Life and Death

Written with Elendil

The ash smudged around her eyes and cheeks served in the pale moonlight to make her face eerily beautiful, the ash blending with the shadows cast by her hair. She didn't think of it that way, however. In reality, she had little idea what she looked like. It had never seemed to matter, so she'd paid little attention to the few reflections of herself she'd gotten. Creeping along the edge of a rooftop, or what was left of one, she eyed the people in the streets below. A gang she'd been stalking for a few days. There was one among them that was reputed to be the most powerful man in the city. Bennu made a career stalking the strong. To prove she was stronger. She was well aware that somehow, around her, a war raged. Bennu was unconcerned with the survival of any cause, any race of beings, anything - other than herself.

This same gang also had apparently irked Apocalypse lately, as his prize Horseman had been sent after it. Death's presence, however, was never felt until a pair of the members froze, both in terms of movement, and in temperature. The men wore surprised looks on their faces, and panic burned in their eyes. Until they froze over with tears, that is. Death appeared from his concealment, releasing the two bodies to crumple to the ground, making unpleasant crunching noises as frozen body parts were mangled. The rest of the gang was stunned. Just the effect Death had been shooting for.

Their leader seemed to realize what the Horseman was after, and barked, "Get him, idiots!" Death was no slouch in hand-to-hand combat, though, having been intensively trained as a ruthless killer ever since he'd been 8 years old. That left the leader himself. A Spike, no less, endowed with superhuman strength, and reflexes well above average. Beneath the grim visage of his skull-like helmet, Death couldn't help but grin, relishing the challenge this man presented.

Ben had been about to spring down from the rooftop to attack when something irregular in the movement of two men at the back of the group. They just stopped... Lowering her body, like a cat, she narrowed her eyes, not quite as surprised as the gang when the figure appeared. Also like a cat, she remained crouched there, watching this new mouse as it quickly dealt with the ones that had previously looked like worthy prey. This new mouse was certainly fascinating to her. Licking her lips, she watched, waiting to spring down on whichever happened to be the victor.

Death rarely ever spoke, and when he did, the sound was hardly warm and inviting. "Give it to me." His tone gave away nothing about what might be it, and made no compromising tone to suggest a deal was possible. He had offended the High Lord, and he was going to die. The gang leader seemed to consider doing so for a moment, wondering if a quick and painless death would be better than fighting Death. As always, the not so good angels won over. "You want the disk, Skullface? It's gonna cost you. Amnesty, a pass to Europe, and ten million in gold." Death didn't seem to keen on bargaining. "Give it to me, now."

The second ultimatum brought the leader charging. He was easily thrown across the ruined pavement. Grasping out with an arm, calling on his strength, the leader wrenched a manhole cover from the street, hurling it towards the Horseman. The disk froze in midair before it reached its target, suddenly reversing direction, striking the leader in the abdomen, knocking him back into the clutches of a rusting street light, now bent over from its original position. The light coiled around the leader's body, tightening painfully, cracking a few ribs. "Where is it?"

Eavesdropping as a child had taught her ears to become quite keen, and she listened to the conversation, more fascinated by the interaction than the actually meaning of what was being said. As, in the end, it didn't concern her. From the behavior of the gang leader, he was rather certain he was going to loose the fight. Which meant he would. Almost entranced, she watched the light twist around the gang leader's body like a snake. Probably crushing it. Ruthless, this new man was, whoever he was. Their fight would prove worthwhile. "Just tell him, you fool, so he can kill you and be done with it..." she whispered under her breath.

The gang leader brought his strength into play again, desperation fueling his power. He burst the metal bonds of the light, making a dive for the Horseman. If he could catch him in a bear hug, he could win. An invisible kinetic shockwave stopped him dead in his tracks. "Listen, I messed up, I'll give back the disk, and I'll turn myself in." His termination was almost palpable now. Death, however, was disgusted by his pleading. "You were strong, once. Die with that dignity. Don't grovel for your pathetic, weak life." It was Apocalypse's First Law. Apocalypse was one of the few true Darwinists to ever exist, and he'd been born long before Darwin. A sun yellow energy blade neatly speared the leader's head, killing him instantly. Dark Cloak crouched, searching the man's pockets. He'd stolen a disk with some valuable data. Death would need it and the location of his hideout to determine whether or not he'd made copies.

Her lips parted into a more entranced look as the gang leader was killed. The man's words had amused her greatly. He thought rather like she did. The was an almost lustful look in her eyes as she sprung from the rooftop, a ball of plasma searing through the air towards the ground a few feet behind him, as she herself descended several meters away. It hadn't been an attack, it had been a warning, and a non-verbal declaration of war. The entranced look was briefly visible on her face before the hair settled around it, shadowing it again, as she landed in a tense crouch, waiting for the man's retaliation, which she hoped would be swift.

Was this one of the gang leaders lackeys? It didn't matter much; she would die just like the rest. A gesture in her direction had electrical discharges sprouted from his fingers. Another Spike. Certainly more worthwhile than wasting his time on Flatscans. But this was mildly irritating, as he had a job to do, and some Johnny-come-lately was not helping things.

Her arms crossed over her face, shielding it from the discharges. She looked rather like she was cowering from the attack, in reality, her hidden lips were parted in a soft, blissful smile at the feeling of the energy coursing through her body, empowering her. She didn't hurl it back just yet, letting it linger in her system, amplifying itself for as long as she could stand to let it. The fact that she wasn't going to turn into a pile of ash would become apparent eventually. Ben suspected it would happen rather quickly. Even though it was to her disadvantage, she -hoped- it would happen quickly. She wanted him to be clever. She wanted him to be a challenge. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, the thought dawned that she wanted to know who he was. As one of them was going to die here, after all - she hoped. "I've forgotten my manners again. I am Feng. You are...?" The irony in her voice seemed to imply that the manners were something she lacked in the first place.

His name.... seemed to be unimportant at the moment, as he had resorted to physical attacks while she'd been masking her face. She could apparently absorb electricity, and possibly other forms of energy, so he'd have to resort of other means. More indirect means. Hand to hand might work, and if not, then other indirect means could be employed. He didn't waste his time talking. She was of no lasting concern.

She felt him move, without needing to see it. Fine. He wasn't going to answer. Meaning he'd likely dismissed her as unimportant. Bennu didn't handle dismissal well. She was going to get his name. She was going to beat it out of him. Since he was throwing himself at her anyway. She didn't move until he was nearly on her. She dove forward in a low spinning kick at the side of his knee, balanced with one hand on the ground, her other forearm prepared to make whatever parry or attack seemed to fit into the next moment. "I will know your name..." she growled darkly as she moved.

The street was his own defense. He used his magnetic powers to pull the rebar out of the roadbed to stop her counterattack. He pulled up the rest in order to make a crude cage. As for his name..... Only Lord Apocalypse might recall. He'd allowed no one else to know it. His name was unimportant. He was Death. He was Apocalypse's Chosen. His skill was his name. The terror he wrought, his legacy.

Finding herself caged only served to amuse her. It was there that she unleashed the energy that had been brewing in her system, in the form of becoming for a few brief seconds the core of an outwards explosion of white-hot plasma, melting its way through everything in proximity while at the same time serving to renew in part the energy she'd spent in the burst, and her body in general. He'd been close. That ought to have killed pretty much anyone. But the way he'd been slinging around energy fields, she suspected this was only the beginning, so her dark eyes were locked on where he ought to have been. Those dark eyes reflected her savage desire. To kill, or be killed. Neither would be a disappointment. The only disappointment would come if he tried to walk away.

All this was doing was serving as a distraction. Fun time was over. He was where he had been before her blast, albeit in smoldering clothing, his helmet bearing scoring. He casually regarded the ground where the gang leader's charred corpse lay, The disk he'd stolen was a mass of molten and unrecognizable plastic 'tar', of sorts. Satisfactory. His hideout could be traced relatively easily. Enough of this distraction. "Well done. Goodbye." He respected her ambition, and power, if nothing else. At that, his body flared with a brilliant, blinding light, and he was gone.

Well done? Goodbye?  That was... it? Alone on the ground, Bennu stared at where the man had just vanished. Numb. He was powerful. Someone that powerful wouldn't just... walk away? No, it was a ploy. He'd attack again. He just... would. The numbness wore off quickly when it was quite firmly proved that she was alone and going to remain so. The look in her eyes faded to a sort of crazed anger. Dismissed. Rejected. And worse. Patronized. His parting words had left a sting no other blow could have. Her eyes trailed to the dead gang leader's smoldering remains. She'd find the remnants of the gang. Find out who this man that had so harshly insulted her was. And then make him fight her. Clenching her fist, Feng stalked off into the night.