Predatory eyes watched from the shadows. Narrowed and focused, they followed the black SUV as it pulled into view, heading towards the Pier 14. The man, the creature, that tracked it was intent on not letting it out of his sight, but at the same time knew that to be spotted was not part of the plan. He would remain, as still as a shadow until the car slowly passed by. It would never know he was there. Instead, he would look like any other dark, creepy corner of this deserted warehouse; completely invisible…completely unseen.

Once the car was passed, the shadowy silhouette of a man finally made its move and began to follow. Sticking to the dark edges, he crept closer as the vehicle slowly pulled to a stop near the assigned pier. The red brake lights illuminated the blackness that attempted to surround it, the rumble of the vehicle’s engine kept back the silence, even the shiny gloss of its recently washed exterior offer tiny sparkles of hope in the night. But all of that could not hold back the malevolent eyes that watched it so closely.

It was just another job, another stomach that needed to be gutted, another check to cash.

Vicente de la Sangre was a killer. But not a psychopath that simply did it for the fun of it and collected nothing. No, he hunted for a living. Every person was no more digits added to his account and this person in the SUV was no different. There was no remorse, no compassion, only targets and the fact that they needed to be eliminated.

But the man was no fool either. He knew how to seek out his victims, he especially knew the perfect scenarios for their demise. And this pier was definitely a perfect scenario. Vicente had surveyed the scene earlier in the day and knew that no one would be in this part of the pier at this time of night. He would be utterly alone with his target so it would work out perfectly. All there was, was a single woman, and maybe two body guards. None of them would ever prove a problem for the experienced hitman.

As he crept closer, his strong, brown skinned hand slowly slipped around the handle of a thick bowie knife he had strapped to his belt. Gently he pulled it free from its sheath with only the quietest of scrapes against the leather. He twirled it gently in his hand as he sat in wait.

Angela Baklava, district attorney for the city, slipped out the back of her SUV with two large, black suited bodyguards. She was apparently causing a stir with the local crime families and had moles in each of their organizations. They could not figure out how she was doing it, but they all knew that they wanted her dead. Vicente, new to these parts but with a reputation that followed him, was contacted. The woman had two teenagers, a baby and a loving husband…

“Pity,” Vicente grumbled as he pulled a second knife free from its sheath. As always…not compassion…no remorse. It was a job.

As Angela stood out in the dark pier, her guards watching her closely, she seemed to be waiting for someone. Vicente, of course, had done his homework and knew that she was waiting for her latest informant. He had been a ferret of a man that would sell his own mother for crisp dollar bill. Plus…he squealed by the time that Vicente was done with him. He would never make it to this meeting.

A casual twirl of his knives and Vicente began to step closer…oh so closer…creeping through the shadows, becoming one with them, then moving on when the coast was clear. As each second passed he edged ever nearer, Death incarnate as it sneaks up upon any living man, woman or child.

Near the back of the car, Vicente shallowed his breathing until he made not the slightest of sounds. It was only when he was sure that he was utterly quiet as he moved around the SUV, blade raised and ready to come down on the back of the nearest guard.

It was only a job.

Angela Baklava had enemies. That tended to happen when you started targeting crime families for justice. Cosmina adjusted her rifle a bit. It had been extraordinarily stupid of the woman in question to start putting such wealthy people in prison. And when a few of those people put in prison were either Cosmina's contacts or close associates of said then you were just bound to end up on the wrong side of Cosmina's gun. She was getting a decent amount just to sit here and point this gun at her. Once she actually took the shot she'd be getting paid even more.

Once the woman stepped out of her vehicle it was show time. Cosmina waited a moment or two to ensure that the woman wasn't going to simply get back in and drive off. Then she squeezed her trigger and watched the bullet as it sped forward. Angela Baklava sank to the ground with a through and through bullet wound in her skull. The effect on the two guards as just as instantaneous as the work of the bullet. They were immediately alert. One spent all of half a minute checking their charge and ensuring that she was good and dead while the other withdrew a gun of his own.

The one that checked the cooling body seemed to notice something behind his partner's back because he was darting toward that area now at a fair clip. Perhaps she hadn't been the only assassin on the pier tonight? Cosmina shrugged, it wasn't any of her business that one of the other families had hired someone else and that that someone else had decided to use an up close and personal method. Settling back behind her scope Cosmina set up another shot and waited. If there was another assassin there then she would try not to clip him with a bullet. But then again she didn't really care either way. It was just a little professional courtesy.

Vicente had crept slowly but with a sureness that showed that he was not at all afraid of his targets. The bodyguards were paid pretty boys and the victim was going to be quick kill. It was safe to say that the man was sure he had this in the bag, which was why he was so bold to begin with. The easy way would have been from far away with a sniper rifle, or a bomb underneath the car, but the walking Chimera loved a good hunt and especially loved to be up close and personal. It was the only sure way to make sure that the target had been killed. Leaving it up to distance and bullets was simply being sloppy. Takes guts to do this…and Vicente had plenty of them.

His footfalls silent, his gaze steely, he crept closer and closer while the blade remained loose in his grip, the man was all professional. Briefly illuminated by the rear brake lights, which cast him in a red glow, the assassin edged closer to the nearest bodyguard and raised his blade. All the while he ran through the coming scenario in his head, making sure it was pefect:

“Kill the first guard…disable the second…eliminate the target…then put the second guard out of his misery…”

It was a good plan. It was a perfect “in and out” plan…at least it would have been if it turned out that way.

Just as Vicente edged close enough to finally sink his blade into the large, guard’s neck, a whizzing sound penetrated the air. It was so fast and barely audible, but the man immediately knew what it was…a sniper rifle. His guess was confirmed when Angela Baklava twitched briefly before she fell lifelessly to the ground. Vicente immediately growled at this turn of events, which accidentally alerted his presence.

As the second guard turned to check his protectee, he spied Vicente posed, ready for the strike. A shout of warning went out and the assassin had been made. But it was far too late. As the first bodyguard turned and began to pull his piece from his coat, the hitman was quick sink the blade down to its hilt into the man, immediately severing a plethora of arteries. The man gasps and cringed in pain, but instead of falling to the ground, Vicente was quick to grab him and hold him in front as a human meat shield. The barely struggling guard proved to be enough of a distraction for the second guard was attempting to get a clean shot at Vicente.

“Freeze! We’re taking you in! Drop him, now!”

Vicente grinned, hiding his second blade behind his shield’s back. “Trust me, the only one dropping…is you.”

The movement was only too fast to see. A quick flick of his wrists and his next blade when spinning through the air, aimed directly at the last panicking guard. He could only see the miniscule glint of silver in the dark air as it spun towards him, little realizing it was targeted between his eyes. And Vicente never missed.

Mina put aside the rifle and watched. Whoever had hired the man had chosen well. He was good at what he did. Whoever he was he looked like he had plenty of training and experience to back that up. Mina's smile transformed into a grin. She'd taken care of the target and now he was doing the clean up for her. It honestly couldn't have worked out better from her point of view. Of course he'd probably be annoyed that someone had stolen his kill but really it was just business.

"Don't know who you are," she muttered as her grin widened, "but you're fun to watch."

She sat back to see how this other would handle it. One guard was easily dispatched and then used as a shield to prevent being perforated by bullets. Mina rolled her eyes at the remaining guard.

Shoot first and shout stupidity later. He'll kill him before the fool has a chance to do a thing.

Sure enough the man, who she guessed had a knife of some sort, made a throwing motion. He'd probably thrown a knife at the remaining guard. Mina's eyes fixed on the target with curiosity. Knife throwing wasn't Mina's cup of tea but she was interested to see if this man could pull it off. From what she'd seen she figured he would.

THUNK!

Cliiiiiiing!

The sound of metal piercing bone rang through the air and assaulted Vicente’s ears, causing a satisfied grin to creep across his face. He knew his aim was always true so it was of little surprise to him as he peered over the dying man he used as a shield that the second guard was falling to his knees. The blade was embedded deep and there was no way anyone could have survived it. As he collapsed to his side, eyes rolled up towards the sky, Vicente felt the dead weight of his shield begin to sink deeper and deeper into his arms.

It was taking the man long enough to die.

With a grunt, Vicente shoved the man off him and stood there, surveying the scene. For anyone else it would have actually been pretty stupid for him to do this because there was still a sniper on the loose. But the man was not doing to show any fear in this. The sniper had shot straight and true, but he had taken out his target. Another assassin? Had one of the families hired a second gun as insurance? If so…that irritated him a bit.

A snarl on his lips, Vicente looked to see if he could spot where the person was laid out. A good sniper would not be easy to find, so he at least hoped that they hired someone that was good. He was sure that whoever it was had a good view of him. Dressed in his brown, leather vest, rough looking jeans and a belt that had sheaths for knives, as well as a gun holster, he must have looked like some Spanish cowboy straight from the plains of Mexico. But the man was far deadlier than that.

Once more glance around and he saw nothing. Good. He would have hated for the insurance gun-for-hire to have been a novice. Still though, there was one thing that Vicente knew the other assassin was missing in order to collect the money…proof. Unless of course they were going to take the other killer’s word for it. Vicente knew better. Leaning down, the older assassin checked the other’s handiwork. Indeed, Angela was dead…

“But, you won’t be needing these.” He lifted the dead woman’s hand and pried the wedding and engagement rings from her finger. They were inscribed and would make the perfect proof that he was there. He grinned silently to himself as he looked closely at the diamonds, then flashed it briefly in the dark. If the sniper were there, they would definitely see it. A smirk on his face, Vicente pocketed the rings and turned to leave.

Mina smirked as the new old guy finished his fight and then took the target's ring in an attempt to draw her out. She grinned widely. It was a good move. Her sniper rifle quickly found it's way into the bag she'd brought with her and her 9mm found it's way into her hand. It wouldn't do to be caught without a weapon on hand if he decided to kill her to ensure that he got paid instead. Mina slipped down from her sniping position with her bag slung over one shoulder. She walked over to the bloody scene casually with a grin on her face.

"So nice of you to collect my proof for me. Well, part of it anyway."

With that, and her gun in plain sight, Mina let the bag drop to the ground and opened it with her free hand. She withdrew a bone saw from the bag that looked as though it had seen use before.

"I like to be thorough you see and some clients take wanting their enemies' head literally."

She then waltzed over to the woman's corpse and began to search the area around it until she found the rifle round she'd put through the woman's head. She pocketed that and then turned to the body. The grin never slipped from her face as she removed her own proof from the body and brought it back over to her bag. She removed a plastic bag from the severed head in it before put it, the bullet, and the bone saw inside. Mina zipped it back up and hoisted the slightly heavier bag to her shoulder once more. Only then did she return her attention to the other assassin fully.

Mission accomplished. Vicente was about to leave, the proof of the kill in his pocket (the wedding band and engagement ring of Angela Baklava), when suddenly the second assassin decided to make themselves known…scratch that…HERself. So...first of all Vicente had some experience in the world of assassins. It should not have surprised him as much as it did that the second killer had been a female. Sometimes the female ones would be the most bloodied and the most calculated, at least in his experiences.

Worst of all though was the attitude. They loved to be the brick wall, the coldhearted beast that could challenge any man in the same field.

Whatever, Vicente always thought. A killer was a killer. Didn’t matter the gender, if they had it in them to willing take another living beings life for money, then they were in a league that transcended the sexes. Apparently that was what Vicente stared at as the woman boldly walked up.

>> "So nice of you to collect my proof for me. Well, part of it anyway…I like to be thorough you see and some clients take wanting their enemies' head literally."

He said nothing, but instead watched her closely, standing perfectly still and letting no emotion show on his face. She was thorough, he’d give her that. She quickly found the bullet that had ended the target’s life and was already ushering back, making all trace of herself vanish. He was right, she was cold, heartless…but what was with the smile? He simply couldn’t figure it. Then he saw her remove the bonesaw from her bag and prattle on a on about some of her employer’s wants.

Once the deed was done, Vicente found himself slowly and grudgingly offering the woman a little bit of respect. She was efficient and did not flinch. Maybe he wouldn’t kill her…not yet anyways.

As he eyed the gun in her hand his grip on the handle of his blade tightened before slowly beginning to relax. She was a killer, so was he. Businesses clashed, apparently double bookings on targets were made, this was going to cost the both of them a lot of money. He knew the math. By all rights he should make that grinning smile of her permanent…

A twirl of the blade…and Vicente suddenly sheathed it back into his belt. His hair wiped up in the gentle off pier breeze as he eyed the woman up and down. It was a few seconds before he finally spoke. Though his blade was sheathed, he still kept his hand on the handle…just a in case. There was little loyalty among killers.

“Hate double bookings,” he grinned wide. “Care to at least tell which family it was? Falcone? Wayne? Corinth?” he shrugged. “Just want to know who has the best price range.”

Vicente was not going to be scared off by the other assassin. As a matter of fact, it was more than likely because of her talents that he would stick around the city and see what else she could do. It always paid to know the competition.

The man said nothing. He watched her at her work but said nothing. So he was the silent type it seemed. He only spoke after giving her the once over once her task was complete. A grin to rival her own sprung up on his face and his words made her smirk. Mina took the time to note that though his knife was sheathed it wasn't far from his hand. It made her comfortable to see that. A distrustful assassin was a known quantity to her. She understood the type and how they worked. That made them so much easier to deal with. Her gun remained in her hand but the arm was loose and held less uneasy tension.

"Falcone and Wayne both actually. They both owe me a few so I get first crack at any of their jobs. Wayne pays better but Falcone gives jobs more often. With how much dirt she was getting from sniffing around it's no wonder they got jumpy."

Mina could have left out that she was always offered jobs from the two gangsters first. However if there was a new guy in town he needed to know what her turf was. He would have found out eventually anyway. As she awaited his answer Mina decided how she would handle him. He wasn't like her toy. He'd be no fun to play with since he seemed awfully serious and just as likely to gut her rather than put up with an annoyance that was also competition. Nope, this guy was dangerous and not to be toyed with unless she developed a death wish. He went into the pile of other mercenaries and assassins that had skills an no humor.

Going by that, Mina was under no illusion that she was out of danger. She was his competition and this meant he wouldn't be getting paid. If she'd been of a more generous nature Mina would have considered splitting the take with him. As it was...she'd only do that if he forced the issue. He did earn part of it by taking down the bodyguards but she wasn't foolish enough to offer him a cut if he was willing to walk away without one.

>> "Falcone and Wayne both actually. They both owe me a few so I get first crack at any of their jobs. Wayne pays better but Falcone gives jobs more often. With how much dirt she was getting from sniffing around it's no wonder they got jumpy."

He nodded. It made sense now. No wonder both assassins were hired to this gig when he was hired by Corinth. Word was that the Corinth family as making sloppy moves now that the head of their family was busy attempting to fend off tax charges. It is entirely possible that both the other crime families had wanted to make sure they wouldn’t mess up. Vicente was new to the city, but the man knew how to do his homework. Falcone and Wayne were at the top now and there was not going to be room for Corinth for much longer. But the man shed no crocodile tears for the dying family. How does the saying go? Out with the old, in with the new? Only the strongest survive? Etc. Etc.

Still though, he did not want this evening to go to a complete waste. He should earn something.

A glance to the woman, with the gun she held loosely in her hand, and Vicente knew that she was dangerous. But it was the smile that threw him. Maybe she was altogether psychotic. It made the most sense, but he definitely could not let her get away with all the cash.

Vicente nodded to the woman and she stood, seemingly waiting for him to decide what he was going to do next. They could both either go down into a blaze of glory or attempt to at least try to respect each other fellow assassins who just happened to be booked at the same price.

A brow arched and he grinned at the younger lady.

“So, I believe I should be cut in on this,” he said matter-of-factly. “After all, I did take care of these body guards. And, it isn’t my fault this target was double booked. Besides, cut me in this time, I won’t step into your game again and show you up.” He was boastful, arrogant, but there was an edge to his voice that proved him right. He was only trying to be fair, after all.

Mina held in a sigh, the extra air coming out in a quiet gust through her nose. She'd figured he'd do that. It made the most sense. Having to share the money annoyed her no end but he had earn some of it and she wouldn't respect him if he'd just let her walk away with it all. In his position she would have done the same. Her gaze turned critical while her smile stayed fixed in place.

"25 percent. That's a good rate for a couple of two bit goons. With the amount I'm getting it'll be decent money just the same."

There was no way she'd give him 50. Heck he'd be lucky to bargain her up to 35 if he tried. Mina didn't share money in the first place if she could help it. She'd work with other people but in this sort of situation she normally didn't share. However he was dangerous and she didn't feel like fighting a fellow assassin tonight. That meant sharing the take as much as she disliked it.

The woman shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Standing around like this was boring and none to safe. They needed to wrap up the negotiations quickly so they could dispose of the bodies. There was always the off chance some cop could decide to patrol the piers at night. Or worse, the target could have set it up with the department ahead of time for them to come looking if she was late. It would just end in some dead cops but Mina preferred not to have to deal with it.

She obviously did not like the idea of sharing with him. Not that Vicente could blame her. After all, how many assassins really like to cut other people in on their action? He remembered back in Texas he kept outside involvement to a minimum and the few times he did, the aiding partner either got the smallest amount he would cut them in for, or they’d end up dead. It was nothing personal, all it was was business. Let’s face it, when it comes to money, only the strongest really know how to survive.

He watched as she sighed and began to think over his prospect. She still held the gun in her hand. She was probably fast with it, but could he be faster with his knife if he needed to be? That would be hard to figure out without having seen her in action before.

Thankfully, she seemed to take his side of the matter, though a bit grudgingly.

>> "25 percent. That's a good rate for a couple of two bit goons. With the amount I'm getting it'll be decent money just the same."

Vicente arched a brow. A quarter of what he was supposed to get? Then again, he did just kill two goons and she did take down the target first. He knew a fifty-percent split was out of the question…but twenty-five? Was that really worth it? As his hand still drifted on the handle of his blade, the older assassin regarded the woman closely. He knew a killer when he saw one and he knew those that should not be trifled with. Though he knew he was probably twice as deadly as she was, he was not going to take the risk. Not this time anyways…

Clearing his throat, the man spit off to the side before he finally nodded his head. He cracked a grin, a devilish type of grin that can only be shared by two spillers of blood.

“Alright, you got a deal.” he said as he stepped back and crossed his muscular arms across his chest. For moment it looked as if he would do nothing other than stare…then he nodded to the three bodies. “But…knock up to thirty percent…and I’ll help you ditch the dead weight. Deal?” He smiled shrewdly.

Was it worth another five percent to have his help with getting rid of the bodies? After all, it would give him some information to use if he decided to set the police on her. Of course since she had the bullet and the woman's head it would be insanely difficult for the police to prove anything. With those things figured in it Mina concluded it was safe enough to let him help with the disposal of the bodies. The question now was whether or not she wanted to pay him the extra five percent for it.

His grin said that he'd foreseen that need and was using it to get a better deal. It was another behavior that was frustrating to her at the present time but also something she herself would have done and found proper in someone of their trade. With a frown that might have reached her eyes but not her lips Mina replied.

"Deal."

Time was, unfortunately in this instance, more important than money. Mina almost shuddered at the thought. There was nothing more important than money to her view but every now and then something like this came up where money had to take a backseat. It always made her cranky when that happened. She'd need a drink or something else to unwind. For a moment she regretted not getting Sam's number in return but then she shrugged it off in favor of keeping the dangerous man she was dealing with at the forefront of her thoughts.

>> “Deal.”

Vicente grinned to himself as she watched the woman come to the decision. It must have killed her to do it, to ask for help. He knew the feeling because it was something that he himself would have never have done. To ask for help only meant that you either were not prepared or that you were just weak and got lucky in your kill. Not that he was thinking these things about the young female assassin at ALL.

Still though, he did say he would help her for the extra five percent so help her he would. He watched as she started preparations for getting rid of the bodies. They had little time. The longer they wasted with idle chatting, the less time they had to get rid of the bodies because either law enforcement or a curious bystander happened by.

A glance to the vehicle and Vicente had the notion of what to do next. A twist of his head as he stepped back for a second. He did not bother if the woman saw this or not. If she had a problem with mutants, well, then he could kill her and collect the full bounty. If she didn’t mind, then they could get this done quicker. It was all simply math, all she had to do was not get in his way.

Holding out his right arm, Vicente began to growl deeply as he let his mind wander to someplace more primal. Slowly his arm began to twitch, the skin crawled, the muscles elongated, then the assassin ground his teeth in pain. The bones in his right arm began to snap, splinter and reshape themselves. They reformed as muscles began to building and flip around them, even the color of the skin began to change. Before he knew it, in a blindness of pain, the skin of his arm shifted black and was soon covered in coarse, black hair. Longer and more muscular, it indeed looked as if his right arm had become a gorilla’s arm…and it was exactly that.

Breathing deeply as the pain subsided, the assassin glanced at the woman once again before he made his way over to the fallen bodies. Using his gorilla arm, he opened the passenger door of the SUV (leaving on gorilla prints and fur on it), and turned back to one of the fallen guards. Seizing the man by his unmoving throat, Vicente easily hefted him up with his powerful arm and set him inside. Once he was sitting, he buckled him in and rolled down the window. One good shove into the ocean and this vehicle would disappear beneath the waves. The bodies probably wouldn’t float up for weeks…maybe months.

Vicente then slammed the door closed and grinned at the female. “Don’t look so surprised. This is New York.”

Mina watched as it became abundantly clear that the man she was dealing with was a mutant. Unlike her own mutation though his was very easy to spot. Her own was a thing subtly and finesse. When she used it just right nobody even realized that they weren't hearing anything. He was the sort of mutant whose very appearance could cause fear. The difference between the two of them was almost comical. Her lips twitched a little in silent mirth as he set to work.

She saw his plan at once. It was a good one and would keep the bodies away from the police for a good long while. Even if they started investigating before the bodies showed up they wouldn't be able to get anywhere without them. When the man suggested that she not be surprised her face was adorned with her normal grin and no other expression. After a moment she merely shrugged at him and grabbed the body of the other bodyguard.

She wasn't about to reveal her own ability to the man. Let him think she was merely a human who was content to work with mutants. It would give her an advantage over him on the day they eventually crossed purposes. Mina had no doubts that they would eventually end up on opposite sides of something. He wasn't the sort that would make long standing alliances or partnerships. They were both killers for hire. That job made loyalty into stupidity. Mina dragged the body she had claimed to the driver's side and put it in the seat, following the same series of actions the man had taken. The water would spoil any evidence she left on the corpse and that would be precious little since she was wearing her mission gear, sans the mask at the moment, and that included gloves.

Their work continued as Vicente finished strapping the last of the bodies into the seatbelts of the SUV. Angela Baklava and her two guards sat there, slumped in the car, all of them the victims of these two assassins. Their lifeless bodies stared out into oblivion and Vicente did not both to stare back at them. Instead he finished strapped them in and lowered the last window in the vehicle. It was time to erase them off the face of the earth…at least for the time being until they were found much later.

As he slammed the last door closed, he made sure the woman had set the car in neutral. Once he was sure he walked around behind the vehicle. Raising his much stronger, gorilla arm, he placed the palm against the back of the SUV and started to push.

Their work was so quiet. They were true professionals with little dialogue between them. Instead, they knew what needed to be done and they knew how to handle each of their tasks. This was their work, after all, and those that don’t know how to do it should simply stay out of it. This was not the work for novices or people simply with a bloodlust. It took thought, preparation and self-discipline.

And most of all…a strong stomach.

One more glance to the pier and Vicente shoved with all his might. The veins in his neck popped a little as he attempted to get the vehicle rolling. When it finally did he did not have to exert as much force as when he started. Silently the wheels rolled, carrying this secret, carrying the evils that had been done this night with it. There was a small clatter as the hit bumpy road but that was quickly rectified once it struck the edge of the pier.

Silently, Vicente stepped back, and watched as the vehicle seemed the slow the second it rolled to the edge. First one wheel…then two…then all four and the SUV was in a free fall. There was a moment of silence before the thunderous crash of the vehicle striking the water. Swiftly it would sink as water flooded the interior, pulling it down in the deep recesses of water, gone amidst a mass of churning liquid and bubbles.

With a satisfied grin, he focus and painfully shift his gorilla arm back to human. When it did, he ground his teeth a little as he flexed his human again fingers and rolled his wrist. He glanced back to the woman and smirked.

“Believe…there’s a bounty to be collected?” he said as he eyed her closely. If there was any time for a betrayal it was now…but what would she do? Heh…what would he do?