Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

Imprint ignored the last comment. He was a loner, she'd better get the fudge used to it (XDDD). "So have I." he replied, softly. "The thought of complete balance....something worth seeing. Although, I'd rather peace won over war. Make my job a whole lot easier." He reclined onto the back of the couch, his hands folding behind his head.

Imprint laughed hollowly. "Just because you feel happy, doesn't mean you really are. When I use the items, I know it's just that. An item enhancing one specific emotion. An illusion, of some sorts. Once you know, it's just not right. You aren't happy, the object is."

Imprint's gaze seem to glaze over, his mind some where else. A cool power? He could deceive anyone, into anything. He had a strong, rare power. Trick a mind? Always possible. Trick a body? That's been done.

But, his power actually tricked a person heart. Played out an illusion to make them think they were something they weren't. Not a power he liked at all. "Trust me, I could've had a better power."

Imprint stretched. A walk would do him some good... the unease of the tower was clear and inescapable...
Unless you left the tower.

"I think I'll join you. I need to head to town and buy another rubber ball anyway." he replied, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Kole squirmed. Part of her wanted to squeal and join them, but the other part held fear. Fear of the murderer, combined with her original fear of the upper world. No, she would not join them.
----
Bumbleebee and Harold found the idea of a walk pleasing, but neither would dare leave the tower. Another murder, and they weren't there? Both were thoroughly convinced they weren't next but, you never know. Taking the opposite exit (Through Herald's horn), they began rounding the tower together.
----
Pantha just sat back and nommed an apple.
-----
Imprint rushed after Elvira, before just dashing away from her. "Race ya!" he called behind him. Immature? Yep. Did he care? Not really.

Imprint gave a cocky grin. "You're right, I can." And with that, he pumped his legs faster, racing out the tower entrance and down the steep hill to the shore. Unfortunately, it was too steep. He tripped over his own feet and rolled down the way, coating himself with dirt.

When he hit the bottom, he laughed.

Sure, there was a slight pain in his shoulder, and stomach, but it was a funny situation. The pain in his stomach grew with every chortle, but he didn't care. "A little dirt never hurt anyone!" he chuckled.

Jericoh watched the gorup disperse. Ah well, the new guys seemed to mainly keep among themselves anyways, they would be safe in a group. He noticed Bestboy off to the side, so he decided to keep him company. <hi.> He scribbled on his pad.

(Crap sry I haven't posted in ages guys, what did I miss???)

Imprint ignored the hand, raising himself up and brushing himself off. "Actually, dorks are the coolest people to hang out with, you know. Like crazy people, and hobos, too." He turned to the great lake and melted ice. With the ice bridge gone...

"So, how're we getting across, oh great wise wolf girl?" he asked, sarcastic on the last part.

Music_Hero2779 wrote:(Crap sry I haven't posted in ages guys, what did I miss???)

You didn't miss a thing. You're in the common room with Kole, Pantha, Jericho, Beast Boy, Jinx, and Raven, I believe. Harold and Bumbleebee are on a walk around the tower, Imprint and Elvira are heading to town and......Is that everyone?

(So right where I left Robin... somthing funny cuz I'm really not sure what to post...)
Robin didn't even move. In fact he hadn't made a sound. The truth was, he had fallen asleep at the computer. For the frist time sense the deathes had began, he'd achived almost 15 mintues of sleep. (New record!)

Imprint pretended to think this over. "Wind, Elvira." he said the last part with a roll of his eyes. "But, I've got this nagging feeling you'd drop me into the water...."

Imprint shrugged, "Thanks for the lift!" he called, before going down an opposite street. As he walked, he tried to find change in his pockets. He managed to scrunge up $17.93 . Not a lot, but a quarter would get him a rubber ball, and a few dollars could get him a decent meal. He started flipping and catching a quarter, temporary replacement for the ball. Flip. Catch. Flip. Catch.

He kept walking.

Imprint grinned, shoving 3 marbles into his pockets. Each one with a different design: One a cool blue, with a sliver of white curving through it's center, the next a flaming red, orange splashed across it randomly, and the last a clear one that, when reflected correctly, shone different colors.

And he still had $16 dollars left. With that, he headed to a small cafe. He ordered a salad, soda and slice of cake. He'd have $10 left after that, and would go home soon.

Someone pleasant? As Imprint, I'm insulted.)

Imprint finished his meal, and walked to the shore of the lake. He was far too lazy to try to cross himself. Gotta wait for wolf girl. he grumbled inwardly, settling himself on the shore. At least, he grinned, he had some marbles to play with and quite a few stones to skip across the water. He'd be fine.
------

Bumbleebee and Harold halted their walk. "Harold. Look." Bumblebee stammered out, pointing down. The two were in a particular lush area surrounding the tower, plants of all sorts sprouting around them. For awhile, it had been quiet, peaceful. Butterflies fluttering through, reminding them the world wasn't all bad. That the smallest caterpillar will eventually become a beautiful butterfly. It almost made them forget, watching that lone monarch, that it was alone.
Like they were.

Slowly, their team was breaking. And they couldn't do a thing. Would they end up like the butterfly? All alone, flying to place to place, with no real home. But the butterfly wasn't what Bumbleebee had been pointing out. What she had been pointing out had no hint of beauty, nor of joy. It was ominous. Bloody. Cruel. Taunting.

It was a warning.

There, splattered onto the grass and ruining the beauty surrounding the two, were the dreadful words, "GIVE UP, ITS OVER. LOST.". Written in blood. And, there was no doubt in either of their minds, it was written with the blood of their comrades. One letter, for each teammate. Seventeen dead. Seventeen letters. It was Harold that noticed this, but he couldn't bring himself to voice it. He couldn't say anything. Proof. There. The murderer did not fear being on their property, or the Titans themselves. The murderer was ruthless, brave....

And cruel.

If he, or she, could do all this, why not just kill them altogether? Why have them suffer the pain of watching one another's deaths, and knowing they could've stopped it?! Why have them hurt more than they need to? So when they die, it will be in pain both physical and emotional?

Truly, a cruel one.

"Maybe." Imprint replied, skipping a stone across the water. "Tell me, instead of always doing something, when was the last time you just sat in a patch of grass and did nothing?" he asked solemnly, with a sudden air of wisdom. "Sometimes, life isn't about what you have done. It's about what you haven't." He was interrupted by the splash of a rock hitting the water. Stretching out of his sudden fortune cookie moment, he asked, "So, wind please, Elvira?"

"Thanks for the lift." Imprint said as soon as his feet touched land. OK, so maybe wolf girl thought he was a total dork, but dorks are polite, too. He strode forwards, joking, "I'm not running this time!"

His joking was halted by a sudden rift in front of him. He backtracked slightly, as a frantic Herald and Bumbleebee stepped out. "The murderer was here again." she said. Imprint must've freaked because Herald added quickly, "He, or she, didn't kill anyone. Just left a message."

He turned to the portal he'd created, and as Imprint looked in, he saw the shimmering image of the dreaded message. "Bastard." he muttered.

Jericoh paced. The old team was too much of a nervous wreck to really be in any form of a good mood, and the new guys were off somehwere doing whatever they were doing.
From a third person perspective, he was disgusted with himself. he was a nervous, synical wreck, not the titan he should have been, and not at all the way his father had raised him. His father's words entered into his mind: 'There is no tragedy- only opportunites to change yourself, be it for the better or worse.' Jericoh realized he was definiteley changing for the worse. But then again, what could be done? Nobody had sene the killer- he waited for them to be-

Jericoh stopped dead. Alone. The assasin waited for you to be ALONE to atack. He/she tried to overpower you in 1 on 1. But Jericoh had a way to confound that system. If his plan worked, he might be able to ge tthe drop on the assasin next time. If not... well, he didn't want to think about that. Jericoh got up, and decided to look for Melvin...

Harold blew his horn, stepping into the common room. He left the portal open, in case Bumbleebee, Imprint, and Elvira wanted to join him. Bumbleebee and Imprint didn't.

"Guys, I've got something to show you." he boomed, causing quite a commotion. Kole, Pantha, (Sorry Terra, Karm, Sempai!) Jinx, Mas, and Melvin tumbled into the portal. All much too grim to ask. Except for Melvin, sweet, innocent Melvin with a natural child's curiosity. "What is it?" she asked.

"I don't think a kid should see this." Imprint butted in, Kole nodding even before she knew what it was. She knew it couldn't be good.

Jericoh crossed his arms. He frankly didn't like parading this about- lord only knew morale was low enough as- is. but he did appreciate the newcomers at least letting them know. But this was one step too far for this assasin- Jericoh's fear was being to become anger- this assasin was nothing mroe than a remoseless creature as far as he was concenred, and he had enough friends die allready. He turned back to the tower, his mind set on finding Melvin again. As long as he coudl help it, no more titans would be dying.
[is the next murder that far off?]

(Not to far off!)

"Anyone else coming?" Herald called into the nearly empty room. Robin, the only one left, was maybe sleeping? (Mus, sorry!) He shrugged, and shut the portal. Leaving everyone in front of the bloody message.

"One letter for each dead teammate." Herald announced, his voice cracking at the word "Dead". Mas was skittish, leaping around the message. Kole just stared at it blankly. Somewhere, in the message, a piece of Gnaark remained. Remained when he was gone. She could almost spit out of anger. Bumbleebee just stared, as quiet and mystified as she had been before. Imprint stayed quiet. Seventeen. Seventeen dead. This was a ruthless dude.

(Terra....now would be a nice time to control Jinx, don't ya think?)

Kole was stone still, as if she were crystal again, though she wasn't. Gnaark....She could still recall finding his corpse on the floor. Blood pooling around him. It was blunt trauma, she had been told. A clonk on the head with a wrench too many times, too hard. "Sickos." she murmured.
----
Imprint cleared his throat. He had noticed something else. Curving around the message, a 2 slips of paper lay. Stapled together. The first, he found, was a newspaper clipping. In bold print it read, "LOCAL GIRL MURDERED. POLICE BAFFLED." Underneath, a picture of the girl Beast Boy had mistaken for Terra. Whether she was the real Terra, or not, the murderer had taken no chances. He, or she, had gone after every possible Titan.
Even if they didn't remember. Or may never have been a Titan at all.

The next paper was a message. A rhyming message.
Terra, or not?
She may have forgot.
Either way, she's gone.
Death by dawn. =)

The bastard had put a smile at the end. A smile at another death. Imprint showed the others.

Bumbleebee shook her head. "It doesn't say she was Terra. Even the message says it. The murderer did it just in case.....in case it was Terra. But if she wasn't, its just another innocent life lost." And the Titans couldn't have done anything.
-----
Imprint shoved the paper into Elvira's hand. "Get the kid out of here." he murmured. She was too young to see this. Too young for any of this.
-----
Kole nodded, shrugging off Raven's reassuring hand. She took Melvin by the hand. "C'mon, Mel. Let's go have some ice cream. I think theres some vanilla left...." her voice faded as they walked away.
-----
Pantha watched in utter silence. Another dead. It almost wasn't big news any more. Like she expected it.
-----
Herald was silent.

Jericoh was stunned. He should have known, he should have caught on sooner. He had orginally planned to hide in Melvin's mind and suprise the asaliant when he came, but bang went that theory. He was still caught up in the riddle, however. Death by dawn? What was it supposed to mean?

(I'm taking this slowness in posting as a chance to ask a question. Is the RP moving too fast? I just noticed there aren't even 20 pgs. and I've killed two people. Also, are you enjoying the plot so far? Are the riddles too easy, or too hard? Just some stuff I need to know for future riddles and plot developments.)