[Elias]

The Bird of Hermes is    my name                       Eat  My   WINGS   TO   KEEP   ME   TAME Bakiri Retsu

The Sentinels. That's what the band of vigilantes hiding in the warehouse down the street liked to call themselves, and they had made quite the mistake. They had someone. Someone rare. A talker. Oroborous didn't tolerate talkers. They trained the best, and when the training was done and you had your high-end armor and weapons strapped to you, well, it wasn't done without a few safe measures in place meant to keep you quiet even if you had somehow failed. 

Work your way up the ladder though and earned a little more freedom. This guy worked, and worked, and worked. Sakakibara Yukichi. He coordinated much of the drug running Ouroboros used to push out new product. Tests really, to see the effects of their myriad quirk drugs out in the open. Except, the time brat and his little friend removed Umeda from the board, which left Sakakibara to fill in Umeda's place, until he was caught. Elias didn't take Sakakibara as a talker, but here they were. 

Now, it was up to Elias to not only kill the vigilantes, but take Sakakibara out of the game as well. He stood atop the roof of a building a few blocks from the warehouse district, and the particular warehouse they would need to attack. They being himself and his mercenary of the day, Bakuretsu. This job didn't count toward those she owed him. She was being paid this time. 

"None of them can make it out, understood?" He emphasized. 

Elias trusted her to get the job done, but it never hurt to get the point across. He hadn't gotten into specifics outside of "this vigilante group needs to die" though. She didn't need to know of Ouroboros' business. Only that the vigilantes had taken something they shouldn't have, and now they were condemned to death. The money was good, he and his benefactors didn't skimp, so hopefully that would keep her sharp and compliant. 

OWL

[Bakiri Retsu]

As of late there was a stillness to Retsu that hadn't been there before. On the surface it seemed to make her less volatile but nothing could be further from the truth. Hers was the stillness of storm clouds gathering overhead. One that you did not need to see to feel its presence, for the way it robbed the color of all it passed over was more than enough to tell it was there. It was the kind of stillness that was a warning. A warning that at any moment all hell could break loose. The kind that people throughout the ages had observed as a sign to run for cover until it was over.

"Got it." 

Her reply arrived like the first drop of rain falling from darkening clouds. A final reminder of what was about to happen and a sign that it was already too late to hide from the coming storm. 

Unlike the last time they'd been about to commence an operation Bakuretsu did not bother to check her gear. She knew exactly what she had. With a twitch of her left wrist she could have the tips of her fingers graze over the course hilt of Temper. With every inhale Retsu was keenly aware of the presence of her pistol holster by her side. The grenades she carried on her harness had enough weight to raise her center of gravity the slightest bit, enough that she needed to adjust her stride for it. 

So too was she fully aware of what she didn't have. Her rifle had been cut from her arsenal this time around. It limited her range, sure, but that just forced her to get closer to the enemy. The proximity would make it that much less likely that she'd leave anything whole. There would be no survivors. Not when the deluge known as Bakiri Retsu fell upon them. 

Turning on her heel she marched towards their goal without another look back at the warehouse. She'd looked over the edge and seen what laid there. There was no point in dwelling on it. What truly mattered laid inside anyway. It was impossible to see any of that by looking down upon them from on high. Elias didn't seem like he wanted to elaborate either. She'd have to find out the hard way. A fascimile of a smirk crept its way up her lips. That approach suited her just fine.

"Let's go. Shit ain't gonna break itself."

---

Tag: Elias

[Elias]

The Bird of Hermes is    my name                       Eat  My   WINGS   TO   KEEP   ME   TAME Bakiri Retsu

Elias fixed the comm unit in his ear, then donned his owl mask. His ensemble wasn't that of the successful club owner today. No. Today was business. Bloody business. And as such, his red threads had woven around his body and shaped him into the Djinn. It was a form he was reacquainting himself with. Countless hours ticked away wearing the combat attire in his younger years, but recently, his time was spent overseeing his clubs. Not anymore. 

"Aptly put," he responded.

The Wish-Maker then leaped over the building side, his hands held high above him. Red threads unwound from his fingers and weaved into a parasail. It was a maneuver he hadn't used much up until the past few weeks, but it worked. The woven threads caught air and slowed his fall until he landed softly on the sidewalk below. 

"If you jump, I can catch you," he offered over the linked comms unit. 

He would use his threads to create a massive cushion for her, of course, if she did opt to jump. Would her pride demand she take the stairs, though? Or maybe she possessed a grapple gun or something of the like? Oh, how unfortunate to be born quirkless. Elias couldn't imagine. However, it presented an interesting opportunity considering what was being developed from the chemicals gathered during their convoy raid. That was a story for another time, though. 

One way or another, when the two were grounded and made their approach, they would find the warehouse the Sentinels were holding up in to be rather rowdy. Not enough to draw the attention of any passersby, but any who happened upon one of the slightly cracked windows, like the one Elias approached, might catch a few exchanged words. 

"Anything new?" 

"Nope. Same ol', same ol'. I'm not sure he has anything else of value to give. I say we end him ourselves and move on. If we hand him over to the police, they might get in the way." 

"You're not wrong, but that's not our call to make." 

Elias wholly approved their doing the work for him by eliminating Sakakibara, but he had to confirm the kill, which meant getting his hands dirty either way. Well, no time like the present. 

The Wish-Maker leaned over into the window and flushed his fingers outward. The two Sentinels were looking the other way, which made things rather easy. More of his threads unwound from his fingers, then launched themselves forward, wrapping around both men's necks. With a pull, he yanked them out of the window, then lifted them both into the air, breaking their necks. Two down. 

OWL

[Bakiri Retsu]

"Fookin' quirkers," Retsu grumbled under her breath as she pressed the button to call an elevator just a bit harder than was needed. Waiting for it to arrive she pressed another button inside to send it to the ground floor and stepped back out before the doors could close. Taking the elevator when one was in a position like hers was quite frankly the dumbest possible move she could make. An enclosed space with a single exit and a neat sign on the outside tracking its progress. Using it to go down may as well be suicide if anyone's laying in wait. No, Retsu simply used it as a distraction while taking the stairs. With any potential enemies focused on it she'd have a smooth trip to her destination, one that would be decidedly less final than the alternative. 

"Ah'll pass," she replied in an even tone through the comms. The elevator had just been demoted -or perhaps promoted- to the second dumbest possible move, wedged firmly in between a trust fall with a villain and putting foreign technology like an earpiece anywhere near her head. No, the one Retsu was using was her own self made design that had been linked to their comms. Retsu was intimately familiar with how small the container for explosives -or hells, poisons or neural agents- could be and wasn't gonna risk putting whatever Elias and co provided anywhere near her head. 

Catching part of the conversation as she and Elias approached the targets Retsu refrained from commenting. It certainly explained why he wanted the group gone but it was none of her business. If he wanted the rat back alive it would be but clearly collateral wasn't gonna be a concern. She supposed she shouldn't be surprised, after all, why else would she be the one they hired? Where Bakuretsu passed naught but ash remained. The corner of her lip curled up for the briefest moment before she pushed it back down as twin cracks announced their opening move. The cracks were far quieter than the opening shots she was used to yet the air that escaped their sources was far heavier than the expulsion of gasses from her guns.

It wouldn't stay that silent for long. Setting a claymore down by the door Retsu took out a pack of breaching strips and made a neat little rectangle on the wall to secure them a way in. The timer was set for ten seconds as she stepped back and turned to Elias.

"How many ways in 'r out does dis place 'ave?"

---

Tag: Elias

[Elias]

The Bird of Hermes is    my name                       Eat  My   WINGS   TO   KEEP   ME   TAME Elias

A traitor to the cause. Unacceptable. No element, no detail, no truth had been drilled as deep into Elias's mind as the absolute intolerance he held for those that might forsake their divine purpose. These men died quickly. Sakakibara would have to beg for such luxury. 

The bodies dropped, and all else was silent. Elias was quiet to the world. His was a singular focus. And it was this focus alone, this commitment to the cause, surpassed even his hedonic ways. A pause on the pleasure to see the world changed in a way that rendered all else unnecessary. 

Then Bakiri's words reached him. 

"Front entrance. Another in the back, and they have rooftop access, though that would be quite a drop," he eyed the roof about three stories up before looking back to Bakiri, "There will be somewhere near thirty men in there. The windows will be their optimal mode of escape."

His words were delivered entirely devoid of the usual charm. He was trader in arms and secrets, the silver tongue was his way, and disarming those he dialogued with, offering them a taste of the forbidden fruit, these were all his machinations, his tools. But not during times such as these, not when he was tasked by his benefactors. Poison Bakiri? Not today. She was an asset, a valuable asset. And when the bombs went off, and the enemies within were scattered, she shone like gold. That value was all too apparent. 

OWL

[Bakiri Retsu]

"Dey won't get the chance," Retsu replied offhandedly. Her focus was already on her plan of action, not her words. She started moving before her charges even blew, the dull thumps of the explosions in sync with her shoulder bashing the newly formed entrance open entirely. A grenade was in her hand without conscious thought, the pin left on a hook on her harness as she took her first step inside. Before her second step landed the grenade was already sailing through an open doorway to the side. It was one of her newer fragmentation grenades, the kind she'd made after Dream World. It had her full expertise behind it, no expenses spared on materials and a single unifying goal in its construction. Maximizing its destructive output.

Combined with the surprise Retsu was confident it'd be enough to clear out whichever unlucky chumps were in there. She'd circle back later to check. Getting caught up on doing so now would waste their surprise factor. Maintaining momentum was crucial. The moment they managed to get their bearings taking down all thirty of the poor sods with just the two of them was bound to get harder. They'd still manage of course, of that she had no doubt, but she'd rather not have to go in for healing again. 

Several more steps carried her to and through another doorway. Her hands reached for her equipment as she did, ready to take who or whatever may lay within.

---

Tag: Elias

[Elias]

The Bird of Hermes is    my name                       Eat  My   WINGS   TO   KEEP   ME   TAME Bakiri Retsu

The facade crumbled right down to a heart of stone. Elias marched in Bakiri's wake, his glacial stare drifting from one victim to the next. Her entrance disoriented, her grenade killed. Four grounded, shrapnel lodged in their bodies and blood drenching their clothing. A fifth groaned as the duo passed. 

A flick of his fingers and Elias wrapped the man's neck, and just like those outside, it snapped. No games. They only had so much time to kill, and their enemies were rallying on the main floor of the warehouse. 

The Sentinels were leather clad warriors of all mixes and makes. Their quirks were varied, as did their combative prowess. But they shared an unyielding commitment to the cause. A cause that saw them play hero without the rules and regulations of hero society. None of that concerned Elias, but they had crossed the line when they moved against the Hibernacula. One didn't poke the den of vipers without recompense. 

"Fall back, fall ba-" One man shouted before his throat too was ensnared. 

Resistance. The vigilante's muscles tensed and expanded. Some sort of physical enhancement quirk. His entire body was growing larger. 

"Threaded coffin," Elias murmured. 

Hundreds of threads unwound from Elias's finger and cocooned around the man, then dragged along his expanding musculature and flesh. The cocoon grew tighter, the threads spun faster, and the man began to scream. Friction burns to the nth degree. 

The screaming quieted, and Elias let the body loose. It was a seared corpse now, one that dropped flat against the floor. Two more men fled around a corner and made for the work floor where the others gathered. That would undoubtedly be the loudest and largest point of conflict.  

OWL

[Bakiri Retsu]

The nice thing about warehouses such as these was that they came with their very own inbuilt killboxes, cover and lines of fire. All things that could even the odds when massively outnumbered. Sure, they could also be used against you and The Sentinels had the home advantage but Retsu had never let the details get in her way. Not bothering to fire upon the two fleeing vigilantes she let them lead her back to the rest of their friends.

It was said that there was nothing better than dying surrounded by your loved ones and Bakuretsu was more than willing to accommodate. 

Rushing through the first 'lane' Retsu threw a grenade through a gap between the boxes next to her upon spotting movement. She didn't bother to check whether it'd come from an enemy, something in the surroundings or was merely her imagination. Leaving the clattering noises of her grenade bouncing off several things before it reached the other side behind her she simply kept going until she reached the other end of the lane. She ducked into cover the second she did. 

At the same time she pulled a flashbang off her harness and tossed it into the main thoroughfare. In an open space like this its effects were bound to be reduced but anyone close to the blast point should still be stunned or at least hindered for a moment. Far more important conflicts had been ended in far less time than that. The moment the flashbang went off Retsu would leap out of cover, ready to take on anything within sight.

---

Tag: Elias

[Elias]

The Bird of Hermes is    my name                       Eat  My   WINGS   TO   KEEP   ME   TAME Bakiri Retsu

It was a one-warehouse warzone. Elias leaned against the wall just beside the entrance to the main hall. Let the mercenary earn her pay. One explosion followed another. Perhaps Bakiri did have a quirk, causing chaos wherever she went. 

A few beats passed, and Elias filled his lungs, then breathed out. He turned into the main hall and drew the sidearm he carried with him. His quirk was more flexible, but there were few, even among quirk-kind, that could shake off a bullet to the head. 

The Sentinels gathered together, safety in numbers and all that. Their attention was firmly locked on Bakiri. Orders were shouted, men and women sprinting through the aisles to flank the mercenary. 

Elias's feet marched ahead, quiet as could be, and then he lined his pistol with the closest of the vigilantes. "How predictable." The man didn't have time to react. The shot echoed through the warehouse, drawing some of the other's attention back. 

No sense waiting. Elias raised his pistol and fired wildly at the gathering. He wasn't a terrible shot, but his aim wasn't anything noteworthy either. He only wanted to put them on the back foot, create another opening for Bakiri, and maybe add another corpse or two to the cold, stony ground. 

One of the vigilantes transformed, not unlike the previous muscled fellow, this one expanded with visibly enlarged muscles. He took on a greenish hue, and his teeth grew into tusks, almost like various orcs from old myths and folklore. 

The beast charged Elias directly while the others split up. Some continued to make their moves against Bakiri, while others opened fire on the Wish-Maker. A wall of red threads formed ahead of Elias. Bullets ripped through the defense, but at least their vision was obscured. Then the orc smashed into the wall, ripping away at the defense. 

Elias threw his hand upward and lobbed more of his quirked-up cords atop the aisle shelves, latching onto the metal framework and lifting into the air. He landed atop the shelf and watched for another opening. If he and Bakiri capitalized on each other's moves, they would whittle the Sentinels' ranks down swiftly.  

OWL

[Bakiri Retsu]

"Well, the gang's all here!" Retsu shouted to be heard over the gunfire and mayhem right after she finished taking a quick glance out of cover. "Now ya ken all die together!"

From her harness Bakuretsu wrenched one of her new newest designs. One inspired in part by the Wishmaker laying down the suppressive fire that was keeping several of them in place. Why, it was almost like he could read her mind. Her eye narrowed at that thought. She'd have to run some tests later just in case. But she digressed.

Retsu had designed two types of monofilament wire grenades and the one she'd just thrown around and over the cover she was using was the second version. Specifically it was an air burst variant. 

Once it detonated in mid-air it would send a large amount of small capsules out, each of which had several monofilament wires on a rapidly rotating spool. Each wire had a length of about two meters and while they couldn't cut through armor or the like they were more than capable of snagging in joints and tearing through any weak spots. 

In between the carnage wrought by that and the lingering effects of the flashbang Retsu reckoned she had a few seconds before they could gather themselves to strike back. Once the monofilament wire grenade finished going off Retsu popped out of cover with her pistol drawn and opened fire. With unerring focus she would aim at heads, torsos and other vulnerable points, emptying her entire magazine before she ducked back into cover and inserted a new one. With some luck it would be enough to clear the area. If not, well, she had plenty of tools left.

---

Tag: Elias

[Elias]

The Bird of Hermes is    my name                       Eat  My   WINGS   TO   KEEP   ME   TAME Bakiri Retsu

Elias watched as Bakiri's cables lashed at the vigilantes, tearing flesh from bone, ripping through lighter defenses, and maiming more than a few of the Sentinels. Several men collapsed, clutching gaping, bloody wounds. Others held their ground, bit through the pain, and took aim. They were the first she gunned down as she sprung from her position. 

Like clockwork, with the Sentinels' attention on the mercenary, Elias was free to act. Red cords whipped out from his fingers, his arms and shoulders too, and latched onto the shelving and pallets across from his position, then pulled.

Medal groaned, and the men looked up and around for any sign of danger. "Timber," Elias chuckled. It took a moment, but the shelving budged, then collapsed. The pallets and all their contents spilled onto any gang member incapable of fleeing. Only a small handful remained, a handful slowly picked off as Elias repeated his earlier tactic. Red threads bound into a noose, strangling the stranglers. 

A few more vigilantes charged in from a doorway opposite of the one he and Bakiri entered from. They brought their automatic weapons to bear and opened fire, forcing Elias to leap from his position to the depths below. There, the orc waited, eyeing the Wish-Maker. 

They were almost finished, but a few of the dissidents remained. And this particular fellow looked a little problematic. And angry... extremely angry. 

OWL

[Bakiri Retsu]

That did the trick. It was rare that something went this smoothly but as the shelving collapsed with a loud groan Retsu reckoned they just be done with the chaff. A more silent groan resounded when she heard another door open followed by the sound of gunfire. Some things change and others stay the same. The moment she had that thought more trouble popped up as if the world was waiting to laugh at her every hope. 

Scrambling to move from her cover as it was riddled with bullets Retsu threw a smoke grenade in front of the group, hopefully obscuring their sight long enough for her to reposition. Not wasting any time she rushed to the side crossing into the lane next to her before turning to flank them. Counting the seconds it'd take to reach the end of the lane Retsu drew Temper in a reverse grip and positioned the hand holding it below her pistol for increased stability. The second any stepped around the corner Retsu would open fire, her speed affecting her accuracy but the weight of fire more than making up for it. Once she made it into melee range Temper would ignite with a roar, its intense heat burning furrows through her enemies while her handgun fired until it ran out of bullets. All the while she'd do her best to remain in between the vigilantes to prevent them from getting a clear line of fire. With some luck that'd be enough to prevent her from eating lead. Retsu clicked her tongue at the thought. Gahd damnit.

---

Tag: Elias

[Elias]

The Bird of Hermes is    my name                       Eat  My   WINGS   TO   KEEP   ME   TAME Bakiri Retsu

Elias tried to defend himself, but a massive wallop carried him through one of the aisle's shelving and crashing into the building's thick exterior walls. Color faded from Elias's eyes, his head slumped aside. "That," he coughed up, "was not pleasant." 

He sat in a small crater in the wall, then pried himself out of the hollow. Pain throbbed at the back of his head, and upon inspection with one of his gloved fingers, he found a smattering of blood, blood that was trickling from a wound and seeping into his snowy mane. 

Ichor of the gods was too rich for this mortal realm. To have some beast draw his blood was an insult beyond measure. 

"Alright, beastie, I've had about enough of this." 

Elias marched forward. His threads weaved between his fingers and then looped around him as he approached the beast. Anger was shaped into confidence, confidence that nothing was beyond fate's reach. And he was the weaver of fate. 



Neither muscle nor monster could stand before Wish-Maker when he willed their demise. The Sentinel orc met Elias's march, eyes brimming with determination and faith in his larger build. 

"You made a mistake, you and your ilk. The mistake of daring to poke at a den of vipers."

"No words."

"I wholeheartedly agree" 

The beast swung its massive and powerful arm, taking another swing at Elias. This time it was met with hundreds of cables that ensnared the outstretched limb. He pushed forward, muscled his way through the restraints, and thumped Elias on the side, sending the Wish-Maker back several meters. But, as the man spun across the ground, he tugged his arms back, and the cables tightened around the orc's arm. 

The limb exploded into a mess of gore and blood. And it didn't end there. Pain flared through Elias's side, and he would not allow that to go unreciprocated. He threw his hands forward, renewing his grip on the threads, then pulled again. The red threads wrapped around the orc's other limbs then sliced them apart. Elias wasn't the strongest, he knew as much, but he didn't have to be. Fate was on his side. 

OWL

[Bakiri Retsu]

Gurgling and spitting Retsu cringed as part of a tooth clattered onto the ground. Their guns hadn't been the only thing she should have watched out for. Oh sure, the first one had gone down before he had time to retaliate but the second hadn't been nearly as easy, much less the third. By the time she'd gotten to the fourth she had a bullet in her thigh, an acid splatter across her right arm and a burn on her left. Fookin' flammable acid spit. She'd greatly enjoyed bringing Temper near that fooker's face and letting nature do the rest.

The final member of their little sortie was blessed with a few arms too many for her to block and counter without taking more than she handed out. Still, even if he'd hit her thrice for every blow she returned hers had hit much harder. A pained hiss left her side when her holster dug into her cracked rib. Well, she was alive and he wasn't available anymore to dispute her statement. That counted as a win in her eyes.

"Djinn, you good out there?" Retsu asked after straightening her posture. No point tipping anyone off as to just how hurt she was. Weakness like that got you killed. Speaking off, she sure hoped her employer hadn't kicked it. That'd be a hassle. Heading over towards the loudest sounds with at a sedate pace Retsu kept an eye on the surroundings. Unless he'd fully jumped ships they still hadn't found his guy and Retsu had no intention of being ambushed the moment she thought things were safe.

---

Tag: Elias

[Elias]

The Bird of Hermes is    my name                       Eat  My   WINGS   TO   KEEP   ME   TAME Bakiri Retsu

Elias glared the the creature's putrid remains, a mound of guts and viscera. There was a bloody squelch beneath his boots as he turned about and marched in Bakiri's direction and the doorway the reinforced had flooded in from. Judging by the silence, she had finished off the last of them. There was no doubt that between the two, despite his quirk, she was the more efficient killer.

Elias eyed the strewn corpses and bloody mess she left in her wake. "Money well spent," he murmured to himself. Perhaps it was in being quirkless that the woman was made into a monster. She didn't have metaphysical abilities to fall on, and that meant acquiring a particular set of skills, skills that made her a nightmare to her enemies. Luckily, her enemies were his enemies when he was footing the bill. 

"I'll be fine," he spoke through a clenched jaw, continuing his march through the opposite entry.  

Unlike the side of the building he and Bakiri entered from, this path led only to a singular hallway lined with three doors and a stairwell at the end of the hall. Kicking the first two doors in merited no victory. The first was an empty break room populated only by a few tables and vending machines. The second was an equally unoccupied office. 

Behind door number three, however, lay their prize. 

"Hello? Who's there? What's happening?" 

Sakakibara, tied to a chair with a mask loosely wrapped around his head. He couldn't see, but he could still breathe. 

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Sakaki. Look at the predicament you've found yourself in." 

"E-Elias? Is that you? Oh, thank god. You've got to help me. These psychos, they snatched me up while on a run I had to handle personally and-"

"That's enough out of you, Sakaki," Elias's words found their venom, a viciousness wrapped around them that hadn't been present prior. "You talked. We know you talked. And you know what happens when you talk."

"No, what? I would never, you know I wou-"

Sakakibara was cut off, his words becoming a gurgled mess as red threads wrapped around his throat. 

"Please," he struggled, "please, I know things. Things you'll want to hear. Things you... you don't remember, but I can tell you-"

He was right, he did know things, and that's why he was here. And why he wouldn't be allowed to leave with his life. The threads tightened, and the man convulsed, then his head was ripped clean from his body, blood spewing up into the air. 

An opportunity Elias denied himself, to learn whatever it was Sakakibara was babbling about, but it was one of the few times he would deny himself valuable information. The last thing he wanted was for Ouroboros to turn their fangs on him. There was always the chance it was rubbish, and if it wasn't, he might be better off not knowing. Even with the mercenary, the mummy, and all his domain at Nirvana at his side, he wasn't willing to challenge the true serpents.  

OWL