My Hero [Jackal] [Quest]

[Vriska]

Bring your wife and trouble, it will never trouble you

Make her a member of the Midnight Crew!

The Fairy's Fountain looked like a legit sort of place. As Vriska marched in she was hardly stared at at all, and what stares did spring up were quickly dispelled at the sight of her tabard. Considering the day's business, she felt it best that she be in uniform. She was even wearing her sword.

Walking up to the bar, Vriska ordered a room, even raising her voice a little to project it into the common room. She doubted it was a necessary touch - someone like her dropping by wearing Sentinel regalia was sure to draw some chatter, but it was best to be safe.

Money was exchanged, a key was handed over and before long Vriska was sitting in one of the Fountain's rooms, waiting.

[Jackal]

[OOC: For the record, Jackal is played by me, Rwaht. I'll be QMing this as well as participating. Also, the thread is starting at the Inn, but it'll wind up elsewhere. It won't be applicable for the Tip Jar bonus.]

x x

The Beast at Our Door

The moment Vriska appeared near the Inn, Jackal had known. She'd seen her from her room on the upper floor, watching silently. She smiled to herself. That had been very quick, far quicker than Jackal had anticipated. She supposed having contacts with the Sentinels had to be helpful, a fair bit more helpful than knowing how to track animals through the woods. She took her only cloak off of the hook that she'd installed in her small, sparse room. Baal had offered better, but Jackal hadn't wanted it. She only came here to sleep, after all.

She swung her cloak around herself and opened her door, before quietly slipping into the one that Vriska had taken, svelte as a cat, lithe as a snake. Her tail twitched a little in anticipation. She moved silently, but when she slid through Vriska's door, she smirked. It was a nice kind of smirk.

"Someone's been busy, I take it?" she drawled, leaning against a wall, one hand on her hip.

[Vriska]

Vriska smiled at Jackal as she slipped into the room. "Who knows? Maybe I'm just here for the pleasure of your company," she joked.

"I know where he is. He never even left Castle Town. He's having a meeting tonight at a safehouse." She paused for a moment, and then amended that last statement. "Well, safe until we get there."

[Jackal]

x x

The Beast at Our Door

Jackal silently walked over to the bed and sat down next to Vriska, and for a long time she only stared at her hands. Her hands, and her very, very sharp claws.

"All right, then," Jackal said, still glaring at her hands. He'd been so close ... and her instinct had been to run away. How long had she been running from the ghost of a shadow of a man? "You leave here and go back into the city. I'll enter by stealth. Go by the wall near the east-most corner of the Market. I'll meet you there."

Jackal said nothing more, but got from her seat, opened the window, and slipped out. Her movements were no longer svelte or smooth, but deadly and precise, with all the brutal, ice-cold cunning of a serpent. There was the slight sign of a cloaked figure approaching the wall, but suddenly she slipped away into shadow.

---

Players

Vriska

[/b][/color] Perfect
Passive abilities;; None
Status;; Normal[/ul]

Jackal

[/b][/color] Perfect
Passive abilities;; None
Status;; Normal[/ul]

Quest info - special actions; all participants can use them

Stealth

Bypass

[/blockquote]

[Vriska]

The way Jackal moved out of the window was a reminder that Vriska wasn't exactly dealing with a fluffy rabbit here. Jackal was dangerous. She just hoped she could control herself while confronting their target.

The journey to their rendezvous was uneventful. She didn't even get anything thrown at her. Maybe she should wear the uniform more often. It wasn't long until she found the place Jackal had talked about and waited, doing her best not to look like she was about to do something terribly illegal.

Was it illegal to do something legal in an illegal way?

More importantly, did she, in fact, give a sh8t?

Nah.

[Jackal]

x x

The Beast at Our Door

Jackal watched Vriska from atop the city walls.

It hadn't been easy getting up, of course, but Jackal was a uniquely talented climber. Her claws and blades glinted whenever any of the sparse light in the nighttime hit them. She scowled at one such instance. She'd forgotten what it was like to have to contend with things like torchlight. Nonetheless, she didn't give herself away, at least not yet. When she was sure the way was clear, she scaled down the wall, painfully aware of how much she must've looked like a lizard. She'd foregone her cloak, stashed it away in a hiding place near the city. She wouldn't be able to afford having the cloak catch on anything or fall down on her head while she was climbing. She righted herself once she got to the ground and found Vriska. Jackal's eyes were glowing a fierce red, and it didn't stop. She could see the blood in Vriska's veins.

"Here we are," Jackal whispered, approaching Vriska silently, crouched so low she was nearly walking on all fours. When she was sure there were no guards nearby, she straightened herself and looked at Vriska. "All right. So where in the city are we headed?" She asked, her voice sounding strangely cold and reptilian, a distinctive rasp colouring her words.

---

Players

Vriska

[/b][/color] Perfect
Passive abilities;; None
Status;; Normal[/ul]

Jackal

[/b][/color] Perfect
Passive abilities;; None
Status;; Normal[/ul]

Quest info - special actions; all participants can use them

Stealth

Bypass

[/blockquote]

[Vriska]

Vriska liked seeing Jackal with her cloak off. She had a smooth grace that shouldn't be hidden. When she looked at Vriska and spoke, eyes glowing in the dark, it sent a chill down her spine. Grace or not, it would take time before Vriska would get used to the constant feeling that Jackal wanted to eat her.

"It's a warehouse in the shadow of the north wall. It's run by a slaughterhouse, so I imagine it'll be cold as hell in there. Follow me." Taking roads she knew would probably be abandoned at this time of night and trying to remember what she knew of the city watch's patrol beats, Vriska led the way.

[Jackal]

x x

The Beast at Our Door

Jackal nodded, the motion somehow seeming unnatural, as though it were too quick and mechanical. She apparently realized how she'd been behaving, and though her movements didn't change and her eyes still glowed, they did grow slightly more soft. She didn't say anything about it, but instead nodded and followed Vriska. Before long, she put a finger to her lips and pointed ahead.

"I see blood," she whispered, perhaps not realizing how infinitely creepy that sentence was. "One man, around the corner. Standing still. Smells like ... death. Meat. Blood. Not his own. May be this man came from the butchershop. We can't risk it. We should try and sneak by him." She nodded down an alleyway. "Come on, that way. You go first, I'll be able to act if he catches you."

---

Players

Vriska

[/b][/color]
Passive abilities;; None
Status;; Normal[/ul]

Jackal

[/b][/color]
Passive abilities;; None
Status;; Normal[/ul]

Enemies

Mysterious Man?

[/b][/color]
Alertness;; Unaware of VRISKA, Unaware of JACKAL[/ul]

Quest info - special actions; all participants can use them

Stealth

Bypass

[/blockquote]

[Vriska]

The moment Jackal stopped them, Vriska opened her Vision Eightfold and looked through the walls. Indeed, there was a man there. Nodding, Vriska smiled and exhilarated smile. They made quite a team.

Stepping lightly, Vriska moved the way Jackal indicated, heart beating just a little bit faster. Waiting in the alley, Vriska looked back at Jackal and waited.

Actions; Stealth | Bypass

[Jackal]

x x

The Beast at Our Door

As Vriska moved, Jackal moved like her silent shadow, slipping past the man ahead with ease. She climbed up onto the roof of a building and quickly ran across, before dropping down into the alley behind Vriska. She smiled.

"Well done. Now we just have to get towards the slaughterhouse, and start our own slaughter," Jackal whispered, her voice still sounding dangerously reptilian, and cold. She hoped Vriska understood. Jackal couldn't help it; her voice fluctuated with her emotional state, and right now all she could think about was tracking down the man who'd ruined her life and bringing him to justice. Her claws twitched. She had to remind herself not to fight to kill. It was hard. She nodded at Vriska and they proceeded down another alley, until again Jackal held up a hand. Her senses were almost overwhelmed by the sudden wash of blood and meat that filled her nose, and she could see several heartbeats. She stopped walking, and motioned for Vriska to do the same. Voices drifted down their alleyway from a small courtyard, harsh voices, and cruel.

"...that *****!"

"Dead now ... boss knows what to do with 'em."

"Ha, yeah, Victor's the man! Teach the two-faced brats some respect!"

While she was listening, Jackal's face had undergone a harsh transformation. The former reptilian coldness had morphed into a terrifying combination of that uncaring stare and all the ferocious violence of a wild wolf. She was snarling silently, and while she looked at those men her eyes were glowing bright red.

"Victor. That's his name. I've never forgotten it," Jackal whispered, her voice sounding barely human. "One of them is behind the other two. You take out him first. Then I'll kill the next two quickly and have done with it," she said, and the flatness in her voice left very little room for argument.

---

Players

Vriska

[/b][/color]
Passive abilities;; None
Status;; Normal[/ul]

Jackal

[/b][/color]
Passive abilities;; None
Status;; Normal[/ul]

Enemies

Mysterious Man?

[/b][/color]
Alertness;; Bypassed![/ul]

Thug A

[/b][/color]
Alertness;; Aware of Thug B, Aware of Thug C, Unaware of VRISKA, Unaware of JACKAL[/ul]

Thug B

[/b][/color]
Alertness;; Aware of Thug C, Unaware of VRISKA, Unaware of JACKAL[/ul]

Thug C

[/b][/color]
Alertness;; Aware of Thug B, Unaware of VRISKA, Unaware of JACKAL[/ul]

Quest info - special actions; all participants can use them

Stealth

Bypass

[/i]: If an Enemy is aware of Enemy', and Enemy' is killed while stealthed, but Enemy survives, Alarm will be raised. If an Enemy is aware of Enemy', and both Enemy and Enemy' are killed in one turn (while stealthed), then Alarm will not be raised. If any enemies are killed without stealth, Alarm is raised.[/ul]
[/blockquote]

[Vriska]

Despite herself, Vriska smiled at Jackal's compliment, but sobered up at the rest of her comment. "We're here to make an arrest," she reminded Jackal. "We need witnesses and we need to do this right. We can't put a corpse on the witness stand."

Still keeping a close eightfold eye on their surroundings, Vriska noticed the three men coming up and nodded to Jackal's instructions. "I need you under control, Jackal," Vriska hissed. "We're not here to add to your body count."

With that, she was off, moving carefully and deliberately until she was close enough to rise up behind her intended target and put one hand over his mouth and nose while the other locked around his throat in a literal iron grip. In a few seconds he would be unconscious.

Actions; Stealth | Attack

[Jackal]

x x

The Beast at Our Door

When Vriska spoke, Jackal stared at her. For a long time, she seemed like she might be about to attack, but she only closed her eyes and whispered.

"Before I vanished, I tracked Victor and his friends for months. I know what sorts of things these men do. They need to die. And Victor's the only one I need alive." The last words were said with a tone of utter cruelty and disregard. When Vriska walked ahead and knocked out the first man, Jackal didn't say anything, but merely leapt from where she stood and ran along the side of the wall, moving quietly, before she descended behind both men and quickly wrapped her hands around their throats. Before they had a chance to respond, she slammed their heads together with brutal force. They fell to the ground, unconscious, and Jackal stared down at them, teeth bared, blades inching closer to their throats....

And then she pulled back. Crouching, with one blade poised, she turned back to Vriska and said,

"For you."

She glared at the men, but said no more. She stared down at her claws and grimaced. She'd been thinking of her brother. Her brother would've killed these men, of course, but then, her brother had his weaknesses, too. When he decided that someone was beyond forgiveness--a category which, coincidentally, included himself--he could be absolutely without mercy. Maybe that wasn't the strength that she'd always believed it was. She looked back at Vriska and said,

"Come. There shouldn't be any more before we reach the Slaughterhouse."

---

Actions;;

---

Players

Vriska

[/b][/color]
Passive abilities;; None
Status;; Normal[/ul]

Jackal

[/b][/color]
Passive abilities;; None
Status;; Normal[/ul]

Enemies

Thug A

[/b][/color]
Alertness;; Passed out - Bypassed![/ul]

Thug B

[/b][/color]
Alertness;; Passed out - Bypassed![/ul]

Thug C

[/b][/color]
Alertness;; Passed out - Bypassed![/ul]

Quest info - special actions; all participants can use them

Stealth

Bypass

[/blockquote]

[Vriska]

They didn't have time for this. They really didn't have time for this. They should have discussed lethality before heading out. As Jackal looked like she was about to execute two people, Vriska took a step towards her, intending to stop her, but then she stepped back. As the tension was dispelled, Vriska smiled in relief. "You sure know how to treat a lady. Most girls get flowers on a first date."

Chuckling, Vriska turned and moved on. After this was over she could bring some knights down to clean up the mess.

[Jackal]

x x

The Beast at Our Door

Jackal's eyes flicked back towards Vriska momentarily, and for a moment that strange coldness remained until it slowly melted away. Her eyes were still glowing, but they seemed more human than animal. She didn't say anything for a long time, staring at Vriska long enough that it started to become unnerving, until she finally moved a step closer and raised a clawed hand close to Vriska's face, just an inch shy of Vriska's chin.

"These men ruined my life. Anyone who knows who I am thinks they know a monster. I'm sorry. I'll show more control, don't worry. But if it comes to my life or yours," she said, her voice growing just a shade colder, "No mercy." She let her claws drop, and a smile flicked onto her face, before she turned to stalk down an alley, going ahead despite Vriska's knowledge of the routes. Truth was, she just wasn't used to following anyone.

Luckily, however, they didn't come across anyone by the time they made it to the slaughterhouse. It was a large building, with many entrances, with not a soul around. Jackal beckoned to Vriska and approached the building from an alleyway, coming to one of the doors. It was heavy, and stone, and too thick for her hunter's eyes to perceive through. The smell of blood from inside the place was so overwhelming that it almost made her dizzy, so her senses were of no use to her. She turned to Vriska and asked,

"Are there any guards?"

[Quest note: Behind the door is a hallway with a guard patrolling up and down. Have Vriska tell Jackal that.]

---

Players

Vriska

[/b][/color]
Passive abilities;; None
Status;; Normal[/ul]

Jackal

[/b][/color]
Passive abilities;; None
Status;; Normal[/ul]

Enemies

Guardsman?

[/b][/color]
Alertness;; Unaware of VRISKA, Unaware of JACKAL[/ul]

Quest info - special actions; all participants can use them

Stealth

Bypass

[/i]: If an Enemy is aware of Enemy', and Enemy' is killed while stealthed, but Enemy survives, Alarm will be raised. If an Enemy is aware of Enemy', and both Enemy and Enemy' are killed in one turn (while stealthed), then Alarm will not be raised. If any enemies are killed without stealth, Alarm is raised.[/ul]
[/blockquote]

[Vriska]

It was kind of flattering to have a beautiful, deadly woman say she'd kill for you. And kind of surprising. Jackal wouldn't be used to being part of a team any more than Vriska would know how to make cheese.

"One guard," she told her, seeing through the walls of the building as if they weren't even there. "He goes up the hallway, turns around, goes back, repeats."

[Jackal]

x x

The Beast at Our Door

Jackal nodded, then looked to Vriska. She gently put one hand on her arm--the not-metal one--and took great care not to let her claws slash her.

"Vriska, I know you don't want to kill anyone. But these men are killers. And if they see you in there, they'll try to kill you. If these men use lethal force, lethal force might be our only option, or we could wind up dead. And I've grown really fond of you," she said, half a smile on her face. Her eyes still glowed, but they were kinder now. "Killing someone isn't nice. But sometimes you have to. And these men have killed before, and will kill again, and there are tons of them. If we die, they get away with it all. We can't die tonight, Vriska. And we can't let them succeed. I need to know that you'll do what you have to, or it's not safe for you in there."

There was a strange note, almost a pleading one, as Jackal spoke. The hand on Vriska's shoulder squeezed just a little, keeping the claws from digging in, and she moved closer.

"I need to know you can make the hard choice. The easy one isn't available any more."

[OOC: Stealthed non-lethal attacks no longer incapacitate an opponent; they leave that opponent with 1 level of health]

---

Players

Vriska

[/b][/color]
Passive abilities;; None
Status;; Normal[/ul]

Jackal

[/b][/color]
Passive abilities;; None
Status;; Normal[/ul]

Enemies

Guardsman?

[/b][/color]
Alertness;; Unaware of VRISKA, Unaware of JACKAL[/ul]

Quest info - special actions; all participants can use them

Stealth

Bypass

[/i]: If an Enemy is aware of Enemy', and Enemy' is killed while stealthed, but Enemy survives, Alarm will be raised. If an Enemy is aware of Enemy', and both Enemy and Enemy' are killed in one turn (while stealthed), then Alarm will not be raised. If any enemies are killed without stealth, Alarm is raised.[/ul]
[/blockquote]

[Vriska]

For the first time, Jackal touched her. It was careful, precise, and impossibly delicate, and she could feel the heat from her body right through her coat like she was sitting by the fireplace on a cold night. It was good.

"Fine," she said finally. "If it's necessary then it's necessary."

She knew exactly what men like this were capable of.

And if she started killing them, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to stop.

[Jackal]

x x

The Beast at Our Door

Jackal didn't smile, but her face was still kind, at least kinder than it had been most of the night, while her mind was turned purely to revenge. She nodded, and squeezed Vriska's shoulder one more time, before taking her hand away from Vriska's arm. Her eyes began to glow again, and the warmth Jackal had exhibited before seemed to slowly evaporate, replaced by predatory cunning. Her ears flattened back against her skull, making her whole head look more streamlined and draconic. When she looked back at Vriska, her head moved like a lizard's.

"There is no turning back now. I'll cover you."

Seeing the heartbeat behind the door--it had just turned away from them--she slid the door open and slipped into the shadows. She jerked her head suddenly, directing Vriska towards the man.

---

Players

Vriska

[/b][/color]
Passive abilities;; None
Status;; Normal[/ul]

Jackal

[/b][/color]
Passive abilities;; None
Status;; Normal[/ul]

Enemies

Guardsman

[/b][/color]
Alertness;; Unaware of VRISKA, Unaware of JACKAL, Detects some movement ... will inspect turn after next[/ul]

Quest info - special actions; all participants can use them

Stealth

Bypass

[/i]: If an Enemy is aware of Enemy', and Enemy' is killed while stealthed, but Enemy survives, Alarm will be raised. If an Enemy is aware of Enemy', and both Enemy and Enemy' are killed in one turn (while stealthed), then Alarm will not be raised. If any enemies are killed without stealth, Alarm is raised.[/ul]
[/blockquote]

[Vriska]

Vriska was starting to suspect that this was not the Jackal she'd first met. Or rather, maybe this was the rest of Jackal. The part that had taken a beating on the anvil of life. Vriska could empathize with that, but it didn't make it any less creepy. She made a mental note to handle Jackal with care.

Nodding, Vriska moved in tandem with Jackal. It was just one man. Surely they could just slip by- or not. Cursing in silence, Vriska followed Jackal's signal and stalked after the guard. She noted that he was considerably taller than her. He also stank.

It was an execution, pure and simple. A whisper of her drawn sword, a quick snicker-snack and a spray of blood and it was over. Sometimes it came as a surprise to Vriska that humans had red blood where hers was a bright blue. She would need to remember to wash her tunic when this was over.

Sheathing her sword again, Vriska hissed at Jackal. "That was not necessary."

Actions; Stealth | Lethal Attack

[Jackal]

x x

The Beast at Our Door

Jackal looked calmly at Vriska, then walked over to the corpse and bent low, near his face. After a long time, she recognized him. It was one of Victor's older goons--Jackal would only know the older ones, of course--who was sufficiently obedient to be kept close, but sufficiently stupid to be relegated to menial work. She traced a finger along his face, her claw cutting a shallow gash in his cheek. She didn't seem to notice.

"His name was Paul. I knew him. He was one of the ones that liked to hurt little children ... find little orphan boys and girls, and ... when he was done, he'd keep a trophy. I burned the trophy house down," Jackal whispered, the emotion slowly bleeding back into her voice. Her ears twitched. "I met one of the girls. She couldn't speak. Wouldn't." The finger still trailed along the man's face, digging in deeper. It broke through, and blood pulsed over her finger. When she moved her finger, you could see the man's teeth through the hole in his skin. "Her life was forfeit to this man. So many others. What makes him so special? What makes him exempt?" Jackal's voice had been barely above a whisper before, but now it had dropped so low as to be almost inaudible. Her ears flattened again, and the steel returned to her voice. "This isn't about punishment, though. It's about an equation. Remove him from it, and no one else gets hurt. He forfeited the right to justice the day he abandoned it."

Jackal didn't say any more, but proceeded down the hall and towards a large store-room, filled with crates stacked to the ceiling, forming a vast maze. Jackal beckoned for Vriska to follow, and with her eyes glowing, realized that there was no one else in the room. The problem would just be getting through it. There were three basic paths available to them; they could take the most obvious route, cutting through the center of the crates towards the exit at the other end, they could cut right into what looked like a side-path made to move supplies, or they could go by the left path, which was clearly just an arbitrary opening in the crates that had formed by happy accident.

"So, which way should we go?" Jackal asked, if only because she wanted to try and soothe some of the tension. It was hard, though, when her senses were so attuned.

Player choice!!! Which path should they go down to avoid detection?: the DIRECT MIDDLE PATH, the PRE-MADE RIGHT PATH, or the HAPHAZARD LEFT PATH?

---

Players

Vriska

[/b][/color]
Passive abilities;; None
Status;; Normal[/ul]

Jackal

[/b][/color]
Passive abilities;; None
Status;; Normal[/ul]

Enemies

Guardsman

[/b][/color]
Alertness;; Dead[/ul]

Quest info - special actions; all participants can use them

Stealth

Bypass

[/i]: If an Enemy is aware of Enemy', and Enemy' is killed while stealthed, but Enemy survives, Alarm will be raised. If an Enemy is aware of Enemy', and both Enemy and Enemy' are killed in one turn (while stealthed), then Alarm will not be raised. If any enemies are killed without stealth, Alarm is raised.[/ul]
[/blockquote]