[b:336ddea52f]OOC:[/b:336ddea52f] Although this is a world of darkness post, as is to be expected, please, I have a series of posts I need to establish before others join. Thankyou.

[i:336ddea52f]Back in character:[/i:336ddea52f]

[b:336ddea52f]There was a palpable tension in the room as about a dozen well dressed men loaded high caliber handguns, one bullet into the clip at a time. None of them knew why, but they were all nervous about the upcoming job they had to do. Three seconds later, the tension stretched to the breaking point, and snapped, with a sound most remarkably like that of an opening door. Standing there was a fair sized man, leanly muscled with a quiet manner about him, he must have stood at least six and a quarter feet tall... in his right hand, a thirty-two caliber handgun.

The sound of four gunshots filled the room before anyone could react and three men dropped, the gun spun in the hand that held it, and two more shots rang out, taking out the fastest two, who had finally brought their guns up, slow footsteps bringing the marauding intruder further into the room as his free hand reached into his suit jacket's pocket, only to pull out another gun, while his first emptied itself into three more hapless men. Meanwhile, the remaining gentlemen were working around him.

A valiant effort, but ultimately futile, as the other gun proved with a rapid three shots, and then, reached over his shoulder and fired off two more... the sudden silence was deafening. The second gun went back to its hiding place in the large man's suit pocket, while he methodically slid the clip from the empty 32', reached down to one of the dead men's guns, and switched clips.

Then, he turned and headed for the door, but his eyes were caught by one of the men, somehow still moving. [i:336ddea52f]"I must be slowing down,"[/i:336ddea52f] he said, noting this one as the one he had placed two bullets in already. [i:336ddea52f]"Please.... please don't ki..."[/i:336ddea52f] the man said before three gunshots rang out, silencing him forever before the killer shook his head, holstered the gun, and stepped out the door to meet a smaller, handsome man who could only smirk. [i:336ddea52f]"Good work Val,"[/i:336ddea52f] he said, clapping him on the shoulder before Val shrugged, then headed outside the building.

A hand reached into a coat pocket, pulling out keys and unlocking his car door. The handsome man came out of the building and nodded, [i:336ddea52f]"Really good work, you're a little scary sometimes, Val,"[/i:336ddea52f] he said. Val turned his head, fixing his gaze on the other man, who was short with bright piercing blue eyes and hair that vaguely resembles ash for color. [i:336ddea52f]"Not half as scary as you sometimes, James,"[/i:336ddea52f] Val said, then slid into his car, James slipping in the passenger side.

[i:336ddea52f]There are those who would condemn me. I'm just doing my job.[/i:336ddea52f]

The streets erupted in bloodshed as two families had it out. While few people outside the families actually saw any of it, they all knew it was happening. Both sides blamed the other, but in truth, for once, both were not to blame. The war had happened because one had chosen to try to make a surprise move on the other, and it hadn't been a surprise. Before the pawn had ever left its row, a knight had moved in and destroyed it without feeling or emotion, and then returned to his side of the board before any retaliation could be made.

Val found himself sighing as bullets sank into the steel on the other side of his sedan while he replaced the clips in his new pair of thirty-two calibers, then, without warning, popped his head up, crossing his arms into an X-form and rapidly pulling the triggers of his guns, the deadly accurate hail of lead dropping one man after another, while Val ran through the warehouse to dive behind a few crates, followed by the sound of bullets sinking into the wood next to his head.

Unphased, he dropped the now empty clips out of his guns, and looked around the corner, then jerked his head back in and stepped further behind cover as bullets blistered the wooden crate's corner. Setting a gun on his knee as he knelt, he reached into his coat pockets and pulled out his last pair of clips, methodically sliding them into place before, without even looking, he raised a pistol, pointed it to his right, and pulled the trigger.

A bright splash of crimson burst from a forehead as one of his more daring attackers fell to the floor with a thump. A small smirk on his part, and he left the protective cover of his hiding place, arms again crossed as his pistols blazed. Bullets whistled past him as he ran, dodging to the left and the right... one almost hit him, cutting a line across his jacket.

When he finally slowed, and then stopped, both of his guns going silent, he sighed, shook his head. Glancing around, he found an extra pair of thirty-two calibers, and switched guns with the corpses while checking through coat pockets to find extra clips, making sure he was loaded for bear, while at the same time concealing the evidence he had been here.

An hour later...

Val sat next to James, drinking a bourbon at the quiet local club they frequented. [i:336ddea52f]"Hey bartender,[/i:336ddea52f]" James said with a wry grin, [i:336ddea52f]"Get my buddy Val, here, another drink."[/i:336ddea52f] The bartender moved to push the new glass of bourbon towards james, but two gloved fingers stopped it. James looked at Val questioningly, but Val only shook his head and stood. [i:336ddea52f]"Sorry James, I've got work to do yet tonight, and even if I didn't, too much has been going on lately,"[/i:336ddea52f] he said before turning and walking to the door, nodding gravely to another well dressed man as he walked past.

The well dressed man sat down where Val had been, picked up the drink that James had tried to get for Val, and took a sip of it, nodding to James. [i:336ddea52f]"Bartender," [/i:336ddea52f]came his gravel throated voice, [i:336ddea52f]"Give us some privacy... now."[/i:336ddea52f]

[i:336ddea52f]I'm not even sure why I began... but I'm glad I did. I belong here.[/i:336ddea52f][/b:336ddea52f]