Artist's block is truly a terrible thing especially if you are an exceptionally gifted artist who often uses the money to buy food in the down time of their other job. It would seem that the assassination business was not particularly good at the moment so the ‘starving artist’ would have to find another way to express their artistic talent. This artist in particular had heard that there was a man with a particularly large bounty on his head, dead or alive. So after tracking him for weeks the young woman found out the perfect way to solve her money problems as well as her artistic block.

She had come across the bar at the edge of some small town where all the big bad biker gangs would hang out and ‘shoot the shit’ as they called it. At this point Sapphire decided that these bikers as well as her target would be a perfect scenery for what she was going to paint. She allowed darkness to flow from her hands into the doorway and then she waited. Suddenly satisfying screams of pain echoed throughout the entire bar as well as the satisfying gurgles of blood. It filled the artist with great joy that the perfect scenery would be set for a wonderful painting.

After at least fifteen minutes or so Sapphire entered the bar laughing a little to herself as she saw the scene before her which was splattered with blood, but no bodies where in sight. Sapphire smiled to herself, grateful for her powers being able to rid her of the messy process of cleaning up the bodies. It was at this point Sapphire began to set up her easel and paints, right in the center of the room where she could get the full picture of what she had done. A contented sigh escaped her lips as she sat on her stool and began to paint, drinking the rum she had retrieved from the bar earlier.

“Ah, how can things get any better than this?” Sapphire asked

Saphirus was tired. He'd been hitchhiking all day; and for what? Nothing. He had been trying to flee the state after accidentally kidnapping a baby, and punching a police officer in the face so hard he might possibly have brain damage. He had come all of the way to New York's border, but realized just before he passed that he had never been out of state... This place was his home, and as deep a grave he ever dug him self could get, that grave would always be in New York. He sighed as he looked about... The last driver he'd been able to hitch had only taken him this far, and said that he could find someone at this bar to get him back to the city. As he walked up to the door, he saw with some dissatisfaction that there were mostly only Harleys parked outside... Bikers... He hoped they weren't anti-mutant... That would suck.

Saph took a deep breath as he clenched the door handle, and slowly walked in, telling himself that no matter what, everything would be okay as long as he played it chi....ll. He stood in place as he surveyed the room before him... Blood everywhere, and, honest to god, a woman sitting in the middle with an art stand, painting the scene. He reached over with his right hand, and pinched himself on the left... Nope, not dreaming. A place like this would never hold any of those kinda artsy displays like this that you saw in the city, which meant this was all most likely real blood. It was enough to fill several bodies. The door closed shut loudly behind him before he could stop it, clearly announcing his presence.

He considered turning and bolting, but whoever caused all of these blood spatters might be faster than him... He guessed it was the girl in the center of the room... He kept his eyes on her, holding a blank look on his face as he waited for her to react.

The artist in all her splendor was slightly perturbed when she heard a slam echo throughout the once busy business establishment. It would seem to her that the person that entered ended up at the wrong place at the wrong time. Typically, the mistress of darkness would kill someone for interrupting her painting, however today she was feeling oddly cordial. Pale white fingers gripped the painting pallete in her hand softly, lowering it before she lay it on the ground. Sapphire smiled softly at her visitor and moved her easel to face them, showing them a mirror of the scene before her with her own more eerie twist to it if that was even possible.

“I call it, ‘The Rest for the Wicked.’ A true masterpiece really and all I had to do was to go out to do my job to paint such a wonderful piece of art.” Sapphire told the man at the door her Icy blue eyes staring at him

Saph did his best to retain his blank-faced appearance. His eyes darted about the room, and then centered on the painting as she displayed it...

You gotta be F$^kin kiddin me, he thought to himself as she spoke... His mind whirled as he wondered how exactly one would react to a situation like this; even in the hectic life of a mutant, you didn't very often walk in on a mass slaughter while the most likely 'off her rocker' killer was still there. The fact that she smiled warmly to him sent a chill down his spine, though he somehow still managed to remain composed.

"...Who are you? Why have you done this?"

He didn't respond to her words, dismissing them as the rants of a psychopath... y'see, Saphirus wasn't exactly the most moral of people... He stole for a living, lied more often than not, and had even done his fair share of regrettable backstabbing. But killing a room full of people wasn't his cup of tea; not at all. Painting the scene afterward was just... Nuts. He looked about again, realizing that while there was a lot of blood, there were no bodies in sight...This woman didn't look like she had just dragged a bunch of bodies around, either. Were there more of them? no... there would be drag marks... foot prints in the blood... Instead there was only her... She had to be a mutant. A fairly powerful one, too... Either she had a method of dissolving bodies, which he figured was unlikely, as from his experience it usually left some sort of goop behind rather than just blood, or she had a method of moving them... Super strength, perhaps? No, her footprints would be everywhere...

His eyes centered on her again, watching her closely... She was most likely a Telekinetic type mutant... He had seen many on the streets, though never one strong enough to kill a room full of tough bikers without at least having the room filled with bullet holes as well. That, or he was overlooking something... He wasn't about to make any certain assumptions... Those got people dead. He instinctively moved the right side of his body forward a little, should she attack him.

It was nights like this that Juka was grateful for his powers, especially since they now seemed to be obeying him once again as they always had in the past. Well, except for the odd flair up every now and then. He still wasn't entirely sure how his powers had changed and what he could not do with them, except for staving off the need for sleep and sustenance. They could do something, that was for sure, but the details as well as all but the most basic control, continued to illude him. But the important thing was that he was no longer trapped in his bubble.

This night, however, Juka was feeling restless and, feeling restless, he decided to go for a trip. For many reasons his bubble made such trips rather easier than trips for almost anyone else he knew. His bubble protected him from the ravages of the outside weather, so he didn't need to worry about getting cold or wet. And recently they sustained him and allowed him to be awake for days at a time with no apparent ill effects, the only properties of his new power that he was actually able to control somewhat. Finally, his bubble moved almost as fast as a car with the added benefit that he didn't need to confine himself to roads, so he could take the most direct route possible. As the birds flew, so to speak.

For hours Juka floated far above the landscape, not really having any particular destination in mind and not really caring. What could hurt him way up here anyway? Finally, on a whim, he returned to the earth, spotting a little bar that looked interesting. It wasn't exactly his usual type of place, but he was feeling like having a drink and what was the point of getting all dressed up (as he almost always did before leaving his apartment) if there was no one to see him? So he landed himself, careful to remain in the shadows lest someone see him and spot his mutant bubble, de-bubbled and walked up to the door, smoothing a crease in his crimson dress.

The first thing Juka saw upon opening the door was blood. So much blood. He gasped and took a step back. This couldn't be happening, he couldn't have come across some murderous mutant fiend so soon after recovering from Aura's attack. He simply couldn't. After a moment he registered a familiar face, the one he had struck so many times with his anvils during the battle with clay Cthulu. He looked skittishly between him and a strange female. "This wasn't your doing was it?" he asked the familiar man. He coudln't quite wrap his head around what had happened and somehow coudln't quite bring himself to believe that he had been responsible. The girl then maybe?

The man who stood before the artist looked aghast at what she had accomplished here in the bar. He then questioned who she was and why in the world she was doing such a thing. It was actually none of his business what her reasoning behind the massacre was. However, since he did seem like a fascinating male to screw around with mentally and perhaps other ways if she felt the need to do so.

Cool, calm blue eyes focused on the young man, her smile still on the seemingly delicate face of hers. This was when another person made their way into her temporary ‘studio’ causing Sapphire’s calm face to waver with confusion for a moment. Her focus turned to the person who asked the male if he did this and a light laugh escaped her lips. It was a rather beautiful laugh that would typically be admired in a social setting. Though, in a setting such as this, it would almost seem unsettling to hear the culprit of the crime laugh as if she heard a really good joke.

"I doubt this man has the strength to kill an old man on his deathbed, let alone a room full of bikers. One of these men even had a bounty on his head - a rather hefty one, as well."Sapphire told them both, amusement clear on her face. "As for who I am and why I did it? If I told you, would you not turn me in to the police? However, I doubt that the police would want me in their jail, considering what happened last time. Why I did it,though, is simple. I was told to, in order to get my paycheck. So, I did it without question. The inspiration it gives me is a rather lovely bonus."

Sapphire spoke so cordially to both of them that it seemed that she would be talking of nothing more than the weather or who won the last baseball game. The Artist was so happy that someone came in to see her little display that she should have brought little party hats and given them to whoever walked in. Maybe killing the occasional person who wore pink or that accursed magenta, she hated those colors with a deep passion.

It sounded like a horrible joke: A homicidal artist, a guy in a dress, and a masochist walk into a bar... everyone but the masochist says 'ow'.

Saphirus's eyes darted to Juka as he walking to the door, and he tensed visibly. It was one thing to get yourself into trouble, but having this kid here made him feel responsible for him. He didn't answer the question. "Keep your wits about you, kid, and keep your eyes on her." He said it just loud enough for the dress-wearing boy to hear clearly, and then looked back to the woman as she spoke up. From her words he acquired confirmation of his beliefs... She had killed all of the men in here alone fast enough to stop a single one from firing a shot... On top of that she wasn't afraid on the police, or going to jail, which meant that her ability also worked while she was bound. If this turned into a fight, he would have to knock her out...

As for the insult to his strength... He didn't respond; he knew well enough not to act brashly in a dangerous situation like this, and to tell the truth he wasn't a particularly strong person... But him him with a bus and he could pop your head like a pimple with one finger. He was hoping she wasn't aware of that; misconceptions and underestimations could be the key to winning a fight. IF this did turn into a brawl, he had to admit that he was happy Juka had shown up out of the blue... With him on his side, he might have a chance against this woman.

"You're a bounty hunter, then? Most bounty hunters bring their mark in alive... And they don't tend to kill everyone in the room... So... you did this for fun?" The 'this' was joined with a gesture around the room with his hand... Only a monster would employ someone so.. Sadistic "Who sent you to do this?"

Juka felt sick to his stomach. So this woman was exactly like Aura, killing humans just because she could. It didn't matter how much money was involved, killing was wrong. He wished he could run and flee, never to see this woman again but two things held him back. The first was Masochist Man who, because of their shared history against Cthulu, Juka felt obligated to back up. The second was the fact that he had vowed to make something of his life and that involved, in large part, protecting the innocent. Which, unfortunately, meant that he couldn't just run away like a coward. The old Juka might have done that, but not the new Juka. So instead he steeled himself internally and looked around for potential weapons, just in case. He wished he had his anvils with him. Maybe from now one he should bring them, just in case.

The comment about the woman obviously not being able to be held by the police confirmed Juka's horrible suspicion that the murderer was a mutant. This day just kept getting better and better. And to think it had started out with such promise too.

"Keep your wits about you, kid, and keep your eyes on her."

Juka nodded his head almost imperceptibly. One eye remained on the mutant woman and the other scanned around desperately for some sort of weapon. Should he up his bubble or would it be better for him to wait and keep it as a surprise? Surprise, he decided. Better not let the enemy know what he could do especially since he had no idea what she could do and the bubble obeyed his commands with the speed of thought anyway. He spotted a cash register just within range of his tendrils as well as several thick glass mugs. Not ideal and certainly not his anvils, but they would have to do. Now to wait, either for a sign from his masochist friend or for the woman to do something threatening. Juka was uncharacteristically silent, tension streaming through is body.

Another laugh escaped her lips when the other man spoke again, hardly able to contain herself. She just found it hysterical how wrong this man was about her and what she did. It wasn’t like she worked for the government; she was more of a private woman, who tended to do private things. Both of the ‘men’ as she decided to call the other one after a trial and error moment in her head, looked like they wanted to fight her, but this was quite the opposite of what she wanted to do. All she wanted was to finish her painting, leave without a scratch on her, go collect her paycheck and then…visit her family because they hadn’t seen her in a while.

“I am not a bounty hunter; I’m an assassin thank you very much.” Sapphire replied indignantly . Glaring at the two men as if it should have been the most obvious thing in the world. Sapphire ran her pale hand through her soft black curls and leg ou a sigh. “My client pays me to wipe out a room filled with drug dealing hustlers that are interfering with business, I do so, I get to go home and visit my family in peace. Also, No mater if they are human or mutant, I will always keep the clients confidential Its like a second job if you will. Now, if you boys do not mind and move aside, I will just take my paints and leave. I really do not want to hurt anyone I was not paid to hurt.”


The mistress of darkness took a step forward, not looking menacing at all really. She actually just looked like a woman that was going to try to get home from work safely.

She killed a room full of people, and she wanted to just.... walk away? Saphirus stepped in her way, careful not to get too close. He knew that if he let her go, something like this would happen again. "Noone gave you or your 'employer' the right to be judge, jurry, and executioner." Right now she looked like an innocent, vulnerable young woman, the Saph knew better... He knew what she was. She was a criminal, a murderer, and while he could let her walk... Mind his own buisness and not risk dieing a horrible death... He just couldn't.

"I can't let you leave. Not after what you've done here. Y'need to be punished, and you could prolly use some professional help, too." He crossed his arms, keeping his right side forward just a bit so that he could shift either way as needed... He knew that he was probably kicking a very dangerous bee hive, but he had to do the right thing. He hoped tha Juka was ready for what ever happened in the next few moments, be cause he wasn't one hundred percent certain if he was. He felt the weight of his crowbar in his coat... It comforted him a little bit; he knew that he always had a sturdy weapon on hand with which to hit himself.

How could anyone possibly think that being an assassin was better than being a bounty hunter? Killing was killing, it didn't matter the reasons or justifications for doing so. Killing was wrong and it was that simple. Or at least it should be that simple. "You don't get to deciede who should die!" It was stated with a rare determination and Juka was slightly surprised to note that he was willing to stand there and stop her if it proved necessary. In such a short amount of time he had changed so very much. A month ago and he simply would have fled.

Juka positioned himself next to Saphirus, taking his lead from the other man. He might be willing to do what was necessecary in order to try and stop this monster but he was still inexperienced in such things and, judging by how Massochist Man had acted during the fight with Cthulu, he had the feeling that the other man wasn't. He refrained himself from thinking too much about what punishment would be in store for the sadistic woman, knowing that she wasn't likely to stay within any jail. He would do what was necessary.

Sapphire gazed at the two as they stood in front of her, blocking her way out. Both said their piece about how she was a bad person, no one should be allowed to kill others and other such things she did not care about. It was truly a shame they did not let her go as she wished, she wasn’t really in the mood to kill any more people tonight but those two had to stick their nose into where it doesn’t belong. Sapphire backed up from the two blocking her way, going over to her easel and painting, placing both objects behind the bar. Once that was taken care of the young woman retrieved a bottle of rum from behind the bar, removing its seal and began to drink it. After a long swallow of the alcoholic beverage the artist placed the bottle back behind the bar. She walked back over to the place she stood before with a small smile curving across that pale face of hers.

“I didn’t want to do this, but time to play boys.” Sapphire told them, focusing her ability on the wall behind them and black spikes erupted from the wall, heading straight towards both of the mens legs. It wasn’t a killing move but if it hit it would sure hurt.

(sorry it took so long brain went blah and college))

Saph watched her closely; every step she took, and every glance she made to anywhere... If she were telekinetic, her eyes were the key... Telepaths almost always looked at what they wanted to move even they worked their magic... it had something to do with the way they had to concentrate to make their powers work. He was a bit put off by her going back to grab a drink before fighting... maybe she wasn't a telepath after all... He was pretty sure they worked best sober.

He watched her eyes anyways, watching the sudden show of concentration behind them "Move Juka!" His first thought was that she was pulling the heavy doors behind them off their hinges and toward him and Juka; he reacted as such, pulling out his crowbar and slamming it into his right knee and immediately jumping and using the amplified force to help fling himself to the side... He twisted a bit in the air to see what he was up against just before he landed heavily on his right hip. he slid a bit, and bore a look of surprise.. the doors were still in place, but it looked like a good amount of black spikes had flown at them instead... So they weren't up against any normal telepath at all... his eyes snapped to the woman again as he rolled to his feet, and kicked over a nearby table, hiding all but his head from sight... he started to smack himself in the knee behind his makeshift shelter, doing his best not to show her what he was doing. The less she knew about his power and the more he knew about hers, the better off he was.

He didn't look to see if Juka escaped, trusting he was competent enough to stay alert and move when he was told to. "Kid, find something's heavy and lets get to work... This aint gonna be easy." Seeing the black color her power seemed to take brought up the hope that he would at least be able to see her attacks coming...that was good.

Juka had no idea what the evil artist's power might be except that somehow it had allowed to to make numerous bodies disappear. In not knowing, he watched her very carefully for any sign of aggression or any sign of power activation. He was fortunate that she spoke her words of challenge before activation her powers, otherwise he might not have been able to react in time to avoid the spikes flying in his and Saph's direction.

The moment Saph shouted his warning, Juka bubbled himself and rose above the trajectory of the shadow spikes, narrowly saving his legs from untold amounts of pain. Saph, he saw out of the corner of his eye, had also managed to avoid the shadow spikes, though much less gracefully as he and perhaps incurring an injury in the process. He certainly hoped not, that could never be a good thing, especially when against someone as dangerous as they psychotic woman appeared to be. Prior to his battle with Aura, Juka would have been terrified but he had learned since that time and learned from his encounter with Cthulu. This woman might very well be a murderous psychopath with the ability to control shadows and shadow weapons, but he was Juka Miami and together he and Saph would defeat her. Good always triumphed over evil, after all, right?

"Kid, find something's heavy and lets get to work... This aint gonna be easy."

The command wasn't even needed. Before the words were even entirely out of Saph's mouth, Juka was zooming, as fast as his bubble would move, in the direction of the cash register which he had seen previously. He knew enough that few, if any, could match him for sheer quickness while he was inside his bubble and in moments sent out a shimmering tendril towards the cash register and caught it in a mini-bubble. "I've got it!" he yelled towards his ally, preparing to zoom back in the opposite direction.

“If you boys just let me leave I could have been home right now baking cookies. But noo, you just had to play idiot super heroes!” Sapphire told them, a tone of exasperation clear in her voice

Sapphires lips twitched when they dodged her beautifully planned attack. While it was an unexpected setback, Sapphire didn’t pay too much mind to it, due to the fact that the mistress of darkness was used to setbacks like this.

Both men seemed to have miraculously dodged her attacks, leaving her quite perturbed as they seemingly got ready for battle with her. The weak man flipped over a table while the oddly dressed man snatched up a cash register, probably to throw it at her.

And here Sapphire thought these men were complete idiots.

Well, they were because now they had given her a new weapon to use against them. Sapphire focused the darkness tendrils on the table and with great force flung it at the strangely dressed man. The artist took this chance to make tiny dark spikes appear behind the man who was seemingly beating himself with a crowbar and attempted to stab him in the back with them.