Post by Sky* on May 25, 2012 19:54:08 GMT -5
((A collaboration between Zekk and myself))
Early afternoon rolled in as rays of sun hit the floor of Sky's room. He had lived in this cottage ever since killing his father and had quite enjoyed the peaceful life it provided him; but now, he wanted more than that. He wanted to fight and cause a riot; he wanted people to acknowledge his cause, fight for his cause, or die trying to fight against his cause. What was his cause? The Shadow was his cause - soon-to-be a group of elite shifters who assassinate those humans who have done them wrong by casting them out - and then some. The world would soon see that shifters were not the cause of some disease to be eradicated, but, in fact, they are an evolved species - not to be beat upon and extinguished, only to be feared.
After grabbing a few things, Sky made his way to the main room and waited for Zekk - he was unsure if Zekk was still in the guest bedroom or had ventured outside. Sky set his bag on the table - the same table where many discussions of a future organization had been made. Zekk and him had plotted many things over the course of the past few days, and they would not be put to waste. As leader of The Shadow, Zekk would march them to a better future. The only things in their way were a lack of a hideout and a lack of members. One of which would hopefully not be a problem by the end of the day. Today was the day they had decided to go out and search the location for said hideout.
Zekk stepped out of the guest room, his sea-blue eyes scanning his surroundings as if he was examining a battlefield, but he was running his hand through his hair as if he had just woken up. All he wore was a pair of loose shorts, not the usual gear he wore on missions. He had temporarily stepped off of the radar to work on this new private business, The Shadow. He still wore his necklace, a short silver chain with a sea-blue skull with bat wings and diamonds for eyes. He'd always had it, ever since he could remember. It was once a baby's only comfort, now it was the mark of a killer. The skull and wings were always on the victims' bodies, if there was any trace left of them. He had a tattoo of a thorn vine encircling each of his wrists; though for reasons he had never told anybody. Nor will he.
"Good morning," he said casually, stepping into the main room. He was surprisingly bright, not the stereotypical killer. If anyone knew what he was, they wouldn't expect him to joke around or make witty remarks. But Sky more than likely knew by now not to take eighty percent of what he said seriously. The cold-hearted persona he wore in public was all an act. Within the sanctity of The Shadow, he was just a normal guy. Besides the gills behind his ears and the shark teeth, that is. And he slept in late on his free days. Like now.
"Let's go," Sky said as he put his bag on his back and the two of them headed out the front door. It had been a nice day out and, although the sun was still almost directly overhead, it was warm, but not hot. Sky and Zekk walked through the woods, as it was the most direct path to the ocean, and soon found themselves staring at the crashing waves ahead of them. Down the beach they saw two guys and a girl talking to one another. One guy was big and built, probably two hundred and sixty pounds of pure muscle - Sky could see his muscles bulging from so far away, there was no doubt he was built. This guy was throwing rocks into the ocean and his mouth was moving as if he was speaking, but Sky and Zekk were too far away to hear what he was saying. The girl, who was obviously attractive, was standing near him and it was easy to tell she was the one the big guy was talking with. The other guy was sitting a good distance behind them in sand. He was much smaller, but it seemed he could not keep himself still. He fiddled his fingers and watched the other two discuss something.
Sky and Zekk were about to walk the opposite way on the beach when they heard the big guy shouting at the girl, but before they could get closer and possibly react, the girl leaped at the big guy and shifted into a snake in mid-air. Within seconds she had wrapped around him and her fangs were against his jugular. It seems she was an extremely venomous snake that could easily kill this man with a bite, because as soon as she had her fangs against his neck, he tensed up and was immediately still. "Wicked! Did you see that?" Sky asked Zekk; although, he was sure the shark shifter had seen the whole thing play out.
Zekk didn't look at Sky. His eyes were fixed on the miniature quarrel that broke out on the beach, no emotion showing in his face. One would just assume he was going through a very profound thought process... After a moment, he took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. And after that long moment of contemplation, and without taking his eyes off of the prize, he said: "I think I'm in love." After that, without waiting for any incredulous remark he strode towards the couple.
He stopped just at the edge of the woods, where the branches and sand met. A safe distance, but not too far away for him to not seem invisible to the trio. "Good morning!" he called out, grinning as if he had just addressed long lost friends. "Lovely day at the beach, is it not?" He had decided he'd wait for Sky to approach, either as a hawk in the air or as human alongside him. He personally liked to wait to reveal the other side of him.
Sky smiled at Zekk’s words. This girl definitely was impressive! Sky walked up alongside Zekk and then headed closer to the group. The girl shifted back and the three stood next to each other as if preparing for an attack. Getting closer, it was easy to just how much bigger this guy was than the other two. He was even bigger than Sky, and Sky was 6’2” at 220 pounds! Sky stayed in his human form and stopped on the beach near the three, but still a safe distance away. He did not want to shift yet, so he had a potential escape plan in case things went downhill.
Sky knew Zekk could undoubtedly persuade them to join The Shadow if he knew they were all shifters, but that was the thing they needed to find out. Was the girl the only shifter and the two guys’ humans? Perhaps, that was one of the reasons the big guy had froze when she shifted, but it seems that was not the case – based off of how the three stood together - as friends. They knew each other and, if chance had it, they were all shifters. To be sure, Sky asked, ”Can you two shift into incredible creatures, as she can?" In his simple question, it was apparent that he was not disgusted by her shifting, but in awe.
The three looked at each other, more than likely wondering whether Zekk and Sky were actually real or just plain delusional. After a moment of hesitation, the big guy shifted to a rhinocerous, and the other one shifted to an enormous spider. Then just as quick, they shifted back, looking as if they were ready for a fight. The girl was looking them over, as if deciding where she should sink her fangs first.
Zekk, though, was unperturbed by this inclining aggression. Rather, he stepped towards them, looking nothing more than a guy from the city that came to a secluded side of the beach coast. "Please, aggression aside! Why would me and my comrade do any harm to our fellow brethren?" he asked, probably throwing them off but continuing. "Yes, we are shifters, too. Though where we stand may not be the best setting to prove it," he added, looking at the sand beneath his feet. Yes, a fish out of water would not look too awe-endowing. "Tell me, have you too been persecuted by the pathetic beings that try and claim the world as theirs?"
Although this was not the place for Zekk to shift, Sky found the sand quite enjoyable. He shifted into an eagle and flew up in the sky. The ocean breeze always felt great as it ruffled his feathers. After the quick display, Sky landed back on the ground and shifted. This was his way of saying, 'We're friends, not enemies.'
The two guys smiled at Sky shifting and Zekk's words, they were not alone in this battle. After Zekk's words, the girl stepped forward and spoke, "You mean those despicable creatures known as humans? Keep talking." She folded her arms and looked the Sky and Zekk up and down. She wanted to know what they were all about - it did not happen often that people approached her after seeing her shift.
Zekk smiled, looking at the girl who spoke so maliciously. "I see we share mutual hatred. And I don't mean just humans. I mean the elves as well. They all claim to be the superior race, and they label us as dangerous to their survival." he paused for a second, and grinned evilly. "What do you say we make that accusation a nightmare?"
He paused again and looked at each one. "Sky here is my eyes in the sky. He'll be my second-in-command. I plan to start a group of the elite, the deadliest shifters known to this world. We'll be out for hire in service to the highest bidder, serving as assassins, spies, scouts, bodyguards, anything they may need. Once the group grows and our infamy spreads, we'll have more power to take our place as above the inferior beings that only wish they were like us. And even those that'll hire us will fear us, because even one remark we don't like and they could be dead by morning. Sound promising?" he asked, looking to each one again in turn.
The big man smirked and said, "I'm Bully and this is Shovel," he finished pointing to Zachary. He raised his head and puffed out his chest as if to prove he will be a viable source in The Shadow. Zachary nodded and looked at the girl as if awaiting her signal to know he had made the right choice - hand grabbing at his pant legs. The girl stepped forward towards Zekk. A wicked smile broke her blank face as she began, "What makes you think you should be the one to lead us?" she said as she lightly stepped closer to Zekk, her seductive eyes never leaving his face.
The girl got so close, she was within inches of Zekk's face. She reached up and let her hand slide down his neck and bare chest, "After all, they do call me Bleedout for a reason..." she finished eyes staring straight into Zekk's as if she was hypnotizing him.
Zekk raised his eyebrow at her and turned to look back at Sky, who no doubt knew the unease Zekk felt at this connection inside and wa sprobably secretly laughing at him. Zekk was careful not to show any discomfort at the connection and smiled sweetly at her. "Sounds like a challenge," he said, turning around her and never leaving her eyes and keeping the same distance between them until his back faced the water.
After one last lingering moment he backed away from her, turning to the water and jogging until he was about knee deep in water and the water surface barely touched his shorts. With one last smile to the watching grup and Sky, who no doubt knew what was happening and smirking at him for being a showoff, he hackflipped into deeper water, turning into the frill shark he was mid air and diving into the water. He swam with lightning speed towards the shore until hte shark got to the sand and he morphed back into Zekk. Smiling, he stepped towards them. "Because I'm a Nightmare," he said to Bleedout, answering her question.
Sky smiled at the friction between Zekk and Bleedout and at Zekk shifting. Although he was getting to know Zekk pretty well, he was glad that he was not too close to the water... Sharks, like Zekk and others, freaked him out. The sea was a cage to him, almost like the ground, but... worse.
Bleedout smirked back at Bully and Shovel and then back to Zekk. "We're in," she said as she glanced from Zekk to Sky and then turned to walk between her two friends. After a few steps, she turned back at all four of them and asked, "Where are we headed, then. It's not like the three of us and Sky can swim to an underwater hideout," she laughed. Sky smiled at the remark because that was the reason Zekk and him had come out here to begin with. He looked from Bleedout to Shovel; from Bully to Zekk. This was definitely going to a hell of a group!
Zekk grinned slightly. "You're really smart," he said to Bleedout. "That's actually the reason we're scouting these secluded areas of the beach. We've been looking for a place to make our temporary headquarters, but instead found a treasure in an entirely different scale," he added, winking at her. As uncomfortale as Bleedout's sensuality made him, he was a flirt.
He looked to Shovel and Bully. "But with the group we have, we might actually be able to make one instead. But I'm hoping for one with a land, water, and sky entrance and exit. For diversity purposes for any other shifters we find who are elite enough to walk alongside us. Any ideas?" he asked the trio.
Sky looked to Bleedout, assuming she would be the one with an idea; Bleedout looked to Bully, as if to say she did not have any ideas; Bully looked to Shovel, as if to say - 'you better have an idea.' Shovel looked to Zekk and mumbled, "I... I know of a p-place. Follow m-me," he finished, and abruptly turned around and mumbled to himself as he walked swiftly down the beach.
The others stood there for a bit, as if shocked that neither of them had a good idea and Shovel seemed to. Then, they hurriedly followed the guy in the sand; as did Sky and Zekk. "This should be good," he joked to Zekk, half expecting this weirdo to take them to a tree, knock on it, and then stand there expecting a door to swing open.
"You're telling me," Zekk replied, smirking as they followed this group a little behind to obtain some sort of privacy, though that won't be neither necessary nor wanted when they work together. Especially if Bleedout enjoys close proximities... Zekk shut that thought down. No one was able to unfocus his thoughts, especially not some shifter he just met.
But what Shovel led them to was truly the most amazing place he had ever seen, and he immediately knew he'd fall in love and marry it. It was an island cove, with a small strip of land leading to it just underneath the water's surface. And it was far enough from Ederra for no one to stumble upon it.
"Shovel.. This place is amazing!" Zekk said in awe, running to it at full speed. About halfway down the peninsula he turned off of the path and morphed into a shark, exploring the water surrounding it. Sure enough, there were tunnels through the strip of land, and even through the corals and into the cove! He followed one until it popped up into an underground cave, and he climbed out of the hole into it. Above, as a skyroof, and there were tunnels large enough for people to walk through, even Bully! And the room itself was large enough to set up a mansion, with elevated levels. With a few built in stairways, some fires, and a few cozy set-ups this place could truly be a killers' haven.
Bully looked at the place and the excitement on Zekk's face. He patted Shovel on the back and said, "You did well, Shovel. You did well." Sky followed Zekk at a jogging speed and once he was at the peninsula he shifted and flew into the air. Zekk was searching the place from below; he might at as well search it from above. Up in the air, Sky flew about the island. Even though it seemed to come out of nowhere, the island was neither obvious nor inconspicuous, but if they were not looking for a hideout such as this, they probably would have stayed on the beach and just walked right past it.
From above the island looked completely covered by plant life and sand, but as he got close he could see small tunnels just big enough for an adult human to slide down - or, a bird to fly down - even one the size of Sky. He did so and was amazed at what he saw. He came down into a tunnel big enough for him to walk down in human. One way the tunnel continued, the other way it lead to a large ledge - almost like a loft. He shifted into human form and walked out on the ledge. It was large and was mostly open to a huge room and as he peaked down he saw Zekk way down below coming out of the water. "This place is amazing!" he shouted down from his ledge - as it would from then on be known.
"You're telling me!!" Zekk replied, spinning around slowly to take in all the nooks and crannies and details. Deciding where the bookshelves will be, or the alchemy lab, the dining table.. "It's going to be hell getting the luxuries here," he began as the other three walked in, "but it can be done. Our primary mission right now will be to set this place up for our other future members to come, and after that we'll start actively recruiting."
He turned to his comrades. "This! This is our home. Shovel, you did amazing. You have no idea how much you've already contributed to our group." He slowly spread out his arms in welcome, as only a dramatist would do, with a big smile on his face. "Welcome to The Shadow."