|
*
It's by sheer luck that Domino's pulled together as much intel as she has, which isn't saying a lot. Details have been plenty sketchy but the broader picture she's able to piece together states that their mark is going to be relocated from one facility to another. All she knows about this other facility is that it's a place the Brotherhood does -not- want one of their own to end up in. If there's going to be any interference played by them it has to be done now.
Unfortunately for Dom, trying to track down a bunch of the team on such short notice isn't so easily done.
Fortunately, one of the guys she does manage to catch is the man of a thousand identical faces. There's also Lynette, who ..has a power which Dom can only barely start to figure out. They should mix in nicely with a couple of large bugs and a Pandora's Box worth of unpredictable luck.
It comes down to one armed convoy's worth of opposition and a sitrep that lasts all of a generous five seconds: "Brooklyn Bridge. Stop the convoy."
There's no unknown facility to infiltrate. No need to bring Spaz the Giant Feigning Death Beetle into the fight. All they have to do is stop the convoy, kill a bunch of people, steal the right armored truck, then drive like hell to safety. Simple! Just like hitting a bank truck for cash.
In theory.
*
Madrox is always around. Or at least, one of him is always around. So when Domino came to him with a plan to spring a fellow mutant from federal custody, he was, of course, all for it. A nice little distraction from his daily life, of late. There are a lot of him today, all patiently waiting to do their part. Domino has done her part to lay the groundwork, and Jamie has happily obliged to play a very specific part; road construction. Over a dozen worked, all bearing the same face, and when the convoy approaches, one of the Madri move to block the lead vehicle, and bring it to a stop. "Sorry folks, it's a bit of a mess right now. You're gonna have to wait a few minutes for us to clear the road before you'll be able to get through."
*
Lynette had had better days as of late. Her demeanor has shifted, and now the girl that was often kind or easily welcoming those with a smile was nothing but stoic and cold. When asked to aid another of the Brotherhood, the girl agrees without hesitation. She no longer had classes, or a job, after all, so now all her time was spent aiding her own people. Serpent like eyes glare at the moving convoy, and almost all the more at the collection of Madri on the street. Now, however, was not the time.
Drinking in a deep breath, pulling it in and out of her flaring nostrils, the girl reaches over her mocha fingers and grips them around Domino's wrist. "De tires." She explains, as if that was enough. Road are tricky. Sometimes they're covered in glass, debris, pointed rocks, nails, screws…anything that drives deep enough into rubber to cause sudden 'pops' of the tubes, followed later by a slow 'fwomp-fwomp-fwomp' as they come to a standstill.
*
And as the tires on the vehicles blow, Madrox, at least the one who's playing the part of the foreman of the work crew, has to try really hard to suppress a grin. "Well, that's a shame.." He turns to face the crew, "I told you guys to keep the road clear! What the hell do we pay you idiots for?!"
*
The van with City Works markings with the construction crew was already wobbling like something heavy was moving around inside, but people don't tend to worry about that sort of thing when they're already delayed by road work. Herc had been over the plan with Domino AND Ms. Green a dozen times.
Wait for the signal. Wait for the signal.
But when he hears the tires pop and screech, he doesn't wait for the signal.
BWAM - The doors blast open with a screech of metal hinges rending, and the lumbering beetle-man charges the lead vehicle. He lowers his head and the 3-foot long horn there plunges into and through the vehicle's engine block. "YOU NO TAKE BEA!" he bellows, as the vehicle threatens to lift off the ground.
With a sigh of infinite patience, Ms Green sails up from her hiding place under the bridge and lands next to the truck. She slices the driver's throat with her forearm blade, almost casually. Really, it seems like she just needed to get close to Herc. "Take a breath. She's here. We're going home with her." Then the gunfire starts up and she's in motion again. It looks like Herc's horn might be stuck for a moment, and gunfire is bouncing off his cracked and scarred carapace.
*
It's the perfect one-two punch. The convoy has no choice but to slow down for the faux construction crew, and that the two front tires of the lead vehicle decide to go flat at nearly the same moment, well… Icing on the proverbial cake. Now they really -are- stuck.
"Dammit, what was that!"
Vehicle #1's front passenger stoically suggests "Call it in. Get the new guy out there to swap 'em out."
The driver reaches for the transmitter, bringing the mic close to his face with his thumb on the button when something stops him from making the call. A stupefied expression takes over as he looks from one construction worker to another. To another. To the -foreman.- "Whaaa..?"
Domino glances to Lynette with a grin. "That right there's a one in eighty-two thousand forty-one. Game on."
The albino gal holds her arms out and swan-dives right off of one of the bridge's towers, only kept from becoming a stain on the ground by a cord connected to her ankles.
Driver and navigator of Truck #2 yelps in surprise as the vehicle in front of him suddenly gets tackled and impaled by the horn of a giant freaking man-beetle-thing. A moment later and that same driver is nearly jumping out of his skin when there's an insistant rapping on the side of his window. Somehow he manages to look even -more- surprised upon seeing a black and white colored lady hanging upside down on the other side of his door, smiling a friendly ol' smile.
"Hi!"
*BLAM!*
*
"I hate y'f'dis, I hate y'f'dis…" The floofy haired girl mantras to herself, as she, too, takes the 'leap' off the side of the bridge. How in god's name did she even let Domino talk her into this? After the jerk landing, she rests up, holding herself steady with one hand on the cord as the other presses out into the space around her, fingers twirling before making a fist. 'Clunk-clunk-clunk-clunk' the locks begin to pop, allowing doors to be opened and restrains to loosen. She can't see everything in those trucks, but she can guess that something in them starts to spin, pull, tug, and fall out of place.
*
Several of the workers move toward the 'foreman', who is gesturing wildly as he complains loudly at them about their poor work ethic and shoddy attitudes toward their jobs. "You had one job! ONE JOB! And now look at this! They're gonna have to replace their tires, and who do you think is gonna get reamed out by the boss? Jesus H. Christ, people, take some goddamn care.." And with that he turns toward the lead truck again, and reaches up to open the door, while the door is opened on the other side as well. Guns are drawn, and the driver and passengers are pulled from the vehicle in perfect synchronicity, knocked out, and thrown off to the side. Several of the other Madri rush to help deal with the subsequent vehicles and their drivers.
*
Herc has to put his hands on the grill of the truck to unstuck himself, but he finally manages to rip his horn free of the engine block. That truck won't be leaving here under its own power. Straightening up, he tears the passenger side door off the truck and yanks the navigator out by his bulletproof vest. He's shouting in his face, "WHERE IS SHE?!" It takes Herc a second to realize the navigator emptied his sidearm into Herc's belly, to no effect. Herc wraps a big hand around the gun and the man's hand, crushing both. But now the navigator seems more into crying than talking. Herc tosses him aside.
Ms. Green is standing atop one of the trucks when she sees Lynette move, and then hears all the doors unlock. She gives Lynette a calm, appreciative nod, and then has to duck and weave to avoid gunfire herself. She starts opening doors, every one she can find, while also swiping and slicing at any of the guards foolish enough to get close to her.
*
ROLL: Domino +rolls 1d100 for a result of: 8
*
Nothing good ever comes out of having a traffic jam full of very annoyed and impatient people within a confined space which is suddenly erupting in super-villains and weapon fire. At first the gridlock tightens up as some drivers attempt to push through the only way they can: By going -forward.- The armored truck in the back is just starting to disgorge armed and armored personnel when the back doors get rammed closed by a Lincoln Continental, trapping the six men inside.
When driving doesn't seem to do the trick people are quick to bail out of their vehicles and start running in the opposite direction. Abandon bridge!
A flick of the legs disconnects Domino from the rappel line, almost delicately landing back on her feet behind the cover of Truck #2 as the shooting begins. Out comes a second pistol, shots being returned front and back as she reconnects with Lynette. "Find the target!" This is a lot easier to manage with an army of Madrii already on the scene!
Though getting out of this mess is going to be fun. She may have to jump straight to Plan H.
The soldiers from the convoy have another complication to contend with. The construction workers haven't been identified as a threat, and they're -friggin' everywhere.- "Watch your fire, no civilian casualt—OOF!" Because sometimes a shovel to the face works just as well.
Truck #3 of five holds the precious (and totally doped up) 'target.' No longer shackled to a reinforced gurney. No longer locked within a cage, which in turn had been locked within the back of an armored truck. All that's left are some IV's and a very potent chemical cocktail.
And a couple of guards. Between Lynette and Green they don't have long to play out their minor roles within this story.
*
"On it!" Lynette calls back, looking at her feet and giving a less than graceful struggle out of her bindings. "De hell! Merde!" Finally, she's back on solid ground. Taking off in a sprint, the girl bobs and weaves through the chaos, and around her grows a massive space of thick darkness. To those without keener senses and eye sight, the collection of shadows is just a blinding reminder that things are much harder without the aid of light in their lives.
As truck after truck is being detained, secured, and searched, the young mambo flings open a set of double-doors, finding their 'VIP' in her confines. She had never spent much time with Beatrice, but she always remembered the woman as someone that helped her see her new path she walked today. "Ok, chere. S'time t'go, non?" She coos gently before stepping in and working on opening the cage. "S'gon' be 'lright now. Y'see. We got y'."
*
When it's clear that Lynette found who they're looking for, Herc pushes past the Madrii and guards, relatively careful with the former, not so much with the latter, and it's only Ms. Green who's able to stop him when he reaches the truck where Lynette is working on Beatrice. Green puts a flat hand on Herc's chest, and apparently THAT is what it takes to stop that freight train. With a heavy thump Herc drops to his knees so he can see inside the van, but it looks like he's accepted his role again. It's hard for it to look like anything Herc in prayer. Green stands next to him with her long green fingers resting on his shoulder while they wait.
Inside the cage, Beatrice lolls, drooling and incoherent, but it's her. Her own carapace pieces look slick, faded and discolored somehow. Her skin is even paler than usual, and she looks decidedly unwell.
*
The sounds of gunfire are starting to lessen but they haven't faded out entirely. Part of that's Domino's fault, she's just dropping -everyone- with a gun in their hands. By the time she joins back up with the others she's not looking quite so pleased with herself as before.
"No way we're driving outta this mess." A critical glance is passed back to the others. Notably to Herc. "Can you guys swim?"
The water's still -plenty- cold, too!
Beatrice is the biggest concern out of all of this. Dom's already weighed the odds. While the Bug Queen is drugged up she'll be breathing a whole lot less. This'll buy them a few seconds. Not many..but it should be enough.
"Cross your ankles, keep arms tight around the body, drop straight as a pin. Don't think, just go!"
As for getting -out- of the East River, they're in luck! There's a small boat passing right by where they'll drop in. She may or may not have planned for this exit strategy…
*
Lynette was no doctor. She wasn't a nurse, and she didn't know much about medicine or health care. She knew how to survive, though, and that something was horribly wrong with the bug mistress known as Bea. Glancing behind her, she notices that massive beast of a bug and then the fluid vision of Ms. Green. "M'try s'mt'ing." She warns them before pulling a blade from her pocket and flicking it set in its handle. She knew how to harm, but maybe…just maybe.
Moving closer to Bea, she drags the blade over her own palm, pooling crimson at the touch and then brushing a symbol over the woman's brow. The girl is saying, something…soft prayers and whispers not in English, for French for that matter. Sometimes, the cure to toxins is the toxin itself, and after pressing the blade to Bea's arm, she slices horizontally and slips the blade away. Closing her eyes, the girl then leans her lips down and sucks.
*
Ms. Green nods at Domino's question, because Herc only has eyes for Beatrice. "We can swim. Well enough anyway, but…" She nods at Bea's limp form, obviously at a loss for what to do.
Herc's eyes go wide when Lynette pulls the knife out, and Green has to hold him back. She couldn't actually overpower him, but he's so confused, all he can do is fall back on his trust for the mantis woman. Her own grip tightens when the blade is applied to Bea, but they both remain still, watching and waiting while Madrii swarm and clean up the last of the immediate guard concern. Though the sound of helicopters in the distance is unmistakeable.
Folding herself to a hunched form, Ms. Green climbs into the truck, squatting on the opposite side of the gurney from Lynette. "You…" she rasps. "You would do this for her?" The mantis hand reaches out and gently lays on Lynette's arm. "You will be safe. You have my word…" Emotion is clear in the woman's voice, and it seems like she knows Lynette is taking the poison into herself.
*
Domino is all set to be the first to jump off of the bridge if no one else will until she stops and stares at the others with a 'what the hell are you all waiting for?!' expression. This quickly turns into a 'what the hell are you all DOING?!' expression. They're really quite similar. One just has more impatience and the other has more shock.
"Lyn??"
Neena's life only truly got started right when the Hellmouth had been in full swing. Demons and vampires were an everyday occurrence. Seeing Lynette -drinking Beatrice's blood- sure brings back some uncomfortable memories.
"Jeezus, what—We don't have -time- for this!"
Those six trapped soldiers in Truck #5 are still banging away at the back trying to get out. One of them decides to go for the roof exit. It's not easy while wearing full gear and fighting against gravity but he's going for it. "Hey! Hold it right—!
*WHUD*
One construction-worker Madrox fist-bumps another construction-worker Madrox who currently holds a sledgehammer over Truck #5's roof exit.
Meanwhile, Dom is every bit as confused as Green and Herc. She's also getting really, really impatient. When no one else takes her lead she grunts a "Fuck this" and climbs in behind Truck #3's wheel. If everyone else is going into hang out in the back then she'll just have to improvise.
*RrrrRRRRMMMM!*
No more warning is given before the truck lurches forward and slams into the back of #2, muscling the remains out of the way with a screech of wheels.
The truck's turning. Then it's ramming through something which sounds suspiciously like a guard rail.
Then it's -falling into the East River,- taking along everyone inside with it!
"
*
There's a tense moment when the truck starts to move, but Beatrice hasn't responded to Lynette's treatment yet. Then her eyes flutter open and a confused, sick expression forms on her face. She turns and vomits on Ms. Green's feet, but Green doesn't even notice. She is elated. Tears on her face, she kisses Bea's cheek, and then shoves the gurney to Herc who was trotting along after the moving truck.
Herc takes the groggy Beatrice in his arms, moves to the edge of the bridge, and steps off, feet first, just like Domino said. Beatrice grabs on to him in mid drop as her wings flutter uselessly under his grasp.
Back in the plummeting truck, Ms. Green gathers Lynette into an embrace that would seem intimate in any other circumstance. After a solid one-Mississippi in the nose-down truck, Green pushes her feet against the wall separating them from the cab, and leaps into the air, countering the downward momentum to let them float long enough for the truck to drop away from around them. In the open air, Green directs their fall away from where the truck will splash down, so Green and Lynette spike into the water at a much lower speed.
*
Lynette couldn't hear at that moment, she was focusing on one thing. She drinks, and drinks before pulling her mouth away and spitting out the substance she's collected. Then she goes back for more. It's not long until her own mind hazes over, and a paleness overtakes her naturally dark skin. The diamonds shaped scales on the back of her neck, and probably other places, flake and begin to partially shed. Beatrice is awake, and Lynette is left with a painful wash burning through her mouth and lips.
She topples as the truck crashes, pushes, and falls. Resting up against Ms. Green, she grumbles and seems to finally come to. "W-wait. I-I c'n'…N'de cold…" Before she can say anything else, down they go, and the little mambo begins to thrash.
*
Did you ever have one of those moments where something seemed like a really good idea until that sliver of time when you suddenly realize you can't take it back?
"Oh, SHI—"
*WHOOMF!*
Miss Green and Lynette have it real easy. Herc and Beatrice ..well, hopefully Herc's more buoyant than not. Neena could be doing a lot better up front in the truck. All of the air rushes out of the heavy vehicle with one broad spray of frigid water, then it's gone.
The boat isn't gone yet, though the operator looks scared half to death as a mini-tidal wave sprays across the cabin and deck. A few more feet and he'd have had a giant truck-sized hole right through the hull! Life preservers are quickly tossed out toward the others and a rope ladder is rolled over the edge. "Git up here, quick now!" There's a pause before he follows up with "Wot th'ell are you lot?!"
It's a good half minute before a slightly blue-looking albino returns to the surface, bursting free with the remainder of her previous thought finding its proper voice: "-SHIT!-"
"You!" the boat owner jabs a finger at Dom. "You didn't say nuttin' about givin' rides to a buncha weirdos!"
*
Herc nearly capsizes the boat when we swims up with Beatrice in his arms, but between the sudden drug reduction, and the cold water, Beatrice is looking relatively mobile. She's even paler, and still oddly discolored in places, but with some help she climbs aboard as well.
Ms. Green swims over quickly as well, having basically dropped them into the water right next to the boat. She holds Lynette up and Herc lifts her gently to the deck. Green had Lyn in the water for less than ten seconds.
Sputtering and wet, Bea is sitting on the deck of the ship when she reaches out to Domino and Lyn, holding theirs hands in each of hers. "Thank you. Thank you both so much."
*
The world was going where for the girl who didn't enjoy being in water, and even less so now soaking wet and cold. Doll like, she's in the boat before long, shivering, shuddering, her teeth chattering as her eyes close tight. Her movements, if any, are sluggish, and her fingers grope at the deck of the small ship, a sweep of red showing now and then as her palm still beads and drips freely. "S's'cold…s'cold…" She murmurs softly and huddles up on herself.
*
"H-hey," Domino chatters from taking the same shock to the system as the others. "You have a f-family, right..?" When the boat captain gives her a look she adds "Do you want to continue having a family?"
Not many people can pull off being threatening when their gun is shaking as much as hers is right now.
The captain looks like he could just punch her then throw everyone overboard. Instead he turns around and gets the boat moving.
Some time later…
It's a safehouse, though not as the Brotherhood knows it. It would appear that ol' Neena's been keeping a few secrets for herself in this here city. All of the curtains are drawn and anything that has a lock (along with several things made to fit a lock) is currently locked. Blankets are tossed around. A kettle of water is put on a rusting stove to warm up. The thermostat is bumped up by several degrees.
Then Domino takes a seat directly across from Beatrice, a sea-salted pistol finding its way into one of her hands.
"The amulet," she says in a low but calm tone. "Where did it come from, and how did it end up around your neck."
A keen eye would notice that the pistol's safety is off. Welcome back, Beatrice! Time for your interrogation!
*
When they reach the safehouse, there's a fair amount of bustling about setting things up, getting people squared away. Ms. Green makes sure Lynette is tucked away in a bed, whispering "Snug as a bug in a rug." When she emerges, she and Herc work on making tea and getting other things ready while Bea and Domino talk.
When Herc sees the gun in Domino's hand though, he looks confused and takes a step in their direction, but Green puts her hand on his shoulder again, and he stops. She says quietly, "We talked about this, remember?" He huffs, and turns back to wait for the water to boil. Green gives Domino a subtle, grateful nod. They never could have asked Bea the hard questions.
Back in the living room, Bea is in a comfy chair, with blankets on her lap, with gloves and a knit beanie. She looks like hell, but she's conscious and she meets Domino's gaze. "The… the what?" Her brow furrows and she licks her lips. "Oh, the device. Dr. uh… that professor we nabbed. He made it for me. It was supposed to amp up my ability. The metal. The other stuff we stole. I had seen plans for an amplifier." She swallows hard and takes a deep breath. "Can I get something to drink?"
*
Given all of the 'magic' and otherworldly sights Domino's encountered over the last few months she had plenty of theories on that 'amulet.' Alien? Demonic? Something from the damned gods, themselves? Finding out that it had been -invented- by the one man they had kidnapped some time ago… Honestly the thought had never crossed her mind.
Her hold on the sidearm relaxes slightly.
Bea's question is given a moment of thought before Dom simply dips her head a few degrees forward in a 'go ahead' response. "It would appear that his device worked." Which in itself is very dangerous knowledge. If word, or plans for this device, ever made it out into the open…
"You're damn lucky that I'm so damn lucky. Did either of you know there would be any side-effects?" While it's possible that the inventor had set Beatrice up to fail, Neena's primary suspicion is that Bea got drunk off of the power boost.
*
"Domino," Bea says, wincing as she leans forward. Everything hurts. Seemingly from nowhere, Green puts a cup of tea in Bea's hands, and Bea just holds it for a moment, cupping it in her hands. "Domino," she says again, and sighs. "/I'm/ the person who probably knows exactly how lucky you are. And I've had a lot of time to think about how your luck saved me. That you were trying to save me. I know you shot the device. They showed me the footage and tried to get me to roll over on you."
She sips from the tea and says, "I didn't, by the way. And thank you. I wish I could say it warped my mind. That it made me sick. But all it did was take the worst part of me out of the box and set it loose. I was myself, but the worst side of me. I have no excuse. And I owe you my life. I don't know what else to say."
*
As Bea explains the situation Domino's jaw silently sets, staring first at the empty seat where the Bug Queen had been a moment earlier. Then she casts that stare upon Beatrice, herself. Nothing is said for quite some time, listening to what Bea has to say then allowing silence to take over for a little while longer.
When she ends the silence it's with a softly spoken word of her own: "Neena." The crusty pistol's safety is gently flipped back on then set upon the table in front of her. "My name is Neena, and you're right. I hit what I was aiming for. You needed a world-class time-out after that stunt. Glad to see it worked."
A slow breath is let out as she props elbows on knees then dips her head into her palms. Fingertips run through messy black hair then hang out at the back of her head. Her voice goes even more soft when she says "Glad you're okay."
*
Returning to the living room, Bea puts her hand on Domino's shoulder, newly warm after the tea cup, and then she kneels next to her chair, bringing her face level with Dom's. "Neena, then. I don't have the words to thank you for what you did for me. I was out of control. Even now, sometimes I have trouble, separating right and wrong in my mind. That thing… I wish I'd never gone after it." Bea leans forward and gently touches her forehead to Domino's, her antennae bobbing slightly. "You're my only friend. What can I do to make this right with you?"
*
Even when she can see it coming there's an immediate tensing of shoulders as soon as a hand falls upon her. Physical contact seems to be something Dom's not very accustomed to, at least not in a relaxed fashion. Initially she lifts her head up enough to look at the other mutant. Soon enough their foreheads are connecting, as well.
Maybe it's something about that 'third eye.' A previous encounter with a helpful psychic certainly plays a part. With this instant of contact she actually flinches a small amount, suddenly biting back against her own emotions. 'You're my only friend' also strikes way closer to home than she would like to admit.
"Stop doing shit which makes me have to get your ass arrested," she replies with a low tone. But a gentle smirk. "Really now. If you had any idea how little time I had to pull this op out of my backside…"
After a moment one arm hesitantly finds its way around the back of Beatrice's shoulders.
The other arm follows a moment later.
*
Sensing the situation has relaxed a great deal, Ms. Green and Herc join the women in the room as well, settling into different positions on the floor, silently present.
Beatrice moves her head to one side and pulls Domino into a warm hug. Neither women are the touchy-feely type, but Bea finds herself in an exceptional position. She holds Domino close a long moment, and then relaxes, sitting down on the floor, leaning against the chair she was sitting in originally. The Queen, sitting at Neena's feet. Her wings stretch out to either side too, finally getting some blood flowing in the gossamer again.
"Check. Don't get arrested," she says, with a wry smile up at her friend. "How did you even know about the transfer though? Honestly, I can't imagine you pulled this off. Will you tell me about it?"
*
Domino won't tell anyone. The Queen's throne remains safe.
With the question raised as to how she managed all of this she leans back and glances at the returned Green and Herc, perhaps debating how much to reveal around so many ears being present.
"I was in a similar situation once. When the first place is done with you, or isn't equipped to handle you, you get moved to somewhere that can contain you. Or to somewhere that can make you useful again. A lot of it was by process of elimination. There are only so many places that can handle us 'powered' individuals. Around here there's only so many places where they could hide such a facility. Add in that you were currently being held somewhere else, somewhere above a regular prison but not high enough a grade to keep you, and a lot of other locations could be removed."
"The last call was a bit of a shot in the dark," she admits at length. "They wouldn't put a mutant prison in the middle of the city but it still needed to be close enough to easily move inmates. Since I didn't expect them to place a prison beneath a national monument..that cut the options down further. I just ..did the math, I guess."
*
Bea listens attentively, hovering between exhaustion and elation. "So, short version, you're a fucking genius which makes /me/ the luckiest woman alive," Bea says. It starts out being funny, but when she gets to 'alive', she actually chokes up a little bit. She takes a deep breath and suddenly looks like the exhaustion is taking over. She struggles to get up, and Herc is silently, gently there, seemingly from nowhere. "I need to lay down before I fall down," she says with a smile, letting Herc help her up. "But tomorrow? We are doing some serious drinking. Gotta clean this river water out somehow." She grins, squeezes Domino's shoulder again, and lets Herc guide her to the bedroom.