Author's Note : Badly timed insomnia for the… win? I guess? Packing at night is really fucking depressing, guys. Don't do it. And as I'm basically a day or two from packing up my computer… last, last update. I think… by now you all know me. Best laid plans and all that…
More overall story centric, do I NEED to point out this story is SET IN THE SEVENTIES and therefore the biases and prejudices depicted are FROM THE SEVENTIES?
Fifty years ago, five decades. Half a century. Almost exactly. If not your parent's generation, then your grandparent's one.
There will be racist language, has been too, about to be more drug abuse and some really not okay behavior towards LGTBQ+ people. About to be more, because I've been unrealistically writing everyone as either 'I can roll with anything, you good any way you are boo' (Skull), 'okay, why do I need to know this? You do you, I do me, and nothing will change' (Sonya, Verde, Reborn, and Viper), or 'eww… and? Not interested in that, don't understand or care much' (Luce and Fon) levels so far. But as it is the PERIOD of HISTORY, there's several hundred characters and people to write and I'm trying to write that semi-faithfully. None of this reflects MY outlook on such topics, I do not have multiple opinions on sexism, racism, and/or LGTBQ+ people. They are not all my opinions depicted. Literally impossible to be.
Can we… can we at least understand that? Base level?
Please, for the love of whatever god you hold dear, stop trying to judge me by the characters I write. They're characters given independent opinions and outlooks based on culture and their time period to react by, not me. By this AN thing? Fair enough, I really am bitchy and ill-tempered. By the story I'm telling? Kind of weird…
I know I said we didn't have to go on anymore Arcobaleno missions, but when does anything I plan on for my stories ever work out as I think? The shit I do for character development.
The 'porno mag' thing has been another of these 'long-since planned on' pieces of the story, and Tatiana's entire fault. Because… yes. This is something she sees as sisterly bonding and entirely appropriate to do just before she gets 'properly married to a respectable guy'. It's going to be 'used' at least three different ways by the end of this, and… well, why not?
Tatiana's point is right. Mafia Land/Flame using men will take it with them wherever they end up, the ladies there will then have access to 'short-hand guides on colors' that'll coincidentally tell them what the hell is up with their suddenly Flaming in technicolor bundles of joy. Sonya's less than interested in collecting more Flame users, especially not against their wills, and Galina will write the 'articles' specifically just to tell mothers of Flame able children what the hell is up with these weird color-coded habits being so… stubbornly enduring.
Because this is the Mafia, and even their PSAs are literally feeding into someone's vices.
Russian Roulette : Muzzle Flash
Chapter 6
(Sunday the 7th of May, 1972. Salem, Oregon, United States of America.)
"No, we are not doing the porn." Sonya immediately refuted in exasperation, sipping gingerly at her Mai Tai just to see what the hell it even tasted like. Lime and rum were all she could identify in that sweetly acidic mess, honestly. "As far as I know the arrangements and I had a damn say in the offer put together, the actual porn is going to be done by professionals… or the enthusiastic amateurs that might volunteer. I, my sister, and presumably any other women with the ability are going to be… single picture types. Close ups, in either erotic poses or in the nude as far as we are comfortable with, more importantly with the 'identifying' eye coloring. Wear whatever the fuck you want, what we need for this are the eyes."
"Not what your paperwork says."
"That's a generic copy of the contract being offered, Lal. The base rates and shit. It's supposed to allow and cover for anything the women being approached may want covered, not be exactly what you have to do. You will get a personalized copy that will cover everything you are willing to do and what you are not… with all due protections you might want, if you agree."
Lal Mirch sighed out heavily, which made her shoulders slump. "Oh thank God, okay. I can do that much for you."
"You do not have to." Protested the thief flatly, also disposing of her unwanted alcohol as the Rain already did with her Bloody Mary by giving it to the 'slumming' Lightning hanging around her with an uncomfortable scowl on his face. "We will likely find others of your type, you're not all that rare."
"The porn part I was highly uncomfortable with. If we're not expected to do the deed while being filmed, then I'm okay with a single pinup girl pose or two. Shit, that's downright tame in comparison."
"Yeah, I also will not be participating in that part either." She admitted, putting her hands under the park bench affair to ensure her dog wasn't getting overheated in the shade and otherwise pet him as he would prefer.
Luce tapped her fingertips on their tabletop sheepishly with a tiny twist to her lips. "I'm afraid… stretch marks and a crunched stomach are not very sexy. If I hadn't just had a baby… I still would have said no, but I would have felt much worse about not volunteering my time for this."
She rolled her eyes, hard. "I was not expecting either of you to instantly volunteer. My sister is excited about the prospects of posing for a pornographic magazine, which rather means most women will bauk at the very idea. Again… though you saying no is kind of stingy Luce, I didn't expect shit."
"What I can do," allowed the Sky very thoughtfully, "is ask around our circles to see if any young lady Skies might want to volunteer in my stead. For you. There aren't all that many young lady Skies in Italia left, but I know France has two ladies around our age and there presumably is a new one in Greece somewhere…"
Sonya pointedly gestured to her tattoo collection. "You have an image to uphold, I don't give a fuck. I am the security for this, I will personally escort whomever might volunteer in the area… and even back to whatever stronghold they have if need be. Do whatever the hell you want."
"I shall."
Lal eyeballed Verde, and his pointedly blank expression, for a few seconds while the Storm-Cloud and Sky had their little aside. "Why are you here?"
"Reasons." Deadpanned the man flatly with a snarl, downing her day-glow orange drink in a single long swallow.
"…also, I would really appreciate if you didn't tell the men before we got this shit done." Tacked on the thief very dryly as Alek put his jaw on her thighs to give her better access to his velvety ears. "Fuck knows what Skull's reaction to this is going to be, my sister promised to tell him herself. Because again, evil conniving bitch at heart."
"Verde doesn't count as a man?" Poked the Rain with sharp amusement, making the Lightning in question heave an aggravated sigh and glare off into the middle distance than look at any one of the three of them.
"Verde is mine, being a smart boy in a region he once had difficulty in by sticking close to his most friendly associate willing to step in for him, and not a dipshit male with opinions that I am honestly not all that fond of right now."
"Forgive me for even asking," interjected the Sky next with hesitant curiosity, "you are not currently fond of your own brother?"
"The dork knows it will be weird and noticeable if we never professionally cross paths. Once or twice is coincidence, any more or none is suspicious." The less said about Reborn's smarmy smug smirk at her setting every one of Fon's big brotherly protective instincts off, which put Skull's back up in bewildered suspicion, the moment they got dumped on the West Coast of America… the better. "It's not my fault criminal misbehavior is more 'newsworthy' than his show."
As Viper decided they didn't count as male or female, Sonya was just pissy with them for being a freeloading asshole. Still.
…speaking of. "Not that I'm omitting you, Viper. I just figured as you dislike anyone asking after your gender you wouldn't want to participate in something explicitly intended to use the female form to cater to male libidos."
She didn't get an answer, so… maybe she might've offended the Mist by not giving them a contract to basically throw away the moment it was given. Maybe the miserly fuck just wanted nothing to do with the whole affair, too.
Who knew?
Not her.
Unless Viper informed her, she never would either.
"Any other seriously distracting questions you two want answered right this damn second?"
"I was always going to say no." Luce informed her politely, if rather to the point, dismissing the whole affair with a single shoulder shrug and sipping at her neat gin. "But now I know your motive and reasons for offering, I am more settled with offering my contacts to make up for the rather more difficult piece of the puzzle you are trying to assemble refusing."
"I have another option to ask, I just really don't want to ask that option and open her up to the risk. She's not settled with a whole array yet."
She earned a single simple nod.
"…I'm wearing some damn fucking shorts, and if you want a better 'light blue' you can damn well get one." Lal then stated firmly and with all the sharpness. "But fuck, I want better gear before next month. This'll… help me afford it, and I'm very relieved it isn't to do porn but just give a picture or two."
"The issue is we may not be able to find a prettier one than you, Lal. Which is the whole reason I wanted to offer it to you if you might be comfortable with it." Sonya warned with exasperation. "So thanks. This is going to be short notice, done fast, and preferably neatly cleaned up all in the same month. I have shit to do in June, much better shit. Like your introductions to where you decided on starting, and my brat graduating from his latest school year."
"Already?" The Sky hummed thoughtfully, turning to regard the mildly surprised ex-military woman thoughtfully. "That is… faster than I expected, Miss Mirch."
"A lot of military skills translate over. I'm certainly not done," stressed the Rain pointedly and with a tiny bit of malice as she refocused on something else, "but I have more than enough to start making some momentum of my own."
"I expected at least three years to even start on something."
"Well lucky you, then." Dismissed the thief with a heavy sigh. "Are we done… wait. Lal, you didn't leave out that packet, did you?"
"I burned it." Luce admitted before the other woman could answer. "I did not believe either of you wished that to be found by someone a little… nosey. I assumed they were general contracts on offer myself, admittedly."
"…Colonello would've read it the instant we got taken." Lal admitted ruefully and with a thread of apology in her tone now.
"As long as it was taken care of, I don't care how or who."
She earned herself a single nod from the Rain before she immediately got up and stalked off first, while the Sky downed her glass to buy her a few additional seconds. With her going off in a completely different direction next, that just left Sonya and Verde plus the dog in the shade under the table.
"…thank you for being the most sensible male in my life right now."
Of course, then he eyed her suspiciously and with wariness. "I am still not inclined to 'take you back', I remain firm in my desire to not be messily murdered to resume a relationship we both are aware will not last nor be worth the effort to retain."
"Again, the most sensible male in my life." Sonya had to admit to again, rubbing her face tiredly much to Alek's disappointment. "I'd promote Alek or Cesare to that spot… but my dumbass dog likes to lick himself in public and right now I'm kind of sour against all Mafiosi in general."
"Hmm… I am not displeased to obtain this arbitrary 'ranking' by default." Verde needlessly informed her, but very tartly still. "Though equally I am a bit bewildered there is a canine on this list."
"Deal with it."
"Are you… going to do the tarot card reading as Viper presumably wishes you to?"
The thief looked down and sure enough, there was a 'mysteriously appearing' deck right in front of her on the table. "…fuck, fine. Then the men better not hear about the magazine until after it's published, Viper. Get out here and ask your damn question."
(ooo000ooo)
(Sunday the 7th of May, 1972 continued. The Grand Hotel, Salem, Oregon, United States of America.)
"Okay," Skull drawled very sarcastically, "how did this happen? You two were the only ones left without anything you wanted to do this afternoon…"
"Before you even go there," Reborn shot back heatedly and with malice, "it wasn't me. I know a shit ton better than to try to kill one of us by fire."
"It was not my fault either." Fon instantly tacked on with steel in his tone too, resuming the glaring match the stuntman only just barely interrupted. "And that sounds perfectly suited to cause an 'accidental' death of one of us."
"…guys, the hotel is still burning."
"You would claim that, wouldn't you?"
"I have no urgent reason to seek your death."
"Ho? Really."
"Although you have clear motive to seek mine."
That made the hitman pause, then huffed a sharply mocking laugh right in the assassin's face. "The only reason she's making time for you, is pity. There's no reason for her to slum it with a man who already belongs to a master who might not always value her worth."
"…dude." Skull protested, who he was protesting he had no fucking clue, but neither of them were in the mood to listen to him.
"Green is not your color." Fon offered dismissively, with a little bit of biting heat of his own. "Better me than a man who either committed a wrong so grievous or is so ashamed of his origin he murdered it."
"Oh for fuck's sake."
"Yes… real safe for her, the man who can be ordered to kill her. And you'd do it, wouldn't you?"
Giving up on getting a word in edgewise, neither wanted to listen to him a damn right now, he wondered if he should leave the two bickering assholes to go find something… probably alcoholic.
"That is not how it works, no. And furthermore, no."
"Real convincing."
"I have no need to convince you, and she knows the organization of black societies well enough to know better. Instead… may I inquire just why you seem to think your motive is not deserving of suspicion? Your arrival, not to mention your interests, came out of nowhere… were you perhaps ordered to do this? I can easily see you Italians seeking to control or chain a woman down by this method. Regardless of what she is."
Reborn scoffed with a dismissive flip of his wrist. "Because I am not that stupid, no family head is that stupid, nor do I want that headache."
"…yes, real convincing." Mused Fon rather mockingly, for all he was mostly even still in tone.
"Skull."
"Nope, not listening to this utter bullshit." Announced the stuntman on his way right back out of their little pocket, shoving his hands into his jeans and just mentally writing off that stunt suit as an entire loss. Mildly annoying, but really not all that uncommon for him. The only part of his getup he was attached to were his boots and lockpicks, and he still had those. "If this is so damn important to you then carry on, guys. But, carry on without me."
"…that is not wise. We cannot know for certain if this fire was targeted until after the emergency personnel get through with… dealing with it."
"Yeah, don't care. Especially not if you two assholes want to argue about my sister." Oh look, they had kept in mind he was here too. Yeah, real nice of them… "Going for beer, I'll be back again in two or three more hours. Or tomorrow."
(Monday the 8th of May, 1972. Bjǫrn's Apartment, Mafia Land.)
Natalina tossed the dossier on the coffee table the moment she got through the front door. "Okay, so keeping in mind this is three days of work and mostly his professional details…?"
"…why here? Why not somewhere else?" Whined Sonya's Lackey with audible depression, a hand already plastered across the bulk of his face.
"If it was up to me, Bjǫrn? I'd take this elsewhere." Allowed the hitwoman for the young man's due, because he had dug Dante out of his personal hell pit for them. She was honestly grateful for him doing it, beyond just being the money man for her new famiglia. "But Tatiana has other plans, and Sonya wanted this kept from anyone that doesn't have to know just so she won't have to hear about it."
Speaking of which, the woman engaged to a Vongola Guardian was rapidly devouring the whole packet with speed. Likely due to her shift being in another hour and she didn't have time to do more than overlook what Natalina could get before she had to run for the hospital.
The blond heaved a tired sigh, roughly rubbing that hand before taking it off his face. "Is he at least competent?"
"Näf? Hell no. He's a pasty." She corrected with all the tartness and exasperation due for that detail, taking a seat on the Lackey's couch too. "A slice of the porn industry is interested in a tax-less filming studio or three, preferably somewhere they don't have to pay their 'workers' a damn and don't have to deal with the 'stigma' of sex work by dumbass judgmental civilians."
"…that's not how Mafia Land works."
"That's not what they know. Hence, sending in a dipshit to both get that information and see what bites him clean through and why. Näf got in here by patrons and a shit-ton of bribe money, not merit or by knowing the right details." Money did make the world go round, and especially here. "His contracts aren't usually that shit, but this island wasn't going to let him offer 'his' initial one that was really some other fucker's dumb idea. It was a good three times more entrapment-laced and bullshit, whoever 'volunteered' for a 'good cause' would then be committed to getting fucked in front of a camera at least once a week for about… the rest of their lives."
Bjǫrn squinted at her in sheer suspicion. "If they were not island contracts, the contractual ladies would've murdered him for that. Initially. Out of sheer affront. We are all careful of our contracts, even the day-shift workers learn that quickly."
"Hence why the island tagged him with an internal agent and wouldn't let him offer that. What we saw was his shitty ass negotiation skills, he usually has lawyers draw those up for him. Mafia Land, obviously we're dumbass criminals with no clue and all the greed willing to sign on any dotted line for stupid money… or at least, that's what Näf's patrons seem to think."
The other woman suddenly lifted her head to glance at her questioningly. "How bad are his contracts?"
"I put three examples in there, all the information brokers I talked to had or could easily get for me."
Tatiana pouted heavily but skipped several pages to reach the extra information the Italian had supplied. Leaving a finger where she left off, but wanting that more than she wanted the background details.
The Lackey waited a beat, but when the nurse didn't ask anything else he turned back to her. "Did he know shit all about Dying Will Flame users?"
"Learned last week the moment before being sent on this deathtrap of a business trip, still has no damn clue how we 'hid it' for so long. He's a leak just waiting to happen, the moment he's not somewhere already informed."
Two or three years ago, Natalina wouldn't have cared. She couldn't use her own immortal soul to fight or manipulate shit with, so she assumed that was a Flame user concern rather than hers. The moment Sonya told Dante otherwise, the Mafioso scrambled to update her and Cesare in all haste and with all the information he could get his hands on.
Which Renato probably hadn't known when he briefed them in parts and pieces about his extra 'Sun' skills, when he got new information on it.
'Ignorance is no excuse' would've snapped her up had he not, with that mindset. Made her wonder how many non-Flame-able criminals got arrested under that clause by the Vindice, assuming the same as she had or not even knowing that was a need in the first place.
"…is it obvious he's being set up to die messily or being used as a canary in a coal mine?" Wondered the Sun Flame using nurse quietly, paging back through to where she had left off in the basic information for one Franzi Näf. "Because he is a sleaze bucket, a total one. That doesn't mean he can't be useful if we do this just right…"
The Lackey made a thoughtful hum from his desk chair. "I've dealt with worse men. He is a minnow in a shark pond though, Tatiana. Assuming a den of lawless criminals can't be worse than what he crawled out of and kept from making that realization from where he's restricted to. The island's internal bureaucracy is aware he's a dead man walking, but they still want all the money they can squeeze out of him first before he gets offed by offended Mafia women. And he has deep pockets to buy himself a handful more days to live, but not for much longer."
"A rude awakening will get him indebted to us, if we keep him alive. Don't have to be injury free, just alive." She returned thoughtfully, fanning through the papers one last time before handing them over to the Lightning-Storm to see for himself next. "If we do this other half during the photo shoot, we might just get our hands on one of his 'patrons' instead… more money, likely a bigger business to turn over to you in the end, and a much more satisfying target to murder for trying this bullshit to warn off the rest… and enough force with implicating him in a homicide to seal his damn trap shut."
"You really want to bet on that, Tatiana?"
"I'm going to be betting on you, your little hitman charity case, and his obviously petty greed." Corrected the busty redhead with a matter-of-fact tone. "He's going to need watching, of course. But the moment he realizes he was set up to die messily and without care? He'll want revenge… and who better to supply him with that on demand than the Mafia women using his assets for our own reasons?"
Her new Donna's elder sister then pinned Natalina with a sharp, pointed look.
"I want this done right. Find me the worse fucking 'patron' Näf has, whichever dirty fuck might be dabbling in human trafficking or inflicting drug addictions on their 'workers'. The greedier scumbag the better, Natalina. Then set him up to come by while we're shooting the pictures, whatever will draw him in the best. Let's give Bjǫrn's soon-to-be heavily indebted patsy a damn good reason to keep him very happy and rid him of a particularly nasty 'business associate' to ensure we're very clear what is or isn't 'acceptable' for us. And the price of defying us. Because this is 'distribution of Dying Will Flame information' between several regional groups, and the Vindice has Laws about how those are conducted…"
…holy shit. She hadn't even considered that.
"We need the eye coloring, which is the most easily spotted sign someone else has Flames if they didn't cotton on themselves." Tatiana finished with vicious satisfaction, pushing herself off the couch to likely go to work for her shift. "Which means Nya has to teach us how to trigger that at will. She'll be teaching several women from who knows what corners of the criminal underworld that little trick of hers, if they don't have their eyes matching their Flames naturally."
"She doesn't like dealing with them." Bjǫrn reminded his patron's sister in an even tone while the hitwoman had to take several seconds for herself, mainly to mentally connect the dots in information she only recently reviewed with a Mafia School Professor. "She will not be happy at this plan."
"I'll tell her. Besides, Usov deserves another crack at introductions. Since the last opportunity they gave him was a dud despite working that way in Moscow." Announced the nurse on her way out, giving the two of them a backwards wave in goodbye instead of saying anything to that effect.
The Lackey hummed thoughtfully when it was just them left. "Did you get the country I need to arrange a hostile takeover in, at least?"
"Näf's operating out of the northern part of France, on the border with Belgium and Luxembourg. I'll have to update that when I have a target that matches Tatiana's specifications." Natalina offered mildly, still uneasy at the suggestion of 'using' the Vindice's Laws like this.
Obviously, women that were in power would be less disinclined to rely on the shadowy Mafia Enforcers when their Laws crossed into their aims. Still… rather disturbing to hear it.
(ooo000ooo)
(Monday the 8th of May, 1972 continued. Bella Collina Bed & Breakfast, Amity, Oregon, United States of America.)
Sonya tapped her fingertips on her biceps. Reborn watched the clock. Fon silently sipped his tea. Lal watched the hitman closely, Verde ignored them for a copy of the local newspapers, Viper was who knows where, and Luce sat quietly on her end of the breakfast table.
They were all counting down the final few seconds before Lal's Tutor basically flipped her damn lid, predictably. Because this?
This was utter bullshit, and they were dragging this out.
At eight in the morning, on the dot, the Mafioso finally gave up. "Fine. We'll-"
"Oh no. No." Flatly interrupted the thief with venom, practically snarling her words out. "If you and Fon wish to do nothing fucking useful, stay here. By all means. He's just my brother, my second, and the other half of me. While we're chasing a mind controlling and deadly piece of rock, and you insisted he will be back by now. Viper, where the fuck is Skull?"
"Mou… interstate highway five, heading north." Reported the Mist only now sitting on her other side, tucking a piece of… tissue paper into their cloak.
"He left, on his own."
"And just why did my brother leave?" Sonya shot back exactly as sharply as the man did, turning burning red eyes on the two who had been left in charge of their security.
And frankly failed at that, since their last hotel burned down and they were now down a man too.
"No seriously Reborn, tell me why he left where it was safer for him to go elsewhere. He's not stupid, he's not unaware of our risks right now. Being shoved in this group without any intention of it outs him in a way he usually doesn't have to deal with on the road. So you and Fon pissed him off somehow, and he left instead of making a scene about it in public that would've drawn attention. What was it about that was so fucking important? Fon?"
Neither man wanted to answer her, and the Rain suspected they'd have to ask Skull when and where they found him.
Mildly disgusted with this whole farce, she shoved herself upright to go warm up the car to finally go after the stuntman. One of the two rented cars, because Skull didn't want to carjack someone if they didn't have an 'end' date. To minimize their risks, he brought enough money to afford that and hotel bills for a couple weeks if need be.
Only the Clouds and Mist were committed to doing what Checkerface wanted. So the siblings and Viper had taken on doing it and would leave the rest of them out of it if they wanted. Which yes, Lal was taking advantage of.
So too were Luce, Reborn, Fon, and Verde.
Frankly, with Skull paying for whatever need and Viper to find them what while Sonya got it… there wasn't a need for anyone else to 'help' a damn. That much was fucking fine, decent of them even. Being asked to just keep the area clear and safe wasn't a damn complicated request, was it?
"We can't 'stay' here, not…" The hitman shut up when the thief pinned him with another narrow look as she got up too.
"Obviously, Reborn. That's not quite true. Skull's not here." Sonya informed him sugary sweetly, with a nasty glare. "So yes. I would prefer you stay here. You and Fon have 'helped' enough, thank you."
The assassin just sighed as the woman sharply turned away from them to join Lal on her way out, tightening his grip on the waxed paper cup in his hands and remaining silent.
Verde, also still silently, folded up his paper to bring along with him as he too got up from his seat.
"Sonya… I am a very inadequate shot, but if you will have me I will assist." Luce offered quietly to their backs.
"No, thank you." Shot back the other Donna flatly without so much as pausing. "Stay here with them for all I care. We only just had to out what he did to your fucking Italians to conform to your damn sensibilities, and if that information stayed there I am a fucking duck. He knew it, I knew it, thanks for keeping that in mind… assholes."
Lal pressed her back to the front doors to open them and keep the thief from breaking more doors on her way, letting Sonya and Verde out while she also got the chance to see the reaction from that heatedly dismissive denial.
Viper was very likely already in the car, not having to walk from one point to another if they didn't want to.
"Get up." Reborn snarled at Fon, earning only a passive look in return. "I am not failing like this. She's getting help if she wants it or not. Skull told me tomorrow, and as he's not here yet I will find him. Since he told you that too, you're helping me."
"If you annoy her further…" Luce trailed off with a long sigh of her own at the look she was then treated to by hitman. "Very well, then. I guess I shall come too."
"She is past annoyed with us. What would make it worse is him actually being in trouble, instead of just wandering off like a moron, and us sitting on our fucking asses while he is."
Lal slipped out of there, confident she had the time to waste like that because first Sonya had to grab her dog and then she had to get someone else to open the car doors without risking their integrity.
"They're coming too, even still."
"Of course they are." Sonya countered flatly, and highly unamused. "If one of you will watch Alek for me, I can go myself and not need…"
She trailed off under Verde's pointedly exasperated stare.
"No." The man informed her bluntly, waiting patiently to be let into their rental by the rear passenger door. "Your brother is missing. I at least would prefer to assist your search than be as useless as them."
She pressed her lips together, bending to untangle Alek's leash from under a light pole she wedged it under to keep her dog in one spot. Somehow picking up on his mistress' mood, the canine kept his ears pinned back and moved swiftly to the car the moment he was unfettered. "…thank you."
"Hopefully you don't mean that quite as sarcastically as you said it to them." Lal quipped shortly as she rounded the car for the other side where the driver's seat was.
Americans, why did they put the driver on the wrong side of their cars?
(Tuesday the 9th of May, 1972. Seattle Underground, Seattle, Washington, United States of America.)
"-so, you know, if you'd like to get up at any time-"
"Skull, shut up."
"Oh good, you're alive."
Reborn slitted his eyes open, head already pounding which told him quite enough to already be instantly pissed off. He'd been drugged, and he had no memory on how or why. He sure as fuck didn't eat anything in what he could account for, though he did stop for a drink of water. A sealed water bottle had seemed safe enough at the time…
"Who else?"
"Don't know, man. All I can see is you from right here, and barely at that." The stuntman wiggled very conservatively and slowly, his thick boots swinging freely over an industrial sized vat of who knew what and both hands clamped on the already frayed piece of shit rope holding him in the air. The only thing holding him up, his own grip. "And, if I let go or get too… active, pretty sure I'm falling into acid. Think it's acid. Maybe it won't kill me… be really fucking uncomfortable, but I was hoping you'd wake up sometime soon and prevent that being a need."
…and the hitman was naked. That was… mildly annoying.
Arms chained over his head, too. Which had put a strain on both shoulders, holding him sitting upright against a wall despite being slumped over while unconscious.
"It's acidic, there's a warning on the side of the vat making it clear it's highly caustic. Or it's water poured in an acid vat, spit and see if it pops." He informed the hanging man stuck staring at a mostly featureless brick wall absently, glancing around to see what there might be to work with. "I can see Fon and… one woman."
Not the hair, which was really the only identifying piece Reborn could use to tell the Italian women apart from an angle that meant he was looking straight up their legs. Whichever woman it was shaved, and anything further than that was not something he wanted to look at since she wasn't awake to tell him to go fuck himself if she wanted.
The elder Cloud sibling did so as ordered… and it popped under his boots several times with an evil sizzle at the end. "I mean… I could risk swinging myself over it. Maybe. It's not that big. I might be getting high off the fumes and it is that big, though."
"Skull, stay there until we've got an accounting or at least half a fucking plan." Chained to a wall and buck naked. Great. "How did they get you?"
"Uh, gun aimed at the face still works on me. For one, ow. For another… memory loss isn't something I want to gamble on, even if a headshot can't kill me." Skull admitted to blandly and without a drop of shame. "I escaped on them a few times, they got pissed a few times and caught me because this place is a maze. Then they put me here and I have no idea how long it's been. Think we're underground. Not that far underground, there's these weird skylights here or there. Basement level, maybe."
"…right." He still didn't quite have feeling in his fingertips yet but Reborn pressed his head back just far enough to catch sight of something green, chained up, and also out cold down the wall to his far right. "Verde's here."
"…huh. Figured I'd hear him at least."
"Out cold, and they taped his mouth shut. Can't see anything else where I am chained up."
Skull snorted so hard he started swinging slightly. "The number of times I've contemplated that…"
"They know about our other abilities, but presumably not all of it. Right dosages for Fon, Verde, and whichever of the ladies that is… but not me." Half likely due to the fact Reborn didn't know how strong of a Sun he was, just that he was the Strongest Sun of Italia as judged by Italian Skies. It seemed to hold true outside of his homeland, and that Ancient Asshole also seemed to think so too.
He didn't heal, which was the method most Suns measured themselves… by the number of patients and severity of injuries they could see about in a day. Meaning no one else could judge how strong he was either.
Which since no one but Fon and Viper were infamous for being the strongest of their type in the world, yet, meant the others might wake up soon too. Maybe.
"Sixty percent certain whatever they got you with was aerosolized. They had the equipment for it in the van they tossed my ass into. Or they robbed a hospital to have it. Again, maybe. Don't honestly know the background details besides that they have that."
"…that'd explain some shit." Including why he, and everyone else but Skull, was naked. Keeping the residual gas from interfering with whatever dosages of tranquilizer or whatever keeping the others under.
Meant it was very likely Leon was in some distress too, unless she somehow figured out the same thing the stuntman was guessing at and shapeshifted into something nonporous. Reborn was particularly sour about that question right now. Hopefully she was fine and with his suit and hat, wherever it all was.
Sonya, Viper, and at least one Italian woman were still unaccounted for. Presumably, he still couldn't see the entire cramped space they were stuck in very well in dim lighting by one single hanging light bulb. A naked Fon was not a pretty sight he wanted to look at, either.
If the airheaded assassin would wake up, this would be a fairly simple process. Storms could melt through anything without heating up everything to dangerous levels, unlike most other Flames. There would still be residual heat, but not white-hot metal heat. Reborn would probably set this whole dusty crypt on fire if he tried melting out of his restraints, because whatever these chains were made of it wasn't iron.
Even worse, this was an old dusty room. Dry wood, wood rot, decades if not a century or two of dust, and who knows what else that could catch a spark entirely too easily.
"So, if you could not fucking wander off when we may be being targeted… that would be nice."
"Man… if you could not bitch and bicker with Fon about which one of you is less disreputable or dangerous for my baby sister, that'd also be nice." Skull shot back instantly and with sarcasm thick enough to cut in his tone. "Especially not when I have to be there. Save it for later. Or you know… don't do that. Because you both are disreputable assholes with almost zero redeeming qualities."
"…shut up."
"Reborn-"
"No, I mean it. I'm on the floor, I can feel vibrations building up. Someone's coming."
"Shutting up."
He played dead too, hanging his head forward and pulling on his already sore shoulders.
It was Sonya they dragged in next, by two women who had no interest in hanging around all that long or even checking on anyone else they had in here. They chained her to Lal and Fon, ensuring the Rain and Storm-Cloud were wrapped in the Storm's arms and therefore making it even harder for him to do anything without killing one of them. The thief's chains were also wrapped around both their necks, meaning if she even tugged a little 'hard' for her… they probably were both dead meat.
Unfortunately, she wasn't naked. Mildly disappointing. Also meant… very little good. Either they didn't care anymore, or she got hit with something less in the air and more ingested or injected. Then couldn't burn it right on out of herself… or didn't know to.
Skull somehow magically kept his damn trap shut long enough for Reborn to judge they were probably unobserved. If they hadn't known he was awake… or they didn't care about that either. "Your sister."
"…fuck."
"And it's Lal who's already here."
"…double fuck. No offense, Lal's more useful."
"None taken." Drawled the hitman tiredly, privately agreeing only because Luce had mere months to switch from working behind a desk to field work and had rather a lot to catch up on. "What the hell do you mean, 'zero' redeeming qualities? I am by far not the worst piece of shit in existence, thank you very much."
"Still a pacifist, Reborn. I'm okay that you kill people professionally, and probably on whims. And possibly when they just annoy you by breathing." The underboss of a fucking famiglia informed him sharply. "Doesn't mean I think it's right you do what you do, even if I understand it's a need to cull the 'worst piece of shit in existence' out when they do irreparable damage. I'm very not alright with murder, so sorry. No, I don't like you all that much."
"…so a little bit."
"What can I say? I'm a sucker for petty little shits with aims that benefit me. Still like Fon better than you, for what that's worth. Even if I am kind of annoyed with him still."
Yeah, well… he probably found the fucking assassin even more annoying than Skull did right now. Because of course the siblings were fonder of that fucking brainless interloper than him. "Odds that your friend will-"
"Nope."
The hitman cursed softly and hit his head back against whatever concrete or plastered stone wall was behind him, even more annoyed. "You sound confident in that."
"Drugs and Vipes' type… don't often mix well. Especially not mind-altering, but tranquilizers also throw them for one hell of a loop. Being sick also tends to… not agree with them either. If Vipes got hit by whatever got you and everyone else? Yeah, no. They're out cold somewhere else, not sure where else, but somewhere else. For who knows how long."
That was less than ideal, but then the man continued.
"…where's Alek?"
A more than decent question. If Sonya or her brother couldn't provide them the ultimate muscle right now, her dog could.
And if they were being eavesdropped upon, they would assume one more male human needed to be accounted for rather than a stupidly overpowered canine with stealth skills and a perchance for biting through doors. If Alek somehow didn't get caught by whatever drug or chemical had been pumped into the air to get them, and with a canine's nose… that might just be the case.
…though the fact his mistress was here without him rather reduced that likelihood.
"Not here." Reborn offered flatly, and thankfully got nothing clarifying that little detail out of the still hanging stuntman. "What do you have?"
"Is that safe?"
"No one's coming to drug me back into unconsciousness yet."
Skull thought about it first, meaning he had something. "Lockpicks. I told them I just was a very good escape artist, not that I had them…"
That would fucking work. "Can you reach them?"
He clunked his heavy boots together pointedly. "Nope."
"Kick it."
"…blind? I'm not the hawkeyed one with perfect aim using throwing weapons in the family, Reborn. Odds are, I'll either kick them too far or nail you square in the face with it."
"Square in the face will be perfect… this once."
"And of course I can't see it." Skull instantly whined, which neatly covered the noise of him clicking off the heavy buckles that kept his boots firmly on his feet. His left boot. The zipper was pulled down by a heel, without the man needing to look down to do it.
Unseating his boot with his right toe, the stuntman paused with it half hanging off his foot.
"Last minute adjustments?"
"…bit more to your right." Reborn ordered tonelessly, resigned to maybe a broken nose or some equally if minorly painful result of letting Skull basically kick him in the face to hand off his lockpicks. If he was unlucky, anyway. "So twist, then when I say now…"
That ancient piece of shit rope did not like the twist of the hips that set the stuntman swinging, creaking ominously at the slight movement. First in the wrong direction, then it less energetically swung the man in the right one.
"…now." The boot impacted the wall too far left, but the hitman managed to swing his chains just far enough to knock it midair within his… reach. More or less. "Where?"
"Outside, kind of back behind where that jutty bone sits on the ankle. There's two hook catches that keep a flap of fabric up, it's under there."
Now Reborn just had to get out Skull's lockpicks and pick his locks using his toes. Great. "Give me a minute, this is going to be awkward."
Skull made a slightly thoughtful, semi-sarcastic noise. "I'll just keep hanging in here, man. No rush."
"Hilarious."
"I thought so."
"…what, the… fuck?"
"Hey, Lal! Good morning, sleepyhead!"
"Oh good, you're still alive." Grumbled the groggy Rain woman, highly displeased at her state but almost equally as immediately distracted by Fon's.
"You know," admitted the older Cloud sibling very wryly to the section of the wall that was all he could see right now, "I said the exact same thing to Reborn too."
Alarmingly, the woman ignored him to lay her head on the assassin's chest again. As if trying to listen to his heart, despite the chains wrapped around her neck and wrists not allowing her to get that far down his chest. "…anyone know what Fon's resting heartbeat should be?"
"…that bad?" Skull asked, markedly more serious than before.
"Damn near nonexistent right now. His heart is still beating, but it's… it's really slow."
Reborn froze, the lockpicks only half in and half out of their hiding place.
…Fon was known as the most powerful Storm in China. Able to change weather patterns if he wanted to pull out all the stops. They drugged him into a coma instead of risking him burning right through whatever would keep him docile and out of the way.
He was partially offended. Stupidly.
They took that much care about the Storm, but not him. The strongest Sun in the world with an Activated metabolism.
He was very fucking offended, actually.
…unless they had given him an equal dose, and he had been more efficient in burning it out already.
That thought made him feel better, so that was what Reborn was going to go with. "Medically induced coma, more than likely. It won't keep him down for long if they don't dose him again, but it will for now."
"Great." Lal then got to exploring her restraints and how they hooked around Fon's and Sonya's. "This is… not great."
Verde pointedly slammed something into something else, likely his feet against the floorboards given that vibration.
Reborn craned his head that way, because thief-trained man who wouldn't be creeped out by the germs and foot sweat Skull's lockpicks were likely covered in. To go with who knew what else brewing in the dusty grit layering everything and the floor. "Verde, if I kick this at you… can you catch it? One for no, two for yes."
"…uh, sorry man. My bad." Offered the elder Cloud sibling sheepishly, very obviously assuming his attempt to give the hitman his lockpicks had failed somehow.
Technically yes. Partially. Reborn could reach them, that was good enough.
The Lightning hit the floor twice.
"What's going on?"
"Reborn's got my lockpicks, Lal. But apparently he can't get a grip on them or something. So he's kicking them to Verde to use."
It strained his shoulders even worse to accurately judge the distance and force needed to cover the distance, but the hitman had a much better aim than the stuntman could hope to have from his position. The Frenchman flinched when the Mafioso kicked, but still managed to fumble the lockpicks out of his bushy hair before they slid off him and out of his reach.
"…right, while that's going on… Skull? What does it mean when your sister's eyes are purple the moment she wakes up?"
"…shit." Offered the stuntman with an alarming amount of dread. "Is she tracking movement?"
Lal bobbed herself up and down to see about it, kind of impressive core muscle control when her arms were chained to Fon's left and she had use of basically nothing to help her do it that fast. "Nope."
"She's not awake." Skull reported in that same tone. "Get a hold on her, and whatever you do… don't let go or we'll never find her again until she's better. She's either having a bad reaction, a bad trip, or whatever. She's unconsciously aware, and she will bolt on us if no one's holding her."
"Fuck." Allowed the Rain very quietly, apparently already aware that with the way they were chained up that would instantly kill both her and Fon. "Okay. Fon has that covered, we're chained together with his arms around us both. So…"
"…actually, you might be able to tempt her into breaking you guys out. Nya's shamelessly cuddly when she's not feeling well… and if she deliriously reasons you can't cuddle her because of it…?"
The Storm jerked awake in an instant, pointedly and hastily gripping both women in his arms so Lal couldn't move any further to try to put that information to use. "…um…"
"Oh good, you're alive. I was a little worried there, Fon. Your heartbeat is slow as shit."
"…I am a very… active, physically active. I have a very strong heart."
"A runner's heart." Reborn helpfully clarified for the man who didn't have a widespread grasp of Italian vocabulary for all occasions yet, flatly and reluctantly. "You have a runner's low resting baseline BPM, because of all the cardio you do. Well, that's better than what I suspected."
"…why are we naked?" Asked the assassin in a pained, uncomfortable tone and a rattle of chains on chains. Caused as he experimented with how much room to maneuver he had, pinned in place as he was.
"What?" Skull demanded heatedly. Almost kicking a sock clad foot to turn himself around, but he glanced up at the very last second and slowly lowered his leg again.
"I am." Lal allowed for tonelessly. "Your sister isn't. And Fon. Apparently, you can't let go of Sonya or she'll run. According to Skull."
The man in question made a wheezy, strangled noise at his bit of brick wall. "Why are you all naked?"
"If they aerosolized the drug they used to knock us out, likely our clothing is soaked in the same shit. If they wanted to control the dosages of whatever else they gave us, to keep us out of it for a certain amount of time, leaving us in those would have interfered. Odds are, they hit Sonya with something else and that's why she still has hers."
Verde's chains rattled as the man freed himself, and he instantly ripped off the duct tape plastered across his mouth in the next second with his new freedom. Then hunched forward, likely as all the blood rushed back into his arms and hands. "…merde."
"Can you drain the acid vat?" Reborn asked of him with no pity, because while his shoulders hurt too… Skull had been hanging there for who knows how long with a frayed piece of shit rope between him and a nasty experience that would kill anyone else.
That he had been contemplating risking for who knows how long. Before his Sun's metabolism woke the Mafioso up from his drug induced stupor to stop the semi-suicidal moron hanging there.
"Acid?" Lal repeated heatedly and with alarm. "What the fuck?"
"Skull's hanging over a vat of acid."
Unfortunately, the Frenchman was without a stitch too. Slightly more annoyingly, also his glasses. He obligingly went to see about Skull's predicament first, uncaring who could see his boney and now dusty ass at the same time.
"…there is a spigot, but nowhere to drain it to. If I do so, the acid will spread over the… floor."
Skull sighed heavily. "Right. Suppose I'm on my own."
"Don't you fucking-" Reborn bit off the rest of it when the stuntman ignored him, violently swinging his legs back and forth even if that was badly straining his rope. "SKULL!"
Predictably, that frayed piece of crap finally snapped from the additional stress.
Slamming both feet into the wall he damn near faceplanted into due to the suddenly unfettered forward momentum, the elder Cloud sibling instantly kicked off it hard enough to backflip and damn near bury himself in the back far wall instead. He hit hard enough it was damn obvious there were a couple snapped ribs still, if nothing else.
Then he hit the floor.
"…ow."
Verde blinked blearily in that direction, then blinked more rapidly as he padded back to where he woke up. Hopefully to get the damn picks and release the rest of them next.
"Miss Mirch, cease. Please." Fon asked plaintively as they all basically waited for something to happen.
"So, come here often?" Drawled the woman with no mercy or care, still trying to see Skull's body now it was almost in her sightline.
"I will set you on fire." Countered the assassin with a long exhale and his gaze fixed on the ceiling overhead. Pointedly too, as he tightened his grip further to pin her in place. "This is highly uncomfortable."
"You think you are uncomfortable… you are not pretty, Fon." Reborn snipped with heat. "And I do apologize, Miss Mirch… but I am directly below you three."
"Enjoy the view. And thanks for being upfront about it."
"It is a lovely view, if only Fon wasn't there too. Better than Verde, at least."
"Then cease looking." Verde invited sarcastically, putting Skull's lockpicks to Reborn's shackles now.
Apparently they were all made for the same key, for he already had the right configuration of picks held firmly to open them with a single twist of his boney wrist. The same moment the hitman's left shackle was opened and he was finally free, Skull raggedly started pushing himself upright.
Semi-distracting from the scientist's nightmare mishmash of a running internal monologue on several details going Lightning fast, but that was moving off now and entirely not enough to distract him from the undead Cloud's state.
With several disquieting clicks and cracks of muffled bone breakage as he straightened out, that put his teeth on edge but focused him a little better.
Then Skull stood up and opened his eyes.
"…holy shit, you all are naked!" Yelped the stuntman after a bewildered second when he finally got a look around, hastily ripping off his tee shirt and planting his other hand over his face as he blindly held out the cloth. "Uh, Lal? Shirt?"
"That would be nice, yes. Three steps forward, one to your right, one forward, then lower your arm a little… there. Thanks Skull. No point until Verde's done getting us free, but really. Thanks."
"Yeah. No problem. Happy to help." Squeaked the man sheepishly and with audible embarrassment, still firmly holding a hand over his eyes. "Sorry…"
Reborn immolated all the dust and grime off his ass, and anywhere else it got, the moment he stood up. Planting his left hand on his right shoulder, he used a quick pulse of Activation to ease the soreness there then switched shoulders to ensure hanging like that wouldn't do him any permanent harm to the nerves he obviously pinched.
Interestingly… there were vibrations under his feet again.
A lot of vibrations.
Likely, whatever monitoring they were under didn't have sound but sight. Or the stuntman slamming himself into walls did it.
"Skull, go hold the door shut until Fon's freed. We're about to have company." Invited the Mafioso quietly, steeling himself only a split second before heading over to Verde to deal with that man's shoulder issues before they developed into something long-term and nasty.
Once the Cloud blindly passed him to go do that, because that was a nice excuse to put it off another second.
Thankfully, Flame users didn't need more than a pulse of Sun Flames to solve their damn issues. Verde was a twitchy little shit under the heels of Reborn's hands, but held obligingly still when Lal pointedly and with interest raised an eyebrow at him when he nearly jerked away.
Then the hitman got the fuck out of that range, because that would give him a migraine in only a few more seconds. Fon still thought in his native dialect of Chinese dotted with Mandarin, Lal thought in Italian laced with more French than Arabic, and Verde… the Lightning's mind was an unholy amalgamation of multiple languages.
The damn Frenchman was worse than five separate people mashed together. Worse than five doctors, or more to the point scientists, mashed together.
He wanted his damn hat back, they could keep the rest of it if they really wanted. He had shit all to be ashamed of or shy about. Sonya would work too, her mind was damn near comforting it was so familiar… but she kind of rightfully hated him at this moment for losing her brother on her in a questionable situation…
Now this shit?
He'd be lucky if he wasn't paying for this bullshit for months. Even more lucky if she didn't just flatly refuse to have anything to do with him ever again.
"Reborn? Can you throw me my boot? Since you're… uh, over there?"
Skull winced, fumbling his boot a few times when it bounced off the door he was holding closed after he pitched it violently at his head. "Thanks?"
"Next time, Skull. Say something. Don't just fucking walk off."
"Excuse you, I did say things. Multiple times. If you're not going to listen, I'm not going to be the one to make you." Leaning back to keep the entire flimsy slab of old wood in place, the stuntman pulled his boot back on. "…shouldn't have gone that far, but I was pretty pissed off and Clouds tend to range… far. Admittedly. Also, I'm pretty sure I told you I didn't want to hear that kind of shit."
"Dirty jokes and insinuation, yes. I do remember." Snarled the Mafioso heatedly. "When I have someone accusing me of being a threat, slight difference."
The man regarded him quietly and pointedly. "You, Reborn, was the one to bring up that topic. When you were fully aware I was there too. Surprise, no. I do not appreciate hearing that shit about my baby sister's love life. I will leave instead, outside our territory. Shocking, right?"
"…that's what this is all about?" Lal inquired flatly, paused right before hauling on the stuntman's shirt to give both Fon and Reborn an equally flat look each.
"In our defense," the assassin offered first, still uncomfortable with the woman remaining on top of him going by his tone, "that was immediately after our hotel was set on fire with us both within it. I will admit my suspicions got out of hand, so provoked. Which was demonstratively unfounded by the next morning's reports on the cause being a fault in the wiring, yes."
The Rain and Lightning glanced between them both once, then looked at each other.
"Not… specifically unfounded. I suppose…" Verde decided uncomfortably, bending to deal with the thief's entangled chains next. "Given your career choices."
"Jesus fucking Christ, learn some patience." Muttered Lal sarcastically, finally pulling on the offered shirt to somewhat cover herself and finally get off Fon. "Remember, don't let Sonya go."
"…get us the fuck out of here," Skull offered after a moment, "and maybe find your shit, and I'll own up to Nya that this was all due to my own dumb decision to go drinking instead of staying with you two. I'll leave her being the topic out of it, I'll just say you two were accusing each other of setting the hotel on fire. Because you were. You both also tried to stop me, and I'll tell her that too if you grab that damn stupid rock."
Reborn's spine straightened with unease, almost against his will. "It's here?"
"It only had enough juice to mindfuck one person and rendered him into a vegetable, he wasn't a Flame user. Holding it also seems to work, though. And it's been here long enough several people have held it too long. So I can't say if it has burned out, or even if it can." The stuntman shrugged uncomfortably with a miserable expression, still physically barring the entrance with his bare back despite whatever was hammering against it now. "This is… this was, a geologists' training trip for surveying. For college students. They… they found a weird rock and brought it back with them… and it spread from there."
"…I'll deal with it."
"They're not Mafia, Reborn. At least at first. They're students, one teacher, six homeless people who got caught up, and three crooks with half an idea with one actually smart one that knows just enough to put the pieces together that leads them. The college professor got… uh, vegetable-ized. It's the single deep Mafia insider trying to set this shitshow up here and twigged on to us hunting it, he's a Lightning. I'm not sure from where they're from, but-"
"Skull. I will deal with it. You don't have to lie to your sister, but I do appreciate the offer." It damn near killed him to decline it, but those little lies tended to build up and spill out at even worse times for arguments or fights. Reborn would just deal with the immediate results of his decisions when they happened, healthier for everyone that way. "Are you ready yet, Fon?"
"One more moment." Carefully twisting himself around while also sitting up finally when his chains were removed, the Chinese man sat Sonya's drugged, dazed, and confused form down to gently lean into Lal's arms first. "Now I am."
"Once it's clear," the Sun informed, rather more ordered, the de Mort underboss pointedly, "take them and get out of here. Wherever here is, whatever you have to do to get out. Since they put drugs in the air, both Fon and I have to set it on fire to keep it off us while rooting this shit out. If anything catches… brick and concrete it might mostly be, but this all is so old it will burn and it'll go fast."
"They're all fanatics." Skull sighed out tiredly. "Most of them seem reasonable at first… but I've talked to practically all of them that can sound like that for a bit each until that runs out and they got… they're not going to back off or stop, I tried."
"How many times did you get punched in the face trying it?"
"Dude, I lost count around fifteen or so. Some of them don't… stop at once."
"If I may." Verde suddenly spoke up with a puzzled frown as he reassembled the stuntman's lockpick kit to hand back now there wasn't any more need of them. "I… believe, my objective was destroying their stock of stolen medical grade and highly compressed aerosol anesthesia, once Lal succumbed to it on us unexpectedly and Sonya sought to hide her in the tunnels we already searched. We found that stockpile on the way due to an unexpectedly needed detour. Which I completed before being surprised by their already issued canisters… leaving them with a limited supply to utilize. If anything 'catches', you are likely very close."
"…yeah, how did I get here?" Lal asked him in confusion, earning only a shrug.
"Sonya theorized they had set up security cameras before we split up to handle our respective aims. In a randomized and non-standard pattern she could not always safely search for down here. Likely dictated by the reach of electrical plugs from the buildings above, rather than logic. This place has been condemned for nearly a century, according to her information."
"Where are we?" Fon asked next as he finally hauled his naked ass over to Reborn to… 'clear' the way out of this little dark box. "I do not recall descending into any 'underground'."
"This is the former Seattle ground level, until they rebuilt the city an entire floor up. Some of the 'streets' were filled in with intentionally triggered mudslides directed by concrete 'sluices', some were left open as this room seems to be part of, and all of it is… not quite as abandoned as many would otherwise claim."
"She also said there's drug dens, gambling halls, flophouses, and who knows what else down here with us. It's what took us so long to cover even a tiny bit of this pit." Lal continued for their benefit with more immediately useful information, shifting to pick up the still lavender eyed thief in a few moments. "Take one wrong turn, you might end up in the middle of a knife fight between two shmucks and the now murderously annoyed betting ring around them."
"…lovely." Deadpanned the hitman, turning to the only conscious Cloud sibling. "Move. And maybe don't watch, Skull."
"Way ahead of you there, man."
(ooo000ooo)
(Tuesday the 9th of May, 1972 continued. Seattle Underground, Seattle, Washington, United States of America.)
Checking the cracking patterns on the few still plastered facades to ensure she was in the right part of this maze, Luce paused to ensure she had a double-handed grip on Alek's leash before poking her head out around the corner.
Admittedly a foolish move, had she not already known who she would find down this 'alley'. "Guys!"
Luckily for… well her whole arms, the canine was not inclined to do more for her than very reluctantly follow as far back as the leash went. Meaning he didn't realize Sonya was curled up in Skull's arms until the shirtless stuntman jogged down the narrow passageway his group only just arrived at to rejoin the Sky. "Luce! Was wondering where you ended up. And Alek! Good boy."
She couldn't help the weak, strained laugh as the impossibly strong canine surged forward to meet the only other person in existence that could physically control him. Without ripping her shoulder out of its socket or dragging her down half a 'street', thankfully. "Very, very lost. Thankfully, though… I found a dog."
"How come you didn't get nabbed with Reborn and Fon?"
"I went to the restroom." Admitted the Sky to the half-dressed Lal's semi-suspicious question. "Postpartum ah… issues. I came back to them just in time to witness them being grabbed, so I at least had something to follow. But this place is… claustrophobic and very confusing."
"If you do not mind answering, are you recovering well?" Verde inquired, very firmly remaining outside Luce's sight and behind the Rain.
"Recovering? From what?"
"…Miss Mirch, I expelled a baby. Out of my crotch. Things stretched and broke where they don't normally stretch and break. Which doesn't instantly heal either, as what was there isn't anymore and I'm readjusting for it." Luce could only vaguely gesture at her flattening belly awkwardly, shooting Skull an apologetic look for his instantly and sympathetically pained face for the topic. "I'm still healing, Verde. It's still a little… messy, as things drain."
"Do you want to sit down? Lal can carry Nya for a bit, she doesn't seem to mind her or Verde carrying her around."
"Walking is good for me." She refuted gently, with a small thankful smile for the man. "Not… this much walking, but some exercise. I will say if I get… pained."
Which wouldn't happen, they were seconds from being done here.
He tried to waggle his finger at her the best he could around his dazed sister's back. "As long as you do. Now… uh, don't suppose you know how to get out of here?"
"Not a clue. I have marks on the walls leading to where I got in, but I got a little… lost, chasing down Alek for Sonya."
"Right, thanks for that." Looking at the dog next, the stuntman studied the fixed attention being aimed at the woman in his arms. "Don't suppose she taught you how to extract yourself from a maze, did she?"
Alek wagged his tail on the cold dusty concrete floors for the words addressed to him, but otherwise sat there silently.
"No? Well… okay-"
As before, they were suddenly displaced from one cramped dark space to where Reborn and Fon had ended up. Without Viper this time and she wasn't in horrifically agonizing pain, the only real differences of worth.
"…this is significantly more skin than I wanted to ever see of any of you." Checkerface informed the whole group pointedly and with audible disappointment, hands planted on his hips and a disapproving expression on the half of his face they could see under his metal mask. "Please put some clothes on before I dress you."
"And what if I say no?" Reborn just had to immediately drawled out sarcastically, running a few fingers through his unruly hair.
The single tiny squeak immediately distracted the hitman, he turned instantly to catch Leon throwing herself at him in relieved lizard-shapeshifter glee. His hat yet again in scaled jaws, which he instantly put on.
Likely to free his hands up again.
"Uh, dude? Before you do that… where's Vipes?"
It didn't really distract the Ancient Mist, but he did obligingly make a show of nothing being up either sleeve before reaching out with one improbably long arm to touch a fingertip to one of the rings in Skull's ears. Then drew Viper out of the reflection on it, utterly unconscious and non-responsive still. "Of all possessions a friendship is most precious… yes?"
The stuntman wasn't even surprised. He just smirked fondly and shifted his sister to sit half-propped up in one arm to hold out the other to take charge of his friend too. "Thanks!"
"This should not have been so difficult for you all." Checkerface chastised them pointedly, snapping his fingers and causing several piles of belongings to pop into existence in front of those missing them. "But… well, you survived. I suppose that's good enough."
"If I may," Verde interjected hastily and before Reborn could open his mouth again, uncomfortably holding his lab coat closed with one hand and the rest of his clothing in the other defensively before his groin, "with what was Sonya dosed with?"
"…chloroform." He revealed after a thoughtful moment, turning away to deal with the sickly greenish-yellow chunk of rock left in the hands of a corpse. "She stashed Miss Rain down a blind corridor, ordered her dog to evade, and bolted to draw attention off you so you could completely destroy their stockpile of chemicals. Down here, though… she could not go fast enough to evade everything without further compromising walls or possibly whole sections and killing you and the others. They drenched an entire hallway with it to get her. Her speed kept her from getting a lethal dose, but she was breathing it in on her way through."
"Drug ring?" Fon inquired of the Lightning with mild curiosity, improbably fast in redressing himself so he was fastening his long bright red tunic-length shirt closed by the time Luce looked at him.
"Kidnapping and human trafficking, again." Lal corrected while buttoning up her cargo pants to stay on until she had the opportunity to fully get dressed again. "No one misses the homeless or the desperate, after all."
"That thing might be busted." Skull offered to Checkerface's back, not that he cared all that much but just to 'do his part' in helping the Ancient One's aims. "It didn't do anything to me."
"Possibly. Not quite. Maybe. I would not suggest you try to touch the next one, Mister Cloud part One. That will not always work."
The elder Cloud sibling winced when several of them shot him a disbelieving or highly exasperated looks. "Not intentionally!"