The Dead Savant

Deleted User - 819397

Toby continued to show himself as almost scarily understanding, wrapping an arm around Giles and telling him he was ok, that he could do it...and that he wasn't weak, that it would stop hurting. Almost despite himself, he found himself leaning into the guy's embrace. "I wish I could believe that, I really do..." he replied, misery seeping from his tone. "It's just...I screwed up...I screwed up so bad. There was so much I could have done differently, could have done to be safe...to save them...and they're both gone...forever..." His tone cracked on the last word, and he stopped talking for a minute to collect himself. "Even the happy parts with them hurt now because they're so bright, so...not this...not the reality I live in now. Not that there were many happy parts with him, but...her..." Again he paused, the former aristocrat screwing his eyes shut as he wrestled the memories back before they could overwhelm him again. "I...Toby, I don't know how I can recover from this...I'm not strong like them. Sure, I can pretend, can go about life as though nothing's wrong, but underneath...it's a mess. Just one giant pile of uncertainty and failure now." He shook his head, closing his eyes and almost seeming to forget Toby was there. "My brother never let any of that show...never let anything but his disdain for us show, really. Not that I idolized him, but...he was strong in his own way. And...she...she was hurt, but didn't let it stop her...didn't let it ruin her...she was..." Once again he stopped, forcing himself to not recall moments, not to remember a subway station where he'd seen the cracks in the armor, the vulnerability underneath...remembering didn't do anything but destabilize him anymore, and he had to push the memories back again to keep himself from breaking down, which he could no longer afford as there were more people around. He couldn't draw attention to himself, and bursting into tears would certainly do that. It took far more effort than he wanted, but he managed to collect himself enough to stop shaking, anyway...not that he was sure when he'd started, but he had. "Toby...I was always sure that...being who I was...doing what I'm able to do...I'd be able to always be there for the ones I loved. And the reality is I did nothing. I wasn't able to do anything. I watched, strapped to a gurney, useless, as she...couldn't do...if I'd've been able to free...but from that range...plus I'd been...just..." For a third time Giles clammed up, this time looking like he wasn't going to return for a moment. He had to suppress harder this time, as this memory had seared its way into his mind forever, and recalling it brought it back in force. It was taking all of his concentration to not lose control, and it would take some doing to lock it away once more. But he had to. This willful, forced ignorance was all he had left holding him together, after all...
 

DeletedUser28032

Surveying the scene of devastation before him Dante couldn't help but feel satisfied at the sight of the pair of dead agents lying crushed beneath the avalanche of wood and steel, though the feeling was short lived as he caught sight of the survivors; one brushing off his suit as if he'd just crawled out from beneath the wreckage and another, holding the crate intended to kill him suspended above his head "My, my aren't you boy's full of surprises" Dante drawled; thumbing back the hammer on his revolver as the first man charged him.

Despite his outward calm Dante was bricking it as he held his revolver out straight towards his assailant, knowing full well that it would be like trying to stop an oncoming train and would no doubt hurt just as much when he didn't. He had no sooner lined up his shot at the centre of his head when Tonya tackled the guy; teleporting him away to gods knows where, had Dante had the chance to react he would have screamed in horror and frustration at what he saw as a stupid move on Tonya’s part but it was all he could do to throw himself to the floor as the crate came hurtling towards him.

No sooner had the crate passed him, Dante would be back on his feet sending a cascade of debris hurtling towards the other kinetic with a single sweep of his hand before grabbing another crate with his mind ready to hurl “You’re on the wrong team sunshine!” Dante shouted as he hurled the crate straight at the agent; dropping to one knee to snap off a pair of shots hoping that either the crates or the bullets would distract his target enough for one of the attacks to make it through “…they’re going to burn you the moment you stop being useful! Better to die fighting than be put down like a dog!” he doubted nor cared whether the guy listened to him, but at least nobody could say that he hadn’t tried.
 

DeletedUser

It seemed her opponent was unprepared for Liu’s attack, allowing Liu to easily trip him onto the floor after the bullet landed. Liu stabbed her blade into his neck, ending the man’s life, before stopping to catch her breath. Fighting against someone at that speed had taken its toll, but at least now the entire ordeal was over. Judging by the quiet in the room, Trixie had finished on her side as well, so Liu found a space not so covered in blood and sat against the wall of the warehouse. The nauseating smell of blood had already started to fill the room, but Liu paid it no mind as she sat in silence. Just as the pain of her wounds started getting noticeable, Trixie burst out laughing for some reason. For a few seconds, Liu stared at her confused, but gradually realized why. There’s a lot more in common to us than at first glance, I guess.

After a while, Liu got up and walked to a nearby box, digging out a first aid kid from within. Wincing slightly at the pain, Liu took it to Trixie. “Mind helping to patch me up a bit? I presume you know how to disinfect cuts, then we can get out of here before police start showing up. That and it gives us a chance to talk about what happens next.” At this point, Liu had no clue what they should do next having been out of touch with info for the past few months, but Trixie would probably have a better idea.
 

DeletedUser31931

Dante
As Dante’s crate flew towards the guy, the wood began to bend under the power of the other telekinetic before the whole thing shattered and splinters showered the room. The first of Dante’s shots missed, but as the second connected with the figure’s shoulder, his concentration dropped and the maelstrom of dust and splinters that had been building suddenly crashed to the floor. As he staggered backwards, a crate flew upwards but not before the crack of a sniper rifle sounded through the room. The figure crashed backwards, his body slamming to the floor and the crate paused in mid-air for a second before crashing back to the earth. As he slumped forwards, blood seeping out of the large holes in his neck and shoulder, he offered up no resistance to Dante and it would be a simple matter to put a bullet in the man’s skull, if the mercenary didn’t consider it a waste. With the immediate threat past, the sniper climbed down the ladder from the control box and made his way over to Dante. “Any word of your lady friend? We don’t have long if she…” The sniper cut himself off mid-sentence as Tonya reappeared in the warehouse. Her clothes were torn and her body was pockmarked with cuts and a couple of bruises. She was starting to shiver and Dante could make out what appeared to be snow folded into her clothes. “Are you okay?” The sniper’s concern seemed honest. “You two should get going, we can handle the clear up.” Tonya simply nodded and staggered over to Dante. She’d had enough of this for one day, she just wanted to go back to Firework and establish sodding contact with Ashley. Still, she waited for Dante’s consent. After all, never again was she to jump without it. He’d probably murder her before she could even apologise if she did.

Liu
As Liu picked herself up off of the floor, Trixie continued to lie there, enjoying the moment. She knew that, in reality, they probably shouldn’t be wasting precious time like this by lying on the floor. That said, she was quite content to keep on lying there. As Liu made her way over, though, Trixie sat up, knowing she might be required. Taking the alcohol in the box and applying it to the cotton wool, Trixie made Liu hold still as she set to work, informing Liu that it would probably sting a fair amount, but to grit her teeth and bear it. A few minutes later and the grim work was done, Liu’s cuts cleaned out, none of them really major enough to warrant a bandage. Running her fingers down Liu’s back, she collapsed backwards. “First things first, I, like, need a shower.” Trixie felt more confident about life. She still had Damon’s words in her head but she could feel the grip of the CD on her mind fading. “I’d like to, like, lay low for, like, a while but that’s probably, like, not going to be an option.” She gestured around the room from her position on the floor at the bloodstained corpses. “We, like, should burn this place down or, like, blow it up if you, like, can. Then, like, the best place to, like, head is probably, like, the Resistance. They’ve, like, been, like, lying low but we did, like, think that there was, like, an operation here. If they’ve been monitoring traffic, like, at all then they’ll, like, know we’re here. So if we, like, clean up, like, here then we can head to the ganglands and, like, set about, like, finding them.” She still hated her imposed linguistic trait. Absolutely hated it. She knew she wouldn’t be rid of it for a while yet but the moment she stopped going ‘like’ all the time and started talking like a normal human being… the better. Things were going to change now that Damon was dead. Things were definitely going to change. And Trixie? Trixie was going to survive. She’d come too far to get her freedom to lose it now. She quietly resolved herself to the idea that, no matter what, she was not losing that freedom. Not to Liu, not to the Resistance, not to anyone.
 
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DeletedUser37114

Giles
Toby continued to hold on to Giles as the man continued, lamenting his choices and second guessing himself. It was temping to say something, try to comfort him right there, but cliches were probably the last thing he needed. So instead of nagging about hindsight, Toby just kept holding on. Even if the happy parts still hurt. Even if he wasn't sure he could keep going. Even if he felt like a pile of failure and mixed certainties. Apparently the man involved was his brother, not that the two of them seemed to have been that close, but family was still family. And then a long pause, probably trying to collect himself. Toby kept quiet and kept holding on through that too, letting him get everything out first. A few more details trickled out and then Giles was shaking again. Well, that was part of the whole story, at least. Toby waited a little longer for Giles to say anything else before sighing and pulling him tighter. "You're not weak," he muttered. "You're just carrying a really heavy load. Your heart's good and it's hurting because bad things happened to you and to people you care about. It's like... It's like you're seeing all these people walking around with visible cuts and stuff, maybe some flesh wounds, and thinking they're stronger than you because the hole in your chest makes it hard to move. And your wound's under your shirt so unless someone notices you're having a hard time walking or gets your shirt off, they won't even notice it and..." Toby blinked, forcing himself out of the metaphor. "Sorry. Just... Please don't assume your pain is any less than anyone else's. And you need to get that hole looked at by someone who knows more about patching things up than I do. A friend would be happy to start stitching you up, even if it hurts them to see your pain."
 

DeletedUser28032

His duel with the other telekinetic had been brutally short, with one of his rounds finding its mark before the sniper stepped in and finished the job with a single well placed shot that sent the agent sprawling onto his back. Plucking a cigarette from out of his pocket, Dante would take the time needed to light up before sauntering over to the mortally wounded man "I told you, you were on the wrong side" Dante drawled down at the young man as he gurgled and choked on his own blood, the agent looking barely old enough to shave to the rugged mercenary standing over him. With the snipers bullet having missed its mark the kid would either bleed out or slowly drown as his lungs filled with blood; a nasty way to go in Dante’s opinion and so levelling the gun at the agents forehead he made ready to deliver the quick end that the sniper had failed to achieve "its nothing personal Sunshine" Dante said in a low voice filled with regret, before then pulling the trigger.

With the attack seemingly over the survivors started to relax a little with even the sniper emerging from out his nest to enquire as to Tonya's whereabouts with the girl in question appearing before he'd even finished asking; had Dante not known any better he'd have thought the timing of her arrival to have been deliberate, though judging from the state she was in she would be in no mood for jokes at the moment.

As she offered him her hand to silently request his permission for them to jump back to Firework’s location, Dante looked over the girl's battered form as she shivered from cold, that more than explained why there was snow in her clothes and hair "Ok, but hotel first, you need a hot shower and don't argue with me your lips are turning blue for crying out loud" he said as he took her hand; sounding more like a parent than her partner.

The moment they jumped into the comfortable hotel room in which they'd been staying the past couple of days, Dante would seize Tonya by the shoulders and roughly pin her up against the nearest wall "Don't you dare doing anything as stupid as that again!" he angrily shouted with his face mere inches away from her own before then fiercely kissing her with a passion that had been seriously lacking from their relationship up until this point; a tragic symptom wrought by her betrayal.

After breaking off his kiss Tonya would be able to see the fear and pain in his eyes as he spoke to her in a heartfelt whisper “I…I thought I’d lost you” he said, for despite her betrayal and the often cruel manner in which he’d treated her in its aftermath, he still loved her and the thought of losing her was far too painful to bear “now…go take a shower whilst I find you some fresh clothes, then we’ll go and see that dick Firework…ok?” he suggested as he tenderly stroked her neon pink hair that was now wet with melting snow. Dante wanted to get this day over with as soon as possible, preferably without any further bloodshed so that he could resume something resembling a real relationship with the beautiful female mercenary currently within his arms “Now go, before you distract me any further” he said with a smile that more than explained the form in which such a distraction would take, after all there would be more than enough time for that once the job was done.

With their little detour completed and Tonya wearing the pair of jeans and pale blue hoodie he’d picked out for her, the pair of them would appear back at Firework’s warehouse “Ok Sparkler, we’ve held up our end of the bargain now its your turn…where can we find the resistance?”
 

DeletedUser

Liu winced as Trixie set about disinfecting her wounds. The stinging pain was worth it though - Liu had seen an infected wound before and certainly didn’t want to have to deal with one, especially while still being on the run. Once they were done, Liu felt Trixie’s fingers running down her back as Trixie started discussing their next course of action. The feeling was slightly nostalgic and strangely comfortable, but now wasn’t the time to dwell on the past. Noticing that Trixie sounded far more confident now, Liu internally remarked that it was probably thanks to her getting rid of Damon, before starting to reply to Trixie's ideas.

“Right, a shower’s going to be… No scratch that. With your power we can just about get into anywhere we want in this city, even if we reek of blood. We’ll need a change of clothes, but that should be fairly easy too.” The smell was getting worse, so Liu continued quickly. “Same with burning this place down I guess. I don’t have anything particularly flammable here but getting gasoline won’t be hard.”

“As for the Resistance, I have a faint inkling of a feeling I’ll know a few people involved, so contacting them seems like a decent plan, although we’ll have to persuade them we’re on their side seeing as you’ve been working against them for so long. Let's just hope they're in a talkative mood.” Hopefully, Liu wasn’t the only one who had survived being captured by Raypool and even if she was, she still knew a few people out there who definitely wouldn’t sit quietly in a situation like this. “Now let’s get going before one of us starts reeling thanks to the smell.”
 

Deleted User - 819397

Toby continued to claim that Giles wasn't weak, which he didn't understand...after all, no one else had problems like this, just getting through the day. Though he then returned to the metaphor he seemed to like using for this, that of a sucking chest wound, though this time he went into more detail, that it was something hidden as opposed to most peoples' more noticeable problems...unhappy children, unsatisfying career...things the people he'd talked to every day were going through. Just because his problems were hiding didn't make him weak, which...he supposed he could see the logic behind it, but the former aristocrat still felt that he should be able to cope with all of it better than he had been...after all, some of the people he'd talked to had been in actively unhappy situations and they dealt with it fine. But he had a feeling arguing the point would end up cycling the conversation again, and he didn't want to do that. Instead, he focused on the last thing Toby had said, that he needed to talk things out with a friend who knew him better than he did...which of course was a subtle nod towards telling Rachel again, but...she would feel awful hearing the details, she'd feel so bad for him...she'd...if he was being honest, telling her that he'd been...involved with someone else...the odds were against that sitting well with her...he knew the guy still holding him was probably right about it helping him, but it would hurt Rachel, and he wasn't willing to do that. But he didn't want to tell Toby that...so instead he changed tactics a little. "Every time I've thought about brining it up with the friend I'm staying with...I end up just not doing it. It's...not really anything I can explain...something stops me every time. Which is why I've been saying I can't...that and again I don't want to hurt her, which this will, one way or another...it's just not something I can do..." Giles fell silent after this, shaking his head before stilling. He felt bad for continuing to push against the consistent advice Toby was providing, but all the same...there was too much risk for him to feel as though the potential benefits to be worth it.
 

DeletedUser31931

Trixie
The next couple of hours passed relatively quickly for the pair. They broke into a nearby motel and made use of their shower facilities. The clothes were fairly easy to get a hold of as well and so was the gasoline and a few hours later Trixie and Liu had picked up all the supplies (mostly in the form of weapons and ammunition) that they could from the warehouse and Trixie stood in front of it with a box of matches. The gasoline caught easily and whooshed into the warehouse where it ignited the tanks, sending a small explosion running through the warehouse. The place was burning nicely and Trixie just stood and watched for a minute or so, before shaking her head, moving her thoughts away from Damon’s now burning corpse. “Well, if, like, the police weren’t, like, suspicious or alert before, they, like, certainly will be now.” Taking Liu’s hand, the pair vanished from plain sight. “If we’re, like, going to, like, make contact with, like, the Resistance, we’re probably going to, like, need to head underground. I know there was, like, one Savant friendly club that, like, the DSRP were planning on raiding in, like, the next couple of weeks. We could, like, head there, warn them of, like, the incoming raid and try and, like, meet up with the Resistance. That said, it’s been a long day and, like, it might be worth getting some rest first.” Trixie leaned her head on Liu’s shoulder, her concept of personal space still severely inhibited. Remembering that this wasn’t supposed to be normal, she blushed (not that Liu could see it) and moved away again. People were hard and without being commanded in a while, her mind felt really foggy. She just needed to push through it though… to keep going.


Tonya
As he took her hand, demanding that she needed a hot shower first, Tonya nodded meekly. As he pushed her into the wall of the room, shouting in her face, hot tears began to drip from Tonya’s face, mingling with the melting snow. As Dante kissed her, the sadness and coldness mixed with a warmer emotion that stirred from deep inside her body. It seemed Dante still loved her, even after what she’d done to him. She, of course, still loved him. That one was beyond question. As she rested her head against the front of his shoulder, him stroking her hair, she choked out an apology, too tired and caught up with emotion to really talk otherwise. “S-s-sorry. He didn’t- you couldn’t- There wasn’t-. I’d… I’d forgotten just how scary that was. It’s one t-t-thing to know the theory, it’s another to be there, to be over the ocean. Still, he’s, he’s dead now. No way he could survive that”.

One hot shower and change of clothes later and Tonya and Dante were standing back in the warehouse, being faced once again by Firework. “My, my, you two really do get around.” Firework’s gloved hands rested on his cane as he spoke. “Well, thanks to your little intervention I was able to get all of my cargo out of the warehouse before the Feds arrived. And so, as you so eloquently put it, I will uphold my end of the bargain. Your blood shows you’re both clear, which means that Ashley, dear, it’s time to come out.”

From around the corner of a crate, a female figure stepped out, instantly recognisable to Dante. She was still wearing the same blue as she had been on the day that they had seen one another, the day the Savants had been exposed. Slung on her back was what appeared to be some form of assault rifle, though it didn’t look like any model Dante would recognise. The same went for the two pistols strapped to her side, which looked more in place in a sci-fi movie than on her waist. She shot a glare at Firework, who shrugged before looking at Dante. In the blink of an eye she’d moved from fifty metres away to standing in front of Dante. “Well, I shall leave old friends to get reacquainted.” With skilled precision, a business card flew from Firework’s gloved hand towards Dante. “You’ve got my number, feel free to use it any time you want to do business. I’m sure that anything you’ve got in mind will be… most interesting.” With that, Firework turned and slowly walked out, leaving Dante and Ashley alone with the armed gang members.

“So, Dante… What on earth have you come out of hiding for?”
 

DeletedUser28032

"My, My if it isn't G.I Jane complete with eagle eye vision and karate chop action, but tell me...how many box tops did you have to send off for that store bought speedster routine? Or did you just toss a coin into a wishing well and get lucky?" Dante sneered in derision as Ashley finally made her appearance; flaunting her newly acquired powers in the process. Though Dante did have to reluctantly admit that she was sporting some rather impressive hardware...perhaps later he'd have to pay Firework a visit and see what he had available for a guy with fist load of cash and a penchant for heavy calibre rounds.

With the woman now standing mere feet away from him, Dante found his temper rising as she made her snide remark about him hiding "I'm here for Angel, and only Angel so the sooner you tell me where she is the sooner I can get back to my retirement, and you can carry on with your little terrorist act, tell me how many innocent civilians have you killed today?" Dante responded in a hostile voice; almost goading the ersatz speedster to take a swing at him so that he could throw her around like a rag doll; being fast was useless once you were six foot in the air and he so wanted to show her what he thought of her and her foolish notions of resistance.

With a murderous glint in his eyes and a smile that was anything but friendly Dante quietly waited to see how Ashley would respond. He didn’t want to be dealing with these people again; Ashley and Quill had been the main reason he’d left in the first place but if it meant getting Angel the hell away from them then he’d endure being in her presence for a little while longer.
 

DeletedUser37114

Giles
It took Giles a little while to respond. Which was okay, the guy had been through a lot, Toby wasn't going to begrudge him a little time to say what he wanted. When he did speak though, it was more of the same, that he just couldn't talk about it with his roommate. Unfortunate, but understandable. Secrets you were used to keeping were heavier than anything else in the world. So instead of repeating himself and trying for another lecture, he just squeezed a little harder and withdrew, smiling at him. "That's okay," he said, voice soft. "If you can't talk about it, then you'll just have to work on it until you can. Just keep in mind that I won't be the best help here." Sighing, Toby got up to stretch and move around a little, yawning and looking back at Giles. "Still, I'm probably better than nothing, and nothing's what you're used to, so we'll see how much patching up we can do with something. In the meantime, lunch..." He rifled through his pockets, change clinking for a minute before sighing. "Know any cheap places for food around here? I'm kinda strapped for cash." That was a bit of an understatement, he'd probably be okay for food if they found someplace really cheap, but dinner tonight was probably a no-go. Not the best situation, but a tolerable one, at least. He'd probably be able to scavenge something in the morning.
 

Deleted User - 819397

Toby decided to relent, saying it was ok if Giles couldn't talk about it so long as he worked towards being able to, which...as much as he may not want to admit it made sense. After all, if he wanted to get better he had to make some sort of effort. At this point the guy released him to stand and stretch, adding he'd help how he could but there were better people to help him out there...which...the former aristocrat again felt he couldn't do that to the others...they would be devastated for him...before he had a chance to voice his thoughts on that once again, however, Toby had moved on to lunch, making it apparent he didn't have much cash on him and wondering if Giles knew a cheap place. Collecting himself he stood up, a ghost of a smile on his face. "Lunch is on me...it's the least I can do, seeing as you know...part of what I've done...and don't think less of me for it, aren't going to turn against me, turn me in...and if you're hurting financially...kinda told Rach about you last night, just that you were friendly and we kept bumping into each other, and she suggested if I wanted I should invite you for dinner...thinking along your lines, pretty sure you agree there's always room for more friends, right?" Now that they were moving away from the topics he really didn't want to discuss, Giles felt himself becoming a little more animated again. After all, he was still a people person...it's just he wasn't comfortable talking about himself anymore. When the focus was anywhere else he was able to play the part he used to be so proud about, and Toby made it easy to pretend he was ok...at least when he wasn't digging around in the darkness. Sure, he didn't smile much anymore, was less animated, but the people who'd gotten to know him while he'd been homeless hadn't seemed to mind, so it couldn't be all that bad, right? Still, dwelling on it wasn't going to do him any good, and so after he followed Toby's lead and stretched, the former aristocrat looked over at the guy. "Even if you don't want to accept the dinner invitation, I insist it's your pick where we go for lunch, my treat. Just lead the way."
 

DeletedUser31931

Ashley decided, perhaps wisely, that she was going to ignore Dante’s opening jibe. She’d not much missed the mercenary, and she’d be a liar and a fool to say otherwise, both things Dante wouldn’t much appreciate. She almost wished he hadn’t turned up, but with what he’d just said… Angel? I can work with that, Angel means our interests align… or at least align enough… Ashley knew she’d have to play this right though, and she felt like she was walking through a minefield with Dante, with any comment liable to make him blow up for any number of reasons. With that in mind, she picked her next words carefully. “If it’s Angel you want then that’s all nice and simple. I’ve no idea where the girl is, but I can tell you exactly who does.” Pausing to take a breath, she launched into her explanation. “Angel, it seems, is being kept by Raypool as his… plaything” the disgust was evident in her voice as she spoke and Ashley almost shivered as the phrase. “Thing is, we’ve got no way of tracking him when he’s on the move… and that’s where Kasumi comes in. We, the Resistance, are missing Ash. She went down when the army stormed the old FBI base and turned it into the DSRP headquarters. We’re pretty certain that that was Kasumi’s doing though and, luckily enough, we know where Kasumi is being held. We’ve tracked her down to a warehouse in Florida and we’ve done the initial recon. I’m in charge of the operation, so I’m putting together a team and we still need an electronics expert to help release Kasumi once we’re in there. So here’s the deal Dante: You help me rescue Kasumi and once she’s back with the Resistance you get Angel’s schedule, plus I’ll try and get you some resources to help rescue her. If that’s not enough, I’ll even throw some Resistance technology in on the side to sweeten the deal. So then, what do you say?” She had a strong feeling that Dante was not going to like her proposal. The man hadn’t exactly been complimentary towards her during his previous time with the FBI (though no doubt Quill’s attitude towards Dante hadn’t helped much on the resentment front) and she doubted much had changed in the interval. Still, she hoped that her offer would be enough to get him to work with her, especially given that they knew the pair were trustworthy after all. Trust was all too rare in this post revelation world and Ashley was still quietly getting used to the fact that, in the aftermath of the day of the broadcast, that the list of suspects in the global persecution now included her. As she faced off silently with Dante, only one question remained to be seen. Would he be willing to join, just for this mission?
 

DeletedUser

As Liu stared at the burning warehouse, she internally remarked that for once, nothing had gone wrong. She had always been a bit of a pessimist and recent events certainly didn’t help in that regard, but the relative success of their plans throughout the day helped ease that up a bit. While Liu was fairly content watching the fire, some manner of authorities were certain to have noticed by this point, a sentiment that Trixie agreed with. As the pair went invisible, Trixie started discussing what to do next. “I have nothing to say against any of that, especially the rest part. Seeing as we got into that motel so easily earlier, I guess we can just borrow a room somewhere.”

The rest of the evening went fairly uneventfully. The two of them snuck into another motel for the night. Occasionally, Trixie would snuggle up next to Liu for no reason and then rapidly shirk away. Liu decided against asking why, seeing as it was probably related to Damon and also because Liu didn’t really mind in the first place.

The next morning, Liu followed Trixie to the club that she had mentioned earlier. “Right, let me head in first, seeing as your face is probably known around here. If anything goes wrong, or I don’t come out and get you anytime soon just leave me behind.” Liu let go of Trixie, round a corner to avoid anyone seeing her materialize from nothing, before entering the club.
 

DeletedUser28032

With a stony look on his face Dante listened as Ashley explained the situation concerning Angel; of how she had once again become the plaything for yet another monster with him wondering how in the hell it could have happened again and blaming himself more than a little for it I should have been there...If I hadn't left I would have been around to protect her I could have...What? Get rounded up and arrested like the others? Man Up! This is not your fault, you weren't to know that this would happen and yet despite all of the valid arguments that his mind threw up in his defence he still couldn't help but feel guilty. He was angry at Ashley too. He blamed her just as much as he blamed himself for Angel's kidnapping after all she had been there to protect her it was her job gods dammit! And he was angry at her for using the poor girl’s fate as a means of dragging him back into this mess; a mess he wanted no part of though it was beginning to look like he didn’t have a choice "Fine" he replied in a voice so cold that it was a wonder that Ashley didn't start shivering "...I'll do it, but Tonya is coming with me and I want to know who's on that team of yours, I've had bad experiences when it comes to working with strangers" he continued, offering Tonya a frosty look that said that just because he still loved her that he still wasn't completely over what she'd done to him "oh and if any of them are Ersatz Savants then you can get rid of them now I ain't working with lab experiments...your own pleasant company excluded of course" he said, offering the woman a derisive smirk as he delivered the jibe.

He wasn't looking forward to working with Ashley again, as the last time he'd been on an operation with her, her gung ho antics had left him high and dry with him almost shooting off his own face during the ensuing melee with Dmitri, though at least this time he'd have Tonya to not only watch his back but keep an eye on Ashley too.

The fact that she was as much a stranger as Damon had been didn't help matters; a faceless military goon, worse an officer, didn't exactly endear her to him or fill him with confidence pertaining to her abilities...perhaps he needed to do something about that "So tell me, because I'm curious...what’s your name? And I don't mean what mommy and daddy called you… I want to know your Real name, your Savant name assuming of course that you ersatz bottle babies even have one, which would be unfortunate as Tonya and I would have to find you one and you won't like that one bit...so tell me Ashley...what’s your real name?"
 
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DeletedUser37114

Giles
Toby winced a little as Giles offered to buy him lunch. It wasn't like he wasn't flattered and he was grateful for the help, but he didn't really want to impose on the guy. Especially when he was going through such a rough spot. The dinner invitation was even more flattering, being called a friend and pulled into something more intimate than just a meeting in a coffee shop somewhere. Really nice of him. And probably a good opportunity to run an errand or two while he had the chance. Best of all, Giles seemed to be moving more like himself again, which was really good to see. Understandable since they weren't prodding at uncomfortable spots again, but still good. Though bouncing the choice of where to eat back to him was somewhat rude. Didn't really matter, since he knew where to go, but still rude. Rolling his eyes and gesturing for him to follow, Toby set a reasonable pace out of the park, crossing a couple streets without looking, making the occasional turn and quietly walking wherever his feet would take him. A few minutes of that and they had a table at a small, dimly lit hole in the wall bar with a menu mostly made of cheap burgers and expensive beer. Ordering water and a burger from a smiling waitress went quickly and they were stuck waiting for their food and listening to rock music older than they were. "So... Dinner. Guess it sounds like a good idea, but when were you thinking? Tonight? Tomorrow night? Yesterday night?" It'd be a little difficult to make a dinner in the past, but maybe not entirely undoable. Two nights out was in a similar state, probably not wise to pursue, but still close enough to make. Three nights out... Probably a mistake. Hopefully wouldn't have to turn down that invitation.
 

Deleted User - 819397

A hesitant acceptance of his offer later, Giles found himself in a pretty out of the way diner with burgers and beer as the specialties. Ordering similar to Toby, Giles settled back and took in the atmosphere for a moment. It was a small place, the kind one would feel equally at home alone or with a few friends, one that always seemed busy. The former aristocrat also noted that the noise levels were perfect for talking at a comfortable volume, yet have no chance of being overheard by the people sitting next to you, which...he didn't think Toby would press him more for now, but it was enough to note that it was possible. The guy was speaking, though, asking him when he wanted to do dinner, though for reasons he couldn't fathom included yesterday night as a valid option. Which of course it wasn't. Giles still wasn't certain what kind of Savant Toby was, but time manipulation didn't seem to be his talent. Instead, he shrugged. "I was thinking tonight, since you're strapped for cash for the moment and the offer's still fresh in Rach's mind...speaking of which, should probably let her know you're coming..." He pulled out his phone and typed for a moment before looking up at Toby. "Tonight's good, yeah?" Upon confirmation he finished his message and sent it off before settling back in. "So, I realized we've focused a lot on me, but I really don't know much at all about you. Why don't you tell me about yourself?" It was all fine and good that Toby wanted to focus on Giles most of the time, but a friendship didn't work like that...give and take...and so far the former aristocrat had done a lot of giving without much reciprocation. Now was as good a time to right that imbalance as any...
 

DeletedUser31931

(OOC: To help establish a time continuity here, Liu is half a day behind Dante right now)

Liu
The night had passed uneventfully and as the two stood outside the club, Trixie was reluctant to let go of Liu, fearful of what might happen when the girl disappeared around the corner. The fog had intensified over the past night and was peaking in effectiveness right about now. The MP3 Player had been left in the fire, left to burn along with everything else, but knowing it no longer existed was enough for Trixie’s brain. And so she struggled on, whimpering internally as Liu gave her orders, knowing there was no way she could disobey. The short Asian girl was gone around the corner and Trixie faded into the shadows once more, waiting for Liu to return, or for enough time to pass that demanded her to escape. She’d stay as long as she could though, just in case…

The door to the bar swung open with a slight creak. The music was off and the lights were on full. It was a basement nightclub but the patrons were gone. The chairs were stacked on the tables and a calm silence hung over the establishment as Liu stepped inside. Behind the bar stood a large, muscled white man in a suit. His cloth ran over the glass that he held in his hand and he stopped to examine Liu, his glass going down onto the counter as his hands went to the preparation bar behind the main counter and the shotgun that was resting there, hidden from Liu’s view. “You look lost Missy. Can I help you?” His voice was cheerful but the forced nature behind it implied the tension slowly building in the room. As he and Liu were the only two, they were locked in a face off. And it was Liu’s move next.


Ashley
Dante agreed to Ashley’s proposal, which was… surprising. His condition wasn’t even much of a condition, either, as he demanded to know who else was on the team. The mention of ‘Ersatz’ Savants hurt slightly, and Ashley decided to ignore the jibe. She’d been called worse at this point (the joke Mud-Blood was definitely still very much a sore topic for her) but being reminded of her inferiority and artificiality still rankled ever so slightly with her. “No Ersatz Savants besides myself, don’t you worry Dante. As far as other teammates go, we’ve got a powerful young savant who goes by Killian. He’s got a strong power and he wants to help in any way he can as he’s got a score to settle with Raypool. Usually I’d say no but his power’s going to give us a real advantage. We’ve also got two others who might join and then that’s it. It’s going to be quick, get in and go out. One’s an invis who answers to Spectral Saviour. The other’s Liu, one of the FBI’s former assassins. Altogether it’s a fairly strong team.”

Falling silent, Ashley let Dante muse aloud, deciding that once he had wrapped up she could move onto business matters. The large man, however, had other ideas than moving on, switching to the question of Ashley’s Savant Name. She grimaced visibly at Dante’s repeated mention of the bottle babies. Being artificial was bad enough without it being rubbed in her face all the time. At least she did have a Savant name though… Ashley stared at the floor and shuffled a foot. “It’s… uh…. Speed Saviour.” The words came out as a half mumble and Ashley hoped that Dante wouldn’t notice the convenient acronym with which he could inflict yet another irritating nickname upon her. Dante was hard enough work at the best of times. Ashley just hoped that them at least being vaguely on the same side could lead to less friction but at the same time, that hadn’t done much previously. This time, though, he had more of a motive to be in the team so there was that. Still, a loose cannon was a loose cannon and Dante was chief amongst them. “Now if that’s that, I’m bringing the team together tomorrow to lay out the current plan for the operation. If you’re all done here, I’ll give you the location and you can go and prepare. Alright?”
 

DeletedUser28032

"Speed...Saviour..." Dante said, slowly speaking the words with a broad grin on his face before giving a brief bark of laughter No wonder she's embarrassed he thought to himself before continuing to speak to her "oh you really lucked out didn't you? You'd have gotten a better name from a bottle of Coke" he said with a chuckle before returning to more important trains of thought such as the upcoming mission.

The team from what he could gather would be comprising of the three of them, some young kid by the name of Killian who was on a vengeance trip, a ghost with a name as bad as Ashley's and an assassin whose name vaguely rang a bell though from where he couldn't be certain maybe one of the old team mentioned her? Or perhaps the military? either way it wasn't important right now, what was important was getting the job done and saving Angel and if that meant working with these misfits then so be it.

Having gained everything he could from the meeting for the time being a mentally and physically drained Dante decided that it was high time that he and Tonya got some R and R before their big meeting the following day "Well Double S its been a pleasure as always, but unless you have anything further to add I think its time we called it a day" Dante said; quietly listening to anything further she may have to say to him before receiving the meetings location from her.

With a simple "Take us back" to Tonya the pair of them would jump back to their LA hotel room long enough to pack their things and check out . Once Dante had paid the bill in cash they would then jump back to the little farm house in Chile in which they'd been living ever since escaping Raypool's facility. Far too many people knew about the hotel now; better to leave now before anyone had the chance to even consider ratting them out to the Fed's and besides which having your location known by a pair of gangsters was never a good thing.

Upon returning to Chile Dante would simply let their bags drop to the floor in a heap before scooping Tonya up into his arms and carrying her bridal fashion towards the bedroom for a little bit of well deserved alone time, and sleep, lots and lots of sleep.
 
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DeletedUser

As she walked in, Liu looked around the nightclub. The basement was silent and chairs stacked on the tables, implying the nightclub was not expecting customers at the time. Behind the bar at the back of the room stood the bartender – a muscular man donning a suit with a glass and cloth in his hands. The man had clearly noticed Liu already, as he put the glass down before asking what she was here for in clearly forced voice. Noticing that the man was reaching for something in the counter, Liu inwardly sighed before raising both hands up, signalling that she wasn’t here for a fight.

“No need for that now, I’m not here for the DSRP. Quite the opposite in fact. I’ve got myself some info from an insider and... let’s just say it concerns your establishment here.” Liu said, choosing her words carefully. “Of course, that won’t be for free. My request is simple though. All I need is for you to get me in contact with the leaders of the Resistance. Deal?"
 
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