There's just more to it than... [Kasey]

Humans. They were fickle things. So often they let emotion steer and control them. So many of them were moved by fear, and others were frozen by it. Humans were animals, and just like cows and pigs, they were livestock. You needed a shepherd to herd and cultivate them to what they were intended for. Most, would just end up being food. In most cases, metaphorically, a stepping stone to project another's career. For others, like the one behind the mask, they were literally just that; food.

She walked, the satin black suit covering her from head to toe. The thin gray pin stripes that ran up to bottom, and the soft stitching of the dragons into the material. She wasn't cut out for this, she was fit to rule the yakuza, but that was not her role. She was not one to press onto matters not intended for her. That was Thundershock's job. He was the muscle, and as Sato was before her, she would retain the brains of the operation. She handled the money, and now, she handled the people with it.

The sound of her thin heels against the ground with each step, the long black horns on her head, and the white skull that covered her face. The black tar that filled a single socket, allowing a different sort of being to peer through. A case in her gloved hands, housing the proud logo of the Ketsujo Corporation. They were done hiding, and they were done letting things settle. It was time to stir the pot. It was time to take back what she had ruled.

She followed the small orders, with few words if at all. They would let they do as needed and direct her where she needed to be. Her jade eyes watching, as a single red orb observed from her left.

"It's showtime." she thought to herself, amused by what she saw. It wasn't too long ago she had been but a pawn for the original big three. To work as one man's tailor, another's informant and the other's assistant. Now she had risen to usurp him to an extent, Thundershock keeping his distance, and Amadeus buried after all of that work. She would never forget the taste of his bones.

"What makes you think they will be any better than The Boss?" A name repeated from a forgotten time, and forgotten people. All of them dead, forgotten, or missing. But Kasey did not forget. She could never forget their faces, or their names.

"Our pleasure." she would say, her own voice clouded by the voice of the being within her. The thin layer over her vocal chords as almost two people seemed to speak, though subtle. "Now, what is the first matter at hand?"

Her right tucked into her coat pocket as her left held into the metal case. Tools, medication and other simple means inside. It wasn't any different than the visit with Rapture a year ago, all to test what was really in her drugs. But now she stood, before a woman who was no different than that man and his wardrobe. A new figure of war. But would she meet the same end as he did? Only time would tell.

And time would tell.

Even if it was strictly bussiness, she couldn't help but smile from behind her mask. While her's obscured the top half of her face, it would seem the one opposite of her, would have the lower half. It was poetic in a way, much more so than a man becoming the machines he loved. She looked over the younger people, curious to the real intentions, and perhaps the story behind them. Were they brainwashed, turned into puppets like Rapture's people, or were they slaves like Thunder had before. Or, were they like her own pawns, rescues, who didn't want to go anywhere else but where they were. Was it worth saving people who didn't want help? Her hand would extend and meet the woman with a firm, but friendly grasp. She was here on bussiness. Any personal matter would be saved for another time. She would gladly kill innocents to pay the bills, it was bussiness. But on her free time, might be a different story.

"Army of Bones." she would say, and careful to pick her next words. "But Bones is fine with us." Plural. As if she was hinting at other powers, none of which she wanted to have to use. None she intended to use. Not yet at least.

Kasey's own frame modified and shaped just a bit different than her own. Her jaw widened, just a bit, and her other bones just ever slightly. It was the lucky trait of her own quirk, was fooling the minds recognition. While Istar looked up and down Kasey, Kasey's own gaze fell upon the children. "Protection? How lucky." A hint of a joke, as if she didn't take it serious or at face value. But with the nods, she could assume there was more to the story.

"Well, I haven't tended to a bar in a while, though I suppose I could mix us something after we're done here." Her eyes carefully inspected, looking for any and every injury, any sign of who they were, used to be. Maybe open wounds or signs of the real reason. It seemed unlikely to be a routine check up, and something much more strange. It wasn't like she cared enough to do anything about it, but she was curious. Perhaps too much so.

With a sigh, she set the case in front of her on the ground. She turned and twisted her head to crack her neck, the sound of her entire spine cracking one segment at a time, as if it was rushing down her body. Her hands would roll, and with it, more of the same sound, until her fingers would do the same, untouched by each other. "Then there's no time to waste, am I doing their exams here, or do you have somewhere else in mind." her gaze would turn to the woman, curious if this meeting room of sorts was good enough, or if there was somewhere more private for each of them. Maybe it was more fit to inspect them as a group, it wasn't like she hadn't done it before, even if she wasn't legally qualified. But, when she did the check ups anyways, was it ever for a legal reason?

"Though," she would crouch down, opening the case to get a few things before closing it. A strange stethoscope device that seemed perhaps far too nice for commercial use, and an ophthalmoscope of the same likeness. For now, it was general assessment. "Any quirks I should be aware of? I'd hate to get set on fire, again." Her words followed by a sigh.

She did have some good times though.

Protection. A joke. She herself was at the receiving end of a large company trying to "care" for the general populace. Maybe the research really would have saved and improved lives. Maybe it would have changed the world. But did a few people have to pay the price for a few hundred thousand? Was subjecting a few to torture any different than her singling out other people to pay for crimes of others? Was she any different than Sato was years ago?

The woman would wave a hand, and Bones would reply with a nod and a smile. It would put them at ease, them being herself, and well, it. She would place both of the devices on the table as she would sit down to open the folder to see what she could find. Any quirks, from simple creation of the elements or thicker skin would be good to know, as well as whom. Any photos to record changes before what was now the present would aid her.

"King, tend to them while I read this." she would say aloud, flipping through the pages to take in any information she would categorize as any relevant information for their duties. She would speak aloud, a signal for the rest in the room as it would occur. From her mask, it would split into a layer, as if a second was being formed on top of it. It would move forward, emerging from her face as she sat calmly looking over the paperwork. From her, a skeleton, roughly similar in size to her would emerge. A black tar filling the void between the bones, making it appear almost human, in just shape alone. Nothing about it however was human at all. Larger horns on his head, curved backwards and down towards his neck.

"Of course." he would say, obeying her command. As he would crawl upon the table, he would grab the tools and set his feet upon the ground to the first willing child. "Line up. We're here to help."

Words, once spoken, Bones would smile and look over them all. "Things are usually much easier if you cooperate. Now, this one will help you while I-" she would look over a few of the papers trying to find their names. "Well anyways, if needed, I can bring out more if you all want to do this your own strange way." She would turn over to Ishtar. "Anything will do. Though for the time being, a coffee would be nice if it's not too much to ask for."

She wanted to help these kids, but the thought of them even having a sliver of fear about a caretaker, especially at a time like this was concerning. It was in that moment she saw them as livestock, and not as patients. They were weak, and the weak were food. They were just meat waiting to be butchered. Cared and fed today, only to be slaughtered the next. She no longer had concern. She was simply making sure a woman's food supply would be healthy enough to feast upon later.

Food.

That was what they had become.

Disgusting.

Even when the hint came in her name, it seemed as if everyone was unprepared for her to bring about other beings from her body. They were all built from her bones. Her personal army. They were her Army, and she was their Bones.

It didn't matter how sinister you were, or how many lives you took. The sight of her abilities had always given others the feeling of unease. It might not have instilled fear, but the sight was always uncomfortable to watch. The idea of what allowed them to take shape, or what she had to endure to get to that point of control crossed few minds, if at all.

She turned to the woman, and seeing her still, her grasp firm on the railing, Kasey had feared the outcome. Did she fail? Did not not preform as desired? Was there no coffee to be obtained? Was there truly no other drink than one of alcoholic value? Perhaps that was asking too much. Someone with a quirk based on fire or explosives might prosper with such a diet, that or other other detrimental value of body deterioration. A slow stroll back to her seat as Bones observed. She was never meant to play a helpful villain. She was supposed to be ruthless. It was hard to divide her personal skills with that of her duties underground. But she was in the business of saving innocent lives. But if they were tainted by the touch of a criminal, were they innocent anymore?

The quick overview of the children was preformed by Setsuna as he looked into their eyes and ears and listened to their heartbeats. A quick assessment of their skin, discoloration, texture, and any irregularities. With the quirks in mind, memorized, he took a bit of time to inspect the fingers of the one with wires. The skin of the girl, as well as any other mutations related to their quirks. With the loss of a good meal, he kept in mind both what Kasey had endured personally. He knew they were most likely eating scraps before hand, most of which were stale and rotten. A belly full of trash, was better than an empty one.

Silence befell him. There was no reason to discuss the matter to the children. Only a few. "Good good." as he inspected them, followed by an ". . .very interesting." to see what set them from the regular mortals.

The woman spoke, and all of them would exit, grabbing what little they had removed, if they hadn't put it back on before leaving. As the question was posed, Setsuna would take a seat on the table. The pair would answer.

"Lack of a balanced diet. Full of garbage and rot. It will take time for them all to flush it out. I remember when I had to-"

"Minor discoloration, bruising, or something that restricted bloodflow. Perhaps strange sleeping arrangements from sleeping on concrete, or clothing too small. A lifestyle change. When we slept on the stree-"

"Mostly well kept, no obvious signs of any oddities. At least not on the surface."

They spoke, interrupting the end of their incomplete thoughts. Setsuna would extend his hand over to the girl, only to touch her hand to be absorbed right back into their collective being. "Only thing that stuck out to us was the minor bits of corrosion here and there on the surface of their skin. That seemed apparent through them all. I could speak more of them individually, but as a group, some chemical reaction either allergic or by touch or some airborne..." She trailed off.

"Anyways, I can provide a small supply of antibiotics and other medication to help along their recovery. They show typical signs of any transient, with few traits of withdrawals and exposures to something strange." She smiled, and laughed a bit. "Wouldn't be the first time. The Witch's Brew had a similar effect, but I doubt that he is still around."

"In fact I believe he is very much dead." The voice would bellow from within her, answering a thought unasked.

"Were you looking for something specific or just a general check up? There's a lot to deduce from just that bit of surface intelligence." And so, her game of words began once more.

She was in no way a doctor. She had no real way of deducing diseases or sicknesses. She did, however, read a fair share of medical texts, and surround herself with the like. She could spot things that were abnormal and make guesses as to why, but she was no more skilled than someone searching their symptoms and finding out their common cold was cancer. She was just smart enough to know, it wasn't cancer.

Corrosion, or rash, didn't matter. A contact to some foreign material, either from within or outside of them. Something in the air, in the water, or something they were all touched by. Kasey believed it to be some shared allergic reaction, or something akin to pox marks. Her mind would never think of exposure to toxic metals. But why would she? Unless...

"Bones is fine." she would quickly correct. "I prefer not to latch onto titles or honorifics." maybe it was true, but it wasn't. Being addressed Lady Bones and Lady Macabre would prove troublesome in the future. She needed to avoid it as it was birthed.

"You would be surprised." she would say with a half chuckle. "I've delivered a child once as well. Even criminals deserve the best care they can afford." A hand extended, to shake that of the woman. A strange encounter indeed, and one she would not soon forget.

"Well, do let me know." she would say, "I have a bit of data that may serve useful, as well as others I've befriended, and others employed to do the same." Befriended. A sour word. rehabilitated criminals trying to teach kids to control themselves. A pour choice when they most likely barely controlled themselves. Maybe she should have faith, but the opposing idea of actual heroes, or others coming in to help these unknown children didn't sit well either. Would they not question the reason she had, or well cared for them?

It wasn't like Kasey wasn't guilty of the same, taking in waves of dozens upon dozens of children. But she rehomed them, gave them a second chance. Was this different? No, it definitely felt wrong. She wouldn't have sought someone who was a villain if it wasn't something wrong. Something about them wasn't right. She needed to know. Even if she wasn't going to do anything about it. She needed to know more about Ishtar.

"I could care less about the world around me, though perhaps our definition of comfort isn't the same." she would say, following behind. The open door just another opening to a maze she would find to find her way out of later.

"Though, I don't suppose a graveyard is beyond this door." A laugh at a joke, that really wasn't. "I'll tell you my story, if you'll do so much as to tell me yours." A game of sorts.

Someone who just now had risen to the top, now with the company of someone who had watched the world unfold as it did, years before this moment. The shadow puppeteer.

They were not her family. Her family was better believed to be dead. She had learned to detest her sister with each coming day, but with their blood, she was not one she could write off. A mystery to her location, only hoping that she would not spill the secrets of their shared face. Villains were clients. They are paying customers. Though, payment wasn't always with money. Often, connections and an improved relationship for a later interaction was well enough. Costs were nothing but pocket change to her, and thus, it was fine to offer a free trade to the few that would be useful later.

" . . . afford may be incorrect, seeing as I haven't charged a soul in the last year for my... hidden care plans."

Kasey silently obeyed and watched the walls of a hallway she entered into. While Kasey could find no real advantage to killing the woman then and there, she couldn't find any reason to keep herself alive to the woman. What stopped Ishtar from killing Kasey at the end of this journey? What would she lose? At most, a minor strained relationship with Thundershock, having his ally's second, killed off a whim. But how long would Sato's relationship with her serve her in this way? How much would she have to do, until she had her own purpose without the man?

"Not all debts are paid with cash." She spoke again, only to fall silent to the quick story. It was quick, succinct and straight to the point. There was no extra details left behind, but words left her lips. "Must be nice." she would say in a low tone, just shades above a whisper under her breath. A sigh, at words spoken, passing over the little bits they shared with each other. Silver hair. The touch of a woman. All of which, Kasey had to forget. She had to divide herself from who she was trying to be, she needed to keep her lives separate...

"I feel like death, would have been more acceptable, than disappearing from your life." Kasey would say, not catching the tone that left her tongue when it came out. "I'd rather have watched her final moments, than spend every moment of every day wondering where she left to, or if she thinks of me." Another sigh, as her mind drifted to a woman she had met so quickly, and fell so hard... and disappeared at the first real sign of trouble. "Sorry." she would say, before moving on, both her feet and the topic.

As they entered the room, Kasey would take a seat, only before grabbing a snack herself. A smile as she reached out for a treat, flicking her left hand at the seats for two more creatures to exit from her palm and take seats. Two skeletons would take their own positions, as Kasey would take a moment to enjoy herself, and get a cup of coffee before taking a seat between her two... skeletons.

"Why?" one would ask.

"It's easier to think, when you two aren't clouding my mind.'

"Why us?" the other would question.

"Your voices are loudest, unlike the other who listen." Kasey would smile, dipping treats into her coffee before filling her mouth.

"Questions for you? If only I were that simple. Perhaps people would spend more time with me." a light laugh, a bit of of nervousness which could he heard in her tone to those that listened. "Unfortunately, I learn more from you asking what you may ask of me, than of the other way around." She would say, smiling before drinking half of her hot coffee.

"But if I may, what is your quirk?" she asked with a curious tilt of her head. "I imagine the mask is related, as is mine, but is it an aid, or a handicap?"

The threads of the torn fabric dangled loosely like a flag risen at half mass to honor the fallen. Single threads dancing alone, all while the crimson liquid was close behind. She didn't need to wound herself, she chose to. She had taken every precaution so when the time came, she didn't need to. All of it was for show, for a display. To showcase the weakness of her power. A weakness, many had often mistaken for her strength. Her true power, remained a secret. A power divided into a dozen pieces, each part shared with another. The likeliness of her total collective ever coming together united was impossible. It would mean the world would end, heroes and villains uniting to take down a common threat. The story where Kasey was feared among the world would only mean that such a tactic would be useless, dated, and unhelpful. An ending, she preferred. An ending, to unite the world.

"Names for skills you were born with. Still a strange thing." she would say quietly to herself, lifting her cup to her lips to take a drink, all the while listening, observing, and thinking about the next snack to get. Watching and listening to the hiss of the cup, and cracking it seemed? It was hard to tell from where she sat.

Kasey lifted her hand, only to show the blooded glove as the same liquid poured back into her sleeve. "My name is Bones, as such, is where I draw my power directly." She would say, the same bones would expand, closing the wound, letting it calm and relax and begin the process of healing. "These two are just a selection of my Army, thus, Army of Bones." She gave off a laugh, "Though, that's not really the truth. Bone. It was my designation. B-1. B-One. Bone. Bones. Life has a funny way of doing that."

The Ketsujo Thirteen as Kasey referred to them. Project Moonlight, all just a big experiment of healing quirks to aid the lifespan of Sashi Ketsujo, Darkshine, Sato's beloved daughter... before her deminse.

"Though, if you're willing." she would begin, unsure of where to place her words. "I would like to know the extent of your powers, the limits of myself, as well as the pain it causes." Overly curious, pieces of her that didn't match up like they should have, but the curiosity that was buried within her, uncovered by Amadeus himself.

"If you're willing, after our little break, I want to feel it." A smile on her face as she finished her own drink. "Educational for both ends. Yes?"