savetheearth | [text; direct message to Jack Sears]

[Okay, it was surprising to see a message from her after being gone from the Network for so long... but hanging around the Dead District wasn't safe. Barely for him, let alone a young, obviously wealthy, young lady like Elizabeth.

She wouldn't. Would she?

Except she really would. There were still a few building that hadn't been destroyed in the bombing, and Jack made his way to a good, dark spot on the roof of a nearby garage, well within line of sight of where she suggested she'd be. Just in case.

He flipped open his phone -- long since out of power, but that didn't seem to matter as far as using it to connect to the Network went. He tapped out a brief message:]

Jack is dead.

[And with any luck that would be enough to discourage her. It'd be better that way, wouldn't it? He didn't want to put anyone else in more danger than they were already, not again.]

[ Jack Sears, you make Elizabeth so goddamned angry sometimes. She has to take a deep breath and count to ten. And wish that Casval was here--

But no.

She's never been one to rely on others to take care of her problems. She can only ask herself what she thinks he would do in a situation like this. Stay calm, at the very least. He was always in control of any given situation, never faltering--

Okay, what do they know? Numbers-- They're locked to each individual person. Knowing someone else's number only allows you to message them directly, not assume their identity. So either this is Jack speaking to her and he's just being difficult, or she's dealing with an entirely new kind of interception.

...

In accordance with Occam's Razor, she's going to go with the former. ]

Jack is going to wish he was dead if he doesn't stop talking about himself in third person.

[There's a definite long pause before the response to that comes through. He doesn't have a snappy reply for that, sticking to the serious business at hand.]

There's a dangerous gang operating in the area. I'm telling you to stay away.

[ Elizabeth's response, however, is immediate. ]

Are you coming to meet me somewhere safer, then?

[ Because she's about to cross over into the Dead District as they make this exchange. That's what you get for being slow, Jack. ]

Nobody's coming to meet you. I told you, Jack is dead.

Call me Raiden.

[It feels a little silly, but also somehow right. Better to have a codename than his real name and everything that came with it.]

[ In spite of her feeling... fairly certain that Jack is, in fact, alive and well (or at least as well as Jack ever is) those words still find a way to send a cold chill through her. Frowning, she to continues to hurry onwards as she types out a response. ]

No friends of mine die on my watch without having to first go through me.

And if it's true that no one is coming, then I suppose I'm going to have a very long night out here.

[ Because she's just arrived at the designated place. She doesn't believe you'd leave her standing out here all night, Jack. She's calling your bluff here and now. ]

[Jack... or rather, Raiden... sees her coming, and heaves a sigh in the darkness. There's been fewer Blood Keys out the last few days, or at least it seems like it. But that doesn't mean that this situation isn't trouble waiting to happen.

At the same time, showing himself isn't going to solve anything. He can see where this is going from a mile away, and he's not letting himself get dragged off to hide out in anyone's apartment. Last time with Casval, and that argument... well, he shoved that memory aside. There was no point dwelling on it now.

Especially not when the shapes of three guys in sunglasses -- Blood Keys 'gang colors' as it were -- were swaggering their way down the street in the distance.]

Leave. Now.

[ Jack is sorely mistaken if he thinks any amount of reasoning or even threats of force will change Elizabeth's mind. She's grown up standing up to men far more stubborn and bullheaded than Jack, and right now his safety and well-being are far more important to her than a little bit of risk standing out here in the open. She's been through worse by now. ]

Not without you. I mean it, Jack. I'm turning my phone off.

[Damn it. The guys are in earshot now, not even bothering to conceal their weapons, and letting loose raucous laughter at some joke or other between the three of them. And now he can't even tell her to come overe here across the street. And any minute they're gonna notice easy pickings.

He really doesn't want to engage them... but it's starting to look like there might not be another option. As the gang members pick up on Elizabeth and start angling her direction with a couple catcalls, Raiden finally moves. It's dark on his side of the street, but it doesn't quite conceal the motion of his figure, obscured by a hoodie and long coat, dropping to the ground. Still, at least the Blood Keys haven't noticed him yet.]

[ Upon hearing someone calling out to her, Elizabeth turns with a start, reaching slowly for the gun in her purse as she takes a few steps back. Are you happy now, Jack? She was hoping to get you out here before a crisis situation developed, but now here we all are. ]

I, um--

[ What does she say? Whatever it is, she's going to have to think faster. They're getting closer. Dammit--

This is a bad idea. ]

Excuse me!

[ Drawing in a deep breath, Elizabeth waves to the gang members who have spotted her, waving wildly in their direction. She puts on her best lost, airy, clueless young lady look. ]

Excuse me, please! Have you seen a dog? He's a big-- Big lab, pitbull mix. He's white with spots, and he answers to Jack. Oh, I'm just so worried! He usually does fine without a leash but we were on our walk and he just took off!

Jack!

Jack, where are you? Please, it's dark and I want to go home!

[ When Banagher ripped into the Dead District like a whirlwind, the first thing he noticed was the lack of security. Nothing on the perimeter, nobody to stop him from just bolting down into the deserted streets. A month ago, it hadn't been like this... what changed? He picks out pieces of machinery as he goes past, repaired buildings, and — the new one, a black silhouette.

There.

Lizzie was there. He hears her voice, and he senses her, and the intent of the three Blood Keys, circling like sharks. There's no way he can let this happen, not now, after she'd just come back.

Banagher's activated the laser sword he'd pulsed back as soon as he's within striking distance, ducking on reflex and jamming it up into the nearest Blood Key's torso. It's all impulse. He doesn't have time to think about the muscle and bone it's hitting, just the metal and wiring. Just the things this sword was meant to hit. ]

I told you not to come in here, didn't I?! [ He'd just stunned the one, and uses the momentum of the blade to force him off. In the same movement, he goes to reach for her. ] Give me your hand!

[ That left two still ready to lunge. ]

[One's head turns abnormally fast, and frankly, if Jack's incoming kick had been anything like a normal attack, might have dodged entirely. But nobody in their right mind would expect a homeless-looking guy to leap, flip forward in a one-handed handspring and slam feet-first into his shoulderblades, bowling the gang member over.

Jack, on the other hand, completes the movement in a smooth roll forward, neatly on his feet between Elizabeth and the guy who was now cursing and struggling to ge to his feet. He might look haggard himself, but his blue eyes are sharp as he casts the briefest of glances at Banagher. Even if they hadn't spoken much, he remembers him vaguely; another familiar face from the Network.

Of course, knocking one of them over isn't much good when there's another guy still standing with a high-caliber gun loosely in hand. Now's not exactly a great time to talk, and since Banagher seems to have the rescue idea in hand, he turns towards the guy still standing, rushing forward...]

[ Elizabeth is halfway to taking Banagher's hand when Jack appears in her field of vision. ]

Jack...!

[ She's not about to let him jump in for a rescue and then vanish again just as soon as it's over, so she glances frantically in Banagher's direction. Thankfully her previous stint as one of this numbers crew has given her remarkable resilience to being taken by surprise. She registers the strange weapon Banagher is fighting with, and the fact that these people who are upon them are very clearly more (or less) than human. Still, those are facts to digest another time. Right now demands her focus. ]

Banagher, we can't lose track of him! Don't let Jack get away!

[ She draws her gun, for all the good it might do her, finger tucked against the trigger. Taking in a deep breath, trust in eyes, she finally reaches out and grasps Banagher's hand. ]

[ Banagher clamps his fingers over hers with the kind of finality that says he's not letting go, no matter what. There's no warding her back, or urging her to run, now that she's seen the man standing between them and the two remaining Keys. Banagher catches Jack's glance, and even before he darts forward, that tells him everything he needed to know. An out. He was giving them an out, a chance. And they're going to run out of options if he can't get Elizabeth to take it. He's already pushed his weapon this far; the light blade crackles at his side, its intensity wavering violently.

Gritting his teeth, he just has to stand with her until they see it through. ]

Lizzie, please. We can't fight these guys! They're not normal! [ 'Not normal' was putting it kindly. The one he'd gouged a huge chunk out of is struggling to his feet, spitting electricity and fluid. ] They're not even human! You get that, don't you!

[ His heel scuffs against the new concrete and the layer of dust covering it... trying to figure out which way to go. ]

If we stay here, we'll — !

[The guy Jack rushes for fires one, two, three times in short succession, one shot coinciding with a loud cracking noise as one shot gets a direct hit to Jack's prosthetic arm. It's not enough to stop the near-suicidal rush forward, Jack dropping low to kick the Blood Key's feet out from under him.]

Go!

[he yells at the two, voice gratingly harsh with a hint of anger lying under the surface.]

I'll find you later, just go!

[The first guy he knocked over is back on his feet now, sizing up the kid with a lightsaber vs the acrobatic hobo and backing off a couple steps... which isn't encouraging given the military-grade M4 carbine he's readying.]

Promise me!

[ Elizabeth's voice cracks as she cries out to him, frantically glancing between Jack and the gang members they're fighting. Her eyes widen marginally at the sight of the sheer size gun the man is carrying. Where would he even get that--

...

Same place one gets cybernetic enhancements, likely. But of course, neither here nor now. Elizabeth can feel her heart pounding in her chest as Banagher's words sink in, and she realizes she truly can't wait without putting all three of them in mortal peril. If she hasn't already. And so, gripping Banagher's hand just as tightly in return, she gives him a solemn nod to show that she will follow, looking around them for an out. ]

[ It's all going to come crashing down on top of them if they don't do as he says — just go — and he's moving as soon as he's sure she'll go along with him. Jack had one occupied, and the first was still a mess of exposed circuitry... that left one. One they couldn't go through, and one they couldn't turn their backs on. If they could just get around the curve of the nearest outcrop of buildings and follow it, the city streets...

Despite knowing that they didn't have the odds on their side, he breaks out into a full sprint, pulling Elizabeth into the momentum.

Rather than continuing to focus on the obvious threat, the Blood Key turns on them in an instant, firing off a spray of gunfire. The rounds flicker off the ground, kick up the dust and crack concrete at their heels. In the haze, between the sound of his own pulse in his ears, indistinguishable from the echo of the shots, there is something he suddenly knows with alarming clarity. The second round won't miss.

Skidding on his heel, he'd nearly send Elizabeth crashing into him if it weren't for the singular motion that follows it. ]

Get down!

[ Wheeling, he forces her down and aside, and it takes no more than a second for another blast of gunshots to ring through the Dead District. This time, as a single shot finds its mark in his shoulder, he's not so lucky. The sheer force of it takes his breath away, and he stumbles backwards in shock. ]

Yes! Go!

[Jack's too busy dealing with the downed Blood Key for a coherent reply beyond that. He'd planned to pin him and pull the gun from him grip, but it wasn't turning out quite as planned. They're not just faster, but stronger too, and in the struggle, the gun goes off again -- in time with a familiar hollow thump and surge of not-so familiar memories.

It's jolting enough that the thug gets the upper hand, cracking Jack across the head with the butt of the gun and throwing him off.]

[ Elizabeth hits the ground hard, her forearms scraping hard against the concrete as she is sent tumbling out of harm's way. And then time slows as adrenaline floods through her veins, her survival instinct kicking in as her mind scrambles to process the important details first and foremost. Little things, vital things, jump out to her. She sees Banagher take the hit, watches him jerk back from the force of the bullet. Then she catches the sickening sound of blunt object against bone, and her vision snaps to where Jack is, and he, too-- ]

Banagher! Jack!

[ Her voice is raw and frantic, breath caught in her throat.

She did this.

This is her fault.

She took on more than she could take handle, and now they--

She did this to them all.

The Blood Keys don't stop. They're still moving, regrouping, taking aim--

This time Jack-- Jack might really--

Instinctively, she climbs to her feet. She did this to them. She'll protect them. Even if with her own body, even at the cost of her life, she'll make this right. They're her boys. All she's ever wanted is their safety.

What a terrible irony this night as been.

Thoughtlessly, she starts forward, meaning to put herself between Jack and that Blood Key--

But then she staggers, vertigo overtaking her. Reality seems to warp at the very seams, and a heavy weight appears in her arms.

"Okay, Euphie. Shift your stance like this, legs apart, shoulders back. There's a hell of a kickback on these things. You brace it here, against your side. Don't put it on your hip or you'll get a nasty bruise." The woman's voice is short and to the point, like a drill sergeant more than anything else.

"Is... Is this necessary, Cornelia? I already know how to use the small caliber pistols--" It's Elizabeth's own voice that answers.

"You never know what will be available to you in a crisis. It's best to be ready."

"I suppose you're right... That must be what makes you the big sister and me the hopeless one." Her voice is quiet and filled with humor and adoration.

There's patience and warmth in the voice that responds, in stark contrast to that very same voice before.

"You're not hopeless, Euphie. Far from it. Now let's see you hit that target--" ]

Jack, stay down!

[ Moving on muscle memory alone, Elizabeth unflinchingly takes aim and puts out a spray of suppressive fire at the enemy. ]

Edited 2014-01-09 00:41 (UTC)

[ It takes every single shred of willpower that Banagher can muster to focus on what's happening. As soon as the bullet rips through his shoulder, the adrenaline goes full-tilt. His nerves go first, blinded by the pressure rippling out from the shock that sears through skin and muscle, and his vision gives out second. Everything skews, and by the time he's tried to blink, he realizes he's on the ground, and he's no longer holding Elizabeth's hand.

Then he remembers to breathe, an action that makes his head whirl and his chest hurt. Panic wells in him at the sound of continuous gunfire, because he can't tell what's going on. If Jack had gotten away, if he'd at least taken Lizzie. What if the worst was happening, and he wasn't able to do anything, in the end...

No, no. He can't just believe this was happening. Forcing himself up and willing what scraps of clarity he can to the surface, Banagher finds himself staring up at Elizabeth's back.

Elizabeth, who was in possession of the biggest gun he's ever seen. Elizabeth, showering the remaining Blood Keys in round after round of gunfire.

All he can do, wide-eyed, is stare. ]

[He'd figured he had one last-ditch attempt in him, but Jack didn't even have time to move before Elizabeth's voice rang out and sharp spattering of bullets explodes in a violent burst of read across the chest of the gang member in front of him, throwing the thug back. As soon as the deafening chatter of bullets pauses, he pushes off from the ground, on his feet and back towards his fellow Network compatriots.

When... where... how... she got that machine gun, there isn't time to consider that, at least not right now. The one of the Blood Keys that Banagher wounded is definitely down for the count, but Jack doesn't know if a hail of bullets is enough to keep the other guys down for long. And either way, someone will have heard that gunfire. They'll have more company soon enough.

Jack shoots Elizabeth a brief look, one that probably would have been more irate had she not suddenly gotten a machine gun out of nowhere... and probably just saved all their skins. He reaches down to offer Banahger the one hand he's got, tone friendly, but quick, given the urgency of the situation.]

C'mon. Stay with us. I don't think we wanna be here when their friends come running. We've gotta move.

[And Banagher isn't the only one who's gotta stay with it. He doesn't know what happened -- if he was thrown back too hand, cracked something, or what -- but there's an unpleasant feeling at the base of his spine, sending out cold and hot flashes running down his nerves. But he can move, and that's what's important right now.]

Go, I'll cover you!

[ Elizabeth stops only long enough for her voice to reach Jack and Banagher before she presses her finger down on the trigger once more. The kickback on the machine gun is so strong that her muscles ache and her bones themselves seem to creak and rattle, but her adrenaline keeps her from feeling any real discomfort. She's absolutely in the moment, reacting on instinct alone, focused on the fact that she's keeping mental track of roughly how much ammunition remains in her weapon without questioning how she knows it.

She waits for her friends to start their retreat, walking carefully backwards while continuing to pin down the Blood Key members with continuous fire. After getting about ten paces away, she finally turns tail to chase after, firing behind her as she's able.

Somehow, they manage to turn the far corner behind a row of buildings and continue their retreat. ]

[ As soon as they've rounded the perimeter buildings, the deafening roar of machine gun fire ebbs to a few distant cracks, and then disappears entirely. It's then that the other sounds start to crawl in: sparse traffic somewhere ahead, the quick patter of footsteps, and his own heartbeat, thick in his ears. Banagher hadn't really thought about much of anything but doing as Jack said when he'd offered him a hand. Don't wanna be here, move.

Move.

So he'd done that, acting partly on survival instinct to push past the hollow and painful ring working its way through his body, and relying on Jack for the rest. When things quiet is when it starts to dawn on him, and he reaches up to close a hand over his shoulder. It feels like it's on fire.

He slows, expression pinching, and attempts to cast a look behind them. Any number of emotions cross over his features, unguarded and vague. ]

Where's Lizzie?

She's coming.

[He's offering all the support he can, propping up the kid, but it's pretty clear Banagher needs medical attention, the sooner the better.

And she is coming, right? The relief is pretty clear on his face when she rounds the corner after them. ]

Elizabeth... damn it, just... both of you need to get out of here. Get him somewhere safe.

I'm right here, Banagher--! Are you-- God, you're bleeding--

[ And no small amount at that. Heart caught somewhere in her throat, she absently slings the machine gun over her shoulder by the strap through muscle memory alone, sprinting to catch up to them. Guilt lances through her, having been the only one to escape the crisis unscathed. ]

Get out of here... But-- Of course, we have to get Banagher to a hospital, but-- Jack, where will you go?

[ Elizabeth's hand gingerly rests over Banagher's back, not quite daring to touch, as she glances between the two boys. ]

You're hurt, and-- [ As badly as things went south here, she still stands by her reasoning to have come. Jack needs looking after. He can't just live here out on his own, cut off from everyone. He has people who care about him still. ]

[ For a long second, he seems genuinely surprised at Elizabeth's observation. Only when she gives voice to it does he realize the palm he'd pressed to his shoulder is soaked warm with blood. Rather than remove it, he's suddenly afraid to look, and latches his fingers into the sodden material of his jacket.

And with only the most peripheral awareness of the conversation taking place, he shoots a critical look up at Jack. Or he tries, anyway. ]

You're not coming?

Can't, at least not all the way. Someone will call in to the police.

[Jack then opens his mouth about to say something else, glancing Elizabeth's way again, but halts abruptly. This isn't what he wanted, any of it. Exactly what he'd been trying to avoid in fact -- every time, it just seems like someone ends up getting hurt . Better to stay out of sight and out of mind. He takes a deep breath before muttering bitterly:

...Just... What were you thinking?

[He'd snap a little more at Elizabeth but that bizarre sharp pulse running down his nerves surges again. Jack's not quite sure what's going on, but his mood is foul enough to assume nothing good.]

Me?

[ It only takes Elizabeth a moment to catch herself, bristling at Jack's tone as she scowls at him. As guilty as she feels for how this turned out, she doesn't see how else she could have gone about it. ]

What were you thinking?! 'Jack is dead'? You honestly thought you could say that to me and expect me to just let it go?

We are your friends, Jack Sears! We are never going to be okay with leaving you behind, and the sooner you learn that the more trouble we can save ourselves!

Jack is dead. You still have your families to go back to. Friends outside the network. I don't.

[Jack's voice is harsh, but less the curt, flat messages he'd sent before their unfortunate meeting today, and more the embittered tone of a man who's simply given up.]

There's nothing I can do to help anyone any more. Honestly, you're better off pretending you never even saw me today.

That's just how it has to be. Now get out of here.

...Oh, for--

[ Elizabeth lets out a sharp puff of breath, voice catching with emotion. Not grief or sadness, mind you. Oh no.

She's angry. She is far and well beyond angry. She is livid with Jack in this moment. Banagher, you may want to hobble a step or two back.

Storming up to stand directly in Jack's personal space, not giving an iota of care that he's injured, she leans in until they're practically touching--

And then she slaps him, hard. Right across the face. ]

For fuck's sake!

Are you even listening to yourself?!

How dare you arbitrarily decide for me that my network friends are somehow less valuable than the ones I've met at school or through my father's connections!

[ She prods him hard in the chest to punctuate her words, barely restraining herself from outright shoving. ]

You will stop this nonsense this instant! You will march yourself to my house and get cleaned up, and I will see you there once I've gotten Banagher help. This is not up for discussion.

[ Forcing her house key in his hands, she then shrugs the strap of her gun off her shoulders and foists the weapon off on him as well. ]

Take this while you're at it. Banagher will need a hospital and I can't be carrying that around. Now go.

[ That all said, she turns tail and goes to see about helping keep Banagher upright, mentally trying to map out the quickest and safest way to the nearest hospital. ]

Edited 2014-01-21 01:11 (UTC)

[text; direct message to Jack Sears]

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