1963-11-04 - Bloody Friday Night
Summary: A regular Friday night. An awkward date. A random meeting. An attempted assassination. A murder.
Related: None
Theme Song: None
barney samantha akihiro brunnhilde 


*

Welcome to the Kitchen, a place plagued by monsters, criminals, and occasionally a few heroes. Unfortunately today it's plagued by Akihiro. The teen has placed himself at the mouth of an alley, his hood turned up and gloves covering his hands.

"Wish he'd hurry up." he grumbles quietly, fishing a pack of cigarettes from his coat pocket. "Hate being out this way." He sparks his cigarette, taking a drag and looking up at the car parked not teen feet away from him.

*

Was this a date? Neither of them actually USED the word date. Just dinner. Friends. Things friends do. That's why she put on the green dress (her only dress) which he's said he likes. Because friend-dinner. Right now, it's all covered up with an old black pea coat, just the fringes of the gown sticking out the bottom and her stockinged legs in her black lace up boots. In twenty years, this style will be called punk. Right now, it's just called the fact she has no winter shoes except work shoes right now. Her right hand is tightly casted up also, her fingers free to wiggle, but that wrist is completely immobile now. It's been *a week* for Hilde.

She trails slowly along side of Barney, content to walk in mostly companionable silence, though then she's reaching her good hand over to his pocket, very obviously stealing something from him without asking. It's his cigarette pocket. Hopefully he has some, she's surely out. "…Where the hell are your cigs?" She finally huffs into the chilly night air.

*

It's a pleasant evening, if not a little chilly. The lights of the city are burning bright but for shadows that always seem to fall in particular areas- That's you, Hell's Kitchen. This particular neighborhood is built more of shadow than of light, due to the events of its compartively recent past, but that doesn't keep people completely away. Particularly when one is simply passing through to get to a jewel hidden in dirt.

Barney Barton actually cleans up reasonably alright. While his hair isn't cut, it's away from his eyes, mostly, and just laying on the collar of a suit. Now, the jacket may look like it could use a good pressing and probably shouldn't have been rolled up, but! That whole thing.. beggars, choosers.

The one thing Barney does add to his suited attire is a rough sling on his left arm, which allows him to keep said arm close to his body, and his shoulder mostly quiet. Brows rise as he gets briefly patted down, and he grins lopsidedly, "I have a new pocket now," is drawled, the humor playing in his tones. The right hand snakes into the 'pocket' that is his sling, and pulls it out. "Pull one for me too, darlin', if you would?"

Date? Um… no. Well… it's a celebration to getting his money back and so going out to dinner seems to be in order. That and there's no food in the new place yet.

Yet.

*

No dates, no suits, Samantha is just 'out' tonight. A day off work but no plans to really make the most of it? She'd gone wandering from the direction of her apartment through the city. There was just something about New York after all! Making her way down the streets of Hell's kitchen, vague rumor and mention had told of a local boxing gym worth a look and a little piece of advice she'd recieved recently had put thought into her head. Just because she was strong didn't mean she could coast on that forever. There was stronger people out there after all…

Dressed in simple jeans and an wearing a zipped-up leather jacket that clearly was beat enough to have belonged to someone else she's lazily humming a small tune to herself.

*

"Showtime." Akihiro pulls a demonic looking memp from his pocket and secures it to the lower portion of his face. The cigarette he had just lit tumbles to the ground, and he starts forward towards a middle-ages gentleman in an important suit.

Once the man looks up and catches sight of the hooded teenager, his expression changes to one of concern. The groceries he was carrying hit the ground as he produces his gun, putting several rounds into Akihiro.

*

As Hilde sees where he's keeping his cigarettes, she rolls her eyes and smirks, though there is a bit of a chuckle behind her breath. "Dammit, Barney, you know, the more you keep shit in there, the more you're jostling your arm and the longer it's gonna feel like shit. Don't think I'm giving you a back rub or anything just 'cause your poor shoulder hurts. That's all you." Though, she probably totally will. She's not great at lying to him. She taps free two cigarettes from that pack and sticks them between her lips, striking up the Bic and dragging in a deep breath to get both cherries going in a few heartbeats. A spin of her good hand and she's passing him one of the cigarettes still tasting like her. Coffee and something else. Hell, did she put on lip gloss? Surely not. "Don't say I never did anything for you." She comments to the passed cigarette, but then keeps walking.

The night is definitely chilly, a wind cutting up the street, carrying her wispy blonde hair all around her features. She's not bothered with a braid: 1. It's really hard with only one hand and 2. She's off work until they can find a light duty assignment, so there's no reason to keep it out of her face. She does tuck in a bit closer against his side, like the meat of his body could keep some of that wind off of her. "…So…where are we goin' again? We could go back to that Cigar Factory place. The bartender was real nice." You know, for a black bar.

And then she stops dead in her tracks. No longer casually bantering. The cigarette she was smoking (she barely got three puffs in!) drops straight out of her lips. It's but five seconds before the shooting starts, but she knew again, somehow she knew. She drags on Barney's arm, sling forgotten, trying to pull him back from the sudden chaos on the street, "What the FUCK." She hisses.

*

Barney watches her as his cigarettes are pilfered rather inexpertly, but the fact that two were removed brings a lopsided grin up. "It'll be okay. I swear, darlin'…" he begins, but he does reach out for that cigarette. He sets it in between his lips and takes a long draw, setting the light to be sure that it's taken, and allowing the smoke to linger in his lungs for a heartbeat or three, lets it out slowly. The next pull on it is more 'natural' now that he knows it'll remain lit. "We are goin' to the Russian Tea Room." Of course, they're nowhere near it right now, "But, before we do? There is a bakery 'round here… where the hell is it a—"

Hilde's sudden stop does gain Barney's attention, and then there is that look on her face. He's seen it before, but at least she's not screeching at him that he has to leave that very minute. Barney does take that warning, however, "What is it, doll?" His good arm links with hers and he starts leading her when he catches the echoes of gunfire. Eyes widen and he looks one way, then the other just to be sure nothing is ricocheting near him. Once that is determined, he is ready to run with Hilde in tow, towards a safe overhang.

*

There's some people out there that can just 'sense' danger. Not in the mystical or super-human way, but in that 'knowing' that comes from experience and trials of survival past. Sammy? She's not one of those people. Still humming the tune to herself lightly, her focus is elsewhere from the couple walking or the man with the groceries. It's that sound of gunfire that snaps her into awareness of her surroundings truely. Whincing at the noise, the blonde woman doesn't actually do the natural thing of turning and fleeing.

One might actually wonder, at first glance, if she'd simply frozen in fear as she stares for a moment and tries to make sense of the source of the noise, her blue eyes coming to focus on the shape of the man with the gun and the target he'd just emptied into.

*

No ricocheting, Akihiro was close when the man opened fire. And he should be dead. There are two holes in his chest, and one in the back of the hood. But rather than fall, the teen grabs the gunman by his throat. "Boo." he hisses, right eyesocket completely destroyed.

He draws back to slam a fist into the man's face, popping his claws right as he makes contact, effectively putting him down.

*

Hilde's problem is that she's still a medic, especially in this city, and if someone over there is going to die, there is everything in Hilde that screams she needs to be there. Someone will die in this fight. She can't exactly tell whom, but as she moved to push Barney back, she was planning on going forward. Except he's grabbed her arm, and is trying to drag her back off the street, away from the fight, and her body is disagreeing.

Hilde's boots skid to a stop, pretty much trying to halt them in the middle of the street, but it's no doubt Barney could easily scoop her thin frame up in one arm if he so chose. "No! I… I need to go…*Help*. I have to! That man's going to die!" She hisses at him, any sense of personal protection completely gone from her head. Was she always like this on shift? "Just…stay back! Don't get shot! I'll be fine!"

*

Death.. and beyond the gunshots, though now he can see basically from which direction they've come, there's some sort of altercation. Barney pulls his sling off his arm and reaches behind him for his concealed pistol, softly cursing up a storm now. "Ah no.. I'm not gonna let someone get blood on that pretty dress of yours, darlin'.." is spit through clenched teeth. He still has her arm, and he's backing away, pistol most decidely in hand.

"We've got a damned reservation for a fucking famous restaurant and we're not gonna miss it because of some goddamned murder that has absolutely nothing to do with me." Beat. "For once."

Barney twists around and he looks deadly serious, blue eyes clear and sharp, and his head ducks, "Now, be good and don't go runnin' out there, okay? Like, seriously. I know, you're a paramedic and shit, but now really isn't the time for it."

*

Maybe Samantha needed a companion of her own with similar advice…she pretty much does exactly that. Sure she's a nurse, there's likely some thoughts along the same vein as Hilde's own, but there's equal parts of her that comes from her father's blood. Something was wrong and she was going to try and stop it. Her approach wasn't exactly subtle or quiet, a full sprint from the blonde woman as she rushes closer with intent to stop the fight that still manages to come too late thanks to the 'popping' claws.

Skidding to a stop beside the Japanese man she actually recognizes, the shorter woman actually attempts to grab him by his shirt, intending to slam him against the wall (albiet with only enough force to put him there). "What the hell was that?!" she demands, gesturing to the 'brained' shooter.

*

Akihiro spins out of the way, taking a step back away from Samantha, quick enough to expose the healing mess that is his eye socket. "I know you." he says quietly, brows furrowing. "It's a long story. Nothing you need to worry about." The claws retract, and he moves to make a break for it.

*

Hilde can feel it behind her, that spirit slipping away, the last, precious seconds of someone's life, pressing at her back with the obligation of the ancients and weight of years she cannot understand. She almost never speaks truly sternly to Barney. For all her chiding of him about his health, it's always teasing, caring. Warm. She's also not a woman who yells, the rasping nature of her tones not even built for it. This all changes as he stops her, holding tight to her bony arm, and dares give her orders not to involve herself. That same silvery sheen is in her eyes, one he's now seen once or twice before, but the low, icy whisper that escapes her lips is not teasing at all.

In fact, the whisper is a bit terrifying.

"Now is *exactly* the time for it. Now let me go or I will *force* you to let me go. That man has seconds left and he will *not* die alone. Do *not* interfere in what you do not *understand*." It didn't even SOUND like Hilde. Good or bad, attempted murder or not, some things are sacred. She is just as deadly serious as he is and now trying to twist her arm away. If he lets her go, she will run to the dying man. Not with the hands of a medic. She's not trying to stop bleeding or examine wounds. The way her hands hover at his shoulders is much more that of a priest.

*

Now, that? That don't even sound a bit like his Hilde. At all. There's that glow to her eyes as the blue is lost to the silver, and the way she looks at him? That sure as hell isn't the woman that he knows.

Thinks he knows, anyway.

Of course, all this is made just that much harder with the fact that another slip of a girl not only ran the fuck up to the guy who is slicing and dicing, but is pulling at his clothes? Barney would facepalm, but, well, he's got the pistol in one hand, Hilde in the other, which leaves precious little that can do the job.

"I understand jus' fine, darlin'.. but.. oh, for crissake.."

He's got her, and he knows he does. There.. it's a bloodbath. Dinner reservations. (Yes, he could still easily eat after seeing all that.) "Aw, fuck."

Barney lets her go, but he follows, that gun drawn as he approaches. Now, he's got that 'paranoid as hell' pace, and he's got the gun both on the one who is trying to make his grand escape AND the poor fool that is on the ground, bleeding out.

"Get the hell away from him. Just call the fucking police." Or, you know, the ambulance.

*

He dodged, Samantha actually looks more irritated then anything else, but that 'grab' wasn't exactly some master martial artist move. Odds are she looks downright crazy pursuing a mutant who'd just killed someone outright, not exactly an imposing figure herself, but her eyes fall to the man bleeding who'd been 'brain-stabbed' and her own calculations put his survival chances low, too low. Her eyes fall back on the angry Hilde and her date, but the man's called out advice? She nods as she starts to run after the fleeing man. "Yeah That! Do that!"

Then of course, she's completely ignoring that first bit as she takes off after the man, fists clenched. Either there was a reason for this, or it was outright murder, but she was going to get herself some answers and know for sure.

*

"Don't waste your time. He was Weapon X scum." Akihiro spits over his shoulder, hopping a fence to get away. Except he didn't plan on there being a hole there. He slips straight in and breaks his leg below the knee, bone sticking out. "Dammit!" he swears, gripping at the wound and trying to pop it back in place.

*

The skittish, quiet, often frail seeming medic simply isn't in Hilde's eyes right now. She looks very much prepared to go full force at Barney to get out of his touch. Just as she's about to speak again, nose flaring as he calls her darling, he lets her go. Hilde is off like a shot then, but not to the seemingly still injured but somehow walking guy. Her target is the dead man on the ground. And, yes, she's going to end up with blood on her lovely dress. It was really rather inevitable. Heedless of the danger she could be running into, she drops to her knees in the puddle of blood that the dead man has already spilled.

It's an old hymn. Older than this world, but she doesn't know that. Something mourning and sweet that she'd swear her mother sang her as a child but is in no Irish book. It spills from her throat as her hand presses across the dead's forehead. Head in her lap, blood still spreading beneath them. Her hair almost seems to float with some power that shouldn't be there by is. Rarely is Hilde gorgeous or striking. Barney calls her beautiful, but he's biased. She's often awkward, too thin, too tall, all shy, lanky limbs and strange space. But now there is some terrible beauty about her, blood soaking up into her skirts, fingertips slowly closing the dead's eyes.

Poor Barney, she's of utterly no help to him. He might be the only one speaking any sort of sense in this whole situation.

*

And as this other unknown girl decides that she's gonna be a hero, Barney actually stops, the barrel of the gun pointing downwards as he begins swearing up a storm; something akin to a toddler rage, only very grown up in vocabulary. The expletives are remarkable, and not totally in English either!

"Fine! I'll fucking call the goddamned cops, and the bones wagon for this slab of meat!" is yelled.

Weapon X? Seriously? "Isn't that the dumbest fucking name for any goddamned weapon ever? X? Who the fuck gives these things names?" Barney is on a roll, and now he's stamp-pacing, waiting… still throwing that fit.

He stops near where Hilde is, and there.. she's kneeling in the damned blood. "Jesus, darlin'.." is muttered. "We might as well grab a damned hot dog from a cart and call it a night."

*

Akihiro hadn't exactly been subtle here, or in their previous meeting, talking about the fact that he was a mutant. Samantha? She'd kept very deliberately silent on the matter, but she'd never said that she was a normal human either. With the man felled but healing, it's easy enough for the blonde to catch him, seizing him by the collar with quite a bit more conviction then the previous failed attempt and hoisting him to his feet…then a few inches off the ground to boot. Here's hoping the alleyway would stop any witnesses and the other two were busy attending to the wounded/dead man.

"Again," she speaks through gritted teeth, "What the hell?"

*

Akihiro reaches up to grab Samantha's wrist. It's obvious that he isn't really worried about her. "What I didn't tell you at the bar, in exchange for that metal they stuck a bomb in my brain. They are using people like us as assassins. Now, let me go."

*

That slight floating of her hair, the old song, that distant look, it lingers for just a few more heartbeats. But then it's gone. Hilde slightly slumps. In fact, it looks like she might straight up faint for a moment. Hilde sinks back, arms and shoulders going limp as her head rolls to the side, but then she catches herself, hip slumped to the side and hand in the blood. She breathes raggedly a heartbeat or two, staring at the dead man in her lap, then she slowly looks up, trying to remember where she is.

Barney's words slightly cut through her drowsed mind and she looks up to the handsome, decked out man above her. He's trying to calm others, to keep control of the situation, but she's only got eyes for him. She gives him a weak, frail sort of smile. "…I like hot dogs."

*

The girl had taken off full tilt after the slicer, and as far as Barney's concerned, not his damned problem. Seriously. Like, not at all.

What is his problem, however, is now kneeling in a pool of blood as reason begins to refill those eyes. He can see the shift, even as he's exploding, his pistol is still very much out, but not pointed at anyone or anything at the moment. She's coming back to him, coming out of that fugue that she'd found herself in, and what? Out of everything, what does she catch?

Barney exhales in a long sigh and sets his pistol back into his concealed holster and grimaces as he picks his way back to her side. With his good hand, he reaches down to help the bloody medic to her feet, his voice low,

"Didn't want no fucking commie dinner anyways."

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