Mission to Kill [Ty, Open]

[Mandy]

New York, New York. It had been quite some time since Mandy had returned to the city, the place she had called home so many times in her life. The city held both painful and triumphant memories for her; a place of death in both sets of memories. Since the war had petered out, Mandy hadn’t returned to the city, mostly due to the new dominance of the vampires and the bad blood she had created during the war. But because of the uneasy peace, jobs had become harder to come by, and this new job promised both money and the potential to create a hell of a lot more work.

Mandy was never one to ask too many questions, but even she had to admit that her new employer was more secretive than most. She had yet to have even a verbal conversation with them, but payment had already come through for a few small jobs, so she was content to let them have their veil of mystery for now. That being said, her next task was undoubtedly a risky one. Her next target was a high profile vampire's thrall, one who may or may not be a part of the council. Although the order only explicitly called for a kidnapping and holding onto them for ransom, the consequences were clear; her employer desperately wanted to end the shaky peace and plunge the area back into war.

The plan was relatively simple. Generally, it was very hard to get close to these types, especially when they were indoors. To catch this one off guard, it would have to be outside and when she wasn't expecting it or there were too many others nearby. It also meant using a disguise, one that wouldn’t elicit suspicion. Eventually, Mandy had settled on feigning blindness, but to be convincing she’d need a guide dog – one who could be counted on joining the fray if needed. So she had used some of her old contacts to get in touch with a shifter she once worked with years ago who was still in town, Ricky, as well as bringing a Plus named Carl along to neutralize the thrall's powers. If everything went according to plan, they’d be ready by nightfall and would be able to catch the vampire when he was at his most vulnerable, on a walk outdoors.

Mandy slipped into the nearby side street, keeping her eyes peeled for anyone tailing her. It was only a short walk from there to their meeting spot, but when she got to the alleyway with Carl, she found it empty. A little miffed, she leaned against the wall and waited, her hand on the gun she always kept on her.

[Ty Fisher]

It was Ty's day off. But for some reason, he wasn't spending it sleeping, as he'd told himself he would. No, the shifter would find himself restless on his freaking day off! And so, he found himself blowing off this extra energy by running the streets of vampire turf...as a golden retriever mutt. Why not? It was his favorite--heck, his default--shift. Besides, it was broad daylight and he had good reason to expel some extra energy.

After all, he was for some stupid reason trying to etch out a living in the middle of vampire turf. Just a few days ago he was given trouble just for drinking coffee in a freaking coffee shop. And on top of that his coworker made him do most of the work. Granted...that last one was technically in exchange for her keeping him from being a vamp's lunch, but still. It was just...aggravating. But...this was the life he chose. Granted, while in New York, he really hadn't picked too many pockets; that kinda thing was harder when 99.99 percent of your targets were vampires.

By this time, he'd slowed more to a walk, taking in more of the sights and smells instead of focusing on his troubles. It was his day off after all. A day to relax, and not be bothered by the trivial bull-crap of everyday life. So, he did. Hey...up ahead, he saw someone drop a wallet. As he walked by, the stray dog picked it up in his teeth casually, chewing on it a bit to keep the act convincing.

He made his way down the street, turning into an alley near his apartment, and dropped the wallet on the ground. Then, he stepped toward the dumpster, peeking behind it. Yep! The bag was still there. He started to shift back, but before he did so...he realized something. He was not alone. Turning to face the woman, he sat down and barked, tail wagging.

[Mandy]

"I don't like this," Carl sighed as the two of them waited. "Ricky isn't normally late. You think something happened to him? This isn't normal."

"I hope not," Mandy groaned, kicking a can down the alleyway. "There's not much of a backup plan here if we don't have a shifter. We need him for the disguise, Carl. I really do hope he's running late... That little shit." She toyed with her handgun, a bit of a habit she'd developed when she had to wait for someone. Peering around the corner, she saw no one who remotely fit Ricky's profile, and there didn't seem to be anyone else in the alleyway. <Where the fuck has he gotten to?>

"Uh, Mandy?" Carl whispered. "Behind us."

Mandy whirled around to see a stray dog making his way up the alleyway, a wallet in his mouth. Putting a finger to her mouth, she pushed Carl behind the building so that he wouldn't be seen and slowly slid her gun back into her holster. Watching carefully, she saw the animal give the tell-tale sign of beginning to shift, when it suddenly stopped and reverted. The animal turned to her and barked, giving her a goofy grin. <Great. What the hell is he up to? Is he taunting me now?> she seethed.

"Ricky?" she snapped, striding over and grabbing it by the scruff of its neck. "I have no patience for this. This isn't a fucking game of cat and mouse. You held us up long enough; now please, for the love of God, shift back so we can go over the plan. A plan which, I'd like to add, has been delayed long enough by your dilly dallying."

[Ty Fisher]

Ty gave a yelp when she grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. Ricky? Who was Ricky? And more importantly...what the heck did Ty just get himself in the middle of? On his day off, even. Sadly...Ty couldn't argue with this crazy...yet incredibly smoking hot chick who had him by the nonexistent collar. However, with her grip on him...he had no means of getting away to shift back, either. This, was not going to be fun. Not in the least.

He prayed to every god he could think of in the hopes that there would at least be a decent haul in the wallet...Then again...Ty was certain no one was in any position to save him for what was to come--whatever on earth that may be. Ty tried squirming, letting out a few whines in protest, but...it didn't happen. Nothing. He tried shaking his head.

Man...dogs suck royally at body language. And anything like a growl is liable to get me shot. And looking at her with his tongue lolling out of his mouth and tail wagging did nothing. So...reluctantly...he shifted. And there he was, stark naked in front of a complete and incredibly attractive stranger.

"I tried to tell ya I ain't Ricky," Ty said, clearing his throat a little, his Louisiana accent dripping heavily from his voice, as usual. Though right now, it was shakier than usual. "I have no idea what you're talking about; I just came back here to shift and get my clothes..." After all, I like to at least get a chance to introduce myself to a girl before she sees me naked.

He took a deep breath. "Speaking of which...can I get dressed now?" He cracked a nervous smile, face a deep read, seeing as how she still had him by the nape of the neck. So very awkward.

[Mandy]

When the dog started to shift back, Mandy gave him one of her typical smiles, one that signaled she meant business. As the shifter was finishing off shifting back, however, she remembered a crucial fact: the guy wasn't going to have any clothes on. So when she ended up holding a naked man by the neck, she couldn't help but turn slightly red as she tried to process what was going on.

"N-no, you are not Ricky," she groaned. "Although I must admit... I don't mind having a guy by the back of the neck. It's not something I get to do every day." <And this one doesn't look half bad,> she thought. Snickering, she let the man go and sighed, turning back to see Carl, who at this point was completely red. "Oh, give me a break. You know what a naked man looks like, for Pete's sake," she said, rolling her eyes. "This really does mean that Ricky is toast, wherever he is. He wouldn't be this late, and now we're out a shifter... Unless..."

"No way," Carl groaned. "Are you seriously thinking what I think you're thinking?"

"Shut up," Mandy snapped, walking back to the shifter who was now mostly clothed, pulling out her gun and holding it to his head. "You may not be Ricky, but you can still be useful to me. Why don't we... talk business for a moment? I have a job that requires a shifter, and you fit the bill. We could talk specifics if you'd like. Either that or we can order up some brains a la carte if you'd prefer that."

[Ty Fisher]

And suddenly....there was a guy. Great...it's that kind of party... Ty mentally groaned. Though he had to smile a bit as she spoke. And then she let him go, and he hurried to get dressed before this got even more awkward. Apparently, this Ricky they were looking for was dead, and...wait. It was quickly becoming apparent to Ty that he'd stumbled naked into the wrong alley. While he had a chance, he peeked into the wallet, pocketing like fifty bucks, a couple of gift cards, and an unused condom. Hell, why not? And then his fun was over.

Next thing Ty knew, he had a gun to his head. Yep...definitely the wrong alley. "Great" Ty grumbled. "...one minute she's privileged to have me by the neck, the next she's got a gun to my head..." He turned his attention to the girl--because of the two strangers, the one deserving the attention was the one with the gun. For far more reason than just that she had a gun...

He tried to keep his focus, though when she'd put that gun to his temple, his face had gone from crimson to ghostly white in a matter of milliseconds. This was quite the predicament, it seemed, and this was turning into far from a relaxing day off.

"Well...I really don't have much of a choice, do I? Granted I'm much more into talking business than having my brain splattered on the side of my apartment building..." Hopefully his part in this job wouldn't be all that bad. And hopefully there'd be a little more in it for him than just getting to walk away from this in tact. Not saying that alone wouldn't be great, but hey, a guy could dream, right?

He just hoped this dream wouldn't turn into a nightmare, as they often tended to. Especially when they were real.

[Mandy]

Mandy chuckled. “Good, you’re one of the more rational people I’ve run into in this town. Not that I’m giving you much of a choice, but courtesy dictates I tell you that this might be your last job in town, considering the enemies I intend to make. You see, there’s a… certain thrall who may or may not belong to one of the vampires that serve as a councilperson. Carl over here is a Plus who specializes in neutralizing other Plus’ powers, which means this thrall will be vulnerable in a way she isn’t used to. However, I need to get close to her without first arousing suspicion.”

“Woman coming down the street by us,” Carl announced.

Mandy slipped the gun down to hide under her jacket, still clearly visible to the shifter and trained on his chest. She put a hand up on the wall next to him and laughed, a fake one that almost made the pair look like they were having some pleasant conversation, if not for the deathly look on the shifter’s face. The woman passed by them uneventfully, and Mandy resumed talking. “That’s where you come in. I need you to take on the form of a guide dog. I’ll be disguised as a blind person, and we’ll use that to ‘bump’ into this Plus and quickly neutralize her. We need someone who can actually attack if needed too, otherwise I’d have picked up a stray in the pound. Regardless, that’s all the details you need to hear, and I doubt I’ll need you once she’s under lock and key.”

Mandy pushed some hair back from her face and looked directly in Ty’s eyes. “So it’s your choice. Either you help me or you die, shifter. And don’t think for a second I’ll just trust you during our operation. You make one false move and you’ll find a metal slug between those two adorable doggy ears. But like I said, your choice.”

[Ty Fisher]

Why am I so attracted to a woman with a gun pointed at my head? Ty found himself thinking.Yeah, she's hot. But she's closer to splattering me brains on the concrete than she is sleeping with me. But good gods look at her... Oh. right. Life is on the line here, and he's ogling over the girl who holds his life in her hands...

Rational? Rational was far from this equation. This was just about survival; and right now, Ty was completely at the mercy of this woman. Oh well, at least the gun was no longer against his temple. "Sooo..." he finally spoke, clearing his throat a bit. "You're pretty much telling me I have to uproot what little existence I've been forging here, or forfeit my life entirely. Well...I drift from place to place anyway, so why not?" He let out a somewhat aggravated sigh. Granted, maybe the center of vampire territory wasn't exactly the best place for a shifter to make a permanent life for himself.

Wait...kidnapping a thrall? "Kidnapping a thrall...what you're really saying is, there's a chance that one, if not all three of us, could die here. From the sounds of it, there's already been one casualty, and we aren't even off the ground yet." He stopped talking at the mention of the woman, and he let her pass. Now would have been a good time to get some flirting out of the way, but all things considered between the gun and the current conversation, it sort of slipped the young man's mind.

"A guide dog. Not that I have a choice, but I can do that. And from the looks of it, I take it that aside from having my life back in my own hands, I won't be getting any sort of reward or payment for being a cooperative little doggy, huh?" He raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to make a move. Maybe it was a bit much, but Ty thought it was a legitimate question.

[Mandy]

Mandy’s smile quickly faded when the shifter mentioned Ricky already being down for the count. “If I thought the risks were too great, I wouldn’t be standing here right now,” she snapped, keeping the gun held up to his face. “I don’t know what happened to Ricky, but that’s his problem. Hell, he might be too chicken shit after all. But that’s not the point; I’m confident that I can do this, and I’m never wrong. I‘m not afraid of these blood suckers, and I’m definitely not afraid of a thrall who won’t have any powers. If you’re scared, you’re going to have to suck it up, buttercup.”

Mandy raised her eyebrow at the shifter’s coy comment. <You gotta admit, he’s got guts to be flirting with the person holding a gun to his head,> she thought, turning his comment over in her head. “Nice try. I guess your life is some sort of reward, isn’t it?” she replied, a little bit of ice seeping into her voice. “Then again, I wouldn’t be opposed to keeping you around if you prove yourself to be useful... and there might be some more reward from that.” She chuckled, putting her other hand on his shoulder and tracing it up to his face. “But that’s entirely up to you.”

“We have to get going, Mandy,” Carl whispered urgently. “The longer we take here, the smaller our window of opportunity gets. We need to be in position soon.”

Mandy turned back to the shifter. “So doggy boy, what’s the verdict? You tagging along, or am I going to have to leave your cute face behind here in this alley? It would be such an awful waste, but I’m not going to have you holding me up.”

[Ty Fisher]

"I don't care if you're afraid or not," Ty hissed, his eyes burning with anger. Yet, at the same time, he was still attracted to her. It was just something about her...his heart had been racing this entire time, fueling that adrenaline rush he loved so much. This chick was crazy, that was for sure, and yet...somehow he found himself attracted to her after all this. Ty did gather, though, that as long as he was cooperative, odds are he would come out of this okay. After all, she didn't outright admit it, but she needed him.

He shrugged at her cold comment about his life being some sort of reward after all. Oh well, can't blame a guy for trying. Then, she said more, and that made him smirk a bit. Although, if he was going to have to relocate every time he ran into this woman...well, let's just say it had better be one heck of a "reward."

And then it was time to choose. "Like I said before, not too much of a choice. I pick the one that doesn't involve me getting shot. Just so you know though, I don't come with my own leash and collar, so I hope you came prepared. But just so you know, I may end up taking you up on the rest of that offer later." He gave a sly grin. "Now, if you don't mind, I think I better get ready, if we're gonna do this."

Stepping back, Ty began to strip; if he'd have known he'd be dragged into something like this, he wouldn't have bothered putting his clothes back on. Putting his clothes in the bag, he then shifted, this time, into a German Shepherd, figuring the mutt he preferred wouldn't be as convincing as a seeing-eye dog. Then, he sat on the ground, waiting for his two coworkers/captors to make their move.

[Mandy]

“I’m glad you’ve chosen to be… co-operative,” Mandy grinned. “At the very least, think of this as an extended interview. Impress me and there might be more work down the line. And don’t worry, we’re prepared for just about everything. Carl’s got the appropriate supplies.” Silently, Carl passed her a collar and leash and they both waited for the shifter to finish off before she knelt down. “Who’s a good boy?” she snickered, attaching the collar to the shifter’s neck and then fastening the leash to it.

“Let’s head out then,” Carl said. Nodding, the pair set off from the alleyway and began the process of making their way to the predetermined spot where they’d catch the thrall. The sun was starting to dip lower in the sky, which always put Mandy on edge. Even if she felt confident in being able to hold her own, she couldn’t deny that the vampires put her on edge after dark. Humans were always at disadvantage now, even if some semblance of peace now existed in NYC.

Mandy signalled Carl to turn into the nearby backstreet. “Stay hidden back here,” Mandy whispered as Carl nodded, walking over to sit behind a dumpster. “I’ll let you know when she’s close,” he answered. “Just be prepared.” With Carl in position, Mandy leaned against the wall of the alleyway, gripping the leash on the shifter tightly. She’d tracked this woman a few times before and she frequently took walks around this time. The route wasn’t always the same, but the main street they were waiting nearby on was one of the few constants. <With a bit of luck, she’ll be here any minute,> Mandy thought, putting on her tinted glasses and getting a firmer grip on the gun she had tucked in her jacket pocket. <For now, though, we’ll have to wait.>

[Aleena Leatherby]

It was a good day.

After searching the entire city for craft stores, and then promptly buying out three of them, Aleena had found everything she needed to supply her obsessions for the next several months. Not only had she purchased enough frosting and other baking supplies to choke a horse, but the Plus had also bought an entire store's supply of spray paint. That, combined with the warehouse full of empty walls Rafael had bought for her, meant she would have hours upon hours to waste just... creating.

Creating was something that had never come easy to her; baking had, of course, and so had painting, but creating was something entirely different. With one flick of her wrist, Aleena could destroy an entire wall. She could break a neck by slapping too hard, or shatter a spine with a hug. She could kill without a thought, and entirely without meaning to. After an entire lifetime of destroying, killing and doing more all by accident (and some by not accident, let's be fair), it was nice to have the chance to do something quite to the contrary. 

That was why she hurried down the street now, a messenger bag slung over her shoulder. Inside, spray paints of every color nestled against each other. She was practically buzzing to use them, a buzz that added a little skip into her step.

She and Rafael had been together for almost an entire year now, and it was time she showed him what she could do, and what she thought of him. They were dear friends, at least through Aleena's eyes, and though she often got on his nerves, he still wanted to prove a point. She wanted to show him that she held him close to her, and that he had nestled his way deep inside her heart and was not going anywhere.

Rafael may not have been the sort for love, but Aleena was. And she loved him.

Rounding the corner, the Plus picked up her pace. She had to get to the warehouse, lay down the ground work, and then get back home before the sun went down. Her duties as a thrall came before all else, after all; her duty to Rafael came before her love. That was the lesson she had learned over this past year, and it was the lesson she would have to continue to live.

WORDS ;; 400 ;;
THOUGHTS ;; Oh god I just admitted it ;;
TAGGED ;; Mandy ; Ty Fisher ;;
MUSIC ;; Twisted ;;
OUTFIT ;; [ Click! ] ;;
OUTFIT ;; joan by heather dale&nbsp;;;

[Ty Fisher]

It was time to spring into action, and Ty--in very not-doglike fashion--cooperated as they got the collar and leash onto him. He couldn't talk in this form, but it didn't keep him from having thoughts, especially as Mandy "praised" him. If I'm such a good boy, I better be getting one hell of a treat later... You know, assuming they live through this. Then again, if Ty did live through this, he was most definitely going to have to move. And New York was...okay so it wasn't starting to grow on him, but he did hate having to move on rotten terms, because that meant he wouldn't be able to come back.

Then came the wait. Ty sat down in front of Mandy, looking around. His heart was pumping wildly as blood rushed through his veins, but he wasn't enjoying the high. Not this time. This was different; usually he got his adrenaline fix of his own free will, but this time obviously wasn't the case. It was like taking the drug of one's own free will versus being hooked up to your fix via an IV at gun point. Definitely not the same.

Ty's ears were pinned back; the more he thought about it, the more he thought this girl was trouble. She really didn't seem to care much that her original shifter was probably dead. And she was really pushy, and mean. Thinking through the amount of time that had passed since he stumbled into that alley, he realized she really hadn't been very nice. Eh, he'd have to take it out on her in bed later. That is assuming she kept that end of the bargain.

Then...a midst everything, Ty picked up a familiar scent. Female. Plus. An involuntary whine escaped him as he made the connection. Oh crap...

Tag: Mandy, Aleena Leatherby

[Mandy]

After a few minutes of waiting, Carl perked up. “She’s come into range. I’ll be able to neutralize her powers unless she steps out of the area, but she will be able to detect it, so move quickly. Don’t let her get anything up on you, because if she bolts, we’re fucked,” he whispered.

Mandy simply rolled her eyes behind her darkened glasses. “Thanks for that, Captain Obvious. Just do your job, alright? I can handle her so long as she doesn’t snap my neck in half. If she does, I’m going to haunt the shit out of the both of you, and I’m serious about that,” she growled. “Just keep to the plan, alright Carl?”

“I know how to do my job,” he snapped back. “Get a move on, before you lose our opening. And keep that shifter under control too.”

Mandy nodded. She could sense the shifter’s hesitation, but it was far too late for that sort of nonsense. Pulling him by the collar, she let him start to walk in front of her and allowed herself to be led forward. She’d already practiced getting this sort of act down pat before; they couldn’t afford to be noticed as fraudulent, not when so much was on the line.

She looked slightly upward to see the Plus round the corner. Aleena, thrall to the thirteenth councilperson. Why she had been picked, Mandy did not know, but she did know that she was going to be a handful. As the woman picked up her pace, Mandy saw an opening and took it. Tugging on the shifter slightly, she allowed herself to drift a little and walk smack into the thrall.

After tumbling to the ground, Mandy gave it a moment before pulling herself up hastily and brandishing the pistol, putting it to Aleena’s chest. “Don’t try anything, or I’ll kill you. I know who you are, and I know your powers, but I’ll warn you right now, we’ve neutralized them. Come along quietly, and no one has to get hurt, because I won’t hesitate to defend myself and shoot you at the first sign of danger.”

[Aleena Leatherby]

She felt someone approaching her only a second before they collided.

Normally, her instincts were better than that. Aleena was a bodyguard, after all, and as such had to keep her eyes open and her ears alert. She could never let her guard down; to do so would spell death for both herself and her employer. But today, she had no one to protect. Rafael was still in his apartment, sound asleep, and none of the other Council Members would up and about. If anything, they were probably still asleep, as well. And so, could anyone really blame her for momentarily letting her guard down?

Of course they could. And, as the needle dug into her flesh, Aleena did. She knew she had been an idiot for letting herself think that she could have just one day. She cursed herself as her strength drained from her, as she hit the ground. She had spent so many years having to control her strength that, even if she had not just been barreled over, there was no way she could have run. It would have taken more energy than she had to bolt down the streets.

That was why she laid there, unamused, as the two individuals stood above her. Her face was blank, her lips pressed into a thin, fine line. Oh, this was going to put quite a damper on her plans for the day, especially the part about trying to confess her feelings through street art. Not like it would have really made a different, she supposed. Rafael had a thing for that demon guy, which meant there was no room for her. So maybe this was a good thing. Maybe a little stay in confinement would do her some good.

Aleena turned her head, to look at the woman who threatened her, and blinked. 

"You are not the brightest bulb in the hardware store, are you, sweetheart?"

WORDS ;; 320 ;;
THOUGHTS ;; Y'all bitches so fucking dumb ;;
TAGGED ;; Mandy ; Ty Fisher ;;
MUSIC ;; Twisted ;;
OUTFIT ;; [ Click! ] ;;
OUTFIT ;; joan by heather dale ;;