cleveland killhand

~Antioch|GM
-------------------------
You stand in the wreckage of the front business, Nachzehrer and the Silver Bullets long gone.
Two of your men are on the ground, the blood from their headshots already stopped.
It's freezing in here, tens of degrees below, you'd suspect. It's hard to stop your teeth from chattering, and despite the cloak of shadows around you, they do nothing to keep you warm. ||
Saff|Killhand
I'm SEETHING. Everything was going perfectly until Coldhand stuck his stupid face in again. "Terry!" I scream, looking over at my goon with a look that could put the fear of god in anyone. "Get over here. NOW."||
~Antioch|GM
The minion that dropped you earlier walks over unsteadily on the iced-over floor.
He looks at you nervously, wrapping his hands around his upper arms and shoulders, glancing between you and your massive pistol. ||
Saff|Killhand
"Useless! All of you! You had ONE job! ONE. And you FUCKED UP." I grab Terry by the back of the shirt collar and start dragging him towards the hole in the floor, smoke coming out of my ears. It's funny. I started working in this industry out of necessity and now... I think I LIKE it. But holy hell between these fucks and Coldhand? How the fuck am I supposed to get up in the world? "Terry, any last words?" I ask before dropping his head into the hole.||
~Antioch|GM
Terry doesn't have a chance to respond. With a vicious low kick, you scythe his legs from beneath him, his sneakers slipping on the slick ice.
His brief scream is cut short as he falls headfirst into the gouge in space you've created, and you can watch his skull distort as it passes through, chunks and flesh of bone flensed off by the distortion.
There's a muffled thump as his corpse falls into the basement.
Your shouting seems to rouse the battered Coldhand, who groans incomprehensibly. ||
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Saff|Killhand
"Now. Does anyone else want to be a complete and utter FUCKUP?" I scream, looking around with my arms outstretched to my sides. Zoup! is closed. Who the hell cares who I maim now? "Dear god. If any of you want to make yourselves useful, you're going to find out where those Silver Bullet fucks are staying. If you're too scared, or too high, or just don't want to? Fuck off. Don't talk to me. Jesus." Am I really the only competent in the room? I ignore Coldhand as I storm out, taking back alleys to try to find somewhere to calm the fuck down.||
ⓘ Thaliaway is now known as Thalia
~Antioch|GM
The two gunners stationed across the street in the laundromat bear witness to your tirade, and turn around to leave.
Two of your underlings begin de-icing the interior of the store, pouring boiling water from the basement kitchen over the floor.
~Antioch|GM
The steam helps - one of them tries to de-ice Coldhand, but the boiling water freezes on contact with his skin, further encasing him in ice. He discards his emptied pot, and starts trying to chip the cryokinetic out with a hunting knife. ||
-||
Without staying to see how that progresses, you stride out of the back door of the restaurant, seething. Dispassionately, you note that every car in the lot has had their tires slashed.
~Antioch|GM
After a few blocks of walking, not particularly caring where you end up, you find yourself in an alleyway near a small credit union, the more 'downtown' area of South Euclid. It's daylight out, though somewhat overcast, and snow covers the ground. There is a dumpster next to you, with several baggies of garbage by it. As you approach, you can hear a
rustling, the scurrying of vermin. ||
Saff|Killhand
Gross. Damn. This is bullshit. I search my pockets for my phone, hoping to let Wink know what happened. Maybe I can get his approval to send Coldhand packing. Silver Bullet? More like silver bow. All I want to do is rip that fucker's guts out and---I stop, trying to recollect my thoughts. Damnit. I never used to be like this. I just killed a dude and honestly I feel like I just swatted a fly. Heh. Maybe that's the person I'm meant to be. I dial in Wink's number and wait around, hoping I don't get the answering machine.||
ⓘ soulpelt| is now known as soulpelt|Wink
soulpelt|Wink
...
soulpelt|Wink
Wink answers the phone, and upon seeing the name he frowns. Answering he says, "Killhand." He waits for the reason why she called. As he does he types up something on his computer, eyes looking over it.||
Saff|Killhand
...
"Wink. You stuck me with an absolute SHITBAG." I begin pacing, pulling my hair off of my face with a large frown. "Coldhand. He's fucked me up the ass one too many times. You ever hear of Silver Bullet?"||
soulpelt|Wink
...
soulpelt|Wink
"...I am familiar with them." Wink says, already seeing where this was going. Rumors of him being out of the hospital were circulating. Had they attacked DMH directly so soon? Or perhaps Coldhand got it into his thick little skull to attack without consulting him first.||
Saff|Killhand
...
Saff|Killhand
"Yeah, well the fucker used to be one of them. He fucked them too and next thing I know, Zoup! is frozen over and there's some tiny girl standing there beating the shit out of Cold." I sigh and groan, completely pissed off. "What am I supposed to do about this? He's useless. Can we just. Get rid of him? I can handle the operation, Wink."||
soulpelt|Wink
...
→ Pink|Lensdoc has joined
soulpelt|Wink
Killhand could hear the slap of hand against his forehead. "Honestly I can't say I'm not tempted to just do that. How injured is he?" Wink asks rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Can you get him to the doc?"||
Saff|Killhand
...
Saff|Killhand
"I think the boys are still chipping him out of the ice. He got shot in the head. Don't think it broke skull though, otherwise I'd be cheering." I kick a rock on the ground, tempted to just slice the entire alley to bits. "We have to do something. I'm not about to get skinned by the short bitch because he screwed up. Look. I did the gun job without him. We can take him out together. Deliver his corpse to Silver Bullet's territory."||
soulpelt|Wink
...
soulpelt|Wink
"I'd like to question his sanity in person before we end him." Wink says rubbing a hand over his face. "Behemoth is due any day now and this should be taken care before he comes, if possible." He sighs, looking out the window. "Just get him to the doctor if possible, Kill. If you can't I can arrange for transportation. This woman, what did she look like?
What were her abilities, was there any other capes with her?"||
*were there
Saff|Killhand
...
Saff|Killhand
"She's tiny. Her name is... Nach something? I know she brought some chick named Delphi with her. I. I guess I could take him if we ever get him out of the ice, but I might strangle him." I stop and sigh, remembering the bit about the boss having to go to the Endbringer fight. "Behemoth, eh? That's... insane, actually. Try not to die." Hah. Though if he dies maybe I can take up the whole operation. That would be the dream. "I'm sending the boys out to try to find more info. In the mean time... I don't know what I'll do. Something. I guess. Anything else you need before I go?"||
soulpelt|Wink
...
soulpelt|Wink
"I hope I don't die. In the event, however, that I do I have set up contingencies. I do not want Blackjack to crumble again after I have built it back up." Wink says. "Delphi, that's their Striker. Don't let her touch you, what about the short woman did she display parahuman abilites?" He needed information. "I know a safehouse you can stay in near my
territory. However, is there anything else you can tell me?"||
Saff|Killhand
...
Saff|Killhand
"The short girl? Yeah, she's a cape. Don't really know what she does but she's definitely a cape." I think back, trying to give any sort of details. "Maybe a brute? I don't know. I'll take you up on the safehouse offer, though. Heh. It's gonna take a lot before the restaurant is back up and running. The only other thing I heard was that Cold was responsible for her triggering. Dunno if that means anything."||
soulpelt|Wink
...
soulpelt|Wink
Wink writes down 'Brute. Possible Trump?' on a nearby piece of paper. "Good to know. Once you get Coldhand out there head to this location." He gives her the address. "Try not to kill him before I get to question him. He might have information you don't." He sighing in annoyance he hangs up. Well at least he knew for sure Silver Bullet was in town....||
Saff|Killhand
...
"Fine. I won't kill him. By the way, Terry's dead. Bye, Boss." I hang up the phone, frowning the entire way. "Now I have to go back for that shitstain?" ||
ⓘ soulpelt|Wink is now known as soulpelt|
~Antioch|GM
Your underlings have elected to leave Coldhand partially frozen, though his immobile form has been chipped free and placed on the couch downstairs.
Earlier, when they tried to melt the ice off his head, he began to start bleeding again.
This guy's really worth less than he brings in, medical costs alone.
Only two of your henchmen remain, attempting to tidy the ruined restaurant as best they can.
The shattered furniture upstairs has been cleared away, and Terry's corpse discreetly disposed of.
Some bloodstains and bone fragments still stain the carpet below the gash you tore in the floor, but they're difficult to make out in the low light.
Your men are wary, expecting police or capes to show up with the recent ruckus - the police, however, are facing their own difficulties, and the Protectorate isn't likely to step in for anything particularly risky this close to a projected Endbringer attack.
The hole in the basement ceiling has been patched over upstairs with small tarp. ||
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Saff|Killhand
Damn. This place is a mess. At least the boss is slightly understanding to my plight. "Hey. Can someone help me carry him?" I ask the mooks. I need to bring Cold with me to the safehouse. "Maybe we have some spare tires somewhere." Damnnit. Silver Bullet fucked us good. Man, I'm pissed. I barely want to look at him, and the boss wants me to take him to the safehouse? Great.||
~Antioch|GM
"Uh, boss..."
One of your goons, Dave, pipes up.
"All the cars in the back had their tires slashed. How're we gonna get there?" ||
Saff|Killhand
"Dave? Did I FUCKING ask for sass? I said MAYBE we have some SPARE. TIRES. SOMEWHERE." I knock a table over, nearly pulling my hair out of my skull. "Or maybe you have friends. You have friends, don't you Dave? Maybe a cousin? Someone who has a 'stang you can borrow? Right, DAVE?"||
~Antioch|GM
Dave stutters incomprehensibly, fumbling with his phone, while the other henchman runs outside to check for spare tires.
You can hear him saying something amidst the mess of words about borrowing a truck from Rodney, who's in a band with him. ||
Saff|Killhand
Perfect. Well, at least they're doing shit now. "Get Coldhand over there. Someone will be waiting for him. I'll get over there soon. Is anyone else hurt? Dead?" I seem a little bit calmer, a little less on the edge, even though I still want to rip someone's face off. "Call me if anything goes wrong. I'm going for a walk." I need to plan... If I'm going to get rid of Coldhand...||
~Antioch|GM
You stomp out into the street, still furious, and it's a marked difference from the last few times you've spent outside, cowering in fear that you might be seen. It feels a hell of a lot better, actually.
You've made a slight name for yourself, particularly with the signature devastation your ability causes, and the recent string of robberies attributed to you. There aren't many people on the street, but the ones that do shy away or outright turn around. ||
Saff|Killhand
I glare at the people, pulling my scarf higher up on my face. This. This is the kind of bullshit that sent me into this life in the first place. I just wanted to be normal, but this power CURSED me. At least now I'm feared, rather than stared at like a circus freak. I'm not planning on maiming anyone in the streets, don't need the protectorate after me. I just need to clear my head. I know the vague basics of Wink's power. He could probably knock out Cold while I slice him to bits and then send his head straight to Nach with a pretty pink ribbon. Or, we could get Wink's right hand... Doubledown? He could do something beautiful. A creepy grin breaks out on my face, my scarf falling down to reveal it. Dead Man's Hand was going to be ALL MINE.||
~Antioch|GM
Yours, in a token sense. You have henchmen that answer to your beck and call - some of them even loyal - but Dead Man's Hand still belongs to Blackjack, and, in turn, Wink. The silly matching gambling-themed names are a frequent reminder. ||
Saff|Killhand
Wink. I can't get rid of him. To be honest, I don't know if I could handle the whole operation on my own. And trying to get to Wink with Doubledown and some of the others... Not possible. I slide down the brick wall and grumble, getting pissed off again. God, this is annoying.
For a moment, I think about slashing the door to one of the local shops. The protectorate has more things to worry about than a fucking door. Actually, it was really cool watching Terry get ripped to pieces... I wonder what it would feel like to do it... again?||
~Antioch|GM
Well... henchmen aren't a renewable resource, per se - you just got a hell of a lot scarier in their eyes. They're obedient, but having their buddies killed for small fuckups isn't really going to endear you to them.
~Antioch|GM
Your two best mooks, KeAndre and Malcolm, have loyalty, rapport you built with them over the course of the jobs you pulled together. You haven't had a chance to speak to them after the fight and your subsequent blow-up, but they're attempting to ferret out Silver Bullet on your orders. ||
Saff|Killhand
Thank god someone is doing something worthwhile. The rest of the goons are safe. I'm not going to blend any more of them. But damn my claws are itching for another kill. I have to try to keep calm though. Damn. I stop to take a deep breath, watching from the shadows as the people go by. There's all sorts of them, and they're all so... squishy. Mmm... Their limbs would come off so nicel--I stop. Shaking my head. What the hell has gotten in to me. I grab my phone again, dialing KeAndre's number.||
~Antioch|GM
He picks up after a bit.
"Hey, boss. No luck yet." ||
Saff|Killhand
"Damn. Thanks anyway. Keep looking." I take a deep breath, hanging up the phone and scanning the crowd for anyone that seems vulnerable, someone getting a bit too close to my alleyway...||
~Antioch|GM
People pass by, one comes enticingly close. A man, middle-aged, jogging past, taking his German Shepherd for a walk, pauses to catch his breath as the dog tugs at its leash. ||
Saff|Killhand
I pull my claws up, reaching out to swipe at his flesh. I want to watch him bleed, and I want to take off running back to the base.||
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It's OK, you're connected again :)
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ⓘ Bel|nerd is now known as moBel
ⓘ soulpelt| is now known as soulpelt|sleep
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~Antioch|GM
The shadows surrounding you coalesce into clawed hands, lashing out at the man, tearing the air and flesh alike.
You can see the shimmers, distortions in the air left in its wake, and the gouges left in his back. He cries out, yelping, and his dog begins to bark at you.
Wrapping your shadows around you, you run away, exiting the other end of the alley and sprinting back to the partially-demolished base. ||
Saff|Killhand
The way the dog looked at me... it makes me a little unsettled. A little too much like the wolves that made me like this in the first place. But, damn. Running through the night air, my black scarf flapping in the wind behind me... Knowing that man was suffering because of me? Mmmm, it felt delicious. I can't get too carried away though. There won't always be an imminent endbringer fight to keep everyone from jumping on me. ||
~Antioch|GM
When you return to the base, there are neither underlings nor Coldhand awaiting you. The four vehicles in the back still sit there, tires slash, so you assume your mooks have bummed a ride from a friend. ||
Saff|Killhand
Well, fuck. I guess I'll have to call Malcolm. I trust him. I dial his number and frown, tapping my foot on the barely-cleaned floor. "Yo, I need a ride to the safehouse. Think you can swing by and get me?"||
~Antioch|GM
"Aight," he replies, "I'll drive over in a sec. KeAndre's at that underground doc's place, asking around, since the short bitch got her ear shot off." ||
Saff|Killhand
"If only I had shot off more than her ear..." I mumble, but nod along. "That's a great place to start. I owe you both a meal. No soup though." I'm going to wait inside the restaurant for Malcolm, not wanting to show my face around just at the moment. The ruins of the restaurant... they make me SAD. It kind of sucks, being a super villain.  Your shit gets wrecked all the time.||
~Antioch|GM
Malcolm pulls up after ten or so minutes, driving an old, dinged-up white Cadillac.
"Sure am glad I parked across the street, huh," he says, popping the passenger door open for you. ||
Saff|Killhand
"Right? Can't believe she slashed ALL the tires." I pout a little bit, slouching down in the passenger's seat so that no one sees me. "Can you take the way through there?" I point to the street I was just on, hoping to see some sort of aftermath from my attack. I... I probably should be more upset with myself. But, I'm strangely not. "Malcolm, you like me, right? You respect me?"||
~Antioch|GM
He pauses, surprised by the sudden question. "I, uh, yeah, I guess."
"Past few weeks have been pretty good. Beats sitting out in the cold, trying to push coke at CWU or whatever, making enough cash to get by."
"Now I got a crew to roll with, food all the time, a place to crash if I need it."
He pauses again.
"Well, at least, once we get the place put back together." ||
Saff|Killhand
"Yeah..." Hopefully the repairs will go along quickly. "Until then, you're welcome at the safehouse. You're one of the few I can trust." I wind my scarf around my lower face again, a finger pressed to my lips in thought. "Really, though. Don't be scared of me." I look out the window, trying to get a glimpse of some sort of chaos.||
~Antioch|GM
"Yeah," he says, not turning to look away from the road, "we cool."
~Antioch|GM
The car pulls into Blackjack turf, the card-themed graffiti growing denser as you travel.
Eventually, you pull up at the safehouse that Wink mentioned - an air-conditioned storage facility. Malcolm parks across the street. ||
Saff|Killhand
"Thanks, Malc." I say, giving him a small nod before hopping out of the car. "let me know if you find anything about the bullets." I give him a small smile and walk up towards the safehouse, taking a few steps inside. Looks decent enough. Cold's probably in there... hI won't have to see him. I might just wring his neck. Bringing danger our way? And what if he had just fucked off with My--our money like he did with Silver Bullet's? He's trouble, trouble I don't want.||
~Antioch|GM
The interior of the facility has the partitions between multiple storage areas removed, making it seem more like a warehouse.
Scrap metal, glass, discarded electronics litter the area, on the floor and workbenches alike.
~Antioch|GM
Your mooks are milling about, near Coldhand, who's now defrosted and lying on a cot - and the underground doctor is there, patching him up. KeAndre is there as well, watching from a distance. ||
Saff|Killhand
"Hey Ke." I say, walking over to him with a frown. "How much is he costing us this time?" Wow Gwyn, that sounded cold. "Er. Get anything from him? Did the short bitch go to him for her ear?"||
~Antioch|GM
"The short bitch squeezed where our hideout was from him," he says, "so this motherfucker better be doin' this job pro bono."
Sure enough, the doctor looks pretty cowed as he operates on the unconscious Coldhand.
"So I don't figure the short bitch woulda gone to someone she'd already fucked over for medical help, you feel me?"
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~Antioch|GM
"Silver Bullet's a Columbus gang, though. They prolly got someone back there who can patch her ass up, but hell if I know who." ||
Saff|Killhand
I curl my hands into fists. Oh man I'm FURIOUS. "You're saying he sold us out and we're..." Shit, I'm getting carried away again. "Ke, tell me some good news, please. Or at least keep me from spilling his guts on the floor." Damn that short bitch. Nach...something? How dare she fuck us over and then not even give us a scrap of something to use against her. "What's wrong with Coldy?"||
~Antioch|GM
"Nah, nah, don't worry about the doc. I got this."
He grins, cracking his knuckles.
~Antioch|GM
"As far as Cold goes, his ribs are broke, liver an' kidneys fucked up. Cracked skull, too." ||
Saff|Killhand
"Whatcha gonna do?" I ask with a raised eyebrow. I'm quite interested in watching. As for Cold... "He'll be pissing blood for a while. Gonna hurt like Hell too." I cringe, thinking about the lump of scar tissue on my back from where my kidney was shot. "How does he always manage to make it out by the skin of his teeth?"||
~Antioch|GM
"Fucked if I know. How many times did Silver Bullet shoot him after he ripped them off?"
"Motherfucker's got hella luck."
"I'll handle the doc after he's done operatin'." ||
Saff|Killhand
Yeah, and his luck is going to run out soon... "Handle the doc? Ke, what are you planning?" Please, dear god, don't let him fuck up our only doctor.||
~Antioch|GM
"Blackjack's cleanin' up one of the clinics that got abandoned on their turf."
"I figure, this guy, he fucked us over 'cause he's workin' solo. The bitch fucks with him 'cause she knows he ain't got any muscle to get her back."
"So, easy deal. He becomes Blackjack's doctor, we get cheap as fuck treatment, we get in good with the higher-ups, and he don't get his teeth kicked down his throat."
"You feel me?" ||
Saff|Killhand
"Sounds good. Really good, actually. Keeping him to ourselves is gonna work out better in the long run." Especially if Wink and I don't off Coldhand. We'll need the cheap care. "Hopefully we'll keep the fucking to a minimum, though. I'm... Hoping that we can settle things with the short bitch. Wink and I are... thinking of things." ||
~Antioch|GM
He nods, tapping the stolen pistol holstered at his waist.
"Fuck, if Coldhand hadn't wanted to fuckin' sit down and talk, we coulda just shot the bitch in the back when she walked in the door until she stopped moving." ||
Saff|Killhand
"Yeah. Gosh, I'm so MAD. That whole thing could have gone so much better. She shouldn't have made it out of there alive. We had so many guns on her. We had my trap in the floor!" My voice is raised, getting a little too loud and wild. "She should be dead and instead I have Mr. Comatose over there and a group of fucks on our asses." I drop my volume, looking around for a little bit before looking KeAndre dead in the eye. "You think we really need him around here? Cold, I mean."||
~Antioch|GM
"Fuck, man, I dunno," he says, lowering his voice to match yours.
"His power is baller as fuck, but I dunno if it's worth it, with the stupid shit he does." ||
Saff|Killhand
"He's a liability. He's the reason we're under attack." I sigh, looking over at the doc with a frown. "We'd all be fucking off at Zoup! If it weren't for him. I'm upset. I'm MAD."||
~Antioch|GM
He shrugs. "Yeah. Hella firepower, though. If we can get rid of Silver Bullet then it won't be as bad of a problem, yeah?" ||