Post by blacknazgul on Jul 29, 2008 22:43:06 GMT -5
Shadows in the Dark
Chapter-02 Part 1: First Encounters
Date: April 14, 2046
Time: 21:59:59
Location: Slums of Lith Harbor
~Mariah~
In the distance, the Lith Harbor bell tower struck ten times, each reverberating gong of the great bell lingering deeply in the fresh night air. The lights of the city were radiant against the black surroundings. A smell of brine floated up from the calm ocean into her nostrils as a cool breeze ruffled her hair. The night life was so much more pleasing than the day.
Mariah was perched atop the police officer’s dilapidated apartment in the ghettos of Lith Harbor, waiting for the ten strikes of the bell to cease. Her earpiece crackled simultaneously with the last gong, “Go, love, go!”
Heeding Renault’s ever watchful guidance, she cocked the hammer to her silenced Desert Phoenix and strolled to the door leading down into the hallways. As the cold metal door swung open, the smell of stale vomit and rat feces met Mariah’s nostrils. She covered her nose with her left hand and descended the steps down to Matthew Travis’ level.
Footsteps suddenly echoed around the end of the hallway, moving closer and closer. Mariah tucked the pistol into the back of her black jeans just as the elderly land lady appeared around the corner. Her old framed glasses looked up and her face revealed a full set of white dentures, “Why hello there!”
“Hello miss,” Mariah replied pleasantly, flashing a polite smile.
“I’m sorry, my memory is not what it used to be,” the landlady replied in a feeble voice, “Are you new here?”
“No ma’am, I’m just visiting… a friend…” Mariah moved closer to the wall, making sure the Desert Phoenix was concealed.
“Oh, who are you visiting, dear?”
“Um…” Mariah hesitated, but replied anyways, “Matthew Travis.”
“Ah, Matt. Such a nice young man,” The land lady gave Mariah’s hand a soft pat, “He’s lucky to have such a young and beautiful friend like you.” With another warm smile, she hobbled off down the stairs towards the first floor. Mariah waited for her footsteps to disappear before drawing her pistol once more.
“Have fun socializing?” Renault’s voice blurted out as Mariah made her forwards.
“She seemed nice,” Mariah muttered, then whispered, “The room number?”
“667.” Renault gave the three digits clearly and concisely.
“Neighbor of the beast… Commencing radio silence.” Mariah muttered to herself and stopped right next to Matthew’s door. She unbuckled a small gadget from her belt and slid it underneath the door. Then, rolling up the sleeve to her black, low-cut sweater, a screen attached to her wrist flickered on as the spy camera disguised as a tiny spider’s feed came to life.
Using the touch pad on the wrist-map, Mariah navigated her spy camera into Matthew’s apartment. The living room was dimly lit with a feeble, bare light bulb hanging limply from the ceiling. Plain beige wallpaper was sheering off of the surrounding walls from mistreatment and unkemptness. The vocal feed picked up a woman’s voice in the distance, around the corner in the bedroom.
The spider crept silently into Matthew’s bedroom, and finally sighted the target. He was wearing a pair of faded jeans and a blue buttoned down shirt. His socks were kicked off as he laid on his bed flipping through the channels mindless junk on TV. Mariah recalled the spider and switched off the video feed. Straightening herself up and smoothing her sweater, she rang the doorbell.
It was a few moments before the locks on the door unlatched and the door opened a crack. Matthew’s brown eyes appeared behind the wooden doorframe, examining Mariah from head to foot, his eyes pausing for a moment where they should not have. A musty breeze ruffled his dark brown hair.
“Can I help you?” he asked uncertainly, his eyes finally meeting Mariah’s.
“No,” Mariah whispered, “But I can help you. Why don’t you let me in.”
Matthew’s eyes scanned her body one more time and he undid the last lock and swung the door open, revealing his cramped and dirty apartment. Mariah pushed him gently into the living room and shut the maple door softly. She advanced, her hand on Matthew’s chest, forcing him back and tumbling onto the couch. Then, she proceeded to climb on top of him, her legs around his, her hands pressed down beside his head.
“Do you know why I’m here?” she whispered, her lips inches away from his.
“N…n…no, who a…are you?” Matthew stammered back in confusion. His heart beat faster and faster.
“I guess you can say,” she breathed onto his cheek, “I am your angel of darkness.” With that, she undid the top button of his shirt, “To heaven or hell…” Her voice was nothing more than a whisper. The next button popped off with ease.
“Will they never break thy spell…” Mariah had his buttons undone, revealing a white undershirt.
“May thee empower us with thy hands…” She ripped the blue shirt off.
“So we may hastily carry out thy commands…” Lifting his undershirt, Mariah revealed his surprisingly firmly built abs.
“Because all that we do is for thee…” He did not seem to want to stop her as she removed his undershirt.
“To guide these souls across the sea…” Then, Matthew finally showed some signs of life as he started to squirm.
“Si Deus pro nobis, quis contra nos…” Mariah leaned closer and closer, her lips barely a millimeter above Matthew’s. Her hand reached behind her to retrieve her Desert Phoenix when Renault suddenly broke radio silence.
“Sh**, Mariah, stop what you’re doing now.” Mariah froze above Matthew who’s breath came short and quick.
“What the f***?” Mariah spat into the communicator, her head still too close to Matthew’s.
“Change of plans, you have to get out. NOW!” Renault ordered fiercely. Mariah leaned away, pressing the earpiece closer to her eardrums.
“What the hell’s going on?”
“Matt comes with you, unharmed. Don’t ask any questions, just do it. I’ll explain when they’re gone.” Renault’s voice was suddenly panicky. It had never been panicky before.
“Renault…”
“SH** GET THE HELL OUT!” The communicator clicked off and Mariah suddenly heard rushing footsteps closing in on Matthew’s apartment. She immediately jumped off of the shaking officer and threw his clothes back to him.
“Get dressed! NOW!” She whispered harshly as she finally revealed the Desert Phoenix that was supposed to have killed Matthew. His eyes widened in horror at the sight of the weapon.
“What the hell is going on?” he demanded in a sharp voice. As he hurriedly buttoned his blue shirt back up.
Mariah was silent as she moved and grabbed Matthew by the collar. She dragged him unwillingly to the fire escape at the back end of the bedroom. Just as she slid the window up, blasting the room with a freezing cold breeze, the front door exploded into shards of broken wood. Muffled voices from the living room shouted furiously, toppling over furniture and shattering decorations.
“Get down to the ground,” Mariah ordered briefly and nudged Matthew out of the bedroom with a kick of her foot. Without needing to be told twice, he scrambled down the fire escape, making an awfully loud racket as his boots stomped clumsily on the rusty metal.
Suddenly, the bedroom door burst open, revealing a man wearing a black ski mask. Mariah finally realized who “they” were as she shot a silenced round into the man’s forehead. The mobsters had found him.
As the man’s body toppled to the floor, the others started to rush in. Mariah pulled the trigger twice more, bringing two more down, before jumping off of the fire escape to a storm pipe. She locked the arches of her boots around the pipe and slid down to the concrete below. Matthew jumped off the last step as the mobsters opened fire.
“SH** WHAT’S GOING ON!” He yelled as Mariah pulled him up the alley towards the street where Renault’s limousine was waiting, revving its engine impatiently. The door flew open as a bullet ricocheted off of the concrete next to Mariah’s feet. Forcing Matthew into the backseat, she whipped around and fired one final silenced shot from the Desert Phoenix. The bullet seared up towards the top of the fire escape and shattered through the man’s skull. As she closed the door, she could see the man’s limp body fall over the railing, his legs snap as they hit the forth story steps, and crash sickly into a dumpster on the ground, sending rubbish careening into the dark alley. Mariah suppressed a laugh and the limo zoomed off into the night.
“So what IS going on?” Mariah spat as she turned to face Renault. He was busily typing on the keyboard, his eyes darting through the many screens surrounding him. Matthew stared around the limo with stunned eyes, his mouth hanging agape.
“Kole sent me some intel. Apparently, he knows something that can be useful. He didn’t tell me what, just that we needed to get him back to HQ.” Renault explained as he continued to clack away on the computer.
“What… what do you guys want with me?” Matthew stammered beside Mariah.
“I was sent to kill you,” Mariah paused at his reaction. She smiled as he shifted uncomfortably away from her. “But now, things have changed…”
The black limo swerved around the corner at a brisk pace, rushing towards an unknown destination. Mariah looked around at the surroundings then asked, “Where are we going?”
Renault finished typing on his keyboard and looked up, “It’s too dangerous for us to return to HQ in this. We’re going to drive off to Kerning City,” he motioned to the driver and himself, “And you two,” he waved at her and Matthew, “Are going to return disguised in another car.”
Right as he finished, the limo pulled up to another dark alley. Mariah stepped out, followed by Renault and Matt. They followed Renault down the alley as he dug into his pants pocket and pulled out something small and shiny. He clicked a button and suddenly the dark alleyway was lit up by a pair of florescent lights.
Parked at the end of the alley, the moonlight bouncing lustrously of fits chromed hood, was a brand new black 2046 Turbocharged Porsche 911. Renault tossed Mariah the keys as he walked around the car, “A thousand horsepower, black tinted windows, chrome wheels, the works. The rest, you can figure out yourself. I’ll be in touch via the car’s radio.” He turned and got back into the limo, “Good luck, love.” The door slammed and the limo disappeared into the darkness.
Mariah turned back to Matthew, who was ogling over the car with baby eyes. “Get in.” Matthew fumbled clumsily for the doorknob and carefully stepped into the Porsche, as if afraid he would hurt it with any fast movement.
As she took her seat and turned the key into ignition, the engine roared to life, showing off its torque with pride. Mariah rolled her eyes, “Some disguise…” With a squeal of tires, the black Porsche charged down the alley, drifted into the main street, and screamed into the Lith Harbor nightlife.
Chapter-02 Part 1: First Encounters
Date: April 14, 2046
Time: 21:59:59
Location: Slums of Lith Harbor
~Mariah~
In the distance, the Lith Harbor bell tower struck ten times, each reverberating gong of the great bell lingering deeply in the fresh night air. The lights of the city were radiant against the black surroundings. A smell of brine floated up from the calm ocean into her nostrils as a cool breeze ruffled her hair. The night life was so much more pleasing than the day.
Mariah was perched atop the police officer’s dilapidated apartment in the ghettos of Lith Harbor, waiting for the ten strikes of the bell to cease. Her earpiece crackled simultaneously with the last gong, “Go, love, go!”
Heeding Renault’s ever watchful guidance, she cocked the hammer to her silenced Desert Phoenix and strolled to the door leading down into the hallways. As the cold metal door swung open, the smell of stale vomit and rat feces met Mariah’s nostrils. She covered her nose with her left hand and descended the steps down to Matthew Travis’ level.
Footsteps suddenly echoed around the end of the hallway, moving closer and closer. Mariah tucked the pistol into the back of her black jeans just as the elderly land lady appeared around the corner. Her old framed glasses looked up and her face revealed a full set of white dentures, “Why hello there!”
“Hello miss,” Mariah replied pleasantly, flashing a polite smile.
“I’m sorry, my memory is not what it used to be,” the landlady replied in a feeble voice, “Are you new here?”
“No ma’am, I’m just visiting… a friend…” Mariah moved closer to the wall, making sure the Desert Phoenix was concealed.
“Oh, who are you visiting, dear?”
“Um…” Mariah hesitated, but replied anyways, “Matthew Travis.”
“Ah, Matt. Such a nice young man,” The land lady gave Mariah’s hand a soft pat, “He’s lucky to have such a young and beautiful friend like you.” With another warm smile, she hobbled off down the stairs towards the first floor. Mariah waited for her footsteps to disappear before drawing her pistol once more.
“Have fun socializing?” Renault’s voice blurted out as Mariah made her forwards.
“She seemed nice,” Mariah muttered, then whispered, “The room number?”
“667.” Renault gave the three digits clearly and concisely.
“Neighbor of the beast… Commencing radio silence.” Mariah muttered to herself and stopped right next to Matthew’s door. She unbuckled a small gadget from her belt and slid it underneath the door. Then, rolling up the sleeve to her black, low-cut sweater, a screen attached to her wrist flickered on as the spy camera disguised as a tiny spider’s feed came to life.
Using the touch pad on the wrist-map, Mariah navigated her spy camera into Matthew’s apartment. The living room was dimly lit with a feeble, bare light bulb hanging limply from the ceiling. Plain beige wallpaper was sheering off of the surrounding walls from mistreatment and unkemptness. The vocal feed picked up a woman’s voice in the distance, around the corner in the bedroom.
The spider crept silently into Matthew’s bedroom, and finally sighted the target. He was wearing a pair of faded jeans and a blue buttoned down shirt. His socks were kicked off as he laid on his bed flipping through the channels mindless junk on TV. Mariah recalled the spider and switched off the video feed. Straightening herself up and smoothing her sweater, she rang the doorbell.
It was a few moments before the locks on the door unlatched and the door opened a crack. Matthew’s brown eyes appeared behind the wooden doorframe, examining Mariah from head to foot, his eyes pausing for a moment where they should not have. A musty breeze ruffled his dark brown hair.
“Can I help you?” he asked uncertainly, his eyes finally meeting Mariah’s.
“No,” Mariah whispered, “But I can help you. Why don’t you let me in.”
Matthew’s eyes scanned her body one more time and he undid the last lock and swung the door open, revealing his cramped and dirty apartment. Mariah pushed him gently into the living room and shut the maple door softly. She advanced, her hand on Matthew’s chest, forcing him back and tumbling onto the couch. Then, she proceeded to climb on top of him, her legs around his, her hands pressed down beside his head.
“Do you know why I’m here?” she whispered, her lips inches away from his.
“N…n…no, who a…are you?” Matthew stammered back in confusion. His heart beat faster and faster.
“I guess you can say,” she breathed onto his cheek, “I am your angel of darkness.” With that, she undid the top button of his shirt, “To heaven or hell…” Her voice was nothing more than a whisper. The next button popped off with ease.
“Will they never break thy spell…” Mariah had his buttons undone, revealing a white undershirt.
“May thee empower us with thy hands…” She ripped the blue shirt off.
“So we may hastily carry out thy commands…” Lifting his undershirt, Mariah revealed his surprisingly firmly built abs.
“Because all that we do is for thee…” He did not seem to want to stop her as she removed his undershirt.
“To guide these souls across the sea…” Then, Matthew finally showed some signs of life as he started to squirm.
“Si Deus pro nobis, quis contra nos…” Mariah leaned closer and closer, her lips barely a millimeter above Matthew’s. Her hand reached behind her to retrieve her Desert Phoenix when Renault suddenly broke radio silence.
“Sh**, Mariah, stop what you’re doing now.” Mariah froze above Matthew who’s breath came short and quick.
“What the f***?” Mariah spat into the communicator, her head still too close to Matthew’s.
“Change of plans, you have to get out. NOW!” Renault ordered fiercely. Mariah leaned away, pressing the earpiece closer to her eardrums.
“What the hell’s going on?”
“Matt comes with you, unharmed. Don’t ask any questions, just do it. I’ll explain when they’re gone.” Renault’s voice was suddenly panicky. It had never been panicky before.
“Renault…”
“SH** GET THE HELL OUT!” The communicator clicked off and Mariah suddenly heard rushing footsteps closing in on Matthew’s apartment. She immediately jumped off of the shaking officer and threw his clothes back to him.
“Get dressed! NOW!” She whispered harshly as she finally revealed the Desert Phoenix that was supposed to have killed Matthew. His eyes widened in horror at the sight of the weapon.
“What the hell is going on?” he demanded in a sharp voice. As he hurriedly buttoned his blue shirt back up.
Mariah was silent as she moved and grabbed Matthew by the collar. She dragged him unwillingly to the fire escape at the back end of the bedroom. Just as she slid the window up, blasting the room with a freezing cold breeze, the front door exploded into shards of broken wood. Muffled voices from the living room shouted furiously, toppling over furniture and shattering decorations.
“Get down to the ground,” Mariah ordered briefly and nudged Matthew out of the bedroom with a kick of her foot. Without needing to be told twice, he scrambled down the fire escape, making an awfully loud racket as his boots stomped clumsily on the rusty metal.
Suddenly, the bedroom door burst open, revealing a man wearing a black ski mask. Mariah finally realized who “they” were as she shot a silenced round into the man’s forehead. The mobsters had found him.
As the man’s body toppled to the floor, the others started to rush in. Mariah pulled the trigger twice more, bringing two more down, before jumping off of the fire escape to a storm pipe. She locked the arches of her boots around the pipe and slid down to the concrete below. Matthew jumped off the last step as the mobsters opened fire.
“SH** WHAT’S GOING ON!” He yelled as Mariah pulled him up the alley towards the street where Renault’s limousine was waiting, revving its engine impatiently. The door flew open as a bullet ricocheted off of the concrete next to Mariah’s feet. Forcing Matthew into the backseat, she whipped around and fired one final silenced shot from the Desert Phoenix. The bullet seared up towards the top of the fire escape and shattered through the man’s skull. As she closed the door, she could see the man’s limp body fall over the railing, his legs snap as they hit the forth story steps, and crash sickly into a dumpster on the ground, sending rubbish careening into the dark alley. Mariah suppressed a laugh and the limo zoomed off into the night.
“So what IS going on?” Mariah spat as she turned to face Renault. He was busily typing on the keyboard, his eyes darting through the many screens surrounding him. Matthew stared around the limo with stunned eyes, his mouth hanging agape.
“Kole sent me some intel. Apparently, he knows something that can be useful. He didn’t tell me what, just that we needed to get him back to HQ.” Renault explained as he continued to clack away on the computer.
“What… what do you guys want with me?” Matthew stammered beside Mariah.
“I was sent to kill you,” Mariah paused at his reaction. She smiled as he shifted uncomfortably away from her. “But now, things have changed…”
The black limo swerved around the corner at a brisk pace, rushing towards an unknown destination. Mariah looked around at the surroundings then asked, “Where are we going?”
Renault finished typing on his keyboard and looked up, “It’s too dangerous for us to return to HQ in this. We’re going to drive off to Kerning City,” he motioned to the driver and himself, “And you two,” he waved at her and Matthew, “Are going to return disguised in another car.”
Right as he finished, the limo pulled up to another dark alley. Mariah stepped out, followed by Renault and Matt. They followed Renault down the alley as he dug into his pants pocket and pulled out something small and shiny. He clicked a button and suddenly the dark alleyway was lit up by a pair of florescent lights.
Parked at the end of the alley, the moonlight bouncing lustrously of fits chromed hood, was a brand new black 2046 Turbocharged Porsche 911. Renault tossed Mariah the keys as he walked around the car, “A thousand horsepower, black tinted windows, chrome wheels, the works. The rest, you can figure out yourself. I’ll be in touch via the car’s radio.” He turned and got back into the limo, “Good luck, love.” The door slammed and the limo disappeared into the darkness.
Mariah turned back to Matthew, who was ogling over the car with baby eyes. “Get in.” Matthew fumbled clumsily for the doorknob and carefully stepped into the Porsche, as if afraid he would hurt it with any fast movement.
As she took her seat and turned the key into ignition, the engine roared to life, showing off its torque with pride. Mariah rolled her eyes, “Some disguise…” With a squeal of tires, the black Porsche charged down the alley, drifted into the main street, and screamed into the Lith Harbor nightlife.