[rhea]

if i'm a danger to myself Just think what I could do to you Rui Matsui

After that debacle known as Dreamworld Rhea has spent a considerable amount of time to herself. The less trouble she let herself encounter, the better. But after that night with Lilith, all the chaos and mayhem...

Okay, maybe she just wanted to see Lilith in her villain suit more often. Damn, that was hot. But she also took a liking to her own suit. Hand-me-down or not, it appealed to Rhea...and with the mask and the revealing nature of it, especially after she had it retailored, she wanted to find a new way to use it. That number that Rui gave her after the talent show...something told her that Rui wasn't exactly clean. A few taps on the internet told Rhea that the Gorgon was in fact a hero, and that made it even more amusing that her singing had enraptured her. Which meant, based on all the not so subtle cues Rui gave, she was a villain. That just left a question regarding the number she had received...

Once things were settled down enough she took the number she was given, and made a call. "Yes, hello? I was told by an associate of yours there is a particular opportunity."

0 Victims

OWL

[Rui Matsui]

A gruff voice responded to Rhea's call. ''You're the one she picked then, that Mummy?'' There was a moment of silence as the overturning of papers could be heard through the phone. ''Come to xx-xx-xx address, you'll be auditioning for the part. Tryouts start in 2 hours.'' Without any further details the man hung up.

''This one had better be good.'' Once he had hung up he turned to look to the other side of his dark office where Rui was lounging and playing with a revolver, playing Russian roulette with herself. ''Oh please, bestie Malachite, have I ever let you down?'' She cocked her head as she pulled the trigger and the gun let out a hollow click. ''You're efficient, but you're also risky.'' Rui was akin to a wildcard among his henchmen. She was best used strategically and as a surprise factor. ''Where's the fun without a little risk?'' She cooed, pulling the trigger again to receive another empty click.

When Rhea showed up to the given address she would be greeted by a rather swanky-looking underground club. It was devoid of patrons during the daytime, but there was still staff ready to greet her as she entered. One notable employee was a 7 foot tall man with a head made of mud. ''Allow me to take your coat, miss.'' He offered, dangerously close to getting mud on her clothes as he leaned forward. Entering into the club proper in the main room there was a row of chairs arranged in front of a grand stage with a microphone, all empty seats except for two occupied by Rui and Boss Malachite respectively. ''Heey bestie!'' She waved with her gun in hand. Malachite didn't turn to look at her and instead just waited for her to take the stage. ''Name, please.'' He finally asked and then gestured to the microphone. ''Sing.''

rhea

[rhea]

if i'm a danger to myself Just think what I could do to you Rui Matsui

Rhea let out a hum, jotting down the address before standing up. Something about that was off...at the very least, she should take a level of precautions. She suited up, though instead of zipping up all the way she wrapped the arms around her waist and tied them as tight as she could. Then she'd throw on a plain red dress, black tights, and a pair of comfortable shoes. The mask and boots she'd place in a bag, along with a knife. Something told her it would be stupid to bring the suit, but another part of her felt she was taking enough precautions. She didn't give Rui her real name, only an alias. Neither did she use her villain alias. Whatever this was for, she was sure to get answers real soon.

After taking a bus near the venue and walking the rest of the way, she looked up at the mudman and wrinkled her nose in disgust. She should be more polite, but depending on how this went she could leverage her gaijin status to get away with a few things. Wouldn't be the first time. "No thank you, I'll manage," she says, leaning away as she stepped inside. Once in she'd take note of the stage, the surroundings, and she found that she did not like these arrangements. Even les when she noticed Rui waving a gun around, but at the very least she felt like her suspicions were confirmed.

The query, followed by the command, rankled Rhea something bad. She approached the microphone, slowly, a sweet smile crossing her face as she approached. "You may address me as Rose," she says, placing her bag on a chair before approaching the microphone. If he really wanted her to sing, then she'd sing. She went with one of her favorite ballads, partly because of the feelings involved with it but also because it was a very good song to apply her quirk to. Something she would accent throughout the song, intending to wrap all who listened to it around her finger.

0 Victims

OWL

[Rui Matsui]

Seeing Rose perform Rui finally stopped fidgeting so much with the gun and instead sat and quietly listened to the absolute icon that was her songstress bestie. Someone like her rarely sat still and really listened to anyone, but Rose's performance was every bit as memorable as the first time she had heard her back during Dream World. Malachite sat there and quietly nodded his head along to the song, his expression every bit as unchanging as when she had first entered. It wasn't until she got a little further into the song that he too fell under her spell.

Once she finished both he and Rui were none the wiser, Malachite giving her a standing ovation. ''Magnificent! Truly spectacular, Rose.'' He grinned, spellbound by her quirk, but also eagerly wanting to put her to work to further his own plan. She was perfect for the job. Rui simply shrugged her shoulders. ''Told ya!'' She opened her mouth and stuck the barrel of her revolver into it before pressing the trigger, getting another empty click. ''You can trust me Boss Mally, isn't that what I said from the beginning?'' She teased him and poked him with the end of her gun. The villain boss simply ignored her and kept his eyes focused on Rose.

''I'll get straight to the point.'' He cleared his voice and adjusted his tie. ''We need your voice to be the perfect distraction.'' He began pacing back and forth. ''We have reserved a street performing slot on a certain street here in Tokyo. You will go there and you will give your best performance yet. This performance will distract our enemies long enough to sneak in and liquidate their leader.'' Rui only knew some of the details, able to glean just about as much as Rose, that it was some kind of gang or rivalry dispute. ''What you are doing is entirely legal and no one will be able to trace our connection to each other. So worry not, your... Status as an esteemed singer, will not be at risk during, or after this operation.'' He smiled. He was a scumbag, but he wasn't going to pull a promising young talent into a life of villainy when it could be avoided. In Rui's mind that was one of the reasons Malachite wasn't all that. At least he paid her well. ''Once your performance is finished and we have carried out our mission, we will all reconvene at a secret location where I will transfer the money to you.'' He let the silence hang in the air for a moment before he spoke again. ''As you might have gathered already, we're villains. However, rest assured that we are only targeting other criminals. People who deserve to die.'' He cleared his throat again. ''Any questions?''

rhea

[rhea]

if i'm a danger to myself Just think what I could do to you Rui Matsui

Rhea winced a little as Rui pulled the trigger, her lips pressed into a line. She wasn't unfamiliar with the macabre game, but that didn't ease her nerves. Malachite's explanation did offer suitable distraction, though, and as he finished she tilted her head, smiling. "I am in no position to render judgement," she says, turning her body slightly. "What is 'evil', after all? Is it the worship of sin, or its exploitation? To be frank, I care nothing for your little spat. Only what you can do for me."

She moved back to pick up her bag, turning back to face Malachite. "I will need to know the street I will be going to, as well as the path to be taking once I'm finished. I'd also like to know how much you will be paying me...and if you'd be open to negotiation." The corners of her mouth turned up a bit more, her forked tongue flicking out briefly. "There is something specific that I want, and if you could ease my search of it...I would be grateful~." She was pushing her luck adding a bit more emphasis with her quirk, but she had done well to hydrate today. Her barbs wouldn't cause too much trouble...for now.

0 Victims

OWL

[Rui Matsui]

''Hrm.'' Malachite smiled at the answer that she gave. ''Not bad Rose. You're exactly who I've been looking for.'' His smile turned back into a frown as she tried to negotiate, but Rui was quick to slap the top of his bald head repeatedly. ''Let her, let her! I want to hear what she wants! You heard her sing, bestie! She's worth it!'' Rui grinned back at Rose, offering her a thumbs up from behind Malachite. With a sigh the big guy complied. ''Fine, what is it that you are seeking?'' None the wiser, he became another victim to Rhea's power.

Once Rhea had been filled in, the operation was underway. Her spot was setup for her, with a couple of Malachite's guys dressed as inconspicuous sound crew helping her get a microphone and speaker going and ready for her big performance. Directly across from her was the high rise building in question. A nearby squad consisting of Rui and other villains working for Malachite was standing by, ready to invade the place and kill everyone as soon as that heavenly voice filled the street. ''Wait for Rose's signal.'' Malachite instructed over the comms, which the hit squad had to turn off just in case their enemy could detect electronics. ''You got it Mally!'' Rui exclaimed, looking at the other villains with a smile, before turning off the comms.

''The world is your stage, Rose.'' Malachite said into the earpiece she had been instructed to wear. ''Let them hear you sing.''

rhea

[rhea]

if i'm a danger to myself Just think what I could do to you Rui Matsui

Rhea gave Malachite a sweet smile, tilting her head up ever so slightly. "The Hero's Association has gone through great lengths to hide one of their former heroes. If you have any means of uncovering that information, I would like that on top of whatever payment you are offering for this job. Oh, and no questions about what I want this information for. It's a personal matter." She winked. "But I'll be sure not to mention your name if you find it troublesome.~"

With things being set up and the operation beginning Rhea couldn't help but feel that this Malachite was heavy handed. Her usual performances were a bit more casual, holding a bit of whimsy; the Dream World performance, as well as any she did at the Oasis Lounge, had the pizzazz that this field had. Either way, she couldn't exactly back out. Not to mention she didn't need some two-bit manager tell her that the world was already within the palm of her hand. So she picked something as a mild jab at Malachite, something that her mother performed a long time ago. It was a haunting melody, something that scared Rhea a little when she was younger. But between the music and her quirk she knew how to draw a crowd.

0 Victims

OWL

[Rui Matsui]

''One of their former heroes, huh? Rose, could it be that you have a bit of a criminal background yourself?'' Malachite grinned, before letting out a hearty chuckle. ''Whatever! Deal. I'll do it, so long as you perform your job and do it well. No one under my command gets away with failure.'' Rose's charm was enchanting, something which Malachite wasn't perceptive enough to catch onto, and Rui didn't think to even look for in the first place. ''You can mention my name, it'll cause me no trouble.''

As Rose began singing Rui tapped her foot and bopped her head to the music, the perfect cover and distraction as they broke into the building. Some guards were too busy looking out at the street performance so they were taken out within the first seconds, while most of them were ready to fight. ''Intruder!'' One of the rival gang members called out, aiming a gun at Rui, but before he could fire one of her villain allies jumped in and used his quirk to slam the gang member into a wall. ''Don't worry about 'em, Mummy! We'll keep you save so long as you keep healing us.'' The villain reassured her. ''Are you? That's so nice, bestie!'' She smiled warmly, walking up next to him before stabbing him in the throat. The villain collapsed, gurgling, looking at her in horror as she held her index finger over her lips. ''Sshh. Rose Bestie is singing. You're ruining the vibe.''

Rui continued skipping through the building, systematically taking down both the enemy and her own allies as she came across them, getting rid of a bunch of Malachite's strongest henchmen all at once. ''Mummy! Why?'' Exclaimed another villain as she was bleeding out. ''Whyy?'' She tapped her chin with her finger. ''I realized, I've gotten pretty strong lately, but no one knows that.'' She squatted down next to the villain and patted her head. ''So, what if I pulled off something crazy and got my name out there? How about it? Do you think I'll be famous like Bakuretsu?'' She blinked her eyes as she retracted her hand. ''Oh, you died...''

As she skipped through the corridors she hummed along to the beat of Rose's song, until she finally got to the big bossman's room, breaking through the door to make a dramatic entrance, her knife in one hand and revolver in the other. She still hadn't fired that single round after all.

''Assassins! Bring-... There's only one of you?''

''Yah, the others sorta died.''

''So, you're amateurs then? How did you get this far?! Did Malachite send you?''

Rui took aim at him and fired her revolver.

Click.

Huh, the odds were fifty to fifty and this guy still didn't eat the bullet she had been playing roulette with.

''Is this some kind of joke? Let me finish speaking!'' He roared before charging at her.

---

An audience had steadily gathered outside to watch Rose perform, her voice was quite recognizable after all. A young woman, dressed like she had just come off a long day working at the office walked up to give Rose a tip, bowing her head politely as she did so. More of the front door guards had also gathered with the rest of the crowd, observing Rose as they tried to deduce whether she was up to anything. Sound-based quirks weren't unheard of, and it could be that she was charging some kind of attack.

Suddenly, the shattering of glass sounded from up above as the enemy boss had been tossed out of the window, his lifeless body hitting the streets below just behind the crowd with a heavy thud. He had several stab wounds in his body, a trademark of Mummy's. However, just in case there was any doubt, Rui poked her head out of the broken window and flashed Rose a thumbs up.

Mission completed! Once her performance was over they could rendezvous at the meet-up point.

''What the hell are they doing?!'' Malachite muttered to himself from the safety of their meeting location. ''I told them to use discretion! What kind of discretion is throwing people out of a window!'' He stomped the ground, leaving behind a small crater.

rhea

[rhea]

if i'm a danger to myself Just think what I could do to you Rui Matsui

As the song was finishing the glass shattered. That...was not part of the plan. Why was there a body being chucked out a window? Oh God, were those stab wounds? She knew she was going to be assisting in a murder-style mission, but her job in all this was as a distraction! And that little demon was giving her a thumbs up? At the very least, she could let some of her more visceral emotions surface; Rhea might be a singer, but when it came to performances she was multifaceted. The scream she let out was genuine as her own fear fueled it, though the crowd would never know the source of said fear.

She hurried off the stage, moving around the back of it as she snagged one of Malachite's workers, pressing her own quirk hard into her order: "Get me out of here!" It didn't feel good on her throat being as forced as it was, but with how overt things were going it was possible the police, sooner or later, would question her about it. If things were quiet she could easily feign ignorance, but now she could become an accessory. She'd worry about the money the people gave later, for now she had to get out of there.

"You will have to relocate," she says, hot on the heels of her escort once she made it to the rendezvous. "When the police come knocking on my door, I will have to feed them something. Any payment you have for me I expect in cash." The sweet, seductive face she wore when she met with Malachite had given way to her true nature, murderous and full of venom. It was clear she was not happy with their arrangement.

0 Victims

OWL

[Rui Matsui]

Rui proceeded to systematically playing both sides, letting her allies help take out the rival gang only to turn around and kill them too before they suspected a thing. The result was that the rival gang suffered brutal losses, but of all the people that went on this mission, only Rose and Rui were making it out.

''Shut up about money for a second!'' Malachite shouted back at Rose, having clearly lost his cool. ''I've got it right here.'' He stepped aside to show a couple of briefcases that were most likely stacked full of money. ''What the hell is going on... How could things have gone so wrong.'' Malachite turned to face Rui as she carelessly skipped into view. ''Mummy! What the hell happened up there?!''

''What do you meaaan, Mally? We killed a bunch of guys but they were tough and killed a bunch of us too.'' She was wiping blood that wasn't her own from her face with her sleeve. ''You're a healer! You were supposed to minimize our casualties!'' Whatever bullshit excuse she had planned he clearly wasn't going to buy. ''Ohhh, that was my job wasn't it?'' She said cluelessly, smiling up at him before pulling the revolver she had been playing with earlier and firing a bullet straight through his head, killing Malachite on the spot. ''One bullet was enough for someone like you after all.'' She tossed the smoking gun aside and looked at Rose. ''Hi.'' She smiled, ''your singing was pretty good. He already paid you, right?'' She reached into her pocket and pulled out a knife. ''If the cops ask you, you were attacked by a villain.'' She offered to make a small cut into Rose's arm with her knife. ''You just kept running and you got away.''

rhea

[rhea]

if i'm a danger to myself Just think what I could do to you Rui Matsui

Rhea looked over at Rui as she entered, frown present on her face as she watched the exchange. In a way, some of this made sense: Mallachite didn't have a good handle on his people, Rhea included. Then again, this made her think that both herself and Rui were the outliers and not the norm. She was new after all.

Keyword, was. The shot and subsequent events after shocked Rhea for a moment, and as she looked over at Rui a sinking feeling began to form in her stomach. All at once, she had many regrets. Mostly that she just might die. Even if Rui was offering to let her go, Rhea didn't know exactly how long that would last, her eyes flickering to the cases as she knew for a fact she was not going to be able to pick those up and run.

"Wait," she says, taking a step back and holding a hand up, letting her purse fall to the ground. "He didn't pay me in full. Money was a motivating factor, but I needed information more than anything else. And if this really is worst case scenario, you could at the very least let me change into something more...appropriate. To make the getaway." In one fell swoop Rhea lost the dress, though underneath Rui would see that Rhea was prepared as she began to untie the arms of her villain attire and began to don it, zipping it up just enough to cover herself. "I also cannot carry all that by myself. If you help, I'll give you a portion. Consider it an investment, considering you ruined any attempt to find the people I need." She kicked off her shoes, taking off the tights before pulling the boots out of her bag and putting them on. "I assume you know the informants Malachite knew?"

0 Victims

OWL

[Rui Matsui]

''You needed information?'' She did vaguely recall they were making some kind of agreement like that. Should she reveal to Rose that she was actually capable of bringing Malachite back to life right now, or should she keep that trick tucked away. On one hand, she would love being praised for doing so, but on the other she was fresh out of bullets and wouldn't be able to catch him by surprise like she had. She looked down at Malachite's body and gave a casual shrug. ''Oops.'' She grinned, ''my bad, I had been waiting to kill him ever since we first met.'' She laughed to herself, eyes blinking when Rose... Began transforming.

''What's that for? Do you sing in costume too or are you a little less clean than we thought?'' She teased Rose, waving her hand dismissively. ''I don't want a portion, bestie, money are great but I've already been paid too.'' She hopped off the body and walked over towards Rose slowly with her arms stretched out to either side. ''How aboouuut...'' She pretended to think about what she wanted for a moment, latching her hand on one of the briefcase handles as she smiled up at Rose. ''You sing for me again? If you let me have that, I'll give you all the information you want. I don't know what you're looking for, but I know who Malachite was talking to.'' She snapped her fingers, well, at least before her hands were full of briefcases. ''Maybe you wanna come kill 'em all with me? After you get whatever you need.''

rhea

[rhea]

if i'm a danger to myself Just think what I could do to you Rui Matsui

Rhea pulled the mask from her bag, slipping it over her face. She had done away with the cheap elastic on it, opting for a string tied to a snug fit. She even went the extra mile to doing a slight redecoration of it, making it more masquerade like. As she listened to Rui's counteroffer she put her hair up, thinking about what might really be Rui's goal here. By this point Rhea had ruled that this girl was insane, and you never knew what was going on in the heads of crazy people.

"I would explain, but then we'd be here all night." She put the hood up, the entire ensemble doing a good job of concealing her identity. "Let's just say I live many lives, and I don't like them bleeding into one another." A pause. "Mixing. On stage I go by 'Rose', but when I feel a bit more frisky and I feel like being bad, I go by 'Siren'. That is who you see before you." A grin crossed her face, pulling out a more form-fitting bag form her purse that conveniently stashed all the items she had just ditched. "Preferably, I'd like to take hold of Malachite's information network. He seemed reasonably connected. I can give you a private show if you want, but I'm looking for people. Two, specific ones. And if you do a good job, you can join me when I go have a chat with them..."

0 Victims

OWL

[Rui Matsui]

Her motives might seem sinister and Rose had every reason to mistrust her, but what Rui really, truly wanted was just to be entertained. Killing Malachite was a means to that end, but killing Rose wouldn't give the same response. It just wasn't the same. Besides, Rose was a gifted music bestie, and Rui didn't exactly have a lot of music besties in her life. ''That sounds so exhausting.'' She smiled up at Rose looking clueless. ''I just live the same life, I'm Rui and Mummy and I kill people whenever I feel like it.''

Her smile became wider as Rose clarified the whole getup for her. ''Soooo who I'm seeing right now is my Siren Bestie?'' If Rose allowed it Rui would circle around her to take in the whole look of her new bestie before ending up in front of her again. ''That sounds good to me! I'll do the best job you've ever seen, because I'm kinda badass like that. I could beat five heroes with my arms tied behind my back.'' A boldfaced lie, but given who she was she couldn't resist boasting and playing up her own achievements. Besides, if it made Rose like her more, then she simply had to lie!

''So we're getting outta here, right? It would be bad for you if you were caught in the middle of a murder scene.'' To her it would just be another week, but from the sounds of it with the whole multiple identities thing going on, Rose took a lot more care than she did.

Scooping up briefcases she looked up at Rose. ''I'll follow your lead, bestie.''

rhea

[rhea]

if i'm a danger to myself Just think what I could do to you Rui Matsui

Rhea fully put Rui into the 'crazy' category. Not just for the killing comment, but also the boast. It made her wonder how she even lived outside of this life. Rhea didn't exactly have a sheath for her knife, so she'd just rely on Rui to do all the stabbing for her. As such, she picked up one of the briefcases and nodded. "Try to stay close. The less attention we grab, the better." And with that she was off, beginning to move through the city. Rhea didn't exactly know where she was headed, but as long as they got away from the cordon that was sure to be falling on the area then they had a good chance of getting away. And once they did, they could go their separate ways.

It was times like this she missed Lilith and her shenanigans. At least with her brand of insanity it could be melded with Rhea's plots. Rui...well, Rhea would have to be careful in the future.

0 Victims

OWL