Cain
Cain cursed steadily as he walked up the street. He couldn't believe he was doing this. He couldn't believe he got his ass thrashed that badly, that he was going to do this. But he needed money.
So. You are going to see Wolfram & Hart? Intriguing.
"Shut up, Loki. If you'd told me a bit more about the frigging bird, I wouldn't be in this mess."
But it's so much fun to watch you struggle.
"Shut up, you know? Just shut the hell up." He walked up to the Wolfram & Hart building. One press of his hand to the door and it swung open.
"Excuse me, sir?" Cain turned lazily to regard the security gaurd.
"Do you feel like dieing today? Cos, gotta tell ya, it's looking like a real possibility for you."
"Can you please relinquish any weapons you have on you?"
"Pal, I am a frikking weapon. Now, where's your boss? Word on the street is that you're hiring. I need cash. I think you could need me." Cain grinned, and rippled into the bloodfrenzy, hand glowing as the jewel burnt through the glove. The gaurd shrank back. "Or, I can rip your entrails out through your nose, and eat your heart? What do you feel like doing? Name's Cain. Or Frenzy. Pick one."
"I request immediate back up, we have a situation developing in the lobby-" Cain snarled, and headed towards the frontdesk.
"A demon I met gave me this." He placed the business card in front of the terrified reciptionist. "Who's Lilah?" He slid it forward.
"Ms Morgan?"
"Yes, look. It says Lilah. Don't mind the stain, that would be the demon's ichor. He wasn't going to give it to me, but hey. I've been having a bad time lately. He said you were hiring."
"Ms Morgan is the person in command here at Wolfram & Hart here in New York. Would you like to arrange an appointment?"
"I admire your guts, but, look, would you just piss off already?!" He turned and yelled at the security gaurds. He turned back to the girl as a wall of flame sprang up. It didn't burn the floor, but when a gaurd tried to touch it, it burnt him. He screamed. "I don't want an appointment. I want to see her. Now. Otherwise, I will tear this place apart."
Lilah
"Are you done?" Lilah asked calmly. Cain turned around to look at her. "Coz," she continued, "this show of macho testosterone is not impressing me or anyone else one bit."
Cain
"Oh, if we're going for impressing..." Cain grinned nastily. "Who do you want to lose?"
CAIN!
"Freaking hell, WHAT?!" Cain yelled.
Do not.
"Frikking gods, and their frikking, BLOODY HELL! OK!" Cain snarled as the lines on his back pulsed. "So. And what piece of fluff would you be then? Cain Miller. Frenzy. Claimed of Loki and mutant. Did the attack on the mutant school a few days ago, and I killed Pink. They're the big publicity ones I've done lately."
That's better. Be polite.
"Frikking well gonna come back to your dank little cave and frikking kill you." Loki laughed. "Glad to see someone's amused then. Now, piss off. This whole you in my head thing is freaky enough as it is."
I will be watching. am actually quite proud of you.
"Well, nice to hear." Cain waited for Loki to leave his head, growling under his breath. "Loki. Likes to comment. So. Got the card off a demon. He said you were hiring, right after, oh please, stop hurting me please." Cain laughed, a whooping sound that died away into an evil snigger. "Like that ever works."
Lilah
Lilah just stared at Cain unimpressed. "Riiiiiiiight! If tommorrows headcase is finished, tell me, what do you have in mind. Actually, let me rephrase that. Why would I want to hire looney like you?"
Cain
"I'm not crazy, alright? You try having a nosy intefering Aesir in your head, talking to you every frikking moment of the frikking day!" Cain snarled. God, he wanted to kill someone. "I got magic for it though, so not so bad. Look. I like to kill. You pay money for having people, demons, whatever killed. I like to kill slow, but if you prefer, I can do it faster. You wanna an example? I really want to kill something." He got Pink's scalp out of his pocket and ran it idly through his fingers. "Nothing beats a public kill though. Mmm. All the fear...in the air and all around. Blood." He licked his lips. "Pink's scalp. I'm sure you've got a warlock who can verify that for you." He yawned, bored with all the talking. "Feh, lawyers. And I can give you info on the school."
Lilah
"Info on the school? I have info. I have around the clock info!" Lilah replied unimpressed, "And why would i need an insane killing machine that i have to pay for? You need to really convince me. Some kids scalp isn't that bigger deal in my field you know."
As Lilah spoke, security guards carrying gun circled around both Lilah & Cain, some chant as their fists started to glow. There were even a few demons in the mix.
Lilah looked around with a smile, then back at Cain. "So babe, you gonna colour me impressed or what?"
Cain
Cain cocked his head to the side. "What have you got? I'm sure you don't have a godling here, and that's what took me down last time." He put Pink's scalp back into his pocket, and rolled his head on his neck. "So. Let's play, girlie." He grinned as the bloodfrenzy took over, and exploded into action. Flames rose and soared outwards. Cain quickly and efficently took care of the humans in the mix first, crushing skulls and ripping out throats, and then he started on the demons. "So, girlie, who the hell's Angelus? Some vampire tried to distract me with the name, and I just wanna know who the hell that is?" He shouted cheerfully. "Course, it didn't help. I still pulled his fangs out. You ever see a vamp with no fangs? Bloody amusing." A blast of magic hit him, and he rolled before getting back to his feet, and reaching into the unfortunate mage's chest, ripping out his heart. More magic began to flow around him as he took out the physical guards first, and Cain started to laugh. A whirling dervish of insane whooping laughter and blood. "Far out, this is fun! Most fun I've had in ages! You really know how to put on a show, girlie."
Lilah
Lilah just smiled at the man "Your good!" she finally said, "You even got the Mage that was creating the glamours of the security men" At that point, all the dead bodies & blood everywhere faded away, leaving one dead body: The one of the mage. "Now, if i remember correctly you mentioned Angelus. That is like the secret password at Wolfram & Hart. Especially back in the good old days. Follow me," Lilah directed with a nod of the head towards the elevator "Just as long as you promise no killings until i say so"
Cain
"Fine, girlie. Unless my fangs start to itch. Don;t mind if I kill a few animals though?" Cain followed her. "So, you Lilah? And what is with the name Angelus? After the first vamp called me that, I mentioned it to a few others, and they basically all keeled over and dusted easily." He laughed. "Not so much fun, but easy prey."
Lilah
"Sure! On level four there is a room full of goats, lambs, your run of the mill sacrifices." They had reached the elevator by now. Lilah pressed the button for the 15th floor & then turned to Cain "As for Angelus, hes a vampire. I know what your thinking, "A vamp? Not so great. Well think again with this guy. His two best assets? He has a soul & not only that, he has friends as well. Before the soul though, he was one of the best vampires around. Either way, with soul or no-soul, he's one of the biggest killers around. He has a huge rep. But hes working for us now so "Yay"."
The Elevator doors opened & they both stepped out into the hall & walked down it into Lilahs office.
"So," Lilah said, sitting in her chair, "What do you propose?"
Cain
"Don't tell me he's related to that bleached idiot at the school." Cain caught Lilah's look. "He is. Vamp has a ring of Amara, or whatever the hell that thing's called. So does the looney tunes vampiress." Cain looked around at the office, and nodded slightly. "Easy really, what I propose. You tell me who you want killed, how many pieces you want them to end up in, I go kill them, you pay me. Telepaths can feel where I am, but they can't control me. Most magic users can't do a thing. All good assets. Don't feel pain, well, not so much. Good fighter." He sat down in the chair. "What else do you want? No one need know I'm connected with you. They all think I'm just a guy off the streets with a penchant for bloodlust." He slipped into the bloodfrenzy and grinned at her, then slipped out.
Lilah
"Hmmmmmmm" Lilah expressed, with a face expression that showed she was in deep thought. After a minute or two, she stood up & walked over to a filing cabinet & pulled out a file that looked quite thick. She turned around, looked at Cain, smiled & laughed. "This case is right up your alley!"
Within the next half hour Lilah explained to Cain what she would hire him for. She started by clearly stating that he wouldn't get paid until the job was done. He agreed. His target was a wealthy business man named Sebastian Shaw. He was seen as a threat to one of Wolfram & Harts biggest clients: Emma Frost & her company Frost Industries. Supposably Mr Shaw is a tough man to deal with. Not only in business but also in fights. He is ability to absorb any kinetic energy on impact and rechannels it into physical strength. It also increases his hardiness and endurance. "Whatever does not kill Shaw makes him stronger", as Lilah put it.
All Cain had to do was simply go kill Shaw. Lilah believed with Cains god given powers, he would be capable of taking Shaw out.
Once Cains briefing was finished, Lilah walked him to her office door. As he exited she said to him, "This is really important. So if you don't kill Shaw, i will get you killed. I don't know how, but i'll find a way"
Lilah
Cain entered Lilahs office to see her standing there, arms crossed looking extremely unimpressed. He walked up to her & threw the head on the table. Lilah just looked at the head unimpressed (again) & then back to Cain.
"What are you, f***ing stupid?!" she yelled, glaring as she yelled, "Did you not check the files we gave you?!"
Cain shook his head, confused about what was going on.
"Great!" Lilah said, throwing her hands in the air, then turning around & walking straight up to his face & said "This head doesnt belong to Shaw. It belongs to his wifes lover!!! And know Shaw knows he was a target!"
At that point Sebastian Shaw walked into the room, with a tall elegent woman wearing white with long blonde hair.
Lilah smiled & nodded towards the two. "Cain, meet Sebastian Shaw & Emma Frost"
"Pleased to meet you" Sebastain said, walking towards Cain, "So your my killer hey?"
Cain just nodded & smiled
"Excellent!"
At that point Shaw suckerpunched Cain up through the roof & through the next 3 floors. Emma then telekinetically lifted Shaw up to where Cain had landed.
Cain
"Crap!" Cain cursed steadily for a few moments as he regained his bearings. And then when he tried to blast the mutant, his flames didn't appear. "F***!"
I got a better offer, Cain. Loki informed him. Cain was trying very hard not to die as Shaw beat him up. And now, Wolfram & Hart owe me for losing such a good servant. The Aesir sounded oddly pleased. Cain dove off the side of the building, bleeding badly. He twisted in midair like a cat, hit the ground and lay there, many of his bones broken but somehow still clinging tenaciously to life. Goodbye, Cain.
Lilah
Cain layed on the floor bloody & battered & then tried to sit up. As he tried he noticed that everyone had stopped; all except for Emma, Lilah, Sebastian & a teenage black girl, who were all being telekinetically lowered to the ground. Once they landed one the ground, Shaw gave one final punch to Cain, right in the stomach. Cain screamed out in pain & coughed up blood. Cain looked around for someone, anyone to help but no one was moving, there was no sound. Just an eerie silence which was broken by Lilahs laughter. She walked over to Cain, lifted her foot & put the heel of her high heel in his mouth, breaking one of his teeth in the process. Then she took it out & kicked him in the head.
"Geez, i hate to ruin good shoes but its worth it!" she said with a smile. Cain couldn't help but feel a deep respect for this woman.
She then bent down & started to talk really calmly & slowly to him.
"Now Cain, what did i saw i would do if you failed? Yes, thats right, find a way to kill you. And i did didn't i?"
Cain just nodded. He went to speak but Lilah kicked him in the face again.
"Although," she continued, "we all got something out of it. Ms Frost & Mr Shaw & now business partners; allies not enemies. Me? Well, now I have Mr Shaw & Shaw Industries as a client, as well as Ms Frost & her company. Not only that but it was you that help unite them & i thank you for that. But the best thing about the whole thing is that we don't have to pay you anything!" Lilah was stil smiling triumphently. She then pulled out a handgun from the back of her skirt, stood up & pointed it at Cains head.
Cain tried to say something but Lilah kicked him again.
"Cya in Hell Cain!" she said with a luagh & then shot him three times in the head.
"He dead Emma?" Lilah asked, glaring at his body. Emma telepathically scanned his mind for any signs of life. Even if she found any, she would have made him brain dead.
"Not at all" Emma replied after a few seconds.
"Good," Lilah said as she turned around & smiled, "Now, who wants sushi?" she said cheerfully as she stepped over Cains body, then going back for one more kick. She walked off satisfied, with the other three following. At that point, Cain body faded away, & the sounds of the busy city & the movement of people returned with a click of the girls fingers.
Sigurd and Astrid
Sigurd sat astride Slepnir and slowly walked the horse down from the clouds to the pavement where Cain's body had lain. Astrid folded her eings as they stared at the blood that was slowly disappearing. "Jeg er nesten trist han er død. Han var en verdig motstander. ..if som det var ikke for hans sinnssykdom, jeg nesten overbeviser at han vært på siden av god." (I am almost sorry he is dead. He was a worthy opponent...if it was not for his insanity, I am almost convinced he would have been on the side of good.)
"Jeg vet hva De betyr, Sigurd. Imidlertid er han død. Vi når ham ikke i tide lege ham." (I know what you mean, Sigurd. However, he is dead. We could not reach him in time to heal him.) Astrid was glad the evil mutant was dead. It meant they could go home soon. "Vi forteller at Nyx. ..og da vi drar hjem?" (We should tell Nyx...and then we can go home?)
"Ja, og da drar vi hjem. Jeg møter de som drept ham imidlertid. De tatt ham ved overraskelse. Og Loki trekke tilbake hans beskyttelse. Fattig Cain. Han sviktet." (Yes, and then we shall go home. I would like to meet the ones who killed him however. They must have taken him by surprise. And Loki had retracted his protection. Poor Cain. He was betrayed.) Sigurd shook his head sadly, and then dismounted Slepnir. He entered the building, Astrid at his side. "We have not come to fight. We wish to talk to the ones who killed the mutant, Frenzy. Or Cain. Fattig uheldig sjel." Sigurd shook his head again. "Han var vår mørk bror, i sannhet." (He was our dark brother, in truth.) Astrid's wings fluttered slightly, one hand on her sword as she studied the room. They could take these mortals if need be.
Lilah
"Cain?" the receptionsit asked, slightly confused, "Um...i'll just get Ms Morgan for you!". The receptionist picked up the phone & muttered something & then put it back on the hook. "She will be down in a moment"
Astrid and Sigurd
"Thakn you." Astrid nodded to the woman. "We will wait here."
"Vi dra hjem snart, min kjærlighet." (We'll go home soon, my love.) Sigurd caressed Astrid's cheek.
"Jeg mangler Valhalla. Disse dødelig...de forstår ikke." (I miss Valhalla. These mortals...they do not understand.) Astrid lifted her face for a kiss. Sigurd did so, just briefly.
"Snart." (Soon.) They waited for this woman the reciptionist called Ms Morgan.
Lilah
Lilah had just stepped out of the elevator when she heard the receptionist call her name. She looked & saw the two people that wanted to see her. She just smiled & walked over to them.
"Hello" she said putting out her hand for a handshake, "Im Lilah Morgan. Were you the two who were inquiring about Cain?"
Astrid and Sigurd
Astrid gave the woman a cold stare. Sigurd took Lilah's hand and shook it. "I be Sigurd, Kriger-Llys. Astrid, or Valkyrie. We were sent by the Aesir...to investigate Cain and bring him to his death, or heal him if we could." Sigurd's eyes showed a deep sadness. "Would you tell me how he died, please?"
"And then we must go. We have a God to talk sense into." Astrid fingered the hilt of her sword. "Loki has crossed many boundaries with Cain. His betrayal only compounds it."
Lilah
"Oh ok." Lilah said with a smirk, "Well, Cain had come here after being told we were hiring people to do jobs for us. He seemed a tad crazy to me but there was a job we needed done & he seemed like the man to do it."
Lilah looked at the two. They were both looking back at her with interest.
"So we sent him on a mission. He was told that if he stuffed it up, we would find a way to kill him. He agreed. May I just point out we have a verbal & written contract. I can show them to you later if you like. Anyway, we stuffed up the mission. Not only did he get the wrong person, but he killed an innocent man & maimed & tortured a woman. Now i know that honour is a huge thing with Vikings, so i hope you can understand why we had him killed. Not only did we have a contract to honour but we also had to honour the memory of the man killed & the woman who later died in hospital."
Astrid, Sigurd and Nyx
Sigurd nodded, and then turned. "Komm, Astrid."
"I think there's more then what you're telling us, but I'll leave it lie. He's dead, and that's all the matters to me." Astrid's wings flared slightly. "But, keep your nose out of Aesir business in the future, child. And if Loki contacts you again, you would be well advised to turn him down." Astrid gave Lilah a glare of pure icy loathing and then followed Sigurd out the door. "Ja, Sigurd."
~*~*~*~
They stopped at the school after seeing Loki. Nyx was waiting for them
"He's dead." Her tone was final.
"Ja, he's dead. Watch out for this woman, Lilah Morgan. The lawfirm Wolfram & Hart, she works for." Sigurd took Nyx's hands in his for a moment, then pressed a gentle kiss to them. "Astrid does not trust her and I trust Astrid's feelings."
"She was dead inside and out. I would not ever want to cast the Runes for her. All they would read would be death and agony." Astrid stepped up as Sigurd stepped back and hugged Nyx, The catwoman hugged the winged girl back.
"Look after him for me," Nyx whispered into Astrid's ear.
"That has been all I ever wanted since I was a girl," Astrid mumured back. "Say goodbye to Daphne for me. We must go." Astrid raised her head and called. The winged mare soon came wheeling down from the sky.
Winged one! You call?
Aye, I call. Will we ride, little sister?
Aye! We ride! Astrid mounted the pegasus and Sigurd mounted Slepnir and they soon left America behind, going back to Norway. Nyx watched them for a moment longer before going back inside to inform Xavier of Cain's death.