Killing Time (OPEN)

After the gaining info on the gangs of Star City, Bible Black would begi- no, Shard had begun his little game. He started with The Swamp, this is where the lowest of the low would hang. Even the toughest thugs in Oldtown would be weary coming over here. Yet this was a good spot to get information.

 Shard would stroll through the swamp, his eyes scanning for someone or something. Information, he wanted to know just what happened during his assume death. The internet was nice but it was too public. Too many unwanted eyes, too many questions, and it was harder to see the lies. Face to face was the best way to get info. That would leave the sleeping public of the swamp, surely one of them would lead him in the right direction. 

If not he would just have to begin systematically eliminating every normal from Star City. But that would require too much resource and wasn't very practical. He would sit on one of the fallen building debris as he contemplated on where to start in the slums of The Swamp.

"Remind me again why we are on the rooftops in the most degrading part of the city Artemis?"

Himinn said for the third time as he followed the swift goddess Artemis across the rooftops. His heart skipping a beat every time he jumped three feet to the next rooftop to try to catch up to the huntress. The Huntress merely continued her quick pace, not bothered by his repeated question "We are on a Hunt dear pup and I wished for you to come. You may learn something out of this even thought the monster is not on your plain of existence." Himinn was too focus on not plummeting to his death and thus could not pay attention to half her answer. He can only sarcastically think of what the headlines would say if he died, *Young Teen plummet to his death Because The Voices told him so,* Unfortunately the Fates decided his unfaithful thought seriously and made his footing slip. Resulting him to fall some stories, thankfully the clothing lines broke his velocity and landing in the dumpster. Groans can be heard from within and the young teen manage to get out of the dumpster. There's most likely going to be a lot of bruises in the morning to come. He took notice that Artemis is no where to be seen, most likely running off after her quarry. With a grunt he began to walk out of the alleyway and down the street, passing by building derbies on  way.

Shard would scan his surroundings. So far it seemed empty, he figured as much. He probably should have started with the local school. Much easier to get info an the like there. All it took was sitting behind the right kids on a bus and he know just where to go to get the 411 on the MLA. Metahuman Lychers Anonymous or that's at least what Shard took to calling them. 

From the back he heard something crash into a dumpster. Probably someone dropping off a dead body or something. Shard would get up and begin happily bouncing towards the sound. Looks like he was going to get a lead after all. At least he hoped so. Hoping along he noticed some kid walk out of the alleyway. An eyebrow would rise on Shard's face. It was a bit out of character but, he decided to call out to him.

"Hey kid, long way from home aren't you?" Shard called out to the teen. He still continued his free skipping as he approached the boy. "This isn't exactly a safe place for kids like you, you know?" Shard laughed stopping around 2-3 meters away from the kid.

It was at that moment that Himinn made to vow that the next time he met the Fates he would give them a slap, divine status be damned! He acknowledge the snarky remark by giving him a glance but continued walking. "Had a scuffle with a drunk and got shoved out the window," Yea that sounded a lot better than following a goddess that only he can see. Might as well sign the sheet and send him to a insane asylum if he was honest. Himinn stopped when the older person stop a few meters infront of him. "Besides how do you know I'm away from home, why for all we know I could be a squatter." Himinn poke back in a sassy manner. Normally he would be chipper when meeting new people and friendly but he is not in the mood at the moment.

Shard would watch as the boy would poke back. Shard would let a wide grin form on his lips. "Because you are still alive." he would say in his deep voice. Shard knew just how dangerous the swamp was. Well it was for someone that wasn't him. He let himself chuckle at the thought before calming down. Apart of him wanted to say something on the lines of 'because I haven't killed you yet.' but he felt like it would detract from his mission to scare the kid like that.

So instead he would simply state. "Kid, there is only two kinds of people that live here, the Metahuman Murders and the Human Exterminators." He would shrug. "If you ain't either of them then and you're here.. you'll either a idiot tourist, a kid with a death wish, or one of their new recruits. So... which is it?" he said strongly.

Well...when the person put it that way he is remotely accurate. What insane mortal would follow an immortal into a hostile part of the city to hunt a monster that he can't even help fight. Let alone even having the experience to do so. He gave a blank stare at the man gloating on not killing him, not even phase by the situation he is in. To be fair when you deal with gods oh let say the Horrific God of Decay, Ah Puch. Things like this do not scare him anymore. Thinking of Ah Puch an crazy thought came to him, a horrible crazy idea, "Well if you want my honesty then how does communing with godly beings sound?" Himinn said rather plainly, not caring on how crazy he may sound, "While I can't make them do anything I can ask for useful information, like what's the weather going to be today," He said jokingly but he had a feeling that the guy is not going to buy it. "But I'm sure you have no interest in a delusional teen but hear me out, I can prove my abilities at a gas station and pick out a lottery ticket that has a jackpot by talking to the gods or any other tasks that ou desire to prove my merit,"

Shard's face remained still. Idiot tourist it is! Though the boy seemed to be making some pretty outlandish claims. Far from something Shard was willing to simply let go by. Being a metahuman seemingly changed Shard, making him slightly more tolerant of bull. He looked at the boy and said simply, "You expect me to nod and say 'lets go to the convience store'" he shook his head. "Well I found the answer to my previous question, but let me humor you... You say you can speak to gods? Very well but im not interested in the past, answer me this question. " 

His eyes narrowed. " A family of four comes the city. The father is a construction worker, the mother is a teacher and the two boys are students. One day the older boy finds something special. That night three people were murdered by someone. Who were the three people that were murdered?"

It's funny how Gods and Goddess can read your mind, see the desire in your heart and the plea that your mind subconsciously utter. A chill rush through him and a sickening chill ran down his spine as he feel something wrong looming over him. He can already picture his macabre glee clearly and his gruesome skull face bearing down his neck. Let's hope this plan works Himinn could have sworn he heard it's unholy chuckle as it reared It's skull closer to Himinn skull. It's breath of horrific decay would make any mortal puke profusely, but his time among gods had given him a iron stomach and can tolerate their presence. When it began to hollowly whisper into his ear he responded with utter calmness, "Well that someone was a mob who mistook your brother for you and eventually dragged your family onto the street and killed them," Himinn repeated the words that Ah Puch wispered into his ear, it's breath like crawling maggots on Himinn skin.

Shard's face would turn neutral. "Unfortunately for you, that is correct." He could feel the rage begin bubbling within the frame of his body. He didn't believe the kid's god mumbo jumbo for a second. Had the kid answered wrong, Shard was gonna dismiss him and let him scurry off. Though now it seemed like the little brat knew something.

He pulled out 5 balls from his pocket in one hand and a knife from the other. With a flick of his wrist the balls would contort into spikes and fire at the boys shoulder and thighs. The force from firing them would be powerful enough to pierce the skin and at the short range would be difficult to dodge. Shard made sure that they were positioned well enough so they wouldn't poke anything too important. He needed this brat alive. 

With his knife he prepared himself if the kid decided to run away, if he did the knife would be fired in the direction of his back. Even with the rage bubbling inside of him, Shard had a feeling that he was gonna get something if he could trap the brat.

Well this was a horrible plan to begin with Himinn made no attempt to dodge as he knew he can't outrun him. The spikes hit home, slicing into his skin and making go to his knees. All the while he could hear the horrific god chuckle behind him. Himinn thought of taunting the person, on how he hid in the cellar. Or at least rom Ah Puch told him, but he knew that pressing his luck would be stupid. "Well of course I'm correct, the gods never lie, they may tell half truth and false implication but never outright lie. They can tell me so many sweet things that humanity committed and thought their actions went unnoticed. Why even the names and location of every member in that mob," That was a half truth as sometimes the gods don't always tell him information and like to see him suffer first. But it was worth the gamble in this situation.

Shard would let a sinister smile form on his lips as he listened to the boy talk. Most people would have shut their mouths. Instead this kid just kept talking. With most of his strength he would send a kick at the boy's skull. He intended on knocking the boy out, whether or not he hit or miss he would laugh.

"That's exactly what I was hoping for."

A girl with a cat mask walked into the alley way silently and looked from the boy to shard and then send a fire ball at the wall by the two of them and aimed her now flaming had at hard. "Leave th eboy be or be burned to a crisp...." she said rather coldly from behind her mask seeming to be ready to fire another fire ball at any moment.

At this point Himinn was knocked out. The last thing he heard was the vile laughter of Ah Puch. Only the fates will tell what he will wake up too.

Shard would first pick up the unconscious boy and put him over his shoulder. Shard head would turned towards the flames smashing into the wall. Of course someone had to interrupt him. Life couldn't make anything easy for him it seems. Turning his head over to the new arrival, the smile and would leave his face and return to its natural state of neutrality. Motioning as if he was telling a child to shoo he would say nonchalantly, "Go away kid, this has nothing to do with you." Shard said preparing to ignore the girl's arrival if she would go away. 

While watching the girl with his knife now returning to his pocket, his mind had already gone through how this was gonna go down. As much as he would hate it, if it came down to it he was prepared to kill the meta in front of him if it meant being able to track down his family's killer all the more faster. Besides, just in case the girl was a bit unstable and wanted to kill the kid herself, Shard couldn't let the boy die like that... not until he told Shard everything he knows about that night.

She shook her head "Oh it does though.... you are attacking a civilian thus I must stop you for that is my job. That make this now has something to do with me now because it is my job to stop you." She aimed her hand at him narrowing her eyes behind her mask. "Put him down and surrender now and your injuries will be minimal...." She warned him seemed to be ready to move at any moment just in cae he would attack.

Shard would smile as he would pull 4 more balls out of his pocket. Each one in between one of his fingers. "You need to work on your ultimatums." He said calmly. The balls that were on the ground from attacking the boy would slowly begin to roll towards Shard. "Besides, I finally found the lead I was looking for, no way im gonna let some freak with a costume fetish get in my way." He said waiting for the girl to make her move.

"It's not a costume.... its battle armor" She said as she shot fire out at his arm and hand that held the balls if they were steel or anything weaker that melt easier then steel the balls would quickly start to melt if they were hit by the fire for a few seconds or longer, if it was jut for a split second they would just be in the state of metal right before it tarts to liquify. "you see... I don't care what you think you are going to do... because what you think is wrong and what you are actually going to do is put the boy down." She said coldly as she would shoot off fire at his arm ever so often if it had originally missed and would do so until it hit or until she was made to stop.

Shard watched as she shot fire at him. Without taking a moment to think he would pull the boy infront of himself and in the path of the fire. The ball of fire would hit the unconscious boys chest. Shard would still hold him from the back and watch as the flames burned on his shirt, threatening to sear into his skin. Shard looked at the girl with a yawn. "Hmmm well looks like I'm gonna need a different lead." 

Shard would hold onto the boy moving him to be used as a shield against the girl throwing fire. It was pretty humorous, he thought for the girl to kill the boy she was trying to save. Unfortunately he felt a little anger bubble in him. Mostly due to the fact that if the boy died, Shard would have to resort to... other means to get the lead he so desired. "Looks like what I was about to do was block your fire... Good thing I have this fire blocking body right here." he laughed.

Miley narrowed her eyes seeing him block her attack as she did so he would see the flames on her hand die down as her hair turned calm and wavy and blonde. She then shot out ice on the ground behind him so if he backed up he would slip and then tried to freeze his feet to the ground. After that even if it didn't work she then would shoot off snow at the boys chest to put out the flames. She then crouched down close to the ground and tarted to freeze the ground with her hands all over the alley way they were in shifting the battle to probably her advantage since she was more than able to travel on ice... she was trained to fight while sliding on it and do so while putting on a beautiful show.

Shard would block the snow with the body allowing the fire to go out or at least he told himself that. His eyes narrowed as he slowly took a step back. Thankfully due to his weight being on the stationary foot he noticed the ice behind him before he could get caught he swung it back to solid ground, but it still caused a moment of hesitation giving the girl the opportunity to hit the boy. This put out the fire, the boy would probably end up with 1st to 2nd degree burns. Looking forward he noticed that the girl hand was on the ground and the ground was freezing.

"Fuck... she has two of them, some people have all the luck." With a flick of his fingers the rolling balls would fly towards his feet. With a single jump they would attach to his feet and he willed for the balls to become blades. Though they stabbed into his shoes, meaning he would need a new pair.. He now had a pair of make-shift ice skates.

"Well that was a cool trick but I got one better." Shard said pointing to his new skates. He hated how they poked into his feet and the fact he was subpar at skating at best but that didn't stop him from turning around and skating away on the frozen ground. The boy was being dragged behind as Shard would skate clumsily away.

She grinned under her mask seeing him making the ice skates. "Cute..." She then held her hand by her feet and they froze before cracking and turning into ice skates. She saw him tart to skate away and quickly followed after him as she froze the ground all around them with her hands as they went. Unlike him she looked like she was born on the ice and was born to skate on it.

He moved on the ice with grace and was easily catching up with him as she aimed a hand at him and called out. "Leave the boy and you may run.... if you do not I will fire and I doubt you will be able to dodge well enough or even fast enough to not get hit....." She Warned him as she kept close to him with seemingly ease a she gracefully glided around on the ice. This is what she normally did to take down others for this, was her battle ground now that it was covered in ice.

Shard sighed when the girl gave him an second ultimatum. "You do realize you've done more harm to this guy then i could ever do... and your still trying to play the hero? God, at this point I'm not even sure whose saving him anymore." Shard would shrug. All he did was knock the kid out, the chick had thrown fire and ice at the kid. "Well if you want him that badly you can keep him, nursing this guy from his burns is too much of a hassle anyway." With that he would toss the boy over to the 'hero.' 

Of course he wouldn't make it that easy. It just so happened that they were under a fire escape and in the alleys of the city fire escapes tended to be made of metal and be very magnetic. This one was no different. Slipping a metal ball in the boy's shirt Shard would simply increase the force to attract the metal towards the ball. Suffice to say, while the girl had set the boy on fire... Shard was going to bring the fire escape onto them... or at least, the bottom half. The top of it was out of Shard's range so he couldn't cause that part to rip out of the wall.

Once the girl got near the boy she would hear the metal creaking and watch as it would fall behind her. Even at her speed on the ice it be hard to completely avoid it while carrying the civilian. Shard would continue to increase the distance between them during the event. He didn't want to get caught up in the carnage.

Miley seemed to have no reaction to his words as she kept following him but reached out and caught the boy. "Run if you wish" She said simply after slinging the boy over her shoulder with a huff so one of her arms would be free. She heard the creak and rolled her eyes muttering. "Why can't they ever just run off and not do anything extra....?" She said shaking her head as she froze a pillar going up to the fire escape as she made her path go up like a ramp that went over the broken fire escape.

She then made her ramp continue to go up to the roof and hopped off. he touched the makeshift ice skates making them shatter before he hit the ground of the roof. She laid the boy down and panted slightly before looking down to the boy and checking his condition. She sighed seeing the burns. She shook her head but pulled her mask from her face just enough for it not to be touching making her armor vanish and her normal white spaghetti strapped pocketed sundress to appear.

She reached in a pocket and pulled out a phone and put it on the ground before putting her mask back on making her clothes turn back into her armor. She grabbed her phone as she crouched by the boy and typed in a number as she made some snow and gently placed it on the boys burns. When the person on the other end picked up miley poke in feeconic.

"(Hey a kid got hit with my fire, I need you to get me some emergency deburner from the castle...... alright thanks I'll be at the orphanage soon to pick it up.... bye.)" she hung up and put it back the same way she had taken it out and looked to the boy to check and make sure there weren't any other injuries. She cursed in feeconic though when she noticed the other wounds the other guy had caused, she would have to quickly get him healed from the burns and get him rushed to a doctor for his other injuries.

While he ran away he would pull out his phone, he wanted to take some pictures. Using his quick wit, Shard would take a photo. It was good to know what his opposition could do, he ended up taking a few picture before disappearing from the alley. As he walked into the open he couldn't help but feel a twinge of anger inside of him. Pressing his finger against his chin he cursed, he was back to square one. 

That chick no, that b**** had gotten in his way. How was he gonna find his family's killer now that his one lead was gone he'd have to go to his backup plan. Then he stopped walking, he looked over at his picture he had just taken. A sneer would form on his lips. I can use this, he thought. Walking to his home he would laugh. Come morning that chick would find this picture plastered all over the news and internet, though it wouldn't be something praising her for her heroism. It would be a call out for kidnapping, murder, destruction of property, and being a dangerous element in an otherwise fine city. Who would have thought that this little intervention of hers, would be a blessing to him more than a curse?

[EXIT]

Later a few known Metahuman hating new stations would recieve a couple of photos. One of the girl picking up the boy with the burn on his back, one of her creating the ice pillar, and finally one of the girl's face... that was covered in armor. With a few anonymous fake witness testimonies, the girl would be dubbed the Black Monster and be a object of fear and outrage for the common people.