Setting
- 68 posts here • Page 1 of 3 • 1, 2, 3
ELENA RAMSAY
xxxyou want the heart all to be saved
xxxbut even good guys still get paid
xxxso watch my back and keep the blade
xxxi think it got you laid
Luciana was striking. That much had to be acknowledged. Elena would be lying if sheâd said she wouldnât have tried to chat her up if theyâd met in a bar under any other circumstances. But even with the haze of the wine clogging Elenaâs mind ever so slightly, she knew that it would, could, only end in disaster.
She paused for a moment as Luciana spoke about her friend. Generally, they turned a blind eye to anyone who helped the villains like that. It was one thing helping them break into a bank, but they turned a blind eye to anyone helping them medically. But some of the old guard of heroes, the ones who believed the villains should be left to die on the street... they had to have been responsible.
She smirked as Luciana changed the subject and asked what she got up to whenever she wasnât saving the city. âYou mean we donât have to spend every waking hour of our day serving the greater good?â She asked in mock shock, before laughing. âNah, some heroes are like that. I spend my evenings either doing a little bit of legit work, reading up on the latest security, figuring out how to break the latest security, and watching Netflix and drinking wine. Me and my friends usually try to go out a few nights every month too.â
ASH HATFIELD
xxxeven while we sleep, we will find you
xxxacting on your best behaviour
xxxturn your back on mother nature
xxxeverybody wants to rule the world
Ash poured himself a glass of Coke before slowly maneuvering himself back down into a lying position. It made the dizziness ease just a little, but fighting it off was getting harder and harder as the adrenaline of the fight faded and left his own willpower in charge. He shrugged as Darius asked if he thought that Luciana would help. âI donât know. Weâve worked together in the past, but we were both working for our own motives. Sheâs... a wildcard. I donât know what she wants if itâs not money. But I agree. We need Elena and The Red Witch on our side.â He shrugged and grinned a little as Darius commented on the capabilities of Ashâs own ability. âSure. But we need to catch them first. And thatâs where youâll all come in. A hacker to track them, someone to attack,â he said, tipping his glass slightly to indicate Darius, âsomeone to slow the blood when someone inevitably gets stabbed or shot, and then... little olâ me to get them talking.â
He looked over at Darius for a moment, studying that kind face. How could someone like him become anything but a hero? Darius was sitting opposite one of the most hated heroes in the city, and he genuinely just seemed to want to help. How full of hope he was. It was almost infectious, made you believe there was a better tomorrow, you just had to wait until it became today. How desperately Ash wanted to believe the same.
Darius Jori
xxx All alone in the glass house
xxx Lie awake 'til the sun's out
xxx Pink sky when you come down
xxx Sometimes I wanna fuckin' scream or run away,
xxxI don't know
Darius nodded in agreeance when Ash spoke about the Red Witch. What heâs heard about her and even one time coming across her in Scariden matched with what Ash had said, she really did seem like a wild card when it came to heroes. He also agreed with Ash about them working together and each person being needed for a specific part if they wanted to do anything against these people. The night everything happened Darius spilt as much information to Elena as fast as she could talk. The symbols some of them wore, the type of vehicles they had in the warehouse they met in and the location, as much as she could remember before and during all the chaos.
âThatâs all true, we will really need to work together if we have any chance against them, I doubt they expected any heroes and villains working together right?â Darius said with a light chuckle looking across at Ash. Darius felt like he could trust Ash a little bit more after their conversations tonight, both revealing information about themselves with each other. He definitely felt like he could trust him more than the Red Witch, someone who he was more worried about working together but hopefully whatever deal she strikes with Elena will keep them working as a single unit and not at each other's throats.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LUCIANA MORRISON
xxx Yeah someone pour it in
xxx Make it a dirt dance floor again
xxx Say your prayers and stomp it out
xxx When they bring that in
xxx Bleed it out digging deeper just to throw it away
Luciana laughed with Elena after she joked about being a hero and serving the greater good. She was glad that she got âpairedâ up so to speak with Elena, she seemed more on the neutral side, maybe even closer to a villain than a hero, though the only thing really holding her back is caring about Darius and listening to his pleas to help. Luciana thought about running away a few times, but Minerva could easily make that work, with her powers it wouldnât be hard to modify databases and make new identities on the web.
Lucy smiled as she spoke about going out a few nights with friends, something Luciana hasnât done in a long while. Though wasn;t because she wouldnât want to, but because neither the Red Witch or Luciana really had friends to go out, she more so had acquaintances among the villain world. âWhen all this dumb shit with rescueing the heroes is over, maybe I can show you some clubs around that you may not know. Us villains usually know how to have a good time when we arenât having fun razing the streets of Scarriden. Maybe even add that to our deal of working together.â Lucy said with a smirk and a wink. It was true, there were some clubs and establishments that were mostly villain owned or villains only, a little escape from the eyes of the world, and a place with few rules. Elena was also very good on the eyes and after coming up with a good alter ego since she wouldnât be able to say she was Minerva to get into the club, Maybe in another life, she would be able to do more with Elena than just talk hypotheticals.
Lucy wondered for a second if Elena, or more so Minerva, actually knew about these places, since her powers seem to dive so deep into computer, electronics, and information of sorts. Wouldnât be hard for someone of their caliber to find anomalies in the system that could lead suspicion upon the villains but they tend to cover those anomalies with other things, but someone with more of a touch with technology might find something more suspicious.
âThough Minerva,â Luciana putting emphasis on her alias, âI haven't seen much of your power first hand. I mean, I assumed you were the reason for the ruckus while we were escaping the bar. But besides the stories we hear about Minerva, donât know much about your powers. Plus It would be good to know more about what Iâll be working with. I know what glass boy and can, and I have unfortunately seen up close what the Editor can force people to do.â She rolled her eyes speaking about Ash, probably one of the few villains she hasnât thought about fighting or betraying. âAlso, have you found any information about these people? Iâm assuming Shatter gave you some information about them? Maybe even where he and the heroes were ambushed.â Luciana finished, asking.
It was good to know how much of a reach Minerva had with her powers, Luciana didnât like being in the dark about peopleâs powers. âEven if we can find maybe like one henchmen, we could interrogate him. Itâs pretty easy to get information from someone when they canât bleed out.â Luciana let out a slight giggle with a grin, revealing more of the Red Witch side of her personality.
ELENA RAMSAY
xxxyou want the heart all to be saved
xxxbut even good guys still get paid
xxxso watch my back and keep the blade
xxxi think it got you laid
xxx
xxx
xxx
xxx
xxx
xxx
xxx
xxx
xxx
xxx
xxx
And then, Luciana went back to talking business. Her question was vague, but Elena knew what Luciana was really asking. She wanted to know what she was dealing with. And honestly, Elena couldn't blame her. Technopathy was a strange ability, and one she often struggled to explain to other people. The easiest thing to do was to demonstrate.
"Yep, the noise was me. Essentially, I communicate with technology and I can... I dunno, control it I guess? But my ability and range is kinda limited. So no, I actually don't know all that much about them. I've been doing some research, but it... involves trawling quite a lot of forums where people really, really hate heroes. And that's not easy reading. I know where they were ambushed, but unfortunately, my trail more or less dies there."
As she spoke, Elena reached out with her ability. She connected to Luciana's phone and made a text appear from "Minerva." But how about I just show you? Elena opened up her laptop and closed the CCTV window, instead opening up her files on the case. "So my ability is dependent on connections. Theoretically, depending on your phones' security, I could access the phone of everyone you've texted in the last... Mm, thirty days? Just by getting into your phone and trying really, really hard. If you happened to be connected to the same WiFi network as one of our targets, I could access any of their devices, again, through your phone. Remote connections tend to be a little unreliable. Ideally, I'd be able to make physical contact with the device I'm trying to get into. But this is what I have. She called up one of her files. CCTV pictures of the attackers lined the top of the screen. "Darius positively ID'ed these men as the attackers. I ran them through police databases and got absolutely nothing, so I think we can assume they're been clean up to this."
Elena continued to talk Luciana through the information she had well into the night. The two of them plotted and discussed ideas until Elena eventually called it a night, digging out a change of clothes for Luciana to sleep in and a blanket for the couch.
ASH HATFIELD
xxxeven while we sleep, we will find you
xxxacting on your best behaviour
xxxturn your back on mother nature
xxxeverybody wants to rule the world
Despite his best efforts, Ash could feel the drug finally starting to win over his system. He could feel it sapping his strength, his energy, and just made him want to sleep. "Sorry, Darius, but I honestly think I'm gonna pass out if I don't sleep soon. I don't think I'm going to make it to the bedroom so I'm just gonna crash here." He sat up for a moment, just long enough for him to pull off his jacket and throw it over himself as a blanket. "Hey, Darius? Thanks for not murdering me in my weakened state," he joked, before sinking in to sleep.
He didn't know how long he slept, but the apartment was quiet when he awoke. His head was pounding and he was starving, but he didn't want to hang around the apartment for too long. He snagged some cold pizza from the fridge and scribbled a note for Darius so the hero wouldn't immediately freak out when he was gone. "Gone to find painkillers and discuss matters with Witch. Talk later." After a moment, he scribbled his number down on the piece of paper too, before leaving the building.
As he walked, he texted Luciana. "Where are you? We need to talk." Part of the reason he'd left was because he didn't want an awkward conversation with Darius. The hero seemed nice, but Ash didn't want to give him the impression that they were going to be the best of friends. They were colleagues, and that was it. He needed to talk to Luciana. He needed to find out what the hell she wanted from the heroes before they made any plans. Because, knowing Red Witch, it could be anything.
Darius Jori
xxx All alone in the glass house
xxx Lie awake 'til the sun's out
xxx Pink sky when you come down
xxx Sometimes I wanna fuckin' scream or run away,
xxxI don't know
âOh no worries, thatâs fine.â Darius replied as Ash said he would be sleeping on the couch, and just smiling and nodding when he jokingly thanked him for not murdering him before falling asleep. Darius quietly got up and cleaned up the table, putting the pizza in the fridge and throwing away the half eaten slices and trash. He walked around and made sure everything was mostly locked before heading towards the bedroom, stopping for a second and looking at Ash quickly before closing the door and falling asleep on the bed.
Darius woke up when the early glow of the sunrise peered through the window and onto his face. He slowly sat up and stretched, letting out a long yawn before getting up and walking back out to the main hall of the apartment. âYou feeling any better Ash?â Darius asked as he walked out before noticing the apartment empty, and seeing a small note on the table. He quickly walked over to it and read it, seeing Ashâs message on his number. He put the number in her phone and sent him a quick text, Ok, just woke up. and followed it up by a second one. Oh this is Darius by the way And then went over to the fridge and reheated the cold pizza in the microwave before sitting back on the couch.
After eating a slice of pizza Darius decided to text Elena to see how it went, he felt sort of bad about not checking in after they escaped. Hey, sorry about not reaching out last night, hope alll is good. The Editor is definitely with us, he doesnât seem that bad either, just a bad past with some rogue heroes. Did you get the Red Witch to side with us? And then went to the bathroom to get freshened up. He went to discuss things with her. Want me to come over? He asked as she laid back down on the couch and browsed the internet until a reply.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LUCIANA MORRISON
xxx Yeah someone pour it in
xxx Make it a dirt dance floor again
xxx Say your prayers and stomp it out
xxx When they bring that in
xxx Bleed it out digging deeper just to throw it away
Lucy listened to Elena talk about her powers, sort of like hers but more of an internal control that she couldn't pull out as much. She was a little let down that they didnât really have a trail to follow for these guys besides where they were ambushed. Lucy had hoped they had a little bit more information since they had reached out to go against these people, but I made since that they wanted so have some sort of help or assistance.
Lucy was thrown off a bit when she received a short message from Minerva, showing an example of her power as she spoke. Though her attention was quickly brought up to the big screen in her apartment, images of some men that Elena explained Darius had IDâd as some of the people there, talking about them being clean.
The rest of the night was more business that casual as the two traded what little information they had and possible plans they could, Lucy being more chaotic than Elenaâs thought out ideas. She had Elena send her the images of the people Darius had IDâd to her phone before the two finished for the night and head to sleep, thanking Elena for the extra clothes and blanket the couch. Couldâve shared the bed but okay. Lucy thought to herself before laying down. Surprisingly she slept pretty good for being somewhere new.
Luciana was woken up for her phone putting off a small ping and vibrating, she groaned as she dug under the blanket and saw it was going off because of a message from Ash. âUgh, couldnât let me in peace could you.â She mumbled out loud to herself as she sat up and read the message asking where she was and needing to talk. Lucy looked up and saw that Elena wasnât up yet, or at least seemed that way and thought about how to reply. She assumed Elena wouldnât be happy if she just invited the Editor up to her apartment. She looked out the window and scanned the streets below her, now seeing there was some daylight she knew where she was.
Iâm safe by the way, thanks for asking. Meet me by the newspaper stand on 5th street, across from the old family jewelry store. Lucy texted to Ash, not saying she was at Elenaâs apartment complex, but the newspaper stand was just outside. Elena already made contact with Lucyâs phone so she could probably track her down if she wanted, maybe even able to use a camera nearby. Lucy looked around and wrote on one of the napkins âBRBâ and left it in the middle of the table as she grabbed a brush and walked out, wearing the clothes Elena let her borrow to sleep in, slipping on her shoes.
Luciana was brushing her hair with one hand and holding a magazine in her hand as she was leaning against the wall next to the newspaper stand. waiting for Ash to show up. She didnât look too bad, typical morning attire for someone who just got up and wanted a coffee and something to read. Lucy made it look like she was distracted by the magazine but saw Ash walking up. âIâm on board with working with them for now, if that is what youâre worried about. Was able to see first hand some of the IT girl's abilities.â Luciana spoke without taking her gaze off of magazine, flipping the page, not revealing too much in case her words were heard by a morning passerby. Finally looking up at Ash after a second. âYou still got your mojo or are you boring now?â She asked, curious about the effects of the injection on the Editor.
ELENA RAMSAY
xxxyou want the heart all to be saved
xxxbut even good guys still get paid
xxxso watch my back and keep the blade
xxxi think it got you laid
"Ooh, sounds like you two had a heart to heart. I'm making pancakes, come over and I'll fill you in :D" She texted back as she started to make up the batter for the pancakes. She spotted the "note" on the table, and just rolled her eyes. She wished that she could be surprised by that, but by what she knew from Luciana, she couldn't be surprised. She picked back up her phone and texted Darius. "Banana or chocolate chip? Or both?"
This was how Elena was used to waking up. Frankly, having another body in the apartment sometimes felt strange. The few relationships she'd had, she'd only just been used to having them around on a regular basis when things had ended. When she met someone in the nightclub that could entertain her for a night, she went with them to their bed, and would slip away. Cooking breakfast for just herself was a ritual, one that gave her time to breathe and to think.
ASH HATFIELD
xxxeven while we sleep, we will find you
xxxacting on your best behaviour
xxxturn your back on mother nature
xxxeverybody wants to rule the world
He didn't even get a chance to say anything as she confirmed that she'd agreed to work with the heroes. Finally, she looked up at him, and he just arched an eyebrow at her question. "Still got it," he responded, holding up his coffee. "But I also have the world's worst hangover. Like, I've been on some pretty intense nights out, and I felt better than this." He watched Luciana for a moment, before finally answering the question that's hovering on his tongue.
"Luciana, what the hell did you ask them for? Why wouldn't you just say it last night?" He asked. Ash had a bad feeling about this all, and was almost afraid of what the answer might be. He liked Luciana. She was a good ally, and they'd had a lot of fun together at times. But he hadn't been lying when he'd said that she was a wildcard. She could have asked for anything, and Ash wasn't sure that it couldn't possibly dangerous.
Darius Jori
xxx All alone in the glass house
xxx Lie awake 'til the sun's out
xxx Pink sky when you come down
xxx Sometimes I wanna fuckin' scream or run away,
xxxI don't know
Elena had replied to Darius quickly, he assuming she must of already been awake before he texted her. Seeing the message about breakfast, pancakes, made Darius smile and quickly texted back. On my way! Iâll text you before I buzz the back entrance. He sent and quickly gathered his things and walked out, reading the second message from Elena as she walked down the stairs. You really gotta ask? Chocolate for sure. Iâll be coming through the alley entrance, think it is closer to where I am anyways. He sent to her before checking to see if Ash had replied, which he didn't. He let out a sigh and sent another message to him. Iâm leaving the safehouse, heading to Minervaâs place. He sent before putting the phone in her pocket and starting the walked towards Elenaâs apartment.
Along the way Darius stuck to mostly alleyways, still a little paranoid and worried about being followed and seen out by the mysterious organization hunting them down. Luckily it was also faster as he was able to cut through blocks of the city at a time, especially if he wanted to come through the back entrance to the apartment. It only took him a couple minutes to get there.
Darius rung the bell at the back entrance and waved up at the camera that he knew Elena would immediately bring up if anyone buzzed her apartment. After a second the door made a buzz noise signaling it unlocking and headed to Elenaâs apartment, knocking again and being let in. âHey! Good to see youâre alright.â Darius said giving a hug to Elena. He looked around and saw some wine glasses on the table. âSeems like you had a good night. So were you able to get her to help us?â He asked as he leaned against the beams next to the stairs.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LUCIANA MORRISON
xxx Yeah someone pour it in
xxx Make it a dirt dance floor again
xxx Say your prayers and stomp it out
xxx When they bring that in
xxx Bleed it out digging deeper just to throw it away
Lucy flashed a short smile when Ash said he still had it and referenced the cup of coffee in his hand, and then nodded when he spoke about having a pretty bad hangover taking note that it must be from the serum. It was bittersweet to see the Editor still viable, on the one hand she was glad because he would be needed if they were to get this done his power did come in handy alot in tight situations, but in the other case she still had to be worried about his power. Not exactly easy to resist, thought if you spoke correctly you can find some loopholes in it.
Luciana sighed when he then asked what she wanted from the heroes to work with them, what sort of deal she made. She wasnât entirely sure how he would react if she did tell him, probably not so great. âWell first off, I didnât say it last night because if I recall we were rudely interrupted before we could finish talking business.â Which was true, before the Red Witch could even think about what she would want from the deal they were attacked by the group. It wasnât that Lucy didnât trust Ash, which of course she didnât 100%, he was a pretty good guy. Well a good guy in terms of a villain. He didnât want to murder everyone he saw or turn the city into mindless minions, and he wasnât an idiot, so that was enough check marks to make Lucy like him almost as a friend.
âListen, me and her had a long night, wine involved. We came to an agreement, but itâs a little bit more complicated than the revenge you want. But for now we need to focus on our shared goal, and not what I may or may not be getting from this.â Luciana said with a smirk. In due time she would let Ash know what she wants, or maybe Elena would tell everyone, but it was too early to deal with any conflicts. âSo did you learn anything from glass boy about these people? Or maybe even something about him we could use if things go south?â Luciana asked to quickly change the subject.
After clearing her hands by shoving the brush into her pocket and placing down the magazine, Lucy pulled out her phone and showed Ash the pictures Minerva showed and sent to her. âThey said these people were at the ambush, but couldnât find any records on them. But I swear they look familiar.â
ELENA RAMSAY
xxxyou want the heart all to be saved
xxxbut even good guys still get paid
xxxso watch my back and keep the blade
xxxi think it got you laid
The doorbell buzzed, and Elena glanced over at her screen to quickly scan the entrances. Happy that it was just Darius and that he hadn't been followed, she buzzed him in. She returned his hug as she opened the door to him, grinning with relief to know that he was okay. She raised an eyebrow as he commented on them having a good time, before remembering that she'd left the glasses on the coffee table.
"We needed wine to help us weed through what we both knew," She explained, piling some pancakes onto a place and handing them to Darius. "And yeah. She's agreed to help us. But DJ..." She hesitated for a moment, unsure as to how the hero would react. But she was still a little unsure about trusting Luciana.
"She wants the serum. Whatever shit they stuck The Editor with, whatever they used on the heroes. And I don't know how to feel about that."
ASH HATFIELD
xxxeven while we sleep, we will find you
xxxacting on your best behaviour
xxxturn your back on mother nature
xxxeverybody wants to rule the world
He shook his head as Luciana asked if he'd learned anything. "Nope. I was too busy just trying not to pass out from the drug. Well. I learned that even he, the most uptight of all heroes, isn't against to me burning the whole operation down and burning the ashes. Especially when it comes to that serum. That serum is horrific and nobody, nobody should ever be able to handle that."
He cleared his throat and took a sip of his coffee as Luciana showed him a few of the photos. One of them made him grimace, but then he frowned. "They've been following us. I'm pretty sure I tried to chat up number five there when I was really, really drunk. Three was in the drugstore the following morning when I was stocking up on painkillers. I'm pretty sure I saw number two watching you when I ran into you in that Starbucks."
The others didn't seem quite so familiar, but the longer he stared at them, the more sure he was. He had seen those three before. "They've been watching us, trying to figure out our schedules. So the minute our schedule changes, we know that we're up to something," he added, as he threw a glance over his shoulder. None of those faces were in the crowd- but how many other accomplices did they have?
Darius Jori
xxx All alone in the glass house
xxx Lie awake 'til the sun's out
xxx Pink sky when you come down
xxx Sometimes I wanna fuckin' scream or run away,
xxxI don't know
Darius nodded as Elena explained herself, even though she didnât need to. Whatever Elena and the villain did wasnât much of his business, as long as she would help them and not stab them in the back. Darius flashed a smile as he was handed a plate with pancakes on it, and even a little bit more excited when she said the Red Witch would be helping them.
RIght as Darius took a bite Elena explained the catch for the villain to be helping them, which made Darius cough and almost choke. She had wanted the serum. The thing that had neutralized the heroes and get rid of the powers so they could be captured. And the same thing that Ash had been injected with. âAre you serious?â Darius said just looking at Elena, thinking for a second before just walking over to the couch and setting his food down, rubbing his hands over his face and letting out a deep breath.
âElena, we canât let her have that. Donât care what she said or how much you might trust her. Sheâs a villain. She will likely use it on us the second she got it. Isnât there something else you could give her?â Darius said looking over at Elena with an almost defeated look on his face. âElena, please. Iâve seen what it does first hand, it being in her hands is just as bad as them having it.â He pleaded before just signing and returning to eating the pancakes that Elena had made for him.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LUCIANA MORRISON
xxx Yeah someone pour it in
xxx Make it a dirt dance floor again
xxx Say your prayers and stomp it out
xxx When they bring that in
xxx Bleed it out digging deeper just to throw it away
Luciana lowered her eyes away from Ash when he spoke about the serum. This would be harder than she thought if Ash didnât even want the serum to be held by anyone. Then again he was just injected by it, of course the effects wouldnât be the most friendliest if the people they were against just wanted results of the powers being weakened. Luciana had a couple friends she could bring the serum to if she just got a small amount of it. She knew this one old ex-villain than had a speciality with poisons and antidotes, so maybe he would be able to modify it.
After hearing Ash cough and clear his throat, she looked back up at him as she spoke about seeing some of the people she had showed him. They had been watching them and keeping notes on them. She couldnât recall seeing anyone of them personally, but then again when Luciana wasnât being the Red Witch she didnât really care about her surroundings and attempted to live a normal life. âHmm, well thatâs just great. Even before we got into this mess we were on their radar.â She said as she pulled her phone back and closed out of the pictures.
âThough I am surprised that little glass boy is alright with you being, well, you. Though did you just tell him you wanted to burn everything to get on his good side, or did you just lie to him to get him to believe you?â She asked as she flashed a smile. âAnd I bet you probably want to get out of here soon, I can tell youâre getting paranoid now.â Luciana said as she opened up her text messages and sent a text to Elena. Just about done talking with the Editor. Guess he and you hero buddy want to destroy the serum. Anyways, you want me to bring him up or meet elsewhere and do whatever is next? She sent before turning her attention back to Ash. âTexted her to see what she thinks our next move should be."
ELENA RAMSAY
xxxyou want the heart all to be saved
xxxbut even good guys still get paid
xxxso watch my back and keep the blade
xxxi think it got you laid
âI know, Darius, I know. I told her she could have it just to get her on our side, we can figure something out to make sure she doesnât actually get her hands on it. But we need her on our side. Just... play along for now.â In reality, she had no such intention of double crossing the Red Witch. A pissed Red Witch without a serum was much, much, much more dangerous than a relatively happy Red Witch with a serum. At least from where Elena stood, anyway. Her phone buzzed with a text from the aforementioned villain, and she raised an eyebrow.
âShe wants to meet with... well, I think just me, but I think itâs time that we all sat down together and had a grown-up discussion about this. Iâm going to suggest that we do this here. I can keep an eye on the security cameras, we know how to get out of here fast in a hurry, and I can make more pancakes.â She fired off a quick text back to Luciana.
âDonât mention the serum, D seems a little tetchy about it. But come back up to my place. Bring The Editor.â
ASH HATFIELD
xxxeven while we sleep, we will find you
xxxacting on your best behaviour
xxxturn your back on mother nature
xxxeverybody wants to rule the world
In response to her comment about him getting paranoid, he had to resist the temptation to roll his eyes again. âHm, letâs see, in the past twenty four hours, Iâve been attacked, drugged, had to be rescued by a hero, and have just found out that, you know, the attackers have been stalking us, or at least me, for the past god knows how long. Not to mention, I have the worldâs worst hangover as a result of all of the above. I think Iâm fucking entitled to be a little bit paranoid, Luciana.â
He raised an eyebrow at the comment about her texting Elena. âYeah, because itâs not like I wanted to go home and shower or change or anything. Come on, lead the way, letâs get this fucking show on the road before my life goes to even worse shit.â He said, swinging his arms out as he spoke. But despite his dramatics, behind his sunglasses, he was watching their surroundings. Now that he knew they were being followed, he was waiting for them to make a reappearance.
Darius Jori
xxx All alone in the glass house
xxx Lie awake 'til the sun's out
xxx Pink sky when you come down
xxx Sometimes I wanna fuckin' scream or run away,
xxxI don't know
âFine, Iâll play along. Though I donât like it and we will need to talk about it at some point.â Darius between bites. Darius wondered what Ashâs reaction would be to the Red Witch, his ally, wanting the serum. Last night he seemed to be very against the serum and wanting to destroy and get rid of it all, one of the few things it seemed the hero and villain could agree on so far.
After Darius finished his plate he walked it back up to the kitchen and placed it in the sink to rinse it off before going back to the couch to think and wait for the villains arrive. Ash had said it himself, she was a wildcard. And wildcards arenât always reliable or trustworthy. âElena. The Editor even called her a wildcard. Just. Be careful around her okay?â Darius said to Elena as she continued to make pancakes. Though it wasnât long until there was a buzz and looking over at the CCTV that the villains had arrived.
Darius leaned back on the couch when the two walked in announcing their presence. The Red witch walking into the kitchen talking to Elena, seeming almost a little too friendly, and Ash walking into the living room. Darius gave him a nod and a slight smile. He was happy to see he at least looked a little better than when he saw him last night. Though a little disappointed that he didnât text him back at all. Maybe he was being too annoying last night.
The Red Witch quickly spoke up a different tone than what she used when she walked in, accusing them of gossiping about them. Though wasnât completely untrue, he was mostly talking about just her. She then talked about coming up with a plan for them, a couple wild ones without much thought. âWell me and Ash, I mean the Editor, talked about maybe finding one of them and talking to them.â Darius spoke up quickly. Him and Ash didnât talk about what they would, probably less than her and Elena did.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LUCIANA MORRISON
xxx Yeah someone pour it in
xxx Make it a dirt dance floor again
xxx Say your prayers and stomp it out
xxx When they bring that in
xxx Bleed it out digging deeper just to throw it away
Luciana just shrugged it off when Ash basically said he didnât care about flattery. Maybe The Editor didn't, but she knew how Ash was with a couple drinks in him and when he is more relaxed. Though she did laugh when he got a little upset when she made fun of him being a little paranoid and upset about everything. âStop being a drama queen. Let me get hit with the serum and we will see if youâre right or just being a little whiny.â Luciana said with a smirk. Lucy did stop and think about it, if the side effects were as bad as Ash said they were, or if the situation would come up again if her, or any of the others, would be injected again. Would be a way for Luciana to get a feel for the serum, or if she would be able to isolate it in her blood stream with her powers.
Ash continued to give sass about meeting with the heroes before Lucyâs phone went off, she just waved her hand at him as she read the message. âWell, I would've said I didnât invite you and you could go do your own thing, but I guess they want you there. Guess you made a good impression with your flattery.â She teased as she winked at him and started to walk back. Though she was a little surprised and upset Elena told Darius so soon about her end of the deal. As they walked to the nearby apartment she texted her back. âI wasnât going to mention it, thought wasnât expecting you to tell him so soon. As long as you get me what I asked for, I could care less what he thinks. The Editor doesnât know yet. Though from he said, will probably have the same thought about it. But definitely bigger reaction She sent quickly as she made sure Ash was following it.
Lucy decided it would probably be best to enter the same way they did last night in the alleyway and led Ash down there before getting to the gate and pressing the bell button and just glancing up at the camera. After the door buzzed she opened the door and walked in, barely holding it for Ash. âWait till you see her set up, little jealous of it if Iâm being honest. Which isnât often.â Luciana said to Ash over her shoulder as they walked down the hall. She did a light knock before walking in.
âAnd here we are. The heroesâ castle.â Luciana said to Ash, opening up her arms up like she was revealing a grand opening.. She referenced Ash towards the living room, and walked into the kitchen, ignoring Darius sitting on the couch. âOh pancakes? If I knew you were gonna cook I wouldnât have left so soon. Iâll take just one please, plain.â Lucy commented after looking over Elenaâs shoulder and then leaning against the fridge.
âSo if you two are done gossiping about us, I say time to drop the act.â Luciana said switching to a more serious tone. âWe need to start coming up with ideas and not just sitting around and waiting for them to attack us. Maybe we could try to track one of them down and follow back to wherever they are staying. Or maybe even lure them to us and have our own ambush. Or just start kidnapping people and see if they know anything. Just throwing out ideas.â She said talking towards the two males in the living room. She nodded back to Elena as she was handed a plate of pancakes and started eating.
ELENA RAMSAY
xxxyou want the heart all to be saved
xxxbut even good guys still get paid
xxxso watch my back and keep the blade
xxxi think it got you laid
Luciana's entrance just made Elena roll her eyes, as did the pancake order. But she did as asked and fired the plain pancake onto a plate for Luciana, before starting to make her own batch. It was second nature now, and so she faced the others as she did so. Luciana talked through plans, and Elena grinned. Of course, Darius made it sound like they were just going to try and have another civil meeting. The Editor seemed to have the same impression.
"By 'talk to them', I meant that I'll 'talk to them' and get them to spill everything they know. We're not doing civility or polite conversations around the dinner table. We all know that doesn't work now." The Editor said. Elena didn't miss the sidelong glance at her.
"I personally like the idea of an ambush. Give them a taste of their own medicine and all that," she said with a grin. "It'll also serve as a warning. Show them that we're not to be underestimated."
ASH HATFIELD
xxxeven while we sleep, we will find you
xxxacting on your best behaviour
xxxturn your back on mother nature
xxxeverybody wants to rule the world
Her response about the idea of an ambush answered that question for him. Ash grimaced, sitting back on the couch a little as Elena took the desk chair in front of her computer. "Would that be showing all of our cards a little too quickly? Then they'll know what to expect from us." He asked. Elena just scoffed.
"You think they don't know that already? If they found us in that bar, they know more about us than we can know." Her eyes suddenly grew wide. "Shit. Wait. I should have done this before. Everybody, give me your phones." Ash just stared at her for a moment."Why?" He asked.
"There's a chance that they could have gotten trackers into them at some point. A random email, a dodgy link, whatever. I know my tech is clean, I have half a dozen defences built in to everything and I check them on a regular basis, and I checked them before we left last night. But I can't be sure about you guys," she explained, her words a little manic and frantic. When Ash still didn't move, she held her hand out impatiently. He sighed and handed her his phone. She turned to the others, her hand still out expectantly."
Darius Jori
xxx All alone in the glass house
xxx Lie awake 'til the sun's out
xxx Pink sky when you come down
xxx Sometimes I wanna fuckin' scream or run away,
xxxI don't know
Darius leaned back against the couch as Ash quickly corrected him and saying that being civil wouldnât work anymore. Even though Ash was right doesnât mean Darius was happy about it, plus he was a little annoyed how easily the villains would look over and talk nonchalantly about what happened to him and his fellow heroes, his friends.
An idea did pike Dariusâ interest. An ambush. And as Elena had said, it would be nice to give them a taste of their own medicine after the first two ambushes so far. âSurprise, but I will have to agree with my fellow hero here. Would be nice for us to get even.â He said leaning back forward as the conversation continued, Red Witch of course adding her opinion as she came out of the kitchen. He kept an eye on her as she sat down. Darius didnât trust her one bit since they met in the bar, especially since she wanted the serum, but Elena said she was going to work with them, and they needed her, so he didnât have much of a choice.
Darius looked over at Ash as his train of thought continued. He wondered what Ashâs reaction to the Red Witchâs demands were, since he spoke about burning everything to the ground and getting rid of the serum, that no one else should follow their ideas. Then Darius leaned back with a surprised look on his face, making a small gasp before covering his mouth. He realized something. Ash didnât know, he wouldnât have agreed so easily with Luciana, especially with how he spoke last night. âOh, uhm, sorry. Something popped into my head, no worries.â He spoke quickly as Luciana just rolled her eyes at him and looking back to the others. Luckily Elena started to panic and ask for their phones.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LUCIANA MORRISON
xxx Yeah someone pour it in
xxx Make it a dirt dance floor again
xxx Say your prayers and stomp it out
xxx When they bring that in
xxx Bleed it out digging deeper just to throw it away
Luciana let out a chuckle while chewing when Darius spoke about talking to them, as if they went so well the first time. Though Ash spoke up first, referencing using his powers to make someone do what he wants, especially making them tell and say things he wanted. She continued to eat while Elena and Ash spoke, nodding her head in agreeance with Elena liking the idea of an ambush, Darius agreeing as well. Would be sort of fun to ambush their enemies back for the bar incident. Ash of course spoke up worried about showing too much. Luciana put down her now empty plate and swallowed the remaining food, she put her dish in the sink and walked out of the kitchen and rejoined with the others.
Lucy sat down on the staircase as the conversation continued before Elena demanded their phones. Ash reluctantly gave up her phone while Darius was quick to hand his over. Lucy pulled her phone out of her pocket and looked at it for a second, not giving it to Elena yet, thinking.
âNo.â Lucy said after a pause placing her phone on her lap. âWhat you mean no? Let your pride go for a second and just do as she says.â Darius spoke up quickly. âThink for a second. We want to ambush them? We lay a trap. If they are tracking us, it would be much easier. We throw out some bait and when they bite we attack.â She paused for a second looking over at Ash. âLike City Hall all over again.â Lucy said with a smirk, referencing an old job that the Red Witch, Editor, and a few other villains did a while back.
Minerva had already accessed Lucyâs phone once, but she didnât like the idea of her implementing more hero stuff into it, she had already made sure wasnât connecting to any WiFi signals as Minerva revealed made her power easier to do. She flipped her phone over and sent Ash and Minerva a message separately. Yeah, no. Not working with these heroes, they can deal with this themselves. to Ash. Sorry hun, but youâre on your own here. You wouldnât help me with the serum, so now I wonât help you. to Minerva. âNow if they do have access to my phoneâs messages, they might think I didnât want to help. Though we just gotta hope they canât listen in on actual conversations.â Luciana said with a light chuckle. She did sort of hope that they could read her messages she had sent. It was why she mentioned the serum. If they knew she was after the serum, it might make them think sheâs on their side and against the heroes.
ELENA RAMSAY
xxxyou want the heart all to be saved
xxxbut even good guys still get paid
xxxso watch my back and keep the blade
xxxi think it got you laid
"Okay. So your phones are now clean. Also, your GPS systems are disabled to make sure they can't reverse engineer that shit." She handed them their phones back. "And Luciana, by refusing to let me remove any trackers, you're making yourself a target. They could attack at any time, not just according to our plans. Are you sure you want to do this?" She asked.
"Well, one of us has to be the bait," The Editor said dryly. Elena turned to look at him, and he held up his hands. "You were all thinking it. Listen, we can stick with you from now until the ambush, that way, if they do attack again, you'll have us. Unless anyone else has any great, grand plans, this is the best we have, and Witchy dearest here has basically volunteered herself," he explained with a shrug. "Now, can we get to actual planning, because I would really rather this happened sooner rather than later?"
He had a point, at least. Elena still wasn't totally happy, but just flashed a vaguely apologetic look at Luciana as she turned back to her laptop and the screen. She pulled out a tablet from her drawer and connected it to both to allow her to draw diagrams and make notes.
ASH HATFIELD
xxxeven while we sleep, we will find you
xxxacting on your best behaviour
xxxturn your back on mother nature
xxxeverybody wants to rule the world
Elena nodded and circled the locations on the map, before connecting them with lines. "So. They seem to be sticking to a certain part of the city, as far as we're aware. Hard to tell if this is coincidence or intentional. Irrelevant, we'll come back to that at a later stage. But my instinct would be to draw them out. But also not too far. I'm thinking a radius of... something like this?" She drew a circle around the interconnected locations. Ash leaned forward, scanning the areas between the two circles. He exhaled.
"It needs to be somewhere unusual. Somewhere Luciana doesn't frequently go. Something that will make them think that she's up to something, and is more than likely alone. They're not going to attack in the middle of the day while she's in a routine in case they get caught in a busy grocery store or something."
"Darius, you said something popped into your head. Fancy sharing with the class?" Ash asked, wondering if it was something about their plans. He could see a few potentially suitable locations. A safe house, a disused warehouse that the villains sometimes used for planning and storage... all good locations for interrogations without them having to move too far.
Darius Jori
xxx All alone in the glass house
xxx Lie awake 'til the sun's out
xxx Pink sky when you come down
xxx Sometimes I wanna fuckin' scream or run away,
xxxI don't know
Darius was surprised with what Luciana said, while the plan did make sense, he wasnât expecting one of the heroes to put themselves in danger so openly. Then again it was Luciana, the Red Witch, that was doing this, she could have ulterior motives for doing this, Darius was still skeptical. Elena showed actual concern for Lucy putting herself in danger out there while Ash didnât seem to care much, and was actually make a solid point, would be easiest if someone was bait and while he didnât want to say it, Darius didnât really feel like putting himself out there with all that has happened so far.
âAsh is right, easier to draw them out. Thanks.â Darius said over to Luciana. âNot doing it for you, and donât think Iâm trying to be a hero. Ash is paranoid, Elenaâs powers donât go will with confrontation, no offense, and you⊠eh.â Luciana said with a smirk, Darius rolling his eyes. He didnât know what she meant by that, nothing she could do that he couldnât, plus his powers didnât take as much of a toll physically on someone. Darius still felt like something wasnât right. He quickly turned his attention to Elenaâs screen as the group began to talk. But during most of the talking Darius couldnât stop thinking about if Luciana was trustworthy or not, especially with not telling Ash what she wanted.
Darius was brought back to the conversation when Ash spoke to him, asking if he was willing to share. âUh, no, sorry. Just some stuff on my mind. Nothing too great.â He muttered before analyzing the radius that was drawn on the board. âThereâs an abandoned subway station, on 4th and Lamar Street.â Darius said as he pointed towards the bottom of the radius circle drawn by Elena.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LUCIANA MORRISON
xxx Yeah someone pour it in
xxx Make it a dirt dance floor again
xxx Say your prayers and stomp it out
xxx When they bring that in
xxx Bleed it out digging deeper just to throw it away
Luciana just smirked as the other spoke about her volunteering to be bait. She sent a wink over to Elena when she seemed to feel bad for what Lucy was getting herself into. She then relaxed as the others began to talk and plan more. Ash was always one to want stuff planned out and to overthink a lot. She wasnât one so much, she rather just go out with a goal and a small plan and change it on the fly.
âNot a bad location Glass boy. Couple old hideouts around there where we can get some quiet and personal with after all the fun is over. Plus been awhile since Iâve been on 4th.â Luciana said after Darius pointed to the map. âSo if we can agree that's the location. I go there, lure them in, and walk out with one of their people.â Luciana said looking at the others. âSo yâall gonna be hiding in broom closets and just pop out when they arrive, or am I supposed to give some sort of signal?â She asked looking at the others. Her job would be easy. Walk there, hang around for a little in hopes they show up, and do what she does best. Shatter has his glass ability to fight and hopefully Ash wonât be out of commission right away. Though she wasnât sure what Elena would do or bring to a fight, Lucy was looking forward to see what she could do besides make things loud.
âAlso, I feel like we should do this later tonight, as Ash has said, wonât do it during mid day. Plus gives us all time to freshen up and do whatever you need to do before we go have some fun.â Luciana said standing up and stretching for a second and letting out a yawn. âI know Ash was a little cranky about coming here so soon.â She said with a wink towards him and taking a step towards the door before Darius spoke up. âHow will we know when youâre gonna be there?â The hero had asked. âUgh fine.â She tossed her phone over to Elena. âAs long as they canât tell youâve messed with it, and you donât add any back doors, do what you need.â
ELENA RAMSAY
xxxyou want the heart all to be saved
xxxbut even good guys still get paid
xxxso watch my back and keep the blade
xxxi think it got you laid
They were all in agreement about the area, at least. Elena would have been lying if she'd said that she wasn't shocked that an agreement had been reached so fast. She snickered about the idea of them all hiding in broom cupboards. "I'll be on remote supervision. Hiding out somewhere monitoring the situation. Trust me, you do not want me and my aim in a situation like that, I'd accidentally injure one of you." She explained. She'd need to do a scout of the area at some point, make sure she could connect to everything that she needed to. "None of you stand a hope of cramming me into a broom cupboard, but I'll find a hidey-hole somewhere to hide," Ash said, shrugging.
Darius made a good point about knowing where Luciana was. Elena caught the phone with ease, and put it down on the desk. She plugged it into her laptop and quickly downloaded some software onto Luciana's phone. "Oh, darling, don't worry, I wouldn't need any backdoors to get into anything you own," she reminded, keeping her tone light. "Software. Allows me to track your exact location at all times from any of my devices. Also has a handy-dandy SOS feature so that if you're in trouble, I can find out exactly where you are and send out one of my dear assistants," she gestured to Darius and Ash, who pulled a face, before turning back to her laptop. "To go save your ass. Nine PM. Tonight. That subway station." Ash got to his feet and stretched. "Right. I'm out, I seriously need a shower if I'm going to help y'all kick ass. Au revoir, bitches," he called, sauntering out of the apartment. Elena glanced briefly at Darius. This all seemed far too sudden, and while Elena wasn't afraid of a last minute plan, she wondered how the hero was coping with it.
ASH HATFIELD
xxxeven while we sleep, we will find you
xxxacting on your best behaviour
xxxturn your back on mother nature
xxxeverybody wants to rule the world
And, eventually, it was time to leave. Ash shoved his phone into his pocket, ran a hand through his hair, shoved a knife into his boot just in case, and left the house. The area around the subway station was hauntingly silent. He jumped when his phone buzzed with a text. He rolled his eyes as he saw it was from Minerva. "Black car, second on the left. Come over. " He rolled his eyes again, and made his way over to the car. The window buzzed down, and Elena was sitting in the driver's seat.
"Nice car."
"Thanks. Here." She held out a small ear piece and some type of clip.
"What's this?"
"Earpiece and mic. Mic goes on your jacket."
"Where did you get these?"
"Got bored, repurposed some old headphones this afternoon. Go on, we look suspicious," She said, waving him away and buzzing the window back up. He just raised his eyebrows and did as he was told.
He glanced over his shoulder as he went down the stairs into the subway station. It was a damn nice car, and he found himself wondering how she acquired it. Considering that she lived in a small studio apartment and didn't look like the type to spend all her money on a nice car. He decided against asking too many questions. He crept down into the station and found a dark corner to hide himself in, pressing his back against the wall. And now... to wait.
Darius Jori
xxx All alone in the glass house
xxx Lie awake 'til the sun's out
xxx Pink sky when you come down
xxx Sometimes I wanna fuckin' scream or run away,
xxxI don't know
Darius nodded as the others left and stood up and turned towards Elena, seeing her glance. âIâm fine. Just, worried about this. Yeah they are villains, just donât want a repeat. Anyways, Iâm going to head home and relax for a little before tonight. Been crazy for awhile. See you tonight.â He said as she smiled and hugged Elena. He gave a smile and walked out of the apartment, closing the door behind himself and heading to his own place.
Once he got back he tried to just relax and laid down but couldnât get his mind off later tonight, or about how anything could go wrong. Especially with how they all needed to trust each other and how Ash was the only one of the group not knowing about what his fellow villainâs deal with Elena.
Next thing Darius knew he was slowly turning over when his eyes slowly opened and saw his digital clock showing 8:37 âWhat? Damn it!â He said loudly as she quickly stood up and texted Elena before digging for clothes for something to wear. Accidentally fell asleep, on my way! Sorry! He quickly found something to wear and splashed his face with some water before heading out of his apartment towards 4th and Lamar. If he was fast enough he could get there in 20 minutes.
As Darius turned the corner he got a text from Elena, telling him to come to her car. At first he didn't see her but spotted her car park and lined up next to others. He walked over and she rolled down the window. âHey, been scoping out the place? Whatâs up?â He asked, she quickly handed over a headset and mic, he tucked it into his shirt. âWell Iâm gonna head down, I need to talk to Ash about something.â He said before flashing a smile and turning around to head underground.
Darius slumped down the stairs into the underground subway, avoiding much of the trash and mess before rounding the corner and seeing Ash, giving a slight wave. âHey, so you trust her to do this?â He said quietly as he leaned against the wall, looking down at his phone. He quickly took off his headset and took the mic out of his shirt, covering it up. âAsh, I need to tell you something about Luciana that you should know. You might want to cover up or take out the mic Elena gave you.â He mumbled before looking up at Ash waiting a second before speaking again. âShe wants the serum.â He said with a soft look in his eyes.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LUCIANA MORRISON
xxx Yeah someone pour it in
xxx Make it a dirt dance floor again
xxx Say your prayers and stomp it out
xxx When they bring that in
xxx Bleed it out digging deeper just to throw it away
âWhatever you say miss hacker.â Luciana said as she rolled her eyes before Elena gave her phone back to her. She patted Ash on the shoulder as he walked past her and back to his apartment. âWell, see yâall tonight when the fun happens.â She sent a wink as she walked out of Elenaâs apartment, leaving the door open and heading home. On the way back she thought back to how Ash talked about seeing the people they were after following them around, so she kept an eye over her shoulder as she walked home.
When she got back, Lucy decided to take a shower and freshen up, especially cleaning her wound a little bit more. She thought back to last night with Elena, how together, a hero and a villain, felt so relaxed around each other, almost as friends. Thinking back to feeling her hands across her burns on her lower back and how Lucy sort of wished she wouldâve felt more of her scars. As she got out of the shower she thought about texting Elena, but knew it would be bad and possibly ruin the plans tonight. She laid out her clothes and get dressed, she wasnât one to sit around and wait so she decided to head out and walk around, plus it would look less suspicious when she headed to the subway station.
For the most part Luciana just ran some errands before 8 when she figured she might as well head to the location, get a scope of the area before all the action happens. As she started down the part of town she hadn't been down in awhile, she felt eyes watching her. Whether it was Elena keeping tabs, or the other organization, Lucy wasnât sure but knew there was someone. While walking down the stairs to the subway station she pulled up both her sleeves and punctured her skin to draw some blood for when things went south.
After what felt like an eternity and walking around in circles she heard a glass bottle get kicked past her, startling her for a second and looking up to see a group of men. One in a suit carrying a case, others carrying what looked like modified guns. âHello Red Witch, or should I say Luciana Morrison. About time we met.â The mysterious man with the suitcase said. âWe heard you were interested in our serum.â
ELENA RAMSAY
xxxyou want the heart all to be saved
xxxbut even good guys still get paid
xxxso watch my back and keep the blade
xxxi think it got you laid
Eventually, she could see Darius approaching on one of the cameras, and quickly texted him to approach the car. âPlanting mics, keeping an eye to make sure they werenât ambushing our ambush. Usual drill. All looks good,â she said as she handed him the headset and mic. She nodded as he said he was heading down, but found herself wondering what exactly he could want to talk to Ash about. It seemed that she wasnât going to find out, because over her end, she could hear movement that sounded an awful lot like somebody covering their mic, following by something similar.
âOh for fuckâs sake,â she muttered to herself, and turned her attention to the CCTV. The Editorâs body language gave away that he was not happy. But they had bigger problems, sheâd just spotted a group of men approaching their location. At least one of them gave a positive facial recognition ID on her software.
âFor the love of god, please tell me one of you left your headset in,â she muttered, before speaking into her own mic. âEditor, Shatter, can you hear me? Weâve got company, positions, now,â she warned. There was a rustle, followed by Ashâs voice. âCopy that.â Elena leaned in to watch the action unfold.
ASH HATFIELD
xxxeven while we sleep, we will find you
xxxacting on your best behaviour
xxxturn your back on mother nature
xxxeverybody wants to rule the world
As Ash saw Darius approaching, he stepped briefly out of the shadows to give a small wave. He hadnât exactly intended on having a conversation, but Darius certainly did. Ash was taken aback for a moment as Darius covered his mic and told him to do the same. He did as he was told, frowning all the time. But Dariusâ words took her aback.
âLuciana? Luciana wants the serum?â He repeated, running a hand through his hair. âDarius, why the fuck does she want that? She saw how it nuked me last night. I...â He signed. âThis stays between you and me. But I donât trust her with it. I donât know what she did to wrap Elena around her finger, but it was probably all lies. Darius, we canât let her get that serum. Sheâll swear sheâll only use it for good, but Iâm her so-called ally and I wouldnât put it past her to dose me again. God knows what else sheâd do with it.â He was seconds away from questioning Luciana herself, but a pissed-off Elena came on his headset, telling them to get back in position. He clipped his mic back on and confirmed. âWe need to get into position.â He said abruptly, pressing himself back into the shadows.
His heart was pounding and his head racing. It didnât make any sense. Sheâd been so nonchalant about it earlier that day, but... that was just Luciana. He had to take a deep breath and remind himself to be present. His heart rate picked back up a bit as the men approached and asked Luciana about the serum. Ash curled his hands into a fist, remembering how the serum had burned, the fear of not having his abilities ever come back, the powerlessness of them being gone. He wouldnât let her have the serum. No matter what lies she told. She wouldnât get it.
Darius Jori
xxx All alone in the glass house
xxx Lie awake 'til the sun's out
xxx Pink sky when you come down
xxx Sometimes I wanna fuckin' scream or run away,
xxxI don't know
Darius nodded when Ash spoke about Luciana. âI totally understand, trust me.â Darius said before Ash spoke about Elena. He quickly put her headset back on under his beanie and put the mic under his jacket. âSorry. Weâre good. Moving to position now.â He said to Elena before looking back at Darius, giving a nod before moving through the dark subway to the other side and out of sight.
It wasnât long until the men showed up, saying Lucianaâs full name and mentioning the serum. He was a little surprised with them knowing her name, and that they were actually able to track her down so quickly. But even more startled they wanted to talk about the serum. Did they bring it? Would they actually give it to her, and at what price.
Darius mostly sat in the dark, barely out of sight as Luciana spoke with these men. No, the Red Witch spoke with them. And it wasnât long until his internal questions were answered as they showed the serum, offering a deal with the Red Witch, and then asking for Minervaâs name. Dariusâ heart stopped after the question, and he continued to worry as Luciana took time to answer.
âIs, is she going to say it? Is she going to betray us? Guys?â Darius said in a whisper into his mic to the others. She could right now, could give up Elena, could tell the men that they were about to be ambushed. He was worried, scared. Everything he blank as his fears were slowly becoming a reality, he had to do something. Without taking another second for anything to happen, he quickly threw a glass bottle into the air shaped it into a spike, heading straight towards the man holding the briefcase.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LUCIANA MORRISON
xxx Yeah someone pour it in
xxx Make it a dirt dance floor again
xxx Say your prayers and stomp it out
xxx When they bring that in
xxx Bleed it out digging deeper just to throw it away
A smirk crept across Lucianaâs face as the men walked up and spoke to her, a little thrown off by them using her last name, but she expected them to know information about her if they were able to track her down so quickly. âWell, surprise to see you people here.â She said, eyeing up the men around her, taking tabs on their build and weapons. They mostly just had the modified guns, while two others also carried knives on their vests, and one more with a pistol holster. âYes. Now before we speak business Ms. Morrison, is it safe to assume you werenât followed, no villains or other heroes?â
Luciana gave a chuckle. âPlease, call my Luciana, or Lucy, if you arenât gonna call me Red Witch. Also if youâre talking about Minerva and them, no idea. They wouldnât give me what I wanted so I left, though Iâm not sure if she hasnât been tracking me, might want to lower your voice, seen her powers first hand.â She said leaning against a pillar. âNow if weâre going to talk business, letâs talk. What do you want from me?â She asked flipping her hair out of her face. She was interested in what they would offer honestly, and if she wasnât already working with Elena and the others she might even accept whatever they would say, but she knew she had eyes and ears on them.
âWe will be fine. We want your help to hunt and capture other mutants. In exchange, we will give you what the one call Minerva couldnât give you.â The man who seemed to be in charge of the group said, stepping forward, his escort starting to tense up as he got closer to Luciana. She was shocked at the offer. They wanted her help them hunt down other people with powers. It made sense, to try to get other people with powers on their side, before probably betraying them. She turned around for a second and paced before walking back to the man, being watched like a hawk by his escort. She went to speak but he held up his hand and just opened his case, multiple vials filled with liquid, the serum. He took out one vial and then closed the case, holding the vial. âFor example, you give me the name of the mysterious Minerva, you get this vial. The more you help us the more you get, for whatever reason you want it for.â
Luciana was shocked, and it wasnât hard to tell. She went over the offer over and over in her mind. They werenât just after heroes and villains with physical powers that could be abused, like hers or Ashâs but also people with less harmful powers like Elena. Plus they were willing, or seem like willing, to give her the serum, and possibly more. âSo right now, if I gave you Minervaâs name, youâll give me the serum?â She asked outloud, the man just nodded. She was going over the scenario in her head over and over. Lucy could easily say her name, but she know she would be betraying her. She also would have to fight off Shatter and Editor, but that she could deal with.
Lucy took a look around, not sure where Darius and Ash were, but knowing they were nearby, they had to be. Then she saw a glisten in the dark, immediately knowing what it was. She pushed the man aside, and quickly snatching the vial out of the air before he fell to the ground, she quickly rose a wall of blood coming from her wrists and blocking the glass shard heading for the man with the case, a glass shard sent by Shatter.
The manâs escort quickly raised their guns to the direction the shard came from, Shatterâ direction. âSir! She was followed.â One of the men said, pointing his gun at Luciana. âFirst off, I just saved his life. And second,â Luciana paused for a second as a wicked grin came across her face. âWe set you up.â She quickly turned and knocked the gun out of the manâs hand, while shoving a dagger formed out of her own blood into his side and pushing him into one of the others. âNow if youâre done trying to kill the guy with the most knowledge, can I get some help.â Lucy said out loud to the others, hoping for some back-up.
ELENA RAMSAY
xxxyou want the heart all to be saved
xxxbut even good guys still get paid
xxxso watch my back and keep the blade
xxxi think it got you laid
xxx
xxx
This was the worst part. As things kicked off, Elena felt entirely helpless. She frowned as Luciana mentioned that Minerva might be listening. Why would she suggest that? Why would she put that thought into their heads? She sighed and drummed her fingers on the steering wheel as she listened to the scenario unfold. She had to trust Luciana. She wasn't entirely sure that she did trust her. But she also wasn't sure that she really had any other option. Right up until the moment of betrayal, she had to trust her. Luciana would sense any hesitation and possibly turn it against them.
And then Elena heard a sentence that made her blood run cold. They were asking about her. They wanted to know her identity. In exchange for the serum. Elena pulled her seatbelt on and started the engine, but never took her eyes off of the screen. If it looked like Luciana was going to agree, Elena had to be out of there. If they got her details, she needed to be out of the country and living an entirely different life as soon as possible. She tended to be more level-headed than Darius, but couldn't help agree with the panic in his voice. "Keep your head, Shatter," she said, keeping her voice as steady as she could, never tearing her eyes off of the screen.
As she saw Luciana push the man with the serum out of the way of Darius' missile, her foot nearly punched the accelerator. But something in her hesitated. And then Luciana started fighting back, fighting the men, and Elena audibly sighed with relief. But her heart was still pounding, and the temptation was still there to just floor the gas and leave them all to it. It had been too close. And her trust in Luciana was at an all time low. "Editor, your eight o'clock," she called as the villain emerged from the shadows. Ash whirled around, ready for action. A punch to the throat meant that the attacker fell to his knees and a swift boot to the face meant that the man hit the floor. "Much appreciated."
ASH HATFIELD
xxxeven while we sleep, we will find you
xxxacting on your best behaviour
xxxturn your back on mother nature
xxxeverybody wants to rule the world
xxx
xxx
xxx
xxx
xxx
Ash knew his nose was broken, if not from the pain, then from the blood gushing from it. But the fight wasn't over, not yet. He had to give them credit, not one of them had turned and run in fear yet. They were going to fight, no matter what. And that determination, even as they fell, one by one, was somewhat admirable. Nothing seemed to phase them. Ash turned and slashed one of them across the face, before plunging the knife into the man's leg. The scream of pain made Ash smile almost instinctively. He ripped the knife out again, resulting in another scream, and grabbed the man's face so he had to look Ash in the eyes. "Did you hear? You're gonna walk over there and join your friend. You're not gonna move until I tell you you can." This time, the man didn't even try to fight, and instead just limped over to the same corner. Wiping his knife on his jeans, he looked around to survey their handiwork, grinning to himself. But then he remembered how close Luciana had come to destroying them, and the smile slipped. He marched over to her. "Me and you are gonna have a little chat later. Whether you want to or not," he warned quietly, before turning to face the head honcho. "So. What are we going to do with him?" He called to the others, folding his arms.
Darius Jori
xxx All alone in the glass house
xxx Lie awake 'til the sun's out
xxx Pink sky when you come down
xxx Sometimes I wanna fuckin' scream or run away,
xxxI don't know
Darius froze as his glass hit Lucianaâs wall and shattered, and the men aimed in his direction. He was getting ready to bring up a glass wall of his own to protect himself against whatever would come at him next when the villain quickly attacked the men beside her, starting off the chaos. He was hesitant at first but quickly joined in the fight when he saw Ash getting into action. He rushed across the tracks and formed a bat out of glass and hit one of the men across the back with it, knocking him to the ground. He noticed out of the corner of his eye a man coming to attack him, but luckily Ash tackled him. âThanks.â He said before dragging the man he took down to the group Ash had formed in the corner.
âAll clear Minerva.â Darius said into his headset to Elena, looking back at Ash and nodding in the good work they had done, but when he looked at Luciana he quickly looked away. He absolutely did not trust Luciana now, he was sure she was about to say Elenaâs name before he attacked and started the altercation.
Darius listened as Luciana spoke, saying they didnât need each of the people they captured, referencing killing them, something he didnât want to do. âWait, we donât have to. Maybe get what we need and send them back as a message?â He suggested, but his suggestion was lost on her ears as she quickly moved and picked up a briefcase, the one the man had brought and asking if they wanted to destroy it. âOf course, but maybe we sh-â he was interpreted when she dumped the contents on the floor, multiple vials breaking, asking if they were happy. Darius was surprised that she had done that, especially since he knew she wanted the serum. Maybe she was trying to show good faith, but he was still skeptical. Though he would be lying if he said he wasnât glad some of the stuff had been destroyed.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LUCIANA MORRISON
xxx Yeah someone pour it in
xxx Make it a dirt dance floor again
xxx Say your prayers and stomp it out
xxx When they bring that in
xxx Bleed it out digging deeper just to throw it away
Luciana relaxes once she saw Editor out of the shadows and fighting, taking down two of the men, and Shatter taking down the last. As she looked around seeing that everyone was taking care of she let out a deeper breathe and retracted her powers before she drained herself.
Lucy rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. âPfft whateverâ she said in reply to Ash they would need to talk. He then asked what to do with the man that seemed to be incharge. âWell to be fair, we only need one person to talk. We get rid of the ones we donât want to deal with and just interrogate one or two of them.â She said circling around the group that Editor and Shatter piled up.
The Red Witch looked back around the area before noticing the briefcase on the ground and quickly going over to it and picking it up before any of the others could. âIâm assuming yâall want to destroy this.â The said as she opened it where only she could see inside, and maybe Elena through whatever cameraâs she had. She saw there was an empty spot where a vial was missing, the one she had slipped into her shirt during the fighting. She knew they would be suspicious if they noticed one missing. Lucy thought quickly and just turned the suitcase upside and dumping the contents on the ground, the vials breaking one pile making it near impossible to tell how many there were. âThere, destroyed the serum vials. Happy?.â She said tossing the empty suitcase on the ground and it sliding across the floor open with nothing in it.
âAll around, I say we did good, besides Glass Boy almost ruining everything.â Luciana said giving a stink eye to Darius. âRuining everything?! You were probably about to betray us, give up Minerva so you could get what they offered.â Darius stepped forward, just about yelling at Luciana. âOkay.â Luciana said making air quotes with her fingers. âI wasnât going to betray anyone, I was getting their guard down. Earlier today I texted Minerva about the serum to make them think I wanted it. It's called playing your enemy and manipulating people. Something heroes like you donât get.â She said in retaliation before hearing the man who seemed to be incharge laugh as he was one the ground. âYou mutants have no chance, can barely work together. He said, before Luciana kicked him in the stomach to make him stop talking.
ELENA RAMSAY
xxxyou want the heart all to be saved
xxxbut even good guys still get paid
xxxso watch my back and keep the blade
xxxi think it got you laid
xxx
xxx
She frowned as Luciana picked up the briefcase and dumped it on to the ground, causing the vials to shatter. Considering that the serum was exactly what Luciana had wanted from them working together, just recklessly destroying the whole container didnât quite seem to fit. Something made her rewind the footage and pause it at the moment Luciana glances inside. The lighting wasnât great, but Elena was pretty damn sure she was seeing what she thought she was seeing. One empty slot. Elena inhaled and exhaled slowly, sitting back a little and running her hands down her face. She didnât want to jump to conclusions. But her trust in Luciana was fading rapidly, and she started to wonder if theyâd made a catastrophic mistake in trusting her.
âHeâs got a point,â Elena snapped into the mic. âIf the pair of you could stop bickering and just get to the actual interrogation, that would be great. Oh for fu-â she stopped herself as she realised that Luciana couldnât hear her. âShatter, phone out please,â she said, connecting to his phone and using it to project her voice, distorted ever so slightly to help protect her identity. âThatâs better. I say they drag their sorry asses home and show their bosses what weâre made of. Bodies would also potentially trigger police attention, which Iâm guessing you two donât want,â she said.
ASH HATFIELD
xxxeven while we sleep, we will find you
xxxacting on your best behaviour
xxxturn your back on mother nature
xxxeverybody wants to rule the world
xxx
xxx
âI have an idea.â He said, and took a few steps nearer to the one who was in charge. He sank into a crouch so he was staring at the man straight in the face. âDid you hear? Youâre going to tell us exactly what will happen if you-â The man reacted quickly, sweeping a leg out at Ash and knocking his feet from under him and interrupting Ash mid sentence. âOh you piece of shit!â Ash swore, scrambling to pin the man to the ground with a knife against his throat. âIâm going to try again. Did you hear? Youâre going to tell me what will happen if we let these men walk away, and youâre going to tell me in as few words as possible.â The man stared at Ash. Ash could almost feel the manâs resistance, fighting back against Ashâs ability. And Ash pushed back, pressing the knife in a little harder.
âTheyâll be punished for their failure. Some of them are on their last chance and will probably be killed. Some of them will be sent out to attack you or other known mutants. Some will be reassigned to try and track down Minerva.â The man eventually replied, but Ash could feel him struggling the entire time. Ash held his position for a moment, before getting to his feet and walking away, careful to tread on the manâs hand as he did so. âSo. What do we think now?â He asked, folding his arms.
Darius Jori
xxx All alone in the glass house
xxx Lie awake 'til the sun's out
xxx Pink sky when you come down
xxx Sometimes I wanna fuckin' scream or run away,
xxxI don't know
Darius was ready to snap back to Luciana when the man spoke up, and was quickly kicked in the gut. âThat wasnât needed Witch.â He said as he stepped forward, then heard Elena in his ear, letting out a sigh. He pulled out his phone put it on speaker for her so Luciana could hear her voice obviously distorted. She had a point about them not arguing and to get back to the reason they were here, information.
Darius was conflicted with what to do with the people they had defeated, and the options that were thrown around by everyone. He wanted the people to pay for they had done to him and his friends, but these guys were just grunts. Well except for the guy Luciana had kicked in the stomach and wanted to know Minervaâs name. Before he could speak up again Ash started the interrogation, well more of figuring out what would happen if they would be set free. When Ash was taken down he took a step forward ready to retaliate, but Ash was quickly holding a knife to the manâs throat. He spoke about how some would be killed, and others would just be going back to the field.
âIâd have to agree with Minerva, we just drag one or two with us, release the others as warning.â Darius said, looking at the group when Luciana spoke up about taking the human in charge, also calling Editor soft and like him, an insult to both of them. He wasnât upset when Luciana left the two, was happy not to be around her. He turned back to Ash. âI donât trust her destroying the serum, something is up with that Editor.â He spoke to him. âIâll let you decide who we take and donât, you seem to have more experience with this than me atleast.â He said circling around the group and ending up standing next to Ash.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LUCIANA MORRISON
xxx Yeah someone pour it in
xxx Make it a dirt dance floor again
xxx Say your prayers and stomp it out
xxx When they bring that in
xxx Bleed it out digging deeper just to throw it away
Luciana was thrown off hearing the distorted voice coming from Dariusâ phone, quickly realizing it was Elena. She had almost forgotten she was nearby during all the conflict and arguing with Darius. âYeah, but their bodies wonât be found here for awhile, cops donât come here often, they try to stick to the safer side of things. They think heroes will do everything for them.â She spoke up, and not entirely untrue, citizens had become reliant on heroes for just about everything. It annoyed most villains, and even some radical groups. Maybe thatâs what this organization wanted, to give power back to the people and not the heroes.
Lucyâs attention was brought back the group when Ash had a knife to the manâs throat, demanding more information about these men. âEnough of this shit.â She spoke up quickly. âJust take the head honcho, he will know the most. My vote is to get rid of the liabilities, but I guess Shatter is rubbing off on Editor.â She said as she took a couple steps towards the stairs. âYâall sort it out. Iâm going back up to get this wiped. phone wiped.â Luciana said as she started up the stairs and outside.
As she got back up to open air she let out a deep breathe and ran her hands through her hair before getting directions to Elenaâs car. Not saying the make or model since there was proof they were tracking her phone. She walked over and tugged on the passenger door, it being locked but Minerva quickly unlocking it and she slid into the seat closing the doo. A smile on her face as she placed her phone down for Elena. . âGlad we were able to pull that off, sorry, but not really sorry, about arguing with Darius. Not the right pl-â paused for a second looking at Elena, and csheould tell something was wrong. âElena? Did you really think I was going to give you up? Because I wasnât going to; and I wouldnât. I trust you, you can trust me.â
Luciana let out a sigh and leaned her head back thinking for a second. Then she knew she had to open up, she needed to keep atleast Elenaâs trust. She reached into the front of her shirt and pulled out a vial. âI got it, the serum. I donât know what to do with it. Ash talked about side effects so I canât take it right now. But I still need your help, and I know yâall still need mine. So here.â She helped out the vial to Elena. âcolor=#571616]âAs good faith and trust, you can take it. Either keep it for me, or destroy it. I trust you judgement.â[/color] She said looking back out the windshield. âThe others should be up soon, we should get moving before back up comes.â
ELENA RAMSAY
xxxyou want the heart all to be saved
xxxbut even good guys still get paid
xxxso watch my back and keep the blade
xxxi think it got you laid
xxx
xxx
Elena knew she wasn't hiding her emotions terribly well, but she couldn't help but scowl a little as Luciana got into the front seat of the car beside her. She knocked off the projection through Darius' phone and drummed her fingers on the steering wheel as Luciana made some stupid quip about fighting with Darius. Even if she couldn't stop her face from betraying her, she could at least keep her mouth shut until her head was clear about what she was going to say. She just held out her hand to take the vial as Luciana held it out.
"I could see everything. I saw your expression when they offered that to you, and if Darius hadn't reacted, I don't know that they couldn't have talked you into giving them my name. And instead of fessing up, like a grown-up, or lying, and saying that you were going to take the vial for chemical analysis so we could better try to understand the chemical, you destroyed evidence. You don't think that was strange? You don't think Ash and Darius are going to have their suspicions that something is up? We all need to work together, Luciana. And you need to grow the hell up and learn to work with Darius. Ash is being weird about the serum? Probably understandably so. So maybe you need to learn to talk to people, and learn that there's a bigger picture outside your base desires." Elena sighed heavily, wrapping her hands around the steering wheel. "But simply because I need to trust you so we don't all die an ugly death, you get one more chance. You pull something like that again? I smash this and I make sure that every last drop burns." She tucked the vial into her jacket pocket and exhaled slowly, trying to regain her composure.
"I think I can see Ash and Darius coming."
ASH HATFIELD
xxxeven while we sleep, we will find you
xxxacting on your best behaviour
xxxturn your back on mother nature
xxxeverybody wants to rule the world
xxx
xxx
"She's a wildcard. She did that for a reason. I just don't know what the reason is, and I don't know how to feel about that." He mused. "But her ability is too damn valuable to pass up, so we're gonna have to trust her," he said with a shrug. An idea struck him, and he grinned. "Darius, I know how we're gonna deal with these guys over here. Grab the head honcho." He took a step closer to the group and crouched down so he was staring them all in the face.
"Did you hear? When me and my friend get out of here, you're all gonna fight each other. There's not going to be a single one of you left alive. And if anyone finds you, it'll just look like you were a bunch of thugs that had an argument and made some very, very stupid mistakes." He could feel the individual resistances, all fading one by one, and he smiled to himself.
"Come on, we need to get moving. I think we need to do the totally cliche thing and shove this guy in Elena's trunk, I think that's the only way we're gonna make sure he doesn't see their face or figure out who they are," He said. "Did you hear? You're not gonna fight or resist," he ordered. He received surprisingly little resistance to that order which surprised him, but which he also wasn't going to complain about.
Darius Jori
xxx All alone in the glass house
xxx Lie awake 'til the sun's out
xxx Pink sky when you come down
xxx Sometimes I wanna fuckin' scream or run away,
xxxI don't know
Darius agreed with Ash with what he said. If it was his choice, he wouldnât be working with Luciana at all, but was helpful when it mattered. He would just have to work on ignoring whatever she says. He grabbed the man they would be taking with and pulled his up to his feet, making glass shackles around the manâs hands, behind his back, and starting towards the exit. He wanted to stop Ash from making the remaining me fight each other till they were dead, but understand the circumstances.
âSo what are you going to say to the Red Witch? About the serum. Minerva just said we would deal with it when it matters, but Iâm not sure.â Darius asked Ash as he caught up to him and they started up the stairs towards the exit. He was curious about what Ash would do with the knowledge that Darius had told him about Luciana. When they got to the top of the exit and finally got outside, he noticed Luciana getting out of Elenaâs car, and leaned over to Ash. âWonder what that was about.â He whispered to Ash before Luciana came up to them.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LUCIANA MORRISON
xxx Yeah someone pour it in
xxx Make it a dirt dance floor again
xxx Say your prayers and stomp it out
xxx When they bring that in
xxx Bleed it out digging deeper just to throw it away
Luciana slouched a little as Elena talked to her, pointing out her mistakes and what she would have done. âElena I wouldnât betra-â Luciana was cut off as Elena spoke some more, basically telling her she was on her last straw. She just nodded as Elena continued, then referencing towards the subway entrance, and seeing Darius and Ash come up with the head honcho. âIâm sorry Elena. Itâs just, Editorâs powers. One of the few powers Iâve encountered thatI have difficulty combatting. Being forced to do something that the rest of your body says no.â She said looking at the windshield for a second. She then opened the door and climbed out, but then turning back to Elena. âThank you Elena. I mean that. Love the outfit by the way.â She closed the door and walked towards the other two.
As Lucy walked she ran her hands over her face and through her hair to regain her own composure, not wanting to show how she felt to the others. She felt almost hurt that Elena thought she would betray her, but now wasnât the time that, had to get back to business. âAh look who it is.â Luciana said as patted the man on the head. âEditor wants him in the trunk.â Darius said, moving his head towards the trunk. Luciana smirked âOh I like that ideaâ She replied as she went back to the car and opened the trunk, making enough space for the man to fit.
âThe Cellar isnât far from here. Probably best to take him there and donât think anyone would be using it.â Luciana said to Ash. The Cellar was code name for the underground hideout the villains used on this side of town, one that was also more known for interrogations and to keep hostages. âI can give Minerva directions if we wanna head there now. Shotgun.â She said walking back to the passenger door.
ELENA RAMSAY
xxxyou want the heart all to be saved
xxxbut even good guys still get paid
xxxso watch my back and keep the blade
xxxi think it got you laid
xxx
xxx
Elena just stayed silent as Luciana explained herself, and complimented her outfit. She would have been lying if she'd said that Ash's power didn't vaguely terrify her as well. But he hadn't used it on any of them yet. If anything, he'd shown himself to be more trustworthy than Luciana had. She could see Ash and Darius dragging the head honcho behind them as they approached the car. Elena stayed in the driver's seat, starting the engine up again and getting ready to move.
Part of her was still tempted to leave them all behind. Just floor the gas and leave all this behind her, go start somewhere new. It would have been so easy. But after she'd just told Luciana to get with the team and play ball with them, it would be especially hypocritical. For once, this was bigger than her. And she knew that if she ran, no matter where she went or how far she ran, they'd probably still catch up to her. There was no way she'd ever be able to run away from this. So fighting with them was the only choice she really had. It was the only choice any of them had.
She could hear a brief conversation outside the car, before they opened her trunk and appeared to shove the man into it. She rolled her eyes, but it was effective. As everyone piled onto the car, she had a quick look around her surroundings to make sure they hadn't been seen. "So. Where are we going?"
ASH HATFIELD
xxxeven while we sleep, we will find you
xxxacting on your best behaviour
xxxturn your back on mother nature
xxxeverybody wants to rule the world
xxx
xxx
xxx
xxx
Ash pulled a face as Darius asked what he was going to say to Luciana. "I don't know. Ask her why the hell she wants it, for a start." He knew that she wasn't a huge fan of his ability. He'd never used it on her, but then again, she'd seen him use it plenty of times. As long as she didn't get any wise ideas about where she wanted to stick the needle, he would have understood if she'd just said it outright. Or, well, he probably would have tried to talk her out of it. But she'd deliberately kept it from him. Darius had known about it, which meant she'd told Elena. She'd kept it from Ash, which he wasn't exactly happy about.
He raised an eyebrow as Luciana got out of Elena's car and smirked a little as Darius commented on it. "Would have loved to have been a fly on the wall in that conversation," he retorted. Luciana was at least happy with bundling the guy into the trunk, and they took a few minutes to move stuff around so they could fit him in. "Did you hear? You're gonna get into the trunk, and you're going to stay perfectly still until I tell you otherwise."
The man climbed in somewhat awkwardly, and Ash slammed down the lid unceremoniously behind him. He nodded as Luciana suggested The Cellar. "Doubt anybody's using it at the minute, everybody seems to be lying pretty low. Otherwise Bunker's pretty nearby, it's a little smaller but it'd do if somebody else was using The Cellar." He knew that the heroes would probably be expecting a literal cellar, but The Cellar was actually quite a nice spot. Sure, there was an interrogation room, but there was also lots of spaces for villains to just chill between jobs. And the coffee machine was almost as good as getting it from an actual coffee shop.
Luciana called shotgun, and Ash just glanced at Darius, raising his eyebrows, before climbing into the backseat. He let Luciana take charge on directions as the effort of using his abilities was starting to drain him.
- 68 posts here • Page 1 of 3 • 1, 2, 3