Daughter of the Fallen Star IC

[Storyboy]

Nights of fire and falling stars. A girl will be the death of you. Fate has been written in stone. Her star will not return.

*Gasp* Jiàn sat up trying to catch his breath. Bed sheets covered his waist and his chest was sweaty and bare. His quick breaths came to a stop and a look of scorn spread across his face. He threw the sheets off of his body stood up and yelling ran to the nearest wall slamming his fist into it. The plaster crushed ad he stood there with his fist planted firmly on a wood plank, panting.

There was a knock at the door followed by the screech of it opening. "You really need to put some oil on that..." The girl paused as she saw Jiàn with his fist firmly in the wall. "Anger problems much?" Without a word from him she walked into the room pulling open the curtains letting a burst of light fill the room. It wasn't the prettiest sight, for the most part it was run down. The ceiling had wet spots, the floor boards were jagged, and the walls were stained with multiple bodily fluids.

Jiàn shielded his eyes with one arm, "Damn it, I'm not even dressed."

The girl looked at her bare wrist, "It's 9:12 so who's fault is that?" Her voice was sassy but her face showed no emotion.

He grabbed a pillow and threw it at her but when she stuck out her hand it stopped mid air floating anomalously. Then it dropped. "Is that anyway to treat a lady?" She said.

He shook his head, "You're twelve." He paused and held up a hand, "And what is that? How about put on some clothes?"

The black haired girl put a hand on her waist and pointed the other at the boy's waist, "And you're in your underwear."

His eyebrows bent with anger, "Vess."

"Yes?" She responded.

"Get out."

-------------------

Cira walked in a dark emptiness searching through filling cabinets. "You're not going to find what you're looking for." A feminine voice said behind him.

He continued tossing folder out of the drawers he through open. "I have to."

"Suit yourself." A silver haired woman walked out of the darkness behind him. "I hope you know what you're doing."

He paused. "Me too."

--------------------

Life carried on like usual. Actually for the most part it was rather peaceful. World wide conflict was at a minimum, even crime rates were low. Little did everyone know, it was just the calm before the storm.

Now: A young woman with white hair walks down the street of a large city eating a chocolate bar in the warm mid-summer sun.

[Marx]

Ticktickticktickticktick. The sound abruptly cut with the snap of a steel pocketwatch, the sound of clockwork trapped behind a thin layer of steel plated with gold. Two days, eleven hours, and forty-six minutes had passed since the last encounter, give or take a few seconds. They would be here soon, the sounds of distanced boots slamming against metalic stairs ringing through the halls of a seventy-story apartment complex in downtown Shanghai. Residents knew not to interfere with the group of three men charging upward, remmingtons in hand, uniforms meant to resist the impact of high-caliber rifle. Not that that mattered. None of their conventional tactics had worked against their target yet and since their target first arrived in Shanghai, he's claimed nearly a dozen lives of Chinese Special Forces, seven Russian Spetsnaz, and uncounted amounts of both Russian mobsters and Triad members. Today, there were only three Chinese Spec Op soldiers investigating the rumor of a 'shady individual' who was siphoning energy off of the local power grid. The team reached the thirty-second level, turning into a cramped hallway that was typical of most apartment buildings in downtown Shanghai. Their charge came to a halt at room 32003 where the team stacked up, a quick hand motion of the leading man telling the third to take point in front of the door to blow off the hinges and kick in the door.

The one to break open the door got into position, readying to kick in the door after blowing out the hinges. He flipped off the safety, aiming his shotgun at the upper hinge. Before his finger could squeeze the trigger, sending a hunk of lead through the shitty wooden doors, the door burst apart, a blast a raw energy tearing into the man, entering his chest in a fine point before spreading out, effectively blasting a liquid form of his internal organs out of a discus sized hole in his upper back. Before the two had an opprotunity to react, the resident of 32003 cut around the doorway, grabbing onto the first man's face. Enough time passed that the first man could utter out a scream in terror and agony as his flesh, then muscle was absorbed, before his body finally gave way to death. The secondary man would've raised his weapon and fired, but by the time the events had already registered within his mind, a arc of light burst from 32003's hand, burning through his face, leaving a charred circular hole where his right eye and nose used to be. 32003 glanced over the bodies, making sure there was no further movement and let out a long pained sigh. They had found him once more and chances are they would find him again.

Yuri pulled one of the leather driving gloves from his jacket, pulling it onto his right hand and snapping the button, squeezing his hand to adjust and make a comfortable fit. He removed the pocket watch emblazoned with gold from his front pocket once more checking the time. 3:44PM. Yuri took one last glance over the bodies and shook his head, disgusted with the sight. It wasn't the mutilation that crawled under his skin, but the act of killing itself. How many people would he have to cut apart before they realised they could not capture him.

Or even.. How many more people until he realised he could no longer run? With that thought, he took off once more, deciding to see what he could find near the seaport.

[Xikari chan]

It was an unconscious movement. Her hand moved up to her neck to lightly hold the charms that hung around it. The charms were a shard of the moon and the feather of a phoenix, two opposing things put together onto one necklace. White blonde strands of hair fell in front of her face as the wind blew and she stared off into the distance. I need you to do something for me Nova... A cool wind blew her dress and long black coat to the side. She removed her small pocket watch from her coat pocket to check the time. It was too early in the morning for most people to be awake, though a few were waiting at the train station, waiting for the train to arrive, but they were no one of consequence to her. Nova would of course, try and protect them, but, she had other things to attend to at the moment. "It's almost time." The watch was slipped back into her pocket and she moved closer to the tracks. In the distance she could hear a train speeding closer and closer. "We've got another one Cira" A small smile came onto her face as she tucked her hair behind her ear and, after glancing over both her shoulders to see if anyone was watching. If there was ever a time to act, it was then.
----------------------
Kuni ran along the top of the train, in the dark. It was so cold that his normally pale cheeks and the tip of his nose were almost as red as his hair. This form and personality were like that of an eleven year old, but in truth he was much, much older (his star). With a small smirk of mischief the boy held out his hands, palms out and wrists together, a ball of light flew out in front of him. "5... 4... 3..." As he counted down the ball of pure energy came charging back toward him. "2...1!" On one an orb-like shield the color of the sky surrounded him. The orb hit the force field and dispersed into a golden mist. "Sweet" The passenger train was slowing now, for it was coming to pick up and drop off a handful of passengers. "Aw no... No!" He ran quickly on top of the box cars until he got to the engine car and jumped through the side window. "Hey old guy, keep this tin can going, will you?" The young boy shouted in Russian. The engineer gasped and turned to face the young man with the bright red hair. "How did you get in here?!" His expression was that of someone who had seen a ghost of some sort. There was a pause. "Car hopping, don't slow down, speed up!" The boy pressed.
-----------------------------
Something wasn't right. The train wasn't slowing down at the appropriate speed, the would-be passengers were getting anxious. Nova moved one hand in front of her, palm down. She gripped it into a fist. In the near darkness a cloak of shadow incased the wheels. A screeching sound pierced the air caused the humans to cover their ears in pain. "I won't let you endanger anyone, kid..." She muttered.
Her knuckles were paper white due to her fist being clenched so tight, it too was incased in the shadows. The beast came to a shrieking halt and her arm was slung back, nearly dislocating it. Before she could react there was a flash of light from inside the Engine car.
-----------------------------
It was stopping, why was it stopping?! "Hey, what the hell?!" Kuni gritted his teeth, he cursed in Russian at the engineer. "What'd you do old man?"
"Nothing, nothing!" The frightened engineer backed away from the enraged Star child. He was about to comly to the youngster's demands when the train jolted and began to slow. The star child shot out his hands and shot an orb of pure energy at the engineer.
-----------------------------
Her feet moved before her mind could think it through. Nova threw the door of the locomotive open with her powers and lept inside. She stood in front of the engineer with both her arms spread out, "don't hurt him". The first orb had been avoided, the second orb was launched and hit her square in the chest. Fortunately spectral-like black flames outlined her body and caused the light orb fizzled.
The young woman gave him a warm smile as he stared at her with wide eyes. "Not quite sure why you're rampaging, but I'd love to find out, don't worry, I'm like you..." She sighed but kept a smile on, like Cira would. "Come with me, I'll explain, but we can't stay here... it's too dangerous"

[ohaidere]

May 1st, 2013 | 1:00 P.M. | Hualien, Taiwan

Apsara looked out upon the solemn waters of the west Pacific Ocean. The coast of eastern Taiwan where she sat was empty and remote, and the wind held an almost ghostly chill. She was alone, indeed, she always had been; but she never had been lonesome. She enjoyed her solitude, like a single cloud drifting from place to place. She got up and dipped her foot in the clear water, sending delicate ripples out as she touched it. She felt the deepness and the wideness of the Ocean, and felt as if someday she would cross it, but she knew her skill wouldn't support such a venture at this point, so she tucked the aspiration away in her mind and made her way back to Hualien City.

Apsara walked ten miles and returned to the heart of the city. She had come there from north-western Taiwan but her first stop had been that city. From what she had seen, Taiwan was a lovely island, but not one where she would stay for much longer. She saw beauty in every place she had visited but that never stopped her from leaving. When she first left India, it had been because there was an organization working out of Bombay that sought to capture her, but as she continued on through Asia, her travels were no longer those seeking refuge. Instead, she simply felt compelled to travel and continue moving forever. She couldn't keep herself in one place for longer than a month. I truly am, Apsara thought, a spirit of clouds.

[Amodeus]

September 21st, 2012 | Near Allentown, PA, USA | 6:27 AM (GMT -5)

"Hello Lehigh Valley, this is Melanie Falcon with your early morning news. Another body was found today, seemingly with the same M.O. As the other murders that have turned up recently. All victims suffered a single knife wound to the aortic arch, with no defensive markings. 'The killer seems to be able to to charm his victims, as they have not struggled against him yet. They are always alone, and no witnesses have yet come forward. There is seemingly no pattern or motive. Be careful at night, and always bring a buddy with you. If you have any information, you can contact us at-'"

He shut off the radio with a sigh. Of course, they saw him as a murderer. They were even wrong about why his victims didn't fight back. He was no charmer. They just didn't see the truth, or didn't want to. It wouldn't be long before their eyes were opened.

He sat in the grass, head in hand, tracing the hard plastic of his featureless mask with his fingertips. He always watched the sun rise over the mountains at dawn, as if the rising light cleared his conscience of the previous day's actions.

His last victim had been a young, cute girl. Her hair fell about her shoulders, and her speech had that sweet sing-song like quality that denoted someone with a beautiful voice....

He looked up at the sun, pushing away the image of her face. In the end, they were all the same. The look of terror in her eyes, the begging and pleading, the confusion when he told her to "Embrace the darkness." He had seen all those emotions before, displayed upon the faces of those who had come before.

Always the same in the end. His dagger passes into their chest as he pulls them into a hug-like embrace. Their eyes widen with pain. Their mouth fumbles over attempts at speech, in between gurgles and spurts of blood. They tremble, waning in strength as their life flows out of their open wound and through his fingers. He lays them on the ground, their eyes always looking into the slits where his eyes should be. And just as they leave their body, their facial expression asks what their vocal cords could not; "Why?"...

Some days, he wasn't sure he was doing the right thing, wasn't doing what was just. Yet, every hero questions their purpose at some point, right? And so he continued, with the conviction of a man who knows his place in the world.

...then, the head tilts in either direction, their facial muscles relax, and they are gone. It never lasted more than a minute, and some died almost instantaneously. Yet, in all of them, the final question they posed, verbally or otherwise, was, "Why?" That was the face that haunted him the most. The vast majority of his victims had no idea why they lay dying, blood staining the ground beneath them.

However, they didn't need to know. All humans perish, be it by age or ailment. Aware or not of the purpose, their fate was the same. Found dead, with their hands on their heart, eyes closed.

Her voice must have been beautiful...

He shook his head, raking his hands through his thin dark hair, exhaling deeply. He was a murderer, yes, but he still felt remorse for each of them. He was glad that he cared, however, for if he felt nothing at their loss, what kind of hero would he be?

My enemies are not demons, but people like myself. I do not wish them personal harm, nor do I rejoice in victory. How could I rejoice in victory and delight in the slaughter of men? I enter a battle gravely, with sorrow and great compassion, as if I were attending a funeral...

The sun had crested the mountain range, and the sky had grown grey; It was time to move on. He pulled himself up, putting his hood over his head, and walking toward his car.

The skies opened up before he got there. He loved the rain. He looked up into the clouds, feeling momentary peace as the drops made the tell-tale patter against his plastic mask. He could focus on the vibration and sound, freeing his mind from the crushing weight of constant activity. The biggest threat to mental health is free time for open thought.

[Kiya]

'It is a problem when the very people you are tasked to keep track of can blend so seamlessly into the metropolises, I mean it's not like they are thirty story tall monsters' Louise spoke aloud to herself while removing one of five small red flags that stuck out from a large paper map of New York. Turning she dropped the flag into a small box full of similar flags and took a seat at a large darkly waxed table with all other seats neatly tucked underneath.

'Elric, you might as well come in. Hardly much point standing there.' A young man wearing a navy suit accompanied by a black tie pushed the door open and entered the room holding what looked to be a Chinese newspaper. He quickly moved to the left of Louise and positioned the paper on the table in such a way she would easily read the title. “Bomb decimates three Special operations soldiers” At first she dismissed this message as important but Elric placed his finger into a section within the article, it was a quote from a resident of the apartment building. “He wasn't human... That kid is some kind of alien.” To the public this would be the talking's of a lunatic or at-least someone in a state of shock, but to the people within the agency assigned to track the S-Kids this meant everything. 'Now that we've found one we just need to find out how to get jurisdiction in China.' Louise leaned back in her chair giving herself a more relaxed demeanour.

Four hours passed and the once empty room was now bustling like a hive, the beautiful elegant table gone beneath Chinese newspapers, articles and intelligence reports. 'Cole, Remerez you two will blend better than the rest of us and needless to say you both speak fluent Chinese, so I have arranged for two tickets into china.' Louise pushed two red and yellow tickets which had a small golden strip down the left of each across the table and towards the two smartly dressed agents. 'When do we leave?' Cole responded after tucking the ticket into his jacket pocket. 'Tonight.' Louise spoke while heading out of the room only to pause half way through. 'Oh I nearly forgot, they are standard class tickets. You are undercover after all.' Leaving the room she slyly slipped a piece of gold tinted paper into her pocket just as Elric turned the corner to greet her. 'Louse!' He shouted as he attempted to catch his breath. 'Thought you were sending three into China? What made you change your mind.' He questioned.
'Fear.' She replied leaving the young agent stunned. 'We have not managed to get close to one of these kids since project Romeo... We all know how that went. This has to be perfect.' She realised her words sounded demented but truth was she had become a little obsessed.
'You're going?' He saw the gold of the ticket poke from her pocket. 'I see.' Without hesitation he turned and let her leave.

She already knew it would be almost impossible to track the celestial kid within the Chinese city unless he attacked once more and if that happened he would be most certainly too dangerous to approach, meaning his death would be the only solution. Louise so desperately didn't want that to be the case. 'Maybe he will seek us out if we announced ourself in the local news. No, that would be too much of a risk for both of us.' She spoke to herself only stopping when a stewardess attempted to sell her one of many refreshing drinks. She glimpsed out of the planes window to see only cloud and sea below the wings of the aircraft.

Fourteen hours of restless travel Louise watched as the plane descended into the seaside city of Shanghai. Though the plane had halted and passengers rushed with eagerness to the doors Louise stayed seated making sure to leave last and most importantly behind her two agents she sent to investigate. Maybe he'll just know. She thought. I doubt he even reads the papers anyway for that to work. But, I guess it's my only plausible solution to meeting this kid before he leaves. It only took fourteen hours of thought but Louise had came up with a plan to attempt to lore the S-kid to her.

Within one hour of landing in Shanghai Louise had bought a run down apartment that looked more like a garage than a one room flat. She had also left an ad in a local paper with an easily decipherable message for her star child. “Renting a secure one bedroom top floor flat. Perfect for watching the stars disappear. Meet me at location of flat in two days.” She read the ad back with a sceptical sounding accent. It really wasn't one of her best plans but with all other ideas coming up blank she had no other choice than to directly confront him in an attempt to make him reveal information she required, she had to just make the assumption that losing his last flat would make him eager for a new one.

[Marx]

It was rare that Yuri's days went without a hitch. Today was no exception. Within minutes of escaping the high-rise, he had caught a glimpse of several men converging on his position. White men were rare enough in these crowded city streets. Multiple white men with tattoos on the backs of their hands was a tell-tale sign at was was coming next. Yuri ducked into the crowd, running now, shoving men and women alike out of his way, shoving violently while carefully minding his abilities. These people weren't his enemies, the Russian mobsters that were now hightailing it after him were. There was word that the White men were seen dealing with a Traid boss in one of the smaller Shanghai seaports, one no more than two miles from his former home. It was the very reason he picked that home. Everyone had a hobby and in Yuri's case, it was keeping tabs on the men that wanted to hunt him down, capture him, and bend him to their will. If he was going to be hunted like a wild animal, then he'd run into a corner and fight like an animal. He knew that the mobsters wouldn't expect him to run straight into the head of the Triad's smuggling business. There is where he would find the men who had already surrendered their lives to a path that clashed with Yuri's. There... Yuri wouldn't have to hold back.

Several minutes passed by before Yuri found himself crashing into the warehouse controlled by the Triad. Men in suits yelled at younger men who were moving around boxes, making calls, checking supplies. The walls were lined with high stacks of shelving and throughout the room there was a multitude of table with lines of high powered rifles, concealable pistols, drugs which were being counted and sorted, falsified documents. It was a gold mine in the criminal underworld and probably operated so freely thanks to a healthy supply of bribes to the local incompetent police force. Yuri, now fully submerged in the lion's den had no option but to show these foolish men a lesson. One that would echo through every member of the Triad and Russian mafia. Yuri had reached the center of the room now, the Russians arriving a tad late, the entire focus of the room drawn on the single man in a black jacket and blue jeans. Today's lesson: Cornered animals never back down.

There was a brief scramble, a blur of screamed Russian and Chinese, the clattering of weapons, the sound of magazines sliding into weapons, the cocking of guns. Over the course of the past week, Yuri had been siphoning energy from Shanghai's power grid, slowly stockpiling energy to points he once thought incomparable. It wouldn't be enough to reach the maximum potential of his strengths, which would require him to use his own body as a source of energy, but it would be more than enough to deal with these men. Some men began to close in on him, taking careful steps toward him, their eyes never leaving his body. Slowly, he raised his hands above his head, a gesture of surrender. As his hands remained above him, he slowly undid his gloves letting them fall to the ground. The tension throughout the warehouse was thicker than lead and the accompanied silence gave the feeling of a slow throughout the world. Everything now was about timing, about movement, about remaining calm where others would be gunned down. "You should've just shot me," Yuri spat in thick Russian, the gloves hitting the ground on either side of him as his hands jerked downward. In a flash of light, his entire form became engulfed in a shimmering purple light, his form spectral to those who saw him now. His entire body was covered in a thin layer of raw energy which burned with enough intensity to melt the concrete he was standing on. In this form, he could force his body to go far beyond it's normal potential, a lightning fast juggernaut.

His movements were too fast to be predictable and by the time anyone realised they were in dire need to open fire, he had already grabbed hold of the two nearest men, absorbing them in all of their entirety, leaving nothing but scattered ash in their wake. The men trapped in the warehouse with Yuri fired manically, desperate to take down the living demon who was turning men to ash with no more than a grab. Yuri lurched across the room, throwing himself against a wall which he hooked into with suddenly grown claws that pierced the concrete like warm butter. Men screamed, some scrambling for the exit, some searching for more ammunition. Yuri let out a blood curdling roar, throwing himself toward the only exit where he collided with four men trying to leave, two of which were the Russians from earlier, who had no chance to scream as he crashed through their bodies, causing them to explode into clouds of dust. His energy was beginning to fade, though the many men who hunted him were also now few. They were cut down with ease and no more than three minutes after his arrival, his goal was achieved and his energy was drained in all its entirety. There were few things more taxing than drawing out energy to form anything near an archon and as a result, he found his ability to walk absolutely drained. All that remained of the mobsters among the warehouse were scattered ashes and memories. He would rest nearby for the night and search for a new home tomorrow, after taking whatever non-counterfeit yuan(China's currency) of course.

Nineteen hours passed by before he began the search for a new temporary home. He passed a young street urchin selling the daily paper and gave him a fistful of yuan in exchange for a paper. There was an article about a recently discovered Triad ran warehouse that was found abandoned last night. Though what caught his eyes was not the article of a ghost warehouse, but of an obvious draw in. The seller was alluding to Star-Children, he assumed. Too obvious a set up. His attention had been snared though and if he was to be baited like this, then he would offer a response.

Two days had passed by and in that time, Yuri managed to convince an owner of a flat across the street from the set-up to lend him the home for a fourteen thousand yuan. He still hadn't fully recovered from the fatigue of several days ago, the strain on his body from depleting a weeks worth of stored energy in several minutes enough to make the act of breathing feel like a chore. In his hands he held a message which had been rolled tightly and bound with a rubber band. A small amount of energy was formed in his hands in the shape of a cylindrical tube which encased his letter. A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he reached toward the window, pulling it open. Yuri stood slowly, using the window ledge as support until his feet were firmly planted on the ground. He took the stance of an American football player and took the tube, charging a small amount of energy in the back to propel it once he threw it. He took several steps back, let out a few huffs and jumped a bit forward, launching the tube with all his strength. It rocketed through the air, crashing into the window the the advertised flat. Moments after shattering the window, the message carrier simply faded away, leaving a letter to fall to the ground with a soft thud.

When opened, the message read in English, "A park in the center of the city. Come alone. Come unarmed. Do not do something you'll regret. 3:00AM tonight. I'll be waiting in the open. Do not be late. Do not be early."

[Kiya]

The flat was dark with only the flicker of Louise's laptop keeping it from becoming pitch black, she decided it looked better when she was unable to see the multiple stains that seemed to grow by the hour. The night was overly calm, no screams or shouting neighbours for the first time since she arrived at the run down flat, a peaceful change she mused. But her calm was to be shattered when a window behind her smashed and a quirky little smirk formed in the corner of her mouth. 'I guess I have my reply.' She pushed her metallic stool back with a screech and turned to see the small banded piece of paper waiting for her, eagerly she moved picking it up and pulling the band from it she held it carefully with one hand between her thumb and finger letting it unravell down revealing the message it held. 'English. Guess he's a little smarter than I gave him credit for.' She sounded almost impressed. 'I must make all assumptions based on the knowledge that he's been watching me. Maybe I made a mistake picking such an easy building to spy on.' She dismissed all thoughts of mistakes or actions that would of fixed her problem and instead focused her mind on the tasks ahead.

She approached her laptop and picked a small old fashioned looking phone up from along side it and began punching in a number before hitting dial. 'Two Four' The receiver spoke and awaited a response.
'Fourty two' She responded.
'Louise? What's happening? We've had little luck here.' It became apparent that Cole was the one who answered the phone.
'I've found him. I need you to do me a few things. I need a weapon placed within a park within the city centre, I have emailed you a picture and highlighted where you need to hide the weapon with two magazines.' Louise spoke slowly into the phone making sure that Cole could comply with all of her demands.
'Sure. But why? I thought you wanted to help them. Not kill them.' He was right, she had never spoken about using violent methods to end conflict between S-kids, she always seemed very upbeat when it came to solutions, had she cracked? The thought slowly grew within Cole's mind.
'Insurance. I believe this kid might be too dangerous this is why you must also stay clear of the park no matter what. I won't be the reason you both are killed. Louise hung the phone up before he could beg to help or at least cover her.

'No I must go alone, I cannot take the chance that he isn't working alone and catches my snipers. This is too great a chance to pass up.' She thought to herself whiling wearing out the floor boards of the already decimated building. 'Why meet. Does he search for refuge, solitude from the people who with to kill him? I mean if he knows I'm American then I find it hard to believe he would wish me harm, or perhaps he wants people to hate him.' She found it hard to pin point exactly what this child might want and although meeting was her idea she wasn't at all sure what she could offer him without powerful heads of organizations wanting to either experiment or kill him. 'My only option is to go, unarmed and alone. The weapon should be there if I need it. Public place says he only wants to talk and isn't prepared to be backed into a corner, I guess he holds all the cards. I'll have to let him go.'

Arriving at the central park Louise walked through the big white iron gates and took a second to admire the beauty of the place. 'Pictures give this place very little credit' She spoke while walking forward and closer to the moated areas where the moonlight glistened off the water. Moving halfway across the bridge she saw no sign of her date. Taking a moment while she stared into the reflective waters and readjusted the hood of her white leather jacket.

[ohaidere]

May 1st, 2013 | 2:00 P.M. | Hualien, Taiwan

Apsara walked straight through Hualien City, not bothering to stop. She couldn't stay in Taiwan anymore, she needed to move on. She considered her options. She could go back into South East Asia and cross the sea there to view the various islands she had neglected when she first went, but she had already explored thoroughly all of South East Asia and felt uncomfortable walking on water so much, for fear her abilities may fail. She continued thinking. The best route, she decided, was clearly to go back to mainland China, and then travel the east coast up to Shanghai, and then make a straight line right for eastern Mongolia. This way, she could explore north of China and Mongolia and see eastern China before she left. She had only yet traveled through western and central China, so she wouldn't pass up on this opportunity.

Apsara made quick timing. She crossed the ocean and managed to get back to the mainland in less than two hours. She then meandered her way up the east coast in about a day and stayed on the beach for a while before walking on water to again cross the ocean and make her way. As she walked, she felt the smooth swaying of the ocean beneath her feet and she felt more peaceful than ever before. She saw grand and impressive buildings in the distance. She stepped onto the land.

May 3rd, 2013 | 3:04 A.M. | Shanghai, China

As she reached Shanghai she realized that it had grown dark and that most all the people had already gone to their homes to sleep. She did not sleep, and she still had trouble grasping the concept. Nonetheless, Apsara made her way to the center of the town and was amazed to find a quaint park in the middle of a city with so many buildings which were all incredibly tall. She found the park empty, except for a single woman wearing a white jacket. She felt a pang of sadness, though, as she laid eyes upon the woman. She had light skin and light hair -the likes Apsara had never conceived. She had grown used to people with lighter skin as she traveled through China, but to have such light hair surely meant the woman was diseased. Apsara had only seen people with black hair before and she herself also had black hair. She figured the woman was out when everyone else slept because the woman was an outcast.

Apsara decided to give the poor woman her blessing. She had given in to a old man with leprosy in Calcutta once, and also to an orphaned girl in Burma. This would be her third time giving it. Although it didn't actually do anything for the person, it was still a splendor that gave them an unforgettable memory and some happiness. Apsara went up to a small pond in front of the woman and willed some of the water to come to her. She held the water in a ball in both hands and then blew on it, sending crystal-like mist which shined brilliantly in the moonlight towards the diseased lady.

[Marx]

May 3rd, 2013 | 2:19AM | Shanghai, China

"I apologize, Petrov," head of the PRC Special Operations Song Tsua said to the head of Russia's Central Intelligence Service, Anton Petrov.
"That is unacceptable, Tsua. You and I both know that. We've lost too many to give up now." Anton's fists were pressed against the wooden desk between the two, his fists clenched tightly, knuckles glowing white.
"The very reason we wish to end this manhunt. We cannot afford to turn this man against us," Tsua's steely gaze was often more than enough to force most men to back down, though he and Petrov had a long standing history. A history that had always been writhe with tension and a deep level of respect.
"Tsua, you know as well as I do that we're too deep and that the moment someone else schoops him up, we're fucked. Is that what you want? For the Indians, no, the fucking Americans to have him? What then, Tsua? Do we roll over and beg for them to share the power with us? We both know the Americans never share." Anton's voice had raised, his fist slamming against the table with frustration. "We're not backing out of this shitstorm now, Tsua! Not until the kid is either ours or dead! I'm not going to see him wind up in American hands."
"Drop the Soviet nationalism, Petrov. That died the same time Stalin killed Communism."
Anton sighed, his head dipping low for a moment. His face had grown red from frustration, though the breathing managed to bring some calm back. "Tsua, Russia doesn't ask China for much. I don't ask you for much. So for once, just work with me. Alright?"
Tsua leaned back into his fat chair, the supple leather sucking him into the thick stuffing. "Fine Anton, do as you please. You can continue your manhunt, but my men won't be involved any longer."
"An acceptable deal. Shake on it?"
"Get out of my office."

------

A helicopter maneuvered through the air above Shanghai where the pollution of both light and smog had turned nights into the stuff of nightmares. Blackness was no more all encompassing as it was in a Shanghai night. Sitting in the passenger section of the Russian helicopter sat Anton who was immersed in a radio transmission that he had recently received. Several of his men caught sight of the target, Yuri Mykyta, heading towards downtown Shanghai. He was moving away from most of the apartment buildings, meaning it wasn't likely that he had been returning to whatever cockroach infested room he was hiding out in tonight. Which would either mean he was searching for something or had already established plans. He never left his hiding holes for shits and giggles. It was always business. The only question on Anton's mind now was 'what was Mykyta's business? He had of course issued an order to track the illusive son of a bitch, but that only went so far. His men were good, but not good enough to track Mykyta. Most of the men that were good enough at tracking him had been turned into a pile of ashes. They believed him to be heading to the rarely attended park in downtown Shanghai. A place untouched by locals who knew Shanghai Police Force well enough to know that loitering in this park was a near guarantee to receive a vicious beating.

A second transmission came through, a confirmation on suspicions. There was a meeting taking place within the park, though Mykyta was nowhere to be found. Just a foreign woman and an Indian. "I told that fucking bastard!" Anton yelled, punching the side of the helicopter, a bloody knuckle-print imprinted on the metal. "Move all available men into the park now, if they make any moves: kill them." Anton began to grow anxious, tapping his foot intensively on the floor of the helicopter, his eyes unfocused as his mind began to race. 'It was always Americans.'

------

Yuri had chosen against his earlier lapse in judgement, secluding himself from sight within the park to wait and watch for the newest one to search for him. Yuri arrived several hours earlier than he had requested his guest and spent the time hunting down any power line, which he used to restock his nearly empty supply energy. Once he found himself at a comfortable level, he took one of the larger sets of bushes which he absorbed a portion of before replicating the bush with his energy, allowing it to act as a one way observatory. There he could sit in his little hide-away and wait as long as he deemed necessary and the only way one would stumble upon his presence was if they chose to start reaching around in bushes. Something any professional would whole-heartily avoid doing. The hour or so of waiting passed by soon enough and in the dead of night a lone woman arrived at the secluded park, her appearance decisively American. Yuri smirked to himself, praising his choice of writing to his newest hunter in English. He would've revealed himself and given the woman a chance, if it were not for the sudden newcomer. A second woman, this one with an Indian appearance much unlike the first. Neither of the two expressed any knowledge of one another, though the first one did some work with water, seeming to control it before sprinkling the American woman with it. He shook his head disapprovingly, disappointed in the woman's inability to follow simple instruction. Though the two did not seem to know each other so perhaps it was not intentional ignorance of instruction. Nonetheless, he did not reveal himself. The second comer clearly had some form of ability that was far beyond any typical human and the American had yet to see him. If she even knew that the person she was here to meet was in fact a him.

He instead allowed the American to believe that the Indian woman was in fact himself and chose to remain hidden, allowing whatever was about to happen to happen. Though the meeting was short lived for minutes after the arrival of the Indian woman, red dots began to light up the pair like lights adorning a Christmas tree. The calm of the night became interrupted by the appearance of a helicopter descending from the heavens.

------

Anton jumped out of the helicopter the moment the door slid open and proceeded to stride over to the pair of women, drawing his gun, a six shooter .357 which never left his hip holster. "Please, draw a weapon, make a move. My trigger finger has never been itchier in the past decade." He announced in English, a devilish grin crawling along his face as a set of black SUV's rolled into the park entrance, pulling onto the grass. The park had become flooded with Spetsnaz who outnumbered the pair thirteen to two, excluding Anton and his helicopter crew. A team of men piled out of the SUV's as well, weapons drawn on the women. They closed in forming a circle around the two as Anton walked past the Indian, targeting the one that had already infuriated him. "You, American, have made the largest mistake in your life so here's what you're going to do. Tell me why you're here. Tell me who you work for. And then take your little friend over there and get the fuck out of China." His voice was commanding, vicious, heavy, and utterly filled with contempt. "If you fail to work with me," He rose his weapon, first aiming it at the American's head, then at the Indian woman, "I will not be so kind."

Welcome to Shanghai.