Want to Make A Deal? (Honest and JaK)

Guest

ooc: Badabing, badaboom, let's get rolling!

bic: Honest stared at Marlo Suda’s team with vulture eyes, his gaze so striking and his expression so solid, his aura so detestable that it seemed capable to suck out a person’s eyes and use the juices to feed his ever-insatiable lust for power, strength, and ultimate demise. Keeping this towering imposition in full visibility, Honest analysed the Inner Circle with the cunning wit of a fox sensing the end and the perfect, meticulous dexterity of a great knower-of-lies, a perfect example for just how powerful or destructive, the helpful or detrimental distinguishing lying scum from the honest men... or rather, the worthy and worthless.

Yaga. Great in strength but not in mind, although his face told Honest that he was a relatively loyal—although dim-witted—asset.

Sera. Quick for common sense, agility in tongue, mind, and careful mannerisms. By her words, Honest became interested. By her involuntary facial reactions, caution was alert. When she called Yaga a fool, the was a virtually undetectable spasm of her mouth, a downwards frown, that was gone in a matter of microseconds. She seemed to either fear Yaga—probably for his physical dominance—or just plain think he was incompetent and unworthy of being a member of the inner circle. She was going to be a fun individual to watch react to everything to come and unfold with disbelief and sweet betrayal.

Abaz. An incredible man, and with the most admirable ability to mask all emotions while donning a snarky smirk. Probably the greatest threat to this covert and sensitive operation simply because of that aspect. Very intelligent though he masked it by giving everyone a firm grasp of the obvious. A nice challenge.

Senda. Extremely beautiful, especially with her honey-drizzled words. A dangerous person... a handy and beautiful woman. Smart and strong. A good tool.

Balthazar. Another setback, but most likely an annoying reoccurrence like a constantly emigrating cocklebur that never seemed to cease to exist. Finely and impressively educated, as would be expected from the scholar of Red Dagger, but not quite invested in these actions, it seemed. But Honest viewed him as, although “bored,” perhaps just proud and egotistical. He was smart either way. Not to be fooled or easily duped, most likely hard to persuade no matter the matter. A puzzle of wits and a great bishop in this chess match... the great game was afoot.

…but compulsiveness was an extreme problem for Liev. As you could say, he lived in the moment, dwelled in the past, and had a hard time focusing on the future.

Finally,

“You’re all idiots. If we were to bomb them all to bloody hell now, it would be the equivalent of sending a quaint invitation for miss dainty Elizabeth to give an even better reason to blow us all to hell,” bellowed Suda, trumping the silence that Senda so politely and unnecessarily commanded for the Red Dagger’s leader.

He sighed, rubbing his forehead like a teacher before a bunch of incompetent school-kids. He was tired, and prison had taken his toll on him. This wasn’t just a couple of countries they were up against––this was the world, and it was very, very pissed off.

“It’s us against the world, and we already have a grand target on our covert heads,” Suda voiced his thoughts, “so it’s to the underground we go again. I want every single one of you five to each run a coinciding operation to buy us some ‘unobserved’ time while the UN can start running around, trying to locate where we are now.”

Honest straightened his back and pulled Marlo’s red cap against his bald, black head.

“From this day on, we will make the world believe that the Red Dagger has been terminated,” there came a pause, “...by its own hand. Say that we’ve dogged over one another and knocked out the pesky pawns, per say. Tell everyone that the Inner Circle has started to kill each other off––a manic fight for power in a seemingly weak time--and make it look real. Do whatever you have to; I don’t care. ‘Desperate times call for desperate measures,’ will be our headline from now on. That way, the world and all its friends can carry on without the thoughts of Red Dagger on their preening imaginations while we, all the while, are making an entirely new image and terror that may very well take your sorry selves by surprise, too.”

Suda’s eyes flickered to the compulsive neanderthal. “Yaga! Start brutalizing the media. Make it so they can’t ignore this possibility of self-destruction, and kill off a few of our own if you need a little visual stimulation. Sera will be your partner for this stage of out operation. You,” he pointed at Sera, “are to tuned Yaga’s actions so they are not so obviously brash. Spread the word amongst our contacts. Feed it through the system.”

“Abaz, get to as many governments, royals, presidents, whatever, and tap their system with an ‘official’ confirmation that this is, indeed, happening and not a conspiracy.”

“Senda, you will be accompanying Abaz to ensure he gets through any physical obstacle, whether it be databases, security, buildings, palaces, or anything of the like. Report to me often on who you’ve contacted and what their reactions are.”

“Balthazar...” Honest paused, ironing out the final creases in his plan of action, “...you will begin reshaping Red Dagger to be a completely impenetrable and undefeatable threat with me. Further actions and plans for the others as their individual operations are carried out will be determined by you and me depending upon the chance that anything veers from this path.”

Marlo Suda turned to face the Inner Circle in its entirety again.

“We’re going to get back at the world by making everyday life go back to normal, then blow it all to hell when it least expects it. I don't want any questions or complaints--do as I say, or be left to burn within the flames of our rebirth. Now go. Everyone is itching to get their hands around our throats. The more time we take, the quicker we suffocate and die as we are.”

Guest

Fusion-JaK stood staring on with a cold hearted look, but in all honesty was impressed by Honest himself. He had devised a plan so quickly to keep innocent lives safe and get the Red Dagger to take themselves out int he process. Instead of cutting off the head of the snake "so it could grow a new one" as the saying goes. He was instructing the head or inner circle to eat it's tail. That way when JaK & Liev struck at the head they would have nothing to come back from. Fusion eyed everyone in the room, most likely these were the ones they'd have to take down to end this organization. JaK wondered for a moment which one of them he was going to have to handle himself when it came to the end. Considering this plan worked and they both even lived that long...

Guest

The Inner Circle sat silently, listening to Suda's plan. It was genius. Sheer genius. This was the reason they had all aligned themselves under one banner: the leadership of Marlo Suda. The U.N. would never see this plan coming. The world would burn with the vengeance of the Red Dagger.

Yaga and Sera were especially happy with their assignments, although working with each other was something they would both hate. Already, they were plotting ways to eliminate each other in this plan.

Abaz and Senda held more respect for each other, and expressed contentedness with their mission.

Balthazar showed no emotion after receiving his assignment.

After the meeting was over, Balthazar would stay in the room as his comrades went off to their missions. His eyes seemed fixed on Suda, as if studying him. His face betrayed no emotion. "A question, Master Suda."

Meanwhile, Butter Fingers made his way over to Fusion and held out a hand. "I hope I didn't get started on the wrong foot. It will be a pleasure to work with you. Have you done this sort of work before?"

Guest

Fusion looked at Butter Fingers with a stern gaze, JaK was indeed acting, but the vibe he got from this guy didn't feel right to both Fusion and Sage. He let it show on his face that he wasn't very trusting of the man, but shook his hand anyway.

"What? Being a personal body guard or working with what most call a terrorist organization? Either way, ya, both."

JaK then looked away from Butter Fingers while re-folding his arms.

"And every time it ended badly..."

JaK was lying, but he wanted to give off the persona that he was not to be tried or F%$d with. What better way then give off the persona that he had experience in these dealings before. Which he had protected people before and he had dealt with terrorists too, but in an entirely different ways and on the opposite side of the line.

Guest

OOC: Sorry for the slow response. I'll get to it.

Guest

As Balthazar waited for Suda to speak with him, Butter Fingers watched from the corner of his eye. The mercenary looked as though he wanted to say something, but Balthazar's presence somehow prevented him from doing so.

"So, why did you pick this business?" Fingers asked Fusion. "Certainly there are other lines of work you are suited for. Heroics, perhaps? That's popular in the U.S. I should know. I used to live there, you know. Of course, that was before things went sour."

Fingers didn't care if Fusion listened or not. He was trying to listen in on what Balthazar's question would be.

Guest

Honest could not help but be satisfied with his performance, but only satisfied. It could have been better; perhaps a bit more specificity should have been implicated, he thought speculatively, I don’t think Suda would be this lenient or rather, loose, with such burdensome cannons...

But now, he did realise that although this type of perfectionism could not be discarded, this was not the time to be seriously weighing in on double-takes or premature regrets. Balthazar’s pending inquiry would do, for now, to settle this actor’s demanding mind for information.

Suda nodded at Balthazar, and made a slight gesture that said, “come walk with me” with a quick glance at Butter Fingers that implied to the Red Dagger’s scholar that the Leader did not trust the mercenary. Accordingly, Honest led the way from out the room and into the bleak and seemingly never-ending hallway. There, he waited for Balthazar to join him and any other presence that may or may not be welcomed or not welcomed. As for JaK, Honest wasn’t worried about him and Butter Fingers doing something that caused major trouble.

...but with a nickname like Butter Fingers, he seemed the kind of thug to screw things up real fast.

Guest

JaK laughed at this, he a little inquisitive of a merc. It would be interesting if Sage wasn't undercover and supposed to be playing a harder ass than he already was. Then again, if JaK hadn't been undercover chances were he and this guy would've already come to blows by now.

"Heh, heroes huh? Let me tell you somethin about the hero buiz....It doesn't pay at all. Why give my services for free to a bunch of fat asses and losers who would sooner slit my throat to save their own hides in the same situation I'd be risking my neck to save them from. No, not cut out for it, I'd rather rob from the rich and keep it all. A lesson I'm sure you learned early on as well, or else why would you even be here right?"

Fusion decided to try and case Butterfingers as well, by asking a pointed question underneath the fluff of a casual conversation.

Guest

Balthazar followed Suda into the next room. His emotionless face and flowing robes gave the man an almost mystic appearance. Away from the ears of the two mercenaries, Balthazar leaned in a little and looked Suda in the eyes. "Master Suda, when will we achieve our goal? What specific result are you trying to obtain? The rest of the Inner Circle can be motivated with emotional words, but I am not so simple. My assignment will only be possible if I have something solid to work with. So, what is it you are trying to accomplish?"

____________________

Butter Fingers' face lit up. "Exactly. They don't pay you for being a hero. If they did, we'd all be 'good guys.' I worked a 'real job' for years, but it didn't get me anywhere. All it did was mess up my life. The mercenary life is the only life worth living, in my opinion. Let other people plot and plan, I'll just enjoy the money."

An evil smile crept upon Finger's face when Suda and Balthazar left the room. "Watch out for that Balthazar. There's something different about him. He doesn't trust anyone. I wouldn't be surprised if he goes crazy and tries to kill us all."

Fingers burst into an insane laughter. Did he really believe what he said, or was it just a joke? There was no real way to know.

Guest

OOC: This is getting harder as we go along. XD I'm trying to come up with a plan; please be patient, or even throw out some ideas if ya got them.

Guest

“The plan is simple, Balthazar. We’re running a race for the survival of the fittest.”

Honest’s statement was blunt, just like he wanted it to be. He knew already that Balthazar would catch wind of what “Marlo Suda” was truly up to by sending these four on “individual missions,” so he might as well know that Suda knew that he knew, too.

From Marlo’s profile, although a little vague on the details from the US regulations programs, clearly stated:

“Marlo Suda is an up-front man to his colleagues. No one talks to Suda as if he was wrong or had a faulty plan. Marlo Suda is also known to have many mercenaries, idealists, planners, technicians, grunts, et cetera hired one day and then exterminated the next. He uses pawns, or decoys, per say. He keeps his most prized assets by his side at all time, in his ‘Inner Circle,’ but those positions are vague to most knowledge bases. In summary, with Marlo Suda’s Red Dagger, one day you’re in, and the next you’re out.”

The tricky part for Honest was finding that balance between stating the obvious and stating too much, as well as keeping very close tabs on filtering the excessive theatrical language—paradoxes, alliterations, similes, and even famous quotes from the most bizarre and usually cult, film noir movies. Shakespeare was his weakness as well, and the actor was rock solid on his best guess that Marlo Suda was not a man of fancy, sugared dialogue and mysterious performances.

He continued, tugging Marlo’s red military beret downward and even gave a short chuckle at this ironic situation of pressuring Balthazar by telling him of this new “parliamentary procedure.”

Honest then straightened Suda’s crooked and bent back. “Today, we begin with some research. I need information on every United Nations correspondent to Africa. Bring up our archives and burn them all. I will personally oversee every document that goes up in flames, as well as those who may cause flukes in the system. We start with our trainees, particularly in the arms divisions. If we are going to disappear, having a squabbling bunch of brats with trigger-happy fingers and expensive guns will become quite troublesome. Tests will be given, loyalty, at that. Give them a senior member and have said leader bring the proposition of a mutiny up. Be creative, Balthazar, it’s something you severely lack and can also be a hindrance to new ideas...let it be Butterfingers, actually. He’ll be a good slip up, easy.”

Marlo Suda’s piecing green eyes seemed to glow, and the corner of his thin lips raised in a sort of smirk. This was going to be fun, it was. A plethora of medusas without the ability to regenerate new heads fast enough to keep the tiny brains in those scaly heads going.

Honest could already hear the chopping block and having them rolling.

Chop, chop, chop. Rolling, rolling, rolling...

Marlo Suda’s influence was becoming even more seriously evident...even so on the actor called Honest’s mind...

Guest

Fuzion raised an eyebrow...Crazy butler guy who asked too many questions....The General just couldn't make this one easy, could he? JaK was finding it kind of hard to stay in character here, he wasn't all that used to hiding who he was. Sage just honestly never needed to, being an orphan with no files on record and all. Also, with his pale skin and fighting style didn't really allow him much of an undercover skill-set back in the states.

"Riiight, I'll try to keep an eye out of that."

Just needed to remember not to be a man of many words, or he might give himself away.

Guest

OOC: Time for another time skip. Sorry about all the jumping around, but this story just takes place over a long period of time. We will now go three weeks in the future, in wherever the new Red Dagger base is. Also, sorry that this post is really long.

BIC: A lot had happened in the last 3 weeks. The Inner Circle had done their best to make the Red Dagger look like it was dying. What they didn't realize, of course, was that it really was dying. Yaga had taken the opportunity to kill Sera on camera. He tried to justify his actions by saying it would make the deception impossible to dismiss. It was clear, however, that their hatred for each other had boiled over. Abaz and Senda had a full-out fight inside a foreign embassy. Senda had eventually killed the master of disguise after having been proclaimed dead herself. No witnesses were around when she suddenly 'returned from the grave.' Her explanation for her actions was simply that she "had never liked Abaz." Mutiny and betrayal had infected the Red Dagger at all levels. Soldiers had risen up to overthrow their superiors, and dozens of combatants had outright quit the group. Balthazar had been working overtime to find the cause of all of these disturbances, but no answers ever arose.

Now, in the new base of the Red Dagger, the remaining 3 members of the inner circle sat around a circular table. Senda and Yaga were eying each other with obvious mistrust, each knowing that the other had been willing to kill a fellow member of the Circle.

Balthazar stood up and coughed to get Yaga's attention. "Yaga, I have always had an interest in martial arts. As the combat specialist, could you show me a few tricks?"

Yaga laughed as he stood up himself and looked down upon Balthazar. "You wish to spar with me, Book Worm? I will not go easy on you."

Balthazar only smiled. "Of course, you must still be sore from your fight with Sera."

Yaga's face filled with rage. "That woman was so far beneath me. It sickened me to have her sit at the same table as me. I assure you, I am not sore in the least!" Yaga ran towards Balthazar and aimed a powerful punch for the scholar's chest. To the giant's surprise, Balthazar easily evaded the punch and then grabbed a hold of Yaga's wrist. Balthazar closed his eyes for a second, as though he was listening to Yaga's pulse.

"Ah, I see."

"What are you doing to my wrist? I'll crush you?"

Yaga threw a punch at Balthazar's face. The scholar ducked under it and, holding his hand open, hit Yaga in the chest with an open palm. A look of terror crossed Yaga's eyes for a second before he fell over. Yaga's body didn't move.

Senda gasped. "You...you killed him?"

Balthazar smiled and turned to face Senda. "Yes. I simply stopped his heart from beating." As soon as Balthazar was done speaking, Butter Fingers pulled out a pistol and shot both of Yaga's bodyguards. He then shot both of Senda's guards.

Senda did not look alarmed, only confused. "What is this, Balthazar?"

"It is called betrayal, Senda. I'm sure you are very familiar with the concept. You've been prepared for something like this for quite some time. It turns out that not just your armored suit is mechanical."

"What are you talking about?"

"We have never actually met, Senda. You've been controlling this remote mechanical body from a distance all this time. Now, if you will turn around, you will meet your executioner."

Senda's mechanical look-alike fell on the table, lifeless as an assassin killed the woman miles away. Balthazar, with Butter Fingers at his side, turned to face Suda and Fusion. "I'm sorry, Mr. Suda, but you have to die now. Fingers, you take care of the mercenary. I will handle Suda myself."

Guest

JaK and Honest had been working under the guises of Fusion and Marlo Suda for a good while now. Secretly taking down the entire Red Dagger operation from the inside out. Liev gave the orders and if anyone questioned them Sage put the fear of god into them. During this period he had picked up a few tricks, a few toys, and most of all he and Liev had actually gotten a little closer. Sage no longer considered Honest to be such a, pansy, for better choice of a word. He had stared down real cutthroat killers and murderers and made them blink under his leadership. It took real balls and guts to do that, trust JaK, he knew. However, he guessed it was inevitable that it would come down to this, and just like he had guessed since the beginning the very inquisive, sly, curious fellow apparently named Butterfingers and himself were going to go at it...Was there ever any doubt. But, it didn't matter, JaK had been missing the thrill of combat. Sure he got his fill of knocking around people in this climate and both he and Honest had done some things they weren't proud of, but it was all for the greater good. However, this was a rare oppourtunity for JaK or rather Fusion to finally cut loose again...

"Suda, run, I'll hold them both off. Or should I say I'll stop them both, here, and now."

As Fuzion spoke he tore open his coat and revealed the bullet proof jacket metal that lined the inside of the fabric. It mustve added a good few extra pounds to his gear, but the fake mercenary still walked aorund as if his coat weighed less than feather. After placing his hands on the metallic surface Fusion litterally fused with the material appearingly and became completely coated in bullet proof metal. After doing so the sound of scraping metal eerily echoed through the room as he clenched his fists. JaK was serious about having Suda retreat. As Liev knew, no doubt, JaK was as always fearless and would fight this out till the bitter end if need be.

Guest

Everything had been going according to plan as pawns fell at their own hands. These people were bad people, villainous, and merciless... but was it right? They did have the blood of thousands of lives to their own credit, and that was Honest’s justification as he watched them die, one by one, seemingly faster than the domino effect. But it was these deaths that drove the shapeshifter to create a fear and self-loathing for being the true cause of Sera and Abaz’s deaths, not to mention the “collateral damage” of the trainees in arms that had also been killed... no, murdered in this mess of blood and gore and vengeance... or justice? Call it whatever, however, the twenty-one year old Teen Titan thought it to be wrong. He was fully against killing; that was Kaiser’s game. And suddenly, choosing distinguishing the fine line of what is evil and what is good had become invariably deceitful and detrimental to his thoughts of being a superhero... of being an iconic representation and example to all those who wanted and wished the world to be a better place, whether it happened one by one or as quickly as the domino effect.

But this is for the decimated thousands and the good name of the Teen Titans. JaK and I can’t look back now, and even if we wanted to, it would bring shame upon us all. Proving myself as a competent and useful hero? Honest used to remind himself every time his doubts began to override his logic, Nothing could be more selfish and idiotic. I don’t have to prove myself to anyone... but myself, really. Am I a good person? Yes. Do I believe that? Yes. Would Model Eleven approve or rest more easily upon knowing that we’ve accomplished our goals? Indubitably.

Can I carry this weight on my shoulders? Possibly, possibly not. I’m only human, and can only lift so much weight before it crushes me flat.

Fast forward, those looming doubts worthless and unimportant. People died, that wasn’t reversible. Marlo Suda was now facing demise at the hand of his own second-and-command and that schismatic Butterfingers. Bullets were sounded and so was that pre-planted alarm in Honest’s brain that called for controlled imperviousness and mental dexterity, quick thinking and tenacious careful predesigning. Marlo Suda’s impressively superpower-void self would not do for such an imminent occasion, but again, timing was key.

JaK had coated himself in bulletproof metal before Honest could physically react himself, but JaK’s command to “run” seemed to make Marlo Suda’s legs jam and become completely immobile. ”%#!@! he secretly cursed, and his life began reeling again and again. I’m grateful to God that h he hasn’t took control of my mind like Backlash! But wait... think like Suda think like Suda. He wouldn’t run! He never runs or backs down, especially to useless subordinates! Be the commanding officer, but use wits at the same time. Run? No way am I leaving JaK alone. He’s capable, but so are Balthazar and apparently Balthazar, too. It’s time... to implement the upgrades that could have helped Marlo Suda a long time ago.”

It was really an absurd concept, but Honest was honestly nervous about playing the role of a superpowerless human. Biased? Yeah. Practical, though? Yes.

In the wee hours of the night, most every time more than any sane person, Honest had been working on a little “project” to pull off the ultimate collage of the infamous “Inner Circle.” All skills were useful now, especially when put together.

To use Yaga’s physical strength, Honest had “borrowed” a familiar technology of a certain, traitorous, whip-wielding electro-maniac: Backlash, or rather, her prosthetic arm made of completely pure titanium, a lightweight, strong, and practical metal alloy when in such bounteous quantities in Suda’s armoury. Now, this “addition” wasn’t an arm, but a crude form of metal gloves that encapsulated the entire full of Suda’s larger arms. It was uncomfortable, but manageable and fairly well-hidden by his sturdy uniform.

Sera’s ideological-based intellect was harder to duplicate in physical form, and that was why Honest used the retrieved archives on all of Suda’s Inner Circle members to watch numerous tapes and cassettes of Sera’s actions and the way they became more evolved as time wore on in her occupancy of a seat. He learned from her voice, her logic, and even the way she carried herself. She was a good teacher for sharpening one’s mind, and that’s just what Honest did.

Abaz’s deceit and clever trickery were skills that Honest had already well understood, but he still observed the spy’s actions, especially under the pressure of downfall.

Senda’s mechanical expertise had aided in Honest’s fashioning of the metal plated gloves and even a set of specially-equipped boots for heavy combat and an extra kick, if needed.

Balthazar, however, was the only individual of whom Honest could not gather enough information both from the archives and the scholar’s actions to make the “full-out” incarnation of the five members of the Inner Circle, besides Suda himself, complete. He was too good, to careful and cautious. Also, keeping him so close to Marlo Suda’s side had turned out to be a mistake; he was in the perfect position to watch his commander when truly needed. The nighttime was truly the only privacy Honest had, and even then, time was a luxury.

Back to the present.

Honest quickly shifted the weight of Suda’s heavy feet and came directly behind Sage––placing them back to back––and admittedly using him as a literal human shield. He pulled two US made Desert Eagle pistols, .44 magnum, .375 caliber handguns that were very similar to Honest’s own, single-shot pistol that had killed Fake... for that time being, but that was another story.

“Don’t underestimate these fool’s power. Trust me, Fusion, I know more than I think you expect me to.”

With swift yet grounded footwork, Honest swerved himself around, now facing JaK’s back, and fired two rounds over the Titan’s shoulders, both directed at each of Balthazar’s shoulders. If properly executed, the shots would hit the joint at which the clavicle and shoulder sockets met, connected by fleshly, springy ligaments and make them completely useless, similar to paralysis but more like a literal disarmament. And oh, it would definitely hurt like hell, but not lethal. If possible, Honest wanted no more deaths added to his roster. Besides, death would be a gift in this case; rotting in a jail cell with no food for thought would be worse than death to a scholar such as Balthazar. Again, Honest swung around behind JaK, back to back and waited patiently for his partner’s own move and ideally the cry of pain from Balthazar followed with a big THUD.

The tail’s already been eaten by the head, but this snake has two eyes, and not one, Honest processed. We’re the first, and Balthazar and Butterfingers the second. Once one of us are down, there’s no hope for the other.

» I can't deal
» JaK's Gone. Deal with it. (Grayline)
» Deal With A Demon
» Memoirs of a Liar
» Waiting for the Deal (gilda and yang)