|
   |
The plan was for Steve to meet up with Jack on his way home after he did his rounds for the evening. It would mean that he needed to end a bit early, given that she needs to get up for work, but he was looking forward to catching a late bite with his girl and maybe watching whoever is on the Ed Sullivan Show.
In the case he runs late, he has let her know that there's a key one fourth of an inch deep in the potted plant outside of his place along the ridge facing the door.
And good thing, too, since he's running late.
*
The order finally came. 'Kill Captain America.' Gotta love the Hand… and their connections to Hydra. Psylocke doesn't need to know the reasons for the order, however. She simply needs to follow it.
The thing about Captain America, though, is that he's a pretty public figure. Easy to find out who he really is — it's in every newspaper, after all. Might as well be posted on a billboard. (Actually, it likely is… somewhere.) What's harder, however, is finding the man himself. Given recent events, he doesn't seem to have a 'normal' routine that can be easily tracked. So, the assassin sits perched in hiding, watching the man's home, projecting a low level telepathic command that basically tells the neighbors, and anyone else along the street, 'you don't see me'.
*
Work had been strangely uneventful today. Which meant that Jack actually got away early. So while Steve is running late, Jack is unusually early. She virtually hops to the door of Steve's home. A lopsided too-mischievous grin play over her lips as she spies over her shoulder to fish through the plant. She hums softly as she digs into the pot and extracts the key.
With a flicker of a smile, she tosses the key into the air, causing remaining soil to lightly spray from the key before she catches it again. A small tilt of her head and shrug of her shoulders reflects her obvious delight as she strolls to the door, and puts the key into the lock. She turns it carefully.
*
Inside, the room is, as one might expect, immaculate. Everything is in its right place with the spartan living room to her left, a small kitchen and dining area to the right, and the bedroom hallway straight ahead. There doesn't even seem to be a place for paperwork to collect up. Military neat is probably a good descriptor.
*
Psylocke watches the young woman approach the door and fish the key from the pot. Her head cants slightly, expression largely hidden behind the half-mask the covers the lower portion of her face. Nevertheless, violet eyes narrow in thought. She could wait until the good Captain comes home, wait until the woman leaves, and in that way leave no witnesses. It's likely the smartest move.
And yet it could be the messier option, given the fact the man will likely have no compunction about throwing down against an assassin if he's got nothing to lose but his own life. Add another's life into the mix, however, and the boy scout might be just a little less impulsive — and thus easier to confront. It would be a shame to have to kill the girl, too. The Hand has no care about her. But, witnesses either need to be mindwiped or die. Death makes it far more likely they won't regain memories and talk to inconvenient ears later. That's just an unfortunate fact.
Soundlessly, then, the ninja slips from her hiding place, moving through shadows until she is able to approach the house and evaluate the best point of entry, given her plan.
*
Humming as she enters the space, Jack sets the key on the coffee table and pads further into the apartment. Carefully she treads to the window and inspects the paint at the windowsill. Her fingers run over the layer of chipping paint, and her lips twist to the side thoughtfully, silently considering the state of the paint along the walls. The paint fairies could get the job done in an afternoon… and one of them knows where the key is.
Slyly, almost expecting Steve to just make an appearance behind her, Jack peeks over her shoulder. After a beat, she virtually skips to the kitchen, determined to find a pot or kettle to make tea.
*
Psylocke watches movement in one window, and senses the woman retreat in that uncanny way telepaths have. No sense making this any more difficult than it needs to be. She moves to the front door and eases the latch, slipping into the dwelling on silent feet. She closes the door behind her, locking it simply so the sound of the lock will alert her later. Then, she makes a quick scan of the interior of the house, it's military precision and sparse decor. Perhaps the Captain hasn't entirely adapted to 1963, yet. Or maybe he's as spartan as she.
She can appreciate that.
Hearing the other woman moving about the kitchen, however, the assassin silently moves to draw the curtains closed and then stalks silently toward her prey in the kitchen.
*
Jack lacks Psylocke's silence as she mills about the kitchen. She carefully fills the kettle with water and puts it on the stove before collecting a mug, a spoon, a bag of tea, and the honey from the cupboard. She whistles brightly — zip-a-dee-do-dah — as she works. Carefully, she watches the kettle, tapping her foot lightly as she quite literally, stares at the pot, willing it to boil.
*
Watched pots do eventually boil. It just takes a while. It takes no time at all, however, for the exotic assassin to slip behind the woman to lay hands on her. There is a small blade in one hand, which Psylocke moves toward the woman's throat as she seeks to pull her away from the counter… and that pot of hot water. The chair by the table would be a much more convenient spot to put her.
*
It is not but a few moments later that Steve Rogers enters through the balcony. "Jack? I didn't get a chance to stop by the store," he calls out, assuming she's there. "Do you want cheesecake? Do you /like/ cheesecake? I suppose that's something a guy should ask a gal."
*
A loud yelp follows the grasp around Jack's body. She struggles against the hold, limbs flailing until she catches the glint of the blade in her periphery. Her body shakes and she attempts to process what is going on, "I don't have anything worth taking — " she asserts. Because that would be the only reason anyone would have any interest in her. Oh, and that other thing, "And I'm not a vampire." Good job, Jack.
*
Vampire? Psylocke's brow arches faintly at that comment, though she's not much into delving into another person's thoughts just out of curiosity. It's a delicate balance for her — telepathy vs telekensis. No sense wasting strength when it's not necessary. Wordlessly, she moves the girl towards the chair, opening her free hand to telekinetically pull a light appliance from the wall. She wants its cord to bind the woman to the chair… Especially upon hearing Rogers' voice. The blade doesn't waver from Jack's throat, unless it moves a millimeter closer — just for effect. She now speaks one single command to the woman: "Hush."
*
Steve comes around the bend, pulling off his helm after he unbuckles it. "Well if you don't like cheesec…" He stops dead in his tracks. And gets, very, very serious right away. "What do you want?" he asks plainly. The shield is still in his hands as he peers at Betsy. "Hurting her is going to get you dead. Think real hard before you touch her."
*
It's easy to navigate Jack to the chair, but it's difficult to keep her quiet especially before the single command, "Seriously I have no idea what you are trying to accomplish but — " relief floods her face at Steve's presence. Already bound thanks to the wall appliance turned rope, she can't do much besides, "Steve!" Her eyes widen. And the presence of Captain America sees her try to rock the chair back and forth. What can this accomplish? She has no idea. But she's going to be as difficult as possible.
*
"You," is Psylocke's monosyllabic answer to the Captain. Really, the woman is secondary. At the moment, anyway. Except for the damned rocking of the chair. She clenches a fist — her free hand again, now that the cord has been dealt with — and a purplish triangle of energy appears around her fist, looking much like an Indian Katar, a punch dagger.
She gives no warning, aside from the appearance of that energy. Her fist moves with superhuman speed, though not with fatal strength. The energy blade slices into Jack's brain to send a charge of energy through her nervous system. Simultaneously, she flings the short blade in her other hand towards the hero and draws a katana.
*
"NO!" Steve exclaims as the blade is blocked by his shield. Know that Jack has been hurt, he comes at Psylocke with an intensity and ferocity that abandons reason. A wooden chair gets in his way—part of it is crushed immediately while the other half slams into the wall as he closes the distance on Psylocke.
*
The bolt of energy into Jack's mind stings with the kind of piercing akin to a single jolt of electricity spreading throughout someone's nervous system. A cry, sharp, and loud cuts through the air. And the response is much the same. Reflexively, even as her mind darkens for the time being, Jack's body stiffens with each muscle ricocheting with that energy through it — almost like being given the paddles following an irregular heartbeat.
Seconds later, her head lulls forward, rendered temporarily unconscious — perhaps the intended effect, or, possibly, from the shock itself.
*
Psylocke spins out of the way of Cap's charge — but barely. He's faster than she anticipated.
Noted.
She switches to a two-handed grip on the katana, energy fading as she looks to test his super-serum strength and gauge it against her own telekinetically enhanced strength. He is, she quickly discovers, as formidable as they say.
Perhaps moreso.
Regardless, she swings the sword at him, testing his guard, looking for gaps.
*
The Katana swings against the shield, deadening the attacks by stealing the kinetic energy and making an odd sound, as it is wont to do. As she attacks him, Steve tries to kick down at her knee in a desperate attempt to end this quickly by tearing a knee ligament.
*
Psylocke twists at the last moment, her leg bending such that the Captain's strike hits her calf rather than the vulnerable joint. But, it still hurts. Her eyes squint for a moment, though there's not much more than a soft puff of air to indicate her pain. Again, she spins, this time away from him. She flings open a hand and the wooden chair that was broken earlier shoots up into the air. Her arm flexes and the pieces tear through the air towards Cap. She springs forward, attempting to take advantage of what she hopes will be a distraction.
*
Steve can't get to all the pieces and although he attempts to block them, a pair hit him in the leg. His armor holds, but the distraction works, and Betsy is given the opportunity to move in and attack.
*
Psylocke's job is to kill the Captain, not capture or incapacitate. Her sword sweeps around, fully intending to sever his head from his body. It is, after all, the quickest kill. Not the prettiest, of course, but definitely quick. And he's without his helmet, so it seems a good choice.
*
Groggily, paired with just a measure of laziness, Jack's head begins to shift. Her body, tied to the chair and completely inanimate slowly finds life again. And then, as if remembering where she is, her chin snaps up to watch the now-unfolding scene. A blood-curdling scream emits from deep within the pit of her stomach, connecting to every inch of her being.
*
Steve bends neatly out of the way, and can see the glint of the blade pass just over his nose as it goes by. The weight of the former Avenger nearly carries him back over himself. In desperation he leaps backwards into a flip to attempt to put some distance in between them. He can hear Jack's scream just as he lands, inwardly relieved that she is alive.
*
The girl is remarkably resilient, as far as Psylocke is concerned. Good for her. She can respect that. It won't matter in the long run, mind. The ninja's course is committed, now. But, good for her, anyway.
Again, Psylocke spins, coming around, seeing the man's retreat. Purple energy glows around her free hand once more, forming a second katana, for all that there's still another one strapped to her back. The mutant knows where her strength lies. Settling into a cat crouch, now, she begins circling in a sideways prowl, moving slowly back toward Jack.
*
Wide-eyed, in gaping wonder, Jack shifts on the chair, once again willing it to move. But as she fights against the pain that continues to sear through her mind through now-watery eyes, she manages a few really ineloquent thoughts: "Please please please just leave us alone please please — "
*
Steve is always apprehensive to lose his shield in the middle of battle for fear of not getting it back. Sometimes, however, there are desperate times and desperate measures. He twists his body in a quick coiling and flings it. Despite the tight quarters, it caroms off the side wall, then the back wall, heading towards Betsy.
*
The shield comes spinning towards her. Psylocke immediately shifts her energy from blade to a rounded shield of her own, tossing it up before her milliseconds before the impact. The force of that hit, however, sends her sliding backward several feet. Given the psionic energy works works much like a solid in such cases, it's very likely the shield goes bouncing off of it, the angle changed by the curvature of the force field. Evidently, this isn't going to be nearly the quick in-and-out she hoped.
*
Jack's eyes clamp shut and, if it were possible, she would will herself out of the room only to wake up on her bed like Dorothy's journey to Oz. But the world is not like that, and so when her eyes open, they grow wide again, and immediately, she does the one thing she knows all victims of crime are supposed to do: she makes a fuss. "Help! Heeeelp!! Call the police! Help!" Once more, she leans backwards, trying to rock the chair. While she has no idea what this could remotely accomplish, statistically there is one thing she knows, fighting in a situation like this is imperative. Even if that fight is just one of will…
*
Without a shield, at least Captain America seems to have gained the momentum through diversion. He takes a leap at Psylocke and goes to his hands. His legs jut out at their attacker with a vicious double footed kick, trying to slam her into the kitchen counter!
*
The pain of the blow comes mainly from behind, as the counter rushes into Psylocke's back. But her psishield protects the front of her body, giving Cap's feet a solid surface to push against. Still, she'll feel that, come morning. (She feels it now!) There's a low grunt in the back of her throat at the pain. As she slides to the ground, starting to roll out of the way, she reaches out a hand again to telekinetically drag Jack's chair (and, thus, the girl, too) across the kitchen towards the Captain at speed.
*
Steve reaches to use his wide arms as braces as the chair comes at him. He's able to prevent the force from hitting Jack, instead pushing it out on the edges. It does, however, drive Cap through the thin walls of his crappy apartment, busting up the wooden planks and pinning him.
*
Jack stiffens her body and tries to make herself unmovable, much the same way a toddler does when it does not want to be moved. She tries to feel heavy, but against the telekinetic force, all she can do is warn: "Steve, watch out!" because girl and chair are clearly heading Steve's way.
*
This, at least, gives Psylocke time to recover. She flips to her feet, reaching out to telekinetically call a fallen katana to her right fist before rolling it with her wrist.
The kitchen is small, so it takes no more than two long strides to cross it, which is no time to build up much in the way of speed without a telekinetic push, which she's keeping in reserve for the moment. So, while fast, she's not superfast. Her target is still the Captain, however. The girl is now in the way. So, the mutant uses a telekinetic boost to grab both girl and chair with her left fist and toss them out of the way. While the landing may hurt, it won't permanently harm (and it just might loosen the makeshift bonds). She pulls her sword back, then, with a two-handed grip, fully intending her next thrust to skewer the hero.
*
Steve dips low and narrowly dodges the katana. Blue eyes go wide as the shimmering blade buries itself into the cheap wall behind him. He does his best to roll out of the way to put some distance in between the two, knowing the next attack is coming. He wants to get to his bedroom where he has a pistol, but he's not about to leave Jack here to die.
*
The chair lands with a THUD and the woman on it groans as its back cracks, giving some semblance of relax in the cord wrapped around her and the would-be prison. Jack wriggles her, relying on adrenaline to cut through any would-be feelings of pain. She twists left and right, fighting her way out of the restrictive containment, much like a butterfly pushing out of a cocoon. She slides quickly, and then, seemingly forgotten, she presses up to her hands and feet to race back towards the living room. She's going to call for help.
*
The sword catches for a quick second, but it's sharp enough and Psylocke strong enough, that it jerks free a moment later with a ringing *shing!* The girl is ignored for the moment. Let her call for help. The mutant is confident this will be over far too soon for the police to be of any aid whatsoever.
Still, the moment or two it takes to free the sword should give the Captain the time he needs to grab some breathing room. Not much, however. Psylocke spins towards him, prepping a new attack and advancing quickly. Purplish energy glows like an aura around her as she reaches out toward him with her mind. An illusion might slow him down. He can't hit what he can't clearly see, right?
*
"Jack!" Steve exclaims, "Bedroom nightstand!" Steve swings one of the kitchen chairs at Betsy, but then she's not there. Not there at all. Rather than lower his guard he leaps back over the counter and into the next room. Figuring that she must be a mutant who can disappear, he grabs his canister of flour and throws it towards where Betsy was, hoping to coat her and prevent her from disappearing.
*
The words are heeded, and instead of going for the phone to call for help, Jack runs into the bedroom. Frantically, she pulls open the nightstand beside the bed, grasping at the drawer with unusual urgency. She inhales a deep breath as she plucks the pistol; it's been a long time she she handled a weapon. With the weapon in hand, she races out the door to get it to Steve. She runs back towards the kitchen.
*
The flour coats everything and floats through the air. Although the illusion isn't broken by it, there are details that take a bit to adapt — like, for instance, the footprints that appear in the white. Taking into account all those particles isn't easy, after all. And Psylocke has been expending a lot of energy thus far. (Indeed, she's a little puzzled why her stamina isn't quite what she remembers it to be. Like she's recovering from an injury… Wha—? No. Focus on the fight.) Her footsteps are quick on the floor as she charges for Cap, a psiblade blazing, once more. Jack is not in her immediate thoughts at all.
*
Steve reaches for a frying pan in the rack that has his clean dishes drying. Only the clean ones for Betsy. As the blade comes for him, he swings towards Betsy's…well, where he imagines Betsy's body to be and swings hard while turning his body in hopes of avoiding the blade.
*
While Psylocke actively uses an illusion on Steve, Jack is a (mostly) forgotten target, which means that when she enters the kitchen, the world looks quite different. The particles of flour dance through the air, landing on everyone and everything as the psi-blade goes about it's work. Jack's eyebrows draw together as the would be assassin flickers in and out of her vision, causing her to inhale a deep breath. With Psylocke positioned between herself and Steve, Jack sees little choice. Jack's fingers curl around the pistol, she removes the safety, and she cocks the weapon.
Fortunately for Betsy, however, Jack is also a terrible shot. The weapon fires, and PING it hits the frying pan that Steve bears as a weapon…
*
The blade sizzles over Cap's shoulder. The shot rings out. Psylocke spins towards the sound, the illusion dropping with the rapport. Both these two need to die, now. But, the house is becoming too confining for a decent battle — not to mention the fact the cops will doubtlessly respond quickly to a neighbor's report of shots fired at Captain Rogers' house. Hell, for all Psylocke knows, SHIELD might respond, too. A snarl escapes her lips, expression mostly hidden behind her half-mask. Still, her violet eyes are clear, and the look in them is malevolent. She flicks a small blade from somewhere on her person (Where does she keep such things on such a skintight suit, anyway? Her sash?), aiming it towards the gun as she spins toward the front room.
*
Steve drops the pan quickly, just after the shot ricochets off of the metal and ends up in the wall. He pauses for a split second as if to give Jack a pleading look. But when Betsy turns and runs towards the front room, Steve follows, charging after her, trying to catch her from behind and tackle her into the ground.
*
Jack isn't a mind reader, and instead remains a few steps behind Steve as he tries to tackle the woman to the ground. Which, is fortunate, because the weapon flicks out of her hand with the blade that comes from nowhere. She slides after the pistol and then ambles to her feet to actually bring the weapon to Steve this time.
*
As Captain America throws himself at her, Psylocke throws herself toward the front window. Glass shatters around her, their bodies very likely a tangle of limbs as they roll across the lawn. Regardless, the ninja is up quickly, though her katana ends up trapped — perhaps beneath him, or perhaps in the sod. She still has one on her back, however. But, as she rolls to her feet, it stays sheathed. She bounds for the nearest shadow.
*
As he dives, Steve's leg gets ensnared in the metal railing, giving Betsy enough time to get away. When he realizes that he will not catch her, he decides that making sure Jack is alright is the number one concern. As he turns over, she's coming to him with the gun in her hand. Immediately his heart breaks for her for having to go through all this. War made Steve grow up well beyond the 25 real years he's been conscious. When he looks up at her now, she looks so young to him.
*
The petite insurance adjuster truly has no background to recommend her for what's just happened. Which is probably why, when Jack closes the distance between them, she begins to tremble. She holds out the pistol with a shaking hand before, without any warning, she collapses against him, wrapping her arms tightly around his midsection as she begins to boil over with unbidden tears. Clearing adrenaline means clearing focus, and clouding emotions. In short order, Jack is a heaping mess of sobs against Steve's chest.
*
And, in the shadows, the ninja assassin disappears, the sword left embedded in the turf. Which means, of course, she will be back.
*
Steve wraps his large arms around her and whispers close to her head, into her hair. "It's okay. I've got you." And the gun is lying on the grass.