Veiled Malice

There was nothing from the other side of the stall for a time. It's encouraging that Ren had stopped blubbering, but the silence coming from him was almost deafening. But then- "Thank you," he said quietly. It's strained, but sincere. He swallowed around the knot in his throat. "It's not like I can judge. About killing that guy, I mean. I know that... that if something happened to someone I knew..." he left off in the middle of the sentence. His intent was clear. There was nothing left to say. "God, I'm such a wimp," he said, chuckling darkly. "It's why I suck as a villain. You know what 'villainous' things I've done while I've been here? I got my ass kicked by Icarus, got roped into a museum job that I screw up royally, then I actually betrayed the guys I was supposed to be acting as an enforcer for." He sighed. "Drugs," he said, hoping that would explain everything. "I couldn't do it, Lynn. Couldn't sell myself and let others suffer." "And here I am now, in the men's room of a restaurant, crying my eyes out in front of my would-be girlfriend." There was a sudden pause, like Ren's mind had just caught up to what he'd said. "Wait, this is the men's room, right?" The stall door opens suddenly and Ren stuck his head out. Finding the urinals, he breathed a sigh of relief and looked down to where Lynn sat on the floor. "Geez, that would have topped off the perfect evening, huh?" he said with a crooked smile, tinged with just a hint of residual sorrow.

There was nothing from the other side of the stall for a time. It's encouraging that Ren had stopped blubbering, but the silence coming from him was almost deafening. But then- "Thank you," he said quietly. It's strained, but sincere. He swallowed around the knot in his throat. "It's not like I can judge. About killing that guy, I mean. I know that... that if something happened to someone I knew..." he left off in the middle of the sentence. His intent was clear. There was nothing left to say. "God, I'm such a wimp," he said, chuckling darkly. "It's why I suck as a villain. You know what 'villainous' things I've done while I've been here? I got my ass kicked by Icarus, got roped into a museum job that I screw up royally, then I actually betrayed the guys I was supposed to be acting as an enforcer for." He sighed. "Drugs," he said, hoping that would explain everything. "I couldn't do it, Lynn. Couldn't sell myself and let others suffer." "And here I am now, in the men's room of a restaurant, crying my eyes out in front of my would-be girlfriend." There was a sudden pause, like Ren's mind had just caught up to what he'd said. "Wait, this is the men's room, right?" The stall door opens suddenly and Ren stuck his head out. Finding the urinals, he breathed a sigh of relief and looked down to where Lynn sat on the floor. "Geez, that would have topped off the perfect evening, huh?" he said with a crooked smile, tinged with just a hint of residual sorrow.

And I think that's the game. Unless The Emissary has something to add, we can wrap this sucker up.

And I think that's the game. Unless The Emissary has something to add, we can wrap this sucker up.

"That would be fantastic." She happily hops back into his arms and points back towards the park. The ride over is mostly filled by the awed woman looked down at the terrain they were flying over. It's somewhat heartwarming to see a woman who would normally be so conservative in her everyday life find such wonder in flight. When they touch down outside of the horde of reporters, she gave him a grateful nod. "Thank you very much, Captain. And I'll hope to be hearing from you soon." Captain Wonder flies away before the mob is upon him again, but sees that Charlotte watches him until he flies out of sight.

"That would be fantastic." She happily hops back into his arms and points back towards the park. The ride over is mostly filled by the awed woman looked down at the terrain they were flying over. It's somewhat heartwarming to see a woman who would normally be so conservative in her everyday life find such wonder in flight. When they touch down outside of the horde of reporters, she gave him a grateful nod. "Thank you very much, Captain. And I'll hope to be hearing from you soon." Captain Wonder flies away before the mob is upon him again, but sees that Charlotte watches him until he flies out of sight.

"Wonderful!" she said happily. "Though this isn't exactly the right place for it. Would you mind doing it back at the studio? I'm free whenever you are. I can also promise complete privacy up until showtime. We've done this kind of thing before, and we know how important secrecy is to superheroes."

"Wonderful!" she said happily. "Though this isn't exactly the right place for it. Would you mind doing it back at the studio? I'm free whenever you are. I can also promise complete privacy up until showtime. We've done this kind of thing before, and we know how important secrecy is to superheroes."

Raven held up a hand for silence; unnecessary because of Velocity's near-perfect stealth, but it seemed to be almost reflex for the woman. Once she was sure there was no one in earshot, she turned back to Velocity. "Alright, here's how it's going to go down. Once they come back up, I'll hit them with a flashbang. Then you move in and do your thing. Got it?" From her tone, it was obvious she wasn't going to take anything other than her plan under advisement.

Raven held up a hand for silence; unnecessary because of Velocity's near-perfect stealth, but it seemed to be almost reflex for the woman. Once she was sure there was no one in earshot, she turned back to Velocity. "Alright, here's how it's going to go down. Once they come back up, I'll hit them with a flashbang. Then you move in and do your thing. Got it?" From her tone, it was obvious she wasn't going to take anything other than her plan under advisement.

"Thank you," she said, smoothing out her skirt. The height of the building nor the wind seemed to bother her. In fact, she seemed right at home. She went over to the side of the building and peered down, shaking her head. "God, I hope I didn't give everyone on the way over a free show," she muttered to herself. Charlotte drew herself up straight again and walked over to Captain Wonder. Her crystal blues flashed with awe at being so close to the man. "I... well, that is... I'm a big fan, let's just get that out of the way first. When you disappeared, I was still a little girl, but..." She smiled up at him. "Let's just say the world lot a little bit of wonder for me." "Anyway," she continued, shaking her head. "I'd like to interview you. On record. Find out where you've been, what you've been doing, why you came back now, things like that." She waved her hands in front of her, trying to placate any worries he might have. "You don't have to if you don't want to, but others are going to want to know, and I can tell you my... colleagues are pretty insistent when they smell a good story." "So, what do you say?"

"Thank you," she said, smoothing out her skirt. The height of the building nor the wind seemed to bother her. In fact, she seemed right at home. She went over to the side of the building and peered down, shaking her head. "God, I hope I didn't give everyone on the way over a free show," she muttered to herself. Charlotte drew herself up straight again and walked over to Captain Wonder. Her crystal blues flashed with awe at being so close to the man. "I... well, that is... I'm a big fan, let's just get that out of the way first. When you disappeared, I was still a little girl, but..." She smiled up at him. "Let's just say the world lot a little bit of wonder for me." "Anyway," she continued, shaking her head. "I'd like to interview you. On record. Find out where you've been, what you've been doing, why you came back now, things like that." She waved her hands in front of her, trying to placate any worries he might have. "You don't have to if you don't want to, but others are going to want to know, and I can tell you my... colleagues are pretty insistent when they smell a good story." "So, what do you say?"

I bought Dark Heresy, but haven't had much of a chance to look at it yet. The setting is one of my favorites, though.

I bought Dark Heresy, but haven't had much of a chance to look at it yet. The setting is one of my favorites, though.

Both Nanowire and Mashin-kun are from Japan.

Both Nanowire and Mashin-kun are from Japan.

Ren was somewhat surprised by Lynn's admission of her... experience. That hadn't even been something he'd thought of when he'd gone out with her. Of course, it wouldn't matter if she did have something. No organics meant no diseases could affect him. But he did find himself somewhat... turned off by the prospect that she'd been with so many other men. But then the next part came up... more pain, more bad memories, one more little piece of the Lynn puzzle solved. But this one's a bit more hard-edged than even he was prepared for. The implication being that Lynn murdered someone hit Ren slightly harder than he was prepared for. He tried to cover it up by taking a couple of the fries that Lynn had offered, but he was fairly certain she'd caught a glimpse of distaste on his face before he could cover it up. "Crime thing... right," he said, trying to get himself back on track. Damn, maybe this wasn't such a good idea, he thought to himself. "Well, it's mostly a continuation of the story from before. I'd been wandering around for almost six months when I stumbled across the Keihanshin Industrial Zone. A part of it is just one big junkyard, so I settled down there, mostly to feel sorry for myself. That's where I learned about my armor, by the way." He looked back down at his steak, which by now had gotten much smaller, seemingly through osmosis. "Gettin' down there," he muttered as he slid another piece into his mouth. "Anyway, I stayed there all by my lonesome for that time, then a bunch of kids showed up. Weirdest thing. Ten homeless children - well, I guess they weren't all children, some of 'em were almost my age - showed up and tried to make themselves at home. Most of them were runaways, like me, getting away from their families." He shook his head as the memories came back. "They had some stories to tell, none of them good. But back then I was more interested in myself, and I nearly told the lot to get lost." Ren shrugged. "Brooding for months on end by yourself will get you really bitter at the outside world." "But there was this kid with them," Ren said, his eyes starting to sparkle with genuine happiness, "Tiny little runt, he was. Couldn't tell if he was a boy or a girl at first. But he wasn't afraid of me. I was armored up, seven feet tall and ready to wreak havoc, and the kid stood up to me." He chuckled, now gesturing wildly with his hands. "Can you imagine it? This little kid had more balls than a legion of adults with guns would have had under the same circumstances. He actually told me that scaring people was wrong, and that I should be ashamed of myself." "Took the wind right out of my sails," Ren said, calming down and poking at his steak a few more times. "I couldn't throw them out after that, so I reluctantly invited them in. Made a few more 'homey touches' with them there. They couldn't sleep in the same places I could, after all. That kid was always there, though. He idolized me for some strange reason." Perking up, Ren snapped his fingers. "Daisuke! Sorry, I forgot to tell you his name. Daisuke Seto." "We lived there like the most dysfunctional family ever for three months. They fought about everything, I swear. Just like kids..." His voice trailed off at the end. Suddenly, he wasn't smiling anymore. A stone-faced expression replaced his former joyful one. "Then this... @$$hole showed up one day. Kamikaze, his name was. Couldn't forget it if I tried. He started pushing the kids around, scaring them, like it was all that hard to do to a couple of half-starved children." "I was going to stay out of it," Ren said. His fist tightened around his glass. "The guy was just there for kicks. He'd leave after he'd had his fun. But Daisuke begged me. Told me that it was my duty... as a hero." He spat the last word as though it was a curse. "Hero. I didn't want to be one. I just wanted to be left alone. But I couldn't... I couldn't say no to him." He looked out the window, as if there was something to see out there that would take him away from what came next. His left hand tightened and relaxed as he spoke again. "So I picked a fight. Me versus Kamikaze in a battle to determine who the bigger idiot was. We fought... for a while, and as we did... it was like a game to us. None of it mattered, not really, so we just... just smacked each other around for a while. It was like two buddies getting together after a long time. It was... unreal." Ren closed his eyes and thumped his head into the window. "I don't know why I treated it that way; why he did too, but there it is." He sighed, seemingly tired. "But when two people that powerful 'play' like that, people around them get hurt." "It was an accident," he said, suddenly rounding on Lynn. He scooped up her hands in his and leaned over the table so he was nearly in her face. His eyes were wide and desperate, like she needed his to believe what he was saying more than anything in the world. "I need you to understand that. I didn't mean it... didn't..." He slid his hands back. "I got scared. Kamikaze had hurt me for the first time, right here, over the shoulder," he pointed at the indicated area. "Threw a piece of rebar through my armor. It... hurt. For the first time since absorbing machines, something had hurt me." "I didn't react well." Now Ren pulled back into himself, trying to become smaller. "I freaked out, nailed the guy hard... too hard. He was fine, just flew through the wall, but... the wall... the ceiling..." He looked at his hands. "It all fell down. Collapsed like a house of cards. But I saw... I finally saw..." He looked back up at Lynn. His eyes were wide with horror. "They were there. They had been there the whole time, watching. The children. All of them... they were screaming... all but Daisuke. He was smiling at me. Smiling... through the tears. Then... the building..." Ren stood up suddenly and looked around the restaurant desperately until he found what he had been looking for. "I'm sorry... I need to go..." Without so much as a word, he ran towards the bathroom, trying to hide his eyes from Lynn. He couldn't even cry for the people he'd killed any more. Ren burst into the bathroom and slammed the stall door behind him. Why had he done that? Why had he told her at all? He couldn't even cry for them. Couldn't give them the respect they deserved. He cradled his head in his hands. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."

Ren was somewhat surprised by Lynn's admission of her... experience. That hadn't even been something he'd thought of when he'd gone out with her. Of course, it wouldn't matter if she did have something. No organics meant no diseases could affect him. But he did find himself somewhat... turned off by the prospect that she'd been with so many other men. But then the next part came up... more pain, more bad memories, one more little piece of the Lynn puzzle solved. But this one's a bit more hard-edged than even he was prepared for. The implication being that Lynn murdered someone hit Ren slightly harder than he was prepared for. He tried to cover it up by taking a couple of the fries that Lynn had offered, but he was fairly certain she'd caught a glimpse of distaste on his face before he could cover it up. "Crime thing... right," he said, trying to get himself back on track. Damn, maybe this wasn't such a good idea, he thought to himself. "Well, it's mostly a continuation of the story from before. I'd been wandering around for almost six months when I stumbled across the Keihanshin Industrial Zone. A part of it is just one big junkyard, so I settled down there, mostly to feel sorry for myself. That's where I learned about my armor, by the way." He looked back down at his steak, which by now had gotten much smaller, seemingly through osmosis. "Gettin' down there," he muttered as he slid another piece into his mouth. "Anyway, I stayed there all by my lonesome for that time, then a bunch of kids showed up. Weirdest thing. Ten homeless children - well, I guess they weren't all children, some of 'em were almost my age - showed up and tried to make themselves at home. Most of them were runaways, like me, getting away from their families." He shook his head as the memories came back. "They had some stories to tell, none of them good. But back then I was more interested in myself, and I nearly told the lot to get lost." Ren shrugged. "Brooding for months on end by yourself will get you really bitter at the outside world." "But there was this kid with them," Ren said, his eyes starting to sparkle with genuine happiness, "Tiny little runt, he was. Couldn't tell if he was a boy or a girl at first. But he wasn't afraid of me. I was armored up, seven feet tall and ready to wreak havoc, and the kid stood up to me." He chuckled, now gesturing wildly with his hands. "Can you imagine it? This little kid had more balls than a legion of adults with guns would have had under the same circumstances. He actually told me that scaring people was wrong, and that I should be ashamed of myself." "Took the wind right out of my sails," Ren said, calming down and poking at his steak a few more times. "I couldn't throw them out after that, so I reluctantly invited them in. Made a few more 'homey touches' with them there. They couldn't sleep in the same places I could, after all. That kid was always there, though. He idolized me for some strange reason." Perking up, Ren snapped his fingers. "Daisuke! Sorry, I forgot to tell you his name. Daisuke Seto." "We lived there like the most dysfunctional family ever for three months. They fought about everything, I swear. Just like kids..." His voice trailed off at the end. Suddenly, he wasn't smiling anymore. A stone-faced expression replaced his former joyful one. "Then this... @$$hole showed up one day. Kamikaze, his name was. Couldn't forget it if I tried. He started pushing the kids around, scaring them, like it was all that hard to do to a couple of half-starved children." "I was going to stay out of it," Ren said. His fist tightened around his glass. "The guy was just there for kicks. He'd leave after he'd had his fun. But Daisuke begged me. Told me that it was my duty... as a hero." He spat the last word as though it was a curse. "Hero. I didn't want to be one. I just wanted to be left alone. But I couldn't... I couldn't say no to him." He looked out the window, as if there was something to see out there that would take him away from what came next. His left hand tightened and relaxed as he spoke again. "So I picked a fight. Me versus Kamikaze in a battle to determine who the bigger idiot was. We fought... for a while, and as we did... it was like a game to us. None of it mattered, not really, so we just... just smacked each other around for a while. It was like two buddies getting together after a long time. It was... unreal." Ren closed his eyes and thumped his head into the window. "I don't know why I treated it that way; why he did too, but there it is." He sighed, seemingly tired. "But when two people that powerful 'play' like that, people around them get hurt." "It was an accident," he said, suddenly rounding on Lynn. He scooped up her hands in his and leaned over the table so he was nearly in her face. His eyes were wide and desperate, like she needed his to believe what he was saying more than anything in the world. "I need you to understand that. I didn't mean it... didn't..." He slid his hands back. "I got scared. Kamikaze had hurt me for the first time, right here, over the shoulder," he pointed at the indicated area. "Threw a piece of rebar through my armor. It... hurt. For the first time since absorbing machines, something had hurt me." "I didn't react well." Now Ren pulled back into himself, trying to become smaller. "I freaked out, nailed the guy hard... too hard. He was fine, just flew through the wall, but... the wall... the ceiling..." He looked at his hands. "It all fell down. Collapsed like a house of cards. But I saw... I finally saw..." He looked back up at Lynn. His eyes were wide with horror. "They were there. They had been there the whole time, watching. The children. All of them... they were screaming... all but Daisuke. He was smiling at me. Smiling... through the tears. Then... the building..." Ren stood up suddenly and looked around the restaurant desperately until he found what he had been looking for. "I'm sorry... I need to go..." Without so much as a word, he ran towards the bathroom, trying to hide his eyes from Lynn. He couldn't even cry for the people he'd killed any more. Ren burst into the bathroom and slammed the stall door behind him. Why had he done that? Why had he told her at all? He couldn't even cry for them. Couldn't give them the respect they deserved. He cradled his head in his hands. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."

Ren frowned as Sean got taken out of the room by Lainey. He had been intending to "talk" to him a little bit more about his involvement with his future self, which Ren was sure by now had actually transpired. Whatever Sean was hiding grated on his more villainous impulses, and he had to remind himself that smacking him around was not an option. At least not in front of Lynn. But for right now, he settled for following after him and hanging out near the back room. Hopefully Lynn would keep her future grandfather busy while he did some snooping. For the few moments he listened, however, it just seemed like they were talking about the good old days. Lainey had obviously been holding a torch for Sean for a while. Ren would have rolled his eyes as he envisioned the goo-goo faces Lainey was likely making at Sean, but he realized that he and Lynn had been doing much the same thing for the entire night. He'd wait about ten more minutes. After that, he would either have to harm Sean or deafen himself.

Ren frowned as Sean got taken out of the room by Lainey. He had been intending to "talk" to him a little bit more about his involvement with his future self, which Ren was sure by now had actually transpired. Whatever Sean was hiding grated on his more villainous impulses, and he had to remind himself that smacking him around was not an option. At least not in front of Lynn. But for right now, he settled for following after him and hanging out near the back room. Hopefully Lynn would keep her future grandfather busy while he did some snooping. For the few moments he listened, however, it just seemed like they were talking about the good old days. Lainey had obviously been holding a torch for Sean for a while. Ren would have rolled his eyes as he envisioned the goo-goo faces Lainey was likely making at Sean, but he realized that he and Lynn had been doing much the same thing for the entire night. He'd wait about ten more minutes. After that, he would either have to harm Sean or deafen himself.

Eh, not too much, actually. I was going to show off Daisuke's Massive Muscles of Justice, (TM ) but Cos beat me to it.

Eh, not too much, actually. I was going to show off Daisuke's Massive Muscles of Justice, (TM ) but Cos beat me to it.

The woman, for her part, reacted rather well to being lifted up and flown away. Although Captain Wonder could tell that she was trying very hard not to cry out, either in childish glee or momentary fear. Her face stayed more or less unchanged as they flew along, high above the treetops. To make herself more comfortable, or perhaps just to get more of a grip on the situation, she threw one arm over the good Captain's broad shoulders and sank into his grasp a bit more. "Charlotte Chase," she said, her professionalism showing through even in the current situation. "I'm with channel 5, but I'm not surprised you haven't seen me before. I'm just starting out." She took a look around her, awe finally bleeding through to her expression. "I... sorry, this is just new for me. Could you set us down on a building so I can actually ask some questions and have a prayer of writing them down without my hands shaking?" Oddly enough, it was now obvious that she was not in fact scared, but excited.

The woman, for her part, reacted rather well to being lifted up and flown away. Although Captain Wonder could tell that she was trying very hard not to cry out, either in childish glee or momentary fear. Her face stayed more or less unchanged as they flew along, high above the treetops. To make herself more comfortable, or perhaps just to get more of a grip on the situation, she threw one arm over the good Captain's broad shoulders and sank into his grasp a bit more. "Charlotte Chase," she said, her professionalism showing through even in the current situation. "I'm with channel 5, but I'm not surprised you haven't seen me before. I'm just starting out." She took a look around her, awe finally bleeding through to her expression. "I... sorry, this is just new for me. Could you set us down on a building so I can actually ask some questions and have a prayer of writing them down without my hands shaking?" Oddly enough, it was now obvious that she was not in fact scared, but excited.

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Daisuke responded to the girl's prompting. He wasn't here by choice anyway, and the only reason he hadn't left was the cage that the skeleton had just... well, melted. "Come on!" he shouted to the mermaid girl. He didn't know any of the people he was now running with, but strangely, he felt more at home among them than he had in a long time.