Ne: Mission 1b. Flight or Fight ((IC))

[beasthaxorus]

OOC:in the necessary evils i said you killed my mom.
"No...The one you had on when you killed my mother."Hawk said trying not to yell.

[Keke Le Cat]

"Never raise your voice at me." Themis replied, in a perfectly moderated tone. "You are in my home, and here you must abide by my rules. That means you must be civil to me, and to my other guests."

Making a huge fuss, she smoothed the ledger, rearranged the pens in their cup, and straightened every other thing she could think of on her desk. Making him wait. She rose slowly and walked around the desk, adding a bit of a sway to her step. When she was directly in front of Hawk, she leaned in and whispered, "Who the fuck is your mom?"

While he answered she held good eye contact, her warm, honey colored eyes conveying no pity.

[beasthaxorus]

"Sorry..Can I just see the mask one last time?"

[Keke Le Cat]

"If you wish for me to point out my hunting trophy for your amusement, you must first tell me her name, or some other intimation of identity." She said calmly, too calmly.

Questions about how she had gone into her bedroom with a fox and returned with a man she had expected, but not this. Should she offer condolences? Perhaps, apologize because his mother was an unrepentant criminal? No, certainly not.

Was it bad form to claim the memento if his mothers death a trophy? Had she left no corpse behind to be properly buried? Questions crowded around her head.

She should have expected this, that she would find hostility among her peers. You don't spend nearly a decade taking out the trash without a few angry refuse heaps. Or something.

[beasthaxorus]

"I saw your mask. I was there when you killed her.It was the mask with 3 red stripes on the right cheek.Please im begging you."As hawk said the last sentence he bowed to her.

[Solly]

"The boy's mother was killed on a nice August Ninth, as part of a response to her sleeping with her brother," Mr. Redd stepped into the room, "You were assigned by the Village Boys, a puritan group. It was two stabs to the neck. Rather sloppy for your usual work, I must say,"

[Keke Le Cat]

Wordlessly Themis lead the way to the equipment room. Tilting her head to the side like a bird she watched as he found the mask he sought. It was a new experience for her, showing anyone but Gil her mask collection. It was an added novelty that one had been seen before.

Always on guard, she was an instant away from flashing into the next room. Themis was confident that the boy could not get the drop on her, and she considered dispatching him now so as to avoid constantly watching her back for a stealth attack.

To kill him now, or not to kill him? Themis thought dispassionately, still watching him curiously, That does seem to be the question.

Unable to resist curiosity, she sent out a feeler and absorbed his feelings, thoughts.

[Please post what your character is feeling when he looks at the mask, what he thinks, etc.]

[Keke Le Cat]

Straightening her back her head whipped to face Redd, "I was new! She was one of my firsts."

A bright blush crept up her neck. "I am certain we were all sloppy once." in a much smaller voice she added, "And she was guilty, I observed with my own eyes."

[Solly]

"Well in my early days I was more of a pinkish hue. They called me Pinky then," Mr. Redd looked away from the mask room and at the bedroom door, "Why Dr. Fox, if I might ask?"

[beasthaxorus]

OOC:sadness,remoarse regret for not trying to save her.He doesn't hate you,nor feel like attacking you.

"Thank you Themis."Hawk said as he saw the mask."I will always remember this day and you have my respect and loyalty for lettng me see it."

[Pants]

Chamber bags up the canned tuna in the satchel and he begins to look for the others with Gil.

[Keke Le Cat]

Themis tried not to snicker at Mr Redd, and she equally promised herself to try not to tease him by calling him Pinky later, in jest. It wasn't until Hawk spoke that she realized how very inappropriate was the urge to laugh. She was back to feeling uncertain how to handle the situation. She was certain that it wasn't covered in Miss Manners Guide to being Hostess.

"Would you like to keep it?" She asked spontaneously. "I am not certain what will be saved from the Nihlorn. If it is precious to you, you may take it."

Without waiting for a response she turned back to Redd, "What do you mean? Why Fox?" She tilted her head curiously, "Why am I allowing him to follow us? Why is he here?"

She tapped her chin with a long red nail, "He isn't like us. He is..." she struggled for the right word, "He's neutral. He does no harm, but he does no particular good."

Thoroughly perplexed by the question, she thought about it more deeply than she ever had before, why indeed Fox?

"He tells me when what I do is going beyond the call of Justice." She answered honestly, "When what I do serves more good, or more evil than the cause of Justice. I am not always blind as justice must be, and he... is more discerning than I."

Smiling wistfully, she said, "That makes him sound like Jiminy Cricket, but that is the all of it."

Shrugging, she went on, "For example, the gentleman's mother was in fact having relations with her brother, and that is wrong, though not unjust. That was why she was brought to my attention. However, that was not why I killed her. It is disgusting, but does not deserve punishment. What her true crime was, she was a drug dealer. Mostly prescriptions, mostly legal drugs if obtained through the proper channel. But she sold them to high school children. One had over dosed. That made her a murderer. That required my justice."

[Solly]

"Thank you for answering," replied Mr. Redd. He nodded and went back to the window. Watching.

[beasthaxorus]

"No,it's your trophy and I could not live with having it.I just wanted to see it,to motivate me.Again thank you Themis you do not know how much this means to me."

[Keke Le Cat]

Themis nodded to Hawk to acknowledge his words.

---

Gil happily ate his sandwich and then followed Chamber, much as he might have Themis.

When they arrived at the equipment room his eyes were drawn to a drawer containing guns. Big guns, little guns. Guns, guns, guns. Without much thought he picked up a medium sized monster with a nickle plated barrel.

"May I have this one?" He asked Kitty.

She was surprised, but she tried not to let it show. Unable to ask why, for fear of making him look weak, she simply looked at him for a long moment. She couldn't really turn him down in present company, and he knew it. Though, he would equally know that she would dislike his using it. She huddled around his humanity, depending on him to keep her vision clear. It was true what the old saying said, one cannot look long at the abyss without it also looking into them. When she entered the mind of a criminal to discern his or her innocense or guilt, she took a piece of them with her to ride around in her mind forever. Gil kept that part of her contained.

What she didn't know was that he treasured her monstrousness as much as she clung to his humanity. It made him feel safe to know that she was willing to do what was necessary. He felt better thinking that he might be able to defend himself if he must.

"You may keep it, if you truly wish it," said she seriously.

"Thank you." He replied with the same air of gravity.

Without speaking, she helped him find a holster and adjusted it to fit on his belt, then handed him an extra clip for his pocket.

"If everyone has what they need, we should probably be going." She said to the room.

[beasthaxorus]

"Let us go then."Hawk replied exiting the room.

[geromy]

Firmware Updated
Notes
Begin
"-Updated voice software
-Changed network map
That's about it, still working on fix for the total obedience without bricking you guys.
Keep fighting for your right to live, SJ-1000 models.
-Your anonymous patcher"
End Notes

[Solly]

Mr. Redd turned away from the window, "I don't mean to be a downer, but our vehicle has just been appropriated by the authorities."

He gestured to the window, wherein one could see a rather large machine crushing the Escalade. Left beside the crumpled heap was a ticket, stating, "ILLEGAL USE OF EARTH VEHICLE NEAR NILHORN PROPERTY."

"It appears we'll be taking a nice stroll back."

[Kirby]

"Well that sucks, I wonder how they are doing back at the base."

[beasthaxorus]

"who knows."Hawk replied calmly.

[Pants]

"Guys, i think now would be a good time to reload your weapons."

Chamber drops his sword and picks up 2 semi-automatic pistols from the bed.

"i think i'll be using these more than that bulky mess."

Chamber stood behind the front door, in anticipation of what was to come.

[beasthaxorus]

"Lets go.I'm about to fly back to the base.it's not that far for me later."replied Hawk leaving the house and waving to come if they want.

[Keke Le Cat]

"Gil has a truck. It can hold most of us." Themis pointed out. "If some ride in the back, and we drive a little more carefully than we did in my vehicle."

[beasthaxorus]

"It's all good I'll be your eyes in the skys on are way back."Hawk said sprouting his wings.

[Keke Le Cat]

"Works for me," Themis shrugged.