincing as she belatedly realized she'd used her bad side. "You tell me. You're the badass Saiyan. All I did was provide a 'lil bit of energy."
Over their comms channel, a mocking, heavily accented voice came to them. "Aww, lovebirds, such a beautiful thing. It is a shame that your world is going to burn. If only there was a man, a man with the key to saving your world."
The voice over the line somehow became even more smug and annoying. "A handsome man, beloved despoiler of maidens all over the world, unparalleled with with a blade in combat and in the bedchamber."
Jen rolled her eyes, starting to wish she wasn't more or less immobilized, just so she could go and punch this asshole in the face. "Come outside Trunksy, I have something that will aid you, if you can take my boredom from me. Yes, a duel. Duel with me, and I will tell you how to reach your precious Shield of Tomorrow." There was a slight pause, and then as an afterthought he added; "And don't try to call your friends back. You won't be able to reach them. I have seen to that." @Cromartie Sarkissian
Trunks analysed the message, dissecting each and every line like a stereotypical mad scientist. However the man in the speakers was, he was undeniably crazy- no amount of self-promotion could hide that. Yet, whoever he was, he knew what they were looking for- the Shield- a goal Trunks had purposely not revealed since his arrival. Perhaps the whimsical man had played a part in their disappearance? Perhaps he was waiting to spring a trap? Or perhaps he was simply a madman who had gotten lucky with on edge of his ramblings? Either way, he had to take the risk...the reward was too great
The half-Saiyan adjusted his sword strap once again and rose to his feet, keeping his palm against Jen's arm.
"Thanks...thanks for the energy and everything else. This room is like a fortresss- I know you can hold you're own, but in you current state you won't dare too we'll in an ambush..."
He powered up once more and began reaching out into the abyss between souls, desperate to find the mysterious new Ki...any moment no where he would set out to greet its owner
"In the mean time, I'll go deal with our...interrupter"
Kara would find the scent of the blood would lead her to… a public area uptown. If the team was sure that they had gleaned all available clues from the crime scene, then it would be prudent to leave.
-0-
The man offered a small smile when Ludger took his watch back. "A curse is simply a blessing you do not understand yet." Suddenly realizing that his excitement had gotten the better of his social graces, he stepped back. "Forgive me my friends. Tell me, do you have a place to stay? You're clearly travelers from a strange land, and I would happily trade a meal and lodgings for a good tale."
-0-
Jen was silent for a moment, slightly despondent at being sidelined so quickly. She wasn't quite a blood knight, she didn't like fighting, but being on the sidelines never sat well by her. She wanted to stand shoulder to shoulder and punch and kick the crap at whatever was knocking at their door this particular day.
But, she couldn't. So she had to accept the hardest part of being any leader, letting those under her doing the fighting.
"Give 'em enough hell for both of us Trunks."
When Trunks finally ascended to the alley behind Verdant, he saw an odd figure waiting for him, leaning against the alley wall, an incredibly bored look plastered on the person's face. He was ruggedly handsome, hair pulled back into a ponytail, a large scar running over his right eye. He wore a full body cybernetic suit that only stopped at his neck, and at his side hung a large sheathed Katana.
At the sight of Briefs, he broke into a wide grin, moving from the wall to the center of the alley and clapping once in excitement. "Ah, Trunksy. Finally a halfway decent opponent." The man spoke with Brazilian tinted english. "You have no idea how boring it has been, other than a brief scuttle with an irate senator."
The man spoke with a certain familiarity, as if Trunks was an old friend that he was meeting after a long time apart. "The rules are simple, impress me, and I tell you where the Shield is. Bore me-..." The man drew his Katana faster than the eye could see, it's red blade illuminating the alley as if it glowed with an inner light. "And die."
Lucifer would look around for one last time. " There is just one more thing I like to check," he said, inspecting the man's pants for some identification. After doing that, he went to inspect the only remaining unexamined arrow.
Lincoln paused and looked at the others. He gestured for them to move to the side. " I imagine that we should take him up on his offer, he seems somewhat trustworthy and it is the best chance we have right now. Perhaps we should go with him," he said to the others. hoping that they agreed with him. He wouldn't want to make anyone too upset at any rate too.
Kara would find the scent of the blood would lead her to… a public area uptown. If the team was sure that they had gleaned all available clues from the crime scene, then it would be prudent to leave.
-0-
The man offered a small smile when Ludger took his watch back. "A curse is simply a blessing you do not understand yet." Suddenly realizing that his excitement had gotten the better of his social graces, he stepped back. "Forgive me my friends. Tell me, do you have a place to stay? You're clearly travelers from a strange land, and I would happily trade a meal and lodgings for a good tale."
-0-
Jen was silent for a moment, slightly despondent at being sidelined so quickly. She wasn't quite a blood knight, she didn't like fighting, but being on the sidelines never sat well by her. She wanted to stand shoulder to shoulder and punch and kick the crap at whatever was knocking at their door this particular day.
But, she couldn't. So she had to accept the hardest part of being any leader, letting those under her doing the fighting.
"Give 'em enough hell for both of us Trunks."
When Trunks finally ascended to the alley behind Verdant, he saw an odd figure waiting for him, leaning against the alley wall, an incredibly bored look plastered on the person's face. He was ruggedly handsome, hair pulled back into a ponytail, a large scar running over his right eye. He wore a full body cybernetic suit that only stopped at his neck, and at his side hung a large sheathed Katana.
At the sight of Briefs, he broke into a wide grin, moving from the wall to the center of the alley and clapping once in excitement. "Ah, Trunksy. Finally a halfway decent opponent." The man spoke with Brazilian tinted english. "You have no idea how boring it has been, other than a brief scuttle with an irate senator."
The man spoke with a certain familiarity, as if Trunks was an old friend that he was meeting after a long time apart. "The rules are simple, impress me, and I tell you where the Shield is. Bore me-..." The man drew his Katana faster than the eye could see, it's red blade illuminating the alley as if it glowed with an inner light. "And die."
Trunks stared down his new opponent, teeth and fingers clenched. Briefs had failed to inherit his fathers lust for battle- the single trait that defined his race. He had chosen to devote his strength to the protection of others and bettering himself as opposed to petty destruction and adrenaline highs, which had allowed him to tone his body to a far greater level; he was one of the few members of his race to train without the blindest of pride.
Sparring had always been a hobby of the Half-Saiyan's rather than the lifestyle it had been for Vegeta...yet, during the year of solitude they endured together, he had been forced to embrace a little more savagery than he might have hoped; it had been the only way to gain the boost on strength, he so desperately needed to avenge Gohan, and to ascend the Super Saiyan limit.
Such savagery would have to been fully on show if he was to win the scarred man's game...
Father...Vegeta...lend me you courage...your desire for battle...Father...
There was no denying his opponent's power; he had achieved such incredible burst speed that even his own eyes couldn't follow his movements. At this very moment, Trunks knew that his foe had a substantial edge over him- if his opponent was able to fight at such a speed Briefs couldn't follow, Jen would be scraping chunks of Half-Saiyan kebab of the Verdant's walls for weeks to come; from experience, mechanical men rarely the kind of men held back. From his experiences, mechanical men were rarely worth calling men
"Listen up" Trunks muttered, separating his jaw the minimal distance for a comprehensible word to come out "I don't know who you are, and I doubt you really know me. I'm not the kind of person who plays games"
The scars. The machines. The sword. Trunks' rage began to build; his foe was the sick amalgamation of what remained of his world. The memories of Gohan's broken cheek. The fists of the androids that had scared his own body. The blade he carried as a reminder how far he had progressed. These images- these memory triggers- had all come from the same place- the same man: there was no way that was a coincidence. Perhaps they were destined to fight. Perhaps they were destined to kill. Or perhaps someone had brought the two men together for another reason
The Half-Saiyan let himself smile for a moment
"But I guess I can make an exception....If you want to spar, we can spar" Trunks spoke as if he had a choice "But you can't expect me to hold back in a fight for my life" Trunks exhaled, focusing his energies inwards "I will be going out"
To stand a chance against his nameless foe, he would have to end the fight quickly, preferably before the Assassin could build up enough momentum. The war would be won through brains rather than brawn
Trunks opened his jaw wide and parted his legs, taking on the stance of a triumphant warrior. He pressed his elbows into the base of his rips and let his clenched fists swing outwards, sending his Ki flaring out from his body. The time for transforming had com
All of a sudden a primal cry leaped from Trunks' lips, sending his Ki into a spiral of lightning and golden wind. His power began to surge through the surrounding area, radiating through every local object and sending small stones, dust and trash alike twirling into the air. Every cell, every fibre of his being burned with anticipation as his base form reaches his limit and travelled even further beyond. As storm consumed his being, the Half-Saiyan's hair shot upwards and outwards until every strand was on end, turning a blinding gold
With Jen's Ki inside of him, fusing with his own, he could finally go all out. If only she could see him now!
In a motion equal in speed to his opponent, Trunks drew his own blade from its sheath and gripped it between the tense fingers of his right hand.
"Usually I like to know the names of my opponents before I start a fight...but it looks like you're an actions kind of guy...." The SSJ2 ran his pinched free fingers and ran them along the edge of his blade, restoring the edge it had lost in his brief duel against Malcolm "You think you know me, but...believe me, you don't. My name is Trunks briefs and this...is Super Saiyan 2!"
Returning his free and to the hilt of his blade, Trunks flew forward, his arms raised above his head ready for a bullet breaking downwards strike.
Lucifer would find the man's wallet immediately, an expensive leather affair. Inside his wallet was his ID, stating him as Crispus Johnson. Beside that was a security card that read Abstergo Industries, at a glance high level.
Additionally when Lucifer analyzed the last arrow he found....
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
That in this case, an arrow is just an arrow.
Arriving downtown, it was a bloody scene straight out of a gothic horror novel. The dame stood in front of the towering church, the hopeful look on her face a stark contrast to the howling winds and pouring rain that had only gotten worse since the previous day. A storm was building, and the dame was caught right in the center of it. Her momentary spot of hope was dashed as her leg flared in pain, a trickle of crimson running through the hand she had clamped over her reminder of cruel betrayal.
Shaking her head free from her thoughts, she pushed forward, into the church, away from the life she had known up to this day.
Kara, Lucifer, Malcolm and Diggle arrived thirty eight minutes after the woman had entered the church, Kara's trick as a makeshift bloodhound shifting them onto their quarry faster than any manual query.
It should be worth noting that despite his proximity to a church, Lucifer would be feeling no adverse effects, perhaps a sign that the supernatural didn't exist in this universe, or perhaps it didn't accept him as a real demon due to already having a being filling the role of prince of darkness.
As soon as they got within sight of the building, Diggle switched into soldier mode, his eyes roaming all the possible entrances and exits of the church. "Somebody needs to go on overwatch, I'll keep an eye on the backdoor. Everybody else, try and see if you can find whoever's blood was on that arrow."
Stepping inside the church, all they would find would be a priest walking the halls of the church, a bible clasped in his hands. If Kara was in the church, she would notice that while faint, the priest would smell faintly of blood. The strongest scent of blood was coming from upstairs.
Noticing their arrival, the priest looked up from his book and offered them a thin smile, asking in a polite voice; "Hello. How may I help you."
It's getting pretty close to spice things up with a little bit of action, there'll be fight scenes for the group that enters the church and the person that goes on Overwatch. The fight in the church isn't really plot advancing, but gratuitous action in a RP isn't such a bad thing.
It seemed to be decided then. They'd let the strange man take them back to his home, because nothing bad ever came of that. Turning to one of his assistants, he sent him off with a small purse to buy proper clothes for the small group of travelers. Then they began the walk back in silence, the man seemingly absorbed in his own thoughts.
Or so it seemed. When they finally got behind closed doors, the man locked the door behind them and turned to them with an intense gleam in his eye. "Tell me, what news does Messer Ezio send? I know you are assassins, that hand cannon-..." He pointed at the gun strapped to Ludger's hip, something that to the time displaced men, shouldn't have existed in this time period according to the history books. "...is of my-, Altair's design, though I must profess to having made a few personal alterations to the device. Though, why is it in plain sight and not strapped to your bracer?"
Continuing on with his mile a minute talking, cutting off the two men before they could even respond, he continued. "It is no matter, though I must urge you to take care. The Pazzi guards in the city have been told to look for anything out of the ordinary."
The Brazilian raised his own blade,easily catching the Super-Saiya-Jin's on it. He tilted his weapon, easily guiding both his and the Saiya-Jin's blades into a locked X, staring at the young man thoughtfully with calculating eyes. He pushed forward - testing his strength against Trunks - and found he could not advance. The half alien was stronger than him.
Replace the Beams with Rotten Timbers
Reaching past their locked blades the Brazilian grabbed Trunks by his lapels and pulled, turning and flipping the Saiya-Jin onto the hard ground. Perfect application of CQC.
Taking a few steps back, the Brazilian mockingly made a come at me bro come hither motion with his arms.
"When you can no longed trust the ground beneath your feet, walk the snake's way. When the enemy becomes something stronger than you, you must change the rules."
Then a dawning light came into the Brazilian's eyes, and a shit eating grin formed on his face.
"Trunksy, you must satisfy my curiosity, one warrior to the other. Are your race closet perverts?"
"Your name; Trunks Briefs. The name of your kind, Saiya-Jin...- do the feminine garments give you strength?"
OOC Note: I swear I'm not on crack. Funny translation story. In older Dragon Ball stories they switched between Saiyan and Saiya-Jin, which is unfortunate when translated to Portuguese because Saiya-Jin sounds incredibly close to the word for a woman's skirt. Further compounded considering Trunk's last and Bulma's names.
All in all waaay too funny of a possible gag to pass up.
Lucifer sighed and was relieved when the church was affecting him. It was no shocker to the man- churches, altars and other holy places weakened him, but they were never dangerous. Just a myth to keep the good Christian on their toes, not that many even realized when they were talking to the Devil. " I am going to take Overwatch, unless you want too Kara," he said, being fair.
Lincoln sighed, nothing was ever easy. He should have known that the man was helping them would also betray them. It made the most sense to him. " Listen, I imagine that this isn't ideal. But what exactly-," he paused, clutching his side and taking a breath. Phantom pain from the past. " What exactly can we do to avoid them?"
Lucifer would find the man's wallet immediately, an expensive leather affair. Inside his wallet was his ID, stating him as Crispus Johnson. Beside that was a security card that read Abstergo Industries, at a glance high level.
Additionally when Lucifer analyzed the last arrow he found....
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
That in this case, an arrow is just an arrow.
Arriving downtown, it was a bloody scene straight out of a gothic horror novel. The dame stood in front of the towering church, the hopeful look on her face a stark contrast to the howling winds and pouring rain that had only gotten worse since the previous day. A storm was building, and the dame was caught right in the center of it. Her momentary spot of hope was dashed as her leg flared in pain, a trickle of crimson running through the hand she had clamped over her reminder of cruel betrayal.
Shaking her head free from her thoughts, she pushed forward, into the church, away from the life she had known up to this day.
Kara, Lucifer, Malcolm and Diggle arrived thirty eight minutes after the woman had entered the church, Kara's trick as a makeshift bloodhound shifting them onto their quarry faster than any manual query.
It should be worth noting that despite his proximity to a church, Lucifer would be feeling no adverse effects, perhaps a sign that the supernatural didn't exist in this universe, or perhaps it didn't accept him as a real demon due to already having a being filling the role of prince of darkness.
As soon as they got within sight of the building, Diggle switched into soldier mode, his eyes roaming all the possible entrances and exits of the church. "Somebody needs to go on overwatch, I'll keep an eye on the backdoor. Everybody else, try and see if you can find whoever's blood was on that arrow."
Stepping inside the church, all they would find would be a priest walking the halls of the church, a bible clasped in his hands. If Kara was in the church, she would notice that while faint, the priest would smell faintly of blood. The strongest scent of blood was coming from upstairs.
Noticing their arrival, the priest looked up from his book and offered them a thin smile, asking in a polite voice; "Hello. How may I help you."
It's getting pretty close to spice things up with a little bit of action, there'll be fight scenes for the group that enters the church and the person that goes on Overwatch. The fight in the church isn't really plot advancing, but gratuitous action in a RP isn't such a bad thing.
It seemed to be decided then. They'd let the strange man take them back to his home, because nothing bad ever came of that. Turning to one of his assistants, he sent him off with a small purse to buy proper clothes for the small group of travelers. Then they began the walk back in silence, the man seemingly absorbed in his own thoughts.
Or so it seemed. When they finally got behind closed doors, the man locked the door behind them and turned to them with an intense gleam in his eye. "Tell me, what news does Messer Ezio send? I know you are assassins, that hand cannon-..." He pointed at the gun strapped to Ludger's hip, something that to the time displaced men, shouldn't have existed in this time period according to the history books. "...is of my-, Altair's design, though I must profess to having made a few personal alterations to the device. Though, why is it in plain sight and not strapped to your bracer?"
Continuing on with his mile a minute talking, cutting off the two men before they could even respond, he continued. "It is no matter, though I must urge you to take care. The Pazzi guards in the city have been told to look for anything out of the ordinary."
The Brazilian raised his own blade,easily catching the Super-Saiya-Jin's on it. He tilted his weapon, easily guiding both his and the Saiya-Jin's blades into a locked X, staring at the young man thoughtfully with calculating eyes. He pushed forward - testing his strength against Trunks - and found he could not advance. The half alien was stronger than him.
Replace the Beams with Rotten Timbers
Reaching past their locked blades the Brazilian grabbed Trunks by his lapels and pulled, turning and flipping the Saiya-Jin onto the hard ground. Perfect application of CQC.
Taking a few steps back, the Brazilian mockingly made a come at me bro come hither motion with his arms.
"When you can no longed trust the ground beneath your feet, walk the snake's way. When the enemy becomes something stronger than you, you must change the rules."
Then a dawning light came into the Brazilian's eyes, and a shit eating grin formed on his face.
"Trunksy, you must satisfy my curiosity, one warrior to the other. Are your race closet perverts?"
"Your name; Trunks Briefs. The name of your kind, Saiya-Jin...- do the feminine garments give you strength?"
OOC Note: I swear I'm not on crack. Funny translation story. In older Dragon Ball stories they switched between Saiyan and Saiya-Jin, which is unfortunate when translated to Portuguese because Saiya-Jin sounds incredibly close to the word for a woman's skirt. Further compounded considering Trunk's last and Bulma's names.
All in all waaay too funny of a possible gag to pass up.
When you can no longer trust the ground beneath your feet, walk the snake's way. When the enemy becomes something stronger than you, you must change the rules.
The words rattled around Trunks' skull a broken engine, echoing louder and louder each time he repeated them to himself. He had been such a fool! He had powered himself up to his strongest form trusting that strength alone would win the fight. All of his monologuing and screaming had great en his foe a hundred years to formulate a hundred strategies to out do him!
No...he had to focus. He was not facing the kind of opponent would could be defeated by re clashing of blades or white knuckles; if his opponent wanted to take a cheap advantage by changing the battlefield, then why couldn't he?
Staring upwards from the dirt, Trunks stared deep into his foe's face; his fellow swordsman was so caught up in his own pride- monologuing as if he had been ripped straight from the pages of a Shakespeare play- that he had left himself entirely open. His mind was somewhere else- it was the only reason he hadn't killed the Saiyan already. After a year of training with his father, Trunks was more than equiped to deal with a foe with an attitude such as this
This, while his opponent began to ramble on about his perversion- raising questions about both his mother and race that he had dared not address himself, Trunks channeled his Ki inwards, storing it up like compressed gas. He let his foe stall himself for as long as possible, making joke after joke before the opportunity final raised itself
The opportunity to strike
Unleashing his stored Ki with an explosive force, Trunks flew forward like a chunk of iron from a cannon. He darted leftwards mere inches away from his foe, directing his energy against the alley wall before back onto the earth at the Swordsman's back. He smirked; that should keep him off guard for a few seconds
Not daring to savour his victory for any longer, Trunks ceased the advantage and wrapped his arms tightly around his foe's rip cage. Wether or not his arms were free was irrelevant- he only needed to stay one step ahead of him for a couple of seconds.
"I hope you're ready for a change in scenery, pal; maybe it'll teach you not to insult the Saiyans!"
The half-Saiyan flexed his knees for a single moment, squatting a single inch downwards to build up all the energy he needed. At last- the time had come. The pair began to surge upwards, gaining altitude fast.
When the ground fails you....
Briefs was no fool- he wasn't going to give the Swordsman the homeground advantage any longer than he had to- although it strained every inch of his being to carry the man and his armour at wi u a great height, he knew it had to be done. Levitating on par with the roof of the Verdant, Trunks tightened his focus...yet, unknowingly, slowly began to submit to his Saiyan pride- the early assumed victory. It was stil all to play for
"Now...how about you start my telling me your name...and how you know me...then you can tell me where our friends are...."
"Nothing that complicated." The man assured Lincoln. "The Pazzi guards are not renowned for their intelligence. As soon as Vincenzo returns with less exotic clothing for you, they won't look twice at you crossing the street"
"Although," He stepped back and took an appeasing appraising look at three men. "That hair... you are so young to be completely white. And you? How do you get your hair to stand up like that."
Lucky Lincoln was left out of the man's odd appraisal, he was for better or worse (better), normal looking.
He then glanced at what Ludger had on him, his eyes drawn to the sword hanging in prominent view. "Hmm. The city guards will arrest you if you are seen carrying that. I can fashion a cloak that will cover it but ah, I'll have to take your measurements."
He had the decency to appear apologetic. Actually, that raises a good bit of fridge logic, how had he known the right size for the L Trio?
And just as quickly as that thought had entered his mind, his hummingbird like was already jumping onto the next topic.
"I am worried. Messer Ezio left at a very bad time. The Pazzi are up to something. But what I do not know. Politics has always flown over my head. Tell me, do you know anything of the Pazzi conspiracy? Surely if Messer Ezio or Mario sent you, you know more than I."
-0-
As Trunks charged the armor clad swordsman, the man suddenly sheathed his sword, leaving a single hand on it's hilt, preparing for whatever unorthodox move that the young Saiya-Jin was about to make. If Trunks possessed anything close to the prowess he'd been warned about, then he'd quickly adapt to the changing battlefield conditions, especially with the Brazilian swordsman's prodding and thinly so veiled hint about the Legendary Saiya-Jin's journey's.
The Brazilian's shit eating grin shifted slightly as he was bear hugged and levitates into the air,, changing from taunting and smug to something containing genuine excitement if the maniac glint was in his eyes was any indication. The boy's brilliant and risky play showed that he was receptive to improving his strategy in leaps and bounds. However, his strategy failed when he failed to consider the following.
"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory you will suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle."
He then pulled the trigger on the hilt of his sword, driving the hilt of his weapon into Trunk's stomach with the speed and force of bullet, breaking the Saiya-Jin's hold on the swordsman. He promptly kicked off and backflipped onto the roof of Verdant, coming to a skidding halt across the wet gravel.
He wet hair was plastered to his face now from a combination of the pouring rain and sweat, and there was no other way the swordsman would have had it. The rush of combat, once dull, had flared back to life once there was a purpose, a cause behind it.
Still, he couldn't lose himself in the thrill of combat this time. There was still more to teach the boy.
"When walking the Snake's way, don't lose sight if Earth. Earth comprises distances, great and small; danger and security; open ground and narrow passes; the chance of life and death."
He ran a hand through his hair, flicking away the wet strands that we're clinging to his face. In a more serious voice he spoke; "Trunksy, you have impressed me. You are raw, uncontrolled, but possessing of a power beyond mere Saiya-Jin blood. For that you have earned your answer. Your sweetheart is the key to finding the Shield of Tomorrow."
"Oh? My knowledge? You would know more than any on the Shield of that. Time is a river that flows in more than one direction. But enough of that. Now fight, unless... deceive the heavens and cross the ocean."
Then he raised his hands, completely unarmed, and waved his fingers, beckoning the Saiya-Jin to engage him once again.
Lincoln mused about this fact for a brief second. He did have to remember that he was in a time period way before his birth, which would prove to complicate things even more. He paused thinking some more too. He looked at the ground.
Lincoln was curious to see if the man was going to comment on him. His hair was also different and he was an alien. He wasn't sure if these criticism were suppose to help them or hurt them in the end.
Lincoln wasn't sure if he should be proud or paranoid that he wasn't appraised. He guessed he looked normal enough.
Lincoln was happy that his weapon was within him. His body was how he wielded his power. He paused, wondering if there was a possibility of inhumans here. The Kree had come a long time ago and there were many different thing to take into account too.
It was possible for that to happen, but he wasn't entirely sure either. He wondered how the man knew his size. It was kind of frightening to think of.
Lincoln wasn't giving much time to think of that. He bit down on his lip, not quite certain of what to say to the man at all.
Lincoln paused when he realized that they would be in trouble when Ezio came back. They weren't the ones he needed. " We have also mostly been kept in the dark too. Ezio and Mario said they would explain it to us when we returned," he said, lying for the others to the man's face.
Lucifer paused as he considered Kara's question. She was right, there was no reason for the other arrow to be bloody. It didn't make any sense. " That is a very good point Kara, it doesn't make any sense to me either. Give me a second," he said, going over to the window to inspect the shattered glass. It was possible that the killer had exited this way, he was looking to see which way the glass was shattered.
Kara would find the scent of the blood would lead her to… a public area uptown. If the team was sure that they had gleaned all available clues from the crime scene, then it would be prudent to leave.
Lucifer would find the man's wallet immediately, an expensive leather affair. Inside his wallet was his ID, stating him as Crispus Johnson. Beside that was a security card that read Abstergo Industries, at a glance high level.
Additionally when Lucifer analyzed the last arrow he found....
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
That in this case, an arrow is just an arrow.
Arriving downtown, it was a bloody scene straight out of a gothic horror novel. The dame stood in front of the towering church, the hopeful look on her face a stark contrast to the howling winds and pouring rain that had only gotten worse since the previous day. A storm was building, and the dame was caught right in the center of it. Her momentary spot of hope was dashed as her leg flared in pain, a trickle of crimson running through the hand she had clamped over her reminder of cruel betrayal.
Shaking her head free from her thoughts, she pushed forward, into the church, away from the life she had known up to this day.
Kara, Lucifer, Malcolm and Diggle arrived thirty eight minutes after the woman had entered the church, Kara's trick as a makeshift bloodhound shifting them onto their quarry faster than any manual query.
It should be worth noting that despite his proximity to a church, Lucifer would be feeling no adverse effects, perhaps a sign that the supernatural didn't exist in this universe, or perhaps it didn't accept him as a real demon due to already having a being filling the role of prince of darkness.
As soon as they got within sight of the building, Diggle switched into soldier mode, his eyes roaming all the possible entrances and exits of the church. "Somebody needs to go on overwatch, I'll keep an eye on the backdoor. Everybody else, try and see if you can find whoever's blood was on that arrow."
Stepping inside the church, all they would find would be a priest walking the halls of the church, a bible clasped in his hands. If Kara was in the church, she would notice that while faint, the priest would smell faintly of blood. The strongest scent of blood was coming from upstairs.
Noticing their arrival, the priest looked up from his book and offered them a thin smile, asking in a polite voice; "Hello. How may I help you."
It's getting pretty close to spice things up with a little bit of action, there'll be fight scenes for the group that enters the church and the person that goes on Overwatch. The fight in the church isn't really plot advancing, but gratuitous action in a RP isn't such a bad thing.
Lucifer sighed and was relieved when the church was affecting him. It was no shocker to the man- churches, altars and other holy places weakened him, but they were never dangerous. Just a myth to keep the good Christian on their toes, not that many even realized when they were talking to the Devil. " I am going to take Overwatch, unless you want too Kara," he said, being fair.
Kara didn't take long to come to a decision, smiling slyly before pointing to herself.
"I'll take watch. I'm the one with super vision, remember?" She said.
Well, granted her vision wasn't nearly as good as it could have been, she still had just enough of her powers to be of better use keeping watch. Besides, she was aching for some good action.
"Besides. I think you should deal with Mr. Creepster over there." She added under her breath, stealthily eyeing the priest who she had smelt blood on earlier.
"He smells of blood, and it's stronger upstairs." She explained, keeping her voice low.
As much as she'd like to investigate, she... Seemed to have had enough of that investigating thing for one day... On the other hand, if something did crop up on her partner's end, her super hearing should at least be able to pick up on that, even if it was a bit dampened.
"Nothing that complicated." The man assured Lincoln. "The Pazzi guards are not renowned for their intelligence. As soon as Vincenzo returns with less exotic clothing for you, they won't look twice at you crossing the street"
"Although," He stepped back and took an appeasing appraising look at three men. "That hair... you are so young to be completely white. And you? How do you get your hair to stand up like that."
Lucky Lincoln was left out of the man's odd appraisal, he was for better or worse (better), normal looking.
He then glanced at what Ludger had on him, his eyes drawn to the sword hanging in prominent view. "Hmm. The city guards will arrest you if you are seen carrying that. I can fashion a cloak that will cover it but ah, I'll have to take your measurements."
He had the decency to appear apologetic. Actually, that raises a good bit of fridge logic, how had he known the right size for the L Trio?
And just as quickly as that thought had entered his mind, his hummingbird like was already jumping onto the next topic.
"I am worried. Messer Ezio left at a very bad time. The Pazzi are up to something. But what I do not know. Politics has always flown over my head. Tell me, do you know anything of the Pazzi conspiracy? Surely if Messer Ezio or Mario sent you, you know more than I."
-0-
As Trunks charged the armor clad swordsman, the man suddenly sheathed his sword, leaving a single hand on it's hilt, preparing for whatever unorthodox move that the young Saiya-Jin was about to make. If Trunks possessed anything close to the prowess he'd been warned about, then he'd quickly adapt to the changing battlefield conditions, especially with the Brazilian swordsman's prodding and thinly so veiled hint about the Legendary Saiya-Jin's journey's.
The Brazilian's shit eating grin shifted slightly as he was bear hugged and levitates into the air,, changing from taunting and smug to something containing genuine excitement if the maniac glint was in his eyes was any indication. The boy's brilliant and risky play showed that he was receptive to improving his strategy in leaps and bounds. However, his strategy failed when he failed to consider the following.
"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory you will suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle."
He then pulled the trigger on the hilt of his sword, driving the hilt of his weapon into Trunk's stomach with the speed and force of bullet, breaking the Saiya-Jin's hold on the swordsman. He promptly kicked off and backflipped onto the roof of Verdant, coming to a skidding halt across the wet gravel.
He wet hair was plastered to his face now from a combination of the pouring rain and sweat, and there was no other way the swordsman would have had it. The rush of combat, once dull, had flared back to life once there was a purpose, a cause behind it.
Still, he couldn't lose himself in the thrill of combat this time. There was still more to teach the boy.
"When walking the Snake's way, don't lose sight if Earth. Earth comprises distances, great and small; danger and security; open ground and narrow passes; the chance of life and death."
He ran a hand through his hair, flicking away the wet strands that we're clinging to his face. In a more serious voice he spoke; "Trunksy, you have impressed me. You are raw, uncontrolled, but possessing of a power beyond mere Saiya-Jin blood. For that you have earned your answer. Your sweetheart is the key to finding the Shield of Tomorrow."
"Oh? My knowledge? You would know more than any on the Shield of that. Time is a river that flows in more than one direction. But enough of that. Now fight, unless... deceive the heavens and cross the ocean."
Then he raised his hands, completely unarmed, and waved his fingers, beckoning the Saiya-Jin to engage him once again.
Damn- more riddles. Perhaps his opponent was trying to distract him, to throw him off his game; thus far it was working. Non-Linear time and Ocean metaphors; there was no denying that he was dealing with a time traveler, and one who knew him well-l. But did his knowledge come from a close friendship, rivalry or from knowing thy enemy? Every answer created bred questions
"My sweetheart..." Trunks whispered to himself, floating over the alley, his arms folded over his chest "Jennifer? Does he mean Jennifer?"
No. There was no way the Swordsman could know how he felt; time traveler or not, it would take 3 years of Malcolm's torture and the second coming of the Androids to force that information out of him. Then maybe...at some point in the future....
No, he was getting ahead of himself.
He would simply have to ask his overwatch when he returned o the basement- and he would return- in the meantime he would have to focus on his swift and definite victory
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you were stalling with all of your riddles" Trunks unfolded his arms and powered Up yet again "Are you sure you want to go again? Fine...but don't expect me to hold back anymore"
It was clear now that fighting on the snake's path and the bird's channel would simply force Briefs into a corner; playing by any rules- his or the Swordsman's- would simply play him into his foe's arms. He would simply have to start breaking rules.
Rocketing backwards life a recoiling canon, Trunks threw his fists over his shoulders and then back to his sides. Then the were parallel his ribs- almost touching- then back into a neutral position. As he edged backwards further and further, Trunks repeated the gesture again and again and again, gaining more and more momentum until his arms were denim blurs. An abrupt stop would send his Ki surging forward to his finger tips, now coming to a halt outstretched before him.
"BURNING ATTACK!!!"
Tapping his energy stocks dry, the Half-Saiyan emptied the Power Reserves of a Super Saiyan 2 in the form of a surging golden energy orb spiralling towards his foe like flaming beach ball.
Before the Power Ball could fly too far from his reach, Trunks powered down to his base form, letting his lavender hair hang down over his brow once again. Contorting his body into a smaller squatting ball, Brief hid behind his first attack, letting his remaining energy force him forwards at the speed of his first attack.
The Chain had been formed- should the Swordsman dodge or deflect the Burning Attack, the Half-Saiyan would have every opportunity to adjust his own hidden rush attack and strike the man down with an Eagle Kick. It was both a gambit and a long shit, but it was one he was willing to take- the trade off between a heavy attack and his remaining energy. Failure would leave him unable to transform- unable to keep up with his opponent- but success would lead him one step close to victory
Lucifer hadn't expect to get the watch, but he had to at least try to suggest it to someone
Lucifer wasn't about to argue that point with her, she was absolutely right about that.
He hoped that her vision was at least good enough to alert him to any danger that may be happening. He paused and debated of there was anything else he could say to his partner either though.
Lucifer nodded, when he noticed that she was pointing towards the priest. He hated those preachy types who claimed to do everything in God's name. Like they knew what his father wanted.
" Well, it seems like our priest has been a naughty, naughty boy indeed," he said to her.
Lucifer was hoping to get into some fighting, even if it was in his weakened state. He was surely that it was entirely possible if he had something to say about it. He looked at her and nodded, as he went for the church entrance. Hopefully, nothing would go horribly wrong.
All their sticking to the shadows, all their careful consideration, was for not, as the door to the young man's studio was forced open by a guard, neither fierce nor overfed, a captain that was in it purely for the money. A captain that quickly had his sword in the young man's sputtering face before he composed himself, demanding why the guard had burst in.
And then the guard hit him with the Wham Line.
"Leonardo Da Vinci, you are accused of holding court and providing refuge to enemies of Florence."
On the roof of the Church, Kara would hear a crunch as the assassin that had stalked their prey to the building tried to approach stealthily out of the nearby forest, failing remarkably, especially to Power Girl's incredible superhuman senses. She would quickly be able to sight him out, a hooded, dark green shape against a veil of inky blackness. A dark green shape that quickly knocked and fired one, two, three arrows at her.
"I'm afraid you assume the worst my children," He raised his brow in surprise at how they'd been able to see the blood. He'd washed up thoroughly after he'd ministered treatment. Perhaps he was slipping, he was well into his sixties after all. "I used to be a doctor, and occasionally lost souls come to me seeking aid. I give them aid, shelter, healing."
The priest loomed seemed to loom over them then, his posture not changing, but something indicating that this was not a man to trifle with. "And protection."
Trunk's mighty assault plowed straight through the swordsman's defenses, completely incinerating the man. Touching down on the wet gravel, Trunks fell to his knees and screamed at the sky like a Batman expy while the rain poured and the lightning cracked behind him. "WHAT HAVE I DONE?"
It was quite moving scene.
Moving on to things that actually happened, Trunks powerful Ki balled sizzles the fell on it, crackles of pure energy blinding the swordsman as it raced towards him. The energy of a small mortor canon hit the roof of the Verdant, gouging a deep furrow in it and releasing a boom that could be heard for miles. There was a very good chance the police would arrive to investigate soon. But none of that mattered to the badass Saiya-Jin as he peered around for his annoying as hell foe, but only found a small pile of items on the ground where he had been standing. On the top was a red rose, below that a note that for plot reasons wasn't ruined by the rain, and below that a copy of The Art of War that was likewise immune to the elements.
The note read: May you always remember the day you almost defeated the great Samuel Rodriges, the most interesting man in the world, deflowerer of maidens, kicker of asses... the rest of the note just deolves into a list of badass boasts that just make him look like a narcissistic moron. Below it was an old Zen quote: 'When you have learned enough to question everything you know to be true, then you will begin to understand you have learned nothing'.
Ludger stands there with a dumbstruck expression, saying nothing, and waiting to see how everything will play out, ready to act in case events turn even further to the southerly direction.
Lincoln turned to the door when he heard the noise that it made when it was forced out. It seemed that there was a guard who had found his way into the place. He looked over at him and saw that there was a sword being swung in Leonardo's face, poor Leo, he needed to do something and he had to think of it quickly before the situation was going to get more out of course.
He heard that the words of the man and he suddenly had an idea
" Sir, I believe you are mistaken. My friends and I were planning to work under Leonardo, to work on his beautiful art. We came from a foreign land, but our land doesn't have any qualms with France," he said, attempting to be charismatic.
Lucifer was about to buy the priest's lies. He really hated priests and this one was especially getting on nerves too. He looked at him and he decided to reply to his 'doctor' priest. " Well, then, you shouldn't be hurting anyone. Since you are a doctor, would you perhaps show me a license to practice. Even retired doctors have one of those," he replied to him.
Lucifer wasn't scared of the priest and the looming didn't intidimate him. He looked at the priest dead in the eye. " What do you want out of life?" He asked him.
On the roof of the Church, Kara would hear a crunch as the assassin that had stalked their prey to the building tried to approach stealthily out of the nearby forest, failing remarkably, especially to Power Girl's incredible superhuman senses. She would quickly be able to sight him out, a hooded, dark green shape against a veil of inky blackness. A dark green shape that quickly knocked and fired one, two, three arrows at her.
Kara smirked, feigning ignorance of the assassin's presense, that is until the arrows camy flying her way.
Turning in her assailant's direction, she quickly dodged the first two arrows, even taking the liberty to snatch the third one out of the air, focusing her sights on the hooded, dark green shape.
Wait a minute, that assailant looked... Familiar...
"Hey! Green Arrow? Is that you?!" She called out.
Oh boy, Kara's naiveté with multiverse stuff was bound to get her killed, but fortunately... Unless this Green Arrow had a kryptonite arrow or something, she'd likely be fine.
