Chapter 1: Fall



The fog was rolling in. Time was short. Work quickly, get the job done, leave and vanish. Taking a deep breath, Jordan readied the space. Taking out her black satchel back, she set it lightly on the floor, taking in her surroundings. She was in the Beijing hotel that towered over the rest of the smaller buildings in the area. The beveled windows angled inwards, the lights of Beijing glittering to the heavens, moving billboards, glass doors and windows, and finally the open space where it lead onto the platform right before the drop one-hundred stories below. A quaint smile wavered on her full red lips, but came to pass as she readied herself. Leaning over, she unzipped the black bag slowly, being careful not to have anything roll out. Taking the nuzzle out first, she gently set it aside, and dragged out the body of the main weapon. Her sleek sniper. Dumping out the last part, the ammo that clung with the scope, she screwed the nuzzler on and loaded it. Pulling the scope on the top rod, she snapped it into place. Then pulling out her tripod for the sniper, she hefted it near the window overlooking the next building, that was glowing a soft pinkish haze from the neon strips that illuminated its silvery lining. “hehe…this is too easy. It’s like I shouldn’t be trying…” she muttered to herself softly with a slight grin, brushing her silvery hair out of her eyes and tucking it behind her ear. Dropping her gaze, she brought the gun on top of the tripod, clicking it into place.

“ooook, time to wait.” Jordan groaned as she stood up. The blinking lights of billboards and excars (flying ***** cars) whirling through the sky in a whirlpool of translucent color. Stretching, she started walking back. The shot wasn’t to be taken for another 20 minutes. She had time. Mmmm I feel hungry… What should I get later…? She thought wistfully pacing the barren room back and forth. Probably just Chipotle. I’m too lazy for anything else really. Her laced leather boots barely made a sound as her black dress swirled around her when she turned. The lights turned on in the building she was targeting. A man dressed in a tuxedo walked in. The room was taken up by a large business meeting table, and 7 chairs. He took a seat at the head. Striding back towards her sniper which still lay in position, Jordan laid down on her stomach put her hands into position on the guns trigger, and the barrel. Leaning in, she looked through the scope, aligning the crosshairs with her targets rotund head. Kieron’s name tag splattered with blood, as the man, fell with a thud. Other people rushed into the room clamoring and crowding around the dead body. Wow, it’s like they want to get shot… Jordan thought with amusement before bringing her sight up to the scope again. She didn’t need to kill anyone else there, but why not? It’s target practice. Rapidly shooting away, she started to laugh softly. An almost childish laugh, it was actually joyful. It sounded like both ringing bells, and a coo of a dove.

Austin took out his axe. Charging it with electricity, he advanced forward into the building, his unbuttoned blue shirt trailing behind him. Walking slowly into the elevator, checking for signs of danger, he clicked the top floor. He could see the bright lights of the city as he was shooting upward. Sighing, he tiltied his head back and said, “I wonder what everyone thinks…of what they do…why they do it…how they want to do it…without lying to themselves…” ding.
The elevator stopped on the top. Heaving his axe up, Austin rolled out of the elevator and into the cover of the adjacent blue wall, his gray hair flowing over his eyes. The row of apartments seemed to hold innumerable dangers. I’m too jumpy haha… he thought scratching the back of his head with his gloved hand. Letting out a deep breath, he quickly dashed for the stairs leading to the terrace at the end of the hallway. Something resisted at his leg. Glancing down, Austin drew a breath sharply, as he noticed the trip wire. A single gunshot rang out, he knew it had triggered something to kill. The adrenaline fueling him, Austin saw the bright flash of the bullet leaving the chamber to the side door, and he steeled himself. The bullet shot straight through. All that it shot however was his electric afterimage. Austin had moved at hyper-sonic speed, the speed of lightning, to almost teleport ahead. The traces of blue electricity were still trailing behind him, crackling in the midst. The sparks of electricity ignited on the only wooden thing in this building; the overhead decorative paneling, meaning that floor by floor, the unfinished hotel would collapse in flames. “Too close…almost actually died…” Austin gasped as he shook his head and turned towards the stairwell. Time was short.
Cursing under his breath, Austin ran up the steps, making sure his soft shoes made no noise on the neon light stairs. I can’t be too late. Not supposed to fail. Not now. Austin grimaced as he rounded the last corner up the steps onto the glass top.

It was covered in beveled mirrors and doors. He could see a woman pacing back and forth. She looked beautiful. “There you are…” Austin murmured as he took careful steps towards the door. He walked to the end of the length to open the first door. All the mirrors started to angle differently, reflecting the light off of different places. Quietly slipping in, Austin hid in the new shadow he had created. Swiveling around, the woman went to a sniper she had set up. Watching carefully, Austin managed to get a little closer. The woman took a single shot. Too late…no…in the end it’s just what doesn’t matter. Austin readied himself, hefting his axe on his shoulder, he took a large quiet step forward, preparing to hyper-slash her as he sped past. She was starting to shoot more rapidly now. She was even laughing, her laughter was musical. He charged, his axe humming, and his hair sparking, flames erupting from where he stood. Even the afterimage, faded to black.

Jordan whipped around, her silvery hair flying in an arc, deftly un-stoppering the sniper to use as a shield from the down-slash. Just in time, she bunted the blow of an insanely powerful axe strike. It made a resounding crack on the sniper as she was thrown back from the force of the blow, her arms tingling. She rolled backwards and jumped to her feet. “Damn, you’re fast. I actually felt that.” Jordan yelped as another blow came from nowhere, the air crackling wherever the weapon went. “Fine, have it your way.” She grimaced. Taking a defensive stance, shoulders hunched, feet spread apart, and she swung her metallic sniper right towards the deadly axe, the wielder a blur. *TING* Metal on metal. Scraping the exteriors. The sound hurt her ears. No way I’m losing here. Not to someone so weak. Squinting her beautiful eyes, Jordan pushed the center of the sniper against the axe. Straining, the sniper could not hold.
What is she doing? Austin thought as he pushed his axe harder against the sniper that the girl was using as her lifeline. It was about to break and she knew it. Austin was enveloped in crackling electricity and flames. His very image flickering in and out of sight like a hazy corporeal entity. “Foolish… desperation goes nowhere but despair…” He said in his soothing voice before applying all his pressure upon the enemy.

Jordan smiled. It fell for it. The hazy thing she saw spoke words that were too distorted for her to hear. The axe broke through. Jordans face showed a moment of surprise for the suddenness of the extra burst of strength. Then it hit the chain. The gun broke in half, revealing a chain that bound the two halves together. The axe embedded itself into a ring of the chain. Twisting guns by changing from hand-to-hand, she trapped it in the swirls of interlocking teeth. Then she leaned in. One hand held a useless half of a sniper. The other held a large pistol that was built into the gun itself in this kind of situation. Jordan could see his face now, contorted with a hint of fear and surprise. “The chain saps energy. “ She cooed, “You’re mine…” She left a soft kiss on his cheek where it no longer burned, the light taste of oranges coming off of him. A soft red gaseous substance, smelling like tea tree, wafted into Jordan’s mouth as she inhaled deeply. Suddenly, his electricity ceased, and he slumped to the floor.

What the hell was that…I can’t…use my power…damn… Austin thought dully. When Jordan had kissed him on the cheek he had stopped fighting for a second. Apparently that’s all she needed. I will not fall so easily. Especially to those who threaten what I swore to protect. A guttural roar coming from within his throat, Austin’s eyes snapped open as he lunged for Jordan, who was now playing around with electricity in her fingers. Her eyes widened in surprise as he swung his axe effortlessly at her head. But all he hit was an electric after image as he swung straight through. She’s got my power then. He thought grimly. He glanced behind him to see Jordan with a smile, and a fresh slight cut on her almost flawless cheek. “Game over.” She said before lightly touching him on the shoulder, passing the 100 megavolts of voltage through Austin. “AGHHHHH” Austin screamed in agony as the electricity ripped his insides apart. It felt as if his body was tearing in two, and his internal organs were screaming to die.

Then… his axe hummed. It started to glow blue as it sucked all the voltage and started crackling loudly with immense energy. “I REFUSE TO DIE HERE.” Austin sternly yelled. He knew what Jordan was thinking, and he knew she should be too shocked. But her eyes just sank back down as she regarded him with mild amusement. He hefted himself up and swung the axe down at her head, his muscles popping.

He’s got a death wish…but his resolve is admirable. Jordan thought as Austin reared with his glowing axe in hand swinging towards her. “I guess I’ve had my fun.” She said before using the half broken sniper to deflect the swinging axe. Then she raised her other pistol, aimed at his heart and smiled sweetly. “Sorry honey, you’re not my type.” And fired a single shot.


Austin’s eyes widened in shock as the bullet tore through him, leaving a mass of writhing flesh and bone. Austin spit out blood and groaned, his eyes starting to water from the excruciating pain. Then suddenly he whipped out his foot and caught Jordan in the stomach. “ouhfff” Jordan moaned as Austin dropped his axe, now too weak to carry it. His blood was running free now. Whirling at Jordan, he let out a flurry of punches. Jordan started to see stars as she finally gripped the railing at the end of the terrace. One more punch and she would be overboard. Setting her gorgeous face in a scowl, she swung off the banister. Austin stopped in surprise as the momentum of his punch carried him to the edge. He looked over to find She was gone. Jordan swung over the adjacent window ledge and hopped back on the terrace. Slowly advancing, she saw Austin, bloodied and heaving, near the edge, looking out at the bright city. Grinning, she lightly brushed her hair out of her face, and dashed towards him, her afterimages vanishing before she even got there. Austin turned around, but it was too late. His eyes widened in terror and he froze for a second from disbelief. “Byee little boy” she waved spritely as she kicked his ribs. She heard a rib crack. Austin toppled over the edge one-hundred stories above the ground. The bright neon lights of the city, and the honking cars, masking the traces, of vanity’s betrayal.

Chapter 2~Evacuate


“Austin isn’t picking up his phone…” Lionel said impatiently, tapping his foot on the ground. His black boots made a loud clacking noise against the tiled floor.
“You can’t just call him on an assignment man!” Phoenix said, his messy black hair covering part of his boyish face. “That’s like telling everyone where he is!”
“Well, we’ve been waiting down here for a while though and I’m starting to get bored.” Lionel replied sharply as he flicked his Nokia shut. Pocketing it into his brown baggage pants, he sighed and walked to the elevator. It was still on the top floor, and he could hear nothing. The lone gunshot that had ringed out a while ago was the only noise for the last ten minutes. “I’m going up there.” Lionel said. “Can’t we just wait?” Phoenix whined, his lip pouting, “it’ll take us a little bit to get up there anyway…”
“yyeaahhhh, suuurrrr—no. Let’s go.” Lionel said before swiveling around, letting his brown overcoat cape swirl around him as he did so. “So theatrical…you’re like a girl…” Phoenix muttered.

Stifling his scoff of disbelief and holding back punching Phoenix in the face, Lionel simply stepped forward and softly pressed the glowing button for the elevator. A resounding upheaval of cords started as the hydraulics kicked into action, seamlessly bringing the elevator down and perfectly into place. The chrome doors opened slowly. Lionel and Phoenix were in before they were even fully open. Jamming the top floor with his thumb, Phoenix muttered, “This better be a good idea…”

The wind was howling outside. The fog had arrived, as silent as the falling rain that was now falling gently into the precipice below. The view obscured, and the windows rattling from the wind, threatening to break, Jordan took a last look around the barren room. That guy was a handful. Better get out before anyone notices. She stooped over and quickly stuffed her things into the denim duffel bag, before picking it up on its straps and slinging it over her lean shoulder. Her silky clothes making it almost slide off. “Ouuuuch…That hurts…” Jordan groaned as the strap chaffed on a cut that was inflicted during her battle with Austin. Whipping her hair out of her face, she steadied herself, and started walking, gangling towards the mirrored doors. Even the walls were mirrors, reflecting lights, and each other in a confusing myriad of colors and shades. “Wonder who even came up with these stupid floorplans…” Jordan muttered as she opened the door steadily and advanced into the stairwell back down.

Phoenix got out of the elevator. He could tell something was wrong. The windows were all fogged up before the elevator even opened. Lionel darted out, drawing his dual blades from his sheaths, his brown eyes taking in the sight before him. The hall was ablaze. The flames licked at every corner, the heat was unbearable. Phoenix took a double take at the elevator door. “Hey, we have to go ba—“ CRASH!. A rafter impaled the entrance to the elevator and started to burn. It was wedged right in between the sleek doors. The ceiling was already groaning under strain. “Not now apparently.” Lionel said calmly. He surveyed the hallway. The fire had spread everywhere, and was starting to travel into the seams. It would collapse the floor soon enough and the whole building would start to burn.

“Onward and forward then.” Phoenix said with a grin. Lionel looked at him as if he was crazy. “Sure…” Lionel said shakily, waving his head back and forth in resignation.

“Well. This sucks.” The searing heat was what hit her before she even saw the flames licking at the interior of the hotel. The lights were exploding spreading sharp shards everywhere, the flickering light reflecting off the individual pieces like rainbows. Jordan lifted her arm to cover her face as the glass threw itself about everywhere. Gritting her teeth, she powered down. I can’t get out any other way. Only other way would be to follow that electric guy’s footsteps and I’m pretty sure that won’t end any better. The stolen power was starting to fade. Damn. I’m almost out. Need to get out now… Tensing up, Jordan let out a deep breath. Leaning down in a marathon runner stance, she darted forward. The electricity was fading as she was at the end of the hallway in the blink of an eye. “That wasn’t so hard…” She was alight. “Oh Fudge.” She yelled out in surprise as it started to burn her skin. She tore of some of her clothes and did the obvious. Stop, drop and roll. “x.x ok…that took more effort than the fight…hehe…” And more danger too… She quickly spun up. Her pretty clothes were ragged. Her silvery hair waved about in the wind of the now open windows. The quaint sound of sirens wailing was wailing through. Need to get out fast… Sprinting towards the elevator, she saw two figures obscured by the flames. They had just exited the elevator before a rafter crashed rendering the sleek elevator useless. Cursing under her breath, Jordan frantically looked around, looking for another way to escape. The stairs were too far and would’ve collapsed by now from its disuse. The smoke was starting to make its way into her lungs. It smelled bitter and Jordan resisted the terrible urge to gag. Suddenly, the floor lurched and fell down a half step on one end. “whoa crap, this isn’t fun.” Jordan yelled as land and sky flipped and she was sliding down to the floor below which had already caught aflame. The floor had collapsed on one side and fallen in to the one below. Jordan tumbled down awkwardly, eventually slamming hard into another object on the lower floor. All went black.

“Who’s that?” Lionel asked.
“What? I don’t see—oh wait yeah. Think that’s Austin?” Phoenix replied.
“Nope. Too skinny. And they have a bag. Austin didn’t go up with a bag, he went up with his dual bladed axe.” Lionel replied, squinting his brown eyes, the red fire reflecting back in his vision.
“Then where’s Austin…?”
“Don’t Know. Doesn’t matter. It’s supposed to be only us three in the building. And especially only us three at all on this high of a floor. We’re going in.” Lionel replied, his voice masking a severity that only revitalized his spirit to get into battle. He sheathed his swords with a *****. "We need to get out of here."

“Sure I guess. Let’s do it fast because we’re running out of tim—“ Phoenix started. But he was cut short as the landing suddenly lurched, and the two found themselves suddenly sliding down the slippery cold floor.

“WHOAH, the floors are falling!” Lionel yelled. He was tumbling head over heels not being able to tell up from down. Phoenix on the other hand, unsheathed his dual swords as he started falling, the sleek broadsword gleaming blue, and the katana burnt reddish black. He stuck them fast into the floor with a satisfying thump. He steadied himself with his black metal plated shoes, struggling to keep himself upright. “Aghhh, my arms are starting to burn…” Phoenix complained as he wriggled about. Looking down, Lionel had disappeared into the gap onto the next floor, where the fire was still raging. The ceiling was starting to groan. Well damn, this sucks. Now what? Gritting his teeth, Phoenix uttered his holy words. "Release: Velocità"

“oughhhhh… that hurt…” Jordan said. Her head was pounding as wispy strands of her silvery hair fluttered about, getting in her beautifully lit eyes. Where Am…Oh Right, About To Burn. How Nice. Wincing in pain as her head hurt, she slowly got up, using the rough back wall as support. Coughing and spluttering, she flicked her hair back over her shoulder, and quickly unzipped her bag, deftly taking out only the pistol, with its chain attached, and took the rest of the bag and dumped it into the black incinerator bin that was right behind her, coincidentally also the thing that had hit her head. It ironically reflected the flames that were closing in on her. Suddenly there was a thump as something fell to the floor besides her. “What the hell…”

Lionel fell to the unforgiving floor. Hard. “That hurt…ok…ouch…” He moaned as he slowly rolled over and hoisted himself up. He had lost his scarf on his way down. That was his lucky white scarf. He shook his shaggy mane of brown hair to get rid of the dizziness. “Well hello there little one…come to join the party?” a sultry voice said behind him. Lionel wheeled around, to face a heavy punch to his face.

Phoenix darted down into the floor below, his figure a blur, a glowing lineage of reprisal, and his two blades glowing red and blue, with his red-eyes malignant, masked by the flames. Wait…what… He thought. There was no-one there.

Jordan punched the man hard in the face. She heard the noise of cartilage break and the nose give way as he flew backward. He crashed straight through the weakened part of the floor as he fell. “Well, that was just funny.” Jordan said with a bright evil grin.

She leaped in after him, taking care to tread lightly so as not to fall and break her leg or twist her ankle. These boots aren’t suited for falling badly. It might seriously hurt. But they do pack a mean kick. Jordan leapt through the slight hole Lionel had made. The smoke was starting to get suffocating. It’s woody smell encompassing her senses. She fell to the ground like a cat, and surveyed her surroundings. Where did he go? CrAcK! A sword slammed into her side as she barely deflected it by raising her pistol. The impact jarred her arm and made it slightly numb, much like when one hits their funny bone. Raising her pistol she fired three quick shots in succession, the noise resounding off of the hollow halls. The flames had not yet reached here with full force. Lionel uttered two words. “Hyper Speed.”
Jordan gasped as Lionel appeared instantly behind her before the bullets even resonated the sound of hitting the wall on the other side. She barely had time to deflect another blow before he was on her left. Gritting her teeth, she furrowed her thin eyebrows, creasing her flawless face before pushing the gun to hit Lionel’s sword. As they met, the impact sent a single pure note that rang in silence. Lionel lifted a silver pistol quickly, about to end it.

Jordan saw the quick flick of his hand, and kicked the gun out of his hand, hitting him right on the wrist. Lionel gasped in slight pain but didn't yield. Jordan struggled to gain a foothold on Lionel, but he was using both hands to keep himself steady. His black gloves accentuating the blades gleaming dark handle, and the contrast to its green sword, it was almost blinding. “Dammit…you’re way too fast…” Jordan said through her teeth, staring intensely at Lionel with her beautiful eyes. Lionel looked away before disappearing in a blur and re-appearing behind her.

“Game Over.” He said calmly, with his mouth tightening. Jordan’s pistol and arm had gone too far forward from the sudden loss of force, leaving her back wide open to him. Lionel deftly raised his gleaming green sword, and slashed down, cutting the air with a scream. The sword cleanly went through Jordan's midriff, and separated her into two halves. The blood cleanly left an arc on the wall, where only the shadows remained. Lionel leaned over, bowing his head as respect for the dead, his brown pillowy hair down over his morbid face, as Jordan looked to the ceiling, her eyes reflecting all that she couldn't see.

“I’m sorry. Beautiful Maiden. But It needed to be done.” Lionel said softly, his eyes starting to water from his deed. He turned on his heel and started walking back to get Phoenix.
The remnants of Jordan started to ripple. As if a hazy mirage, it slowly vanished into the air, and as an invisibility cloak may reveal a person slowly, so too did Jordan re-appear. whole and alive. Good thing I can keep peoples powers I take as long as they’re dead. But that guy, Is so gonna pay…

Jordan quickly jumped to the ceiling, clinging to it as the electro-static pads on her hands clung to the steel wires that ran through the building. This ceiling looked as if it would crumble away soon as well. The smoke was in her face full force. Resisting the urge to cough and succumb to the black air, she crept forward quickly, overtaking her suspect. First removing her soft hands from the ceiling, she quietly slipped down behind Lionel. “Game over sweetie…” she whispered in his ear, leaning over, letting him smell her sweet perfume. Then she took out the dagger she kept in her leg pocket, and stuck the completely silver knife in between his shoulder blades, pulling him back by his shirt with her other hand. It pierced right through his thin chain mail armor underneath his plain black shirt.

Lionel gasped in pain, and then started to slump to his feet. Jordan gave him a light kiss on the cheek. “Nice try…” With a grin, she stole his power, the pale blue energy already drifting away from Lionel into Jordan. But Lionel was already falling.

Then she wrenched the trench knife free, raising her pistol, shot him again in the back, the bullet leaving the gun, was an almost distinct sound to what came after. The impact sound against his skin. Lionel surged forward, as his face hit the floor. Lying in a pool of blood Lionel struggled to keep his eyes open. How did she…? I can’t die here… not…now…not… Then his eyes fluttered shut, as the world spiraled into his darkness, and the flames ate away the ceiling that finally gave way to bury them in it's cold, hellfire embrace.

Chapter 3: Icy Contours

“Where the hell did they go…?” Phoenix said. The fire was all around him, its blistering heat starting to peel his skin, and the doors crumbling. The very air was starting to burn his lungs, making his every breath stifling and hard to draw in. “This is pretty fun….I’m in a burning building without anyone else to help me…” He muttered under his breath.

Breathing heavily, Phoenix raced to the window, hoping to be able to escape somehow. All he saw was the eviscerating cool of the evening air blast him in the face as he was temporarily blinded by the bright neon city lights. The police siren wails were still too far away. What takes them so long… no wonder they suck at being law enforcement. Phoenix thought grimly as he looked down. There was no hanging out stone ledges nor chrome handles from where to even begin to descend the monumental 100 story unfinished hotel. It was simply cleaned up too well. “Well, that options out.” He said spritely, trying to remain in good spirits, he turned around to face the raging fire. Walking slowly, seeking out the stairs, he heard a low groan. And the ceiling crumbled.


He was stuck.
The icy confines were chilling him to the bone where there had only been fire burning his heart. The ceiling was frozen up on barely holding pillars, as the floor itself was quivering from the strain. Phoenix groaned before trying to roll over. Wait…what? Ice? And crap, I’m a bit stuck… Phoenix struggled against the icy bindings that had frosted over him; the flames themselves were icy sickles that burnt worse than when they were aflame. “You gonna sit there all day?” a voice cried out roughly. Phoenix burst free from his temporarily iced over prison to become a blur that slid across the floor and hit the wall hard. “Ouch….” Phoenix said as he turned to look at the voice. The figure was a tall man, with long purple hair in a ponytail fashion, stretching all the way down to the base of his spine. His blue clothes were traditionally Japanese kimono, adorned with water lilies that seemed to sparkle in the icy reaches of the building. Wait….what? Phoenix blinked in surprise. Everything was ice. From the ground to the flames, it was all frozen solid.


“There’s a small opening here to the floor below. Hurry up and go through before my arms break or something.” He said through his gritted teeth, his smooth features contorted with the strain. One hand was stretched farther out, barely holding the ceiling up on that side, but it still leaned down in a half V shape. His other arm held a sword. The sword first curved inward from the hilt, to curve out and end with a sharp veer like a V as well. It was engraved with smooth lines and engravings that were unreadable. The guard had a gorgeous blue gem bound in it that seemed to shine. The sword was stuck into the vestiges of the corner of the wall, using it as leverage to hold that part of the wall from collapsing as he was pushing down on it. His muscles were bulging as a vein throbbed on the man’s forehead. “GO!” he yelled sternly, drawing his head up to glare at Phoenix with his hazelnut eyes. Phoenix could see his reflection clearly.


“Right. Thank you.” Phoenix said as he nodded. He dashed towards the opening that was now clearly visible in the vague striving lights of the overture of the city finally coming to life. He slid on the icy floor like a baseball player to home base. Falling through the opening just as the wall above him collapsed, and the second to top floor fell on top of him as well.


Suddenly, the purple-haired man appeared out of nowhere again, freezing the ceiling above, he struck at it with his unique sword, the impact making a cracking noise against the hard ice. The block shattered into a fine dust, as the ice rained down on them. The rest of the floor wasn’t as lucky. The ceiling shattered and crumbled with resounding crashes and noises as the rest of the floor was littered with the broken remnants of icy woodstock and metal bindings. The tinkling finally subsided as Phoenix took in the sight around him. It was destroyed. The fire had stopped, and the top of the building looked as if it had been sheared off, making it looks as if there was almost no work done to build those two floors that had just been massacred. There was a huge blimp passing overhead, it’s deafening noise buzzing the air.
“My name’s Jason by the way.” The purple haired man said as he walked by Phoenix, not even caring for a glance back. The cold night air was chilly as it wandered past. He walked halfway in, looking around. Then he stopped in the middle of the room, and knelt down. There were two bloody bodies, just a mere 6 feet away from each other.

One was a woman’s, only her back silky tattered clothes could be seen as she lay in a small pool of blood. The other was a man, as Jason carefully rolled him over, lying face-up, staring at the lights obscured by the flashing pulsars the floating billboards and signs exulted. Lionel was gasping in short, quick breaths. His breath was so loud and quick that Phoenix could hear it from 10 feet away. "Shaaes nnoyyee datt….” He garbled as the iron taste of blood overflowed his mouth, slapping against the floor sickeningly.

His teeth were stained a deep red. He coughed throatily as more dark blood spilled out from his mouth. He retched onto the floor, turning his head. The movement seemed to cause him pain, as the folds of his skin overlapped, showing a bullet wound and a sword entry. They were deep. The sword had pierced a lung but had not collapsed his spine or entered his heart. The chain mail must have stopped that. He’s damn lucky to survive whatever happened to him. Phoenix thought as he towered over Lionel, his clear eyes starting to water at the sight of a broken down friend. Phoenix closed his eyes. “Who did this…?” he asked to no-one in particular menacingly. The venom in his voice was quite clear. “Probably the woman. Looks as if she’s dead; or as good as dead anyway though.” Jason answered calmly as he inspected Lionel for further damage.

“Probably.” Phoenix said, glaring daggers at the unmoving female body. The pool of blood was still spreading. It seemed the ice block had hit her head on and fell on top of her before shattering and leaving hundreds of cuts and scrapes as well as shard of bloodied ice sticking out from her side. More cool wind blew across. The sirens wails were much closer now, the wavering sounds hurting his ears. They would be here any minute.
“We should go. Also, your friend here needs medical help immediately; he doesn’t even look like he’ll make it now.” Jason said furrowing his brow. He licked his lips and placed one hand under each end of Lionel. “I’m going to lift you up, but this will hurt. Bear with me please, otherwise you will die.” He told him sternly, looking Lionel directly in the eyes. Lionel’s eyes were bloodshot. A blood vessel had popped and was turning one of his eyes red from the strain of holding on to consciousness.


“Let’s hurry. The cops are getting close. But damn, they take a long time.” Phoenix said turning around to take one last look at the demolished top of the building, and the body of the felled woman. All that was left was a tattered cloth. “WHOAH. She’s gone… that’s not good…” Phoenix cried out in surprise.

Jason deftly picked Lionel up in one fluid movement. Walking over slowly, clearly weighed down by Lionel’s weight, he held him out to Phoenix. “What? Oh, um sure.” Phoenix said in mild surprise, still reeling at what he saw.

“I was only here on emergency that there was a fire and you were here. Now leave. I have some business to take care of apparently.” Jason stated, regarding Phoenix with a cool glaze. “Right…” Phoenix said.

“Take those stairs. Go to ground and flee back to The Xaya, they should be able to stabilize him. I’ll be there shortly.” He pointed with his outstretched finger as he tilted his head in the general direction.

“Got it. Take care Jason.” Phoenix said, with a lilting smile on his face. He then dashed off, his heavy footsteps making light cracks on the ice, closing the door behind him as a stray icicle fell to the floor.
“I know you’re still here. Come out.” Jason yelled, his voice echoing through the walls. “Ace told me of you. You’re not getting away. I’ll drag you back if I have to.” He turned in a full circle, his blue boots making almost no sound on the thin icy layering that covered the cold floor.

He drew his sword. The light silver metal making a schick as it cleanly slid out.
The place was eerily silent. The wind cooed through the building, even the sirens and musical blares were drowned out by a buzz of adrenaline. You will not escape me…Not after what you put Ace though… Jason thought. A skitter. Jason wheeled around slashing his sword in an arc to both deflect and attack. His sword hit air and he was left looking at empty space. A grey furry rat was nibbling on the hard ice with its overbearing white teeth near the exit door. “Just come out already…”He muttered.

“What do you mean? I’m right here.” A kick sent Jason sprawling into the door he was just looking at. It made a large sound as the ice cracked on impact, some of it hurting his skin and making it numb as light shards scraped his back. The rat fled to its haven, squeezing under the thin opening of the door. Jordan looked at him in amusement. Ohhh a new toy… she thought. Twirling her twin-bladed dagger, she slowly approached him as he shook his head and looked at her. His vehemence was nostalgic.

Jason stuck his sword into the ground and looked at the sight before him. She looked stunning. Even though her clothes were ripped, her figure was one to die for. Her face seemed to hold an almost cruel definition as she slowly swayed from side to side approaching him. Grasping the hilt of his sword firmly, his rough hands feeling little, he propelled himself forward with a thrust of speed. Dragging his sword with him as he sped up, he quickly raised it halfway before reverting to a side-slice, the air almost freezing where the tip of the sword touched, making a sparkling line of blue. Jordan side-stepped it last second, bringing her dual-edge onto the side of the blade and twisting it. Twirling around like a ballerina, she drove Jason’s Sword to the ground razed her blade across his back.

Jason cried out in pain. Before gritting his teeth and bringing his blade in an arc behind him. Jordan deflected it with ease, catching it in her twin-bladed sword and twisting it one again to bring Jason’s sword down near her feet. “oh crap…” he said as he over-extended and leaned too far forward.

Taking advantage of the instep, Jordan smiled, her face seemingly lightening up the room. “That was careless. Try harder.” She said mockingly as she quickly rabbit stabbed him in the left thigh.”Aghhh!” Jason cried out in pain, as it hit him in waves of agony. Her blades were covered with alcohol. It burned. Ohk, this burns…omigosh dammit… He thought as he struggled to get upright again.

Jordan lunged at him with a dual blade, kicking his out of his hand, she stabbed at his heart. Jason picked up a stray piece of ice and hit the sword to the side before tackling Jordan headfirst. He got up and ducked, taking Jordan with him as he raged forward. Then he suddenly stopped and threw her onto the floor, as she slid cleanly across as a tangled mess.
Rolling over, Jordan managed to stand. Jason walked back and picked up his sword. Then he broke into sprint. His eyes focused only on Jordan. When he was six feet away, he suddenly lashed out at a pipe, spraying cold shivering water everywhere. Jordan out of instinct reared back, and Jason found an opening. And this is the end. He thought. He threw his entire being into one strike aimed for her ribcage. Then, she fell out of the window.

Jordan put her hands out to avoid the spraying water. Damn that man… she thought. Feeling behind her, she noticed the window. It’s my only chance at the moment. Closing her beautiful eyes, She let herself fall backwards.

Then, grabbing onto the ledge of the windowsill below, she smashed through the window with her slender legs before Jason even could see outside above.
“Dammit!” Jason yelled as he pounded the windowsill. She had disappeared. How did she do that…? He thought. Walking back to the center of the room, where the water was in a large puddle at his feet he calmed himself down while counting to 100. One, two ,three…

Jordan landed on the floor below with one leg outstretched and the other right below her. Her straight hair swaying in the breeze's aftermath, she slowly righted herself, standing to full position. she glanced back towards the broken window and blew a stray strand of hair out of her face. "He's gonna get it now..." She said as she took out an object from her right pocket.

Jordan found a door to the floor above. She quickly darted up the stairs and kicked open the door. Jason turned and looked, his head almost snapping off from the speed.


Jordan held out a grenade. “oh. Um. Well. Not cool.” Jason said eyeing the device.
It was plain and green and hatched all over with a tin pin at the top. Such weak and old grenades weren’t seen much anymore. The new ones gave more of a bang. But this one could still kill. Loudly. She threw it into the middle the room. Yanking out the pin with her teeth and having it stick out as she smiled sweetly. “Sorryyy~” she said waving.

“Hate you so much right now.” Jason said mid-step. There was only one thing he could do. His mind quickly calculated this off of instinct.

The bomb exploded. Shards of ice flew everywhere. The timing was off, it had blown early. Jordan was caught in the loud fiery blast. She flew backward, hitting the railing and grabbing on to it with both hands behind her to stop her dizziness. The pole indented her back with marks of pain, as she let the flood gates of sleep take her.


A dark black Raven flew down. As if it had a mind of its own, it glided lazily over To Jordan, waking her from her induced stupor. A single feather fell in its wake. ” Oh hello… Kat…” Jordan said almost mourning.

She slowly let herself off of the bar supports from the emergency side stairwell and walked unsteadily to the door that was already unhinged. Pushing it open, she walked and beheld the site in front of her. The SWAT teams were finally here. Only it wasn't the SWAT team.

Chapter 4: Edifice


The man in the black trench coat, with his magician like top hat branded by a red stripe laminating from all the black; waved his Rapier in several different directions, a maestro of a symphony that is unknown but to the orchestra itself. The chaos he directed was men in blue and black uniforms, striped in a diagonal line across their back, wearing clear visors with black lining on the eyes. They marched silently, with a riot shield and a shiny silver handgun pistol in each hand respectively. Their hands were also covered with thick but flexible blue gloves, the fingers wrapped tightly across the object they held. Who are these people…? Jordan though, holding her right arm in an embrace to quell the light pain underneath from the fall. “Wow…” she said in a low whisper, awed by the organization and effectiveness of the group. They cleaned, inspected, and took samples of almost everything in utter silence.

Soundlessly, the man with the coat turned on his heels, snapping his head back at the soft noise of the faint whisper. He was still masked in the shadow with the pouring rain. Jordan just noticed she felt extremely cold, drenched in rain. Damn, he sees me…So what? But what does he want and who is he and these people?

The man lowered his golden hinted Rapier. The hilt was truly intricate. The designs were so deep that it could be seen even from 6 feet away. The celestial traditional Chinese dragon curled upward from the handle grip, its mouth breathing contorting flames that seemed to move as the flames contoured up to finish the hilt and connect to the guard to form an outer hand guard. He took a step forward, his interlaced leather boots making a soft squish on the rain casing the ground. Tilting his head slightly backwards to glance at the men behind him, he jerked his head in the other direction, silently telling the others to complete their work, and turned his shadowy head back to Jordan. But she was no longer there.

He saw me…He’s coming for me… Jordan dived down the stairs. She had seen a glimpse of the man’s eyes. They were not human. The red soft glow they exuded shone black around it, before they receded to darkness again to mask his features within the dark. Jordan quickly spotted her dual knife on the ground of the staircase. Its shape was simply a v, and then angled straight out to make two blades that left an opening down the middle. It was gleaming in the downpour. “It’s nice that you’re alright…” she softly said to herself, walking down the steps, only the knife filling her vision.

The knife was gone, replaced by a sense of misplaced direction and a staircase flipped. She had been thrown upside down from the side of the stairs, straight down to the next flight’s top. “Aghhh” She screamed as she hit the floor step with a loud CrAcK. Pain exploded in her back, as she saw stars dancing in her vision.

Jordan rolled slightly to the right, trying to ease the pain in her back. She hadn't fallen far, but the suddenness made it seem worse. The lights of pain filled her vision, as tears began to fill her eyes. She grit her white teeth enough to make a scraping sound, before slowly trying to get up. This…hurts a bit…what happened? I just…fell… She thought as she groped for a railing. Her pale hands, not finding a railing, laid palm flat against the wooden wall right behind her, her slim fingers finding a crack to hold onto. Grunting softly, she used it to help herself up as leverage, her other hand holding her side as her legs trembled from the momentary shock.

A rattling breath, made the very air chilling. Jordan looked up, one eye squinting at her attacker. The Man with the magician’s hat stood before her, menacingly. His Rapier was sheathed, and his trench coat was flailing about in the wind aimlessly. “Kat…where did you go…?” she whispered softly, knowing in her heart that she could not hear her. This Man exuded a profound laceration of fear. Even the rats scurrying about retreated at his slow approach. He instilled a longing to run. To hide. To survive.

“Who are you…?” Jordan asked a little louder, hoping her stance would make up for what she hoped sounded strong. He held up a strange yellowed card, it had appeared out of thin air into his gloved hands. He traipsed into a slight bow, one leg behind the other, and threw the card with a slight flick of his wrist.

Jordan gasped as she raised her blade from battle instinct. The card lodged itself into the tip of the blade. It quivered there for a moment before laying still. Hesitating, Jordan unstuck it from her sword. That…wow…. “That was close…” She murmured as she held the card to read before the rain washed away the ink.

The card had the image of a red dressed stereotypical magician waving a wand about in his two-tailed coat. Only where his head would be was a malformed skull with devil horns protruding headily from it, curving dangerously like an ox, eyes aflame. The top left and bottom right corners were marked with an intricate M, as the word “The Magician” was scrawled neatly down the middle in elaborate cursive.

“The Magician…? What?” She said squinting in confusion. Droplets of water rolled down her forehead to smoothly glide down over her soft cheek. Then it hung off of her chin, suspended in animation, until it finally fell. The Magician was in front of her before the droplet hit the floor. His face was still masked by unnatural shadows that seemed to cling to him like a sickness. Wha... How did he move that fast? With inhuman speed, the lithe Magician sprung out his right foot, catching Jordan in the ribs. She could feel her ribs being bent to the limit. “ackhhhhhhh” she tried to yell in pain, but the air was knocked right out.

She plummeted down the next flight of stairs, missing most of them before tumbling down the last three; rolling in circles until she came to a stop at the foot of the hall. “oouuuchh…~” she moaned as she slowly rolled herself up. Her knuckles were white from grasping the sword so tightly. Loosening her grip, she thrust herself upward, just knowing that he was there. He was. She swing her blade straight for him, He didn't even have his Rapier out. Got you now…

She hit him head on. The sword sank deep into his chest. The Magician looked down slowly, as If contemplating what had happened. Umm….Ok…Now What? Jordan thought exasperatedly as The Magician tilted his head back towards her. He slowly grasped the sword in him, and yanked. The blade came free with a sickening crunch of shattered bone and excess blood fluidly running out from his gaping wound. A clicking noise started as he cracked his neck to one side and back. She saw a flash of teeth; then, a knee crashed into her lower abdomen. Her body was in a fireworks display of pain now. Oh Crap…What the hell…he should be dead… The Magician elbowed her in the back hard, holding in his knee to make sure she didn’t fall. Then, he raised her lowered half of her limp body up and threw a heavy punch at her chest. The blow rippled through Jordan with a thump. It sent her flying through the thin cardboard to the adjacent floor. I….Can’t… She thought faintly, already losing consciousness. I’m not going to die against some Magician idiot. At least I can do more. In a surprising rage, Jordan tightened her grip on reality. She would not allow herself to slip into dreams yet. Rolling backwards, she leaped up and sprinted towards The Magician. The Magician was already slowly walking and was halfway to her when she started. He halted and drew his Rapier quickly, the swish of metal from leather prominent from his long strides.

Jordan rammed into him, her dual blade clashing with his silver Rapier. Up close, the hilt was even more beautiful, and the blade itself had engravings that were indiscernible. It looked like a katana blade except at the tip; it looked like it had been sheared off at a downward angle, making it slightly shorter, but sharper. Jordan knew his speed. She also knew it wasn't reliant on any power, it was natural. She couldn’t sense any ability to steal anything. Damn…I’m probably going to die here… The Magician with a burst of strength broke the lapse by swinging both swords upwards, and then bringing his blade from the side, swung full force. Jordan just barely blocked it, the blow leaving her entire right arm tingling.

Cursing, Jordan heaved the stress point up back to the middle of them both. One trick left… She thought spotting the window behind her. They were still 90-some stories up. She let her legs collapse. The Magician, surprised at the sudden change in force, staggered forward, allowing Jordan to sweep her legs in a circular arc, tumbling the foe. He fell forward as Jordan’s blade found her mark. Twisting like a snake, Jordan stabbed The Magician in the back, the force when he landed on the windowsill, and being pushed by a blade was just enough to send him over. A soft swish and he toppled quietly over the edifice.

Jordan limped to the edge, looking down at the city; she saw his hat falling slowly down, as if not a care in the world. The Magician had already fallen. It’s…over…after so long…how…why was it so hard? She thought mournfully as she turned around.


The blade stuck fast into her lower stomach. Jordan’s eyes widened. The blade burned, as ancient words filled her mind, clouding her vision. The Magician was standing there, his Rapier inside of her. “hwowwdfbofhu” She garbled as blood gurgled from her mouth.

He lifted her using the sword as a lever and pinned her against the wall. The ancient words flowing through her, and the glowing of the inscriptions on his blade kept her from being able to do anything. No….. She thought, helplessly flailing about.

He let go of his rapier. It rattled making a ringing noise, waving up and down like a flagpole. Taking out two short blades from his sleeve, he twirled the black swords around elegantly;making them a blur; before suddenly lunging forward with an instep and piercing them into her right leg and left arm forcefully. AHHGGHHH Jordan opened her mouth to scream, but The Magician elbowed her in the neck as she opened her mouth, the veins bulging. She was cut off before she started. The blood flowed freely, as darkness ate at the edges of her vision. Goodbye…World… Then the world melted into black like an oil painting as Jordan lost herself to the dreams.

Chapter 5 : Cat

Schrödinger unloaded his materials. The heavy navy blue duffel bag he carried with him was a burden, but a needed one. The Tötung Geschwader was monitoring him, and so Schrödinger had to use his powers sparingly for fear of being detected. Such a pain…Idiotic Nazis… Schrödinger thought as he bustled into a courtyard, his deep black eyes bright with excitement; “Harvard College” it read on the billboard. “This should do then…” He muttered to himself as countless students slunk around him, getting to class and their significant other.

Schrödinger’s brown coat fluttered in the dying wind as he held his felt brown bowler hat against the gale to wrest himself inside. The college looked enormous from the outside, and from what he had heard, its campus was huge. The college students flitted away; I wish I was just a little younger… He thought mourning as a group of females with frizzy hair passed by him, without even giving him a second glance.

“1914 already… the times seem to go by so fast and yet I am but 28 years of age…haha…” Schrödinger sadly said mockingly, shaking his round head meekly.

Schrödinger walked into the commons of the College. No-one was even supposed to know he was here anyway; it was for the shortest time imaginable. Walking at a brisk pace, his brown tweed pants rustling with each footstep, the faint smell of pizza wafted over to him. Its pungent odor was making him hungry. Later…later… He thought, quickening his pace. Taking the wooden stairs up to the top floor, he turned and went into the last door on the hall to the right. The brass handle gleamed in the window adjacent, and the mahogany door was breached only by a small crumpled note, scrawled in haste.

It’s [the room] unlocked; Key on table; Teaching Schedule is 9:30-11:30 AM Physics, and 3-6 PM Quantum Mechanics for now. Enjoy your stay, Mr. Schrödinger. P.S.; Our lounge right below your room on the second to top floor. ~Jamie Khavhoch.

How nice. Schrödinger thought as he glanced around quickly. The whole section of this floor seemed empty. His breathing echoed around the desolate floor, covered with reddening brown tiles. The leaves rustled outside through the slightly cracked window pane behind him. He wiped his right palm on his shirts tail, his other hand holding his duffel bag swinging lightly. He snaked his hand out and grasped the handle, softly turning it to the right; it made a slight squeaking noise before vouchsafed with ease.

The room was dark; it seemed as if even the shadows were sifting. Schrödinger reached out for a light switch, groping around the peeling rough walls. The paint came off crumbling as he dragged his hands near the side of the door trying to find the flip switch. Where is that damned thing…

A sharp pain hit him in the lower gut. It inserted itself precisely into his abdomen, and twisted. Schrödinger dropped his bag. It made a soft thump as it hit the floor. What the hell; damn; I have been... hurt? Schrödinger quickly brought his hands down on the point of pain, and hit an arm in the darkness. It felt strong and muscular. Schrödinger punched at where the assailant’s body should roughly be. He let out a soft grunt as he hit nothing but air. His attacker was ducked or was slightly too far. Well then. Only one thing for it. Schrödinger gritted his teeth and grabbed the limb that was holding the knife tightly in a deathly grip. Sucking in air, filling his lungs to burning point. stepping back, he pulled while going into the dim light. The arm refused to budge. Schrödinger pulled his elbows in and finally started dragging the assailant. Inch by inch with dogged persistence, his strength ebbing by the second. Then with a final cry of strength, he hurled the attacker in a 360, hearing a resounding thump as something hit the door-frame mid swing. He swung the figure out into the open, the strain showing in his eyes. The bleeding was quickening.

“You’re stronger than you look.” A gruff voice said. Schrödinger’s eyes widened a fraction. His knuckles were turning white. The man was wearing a jagged white hat, it went up in a misshapen triangle, and ended with a small bill. His clothes too were white, with 2 black stripes running down the middle and his left side. Pants were gleaming white, and seemed to be of no particular fabric known to Schrödinger.

“How much longer do you think you can hold out? The blade is laced with a slight narcotic you know. I’m supposed to bring you in alive.” He chuckled lightly, “But dead is fine if there is no other option. “The man said with a slight grin on his face. His features were that of an American, with slight german-asian qualities, namely the eyes and eyebrows. His eyes were startling blue and clear; cold without remorse and his eyebrows in a slight curved arch.

“Indeed. How long can I? Time is a perception. It does not exist. It is only a human concept created to be in relevance with something else. If there is nothing to compare it to; then time is simply… non-existent.” Schrödinger stated calmly, unperturbed by the situation. He lowered his eyelids a fraction, concentrating as he shifted forward. The knife pained him greatly and he was starting to feel woozy. I can do this. Nothing to it.

Schrödinger felt a small pinpoint of warmth in his being. Right over his heart. The spot was growing agonizingly slow. He needed it to go faster. Stronger. Better. “Well, this is not looking good is it?” Schrödinger said, slightly out of breath.

“Not at all.” He said, glancing at Schrödinger up and down. Both of their arms were still intertwined on the black wooden knife handle, “However, just for you information; I know of your power and all it entails. I also know how incompetent you are. With your power, it is only natural that you should not have mastered it yet. That however, is a sad fact for you, as it is part of your downfall and weakness. I could tell you why I am saying this. I will. Well, call it both gloating and a need to get some bragging out in case you seem to be wondering. I need to be silent back at The Tötung Geschwader, abnormally so. You will be there soon as well anyway, so don’t worry.” The man said with a wider smile, digging his white boots into the tiled floor so he wouldn't slide.

The man twisted the knife cruelly, resisting Schrödinger’s slightly sweaty grip. “aghhh…well…how saddening then…that I won’t be coming…” Schrödinger said with one eye closed from the pain. He felt the warmth from his heart rise, flowing through him like a stream of water. Not thinking, he let go of the knife handle and the other man’s hands and raised them both quickly at him.

“Sorry…” Schrödinger gasped out as he let out a flare.

It was like a haze erupting from his palms. The energy traveled quickly, distorting the air. The man’s eyes widened in fear as he jerked his head away in a quick moment. But it was too late. The man’s hat fell off exposing his almost shaved head. The distortion grazed him on the side of his skull and dissipated as it neared the other side of the empty hall. It rippled out of the air like a pebble in a pond.

Schrödinger raised his eyes to the man. He was staring right back, looking sideways at him with a glare; his blue eyes were wide in terrible anger and he radiated madness. His right side was facing him. The knife was in his hand. Slick with his dark red blood, it dripped slowly onto the white floor. Schrödinger was frozen. That is all? I am most certainly going to lose here then if that did nothing… Might as well just curl up and die here...

Then the man turned to fully face him. Schrödinger gasped at the atrocity. A fraction if his skull was missing. His brain was clearly visible through the dome that had been his full skull. The hole was neat and clean. Shaped like a perfect circle, no larger than an apple. It seemed the flesh had simply disappeared without a trace. Some bone showed beneath the veneer of skin that surrounded it. Blood oozed down from the wound, covering his once pristine white suit in lines of red beads. His eyes started to glaze over as he seemed to stare past him. “You…Bastard…” He mumbled out.

He took a staggering step towards Schrödinger, his head racketeering as it tilted to one side so the blood would not rush all out of his head. He raised his hand out as if to touch something far away. He tried to say something, but his mouth did not make an words; it just gaped wide as he tried to form words. A tear rolled down his cheek. It hung as if defying gravity for but a moment; before dropping slowly, hitting the floor silently. His face was as white as snow. He crumpled to the floor with a soft thud, as Schrödinger gazed silently at him. He was in shock. The world was reeling as he realized he had both used his insane power, touching the tip of the iceberg, but had also killed a man...

Jordan watched from the window as the scene unfolded before her. Schrödinger was inefficient. But he’s dangerous…I came to do a job. I’m… sorry…Father.

Walking A Road To Nowhere; No Destination, No Thoughts;
Just Walking For The Sake Of The Journey;
The Cause Long Lost. And Meaning Forever Gone.