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Kit Cassidy

"So who wants to test out my latest gadget?"

0 · 279 views · located in Atlas

a character in “The Aegis Program”, as played by therealmcdreamy

Description

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KIT CASSIDY
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"Cyberspace. A consensual hallucination experienced daily by billions of legitimate operators, in every nation." -William Gibson, Neuromancer
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xxxxx|| Legal Name || Kit Cassidy
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xxxxx|| Alias || Spark Plug
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xxxxx|| Pronouns || He/Him
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xxxxx|| Age || 19
xxxxx|| Sexuality || Asexualxx
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xxxxx|| Mentor || Sevenxx
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xxxxx|| Birth-place || Lower City, Atlasxx
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xxxxx|| Hex || #698B69xx
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xxxxx|| Height || 5'2
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xxxxx|| Build || Athletic
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xxxxx|| Description || Kit isn't one to dwell on appearances which is obvious given how disheveled he always manages to look. Kit isn't overly large or intimidating but don't mistake his height for weakness as he's very athletically inclined. Kit could arguably be considered handsome if he took more time in his appearance or at least attempted to get more than 2 hours of sleep a night. His wavy brown hair is always wavy and unkempt while his dark circles grow more every day. He just always seems to look like he's about to collapse and fall asleep wherever he is (and sometimes he does) or like he's one shot of caffeine away from a mental breakdown. Somehow he only ever seems alive while tinkerer or showing off the new gadgets he's built. Clothing wise, he's a bit odd. Mostly it's fortunate he remembered to dress himself but for the most part he's always seen wearing 90's street wear and whatever gadgets he's created or decided to test out. He likes what he likes.
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xxxxx|| Likes || Cars, Motorcycles, Inventing, Engineering, Shaolin Kung Fu, Smoking Pot, Gummy Bears, Smelling like Petrol and Grease, Tech, Working in His Lab, Performance Driving, Cigarettes, Cigars, Rock Music, Sparring, Slasher Movies, Chan Buddhism,
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xxxxx|| Dislikes || Alcohol, Field Work, Socializing, Parties, Pointless Fighting, Yelling, Hugs
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xxxxx|| Quirks || Fidgety out of lab, Can't hold eye contact with people, Doesn't like being touched, Follows a Strict Training Regime
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xxxxx|| Fears || Not having answers, Never understanding human connection, Bugs, Ferris Wheels
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xxxxxKit Cassidy is a strange breed. He's always tinkering or rambling on about ideas for his next project and often comes off a bit childish and innocent whenever he's talking about tech or weapons. There just seems to be a certain naivety about the way he presents so awkwardly during social interactions by not being able to make eye contact. Or the innocent excitement any time he gets to go to his lab or work on his car or motorcycle. Yet other than those moments, he's often just calm or seemingly barely awake since he struggles to sleep. Though this only seems to add to his innocent nature because even though he creates weapons, he doesn't like to fight with them and it's why he prefers not to be in the field. He doesn't have the heart to hurt people in that way. Sure, he loves a good sparring match or a one on one brawl to settle a argument. But those moments are different to him. those are settled and left on the mat with both parties getting to walk away. He doesn't judge or care if others do. He just personally chooses to avoid fights as much as possible.

In general Kit is a fairly easy going guy. Maybe it's all the pot he smokes in his lab while working but he for the most part just seems to follow along with what's happening. He just likes being in the supportive role. He does have a hyperactive side but those moments come out whenever it's of something he likes like getting to talk about cars or kung fu or getting the chance to spar someone for fun. He particularly gets excited whenever he gets to present a new invention for the team to use on their missions. He does get self conscious though because he feels like he struggles so much interacting with people. He knows he's been shoveled into the ole of little brother of the team and he doesn't mind but he wishes he could interact with them better and forge genuine friendships. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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xxxxx|| Cyber Mind || To put it simply, Kit has the brain of a super computer. There is a neural link on the back of his neck that he can use the link himself into any database and download information. This also lends itself as to why he's so skilled at creating weapons and gadgets along with being an expert in various scientific fields. He can also perceive and react to things much quick than the average person and read those around him with incredible accuracy. This makes him seem almost precognitive in a fight, almost.
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xxxxx|| Bio-Electricity Manipulation || Thanks to Kit's Cyber Mind he is able to control and manipulate his bio-electric currents. He can utilize this to manipulate his nervous system to increase his speed and agility along with pain suppression. He can also release the currents as shock waves or into a weapon he's created to use in conjunction with his powers.
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xxxxx|| Strengths || While he dislikes doing any field work, Kit is a surprisingly efficient fighter. His abilities and the fact that his obsession with Kung Fu made him download everything on it and Shaolin Warriors. He doesn't look for fights but he does love a good sparring match so long as it's not work. His most obvious strength would be his intelligence. Despite his young age his abilities have allowed him to be an expert in various scientific fields to help him be the teams go to mechanic/engineer/inventor. He's also taken the time to learn a few medical fields to play a better support role for the rest of the team. His other strength would be working on cars and motorcycles. His favorite moments are having time to work on his track cars. It's the only time he feels at peace and 'unplugged'. He's also a skilled driver but that's more him racing for fun than something to use for the team.
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xxxxx|| Weaknesses || Despite the rumors of him being a Cyborg, Kit is a puny squishy human that dies just easily as everyone else. That out of the way, he's susceptible to information overload if he tries to download to much information at once. A strong enough EMP could fry his mind and render him useless until someone jump starts him. His biggest weakness would be his lack of social skills. It's not that he can't interact with people it's just that it simply makes him too anxious and he'd rather be in his lab getting things ready for the next mission.
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Kit may have an eidetic memory thanks to his powers but he doesn't really remember much from before two years ago. All he has to go off are fragments of different types of memories he can't figure out and the nightmares he gets when he does fall asleep. He remembers that he was born in Lower City, Atlas. He may have been an orphan. Some pieces show him being adopted while his nightmares show him being taken away to a lab. He knows he was experimented on but he doesn't know why or by who. It's like his memories are locked being a firewall he can't hack.

All he really knows is for some reason he joined the Aegis Program and 'woke up' two years ago. Since then he's utilize his powers to download as much information possible and following a strict training routine for his martial arts. He's never really questioned why they do what they do. Part of him isn't bothered because of his experiments but also part of him is scared to ask given how little he knows for being a super computer.

Since then, Kit has completely dedicated himself to the teams support role. He makes everything they use out on missions and further supports from afar by hacking into surveillance systems and helping the team gather intel. So far he has yet to have to get his hands bloody. But he's fearful that may have to change...

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cs: phosphene - fc: dylan sprayberry - hex code: 698B69

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So begins...

Kit Cassidy's Story

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Ada Forrest Character Portrait: Mikey Santo Character Portrait: Leo Lambert Character Portrait: Bella Clayton Character Portrait: Kit Cassidy Character Portrait:
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xxxxxx[ The Monkey Dork ]
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xxxxxx[ Name x/ /x Kit Cassidy ]
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xxxxxx[ Code Name x/ /x Spark-Plug ]
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xxxxxx[ Music x/ /x X ]
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xxxxxx[ Hex x/ /x #698B69
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Organized chaos. Kit zipped around his lab frantically but at the same time his calm aura made it appear completely controlled. Hence why he would be best described as in a constant state of organized chaos whenever it pertained to him in his lab. Truthfully, he should be attending the party and making small talk with investors about his latest creations but why would he ever want to waste his time on something like that? Socializing was already nerve wracking enough but it seemed like such a waste of his time. He’s much more useful in his lab after all.

Currently he is finishing up the prototype models of a new communications system he wanted the team to use. He figured it’d be more beneficial to the archaic system Aegis had them using tonight. During this time, he was also flipping through security cameras at the party and listening into conversations. Seemed like a better way to know what happened without the pain of human interaction. He stopped for a moment for a couple of bong rips because why not while he was here.

It was at this moment he became fully distracted when the camera landed on Bella. And it continued to be panned on Bella for far too long as Kit neglected what he was working on and just stared at his screen with the worlds goofiest look one could come up with. Wow, she looks so incredible. I should go down and talk to her. He zoomed the camera in a bit further before he rested his cheek into his palm and continued being the world's biggest creep. As much as he wanted to go down and talk to her. There’s no way he could. What would he even say? He can barely speak a cohesive sentence to people he despises. With her it’s even worse. He attempts but instead ends up running away if they aren’t sparring or that one time she snuck into his car but that was completely different circumstances.

Suddenly the screens tuned into the cameras started to act strangely. He’d barely heard Mikey’s comms go down but it wasn’t like he was entirely paying attention to where she even was given his current distraction. Instead it was seeing Bella leave in a panic that sent him on high alert and scanning the screens to find everyone’s locations before every screen of his that was connected to the security camera suddenly went blank in unison. Well that’s not good…

Just then, a hand came crashing down to the back of his head as a slap deserving of being on one of the anime’s he had queued up on one of his many screens. ā€œStop being a stalker, nerd.ā€ Seven…

ā€œStop being such a jerk, jerk.ā€ Kit retorted back as he rubbed the back of his head. Seven simply laughed at him. ā€œGood one.ā€ God she was so annoying. Why did he get stuck with her as a mentor again anyway?

ā€œComms are down. Not sure if you noticed while you were drooling all over your monitors. But somethings up and Mikey’s disappeared.ā€

ā€œThank you captain obvious. I had no idea.ā€

ā€œDidn’t seem like it from where I was standing.ā€

ā€œWhatever. Just hand me that screwdriver and quit wasting my time.ā€ Kit rolled his eyes as he stuck out his hand. Seven complied but not without more added sass to give. ā€œNot sure how building toys solves the missing team member issue...ā€

ā€œNeither does arguing with someone old enough to be your child.ā€ The fact that Seven didn’t slap him was more surprising than the fact that he even had the balls to make a comment on her age. Must be the weed. ā€œDone. You go grab Ada from the party and anyone else if they turn up. I know where Mikey is and I need to get this to her. If this much of our system crashes I'm gonna need to get communications up fast before I can figure out who got into our system.ā€

Seven saluted him while he rolled his eyes. ā€œWhatever you say ā€˜oh fearless leader’. I never realized how handsome you can be when you’re not an annoying ball of anxiety.ā€ With that, she was gone and heading straight for Ada to clue her in on everything that was happening. She may not want to admit that Kit was right to be worried but why should she worry when she has luck on her side?

Kit b-lined it to Mikey’s location. He came running down with his favored bo staff in hand and his new invention tucked into his jacket. When he made it to the door he decided it would be a genius idea to use his bio electric powers to help him bust open the door and send it flying (if anyone is behind that door... he’s sorry) before jumping through the entrance twirling his no staff around and yelling out, ā€œThere’s no need to fear! Spark-Plug is here!ā€ And grinning like the childish idiot he probably is. He looked at everyone and then came to the realization that Bella was right there and now any bit of confidence he may have had in that moment has now sunk down to the depths of hell where they belong. ā€œI-I uh made this thing. It-It’s to boost your tel-t-telepathy p-powers so we ca-can all be mind l-linked.ā€ His gaze met his feet as he presented her the silver band and then handed the ear pieces to everyone else. God I’m so stupid…

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Mikey Santo Character Portrait: Clarence Lawless Character Portrait: Leo Lambert Character Portrait: Bella Clayton Character Portrait: Kit Cassidy Character Portrait:
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ā€œClarence, you will be assigned to Team Skaưi.ā€

The words had been music to his ears: a symphony of validation after years of trials, tribulations, and most importantly, training. Everything before had been either a simulation or errands of no true consequence. Whether it was rescuing cats from trees, returning lost goods, or helping kids find their way home none of it affected the big picture and nearly all of it involved the supervision of a random security guard or cop. There was no excitement or impact. None of these were things only he could do.

Blending into the party was easy, especially when half of the team was employed by Hale Enterprises or part of Atlas’s elite. Clarence however, was neither. Having slipped through the cracks and into Aegis’ lap he was a nobody and therefore, perfect for the role of the waiter. Per their instructions he was to be a fly on the wall, listening for suspicious activity and providing backup should something happen.

ā€œYes, Athereum is on the up and up these days,ā€ a bespectacled man mused, ā€œI might pick up a few thousand myself.ā€

ā€œYou can’t be serious Rembrandt. Money stored through the Internet? How will anyone verify its value?ā€ his partner, a brunette woman asked.

ā€œWe already pay through cards and wire everything online. Athereum is the way of the future!ā€ he exclaimed before downing the rest of his champagne.

God, this is so boring, Clarence held back an eyeroll as the two continued debating ecommerce. Was this what rich people talked about these days?

Before Clarence could walk away however, Rembrandt set his empty glass on the hero’s tray.

ā€œYoung man, please bring us another round of drinks,ā€ the man said.

ā€œOh, and more of those lovely tapenade crostinis!ā€

Nodding silently, Clarence walked away from the couple and towards the back of the venue. Behind two hallways and a pair of black doors was the kitchen where the staff was having a celebration of their own (at least as much as one could while still serving the upper crust of Atlas). Empty champagne bottles, cigarette butts, and plates were all piled in the sink while a tray of stuffed mushrooms thawed on the counter top. Of the ten staff members working tonight four were in the ballroom, two of them called off and as it seemed, the rest were back here. One of the waiters had their feet kicked up on the table, the chef was missing, and the janitor was swirling a glass of red wine.

ā€œWe need more champagne and that olive paste,ā€ Clarence announced, setting the empty glasses in the sink.

ā€œMmm, that’s a Kelsey problem, not a me problem,ā€ one of the waiters yawned.

ā€œOkay so where is she?ā€ he asked.

ā€œSmoke break,ā€ the other staff member answered before pouring himself another glass.

Great. If there was one thing that people loved hearing, it was that something wasn’t available to them.

ā€œBut then... what do I tell them?ā€ Clarence asked.

ā€œDon’t tell them anything. Just wait for them to forget,ā€ he shrugged, ā€œwe’re getting paid by the hour, not the plate.ā€

Strictly speaking, Clarence wasn’t getting paid at all.

Aside from the free food, he had no incentive to be on this specific mission. He would have been fine anywhere and if not today, he would have been happy to accept his first mission tomorrow. But being here, having this opportunity was more than just coincidence. He had no interest in bumping elbows with celebrities or learning to serve the rich. He only cared about one attendee: Alexa Lawrence. Outside of a cursory patrol around the ballroom, he had spent the last hour following behind her and her date, his plate a hodgepodge of drinks and Hors d'oeuvres he pilfered from other servers.

He wanted to say something, anything, but each time he opened his mouth he could only manage a whisper. Would she explain how she abandoned him so easily? Would she apologize? Would she even recognize him? Though they shared eyes and cheekbones, one wouldn’t have known they were related at first glance. As a child, she’d told him that he always looked more like his grandfather and given that she never met his father, it was hard to say that Clarence received anything from him.

He certainly didn’t step in, when Clarence was tossed out the door.

"Hey."

Glancing to his left, he saw the janitor gesturing for him to grab a glass.

"Come have a drink."

Nodding gratefully, Clarence put down his tray and walked over before downing the wine.

ā€œThank-"cough"-you."

"Easy there, the party's still going on for another two hours," the janitor chuckled.

"Either way you look like you've seen a ghost," the waiter commented.

Well he was half right.

Before he could interject, a garbled noise buzzed through his earpiece.

"Say that again? Your comm acted up-"

ā€œHello? Mike-Skaoi? Skaoi?ā€

More garbled noise followed through before cutting out entirely.

ā€œDude, who are you talking to?ā€ the waiter asked, knitting his brow.

ā€œI-Uhh...ā€

Shit. Shit. Shit. He was not supposed to use their real names or code names...or talk out loud for that matter. Was this guy going to find out that Mikey was Skaoi? Would Aegis have to kill him? Would he?

ā€Are you okay? You’re getting pale. Like even more than normal,ā€ the waiter frowned.

I’ll be right back!ā€ Clarence announced before tossing his glass (and missing) into the sink.

ā€œWhat about your tapenade?ā€ the waiter asked.

ā€œTell them I’m on a smoke break!ā€

Bolting out the back door, Clarence circled around the premises looking for signs of a brawl. He could feel his heart beating with anticipation, ears burning at the thought of bursting onto the scene with a superhero landing. Wildman would save the day with his patented "Serenity Inducement", lulling the villains into a false sense of security before taking them out with the one-two punch.

So naturally, the moment he finally arrived, all of the thugs were unconscious and the rest of his team (Ada aside) were wrapping up their discussion.

ā€œAw man, you took them all down without me?"

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Mikey Santo Character Portrait: Clarence Lawless Character Portrait: Leo Lambert Character Portrait: Bella Clayton Character Portrait: Kit Cassidy Character Portrait:
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bella clayton.
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kit cassidy.
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Instinctively, Bella jumped as the door burst open, finding herself in a fighting stance. But as Kit burst through it, twirling his staff around, and sending Mikey flying, Bella instead burst into laughter. ā€œNow, that’s what I call an entrance!ā€ She cheered. She raised her eyebrows as he held a silver band out to her, before her eyes got big with excitement as he explained what it was. ā€œOoooh! I can’t wait to try this!ā€ She said, putting it on. Even if the others didn’t have their earpieces yet, she could already hear their thoughts much clearer than usual. The voices weren’t overly loud or overwhelming either. ā€œKit, I love this! It works so well! You’re a genius!ā€ She gushed. ā€œIt’s gonna be so helpful!ā€ She looked up and waved at Clarence as he arrived. ā€œClarence! Look at this really cool gadget Kit made for me! It’s to boost my telepathy to help us communicate! Isn’t that cool?ā€

So much just happened at once for Kit. He just sent Mikey flying. He was pretty sure she was going to kill him for that one. At least he impressed Bella? Except now that presented a whole new set of problems for him. She liked his entrance. Was it because he embarrassed himself? Oh god, what if she thought he was a complete loser now? He really needed to stop screwing up his chances to impress her. But then she loved his device. Kit’s face started to burn while his heart started racing again. He couldn’t believe that she actually liked it and was showing it off. He kept looking down at his feet while he spoke. ā€œIt’s nothing that impressive… I–Uh–Umm… I’m glad you like it.ā€ He put in his own earpiece not entirely sure what she was going to hear. His face was still flushed while he looked up slightly. Still unable to maintain eye contact while he chose her left shoulder as the spot his gaze fixated on. It was a nice shoulder. ā€œUmm-I–I’m Sorry I–I couldn’t test it until now. I–I don’t know if it works on me yet.ā€ Even if she could read his mind right now, all she’d be hearing is him calling himself an idiot on repeat after that failed attempt to talk to her.

Bella raised an eyebrow as Kit said it wasn’t that impressive. ā€œNo, this is really cool!ā€ She said as she started trying to hone in on people’s thoughts. It took her a few minutes before she could actually focus on anyone’s thoughts properly, and when she finally could, she found that it was Kit’s that she could hear. His thoughts were swirling but she could see that he was annoyed with himself. ā€œKit! You’re not an idiot! You’re brilliant!ā€ She gushed, holding out her fist to him for a fist bump. ā€œThis works so so well!ā€

Kit’s cheeks started burning thanks to the knots in his stomach over Bella praising him. He didn’t know how to wrap his mind around her like his invention. Sure, it happened to be perfect timing considering their comms had just gone down but still. How was anything he did impressive in comparison to everyone else. Like Bella. She’s just absolutely amazing in every way Kit could think of. Her smile, the way she always bested him when they sparred, how awesome her powers were. He loved the fact that she wasn’t scared to go out into the field and actually be a hero. He didn’t really think he could call himself a hero with how often he chose to hide in his lab instead. He was just tech support compared to them.

It took a few minutes before Kit got the answer to her being able to read his thoughts for the first time. Oh god she can now hear everything. She’s gonna really know how much of a nervous idiot I am now. He wanted to stop thinking at that moment but his nerves were screaming inside. Mostly to try and not think about Bella. Which in hindsight, would mean his head was screaming with thoughts about Bella. He needed to change the topic quickly or else he was screwed. His brain really needed to shut up. The mission! Right! He needed to get back on the mission. That was the smartest way to not make himself look anymore like a blubbering dork with the world’s biggest crush on a girl way out of his league. ā€œThank you.ā€ He acknowledged her praise again softly. ā€œSo, um, what are we supposed to do now?ā€

Once Bella had determined that she could, in fact, hear Kit’s thoughts, she immediately decided to try it on some of the others. It worked for everyone and made it much easier for her to hone in on them. She guessed that that also meant that it was working for everyone else. Kit was brilliant enough and smart enough that she didn’t doubt for a second that it was the case. She was constantly amazed by how smart he was and how he’d been able to build something like this. It worked perfectly for what they needed it to do, but without being uncomfortable or making things too loud for her. She could barely work some of the especially complicated photocopiers in work, but he’d been able to build something like this, and so easily. And his enthusiasm about it had been so cute, as had been his embarrassment. He was really just so cute-

Wait. Could the others hear her thoughts as well? Shit, shit, shit. If Mikey had heard any of that, Bella would never live it down. She nodded at his thanks and tried to look as professional as possible as he asked what they were supposed to do. ā€œWell, by the looks of it, Leo and Mikey dealt with the bad guys. So, glorious leader, do we go back to the party or do we get to kick a bit more ass?ā€ Bella asked, looking at Mikey.

Kit may be a genius, but he somehow managed to also not be the smartest in the room when it came to social intelligence.While he was worrying so much over Bella hearing his embarrassing thoughts he’d completely forgotten that the entire point of this was for everyone to be able to mentally communicate with each other. Meaning his thoughts were a beacon to everyone else unfortunate enough to be linked to our two clueless geniuses with very obvious crushes on each other. Bella just happened to be the first person everything would pass through as she was the ā€˜home base’ for their mental link.

He distracted himself with his wristwatch. Another special invention of his as it projected small holographic images for him to interact with. He pulled up a scan of the entire building and everyone in it and made the projection larger for the group to see. ā€œWho do we grab first and how many more goons do you guys think there are?ā€ Kit spoke calmly finally. It was easy when talking about this kind of stuff. He understood how to talk about missions and plans and of course anything science related. He kept staring at the projection trying to think about what the most practical solution could be. Maybe he could find the answer and be useful. He could be a better help to Mikey than the dork who ran her over with a door.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Mikey Santo Character Portrait: Clarence Lawless Character Portrait: Leo Lambert Character Portrait: Bella Clayton Character Portrait: Kit Cassidy Character Portrait:
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Leo Lambert
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Quantum | Hero | #FFD201
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Mikey Santo
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Skadi | Hero | #197b5b
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Mikey didn't know how long it had been since she made that desperate call for help on the comms, hoping to someone that one of her teammates had gotten it and were on their way. As much as she despised relying on others to come and help, especially as she was playing Head of Security for this event, she had more than enough reasons to want to be able to do this on her own. Hell, she should have brought something else that wasn't just the knives hidden along her right thigh, that she had covered with her dress. But here she was, one hell of a long fall if she went over the railing. Dodging and weaving out of attacks from the two masked figures that stood opposite of her. Normally she wouldn't have an issue, but there were multiple reasons she was having difficulty. One, it had been a stupidly unexpected ambush. Mikey should have known better. Yet here she was. Xavier wouldn't let her live this down, and that made her feel even worse. Second, she was wearing an all too form fitting dress, that alone made combat even more difficult, and of course lastly, the weather.

From up this high, and the current time of year, it was absurdly cold. Which made every movement even worse as the wind would pick up every few seconds, before dying down. Truth be told, Mikey didn't know how much longer she could keep it up in these conditions, when something unexpected happened. She heard another voice speak up. At first, dread filled her as she was prepared to have to fight a third, but after a few seconds, it hit her. She knew who that voice belonged to. And with a quick side-eye glance, a wave of relief washed over her as she saw it was none other than Leo, or well, Quantum.

Everything that happened next, happened too fast. Somehow her senses were dwindling faster than she'd like to admit, and Mikey even felt a bit sick. However, with the masked figures' attention now on Leo, Mikey knew it'd be fine. And sure enough, Quantum was able to take care of them all too quickly. And the ordeal was over in a matter of seconds. Both of the unconscious forms of the attackers were slumped over by the time that Mikey looked back over at Leo, Mikey had been partially leaning against the freezing, metal railing. Trying to recompose herself once again. After a few moments, Mikey gave Leo a small, kurt nod to their question of if she was alright.

At the mention of being late and the comms not working, Mikey gave a small shrug, before looking up at the Titan, giving a feign smirk. "It's fine. I knew someone would arrive soon enough anyway, not surprising that it was you. All things considered. Everyone else was probably too busy to come help anyway." she said with a somewhat bitter tone. Carefully taking Leo's arm as they offered it for support. Mikey's grip was a bit tighter than she had meant for it to be, but at this point, she could barely feel her hands. I need to get inside, she thought to herself. It was only when Leo asked who were the two attackers and how they managed to get in, once more she gave a shrug, "Hell if I know. Nor do I care. But what I do know? Is that they knew full well people would be here, they didn't come here expecting normal security...Which isn't what's sitting right with me..." her voice dipped for a moment.

As Mikey gripped Leo’s arm, they placed one of their hands over hers to keep a good grip on her; they noticed just how cold she was. The energy bouncing around inside them helped stave off the cold, but clearly Mikey didn’t have anything like that. Their eyes watched her every move, ready to catch her if she fell again. Leo nodded as they listened to what Mikey said. Why were those guys here? Obviously, they had some ulterior motive. Even those not in Xavier’s inner circle knew the event was being held. So surely they must have known that security would be tight. Leo’s attention traveled back to the figures on the ground. ā€œYeah, something isn’t right… There have to be more somewhere,ā€ Leo mumbled as if deep in thought.

Movement caught Leo’s attention. They tensed, as if preparing for more enemies, but instead, Leo’s eyes lit up. Bella approached them, looking absolutely stunning in that dress. Whatever she said to Mikey went right over Leo’s head. Instead, when Bella greeted them, Leo released their grip on Mikey to wave at Bella. ā€œHi Bells!ā€ They chirped over to her, a big, dumb smile on their face. The compliment from Bella warmed their skin and made their chest feel all fuzzy. ā€œThanks! That dress is gorgeous! Not as gorgeous as you though,ā€ They complimented her right back. If it was possible for a human being to have heart eyes, Leo had them at that moment. It was only then that they realized they had essentially dropped Mikey. ā€œAh, oops, sorry Mikey,ā€ They leaned back down and hooked their hands under Mikey’s arms. With their eyes bouncing between Mikey and Bella, it was obvious their attention was struggling to find a place to rest. Leo hoisted Mikey off the ground and placed her back on her feet.

It was only when the door opened that Mikey's attention was drawn away from Leo for the first time since she laid her eyes on them. A small, awkward grimace was on her face as Bella questioned her on what was going on. "Like I told Quantum here, I don't fucking know what's going on. Some assholes got the better of me, Quantum showed up, and now we're here. My guess is that these bastards fucked with our comms all together. Shiloh's comms were acting weird moments before I even came out here to survey the floor and well...Now we're here." Mikey shook her head, gently pinching the bridge of her nose before she grimaced. Taking her hand away as pain shot through the arch of her nose and into her head. She assumed one of the attackers got a good hit in and did enough damage to warrant some pain. God damn bastard.

She looked up when Leo had extended their hands to help Mikey back to her feet. Awkwardly taking their hand as she got to her feet. [/b]"Thanks, Leo."[/b] she said with a small nod, before looking away from the giant of a superhero. Things were still a bit awkward between the two of them, and she doubted it would change anytime soon. But now wasn't the time for that.

Mikey turned her attention back towards the door, where she began to lead the others as they talked. At least, that was what happened until suddenly, Mikey felt something slam into her and once again felt herself hitting the cold hard ground. "I swear to fucking god, if one more rat bastard hurts me again, I swear I will-" Mikey began one of her long winded tangents once again, before looking up. Her eyes landed on what had hit her, or more precisely, who. Or even more so, who caused what to hit her. Her eyes narrowed on Kit who was rambling on about something about a new gadget to Bella by this point. Her head now throbbing by the door having slammed into her, and knocked her off her feet. "Could you be any less careful?" she grumbled, not even bothering to get up off the ground this time.

It took her a few moments of sitting on the ground to piece everything back together again, looking around at the group that had formed by this point. Kit, Bella, Leo, and now Clarence. Mikey blinked a few more times, before slowly getting back to her feet, warily looking around incase anything else planned on knocking her down again. With an arched eyebrow, she gave a small shrug, "Well, I doubt that's the last we'll see of them, nor are they the only ones. No one would only send barely a handful to a party like this." she practically mumbled to herself, fingers resting under her chin as she thought.

It was only then that a pit formed in her stomach, looking over her shoulder to the ledge where Mikey and Leo had last piled up the goons.

"Uhm...where the fuck did they go?" she cursed, pushing past the others, sure enough the goons Mikey and Leo had taken care of earlier were nowhere in sight. "Xavier is gonna kill me."

The events that transpired soon after were so fast, Leo had to pay attention to keep up. Although, by now, it was apparent their eyes were struggling to find a place to settle. They bounced to Mikey to make sure she was ok, then back over the Bella to marvel in the beauty of her formal outfit, then to Kit who was looking so adorable all flustered like that, they just wanted to pinch his cheeks, and then to Clarence, who was almost more adorable in his little waiter outfit. There was so much going on, so much Leo wanted to say, and with that remaining energy bouncing around inside them, it was getting difficult to stand still. But it was clear to everyone around them, Kit and Bella were having a bit of a moment, and Leo couldn’t help but sit by and watch. They’re both so cute, they mused, a pleased smile on their face. But they’re sooooo oblivious. They obviously like each other. They should say something to one another! Leo couldn’t help but wonder, with so little introspection it was practically baffling.

Bella was just praising Kit’s newest invention when Mikey caught Leo’s attention again. They turned to glance at her, a touch of confusion causing them to tilt their head to the side. But as soon as they heard what Mikey said, their eyes widened. They turned fully to peer behind her, and sure enough, the goons they had dropped were gone, as if they had vanished into thin air. ā€œWhat the…? How…?!ā€ Their head whipped around as they searched the walkway, as if there was anything the goons could have been hiding behind anyways. They darted to the edge, fearlessly leaning over it, perhaps a bit farther than they should have, before standing back up straight, unbothered. ā€œThey’re just… gone!? That’s not a good sign,ā€ Leo reapproached the group before peering over at Kit’s map. ā€œAre there even any more?ā€ They asked.

Mikey couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, really not that bright, huh?, she couldn't help but think for a moment. Looking around for a moment at the others before returning to look at Leo, "My best guess? Thicker skulls than we thought, and knowing how to play dead real well." Mikey folded her arms before looking back at Kit as Leo has asked him a question, "I'd assume so, no one would only send barely a handful to scoutout a place like this, knowing full Supes, like you guys, would be mixed in with regular security." Mikey had chosen her words rather carefully, her dual-sided identity wasn't exactly primarily known, even amongst the others. And she'd prefer to keep it that way.

With a small, exasperated sigh, "And if there is, wherever they are…No longer my problem. I think my bruises have bruises now, no thanks to someone." she shot a pointed glare in Kit's direction, before turning on her heel. Not being able to fully ignore the slight blur of vision she experienced for a moment, "I think I need a drink…Or two."

Leo observed, the concern in their expression multiplying by the second. Why would anybody attack a party like this? They glanced over their shoulder again, as if making sure the two goonies had actually disappeared. Once their attention returned to Mikey, they could detect the slightest sway in her movements. Leo blinked, as if considering their options. However, as much as they would have loved to stay and drool over Bella for a little longer, her and Kit were having… a moment. There was still an undeniable discomfort between Leo and Mikey, but they did their best to ignore it at all times. They weren’t necessarily friends, but they were professional with one another. And now wouldn’t be any different. ā€œAlright, Bella, Kit, Clarence, keep your eyes peeled. We have no clue if more goons like this are going to show up, but we have to be ready if they do. Now we can communicate faster if something happens. Brain page me if you need me, I’m going to help grumpy pants to the infirmary,ā€ Leo flashed them one last smile before saluting and darting after Mikey.

ā€œI think what you actually need is to get checked out. By a doctor. If… that wasn’t clear,ā€ Leo added that bit at the end as they kept pace with Mikey. They facepalmed mentally. Hopefully Bella didn’t feel it. Nice one, dumbass. This definitely isn’t awkward enough. They sighed and put their hand on Mikey’s shoulder; the touch was their attempt at being comforting while also implying that she could lean on them if she needed to. ā€œSeriously. I don’t have anywhere I need to be, let me help you,ā€ They offered, their voice soft, displaying how much they did actually care.

Mikey had all but in her own thoughts when she managed to catch the last few parts of Leo's first comment as she felt their hand on her shoulder. Initially causing her to freeze and flinch momentarily. Taking a moment to take a deep breath, before turning to look at the other, who was only an inch or two taller than herself. Even when Mikey wore heels, Leo still managed to be ever so slightly taller than her. Annoying, but she'd get over it. Simply giving a small shrug, "Please, no one within the whole span of the city would be in their right mind. I think I'm good there." she attempted at a joke,"But yeah…Maybe taking a bit to sit and chill for a bit would be fine. Last thing I need is Xavier getting on my ass about this…I really didn't need to fail this badly as head of security. Or well…At least try to make a point of it, I guess."

She took a few steps, before instinctively reaching for Leo's hand on her shoulder as she could feel herself wabble again, "...Maybe it would be a good idea to get checked out after all…Just uh…Need to figure out how to not get spotted by the others." she took a moment to think, before glancing at Leo for a moment as the two continued to walk, "Thanks though, for uhm…not giving me a hard time about this? Or well…everything. So…Thanks, Leo." she said with a half smile, seeing as that was about as much as she could muster in the moment.

At Mikey’s attempt at a joke, Leo chuckled. It was pretty funny, but they also did want to try and move past the awkwardness of their own statement. They were usually so eloquent… Mmm, well, that’s not entirely true. So they would take all of the help they could get right now. However, they were glad that Mikey wasn’t protesting about getting checked out. They had dealt with a hardheaded, stubborn certain someone for so long who was always refusing help, so it was a breath of fresh air. However, Leo hadn’t expected what Mikey said at the end, and their stomach twisted a little bit. Leo was horrible at holding grudges; they can’t stand the way they make Leo feel. Mikey may have broken their best friend’s heart, but she was still human. Leo would never treat her as anything less than such. So, their gaze softened, and they smiled a little bit, especially at the use of their actual name instead of their codename.

Once Mikey leaned on them more, Leo hooked their arm through Mikey’s, so they were walking linking together. From there, Leo could rest a hand on Mikey’s forearm, to make sure she would maintain balance. Plus, to an onlooker, they just appeared to be strolling around together. ā€œI could always carry you, but… Perhaps if we walk like this, throw in a random, exaggerated laugh or two, people will assume we’re just two friends with one being a little more tipsy than the other,ā€ Leo offered, but their tone revealed that they were joking, if only a touch. ā€œOf course I wouldn’t give you a hard time about it… Or anything else,ā€ Leo spoke rather matter-of-factly, as if this was common knowledge. ā€œThat’s what heroes are for, right? To help?ā€ Now Leo was laying it on thick, a broad smirk on their face.

Mikey gave a small nod of agreement, at least if anyone managed to find them, they'd be none the wiser. At least not anyone connected to Aegis. "So, pretend to be stuck up rich people? Sounds easy enough." she quipped as the pair continued along. At the mention of being a hero, Mikey snorted. "Please. There are plenty of other things a Hero like yourself could be doing right now, that doesn't involve helping me not get spotted by my boss." Mikey spoke softly as the two continued walking down one of the many hallways, before taking a turn down another corridor.

"How about this, I pay you back sometime for being so charitable? And not because you're a Hero. But because you are a much too kind person, that I happened to inconvenience. Sounds fair?" she asked with one raised eyebrow as she looked up to her companion, which happened to be the most unlikely person, if she was to be honest with herself.

Leo laughed and shook their head. It took a lot of effort not to roll their eyes too. ā€œPlease. I’m here to help. As far as I’m concerned, helping is helping, so there isn’t anything else I’d rather be doing,ā€ They beamed down at Mikey, their voice and smile as sincere as always. ā€œPlus, Xavier loves me! There’s no way he could be that mad when I’m the one with you,ā€ Leo added in hopes that they could dissuade Mikey’s anxiety a little. And they weren’t lying either; their relationship with the famous Xavier Hale was quite positive.

However, at the offer of repayment, Leo’s surprise was obvious. Mikey wasn’t really the charitable type, at least they hadn’t pegged her as such from the pair’s previous interactions. The compliment did make their smile broaden though. ā€œYou don’t have to, Mikey. I told you, it's my job to help people.ā€ It was true. Leo didn’t see themselves as kind; they just believed that everyone should be willing to help someone when they’re in need. Their eyes followed the corridors as they traversed, allowing Mikey to lead them in the proper direction.

Mikey had patiently listened as Leo spoke, nodding along. Unable to hold back the small snort at the comment of Xavier liking Leo. Xavier was a man of many things, and knowing how to well 'people' was simply one of them. So knowing how to properly make outside of Aegis connections weren't too farfetched, nor was it that Mikey knew exactly who Xavier was. But that wasn't for here.

Turning to face Leo once again at their last statement, she gave a small nod. "Ya know…I'm probably not thinking straight anyway. I probably won't even remember this conversation, as I bet I got knocked around pretty badly so…fair enough, I suppose." she said with a small shrug.

Leo was surprised by how quickly Mikey relented; it seemed as if Mikey was going to continue to surprise them tonight. Although, they couldn’t help themselves with their next statement, ā€œIt's us you’re talking about. Are we ever thinking straight?ā€ The joke could have landed horribly, and Leo still wouldn’t have been able to stop their own laugh that followed. Once their giggling had died down, Leo squeezed Mikey’s arm softly. ā€œIf you wanna do me a favor, you can do this for me: take it easy, and take care of yourself. And try to steer clear of any big steel doors for a little while, god knows who could come barreling through one of those,ā€ They had to force their final joke out through their ever-growing grin.

Mikey couldn't stop the following comment by the time it had already left her, "Huh, Bash told me otherwise, I do believe-" a clearly playful tone was laced in. Soon followed by a small nod, "But sure, I will stay away from all big doors for the rest of the night. You can count on that much from me." Mikey said as she rubbed the back of her head, "Gonna hurt like a bitch tomorrow, I can tell that much though…" she groaned, as if she needed any other reasons to have a headache.

Leo laughed instantly, and they shook their head. ā€œHey, I’m genderqueer. As far I’m concerned, anything and anyone I’m involved with is at least a little bit gay,ā€ They joked with that same broad smile. ā€œAnd I topped the shit out of Bash anyways,ā€ They added that last bit with a smirk. Once Mikey replied, Leo nodded. They were glad that she would at least try to take it easy, though they weren’t sure what that even meant to someone like Mikey. ā€œThat’s why we’re headed to the infirmary! Hopefully there they’ll give you something that will make it hurt a little less,ā€ Leo’s tone remained just as excited and positive as it always was. ā€œSpeaking of, we should be there soonā€¦ā€

Mikey couldn't help the small scoff and roll of her eyes, she didn't need to know that information, "Unlike a certain someone-" she muttered under her breath. Only giving a small nod at first, but soon regretted it as the motion caused the pain in her head to worsen, "I sure as shit hope so, infact, I hope it makes me forget this whole night all together." she grumbled as the two continued to walk down the various hallways.

"It should be one of the next few doors, actually. If I remember correctly that is." Mikey sighed, before turning one last time to look at Leo. Giving them the smallest of genuine smiles that she could muster,"Really though, thank you. After...everything, it's nice to know that at least someone doesn't still hold things over my head.."

After they had made it to the door, Leo only released their grip on Mikey once they were sure she wasn’t going to topple over. Even then, they kept a watchful eye on her. Leo had to fight to keep their smile from faltering a bit. What happened between Ris and Mikey… Leo hadn’t been there for that. They knew that Mikey left Ris heartbroken, and although Ris is Leo’s best friend… Leo isn’t the type to hold grudges. They would never let something like that impact how Leo treats people. But it was still an awkward situation that required some delicate handling. ā€œHey, I told you not to worry about it. That’s what heroes are for! And if you need me for anything else, let me know.ā€ Leo smiled at her again, hoping she wouldn’t notice that they had specifically avoided talking about what happened between her and Ris.

Mikey was only able to give a small nod, clearly able to discern that even Leo was dancing around the subject. Mentally kicking herself for even bringing up the topic in the first place. Maybe she really did just need some alcohol, a blanket, and some movies. That way she could shut the fuck up and not make already awkward enough situations, that much more awkward.

Letting out a soft sigh, Mikey looked down at the floor, before looking back up at Leo, "Noted. Guess you really were my hero tonight after all, huh?" she mused for a moment. Before pausing, finally remembering what had been bothering her this entire time, "I am a complete idiot." she started, looking back at Leo once again, "Your suit. Back there...Any and all damages to your outfit tonight will be paid for personally by me. And I will not take no for an answer, got it?"

There was something so satisfying about being called a hero; for Leo, it never gets old. So when Mikey repeated the sentiment, Leo felt that usual warmth from praise heat up their skin. In truth, that would have been repayment enough, but Mikey continued, and Leo couldn’t help but playfully roll their eyes. ā€œOh please. You can try if you want, but I don’t even own the damn thing. This is all Switchblade company property. It’s nice though, right?ā€ Leo held their hands out and did a little spin. ā€œYou should see the jacket, it's the best part. At least I had the foresight to keep that from getting wrecked. Come find me once you’re done here, I can show it to you,ā€ Leo beamed, their genuine excitement not hidden in the slightest.

Mikey gave a resignated and final nod, Leo had won this round apparently. "Fine, Mr. Fancy-Pants." which came out as more of a grumble than she had anticipated. Mikey watched as Leo gave a small spin before continuing to explain, and offer to meet back up after everything was said and done. "I'll let you know what the dire results are afterwards, then." she said with one last look before she took a few steps away towards the door. "And uh, try not to get too drunk tonight, yeah? You Heroes still have a mission tonight."

Leo was glad this had gone well. Or, as well as they could have gone, at least. They nodded in reply, excited about the prospects in the future. However, at the remark about them drinking, Leo laughed. ā€œYou don’t have to worry about me. I promise I’ll lay off the strong stuff, but I will keep sipping bubbly for the rest of the night. Luckily that stuff is practically apple juice to me.ā€ Leo smiled at Mikey one last time before beginning to make their way back down the hall. ā€œI’ll see you later!ā€ They waved just before turning a corner.

Mikey simply gave Leo a small smile and nod, watching as they not too long after turned and left. She waited a few moments, before looking down both sides of the hallway, and ducked into another room, softly closing the door behind her. She took out her earpiece once more, once ensuring that the voice modulator that Phantom had installed was activated, "Skadi once again ensuring all agents are in position? We got a mission at play, folks. Let's not fuck it up, yeah?" her voice was a few octaves lower whenever she was in her hero persona, a precaution she had learned from Phantom and a few other Heroes that wished for their identities to remain hidden. Besides, it was okay if Mikey had disappeared few a hours, Skadi had to at least make some sort of appearance tonight, even if she remained in the shadows, watching from afar.




Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Morgana Ishida Character Portrait: Emeris Mikaelson Character Portrait: Lucille Simon Character Portrait: Ada Forrest Character Portrait: Mikey Santo Character Portrait: Clarence Lawless
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bella clayton.
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outfit. sentinel. #772222.
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xxx the sun's starting to light up
xxx when we're walking home
xxx tired little laugh, gold lie promises
xxx we'll always win at this

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Mikey didn’t exactly tell them to go back to their stations, but Bella presumed that’s what they were supposed to do. So she made her way back down to the party, marvelling as she found herself still able to tap into the other’s thoughts over the increased distance. Mikey’s were still a little slow and groggy after the fight. Leo was… well, Bella had learned the hard way before not to try and listen to Leo’s thoughts for too long. And then there was Kit, being as brilliant as ever. His invention really was great. When Mikey spoke over her comms to ask the heroes to get back in position, Bella decided to try out the device a little more. Instead of speaking aloud, she telepathically replied, ā€œYou got it, boss!ā€

She meant to ask if it had worked, even though she had complete faith that it would have done. And then she got to the main party, and the noise there wiped out all of her own thoughts. She could hear everybody. Not just the heroes wearing the matching earpieces. Everybody. And the noise was… overwhelming. Immediately, Bella felt like she was going to throw up. She couldn’t abandon the mission though. She had to persevere. It would get easier once she got used to it, she told herself. She tried and failed to force a smile onto her face, and instead settled for just not looking like she was about to throw up and then pass out. Pain was beginning to seep into her temples, but she just snagged a glass of water from a passing waiter and downed it in the hope that might help.

It didn’t help. She found herself drifting aimlessly around the room, trying to find a spot that was less loud than others. She found herself too close to the stage at one point; the worst mistake she’d made so far that night. Luci’s thoughts were as clear as Kit’s had been. One name kept cropping up, along with a face that Luci was looking for, and neither belonged to Bella. The pain in her head threatened to seep into her chest, and so she made a beeline for the far side of the room. She wanted to leave, but wouldn’t. She wouldn’t let her team down. If more bad guys showed up and she wasn’t there to help, she’d never forgive herself. She hadn’t been able to help Page, she wouldn’t let herself be unable to help everyone else.

She tucked herself into a quiet corner, somewhere where things weren’t quite as loud, and glanced at her phone. It was going to be a long night, she knew it already.




kieran gallagher.
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outfit. mask charon. #757576.
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xxx the sun's starting to light up
xxx when we're walking home
xxx tired little laugh, gold lie promises
xxx we'll always win at this

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Hearing Cameron’s voice over the comms was a welcome sound. His comment about Kieran’s hair looking good just made him smile. ā€œI would like to add for the record that I would bet my apartment on the fact that Variant is also looking damn fine today,ā€ he replied. But before anyone else could berate them for using their comms to flirt, black-clad figures filled the room below them. Kieran swore, ducking behind the statue he was hiding behind as gunshots broke out. Chills ran down his spine as the stench of death filled the air. Why couldn’t he have just been assigned to the other party?

ā€œHey! Sir Percival!ā€ He hissed.
ā€œYoung knight!ā€
ā€œYou wanna go slay some witches?ā€ He asked. The ghost’s face positively lit up with delight. ā€œGo slay some witches!ā€ The ghost solidified into something resembling a human, a sword like the one in the case beside Kieran appearing in his hands. Sir Percival raised the sword and leaped from the balcony, running one of the black-clad figures through. He apparently did not consider Kieran himself a witch then, something that Kieran had taken a gamble on. None of his ghosts had tried to kill him yet, but he felt like it was a matter of time. He shot one more glance at the sword in the case beside him, decided it wasn’t worth a complaint from museum security, and instead just drew his knife. He glanced over the balcony and at the scene below, briefly considered his options, and decided to take the stairs. He, regretfully, wasn’t as indestructible as Ris or Bash.

He made a sprint for the side stairs, digging down deep as he did so. Ghosts were the better option here, he figured. But before he could actually summon any of them, he needed to get to safety. Somewhere nearby, but with good cover. But as he got to the bottom of the stairs, he was met with a barrel of a gun, aimed squarely at his chest. But something solid, fast, and familiar collided with Kieran and dragged him out of harm’s way as the bullet shattered the air where Kieran had been moments ago. Maelstrom dropped Kieran behind a pillar, looked him up and down, nodded to make sure he was okay, then dashed off again. Kieran exhaled, his back pressed against the pillar he was hiding behind. He wasn’t of use in a situation like this; why the hell did Aegis keep sending him into them? They kept sending him into gunfights with nothing more than a knife and his abilities. He wasn’t even sure there was bulletproof protection built into his suit. Not to mention, being in an active fight made him feel like he was about to die himself, with the amount of death reeking around the place, no thanks to Ris and Bash. He had to do something. He dug deep and felt all of the ghosts in the building. They were restless. They wanted to help. Good. It would make this easier.

ā€œI’m about to summon a shit ton of ghosts to come help you guys out, but I’m going to need some cover,ā€ He said into his comms. Summoning this many ghosts would leave him vulnerable for far too long, and he didn’t trust this pillar to shelter him that long. ā€œSee you all on the other side.ā€ He closed his eyes, and pulled every ghost he could reach into the material world. There was a second where he thought it hadn’t worked; and then the visions came crashing in, lives and deaths and everything in between. The crash was so significant that he could vaguely feel his legs buckle and his back collide with the pillar, but he wasn’t able to stop it. He just had to ride it out and hope that the ghosts were at least helpful.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Morgana Ishida Character Portrait: Lucille Simon Character Portrait: Leo Lambert Character Portrait: Bella Clayton Character Portrait: Kit Cassidy Character Portrait:
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luci simon.
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outfit. raphael. #8C2FF7.
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bella clayton.
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outfit. sentinel. #772222.
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Singing for so long is exhausting in its own right, but it's a specific type of exhaustion. Sure, Luci was tired from standing and pacing and waving and spinning, but even with the occasional time to down some water, her throat and chest were getting tired. And having to use her abilities at the same time for such an extended period? She was glad that she was given a couple of 30 minute breaks for the night. One was approaching, thankfully, she just had one more song. Xavier’s song choice was decent, but a part of the deal was letting Luci pick a handful herself. Admittedly, she may have had a grouchy little witch on her mind when choosing several of them, including this one. And, at the moment, that same grouchy little witch remained in her thoughts as she sang it, ā€œLove is all that I can give to youuu. Love is more than just a game for twooo.ā€ It likely wasn’t a healthy habit, but distracting herself and getting lost in her thoughts was a common practice when Luci is on stage. It helped keep her calm, although distracting herself by recalling the feeling of soft, sweet lips against her own and even softer, sweeter words from one of the softest, sweetest women she’d ever met… It may be a little too distracting.

All of the audience blurred into a blob, only sudden movements returned her eyes to focus, but for the most part, Luci was in her own world, singing, standing, pacing, waving, and spinning for dozens of party guests. It was as if she was on autopilot, but nobody would be able to tell. Her grace and poise was flowing, natural. ā€œTwo in love can make it, take my heart and please don't break it! Love was made for me and youuu,ā€ As if on cue, once Luci had hit that note, a bit of movement caught her attention. A face, one that she had spent years trying to avoid, for nothing short of a dozen painful reasons, appeared, clear as day, right next to the stage. Luci’s eyes darted between Bella and the crowd, and the blonde paled just a touch. Her smile became more forced, but her voice continued to flow like it always did; she had an image to uphold, a show to continue. ā€œL is for the way you look at meee! O is for the only one I seeee!ā€ She had to. The show must go on, she couldn’t ruin her public image, even as the pleasant thoughts of Morgana morphed and mutated into something else, something agonizing and guilt-ridden, something that reminded her of greedy, unyielding hands leaving marks across her body.

Bella disappeared back into the crowd and headed away from the stage, but her absence didn’t remove the thoughts from Luci’s head, nor did it sate the worry that bubbled to the surface when she saw the look on Bella’s face. She appeared ill and distressed in a physical way, not likely something that could have been caused just by seeing Luci, no matter how difficult that was. Once the last few lines of the song had been sung, Luci gave the crowd a polite wave and stepped off stage. Now out of the watchful eye of the public, Luci released a deep breath from her chest, and a frown turned the corners of her lips downward. She didn’t want to think about it, about how horribly she had treated Bella and how she didn’t deserve Bella’s forgiveness. Luci didn’t want to remember the brutality of the violation she endured, the smell of his breath, the roughness of his fingers around her throat, the feeling of vileness and disgust she had with herself that she still hasn’t been able to completely shake. But the moment one tries not to think about something on purpose, they can’t help but continue to think about it. Especially when all Luci could picture was Bella’s facial expression, troubled and strained, just before she disappeared back into the crowd. No matter how awful Luci felt, she couldn’t ignore somebody in need. So she grabbed a water bottle, glanced at the clock, and stepped out from backstage and into the crowd herself.

It took a couple minutes for Luci to figure out where Bella went, mostly because damn near every step she took, she was interrupted by a partygoer wanting to compliment her singing. Thankfully, she could accept their praise quickly and shuffle away from the conversations without being rude; something she’d practiced over many years of avoidance. But eventually, Luci turned a corner, not too far from the main hall, and found Bella, appearing just as troubled as she had been earlier. Luci thought Bella looked gorgeous in that dress, but the thought was fast, fading away again to be overpowered by those other thoughts, the self-hatred and the pain that she saw every time she took in Bella’s appearance. For Luci, Bella was tied to that night, that horrible night, and it was another reason why Luci avoided her. But she couldn’t avoid her now; Bella needed help. ā€œBella…?ā€Luci spoke softly as she approached, but the clicking of her stiletto heels gave her away first. She felt so silly, talking in this borderline gaudy dress, covered in sparkles, but she didn’t have much of a choice. ā€œAre you alright? You don’t l-look so good.ā€ She drew nearer until she was only a foot or two away. Bella seemed like she might keel over; Luci wanted to be close enough to catch her if she needed to. However, it was clear that Luci was struggling to maintain eye contact with Bella, more so than usual, given how her eyes darted up and down between the floor and Bella’s face. It was difficult not to flinch or tense up every time she looked at Bella. Every time, Bella’s face was overshadowed by another, one with a toothy grin and scratchy stubble and alcohol on his breath. ā€œI.. I brought you some water,ā€ She held the bottle out for Bella, and Luci’s hand was shaking visibly. There was so much she wanted to say, so much she was too scared to say, but now didn’t feel right. And it was difficult, so, so difficult.

Even now, as far away as she could physically get from the crowd, the noise was overwhelming. By now, the thought that taking the headband off might help was long gone. Bella could hardly think at all. Her head felt like it was about to burst as it was, leaving no room for her own thoughts. Her skull surely had to be about to crack open and let the thoughts fly back to their original owners instead of rattling around her head. Or maybe she would vomit them out instead. Her vision was fine one second and blurry the next, and then fine again, adding to the awfulness of the whole situation. She wasn’t sure that she would be able to focus on her phone for long enough to text somebody for help. She thought that it might be worth a try, and then remembered her phone was in her bag, abandoned somewhere on a table in the crowd. Nope, that wasn’t happening.

The thoughts of the person approaching her hit her before the actual reality of their presence did. Images of violence, a man’s face, the stench of cheap alcohol trying to be expensive… they were images that were hard for her to hear, even before she heard the voice that accompanied them.

Luci. Bella had to fight back a groan. Of all people, it had to be Luci. Bella had spent a not insignificant portion of the past two years attempting to move on from, or at least ignore, all of the hurt and pain from that fateful evening. She wasn’t so sure she’d be capable of that right then. She accepted the bottle of water but didn’t open it, just instead stared down at it and her hands. She’d barely even heard Luci’s question, and it took her a few seconds to even begin to process an answer. She opened her mouth to say, ā€˜I’m fine’, but it seemed like the noise and the thoughts and everything else spiked, overwhelming her system entirely. And so instead of a lie, something like a sob escaped through her mouth. She clamped her hand over her mouth, but it was too late. The violence flashing through her mind now was the final straw. Why had it only started when Luci had come over to her? She was in a room with plenty of heroes; they’d all seen awful things, why was this sticking out so much now? And why did it affect her more than anything else? Everything was too much. Her fist pressed to her mouth, she wasn’t even sure if she was making any noise any more. She took a deep, shuddering gasp as she tried and failed to compose herself. ā€œI’m sorry,ā€ she forced out.

Luci’s heart was already throbbing in her chest the moment she spotted Bella, but seeing her like this? Once that choked sob squeezed out of Bella’s throat, Luci thought she was going to cry herself. She wanted to dart forward, hug Bella, hold her close, cry with her, and maybe try to explain why she had done what she did that day. But Luci was not bold, she wasn’t confident like many of her friends, and in that moment, she thought she was pathetic, useless. Did Luci make things worse by approaching Bella? She just wanted to help, but she felt like she was doing the opposite. Bella didn’t even try to drink the water, she seemed too pained to even try. And all the while, Luci was fighting her mind tooth and nail, trying to continue to suppress the memories she’d been suppressing for nearly two years, but it was a losing battle.

Once Luci heard Bella’s apology, her chest tightened. Bella wasn’t the one who should be apologizing, but Luci still didn’t think it was the right time. Not now, when Bella was already falling apart. What can I do? She wanted to ask, but she had a feeling Bella wouldn’t have been able to form a coherent answer in this state. Luci had to find a way to try and calm her down, ease some of that tension, and she only knew one way how. It’s the only thing you’re good for. Luci swallowed, and her eyes lifted to stare forward. She reached deep into her mind and her heart, and one specific song traveled to the tip of her tongue. Perhaps an odd choice to many, but Luci’s mother used to sing it to her. And after everything that happened, the lyrics took on a new meaning for Luci. ā€œWell I've heard there was a sacred chord, David played and it pleased the Lord.ā€ Singing was one of the only times when Luci feels moderately self-assured, so she managed to maintain eye contact as she did it. ā€œBut you don't really care for music, do you?ā€ It was as if Luci was speaking to Bella directly, and as the sweet, soft notes danced towards the brunette, Luci even smiled just as sweetly and softly. ā€œWell it goes like this: The fourth, the fifth, the minor fall and the major lift. The baffled king composing Hallelujah.ā€

If Luci could just establish a strong enough link, she could help urge Bella’s mind and body to relax. Bella was always someone that Luci had a hard time establishing a link with, so she knew she would need to pull out every trick in the book. The first verse wasn’t enough, neither were the soft Hallelujahs that followed. She needed more, but she was dreading singing the next part, and she cursed her mind for only being able to think of this song out of the millions of others. ā€œWell your faith was strong but you needed proof. You saw her bathing on the roof. Her beauty in the moonlight overthrew you.ā€ It was impossible not to think of Bella as she sang, how beautiful she had looked on that sunny weekend where they spent hours laughing and having fun. The link was still too weak; Luci needed more. Tentatively at first, Luci reached for Bella’s clenched fist; she forced her own trembling fingers to still. She didn’t have time to be nervous. Bella was suffering. Making a physical connection was the easiest way to help establish a link faster. Luci unfurled Bella’s fist, cradling her hand between her own.

However, her throat tightened as she sang the next lyrics. ā€œAnd he tied you to your kitchen chair. He broke your throne, he cut your hair, and from your lips he drew the Hallelujahā€¦ā€ It happened again, those tender, joyful memories rotted, and they were replaced with flashes of rough, demanding hands and a vicious, hungry mouth that covered her body in marks that took weeks to heal. But it was working, the link had formed well enough, and Luci mentally urged Bella’s mind and body: Relax. Breathe. You will be alright. Relax. Breathe. But the toll on Luci was obvious, her shoulders quaked slightly, and she swallowed again to try and keep herself from crying. She hadn’t thought about these things in so long. Of course she’d sometimes still have nightmares, and she would talk to her therapist about it on occasion, but it had been months since she’d seen these memories so vividly.

At some point, Luci and Bella had discovered that Luci’s abilities didn’t work as easily or as well on Bella as it did on most other people. Apparently the lack of sexual attraction was something of a barrier; a fact that Bella had always found ironic considering the feelings she’d hidden for Luci for so long. But the fact that the magic didn’t work on Bella didn’t stop Luci’s voice from being automatically soothing to her. Her voice was so soft and clear and sad, but it was what Bella needed. Instinctively, she closed her eyes. The feeling of Luci’s hands around hers made her tense a little at first, before she relaxed again.

When the abilities finally began to kick in, the noise became a little less noisy and a little less overwhelming. Bella’s own emotions calmed somewhat. It was then that she became aware of a few things. There were the words that Luci was singing; soft and clear and with a touch of power that hadn’t been there seconds before. And the thoughts that came with them- of Bella herself, two years younger, two years more innocent, in a light that Bella had seldom seen herself. Those thoughts, those images of Bella… they didn’t fit with the way that Bella had presumed Luci felt about her.

And then came those images of violence. But now, with the link between them a little clearer, Bella’s head a touch quieter and most importantly calmer, Bella was able to make a bit more sense of them. Even still, it took her a few moments to piece the whole thing together. When she realised what she was seeing, her whole body went cold; but not from being overwhelmed or unwell, but from the awful horror of what Luci had experienced. She didn’t even fully think about what she did next. She threw her arms around Luci, pulling her into the tightest hug she could manage. ā€œYou didn’t deserve that,ā€ was all she could manage to say. She couldn’t verbalise her thoughts any further than that, so she just repeated it. ā€œYou didn’t deserve that awful thing.ā€

Luci watched as some of the tension melted off of Bella’s shoulders, and relief flooded her system. Being able to see even a little bit of the pain fade away was exactly what Luci wanted. Once Bella had relaxed, Luci almost excused herself. She wanted to offer leaving, getting someone who would actually be able to help Bella. However, before she could, Bella lurched forward and wrapped her arms around Luci in a tight, firm hug. Luci froze, her whole body taut for a few seconds as she listened to what Bella said. Could this really be happening? Luci thought Bella hated her, and Bella had every right to after what Luci had done. She had been so foolish, selfish; she only thought about herself, her own feelings that day as she ran away from them and from Bella. And then she left Bella in the dark for nearly two years. Luci didn’t think she deserved this. She didn’t deserve a hug, she didn’t deserve those kind words, and yet she was given them anyway.

It was sudden; the tension leaving Luci’s body too. She nearly collapsed into Bella, and in an instant, tears were flowing from her eyes. After nearly two years, this is exactly what she’d dream of: a chance to reconnect with Bella, to explain herself. And even if all of that wasn’t happening at this exact moment, Luci knew in her heart that this was the first step in the right direction. She relented and wrapped her arms around Bella too, buried her face in her shoulder, and she cried. Covered from head to toe in sparkles, with far too much make-up on her face, she cried, not caring that it would start running or how a woman should never make a mess of herself at an event like this. She cried and she cried, all of those pent up emotions finally escaping through her tears, and she trembled against Bella as she did. ā€œI’m sorryā€¦ā€ Luci managed to squeeze out between sobs. ā€œI’m so, so sorry… Bellaā€¦ā€ She hadn’t said Bella’s name in so long, it sounded almost strange in her voice. ā€œI’m sorry you.. you h-had to see that, those things.ā€ Luci knew Bella likely saw what she had been thinking about, all those horrific images. ā€œI… I have so much I-I want to.. To explain, to apologize for, but nowā€¦ā€ Luci pulled back from the hug, and she hurriedly wiped at her running mascara as she sniffled. ā€œNow isn’t.. Isn’t the best time, really,ā€ She almost laughed at the end.

Perhaps it was a bold move, but Luci was running out of time. She had to be back on stage soon, and she now needed to factor in time to fix her make-up and try to find someone that could really help Bella. ā€œI… I w-want… Could we maybe… get together and talk, sometime?ā€ Luci asked, though her eyes remained rooted to the floor. She expected rejection, so she moved past it quickly.

Bella had just about managed to stop crying. And then Luci pressed her face to her neck and began to do so, and Bella began to cry all over again. She cried over the things that had happened and the things that hadn’t, over the pounding headache she still had, the grief that had made a permanent home in her chest, over the swirling noise that still deafened most of her own thoughts. And in some strange way, it was what she needed right then. She just clung to Luci and let Luci cling to her, and they both sobbed.

Luci’s words felt like the first steps towards bridging the chasm that had grown between them in the past few years. Bella just listened, shaking her head as Luci apologised for the images she had seen. It hadn’t been pleasant for Bella to see them, but it must have been so much worse for Luci to live them, and so she didn’t think an apology was needed. When Luci pulled back, Bella let her, wiping her own cheeks with the back of her hand.

When Luci asked if they could find time to actually talk, Bella nodded without even really having to think about it. ā€œYeah, that sounds good,ā€ she said, her voice still trembling somewhat. ā€œSometime when we’re both notā€¦ā€ she gestured between the two of them and laughed a little. ā€œI still feel like I might throw up so definitely not right now, but… sometime soon?ā€ She offered. Instinctively, she went to check her phone to see when she was free, then remembered it was buried in the throng of people, somewhere she still couldn’t bring herself to go back to. ā€œMy phone is… in there somewhereā€¦ā€ she said, still unable to even really remember where as she stared blankly at the crowd. ā€œI also need to find Kit. He made me this,ā€ she said, gesturing at the headband. ā€œIt’s really cool and is a really cool idea, but… it works too well and I have a killer migraine and… feel a little like I might pass out. I bet he can fix it though, he made it himself. It’s really cool, right?ā€ She rambled.

It was as if a weight had been lifted off of Luci. The horrific images faded from her mind, and a pleasant warmth took their place. It was still overwhelming with all of these repressed emotions coming to a head, and a part of her couldn’t believe what was happening. She certainly didn’t think she deserved it, but she was glad nonetheless. She laughed at Bella’s response, a genuine, pleased laugh. ā€œYes, some other time, when we are both more able. Soon sounds good to me.ā€ She was proud of how well she managed to get through that sentence without stuttering. Truly, once she is more comfortable, speaking comes easier.

Once Bella started to talk about Kit, the warmth in Luci’s chest spread even further. The soft smile on her face was almost relieved; she was glad that Bella was able to find happiness with someone else, just as Luci had. ā€œIt is rather cool, I agree. He’s always been… been good at that, making cool stuff,ā€ Luci agreed with a nod. ā€œWould you like me to find your phone, or… or someone to find Kit? I would go searching for him myself but I’ve gotā€¦ā€ She glanced around, leaning to peer into the hall and take in a clock. ā€œBlast… 10 minutes, and I’ve got to fix m-my… I’m sorry. Would that be ok? Leo always sticks out like a mountain, I’m sure I could find them quickly.ā€ Luci’s eyes were apologetic again. She had to be back on stage soon, and she was worried she would run out of time. Those nerves were returning, and her heart was starting to pound.

At the mention of Leo, Bella’s first instinct was to ask Luci to go get them. They were such a ray of positivity that it felt like they could have been exactly the person she needed right then. And then she remembered the few times she’d had to tap into their thoughts during training or a mission and just how loud and overwhelming they could be on a good day. ā€œUm… if you can find my phone for me, I think I should be able to manage to text Kit to come find me,ā€ she said. ā€œIf you can’t find it though, don’t worry, I’ll be okay. You’ve got to get back on stage and stay wowing the audience with your gorgeous voice, you hear me?ā€ As the words left Bella’s mouth, she realised exactly what she had said, colour rushing to her cheeks. She’d said it without thinking, and had meant it as nothing more than a friend, but she didn’t know if Luci knew she meant it that way. ā€œIt’s a shame Morgana isn’t here to hear it,ā€ she added softly. It was an impulse response, really, the only way she could think of letting Luci know that she didn’t mind, not really. Mentioning anything that she’d heard in someone’s thoughts was always uncomfortable for her, especially something as personal as this. But given what she’d already seen, perhaps this wasn’t such a violation of privacy. She just managed a soft, somewhat awkward smile and hoped that Luci knew she had meant it in nothing but kindness.

As Luci was given her little task from Bella, she nodded, perhaps a bit too excitedly. She was glad she could just be helpful. However, Bella continued, and she complimented Luci’s singing. There was an explosion of warmth in Luci’s face, and a flood of color accompanied it. Her eyes immediately dropped to the ground, a sheepish action, one she could not resist due to the fuzziness in her chest. After nearly two years, Luci expected Bella to hate her and her voice. Hearing her compliment her and it instead brought a sense of relief that Luci didn’t even know she needed. The inclusion of Morgana shifted her feelings away from relief into something more akin to embarrassment; this meant Bella had seen Morgana in Luci’s head when she was singing those love songs. The blush on her cheeks shifted up to the tips of Luci’s ears, and the mere mention of the witch reminded Luci of the softness of her lips, the playful verbal teasing that always left her stumbling and stuttering, and the softness of smooth, silky black hair between her fingers. ā€œY-yes, it r-really is a shame.ā€ Although Luci was embarrassed, there was a new tenderness in both her voice and her eyes as they drifted away in thought, denoting just how much she felt for Morgana. ā€œP-perhaps she and some others will show up later. I wonder what she would… think of this… this gaudy dress,ā€ She added the last bit with a laugh and a shake of her head, and that helped remind her of her task at hand: helping Bella. ā€œI’ll find your phone, don’t worry. Be back in a jiff.ā€

After one more nod, Luci walked back into the main hall. As soon as she entered, she spotted a familiar face, one that was nearly a foot taller than her. ā€œHey Luce!ā€ Leo approached Luci quickly, but they paused once she saw the state of her runny make-up. ā€œOh no, did something happen? Are you ok?ā€ Leo asked her, a deep layer of concern furrowing their brows.

ā€œI’m fine, Leo, I promise. It was… It was a good cry, one that I needed.ā€ She smiled up at Leo, a full, genuine smile, and it made Leo relax a touch. ā€œBut I will also need help fixing my make-up. Can you find Harold for me and meet me backstage in five minutes? I’m running out of time, my break is almost over.ā€

ā€œYes, you got it!ā€ Leo jumped to action in an instant, disappearing into the crowd to go search for their friend.

With a shaky breath, Luci searched for Bella’s phone. The hall wasn’t too large luckily, and her sharp eyes scanned between the many moving bodies. Any conversationalists this time were promptly and politely declined, and with a couple minutes to spare, Luci spotted a clutch that looked similar to Bella’s dress. She saw a phone on top of it, one in a case covered in familiar stickers. The last time Luci had seen them was years ago, and they were much more faded and worn than before. There was a tug in Luci’s chest, but she squashed it quickly. Things would be better now. She picked up the clutch and the phone and darted back over to Bella. She wished she could be moving faster, but any longer strides meant more of her legs would be revealed due to those dangerously high slits in the fabric.

ā€œHere,ā€ Luci said as soon as she turned the corner. She held out the phone and the small purse, and her eyes darted up to take in Bella’s face again. This time, what she felt wasn’t guilt or sadness. Although small shreds of those emotions remained, Luci was close to content. ā€œAre you sure you’re going to be alright?ā€ She asked one more time, and her tone was just as sincere as she continued, ā€œI could stay with you for a little while longer or try and find Kit for you. The singing can wait if it must. It’s not more important than your health.ā€

Bella’s first instinct was to compliment Luci’s dress and to say it wasn’t gaudy at all. But before she could, Luci had dashed off in search of Bella’s phone. Her calming presence gone, the noise began to creep back in, Bella beginning to realise that her headache hadn’t disappeared at all; rather she just hadn’t been paying attention to it for a bit. Hopefully Kit would be able to fix the headband to make it less loud.

When she spotted Luci weaving her way back over to her, she exhaled a little with relief. She managed a grateful smile as Luci handed the bag and the phone to her. There were messages on her phone, but they weren’t important now. She shook her head as Luci offered to stay with her. ā€œNo, I’ll be fine. Really. Go do your thing and blow the crowd away, okay?ā€ She said, smiling at Luci. She managed to unlock her phone and open up her texts, scrolling until she found Kit. The message she sent was brief, but she hoped he’d get the point.

To: kit
SOS, gadget not working right

ā€œI’ve texted him, he’s on his way now,ā€ Bella said, looking back up at Luci. ā€œSo seriously, go do your thing. I’ll be listening.ā€

A part of Luci wished Bella had asked her today. This had been going so well, and she was remembering that, otherwise, she was going to be cemented on stage again. On stage, away from her friends, and under the watchful eye of every single person in the hall. But somebody had to be up there, entertaining everybody. Luci was locked into that role, whether she liked it or not. Bella’s soft encouragement was helpful, and Luci couldn’t stop the sheepish smile that creased her lips. Her hands fiddled with some of the crystals on her dress as she tried to figure out what to say. There was so much she had to say, so much she wanted to say, but they didn’t have the time. Luci wasn’t like Leo or any of her other friends; she couldn’t say ā€œDamn your rulesā€ like so many of them did. She was a good girl who did as she was told, even if it left a sour taste in her mouth. ā€œThank you, Bella… Thank you, f-for… everything. I’ll sing the next one for you.ā€ She gave Bella one last bow of her head and took a few steps towards the exit. Although, she paused just to say, ā€œI.. I hope you feel better soon. And… that dress looks lovely on you.ā€ Admittedly, the last bit may have come out rather quick, and Luci practically ran away after it, but she had gathered the courage to say it nonetheless.

Now it was a race against time. She darted backstage only to see Leo and a rather fretful looking Harold standing beside them. ā€œHey Luce! I found him for you.ā€

ā€œThank you, Leo. Good job,ā€ Luci praised, but it was clear her nerves were starting to return in full force. Leo didn’t mind though; even praise as minor as that warmed their skin.

Luci turned to Harold, who was holding a pretty basic kit for make-up. ā€œOne of the assistants had some make-up in her purse. It’s not much, and it’s not nearly as good as the stuff you had at home-ā€

It was clear Harold was prepared to ramble on, but Luci didn’t have time for this. ā€œIt’s fine, Harold! Thank you for all the help, but… Less talk, more applying.ā€ She grimaced as soon as she had said it, immediately feeling bad. ā€œAh, s-sorry, that was kinda-ā€

Harold blinked a few times, a redness dusting his cheeks. ā€œYes ma’am,ā€ was all he said, with a hint of teasing in his tone. A teasing that caused Luci’s own face to flush, but she tilted it up towards Harold regardless.

With less than 60 seconds to spare, Luci made her way back on stage. Her reappearance was greeted with a polite applause, but she hadn’t noticed. Her eyes were set to scanning the crowd again, searching for faces she would never be able to find. Her mother still hadn’t shown up, and a certain short, goth, raven-haired witch hadn’t either. So she smiled, waved to the crowd, and started singing her next song: a Dean Martin classic. ā€œYou're nobody 'til somebody loves youuuā€¦ā€ She finished the line with a sweep of her arm, and her wing copied the movement. Every crystal attached to her sparked and shined. ā€œYou're nobody 'til somebody caresā€¦ā€

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Morgana Ishida Character Portrait: Emeris Mikaelson Character Portrait: Lucille Simon Character Portrait: Ada Forrest Character Portrait: Mikey Santo Character Portrait: Clarence Lawless
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xxxxxADAxxFORREST
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Outfit The Druid Hex:#b54ea2


ā€œAnyone?ā€ Hearing nothing but static on the other end, Ada dropped her earpiece into her bag. She would have to speak to Kit about it.

To: Kit
Ear not working. Where are you?


A brief snippet of music filled the room as the door opened and closed. Ada paused and heard heels clicking against the tiles. A cubicle door locked and Ada released a sigh of relief. Ada waved her hand over the sensor to flush the empty bowl. She would probably find it weird if she had heard someone leave a bathroom without flushing. She unlocked the door and peaked out to make sure the coast was clear.

No one else. Good, that was good. At least she wasn’t about to be ambushed in the bathroom. She placed her hands under the tap and waited for the soap and water. Ada methodically washed her hands; palms, nails, between the fingers, back of the hands, 30 seconds. She moved along to the hand dryer, the warm air blasting the moisture from her hands. She heard a flush behind her and her eyes flickered up as a dark-haired woman stepped out of the cubicle. There was an awkward smile exchanged between them before Ada shook her hands and grabbed her bag to leave. The woman was probably harmless but Ada wasn’t about to hang around to find out.

She left and half-walked, half-jogged back to the party. Soft, old-school swing music filtered through the room. Ada looked up to the stage and felt a pang in her chest when she saw Lucille up there singing. The lights danced off the stones on Lucille’s dress, only adding to the dazzling show. Lucille was beautiful, everyone always said so. Her mother always said so. Up there, under the lights, she looked ethereal. Ada didn’t even have to look over at her father to know the comparison was there. Everyone loved Lucille.

Well, now you’re just upsetting yourself.. Ada couldn’t argue with herself. She looked around for a waiter and took a champagne flute from one as they passed by. The flowers beside her drooped slightly as she drank. ā€œWell, there’s no need for you to be upset as well,ā€ she said as she stroked the petals. Her eyes swirled a bright emerald green as she conjured life back into the flower arrangement before settling to her usual olive colour.








xxxCAMERONxxJENSEN
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Outfit Variant Hex:#1a7572


The Variants smiled when Kieran’s voice came over the comms. ā€œYou would be completely right about that.ā€

The Cameron that was waiting by the stairs heard the gunshots echo through the building. Ah, shit. This was going to hurt. He began sprinting along the upper walkway, following the sounds of screaming and gunshots.

In the security room, Cameron watched the carnage unfold. Muzzle flash disrupted the cameras’ view of the room, and, more importantly, his teammates. A stray bullet took out a camera in the room. Wait… The cameras were way to high to be hit by a stray shot. No one was that bad a shot, right? Cameron looked across the control panel as screen after screen turned to static. ā€œNow, I don’t wanna alarm anyone, but they’ve taken out the cameras on the opposite side of the museum, heading down to the basement level.ā€

Back in the exhibition hall, Cameron was fleeing down into the carnage. Kie’s call for cover came through. ā€œI think I can manage that,ā€ he answered as Variants split off in every direction, an army of dark uniforms making a nuisance of themselves while Kieran summoned his ghosts. There was a brief moment of searing pain as a bullet pierced his abdomen before he was absorbed back into himself, the bullet falling uselessly to the ground, the clatter lost in the cacophony of sound around them. All around him black coats were separating and disappearing into themselves, almost dying but not. Isimir was a good enough shot to miss him so long as he was careful. Friendly fire wasn’t something he needed to worry about. The delightful gentleman in front of him was another matter entirely.

Cameron closed his hand around the barrel of the gun, redirecting the rattle of bullets up and over his shoulder. The barrel was hot, even through his gloves. Cam dreaded to think how painful it might have been with bare hands. The man tried to wrestle back control of the gun and received a swift kick to his kidneys for his effort. The natural reaction to protect the wounded area meant his grip was loosened, giving Cameron enough leverage to prize the weapon away and crack the butt against his opponent’s head, sending the man sprawling. Cameron stood over him, pointing the gun at his knee. ā€œNow I have your gun, and a lot more people than you do, so why don’t you tell me what’s going on here and you can keep your knee caps. Seem fair?ā€

ā€œFuck you.ā€

Beneath his mask, Cameron scowled. Around him, he was fighting between and alongside ghosts and whatever else Kieran had summoned. The man began to scramble away and then yelled in agony as his kneecap was shattered into thousands of fragments. ā€œWould you like to lose the second one?ā€

A Variant had made it across the room to Kieran. Not that Kie looked terrible, but Cam had definitely seen his friend look better. He reached over and held Kieran’s arm. ā€œYou doing ok, Prince Charming?ā€

His voice crackled through the intercom. It was still weird hearing his own voice on the comms. ā€œI’m heading over to the basement. If someone could come along and cover my back, that would be amazing.ā€

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Morgana Ishida Character Portrait: Emeris Mikaelson Character Portrait: Lucille Simon Character Portrait: Ada Forrest Character Portrait: Mikey Santo Character Portrait: Clarence Lawless
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bastien delacourt.
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outfit. #360B0B.
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This entire ordeal was annoying. Bash really didn’t want to be here. He just wanted to be at a party with his girlfriend instead of dealing with annoying bad guys at a gala. Somehow Bruce seemed to be enjoying herself. Same with Isimir as per usual. But Bash wanted this to be over already and sadly his method for ending things quickly was currently frowned upon.

Bash had been busy taking care of three men who decided to try and attack him at once in hopes of subduing him when Charon asked for back up. Thankfully, Variant was there to answer the call. Bash then swiftly disposed of his assailants though refraining from feeding was growing more difficult as these fights dragged on. Bash was feeling hungry again.

ā€œI’m heading over to the basement. If someone could come along and cover my back, that would be amazing.ā€ Bash happened to be closest so he responded first. ā€I’m right behind you.ā€ Another was also heading with them to the basement that Bash used his speed to get to first. He slammed him against the wall and took a bite out of his neck. He’d used up his strength anyways. He deserved a quick snack.




kit cassidy.
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outfit. #698B69.
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Everyone had broken off to the party while Kit opted to stay behind for a bit. He wanted to gather his tech first and find a secure enough place to comb through security footage. Something just wasn’t sitting right with him about this. He couldn’t really find much of anything that would be useful which only furthered the anxiety he was having about this.

He put his things away and began making his way into the party as much as he dreaded it. He had to make an appearance but he hoped he wasn’t going to have to socialize with any of the benefactors. He found a table at the back corner of the room. He kept checking his phone to monitor footage but then his phone began to buzz.

Ear not working. Where are you?


Kit looked up and scanned the room. Seven was pulled into conversation with some people instead of finding Ada like she was supposed to. Kit rolled his eyes and texted back.

To: Ada
At the back of the party. I have new comms for us.


He finally caught sight of her as she was giving life to one of the plants in the party. His heart raced a bit as he remembered the crush he once had on her but there was no time to think about or dwell on what ifs. At least not right now for Kit as he made his way across the room over to Ada. ā€Hey,ā€ He said from behind her. ā€Take this new earpiece. It links us all through Bella’s telepathy while the comms are down.ā€ He briefly explained how it worked but became distracted when his phone buzzed with another message.

SOS, gadget not working right

ā€Shit. I gotta find Bella.ā€ Kit abruptly left. Not paying attention to if Ada decided to follow or not as he walked and looked for Bella.

To: Bella
Where are you?
[/justify]

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Morgana Ishida Character Portrait: Emeris Mikaelson Character Portrait: Lucille Simon Character Portrait: Ada Forrest Character Portrait: Mikey Santo Character Portrait: Clarence Lawless
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bella clayton.
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outfit. sentinel. #772222
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xxx the sun's starting to light up
xxx when we're walking home
xxx tired little laugh, gold lie promises
xxx we'll always win at this
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The calm that had come from her conversation with Luci and Luci’s powers had long gone. Without the calming, grounding presence of another human being, the noise was loud again. She was sitting on the floor, curled into as much of a ball as she could manage, her head on her arms, her eyes squeezed shut to stop any light from coming through. Light hurt, sound hurt, everything hurt. The voices were so loud, and there were so many thoughts that she didn’t want to hear. Thoughts of violence, thoughts of anger, she couldn’t separate them from her own thoughts any more. Did she want to do those things? Had she already done them? Or was she just surrounded by awful, violent people?

She’d sent texts, or at least she was pretty sure she had. Maybe that had been somebody else’s thought as well. But after texting Kit, the time she’d been waiting felt like an eternity. She’d texted Mikey too, something along the lines of ā€œpowers bad, plz help.ā€ When she felt the buzz of her phone in her hand, moving her head and her hand to look at it was almost painful. She had to squint at the screen to be able to make out the text. It was from Kit, that much she could see. Texting would take too much energy. Maybe it would be easier if she went and found him?

Then she moved too fast and felt, once again, like she was gonna throw up. Moving was a bad idea. She folded herself back up and took a photo of her view, sending it back to him. She felt like she should send an actual text too but the room was swimming far too much for that. She sank her head back onto her arms and prayed that somebody else would find her soon.




kieran gallagher.
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outfit. mask. charon. #757576
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xxx these are the eyes
xxx and the lies of the taken
xxx these are their hearts
xxx but their hearts don't beat like ours
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When Kieran came back to the room, he was sitting on the floor, his head leaning back against the pillar. His whole body hurt, but it was the usual post-power ache; looked like he’d managed to avoid getting shot at least. His vision was still blurry but he could just about make out somebody beside him. They put a hand on his arm and spoke to him; a familiar voice, perhaps the one he wanted to hear the most. He smiled instinctively, a soft smile that betrayed his relief at seeing Cameron of all people. ā€œYeah, I’m fine,ā€ he said. He glanced down at his hands, seeing the too familiar sight of blood on his hands. ā€œNose bleed but no nausea, I’ll take that much,ā€ he said, glancing back at Cameron and grinning again.

Now his vision was cleared, he could see something looming up behind them. Not something, someone, in an unfamiliar suit and with their eyes set on Cameron. Without even thinking about it, Kieran grabbed his knife and lunged towards the figure, his knife plunging into the figure’s thigh. They stumbled back, giving Kieran the chance to get his hand on their leg and dig deep again. He didn’t have time to think, didn’t have time to use the control he usually tried to use. And so their would-be attacker turned to dust before their eyes. Kieran sank back to a sitting position, not looking at Cameron. He hated people seeing him using his powers like this, seeing how horrified they could be. And he couldn’t even blame them for feeling like that.

ā€œSorry,ā€ he said quietly. ā€œI’m fine again if you wanna go… rejoin the fight or whatever,ā€ he said. He wasn’t fine; he’d still need another while before he felt okay to stand unassisted, and his hands were shaking. But he knew people didn’t want to stick around after seeing that.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Morgana Ishida Character Portrait: Emeris Mikaelson Character Portrait: Lucille Simon Character Portrait: Ada Forrest Character Portrait: Mikey Santo Character Portrait: Cameron Jensen
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Emeris Mikaelson
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Attire | #8e9091
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Now you pack your bags
The party's such a drag
And everyone can tell
That you're poisoning the well
But there are no mistakes
Except what you create
You need to know your place
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The sound of scattering and ricocheting bullets managed to pull Isimir out from their thoughts. Giving over a quick scan of the room once more, they were able to see Drake in the middle of taking down two more masked individuals. Nice one, bud. Peering around the other side of their hiding spot, Isimir could spot another two figures, this time they were familiar, even from this distance and with masks. Varient and Charon. From the looks of things, Charon appeared to have seen better days, but with Varient, Isimir knew he'd be fine. More than fine. Giving a small nod, Isimir finally popped out from their vantage point, but just in time to stumble into an unknown figure.

"Now you", Isimir started, "Are really killing my vibe." they chided softly, quickly taking the masked assailant by the arm and flipping them over onto their back and onto the floor. Feeling the person's shoulder dislocate upon impact, "Nighty, night, sweet prince-" Isimir stated, before bringing their booted foot onto the individual's face. A soft crunch was all that was heard, and the figure went limp. That would at least keep that one down long enough, that's all that was needed.

Looking down at their watch, Isimir let out a silent curse, "Being fashionably late is still a thing, right?" they said to no one in particular, taking one more look around the large room they were in before turning on their heel and making a mad dash into the darkness. From their calculations and scanners, there was less than a handfull of unnaccounted for people, the others could handle it, right? Right.

Sure, Isimir knew they'd be getting more than an earful later on, they always did, but tonight was different. They had one night to do this, and they had no more time to spare. They could deal with Reaper, Charon, Bash, and whoever else lecturing them when they realized one person was missing from the group.




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Mikey Santo
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Attire | #197b5b
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I’m not yours to touch
Hear the warning
Not your sweetheart
I’m not your sweetheart
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Mikey had made her way from one room to another, managing to stay out of eye-sight for the most part. She knew there was more than a plethora of security cameras keeping the place on lockdown, but she didn’t care about that right now. She would deal with Xavier being upset with her at a later time. Something just wasn't sitting right with her. Those two people that had attempted to breaking into the party…That just didn’t seem correct. Or well, not entirely. If they had been attempting to make their way into the party, they could have very easily strolled in through the front door, Mikey knew that they guest list was abysmally long and as well as basic security would try, some stragglers would still manage to make it passed the front doors.

So, them simply trying to get into the party from the outside, dressed like that? That wasn’t it. Something else was going on, they had something else in mind, but what was it? An attack? If so, there would have been more. Terrorist threat? Again, there would have been more than just two, and the way they had been acting? Being knocked out by Quantum like that…But still being able to make a quick getaway in such a short time? That was the part that was beginning to bother Mikey. If they were able to take such hits, and still be able to escape moments later, without being detected? They weren’t normal attackers. She felt sick.

Mikey had found herself lost in thought, that she hadn’t even heard her phone chime. At least not until the last few notes of the familiar ringtone faded. Bella…, Mikey’s thoughts immediately went to her friend, going for her phone. Her stomach dropped for a moment.

To Bells: On my way, hold tight

For now Mikey would have to give up on trying to find some more clues for what those attackers were up to, she’d follow her hunch later on. She had more important things to attend to. Just as swiftly as she had left, Mikey had made her way back down to the main room where the party was being held. Dozens if not hundreds of faces flooded the room, the sound of chattering voices and the soft music being played the filled the room with a thunderous harmony. It was almost overwhelming.

Thankfully, Mikey had a feeling she knew where Bella was, she just had to find her. It couldn’t be that hard, right? Making her way through what felt like an endless sea of faces, Mikey had somehow managed to find her target. Bella appeared so small and scared. Holled up in the farthest place she could get herself. MIkey could feel her heart skip a few beats, she hated seeing the people she cared about like this. She knew how Bella’s powers had been affecting her of late, or at least the smallest idea of it, anyway. But this? This, only reminded Mikey of when the first two met. How scared and nervous Bella was. It nearly felt like a life-time ago.

Mikey brought herself back to reality and away from those thoughts, she needed to be present and here for her friend, not dwelling on the past. Just as Mikey began to make her way over to Bella, Mikey stopped in her tracks. From the corner of her eye she had managed to see a figure on the opposite side of the room, she watched as the figure slowly entered the room. Her breath caught in her throat and her stomach felt like it dropped. She watched as the all too familiar, blond figure fixed the cuff of the black blazer they wore. The all too familiar silvery, white blond hair was pushed back, appearing as more of a mane than anything else. Even from this distance, Mikey could have sworn the two made eye contact.

Why were they here-, Mikey shook her head, she didn’t care. It didn’t concern her anymore. Whatever reason that had brought them here, was none of her concern. They hadn’t even properly talked in over a year, everything seemed so cold and distant between the both of them. On one hand it didn’t feel right, Mikey wanted to fix things, tell them the truth, but if there was one thing about them that Mikey knew, that once a bridge was burned, there wasn’t any way of fixing it. She had done more than enough damage by now, if she tried, it would only get worse.

Without much more than a second look, Mikey turned on her heels and pushed her way through the crowd. Taking a few deep breaths as she quickly strode the rest of the way towards her friend. Slowly crouching down beside her, ā€You look like you’ve seen a ghost.ā€ Mikey attempted at a playful quip, ā€How about we get a drink or something, huh? I think we could both use one right now.ā€