Mission Thread: Vigilante Justice

Tape surrounded the area of the park, most recently assumed to be Flints victim. It fit all the cards but one. It was out in the open, while all the others were in well concealed places, and well covered. This meant that his powers were making him bold, or that he was letting his better judgment slip as madness grew in him.

The murder was suspected to have happened at 3 am this morning. That's 5 hours ago now, and long time for an experienced man to cover his tracks. If he hadn't made it so already, it wouldn't be long before the trail ran cold.

Deck sighed as he examined the crime scene. Damnit. Eh, it was a good thing he had taken tracking lessons. He still lacked a meister, but he WOULD NOT let that stop him from becoming a death scythe. So he had decided to take a easy mission.

Of course, then it turned out he would have to do INVESTIGATING. Well, Deck knew it wouldn't be all 'fight dis kishin nao' when he signed up. Good thing he had training that would allow him to better track this guy.

Deck would do a quick sweep of the crime scene, see if he could find any clues regarding which direction Flint went. Time to put those tracking and crime scene investigation classes he took every Tuesday and Wednesday to the test...

He wouldn't let this guy get away. He would NOT.

As he searched, he mentally reviewed the file he had received on the guy. Psych Profile, Medical History, Home Address, Listed Reletives or significant others...

The crime scene held nothing of importance. Most of the evidence had been taken for review by investigators, leaving the crime scene pretty worthless. Report on the scene shows that Flint followed the same execution style as always on a solitary victim. The victim being a known lieutenant of the local crime syndicate. The detective who wrote the file would also state that this was out of character for syndicate leaders. The fact that he went somewhere without an escort suggests that he was able to lure/convince the person in question to come to a specific place alone.

SWAT officer Flint is noted in his file for having a flawless mental record(up until the first incident). As well, he was considered to be in ideal physical condition for a person of his age(27 years). It's noted in the file that Flint was married, but the wife was also listed as one of the earliest victims. Probably to tie up what he thought was a loose end.

Why the fuck did this guy jump off the deep end...?

People didn't just randomly go nuts. Hell, even when Asura was up and about, when people went crazy, there was usually SOME kind of build up. So either the guys who handed out the psych check were incompetent, or SOMETHING weird was going on.

Moving on, goddamn these cops are worthless. Seriously, you DON'T mess with the trail of a Kishin Egg, even when investigating a crime scene. Makes it harder to track the things.


Alright, crime scene was worthless. Options, options. 

Okay, this guy likes to hunt down criminals... He's been getting bolder, so he may try doing a direct attack... Or maybe...


Pulling out his Cell, Deck texted a quick request for a list of suspected or confirmed mafiosi. His general idea was to tail a higher ranking mobster until Flint tried to make his move.

After a few minutes Deck would receive a reply stating that most of the leaders are secretly hidden among the ranks. Orders are issued from the inside ranks with only leaders knowing who the other leaders are. This keeps them relatively safer, and makes them hard to predict on a personal level. The known heads have already been killed rivals, or Flint himself. There is, however, a known gathering place on their turf. A club named "Tantalize". For a non-member to show up there would be suicide. Let alone a well known enemy like Flint.

....The hell is it with mobsters and dead-techno crap clubs? Jesus, I miss Sinatra already. Eh, good news is, Flint will likely be staking the place out, at least. Crazy people don't tend to make the sanest decisions, after all, and Flint is already suffering from the power high most Kishin Eggs get.


Deck would shoot off a quick request for more details concerning 'Tantalize', and would proceed in that direction, making sure to stop at the end of the street it was on. While he walked, he pressed a button on the side of his headphones and began listening to some old school Elvis.

Man, why can't music today be like it was back then, when people had TALENT? Its all autotunes and techno and pop...

Tantalize was large a building with multiple stories, and too many guards to want to try and count. The syndicate is noted to hide guards amongst the crowds in the streets, and nearby buildings to assure they're never surrounded in a skirmish.

The only guards that looked the part were two well dressed men in front of the main entrance. Others were likely scattered among the drunkards exiting the building. Their organization made it impossible to discern leadership. Most groups travel in a triangle with the leader in the middle. The groups here seemed to have no formation at all.

Okay. Waaaay too many people for this to be a mob only place. Eh, must have VIP rooms or something. Okay, how do I want to play this....I could try and gain entry, see if he tries something inside, or I could find a nice building to watch the crowd from...


Shrugging, Deck decided that if Flint tried something, it would be in the crowd, where he could make a reasonable getaway. If he was wrong, well...

Meh, the guy used a knife. He tried anything inside, the guys with guns would mow him down before he got ten feet. 

With that though, Deck entered the crowd, doing his best to blend in as he waited for Flint to, hopefully, do something stupid.

OOC: Sorry for the wait.

The guards seemed highly oblivious to your presence. This suggested that they were on the look-out for someone in particular. Assuming it was Flint, there was little chance he was inside the club itself. There were plenty of target out here though. Anyone of the leaving patrons could be his target. Even though these men were in groups, historically numbers were less of a factor to a Kishin Egg.

After a while in wait, one of the groups splits off, likely making their way home. With no way to tell who was who. It's as good a bet as any.

Deck shrugged, and began walking after them at a slow pace, making sure to stay close enough to keep tabs, and far enough that they wouldn't notice him. 

This many souls, so close together? With the HIGH probability that at least a few are drunk and thus incapable of defense? Yeah, moth to flame, even if this guys MO is to attack mob lords.


Of course, in case Flint DID try and attack, Deck summoned a few of his cards, began messing with them. If Flint showed up? He would receive a face full of sharp object.

As you follow the group, it becomes easy to pick out the drunk targets. Out of five, two of them are highly intoxicated. The remaining three leading the to what you suppose must be home.

After a few blocks, the sober men suddenly fall to the ground with a groan, leaving the other two to stumble then fall in confusion mixed with a lack of support. A closer look reveals that each of the dead men have a knife in the side of their neck. Despite the records of Flint only hitting individual targets, or implementing throwing knives, you have to assume this is your man. Based on the speed, and accuracy at which the three knives hit, and the nature of the targets, it isn't coincidence.

The man is no where to be seen though. With the other two still alive, one can only surmise he isn't far away. Perhaps he's waiting for the strangers move.

CRAPCRAPCRAPCRAP

Without a moments hesitation, Deck rushed to the downed men, throwing his cards in the direction the knives came from, hoping their glow would illuminate his target. Or injure him. "Damnit, Flint! Come out now, you bastard!"

He HAD been willing to try and reason with the guy, but the moment he targeted non-hostiles was when Deck ran out of mercy.

None of the cards seemed to hit any sort of mark. In the illumination, one could catch the briefest glimpse of what was assumed to be Flint. The only sign of his action was the flick of an arm. All too late could the pitch back knives that cut through the night be seen. If one didn't move on cue with the foreshadowing, they would catch a knife to the neck.

"You know me?" He called through the dark. "I didn't think they would send anyone after me this early in the game?" His voice shot from a different point with every sentence. "Did I move to quickly, and alert them?" He asked in an almost amused tone.

Deck would barrel roll out of the way, tossing more cards, hopefully hitting Flint now that he knew where the bastard was hiding. "Dude, you killed and ATE people. It was either me or the goddamn SWAT that you were once a member of. What the hell happened to protect and serve?!"

The cards cut through the darkness, but met no sign's of Flint. "Oh, another one of those." He said, all amusement dissipating from his voice, as he began to sound short with the subject. "Take the sentimental crap, and stow it." A few smoke grenades rolled passed Deck, and filled the street in a thick veil. "I AM protecting, and serving. I've only killed criminals kid."

Deck would dash in the direction the smoke grenades rolled from, throwing more cards. "The harmless party goers you just killed would disagree. Your wife would disagree. Vigilante justice is no justice at all, and you KNOW it. Especially when it involves eating peoples souls."

The cards missed their mark again, landing somewhere out of site. "Harmless? Nah, they had it coming." The voice shot out at a distance, and felt like everywhere at once. "And don't you dare talk about her... I did what I had to." Deck would hear the sound of a blade cutting through the air behind him. Flint was obviously tired of foreplay.

Deck would drop the moment he heard the knife going towards him, barely avoiding it, while turning around and sending more cards behind him. "Yeaaah, thing is, that excuse, 'I did what I had to do', doesn't work. Hell, doesn't even work in movies. You killed people. Not just criminals, but innocents. Including your wife. That, my friend, makes you a murderer. Further, you ate a pure soul, becoming a kishin egg. That? That makes you even lower scum than the criminals you hunt."

Flint, attempted a dodge, but caught a cut across his right shoulder, and cheek. Seemingly with the flick of the wrist, he gains three throwing knives, that he aims at Decks feet to make him lose balance as he closed in with his main knife again. "I kill people. That's nothing compared to the hell that they put people through. Forced prostitution!? Human trafficking!? They got their due's, and you know it!"

Deck would quickly sidestep the blades thrown at his feet. "Disagree. Those guys? They might have been scumbags, but they didn't eat peoples souls. That was a line they never crossed. So, once again, you? You are much, much worse. But hey, I'm a nice guy, surrender now, I'll let you deal with the justice system instead of, y'know, getting your soul eaten. With appeal laws the way they are now, you'll probably go, what, twenty years before you finally get the needle for your crimes?" He would toss more cards at Flint, aiming low this time.

"Don't make me laugh!" He called to the student. He jumped over the cards, as his leg spun aimed at Decks head, and would be followed by his knife when he landed. "Like you would respect me more as a slave driver?"

"....Kinda, yeah. Because, y'know, you wouldn't be eating souls." Deck said as he casually leaned to the side, dodging the blade thrown at his head, before doing a rapid sidestep, dodging the one thrown at his chest. "Y'know, I gotta say, I honestly thought this would be harder. Guess Pop and Ma's training paid off." He would launch more Cards at Flint, aiming at...Well, the crotch. Maximum hurt potential.

Flint's eyes didn't reflect any sort of aggravation, rather, it seemed he was becoming calmer. "Then you can discuss it with the others in the after-life." He said rolling around the cards, and sweeping at Decks legs, before rising a cross-slash at his mid-section.

Deck would sidestep the leg slash, earning a slight cut, and backstepping the attack aimed at his midsection. "Yawn. Seen better. Ma was a Death Scythe. Pop was a three star. This? This is cake compared to the training I went through. I honestly pity you." He said as he sent another set of cards at Flint, taking advantage of his proximity to, hopefully, land a direct hit.

Flint caught a card directly to the midsection, and dropped to a knee. "Damn it..." He mumbled under his breath. "They really show you kids how to dance huh?" Flint stood to his feet again shakily. "M-might as well then... To see her again, ain't so bad." Flint too his favored knife, and drove it into his own heart. "That's alright, I guess." He whispered, his body fading like a shadow, and leaving a bright red orb.

Deck looked on. Under his scarf, he had a grim expression. "Don't know if there's an afterlife for people like you, Flint, but if there is...I hope you find forgiveness." With that, he reached forward, grabbed the soul, and, pulling down his scarf, swallowed it. "One down, ninety eight to go..."