It's a cool evening, and most people out and about this close to Central Park have a reason. Akihiro
has quite gone back into the park since they made the mistake of trying to mug him, but the teen has
lingered close to it, making his way around it. He's dressed normally, though his leather jacket is
different, this one having brown circles across the arm. "This is the night, I feel it." he decides,
striking a match and lighting up his cigarette.
*
There's a strange calm that accompanies the evening in NYC. With no question that Central Park has
become a hub for crime and general mayhem. Yet something in the air feels strange tonight. In some
weird way, the tides have turned. Perhaps he's right, perhaps it is the night.
Down two streets, not far from the Park, a white single 12 passenger van lies in wait. Like most
vans, it looks like it's just for routine delivers — particularly because the windows in the back
have been long removed, leaving its passengers in the literal dark.
More suspicious, perhaps, is when the van opens. Inside, along the walls, are, oddly enough, girls,
three men in black suits, and a single one dressed in a white lab coat and scrubs. From the front of
the van, a gruff, and altogether demanding voice barks, "Do your jobs." There's little else to say.
One of the figures perks up and her eyes shift to the others present. She says nothing; they never
chat. There's never been desire to do so. Instead, the unassuming young woman shuffles off the bench
towards the door of the van, issuing a comrade her hand to help her down.
*
There's a part of X-23— the 'Laura' part— that does not care for her job tonight. But whatever
part of her is Laura has been effectively suppressed for longer than it's convenient to remember. So
she's bait for someone she met last time she is here— someone that her masters are very interested
in. To reduce the chances of wasting all this preparation, she's wearing the same clothing she wore
the last time she was her— black combat jacket, pants, boots, the whole package. When her handler
cuts her loose, on the downwind side of Central Park, she takes off, cutting through the park. On
the whole, the effect is not unlike she were engaged in some totally unrelated operation, rather
than attempting to lure Akihiro out.
*
Akihiro pauses, nostrils flaring slightly. "Son of a bitch," he growls in disbeleif. The cigarette
is abandoned, falling out of his mouth as the teen turns to break into a sprint towards a scent he
still can't place. Trash cans, benches, and fences all pose no threat in slowing him down as he
clears them with a practiced ease.
*
As Akihiro moves, he can feel a strange sense of peace washing over him. While he might feel rather
anxious at first, the peace comes in emotive waves, playing to his emotion like some elusive
illusion that tugs at the end of his consciousness.
The van, for its part, moves just a stitch away, all too aware of what needs to be done and who
needs to do it. Its occupants communicate over radio to others not far away. That same gruff,
altogether angry, voice commands, "Get into position. Remember how we do this. After how badly you
botched your last mission, this has to be perfect. All eyes are on you." He pauses and then, rather
menacingly adds, "All of you."
A mirthless chuckle emits from his lips, rolling over the radio until he finally removes his thumb
from the button. A serpentine smile tugs the corners of his mouth, and with just a twinkle in his
eye, he opens the door to the van, opting to step out of the passenger seat for some air.
And there, he waits.
*
Over a bench, through the big fountian, across a bridge, through a stand of bushes. Around a bend,
another, past the statue on her left, twenty meters, ten… five… X-23 hits her mark and comes to
a halt, whipping a folded map of the city with a photo of a middle-aged man paper-clipped to it out
of her jacket to have a quick look over, and then around. Scanning for a target. Akihiro has twenty
seconds to catch up with her, or she'll have to move to the next mark. Fifteen…. now.
*
Thankfully, Akihiro is fast, and seems to know exactly where his feet need to be. He bursts out of
the growth around the path right on mark, raising his hands defensively. "Hey, whoah. Hold up."
Though he talks quickly he isn't out of breath, and actually hasn't broken a sweat either. "No claws
this time, alright?"
*
Through a set of binoculars, positioned on a rooftop not far away from Central Park, a man in a
black three piece suit watches the events unfold. He calls into his radio. "X-23 has found the
target, sir. Should we take the shot, sir?"
There's a smirk that can be heard in the man's voice, "Give her a moment. Without the sisters fully
operational," his voice takes on an edge of irritation, "we need X-23 to operate at full capacity.
But be prepared."
*
Unfortunately for Akihiro… he is decidedly within mission parameters this time. But part of those
parameters is engaging him in the same fashion she had before. Because it'll draw him in. She turns
her head, glaring at him over her shoulder. "I told you to go away. What do you want?" She keeps the
map and photo in hand, as if interrupted.
*
Akihiro freezes, head canting to the side slightly as he tries to hear something just out of earshot.
His demeanor changes slightly and he's on edge, a beast spooked. "You don't have to work for whoever
these people are. I have somebody you may like to meet, Logan Howlett. The Wolverine. He's my father.
" he tries regardless, damned good intentions.
*
"X-23," the man outside the van has a commanding voice, altogether emotionless as he speaks, "bring
him in. Use all the force necessary." There's a few beats as the man's hands retreat into the
pockets of his heavy brown trench coat. "I want to see what he can do."
He then uses the radio again to communicate with the people on the room. "Get the tranquilizers
ready. If she isn't successful, take them both out. We'll get her back and do whatever programming
needs to be done."
*
X-23 doesn't so much as twitch when the order's given. She spins, snaps the arm holding the map, and
throws. The map flutters open, and the tranq dart folded inside flies at Akihiro. She must have
practiced this, her aim is good. She doesn't wait to see if it connects, either, she simply digs a
boot into the turf and launches herself at Akihiro right behind the dart.
*
Akihiro doesn't get out of the way of the dart, which sticks his shoulder, but he does see X-23
coming. In a practiced move he redirects the woman, tossing her aside and out of his way. "Come on,"
he yanks the dart out with a grimace, "We don't have to fight." Despite his words he's readying
himself, adopting a more defensive position.
*
Laura skids to a halt as she's tossed aside. Control wants him evaluated. He's going to be
disappointed about the dart, but that's hardly Laura's fault. She doesn't reply this time, since the
go was given. Talking is over. She slides back into reach, snapping a precise fingertip strike at
Aki's solar plexus.
*
There's a cluck of the commander's tongue followed by a rather empty chuckling sound rumbling from
his belly. His arms come up over his chest that bobs angrily as the chuckles increase. "Well done X-
23. Slow his defences and make the take." He pushes the button on the radio, "We're good. Keep your
weapons pointed, I don't want this going poorly again." His throat clears. "Get them both in a van.
I'm heading to the island to initiative theta plan. Maverick stuck his nose in things that don't
concern him." He smiles grimly, almost like his face was never meant to smile, "We'll show him what
happens to people who work outside our world."
"Yessir. We'll make sure we back them both, sir."
With that, the commander exits.
The man on the roof calls back to everyone holding a radio, "You heard Stryker. Get them both. Move
into place."
*
Akihiro drops his guard, confusion spreading over his face in time for him to be on the receiving
end of a strike to his chest. He tries to lift his hands again but his limbs aren't as responsive as
he'd like. "What is this?" is probably what he meant to say, but with his forming slur it could be
any number of things he tried to say.
*
"They call it Tranquilizer-23," the… three or so indentical girls floating in front of Akihiro
reply. It's hard to count— they keep moving around and splitting an merging and…
"Guess why," X-23 suggests, as a moving blur that looks a bit like three… four? No… that's just
one really big fist. Getting bigger. Kind of like…
*
WHUMP. Lights out, kiddo.
*