Heroes: The Road of Good Intentions

[B4UTRUST]

"Well then, lead the way. Just as long as we don't require two sherpas and a mountain goat we should get there fairly quickly."

Kyosuke started walking in the direction that Saibot indicated. The pace he set was moderate, one that wouldn't tire them out quickly but still cover ground.

[Dark Silver]

Saibot and Kyosuke, the pair of traveling mass murderers they were, made good time over the hilly terrain south of the Qilian mountains. It took slightly less than half a day, even with the two rest breaks they were forced to take, before they arrived at their location.

"We're here" Saibot said, as he began to climb up the steep hill, heading to the stone pillar. "It'll only take a few minutes, and we'll be able to leave."

Saibot held his Ring up to the pillar, the power glowing brightly for a few moments, before a brillant beam fired forth, into the stone. Great white cracks appeared, the stone seperated, and hovered in mid-air, revealing the intricatly carved bronze box within. Saibot reached in, grabbed the box within, and moved back as the rocks glided back into position.

Saibot smirked, opening the bronze lid, slid his ring off, placed it in the box, and slid the other one within it onto his finger. The glow which suffused his body wasn't the gentle azure of before, but instead a soft emerald green.

"Much better....now we can go.." he said, walking back to Kyosuke.

[B4UTRUST]

"A spare ring? Interesting. Handy I suppose. Don't happen to have any other extras laying about we could lay hands on? They could be useful. Well I suppose we should be going then."

Kyosuke closed his eyes and concentrated, muttering words under his breath and tracing symbols in the air. The cloth at his back shifted and moved like something was pushing against it. White feathered wings sprouted forth, unfolding into a rather impressive wingspan. He flapped them a few times to warm them up.
"Ready?"

[Dark Silver]

"Spare Rings....and yeah..I know where to find six more - should we need them."

Saibot lifted off the ground, not even disturbing a grain of sand as the new Ring reacted to the mental commands.

"Lead the way Kyosuke. We've got some work to get done.."

[B4UTRUST]

"Indeed we do. And we might need those extra rings soon enough."

Kyosuke flapped his wings, gaining lift. Where Saibot's movement went without disturbing a thing, Kyosuke's brought up a small dust storm in his wake. As he gained altitude he leaned forward and began to fly towards the gate.

[Charon]

Legacies saw the two walking around, and decided it was time to take a long walk, preferably far away. As he stepped out into the patio he'd run into a few of the others doubtlessly, where he would explain that he was "Going for a walk before Li Na loses control of herself."

Any further questions about what was going on were ignored as the silver being went to full speed, disappearing into the lightly populated area around the house, keeping away from people as he enjoyed just running and being out in the open.

[Bloody Good]

Everyone had dispersed to their own devices, whether sprinting through the underbrush, doing homework on the current investigations, or bumping uglies. Tasat spent a while marring himself. After adding seven new shapes, he stopped and sat, brow furrowed in frustrated thought. Finally, he stood and threw a wad of flames into the pool.

"Why can't I remember? I should be able to remember. DAMN YOU, WHAT ELSE DID YOU TAKE FROM ME?"

Smoke rising from him, he let loose a primal scream of hate, and the swimming pool started to boil. Still screaming, a crown of fire burst to life over his skull. Beating his fists against the ground, the screams turned from wordless cries of anger to Sumerian that might have been vehement cursing.

[Cynical Cat]

As engaging as Argent was, a small firestorm in the pool did manage to attract Blackheart's attentions. "Gods," he mumbled. "I think we have to make sure the house doesn't burn down babe."

[LadyTevar]

As engaging as Argent was, a small firestorm in the pool did manage to attract Blackheart's attentions. "Gods," he mumbled. "I think we have to make sure the house doesn't burn down babe."

Never wreck a woman's pleasure. It can and will get you killed.

Outside, where all the nice dim lighting effects left plenty of shadows to lay thickly on the ground, there was an ominous rippling. The fiery-crowned Summerian found himself grabbed by tendrils as thick as the legendary Kracken's arms and thrown bodily into the boiling wreck of the Pool, where more shadows lashed on with strangling strength, holding him down in the deepest depths, denying him air.

[SirNitram]

The door to the basement opened. A voice that was only vaguely similar to Gravitas' emerged.

"If you lot don't knock off that burning, crushing, and otherwise troublesome shit, there will be a very angry Nova."

[Cynical Cat]

"Let him up," said Blackheart.

[LadyTevar]

"Let him up," said Blackheart.

Anyone else, she'd have ignored. Her eyes turned to him, blazing silver in the dimly-light room, before lowering submissively.

Outside, the shadows holding the Summerian down gave one last convulsive angered squeeze, then released him. Like harmless dolphins the shadows nudged the body to the surface and rolled him out onto the tiles.

[Cynical Cat]

Blackheart threw on a robe. "I'm going to go check on the damage and see if anyone needs medical attention."

[Marcao]

It was funny how things worked out.

He had gone to his room in order to consider his options, begin forming the semblance of a plan and in all honesty regain control over his wits. The memory of Li Na still clung in his mind and it took a few minutes for calm to be rediscovered. By the time that he had been prepared to act, he caught sight of the others. Of course they would take the time to visit the pool now, why shouldn’t they? He almost ground his teeth but the irritation fled. He settled on waiting, his eyes watching what transpired below from the quasi-privacy of the balcony which was part of his room.

In the end, Blackheart had not lacked the courage to make his move. Inwardly, he wondered why he had hesitated. Was it a desire to avoid a scene again or was it something else? He spent a moment contemplating those thoughts, a soft chuckle escaping his lips. He could not recall the last time he had fully committed himself to a woman. Maybe that was why all his relationships as of late had ended poorly. It had started with Ultima he was sure of it. Had it changed him or had it simply revealed to him what he already suspected? His eyes flickered towards the pool catching sight of Blackheart and Li Na once more. If you snooze you lose.

He took a step back away from the balcony and then another. Once he was fully inside his room he caught sight of himself in a mirror, he would not need that anymore. He changed quickly and wordlessly, maybe it was all for the best. He had been debating how exactly to spend his night when he heard the outburst coming from outside his window. It sounded as if…he walked to the window, his eyes searching and finding what he sought. He winced slightly, well; there went his plans for some solitude beneath the stars in the comfort of Li Na’s pool. It was a distant second to what he had hoped he would spend doing this night, but one could not always have what one wished.

He hesitated for only a moment before he took himself to the edge of the pool. He had a bad feeling that this was going to end badly. The heat which was being projected by the meta was readily apparent but he was surrounded completely by his force screen, an invisible weave that clung over his skin and did an admirable job of keeping the heat away from him.

“This is not a good place for outbursts.â€

[LadyTevar]

"he's alive..." she said quietly, her head lowering to the pillow as she silently cursed. Hawaii. She should have dumped the two demon-tainted bastards in Hawaii, in the deepest volcanic vent she could find.

[Cynical Cat]

Blackheart reached down and jerked Tasat up. "You brainless, inconsiderate fuck. What the fuck did you think you were doing?"

[frigidmagi]

Blast lit of out the Patio swearing when the flames came up, it took longer then he liked to dig up the extinguisher (which was rationally enough in the kitchen, Blast liked rationality when it didn't inconvenience him). He ran out and almost slipped in the water, which could have killed him or dropped into the shadow tentacle... Thing. Please let that be Argent and not some kinda hentai demon come to kill us in a graphically porno way.

He sprayed the fire retardant on the flames swearing and looking a bit wide eyed at the tentacles. This was a weird day, that was saying alot in his life.

[Bloody Good]

Soaking wet now, the smoke that had been rising off Tasat was replaced by steam. He screamed something in a dead language in Blackheart's face, his own face beet-red as his rising blood pressure worked its way to popping that vein in his forehead.

His knees abruptly let go, dropping him heavily to the ground where he sat with his head hanging. He held up his tattooed arm. The anger had left his voice, leaving it weak and without hope. "Each one is something I cannot let myself forget. And those soulless sons of whores took nearly everything worth remembering from me. The day my son was born, recieving my first sword from my father, watching as my grandfather placed the crown on our king's head. I know they happened, but I cannot remember them. And they left me with everything I do not want to remember. Watching the Egyptian soldiers hack my brothers apart when our phalanx broke. Coming home to find my family dead from plague. It is not fair. I am free, but the torture goes on."

Finding his feet again, he staggered away, trying to run for the treeline, but unable to manage more than a fast shuffle.

[Cynical Cat]

Blackheart dropped Tasat with an arm bar and pinned him down with his foot. "You stupid, irresponsible fuck. What gives you the right to threaten other peoples lives and property? We're trying to maintain a low profile here and you just pissed on it. You endangered the lives and property of the people around you. You displayed a stupid fit of temper which makes you a danger to innocent people around you. Do anything like that again and I will put you down myself. Clear?" He took his foot off Tasat.

[LadyTevar]

Argent only watched silently from the patio door, the dim light disguising her figure somewhat.

She barely brushed the morass of self-pity that surrounded Tasat as he first fought, then whined at Blackheart. The self-absorbed display was both pitiful and disgusting. That Blackheart was willing to let him go with a slapped wrist and a warning only annoyed her more.

Tasat had been shown hospitality ... only to set fire to her patio and damage her pool, drawing Blackheart out of her bed to deal with him. Blind rage had made her attack earlier, but now the anger was colder as she slipped outside clad in her dragonshape.

"I want him gone." Her words were as plain and cold as her anger. "He is no longer welcome in my house."

[Marcao]

He arrived next to the tree and utilized his will to deny gravity a hold on him. He stood next to the tree at least fifteen feet off the ground, his eyes closing for a moment as the evening’s breeze reached out and touched him. He did not look back; there was precious little need for him to do so. He needed a break, a time to unwind and he would have it. He was no longer concerned about what laid behind him. His interest lay before him.

San Francisco glittered like a jewel in the distance the city promising him a thousand potential distractions. He could use a distraction right now, displacing Li Na from his mind had taking some work but he needed to utilize his time more effectively. A part of him whispered that if he moved too far away he would be unable to support the team. Li Na had not established a link with him yet, if there was trouble how would he know? For a moment, his sense of obligation kept him at bay.

“I won’t let fear run my life.â€

[Charon]

Legacies looked out at the house from quite a distance away, having seen the brief explosion from his spot leaning against a tree, relaxing. He'd considered, for a moment, going to check on the problem, but he knew the others could handle it. And with the pure anger running down the connection he was getting from Argent, he figured it was better to stay away for now.

[B4UTRUST]

Saibot and Kyosuke had made it back to the demon city. As they stepped out of the gateway it snapped closed, the light fading from it once again. Kyosuke canceled the spell making his wings material, the wings shrinking and folding back into his body.
"Alright, Saibot. Where next? Because I have to get back to Millenium soon enough. My new team will become suspicious, if they already aren't."

[Bloody Good]

"You stupid, irresponsible fuck. What gives you the right to threaten other peoples lives and property? We're trying to maintain a low profile here and you just pissed on it. You endangered the lives and property of the people around you. You displayed a stupid fit of temper which makes you a danger to innocent people around you. Do anything like that again and I will put you down myself. Clear?"

Just how a man gets to his feet that fast will probably be debated by scientists for years to come. They probably won't spend nearly as much time speculating on the causes of the fiery glow emanating from behind the man's teeth.

"Temper? TEMPER?! When I am angered, the skies will burn and kingdoms will turn to ash. This is dispair, and if you threaten me again, Tainted One, I may become angered and cleanse the earth of the hell-born parasite inside you. And as you brought it up, I pose less threat than the deluded god-thing you drag behind you. What I set to burn, I may extinguish. My strength has been paid for, while the lot of you are as children who have stumbled into their father's armory. Hypocrites and maniacs! The only battle of yours that I have witnessed consisted of your soldiers destroying a building, your pet demi-god tearing apart iron steel wagons and attacking men who had fought against the same enemy as him, and barely-controlled magics being hurled about like slingstones. We Dead Men, with earned powers greater than yours, limited ourselves to strength of arms and a tactical use of our powers. I have suffered torments that would shatter your mind and soul, and suffered them for longer than your clan name has existed. What is your excuse for your insanity?"

[SirNitram]

"He's worked for the government." 'Mike' spoke as he appeared outside, arms folded. "Your pathos is noted but not terribly impressive. Are you truly the best the ancient world can offer? The mightiest of those ancient damned, the only ones to escape? No wonder we were better off with plumbing." He shook his head slowly. "You need to calm down. Now. You have upset the host, a sin that trascends time, universe, or culture. If you truly want to gnash your teeth and wail of your 'temper', threatening those around you, you will discover what it is like to be set upon by me when I'm not pulling the blows. I did not 'attack' you, unless the great and terrible warriors think being held in place is an attack when they've not made themselves appear as friends."

The Nova's eyes had gone black. Not black of iris; black of pupil. The Aberrations were showing under this kind of stress.