Silent

(I don't know if anyone will get this. . .I don't really know if *I* even get this. . .It's just some minor ramblings I had........) The sadness burns Like the thousand words That were never said I guess I'll never learn It'll never be my turn I'll always see red But I put on a smile And laugh for a while Just for the sake of the Facade I'll fight through this trial I'll walk another mile Just for the sake of the Facade You got to hide While my world died Just for the sake of the Facade You got the lie While I had to take the truth in stride Just for the sake of the Facade I still don't know what it means Still can't find my broken dreams Lost for the Facade I've lost myself,it seems In the torn seams I smothered myself for the Facade Now I know I can't be perfect That's it's just not worth it And I won't pretend Not for another second Not for the Facade

Kathryn looked up at the person whom had just entered the office.She gave him a single,apathetic glance-over,then lowered her gaze once more to the floor as she leaned against the wall.She didn't say a single thing. "Ah,yes--"Said Legg,a triumphant grin splitting his broad face,"--Thank you for coming,"--though he didn't sound thankful at all--"If you'll have a seat.. .?" Leg continued on to explain his "deal",while Kathryn sat silently on the sidelines. "You'll be working with this young beauty,"Leg said,motioning toward Kathryn.Kathryn looked up only long enough to give an acknowledging nod to Evean,and to shoot a warning glare at Leg,"along with three others that have yet to turn up.Miss Spelling here won't neccessarily be the 'leader' of your crew,but she will be the one to keep in contact with me.It'll be the same--bounty hunting and what not--only you'll be with a crew,and I'll be making the occasional bounty request.And I can pay three times more than any ISSP office or other private organization.Now,you can walk away from this now without consequence,if you so desire.So. . .what will it be,lad?"

Kathryn glanced up at the door,expecting some burly bloke to step through.Instead,a slender woman with large glasses and neat,mouse-brown hair poked her head in.It was Leg's secretary. "Um,sir--" "Does it involve the hired bounty hunters?"Leg demanded with a barking note in his voice. "Um,no,but it's,um--" "Then I don't want to hear about it!"He said,his voice most definitely irritated now. A sarcastic grin slid onto Kat's lips."So much for your 'team',"She said mockingly. "They'll be here,"Said Leg,but there wasn't much conviction to it,"They'll.Be.Here."He repeated,as if trying to convince himself as much as her. "Yeah,okay,whatever,"She said,leaning against a wall.The wall opposite her was made completely of glass,and she stared out of this window at the various hovercraft zooming back and forth across the town.There wasn't much else to do.With no word of where these "crew members" had gone to,she could only wait until they showed up.If they did at all.She really hoped that they didn't.A crew meant people--and God forbid they had pets(she hated animals).People and pets and other such nonesense were things she just couldn't deal with. . .It was why she'd left the syndicate. . .Or was the syndicate the reason she hated people. ..?

I have to agree that SD gundam is nothing but a mockery of the real stuff and it's about as stupid and mindless as Hamtaro.. .However,it is nice to have a lighter take on the gundams,and I say this rather grudgingly.It's nice to have a half hour everyday after school in which I can be totally mindless--and to the tune of my favorite anime series.It's rather stupid,as the gundam's have no pilots and seem to walk around of their own accord. . .Isn't that just a rip off of Transformers.. .?

I love Rammstein,though it's hard to really get into it since I can't understand it.And I can't really sing to it without totally murdering the pronunciations.And I really don't wanna be singing something I don't understand and happen to be walking by someone who *does* understand.I heard that one of the songs is about killing or burning babies or something(can't remember which one).I don't wanna be walking past a German person and be singing about killing kids. . .Anyway,they have a nice mixture of electronic and heavy metal,and I really like it.Plus,German just sounds so much more. . .angrier. . .than english. . .I dunno,maybe it's just me.

(I know I sorta stole that "Does it for the drugs" line from Smile Empty Soul,but I was listening to that song the other day and had to write this. . .I just kinda changed some words around and stuff and. . .yeah.. .Anyways,here it is. . .) No one knows her No one would ever dare She doesn't know herself And she'll never care She can't let them know Can't let them see The dirty secrets that she keeps -'Cause she does it for the drugs She does it 'cause it makes her feel clever She does it just because She knows she'll never be anything better- He doesn't know why He just has to lie Just has to say things he doesn't mean He doesn't know why And he just wants to cry He wonders if he'll ever feel clean -'Cause he does it for the drugs He does it 'cause it makes him feel clever He does it just because He knows he'll never be anything better- And the sad thing is They're just like everyone else And in the bottle Is the only place they find help They're just like you And just like me A part of us will always be dirty -'Cause we do it for the drugs We do it 'cause it makes us feel clever We do it just because We know we'll never be anything better-

"Please,sir--" "Look,lady--" "PLEASE! It's all the money I have in the world!" "Lady,I DON'T care,so just hand over the purse!Killin' is fun fer me,so don't go pushin' yer luck!" The woman--probably about in her mid-fifties--whimpered as the ragged,unshaven man inched his knife closer to her threateningly.Hiis eyes were bulging and slightly mad,and his hair was a wild tangle atop his head.He itched to draw blood,to see the crimson stuff spill free,but he had a price on his head now,and he really didn't need to give them a reason to raise his bounty.Then he'd have even *more* hunters after him,which he really didn't want.He knew they were a dying breed,but the ones who remained were tough as nails and desperate. "C'mon,lady,just.Give.Me.The.BAG!"He needed the money for the trip to Goymean.He needed to get out of this place,that was for sure. The woman burst into sobs,"Please,mister,it's all I have to feed my kids with!" "I.Don't.CARE--" "Let's see. . ."Said a new voice in the dark alley,"Ruthless.Stupid.Ugly.Yep,you're the guy I'm lookin' for." The man clutched the woman to him immediately,spinning on his heel to press his back to the wall and to put the woman ahead of him like a shield.He held his knife to her throat,and the woman had gone nearly hysterical,screaming and sobbing.The man's eyes darted about the alley,searching the shadows,expecting some snake-like cop to be hiding from him in the shadows.Although cops were almost as rare as bounty hunters,there were still a few--a very few--who did their jobs. Instead,the man found a young woman standing quite out in the open.Long,gleaming ebony locks framed deep blue eyes that seemed to be pierced with a pain and sorrow untold for a thousand years,but they also glittered with mischief.Her lean,lithe body was cloted in a torso-hugging,plain black t-shirt that exposed a narrow strip of toned midriff.Overtop of this was a slightly too large white dress shirt,left unbuttoned with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows hap-hazardly.A pair of loose black jeans were slung low around her hips,held up by a wide leather belt.Her feet were adorned in clunky shoes that glinted with silver buckles.In fact,her entire person glittered with the presence of silver,as her wrists and neck were adorned in a number of silver chains and bangles,and each of her ten fingers bore a bulky silver and black ring.A slight smile spread across her full lips,and the bounty's eyes shot to the gun in her hand. "Who the hell are you?!"The man demanded. "Me?Well,I'm just an old fashioned cowgirl." The man's eyes grew to twice their original size--which was saying something. "A bounty hunter!!" The woman smiled slyly,reminding the man of a fox--but she seemed far too relaxed to be planning anything. "T-take one step closer and I'll s-slit this lady's throat wide open!"The man declared shakily. The woman shrugged.She raised her gun and aimed it directly between the man's eyes. "I-I'm serious!P-p-put that away or I'll--I'll do it!" "It's not my job to protect the innocent.I'm not a superhero and I'm not a cop." "Wha--?!Why you little--"The woman,who had been building up hope,was cut short by a threatening press of the blade to her throat. "Put the gun down!"The man demanded,his eyes bulging dangerously close to bursting from his face. The young bounty hunter fired. The shot rang through the bounty's head,and in his shock,he dropped the woman and the knife.He felt weak now,like all the blood had been drained from his body.But a few moments later,he came from his shock to find that the wall beside him had exploded with the force of the bullet striking it,and the bounty hunter had strode forth,and had raised the but of her nine-millimeter.Then,everything went black for him. ___ "What did you want with him,Leg?He was just a useless little man.. ." "I had my reasons,Kathryn,"Said a deep voice from the chair behind the desk.The back of the chair was to Kat,so she could only see the column of smoke that drifted toward the ceiling,"Remember our agreement,Spelling--no questions." "Yeah,I remember."She said firmly.She was good at the no questions thing most of the time.She only wondered what this corrupt business man would want with a petty thief and murderer. "I've formulated a team for you,"Spendor Leg said after a long pause from the depths of the black chair.Kat's gaze shifted quickly from the window to the back of the chair. "What?" "A team,"He repeated,"A crew.A crew of bounty hunters." "I don't need a crew."She said flatly. "I'm the one dishing out the woolongs here,"Said Leg stiffly,"I think I should have the right to decide if you use a team or not." Her brow furrowed,but she said,"Okay.Whatever." "That's a good girl.You should be meeting them any second.I've called for a meeting here at this very office." Kat didn't say anything.She often didn't say anything.Silence was often much more effective than any words could be. Just then,the door opened. "Ah,here comes the first of them now. . ."

Okies,I think we've got enough characters to at least start,so I'll be putting up the first post sometime tonight or tomorrow.

Foreword:This story isn't a fanfiction.In fact,I don't even think it can be called a story.It's just a rambling bit of inspiration I had one day.I'm going to try and finish it.It'll be the first story I've ever finished in almost. . .::Thinks back::. . .four years of writing.However,I won't continue unless I get some kind of positive response.The last thing I want is to spam up the OtakuBoards with a story that nobody even reads.By the way,it may seem kind of stupid now,but I guarantee that it will get darker and more depthful as it progresses.Well,so,here goes nothing. ..Oh,and I'm also still looking for a better title. . .Open to suggestions. . . ________ Chapter 1-- Algebra 1a,second period.Otherwise known as Hell.This was the current dispostion of our heroine--me,Kathryn Wisdume.Stuck in math class with the never ending blather of Mr.Tier.He was a portly,half-bald old man who was shaped in a most turtle-ish way.His back kind of. . .sloped up to his head,and the said head was almost bald on top except for a sparse few long white hairs.I'd taken to affectionately(and by that I mean "mockingly")calling him "Yurdle the Turtle" behind his back;that way,all the students would know who I was talking about,but the staff would be none the wiser. But enough about Yurdle.The entire reasone I'm writing this is so that I can tell my story--a story that contains no magic,no science-fiction exploits,and no incredible,life altering events involving the supernatural.It's just a story about a sixteen-year old junior attending a crack-pot school in the middle of nowhere.Well,Mulberry Highschool isn't really all bad,I suppose.It's not the best,and it's not the worst.Though it's hard to believe that there are worse places on earth sometimes.This was one of those times. I was stuck in math class,searching desperately for a way out with the pangs of super-boredom closing in upon me from all sides.I was trapped,trapped like a humanoid rat by the horrible hybrid of letter and numbers called Algebra.Yurdle continued to blather as he scribbled away on the overhead.I stared at the projection on the wall ahead,seeing the numbers but not really seeing anything at all.I could feel the brain cells in my head screaming for mercy as they died away.I came out of this almost comatose state long enough to look around the room.The boy next to me was lying face down on his desk,asleep.The girl behind me was staring inot space somewhere,a spittle of drool hanging from her mouth.I could tell I wasn't the only one being submitted to the torturous stupor that Yurdles's very prescence inflicted.It was slaughter--SLAUGHTER,I SAY.We were being killed by this weapon of mass destruction disguised as a turtle-y,balding old man--- "Miss Wisdume?" Yurdle's voice quite suddenly broke through my haze of boredom,mostly because he was addressing me. "Huh--?"I sputtered stupidly. "Miss Wisdume,where's your textbook?"He demanded with an annoying air of superiority.Indeed,I didn't have my text book out,but we rarely needed it--he usually spewed the entire thing to us each class period as well as every other absolutely useless fact he knew. "I. . .ate it."I replied dully,sarcastically. "As witty as ever,Miss Wisdume,"Yurdle replied disapprovingly,"Will you please retrieve your textbook and see me after class--"A demand,not a request,as usual,"And as for the rest of you--stop laughing,Miss Wisdume's comments are rarely funny and this is no exception.The next snicker I hear will earn a detention.Now,about the number five.See,in under water exploration. . ." I reached down to my backpack on the floor and fished out my book with exaggerated labor,dropping it onto my desk with a heavy sigh.Yurdle had now continued on in his useless prattle and I had tuned out again.I shook myself to attention,knowing that I needed to stay awake. ~Really~I told myself,~if you go to sleep,you'll be clueless on the homework~ But I felt myself slipping and the next thing I knew,Yurdle was doing a tap dance and a monster chicken was drooling in the seat beside me.I knew,vaguely,that I had fallen asleep.That was the power of Yurdle--to make you fall asleep while thinking about how you need to pay attention. Yurdle,continuing his tap dance,had also begun to sing an opera version of my favorite heavy metal song.Meanwhile,the girl behind me leaned foward and asked,"Have you had your break today?"At this point,I was extremely confused,and I slouched down into my desk(which was now rainbow colored)in an attempt to escape all the craziness,even as the boy behind me(who was now a large goat in a McDonald's uniform)continued on to ask if I wanted fries with that. Quite suddenly,a large hand was placed on my shoulder,startling me at first.However,there was a calming element to the action,and I felt very at ease.I twisted around in my seat to see who the owner of the hand was.I blinked.I was relieved to find that it wasn't a goat or a chicken.In fact, I couldn't tell *what* it was for a second,as there was a strange bit of light enveloping it--a light that seemed infinitely bright and yet abysmally dark.The light(if that's,indeed,what one would call it)receded eventually and I blinked again.It was a boy--a guy.A guy I hadn't seen in almost four years.I was surprised to find that his face so readily sprung to the forefront of my memory. Bright,playful blue eyes were just visible beneath a fringe of unruly,jet black hair.A lean body--much taller and broader than I remembered--was clothed in a plain,form fitting black tee-shirt and a pair of plain,baggy black pants,riddled with chains and zippers and the like.There was a faint quirk to his lips that matched the mischief in his eyes,and his jaw had a five o'clock shadow.Everything about him seemed somehow dark--from the chains that encircled his neck and wrists,to the bulky black and silver rings that adorned each of his ten fingers,to the simple feeling I received from his presence(not a bad feeling,just a.. .feeling).Everything--except for one(or rather,two)things-- The massive,feathery white wings on his back. Okay,let's back track a bit.Remember when I said that this story wouldn't contain any "amazing,life altering events involving the supernatural"?Well--I lied. "Hiya,Kit,"He said brightly,stepping down completely to the ground for the first time.His hands were thrust into his pockets, and he came to stand in front of me as if we had never seen a day apart from each other,and as if he *weren't* sporting magnificent,9 foot,ivory wings. "Hi. . .hi,Josh."I said in a stunned voice,"What. . .What're *you* doing in my dream?" Instead of answering my question straightaway,he looked around the room,at the giant chicken and the monster goat and the tap dancing math teacher."Well,"He said finally,"It's easier to communicate with people through their dreams,so long as one is on good terms with the dragons." I stared at him skeptically,my shock gone.This was just a dream,I reminded myself,it's not real.He might as well have just been another chicken. "Riiiiiiiiight,"I replied with a role of my eyes,"Dragons.Makes perfect sense.Or actually,it doesn't,and that's why it does--I mean,of course you'd be talking about dragons. . .You're just another part of my extremely screwed up psyche." He smiled warmly at me,as if I were *SO* predictable.However,his eyes quickly became clouded with something sad and dark,"Believe me or don't,"He said finally,"It's your choice.But. . .well. . .I'm an angel.Of sorts.A Fallen Angel." I stared at him for a long moment. "Uh---what?"I asked,eyes still quite wide. "It happened three years ago,"He said casually. "What happened?" "I died." ". ..oh. . ." "Y'know that steel company my dad worked for?"He asked,"Well they offered him a job in some middle-of-nowhere town in Ireland.So we moved.There was this forest. . ."His eyes misted over as he continued,and he stared not at me,but at my multi-colored desk surface,"I loved to wander back there.It was always so calm and peaceful.The first time I ever wandered those woods was my last.I don't know what it was,still to this day.Something attacked me.Left me bleeding there in the grass.Some people say there's a light.There isn't.There's just the pain and anger and sadness. . ."There was a bite of bitterness to his voice now.I only sat there quietly. "I'm. . .sorry."I said. . .What was I supposed to do--console him for his loss? "Eh--"He said distractedly,"Not your fault.Anyway,the Creator wouldn't let me into Heaven--said he had *one* more job for me to do for him before everlasting peace.I was to be a guardian angel." "So....."I pressed on,"What happened?" "Well,"He said,"To make a long story short,I was attacked by vampyres--who,among a few other creatures,can see angels--about a year ago and,even though I thought it was impossible,I died--again.I was reborn by a daemon through the bitterness and hatred that had formed in my spirit's core.I became a fallen angel,bound to Earth forevermore because a daemon happened to sense the negativity in my soul." I gawked at him,"Vam. . .pires. . .?"I asked slowly. "No,no,Vam-PYRES,not 'pires'.There's a difference."He said,looking at me with that bemused expression that had become somewhat annoying.Just who did he think he was,barging into my dreams and spouting nonsense about dragons and angels and demons and vampires(vamPYRES,whatever)?!? "Y'know,I must be really losing it if I'm dreaming crap like this,"I said flatly. "I don't know,"He said idlely,"Maybe you are.Maybe you arn't.That's up to you to decide." I rolled my eyes and made an exasperated noise,"Okay,okay,let's say that what you're telling me is true and that you're even real--what do you want with me?" "Well,"He said slowly,fishing in his pocket until he produced a package of cigarettes and a lighter,"I'm prolly not s'pose to,but I came to tell you that you're world's about to be turned upside down,"He lit his cigarette and took a long drag off of it,"And you're about to play a big--very big--role in the 'grand scheme of things'." "Wha--" But he held a hand up a hand to silence the onslaught of questions I had begun to voice and cocked his head to one side,as if he'd heard something. "The bell's just rung,"He said with a sad smile,as if he wished the bell were for him,"You'll be needed to wake up now.Don't worry,"He added,seeing the alarmed expression on my face,"We'll talk again.Until then--Good-bye,Kathryn Wisdume." Quite suddenly,I was back in Yurdle's class.I was extremely confused.What the hell had just happened. . .?!? ____ End Chapter 1 _____

Kathryn had nothing else to say or ask or add to the conversation at all,and so she saw no reason to remain there.She stood and left,placing her earphones back into her ears as she left.She assumed that everyone would know she would be at the helipad,and so she didn't even bother wording it.Talking wasn't her strong point anyhow.She just wanted to get on with this mission and get back.Missions were never a big deal to her.It didn't matter to her--really--if she came back or not.However,if anyone had been around at the moment,they would have heard her quietly whispering the Unbeliever's Prayer just before she arrived at the helipad-- "Almighty God forgive me for my agnosticism; For I shall try to keep it gentle,not cynical Nor a bad influence. Human I am,though, And if I should fail at these things, Please forgive me for that as well And if Thou art truly in the heavens, accept my gratitude For the life thou hast granted me And in return I shalt fight the good fight." It was her only pre-mission ritual,and she made sure that no one ever discovered it. _______________________

Kathryn had flopped unceremoniously into a chair to listen.She was silent for a long moment,face blank as she considered the words said. "Sounds dangerous. . ."She said casually,flatly. She let the words trail off into silence again.She didn't really care that it was dangerous.The word itself had been scrubbed from her vocabulary.All that mattered was going in and getting the mission done successfully.When people started worrying about the danger,that was usually when they screwed up. "So,"She continued eventually,"What're the details?I mean,what's the plan,how tight's security?Do they have any idea we might be planning this at all?"She spoke casually of it,as if discussing the planning of a picnic,though she was very serious about it.She didn't sound at all as if she were about to enter an extremely dangerous and risky mission.

Yeah,I understand perfectly well why they changed *some* things,but can anyone tell me why Mystique had to be nude. . .?I mean,as far as I know,she's always worn clothes.The only reasonable explanation is that she's naked just to bring in more people,but I'd really like to think there's a more depthful reasoning behind it. . .In addition,why doesn't she talk?I mean,she's got about 10(if *that* many) lines between both movies. . .In the comics,Mystique never had a hard time talking.And she often had her own agenda,apart from Magneto's,whereas in the movie,she's just sort of another one of his lackeys(sp?). . .

[QUOTE] Alright well first of all Logan never did fight with Captain America, and in the 90's one they did show a lot of past actually. A lot more than they did in Evolution. [/B][/QUOTE] Well. . .actually. . .Logan did fight with Cap,and in the exact period that Evo depicts.I didn't watch the 90s 'toon too much,so I can't say about that,but the Evo 'toon is pretty good at alternating the continuity,but also keeping it the same--which sounds strange,I know,but it's true.I thought the Logan/Cap episode was pretty cool...I like the way they did it,w/ Logan 'n' Cap saving Lensherr and all.I think most all of the episodes are done beautifully. . .except for Power Surge. . I will forever hold a grudge against that episode. . .

I love X-Men:Evolution.I like it even more than the 90s cartoon.Granted,I wasn't a die-hard viewer of the 90s cartoon,but I still think that Evo is better.The art is modern and sleek,something that the X-Men deserved.I like the way,especially,that Scott's beams are done.They arn't just red lines.The visuals are awesome.I think that they should've made it more adult,however.They're greatly limited in character design and plot with it being a kids' show.I suppose that would just make it a slightly different Ultimate X-Men,though. . .Anyway,I haven't been able to watch it in a very long time.I think the last time I saw it,Apocalypse had just been released,with the show ending as Apocalypse's tomb opening.I can never figure out when the show's going to come on.In it's early days,it was on at like 7:30--sometimes.One week it was 10,another it was 8.And everytime I'd scramble to the TV,they'd be playing the same episode--Power Surge.That's the only episode name I know,because they played it so much. . .Anyway,I think Evo's great.I mean,it's fantastic what they did with Rogue and the Scarlet Witch.I am a little irked about Shadowcat's character though. . .She'd always been super intelligent and stuff. . .Now she's kinda. . .airy-fairy,with the word "like" in every other breath. Besides,that,though the idea of taking all our favorite heroes and casting them with the problem of highschool acceptance *and* the utter destruction of the world all at the same time. . ..genius. By the way. . .Does anyone know if Evan was a real character in the comics. . .?I'm almost positive that he wasn't(I can't recall there ever being a mention of Orroro having a sister.. .),but it still bugs me because I don't know for sure.. .

Well,I agree that the Age of Apocalypse was one of the best story arcs,but that would be SOOOooo hard to explain and fully show in under three hours and with a limited budget.I also didn't like the alternate universe thing.I mean,if you're gunna do an X-Men movie,shouldn't you keep to the X-Men continuity?I do understand why they didn't totally stick to it,but still,they even changed Wolverine's background and everything. . .And the fact that the original team wasn't. . .well,the original team(Scott,Jean,Warren,Bobby,and Hank) is gunna change a lot of stuff. . .I wonder what they're gunna do about it. . .