cutting_edgex23 | (no subject)

X will have to take care of that - one of Elle's hands is occupied with carrying her laptop, which she'd finally retrieved from the Bar.

The other, well - whatever she told X, Elle is just as nervous about 'breaking' things.

But she is good for making sure the door is shut quickly behind them.

"Thank you," X says, while one of the kittens attempts to crawl across her shoulder.

The other one is staring at Elle.

Then it meows.

Loudly.

If that's what kittens do, Elle doesn't get the appeal.

She stares back for a moment, before heading toward the couch to put down her laptop.

"Do you have to... feed them or something?"

'Feeding' is one thing Elle can associate with having pets, at least.

"I will feed them later."

Beat.

"They think they are hungry a lot. Mr. Simmons says that is a lie."

Fish do that, too. But they are less noisy about it.

And now that the door is closed X sets down both kittens.

One of them heads for the fish tank while the other one makes a beeline for Elle.

And Elle's shoes.

Elle puts her computer down on one of the couch cushions. Rather than sitting on the couch as well, however, she slides down to the floor in front of it, in time to see the kitten's approach.

There's not much else Elle can think to do. She raises her right hand, and fires a spark from her finger -

- at the empty space about six inches to the left of the kitten. It's not even enough electricity for the spark to survive hitting X's floor, but the light distracts the kitten - it moves to pounce on nothing.

And then paw at the floor in a confused sort of way.

X looks startled, but not at all wary. The kitten by the fish tank, remembering past encounters with the squirt bottle, barrels into the confused kitten several seconds later.

They both go down in a tumble of fur and tiny claws.

X is unmoved.

"I did not know that would be effective as a distraction. For the cats."

Elle shrugs one shoulder.

"It works on people."

She watches the kitten scuffle for a moment, before her eyes go to the closed laptop.

"This'll - help us. For when I go back."

"That is true," X agrees.

And then she flicks a look at the laptop.

"There are relevant files?"

Will X need to get a jump drive to transfer them to her own computers?

"Everything about the facility."

Schematics, security details.

"I don't think we'll - need the stuff on other people, but..."

It couldn't hurt, either.

"More intelligence is always useful. In case there are difficulties."

Beat.

"Unexpected ones."

X approves of any and all data.

Elle nods.

One kitten breaks free of its opponent and head backs toward the humans, though it seems to have difficulty deciding on a target. For Elle, it's something to look at, anyway.

"I - still have to think." The kitten decides on the one that's still standing. Climbing is more of a challenge.

"What I want to do."

"Okay."

X flicks a look down at the kitten, bending to scoop it up once it hits her knee.

It appears to approve of her elbow a lot more than that knee, anyway.

"I am not busy."

Except for her job as a mobile scratching post.

Now, if she's going to look at the kitten, she has to look at X.

It's just as well. She should get it out. It's one thing she knows, and is, more than anything, why she needs X.

"I want to take my dad."

She almost feels silly saying it to X. Elle gives a small shrug, and sinks a little more onto the floor.

"I - don't want them to keep him."

"Okay."

This response is prompt, too.

"There is a location to take him to? In your world."

Beat.

"Or you will want to bring him to the bar?"

Logistis are what X is good at. Emotions -- not as much.

The answer makes Elle's shoulders relax. A little. And focusing on the logistics makes it easier, in any case.

She shakes her head.

"Once we're out I'll just - burn it."

Cremation was standard for Company agents - at least, the ones they didn't want to be found. It was what the Company would do with him, anyway.

"But I want to do it. And I can't do - all of that by myself."

X just nods, quick and efficient.

"I will help."

There is very little Elle could ask X for that X would not give. Or do.

"There is a time limit?"

"We have to leave before they get the cameras working again."

The other kitten is now scaling side of the couch's armrest. Elle looks to it, briefly.

"But that won't be hard. It'll take them a long time."

Her eyes go back to X. "I can't let them see you."

X hesitates, studying Elle carefully.

"It might be a useful decoy. If things become very problematic."

Call it Plan Z.

"But they'd know. About you."

Now, her eyes don't leave X's even once. Her heart beats a little faster, but her voice is even. Because it has to be.

This is the truth. She's already lost every life she's had or valued to the Company. This is the only time she's had any choice in it.

"I'll kill them all first, X."

Edited 2009-10-25 06:31 (UTC)

"Oh."

Beat.

"That would be inefficient. For you."

She is silent for a few moments, watching Elle.

Then she nods. Once.

"I will be careful."

This takes Plan Z neatly off the table.

Funny how that works.

"We can avoid people."

Living in that building for sixteen years means that Elle knows the lesser-used halls very well.

"And - I can try to take them out. Before they see you."

After, well - what she said will still apply.

"I can, too," X says, matter-of-factly.

"If it is necessary."

This pause is longer.

"I will bring a gun."

Claws would be -- noticeable. Or the resultant damage would be, at least.

Probably.

Elle nods.

"I'll take one. They'll think it was me."

Or any of the prisoners who escaped that day. Given the events of that day, there was no way anyone remaining would give it a second glance. As long as no one actually sees X.

"I'll - have to go to my room. And his office."

Even if she's not entirely sure what she'll do yet, she knows that, at least.

"We can take a car to get out."

Or one of those vans, more likely. She makes a mental note to ditch it as soon as possible.

Edited 2009-10-25 06:54 (UTC)

X nods, absorbing that data.

"Keys or hotwiring?"

X will be prepared for both eventualities, but it is still useful data to have.

Proper preparation prevents poor performance, after all. To steal a line from someone as unlike X as it is possible to be.

"For the car."

"It'll have keys."

The other kitten topples off the the armrest and onto her closed laptop. Rather than try to pick it up to get it off, Elle fires another very small spark toward X's floor. The kitten quickly leaps from the couch down toward where the light had been.

"But we'll have to get rid of it, too."

With a small shrug, "I can light the fuel tank."

"It would be effective," X acknowledges.

"There is a location that would be preferable?"

Details are an important part of every plan.

Even one in the early stages.

The first kitten decides to scale the sofa now, too.

Maybe it is hoping Elle will give it a spark to play with, as well.

It's true, and Elle frowns as she looks over to the first kitten.

"North," she decides, after a long moment.

"There's a - park."

It was where she'd planned to take Matt when she was nineteen. One of the few places outside the facility that she'd been allowed any free time. She wouldn't risk it if the Company wouldn't be otherwise occupied that day, but -

"Then we can find a door. And get rid of the car."

X would be back, and their trail would end. She didn't plan to keep heading north, in any case.

X nods once, quick and sharp.

"There are maps of the area? On your computer?"

If not, they can probably ask Bar for one.

To be safe.

"I want to be prepared."

"Yeah."

The kitten starts pawing at Elle's hair. A spark near her knee diverts it to the floor, as well.

"I know. I still need to -"

She looks to the computer - "Time doesn't move there. We won't go until we're - ready."

She's very set on that, as well. Nothing is going to happen to X because of her.

"Okay," X says.

"I will be thorough."

In case Elle was worried about that.

One of the kittens starts meowing again.

Loudly.

Maybe it is feeding time at the zoo.

Or maybe it is time to introduce catnip.

X is undecided.

X, at least, doesn't get annoyed.

Though Elle hasn't gotten to that yet, either. But she does ask, "Can it want something else?"

Besides lying about being hungry, evidently.

X stands up to feed the fish.

This will distract the cats for at least ten minutes.

She is learning a great deal.

"I do not want to give them alcohol."

It was not the first thing on Elle's mind.

(She also moves to watch X feed the fish)

"Someone told you to?"

"Yes. Ben Wade."

Beat.

"He said yarn is effective, too. For them to play with."

There is a short pause while she drops food flakes into the water.

"And that catnip is effective. But I do not have any."

She does not have alcohol, either, but Mr. Simmons probably does.

She glances to the cats.

"Alcohol made Jamie loud."

Beat.

"And Sam."

And that girl who kissed her. Elle can guess that it would be different with cats, but she's not sure she really wants to risk raising the volume more.

"Sometimes it makes people stupid, too."

X says that very matter-of-factly.

"I do not like it."

And then, taking another page from Ben's handbook, X goes back into the kitchen and gives the cats some milk.

They shut up real fast after that.

Elle eyes the now silent kittens.

"What happens if you feed them too much?"

She's hoping it's nothing too world-ending.

"Maybe they throw up."

X may, in a few moments, head into her bedroom to look this up on the internet.

It should not take long.

Elle makes a face.

Apparently the apocalypse would be preferable.

"Fish are better," she decides, folding her arms, but following X.

It's better than waiting around to find out, now.

"They are quieter," X says, clicking through the screensaver and typing a few words into the search engine.

And a few short seconds later, after scanning the listings and clicking through.

"Kittens do not throw up very often. Unless there are hairballs."

Beat.

"Or they eat too fast."

So it is good that X did not leave them a lot of milk, right?

Elle doesn't whine about having to clean it up, if it becomes necessary. She's not unused to having to clean up something.

But kittens were never a job.

So - "You still like them?"

It's mostly a joke.

Mostly.

"Yes," X says, flicking a sideways look at Elle.

"They never made me kill cats."

Elle doesn't say anything.

It takes her a moment to move -

Gonna hurt

- but when she does, Elle moves her hand, to cover X's.

"Okay," she murmurs.

X goes very still for a moment.

Then she flexes her hand under Elle's. Carefully. But she does not pull away.

And then she shifts to look at her a little less sidelong.

"Okay," X echoes.

And out in the front room the cats start making noise again.

But at least they are not meowing, right?