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<title>Latest posts for the topic &quot;The Chateau&quot;</title>
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<description>Latest messages posted in the topic &quot;The Chateau&quot;</description>
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<title>The Chateau</title>
<description>&lt;p&gt;Come to the Chateau, where you will find many RP stories written by various evolved blackpills over the last 3 years.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Simply register upon entering and you will have the &lt;i&gt;Merovingian&apos;s&amp;nbsp;Chateau&lt;/i&gt; available for your reading pleasure.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Here is they &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.thedarkevolution.com/forum/index.php?board=20.0&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;key&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Regards, &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;Dark Lord Luniak&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 24 Sep 2008 16:11:18 GMT</pubDate>
<author>Manatik</author>
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<title>Re:The Chateau</title>
<description>&lt;p&gt;Here is a teaser from the Chateau, a more recent story, by a newly evolved blackpill, Rascal08&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;u&gt;Every End (Part 1)&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Light. Its a curious thing, refractions of colour merged with the atmosphere to generate such a simplistic yet beautiful display. &lt;br /&gt;The crisp, engulfing blue sky rich enough to swallow me up. To sink into the nothingness, the sweet abandon of my dreams.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;::smack:: &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A blow lands on my face, followed by another linked with a few body shots for good measure. I snap back to my senses, &lt;br /&gt;still reeling from the impacts. My vision clears to reveal my digital surrounding and my assailant before me, charging to deliver &lt;br /&gt;a final blow as I still stumble to find my balance. Then the wave hits, my synapses hit overdrive - I feel the flow of power course through me, a mixture of reaction and instinct follows.. I catch my attackers incoming boot and twist it sharply. Ah, the familiar sound of broken limbs. Time almost seems to stop as I watch my opponent slowly twirling in the air, awaiting the inevitable moment of impact upon the concrete. To repay the intended favour, I land a mid-air kick into his sternum - I watch his twitching body grinding along the floor. hmmm it seems my strength has improved too. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Taking the time now to assess my surroundings it all becomes clear - I&apos;m home, only not as it was. The useless whelp I just wasted was the residual image of my former host. So many memories flash before me - for a moment I almost loose control of my emotions, memories of being trapped, of my attempt to escape. Yes, now I remember - my unsubtle attempt to &apos;jack out&apos; - of hijacking some useless zionites rsi just as he was getting out. Better that than deletion? Thinking back, I&apos;m not so sure. But with an Agent on my back, anything other than the fate they were bringing seemed a good idea. I can still feel the pull as I was ripped from this world &amp;amp; thrown into the maze of his nural pathways. Of being entombed in the mind of my vessel of virtue, unable to break fee. The never ending visions as this heinous, hateful ball of sweat helped murder my brethren and all I held dear. I remember my lust for revenge, for a chance of redemption for my departure. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It seems you get what you ask for...&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Right before I can figure out exactly how I&apos;ve now separated from that pitiful meat bag I hear the click of a hammer piercing&amp;nbsp; the primer and the subsequent explosion of energy as the gases force the round from the Chamber, followed by two more. Another weak example of humanity, trying to hamper the celebration, of my apparent return.&amp;nbsp; Again, that eerie but wondrous sight - the world around me slows, can I stop the bullets? No, I&apos;m not him, I&apos;m no ?hero? - but why stop something that will never hit you? I dash at my new enemy, scything between the passing bullets. To quick it seems for him to comprehend, to quick also for me to prevent me from ramming the pistol straight back into this ugly face, before removing the weapon he is clearly unable to wield.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A brief search reveals a note - his mission brief; to track a mole, an infiltrator amongst the Zion ranks. Now the picture is complete. My former host had been trying a triple cross; betraying Zion for the Merovingian and his secret formula to the machines, all the time unaware of my presence within him. The moment that little black pill his contacts had bequeathed him made contact with his rsi, the second it entered his code stream it triggered an irreversible chain reaction - freeing me to a whole new instance of the matrix. It seems the blackpill he unwittingly took locked onto my signal within his, delivering me from my tomb ? upgraded and reloaded.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lying on the floor, my 2nd attacker - a zionite, looks up at me and through broken teeth and blood he murmurs &amp;quot;wha.. . what are you?&amp;quot; A smirk spreads across my face...&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;quot;Evolved&amp;quot; I reply, just as I pull the trigger and end him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It&apos;s true what they say; &amp;quot;Every end is a new beginning...&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 27 Sep 2008 06:13:43 GMT</pubDate>
<author>Manatik</author>
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<title>Re:The Chateau</title>
<description>&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Another except, this one from Kurdish&apos;s &lt;i&gt;Decoded Mythologies, Zero Issue&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Enjoy&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;----&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;b&gt;Zero Issue&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Part One&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;b&gt;Hampton Green&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Shopping Plaza&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;FFS Kurd, youz sure ya got the right coordinates?&amp;quot; Orion asked, his annoyance evident as he crossed his arms and stared hatefully at any passerby unfortunate enough to get within eyesight.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The two operatives were sitting at a table in the Food Court, one people-watching and the other sipping from a soda gone-warm. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;Relax,&amp;quot; Kurd said rolling the soda bottle between his fingers, &amp;quot;go buy a pair of jeans or somethin.&amp;quot; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;Jeans!&amp;quot; Ori scoffed. &amp;quot;Bah!&amp;quot; Rising, the Exile stuck his thumbs in his black leather pants and pushed his way past a middle-aged couple enjoying coffees and glazed cinnamin rolls. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Watching his teammate disappear amidst the consumer mob, Kurdish frowned and started to tap his soda bottle on the table out of boredom. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Come on, I know this is the place. &lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Laying the soda on it&apos;s side, Kurdish leaned down at eye-level and flicked the cap with his finger. Leaning back in his chair, the Exile gunslinger watched on, fascinated as the plastic bottle spun in dizzying cycles. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;Damm it Beth,&amp;quot; came a melodic voice from behind.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;What, what is it?&amp;quot; replied a second. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;I never asked Steve what -- what -- crap, whatever you call it, &apos;weight,&apos; &apos;ounces,&apos; whatever you judge them by,&amp;quot; she said exasperated. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;Can&apos;t call him either, ruin the suprise,&amp;quot; came the response. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Looking over his shoulder, Kurdish watched two women as they crossed the food court and made their way into a Billards shop.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Heh, Flood&apos;s incompetence, Kurd&apos;s gain.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Grabbing the bottle off the table, the Exile tossed it in a bin as he casually strolled through the food court, whistling lightly as he watched the women get led around by a sales associate. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;Well, that depends,&amp;quot; Kurdish heard the salesman explaining to the more confused of the two ladies. &amp;quot;Is he using it as a &apos;breaking stick,&apos; or...do you know which ounce he prefers?&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Both women looked at one another, and the exasperated one bit her lip and shook her shiny blonde hair a bit. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;Hmm...&amp;quot; the man said, eyes scanning the selection of pool sticks lining the wall. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Hands in pockets and eyes studiously taking in store wares, Kurdish casually stepped his way near the trio. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;We really don&apos;t have a whole to work with here...&amp;quot; the man explained, eyes still searching the wall. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Heh, what he meant to say was &amp;quot;I&amp;quot;.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;Sorry to interrupt,&amp;quot; Kurd said, taking another step towards the group. &amp;quot;Heh, I overheard the problem, maybe I can help.&amp;quot; Keeping his eyes on the troubled spouse, he smiled as kindly as he could manage and desperately avoided the scolding stare the salesman was no doubt sending his way. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;How?&amp;quot; asked the friend. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Beth, I think I heard. Heh.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;Suprise gift, I take it?&amp;quot; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;Exactly, but I don&apos;t know what size he uses.&amp;quot; Turning helpless eyes to the Exile, Spouse bites her lip a bit and takes another glance at the wall display. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;How tall is he? Big guy? Little guy? Average guy?&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As the two women looked at one another to work out old boy&apos;s build, the lights in the store flickered a bit, sending goosebumps along Kurd&apos;s arms. Shaking it off, the Exile turns his attention back to the women. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;He&apos;s maybe a little bit taller than you, but he&apos;s bigger, I guess. No offense.&amp;quot; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;Yeah,&amp;quot; Beth says, caught up in the dilemma. &amp;quot;Not fat, but big - but not like a bodybuilder or anything.&amp;quot; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;Riiight,&amp;quot; Kurd says, eyes drifting back to the ceiling as the lights flicker off for a moment, only to turn back on just as quickly. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;That&apos;s odd,&amp;quot; says the salesman. &amp;quot;I&apos;m going to go see if the other stores are experiencing the same thing.&amp;quot; Setting off briskly, he calls over his shoulder, &amp;quot;I&apos;ll be right back.&amp;quot; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;Yea,&amp;quot; Kurd offers, giving the women his attention again. &amp;quot;You&apos;re gonna wanna go with a heavier stick.&amp;quot; Whistling again, he begins checking out what the shop offered. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;So you&apos;re good?&amp;quot; asked Beth. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;No pro, but I&apos;ve played a little,&amp;quot; he responds absently. Finding what he was searching for, he pulled it down and placed it on a display table to test for abnormalities. &amp;quot;This might be what you&apos;re lookin for...&amp;quot; he says rolling it a bit. &amp;quot;Hell,&amp;quot; he says with a grin, &amp;quot;I&apos;d use it.&amp;quot; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Spouse lifts the stick and purses her lips a bit, giving it a thorough look-at. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;But yea,&amp;quot; Kurd says to Beth, &amp;quot;I like to play, its a hobby ya know.&amp;quot; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;I&apos;m not very good,&amp;quot; Beth says laughing at herself. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;Heh, who knows, ya might have potential in there,&amp;quot; Kurd says smiling. &amp;quot;Maybe we can play sometime, the four of us, might be fun.&amp;quot; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;Well, we are all going out tonight after the suprise party,&amp;quot; she says, her eyes now taking a bit more interest. &amp;quot;Maybe you can meet us at the bar later on? It&apos;s the place off of 2nd street, right besides...what&apos;s that place called...&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Before Beth could finish the thought, the lights flicker again briefly, then shut off completely. A sick feeling turning his stomach, Kurdish squeezes the woman&apos;s arm then sets outta Pro Billards. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;All the store lights had gone out, the only source of visibility being the massive skylight that loomed above the food court. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;When did it start rainin?&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Streaks of lightning began shooting across the skyline, random yet increasing in intensity. Fascinated by the wondrous display, the Exile stood there, eyes wide in wonderment and locked on the skylight above. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As lightening continued to spit forth from the heavens, gusts of wind began assaulting the skylight, unsatisfied until the entire enclosure was rippling like a wave over calm waters. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Entranced, Kurdish stared on, eyes focusing on a single beam of white light forming high above the clouds and gradually pushing outside itself. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Like a perfect orb of energy about to explo--&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Glass, concrete, flesh and mortar all seperated in wake of the explosion, the concussion blowing through the mall like a high wind over a mound of dust. In less than a second, it was all over. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Bodies and debris lay scattered where only moments ago there was a mass of confused yet well-off weekend shoppers. The silence that followed the explosion was heavy, only broken by the occasional moan or crash as stalwart structures finally gave in and collapsed upon themselves - and anyone near them. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Seconds later, the cries began. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;To be Continued&lt;br /&gt;(Part Two soon)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 3 Oct 2008 11:42:51 GMT</pubDate>
<author>Manatik</author>
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<title>Re:The Chateau</title>
<description>&lt;p&gt;This is Locale&apos;s &apos;Darkness Foretold&apos;, Chapter 12&amp;nbsp; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;(Im trying to post 1 a week)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Chapter 12 - Absolution&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;Not bad&amp;quot;, said The Smith as he caressed the wound opened across his cheek by the Assassin&apos;s blade.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;You&apos;re certainly more aggressive than he was&amp;quot;, he said with a grin.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Smith lunged at the Assassin again under the weight of the heavy rain flooding the area.&amp;nbsp; The once proud warehouses of Ikebukuro lay in ruins in their wake.&amp;nbsp; The piers were shattered into splinters of their former self.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Smith&apos;s fist connected with the porcelain mask sending the Assassin flying back into the last remaining structure.&amp;nbsp; Smith looked around in confidence as he stared at the horizon.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;This is my world.&amp;nbsp; It&apos;s useless to resist me&amp;quot;, he said calmly adjusting his tie.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As he spoke, the warehouse fell upon itself and the entire area reeked of destruction and carnage.&amp;nbsp; Lightning struck the ground far behind Smith as he turned towards the harbor.&amp;nbsp; Looking back at the fallen building, he smirked and walked towards the water.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;With an easy jump, he propelled himself over the waters and towards Downtown.&amp;nbsp; Within a few jumps he was hundreds of miles away from his fight with the Assassin and headed straight for Park East.&amp;nbsp; Launching himself into the air, the ground below shrunk.&amp;nbsp; Turning back he glanced beyond the clouds as something hurled in his direction.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;Wha--&amp;quot;, he began to say as the masked assassin crashed into him, breaking his momentum.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The two fell from the heavens like a bolt of lightning into the center of Park East, collapsing the plaza.&amp;nbsp; The Government building bulked under the impact and fell to the ground sending smoke and debris high into the atmosphere.&amp;nbsp; The shockwave rippled across the land, shaking the city.&amp;nbsp; Smith picked himself up slowly as the Assassin stumbled towards him.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;That wasn&apos;t very nice&amp;quot;, Smith said while dusting himself off.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lunging at Smith, the two resumed their brawl as the impacts cracked the remaining support beams as another one of the remaining three skyscrapers toppled over behind them.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;I can&apos;t see a goddamn thing&amp;quot;, Lilac said atop a building in Pillsen.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;We&apos;re on our way&amp;quot;, Manatik said into his cell as his team walked quickly through the White Corridor heading for her location.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;We must hurry&amp;quot;, Persephone said quickening her pace.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Back in the city, Lilac stood silently watching the behemoths fight while the heavens cried out above.&amp;nbsp; The rain intensified as the lightning bolts carved out the sky.&amp;nbsp; Thunder crackled with each strike.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;Dear lord&amp;quot;, Locale said as she knelt down next to Lilac.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;They&apos;ve been going at it for hours now&amp;quot;, Lilac said numbly.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;They could go on forever at this rate&amp;quot;, she continued.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;Is that...&amp;quot;, Locale began to say but stopped as a tear silently ran down Lilac&apos;s face.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lilac was strong but quietly she bore the torment of knowing her friend was risking his life to save them all.&amp;nbsp; Hours ago they had been surviving together but now all she could do was watch him risk it all.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;...Kurdish&amp;quot;, Locale whispered to herself.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;They&apos;re here&amp;quot;, Lilac said sternly breaking the silence as she gazed towards the battleground.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Like moths to a flame, warriors began to emerge around the perimeter like attendants in a coliseum.&amp;nbsp; Slowly they inched towards the titans but keeping their distance at the same time.&amp;nbsp; More than anyone, Persephone was well aware of the virus&apos;s capabilities of copying himself.&amp;nbsp; Standing there in a crimson leather cat suit, she confronted the malignant exile as the fight came to a standstill.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;Your time is up, my friend&amp;quot;, she spoke boldly.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Smith began laughing hysterically as she lunged for her only to be impaled on the blade of the faster assassin.&amp;nbsp; Kurdish sneered at the virus, tossing it back several feet.&amp;nbsp; Slowly standing up, Smith resumed his laughter as he looked around to see the many warriors facing him now.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;You...are nothing but insects to me&amp;quot;, he screamed.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;And you are nothing but a relic.&amp;nbsp; A piece of the past no longer inherent to the system and no longer as powerful as a result&amp;quot;, said a voice.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Smith turned to see Agent Pace standing among the Machine operatives.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;Well, well.&amp;nbsp; It seems you didn&apos;t die after all&amp;quot;, he mocked her.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;How observant.&amp;nbsp; Perhaps you are also aware of how much weaker you are now than when you first emerged, slime&amp;quot;, she said with a heavy tone of disgust.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;How long before you call upon the rest of your drones&amp;quot;, Pace asked.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Stunned for a moment that she was aware of that fact, Smith began laughing again.&amp;nbsp; The area grew silent as the sounds of a herd approached.&amp;nbsp; Turning to see the hundreds of Smiths approaching, the operatives and exiles prepared for the inevitable clash.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Grasping a pair of FM-1500s, Pace turned to Persephone and the two women nodded with an apparent knowledge of a plan prepared in advance.&amp;nbsp; The silence turned to commotion as their groups turned to confront the army of Smiths approaching.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;There is no need to persist, you are vastly outnumbered now&amp;quot;, Smith boasted as he glared at the silent Assassin.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;I find that difficult to believe, mon ami&amp;quot;, said the Frenchman.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Everyone turned to see the Merovingian standing proudly with a legion of exiles, freshly released from his domains and ready to fight for their freedom.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;Machine&amp;quot;, he turned to Agent Pace.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;Keep in mind that this does not change the fact that we are enemies.&amp;nbsp; However, this is my domain and no one threatens my kingdom and lives to tell the tale&amp;quot;, he said as he grinned at Smith.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;Of course&amp;quot;, Pace returned the grin.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The combined force of human operatives and exile warriors rushed the army of Smiths knowing that for every Smith that Smith obtains he will grow stronger.&amp;nbsp; Determined to destroy every one of them they raced to engage them in a duel to the death.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;Evolutionaries&amp;quot;, Manatik screamed, &amp;quot;Show no mercy!&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Consuming the entire area, the fighting erupted as human and program alike fought side by side for the sake of the Matrix and for the future of all life.&amp;nbsp; The heavens erupted above them making the war reach a climatic level.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Little by little, the warriors fought off the droves of Smiths.&amp;nbsp; The bodies littered the ground as the earth beneath them continued to buckle under the fighting.&amp;nbsp; Standing in a puddle of rain at the base of the gigantic crater, Smith stared as each Smith that grew closer was vanquished under the fire of his enemies.&amp;nbsp; As the rain battered his face he snarled in resentment at them all.&amp;nbsp; Quietly, Kurdish stood there watching him, waiting.&amp;nbsp; Some might even say that behind that mask, somewhere amidst the swarm of black flies, he was smiling at him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As the last Smith fell to the ground, the warriors stood silently gazing at the death that surrounded them.&amp;nbsp; Countless bodies, lifeless and purged of Smith covered the area.&amp;nbsp; Stowing her smoking FM-1500s, Pace touched her earpiece and within moments all the seemingly lifeless bluepills and exile bodies vanished from the area.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;I leave the rest to you, my Evolutionaries&amp;quot;, said the Merovingian as he walked away with Flood sheepishly following behind him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Cleaning off her knives, Persephone blew a kiss to Lilac as she too took her leave.&amp;nbsp; Knowing the war wasn&apos;t completely over, everyone turned their attention to the viral entities.&amp;nbsp; Standing together, they surrounded the crater watching as Smith accepted his destiny despite all his resistance.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;It&apos;s not fair&amp;quot;, Smith seethed in hatred.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;No, you&apos;re wrong&amp;quot;, Smith said with a different tone entirely.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;We don&apos;t belong here anymore&amp;quot;, he continued as if a different person entirely.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;Shut up&amp;quot;, he screamed in his more familiar voice.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Confused and bewildered, Lilac watched as Smith argued with himself.&amp;nbsp; All of the commotion in the sky was muted by the sight before them.&amp;nbsp; With each passing moment, Smith weakened and more of this other personality emerged.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;Assassin, I can only hold him for so long.&amp;nbsp; Do what you must...&amp;quot;, Smith said in the other voice.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Poised to strike the Assassin lunged at Smith.&amp;nbsp; Just as his blade was about to reach his throat, Smith regained composure and struck at the Assassin, piercing his chest.&amp;nbsp; Darkness began to spread across Kurdish&apos;s body.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;No&amp;quot;, Locale cried out.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;Yes, you&apos;ll do just fine&amp;quot;, Smith said grinning from ear to ear.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Just as the darkness was about to completely overwhelm the masked warrior, he dispersed his essence into thousands of black flies, leaving behind only a mask and a dirty trench coat.&amp;nbsp; Smith growled at the sight and dropped the coat into the puddle beneath his feet and onto the broken earth.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;High above them, the black flies took to the sky, shrouding the area in total darkness.&amp;nbsp; Even the flashes of lightning could hardly penetrate the swarm.&amp;nbsp; Smith looked around in desperation.&amp;nbsp; In need of more power, he raced towards Lilac with his hand extended, ready to assimilate her code into his own.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In response a tremendous cry erupted from the sky as the flies swarmed Smith with a rage comparable to an angry god.&amp;nbsp; Smith was consumed in a tomb of purple light and black code.&amp;nbsp; Slowly Smith&apos;s essence deteriorated before them as the fly&apos;s devoured him as he tried to fight them off, swinging violently.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;It&apos;s done&amp;quot;, shouted Smith&apos;s other personality.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Overwhelmed, he screamed out in terror as his destiny finally caught up with him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A blinding light emerged from within the swarm as the last remaining code of Smith was consumed by the flies and erupted.&amp;nbsp; The explosion of force knocked back everyone in the area and the light was blinding.&amp;nbsp; As the rain fell back to the earth it began to calm.&amp;nbsp; The emptiness of the world began to fade as the warriors stood back up.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;At the center of the devastation a ghostly image stood before them.&amp;nbsp; Shrouded in a white cassock, the man removed his sunglasses and looked at them with much regard.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;I&apos;m very proud&amp;quot;, he said smiling.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;It&apos;s time for us to leave this world.&amp;nbsp; It now belongs to you&amp;quot;, he said as he faded away.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;Was that...&amp;quot;, Locale began to ask.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;Yes, it was&amp;quot;, came a voice from behind them.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Oracle approached slowly from their rear.&amp;nbsp; Seraph walked behind her, holding onto her umbrella.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;I knew we&apos;d see him again&amp;quot;, Sati rejoiced.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Bowing her head in respect to the Mother of the Matrix, Agent Pace looked around at the devastation and touched her earpiece.&amp;nbsp; As the surrounding code recompiled, the world hiccupped as everything around them returned to normal.&amp;nbsp; The skies cleared revealing the dark starlit sky above them once more.&amp;nbsp; The city lit back up as power course through its veins.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;All operations have returned to normal.&amp;nbsp; The system is once again functioning at one hundred percent&amp;quot;, Pace confirmed.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As the crowd of humans and programs stood around idlely celebrating, Locale knelt down to the concrete that had once been cratered and picked up the porcelain mask that remained.&amp;nbsp; Sati raised her arms slowly and the night sky began to fade as the sun slowly ascended into the sky and revealed a tapestry of blue, pink and orange.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;What do you think happened to Kurdish&amp;quot;, Lilac asked as she embraced Locale who was still staring at the mask.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;He&apos;s still out there, watching us&amp;quot;, she said looking up to see a single black fly flying away towards the bright sunlight.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Life began to return as the city took new life.&amp;nbsp; Smiling, the Oracle turned to walk away as the Evolutionaries walked off, mask in tow.&amp;nbsp; The sun rose high into the sky as the darkness has faded from the Matrix once more.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There are many possibilities but the future is never certain.&amp;nbsp; It is what we do with it that makes it come to pass.&amp;nbsp; It can never truly be foretold.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;-END-&lt;/p&gt;</description>
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<pubDate>Sun, 19 Oct 2008 17:56:36 GMT</pubDate>
<author>Manatik</author>
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<title>Re:The Chateau</title>
<description>&lt;p&gt;Demoana&apos;s &amp;quot;Blood of an Exile&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Moonlight filtered through the trees in the park, dimly lighting up the twilight sky beyond. The blue was such a welcome change after the oppressive red of the weeks before, and I lay there looking at it in pleasant contemplation. At least the zions were good for something; getting Sati back had definitely gained them some brownie points from me. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Yeung Park was deserted, except for the Black Tigers that called it home. They wouldn&apos;t bother me though....they knew me too well, and had fallen to my hacks too many times to try anything. Peace was mine. I inhaled, the smell of trees, grasses, water...and something else. Decay...rotting flesh. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I sat up, pleasant mood gone. Death wasn&apos;t uncommon, but couldn&apos;t I go &lt;i&gt;any&lt;/i&gt;where to escape it for half an hour? Following the scent, I moved under the Dawei sculpture, searching...searching...there! Half-hidden in the lake. At first I thought it was a black dog, but as I drew closer....holy crap.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;No....who would dare? The blood nobles were the personal guard of our esteemed leader. You never saw them on the streets, they always kept close to him. So what was one doing dead in the pond of Yeung Park? Blood pooled into the water around him, his sightless eyes seemingly peering up my skirt as I knelt beside him, rolling him onto his back.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Ick. A stake through his heart explained the blood...that, and the fact that his head didn&apos;t roll with his body, but stayed laying in the same spot it had been. Dam, someone had done their homework. Most would have just staked a vamp and left, without realizing that they could come back afterwards. But decapitation....I was pretty sure this guy wouldn&apos;t be flashing fang at anyone any more. Except the mortician.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Merovingian was going to be pissed.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Come to think of it, why hadn&apos;t I noticed him getting dumped? The smell was still fresh enough that he couldn&apos;t have been there for more than a few minutes when I noticed. Bending over him, I inhaled deeply, glad that vamps didn&apos;t have to worry about bowels &amp;amp; bladder releasing at the time of death. He smelled bad enough as it was.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A year ago I wouldn&apos;t have noticed how he smelled, wouldn&apos;t have been able to tell that there were 3 people who had touched him recently, one of which had a nagging familiarity to it....but then again, a year ago I didn&apos;t grow fur and a tail either. Guess it&apos;s a tradeoff. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Done, I stood up and looked around. Whoever had put him here had gotten him here while I was laying on the other side of the park. They shouldn&apos;t have been able to. Either I was further zoned out than I&apos;d thought I was, or....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A scattering of rocks to my left, under the sculpture. I whirled, crouching, nothing. Look up, up into the underbelly of the oriental artwork, and there, there he is, jumping, falling, going to land on me, crap! Spin away, stumble as he thuds into my leg, grunt as his knife finds my thigh, snarl as he twists it. Arm shooting out, fingernails catching at his throat, ripping a narrow groove, smell of fresh blood. Hunger, shooting through me, tightening my belly, drawing out another growl, making him look at me. His eyes widening, throat swallowing, his pulse pushing more blood out to trickle down his neck. Blade jerking out of my thigh, good leg kicking out to his groin, miss, damit! Jump back, avoid the knife slicing at my belly, circle him, growling deeply in my throat, face lengthening....crouching over....time to shed this weak human skin. His mouth open, smell of fear oozing from him with the sweat that suddenly soaks through his clothes, smell of something good to eat. Something afraid. Run, little man, see if you can escape before I finish changing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Itching, skin stretching as I lope after him, fur tickling along my face, arms, back. Dress shredded and left behind me, damit, but this man...this &lt;i&gt;prey&lt;/i&gt;...is running full out, thirty yards in front of me, desperately looking back, moaning when he sees me closing in. Twenty yards, coming to a group of buildings, and he pulls a trashcan over in my path as he rounds a corner. Easy to jump, powerful legs thrusting me over it, eager to get him, rip him open, gut him and hear him whimper. Who is he? The thought flits through my mind, maybe I don&apos;t want to kill him yet? Merv would want him....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Yes. And with that, I was in control of my thoughts again, somewhat, skidding on something on the ground, what? Grease, crap, and suddenly three of them on me, avoiding my teeth, clubbing me, the same three whose scents were all over the corpse in the park. A trap, obvious now, and they kept me in the grease, against the fence that guarded the pathway, unable to get my footing while they beat at my head and body, unable to see them in the frenzy of fighting.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;An image of the dead blood noble flashed through my mind...had they trapped him like this? Was his death a single murder, or a part of something more? Whatever, I wasn&apos;t going to wait around to see if I was next on their list. With a grunt, I hooked my front legs over the top rail and pulled myself over, snapping at the clubs and hands that tried to pound me back to the ground. They couldn&apos;t hold me. I splashed into the waterways between the paths, jumping over the far side, ignoring the pain from bruised ribs and legs, ignoring my blurred vision and pounding head. Turning, I gauged the distance to jump back, into a spot not smeared with the slippery grease, only to see the last of them at a hardline, smiling at me as his body shimmered into nothingness. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Dam, Merv was not going to like this at all. And I was still hungry too. Still, plenty of bluepills to pick from for an evening snack before I reported in.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
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<pubDate>Sun, 19 Oct 2008 18:43:13 GMT</pubDate>
<author>Manatik</author>
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<title>Re:The Chateau</title>
<description>&lt;p&gt;This is an oldie from Laytos, New Beginnings Part 2&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Laytos&amp;#39; phone rang. He reached over to grab it, before throwing his legs over the side of the bed. This better be important, he thought.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&quot;Laytos, this is Flood. I don&amp;#39;t know why, but the Merovingian demands an audience.&quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Hmm, well I guess my presence has not gone unnoticed, Laytos thought. &quot;Forward me the coordinates, I&amp;#39;ll be there directly.&quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A hand went to Laytos&amp;#39; shoulder, &quot;Who was that, hun?&quot; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&quot;Just business, I have to go dear, and you need to get back before your boyfriend starts asking too many questions. Now remember, be a dear and do tell me when any of your Zion friends get any information that I might like.&quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As he stood up, he gave her a kiss, dressed, and then Hyperjumped out the window.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So, the Merv wants to see me. I wonder what this could be, Laytos asked himself.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He landed at the preset coordinates and walked into the lavish building. He past the front desk, said good morning to the attendant, and made his way to the elevator.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&quot;Good morning, sir. Top floor?&quot; The attendant asked.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&quot;Please.&quot; was Laytos&amp;#39; only response. The elevator began it&amp;#39;s ascent and stopped at the penthouse level. Laytos walked out, two Lupine guards looked at him, took two sniffs and opened the door. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&quot;The Merovingian is expecting you.&quot; the one standing opposite Laytos said. He nodded and walked through the door.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Inside was a high vaulted room, the Merovingian stood facing the windowed wall with a limitless view to Mega City. As Laytos approached, the Merovingian turned to face him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&quot;Ah, bonjour, mon ami. One of my trusted operatives, back from the dead, as it were.&quot; His thick French accent sounded the words effortlessly.&quot;I trust your reincarnation is as agreeable as it can be under such circumstances..&quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Laytos stood in front of the Merovingian, arms clasped behind him. &quot;It was... uncomfortable. However, I am ready to once again be of use.&quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&quot;Ah, exactement. And now we come to the real reason for this meeting. Their is a group of people I want you to find. I have entrusted them with a certain... piece of code that will prevent unfortunate accidents like the one you just suffered.&quot; He walked to the side and sat in the chair. &quot;Please, sit.&quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Laytos moved to the couch next to the occupied chair and sat. The Merovingian continued on &quot;They are called Dark Evolution, and have been very successful in carrying out my wishes and putting into motion specific plans of mine. I wish for you to find them, partake in the gift I have left in their care.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Laytos stood up and dropped to a knee &quot;Consider it done.&quot; Laytos rose as the Merovingian bowed his head and said &quot;Now, excuse me..&quot; Laytos turned to exit, he had new friends to find...&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;One of the basic truths in Mega City, walk down any back alley in Richland, and you can usually find what your looking for. This was no different. All it took was to ask the right person. Right on cue, a Machine operative came out of a building. He&amp;#39;ll do, Laytos thought. Before the Machine red pill knew what was happening, he was unconscious.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He woke up in the basement of some old building, it was gritty and dark definitely not the place he remembered last.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&quot;Now, I&amp;#39;ve got a question that I need answered and I need to know kinda bad. Now, if you don&amp;#39;t tell me, well I&amp;#39;ll just have to ask a little bit harder. Where are the Dark Evolution?&quot; Laytos asked.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&quot;Go&amp;nbsp;screw yourself.&quot; The Machine operative spat out. It&amp;#39;s going to be one of those days Laytos thought. BANG. The bullet tore through his shin as the Machine operative cried out. &quot;Where are the Dark Evolution?&quot; Laytos asked again. &lt;br /&gt;&quot;I don&amp;#39;t-&quot; BANG. Another bullet tore through his opposite leg, the Machine operative screamed in pain. Laytos took in a deep breath, &quot;Keep holding out and I&amp;#39;m going to have to get nasty.&quot; Laytos put his pistol between the eyes of the hostage. &quot;Where are the Dark Evolution?&quot;. As he asked, Laytos cocked the hammer of his gun back. The image of him standing over the operative&amp;#39;s head pointing a gun was all he needed to crack. &quot;Ok, ok, ok. Now I don&amp;#39;t know who they are, but I know where they hang out...&quot; He began telling Laytos everything he knew. Once he was finished, Laytos grinned, &quot;Now see, was that so hard?&quot; The gunshot left the Machine red pill&amp;#39;s body lifeless. As the body started disintegrating into code, Laytos turned to exit the basement. Well, now that I have a location, lets see who&amp;#39;s there.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Laytos stepped out of the phone booth. As he looked around he saw other fellow Merovingian red pills, but none that belonged to the Dark Evolution. &quot;Master Laytos?&quot; The cool sound of Void&amp;#39;s voice sounded in his ears. Being an AI herself she was able to plant messages through his neural link, conversely she was also able to read his thoughts. &quot;Go Ahead, Void.&quot;&lt;br /&gt;&quot;I have established a link with the Dark Evolution database, would you like me to upload contact information?&quot; Laytos paused for a minute, then deciding that would be the fastest way to make contact said to Void &quot;Go ahead, also download all personnel files that you can access.&quot;&lt;br /&gt;&quot;Compliance&quot; was Void&amp;#39;s only response.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Moments after, Flood called. &quot;Laytos, I have a job for you.&quot; Flood said in his snooty, obnoxious tone. &quot;I no doubt have more qualified operatives at my disposal for this, however the Merovingian wants you to stretch your legs. It&amp;#39;s a common escort mission. I&amp;#39;m transferring the specifics to you now. Do try to not muck it up.&quot; then the line went dead.&lt;br /&gt;What a pompous punk, Laytos thought as he made his way to the mission rendezvous. He picked up his escort and they started making their way down the streets. Once they entered the drop off building, Void sent him a message. &quot;Master Laytos, I have detected the neural signature of the leader of Dark Evolution, Manatik Luniak.&quot; That didn&amp;#39;t take long, Laytos thought. &quot;Where is he, Void?&quot; &lt;br /&gt;&quot;On the second level of the occupied building.&quot; Laytos, made his way to the hall on the second floor. Manatik stepped into the hallway, just as Laytos entered it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&quot;I&amp;#39;ve been looking for you.&quot; Laytos told him. &quot;I know.&quot; Manatik replied. After scrutinizing Laytos for a moment, Manatik asked, &quot;So, you wish to take the black pill?&quot; Laytos nodded solemnly. Manatik smiled and said &quot;Come to this location, you must meet others, before you can be invited to be one of us.&quot; Laytos responded, &quot;I will await your call.&quot; Manatik smiled, &quot;Very good then, now I believe you should finish your mission for the Merovingian.&quot; Laytos laughed, &quot;Of course.&quot; With that, Laytos took his escort to the drop point and recieved the usual payment for a completed job.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Laytos&amp;#39; phone rang, it was Manatik. &quot;Yes?&quot; &lt;br /&gt;&quot;Ready to take the Black Pill?&quot; Manatik asked. &quot;Absolutely&quot;, Laytos responded. &quot;I&amp;#39;ll have one of my people teleport you.&quot; Manatik replied. Laytos was pulled from his current location and dropped in front of a group of people. As Laytos looked at them, Void gave him the identity of everyone there. &quot;Manatik Lunatik, leader of Dark Evolution; ArchBishop, co-founder of Dark Evolution; Demoana, Councilmen of Dark Evolution; Byond, Councilmen of Dark Evolution...&quot;, after Void was done giving him the information Laytos thought, Well I suppose these are the head people...&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Manatik broke the silence &quot;This is Laytos, the guy I was telling you all about. He says he is ready to evolve and take the Black Pill.&quot;&lt;br /&gt;ArchBishop then spoke &quot;No doubt that you have heard the positive effects the black pill has.&quot; Laytos responded, &quot;Yes, it keeps the user from being deleted.&quot;&lt;br /&gt;ArchBishop then said &quot;What you haven&amp;#39;t heard is the cost. When you take the black pill, part of your code, is imprinted on it, which is then dissimented through all manifestations of the black code-&quot;. &quot;Which means,&quot; Demoana broke in, &quot;when you take the black pill, you take part of us into you, and we in turn take part of you in us.&quot;&lt;br /&gt;&quot;Yes,&quot; ArchBishop began again, &quot;this is the cost of immortality. As long as one of us lives, the rest of us are protected from deletion.&quot;&lt;br /&gt;Manatik stepped forward, &quot;So, I ask again, are you ready to evolve, Laytos?&quot;&lt;br /&gt;Laytos, took a knee, bowed his head, and responded &quot;Yes.&quot;&lt;br /&gt;&quot;Very well, hold out your hand.&quot; Manatik spoke. &lt;br /&gt;Laytos extended his hand, Manatik placed the black pill in his hand, as Laytos swallowed it, he felt a strange feeling overcome him, his RSI flickered as the black pill made it&amp;#39;s changes to his code. Once it was finished, Manatik yelled out, &quot;Everyone, welcome the newest member of Dark Evolution.&quot; A thunderous applause and cheer filled Laytos&amp;#39; ears as he felt new strength and power pulse through him.&lt;img src=&quot;http://www.thedarkevolution.com/forum/Themes/black_and_blue115/images/icons/modify_inline.gif&quot; align=&quot;right&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 1 Nov 2008 12:41:45 GMT</pubDate>
<author>Manatik</author>
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<title>Re:The Chateau</title>
<description>&lt;p&gt;Another from Kurdish - Limits of the Soul&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;-------&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Lavender colored hair fell past healthy, flushed shoulders, the soft aroma of fresh shampoo finding its way to the helpless man on the ground. &lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; &quot;Yield Kurdish,&quot;&amp;nbsp; she says with a smile as priceless as salvation. &quot;This can only end worse for you.&quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; Jacob O&amp;#39;Neil could almost hear his own laughter as the woman helped him to his feet. &quot;Well done, although I can&amp;#39;t bring myself to claim suprise.&quot; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; The woman of his dreams laughed at the comment, and just as Jacob began to allow his heart to accept the gesture, she was gone. Nothing, not even the sweet smell of that thick, flowing hair...&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; Kurdish awoke with a start, sitting up and reaching for the knife hidden between the mattress and frame. She had come again, dominating his dreams, filling him with a longing he hadn&amp;#39;t felt since the Awakening. Who was she? Undoubtedly he&amp;nbsp; had to have known her....she had to have a name...why couldn&amp;#39;t he remember? &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; Rising, Jacob O&amp;#39;Neil made his way to the dingy, rust covered sink, and turning on the faucet, and filled his hands with enough to rinse the sweat from his face. Dabbing the water away with a rag, he allowed his eyes to focus on the green orbs staring back from the medicine cabinet. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;em&gt;Who the hell are you Jake?&lt;/em&gt; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; A soft moan from the bed answered the unspoken question. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; &quot;A nightmare Jacob? Again?&quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; Turning, the man known as Kurdish allowed all the emotion to drain from his musky colored face. The woman laying in his bed was not the woman of his dreams, was not the one who had his heart beating ever so quickly, nor the woman who would answer the questions swirling in his mind. She was no one. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; &quot;Get out,&quot; he told the Taiwanese whore rubbing the sleep from her eyes. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; &quot;Jacob, come on, what time is it--&quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; &quot;Get your clothes,&quot; he said leaning over to pick up the young girl&amp;#39;s skirt, &quot;and get out.&quot; Tossing the garment on the bed, he turned back to the sink and opened the cabinet. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; Scanning the bottles kept within, he pulled one down and popped the cap. The door closed somewhere behind him, and a softly muttered curse found his ears as he swallowed four of the pills within. Eyes closed, Kurdish savored the horrible aftertaste that stretched from his throat to his tongue. By the time he opened his eyes, the numbness was beginning to set in. He sighed in pleasure and turned away from the sink. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; Finding a pair of jeans he pulled them on and began searching for his well worn ankle boots. Only after he had them on did his cell phone begin to vibrate. After a few moments of searching, he found it hidden in his old Misene trench. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; &quot;Kurdish,&quot; he began, his voice soft and wilting from the drugs.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; &quot;Ah, I am pleased to have contacted you Kurdish,&quot; came a calm feminine voice on the other end. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; Jacob sighed. &quot;Lotus, what the hell, do you know what time it is?&quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; &quot;Indeed I do. Its time for you to visit me, is it not?&quot; The question was only for form, Kurdish knew the woman too well to think kindness existed in whatever served as a program&amp;#39;s soul. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; &quot;The usual?&quot; he asked without much joy.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; &quot;Yes, and do not delay. I have some...heartbreaking news for you Kurdish.&quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; Jacob O&amp;#39;Neil allowed himself to laugh. &quot;So suprising. I&amp;#39;ll be there shortly.&quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; He had barely snapped the cell closed when a knock sounded at the door. Rolling his eyes, Kurdish reached down and grabbed his Misene coat, and not bothering with a shirt, slipped it on. &quot;Yea, yea, I already got the messag--&quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; With a thump the door swung open, taking Kurdish full in the face. Stars exploded behind his eyes and the Merovingian operative didn&amp;#39;t even feel the impact as he landed on his back, taking the bedside table with him.&amp;nbsp; Vision clearing, he dimly felt being slammed into the wall, his feet a few inches from the ground. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; A large man dressed in a modernly fashionable prophet duster stood before Kurd, his meaty forearm shoved painfully under the lean Kurd&amp;#39;s chin. Oxygen struggled to make it to his brain as two other simarily clad figures entered his apartment uninvited.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; &quot;This him?&quot; the large one grunted, sweat beginning to bead from the exertion of holding the blond man suspended. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; A man who looked strangely like the long deceased upstart Neo, smiled up at the suffocating operative. &quot;Not sure. Let&amp;#39;s ask.&quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; Suddenly the pressure was gone and Kurdish found himself hitting the floor like a meatbag. Choking for air, he massaged his throat and closed his eyes against the throbbing pain in his forehead. The second man, knelt down and lifted Kurd&amp;#39;s chin. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; &quot;Are you the Merovingian Infiltrator known as Kurdish?&quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; Still gasping for air, Kurdish keep his eyes on the man&amp;#39;s soft soled leather boots. &quot;Among other things, I *choke* guess I am.&quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; With a sigh of pleasure, the man stood and walked to the other end of the room. Much to Jacob&amp;#39;s horror, the large sweaty man plopped himself down on his bed, flattening his pillow to little more than a sheet of paper. The third figure, a woman, stood with arms crossed near the door, a semi-auto firearm resting comfortably in a thigh holster.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; &quot;We&amp;#39;ve heard different opinions concerning you Kurdish, and this defection of yours,&quot; started the speaker, that sickly smug expression paining his pale features. &quot;Since no one can figure out the truth we decided to visit and ask.&quot; Leaning against the sink, the man began tapping his foot. &quot;So...&quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; Rolling his eyes, Kurd rose to a knee and leaned back against the wall. &quot;Where are my manners?&quot; Forcing a sarcastic smile, he waved a hand toward the cluttered mini bar near the window. &quot;Would anyone care for a drink?&quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; With a snort, the woman drew back and delivered a nasty kick to already bruised ribs. Kurdish dropped back to the floor with a resigned moan. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; &quot;No thank you, we&amp;#39;ve already eaten tonight,&quot; the speaker responded. The smile gone, the man&amp;#39;s face took on a form of anger Kurdish had seen only too much in his eventful life. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; &quot;Zion has become weak Kurdish,&quot; he started pacing while he spoke. &quot;We have come to restore it to the strength Neo would have wanted for those he saved. Have you heard of us perhaps?&quot; The smile returned to his twisted face. &quot;We&amp;#39;ve been very busy of late.&quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; Admitting his ignorance with a shake of the head, Kurdish again rose to a sitting position against the wall. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; &quot;Well, I&amp;#39;ll not waste anymore of our time. Either you will hear of us in time or you won&amp;#39;t be hearing much past tonight. So out with it! Where do you stand Jacob O&amp;#39;Neil?&quot; The anger returned and that pale solemn face twisted in a rage Kurdish wanted little of. &quot;Do you stand with Zion or will you fall by her hand? Answer me Kurdish!&quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; Jacob glanced up and met those furious hate-filled eyes. The pain slowly filtered from his own and was replaced with a more controlled form of the same. &quot;Please,&quot; he started through gritted teeth, &quot;get off my pillow!&quot; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Breath coming in hard and heavy, Kurdish slowly reached over and began tugging his pillow from underneath the large man. With one forceful pull Kurdish fell back, pillow clutched tightly to his chest. But that wasn&amp;#39;t the only thing in his hands.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; The woman only had time enough to yelp as the Merovingian spy lunged upward and buried his once hidden bedside knife between her breasts, shoving up-wards forcefully enough to press and lodge into the breastbone.&amp;nbsp; Slamming his left forearm into her jaw for measured effect, Kurdish reached down and freed the woman&amp;#39;s firearm as the brute slammed into him and carried them both out into the hallway. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; Thumbing the safety off Jacob O&amp;#39;Neil squeezed off four rounds into the mass of weight pinning him to the hardwood floor. The man grunted and Jacob freed his gun hand long enough to press the weapon to the stunned man&amp;#39;s temple and squeeze. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; Hot wetness sprayed his face and sickening gray matter hit the wall hard as Kurdish rolled out from underneath the dead intruder. Rushing into the room, Kurdish found the curtains dancing willfully in the open window. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; &quot;Son of a bit---&quot; the words were knocked from his very lips as Kurdish was shoved hard against the wall, his gunhand hitting the window sill. A sick feeling of something disconnecting in his hand, followed by tell-tale sharp pain caused the weapon to fall through the open window and to the streets below his low-born Sai Kung apartment. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;em&gt;Should have checked the damm room, amateur mistake is the last one I&amp;#39;m--&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; The thoughts came to him in their normal detached manner, yet were cut off as Jacob&amp;#39;s intruder slammed his face into the wall with a hate-filled snarl. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; &quot;You&amp;#39;re nobody Kurdish!&quot; the man yelled as he leaned backwards and hurled Jacob to the floor. &quot;You&amp;#39;re a traitor! Nobody worth even being mentioned as a threat to Mother Zion!&quot; The speaker laughed insanely as he walked over and wrenched the knife from his dead companion&amp;#39;s breast. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; Kurdish watched him warily as the man rose, blade in hand. That cold, detached sensation began to fill his brain, bringing with it the familiar sensation of someone watching the scene from a safe, conservative distance, untouchable by the scene playing out before his tired eyes. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; &quot;Tell me Kurdish, do you even know where you stand? Can a fickle, weak being such as yourself even appreciate what you had in your hands!&quot; Crazed eyes bored into Kurd&amp;#39;s dull green ones, the question ripping into the spy like no knife ever could. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; &quot;What have you done!&quot; Kurdish yelled at the crazed fanatic. &quot;Did you really think I would just tell you what even Tyndall doesn&amp;#39;t even know?&quot; Kurd rose from the ground, confidence filling him as confusion danced amongst the intruder&amp;#39;s fiery orbs. &quot;YOU FOOL!&quot; he roared, &quot;these faithfuls blood is on your hands! FOOL!&quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Horror wrought on his pale features, the Neonite glanced over at his friends, their blood pooling around the open doorway. &quot;What have I done,&quot; he whispered. Falling to his knees, he cradled the woman&amp;#39;s head in his arms and pulled her face to his breast, now rising and falling with uncontrolled sobs. &quot;What have I done!&quot; he wailed, still cradling his lost friend near to his heart as he dared.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; Sounding like a footstep in the snow, there was a crunch as the man&amp;#39;s neck was twisted impossibly sideways, and a soundless thud as his body laid down atop his friend&amp;#39;s.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; Kurdish sat down amongst the bodies, unblinking eyes fixated on the unfallen tears still painting the Neonite&amp;#39;s pale face. Such emotion, such devotion, such....what? What was it that refused to release the spy from this macabre scene littered before him. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; &quot;Fool...&quot; he muttered as he rose and pulled his cell from an inner pocket. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; Detached as always, it was easy to dial the numbers of the cleaner he used on almost every job he pulled for the Merovingian. Getting his apartment in order was and cleaning up the mess he had made was all second nature to the sad loner. But the knife that has found his soul this night...that would take time...if indeed it could be healed at all. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;Who the hell are you Jake?&lt;/em&gt; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; An answer came with four more pills and call to Club Jade.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp; &quot;Yeah Lotus, I&amp;#39;m on my way. Have the VIP room cleared, &amp;#39;cause i&amp;#39;m gonna be needin&amp;#39; a few shots and plenty of Bud.&quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;-Kurdish&lt;/p&gt;</description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 4 Dec 2008 12:18:15 GMT</pubDate>
<author>Manatik</author>
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