No one leaves their heart in San Francisco

[cutting_edgex23]

It's a bit of a hike back to San Francisco from Greymalkin Industries. Fortunately the X-men have motorcycles. Lots of them.

Otherwise they would have been taking the bus.

But it's a pleasant day, cool, breezy, and late enough that the fog has burned off.

It should be easy to make good time to X's apartment, even if they throw in a few detours along the way.

Comments

[master_bruce]

Bruce is all for bikes over the bus, even when he's not driving.

It is lucky, perhaps, that he doesn't have much ego. And is about as fearless as X, which means the speed she goes at doesn't bother him. On the contrary, it's fun!

Plus, y'know. He gets to hold her a bit closer than he would normally. Bonus.

[cutting_edgex23]

The ride is made more interesting by X's affection for sharp turns, sudden acceleration, and dodging around any other vehicles on the road.

It keeps her entertained!

Plus it is good practice.

And Bruce's grip around her waist is comfortable. Not least because he does not cling.

(Hey, even X likes to breathe.)

[master_bruce]

Bruce is far more likely to let go of her waist entirely and practice keeping balance using just his knees.

Except, it's nice. So he doesn't.

And he very much approves of her driving style too. It is much like his!

[cutting_edgex23]

This is a shocking turn of events!

Or, you know. Not.








Okay, the sound of a helicopter overhead?

That might be a little bit more of an unexpected development.

Unless it's just a traffic helicopter.

[master_bruce]

He glances up towards the noise, when it becomes clear to him over the roar of the engine (a good few moments after X noticed it). He doesn't think much of it initially. Helicopters are hardly unusual.

But it doesn't seem to be moving off the way he'd expect it to. And he can't really see it from his position, which unnerves him, so he leans forward and yells over the noise,

'You know what that is!?'

[cutting_edgex23]

It seems like X is about to shake her head, but instead she reaches back, nudging one of Bruce's arms a little more tightly around her waist.

It's hard to hear over the helicopter and their own engine, but there are other people on the road.

And they're moving very fast.

X's first response is to make a break for more defensible ground. Just in case.

Evasive maneuvers are a secondary option, at least for now.

[master_bruce]

Her reaction is enough to make him not even think about noticing the tighter grip he now has on her.

Maybe this is nothing.

Then again, maybe it's something. Better to be sure, and defensible ground is always a sensible option.

[cutting_edgex23]

What they really need is a hilltop -- or at least that is what X appears to have decided.

A hilltop, and a scalable building.

Hopefully Bruce is ready to lean hard into the turns.

Too bad they are really not going to be able to lose the helicopter.

Or, it appears, a souped-up SUV and its occupants.

[master_bruce]

He swears under his breath.

...when he sees the SUV, not at the hard turns. Those, he's fine with.

'Who are they?'

[cutting_edgex23]

"I do not know."

X's voice is louder than usual, to make certain that Bruce can hear her.

All the tension is in her body, though, drawn wire-tight and battle-ready.

If they are lucky, it will be H.A.M.M.E.R.

And if they are not lucky --

X steers the bike off-road and up a dirt-and-gravel path that leads toward what may be an abandoned lighthouse.

It doesn't give the SUV much pause, but then she was not expecting that. Hopefully they will not be expecting her next move. Or Bruce's.

"Stay here. Until the car is stopped. Or I go down."

She slides off the idling bike, sprinting toward the oncoming SUV.

[master_bruce]

'...what?'

He says it to her retreating back. And OK, he's sure she wouldn't have stopped anyway and he knows she can more than handle herself. It won't stop him worrying.

He does as she asks, though. He trusts her judgement. So he waits, keeping the bike engine revved, ready to go as soon as the car stops.

Her going down is not an option he'll be contemplating.

[cutting_edgex23]

It's like the world's worst game of chicken.

Except at the second-to-last minute X jumps, claws out, crashing into the car's hood and sliding through the windshield.

Or she would have gone through the windshield if all six claws hadn't found their way through the car's hood.

The engine does not survive the encounter.

And shortly afterward the occupants of the SUV are fleeing from it like rats leaving a sinking ship.

Rats with guns and/or cattle-prods, but rats nonetheless.

[master_bruce]

...whoa.

This is the first time he's seen X in serious fighting mode.

It's impressive.

But there's no time to sit and wonder at it. The bad guys, whoever they are, are running away and he's not having that. So he guns the bike engine and takes off after the nearest two; a few seconds later he's alongside one and it's the simplest thing in the world to stand up on the footrests and launch himself off the moving bike, crashing into the man and taking him down with enough force to knock him out when his head hits the ground.

That one taken care of, he sprints after the next.

We hope the X-Men won't object to their bike getting all scratched up from its fall.

[cutting_edgex23]

The X-men will probably have other things to worry about.

Just like the operatives in the SUV -- or out of the SUV, by now -- have things to worry about other than the destruction of their car.

Like X-23.

She goes after the guns first. It is only sensible to remove long-distance weapons from the equation.

Then she goes after the men. And when each one falls down, they do not look likely to get back up again, even after they regain consciousness.

[master_bruce]

Bruce has caught up with the second man and is busy pounding him into the dirt. Not for very long though, really. He's a pretty efficient fighter and all that sparring with X has improved him even more.

So when that's taken care of he turns to look at her, then glances around for cover in case shots start raining down from the sky.

'Who are they?'

And is that helicopter likely to cause problems?

He imagines so.

[cutting_edgex23]

"Not H.A.M.M.E.R."

Beat.

"Not officially."

X flicks a quick look up from where she's disarming and frisking one of the unconscious soldiers.

"I do not know if they are from the Facility."

Meanwhile, up in the air, the helicopter keeps circling.

[master_bruce]

He follows her lead, picking up a weapon and searching for ID or anything useful. He's not a fan of guns at all but if those guys in the chopper have them then they might be necessary.

'Is there anyone else it might be likely to be?'

Knowing her, anything's possible.

[cutting_edgex23]

Her response takes a moment as she double-checks her memory banks.

"No. It is problematic."

Unknown enemies can be some of the worst.

She pauses for a moment, head tilting as she focuses on everything around them that is not-Bruce.

It does not sound like they will have any additional company in the near future. Except for the helicopter.

"I do not know why they are not firing."

[master_bruce]

'Nor do I but I'm not complaining.'

There isn't much up here apart from that lighthouse. If that thing comes down between it and them, they'll be in trouble. They can get on the bike and make a run for it but assuming they do have guns up there...they'll still be in trouble.

'We can try and run. Or...' he points towards the building. '...there's that.'

The unconscious guys have provided some guns of their own, after all.

[cutting_edgex23]

"Running will not be effective," X says, shaking her head briefly.

But something in her posture shifts when she follows Bruce's gesture, looking at the lighthouse.

She looks at him a moment later.

"You are good at climbing?"

Is he thinking what she's thinking?

Let's find out.

[master_bruce]

Bruce grins.

'Yeah, I am.'



Nothing else needs to be said.

[cutting_edgex23]

Well, maybe one thing.

"Take the tasers. They will expect the guns."

And with that said, X starts picking her way through the downed soldiers. She'll start running for the bike once she's clear.

It should buy Bruce a little more time.

[master_bruce]

He takes both. Maybe they'll expect that even less? And in this situation, he's for covering his bases. They all get hidden in his jacket either way. The less of a threat he appears, the more likely it is they won't be looking at him.

He heads up the hill towards the lighthouse. There isn't a lot of cover here but he has to assume their attention is on X. She's why they're here, after all.

[cutting_edgex23]

His assumptions would be correct. The helicopter is breaking out of its holding pattern as X picks up the bike.

By the time she's got the engine running again it is very nearly on top of her.

She doesn't spare a glance for Bruce's retreating figure -- even if he were still visible, she knows where he is going. And if the people in the helicopter can't figure it out, there is no sense giving them clues.

The only question now is how large and jagged of a circuit she will have to make to a) keep the helicopter moving and b) not get the bike shot to pieces.

Disguising the circuitous nature of her route will also be a fine trick. Hopefully they will buy that her initial approach to an area with severely torn-up ground was a mistake borne out of panic.

[master_bruce]

He tries not to think about what might happen if they do start shooting. Or surely it's a matter of when - if the guys in the SUV had guns, it's too much to hope the ones up there won't. He and X only have one advantage; a chopper can only follow one of them at a time.

He really hopes this works.

The door to the lighthouse is locked. There's no time to do anything but shoot the lock off, even if he really hates the feeling of a gun in his hand. He dispatches it as quickly as possible, puts the thing back in his pocket and sprints up the stairs.

If nothing else, at least he'll be able to see what's going on from up there.