The space/time bar and grill

"Maybe you're right. But we'll never know. What's done is done. I'm still alive and in business, so I guess it's not all bad."

Veronn snorted through his nose.
"You still do that sort of thing yourselves? I just send armies to annihilate that sort of rif raf - It's far easier."

Jezeline/ Lien Zeje

Jezeline tossed her raven hair, equally black eyes rolling. She has far more beneficial things to do than listen to people of her rank squabble and rant. Like catching the Swift girl, for instance, or finding out which of her men is leaking information. However, the youth elixir was working wonderfully.

"Pardon me, but sending armies is unreliable. If one wishes to destroy, I suggest mass panic- works very well for me. Or biobombs, as they restore the earth to balance and destroy a portion of its inhabitants. As for individual persons, assassins are very easily bribed, and I do not trust them. I send those who are loyal, or carry it out myself. Being in my presence often has its perks."

She smirks; long ago it would have been beautiful. Now it's chilling, cruel; a sign of her realization that she will triumph. And that is to be feared.

I debated to just let the matter go. I mean, by just looking at the newcomer, I could tell that she was definitely not someone to mess with. But, of course my mouth got the better of me and I spoke, "Yes that's nice," I said, "but some people don't have those kinds of resources just lying around." I took my 500 magnum out of its holster and put the beast onto the table, "In those cases," I continued, "you need to rely on your own skills to survive."

I looked the newcomer in the eye. She kept herself expressionless which did concern me. I had no clue if she was going to attack or not. I tried to keep calm. I'm not sure how well that went over for me...

Hmph. Overly cocky, are we? Well, let me point out some flaws in your plans...mass-panic: the leader of the country, army or what-not would use violent tactics to keep his people in line and calm. Biobomb: Pssh! Any leader with ANY kind of surveillance on his enemy would see something like this happeneing and take actions to destroy it and you.

Assassins are not completely unreliabe. Strap small explosives to them, without their knowing, and and a microphone somewhere on his body that can hear his words. If the assassin starts to swtich sides, you blow him and your target up. Probably not as clean as you would like it, but it works. Trust me.

Finally, Grant looked at the person with the gun on the table. A gun? I just stay close enough to keep you firing but far enough away that you miss, and as soon as you run out of bullets - He pulls out a long bronze sword, literally out of thin air - you're dead. I speak from experience, small, well-led strike forces can take down any army any day.

Jezeline, feeling the need to display her weapon as well, lays her arm on the table, displaying the wide metal bracelet, inset with a round ruby. She mimes throwing something with that hand into the other, and a dense weight lands in her palm. Invisible, but there.

"Friends," -for that is what they are now, correct?- "can you see what is in my left hand?" There were murmured negatives.

She tries not to smile and lets a little more energy pour from the ruby. The invisible cover cracks and falls away, revealing a round mirror.

"A mirror?" one says, skeptical.

One finger is lifted. The mirror elongates and takes a blade-like shape, the edge lined with crimson.

"Oh, dear, must have forgotten to clean again. Oh well, no matter. Friends, watch carefully."

The mirror blade lifts vertically, rotating faster and faster until a rip is created in the air. In that rip is an image- a girl with dark brown hair and blue eyes doing crunches in a bright room.

"See, my friends, not just a mirror."

One snorts. "Nice trick, but-"

Quicker than one could jump out of the way, her right hand moves as if she is throwing a frisbee, and a metal collar pins the man to the wall. She sighs. Being the only female here is turning out to be quite a disappointment.

"I tire of your voice, friend. Barkeep, water and lemon, nothing else."

"Nice trick but--" I began but was cut off by the woman making a move. Her movements slowed slightly as my time slow ability activated. It made no difference. Even with me being able to move normally, her attack was too fast. I caught a slight blur in the air, then time sped up again and the next thing I knew, I was pinned to the wall. My gun was still at the bar. I was defenseless
"I tire of your voice, friend. Barkeep, water and lemon, nothing else."
"Okay," I gasped, "you win." She glanced at me, then I was released. I collapsed onto the ground gasping, "Coffee please." I managed and stumbled back to the bar.

Hmm, Grant thinks to himself, these people could be useful to me.

Tell me more about yourself, Jezeline. What is your story? Grant's shaggy tail twitches slightly. He always got a little jumpy when he saw powerful potential allies.

She sighs. She is among her equals; why not?

"Well, my furred friend, I was born to a quiet family. They didn't even know I had this power- thought I was just smart. Whenever I showed them what I could do, they panicked, thinking I was possessed, and sent me to this horrid school. It's where my greatest nemesis now attends; I dare say she likes it there. I was confined there, taught to control, not be as powerful as I knew I was. Lien Zeje was tired of being the pet of her rank- powerful and smart, and caged like a monkey. And so Jezeline emerged, and that was when I came to power.

"I eliminated all who threatened me, to the full extent of my power, and my name was one that was feared, not cooed. I had succeeded. But there were whispers of a new generation, one being born exactly then, of children like I was- more powerful than their peers, the greatest of their kind. One was the son of my men, I knew- he was not a problem. But there was one, estimated to be the greatest seen, who was the child of the people who fought me fiercer than any others.

"Obviously, she couldn't be left alive. No threats were to come to me at my greatest hour. So I, and two of my innermost ring of trusted allies, went to her home. An apartment downtown, a pretty place. We managed to get her parents, but she had been hidden; they probably knew of her... uniqueness. She came out though, as we hoped, after her parents' last breaths were taken, and fought... better than I did, I am ashamed to say. Her power was, as they said, great, and I was weakened greatly. But I have returned, and I will rise; and then the children of the powerful generation will all fall, including that insolent Ella Swift."

Her fists clench, and a sheet of frost covers the bar. Noticing, she draws her power back, and the frost fades. She has told her truth, if abridged, and now she knew that they knew she was not to be taken for a 'magician' or someone who had failed constantly. No, it was the truth- she was rising.

Grant strokes his chin with his paw, then leans forward over his table. What if I told you there might be some way I could help you eliminate this...girl?

She lifts an eyebrow. Does he think she will trust that easily?

"I would ask you how. You have to understand, she's impossibly smart, reflexes as good as mine, has been training since she was thirteen, and is more powerful than most of her peers combined."

"No matter; she is still just a girl."

"Just a girl who banished me from my physical body when she was seven years old, who my loyal soldier's son constantly defends, who can escape me no matter what I do! And you are no more powerful than I, nor I you; we both know that."

She glares at the dog, and once again, ice creeps along the solid surfaces. There is nothing he can do that she hasn't done, or that will not fail. But she'll humor him.

Grant chuckles. You're thinking that there is nothing I can do to help. And, perhaps, you're right...after all, this girl sounds good. But, my dear woman, you are looking at THE greatest military mind in the history of the universe. Hitler, Napolean, Alexander - none of them come CLOSE to beating me. If you don't mind eradicating the surrounding countires that this girl lives near, then I can help. If that won't help, buzz off and find some 'magical' piece of trash that could help you.

He's gone too far. She jumps up, and the floor rises up around the dog, trapping him.

"I! AM NOT! MAGICAL!"

Her eyes are glowing white now, her lower arms covered in frost. Her hair swirls around like a demon's halo.

"Besides which, there are no surrounding countries! Hidden city, foolproof security. I only manage what I do because my workers work for the government! And I am a SWEEPER, not a frilly magician! I don't play with wands and pointy hats, I work with objects that increase flow of energy, and I don't care if you're a military mastermind, I am three weeks from returning to power!"

Her voice drops and she kneels by the dog, now whimpering.

"And whenever I do, blood will run in the streets. There will never be a peaceful moment. Children will cry themselves to sleep with fear, mothers will kill themselves with insanity, fathers will die in war. History will repeat itself."

Eyes glowing white, hair rippling straight out, body covered in ice and the entire bar white with frost, Jezeline decided that some people were better left uninformed.

I turned away from the frost lady to see that my coffee was now frozen. I swore loudly, "Please be careful! Some people have a caffein addiction here. Also, don't go diregarding me like a nobody. I may not look like much, but you are currently glaring at the man who was able to kill one of Earth's greatest generals. And she had complete control over the four elements."

"What are you saying" The woman asked not even giving me a second glance. Great, now she was underestimating me because she was able to catch me by surprise once. I activated my time slow ability and moved in between her and the dog. To them, it probably looked like I teleported. When I deactivated it, she stepped back as if not expecting me to move so quickly but other than that betrayed no emotion.

"I'm saying that you shouldn't be so quick to judge other people's -- or animal's -- abilities." Man, one of these days my quick temper will get me killed.

Hmm. Seems like I struck a nerve there. Oh well.

Grant puts his sword on the table, pretending to wipe off some imaginary smudge on the blade.

So, rather than freak out whenever someone calls you on being a lame magician, why not let someone else try to eradicate the little brat? You can't think of everything that can be done, no one can. Except for maybe me, of course. But anyway, surely someone else will think of some trick in the book that you aren't bright enough to see, magician.

Jezeline seems to go breserk. Frost enshrouds the room as she screeches "I AM NOT A MAGICIA-"

Grant speedily grabs his sword and, in the blink of an eye, has Jezeline on the ground with his sword at her throat.

Basic warfare tactic: enrage the enemy into making a mistake, then capitalize on that mistake. Have you tried that? Doubt it. He puts his sword back on the table and helps Jezeline up. No hard feelings though, right? Good. He goes up to the bar and orders a drink.