Birth of Evil

(Writer's note: The musics add to the atmosphere of the piece, try listening to them while you read)

Birth of Evil Part One: The Hitman

An amplified voice echoes around the dimly lit restaurant hall within the notorious Golden Giza casino. Several round tables sit to face a large stage where a smartly dressed man stood by a microphone. The spotlight zooms to full intensity on the tall, handsome singer and the background musicians begin their music. This man was Johnny Sonata, the smooth-singing Italian American singer of Jazz and Swing, owner of the Golden Giza.

I've got you... under my skin.
I've got you deep in the heart of me.
So deep in my heart that you're really a part of me.
I've got you... under my skin.

I'd tried so... not to give in.
I said to myself: this affair never will go so well.
But why should I try to resist when, baby, I know so well?
I've got you... under my skin.


As the music played, a tall young man in a smart maroon waistcoat respectably approaches a table set high in the upper side-cubicles of the hall. His arms are covered thick in intricate tribal tattoos, a pair of blue tinted sunglasses and a bandanna hide his facial features well. He bows to a bald man in a full white suit and gently places a kiss on the back of his palm. This man was Emil Marcone, son of Manuel Marcone, the former governor of Port Oakes. As mafia politics go, Emil found himself battling for power over Port Oakes and the families of Independence Port. His rival, none other than Guido 'The Mooch' Verandi, head of the Verandi family and consigliere to Manuel Marcone. Much to the distaste of Emil, Guido stepped up to power after the arrest and subsequent death of Governor Manuel Marcone.

“Vincent Zampelli” said Emil, referring to the waistcoat-clad man who remained standing, awaiting invitation to the table. “How’s family? Here, have a seat.”

Vincent slowly took his seat across from Emil, holding his expressionless eyes away from the table crowded with glorious food, a feast of chicken, arancini deep fried rice croquettes, Pasta alla Norma, caponata, pani ca meusa and couscous al pesce, all apparently for one man. “They're doing very well Mr. Marcone, thank you.” he said in a thick New York accent.

“That’s fantastic, Vincent.” said Emil, having finished decorating himself with napkins, he stabs a fork into a drumstick and starts on his fried rice. He motioned to a nearby chef to prepare Vincent with a plate. It would have been rude to decline, but Vincent was hungry anyway, so he gladly welcomed the offer.

“So, Zampelli, you know about what happened to the Barzini family?” asked Emil.

“Yeah, nasty business that. Three months back now. Alicia and her sister were killed. Man responsible was the retired hero 'Evangel', Pious Hunter. The whole media praised the Militia, they considered it a victory on organised crime or somethin'. My own business dried up ever since,” said Vincent bitterly.

“A victory, Vincent? Heck, it’s not even a setback! Listen closely Zampelli, a week ago, I employed a few of those Circle of Thorns mages, they think they know a way to bring Pistol back from the dead." Vincent raised an eyebrow. "Her father, the great Antonio Barzini, he’s dying and he keeps asking to see his favourite daughter, y'know? Anyway, that’s where you come in. The mages need three girls; a new born, a virgin and a demonic hybrid. I don’t understand it myself, but you do me this little favour and I’ll repay you with anything you ask."

"Anything? What's the catch?" asked Vincent.

"Ah, clever boy" said Emil. "Cos there’s always a catch, you understand me?"

Vincent remained silent.

"If you fail to deliver, you get nothing" Emil continued. "What’s it gonna be?”

“Trust me Mr. Marcone, I'm too good for this,” said Vincent. “I'll find your girls no problem.”

“Good. Let’s get started. First things first, you ever heard of a mage called Akarist? He’s a big time traitor of the cult; my spies tell me he’s set a meeting with a hero today in Potters Field. We think he knows what I’m planning, and he’s trying to warn the capes. Can I trust you to stop him?”

“Now you're talkin'. You jus' consider it done Mister Marcone,” replied Vincent.

As the chefs arrive with a plate for Vincent, the two men look to the stage and begin to compliment the jazz of Johnny Sonata, a man with great wealth and a flawless voice.

I would sacrifice anything come what might
For the sake of havin' you near
In spite of the warning voice that comes in the night
And repeats - how it yells in my ear:
Don't you know, little fool, you never can win?
Why not use your mentality - step up, wake up to reality?

But each time I do just the thought of you
Makes me stop just before I begin
'Cause I've got you... under my skin.
Yes, I've got you... under my skin.

Birth of Evil Part Two: The Confession

It was the hour of practice for the choir at Moth Cathedral. A hundred beautiful candles burnt bright to accentuate the evening sunset. A tall man in holy Catholic garments leads the small gospel through the 23rd Psalm.

The Lord's my shepherd, I'll not want;
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; he leadeth me
The quiet waters by.

As they sung, whispers could be heard coming from the confession booth where the troubled Sister Mary Stevens was confiding in Father Anthony. Ever since she joined the church two months ago, she had enjoyed working with Father Pious in their services to the Church, but more so, she enjoyed secretly patrolling the town as their alter egos, Codename and the Priest. Now, she could hide no more.

“Father Anthony, it is I, Altair” said Mary, always preferring her first and non-Christian name.

“Good evening Sister Mary” said Father Anthony.

“Father Pious says he will leave the monastery tomorrow and then visit sporadically. Have you heard?” said Mary. After the reverend confirmed that he was aware of this, she pushed on. “Well, I have a rather embarrassing confession to make, something I have done that may have brought Father Pious to this radical decision.” Mary paused, but the reverend urged her to continue. She sighed, “Father, I’ve become rather fond of Pious and last night I kind of, well I expressed my feelings for him, and, I don’t know. I think that, this is why he’s leaving and I feel terrible!”

The reverend smiled, amused. “You have done nothing wrong Sister Mary; however, I am starting to question your ability to forget the romantics of your past life,” said Father Anthony. “Are you sure you still want to be a nun, because you cannot love Father Pious sexually and remain committed to monkshood, it is contrary to your vows.”

A few moments passed as Mary thought hard about the reverend’s words. The choir’s hymn seemed to grow louder and louder in her mind.

Goodness and mercy all my life
Shall surely follow me;
And in God's house for evermore
My dwelling-place shall be.

“Thank you Father Anthony, for your time,” said Mary. “I think I know what I should do. But I must see Father Pious and discuss it with him.”

“Father Pious should be in the choir. God bless you Sister Mary, but do control your feelings now, won’t you?” asked the reverend, to which Mary smiled, exiting the booth. The choir had finished their meeting and among them, Pious came slowly towards Mary.

“Come with me” he whispered, leading the way into a nearby room to the side of the cathedral. “I know what you’re thinking, but it’ll have to wait. I have a lead in the Bathory case and I’ll be chasing it up tonight, but I also need you to do something in Sharkhead, I hope you’re not busy?” asked Pious.

“No, of course not, what is it?” Mary replied.

“It’s Akarist. He sent me a telepathic signal to meet up, it sounded urgent, something about the Circle and the Family working together towards a common goal.”

“Oh, that definitely doesn’t sound good”

“Potters Field, can you get there within the hour?”

“I don’t know if you remember, but I got these boots right, they can take me as high as a hundred feet, and I have this jetpack built into my new suit, allows me to travel faster than Shanghai’s express trains, 280miles per hour baby. From here, I could hit Sharkhead in minutes,” said Mary.

“Alright, point proven. We’ll stay telepathically linked,” said Pious, heading out of the room. In her mind, Mary heard him talking. <As always Code, be careful!>

Birth of Evil Part Three : The Oblivious One

Sitania relaxed into the hot bathwater. Scorching hot for most, heaven for her. The wide, bath was enough for her to stretch her wings along the edges without sitting on them. The last few days had been a chore. Almost convinced of being a Nemesis robot and visiting the Shadow Shards with Technician Naylor, Battling Infernal twice and capturing the his mother Lilithu on command of Magus Mu'Drakhan, returning to the Shadow Shards to capture Akarist for Johnny Sonata and despite having stolen Crey tech, Kelly Uqua had employed her services to steal for Crey Industries. Life was pretty good except for one little niggle - the Circle.

Over the past few days, her encounters with the Circle had gone from the usual 'take my body, please' to something slightly more creepy... they were deliberately going after her. Even Akarist looked at her before they parted and said "I'm sorry". She wondered what he was sorry for? Had he seen a vision of her immediate fate, a time not too far into the future or was he simply screwing around with her in his own way, knowing that the Circle's behaviour had shifted somewhat. Well she wasn't going to worry. Her dark powers had protected her this far and they could barely get to her. She began to drift off, her head supported in an inflatable headrest to stop her sinking into the bath but her eyes shot open as she heard a loud whallop followed by an "Ow, you [censored]". She stepped out and through the sliding door into the rest of her home known as the Mastermind Academy neglecting to pick up a towel on her way out.

Crystie was Sitania's older sister, only recently discovered in the arms of her strongest henchman, her bruiser, Anthony. Sitania didn't mind sharing the boys with her and the eight of them got along pretty well. Despite being smaller than Sitania, Crystie was about 25 times stronger than her and the loud noise was Anthony landing butt-first onto the hard, wooden floor panels. The twins, Nathan and Martin Reese were away at their own place, leaving the two thugs, Markus, Andrew and pyromaniac Damien playing a bizarre combination of football, wrestling and tag, Anthony having caught the ball last. Sitania made her way from her office to the lounge.

"What the hell is going on in here?" Sitania's loud voice caught the attention of all the guys and her naked body held it. Markus managed to catch the ball they were throwing and simply stared at her till Crystie slammed into his gut sending them both over the sofa. Picking herself up and leaving Markus collapsed, she elated into the air

"Score!" Markus let out a cry of pain from behind the sofa, trying to lift himself up onto one of the leather seats, ending up sprawled across several.

"Can you just be quiet for an hour or two? I know my name is Matriarch but I'm not playing mother to you.. children" There was a moment of silence and they all bowed their heads like naughty kids. Crystie looked up at her sister and pointed to Damien.

"He started it" Sitania put her fingers to her nose and closed her eyes as the four of them argued over who started what. She turned on the spot and went back to her bath leaving a puddle where she had stood. As she lowered herself in, the water had become colder and after lowering herself in she turned on the thermal jets; the humming of the pressurised water drowning out the sound of the four rampaging adults in the next room over, the puddle providing a slip-point for another loud whallop as one of them tried to run through it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dispari I don't know why Dink thinks she's not as sexy as Jay was. In 5 posts she's already upstaged his entire career.

Birth of Evil Part Four : The Foreshadow

An apartment in King's Row. Katrianna stirred as she slept. Fighting the gangs in Kings had been tough but not impossible. Strangely, she continued to have nightmares mostly involving her slaughtering her foes without mercy; all of them ending with her standing proud above a sea of bodies. She let out a scream as the latest woke her.

For a moment she panicked, breathing fast and heavily. As the nightmare faded she looked to the window and the street lights shining in. She stepped out of bed, put on a large, unfitting t-shirt and walked over to the window, poking her fingers between the blinds and looking out at the quiet street. She stepped back, thinking to herself about how idiotic it was that they were actually bothering her, frightening her to her very soul. Even the consideration was enough to send a shiver down her spine. Then another need came to her attention: she was thirsty. The pizza for dinner had been over-laden with anchovies, her mouth was dry and she needed a drink. Since the bathroom was much closer, water was the quickest solution.

The tap filled the glass as Katrianna stared at her reflection. She looked down into the glass and took a swig. After downing the glass she looked into the mirror again and, in shock, dropped the glass which shattered as it hit the floor. Instead of her reflection, someone was staring at her and she looked very angry.

"Look at you" The reflection spoke and Kat's eyes widened. "Poor little girl having nightmares about the horrors of the world. You don't even realise what they mean, do you?"

"I don't wanna know" Kat tried not to sound like a child but in her disbelief, she sounded very much so. "Just go away" Dr Johnson had told her that using powerful commands helps to dispell your own fears. The woman in the mirror laughed loudly and beckoned Kat to come closer.

"You wanna know something?" Kat moved towards the mirror, her eyes remaining focused on this 'character'. Two arms reached out and took her by the throat. She tried to scream but to no avail. The mirror-woman had her in her grasp and emerged from the surface of the mirror "You.. will... DIE!!" Kat screamed out loud as the figure continued to throttle her...

Kat awoke with a loud scream, terrifying a male nurse carrying a tray beside her. He dropped the tray, the contents rattling and rolling across the floor

"Jesus Christ" He cursed, grabbing on to the curtain behind him. Katrianna looked round and saw she was in a hospital. She flopped back onto the pillow thinking 'great, nightmares within' nightmares now'. It was the last time she faced the Circle alone.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dispari I don't know why Dink thinks she's not as sexy as Jay was. In 5 posts she's already upstaged his entire career.

Birth of Evil Part Five : The Hybrid

Deep inside a cave where the Circle resides. Sitania and her lackeys have punched, slammed, shot and blasted their way deep into the remains of the Oranbegan City. While the henchmen finish off the last of the Thorn mystics, Sitania searches for Johnny's contract. Despite finding it quickly, she spied a nice looking amulet amongst the magic items and examined it, placing it on her neck and seeing how it looked in one of the slightly cracked mirrors. One of the Guardians woke from his unconciousness, still collapsed against the wall...

"Your time is almost at hand"

Sitania looked at this pathtic remnant of a human being and smirked.

"Coming from the guy who got his [censored] kicked... well, you haven't got a leg to stand on, have you?"
"You still have no idea of your true power, Sitania Matriarch"

A look of shock washed over Sitania's face. The look quickly changed to one of quiet anger. She pulled her Akimbo pistol out and pointed it at the Guardian.

"Not that you'll be around to see it"

A single shot was fired to the Guardian's skull, the wall was decorated in dark crimson and concern began to wash over Sitania; this was the fifth group of Thorns that had said something about her 'destiny'. Maybe they weren't just screwing around with her mind. Maybe they did have a plan. She would need to consult with a friend... well, an ally at least and she just so happened to have saved a particular magus and a million other Mu descendents from certain death; Magus Mu'Drakhan

Nerva Archipelago, Thorn Isle

Sitania's journey had been uneventful. So here she was standing by the Magus although he was more interested in the Circle performing their rituals below. His attention shifted as she got closer and to her; he seemed to be smiling.

"It happened again..."

He moved close to her and stared down at her hands which she instinctively turned over so he could see her palms. He glances at them and moves back quickly, Sitania looking slightly confused by his action.

"Run, child. Run as fast as you can!"
"Why? What do you see?"
"RUN!"

The Magus summoned his power and blasted her. Stunned by the energy, blinded; she opened her eyes to find herself outside the Black Heart Memorial Hospital in Nerva. Dumbstruck by his unusual behaviour she shrugged it off and headed back to the ferry. Home was calling, another night to sleep off a busy day. Tomorrow, she would take Johnny's contract back to him so he could find out what kind of bargin had been struck.

As she boarded the ferry; little did she realise that a pair of eyes was watching her...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dispari I don't know why Dink thinks she's not as sexy as Jay was. In 5 posts she's already upstaged his entire career.

Birth of Evil Part Six: The Virgin [WARNING: Contains scenes of extreme violence]

November 8th.

Codename arrived at Potters field within minutes and surely, among the gravestones stood the mage Akarist, waiting.

“You have a message for the Priest Akarist?” asked Codename, but Akarist remained silent. Something felt very wrong. She withdrew her pistols and approached the man slowly and with caution. As she got closer, she noticed the man’s face was frozen with fear. Suddenly, out of nowhere a flash of blades threatened to slice through her eyes. Instinctively, she dodged, leaning backwards into a backwards flip. Pistols in hand, she blindly opened fire. If anything invisible had stood in front of her, it would surely be dead now. No. Another sudden flash of blades, directly before her eyes, she ducked to the ground, reaching out blindly into the air. She grabbed something, an arm. It was enough to estimate the assassin’s proximity, within seconds; she had emptied six shots into where the man should have stood. Suddenly, a sharp pain across her right breast, then another on the left, this was quickly becoming a deadly game.

Furious, Codename unleashed a barrel of automated fire in a 360 degree arc, from her position on the floor. With her cybernetic brain, she commanded her suit to camouflage. Without wasting anytime, she flung herself to her feet and took cover behind a gravestone; there she planted a handful of caltrops and two mines. From her inventory, she produced a small anti-gravity targeting drone and linked it to her own cybernetic brain, with that, she could see in thirty different visions including infra-red, night-glow and of course, heat-vision.

With the latter switched on, she peered over the gravestone and there he was, her assassin. He was stood perfectly still, waiting, listening. This man was an experienced hunter, if only his face was clear to see, she could pull up some files on him and find a weakness. She sighed inwardly, whatever Akarist had gotten himself into, it was not going to be easy to fix.

Silently, Codename counted down from three to one. On two, she cocked her pistols and her assassin moved suddenly, charging in her direction. On one, Codename leapt onto the gravestone and extended her arms, ready to execute. The assassin had moved so fast she could not get a clear shot until he was slashing at her face. She did another backwards flip to get some distance but as she did, the assassin leapt after her and in mid-air, he struck with the advantage of gravitational force, stabbing her in both shoulders, piercing her armour effortlessly. As they hit the ground, he pushed his blades in further, pinning her into the grass. He held in the blades as she screamed in pain, then he slowly began to twist. The pain was overwhelming and Codename passed out.

When she opened her eyes again, she found herself in Oranbenga, suspended above an endless pit, trapped within an incredibly strong gravitational hold. She had been stripped of her clothes, armour and weapons and no technology was nearby to aid her. She couldn’t scream or talk, nor could she move a muscle. Whoever was behind this kidnapping was very powerful, why was Akarist really at the graveyard? Was he back with the Circle of Thorns? No, judging by the look on his face, he was used as bait. But why her, why kidnap a pathetic little girl, were they after the Priest? Why was she above a pit to the Netherworld? So many questions, after a while, it all began to sink in. In all her life, from her early days in the US Army to her time as a Paragon City hero, she had never really felt helpless, but now, she feared for her life. She was usually the one to save kidnapped sacrifice-victims, but now the tables were turned and silently, she prayed for the Priest. She prayed for somebody to come and rescue her, she prayed for a hero.

Birth of Evil Part Seven: The Baby

November 8th.

Chiron Medical Centre, Atlas Park.

“Mr and Mrs San, you have two healthy baby twins. One boy and one girl” said the nurse. Sabrina was exhausted from the birth, but she was overjoyed that her babies were finally here. Sat next to her was the ex-Tsoo warrior, her husband, Genesis Blade. The two smiled at each other as two more nurses entered the room holding their babies. “Congratulations” said one, giving the baby girl to her mother. The boy was handed to Hayate, Genesis Blade.

“I have never been so happy in all my life” said Sabrina, tears trickling down her eyes. As a trained killer responsible for almost two hundred deaths, it was as if God had finally forgiven her, with the blessing of two babies. One life for each hundred she had taken. “I love you Hayate” she whispered. “I love you too, more than anything in the world Sabrina” he replied, leaning in to kiss his wife.

“I’m still afraid Hayate. Part of me just wants to jump out of this bed and run away with my babies, go into hiding” she said, crying and sobbing. “Sabrina, I promise you, everything will be okay. I’m here with you now, okay? It was just a dream; no-one is coming to hurt out baby. Not so long as I have the Dragon Sabre.”

Sabrina had dreamt three times, of a young man from the future who had visited her in the hospital, claiming to be her son David Tai San. Each time, he warned of impending danger. The first time, he had warned about his father’s death, then his mother and the third time, he had warned about the death of his sister Jasmina Yu San.

“The dreams were so vivid, so clear. What if it wasn’t a dream Hayate? What if somehow, our son is trying to warn us from the future? Each time I saw him, he had the Dragon Sabre. What if he’d found some way to travel far back in time?”

“Sabrina, I love you, but please, you’re tired and you need sleep. I’ll be here and I’ll stand guard, just get some rest.”

“No” said Sabrina. “Give me my son, I have to breast feed them”

Hayate did not hesitate, but as he passed her the baby, he could have sworn he saw someone move past the curtains. It wasn’t a doctor and it wasn’t a nurse. It looked very much like a Tsoo warrior. He grabbed his son and withdrew his broadsword. With a slide of his thumb, the Dragon Sabre divided into two katana. “Sabrina, we have to leave. Unfortunately, I think you might’ve been right about that dream.”

Birth of Evil Part Eight: The Chase

November 5th - Johnny Sonata's Personal Hell

Sitania and her crew were trying to fight off a hoarde of Wailer's protecting Johnny's soul. Despite Johnny wanting it back; his soul wanted to stay under some deluded self-righteous desire to preserve itself and it was making Sitania's job of retrieving it much more difficult. The wailers, previously taunting the soul, were now aiding his fight. Johnny's Soul stood proud as they faught this intruder together, leaving her at the point of defeat.

"Listen, baby. You wanna take me? It'll be over my cold, dead body"

Sitania stood up and reached for her gun

"Fine"

Pointing it directly at Johnny's soul she fired several shots into his 'body' and they each pierced him, tearing away the surrounding spirit until he collapsed and faded away. The rest of the wailers, with nothing left to guard, vanished leaving Sitania and her crew in Johnny's personal hell.

"Let's get out of here"

They headed for the doorway they had entered and returned to St. Martial.


November 6th - The Mastermind Academy, Port Oakes

A few hours past midnight and Johnny's surprisingly happy state at having his soul killed. Aside from the money, he had given her a signed glossy of his face. The image was rather old and ragged but only Sitania could see it. The boys were laughing and joking about being 'inside' Johnny, coupled with bad homosexually-oriented jokes and double-entendres. They made their way to the front door and Andrew opened them wide.

The next moment, things went silent for Sitania. Andrew took a shotgun blast to the chest and was hurled back. The rest took defensive positions around the door and fired their own shots into the seemingly empty hallway. Outside, a couple of expensive cars pulled up and several men in smart suits stepped out bearing various firearms. The Magus words began to echo in her mind... Run! She unfurled her wings and the shadow fell over her boys and they disappeared into the early morning-night darkness. One of the men pulled a strange, archaic looking device out of his pocket.

"I know where she's going. Back to the cars"

The group got back into their vehicles and drove off, leaving the Andrew's body in the street where it had fallen.

November 6th - Golden Giza, St. Martial

Sitania and her crew had managed to reach the road outside the front doors of the Golden Giza but were pinned down near Arbiter Hayes spot.

"How is it they can still be following us?"

Anthony was already angry at them for killing his friend and using a weapon to shoot them seemed dishonourable. He still managed to hit a couple of them but more seemed to take their place.

"We'll take cover in there"

Sitania gestured to the Giza and the rest of them understood but as they tried to move out, they were shot at and thus trapped.

"We can't move, boss."
"We're pinned down.."
".. Stuck here.."
"..Trapped"

The twins were always calm, even when faced with insurmountable odds. They tried several times to lay down cover fire but recieved an equal amount in return. Then their pursuers scattered as another car was throw into one the expensive vehicles they were travelling in, mashing them together, shattering their windows and rupturing their fuel tanks. Crystie had followed them to St. Martial.

"What would you do without me?"

With a wink and a smile from Crystie, Sitania engulfed them all in her Shadow Fall and they moved quickly to the front doors, climbing the steps to the Giza. Damien had other ideas. As he reached the middle step he lit s molotov of his own creation and aimed for the gasoline spreading from the managled heap of cars. With a single throw he hit his target and the fuel ingited. With a cheer of success he suddenly jerked as a bullet pierced his gut and another, piercing his shoulder sent him crashing into the cold stone steps. Sitania screamed out, Anthony picked her up as Crystie dealt with the security guards at the front door by throwing them aside. She pushed the doors away, smashing the glass and they headed inside.

Outside, one of the men pulled out a walkie-talkie and spoke a few quiet words of sealing off the north quadrant but leaving the east passage open as he gestured to several of his men to follow him while the rest stepped past Damien's body.

"Hey boyos. El Diablo says 'Hi'!"

Damien, barely alive pulled out a grenade of his own design with the words 'El Diablo' written on it. He released his first finger and a metal shard pinged off it, making the suits dive for cover as the grenade exploded.

Inside the building, Sitania had collapsed behind one of the tables Anthony had tipped over in sheer disbelief at what had happened. The moments started to blurr as more of their pursuers followed them in, a shoot-out in the casino sending the patrons running for cover. Only a sharp slap across her face brought her back. She picked up her guns and blasted at them. Martin, Nathna and Crystie decided to follow the traffic of people that had headed out the east door while Markus, Anthony and Sitania held them off inside. One of the attackers fired a dart into Sitanias wing and it went completely numb, drooping over her shoulder.

"Ow, what the hell?"

Anthony reached over and pulled it out, licking the tip as he did. A look of shock and disgust went over Markus and Sitania.

"Tastes like grenadines"
"Are you a complete idiot? You don't even know what that is!"
"Relax, Markus. It's just some kind of herby... went to Paris"

Markus and Sitania looked at each other. Anthony smiled and then passed out, face-first into the floor.

"Oh, he did NOT just pass out on us"

At the East exit, the other trio had found it completely clear until they turned the corner where several fo their foes had gathered. They fired on them, Crystie raised her rock armour around her but the twins caught several bullets and dropped to the floor. Crystie stared visciously into the eyes of the most confident of her attackers.

"Come on then, baldy. Let's go"

Crystie ran forward and took a large swipe at the leader but her hand stopped as he raised his. He gestured his hand as if to lift a feather on his fingers and Crystie felt a pain in her chest as she was raised off the floor. He motioned her around so her back was to the open doorway leading outside. With a smirk he gestured to push her away and she flew back fast towards the wall at the Giza's edge, cracking over it and falling into the shallow waters below with a tremendous splash. His composure restored he continued inside.

Sitania tried desparately to wake up Anthony but he had recieved enough sedative to make him sleep through her. Markus tried to pull her away but she wouldn't let go. He left her to follow Crystie and the twins out the east passage only to run into the leader and get a bullet in his shoulder, sending him crashing against the wall. Sitania kissed Anthony goodbye as she stepped out, firing wildly at her pursuers at the front door. She turned to run but was faced with the leader right in front of her. Three, light shots were heard between them and she looked down to see th darts in her stomach. She staggered back, dropping both her guns, levying herself on one fo the undamaged tables, trying to remain standing. He shot her again and again.. in the leg.. the arm... eventually her body gave in to the toxins flooding her body and she collapsed, knocking a tray of money chips over herself.

"Bennie, front and centre"

One of the pursuers from the front door came rushing over.

"It was your job to make sure she didn't get on the ferry at Cap AuDiable."
"I'm sorry but she got round... hurk"

He was interrupted by a dart into his chest and he quickly dropped to the floor.

"Be glad it's only a tranquiliser. You two; take him to sleep that off. Vincent; gimme your cell..."

One of his henchmen passed his cellphone to his boss who dialled a few numbers.

"Hey, Jack, it's me.... I'm doing good, you? ... Listen I need you to get me a clean-up crew down to the Giza, asap... no, no, not those guys for once...alright, I owe ya' one"

He clicked it off and dialed another number and started talking, arguing and eventually smiling as he delivered the good news to the person on the other end... 'the Hybrid was captured'.

November 7th - Mystical Prison, Oranbega

Sitania awoke to find herself in a strange position; chained to a table and being painted by a strange looking mystic. Despite her being naked he was focused entirely on finishing his task. She tried to move but her body was still numb and unresponsive.

"The demon's bane doesn't wear off as quickly as the tranquiliser. You will be immobile for several more days it seems. And to answer your question that you cannot ask; I am preparing you for the ceremony. It is important that you be prepared. We must harness your energies as efficiently as possible."

As he continued only two things were going through Sitania's head - one, how the heck was she going to get out of this and two, that this guy must've been an accountant before he was turned into one of them. While it would normally make her laugh, she was so very afraid at what might happen next. This was the first time she felt truly alone...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dispari I don't know why Dink thinks she's not as sexy as Jay was. In 5 posts she's already upstaged his entire career.

Birth of Evil Part Nine: The Death (of Sabrina San) [WARNING: Contains scenes of extreme violence]

November 8th.

Chiron Medical Centre, Atlas Park.

Self preservation is a natural instinct required for the most basic survival tools, the need to feed for example. Pain, emotional or physical is an alarm that triggers several human defence systems, muscle seizures and increase in blood pressure for example. However, what surpasses pain and the need for self preservation is the natural urge to protect one’s own offspring. A woman’s physical strength and sensory detail increases dramatically to protect her children, its nature’s way.

Within minutes, bed number 7 was surrounded by two dozen Tsoo Warriors, each man paired and supported by sorcerers. This was an assassination mission designed to deliver.

“You’re all here for my daughter, aren’t you?” Sabrina whispered. A nearby warrior flicked the butt of his blade from its sheath in response to the question. “Why?” Sabrina quizzed. “What is it you want?!” she screamed madly, as if loosing her mind. “What is it that you want from me?! Leave me alone! You won’t take my children!” Without warning, she stole the Golden Dragonfly katana from her husband’s grasp and poised it at the nearest Tsoo. “You will not take my daughter, so long as I live”

No sooner had she spoken that a sorcerer clouded the hospital ward with a small but violence gust of water vapour. Sabrina and Hayate were completely blinded with only their swords visible before them.

“Hayate, you have the speed of the Dragon, take the twins and get them out of here” Sabrina commanded, but Hayate refused. “No, you take the children. With the blood of the Dragon, I can regenerate from their attacks. Go, now!”

Reluctantly, Sabrina mounted her son and daughter upon her back and snuck through the violent gust of moist, struggling to keep her footing. Suddenly, a Tsoo warrior’s face appeared before Hayate, who instinctively sliced it clean off. Two more faces jumped him, but he stood his ground, parrying with his katana and striking at the earliest opportunity. Three more warriors stepped into range, only to be sliced in half. Soon, an entire horde of tattooed warriors and sorcerers were upon him. Twelve archers readied to fire, three swordsmen prepared to charge and the sorcerers began to chant. Hayate knew their magic would weaken him, and that was something he could not allow. In the blink of an eye, a dozen arrows shot through the air but were immediately frozen in place. Hayate had moved fast enough to penetrate the time and space continuum, albeit with some difficulty. He positioned himself behind his foe and began to strike. One by one, the sorcerers fell. The hurricane soon cleared, leaving Hayate exposed to concentrated attacks. Javelins were flung, arrows shot and blades swung, each piecing gaping holes through the swordsman. Yet, he stood his ground.

The elevator dinged as it arrived; Sabrina hastily entered and selected the ground floor. She hadn’t really noticed the man hidden behind her, and suddenly, a stabbing noise. For a second, everything went silent, then slowly, it all faded to black.

Genesis Blade was battle-worn; his clothes were loosely hanging off his broad shoulders and blood was gushing from several wounds, struggling to heal. Just as he beheaded a Tsoo Ink Man, two more warriors leapt at him, swords held high. He couldn’t react in time and the blades severed both his arms. He fell to his knees and accepted his fate. The only thought in his mind was his wife, he hoped she escaped in time, he hoped his children were safe. As the Tsoo’s katana approached his skull, Hayate San heard the desperate cries of his babies, screaming at his mind.

The sound of the twins crying jerked Sabrina awake. She had lost her grip and the babies had fallen to the elevator floor. From her ribs, she could feel two short blades being driven through her, again and again as though shredding a piece of meat. Suddenly, her muscles tensed, locking the blades into her ribs. The hair on her neck slowly began to rise, “ahhhhh!” she screamed, uncontrollably. Sabrina couldn’t see her attacker, but she could smell him; she turned on her waist and in a blur of flesh and blood, unleashed a barrage of punches into the camouflaged assassin. She pummelled and pummelled again, leaving great big dents in the metal walls. Soon, her adrenaline rush subsided and she realised the blades had come loose. Her attacker’s camouflage malfunctioned and revealed the bloody mess of a face, decorated with broken teeth. The body fell limply onto the elevator floor, but Sabrina was not satisfied. She climbed onto her attacker and withdrew the Golden Dragonfly katana. She held it up high in an execution stance and swiftly brought the sword slicing through the air. Just then the doors opened at the ground floor and the sounds of Tommy guns filled the hospital. A hailstorm of bullets ripped apart the enraged mother, painting the elevator with her remains.

“I told you they’d be hard to take down” said a voice, with a thick Italian accent.

“Just shut up and grab the baby Joey”

“Boss, which one’s the girl?”

“What’re ya [censored] blind? The one without a… you know what; just take em both, alright? And unless you wanna spend some [censored] bonding time with your missus on the inside, you might wanna hurry it up, the cops are coming. Tony, grab Vincent” said Emil, calmly exiting the hospital towards a line of black SUV’s.

Minutes later, a costume-clad boy with golden hair, no older than sixteen appears before the hospital elevator, he his flanked by two Menders of the Ouroboros.

“Late again” said an agent. “Sorry David, this was your last attempt. We have to go back”

“No” said David, his eyes starting to water. “It’s not fair! It’s not fair! This is entirely your fault, it’s your fault we arrived late; Ouroboros are incompetent! Leave me here, I shan’t be returning; the future holds nothing for me.”

“I’m afraid we can’t let you do that” said an agent. “The rules you agreed-“ the agent’s words were cut short as the boy ran into the elevator, seized the Golden Dragonfly and flew upwards through the shaft. He quickly found his father and seized the Soaring Dragon katana. With practised ease, the boy sheathed the two blades and disappeared.

Birth of Evil Part Ten: The Birth (of Alicia Barzini) [WARNING: Contains scenes of extreme violence]

November 8th.

Oranbenga, a location directly underneath the Golden Giza Casino.

An assembly of Circle of Thorns mages lined up around a thirty-foot wide pit lined with old masonry. They numbered over a hundred, dressed in their usual attire of mystic robes with baggy sleeves and long slender hats. A magus dressed in all-white approached the edge of the pit with a sickle in one hand and in the other, a blood-soaked slab of stone engraved with ancient hieroglyphics. Upon reaching the pit; he began to hover, upwards toward the three sacrifices trapped in a gravitational mishap, one woman, one baby and one demonic hybrid.

Silently at first, the assembly began to chant. A quick flash of the sickle and the baby’s head was severed, suspended in a gravitational hold and later coming to rest upon the stone slab. The morbid chant grew louder, boiled with excitement. Another flash of the sickle and the demon hybrid’s horns toppled. The chant grew faster.

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles above ground, outside the Golden Giza casino. A security guard posted at the main entrance looked curiously at the night sky.

“What the hell are you looking at Billy?” his partner asked.

“To be honest Nathan, I’m not sure. For a moment there, I thought it might have seen a UFO”

Only the sparkle of his blade, high in the sky announced his arrival. A sudden gush of wind struck the earth at the casino’s gate, a cloud of dust concealing his tall, dark figure. Eventually, the heavy winds revealed the unidentified flying object, his holy cassock billowing in the wind. With an authoritative stride, the Priest advanced upon the guards, the burning desire to judge and punish piecing through his eye mask.

“Where is she?” he asked, sword-in-hand. The guards however, responded with the fatal error of drawing their weapons and opening fire. A line of bullets ripped through the Priest only for his body to heal instantly. His cloak however, was mercilessly shredded. As soon as he was within range, the Priest knocked the guards out cold with the butt of his sword.

Inside the casino, a boy from the future materialised out of space. He had landed right where he wanted, the men’s toilet. The room was empty, save one occupied cubicle. The sounds of someone flushing and out came Emil Marcone. Without hesitation, the boy poised the sharp end of two katanas at the mob-boss’s neck.

“About an hour ago, you killed my mother. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kill you” said the boy.

“If I do not exit this room within the next sixty seconds, my security team will come looking for me, they will come with guns, and they are well-trained to kill assassins, especially Chinese sword ninjas” said Emil, calm as a fisherman. “Honestly, if you knew the amount of ninjas who try to kill me on a weekly basis; it’s [censored] ridiculous.”

The boy’s eyes lit up with pure contempt, his following words filled with unwaivered hatred. “The name is David Tai San; I am from a different timeline. All my life I have yearned for the power to bring my mother back to life, equally, I have prayed for a chance to be the one to have killed you. Today, at least I can fulfil the latter” with that, the boy held both swords like a flat scissor and effortlessly removed the bald head of Emil Marcone. In a flowing, graceful dance, the boy carried through the momentum into a combination of slices, hooks and jabs that shredded the man’s body into an unrecognisable pile of flesh and bone.

“Are you satisfied?” came the voice of the Menders of Ouroboros. David spun around, following the voice. Instinctively, he assumed a defensive pose.

“I have no quarrel with Ouroboros, I warn you, leave me be!” said David, before disappearing into the stream of time.

“Should we follow him?” said one of the two agents.

“No, young he may be, but he wields great power. When the new project begins, we’ll send a hero to bring him in instead. For now, we do what we do best; undo.

Suddenly, the toilet was empty, save one occupied cubicle. The sounds of someone flushing and out came Emil Marcone. Without so much as washing his hands, the man exits the room and makes his way down to Oranbenga.

Meanwhile, having searched the casino at superspeed with no signs of Codename, the Priest came to the conclusion that his accomplice was either airborne or underground. Either way, her mental signature was nearby. Common sense alone indicated that underground was the most likely choice, he had sent Codename to an ex-member of the Circle of Thorns and they operated from their underworld, known only as Oranbenga.

Emil Marcone entered an elevator, flanked by his security team. His hired assassin Vincent Zampelli was already inside, waiting.

“You did a good job with the nun Zampelli, only to lose to a woman just out of labour” said Emil, in a provocative tone.

“It could have happened to anybody. It’s a good thing you turned up when you--” said Vincent, but he was cut short by Emil.

“Name your price Zampelli” Emil said flatly. Vincent didn’t hesitate.

“I have a twin sister in China but to find her, I’ll need resources.”

“That’s it?”

“Finding my sister means a great deal to me Mister Marcone”

“I always liked you Zampelli” said Emil. “Now I know why. Family comes first”

As the elevator arrived in Oranbenga, Emil Marcone stepped into the hall of the Pit just in time to witness what the mages were calling, the birth of evil. The sacrificial ceremony was over and now, every head in the room was bowed in respect of the Pit. The entire assembly began to chant. ”Caelo missus Rex”

Slowly, a fog of pure darkness clambered into view, extending giant tentacle-like shadows across the pit to support itself high above the cavern. Then, it spoke.

“You have awakened the damned souls of Nasfahtu. What is your name?”

“Emil Marcone”

“What is your quest?”

“To resurrect a very close friend of mine, Alicia Barzini; I have provided you with the necessary offerings.”

A moment passed and the chanting of the assembly grew so loud Emil could not hear himself speak. Suddenly, the darkness began to take the familiar shape of Alicia Barzini. Her body looked younger than he remembered, her face was flawless and her skin was deathly pale. In her hands were two flint-lock pistols, their golden bodywork glimmering in the firelight, every inch of gold was engraved with demonic hieroglyphics.

“We are the souls of Nasfahtu, for a hundred years this woman shall be our animated host, to bring death and destruction to the living world.”

“Interesting” said Emil, now standing directly on the edge of the pit. “Problem is; that doesn’t exactly fit well with the plans I had in mind.”

In the time it took for Emil to bat an eyelid, the possessed body of Alicia Barzini had raised her guns and unleashed a swarm of strange bullets upon the hundreds of singing mages. In an instant, the room was lifeless, save Emil.

“Fine, have it your way. Kill everybody” said Emil, turning on the spot and heading back to the elevator. “The thorns are gonna to want my head. Nasfahtu, Alicia or whoever the [censored] is in there, we got business to attend to. Vincent, make sure this elevator’s destroyed. I want no connections to whats happened here.”

The naked form of Alicia Barzini descended from the air; her toes felt the cold stone floor as she landed gracefully onto the earth. She walked three or four steps across the hall before disappearing into a wall of shadows, only to reappear inside the elevator. Emil studied her up close and noticed that her eyes were shut tight. “Nice guns” he complimented, only to be largely ignored.

As the elevator rose out of sight, a tall man in dark robes materialised out of space. Instantly, he could feel the overwhelming presence of evil. Scanning the room, he saw no signs of life. Bodies upon bodies lay atop one and another, among them was the unmistakable form of Codename, Altair Mary Stevens, naked and without a head.

“No” he whispered, overcome with a sense of failure. The girl was dead and he remained powerless to change that. Whoever committed this evil he would find them and he would deliver his judgment.

End.

Any comments and feedback appreciated. The story obviously continues in-game and by now, the Priest will be distraught with guilt and Dark Pistol should be out causing mayhem all over the world. Tyger, Sitania's horns were cut off, so she could have survived and could also regrow the horns.

In fact, there is an alternate ending where the Priest arrives during the Birth of Evil, just in time to interrupt the ascension of Dark Pistol. This ending features a heated battle between the two. After which Ouroboros steps in. Look out for that soon. I promise it'll be thrilling.

Change of plans. LINK!

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