|
Post by rilkan on Sept 14, 2008 0:48:37 GMT -6
Taka cringed, listening to the screams coming from inside the warehouse. He looked around nervously, hoping Maku would be quick inside, so he could heal him and get back to the boarding house. They'd spent the better part of two days tracking the gang leaders currently inside, and Taka was physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted.
Lost in his thoughts, Taka reflected on the past week, and the last few days in particular.
Two days after leaving the mountains, Taka and Maku had reached the Unnamed City, hungry, thirsty, and exhausted, but alive. They had fallen asleep on the stoop of an apparently abandoned house, only to be waken the following morning by a splash of cold water. The house was actually the property of an old woman, who called herself 'Old Sara'. She ran the building as a boarding house, and it made enough to pay for itself.
After Taka explained that they were broke and far from home, Old Sara had taken the twins in, giving them food and shelter in exchange for helping her maintain the house. Taka had thanked her at every opportunity, while Maku sat back and let Taka do the work.
After about 3 days, the twins made a discovery about Maku's powers. While he could destroy non-living material, he only gained a boost of power from killing. Maku had accepted this readily, having guessed it himself during his surge of power on Mt. Baal. Taka, on the other hand, was horrified. It seemed that everything his brother could do was geared towards causing death, on a massive scale.
However, hearing from Old Sara how unsafe it was in the slums of the City, Taka had come up with an idea, one that, while still questionably moral, at least allowed him to sleep at night. Maku would be allowed to kill, thus gaining power and control that he needed. However, he could only kill those that broke the law, or in self defense.
They had heard from a fellow boarder, Nate Gideon, that there was a supposed gang meeting occurring in the next few days, and Taka and Maku had both felt the time was right. After a day of unsuccessful snooping, they had found a newly-initiated gang member who had told all he knew after some...creative persuasion.
Now, Taka listened as the last scream inside died down, a few minutes after the last gunshot had been fired. The door to the warehouse opened, and Maku exited, covered in blood, both his own, and those of the gang leaders. He stumbled over to Taka, who healed the worst of the wounds before leading the two back to Old Sara's house.
|
|
Maku
Veteran
Chaos Embodied
Posts: 149
|
Post by Maku on Sept 14, 2008 1:33:13 GMT -6
That night, Maku lay awake, staring at the ceiling of the small room the two shared. He flexed his right hand, remembering the rush of power he had received with every kill. He had reaped far greater rewards with each angel on Mt. Baal, but he was beginning to understand what he had become.
Quite simply, his body had been altered to kill, with great efficiency. Specifically, he had been created to kill angels, which explained what he had become on the mountain. However, killing humans still gave him power, albeit in smaller amounts. Younger beings gave more energy, as well, so he guessed that it had something to do with the amount of life they had ahead of them before he struck.
Relaxing his hand, Maku rolled onto his side, looking out their small window, into a dimly-moonlit square of sky. While not the path he had originally chosen, he could see himself getting used to a life like this.
|
|
|
Post by gideon on Sept 15, 2008 11:31:07 GMT -6
Nate closed his office door behind him, more than ready to go back to Old Sara's place and rest up a bit. He enjoyed his day job immensely. It allowed him to help people that needed it, and he had yet to have a client leave his sessions unhappy. Sure, his gifts allowed him to ensure that happiness, in turn ensuring the return of his clients, but where was the harm in that?
Walking down the street towards the bus station, Nate sighed, looking up at the City around him. He remembered a time, a long time ago, when this City had a name. God knows he didn't remember it, but then again, no one did. He closed his eyes, remembering looking out from his family's apartment window, down at the holiday parades that wound through the city streets. Even all those years ago, however, the population of the City was dwindling, as the War took its toll.
The sound of hissing brakes alerted him to the arrival of the bus, and he climbed aboard, seating himself in the back of the bus, where he would be left alone. Looking at the other passengers, he concentrated on the image of a stone wall, blocking out their hopelessness. However, even without tuning in to their emotional radios, he could tell by looking at them that most of them were in dire straits. With the economy ruined from the War, most businesses either closed, or were forced to offer services almost free-of-charge in order to get any business at all. Those few that managed to remain open after that did so through donations from various sources. No one questioned what those sources were. Not if they wanted to stay alive, anyway.
Nate was snapped out of his spontaneous mental summarizing by a sudden lurch forward as the bus jerked to a stop. Climbing out, he walked a few blocks from the bus stop, and arrived home, at Old Sara's Place. He walked in, hanging up his coat, and relaxing in a chair in the living room. He sighed, keeping his mental wall up as he often did, trying to relax with only his own thoughts for company.
He loved his day job. He didn't get paid much, but he liked helping people. He liked making them feel as if there was still some hope left.
His night job, however, was a different story.
|
|
|
Post by rilkan on Nov 15, 2008 3:08:14 GMT -6
Taka walked in only a few minutes after Nate, grimacing as he stretched, his muscles sore from carrying Maku home the previous night. He'd gotten about 6 hours of sleep, then he'd had to get up in time to make it to the hospital.
Since the twins had taken up residence at Old Sara's home, she'd called in a few favors, and gotten Taka some work at a nearby free clinic. It was funded by donations, and was run mostly by volunteers. There were only a few paid employees, and many of the volunteers working there did so in the hopes of being promoted to a paid position.
He'd been working there for over a week, and in that time, he'd gained a reputation for minor miracles. He always explained it as good bedside manner, 'laughter is the best medicine', and all that, and it seemed to have worked so far. If anyone doubted his story, they hadn't cared enough to question it, yet.
The work kept him busy during the day, and while he came home exhausted more often that not, he always came back feeling oddly fulfilled. He guessed it was satisfaction at using his powers proactively, but knew that he would have done it without the ability to heal. He loved helping people. He always had. It bothered him slightly that Old Sara had pegged him so easily, but he was grateful for the job.
Walking into the kitchen, Taka pulled out a pot and some boxes from the cupboards. He'd noticed Nate was home, and Maku was sure to be waking up soon. And whenever Maku woke up, he was hungry. He filled the pot with water, and set it to boil, then joined Nate in the living room, occupying the other recliner.
|
|
|
Post by gideon on Nov 15, 2008 3:20:35 GMT -6
Nate opened his eyes as Taka fell into the other chair. The kid looked like he was dead on his feet, to put it kindly. Curious, he slowly lowered his mental wall, focusing on figuring out what the kid was feeling.
Almost instantly, Nate was almost overwhelmed by the feelings of satisfaction almost radiating off the kid. He'd never gotten something like this off of someone Taka's age, not once in his entire career. He'd felt it before, sure. From expectant parents, before the reality of the situation sank in. From boyfriends who'd just proposed to the girl of their dreams, again, before the reality of things hit home. Never from a kid, who looked like he could use a nice coma to catch up on lost sleep.
He smiled, making sure to remember the feeling. The guilt of using the kid like a battery for positive feelings would hit him later, but at the moment, he was awash in the same satisfaction Taka felt.
He opened his mouth to speak, then shut it again. He'd lived at Old Sara's the longest, and while he was on speaking terms with the kid, and his brother (on the rare occasion he was awake, that is), he'd seen too many other boarders come and go to take an active interest in them. They'd only been there a few weeks. The record so far was a month. Maybe then, he'd care.
== Later ==
That night, Nate followed his partner, Angela, from the precinct. She'd gotten him the job, calling him in on difficult cases. Their current one was one of the worst she'd seen in her entire career, and Nate hoped his 'career' didn't last long enough for him to see anything worse.
Over the last few nights, gang members had been murdered. Always under cover of darkness, and always a little closer to a suspected hideout. Finally, last night, the hideout itself had been broken into. More than 20 people, most of them gang leaders in the Outer City, were killed.
The worst part about the killings wasn't the numbers, though. It was the method. Somehow, the killer was inflicting explosive trauma to their victims...from the inside. The first victim's head had been blown away entirely.
At least, that was the worst part. Then they brought Nate in. Using his ability, he lifted the killer's emotions from the victim's bodies. He'd expected rage, or pleasure, or lust.
What he hadn't expected was logic. Cold, calculating, unfeeling logic. The killer had thought out the killing, believed it to be a necessity. Their responsibility. Nate himself had to stop early tonight...he could feel himself becoming convinced that the killer wasn't entirely wrong.
|
|
Maku
Veteran
Chaos Embodied
Posts: 149
|
Post by Maku on Nov 27, 2008 4:31:51 GMT -6
Maku watched the investigation from a nearby alleyway, blending in with the homeless refugees that seemed a constant feature in this heartless place. Part of him felt he should recognize the male detective, but he couldn't say why. He shrugged it off. He wasn't there just for sightseeing.
Taka'd had another busy day at the hospital, and the resulting fatigue had burdened him more than usual. Maku had made Taka go to bed shortly after dinner (or lunch, in Maku's case). Differences aside, they were still brothers. Then, after making sure Taka was fully asleep, Maku had snuck out, following a lead one of the gang members had mentioned, in the vain hope that information was enough to keep him alive.
/////The Night Before\\\\\
The heavily tattooed man cowered in the corner of the warehouse, no longer caring about keeping up appearances in front of his bosses. After all, they were dead.
He whimpered as the black-haired teen walked towards him, blood covering his arms, nearly up to his shoulders. Killing was messy business. Then, in an instant, he was suspended above the warehouse floor, the teen's hand calmly placed over his heart. This kid must have been half his age, but he had a chilling sense that the young man had taken more lives than any 'professional'.
"Please," he begged, "I'll tell you anything you want!"
Maku raised an eyebrow, his solid black eyes, enhanced by the spider-web of black veins around them, seeming to penetrate the man to his core. "What could you tell me that I would possibly want to know?"
The man smiled weakly. Maybe he'd live, after all. "A scene like this, with this many dead? The CPD's only got one guy they can send! Some freaky psychic bullcrap, ya hear me? We've had a guy tailin' him for a few weeks, says the guy can pull emotions from a scene, use em to track the killer! This guy can find you, pal, and a scene like this? You'll be their biggest target since the War ended!"
Maku smirked, letting out a short, barking laugh. Pressing harder into the man's chest, he smiled. "Let him try. I'll be waiting."
The tattooed man's hopes shrank as the teen pushed harder against his ribs. He tried to speak, the pressure making it difficult. "But...but you didn't know about this before, right? So...so will you let me go?"
Maku was silent for a moment, as though contemplating the choice. A muffled explosion broke the silence, followed by the sound of cloth on cement as the man's corpse slid down the wall. He turned, walking toward the door. Stopping, he spoke over his shoulder, "No." Then he continued out the door.
\\\\\-------------/////
Now, Maku watched closely through a window as the detective he'd noticed knelt down, placing a hand on the body of the very gang member who'd tried to bargain with him. The detective's eyes closed, fluttering for a moment, before opening quickly. The man pulled his hand from the body quickly. Whatever he'd found, it wasn't what he'd been expecting.
Maku tried hard to remember the man's face. He knew he'd seen it somewhere before, but he couldn't place where. He'd have to ask Taka.
As the detective stood to leave, his partner was already walking towards the door. Maku turned, and began heading back to the house. He didn't want to risk getting caught. Not before he recognized his new adversary.
|
|
|
Post by rilkan on Dec 18, 2008 22:57:17 GMT -6
Taka yawned, sleepily coming down the stairs to the kitchen. Maku hadn't come home last night, but he hadn't let Taka go with him, either. Too exhausted to protest, Taka had stayed at the house, managing to worry himself awake for a few hours before passing out. Now, awake with far too little sleep, he forced himself into his morning ritual, glad for the day off from work.
Passing the living room, Taka stopped. There, his eyes bloodshot, but wide awake, sat Maku, in Taka's usual chair. Normally, Taka would have begun his questions immediately, but he also normally got 8 full hours of sleep. The questions could wait until after breakfast and instant coffee.
------- Later --------
Taka shook his head as he left the house. He'd talked to Maku about the night before, and gotten the short version of the events of it. Then, just as Taka was about to ask about why Maku was still awake, the phone rang. It was the hospital, calling to ask Taka if he could come in.
Some other volunteers had quit unexpectedly, and the staff was more overworked than usual. Now, on his way to work on his day off, Taka decided to let his curiosity about Maku's wakefulness slide for the time being. He'd ask him about it when he got home.
|
|
|
Post by gideon on Dec 18, 2008 23:08:08 GMT -6
Nate sighed as he walked in to the house. He'd been at the precinct late last night, and then had gone straight to his office. He'd caught a bit of a catnap on the couch between appointments, but now he was tired AND hungry. He hung up his coat and set down his bag, going into the living room and collapsing onto the couch. For a few moments, he remained there, mind blank in a state of senseless, relaxing bliss.
Then, his concentration gone, his abilities began their usual feed of information to his brain. Things were normal for a few moments more, and then his eyes shot open, his face stuck somewhere between recognition and panic.
He looked around the room, his eyes locking on the only other occupant, who sat, watching him curiously. He stood from the couch, turning his front to the black-haired teen, and slowly walking backwards towards the kitchen.
Nate had recognized the killer's vibes from last night. And they were coming off of the teen before him in waves.
|
|
Maku
Veteran
Chaos Embodied
Posts: 149
|
Post by Maku on Dec 18, 2008 23:13:43 GMT -6
Maku watched Nate walk into the living room and fall onto the couch. However, what would normally have been a cursory glance turned into a mildly surprised stare. He'd been sitting up since dawn, racking his brain to try and remember where he'd seen the detective before, and the answer had been right before him the whole time!
Then, as prey does when it recognizes a predator, Nate's eyes flashed to him, followed by the older man backing slowly from the room. Maku smiled slightly, and stood from the chair, clearing his throat.
"Is there something wrong, detective? Nate, isn't it?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
{OOC: This thread's been dragging on, so I'm giving Nate's player permission to use Maku to speed things along. Taka'll prolly do the same, unless Maku's got a bigger part to play.}
|
|
|
Post by gideon on Dec 18, 2008 23:32:20 GMT -6
Nate stopped in his tracks as the young man stood, and spoke to him. Struggling to keep his voice calm, he replied, "Nothing, really. Just a little hard to keep your calm when you're in a room with someone like...well, someone like you. No offense."
Maku smiled, laughing softly. "None taken. We're both aware of what I am, aren't we? At least, of what I've done? And I suppose you've got a responsibility, don't you?"
Nate took a deep breath, his words coming easier now. He hadn't expected the kid to be so open about it. Then again, he'd never encountered a killer who was so...so clear-minded.
"I suppose you're right. Are you going to stop me?"
Maku seemed deep in thought, walking towards the entrance and, consequently, Nate. "Once, maybe. But I don't think I will. And I also think maybe you're a little reluctant to do it, aren't you? You must have seen the link between my...targets."
Nate sighed, his heart beginning to slow down. He was panicked, sure, but his body was beginning to realize the panic wouldn't end soon. He subconsciously stepped back as Maku came towards the entrance to the room, and answered.
"You mean that they're all criminals? Yeah. The PD figured that out before I came along. Figured they had a vigilante who was going too far. But then they called me in, and I changed their thinking a little. I mean, you feel this whole mess is necessary, but there's no emotional drive behind it. You're easily the most cool-headed killer I've felt out.
In answer to your other question, I am a little reluctant, yeah. I see what you're doing, and whatever your reasons, I can't honestly say I wouldn't do the same thing. But you are a killer, that's the bottom line, and I have a very nicely-paying job that depends on me turning you in."
Maku nodded, walking through the entrance and towards the front door, grabbing his coat. "Well, I'll make you a deal. Give me 10 minutes to run and tell my brother what's going on. After that, make your call."
Nate scoffed a bit, even as he considered the offer. "What guarantee do I have that you won't skip town? I mean, you're a thinker, and your morals are obviously a bit lax compared to your brother's. Nothing stopping you from leaving, and letting this whole mess come crashing down on him."
Maku stopped in the middle of pulling on his coat. His shoulders dropped. Then, sliding his coat the rest of the way on, he turned back to Nate, a small smile crossing his features. "No guarantee. No promises. But look at it like this: Either way, the killing stops, and that's what you want, isn't it?"
Without waiting for an answer, Maku turned and walked out the door.
Nate stared after him for a moment, before walking back into the living room and falling back onto the couch. He'd wait. Let the kid say his goodbyes, one way or the other.
|
|
|
Post by rilkan on Dec 18, 2008 23:57:05 GMT -6
Taka sighed as he walked towards the lobby, hoping he wouldn't be in too much trouble for taking his break so soon after lunch. The PSA had called him to Admissions a few minutes ago, saying his brother was there to see him. He hadn't believed them, Maku would never come here, but he decided it best to check, just in case.
As he walked around the corner, he stopped in his tracks. There, standing in front of him with his duffel bag over his shoulder, was Maku. Looking closer, he realized it wasn't Maku's bag. It was their emergency pack, something they'd set up and hidden after they reached the City. In it was a week's worth of food and clothing, as well as some basic hunting and fishing gear. They'd made it in case something happened, and they needed to leave town quick.
He sighed as he approached. "What happened, Maku?"
Maku stepped towards his brother, keeping his voice low. "Turns out Nate, one of the boarders at the house? He's special, kinda like us. He knows what I've been doing, and he's planning to turn me in. I'm hoping to leave before the PD catches up with me."
Taka ran a hand through his hair. "You know, if you were anyone else, I'd try and talk you out of it. On second thought, what the hell. Stay, Maku. Take responsibility for this. If Nate's special, he'll understand your reasons, and we can make this easier on you."
Maku shook his head. "Easier, maybe. But not without bringing you, him, and Old Sara down with me. I'm leaving, Taka. Heading west, towards the Appeaks. If they care to follow me that far, I'll lose em in the mountains. You and Nate can pretend you've got nothing to do with this. It's better this way."
Taka looked at Maku, examining his brother's face for any sign of doubt. He found none. He sighed, throwing his hands up in the air, trying to ignore the mild tremors that threatened to turn into sobs. He'd chased his brother, his twin, across 2 continents, and through a damn war, to find him again. They'd come to the City, and it had seemed that Maku was finding himself again. Violently, yes, but he was more like his old self than Taka had seen him since they'd been given their abilities.
"Fine. Do what you want. Just promise me something, Maku. If not for me, than for Mom and Dad's sake. Promise me you'll stay alive, and...don't...do what you do...to anyone who doesn't really, REALLY deserve it, alright? Promise me that."
Maku stood, watching his brother. His mirror image seemed as though he was ready to fall apart. He nodded slowly. "Promise. Taka? Take care of yourself. I'll keep myself alive, I promise."
Straining against the awkwardness of his next act, Maku dashed forward, grabbing Taka in a bearhug. Then, seconds later, he was running, out the door, and out of town.
Taka was taken entirely by surprise, both by Maku's second promise, and the crushing embrace after it. However, before he could realize what had happened, the moment was over, and his brother was running again. He sat down on one of the chairs in the lobby, slowly regaining his composure.
He smiled slightly. Maku could keep a promise. He knew that much from their childhood. And there was one major difference from the last time Maku had run out of his life.
This time, he was running to protect those he left behind.
|
|