Live News No More

Natalia leaned against the car, a cigarette in her mouth and an obviously bored expression on her face as she took a long drag from it. This waiting around shit was getting old real quick, especially considering she could easily just take care of this job herself. Fuckin’ Baldur and her precious plots was getting in the way though. She couldn’t even argue up the price given the “assistance” took away a good portion of her bargaining power.

Right now, she was just waiting at a predetermined meeting spot, glancing back at the file sitting in the passenger seat of the car before checking her watch again. Their target wasn’t too far off, and she’d already picked up a few things to help with this little job. Still she wasn’t exactly thrilled to be stuck dealing with some unknown, especially that masked freak. Still she couldn’t tell if it was just Baldur showing off to his new ally, or both leaders wanting to assess the other toys as it was.

She’d been in this business long enough to know how much these crime lord types liked to show off to each other, she just hoped this decided to show the fuck up already.

Exactly as the clock struck the predetermined time, the masked assassin, Carnage appeared. While she may have taken notice of his entrance, he had a habit of being quite stealthy.  Natalia was standing by a car, obviously irritated.  What she was upset about, he couldn't say.  The mission had yet to start and he had arrived on time.  He walked up to Natalia, footsteps not making a sound, and greeted her.  A slight hiss escaped from the voice changer, "Good to see you again, gunman of Aesir.  Natalia, yes?"  A tenor voice similar but not quite the same as the one from the meeting between Theurgia and Baldur.

His hands made no move for a handshake or a wave.  His body was eerily still, aside from the stiff movement of his head swiveling to look into the vehicle.  "I assume you already looked over our target.  Do you have anything in mind?"  Carnage had been given very limited information before heading out.  Mostly just that they were making a show of things and where to meet his partner.  It was rather unorthodox for Carnage to work with someone, especially one from outside of his own organization, but if it was what the matron commanded, he would be sure to follow.

Nata took a final drag of her cigarette before flicking it away as her apparent partner finally made his arrival. Ordinarily someone might have been surprised by the man’s stealth, though Nata wasn’t most people. You didn’t make it long as a merc without picking up a few trick, and letting yourself get snuck up on was usually a good way to get killed. As such she’d managed to spot the creepy wackjob from the car’s mirrors, though had that not been the case she knew he would likely have taken her by surprise.

At the question she smirked. “I have a few, why not take a look at what I picked up on the way here.” She commented smirking as she walked around the car to the trunk. The meeting spot was an isolated parking lot, with very few people around and no security cameras, primarily due to the nature of a certain hotel next door owned by the same person. She opened the trunk to reveal a man in a janitor’s uniform, bound and gagged in the trunk of the car, staring up at the two of them with obvious fear in his eyes.

“Apparently both the studio and private dressing rooms require a pin number and security badge to get in, and our friend here would just love to give us both of those.” She stated, a note of threat directed at the tied up man. “He’s already been nice enough to give up the keys to the staff entrance behind the building.”

Carnage followed Natalia to the trunk of the car and watched inquisitively as she opened it up.  Inside was a man, gagged and bound, dressed like a janitor.  He seemed to have been struggling, but stopped when the trunk opened up.  As would be expected, he was certainly scared for his life and at the two intimidating figures hovering over him.  Natalia went on to explain the mans purpose and that he was, in fact, part of the staff of the building their target was at.  She had apparently gotten a set of keys out of him, but they still needed the badge and pin number.  A smile curved onto Goetia's face behind the mask.  "Goooood."  The voice changer causing a rumbling as he held out the word.  "So, we just need to get it out of him, yes?"  Carnage raised his right hand and his fingers morphed into elongated silver knife-like claws.

Natalia smirked in amusement as the bound man flinched back, eyes locked on her current partner -in-crime’s claws. The parking lot was secluded enough to allow them more than enough privacy to allow them quite a bit of leeway. Still it wouldn’t do to let her guard down, and Natalia leaned down to whisper in the man’s ear. “Now, Mike” She said, using the name on his uniform. “You’re going to tell us what you want, or my friend here is going to have a little fun with you.” She stated.

The mercenary stood up again, and took the gag out from his mouth to hear his reply. Looking amused as he gasped before yelling out. “FUCK YOU, CRAZY BI-“ She cut him off, popping the gag back in before looking to Carnage with an amused expression. “Welp, looks like he’s all yours Pal.” She stated, walking away. “I’ll play lookout, just try to make this quick.” She stated while walking away from the car.

Goetia waited with bated breath as Natalia explained the deal to their tied up companion.  When she took the gag out of his mouth, instead of telling them what they wanted he simply yelled out.  Goetia's teeth shone behind the mask and his claw was about to fling in to quiet the man when Natalia stuffed the gag back in his mouth.  Carnage stopped his movement and relaxed his arm.  She gave him the go ahead to begin torturing him, but said to make it quick.  Because of the mask, one couldn't see it on his face, but strangely enough one could still tell the hint of disappointment he felt knowing he couldn't take his time.  "It's not quite as effective when it has to be fast, but I'll make due."  As Natalia walked off to keep watch, Carnage turned to the man in the trunk, eager to get started.  He was obviously frightened, yet with a hint of defiance.  Did he regret not saying anything?  Well, he would soon enough.  

Carnage set to work on the man.  His right hand was in the form of his claw while his left hand remained normal.  He grabbed the mans bound hands and placed the tip of his index claw up to that of Mike.  Mike's face was a mix of fear and confusion.  Slowly Carnage slipped the tip of his claw underneath the fingernail.  Mike squirmed and squealed against his bindings.  When his claw had reached far enough, he flicked up, breaking off the nail in its entirety from Mike's finger.  He repeated the same action on the middle finger of the same hand and Mike once again tried to howl against his gag, but only a pathetic muffled sound escaped.  Carnage set down Mikes hands and his left hand hovered over the gag.  "Speak, or I start breaking the fingers.  And then I'll be stripping your tendons.  And then I'll start carving your name on your bones.  You try and shout again and I take your tongue and make you write down what we want with your free hand.  Don't worry, I know how to do it so you wont bleed out."  A sound that might have been a laugh escaped his mask as he removed the gag from Mikes mouth.

“Oh I’m sure you’ll figure something out.” Natalia stated with a grin, her hand pulling out a pack of cigarettes as she stepped back to allow her current partner in crime to do his work. She’d already had Carnage pegged as some kind of sick fuck, and as far as Nata was concerned that would be a useful, helpful trait in this situation. She shook her head hearing Mike’s pained pathetic whining and shook her head. “Tch, wish he’d just shutup and take it like a man.” She stated as she lit the smoke, eyes alert for anyone that might be just a smidge too curious.

Mike would gasp for breath as the gag was once again removed. These two were crazy, he’d only gone to a bar after work when the woman had grabbed her, pretending to be interested in him and luring him out of the bar before tossing him into his own trunk. Why did this type of shit only happen to him? “Alright alright, the security badges are locked up in the security room just inside but, the locker has a biometric.” He stated, panicking as he realized these two were utterly serious, and that somehow he’d ended up involved in SOMETHING terrible. “The pin to get into the studio though, it’s 5614. Please just let me go.”

Nata heard the man break down with a smirk, taking a long drag of the cigarette as she turned around. “Biometric you say?” She asked in amusement. “Guess that means we need to take your hands with us.” She stated, looking to carnage expectantly. Either way they both certainly knew they’d need to dispose of Mike as he’d already outlived any usefulness to them. “’ey, psycho you wanna finish this guy or should i?” She asked grinning ferally like a wolf that had just cornered a rabbit.

Mikes eyes widened in sheer terror for his life when Natalia said those final words.  Before he could manage anything, Carnage shoved the gag back into his mouth.  "Now now, I think you could have handled that a little more... subtly?  After all, you always get the best reactions when you give them hope of living first, only to take it away at the last second."  Carnage was attempting to suppress a giggle.  The attempt made for some strange gasping and screeching sounds coming through the voice changer, though clear enough to know it was a suppressed laugh.  "Either way, it should be easier for me.  Guns tend to be rather noisy."  He lifted up Mikes arm by the wrist as the prisoner was leaking tears and snot, shaking his head furiously. Carnage put his left fingers over the center of Mike's forearm and brought them together like a pair of scissors.  The arm was cut cleanly in half as Mike attempted a scream and his bloody stump flopped down, staining the trunk.  

He was getting quite loud and wiled despite the gag at this point.  In a flash, Carnage swept his right hand, elongating his fingers into his silver claws, and pierced Mike's throat.  He stopped moving or making noise as he gagged on his own blood before quickly ceasing all action.  He was dead.  Carnage made quick work of the other arm.  "Better to have both just to be sure, right?"  He tore pieces of Mike's clothing to wrap the severed arms in, so the blood and bits would not get everywhere.  "I believe we have all we need then."  Carnage nodded to Natalia, ready to go on to the next stage of the plan when she was ready.

“Security other than those shouldn’t be too tough to deal with.” She stated, unfazed by the grisly display, more amused than anything truly. The idiot had pissed her off, and Natalia hardly cared if he happened to suffer a bit before he died. It did confirm the type of sick fucker she’d ended up partnered with at least, and allowed her a display of just what he could do. Would come in handy if nothing else incase she ended up having to fight the guy. If anything, it’d just make thing a bit more exciting.

Mike tried to scream, the gag cutting off his attempts before his throat was pierced by the ironlike claws. She closed the trunk, figuring it’d be best to dump the body AND car after, she hated loose ends after all. “Yeah yeah, pack’em up and get in the car, I’m driving she stated. She pulled a red dufflebag from one of the passenger seats of the car, and Nata grabbed it and tossed it uncaringly to the assassin before climbing in. They’d approach a news station that had some moderate security, and the files said it wasn’t even really armed security, least not with any real weapons.

Tasers and pepperspray, mostly to handle idiots looking to have a laugh breaking into the place or minor problems rather than either of the people coming, Natalia would leave the car running in an alleyway across the street from where the employee entrance is. “So who’d this shmuck piss off anyways?” She asked, clearly bored at the prospect of the whole thing. They likely wouldnt have gotten out of the car yet, and instead she opened the file her employer had given her. "Doesn't really matter, guy's a dead man either way."

Carnage was going to just hold onto the severed arms, however, a red dufflebag came flying at him.  He deftly switched both arms in his right hand and caught the bag with his left.  Both of his hands were normal hands again.  He packed the arms into the bag and climbed into the passenger seat, placing the bag on his lap.  The two left for the news station and arrived some time later through an alleyway. "I don't know all the detail.  It could have been nothing.  What I know is that my target is in there and I'm to make a show of it.  Not quick.  Not subtle.  Everyone should see.  Whatever orders the Matron gives, I follow."  Carnage shifted in his seat and pulled the hood further over his face, shadowing the mask.  "We should get started."  Carnage got out of the car, dufflebag strapped over his shoulder.  He waited for Natalia to get out of the car before heading over to the door.  He nodded at her expectantly to unlock it as she had the keys to the staff entrance.

“Yeah yeah, put on a show,” Natalia stated, rolling her eyes. “you’re just a barrel of fun aren’t you?” She asked sarcastically. Walking towards the door with a bored expression. Jeez, she[‘d been hoping he wouldn’t be so dull. “You shove that stick up your own ass? Or did someone do it to you?” She asked rhetorically just as she approached the door. Unlocking it to reveal a storage room with some equipment and cleaning supplies, though the room at the moment was empty, Natalia stopped short before entering, a mirror suddenly coming out of her pocket.

She used it to peer around the corner, verifying the room to be empty before spotting a camera. “fuckin’ hell…” She muttered before the camera suddenly found itself pointed at the wall instead. Before she stepped in. There were too exits, going to different directions, though Natalia had already read the floor plans. “You seem eager enough, go say hello to our target.” Nata demanded, walking towards the side door. “I’ll go make friends in the security room.” She stated. Making a show of it or not, last thing they’d need is some damn mall cop calling the police into this. Besides, she’d want to shutdown the cameras and erase any footage of them there might be before they did anything.

Carnage laughed at her sarcastic jabs.  Despite the fact the question was asked rhetorically, he decided to respond anyway.  "A little of both, I'd say.  I was raised to obey my orders without question.  Though I don't really mind that either.  It's fun enough getting to cut open my targets.  Even better when I'm allowed to do as I please with them."  Natalia unlocked the door, but stopped before entering; producing a mirror to peer around the corner.  She found the moment to enter as the camera was facing away and told Carnage he should go after the target while she would deal with the cameras and security.  Carnage smirked under his mask.  "I'd love to.  But first I need to get into that badge from the locker in the security room."  He patted his dufflebag.  He followed her through the side door towards the security room.

“Yeah, yeah and you’re all a big happy family because of it right?” Natalia asked sarcastically before snorting. “Sick fuck like you? I guess I can see it.” She added, looking around the room. Shit, she’d forgotten about the badge, but it wasn’t too big a deal, still was looking to be an easy job. Still she’d been hoping to be able to neutralize any possible resistance as soon as possible, after all once they were noticed, it’d be a countdown until the police, or worse yet heroes appeared.

She frowned, knowing it would be the same either way. Though it did create some added risks, and while the security office was near to their position, she supposed it’d be better than nothing. “Fine then, might be able to make yourself useful at least. They reached the security room without incident, with Natalia using her powers to ensure camera’s just happened to be looking in the wrong direction as they passed. Half the reason she’d chosen this approach was that it was a straight shot to the security room, and she wasn’t disappointed as she spotted a glass window beside a door that read “Security” on it. Three regular mall cop types inside with one seeming to look at the changes to camera angles in confusion. The glass window seemed meant to allow them to see anyone walking by in the hall.

“What say we knock?” Natalia stated, after positioning herself outside the door. Another keypad made it obvious she wouldn’t be able to simply open it but the Mercenary had another idea. “Alright psycho, time to see what you can do!” She called out, just as her powers gripped an unused chair from inside the office, flying it through the glass window. Natalia let go of the chair midflight and Instead focused on a different target, namely the glass itself, the broken glass floating in the air as the chair itself clattered against the opposite wall. Then they flew forward at the mall cops, Nata using her powers at the same time to put downward force on the handle opposite to her side of the door and using her own hand to pull it open to mercenary and assassin.

Now the real fun begins.

The tactic the mercenary used was a surprise, but a pleasant one at that.  Carnage moved out of the way of the chair Natalia sent flying through the window and was slightly caught off guard as the glass flew in the complete opposite direction as we would have expected.  The shattered glass showered down upon the unsuspecting guards.  The next thing he knew, Natalia was holding open the previously locked door to the security room.  This one was certainly a woman of many talents.  Carnage smirked in amusement.  She wanted him to show off, and he would happily oblige.  As she held open the door, he rushed inside.  The guards were very much distracted by the glass currently cutting into their skin that they were easy to catch off guard.  His hands morphed into his trademark elongated claws.  As he rushed inside, the dufflebag was bouncing against his back.  It was not Ideal, but he would have to make due.  In the next moment, he was on one of the guards.  A quick slash, and he was onto his next target.  Blood began erupting from the guards throat and he made an attempt to grab the wound before losing all of his strength and collapsing.  

The second guard took notice and pushed aside thoughts of the glass for now.  None of the guards had anything like a gun, but they did have batons.  As Carnage approached, the officer made a quick swing at him.  The attack wooshed by as Carnage propelled himself upwards, placing a hand on the officers cranium so hold him up.  He held that position for a second before dropping down behind the officer and sending his hand straight through his back and out the chest.  The officer flailed, and screamed for a moment before he went limp.  Carnage pulled the body around to face the last remaining officer, keeping his last victim impaled on his hand like a shrike and his thorn.  

The last officer had a shard of glass stuck in his eye and so had been unable to help his comrades at the time, even if he would have been able to react fast enough.  However, right there, was the sight of a demon.  The face stared at him, and the three eyes seemed to glow with menacing intent, and the teeth seemed to snap at him.  Held on the creatures hand was his best friend of 12 years.  They had been working this job together for so long, and then without notice it came to this.  How could this happen?  Tears began to overflow from his eyes.  The salt burned the cut in his eye and made things even worse.  The demon flung the lifeless body of his friend aside and came for him.  There was nothing he could do.  This thing would kill him, eat his soul, and torture him in hell for eternity.  He just watched in fear.  Carnage lifted him by the throat, leaving the mark of his friends lifeblood as the knife like fingers bit into his skin, thinly slicing them open.  "Mercenary, we don't need this one for anything, do we?"  He posed to Natalia, waiting for the go ahead to finish him off as well.

Natalia watched as the mob killer went to work, literally cutting through any resistance the mall cops had been able to put up easily, putting herself between them and a phone to ensure they wouldn’t be able to alert anyone if they somehow got past Carnage. Not that the possibility was likely, given what she was seeing. What the assassin lacked in a formal fighting style, he seemed to make up for with a practiced ferocity that caused her to grin as she watched him tear into the men with the sort of detachment most might feel watching a nature documentary about some wild animal tearing into prey.

She watched until she decided there wasn’t a need to involve herself, before looking over the men’s workspace. “Fuckin’ slobs, these guys are supposed to be protectin’ this place?” She asked dubiously as though the idea itself was some type of joke. “yeah yeah, just have your fun psycho,” She stated, looking over the camera’s and noting where the rest of the security team would be. There were only a handful of them onsite, and she grinned wider seeing that there weren’t any coming towards this part of the building. “Just make sure you don’t have too much fun, can’t have somebody hearing and bringing company. She noted, picking one of the deceased guards’ badges off his corpse before picking out a wallet. Mimicking the act with the other corpse. “It’ll take a few minutes to wipe the camera’s anyway. And our new friend there was nice enough to leave his computer unlocked." With that the mercenary sat down, typing away seemingly without a care in the world for what was undoubtedly going on in the room.

Carnage chuckled, "Oh don't worry.  He wont scream."  Carnage deftly pried into the mans mouth with his claw, and held out his tongue with the tips.  The man only had long enough for his eyes to double in size when half of his tongue was severed form his mouth and Carnage dropped him to the floor.  He tried to yell out in pain, but the missing vessel of his mouth made it more difficult.  Soon blood began to fill his mouth at a rapid pace.  Some began to spill out while much of it slid down his throat, slowly clogging up his air pipes.  The man was gargling, doing his best to breath, but the absence of a tongue and the overflow of red liquid made it impossible to cope.  Quickly the gargles turned to the sound of violent choking.  His eyes, reddened from lack of oxygen, where pleading, begging for the end to come swiftly.  But it felt like an eternity was passing by.  He thought back, he would never see his wife again.  He would never see his son graduate.  How regrettable.  

"How funny," Carnage muttered in quiet satisfaction.  His struggle was suitable entertainment for now.  It took up a bit of time while Nata dealt with the security.  It was then that he noticed the light had already faded from his eyes.  He heard no more choking, and no more struggling.  How regrettable indeed that he could not last a bit longer.  He left the new corpse as it was and retracted his claws, letting the severed tongue drop.  He walked up behind Nata to watch her work.  "How's it coming?  You done yet?"  Carnage was feeling impatient.  Carnage was very much in the mood right now, he could barely stand it.  This much was not enough.  Sometimes it was easier to ignore an impulse than to try and satiate it, because, as with this case, once you start, its hard to stop.  He needed the satisfaction, the relief.  The anticipation for the treat that awaited was killing him.