On a Stroll (Open)

Kyte, needless to say, was a free spirit. He did not like being restricted, be it in any literal or metaphorical way. So, needless to say, he really didn't like the apartment room he was given. He would have to complain about this immediately to the clan. He dropped his bag on the floor, laying in the bed, and crossing his arms behind his back, both of his hands softly cradling the back of his head. This was going to be rather boring. He let his left arm release that embrace and reach down into the bag by his bed, pulling out a book labeled "English-Japanese Dictionary". He reviewed the words he already knew, and some that he didn't, making sure he knew plenty on how to ask for directions and order meals and such, and got out of the bed. The trip onboard the ship was excruciatingly cramped; and the ground was constantly shifting. He had no rest of it until he got onto the solid ground of Janpu no Toshi*. He was thankful for it as well, thinking softly to himself as he arose from the bed. He needed to go stretch his legs a bit. The clan had informed him that many..."exceptional" beings visited this city; anywhere from humans with enhanced abilities, to alien visitors from another planet entirely. He knew with his kind of life, he'd probably run into them eventually. And he was ready. He pulled on some casual clothes, and then picked up his bag, putting his arm through the straps and carrying it, as he walked out of the door.
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Kyte was walking down the streets, now. It seemed a relatively clean city, with little to no trouble at al-

Eek! Help me!

Oh in the name of Izanagi-

I'm being robbed!

Shut up before I hurt you!

Kyte walked in front of an alley, stopping and turning to look into it. There was blonde woman; young adult, by the looks of it, who was just a few inches shorter than Kyte. She was wearing a lime green shirt, with jean shorts, and it seemed this was her day off from school, or college; whichever she went to. The man holding a pocketknife to her throat behind her was around Kyte's height, though he couldn't tell for sure. He was wearing black clothes, though no mask to hide his identity. It was broad daylight; that man was an idiot. The woman looked at him with desperate eyes.

Please help me! Please!

Get lost! This is none of your business! And if you say another word, I'm going to cut that pretty throat...

She went into silent sobbing, her eyes pleading. Kyte looked at her blankly.

And kept on walking.

The robber grinned, looking down on her.

You see? This world isn't as kind as you thought it was...

The woman was devastated. How could he just leave her alone like that? Her sobbing became more frequent, as the robber started taking her purse.
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Kyte kept walking.

...

He ducked into the next alleyway, and climbed up the wall quickly, running across the building, and dropping into the alley before. He then quickly drew a katana from the bag, and stabbed the man in the gut. The man was breathless, his grip slowly slipping from the woman; the pain so immense that he wasn't able to scream. Kyte twisted the sword inside the man's gut, causing him to shudder, and then slid it out, letting the man fall to the ground.

The woman turned around, seeing the man twitching on the ground, and then looked to her rescuer, tears in her eyes. Kyte flicked the blade, getting all of the blood off of it, and returned it to the bag. Afterwards, he was immediately hugged by the woman, who was still sobbing. It was a bit annoying, but he could understand.

Looks like I have a soft spot for women..., he thought to himself softly.

Oh God...thank you...thank you...I was so scared...

He cleared his throat softly.

Yes, well...you're welcome. Will you be alright?

She had a few light cuts on her neck, from where she'd struggled against the knife. They weren't bleeding haphazardly, but he took one of his spare shirts out of his bag, ripping off a shred of it and wiping her neck.

Yeah...I-I think so...is there anything I can do to repay you?

Just be more careful., he said, walking away from her. I suggest you get out of here before authorities find the dead body.

Dar Thle Golas had been taking a day nap on top of a building when he saw some kid with a katana run by a few buildings down. "Hhm?"

Watching from his vantage point, Dar marveled as the boy killed a robber with the sword. Thank goodness. That woman's screaming had started to annoy Dar. But more importantly, the kid had talent.

The kid cleaned his sword, talked to the woman, and then started to leave. Dar jumped from one rooftop to another until he was right above the boy. Jumping down a few feet in front of him, Dar cracked the pavement that made up the street. He stood 6' 3'' and had white hair going just past his shoulders. His purple eyes made direct eye contact with Kyte's.

"Impressive. You are gifted with that sword, kid. It looks like you've come to the right town." Dar held out his hand for the kid to shake. It was a common greeting on Earth, he had learned. "My name is Dar. Who are you?"

Kyte tensed as he heard someone approaching from the rooftops. It was too late; he had been spotted in his human form. That was one person too many that knew what he looked like while he was a human, and if this person wasn't how Kyte wanted him to be, he was about to reduce that number again. As the man landed, Kyte's eyes flashed red, before he was engulfed in a black blaze, coming out an almost entirely different person. His hair was black with what seemed like red highlights, his muscles were a bit bigger and more well toned, his eyes were red, and his clothing had changed as well. He was a good person at the art of iai, and quickly drew the katana from the bag, pointing it at the man's throat.

Well...this is certainly unusual. His English was rather well toned, and articulated. He didn't seem to be having an accent problem at all. I kill someone in the streets, with a sword nonetheless, and I'm approached by a man that says "I'm in the right town". Not a very commonplace circumstance...

Kyte scoffed lightly, his crimson eyes regarding the man with curiosity. However, for the death of him, he didn't want to treat the man with more rude manners than he had to.

Well then, Dar-san, you may call me Akunin. Now tell me...how does someone approach a man who just killed someone and think he isn't going to be suspicious? And be a bit quick, will you? My hand can start twitching a bit; it gets a bit impatient.

Of course, this was just a lie for minor intimidation. However, at a flick of Kyte's wrist, he could cut open the throat of the man who stood before him. He definitely was not a regular human; he smelled nothing like one. He waited for the man's response, which may save his life.

Dar only got more excited as the man's features changed to become more intimidating. Akunin pointed the tip of his sword at Dar's neck. Such boldness! Akunin had the air of one of the elect.

He didn't feel threatened by the blade, mostly because he was sure it couldn't actually break his skin. Dar's face would open widely as he admired the fine craftsmenship of the weapon.

"Akunin? Well, I see now that you have even more potential than I first thought. You see, I have a great respect for power, so I seek it out wherever it may be. This city, Jump City, is filled with elite beings such as us. This town is where I find people with great power."

Maybe he was afraid of his identity being revealed. The thought hit Dar after it should have. "You don't have to be afraid. Your strength will be admired, if not worshiped in this place. Meta-humans walk the streets freely. I am one myself, so I hope that we can be friends."

Kyte's eyes narrowed. This man...there was something off. However, he was quite curious. He lowered the titanium katana, for he could always just use it again on the man. He eyed him curiously with his unnatural eyes, the slits thinning a bit.

Well then, Dar-san, what is it you do when you find these powerful people? And I'm not a met...meta...human. I'm a demon.

Kyte always had to be careful. His identity was already exposed to this man, which was really not good for him or the clan, and he would simply have to eliminate Dar if he wasn't trustworthy. Kyte wondered why he hadn't slaughtered the man already, but he supposed he could just leave it to chance and see if Dar was someone he could trust.

A demon? Dar laughed. His smile was genuine, for what the man had just said was like music to his ears. A demon, in Dar's mind, was a powerful warrior that served an even more powerful master.

He himself was officially regarded as a 'parademon,' for his service of Darkseid. Perhaps this man was as well.

Dar calmed his hysteric laughter for a moment to explain himself. "Me too. I am also what one would call 'a demon.' Do you not see, Akunin? This meeting was fated to happen. We must celebrate this event, my comrade. I have lots of food at my apartment, enough for a feast! Please join me for a meal."

As for Akunin's first question, Dar had completely forgotten it.

Kyte sighed, deciding it was pointless. If there was anything he could do to find out more about this man and who he worked for, it was best to follow him. Besides, he could handle himself if anything got out of hand. He returned the katana to the bag and quickly transformed back into the human form.

You've got my attention...lead the way., he said simply. It had better be worth it.

Dar lead his new friend to his appartment, which wasn't too far away from where they were. They walked past broken down buildings, drug dealers, and gang hideouts. The scum all stayed far away from the two of them because most of them had seen Dar kill with his bare hands.

Arriving at the second story apartment, Dar opened the door and revealed a small and sparse room containing a kitchenette and a couch. One door led to the tiny bedroom, and the other led to the bathroom. A broken window was borded up along the back wall.

The only decoration was a small photograph of a girl with deathly white skin and pink hair.

"Welcome, comrade. You are the first true ally that I have found in this world." Dar opened the refridgerator and started taking massive ammounts of meat out of it.

He knew that together the two were still limited without a true leader. Eventually Dar would introduce Akunin to Seth, but for now, they would feast.

Kyte was very highly suspicious of this Dar person and how he had wound up to find him. He was even more suspicious of why this man was even letting him in. What did he want from him? He sighed lightly. This was beginning to get very dangerous. Just what did this man want? He eyed Dar curiously as he started taking large proportions of meat out of his refrigerator. He looked up at Dar.

So, Dar...you still haven't told me why you actually invited me here. I sincerely doubt you have me here just to celebrate seeing another demon. After all...that is not our nature, is it?, Kyte said, as, even in his human form, his eyes started glowing red for a second, as if affirming the fact that he was a demon once more.

Dar thought for a moment. Akunin's words were true. It was not in the apokaliptian culture to welcome an ally with meat. Meetings with equals were very casual, while meeting with a superior was a very serious business of respect.

"True, it is not in our nature to do such things. Forgive me, brother. I have been influenced by these weak humans. Still, I have not seen the face of a comrade in months...or has it been years? Anyways, I simply feel the need to celebrate."

Dar placed the meat on the table and bid Akunin to be seated. He then started eating the meat he had portioned for himself. He ate with suprising self-control, though not with any manners.

"Tell me about yourself, Akunin. Did you arrive on Earth just now, or have you been in this world for a long time?"

Kyte eyed Dar suspiciously, but then shrugged, taking a seat and eating as well. Kyte didn't eat with a utensil since he wasn't provided one, but he didn't eat like a monster. He would simply pick a piece of meat up and eat it, whether he had to bite chunks off of it or not.

There's no need to apologize...I am simply still suspicious. I suppose that would be rude manners.

He didn't seem to need anything to drink, oddly enough. Indeed, he was getting thirsty, but Dar probably couldn't supply him with the beverage of which he desired.

I cannot remember much of my days in hell. I simply know that I am a wolf demon, and that I was actually born to parents. Oddly enough, I know I have been here longer, but perhaps taking on human form has sealed some of my memories.

Akunin's words confused Dar, but he was used to not understanding things. It sounded to him like his friend here had indeed lived on Earth a long time.

"Do you think we will ever forget who we truely are? Does this world erase memories?"

Dar finished his meal and sat back in his chair. He wondered if he should really introduce Akunin to Seth or not. "By the way, Akunin, why is it that you have come here to this city? What is it you wish to accomplish?"

His eyes narrowed slightly at Dar's questions. Did this world seal away his memories? Or was there something more to it? Like an item, or something, that would help him remember? He didn't know for sure. But then he asked what he was doing here. No matter how friendly Dar had greeted him, he couldn't tell him the truth.

I am here because I wish to be, Dar. Nothing more, nothing less. I heard of a city with people that have extraordinary abilities. I came to have fun.

He began to wonder if he had just contradicted himself, but put the thought aside. He finished his piece of meat, looking to Dar.

Kyte's eyes narrowed as he thought on what Dar had said. He was offering him a home, and also a job to use his abilities. Kyte was indeed curious as to how this was playing out. Dar kept flipping the coin; life, death, life, death.

You've got my attention. What kind of job?