June 5, 2011
Cor was in full glory as he strode arrogantly through the compounds hallways. Lightning crackled off of his body, arcing from one extremity to the next and grounding itself in the floor and walls around him. Alain had asked for a diversion, and a diversion he would get as Cor made certain all of the troops and guards within the area heard the noise, saw the light-show, and that they most *definitely* could easily find Cor. Keep him contained, though, was an entirely different story as he occasionally lifted an arm, focusing a ring of crimson light around his closed fist, then lancing a bolt of pure energy -not at the guards, but at the buildings and walls near them, detonating each blast with a thunderous explosion of force. Cor simply laughed and continued on his way, riding high on the wave of his nearly full-on Manifestation.
Mass chaos. That is what Mercedes would remember of this night. There was crashing outside the room she was being held in...more a tiny cell than a room. She could hear the screams and cries of the other girls all along the corridor and the shouts, curses and boots pounding upon pavement as the guards tried to organize. She could hear the frantic jingle of keys as the door to her cell was opened and she was roughly yanked into the brightly lit corridor. She protested by trying to pull away and that earned her a full on backhand across her delicate mouth. This was an indication of just how bad the situation was. She was supposed to be untouchable. Procured for her beauty, the "boss" had very specific plans for Merci. She lived in the same squalor and wore the same chains but she had been spared, so far, the physical beatings and rape that happened with some of the others. So, being struck, especially in the face and marring her beauty...she knew the guard was panicked.
She forced down the hope that rose up in her, forced down the calculating smile that threatened to slide over parched tiers. She pretended to lag behind as he pulled at her. Soft whimpers fell from purposefully pouting lips. "Please...I can't run...these chains..." She held up her wrists where the chain began and connected to her ankle cuffs. Her voice had been nearly a whisper and she had used her best "poor pretty princess" voice on the panicked idiot.
He gave another forceful yank then stepped quickly back to her and removed the keys from his belt once again. She was just a tiny little thing, after all. Just a slave. He knelt upon the ground, sliding a grimy hand along one shapely leg until he reached the ankle cuffs and unlocked them. Merci clamped her jaws closed to stop herself from berating him for daring to touch her with his filthy hands. This was exactly what she had been working towards after all. All demure apologetic smiles and downcast eyes, she quietly sobbed for all she was worth. Not that the guard would care for tears...he was a brute. But it would simply settle in his mind that she was a harmless crying female.
Filthy hands slid up her body and he leered at her as he grabbed the chain that had connected between her ankles and wrists. Why the idiot guard thought he had time to feel up the slave girl was beyond her comprehension but she went along with it because she was gaining exactly what she wanted. Her wrist cuffs were unlocked and he easily held both wrists in one of his massive filthy paws. Leaning forward so that he was face to face, he growled into her face. "Best not give me no trouble fo' this. I show you how I deal with yo' kind if'n you do."
The smell of rotting teeth and cheap beer washed over her and she felt nauseated. Which only helped the role she was playing. She nodded demurely and allowed him to roughly pull her along, fighting back the cold smile that threatened to break upon her features. She was just biding her time.
An Unexpected Acquisition
Moderator: Mercedes
Meanwhile, Cor was simply keeping on keeping on. As he hadn't been targeting the guards and other assorted unwished, unkempt troops, they eventually mustered their courage and rushed him en masse. He let out a surprised whoop before ducking on oncoming spear, and then his hand flung out and a bar of pulsing crimson light about three feet long lanced up from his palm and his hand grasped it around the base. His sword had been left at home, the better to not identify him with, and this would serve as an adequate substitute, now that it had devolved into close-fighting. The spear was hacked down a mere stub with a succession of lighting-fast swings, and then Cor was dancing about in wide arcs, clearing the vicinity immediately around him. He vaulted over the troops with a flex of his knees, leaving a small indent in the pavement of the courtyard he was now in and landed some feet away before darting off into the nearest hallway. Not too fast though, he still wanted his new friends to follow!
Jack the Aurk, big green form with the tusks protruding over his bottom lip, was just stepping silently from the shadows to follow Cor at an undetected distance. Alain had tipped him off to the raid and Cor's involvement and had made it evident he wished the spy to be present to glean what he could of Cor's "abilities."
Just as Jack was rounding one corner, he heard a shrill scream behind him followed by a gutteral curse, a loud slapping noise, and a soft groan that began when the screaming ended. It didn't take a genious to figure out what had occurred. Jack had a soldier's mentality...you get the job done. No distraction should get in the way. But the Aurk was from a race of people that had faced slavery and genocide for many generations. He was in a slave compound, working for an anti-slavery activist. He didn't have a choice in this. Jack turned around, .45 pulled from the shoulder holster and put two bullets in the middle of the guard's forehead. This happened in less than thirty seconds and he turned again and stalked back the way he had seen Cor go. He didn't speak to the slave girl he had just set free. Freeing her had been enough.
Merci had screamed when she saw the tall green "monster." These sorts of things were just not something she had ever seen on Earth and she had been to some pretty terrifying places on her climb to fame. Ex street kid turned diva. She had seen, and probably done, it all. But this place she had been brought to...this was beyond any nightmare she had ever dreamt. She still didn't know the name of the..world? she was in, She knew she wasn't on Earth and knew she had traveled through some sort of space. It was all very hazy as she had been injected with heroin from the moment she had been nabbed.
Well the guard lay bleeding in a crumpled heap at her feet. She stared dispassionately at him, arched an onyx brow and moved around him after she bent down and lifted the keys from his belt as well as the dagger at his hip. She had no weapons training but that was a non-issue at this point. She ran down the corridor, following the scary green guy that had shot her guard. Couldn't be all that bad a fellow, right? She spotted him and began to call out. "Hey you...hey...HEY YOU...wait." She noticed his steps quickened..."He's trying to get away from me? Oh hell no." She quickened her own pace, closing the distance.
Cor exited the hallway with a burst of speed, coming to land in a three-point stance in the middle of a new courtyard. Oh, it seems his diversion had been successful after all, because there was now a horde of massed troops between him and the next adjoining hallway. And these troops had time to prepare for the incursion because they were armed with more than simple spears, instead each one shouldering an assault rifle of undetermined origin, with each barrel pointed squarely at Cor's chest as he stood up and straightened. Flicker. Crackle.
The aura of his power was still running strong as each guardsman opened fire on him, much to the dismay of those hapless troops still exiting the tunnel to his rear. Cor was grinning as each oncoming bullet was met by a flickering tendril of lightning, with so many flying at him that he appeared to be at the center of a human-sized lightning globe. The ground around his feet was cleared for two feet while beyond that point, bullets began piling up in torrential sheets along the outer edge of that protective sphere.
Jack the Aurk, big green form with the tusks protruding over his bottom lip, was just stepping silently from the shadows to follow Cor at an undetected distance. Alain had tipped him off to the raid and Cor's involvement and had made it evident he wished the spy to be present to glean what he could of Cor's "abilities."
Just as Jack was rounding one corner, he heard a shrill scream behind him followed by a gutteral curse, a loud slapping noise, and a soft groan that began when the screaming ended. It didn't take a genious to figure out what had occurred. Jack had a soldier's mentality...you get the job done. No distraction should get in the way. But the Aurk was from a race of people that had faced slavery and genocide for many generations. He was in a slave compound, working for an anti-slavery activist. He didn't have a choice in this. Jack turned around, .45 pulled from the shoulder holster and put two bullets in the middle of the guard's forehead. This happened in less than thirty seconds and he turned again and stalked back the way he had seen Cor go. He didn't speak to the slave girl he had just set free. Freeing her had been enough.
Merci had screamed when she saw the tall green "monster." These sorts of things were just not something she had ever seen on Earth and she had been to some pretty terrifying places on her climb to fame. Ex street kid turned diva. She had seen, and probably done, it all. But this place she had been brought to...this was beyond any nightmare she had ever dreamt. She still didn't know the name of the..world? she was in, She knew she wasn't on Earth and knew she had traveled through some sort of space. It was all very hazy as she had been injected with heroin from the moment she had been nabbed.
Well the guard lay bleeding in a crumpled heap at her feet. She stared dispassionately at him, arched an onyx brow and moved around him after she bent down and lifted the keys from his belt as well as the dagger at his hip. She had no weapons training but that was a non-issue at this point. She ran down the corridor, following the scary green guy that had shot her guard. Couldn't be all that bad a fellow, right? She spotted him and began to call out. "Hey you...hey...HEY YOU...wait." She noticed his steps quickened..."He's trying to get away from me? Oh hell no." She quickened her own pace, closing the distance.
Cor exited the hallway with a burst of speed, coming to land in a three-point stance in the middle of a new courtyard. Oh, it seems his diversion had been successful after all, because there was now a horde of massed troops between him and the next adjoining hallway. And these troops had time to prepare for the incursion because they were armed with more than simple spears, instead each one shouldering an assault rifle of undetermined origin, with each barrel pointed squarely at Cor's chest as he stood up and straightened. Flicker. Crackle.
The aura of his power was still running strong as each guardsman opened fire on him, much to the dismay of those hapless troops still exiting the tunnel to his rear. Cor was grinning as each oncoming bullet was met by a flickering tendril of lightning, with so many flying at him that he appeared to be at the center of a human-sized lightning globe. The ground around his feet was cleared for two feet while beyond that point, bullets began piling up in torrential sheets along the outer edge of that protective sphere.
Jack heard the deafening roar of hundreds of assault rifles firing in sync. He grunted his dismay, Cor was important to Alain afterall, and therefore him dying was not a good thing. He wound his way through the hallways, following the roar and stepped from the hallway to see a sight he had not been prepared for.
Jack was an agent for one of those agencies that was known simply by its initials...that translated simply into "badass." But when he saw Cor, at the center of a lightning globe with bullets building up around it...badass suddenly seemed like child's play. He touched the button upon the front of his blazer and began visually recording the activity. Alain had the best equipment to offer, after all. One of the perks for working for the man. Another perk? Killing slavers. He heard the girl from the hallway incident...heard her loudly calling out to him. Too loudly. She was going to draw the attention of the troops back to them and ultimately cause a hiccup in Alain's raid. That couldn't be allowed to happen.
So Jack went back to primitive ways. A tiny tube was removed from blazer pocket and an equally tiny tranquilizer dart was loaded. He cupped both in his hand, turned just as he heard the girl approach, lifted the tube to his lips and gave a sharp blow. Tranq dart met tender neck flesh and after a few blinks of beautiful pools of dark brown, funny that Jack would notice that, the woman crumpled to the floor.
Mercedes had been yelling for the green man as she stalked through the hallway. She heard the sound of the weapons firing but instead of deciding it would be wise to stop yelling, she yelled louder. And louder. She was only thirty feet from him and closing in when she saw him finally turn. She saw his hand lift to his lips and then she felt a sting against her neck, felt warmth and then numbness flood her body. Midnight pools blinked up at the man that had been her rescuer only a few minutes earlier. She seemed to question "Why?" with that gaze, blinked a few times and then she was falling. She lay in a heap of tanned limbs, out cold.
Jack turned back to watch Cor and heard a stray bullet whiz past his head. Most bullets were concentrated on Cor but that didn't account for the occasional poor marksman. But he wasn't getting quite the view he wanted. He wanted to capture on video, the face behind those powers. He looked at the slave girl laying at his feet and had a momentary twinge of conscience.
He should leave her behind. His training said he should leave her behind. But his instinct said to take her. Was it because he had rendered her unconscious and she would be at the mercy of her captors? Partly. The other part was just pure Jack gut instinct that said she mattered in the scheme of things. He had been doing his job for so long that he didn't even hesitate when instinct told him to do something. Crumpled little naked slave girl was tossed unceremoniously over his shoulder and he backpedaled into the hallway they had just come. When they reached the intersection he turned right and did the same at the next intersection and at the next. A few minutes after he started, Jack and Mercedes were standing behind; at a discreet distance, two hundred armed guards. Jack wasn't worried.
He readjusted Merci's body over his shoulder so that she wasn't covering the camera and he began to tape Cor again, this time seeing his face during this awesome display of raw natural energy. Jack experienced something he rarely felt...admiration
He bit off a string of curses, his attention wonderfully sharpened by the intense pain. And though he was at the full manifestation of his powers, there was stil plenty of danger in the wound. One hand went up palm facing outwards, while the wound bled fiercely. At least in his current state, the pain was merely unpleasant and not debilitating. The lightning crackled about his body once again, this time surging out with new ferocity and buying Cor the time he'd need to concentrate his power inward. Find the wound..find the damaged area and begin repairing the more serious damage.
Only problem was, healing, especially healing himself drained his powers like nothing else, even with all of the training he had been doing. Once this was done, it was going to be time to make an exit. It was over in a span of heartbeats. Slowed time in Cor's own individual perception as the wound knitted back together. The surge of energy to the barrier would be running out soon. What was done would need to be enough for now. The interior damage was healed, but the exterior entry still looked gruesome and Cor would be sore and stiff for days yet.
And then, time flicked back into normalcy as the barrier began to falter and Cor resumed direct control of stopping the bullets. But he was sagging now. His only hope of making it out now would be assistance and since someone had caused his lapse in concentration, it was going to fall to them to get Cor away. He fell to his knees, both palms going down to the ground as power rippled through his arms and into the floor of the compound. Arcs of power exploded outward in a direct line towards Jack and his companion, creating a temporary hallway free of the compound soldiers which had been flung away by the erupting power. The path between Jack and Cor was now clear and temporary, and it was just as clear that Cor was in no position to make the trip to them.
Jack didn't hesitate. An arm encompassed the still unconscious form of the slave girl, securing her to his shoulder as he dashed forward. He didn't stop when he reached Cor, instead shooting out his free arm, hand curling around Cor's shirt and hoisting him from the ground and maneuvering so that the man was also over his shoulder. He knew, in the back of his mind, that Cor was laying with his wound pressed and bouncing against Jack's hard shoulder but there was nothing to be done for this. It might help with the bleeding anyway, right? He spoke in his usual quiet calm tone, voice unwavering as if he was feeling no strain from carrying two people out of a slave compound filled with hundreds of armed soldiers. These were the odds, the Aurk liked. His livelihood had been on a battlefield in a war that had ravaged his homeland for nearly twenty-two years. He was familiar with the tactics he was employing now.
The arm he had around Mercedes moved and he was lifting a hand and tapping a device within his ear that was the size of a dime. "Hank...truck to back..plus two." And Jack had both arms wrapped securely around the passengers, ignoring the wet warmth seeping through his blazer beneath Cor's body. He zipped through hallway after hallway, left turn, right ,right, right then a final left. How did he know his way through here? One thing about Jack, he was always prepared. Blueprints to the building were folded up and stuffed inside an internal blazer pocket...probably soaked through with Cor's blood by now. Ok so he wasn't always prepared. He hadn't prepared for this...these taggers along.
The compound was eerily empty of guards right now. At least where Jack was headed. He ran across one guard that was startled to see the large green man carrying tow bodies...one nude and one bloody...that got Jack close enough to snap a kick to the man's trachea. Yes...while carrying two small adults. He is just that badass. The man dropped to the floor and Jack decided he had better arm himself. .45 was drawn and held loosely in the hand of the arm he had wrapped around the slave.
He reached the back door and kicked it outward, hearing the screeching halt of tires. Hank jumped from the back of the truck and grabbed the unconscious slave girl, surprising careful of where he placed his hands. Jack took care of Cor himself, opening the passenger door to the truck and lowering Cor to the seat and laid him down. "Johnson...be easy on the road...gut wound." The door was shut and Jack jumped into the back of the truck, revolver at the ready. His gaze slipped momentarily down to where the slave was starting to stir around. In an uncommon display of compassion, the Aurk removed his blazer and draped it over her nude form. He gazed down at his shoulder where the large bloodstain permeated the expensive silk. "DeMuer be buying me a new bloody damn coat and shirt. Cigar too." And the truck was speeding through the night to Cor's house with his wards. Jack sighed a little when he thought of that overbearing crazy elfess he would be facing when they got there. "F*ck."
Jack was an agent for one of those agencies that was known simply by its initials...that translated simply into "badass." But when he saw Cor, at the center of a lightning globe with bullets building up around it...badass suddenly seemed like child's play. He touched the button upon the front of his blazer and began visually recording the activity. Alain had the best equipment to offer, after all. One of the perks for working for the man. Another perk? Killing slavers. He heard the girl from the hallway incident...heard her loudly calling out to him. Too loudly. She was going to draw the attention of the troops back to them and ultimately cause a hiccup in Alain's raid. That couldn't be allowed to happen.
So Jack went back to primitive ways. A tiny tube was removed from blazer pocket and an equally tiny tranquilizer dart was loaded. He cupped both in his hand, turned just as he heard the girl approach, lifted the tube to his lips and gave a sharp blow. Tranq dart met tender neck flesh and after a few blinks of beautiful pools of dark brown, funny that Jack would notice that, the woman crumpled to the floor.
Mercedes had been yelling for the green man as she stalked through the hallway. She heard the sound of the weapons firing but instead of deciding it would be wise to stop yelling, she yelled louder. And louder. She was only thirty feet from him and closing in when she saw him finally turn. She saw his hand lift to his lips and then she felt a sting against her neck, felt warmth and then numbness flood her body. Midnight pools blinked up at the man that had been her rescuer only a few minutes earlier. She seemed to question "Why?" with that gaze, blinked a few times and then she was falling. She lay in a heap of tanned limbs, out cold.
Jack turned back to watch Cor and heard a stray bullet whiz past his head. Most bullets were concentrated on Cor but that didn't account for the occasional poor marksman. But he wasn't getting quite the view he wanted. He wanted to capture on video, the face behind those powers. He looked at the slave girl laying at his feet and had a momentary twinge of conscience.
He should leave her behind. His training said he should leave her behind. But his instinct said to take her. Was it because he had rendered her unconscious and she would be at the mercy of her captors? Partly. The other part was just pure Jack gut instinct that said she mattered in the scheme of things. He had been doing his job for so long that he didn't even hesitate when instinct told him to do something. Crumpled little naked slave girl was tossed unceremoniously over his shoulder and he backpedaled into the hallway they had just come. When they reached the intersection he turned right and did the same at the next intersection and at the next. A few minutes after he started, Jack and Mercedes were standing behind; at a discreet distance, two hundred armed guards. Jack wasn't worried.
He readjusted Merci's body over his shoulder so that she wasn't covering the camera and he began to tape Cor again, this time seeing his face during this awesome display of raw natural energy. Jack experienced something he rarely felt...admiration
He bit off a string of curses, his attention wonderfully sharpened by the intense pain. And though he was at the full manifestation of his powers, there was stil plenty of danger in the wound. One hand went up palm facing outwards, while the wound bled fiercely. At least in his current state, the pain was merely unpleasant and not debilitating. The lightning crackled about his body once again, this time surging out with new ferocity and buying Cor the time he'd need to concentrate his power inward. Find the wound..find the damaged area and begin repairing the more serious damage.
Only problem was, healing, especially healing himself drained his powers like nothing else, even with all of the training he had been doing. Once this was done, it was going to be time to make an exit. It was over in a span of heartbeats. Slowed time in Cor's own individual perception as the wound knitted back together. The surge of energy to the barrier would be running out soon. What was done would need to be enough for now. The interior damage was healed, but the exterior entry still looked gruesome and Cor would be sore and stiff for days yet.
And then, time flicked back into normalcy as the barrier began to falter and Cor resumed direct control of stopping the bullets. But he was sagging now. His only hope of making it out now would be assistance and since someone had caused his lapse in concentration, it was going to fall to them to get Cor away. He fell to his knees, both palms going down to the ground as power rippled through his arms and into the floor of the compound. Arcs of power exploded outward in a direct line towards Jack and his companion, creating a temporary hallway free of the compound soldiers which had been flung away by the erupting power. The path between Jack and Cor was now clear and temporary, and it was just as clear that Cor was in no position to make the trip to them.
Jack didn't hesitate. An arm encompassed the still unconscious form of the slave girl, securing her to his shoulder as he dashed forward. He didn't stop when he reached Cor, instead shooting out his free arm, hand curling around Cor's shirt and hoisting him from the ground and maneuvering so that the man was also over his shoulder. He knew, in the back of his mind, that Cor was laying with his wound pressed and bouncing against Jack's hard shoulder but there was nothing to be done for this. It might help with the bleeding anyway, right? He spoke in his usual quiet calm tone, voice unwavering as if he was feeling no strain from carrying two people out of a slave compound filled with hundreds of armed soldiers. These were the odds, the Aurk liked. His livelihood had been on a battlefield in a war that had ravaged his homeland for nearly twenty-two years. He was familiar with the tactics he was employing now.
The arm he had around Mercedes moved and he was lifting a hand and tapping a device within his ear that was the size of a dime. "Hank...truck to back..plus two." And Jack had both arms wrapped securely around the passengers, ignoring the wet warmth seeping through his blazer beneath Cor's body. He zipped through hallway after hallway, left turn, right ,right, right then a final left. How did he know his way through here? One thing about Jack, he was always prepared. Blueprints to the building were folded up and stuffed inside an internal blazer pocket...probably soaked through with Cor's blood by now. Ok so he wasn't always prepared. He hadn't prepared for this...these taggers along.
The compound was eerily empty of guards right now. At least where Jack was headed. He ran across one guard that was startled to see the large green man carrying tow bodies...one nude and one bloody...that got Jack close enough to snap a kick to the man's trachea. Yes...while carrying two small adults. He is just that badass. The man dropped to the floor and Jack decided he had better arm himself. .45 was drawn and held loosely in the hand of the arm he had wrapped around the slave.
He reached the back door and kicked it outward, hearing the screeching halt of tires. Hank jumped from the back of the truck and grabbed the unconscious slave girl, surprising careful of where he placed his hands. Jack took care of Cor himself, opening the passenger door to the truck and lowering Cor to the seat and laid him down. "Johnson...be easy on the road...gut wound." The door was shut and Jack jumped into the back of the truck, revolver at the ready. His gaze slipped momentarily down to where the slave was starting to stir around. In an uncommon display of compassion, the Aurk removed his blazer and draped it over her nude form. He gazed down at his shoulder where the large bloodstain permeated the expensive silk. "DeMuer be buying me a new bloody damn coat and shirt. Cigar too." And the truck was speeding through the night to Cor's house with his wards. Jack sighed a little when he thought of that overbearing crazy elfess he would be facing when they got there. "F*ck."
Johnson rambled the truck along the country roads leading back to RhyDin City. He was careful to swerve around whatever potholes or other obstacles were in the road, trying to follow Jack's directives to be careful with the gut-wounded passenger. He glanced down at the bleeding man occasionally, to be certain he still breathed. As Johnson reached the outskirts of town, he slowed the truck a bit, as to not draw attention. He wasn't new to this gig of getaway driver, he and Jack went way back. He was headed in the direction of the Market District and to the home of one Corlanthis Wystansayr, directive and address given via the small wireless earbud in his left ear.
Mercedes groaned softly as she rolled to her side, displacing Jack's blood soaked blazer. She had not reached any semblance of consciousness as of yet but these stirrings indicated she should be awakening within the next thirty minutes or so. The tranq loaded into the blow dart was a particularly nasty substance that Jack had several alchemists work together on to concoct, using the leaves of a flower he had traveled three realms over to procure. Merci would make a slow ascension to consciousness but would find she lacked control over her fine motor skills. She would be able to move her large muscle groups but anything more precise...that would take several more hours. Nasty substance indeed.
Jack tilted his head to the side for a moment as he watched the slave girl roll and groan. He almost had a twinge of pity for her. Almost. Not quite, though. It had been entirely necessary to silence her and this was a better alternative for her than the other option. He had chosen more permanent ways of silencing on numerous occasions, so he wasn't sure what had stopped him this time. She was just a nameless slave girl. But she wasn't. He held the code that no slave was nameless. They were all someone's child or parent or sibling or friend.
Dark eyes softened as he gazed upon the nude form of the slave. He repositioned the blazer over her to give her some semblance of modesty as he silently wondered who was missing her tonight, possibly mourning the loss of her depending on how long since she had been taken. Judging from the haughtiness of her demeanor and boldness of her behavior inside the compound, it was a safe bet she hadn't been enslaved for long.
A twitch to the corner of his mouth was the only sign of the amusement he felt regarding this spunky girl. He was certain, once the effects of the blow dart tranq wore off, she was going to be just fine. He looked up just in time to see Hank grinning over at him before he suddenly turned his attention to the assault rifle laying across his thighs. Jack harrumphed and sat back again, purposefully keeping his gaze away from the unconscious girl laying at his feet.
The truck rolled to a stop at the curb of Cor's townhouse. Johnson exited the vehicle first, .45 clutched in his right hand, beaver tail safety on the grip pressed against his palm, second safety switched off. Gun was **** and index finger lay to the right of the trigger, ready. Piercing gray hues scanned and rescanned the perimeter as he moved around to the passenger side of the truck, opening the door as Hank appeared, carrying the lifeless form of Mercedes and Jack stooped to pick up Cor. The door was closed and Johnson covered their steps, base of the .45's grip balanced against the heel of his left hand.
Jack moved to the door first, fully aware of the wards and the need for Cor to inactivate them. The door was opened and Jack stepped through with Cor, eyes already scanning for the elfess he protected...wondering if he was going to need to be protected from her tonight. His quiet rough voice called for her, aware of her heightened sense of hearing. Hopefully her boyfriend would be with her as he usually seemed to be able to keep her craziness to a minimum. "Rayvinn. Its Jack. I need you to come down, there has been an accident." He cringed as he spoke those words, sure the drama was about to begin.
But first...he turned from his position in the doorway and jerked his head towards the door. "Hank, put his hand on the girl and then you touch him so the both of you can come inside. Johnson, you find DeMuer and alert him of the situation." Jack watched as Hank and the slave girl stepped over the threshold and moved back to accommodate their entrance. He pointed to the staircase and moved ahead of Hank, already knowing the layout of Cor's home. It would be easiest to believe this was because he guarded Raye but it was because he spied for Alain and Jack was nothing if not thorough. He moved to the door he knew was not Rayvinn's and turned the knob, kicking with his foot as he did so.
He flipped the light switch as he moved inside and then lay Cor upon one side of his bed. "Put her down on the other side. She is gonna be sleeping and then limited in movement for a while, might as well let her be comfortable." Jack pulled Cor's shirt in opposite directions, causing the buttons to pop. He moved to the attached bathroom and soaked down some towels and came back, sponging the area to see what he had to work with.
A thick brow arched heavenward as he saw what appeared to be only a flesh wound. "...the hell..." There was blood everywhere. Cor's clothes were soaked in it. Jack's shoulder and right front side were soaked in it. The towel was soaked in it. The flesh wound looked like pure hell as it was still bleeding as surface wounds do. If you hadn't been there to see what had caused the wound, knowing it should be so much worse than it was, this appeared really bad. And there was a naked woman laying on the other side of the bed, quickly being covered up by Hank.
Cue Rayvinn walking in.
Mercedes groaned softly as she rolled to her side, displacing Jack's blood soaked blazer. She had not reached any semblance of consciousness as of yet but these stirrings indicated she should be awakening within the next thirty minutes or so. The tranq loaded into the blow dart was a particularly nasty substance that Jack had several alchemists work together on to concoct, using the leaves of a flower he had traveled three realms over to procure. Merci would make a slow ascension to consciousness but would find she lacked control over her fine motor skills. She would be able to move her large muscle groups but anything more precise...that would take several more hours. Nasty substance indeed.
Jack tilted his head to the side for a moment as he watched the slave girl roll and groan. He almost had a twinge of pity for her. Almost. Not quite, though. It had been entirely necessary to silence her and this was a better alternative for her than the other option. He had chosen more permanent ways of silencing on numerous occasions, so he wasn't sure what had stopped him this time. She was just a nameless slave girl. But she wasn't. He held the code that no slave was nameless. They were all someone's child or parent or sibling or friend.
Dark eyes softened as he gazed upon the nude form of the slave. He repositioned the blazer over her to give her some semblance of modesty as he silently wondered who was missing her tonight, possibly mourning the loss of her depending on how long since she had been taken. Judging from the haughtiness of her demeanor and boldness of her behavior inside the compound, it was a safe bet she hadn't been enslaved for long.
A twitch to the corner of his mouth was the only sign of the amusement he felt regarding this spunky girl. He was certain, once the effects of the blow dart tranq wore off, she was going to be just fine. He looked up just in time to see Hank grinning over at him before he suddenly turned his attention to the assault rifle laying across his thighs. Jack harrumphed and sat back again, purposefully keeping his gaze away from the unconscious girl laying at his feet.
The truck rolled to a stop at the curb of Cor's townhouse. Johnson exited the vehicle first, .45 clutched in his right hand, beaver tail safety on the grip pressed against his palm, second safety switched off. Gun was **** and index finger lay to the right of the trigger, ready. Piercing gray hues scanned and rescanned the perimeter as he moved around to the passenger side of the truck, opening the door as Hank appeared, carrying the lifeless form of Mercedes and Jack stooped to pick up Cor. The door was closed and Johnson covered their steps, base of the .45's grip balanced against the heel of his left hand.
Jack moved to the door first, fully aware of the wards and the need for Cor to inactivate them. The door was opened and Jack stepped through with Cor, eyes already scanning for the elfess he protected...wondering if he was going to need to be protected from her tonight. His quiet rough voice called for her, aware of her heightened sense of hearing. Hopefully her boyfriend would be with her as he usually seemed to be able to keep her craziness to a minimum. "Rayvinn. Its Jack. I need you to come down, there has been an accident." He cringed as he spoke those words, sure the drama was about to begin.
But first...he turned from his position in the doorway and jerked his head towards the door. "Hank, put his hand on the girl and then you touch him so the both of you can come inside. Johnson, you find DeMuer and alert him of the situation." Jack watched as Hank and the slave girl stepped over the threshold and moved back to accommodate their entrance. He pointed to the staircase and moved ahead of Hank, already knowing the layout of Cor's home. It would be easiest to believe this was because he guarded Raye but it was because he spied for Alain and Jack was nothing if not thorough. He moved to the door he knew was not Rayvinn's and turned the knob, kicking with his foot as he did so.
He flipped the light switch as he moved inside and then lay Cor upon one side of his bed. "Put her down on the other side. She is gonna be sleeping and then limited in movement for a while, might as well let her be comfortable." Jack pulled Cor's shirt in opposite directions, causing the buttons to pop. He moved to the attached bathroom and soaked down some towels and came back, sponging the area to see what he had to work with.
A thick brow arched heavenward as he saw what appeared to be only a flesh wound. "...the hell..." There was blood everywhere. Cor's clothes were soaked in it. Jack's shoulder and right front side were soaked in it. The towel was soaked in it. The flesh wound looked like pure hell as it was still bleeding as surface wounds do. If you hadn't been there to see what had caused the wound, knowing it should be so much worse than it was, this appeared really bad. And there was a naked woman laying on the other side of the bed, quickly being covered up by Hank.
Cue Rayvinn walking in.
Raye had just gotten back from the Lighting of the Beltane Fires and was changing from the fancy yellow gown she had worn and into a pair of boxers and a tank top. Waves that had been so carefully arranged were now pulled into a haphazard excuse for a bun as she heard Jack calling for her.
There were two ways to gain entrance to Cor’s house…Cor or Rayvinn had to be physically touching the person attempting to gain entrance. She was upstairs, so that left Cor…Jack was inside the house…there had been an accident…she sucked in a breath and hurriedly finished putting her clothes on.
Bolting from the room, she rushed across the hall to Cor’s room and stopped dead in her tracks. Jack need not fear the tirade of the crazy elfess just yet…she was completely silent as jade hues widened, taking in the gory chaotic scene before her. Cor was on his bed and wounded, Jack-her bodyguard- was covered in blood which she assumed belonged to Cor, her other bodyguard Hank was standing next to…was that a naked woman in Cor’s bed?
She took a few deep breaths and forced her eyes from her injured friend and turned those jades upon Jack. In a soft voice that belied the turmoil within her, she calmly asked, "What happened?"
"I liked that shirt. . ." came Cor's hazy, distant reply. His eyes hadn't opened, and likely one needed to be quite close to hear him during the passing moment of lucidity, but there it was. Already consciousness was coming 'round for a guest visit. His eyes fluttered and he let out a low groan before one eye eventually slipped open and and he stared upward at the ceiling, his gaze still unfocused. Getting him to his home had been the correct move on Jack's part and it showed either quick thinking or a significant amount of luck. Already his energy reserves were being renewed and that meant the wound in his stomach, now just the flesh wound would be crackling with tiny tendrils of energy before closing up entirely. Of course. This didn't remove the evidence of the wound and there was still an ample amount of blood to be cleaned off of Cor's chest and stomach. The longer he remained in bed, however, the coherent his gaze became until he was flicking his eyes all about the room before looking back to Jack as his brows drew together. "Did everyone make it out?"
She groaned as her head felt ready to explode, thick cottony tongue was attempting to lick parched lips. "Mas que diabos?(What the hell?) That must have been some party!" Then...Merci bolted upright, rich amber eyes widening as she looked down at her nudity, reality rushing back to torment her once again. Another groan fell from cracking lips, whether it was caused by the sudden movement or the gravity of her situation, couldn't be determined.
Hues were narrowed and began a cursory scan of her surroundings, taking in Hank standing nearby in a non-threatening pose, Rayvinn -with her pointy ears-something Merci had never seen, and then the green man that had drugged her. "Hey! You drugged me! What the hell did I do to you?"
While she awaited his response, that she fully intended to receive, she glanced over and saw Cor laying next to her, covered in blood. Her voice dropped to a soft whisper, speaking in her native Portuguese. Compassion filled those previously wild eyes. "Que Deus tenha misericórdia de você." (May God have mercy upon you.)
There were two ways to gain entrance to Cor’s house…Cor or Rayvinn had to be physically touching the person attempting to gain entrance. She was upstairs, so that left Cor…Jack was inside the house…there had been an accident…she sucked in a breath and hurriedly finished putting her clothes on.
Bolting from the room, she rushed across the hall to Cor’s room and stopped dead in her tracks. Jack need not fear the tirade of the crazy elfess just yet…she was completely silent as jade hues widened, taking in the gory chaotic scene before her. Cor was on his bed and wounded, Jack-her bodyguard- was covered in blood which she assumed belonged to Cor, her other bodyguard Hank was standing next to…was that a naked woman in Cor’s bed?
She took a few deep breaths and forced her eyes from her injured friend and turned those jades upon Jack. In a soft voice that belied the turmoil within her, she calmly asked, "What happened?"
"I liked that shirt. . ." came Cor's hazy, distant reply. His eyes hadn't opened, and likely one needed to be quite close to hear him during the passing moment of lucidity, but there it was. Already consciousness was coming 'round for a guest visit. His eyes fluttered and he let out a low groan before one eye eventually slipped open and and he stared upward at the ceiling, his gaze still unfocused. Getting him to his home had been the correct move on Jack's part and it showed either quick thinking or a significant amount of luck. Already his energy reserves were being renewed and that meant the wound in his stomach, now just the flesh wound would be crackling with tiny tendrils of energy before closing up entirely. Of course. This didn't remove the evidence of the wound and there was still an ample amount of blood to be cleaned off of Cor's chest and stomach. The longer he remained in bed, however, the coherent his gaze became until he was flicking his eyes all about the room before looking back to Jack as his brows drew together. "Did everyone make it out?"
She groaned as her head felt ready to explode, thick cottony tongue was attempting to lick parched lips. "Mas que diabos?(What the hell?) That must have been some party!" Then...Merci bolted upright, rich amber eyes widening as she looked down at her nudity, reality rushing back to torment her once again. Another groan fell from cracking lips, whether it was caused by the sudden movement or the gravity of her situation, couldn't be determined.
Hues were narrowed and began a cursory scan of her surroundings, taking in Hank standing nearby in a non-threatening pose, Rayvinn -with her pointy ears-something Merci had never seen, and then the green man that had drugged her. "Hey! You drugged me! What the hell did I do to you?"
While she awaited his response, that she fully intended to receive, she glanced over and saw Cor laying next to her, covered in blood. Her voice dropped to a soft whisper, speaking in her native Portuguese. Compassion filled those previously wild eyes. "Que Deus tenha misericórdia de você." (May God have mercy upon you.)
Cor was just starting to sit up in his bed, waiting for Jack's reply, when he heard Merci moving next to him. He hadn't noticed before that the slave girl had been deposited next to him, but in fairness, his attention had been somewhat occupied by the last remains of the gunshot wound healing in his side. He stared at Merci, eyes wide with curiosity as he listened to the musical language flowing forth from her lips. Then, he was turning back to Raye and Jack, wincing as his side stretched and aggravated the tender area.
"It's alright, Raye. I'm fine. Looks worse than it is." There was another twinge and one eye closed before it passed. "I think I was hit trying to get to Jack and the girl." And Cor's eyes were going to Jack now, while the wheel's in Cor's mind began to turn. Why had Jack been at the compound. He was glancing down at his lap in thought when he realized just how ghastly his appearance was. A low whistle sounded. "That's a lot of blood. . .should get that cleaned up." And then he was moving to slide off of the bed, boots first.
He moved, sluggishly certainly, but with a clear head and no obvious impairment, pausing at his dresser to gather up a change of clothing before he ducked into the bathroom and shut the door. A few beats later, the door opened back up and Cor's head poked out at the throng.
"Someone should go downstairs and make some coffee. Pour out some shots. Something. And I am starving. I need food. A lot of food." He pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Pancakes. And sausage. Lots of pancakes." And then the door shut and the sounds of running water could be heard from the other side.
Rayvinn was calm. This was good, surprising, but good. Lavender eyes narrowed slightly as he watched her, muscles tensing involuntarily in readiness for possible attack. She had shown him her capacity for impulsive acts of violence, so this reaction to her wasn't out of the ordinary, especially when he knew her attachment to the now wounded Cor.
[color=green"There was an...altercation, Raye. Cor was shot but we made it out alive."[/color] He nodded his head towards Mercedes. "We rescued her on the way. She was a slave." He hoped she would be satisfied with that small amount of information, especially since Cor was now apparently healed and had his attention upon Jack. He would need to be very careful of his words and actions regarding this situation if he was to keep his cover intact. Jack filed the information away, this ability of rapid healing. He was certain Alain would be very interested in knowing of this.
He offered Mercedes what might have appeared as a snarl, considering one of his small lower fang-like tusks was protruded up over his lip as one corner of his mouth ticked upwards. It was as much of a smile as Jack ever gave. "You were about to get the both of us killed, that is what you did. I silenced you in the most non-lethal and least painful way I could. In a few hours you will be back to normal, all effects of the poison will be out of your system. You just need to eat and drink plenty of fluids." That was probably the longest string of words Jack had put together in a very long time.
He turned back to Rayvinn and offered her the same snarl appearing smile. "Raye, could you help this young woman find some appropriate clothing?" There, divert attention off of himself and onto the young woman's needs.
Cool jades assessed Jack for a moment longer before her gaze was drawn to Cor, feet moving silently as she made her way to his side. Long delicate fingers traced lightly around the circular pink flesh that was freshly knitted together. Her gaze shifted from the bullet wound scar to his face and back to the scar again before she whispered, "How is that possible, Cor?"
Yes, she was leaving the details of this night alone. Not asking for more information that was absolutely necessary at the moment, she let Jack's explanation suffice. She was barely holding onto control of herself and she knew once the details started pouring out, she would likely say or do something that someone would regret. Besides, Cor was sitting up now and preparing to stand, she stood ready to assist should he become light headed from loss of blood.
Once he was on his feet and moving around the room, she was following along until he reached the bathroom, deciding privacy for a shower would be welcomed by him. Oh, no fear, Raye wouldn't have batted a lash at being in there if he needed her help but he seemed to be in control of himself and not suffering ill effects from being shot, therefore there was no need to intrude upon his shower.
She was already cleaning up blood soaked towels, blankets and everything else in her path just to keep herself moving. Stopping...thinking...not something she needed to do right now. When Cor opened the bathroom door and requested food, she actually let loose a nervous laugh, seeing that he was indeed on the mend. She cooked for him when he wasn't healing from a horrendous gut wound, and she needed to be busy so she forced a fake smile and nodded. "Of course. Coffee, pancakes, sausage, booze." She was mentally ticking off what ingredients she already had in the pantry. Anything to keep her mind occupied.
She turned back to Jack as he was asking her to help the girl, the back of her hand lifted to brush across her eyes and then her forehead wearily. "Sure, Jack. I will find her something then you guys can come down for breakfast. Middle of the night breakfast. Whatever." She was about to lose it, the stress of this all finally threatening to find an outlet either in violence or tears. Neither were an option.
She stalked from the room, carrying the bundle of bloody towels and bedding, and crossed the hallway to her own room. Bloody linens were deposited into a hamper and she found a t-shirt and some pants she thought might fit the girl. Picking up the hamper, she moved back to the doorway of Cor's room. The clothes were tossed at Jack and then she was flying down the stairs. Laundry was started and then she was taking out her frustration and fear in the kitchen, cooking up mountains of pancakes and sausage links. Mixed shots of Kahlua and vodka were set up for everyone and coffee was brewing.
She sat down at the table and performed the ritual that always made her feel better. She disassembled her revolver and began to clean it. Nothing like a weapon in hand when plotting revenge, right?
Taken from live play and edited with permission. Thanks to the players of Cor and Jack. Cross-posted from the RDI forum.
"It's alright, Raye. I'm fine. Looks worse than it is." There was another twinge and one eye closed before it passed. "I think I was hit trying to get to Jack and the girl." And Cor's eyes were going to Jack now, while the wheel's in Cor's mind began to turn. Why had Jack been at the compound. He was glancing down at his lap in thought when he realized just how ghastly his appearance was. A low whistle sounded. "That's a lot of blood. . .should get that cleaned up." And then he was moving to slide off of the bed, boots first.
He moved, sluggishly certainly, but with a clear head and no obvious impairment, pausing at his dresser to gather up a change of clothing before he ducked into the bathroom and shut the door. A few beats later, the door opened back up and Cor's head poked out at the throng.
"Someone should go downstairs and make some coffee. Pour out some shots. Something. And I am starving. I need food. A lot of food." He pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Pancakes. And sausage. Lots of pancakes." And then the door shut and the sounds of running water could be heard from the other side.
Rayvinn was calm. This was good, surprising, but good. Lavender eyes narrowed slightly as he watched her, muscles tensing involuntarily in readiness for possible attack. She had shown him her capacity for impulsive acts of violence, so this reaction to her wasn't out of the ordinary, especially when he knew her attachment to the now wounded Cor.
[color=green"There was an...altercation, Raye. Cor was shot but we made it out alive."[/color] He nodded his head towards Mercedes. "We rescued her on the way. She was a slave." He hoped she would be satisfied with that small amount of information, especially since Cor was now apparently healed and had his attention upon Jack. He would need to be very careful of his words and actions regarding this situation if he was to keep his cover intact. Jack filed the information away, this ability of rapid healing. He was certain Alain would be very interested in knowing of this.
He offered Mercedes what might have appeared as a snarl, considering one of his small lower fang-like tusks was protruded up over his lip as one corner of his mouth ticked upwards. It was as much of a smile as Jack ever gave. "You were about to get the both of us killed, that is what you did. I silenced you in the most non-lethal and least painful way I could. In a few hours you will be back to normal, all effects of the poison will be out of your system. You just need to eat and drink plenty of fluids." That was probably the longest string of words Jack had put together in a very long time.
He turned back to Rayvinn and offered her the same snarl appearing smile. "Raye, could you help this young woman find some appropriate clothing?" There, divert attention off of himself and onto the young woman's needs.
Cool jades assessed Jack for a moment longer before her gaze was drawn to Cor, feet moving silently as she made her way to his side. Long delicate fingers traced lightly around the circular pink flesh that was freshly knitted together. Her gaze shifted from the bullet wound scar to his face and back to the scar again before she whispered, "How is that possible, Cor?"
Yes, she was leaving the details of this night alone. Not asking for more information that was absolutely necessary at the moment, she let Jack's explanation suffice. She was barely holding onto control of herself and she knew once the details started pouring out, she would likely say or do something that someone would regret. Besides, Cor was sitting up now and preparing to stand, she stood ready to assist should he become light headed from loss of blood.
Once he was on his feet and moving around the room, she was following along until he reached the bathroom, deciding privacy for a shower would be welcomed by him. Oh, no fear, Raye wouldn't have batted a lash at being in there if he needed her help but he seemed to be in control of himself and not suffering ill effects from being shot, therefore there was no need to intrude upon his shower.
She was already cleaning up blood soaked towels, blankets and everything else in her path just to keep herself moving. Stopping...thinking...not something she needed to do right now. When Cor opened the bathroom door and requested food, she actually let loose a nervous laugh, seeing that he was indeed on the mend. She cooked for him when he wasn't healing from a horrendous gut wound, and she needed to be busy so she forced a fake smile and nodded. "Of course. Coffee, pancakes, sausage, booze." She was mentally ticking off what ingredients she already had in the pantry. Anything to keep her mind occupied.
She turned back to Jack as he was asking her to help the girl, the back of her hand lifted to brush across her eyes and then her forehead wearily. "Sure, Jack. I will find her something then you guys can come down for breakfast. Middle of the night breakfast. Whatever." She was about to lose it, the stress of this all finally threatening to find an outlet either in violence or tears. Neither were an option.
She stalked from the room, carrying the bundle of bloody towels and bedding, and crossed the hallway to her own room. Bloody linens were deposited into a hamper and she found a t-shirt and some pants she thought might fit the girl. Picking up the hamper, she moved back to the doorway of Cor's room. The clothes were tossed at Jack and then she was flying down the stairs. Laundry was started and then she was taking out her frustration and fear in the kitchen, cooking up mountains of pancakes and sausage links. Mixed shots of Kahlua and vodka were set up for everyone and coffee was brewing.
She sat down at the table and performed the ritual that always made her feel better. She disassembled her revolver and began to clean it. Nothing like a weapon in hand when plotting revenge, right?
Taken from live play and edited with permission. Thanks to the players of Cor and Jack. Cross-posted from the RDI forum.
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