Violence and Vows (Closed RPG)

"A...blockbuster." Cat states to hear if it sounds as rediculous as it looks wth a hand on her hip, her body almost matching the up tilt of her brow. "I'm not sure if I'm more confused as to how you think someone here can help us, or how the hell this thing even exists still. Is it a national landmark? "

"You got jokes. In it's hay day it was the perfect cover for covert activities. So much was swapped between the government bureaus and informants in vhs cases back in the 90's here. My dad used to bring me and my brother here on Fridays, we'd get a new release and my dad would get anew target." Stepping inside the two are stared at by middle aged men in blue shirts with yellow collars as the two go around the rope and to the counter, "Now and then it's still put to use. "

"Welcome to blockbuster, how can I help you?" The one with glasses and a pear shaped pair of glasses asks.

"I'm a rewards member." Bishop said pulling out a weathered plastic card and placing it on the counter, the clerk goes from nonchalant to firm, standing straight and entering the code on the card manually into the old computer.

"Ah, yes. You reserved...?" He asks

"Beatlejuice and tommy boy. I enjoy the modern comedies."

"Passphrase authentic. Mr.Jones, Ms.Liafador." Pressing an out of view button beneath the counter the clerk opens a rack of movies to reveal a hall into a warehouse like extension of the building filled with state of the art computers and munitions, that being only what was in view. The room had to be huge and built into the foundation. "Welcome to block busters HQ. Follow me."

"What is this...?" Cat asks looking around the high roof and the walls filled with all kinds of gadgets, information, and technology

"This is a ground teams home base for maintaining the street level functions of the C.I.A., N.S.A, and F.B.I. We take care of the basics. Supplying crack to the inner city youth, double tapping rogue drug lords that don't want to play well with others, things to that affect."

Bishop shakes his head and leans down a little while walking into Cat's ear, "One corrupt thing at a time." Then speaks up, "We need everything you have on a Pyrex corporations, and a Doctor Erickson, some kind a cybernetic scientist. Older, about around seventy. Might have been in world war II, faked us out with an almost perfect German accent."

Hey didn't I see you somewhere...?" Lowering his voice the middle aged agent squints his eyes and leans in, "Have you ever worked in adult film?" Cat rolls her eyes, as Bishop grabs the guy by his yellow collar and drags him back to the center of the room. He rubs his throat then even still smiles at Cat. "I'll look up this Erickson guy, but Pyrex is one of my pen investgations. It's a shady business. They front as making cook wear and household items. But they've got a finger in every pie cooling on every countries window sill. Nuclear, oil, food markets, stock markets, and marketing. You name something worth investing in and they own a controlling share of it somehow. A lot of evidence is pointing to it being the biggest front in history. Not sure as of yet, what for."

He turns around rubbing his chin. Silence fills the room as they hang on his next words, waiting for some kind of revelation. His fingers snap, "Bang bus. You were on bang bus right."

__________

green liquid fills his nostrils, his mouth. He sees a room in a panoramic view, curved by some kind of glass as bubbles rise past Maximus' face. He starts to panic, heart rate spiking on a screen as a cardinal in more casual dress begins to run a round calibrating machines to factor in the duress to keep Max conscious and alive.

A hand presses against the glass, brown and tipped with red pointed nails, a woman with a tear rolling down her face looking into his eyes.

He looks down and realizes he's suspended in the thick liquid attached to wired and tubes. His metal extremities removed revealing his raw butcher like scars from his implant procedure. He tries to speak but it can't get past his chest, just a heavy deep growl with the inflection of a question.

"Ssshhh. We're going to make you better baby... just rest." Ashley says putting her forehead against the glass and watching him fall back into an induced sleep.

Cat’s russet eyes scanned the room, the plethora of technology coupled with the “MIB” atmosphere didn’t really surprise her; not as much as being 20 in a blockbuster for the first time. She could totally see how this place went out of business. Before she could open her mouth to address Bishop, the indecorous host once again alluded to her “eccentric” past prompting the Catalan Countless to finally handle the situation. Pushing him back toward the wall with a forceful darkness push, both her hands transformed into gigantic dark spikes; pressing one against his stomach and another against his mouth she leaned in close to his ear so he could see the true nature of the woman he was so ignorantly insulting.

“You seem to like penetration cabron” she said pressing the spike harshly against his now ornate neck. “Come on one more crack please just one more; I’d love to see which part of your body is deeper. Your stomach or your throat!” retracting her spike she turned close enough so that her long hair smacked him across the face. Taking her position next to Bishop she moved up with her hands folded by his side, watching another agent bring up the details of Pyrex.

“Oh…I never got a chance to tell you” she started, turning her lithe frame in his direction with a sense of intimacy. “My brother Leo came to visit me, while I was home. I told him about you. I hope that’s ok” her eyes shied away from him; it was kind of awkward.

“I mean he immediately assumed we were together or what not, but I told him we’re just friends. Long story short, he told me that since you clearly make me happy; I should see this situation to the end. I might gain some sort of siverlining out of all this” She got out some of the elements, but she augmented her story just a bit; she didn’t want to forge any awkwardness between them.

“Whooo…its hot” she lied, using it as an excuse to create some space between them. “I found something” the agent called out. “What’d you find?” Bishop asked with a smirk on his face; it was unsure if he saw the true nature of Cat’s words.

“Large sums of money being moved by many of the Pyrex splinter cells into a singular account somewhere in Columbia. The account name is clearly fabricated.” The man explained, showing Bishop the money transfers and wires.

“What’s the name on the account?” Cat asked from over the guys other shoulder. “It’s M.Bargo?” Cat look confused. “That’s potentially the ugliest name I’ve ever seen. Can you check who frequents the account? I mean like who has accessed the account more than the others.” She said, looking at both men.

“Might be a good starting point” Bishop said, somewhat impressed at Cat’ wherewithal.

--

The Cardinals littered the room watching arduously as Maximus’ rehabilitation was coming along successfully. The ebony skinned goddess sat vigilantly at the tank trying to quell any tears, seeing her fiancé this way angered her; she’d extract revenge the long and slow way.

A few months ago, some of the more radical cardinals broke off; and created an organization called OPEM. For short time they were strictly internet terrorist, however they came to surface when they attacked Thee Champion and Maya in Malaga not long ago.The Liafadors seems to have their share of villains, but what or, who could be the link that connected Maximus.

“My Queen when we removed the cybernetic memory chip from Bishop’s body it mentioned something about Animus Corporations. I thought that company was defunct. I thought Animus was dead.”

“Apparently he’s not…or SOMEONE wanted us to believe he was” She said, with electricity crackling through her eyes. “Cross reference the last known employees of Animus Corporations, with those still working in a similar field today. Someone is running A.Corp for him.”

--

“I got a match…looks like this account for this Pyrex Splinter account was created by a Sofia Liafador in Columbia almost 30 years ago!” the agent exclaimed, his facial expressions flirting with trying to make sense of the seemingly impossible.

“Thomas Animus…he knew all this was going to happen.” Cat said, shifting her gaze to Bishop. “Look at the name of the account too Liafador…must be a relative.” She continued, knowing very little about her family to begin with.

“It’s not really a common name” Bishop reminded, prompting Cat to purchase plane tickets to Columbia. “Why do I have to do it?” she protested for no particular reason. “Because you’re a goddamn billionaire! Nothing less than g-5” He jested, causing a smirk to creep across her face. “You two are so doing it” the agent said with a goofy smile on his face. Cat said nothing, she looked at him disgustedly before tossing his coffee on him. “SHITTTTT!”

“You’re going to need some new pants”

--

“We found our link between the Liafadors and Animus, a woman named Sofia Liafador; Sofia has been off the board for months, but she has a daughter, Sky. Sky was with us up until a few months ago; now she’d being detained at a prison in Columbia. “Good work Al ghul, I will return” She said, disappearing in a bolt of lightening.

"Yur Move Bastard

The Silent Knight can feel it. It reminds him of the days when he still had his healing factor, that that pain mixed with immediate relief, but dragged out to hours where it used to take minutes. The only thing that drowns out the pain is the soft whispers of Ashley's voice through the glass chamber. Even when she loses the sweetness in her voice addressing the cardinals, he keeps listening just to hear her. Animus. His name comes up a thousand times and each time he loses the need to focus on Ashley, anger was taking it's place, thoughts of revenge boiling in his stomach.

He hears her making the preparations to confront Thomas, and in this condition he didn't have a choice but to allow it. It only lights the fuel to a growing fire in his stomach. The chamber goes silent and all he hears is the machines beeping and the blood throbbing in his forehead.

Meanwhile...

"SIR." A clean cut man in a blue suit and gelled back brown hair blares, bursting into the office of the Pyrex C.E.O.

"What is it boy? I'm busy." A man with a near cajun country accent says with a white mustache of cocaine with his tie on a hookers neck as she sits on his lap.

"You're going to want to see this." The man says sliding a folder across the long glass desk "We've been breached, someone broke the firewall. We managed to get it back up but it took about five minutes. They could've found anything." His eyes are wide and his breath is shallow. This man is a titan of industry and he's almost buckling and shitting himself.

"Fun's over girl. leave the tie on the door knob" He shoves her off his lap and pulls his chair in. " Where they do it from." He asks smacking his upper lip as the crumbs of cocaine hit his day planner.

"We're not sure." The man says sitting down in front of the desk holding his own hand, his ears turning red with eembarrassment

"The hell you mean you not sure, boy? Who were they?" Leaning over the desk with his finger tips pushing him up.

"Well, uh...we're n-not sure...They...they were well prepared..."

The CEO slams his fist on the desk to ripple a crack down the center "Why the FUCK wasn't we?!" His eyes are blood shot as his claws dig into the C.O.O's throat as Leon holds him hin his palm, his wing tips grazing the ground in a weak struggle.

"Gkkgik-We-found a calling card..in the hacker pro-ack- program- a bird symbol, a-" He drops to the floor and grabs a the slits in a row of four along his neck that began to bleed out steadily.

__________________________

"You just don't do something like that to a man!" Bishop said laughing with a glass of champagne in his hand, Cat beside him struggling to stop giggling. "He said it felt like a third degree burn." The legacy hero laughs harder and then takes a deep breath, trying to stop long enough to sip his drink.

"It's weird isn't it?" Cat asks wiping a drop off her lip

"What?" Bishop asks with a smile as he leans forward off of the vanilla leather couch.

"You'd think the last place we'd be after everything, is on a plane." With a 'go figure' shake of her head she sips her champagne

"True...We've been through a lot in a short time. But we came out on top every time." Sliding closer he presses his shoulder against hers, "When things get bad you just gotta focus on the silver lining, feel me."

*Ktch* "We'll be landing in twenty minutes Ms.Liafador. " *ktch*

Lightening boomed in the middle of the busy Bogotá Street, causing the normal patrons to scatter in fear, as the figure of the ebony goddess begin to formulate from the pillar of light. Ashley’s ascension to godhood was met by wide spread criticism in the Cardinal Kingdom, because of her un-relation to the Liafadors and because she was in fact a Brave heart; not a Cardinal. Ashley herself didn’t need an explanation for why she was granted Cardinal godhood-- she already knew, Sabella Liafador wanted to punish Ziccarra, and the best way to do that was to make Ashley as powerful as Z.

Pushing through the police office with a thick gale of wind, the Revenge Cardinal exercise extreme prejudice in subduing the many police officers that tried to halt her elegant trot. Phasing through wall after wall, she found the cell of one, Sky Carmichael.

“Sky Carmichael” She called, phasing through the walls with her eyes fogged over. The sight of the teenager laying hunched over with blood dripping from her neck caused Ashley to nearly vomit. “Al ghul” she called, and on her command the Cardinal General appeared draped in gold linens.

“Someone beat us to the punch…” Al Ghul bent down to examine the severity of Sky’s wounds. “What the hell is that?” He asked, tilting the girl’s head back so they can examine the ravenous cuts on the neck of the little girl.

“Unless a bear got in here, I don’t think this was done by a mere human…” He reported, looking up to examine the current state of his queen. “I don’t believe we are either…have you found the location of the girl’s mother?” Al Ghul never spoke he simply shook his head.

“Well then let’s be on our way.”

--

“Yeah…I feel you” She said with a hushed tone. “You know what’s crazy, I don’t remember anything. I thought I’d hate it, but then…I’m here and out, doing things…with you; and it doesn’t really bother me anymore y’know?” She explained.

“I am aware of the effect I have on women” He said, confidently; nearly causing the Catalan Countess to spit out the last little bit of her drink. “Oh are you, then show me” She said, lustfully.

“Um…Ms.Liafador you guys really don’t have time for that…we’ll have wheels on the ground in maybe 12 minutes.”

The irritated Cat let loose a deep sigh, before angrily retorting. “Damn it, I was so trying to get slayed.” She said, pushing her hair up with the palms of her hands.

“Hey” His baritone voice immediately disarmed her, causing her to shift her attention back to him. “Silver lining right” she said, knowing that’s what his eyes meant. His massive hands removed her glasses, leaving her temporarily dumbfounded.

“Every guy you’ve met in the past would’ve jumped at the opportunity to see you naked. But I’m not in your past” he said, placing passionate kiss on the lips of the young Liafador. Her cheeks begin to permeate an ornate red blemish, as if she were embarrassed or drunk.

He could visually see her demeanor returning to a relaxed state, something she appreciated him for. “Yeah…I feel you” she said, again not allowing her lips to leave the vicinity of his.

“Prepare for landing”

--

“It tis about time you showed up Cardinal Goddess of Revenge” Sofia said, standing in the middle of a pasture with her hair blowing wildly in the wind.

“I don’t think there is ONE Liafador that I like…” Ashley whispered to Al Ghul with her hands on her hips.

“I was starting to think we would never meet” The Columbian rich accent of Sofia ailed her words, not that it mattered because Ashley wasn’t paying attention anyway.

“Look at her, if she knew I was coming why she come out here in those heels; trying to be cute and shit, I should kick her little narrow ass.” The narrow comment brought a strange look from Al Ghul, but Ashley repelled a “You know what I mean look”

“Listen Sofia, I’m not here to speak on anything, other than why your name is on important Animus Corp documents.”

“Now who is talking too much” Sofia replied, folding her arms across her chest. “Apparently you don’t know, someone has killed your daughter, Sky. So it seems like whoever you’re working for has turned the tide against you. You can tell me what Animus Corp is up to, or I can beat it out of you!” Ashley threatened manifesting electricity within her hands.

“Oh Ashley…you can be so cold…” Sofia replied, throwing her hands forward, she cast a powerful sheet of ice across the grass, reducing the traction that’d be gained from the ice.

“That’s the best you got!” Ashley said, preparing to hurl a lightning bolt; “My Queen no!” Al Ghul protested, alerting her to the formation of water under the ice. “You have your orders Al Ghul execute them”

She said dismissing her ally, instead of tossing the bolt of lightning she absorbed the sound, and project it at the frosty vixen. The energy hit Sofia dead in the chest, causing her to slide on the ice; but she almost instantly regained her vertical base. “This will be fun” she said, tossing her hair from her face.

--

“There’s no one here” Cat said, eying the apartment. “Looks like someone beat us to the punch” Bishop said, watching the news coverage on the television. “That woman with the electricity….she looks familiar.”

“Her name is Emerald Mooreland, A Cardinal. She’s the fiancé of that cyborg that helped us at the laboratory. I don’t think its coincidence that she chose to take a vacation here” He said, still looking around the office.

“She’s probably looking for Sofia too” Cat said, removing a document with a classified list of names. “Looks like a hit-list…a Cardinal Hitlist” Bishop said, examining the document.

“Wait, I thought the documents said Sky, Sofia’s daughter was a Cardinal.” Cat questioned, not understanding the full spectrum of the situation.

“I think they’ve entered some sort of civil war, apparently we just stumbled upon sect of them. Fck the Cardinals, my question is what Animus needs them for.” Bishop asked, still analyzing the hit-list.

“Maybe their building an army, Wait…is Emerald’s first name Ashley…if so than she is on this list.” Cat said, showing him the back of the dossier. “Hmmm…Maximus…Ashley…Animus.”

“Apparently someone didn’t want them getting married…” Bishop suggested still scouring for clues. “DOWN!” He screamed, pushing Cat to the floor as Al Ghul came rushing at them.

Bishop’s massive arm knocked the Cardinal General to the floor in one hit, he almost instantly jumped back up only to be shot in the back of the head.

“Yur move bastard” said, a woman at the threshold holding a pistol. “Sofia…” Cat whispered. “That is right my niece; now I’m afraid I need you two to hold still.” She said, pushing them back and encasing both in a column of ice.

--

“NO MORE GAMES!” Ashley screamed, sending a powerful bolt of electricity at Sofia; the ice queen construct a powerful ice shield, but Ashley’s irate energy crashed down upon her causing her body to completely…evaporate. “Fck…a clone. Oh no…Al Ghul!” She screamed, taking flight to check on her endangered partner.

--

“Yeah she’s fine, I had to make it look like she was killed in the most gruesome way; she’s standing here beside me right now.” Leon handed Sky the phone so that she could speak to her worrying mother; at the completion of their conversation she handed the phone back to Leon so that he may speak with his cohort.

“He’d be very proud of you Sofia. I’m sending an expert in to retrieve our pest, someone you know very well. His name is Kane.”

"Got it, and I'm on my way"

Sofia traipses around the apartment on long legs with the phone to her ear, stepping over the body of Al Ghul, confident the entombing ice was sufficient in holding the two bottom dollar detectives. Looking to the side, calm Bishop notices Cat projecting her shadow form. "No! She trapped us, but she could've gone for the throat... it means we're being taken somewhere, probably to whoever she works with in Pyrex. We might get our answers easier than we thought but we need to go along to get along." He looks at Sofia who is still speaking with the gun held aimlessly at the twosome's direction "You trust me?"

For a moment he could see the opportunist coming out in her, it seemed like all her focus was on taking advantage of Sofia's curvaceous turned back and impaling it with a shadow spike. But then her hair lilts and the shadow recesses. She looks over at him, "I don't like being powerless...even if I'm pretending..." Her head tilts down as if she was recalling some memory, then she looks up with just barely wet eyes at Bishop, "But I trust you."

"I tell you this once Leon, don't think if any harm comes to my Sky...? I will hesitate to cover you in so much ice, it burns." Sofia says throwing the phone back into her pocket and turning back to the two, "Don't worry, the air will last just long enough, so long as you two take shallow breathes...adios." Raising her hand the voluptuous vixen covers the rest of their bodies in ice with a thin layer of air pocket surrounding them, before wiping the pistol and tossing it at the dead Cardinal General's side and leaving the door.

She places the do not disturb sign on the knob and heads for the elevator, as the one beside it opens. She only just catches the edge of a katana as the doors ding shut.

__________________

"Then I suggest you get your ass here fast, woman. The delivery man has arrived for the pickup" He shuts the outdated nokia phone. Ever since the century turned he's been about a decade or two behind.

" Ya mother temper run hot for such a cold blooded woman." Leon says walking around Sky to pour himself a drink from a glass canter. He swigs back the full glass like it was Gatorade to a triathlete, "Lucky she got an ass to go with that mouth."

"You- You can't talk about her like that. Your replaceable yu ." Sky says

"aheh...." Walking away from her he pays no mind, ready to go find a warm hole to climb into while he waits on his package

"What do we have here?" The renegade Liafador asked standing in front of an ice structure. "Catalina..." he whispered, removing his mask in awe at the sight of his daughter. His hand stroked the side of the ice, and then darted toward the second structure in ICE Bishop. "You're just as beautiful as your grandmother" he continued, signaling for his grunts to move the ice into the back of an 18 wheeler.

This changed the game just a little bit, Kane never accounted for the fact that Leon had captured his own daughter; what she was doing with the likes of Bishop--he was sure he didn't want to know. Watching as Sofia's finely crafted ice structure moved toward the truck, in anger he removed his phone from his pocket he dialed his sister's number only to have a lightning bolt dislodge the phone from his hand.

"Gaaah" He grunted, turning back to look at the Ebony Goddess in all her glory. "Ashley..." he whispered, meeting his former protégé for the first time; since Ziccarra slaughtered the Bravehearts.

"Kane, you're working for Animus?" her question left the renegade Liafador flabbergasted, he didn't know who he was working for. "Animus? nah that guy is dead" He said, trying to regain his hand.

"I've been on the trail of Animus minions, it's lead me to Liafadors and OPEM; don't tell me you know nothing about Thomas Animus" she hissed, allowing her electricity to surge through her eyes.

"Well..." Kane said, removing his diamond katana; "It looks like my employers have some explaining to do then"

"It would appear so" she quickly retort launching a powerful bolt of lightning at her old master, only for him to execute a "Ziccarra-like" pirouette to dodge. "You couldn't get a simple breast augmentation" He jested, at her new found ability to launch electricity.

"It's in the works" She said, quickly closing the distance between them grabbing the Renegade Mercenary by his collar and tossing him into Sofia's Picasso painting.

"Bitch you just destroyed art!" He hissed, struggling to rise to his feet. "Hush it's a copy...now tell me what I need to know!" She hissed again. "Not the painting, my body!" he said, dispatching a grenade, the flash bang temporarily stunned the Cardinal Goddess allowing a moment's reprieve for Kane.

"Now things we'll get fun..." he said, injecting himself with a powerful genetic toxin. “I’m so tired of people saying that" Ashley said, staggering from the effects of the flash bang. "It's never fun!" she screamed, sending a boisterous canary wail throughout the house shattering everything of worth.

--

The Columbian vixen strut through the deep jungle facility in anticipation of seeing her daughter, with the combined forces of Bishop, Cat and now Ashley working towards the same goal; it would seem like now was the time to speed up productivity. Bursting through Leon’s door, she saw her daughter sitting in Leon’s chair twiddling her thumbs.

“Mami!” she screamed, rushing toward her curvaceous mother with her hands extended for a hug. “My baby” Sofia exclaimed bracing her daughter in a way that a loving mother would. “Get yer things, I take you from here. Where es Leon?”

Sky pointed to the next room where the sounds of Leon and a woman resound through the walls. “Aye dios mio” Sofia screamed, pointing for Sky to exit. Bursting through the doors, Leon’s head was in the heavens as the foreign woman’s head to continue to bob in his pelvic region.

“Are you kidding me” She said, standing with her hands on her hips. “The package will be here any moment, and yer just sitting thur getting yer deek sucked by some whore!” Leon held up a finger, as if the concerns from the Ice Queen meant nothing in this time of intimacy.

“Relax mhmm, dear everything is still going according to plan—ahhh a little more tongue” He explained, placing his hand on top the girls’ head.

“I freeze this bitch, and your deek with it!” she said, pushing her hands up; before she could fire; Leon lunged across the distance with his hands around her neck; and the head of his penis gradually sliding down her thigh.

“Now don’t get me wrong dear, you’re a fine specimen; the fact that he’s granted you favor amongst us aside, I’ll gut you and have you replaced long before anyone has noticed.” He said, allowing his nails to lightly dig into the neck of the Ice Queen.

“Everyone is getting what they want, Kane wanted to be able to fight the Champion…HE CAN DO THAT NOW. You wanted to be with HIM, you will be; I just want to enjoy the finer things in life…like a blowjob. The next time you interfere m’dear, you’ll have to make up the difference” He said, retracting his nails. “Now go clean yourself up” He said, alerting her to his essence sliding down her thigh. “We’ve got work to do.”

--

“HAH!” Kane screamed slamming the Cardinal Goddess into the bookshelf beating her face in with a plethora of bunches that could easily shatter mountains. “This…is what it feels like…” he said, allowing the lithe frame of Ashley to fall to the floor. “To be thee champion!” before the 3^rd society went defunct Animus had been working on a way to replicate the Champions DNA, it would seem as if his research was fruitful.

“You…re…a monster” Ashley whispered, struggling to speak through her crushed thorax. “Yes, but we’ve always known that, what’s more surprising is the killer mentality you’ve adopted.” He said, wiping her bloody face off with a tissue.

“Animus you say? I don’t know who the hell he is, but if this is what he can do to people then that man is a god.” He said, returning to a vertical base. “Your part in all this is now over, I want you to return to Grand Cardinal Isle; and warn them I’m coming…warn them that Kane has returned. Tell them what you witnessed here today. I want them to know…I want them to know” He said, stepping over the subconscious Queen enroute to the deep jungle.

--

She couldn’t do it anymore, being powerless hurt her more than it helped; using the genetic structure in Sofia’s ice Catalina’s DNA copied the control of the ICE and melted it enough for them to speak. “Well…we’re in the back of a truck…” she said, looking in Bishop’s direction.

“Look what’s in the truck…” Bishop alerted, causing Cat to turn in the direction of the truck bed. “Oh my God” children…tons of them; fastened to cyborg like machines. “The Animator was right…they’re building an army.” Bishop said, realizing now that instead of being ahead, they were behind by two steps.

“Wait, a cyborg is half human-half machine…how can they control the cyborg’s human half?”

--

“Indoctrination, it’s a tactic we use to render the organic mind completely under our control” Leon moved into the circle beside HIS newest cohort releasing an antagonistic smile in the direction of Sofia. “Sofia…Kane” He said, looking in the direction of the newly arrived Kane; who’s injections were just starting to where-off.

“I want to introduce you to…the Matriarch Zedora…she’s the newest agent in this operation.” He said stepping back to allow Zedora to speak. “Kane…we’ve met” she said with a sadistic smile. She indoctrinated him; and was sub sequentially the reason Catalina was made.

“Whatever differences we’ve had in the past are expunged, now the hour of our savior is at hand…Thomas Animus will return today…and lead us in an age that will transcend knowledge itself. We exist…because HE allows it.” She said, returning to Leon’s side.

Breaking the tense fill in the room, the truck carrying Cat and Bishop finally poured into the laboratory, the powers that be standing in a circle around the opening hatch; either Car or Bishop knew what to expect from this technological cabal.

"You're asking me...? I can barely set my dvr." Super heating his arms with a blue glow the ice melts into a puddle beneath Bishop as he sits up on one of the steel planks the suited children wore. They looked different than Maximus did, more like they were shunted into a machine pre-built to fit them instead of melded with them. Reaching behind one of the zombie state like children that had dead eyes opened as it bounced around in the armor, he could feel some kind of wiring running directly into the back of their skulls, wounds so fresh the scabs broke to reveal black and red blood on his fingers.

"Removing them will kill them, or if their lucky lobotomize them. But maybe..." Looking at the suits he sees rows of some kind of light source that lined the full body of the clunky armor. It reminded him of that guy, what was his name. Stark? "These suits are off right now. It's why the children seem comatose...Let me try something." grabbing the small brown wrist of a boy, Bishop concentrates a small shock into his hand, let's it manifest, then gives the boy a quick jolt of bio electricity that traveled directly into his cerebral synapse making him seize for a second.

"Que...uh? Eh?! Donde Estoy?! Quien es usted? Por que no puedo mover?! MADRE? MADRE?!" A large metal arm stands him up, and like a deer on week legs never used he wobbles towards the end of the back of the truck and jumps off with piston like legs that send him through the roof of the caravan and into what sounded like a gigantic room of metal

Bishop, wide eyed and dumbfounded that his shot in the dark had such an adverse effect slowly turns to Cat, "Apparently they can't."

"Looks like it's time for show and tell." Cat says standing up and not even flinching as she sends two shadow spikes through the front cab, dispatching the driver and his assistant.

_____

Out of a backroom, the animator arrives, the only describable humanity left was his head, snuggly tucked into his metallic coccoon. "The time has come." He says sticking his six pointed legs into the ground, activating the raising of a casket like tube that lay in front of them emitting liquid nitrogen. the fog on the case dissipates and reveals the treasure inside.

"First..."The energy absorbed from Catalina Liafador is injected into the tube from Animators own stomach cavity, or where one would be if not for the containment unit. His thin wiry hanger like hand waves behind him at Leon, who steps forward and rolls up his sleeve, well aware of the process.

Over a century ago he knew when he saw this boy that he would do great things, things his father 'Machiavelli' wouldn't allow. He always paid in blood to keep Thomas safe. One more time is nothing to an immortal. He slices his hand open with a sprung claw and places it inside the tube. He grunts in annoyed pain as the machine begins to siphon his blood from his body.

"Lady Sofia...if you please..." Sofia looks around the room bewildered, "I deed not agree to dis. My blood stays where it belongs. Inside me." She says crossing her arms in defiance.

"Thought you'd say that Elsa..." Reaching in his pocket Leon pulls out a soiled tampon left over in his room from a few nights ago and hands it to the Animator who creepily gives it a sniff before placing it bloody side down on the scanner, "This will do...may I keep it afterwards?"

"Bastardo! I will keel you for that!" Sofia screams, forming two ice blocks around her fists that grew into spikes, only to have a blade drawn on her throat with fading but impressive super human speed by the Patriach of the Liafador Legacy. "Not here you won't. This man has got big plans for the future. No crusade worth taking isn't paid in blood. This is a small investment with the largest return I've ever had. Unlimited power enough to take down the only man able to defeat me...I will not be denied."

Lowering the blade slowly while shooting proverbial daggers into the eyes of his blood, Kane brings his blade over to the machine, sticking the crusted blood of Ashley Mooreland into a thin slit and turning it like a key.

"I believe we are ready. Though, I am not entirely sure what your role was meant to be here, Zedora. The master did not share this with me."

"I am here for the most essential portion of the process. No one must be allowed to know Thomas' secrets so closely..." With a sensual look she glares into the beedy eyes of the animator, who's hands lift on their own accord, or rather, hers.

"What is this?! What are you doing? I am the one who made this all possible! I know every inch of the masters plans! I am his right hand!"

Leon now rolling his sleeve back up, raises a brow casually, "That's the problem. Your a spineless little man, and you've got every key to the doors he's about to open. Your a liability. I woulda killed you on Moreu Island if it wasn't for Sofia claiming you still had some use left.Even made a wager" He turns to Sofia and flaps his tongue around his lips with a wet smile. "Looks like I'm goin' down for once. Bring a towel with you this time..."

Animators death wasn't even memorable. A quick stab of his own metal fingers into his organic eye sockets, and Isadora is already stepping over his corpse to initiate the sequence.

Suddenly the room shakes with the ferocity of a tremor. Two dozen children in millions of dollars worth of technology storm the doors to the main floor, Led by the meddlesome marvels, Catalina and Bishop.

"ATTACK! we can not let them inhibit the process now!" Isadora yells pointing to the door as her machine like perception splits to controlling the computer attached to the tube housing the body of Thomas Newcastle.

________

"Se Valiente! Luchar por sus familias, Lucha por tu vidaaa!"Catalina exclaims, as the tween boys in armor rush past her with tears of confusion and anger in their salted eyes, struggling to control their suits while their motions run free. Bishop by her side was as reserved as she was, but the kids were already heading this way in a berserker rage and there were too many to control, the only thing they could do was aim them at a target.

In a barrier line the cabal of villains prepare. Sofia forms ice on the floor that spikes into a cavern of crystal, Leon rips his shirt open as his claws extend and canines grow into sabretooth long fangs, Kane flips his daggers on bent knees ready to spring, and Isadora calls the body of the animator back into play, is dead face already white with lifelessness as the body moves on it's own accord, exuding a dozen saws and small plasma canons.

Leon moves first, sinking his claws into the chest of a boy and lifting him to throw into another, then hopping onto a wall and digging in his claws to climb to the roof in three long jumps before stomping down on anoher and leaving a puddle of organs in his wake.

Kane easily dispatches two with his daggers, rolling out to pry them loose from the boys throats s they could bleed out faster, cutting the achilles of two more.

It was a blood bath.

It was a blood bath the cybernetic children of technology were no match for the combined forces of the “Corporate Ministry” Leon and Kane did the bulk of the work allowing both Zedora and Sofia to sit behind a wall of Ice; buying time for Thomas.

“Why the hell are we out here doing all the damn work?” Leon protested ripping the cybernetic limb from a writhing child. “Because it’s the more gentlemen thing to do” Kane replied sarcastically quick drawing his D.E and putting a round into the organic head of one of the children.

“Dey auto be ashamed of demselves! seending dee leetle chilldren to do dere dirty work” Sofia protested, only to get a sardonic look from Leon. “You’re fcking her” Kane replied again sardonically.

“ENOUGH” Zedora’s booming voice ran through their heads, she intended to end this engagement by herself. Waving her hand, a mist of what appeared to be mosquitoes shot toward the children sticking them and causing them to fall to the ground; their organic parts erupting in a violent convulsion.

“Fck Bishop!” Cat screamed, taking him within her arms the tenekenetic queen wrapped him in a cloak of darkness and completely disappeared from the vantage of the tactical nano-swarm. “Hmph…the fck didn’t you just start with that” Kane asked retrieving his daggers.

“What is she?” Cat asked, reappearing in front of the nefarious foursome “That my dear is the world’s most efficient computer.” Bishop said, standing ready for battle.

“Wow….nice” Leon said, moving toward the middle to meet both Bishop and Catalina. “That’s a fine piece of ass you got there buddy, she looks sort of familiar.” Kane moved forward rudely bumping the feral Newcastle in the back.

“Watch your mother kitty cat that’s my fcking daughter you’re insulting” Kane said peering into the eyes of Cat.

“Oh shit”

“…dad?

“That’s your father?”

“I’m her aunt”

The various members in attendance all spoke aside from Zedora, looking around at each other to realize they were all family. Leon looked back and forth, from Sofia, to Kane; and then finally back to Zedora.

“And I thought my thanksgivings were fcked up, what’s your roll in all this?” His question directed toward the busy Zedora who had 0 energy to give the Liafador Family. “They created me” She said, watching the gauge on Thomas’s tank gradually climb to 100.

“We’re at 30% we need more time…” She hissed turning toward Sofia “Do what it is you were brought here for” Sofia’s manifestation of her ice powers caused Cat to ready her darkness energy.

Cat was among one of the strongest members of her family; the only one who knew how to combat her was Kane.

“Talking is over…” Leon hissed lunging toward Bishop, allotting Kane with the opportunity to tackle his daughter. Leon’s claws ripped through Bishop’s sternum however the Adonis never seemed to feel the pain as he launched the feral Newcastle into a nearby wall.

Cat sent her martial arts ready shadow sprinting toward Kane; whilst she personally did battle with Sofia. Respective energy littered the room; the climatic grunts being exchange between Leon and Bishop nearly cause Cat to lose focus; as she needed to see what exactly was happening to him.

“Ahhh…a little help…” Newcastle screamed, struggling to match the strength of Bishop; Sofia was happy to oblige launching an ice projectile at the floor causing Bishop to fall; she left herself open for one of Catalina’s darkness tendrils which pierced her upper shoulder.

Zedora did nothing, in her mind the math was already calculated the strenuous activities the meddling twosome engaged in prior to arriving here would be visible on their bodies just shortly, and they were only at 45%

A loud boom hit the top of roof and at least two of the people present had an idea about what that could be. “If that bitch jumps down here in star spangled boy shorts this operation is compromised” Kane said, ducking a swift swipe from Cat’s shadow.

“It’s not Ziccarra” Zedora reassured, having positively ID the whereabout of the Malagan Marchioness beforehand.

Sofia’s wound healed a lot quicker than she thought it would, which allowed her to return to the fight. “ON ME!” Bishop screamed, calling Cat back to his location for a moments reprieve.

"Grrrh! Fck, kinda...team-"Before Leon can finish his question he's shoved into the ground with so much raw force his arms crack at the wrist and open up to reveal the bone "Graaaaaaahh!!!" The feral Newcastle writhes on the floor with his arms over his chest. "Hraaah!!!"

Bishop jumps back to the edge of the room in front of a wall to make sure the two weren't ambushed, "ON ME!" As Cat runs over he ducks down into her ear, "We're out numbered, and their strong. We need to go for the throat, if I'm right that's Thomas Newcastle in that tube, somehow. We take him out they'll be stopped right here. "

On the ground Leon rolls over with pure berserk er rage in his blood shot eyes as he slowly raises his arms, then slams the fractured bones into the ground and forces them to reset on his own, and eats the pain with clenched fangs as he rises and turns to the two in the corner, the muscles and bone already mending beneath his torn blood whetted sleeves.

"67 percent! Hold the line, and keep them back!" Zedora yells as her control of the process grows progressively faster with the rhythm of the machines progress.

"My pleasure" Kane cocks back the hammers of his dual pistols and strides forward to line up with Leon. HE pulls the triggers with the lethal shots all firing for Bishop. Already seeing his eyes ready Bishop throws his fists forward just as the muzzle flashes, the first bullet lodging between the shield as a barrage of rounds follows, the shots getting more powerful as he's followed by Leon waiting to pounce when the shield goes down. Sofia follows last, "You can nod keep dees up forever. Just geeve up, and we will not hurt you."

"82 percent!"

Leon looks at her with an eye brow raised "Only cheek I'm turnin tonight is yours. They come out that bubble and I'm takin' that boys' hands and makin' a necklace."

"Aye..." Sofia says rolling her eyes and smacking her thigh, "Eediot! How deed you become a business man weethout knowing how negotiate?" Kane shakes his head at thier arguing as he stops firing to reload

"Now's our chance!" Cat says with light in her eyes as her shadow blankets them and spews them out right beside Zedora

"89 perc- Their with me!" Zedora yells as Bishop's forearm slams into her chest and throws her away from the machine as the screen reads ninety six percent, "Do it! Hurry! " Cat screams at Bishop as his fist hovers above the tube, shaking. He had never killed anyone before, he needed just a second to make peace with the limit of options, but he doesn't get it. That small moment of hesitation blew him off the tube and across the floor into Catalina.

“Hnhnn” Cat grunted turning over on her side to see that the forceful concussive blast from Zedora left them both dazed. “She’s powerful…” Cat grunted, feeling proficient psionic pull of Zedora’s powers lifting her to her feet.

“100 percent” Zedora murmured with a nefarious snare, from behind her the chamber released a thick steam bellowed into the air causing a thick fog to settle over the area.

“Damn it lady what are you doing!” Kane protested, watching as his own daughter strained under the might of the powerful Psion. “Get your hands off her” He threatened pulling towards his Katana, but was immediately halted by Leon.

“Why doncha calm down there buddy” He said, giving a slight eye indication to Sofia from behind to attack if Kane didn’t calm down.

“I apologize for the secrecy…but I need Catalina for another…client” She said, glaring at the Liafador Patriarch. Turning towards him and then back towards Cat; her eyes turned back towards Kane in a “matter of fact manner” she seize control of his body as well.

“I am glad that you choose to outburst like that I had almost forgotten I needed you too” Zedora revealed to the dismay of both Sofia and Leon. “Do not be alarmed, I don’t need you two” She said reassuringly.

Both Catalina and Kane struggled to break the power of Zedora’s graviton control, but neither of them had any specific experience with it. “And now…what we’ve all came to witness the resurrection of a true titan of industry…Thomas Animus” Seemingly on her command rose from his chamber, and “flew high” above the structure.

“Fck…” Bishop grunted rising to his feet feeling the residual effects of being knocked back by Zedora. Animus rose with his demonic wings flapping slowly in the frosty atmosphere.

Sofia slowly made her way to Leon’s side seemingly in awe at the sight of the resurrected mind. “Kane, You will go with Zedora to aid her in her endeavor; I can assure you once you awake from your “slumber” you will have what you asked for…as I am a man of my word”

His eyes shift toward the now vertical Bishop and the captured Catalina with indifference “Indoctrination or death which would you two prefer” Zedora, Leon and Sofia stood ready to handle both Bishop and Catalina .

“It’s the same thing!” Bishop screamed charging Zedora; only to have a concussive ice blast hit him square in the chest courtesy of Sofia. “Yew have made yur choice” Sofia said conjuring an icy wind to temporarily subdue Bishop.

“I have a better Idea…” Zedora revealed once again, releasing a nano-swarm toward Catalina. It took mere moments for the indoctrination process to overtake the young Liafador. “Catalina…if you would please…kill him.” Zedora instructed taking her place next to Animus; followed by both Sofia and Leon who were uncharacteristically quiet.

Cat dropped to the floor before Bishop with her shadow standing over him ready to fight. “I’m going to fck your corpse!” She said sending a powerful wave of darkness.

"If I go with you...will you let him go"

There wasn't any reason in Catalina's expressions, her eyes glazed over slightly like she wasn't even present to realize what her body was doing. the shadow appears over his body almost instantly, and catches him by surprise, "I'm going to fck your corpse!" She yells, giving him just enough time to thrust his fists out and envelope his body in an energy field. "At least take it out to dinner first." The shadows presses a giant blade shaped manifestation down on his sphere with one arm with all it's force. Bishop knew the sphere didn't create fiction, rolling out from under the blade that was just starting to bend the field but drops with all it's power into the steel floor

___

"This is...invigorating. So much power from so many unique metas and mutants..." Hovering above the floor with his arms out to his sides and fists clenched Animus learns his new body, feeling every synapse firing, all the tension flexing through the bodies never before used muscles, "and now it all belongs to me."

Dropping his hands and slowly landing on his new legs the evolved corporate magnate moves over to The Matriarch of the next society, with the fight going on beside his perihperals not taking priority for long, "Welcome back, Thomas. Let's change the world shall we? "

"No" With a wide smile Thomas turns to the group assembled before him, sliding on a blazer with the help of an indoctrinated servant "Let's take it."

__

"Cat!" All the wild words coming out of her mouth were pure evil, but he could see her inside her eyes finally, fighting against herself. Every time she spoke it was when she was seconds from killing him, mini-monologuing right before she dropped the killing blow. It was a sign that she was fighting the programming, but it wasn't going to last.

Bishops arm leaked red with an open gash exposing the red muscle beneath, "CAT! You need to fight harder, this isn't how it ends!" Jumping onto both feet with his left arm clutched to his chest he blasts a beam of enery through the shadow but it bends out of the path and shoots towards chest, bulleting through him. The feeling was like extreme fatigue, like it had absorbed his energy as it went through.

Then he notices the physical form of Cat rising from the floor, her hands glowing his iconic blue hue, she had used her shadow like a remote battery to gain his abilities and make him unable to use them at the same time.

____

"Boy...them wings make you look like a fairy." Leon says stepping forward with his hands on his hips, "But I like the hooves." His fanged smile ebbs out of his thin lips

"Hahaha...It is rediculous to have angel wings and hooves isn't it." Shaking the wings they turn from feathers to a leathery horn spiked demonic red pair, "Better?" He says bending into his estranged fathers face as the two grow out a pair of fangs. Leon was primal in nature, something like a wolf gorilla, he always felt a compulsion to be the alpha in the pack, the silver back. Thomas's fangs stretch into black ivory tusk like teeth, and Leon backs off, slowly.

Morphing again, this time ingesting the wings into his back, his feet shaking at high speed to turn into two average tn digit toed human feet and slip into a pair of loafers as he snaps on a pair of cuff links. he steps down with a clap on the steel floor to address, "Kane."Animus says as though he was a prinicipal talking to a child after a fight "Your on our team now, that means you play, the game, for us."

"Fck you...thats...my daughter." Kane says struggling against the power of the indoctrination with an impressive resistance that was still ultimately futile.

"Nobody is going to hurt the girl. She's just another piece in the puzzle, like yourself. Her boyfriend on the other hand..."

____

With blood hanging out of his open lip from the kinetically charged plasma punches, Bishop's face resembled minced meat, bulging and split around the eyes, his nose cracked in different direction and his lips showin the meat inside the deep slices. "Not... not gonna fight...if your not..." He says to her, not to the program controlling her, but her.

With tears she pulls back a shaking arm that wanted to land one final blow and says as loud as possible, "Animus!"

Thomas turns with a enquisitive lift in his brow, then looks at Zedora who was already using their cerebral link to see the thought, spinning Catalina towards the cabal, "Yes?" he asks

"If...If I go with you, will you let him go." She asks with her lips trembling, fearing killing the only bond she had besides Leonel, "Please, just let him go. No indoctrination, no killing, and I'll...go with you."

"Zedora. What do you think?"

"Well..." She says with a negotiators steel demeanor, "The contract doesn't include him...he's more like a nuisance at best...We could just induce a coma to avoid any, rumors."

Laying on the floor letting out shallow breathes, Bishop is barely conscious, a black cloud moving in across his eyes from the sides to the center.

"What's it gonna be baby...ya man leavin' here in a box, or on a gurney?" Leon says, rushing her to make a decision.

Cat's eyes start to water as she looks back at him and almost breaks out crying. He could go into a coma and never wake up, or die anyway. No matter what she chose, he would be gone to her. But this wasn't about her. "Coma..." She falls to her knees feeling powerless, helpless.

"Zedora. ou heard her."

Cats body snaps up from the floor on it's own and turns like a marionette towards bishop, "What- We had a deal! Stop!" She begins walking towards him a shadow club around her fist

"And I'm holding up my end. Your going to put him in a coma, rather than kill him. " Zedora said with her arm extended and a finger on her temple, "You didn't think I was getting my own hands dirty did you?"

Sofia in the corner of the room bites her finger and paces in place. She wasn't a woman you could call good, but where she showed love and loyalty, was with her family. But this was bigger than her or them, this was the world if all went according to plan. All she can do is stand by and hope it ends quickly.

Tears stream downed the porcelain eyes of the Catalan Countess, it was over; she’d ended the only emotional connection she’d manage to build in recent months. “Bishop…” She sobbed feeling the enthralling allure of revenge crawling through her pores. Her face grew crimson as she turned to face the conspirers with blood rage.

“I.am.going.to.kill.you…ALL!” She screamed, before feeling the powerful presence of Zedora’s manipulation force her to her knees. “This is not personal Catalina…” Zedora said, forcing both Kane and Catalina into the truck that crashed into the structure. “It’s just what’s best for business” She continued, shifting her eyes to Sofia—Cat’s niece; she seemed to be conflicted about the events.

“Doncha worry about her…I got her” Leon said, grabbing the feisty Columbian by the shoulders and ushering her outside the compound.

“She is powerful…” Animus said, still feeling the effects of Catalina’s biogenetic powers running through his own being. “Indeed she is” Zedora replied, not entirely invested in the conversation. She was a goal oriented android; each time she was given a command; her processor worked arduously to complete each task without fail.

“I do believe you have work to do” She reminded, he had a big task ahead of him restructuring the economic infrastructure to fit his needs would be no easy task. “As do I” She said, stepping down the stairs. “I will go and meet with Aphasic to start the next phase, and prepare Kane for his fated bout against the Champion” She turned to face him; her facial expressions completely indifferent to his form change.

“I will be in contact…until then…be well” She said, entering the passenger side of the truck before speeding off into the Columbian jungle.

--

“I cannot beeleeve we did not do nahting!” Sofia hissed, feeling the inevitable call of guilt on her consciousness. Leon remained nonchalant on the entire ordeal, the gruesome new appearance of Animus did throw him off, but after years in this line of work nothing really surprised him anymore.

“Listen doll face, you’re his favorite…don’t give em a reason to doubt that…the last thing you want is to be indoctrinated.” His eyes darting toward the room where her daughter was resting peacefully.

“A war es coming Leon…” She said, looking up with a heavy veil of doubt. Leon scoffed, he’d seen his fair share of wars—this wasn’t one of them.

“Nah dear, this is extermination”

--

The ebony skinned goddess stumbled in front of the high Cardinal Sabella Liafador coughing up a mixture of blood and saliva. “My dear Ashley what es wrong?” Sabella asked, helping the battered Ebony Queen to her feet.

“It’s…Kane…he’s….he’s been changed somehow… he has vowed to bring this place to its knee’s” Ashley revealed sensing Sabella sort of knew what she meant.

She’d been watching, Hellfire Clubs, Ziccarra, the 3^rd Society and now Kane; the struggle for power had begun.

“Then I guess I can sit no longer…ready my army…we will fight”

"Thomas Animus...I think it's about time we meet."