We'll feed you to the sharks

[cutting_edgex23]

Stepping from Milliways into Madripoor is like moving from silence into chaos. The riots are still raging, and everywhere seems full of smoke, fire, the press of frantic bodies, and the sharp prickle of too many eyes watching.

"He has a meet scheduled nearby. Colcord. With a man in a mask."

Beat.

"We will need to immobilize them both."

Comments

[ellectrical]

"A man in a mask."

Elle is still tying her hair back, taking the moment to adjust to the stark change in her surroundings.

But her voice is derisive. In her experience, the words "man in a mask" usually only lead to aggravation.

"All right."

[cutting_edgex23]

X flicks a quick glance in Elle's direction, halfway to looking startled before slams her arm out to the side to clothesline a thug who thought he was being clever.

"A name would be more useful," X allows. "I know."

She scans the intersection they're standing at, head tilting as she reorients according to the maps she's been looking at.

The quickest route to the back alley where the meet is supposed to take place is not necessarily the safest, in times such as these.

But since time is of the essence, and she and Elle can take care of themselves --

A twisting, winding path through the alleys it is. Fewer people mean fewer opportunities to be noticed, and makes for a lesser need to worry about fighting attracting unwanted attention.

(And a longer time before people notice the bodies.)

[ellectrical]

Even with fewer eyes, Elle doesn't make much of a show of it when she shoves off any unwanted company. She just puts out one hand, usually to an opponent's shoulder or chest, and the surge of electricity from her skin is barely visible beyond a few sparks.

"Maybe," she answers.

[cutting_edgex23]

X does not bother shrugging, just hooks her foot around the ankle of a woman in the shadows, tripping her up enough to make a throw easily possible.

The brick wall of the nearby building is very hard. Fortunately.

Somewhere a series of car alarms are wailing.

And the smell of gasoline is suddenly heavy on the air.

X frowns, nostrils flaring and head tilting as she attempts to make sense of the sudden confusion of scent and sound.

[ellectrical]

"That's not good," Elle mutters.

Least of which because it makes her disinclined to let her skin spark at all. Accidentally catching on fire is not much fun.

[cutting_edgex23]

"No," X agrees.

They'll have to take a detour.

(And walk faster.)

And somewhere on the rooftops, someone is definitely watching them.

From downwind.

[ellectrical]

Elle's hand hesitates at her waist, but she doesn't pull out her gun yet. The last thing she really wants is to attract even more attention.

"Can you tell if they're here?"

[cutting_edgex23]

"One is," X says quietly, slipping a little further into the shadows.

"Colcord. He has a cell phone."

She can hear him talking. Such are the dangers of answering with 'Colcord here'.

X switches into Japanese just moments after the wind changes.

"[We are being watched. From above.]"

[ellectrical]

"[Yeah]," Elle answers, following X.

"[Do you think it's the other one?"

[cutting_edgex23]

"[They are being patient]," X allows.

"[I think it is likely]."

In a spot just far enough away from a dumpster to not be able to smell it, Colcord has stopped walking.

The chances of him beginning to tap his foot impatiently seem very high.

X flicks a quick look at Elle.

"[You will watch?]"

For the one in the mask, is the part that X does not say. She does dart a quick sideways glance at the relevant rooftop, however.

Elle has a significantly larger range of attack than X does. For one.

[ellectrical]

If it is the other one, Elle wonders what exactly they're waiting for.

But she just takes a deep breath, and replies, "[Yes.]"

[cutting_edgex23]

X brushes her hand against Elle's arm as she moves away, picking up her pace as soon as she sees Colcord's back turned.

This is a very shadowy side lot, and apparently Colcord's night vision is pretty bad. Blame the glasses.

He hits the brick with a satisfying thump, hidden from view of the street (if anyone were looking) by the dirty green wall of the dumpster.

"You are the one that bought the information. About Weapon X."

snikt

"Tell me why."

Colcord has no reason to be smiling. Especially not just around his eyes.

She'll take care of that soon enough.

[23xnpcs]

So she does have spine, even out here and all alone.

Who would have guessed?

But now to do his part. Word on the street has Daddy's clone bursting into town with a buddy, and not one of the usual crowd.

Daken drops lightly down from the rooftop, letting his crouch absorb some of his downward momentum. A couple yards between him and the pretty little blonde might be all right. And if not --

Well. He'll make it work just fine.

"She's got guts, your friend."

Say hello to the man in the mask?

[ellectrical]

Something changes the moment he touches down. It makes her stand a little straighter, like she's hearing something but just can't make out what it is. It's him - he bothers her, and she's not sure why.

Elle looks past him, her eyes on X.

"You're in my way."

(Elle isn't too good at 'hello.')

[23xnpcs]

Maybe it's his ability to manipulate pheremones. Daken likes to use that one, but only when it's fun. Or when it makes people uncomfortable.

But right now he's a semi-distracted by listening to his father's clone go to work.

Or maybe he just wants it to look that way.

"Am I? That's too bad. But are you sure you wouldn't rather look at me? I've been told I'm pretty."

Overselling it is part of the game, too.

She's cute when she bristles.

And maybe he wants to see how dangerous she is.

[ellectrical]

Elle stays still, and doesn't look away from X.

"I've seen better."

[23xnpcs]

Daken takes a step sideways, blocking her view of the clone.

"I could say the same."

He smirks.

"But really, that's only the surface. I can't imagine you came here just to be arm candy."

He gestures dismissively back toward X.

"Or to be arm candy at all, really. Our darling little killer never seems to get out much.

[cutting_edgex23]

X, meanwhile, very carefully prevents Colcord from being able to draw a deep breath.

"Weapon X. I know who sold you the information. I know what you know."

Mostly, anyway.

"You will tell me why."

And, of course, where.

[ellectrical]

Elle takes a step to get X back in her view.

But something prickles in her mind when she asks, "What do you know about her?"

[23xnpcs]

"What don't I know about her," Daken says, baring his teeth in a too-sharp grin.

"We share a common bond."

The grin turns into more of a leer.

Sometimes a bit of misdirection doesn't go amiss.

[ellectrical]

It does finally get Elle to look to him. But rather than meet his eyes, she looks down at his hands. Her right hand reaches out very slightly, but nothing else happens.

"You're..."

(She can sense it, barely, the metal under his skin - but she has no idea what it means.)

[23xnpcs]

"What? Cat got your tongue?"

Daken flicks his tongue across his lips, though his smile never fades.

"Or is it the doctor that's got your friend's?"

He's just going to wait for her moment of distraction in order to strike.

If he's judged the situation right, of course.

[ellectrical]

Elle finally meets his eyes.

Then, her already outstretched hand curls, and a bright blue surge of electricity flashes through the air toward Daken.

[23xnpcs]

Oh good.

This one can play.

Daken drops flat to the ground, in an attempt to dodge the lightning and come up swinging.

He fries a little first, though.

Poor costume. And he'd only just gotten it cleaned.

[cutting_edgex23]

"No."

X's voice is harsh, and it follows hard on the heels of the sound of tearing flesh, breaking glass, and the hard smack of a body against the pavement.

"Help me, you bastard!" Colcord groans.

X, meanwhile, staggers into the dumpster, shaking her head as if to clear it.

A good ten count will see that improve, but --