A Gathering of Sorts

[Mercutio]

Mercutio reached the building late at night, crickets were chirping in the brush and the building was well-illuminated from within. He took a deep breath and pushed open the door, only to see a menacing looking man with purplish hair barrelling his direction. Mercutio jumped back and watched the man continue his brisk pace down the street, toward the potion shop he had passed moments before.

The scene within the building was not what he had expected of the famous Red Hawk Clan of bounty hunters. There were three people within. Without even thinking about it, Mercutio began to analyze each of them...

The first of the men had wounds on his arms, and was gazing intently at the blood spattered across the floor. He seemed to be confident, and from the appearance of his opponent, not surprisingly.

A few feet away was a girl with fiery red hair and a katar beside her. She seemed, though injured, no less dangerous. She seemed impervious to invulnerability, and she glared at his arrival as though he was an unappreciated rodent.

The other figure in the room was much more perplexing. He had purple hair and, although he stood with confidence, his eyes revealed much more about him. Mercutio would have continued to analyze these people had not the red-haired woman cleared her throat as if to speak.

Mercutio stepped inside the building, ready for anything...

[Freya]

As Freya had been swiftly walking through the shadows of the hall, hand clutched to her stomach wounds, she noticed someone standing against a wall. She clenched her teeth tight together, and quickly grasped her katars, whirling around to face the man, showing she was armed if he had intentions of harming her.

"Yes, what do you want?"

Despite her injuries, she retained a collected composure and stood tall, with authority shining in her eyes as she examined the man.

[Mercutio]

Mercutio blinked at the sudden light within the warm building. He turned his attention from the purple haired man to the red-haired woman in the corner. She had drawn two weapons, a fine set of katars. Mercutio was interested in seeing these weapons up close, for he was a fine appreciator of sophisticated and exotic weaponry.

The woman's voice, cold and businesslike, ripped these calm thoughts from Mercutio's mind.

"Yes, what do you want?"

It suddenly occurred to Mercutio that this woman might percieve him to be a threat. He raised his arms where she could see him and spoke:

"I mean you no harm, ma'am. Merely to talk."

She slowly lowered her katars, but seemed to relax none. Mercutio inhaled slowly and tried again.

"Do you know who is in charge here? I'm looking to join the Red Hawks..."

Something about the woman's demeanor put Mercutio on edge, and he prepared himself to reach for his katana should the situation arise...

[Freya]

Freya's gaze hardened as she heard the man's words. She clicked her tongue in an annoyed way, and tossed her head, her firey locks gracefully swishing with the movement.

"You're talking to the one who is in charge right now. And, there may be no joining until tomorrow."

She said, affirmatively. Inside, she hoped he wouldn't ask why, because she hardly wanted to admit she was too injured to put up another fight.

[Mercutio]

Mercutio nodded his affirmation solemnly. A quick glance over the woman revealed her reasoning, although her tough appearence almost persuaded him from mentioning it. Her wounds looked grievous, however, and Mercutio tried a more compassionate approach.

"Umm... are you alright?"

She shot him such a look of poison, he thought she might hack him in two on the spot.

"Sorry," he sputtered, and fumbled over his thoughts for a few seconds while she glared at him.

After what seemed like an eternity, he eventually managed:

"Uh... what is your name, ma'am?"

He regretted it instantly, for he felt like an idiot. Nevertheless, he had said it, and he waited in the awkward silence that followed for her response...

[Freya]

Freya rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue once more in apparant annoyance. She kenw she had better things to be doing than small talk with a random person. She needed to tend to her wounds, for one, so that she could be back on her feet. Of course, she'd never mention that to a soul.

"Hmph, suppose you'll need it if you're planning on joining. It's Freya."

Her tone had an icy chill to it, she tried her hardest to make it apparant she was not enjoying his company.

[Mercutio]

Mercutio blinked at this Freya's coldness. He should have known better but to try and befriend her so easily. The world they lived in today was a treacherous and shifty one, and no one trusted anyone any more than they had to.

Wouldn't I do the same thing if some stranger was trying to figure me out? he thought to himself.

Mercutio sighed and said:

"Fine, I get it. I'll leave you alone. Do you care if I stay here for the night though?"

[Freya]

Freya mentally pulled back her tongue to prevent her from clicking it once more. She shot him a deathly look, but then turned on her heel and gracefully made her down the hall, melting in and out of midnight shadows.

"Yeah, sure. Be forewarned, I will be here tomorrow for a fight. You best wake up early so I don't catch you off guard."

She said casually without looking back over her shoulder. She reached the large doors of the clan and lingered for a long second, a stray-and quite interesting-thought crossing her mind. She quickly shook her head to clear the thought and exited the building.

[Mercutio]

Mercutio nodded his approval to the back of Freya's head as she marched off down the hall.

She acts much tougher than she really is. I think we all do... he thought to himself.

Mercutio found a quiet corner in the darkness and sat up against the wall, slowly letting sleep claim him. He laid his katana across his lap and thought for awhile about the people he had seen.

The one with the purple hair perplexes me the most. I wonder where he ran off to...

Mercutio considered what awaited him the following morning. Freya would likely be in better shape physically, and ready to give him his test.

But, I don't want to hurt her. She is not responsible for the deaths of my family... my friends... my love...

Mercutio cringed at the thought of Angel again. Hellbourne would pay for the sins he had committed. He and his brethren would pay dearly for everything they had stolen from him, and his well-deserved vindication would come.

But, Freya had no role in Angel's death. Thus, Mercutio devised a plan of action for tomorrow's battle...

[Mercutio]

Mercutio came to the next morning and glanced quickly and apprehensively around the room. Everything seemed to be quiet and calm. Freya had either not come to fight him yet, or was waiting for him to do something stupid and beat the crap out of him as soon as he did.

Or maybe she's afraid that I'm much more powerful than she is! HAHAHAHAHA! he thought jokingly.

Mercutio checked his katana over quickly, and stood up. He stayed in the shadows in the corner, though, and leaned against the wall. He kept his eyes on the doorway that Freya had left throught the night previous.

Eventually, his thoughts began to wander.

Freya seems pretty capable and tough. I guess you have to be in this day and age, since vampires will go after anyone. I'm still not sure if joining a bounty hunter clan is the right thing to do... what if this doesn't help me find Hellbourne? I don't want to get sucked into killing vampires I have no quarrel with. Do I?

Mercutio's thoughts were interrupted by the footsteps of someone coming down the hallway and entering the main room.

Here we go... he thought.

[Freya]

The thought of Mercutio waiting for her had slipped her mind earlier that day. She walked down the hall, her steps were swift, as she weaved into between the shadows cast onto the dark halls. Obvious anger emananted from every body action she made. Her teeth were clenched tightly, her eyes burned with intense fires. When she reached the doors to the main room, she just threw them open, causing the doors to hit the walls, a large clang echoing throughout the large room. She began to walk into the mainroom, and then she froze. Anger seemed to have consumed her mind. She reached down and pulled her katar from the buckles on the side of her dress, and whirled to face a wall.

"I'll kill you, Wraith!"

She shouted at the top of her lungs, her voice oozing with anger and ancient hatred. She jammed her katar into the wall, and despite it being brick, managed to punch a hole and cause a spiderweb of cracks to crawl up it. She panted a little, and drew her katar away from the wall. She blinked, remembering someone else was supposed to be here, and turned, spotting Mercutio leaning against one of the walls.

She was a little embarressed about losing her cool, but the emotion hardly showed up on her etched cold face. The only thing she did do was smirk a little.

"So, you're awake. That's good, no fun in sneaking up on a sleeping target."

[Alex]

He walks in and leans up against the wall, waiting for someone to come in.

[Cirita]

Cirita walks in. At noticing the sign she smirks happily
"Hm...wonder if that Freya person is 'round..."

[Mercutio]

Mercutio walked out of the shadows and took his place, a few yards from Freya. His plan continued to take form within his head, and just as he thought someone was about to make a move, the man who had nearly bowled him over the night before entered the hall. He leaned against a wall and watched Freya and Mercutio intently.

Only a few seconds later, another girl Mercutio had never seen entered the building. She stood and watched the growing scene as well, and Mercutio turned his attention back to Freya.

He decided to test the waters a little...

"So... Freya, right? What does this entrance test entail?"

Secretly, Mercutio hoped that Freya wouldn't attempt to answer the question with her katars...

[Freya]

Freya's gaze lazily analyzed the man before her. She spotted his muscles tensing, if ever so slightly. She could tell she was already putting him on edge. Her smirk remained on her lips as she began to speak, with an authoritive note in her voice, of course.

"Mmm.. I've changed the rules around a little.. there is no time limit... and you must get three bleeding marks on the opponent. Simple?"

She rested her gaze on his, her eyes a penetrating red, pulsing ever so slightly with the adrenaline that began to pump into her veins.