Suckers for punishment

"You fucken bitch." he roared as he first bolt pinned his hand to his chest and the others thudded into him. He was leaning against the glass and breathing heavily clearly badly wounded. Anyone but a vampire would already be dead and even he knew he would be too as one of the smaller bolts though his shoulder made it impossible for his gun hand do anything but hand uselessly at his side.

Blood dribbling down his chin he looked at his killer and chuckled. "So you have beaten me." he coughed as more blood flowed from his mouth. "You're still not going to win this crusade of yours. "You're one person, no one can stand alone."

With a grunt of pain he slid down the wall to sit on the floor. "And when you die I'll be watching and laughing as you go to hell, but that won't be why I'll be laughing, I'll be laughing because no matter what you think, you've made no difference at all."
 
Ivy stared coldly at the man, disallowing herself to let his words sink in. That was better saved for later, when she wasn't focused on burning this place to the ground. Watching him die brought no joy, but also no sadness. Simply, she was awarded with a feeling of indifferent accomplishment. Like the deed she'd done was just a matter of business.

Things were better off that way, to make murder less conflicting.

When he spoke his last word, Ivy's hands disappeared within her large jacket and pulled out a box of matches. A simple tool for her intentions, yes, but it's all she felt she needed. One match was pulled from the box so she could strike up a flame, then she tossed it over to one of the desks where papers were scattered on the surface. Immediately, the paperwork caught fire and built into an angry blaze of red and yellow. Several more matches were stricken and dropped to add to the fire, such as on the corpses of whom she killed, the floor and a nearby pile of hats knocked off of a coat rack during her entrance.

Pretty soon, the entire room was getting filled with flames. In no time at all, that fire would spread to the bottom floor and threaten the lives of everyone. A trail of lit matches were left behind as she exited the smokey room, fire slowly and surely spreading down the staircase.

Before she could get anymore involved with the arson and vampires, she made her escape out the very window she entered through and made a dash for safety.
 
The fire spread quickly through the upper floor and spread to the floor below the involving nature of the activities meaning most of the customers died in the blaze, the guards however melted into the night saving only themselves and what they could carry. The new would report the fire was started by accident and that investigation was unnecessary, but really the investigation was shifted to the private sector as requested by the owner of the property.

Through all of this Goric was in his tiny apartment, his latest acquisition on the table before him. He say staring at it with a mix of fear and joy. He never waned to carry a weapon, the power it gave him was dangerous. He had already looked it over, loaded it, unloaded it, reloaded it and flipped the safety. He'd also encoded it to his fingerprint so noone but him could fire it. His thoughts were still on the huntress. She could easily have killed him, the tv was showing the burning club right now...

He shook his head and stood, he was dressed in nothing but a vest and a pair of shorts, this this the Godric as he was away from what he did for cash, a surprisingly young looking man with a landlady that beat on his door every other day and told him to find a job every time she saw him. As unassuming tenant with an apartment the size of the average size room with a kitchenette, bed, tv, couch and wardobe all in one room and a bathroom being the only other. Still his cupboard had a bottle of synthahol and thats what he was after placing the bottle on the table and a glass beside it.

"So..." he said poring a glass and raising it to the tv. "I finally meet the hunter thats been making business difficult... and shes the girl of my dreams." he upended the glass and pored another as the synthetic alcohol burned its way down his throat. It was no comparison for real booze but it was no rotgut either, and was around a tenth of the price. "I salute you on another victory, if you have many more.. I will go out of business."

The empty room gave no reply and he took a gulp and sighed. "The ironic part is I can't say I disagree with what you're doing even if you'll be the death of me..."

He lay down on the couch killing the TV and picking up the book on the table. He wouldn't sleep tonight, but at least he wouldn't spend it out there, at least there wouldn't be any more surprises.
 
Ivy sprinted as far away from the perishing building as she could. Right now, she stood with her back to a cold, brick wall, her breathing heavy and unsteady. There were traces of where her skin was bare, but other than that, she managed to make it out with no bleeding injuries. That was a relief... She wouldn't have to worry about any hungry vampires chasing after her. She smirked a little at the memories of times just like that. One little scratch, and they'd smell the fresh blood on her. Ivy had to make up some creative escapes to avoid getting dog-piled and eaten.

Once she caught her breath, Ivy patted herself down to make sure everything was accounted for. One of her blades were left behind, but that could easily be replaced. All that really mattered was her crossbow. That, and her miniature ones were where they belonged.

There was one last mission she had tonight; one she came up with at the last minute. A grim expression masked her face as she thought back to that man, that vampire, who helped her earlier. That was possibly the oddest moment of her life. He seemed aware of who and what she was... Yet, he assisted her out of a bad situation without it being a trap!

She pondered on these thoughts as she walked through the night, her robotic eye scanning for clues of where he's gone. There were footprints and tire markings, she noticed. No others crossed over the prints, so she could only assume they were his. Still lost in her thoughts, she followed the trails in the dirt. Then, she wondered: 'Why am I tracking him? Do I want to... Kill him?'

Well, of course she wanted to murder the guy. There was something else urging her to keep searching, though. She had to know why he didn't attempt to kill her earlier. Maybe this was all deceiving? What if it wanted to pretend to be her friend, only to stab her in the back later on? She could have her questions answered tonight and put an end to the devious plot, she figured.

In what felt like hours later, she found herself in front of a door. Ivy lifted one of her powerful legs into the air and kicked at it with her boot, knocking the door off its hinges in one, swift movement. She stood there in an offensive stance, her fists clenched tightly while her eyes searched through the dark apartment room for her target.

"Hello? It's Pepper," she greeted in a sarcastic tone.
 
The book was on his face as he snored lightly the bottle half empty lay on the table next to him, the comlink playing a light jazz playlist through the speaker system on the wall. It was a common sight for a man who still hadn't come to grips with what he was. The book was old, and he had gone through a lot of trouble to get it, he had a small collection of such books and had read every one. They were all on vampires.

In the air there was the remnant smells of pizza, he obviously enjoyed food, the only thing out of place other than the gun lying next to the bottle was the bloodpacks in the fridge.

He sat up sharply instantly regretting it, the voice and the name were familiar, so was the sound of splintering wood. Mrs. Durwight was not going to be happy.

"Pepper." he said trying to place the name though the remnants of sleep and drink. But the face answered all his questions, she had come to kill him. His thoughts didn't even go to the gun lying on the table in full view from the door, he still wasn't used to having one. His thoughts were too concerned with how she had found him. The club, of course... they probably kept his address on file in case they needed to kill him later.

He was so shocked he couldn't ever think if any fast talk that would save his life. "So you're here to kill me...."
 
"You got it," she answered bitterly, her eyes locked on him. The room was dark, but she could make out his figure well enough thanks to the light from the television, and the few rays of moon shining past the curtains. Actually, she was distracted momentarily by the apartment entirely. It reminded her a lot of her own home. A simple place lacking much needed splashes of colour. She hated where she lived; it was depressing. But at least it wasn't placed in this unpleasant part of the city...

Ivy blinked her eyes while reminding herself to stay focused. Her boots stepped heavily along the floor as she made her way towards him, her hand immediately reaching out to snatch him by the collar of his shirt. This was familiar, she noticed. She pulled him to her face, just like this, those hours ago when she tried to interrogate him.

"Why did you help me?" Ivy demanded through clenched teeth, her eyes narrowing. In her one human eye, there was twinkling emotion. Confusion, anger, sorrow and, perhaps, a little bit of fear.

"Why?" she asked him again, giving his body a shake.
 
He was used to rough treatment, you didn't work with thugs and not learn how to react to them trying to intimidate, he took the passive rout. Its not like he could overpower her.. unless...

"I hated those guys.." he said "Maybe more than you did." finally he summed up the will to look into her eyes, but what he saw wasn't a death glare, not quite. "If you wanted me dead why didn't you shoot me in the back? Would have saved you the trouble of tracking me down."

Here, without the coat or anything else over his vest it was clear he was unarmed, he smelled of the drink he had been imbibing but not heavily, it took something stronger than alcohol to incapacitate him. "Look, Pepper, my trail didn't lead you to another nest, just a crumby apartment, so you're understandably disappointed, so unless I'm somehow psychic and got your name right first time can I at least know your name.. before you give my landlady's carpet a splash of color."

He kept his eyes on her, seeing if she would really do it, and if she was he would act fast.
 
A vampire who hated his own? That was unusual... Or, perhaps, he just despised those gangsters. Doing him a favour was the last thing she thought she did. Obviously, he celebrated their deaths.

"I..." Ivy was speechless at the moment. His questions were valid ones; why didn't she kill him before now? She had the chance. She could be home right now, instead of here in his apartment. There was no trap, and he seemed ready to die. His final wish was just for her name, of all things. This was the strangest encounter she's ever had with a vampire.

Their gaze didn't break for even a second. Her stare was calculated, but softening by the minute. Why couldn't she do it? Why couldn't she kill him and get this over with? Something was holding her back... A voice in her mind was saying she'd regret it.

"Ivy," she mumbled, the grip on his shirt loosening and her head turning to break their eye contact. "My name is Ivy. Not Pepper."
 
He couldn't help his hand going to adjust his vest once she let go, Ivy had grip. Still he couldn't take his eyes off her, and for the first time it looked like she wasn't going to kill him.

"Well, Ivy, That is the second time you could have killed me.. I hope this doesn't become a pattern." He was joking, at a time like this. Or perhaps he was looking for confirmation she wasn't going to kill him as soon at he turned around. The solution: keep his cool eyes looking into hers. If you found me I'm sure you know my name already... still.. I'm Goric and this is my castle." he demeanor was reverting to his usual cool overtones as he began to relax. "I have tea, coffee, synthahol, blood.. And the names and addresses of most of the vampire crime lords you've missed." he gestured to the coutch that a minuet ago he'd been dozing on. "I think we have more to share than blows and business, and please, excuse the mess."
 
Ivy was nearly exhausted, not to mention a mess. There were splatters of crimson on her coat and boots, as well as ash, plus some wounds of her own. Nothing was sore enough to make her complain, though. At this point, her crankiness and sleepiness dominated all pains. She hoped he wouldn't say anything stupid anytime soon, lest she waste the remains of her energy on screaming at him.

At the gesture to the couch, Ivy looked to the furniture's direction and stared at it for a moment, as if inspecting it. Despite the clutter in the apartment, the couch was no less inviting. With a slight nod, she took a seat on one of the cushions. Much as she wanted to relax, she didn't. Her posture was stiff and her face held a straight, serious expression.

She wanted to ask something, or even ask him something. Ivy was no good with small talk, though. All she ever conversed about was serious business or her next plot to kill vampires. Even then, she was only ever talking to herself. As she recalled, all she's ever done to Goric is threaten him and demand answers. For whatever reason, she felt bad about that...

"So you live...here...by yourself? Do you have to worry about others coming after you?" she asked him with some curiosity. It didn't seem like a lame topic, and it wasn't a straight dive into discussing her dirty work he may or may not help her with. This very moment was crazy to her anyhow. 'I'm talking to a goddamned vampire in his goddamned house...'
 
"You sound surprised and yet you know exactly why that is." he said moving towards the kitchenette to pull two mugs off of the rack and wipe them out with a cloth. "So what are we to be?" he asked "Business partners? Acquiescence? Sworn mortal enemies? I single night before we both melt into the shadows?"

He wanted to keep the words coming figuring the less silence the less chance she's think twice about not shooting him. "I am surprised you came looking for me though, perhaps we don't need to look at eachother and expect weapons to be drawn? A truce, however temporary? I'm sure you've noticed I'm much less of a fighter than the others. The would call me young and naive but I've never been able to see humans as just meat, and many have proven useful to me setting up my.... well you wouldn't be interested in that, for now lets stick to what you came here for... other than my head."

He sat down placing two mugs on the table and looked at her, studying her face as if trying to head the thoughts inside her skull. "I saw your work on the news, you're thorough.. you're the one we've been hearing about aren't you? The one taking down the syndicate?"
 
Wordlessly, she watched him shuffle about in his little kitchen while he rambled about their current situation. There was much to consider, now that he mentioned it. If she wasn't going to murder him tonight, what were they to call themselves from now until who knows when? Ivy did not like the idea of labeling him as a friend, or even an acquaintance. Business partner even rubbed her the wrong way. Just the idea of partnering with a vampire was despicable. Was that unfair? Yes, she admitted. Ivy was very prejudice about these blood suckers and she knew it. Every single one was the same to her.

"Probably. I don't know of anyone else who's targeting them," she replied, big gray eyes blinking at him. "My work is not yet finished, though. There are more of them, as you know. This is but a small detail in a big picture, though. My goal is a vast one."

Ivy didn't know why she was telling him this. Likely, he already knew her intentions. Or at least guessed them.

"By the way... What's in it for you, if you help me?" she inquired curiously. Further showing her interest, she brought a leg up to cross it over the other. An elbow balanced on her knee as she leaned forward to cradle her head on her palm, her eyes still glued onto him. There was a charm in the way she was sitting. It represented a fascinated child just waiting to learn more.
 
"Then I'll tell you one thing. You have them scared." he looked her directly in the eye as he spoke. "They don't know what to do about you, and so they shake in their boots and but guns, hire thugs... but sooner of later they'll try something smarter, try to hit back. My reasons for working against them are those of revenge. They took something from me and while I'll never get it back, I can make them bleed for it, and I can think of no one better to make them bleed than you. So really you coming here is the best then that could have happened to me."

He pulled the bottle towards himself and unscrewing the cap emptied some of it's contents into his tea before offering it to her. "I do have some Idea of what you're doing but I don't really care. I'm just after a little payback."
 
A corner of her mouth twitched upward, showing a smirk for just two seconds. Hearing that she was a feared enemy was good news. This excited her, too. They were going to try and fight back with their fancy firearms and their guardians. Whether that made the battles more honourable on their end was questionable, but at least they would put effort into defending themselves. That way they weren't total disgraces to their kind.

Ivy held the mug of tea in her hand and stared into the cup, watching the liquid swirl about. The mug was warming up the cold fingers of her human hand, which she was grateful for. She didn't realize how uncomfortably cold her body was, even with the layers she was wearing.

"Oh, they will bleed," she assured him, scowling at her beverage for a moment. Her reasons involved vengeance as well. This had her wondering what his reasons were, but she kept the question to herself. After all, it wasn't her business.

"So, we are on the same side..." Ivy was mostly thinking out loud. There were many thoughts racing through her mind, as there was a lot to consider for her next move. It did not take terribly long to come to a conclusion, though. Simply because:

"I owe you a favour. For helping me earlier. Therefore, I will help you."
 
"Then Ivy we have an understanding. Though I hope I'm as much help to you as you are to me." he offered her a smile. "You know you are the first person I'm working with in over a decade?"

His smile continued as he swirled the contents of his mug looking down and watching the liquid form a vortex. "And so to our partnership, of for what passes for one between our kinds." He raised his mug for a moment before swallowing the hot contents without flinching. "So are you going to disappear into the night. I know thats what the superhero you're sometimes likened to would do, but is there room for superheros today? I know thats not my role. But I suppose no one may answer that but you."
 
A corner of Ivy's mouth lifted, forming half a grin. From that smile, a laugh escaped her. That was the first time she'd laughed, even a little bit, in a long time. Let alone hold a smile for more than a few seconds. It made her face sore, honestly. But it was an ache she appreciated; she cherished what moments she could feel something other than bitter.

"Superhero?" she asked, obviously amused. Was he talking about comic book figures with secret identities and powers? In some ways, that did represent her, she supposed. Never did she consider herself a hero, though. She did this for personal gain, but as she thought about it, this was a favour to mankind as well. They'd be better protected from these creatures she so deeply despised.

Shrugging slightly, she lifted her mug to her lips and took a sip of her drink, letting the warmth flow through her. "My work is done for the night. But I will disappear soon, so you can get back to...whatever it was you were doing."
 
"You dress to kill, in more ways than one, you have no powers and yet come out of the night and leave no one standing. None know your true name only a moniker. You are as mysterious to your prey as you are dangerous. I can think of at least one superhero who fits that bill, and one villain, a romantic interest and deadly enemy to the hero at the same time. Which you are is your business so long as you're against the syndicate it makes little difference. And yet, there will be no more reading for me tonight."

He looked at her setting his mug down. "You entering my life changes more than you know, though for the first time I am... happy."

He stood and offered her his hand, "It would be a shame to see you go so soon after you arrived, we were just beginning to get to know eachother, but perhaps it is for the best, I am after all still one of them."
 
Goric's spiel on heroism and what was involved with it left her silent for a while. He must have read a lot of books. That was a hobby of her own that she abandoned quite some time ago. There wasn't any time or desire to read nowadays. In fact, she lost interest in a handful of things she once loved. Her work as a hunter completely took over her life. There wasn't even time to be...

'Happy.'

Ivy stared at the hand he offered to her as he mentioned that word to her. She made him happy? Was that what he was saying? Surely he wasn't. By now, she hardly knew the meaning of the word, so she hadn't a clue how to make a person feel that way. The idea that she was capable of it sent a warmth through her chest, though. The warmth burned painfully because it was unfamiliar, but it was a pain she welcomed. It reminded her she was still a human with emotions.

Belatedly, she took his hand into her own gloved one, giving it a tight grip as their arms moved up and down. Shaking hands with one of them... This was insanity. A voice in Ivy's mind was chastising her for allowing this partnership to develop, however she ignored it. She was drawn to this fellow for some reason. He was not like the others and she was interested in learning why; in learning how. To her, they were all the same greedy predators looking to destroy everyone's lives.

"Shall I find you here again the next night, or will our paths cross at my next target?" she asked him, setting down her cup and standing up with his hand still in hers. Quickly, she let go of it, her pale cheeks showing a light shade of pink. Holding another's hand was a sorely missed sign of affection, she realized. Even so, she felt stupid for allowing that to happen. With that same hand, she idly scratched at a side of her head, waiting for his reply.
 
"That all depends on who you target next. Though I hear theres a meeting tomorrow night at the docks. Under the crane on pier 2. Two high level suckers convening to discuss what to do about their subordinated getting burned. There will be a lot of bodies between anyone trying to interrupt them and the and they'll have an armored van and boats waiting to take them away if trouble starts but I have a front row ticket, invited in on the discussion. Or I should say let known what would happen if I didn't go."

He looked at her. "Its w difficult target but its rare for two to be in the open together, and I'm interested to see how you handle it. If you're going, just remember I'll be the one in the hat."

This was hr first test and a dangerous one. In his mind the right move would be not to try but he could already tell sh wasn't the sort to waste an opportunity. "So do we make it a date?"
 
'The docks. Pier 2.

Ivy kept those words in her mind and made a mental note with bold lettering to head there tomorrow night. This would be one of her most difficult assassinations yet. He mentioned armoured vehicles and likely, there would be large numbers of guardians there to protect their bosses. With the shadows on her side, she could kill a good number of them before getting injured herself. Therefore, she was confident as always. She just hoped not to make a fool of herself in front of Goric.

"Yes, it is rare for two to be in the same place. I have to try," she replied, much strength in her voice. "I will see you there. This will be very difficult, but like I said... I have to try."

There was a lot for her to prepare for now. She needed to arm herself better and perhaps, ready her body with more armour than usual. As well, she felt she should 'tune up' what of her was cybernetic. That would be just her luck to have a dysfunction in the middle of a battle like this one.

"I should leave, then. I have much to do."