if u actually came back for my reverb thank u! anyway, here's some info:
in the spirit of Kill Bill, you're gonna see some italics throughout the story; it's the pov of 'the bride'

This Pasadena home-marker's name is Jeanne Bell; her husband is the good Dr. Lawrence Bell. But back when we were acquainted four years ago, her name was Vernita Green. Her code name, was Copperhead. Mine, Black Mamba.

^^ an example from this scene in the movie would be her informing the viewer of the relationship, status, and identity of her target. also, since there's some brief narrations from 'hattori hanzo' those will be underlined and italicised.

when a member of the squad is introduced, it'll be the same as when they're introduced in the movie; with their name underlined and all the text about them will be bolded. (i also kept the names from nosub's artwork!)

and our "bride" will not be named for a long ass time, but i'm sure you can figure out who it is... anyway, i hope my take on this excellent movie & artwork is as great as i want it to be - so here it is!

prologue

""REVENGE IS A DISH BEST SERVED COLD"" - old Klingon proverb

Soul picked at his nails absently, faintly hearing Liz's ringer go off. She stepped to the side, pressing a hand to her ear so she could understand the client on the phone. She shouted back in German, before cutting herself off; she lowered her voice before punching into another call. That was like her - she had a hell of a drive. He adored that about Liz. She caught his eye and threw a smile his way, to which he almost returned.

He pushed off of the pew and tucked his hands in his pockets. He felt his underwear shift uncomfortably and he grimaced - he hated the heat in Texas. It was dry and relentless - not to mention the dust. He pursed his lips as he looked down at his black suit, which was now a strange brown-ish color. He patted himself off, coughing from the dust that was kicked up.

The silence that settled around him was disquieting. Every now and then, he heard faint gasps; a body hit the floor with a thud, but the harsh breathing continued. She was gulping down every breath she could, and he knew it was only so she could say something else to make him think twice.

Absently, he kicked a stray bullet casing away from him. He examined his black boots -which were scuffed beyond belief- and bent down, wiping the layer of shitty dust from them. He would have to polish them again; and if he was being totally honest, he didn't give a single, solitary fuck about his shoes.

He hadn't thought this through.

Her pained, desperate breaths were twisting his emotions. This was the woman he loved. But goddamn, was she complicated.

While he still felt angry -enraged was a much more proper term- he was also wounded; his heart ached painfully every time he thought about it. The only words that popped up with the ache were betrayal and treason. Both emotions were powerful; did his pain outweigh the price that came with satisfaction, or would his anger ruin his vengeance? Was this something as pure as revenge, or was it muddled by his affections and his second-guessing?

But now that he was here - did he really want to be? Soul Eater never did anything he didn't want to do; but as he stood there and listened to the pathetic gasps of a mere shadow, he felt anger bubble up inside of his chest again. He took out his gun from his holster and stared down at it, a few whimpers of pain reaching his ears; he soon blocked it out, being drawn into his memories with her - of their life.

This gun was as much a part of him as she was. From the harsh, quick breaths she drew now to the shallow, broken moans he drew from her; every single person who had begged for their life at the other end of this barrel, to the one bullet that was specifically for her. It was all a part of him - a part he desperately needed to cast aside if he wanted to forget this pain.

His heavy footfalls drew closer to her, and her eyes darted around wildly. He could see every inch of agony on her skin; but it was still hard for him to get passed the white dress that draped over her bruised and swollen form. She was splayed out on the chapel floor, blood pooling around her and eight other bodies. Her breath quickened as he slowly came into view. He was blurred, but the eye that wasn't swollen shut took in every contour of his face; he was still perfect.

Her dress was spectacular; the neckline was formed by tiny pearls, which glittered every time she moved. It vaguely reminded him of the dress he had seen her in the first time they met. As he stared down at her now, though, he couldn't even find it in himself to smile at the memory. One of her eyes was swollen shut, and the other had a cut right on her brow. It bled profusely, specks of blood on the whites of her eye.

"Do you find me sadistic?"

Her eyes narrowed and she hissed through her teeth, a bit of blood dribbling down her temple. Soul stood over her for so long, she wondered if he was more scared of her than she was of him. He could see the absolute rage in her eye; he hadn't seen her this angry... Ever. Her life was on the line, and she was livid; she never liked being backed into a corner. Sweat was rolling across her skin, and before he knew it, he was kneeling down beside her and pulling out his handkerchief.

"You look like hell," Soul paused when she flinched away from the cotton, but continued on as he wiped blood, spit, and sweat from her chin. His knuckle dragged across her jaw, which was clenched so tightly he swore her teeth would break. "You feel like it, too." Her skin was on fire - she was burning up with rage, from the inside out.

He continued to wipe her face off, staring at the floor the whole time. Could he do this? He noticed that she glanced to her left - and while his face was completely neutral, his heart burst into flames in his chest. He was on the verge of shaking, he was so angry and devastated that he almost couldn't control himself. He finished wiping her cheek off and discarded his hanky, bringing one hand up to his face while the other grabbed his gun.

"I think you know me well enough to know that there's nothing... sadistic, in my actions." His eyes bored holes into the other corpses; he was cold and calculating, ignorant to her suffering. All of her friends were dead. Her future was gone. Her face contorted into a pure rage, though she stayed silent; she was seething, angry tears rolling down her face. He could feel the power of it wash over him. He gave in and smirked a little - he loved the intensity of her, even now.

"Well, maybe towards those losers... But, not you." Soul reached out and traced her jaw again, feeling her smooth skin. She was grinding her teeth still, struggling to not reach out and hit him. If only she could move. He searched her face for anything other than anger, but finding nothing, he stood and opened the barrel of his gun. There were five bullets in his pocket, and she finally understood how personal this was for him as he clicked the gun shut and pulled back the hammer.

It was a very different experience being on this side of the gun.

Soul was standing over her again, gun pointed at her head. Her eyes widened - in terror, in shock, in rage, he wasn't sure. She wished she could convey every emotion she felt with this look; never in a million years had she imagined things turning out like this. Fear gripped her heart and she realized that she wouldn't get out of this one.

Soul's expression was strangely pained; his eyes were a bit watery, but his body language was relaxed. He was looking at her with pity and regret in his eyes, and it only made the burning fire inside of her grow.

"If anything... This is me at my most... Masochistic."

She sucked in a breath between her teeth and she felt her body fill with a cold fury. She was shaking hard as she lifted her head a few inches from the ground, her eyes boring into his; she never wavered, and her voice was steady.

"Soul... It's your baby."

KILL SOUL

Deadly Viper Assassination Squad

1. O-Ren Ishii - TSUBAKI NAKATSUKASA

2. Vernita Green - MEDUSA GORGON

3. Budd - BLACK*STAR

4. Elle Driver - BLAIR

5. Bill - SOUL