Flipping his finger to Dante's obnoxious voice, he looked at the two in front of him."Here's the breakdown." Hades began, picking up a piece of blanket and pulling it taut between his fists, "No one has any answers for our questions. No one knows anyone. Let's look at the possible outcomes of this. If Dante has this idea right, then he'll come back when we pull this makeshift rope scheme off. What's that going to solve? He can come and go as he pleases but he's not back to wherever he came from and we're still in this shit hole." He looked at Renny and licked his upper lip, turning his eyes to Joe. "You two...better be careful." Finishing the braided knot on the piece of blanket he'd been working on, he tossed it into their pile and turned to the other two people in the room.

Reno opened her mouth and laughed with a small taste of sarcasm, "I'd rather just ignore it. I can find myself occupied with things that are much more fun." She licked her lips and rolled her eyes, sighing. "I don't care if I don't know Jones. He's the only semi-normal guy here. Because I know none of us are normal. Look at her? She's in leather and covered in blood. That's not normal." She pointed out simply, looking back at Joe with a soft smile. "But this guy is. At least in comparison to you and Dante. But i'll play along like we're going to escape." She knotted her end of the braided fabric to Joe's.

"What is this door you people keep talking about?" Max asked, raising her eyebrow and pulling a small bar from her pocket. "Never leave home without protein." She peeled back the wrapper and took a small bite, watching him over the chocolate covering. "It tastes like shit. But the job calls for being awake, alert and on two feet." Which she, at the moment, wasn't at her best and it showed in the shadows under her eyes and the bruises welling at her right hip that was covered by Dante's shirt.

Dante chuckled at hades speech *as much i as i hate to admit it, your correct* he turned to look at Reno and said with rather calmly *you on the other hand are as big of a street wench as you look. proclaiming everyone here but Joe isn't "normal" yet i contend that you are the abnormal one as we are trapt in fact without hope of escaping, just in case you failed to notice, and all your looking for is a cheap fuck. i don't know what purpose you serve here but it doesnt seem to be anything of use, well unless of course your a scared young 18 year old boy* he looked from reno to joe with disgust, then looked to max with slight confusion *my dear did i hear you correctly, What Door?. you mean you don't see the only door in this room?* he pointed in the direction of the door. *explain yourself*

Joe continued knotting the shreds, growing more annoyed with Dante by the minute. "what's this guy's problem??" he thought, gently holding Reno's hand. "I can't give up hope, that won't get us anywhere..."

Reno smiled, "If all I wanted was a cheap fuck i'd have asked Dante for one." She kissed Joe's cheek and giggled, "You're comforting." Slowly she looked over at Dante and shook her head, "He's sad. That's my guess anyway. But his bionic hearing can hear me and he'll make a comment about that too." She bumped her shoulder playfully into Joe's and snatched up the lengthening rope they were making. "Your knots are exquisite." She teased, admiring his handy work as she added her own.

Hades gagged and spat kiddingly at the floor, "God you two are worse than an afternoon special on lifetime. And you just met. Imagine how you'll be in like...two days? An old married couple washing the dishes together and laughing at how your out of soap." He shuddered and walked over to Dante. "As for this..." Waving his hands at Dante and the female, "...I need a drink." He walked over to the bar in hopes of finding something to wet his whistle.

Covering up the bar in her hand and sliding it back into her pocket, Max walked over to Dante, measuring him up for lack of a better term. In her boots she stood at his height, making eye contact a bonus since she didn't have to look up at him. "Obviously if the door could be opened and one could step out, you wouldn't be here. So I reinstate my question. What is it about this door that those people keep talking about and you're so determined to understand?" She turned her head to the side to look at Hades and then looked back at Dante with a cool gaze.

Ignoring looks by Jones and Reno Dante laughed wholeheartedly at the comment by hades to the "Kids" tying knots in the corner. watching hades walk to him then to the bar *you think something will appear from thin air the more you look at that bar hades?* said with almost laughter in his voice. he then made direct eye contact with max *perhaps you should open the door and find out first hand* he said with slight sarcasm. then turning and walking away to his usual spot by the door to sit in quite meditation.

Joe chuckled, "Why thank you, so are yours!" It had been only half an hour at most, but he already felt as if he'd known Reno for ages. She was so natural, so comfortable in a place that was ever changing. "So Reno, tell me a bit about yourself." He smiled at her as he finished a knot, not caring at all what Dante and his plans were.

Max walked over to the door and opened it, "A hallway." She said with some disbelief in her voice as she looked down at the wall and carpeting on the floor behind the door. Checking one more time, she took a step out with her back to the wall outside the door. She was on solid ground and felt a physical wall at her back. "It's a hallway." She said louder this time, leaving her palm on the crack at the door to leave it open while she looked down at the long walk to the door at the end of the hallway on the right.

Hades chucked another empty bottle away from the bar, "I'll find something soon." He assured himself, ruffling through some old papers and receipts. "Hmm." Picking up a yellowed receipt, he read it and nodded his head. "This place is old." He pocketed the receipt in his jacket and continued to fiddle through some glasses and trinkets behind the bar.

"Well...i'm an only child, grew up in a small town in an average place. Nothing fancy happens to me." Renny said, looking at Joe with a deeper interest now. He asked about her and it made her feel included. "I love twinkies." Though her skinny build and lean body wouldn't let that on. "I have been taking fencing lessons since I was four and I was a part time stripper for the hell of it on a bet to go out of the country." Her voice softened, dimming the enthusiasm in it and becoming more dry. "But that never worked out." Shrugging her shoulders and finishing the last knot on her strand, she leaned back against the chair and looked at him. "What about you? Tell me something about your life that I couldn't guess just by looking at you."

Joe smiled, glad to have someone to talk to, especially Renny. "Well, I spent my fair share of time out of my element too. Parents tried to raise me as a farm boy, but that didn't work out. Savored every moment I had in the city and suburbia." He leaned back, dying for a smoke, but still grinning. " My babysitter chainsmoked, kinda got me hooked on it all. Couldn't wait to be 18, frankly." He grinned at her, running his fingers through his spiked up hair. He'd never known someone as easy to talk to as Reno. "Fencing? Really? I got into that for a while. Wasn't my biggest skill, but I know enough to get by. I also fought underground fighting for spare money when I could, though that ship's sailed and I'm pretty glad to be off it," he remarked, flashing a joking one-two in the direction of the others.

"You sound like you've had a pretty nice life than, considering what it could have been." Reno said with a small smile as she reached out and casually stroked his arm, "Fighting for money might have been better than taking your clothes off." She laughed a little and tickled her fingers under his shirt sleeve, biting down on her lower lip. "If we get out of this place I challenge you to a duel. Then we can test your fencing skills." She moved her hand and poked him in the chest, "En guard."

Joe chuckled, "Indeed." He poked her back, grinning down at her. "If only I can get out of this hellhole..." he thought to himself. He held Renny's hand for a moment, then stood up, the makeshift rope in hand. "Ready to go when you are, Chief," he said as he walked over to Dante.

*quiet!!* Dante said to Jones with slightly more anger in his voice then he had intended *I'm busy* as he sat there meditating the temperature in the room changed rapidly from cold to hot, burning then freezing and back again, the lights seemed to dim and there was no apparent reason why, then he started lifting in thin air as if pulled by invisible strings by a puppet master, Dante's body began to levitate in air, then higher until he was eye level with everyone in the room, he then put his feet firmly on the floor, but as soon as his feet hit the floor he collapsed to his knees as if in horrible pain, breathing as though he had just finished running a 100 miles and was incredibly thirsty, then let out a slightly maniacal but exhausted raspy laugh *Its not enough, Not yet*

Hades looked over just in time to see Dante panting like a used puppy dog, "Right." He nodded his head, grinning like a kid in a candy shop when he kicked over a newspaper. "Alcohol!" His chirp was high and his brown eyes grew deeper with a new hunger, "It's half a bottle of Jack!" He closed his mouth and shook his head, looking around to see if anyone heard him. This shit was his. He shoved the medium sized bottle down the front of his pants, covering it with his shirt and jacket, walking away from everyone to a darker part of the room and slid down the wall with his back against it so he could watch everyone.

Reno raised her eyebrows at Dante's little show and stood up, brushing some dust from her butt. She wandered over to the leather couch, peeking under it and moving around the cushions, keeping her hands busy. Sliding her hand over the large wooden table, she knelt down against it and put her elbows on its slippery surface. She watched the boys; Hades with his steely glare going around the room, the new female half in and half out the new door, Dante with his magic trick, and Joe trying to get Dante's attention.

Max stepped back into the room and closed the door, "There's a hallway out there." She said to Dante, pulling her protein bar out and taking another bite. The world was dizzier than it should have been and lack of blood and no water in more than 24 hours would do that to a person. She took a seat at the recliner chair and flicked her leg over her knee, tapping her boot in the air as she thought things through, trying to get her body back on track.

Joe was just a leetle bit perturbed after the little show Dante had put on. "oooh...kay, I'll be over here when you need me." He walked over to where Renny was leaning on the table, sitting back against the couch. He felt tired, as if he'd just been fighting Jackie Nguierra for 20k again. Wearily, he pulled a cig out of his pocket, sniffing the end and wishing he had a light.

*Damn, you people are hard to impress* said dante still breathing heavy as he stood up to full stature and looked at max who had aparently just spoken to him by the answer expecting look on her face. the ringing in his ears had died down to a barable level *What??*

Renny sighed softly and turned her head on her arm to look at Joe. "Sucks, doesn't it?" She felt for the cig at her ear and closed her eyes, humming. "You know." Her voice was weary, "We haven't been here that long but I already feel like it's hopeless. This..mission thing. If there were a letter or tape or video..something.." She opened her eyes and looked at him, "Anything that said, hey you fucked up, welcome to hell with all the other screwed up people...or, whatever. Just something to let me know why i'm here." Putting her finger to her mouth she chewed on her knuckle, a nervous habit she hadn't gotten rid of.

Taking another bite of her bar and swallowing it, she looked at Dante and explained, "There's a hallway out there.Solid. With a door at the end of it." She covered her mouth with the back of her hand as she yawned, "Back to my original question you seem to be avoiding, why are you so interested in a door that opens to a hallway...leading out of this room?" Her voice was loud enough he could hear it holding a slight edge of irritation and sarcasm, drowning in exhaustion. She put another piece of her bar in her mouth, watching Dante.

Hades snuck a sip of his drink, bending at an odd angle to reach the mouth of the bottle with his own. "Ohh god." He murmured to his shirt as he licked up the dense liquid and savored every bit of it. The others seemed distracted enough that he wouldn't get caught. After all that bottle was his. And he wasn't going to share it with any of them. Well, maybe if those girls wanted a sip he'd make a deal with them to get one, but not the men. Nope. He stuffed the bottle back into his pants and secured his shirt over it, brooding over the mess he was in.

Joe sat there, yawned. "Strange isn't it? wish there were some explanations around here." He rain his fingers through his hair. He leaned back against the sofa, yawning again. "I think I...need...a nap..." he dozed straight off, sliding to the floor, knocking his head on the ground.

*Because i cant see it, iv already been outside the door. it turns into pergatory, goes all white with nothing for eternity* the ringing in his ears had came back up again, starting to hurt *hallway?* he said cringing. *tell the, other..people* he said waving his hand in the direction of the rest of the group as a drunk man would. he walked over to jones *wake the fuck up* and kicked him in the chest. *hades put your fantasy with renny on hold, you both need to try going through the door*

"Cool it...chief." Renny mocked the little pet name Joe had given Dante, pausing before rolling her eyes up to look at the tall man. "We don't want to do anything right now. You go through the door. You seem to have the hang of it." She slid her cheek off her arm and sat up, looking over at Joe. A small smile played at the corners of her mouth as she held back a chuckle, after all, he had a precious air to him that she couldn't help but be attracted to. And a simply kissable mouth.

Max had her eyes closed the last few minutes, when she opened them she rolled her eyes in a slow measure. "Chief? Is that what they call you?" She asked Dante as she put the last of her protein bar in her mouth and curled the wrapper up,sliding it into her pocket. It didn't hold much. "Pergatory? Out there?" She wiped some chocolate from her lips and looked the man in the eyes, "I can see you're not lying." Slowly she went through her occupation's training, trying to determine the best plan of action. But her body was tired and she didn't need to be anywhere, the appointment at the business could wait. Yeah. Closing her eyes again she smiled. "Where do you need to go Dante?"

Hades growled, a mama lioness protecting her cub. Or a grown man protecting his alcohol. One or the other. A nasty grin creased his mouth as he looked over at Renny. Those long legs, uncovered, tanned to perfection, and toned? He ran his tongue over his top lip and blew kissy sounds at her, "I wonder if that hair color comes off when someone pulls on those locks. And Dante...fuck off. I can fantasize all the fuck I want in this fucking hole from hell cause we are not getting the fuck out." A cackle came through that dirty mouth as he slapped his knee, amused by his language and comments.

Joe sat there, a smile on his face for Renny and a glare in his eyes for Dante. "Really wish this guy would fuck off," he thought to himself as he looked at Reno. The slight smile on her lips made him forget all about where he was, and the crazy people he had to deal with. Especially Hades, and his strange idea that acting like a drunk oaf would get him in Renny's good books.

*if i go throught he door it changes and we dont get anywhare, Max just opened it and it was a solid hallway. someone else has to go if we ever want to get out of here, i nominame Jones. Seems like he Really wansts out of this room* He said the last bit with extreme mockery in his voice. he met rennys eyes again, and with a quick flik from his eyebrow he turned to max.

*thats what jones will isnt on calling me if he would like his life to end* he said with anger. *Whare am i going? i have always been here, not nessesarily in this room, but here*

"Well, since you seem to want to turn this into your little twisted democracy, lets vote for the -candidates. I nominate Dante, all in favor?" Joe grinned. "There's no way I'm leaving this room for no damn reason, especially with the key in your hands! I saw the exact same flashing scenes as you anyway-what makes you think mine will be any different?"

Dante let out a short cocky laugh *this what you want?* He pulled the key from his pants pocket and threw it to Jones. *problem is, me and max are the only ones to ever leave this room, she can leave whenever, i cant, so you either trust what you hate and walk out of that door and find out what happens, or you starve to death. it doesn't make any difference to me, but you seem to have formed a rather tight bond with Reno, if you survive longer then her, be sure and tell me what its like to watch the one you love suffer* A dark smile crossed Dante's face as if he had just been handed the key to the worlds survival *face it kid, your fucked*

Her lips turned down, forming a frown on that small mouth. "Shut up! Just shut up!" Renny screamed the last, stumbling as she tried to gather her legs under her and stand up.Pushing off the table was the plan but she missed it and smacked her cheek against the wooden table. Cursing under her breath, she finally got up on her two legs and strode over to Dante..with what intentions...she wasn't sure. When she reached the tall man she turned her head to look up at him and put both of her hands on her hips and stared. His eyes seemed so dark in comparison to Joe's, she noted,refusing to take her lighter pools from the depths of his. She had a nice reddish-purple flower blooming on her right cheek just below her eye from the slap she received from the table.

Letting out a slow breath and opening her eyes, Max kicked her leg over and stood up as if she had muscles where humans just didn't. It was a fluid movement, practiced, and precise. She looked over at Dante and the..girl. "Your followers are not interested in being pressured Dante. Perhaps you should let them calm their nerves before asking them to trust a complete stranger with their lives." Her words were crisp, dipped in other things that one might not want to delve into. She stood a few feet from the girl and Dante, observing for future decisions that were going to have to be made. This wasn't going to end anywhere else but this room.

Hades stopped slouching, pulling himself up a little and scootching closer to the wall as he watched Renny approach Dante and then the leather chick do the same. Threesome? He grinned, "I want in on this!" He shouted over to them, to dumb to realize what he was offering himself for. Did it really matter? One less person like him in the world wouldn't make that much of a difference, would it?

Dante and Reno stood on that spot for what seemed like longer then the eternity beyond that door. he gazed into her eyes. losing himself, he didnt like it, though he let himself slip. in his minds eye he saw himself reverting back to childhood, then further. back to infancy. he was curled in the fetal position in the womb. in reality he regretted, even hated being born. another moment passed, another lifetime. he raised his hand and gently touched his fingers to the swollen mark on her face. *I'm* he pressed his lips to hers, then let go, *sorry* a white light glowed under the hand he had on her swollen cheek, he removed it, the mark was gone, as though it had never been there.

*Relax hades* he said while he looked at max, studying her.

He walked to the darkest part of the room, far off from everyone, in solitude.

Sorry for the absence!
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Joe walked over slowly to Renny's spot by the door. "Cmon," he said, gently drawing her back to the couch. "Is your face - where'd it go?" He looked at the spot where the bruise on her face had been, confused. "Just relax. I don't know what his problem is, but Ninja Lady seems to have some measure of reason instilled in him. Don't worry, everything's fine."