ichoosefight | 69,06 - Disastrous as Always

The Admiral said communications between port and the Barge would be fucked-up. Then he said not to worry.

[Pause.]

Hard to do when you're notified that some organization here is coming to "repossess" one of your vital organs.

Edited 2012-02-25 02:17 (UTC)

He said difficult, not impossible. But then I always knew he was a lying scumbag, so who's really surprised?

I'm sure as hell not.

Are you lined up for legalized murder, too?

Yeah, and apparently they want my entire ribcage. [ She has broken most of those bones, but still! ]

They want 'em, they'll have to catch me first.

They're after my heart. Talk about irony.

I wonder how they even choose. I mean, it's not like we actually bought any of this stuff.

I doubt they care. This is the kind of thing sick fucks get off on.

[Awkward. She wants to say the whole Jigsaw thing wasn't about that, but settles for clearing her throat. This isn't the time to justify her impulses.]

So. Yeah.

Masochists or no, they're clearly organized. Have you seen the ads [ COUGH HACK COUGH ]

Ah, the ads for GeneCo? They're serious about this stuff.

Oh yeah, I've seen 'em. "Keep transplants affordable by keeping repossession legal," stuff like that. As if they're heroes for killing the people they claim to help.

[HNNG EVERYTHING OUT OF HER MOUTH JUST MAKES HER FEEL WORSE. Tangent change!]

I mean, who the fuck would vote to legalize that in the first place? It's sick.

Edited 2012-02-25 03:08 (UTC)

People who can afford to pay it off, clearly. Like bureaucrats who vote to bring back the draft because all of their kids are exempt.

Are you going to be alright?

I'll be fine. These fucks don't know what they're getting into, going after me.

What about you?

I could say the same thing. Not getting caught is something I have lots of practice in.

Something in the air indeed. Can you smell the dead bodies?

Even if you can't immediately catch the scent, it's everywhere.

Yeah, and it's getting hard to breathe. Decaying corpses aren't the only thing wrong with this place.

I would be pleased with my genetic predisposition if I weren't "past due" on parts that, to my knowledge, should very much be mine. [They want his bone blades, which he got to keep but now they say they gave them to him?]

I'd like to know how they got any of our names, but I think the best answer we're going to get is "barge magic".

I think in this case "how" will take a backseat to avoid joining the dead.

I'm with you on that one. [ Cough. ]

Gonna have to do something about breathing first.

There's an open air market. You should be able to get a mask there.

[Even if it may not be necessarily purchased legally.]

I'm engineered for harsher environments. Ironic, considering the pitch I've been hearing.

Thanks, I'll make a stop.

Let me guess. GeneCo thinks they engineered you for harsher environments.

Geneco thinks my forearms need less decoration. [And he likes his boneblades]

Or maybe they just think theirs needs more.

[Coughing]

Still in the docks area but I gotta move. Someone's after my throat...literally.

Thoughts--posse up with people, or scatter?

Oh hell no. I'm leaving you alone in this place. Pairing up is probably best anyway. Easy to hide, but there's still someone to watch your back.

Find a safe place, someplace higher up if you can, and contact me. I'll find you.

[A faint relieved smile, and then her face is all business again.]

All right. I'll find myself a rooftop. Maybe I can get above the [cough] smog level.

[It takes Wanda about fifteen minutes to call back; she's puffing almost asthmatically when she does.]

"Ruined church. Top of the hill at Fortieth and Baker."

ETA 10 minutes.

[ When she appears, it is in the shadows. She tosses a gas mask across the roof at her inmate's feet before stepping out of the darkness herself, in full costume. ]

Yaknow, I never regret bringing all this stuff with me.

[Wanda jumps slightly, making a mental note: Okay, she's good at that sneaking up business!] Then she scoops up the mask and quickly puts it on.] Thank you.

[She hesitates, then looks around.] First spell I am inventing is a quick-change spell. Though I never did exactly mask up. I just wore my best Goth stuff and a cool jacket.

Ideas on where to go?

It's not just stylish, it's insulated, fire-proof, and wired up like you wouldn't believe.

[ Sadly it does not come with a gas mask. They get those for special missions. ]

Food and shelter. Food shouldn't be too hard, but finding a place to stay the night that's under the radar might be hard.

Cool. I didn't have those kind of resources, and I...

Before I came here it was all about relying on my powers. The only nod I made to "I might get hurt" was to wear lots of leather. It seems kinda simpleminded now. [Her voice is low, but rapidly loses the strangled sound to it.]

Shelter. Can we afford to stay in one place?

I used to be like that. Then I got hurt.

Not if we're being hunted. I don't know how long it takes them to start "repossessing", but I'd say the less of a trail we leave, the better.

...yeah.

I was told I have eighteen hours before they come after me. Should we stick to the rooftops or try to blend in?

Eighteen hours, huh? [ She quickly checks her own wrist-computer-thingie to confirm that thankfully, Steph has twenty-two hours left before her case goes up for repossession. She has the volume on extra low. ]

May as well relax while we have time, find some food and anything else we might need.

Yeah. And I suppose it's too much to hope that this is a short port. How good do you figure their technology is? Should we dump the wrist communicators?

[It feels good to be working as part of a team (well, pairing) again, even if they are in a truly horrible circumstance. It is the difference between facing bad things but being able to do something and just being alone and helpless.]

Honestly... I haven't got a clue. [ She's a wee bit tech-retarded. ]

But based on the political atmosphere, I wouldn't be surprised if they were designed just to track us all down. [ But there's no sign of a buckle to undo. That's never a good sign. ]

I was sort of putting it off. I guess now's as good a time as any to go odd-radar.

[ She pulls a batarang out of her belt and wedges it between the strap and her wrist to start sawing, completely ineffectively. ]

Okay well, when in doubt, break stuff. Look, I am usually pretty good at jinxing machines into inoperability. I am feeling weaker than usual but I could try it.

[She hesitates.]

Look, while we're sorting stuff out can I ask you a personal question or two? Nothing embarrassing.

Yeah, sure. [ On both counts. She holds out her wrist when her batarang snaps in half. It's really not supposed to do that. ]

Just don't fry my wrist. This here's my fighting arm. [ They both are, but she's always wanted to say that. ]

I don't think I have enough juice. But that doesn't matter. Electronics are sensitive, and thanks to Iroh's training I'm really damn good at concentrating now. If I can cause a short in the right place though...

[Her hands start to glow blue. She focuses, and the light concentrates to bright sparks around her fingertips. She pushes the energy toward her Warden's wristband with as much focus as she can. The screen jumps and flickered, but that is all.]

...damn.

[ She taps the thing- everything still works. ]

No good?

Dammit. When these things replaced our communicators they must have developed whatever tamper-proof mojo the Admiral has on them normally. [Her lips twist with frustration behind her mask]

OK. So much for that idea. I guess we're stuck with them for now.

We'll just have to stay on the move.

You had questions?

Yeah.

I was just wondering how long you've been...you know, a superhero? [Her voice lilts up questioningly at the end. It's the job she was interested in before things went to Hell, after all.]

Uh, since I was sixteen pretty much. Successfully, now that's another story.

It's funny. You know, there was a while there where my brother and the others tried to come up with this scam to make us look like heroes while we were really faking it. It's probably in my file. It was the first time I felt really lousy about what we were doing.

But then Apocalypse came along and...damn that was a game-changer. I couldn't do much, but I did help everyone else save the world from his crazy ass. And then I felt the opposite of what I had when we were faking.

That's good. Deep down, you want to help people. Me, for a long time I was just doing it because I wanted people to like me, and I didn't want to be like my dad. It's not a good way to go down.

Well...my Dad raised me to be a supervillain. One of his pawns. At first I thought breaking with that was just my way of rebelling. [She is tucking her pants into her boots and cinching up her coat.] Then Shadowcat--I think you'd like her--nearly died helping me out. And something clicked.

The bitch side of me that's been out and proud for four months, that hates my father and keeps turning back on me and tearing up my guts, she's not all there is of me.

I guess we should get moving.

Yeah, we'd better.

But you're right, your Dad shouldn't be allowed to rule your life.

Well, that's the problem. [She starts looking around for a plausible way to the next rooftop.] I think that maybe hating him so much is a way he controls me too. Like...I can't help it and it fills up so much of my head. Logically, I know that the Erik Lehnsherr here can't be my father; he's from a parallel world or something. But every time I get near him I just flip out. I feel...out of control.

[Lots of hesitating, because she's basically bringing it up now before she finds herself going after him or something.]

[ Steph gets out her grapnel gun and offers a hand to Wanda. Easy way or hard way? ]

A great hero once taught me, "the only variable you can control is yourself." Or as my mom put it, "you can be whoever you want to be".

No matter how out of control you feel, just remember. In the end, you're the only one in control of yourself.

[Wanda takes her hand and a breath, reminding herself to relax her body and go with Stephanie's movements.]

I gotta work on that. On reminding myself, on walking that talk. I can't go out of control when my powers are fully back. People could die--maybe a lot of people.

It takes time.

[ Steph makes sure she has a good grip before selecting an appropriately tall building to latch onto and OFF THEY GO!!! She lands with the flawlessness of practiced ease. ]

Maybe that's why you haven't graduated. You need time to learn how to control yourself, and as long as you're on the barge the damage won't be permanent.

[Wanda manages not to squeal, and actually takes the swing well--yay newfound upper body and arm strength!--But she lets out a little oof and staggers slightly when they land.]

Awesome.

*cough* Um. Well...yeah, that does make sense. I can't possibly do that while I'm still a walking anger problem.

[ She'll just give Wanda some time to get her feet back before heading for the fire escape. ]

It's not a great place for it, but it's not really a great place for anything.

[Wanda follows her, face thoughtful.]

Maybe it's just the best option the Powers That Be could come up with.

The Powers That Be are morons. [ Just sayin'. ]

But it's a good start.

Either that or the ones who are morons are messing everyone else up. Heh.

[ They're not. :C ]

[ The worry. It hurts. :C ]

I need to find Jim, where is he?

[Chromie sounds close to tears.]

Jim? I dunno. If you can't get him on the comms, I guess he's probably still on board.

Are you alright?

I didn't buy any organs, Stephanie...

No, I know you didn't. But do they know that? Are they after you?

They claim I did...

It's okay, you're gonna be okay, you just need to keep moving, alright? Find someone and stay with them, but never in one place for too long. These wrist-thingies can probably track our movements.

How can you tell?

I trained for three years under the most paranoid man on the planet.

Funny thing is, he was always right.

Oh. Okay.

...Yes. I'll - I'll go with someone. Are you going to be okay?

Like I said, I'm trained for this. Wanda and I are already on the run.

If you can't find anyone just give me a call, okay?

Okay.

Thank you.

69,06 - Disastrous as Always

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