The Other Kind of Roommate
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Re: The Other Kind of Roommate
by Tartra Tue Jul 20, 2010 12:37 am
Geez. Wow. Okay. He was alive. His neck was screaming in pain thanks to that 'warning', but he was alive. That was what mattered. Getting a chance to make up for this - Gary was a dead man walking - came in at a close second. He had a reputation to protect. One wrong word from the Ice Queen and everything he'd worked for would shatter. They might take his suit away. He needed his suit. He had a connection with it.
What he'd give to be on any other case, but these kinds of people were so few and far between - from what he'd been told. Stumbling across Alexander while searching his target was either the miracle of the century or something completely orchestrated. If that was true, Jason could rule out Frenchie as the mastermind. He wasn't the type to share taking down his 'fabled prey'. But it wasn't as if his boss had anything to do with it either, not if she was this angry. Was she angry? He hadn't worked here for very long. Maybe choking the shit out of her team was some sort of inside joke. He wasn't staying long enough to find out.
Jason had been brought in for one reason: analysis and covert operations. It required a reading of his environment that almost no one who hadn't naturally picked it up could understand. He had to feel his crowd, understand the patterns of the people, get in touch with their fears and expectations and find a way to hide himself within them. Why in the hell the Agency would suddenly transfer him to a team where not only was he required to abandon all emotion, but switch to kidnapping on top of that was beyond him. He couldn't empty his mind the way the others could. That's why they'd given him a mask to do it for him. He hated that thing. It was scratchy and stiff and running around without his true headpiece was exactly like blasting into a battlefield with nothing on his face at all. And they wanted him to be perfect? This wasn't his damn fault! He had training, but it was for a completely different level than what they skulked around on.
"I guess there's no point in saying it won't happen again," he said, coughing lightly. "But it won't. I'll find her."
Finding, he could do. Finding, he was born for. Crashing through an apartment window - or waltzing through the front door because the apartment'd been left open, which'd struck him as odd but the team had been whipped into a blind 'orders are orders' mentality, so even though his instincts were right on the money, he'd've been forced to go in anyway - was not in his job description.
... Alright, he was done sulking. Time to get to work. He scratched his suit where the ropes had bit into him, then stood up and went to the fridge. He'd earned this. He was getting some bacon before - oh, it was done. Thanks, Frenchie.
And the Frenchie smiled.
"I will remain until your investigation is complete," Benoit said. "I do not, however, intend to work with you as a team. My case is mine alone, and except for Jean, the last of all good help, I have no faith in what any of the Agency offers." He puffed. "No offence."
"Just keep Alexander under control," Jason said. "I think we can handle one girl."
'Treat her as if she was active'. Except no one had actually explained what that would lead to. Sure, he'd seen the profile. Parts of it. The parts they'd deigned reasonable to provide. If Jason had his way, he'd've cracked this thing so fast...
Sulking. Over. Right.
"Make sure he is busy," Benoit said. "I will not stand for a repeat of this mess."
Jason frowned. He wasn't letting this man tear him down.
"You should let me check the room. That's what I'm supposed to be doing," he told his boss. "I have to stop getting work any jerk on the team can do." Uh... "Please. And with all due respect."
He flexed his neck a little, just in case she wanted to choke him again. Otherwise, he stood up straight and awaited her orders like a good Agent was supposed to.
Any other case. Anything else. Something not related to these crazies would be nice, but something where his talents were genuinely appreciated would be better. Not that he was bitter. Really. He wasn't. But it'd be nice if he had a boss that didn't have it in for him so badly.
Gary. Gary. He was gonna kill that guy.
What he'd give to be on any other case, but these kinds of people were so few and far between - from what he'd been told. Stumbling across Alexander while searching his target was either the miracle of the century or something completely orchestrated. If that was true, Jason could rule out Frenchie as the mastermind. He wasn't the type to share taking down his 'fabled prey'. But it wasn't as if his boss had anything to do with it either, not if she was this angry. Was she angry? He hadn't worked here for very long. Maybe choking the shit out of her team was some sort of inside joke. He wasn't staying long enough to find out.
Jason had been brought in for one reason: analysis and covert operations. It required a reading of his environment that almost no one who hadn't naturally picked it up could understand. He had to feel his crowd, understand the patterns of the people, get in touch with their fears and expectations and find a way to hide himself within them. Why in the hell the Agency would suddenly transfer him to a team where not only was he required to abandon all emotion, but switch to kidnapping on top of that was beyond him. He couldn't empty his mind the way the others could. That's why they'd given him a mask to do it for him. He hated that thing. It was scratchy and stiff and running around without his true headpiece was exactly like blasting into a battlefield with nothing on his face at all. And they wanted him to be perfect? This wasn't his damn fault! He had training, but it was for a completely different level than what they skulked around on.
"I guess there's no point in saying it won't happen again," he said, coughing lightly. "But it won't. I'll find her."
Finding, he could do. Finding, he was born for. Crashing through an apartment window - or waltzing through the front door because the apartment'd been left open, which'd struck him as odd but the team had been whipped into a blind 'orders are orders' mentality, so even though his instincts were right on the money, he'd've been forced to go in anyway - was not in his job description.
... Alright, he was done sulking. Time to get to work. He scratched his suit where the ropes had bit into him, then stood up and went to the fridge. He'd earned this. He was getting some bacon before - oh, it was done. Thanks, Frenchie.
And the Frenchie smiled.
"I will remain until your investigation is complete," Benoit said. "I do not, however, intend to work with you as a team. My case is mine alone, and except for Jean, the last of all good help, I have no faith in what any of the Agency offers." He puffed. "No offence."
"Just keep Alexander under control," Jason said. "I think we can handle one girl."
'Treat her as if she was active'. Except no one had actually explained what that would lead to. Sure, he'd seen the profile. Parts of it. The parts they'd deigned reasonable to provide. If Jason had his way, he'd've cracked this thing so fast...
Sulking. Over. Right.
"Make sure he is busy," Benoit said. "I will not stand for a repeat of this mess."
Jason frowned. He wasn't letting this man tear him down.
"You should let me check the room. That's what I'm supposed to be doing," he told his boss. "I have to stop getting work any jerk on the team can do." Uh... "Please. And with all due respect."
He flexed his neck a little, just in case she wanted to choke him again. Otherwise, he stood up straight and awaited her orders like a good Agent was supposed to.
Any other case. Anything else. Something not related to these crazies would be nice, but something where his talents were genuinely appreciated would be better. Not that he was bitter. Really. He wasn't. But it'd be nice if he had a boss that didn't have it in for him so badly.
Gary. Gary. He was gonna kill that guy.
Last edited by Tartra on Sat Nov 13, 2010 9:12 pm; edited 1 time in total
Tartra- Apparition
- Join date : 2010-07-10
Posts : 581
Age : 33
Location : Ottawa, Canada -
Re: The Other Kind of Roommate
by Guest Tue Jul 20, 2010 1:38 am
The continued moping of her associate in light of her mercy was not lost on Stephanie even as she pretended to ignore him for the moment. Looking around the apartment, the possible reasons for Gwen going with the other target, the practically legendary Alexander, littered the floor in a crumbling pile of broken furniture. That explained a meeting of sorts because the noise of such a wreck being created would drive Gwen nuts if she'd been home to hear it. But she could not understand why Gwen would go anywhere with him, especially not in such a short amount of time. Not that the woman wasn't looking for men to date, but technically she wasn't. Not since that scare a year ago with that fanatic who decided to follow her around and thought they'd been in some sort of relationship despite her repeated protests. She wasn't traumatized or anything, but Stephanie knew she'd decided to lay off of the romance except in her books where she controlled the outcome and the pressure.
The mutual animosity between the two men in the room with her was palpable and she groaned inwardly at the unnecessary tension. At Jason's offer, she turned to him and dully said, "Fine, you do that. You will report to me if you find anything worth noting, even the smallest clue about why she'd leave with Alexander and where they might have gone. We will confer about our next move after you're done." Stepping forward, her slender, angular curves swayed beneath the suit she wore as she came to stand in front of him, her hand coming up to touch his cheek. There was nothing in her eyes but a deep emptiness but her inch-long fingernails lightly tapped on his flesh threateningly. "I trust you'll be thorough," she said in her affectless voice.
And then she turned to Benoit, having dismissed Jason from her presence and mind for the time being, expecting nothing but the best. She knew she didn't need to threaten him a second time, but she was still upset about his first failure. "I need you to tell me everything you can about your target," she said addressing the other leader. "All I'm looking for is a biography of his character that will help me further illuminate my revised profile. The more information you give me, the more I will be able to interpret her actions and thus the more information I will be able to give you. After that, I do not see us needing to join forces for either of their capture, although I'd ask that you keep me in the loop in regard to your movements so we don't end up ruining operations for each other."
Looking around the apartment again she said, "I know if he made a lot of noise or threw a lot of fits it would annoy her greatly." She indicated the debris with a minuscule movement. "That is probably how they met. She'd be able to sense his powers while he's using them, but it has been my understanding that they are of a more...lethal nature, correct? So, it's not something he uses constantly, I'm assuming. Could it be the stolen property he possesses that could have attracted her attention? Or would the man himself garner interest?" Her deadpan tone revealed nothing but her eyes observed him with rapt attention as if she were studying a strange animal of some kind.
The mutual animosity between the two men in the room with her was palpable and she groaned inwardly at the unnecessary tension. At Jason's offer, she turned to him and dully said, "Fine, you do that. You will report to me if you find anything worth noting, even the smallest clue about why she'd leave with Alexander and where they might have gone. We will confer about our next move after you're done." Stepping forward, her slender, angular curves swayed beneath the suit she wore as she came to stand in front of him, her hand coming up to touch his cheek. There was nothing in her eyes but a deep emptiness but her inch-long fingernails lightly tapped on his flesh threateningly. "I trust you'll be thorough," she said in her affectless voice.
And then she turned to Benoit, having dismissed Jason from her presence and mind for the time being, expecting nothing but the best. She knew she didn't need to threaten him a second time, but she was still upset about his first failure. "I need you to tell me everything you can about your target," she said addressing the other leader. "All I'm looking for is a biography of his character that will help me further illuminate my revised profile. The more information you give me, the more I will be able to interpret her actions and thus the more information I will be able to give you. After that, I do not see us needing to join forces for either of their capture, although I'd ask that you keep me in the loop in regard to your movements so we don't end up ruining operations for each other."
Looking around the apartment again she said, "I know if he made a lot of noise or threw a lot of fits it would annoy her greatly." She indicated the debris with a minuscule movement. "That is probably how they met. She'd be able to sense his powers while he's using them, but it has been my understanding that they are of a more...lethal nature, correct? So, it's not something he uses constantly, I'm assuming. Could it be the stolen property he possesses that could have attracted her attention? Or would the man himself garner interest?" Her deadpan tone revealed nothing but her eyes observed him with rapt attention as if she were studying a strange animal of some kind.
Guest- Guest
Re: The Other Kind of Roommate
by Tartra Tue Jul 20, 2010 2:26 am
Benoit's eyes had narrowed the instant the word 'everything' came out of her mouth. Jason, a step away from heading to do his work, froze in his spot. To put it as lightly as he could, that request was the ballsiest anyone could have made of Frenchie and he didn't look like he'd liked it. So Jason's lead was more than just a choke-happy slave driver: she had a death wish on top of it, too. Well, fine, she could do what she wanted. She was senior staff and that meant Benoit couldn't touch her, the same way she couldn't touch him. All the same, he was sticking around until this conversation finished. Part of being on the team meant ensuring the safety of his boss. As pointlessly as he expected the man to shriek at her for 'daring to ask such a thing', the flunky could take it as a slight against his lead's ego and attack 'on his behalf'.
Jason stayed ready.
"Your insight into your target's interpretation of events is a testament to your research," Benoit said simply. "I trust that is enough for you to do your job."
Translation: bitch, keep your hands off my profile.
"Benoit." The flunky. He trotted back in like a mammoth. "The lenses have arrived."
"Then we shall collect them," Frenchie said. He took a final breath of his dwindling cigarette, blew it out, then dropped it on the carpet and crushed it. With that done, he gave Jason's boss a formal nod of his head. "I will make myself available when your profile is complete or should you require my assistance." And the threat in that one was, 'Don't require my assistance.' "See you do not deal further damage to my work." That stuck-up son of a bitch. If she wasn't going to get angry - but it was hard to tell with a face like that - then Jason would glare him for her. "Jean."
"Oui, Benoit?"
"We go." Another formal nod. "Goodbye, Miss Agent. Salut, rookie."
Then they left, Benoit nearly floating over the trash littered across the floor. Jean let his leader pass through the door as he held it, then he nodded to them and shut them up in there completely. The sound of the slam sounded like a mini-earthquake. Frenchie's caveman needed to learn some grace.
"What an asshole," Jason muttered. "He keeps forgetting he's the one who lets Alexander get away."
Not that their track record was any better, just smaller. He winced.
"He'll take it back when we get our target," he said. "Don't let it get under your skin. ... But I guess that's not a problem for you."
The word 'heartless' was still in his head. He wanted to feel sorry for her, but his neck was hurting, thanks. He ignored it for now and reached for the pocket sewn into his left leg, pulling out the goggles he should've been wearing in the first place. As he put them on, covering half his face with pure technology, he eagerly started it up, almost instantly at ease with the orange glow swept across his eyes. Everything looked normal now, neat and organized. The display locked onto every speck in the room, identifying and detailing each piece to file it away - and transmit it to Gary back at HQ - for future reference, which he'd undoubtedly use to his team's great success. He'd be doing the same in his target's apartment, studying whatever the goggles picked up on and manually studying whatever it didn't. He and his suit, his full suit, were a team. He'd been on the brink of withdrawal without it.
"So. Thorough. I can do that," he said. "As for what you were asking about, I think I can help there, too." In case she forgot or, more likely, didn't care that his strength was in getting information, he proceeded to fill her in on what he'd gleaned from the earlier interrogation with that bastard. "The stolen property is Alexander. He was supposed to be under lock and key, but he broke out and ended up stealing himself. Frenchie - uh - Benoit's after him to bring him back, but I don't think he's even asked what'll happen after that." The man seemed stupidly single-minded. "As far as his powers go..." Which he was beginning to doubt after resting up, despite what he'd been through. "We've only got Agency rumours to go on if he's not going to tell us. Alexander'll stick to the shadows to stay off the radar, but he's not shy about killing one of us with what he can do. I don't know if he's taken out civilians the same way, because the deaths are natural, even if the cause isn't. If you'd like, I can go through local medical or police reports - 'local' meaning anywhere he's been spotted - and see if there's been any inexplicable onsets of... seizures."
He still felt weak from the one he'd had. Thank God the goggles were on. He was trying to sound efficient and he wasn't screwing that up by looking sick.
He felt sick.
"As for whether or not it's lethal, I think he can control it." Jason had been spared. That'd caught Frenchie's interest, too. "I think he chooses not to, mostly. It's possible that he when does decide against killing, it's at his other's request." He perked up. "That's another tidbit I picked up. I don't know if you know, boss, but there's two people living in that guy." Jason thought back to what he'd seen and gave a little shrug. "They seem like friends. Maybe it's worth remembering."
There. That oughta score him a couple of brownie points.
Jason stayed ready.
"Your insight into your target's interpretation of events is a testament to your research," Benoit said simply. "I trust that is enough for you to do your job."
Translation: bitch, keep your hands off my profile.
"Benoit." The flunky. He trotted back in like a mammoth. "The lenses have arrived."
"Then we shall collect them," Frenchie said. He took a final breath of his dwindling cigarette, blew it out, then dropped it on the carpet and crushed it. With that done, he gave Jason's boss a formal nod of his head. "I will make myself available when your profile is complete or should you require my assistance." And the threat in that one was, 'Don't require my assistance.' "See you do not deal further damage to my work." That stuck-up son of a bitch. If she wasn't going to get angry - but it was hard to tell with a face like that - then Jason would glare him for her. "Jean."
"Oui, Benoit?"
"We go." Another formal nod. "Goodbye, Miss Agent. Salut, rookie."
Then they left, Benoit nearly floating over the trash littered across the floor. Jean let his leader pass through the door as he held it, then he nodded to them and shut them up in there completely. The sound of the slam sounded like a mini-earthquake. Frenchie's caveman needed to learn some grace.
"What an asshole," Jason muttered. "He keeps forgetting he's the one who lets Alexander get away."
Not that their track record was any better, just smaller. He winced.
"He'll take it back when we get our target," he said. "Don't let it get under your skin. ... But I guess that's not a problem for you."
The word 'heartless' was still in his head. He wanted to feel sorry for her, but his neck was hurting, thanks. He ignored it for now and reached for the pocket sewn into his left leg, pulling out the goggles he should've been wearing in the first place. As he put them on, covering half his face with pure technology, he eagerly started it up, almost instantly at ease with the orange glow swept across his eyes. Everything looked normal now, neat and organized. The display locked onto every speck in the room, identifying and detailing each piece to file it away - and transmit it to Gary back at HQ - for future reference, which he'd undoubtedly use to his team's great success. He'd be doing the same in his target's apartment, studying whatever the goggles picked up on and manually studying whatever it didn't. He and his suit, his full suit, were a team. He'd been on the brink of withdrawal without it.
"So. Thorough. I can do that," he said. "As for what you were asking about, I think I can help there, too." In case she forgot or, more likely, didn't care that his strength was in getting information, he proceeded to fill her in on what he'd gleaned from the earlier interrogation with that bastard. "The stolen property is Alexander. He was supposed to be under lock and key, but he broke out and ended up stealing himself. Frenchie - uh - Benoit's after him to bring him back, but I don't think he's even asked what'll happen after that." The man seemed stupidly single-minded. "As far as his powers go..." Which he was beginning to doubt after resting up, despite what he'd been through. "We've only got Agency rumours to go on if he's not going to tell us. Alexander'll stick to the shadows to stay off the radar, but he's not shy about killing one of us with what he can do. I don't know if he's taken out civilians the same way, because the deaths are natural, even if the cause isn't. If you'd like, I can go through local medical or police reports - 'local' meaning anywhere he's been spotted - and see if there's been any inexplicable onsets of... seizures."
He still felt weak from the one he'd had. Thank God the goggles were on. He was trying to sound efficient and he wasn't screwing that up by looking sick.
He felt sick.
"As for whether or not it's lethal, I think he can control it." Jason had been spared. That'd caught Frenchie's interest, too. "I think he chooses not to, mostly. It's possible that he when does decide against killing, it's at his other's request." He perked up. "That's another tidbit I picked up. I don't know if you know, boss, but there's two people living in that guy." Jason thought back to what he'd seen and gave a little shrug. "They seem like friends. Maybe it's worth remembering."
There. That oughta score him a couple of brownie points.
Last edited by Tartra on Sat Nov 13, 2010 9:54 pm; edited 1 time in total
Tartra- Apparition
- Join date : 2010-07-10
Posts : 581
Age : 33
Location : Ottawa, Canada -
Re: The Other Kind of Roommate
by Guest Tue Jul 20, 2010 3:33 am
The response to her questions came as a surprise - although no one would be able to tell outwardly the difference between surprise or any other emotion she felt - especially the almost threatening tone he took with her. It wasn't as if Stephanie were an idiot; she'd already looked him over and assessed his arrogance in the way he spoke and carried himself. However the way she chose to see their current situation, especially in light of Benoit's continued failure to capture his own target, was that it was an opportunity to help each other. From the little she knew about Alexander's case, he seemed to be a loner and it was the same with Gwen. But for some reason the two had met and were now off somewhere together and it was unforeseen as of yet if they would part company. That meant some kind of connection had been made and for people in Gwen and Alexander's positions, emotion was a weakness that the Agency could manipulate to their advantage. Why wouldn't Benoit want to take this chance staring him in the face to help each other out?
Even as his refusal to share information suggested that she would somehow compromise his mission by possessing such knowledge, she did not get offended. There was the shock at first and then the disgust at his possessive paranoia, but she did not consider it an insult. It was true, she could do this just as easily without him, but in the end it was he who would suffer, not Stephanie. There was no doubt in her mind now that she was working in the field, she would find and capture Gwen efficiently. Stephanie had been willing to part with a bit of information herself, but as she watched Benoit crush his cigarette on the carpet and utter his last words, she surmised to give him just as little information about Gwen as possible. Afterall, what did he need her for anyway? It wasn't like they were "working together" or anything special like that. She inwardly smirked at the thought as she watched him go, placidly.
After Benoit left, for a moment she felt a bit of comradeship stir within her at Jason's words, but quickly shook it away for the cold ruthlessness that she preferred. "That'll be all, thank you," she said blandly, cutting off anymore conversation about a superior Agent. As much as she'd love to sit here and badmouth the scum-bag, she didn't have time for that. Every second that ticked by Gwen was traveling farther out of her reach.
Thankfully, the prompt was unneeded and Jason instantly brought out his equipment and got to work. Stephanie stood by watching him and listening to everything he said adjusting her view of the man who was more than a man as she analyzed possible reasons why Gwen would join him in flight. "Alexander is the stolen property?" she asked in tones that did not reflect her shock. Her eyes grew distant as she listened, the closest thing she displayed that could pass for a thoughtful expression but her vision cleared and she looked at him levelly at the nickname he'd given to the French Agent even though inwardly she agreed with the sentiment. The nickname suggested a disdain for the man and that the obnoxious accent was in some way fake. But it really wasn't her place to judge the masks other people wore. Everyone hid themselves in different ways.
He continued his report however and she grew more and more pleased with the information he shared, especially the last bit about there being two people in the same body. "No, I did not know that," she said almost absently. "Very interesting." Her voice suggested the exact opposite. "That is probably the key. If it were just Alexander, I cannot see her being interested and possibly even put off by him. But if there's another inside, she would be able to sense the inner dynamic. Good work, Jason." The approval was in the words themselves even though it was a genuine emotion it could not be heard. "As for more research on his powers, since we're not going to be getting any help from our friend, then I think it's best we find out as much as we can on our own. As soon as we're done here, I'd like you to look into that."
During his report, Stephanie noticed him pale and his facial muscles tense with an inner fatigue. Approaching him near the door, she reached into her pocket and pulled out of her suit jacket pocket an energy bar in a foil plastic wrapper, Agency issue fruit flavored granola with protein and pumped full of vitamins. She'd been saving it for herself for later when she'd need a boost so she wouldn't have to stop for lunch. But she figured he needed it more than she did at the moment and she handed it to him with as much empathy as one might have while pumping a machine full of gasoline to keep it working properly. She did not say anything as she offered it to him not wanting to draw attention to it but went on as if nothing had occurred.
"If you're done here, then I'd like to move on to Gwen's apartment," she said. "She must have left something behind." Despite the hollow lifelessness of her voice, there was a certain energy about her, what could be described as eagerness. Gwen's apartment. Stephanie had photos of it, floorplans and had even arranged her own private rooms to mimic Gwen's decor and the actual apartment was right next door free to be explored. It was something she'd waited a long time to see and had hoped to be seeing it from Gwen's eyes when she'd eventually be implanted into her body. But still, the opportunity to see it in the flesh now was one she did not want to miss.
Even as his refusal to share information suggested that she would somehow compromise his mission by possessing such knowledge, she did not get offended. There was the shock at first and then the disgust at his possessive paranoia, but she did not consider it an insult. It was true, she could do this just as easily without him, but in the end it was he who would suffer, not Stephanie. There was no doubt in her mind now that she was working in the field, she would find and capture Gwen efficiently. Stephanie had been willing to part with a bit of information herself, but as she watched Benoit crush his cigarette on the carpet and utter his last words, she surmised to give him just as little information about Gwen as possible. Afterall, what did he need her for anyway? It wasn't like they were "working together" or anything special like that. She inwardly smirked at the thought as she watched him go, placidly.
After Benoit left, for a moment she felt a bit of comradeship stir within her at Jason's words, but quickly shook it away for the cold ruthlessness that she preferred. "That'll be all, thank you," she said blandly, cutting off anymore conversation about a superior Agent. As much as she'd love to sit here and badmouth the scum-bag, she didn't have time for that. Every second that ticked by Gwen was traveling farther out of her reach.
Thankfully, the prompt was unneeded and Jason instantly brought out his equipment and got to work. Stephanie stood by watching him and listening to everything he said adjusting her view of the man who was more than a man as she analyzed possible reasons why Gwen would join him in flight. "Alexander is the stolen property?" she asked in tones that did not reflect her shock. Her eyes grew distant as she listened, the closest thing she displayed that could pass for a thoughtful expression but her vision cleared and she looked at him levelly at the nickname he'd given to the French Agent even though inwardly she agreed with the sentiment. The nickname suggested a disdain for the man and that the obnoxious accent was in some way fake. But it really wasn't her place to judge the masks other people wore. Everyone hid themselves in different ways.
He continued his report however and she grew more and more pleased with the information he shared, especially the last bit about there being two people in the same body. "No, I did not know that," she said almost absently. "Very interesting." Her voice suggested the exact opposite. "That is probably the key. If it were just Alexander, I cannot see her being interested and possibly even put off by him. But if there's another inside, she would be able to sense the inner dynamic. Good work, Jason." The approval was in the words themselves even though it was a genuine emotion it could not be heard. "As for more research on his powers, since we're not going to be getting any help from our friend, then I think it's best we find out as much as we can on our own. As soon as we're done here, I'd like you to look into that."
During his report, Stephanie noticed him pale and his facial muscles tense with an inner fatigue. Approaching him near the door, she reached into her pocket and pulled out of her suit jacket pocket an energy bar in a foil plastic wrapper, Agency issue fruit flavored granola with protein and pumped full of vitamins. She'd been saving it for herself for later when she'd need a boost so she wouldn't have to stop for lunch. But she figured he needed it more than she did at the moment and she handed it to him with as much empathy as one might have while pumping a machine full of gasoline to keep it working properly. She did not say anything as she offered it to him not wanting to draw attention to it but went on as if nothing had occurred.
"If you're done here, then I'd like to move on to Gwen's apartment," she said. "She must have left something behind." Despite the hollow lifelessness of her voice, there was a certain energy about her, what could be described as eagerness. Gwen's apartment. Stephanie had photos of it, floorplans and had even arranged her own private rooms to mimic Gwen's decor and the actual apartment was right next door free to be explored. It was something she'd waited a long time to see and had hoped to be seeing it from Gwen's eyes when she'd eventually be implanted into her body. But still, the opportunity to see it in the flesh now was one she did not want to miss.
Guest- Guest
Re: The Other Kind of Roommate
by Tartra Tue Jul 20, 2010 8:12 am
"Uh... Yeah, sure. I'll have everything taken care of."
She'd just offered him food. A freaking energy bar was in her hand and she'd held it out like she wanted him to take it, but what the hell did he know? Maybe she ate out of the side of her mouth, or maybe she was just keeping it there while she unhooked her jaw like a viper. ... No, it was definitely for him. That freaked him out even more. What was wrong with it? Poison? She was still angry about the screw-up, but professionals like her weren't supposed to take revenge this far. Not that he'd've heard of it. Not like they'd get caught.
It wasn't up to him to decide. If his lead wanted something done, wanted him to eat it, then he was obligated to follow that order to the end. His reflex took over. Once it'd identified that it was, in fact, being offered to him, his hand reached out, took it, unwrapped it and immediately started to eat. The reflex was another trick he'd picked up that'd kept him from stepping on anyone's toes too hard, but one that'd gotten him into a hell of a lot of trouble before. Clearly written in his profile was 'allergies: shellfish', yet half the leads he'd worked with insisted on lugging around a damn lobster. This, though. It might not've been crab, but it was Agency food. Hard to believe anyone ate this crap. Maybe that was the key to promotions, though, which explained why they'd been holding him where he was. He wanted a few guys to boss around, too, but mostly he was glad that, other than the way it normally tasted, there'd been nothing specifically added to take it him down. One day, he'd get that lead position, and she was letting him live long enough to do it. For now.
"Thanks," he said, trying to move off the topic like he hadn't spent a small eternity thinking it over in his head. At least it was something in his stomach. He hadn't had breakfast or lunch and there was nothing in precious Alexander's fridge. What a bachelor. "I'll ask HQ to dig up whatever's public record on our friend's friend. Try not to expect a lot until I do my actual recon, though."
He waited for his chance to walk by her - don't touch the leads or make any other kind of contact - then went ahead through the hall to the real apartment. Good thing no one else in the building felt like roaming around. Although they'd probably leave on their own accord, he didn't want to waste his time hunting down some old lady to neutralize her.
The goggles picked up on the weakness in his target's lock. He had the tools out immediately to open it. While he fiddled with that, which would take a few seconds, he'd flicked his eyes beneath his mask and set up a text link to that stupid intel op.
'You're a dead man and you're gonna die.'
The words showed up across his screen as an option in his auto-complete. This was not the first time he'd told that idiot to fuck off. Why the hell did he keep working with him?
'lolwut'
Yeah, as if he didn't know. After this eventful morning, he was an inch away from thinking Gary'd done it on purpose.
'Super big thanks for the wrong room,' he typed. 'Ran into Alexander. Fun stuff.'
He wrote by pressing on a virtual keyboard that his goggles projected - inwardly, of course, because stealth meant he couldn't have that stuff actually floating around him - under his hands as he worked. It filled in whatever word it knew he was going for, which was why what he typed wasn't littered with mistakes. He took pride in knowing he'd worked with it enough to be able to, even as half his fingers were twisting his target's door open, roll out complete sentences with ease. He loved this suit. Had he said that already? No one else was as in tune with it as he was. He was delighted.
Oh, and the 'good job' thing. If he could've framed it and stuck it on a wall, he'd've done it. His suit now knew to quickly record the boss if she felt like saying it again. If everything worked out well, and it would, he'd be hearing it real soon.
His screen lit up. A million 'l's and 'o's ran across the screen. So the dick was laughing.
'my bad bro', Gary wrote back. 'hugs?'
'You're an idiot. Get me whatever you have on Alexander.'
The door was open. In his mind's eye, he could see Gary snapping to attention, scrambling at his real keyboard and trying to pull something up.
'u expctin a book?'
'At least more than 'his name is Alexander'.'
'uhhhhhh'
'Just give me something.'
Damn stupid Benoit. Thought his case was so great, he didn't bother reporting on it.
He walked inside her room and looked around. Immediately, his goggles locked on to whatever his eyes pointed at. He went around briefly, turning over the appliances on the counter to make sure he got it all, flipping over cushions to make sure nothing was hidden, peering along any surface that had something on it, tracking and classifying and making notes on whatever jumped out at him. Five minutes, and he'd have the place marked from top to bottom. Then it was a matter of his lead asking questions and him putting the information together.
'found it lol... prpare t be undrwhelmd'
It better not be just a case number, either, but the reality was that it very well could be.
"All clear, boss," he called. "Look around to your heart's content."
She'd just offered him food. A freaking energy bar was in her hand and she'd held it out like she wanted him to take it, but what the hell did he know? Maybe she ate out of the side of her mouth, or maybe she was just keeping it there while she unhooked her jaw like a viper. ... No, it was definitely for him. That freaked him out even more. What was wrong with it? Poison? She was still angry about the screw-up, but professionals like her weren't supposed to take revenge this far. Not that he'd've heard of it. Not like they'd get caught.
It wasn't up to him to decide. If his lead wanted something done, wanted him to eat it, then he was obligated to follow that order to the end. His reflex took over. Once it'd identified that it was, in fact, being offered to him, his hand reached out, took it, unwrapped it and immediately started to eat. The reflex was another trick he'd picked up that'd kept him from stepping on anyone's toes too hard, but one that'd gotten him into a hell of a lot of trouble before. Clearly written in his profile was 'allergies: shellfish', yet half the leads he'd worked with insisted on lugging around a damn lobster. This, though. It might not've been crab, but it was Agency food. Hard to believe anyone ate this crap. Maybe that was the key to promotions, though, which explained why they'd been holding him where he was. He wanted a few guys to boss around, too, but mostly he was glad that, other than the way it normally tasted, there'd been nothing specifically added to take it him down. One day, he'd get that lead position, and she was letting him live long enough to do it. For now.
"Thanks," he said, trying to move off the topic like he hadn't spent a small eternity thinking it over in his head. At least it was something in his stomach. He hadn't had breakfast or lunch and there was nothing in precious Alexander's fridge. What a bachelor. "I'll ask HQ to dig up whatever's public record on our friend's friend. Try not to expect a lot until I do my actual recon, though."
He waited for his chance to walk by her - don't touch the leads or make any other kind of contact - then went ahead through the hall to the real apartment. Good thing no one else in the building felt like roaming around. Although they'd probably leave on their own accord, he didn't want to waste his time hunting down some old lady to neutralize her.
The goggles picked up on the weakness in his target's lock. He had the tools out immediately to open it. While he fiddled with that, which would take a few seconds, he'd flicked his eyes beneath his mask and set up a text link to that stupid intel op.
'You're a dead man and you're gonna die.'
The words showed up across his screen as an option in his auto-complete. This was not the first time he'd told that idiot to fuck off. Why the hell did he keep working with him?
'lolwut'
Yeah, as if he didn't know. After this eventful morning, he was an inch away from thinking Gary'd done it on purpose.
'Super big thanks for the wrong room,' he typed. 'Ran into Alexander. Fun stuff.'
He wrote by pressing on a virtual keyboard that his goggles projected - inwardly, of course, because stealth meant he couldn't have that stuff actually floating around him - under his hands as he worked. It filled in whatever word it knew he was going for, which was why what he typed wasn't littered with mistakes. He took pride in knowing he'd worked with it enough to be able to, even as half his fingers were twisting his target's door open, roll out complete sentences with ease. He loved this suit. Had he said that already? No one else was as in tune with it as he was. He was delighted.
Oh, and the 'good job' thing. If he could've framed it and stuck it on a wall, he'd've done it. His suit now knew to quickly record the boss if she felt like saying it again. If everything worked out well, and it would, he'd be hearing it real soon.
His screen lit up. A million 'l's and 'o's ran across the screen. So the dick was laughing.
'my bad bro', Gary wrote back. 'hugs?'
'You're an idiot. Get me whatever you have on Alexander.'
The door was open. In his mind's eye, he could see Gary snapping to attention, scrambling at his real keyboard and trying to pull something up.
'u expctin a book?'
'At least more than 'his name is Alexander'.'
'uhhhhhh'
'Just give me something.'
Damn stupid Benoit. Thought his case was so great, he didn't bother reporting on it.
He walked inside her room and looked around. Immediately, his goggles locked on to whatever his eyes pointed at. He went around briefly, turning over the appliances on the counter to make sure he got it all, flipping over cushions to make sure nothing was hidden, peering along any surface that had something on it, tracking and classifying and making notes on whatever jumped out at him. Five minutes, and he'd have the place marked from top to bottom. Then it was a matter of his lead asking questions and him putting the information together.
'found it lol... prpare t be undrwhelmd'
It better not be just a case number, either, but the reality was that it very well could be.
"All clear, boss," he called. "Look around to your heart's content."
Last edited by Tartra on Sat Nov 13, 2010 11:09 pm; edited 1 time in total
Tartra- Apparition
- Join date : 2010-07-10
Posts : 581
Age : 33
Location : Ottawa, Canada -
Re: The Other Kind of Roommate
by Guest Tue Jul 20, 2010 8:11 pm
Stephanie watched as the suspicion flickered over his features a moment before he took the offered food and she grinned inwardly at it. Her only motivation in giving the energy bar to him had been so that the fool wouldn't pass out on her. Although it would be nice to consider that another failure and to take advantage of the opportunity, she needed him to be awake and professional right now. And she did not feel the need to explain herself to him at all, preferring that he be somewhat unsettled by what might be considered a kind gesture in the midst of her still tender rage.
Nodding patiently at the brief detail of his plan, she stepped back and allowed him to proceed ahead of her, waiting as he unlocked the door to the apartment next door with a hum of excitement coursing through her and trembling behind the mask she wore. As soon as the door was opened, she smoothly took a deep breath, her green eyes growing brighter was the only sign that anything had changed in her demeanor. Following behind Jason, stepping past the threshold was like walking through a mirror into her own private rooms back at the Agency headquarters. Except the space was surreal in the fact that someone else lived here and she could feel it. Gwen.
As Jason was busy looking over everything, her own eyes were wandering, marveling inwardly as if she were sight-seeing at a celebrity's house. The natural wood colors paired with the dark reds that accented the place was perfect for Gwen's humble and introverted personality, nothing too bright or loud to overwhelm the space but enough color to bring life to the room. The placement of the furniture suggested efficiency and comfort, leaving optimal space for movement and yet keeping everything close and intimate. And the neatness was typical of Gwen as well, her environment controlled to a degree that suggested obsessiveness but was a bit more relaxed than that, Stephanie knew. The young woman just preferred to live in a tidy space; it helped clear her mind of clutter.
The Agent Leader's attention was drawn back to Jason as he gave the all-clear and for a moment she felt an irrational burst of anger that he was even here, forgetting momentarily his purpose for being with her. Stifling the jealousy at having to share this moment of discovery with someone else she closed the door and spoke in monotone, "Right. I want to retrace her steps from the last 36 hours if we can. Anything she might have been working on recently, possibly something she's eaten, and anything else she might have done in here before she left. And if there is any way for you to tell if Alexander has been here, that would be a huge help. If I can determine what her state of mind was before she left, then I will be able to predict with better accuracy what she will do next and most importantly, where she is going."
Turning to her right, the area closest to her, she walked into the kitchen which was a tight, yet cozy space. The linoleum tile floor and the old weathered countertops, electric stove and faded metal sink all hinted at the general state of the apartment building itself. But everything was wiped spotless, there was barely any clutter and the refrigerator in the corner was newer than the rest of the appliances. Opening it she looked inside and smiled inwardly at the food on the shelves. The top most shelf had three large plastic containers of various sizes and shapes - one for milk, skim, one with a fat bottle-neck that was half filled with orange juice, and a fatter, more cylindrical jug that was filled with cranberry juice. There was a shelf for lunch meats, a shelf for leftovers, other assorted items for things Gwen liked to cook, and two crisper drawers in the bottom with fruits and vegetables.
But what caught Stephanie's attention at the moment was the leftovers. Picking up the Tupperware container, she opened it and sniffed it gingerly. The fried rice was made recently, probably last night if she had to guess. Then the plastic Ziploc bag caught her eye and after putting the rice away she pulled the bagged pizza from the fridge. "Pineapple," she said blandly. "This is not hers. It's not something she would order for herself normally. Possibly a neighborly gift?" Closing the fridge she walked out of the kitchen area and into the main living room straight towards the desk where Gwen's laptop sat.
Flipping it open, the screen flashed but remained gray and lifeless when she tried to turn it on. "Her laptop," she said. "What's wrong with it? See if you can get it to turn on. If you can't fix it here, we'll take it with us." Turning away she looked into the living room, her eyes searching for something. She had to turn the other direction before she finally found it - the beige loveseat. It sat with it's back against the wall and mildly she said, "That's not where that usually goes. Why would she move it there?" In her mind a picture of events was forming, like puzzle pieces slowly coming together to illuminate the passage of events that was not yet completely clear.
Walking over to the chair, her eyes instantly latched onto a corner of white half-seen underneath the furniture. Bending over, she pulled it out with a long nailed hand and looked it over. A notepad. There was a page torn out but also a couple were folded over the back. Flipping them over she began to read, skimming quickly a light coming on in her head. It was a lot darker than was the usual for Gwen but she also knew about the young writer's desire to leave behind the dramatic adventure and romance of her last successful book series. Stephanie had the whole set on a shelf back at headquarters and had read them all several times to the point where she not only knew the story printed upon the pages but also the thought processes that had birthed every word of it.
After she finished reading it became very clear to her who this was about, despite the slightly fanciful twist with the mad occult doctor. "She was writing a book about Alexander," her voice intoned despite the awakened sense within her that allowed her to understand Gwen's every move. "That's why she followed him. She was studying him for her story."
Tossing the notepad to Jason as she passed she walked without a word to him down the narrow hallway to the left of the door. Opening the door at the end, she sighed silently. Her bedroom. The queen sized bed dominated the space and split the room in half. Moving past it, she went to Gwen's closet and inspected the state it was in. Still, the hangers were pushed to the sides to isolate a certain section of clothes and Stephanie pulled out an outfit or two from that section to look them over. A flirty but nice shirt and skirt. Some clean cargo pants and a v-neck blouse. It was a classy yet casual section for a date that wasn't a date.
Smirking inwardly, she left the room, her slender fingers brushing the bedspread as she passed it on her way out. Back in the main room, she glanced at Jason briefly before letting her eyes once again wander over the space. "The target left here in clothes that would suggest a flirtatious outing," she said. "Possibly the pretext which she went with him on."
Nodding patiently at the brief detail of his plan, she stepped back and allowed him to proceed ahead of her, waiting as he unlocked the door to the apartment next door with a hum of excitement coursing through her and trembling behind the mask she wore. As soon as the door was opened, she smoothly took a deep breath, her green eyes growing brighter was the only sign that anything had changed in her demeanor. Following behind Jason, stepping past the threshold was like walking through a mirror into her own private rooms back at the Agency headquarters. Except the space was surreal in the fact that someone else lived here and she could feel it. Gwen.
As Jason was busy looking over everything, her own eyes were wandering, marveling inwardly as if she were sight-seeing at a celebrity's house. The natural wood colors paired with the dark reds that accented the place was perfect for Gwen's humble and introverted personality, nothing too bright or loud to overwhelm the space but enough color to bring life to the room. The placement of the furniture suggested efficiency and comfort, leaving optimal space for movement and yet keeping everything close and intimate. And the neatness was typical of Gwen as well, her environment controlled to a degree that suggested obsessiveness but was a bit more relaxed than that, Stephanie knew. The young woman just preferred to live in a tidy space; it helped clear her mind of clutter.
The Agent Leader's attention was drawn back to Jason as he gave the all-clear and for a moment she felt an irrational burst of anger that he was even here, forgetting momentarily his purpose for being with her. Stifling the jealousy at having to share this moment of discovery with someone else she closed the door and spoke in monotone, "Right. I want to retrace her steps from the last 36 hours if we can. Anything she might have been working on recently, possibly something she's eaten, and anything else she might have done in here before she left. And if there is any way for you to tell if Alexander has been here, that would be a huge help. If I can determine what her state of mind was before she left, then I will be able to predict with better accuracy what she will do next and most importantly, where she is going."
Turning to her right, the area closest to her, she walked into the kitchen which was a tight, yet cozy space. The linoleum tile floor and the old weathered countertops, electric stove and faded metal sink all hinted at the general state of the apartment building itself. But everything was wiped spotless, there was barely any clutter and the refrigerator in the corner was newer than the rest of the appliances. Opening it she looked inside and smiled inwardly at the food on the shelves. The top most shelf had three large plastic containers of various sizes and shapes - one for milk, skim, one with a fat bottle-neck that was half filled with orange juice, and a fatter, more cylindrical jug that was filled with cranberry juice. There was a shelf for lunch meats, a shelf for leftovers, other assorted items for things Gwen liked to cook, and two crisper drawers in the bottom with fruits and vegetables.
But what caught Stephanie's attention at the moment was the leftovers. Picking up the Tupperware container, she opened it and sniffed it gingerly. The fried rice was made recently, probably last night if she had to guess. Then the plastic Ziploc bag caught her eye and after putting the rice away she pulled the bagged pizza from the fridge. "Pineapple," she said blandly. "This is not hers. It's not something she would order for herself normally. Possibly a neighborly gift?" Closing the fridge she walked out of the kitchen area and into the main living room straight towards the desk where Gwen's laptop sat.
Flipping it open, the screen flashed but remained gray and lifeless when she tried to turn it on. "Her laptop," she said. "What's wrong with it? See if you can get it to turn on. If you can't fix it here, we'll take it with us." Turning away she looked into the living room, her eyes searching for something. She had to turn the other direction before she finally found it - the beige loveseat. It sat with it's back against the wall and mildly she said, "That's not where that usually goes. Why would she move it there?" In her mind a picture of events was forming, like puzzle pieces slowly coming together to illuminate the passage of events that was not yet completely clear.
Walking over to the chair, her eyes instantly latched onto a corner of white half-seen underneath the furniture. Bending over, she pulled it out with a long nailed hand and looked it over. A notepad. There was a page torn out but also a couple were folded over the back. Flipping them over she began to read, skimming quickly a light coming on in her head. It was a lot darker than was the usual for Gwen but she also knew about the young writer's desire to leave behind the dramatic adventure and romance of her last successful book series. Stephanie had the whole set on a shelf back at headquarters and had read them all several times to the point where she not only knew the story printed upon the pages but also the thought processes that had birthed every word of it.
After she finished reading it became very clear to her who this was about, despite the slightly fanciful twist with the mad occult doctor. "She was writing a book about Alexander," her voice intoned despite the awakened sense within her that allowed her to understand Gwen's every move. "That's why she followed him. She was studying him for her story."
Tossing the notepad to Jason as she passed she walked without a word to him down the narrow hallway to the left of the door. Opening the door at the end, she sighed silently. Her bedroom. The queen sized bed dominated the space and split the room in half. Moving past it, she went to Gwen's closet and inspected the state it was in. Still, the hangers were pushed to the sides to isolate a certain section of clothes and Stephanie pulled out an outfit or two from that section to look them over. A flirty but nice shirt and skirt. Some clean cargo pants and a v-neck blouse. It was a classy yet casual section for a date that wasn't a date.
Smirking inwardly, she left the room, her slender fingers brushing the bedspread as she passed it on her way out. Back in the main room, she glanced at Jason briefly before letting her eyes once again wander over the space. "The target left here in clothes that would suggest a flirtatious outing," she said. "Possibly the pretext which she went with him on."
Guest- Guest
Re: The Other Kind of Roommate
by Tartra Tue Jul 20, 2010 9:01 pm
Trace her steps. Check. Look for signs of visitors. Check. Determine the source of the pizza. Check. Fix the laptop, investigate the couch, check and check. He had his orders and he was ready to work. Then she threw a notebook at him and solved the puzzle by herself.
"Okay. Well... I'll get that other stuff done," he said. He felt stupid. Aside from the first thing, she might've just been talking out loud. He'd do it anyway, if only to keep her from screaming - if she even screamed - later if it turned they were his orders. "If you need anything else, don't be shy about asking."
Ha. Ha, ha.
Anyway. The public profile. It was damn near next to useless. Other than 'Alexander - #05, successful transfer' printed lovingly at the top, the document was blank. Well, blank aside from the death toll someone'd obsessively tracked. The list of what he assumed to be every Agent Alexander had killed had been located and dated to the inch and second. It took a few flicks of his eyes and fingers to get a map drawn up. He threw that away a second later, the useless crap. The attacks were random. There was no distinguishable direction the man seemed headed in. He'd backtracked half a dozen times, returned to an old hideout only once, hunted down a small cluster of Benoit's team who'd gotten too close and too entertaining to let live, but other than that, there was no information Jason could glean. Alexander just did, as it happened, when it happened, however many times it needed to. Or however many he was up for. Apparently, that wasn't everyone. Beneath the list of those that'd been killed was the list of whoever Alex had, reportedly, let go. That was weird.
"Turns out he's got a conscience after all. If they are together, I think our target has a shot at not having her brain imploded," Jason said. He frowned suddenly, going over the scant details for a second time. "Hang on. I know those names."
Three of them. Tracy Patterson. Brahim Comor. Alan Thomas - he'd trained with those guys. They'd never said anything about seeing Alexander before. He hadn't known they were on Benoit's team either, but he wasn't so surprised about that. They were more secrets everyone felt were mandatory. What freaked him out was realizing that all of them were dead. Alan had carelessly walked into traffic chasing after someone two months after he'd transferred to a different case. He'd been acting strangely not long before that, distant and unfocused, nothing like the Alan he'd worked with in the early days. Tracey had gotten into an accident on the highway two months after her listed encounter. Same thing: she'd snapped from bubbly and carefree to emotionless and calculating, not unlike a certain someone he was working under now. Brahim, on the other hand, had flat-out committed suicide. Jason barely had to check the date before he knew it'd been two months after the date on Alexander's record, too.
Two months, two months, two months... What did that mean? A delayed effect? Could he do that? And - uh... How exactly did it work?
Damn. He was not cut out for this 'close your mind to primitive feelings' garbage. The simple of thought of his old friends - as far as Agents could be friends with each other - burned his throat as it tightened. In front of her, the big boss on one of the newer cases, this became ten times more humiliating. But he had his goggles on and she was in the bedroom. He had enough time to collect himself before she came back out.
Deep breaths, Jason. Don't be a baby in front of the woman who eats kids.
'Thanks, Gary. You're still a jerk, though.'
'<3 u. dins next wk. anniversery. need hlp w/ wife prezzie.'
'Stick it in my calendar.'
He closed the link. He had to focus on the rest of the room, anyway.
As far as tracing his target's steps went, that was as easy as setting up the suit to analyze... air patterns or whatever. He didn't question how it worked, he simply trusted that it did. Unfortunately, it had a limit of twenty hours at best, and the final three would be a little fuzzy. The good news was that the first seventeen would turn up an almost exact representation of what had happened in this room. He just hoped she hadn't skipped town two days ago. If Alexander had been here, however, he'd definitely show up, and Jason had the unpleasantly first-hand knowledge that the man had, in fact, been in this building last night, well within his suit's parameters. He'd leave the mask to it, then. It'd tell him when it was done.
The pizza looked fresh. Ish. Overnight, anyway. He sent out a query for every pizza place in the city and narrowed it down to whichever one had sold to an address at this building. If he'd needed to go beyond that, he'd very professionally would have, but he smiled to himself when Alexander's name immediately turned up. There was no doubt about it: the order matched what was in front of him now. They'd met and they'd eaten together, or something like that.
Checking the couch was as simple as examining the level of dust in the trail the legs had made when it moved. The place wasn't dirty, but there was always something beyond what the eye or broom could see, and the result was that it'd been pushed to its new place last night. Again, within the parameters. It'd show up when everything else did.
"This laptop is... beyond what I can fix." So was a toaster. He worked with technology - he didn't make it. Instead, he pulled out a jack from the inside of his sleeve and plugged it into the open port. "I'll take out whatever's in there. If you can't wait until it's sent to you later, I can always throw it up on the wall." Informal. Bad. "By which I mean I can project it, so you don't miss out on anything important."
"Okay. Well... I'll get that other stuff done," he said. He felt stupid. Aside from the first thing, she might've just been talking out loud. He'd do it anyway, if only to keep her from screaming - if she even screamed - later if it turned they were his orders. "If you need anything else, don't be shy about asking."
Ha. Ha, ha.
Anyway. The public profile. It was damn near next to useless. Other than 'Alexander - #05, successful transfer' printed lovingly at the top, the document was blank. Well, blank aside from the death toll someone'd obsessively tracked. The list of what he assumed to be every Agent Alexander had killed had been located and dated to the inch and second. It took a few flicks of his eyes and fingers to get a map drawn up. He threw that away a second later, the useless crap. The attacks were random. There was no distinguishable direction the man seemed headed in. He'd backtracked half a dozen times, returned to an old hideout only once, hunted down a small cluster of Benoit's team who'd gotten too close and too entertaining to let live, but other than that, there was no information Jason could glean. Alexander just did, as it happened, when it happened, however many times it needed to. Or however many he was up for. Apparently, that wasn't everyone. Beneath the list of those that'd been killed was the list of whoever Alex had, reportedly, let go. That was weird.
"Turns out he's got a conscience after all. If they are together, I think our target has a shot at not having her brain imploded," Jason said. He frowned suddenly, going over the scant details for a second time. "Hang on. I know those names."
Three of them. Tracy Patterson. Brahim Comor. Alan Thomas - he'd trained with those guys. They'd never said anything about seeing Alexander before. He hadn't known they were on Benoit's team either, but he wasn't so surprised about that. They were more secrets everyone felt were mandatory. What freaked him out was realizing that all of them were dead. Alan had carelessly walked into traffic chasing after someone two months after he'd transferred to a different case. He'd been acting strangely not long before that, distant and unfocused, nothing like the Alan he'd worked with in the early days. Tracey had gotten into an accident on the highway two months after her listed encounter. Same thing: she'd snapped from bubbly and carefree to emotionless and calculating, not unlike a certain someone he was working under now. Brahim, on the other hand, had flat-out committed suicide. Jason barely had to check the date before he knew it'd been two months after the date on Alexander's record, too.
Two months, two months, two months... What did that mean? A delayed effect? Could he do that? And - uh... How exactly did it work?
Damn. He was not cut out for this 'close your mind to primitive feelings' garbage. The simple of thought of his old friends - as far as Agents could be friends with each other - burned his throat as it tightened. In front of her, the big boss on one of the newer cases, this became ten times more humiliating. But he had his goggles on and she was in the bedroom. He had enough time to collect himself before she came back out.
Deep breaths, Jason. Don't be a baby in front of the woman who eats kids.
'Thanks, Gary. You're still a jerk, though.'
'<3 u. dins next wk. anniversery. need hlp w/ wife prezzie.'
'Stick it in my calendar.'
He closed the link. He had to focus on the rest of the room, anyway.
As far as tracing his target's steps went, that was as easy as setting up the suit to analyze... air patterns or whatever. He didn't question how it worked, he simply trusted that it did. Unfortunately, it had a limit of twenty hours at best, and the final three would be a little fuzzy. The good news was that the first seventeen would turn up an almost exact representation of what had happened in this room. He just hoped she hadn't skipped town two days ago. If Alexander had been here, however, he'd definitely show up, and Jason had the unpleasantly first-hand knowledge that the man had, in fact, been in this building last night, well within his suit's parameters. He'd leave the mask to it, then. It'd tell him when it was done.
The pizza looked fresh. Ish. Overnight, anyway. He sent out a query for every pizza place in the city and narrowed it down to whichever one had sold to an address at this building. If he'd needed to go beyond that, he'd very professionally would have, but he smiled to himself when Alexander's name immediately turned up. There was no doubt about it: the order matched what was in front of him now. They'd met and they'd eaten together, or something like that.
Checking the couch was as simple as examining the level of dust in the trail the legs had made when it moved. The place wasn't dirty, but there was always something beyond what the eye or broom could see, and the result was that it'd been pushed to its new place last night. Again, within the parameters. It'd show up when everything else did.
"This laptop is... beyond what I can fix." So was a toaster. He worked with technology - he didn't make it. Instead, he pulled out a jack from the inside of his sleeve and plugged it into the open port. "I'll take out whatever's in there. If you can't wait until it's sent to you later, I can always throw it up on the wall." Informal. Bad. "By which I mean I can project it, so you don't miss out on anything important."
Last edited by Tartra on Sun Nov 14, 2010 4:59 pm; edited 1 time in total
Tartra- Apparition
- Join date : 2010-07-10
Posts : 581
Age : 33
Location : Ottawa, Canada -
Re: The Other Kind of Roommate
by Guest Tue Jul 20, 2010 10:07 pm
After re-entering the room, she took a breather to allow Jason to do the work she'd set before him rather than continuing to do it for him - honestly, she couldn't help how jealously she hogged this case; it came with the territory. Still, she continued to look around herself, entering the bathroom to inspect Gwen's things. The shower and bathtub were still slightly damp from her shower this morning and the smell of Gwen's herbal shampoo floated in the air like a vague memory. On the counter by the sink was her makeup kit, powders and creams kept clean of their buildup and all crammed together in a clear zippered bag - possibly the only unorganized thing in this apartment. Idly she touched a container of clear lip gloss that had been left on the sink and thought of how Gwen must have looked putting it on. Looking stonily up at her reflection and her own barely there makeup style - all except for her darkened lips - she imagined briefly what Gwen must have been thinking when she'd put on her makeup this morning for her "date".
She'd been trying to seduce him. Knowing Gwen it would have been a formal and calculated process. Ever since the stalker last year, she'd stopped going out as much and definitely cast a cold shoulder to anyone who might have expressed interest. But despite this she knew that Gwen longed to have love and connection in her life even as much as the thought of so many unknowns scared her. So she might have started this "date" with the distance of one trying to manipulate someone for information, but if she'd gotten Alexander to break down at all and respond to her, she knew Gwen would not be able to hold true to the original secret agenda. She would be forced to remember what it was like to play and flirt with a man and to build a relationship from the first conversations onwards.
Not that Gwen would throw herself at him and fall head over heels, but if he allowed her to, Gwen would follow him, especially when her powers were awakened. She would be able to put it together that her abilities had been somehow triggered by him and her pursuit of knowledge about what was happening to her would blend with the need to be with someone. It had been a long time since Gwen had been close to anyone or had any friends and her weekly call with her mother and then her editor wasn't fulfilling that need.
Stepping from the bathroom, she continued to browse in the living room, thinking to herself and piecing together Gwen's next moves as Jason spoke and hooked up his suit to the computer. His terminology got a look but she said nothing about it. "Yes, I would like to see what's on it as soon as possible," she said, nodding coldly for him to do what he needed to do. She was eager to get moving from here but it would not be prudent to rush; the more information she gathered when she could, the better equipped she would be to progress from this point.
She'd been trying to seduce him. Knowing Gwen it would have been a formal and calculated process. Ever since the stalker last year, she'd stopped going out as much and definitely cast a cold shoulder to anyone who might have expressed interest. But despite this she knew that Gwen longed to have love and connection in her life even as much as the thought of so many unknowns scared her. So she might have started this "date" with the distance of one trying to manipulate someone for information, but if she'd gotten Alexander to break down at all and respond to her, she knew Gwen would not be able to hold true to the original secret agenda. She would be forced to remember what it was like to play and flirt with a man and to build a relationship from the first conversations onwards.
Not that Gwen would throw herself at him and fall head over heels, but if he allowed her to, Gwen would follow him, especially when her powers were awakened. She would be able to put it together that her abilities had been somehow triggered by him and her pursuit of knowledge about what was happening to her would blend with the need to be with someone. It had been a long time since Gwen had been close to anyone or had any friends and her weekly call with her mother and then her editor wasn't fulfilling that need.
Stepping from the bathroom, she continued to browse in the living room, thinking to herself and piecing together Gwen's next moves as Jason spoke and hooked up his suit to the computer. His terminology got a look but she said nothing about it. "Yes, I would like to see what's on it as soon as possible," she said, nodding coldly for him to do what he needed to do. She was eager to get moving from here but it would not be prudent to rush; the more information she gathered when she could, the better equipped she would be to progress from this point.
Guest- Guest
Re: The Other Kind of Roommate
by Tartra Tue Jul 20, 2010 11:07 pm
Alright. He was being useful again. He had the projection up and running on the wall above the loveseat in record time and took a moment to enjoy the most recent documents as they slowly scrolled their way to the bottom. Assuming she'd want more later, he arranged everything to present itself over time.
<<Replication complete.>>
Perfect. He was set to queue that up once his lead had finished with the documents, but then the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He'd always been faster at his suit at that, which sent up a small warning about the incoming visitors moments later. Jason took his goggles off and dragged the coffee table over, apologizing for the interruption of the playback with a quick, tight-lipped smile. Or wince. One of the two. Anyway, he got the projection running again when he placed the goggles on the table and let it do its thing.
"I'll be right back, boss," he reported. "This'll only take a minute."
He said that last part to his goggles. God, he missed them already. But he'd be back soon. They'd be fine on their own for now. With that decided, he turned and walked out of the room, on guard the very instant he was close enough to the door to touch it.
Couldn't be his target. His goggles would've identified her if it was. Couldn't be Alexander, since... Well - he hoped it wasn't, but he was willing to bet they'd come as a pair. So who else -
"No sooner than we leave that we return," Benoit said.
Just when he'd gotten the stink out of his nose. Naturally, after that thought flit through his mind, Frenchie lit up another cigarette. He smirked at Jason while he did.
"That's not a quiet smell," Jason told him. "You might want to reconsider spreading cancer when there's two flight risks running around. Sir."
"He'll take it as an invitation," Benoit said. "Alexander likes those."
"All the same, I think it'd put a dent in our case," Jason said, stiffly.
"Your case is already doomed. Accept it." Oh, hey. The Flunky remembered how to talk. "You lost control when your mark slipped under ours' wing. Now we have priority where this work is concerned. If there is -"
"Now, now, Jean. There is no need to act like that." Finding it within himself, Benoit crushed the cigarette on the wall. It left a dark smear and then dropped to the ground, as if somehow that was better. "There. We are both happy."
"Stand aside, rookie." Rrrrrrrrrrookie. Jesus, Flunky. One 'r'. "We need to see your lead."
Benoit did not announce himself when he walked into the room. He didn't give Jason time to do it, either. Fortunately - sort of - he was smart enough to stand back on the off chance he gave the woman a heart attack and she whipped around to kick his head off. That would've been tragic. Flunky might've cried.
This man was too cocky. Even if she didn't like Jason, he had the obligation to defend his lead's, and therefore his case's, honour. She could handle herself, however, even against Benoit as he walked up like she was a junior in his way. It bothered him but it was technically true. He'd been around longer than anyone could remember and Jason's stupid intel had crashed their case into his. Then again, and he'd circle this if he could, Benoit and his lead held an equal rank, and if he'd put up more details on Alexander's profile in the first place...
"Miss Agent," he greeted, still chewing on his smug whisper of a voice. "I am glad to see you have made progress here. I must request, however, that you be satisfied with what you found and leave the area at once."
Was he still breathing? And he had more to say - holy crap. Did everyone on senior staff plan on killing themselves? Maybe that two month thing had gotten to Frenchie, too.
"If you disagree with the order, you can complain to the Agency," the Flunky said, "but I assure you, you will not win the conversation."
"Thhhe," Jason muttered. "Thhhhhhe. If you look real hard, you'll see a 'th' in there."
"I will crack your skull."
He could do it with one hand, Jason admitted, but only if the blob could move fast enough to pull it off.
Benoit kept going. Jason and the Flunky, when it came to things like basic language lessons, were required to speak in low voices whenever senior staff addressed each other. Either he hadn't noticed or they'd been quiet enough for him to not have to care.
"I would like to make this happen as quickly as possible," Frenchie said. "Alexander is on his way here as we speak and you are not equipped to handle anything more than an empath. Your subordinate is proof enough of that."
"Any additional information you have concerning your mark's abilities will be required immediately," the Flunky added. "The public profile your team entered into the Agency's database we found to be lacking."
Jason almost snorted at that. He didn't, but Jean shot him a look anyway.
"If Alexander's coming here, our target might be, too," he told his lead. It wasn't for her benefit. She knew that already. It was to put a purpose behind why they needed to stay. Even if the Agency was in love with whatever Benoit spat out to them and asking that they reconsider his authority was already a lost cause, Jason could still try to convince the man to retract his order to have them leave. "We have the equipment to handle her if she's no longer inactive. They don't."
"That's quite an assumption," the Flunky grunted.
There was a thick line between 'defending your lead's judgement' and 'being a twenty-foot tall douche'. Did anyone feel like guessing which side Jean had landed on?
"It's based on valid information," Jason said. "We should stay."
"You may observe from afar," Benoit said. "Active or not, your target is no threat to us. Alexander is too dangerous for anyone unprepared to handle him. Go to the next building and watch from the roof. If we need you, we will signal."
Great. Jason had his signal picked out already.
<<Replication complete.>>
Perfect. He was set to queue that up once his lead had finished with the documents, but then the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He'd always been faster at his suit at that, which sent up a small warning about the incoming visitors moments later. Jason took his goggles off and dragged the coffee table over, apologizing for the interruption of the playback with a quick, tight-lipped smile. Or wince. One of the two. Anyway, he got the projection running again when he placed the goggles on the table and let it do its thing.
"I'll be right back, boss," he reported. "This'll only take a minute."
He said that last part to his goggles. God, he missed them already. But he'd be back soon. They'd be fine on their own for now. With that decided, he turned and walked out of the room, on guard the very instant he was close enough to the door to touch it.
Couldn't be his target. His goggles would've identified her if it was. Couldn't be Alexander, since... Well - he hoped it wasn't, but he was willing to bet they'd come as a pair. So who else -
"No sooner than we leave that we return," Benoit said.
Just when he'd gotten the stink out of his nose. Naturally, after that thought flit through his mind, Frenchie lit up another cigarette. He smirked at Jason while he did.
"That's not a quiet smell," Jason told him. "You might want to reconsider spreading cancer when there's two flight risks running around. Sir."
"He'll take it as an invitation," Benoit said. "Alexander likes those."
"All the same, I think it'd put a dent in our case," Jason said, stiffly.
"Your case is already doomed. Accept it." Oh, hey. The Flunky remembered how to talk. "You lost control when your mark slipped under ours' wing. Now we have priority where this work is concerned. If there is -"
"Now, now, Jean. There is no need to act like that." Finding it within himself, Benoit crushed the cigarette on the wall. It left a dark smear and then dropped to the ground, as if somehow that was better. "There. We are both happy."
"Stand aside, rookie." Rrrrrrrrrrookie. Jesus, Flunky. One 'r'. "We need to see your lead."
Benoit did not announce himself when he walked into the room. He didn't give Jason time to do it, either. Fortunately - sort of - he was smart enough to stand back on the off chance he gave the woman a heart attack and she whipped around to kick his head off. That would've been tragic. Flunky might've cried.
This man was too cocky. Even if she didn't like Jason, he had the obligation to defend his lead's, and therefore his case's, honour. She could handle herself, however, even against Benoit as he walked up like she was a junior in his way. It bothered him but it was technically true. He'd been around longer than anyone could remember and Jason's stupid intel had crashed their case into his. Then again, and he'd circle this if he could, Benoit and his lead held an equal rank, and if he'd put up more details on Alexander's profile in the first place...
"Miss Agent," he greeted, still chewing on his smug whisper of a voice. "I am glad to see you have made progress here. I must request, however, that you be satisfied with what you found and leave the area at once."
Was he still breathing? And he had more to say - holy crap. Did everyone on senior staff plan on killing themselves? Maybe that two month thing had gotten to Frenchie, too.
"If you disagree with the order, you can complain to the Agency," the Flunky said, "but I assure you, you will not win the conversation."
"Thhhe," Jason muttered. "Thhhhhhe. If you look real hard, you'll see a 'th' in there."
"I will crack your skull."
He could do it with one hand, Jason admitted, but only if the blob could move fast enough to pull it off.
Benoit kept going. Jason and the Flunky, when it came to things like basic language lessons, were required to speak in low voices whenever senior staff addressed each other. Either he hadn't noticed or they'd been quiet enough for him to not have to care.
"I would like to make this happen as quickly as possible," Frenchie said. "Alexander is on his way here as we speak and you are not equipped to handle anything more than an empath. Your subordinate is proof enough of that."
"Any additional information you have concerning your mark's abilities will be required immediately," the Flunky added. "The public profile your team entered into the Agency's database we found to be lacking."
Jason almost snorted at that. He didn't, but Jean shot him a look anyway.
"If Alexander's coming here, our target might be, too," he told his lead. It wasn't for her benefit. She knew that already. It was to put a purpose behind why they needed to stay. Even if the Agency was in love with whatever Benoit spat out to them and asking that they reconsider his authority was already a lost cause, Jason could still try to convince the man to retract his order to have them leave. "We have the equipment to handle her if she's no longer inactive. They don't."
"That's quite an assumption," the Flunky grunted.
There was a thick line between 'defending your lead's judgement' and 'being a twenty-foot tall douche'. Did anyone feel like guessing which side Jean had landed on?
"It's based on valid information," Jason said. "We should stay."
"You may observe from afar," Benoit said. "Active or not, your target is no threat to us. Alexander is too dangerous for anyone unprepared to handle him. Go to the next building and watch from the roof. If we need you, we will signal."
Great. Jason had his signal picked out already.
Last edited by Tartra on Mon Nov 15, 2010 4:03 am; edited 1 time in total
Tartra- Apparition
- Join date : 2010-07-10
Posts : 581
Age : 33
Location : Ottawa, Canada -
Re: The Other Kind of Roommate
by Guest Wed Jul 21, 2010 12:23 am
Stephanie was pleased with Jason. She was still mad as hell that her target was missing because of him and she was blaming Gwen's newly awakened abilities on him as well - why the hell not? - and she hated how every emotion was plainly written on his face like a teleprompter detailing his thoughts to her. But she was content with the effort he put into the projection that scrolled through the documents on Gwen's laptop for her viewing. Then she hated his stupid ass again when the flow was interrupted. Staring down at him, she gave him a hollowed eyed look as he set up the projector again and left her to go deal with whatever. She didn't care - just go the fuck away now and let me look over these documents!
And she turned away from him coldly, her eyes scanning the words that scrolled upon the wall as quick as they appeared. There was a new document that was unfinished, six pages scrolling by her eyes mechanically - a new story it seemed and a totally different one than the idea written on the notepad. Gwen's voice clearly shined through with each paragraph and it had a more modern setting than the one presented in Nightshade, her last series. It was last edited at 2:30 PM yesterday. Then there was an email from Gwen's editor, the tone chipper and pressuring her lightly for some recent work. Gwen had not sent a response yet and the email had been sent the day before yesterday. A few more documents passed by her eyes, notes Gwen had taken possibly for that other project she'd been working on before the Alexander-esque plot, but her inspection was cut short as the voice of the French Agent came to her ears.
Turning to look at him, she felt the urge to punch him with his abrupt entry and self-important tone. But as always, she regarded him with a lack of interest that could be considered an insult if those around her were unaware of her tendency to block everything off. At his words however, she slipped just the tiniest bit, her eyebrow raising microscopically at his words. Alexander was coming here? Gwen was coming here. She knew instantly that whether or not Alexander was present, she would be able to swoop Gwen up with little to no trouble. However, it became apparent that Benoit had his own plans of how things were going to be run.
She was willing to bet everything she owned that Benoit's attempt to recapture Alexander this time would be nothing but a repeat of his previous attempts, fully exasperated by Gwen's awakened abilities. And no doubt, the pair would flee again as a result. But this time, Stephanie would be here and she and Jason would be right on their tail while Benoit continued to run around with his own between his legs. Besides, it would be easier to capture Gwen when they could distract Alexander in some way. She didn't need Benoit's help; if his track record was to be believed, he'd be nothing but an idle plaything Alexander could juggle with his eyes closed.
"Shut up, Jason," she ordered dully. "Fine." she said addressing Benoit. "Do whatever you think is necessary. We will be watching and waiting, ready to pick up the pieces of what's left. Good luck." Even with a lack of emotion, the way she phrased the last bit made it clear she knew they would need it. "As far as her powers go, there isn't much to it that you don't already know. Everything else is unnecessary." Feeling smug, she waltzed past him rigidly, her version of skipping and humming delightedly to herself.
"Let's go," she said to Jason, leaving no further room for arguments as she passed him and left the room.
And she turned away from him coldly, her eyes scanning the words that scrolled upon the wall as quick as they appeared. There was a new document that was unfinished, six pages scrolling by her eyes mechanically - a new story it seemed and a totally different one than the idea written on the notepad. Gwen's voice clearly shined through with each paragraph and it had a more modern setting than the one presented in Nightshade, her last series. It was last edited at 2:30 PM yesterday. Then there was an email from Gwen's editor, the tone chipper and pressuring her lightly for some recent work. Gwen had not sent a response yet and the email had been sent the day before yesterday. A few more documents passed by her eyes, notes Gwen had taken possibly for that other project she'd been working on before the Alexander-esque plot, but her inspection was cut short as the voice of the French Agent came to her ears.
Turning to look at him, she felt the urge to punch him with his abrupt entry and self-important tone. But as always, she regarded him with a lack of interest that could be considered an insult if those around her were unaware of her tendency to block everything off. At his words however, she slipped just the tiniest bit, her eyebrow raising microscopically at his words. Alexander was coming here? Gwen was coming here. She knew instantly that whether or not Alexander was present, she would be able to swoop Gwen up with little to no trouble. However, it became apparent that Benoit had his own plans of how things were going to be run.
She was willing to bet everything she owned that Benoit's attempt to recapture Alexander this time would be nothing but a repeat of his previous attempts, fully exasperated by Gwen's awakened abilities. And no doubt, the pair would flee again as a result. But this time, Stephanie would be here and she and Jason would be right on their tail while Benoit continued to run around with his own between his legs. Besides, it would be easier to capture Gwen when they could distract Alexander in some way. She didn't need Benoit's help; if his track record was to be believed, he'd be nothing but an idle plaything Alexander could juggle with his eyes closed.
"Shut up, Jason," she ordered dully. "Fine." she said addressing Benoit. "Do whatever you think is necessary. We will be watching and waiting, ready to pick up the pieces of what's left. Good luck." Even with a lack of emotion, the way she phrased the last bit made it clear she knew they would need it. "As far as her powers go, there isn't much to it that you don't already know. Everything else is unnecessary." Feeling smug, she waltzed past him rigidly, her version of skipping and humming delightedly to herself.
"Let's go," she said to Jason, leaving no further room for arguments as she passed him and left the room.
Last edited by TimeOfTheEye on Thu Oct 07, 2010 10:43 pm; edited 1 time in total
Guest- Guest
Re: The Other Kind of Roommate
by Tartra Wed Jul 21, 2010 1:17 am
Miss Agent stormed out. The child stormed out behind her, but not before making a show of shutting off his pathetic light show and grabbing the contraption he'd left on the table to support it. Jean couldn't help but laugh at how quickly the little boy clutched it to his chest. Those who wore the suit were very attached to its powers. It was good to see the flaw was yet another he could add to the team's list.
"Good luck, rookie," he politely offered. "You'll need it too, I think."
Was that enough of a 'th' for him?
"And fuck you too, friend," the boy replied, giving him a wincing smile before bounding out the door.
"That was uncalled for."
Benoit would have agreed had he not been thinking of the actual work of real Agents laid out before him.
"It will work this time," his lead said, as though he were commanding reality itself. "We have enough experience to know it will work."
"The lenses have been crafted to your specifications." He held up the small box the Agency had been kind enough to deliver to the building's crumpled doorstop. Why anyone would suffer living in this residence - not to say anything of the mess Alexander had made of his - was beyond Jean's understanding. "If this fails to stop him, you will know he is invincible."
"No one is invincible, Jean," Benoit said, turning around at last. "Not him, not her, and not anyone else."
The man knew how to speak of the obvious as if it were the very voice of truth raining from the heavens. Jean had faith in this, perhaps more than Benoit. He'd invested as much pain, sweat and tears into this case and now he needed it to close. It would close. Tonight. One way or another, this was coming to an end.
"We should put them on," Jean suggested. "And good luck, Benoit."
"Luck hasn't helped so far."
It would tonight. Jean was sure of it.
He hoped the building sprung a gas leak and their stupid smoking set them on fire. Wishful thinking if he left it up to fate, but if he wanted to work at it...
"That wasn't fair." For starters. "This isn't his case. Hell - this isn't even my case. Kicking me out is one thing, but you." He couldn't wrap his head around it. "What the hell are we supposed to do out on a rooftop?"
They were headed for the elevator, it seemed. He could hardly believe it. They were doing what Frenchie wanted. They were supposed to, definitely, because of that thing with seniority, but the fact that there'd been an order like that issued and then carried out... What if they took their time leaving? They could wait until their target showed, pick her up and run. Except he didn't know how long it would take. He hadn't picked up anyone on his screen yet -
<<Target's location identified. Proximity: high.>>
"Stop. Wait. They're here." Oh yes. Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes. Kick them out of the room - sure, why not? But if they met those crazy kids in the hallway, they'd have all the justification they needed for staying behind and finishing this thing the way they should've in the first place. "We can hide. We can do... something. Flank them, maybe. Get behind them, give those idiots back-up..."
It was up to her, but his boss had a short time to decide. His target was in this building and getting closer every second.
"Whatever you want, boss. This isn't collapsing on our heads a second time."
To put it lightly.
He was going to his room. Alex. He was packing everything and leaving tonight. Dude... He'd check into a fucking asylum if he had to - Come on. There had to be pills for this. He finally had proof - he heard it from straight from Xander's 'mouth' - that the voice he'd thought was some crazy quirk was a legitimate, separate person. And an Agent! An Agent! And Xander wanted him to relax?
I think you're getting a little carried away.
Xander hadn't tried to get control once so far. He didn't know if it was because the Agent was nervous to try it, tired for whatever fucking reason he no longer cared about, or maybe - for once, at long, long last - he'd accepted that he was a foreign entity, an intruder of the absolute highest grade, and realized he needed to back the fuck off before something happened.
... So... Still angry?
Alex was barely waiting for Gwen. He wanted her close but he had to get out of here. Why? Why the rush now? Having those assholes floating around was nothing new for him. He still had his powers and he could take care of them in a heartbeat -
I'm not crazy about what I'm getting off of you.
"Then get out of my head," Alex snarled under his breath.
He stopped. He came to his senses. He wasn't leaving Gwen behind for any reason, not when she finally needed him.
If you'd let me explain -
Alex needed to get drunk. If Xander wouldn't shut up on his own, he'd have to help him out.
For fuck's sake, man. I told you I wasn't an Agent and I told you they're fucking after me, too. Get off your period and listen to me.
"Okay! Fine! Fine - you want me to listen? I'm listening," Alex snapped. "Go ahead. Talk all night if you have to - just talk and talk and talk -"
I have never heard such a bitch fit in my life.
"Oh - which one, Xander? I'm confused. Was it the one you've been mooching off of me when they stuck you in my skull or the one you had when you were an Agent?"
I really hope you aren't holding your breath for an apology, 'cause that shit ain't stirrin', buttercup.
Where the hell was Gwen? He finally turned around, trying to relax after this... this...
... Mild twist in the story everyone saw coming? Y'know - except you, I mean.
Gwen. Talk to Gwen. She was calming, even when she panicked. He wasn't walking another step without her here. Alex stood up straight and waited for her.
"Good luck, rookie," he politely offered. "You'll need it too, I think."
Was that enough of a 'th' for him?
"And fuck you too, friend," the boy replied, giving him a wincing smile before bounding out the door.
"That was uncalled for."
Benoit would have agreed had he not been thinking of the actual work of real Agents laid out before him.
"It will work this time," his lead said, as though he were commanding reality itself. "We have enough experience to know it will work."
"The lenses have been crafted to your specifications." He held up the small box the Agency had been kind enough to deliver to the building's crumpled doorstop. Why anyone would suffer living in this residence - not to say anything of the mess Alexander had made of his - was beyond Jean's understanding. "If this fails to stop him, you will know he is invincible."
"No one is invincible, Jean," Benoit said, turning around at last. "Not him, not her, and not anyone else."
The man knew how to speak of the obvious as if it were the very voice of truth raining from the heavens. Jean had faith in this, perhaps more than Benoit. He'd invested as much pain, sweat and tears into this case and now he needed it to close. It would close. Tonight. One way or another, this was coming to an end.
"We should put them on," Jean suggested. "And good luck, Benoit."
"Luck hasn't helped so far."
It would tonight. Jean was sure of it.
* * *
He hoped the building sprung a gas leak and their stupid smoking set them on fire. Wishful thinking if he left it up to fate, but if he wanted to work at it...
"That wasn't fair." For starters. "This isn't his case. Hell - this isn't even my case. Kicking me out is one thing, but you." He couldn't wrap his head around it. "What the hell are we supposed to do out on a rooftop?"
They were headed for the elevator, it seemed. He could hardly believe it. They were doing what Frenchie wanted. They were supposed to, definitely, because of that thing with seniority, but the fact that there'd been an order like that issued and then carried out... What if they took their time leaving? They could wait until their target showed, pick her up and run. Except he didn't know how long it would take. He hadn't picked up anyone on his screen yet -
<<Target's location identified. Proximity: high.>>
"Stop. Wait. They're here." Oh yes. Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes. Kick them out of the room - sure, why not? But if they met those crazy kids in the hallway, they'd have all the justification they needed for staying behind and finishing this thing the way they should've in the first place. "We can hide. We can do... something. Flank them, maybe. Get behind them, give those idiots back-up..."
It was up to her, but his boss had a short time to decide. His target was in this building and getting closer every second.
"Whatever you want, boss. This isn't collapsing on our heads a second time."
To put it lightly.
* * *
He was going to his room. Alex. He was packing everything and leaving tonight. Dude... He'd check into a fucking asylum if he had to - Come on. There had to be pills for this. He finally had proof - he heard it from straight from Xander's 'mouth' - that the voice he'd thought was some crazy quirk was a legitimate, separate person. And an Agent! An Agent! And Xander wanted him to relax?
I think you're getting a little carried away.
Xander hadn't tried to get control once so far. He didn't know if it was because the Agent was nervous to try it, tired for whatever fucking reason he no longer cared about, or maybe - for once, at long, long last - he'd accepted that he was a foreign entity, an intruder of the absolute highest grade, and realized he needed to back the fuck off before something happened.
... So... Still angry?
Alex was barely waiting for Gwen. He wanted her close but he had to get out of here. Why? Why the rush now? Having those assholes floating around was nothing new for him. He still had his powers and he could take care of them in a heartbeat -
I'm not crazy about what I'm getting off of you.
"Then get out of my head," Alex snarled under his breath.
He stopped. He came to his senses. He wasn't leaving Gwen behind for any reason, not when she finally needed him.
If you'd let me explain -
Alex needed to get drunk. If Xander wouldn't shut up on his own, he'd have to help him out.
For fuck's sake, man. I told you I wasn't an Agent and I told you they're fucking after me, too. Get off your period and listen to me.
"Okay! Fine! Fine - you want me to listen? I'm listening," Alex snapped. "Go ahead. Talk all night if you have to - just talk and talk and talk -"
I have never heard such a bitch fit in my life.
"Oh - which one, Xander? I'm confused. Was it the one you've been mooching off of me when they stuck you in my skull or the one you had when you were an Agent?"
I really hope you aren't holding your breath for an apology, 'cause that shit ain't stirrin', buttercup.
Where the hell was Gwen? He finally turned around, trying to relax after this... this...
... Mild twist in the story everyone saw coming? Y'know - except you, I mean.
Gwen. Talk to Gwen. She was calming, even when she panicked. He wasn't walking another step without her here. Alex stood up straight and waited for her.
Last edited by Tartra on Thu Feb 02, 2012 1:37 am; edited 2 times in total (Reason for editing : Typo)
Tartra- Apparition
- Join date : 2010-07-10
Posts : 581
Age : 33
Location : Ottawa, Canada -
Re: The Other Kind of Roommate
by Guest Wed Jul 21, 2010 1:43 pm
Stephanie sighed inwardly as Jason began to tear down the other lead Agent again once they were alone in the hallway - although that probably wasn't a factor in his decision, since he had little to no trouble voicing his concerns and objections while the French man was present. "Jason, don't make me-" and then she was interrupted by his abrupt stop and the glorious news that came from his lips. Apparently luck had not been on Benoit's side after all since he'd only had enough time to tell them the targets were headed in this direction before they were already breathing down their necks. Gwen.
Turning to Jason, she exhaled a breathe and said, "Alright, it's an opportunity. We'll take it. And maybe we can depend on our friends afterall. When Benoit engages his target, we'll snatch up Gwen. Hopefully the combination of our efforts will get Alexander to slip his defenses while we get away with Gwen. Everybody wins." Although still in deadpan her voice came out quickly in a lower tone and her eyes scanned the hallway for someplace to hide while still watching for Gwen and the other to show up. Inside, her heart hammered in her chest but outwardly, she was as calm as ever in the face of this unpredictable situation.
Mrs. Lambriola on the first floor apartment 2A, was sitting in her recliner with her curlers in while watching the Price is Right, glaring at the man who'd taken Bob Barker's place. 'Poser' she thought to herself and sneered at her television set even as she said aloud what the prices of things should be, totally involved in the game show as much as she hated the host. Nicole Payne has a broken radiator on the second floor and was busy giving Mr. Crags a blowjob in exchange for him fixing it. On an outer level, she hated the man and how disgusting he was, but on an inner deeper level that she wouldn't even admit to herself, the experience thrilled her; that was why pretending to enjoy it was easy for her. Mr. Crags licked his lips lasciviously as he watched her nubile form kneeling down before him, pert breasts peeking up at him from her cleavage. It wasn't against his moral code to make her do something like this for him to do his job and he hoped to eventually push her further at some point when something else would go wrong. In the apartment next door to them, David Rhodes was hunting, his clothes wilted on his body as he drenched them in sweat, his eyes wide and alert as he stalked in his apartment slowly. A fly swatter was held aloft in his hand and he inched his way quietly towards the window where all of his prey congregated, high pitched buzzings making him twitch, his mind reduced to focusing on this one task...
Gwen swayed on her feet as they entered the building, feeling wave after wave of thought and emotion fill her own body simultaneously as if they were her own. A heavy exhalation left her as she suddenly felt suffocated and tried to drown everyone out except the person she wanted to hear and feel. The alley had acted as a natural funnel, the tall brick walls blocking everything out except what drifted through the openings at either end. She'd been able to focus then. But following Alex out onto the street, it was like someone had turned up the volume in her head and it only got worse when they'd entered the apartment building.
As a result, she had trouble keeping up with him, having to stop occasionally to close her eyes and breathe. She'd almost completely forgotten about Alex and Xander even though she could feel them amidst the wave of others, arguing internally and she knew before she caught up with them that they were waiting for her. "I'm sorry," she said a little breathlessly, trying to smile at him weakly but her eyes glazing as another person's thought filled her mind. "It's...very loud in here." Audibly she was aware that there was barely any noise around them, most of the sounds that could be heard at all, muffled slightly through the walls.
She offered him another smile that was meant to be reassuring but abruptly turned away from him to hunch over the railing, a harsh gag rippling through her as Joy Hahn on the first floor, ate some crackers with bad cottage cheese on them, her own reflex triggered by the woman who was actually eating the stuff. For several moments, Gwen sat hunched over the railing, finally wiping the bit of drool that had drizzled down her lips when she'd thought she was going to throw up, before turning back to Alex. "I'm okay," she said slightly panting, her face flushed heatedly and nodding her head to try to convince him. "I'll be fine."
There was an argument in the apartment right beside the stairs, Amy Goodman and her husband Henry raging at each other through their living room. He was being accused and rightly so, Amy's voice shrill and attacking him viciously, hurling every insult she could think of when suddenly she was shut up by a smack to the face. Gwen could feel it, Henry's hand flying through the air like a wrecking ball, slamming into flesh and bone with destructive force and sending his wife careening across the room to fall upon a coffee table, breaking it instantly. Gwen on the other hand, as much as she could feel the blow blazing through her face, merely trembled against the stair railing, her nose bleeding again from the other nostril this time. Holding her fingers to her face, she gasped at Alex with a silent plea in her baby blue eyes. She could feel herself slipping with the current of thought and emotion, the rush of sensations threatening to pull her under and it terrified her.
Turning to Jason, she exhaled a breathe and said, "Alright, it's an opportunity. We'll take it. And maybe we can depend on our friends afterall. When Benoit engages his target, we'll snatch up Gwen. Hopefully the combination of our efforts will get Alexander to slip his defenses while we get away with Gwen. Everybody wins." Although still in deadpan her voice came out quickly in a lower tone and her eyes scanned the hallway for someplace to hide while still watching for Gwen and the other to show up. Inside, her heart hammered in her chest but outwardly, she was as calm as ever in the face of this unpredictable situation.
****************
Mrs. Lambriola on the first floor apartment 2A, was sitting in her recliner with her curlers in while watching the Price is Right, glaring at the man who'd taken Bob Barker's place. 'Poser' she thought to herself and sneered at her television set even as she said aloud what the prices of things should be, totally involved in the game show as much as she hated the host. Nicole Payne has a broken radiator on the second floor and was busy giving Mr. Crags a blowjob in exchange for him fixing it. On an outer level, she hated the man and how disgusting he was, but on an inner deeper level that she wouldn't even admit to herself, the experience thrilled her; that was why pretending to enjoy it was easy for her. Mr. Crags licked his lips lasciviously as he watched her nubile form kneeling down before him, pert breasts peeking up at him from her cleavage. It wasn't against his moral code to make her do something like this for him to do his job and he hoped to eventually push her further at some point when something else would go wrong. In the apartment next door to them, David Rhodes was hunting, his clothes wilted on his body as he drenched them in sweat, his eyes wide and alert as he stalked in his apartment slowly. A fly swatter was held aloft in his hand and he inched his way quietly towards the window where all of his prey congregated, high pitched buzzings making him twitch, his mind reduced to focusing on this one task...
Gwen swayed on her feet as they entered the building, feeling wave after wave of thought and emotion fill her own body simultaneously as if they were her own. A heavy exhalation left her as she suddenly felt suffocated and tried to drown everyone out except the person she wanted to hear and feel. The alley had acted as a natural funnel, the tall brick walls blocking everything out except what drifted through the openings at either end. She'd been able to focus then. But following Alex out onto the street, it was like someone had turned up the volume in her head and it only got worse when they'd entered the apartment building.
As a result, she had trouble keeping up with him, having to stop occasionally to close her eyes and breathe. She'd almost completely forgotten about Alex and Xander even though she could feel them amidst the wave of others, arguing internally and she knew before she caught up with them that they were waiting for her. "I'm sorry," she said a little breathlessly, trying to smile at him weakly but her eyes glazing as another person's thought filled her mind. "It's...very loud in here." Audibly she was aware that there was barely any noise around them, most of the sounds that could be heard at all, muffled slightly through the walls.
She offered him another smile that was meant to be reassuring but abruptly turned away from him to hunch over the railing, a harsh gag rippling through her as Joy Hahn on the first floor, ate some crackers with bad cottage cheese on them, her own reflex triggered by the woman who was actually eating the stuff. For several moments, Gwen sat hunched over the railing, finally wiping the bit of drool that had drizzled down her lips when she'd thought she was going to throw up, before turning back to Alex. "I'm okay," she said slightly panting, her face flushed heatedly and nodding her head to try to convince him. "I'll be fine."
There was an argument in the apartment right beside the stairs, Amy Goodman and her husband Henry raging at each other through their living room. He was being accused and rightly so, Amy's voice shrill and attacking him viciously, hurling every insult she could think of when suddenly she was shut up by a smack to the face. Gwen could feel it, Henry's hand flying through the air like a wrecking ball, slamming into flesh and bone with destructive force and sending his wife careening across the room to fall upon a coffee table, breaking it instantly. Gwen on the other hand, as much as she could feel the blow blazing through her face, merely trembled against the stair railing, her nose bleeding again from the other nostril this time. Holding her fingers to her face, she gasped at Alex with a silent plea in her baby blue eyes. She could feel herself slipping with the current of thought and emotion, the rush of sensations threatening to pull her under and it terrified her.
Guest- Guest
Re: The Other Kind of Roommate
by Tartra Wed Jul 21, 2010 7:57 pm
She wasn't fine. She was collapsing, bleeding again and - just... She was falling apart and he had to help her. He didn't know how.
And I repeat, 'for fuck's sake, man.' He heard a sigh. Look - just let me do this.
No. Not happening. He could feel Xander reaching out for his hand and he fought back until the guy stopped. He didn't, not right away, and he made one final push for control like he was throwing a hissy fit, but he gave in when he got the message. Alex felt empowered.
Great! Glad to hear it. How 'bout you help her before she bleeds to death?
He wished he had more paper. He wished he'd grabbed some napkins. In light of everything that'd happened today, though, he was just happy they were both in one piece. He'd do what he could, but he wasn't used to any of this.
"Gwen, come on," Alex said softly. He walked to her side, put an arm around her back, and carefully began to pull her to her feet. "We'll take the elevator, go upstairs and... fix this..."
What was happening to her? Was this normal? As 'normal' as it got, anyway. Was she dying?
It was not what they needed right now. At any other time, this would've been bad, but here? At this very second? They didn't have the hour it'd take to get to the hospital and see a doctor. Alex was falling into full flight-mode. He couldn't wait, except to go upstairs, to his room, grab his things and go. Hopefully, there wasn't a horde of Agents up there for him, but knowing his luck, there'd be a small army and each one would have a gun. He'd be on his own if he had to fight them. From here on out, that was the way it was going to be.
They - are - after - me - too. Why is this so hard -
"They did something to you," Alex said. "They must've. You wouldn't just have this happen."
Fine. Whatever. Just forget I'm here.
"I'm trying," he snapped, "but it's hard when you won't shut up."
That feeling of Xander disappearing into the corner of his mind swam up again. Alex blinked away the numbness, then forced himself to concentrate on what was important.
Stupid Agent, ex or otherwise. He thought locking himself away was a punishment somehow. Someone should've let him know the punches to the face were much more effective, but Alex wasn't about to complain.
And I repeat, 'for fuck's sake, man.' He heard a sigh. Look - just let me do this.
No. Not happening. He could feel Xander reaching out for his hand and he fought back until the guy stopped. He didn't, not right away, and he made one final push for control like he was throwing a hissy fit, but he gave in when he got the message. Alex felt empowered.
Great! Glad to hear it. How 'bout you help her before she bleeds to death?
He wished he had more paper. He wished he'd grabbed some napkins. In light of everything that'd happened today, though, he was just happy they were both in one piece. He'd do what he could, but he wasn't used to any of this.
"Gwen, come on," Alex said softly. He walked to her side, put an arm around her back, and carefully began to pull her to her feet. "We'll take the elevator, go upstairs and... fix this..."
What was happening to her? Was this normal? As 'normal' as it got, anyway. Was she dying?
It was not what they needed right now. At any other time, this would've been bad, but here? At this very second? They didn't have the hour it'd take to get to the hospital and see a doctor. Alex was falling into full flight-mode. He couldn't wait, except to go upstairs, to his room, grab his things and go. Hopefully, there wasn't a horde of Agents up there for him, but knowing his luck, there'd be a small army and each one would have a gun. He'd be on his own if he had to fight them. From here on out, that was the way it was going to be.
They - are - after - me - too. Why is this so hard -
"They did something to you," Alex said. "They must've. You wouldn't just have this happen."
Fine. Whatever. Just forget I'm here.
"I'm trying," he snapped, "but it's hard when you won't shut up."
That feeling of Xander disappearing into the corner of his mind swam up again. Alex blinked away the numbness, then forced himself to concentrate on what was important.
Stupid Agent, ex or otherwise. He thought locking himself away was a punishment somehow. Someone should've let him know the punches to the face were much more effective, but Alex wasn't about to complain.
Last edited by Tartra on Tue Nov 16, 2010 1:59 pm; edited 1 time in total
Tartra- Apparition
- Join date : 2010-07-10
Posts : 581
Age : 33
Location : Ottawa, Canada -
Re: The Other Kind of Roommate
by Guest Wed Jul 21, 2010 8:55 pm
It was like gravity was weighing her down, her body not wanting to respond to her commands. If I just lay here and not fight it...just let it all wash over me... she thought airily, sinking ever lower, a sensation of pleasure filling her as she started to let go, even as her head throbbed and pounded. Since he was the closest one to her, she of course heard Alex and Xander the loudest, even when he wasn't speaking, she could feel his concern for her and it warmed her heart. She didn't really know how to articulate what she was experiencing, except that she felt like she was several different people all at once right now. In the midst of the crowded thoughts it was like she was losing track of herself; a log o a river becoming one with the rushing current.
Then he was there, his soft voice speaking in her ear and his arm wrapping around her back. Feeling cemented by the physical sensations - the smell of the coffee he'd had, lightly coating his warm breath, his body close and heated through their layers of clothes - awareness of her own limbs came back to her and she rose with his help, nodding blindly at his suggestion of the elevator and upstairs. "I'm sorry," she said with an embarrassed smile, her face growing pale as they passed the Goodman's room on their way to the elevator - he was very sorry, he was so unbelievably sorry he'd done that and the shame filling him only increased his rage, "You see what you made me do?"
When they arrived and the doors to the elevator opened, Gwen left Alex's side to rush into the tiny box, leaning against the back wall. Alex entered behind her and the doors closed, and she let out a long breath, the waves of thought coming a bit muffled around the enclosed space, the air flow and hum of the machine somewhat soothing to her. Looking at Alex, she took her hand from her nose now that it had stopped bleeding, gingerly wiping the red stream from her upper lip.
"I don't know what happened," she said as she searched in her purse for something to wipe her fingers on. Sighing in exasperation, she pulled her note paper from her purse and used that to dab away the mess and clean her fingers. "All I know is, when Xander started killing people, I could suddenly feel and hear everyone's thoughts. Even Xander's." Thinking of that flood of sensation hitting her again, she began to dread arriving at their floor. Focusing on the sounds of the elevator, she started to slow her breathing, concentrating on their floor and her room specifically. If she could make it there, and close herself up in her own apartment, she might be fine--
"Something's wrong," she said, stepping away from the wall. Momentarily her focus had been shaken and all she heard was a flood of murmurs surrounding the elevator car. Again she calmed her breathing trying to ignore the ice cold feeling filling her body and chilling her bones, and concentrated. Like touching a hot stove the reaction was instant, her blue eyes widening with fear and her features contorting briefly in a mask of horror. Quickly stepping forward she stabbed the button for the floor beneath the one they both lived on, just as they were passing the one beneath it.
"We can't go up there!" she said frantically, her eyes searching Alex's face for belief as the doors opened to the adjacent floor. "Forget packing. We have to leave now!" A feeling of urgency filled her and she wasn't exactly sure what it meant or why she was feeling. All she knew was that if they went upstairs, something bad would happen.
Then he was there, his soft voice speaking in her ear and his arm wrapping around her back. Feeling cemented by the physical sensations - the smell of the coffee he'd had, lightly coating his warm breath, his body close and heated through their layers of clothes - awareness of her own limbs came back to her and she rose with his help, nodding blindly at his suggestion of the elevator and upstairs. "I'm sorry," she said with an embarrassed smile, her face growing pale as they passed the Goodman's room on their way to the elevator - he was very sorry, he was so unbelievably sorry he'd done that and the shame filling him only increased his rage, "You see what you made me do?"
When they arrived and the doors to the elevator opened, Gwen left Alex's side to rush into the tiny box, leaning against the back wall. Alex entered behind her and the doors closed, and she let out a long breath, the waves of thought coming a bit muffled around the enclosed space, the air flow and hum of the machine somewhat soothing to her. Looking at Alex, she took her hand from her nose now that it had stopped bleeding, gingerly wiping the red stream from her upper lip.
"I don't know what happened," she said as she searched in her purse for something to wipe her fingers on. Sighing in exasperation, she pulled her note paper from her purse and used that to dab away the mess and clean her fingers. "All I know is, when Xander started killing people, I could suddenly feel and hear everyone's thoughts. Even Xander's." Thinking of that flood of sensation hitting her again, she began to dread arriving at their floor. Focusing on the sounds of the elevator, she started to slow her breathing, concentrating on their floor and her room specifically. If she could make it there, and close herself up in her own apartment, she might be fine--
"Something's wrong," she said, stepping away from the wall. Momentarily her focus had been shaken and all she heard was a flood of murmurs surrounding the elevator car. Again she calmed her breathing trying to ignore the ice cold feeling filling her body and chilling her bones, and concentrated. Like touching a hot stove the reaction was instant, her blue eyes widening with fear and her features contorting briefly in a mask of horror. Quickly stepping forward she stabbed the button for the floor beneath the one they both lived on, just as they were passing the one beneath it.
"We can't go up there!" she said frantically, her eyes searching Alex's face for belief as the doors opened to the adjacent floor. "Forget packing. We have to leave now!" A feeling of urgency filled her and she wasn't exactly sure what it meant or why she was feeling. All she knew was that if they went upstairs, something bad would happen.
Guest- Guest
Re: The Other Kind of Roommate
by Tartra Wed Jul 21, 2010 10:32 pm
In less than twenty seconds, Gwen had said the two most unsettling things Alex had ever heard. She could feel him? She could hear Xander? And then she panicked and jabbed at the elevator buttons and brought the thing to a stop underneath where they were supposed to be.
"What's going on? What's happening up there?"
Nothing from Xander. Fine. Fuck him, anyway.
"Gwen - calm down. I have things up there I have to get," he said. "Passports, licenses - I can't just leave without them. They're how I survive."
She was more alert than before. Good. Her brain wasn't melting. It was only a nosebleed, but now he knew - if it'd shown up when his abilities had been trotted out - that it was his fault after all. She had powers. It was true. And he'd... what? Awoken them? The guilt stuck into him like a knife, but he had even less time for that than whatever else was going on upstairs.
The elevator doors were closing. He stuck out his hand to change that. She made it clear she wasn't sticking around and, immediately, he moved to help her out of it. Alert or not, she shouldn't be moving around like this. He'd have to keep her steady until he knew she was going to be okay. Were they? That was a fun question to think about.
"I told you, I can take care of you," he said. "If it's an Agent or two or ten, I can handle it. I've done it before." Xander had done it before. But it was his body and that meant the skills were inside him, too. And it happened so often nowadays - especially when they'd first discovered each other - that everything would probably happen out of reflex. This wasn't a problem. He promised himself that it wouldn't be a problem. "It's better to get them -" He scowled. "Say what you wanna say, then go back to hiding wherever you were before."
Xander didn't say anything, but he was out again and almost as alert as she was. And he was excited. Alex wanted to take that as a sign that they should get out of here, but the entire reason they'd made it this far was because of the resources they'd been building up to fight. Their enemies were stronger now and more aware of what he could do. Leaving it behind would take him back to the bottom and give them a soul-crushing advantage. Common sense was fighting against him, but logic - he hoped it was logic - was telling him to go upstairs. He thought it over.
"Let me... Let me go alone." Yeah. That'd be better. It'd be faster that way, too. "I'll go upstairs and make sure everything's okay, and if it's not, I'll make sure it is."
Yeah - okay, buddy.
"You think I can't do it?" Of course he did. Alex shouldn't've had to ask. And he shouldn't've bothered either, because Xander didn't answer. "I can do it. It's not as hard as you think."
Not as easy as you think. I know I make it look bad-ass, but that's because I've got all those years of training. You know. As an Agent.
Alex grit his teeth.
"Just stay here, Gwen." Yeah. In the middle of the hallway, nose bleeding, arms shaking, panicked beyond all hell - "I'll come back."
One of us will, anyway. Xander paused. Too soon?
"Shut up."
"What's going on? What's happening up there?"
Nothing from Xander. Fine. Fuck him, anyway.
"Gwen - calm down. I have things up there I have to get," he said. "Passports, licenses - I can't just leave without them. They're how I survive."
She was more alert than before. Good. Her brain wasn't melting. It was only a nosebleed, but now he knew - if it'd shown up when his abilities had been trotted out - that it was his fault after all. She had powers. It was true. And he'd... what? Awoken them? The guilt stuck into him like a knife, but he had even less time for that than whatever else was going on upstairs.
The elevator doors were closing. He stuck out his hand to change that. She made it clear she wasn't sticking around and, immediately, he moved to help her out of it. Alert or not, she shouldn't be moving around like this. He'd have to keep her steady until he knew she was going to be okay. Were they? That was a fun question to think about.
"I told you, I can take care of you," he said. "If it's an Agent or two or ten, I can handle it. I've done it before." Xander had done it before. But it was his body and that meant the skills were inside him, too. And it happened so often nowadays - especially when they'd first discovered each other - that everything would probably happen out of reflex. This wasn't a problem. He promised himself that it wouldn't be a problem. "It's better to get them -" He scowled. "Say what you wanna say, then go back to hiding wherever you were before."
Xander didn't say anything, but he was out again and almost as alert as she was. And he was excited. Alex wanted to take that as a sign that they should get out of here, but the entire reason they'd made it this far was because of the resources they'd been building up to fight. Their enemies were stronger now and more aware of what he could do. Leaving it behind would take him back to the bottom and give them a soul-crushing advantage. Common sense was fighting against him, but logic - he hoped it was logic - was telling him to go upstairs. He thought it over.
"Let me... Let me go alone." Yeah. That'd be better. It'd be faster that way, too. "I'll go upstairs and make sure everything's okay, and if it's not, I'll make sure it is."
Yeah - okay, buddy.
"You think I can't do it?" Of course he did. Alex shouldn't've had to ask. And he shouldn't've bothered either, because Xander didn't answer. "I can do it. It's not as hard as you think."
Not as easy as you think. I know I make it look bad-ass, but that's because I've got all those years of training. You know. As an Agent.
Alex grit his teeth.
"Just stay here, Gwen." Yeah. In the middle of the hallway, nose bleeding, arms shaking, panicked beyond all hell - "I'll come back."
One of us will, anyway. Xander paused. Too soon?
"Shut up."
Last edited by Tartra on Tue Nov 16, 2010 2:01 pm; edited 1 time in total
Tartra- Apparition
- Join date : 2010-07-10
Posts : 581
Age : 33
Location : Ottawa, Canada -
Re: The Other Kind of Roommate
by Guest Wed Jul 21, 2010 11:31 pm
The doors opened to reveal the floor she'd stopped them at and the flood of alien emotions was back again, but it did not erase the threat she felt, her fight/flight response kicking in and she remained alert as she finally left the elevator. Alex was by her side to ease her from it although it was unnecessary at the moment, the floor looming above their heads helping her stay focused and acting as a bit of a shield. The feeling was so strong, their rooms upstairs breathing down her neck like a savage and hungry monster, something she could not see but she could feel through every fiber of her being. She could not see or hear anything from that floor. It was like a hole in the world existed on top of their heads.
"Please," she whispered hoarsely. "You can't go up there..." Her voice faded as she looked into his eyes, realizing that he would not be convinced and also knowing that he was right about the things he needed. "It doesn't give me much faith in your abilities when you doubt yourself. Even Xander thinks you can't do it on your own!" It was a weak defense and she knew it.
She'd seen Xander work before and she knew how powerful he was when he put his mind to it - literally. Not that she doubted what Alex said about being able to handle that many Agents but this was all new to her and so far, it had been Xander who'd gotten them out of sticky situations. She couldn't do this on her own, facing these people who wanted her for something - to put someone in her head or use her powers for something; she wasn't exactly clear on which it was - or even facing what was happening to her. She would be very vulnerable right now without him. All she needed was for Alex and Xander to come back safely and quickly.
Stepping closer to him she looked into his eyes with her chin set stubbornly. "Xander," she said in a voice as commanding as she could muster with the pressure of everything still going on around her. She checked his eyes and waited a moment before grabbing two fistfuls of his shirt and pulling him close for a face smashing kiss. There was nothing nice or gentle about it, her lips moving against his fiercely, tongue lashing out wildly. Pulling away, her breasts rose and fell quickly in her shirt as she breathed heavily, continuing to stare fixedly into his eyes. "Don't be a fucking jerk. If he needs help don't wait for him to beg. Get what you need and come back to me. Both of you."
Easing her hands from his shirt, she stepped back and smoothed down the sides of her skirt in slight agitation, clearing her throat nervously. "I'll be waiting by the stairs, just in case you need me." It was unlikely, but she was embarrassed at the moment and unsure of what she was suppose to do. Gwen wasn't sure if a kiss would help persuade the ex-Agent - if that was what he was; again it was unclear with his own protestations on the subject - but it had been mostly a boost for the both of them...and herself. Running a hand through her hair, she tried not to think about how good he'd tasted - Xander sure knows how to make a good latte - as she continued to focus on the emptiness above, keeping the overflowing sensations from their fellow tenants at bay - Did anyone in this building work during the day?
"Please," she whispered hoarsely. "You can't go up there..." Her voice faded as she looked into his eyes, realizing that he would not be convinced and also knowing that he was right about the things he needed. "It doesn't give me much faith in your abilities when you doubt yourself. Even Xander thinks you can't do it on your own!" It was a weak defense and she knew it.
She'd seen Xander work before and she knew how powerful he was when he put his mind to it - literally. Not that she doubted what Alex said about being able to handle that many Agents but this was all new to her and so far, it had been Xander who'd gotten them out of sticky situations. She couldn't do this on her own, facing these people who wanted her for something - to put someone in her head or use her powers for something; she wasn't exactly clear on which it was - or even facing what was happening to her. She would be very vulnerable right now without him. All she needed was for Alex and Xander to come back safely and quickly.
Stepping closer to him she looked into his eyes with her chin set stubbornly. "Xander," she said in a voice as commanding as she could muster with the pressure of everything still going on around her. She checked his eyes and waited a moment before grabbing two fistfuls of his shirt and pulling him close for a face smashing kiss. There was nothing nice or gentle about it, her lips moving against his fiercely, tongue lashing out wildly. Pulling away, her breasts rose and fell quickly in her shirt as she breathed heavily, continuing to stare fixedly into his eyes. "Don't be a fucking jerk. If he needs help don't wait for him to beg. Get what you need and come back to me. Both of you."
Easing her hands from his shirt, she stepped back and smoothed down the sides of her skirt in slight agitation, clearing her throat nervously. "I'll be waiting by the stairs, just in case you need me." It was unlikely, but she was embarrassed at the moment and unsure of what she was suppose to do. Gwen wasn't sure if a kiss would help persuade the ex-Agent - if that was what he was; again it was unclear with his own protestations on the subject - but it had been mostly a boost for the both of them...and herself. Running a hand through her hair, she tried not to think about how good he'd tasted - Xander sure knows how to make a good latte - as she continued to focus on the emptiness above, keeping the overflowing sensations from their fellow tenants at bay - Did anyone in this building work during the day?
Guest- Guest
Re: The Other Kind of Roommate
by Tartra Thu Jul 22, 2010 11:28 pm
So - uh... You wanna move over a little?
Had that... Had that really happened? Did she just kiss him?
Technically no, so if you could squeeze your ass out of the way a bit...
His heart was racing. His mind was blank. It'd been so sudden and... He wanted to say 'unexpected', but thinking about it, going over what she did, a part of him must have seen this coming and been waiting for this -
Yeah. That'd be me. Move it!
Right. Right - uh... Upstairs. And she'd -
Wow. Not even close.
He knew that feeling. Xander had found his opening and he was taking it. Alex was still half-numb with shock. He wasn't able to fight back right away, and when he was, he'd already lost. With his arms moving smoother than he'd ever been able to get them, one hand reached forward and held onto the back of Gwen's neck, fingers lightly curling around a lock of her hair, while the other touched her chin to keep her steady. Xander looked at her, took her in, but only for long enough to let her see it. Then his mouth was against hers, leaning in with something... gentle.
That, he would have never expected.
Xander was being gentle and holding her for longer than what she'd tried to do, but it was over in only seconds anyway. He broke it off purely to brush against her lips and tell her, "The next time you want to kiss me, wait until I'm actually outside. I hate seeing good things wasted on people who can't appreciate it."
Alright! Let's go kill some bad guys!
Then he slipped away entirely, grinning like this was the morning of his life, and started for the stairs by the elevator - she'd be waiting there when he got back - and went up. Alex wrestled back control immediately.
Silence. For now.
"I don't know if should ask this -"
So don't.
"- but what the hell was that?"
Better than what you did. Pay attention. If you're gonna be a dick and body-hog -
"This is my body, Xander," Alex snapped, his feet pounding on the stairs. "I'm not gonna let you - just... do that!"
Uh-huh. Am I fighting or what? 'Cause, apparently, I have to keep you alive.
"Stay out of this," Alex snapped. "I can do it without you."
Okay. Agent, by the way.
Alex stopped and threw himself against the wall, flattening himself into it. There were only six steps left until he reached the door to his floor. A small window had been put in the left side of it. He couldn't see anyone.
"I don't see anyone."
Well, that's because you're stupid, Xander said. They're there. Trust me. Or don't - whatever. I'm an Agent too, you know.
He wasn't going to stop rubbing that in.
I'll stop when you get over it. Gwen doesn't cry this much and she's fucking leaking out'f her face. Speaking of which, grab a towel while you're up here.
He scowled, slowly moving up the final stairs.
"What? You like her now? Mr. Hero?"
Jealous again?
"Concerned," he said, sternly. "Why do you suddenly care about getting her a towel?"
Gee, I dunno. Maybe 'cause people crowd when someone's hurt? Since when is getting a passport so important? You know I can have one made. I've done it six times for you already.
"There's other stuff up there."
A driver's license? Really? That's what you're risking my life for?
"Not just that!" Pictures and... other things. Clothes.
All stealable.
This was his decision and he was sticking to it. He didn't know how long Gwen was going to be with them, but if they had to - for whatever reason - start watching out for her too, they could use all the time they could get. That meant not wasting it on remaking cards they already had in their rooms.
He took a deep breath and put a hand on the door. Xander wasn't straining to get out like usual. This truly was up to him, so with another breath and a quick exhale, he opened it and walked through.
Alexander was back. Jason had broken off from his lead's side to stand outside the stairwell. He faded when the door opened, allowing the suit to hide him as he watched the man walk in. He almost laughed at the difference. There was no trace of the person he'd fought before. Instead of narrowing his eyes and lunging at him, Alexander crept towards his room instead, looking forward the entire time. At least it confirmed one fact, that he knew enough to guess there were people up here. Nothing special. Jason knew there were people down there. The IDs flashed in the corner of his screen. He wouldn't go after his target, though. Alexander was still too close. He had to be dealt with, but by Benoit until Jason had other orders. If that happened and his boss gave the command, he promised himself one important thing: no matter what, this rematch would end very differently than before. His grit his teeth as he played it in his head.
He was starting to understand the obsession.
Had that... Had that really happened? Did she just kiss him?
Technically no, so if you could squeeze your ass out of the way a bit...
His heart was racing. His mind was blank. It'd been so sudden and... He wanted to say 'unexpected', but thinking about it, going over what she did, a part of him must have seen this coming and been waiting for this -
Yeah. That'd be me. Move it!
Right. Right - uh... Upstairs. And she'd -
Wow. Not even close.
He knew that feeling. Xander had found his opening and he was taking it. Alex was still half-numb with shock. He wasn't able to fight back right away, and when he was, he'd already lost. With his arms moving smoother than he'd ever been able to get them, one hand reached forward and held onto the back of Gwen's neck, fingers lightly curling around a lock of her hair, while the other touched her chin to keep her steady. Xander looked at her, took her in, but only for long enough to let her see it. Then his mouth was against hers, leaning in with something... gentle.
That, he would have never expected.
Xander was being gentle and holding her for longer than what she'd tried to do, but it was over in only seconds anyway. He broke it off purely to brush against her lips and tell her, "The next time you want to kiss me, wait until I'm actually outside. I hate seeing good things wasted on people who can't appreciate it."
Alright! Let's go kill some bad guys!
Then he slipped away entirely, grinning like this was the morning of his life, and started for the stairs by the elevator - she'd be waiting there when he got back - and went up. Alex wrestled back control immediately.
Silence. For now.
"I don't know if should ask this -"
So don't.
"- but what the hell was that?"
Better than what you did. Pay attention. If you're gonna be a dick and body-hog -
"This is my body, Xander," Alex snapped, his feet pounding on the stairs. "I'm not gonna let you - just... do that!"
Uh-huh. Am I fighting or what? 'Cause, apparently, I have to keep you alive.
"Stay out of this," Alex snapped. "I can do it without you."
Okay. Agent, by the way.
Alex stopped and threw himself against the wall, flattening himself into it. There were only six steps left until he reached the door to his floor. A small window had been put in the left side of it. He couldn't see anyone.
"I don't see anyone."
Well, that's because you're stupid, Xander said. They're there. Trust me. Or don't - whatever. I'm an Agent too, you know.
He wasn't going to stop rubbing that in.
I'll stop when you get over it. Gwen doesn't cry this much and she's fucking leaking out'f her face. Speaking of which, grab a towel while you're up here.
He scowled, slowly moving up the final stairs.
"What? You like her now? Mr. Hero?"
Jealous again?
"Concerned," he said, sternly. "Why do you suddenly care about getting her a towel?"
Gee, I dunno. Maybe 'cause people crowd when someone's hurt? Since when is getting a passport so important? You know I can have one made. I've done it six times for you already.
"There's other stuff up there."
A driver's license? Really? That's what you're risking my life for?
"Not just that!" Pictures and... other things. Clothes.
All stealable.
This was his decision and he was sticking to it. He didn't know how long Gwen was going to be with them, but if they had to - for whatever reason - start watching out for her too, they could use all the time they could get. That meant not wasting it on remaking cards they already had in their rooms.
He took a deep breath and put a hand on the door. Xander wasn't straining to get out like usual. This truly was up to him, so with another breath and a quick exhale, he opened it and walked through.
* * *
Alexander was back. Jason had broken off from his lead's side to stand outside the stairwell. He faded when the door opened, allowing the suit to hide him as he watched the man walk in. He almost laughed at the difference. There was no trace of the person he'd fought before. Instead of narrowing his eyes and lunging at him, Alexander crept towards his room instead, looking forward the entire time. At least it confirmed one fact, that he knew enough to guess there were people up here. Nothing special. Jason knew there were people down there. The IDs flashed in the corner of his screen. He wouldn't go after his target, though. Alexander was still too close. He had to be dealt with, but by Benoit until Jason had other orders. If that happened and his boss gave the command, he promised himself one important thing: no matter what, this rematch would end very differently than before. His grit his teeth as he played it in his head.
He was starting to understand the obsession.
Last edited by Tartra on Wed Nov 17, 2010 7:56 pm; edited 1 time in total
Tartra- Apparition
- Join date : 2010-07-10
Posts : 581
Age : 33
Location : Ottawa, Canada -
Re: The Other Kind of Roommate
by Guest Fri Jul 23, 2010 1:35 pm
The silence that wasn't silence deepened between them as Alex continued to stand there looking at her with obvious shock mixed with pleasure on his face. Gwen pressed her lips together in an embarrassed smile and adjusted her shirt sleeves briefly before finally smirking at him. "Oh, don't look so surprised, Mr. Charm--" her voice cut off as his hand drifted out and caught her neck, his fingers cradling the back of her throat gently as he pulled her close again. Looking up at him, her face was instantly serious and her body filled with warmth as she saw the familiar look of Xander gazing down at her. The one she'd been looking for. The one she'd addressed the kiss for. She realized she hadn't waited for him to resurface before she'd gone through with it and had kissed Alex instead.
Her heart pounded a rapid drum solo in her chest and her breathing came deeply as her eyes searched his, knowing they were both in there. Ever since he'd exploded in rage at her on the sidewalk this morning, Gwen had been a bit scared of Xander. He was a wild card with a darker sense of humor, darker demeanor and overall more dangerous personality than Alex. Mixed with that was a juvenile unpredictability that had a bit of charm as much as it possessed the unknown factor that set her heart to thumping as it was right now. Being held by him like this seemed a contradiction to his nature but she did not struggle or pull away as his lips softly pressed against hers. Needless to say, it was not what she expected.
If she'd had to imagine a scene such as this between her character and the one she'd made up to represent Xander in her story - "Mordeth" the demon - she would have made it a brutal, violently passionate moment. The female character would have never experienced such animal lust as she felt from his lips and would have hated him for taking the moment to violate her, raping her mouth with his own. And all the while she would be fighting against the weakness in her knees and the desire to be consumed by the beast that he was, melting in his arms.
As it actually played out however, Gwen was left with only the pleasanter emotions that his warm lips provided, moving against hers with an expert grace, leaving her slightly gasping with a swoon as they broke apart. And he remained close to whisper against her pulsating skin, her eyes closed and listening even as a blush filled her cheeks a ruby red. Her only response was a dazed, "Mm..." her gaze fluttering open to fixate on him as he turned and left her to jog up the stairs.
Left by herself in the hallway she mused silently, only spending half the time berating herself for her wild emotions running away with her. The rest of the time she spent tonguing her sensitive lips and trying to decide which kiss she liked better. She came to the conclusion that she'd have to give Alex a chance to redeem himself at some point and then sighed in irritation, blushing again at the fact that she'd even make up such a silly contest.
***************
There was very little time left for discussion and luckily it was not necessary to urge Jason to get to work as he left her side to hide by the door to the stairwell. Internally, Stephanie marked another point for him to weigh against the billions of points that represented her anger and dislike for him at the moment. Striding forth, she hid in the alcove next to the elevator as she saw the light above it rising to this floor, her back pressed against the wall, hiding her from view of anyone who was inside the car. She noted however that it stopped at the floor beneath theirs and stayed there for several minutes before rising again and opening on their floor. Shock did not register on her features, even on the inside, as the doors opened to emit no one.
Looking at Jason in a blank manner, she watched as his form faded and the door to the stairs opened. Quickly, she ducked into the elevator car just before the doors were closing again, causing them to stay open. Hiding against the inner wall, she was able to stay hidden from sight, whereas before she would have been plainly seen from the stairwell. Stephanie's eyes narrowed as she watched a man she'd never seen before enter the hallway and walk down towards his room. Even just seeing him from behind, she knew it was Alexander returned home.
If he turned he would be able to plainly see her, so she relaxed in the elevator as if she were actually using it, ignoring him like a normal person would. It didn't matter because the doors closed before he could look in her direction. Smoothly, she moved forward to push the button for the next floor below where the elevator had stopped. Gwen was not with him, but she knew the target was in the building. Which meant he'd dropped her off somewhere. In all honesty, she felt nothing towards Benoit's target or Benoit himself for that matter. All she cared about was Gwen. As the elevator began to lower, she patted her pocket lightly to feel the outline of the electronic pen she possessed. One of it's many features was to act as a tazer and one shock from it would render a person helpless. This was it. She could feel victory coursing through her veins already. Screw Benoit and his precious Alexander. She wouldn't wait for Jason to catch up to her.
Her heart pounded a rapid drum solo in her chest and her breathing came deeply as her eyes searched his, knowing they were both in there. Ever since he'd exploded in rage at her on the sidewalk this morning, Gwen had been a bit scared of Xander. He was a wild card with a darker sense of humor, darker demeanor and overall more dangerous personality than Alex. Mixed with that was a juvenile unpredictability that had a bit of charm as much as it possessed the unknown factor that set her heart to thumping as it was right now. Being held by him like this seemed a contradiction to his nature but she did not struggle or pull away as his lips softly pressed against hers. Needless to say, it was not what she expected.
If she'd had to imagine a scene such as this between her character and the one she'd made up to represent Xander in her story - "Mordeth" the demon - she would have made it a brutal, violently passionate moment. The female character would have never experienced such animal lust as she felt from his lips and would have hated him for taking the moment to violate her, raping her mouth with his own. And all the while she would be fighting against the weakness in her knees and the desire to be consumed by the beast that he was, melting in his arms.
As it actually played out however, Gwen was left with only the pleasanter emotions that his warm lips provided, moving against hers with an expert grace, leaving her slightly gasping with a swoon as they broke apart. And he remained close to whisper against her pulsating skin, her eyes closed and listening even as a blush filled her cheeks a ruby red. Her only response was a dazed, "Mm..." her gaze fluttering open to fixate on him as he turned and left her to jog up the stairs.
Left by herself in the hallway she mused silently, only spending half the time berating herself for her wild emotions running away with her. The rest of the time she spent tonguing her sensitive lips and trying to decide which kiss she liked better. She came to the conclusion that she'd have to give Alex a chance to redeem himself at some point and then sighed in irritation, blushing again at the fact that she'd even make up such a silly contest.
***************
There was very little time left for discussion and luckily it was not necessary to urge Jason to get to work as he left her side to hide by the door to the stairwell. Internally, Stephanie marked another point for him to weigh against the billions of points that represented her anger and dislike for him at the moment. Striding forth, she hid in the alcove next to the elevator as she saw the light above it rising to this floor, her back pressed against the wall, hiding her from view of anyone who was inside the car. She noted however that it stopped at the floor beneath theirs and stayed there for several minutes before rising again and opening on their floor. Shock did not register on her features, even on the inside, as the doors opened to emit no one.
Looking at Jason in a blank manner, she watched as his form faded and the door to the stairs opened. Quickly, she ducked into the elevator car just before the doors were closing again, causing them to stay open. Hiding against the inner wall, she was able to stay hidden from sight, whereas before she would have been plainly seen from the stairwell. Stephanie's eyes narrowed as she watched a man she'd never seen before enter the hallway and walk down towards his room. Even just seeing him from behind, she knew it was Alexander returned home.
If he turned he would be able to plainly see her, so she relaxed in the elevator as if she were actually using it, ignoring him like a normal person would. It didn't matter because the doors closed before he could look in her direction. Smoothly, she moved forward to push the button for the next floor below where the elevator had stopped. Gwen was not with him, but she knew the target was in the building. Which meant he'd dropped her off somewhere. In all honesty, she felt nothing towards Benoit's target or Benoit himself for that matter. All she cared about was Gwen. As the elevator began to lower, she patted her pocket lightly to feel the outline of the electronic pen she possessed. One of it's many features was to act as a tazer and one shock from it would render a person helpless. This was it. She could feel victory coursing through her veins already. Screw Benoit and his precious Alexander. She wouldn't wait for Jason to catch up to her.
Guest- Guest
Re: The Other Kind of Roommate
by Tartra Fri Jul 23, 2010 7:32 pm
He couldn't see anyone. There was no one in the hallway and he couldn't hear the faintest sound or smothered breath. That was what made him tense. That, and the ever-lingering sense of doubt he had in Xander's evaluation of the scene kept digging at him. It wouldn't be the first time he'd said there was someone around purely to screw with him, and he had the proof he needed to pass off a convincing lie. Alex had seen them swarm today already. But if they were here for Gwen, like he'd been told, he should've been relaxing. The heat wasn't on him.
By the way, she'd liked Xander's 'turn' way too much. As if he needed another reason to hate the guy.
I can't wait to find out how horribly this ends.
Alex didn't answer. He kept walking. The elevator - the one they were supposed to have been on - was leaving, and the fact that it was moving without a problem gave him the courage he needed to go ahead, too. His apartment door was still closed. That was a good sign.
"I'm going in," he said. "Unless you've got a problem."
I'm pretty sure it'll solve itself.
He knew what that meant. He didn't respond to it, either. Instead he unlocked the door and gingerly pushed it open, not sure what he'd find when he went in but positive it'd be something bad. What he did find was even worse.
"The Agent's gone," Alex said. "They were in here."
No shit, Sherlock. Let's bounce.
"No." He climbed over the debris that still had yet to be removed. He was almost embarrassed by it. The Agents chasing him seemed so proper, but maybe they'd see the mess and get too offended to come after him anymore. He could always dream. Anyway, his room still had a path to it. He went inside, pulled out the dresser shelves, then started rooting around for whatever was important. He was grateful that'd he'd managed to keep that organized after all these years. He barely needed a minute before he had everything together. "Got it. Let's go."
Four credit cards, a cell phone, a big ol' wad of cash -
"A picture of my parents," Alex snapped. "That's not replaceable."
Yeah. Hell - I know I'd want a snapshot of the people who signed me up for this.
Alex was getting out of here.
Towel?
Oh, right. He stopped by the closet and grabbed one of those. He shoved it in the bag lying on the ground, then threw a few clothes in there for good measure.
"I should get her stuff, too."
And while we're at it, can we do something about these drapes? I dunno - I'm thinking lighter and more neutral -
"Fine. We'll buy her more," he said. "Let's go."
Right behind you. Xander laughed. Get it? 'Cause it was a pun.
"That doesn't -"
Duck. Retard.
Alex threw himself to the floor just as the wind whistled overhead from the mammoth fist that'd swung at where his face had been. Yeah, these guys. The crazy French ones. The ones who wouldn't stop chasing him no matter how many of them he - meaning Xander - killed.
"Quick as ever, Alexander," the one in charge said. "Surprising, because I hear you have been walking with extra weight. Made a new friend?"
"Yeah. She's pretty hot," Xander said. "What's that? New toys?"
The glasses looked the same as ever. Still, the Agent grinned, so there must've been something under them or else a new twist'd been thrown in.
"Only the best for the best," the Agent said. "We went beyond mirrored lenses, the ones you insist never work, but I can assure you, when they rest upon the eyes, they prove to be much more effective."
"Why? 'Cause I can't slap 'em off? That's okay - I'll rip out your the whole eye."
Oops! I can't! Someone doesn't want me helping.
What happened to not 'waiting until he begged'?
But you're not begging. And she's not here anyway.
"You underestimate the effort I have made to get these," the Agent said. "They have more than one trick."
"I think I can handle it," Alex said.
The Agent gave a merry laugh and peered at him.
"Is that the host? Is that the original?" The Agent shook his head. "I would rather not give you brain damage in this fight. If you please, send out your other half." Xander roared with laughter. "I can wait, if you'd like."
Why did no one believe he could do this? But sure, he'd take the minute to size the situation up. He didn't want to charge into this blindly. That'd be really, really dumb.
Jason saw his lead get on the elevator. He was a little surprised by it, since he thought she'd want him with her. She might've been senior staff and everything, but he had a suit and a whole lot of ass-kicking know-how. Unless she wanted him up here...?
No, screw it. He was going down, too. Until he got that two month thing figured out, until he got the gear Frenchie and Flunky had, he wasn't playing around with that kind of power anymore. Later, though, he promised himself. In the meantime, he opened the door to the stairwell and ran down, his target bursting into full analysis on the corner of his screen.
By the way, she'd liked Xander's 'turn' way too much. As if he needed another reason to hate the guy.
I can't wait to find out how horribly this ends.
Alex didn't answer. He kept walking. The elevator - the one they were supposed to have been on - was leaving, and the fact that it was moving without a problem gave him the courage he needed to go ahead, too. His apartment door was still closed. That was a good sign.
"I'm going in," he said. "Unless you've got a problem."
I'm pretty sure it'll solve itself.
He knew what that meant. He didn't respond to it, either. Instead he unlocked the door and gingerly pushed it open, not sure what he'd find when he went in but positive it'd be something bad. What he did find was even worse.
"The Agent's gone," Alex said. "They were in here."
No shit, Sherlock. Let's bounce.
"No." He climbed over the debris that still had yet to be removed. He was almost embarrassed by it. The Agents chasing him seemed so proper, but maybe they'd see the mess and get too offended to come after him anymore. He could always dream. Anyway, his room still had a path to it. He went inside, pulled out the dresser shelves, then started rooting around for whatever was important. He was grateful that'd he'd managed to keep that organized after all these years. He barely needed a minute before he had everything together. "Got it. Let's go."
Four credit cards, a cell phone, a big ol' wad of cash -
"A picture of my parents," Alex snapped. "That's not replaceable."
Yeah. Hell - I know I'd want a snapshot of the people who signed me up for this.
Alex was getting out of here.
Towel?
Oh, right. He stopped by the closet and grabbed one of those. He shoved it in the bag lying on the ground, then threw a few clothes in there for good measure.
"I should get her stuff, too."
And while we're at it, can we do something about these drapes? I dunno - I'm thinking lighter and more neutral -
"Fine. We'll buy her more," he said. "Let's go."
Right behind you. Xander laughed. Get it? 'Cause it was a pun.
"That doesn't -"
Duck. Retard.
Alex threw himself to the floor just as the wind whistled overhead from the mammoth fist that'd swung at where his face had been. Yeah, these guys. The crazy French ones. The ones who wouldn't stop chasing him no matter how many of them he - meaning Xander - killed.
"Quick as ever, Alexander," the one in charge said. "Surprising, because I hear you have been walking with extra weight. Made a new friend?"
"Yeah. She's pretty hot," Xander said. "What's that? New toys?"
The glasses looked the same as ever. Still, the Agent grinned, so there must've been something under them or else a new twist'd been thrown in.
"Only the best for the best," the Agent said. "We went beyond mirrored lenses, the ones you insist never work, but I can assure you, when they rest upon the eyes, they prove to be much more effective."
"Why? 'Cause I can't slap 'em off? That's okay - I'll rip out your the whole eye."
Oops! I can't! Someone doesn't want me helping.
What happened to not 'waiting until he begged'?
But you're not begging. And she's not here anyway.
"You underestimate the effort I have made to get these," the Agent said. "They have more than one trick."
"I think I can handle it," Alex said.
The Agent gave a merry laugh and peered at him.
"Is that the host? Is that the original?" The Agent shook his head. "I would rather not give you brain damage in this fight. If you please, send out your other half." Xander roared with laughter. "I can wait, if you'd like."
Why did no one believe he could do this? But sure, he'd take the minute to size the situation up. He didn't want to charge into this blindly. That'd be really, really dumb.
* * *
Jason saw his lead get on the elevator. He was a little surprised by it, since he thought she'd want him with her. She might've been senior staff and everything, but he had a suit and a whole lot of ass-kicking know-how. Unless she wanted him up here...?
No, screw it. He was going down, too. Until he got that two month thing figured out, until he got the gear Frenchie and Flunky had, he wasn't playing around with that kind of power anymore. Later, though, he promised himself. In the meantime, he opened the door to the stairwell and ran down, his target bursting into full analysis on the corner of his screen.
Last edited by Tartra on Wed Nov 17, 2010 8:14 pm; edited 1 time in total
Tartra- Apparition
- Join date : 2010-07-10
Posts : 581
Age : 33
Location : Ottawa, Canada -
Re: The Other Kind of Roommate
by Guest Fri Jul 23, 2010 9:30 pm
As Alex disappeared up the stairs, Gwen could still hear Xander's inner voice babbling on, the blushing smirk only leaving her face when he mentioned Agents upstairs. Was that the terrible feeling that she got from the upper floor? Did all Agents produce that black hole emptiness? Were they waiting for Alex in his apartment? Had they been in hers? "Please, be careful..." she murmured to herself as she felt him enter their hallway. But as he made his way to his room, it was like he held a lantern aloft in a darkened tunnel, illuminating the space and clearing it of that deep emptiness that had filled it a moment before. Except unlike a shadow/light relationship, as he and Xander passed through the hallway, the emptiness fled and stayed gone, dissipating like mist before him.
In it's place, she could feel the man in the apartment next to Alex's, sitting at his table and obsessively putting together a collage of words and letters he'd cut out of his magazines. Gerald Tomas was a paranoid schizophrenic and was busily looking for government implanted messages in the words he'd cut out of the latest Vanity Fair paired together with snippets from a Guns and Ammo ad. What was the Smoking man trying to tell him? As before, the thoughts and emotions of those who were in the building right now crowded in on her, but still she struggled to hang on to Alex and Xander, listening to their conversation. She would have sensed the other men in the room with him if she'd been given a moment or two longer, but just then the doors to the elevator opened...
Immediately, Stephanie's eyes latched onto the young woman standing alone in the hallway, her head whipping to look at the elevator as the doors opened to reveal the Agent standing inside. Her heart flipped delightedly to see those familiar features, the face she had a million pictures of and had studied extensively. The face she wanted to own. A bit of satisfaction filled her to see the way Gwen was dressed, the gaping open white blouse and black skirt instantly proving her theories correct. You little minx. Thought you could get some information if you dazzled him with a smile and some flesh, eh? Bet you got more than you bargained for.
All of this registered in a split second before the elevator doors had fully opened. Once they were in place, Stephanie's mask began to shift and change dramatically. "Ugh! Unbelievable!" standing tensely in the elevator, she groaned aloud in frustration, actual emotion filling her voice for once. With a sigh of exasperation, she stalked from the car into the hallway, starting to pull a ring of keys from her pocket, not seeming to pay too much attention to Gwen as she approached. When she came up to the other woman, her eyes came up as well and she stopped right before her.
"Hey, do you know the guy in 1F?" she asked, her voice holding a hint of annoyance but mostly filled with camaraderie as she addressed Gwen. She waited for the other woman to shake her head "No" before rolling her eyes and shaking her head with a sigh. "What a creep! For some reason, the mailman keeps switching the stuff in our boxes. Well, he did it again and I go up there to trade mail with that guy and he gives me this bit about 'Are you one of them? Why did you put those packages in my box if they weren't for me?' And the whole time he does nothing but stare at my chest."
Again she let out a harsh groan of frustration, knowing that if Gwen's powers had awakened she would be able to at least partly confirm her story. In addition to having researched Gwen extensively, Stephanie had files on everyone else in the building. She knew very well about Gerald Tomas's condition. "At least he didn't take anything except a few magazines and possibly junk mail. Hope he enjoys those sexy girly mags, the little perv." She ended with a small amused laugh and a shrug, finally regaining some good spirit it seemed.
There was something wrong here. Gwen could feel it. As soon as the woman stepped from the elevator, she'd expected to hear something from her internally, especially after the dramatic display she'd made. But it was like there was a cloud of static around her. Not emptiness like the Agent she'd encountered before, but a buzzing blankness that gave her a headache to focus on. At first it put Gwen on alert, as the internal emotions of her fellow tenants filled her head, but as the woman drew near, the static seemed to obliterate everything else. It was almost as if when she stopped to talk to Gwen, the cloud that surrounded her enveloped Gwen as well. It would have been soothing if the white noise itself did not feel like a Brillo pad being raked across the inside of her skull.
Listening to the woman who was beautiful and stately, she tried to stretch out her senses to see if her story held up, suspicion filling her with Alex gone. But there was nothing beyond the static except more static. Blinking a little harshly, Gwen stepped back from her to try and assuage the effect, but concern instantly registered on the woman's features and she stepped forward to offer her assistance. "Are you alright?" she asked, her hand lightly touching Gwen's elbow causing her to jerk at the contact. "I'm sorry..." She seemed a bit hurt and unsure of how to help her.
"No, you're fine," Gwen said, trying to smile at her reassuringly. "I'm just feeling a little light-headed...and queasy."
Like magic, the static seemed to subside somewhat and Gwen could hear a bit of the woman's thoughts. All she heard however was an echo as the woman spoke. Do you live on this floor? "Do you live on this floor?" she asked, glancing down the hallway. I could help you to your apartment. "I could help you to your apartment."
"No, I live up a floor," Gwen said with a shake of her head, looking at the woman with a narrowed eye. This wasn't right. People didn't think like that. And the emotion coming off her was the same; if her face looked concerned, Gwen felt a sympathetic worry from her; if her face took a thoughtful expression, her inner emotions translated a systematic concentration. But it all felt very shallow, every emotion and thought like a script she was reading from and only went about face deep. Just beyond these thoughts Gwen could hear the low hum of that awful static. What is that?
Well, my apartment is just over there, you can come inside for a moment and gather yourself. "Well," Stephanie said glancing back at Gwen from her perusal of the hallway and the closed doors that faced them. "My apartment is just over there, you can come inside for a moment and gather yourself."
God, this is really annoying, she thought as she rubbed her hand on her forehead trying to stay the echo. While Gwen was distracted doing that, Stephanie made a a small, surreptitious gesture towards where she knew Jason could see, signaling for him to wait. I've got this, she thought to herself with an internal smirk and Gwen was none the wiser for the static that kept her from seeing or hearing anything Stephanie really thought and felt.
In it's place, she could feel the man in the apartment next to Alex's, sitting at his table and obsessively putting together a collage of words and letters he'd cut out of his magazines. Gerald Tomas was a paranoid schizophrenic and was busily looking for government implanted messages in the words he'd cut out of the latest Vanity Fair paired together with snippets from a Guns and Ammo ad. What was the Smoking man trying to tell him? As before, the thoughts and emotions of those who were in the building right now crowded in on her, but still she struggled to hang on to Alex and Xander, listening to their conversation. She would have sensed the other men in the room with him if she'd been given a moment or two longer, but just then the doors to the elevator opened...
************
Immediately, Stephanie's eyes latched onto the young woman standing alone in the hallway, her head whipping to look at the elevator as the doors opened to reveal the Agent standing inside. Her heart flipped delightedly to see those familiar features, the face she had a million pictures of and had studied extensively. The face she wanted to own. A bit of satisfaction filled her to see the way Gwen was dressed, the gaping open white blouse and black skirt instantly proving her theories correct. You little minx. Thought you could get some information if you dazzled him with a smile and some flesh, eh? Bet you got more than you bargained for.
All of this registered in a split second before the elevator doors had fully opened. Once they were in place, Stephanie's mask began to shift and change dramatically. "Ugh! Unbelievable!" standing tensely in the elevator, she groaned aloud in frustration, actual emotion filling her voice for once. With a sigh of exasperation, she stalked from the car into the hallway, starting to pull a ring of keys from her pocket, not seeming to pay too much attention to Gwen as she approached. When she came up to the other woman, her eyes came up as well and she stopped right before her.
"Hey, do you know the guy in 1F?" she asked, her voice holding a hint of annoyance but mostly filled with camaraderie as she addressed Gwen. She waited for the other woman to shake her head "No" before rolling her eyes and shaking her head with a sigh. "What a creep! For some reason, the mailman keeps switching the stuff in our boxes. Well, he did it again and I go up there to trade mail with that guy and he gives me this bit about 'Are you one of them? Why did you put those packages in my box if they weren't for me?' And the whole time he does nothing but stare at my chest."
Again she let out a harsh groan of frustration, knowing that if Gwen's powers had awakened she would be able to at least partly confirm her story. In addition to having researched Gwen extensively, Stephanie had files on everyone else in the building. She knew very well about Gerald Tomas's condition. "At least he didn't take anything except a few magazines and possibly junk mail. Hope he enjoys those sexy girly mags, the little perv." She ended with a small amused laugh and a shrug, finally regaining some good spirit it seemed.
There was something wrong here. Gwen could feel it. As soon as the woman stepped from the elevator, she'd expected to hear something from her internally, especially after the dramatic display she'd made. But it was like there was a cloud of static around her. Not emptiness like the Agent she'd encountered before, but a buzzing blankness that gave her a headache to focus on. At first it put Gwen on alert, as the internal emotions of her fellow tenants filled her head, but as the woman drew near, the static seemed to obliterate everything else. It was almost as if when she stopped to talk to Gwen, the cloud that surrounded her enveloped Gwen as well. It would have been soothing if the white noise itself did not feel like a Brillo pad being raked across the inside of her skull.
Listening to the woman who was beautiful and stately, she tried to stretch out her senses to see if her story held up, suspicion filling her with Alex gone. But there was nothing beyond the static except more static. Blinking a little harshly, Gwen stepped back from her to try and assuage the effect, but concern instantly registered on the woman's features and she stepped forward to offer her assistance. "Are you alright?" she asked, her hand lightly touching Gwen's elbow causing her to jerk at the contact. "I'm sorry..." She seemed a bit hurt and unsure of how to help her.
"No, you're fine," Gwen said, trying to smile at her reassuringly. "I'm just feeling a little light-headed...and queasy."
Like magic, the static seemed to subside somewhat and Gwen could hear a bit of the woman's thoughts. All she heard however was an echo as the woman spoke. Do you live on this floor? "Do you live on this floor?" she asked, glancing down the hallway. I could help you to your apartment. "I could help you to your apartment."
"No, I live up a floor," Gwen said with a shake of her head, looking at the woman with a narrowed eye. This wasn't right. People didn't think like that. And the emotion coming off her was the same; if her face looked concerned, Gwen felt a sympathetic worry from her; if her face took a thoughtful expression, her inner emotions translated a systematic concentration. But it all felt very shallow, every emotion and thought like a script she was reading from and only went about face deep. Just beyond these thoughts Gwen could hear the low hum of that awful static. What is that?
Well, my apartment is just over there, you can come inside for a moment and gather yourself. "Well," Stephanie said glancing back at Gwen from her perusal of the hallway and the closed doors that faced them. "My apartment is just over there, you can come inside for a moment and gather yourself."
God, this is really annoying, she thought as she rubbed her hand on her forehead trying to stay the echo. While Gwen was distracted doing that, Stephanie made a a small, surreptitious gesture towards where she knew Jason could see, signaling for him to wait. I've got this, she thought to herself with an internal smirk and Gwen was none the wiser for the static that kept her from seeing or hearing anything Stephanie really thought and felt.
Guest- Guest
Re: The Other Kind of Roommate
by Tartra Sat Jul 24, 2010 5:15 am
What - so she was flying solo now? Everything was taken care of? Well, thank God the Agency had roped him into this little mission. He was glad to've helped his lead with... oh, wait. Right. Jason sighed to himself, happy he was still in the stairwell and out of sight. At least he didn't have to take another magic blast of whatever a second time tonight. He hadn't shaken off the first attack yet, anyway.
Still. He felt useless. He had to help somehow.
Gary?
wut
Start setting up a transfer booth.
wut
A transfer booth, or whatever you people use to stick people into different bodies.
lololol its nt a both moran
Of course it wasn't. Not that he'd know. The Agency and everyone else involved in this 'program' kept him so far out of the loop, he might as well've been a civilian. At least he'd been 'informed' of the process.
u got the host?
Give me ten minutes. Give his lead ten minutes. We'll have her.
Ten minutes sounded fair. If his lead wanted some private time, he'd respect that, but the fact of the matter was he had a job to do. One quick hand wave of 'go away' wasn't going to stop him for long. So. Ten minutes. He'd stay close and stay frosty, but that mask was off for the rest of the damn year. He knew a few tricks to keep his mind hidden from his target's powers. Jason would follow them until that time was up and then he was moving in.
"What if I got a knife?"
"Non. You cannot use a knife."
"Broken table? Broken shelf?"
"About that," the Agent said. "I hate to pry into your personal matters, but I must have an answer for what exploded in this room."
"That was me," Xander perked up, enjoying every minute of this. "You like it?"
"It is an homage to your strength," the Agent said. "I appreciate your work."
Okay, enough already. Alex scowled and demanded from the Frenchman, "Why the hell are you not fighting me?"
The Agent, hovering in his early-to-mid-forties, pulled a pack of cigarettes from the inside of his jackets and promptly jammed one in his mouth. Waiting patiently for his friend to light it for him - delicate hands, Alex guessed, or else he was lazy - he said, "As I explained earlier, I need you intact. Your mind is the shell we require to re-perform the necessary transfer. If I am to fight anyone, it will be the one who is expendable."
I can hear you, asshole.
"I thought you were getting rid of both of us," Alex said.
"In time," the Agent said. "But for now, our priority is to re-establish the blank slate we had before. That means getting him out, as it seems his control has been unable to take."
"And then once you have me out..." He was getting answers. This was incredible. "Who's going in?"
The Agent smiled.
"Me." He smiled wider. "It was supposed to be me, initially. Your friend and I were among the final contenders for the honour. I cannot imagine what he did to steal the glory away -" It probably had something to do with me - y'know - not sucking ass. "- but, I can assure you, the failure to correctly place his mind within you was both a blessing and a sweet taste of karma." He took a drag, then grinned through the cloud he blew out. "How is it in there, by the way? Crowded, I assume. How you have put up with each for so long... You should be dead already. Faded. You are now overdue."
Xander had been tired lately.
"Well! This has been insanely educational," Xander said. "I'm glad we could have this talk, Mr. Guy-Who-Won't-Die-When-I-Stab-Bludgeon-Choke-Drown-Electrocute-Him. I, personally, knew all this shit already, but I'm sure Alex got somethin' - heart punch!"
He flung forward with both fists, slamming them into either Agents' chest. It sent both of them backwards, especially the seven foot tall one with the zero balance in his body, but the other Agent, the one in charge, seemed to accept the blow. He didn't resist or try to fight back as Xander leaped back and sailed out of the door, the bag of everything hanging safely from Alex's arm.
"This feels like a purse. I hate it."
Xander was leaving them alive?
"Fuck it. I keep trying. It's not happening. I don't even trust the gun to do it."
Alex wanted to sigh. It stuck in his throat. He tried again. Still stuck.
One more time.
... Still -
"That was unnecessary," Jean muttered, climbing out of the pile he'd fallen into. "I will enjoy returning the favour."
"Soon. You have him traced?"
"These lenses are a miracle," Jean said. "We should have ordered them years ago." He nodded his head at the door. "When should I scrape him off the ground?"
"Half an hour, if that. It will be an accomplishment if he makes it down the block," Benoit replied. He picked his cigarette up again and returned it to his mouth. "Good idea?"
"It works well."
Goodbye, Alexander. Jean set his watch to start timing. The lenses could do that, too.
Still. He felt useless. He had to help somehow.
Gary?
wut
Start setting up a transfer booth.
wut
A transfer booth, or whatever you people use to stick people into different bodies.
lololol its nt a both moran
Of course it wasn't. Not that he'd know. The Agency and everyone else involved in this 'program' kept him so far out of the loop, he might as well've been a civilian. At least he'd been 'informed' of the process.
u got the host?
Give me ten minutes. Give his lead ten minutes. We'll have her.
Ten minutes sounded fair. If his lead wanted some private time, he'd respect that, but the fact of the matter was he had a job to do. One quick hand wave of 'go away' wasn't going to stop him for long. So. Ten minutes. He'd stay close and stay frosty, but that mask was off for the rest of the damn year. He knew a few tricks to keep his mind hidden from his target's powers. Jason would follow them until that time was up and then he was moving in.
* * *
"What if I got a knife?"
"Non. You cannot use a knife."
"Broken table? Broken shelf?"
"About that," the Agent said. "I hate to pry into your personal matters, but I must have an answer for what exploded in this room."
"That was me," Xander perked up, enjoying every minute of this. "You like it?"
"It is an homage to your strength," the Agent said. "I appreciate your work."
Okay, enough already. Alex scowled and demanded from the Frenchman, "Why the hell are you not fighting me?"
The Agent, hovering in his early-to-mid-forties, pulled a pack of cigarettes from the inside of his jackets and promptly jammed one in his mouth. Waiting patiently for his friend to light it for him - delicate hands, Alex guessed, or else he was lazy - he said, "As I explained earlier, I need you intact. Your mind is the shell we require to re-perform the necessary transfer. If I am to fight anyone, it will be the one who is expendable."
I can hear you, asshole.
"I thought you were getting rid of both of us," Alex said.
"In time," the Agent said. "But for now, our priority is to re-establish the blank slate we had before. That means getting him out, as it seems his control has been unable to take."
"And then once you have me out..." He was getting answers. This was incredible. "Who's going in?"
The Agent smiled.
"Me." He smiled wider. "It was supposed to be me, initially. Your friend and I were among the final contenders for the honour. I cannot imagine what he did to steal the glory away -" It probably had something to do with me - y'know - not sucking ass. "- but, I can assure you, the failure to correctly place his mind within you was both a blessing and a sweet taste of karma." He took a drag, then grinned through the cloud he blew out. "How is it in there, by the way? Crowded, I assume. How you have put up with each for so long... You should be dead already. Faded. You are now overdue."
Xander had been tired lately.
"Well! This has been insanely educational," Xander said. "I'm glad we could have this talk, Mr. Guy-Who-Won't-Die-When-I-Stab-Bludgeon-Choke-Drown-Electrocute-Him. I, personally, knew all this shit already, but I'm sure Alex got somethin' - heart punch!"
He flung forward with both fists, slamming them into either Agents' chest. It sent both of them backwards, especially the seven foot tall one with the zero balance in his body, but the other Agent, the one in charge, seemed to accept the blow. He didn't resist or try to fight back as Xander leaped back and sailed out of the door, the bag of everything hanging safely from Alex's arm.
"This feels like a purse. I hate it."
Xander was leaving them alive?
"Fuck it. I keep trying. It's not happening. I don't even trust the gun to do it."
Alex wanted to sigh. It stuck in his throat. He tried again. Still stuck.
One more time.
... Still -
* * *
"That was unnecessary," Jean muttered, climbing out of the pile he'd fallen into. "I will enjoy returning the favour."
"Soon. You have him traced?"
"These lenses are a miracle," Jean said. "We should have ordered them years ago." He nodded his head at the door. "When should I scrape him off the ground?"
"Half an hour, if that. It will be an accomplishment if he makes it down the block," Benoit replied. He picked his cigarette up again and returned it to his mouth. "Good idea?"
"It works well."
Goodbye, Alexander. Jean set his watch to start timing. The lenses could do that, too.
Last edited by Tartra on Sat Nov 20, 2010 2:23 pm; edited 2 times in total
Tartra- Apparition
- Join date : 2010-07-10
Posts : 581
Age : 33
Location : Ottawa, Canada -
Re: The Other Kind of Roommate
by Guest Sat Jul 24, 2010 9:27 am
With the static mostly gone right now, Gwen took the moment to see if she could reach Gerald's mind again. Reaching out mentally, her mind was filled with the man's rambling thoughts - Must find the secret code. Stupid woman! Stupid woman! Thinks she owns the messages in my head! Nice try! You cannot have them! Where is it? Aha! "75 Sexy Tips-On How To Clean Your Weapon" That means something!!! - and she retracted as much as she could after she'd gotten the gist of his thoughts.
The woman he referred to was real, she sensed, not someone in the magazines he was reading, but wading through the irrational flow of thought, she could not determine who exactly he was talking about. She assumed he meant the woman standing before her and instantly relaxed her guard, despite that puzzling white noise and the annoying echo of thought. What she didn't know however, was that Gerald Tomas had gotten a phone call from his mother this morning to remind him to take his meds. Not having taken them the day before, he'd hung up on her prematurely, thinking that she was a spy.
"No, thank you, but I think I'll be alright," Gwen said, giving the woman another polite smile, now assuming she was just a friendly person offering assistance. Reaching out mentally she tried to see if Alex was coming back yet and heard Xander's familiar voice talking both inside and out...to someone with a foreign accent in his room. Trembling, she felt a chill run through her as she heard the men's conversation and felt the emotion coming off of the smoking man's body.
"Look at you, you're shaking like a leaf," Stephanie said in a crooning voice, touching Gwen's arm again and pleased when the young woman did not flinch away this time. She knew Gwen would have trouble being convinced, so she was just waiting for an opportunity now that she was close enough to do something. Reaching into her pocket where the pen was, she jangled the keys lightly to make it seem like that was what she was reaching for.
"I can't," Gwen said, shaking her head, and trying to smile politely again. Something had happened upstairs; Had Xander hurt someone? She did not feel the familiar rush of power, so she assumed he'd done something more physical. With the static buzzing lightly in her ear and the woman parroting everything she was thinking in her own head, it was a bit difficult to concentrate on anything else. "I'm waiting for someone." She turned to look at the stairwell, an urgency in her bones, hoping he'd arrive soon, if nothing else but to assure her he was alright. She could not shake this unsettling feeling. He needs me-Now!
From behind her, a sliver of thought drifted in her mind, an image of something small, slender and metal surging through the air towards her, a split second before the thing actually came, Gwen's hand flying up as she turned to knock it from the golden woman's fingers. "What the hell?" Gwen asked as the pen clattered to the floor by the wall. Now that she was facing her again, Gwen was met with the emotionless mask and the deep and all-consuming void in the woman's head. Her eyes opened wide and she felt her insides turn to ice. "You're..." She could not find the voice to complete the thought suddenly, but she knew what that emptiness meant. An Agent!
Stephanie internally smiled as the realization bloomed on Gwen's features, pleased to see the tension rippling back into place through every muscle of her body. Her charade had been effective. But now it was over and the time for games was passed. Her arm, like a lightning flash, whipped out with deadly force towards Gwen's stomach aiming for under her rib cage, the move intended to hit her and stun her.
Stephanie's echo was still on though and Gwen felt the woman's fist moving through the air a few seconds before it actually reached her, causing her to jump back reflexively, the blow hitting her stomach with less force than was intended. With the air that left Gwen's lungs in a quick burst anyways, that was saying a lot. Shock rippled through the lead Agent's internal layers and quickly she corrected her error, the control she had over her emotions slipping firmly into place.
Gwen stumbled back hunched over and coughing, trying to get away without turning her back on the woman who steadily approached her, that faceless mask making her look like a robot as she descended upon her again with violent force. Remembering her self-defense classes, Gwen tried her best to block the attacks, but the woman was quick, faster than should be possible for a human body. And the blows glided past her defenses knocking her back until she was up against the wall in the corner by the stairs. As much as her hands flew out to counter the attacks that the Agent rained down upon her, it didn't seem to have an effect. The woman wasn't even breaking a sweat it seemed. So, in desperation, Gwen tried something desperate, her left fist flying out low to catch Stephanie in the gut. The Agent saw it however and reacted, her arm slicing down to chop against Gwen's, leaving herself vulnerable to the other fist that came flying up to her face.
Gwen's right hook smashed against Stephanie's cheek causing her to stumble backwards, shaking her head as her face filled with a burning numbness and her head swam a little. Taking the opportunity, Gwen dived forward to ram her knee into the other woman's stomach, her hands going around her to press her body into the blow. Stephanie recovered quickly however and the blow missed it's target as she side-stepped. Reaching out, she grabbed a fistful of Gwen's hair and yanked it harshly, and aimed her fingers, straight out and together like a knife, for Gwen's throat. She definitely was breathing harder now.
The woman he referred to was real, she sensed, not someone in the magazines he was reading, but wading through the irrational flow of thought, she could not determine who exactly he was talking about. She assumed he meant the woman standing before her and instantly relaxed her guard, despite that puzzling white noise and the annoying echo of thought. What she didn't know however, was that Gerald Tomas had gotten a phone call from his mother this morning to remind him to take his meds. Not having taken them the day before, he'd hung up on her prematurely, thinking that she was a spy.
"No, thank you, but I think I'll be alright," Gwen said, giving the woman another polite smile, now assuming she was just a friendly person offering assistance. Reaching out mentally she tried to see if Alex was coming back yet and heard Xander's familiar voice talking both inside and out...to someone with a foreign accent in his room. Trembling, she felt a chill run through her as she heard the men's conversation and felt the emotion coming off of the smoking man's body.
"Look at you, you're shaking like a leaf," Stephanie said in a crooning voice, touching Gwen's arm again and pleased when the young woman did not flinch away this time. She knew Gwen would have trouble being convinced, so she was just waiting for an opportunity now that she was close enough to do something. Reaching into her pocket where the pen was, she jangled the keys lightly to make it seem like that was what she was reaching for.
"I can't," Gwen said, shaking her head, and trying to smile politely again. Something had happened upstairs; Had Xander hurt someone? She did not feel the familiar rush of power, so she assumed he'd done something more physical. With the static buzzing lightly in her ear and the woman parroting everything she was thinking in her own head, it was a bit difficult to concentrate on anything else. "I'm waiting for someone." She turned to look at the stairwell, an urgency in her bones, hoping he'd arrive soon, if nothing else but to assure her he was alright. She could not shake this unsettling feeling. He needs me-Now!
From behind her, a sliver of thought drifted in her mind, an image of something small, slender and metal surging through the air towards her, a split second before the thing actually came, Gwen's hand flying up as she turned to knock it from the golden woman's fingers. "What the hell?" Gwen asked as the pen clattered to the floor by the wall. Now that she was facing her again, Gwen was met with the emotionless mask and the deep and all-consuming void in the woman's head. Her eyes opened wide and she felt her insides turn to ice. "You're..." She could not find the voice to complete the thought suddenly, but she knew what that emptiness meant. An Agent!
Stephanie internally smiled as the realization bloomed on Gwen's features, pleased to see the tension rippling back into place through every muscle of her body. Her charade had been effective. But now it was over and the time for games was passed. Her arm, like a lightning flash, whipped out with deadly force towards Gwen's stomach aiming for under her rib cage, the move intended to hit her and stun her.
Stephanie's echo was still on though and Gwen felt the woman's fist moving through the air a few seconds before it actually reached her, causing her to jump back reflexively, the blow hitting her stomach with less force than was intended. With the air that left Gwen's lungs in a quick burst anyways, that was saying a lot. Shock rippled through the lead Agent's internal layers and quickly she corrected her error, the control she had over her emotions slipping firmly into place.
Gwen stumbled back hunched over and coughing, trying to get away without turning her back on the woman who steadily approached her, that faceless mask making her look like a robot as she descended upon her again with violent force. Remembering her self-defense classes, Gwen tried her best to block the attacks, but the woman was quick, faster than should be possible for a human body. And the blows glided past her defenses knocking her back until she was up against the wall in the corner by the stairs. As much as her hands flew out to counter the attacks that the Agent rained down upon her, it didn't seem to have an effect. The woman wasn't even breaking a sweat it seemed. So, in desperation, Gwen tried something desperate, her left fist flying out low to catch Stephanie in the gut. The Agent saw it however and reacted, her arm slicing down to chop against Gwen's, leaving herself vulnerable to the other fist that came flying up to her face.
Gwen's right hook smashed against Stephanie's cheek causing her to stumble backwards, shaking her head as her face filled with a burning numbness and her head swam a little. Taking the opportunity, Gwen dived forward to ram her knee into the other woman's stomach, her hands going around her to press her body into the blow. Stephanie recovered quickly however and the blow missed it's target as she side-stepped. Reaching out, she grabbed a fistful of Gwen's hair and yanked it harshly, and aimed her fingers, straight out and together like a knife, for Gwen's throat. She definitely was breathing harder now.
Guest- Guest
Re: The Other Kind of Roommate
by Tartra Sat Jul 24, 2010 4:29 pm
Alex realized what was wrong before Xander had left the hall. He couldn't get out. It was like he was trapped inside his head somehow or...
... Holy shit. He'd switched places. For no reason at all - absolutely zero reason, and when the fuck did this happen - suddenly he was the voice inside his head and Xander -
Xander?
"Oh, that's what he did."
What the fuck do you mean 'that's what he did'? What who-
"The guy in there," Xander said, and already Alex could hear a difference in his voice. It was no longer his that'd been warped to something cocky and conceited. Now it sounded like someone else, like someone completely different. "He gave me this weird look when I cracked a hole through his ribs. Thought he was hittin' on me, but damn if I didn't live to see the day where that would've been better."
The Agent had his body. The Agent had his body. The Agent had his body.
"Stop crying. I'm the one who has shit to worry about now."
You're in my body! Like - in, as in exactly how it was supposed to be, Alex snarled. Excuse me for being freaked out!
Xander hadn't stopped running through this. He'd flown down the stairwell as he'd been talking, moving faster than he'd ever been in the last few years. Before he reached the next floor, however, his hand shot out and shoved something face-first into the wall. The Agent. That other Agent. The one they'd tied up in his apartment. He'd done that weird invisibility shit again, and Alex was furious that, for the second time, he'd failed to pick up on it.
"Gonna need these."
And with a sweep of his hands, Xander pulled the goggles by their strap, tearing it off of the Agent's head before firing his entire body into a focused knee to the asshole's gut. Alex could only glimpse as their intruder doubled over, out-matched in the worst way, before he was taken into the hallway and on a hunt for Gwen.
She's not -
"I have eyes," he snapped, walking briskly. "Yours." And then he muttered, mostly to himself, "She couldn't've gone far."
"Haaarrrrrrrrr -"
Alex had solved another mystery. Xander did, somehow, have eyes in the back of his head. He didn't turn or bother looking at anything as the war-cry behind them sounded. He just bent his arm and threw an elbow in what felt like the general direction. The sharp crack that followed and the subtle shudder in his sight was more than enough proof that that damn failure was out a second time, but the dead thud the man made as he fell to the ground was a nice way to hammer it home.
... Good shot.
"They're fucking pathetic. I'm glad I'm out of there," Xander said. He pointed. "See her?"
Who is that? He was glad he didn't have to waste air on the question. Alex could tell with a glance that that woman beside Gwen was an Agent, too. You know her?
"Nope."
Xander had slowed down, trying to hide behind the back of their heads as he walked up. He was doing a fantastic job of it, until the women began to move. They were fighting.
They're fighting -
"Shut up, man," he said. "You're acting like this is the first time I've taken over."
Permanently? Yeah -
"It's not permanent," Xander said. He didn't finish up with that, because now his eyes were focused on the flurry of fists pounding Gwen into a corner. He tensed and readied himself to -
"Give them back!"
This time, it wasn't the shriek that'd given the Agent away. Alex saw it when Xander did, fiercely aware of the dull shadow in the lights around him, the gentle vibration through the floor in the distance, the hushed sound of fabric scraping against itself as someone streaked down the hall... He'd never noticed it before. He still couldn't, and he wasn't able to consciously decide to turn around and face the repeat attacker like his body had magically managed. That was Xander. His thoughts were random bursts of insight Alex managed to glean as they were turned over and considered. For what truly was the first time, he had a horrible glimpse into what Xander could do, and it didn't look ready to end nicer than it usually did.
"Dude - seriously, you're pissing me off," Xander said.
It wasn't enough that the Agent had been taken down twice in two minutes. He charged ahead like a bull, and without even doubting if it was going to work, Xander grabbed the guy by his curly hair, latched onto his momentum and swung him into the hallway wall. The Agent must've been sick of this by now, but he wasn't out of this yet. Xander had the end of his patience, so he made sure there was enough eye contact to burn a path between them and force him to stay down.
That wasn't a kill, Alex said, managing to sound breathless.
"Yeah. Fresh out'f those." He rocketed away from the half-corpse, shoving the goggles absently into his bag, then caught up to the psycho going after Gwen - she had her by the hair and had pointed her fingers like she was about to stab her through her neck - and put his arm up, stopping whatever lethal blow she'd been about to deliver and making extra sure she didn't have any lenses on before letting loose with another mind fry. This one was even weaker than the other, but it'd have to be enough to keep the Agent in place as Xander grabbed Gwen, whose hair was still entangled and who'd probably had a solid jerk on her scalp before she was freed, and ran. "Hope you can move. We're taking the stairs."
Get out of here! Jump out a window!
"Are you fucking insane? I'm not jumping out a window," Xander told him. He was practically dragging Gwen along, wrapping a hand around her waist and nearly pulling her onto him. "We're finding a taxi, getting in, and then you guys're gonna figure out some place to sit while I pass out for a day."
'Pass out'?
"How long do you think I can keep this up for? I'm exhausted," Xander said. "We've got ten minutes, if that, before I'm down and you two are up shit's creek. Again."
... Holy shit. He'd switched places. For no reason at all - absolutely zero reason, and when the fuck did this happen - suddenly he was the voice inside his head and Xander -
Xander?
"Oh, that's what he did."
What the fuck do you mean 'that's what he did'? What who-
"The guy in there," Xander said, and already Alex could hear a difference in his voice. It was no longer his that'd been warped to something cocky and conceited. Now it sounded like someone else, like someone completely different. "He gave me this weird look when I cracked a hole through his ribs. Thought he was hittin' on me, but damn if I didn't live to see the day where that would've been better."
The Agent had his body. The Agent had his body. The Agent had his body.
"Stop crying. I'm the one who has shit to worry about now."
You're in my body! Like - in, as in exactly how it was supposed to be, Alex snarled. Excuse me for being freaked out!
Xander hadn't stopped running through this. He'd flown down the stairwell as he'd been talking, moving faster than he'd ever been in the last few years. Before he reached the next floor, however, his hand shot out and shoved something face-first into the wall. The Agent. That other Agent. The one they'd tied up in his apartment. He'd done that weird invisibility shit again, and Alex was furious that, for the second time, he'd failed to pick up on it.
"Gonna need these."
And with a sweep of his hands, Xander pulled the goggles by their strap, tearing it off of the Agent's head before firing his entire body into a focused knee to the asshole's gut. Alex could only glimpse as their intruder doubled over, out-matched in the worst way, before he was taken into the hallway and on a hunt for Gwen.
She's not -
"I have eyes," he snapped, walking briskly. "Yours." And then he muttered, mostly to himself, "She couldn't've gone far."
"Haaarrrrrrrrr -"
Alex had solved another mystery. Xander did, somehow, have eyes in the back of his head. He didn't turn or bother looking at anything as the war-cry behind them sounded. He just bent his arm and threw an elbow in what felt like the general direction. The sharp crack that followed and the subtle shudder in his sight was more than enough proof that that damn failure was out a second time, but the dead thud the man made as he fell to the ground was a nice way to hammer it home.
... Good shot.
"They're fucking pathetic. I'm glad I'm out of there," Xander said. He pointed. "See her?"
Who is that? He was glad he didn't have to waste air on the question. Alex could tell with a glance that that woman beside Gwen was an Agent, too. You know her?
"Nope."
Xander had slowed down, trying to hide behind the back of their heads as he walked up. He was doing a fantastic job of it, until the women began to move. They were fighting.
They're fighting -
"Shut up, man," he said. "You're acting like this is the first time I've taken over."
Permanently? Yeah -
"It's not permanent," Xander said. He didn't finish up with that, because now his eyes were focused on the flurry of fists pounding Gwen into a corner. He tensed and readied himself to -
"Give them back!"
This time, it wasn't the shriek that'd given the Agent away. Alex saw it when Xander did, fiercely aware of the dull shadow in the lights around him, the gentle vibration through the floor in the distance, the hushed sound of fabric scraping against itself as someone streaked down the hall... He'd never noticed it before. He still couldn't, and he wasn't able to consciously decide to turn around and face the repeat attacker like his body had magically managed. That was Xander. His thoughts were random bursts of insight Alex managed to glean as they were turned over and considered. For what truly was the first time, he had a horrible glimpse into what Xander could do, and it didn't look ready to end nicer than it usually did.
"Dude - seriously, you're pissing me off," Xander said.
It wasn't enough that the Agent had been taken down twice in two minutes. He charged ahead like a bull, and without even doubting if it was going to work, Xander grabbed the guy by his curly hair, latched onto his momentum and swung him into the hallway wall. The Agent must've been sick of this by now, but he wasn't out of this yet. Xander had the end of his patience, so he made sure there was enough eye contact to burn a path between them and force him to stay down.
That wasn't a kill, Alex said, managing to sound breathless.
"Yeah. Fresh out'f those." He rocketed away from the half-corpse, shoving the goggles absently into his bag, then caught up to the psycho going after Gwen - she had her by the hair and had pointed her fingers like she was about to stab her through her neck - and put his arm up, stopping whatever lethal blow she'd been about to deliver and making extra sure she didn't have any lenses on before letting loose with another mind fry. This one was even weaker than the other, but it'd have to be enough to keep the Agent in place as Xander grabbed Gwen, whose hair was still entangled and who'd probably had a solid jerk on her scalp before she was freed, and ran. "Hope you can move. We're taking the stairs."
Get out of here! Jump out a window!
"Are you fucking insane? I'm not jumping out a window," Xander told him. He was practically dragging Gwen along, wrapping a hand around her waist and nearly pulling her onto him. "We're finding a taxi, getting in, and then you guys're gonna figure out some place to sit while I pass out for a day."
'Pass out'?
"How long do you think I can keep this up for? I'm exhausted," Xander said. "We've got ten minutes, if that, before I'm down and you two are up shit's creek. Again."
Last edited by Tartra on Sat Nov 20, 2010 2:32 pm; edited 1 time in total
Tartra- Apparition
- Join date : 2010-07-10
Posts : 581
Age : 33
Location : Ottawa, Canada -
Re: The Other Kind of Roommate
by Guest Sat Jul 24, 2010 5:27 pm
Stephanie was idly aware of the other fight going on in the hallway with them but did not break her focus as her arm drew back and started moving swiftly through the air, aiming for Gwen's neck. She was too busy relishing this moment of assured victory, enough force in the blow to stun the target, so she did not notice Xander until he was already there sandwiched between them. The Agent had only a moment for her eyes to widen before she felt the searing pulse fill her skull from the fixated stare he gave her. Rooted in place, she stared dazed as if left standing in a coma.
Gwen was almost certain she was going to die before Xander appeared and a gasp of relief left her. The familiar warmth of his power rippled through her own mind as he looked into the woman's eyes and she felt the Agent's mind fade like a phone's busy signal. His arm wrapped around her then and he was pulling her away but not before the wretched woman's fingers tugged violently on her scalp with the motion. A sharp yelp escaped her throat before finally her hair pulled free of the Agent's claw-like grasp and Xander was running while practically carrying her towards the stairs. Listening to their conversation, she didn't realize anything was different about him at first until she heard Alex's voice inside like she would have Xander's.
Despite the beating she'd received, she struggled out of his hold and ran on her own as they entered the stairwell, adrenaline pumping through her and the promise of escape giving her feet wings. "What the hell happened?" she couldn't help asking as they fled down the stairs 3 steps at a time. "What happens in 10 minutes?" her voice came out breathlessly and she couldn't help casting a quick glance behind them to see if anyone was following. The stairs appeared empty.
It had been hard during her fight with Stephanie - at the appearance of Xander, some of the woman's defenses had fallen and she now knew the Agent's name - to sense anything other than what was happening right in front of her, so she didn't understand why Xander was so exhausted now or if it was something that normally happened when he took over for too long. Knowing his plan, she felt a little more at ease, flying down the stairs and shadowing him closely. The internal voices of those who were in the building right now swam through her mind but did not crowd her like before, her heart thundering in her ears and drowning them all out.
Within minutes they'd reached the lobby and her face brightened considerably to see the front doors, afternoon light shining through the windows like a beacon of salvation. No sounds of pursuit came from the stairs behind them. They were going to get away!
Gwen was almost certain she was going to die before Xander appeared and a gasp of relief left her. The familiar warmth of his power rippled through her own mind as he looked into the woman's eyes and she felt the Agent's mind fade like a phone's busy signal. His arm wrapped around her then and he was pulling her away but not before the wretched woman's fingers tugged violently on her scalp with the motion. A sharp yelp escaped her throat before finally her hair pulled free of the Agent's claw-like grasp and Xander was running while practically carrying her towards the stairs. Listening to their conversation, she didn't realize anything was different about him at first until she heard Alex's voice inside like she would have Xander's.
Despite the beating she'd received, she struggled out of his hold and ran on her own as they entered the stairwell, adrenaline pumping through her and the promise of escape giving her feet wings. "What the hell happened?" she couldn't help asking as they fled down the stairs 3 steps at a time. "What happens in 10 minutes?" her voice came out breathlessly and she couldn't help casting a quick glance behind them to see if anyone was following. The stairs appeared empty.
It had been hard during her fight with Stephanie - at the appearance of Xander, some of the woman's defenses had fallen and she now knew the Agent's name - to sense anything other than what was happening right in front of her, so she didn't understand why Xander was so exhausted now or if it was something that normally happened when he took over for too long. Knowing his plan, she felt a little more at ease, flying down the stairs and shadowing him closely. The internal voices of those who were in the building right now swam through her mind but did not crowd her like before, her heart thundering in her ears and drowning them all out.
Within minutes they'd reached the lobby and her face brightened considerably to see the front doors, afternoon light shining through the windows like a beacon of salvation. No sounds of pursuit came from the stairs behind them. They were going to get away!
Guest- Guest
Re: The Other Kind of Roommate
by Tartra Sun Jul 25, 2010 1:21 am
This was going pretty well, all things considered. Then again, getting out of the building was part one. Part two was getting a taxi, part three was getting his body back -
"What happened is that I'm stuck out here in full control," Xander said. He'd stopped running at the sight of the front doors. He was back to a brisk walk, eager to get out of here, but pacing himself all the same. "We need to find a taxi. Start looking for one."
She asked you what's going to happen, Alex said. Are you sure you're out in ten minutes?
"I'm guessing," he told him. "Might be ten, might be twenty, but I'm wearing out fast and whatever the fuck he did to me, riding shotgun's not an option now. Find a damn taxi."
There was no one on the road outside. It was like the city had emptied around them, but that wasn't what was on Alex's mind. Being out of control - completely - was something he'd be able to stomach if he knew, at least, it'd be worth something. Whatever Xander's motivation was, he was still on the run. They needed everything he had to offer and, right now, he needed them. If he did pass out, if he did collapse...
I'll take over.
"Huh?"
I said I'll take over, Alex said. He caught a whiff of confusion. My body?
"If you can do it, do it fast," Xander replied.
Alex would've frowned if he could. His mouth was so far out of his reach, though. And that wasn't what he'd been getting at. He tried again, speaking slowly this time.
If you pass out, I'll take over my body again. Problem solved. In the meantime -
"I'm pretty sure that's not how this works."
Taxi! A taxi! If he could see it, Xander could see it, and sure enough, he began marching forward.
How do you know that's not how it works? Now he was trying to scowl. Agent insight?
"Common sense. Mr. Won't-Die is not the kind of person who'd spend the effort getting those lenses to take me out just to let you run off immediately afterwards."
He thinks I'm pathetic.
"You are pathetic."
But he told me he'd crush me in a second, Alex said. It'd be easier to hunt me down if you were out of the way. I'll -
"It'd be even easier if I was gone and you had no control. Feel like having another coma? 'Cause that's probably what this is gonna be. Keep up, Gwen. I'll look after you when we're out of here."
There'd been an absent fear growing in the back of Alex's mind. When they learned about Gwen and her new role in the Agents' missions, he'd wondered if Xander planned to offer her up as some kind of a gift or bargaining chip. With such incredible access to what the guy was feeling, he was sure he'd know what his true intentions were if he simply asked. But wouldn't Gwen have been able to pick up on it if he had? And if he really was trying to strike a deal, what was the point of knocking out that other woman? Or any of the other Agents? Their French stalker would've been perfectly happy to negotiate. So maybe he was being paranoid again. Maybe... maybe he was an idiot for accusing Xander at all.
Nothing to say about that?
"About what?" The taxi had seen them. It was pulling over to the curb. No one was bearing down on them and no one was sneaking up from behind, but Alex couldn't be expected to know.
About what I said.
"You didn't say anything."
He couldn't hear his thoughts anymore, Alex realized. Or hear his emotions, or however the hell it worked. That was part of the switch. He had privacy now. ... But unless Xander really was as thoughtless as he acted, there should've been more information flowing between them. The guy had something to say about every notion that'd popped into Alex's head. Either he needed a hell of a lot more practise at this or Xander was doing something to severely limit what he let Alex in on.
I said 'maybe I should trust you', he said. I think you need us too much to stab us in the back now.
"Hey, that's great to hear." He stopped, opened the taxi door and turned to Gwen with the wad of cash in his hand. "You're gonna be in charge of this for a while. Get him to drive as far as he possibly can. If you can't wait for me to wake up - well... Keep running."
... Just a second.
What the hell do you mean 'coma'? Not again. Never again. Am I waking up if you pass out?
"Maybe."
'Maybe'?
"And try to keep Alex calm, too," Xander said, waiting for the woman to get in. "He's havin' a bad day. How's yours going? Enjoy the coffee?"
"What happened is that I'm stuck out here in full control," Xander said. He'd stopped running at the sight of the front doors. He was back to a brisk walk, eager to get out of here, but pacing himself all the same. "We need to find a taxi. Start looking for one."
She asked you what's going to happen, Alex said. Are you sure you're out in ten minutes?
"I'm guessing," he told him. "Might be ten, might be twenty, but I'm wearing out fast and whatever the fuck he did to me, riding shotgun's not an option now. Find a damn taxi."
There was no one on the road outside. It was like the city had emptied around them, but that wasn't what was on Alex's mind. Being out of control - completely - was something he'd be able to stomach if he knew, at least, it'd be worth something. Whatever Xander's motivation was, he was still on the run. They needed everything he had to offer and, right now, he needed them. If he did pass out, if he did collapse...
I'll take over.
"Huh?"
I said I'll take over, Alex said. He caught a whiff of confusion. My body?
"If you can do it, do it fast," Xander replied.
Alex would've frowned if he could. His mouth was so far out of his reach, though. And that wasn't what he'd been getting at. He tried again, speaking slowly this time.
If you pass out, I'll take over my body again. Problem solved. In the meantime -
"I'm pretty sure that's not how this works."
Taxi! A taxi! If he could see it, Xander could see it, and sure enough, he began marching forward.
How do you know that's not how it works? Now he was trying to scowl. Agent insight?
"Common sense. Mr. Won't-Die is not the kind of person who'd spend the effort getting those lenses to take me out just to let you run off immediately afterwards."
He thinks I'm pathetic.
"You are pathetic."
But he told me he'd crush me in a second, Alex said. It'd be easier to hunt me down if you were out of the way. I'll -
"It'd be even easier if I was gone and you had no control. Feel like having another coma? 'Cause that's probably what this is gonna be. Keep up, Gwen. I'll look after you when we're out of here."
There'd been an absent fear growing in the back of Alex's mind. When they learned about Gwen and her new role in the Agents' missions, he'd wondered if Xander planned to offer her up as some kind of a gift or bargaining chip. With such incredible access to what the guy was feeling, he was sure he'd know what his true intentions were if he simply asked. But wouldn't Gwen have been able to pick up on it if he had? And if he really was trying to strike a deal, what was the point of knocking out that other woman? Or any of the other Agents? Their French stalker would've been perfectly happy to negotiate. So maybe he was being paranoid again. Maybe... maybe he was an idiot for accusing Xander at all.
Nothing to say about that?
"About what?" The taxi had seen them. It was pulling over to the curb. No one was bearing down on them and no one was sneaking up from behind, but Alex couldn't be expected to know.
About what I said.
"You didn't say anything."
He couldn't hear his thoughts anymore, Alex realized. Or hear his emotions, or however the hell it worked. That was part of the switch. He had privacy now. ... But unless Xander really was as thoughtless as he acted, there should've been more information flowing between them. The guy had something to say about every notion that'd popped into Alex's head. Either he needed a hell of a lot more practise at this or Xander was doing something to severely limit what he let Alex in on.
I said 'maybe I should trust you', he said. I think you need us too much to stab us in the back now.
"Hey, that's great to hear." He stopped, opened the taxi door and turned to Gwen with the wad of cash in his hand. "You're gonna be in charge of this for a while. Get him to drive as far as he possibly can. If you can't wait for me to wake up - well... Keep running."
... Just a second.
What the hell do you mean 'coma'? Not again. Never again. Am I waking up if you pass out?
"Maybe."
'Maybe'?
"And try to keep Alex calm, too," Xander said, waiting for the woman to get in. "He's havin' a bad day. How's yours going? Enjoy the coffee?"
Last edited by Tartra on Tue Nov 23, 2010 1:23 pm; edited 1 time in total
Tartra- Apparition
- Join date : 2010-07-10
Posts : 581
Age : 33
Location : Ottawa, Canada -
Re: The Other Kind of Roommate
by Guest Sun Jul 25, 2010 3:02 am
Despite their escape from threat, fear gripped Gwen's heart in a vice as Xander responded to her questions, with a little prodding from Alex on the inside. It was so strange to hear Alex speaking internally and she worried that she might not see him again with the way their discussion was going. One consolation was that she could still feel his emotions even though he'd essentially switched seats with Xander. But other than emotions, she could not detect any of Xander's thoughts and she supposed it had something to do with them sharing a head, although she wasn't sure why that would be.
Fatigue came off of Xander in waves and it only made Gwen feel more on edge knowing that it meant they had a time limit, her eyes searching for a taxi as soon as they left the building. Looking around however, she noticed the empty street and a shiver ran through her. Distantly, she was aware of the commotion still going on further down in front of the coffee shop and knew that several people had gathered on the edge of a police barricade to gawk at the dead bodies. A news crew had arrived as well as several police cars and Roasters had been shut down temporarily as the police dealt with the crises right on it's doorstep. They did not know yet what had happened, despite eyewitnesses and she let out a breath of relief.
Turning back to Xander, she caught up quickly on their conversation and continued to follow them silently as they approached the taxi together. Escape was almost assured now, if only she understood what was going to happen. Would it be like before when Xander would take over whenever he felt like? Could Alex do that? Now that Xander was the main one, and he got tired so easily, what did that mean for Alex? Would she be left alone while he was asleep or whatever? Thinking of that only brought up more fears if in the future at some point she encountered Agents while Xander was recharging or whatever the hell he did. If they were anything like Ms. Black Hole, Gwen would get them all killed trying to protect him.
Xander's discussion of going into a coma did not inspire any confidence in her, but she felt a small burst of warmth at the protective tone of his voice as he promised to watch over her. As the taxi stopped and their conversation continued, Gwen was made aware of not only how her relationship to them had changed but how internally they'd changed as well. The dynamic had been fully switched it seemed, and whereas Gwen felt doubt and then acceptance flowing through Alex as he reasoned things out, Xander said nothing about it. A second later he made it clear why he hadn't, although at first, Gwen had thought that it was the exhaustion making him not care enough to comment on everything like he had before.
When they were at the cab, Xander opened the door for her and pressed a bunch of bills into her hand, giving her instructions on what to do with the money. Looking into his eyes, that fear she felt gripped her again at the prospect of having to leave him behind if Agents came upon them again. She didn't know if she'd be able to do that, but nodded her head in stalwart agreement. At his last comments, she regained a bit of her good spirits and said, "Watching you humiliate a coffee shop employee repeatedly until there's nothing even resembling human dignity left, then having you perform lobotomies in the middle of an intersection while I'm suddenly transported inside everybody's heads and almost getting killed by a walking black hole; I'm having the time of my life. You definitely know how to show a girl a good time. Can't wait for the second date."
Entering the cab she immediately encountered the thoughts of Salvatore Robinson, who was a stocky man of Italian ethnicity, with a head of curly black hair, wiry ringlets sticking out from under his cap, and grizzly mutton chops on his round cheeks. He was having a pretty decent day compared to most, encountering only a little traffic so far this morning and afternoon, and the fares he'd been transporting had gone far distances and paid him lots of money. He'd watched as the bills had passed between their hands through the car's windows and he was already crossing his fingers that he'd be able to make a large percentage of that wad his.
Gwen smiled a little bit until a new thought entered her mind, the expression frozen on her face and her whole body growing tense. Even from outside the building, she could feel that emptiness inside Stephanie stir, and when it started to move, her eyes went wide and a gasp was ripped from her throat. She was still sitting in the first seat of the cab when she turned to Xander standing in the doorway, waiting for her to move over, and she grabbed a fistful of his shirt tugging on him frantically. "Get in! Get in!" she urged in a panicked tone, her bottom scooting over to occupy the other seat in the back of the taxi as Xander followed her in and closed the door.
Turning to the cab driver, she reached through the little window between the front and back seats, her hand grabbing onto Salvatore's shoulder and jerking him forward and backward, practically hopping in her seat. "Drive, Sal! Drive!" Shock and confusion filled the man but he did as he was told with minimal sputtered protest, peeling away from the curb with a small screech of tires.
Blinking several times and breathing in deeply, Stephanie became aware of her surroundings again, the mask she wore instantly moved back into place as she regarded the empty hallway. A little ways away she noticed Jason still lying upon the ground passed out and anger filled her to realize Gwen had gotten away again. Running over to the window at the end of the hallway, she peered out onto the street just in time to see the taxi disappear around the corner and out of sight.
That stupid Frenchman! Of course he failed to capture his target again and not only that, he'd failed to occupy Alexander's attention long enough for her and Jason to capture their own target. Red filled her vision, the immovable blank features of her face remaining stoic as she stared down at Jason's body. This had been exactly what she'd predicted would happen! But no! The son of a bitch had insisted they take the opportunity to try and capture Gwen now! The idiot!
Placidly, she walked over to where Gwen had knocked her electric pen by the wall of the hallway and bent to pick it up. An electric buzzing started up as she turned it on and the tip danced with blue bolts of energy, like wiry strands of hair, branching out and disappearing in a constant ripple. Walking over to Jason's body, she turned him over onto his back and brought the pen near. She would hurt him with it! She would hurt him so bad, whatever Alexander did to him would seem like fucking Christmas morning! Her chest rose and fell and internally she grit her teeth before the rage exploded inside of her and she clicked another button on the pen, switching out the taser for a knife. It would be much more merciful if she just made sure the imbecile did not EVER wake up again.
She had the blade against his throat and was about to apply pressure when she stopped herself. No. This was as much her failure as it was his. She'd taken the opportunity because she'd wanted to and although it had been his idea - it would feel so good right now to plunge this into his flesh and watch the blood gush out - she could not blame him solely. SHE was the one in charge and in the end, she'd been the one to make the decision. And she'd been wrong.
Clicking the buttons on the pen, the knife retracted and it was a regular pen again. Tucking it away into her pocket, she slapped him full force across the face. "Get up," she said without anger or inflection. "We need to go have a talk with Benoit and I'm not going to wait for your lazy ass to wake up."
Fatigue came off of Xander in waves and it only made Gwen feel more on edge knowing that it meant they had a time limit, her eyes searching for a taxi as soon as they left the building. Looking around however, she noticed the empty street and a shiver ran through her. Distantly, she was aware of the commotion still going on further down in front of the coffee shop and knew that several people had gathered on the edge of a police barricade to gawk at the dead bodies. A news crew had arrived as well as several police cars and Roasters had been shut down temporarily as the police dealt with the crises right on it's doorstep. They did not know yet what had happened, despite eyewitnesses and she let out a breath of relief.
Turning back to Xander, she caught up quickly on their conversation and continued to follow them silently as they approached the taxi together. Escape was almost assured now, if only she understood what was going to happen. Would it be like before when Xander would take over whenever he felt like? Could Alex do that? Now that Xander was the main one, and he got tired so easily, what did that mean for Alex? Would she be left alone while he was asleep or whatever? Thinking of that only brought up more fears if in the future at some point she encountered Agents while Xander was recharging or whatever the hell he did. If they were anything like Ms. Black Hole, Gwen would get them all killed trying to protect him.
Xander's discussion of going into a coma did not inspire any confidence in her, but she felt a small burst of warmth at the protective tone of his voice as he promised to watch over her. As the taxi stopped and their conversation continued, Gwen was made aware of not only how her relationship to them had changed but how internally they'd changed as well. The dynamic had been fully switched it seemed, and whereas Gwen felt doubt and then acceptance flowing through Alex as he reasoned things out, Xander said nothing about it. A second later he made it clear why he hadn't, although at first, Gwen had thought that it was the exhaustion making him not care enough to comment on everything like he had before.
When they were at the cab, Xander opened the door for her and pressed a bunch of bills into her hand, giving her instructions on what to do with the money. Looking into his eyes, that fear she felt gripped her again at the prospect of having to leave him behind if Agents came upon them again. She didn't know if she'd be able to do that, but nodded her head in stalwart agreement. At his last comments, she regained a bit of her good spirits and said, "Watching you humiliate a coffee shop employee repeatedly until there's nothing even resembling human dignity left, then having you perform lobotomies in the middle of an intersection while I'm suddenly transported inside everybody's heads and almost getting killed by a walking black hole; I'm having the time of my life. You definitely know how to show a girl a good time. Can't wait for the second date."
Entering the cab she immediately encountered the thoughts of Salvatore Robinson, who was a stocky man of Italian ethnicity, with a head of curly black hair, wiry ringlets sticking out from under his cap, and grizzly mutton chops on his round cheeks. He was having a pretty decent day compared to most, encountering only a little traffic so far this morning and afternoon, and the fares he'd been transporting had gone far distances and paid him lots of money. He'd watched as the bills had passed between their hands through the car's windows and he was already crossing his fingers that he'd be able to make a large percentage of that wad his.
Gwen smiled a little bit until a new thought entered her mind, the expression frozen on her face and her whole body growing tense. Even from outside the building, she could feel that emptiness inside Stephanie stir, and when it started to move, her eyes went wide and a gasp was ripped from her throat. She was still sitting in the first seat of the cab when she turned to Xander standing in the doorway, waiting for her to move over, and she grabbed a fistful of his shirt tugging on him frantically. "Get in! Get in!" she urged in a panicked tone, her bottom scooting over to occupy the other seat in the back of the taxi as Xander followed her in and closed the door.
Turning to the cab driver, she reached through the little window between the front and back seats, her hand grabbing onto Salvatore's shoulder and jerking him forward and backward, practically hopping in her seat. "Drive, Sal! Drive!" Shock and confusion filled the man but he did as he was told with minimal sputtered protest, peeling away from the curb with a small screech of tires.
*************
Blinking several times and breathing in deeply, Stephanie became aware of her surroundings again, the mask she wore instantly moved back into place as she regarded the empty hallway. A little ways away she noticed Jason still lying upon the ground passed out and anger filled her to realize Gwen had gotten away again. Running over to the window at the end of the hallway, she peered out onto the street just in time to see the taxi disappear around the corner and out of sight.
That stupid Frenchman! Of course he failed to capture his target again and not only that, he'd failed to occupy Alexander's attention long enough for her and Jason to capture their own target. Red filled her vision, the immovable blank features of her face remaining stoic as she stared down at Jason's body. This had been exactly what she'd predicted would happen! But no! The son of a bitch had insisted they take the opportunity to try and capture Gwen now! The idiot!
Placidly, she walked over to where Gwen had knocked her electric pen by the wall of the hallway and bent to pick it up. An electric buzzing started up as she turned it on and the tip danced with blue bolts of energy, like wiry strands of hair, branching out and disappearing in a constant ripple. Walking over to Jason's body, she turned him over onto his back and brought the pen near. She would hurt him with it! She would hurt him so bad, whatever Alexander did to him would seem like fucking Christmas morning! Her chest rose and fell and internally she grit her teeth before the rage exploded inside of her and she clicked another button on the pen, switching out the taser for a knife. It would be much more merciful if she just made sure the imbecile did not EVER wake up again.
She had the blade against his throat and was about to apply pressure when she stopped herself. No. This was as much her failure as it was his. She'd taken the opportunity because she'd wanted to and although it had been his idea - it would feel so good right now to plunge this into his flesh and watch the blood gush out - she could not blame him solely. SHE was the one in charge and in the end, she'd been the one to make the decision. And she'd been wrong.
Clicking the buttons on the pen, the knife retracted and it was a regular pen again. Tucking it away into her pocket, she slapped him full force across the face. "Get up," she said without anger or inflection. "We need to go have a talk with Benoit and I'm not going to wait for your lazy ass to wake up."
Guest- Guest
Re: The Other Kind of Roommate
by Tartra Sun Jul 25, 2010 11:15 am
This was the worst day of Jason's life. The first experience with that mind ray had been agonizing and torturous, but he knew, even before he had something to compare it with, that Alexander was keeping him alive to interrogate later. This time? It was not the same. This was supposed to be lethal and it hadn't been. He didn't know why, but in his floating, half-real idea of what was going on around him, he could guess that the man had either been in too much of a hurry to finish the job or just assumed that two month thing would take care of him eventually. Or maybe he'd thought harder about it than that and kept Jason alive because he seemed to be excelling at fucking everything up on this end.
This wasn't the kind of Agent he was. He was a professional, dammit, and he'd underestimated Alexander twice. The first time had an excuse attached to it. The second, part a, did, too. He'd stupidly thought seeing him in his faded suit had been a one-chance stroke of luck, but apparently Alexander was as familiar with his technology as Frenchie insisted. He'd been trying to get Jason's guard down and it worked. But he'd've been content to lie there after that knee to his stomach if he hadn't been ripped away from his goggles, the lifeblood of everything his suit could do, seconds later. In that moment, something inside of him had snapped. It wasn't like before when they'd told him to wear something else and he'd be allowed to carry the goggles with him; the goggles were gone and the panic had bubbled up instantly. He had no choice but to attack. Repeatedly. Purposefully. Clumsily. There'd been no coordination and he was shocked that was still breathing.
Then he felt someone standing over him and the brush of a line against his throat. He didn't have to be trained to know what it was. His lead wasn't playing around anymore. To be honest, he'd do the same in her position.
The knife was gone.
With a mighty slap across his face racing like fire to every pain center in his brain - amazingly, that thing still worked - Jason snapped out of it. He blinked once, twice, then tried to focus on her. She almost refused to come out as anything but blurry and he forced himself to sit up.
"I'm awake," he said, sounding too happy and hopeful for anyone's tastes. It was gone after that. The life bled out of his voice. "They took the goggles."
Not that she cared, he bitterly remembered. Why would she?
"We can trace them," he said, starting to wake up. "The goggles - it'd take seconds. We'd know exactly where they are."
"Ah, tracers." That voice. It sounded as smoky as it smelled. "Reliable technology. Ancient, but the cornerstone to any operation of this caliber."
"You look like you had fun," the Flunky said.
Jason must've missed the ding from the elevator and hadn't noticed the doors open, but he watched as they came out and joined them, one smirking pleasantly to himself, and the other a brain cell away from chewing on his shoes.
"Glad to see your catch of the day," Jason said. "With all due respect. Sir."
Benoit's smirk became a smile, and he answered silkily, "The best trap takes its time to work."
"It defeats the purpose a little, though," Jason said. "What's the point of hunting something if you're going to let it die where you can't reach it?"
"Relax," Benoit said. "I know where he is. And this way, I have ensured Alexander is neutralized before we engage him again. Considering your dear girl's new interest in him, I say a very large anchor has been tied around her neck if she chooses to wait by his side. You should thank me. I have done your job for you." He took a moment to get another cloud circling his head. "I expected as much anyway."
"I cannot understand why you keep him around," the Flunky muttered. "Every time I find him, it is after he has failed to grasp the concept of 'close your eyes'."
"No, Jean. You know better than that. Blame the thread, not the needle, if the stitch fails to hold." He was talking about Jason's lead. He was unashamedly unwilling to hide it. "After all, it is the thread that must keep the fabric together. But I suppose failure is warranted in unfamiliar territory. Welcome to the world of chain-mail, Miss Agent. What do you think of it, as a native of the world of tissue?"
"I think they understand our point, Benoit."
And, of course, they 'hawhn-hawhn-hawhn'd over that one for forever.
Xander yawned.
Coffee's not gonna fix that, is it?
"I'm up for trying."
Alex was more than happy to let Gwen take over for now. She had him in the cab, she had the cab on the move, she had the money to keep the guy motivated, and she should be decent at sensing any trouble, new to her powers or not. The problem was what they were going to do with the dead weight if it turned out Alex couldn't take over when Xander collapsed, which he was clearly on the verge of.
You should sleep now, Alex said. If you're gonna wear down anyway, don't bother pushing my body to its limit.
He felt a flicker of annoyance at the emphasis on 'my' but it was topped by the flash of amusement that came after it. Xander's trick to limit what he projected seemed to be wearing down, but he was too weak - that was a horrifying thing to think about - to feel much anyway. Running on reserves, he turned to Gwen and said, "So. Second date. Walk along the beaches of Iraq? 'M sure they'd be friendlier than these guys."
We should find a hotel, Alex said. Far away, I mean. Really, really far away.
That's why those credit cards would come in handy. He wasn't stupid enough to actually have any in his name, even if using them at all still came with a risk. Did he have to worry about that, though? Whatever the French Agent had done, he seemed positive he'd be able to find them after. Plus, Xander brought along a sharp looking piece of Agent tech by grabbing the useless one's goggles. They had to have a way to trace it. They must have been feeling very, very confident that they could catch up if they hadn't set out after him and Gwen immediately. He hoped it'd be their downfall, or at least keep them at bay for long enough to get Xander up and running again.
Or get my body back...
"Yeah. Okay. That's it. I'm tired," Xander said. "Find a hotel - like... ten cities away if you can, then get someone to drag my ass up there. If they ask, I'm drunk."
That's the cover you're coming up with? It's early afternoon.
"Just say I'm an alcoholic," Xander muttered. "I can shut you up with that now, right? Save me a few drinks up there."
With that darling request, Alex saw his eyes close completely. After a short breath, Xander was asleep, and then Alex felt a lightness come over him. He shot out instantly and started grabbing for his fingers, his toes, anything he might've been able to get control of. Nothing. There was nothing there. He was more out of touch than before and his situation was starting to get worse.
Gwen? Gwen - I hope you can hear me. I don't want to be in here alone.
This wasn't the kind of Agent he was. He was a professional, dammit, and he'd underestimated Alexander twice. The first time had an excuse attached to it. The second, part a, did, too. He'd stupidly thought seeing him in his faded suit had been a one-chance stroke of luck, but apparently Alexander was as familiar with his technology as Frenchie insisted. He'd been trying to get Jason's guard down and it worked. But he'd've been content to lie there after that knee to his stomach if he hadn't been ripped away from his goggles, the lifeblood of everything his suit could do, seconds later. In that moment, something inside of him had snapped. It wasn't like before when they'd told him to wear something else and he'd be allowed to carry the goggles with him; the goggles were gone and the panic had bubbled up instantly. He had no choice but to attack. Repeatedly. Purposefully. Clumsily. There'd been no coordination and he was shocked that was still breathing.
Then he felt someone standing over him and the brush of a line against his throat. He didn't have to be trained to know what it was. His lead wasn't playing around anymore. To be honest, he'd do the same in her position.
The knife was gone.
With a mighty slap across his face racing like fire to every pain center in his brain - amazingly, that thing still worked - Jason snapped out of it. He blinked once, twice, then tried to focus on her. She almost refused to come out as anything but blurry and he forced himself to sit up.
"I'm awake," he said, sounding too happy and hopeful for anyone's tastes. It was gone after that. The life bled out of his voice. "They took the goggles."
Not that she cared, he bitterly remembered. Why would she?
"We can trace them," he said, starting to wake up. "The goggles - it'd take seconds. We'd know exactly where they are."
"Ah, tracers." That voice. It sounded as smoky as it smelled. "Reliable technology. Ancient, but the cornerstone to any operation of this caliber."
"You look like you had fun," the Flunky said.
Jason must've missed the ding from the elevator and hadn't noticed the doors open, but he watched as they came out and joined them, one smirking pleasantly to himself, and the other a brain cell away from chewing on his shoes.
"Glad to see your catch of the day," Jason said. "With all due respect. Sir."
Benoit's smirk became a smile, and he answered silkily, "The best trap takes its time to work."
"It defeats the purpose a little, though," Jason said. "What's the point of hunting something if you're going to let it die where you can't reach it?"
"Relax," Benoit said. "I know where he is. And this way, I have ensured Alexander is neutralized before we engage him again. Considering your dear girl's new interest in him, I say a very large anchor has been tied around her neck if she chooses to wait by his side. You should thank me. I have done your job for you." He took a moment to get another cloud circling his head. "I expected as much anyway."
"I cannot understand why you keep him around," the Flunky muttered. "Every time I find him, it is after he has failed to grasp the concept of 'close your eyes'."
"No, Jean. You know better than that. Blame the thread, not the needle, if the stitch fails to hold." He was talking about Jason's lead. He was unashamedly unwilling to hide it. "After all, it is the thread that must keep the fabric together. But I suppose failure is warranted in unfamiliar territory. Welcome to the world of chain-mail, Miss Agent. What do you think of it, as a native of the world of tissue?"
"I think they understand our point, Benoit."
And, of course, they 'hawhn-hawhn-hawhn'd over that one for forever.
* * *
Xander yawned.
Coffee's not gonna fix that, is it?
"I'm up for trying."
Alex was more than happy to let Gwen take over for now. She had him in the cab, she had the cab on the move, she had the money to keep the guy motivated, and she should be decent at sensing any trouble, new to her powers or not. The problem was what they were going to do with the dead weight if it turned out Alex couldn't take over when Xander collapsed, which he was clearly on the verge of.
You should sleep now, Alex said. If you're gonna wear down anyway, don't bother pushing my body to its limit.
He felt a flicker of annoyance at the emphasis on 'my' but it was topped by the flash of amusement that came after it. Xander's trick to limit what he projected seemed to be wearing down, but he was too weak - that was a horrifying thing to think about - to feel much anyway. Running on reserves, he turned to Gwen and said, "So. Second date. Walk along the beaches of Iraq? 'M sure they'd be friendlier than these guys."
We should find a hotel, Alex said. Far away, I mean. Really, really far away.
That's why those credit cards would come in handy. He wasn't stupid enough to actually have any in his name, even if using them at all still came with a risk. Did he have to worry about that, though? Whatever the French Agent had done, he seemed positive he'd be able to find them after. Plus, Xander brought along a sharp looking piece of Agent tech by grabbing the useless one's goggles. They had to have a way to trace it. They must have been feeling very, very confident that they could catch up if they hadn't set out after him and Gwen immediately. He hoped it'd be their downfall, or at least keep them at bay for long enough to get Xander up and running again.
Or get my body back...
"Yeah. Okay. That's it. I'm tired," Xander said. "Find a hotel - like... ten cities away if you can, then get someone to drag my ass up there. If they ask, I'm drunk."
That's the cover you're coming up with? It's early afternoon.
"Just say I'm an alcoholic," Xander muttered. "I can shut you up with that now, right? Save me a few drinks up there."
With that darling request, Alex saw his eyes close completely. After a short breath, Xander was asleep, and then Alex felt a lightness come over him. He shot out instantly and started grabbing for his fingers, his toes, anything he might've been able to get control of. Nothing. There was nothing there. He was more out of touch than before and his situation was starting to get worse.
Gwen? Gwen - I hope you can hear me. I don't want to be in here alone.
Last edited by Tartra on Tue Nov 23, 2010 1:31 pm; edited 1 time in total
Tartra- Apparition
- Join date : 2010-07-10
Posts : 581
Age : 33
Location : Ottawa, Canada -
Re: The Other Kind of Roommate
by Guest Sun Jul 25, 2010 12:56 pm
The tension did not leave her as they sped away from that hollow woman and Gwen stayed perched on the edge of her seat until they'd gone for a mile and she could no longer sense their apartment building. With a small sigh, she slowly sat back in her seat, the cushion underneath her and behind her back feeling odd after running and being so tense for the last hour or so. Being stationary had become an alien feeling. At Xander's words, she turned to smile at him, resting her head back against the headrest and said, "Beaches anywhere will do. I know you just want to see me in my bikini." She looked away when the thought of him without a shirt on flashed in her mind.
With the urgency he'd been made to leave the street he'd picked them up on, Sal felt a little like he was in an action movie or something. It was an exhilarating feeling. If black cars started chasing them and people started shooting at them however, he would not hesitate to stop the taxi and run as fast as he could away from these fares. Sal was about to ask where he was suppose to be taking them, but listening to their conversation, he blanched a little when Xander said "10 cities away". He could do that, but it would take him way out of the way. He was heading south right now and so far, neither the man nor the woman had said anything, so he kept heading in this direction, letting the meter run.
"Just keep heading south," Gwen said, sitting forward in her seat to speak through the window. "I'll tell you when we wish to stop."
She knew she'd startled him by suddenly addressing him with what he'd been thinking, but he smiled and nodded his head. "Will do, Miss." As long as they were willing to pay the full amount once they arrived, it was not a problem.
By the time Gwen had sat back in her seat and turned to Xander again, he had his eyes closed and she could feel him sleeping. In slumber, his face relaxed and his eye shut, giving him such a peaceful and almost vulnerable appearance. It stirred a bit of sympathy within her to realize, today had been one of the scariest, most exciting day of her life. Both he and Alex dealt with this stuff on a regular basis and rolled with the punches as they came and she knew it was hard on them. But now they had her and she wasn't sure if it was a good thing to share the burden with someone or if she'd become a burden for them herself.
Looking him over, her hand drifted out to lightly caress the side of his face, feeling his warm skin beneath her fingertips and then the stubble of his cheek and chin as her hand moved lower to his jawline. When Alex's voice sounded in her head, she lowered her arm and blinked at him before turning back to the front of the cab and closing the little window between the seats.
Turning back to him, she softly said, "I can hear you. You're not alone." Trying to comfort him in some way she took the sleeping Xander's hand in her own and interlaced their fingers. She wasn't sure if he could feel it, but just in case he couldn't, she'd keep her touches to a minimum, lest she wake Xander up.
Still, she couldn't help drawing closer to him as the taxi rumbled around them, eating stretches of road in gulps until they'd made it out of town and onto the highway. "You know, it's funny when I think of how all of this started," she said with a small, amused quirk of her lips. "I was fine before I met you. Just a normal person, like everybody else. Nothing special about me." Biting her lip around an ironic smile and blush she said, "I was planning on writing a book about you. You and Xander. I thought you had a split personality or something - it's strange. Even then I could somewhat sense when he was talking to you. In just a few hours, my attempt to study you has not only been made to seem foolish but completely irrelevant when faced with reality."
For a moment she paused as she felt Sal cock an eyebrow at her in the rearview mirror. Who was she talking to? The guy was asleep wasn't he? But she ignored him, not embarrassed in the least that he thought she was talking to herself. "That's all over now, isn't it?" she asked finally. "My writing. I can't go back to that now. I mean, I'm like you, right? I won't be able to ever stop running will I?" She looked at him then, giving him a sad smile even though he probably couldn't see it right now.
Of course, the first thing on her colleague's mind was his precious suit. Not that their target was missing. No, it would be too much to ask for him to consider that worthy of worrying about. His tone of voice made her reconsider stabbing him in the throat. He redeemed himself quickly, however, when he mentioned the goggles would be traceable. They hadn't lost her this time. As long as she stayed with Alexander - and she would; she depended too much upon him for survival - they would be able to find her again.
At the sound of Benoit's voice, she turned to regard him blankly. At first, she felt the urge to explode on him for ruining her plan, but stopped herself when she realized that was her fault too. Not only had she not gone the smarter way and waited to track the pair when they'd make their escape from Benoit, but she'd changed the plan without telling him. There hadn't been enough time, but what she'd done had been completely reckless and uncoordinated. Like a child eager for a treat, she'd been too excited about the prospect of getting what she wanted without properly thinking everything through. And her incompetence in the face of this other lead Agent stung harshly. Especially with his mocking words.
"I take full responsibility for this failure to capture my target," she said resolutely, her back straight as a rod of iron. "I admit, I became too eager to get my hands on her when I learned that she'd entered the building." She paused, casting a glance at Jason before addressing the French Agents. "I will not make the same mistake again."
With the urgency he'd been made to leave the street he'd picked them up on, Sal felt a little like he was in an action movie or something. It was an exhilarating feeling. If black cars started chasing them and people started shooting at them however, he would not hesitate to stop the taxi and run as fast as he could away from these fares. Sal was about to ask where he was suppose to be taking them, but listening to their conversation, he blanched a little when Xander said "10 cities away". He could do that, but it would take him way out of the way. He was heading south right now and so far, neither the man nor the woman had said anything, so he kept heading in this direction, letting the meter run.
"Just keep heading south," Gwen said, sitting forward in her seat to speak through the window. "I'll tell you when we wish to stop."
She knew she'd startled him by suddenly addressing him with what he'd been thinking, but he smiled and nodded his head. "Will do, Miss." As long as they were willing to pay the full amount once they arrived, it was not a problem.
By the time Gwen had sat back in her seat and turned to Xander again, he had his eyes closed and she could feel him sleeping. In slumber, his face relaxed and his eye shut, giving him such a peaceful and almost vulnerable appearance. It stirred a bit of sympathy within her to realize, today had been one of the scariest, most exciting day of her life. Both he and Alex dealt with this stuff on a regular basis and rolled with the punches as they came and she knew it was hard on them. But now they had her and she wasn't sure if it was a good thing to share the burden with someone or if she'd become a burden for them herself.
Looking him over, her hand drifted out to lightly caress the side of his face, feeling his warm skin beneath her fingertips and then the stubble of his cheek and chin as her hand moved lower to his jawline. When Alex's voice sounded in her head, she lowered her arm and blinked at him before turning back to the front of the cab and closing the little window between the seats.
Turning back to him, she softly said, "I can hear you. You're not alone." Trying to comfort him in some way she took the sleeping Xander's hand in her own and interlaced their fingers. She wasn't sure if he could feel it, but just in case he couldn't, she'd keep her touches to a minimum, lest she wake Xander up.
Still, she couldn't help drawing closer to him as the taxi rumbled around them, eating stretches of road in gulps until they'd made it out of town and onto the highway. "You know, it's funny when I think of how all of this started," she said with a small, amused quirk of her lips. "I was fine before I met you. Just a normal person, like everybody else. Nothing special about me." Biting her lip around an ironic smile and blush she said, "I was planning on writing a book about you. You and Xander. I thought you had a split personality or something - it's strange. Even then I could somewhat sense when he was talking to you. In just a few hours, my attempt to study you has not only been made to seem foolish but completely irrelevant when faced with reality."
For a moment she paused as she felt Sal cock an eyebrow at her in the rearview mirror. Who was she talking to? The guy was asleep wasn't he? But she ignored him, not embarrassed in the least that he thought she was talking to herself. "That's all over now, isn't it?" she asked finally. "My writing. I can't go back to that now. I mean, I'm like you, right? I won't be able to ever stop running will I?" She looked at him then, giving him a sad smile even though he probably couldn't see it right now.
***************
Of course, the first thing on her colleague's mind was his precious suit. Not that their target was missing. No, it would be too much to ask for him to consider that worthy of worrying about. His tone of voice made her reconsider stabbing him in the throat. He redeemed himself quickly, however, when he mentioned the goggles would be traceable. They hadn't lost her this time. As long as she stayed with Alexander - and she would; she depended too much upon him for survival - they would be able to find her again.
At the sound of Benoit's voice, she turned to regard him blankly. At first, she felt the urge to explode on him for ruining her plan, but stopped herself when she realized that was her fault too. Not only had she not gone the smarter way and waited to track the pair when they'd make their escape from Benoit, but she'd changed the plan without telling him. There hadn't been enough time, but what she'd done had been completely reckless and uncoordinated. Like a child eager for a treat, she'd been too excited about the prospect of getting what she wanted without properly thinking everything through. And her incompetence in the face of this other lead Agent stung harshly. Especially with his mocking words.
"I take full responsibility for this failure to capture my target," she said resolutely, her back straight as a rod of iron. "I admit, I became too eager to get my hands on her when I learned that she'd entered the building." She paused, casting a glance at Jason before addressing the French Agents. "I will not make the same mistake again."
Last edited by TimeOfTheEye on Wed Nov 17, 2010 9:53 am; edited 1 time in total
Guest- Guest
Re: The Other Kind of Roommate
by Tartra Sun Jul 25, 2010 2:30 pm
"I am glad to hear your will to fight remains intact," Benoit said. "Try not to be too hard on yourself. Becoming lost in this mission is an easy thing to do. This is your first time seeing your case in her flesh." That much was obvious. "But do not allow yourself to be overwhelmed again."
"And keep a leash on that one," Jean added.
Benoit shook his head, sympathizing with the boy's situation.
"In his case, I blame the suit," he said. "This is the first one I have seen who avoided the drugs they pair with the product, but he is as weak and helpless as any other. You must be mindful of him at all times. They are known to go mad if the suit is damaged."
"Alexander stole my goggles," the child grunted.
"Well. We will have to ask for them back," Benoit said. "Miss Agent, I believe it is time you addressed me by my first name. You have earned it, and I hope you understand what it means. I have reconsidered your proposal to work together."
Jean was immediately on guard. His eyes and those of the weakling on the floor met and narrowed at each other.
"Provided you can handle the risk," Jean said. "As it stands, it may be safer to keep you here."
"The information you requested earlier," his lead went on, ignoring the petty squabble that threatened to consume their time. "Regarding Alexander. I will decide what is safe to answer later. However, my primary objective is cataloging your target's abilities. Gwendolyn, was it? With my target preoccupied, relatively speaking, she will be in charge of their defences. The more I know about what she can do, the more I can tailor my plan to fit both of our needs." He bowed his head a touch. "I can assure you, no one here understands our attachment to our cases, and I give you my word, this is not an attempt to take yours away. It just so happens that now, unequivocally, our paths have merged. It would be a mistake to ignore it."
Jean sidled up to his lead and drew close. In a voice soft enough to keep the others from listening in, he told the man, "I will not work with the careless."
"He has a suit. He has training. He is simply... exuberant," Benoit said. "You will keep him out of trouble, non? And keep him alive until we have finished?"
"I promise nothing."
Benoit was amused. He returned his gaze to the other lead and politely wrapped up his offer with a quick, "What do you say, Miss Agent?"
"Do we get something for our eyes?" The tiny one was clambering to his feet. "Can we have what you have?"
"Eyelids?"
"Jean. Stop that." Benoit gave a gentle nod. "I will see what I can arrange, but I doubt it will match the technology you are used to. We operate on a simpler field."
"Yeah. I figured," was his curt reply. "Good enough. I guess."
She could hear him. At least there was one good thing that'd come out of this. He couldn't imagine what it'd be like if he was cut off from the world entirely, but he was still blind and motionless. Too bad Xander didn't sleep with his eyes open.
That's not completely true, Alex 'said', trying to relax in the midst of everything. You could always go back to your real life. It's not so much the hiding that's the problem. It's the staying quiet part. Cops everywhere? News reports? Taking care of the Agents who do find us is supposed to be something subtle and we never mastered that. Now look what happened.
He was going to have to fix everything somehow.
Are you sure he's breathing? It's hard to tell in here. I'm sure he is - he has to be - but... Can you reach him at all?
"And keep a leash on that one," Jean added.
Benoit shook his head, sympathizing with the boy's situation.
"In his case, I blame the suit," he said. "This is the first one I have seen who avoided the drugs they pair with the product, but he is as weak and helpless as any other. You must be mindful of him at all times. They are known to go mad if the suit is damaged."
"Alexander stole my goggles," the child grunted.
"Well. We will have to ask for them back," Benoit said. "Miss Agent, I believe it is time you addressed me by my first name. You have earned it, and I hope you understand what it means. I have reconsidered your proposal to work together."
Jean was immediately on guard. His eyes and those of the weakling on the floor met and narrowed at each other.
"Provided you can handle the risk," Jean said. "As it stands, it may be safer to keep you here."
"The information you requested earlier," his lead went on, ignoring the petty squabble that threatened to consume their time. "Regarding Alexander. I will decide what is safe to answer later. However, my primary objective is cataloging your target's abilities. Gwendolyn, was it? With my target preoccupied, relatively speaking, she will be in charge of their defences. The more I know about what she can do, the more I can tailor my plan to fit both of our needs." He bowed his head a touch. "I can assure you, no one here understands our attachment to our cases, and I give you my word, this is not an attempt to take yours away. It just so happens that now, unequivocally, our paths have merged. It would be a mistake to ignore it."
Jean sidled up to his lead and drew close. In a voice soft enough to keep the others from listening in, he told the man, "I will not work with the careless."
"He has a suit. He has training. He is simply... exuberant," Benoit said. "You will keep him out of trouble, non? And keep him alive until we have finished?"
"I promise nothing."
Benoit was amused. He returned his gaze to the other lead and politely wrapped up his offer with a quick, "What do you say, Miss Agent?"
"Do we get something for our eyes?" The tiny one was clambering to his feet. "Can we have what you have?"
"Eyelids?"
"Jean. Stop that." Benoit gave a gentle nod. "I will see what I can arrange, but I doubt it will match the technology you are used to. We operate on a simpler field."
"Yeah. I figured," was his curt reply. "Good enough. I guess."
* * *
She could hear him. At least there was one good thing that'd come out of this. He couldn't imagine what it'd be like if he was cut off from the world entirely, but he was still blind and motionless. Too bad Xander didn't sleep with his eyes open.
That's not completely true, Alex 'said', trying to relax in the midst of everything. You could always go back to your real life. It's not so much the hiding that's the problem. It's the staying quiet part. Cops everywhere? News reports? Taking care of the Agents who do find us is supposed to be something subtle and we never mastered that. Now look what happened.
He was going to have to fix everything somehow.
Are you sure he's breathing? It's hard to tell in here. I'm sure he is - he has to be - but... Can you reach him at all?
Last edited by Tartra on Tue Nov 23, 2010 1:35 pm; edited 1 time in total
Tartra- Apparition
- Join date : 2010-07-10
Posts : 581
Age : 33
Location : Ottawa, Canada -
Re: The Other Kind of Roommate
by Guest Sun Jul 25, 2010 6:09 pm
Alex's internal words echoing in her head made her relax even more, soothing the worry she'd felt. "Maybe I could help you with that," she said with a smile. "I think I'll be able to recognize the female Agent's signature if she comes after us. Maybe even the one in your apartment, although I didn't hear too much from him at the time. I was distracted. I may still be able to sense them coming before they reach us and it could help us get away without even encountering them again."
Sal strained to hear the conversation in the back of the cab as he continued to propel them further away from those who sought them, but Gwen did not worry too much about it. The plastic pane of the window between them muffled everything to such a degree, he wasn't able to make sense of any of it. For now, she allowed him to be curious as long as it did not affect them.
At Alex's question, Gwen sat up a little, her blue eyes looking Xander's body - Alex's actually - up and down. With the car continuously moving, the thoughts of those outside its metal frame came in short bursts, one immediately after the other, like someone taking a piece from a dozen different puzzles and tossing them at her. Needless to say, she did not feel overwhelmed at the moment.
Gingerly, she concentrated on him with all of her will, slowing her breathing and shoving the thoughts of the nosy cab driver out of her mind. She could feel her hand touching his from his own senses, her fingers cool and soft in his stronger hold. His arms, limp for now, were filled with threatening energy, and lightly muscled, blood flowing through his veins warmly. She could feel the small slivers of glass still embedded in the side of his hand - what happened? - and the broken toe and she wondered how he'd gotten them. The wounds themselves did not tell her anything about what had occurred but she could sense, even though he was asleep, that it was painful - although, admittedly, it was more like an annoyance to Xander. His chest rose and fell slowly, lungs expanding with new air, her chest rising and falling with his, as if they were her lungs. His heart was the same, it's beat slow and steady now, pulsating through her body like a large bell ringing. Even though she confirmed he was breathing and well, she took the moment to explore further, her senses moving deeper into his mind.
His thoughts were hidden from her but she could feel his emotions rising up to meet her like waves against a beach. There was the exhaustion of course, eased by the sleep that was light - even in repose unwilling or unable to let his guard down. There was a slight concern for her and a bit of worry about his current condition, but they were not strong emotions. She couldn't tell if it was because he was asleep right now or if he really did not consider these things all that important. Or maybe she was missing pieces? Pushing even further, a smile touched her lips as she felt Alex's presence deep inside the recesses of his mind. He was definitely worried about her and his new position placed on the inside looking out and he was waiting for her answer still.
With a sigh, she sat back and said, "He's breathing fine and he's still there, rarin' to go at a moments notice. I still can't hear his thoughts though. I can feel some of his emotions since the change, but I can't make out anything like I do with other people." She got a mischievous look on her face as she smirked at him. "You on the other hand, are transparent as ever. I saw what came to mind when I made that bikini comment. Slow-motion running? Really?" She giggled happily and shook her head in an amused fashion causing Sal to look into the mirror again at the sound. When the hilarity passed, she said, "But I think we need to do something about your toe. Maybe we could stop by a hospital before we settle for the night. Or maybe I could just play nurse for you."
The professional understanding in Benoit's voice helped her relax a bit more, although outwardly there was no change. He also seemed to extend a bit of that same businesslike sympathy towards Jason, and she did not look at him again when his trouble with the suit was mentioned. She admitted that she was only partially aware of what his equipment was capable of, and she'd been completely unaware of it's effects on her colleague. Now she understood his first concern being the goggles, but it didn't make her feel anything but slightly less annoyed.
What Benoit said next really shocked her and she schooled her features viciously to not let any of her surprise show or the sudden paranoia that came with it. He was definitely extending the olive branch farther than she would have expected, and although she'd been going to ask him again if they could join forces, the fact that he brought it up first made her narrow her gaze at him. Stephanie had expected to need to fight him about it but here he was, willing to team up. His offering up information made her even more suspicious and it only grew when he asked about Gwen's profile again, even after he assured her he was not trying to double cross her.
This failure only reinforced her original desire to join forces with him, knowing that if they did not at least coordinate their efforts, it would allow Gwen and Alexander to slip through their fingers again and again. But she wasn't sure she altogether trusted him yet, not after the way he'd treated them before. This sharing and offering of help and even the sympathy seemed out of character and she feared it was an act and he'd take what he wanted and dump her and Jason to fend for themselves again. As it stood, she and Jason would get nowhere if they continued to walk blindly into Alexander over and over, so she needed to trust him just enough to get what she wanted and assure that he kept his bargain.
'Alright," she finally said in her usual monotone. "I accept your offer, only on the basis that we have a better chance of success by coordinating our efforts. I hope you're not offended if I ask for information on Alexander before I give you a clearer idea on my target's abilities. It's purely personal. I hope you understand. In return, I will give you most, if not everything I have on her. And the equipment necessary to guard against his powers is a must and brings me to my first question: What is it he can do? Whatever he did to both my Agent and I, it was temporary. I'm assuming it was not full power, yes? I would also like to know more about the stolen property he possesses or rather IS. He was an Agency project?"
Sal strained to hear the conversation in the back of the cab as he continued to propel them further away from those who sought them, but Gwen did not worry too much about it. The plastic pane of the window between them muffled everything to such a degree, he wasn't able to make sense of any of it. For now, she allowed him to be curious as long as it did not affect them.
At Alex's question, Gwen sat up a little, her blue eyes looking Xander's body - Alex's actually - up and down. With the car continuously moving, the thoughts of those outside its metal frame came in short bursts, one immediately after the other, like someone taking a piece from a dozen different puzzles and tossing them at her. Needless to say, she did not feel overwhelmed at the moment.
Gingerly, she concentrated on him with all of her will, slowing her breathing and shoving the thoughts of the nosy cab driver out of her mind. She could feel her hand touching his from his own senses, her fingers cool and soft in his stronger hold. His arms, limp for now, were filled with threatening energy, and lightly muscled, blood flowing through his veins warmly. She could feel the small slivers of glass still embedded in the side of his hand - what happened? - and the broken toe and she wondered how he'd gotten them. The wounds themselves did not tell her anything about what had occurred but she could sense, even though he was asleep, that it was painful - although, admittedly, it was more like an annoyance to Xander. His chest rose and fell slowly, lungs expanding with new air, her chest rising and falling with his, as if they were her lungs. His heart was the same, it's beat slow and steady now, pulsating through her body like a large bell ringing. Even though she confirmed he was breathing and well, she took the moment to explore further, her senses moving deeper into his mind.
His thoughts were hidden from her but she could feel his emotions rising up to meet her like waves against a beach. There was the exhaustion of course, eased by the sleep that was light - even in repose unwilling or unable to let his guard down. There was a slight concern for her and a bit of worry about his current condition, but they were not strong emotions. She couldn't tell if it was because he was asleep right now or if he really did not consider these things all that important. Or maybe she was missing pieces? Pushing even further, a smile touched her lips as she felt Alex's presence deep inside the recesses of his mind. He was definitely worried about her and his new position placed on the inside looking out and he was waiting for her answer still.
With a sigh, she sat back and said, "He's breathing fine and he's still there, rarin' to go at a moments notice. I still can't hear his thoughts though. I can feel some of his emotions since the change, but I can't make out anything like I do with other people." She got a mischievous look on her face as she smirked at him. "You on the other hand, are transparent as ever. I saw what came to mind when I made that bikini comment. Slow-motion running? Really?" She giggled happily and shook her head in an amused fashion causing Sal to look into the mirror again at the sound. When the hilarity passed, she said, "But I think we need to do something about your toe. Maybe we could stop by a hospital before we settle for the night. Or maybe I could just play nurse for you."
*************
The professional understanding in Benoit's voice helped her relax a bit more, although outwardly there was no change. He also seemed to extend a bit of that same businesslike sympathy towards Jason, and she did not look at him again when his trouble with the suit was mentioned. She admitted that she was only partially aware of what his equipment was capable of, and she'd been completely unaware of it's effects on her colleague. Now she understood his first concern being the goggles, but it didn't make her feel anything but slightly less annoyed.
What Benoit said next really shocked her and she schooled her features viciously to not let any of her surprise show or the sudden paranoia that came with it. He was definitely extending the olive branch farther than she would have expected, and although she'd been going to ask him again if they could join forces, the fact that he brought it up first made her narrow her gaze at him. Stephanie had expected to need to fight him about it but here he was, willing to team up. His offering up information made her even more suspicious and it only grew when he asked about Gwen's profile again, even after he assured her he was not trying to double cross her.
This failure only reinforced her original desire to join forces with him, knowing that if they did not at least coordinate their efforts, it would allow Gwen and Alexander to slip through their fingers again and again. But she wasn't sure she altogether trusted him yet, not after the way he'd treated them before. This sharing and offering of help and even the sympathy seemed out of character and she feared it was an act and he'd take what he wanted and dump her and Jason to fend for themselves again. As it stood, she and Jason would get nowhere if they continued to walk blindly into Alexander over and over, so she needed to trust him just enough to get what she wanted and assure that he kept his bargain.
'Alright," she finally said in her usual monotone. "I accept your offer, only on the basis that we have a better chance of success by coordinating our efforts. I hope you're not offended if I ask for information on Alexander before I give you a clearer idea on my target's abilities. It's purely personal. I hope you understand. In return, I will give you most, if not everything I have on her. And the equipment necessary to guard against his powers is a must and brings me to my first question: What is it he can do? Whatever he did to both my Agent and I, it was temporary. I'm assuming it was not full power, yes? I would also like to know more about the stolen property he possesses or rather IS. He was an Agency project?"
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