The Daily Business

OOC: mind if I join in?

Sunset - peak time for the hunt. Four kills already; this one would be her last. Clothed in her usual shirt and combats, Alyss holstered the gun she had just finished firing back into her belt. This one had only taken one shot - straight through the forehead and out through his lower cranium. Swift and efficient. Fear was already whining in her head about the 'lack of showmanship and flair' that her counterpart displayed, but to Alyss this wasn't about the killing - it was work. It was a message to the rest of the streets that tonight belonged to her and this city was no longer under their thumb. Yet still, her menacing sister would not shut up.

"Fine!" she hissed, slapping the side of her head. "You can have free reign tomorrrow, just don't make it too messy, please? Last time it took me weeks to get the gore out of my fingernails."

Fear's squeals of delight echoed in her mind. I promise nothing.

With a mild chuckle, Alyss pressed on into the night, skulking past the dead body that lay at her feet and moving into the alley that ran parallel with the road she now travelled. A quick delve into her rucksack saw the dirty, blood-splattered clothes of her chase soon gone and replaced with a far more innocent looking blue shirt, tucked in to a high waisted black skirt that puffed around the hips and finished mid-thigh. Always the professional. The girl stuffed her combats into the bag and hoisted it over her shoulder, pulling on the flat 'Vans' trainers she had grown so fond of these past few weeks. The soft soles seemed to relax the muscles in her arches. Muscles that were so used to running and jumping throughout the night and training she endured.
Finally, she pulled on a dark blazer-style suit jacket, that hid her Glock19 Handgun deftly inside the inner pocket, concealed to those passing her in the street. A danger killer on the inside - her appearance to others was just a young woman on her way home from work, perhaps a little flustered from running for the tube or just leaving the gym.

With her facade in place, she hurried to the pavement, tempted to hail a cab. Her legs were already aching from the training her and Necati had been testing each other with earlier that day. For a skeleton he could sure move fast.
But something caught her eye; a fine little corner shop, lights still on. The parched feeling in her throat rose, the feeling of thirst only just apparent to her - the thrill of the game usually took over her body so much so that nothing else mattered. The girl flitted gently across the road, opening the door of the shop and stepping inside.

As soon as she entered, both Alyss and Fear knew something was off.

Alyss, there's no-one here. Caution, my sister. Fear whispered, echoing in her mind.

Taking her mirror's advice, the agent stepped to the register, turning her head this way and that to try and find danger. But nothing seemed to arise. The cash desk remained unmanned, even when she rapped her knuckles loudly on the wooden table and peered around the back of the shop.

"Hello? Anyone here?" she called out, one hand resting on the firearm tucked safely inside her pocket.

As the burly man stepped out from the back shop, Alyss frowned gently, removing her hand from the inner lining of her jacket. This wasn't right - this sort of man wouldn't own a corner shop; he looked too muscular, too out of place in this tiny shop. Especially as he was so stupidly flirtatious. Though she couldn't deny his good looks, his act wasn't believable without proof.

"Water," she mumbled, settling the bottle on the counter. As the hand holding the carafe stretched out, she noticed a splattering of blood that trailed up her wrist and quickly withdrew, drawing out her wallet with the other - clean- hand. Damn. Carelessness always occurred when Fear distracted her; blood still lingered on her knuckles, under her fingernails. Praying he wouldn't clock her disarray, she threw a couple of dollars onto the desk, re-pocketing her wallet, her fingers just brushing over the handle of her handgun.

Fear immediately began searching the man's mind for recon - no, just as she'd suspected, he wasn't as he seemed. He had hostages in the back, hidden from her view. But, he was so used to crime - Mike was his name - why was he attacking this store? Still, he was human - nothing compared to her own power as far as Fear thought. But physically he beat her hands down. A feeling of weakness sparked anger inside her, darkening her eyes and adding spite to her tone.

"So, how're they doing?" she said, motioning her head towards the back door, towards the concealed hostages as nonchalantly as possibly. The hunt hadn't finished yet.

Dar walked the streets of Steel City. He felt more comfortable in this city than in Jump. There were a lot more places to hide here, and the tall buildings reminded him of Apokalips.

He was wearing civilian dress: black clothes with a black trench coat on top. Only on the most dangerous missions did he wear his armor. After all, it attracted a lot of attention, and attention wasn't something he wanted right now. Dar wanted some fun.

Seeing at a distance a cute girl with light blonde hair walk into a shop, Dar decided what his 'fun' was going to be. She looked tired and would be easy prey. Dar had been so busy working lately that he didn't have much time for fun.

Following her into the shop a little while afterwards, Dar saw the girl sitting at the counter talking to the muscular man. They seemed rather tense, but Dar didn't think anything of it. Thinking wasn't his calling in life anyways. They seemed to be talking about paint. Boring.

Walking up behind the girl, Dar smiled. "Hello Cutie." He put a hand on her shoulder.

Alyss flinched immediately, Fear taking over her mind at the unknown touch. The bag she was holding slid to the floor, making a soft thud in the silence that gripped the shop. With a angered smile gracing her lips, Fear turned and shook her head gently towards the man standing behind her.

"Bad mistake," Fear hissed, raising a hand. A pulse of shadow rips from her hand, throwing the man backwards into the glass window of the shop. As shards of glass flickered around her, her attention wavered back to the 'cashier'.
"I'll take neither option, thanks. You know the weird thing about fighting- Alyss never let's me do it. But sometimes I just can't control myself!" she cried, gleefully, clapping her hands together before removing her blazer and placing it gently over on of the chairs. With her forearms revealed, the distinct colour of her veins was prominent- like ink filtering through as opposed to blood.
"I'd say it's time to start running, boyo. Or if you're more for the glory of death, you can stay and go like a Spartan. But, you won't win - that I can promise you. I am sorry, I'm being so impolite - do excuse me! I'm Fear, Alys- Helen's other half." Alyss groaned inwardly at her sisters mistake; codenames were there to be used, not forgotten. "And you're Mike. Mike Stokes. Human," her nose wrinkled distastefully as herbpowers continued to search through his brain. "No family. How strange nevertheless - you'll always prefer working alone. And you...." she turned, rounding on the man now standing in the glass.
"Dar, if I'm correct? Which I always am. Now you have a fine mind to watch, darling. Alien. But still, lovely build, lots of gore which is what I love to see! But, you have no way of returning home? Oh, dear. And for your information, although it's now rather obvious - I'm not easy prey. Never again."

She smirked, curling her lips upwards. "Gentlemen, it appears we have ourselves a little standoff! But I'm pretty tired from taking out other members of this community and I don't really want to get this shirt dirty- so let's just call this off for once and I'm certain we'll be seeing each other very very soon."

Her tone dropped sufficiently upon the last word- causing Alyss to frown at the back of her mind. Fear was just going to walk away? How very unlike her - she assumed that the double would just take them out later on. But her body was tired, her limbs did ache and it had been two days since she'd last eaten. Munching on a case just seemed to distract her, though now of course she was regretting it. Whether or not they would let her leave was unknown, but she turned on her heel and began to walk past Dar anyway.

One second Dar was standing next to the girl, and the next he was crashing though a window. As Dar stood back up, he tried to figure out how she had hit him. He must be growing soft by working for Seth. He hadn't had to fight anyone in a while now. He had become careless.

What was this? The cute girl new his name? She also knew that he was an alien? Even Dar realized at this point that she had some sort of mind-reading ability. She claimed not to be easy prey, and Dar had to agree. Her opening attack had been powerful enough to send him flying, though not enough to really hurt him.

For a second, he thought about asking her to join Seth's private army, but then he remembered Seth telling him not to recruit anymore. That was now Agent Saturn's job. Dar didn't know much about Agent Saturn, just that she was a cute girl...with mind-reading powers.

If this girl was Agent Saturn, then Dar would have to leave her alone, or else Seth would be angry.

Try as he might, Dar couldn't quite remember what Saturn looked like.

AS the girl passed him going out the door, Dar turned to her. "Have we met before?"

Alyss turned back to the man standing amongst the glass, stopping to shake her head.

"No, we have not. Have you?" her question appeared directed at Dar, though really she spoke to her sister, who had slunk back into the depths of her mind. Fear shrugged - she didn't think so.
Alyss shook her head again, drawing the side of her mouth down into a frown as her eyes lingered over the mess on the floor. "Must you always leave such carnage?" she muttered, turning back to ignoring the man.

After clambering on her hands and knees to pick up the larger shards of glass, she noted his presence still behind her, watching. "I'm not a girl. Nor am I cute, thank you very much. Best to keep your thoughts down low, Dar," she hissed, dropping the pieces of the shop window onto the counter. With a brief dusting-down of her hands, she began to search for her missing bag. It wasn't here, where was it?! That bastard human could have it. Taking her somewhat pre-emptive idea, she jumped the counter and hurled open the back door, revealing Mike, ripping the gag from one of his hostages. She was right - as per the norm - he had her rucksack thrown lazily over his arm. Shakily, she held out a hand - she wasn't Fear anymore, her sister was tired, the confidence drained from her, the bravado was never hers. Without Fear, she was more of an emotionless cess-pit. Her sister held the Dionysian - anger, excessive passion, torrid happiness and freedom, whilst Alyss was confined to the Apollonian wisdom, strength and heartless, stony misery. Now would be a nice to be able to feel some sort of compassion, even wrath, but she couldn't bring it forwards - her emotions had split long ago.

"I'd like my bag back, please," she said, voice trembling slightly as watched her fingers shake under the pressure of her situation.

Alyss flinched, scowling darkly at the man.

"I'm not a nutter, thank you very much," she hissed, snapping when she heard the word running through his head. She was an SSA in the CIA, how very dare he?! A quick calming breath was needed - and then she continued - her face flushed with anger. "It's not a burden. And it's none of your business. Now, give it here or I will take it."

The girl took another step forwards, her long fingers still outstretched towards Stokes.

So, this girl wasn't Saturn. Still, she was powerful. He couldn't deny that. However, Dar was not willing to give up the hunt just because this girl could throw people around.

This promised to be an interesting night. He could just sit here and watch those two fight it out, and then finish them both off. Dar walked back inside the building to watch the fun.