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Back in the city again. Time passes. Sometimes it seeems that either everything is happening or nothing. This afternoon, it was nothing. Eva was ambling along the street back and forth like a robber casing a bank. Eventually she lets out an almighty sigh and then heads upto the doors and their round-about cavity stepping into the little wedge as teh wheel turns and waits to be spat out on the other side.
*
Amber, also back in the city, on official business. Deposits. Why this location? She has no idea, and is disinclined to ask. Her job at the Institute requires at least two of these per week. Always different banks, rarely the same location twice. If Amber didn't have more faith in the Professor and his organization, she'd probably be worried. But they are running a private school for mutant children, not the most popular people on the planet, so there's a certain logic in keeping the money trail on the fuzzy side.
Into the Wheel of Death, as Amber's come to think of these infernal contraptions, having nearly injured herself on multiple occaisions on entry or departure. Step up, keep moving, pivot on queue, and finds herself standing right next to Eva.
*
Eva's torso sways a little. There is just something about those contraptions that discombobulates her. No ryhyme or reason. It just does. Limbs shift trying to shake off that feeling before she becomes aware of another being spat out of the contraption and she steps to the side to reduce the chances of a collision. A glacial polite smile twists into place only to pause. A squint and peer later and the coolness of the expression eases. "Hey." she chin up's a greeting before sliding her hands into her hoodie. It's down for once, an effort to ease the guards tension and gives away the two toned hair of black and white. "Once more unto the breach, aye." she says in her best Brit/Canadian accent.
*
"Last place in th' world I expected t' find you.", Amber comments, quirking an eyebrow for a second before the Wheel of Death spits them out onto the bank's palatial entrance. "How's your world?", she asks, Red unmentioned.
*
"I figure its time I make it better myself." Eva says a little notch of her jaw tightening up. "Waiting just aint my style." She squares her shoulders. "Quick businss is good business. I'll see you on the other side." she mutters and her head ducks down like a bulldogs ready to go for a fight as she heads towards the inquiries counter rather than a cashier's.
*
"And I do not even want to know what that means.", Amber sighs to herself, politely removing her Stetson and falling into the queue at the cashier's line.
*
The conversation is hard to hear, but the body language is shouting itself loud and clear. A short terse exchange is going back and forth and the usually pale face of Eva is getting redder and redder. The information desk clerk just pushes a piece of paper across her table and Eva snatches it up. She spins like she was roller skating on new ball bearings and plunges off towards that exit. By the second rotation she has got her timing sorted and dives outside.
*
Amber observes this, but is powerless to intervene. Trapped behind a tragically overweight business man and his seemingly endless transactions. Finally, she's able to pass her neatly printed deposit slip and manilla envelope to an elderly-lookng cashier lady that's probably been with this establishment since the invention of banking. She gets a breif smile and a nod, and a reciept, written with lightning speed in the nicest cursive Amber's ever seen.
"Thank you, ma'am.", she says, nodding politely as she takes her leave
Back into the Wheel of Death, pizza slice-shaped walkway, through the apeture, and back onto the street.
Then looking for Eva with intent.
*
Eva's sat upon a step, arms wrapped tightly about her legs and quivering with an angle that leaves her outline shaking a little. Her face is still red and she's staring at the piece of paper like she could burn holes through it. The bright and cheerful flyer is an info-fact sheet about all the details you need to know to open a bank account.
Odd things happen in the city. Sometimes overly, sometimes discreetly. Everyone in the block becomes affected by it. Some just speeding up for three strides then returning to a normal pace. A conversation briefly slowing and dragging out as a couple walk on by only to return to normal a few heartbeats later. Invisible little bubbles of time, sometimes compacted, sometimes extended. e
*
Eva, spotted, and, Stetson perched expertly back on her head, approached.
"Do I wanna know what all that was about?", Amber asks simply.
*
"I just wanted…" What did she want? The pause finds her chuffing out a breath. "A future. I figured if I opened an account I could save. You know, for a house, for things. Take care of Jimmy." Eva sucks air inwards, pulling it accross the nerves of her teeth and the brilliant scarlet pales away significantly to whiten her down to her ears. Jebbers. She shouldn't have done that.
A newspaper boy trying to sell papers lifts his hand and spouts fast spoken gibberish before moving towards a passerby, offering a paper and speaking normally trying to make a sale.
A delivery truck screeches on the breaks as the doors openand three trenchcoat wearing men get out, their faces already covered in silk stocking that squashes their nose as they hone in on the bank. A burst of speed launching them towards the wheel of death.
"He deserves better. He does." a sob breaks out of her as she buries her face in her hands. "I'm sorry."
*
"Whoa, hey, honey.", Amber says, sinking down next to her to wrap a sisterly arm around her shoulders. "Ain't no need fer all that, now.", she says encouragingly. "What's the problem?", she asks, more intent, for a moment, on her distraught friend than then Obviously Looking For Trouble men now storming into the bank.
Banks….Why is it always banks? First, the fracas in a mountain town in New Mexico that brought her here. Next, another, painfully similar encounter in this very city. And the Professor's always on her about her 'buried coffee can' system.
Too late, she sees the Wheel of Death admit the baddies. "Best hold that thought, honey. Shit's goin' pear-shaped.", she says, gently pointing Eva's buried face in the appropriate direction.
*
Eva looks where you point. Then back about. There is a hateful look at the bankers for interrupting her 'moment' and she shivers. The nerves of her teeth still on fire and adding to her misery. "Need a new set of wheels?" she asks flatly looking back to the get away vehicle. She squints to see if there is a driver.
There is.
"You wanting to be a witness today?" she asks, trying to suck the snot back in and be done with the snivelling.
*
"You deal with the driver, I'll take the cocksuckers inside.", Amber says, nodding solemly as she adjusts her Stetson and rises to follow the aforementioned into the Wheel of Death. Exactly ten paces behind.
*
In exactly the same spot where the robbers had sped up, you might notice that affect too. The same oddity continuing inside the building.
"Wahaaahh?!?@@@!?" Eva says as you head off. She didn't need the slow-mo effect of time warping to make her noise a little indecipherable. Take care of the driver? You'll what?
Misery becomes wiped along the forearm of her hoodie as she watches you take on that wheel of death.
Inside, the robbers foot tries to wedge the wheel so it can't rotate with you stuck in it.
Eva makes a decision and heads towards the vehicle. "Excuse me Mistah." she begins, the tearful face still evident.
*
Amber has a simple solution for said foot. A slight intake of breath, a certain settling of her body, and her eyes go RED. Said foot, now on fire.
Best move it, son.", Amber twangs, a malevolent look on her face as she pushes the thug, now yawping and trying to figure out how to put out said foot, out of her way.
"Gentlemen, I'm only gonna ask ya this once, you're gonna put down yer guns, kick 'em away from yew, then hit the deck on your knees. Lacin' yer finger's b'hind yer head. Or we're gonna have ourselves th' bigges' weenie roast in New York history.".
*
Scorn. It's cast in your direction. A diresive twist of panyhose contorted lips. A swivel of gun and a curious look at why Villian 3; Toni was hopping about with flames off his shoe. Luckly enough he'd worn is gun on sling and it bounces with him as he hit one of those time bubbles and seemed to be hopping in slow motion. The flame twisting into slow burning life, greedily licking and pulling oxygen from the air to fuel it.
A uzi twists towards you, the barrel rising as the little lady is offered some lead for dinner to shut her up.
"I guess I lied when I said ain't no body going to get hurt then." Said Al. People scream and some shift their huddle to press closer to wall and floor. Meanwhile… outside
The driver didn't wear no silk panyhose, he wasn't a girl. He just looks up from his cigarette he'd lit to talk to the dame… only the dame was more a girl that broad. "I ain't got noth'n you want." he declares, "Now beat it kid."
*
Oh dear, oh me oh my, assholes with guns! Whatever shall she do? If this were the pulps, she'd valiantly stand her ground and deliver some manner of moralizing speech. Shame this ain't.
What she /does/ is scamper like hell to spiral undercover, her Stetson flying away in a random direction.
"You got your warnin'.", she hollers from whatever flimsy, paper-thin desk she's found. "So…"
And she juts her head above her hidey-hole, finding Al. And her eyes go RED. And then his clothes burst ino flame It would be a shame if he has extra ammunition.
"You let the lady go.", Amber says, ducking back. "An' that ain't gotta be you."
*
Lucky he'd worn his brown paints this morning. Victor watches Al get set alight and the odours outcome is most noticed by the broad he's got his pistol against. Al's body is dancing a jig, trying to get clothes off even as he screams and he does scream…
Like a banshee….
Howling as he finally grabs a curtain to pull its volumouns length down the wall and try to roll in it. An effor that is too little too late, eventually that caterpilla cocooned like man stops moving and the curtain lies as a cold lump of cloth on the floor semi-concealing the mans fate.
Toni kicks off his shoe and he's damn sure he knows who caused this. He scowls in your direction, pulling his weapon back in front of him. The socked foot kicks the wedge free from the wheel of death readying an exit.
"I'm tell'n ya, soon as I feel flames she's getting it. Lodging on in the brain pan to rattle around the little airheads skull while she thrashes her last. Just get out lady, this is none of your business."
It is Toni that says, "But she got Al. He's family we can't…." whatever they can't do finds Toni stepping into a sped up bubble of time and talking like he's his own word rattling gattling gun.
Outside: "I can't do that. That lady said I had to take care of you, she was going to take care of the guys inside." Eva answers simply. She leans in, "So… how would you like to be taken care of?"
*
"I ain't gonna say it ag'in, gents. You drop those weapons, kick 'em aside, and git down on your /knees/.", Amber hollers, hoping she sounds intimidating. "'Less'n ya'll wanna end up like Al. He's awful quiet now.', she notes, then, in what she hopes is meancing, giggles softly. "Went up like a Goddamn firework, your Al did.", she notes. "Anybody wanna join him? Keep yer guns up next time I peek 'round this."
*
Tony runs for his exit, dashing through that speed up bubble and briefly moving like an animated blur. He launches into the round-about door and ejects out the other side as if he'd taken flight. A pity he couldn't fly. He connects back to the stone steps and rolls on down them, hugging his gun agains this torso and ignoring the discharged round that chews a grove across th pavement before sinking into the concrete.
Outside: The driver looks at Eva and leans out the window to meet her inwards lean. "Look kid, you ain't my type and this aint the time or place now get." he'd lifted his hand, aiming to bring it back across her face only to see his pal ejected from the bank. "What in Moses pants is going on." he asks. Instead of a backhand, its a door being shoved open that Eva has to tend with and she just swings with it. "Tony?!?" he calls, launching for his friend and over running Eva. Fine by her. Keys in the ignition and she's there to make the most of it.
*
"Looks like yer man checked out on ya.", Amber says, staying behind cover. "Notice how I ain't settin' him alight? Same offer goes for you, you put that gun down an' let th' lady go.", she adds. Then, either bravely or stupidly, she rises fully into the hostage taker's view. "Or you can join him. I been at this game a long while now.", she adds. "I can boil yer blood in yer veins, son.", she says simply, starting to walk, slowly towards him. "Lots a' oxygen in yer blood. Burn you from th' innnards. Won't so much as /singe/ th' lady, there.", she says, still advancing, palms held open at waist height. "Think on it, son. Fire inside your body….fire you can't put out…..You wanna play that hand? Shoot at me."
*
"She'll be dead before I will be." Victor promises, he's moving too. It's like a tango. But he's leading his dance partner towards the door and keeping her between you and him and that pistol lodged against her throat, already beginning to bruise the tender flesh. "You freak." he spits.
Outside Eva just climbs on in. She can't drive. Not even a little bit. But you only need one gear in a stick shift don't you? The colision of gearbox spits up a warning sign to the pair on the steps and she proves you can make a gear box hit fifteen miles an hour without shattering the engine. Bumping along off curbing and cars she laps the block slowly.
The driver and Tony pelt after her, before turning and pulling a weapon on an unlucky punter and jack their car. Making their split for freedom.
Slowly the bubbles of time disturbances begin to disapate, one after the other popping without sound and returning movement to normal. No more speed crying and slow talking for the others. It is just you and Victor. Al mano, Al wo-mano. Oh. And the knee knocking blonde of a cashier.
*
There's this moment in any poker hand when your bluff gets called. Amber cannot carry out her threat without torching the hostage as well. It's aces over kings. Time to fold. "Take me.", she says, putting her hands behind her neck and kneeling.
*
Amber says, "I'm worth a lot more than she is.""
*
There is a conversation going on with Victors eyebrows. Sometimes they're low browed and adding weight to his words. Right now, they've lofted and lurched upward trying to reach as high as they can go at your offer. Eventually they collapse back downwards as he snorts. "Like hell Missy." he says and backs into the round-about-door.
Ditched at the door. Yes's siree.
He backs out far enough to discover the vehicle gone, his pals and 'family' gone. It's not a good day for Victor. He hoofs it, throwing the blonde against the stairs and heading south ensuring the banks columns give him shelter until he can disappear.
*
There's another moment in poker when your bluff gets called, it's a bluff re-raise. You've bluffed, been called, then raise anyhow. Predictably, Victor folds. Not exactly how Amber expected, but folds just the same.
The instant the idiot is gone, Amber beats feet to the cashier.
"Are you a'ight, ma'am?", she asks, doing a little subtle prodding to make sure no bones are broken.
*
The cashier was ramping up to full blown hyper ventalating. Left on the cold stone steps she shakes her head, resembling an animated mannequinn as she fails to manage words. The body quick to run towards shock takes solace in the fact the pistol is no longer at her throat even though it feels like it is there.
First gear all the way baby. Eva drives along the final length of a block that brings her full circle. She gives the horn a honk before sliding across the bench seat. Teh vehicle does its own jump and stall as her foot comes off the pedal. No one is going to mistake her for a get-away-driver.
*
"It's okay, ma'am, it's okay…It's over.", Amber purrs in her best, honey-soaked Texas accent. "You're okay, you're all okay. It's over. I'm sorry, I really am, had t' bluff him and raise. Only way to get you loose.", she explains, motioning to the other bank customers for assistance. "Gonna be cops and medics comin', you just sit tight, ma'am.", she purrs.
*
Five minutes, coming up six. So much had happened in so little time. One guard had run out of the building, sprinting off in the direction of the police station. If the phone didn't work inside, they had a back up plan to let the police know something had gone round.
A small man with a bowler hat walks up as you gesture, at his age having a blonde draped all over him is a godo thing and he's more than happy to be the hero she can rely on. At least until his wife comes out of the bank.
Pushing herself back off the wind screen the vehcle had lurched her against Eva looks out. More and more people were beginning to exit the bank and avoiding the overcooked bacon smell inside.
*
Anber hears the encroaching cop sounds, gives the teller a friendly pat on the shoulder. "You're gonna be a'ight, ma'am.", she says, then nearly trips over her Stetson. "Pleasure doin' biz'ness with y'all.", she says, setting the hat on her head and legging it in the direction she desperately hopes Eva has the car in.
*
The elbow rests on a wound down window. She had time to get that down. Time to compose the bored look. Yep. All set and waiting for you to arrive. The cool only lifts to wave you over and get your attention.
"Oi…" Should she call your name? "Doll." it fills the gap. "I warmed the engine for you." and may have broken it. The getaway delivery truck remains silent in its 'parked' state.
*
"Do /not/ speed outta here.",Amber says firmly, all but levitating into the passenger's seat of the truck, . "Yer gonna drive th' limit, nothin' fancy, then start takin' random turns. Left, right, right left, Get us as lost as we can be.",she advises. "Then find a place t' ditch this truck."
*
Sliding across as you try to take the passenger seat Eva gets back behind teh driving wheel. "You really don't want me driving." and it doesn't take long to work out why. The speed limit won't be the issue in first. It doesn't take long to lose a hub cap. "Just point the way."she mumbles
*
"Shit, slide o'er honey." Amber grumbles, trying to climb over Eva into the driver's seat. "Shit just follows yew about, don't it?", she sighs.
*
Eva's happy to give up the wheel. She's just not sure where hands should go, or when to move amoungst all the clambering. Somehow she ends up on the other side of the car, arm on the window and pressed against the door processing it all. "I just wanted a future. Stupid paper and its tiny type." she mutters back.
*
"What's the problem?", Amber asks, scooting into the driver's side as she takes random turns, then smirks with an 'I've got a plan' look,
*
It's hard to say. It knocks at her ego. "The lady just kept saying the answer was on the paper and wouldn't talk to me." defensively. "I'm not a nothing. I…" the tears had run its course but the hurt was still there. "It doesn't matter. Just. Drop me somewhere."