He bit his lip as a finger tightened around the trigger. He had never felt such raw emotion before a shot, but he knew she was far worse off in that regard. When she gave him - or anyone - that look, he knew very well that her target, whoever it was, didn't know they were already dead.

He sucked in a shaky breath, and forced the exhale to steel his nerves. It wasn't as if he felt remorse for the men he would kill tonight. No, those feelings would have been the exact opposite of the mental high he was experiencing.

A wolfish grin spread over his lips. He squeezed one eye shut, and focused the other on the scope. He was set up some thousand feet away on a nondescript rooftop. Laid out on his stomach, his clothing blended into the night. And the sniper rifle in his hands was primed to fire just as much as he was ready - no, excited - to kill.

"This is for you, Jess," he chuckled as a bead of sweat dripped from his brow. "Rubi won't let you down... and neither will I."

It took all his will power not to pull the trigger on the disgusting mob boss in his sights. A sickly man who could never hope to compete with the young woman he called a leader. She was a true matriarch.

* Three... two... one... *

She crossed slender arms with a small sigh as yet another man approached her from the horizon. He might have been muscular and gorgeous with a beautiful sun-kissed complexion, but what about her screamed 'come hit on me?' She was alone at a bustling beach, but the weather was nice and she loved the sea. She was dressed in a fairly provocative swimsuit, sure, but it made her feel confident.

"Hey babe," he smiled as he stood before her, then, and ran a hand through wet blonde locks. With a roll of her eyes, she was about to turn him away like all the others, but a sudden rumbling in the ocean nearby caused both of them to look in that direction. Bubbles rose from the surface for a moment before the water parted in a large splash, and a board-like object shot out with what appeared to be a human with long blue hair clutching onto it.

Riptide had just visited her home in Atlantis, but there was never a dull moment in Gotham, and she couldn't resist the urge to return. As the board plummeted towards the shore, she pulled it underneath her feet and engaged the hover functionality just before impact with the beach. The thrusters kicked up the sand into a storm that covered the blonde-haired man, but not the attractive young woman who just gave a snort in approval.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Kora called out to them with a sheepish smile. The woman offered a two-finger salute as she knew of the Atlantean. Suddenly, Kora was off her hoverboard and rapidly brushing the sand off the man like a duster. "I hope you can forgive me!" She clasped her hands and bowed before them repeatedly, "I usually check before coming up, but I was a little too excited this time. I promise it won't happen again!" She offered the two a broad grin, but the exchange only took about fifteen seconds, and both of them were staring at her with no chance to formulate a reply.

"Alright, I'll let you get back to it! You got this," Kora nodded more to herself and gave the man a slap on the back in good nature, but he almost lost his footing entirely due to her inhuman strength. The girl raised an eyebrow at him in pity and let out a sigh before helping him upright. Kora leapt back to her hoverboard and waved before blasting off towards the steps that led away from the beach.

A few people waved with a smile on their face.
Others blinked in surprise and she was gone.
Many would stop and stare in awe, watching Riptide soar through the cityscape with care. The hoverboard under her feet was a fusion of technology and Atlantean magic. The thrusters at the bottom left a trail of small luminescent bubbles that instantly popped into fleeting particles.

She was rapidly approaching the end of the long staircase that connected the beach to the city streets, and it was time for a big jump. Crouching low on the board, she stomped it twice for a boost in speed and blasted up the railing like a rocket in space. A crowd passing by below heard the burst of the board and saw the shower of mist left by the exhaust.

Riptide, meanwhile, touched down on the edge of a rooftop across the street, and kept going. To stop the momentum would be difficult, but she didn't have to stop with no real obstacles along the rooftops. She ducked and weaved through utilities, utilizing the edges like a skateboarder would ride railings. Leaping from rooftop to rooftop was an easy feat with just a small boost to the board's power output, and there were no innocents to get caught up in her fun.

After emerging from the sea, Kora took her sweet time navigating the cityscape. Cosplaying spiritually as a skateboarder, the rooftops served as her playground to practice the various moves she saw on television. She could use her hoverboard to great effect where there was very little chance to be seen, and even less of a risk to any passersby. It was thrilling to blast through the clouds from tall buildings, and an experience quite unlike anything Atlantis could ever hope to provide.

Sooner or later, however, she made it to one of the highest skyscrapers in the city. The place she called home was in a condo on the 71st floor, but she rarely used the front door. Instead, she utilized the surroundings to get close, and then rode up the building's sleek exterior to launch herself onto the balcony of her abode. Once standing on the solid foundation, she kicked the back of the board to spin it up into the air. As it rotated down, the large hoverboard rapidly folded in on itself until a barely visible gold speck remained.

"Thank you for your hard work. You can rest easy now," she smiled to the speck while holding her bracer underneath it, and it seemed to be absorbed by a beam of light from the golden heirloom. Satisfied, she brought it to her lips and gave it a light peck out of appreciation.

Looking ahead, the sliding glass door was open and in fact missing. In its place was a shimmering doorway that, much like her hoverboard, combined modern tech with advanced Atlantean technology and magic. At her approach, the image flickered slightly and allowed her a brief glance at the interior of her condo as if it were a translucent window. Stepping through it entirely, she entered the domain of her residence which presented a living situation unimaginable to a normal human.

From ceiling to floor, the entire inside of the condo was submerged in water. All the furniture, decorations, and even electronics seemed to be in good condition, however, and fully operational. It was very likely due to Atlantean influence that Kora's items were thriving in such an unusual environment. Her gills were also extremely happy to kick into gear even though they weren't exactly needed.

"Feels good to be home," Kora lifted her arms in a big stretch while taking a peaceful look around. She then blinked rapidly and with her hands still clasped above her, let out a sudden gasp of realization... or maybe she was just looking for more things to do. "Hold up! I have to check in with the League!"

She was never one to sit still, and so she set out to contact the League. Luckily, she had a method installed in her condo, and communication was easy to establish. After her business with the League was concluded, she stripped off her attire and changed into more comfortable clothing to watch some television.

To be more precise, she was tuning into a comedy routine by Gabriel Iglesias. He was hilarious, and she found him only recently. She would laugh herself to tears, but she couldn't strip away her feelings as easily as her clothes. She wondered what the League meant when they said there was a new evil stirring within the city. Her friends told her all they knew in the earlier transmission, but it was vague.

"I wonder who you are," she whispered aloud while holding up a Marill plush to squeeze its cheeks, "and if we can be friends."

* Let's go *

She gave the meat a perfect slice to tear it away from the bone. Despite herself, Ramona Walker was a perfectionist when it came to a variety of odd circumstances. Eating in the privacy of her own home was one thing, but dining at a fine Italian restaurant across from one of the upcoming mobsters in Gotham was another story entirely.
The silverware had to be handled with a certain flair.
Cuts had to be made with precision and grace.
Wine had to be indulged before consumed.
A bite had to be appropriate, and deliciously masticated before the succulent swallow.

She let out a melodious laugh a split second before the table could join her. Only one individual was truly important, and he was watching them all, ready to subconsciously note the first reaction... but also to acknowledge those who would dare seek to toy with him. Who would dare fake a laugh in his presence?

Rubi swirled her glass of wine as the head of the table gave a brief, nearly unidentifiable nod towards a middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair who was sweating profusely. Two men dressed in formal attire who were casually eating at a table nearby went up to the man, and one of them unceremoniously bent down to whisper in his ear. An expression of horror flashed across his face, and then he was pulled out of his seat to disappear with the men in tow.

"I'm so glad we could come to an arrangement worthy of your time," Rubi didn't miss a beat in the conversation.

"Soo right you are, Miss Walker," whispered Mardo Vakonis, head of the table and patriarch of the Oscuritas. His words slithered out of his skeletal face like poison would drip from a snake's fangs. "When you approached my dear henchmen with such a tantalizing offer, I knew THEN," he slammed a gloved palm on the table with a grin that stretched his skin to show blackened gums. "that you, my dear, were a keeper. Oh yes. You were smart to recognize your little band of misfits had no chance of keeping soo much territory."

She fought down the urge to twitch an eyebrow in irritation, and instead offered a convincing smile. "Oh, I do agree!"
A cross of her legs for that feminine charm they would latch onto.
"The higher-ups sought expansion without my approval, you see, and you saved me the trouble of dealing with one of them. The rest of them, well - they burnt to a crisp, as you saw." She thrust out her chest and blushed, then: "No idea who would argue against someone as generous as you, Mister Vakonis - oh," she grazed her lips with a finger. "Do you prefer mister, or should I just skip straight to something more personal?" She enunciated her words in a sultry tone that she would later expunge with vomit.

Mardo burst into laughter and the various crime lords - or whatever they were - followed suit, but the horrible sound ended as abruptly as it began. "You're quite the nasty one, aren't you? Yess, I remember the little show you put on for me vividly," he sat back with a smirk. "Your little comrades, all burning to death in front of your eyeballs. Nasty, nasty business... but who could fault you? Insubordination is, after all, a weed that must be plucked as soon as it festers to life." He took an exaggerated swig of his wine as the doors leading to the kitchen burst open.

Rubi stabbed her knife into the table which caused Mardo to choke on his drink, and she narrowed her gaze with the words: "As is betrayal." From the kitchen, a young man in white rolled out a cart full of dessert trays. After a few steps, he took out a handkerchief and wiped his face of sweat. "You look surprised," Rubi cocked her head while sitting back casually. "I'd apply the same force to any fucker who'd attempt to mess with me. Just like you would, I'm sure."

Mardo cleared his throat before looking at her carefully, then. "You've got balls as well as intelligence, Miss Walker. You're the only one in this room who'd display such violence right in front of me," he chuckled. "The rest of you are spineless dogs who need to learn from this one's example!" He gestured to her while glancing at both sides of the table. No one returned his gaze, but Rubi could see it was all a show. They were orchestrating a play just as she was putting on a part.

Five men at the table. Six if you included Mardo. They were clearly all armed and while some appeared to be older men, she didn't recognize any of them. She concluded none of them were high-ranking members of the Obscuritas or any other family she knew.

The two men had returned, but the gentleman they had dragged out was no longer in sight. Was he a genuine guest? Another mess to be disposed of like her?

If she assumed the six individuals dining at various tables were undercover, and the three waiters were packing heat... which they clearly were by the subtle adjustments they made to their person, this dinner was designed as a deathtrap. She couldn't have been sure if the dishes were poisoned or not, but she took precautions for that.

The cart rolled closer with an agonizingly loud squeaking noise, and the stakes grew higher with each passing breath. All Rubi could hear was
[i]squeak,[/i]
[b]squeak,[/b]
[b][i]squeak![/b][/i]
even as the conversation around her continued to swell. She herself was spewing words out of her mouth with a fake smile attached to them, but her concentration was on the waiter pushing the cart. Her eyes, for a split second, caught his and they shared a look of determination. If it was to be done tonight, now would be the time.

The waiter's name was Joseph Wheeler, and he had distant connections to Rubi's mob. Some of his family was injured in the police raid that claimed one of her young up-and-comers - a passionate and influential girl by the name of Jessica. When Joseph heard that she had fallen, and that the plot extended so far as Mardo Vakonis, he made a vow to help her. To avenge his brethren.

As he served dessert, he served something else to the first victim of the night: a bullet to the back of the head. The gentleman was to Mardo's left and mid-speech when the bullet lodged in his brain. His eyes rolled up into the back of his head and his mouth stayed agape even as the top half of his body fell to slam against the table. Joseph, sweat dripping down his face, disarmed the man because he surely didn't need it any longer, and threw the pistol to Rubi who caught it mid-jump out of her seat.

"What is the meaning of-" Mardo leapt to his feet and let out an anguished shout as a bullet tore through his shoulder. Rubi shot twice more into the henchmen at his side before rolling towards the cart Joseph left by the table. Joseph himself took cover behind a table he overturned immediately after the first shot he took. He swallowed hard while staring down at the gun clenched in his hands, trembling from the realization that he went through with it. The cart hid the weapons he smuggled into the restaurant at Rubi's request, and so-

He couldn't hear the footsteps amidst the gunshots, and only caught a glance at the firearm that whipped against his temple. The world instantly fell to black.

* To burn impatience *

[i]Rubi took a running step to slam her foot into the crate and launch it into the far wall. The wood shattered on impact and rained down in shards. Spinning on her heel, she stalked towards a navy-haired young woman watching her with a deadpan expression. There were others in the room, but they didn't matter at that moment. The mob boss reached out to the woman's collar and pulled her close.

"That fucking rat bastard was behind it, Mae, and you want to PLAN?! He sold our fuckin' family out to the POLICE! He got her killed, Mae! And you expect me to sit on my goddamn ass while you think of some elaborate scheme to get on his good side?!" Rubi spat and shoved her to the floor before she could even think of a response.

Reaching into her pocket, she grabbed a pack of cigarettes and snatched two. Slipping both of them in her mouth, she quickly lit the ends and inhaled the fumes in a series of heaving breaths. With narrowed eyes, she adjusted the folds of her jacket and started pacing. Every so often, she'd glance down to subconsciously ensure her appearance was in order.

Mae sat cross-legged on the dirty floor of the warehouse and swept the crowd with an emotionless gaze. She could gather that most of them were as enraged as Rubi, but now wasn't the time to act rashly. If there was a family in cahoots with the police, Rubi's habit of destroying all those responsible in a reckless surge of vengeance could result in the group's eradication.

"I want you to kill them," she said suddenly. This attracted not just the attention of Rubi, but all members present. "I was not suggesting you let this go, Rubi, but a different course will assure we succeed." Mae stood and brushed herself off before focusing her emotionless lavender eyes on the woman she knew as a mother despite said mother being younger, and sometimes far more aggressive. "As one of your strategists - no, as someone who cares deeply about you and your objectives, I hope you can listen... if just this once."

There was a grave silence, and then the faint sound of a deep sigh. Rubi's expression softened as she looked away from the woman, nibbling on her cigarettes. "Fine," she nodded more to herself. "Fine, alright? Ya get your wish, Mae, but if your plan fails," she clenched a fist, "then I'm going in alone."

"Very well," Mae smiled ever so slightly. "I will not let you down."

*

On the outskirts of the city, an inferno raged. A group of people stood before it, and Ramona Walker was one of them. In one hand she held a lit cigarette with a death grip, and in the other, presents for the balding bastard to her side. She turned away from the flames and faced Mardo Vakonis directly, showing him what appeared to be badges of some sort. They were heavily charred and blackened, but they possessed an undeniable likeness to the symbol of her family.

"If the corpses you can see in there aren't proof enough," she forced a smile to her lips and it was physically painful, but she could rely on her subconscious acting skills to get the next few words out, "Mister Vakonis, then these are family crests." She relinquished them to his henchman who stepped forth to snatch them out of her hand. "They are worn by people I consider competent, but these fuckers were a little too competent. Their scheme was to take your territory." [i]You know, the shit you stole from us![/i] She wanted to add but didn't.

"Hm," Mardo clicked his tongue while beckoning another henchman to his side. He whispered into the man's ear, "Verify the bodies." The man nodded before walking into the fenced-off area where the burning bodies were strapped to iron beams. "So... Miss Walker, is it?" Mardo rubbed his chin as if in thought, "If your story is true, I would say your reputation precedes you. However," he snapped his fingers, then, and his henchmen raised their guns to aim at Rubi, "I would say no one in this city is trustworthy. What makes you think I need you?"

Rubi didn't even flinch at having so many barrels trained on her. She merely looked Mardo in the eye with her fingers still calmly cradling the cigarette between her lips. "If you've really done your homework, then you're well aware that I don't tolerate traitors. I've destroyed great connections - and parts of this city - to ensure no one interferes with me... or my allies," she exhaled a drag of her cig. "If you were to become an ally, Mister Vakonis, then you'd reap all the benefits with no drawbacks. You'd have a genuine friend with friends of their own. Powerful friends whose resources surely mean more to you than an empty war, right?"

At that moment, the man Mardo sent to investigate the bodies returned and whispered into his ear. With a few slight nods, Mardo outstretched an arm to his side and dropped it in a signal to his henchmen. Simultaneously their guns lowered, and Rubi, expression still stoic, took another slow drag of her cig. "You're a smart man, Mister Vakonis. I trust we'll be in touch?"

There was a tense period of silence for a moment where nothing save the flames that crackled in the background were audible. "Indeed," Mardo eventually agreed with a wide, unnerving grin. "You are a shrewd one, Miss Walker. You will surely prove to be a most irreplaceable asset."

"That's the plan," she began to turn away from him. "Until next we meet, then, Mister Vakonis." She gave a nod of farewell and walked away without another word.

Mardo watched her go and when she was out of ear-shot, he clicked his tongue with a frown. "A most infuriating one to be sure," he spat on the ground before climbing into his limo. "Friends? Alliances? You talk as if you know anything! This is a dog-eat-dog world, and I will prove it to you." As the vehicle started moving forward, he sat back and rubbed his hands together in an attempt to reassure himself.

"You'll be a mere stepping stone with what I have planned, and your little allies amount to nothing compared to the force I've assembled in this city." He sucked in a breath with shaky laughter, "Yes, nothing! [b]He[/b] is on my side, after all."[/i]

* Rude awakening *

"WAH!"

Kora physically jumped awake when the marill plush in her arms began shrieking in a familiar alarm tone. She fell off the couch where she had fallen asleep, and hit the floor with a loud thump. Bubbles rose from the impact, and her gills puffed out in their own display of discontent.

Jolting upright, she jabbed at the plush in a panic to find the button that would stop the sound. She finally felt a click and let out a sigh of relief, but then realized she probably looked like a mess. She quickly adjusted the sleeve that was hanging off one shoulder, and was about to fix her disheveled hair when the plush began speaking in an unidentifiable voice. It might have been human, but it was heavily distorted by mechanical overtones.

"Agent Riptide," it began as the eyes appeared to glow with each word.

"S-Sir!" She pulled back the hand that was reaching for her hair, and held the plush up to eye level. "Riptide reporting in!" She stood a little more poised and gave a salute, "What's the situation?" As they spoke, she remembered inconsequentially that the plush was only for vocal communication between the League, and that they couldn't see her.

"We have picked up a grave disturbance in the western district..." The voice seemed to drift off as if in contemplation. "It seems several distress calls are being rerouted... or potentially ignored by law enforcement."

Kora let out a gasp. "That's terrible! The perpetrators might be utilizing a jammer of some sort," she narrowed her eyes and pressed a finger to her bracelet. At once, a warm light engulfed her form and solidified into her battlesuit - the garb she usually wore. "If you can get in touch with the authorities, I'll head there immediately and see what I can do about the crisis."

"Understood. I'll forward the destination to your bracelet, and send reinforcements as soon as possible. I've already contacted all nearby medical facilities to be ready with aid once we know the circumstances in greater detail," the voice reported as Kora took the bead from her bracelet and threw it in front of her. The ancient tech expanded and unfolded very rapidly into her hoverboard.

"Perfect," she nodded while tapping another section of the bracelet. The marill's eyes faded to darkness at the input. "I've patched you through to my direct line now. Keep me up to date, alright?" She leapt onto the hoverboard and kicked it into gear. Launching through the shimmering doorway to the balcony, she blasted up and past the railing, and safely slid down the side of the building.

"Confirmed," came the familiar mechanical voice from her bracelet. "And Riptide?"

She held the bracelet up slightly with a blink, "Yes?"

A slight hesitation from the other end. "Be careful. I have a bad feeling about this."

"I will," she nodded to herself with a smile. "Don't worry. No matter how bad it may seem, we'll pull through!"

* Negotiation *

Rubi snatched what weapons she could from the cart before darting behind a pillar. In one hand she held a grenade launcher, and in the other a shotgun. Both firearms were modified to focus on subjection rather than destruction, but that would suit her purposes just fine.

The pillar took a hail of gunfire from multiple sources, but there was a narrow window in which she could fire safely. Peeking out from cover, she aimed the launcher and fired a grenade towards the large table in the center where they were all seated prior. Most of Mardo's henchmen were gathered in that general vicinity, and they scattered upon seeing the grenade fly towards them.

When it first hit the wood, there was a small detonation followed by an explosion of smoke, but no fire. Dense smog filled much of the dining area, and the guards were forced into a violent coughing fit. Seeing her chance, Rubi sucked in a breath and dashed towards the first henchman she could see on her way to Mardo.

He swung at her with a fist, but she ducked and fired the shotgun into his side. While the buckshot was rubber, the force was enough to launch him backwards. She stayed on the move after the blast and jumped into a roundhouse kick that floored the next unfortunate soul. The noise when he hit the floor attracted the attention of two nearby guards even through the smoke, and they charged her simultaneously.

She kicked her feet into the floor to bounce back, avoiding one's wild arc. Bracing the shotgun, she fired into his upper leg, but he grunted and lunged towards her in determination. The second one was winding up for a punch to the side of her head, but staggered forward as a high-powered bullet shot through his shoulder and drilled into the floor at his feet. He collapsed forward in pain, and Rubi glanced sideways for a split second to thank the sniper on her side.

The burly man in front of her was still barreling towards her, however, and managed to tackle her to the ground. The shotgun flung from her grasp, but she used the grenade launcher to hold his fists at bay, and then bashed the firearm against his face repeatedly until he eventually fell unconscious. She rolled him off of her and searched his person to find a pistol. It wasn't fancy, but it would have to do.

The smoke was beginning to clear, but she saw Mardo very clearly running towards the kitchen. She exhaled through her nose and took off after him, noting in satisfaction that the blood pouring from his shoulder probably made it difficult to get away. She dropped the grenade launcher and grabbed the back of his shirt before he could get through the door to the back.

"Where ya going, asshole?" She spun him around to face her, and immediately slammed her knuckles into his gut. "That was for havin' to put up with your shit," she spat while pulling him into her grip.

"D-Do you have... ANY idea what you're doing?! You may have your pathetic little gangs, but I... I have truly powerful friends! You can't DO this to me! You're nothing but an impudent whelp!" Mardo was red in the face with anger and as he screamed at her, he didn't realize until after he was done and panting that she displayed no remorse. And he suddenly felt the fear as he looked into her eyes, saw the unflinching gaze staring back at him.

And he was the one afraid.

"Release him at once," barked an intimidating voice from behind. Rubi turned to face the source with Mardo in front of her, held fast in her arms and with the gun she had picked up pressed harshly against his temple. Her eyes widened slightly as she saw a bloodied and barely-conscious Joseph in the man's deathgrip. He, too, had a gun that was trained on his hostage.

Mardo squealed uncontrollably, "Y-Yes, shoot her already! Do what I pay you to do, you lousy bastard! Protect me... please!"

"How pathetic..." Rubi spat and looked to the henchman, "Are you really willing to give your life for this sack of shit?"

"Don't act so tough, bitch," he growled. "From where I'm standing, you're outnumbered, and your only ally is losing HIS life fast."

"If that's your answer," she heaved a sigh, and suddenly the shattering of glass could be heard. A bullet sank into the man's head and lodged itself inside his brain. There was no time for him to react before he was dead on his feet. His body hit the floor unceremoniously, and Joseph weakly crawled out of his grasp.

"W-What...?!" Mardo glanced back at Rubi in horror, but was knocked out with a swift pistol whip to the back of the head. She leaned him up against the wall to quickly check up on Joseph. He was a real mess, but was still conscious and somewhat tracking her movements with glazed-over eyes.

"Hey, don't go ditchin' me," she spoke gently while propping him up and tending to the more grievous injuries. She tore fabric from her clothing to serve as a tourniquet. "Stay with me, okay? You did great, and Jess wouldn't want you seein' her just yet." She tenderly held his face to maintain eye contact until the sound of sirens blared in the distance.

"About time," Rubi sighed in relief and her voice became slow, careful. "You had nothing to do with this, remember? You were hurt in the incident. That's all. If anyone makes a move on you, Johnny'll act. But you're innocent, understand?" He couldn't speak, but made a sound akin to an affirmative groan. She nodded and made sure he was as comfortable as possible before making her way back to Mardo who was still very much uncomfortably unconscious.

Draping him over her shoulder, she kicked the kitchen door open and worked her way out to the back where the get-away vehicle discussed in the plan was hopefully waiting.

* Breakdown *

His eyes shot open.

Mardo Vakonis struggled against his restraints, but it was futile. Staring ahead, he saw the youthful face of Ramona Walker. Oh, how he had underestimated her. She was sitting directly in front of him with her eyes closed, legs apart. Very unlike the posture she held so effortless at the dinner. He tried to glance around at his surroundings, but found that his neck was strapped to the chair. He couldn't turn his head very well, and he couldn't break the bindings on his wrists or ankles.

"So yer awake," she opened her eyes suddenly and looked straight into his. "Good song, right?" He did his best to nod with a bead of sweat forming on his brow. He hadn't noticed the song before and it didn't feel familiar, but he knew he had to beg for his life at this point. He had been responsible for enough of what was about to transpire to know that he was fucked. "Gold Guns Girls," she stood up and slid a lit cigarette between her lips. Taking a long drag, she let out a ring of smoke and continued: "As ya can probably guess, it's about never bein' satisfied with what ya got. I'm sure ya can understand that quite well... Master," she snorted.

He was trembling, then, and could only search wildly for the torture devices. What was she going to do? Where were the instruments? He squeezed his eyes shut in a vain effort at escaping reality, but found her fingers quick to force his lids open. "Oh no," she leaned close with a cock of her head. "Don't wanna see what I have in store, do ya? But I heard you like this kinda thing!" She released his eyelids and walked off into shadow for a moment. Mardo shouted into the layers of tape covering his mouth, but the muffled sound was an annoyance at best.

She walked back into view holding a syringe, and gave it a flick. She glanced down at him eyeing the needle and smiled, "There ya go! I bet you're excited now, huh?" Lunging towards him, she grabbed the top of his head and forced his eye open with a thumb on the lid. His gray-blue pupil shook wildly in the bloodshot iris as it saw the needle approach. When the tip was just about to pierce the unguarded organ, she pushed the injector to shoot a stream of liquid into it.

He cried out against the tape and jerked his body so forcefully that the chair lifted very briefly, but then... no adverse effects. He blinked a few times and as his vision focused, he looked up at her in confusion. "Whatcha so scared for, hm?" She threw the syringe out of his view and pulled her chair up next to his. "Little water ain't kill nobody unless ya shove their face in it. Ya ever do somethin' like that, old man?"

There was no sound except for his muffled voice.

"Oh right," she nodded while taking one of his hands in hers. "Ya can't really talk right now, huh? Must suck. But ya know," she caressed one of his fingers with a faraway look in her eyes as she seemed to examine his thin skin that was so easily bruised. "That fact might make what's comin' a whole lot easier for ya."

She went from tenderly stroking the digit to pushing it back with her thumb until they both heard a crack, and he screamed into the tape with tears streaming down his face.

"Oh, sorry. I guess I should be more clear on the rules, huh? I'm kinda new at this," she plopped a hand on the top of his balding head and leaned in close until their noses were almost touching. "But here's the deal! Since ya like breakin' the unwritten rule or the honor code, or whatever the FUCK ya wanna call it... if trash like you even defers to a code, that is, I'll give you a veeery reasonable offer."

The more she spoke seriously, the less her dialect shifted. It may have been to prove a point, but Mardo was too busy feeling another snap in his hand to really care about analyzing her speech pattern. What went the first time was his thumb. Now was his pointer. It hung at a sickly angle as if pointing back at him in a poetic twist of fate.

"If you tell me the name of your connection inside the police department, I will kill you." She exhaled, then, and a ring of smoke from the burning cigarette still tucked between her lips enveloped his features. Rubbing his scalp in mock affection, she continued in a tone devoid of all youthful innocence if there was any left: "Do you understand? I don't want their name. If you give it to me, Mardo - oh, if you give it to me... there will be hell to pay."

* Alarmed *

"Hm, this is so strange," Riptide said aloud.

The same voice from earlier came through on her bracelet, heavily distorted but somehow perfectly understandable. "What's the matter?"

"Oh, it's just..." Her hoverboard touched down on a rooftop, and she rode the edge before dropping down onto the railing of an emergency stairwell. Glancing back, she furrowed her brow. "I passed over what appeared to be a police barricade, and it was not the first I've seen this evening. Has there been a response to the situation yet?"

"No, calls are still being intercepted. However, I did manage to hack into police headquarters and make them aware of the circumstances. They, too, are attempting to contact the local departments..." There was a thoughtful pause before the voice continued, "I see here that a majority of their forces are currently mobilized around the address I gave you."

She glanced at her bracelet in confusion, "What? But... why are they not closing in, then? Do we have more details about the situation inside?"

"That's a good question, but I'm afraid we're in the dark until you arrive. For whatever it's worth, your destination seems to be an Italian restaurant owned by a non-entity."

"The owner doesn't exist?" She sped through an alleyway and landed on an actual side street not far from the address.

"Correct. On the surface, it's run by an individual named Andrew Oritas, but that identity is a fabrication, and not a very good one. Any hacker worth their salt could find the records are false."

"I'm coming up on it now," she leaned forward to increase speed, and was at the entrance in a flash. She forced open the double doors with an Atlantean shove, and pressed inside. She ignored an empty front desk and pushed deeper to find the dining room where the aftermath of Rubi's plot would reveal itself.

"This is terrible," she gasped at the sight, and ran to the first body within her reach. It was one of Mardo's henchmen. Feeling for a pulse, she was relieved to find he was in fact alive. "There are multiple casualties," she swept the area with a narrowed gaze and continued, "but it seems as though the danger is gone. Please let emergency services know to come in right away. I will-!"

"Riptide...? What is it?" Was someone coughing? She ran towards the sound, and noted with a severe grimace that at least one man was dead. Shot through the head, it looked like. Ignoring her communications with HQ, she stumbled upon a young man propped against the wall - Joseph.

"Hey, are you okay?!" She fell to his side and tentatively placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head slowly to look at her and started coughing once more. "Don't strain yourself!" She frowned and reached out to scoop him up into her arms, "We're getting you out of here. You probably know better than anyone what happened here, and you would also know whether the perpretator was still lurking about," she searched his expression for a moment and then smiled. "Yeah, I can tell. You're a good person."

* Mercy? *

A figure had been watching the entire two hours of torture, biting his nails in anticipation. Johnny was a good shot. Not the best in Gotham, but certainly not the worst. His eyes, bloodshot and tired, trailed Rubi as she approached. She stopped within arms length and reached out to place a hand on his shoulder. It was a gentle squeeze, but she felt his body sag under her touch as if all his tension drained away.

She looked him in the eye while turning her head slightly to exhale smoke from her lungs. She had burned through so many cigarettes already, but the one held between her lips was almost burnt to cinders. It'd be time for another soon.

"You have a choice to make."

Her voice was deathly serious when it came, but soft like a faint whisper. And much more than that, it was undeniably laced with concern. Like the scolding tones of a mother he left behind.

"You can kill that piece of shit for his role in the whole thing, if ya think that's what Jess'd want. Or," she threw down the cig and stamped it out, "you can tough out your feelings. Whatever ya decide, though... don't get sloppy." She walked away, then, and was nearly out of sight when he shouted for her: "But... what would you do?"

She stopped and turned ever so slightly to glance over her shoulder, "He's alive, ain't he? Haven't decided with the other bastard, but you can be damn sure I'll break him."

*

"Riptide, I've acquired new information."

She paused while searching the back alley for any clues. She had given Joseph over to the paramedics and already did a once-over of the inside. "Hopefully it's good news."

"Seems as if the true owner of that establishment has gone missing," the voice went on to say: "His name is Mardo Vakonis. Sound familiar?"

"Oh, him..." Her eyes lit up in recognition. "He was a small-time criminal in Metropolis, right?" She resumed her investigation of the back alley and found a nondescript chip in the wall.

"That's correct. He was arrested and put on trial, but there wasn't enough evidence to incarcerate him. And... judging by what I just pulled up, I think I know why."

"I remember that! A lot of his victims were shop owners he convinced to pay him in return for protection, but..." She trailed off while looking at a small red smudge on the ground. "He was not very nice in actuality, was he?" She touched the glob, blinked, and then bent down to smell it. That was definitely blood.

"No... and after his trial, he vanished. What we missed, however, was that someone else disappeared around the same time, and the two have been in constant communication."

"Hate to interrupt, but I found blood and tire tracks behind the restaurant!" She threw the bead from her bracelet down in front of her, and it morphed into the familiar hoverboard. "If our mutual friend was again up to no good, then... chances are he upset the wrong people."

"Riptide..." The voice paused as if thinking seriously about its next few words. "The other individual that disappeared, and the Mardo Vakonis we know is-"

Her eyes widened as she charged towards the nearby police station.

* Reflection *

She looked through the iron sights as the memories came rushing in. Jessica was a hyper ball of productivity and happiness. She would always think of the family first, and her own safety second. It was very likely her quick thinking that saved so many people when the raid went down.

Rubi pulled the trigger, but the safety was active. An empty click resounded throughout the warehouse. She took a drag of the cigarette held loosely between her lips, and gave an exasperated sigh to blow the smoke out of her lungs. How had it come to this?

That bastard Vakonis broke the unwritten law of organized crime, and clearly didn't care about any consequences. In a way, he was far worse than the police chief she met not two hours ago. At least the police have something resembling a reason to align with "evil" - to get rid of evil. Vakonis was evil, though, and sold information to a "good" party in order to climb the proverbial ladder.

"Is what I did enough?" She let the remains of the cig drop out of her lips, and rose the gun to fire.

Suddenly, the warehouse door shifted as if struck. Rubi didn't think much of it and went to light another cigarette, but the sound came again. It then repeated itself, steadily growing louder and louder.

She finally turned a curious eye towards the door while flicking her lighter, and caught the sight of a human fist punching through it. She blinked twice as a second arm tore through the small opening the first had created, and together the two ripped open a hole wide enough for a humanoid to fit.

The burning cigarette fell from her fingers as she uttered: "What the fuck?"

Riptide stepped through the opening and gave a cursory glance around. It didn't take long for her vision to settle on the young woman across from her. She took a step towards her with a smile, but Rubi had the gun trained on her before she could take a second step.

"Hold it right there," she shouted. "Who... or WHAT are ya? You just broke through a metal door with your bare fuckin' hands!"

"Then you know that won't be very effective," Riptide stared at the gun with a frown. "I don't want to hurt you-" She was cut off by a gunshot ringing off the floor by her feet.

"Then start with an introduction," Rubi growled. "Wouldn't you say that's only right?"

Riptide nodded with a small smile, "Yeah, that makes sense! I'm Riptide, and you're Ramona Walker, right?"

"Wha? How do ya know my name?"

"I know a lot about you, actually. Well, my friends do anyway..." She folded her hands behind her back, "And to be honest, I've been looking for you."

"You found me," Rubi kept a guarded expression on her face, but her eyes did narrow at having so much about her known by a mysterious third party. "Now if you'd kindly fuck off, I'd appreciate it."

Riptide rubbed the back of her neck, "Sorry, but I really can't leave you like this."

Rubi blinked with a wave of the gun, "The hell are ya, anyway?"

"Oh, that's not really a secret," she put a finger to her lips. "I work with a team of heroes, and I guess you could say we step in when things get a little too crazy for the law?"

Rubi narrowed her eyes in a glare, "So where were you guys when Jess had to die?"

Kora let out a small gasp, and glanced to the side.

"If you're so goddamn heroic, then how did a corrupt police chief stay in power for so long?"

"I, that's - if I had known..."

"If you had known, what? Not like you 'heroes' actually give a shit about us," Rubi shrugged. "That's just how it is. It's why families like mine even exist. I [i]take care[/i] of my people. I get my hands dirty for THEIR sake," she pointed towards the city with a breath through her nostrils.

Kora shook her head. "I understand you're hurting. Really, I do. You lost someone important to you, and that would make anyone lash out... but-" She blinked in surprise as Rubi ran towards her and swung a wild fist against her cheek. She clearly wasn't holding back at all and the impact was loud, but Kora felt no pain. Her head turned to the side on reflex alone.

"You shut your mouth about things you don't get!" Rubi snarled in a genuine attempt to be menacing, but the truth was her knuckles hurt. Punching this girl was like punching a brick wall! She swung a left, then, but Kora instinctually reached up to block her fist with an open palm.

"But..." Kora cracked her neck to straighten up, and stared at Rubi's face with an intense look of her own. To the mob boss with her tritanopia, Kora's vibrant blues turned to blackened green, and her dark skin tone appeared red. With a serious expression, the hero looked terrifying close up. "You put more innocents at risk! What about that boy back at the restaurant?"

"Wha- how do you..." Rubi bounced back on her heel and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. The gun had been long forgotten. Truth be told, it was out of ammunition when she first shot at Riptide. "Jess was his family, too! He had a goddamn right to avenge her! If anything, he was the only innocent caught up in all this!"

She leapt into a roundhouse kick that Kora blocked with a raised forearm. Continuing her momentum, she spun in mid-air to bring her foot down on the hero's head. The Atlantean gave a small shove to the underside of her leg that launched her a few feet away. It was only a fraction of the hero's strength because any more would have broken the woman's leg.

"You most likely saved his life," Kora smiled despite the situation. "You stopped the blood flow enough so the medics could stabilize him, but you could have easily left him there in your plan to kidnap Vakonis."

"I'm relieved he made it..." Rubi staggered up to her feet and, for a moment, her demeanor softened, but it went back to anger just as quickly. "So what if I took Vakonis from his home? He would have taken way more from me and my family if I let him!" She clenched a fist, "If you're going to act all high-and-mighty, miss hero, then why don't you fix all the damn problems in this city so I don't have to clean up?"

Kora dropped into a defensive stance as Rubi charged her with a flurry of blows, striking with fist and boot. The sound of their physical exchange - or rather, Rubi's offensive barrage, echoed throughout the otherwise lifeless warehouse. Rubi feinted left and finally ducked inside Kora's guard with a fierce uppercut. Her head snapped back, but the hero merely stood her ground and looked down at the woman from the bottom of her eyes.

"You attack me with no malice," she gave a sad smile. "It's all anger, frustration, and... more than anything, despair. You may not view me as anyone worthy of being your friend, but!" She braced her feet against the floor and thrust both palms into Rubi's chest. The mob boss barely rose her arms protect her ribs and take the hit, but the force still caused her to slide back a few feet.

"Finally decided to fight back?! I was waiting for you to show your true colors," Rubi cracked her knuckles.

"You're wrong," Kora shouted, but there was no animosity behind it. Just a boisterous, pure sound. "If you need me so you can let it out, then hit me like you mean it! I can take it." She gave a firm nod while bringing her arms to bear, "I've chased down bad people, Ramona, and you're not one of them. Just a girl like me who has lost her way."

"Just shut up already! Like I keep tellin' you, you don't know a damn thing about me!" Rubi lunged at her with all the force she could muster, but her fists met resistance time and again. She was thrown off balance with simple retaliations, punched in the gut when she left herself open, and swept off her feet by the skilled Atlantean fighter.

The one-sided 'fighting,' if it could be called that, went on for what seemed like hours, but it was in reality only a few minutes at best. Rubi, exhausted physically and drained emotionally, laid on her back with her chest heaving up and down in ragged breathing. Her body was drenched in sweat.

Kora stood over her with her same genuine smile, arm outstretched to offer her a hand. There were no words shared between them as Rubi slowly extended her arm, reaching for the hero's fingers as if straining to reach a life rope. Kora nodded in excited increments, hopeful that she finally let loose all her aggression, but she was soon on the ground herself. Pulled down by Rubi in her single defenseless moment, and forced beneath her.

She blinked upwards as Rubi reared back a fist and let it fly towards her head, but the hit never came. It swerved very slightly left and impacted the ground to the side of her head. Kora glanced aside at the bloody knuckles and then up at Rubi's face whose features were obscured by a curtain of her long, perfectly brushed hair.

Tears started to fall and dot Kora's cheek. Tiny droplets before a waterfall. Rubi sucked in a breath and struggled to choke back the sobbing that threatened her, but she knew she couldn't hold it in for very long.

"I-I just..." She leaned her head down and Kora naturally began to embrace her. "I try... s-so hard to protect them, to give them all a... a place to belong, so that the law can't shit over them!" She grabbed onto Kora's collar and let her head fall onto the girl's busom. The dam that kept her tears at bay was coming down, and there'd be no stopping it.

"I promise you we will put him away, Ramona," Kora ran a hand through the girl's hair to cradle her head. "You didn't kill him, or Mardo. You're not a killer. You raided a department on your own and had the life of a police chief in your hands, but you chose to spare him. You showed mercy where he did not, but we will not be so kind." She hugged the girl tight, "He is in our custody and will not walk free."

Rubi looked up and drew back a hand to wipe her tears, "Y-You're not shittin' me, are you?"

"I do no such thing," Kora replied swiftly, but then furrowed her brow. "We will have to discuss how you go about things, however, and... possibly put you on some form of house arrest, but! I will talk to my team and see what we can do within our abilities."

"i... I need a smoke," Rubi let her head fall once more, weakly, and let out a muffled: "Today's been a shitty one."

Kora shook her head with a glare, "No. What you need is the time to grieve and mourn your friend. Jess, was it? Her and whoever else was caught up in the incident. You need to cry, Ramona, and I'm not letting you go until you do."

"Are you fuckin' kidding me? I mean..." Rubi sniffled a few times. "I haven't yet because... because I had to do things in their memory... but I guess you're right... kinda..." The dam finally gave way, and the floodgates opened.

The mob boss who was constantly strong and collected cried into the chest of the hero who, at first, sought to end her quest for vengeance. But in an ironic twist, the mob boss in this story turned out to be the unlikely hero, or the anti-hero as they're commonly called. She took down villains by her own very human tactics, and made Gotham that much better of a place for her family.

And our true hero? Well, she earned a friend, and that was more than enough.