Young Writers Society

Johnny Brinkman- headquarters

"So. The other gangs really want to go there?" I think to myself. My fingers reached for the knife I always kept in my pocket. I thought quietly about plunging it into one of the Diavolo, or better yet, one of the Mortes' throats. A small, almost imperceptible grin spread across my face. "Well, let them come. Let them die."
I lingered for a moment in the headquarters, weighing the chances of getting caught if I skipped school again, and decided twice a week was as far as I should push it.
With a sigh I set off in the general direction of the school. I could make it home and catch some sleep if I ran.

I'm dropping out.

Kaieera Kingsburry "Kai"~

The room was filled with loud noise. I had a feeling of what Alex would be thinking. I was distracted at the time, not by anything in particular , just everything in general. I was feeling a little off ; a little unfocused. I didn't like it. Alex's long dark hair and tall build was the first thing I always noticed about him , ever since.. well. . a long time ago. He busted through the door with the same expression he normally used when he trained , or even associated with the lower codes, disappointment.
The whole room became as quiet as the darkest night , one perk of being the most powerful code, or even one of them. I knew what this meeting was about ; I let myself halfway zone out.

After a few sarcastic remarks from Ten , We made our way up to the three chairs at the front of the room, I sat to the right of Alex , ten , to his left. I remembered so many years ago , looking up to the old code Twelve , Eleven and Ten, Twelve being Alex's dad. I would have never thought that I would be beside code Twelve , much less code Eleven.

"I've called this meeting because something horrible... or amazing if you're Ten... has happened."Alex's commanding voice spoke to the room.

Ten Snickered , followed by the slight scraping noise of his lighter as he lit his cigarette.

"Lovely" I added. Half of me was excited to finally have some action in the gang, but the other part was shaking, worried about the less prepared codes .

"War between all the major gangs has broken out. It's a battle to the death to be the last gang in New York City. Be on guard, train every time you possibly can, and I need you to be ready to report to headquarters immediately no matter what the time. If you think that someone's a member of the other gang kill them, no exceptions. Is that understood?"

What if the think one of their leaders is a traitor ? What if they kill one of us just for an accusation ? Then they'd be screwed. I thought. That, was for a different time. I needed to tell Alex when not everyone was gathered.

"That all," Ten half asked after Alex stood up.

"Yeah, just about it. Can't keep you all too long, right? Most of these Codes have school tomorrow."

This line made me laugh. "You're right, it's probably past their bed time," I added.

I made my way over to Ten , still smoking ; and waited hopefully to see if Alex would meet us. He did. Now was the time to bring up the situation my mind had come up with. I looked at his sculpted face that looked so in control like his fathers.

"What if one of them try to harm us, accusing us of being a traitor? " I asked , tilting my head a little to the side.

Requiem Zvers:

It was mildly funny that Phi, who was usually so on top of everything Alex, had spaced out. But now that all out war had officially been declared he had some recconoscance to do. Requiem shrugged as he headed for the door, tossing his answer over his shoulder. "Walk with me. I've got somewhere to be and I can explain on the way."

Phi scowled before practically running to catch up with him. It never ceised to amaze him how short she was, the force of her personality making her seem larger then life to him. The pair hit the street at an easy jog, a pace they could maintain for hours if necessary. Reqiem cut down the alley way, again thinking how convenient it was to have Headquarters so near his destination.

"Long story short is that all the Gangs have finally decided to take each other out. They've officialy declared war on each other." He explained to Phi, who stumbled in shock. "As for our orders we're supposed to be on guard, as if we aren't already. Train every free second we have, again already doing it. And kill any suspected members of rival gangs without exception, which is the one order I actually like."

As he spoke they had passed through the alley and cut across the street entering the building there. The room was large and high ceilinged filled with uncomfortable wooden pews. Phi craned her head up as she turned in a circle, wrinkling her nose in distaste. "What is this place a Church?"

Requiem shook his head and grinned. "It's a funeral home." He told Phi before turning away from her shocked expression, dismissing her as unimportant right now. Raising his arms into the air Requiem spoke softly, yet somehow his voice carried to every corner of the room. "Come to me."

And they did come, first one at a time then in pairs or small groups. Until Requiem was surrounded by at least twenty translucent figures that glowed a pale green. The ghosts that Requiem had met, befriended, and bound to his service over the course of his childhood. Behind him Phi gasped, Requiem rarely used his gift around others knowing that it could freak people out.

One of them drifted forward, her long hair blowing in an otherworldly breeze. Rose was a young woman who had been in college when she murdured and Requiem's first friend. It had been Rose who had overheard his Grandfather plotting to kill him and warned the four-year-old Requiem in time for him to escape.

Requiem embraced Rose, to his death atuned senses she felt warm and alive, if a little insubstantial. Then he stepped back and glanced around the cirle. "Well my children." Requiem drawled, the spirits laughed at being called a child by someone many years younger then themselves. "Events are moving apace. It seems the gangs have finally decided to stop sharing their playground. War has been declared and will end only when a single gang remains."

"Go back to your haunts, watch and listen for anything of interest. If you learn something come to me immidiately, regardless of time or place. I... we, need information." Requiem corrected himself, reffering to the Twelve as a hole.

He sensed more then heard their murmurs of assent before they flitted away from him. Requiem sighed and turned around to find himself staring at a gape jawed Phi. "You were still here?" He asked in surprise.

"Forget that." Phi snapped. "Does what I just saw mean what I think it means!? You have ghost-spies in all the gang Headquarters!?"

Requiem shrugged indifferently. "Yeah basically."

"And does Alex know about this?" Phi demanded.

"Uhhh." Requiem's gaze slid away from Phi as he searched for the right answer but his hesitation was answer enough.

"You." She accused him. "Are such a procrastinator. Come on Requiem, we're telling the higher ups right now." She pointed imperiously towards the door. "March buster!"

Shoulders slumping in defeat Requiem started walking with Phi back towards Headquarters. "I knew I shouldn't have let Alex's groupie in on this." He thought sourly. "I was gonna tell him... eventually."

*If Requiem seems like he doesn't like Alex it's not true. He respects him alot. It's just that he can't help being a sarcastic ass.*

Ten Twelve - Headquarters

"What if one of them try to harm us, accusing us of being a traitor?"

I laughed loudly despite my efforts not to.

"The codes try and harm one of us? Be real, Kai. We've known these kids forever, they respect us too much to think that. And plus we're the most powerful gang at this time. Why downgrade?"

Kai huffed and shot me a glare. I just smirked at her and folded my arms. Alexander gave a small chuckle and settled back down into his chair. Douze circled the chair a few times before plopping back onto the ground. I took up seat on the table and Kai pulled up a chair.

"Still," Alexander started, "we can't easily ignore that possibility. When things get really heated people become nervous, if one of them ever tries to fight us we'll just have to-"

"Take them out," I finish. A wide smile stretches my mouth and I chuckle lowly to myself. Alex rans a hand through his hair and grins.

"Exactly."

"I guess that's the obvious thing to do," Kai answers cautiously.

"It is. Now, if we're done here, I'm leaving."

I stand and brush off the invisible dirt from my clothes.

"You don't want to stick around," Alex asks, "have a few drinks with us?"

The offer is tempting, that I'll admit. I've been working too hard lately and a little free time seems like the best idea in the world right now. It sucks to turn it down but-

"Elli is with the neighbors in the apartment across the hall and I don't like her staying by people's houses too much, you know?"

They both laugh and I chuckle along with them.

"Got parenting duty, tough guy," Kai teases. I half-heartily flick her off and shove my hands into my pockets.

"She's not my kid."

"Might as well be."

"Right, well, I'll see-"

Suddenly the doors to the headquarters burst open, instantly, without even thinking about it, the walls close in around the intruder on my command, trapping them in a stone prison. About Ten Kai's feel the room, Douze is suddenly awake and on guard, and Alex is just lounging in his chair, but I can feel his aura thickening the air in the room, attacking.

The people in the prison start to scream in pain, strangely familar in my ears. They start yelling something I can't quite make out.

"It's- us! Re- quiem and- and Phi! Stop!"

Realization shoots through my veins and I drop the prison walls.

"Alexander, it's just the codes!"

His aura retreats, a load off of everyone, and Codes nine and seven drop to the ground, coughing and sputtering against the pain. I look over my shoulder towards Alex who is still casually lounging and looking completely indifferent to anyone who didn't know him as well as I. I smile.

"Next to don't burst unannounced like that," he states evenly. "You two, especially, should know better than that."

The two get up and start towards us, slower this time.

"Hello Ten and Kai," she starts in a even voice. Then she turns towards Alex, a blush darkens her cheeks. "Hello Alexander. Um, Requiem has something he would like to announce."

I groan and look at my watch. It's already so late.

"Well announce it," I snap.

Requiem steps forward and, after shooting a glare towards Phi, starts.

"I've had my ghosts spying on the other gangs for information," he answers in a straight forward manner.

"Was this authorized," Kai snaps, her voice holding that tell-tale sharp edge.

The Code opens his mouth to answer but is cut off by Alex.

"Of course it wasn't... but still I find it hard to be angry. Did they gather any information?"

"None yet..."

Alex stands up with a frustrated sigh.

"Very well. That's a nice idea, Requiem, very thoughtful, but if you ever make a move without authorization from either myself, Kai, or Ten I will have you begging for mercy, understood?"

"Yes, Alexander..."

"Fantastic. Is that all?" He looks towards Phi with a raised eyebrow but she just shakes her head no. Alex nods and cracks his neck. "Great. You're both free to go."

"Now everything's done with," I say happily. "Okay, see you guys!"

"You're really not going to stay, Ten," Alex nearly whines.

"Remember, Alex, he's with child," Kai teases.

"No, I'm not staying tonight, Alex, and screw you Kai!" She laughs and I shake my head, more than slightly amused.

"Night."

Lion

After Alex's long lecture about the stupid gang war, the last thing I wanted to do was help. Though I could just stick around to hear Ten's sarcastic remarks. But I knew that would just make Duck fairly unhappy. I got up from the ground I was sitting on and walked over to the exit.

Nobody said hello or even made the slightest notion that I was there. Last year I'd completely blown off an order from Alex, which basically means permanant shunning. I knew they'd get even angrier if they found I'd withheld a pretty awesome power I had.

I could turn certain parts of my body into other people's. I knew that when I made my way out of here I would turn my hands into monkey hands. Climb up the nearest building, grow wings and fly to Duck. But before I could get outside, Alex called me over.

"I've been thinking about how to punish you for your blatant disregard for authority," he announced carelessly, slumped in his chair, "And now, I've found it. You will be required to assasinate one gang member... a day. Clean kill, no tracks left behind to point to us."

"And what happens if I don't?"

"You will be punished, mercilessly," he said with a tiny smile. He was intimidating, but I could care less, "The orders you give are impossible, not something I wouldn't expect from a bonehead." When I said this his composure snapped for a second, looking like he was going to smack me. I instinctively grew claws, that Alex glanced at quickly. Then I felt as if something was trying to change me.

It was eerie, all noise dissapeared, except for his voice, "Do what I say. Right now." I didn't like it, and there was only one thing that I could think to do. I changed myself into Alex. It threw him off, apparently suddenly having yourself stand in front of you can really make people shudder.

He then turned his power back on, and I changed myself into a lion, and tore out of the room. I wasn't going to let anyone control me.

Phi Jackson - Code Nine - Headquarters (I put in what you told me to, Reise.)

Ten left the room quickly, finally able to leave and take care of Elli. That reminded me that I needed to come and visit her soon. I haven't seen the dear child in a very long time.

"Well," I start in a whisper, "I should be on my way."

I nod towards Alex and Req but as soon as I turn to leave Alex calls on Lion, who I wasn't even aware was in the room. I stop and take a few steps back, retreating towards Requiem.

"She was there the whole time," I ask.

He shrugs and nods.

"I guess..."

"Strange."

I look over and it seems as if she's being lectured, Alex doesn't appear to look that angry but his anger is confirmed when I feel his aura dampen the room. A shudder racks my body as memories of what happened when we so foolishly ran in returns to me. I was still in pain. It was as if something was tearing my apart from the inside out. I shudder again and wrap my arms around my body.

I'd hate to be the one who fought Alexander, ever. He could kill you and eat a sandwich at the same time. And plus there was always Douze... I hate that dog. I look back up to find that there are two Alexander's. Instantly I think I must have somehow wandered into heaven but then one of the Alex's turned into a lion and sprinted out the door. I turned back to Requiem.

"I am so confused..."

Alex sighs and runs a hand through his hair.

"She might just be one to rebel against us, Kai," he says in a hard voice. Kai nods sternly. "Douze," he starts. The giant dog perks up. "Go keep an eye on Lion, okay? Don't attack her, just follow her."

Douze stands up, as if he understood exactly what Alex said, and took off.

"Wow," I breathe. "Well, that was quite a show."

After saying my bye's again I start out the door and to my home.

Kaieera Kingsburry "Kai"~

Lion dashed out in the form of Alex. As one of the top codes, I don't see how she was still alive. Lion had always been the rebelious one , and to be honest , needed to be taught about respecting athority , especially thouse who could kill you with a single thought. Over the years , have never gotten used to the feeling of Alex's power.


"She might just be one to rebel against us, Kai," He added sternly. I knew I had a point in the question, if only Ten had stayed around long enough to see.

"Go keep an eye on Lion, okay? Don't attack her, just follow her." He commanded of Douze. I have always loved Douze, so fluffy and lovable , yet so strong and corageous.

"Wow," I breathe. "Well, that was quite a show." Phi said before saying goodbye and leaving.

Requiem mumbled something and followed Phi out.

"I knew there'd be one. " I said turning to Alex. "There's always one to be difficult." I continued , hoping he didn't catch my distaste for Lion.

Alexander Douze VII

"We'll discuss it further tomorrow, but for now it's late and I don't even want to drink anymore," I sigh. Kai nods in agreement and I stand up and stretch. "I'm on my way, lock up?"

"Sure."

"Thanks, Kai."

I walk out the door and, instead of heading to my car, I just keep going on foot. It's been bothering me all day, this strange feeling of something lurking on the corners. The feeling of something pressing against my mind. A member of Dio, perhaps. Even though only the leader could read minds they members still left a sort of strain on your brain. They didn't have powers but still...

I flared my aura as far as it would go, aiming for the worst type of pain. From my left came a scream of agony.

"Come out," I bark. I drop the strength of my aura to where the person could at least crawl from their hiding space. He came out on all fours, as expected, cringing and twitching in pain.

"Where are you from?"

He collapsed on the floor but didn't answer me. His body convulsed on the pavement.

"Who sent you here," I barked, my anger flaring.

"Dio," he gasped. "I'm from Dio."

My face drained and cursed under my breath. I should have known. Out of all our rival gangs I'd have to say Dio would be our biggest threat, if possible we would need to get them first. If the other gangs were smart they would be thinking the same thing. Dio first, Diavolo next. The rest wouldn't be too much of a problem with a bit of careful planning. But would all the gang aim for Dio first or us? I laugh bitterly and shake my head.

"Where is your leader, is he here?"

Blood is pouring from the spy's eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. No visible scars mark his skin, however. I smile at my handiwork.

"No," he screams. "He's not here!"

"What do you know?"

"Nothing!"

I walk over and kick him in the gut as hard as I physically can, I feel a few ribs break and smile happily before dropping the expression, this was no time for fun and games.

"Tell me what you know, spy!"

"I don't know anything!"

I scoff and turn my back on him.

"Useless."

I turn my aura as high as it will go. The man screams out to the skies for only a second before all sound dies. I laugh out loud and grab the corpse by the hair.

"One point for us. I'm so excited."

I roll my eyes at myself and drag the body into a vacant alleyway. Dio will find it soon enough, considering he's lurking not even twenty feet away from me.

Since when do you tag along to these silly little jobs, I ask in my mind.

"Just wanted to see what I was up against," he replies, his voice not outside, but inside my head. I smile.

Nice trick.

"Just learned it."

Fantastic, well your crew kind of sucks. And they're bad liars.

"I see that, child."

Fix it. You're my number one goal right now, I don't want an easy fight.

"Of course. I'm honored."

I scoff and laugh out loud. Ignoring the man now I start back to my car. As soon as I start the engine I feel his weight against my mind drop. He didn't know it, but I was steadily making him tired to the point to when I made it to my car he passed out. Couldn't have him following me home.

Tomorrow would be a lot of work. First we'd have to deal with Lion, the disrespectful brat. I would just kill her, but we need her considering there are only twelve members in this group. I don't know, but we'd find out soon. Until then, I'm tired.

Damn.
I hate this house.
As if to deliberately piss me off, he turned on all the lights while I was gone.
"Two can play at that game," I think, grinning as I feel for his shadow.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are," I call quietly.
He curses so loud I can hear it across the house when his shadow starts expanding, blinding him. I can hear his heavy footsteps on the stairs as he comes down. Silently I run outside into the rapidly cooling air and demand that the shadows hide me. He shoots at something, probably one of the lights, because I feel more shadows inside the house.
So he really wants me dead tonight. Guess I can't stay here.
Dammit.
In about a half hour, when the lights start to turn off and his shadow stills, I creep back into the house. He's sleeping, a thousand tiny voices whisper to me. Time to play.
I ignore the shadows as I head up to my room. Shit. He's been here.
Everything in my room has been spray-painted green. He even took the liberty of throwing half my clothes out the window. How nice.
I crawl out of the window and travel through the shadows up the side of the house. The roof is the best place to spend these nights. The nights when he actually will kill me.
Shit, I think. I take out my knife and start prying off tiles on the roof. He's probably changed his passwords again. I can't get into his bank account. He's insane.
I talk to the shadows. They listen. They talk to me if I listen. They tell me about Morte and how they hate him. I tell them about the war and how there won't be any Morte soon, only Twelve.
They tell me Morte is targeting us. I ask them if they know where we are. The shadows say no, but they're searching. The shadows think Dolore and Morte have formed an alliance. Good. They'll probably fight and kill each other off soon enough.
I can feel the dawn only a few hours away. The shadows surround me and carry me to the ground.
I should run. The shadows tell me the tiles being tossed off the roof woke him up.

Let me know if any of this needs to be changed!

Name: Tyler Mascaw

Age: 24

Gender: Female

Code Number: One

Power: Teleportation. Has zero idea how to use it and often times ends up in random places after a sneeze or hiccup.

Appearance: Tyler has a small frame, only about 5'3" in height and weighs about 110lbs. She has long brown hair, layered and falling about 5 inches past her shoulders. Her eyes are an icy blue and she is pretty fair-skinned. Her lips are constantly a light pink shine, even without the use of lip gloss.

Personality: Tyler is currently in the middle of a personality switch. She is often both reckless and frivilous in daily life and is typically the one cracking a joke about something, but she is also the first one to put anyone in their place. She's very testy about her personal business and won't stand for people talking crap about her. Tyler is not afraid to make enemies.

History: Growing up, Tyler lived the most privileged of lives. Her parents were very wealthy and she attended expensive private schools until graduation and then Columbia University after, all on her parents dime. She was a nanny-raised child for the most part, with her parents in and out of other countries at various vacation homes for most of the year. She lived in a two bedroom flat in Manhattan of her own while attending Columbia. Tyler had a sister who was 2 years older than her, but she went missing during Tyler's sophomore year in university and no one has seen her since. She always had the most expensive clothes and was basically invincible in anything she did, as it was simple for her parents money to get her out of it whatever trouble she was in. However, Tyler was unaware of the financial troubles her family had after her sister's disappearance. Her mother went into a deep depression and her father lost her job as a lawyer, but Tyler always assumed they had saved up enough financially to live forever. They hadn't, they went bankrupt, and both of her parents were thrown in jail 5 months ago. Since she lost her rent money, and she wasn't working, Tyler ended up broke and living on the street when she got the letter summoning her to Twelve. She had no idea what it was, but she had nowhere to go so she went.

Other: Tyler is brand new, has no weaponry skills yet, and only has her black belt as a fighting skill and runs incredibly fast. She's learning, and she's willing, but she can also be pretty resistant to change. She also had a child at age 17 and gave it up, but no one knows about this little secret.

Tyler Mascaw

It was chilly out, and Tyler could hear the people bustling around her. She knew it was well into rush hour in the city. Not that there weren't tons of people moving around NYC at all hours of the day and night, but morning brought an abundance of sound and noise and always interrupted her sleep.

After her parents were arrested, she made it through one months rent at her apartment and managed to convince her landlord to let her stay for one more out of pity. But, after that, she was out of money and out of places to go. She had spent the last three months in and out of shelters and friends houses. Many nights the shelters were full--it was NYC, afterall--and she ended up sleeping on a bench in the park, by the subway, wherever she could find either quiet or warmth. But, when the morning came and she was awakened by the sound of actual life, she found it easier to pretend to be asleep. She hated the pitying looks. At least if her eyes were closed, she couldn't see those, and half of them probably just assumed she was dead. But, that's the beauty in New York: people would rather walk away from a dead person then report it and have their day interrupted, so she never got harrassed by the cops.

Tyler only had one bag, and it was a once-nice columbia hiking pack. She had 5 sets of clothes, 2 pair of shoes, and all the hygiene products she needed. When she needed to do laundry she'd visit friends. She'd stay one night and wash her clothes, and then move on. She wouldn't want to overstay her welcome. Besides, all her friends were rich, and she felt so dirty and pathetic asking for their help. It was humiliating.

Her bag was under her head, so that she could easily feel if anyone tried to steal it. She may have been new at this, but she wasn't stupid. Although, she hadn't really accomplished sleeping well AND protecting her few belongings.

Tyler felt the strap of her pack slide along her chin and jumped up, finding a man in front of her. She pulled out the smallest pocket knife in the world (one she was given as a gift in girl scouts 15 years ago) and waved it at him, "Hey buddy, back off!"

The guy smirked and held up his hands sarcastically, "Oh no, don't stab me with that, I might lose a freckle!" and walked away.

Tyler sighed and lay back down. A few people looked her direction but most kept walking. She closed her eyes and thought about her letter from Twelve. What was this? She knew there were an abundance of scams on homeless people and, afterall, she did find the letter tucked into the front pocket of her backpack after one of her park-bench nights. Yet, she couldn't help but check it out--what else was she doing with her time?

*Just so everyone knows Requiem is independently wealthy, he just hoards his cash. When he still lived on the street he used his ability to threaten a hacker to break into his grandfather's bank account and made off with everything in it.*

Requiem Zvers:

Requiem banged the door of his flat shut behind him and engaged all six locks. He shucked his leather jacket and draped it over the back of his battered leather couch. His laptop sat on the kitchen counter we're he'd worked while eating breakfast. Requiem rarely showed up to his actual classes at College, but since he always sent in his assignments and kept on top of the course work his teachers ignored his almost daily skipping.

Flopping down on the sofa Requiem put his boots up on the scarred coffee table and went over the hastily scribbled notes he'd written earlier. He had told Alex the ghosts hadn't given him any information yet, but the more accurate answer was nothing useful. Somehow Requiem doubted Alex wanted to know that his bastard of a father was carrying on a torrid affair with his sister. And in any case he still didn't see why the bosses had to know about it, he'd always found a way for them to take advantage of his information without revealing it's source before.

Absently Requiem chewed on his lip thoughtfully. He wondered how long it would take Alex, Ten, and Kai to ask him if he had ghost's spying on them too.

*Requiem is going to be a bit of a discipline problem. Not because he doesn't want to follow orders, it's just that thanks to his ability he has very little fear of death because he knows it's not the end. So if he ends up getting punished you might have to get creative.*

Name: Cypher Eisenstein aka Hunter

Age: 20

Gender: Male

Code Number: Four

Power: Speed, he is blink of an eye fast. Heightened senses (He can pick out someones scent in a crowd or hear your heartbeat through a wall).

Appearance: 6ft3, blonde medium length shaggy hair (think surfer style), beautiful chocolate brown eyes and more than reasonably handsome. He wears black boots, faded blue boot cut jeans, a blue and black pinstripe shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a black waistcoat, a watch on a thick leather strap on his right wrist and a black trillby. He has "Vi veri universum vivus vici" (Through truth i while living have conquered the universe) tattooed in intricate lettering down his left arm. Oh and a permenant cheeky smirk.

Personality: Cypher is friendly and approachable with a cheeky sense of humour the ladies seem to like. But as Number Four, The Hunter, he buries his humanity deep inside him, taking on a much more brutally efficient darker edge. The Hunter revels in the thrill of the hunt and believes mercy is for the weak.

History: As a young boy he was the fastest in his class. He practically lived for sports day. In his early teens he got into bass guitar. The speed and skill with which he played quickly gained him notoriety until finally at 18 he was head hunted for a band "The One-Eyed Royals". They have gained a reasonable fan base and due to the laid back lifestyle it is much easier to conduct his "other affairs".

He was inducted into the Twelve at 19. His long term girlfriend was killed in gang warfare cross fire on her way to the shops. He couldn't take it. He spent his money hunting down her killer until finally he found him in a block of cheap apartments. The gangster came at him with a knife, which he dodged with incredible speed. Fishing in his pocket for something to defend himself with he found a metal guitar string. He dodged another knife strike at him and brought the string around, intending to choke the man. Instead, due to the speed of the blow, it sliced through the mans neck like cheese wire. Stood in a pool of another mans blood his mind fractured and Hunter was born. The mans death made the papers and a few days later his letter arrived saying they had put the peices together.

He has killed for the Twelve ever since, his weapon of choice, that same guitar string, concealed in his watch strap. He doesn't leave witnesses.

Other: Cypher is definitely up for love. You'll just have to be careful around Hunter.


*Hope this ok. Will post later*

Ten Twelve

I made it home rather quick last night, considering I broke the speed limit by twenty miles per hour, but still not quick enough. When I made it home Elli was sitting outside the apartment door, playing idly with a few toys I'd managed to get her, a naked Barbie doll and a toy dog that was missing a leg. When she saw me she jumped up, abandoning the mundane entertainment, and jumped into my arms.

"You took long," she cried, her tears stained my shirt.

"I know, I'll make it up to you, yeah?"

She nodded and wiped her face with the back of her hands and said, "Okay."

~

"Come on, Dad, you promised!"

"I don't know, Elli. I'm a bit old for this, don't you think?"

She stood at the edge of the slide, smiling brightly. She wanted me to ride down that tiny thing with her. For my promise to make coming home late up to her, she made me let her take off a day of school so we could go to the park together. It was insane, she needed school, but her argument was that she was already making all excellents so she didn't need class anyway.

"I know you're too old for this," she giggled, "that's why I want you to do it."

I rolled my eyes and lit a ciggarette.

"Fine."

As fate would have it I got stuck halfway to the bottom.

"Shit," I cursed. Elli hopped off my lap and over the edge of the slide, laughing uncontrollably. "That's it," I pry myself from the grip of the slide and stride of in the direction of town.

"Where are we going?"

"Icecream. I'm done with the park."

"Of course you are. All big and bad but scared of a slide. You're so silly, Dad."

"I'm not your Dad, Elli."

She scoffed and took my hand in hers.

"Of course you are, now shut up."

"What makes you think so?"

"My last name is Twelve, your last name is Twelve."

"Since when is your last name Twelve," I asked loudly, honestly bewildered by her comment. She bumped my legs with her hip and giggled.

"Since I wrote Elli Twelve on my last spelling test."

I roll my eyes and laugh.

"You're out of control."

"When are you going to adopt me, Dad? I mean, for real adopt me."

"I don't know, Elli."

"Don't you love me?"

"Of course!"

"Then stop stalling. You're so lazy."

We walked a short time until we made it to Jamie's Ice Cream Shop. I went up to the cashier and ordered two ice cream cones and took them to the booth that Elli chose. We sat and talked and ate ice cream for a while, but I couldn't even enjoy it because most of the time was spent stealing glances at my cell phone, wondering when Alex would call to break up the fun I'd managed to muster up.