Asha
Villains 
Hail to the Queen.
Posts: 6
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Post by Asha on May 17, 2017 15:56:05 GMT -5
If it wasn't starting to get on her nerves, Asha would have been impressed at the stubbornness of Artie Cade. The way seizing land was meant to work was that you shot dead, or ran out, everyone in the area you were meant to be staking a claim to. then you weathered the storm of the bigger gang trying to stamp you out for daring to do so. then you either got your dumb ass killed or if you were still standing after that you could call the territory yours. because now It was officially you protecting the land from people trying to take it.
or in other words. you called your opponent out, and the winner got the place. The advantage of the larger gang was more money, resources, weapons, connections and such. Cade had owned this neighbourhood for years now, no one ever claimed it'd be easy. but nothing worth doing was. Asha's advantage was that she had reason to give a damn about this place. it wasn't rich, it wasn't near anywhere important, or a big money maker. it had little in it beyond a mom and pop corner store to shake down for protection money and maybe a good number of poor people to sell drugs to.
in other words, what Asha was counting on was that if she cost Artie a lot of men, he'd eventually say balls to it and figure it was no longer worth it..... and that was the bit that was getting to her.
for the fifth time this week, Asha raised her pistol and smirked behind a mask made of her own blood before pulling the trigger. a scrawny little shit of a drug dealer collapsed to the ground, his stammered talking cut off. Asha gestured and Steve hurried over to loot the body of the drugs he had on him and whatever money too. not exactly a days work. but something.
"I don't get it." Asha muttered as she reloaded the gun. "we should have gotten a reaction out of him by now. and he sends this poor guy to take over for the last guy we shot. who was taking over for the guy before THAT!" Why was this guy here. alone. it made no sense damn it.
"don't look a gift horse in the mouth." Was Steve's suggestion as he counted through the stock he'd just picked up. "Mostly Heroin. not that much though.... better then nothing."
The mask had eye holes enough that he could see the black shapes behind him look disappointedly at him. "I'm Greek sweetie. Last time we were left a gift horse it was made of wood." she replied before shaking her head. "Nah. I ain't buying it. He isn't this stupid and he isn't so apathetic either. Something's going on and we haven't noticed. so keep on guard my friend." |
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Post by Artie Cade on May 17, 2017 20:49:23 GMT -5
The sound of distant footsteps and guns being loaded echoed through the sky.
Nine figures, stationed on either side and staggered, appeared out of the windows in the buildings, aiming their machine guns down at the figures below on the street.
Two more stood up from their crouching positions on the rooftops.
Under one of the nearby street lamps' flickering bulbs, Artie Cade stepped out of the shadows, leaning on his cane.
"I think the term is..." he purred as he lit a cigarette, "Fish in a barrel?"
He chuckled and blew smoke toward the new comers, stepping over the body of the drug dealer, he patted Steve on the shoulder as he limped toward the curious newcomer.
"Steve, good to see ya." he hissed.
As he approached the woman, about a head taller than him like his Laura, he gently put the end of his cane to the gun she held and slowly pointed it toward the ground.
"I wouldn't bother," he said with a grin, "Besides, I doubt this is about killin' lil' ol' me."
He chuckled and let the cigarette smoke whirl out of his mouth in ghostly wisps.
"Been keepin' an eye on my patterns, I see," he said, appraising the woman, "Not bad. But it's gettin' harder to find boys to come into this territory with all the rumors goin' around. Buuuut I don't see anything too terrifyin' here. Just a young lady out of her depth. Not too unheard of, trust me."
There was a small, scattered set of laughter that came from the upper windows. Artie looked up toward them, pushing his wide brimmed hat out of his eyes to get a better look at his audience before he turned his attention back to the woman in front of him.
"But before I get too deep into the theatrics..." he said as he flicked his cigarette into the air, drawing his pistol from his holster in his coat and shooting the cherry off of it before it landed on the ground...all the while keeping his eyes on the woman.
"I'd like to know just who you are. Since you already seem to know me."
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Asha
Villains
Hail to the Queen.
Posts: 6
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Post by Asha on May 30, 2017 5:04:58 GMT -5
Well.
Shit.
Asha fought down the very tempting urge to panic and was as glad as ever that her mask was there to stop anyone seeing her expression when She found herself surrounded so easily. With deliberate slowness, she turned her head to Steve. "Good news. I figured it out." she told him with a sardonic tone. Right now she was NOT in control of the situation, but she'd always felt that the moment you were weak was the most vital time to be able to fake strength.
The Greek woman turned back to look at the most important man in the room and took his measure as he took his own turn failing to take poor Steve seriously. the guy was more freaked out then Asha had ever seen him. including the time she had started weeping blood without remembering to tell him it wasn't a sign she was dying, so she had to give Cade points for that.
"I." Steve stammered awkwardly. "I... I'm happy to see you too Bo-"
Asha cut him off with a clearing of her throat. "Steeeeve." she said, a faint underlying threat to her voice. "No."
Steve looked between them rapidly, trying to decide which of them was safer to have pissed at him. it was really kind of pathetic to watch and Asha couldn't be dealing with it. "alright, alright. don't hurt yourself. Just stand there quietly okay? Mommy and Daddy are talking." She rolled her eyes at the relieved expression on his face and decided to ignore him.
Asha didn't put up any fuss to having her gun lowered, she was going to do that anyway, and kept an eye on Cade as he approached. "You got me there. It'd be just that bit too unsatisfying, even if I could get away with it ya know?" she tilted her head in the direction of the windows with a somewhat forced giggle. The compliment made her smile under her mask, only to be wiped away when he made it clear he wasn't taking her seriously.
The blood inside the body of the drug dealer laying in the street behind her called out to Asha like a song. As slowly as she could while actually managing to try and get somewhere, she started to make is snake slowly across the ground in trickles. humans didn't really contain as much as you'd think but it'd be a start...
"well at least I'm managing to scare someone. I'll take that as a good start." she shrugged, trying not to let it show just how frustrating being dismissed was. "would ya' blame a girl for not being so open to trust the man with a gun in her face? I'm sure any other time and place you'd be sweet to me." It didn't matter if Cade was done with theatrics, she was in it to buy herself as much time as possible. the first few drops of blood touched her foot and started to snake its way up past her ankle and under her clothes heading towards her arms. Thank goodness for long sleeves.
If she'd been honest, Asha had been thinking about what she'd say to Artie Cade for a while now. tossing around boasts or threats or insults. But they had all been imagined for scenarios where she had the upper hand, or at least equal footing. damn it this had come too early! this hadn't been how she had wanted it to go at all! Oh well, time for improvisation she supposed.
"Why, I'm your biggest fan." she told him, slipping easily into a sarcastic curtsy, "All I did was end up in the city and hear rumours about how there's a King at the top. Dethroned the pretenders.... somehow. Goodness knows what you did to make Fisk take the fall for someone elses bullshit by the way. The guy sounds like an ass but it's so obvious he's innocent. of that at least." she laughed, letting that stretch on too. she didn't really care about Fisk. or the bomb. even a child could tell you not to try and take on several bigger kids at once, and if Fisk had still been around she'd had never made a move on his turf at the same time as Cade. but she was keeping him talking and that was all that mattered right now.
Asha pretended to gasp. "oh I'm sorry. I was meant to be talking about myself. I'm just someone that wants to be Queen... and right now you're on my throne."
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Post by Artie Cade on May 30, 2017 15:49:22 GMT -5
This woman in this mask was proving to be...a curious sort. Overconfident, certainly. Especially in the face of so many gun barrels and someone like Artie Cade. Still, it was almost impressive.
Or would be, if it weren't simultaneously so irksome.
Artie grinned wide at her compliments, her assertions, her recognition of him. And it delighted him to know that somebody found him transparent enough to know that Fisk didn't actually do anything he'd been arrested for. And "escaped" for. That meant she had to have some idea of just what kind of force she was standing up to.
And then she mentioned "her" throne. Her throne? Her....throne....?
His mouth gaped wide in a cackle, the left side open so big that his scars on his lower jaw and his missing lips could be seen beneath it. He laughed in her face, cruel and mocking. His boys surrounding him joined in. It was a cacophony of jeering mirth that all pointed at one target, like a comedian who took their first tomato to the face. Which, considering her mask, that's all Artie pictured.
"YOU?" he chortled, "Oh it's YOUR throne? Your MAJESTY!"
Artie let out a gasp and spread his arms in a mock bow.
"I had no idea! In fact none of us did!" he said as he stood and turned to Steve, "Steve! You knew and you didn't inform me Her Majesty had come to town! STEEeeeeeeEEEve....!"
Playing up the moment, he shot Steve through the eye before turning back to the girl.
"Unforgivable." he scoffed in his mocking tone.
With another small laugh, he bashed the girl in the face with his pistol and his voice immediately turned from mocking to poisonous.
"Ya think ANYthing here is yours?!" he seethed, "This is MY town! Only reason you're even ALIVE here is because I'm ALLOWING IT. Understand?! Hell if I thought you were even remotely useful I'd HIRE ya. But you're not. You're some pretender in a mask. As if we need more weirdos around here."
He limped closer to her and licked his teeth, leering at the girl.
"I'll have to show ya what the papers don't report, then...won't I?"
It had been some time since he'd gotten to take anyone truly worth tormenting down to the Rabbit Hole...this girl might do. He snapped his fingers, maintaining his gaze on the girl.
"Rocko! Miggs!" he shouted, "C'mon down. The girly's gonna go for a ride with us."
Two of his larger mugs, stationed on the roof, lumbered down and stood behind Artie, cracking their knuckles, ready to knock this upstart out if need be. What the king said? That's what they'd do.
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Asha
Villains
Hail to the Queen.
Posts: 6
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Post by Asha on Jun 22, 2017 11:08:27 GMT -5
Asha had been expecting Cade not to take her seriously. it was too damned early for them to meet and she hadn't proven herself yet! but this was worse. this was unacceptable. this little bastard thought he could just laugh at her all he wanted and not pay for it? She took a step forwards, her hands balled into fists planning to sock him right in his scarred jaw. damn the consequences, he needed to learn people didn't laugh at her!
the only thing that stopped her was the sound of more laughter. it pissed her off to the point her teeth were clenched to the point of hurting, but made her see an odd sliver of sense. If she hit him they'd shoot her. if she wanted to get all of them she had to hold back. It was irrational and angry but felt good to know what she wanted. Asha looked Cade in the eye and simply said "me." ignoring his insanity and not even flinching when he shot Steve in the face.
"You know, I think that might have been an over reaction." she said lightly, giving Steve only the most vague of glances before dismissing him as just another source of power she was quick to start draining the same as she had already been doing. it was mildly annoying to have lost the best source of information she'd had on Cade though. which was a depressing thought now she considered it.
Asha barely saw the blow coming and staggered back, she could feel how her mask had cracked and split from the force and could taste her own blood which she spat out and let sink into the mass of the mask. inevitable, but she'd hoped for a longer delay before they got to the violent stage of events. Really nothing was going the way she wanted it to today. "No, not yet." provoking him was clearly a terrible idea but she was cornered and angry and in pain. "Sweetheart you couldn't afford what i'd charge. to make putting up with you worth it." she said slowly.
He was right. it was his fucking city and he could have killed her if he'd wanted and it made her want to scream in frustration at having to admit that. "tempting." She tilted her head. she had no idea what he was talking about, but an ominous threat was never a good thing. But when two large and ugly looking fools approached, Asha realised it was now or never.
"I've more men then you think." Asha lied, not seeming to fight as the men grabbed each of her arms and started dragging her towards the car. she continued to make the blood of the two dead men follow, even if it was having a harder time reaching her as the men outpaced the slow movement of the liquid as she was now convinced if it was noticed before she was ready, that'd be her dead for sure. "they're not going to take this laying down!" this was all waffle. utter bullshit she was making up on the fly to keep all eyes on her. Her men wouldn't do a thing, they couldn't actually save her if she ended up in Cade's grasp and on that fact alone she didn't see why they should bother dying for her if it didn't actually help.
one of the men let go of her to open the back door of the car. Asha smirked, raised her hand towards his neck and giggled. all the blood that she had been hiding up her sleeves hardened into two long, thin, spikes that burst from under her shoulders. it looked almost like two incredibly long red fingers had emerged, bending and coiling as they whipped forwards. their tips a razor sharp point that stabbed their ways into the two men's throats.
whatever blood was following behind her suddenly flew straight up into a wave that sped towards her as she dove into the car. at the same time the bodies of Rocko and Miggs ruptured and burst apart even as they were falling to the floor, joining the wave of blood to follow after her into the car. Asha crawled into the foot well of the car and curled up as tightly as possible as the blood of four men flowed over her and hardened as she cocooned herself as best she could. she'd barely managed it when the gunfire started. quickly, Asha let her mask liquefy and join the mass, before starting to pump as much of her own blood into her shield as she dared think would be safe.
It wasn't much of a plan, but the metal of the car plus her crystals being able to thicken itself due to the far reduced amount of area she could be shot from meant that maybe, just maybe, they would use up a lot of their ammo. and maybe once they stopped firing she could try one or two other things. she was going to get out of here. and everyone here was going to die sooner or later. not for trying to kill her, she understood and respected that in her own way as part of the game. but because they had laughed at her.
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Post by Artie Cade on Jun 22, 2017 17:10:33 GMT -5
Artie had anticipated this would go a different way.
His way. Things usually did in most cases.
Usually he could get a read on a situation well enough to prevail, but admittedly he'd underestimated this little upstart.
When she began to....was that blood? His eyes looked around as he noticed she looked like she was...collecting it? Artie staggered back to the building wall as he watched her do her work.
It was...admittedly impressive.
Spectacular, even. He'd seen bone claws, healing abilities, shapeshifting, cheetah people and super strength, but this was curious.
"All right! Boys, enough!" Artie ordered, the gunfire ceasing.
He limped slowly toward the car and tapped on it with his cane.
"Okay, girlie, ya proved your point..." he purred, "C'mon out. Clearly we weren't operating on the same level of uh...understanding with each other."
Artie kicked one of the corpses over as he moved closer to the girl's location.
"So sure I couldn't afford ya, huh?" he asked as he lit a fresh cigarette casually, "I wouldn't bet on that, you'd lose double. I've got a place in my gang for somebody like you..."
He looked into the window down at the girl and grinned wide.
"Or at the very least, perhaps...we can work out a territory for ya," he went on, "After all, with Fisk outta the picture, there's places I've had trouble scoring for myself. His whole network is just a ragtag group of little boys thinkin' they're the Kingpin. We could help each other out, since, well..."
He looked around dramatically to illustrate his point he was about to make.
"...I don't see any of your own boys comin' here to save ya. Unless you've got a better suggestion..."
Artie tapped the window with his gloved fingertips, making a soft tapping like a ticking clock.
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