On the Wings of an Angel (Rosalia Crocifissa)

[dreameater]

Damien strolled slowly through the streets of Tokyo checking out more of his new home. For the most part, it seemed pretty cool: the street vendors had delicious food, even if their Japanese was reeeeeaaaaallllllyyyyy fast, the people were nice enough, other than the few who called him 'gaijin' or whatever, and the crazy stuff that he was told was everyday happenings in Japan weren't happening, so he was doing just fine. It was just like city life in Chicago- even if from the richer side, but that was just fine with Damien.

"Help! Help us!"

Well, so much for that.[/i] Shaking his head, Damien almost managed to convince himself to walk away, that it wasn't worth conflict so early in his new life. But then he realized that it was a woman's voice, and there wasn't much he could do after that. Besides, who was he kidding? He was a fighter. That was his entire reason for his new life, really.

So, stepping into the alley, following the sounds of mocking laughter and struggle, Damien was assaulted with a view that made him clench his fists, and forced every sinew in his body to tense against the restraint that stopped him from ripping off heads. He saw a group of perhaps ten men attempting to molest two teenage girls, no older than Damien himself. "Aww, c'mon honey, loosen up! It'll be fun, I promise..." One of the boys laughed. However, he grew considerably more angry when the bolder of the two girls spat in his face. 

"You ungrateful little bitch!" He roared, cocking his hand for a slap. He never had the chance to go through with it. Someone Damien's size always had center stage in a conflict. "Let them go, and everyone leaves happy. Y'all will be frustrated, but at least your arms won't be broken when you turn to them at home. Sound good?" Naturally, all Damien received were blank stares. "Are you just screwing with us, gaijin? We're with the Isshin-Ryu dojo. Nobody around here messes with us."

Damien shrugged. "There's that word again. Why won't anyone tell me what Gaijin means? Anyways, if no one messes with you, just call me a nobody then. Let's see which is better: your vaunted karate style or my no style. Ladies, feel free to leave. Gentlemen, let's do this, shall we?"

Damien thrust his hands into his pockets as the girls fled, yelling hurried 'thank yous' over their shoulders. "Well? Waste the guy!" As one, the thugs charged, fully intending to turn Damien into one more bloodstain in the alley. Too bad Damien had other plans.

The fastest reach Damien first, lashing out with a straight punch loaded with power. Refusing to meet this power, Damien spun to his left, catching the man's arm in his right as he did so. Amplifying his speed viciously, Damien heard the arm snap and felt it slip from his grasp, just before he continued his pirouette, driving his heel into the man's head. The next man fared little better: using the man's momentum against himself, Damien stepped forward powerfully, sinking low and driving his elbow into the karate-kid's stomach. Twisting around and leaning forward, Damien snapped his leg upward, his heel smashing into the opponent's jaw. The third enemy was rather pathetic- dashing forward, Damien managed to take him out with a flying axe kick, his leg hooking the man's shoulder and slamming him into the pavement.

Screw this, I'm getting bored.[/I] Taking his hands from his pockets, Damien started the slaughter. Clotheslining one poor fool, Damien stomped on his chest to down him before using the crown of his head like a shield, blocking a chop from on of the larger practitioners. Grinning demonically as the -ryu man stared at him, dumbfounded, Damien slammed his fist into the man's stomach, hit him from the other way with a roundhouse kick, then completed the spin as well as his combo with a backhanded punch. Finally, four of the men ganged up on him, just managing to hold him down for the final man to beat on Damien.

"Take this, you monster!" Unloading everything he had, the karate- ka attacked. A minute later, panting for breath, the man glared at Damien, who stared back with his usual, menacing wartime smile. "Crazy bastard. Who do you think you are? Some knight in shining armor? Trying to save those two girls?" Damien shook his head, his grin unfailing. "Well, that helped, but that certainly wasn't it. Nah, I just felt like letting loose. You have no idea how cramped those gaijin airplanes are."

Shaking his head, the leader looked at Damien, clearly afraid. "Kill him. I don't want to see his face again." Damien felt the grips on his arms change, and knew he had to do something, and do it fast. "Aww, afraid of the big bad gaijin, are we? Don't worry- I understand, coward." Damien spat out the last word- literally. The gob of saliva sailed through the air, perfectly hitting the man between the eyes. "You bastard, I'm gonna gut you mys-" As he closed in, Damien slammed his head forward, his headbutt stunning everyone- least of all the recipient. 

Bunching all his muscles, Damien gripped the two holding his arms by their throats. Roaring with the effort, Damien sprang forward, slamming those two into the concrete before flipping over, landing on his back and flattening the final two assailants, driving his shoulders into their throats as impromptu ground clotheslines. By this time, the leader managed to pull himself off the ground, but that was alright. Damien had plenty of rage left to spend.

Swatting away the first punch, and aptly blocking the knee to his groin, Damien waited for his chance to counterattack, searching for the opportune moment to strike. His eyes widening, Damien grabbed the karate ka's leg on a high kick and heaved. Twisting and bending down, Damien slammed the leader into the prone body of one of his comrades. Not finished yet, Damien heaved again, hurling the man into the air. Crouching slightly, Damien spun, catching his opponent in the chest with his hook kick, the sheer force powering him into the nearby wall. Not yet finished, Damien rushed forward, pinning the man in place with his forearm.

"Now listen: I'm in a kindly mood today, especially since you were gentlemanly enough not to hit me in the face. So I'll leave you all alive. If I see you doing this crap again, who knows? I might just snap. So hurry up and drag your friends off the streets. A few should see the docs. Anyways, have a nice day!" Damien finished cheerfully, taking a hankerchief from his pocket and wiping off some errant bloodstains.

"What-what the hell are you?" Damien paused for a moment, thinking. "Oh, you called me out already. I'm just some lacksadasical gaijin. But... If you really want a name, I reckon 'Kishin' would do just fine in your language. See ya!" Damien sauntered from the alley into broad daylight, none the worse for wear. His sides ached a bit, but the pain would fade soon. Karate kid wasn't able to do too much damage, after all. Still... The fact that he was able to touch me at all... I must be out of practice.[/I]

Damien's stomach growled, furious that it hadn't yet been fed. Wincing far more at his hunger than for his bruised chest, Damien began searching for something good to eat. I wonder if there's a native nearby who might have a recommendation for a restaurant.[/I] And as if God had heard his unspoken prayer, Damien, with his almost feral instincts, sensed someone approaching from behind. Uncomfortable with exposing his (admittedly massive) back to anyone, enemy or not, Damien turned around, his perpetual grin plastered to his face. "Say, you wouldn't happen to know a good place to grab a bite to eat, would ya?" He cheerfully asked the short, brown haired tomboy before him. 

[Cecoil]

Stalking had a bad connotation nowadays, does it not?

Rosalia felt somewhat old when she thought about it. To her, stalking was not a creepy act of following another person. It seemed a lot of younger people used it in that way. But, to her, it was an art form. To silently and without presence tail behind an individual for the sole purpose of observance. It was a very useful skill within the mafia, despite any outside connotations. Granted, it was almost as creepy and dangerous, but she had a perfectly legitimate reason.

After all, she was stalking the young man who had the potential to become a formidable enemy.

Intel had come in recently of a potential candidate for the Angelo. A young man by the name of Damien Lier, a native to the United States of America, who had recently moved to Tokyo, Japan. It must have been a move on the Angelo's part to manipulate him into joining. It was believed that he had yet to officially join but that he was merely being scouted. Nevertheless, it had been decided that this threat was to be eliminated by any means necessary. Of course, the Boss was not a man without sympathy or kindness and had warned her to only resort to battle if there were no alternatives. Rosalia herself was more inclined to go straight to eliminating him, but she also had no intention of disobeying orders.

How was Julius Caesar described by Brutus? A serpent's egg, was it?

But, as she followed him through the busy streets of Tokyo, his built figure not very easy to lose track of, she couldn't decide if the intel was true or not. Despite his great size, he seemed nice enough. Angelo members were typically ruthless and not very friendly at all, and so naturally those were the type of people that they sought. But Damien seemed something like a gentle giant, amiably conversing with street vendors and such.

Rosalia heard the shouts for help at the same time Damien did, but due to her not wanting to lose her cover and the fact that he was closer, Damien was able to reach them first. As much as she wanted to help him beat up the perverts who were about to assault those two girls, she had to bite the inside of her cheek and watch from the sidelines, all the while wondering what the Angelo Family wanted with with a chivalrous guy like this.

In no time, Damien had them all out of commission, and Rosalia saw first hand the power that could be in the wrong hands. She was amazed at the raw power and battle prowess he possessed. She found that she couldn't pinpoint a specific style he used, unlike his enemies who were in practice with the Isshin-Ryu style. If he could be properly trained, who knows what he would be capable of? It only further proved the point that he had to be neutralized, but, at the same time, how could she kill someone who seemed to have a good heart?

He exited the alleyway, and Rosalia made an extra effort to fade into the background, only following him after he had resumed his walk through the streets. This was as good as any opportunity, she supposed, and began quickening her steps to catch up with his long strides. Before she could even speak, though, he sensed her presence and turned around to address her first. She took a moment to decipher the Japanese from his American accent, but she got it soon enough and smiled in response. Perhaps this would be a good opportunity to assess what to do with him.

"Oh, hm, a good restaurant....

[/color]" She said thoughtfully in her much clearer and formal Japanese. "Ah, do you like ramen? There's a very good ramen bar farther up the street, if you'd like me to take you.[/color]" She attempted to look as natural as possible among the Japanese, despite her Italian heritage. Hopefully, he might find some sense of camaraderie in the fact that they were both 'gaijin,' as he liked to put it.[/blockquote][/size]

[dreameater]

Damien brightened considerably when, despite her almost perfect pronunciation, he heard the subtle nances of imperfect Japanese (how would he know them, you ask? Simple. He commits most of them on a daily basis.) that marked one out as a foreigner. He guessed European descent, which gave him even more hope. Please, oh please let her speak my language. Damien prayed fervently to whatever god might be listening. The Japanese thought there were millions of them; one of them had to be with the outsider.

"Oh, really? That's great! All I've ever had were those microwave ramen noodles, so I'd love to have a go at the real deal.[/color]" Throughout all of this, something deep within Damien's psyche screamed muted warnings that something was wrong, that this woman was dangerous. It was promptly ignored. Why would a nice girl like her harm him? More importantly, how would even go about that? Thus silencing his self-preservation instinct, Damien smiled as he gestured that Rosalia should lead the way.

At the pair walked, Damien instinctually patted his pocket, ensuring that his wallet was still there. Everything was normal, save the amount of money- in recent weeks, his bank account had been vastly inflated by a third party. The Angelo, no doubt, in another attempt to woo him. [color=blue][I]Not that they needed to. They had me the moment Ryan was under their care. Still, best not to look a gift horse in the mouth.[/color][/I] Turning to Rosalia, Damien smiled sheepishly. "[color=blue]Ah, I never introduced myself, did I? The name's Damien Lier. I'm from America. What about you?[/color]"

As the pair closed in on the shop in question, Damien listening intently to his newfound companion's every word, he felt the need to speak up once more. "[color=blue]Since you've been so kind and understanding about being roped into a lunch date with me, I'll pay.[/color]" Damien laughed as he brushed aside the overhanging curtains, gingerly relaxing his herculean mass onto the rickety wooden stool. "[color=blue]Oh man, a roadside stall. I didn't think these existed anymore. Hey, mind if I get the specialty? Doesn't matter what it is. And I'll cover whatever she wants as well, thank you.[/color]"

His order placed, Damien swiveled to face Rosalia. Pausing only to allow her order, Damien struck up a conversation. "[color=blue]I hope ya don't mind my askin', but what are ya doing in Japan?[/color]" He asked, actually interested in her answer, even if it was just small talk. He had even shut off his beloved music.

[Cecoil]

As much as people liked to say that those with brawn couldn't possibly have brain, Rosalia knew it was far from reality in most cases. With Damien, too, she couldn't be completely sure he was as much of a stupid oaf as his physique suggested. If he was indeed being scouted by the Angelo, he was surely more rounded than that. But, perhaps, that was just more evidence in favor of him not Angelo material.

If he caught on, he didn't show it. Whatever the case, Rosalia liked to think she was capable of fooling most people. She had either been successful or Damien was more perceptive than she had anticipated. She continued smiling, polite and distant as a normal stranger might. She nodded understandingly as he mentioned the microwave ramen noodles. As much as she would deny it, she had been something of a ramen junkie before weaning herself off of it. She took his lead and began walking towards the ramen bar, expecting him to follow him.

Rosalia began to lose some of the tension she had built up as they continued. She couldn't afford to completely lower her guard, but she highly doubted that he would attack her. He seemed genuinely like a nice person; she really couldn't decide what the Angelo do with him as a Guardian. He didn't seem to be the one to go out of his way to torment a person. Rather, he was chivalrous, as seen in how he had rescued those two girls from earlier. How were they even planning on persuading him to join their meaningless murder?

And so, mind clouded with doubts, her ears pricked as she heard him introduce himself, not as if he needed it or anything. "Oh, nice to meet you, Mr. Lier. My name is Sophia Russo, and I'm originally from Italy.

[/color]" She said, lying without missing a beat. She wondered if she should switch to English, just to make it easier for him. But, well, this was good practice for him, anyways.

"Oh, that's not necessary at all.[/color]" Rosalia responded somewhat hurriedly. She could certainly pay for a bowl of ramen herself. But, even more importantly, she was going to feel guilty about having to kill him. She could already feel the emotion rolling in her stomach. But to have him pay for her meal, and then kill him? That was much too heartless. "I suppose I'll have the specialty, too, then.[/color]"

Rosalia faced him politely as he asked his next question, an obvious conversation-starter. Perhaps this would be the best opportunity to decide whether or not he was a formidable threat. "Me? I'm studying at the university. Japanese language major.[/color]" She said, the lie rolling off her tongue easily. "And yourself?[/color]" She was curious as to what his answer would be, or, maybe, what the Angelo had instructed him to say.[/blockquote][/size]

[dreameater]

Damien nodded as Sophia deigned to give him her name. “Sophia, huh? What a beautiful name. I like it.” He grinned mischievously, his brain only then processing the first part of her comment. “Whoa whoa whoa there. Mr.Lier? You’re makin’ me feel like a salaryman already. Besides, aren’t you my sempai?” Damien laughed at his use of the Japanese term. It was probably the first one he had ever used correctly, to boot. “Please, call me Damien before I get the overwhelming urge to go put on a tie and glasses.” But even as the smile grew on his face, so too did the doubts behind it.

Still, the way she said it… almost sounded like an employer with your resume.[/i] Internally berating himself, Damien felt like a fool for suspecting such a girl of possible wrongdoing. Hell, I was the one who ambushed her with the question outta the blue. I really have to stop being so paranoid.[/i] But even as he muttered this to himself, his subconscious, the internal animal instinct that kept him alive through so many fights, raised its head and sniffed the air. Damien may have let his guard down, but it would not.

With Sophia’s next answer, Damien nodded understandingly. “Ahhh, so that’s how your Japanese is just about perfect? How long have you been studying?” Scratching the back of his head sheepishly, Damien thought that he might as well explain himself. “I kinda want to know when I’ll stop people from running away in terror. I tried ordering four bouquets, only for the cashier to look on in terror. It would have been nice to know that the word for four was the same as death. The guy thought I was gonna mug him!” Damien laughed at his own failing, realizing just how silly it seemed in retrospect.

Answering Sophia’s next question, Damien shrugged, taking a slight break to cross himself and pray before starting on his bowl of ramen. “I really don’t like lying, so forgive me if I seem too blunt or open or something, but my father was laid off a while back. Anyways, we had it rough for a bit, but someone over here managed to find my father on LinkedIn, and offered him a job. Anyways, everyone knows how big Giorgi Industries is, so we leapt at the chance. That, and we didn’t really have much of a choice. It was that or no more ramen.” Damien chuckled as he lifted up his now half empty bowl as proof, somehow managing to inject a bit of humor into all that.

“Anyways, I managed to snag an athletic scholarship, so it turned out all fine ‘n dandy. And after that massive backstory, it’s your turn.” Damien grinned at his own self-deprecating humor once again. “Why did you decide to come to Japan? Wouldn’t it have been just as easy to learn the language in some Italian uni? Or are you just here on one of those language immersion things?”

[Cecoil]

Despite herself, despite her years of training, despite her seemingly frigid exterior, despite everything that should have done otherwise, Rosalia blushed at Damien's compliment. It wasn't even her name, she criticized herself. She had no right to feel complimented. She stuttered out a small thank you. Darn her for being so weak against charismatic, handsome guys. Darn him for being a charismatic, handsome guy.

God, how did the Boss expect her to kill him?

She chuckled, somewhat detached, as Damien joked. Perhaps she should have been more casual with him. It was permanently marked within her nature to be more formal than most people would seem. Even undercover, it was fairly difficult for her to shake off such subtle tendencies. If he noticed anything, though, he didn't seem to show it. Rosalia could not say if he was just that exceptional or just that trusting. "Alright, Damien.

[/color]" She said with a lighter inflection in her tone.

Rosalia nodded slightly. "I've always thought that Japan was cool. It's been a blast learning the language. I've been studying for about two years now, I think.[/color] She listened as he continued, almost incapable of grasping onto the idea that this was her enemy. Or would be. The food was placed before them, and she observed how he took a moment to pray before eating. Catholic, she noticed. He just couldn't be one of the Angelo. He just couldn't.

But he was. Rosalia almost choked on her ramen as he mentioned the Giorgi industries. She disguised it as surprise, though, which wasn't too far from the truth. Her eyes widened, and she sat a little straighter. "No way! Wow, what luck. Man, haha, good thing you managed to score some ramen.[/color]" She laughed, settling back to her noodles.

It was decided. She would have to eliminate him.

She mentally sighed, a little shaken. Rosalia had anticipated his next question, and was able to answer without missing a beat, though. "I really like Japan, don't get me wrong, but under different circumstances, I would have studied Japanese in Italy, like you pointed out. It's just... I hate airplanes, you know? Haha. But, uhm, I had had a boyfriend who was going to study here, and I didn't want to go through a long-distance relationship. So I followed him here to study.[/color]" She paused a moment. "We've broken up, but I can't say I regret coming here. The culture, the people, everything. It's all very alluring.[/color][/blockquote][/size]

[dreameater]

Damien saw the subtle giveaways that something was wrong- the widened eyes, the sudden change in posture, inching away from him, the movement back to formality just as he had gotten her to relax- and the beast within howled, gloating its victory over Damien. Fine. You were right. Something’s off. Well, we know how to figure that out, huh?[/i] Damien snarled at himself internally. “Oh, trust me- I know a little something about hating airplanes.” Damien laughed, indicating his massive body. “Ah, I’m sorry about that- still, your boyfriend’s bad luck for breaking up with you just means more fortune for me, so I can’t say I’m not a little pleased.” Damien smiled mischeviously. Finishing off his ramen bowl, Damien noticed that ‘Sophia’ was close to finishing hers as well. “Here, finish off your ramen quick. I have something I wanna show ya.”

Quickly paying for both their meals as Sophia finished hers off, Damien turned around and playfully stuck his tongue out at Sophia. “What else am I supposed to do? I’d feel terrible if I didn’t pay for a lady’s meal.” Laughing as he shrugged, still playing the part of the oblivious fool, Damien gently placed his hand on Sophia’s back, to guide her. He waited for that slight recoil that would tell him that there really was something to worry about, but other than that, used it to actually lead her in the direction of his favorite place.

On the way there, Damien engaged Sophia in random banter, trying to make her laugh. Yet all the time, he was careful to never once drop her name to get her attention, instead simply picking up the conversation as if he already had her listening intently. Finally, Damien decided to spring his final test. Turning suddenly, Damien left Sophia behind momentarily, before turning back and finally calling her name- with a twist: “Sophie! This way!” Damien called out, waving his hand at her. And thus the trap had been sprung- though subtle, Damien had changed her name, after minutes of not using it at all. If she failed to react at all, then it was one indication that she was being false with him- but if she failed to correct him or acknowledge the change, that also would be a red flag.

Nodding at her despite the reaction, Damien led the pace for a while longer, before the two reached a small, forested glen. Damien turned around to face Sophia, arms spread wide like a showman. “And welcome to the true urban jungle.” Damien smiled, laughing with his hearty, rumbling laugh. “I found this place when I was wandering Tokyo. It’s probably my favorite place in the city. It probably had some inane name like ‘Lovers’ Lane’ a long time ago, but now it’s pretty much deserted. Wait here for a sec.”

Crouching slightly, Damien jumped straight up, kicking off the trunk of the large tree, flipping around to hook the lowest branch with the back of his knee, then using the momentum to propel himself beyond sight, into the leafy bows of the tree. A careful listener would hear some rustling, followed by the aggravated screeching of some small animal- probably a squirrel. This careful listener would then hear some muffled curses, followed by a far more audible shaking of the branches this time. Damien swung down like a pendulum, appearing in view once again, clinging to the lowest branch by the strength present in his ankles along.

“Sorry about that- I got into a fight with a couple squirrels. They’re apparently vicious little punks.” Damien smiled as he stretched out his arm to Sophia. “Here- open your mouth. Trust me.” Damien said playfully. If she did, he would gently place a berry on her tongue. If not, Damien would shrug, laughing, before eating one or two himself, still upside down, kicking out his legs, turning in midair to land on his feet. In his hand he held his hoodie, filled with the wild berries. Damien laughed sheepishly. “C’mon. As delicious as these are, and as big as I am, I can’t eat all of them by myself. Help me out here.” Damien said, offering the makeshift hammock of berries to Sophia.

[Cecoil]

Rosalia chuckled slightly, pulling her facade back on quickly. She really did hate planes, not just Sophia. But it must be worse for such a larger man like Damien. Despite herself, she blushed at his next comment. She was so ready to just be done with life. It was usually easy for her to whack off someone. Just a flick of the wrist, a flex of the finger, and the job was done. She usually didn't pay attention to the life she was taking away. Even if she did, she was aware of the evil nature of her enemy. And it was perfectly understood that the target must be eliminated. She also nodded as she noticed he had already finished his ramen. She followed suit, downing her bowl hastily in order to keep up with him. The food had been a bit much, but, as he was paying for it, she knew she couldn't possibly waste food that someone else was paying for. In addition, she made a disapproving sort of face. If things continued this way, she'd owe a corpse the bill.

Damien unexpectedly place his hand on hers, and she flinched slightly. Unfortunately for her, it was what Damien had been waiting for. However, there was a bit of a twist. It wasn't that she tensed up in fear for her own welfare, it was more because of she had been physically touched by a very chivalrous, very charming, very handsome young man. She blushed, almost seeming to sputter in her embarrassment. It was too bad she unknowingly played into his little experiment.

Rosalia allowed herself to be lead away to something Damien apparently wanted to show her. She was feeling hesitant, but couldn't refuse. She found it almost amusing how this was almost the same exact scenario she had imagined, except with a twisted role reversal. No matter, she could hold her own against Damien if he planned to lead her to a secluded area and attack. In fact, it would be easier if he decided to attack first. Would that mean that he was indeed smarter than she had initially thought? Her answer was cut off as he bounded ahead of her only to call her forward. She made a face, though, noticing how he had changed her name. She let it go after a moment's hesitation. She didn't want to correct him, it might seem as if she was too attached to the name and give herself away. And he seemed like the type to give people nicknames, seeing as how Sophie was a close variation of Sophia. She didn't quite frown, but made it apparent she had noticed the nickname.

Rosalia followed, quickening her steps to catch up with the longer-legged Damien. They soon reached an area she couldn't recall ever having come across, despite her very thorough scouting excursions. Regardless, it was a rather spectacular place. She nodded understandingly as she observed the area. Fairly deserted, she couldn't help but notice. She was fairly alarmed when Damien expertly disappeared from sight, climbing into the tree. She waited somewhat expectantly, wondering what exactly he was about to do. She expected the worse, though, and made sure she would be prepared for an attack while remaining visibly normal.

Rosalia made a quizzical expression as he returned with berries. Upside down. She laughed at his comment on squirrels. Most assuredly, they were 'vicious little punks.' She obeyed quietly, opening her mouth receive the berry. But she did not eat it. She was most definitely not that stupid. She made the actions of eating it, but kept it beneath her tongue. She watched as he ate some, too, and decided it was safe enough. "Hahaha, I'll try, Damien," She said brightly, taking a few more of the berries to cup in her left hand. She had to think of how to play this out. Kill him right here, right now? The thought made her cringe. She took a few more berries from his makeshift hammock and decided that once she was finished with these, she would go through with it. No more procrastinating. It would just make it harder for her. "This is a really nice place," She said admiringly, looking around again as she popped a berry in her mouth. " I can't believe I've never been here before.

[/color][/blockquote][/size]

[dreameater]

Damien shrunk slightly in size as Sophia fell into the traps, one by one. Still, they’re not completely definitive. This is rather sudden for her, after all. Maybe- no.[/i] Damien silenced his wayward thoughts. I’m being stupid about this. Letting my damned emotions get in the way of what I know. I haven’t had a bad hunch about someone before, and with the Angelo, I’m playing with fire. This is just me wishing. Time to wake up and find out what the hell is going on.[/i] Taking a few of the familiar berries to calm himself, Damien steeled his nerves.

But damned if I’m not going to make you hurt for it.[/i] Damien thought, leaning against the tree he had just climbed. Nodding with a smile, Damien laughed. “Isn’t it amazing? It’s so far back in the alleys, you couldn’t find it with a map if ya tried. Just dumb luck- which I’ve got plenty of.” Readjusting his grip, so he held his hoodie like a sling, Damien looked up at Sophia, a slight glint in his eye. “Sophia… That’s ‘wisdom,’ right? Pretty cool. I don’t think Damien means anything.” Damien sounded like he was almost rambling. But now the glint was gone, replaced by a glare as cold as winter.

“So I gotta ask: does your real name have any significance?” Never breaking eye contact, Damien shook his head. “Please, don’t insult me by denying it. I’ve met some weird people in the past month, and you’ve been setting off all the wrong signs. Little things at first. Slight tenses whenever I got close at first, and how you would freeze up at random points, just when you were finally relaxing.” Damien sighed, as if this was physically hurting him. “Then I noticed bigger things. The lack of fear, for one- rather surprising, giving the difference in size between me and you. How your muscle tone is far more developed than the average woman's.”

“Still, I wasn’t sure until just now. The first time you got close to freaked out was when I disappeared from view. That ain't exactly considered normal- unless you’re planning on putting the hurt on someone, that is. Most people would have just been amazed or annoyed with my showboating there. That was the kicker. And now that I think of it, you came from behind me, outta that alley. The only people there were me, those karate punks, and two girls- both of which were Japanese. Decidedly not as pretty as you, either.” Damien twisted the knife in a little deeper, comment by comment.

“So I gotta ask: what’s up with all the secrecy, when I’ve been up front with you the entire time? Who are you, and what do you want with me? You nearly choked when I mentioned Giorgi Industries.” Damien shrugged his shoulders before shifting his stance, moving his weight to the balls of his feet. From his current position, he could counterattack from any direction- or with any method. “You know, a month ago, a man in black saved me. There was a drug bust in the same room as an underground fighting ring. I didn’t know about the cocaine, but the cops didn’t give a damn. Hell, even if I knew, I don’t think I would have cared, either. I needed that money. Desperately.”

“I got a card, so I gave it a call. Suddenly, I’m on my way out to Japan, my dad’s got a cushy contract with Giorgi Industries, and… well, the last part is personal.” Damien said, suddenly dodging the final truth. “Even someone as stupid as I am can put two and two together. So I gotta ask: what do you have against the Angelo Familia?” Damien prepared himself for battle. With how things had been going down until then, there was no way this girl would react peacefully. A damned shame, too. Could’ve been friends.[/i]

[Cecoil]

Damien's words were blurred in Rosalia's mind as she sensed a change in atmosphere, as if the temperature had dropped. She immediately recognized this as a failure. He must have figured it out. That steely gaze, she could not interpret it in any other way. Her own visage did not waver, still pleasantly friendly. She was not going to resort to violence quite yet. She popped another berry in her mouth, chewing thoughtfully. She hadn't quite gotten to the point of no return yet. She still had options, and she was entirely willing to try them all before having to exterminate him. Most definitely, she was disappointed in herself, but she would deal with her own self-discipline later.

Rosalia took a moment to reassemble her thoughts, making sure to keep half of her mind listening to Damien's very calm accusation and explanation. She couldn't help but liken it to the speech of an evil antagonist who had just captured the hero. She had successfully identified him as an individual affiliated with the Angelo Alliance. He himself admitted it earlier. But he still seemed somewhat ignorant to what he was truly getting himself into. Maybe she could pull off some sort of diplomatic relation to keep him away from the Angelo. It was way too much to hope for him being converted to the Vongola Famiglia, but she might at least prevent him from becoming a foe.

"You're right, I won't lie. My real name is Rosalia.

[/color]" She said, lightly yet defeatedly. It was one of the most difficult things to admit her loss, but it was necessary. Damien was obviously not happy with the charade she had put up. She could see he was no longer going to remain defenseless before her. While she didn't shift into a combative stance, she did mentally prepare herself for the potential task at hand. If she was going to get anywhere at all, she imagined that she would have to be truthful and show some vulnerability, though. She really did feel rather awful for lying to him. Not enough to spare his life, but he seemed like such a charming gentleman. Her victims had always been cold and ruthless. It would be with a heavy heart when she killed him"Excellent work, figuring me out. Not too many people are capable of that. You're a very special man, you know that?[/color]" It was not an empty compliment, but a plainly stated observation. It was an attempt at being genuine. Another berry was eaten as she tried to keep the dread from her visage.

"I don't know what the Angelo have told you[/color]" Rosalia admitted. " But I am a member of the Vongola Famiglia. The enemy of the Angelo. I was sent to you to determine whether or not you were a threat.[/color]" She took a moment to let this statement hang and to, most importantly, let the unspoken 'and if you were, to eliminate you' ring in his ears. Though she was bent on leaving a violent confrontation for last, if it wasn't at all avoidable, she kept an edge in her voice. She attempted to meet his size. Not in her physiology, but in her manner. He had the looks and the power, but she was fairly sure she could take him anyways. Minus one more berry.

"Please be assured, whatever the Angelo offered you, it's merely compensation for the horrible acts they will ask of you in the future. They are a villainous organization, obsessed with throwing the world into chaos. It's obvious that they've scouted you to become a high-ranking member. I want to avoid that at all costs. My Boss is willing to take you and your family under his wing, put you under protection, if you leave them. I'm sorry for having deceived you this whole time, but it was necessary to determine whether you were a potential hazard.[/color]" At this point, her words sounded formal, not quite stiff, but certainly business-like. But, her words softened now, her feminine hesitance and slight guilt peeking through. "I really am, Damien. You don't seem like you understand what you're getting into. The Angelo - they've murdered countless individuals, people that have been close to me. If you join them, you'll become like that, and I know that that isn't what you stand for.[/color]" She was down to her last berry, she realized, but kept it in her palm, letting a tense silence reside between them. The ring on her finger felt uncharacteristically heavy. Not a good omen.[/blockquote][/size]

[dreameater]

Damien laughed bitterly. “Rosalia? Much better than Sophia- much more fitting, too. Why would you hide a name like that?” Despite his somewhat cheerful exterior, internally, Damien was fuming. God damn it I was right. Why the hell did I have to be right? Why the hell couldn’t you be normal, someone not trying to get something from me?[/i] He snarled at Rosalia from within the confines of his skull. While he tried not to let this tirade show on his face, he couldn’t stop his amiable and charismatic persona from melting away, leaving a face cold and dispassionate as ice.

Damien could feel his emotions begin to boil back, consumed by the all too familiar rage. “Yeah, now if only I could’ve figured you out earlier, could’ve spared the heart wrenching part of this whole business. But thank you. Flattery gets you everywhere, right?” He smiled wanly at his own foolishness. Continuing to listen to Rosalia’s monologue, he couldn’t help but liken it to one of those prosaic hero sermons they would always deliver to the villain. Damien always had hated those. But still, he waited patiently, waiting for Rosalia’s tirade to conclude. When silence reigned, Damien uttered a single word:

“Seven.”

Seeing Rosalia’s expression, Damien looked away, partly in sorrow, partly to steel himself for what was to come. “Seven. That’s how many men I’ve had a direct part in…ending.” Damien shook his head like a dog clearing water. “No, I shouldn’t sugarcoat it. I have killed seven men. The first 3 were just unlucky bastards who couldn’t take a punch. We all knew what would happen once we stepped into that concrete hell but still… I couldn’t stop puking after I realized what I had done. Same with the other two. But I had a goal. I couldn’t stop- I just didn’t have a choice.”

Taking a deep breath, Damien continued. He no longer averted Rosalia’s gaze, though he knew he would see nothing but disgust there. “The next three were a couple of bangers that just wanted me to throw a game. It got… easier after that. They threatened my family. I didn’t feel a damned thing ending their wasted lives. The last one was the bastard who ratted out our ring to the cops. That was the price of admission for the Angelo.” Damien had seemed to shrink during this speech, and even his volume had trailed off to a whisper by the end of his diatribe.

However, now Damien seemed to expand back to full size, his eyes burning with all the fury of hell itself. “But now I have to ask you: what’s your number?” Damien stared at Rosalia for a moment, daring her to speak. “You say the Angelo have murdered people close to you- who gives a damn? How many people is that true for on their side? How is that any less true than what you’re planning on making my brother say a week from now? And don’t give me any of that ‘but we’re the good guys’ bullshit. When you have someone whose sole job and purpose is murder, you give up any right to the moral high ground. Let me get this through your self-righteous skull, Rosalia:"

"You are no better than the Angelo.”

“You’re a murderer, Rosalia, just like the Angelo, and just like me. ” Perhaps Rosalia’s demeanor had softened, but Damien’s had only hardened. “I’m damned to hell, I know that much. All the prayer in the world won’t change that, and neither will another death or two. But if I might be able to save my brother with my fall, then so be it.” Popping a few berries into his mouth, Damien chewed thoughtfully before finishing his own oration.

“When I was getting shot at in Chicago, where was the Vongola? Again, when I was going to be sent to jail for a crime I didn’t commit, I didn’t see anyone from them rescuing me. When my brother was dying, where was your precious Vongola?” This one, touching so close to home, was uttered with all the spite and underlying wrath Damien had available, coming close to subconsciously activating Perfect Predator. His voice calming down, Damien stared at Rosalia, biding his anger. “They were nowhere to be found. But the Angelo were.”

Damien shook his head, a final, sorrowful regret that events had turned out as such. “So you have what you want to protect, and I have mine. Fight for it with everything you’ve got, but never sugarcoat it.” Damien smiled one last time. “It’s too bad things had to turn out like this. I really did like you, Rosalia. Just bad luck, that’s all. ” Slowly walking towards Rosalia, intending to invade her personal space and make it difficult to attack- or evade him, Damien turned expressionless once more, waiting only for the rage to take over.

“Let’s dance, shall we?”

[Cecoil]

Rosalia very much hoped that with time, she would grow more accustomed to the idea of killing Damien. However, it was quite the opposite. Each moment that passed was another weight that fell upon her heart, burdensome and uncomfortable. How could she do this? How could she extinguish the life of such a seemingly polite and good-natured soul? She felt like she had done everything wrong. It was a terrible feeling, an emotion of utter failure that packed stones into her stomach. What could she have done to avoid this situation?

She attempted to shake those thoughts away. Rosalia thought back to the Boss, to the Aquile, to every one of her friends whose lives had been cut much too short. She thought back to their families, back to the countless times she had to play the role of the bearer of bad news. And that gave her the resolve to stand her ground, defying her transient thoughts of escaping to avoid a violent confrontation. She couldn't throw away her career for one boy.

Her visage was one of confusion when Damien said 'seven.' She listened respectfully, trying to remain as neutral as possible. But it was difficult. She didn't expect this. Of all the things.... She couldn't keep the look of shock off of her face. Damien wasn't as innocent as she thought he was. Damn the Vongola intel for not figuring these things out. Damn them. Damn them. Damn them. Her heart wrenched, painfully twisting in her chest. Chains of ice seemed to lash against her. She wanted to protest. She wanted to justify her side. But she couldn't.

Because he was right.

So right that it hurt, as if it had been a blow to her solar plexus. She was a murderer, there was no denying it. But she was the furthest thing from the Angelo. Rosalia wanted to explain further - because that hadn't been nearly enough - but she couldn't find the words. Not that, she had to correct herself. Rather, she couldn't grap onto them. She couldn't compose her words with the proper syntax. She couldn't use her words to explain. Sometimes, she realized, words couldn't always work. She noticed that Damien had smiled rather often as he spoke. Bitterly, but a smile nonetheless. She was without humor. As much as she hated this, as much as this might haunt her, she needed to do this. As he said, she had something to fight for. She'd fight for it until her last breath.

Rosalia flicked the last berry away into the grass and drew her Beretta from a shoulder holster. There was not yet a need to unleash a box weapon. She was fully ready to get this over with as quick and as painless as possible. She owed at least that much to him. She had stayed quiet as Damien spoke, and found no need to now. Perhaps she was afraid that her voice might give away her hesitation, but hopefully she had finally accepted the outcome of these circumstances. She flashed one apologetic look before widening her stance slightly to shoot two shots in Damien's direction. While she was much more comfortable fighting from a long range, this way, Damien would have less reaction time.

[/size]

[dreameater]

Damien saw the pain reflected in her eyes as he continued his impromptu speech. Clearly she had thought far more of him than she should have- than he ever had. Sorry to disappoint ya, sweetheart. I just ain’t the kinda guy ya think I am. However, as wrenching as the pain in her eyes was before, it was nothing compared to the shattering agony that hit her like a physical blow after Damien’s accusation. He was right, and they both knew it. And for all his smiles, laughs, and words, he was thrusting a dagger into her heart with every sentence. And he hated himself for it.

When he had finished, Rosalia was silent, contemplative even. Good. Damien wouldn’t have respected her nearly as much had she tried to be flippant, or in any way tried to sympathize or persuade him. They had each chosen their own paths. Perhaps the Vongola really were the good guys; it didn’t matter anymore. Damien had chosen his path, and he had accepted the consequences. Closing his eyes for a moment, Damien breathed in deeply, preparing himself. There were no more niceties. The girl before him wasn’t the cutie he had taken out for lunch. She was a stone cold killer after his life now. If he hesitated, he would die.

So by the time Rosalia had her Beretta lined up and Damien in the sights, Damien was already moving. Throwing his jacket forward, Damien launched the berries towards Rosalia, using them and his jacket to temporarily restrict her vision. Sprinting forward, his size belying his almost inhuman speed, Damien seemed to make the distance between the fighters disappear. The world seemed to slow down around him as Damien watched Rosalia’s trigger finger, watched where the barrel was pointing, and got the hell out of that line. Diving forward, Damien threw himself onto his hands, not so much dodging the bullets as making sure he wasn’t where the gun was aimed.

His momentum carrying his torso forward, Damien planted himself firmly on his left hand, his right foot whipping forward with the full intent to take Rosalia’s head off. But despite all that he had promised himself, Damien had hesitated, his damned chivalry freezing his leg, refusing to allow his attack. “tch!” Damien complained. But once again, his superhuman reaction time saved him. Changing the attack into a feint in an instant, Damien shifted his weight onto his right hand, flipping his lower torso over and bringing his left leg to try and hook Rosalia around the neck.

If he was successful, Damien would push off the ground, throwing his body into a spin. His right leg would scythe down on Rosalia’s weapon arm, pinning it. Meanwhile, his arms would sweep Rosalia’s legs out from under her, pinning her beneath Damien and leaving her at his mercy. Damien hated striking women, but he had no problem choking one out. If his maneuver was unsuccessful, however, Damien would place his hand on her hip, and push with enough force to separate Rosalia from him, and hopefully disorient her long enough for Damien to recover from his maneuver.

[Cecoil]

Rosalia wondered at what point she became so emotionally invested into this- whatever 'this' was. Could it have been right from the beginning, when she first witnessed his chivalrousness? Perhaps when she first-handedly felt the kindness that he was capable of showing. Maybe even at that moment when she realized that, though he was on the opposing side, he still acted with such righteous intentions. There was no use wondering, though, she had to promptly remind herself. It didn't matter. Rather, she wouldn't allow it to matter. She couldn't allow herself to be distracted by her inner feelings. It wasn't her job to feel, it was her job to perceive and act.

Rosalia was not deterred by the jacket thrown in her direction. Her line of vision was interrupted in that brief moment as she knew her enemy was quickly approaching. His vision, too, would be somewhat obscured by the clothes, but he still managed to dodge the moment she pulled the trigger. She made a disapproving click of her tongue as she missed her target, the young man throwing himself to the ground. She moved back instinctively, switching to a more defensive stance and position. She couldn't take the chance of underestimating him at all. She had already seen how shrewd he could be and what strength and reflexes he possessed. It was an art to successfully evaluate an opponent.

It was especially difficult when said opponent didn't seem to fight in a very orthodox manner, though. Rosalia's line of sight followed him, saw his right leg coming for her. There was little she could do to dodge it, but she brought her arm up in a guard as she simultaneously attempted to lengthen the distance between them. The connection was never made, though, and she saw a strike coming from the opposite side. Fortunately, she was already ducked out of the way, missing his second attack, perhaps by just a hair. She was fully ready to retaliate, as her enemy was in a fairly vulnerable position balanced on the ground, but she felt a force against her waist area, pushing her backwards. Rather than pushing back against it - which would have been fairly useless, considering the force he used and her own body weight - she let herself be pushed backwards, having to reorient her balance in order to stay upright.

As she regained her bearings, Rosalia noticed the distance between the two fighters was now around fifteen feet or so, give or take. In addition, she made the fairly hasty conclusion that her opponent was frighteningly lethal in close quarters. It was in her immediate advantage to keep a safe distance from him. Physically, emotionally. This was no longer Damien. It was an enemy seeking her blood. She immediately raised her Beretta again, attempting to rationally predict what may happen depending on an action that she makes. There is no reason her enemy could not dodge any more shots she might make, especially at this longer distance. With a machine gun, maybe, but not with a single Beretta. Perhaps she would need her box weapon sooner than later. She took one more shot, aiming at his upper chest and completely prepared to retreat further if he happened to come forward again.

[/size]