Of Trials and Peace (Open)

[Darkrider]

(OOC: And so, with my relative absence, on both posting and the boards as a whole, I'm back. Made a promise to Lighter that I'll get things started between that last dead thread again this weekend, when all the test crap school threw at us was over. So, here I am, and without further ado, the continuation.)

The armored man stumbled his way back into the assassins town, looks of tire, annoyance, and grumpiness very apparent on his face. The encounter between him and his furture boss left marks and bruises, on his person at least. He found a nearby bench and sat down, his head hung in utter hopelessness. Even in the smallest of things, he could not find peace, he could not find a place in which to stop and catch his breath.

In a few short, brutal minutes, he had made the worst decisions of his life. And he had no idea on how to get himself out the crater he dug himself in...

He stood up, and walked towards his quarters within the main building. His thoughts began to stray. With this trial over, he would either be killed or kicked out. Or, by some amazing act, he would pass. Either way, he was sure he wouldn't be staying here for long. If he failed, he would be back to his hometown, and starting another life, and if he passed, then he would probably be sent on some assasssination mission or other. He looked around.

Stepping into his complex, the apartment was decent. Within was a small cooking area, a table, a bathroom, a guest room, and a spacious bedroom, complete with compartments for all his clothing, armor, and guns. A few windows gave a view to a sunny outside of the town center, plaza, the walls, and the forests beyond. The door had a painted steel look to it, while the walls were all white.

Better than the standard quarters back home. Kent thought. Then again, this isn't military I'm dealing with here. Nice to know there are some benefits to this.

It made leaving seem all the more difficult. It annoyed him. It was as if either outcome would make him miss something. Pushing these jaded thoughts aside, he made his way back to the plaza, expecting his employer. His eyes were looking in all possible directions, his mind thinking about all possibilities of attack, lest his boss decide to continue this stupid game of cat and mouse...

[The Silent Fourteen]

Darklighter sat with his feet up on his desk, sharpening his knife. He glanced out his window and saw somebody who obviously didn't belong stroll through the central plaza. Lighter sighed, stood up, and grabbed the rifle from the corner. He pulled on his balaclava, and prepared for a lovely little came of cat and mouse.

Lighter was back. A little rusty after taking an administrative leave, but ready to go. This, he thought, is going to be fun.

[Darkrider]

From what he saw, the ceiling held a few air vents, a vulnerable point. The windows seemed bulletproof, but probably not reinforced, and the doorway was straightforward enough, being high enough to let a snake cam in. Corners in the building were few, providing little hiding from the lights. Best chance for a break in would proabably be a snake cam check, followed by an EMP blast, and then a quick scan to take out all occupants.

It wouldn't matter anyways. From what he knew of his boss, he would probably choose to screw around with him some more. Knowing this, it probably wouldn't make a difference if he just sat and waited.

A few minutes later, a lone figure sat in a chair facing the window, a look of calm displayed across the man's face, and a figure that stood as still as time...

Meanwhile, a new face stepped at the 100 meter mark oustide the city limits, his eyes surveying briefly to what he percieved to be an oasis of hope, a town seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Finally, he could set down that briefcase of his and perhaps stay awhile. Maybe even get a job. He continued to saunter forward, seemingly oblivious to the dark surroundings about him.

[The Silent Fourteen]

Jericho crawled out of his window and moved up a ladder to the rooftop of the building. From there, he sighted in his rifle, and started looking for Kent.

Slowly, and methodically, he scanned the area with his hi-power scope. Sudden, he noticed a man casually stroll through the front gates. With a grin, he squeezed the trigger. The bullet screamed past the new comer's head and obliterated a tree a few meters behind.

Who the hell is that...

[Darkrider]

A loud shot betrayed the sound of a sniper rile, as well as the disappearance of a tree not 5 meters behind Azure, who turned around and backed up in a frantic pace.

Inwardly, Azure's mind became filled with obscenities as he took cover in the nearby foliage. The town was definetly not friendly. Hopefully he could escape for his life if he would be careful enough...

Meanwhile, the echos rumbled throughout Kent's small apartement, to which a shadow moved. The image soon gave way to the actual person. Seeing as how there weren't any bullet holes near the holographic projection of himself sitting on the chair near the window, perhaps there was another target.

A foolish spy? Unlucky if it was. Scavengers? Probably not, the location here was too obscure. Animals? Even more unlikely; there weren't worth ammunition that would have been loosed upon them.

The event made Kent curious, but he still had a priority to avoid his employer if Darklighter simply chose to engage two targets at once. The assassin quietly slipped onto the local roof, using his visor to scan around the small hamlet, when he spotted a lone figure taking cover from the sniper round, a fragmented tree a few meters to the man's left. Kent zoomed in on the man's facial profile, then stopped in sudden realization.

An armored finger shot to Kent's earpiece in communication to Darklighter.

"Jericho! Cease fire! I think I know this guy; he's family, and I ran into him from time to time during my Stamarian days!"

Kent jumped down a few levels and wove through several buildings until he was toward the entrance to the town to his cousin, who saw his relative materialize out of thin air.

"Kent! What in the hell are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same of you Azure. I left the Stamarian military, and managed to find a job here."

"That much is evident. I was actually trying to find a job too. Your cohorts nearly shot me, by the way."

"I heard."

The cousins shared a laugh.