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It's a relatively average Friday night in Greenwich Village. People mill about the blocks, meandering along the streets going to functions of various sorts. Even with the world in its unsettled state, Friday nights in New York City mean finding entertainment in all of its forms.
It had started as a whisper. A murmur among teens at Hell's Kitchen High School had tipped some off that something was happening along a quiet block at the edge of the Village. Most of those that had anything to say about this place was that their friend had gone or that they heard it from a friend of a friend of theirs.
Other murmurings had been in the local soup kitchens.
Which means the eclectic crowd that lines up outside the garage makes little logical sense. Old, young, men, women, all in varying kinds of dress linger outside the building in a strangely ordered line.
Near the middle of the line, Jessica Jones squints at the length in front of her and then back at those gathering behind them. "And I thought we'd be late." Her neck grades and she peers to the front of the line, "Doors aren't even open ad we don't even fucking know what's here…"
*
From his spot next to Jessica, David North peers towards the gathering with a slight furrow of his brow and a faint twist of his lips. He'd been chasing down another leader, of sorts — trying to get information on Wilson Fisk out of a friend before making an actual approach on the man himself — when this came up.
David hadn't entirely intended to bring St. John Allerdyce along with him. It had just sort of… happened.
"I suppose I could always just get in line," David murmurs to Jessica with an entirely self-aware smile. Just waltz on in, that tactic has served him so well in recent memory.
*
"This is…uncanny." Sinjin takes a look around him but keeps his expression neutral. "Feel like letting me in on this little…whatever it is?" He's always after a good story. And a good story is what he's seeing right here in front of him.
*
Though he lives in England, Hannibal has connections in the states, among them other PIs because sometimes cases get complicated and you need someone in another country to look into something. When he knew he was going to be in the US, he let some people know and one of them almost immediately referred a case to him since it's the kind of thing Hannibal makes a living off of. Cults. Magic. Weirdness. Which is how he finds himself in line waiting to get in. Digging into a pocket of his trench coat, he pulls out a cig and lights up.
*
Ava is finally recovered from the worst of her earlier encounters, no more bruises to be seen on the girl. Not that she looks that much more respectable, with a knit cap pulled down over her head, fingerless gloves on her hands, and her usual oversized coat pulled over her shoulders. "I could wander up toward the front of the line?" she offers, quirking a brow at the others.
*
Jessica squints at Sinjin, only to have her gaze sweep back to David with that silent really expression. Ava, however, earns a crisp nod, "Someone needs t. We were told this was supposed to start an hour ago," not that Jessica wears a watch. Jessica Jones is never late or early, she shows up when she wants.
When Ava walks to the front of the line, she can see a large pale-faced gentleman standing outside the door. He shoots her a grim smile before motioning back towards the line itself.
Of course, just as he does so, the door behind him, without his influence, opens. He shrugs, and takes a single step aside, allowing people to begin ushering in amongst a quiet murmur of the crowd.
The room inside is relatively dark, and has a stage and a single partition adjoining the room. The stage, while currently unoccupied, seems to be where most are holding their focus.
Young people, draped in black robes mill about the room, acting as would-be hosts for those that enter. Different ones stroll up to some gathered, "You are most welcome here~"
*
David meets Jessica's really look with a brief loft of his eyebrows, a helpless shrug delivered entirely with his face. "We'll be back near the door," he says to Ava before she's off.
'We' means himself and Sinjin, who David clasps by the shoulder before moving towards the rear of the line. "The case I was asking you about, John," he says quietly. "The kids missing from Fisk's high school. This is the closest thing we've had to a lead since the whole mess started." As they near the entrance, David falls silent again.
At least until they're inside. Then David is looking for a place to stand back near the entrance, his eyes looking around to take stock of things. Doorways, windows. Avenues of entry and escape. He has a bad feeling they're probably going to need one.
*
Dspayre arrives from RP Nexus.
*
Dspayre has arrived.
*
"This is connected to Wilson?" Sinjin murmurs. He keeps near David, hands in his pockets. It hides his fidgeting. "It's not just uncanny, it's ominous. I can't imagine this has anything to do with Fisk, North. He's as concerned about those kids as the rest of us. I'm not saying the guy's a saint. But there's crooked and then there's missing kids and black robes."
Still. In spite of his words, Sinjin is keeping an open mind. People are capable of anything.
*
Hannibal takes a drag of his cigarette and blows a cloud of smoke up into the sky as he looks over those waiting. His gaze strays more frequently to the group of four as they chat and it follows Ava as she moves to the door. But once it opens and people begin filing in, he takes a last drag then flicks the ciagrette into the street before moving inside. "Thanks. I feel welcome." he tells one of the robed greeters though he stays toward the back so he can get a good look at everything.
*
Ava nods to Jessica, wandering up toward the front of the line to get a glimpse of what they're waiting for. She's still lingering when the door opens, leaning over to look inside before waiting for Jessica to reach where she's at and falling in with the other woman. Once inside, she too takes a long look around, marking much of the same things David does. And when people come out in black robes?
She shoves her hands a little deeper into the pockets of her coat, shoulders hunching protectively. Hannibal gets an extra look, but now isn't really the time to ask who this guy is.
*
When one of the robed figures comes up to Jesica Jones, she forces an unconvincing smile as her arms cross tightly over her chest. Her weight shifts from one foot to the other as she stares at the stage only to be taken off track by John's question about Fisk. Wilson she mouths back towards David. The really look continues.
"You look like you could use something to take the edge off," the robed woman observes lightly towards Hannibal. "I doubt that cigarette will do much for you in short order… " Her smile brightens considerably. "Don't worry, it will start soon."
Teens, derelicts, and degenerates enter the room and press closer to one another as they do so, bumping further into the room until the space is entirely full. For a party, the general attitude is forbidding.
Yet the room is still, relatively, full.
The lights slowly lower and candles light in the edges of the room and upon the stage, flickering ominously in a pronouncement of something to come.
*
If it's any consolation to Jessica, David's expression is a near mirror of hers when John calls the man 'Wilson'. "He's the only person we currently know of with a connection to the school, and the money to pay off the police and the media," he says lowly, sticking close to John. "No accusations yet. But we have to look into it. Right now, it's all we've got."
Well, that hunch, and this increasingly creepy party. David takes his hands out of his pockets and lets them hang loosely at his side. After a moment's thought, he leans towards Jessica and drops his voice to a whisper: "If this gets bad? Hit me. Trust me."
*
"Not saying it's not possible." Sinjin is not happy with the crowding. He's got his lighter in his hand and he's already on high alert, and that was before people started bumping up against him. "But I will be pretty fucking disappointed." That's an understatement.
Sometimes, a guy gets stupid enough to think there's a little good in the world — even if it's found in some less-than-good people. And that…that is pretty damn stupid.
*
"You don't know the half of it." Hannibal tells the woman with a smile. "I'm looking forward to it." But once she turns away to greet someone else, the smile fades and he studies her back thoughtfully before doing the same to those nearest him.
*
The problem with a dark room when you have electrical powers is that they're a little harder to hide. Ava's definitely uncomfortable with the low lights and the people in robes, shifting her weight from one foot to another. It means, for a moment, that she loses some focus on keeping her powers in check, a faint blue glow in her eyes and fingertips as electricity tingles around her. When she notices, she tries to lock it down, bringing it to more dull glow.
*
ROLL: Ava +rolls 1d10 for a result of: 4
*
After a few minutes with the lights lowered, Jessica turns her head to face David. "Sure. This may be a bust, there's fucking nothing going — " yet as she says the words, something strange seems to shift. A girl in the crowd collapses, pressing her hands into her face amid a shrill scream that echoes across the cavernous warehouse. Those in her vicinity feel it too. The sheer panic spreads like apples caused by raindrops in puddles.
Jessica's lips part wordlessly and her hands drop to her sides. And as the scream resounds, a single voice rolls over Jessica's mind:
Jessssicaaaaaah!
She takes a deep breath to wipe her mind.
*
ROLL: Maverick +rolls 1d10 for a result of: 9
*
ROLL: Sinjin +rolls 1d10 for a result of: 10
*
ROLL: Hannibal +rolls 1d10 for a result of: 2
*
Nothing gets one's attention quite like a scream. David's head whips up as the warehouse begins to fall into a panic, his lips forming a thin line. Well, hell. "Steady, steady," he murmurs not only to Jessica, but to John, one of his hands moving to clasp the shorter man's shoulder. "You're fine. Someone's flicked a switch."
*
"Fuck. Me," Sinjin hisses. He was already taut with anxiety, tension that radiates up David's hand when he touches Sinjin's shoulder, his voice grinds out from between his clenched teeth. His skin is crawling with what feels like a thousand soft black spiders, dense and dark as a box in which he was once locked for so long that time stretched out and snapped entirely. "North. You get me into the worst shit. Hand to God, I am sorry I met you some days. You're lucky you're pretty."
*
The lights go down and Hannibal starts to look interested. At last, the show is about to begin: whatever it is. And then… a scream and the girl collapses. Panic starts to spread among those in the room and he's looking on with interest right up to the point a moment later when he starts to feel it himself. But he's no scared little girl to shriek and faint. Gone is the pose of indolent lounging and casual interest. In its place is clearly a predator prepared to go down fighting, fangs bared and hissing at the threat in front of him.
*
Ava dims for the first moment. But as that odd energy seems to go through the room, as people start screaming, her attempts to lock down the power start to falter. "Jessica," she says quietly through gritted teeth, the glow brightening more and more until she's more of a light source than any of the candles in the room. "This is about to get bad." She's white-blue energy, focused in her eyes, mouth, and fingertips, spreading down her limbs as electricity starts to crackle around her in a growing halo.
*
ROLL: Jessica +rolls 1d10 for a result of: 6
*
Jessssssicaaaaaah
The voice isn't new. It's not real. Jones heeds the words and inhales a long deep breath to clear her mind. She killed Killgrave. He's dead. He's not whispering anything. Another deep breath, however, has her eyes opening and bearing witness to fears personified that now enter into the room, and her head turning towards Ava. Her jaw drops. "N-no — " she starts, but as her head turns, she quickly realizes: Ava is the least of their problems.
Dark creatures of various sorts — some demonic, others vampiric, and others still, bent and broken imageless versions of the boogeyman are developing of all kinds — the grim entourage that slides along those whose fears they project morph and gather, looming angrily. One, a fanged bat the size of a man, complete with fur, wings, and claws, swoops from the rafters of the ceiling and grasps at a woman's throat, ceasing the blood-curling scream of the girl.
A horde of bumblebees flicks around a one teen screaming violently about being allergic.
Jessica casts North a semi-apologetic look, and then winds up to deck the man; he told her to hit him if things went south. This probably qualifies.
*
ROLL: Maverick +rolls 1d10 for a result of: 7
*
ROLL: Hannibal +rolls 1d10 for a result of: 6
*
ROLL: Sinjin +rolls 1d10 for a result of: 3
*
ROLL: Jessica +rolls 1d10 for a result of: 9
*
Gambit arrives from RP Nexus.
*
Gambit has arrived.
*
Yes, thank God that David is pretty. John gets the briefest look of genuine amusement before David's eyes are flicking over the faces nearby — Ava's glowing eyes, and to his clear surprise, Hannibal's fangs. But Hannibal seemingly isn't the only one who is late in returning their Halloween costume. "John. Find an exit," he says firmly. Then he's turning towards Jessica.
He has time enough to register the semi-apologetic look and just nods once. It's all David has time for before Jessica's fist is plowing into him — hard. Hard enough that David is lifted clear off his feet and goes careening over the panicking crowd and through the wall, creating an exit. Just for you, John. All for you.
It takes a moment for David to reappear, but when he does, there is a vibrant rosy-pink aura burning around both of his fists. If people make for the hole, he will do his best to cover their escape.
*
The dark closes in on Sinjin, wraps around him, crawls down his throat like living water, suffocating him. There's no air, no room. Blood drips from his hands from trying to claw his way out. All he can smell is rot and heat. Doesn't matter how deep he inhales, there's no relief. He'd sweat if he weren't dying of dehydration.
In the back of his mind, he registers that it's not real, somewhere buried under the place where this is still happening to him every day, every time his mind wanders, every elevator, every narrow hall, every crowded room… David goes flying past him, cracks open an exit, and Sinjin tries to remember how to move. He could hardly move when he got out of the box, but he's not in the box.
Fresh air hits his face and he gets a grip on himself for the moment, enough of a grip that he doesn't flee. Instead, he sends up a sphere of flame, soft and golden, that splits and splits again, to light the room. He can't run, but he can make it so that he can see.
*
Stop. Think. This is not real. No one plays with Hannibal's mind and fears and it makes no sense that Dracula would be here. Clenching his hands, he takes rein of the instincts calling on him to attack and rend. He's out of habit in taking deep breaths to steady himself but if he were still alive, he totally would. Though he beats back the fight or flight response, the air of danger doesn't disappear as he just transfers it to whomever did this. Eyes able to see in near complete darkness look for a cause and a target. Someone being punched through a wall is noted but is of secondary importance at the moment.
*
As control slips through Ava's fingers, a ball of electricity forms around her, enough to discourage anyone from getting too close. Enough to begin to endanger anyone who does try to get close. She closes her eyes tightly, fists clenching as she tries to pull the energy back into her core.
*
ROLL: Jessica +rolls 1d10 for a result of: 4
*
ROLL: Sinjin +rolls 1d10 for a result of: 5
*
ROLL: Maverick +rolls 1d10 for a result of: 5
*
ROLL: Hannibal +rolls 1d10 for a result of: 10
*
ROLL: Ava +rolls 1d10 for a result of: 7
*
Sinjin manages to light up the room and reveal the various images across the room, but along with said images, towards the back of the stage, a single figure lingers. The dark cloak worn by the person yields little information about their identity, but something is there, and clearly, they are watching.
For Jessica, the call grows louder, even with the exit provided, she can't seem to focus on the cool air that seems to beckon her outwards, instead, her eyes remain fixed on the man on stage. For her, the familiar flash of purple skin that only she can see, peeking out beneath the long sleeves of the robe is enough.
Her breath rakes against her throat as she stares daggers at the man on the stage. Jessicaaaaah, you mustn't move~ the voice purrs over her mind. The waking nightmare is hard to ignore. A glance is cast over Jessica's shoulder, and she tries to move her legs, but she's stuck in the Purple Creep's trap once again.
A teens lucidly run towards the hole, "What the hell is going on, man?! I was told I could get drugs — I mean, that's not the kind of trip I want — " one of them offers to David. "Should we call police?" the freckle-faced kid, who can't be any older than fifteen, stares up at David at the 'new' exit.
A teen near the back pops a pill and then lifts his hands in the air, emitting flames towards an apparition above. His hands char the walls, a vampire of particular concern to him, and, unfortunately, one of the rafters above as well.
The woman with the man-bat at her throat collapses to the ground, no longer with any words or consciousness from which to speak or scream.
*
David starts to reply to the teen when he sees the rafter catch fire, and his expression is, for a moment, one of resignation. Of course. Of course the building is now on fire. "And the fire department," he says tiredly, moving to the side to clear the path out. He'd ask the kid about the drugs, but something has caught his eye over the boy's shoulder, back inside the building.
Something that has the color draining from David's face, and that energy crackling around his fists just kind of… fizzles away into nothing. There's nothing there, not really, but he starts backpedalling away from the warehouse rapidly enough to trip over his own feet.
*
Sinjin is just starting to get a handle on his nightmare when a lithe woman in black drops from the shadows above and flips toward him, then swipes at him with her claws. He's trying to tell himself it's not real, right up until she slashes him open, at the angle opposite the first time she gutted him. Sinjin instinctively grabs for all the flame in his vicinity, dragging it down and using it to catch her up, slamming her back up against the ceiling.
This time, he's determined to end her. He twists his flame around her until her joints part and then he consumes her with it. That's all he has the focus for before his injuries bring him to his knees.
*
Light does get Hannibal's attention and he glances over to where all the fuss - the other fuss - is. Punched through a wall. Electrical spheres. Fire control. They'd have been useful during the war but are just a distraction at the moment as the illusions fade away for him. "Get these people out of here." he tells them. There's one who's obviously unaffected and observing which is a good indication they need to have a talk. Casually flicking people out of his path, Hannibal stalks toward the stage.
*
Ava is breathing hard by the time she draws the power back inside of her, opening her eyes to look out over the madness. That…is quite enough of that. She's had more than her fill of having her mind messed with in her life. She shared her brain with another person. Not fun.
The crackle of electricity still crawls over her fingertips, but now it's with a purpose as she steels herself to move through the crowd of phobias, searching out anyone in one of those black robes. Time to break some bones.
*
ROLL: Jessica +rolls 1d10 for a result of: 10
*
ROLL: Ava +rolls 1d10 for a result of: 6
*
ROLL: Maverick +rolls 1d10 for a result of: 7
*
ROLL: Sinjin +rolls 1d10 for a result of: 4
*
ROLL: Hannibal +rolls 1d10 for a result of: 8
*
The black robed figures remain mostly at the edges of the room, and when one sees Ava coming towards them, they rather instinctively draw their hand to their mouth. Did they just swallow something? The hood drops, revealing a shock of long red hair, and the woman who Ava heads towards lifts her hands defensively, working with telekinetic energy to push Ava backwards, knocking her off her feet.
Teens and derelicts of various shapes and builds tumble into Hannibal's path towards the stage, and despite the need for each to leave the building thanks to the now-spreading fire overhead, few make their way to the door.
Jessica, however, with a crisp shake of her head, remembers a very important detail. Kilgrave is dead. She killed him. She told him to smile and snapped his neck. She blinks several times and stares at the figure on the stage again. Her head turns towards Hannibal on his trail, and she skulks along the edges of the crowd to flank the figure from the other side, perhaps together they can corner whoever seems to be front and centre.
A few more teens seem to become loosened from the psychic hold and they amble out through the hole in the wall. It's slow-moving, but even having an exit seems apt.
Flames engulf the centre of the room as Sinjin takes out the non-existent woman. The belief has real consequences, and draws in fire from above as well as Sinjin's own, creating a massive ball of destruction in the centre of the room.
*
And just like that… David snaps out of it. He stops abruptly, blinking slowly before he hauls himself back to his feet, moving just a touch more slowly than he might like in hindsight.
Sue him. It isn't every day you see a ghost.
David puts his head down and marches back towards the hole he'd made in the building, pausing long enough to grab onto the edge and yank hard. However strong he normally is, a hard punch from Jessica Jones and the impact of the warehouse itself lends him strength enough to make that hole a bit larger, to allow more people to funnel out at once. But then he picks his way in past them, and rather than joining the melee, he just starts grabbing onto panicking teenagers and shoving them towards the exit.
"Out," David snaps, and if need be, he will bodily lift these kids up by the scruff and fling them outside. "Before the damned building collapses."
*
Nothing Sinjin does works. Yuriko walks out of Sinjin's fire unscathed, still beautiful, still deadly, and still coming to kill him. He's pulling all his fire together to try again, winding it tighter and tighter into a ball of heat so intense it burns the eyes to look at it…
And then some kid, half-rock and half-linebacker, comes through like a freight train. A flailing fist catches him in the head and he's knocked toward the exit David made, stunned. His fire flickers and, whatever of it is without fuel, goes out entirely. The rest returns to its natural state.
*
Too slow. Hannibal's pissed off and impatient, not to mention the building's on fire. He stops pushing people out of his path and instead leaps over them, using speed and agility to avoid them as he jumps up onto the stage. Almost too fast to see, he's standing by the robed figure and grabs him by the front of the robes to drag him forward. Or he would have had his hand not gone through the image. He just stands there in that position a moment as the reality of the situation - so to speak - filters its way in. "Well shit. Who knew my horoscope would he right?" he says to absolutely no one. "'Social events might not prove as satisfying as usual today.'"
*
Ava bounces back when the acolyte comes after her with otherworldly force, blinking in surprise. That was unexpected. But not enough to keep her down. Reaching into her coat, she pulls out a gun, settling it square in her hands as she has an idea. These fears. If there's no one to be afraid, will they still exist?
Luckily, the gun isn't loaded with bullets. It's just something that helps her focus. Without even bothering to stand, she starts firing at robed figures and terrified people alike, bolts of electricity charged to knock them out.
*
David manages to literally fling people to the exit. And once outside, they seem to calm some, although they exude symptoms of continued agitation even in the cool night air. Some rasp for breath. Some run and don't stop — leaving the place far behind. Others cry. One vomits. It's not a pretty sight.
Jessica climbs onto the stage just in time to see Hannibal's hand go through the figure and the cloaked one to disappear. Her eyes narrow and she frowns. "Fucking bullshit," she mutters towards Hannibal before casting her gaze at the ceiling. Standing on the front of the platform with some measure of appreciation for what is going down, she cups her hands around her mouth to amplify the sound. Loudly, she bellows, "Fire! Get the fuck to the exit!" but even the words don't seem to see anyone moving. Her lips purse irritably.
Ava's bolts hit each of the figures, and, in short order, without strong warning each of the robed figures collapse, and the room falls strangely silent as the illusion seems to lift. Some let out screams. Evidently the fire has just registered, and others in the room begin to yell warnings.
Jessica frowns. "Fucking echoes," she mutters as she moves to the end of the stage.
*
David is not particularly concerned with where people go once they're outside. Not yet, at least. First, get people out of the burning building. Then give a damn about what happens afterwards.
He manages to get several more people tossed out into the night air before he catches a stumbling John right in the shoulder, both hands immediately coming up to catch and steady him. David blinks once, giving him a quick, concerned looking over. The verdict?
"Shit. Should've told you to wait outside," David mutters with a note of genuine apology in his voice, hauling one of John's arms up around his shoulders so he can cart him outside with a bit more care than he's shown for the teenagers. A head wound will engender some sympathy, it seems. "Come on, John, you're alright — "
*
"She's here." John is wild-eyed and unfocused, twisting to look for someone David can't see. "With the claws. Kitty…I thought…I saw. She…" He lets David guide him outside but then the fire finally catches his attention.
"Did I do that?" He reaches for it — it's not his, he's not controlling it, but he can touch it. "Did I hurt anyone?"
He tries without much success to get upright, away from David, so he can get hold of it with his power. The blow to the head and the remaining panic are making it hard for him to grasp the fire with his mind and the more he tries and fails, the more he panics. Finally, he wrenches away from David and reaches out physically, ripping the fire out of the building and into his hands, where it boils off into nothing at all.
*
"Very." Hannibal agrees as he lets his arm drop. He turns to look out over the room and shakes his head. "I very much want to know what just happened here. Something psychic is my guess. Whatever, someone's ass is mine." And totally not in any good way. "I suppose we should knock a few more holes in the walls for people to get out."
*
Ava didn't quite think all the way through to getting people out of the burning building, but…Thankfully John has that under control. As the fire fades out, she tucks the gun back under her coat, pushing up off the ground and looking around. "I'm usually good against psychic stuff," she notes to Hannibal, frowning to herself. "But that was…very odd. Something deeper than that. Magic, maybe?"
*
With the illusions gone and the fire out, people file to the exit David created and actually leave amid the sound of distant sirens growing ever closer.
Jessica tucks her hands deep into her pockets and lifts her eyebrows at Hannibal. She nods once, but it seems the fire is already put out, and her eyes roll. "So. This case got a lot weirder." Her head turns towards Ava, "You good?" The simple check-in is all the other woman will likely receive, but at least she got that. Jessica sits on the edge of the stage and pushes herself down. "We should go probably. Get some numbers to follow up, and jet. I don't want any of us getting arrested." The again is implied.
*
"She's not here, John — you're fine," David repeats, trying to coax him back to his senses. When John tries to wrench away, he allows it mostly because he knows what the other man can do… and, thankfully, John seems to have enough of his head together to do it.
That's a relief. "Thanks for that. How's your head?" David asks him lightly, craning his neck to peer back into the building now that it is no longer on fire. Much improved. Ish.
Jessica gets a firm nod and Hannibal, finally, a politely curious look. He's not surprised they aren't the only ones snooping about this place. "If nothing else, we have a lead to follow. Provided we don't get arrested," he agrees. Again.
*
Sinjin reels back and uses David to steady himself because David's handy and will keep him from hitting the ground. "Shit. My head is shit. Did I hurt anyone?" He doesn't wait for an answer to his question. Instead, he grabs David by the tie to make sure David is paying attention to him before he hisses: "If Wilson did this? I will destroy him. One way or another."
Never piss off the investigative reporter…the one with the book contracts. Forget setting Fisk on fire — though that is an option, if he's to blame. There are better ways to destroy someone out to make a name — and a legacy — for themselves.
*
With the fire out, Hannibal can pay attention to the important things: like what just happened? He thinks about Ava's suggestion and nods. "Could be. I didn't see any signs of spell casting though. Still don't." he adds, looking around. "And the ones who greeted us, didn't they take something? Speaking of, did they all get away? I have a few questions for one." He hops off the stage, landing lightly with a flexing of his knees as he looks for one of them to question. "You have a lead?"
*
Ava nods once, firmly, to Jessica's question. It's as much concern as she expects to hear, and it seems she appreciates the brevity of it. "I saw the one I was headed for take something before she threw me," she nods to Hannibal, though she's watching him suspiciously now, too.
*
With the sirens continuing to get louder, Jones frowns and reaches into her jacket pocket to produce a business card that is held out for Hannibal. "Jessica Jones, we're with Alias Investigations," the way she says it seems to imply no one has heard of them. "Come by the office. We'll chat," her voice deadpans. She scowls at Ava's description, "Apparently there's more to know." Her lips purse lightly as her gaze shifts to the still unconscious robed figures around the room. No one could talk now if they wanted to. But that doesn't mean they couldn't talk later…
*
"You didn't hurt anyone," David assures John, and he sounds like he's telling the truth. Nevermind that he didn't see everything that happened inside while John was hallucinating, that's unimportant.
John does, indeed, get David's full attention when he grabs his tie. And that proclamation also earns him a very wry smile. "If he did, I will help you do it," he says easily, patting him on the arm. "Here. Let me loose a moment. Are you steady?"
Hopefully John can stand on his own, because David's carefully freeing himself of him regardless and picking his way back inside. Just far enough to find an unconscious cloaked figure and haul them up over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, still charged enough that the weight of a person seems to barely register on him. Much like the prospect of a kidnapping.
"Home again, home again?" David suggests hopefully, glancing to Jessica and raising his eyebrows.
*
"You'd better," Sinjin mutters. He pulls a handkerchief out to wipe blood off his face as he trails along behind David. "Not that it makes up entirely for getting me into these things, but almost." He acknowledges Jessica with a nod. "Jessica." Trish might give him an earful about missing out on the adventure. Time will tell.
*
Hannibal takes the card Jessica offers and slips it into a pocket as he meets Ava's look with a smile. "I'll be there in a half hour. Did you want to take along one of our little friends or should I?" he asks, nudging one with a foot after he steps over to where one's sprawled on the floor. "Do your taxi drivers mind unconscious minions as fares? The ones in London would demand an outrageous tip so if you have your own car, you should do the honors." Pause. "Oh, I see your friend has one. You should take a spare in case the first one breaks."
*
Ava squints at Hannibal. "He's right, and yet I have no idea who he is," she summarizes, looking back to Jessica. "Do we trust him?" David and John seem to have themselves well in hand. The new guy, though. Not sold on him yet.
*
Jessica's gaze follows David as he retrieves one of the cloaked figures and she manages a nod. "Half hour then." Her eyebrows lift and she manages a vague smirk about transporting a body, "Trish leant me her car." Something John will be familiar with, probably. "It's a few blocks away." There's a pause. "For now, we regroup and discuss." Her head ticks towards Hannibal, "He went after the figure on stage. Gives him points in my book." Logic says he's at least on their side here.
And with a crack of an ironic, yet humourless smile, Jessica asks, "And besides, we go by Alias Investigations. Alias. Investigations. Do we trust anyone?"