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Post by x23 on Aug 4, 2007 18:39:35 GMT -4
Well if that's the way it's gotta be...
Deep within the walls of the castle, locked far from prying eyes, a young girl slumped against the wall of her cell, held upright only by the chains around her outstretched arms. From the moment she was placed there, a long time passed. Finally, she began to rouse.
Gradually, her senses filtered back into her body and she was slowly aware of herself once again. Her head felt weird, but the blow that knock her out had since healed, the pain subsiding with it. Her ears became attuned to the surroundings. It was eerily quiet. She couldn't hear the breeze in the trees or the trickling water. Nothing but the beat of her own heart was in earshot. It was lifeless...
Ugh...where am I?
The though was distant at first, but as she tried to move, something else was plainly wrong. Her arms were held outstretched. She was bound. Her eyes shot open and immediately narrowed again.
Dammit...
With a practiced eye, she took in her surroundings. A single light hung from the cieling above her, but it was bright and hurt her eyes. Ignoring the discomfort, she took in every little detail. It was a plain cell. A box with steel bars at the front.
That would be too easy...
Did he really think that would hold her? While there was doubt at the back of her mind, she expected to see glass or energy holding her in. Steel was nothing.
Her first priority were the chains that held her to the wall. She stretched and twisted her hand around them on one side, trying to get as much slack as possible. This cell was made for someone much bigger than she was...
If I can just...
She had a look of concentration on her face as she extending a single claw, looping it around the chain. She jerked her hand sharply away from the wall, but to her dismay, it did nothing. The chains weren't steel, they were adamantium. That meant the bars would be too...
Shoulda known it wouldn't be so easy. He's smarter than that...
With a quiet sigh, she retracted her claws and decided to try the hard way out. Tensing her arm, she pulled as hard as she could away from the wall. The chains were strong, but maybe the walls weren't and she could bust out that way.
No such luck. All she managed to do was rattle the chains loudly as she tried to pull herself free...
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Post by scott on Aug 5, 2007 7:49:04 GMT -4
(continued from Havin' a Ball...)
The closer he got, the easier it was to pinpoint where the sound was coming from. Scott slipped back into the castle, and headed down a stone staircase to the lowest and most unused parts of the building. He knew there was some sort of basement or dungeon down there...but to the best of his knowledge it was never used for anything ever.
His boots scuffed and scraped on the stairs as he came down, his descent slowing just a little as he reached the bottom. And then he peered around the corner.
What he saw caused his eyes to widen behind his glasses. There was a young girl with hair mussed and clothes torn, locked behind bars and struggling against the chains that bound her. What in the...
Looking around the rest of the room he didn't see anything, so he stepped closer to the bars and looked her in the eyes.
"What-" What is going on?
"Who-" Who are you?
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Post by x23 on Aug 5, 2007 15:10:11 GMT -4
With one last grunting pull, X-23 steadied herself carefully before acting. Pushing her arms forward as hard as she could, her hands were abruptly stopped as the chains held. The only thing she'd succeeded in doing was bruising her wrists to all hell, and even those faded as soon as they came. She was frustrated, unable to do anything but sit there. That made the desire for action even worse, as she itched to be out of there. And that just added back into her frustration. The cycle seemed to keep spiraling in on itself, her mood growing more sour with every passing second. Unable to do more, she sat and fumed silently to herself. Even that held only a small portion of her attention and the resulting boredom was agonizing.
She took a deep breath and tried to concentrate, idly still fiddling with her chains. She inhaled again, sniffing the air slowly. What had been here?
The tangy metallic scent of the cell, sharp in the air. Cool stone of the building. Humid. Faint odor of mildew. Stale scents of past prisoners. His scent's strong. He put me down here how long ago...?
His scent was freshest. She hadn't been down here for too long, but it was evident he left right after chaining her up. She closed her eyes again, listening. Past her own heartbeat, the cinking chains at her wrists, there was little to be heard. At first.
There's no one down here but me. That's too quiet for a prison. They must not use this anymore. There's no one, not even a guard. He doesn't think anyone will come down here...
But then the noises changed. Low and quiet at first, there was movement. Footsteps became audible.
One pair. Maybe him? But...it sounds wrong... Not steady enough. He wouldn't be conerned enough to make haste. Nor would he drag his feet like that. Plus, they're too light. Someone smaller than him. Or at least, not as weighed down.
She paid careful attention to the acoustics of the building now that there was sound to carry. She steadied herself as the footsteps closed in, waiting to see to whom they belonged. If it was him, he'd see right through her trying anything. But maybe she'd get some luck this time around...
She opened her eyes wide as the footsteps brought their owner into sight. Impercetably, she looked the man over quickly. His uniform gave him away as a soldier, albeit in dress uniform. That might be a problem. But his surprise at her presence made it clear he wasn't sent to be her guard. She decided on an approach and ran with it. She kept her eyes wide. Fearful-looking.
"What-? Who-?"
He stammered over the words. He was more surprised than she was to find her there.
The young girl played up her struggle once he was in sight. Feebly, she tried pulling her arms out and yelped at the evident pain it should have caused. She sped up her breathing to add to the effect, willing tears to her eyes.
"Help me!"
While she'd utter few words to Weapon X, her tone was bold. Now, her voice seemed so small she sounded younger still. She opened her mouth, pleading with the surprised soldier.
"L-listen to me, mister, I-hic-I just woke up down here. Some crazy man--hic-- he had claws and and he attacked me! I don't know what's going on! Hic. You gotta help me before he comes back! Please, mister...?"
She seemed to cower against the wall just mentioning him. The effect made her seem so pitifully helpless. The soldier had no idea what a sharp contrast it was to her real self. When she wanted to be, X-23 was a very convincing actress. Now he just had to fall for it...
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Post by scott on Aug 5, 2007 15:56:50 GMT -4
The young girl was looking back at him. She looked frightened and confused and Scott had to wonder exactly what was going on. Who would have? The questions that burned in his mind ranged somewhere between wondering if it was some kind of perversion, or if this girl was actually dangerous.
Hearing her talk Scott started to think that maybe it was the former. She was near hysterics, and her voice shook with fear.
"L-listen to me, mister, I-hic-I just woke up down here. Some crazy man--hic-- he had claws and and he attacked me! I don't know what's going on! Hic. You gotta help me before he comes back! Please, mister...?"
Standing near the bars, Scott put his hands on the cold metal while she talked. Weapon X? He was weird and cold-hearted...his reputation was next to none. A cold and ruthless killer, obedient without question to Magneto.
But what was this?
Scott looked around at the bars. It was locked. He rattled it uselessly and then looked back at her.
“Okay,” he said with a nod. She looked as harmless as a fly. Moving to the other side of the room, he looked for a key. “Where were you when he attacked?”
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Post by x23 on Aug 5, 2007 19:16:55 GMT -4
The look on her face conveyed fear, apprehension, and doubt. To the soldier, it would have been about her own fate. Would the monster come back? Would he help her?
Is he falling for it? I think so...
She hitched in her breath loudly, evidently startled when he rattled the metal door.
"Okay."
She looked relieved, and the flow of tears stopped as quick as they'd been summoned. She kept the fast breathing and the squeaky tone of voice. The act continued, though a small glimmer of her relief was real.
That's right, get me out of here before he comes back... Hurry...
"Where were you when he attacked?"
X-23 hadn't been prepared for such a question, but she answered it instantly, as if it was the truth she was recounting.
"I... I think I got too close to the Castle. I know I'm not s'posed to, but I wanted to see all the people going to the party. I..."
She trailed off, recalling the tears for dramatic effect.
"God, I know it was wrong, but...but...I didn't think it was that bad! That's when the scary man came out of nowhere and he--he--"
Her words grew unintelligle past the sobs, or so it sounded. She'd stopped saying anything, really, letting the soldier's imagination do the work for her to explain her disheveled appearance. She was willing to bet that some very terrible things were crossing his mind.
"...hic and that's when I woke up here and then you showed up..."
As if she'd regained some measure of composure, the sobbing calmed slightly, and she finished the story. As she hit the word 'you,' she had a hopeful look on her face, like he was the knight from a fairytale.
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Post by scott on Aug 7, 2007 7:25:05 GMT -4
Eyes scanned the room diligently in the space of silence between the time Scott’s question was asked and when he got his answer. This was a room he had scarcely ever been in. Where the key to the cell was, he had absolutely no idea.
"I... I think I got too close to the Castle. I know I'm not s'posed to, but I wanted to see all the people going to the party. I..."
Something didn’t quite sound right about that. Scott spared a glance at her from behind his glasses as he continued to look. She was scared and possibly a little dazed...but how could she just happen to be just hanging around the castle?
Security might have slipped considering there was a ball going on and everything...but if a kid could just waltz in unnoticed...Scott had to reevaluate the security systems here. Again. He found a desk and looked through the drawers of it for a key.
"God, I know it was wrong, but...but...I didn't think it was that bad! That's when the scary man came out of nowhere and he--he--"
He what? Scott wondered if Weapon X had done something to her. It was difficult to trust a man like him, and very easy for Scott to imagine the worst.
"...hic and that's when I woke up here and then you showed up..."
The tone of it wasn’t lost on Scott, but he didn’t acknowledge the praise outwardly. Still not finding a key, he moved across the room, fearing the worst. Weapon X must have taken the key with him...
“No...I mean, were you here with someone at the party? Parents? A guardian?” He pointed to a communicator on his chest. “Anyone I should alert?” Then he came across the room to stand in front of her again. “I probably should report this...”
And he looked at the lock. “He took the key. I might have to blow the lock off.”
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Post by x23 on Aug 7, 2007 17:44:06 GMT -4
Through her false tears and terrible story, X-23 watched the soldier roam the room beyond the cell, going through drawers and inspecting every surface for where the key could possibly be. She didn't really think Weapon X would have been so trusting or stupid to leave it behind, but she wasn't in much of a position to get herself out, so she'd take any help she could get. She didn't miss the look he threw her, and managed to look as pitiful as possible under his gaze. She could tell he was seeing more holes than she wanted him to, but he didn't really suspect anything, at least not yet. What harm could a little girl be, after all.
X-23 kept her wide, watery eyes on the soldier as he concluded his search, turning to face her through the bars again. She could hear the hitch in his heartbeat when he decided there was no key. The concern, faint on his features, wasn't suspicion for her, but rather for Weapon X.
"No...I mean, were you here with someone at the party? Parents? A guardian? Anyone I should alert?"
Her mind raced to explain herself as he gestured to the communicator on his jacket. She needed something he wouldn't question. The idea of bringing more people down here did not sit well with her, and if he tried to look for a parent, then her little story could well be blown. She made a show of sniffling again before she answered, and his mumbled comment about reporting this gave her the second she needed to think.
"No!" She whined, not with urgency in her voice, but chiding him for misunderstanding. "I wasn't at the party, I was by the gate thing, watchin' the limos go in to the Castle. I didn't think that was too too close... My mom doesn't know I was out, but I wanted to see all the famous people! I don't wanna get in any more trouble."
For a child's fear of an angry parent is a reasonable fear.
She locked those wide, fearful green eyes on him again, pleadingly. She couldn't see his eyes past the ruby shades, but she could tell when their eyes met. He'd just looked up from the lock in the door.
"He took the key. I might have to blow the lock off."
Just do it then, stop asking questions...
She was getting irritated, but outwardly she looked just as scared as every. She threw her gaze sideways, trying to see the hall beyond. She looked even more nervous than ever as she did so. In a miserable, fearful voice, she replied.
"Please hurry, mister, before he comes back..."
She strained her ears, listening. No footsteps yet, but her concern for his approach was very real.
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Post by scott on Aug 9, 2007 7:35:05 GMT -4
"No!" Scott looked up at the whining kind of irritation he heard in her voice for his misunderstanding. "I wasn't at the party, I was by the gate thing, watchin' the limos go in to the Castle. I didn't think that was too too close... My mom doesn't know I was out, but I wanted to see all the famous people! I don't wanna get in any more trouble."
Something didn't add up. If she was outside the gates why would Weapon X? He shook his head. That man was enough of a mystery...why he might do something was a question Scott might not honestly want the answer to.
When he added that he might have to blow the lock off, she seemed genuinely excitable. "Please hurry, mister, before he comes back..."
Scott looked back at her, his sight telling him she was nothing but a frightened (and chained up) little girl. He nodded and looked down at the lock. Tapping the side of his glasses softly, he let loose a thin and fine red beam that went accurately into the small keyhole of the lock.
Immediately the bars shook as the lock exploded.
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Post by x23 on Aug 9, 2007 8:51:37 GMT -4
There was an air about the soldier that he was still suspicious. Slight hesitations in his movements, and she could feel him looking her over one last time, trying to decide if he was making a mistake or not. It was irksome, but it told her these soldiers weren't incompetent. Still, it was good fortune that he stumbled upon her instead of someone else. A servant would have been to fearful and weak to do anything to help her, a party guest wouldn't know what to do, and the way he hesitated...she had a strong feeling that any other soldier would have reported this before taking any action.
After a moment, and her pleading him to hurry, the soldier seemed satisfied that she posed too little a threat to report. He tapped at the sunglasses on his face and red energy shot from his eyes, hitting the lock dead on. She could see the bars shake and knew that was one down, two to go.
She let a glimmer of excitement and hope show through her apprehensive expression. She even dared a meek little smile, but it quickly faded, as she wasn't out of this yet. Her hands were still chained to the wall, and she needed him to take care of that next.
"Oh, thank you, mister!" She spoke, keeping her tone meek but happier. She waited for him to move onto the next.
Just hurry up and get. me. out!
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Post by scott on Aug 10, 2007 7:31:22 GMT -4
The lock gave way easily under the low power blast. Grabbing the bars with his hands, Scott slid them open and stepped in. She was still chained to the wall by her hands and feet, and Scott shook his head a little as he stepped closer to her.
"I just don't get it. Why would he go through this much..."
It was like a nagging thought at the back of his head. The story didn't add up, unless Weapon X was crazier than anyone thought initially. He looked down at the metal straps on her feet, identifying the lock and then bringing a palm up to his cheek again.
"Hold still."
Another pinpoint blast of energy left his visors.
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Post by x23 on Aug 10, 2007 14:31:09 GMT -4
Her eyes followed the soldier carefully as he slid the bars open and stepped into the cell. As he shook his head, X-23 minded carefully that she had to be less threatening now than ever. When he voiced his concerns aloud, it was doubt. Doubt could be quite problematic for her until she was free from these bonds. She might laugh in his face the moment the last lock dropped, but until then she just kept looking small and afraid.
"I just don't get it. Why would he go through this much..."
But the thought was incomplete, and X-23 was content not to finish it. Her apparent confusion made it clear she didn't know and it would make no sense now to hazard a guess. She just sniffled loudly again. Otherwise, she remained quite still until he got closer to her, his head tilted down toward the straps on her feet.
"Hold still."
She did as ordered, but turned her head away and closed her eyes as if scared of the blast, like she should be. A voluntary twitch went through her as he fired another shot of energy, flinching. But her foot stayed still, and she could feel the metal shake and the heat of the blast as the lock disintegrated. Moving her foot gingerly, the shackle fell away.
So close to freedom, yet so far. She said nothing, made gave him another wide eyed looked to coax him on.
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Post by scott on Aug 13, 2007 15:22:39 GMT -4
Scott noted the look of desperation in her eyes just before he fired off the last blast. She obediently stayed still, flinching only slightly when the lock rattled on her ankle. He stepped closer, a strange feeling welling up in him as he got her closer and closer to freedom. Something about this wasn’t right. He didn’t know what it was exactly, but there was something that wasn’t setting quite right about all of this.
Though Weapon X was shady and creepy as hell, he didn’t think he’d ever known him to do anything that was so overtly…self-serving. In fact, he couldn’t really say that he knew much of anything about Weapon X at all, but what he did know was that he seemed obedient to a fault.
The only thing he could think of was that maybe the perfect soldier had snapped.
Unless there was some other kind of explanation…
Scott stepped forward for a closer look, hesitating in silence for a moment.
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Post by x23 on Aug 13, 2007 21:53:18 GMT -4
Hesitation. It made X-23 very uncomfortable. Combined with her frustration at the soldier's slow process, it was getting harder and harder not to show it. While he was still focused on her ankles, she threw a glare at the wall before resuming her fearful expression. Her annoyance was mounting by the moment, and she was sorely losing patience with the soldier.
"Please, mister, you gotta hurry. He could be back any minute now..."
Or I could gut you any minute now. I've got a claw free. But I still need you...
She pulled at the chains again, more forcibly than last time, looking at the soldier expectantly.
You're costing me too much time. GET ME OUT OF HERE!
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Post by Logan on Aug 15, 2007 6:50:02 GMT -4
Silent and shrouded in shadows, Weapon X made his way down the staircase. He had heard another explosion, and as he came down the stairs he could smell that S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Summers down there.
He knew before he peeked around the corner just exactly what was going on.
No matter how well trained S.H.I.E.L.D.'s troops were, they didn't stand a chance against this little girl, at least not one on one. At any other time, the thought might have almost been funny to him. Right now he had to stop Summers from letting her loose.
Staying out of her sight, he slinked up and suddenly appeared next to the bars, behind Scott's back. He tapped Scott on the shoulder with one hard jab and then shook his head no at him.
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Post by x23 on Aug 15, 2007 12:22:37 GMT -4
The soldier was taking far too long. Watching him, trying to keep up her ruse despite her imaptience. However, when her ears pricked at the sound of opening doors and near-silent footsteps, she knew it was too late to bother. The new heartbeat was so steady. She knew exactly who it was.
He didn't come into her line of sight, but she didn't need to see him. She could smell him plain as day.
Quite suddenly, the false fear on her face vanished, replaced by a flat scowl. But Scott wasn't looking when she changed her expression. If he looked at her, she could throw the ruse back up instantly.
Dammit...
Her mind raced to come up with a new plan of action now that Weapon X was back in the picture. It made things so much more complicated...
She'd have to wait for Weapon X to show himself if she was going to keep fooling the man. Both of the adamantium-enhanced mutants knew they were there, but the soldier Scott had yet to notice. She'd wait for him to react, see if he could still get those last locks in a hurry...
And if not... X-23 had her feet free and the soldier wasn't past her range. She stretched a foot behind his ankle and was ready to knock him down. It was an awkward reach, but with two claws loose, a hostage situation would be quite reasonable.
In fact, she decided not to wait and see.
In one powerful motion, X-23 swiped a leg beneath the soldier, toppling him sideways. How he fell was crucial, and it worked as she'd intended. Extending a toe claw from her right foot, she pressed the blade down against the poor soldier's neck. There was already a faint red line welling underneath her claw, but that was nothing. All she had to do was flex the right muscles and the soldier would be a headless goner.
Never taking her glaring eyes off the cell door where she knew Weapon X was hidden, she spoke to the soldier instead.
"I told you he could be back any minute..."
It was true she didn't plan on hurting the soldier if he got her out of there in time. But he took too long and she had to do what she had to do to get out of there.
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