Dead Men Tell No Secrets--Thanatos and Syrant

[Thanatos]

Thanatos stood in the shadows of the sitting room, waiting patiently for Syrant's arrival. It was in the dead of night--even the sickeningly enthusiastic Electra had long since retired. The assassin continued to stand for another fifteen minutes without a muscle twitching out of place, not the faintest sound visible in the dead room. Suddenly, a door opened, and a black-coated figure walked quietly but with a certain amount of aggressiveness into the room, sitting down in a rugged wooden chair, despite all of the cushioning available. Thanatos chose this moment to step from the shadows, finally visible...

*Syrant glanced in Thanatos' direction with mild surprise before turning back to looking at the floor, not turning his head as the assassin sat down in another equally uncomfortable chair. Thanatos spoke in the dark silence, his voice audible only to Syrant*
"I will not bother you with lengthy words. Suffice to say, I received a contract before journeying to White Village. One is for the removal of the head of the police force of Saphire City, issued by the Syndicate...another is for the removal of a Syndicate boss spearheading operations in Saphire City, issued by the same police force. Payments are both hefty, and you will receive 40%. Collateral damage to these two organizations is unavoidable, given security. Interested?"
*Thanatos manages a very faint, almost forboding smile in the darkness as he awaits Syrant's reply*

[Syrant]

*Syrant without much though looks up* "Yes, I'm very interested. This would be quite enjoyable compared to this boring place." *Syrant looks out one of the windows, into the dark night* "So do we leave tonight?"

[Thanatos]

*Thanatos rises, his overcoat flowing about him as he walks soundlessly over to look out into the void that is the night, after several moments' pause speaking in the same voice*
"Undoubtedly. I have a new...instrument I wish very much to see the abilities of in a proper field test. Make ready, we will leave in an hour."
*Thanatos nods courteously to Syrant in the darkness before striding from the room*

[Syrant]

*Once Thanatos leaves the room, Syrant pauses and looks out into the night. He then feels a chill run down his spine. Syrant whispers to himself* "Something is going to happen soon." *Remembering that he was about to leave he walks out of the room to retrieve his things.*

[Thanatos]

The two depart from the Manor exactly one hour later, riding off into the dark night on Thanatos' long, oddly constructed motorbike--its engine making no more sound than a barely audible hum. They ride through the night, into the next day, and about halfway into the next night without a rest, and with no more but a few simple lines of conversation passing between them.

They ride into Saphire City in the dead hours of the early morning, the city a once-blooming metropolis, but now a crumbling place of concrete and filth, a shadow of its ancient glory. Thanatos and Syrant make their way through the deserted streets, filled with only the occasional sleeping vagrant, to stop in the massive concrete plain before the towering thirty-story building that must be the headquarters of the local police force.

*Thanatos rises from the vehicle as Syrant jumps from his own position further back along the elongated motorcycle. He carefully smooths his white hair, looking to Syrant*
"I myself would infiltrate this instalation covertly and do away with the target with the most efficiency...but as I recall, you seem to take a certain amount of pleasure in bloodshed. I am not particular, if you wish to take the longer, but more scenic route."

*Thanatos draws a cane from within the depths of his overcoat, twirling it before setting its tip lightly on the ground, supporting himself casually as he waits for Syrant's reply*

[Syrant]

*Syrant looks at Thanatos for a moment then looks up at the building* "Yes, I believe the scenic route would be much better. *Syrant then reaches into his coat and pulls out a small metal stick* "Extend" *The short metal stick then extends out to a full size quaterstaff* "Like you I also have a new weapon I would like to test out." *Syrant retracts the staff back into a smaller version, spins it back and places into his jacket to conceal it before the fight*

[Thanatos]

*Thanatos nods once to Syrant before turning swiftly to face the intimidating structure, walking towards it with an almost leisurely step, Syrant beside him*

*...they walk through the grimy glass sliding doors in perfect unison, stopping just inside the first floor of the building. Thanatos examines the room with a perfectly neutral expression on his face. There seem to be five policemen, all of which have been embroiled in a card game on a table in the midst of the generally uncared-for entryway. The assassin waits patiently as one of the enforcers rises and makes his way warily to stand in front of the pair*
"What d'ya want, you lot?"
*The policeman's eyes narrow as he looks from Syrant to Thanatos, and back again. Thanatos speaks softly, face remaining passive*
"This is the headquarters of the Saphire City Police Department, yes?"
"Yeah..."
"Thank you."

*The man's features barely have time to register puzzlement before his mouth opens in surprise as he falls backward, a dagger protruding from his stomach. The other men quickly react, pushing over the table and drawing their hand-crafted pistols. Thanatos smiles a shadowy smile as he bows slightly to Syrant, gesturing to two staircases on the other side of the room*
"Let us see who reaches the top floor first..."

*With that, Thanatos leans back in time to avoid the first of a volley of bullets as the policemen shoot from cover, the assassin quickly finding cover behind one of the numerous pillars as he reaches into his overcoat...*

[Syrant]

*Syrant gives a small grin* "Ok your on." *Syrant draws his two custom handguns and opens fire apon the police guards. The guards dunk behind the desk giving Syrant enough time to jump behind a pillar and reload. Syrant looks to the door to the right and nods to Thanatos* "I'll take the right stairway." *With that Syrant once again opens fire running at the guards. Two guards began to shoot at Syrant missing everytime. Once they ran out of ammo they began to panic. Stupidly they began to run to the door. "Fools." Syrant points both guns at the running guards and kills both of them at the doorway. Syrant finishes the rounds on his gun and rolls into the right hallway.*

[Thanatos]

Thanatos' voice speaks softly in Syrant's ear*
"Leave no witnesses."
When Syrant turns to look back, however, the assassin is not even looking in his direction, and is in the midst of doing away with the two remaining policemen

*Thanatos himself listens as the two guards shoot at the pillars about him, not even getting near to hitting him. He reaches into the depths of his overcoat, withdrawing a spherical object, and without pause, tossing it from behind the pillar to land and roll within feet of the upturned table. The two men happen to spot it, and begin to back away, no knowledge of what it may be, but knowing it cannot be beneficial for their health....*

*...the sphere suddenly explodes quietly, making no sound other than a faint pop, and leaving no visible remains at all. The two guards stare at it stupidly for a moment, before shrugging and beginning to raise their guns to try to kill Thanatos, but before they can bring up their weapons, their faces are blanked, guns clattering to the floor and arms falling limp, even as they both fall over without so much as a cough. Thanatos walks from behind the pillar, pausing a moment to retrieve a dagger from earlier, and checking the pulses of his two newest victims, nodding in satisfaction when he finds them both very much dead. He walks leisurely up the first flight of the left stairway, his slight smile never leaving his face...*

[Syrant]

*Syrant begins to go up the stairs. At first the long stairway is quiet and empty. Suddenly, Syrant hears many foot steps coming from the upper stairways. Syrant looks up to see guards storming down the stair case. The guards then spot Syrant and open fire apon him as they continue to run down. Syrant quickly moves back and leans on the wall out of fireing range. Syrant fully loads his guns and leaps out fireing up at the guards. One after one Syrant begins to shoot down guards, some falling from the top of the stairs to the bottom. Finally the first of the guards reach Syrant. They all begin to pull out random melee weapons. Syrant puts his guns away and sees this as a good moment to pull out his newest weapon.* "Extend!" *Syrants quaterstaff fully extends and Syrant begins to beat down the guards. Few of the guards that still have ammo begin to open fire on Syrant. Thinking quickly Syrant dodges around, still striking down guards, and uses some of the other guards as shields. After beating down over half the charging guards Syrant finally begins to move upward again. Once Syrant reaches about halfway up the stairs, the guards begin thin out. Syrant lays his quaterstaff on one shoulder as he walks up the stairs. Syrant then begins to think out loud to himself.* "I wonder how Thanatos is doing."

[Thanatos]

*Thanatos proceeds up flight after flight of the largely abandoned building, after about fifteen staircases in complete silence finding it necessary to cut his way across a floor in order to continue upwards. Thanatos walks through one empty room, beginning to hear very clearly yelling and hollering coming from the closed door directly in front of him. Thanatos opens it in one fluid motion, moving forward at the same time...*

*Before him stand a eight particularly muscular men in loose-fitting clothing, and in front of that congregation an even more muscled individual that looks to stand at least seven feet in height. Thanatos smiles more, speaking to the entire group as they turn as one body to stare at the figure in the doorway*
"Unarmed combat class? My interruption is unfortunate, however, no witnesses are allowed to remain. Farewell."
*The particularly tall man hastily barks an order, and the men rush at Thanatos roaring their various battle-cries*

*Thanatos twirls his straight cane, his smile increasing ever-so-slightly as he lashes out with the blunt instrument, catching the leading man a lethal blow on the neck. He ducks a swing, with his free hand directing the avoided punch into another incoming attacker, as soon as this is done swinging his cane again into another man's neck, fetching another lethal blow. Swinging the cane to fell another fighter, he thrusts his other hand forward, precisely snapping the neck of yet another opponent. At his point he uses a falling man as leverage necessary to jump back over the mob, landing lightly on his feet, surveying what is left of the enemy...*

*...he finds five bodies which has just finished falling to the ground, and three other fighters who have been knocked down and are in the process of rising and running away in the opposite direction, towards the staircase that was Thanatos' goal to begin with. The huge man who was evidently the leader of the group snarls, turning and running after them, most likely to warn the policemen's chief. The three men successfully run upwards, but the large man is stopped less than two meters from the stair, a dagger quivering in the back of his neck. Thanatos retrieves his weapon as he steps over the corpse, heading detatchedly up the next flights of steps, to where his quarry awaits...*

[Syrant]

*After climbing for a few minutes Syrant reaches the top of stairs. At the top there is a locked, strong metal door blocking the finally hallway to the chief's room. Syrant puts up his quarterstaff and begins to pop his knuckles. Syrant looks at the door and with a solid focused blow slams the door causeing the it to come crashing open. Syrant walks into what seems to be the final hallway. Syrant looks around and sighs when he sees Thanatos standing waiting.* "Well I guess I lost, huh?"

[Thanatos]

*Thanatos nods slowly to Syrant*
"That is apparent...I can see nine men inside, many of which seem to have their weapons trained on the door, waiting to shoot the moment we enter. The room itself is small, four by four meters, and the men have been warned by three I let escape previously."

*His visor flashes in the dim light as he gazes intently at the door for several moments before speaking again*
"A narrow spread of forty, initial explosion at thirty-five."

*Thanatos reaches into his overcoat, from within its folds withdrawing a massive pistol whose barrel is in excess of two feet. With his other hand he removes a particularly large bullet from a pocket in his tuxedo, pushing it gently down the barrel. That done, he raises the mammoth weapon, point it firmly at the door*
"Stand back..."

*Without the hand holding the weapon having done anything--for no trigger or similar mechansim is visible--the gun is set off, although there is only a silent hissing sound signifying the release of the bullet. A perfect hole suddenly and silently appears in the wooden door, and another fraction of a second later a popping sound can be heard from within the room. Directly after that, everything descends into chaos...*

*Brief screams can be heard from within the office, but far more clear are the crackings and clatterings heard as every bit of furniture in the room is cut to shreds. Another second later, there comes the sound of concrete walls groaning with effort to remain in place, and then an impossible clamor as slab after slab of concrete falls into the office, breaking through the floor to fall through several stories of the building. The entire building begins to shake, the noise now incredible, but just as quickly as it had begun, the sound stops, leaving everything bathed in eerie silence...*

[Syrant]

*Syrant goes over to the collapse room and looks down.* "Well, I guess we should go down and check to see if he is dead." *Syrant turns and gets ready to leap down.*

[Thanatos]

*Thanatos steps through the untouched wooden door to where Syrant stands, surveying the devestation. A few specks of blood and shreds of wood can be seen on the one untouched wall which the door is a part of, but the other walls, as well as the floor, seem to be more or less entirely missing. Several stories down there can be seen massive slabs of concrete debris dominating the room, and there can also be seen several more shreds of furniture that must have been in the office. Everything is so mutilated, however, that nothing is recognizable. Thanatos' smile, now quite large, completely disappears*

"I do not believe there is much need..."