All You Need Is Kill — Legacy Forums

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#81

Karl lets his anger ease off, calming down. Inwardly, he's now more certain this is a trap. All these cameras, and they don't know what this Brill guy looks like? Like there ain't a monitor right there for the concierge to see a picture? Like whoever's on the other end of that phone ain't loadin' up the weapons? Just get the two yokels into the killbox you call an elevator and it's done.

Karl wishes he'd blown the door and gone in hot. Then everyone with a gun would have it out and he'd know who to shoot.

He nods at 'Phil.' "Whatever you think'll be most fun to start. An' if it don't work, we can always go back to Plan B." A veteran cop like The Bloodhound has to know what Plan B is in military parlance, and though people use the phrase all the time, it can only have one meaning from Karl's lips. When the plan fails, just start shooting.

Karl's eyes move to the staircase, subtly suggesting 'Phil' lead the way away from the killboxes you call elevators, and up to the doors.

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#82

"Yeah, sure," he said, his smile flattening into a thin line. It smelled even worse like a trap now. Whatever kind of club this was, Phil the Thrill would stick out like a sore thumb; the concierge surely knew Donovan wasn't "Mr. Brill." But they were in knee-deep now. No turning back.

"We'll take it from here, bro," he said with a nod. He reached into his wallet and pulled out a Grant, sliding it onto the desk with a wink as he passed by it. "Thanks again."

Walking up the staircase, he put the wallet back into his trench coat pocket and felt for the safety of his pistol. There was surely a metal detector around here somewhere, but a place this swanky didn't strip a man of his firearm and embarrass him. At least at the entrance. Hathaway close behind, Dan climbed the stairs and reached for the handles of the double-doors.

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#83

Kate shook her head to clear away the blur, sending a spray of blood across the ground, slightly surprised her target was still clinging to life, but doubtful he'd do so for much longer. She held up a reassuring hand to Eddy, letting him know she was still in the fight. "I've had worse." She manged through say to split lips, wondering briefly about the possibility of a concussion as well, but grateful nothing serious had been broken. Seems he was faster than those muscles suggested, fortunately for her she'd been quicker; this time.

"I just need an injection and a a few minutes." One of the advantages of being able to kick her metabolism into hyper-drive Kate mused, was an equally increased rate of regeneration. The downside however was a caloric intake requirement during and immediately after those bouts of self healing that rivaled that of The Bouncers. "Keep an eye out while I deal with this." She glanced around her immediate surroundings, spitting a thick thread of blood in the direction of her canceled contract before spotting her tooth next to some discarded fastfood wrappers.

With a wince of pain she inserted the tooth back in its missing socket, grateful the black jacket hid the majority of blood soaking her collar . Now for the needle before her jacked up metabolism called on reserves her body didn't have and sent her into a hypoglycemic coma.

She fumbled with a small plastic case in her left inner coat pocket, withdrawing a short ugly looking needle filled with a thick cloudy syrup. Glucagon, used by diabetics for dangerously low blood sugars, it worked pretty well to keep her conscious while her body went through a state of self restoration. She let out a soft grunt and she jammed it into her side, aiming roughly for her liver and closing her eyes against the swell of nausea that threatened to overwhelm her.

Judging by the lack of gunfire erupting from inside she had a bit of time, time to at least let her body halt the stream of blood down her face and secure her tooth so she could talk again without spitting it across the ground like some victim of end stage radiation poisoning.

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#84

"Don't take too long. This fellow's not normal. Like us. This might only be an inconvenience."

Don't make Me do it...

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#85

NOW

"Welcome. Be comfortable. Voice-over will pour you a drink. Vodka, Dan? Prune juice for your friend?

THEN

Dan opened the doors and the pair made their way along another corridor, this one wider, the walls adorned with post-modern art and weird sculptures. Soft music playing. Brahms, or one of those guys.

Another door. This one opened up on its own. A beautiful woman dressed in camo fatigues and black beret faced them. Sub machine gun in hand, but calm.

"Mr. Cellophane inquired if you would join him in the library?" She said with an indeterminable accent.

Inside was what appeared to be an upscale gentlemen club's from Victorian era London. Seated in a plush velvet armchair, around a table carved of onyx was Mr. Cellophane.

I didn't know there would be this much talking--Korgoth the Barbarian

A blonde-haired youth, with a horrendous acne problem, got up and shuffled over to the mahogany bar to fix drinks.

"Mr. Cellophane doesn't really suit me anymore, you know. I've long since moved on from wrapping people alive in cellophane. Just yesterday, I sat a guy down in front of a mirror and had the boys peel his face off. Lids and all, couldn't close his eyes. Had to watch himself scream. But I can't exactly rename myself, Mr. Skin-people-in-front-of-mirrors, now can I?"

Mr. Cellophane was an androgynous-looking "fellow" of indeterminable age, dressed in an ebon pantsuit worth more than Dan's car. His features were smooth, snake-like. His long elegant fingers sported the perfect manicure.

Sitting at his table, and standing all around the dining room were gorgeous women dressed in camo fatigues and sporting black berets. Each one held aloft a state-of-the-art sub machine-gun. Could spray a room as quick as they'd look at you.

Apparently Mr. Cellophane was a fan of Ghadafy. Or Borat. Or Both.

"Yes, that was me." Mr. Cellophane answered an unasked question, without a hint of guile in his husky yet feminine voice.

"Phil had overheard things he should not have, and asked me if I'd pay him to whack you...I said, 'yeah sure, why not', and off he went. But, here you are, using his temporary club pass, and you have the old-timer in tow, saving me the trouble, so I thought, what the hell, let's talk."

"There is a madman on the loose. I met him. And I never wish too again. I don't understand his plan but a small part of it seems to be the complete eradication of all the "freaks"...that is, people like you two, in case you're unsure."

He paused in his soliloquy.

Mr. Cellophane studied Karl casually.

"It's true the woman you're looking for, Dr. Phong, is currently, well, *with* the Doctor. His name is Dr. Insano, if you can believe it. Used to be a brilliant scientist blah blah blah blah blah blah...now he is simply insane. Disgusting to look at, impossible to deal with.

His is a madness beyond description. Like the Joker from Batman, but a lot smarter and infinitely more crazy. Even I couldn't wait to get the hell away from him. I even promised I'd help him out..."

"...And that's where you come in, I suppose. In a rare moment of lucidity, the Doctor mentioned that the father of one his--associates--happened to be a freak. The rest you can guess. I told him I would get you here. The Doctor is collecting all freaks, you see...Dr. Phong never stepped foot in Sanctum however, that was Voice-over on the line." Mr. Cellophane tousled the blonde youth's locks, and smiled sensually.

"Since you seem to be missing "muscle" in your little group, what with you two, and your other friends, I took the liberty of recruiting The Bouncer to join forces with you." Cellophane laughed a little girl's laugh. "He's downstairs somewhere right now, in the Fighting Arena, smashing skulls."

"So what I'm saying is", he summarized, "I may as well help you find the crazy Insano. He's looking for all you anyway. I can simply pass you along to the One. The King in Yellow. He who dreams in Carcosa."

Finally he shut up. He was chatty, this Cellophane, but at least it sped things up. You had to give him that. Of course he left way more unsaid then said.

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#86

Karl ain't drinking.

Karl listens to the man as he stands, eyes studying everything. Then when the man finishes... Karl starts laughing.

It's a small laugh at first, just a chuckle. Just a tickle of amusement. But it builds, quickly, into a full-throated, down home, kneeslapping guffaw. It's like you just told a good joke while getting hit in the groin by a small child wielding a hammer. It's obviously just the funniest godd**n thing Karl's ever heard. He belts out the laughter until tears roll down his face. Then he spends half a minute recovering, the laughing winding down, little chuckles again, between deep breaths.

"That's all? That's @!#$ing all he wants? Me, dead?" Karl shakes his head. "@!#$. All he hadta to was wait a little longer. I was fixin' to do the job for him!"

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#87

"You know, you coulda called. On the phone?" Dan grumbled, shaking his head at Mr. Cellophane. "A lot less messy. Not that I mind Phil being dead and all, but my upholstery's all shot to hell now."

He looked a little uneasy at Karl's sudden humor. Donovan knew Cellophane enough to know his limits, what buttons not to push, but he wasn't sure Karl did. "Speak for yourself. I ain't gonna grab my ankles for this guy." He nodded to Mr. Cellophane. "I appreciate the warning, as it is. Where do we go from here exactly? And where's Bouncer?" It occurred to him that Kate and Eddy were still unaccounted for, but given what he knew about Cellophane, he already knew exactly where they were and what they were doing.

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#88

Karl looks at Dan.

"Well, 'course not NOW. I'm talking about before, when all I had was a house filled with regret and guns. Lonely old man, broken inside, lost everything he ever cared about. Can't even compete anymore, on account of it's cheatin' when I shoot now. Not a damn thing left, the easy way out gets mighty hard to resist."

For a sec, Karl's older again, living that regret. But he shakes it loose.

"But them some stupid motherfucker threatens my little girl. 'Course I'm gonna kill his ass dead." Karl smiles. "Then, maybe after, I still eat a bullet, and I find this piece of shit in hell and kill him all over again."

He looks at this windowpane fella. Soon kill him as look at him, but not even Karl is gung ho enough to draw on a man while surrounded by so much hot iron. Not while there's Katie to think about.

"It's time to do what I do." Karl looks at Dan. "I need me a spotter. You busy?" To Mr. Windowpane, he says, "Where is he?"

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#89

The man(?) simply sat there, his fingers steepled in front of his mouth, and watched Karl laugh with a twinkle in his eye...

"Would that be irony, then, Mr. Old Timer, or something else? Heh, you thought there was a big ol' hullabaloo about *you*?" Now Cellophane laughed his girlish giggle again. "No, nothing to do with you. You just happen to be---what the heck is your "thing" anyway?" Do you shoot arthritic bolts? Pass a lot of deadly gas? I'll tell you this, however, Mr. not from around here," Cellophane's voice was now a dangerous whisper, "Your "girl" is @!#$ed. At least figuratively, not sure about literally, but use your imagination."

Donovan could read Cellophane well---By the way, what the @!#$? Was Cellophane in the midst of a sex-change? He looked different---Mr. Cellophane did indeed have his limits, and was a psycho's psycho when pushed.

"Go from here? s**t, I don't know. You two can leave, if I wanted you dead, I wouldn't have sent Phil the cheap thrill."

Where is he?

"He's usually mobile, but you're in luck..." Cellophane leaned in dramatically "...I heard that two hours ago, he took over a @!#$ing prison. How do you like them apples? Carcosa Super-Max, Long Island. Get this, media has no @!#$ing clue yet. Those whose job it is to deal with this type of s**t haven't mobilized yet. No one wants to, everyone afraid of Dr. Insano. Has a s**t-load of innocent people in tow too, including your *girl*. So from what I'm hearing carpet-bombing the place is not yet an option."

And where's Bouncer?

"I told you, downstairs somewhere. I'm not his momma. You want him to help you out, you talk to him. He's currently fighting in the arenas...downstairs. I mentioned to him that Insano is gunning for "supes", he mumbled 'bring it on', or something."

Maybe Cellophane didn't know about Eddy and Kate yet.

"Now, get the @!#$ out. Your time's up."

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#90

Outside

By the time Kate recovered, The Bouncer was up on one knee. Still clutching his throat, still somewhat helpless, but recovering?! Eddy got more than the glimpse he wanted, as he looked at Kate's long legs and nearly hiked up mini-skirt.

The Bouncer's entire body was coated red with quickly cooling blood. He coughed, and another stream of blood, phlegm, and bile, poured out of his mouth and throat. He still couldn't speak.

Eddy noticed a car screech to a stop outside the alley. Sedan. Tinted windows. It idled, with a view of events.

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#91

Kate sighed as the world resumed a speed that approximated normal, eye her target with new found respect; normally people didn't get up after a Halo induced tracheotomy, but here he was on one, knee and possibly even winning his battle against the reapers siren call.

She gave Eddy a small sigh, noticing his eyes straining to catch a glimpse up her skirt, she found it convenient how going commando could distract most guys at the damnedest of times, a distraction that often proved fatal to targets, not so convenient when it distracted the person who was supposed to be watching your back however...

She began calculating the best way to finish cancelling the target quietly so her and Eddy could move into support Bloodhound and One Shot, turning to eye the car with annoyance as it pulled up, another unknown equation to an already complicated mathematical problem.

"Do you want to take the new arrivals or finish off the door stop?" Aside from a keen knowledge of anatomy and the ability to go unnoticed she didn't have a clue what Eddy's evolutionary specialty was, but she hoped it was something that could cancel a lot of targets in a hurry, because her target and a car load of potential contracts was more then she could readily handle, especially in her current condition.

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#92

"You deal with the car," said Eddy as he pulled out the sig and fired at The Bouncer.

He was no marksman. He was counting on it.

Pum! Pum! Pum!

Thou shall not kill...

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#93

Shoulder. Shoulder. Head.

Eddy's last shot blew off The Bouncer's ear, along with a chunk of skull and brain. The big man went down again. Wasn't moving this time.

Was he dead?

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#94

Kate blinked as Eddy produced a handgun and began to empty the magazine into the target, not the computational outcome to this particular problem she anticipated, but it had a pleasing finality to it, she had to admit.

She turned instead to focus on the vehicle in front of her, tinted windows, likely armored, unknown number of occupants that were now witness to the cancellation of her target, making them loose ends and potentially marked for cancellation themselves, if they stuck around anyway.

She slipped a hand under her jacket and produced a firearm of her own, a Sig 226 chambered for .40 caliber, the world slipped into slow motion once more as she sighted in on the vehicle, waiting for her opening, the parting of a window or cracking of a door that would present the opportunity for a hollow point cancellation.

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#95

No window or door opened up. The car sat there another few long seconds then slowly began pulling out. Kate could take a shot at the sedan, if she wanted.

Eddy looked at The Bouncer again, just to make sure he still wasn't moving. He wasn't at the moment.

But it wouldn't be long before that back door opened up again and someone would come checking on The Bouncer's extraordinarily long piss break.

A further look around. No one.

Meanwhile Karl and Dan exited the building out front.

On the street. 3AM.

Yellow cabs flew up and down the avenue, transporting drunken revelers.

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#96

Kate covered the sedans departure with her pistol, seeing no reason to waste ammunition and provoke a needless conflict. Her canceled target, he was part of the slime holding some little girl prisoner, not worth any hesitation or mercy on that note alone.

She holstered her handgun as the Sedan was swallowed by shadow and streetlights, pausing long enough to take note of its license plate, it could be worth running down later through some contacts. Turning back she gave Eddy an approving nod, "Nice cancellation,"cautiously kneeling down to retrieve her blade, wiping the blood and bile on the targets clothes almost as an after thought.

"Do you know if your boyfriend and One Shot had suppressed weapons?" She knew darned well Blood Hound didn't have a boyfriend, and if he did it certainly wouldn't be Eddy, but the out of left field joke/comment would make him squirm, and hopefully take his mind off the cancelled target in front of him before he blew chunks or passed out at least.

"Either the place has top class sound proofing or they're canceling targets discreetly, Hound's got my contact number too so he'll send us a text if he needs us to do anything specific." She continued, giving Eddy a reassuring nod, casually going through the targets pockets for anything of relevance. Access cards, keys, cash, whatever might come in handy for the immediate future.

A gust of icy wind reminded her tights and a longer skirt might have been a better choice of attire, but she hadn't exactly had time to go home and kit up for this escapade, not that it mattered now anyway, another few seconds and they'd be out of the cold and into whatever hot mess Blood Hound and One Shot were cooking up.

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#97

NOW

Karl leaves, knowing he’ll be back. This guy’s involved. Karl will find out how. Why don’t matter. Just how. But he ain’t the mission today. Karl glances toward another door and says, “Hang on a sec. Need to hit the head.” He heads for the restroom without waiting for a reply, duffell still in tow.

When Karl emerges a few minutes later, the thrift store flasher coat and denim are gone. In their place, fatigues and body armor, gray urban camouflage, tactical vest slung with his Kabar - sharp enough to shave a snake - Colt at his hip, tied down. Slung on his shoulder is the unmistakable form of a canvas rifle case, and a smaller pack with the last of his gear. The clothes he was wearing he donated to whatever perverts should make his way into that restroom. He won't need them again. His helmet rests in the crook of one arm.

Most of Karl’s grey is gone. The lines have disappeared from his face, leaving only a few around his eyes. Maybe it’s the uniform, but Karl stands straight, tall, looking fitter than he has in years. Even when he was helping the FBI he didn’t look this good. Never had this much motivation, maybe, past maybe gettin' to hunt again. Tonight he's hunting with purpose, and it shows.

There’s no insignia, no rank, no ribbons, no name. It’s not a uniform. ‘cept it is.

“Let’s go.”

Outside, Karl pauses to look around. Seeing no sign of the other two, he cautiously moves around back, looking for them. He pauses at the sight of the walking warning for steroid abuse nursing wounds and pair who dropped him.

"Katie ain't in there, never was, accordin' to some guy named... Windowpane or somethin'. Says the call was routed through the club, but she's out with some feller calls himself Dr. Insano." Karl shakes his head. This ain't the godd**n comics.

"Man says he's taken over a prison. Location's near the hit Bloodhound got, so I'm headin' out. I could use a spotter."

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#98

Dan smelled blood even as he opened the club's doors to leave. Blood meant trouble.

He rounded the corner and saw a pile of bloodied steroids lying in front of Kate and Eddy. "G*dd*mnit!" he swore, kicking a piece of trash angrily. "Did you kill him?! Sh*t!" He knelt down and checked for a pulse. "Did you even talk to the f*cker? He's supposed to be our muscle. Ain't gonna want to help us now, is he?" Donovan wiped blood off of his fingers on Bouncer's shirt, then off the man's neck. He fumbled around for the carotid, hoping and not hoping to find his heart still beating.

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#99

"Thanks," Eddy trailed off. "I didn't see a silencer on the Bloodhounds gun. No idea about the other. He could have put one on."

Eddy ignored the barb. He had hoped things might be different, but no. Another one of those.

He had not meant to kill the bastard, but bullets really didn't have a 'stun' setting.

He stood there silently, his thoughts his own, until he was brought back by Dan's cursing.

"I think .. so. Not sure, he's really, really tough."

Could he not be dead?

"Your brain is never the same once air touches it. Lets part of your soul out."

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#100

Ever so slight. Almost non-existent, but still there...a weak pulse. Unreal!

Regardless, Bouncer wasn't jumping up and lending "muscle" to anyone for a long while, if ever. And if Eddy was right, he'd rise soulless anyway.

Pockets: A small vial of yellowish powder (marked "King in Yellow"), parking garage ticket (Escalade), cash--4 c-notes, piece of paper with an address on it (somewhere in Queens), another scrap of paper, this one saying, "Wingman"-347-555-3714.

3:15 AM.

City nightlife winding down. They were way uptown at this point, not far from the bridge that would take them into the Southern Bronx, Quicksilver's territory. Or a quick cab ride back downtown to Dan's loft. Or, off to Long Island...

Karl stood there, waiting on a spotter. He didn't look sleepy.

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#101

Sweat broke out on Donovan's brow. "Son of a b*tch," he said in disbelief. He stood up, wiping his hands on Bouncer's pants. He sighed, pulling out his flask again. It was going empty quicker than usual. "Alright, Mr. One Shot," he nodded to Karl, "you've got me on the docket, so let's get this done." He tapped Bouncer with his foot. "This guy ain't gonna walk anytime soon. So, super job with that," he said with a half-scowl at Kate.

He pulled out his phone and walked toward the street. Waving his hand out, he began to dial. "So where we going?" he asked. "You wanna jump in and do this thing now or what?"

As a cab pulled up, a tinny voice came in over the receiver: "Nine-one-one, what is your emergency?" Dan chucked the phone over toward the alley where Bouncer lay bleeding. The Bloodhound opened the door and waved his hand toward the interior. He flashed an ironic grin at Quicksilver. "Ladies first."

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#102

Kate blinked, quietly surprised at One Shot's change of attire when moments ago he had "Joe not so average" written all over him. She blinked again at Blood Hounds revelation, not like him to leave out important info like that.

"Maybe if you'd informed us before we moved to breach you'd hired The Bouncer to help you out he'd still be vertical?" Her voice held a mixture of frustration, confusion, and annoyance, with Eddy's cryptic comment icing on the cake.

She turned to focus on One Shot, his info being the most relevant. "Cellophane? If so he's got hit out on all us gifted ones, at least according to an associate of mine." She turned the info about a prison and someone called Insano over in her mind for a few seconds, calculating, weighing a night of cancellations against a evening of quiet solitude. One promised a pay day and something to keep her mind off the past, the other a visitation from ghosts long dead and another call girl charge on her credit card.

Besides the girl was still a prisoner, and she wouldn't feel right about leaving her to that fate, especially when she was in a position to help. "Not trained for spotting work. but I can watch your back just the same." She gave Blood Hound a dark look, "Assuming you don't forget to mention relevant details anyway."

She ripped open the yellow powder, sprinkling the contents into the street then pocketing the money and papers, muttering under breath "worthless stim junkie," and giving the bloody mound of flesh a almost pitying look. "I need to grab a few things from my place, a blade, one Sig, and an armored jacket is a bit light weight to take on a prison with." She looked over at Eddy, wondering just how far off the deep end blowing The Bouncers brains had sent him.

"You coming with us Eddy, or do you want to finish removing his head and taking a piss down his throat like he was about to do to you?" Reminding him the target wasn't exactly warm and cuddly in the seconds before his cancellation might help jog the poor guy out of whatever happy catatonic place he seemed to be heading for mentally.

She smiled at Bloodhound's comment, entering the taxi without another word, knowing her visitation home would only take a handful of minutes; well maybe two handfuls, a stack of power bars in addition to her working gear sounded pretty darned good right about now.

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#103

Not really interested in smoothing things over, but interested in making sure everyone has the same intel, Karl says, "Dan didn't hire that fella. Windowpane did. Shame he didn't think to mention to mention it sooner." Karl shrugs. "Don't matter none to me. Windowpane is involved, and later on I aim to find out just how much. I wouldn'ta trusted his goon at my back, anyhow."

To Kate's comment, he downplays the importance of a spotter just a bit. "Spottin's easy. You just tell me where to shoot an' I shoot. If we were in 'nam, you'd also keep count so company commanders could compare the sizes of their dicks with each other. That don't matter none here. Never did to anyone but the commanders."

On the cab ride, Karl fills in all who care to listen everything else Windowpane said, just in case there was something important there he might have dismissed. Then, he closes his eyes and naps. Tired or not, no Marine refuses a chance at some shut eye, because you never know when the next chance will be. He leans back in his seat, rifle in her case, cradled in his arms.

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#104

1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

"Mr. President"

"Yes, come in Frank, we've been waiting on you. Can you brief us quickly?"

"Yes, Mr. President. Approximately 3 hours ago, a madman took over Carcosa Super-Max Prison."

"Took over, do I want to know how?" the Chief of Staff asked.

"That part doesn't matter anymore."

"Right. That we know, Frank. Tell us what we don't know."

"Well, Mr. President, I just got off the phone with Mayor DeGlasio in NYC. They are ready but won't move without a word from the White House."

"That bad?"

"Yes."

"How many pris--civilians?"

"Between admin, staff, visitors, lawyers, and prisoners, about 650."

"How many of those are prisoners?"

"450 or so"

"Hmm..."

***

"I have some images here. Carcosa Super-Max sits on an island north of Oyster Bay in the Long Island Sound. Three miles long, two miles wide. 8 miles from shore. Impenetrable. Well, except for 3 hours ago..."

"Wait a minute, Frank. You're saying one clean "fly-by" is not an option?"

"I don't see how it can be, Mr. President. I'm not sure your administration would survive that kind of blowback---"

"So what do we do? SWAT? Marines? Seals? What about all these useless Supers?"

"We have 3 options as I see it."

"Yes, go ahead Frank. Be blunt."

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#105

Kate nodded at One Shot's explanation, briefly mentioning the warning note she received from Chopsticks earlier, nodding in agreement at his refusal to have an Oxen like Bouncer on their six when he was working for a whack job like Cello.

"Cancelling him now saves him trying to cancel one or more of us later." She could have gone on about the wisdom of striking first against someone that brutish whose first strike likely would be the last one in a fight, but knew this group was well aware of such realities, well aside from Eddy anyway, he still seemed... Out of place among the rest of them, unless he was hiding some natural born killer personality under that vagrant veneer, but her gut told her he was perhaps the most civilized, or possibly naive one of their group, such as it was.

"I've got some ear buds we can use for coms to make the spotting work easier, and maybe prevent any more miscommunications in the future?" She shot Bloodhound a sideways glance, strange he'd be so pissed off about The Bouncer being cancelled after she passed him that note of Cello putting hits on them all, if anything she might have just saved their lives.

Ah well, he was prolly still pissed from Phil trying to giving him a terminal thrill earlier. Her dad used to get like that when his job on the force went poorly, which was most days, she knew not to take it personal. "So what's your daughter like? Is she gifted like us?" The more she knew about their extraction target the better she could anticipate and react to surprises, and it was as good an ice breaker as any to get to know the guy, and distracted her from the gnawing hunger that was making even the discarded french fries on the floor of the cab look appealing.

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#106

Karl smiles at the mention of Katie. After all the years of estrangement, all the pain and recrimination and guilt and doubt... he's still more proud of her than anything he's ever done in his life, and it shows when he talks. Eyes still closed, he says,

"She ain't gifted like us... leastways she wasn't last I knew. But she was always dead smart. She had the grades and the drive to do any damn thing she wanted. Her pick of colleges and medical schools. Pretty as her momma... maybe prettier... hard to tell."

He digs out an old photo, passing it to Kate. It's old, a bit faded, but Kate can see Karl, looking about 30ish, big Marine in casual fatigues, posing with rifle over his shoulder next to another feller, even taller but leaner than he, about five years younger, also in fatigues. Between and below them, pretty as can be, a Vietnamese woman maybe the same age as Kate, dressed in the clothes of a simple villager, with a camouflage bandana tied neckerchief style at her neck. All three mug at the camera like they ain't got a care, though all three have a fierceness in their eyes. Written on the back, Me, Willie, Linh, Huntin’ Again, August 5, 1969

"Took that right before our last trip out. Katie looked a lot like her momma last I saw, but of course she's older now. Dan's got a picture I pulled from some internet thing. Bookface, or somethin'."

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#107

He had cleaned his knife on the Bouncer's shirt, and silently palmed another package of the powder.

Old habits die hard, Sinner.

"You'll pull through," he said to the unconscious Bouncer. He put a hand on the thug's shoulder.

"Yes, I'm coming. Don't have anywhere else to be."

Which was the truth. Though the idea of breaking _into_ a prison held little appeal to him. But again, things generally worked out.

It was too bad it was a supermax - he hadn't broke out of one of those yet, so he couldn't help them getting into one.

Eddy followed them into the car, speaking to himself so low only the gifted could hear.

" Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven. “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made."

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#108

Kate looked at the picture and smiled, briefly wondering if she was his daughters type before derailing the train of thought with a shake of her head. Time enough for such diversions after the job was done, now was time for canceling targets and making the world just that much brighter to live in come dawn.

"A pity you both fell out of touch, family's important, more then most people realize." Her thoughts drifted to her father, still serving time on corruption charges, and the grave of her dead girlfriend; she still hadn't been able to bring herself to pay it a visit, even after all this time. Maybe she would after this job was over. Yeah. Right. After this job if she was still this side of the dirt she knew she'd come up with something, anything else more pressing to deal with then her past.

"What about you Eddy? You sure you want in on this? Likely to be lots more sent to meet the reaper before dawn breaks." She mentally ran down a list of weapons she had that might suit the guy, then realized aside from some questionable pistol marksmanship she had no clue what his talents even were.

"Speaking of which, what is your evolutionary gift? I know Hounds, and One Shot here is pretty obvious," She gave One Shot a warm smile and passed the picture back to him. "But you're kinda a mystery, and the more we know about each other the better the chance of all of us still this side of the dirt this time tomorrow."

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#109

Karl grunts. "Couldn't get away fast enough, once she learned what I done." Karl's quiet a sec. "Can't say as I blame her, none. But she's my little girl until I'm dead. Ain't nothin'll change that, don't matter none how much she hates me now."

Karl looks a few years older now.

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#110

Eddy suddenly grew serious, and loud, at Kate's words.

"Oh no, not Evolution, not the product of the Godless science. I was Chosen. I am Chosen. I need to save the world, and all of its Sinners, one step at a time.

The Lord guides my step, my direction, and if need be, my Sword. He brought me to Dan who though a Sinner needed Saving from Judas. And I saved him. You needed aid against Goliath, and lead stones found his skull. He shields me, or my brain would have been the one breathing the Lords air and my soul onwards to Judgement. I can help because He helps me. I will help because you need me.

I have squatted with the sinners under the bridges, and walked the streets with them at night. I have been weak and sought truth in powders and potions. I have Sinned but through Saving I can be Saved.

So yes, I do want in on this. Something I can spray and Pray with." Eddy smiled on the last.

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#111

A swing by Da Bronx.

Kate lived in the shadows of Yankee Stadium. S**tsville. But her apartment may as well have been Fort Knox.

Besides the impressive arsenal Kate had stashed away, there was also her car...

Taxi wouldn't agree to wait, and there weren't too many other cabs around here, looking for a fare.

4AM.

They pulled out again.

Whitestone Bridge~Cross Island~LIE~ off towards Oyster Bay...

Dan needed a drink. Flask empty.

No one said anything for a while.

Eddy and Karl sat in the backseat. Kate glanced in the rearview. A car was following them. Same sedan as she spotted by the club. It kept well back. Innocuous. But this wasn't Kate's first rodeo.

Radio on. News and traffic report. No news of any madmen commandeering any prisons. No traffic either. It would start in a few hours.

Karl's phone vibrated. He answered. Wrong number.

Eddy's stomach growled.

Dan scratched his sandpaper face and held back a burp.

Kate drove.

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#112

Suddenly music started playing. They could all hear it. The Bass.

Old school.

"Me holla respect to all the gun men dem, gun men alone keep gun men friend"

It started feint, but grew louder, another car behind them. This one speeding fast, looking to drive by them. Windows open. Music making the Acura throb.

"Fire bun, fi all the informers dem, informer alone keep a gun men friend."

Music was d**n loud.

The car was about forty feet back and closing, switching lanes to pull up along side...Dan's side.

Notorious B.I.G. rhymed of doom.

Kate caught sight of movement in the Acura in the rear view, someone was lifting something and about to thrust it out the window. Didn't look like a friendly object.

Gangbangers. But they seemed purposeful.

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#113

Kate began laughing at what she was certain at first was a Joke by Eddy, her gaze narrowing as she realized the poor man was actually believing the dogma that his lips spewed forth, her laugh cutting off as abruptly as if she was suddenly beheaded.

"I'm fresh out of Mac Tens." Was all she could think to say at the end of his rambling, cautiously trying to think how to politely decline arming the man with anything more dangerous then plastic eating utensils. Perhaps he'd always been unbalanced, or maybe it was how his mind folded in on itself to allow him to handle whatever gift he had? The specifics of which were no clearer now then when she asked a few moments ago.

She cast a sideways glance at Bloodhound, Eddy was his baggage after all, and with his mood this night she didn't want to give him anything else to yell about, but even so. "You have such unique friends , did I ever tell you that?" The Taxi's abrupt arrival at her home cut off anything further she had to say.

"Wait down here, I won't be long." Showing Bloodhound and two strangers the intimate details of her living space didn't seem like a smart move, not until she got to know them better anyway, then perhaps she'd be comfortable letting them in her inner sanctum. Some of them anyway. She headed for the stairs and hurried up, taking them two at a time.

The top floor, all hers with enough security to keep out anything short of a Swat team, and even then, they'd better bring a lot of body bags. After quickly being identified by the electromagnetic sensor and giving her voice keyed pass code the door unlatched with a soft click, the plain wooden exterior hiding the inch and half armor plating underneath, and the claymore in the floorboards under the welcoming mat quietly clicking from armed to safe as she turned the door knob.

"I'm home honey, miss me?" She gave the life sized portrait of her deceased girlfriend a tired smile where it hung above the couch, the silence of the room the only answer she'd ever gotten. Up here with the soundproofing even the city traffic and neighbors were drowned out, it was quiet enough to hear her heartbeat.

She flicked on the lights with a practiced gesture, grabbing for the fishbowl filled with Tigers Milk power bars as she walked past, tearing open a wrapper with her teeth as she headed for the armory, weighing options, calculating results, not liking the immediate answers.

Blood soaked clothes landed in the laundry bin, the Sig tossed onto the work bench for later cleaning, even though it hadn't even been fired. The panel on the wall along the side of the room opened at the touch of a button under the work bench, an array of clothing, firearms, and melee weapons neatly arranged, a filing cabinet unlatching its false front to display a staggering assortment of rifle and pistol magazines neatly arranged by weapon type and purpose.

She grabbed a black silk blouse from the hanger on her way past buttoning it while surveying the array of target cancelling options before her, chances were she'd be canceling a lot of non gifted scum that called the prison home, so high capacity magazines were a must, but nothing too heavy.

The Glock 18 felt smooth to her touch, the black plastic firm and reassuring, the 32 round magazines providing plenty of ammunition, in this case silver jacketed hollow points, and a suppressor to keep the noise down, perfect for finishing off rioting convicts evenings.

[img width=400 height=299]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y141/TriChrome/4.jpg

She took the M-14 with thermal scope and armor piercing ammunition almost as an after thought, just in case longer range support was necessary; even One shot could only shoot in a single direction at a time, well maybe not in his case.

[img width=400 height=229]http://www.impactguns.com/Data/Default/Images/uploads/darin_picures/SAGE_STOCKS/m1a_wsage2.jpg

Ear buds, a few grenades for area effect, some thermite paste to melt through any locks they might encounter, and a six pack of throwing knives along with an unhealthy amount of ammo and a few other odds and ends rounded out her evening entertainment package.

She considered switching the denim skirt off for black military pants, deciding at the last moment to pull on a equally short black leather skirt and jet black thigh high stockings instead, all those men in the prison would likely be more distracted by her looking like a harlequin then a commando, a distraction One Shot could use to his advantage, to say nothing of her own cancellation skills.

Now for Eddy, the guy might as well be called moon unit with how out of touch with earth he seemed to be, but if she didn't give him some weapon he'd be scavenging off the prison guards, and how reliable their crap was would be anybody's guess.

She smiled as she reached up and grabbed the Calico M 50 off the wall, he wanted to spray and pray this should give him plenty of the former at any rate, and he could always scavenge more .9mm ammo from the prison if he needed it.

[img width=400 height=112]http://orygie.ru/calico960.jpg

She grabbed her jacket and shooters glasses off the couch, finished stuffing her pocket with more power bars as another pang of hunger spiked her midsection, and she blew a parting kiss to the painting of Rachel. "Keep it warm and wet for me lover, I'll see you soon, one way or another." It was what she always said to her before leaving on a job, it held a reassuring degree of truth and finality.

* * * * *

The '71 Hemi Cuda was a nice car, once her old mans, hers after he got sentenced, the purr of the engine almost feral in its complexity, and as reassuring as any sound she could recall.

[img width=400 height=300]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uEl1hlW0uhw/TiuRUxpwoCI/AAAAAAAAA5Y/oVeRg9dCTnk/s1600/1971+Plymouth+Hemi+Cuda+Grey-Front+Left+View.jpg

"We got a tail, same one from the club, they left after seeing Eddy paint the wall with The Bouncers brains right before you guys showed up. One Shot, think you can take out a front tire?" She increased speed, nudging the needle up closer to seventy, feeling the purr of the engine change pitch as it responded. The extra speed would buy them a few more seconds, seconds she hoped her comrades would put to good use.

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#114

Dan was quiet since he'd gotten in the car. He was brooding. Some of it was about Bouncer, who probably would have been handy, but he couldn't really blame Kate and Eddy. He'd have done the same thing.

No, it was more. It was a deeper weariness.

He didn't want to be here. This job had turned into a hell of a lot more than he expected. He didn't want to be planning an attack on a prison held hostage by a madman, in particular a madman that wanted him dead. He didn't want to be driving around with this trio of weirdos. Dan Donovan wanted a drink, a smoke, and a bed, in that order.

That thought made him brood more. He used to be something decent, even if he wasn't that great at it - he was no Chuck, that was for d*mn sure. Even after he was out of the force, he thought he'd do some freelance PI work, help up whoever NYPD couldn't or wouldn't. But the money creeps like Cellophane offered was too good, and it turned into the only reason he took jobs. He hadn't thought about being the good guy in a long time. He couldn't remember the last time he'd thought about Chuck.

If he wasn't even trying to be the good guy - if he didn't even care anymore - what the f*ck was he doing?

As he sighed and stared out the window, something caught his eye in the side mirror. Tinted windows, blaring music, the glint of...

Kate's warning confirmed it. Dan hated how calm she could be sometimes. He pulled the Detective Special from his coat and began to roll down the window. "I'll keep 'em busy." Without leaning out too much, he took a quick aim and fired at the approaching vehicle.

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#115

Karl nods, looking a bit younger again now with something to shoot at. While Dan draw their attention, Karl draws his Colt. Already hot, one in the chamber, Karl leans out easy and dials in. The tire spinning at about 1800 RPM will not like the impact, particularly when Karl does the shooting. With a good angle, Karl anticipate blowing the tire and doing serious damage to the metal wheel beneath it. He draws his beads and fires.

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#116

The Donovan Brothers

Chuck Donovan. "Charlie." "Carolina." "Superboy". Chuck was perfect.

First in his class in the academy. Made it to detective in less than 5 years. Saved half a dozen babies during crack-den shoot-outs. Chuck Donovan was the best. A cop's cop. Women loved him. Men respected him. Wanted to be him.

Chuck died in '02. Mysterious circumstances. Unsolved murder to this day. d**n shame. Proof that God either didn't exist or didn't care, as one pundit pontificated.

500 people at his funeral. Mayor. Governor. And Dan, his kid brother.

Dan joined the academy a month later, at the age of 26. Balls to the wall at first, he rose quickly through the ranks. He wasn't perfect like Chuck, but his "gift" didn't hurt. Nice "gift" for a copper. Superboy's little bro became the Bloodhound.

He was well-liked (everyone had loved his brother), until Dan stumbled across a ring of some bad-ass dirty cops.

He caught a scent and ran with it. Got in deep. Too deep. Even found a clue about Chuck's death. Seemed he had told the wrong cabal to @!#$ off.

Now Dan was in their cross-hairs.

Long story short, they found Dan few months later with his pants down and with an underage Thai hooker in his bed. Hooker's baby lay dead beside the bed. Shot by Dan apparently. Ballistics and fingerprints all proved it. More drugs in Dan's veins than in prize horses.

The Newspapers had a ball. "Bloodhound goes Berserk!", "Cop shoots hooker's baby for being too loud!" Etc...

More s**t came out. Dan was on the take (guilty a little), Dan was a raging alcoholic (this one also true by this time), Dan was a paranoid schizophrenic, Dan this and Dan that.

Framed by professionals. He got himself a s**t lawyer, then a better one, then the baby murder charge was dismissed. Eventually he went on leave, awaiting more trials.

This was in '08.

By 2010, Dan was mostly exonerated and immediately quit the force in disgust. His girlfriend left him.

He became a private investigator slash mercenary for the highest underworld bidder. And a d**n good one, (he could find anyone for crying out loud!), except for one problem. Well two. He mostly didn't give a s**t about anything anymore, and his body craved vodka for breakfast.

Chuck. The only person Dan ever loved. And that included Dan's erstwhile girlfriend, truth be told.

***********£

Dan fired a shot at the throbbing Acura. It swerved, but he managed to nick the grill, sending sparks and metal flying. Chuck always was a better shot.

It was nearly alongside when Karl fired the shot. Kate made her beast smooth as silk doing 70. "Good shooting driving" as her cop father used to say, making Yogi Berra sound glib. Dam good cop though.

Dead on shot by Mr. Hathaway.

Driver's side tire. Metal screams and s**t explodes. Acura swerves into a concrete divider. Done.

Whatever the @!#$ that was, wasn't no mo'.

The base still blared though, fading out as Kate cruised on.

They were only a few exits away from the North Shore of Long Island.

Funny, no police barricades anywhere, no choppers. Was anyone doing anything about this @!#$ing Insano? Nothing on the news. Media didn't know yet. How rare.

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#117

"Target terminated." Kate breathed a sigh of relief, giving her companions a nod of approval and biting back a comment about smooth teamwork; the last thing wanted was to come across like she was keeping score or something.

"By the way, anyone have a plan on how we're going to get across the water?" She eased off the gas and let car ease down to a safer speed well within the posted limit, no sense drawing attention from highway patrol if they could avoid it, although between her fathers cop friends and Bloodhounds, they could likely escape with a warning, but even so....

"I got a slip of paper off The Bouncer of someone called Wingman, could be they've got a plane or something that could get us over there?" She recalled he had some kind of power that enhanced other gifted people, but not much else, assuming Wingman was even a man, hard to tell with the kind of flashy nick names most of the gifted went by. "If any of you want to give him a call here ya go." She reached into her jacket pocket and tossed the scrap of paper onto the dash, knowing better then to attempt phoning anyone while driving, especially at night in the winter.

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#118

Eddy had remained calm through the exchange, apart from blasting out the real window, there was little he could do.

"Care to pass me the phone? I can call while you folks keep your eyes peeled."

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#119

Karl reloads, making sure there's one in the chamber, ready to go. Then he tosses Eddy the burn phone. Prepaid, bought with cash, it's only made two calls and received one.

"Probably best you tossed that out the window when you're done."

Karl has a couple more, not turned on yet. Batteries ain't even in yet.

Re: All You Need Is Kill

#120

"Wingman," Dan muttered and he holstered his pistol. "Feel like I've heard that before, but I couldn't tell you where."

"If we need to rethink this approach, we'd better find some place to stop and think. Preferably somewhere tidy and discreet, in case more a*sholes like that are on their way. Someone's gonna be missing those boys sooner or later, and I don't think we want to be around when they come looking."