Immortal's Club - Game Thread. Arc Five : Winter Soldier (Started, Open)

[Mr.Ivebeenframed]

Ali arrived at the hotel which was fine enough on such short notice. She remembered the inns in Paris being better kept than this but she didn't want to bring up any negativity. She walked inside as the bellboys grabbed their luggage and scanned the interior, wondering what to do in the meantime. Then she spotted a bar in the far corner of the lobby. A familiar smile flickered on her face before she looked back to the concierge's desk.

"Ali!" A familiar voice called out and Ali saw Idun approach her. "Do you have someone to bunk with you?"

"I'm assuming you don't, my dear." Ali flashed her a friendly smile. "I would to bunk with you, love. Let me just get the keys."

Ali approached the desk and even though the concierge gaped at Ali's looks, a key was given to her and she was on her way. "We have our keys! Fifth floor, seventh room. I heard the view is quite nice..."

"Excellent, Ali!" Idun draped an arm over Ali's shoulder as they made their way up. "I'm very much looking forward to our stay.."

"As am I, Idun." Ali said pleasantly before she turned her head at a sharp noise of a bag falling over. She recognized the bag as her and Ali was off. She handed Idun the keys. "I'll meet you upstairs, dear!"

Ali went over to the fallen back. The lobby boy was apologizing quite loudly and nervously in Spanish then English as Ali drifted to her bag. She opened her bag then gave a sigh of relief before closing the bag. She looked over to the silent lobby boys.

"This bag means a lot to me. Please deliver it safely." Ali pleasently said as she tipped the both of them. Ali began walking back to the stairs before the clinking of glasses attracted her to the bar. The wide selection of drinks surprised her so she picked the most exotic one and proceeded to make her way up to her room.

 

[TheIronRuler]

Spoiler

Foreshadowing much?

Talin, Soviet Republic of Estonia

The baltic sea sent a cruel spirit down the docks, sending shivers down the masked man's back. He had spent the last year working off a debt, and every day that went by was another he could never get back. Thoughts rumbled through his head of betrayal and failure, but he quickly put them aside for the encounter to come. The back of his cloack moved with the wind, but it seemed to the trained eye that it moved on its own as well - as if something inside had a mind of their own.

Further down the docks was the boat the monkey had tracked down, the only connection he could find back to the ripper. Everything else lead to a dead end of just another clue, and he had been lead on by th enose for too many times. Tonight had to be the nightto end this farce. Sun approached the boat carefully, the small one sail skipper moving slowly with the rythem of the waves. He circled the wooden floor, looking for a better way to approach the boat. It didn't really matter in the end, this one was probably another dead end.

A muffled scream went from below decks, and Sun's ears popped up at the sound of a feminine vry for help. He threw up his cane in one hand and turned it around, giving it a few spins and checking to see if it was still functional. The staff shook on its own, its length changing erratically. A slick smile in the dark, a row of white teeth, it stared at his from inside with two big blue eyes.

Sun charged forward with his cane, expecting to have his hard work come to fruition. He stumbled upon the body of a young woman, viciously stabbed to death, a small incision in her back hastily done. From the corner of his eye he could see a figure standing, its face and hands bloody, nibbling on something frantically. He turned sideways and his eyes widened, the sight of Jack munching on a kidney sending spears of pain down his spine. He should have been too old to feel scared, but his old instincts betrayed him yet again.

'You're a hard man to find', was all the monkey could muster, his voice trembling with surprise.

'As intended', the cold victorian accent responded swiftly.

'Put that down', the monkey demanded.

'Piss off', the surgeon so eloquently responded.

'I'll have to do it for you, then', the monkey declared, pulling off his cloack and tossed it at the ripper. His tail was set free, the long abnormality happily swinging from side to side. He hend the cane with both hands and watched it expand, aimed it at the ripper and sent it flying forward.

He heard a loud snap, and the window in fornt of him broke to pieces. The ripper was gone from the room, having climbed to the upper deck through the windows, unfazed by the monkey's distraction. Sun Wukong turned back to the stairs and started up, his heart racing and his hands sweating, all of his body waiting for the final showdown. He was supposed to get the knife, not jack, but he wasn't going to miss an opportunity to get the bastard.

His confidence was shattered along with his collarbone, and the following three stabs in the chest sent him spiraling down to the ground in a fit of panic. The knife was real, he could really feel it, he could really feel the pain and it refused to go away.

'Jumpy little monkey, aren't you?', Jack went down the stairs, Sun struggling up to his knees. He kicked the downed assailant in the mouth, his body sent back with a spasm of pain. Monkey was laying on his back, blood pouring from his chest, his face already starting to heal.

'Don't kill me', he pleaded, 'I owed him, I had to', he mumbled, tears streaming down his cheeks.

'You're funny', Jack's cackle was sickengly enveloping the entire room, 'I can't kill you even if I wanted to. Nothing can really kill us'. He spun the knife around, the strange artefact glistening in the moonlight coming from the smashed window outside. A sense of strange relief was beginning to set in Sun's mind. Jack walked around the downed immortal, stood by his side and bent down. He grabbed his wiggling tail with one hand and lifted the knife over it.

'I always hated that thing', he smiled again, blood smeared on his face, pieces of flesh stuck between his teeth, 'Made you special, you fucking *****'. A quick snap, and the tail was gone, dead, limp, tossed to the side. Monkey never had enough time to scream - Jack was alreayd on top of him, one hand covering his mouth, the other stabbing him again and again.

'Hurts, doesn't it?', he hissed through his teeth, 'Makes you feel alive, not like setting in your own filth for two hundred years'.

'Please...', monkey tried to speak but nothing came out, only a bloody gurgle.

'Who sent you? Was it the Spice Merchant, that sodding banker? He won't get that knife for all the money in the world, I told him', Jack uncurled his hand away from Monkey's mouth. A low grunt followed by a scream was cut short by another stab at the immortal's groin. 'Behave or I cut your other tail off'.

'T-Tut, the prince-', monkey blabbered, '-of Egypt, I know the bastard. Not dead like they say, huh? He wanted me in on the job, then send me back to my cell. Piss on that'.

'Tell him the ripper has a new owner now. The Soviets need a lot of killing done, and I'm the right man for the job'. Jack looked for the severed tail, then raised it up to the light for monkey to see. He took a small bite off the end of it, turning the hard meat in his mouth with his tongue. 'Tastes like it smells... but I'm not eating it for the taste . Go on, you bleedin' chinamen, Watch me finish it'.

An hour later

Sun Wukong was lying in a broken skipper, covered in blood, slowly bleeding to death. Was it really death that awaited him on the other end? He couldn't tell. He didn't really care. His employer sent him to face the fucking grim ripper. A weak smile flashed across his face, 'Grim isn't half as bad'...

His stub of a tail snapped from side to side, meekly looking for a comfortable position, still shocked it was severed near its head. If he made it out, Sun knew what he would do. He knew how he will repay that ripper, and make a visit to the man who sent him on his mission. After all he went through, some questions can't be left unanswered.

 

[JoJo]

Some time later, Cadeyrn awoke to the light of dawn filtering through his room's blinds. He groaned and turned over to see Lilith walking out of the shower, a towel causally wrapped around her hips, her body naked from the waist up. She grinned when she saw him looking at her and sat down on the bed next to him.

"Sleep well Cad?" she asked cheerily.

"Eh, I guess," he shrugged, unable to tear his eyes away from her bare breasts hanging like ripened fruit in front of him. She saw his curious gaze and laughed, ruffling his hair with her fingers.

"You boys are all the same, wait until you're older,"

"I won't get older," Cadeyrn replied unhappily. Lilith patted him on the head sympathetically.

"I think you need a bath young man, it's been days I imagine,"

Cadeyrn sighed and went to get washed, thirty minutes later he emerged with a mop of wet hair, a new change of clothing and a growling stomach. Lilith was already gone so he made his way downstairs to the breakfast tables and started piling up a plate of food, bacons and eggs sharing space with waffles covered syrup. He ignored the vegetables and what looked like wraps before tucking in ravenously, the concierge from the previous day watching him with a distasteful glare. Once Cadeyrn had finished he deliberately spilt his drink over the table so the man would have more work and then went to look around for any other immortals who were up at this time.

After wandering around for a while he came across the hotel pool, shimmering and almost empty in the morning's light. A small grin came to the boy's face, he had an idea.

 

[TheIronRuler]

American-Mexican Border

Spoiler

'Tell me where they're at'.

He cocked the revolver, pulling back the cold hammer to the end, hearing it click in its place. The gun was a two-action piece, but Ben just loved pulling the hammer back for increasing the tension.

'Please.. please... I don't know...'.

He had been saying that for the last twenty minutes, despite Jerry's delightfully vicious encouragements.

'Fucking Beaner', Jerry hissed between his teeth, letting another fist go at the back of his head, sending him sprawling on the scortching desert soil. He held the prisoner by his collar and hoisted him up on his feet, kicked the back of his knees and swept him right off his feet and back on his knees.

'Stop begging and tell me where they're at'. Ben had tried being nice with the locals, he really did, but the last few days had been getting on his nerves. First they were sent here on some hush-hush mission not even authorized by the bleedin' budget, as if they only answer to their direct boss and not to the CIA protocols. Then they were told to keep their mouths shut or they might just get pinned for being communists. Jerry wasn't amused by that. He had a Russian heritage.

'I told you everything... The building was on fire, and the body, it was just in the entrance, away from the flames'. The prisoner was wearing dirty clothes, the same he had been in for the past week. His eyes were blind-folded, his hands cuffed with iron in front of him.

'How the fuck did he get outside, where none of the evidence burned up?'. Ben was running out of patience. They were both interrogating the greasy bastard for too long. He obviously didn't know more than what he had already told them.

'I don't know... It all burned down, the whole motel, and there was nothing left. He was just there, for everyone to see...'.

'We need names. Who was he with? '. Jerry was putting on his brass knuckles, just for the laughs.

'I t-told you... The Ceutan... H-He's the foreigner... The Ceutan...', he kept repeating the same name, his voice shriveling into a string of sniffs and gurgles. He was already trembling, probably past giving straight answers in an interrogation. It was high time to end that farce of a questioning. Jerry walked up in front of him and untied his blindfold. The man blinked once, twice, then laid his eyes on the CIA agent.

'If this is all you got, we're sorry about the trouble, so we have to let you go... but since you've seen our faces...'. Ben had the most awful grin on his face, two sharp eyes and a bloodthirsty expression.

'...and now we have to kill you, you fucking beaner'.

Bang.

'What's next?', Jerry asked Ben, glancing down at the dead body under his feet.

'We bury the fucker', Ben shot back, 'Then we get down south. Look for this "Ceutan" character'.

Jerry tsked with his tounge, holding up his finger and moving it slowly.

'You kill 'em, you bury 'em. I'll get you the shovel'.

Ben grumbled angrily, yet he couldn't really say anything back. He knew his partner was right.

'If you're that upset about it, don't kill him the next time'.

Both of them looked down at the dead contact, a sick grin spreading on their faces. There won't ever be a next time for him.

Tijuana, Two weeks ago

'What the hell are you doing?', Emil was screaming his lungs out. The motel room was catching fire, the whole load of drugs going up in flames with it. The Ceutan had just finished dowsing the place with gasoline and lighting it up on fire. He looked back at the young man and nodded. 'What...I...Lets just get back!', he shouted in frustration.

'One last thing', Mahmod whispered. He went under the body of the gringo, grabbed it and hoisted it up in the air. The two walked side by side, Emil stealing glances at the dead body on top of the Ceutan, too scared to even ask. It was only when they left the building that Emil got the courage to confront the Ceutan, which was when he let the body go flopping to the ground.

'There, all done', Mahmod spat on the dirt near the dead body, 'Lets get back to Papa Montezeno '.

 

[Baddamobs]

Screecher's morning did not start off well.

It may have done with, when grabbing 'a drink or a bite to eat?' with Shanna, Screecher may have been a little...over zealous, with the drinking part. For the last few years of solitude from the club, Screecher had tried to lay off the drinks a little, in an attempt to keep her mind at least somewhat clear. So when the opportunity arose to let loose a little, the ex-bird had...

Well, the bar was going to need restocking with shots, considering at one or two bottles were now empty. The fact shot glasses had never been involved at any point last night at any point had been a great cause for concern for the staff.

Screecher grumbled, her head aching slightly as she groggily brushed her teeth, her hair resembling a birds nest (...) and the rings under eyes even worse. She knew her Immortal body would clear up the hang over quickly, and by the time she trudged down stairs, it would mostly cleared up, but damn if it wasn't inconvenient now. She couldn't even remember what she had talked with Shanna about: for all she knew, she could have loudly announced, in a room full of mortals, about their trip to Athens, or how stupid the idea of human flight was. She would have to ask the other Immortal at the first chance she got.

Screecher (eventually) emerged from the bathroom, stretching as she did so, gentle rolling her shoulders. Without even checking if her companion was even awake, she pulled the curtains wide open, and loudly announced:

"Morning!"

Shanna grumbled and swatted at their unforgivably perky roommate, rolling over to distance their eyes from the blinding light.
Rue: "This country is bullshit. Too hot at night, too hot during the day, and not enough booze to deal with any of it."

"I don't know about the booze part: those shots bottles we downed seemed to do the trick for me." Screecher frowned slightly. The other Immortal always did have a higher threshold then her, much to her annoyance and injured pride.

"Can you even remember what we talked about last night?" Screecher resettled on her bed, sitting across from the still half-asleep Immortal. "I can remember getting something to eat, and the rest is just a haze."

Shanna cracked one eye open and took in the scene. ?A bunch of stuff about what we've been doing for the past few years, talks about rebellion, technology, politics, and the usual filler I suppose. We talked about activism and rights movements, that Lutheran fellow?? Shanna wracked their brain, struggling through haze.

?I think we made a drinking game out of how many people came and hit on us??

"Ahhhh, so that's why I felt particularly happy this morning." Screecher grinned slightly, casting her mind back. "Now it's coming back. I think we had a rule where if we heard a line twice, we had to guzzle the drinks. Thankfully, originality seemed low on people's list."
Another memory flashed back, and her grin turned thoughtful, and a little remorseful. "Though, I regret starting a drinking contest with that one mortal. I thought he'd give up BEFORE he collapsed; how was I supposed to know he'd be stupid enough to actually try and drink us under the table?"

?Yeaaaaaahh? Shanna?s already glazed eyes fogged some more. ?He had some balls on him I?ll tell you what. Pity about the general lack of manners and cleanliness. But I guess in a county like this, what are you gonna do?? The immortal sighed, feeling unfortunately far more awake than before, and stood. They slept naked, and had for most of their life, and in this heat it was practically a requisite for survival.
?Do you want to drop in on any of the other and ruin their morning?

Screecher shrugged to the suggestion.

"Eh, I could do with some breakfest first." She stood to her feet, giving out one more mighty stretch. "Can't ruin our little impromto-holiday destination on an empty stomach after all. And, err...well..."

At this, a very visible ting of red invaded Screecher's face, and she looked pointedly away from her companion.

"Thanks in advance for...not telling anyone." Screecher awkwardly scratched at her nightwear: a almost insulting bright blue pair of pajamas, with white cartoon owls happily smiling at whoever had the misfortune to see such garish things. "I-I originally got it as a joke but...well, it was the only clean pair when I packed."

This was actually lie: there were two spare sets back at her home.

?Heeeey don?t worry about it,? Shanna smiled knowingly, pulling on their undergarments. ?I?m all about keeping secrets. The things that I know have toppled empires, and the things I don?t have led to some pretty fun experiments.? The librarian winked as their ensemble for the day came together. A tartan miniskirt that showed just enough leg to be decent, and loose collared shirt with suspenders, all topped off by Shanna?s favorite steel-toed boots, perfect for smashing down barriers, conceptual and material. ?And I think you look pretty cute in them anyway.?

Screecher's face went fully red at that, and the fake cough to cover it only made it worse if anything.

"W-well! I better start getting ready, shouldn't I? Got lots to do, tracking down rouge drug-baron Immortals and all that!" The speed that Screecher had gathered her clothes and barricaded herself in the bathroom was impressive, if only a bit of a situational skill. While waiting until her face stopped trying to intimate a tomato, she called out sheepishly.

"Why don't you go on ahead, I'll, ah....I'll only be second."

?If you insist,? Shanna grinned, both pleased and bemused at the Owl-Immortal?s reaction, ?I?ll be down in the dining room, and if you aren?t down by the time I?m finished I?ll come up here and fetch you myself.?
As Shanna made their way down to have breakfast, the unbidden image of Mahmod?s drug-addled visage came into view, and Shanna clenched their fists.
This whole mess might not have happened if not for you, and yet here I am grateful for the opportunity to actually relax with the few friends who will last as long as me
Breakfast was generally a sparse affair, but that was how Shanna liked it. They wiled away the minutes catching up on the day?s news, and basking in the morning light until another Immortal came downstairs.

Screecher herself had waited until she heard Shanna's footsteps fade down the corridor, before sighing relief. She thought she would be angry at being called 'cute:' a baby taking it's first flight was cute, a owl chick was cute, but SHE definitely wasn't.

Still, Screecher thought stepping back through the door, the red still not entirely gone from her face. I suppose if any was going to get a reaction from me, it would be Shanna.

It was something in the eyes: those eyes had seen secrets, and they seemed to glint happily a mere thought of you rocking and turning in your sleep, wondering just what ancient mysteries they had been privy to. Screecher respected every Immortal of the club (though, they'd be the last to know that), but Shanna in particular was an enigma that left her staring at the ceiling some nights.

So, maybe the idea of being seen as 'cute' by her made Screecher a little...giddy. Happy? Something. She cast it from her mind: she had better things to worry about.

She threw on the first outfit that came to hand (a thankfully light red top and loose beige trousers), she pulled on her shoes, and made her way downstairs.

The hotel was crowded, mostly foreigners it seemed, and the ex-owl couldn't tell how many of her fellow 'merry band' had awoken yet. Still, there was little point to wait for them, and she quickly grabbed breakfast ("Ham sandwich, but easy on the lettuce...in fact, no lettuce. Actually, give me the ham on one slice of bread. Just give me the ham.").

She decided to have a little explore of the area: this hotel was likely going to act as their base of operations for the time being, and any knowledge of the area could prove useful. First, she would confirm if they did indeed-

...Huh. An actual pool. Screecher nodded appreciatively to the large body of water, it's surface looking crystal clear and pleasantly warm. She'd never been a huge fan of swimming, or water in general. Even at this point, she kept have a moment of instinctive fear that it would take hours for her feathers to dry, and then the slight pang of depression would come with the realization that was something she no longer needed to worry about. Still, she could appreciate the pool itself, if only because that meant Jack had found quite a few funds to buy them rooms here.

Speaking of Jack, he had mentioned that he had something 'that she had left behind,' but he said he'd give it to her tomorrow, before he left for his own room. Screecher was not one for surprises, she would have preferred he had just given her the damn thing right there and then, but alas, Jack liked his theatrics.

Ahh well. Screecher sighed, looking to the sky for a moment. Whatever's gonna happen, is going to happen, I suppose.

She'd go back inside and look for the others in a moment or maybe just find where Shanna had disappeared off to, but for now, she would take a second to enjoy the feeling of the morning sun on her face.

 

[booksv2]

After everyone had gotten into the limo and they had pulled away Jack tried to ignore the smell of some of the more disheveled members of the group. Smiling at a few of them and looking out the window the trip was quick, pulling into the hotel and the driver hops out quickly to open the doors for everyone. Stepping out and stretching slowly he steps to the side and lets the rest pile out. A virtual army of bell hops and staff rushing out to gather the bags and take them to the designated rooms, each of them getting directions from the people before heading off.

Stepping over to the driver and handing him a small wad of cash Jack smiles at him and shakes his hand.
"Thank you for the ride, i know they can be roudy sometimes. If we need a ride again ill be sure to call you."

The driver smiles and takes the cash, thanking him and driving away to his next appointment. Stepping inside and using his cane a little Jack walks over to the counter and signs in some of the extra people to make sure everyone had a room, though some seemed to be pairing up. Standing at the counter for a while his eyes are drawn to a surprisingly heavy thud as one of the bell hops drops a bag. Ali rushing over and checking it before letting him take it again up to her room.

Smiling and stepping away Jack is very pleased with himself for doing the rooms himself, the grand room having been free and he deserved to take it. Even if that was just because he wanted it. Turning away from the counter and walking along it towards the bar he steps around some of the other immortals already there. Taking in some of the woman who seemed to be looking for company around and the bartender Jack walks over to the bar and sits on the polished stool.
"Top shelf whiskey, 2 shots please."

As the bartender grabs the bottle and starts his pour Jacks eyes flick to the mirror behind the bar and watch's a group of men in a corner table. Looking down to pick up one of the shots and knocking it back he coughs softly. The whiskey burning down his throat as he takes the other and turns away to walk out of the bar. Making his way across the hall and out the front doors he turned towards the heart of the city and knocks back the other shot as he starts walking along the side of the street. Tossing the shot glass into an alley and quickening his steps his eyes flick back and forth over the street looking for something. Almost an hour later he slows and stops outside a gunsmiths and looks at the guns and other things in the window. Stepping inside and slowly walking along the inside looking at the different guns and holsters before grabbing a shotgun and carrying it over to the counter where an old man had been watching him quietly. Setting the gun on the counter and pushing it across it to the old man.

"your sign says that you do custom work. I need this shortened and converted to fire tranquilizer rounds. Plus 50 reusable tranquilizer rounds and a reloaded for them. They need to hold a minimum of 80cc of liquid and be able to put all of it into the target as quickly as possible."

Looking at him more and more surprised and incredible as he talks the old man slowly sets his hand on the shotgun and looks down at it. Then looks back at Jacks and slowly rasps in a voice well worn from years and whiskey.
"That is an interesting request. And an expensive one young man."

Looking down at the shotgun and touching a point halfway down the barrel before looking at Jack again.
"Here?"

Shaking his head and moving the mans hand down to the barrel till its only 8 inches long.
"More like there, and of course making sure that it wont blow up in my face. Yes?"

Looking down at the gun then back at Jack with wide eyes full of incredibility the old man sets both his hands on the gun and leans on the counter as he says softly.
"It is not impossible. It will be crap beyond mmmm 30 feet? Less?"

Picking up the shotgun and setting it on a counter behind him he turns back to Jack and chuckles softly.
"An interesting request, and it has been a long time since i last had such a thing to test my mind and skills on. Yes, i will make this gun for you. But it will be expensive."

Reaching into his jacket and pulling his wallet out Jack pulls a thousand dollars American out and sets it on the counter. Taking a piece of paper and a pencil laying around and writing the hotel and his room number along with his name he sets that on the money also.
"That again when it is done, and a bonus if you can bring it tomorrow. Along with the rest i asked for."

The old man stares at the pile of money and slowly reach's out to take it. Pulling it back and putting it in a safe before looking at Jack and nodding. Jack turns and walks out of the gunsmith, this time walking much faster back to the hotel and going to his room as the time gets close to midnight.

 

[Mr.Ivebeenframed]

The caw of a seagull awoke Ali from her haze. For a second, she thought she had awoken at a beach so as her senses groggily came back, she pawed only the concrete. Then she felt the heat as the sun bore down on her and her... naked flesh. She looked down, only seeing her white shirt from yesterday covering her inked skin. Her pants, on he other hand, was besides her but covering an unconscious Idun who wore as much as she did which was basically nothing. The next few moments she spent trying to decipher what happened last night but if Idun's unconsciousness was proof of it then it must have been a decent night. A gust of wind reminded her that she was on the roof so she slowly stood up and walked to the railing. She put on her shirt before gazing down at the city before them. The entire city seemed to be starting to wake up as well with street vendors wheeling their carts to the avenues and the roads trickling with early commuters. The view was odly serene and Ali spent some time looking at it until she heard a door open.

Ali wheeled around to see a pale-faced Gerome gazing at Ali first(who was still naked from the waist down) then he turned to face a rising Idun. Whatever color was left seemed to drain completely. From Gerome's point of view, the scene must have been divine because as quickly as he saw them, the big knight fainted before the two beauties. His knees buckled and he fell like a rag doll which Idun giggled at.

"Idun, do you know where your clothes are?" Ali asked, lips still open from guffawing at the knight's entrance.

"Didn't we lose them to the bell hops when we played strip poker?" Idun slowly remembered. Ali tilted her head, not sure to believe her. "Or maybe we threw them off the railing over there."

"Doesn't matter now.." Ali said before pointing to the unconscious knight. "Looks like our knight has come to rescue us. Those should do until we get to our room."

"You're always so creative, Ali." Idun praised as she got up and pecked the sleeping knight on the cheek while Ali put on her pants. "Thank your for your noble sacrifice."

They peeled the clothes off of the knight, leaving only his underwear which both of them were surprised to see. Idun wore his oversized clothes and both of them made their way down to their room, ignoring the odd looks. Upon entering the room, Ali immediately noticed where Idun's missing clothes were. They were draped on the flagpole outside although Ali hadn't the faintest idea as to how it got there. She could make out the staff trying to get a dress dangling off of the Mexican flag which more or less put a smile to her face. Ali threw on shorts that generously showed off her legs then she stuck to her utilitarian theme with wearing a simple tank top. It was quite not so she didn't mind revealing some skin. When she was done changing, she checked her bag to make sure it was safe once more before leaving. Idun was in the shower so Ali left the room and went to get breakfast.

She made her way down, noting the lavish pool which would solve her problem of staying cool and bathing but she was hungry. In the dining area, she saw a few of the Immortals were already there either eating or recovering. All sorts of memories began to flash back to her from the previous night but with a mischievous thought, she wondered if the others did too. The first one she saw was Caderyn who looked at the pool with one of his trademark grins. Ali went over to him first.

"Hello my lovely Caderyn." Ali said, leaning over and planting a kiss on the boy's forehead once more. "Don't do to the pool what you did to the Cossacks at the Volga. Nicky didn't invite me back in his palace for years just so you know." Ali grabbed some bacon from Caderyn's plate and chowed down before going over to the Screecher who seemed to be enjoying the sun.

"You were lovely last night." Ali said as she approached Screecher from the rear then embracing her. She pecked Screecher on the neck, adding the finishing touches to Ali's playful charade. "Take a dip in the pool, I'll meet you inside."

Ali entered the dining area again to fetch a plate to stack some food on her plate. Looking around she also spotted Shanna among the early risers. As with the others, she approached her and sat with her as well.

"Ah Shanna, how nice it is to see you." Ali said kindly. "Did you enjoy last night? I know I did." Ali winked at Shanna before she scanned the room. She wondered if today would hold excitement although this morning had already showed much promise.

 

[Baddamobs]

"You were lovely last night."

Screecher let out a confused little noise when she felt Ali's arms wrap around her, before she went rigid as a board when a gentle kiss was placed on her neck (which might as well been stinging desert winds for how Screecher reacted).

"Take a dip in the pool, I'll meet you inside."

"I-" Screecher wiped around, staring wide eyed as the other all be sashayed away, leaving the ex-owl with her jaw somewhere on the floor. Screecher was only half aware she heard Ali say: "Ah Shanna, how nice it is to see you..." , her mind temporarily ceasing to process information.

....Wha... what?

Screecher was in danger of becoming a permanent fixture by the poolside, as she stood as still as statue for a long few seconds. She stopped and considered what had just happened in total silence, until a sudden and horrifying thought struck her.

...Oh crap.

Screecher raced back into the hotel lobby, and grabbed the nearest bell-boy by the front of their uniform, much to his protest.

"What season is it?!"

"What?! Ma'am, please calm-"

"What season is it damn it!"

"Summer! We're in the middle of summer!" The poor employee was trying to wring his shirt free, but at his answer, Screecher released him, looking suddenly dazed.

"...Summer...Oh dear..."

Mumbling out a some half-hearted apology, Screecher started to move off, unknowingly back to the pool area, her mind racing.

Calm down, calm down. It's impossible for you to be... still in...well, it's impossible. You got through the worst of it by barricading the house through most of spring, and it passed, as it always did. Sometimes there was a summer relapse, by it's always-

For the second time, Screecher's entire body stiffened to almost a paralyzed state, a embarrassing squeak of distress sounding out of her.

Oh shit! What if the drinks made you relapse, and then Ali must have showed up after you were too drunk-

No! Shut up! Think about this: if you and Ali actually did have... that, then wouldn't you have woken up somewhere near her?

...Yes, yes, that makes sense. After all, I had woken up in my room, and we couldn't have done anything with Shanna in the-

...

...

...Ali HAD spoken in the same tone of voice to Shanna as she had done with Screecher...

...Ali...AND...Shanna...?

And thus, Screecher was frozen in place, her unseeingly eyes looking up at the blue sky, her entire being trying to deny the thought that had just passed through her mind, but finding nothing but hazy memories to work with.

[Some say, she's still standing there, up till this very day...]

 

[drmigit2]

Another note. Vladimir had sent her another note, and Naditabirus could hardly breathe reading it. She had learned to read past all of the love subtext and get to the point of her husband?s letters, and it was pretty clear what he intended. Van Helsing is near you, and distracted. I am coming to remove him from play. Nadi, it is soon time to pick a side. She had a bad habit of paraphrasing people in her own mind, but what would she do? Vlad had been beaten by Shen before, but the hunter always had the drop on him. She wondered what might happen if Vlad got the drop on him. There really was only one way this could go, Naditabirus took out her lighter and burned the note. She looked in the mirror, still pale as ever, but she looked full for the first time. Her black hair had a new glisten to it, and she looked normal for the first time in a while.

Naditabirus decided she needed to keep appearances for now and looked through her suitcase for what she might wear. It was difficult to decide between the suit she liked to wear when looking professional, and perhaps taking a more casual approach with a nice summer dress. She had plans to meet with one of Mahmod?s gang members, for multiple reasons. She was still in hot water about getting Steve killed, and apparently his name was actually Barry. Naditabirus was wondering why the man never spoke up, but quickly put it out of her mind. She needed to put her mind off of the situation, so she took a deep breath, burned the note with one of her lighters, and cast it out of the window, ashes littering the landscape.

This was really just lunch, that?s what she had to keep telling herself. This man Mahmod had hired, who went by the name of Olé, had arranged to meet inside the hotel restaurant, a bit of a ways off from the bar. Naditabirus made careful precautions to avoid rousing the group, she wanted to have a bit of privacy with the man before everyone got to meet him. He had never mentioned if he would be involved in the investigation or not, but it was always a distinct possibility, and Naditabirus wanted to screen him herself. She sat at a table alone, and ordered the picadillo, a mixture of potatoes, and whatever else the chef had on hand in a distinct chile sauce. A simple, cheap and apparently tasty dish that she had never tried for herself, having abstained from food since her trip to the Americas, but now she figured should be revealed.

About half way through her admittedly well presented meal, a man dressed in crimson, tan as can be and carrying the features of a South American man stepped forth, followed by a few of his own guards who stayed towards the back of the restaurant, and sat down calmly at her table. He smiled a devilish grin and said ?So, the Puta responsible for the death of my best man is you?? He laughed a bit and Naditabirus felt that there was something oddly familiar about his mannerisms, she couldn?t put her finger on it. Perhaps it was the way he carried himself, or the laugh. She had met so many drug dealers, she put the thought away and let him continue, ignoring his insults. ?I?d always imagined you to be a bit more imposing, still. I need to know exactly how you managed to get him sacrificed on an altar. It?s not exactly a common way to die, if you follow??

Naditabirus sighed and said ?I didn?t expect to be ambushed by Mahmod?s rival. Someone tipped him off and the whole mission went ass backwards. I don?t know what you want from me.? Olé, without breaking eye contact, responded. ?I want to know who is in my organization, mucking up my operations. I want to know where the boss went, and I want to know why we lost a nice chunk of buyers recently.? Olé grabbed the spoon Naditabirus had neglected to use and began to twirl it. ?That?s why I am going to personally make sure you help me recover him.? Naditabirus? eyes grew wide and she smiled. ?You?re the lackey on the phone! The one who sent Barry over to me in the first place! Oh, now it all makes sense. Sure, I can help you out.? She giggled a bit and took another bite of her food.

Olé raised an eyebrow, put the spoon down and shrugged. ?So be it, I will be in contact with you again soon. We need the boss back sooner rather than later. So if you help me get him, consider yourself forgiven.? Olé stepped away from the table, smiled at one of the waitresses and motioned for his gang to leave. As he began to walk out, one of his followers stepped to Naditabirus? table. He was wearing a leather hat, had sunglasses on and an impressive suit. He put down a note next to the girl and walked out with the rest of his gang. The note itself was folded, but Naditabirus didn?t need to open it. Her lover was fantastic with disguises, but he couldn?t fool her for very long. She guessed that Olé was probably down a man, Vlad most likely drained the guy and left him in an alley, but not before stealing his clothes and memorizing his expressions. Vladimir was always perceptive on body language, which helped him evade capture for as long as he did. Naditabirus finished her meal and opened the letter. Glad to see Helsing is not aware yet. was all it said. Naditabirus used it to light a cigarette and she left for the bar. She needed contact with immortals who weren?t batshit crazy.

 

[TheIronRuler]

Belize, Somewhere in the jungles

I hate the jungle. It was all Ameretat could do to not scream in frustration at the swarm of tropical bugs that descended upon her when they were lead inside the ruined excuse of a temple. It occurred to her the strangeness of the meeting - not the location, nor the fact the combined age of them all surpassed the age of mankind - but that they were all the same kind of immortal. They were all the forgotten ones.

A torch was lit up front, supposedly for dramatic affects, the stranger was sure of it. The sneaky natives showed themselves after she halfway chopped a tree in half with a heavy kick, screaming in frustration at the scenery eating at her skin. It didn't matter what she did, she still had to fight those nasty bugs after he blood. It wasn't the disease or death - that she could handle - but the nagging pain of the sting was a nasty reminder from the past she couldn't bear.

The stone labyrinth built underneath the pyramid was leading down from the top to the inner chambers, the hallway halls covered in crude drawings of long dead men, for the most part. She walked between Memnon and Tut, who became quite the chivalrous type when they approached the other immortals - though Amertat understood they were afraid of another of her outbursts. Had they only allowed her to bring pesticide...

The time for such thoughts would be after the meeting - the pitch was about to begin. They stumbled upon a large round hall, a deep well in the middle, ancient artefacts littering the room. A burial site, the persian guessed, an everlasting resting place for the dead.

'There are not many of you'.

The first voice to break the silence was Memnon's. Typical of the man, always in front, always the daredevil.

'We expected more', Tut joined the party, fumbling with his words.

'They busy?', the stranger intercepted rudely, eyeing the native immortals with a burning rage. They were the reason why she had to get down to the other side of the planet. Why not take Anansi, she asked. All she got were compliments, but she knew Anansi was clever enough to steer clear of bleedin' jungles. He had enough of those for the rest of his life...

'Asleep', his voice broke through the hall, a deep, primal sound of the beast of war. 'They gave up. Went to the big sleep', Huitzilopochtli was the name, but Amertat was damned if she was forced to pronounce it. 'Huitzi, Huit, Hutt, whatever you're calling yourself-', Tut intercepted her, trying to contain her lashing out. 'Huitzilopochtli is the name', he said with great difficulty, 'and we are glad to finally meet you'.

'Huit for the foreigners', the aztec god answered calmly, 'the others will not wake. We are all that is left of the first kind'.

'North is no different', a female voice came from behind the three, the same one they had heard outside in the jungle. 'Great spirits had given up on this life. They went to the big sleep', spoken with solemn words, dipped in agony and regret.

'Cheer up, Allanque!', a snivelling sound echoed and banged at their eardrums, 'today we find our path'. A small, round, white orb was flying over the heads of the Immortals. It twisted in mid-air, and it turned into an eye looking directly at them. 'Where's that bugger?', the same frivolous attitude, 'I seem to have misplaced my eye...'.

'Enough of this nonsense', a large man jumped up in the air and flicked the eye away, falling in Coyote's lap. 'We came here to discuss terms', he was walking between the shadows and the light, his face half-lite by the weak flames.

'Can't see a damned thing', Amertat murmured under her breath. She heard a gut-wrenching sound, a sort of chuckle, sucking in air and blowing it out in one massive push. The room around them came to life, and the flames from the torch danced around, lighting the ceiling and the corners of the room, live fire twinkling and smiling back at them. He had no place to hide, and so he introduced himself with a stiff bow. 'Kanati, here are the lights you so elegently forgot to ask for...', he hissed at the end, savoring his words, counting each syllable as if it was of pure gold, 'Huehueteotl the name, Fire is my passion, my life... my instrument of war'.

The natives walked around the dazzled immortals and already sat around a half-crumbling stone slab standing on top of three low pillars. Their version of a table to last the ages.

'Come and join us', Coyote suggested, his mad sneer turning Tut's stomach, a soft chackle emanating from down his throat. 'The fun part is just getting started'.

 

[JoJo]

"Hello my lovely Caderyn," Ali appeared suddenly as Cadeyrn was lost in thought, leaning over and planting a kiss on the boy's forehead once more. "Don't do to the pool what you did to the Cossacks at the Volga. Nicky didn't invite me back in his palace for years just so you know,"


"I've got a better idea than that," Cadeyrn retorted as Ali grabbed some bacon from his plate and left to move over to Screecher. He disappeared for a while and returned in a pair of swimming trunks, jumping with a splash into the pool and began swimming around in circles, waving merrily to any Immortals watching. After a time he came up to a pair of children playing at one side of the pool, a girl of about ten and a boy of eight, who seemed to be arguing over a floating toy.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Cadeyrn asked playfully.

"Nothing much," the girl replied, eyeing him suspiciously, "You sound funny, do you live here?"

"No!" Cadeyrn exclaimed with a look of disgust, "I'm from England, can't you tell?"

"Hm," she sniffed, "We're from New York, in America. Have you heard of it?"

"Oh yeah, I've been there," Cadeyrn nodded, deciding it was time to play his ace card, "I bet anything I can stay underwater longer than you and your brother, I bet I can,"

"No way!" the boy added with a snort, "I swim for my school, I'm the best in my class,"

Soon the terms were decided and all three plunged to the bottom of the pool, mouths full of air and peering at each other expectantly. Cadeyrn had to steel himself to stop laughing aloud, it was too easy. The two siblings quickly ran out of air and emerged gasping whilst the young fae swam nimbly around their feet, waiting as long as he thought was credible for returning triumphantly to the surface.

"How did you do that?" the girl asked in amazement, "I've never seen someone stay underwater so long," Cadeyrn shrugged modestly.

"I'm just good at swimming," he told the pair with a sly grin, before adding, "I'm Cadeyrn,"

"I'm Ruth Kritzer and this is my brother Sam," the girl replied, pointing to the boy, "Our Dad is on a business trip but he took us along as Mom is busy with work too, it's really neat,"

At that moment Lilith appeared besides the pool, dressed in a particularly low cut top and tight shorts. She waved at the group.

"Cad, Cad! Oh, I'm glad you've found some friends, I'm going to be in the bar for a while this morning. You have a key to the room don't you?"

Cadeyrn nodded and with a flirtatious wink she left. The other two children stared at the woman as she walked out.

"Is that your Mom?" Sam breathed with admiring tone.

"Yes," Cadeyrn nodded proudly, "She lets me do anything I want!"

"Cool..."

 

[booksv2]

Stepping into his room and quickly getting out of and folding his suit to leave on a dresser. Then he hit the very large very comfortable bed, smiling to himself as he takes in the penthouse room he had taken for himself. Falling asleep quickly as the bed feels like its the softest thing in the world.

Waking the next morning and slowly getting out of bed Jack slowly stretch's, his muscles groaning a few times. Slapping his upper arms and grumbling to himself about being turned when old and the muscles less than they could have been. Opening one of his cases and pulling out a small plastic bag with a suit inside and most of the rest of the clothing he needs he drops it on the bed as he walks past to the bathroom. Opening the double doors leading into the bathroom he has to whistle to himself. This room as large as some hotel rooms, with a shower and toilet on one side with a crystal sink while the majority of the room is taken up by a sunken bath/jacuzzi. Walking over and starting the water for it he steps into the quickly filling hot water. Leaning back into the side of the tub and wiggling slightly as water jets start shooting out and hitting his back a sigh of content slips through his lips. Dunking into the water and quickly washing himself he taken an extra hour as the sun starts to peak over the edge of the world to enjoy the hot water and the jets.

Getting out and drying with what feels like clouds formed into towels he walks back into his room and opens the plastic bag with the suit, putting on everything quickly and making sure it fits well as well as everything is buckled and zipped. Transferring the flasks and a few small items that were fit into inside pockets. Turning and picking up his cane as he walks out the door and down the hall, slowly walking down the stairs as he looks down the curve to the main floor leading to the dinning room.

Stopping just inside the arched doorway to the dinning room and taking that moment to look around. Out of the corner of his eye he can see the kid playing around next to the pool, as well as Screecher standing at the edge of the pool. Looking over at her and pausing as he looks he waits for her to come back to talk to her. But after a few minutes she had still not moved and this made him tilt his head as he turned towards her to watch her better. After half an hour and no movement Jack slowly moves forward closer to her and walks in an arch so he can see her face. Stopping next to her and coughing softly he waits another minute before softly touching her shoulder.

"Screecher?"

 

[Baddamobs]

The ex-owl gave a little jump, twisting around, raising her arms as if to defend herself, before realizing there was no threat.

"Oh, it's only you Jack." Screecher sighed in relief, pressing a hand to her forehead. "Sorry about that, my mind was...else where..."

Screecher tried to stop any unbidden images fluttering through her mind, but the more she tried to ignore the them, the harder it became to stop Ali's sultry voice in her ears.

Best to try and get your focus off it...or at least find out for sure...

"Sooo...hell of a hotel you found us, eh Jack?" Screecher grinned awkwardly, trying to casually scratch her neck. She swore she could still feel the ghost of Ali's lips on it, and it was driving her mad. "A little high class for me, maybe, but I imagine that it suites you just fine, right?"

The awkward laugh that followed was about as forced as it could be. Regardless, the Immortal ploughed on ahead.

"Listen...I remember being a little bit...rowdy last night. Might have had one too many drinks and such. But I can't remember exactly what happened. You, uh, didn't see me do anything weird, did you? Like, say, PURELY for example... anything with Shanna? Or Ali?" In a voice that would have rivaled the mice she used to hunt, she squeaked out;

"...Or both? I mean-" It took her only a moment to regret asking. "Not that I think anything weird HAPPENED or anything..."

 

[TheIronRuler]

The Compound

Somewhere in the desert, surrounded by a handful of shacks and a couple of wells, the high palisade of the compound would catch the eye of anyone approaching the area. They will know to steer clear of the compound, unless they have come for business.

A grimey, beat-down pick-up truck was driving down the road to the compound, the music blaring in the car, the only modern thing there. It had come off a good ?ol ford line, but several years ago. In fact, it was as old as Emil?s father, if he ever had one.

Mahmod had his head outside the window, looking out into the wasteland and trying his hardest to spot something in the distance. He felt like someone was watching him - he craned his neck further, but gave up further investigation when Emil screamed at him to get back inside.

?Relax, amigo?, Mahmod sighed and tried to lean back on his seat. The chair was resisting to bend harder than a piece of lumber. Emil had his hands gripping the steering wheel, nails digging hard into the leather. He knew he wouldn?t get out of this alive, yet he was still driving back to the compound. He didn?t have anywhere else to come back to.

?We?re here?, he was slowing down the car at the entrance to the driveway, giving out three honks so the guards won?t shoot him on sight.

?I hope the kitchen made chilly tonight?.

[hr]2[/hr]

He was sipping more of the thick liquid, the relaxing odors lessening his stress. He sourly needed to calm down, or else his heart might just pop out of his chest.

?You what??.

?I burnt it all?.

Papa Montezeno was a small, elderly man, his thin grey hair combed over his bald head, a sturdy beard grown to try and replace what was lost. He wore a thick pair of glasses over the bridge of his nose, tinted green. A selection of heavy golden and jeweled rings rested on his knuckles, and a heavy gold chain swung under his chin.

?It?s gone?, Mahmod was standing right in front of his boss, raising his hands in protest. Miguel and Benna were both holding their handguns, pointing them at his head and groin, respectively.

?I ought to shoot you, chop you up, feed you to the pigs!?. Papa Montezeno was furious, his face inflamed and red, his voice hoarse from screaming.

Benna pulled back the hammer of his revolver.

?Please don?t shoot me in the balls?, Mahmod pleaded Benna with his voice, whimpering like a stray dog.

?Oh, I will do worse than that, I will? I will?-?

?-You won?t ever make the same, would you??. Mahmod interrupted the old man, a sinister grin on his face. His eyes lit up like Christmas trees. He knew the old man needed him.

?There?s nobody alive that can make the things I do, and you can?t just give up on me, can you??.

?No, no, you can be replaced, everybody can be replaced!?.

Mahmod nodded.

?Even you?.

The two bodyguards exchanged curious looks.

?What would your men say when you?ve killed their best cook and took out three fourths of your business??, Mahmod took half a step forward and noticed the two handguns aimed at him were lowered. Papa noticed it as well. A niggling sense of doubt crept up his spine. His men may be more loyal to the lifestyle than to their own boss.

?You?re an old man and you?ve had your share of fun in the world?, Mahmod closed the distance between the two. The two bodyguards were exchanging ever more troublesome looks. The Ceutan had appeared seven months ago, and they?ve been rolling in dough ever since. What had Papa ever gave them then cleaning up the pig sty?

?Poor Papa, fell down the stairs and broke his hip? He didn?t survive the drive to the hospital, we had to bury him in the sands...?

Two rows of vicious tainted teeth glistened at the old man, like a shark preparing to cut through his prey. The old man sipped his cup again, his eyes growing wide with panic. His breathing quickened and his feet buckled under his own weight.

?Drink my brew, take my powder, roll in the fruits of my labor, laughing, cheering - and you condemn me to death??.

Mahmod was already upon him, dragging him up by his neck.

?You were nothing before I came, and you dare look down upon me??.

Miguel lunged at the Ceutan, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him away from his boss with great strength. The Alchemist lost his balance and fell back, the old man on top of him, gasping for air. Benna helped him up and checked to see if he was well.

'You animal!', the old man hissed through his teeth. He was leaning against Benna, his feet struggling to carry his own weight. 'You'll pay for this, you will...', he threatened, 'but I can't kill you, can I?'.

Mahmod was under the grip of Miguel, his hands locked behind him, his head bulging forward. It took him some effort to stare his boss in the eye. 'I told you', he breathed in a sense of relief.

'You will still work for me, but you must be punished. Every kilo you took will cost you a finger, Ceutan. You will watch me feed them to the swine'.

'But I can't grow those back...', he whispered.

[hr]2[/hr]

Flying right outside the compound, staring straight through the mansion's top floor, an eye was floating, turning and spinning in the air, looking at the argument inside. It would have cried had it was equipped with any tear ducts, since it couldn?t hear anything said in the meeting. However luckily for Coyote he didn?t have to hear a thing - a picture was already worth a thousand words.

Coyote had been tracking down the Alchemist for the past two days, on orders from Tut, that mummified royal bastard he loved pranking so much. They?ve all been assigned missions and assignments, since all three of the foreign Immortals couldn?t be seen by the others not in their own little conspiracy.

?I found your Alchemist?, Coyote tried his hard to stifle his laughter, ?He?s stirring quite the pot?. The deranged immortal snapped his head to face Memnon, the warrior sitting on a stone slab and carving up a figure from a piece of wood.

Memnon slowly raised his eyes from the figure, one hand holding a small sharp razor, the other the wood. ?You can lead us there??, he asked.

?Aye, aye, sure I can, trust ?ol Coyote to get the job done?, he tumbled back to old habits and burst into laughter.

?Find Kanati. He needs to know?.

[hr]2[/hr]

Inside the Hotel

The ancient hunter was a relatively small, well-built, dark-skinned man standing out in the hotel lobby like a sore thumb. He wore nothing but a cloth loincloth, which nearly got him kicked out of the hotel. The place was a nest of vice, a black-hole of decency and good life. People from all around the world came here to leisure around while children starved in the streets. It would have never happened in the good days.

The Coyote's eyeball gave Kanati the exact coordinates of the compound, but before he would divulge them to the other immortals he had to make his point. He had to teach them and show them the truth - the reality behind the drugs, the drinking, the whoring - the things that they revel in and take for granted, the things that brought them there in the first place.

He would bring them first to the devil?s den, to taste the true Mexico - he would take them to Tijuana.

 

[Frission]

Night

Shenshen entered the hotel, ate enough food to make up for three years, expertly avoided the company of Gerome and Isaac, and then went to bed. He was too tired for shenanigans.

Day

Shenshen woke up still feeling a bit under the weather. He was still suffering the effects of jet lag and had been kept up by some of his fellow immortals and was forced to step in whenever there someone was being too disruptive (most of the time the culprit was Isaac). He didn't hold that against them however and did regret having kept out of the festivities last night. He just hoped that they the staff would be able to get the stains out of the carpet.

He decided to explore the hotel and check up on everyone else and make sure that nothing grave happened last night. He went first to the hotel bar and was met by a familiar scene. Isaac was sprawled among a mountain of bottles with Gerome buried in a nearby wall. Nothing too unusual. He went to the dining room and ate breakfast, then took his time to greet the other immortal or in Caderyn's case give them a stern look. Still, Shenshen was relatively relaxed and was happy to see most of the other immortals in good shape, as debauched as they may be. Shenshen's thoughts turned towards happier times in history and he decided to finish his round with the lobby and then perhaps take a dip in the pool.

His plans were dashed however by the appearance of a strange man in the hotel's lobby. There goes our vacation Shenshen sighed.

Shenshen eyed up the man that was in the hotel's lobby. He wasn't too impressive with his loincloth, but something about the man's eyes put Shenshen on his guard. It was either an immortal or an eccentric and either way he might as well check up on him. Shenshen checked that he was his weapon at hand and cautiously went to greet the stranger. In his experience encounters with strange man at his doorstep could escalate quickly.

"Hello friend, is there anything I can help you with?"

 

[JoJo]

After they left the pool, the children made their way up to Cadeyrn's room, taking turns to get dried and changed in the bathroom. Afterwards they sat together on the bed, trying to get the black and white television in the corner to pick up a signal.

"We have a colour one of these at home," Ruth sniffed, "We always get signal in New York,"

"Well not here apparently," Cadeyrn shrugged, jumping back onto the bed, "What else should we do?"

"Why are all these here?" Sam pointed with a curious finger to the line alcoholic beverages at the side of the room.

"They must be Lil... Mum's," Cadeyrn replied, quickly correcting himself, "Do you like alcohol?"

"I've never tried it,"

"Never?" Cadeyrn said in surprise, this would have to be rectified. He picked up two bottles of beer and passed one each to Sam and Ruth, "Try this, trust me you'll like it,"

~​

An hour later, the three children were still drinking, giggling and rolling around on the bed haphazardly. Cadeyrn hadn't been too badly affected, perhaps his ability gave him some protection or he was simply used to alcohol. The other two had lost control long ago however, and at this point were having a pillow fight, spilling feathers all over the room.

"Ruth, Sam, what are you doing?" a voice suddenly emanated from somewhere. A tall stern-looking man was at the door, looking at the three incredulously.

"Hi Dad!" Ruth giggled and then burped loudly. Her father walked in and stared wordlessly down at the empty beer bottles strewn across the room.

"What the...? You!" he pointed accusingly at Cadeyrn, "Where the hell are your parents young man? I'm calling hotel security, this is outrageous!"

Cadeyrn knew it wasn't worth staying around for the fallout and with a jump tore past the father, running down the hotel stairs clumsily as he struggled to keep on his feet with the alcohol in his body. With a quick "bye!" shouted to the other immortals in the lobby he ran out of the hotel and into distance, not to be seen again for quite some time.

.​

The border between Nicaragua and Honduras

"Come on Augusto," one of the border guards said in Spanish as he lit up a cigarette, inhaling deeply with sigh, "Aren't you going to play?" he held up a battered pack of playing cards.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Sergio," the other replied, shining his torch into the gloom, "We have a job to do, we can gamble when we get back to base,"

"Ah, you know the Colonel is always on my ass about that at base, here no-one will..."

"Shhhh," Augusto silenced his partner, quickly removing his rifle from his back, "I think I saw something,"

"Probably just a jackal or a fox..." Sergio whispered back but he also readied his gun. Nearby there was a rustle and then a small figure darted past through the trees, flitting between trunks and over stumps nimbly.

"Stop right there!" Augusto shouted but the figure didn't stop. "Shit," he muttered as he loaded his rifle and shot into the dark. With a cry the figure fell down and was then still.

"You got him!" Sergio hissed in surprise and the two men walked up to the figure lying spread-eagled in the clearing. Augusto brow wrinkled as they got a good look at the border crosser for the first time.

"Oh fuck, he's just a kid," he spat unhappily, "What the hell is he doing out here?"

"Damned if I know," Sergio shrugged as he turned the boy over, studying the wound in his back. The child was of European descent with dark hair and a mismatch of clothing, nothing specifically identifying him from his pockets. "Wait, what the..." he exclaimed as the deep bullet wound began to heal before the men's eyes, closing and mending as if the boy had never been shot. Suddenly the boy coughed and shuddered back into consciousness.

"It's a miracle!" Augusto gasped, making the sign of the cross with his fingers, "What do we do with him now?"

The boy tried to struggle up but Sergio placed his boot on the youngster's back so he was pinned to the ground.

"Don't move, you're coming with us, whatever you are," he looked at Augusto, "Let's take him to the Colonel, he'll know what to do."

.​

National Guard Base, Nicaragua

Colonel Larios stared down at the report before him, he never would have believed a word if he hadn't seen the power of the 'Miracle Boy' before his own eyes. Drowning, strangulation, blunt force trauma, burning... the mysterious child really was invincible. They hadn't extracted much information from him yet, but it would come in time.

"What did you say his name was again?" he asked his lieutenant.

"Cadeyrn, sir, our linguists believe it is British in origin."

"An Englishman then?" the Colonel chuckled, "Well, wherever the hell he's from, he's my ticket to the top. Have him sent to President Luis Somoza Debayle as a personal gift from me."

 

[TheIronRuler]

"Hello friend, is there anything I can help you with?"

A stranger, then. Must be a fat tourist gone to the sandy beaches of the land they had once stolen, eating and drinking the flesh and blood of the native dead, gorging themselves on their suffering. All throughout the land, from arctic north - to the arctic south, they had come from the sea and brought with them steel, and disease, and death. Kanati scowled at the tourist, his gaze wicked enough to melt steel.

'Who are you?', he asked him in the new tongue of the Spaniards. An idea clicked in his mind - he had no idea how the immortals he was after looked like. A test, if you will, was needed to assert their identity.

'Have you met death yet?'.

The words were old. Old, and dead, and forgotten. Words spoken thousands of years ago in a language long gone, only remembered in the minds of the dead - and those that cannot perish.

 

[Frission]

Who are you?

Shenshen absentmindedly thumbed the Hawaiian shirt he was wearing. "Oh, Spanish. Cuál es tu..."

Have you met death yet?

Shenshen stopped in his tracks and then after a pause wearily said under his breath "It's been a long time since I heard that tongue." (What an old way to greet another immortal).

He looked at the man straight in the eyes. The glare that was being directed towards him was intense, bellying an experience in life that few mortals possessed. There was also a steel in them that warned Shen that he was in the presence of a strong will that would probably take a response very seriously. He took a time to study his counterpart before deciding that he should share his status as an immortal.

Shenshen took a bit of time to remember the dialect before giving an answer befitting the gravitas of the situation. It was rare for immortals to dredge up the past like this, since they might be afraid of what may come up.
"Once and then he became a stranger forevermore."

 

[TheIronRuler]

"Once and then he became a stranger forevermore."

I have found what I was looking for. That is good

Kanati did not recognize the immortal standing in front of him. He didn't recognize any of the Immortals across the waters, barring the spice merchant and his goons. It was so long ago when he met a fellow traveler like himself that he greeted him with the old phrase, one which fell out of use so many years ago.

'That is not dead which can eternal lie,
And with strange aeons even death may die.'

Kanati straightened his back, clenched his right hand and hit his chest with a loud thump.

'I know where they keep the alchemist. You are sorely needed. Bring your company and come with me, quickly...to Tijuana'.

 

[Frission]

Shenshen normally didn't make a habit out of following strange men, but as a hunter he could use any lead that was available to him. There was just one thing he had to clarify though:

"They are my friends or my traveling companions, not my subordinates. I'll come with you, but I won't force the others to accompany me into a dangerous situation. I'll equip myself, warn the others and then go"

Shenshen turned on his heels and trotted towards the dining room, taking only a second to crane his neck back and ask "Will you come with me? You can explain what's going on while I attend to my duties."