The Evil behind the Mirror ( Shadowrun/Horror, Pazzo x DarkAngel76)

[Pazzo]

The time is 10:37pm
The date is October 25th, 2077
The city is Seattle Washington
The location is a rain soaked street on the lower end of downtown, just outside of a small time coffee establishment known as "Cheesecake Sisters". Despite its location the shop offers some of the best quality pastries and synthetic coffee in the greater city-state area.

Walking down the cracked and dilapidated sidewalk is a fairly handsome gentleman in his early forties, clad in a charcoal grey business suit with a silver and black patterned tie. His long leather raincoat moved with him as he walked, his hands thrust into his pockets. His shoulder length hair is black tinged with silver at his temples. His glasses were mirrored, and appeared to be high quality.

Marcus Alargo's thirst for traditional coffee out weighed his need to finish his financial reports... Though cybernetic, his eyes were tired of scanning digital receipts and ledgers. All he could think about was bringing a hot cup of Turkish coffee to his lips, savoring the heavy aroma, and feeling the warmth of the rich taste in his mouth. A lower end security hover drone whirred by and passed over him, likely feeding a grainy real time video to the local precinct. He paid it no mind. His disguise was good. He appeared to be just a normal businessman with a standard issue corp RFID tag labeling him as a mid level staff accountant for an investment firm. No one would suspect who he really was. He grinned to himself. Oh this pastry was going to be soooo good.

Mark acted polite, and held the door open, smiling as an elderly couple was walking out of the building. He then entered through the door himself.

The delicious smells of the coffee shop assaulted his sense all at once, and he begin to salivate. The main seating area of Cheesecake sisters was small but cozy, and well furnished with synth-leather chairs, with the walls painted a pleasant caramel. He wiped his feet upon the brown stained entry rug on the floor just in front of the door, and used the moment to scan the area with his cybered eyes, reaching into the local augmented reality network. Upon activating the virtual overlay for the real world, his vision was immediately flooded with numerous annoying advertisements. He grunted, making a mental not to upgrade his firewalls. He blinked away the ads and immediately looked over everyone's RFID display, running his eyes over a list of names and affiliations of everyone. There were fifteen other people here, all of them just appeared to be normal people out for these evening, wanting a fresh warm pasty or a hot cup of feel good. Satisfied that no one he knew was within 300 feet of him, he approached the end of the line to the counter...

 

[darkangel76]

The night air had been filled with bite, crisp and cool as Tara was dragged along the pavement by the wrist and then finally pulled into the Cheesecake Sisters establishment. It was a place Leo liked to go to on his nights off from his job and this night was no exception. The moment the door open, she felt the rush of thick, warm air against her skin, her eyes meeting the faces of those already situated inside the establishment.

Swallowing hard, Tara felt her nervousness rise a notch—something that always happened whenever there was a crowd. She reached up to run her fingers through platinum strands, blue eyes scanning the room, taking in everything. Just then, the door opened. Another walked in and she bit down on her lip. Leo didn't seem to notice or care. He just wanted his coffee. He let go of her wrist and she absently began to run her fingers over where he'd been holding on, the marks visible from where he'd been gripping. Wincing, she turned to go find a seat. Immediately, Leo whipped his head around and gave her a glare, once that caused her recoil ever so slightly.

"Sorry," Tara mumbled softly. "Just wanted to find us a seat."

Leo nodded just then, his dark eyes flashing as he turned to place their order. Tara licked at her lips, her cool, blue eyes casually glancing over the new arrival whose eyes were concealed by his mirrored glasses. A shiver ran down her spine, but she smiled all the same and slowly made her way past him trying to find a place to sit.

"Here's your fucking tea," came a voice. Leo.

Tara jumped. She squeaked softly, her hands coming up to cover her mouth and stifle the sound that had suddenly rolled off her lips. Her cheeks tinged a pale shade of pink—dark in contrast to the color of her skin. "Y-you s-scared me."

"Cut that shit out. It's fucking annoying," Leo stated as he raked a large hand through his dark hair. He shoved a cup of tea at Tara.

"Thanks," Tara spoke shyly, her eyes looking up at Leo.

"They always seem to have no problems making your damned tea. But when it comes to my coffee? I have to wait forever. Why the fuck is that?"

Tara blinked while take a sip. "I-I... I don't know," she answered.

"It wasn't a question meant to be answered, Tara. Jesus Christ, you're a dumb fucking bitch." Leo shook his head, a hand coming up to grip her forearm. "A good fuck though," he added as a sly grin crept along his lips.

Tara winced, bringing her tea back up to her lips so that she could take another sip. She could feel the tears welling in her eyes as Leo spoke and oh how she wished she could just run away. As she looked up at him...that smug look and cocky grin...she found herself hating him, wishing he was dead, that she could somehow get away.

Get away. She'd been managing that--metaphorically-speaking—thanks to her friend, Marty, for the past few weeks. The girl always looked out for her and she was grateful for that. BTL Chips—next best way to escape everything when you have no other way to escape anything at all. Or, that was how it felt. Oh, what did it matter. They fucking worked!

Just then, Leo heard his name called. His coffee was ready. Giving Tara a look, he let go of her arm and went to get his coffee. Upon his return, he took a sip and frowned. "Tastes like shit."

"Then why get it?" Tara asked.

"You really are an idiot, aren't you," Leo stated.

Tara furrowed her eyebrows, a hand moving to twist some strands of blonde that had fallen over her shoulder. She felt confused and knew that Leo was itching for a fight. If only they weren't in public. If only there weren't where they were. She tugged on her black leather jacket, pulling it tight about her slim body, her knees beginning to wobble as the fear began to course through her. "Not now, Leo. Not here."

"What? Don't want me to call you out in front of everyone?" Leo asked without hesitation. His voice wasn't overly loud, but he made no indications that he was going to lower it any time soon either.

"Please..." Tara pleaded.

Leo pulled Tara close, a hand toying with the hem of her white skirt. "I don't think so."

It was always the same and Tara knew it. Leo would never change and she was a fool to think otherwise. Why hadn't she listened to her father's warnings? Now the man wanted nothing to do with her. Two years of not speaking to her and no hope of ever regaining contact... It was just too much.

Tears pricked Tara's eyes and Leo's grip was strong, hard, determined. She gasped as panic washed over her, her blue eyes frantic as she scanned the place, terrified of making a scene. And terrified that she might never get away from Leo one day.

 

[Pazzo]

Mark raised a black leather gloved hand to his face, and with his middle finger pushed his mirrored shades back up his nose. His enhanced olfactory implants had picked up a whiff of the gorgeous blonde girl's perfume, and his head computer had deconstructed the chemicals of it in a retinal heads up display, seeming to hover a few feet in front of him. Her companion was being obnoxious and disturbing the peace with his profanity and hostile actions. A baby orc nearby where the couple sat began to cry loudly in his mother's burly green tinged arms. She cast a disgusted look at Leo, stood up, and walked out the front door into the cold Seattle night.

The accountant just shook his head. as fun as it might be to ride the adrenaline high from teaching this young punk a lesson in manners, he did not need the attention. He was on a mission, and any actions taken would likely blow his cover. Not that he would have minded, while perhaps a noble profession, Mark hated accounting with a passion.

Marcus did his best to ignore what was happening within arms reach, fighting back the desire to place his cybernetic hand on Leo's skull, and neurally command the hydraulic servos in his hand to squeeze in an agonizingly slow and torturous manner. First, as the pathetic waste of flesh sat there whimpering, his cranial plates would crack, and blood would begin pouring out of his nose. His hydraulic fingers would dig deeply into his flesh, ruining the mans chances for any future bullying in a most deliciously sadistic way...

No, not tonight. "Just coffee Mark..." He whispered to himself, fighting back the impulse to indulge in his sadistic hobby. "...you are just here for coffee, not to dish out vigilante justice."

He gave the odd couple a cursory scan with his optical augmentations.

"Leo" as he was called, was wearing bright orange "Halloweener" gang colors. Probably some new lowlife initiate involved in moving drugs, racketeering, and possibly worse. He did not appear to have any cybernetic systems installed. His RFID tag said his full name was Leonardo Viden Marchoska. His rap sheet was long, with several felonies including illegal possession of BTL Chips with intent to distribute. There was indeed a bounty on his head, but it was small. No where near enough to make Marcus default on his current contract.

"BTL's" mark thought to himself. Nicknamed "Beetles", "Better Than Life" was their technical name. They were a data storage device programed with a one shot playback of someone's memories. As such they could be slotted into a simsense unit or chipjack, allowing the wearer to experience another reality, if only for a short while. They are highly illegal, and even more addictive. Prolonged use cooks the brain, and with enough abuse a "chiphead" can be reduced to a unintelligible vegetable in a short amount of time.
Mark's enhanced eyes also detected a concealed Ares Predator Pistol in a holster at the small of Leo's back. Marcus decided he posed no significant threat. Mark's heavy cybernetic combat chassis, while vintage, was well protected against smalls arms fire.

The blonde girl is young and beautiful. But she looked a little shaky and unkempt, slight dark circles under her mascaraed eyes. He noticed the base of her skull was fitted with an older mark 7 Renraku chip jack, and judging by the way her body shook uncontrollably, she was likely a Beetle addict. Probably why she was with this particular winner, since he controlled access to a resource she needed...

It was not his business, and he didn't care. Life was full of unfortunate stories such as this, and constant exposure to such bleak happenings had left Marcus numb for quite some time.

After what seemed like an eternity, it was his turn to order. A cute elf girl with pink hair, freckles, and a green apron smiled at him from behind the cash register. Marcus placed his order for a Large Mocha.

A few Nuyen and a wink at the Elf waitress later, Marcus was turned around, and headed back outside cup in hand... Or at least he had been.

As Mark was trying to move around Leo and Tara, The Ganger had abruptly swung his arm as if to hit the girl, instead catching the bottom of Mark's sacred drink, sending the precious hot turkish liquid all over Leo's head, making him scream in pain...

He wanted that coffee, he needed that coffee, and this jack-o-lantern wearing ass had just ruined his whole reason for being out in public...

Marcus was beyond furious, beyond livid. With great effort, he kept his cool. He could not afford to blow his cover, too big of a payday was involved here...

Best to diffuse the situation, and to deal with this degenerate "Wiener" at a later time and place. No one would miss him, just another dead ganger in the gutter somewhere, his organs removed and likely sold on the black market. Something hellish, like waking up bound in chains in the dark bowels of an abandoned industrial HVAC plant, and meeting a slow unfortunate end. Something likely involving a pair of rusty pliers, a dull spoon, a power drill, and perhaps a propane blowtorch...

"I am terribly sorry..." Marcus murmured low and deep, feigning surprise....

 

[darkangel76]

Leo turned, whipping his head around and wiping his dark hair out of his eyes. He grunted as his dark eyes met the mirrored shades of a larger man holding a cup of coffee. "The fuck!" he grunted, bringing his hand back to his side. He glanced back at Tara, her tiny frame recoiling, fear evident in her pale face.

Tara was definitely afraid. Leo had been ready to strike. Something that didn't happen too often in a public setting, but did on the rare occasion. Tonight was one of those nights. He was in a mood, on edge and agitated. His jaw flexed as rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet, his gaze emanating his anger and annoyance. Now the guy had bumped a man bigger than himself and he didn't even have the decency to apologize. "H-he's sorry," she interjected softly, causing Leo to glance sharply in her direction.

"You," Leo stated, his finger pointing directly at Tara, his glare fierce and full of malice. "Out of this."

"B-but..." Tara stammered, stumbling over her words as she gently reached for Leo's arm in an attempt to calm him down. Leo just wrenched away and shoved her. Tara wobbled slightly, going off balance just a bit, but she managed to catch herself by grabbing the edge of a nearby table.

Leo's lip curled into a sneer as he looked at Tara, the girl's eyes watering slightly causing the mascara about her eyes to start to run a bit. He let out a huff and bellowed as she turned to look away, her eyes fixing upon the floor. All Tara could hear were the whispers of the patrons, their indistinguishable words no doubt casting judgment. Her cheeks flushed and her heart began to race, how she longed to be elsewhere.

"P-please," Tara begged softly, her gaze still fixed hard upon the floor. She tugged on her jacket, the leather pulling snuggly about her body as she tried to move closer and calm Leo down.

"I said to knock that shit off," Leo said as he rolled his eyes. He then looked over at the man he'd bumped and held his hands up and grinned. "Look man, sorry." He then gestured toward Tara. "You know how they get. Bitches and all."

Tara wiped her eyes, her mascara streaking a bit and getting onto her hand. "D-damn," she muttered, thoroughly embarrassed. Shifting her stance, she brought her hand down and began to smooth out her skirt. This night was going from bad to worse. She and Leo had already had a fight before heading to the Cheesecake Sisters and now it was getting even more out of hand. She feared that if they didn't leave soon, someone was going to get hurt...or worse.

How did her life end up such a mess? A tear falling down her cheek, Tara just felt hopelessly lost. Trapped. What she needed right now...was a fix.

 

[Pazzo]

Marcus clenched his teeth...

Unexpected, the little punk wasn't making this easy.

The accountant looked to Tara, then back to Leo. His hydraulic fingers reflexively starting to crush the empty cup in his hand. A more detailed X-Ray scan of Leo revealed
a credstick encoded to account number 1945XD-0-SW7634, along with a chipped door key, belonging to a nearby motel. Marcus's borged eyes could just make out the number through the soft material of the ganger's pocket; 113. The latest few transactions revealed that a purchase of a weeks stay at a nearby cheap roach motel know as "Shadys", popular with streetwalkers and other unsavory types. Marcus was quite familiar with it, as his regular "Mr Jhonson" occasionally arranged impromptu "business" meetings there.

It was only two blocks down the road.

Abruptly, The elven cashier had appeared with a fresh Mocha, her beautiful face marked with stark concern. She quickly took the empty cup from Marcus, and replaced it with the full one. "Compliments of the house..." The girl began softly, a hint of a pleading tone in her words "... for being such a valued and well behaved customer."

Marcus took the hint. She was right. The last thing that he needed was to be recorded on the vid cams crushing a ganger's head into the white and black checker pattern tile floor of the Cheesecake Sisters coffee house.

He smiled and nodded to the elf girl, and then to Leo, clapping him on the shoulder in a friendly manner with his free hand. Marcus quickly walked around them. An older gentleman in a heavy brown camo jacket smiled and held the door for Marcus as he left.

The Marachi Wetwork contract could wait. He was a full week ahead of schedule...

As soon as the cold Seattle night air hit him, his smile faded. His thousand yard stare returned, and his hyper focused mind began running thousands of possible scenarios per second, playing out many plans in his mind each second as he walked. His Midnight Blue BMW was parked nearby. No, its tags would be traced by the telenet, and records would be kept of its movements...
He needed something more discrete. The wireless tracker he placed on Leo with that friendly gesture was transmitting nicely, allowing Marcus to track his where he was.

Marcus sipped the hot coffee, trying to calm his wired nerves. No effect. Usually it was an intensified feeling of release when he drank his preferred Turkish blend mocha, but his current state of fight or flight ruined it.
The accountant swore, and tossed the drink into a nearby dumpster. Now then, how to get to the Motel?

A Taxi would work, and he had just enough cash on hand to make a traceless transaction, but as per city state law, he would be required to give a retinal scan. No, this had to be untraceable. Marcus reached out with the wireless link of his headware computer, and passively connected to the video feed of all securtron hover drones and stationary security cameras within 500 meters. This was a poorer area of town, and there were only 5 drones along with 8 cameras. There were huge holes in the video coverage, and that would make it that much easier to move without being traced. He had to walk an irregular zig zag pattern to stay out of the cameras field of view.

Shady's was your standard issue single floor motor hotel, built in the early 2020's. It was run down and was popular with drug pushers as a temporary stop when traveling across the state into the upper Salish territories. There were a few degenerates here and there, but no one paid him any mind. He was just a company man out and about his business, not anyone worth stopping or harassing. Marcus stopped across the street, and waited for a Lone-Star police vehicle to pass by before crossing. Parked in front of room 113 was a large windowless van, rusted and dented with age and neglect. The license plate was likewise registered to Leo. This kid was obviously a rank amateur, using his own personal vehicle to run and move product. He must not have had enough pull for them to splurge on fake car tags for him. His feed from Leo's transmitter said he was still at Cheesecakes.

The rear of the van was parked just outside of the door to room 113. Leo likely did this to quickly move whatever his cargo was from the van to the room and vice versa. Convenient. He could use the ganger's own vehicle to transport the bodies...

Suddenly, Marcus began to hear this music in his mind. He had no idea why... Must have been a glitch in his headware computer system. He would have to go visit Doctor Brown for a checkup of his cyberware...

Eerily, the music seemed oddly appropriate. He felt it tease his adrenal glands, and his awareness heightened. He decided to ride with it. Let the fun begin...

A quick glimpse into the infrared spectrum penetrated the outer walls of the hotel , revealing the room to be vacant. The door lock was beyond old, still bearing a mechanical key lock. Marcus walked up to the edge of the door, Turned around, and rested his back against the wall. He opened up his leather trench coat, produced a cigarette, and placed it to his lips with his gloved hands. As he fished around into his jacket for a lighter with one hand, he subtly touched the outer surface of the door lock with the other. Mentally he engaged the electromagnetic coils in his fingers, and slid the bolt back with a quick turn of his wrist. Childsplay...

The video feed from Leo's transmitter had just updated. The little orange blip on his tac-map was moving towards his location. He was coming. Marcus would have to work fast to make this clean. He quickly wiped the lit edge of the cigarette on the brick wall, and placed it back in his jacket pocket. No reason to leave Trace DNA here in the form of a used cigarette on the ground.

He opened the door quickly, and silently slipped inside, and then locked the door behind him.

To room was complete chaos and beyond filthy. The accountant quickly disabled his olfactory implants to avoid retching from the stench... Oh how he hated Shady's Motel....

The orange blip was now just across the street...

Marcus began unscrewing the led lamps all over the trashed room, thrusting it into darkness. Activating his infrared overlay, Marcus found his way to the filthy bathroom where he hid, kicking a used dirty syringe out of the way.

The orange blip was now just outside the door. Marcus could hear a key in the rusty old lock.

From inside his jacket, the accountant drew what appeared to be a small handheld repeating crossbow, loaded with small hypodermic darts...

Marcus felt the adrenaline surge hit him, the thrill of the hunt, the moment of satisfaction of taking a target. A faint trace of light glinted from his mirrored shades...

This was a little improv for his taste, but he was a professional. It would be nothing less than art...

 

[darkangel76]

Leo just grinned lopsidedly at the pink-haired elf and watched the dark man in the leather trench—typical upscaler—head out. Clearly, the guy was a regular. He could tell by the way the elf looked at him and by the special treatment he got with the free drink. No way anyone would give him something like that if he'd been stupid enough to spill his coffee. He raked his hand through the dark mop of hair on his head and just grumbled, he gaze fixing upon Tara who winced and cowered in the corner like some scared cat. He groaned and reached for her wrist, pulling her close so that he could feel the heat of her body next to his.

Tara's body immediately stiffened the moment she brushed up against Leo. Sure, they'd been together for a while now. Hell, she'd lost all contact with her former friends and within the past six months even her father. The man had told her to never come back, that she'd be better off on her own if the kinds of choices she was going to make involved the likes of people like the guy who held onto her now. Her body began to tremble—knees wobbling as her thoughts began to race. She felt terribly for the man who'd had the unfortunate luck to have to be on the receiving end of Leo's actions. No one deserved that...not a soul.

Leo's grip on Tara's wrist tightened and he snaked a hand about her waist as he leaned in close. "Told you I could handle the bastard." He bit down on her earlobe causing her eyes to clamp shut. The smell of him was too much. She wanted to run away, to never look back. "So next time I tell you to stay out of it. You fucking listen."

Tara just nodded, not knowing what else to do.

A growl rumbled low in Leo's throat. He had to admit, Tara was a stupid bitch, but she was fucking hot. His hand toyed with the hem of her skirt, a finger brushing against a bare thigh causing her body to twitch though he paid no mind to the fear on her face, the way her eyes pleaded for him to stop. He rubbed up against her, a bulge forming beneath his pants and he made no attempt to hide it. "Let's go," he then stated, abruptly pulling her along by the wrist through the establishment and out the door into the night.

They were staying at a nearby motel—Shady's—so they didn't have very far to walk. Leo was glad of it. His cock was burning for a fuck and Tara was going to take it whether she wanted to or not. If she wanted her fix...and he could tell she did...she'd do exactly as he demanded. His eyes focused on her lips, imagining them spreading open as he shoved his cock down her throat, making her choke and gag, saliva dripping down her chin and along his shaft. He grew harder by the second, his urges strong knowing just how rough he could get and how loud she would scream. Yeah, it was going to be a long night.

Tara winced, her wrist hurting a little where Leo was holding onto her. There would be bruises later. There was no doubt about it. As it was, it would match the set on her other arm underneath her jacket and the ones on her back. "Ouch...oww..."

"Come on," Leo snarled.

They continued to walk along the uneven pavement, the lights getting dimmer in the blackness of night as the air chilled about them both. Leo didn't mind the bite in the air, but Tara shivered. Her legs were bare as she was pulled along, her feet moving unsteadily in heeled boots.

Finally, they reached Shady's. Leo wasted no time and shoved Tara hard against the door. His mouth was firmly clamped down upon her neck, his teeth biting down upon her soft, supple flesh causing her to let out a tiny yelp. He chuckled viciously and bit harder and she cried out.

"S-stop it," Tara said, but Leo just pushed her aside and went to open the door.

"There will be more of that in a minute," Leo said gruffly, his eyes staring at her as if undressing her right where she stood. She crossed her arms about her middle, mascara running down her pale cheeks. "Get ready to spread those sweet thighs."

Leo fumbled for his key and then pushed open the door. The room dark, but he paid it no mind. He grabbed Tara's wrist and pushed her inside immediately following after her and closing the door behind himself.

"Get ready, bitch. It's gonna be a long night and I want to hear you scream."

 

[Pazzo]

Marcus just hid in the shadows an waited... He heard the door open, he heard the girl whimper as she was shoved inside. He took a deep breath. He heard Leo stumble in, and mumble something about hearing the girl scream...

That was an added benefit of Shady's motel. There were screams through the walls all of the time and no one cared. It was almost to easy...

The accountant mentally triggered his infrared overlay, bathing the darkness before him into a sea of rainbow colors... The messy hellish apartment suddenly took on the appearance of a hippie poster from the 1970s...

Tara's outline was white hot. She was paralyzed with fear, slumped up against the floor and hugging her shapely legs to her chest tightly, whimpering, her tears leaving cool blue traces down her cheeks...

Leo's outline on the other hand was a dull impotent red. He was completely relaxed, hungry, and ready to take what he wanted, no matter who he hurt...

The inky blackness would conceal him. Leo was completely distracted, reaching down to grab a handful of Tara's long blonde hair. With his free hand Leo began to fumble with his zipper...

Marcus had seen enough. Time to act. Wasting no time, he emerged from the darkness of the bathroom like a specter, leveling the crossbow at the clumsy lowlife would be rapist. The compressed nitrogen powered device puffed out two shots in quick succession, both of them hitting Leo Square in the chest. Within the space of two milliseconds they both injected their subtle liquid payload.

He cried out and swore. "What the fuck?!?!?!" and swatted at the darts lodged in his chest, stumbling back and tripping around the pants at his ankles... His body tightened, and then went limp, his mouth hissing as his abruptly relaxed diaphragm let out his breath.

Tara gasped and quickly spun around in the darkness, unable to see anything. The crossbow silently puffed out two more shots. One of them hit her in left side of her neck, with another just above her left collarbone...

The compound they injected was expensive, but he could always make more... He had originally planned to use the weapon on Marachi Lin, a high level official in his company, a rather disgusting man with a penchant for dissecting old ladies... His company wanted him to "Disappear..." The liquid itself worked quickly, neutralizing the nervous system of the target and paralyzing them, but while leaving them fully aware and alert...

They could see and hear everything...

Marcus worked quickly. He retrieved his darts from the floor and from Tara's neck. He then holstered his weapon inside of his jacket, folding it up and tucking it away in his lapel. He crept to the window and gently pulled back the yellowed mini blinds from the grimy window, peeking outside. He shifted his eyes back to visible light.

The coast was clear...

The accountant quickly opened the door of the hotel room, and looked both ways. No one was coming. He quickly investigated the back doors of Leos van. They were dented, and the latch was halfway broken off. The doors however were unlocked. Inside of the van there were many boxes and crates, all piled up on a grimy mattress. There were numerous tangled cables and worse tossed haphazardly everywhere... Marcus paid it no mind, and shoved some of the cargo aside to make room for two people...

The powerful hydraulic servo motors in his arms made carrying the two from the hotel room to the back of the van effortless. Leo he just tossed unceremoniously on top of an older simsense unit his arms and legs splayed out at an uncomfortable angle, his pants still down around his ankles... Marcus quickly fished around in Leo's pockets for keys. With Tara he was very gentle, lying her gently in a hollow of tangled old wires. He then slammed the back doors of the van shut.

As he walked to the front of the van, Marcus re opened the video feed network of cameras and drones. It would be difficult, but he could manage to avoid most of them. He also hacked the Lonestar tracking system, and numerous orange bleeps appeared overlaid on the holographic map of his heads up display, each one being a patrol car. There was one coming up the back street, likely the one he had just seen earlier.

He quickly opened up the drivers side door and entered the vehicle, watching his overlay intently. The orange blips moved slowly, and the car came into his view. He closed the door to the fan slowly, freezing in place, his chromed eyes silently watching the patrol car from behind his mirrored shades. It rounded the block, and then disappeared down rain slicked street.

Call it one minute fifteen seconds to acquire the targets...

"Your'e getting slow old man..." he murmured to himself. He remotely triggered the auto drive function of His BMW, and commanded it to drive itself to his Westside warehouse.

About half an hour later, Marcus pulled into a very large warehouse just off of the outskirts of Seattle. It was rusted and old but served as an effective hideout. He pulled into the alleyway and then drove into the building, the garage door closing behind him. His BMW was parked just in front of him. He monitored local police and civilian chatter for any disturbances. There was a few reports of gang activity in the Redmond barrens, but nothing related to his actions as of late.

Just two people that no one would miss... If only Leo had not spilled his fucking coffee...

Marcus immediately went to work, sliding rough black neoprene sacks over their heads, and carried them into a large high ceilinged all concrete room with a floor drain in the center. It was lined stainless metal chairs, and medical counters with various pieces of state of the art medical equipment. Numerous trays of immaculately organized surgical tools lie on them, saws, scalpels, pliers, you name it. There were also two stainless metal table sinks, similar to what one would see in an undertakers office. There was a stale chill in this room, as if the walls could tell stories of uncountable horrid happenings upon those tables...

He affectionately called this "The Interrogation room..." Marcus began by placing Leo onto one table, and then Tara to the other. He affixed the stainless metal cuffs to their necks, wrists, ankles, upper arms, and upper thighs. They were now effectively immobilized... He leaned the tables upward so that Tara and Leo were standing up, facing one another. He quickly removed the sacks covering their heads... They were still paralyzed and glassy eyed, but fully aware of what was happening to them. Marcus could see their heart rates quickening, and could smell the pheromones given off when a person is utterly terrified. Marcus casually took off his Leather trench coat, followed by his mirrored shades...

The eyes behind them were mechanical and silvered. Where white sclera should be there was only black, with his camera shutter like iris glowing a faint blue. "Welcome to my home..." He said to them both, low and deep.

He did not wait for them to reply. Usually, the first thing people would do when so panicked would be to lose bladder and bowel control. Thankfully the toxin paralyzed all of their muscles. The effects would wear off soon.

Marcus reached for the surgical scissors, and began stripping the clothes off of Tara first. He was very gentle, and very careful not to nick her skin in any way, his hydraulic arms deft and fluid. He grit his teeth once he noticed the many bruises covering her body...


He just shook his head. Once she was completely naked, he tossed the shredded clothing into a large gray plastic trashcan. He disappeared from her view only to return with what looked like a white plastic tube hooked to an old style canister type vacuumed cleaner. Where she could watch him, Marcus applied lubricant to both the thin clear tubes and the thicker white tubes.

Grasping the smaller clear tube, Marcus turned to her, a purely apologetic look on his face. "Don't worry..." he whispered "... Its for the best."

Marcus reached between Tara's legs, and gently spread apart her labia and lifted her clitoral hood. Very slowly and very carefully he slid the catheter into her urethra, using generous amounts of personal lubricant. Tara could feel it slide into place within her, its business end expanding gently inside of her bladder to lock it in place...

He then reached between her legs again with a gloved finger, and gently rubbed lubricant against her anus, and with slight pressure slid a finger inside of her, gently applying lubricant to her rectum. He worked very slowly, caressing her flesh with great care. He then very carefully slid the larger of the two tubes inside of her anus. Tara likewise felt the device enter her, and lock into place. Tara, if she wasn't so terrified at the prospect of what he had planned, would have noticed that her inserts did not hurt nor were they terribly uncomfortable, she could just feel them there.

He began to strip Leo and he was not gentle in any sense of the word. Leo's body had quite a few nicks and cuts after his clothing was removed. Marcus allowed the blood to flow freely. "We will cauterize these later.." He grumbled angrily...
Marcus carefully measured a small amount of two chemicals, and using a wooden stick, mixed them thoroughly. A few moments later he loaded what appeared to be a marinade injector with the mixture. Being not to gentle, Marcus thrust the cold metal end of the device into the urethra of Leo's penis, and pushed the plunger downward slowly. He then yanked it out, a thin tendril of blood in the syrupy liquid following. " This is epoxy..." Marcus said angrily, he then thrust the injector up Leo's anus very roughly, twisting it this way and that, filling his rectum with the last mixture. He then forcefully ripped it out, the device covered in prodigious amounts of dark, coagulated blood. Leo could feel everything, and screamed silently behind his paralyzed face...

From a rectangular can labeled "Paint thinner" Marcus then poured out a clear liquid into a large paper cup, and left the marinade injector submerged in it to soak.

He then carefully slid a ball type gag around Tara's head, adjusting it slowly, checking all of the clearances, gently cradling her head in his powerful hydraulic limbs.
With Leo, he strapped the ball gag on so tightly that his eyes seemed to bulge from his head.

The central air system kicked on, and from a vent in the wall cold air washed over Tara's bare and bruised yet still gorgeous body...
Using his borged eyes, he analyzed her carefully. Her neural pathways were degrading heavily from repeated use of BTLs. Her chipjack was old and obsolete, likely installed haphazardly by some cheap street doc at a discount rate. Anything to keep her on a leash and make her dependent on him... The flesh around it was slightly infected and inflamed, a slight trail of pus oozing from it. She would need a lot of work... He had time...


Marcus then turned to Leo, who stared blankly back at him with paralyzed eyes...

"Take a good look at him Tara.." Marcus murmured ominously...
The accountant looked back at Leo, His handsome face expressionless. His bionic eyes whirring slightly as the lenses focused and scanned him. He was mostly healthy, though his tissues showed signs of damage from PCP use. He could still be useful...

"The effects of the toxin will wear off soon..." He murmured "I suggest you give special consideration to your current predicament..."

Marcus then left the room, and turned off the lights, plunging the room into a bleak darkness, the sound of the metal door latching behind him...

The various dim lights of the medical equipment flashed in the darkness, and their cooling fans whirred softly...

 

[darkangel76]

Breaths coming short, Tara knew the inevitable was going to happen. It always did whether she wanted it to or not. This was the life of damnation she chose the moment she decided to defy her father—that man's curse ringing in her ears and pounding against her skull as she crouched against the wall, tears streaming against porcelain pale cheeks. How she hated her life! Through the blackness of the room, she looked down at her shaking her hands, her body trembling both in fear and the ache of wanting—no, needing—a fix.

Damn, Marty! Damn, Leo!

Tara's whimpers grew louder as she heard the Leo's pants fall around his ankles, the motion fluid from months of practice with she as his constant victim. He began to chuckle, that ominous sound all too familiar in the inky black of the room. Suddenly, she heard a strange sound causing her eyes to go wide and her breath to catch in her throat.

"What the fuck...?!?!" Leo shouted. Tara could hear the anger and annoyance in his voice, see the silhouetted outline of his hand as it went up to his chest. Blinking rapidly, she could clearly see something had struck him. But...what?

Not wanting to waste time, not wanting to find out, Tara stood up just then. Her mind focused on one thing—run, to get out of the hotel. Whatever it was that had hit Leo, she didn't want it hitting her. The tone of Leo's voice had been enough to tell her that it was unwanted. Terrifying. Dangerous. Panicked, she spun on her heels and immediately headed for the door through which she'd been shoved. Behind her she heard a thud. Leo! He'd fallen! For a moment, she thought about turning around and that was her downfall. Just as she was about to check and see if he was all right, even though he didn't deserve it, she felt the first sting. Something bit into her side first and then her collarbone. Whatever it was, it worked fast and furiously. Her insides going cold as her body began to shut down!

'I'm going to die...here...like this...!' Tara wildly thought to herself. She tried to scream, but her mouth refused to move, her lips no longer cooperating as her body went limp and she hit the floor with the same hard thud she'd when Leo had fallen. Tears pricked the backs of her eyes just then, but none would fall...it was monstrous, just so wrong in so many ways! What was this that was coursing through her veins, allowing her to see, to feel, but unable to do a damn thing about it? Oh, she didn't know and she hardly cared. What did it matter? This was the end anyway and she had no one to mourn her loss.

Served her right for her piss poor choices! Her father had warned her! And her father didn't even want her! Shit, her mother's dead ghost probably didn't either. The man had said as much! Yes, this was the end and she deserved it. Perhaps better to go this way than at the mercy of Leo. She'd been spared that humiliation at least...that one final fuck. She felt an odd shiver work its way down her spine, rippling across her flesh. Just then, she heard footsteps. The attacker—the one who wanted she and Leo dead, no doubt. She couldn't make out his face or features, but she could tell he was a man and she could feel him remove whatever it was he'd used to cause to be as she was...slumped, lifeless yet not, on the floor.

It wasn't long before Tara felt her body suddenly lift off the floor, strong arms picking her up and bringing her outside. The air was cold as it kissed her flesh and saw that she was being brought over to Leo's van. Her thoughts ran wild wondering just what was going on and why. How she wished she could move, could scream. She caught sight of Leo thrown into a heap on the floor, his body a tangled mess with his pants still unceremoniously pulled down around his ankles. Clearly, their attacker had dark plans for them both, not a care for what happened to either of them. But she knew this was deserved...bad choices...they were coming back to haunt her in spades.

As another wave of terror washed over Tara, she found herself being gently placed inside the van. It half startled her, her thoughts so muddled she could barely put together anything coherent. Just what was going on...why? At that, the van door shut and once again she found herself in inky darkness, unable to move, to talk...just a lifeless heap...worth nothing.

Bad choices. Karma truly was a bitch.

The van ride seemed to be an eternity and Tara felt every bump along the way. She was unable to brace herself as the tires drove over potholes, hit cracks in pavement. When the vehicle lurched since it could occasionally be finicky when it stopped and started she had no means of holding onto anything, her tiny body having no choice but to take the impact. She wondered how Leo was faring...if he was all right. The guy didn't deserve her worry. She knew that. But, she couldn't help it. It was just in her nature to be that way and there was no sense in changing now. Not even in the face of death. And she was sure that both she and Leo were about to face it fairly soon.

When the van came to a stop, Tara felt the panic rise once again. The back doors opened and she saw the silhouetted figure looming as he approached. Once again, she couldn't make out whom the attacker was, just that he was a man. Big. And clearly he had an agenda. Oh, if only she could ask why! But life was cruel to those undeserving and she knew that by making the choices she had, by leaving home, she was paying the price.

Wishing she could speak, cry, something, Tara just lied there helpless to the poison coursing through her veins. The little light that seeped into the van went dark again as a bag went over her head. This was it. The end was so near now she could feel it, taste it, smell it. Her senses were reeling despite the fact that she couldn't move, all of them on high alert. Her body was laid atop something cold, metallic.

A table. Oh god!

Tara felt the panic bubbling up. If only she could cry out! Plead for...oh, she didn't even know! She deserved this, after all!

The metal was cold against Tara's skin and she felt more of it cuff about various points around her legs, her arms and about her neck. She was trapped. A true prisoner. As the table began to move upright, she wondered what horrors would behold her and Leo. Whatever it was, it wouldn't be good. Their attacker had gone to too much trouble. But again, she had to keep reminding herself, this is what happens when you decide to give up your life for the wrong reason.

Always the wrong reason...

Just then, the bag came off Tara's head with a swift motion, her eyes seared by the harsh fluourescent lights of the room she was in. Across the way, she found herself staring directly at Leo, his body seemingly just as lifeless as her own. Then, for the first time, she saw him. HIM! It was the man from the coffee shop, from The Cheesecake Sisters. She recognized him immediately as he glanced between both she and Leo.

Leo's thoughts had been fuzzy for the most part since getting hit with whatever it had been that struck him. But he was pissed off, adrenaline still pumping. His time had been ruined by this shit head and for what? He seriously wasn't out on some vendetta because he knocked over his coffee? Fucking Christ, the elf girl gave him a new one! Shouldn't that be enough? You don't barge in and ruin someone's fuck time with his bitch over a spilled cup of coffee. It's just against code! Honestly, if he could move, he'd deck the motherfucker even if he was bigger. He could still remember how his cock was throbbing at the anticipation of taking Tara and now that whole moment had been ruined!

As the guy took off his mirrored sunglasses, Tara felt her insides knot up. He had cyberware! His eyes! Just how much of that did he have? One had to wonder...and she was certain Leo was thinking the same thing. Devices like that were expensive, hard to come by. Not unless... She pushed that right out of her head. But it was too late. Leo had messed with the wrong guy at The Cheesecake Sisters and now it was time to pay for that mistake and pay dearly.

The cyber man approached Tara, her mind filled with terror. He held up surgical scissors and began to cut away her clothes. If she could've cried she would have, the anticipation of the unknown frightening her considerably. She felt cold and vulnerable, so very exposed as she was strapped there, naked, to the metallic table. She had no idea what to expect next. But she saw the tubes now in the cyber man's hands, her mind a frenzy of dark thoughts as he approached her, leaning close. He whispered against her ear, his words low and oddly soothing. Just what was he playing at? Was he toying with her? Trying to get some sick satisfaction out of this game he was playing? Oh, if only she believed that... Truth was, she didn't know what to believe any longer. The fear was too strong and this was her fate. Bad choices...bad choices... She felt the tubes get inserted one at a time, her body just accepting them as he gently pushed them inside. Again, she wished she could cry...just something. But she couldn't. She was lifeless, still unable to move and only able to watch as the cyber man moved to cut off Leo's clothes across the way, his body nicked several times over in the process.

Leo seethed on the inside as the cyber man cut off his clothing. Just what the fuck did he think he was doing? And why so rough? If he was going to kill him over a cup of coffee, he'd rather he just get it over with! Besides, it was Tara's fault he knocked it over in the first place. Dumb bitch always made accidents happen! So why take it out on him and not her? He saw the preferential treatment! Or was this a mind game? Maybe it was both. Ah, the fuck if he knew. Clearly this cybered up guy was psycho! Once his clothes were cut away, his thoughts turned to the tubes he'd seen him insert into Tara. He wondered why those were needed, but moreover, he was wondering why the guy didn't seem to have any for him. Instead, the freak began droning on about epoxy. He knew what it was, but why in the hell did he need it for him? But it didn't take him long to figure it out when he rammed the stuff up his ass and his cock without care. It stung, hurt like hell! And...was that blood? Shit, the guy bloodied his cock! Oh, he'd pay for that shit! If his cock couldn't work after this...Oh, who was he kidding, this guy saw 'death' plastered over both he and Tara and he knew it. But if he somehow managed to get out of this, the guy was going to get his own dick cut off and rammed down his throat!

Just then, the cyber man walked over to Tara and put a ball gag around her head, her mouth accepting it, having no choice. Almost immediately, the drool began to pool. She watched Leo get his own put on, his eyes turning slightly bloodshot afterwards. He turned toward them both, speaking briefly before leaving and leaving them both in a state that neither could even come close to explaining. Several minutes later, Tara could feel her body beginning to gain some semblance of control, a muscle twitched and she was able to crane her neck slightly. Leo did the same from where he was positioned across the way. His face began to contort, the anger evident as he glowered at Tara. She winced, cowering where she was even though Leo couldn't come near her.

Per the instructions of the cyber man, Tara looked at Leo. Bad choices. That's what he was and she knew it. Really, she'd known it all along. But now, she needed him. And he saw to it that it stayed that way. What was stranger was that despite his horrific behavior, she actually didn't want to see him in any danger. It was just who she was.

Leo began to grumble, desperately trying to speak through the ball gag inserted into his mouth. It was impossible for Tara to make out his words. But from the expression on his face, the way his eyes glinted maliciously, she knew he blamed her for this mess they were in. He always blamed her.

And he always would.

Bad choices. They never change. Not unless you break the cycle.

 

[Pazzo]

Several hours later, the fluorescent lights flickered to life in their cold aluminum casings, searing into their eyes.

Marcus sat in a metal chair, his faintly glowing eyes regarding his two captives carefully...

They had lost consciousness again, and Marcus had used this opportunity to set up two frames for Tara and Leo, each holding a small caliber handgun, each one pointed at the others head, with their right hands secured around the grip of each pistol.

"Welcome back to the world of the living. Lets play a game..." Marcus murmured in his rich voice... "I Like to call it, "A test of love...""

The accountant's handsome face smiled in a rather cold, devil may care manner...

"As you can see, each of you has a weapon trained on the other. In a few moments, the fun will begin."

Marcus then uncrossed his legs, and showed them both a shiny black plastic box with a single button...

"When I press this..." He began softly. "The safety's of your weapons will be disengaged..."

Marcus then leaned foreword, the servos in his cybered eyes whirring as the lenses focused...

"... And you will each be free to shoot each other if you wish."

His voice then slowed to a deliberate crawl, and took on a more sinister edge...

" The first person to kill the other will be allowed to leave safely..."

Marcus then clicked the button on the remote, and both pistols clicked in a dull metallic manner....

 

[darkangel76]

Tara's head lolled from side to side, her eyes sticky with groggy sleep. Oh how she wished she could crawl into something warm, something comfortable. But she didn't deserve comfort, nor pity. This was her penance for all the bad choices she'd made. Her father's wishes were coming true. Hell, even her dead mother was probably getting her own dreams realized this very minute. Funny, the woman's ghost probably wouldn't want anything to do with her when her time came to meet her on the other side and, she was more certain than ever that time was fast approaching. Her blue eyes blinked a few times, the last bit of sleep leaving them. Suddenly, she felt that wave of panic come over her. There was Leo across the way, his face just as angry as it had been before things had gone dark. Still, she saw the fear, the terror. The cyber man was also there. Calm. Collected. The perfect picture of serenity.

Leo grumbled, the ball gag muffling every syllable. He went silent then. Fixing his dark eyes on Tara, he just focused on the anger, how it was her fault that they were in this mess in the first place. If she hadn't been such a stupid cunt, he wouldn't have had to raise his hand...then, he wouldn't have bumped this psychopath with all the hardware. He inwardly laughed—nervous hysteria and seething fury—figuring that all the add-ons had to make up for something. Maybe that was why he rammed the injector up his dick so hard. Ha! Maybe he had to compensate for something. Wackos like this always did. Didn't they? Hell if he knew...but it made him feel better thinking so.

Tara looked at the cyber man, her body trembling from cold and fear and... She watched him carefully, listened to his words. Her blue eyes then went to the gun. Oh, she couldn't do it. There was no way. Her life or Leo's? How could someone ask her that? She just couldn't do it. Her eyes fluttered shut, tears fell from them and down along her cheeks.

Leo would've smirked if he only could. He saw the way Tara's eyes glistened. Stupid bitch was too fucking soft. A good lay and hot as hell, but that was it. Eye candy, a great porthole in a storm. But, it ended there. There were other girls out there. Hell, he could probably even persuade that friend of hers—Marty—to spread her legs a few times if he wanted. He had a way of charming girls when he felt like it and keeping them around when it suited his purposes. This was a no brainer. An easy decision.

Swallowing hard, Tara suddenly saw everything in slow motion—her life as a child when things had been good, when her mom had been alive...then her mom had passed away, times got hard, she and her dad fought...she started to stay out later, meet other people...bad choices... All of it made her head swim, her eyes water, her body shake. She couldn't kill Leo despite all the bad things he'd done to her, to others, would probably do again. Maybe this ordeal would change him. It certainly changed her. But she deserved this. If he chose to shoot, she'd accept it. What did it matter anyway? Only one of them could really get out anyway.

Just then, the button was pushed by the cyber man. The next instant, Tara heard a loud CRACK and felt a spatter of warm and wet trickle down her face. Her eyes widened as her vision blurred.

Leo hadn't hesitated, hadn't even contemplated...he'd shot her. And now she was going to die and he was going to be free...

Sometimes the only way to end bad choices, to break the cycle is to die.

 

[Pazzo]

Marcus face palmed into one of his leather gloved hands, shook his head and chuckled...

He rested his chin in his hydraulic fingers, and watched as Tara shook with fear, covered in the blood and viscera, her eyes glazing over, her mind racing, likely saying something to the effect of "This is it, I'm going to die here...
He frowned slightly as he noticed a spatter of blood on his grey slacks. He swore under his breath...

He waited several seconds, her IV was laced with epinephrine, and it wouldn't allow her to pass out from shock.
"Congratulations Tara..." Marcus rumbled... "...You good and caring nature has made you hesitate at the moment of truth, and resulted in your death..."

Marcus stood up, the servos in his limbs machining the slightest hint of mechanical noises. He walked up to Tara, his booted feet striking the polished concrete floor...
He looked her in the eyes, his face a mere few inches from hers, and leaned against her shivering body. His blue mechanical eyes held her gaze, and she could see every detail of them as the spun and focused, the camera shutter like blue iris of them expanding and contracting. She could smell his expensive aftershave.

Without looking away, he lightly dragged his fingers across her gunshot wound. And wiped it away, revealing her unbroken flesh underneath
She was completely unharmed, the guns both being loaded with blanks and pressurized fake blood with chucks of gelatin...
He brought the spongy red glistening mass to his lips and savored it, his eyes closing slightly... "I so love cherry flavored Jell-O, its my favorite." He murmured.

"Now miss Tara, you see what kind of man you have hooked up with, a worthless drek of a man that would quickly see you out to save his own skin..."

Marcus pulled away from her, and turned to face Leo. "Sorry, you didn't actually shoot her, you just tried to. As such the terms of the agreement were not met. You don't get to leave, not just yet anyways..."

"Could you forgive him?" he said to Tara with a righteous tone "...he can be made to help many others, possibly even save lives."

He came in close again, and gently wiped more of the red corn syrup and gelatin from her gorgeous, if shaking body with his gloved fingers.

"Will you forgive him, and allow Leo a chance to help others Tara? " He whispered into her ear as he enjoyed another taste of gelatin. She could hear his breath, feel it cool her cheek, carrying a faint trace of mint to it...