Hope Through Overwhelming Firepower Interlude 9 Slaughterhouse Nine
Cherish panted. "You... Drive... A... Harsh... Pace..." She took a gulp of air. "Was all of that really necessary?" She questioned.
Shatterbird snapped her book shut. "Oh? Perhaps you wish to take that up with him." She pointed at Crawler, who let out a loud grumble in response. "Please, be my guest."
Cherish shut up.
Bonesaw let out a giggle, and climbed down from the Siberian's shoulders, the dash Crawler had dragged the Nine into having been too much for the young girl.
Mannequin shambled into the alleyway on the outer edge of Brockton Bay the Nine had found themselves in and settled down in a corner, presumably performing some sort of self-maintenance.
"If you're going to be a part of the Nine, you better get used to it. This isn't the first time Crawler has dragged us off, all drooling acid on the ground, in search of a new way to satisfy his rampant masochism." Shatterbird pointed out, as a slightly panting Burnscar entered the alley.
"I get it, I get it. But, really, I'm like, the only one here that had to actually walk all that distance." Cherish complained.
"If it bugs you that much, we can have Crawler or the Siberian carry you next time. Although, you might want to make sure that you still possess your entire person upon exiting the vehicle." Shatterbird commented with a hint of humor in her voice, "The Siberian can get a wee bit... peckish during a long run, and sometimes Crawler forgets which mouth he should be using."
Cherish just scowled.
"Jack?" Bonesaw questioned with a tilt of her head. "What's wrong?"
"Bonesaw has a point, Jack. You've been unusually silent ever since we've entered Brockton Bay." Shatterbird spoke.
The named man was staring off into the distance, a frown upon his face. "There's something... weird in the air." Jack Slash muttered.
Mannequin tilted his head, and scratched a mark signifying 'no airborne contaminants' into the alley wall.
"I think he means 'air' in a metaphorical sense." Burnscar answered.
"Yes, there's something in this city, something which is drowning out everything else." A smile spread across Jack Slash's bearded face. "How... interesting."
"Much more like it." Shatterbird dryly commented.
"Enough talk." Rumbled Crawler. "I'm going."
"Now, now, Crawler, you know that's not how we work. Because you were so excitable, no one else got a chance to pick any candidates. We can't all be here for the same person." Jack Slash interrupted. "Besides, she's going to Alexandria right now, and with her there, there's a decent chance you'll be driven off before you can even meet Buster."
Crawler grumbled, and began pacing back and forth.
"Thank you. Now, does anyone here have any ideas for your target?" Jack Slash questioned.
"Panacea!" Bonesaw burst out with a slight leap.
The others, however, gave a negative.
Jack Slash sighed. "Really, that's it?"
Shatterbird frowned. "We weren't exactly given a huge amount of notice on this, Jack."
"There was someone here... but they left a bit ago, apparently." Burnscar mentioned.
Jack Slash frowned. "Disappointing, but understandable. However, we do have some time before we are discovered. We can take a day or two-"
"More Waiting?" Crawler roared.
Jack Slash blinked, as if he had forgotten Crawler was here.
Crawler himself seemed surprised that Jack didn't immediately manage to drop the perfect line to assuage all his worries. "Fuck this." Crawler stated after a half second more of silence from Jack Slash and immediately ran off, uncaring of any building he had to knock down on his path to the PRT headquarters.
Bonesaw tilted her head in confusion.
"I'm genuinely surprised, Jack. That was positively... floundering." Shatterbird spoke.
Jack Slash just frowned.
"Caught the mute bug?" Cherish questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"Jack, are you sick?" Bonesaw asked.
Jack Slash sighed, and rested a hand upon Bonesaw's head. "I'm not sure... You are positive there isn't an infectious airborne agent around, Mannequin?"
The named figure signaled in the affirmative.
Jack Slash's frown deepened.
"...Well, what now?" Burnscar questioned.
Jack Slash rubbed his chin. "Our cover is already blown... You might as well as sing, Shatterbird." He breathed in air. "Might as well make this an... unusual outing. Try something new, for once. Could be interesting." The idea seemed to appeal to him.
Shatterbird nodded, and began the process.
The glass around them began to shake. Cherish looked on with interest, she had never seen this from the close up before.
The shaking reached its crescendo, and the glass shattered. Spiraling outward from the initial shattering to scythe everything around it. Conveniently, none of the glass came anywhere near the Nine.
Jack Slash nodded. "Alright, we'll meet back here in five days time. During that time you are free to do whatever you wish. If someone sees Crawler, could you please inform him of the changed rules?"
Mannequin made an affirmative.
Shatterbird and the Siberian nodded.
"Sure." Burnscar replied.
"Roger!" Giggled Bonesaw.
The group broke apart.