Rogue: The Uprising

[Reina]

[fieldbox="Lex, goldenrod, dashed, 10"]

"Stop giving me conflicting information guys..." Lex said into the comms as she used the nearest wall to stand. The blast from the lab had sent her into the wall. Her vision was slightly blurred and she'd have a killer headache after all this. She blinked her eyes a few times until they finally focused and until her ears stopped ringing. "Am I coming or going here?" She had Keith in one ear telling her to get Josie then she had Luna in the other telling her to get out. The corridor she was in was beginning to fill with smoke from the lab fire. Even if she wanted to head towards Josie, she wasn't going to be able to. "Alright. I'm heading out. I'll be trapped here if I try to get Josie."

Doing her best to focus, Lex located the stairwell and sprinted towards it. She coughed a few times as she burst through the stairwell door. She used the railings to steady herself and headed down the steps as quickly as she could doing all she could not to lose anymore notes. Her facade as Natalie Miles was long gone and she wasn't going to be able to shift back for a while but she needed to at least make sure Josie had her notes once they were safely within the walls of Rogue. "How's Josie?" Lex asked as she descended the steps. "Did Mack get to her?" Lex cared for very few people but Josie and Penny were friends. They had joined Rogue around the same time and besides her loyalty to Keegan, she trusted those two girls.

Luckily the blast had called all the ASPIDA guards towards the lab so Lex was able to escape the confines without being noticed or getting into anymore altercations with one of them. She was thankful for it. She was a shifter not a healer. Her body wasn't going to be able to take much more banging up. She pressed her back against the push bar of the door at the bottom of the steps with a grunt and propelled herself into the alley she was hiding in earlier. She breathed in a sigh of relief as she smelled the fresh air but didn't delay. Looking from one side to the other, she moved quickly towards the Rogue van hoisting herself inside as soon as she got the door open.

She breathed deeply but settled into the seat. "Alright, what's going on? Are Josie and Mack ok?"

Tags: @Mobley Eats @Reythaak @Kat @Shizuochan[/fieldbox]

 

[Aero Blue]

---

Streaks of red wafted through the waters, pulled into Rorschach shapes by the mercurial pull of the waters. A single strand deformed emerged from her palm, the rest came from Josie. Mac bit her lip at the thought as the waters claimed her once again, compatriot in tow. They were near a wall, she realized, the glass cabinet having formerly been propped against it.

She barged forward, the flat of her kickboard finding some sizable part of Josie and pushing against it. Through the wall, through the wall. Supposedly, swimming was a thing of technique; Mac opted for brute force in achieving some simulacrum of the act.

They breached the wall. Mac surfaced, yanking at Josie to suggest she follow suit.

"Nice, unmmm," An oxygen-craving groan escaped her, "to see you too. Okay, okay; west stairwell. That's uh… right, okay, c'mere."

She held her right arm out behind her as she ran to the far wall, beckoning for Josie to grab on. The fingers on her left speared into the surface…

Just a tad further, and then they could see Luna's brain baby.

Ewwwwww.

 

[Reythaak]

fright

Keith Fuller
⤑Location: Leaving Aspida Labs Miami Branch ⤑Interactions: @Shizuochan, @Mobley Eats, @Shizuochan ,@La Reina ​

---

"Sorry Spitz," Keith said. He blushed just a little. He hadn't intended to hit his comm with the comments to Luna. But, it was what it was. He briefly flicked around the cameras to watch Mac do her thing. He shivered slightly, "You know I think your dive-y thing is just as awesome as Nostalgia's hacking skills. I just hadn't gotten to see you do it yet this time around."

When Luna's hand reached out for him, Keith didn't hesitate to grasp the offered hand. He gave her hand a squeeze, briefly wishing he had opted to remove his gloves earlier. The skin-to-skin would likely have helped Luna more, but it was what it was. Making sure he wasn't over comms, he ventured a look over,

"She'll be fine, Luna. We just gotta finish getting her out, and home," he said with a sage nod. She'd probably be fine. He could tell better once her butt was out of the building and in the back of the van. And on that note, he needed to get up in the front and get the van moving. With Luna taking over giving Lex instructions, he could do so. "Gotta get us moving though, we want to be moving as soon as everyone's in," he said somewhat apologetically as he untangled his hand from Luna's.

With a complete lack of grace, Keith scrambled up into the front seat and started up the van. Everyone was working on their exit, and it wouldn't do for them to be waiting on their getaway driver would it? A tablet had come up front with him, making it pretty easy to tell which doors folks would be coming out of.

The van had just slid to a stop when Lex came barreling out of her exit.

"Josie and Spitz'll be with us in a minute, less than," Keith said from the front, in the process of moving the van to where he suspected Spitz and Josie would emerge. "Sorry about the conflicting info. You know situations can end up a little bit fluid when Luna gets brain children."

The kid drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, head swiveling. He let his focus shift just a little bit, now picking up on the auras of folks around him. He couldn't see too many; there was a lot of iron and iron alloys within the ASPIDA building. But it would make it harder for anyone to sneak up on the van itself, which was always good.

And the moment Josie and Mac had gotten themselves in the van and the door was closing, Keith gunned it. Well. Maybe not gunned it; he didn't need to jostle Josie too badly after the little bit he'd seen on the cameras, but definitely got them moving. It might cause a little bit of panic when someone realized he was going away from the Rogue headquarters. And then straight through about three major check points that everyone in the van knew to stay away from.

But then Keith swung things around, zipping down some lesser used streets and alleys. It was anything but a straight shot back towards Rogue; definitely one that might send RIEF several wrong directions at once. The kid was kinda talented at driving, after all.

---

 

[Mobley Eats]

Luna Cambridge | Codename: Nostalgia | Leaving Aspida Labs Miami Branch

​

Interactions: Keith @Reythaak | Mac Attack @Shizuochan | Lex @La Reina | Josie @Kat


She gave Keith's hand a squeeze back in gratitude. The action had released a breath she didn't realize she was holding (okay, that was lie...she was sorta maybe kinda hyperventilating) and most of the anxiety ebbed away. Most of it.

"Home," she repeated with a nod. "Y-yeah. You're right. Let's blow this evil p-popsicle stand." She flashed Keith one last smile before letting him go to man the wheel. He was by no means a reckless driver (cue a brief flashback to Finn's traumatizing adventures on the road), but she couldn't help but latch onto whatever she could. The van whipped wide around corners and sped towards where Lex and the others should've been exiting.

Once the team were finally together in one piece, Luna couldn't help but guffaw an odd cross between a sigh and squeak in relief. She pressed a hand over her mouth, attempting to regain her composure, before waving her hands about awkwardly. She couldn't tell if she wanted to ramble about how worried she had been or hug them and risk agitating their injuries--

"Y-you're injured! Oh God, oh God, um." Crrrrrripity crap, we don't have anything! she realized, frustrated with the van's lack of First Aid. They had an infirmary back at Rogue, but she could only imagine how uncomfortable it was to have glass shards lodged into your skin. The jostling and jerking of the van probably worsened the sting. Luna opted for working with what she had and retracted an unopened bottle of water from a compartment underneath the counter. Hey, she liked to come prepared and stake outs were never short. She then yanked off her skull cap and gestured towards Mac's bleeding hand. "M-may I? I don't have g-gauze but this and some w-water are the only things I have t-to stop the bleeding."

From the looks of it, Mac's cut didn't hold any visible shards of glass. Good. Thank God. It wouldn't be terribly hard to staunch the flow. As for Josie's condition...Luna's gaze strayed over to her friend. She was bloody. Very. The image of an explosion blasting Josie back and into glass pounded at the forefront of her memory. Acrid guilt coated the back of Luna's tongue; when she spoke, her voice took on a congested and timid tone. "H-hang in there, Josie. We'll get you p-patched up soon. I'm sorry..." As soon as she finished with Mac, she would try her damn hardest to clean up Josie as much as possible.

After all that happened, she prayed that it was at least worth it. Even if being a part of Rogue included dangerous missions like this, she still hated watching her friends get hurt.

 

[DarinValore]

[fieldbox="R.I.E.F. Station #736, blue, solid"]
Maxine's fingers dug into the palms of her hands as she stared up at the man on the screen. The man was red-faced, clearly upset at the fact that she had lost not one, but, according to the security feed, three mutants. She largely ignored his words, instead already forming a plan in mind on how she might smoke them out to capture or kill them. The one in the containment room had her interest peeked the most. She had managed, somehow, to beat the tests, and they needed to know exactly how she did it so they could quickly develop something to counter it.

Once the situation had died down back at the Aspida building, a R.I.E.F. team had sifted through the remains of the mutant's labs but everything was too badly damaged. After cleaning it out, the next thing on her list was to feed a false news story to avoid panic. Even now, the story was running on a little monitor that she noted to the left of the raging man. The headline read, Gas leak explosion leaves one dead in Aspida building.

"Do you understand, Mrs. Redwell?" he finally stopped talking.

She let out a sigh as she tried to show interest and concern for what the man had said, "Yes, sir. My team will apprehend Ramsden for interrogation. I've already got Salvador searching known archivists with medical expertise. There was blood from where she slammed against the glass cabinets. I sent what I could retrieve to the labs and Big Brother has a sample so that the drones can be programmed to identify traces of her DNA in hopes of tracking her down. Big Brother seems to think the drones are ready for that upgrade, so it's being uploaded to the entire network as we speak. As far as the other two," she swiped the small window and blew it up on the main monitor, "We're running facial recognition on them now. One's a shapeshifter and the other one seems to move through solids. I managed to find blood that wasn't Ramsden's. I'm certain it belongs to the one that saved her. That, too, has been sent to the labs, but I'm not sure there was enough to send to Big Brother. You see, there's nothing to worry about. Sure, they got away, but it won't be for long," she shrugged, "They just might lead us to Keegan, himself, then we can end this whole damn thing."

"Fine. Mrs. Redwell, don't screw up this time," the man returned.

She turned to Salvador and nodded. The screen went dark immediately, "Salvador, contact the team. I want them here in Miami by 0800 in two days. Oh, and, Salvador, all of them."

"Yes, ma'am," Salvador smirked as he turned to the screen before him, watching as ten dossiers flooded the screen. [/fieldbox]

[fieldbox="Rogue: Miami Sanctuary, purple, solid"]
"Ready the medbay," Doc, a slender woman with long, brown hair tugged blue, latex gloves over hands, "Bring the stretcher and make sure that Josie's face down. I can get to work as soon as we've got her loaded on it."

The squealing wheels of the van sounded through the long corridor that winded down into the Bunker. Doc stood ready, a stretcher beside her and the two in charge of it, neither looking as though they were medical personnel, "They're almost here."

This was the worst part of her job. Never knowing the true extent of the damage one of her mutants - they were all her babies - had suffered while on a mission, made her heart drum quicker, her hands shake, and beads of sweat form along her brow. Quickly, she ran the sleeve of her medical coat over her forehead, "Come on, come on, come on."

The click of Keegan's cane against the concrete made her look over her shoulder briefly, "They're almost here."

"I know," Keegan returned, "I was in the command center the whole time. Luna has already tended to Spitz's hand and she's working on taking any shallow shards from Josie's back. I told her to leave any that looked deep for you. We don't want more damage done. She's in good hands, Leslie. I would have sent a different team if I didn't think they were good."

He offered her a soft smile and she forced one in return and let out a held breath, "I know."

Reaching out, he squeezed her upper arm just as the headlights of the van shone against the wall of the last curve, "They're almost here. Once you've got them patched up, Doc, I want to see them."

She nodded just as the van came to a stop at the loading dock and the door slid open, "Yes, sir," she turned her attention to the van, "Let's get to work then you guys!"[/fieldbox]

 

[junebug]

Josie slid onto the stretcher, stomach down. She winced in pain as she moved her shoulders to find a proper position on the sturdy cloth. As they rushed her to the infirmary, Josie's chest heaved as she anticipated the worst.

"How bad is it, Doc? It hurts like hell."

Josie shifted slightly in an effort to get comfortable, but found that it did no good. The infirmary doors were open and Josie was placed on the operating table.

"Thanks Kane, Mark," she told the men who'd helped her on and off the stretcher. They left Doc and her promptly. The blinds were shut closed and Josie was surrounded by a vaguely familiar medbay.

"It looks scarier than last time," she mumbled as Doc began to cut open the back of her dress shirt with a pair of scissors, being careful not to go near her skin where the glass was lodged in. It'd been a long time since she'd seen the inside of medbay, since that awful day. Josie could still hear her screams echoing in her ear and she buried her face in the table, ashamed.

"I failed them."

---

TAGS || @DarinValore

 

[Mobley Eats]

Luna Cambridge | Codename: Nostalgia | Rogue Headquarters: Miami Sanctuary

​

Interactions: None


It took every ounce of willpower for Luna to stop herself from rocketing out of the van and following Josie to the infirmary. Of course, she knew that her friend was in wonderful hands; Doc cared for all of them like her own children. And yet, even then, Luna couldn't carve the image of Josie bloodied and sore out of her brain. The picture instilled an unpleasant combination of vertigo, nausea, and guilt within her. She couldn't blame herself--logic said that clearly--but her heart was a rebellious organ when it wanted to be. The most she could do was catch her breath and cement her nerves in place.

Which was what she was doing now.

She remained glued to her seat in the van, waiting for everyone to filter out. Once they did, she shakily dragged both hands down her face. She winced at the rough and stiff texture of her cheeks; the sensation of dried tears were uncomfortable and made her wince at her own weakness. How long had she been with Rogue? Four years now? At the very least? How come, after all these years of work, after all this time spent watching the horrors and hatred of R.I.E.F. unfold, she couldn't encase her insides in steel? No matter how hard she tried, she would never be as collected as Penny, never as resilient as Mac, nowhere near as ambitious as Josie, not even as brave as Keith. She knew Keith would deny that, but doing what he did today with Luna, managing to keep a cool head while simultaneously calming her down--it took a courageous and wise soul to do that.

Even as these thoughts raced through her head, words failed her. She knew talking would be a lost art form for the next hour or so. Or until Josie and Mac were properly patched up. Whichever came first. Gulping back several gasps of air and finding her center, Luna exited the van and made a bee line straight for the infirmary. Of course, access inside was denied; Doc preferred as little distraction as possible while at work. Heaving a sigh, Luna paced the hallway until she decided to press her back to the wall and slide down. She sat there cross-legged, her knee bouncing and refusing to move.

She glanced down at her hands. Cleaning up Mac's wound was messy since anxiety and the van's jerking about shook her around. There was a diluted red stain on her sleeve. She tugged it past her wrist and hid it from view in her lap. The back of her head met the wall.

Luna stayed put.

 

[Reythaak]

fright

Keith Fuller
⤑Location: Rogue HQ ⤑Interactions: @Mobley Eats​

---

It wasn't until they got to the loading dock that Keith finally allowed himself to breathe properly, and actually take a look into the back of the van. Everyone's auras were… everywhere. Lots of tinges of anxiety and nervousness and the brighter reds he associated with excitement and energy. He focused for a moment on Josie, letting out a little sigh of relief.

"I didn't have time to give you any sort of update on our way back Doc; I'm sorry," he said as Josie was moved to a stretcher. He felt a little bad about the rocky ride he'd subjected her to, but considering that it was for safety and security reasons… he didn't feel too bad.

Everyone but Luna seemed to filter out pretty quickly. Keith moved the van to a parking spot, then got out himself, stretching his legs a little bit and trying not to think too hard. He kept his power firmly turned off, the brief look at everyone in the back of the van had been enough to make him a bit uncomfortable.

He walked through Rogue's headquarters, feeling the adrenaline leeching from his system steadily as his body realized he was in the relative safety of what amounted to his second home.

I really need to come up with a code name for myself… the thought came pretty much out of the blue, And maybe start wearing a mask… His lips twisted into a slight smile. Start looking like one of the X-Men instead of just some kid driving a van with some fancy tech and some supers in the back…

He let those thoughts carry him through the building, headed towards his tiny room; he still had his dad's house outside of here, so the room here was small, more like a "guest room" that was permanently his than one of the slightly larger permanent-resident rooms. He knew Luna would need some support, but first to get some supplies.

After all, a snack was always a good move after an adventure like that, even if he and Luna hadn't been physically active in any of it. He dropped his coat on the bed, then grabbed a cloth, drawstring backpack and tossed a handful of things from their various hiding places into it. He headed back towards the infirmary, swinging by the kitchen to grab a couple bottles of cold water on his way. Reusable bottles, mind you, he had stuffed in the fridge before their adventure.

"Luuuna Moooth~" He said almost sing-song as he came down the corridor, spotting his friend sitting cross-legged on the floor, back to the wall, "I come bearing gifts." There was a pause as he set one of the water bottles next to her. A teal-turquoise deal, with white and yellow stylized flowers and butterflies on the near-transparent surface. "As long as you don't explode it this time; I think Doc would be really upset if she walked out into a puddle of spray cheese."

He grinned, producing a package of crackers, a can of spray cheese, and a package of pepperoni from the backpack as he sat down next to Luna. His go-to snack for the pair of them, at this point.

---

 

[Rae]

Mara did not like Deckard one bit. Just like so many other pretty faces, they didn't know when they needed to keep their mouths shut. Not that he'd said anything terrible or unintelligent. No, she saw the logic in his words, deep down. She just didn't like the attitude that accompanied it all. His very demeanor screamed don't fuck with me and leave me alone. As a result, she wanted to irritate the man as much as possible just for the fuckin' hell of it.

But, that would come later. For now, she had to be sweet as sugar. Or at least not give into the temptation to strike the man with more than her fists.

A smirk rose on Mara's lips as Penny began to sink her claws into Deckard. The telekinetic hid his thoughts well, but it didn't take a genius to know that he would run if pushed too hard. That's why they were here...for what Penny aptly called a softer touch. She well expected to stand in silence and watch the scene unfold, but suddenly she was forced into the spotlight for a moment.

"Hell... Finn or Mara here could take you, and they've got more in common with toothpicks, than people."

Mara scowled at the insult. I'm more than a fuckin' toothpick! And don't put me together with Finn! She kept her mouth shut despite wanting to say the words aloud. Instead, she molded her expression back into the defiant smirk that was her trademark. She placed a hand on her hip, nearly breaking her attempt at a cool demeanor with Finn's near fuck-up of the whole thing. Damn idiot. She just simply shrugged, as if bored by the whole ordeal.

She wondered at the game that Penny was playing. Was she purposefully trying to rile him up? Did she really think they could take on a telekinetic? Sure, Mara could do well for herself on a good day, but that good day required a nice storm. And damned as they were, it was bright and sunny. She was worth shit in a fight as it was, unless Penny thought turning up the stifling heat would somehow give them an edge.

Still, she wasn't one to question Penny's methods. So Mara remained content in her continued silence...for now.​

@Elle Joyner || @CloudyBlueDay || @DarinValore​

 

[Elle Joyner]

---

With a chuckle, Deck shook his head, "Goading? Is that what Keegan's stooped down to? He sent you to try to win me over with goading? No thank you," he stooped under a ruined table and pulled out a duffle bag. After placing on the the table, he began to stuff it with a shirt, his gloves, and his wraps, "Like I said, you and the toothpick twins can all leave out the same door you came in through."

"Goading?" Penny asked, and the corner of her lip twitched upwards. Her eyes flickered briefly to Mara and Finn, resting on the latter with what she hoped was a telling enough expression. They needed to prepare if he tried to leave in a way that was less than pleasant or polite, and there was a good chance they were headed in that direction, "I prefer aggravated theorizing… but if you like your label better, that's fine. Point stands. Why's Keegan want you so bad…? I mean… you're not his type, for sure."

Watching Deckard anxiously pack his bag was definitely a tell tale sign, especially with the awkward gazes from Penny. Finn tapped his foot, glancing around as he took in the layout of the place. Penny had said she didn't mind a little display of power to scare him back into place, but Finn couldn't see why they needed to scare the guy at all. Why was Keegan so insistent on this guy?

"First of all, hurtful," Finn hummed, because he certainly had more weight than a toothpick. "Second… Why would you prefer this to Rogue?" It was a genuine question. He couldn't imagine Deckard was exactly thriving. And the place gave him the creeps. He wanted to leave. "I had a homeless stint myself. Wasn't the greatest."

Finn's question made him pause, "I don't know," he smirked, "I kinda like the scenery, and the company doesn't ask any question," he gave a pointed look the the trio, "Now, since Keegan's goons have finally found me, it's time for me to move on," he checked his watch and tapped it with a hum, "Give Keegan my regards," after zipping up his bag, he threw it over his shoulder and turned away from them toward the south exit.

"Just like that, Sugar?" Looking to Finn again, Penny gave a nod, and lowering her voice, touched Mara's elbow gingerly, "Both of you… get ready. We can't lose him, again..." Then stepping away from the pair, she followed after the behemoth of a man, "You just gonna walk away? Hell, we got a no-question policy I'm real fond of, personally, and we have a hell of a dental plan…"

Mara nodded, though she wasn't sure how useful she would be in a fight. In fact, she was pretty damn sure she'd be just fucking useless. Damn her luck, and damn what everyone called "good weather." She could really have used a storm right about then. Instead, she followed after Penny, vaguely aware of Finn close by. How irritating that "Astroboy" was more useful than her this time around.

Sighing deeply, Finn shook his head. He was in no mood to put up a fight, but was he ever? As Deckard turned away, Finn shook out his hands and rolled his neck. It was a complicated business, his type of flight. And for the trick he wanted to execute, it took him a moment just to plot out how not to step on Deckard's head..

Through cautious hand movements Finn began to pull the air around him, and then he leapt. In a stair-stepping motion, Finn climbed above Deckard and right back down in front of him, landing with a satisfying woosh. There was an excited look in his eye despite the frown on his face. "Just hear us out a minute, yeah?"

A sigh escaped his lips as he shifted, sliding his left leg back to balance his stance, "I don't have time for this, kid. Besides, there's nothing any of you could say...or do...to convince me to go with you," he shook his head, "Now, move."

Her eyes followed Finn, and an edge of caution tipped into her expression, and when Deck responded, she took another small step forward, "Easy, Big Guy. We ain't your enemies… And I think you know that, or you'd have left the minute we walked through those doors. Just… come in. Talk with Keegan. Face to face. See what he has to offer and hell… maybe you might be surprised."

"Hey, after calling me toothpick, I think I should at least get a chance to prove myself!" Finn whined, stance firm in front of him. "Yeah, at least let Keegan talk to you. You seem more impressed with him than us, don't understand why, but, it is what it is. And --" Something caught his eye behind Deck, something coming in fast. Big white sky dog. Bad news, and the expression on his face proved it before Finn had even stumbled backwards.

"Drone -- drone!" Finn yelled.

Deck turned just in time to see the white, armored drone stop and turn to peer through the broken windows. They didn't have time to move as a blue, harmless beam expanded from the small light on the drone's head. It filled the room, washing over the four occupants before it vanished. A slight whirring sound began to rise from within the machine.

"Shit," Deckard breathed, "duck!" He yelled just as the drone opened fire.

Penny's gaze shifted as Finn yelled and her heart smacked hard against her chest at the site of the bright white drone outside. His shift in position had brought him closest to the windows, closest to the drone… and it was her call for him to move there.

"No, no, no…" Swearing, sidelining the small bits of logical reasoning she still maintained beneath the layers of stubbornness and irritation, she pushed herself forward at a sprint and with as much force as she could muster, she plowed into Finn, taking him down at the waist as the shots from the drone rained through the windows.

Pain, searing and hot, shot through her hip and rolling off Finn, she swore again, her hand clamping down on the sudden flow of blood, leaking through the fabric of her blouse, "Damn it!"

Moments after crying out the warning, Penny crashed into him with the force of a football player, hitting the ground hard. Gunshots rang through, glass shattering as they attempted to hit their targets. As Penny rolled off of him Finn groaned, and he felt something wet. Blood? Shit. Did he get shot? Nothing hurt like that. And as he peeled himself off the floor and turned to Penny, his eyes widened as he realized where the blood had come from.

"Holy shit," Finn breathed, scrambling upright and staring at the red stain that only got bigger. "Holy fuck, Penny, what the hell?!"

Mara hadn't thought twice about her own safety first. She'd rammed into the floor without a care for the bruises she would feel later, gritting her teeth as the steady stream of bullets rained hell over her head. And then she heard Penny...and Finn…

Her eyes opened, and she found her team as red spilled on the floor. Fuck...holy shit...fuck! She'd never seen so much blood in her life. The gunfire didn't stop for even a moment, and all she could do was stare in absolute shock as Penny looked like she could be dying. What the fuck do I do?

Deck dove hard against the floor as rounds slammed into the walls, shattered anything sitting on the decrepit shelves, and peppered anything standing with tiny holes. Pulling his bag close, he looked toward the door. He was so close. He could just crawl there, slip out, and disappear. Then he heard Finn cry out.

Finn was leaning over her and Deck could see the red quickly spreading over her shirt. His eyes turned toward the door again, "Damn it," he groaned as he shifted and pressed himself against the table he managed to duck beside, "Where's she hit?" he called out over the rapid gunfire, "How bad is it?"

Gritting her teeth, Penny opened her eyes and peeling her hand back from her hip briefly, she muttered a curse beneath her breath, "Ain't pretty…" She hissed, slapping her hand back over the new blossom of blood, "Won't matter in a second, if that drone gets in through the window, though!"

Worry filling his eyes as Penny momentarily revealed the wound, flinching at the gruesome sight. While he hardly wanted to leave her side, especially after she took a freaking bullet for him, an idea blossomed in his mind, and they wouldn't be in one piece much longer if the drone got in. To fly he pushed the air around him.. What if he could push the air around the drone?

Shifting into a kneel that would allow him to stand, Finn took a breath. He had one shot to stand up and blow the damn thing away, or he would be looking much worse than Pen. Okay. Alright, I can do this! Totally a theory and I've never done it before, but that's the best time to try shit out!

In one fell swoop Finn stood and pushed the air between him and the drone out, hard, as if he was pushing against an invisible wall. The drone was sent flying in the other direction against its will.

"Oh, shit. That worked." Finn breathed.

---

TAGS || Collab Part One ||@CloudyBlueDay, @Kimberlyn, @DarinValore

 

[CloudyBlueDay]

FINN WESTFALL

"Good job, Kid. You bought us a minute," Deck spoke as he capitalized on the moment and scurried over to Penny, "Let me," he gestured toward her hip, "I might be able to stop the bleeding."

Peering up over their cover, Deck watched as the Drone righted itself over the Atlantic. Already it was gliding their way, "Can you do it again?" He looked to Finn.

Her eyes moved from Finn, with a glimmer of pride in his actions, to Deckard, who was met with a trace of apprehension… But Deck's gaze shifted and canting her head backwards, she muttered a curse at the sight of the drone heading in the direction of the warehouse, again.

"Bullet's still in…" She finally said, her eyes flickering back to Deck, "Can you get it out? There… there's a tracker in it."

Finn grimaced as he realized it was not as heroic an action as he'd hoped it to be. The drone steadied itself and began to make its way back up, as Finn took a moment to cringe at the thought of Deck pulling out a bullet from Penny. "Shit, here? Don't we have to get back to -" The drone was close, so Finn shut his yap and focused all his might once more on sending the drone tumbling down, hopefully this time straight into the Atlantic if he could muster the force to push it down that far. Finn made a motion like he was tugging a blanket of air right from around the drone, and the thing was sent hurtling away. Crap. Not strong enough. The thing saved itself along the edge of the water before it could plummet straight in.

"If you're gonna take it out, do it now!" He whimpered.

The boy came through once again for them. With a nod, Deck turned his attention back to Penny. he dropped his back on the floor beside them and quickly unzipped it. Pulling out a knife, he placed it in his lap. Next came a leather belt, he began to group it up before he held it out to her, "Lift up your shirt and bite down on this. This is going to hurt like hell," he warned as the knife clicked open.

"Just watch the hands there, buddy." Penny muttered, and taking the belt, she dropped back, pinching it between her teeth to bite down. It wasn't an ideal setting for a surgical procedure, nor did Deckard seem exactly the delicate type, but Penny had little doubt it would have mattered, either way. The knife entered, and pain seared, as she grit down into the leather, hands smacking into the floor of the warehouse, before curling, balling into fists, nails digging into her palms.

In reality, it probably took the whole of a few minutes, but it seemed like hours, with no reprieve from the agony. Eventually, the leather belt could not contain the cry and her hand shot out to grab Finn's arm, gripping like a vice to keep herself still.

Taking whatever time he had bought them to kneel back beside Penny, Finn's eyes widened as Deckard brandished the knife. In the back of his mind he wondered if he trusted Deckard with a knife around her, but there wasn't really any other option. (There was no way Finn would last long enough to dig the bullet out of her himself.) Flinching at Penny's first cry of pain, watching in horror as Deck tried his best to retrieve the bullet. A few moments more and Penny was near thrashing; as her hand gripped his arm Finn froze, stomach churning as he also realized once more just how damn strong Pen was. If she hadn't knocked him out of the way, this would've been him thrashing on the floor. Why'd she do it?

The whole time, Mara was several feet away, watching her friend's agony in horror. What had happened? How had this happened? She turned away, retching. The metallic scent of blood was awful, worse than she ever imagined. Her stomach churned as she wiped bile from her lips, steeling herself as best she could as she crawled over.

Penny was still thrashing, her scream barely concealed by the leather between her teeth. Mara took her free hand, squeezing it with whatever comfort she could offer. She felt more useless than ever now. Shit, she hadn't been able to do anything. Even Finn had been able to beat back the drone, temporarily or not.

"I can't.." he growled as he pulled his fingers back, slick red. He leaned back to allow the natural light shine in, which didn't really help at all. He shook his head before he dove back in, deeper. Then his fingers grazed it, "Found it!"

Gunfire sounded off again as things shattered above them. Deck pulled his fingers free cursing that the bullet wasn't between them. Throwing his body over her, he sheltered her from the shards of debris that rained over them. Without warning, he reached out and grabbed Finn, dragging him over Penny's stomach, "Don't move!" he commanded as he shifted, pulling Finn until the boy hovered where he had been.

Snatching up a shattered chunk of the table, he threw it away form them, the drone following only a moment. A moment was all Deckard needed. Darting to his feet, he thrusted his hand out toward the drone, but Deckard didn't touch it with his hand, distance ensured that. Instead, he visualized the drone in his eyes. He thought about crushing it in his hand as his fingers curled into his palm.

First, there were only creaks, but the pressure grew enough that pops followed. The armor plate dented in before caving in all together. The whirring of the guns and propellers ceased, and every light on the drone went out. When Deckard opened his hand, the drone fell to the warehouse floor, a mangled memory of what it once was.

Hurrying back to Penny, he pushed Finn away, "Move," he growled as he hovered his hand over her stomach as he visualized the bullet, recalling the way it felt in his hand, "Looks like you got your wish," slowly the metallic object slid back through the wound track until it emerged from her body and floated into Deck's hand, "Keegan and I are definitely going to have words."

Dropping back, her breathing fragmented and weary, Penny stared up at the ceiling, smiling dryly, "...I told you we were pretty damn persistent." Grimacing, her arms dropping weakly to her sides, her shook her head, "Gonna need you… to keep your hands on me there, Big Guy… And we need to get the hell out of here. Finn?" Looking around, she found him, through bleary, unfocused eyes, "Finn, sweetie. You okay? Mara? Mar… You alright??"

Finn allowed himself to be dragged over Penny (not like he had much of a choice) and in Deck's absence he shakily put his hands over her wound, flinching at the wetness and the raining gunfire. His eyes drifted to Deck as miraculously, the man crushed the drone. Finn stared in awe. It made his air pushing power look like a party trick.

As soon as Finn had been pulled above Penny Deckard shoved him roughly aside, and the bullet slid out of her like butter. Finn shivered. "If I had to pick between you and Penny not getting shot, I would pick Penny not getting shot." Her unfocused eyes found him and just to steady her he took her hand. "Sweetie?" He gawked. "We broke Penny."

"Me, too," he mumbled as he glanced toward Finn before he searched through his bag again, pulling out a clean shirt and then pressing it against her wound. Out came another that he began to tear into strips before wrapping them tightly around her. Satisfied, he slid his arms under her and stood up, "Car? Or?" he asked.

As he rose, Penny looped an arm around his neck and looked to Finn with a small, tired smirk, "Oh, shut up." Wincing, focusing on the clarifying pain to keep her eyes opened, she nodded to the doors, "Black SUV, out front. Mara… Call ahead to Keegan and tell him we're gonna need Doc."

Mara's hands shook violently, but she nodded. What the hell had just happened? Anger coursed through her blood, and she bit her lip to keep herself from screaming. Deckard had been able to do that shit the entire fucking time, but he'd just chosen not to! He let Penny get shot! He could have taken the drone out without a second thought as soon as it showed up, but instead Penny was...she was…

What few clouds that dotted the sky above grew darker, reflecting the turmoil of the young woman. She let out a breath, knowing that there was nothing to be done now. Anger solved nothing; she knew that quite well. Retrieving her phone, she called the base, letting out a string of curse words. Damn it all.

"Uh, right. Car. Base." Finn echoed, following Deck and Penny closely, wiping her blood off on his pants. Damn it, he liked these pants. The tired smirk she gave him had the tension in his shoulders relax ever so slightly. Maybe she wasn't totally broken. "Um.. who's driving?"

"Not her," Deck nodded at Penny in his arms, "Looks like you're the winner, Kid," he said as he turned to walk through the door back first. His eyes settled on the SUV and he sighed, "Run ahead and open the back door. I'll slide her in and make sure she doesn't bleed out. I hope you remember how to get home."

"Look, guys… He called it home." Penny said, fighting another painful grimace.Her grin on Deckard slackened just slightly as her energy drained, but the jostling motion as they headed for the doors continued to combat the urge to pass out, "Keegan's gonna be so proud of us. You know how to start the car, right?"

Swallowing nervously as Finn realized he'd be sitting in the driver's seat, a pale sheen washed over him. This.. was not ideal. "Uh, yeah. He'll be so proud of you. I'll be lucky to have an inch of my life left." He wheezed. Better to not tell them he could barely drive, right? Penny probably forgot, in her pained stupor. "Sure, I can start the car. Problem is what comes next." He whispered, rushing forward and pulling the backdoor open, before opening the drivers side door and sliding in. Okay. Keith had showed him enough times. Sure, those times had ended in broken mailboxes, fallen lampposts, and near death situations, but this was different! Penny was dying! He could drive. He could drive, right? Finn anxiously turned the keys and listened to the hum of the engine. "Sorry. It's gonna be bumpy."

Collab with @DarinValore @Kimberlyn @Elle Joyner

 

[Mobley Eats]

Luna Cambridge | Codename: Nostalgia | Rogue Headquarters: Infirmary

​

Interactions: Keith @Reythaak


"Luuuna Moooth~"

Luna's head rolled in the direction of Keith's voice, having recognized the nickname immediately. Only he referred to her as such and even in her bleakest of moods, it always managed to make a smile tug at her lips. The expression was weakened by the guilt swirling in her gut, but it was better than moping like some child. God...she really was a child, wasn't she? Shaking off the self-berating thoughts, she replied softly, "H-hey Keith."

Her eyes lit up a bit at the mention of gifts. She grabbed the water bottle and admired its design--flowers inspired indifference within her, but she absolutely adored butterflies and the color teal. Butterflies fascinated her; they're ability to start off as a caterpillar, something so overlooked and forgotten by others, until they changed themselves into a universal symbol of grace and loveliness. It was powerful, though saddening and beautiful. No matter what, they reminded her that times were bound to change--perhaps for the better.

Luna pouted playfully. "Oh come on, th-that was one time," she protested. How was she supposed to know that banging a can of cheese on the counter would result in such chaos?

---

Shrugging, Luna attempted to turn the top. Nothing. Then a pull...followed up by nothing. Huffing, she tapped it gently against the countertop; a brief *click!* emitted from the action, though it wasn't quite open. "Aaaaah, I-I see a weakness in my adversary's defenses~." Smile widening, she gave another harder tap and…

Cheese exploded from the can.

Keith was just turning around as he heard the harder tap on the can, holding up his prizes victoriously, "Lookit what I fo...und…" Aaand he was covered in cheese.

Luna giggled, her hands shaking. "U-uh...s-sorr...y?"

---

The memory made Luna's smile widen.

As Keith sat next to her and unloaded their go-to snackage, Luna fiddled with the can nervously, her gaze glued to her lap. "Hey, uh...w-we did good today, right? I mean, I don't really care about b-being the best or whatever. We're a team, you know? Family, even. Err, well...I-I haven't heard the others use that word b-but I'm sure they feel the same. Um, off on a tangent. Hold on." She pinched the bridge of her nose, guiding her brain back onto the right path. "Yeah, so...Keith, I can't help but th-think that...I mean, while looking at J-Josie and Mac..."

Oh God. Not again. Her throat clenched up and her eyes burned, though no tears fell. She had cried enough in the car. She needed to grow up and grow up fast. Jaw clenching, she pushed herself to finish as steadily as possible, "I can't help but feel like I-I'm at fault somehow. And the oxygen idea. Oh God, the o-oxygen." It was the best thing she could come up with while under pressure. Though it helped to knock the threats unconscious, she knew what excessive exposure to high levels of oxygen could do to the body. They were bad. Potentially lethal. She had set a disabling "timer" on the pressure plates, which turned them back on after two minutes, but even then...

She prayed that no one died. They might have been Aspida, suppliers to cold and ruthless hunters of her...her kind, but she loathed the idea of being the cause of anyone's death. Forcing back a hiccup, her head fell to Keith's shoulder with a gentle bonk, glistening eyes stuck on the opposite wall. "F-forget it," she sighed with a chuckle. "I-I'm just being dramatic, right? Sorry."

 

[DarinValore]

[fieldbox="Miami Streets, green, solid"]
Deckard stepped up into the car and slid Penny into the backseat as gently as he could before he crawled up behind her, "Sorry," he told her, immediately pressing his hands hard against the cloth dyed red with blood. With a shake of his head, he spoke to Finn, "Just drive. Preferably before she bleeds out back here."

It hadn't escaped Penny's attention that Finn wasn't exactly gifted behind the wheel, but desperate times and measures and all that. As she lay back on the black leather seat, her eyes closed for a moment, and she breathed in shakily, "I didn't know any better there, Sugar, I'd say you sounded concerned. Pretty touching…" Swallowing, her eyes cracked open as she peered behind Deckard to Finn, "Brakes are on the left, Toothpick. Gas on the right. If you get lost, Mara knows the way. Put her into drive and get us the hell out of here, before they send more drones."

Gripping the gear shift, grimacing, wiping his sweaty palms on his pants and then grabbing the gear shift again, Finn kicked it into drive and put his foot on the gas. This of course had the car hurtling off in the direction of the sea, instead of backing up. "Shit! Penny! You said to put it in drive." Finn yelped, luckily not putting his foot on the gas too hard. He put it in reverse. It was slow and steady at first, and he didn't crash into anything backing out of the dock, which was already a plus. But slow and steady wasn't gonna win this race, not with Penny bleeding out in the backseat.

Now kicking it into drive, he pulled onto the main road and Finn slowly put more pressure on the gas pedal, knuckles white with his tight grip on the steering wheel. "How's she doing?" He called to the back seat occupants.

Surveying Penny, Deck noted her paling complexion, shaken breath, and tired eyes, "Hurry," was all he muttered desperately trying not to insult the boy for his driving.

"Oy…" Penny hissed, and her fingers curled around Deckard's trunk of a wrist, "Don't freak him out. And you.." Her gaze flickered to Finn, "Eyes on the road. Mara… He moves his eyes from that road, you smack him in the back of the head, alright?"

Fucking hell. They'd barely gotten through one hellish situation, only to land into another. Out of the frying pan and into the fucking fire, right? If only I'd learned how to drive… Mara sure as hell would be better than Finn, given the chance to learn. She was damn sure of it. The entire time, she gripped the sides of her seat, looking back at Penny every few seconds to make sure she was still alive. She laughed dryly at Penny's instruction, her fingers twitching every time he even looked in his rearview mirror. So far...still in hell...

"My eyes are on the road," Finn muttered, gnashing his lip in worry. Under his breath, Finn began to chant. "I'm twenty years old. Keith showed me how to do this. It's been like, years, since I crashed the Jeep into that fence post. Granted, it's also been years since I've driven. But I know how to do this. I can definitely do this."

Deck looked wide-eyed between Finn and Penny as the dock faded in the rearview mirror and palm trees whizzed by the windows, "He doesn't know how to drive? You get me shot at and now you've got me in a car with this guy. Seems to me that Keegan sent you to kill me, not recruit me," he smirked and shook his head before pulling back the blood-soaked shirt to peek at the wound, "Doc still there? She could patch you up real quick, good as new," he replaced the shirt and pressed again.

A brow lifted as Penny looked to Deck again, frowning softly, "You know a hell of a lot about Rogue, for a guy who claims he ain't interested in signing the lease agreement. Doc's there… She'll be pretty pissed at you if you let me die, so uh… don't, yeah?" Her eyes rolled shut again, and she breathed out, "...Next time, Finn, you can get shot, okay?"

"I kind of know how to drive! I'm just.. Horrible at it." Finn protested, swerving abruptly. Out of the way of an oncoming car. "Shit. Sorry." The road was smooth for about five seconds before Finn swerved, again. "Shit, sorry!" Penny's voice was quiet and soft. It made him nervous. Nervous on the road was bad. She was right, though. He did seem to know a lot. Doc? How would he even… Finn swerved again. "There's a reason you're the one that got shot. I'd probably already be passed the hell out." He hissed through gritted teeth. "How about next time, none of us get shot? I'd prefer that."

"Damnit, Finn! You're going to kill us all!" Mara screeched, her hand reaching up to the roof to steady herself. She couldn't believe that Penny was still in "Recruiting Mode" even as she bled out in the backseat. Fucking lunatics… As much as she loved the Rogues, they were batshit crazy sometimes, and Penny was no damn exception. "Drive on the right side of the road, you fuckin' idiot!"

"I told you, I've spoken with Keegan before," Deckard left it at that, "Try not to swerve so much. It's not easy to keep pressure on something when your weight keeps shifting!" Deck watched as her eyes rolled shut and his brow narrowed, "Tell me something about yourself," he urged her. If she talked, that meant she was conscious. If she was conscious, she was alive.

"Hm… Yeah, Finn… and it hurts like hell." Gritting her teeth, she shook her head, "No dice, Gorgeous. I don't talk about myself. You gonna need to pick another subject, you wanna have a chat. Why you so damn against comin' in to Rogue? You know what you're capable of… and you could help a lot of people."

"I'm trying!" Finn hissed, making a turn that luckily wasn't so sharp. "Um.. I think we're almost there, kinda? Not sure. Playing it by ear." Finn mumbled. The streets they were screeching through seemed familiar enough. Plus, it'd be good if he made a few wrong turns! Keep their trail hard to track. Hopefully. Penny, despite bleeding to death, was still trying to recruit Deck. Damn. Resilient. "Uh, yeah. Why so against it?" He echoed sheepishly.

"I work better alone," he said plainly, "and I can hurt a lot of people with this ability, too," his tone carried a hint of experience, "Why'd you join?" he shot back.

"We all think we work better alone…" Penny muttered, her voice losing color as she closed her eyes again, "...Probably why I joined. Keegan… he says I'm no good on my own. Maybe he's right. Probably he's right about you, too. That, and you're a damn fine man there, Sugar… We could use the aesthetic uplift. No offense, Toothpick. Mara… you're gorgeous."

"Oh, fuck you." Finn muttered. "Muscles do not equate to beauty! You look like the guy from the tire company." This time he didn't try not to swerve. Swerving was inevitable. "Everybody can hurt anybody with their powers, dumbass! That's why they're called powers! They're powerful!" Finn yelled as he skidded to a halt at a red light. "Driving makes me anxious!"

Looking both ways, Deck smirked. There was no traffic, and they were stopped at a red light. Visualizing Finn's forehead bouncing off the steering wheel, Deck nodded and watched his thoughts translate to reality, "You mean like that?"

"...Everything makes you anxious, Astroboy. And you… tall, dark and handsome… Don't beat up my idiot if you ain't gonna join our team. That's club privil--hm…" Pinching in a breath, she squeezed tightly to his wrist, "Hell… Just get us back, Finn."

"Hey!" Mara whipped her head around, her glare ready to kill as she leveled it at Deckard. Finn was an idiot, sure, but this was not the fucking time for games. However, her glare softened into an expression of concern as she saw Penny's face. She looked so, so pale. She bit her lip, anxiety gnawing at her from the inside out.

Finding his head colliding with the steering wheel, Finn let out a grunt of pain as one hand went up to the pulsing red mark on his forehead. "Just wait, Michelin man. I'll make you regret that." Finn growled, gripping the steering wheel in anger as the light turned green. "I would probably be able to get us back faster if your fine friend wouldn't slam my head into the steering wheel, but -- hey -- your idiot?! Really?! I could just let you bleed out, you know." Finn whined.

"Just drive, Finn," Deckard returned, "Keegan first approached me six years ago in Chicago," he told Penny as he pressed her wound with one hand and sifted through his bag for another shirt, "Damn," he breathed as he looked at his options. He had two left and they were his favorites. With a sigh, he pulled out the red one before untying the knot and pulling the blood-soaked shirt away. He hummed as he pressed the next shirt against it and tied it back in place, "Then, again, two years ago in Corpus Christi. Apparently he won't take no for an answer, and I'm getting worse at hiding if it only took him two years to find me this time."

"We've been over this, Pretty Boy…" She hissed as the shirt was shifted, a new one replacing the first, "Keegan is persistent. And he's not the only one. Ain't stoppin', is it…" With an edge of nerves, her eyes opened again, "You gonna run out of clothes for me to bleed on, at this rate. How far, Finn?"

"Two minutes! Really close! Please don't die!" Finn said, voice panicky. "And if it makes you feel any better, Michelin, if it were me I would have given up long ago." He muttered. "Pulling in now. Hope Doc isn't too busy.."
[/fieldbox]

[fieldbox="Rogue: Miami Sanctuary - Medbay, purple, solid"]
"Oh, Hunny," Doc replied as she spread the cut shirt apart and looked down at her back. It sported several cuts and only a few larger pieces of glass. Her shirt had caught most of them, "You didn't fail anyone. You did exactly what Keegan had asked of you," she irrigated her back, watching as blood and tiny pieces of glass washed away, "No one could have known that R.I.E.F. had figured you out. You did everything right," she sighed as she reached for the forceps. She placed a soft hand on Josie's shoulder and leaned in, "I'll make this as quick and painless as I can," she offered a sympathetic smile before she gripped the first of three large pieces of glass.

Pulling them free was undoubtedly painful for Josie, but the woman was a trooper. One at a time, Leslie pulled them free until the last piece clanked in the metallic dish beside her. She placed her hand on Josie's shoulder again and spoke with a gentle tone, "That was the last of them. You can relax now, Sweetie. I'm just going to irrigate your scratches and these three cuts one more time to make sure I removed on the glass before I do my thing. The last thing you need is for me to seal glass in that body of yours."

Once she was satisfied, Doc placed her hands on Josie's back and spoke, "You might feel a tingling sensation, but, then again, you remember from the last time, don't you?"

Looking down at her back, Doc pictured the closing of the wounds in her mind. First, the scratches and minor cuts faded away. Then she moved on to the deep cuts from the larger pieces. Doc watched as she could see the muscles inside the wound 'stitch' together. Once that was done, Josie's light skin followed suit. When the gashes disappeared, Doc pulled her hands away. She wiped the sweat away from her brow with the sleeve of her jacket and scooped up a sterile rag she wiped over Josie's back. With a tight-lipped smile, she stepped back to the hazardous waste bin and peeled her bloodied gloves from her hands before dropping them in, "Good as new, Josie. Might I suggest you avoid sharp shards of glass next time, hmm?" This time a real smile appeared, "I'll have Luna fetch you a shirt so you can be decent."

Suddenly, the curtain pulled back and in stepped Kane. Upon seeing Josie's back, he quickly turned and cleared his throat, "S-Sorry, Josie."

"What is it, Kane?" Leslie asked, a hint of annoyance in her tone.

"It's Penny," Kane looked toward the Doc, concern written on his face, "She's been shot. It's bad."

Leslie's face paled, "Have Mark send in Sandy so she can hook Josie up to some fluids. Kane, go fetch all the O negative you can get and meet me in the OR. We'll have to retrieve the bullet before I can seal her up."
[/fieldbox]

[fieldbox="Rogue Miami Sanctuary, green, solid"]
As the SUV arrived at headquarters, Doc's team was already waiting, in anticipation, after Mara's phone call. The amount of blood Penny had lost was gravely evident in the bright red patch on black leather, in the discarded bundles of soaked garments from Deckard's bag... In the pallor of the woman, who had fallen quiet, shortly before their arrival. She clung to the cusp of consciousness, but somewhere from car to gurney, the fight was lost and Penny blacked out.

"What happened?" Doc asked as Deck placed her gently on the gurney. She moved in and checked her pupil response and pulse, "Her pulse is dangerously weak and her pupils are barely responding."

"It was a drone," Deckard replied as he watched Doc turn her over. He assumed she was looking for an exit wound, "No exit wound, Doc."

"The bullet?" she asked as she gently lay Penny back and the gurney began to move.

"I took it out and discarded it. She said something about a tracker," he answered and Doc nodded, "She's lost a lot of blood and was mostly conscious until just now."

The gurney passed through a pair of double sliding glass doors and Doc put her hands up, "You all need to stay put. I'll take care of Penny and give you an update when I'm done," she looked pointedly toward Finn and repeated, "Wait. Here."

Once the doors slid shut, Deck looked down at his hands. They were still slick with Penny's blood. Anger boiled up inside him, though he fought hard to not express it. If she had not been so pushy, they would have all avoided the drone. The drone flights were like clockwork lately, and if the three of them had not been so intent on recruiting him, their friend would not be clinging to dear life. Despite Doc's ability, Deckard knew there was only so much she could do and Penny had lost a lot of blood. It did not look good for her.

Shaking his head, Deckard entered the restroom and began to scrub away at the red on his arms. He watched it circle down the sink drain and when he had finally finished, he leaned on the sink and looked at his reflection in the mirror. His tank top and pants were stained red. He'd have to toss them.

His mind ran deeper than that though. Keegan would never give up, and as much as Deckard wanted to not be a part of this war, the man was making it more difficult with each group he sent. He was learning Deck's methods; he knew how to better hunt and find him. Each group found him quicker than the last. Why did Keegan want him so badly?

After exiting the bathroom, Deckard looked to Finn and Mara, "I won't leave until I know she's alright. I'll be in the gym...once I find it," he started to walk away, but he paused and turned back. With a sober countenance, he spoke again, "I'm really sorry about your friend," he turned back and walked away. [/fieldbox]

 

[junebug]

The terrible threes
three way collab w/ @Mobley Eats @Reythaak and @Kat

"Penny?!"

Josie shot up immediately and winced, the muscles in her body still sore from being blown across the lab room. She grimaced and took a deep breath, her head spinning as she planted her feet on the ground.

"I need to see her."

Sandy, the woman Mark sent in, the one Josie didn't see too often, sighed, "Sorry Josie, not right now. I'm going to hook you up to some IV fluids. We need you to rest."

"Fuck rest, Penny's not okay," Josie growled.

"Luna's on her way back with Keith. Please understand, Josie. Lay down and you'll feel better. Promise."

Josie clenched her fists, angry with Sandy, angry with herself. She didn't want to listen to anyone right now, but after a few moments of Sandy boring holes in her eyes, Josie reluctantly laid back down with care. Her fellow rogue members emerged with a new shirt while Sandy was preparing the fluids.

"Luna, Keith," Josie stated in a quiet tone.

Luna was visibly trembling as she entered, the tank top folded neatly in her hands. "H-hey, Josie. How're you feeling?" Though she tried to speak steadily, the nerves wrecking absolute havoc on her was impossible to miss. She walked up to Josie's bedside, staring down at her friend in concern.

Keith drifted in along after Luna, flashing a slight smile in Josie's direction. While only Luna had actually been told to do the fetching-of-the-shirt, he wasn't going to leave his friend to do it alone. They had, at least overall, done well today. He looked Josie over briefly. "Your aura's already a little bit brighter than it was when we got here," he commented quietly, a positive for sure. For as quiet as he was, however, he was fidgety at the moment.

Josie gently took the tank top Luna offered to her and slid it on. Sandy hooked her up, gave her some acetaminophen, and dimmed the lights for her splitting headache. The silence was awkward.

"You guys saved me out there," Josie said, her eyes staring down at her hands. She felt her eyes blur as a wave of guilt washed over her. Her lips trembled and she sniffed. They'd gone to such lengths to save her and she couldn't finish the one thing needed to save all of the Rogues.

"I guess… I guess I should be glad I'm still breathing."

Luna hesitated a moment. However, she bit her lip and reached out slowly to encase Josie's hand in hers. Warm. Alive. It was a sensation that filled her to the brim with relief, though it was foolish to fear such a thing when she was right in front of her. "We're all beyond freaking glad you're okay, J-Josie. You're just… so brave for even d-doing what you did after all this time."

"I don't feel brave," Josie inhaled and let go, trying to steady her breathing. "I don't know if the blockers worked or not. I wasn't even done with them. I don't think they did because those bastards were right on my tail after they took my blood. Now, all my research is gone and I'm stuck in Doc's bed, waiting to "feel better" while Penny's in the OR."

Luna allowed Josie's hand to slip from hers and immediately clasp her own behind her back, head tilted down. She understood the woman's disappointment, but she couldn't believe how much Josie was beating herself down over this. "Y-you don't know that for sure. About the blockers working, I mean. L-like… maybe there was a delay somewhere or… or…" She trailed off into a uncertain silence, her brow pinched. She wished she comprehended biochemistry. on a similar level, but she simply didn't; there was no way she could toss out a plausible excuse to make her feel better.

"We'll… we'll bounce back f-from this. I know we will," Luna reassured lamely.

Keith wrinkled his nose a little bit. "Definitely brave there, Josie," he agreed, "I honestly couldn't even step foot in an Aspida building without freaking out." He shoved his hands in his pockets. Luna did a bit better with Josie than him. He did give a moment's pause and tilted his head to the side.

"Uhm. I don't think all of your research is gone. Most of it, yeah, but I'm pretty sure sitting in the back of the van is some of your notes. And on the plus side of Lex accidentally exploding part of the Aspida lab, they won't know exactly how far along you were with things. You're definitely more than smart enough to figure the blockers out, otherwise Keegan wouldn't have let you go into Aspida to try to begin with."

"Lex got my notes?" Josie's eyes widened. "Where are they right now?"

"Uhh. Back of the van, I think. Want me to go look for 'em?" Keith offered.

"Yes, I need them. Thank you."

Josie was frantic about her binder. If her notes were still intact, or at least most of them like he'd said, she'd need to look over them immediately and decide the next best course of action.

Keith nodded. "Be right back." And he skittered out of the room, glad for the distraction himself. Everyone's auras were kind of crazy right now.

Except Penny's.

He hopped in the back of the van they had run with, looking around until he spotted the papers Lex had saved, then headed back to Josie and Luna with the papers in hand.

Josie held her hands out to the papers like a child reaching for its mother. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as Keith settled the papers in her hands.

"It's here, mostly. What's missing?"

She thumbed through the entire pack. A few major pieces were missing, much to her dismay. She bit back her disdain and cradled what she had.

"Thank you. Where's Lex? Is Mac okay?"

"L-Lex is okay," Luna said. However, her mood dimmed a tad as she added, "Mac is mostly okay as well, th-though she got a pretty nasty gash on her h-hand. I'm... not sure where they w-went, but... yeah."

Finally realizing how weak her wobble-knees were at the moment, she pulled up a chair and sat down, fingers drumming on her lap anxiously. She tried to smile playfully at Josie. "A-also, um, since you gave me s-such a scare today, lemme know when you're up and walking. Y-you owe me a "Thank God you're safe" hug, o-okay?"

"You know I don't care for hugs," Josie replied. "Come here."

She opened her arms wide for Luna, whose eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. She quickly hopped up and leaned over to wrap her arms around Josie, face hidden in her shoulder.

Josie winced a bit, but braced the tenderness, glad that Luna was at least relieved.

"Th-thanks for making an exception," she said, her voice muffled. She almost squeezed the woman, but remembered at last second that… it wouldn't have been a wise move. She counted her lucky stars for that last-second epiphany. Regardless, she refused to let go for a handful of seconds, only backing off once her own awkwardness and embarrassment started to settle in. She cleared her throat and finally freed Josie.

"Hey, everything will be okay, hopefully. I want to be off these fluids soon so I can go see Penny, but I don't know how long that'll be. If Penny's in the OR, it'll be a while. Maybe we could go to the gym and bounce the basketball around or something. I need to get my mind off what happened."

Luna scratched the back of her head nervously. She wasn't the most athletic Rogue member around, but she knew that Josie enjoyed basketball every now and then. She'd much rather trash her favorite hacking system than disappoint her. Thus, she slapped on a grin and nodded. "Sounds like a plan Stan...Err, J-Josie. Josie. I said Josie. Right, okay--we were t-talking about basketball?" Dear God, she could already feel heat rushing to her face. All she ever desired was going through one day without tripping over herself.

That was highly unlikely.

 

[CloudyBlueDay]

FINN WESTFALL

When Penny fell silent as he pulled into Rogue, Finn fell limp and awe struck. She had been talking all this way, joking through the pain, and it'd given him confidence that she'd be alright. But the silence… hurt the most. And once she was wheeled out of sight, Finn looked down at the drying blood on his hands and shuddered. Penny's blood. He considered yelling something after Deckard despite his somewhat sincere words, but couldn't find the strength despite the bad vibes the man gave him.

He trudged to the bathroom and stared at his sweatied face in the mirror. Dark circles ringed his eyes. Going outside hurt. In more ways than one. He remembered now, fully, why he avoided it so. Not just for the impending fact that he was a failure, for the fact that the world didn't care. No matter how shitty of a human being he was, he'd still get shot at, and people like Penny would still push him out of the way and take the hit.

The water of the shower was too hot but he'd almost wanted to rub his skin away, watching the water turn red at his feet. Blood, blood, blood. Such a scary thing. Never supposed to be seen. Yet he felt like he saw it so often.

He dragged himself around the rest of the base in an aimless walk until Penny was well enough for visitors. And once she was Finn even waited a little longer, not sure he wanted to be the first face she saw.

Finally the knot in his stomach was becoming too much, and Kane let him in.

"Hey, Pen." Finn murmured, the most forced smirk on his face.

"Oh hell." Penny looked over at the doorway as Finn stepped in, giving a small smirk as she shook her head, "Don't look so grim, Astro. I ain't dyin'."

The IV continued to do its work and already, the fluids had brought color to her skin, warmth back to her gaze. She was focused and ready to get back to work.

At her words some ease returned to his posture, the smirk lightening. "Hmm.. yeah. You are looking better. How do you feel?"

"Honestly? Like punching something…" She stated, and her eyes drifted over to the IV needle poking out from the tender flesh of her inner elbow, "...Did he leave? Deckard?"

Finn shook his head, the smile still wary despite staying at the edge of his lips. "No. Said he'd stay until he knew you were alright. I don't think he was worth getting shot."

Pushing up a little, she frowned, "He's still here? ...Hell. We're closer than I thought." Eyes on the needle, she seemed to be contemplating for a moment how much trouble she might get into, if she decided to pull it out herself. But a small wave of dizziness, and the notion of Doc strangling her for leaving before she was fully healed up set her back against the pillows with a small sigh, "And don't be stupid, Finn. I didn't do it for him."

Following her gaze, Finn bit his tongue in regards to saying something. Luckily she knew better than to pull out the IV. He grimaced, "..I know. I think that makes it a bit worse."

"Oh, shut up." With a small smirk, Penny shook her head, "It's what any one of us would've done… and it's what you would've done for me. We're a family, Finn. You don't let your family get shot. Where's Deckard?"

"Uh.. sulked off to the gym. Don't know if he's still there." Finn said under blushing cheeks, not sure how to respond to her answer. Family. "Don't tell me you're getting up now, alright? Rest a little longer."

Chuckling, Penny shook her head, "Doc would kill me herself if I got up, now. But Finn… you gotta understand. We can't let this guy get away." The smile faded, as she looked up at him, "...You've seen what he can do. You know what he's capable of. And so does R.I.E.F." Shaking her head, she sighed, "There's been rumors… Nothing confirmed yet, but Keegan thinks that R.I.E.F. isn't satisfied with just killing us off, now. There's talk they're taking people like us and doing things to them… Experiments. You put a guy like Deckard in their hands and we are beyond screwed. We will not survive it. He may be an asshole… but he needs to be our asshole."

Finn paled. Now he understood. Things just always had to get worse, didn't they? Killing wasn't enough for them. Penny was right. A guy as powerful as Deckard… he couldn't be in the hands of R.I.E.F. "Alright...well. He's still here. I wouldn't say I have the best recruitment charm, but.. He'll be here when you're ready to leave."

"Just… try and make sure he doesn't leave for another hour or two. Even if you just scope out the gym. Do what you can to keep him in there till I get there." Smiling dryly, she looked him over, "And Finn… try not to get shot at, yeah?"

Chuckling weakly, Finn nodded. "Yeah. You do the same." He said, lingering a moment before standing up, heading for the door, feeling a little less guilty.

"Hey, Finn?" Before he left, Penny sat up, "I'd do it again, you know?"

Finn grimaced, turning back to her with a frown. "Don't." He said quietly.

"Try and stop me, Toothpick." She muttered, before falling back against the pillows.

Collab with @Elle Joyner

 

[Elle Joyner]

---

Arriving in the infirmary, Doc tutted on about 'these damned dangerous missions' and having words with Keegan about breaking her beautiful babies, but Penny heard none of it. The work was swift, and by the time Penny came to, roughly an hour or so later, there was barely a hint of the trauma she had endured, but for a touch of red around her hip and the mark from the IV in her arm.

It was still a good while after that, that she was finally allowed to leave, and was only too glad for it, even if it meant promising Doc roughly three hundred times that she would take it easy. There was a job to do, still, and she wasn't gonna let a little thing like getting shot stop her. Very few things in life mattered to Penny... And none more than Rogue. It was her family. Her sanctuary. And of Keegan gave her a mission, she was going to complete it.

After some hunting around, she discovered that Deckard was, in fact, still on the premises. It was a good sign, even if he was only there to assuage a guilty conscience. He was on the hook... And in her territory... he'd be a hell of a lot easier to reel in.

Heading to her room first, Penny changed in a pair of shorts and a tank top. It wasn't exactly the 'take it easy' wear, but she had no real intentions of following through on that notion. She respected Doc... But there was no telling how long Deckard would stick around, and she had no doubt in her mind if the man got away this time, they would lose him for good.

Heading to the gym, Penny paused in the doorway, and for a moment or two, she watched as he worked against the bag. She smiled faintly, noting that he's taken her advice to heart. His right had improved in the drag, greatly. Unfortunately it wouldn't matter much for him...

Her entire plan hinged on the next few moments, and she didn't intend to fail, "Hey Sugar... Stuck around, after all, did you?"

Deck stilled the bag as soon as he heard Penny speak to him, "Just long enough to know you were fine," he ran his forearm across his sweaty brow and then dropped his arms to his side, "Now I can be on my way."

With a small smirk, Penny pushed off the doorframe, "Just like that? Not even gonna give it a try? You're already here… What's the difference between a few hours or something less temporary?"

"Getting shot at or enjoying a nice spot on a sunny beach in peace and quiet," he said frankly as he once again moved to his bag. He had changed into his last shirt and a pair of black basketball shorts, "Save your breath...Penny, was it? I like you," he told her, "The way you took that bullet to save Finn, but I'm not joining Rogue and there's nothing you can do to change my mind."

"Nothing, hm?" Rolling her neck, she shook out her arms, "You're pretty good on that bag, Deckard. But I know my way around one, pretty well, too. What's say we put a wager on it? You and me, in the ring. One fight. You win… we leave you alone. For good. No more trying to recruit you. No more chasing you around… following your movements. You ghost and we let you go. But I win…" Looking up, her eyes met his, her lip curving in a smirk, "You join. What do you have to lose? Big strong guy like you, hm?"

"You and me?" he gestured between the two of them and then chuckled with a shake of his head, "I'm not fighting you."

A brow lifted, and Penny set her hands on her hips, "What's a matter, Sugar… don't think you can take me?"

"I don't hit girls," he shrugged, "unless they deserve it. You...You just got shot. I'm not fighting you."

"I'm all healed up. Doc's a miracle worker." The woman really was, to put it mildly. Even if she'd kill Penny for what she was trying to do, "And honey… you're making the assumption I'm gonna get hit. Ain't gonna happen."

Deckard slung his bag over his shoulder, "Sorry to disappoint," he flashed a fake smile, "Thanks for the excitement. Hope it never happens again."

Turning around, Penny moved to the gym doors and without a word, she yanked them shut, holding each handle shut behind her as she faced Deckard again, "...What are you so damn scared of? You know this is the best place for you… and you know Keegan won't stop."

"I'm not scared," he said, annoyed, "and who are you, or Keegan for that matter, to tell me where the best place for me is? It's not like it's any safer. What? Fifteen minutes with you and drone fire's spraying all over the place. I'm safer alone, and the sooner you guys realize that for yourselves, the sooner you'll stop getting shot, or losing your friends to R.I.E.F."

"Safer alone? Really? What do you think is gonna happen when you run out of places to hide? When they get your face out there… get a blood sample? What happens when they put one of those bullets in you and you can't run anymore? At least with us you'd have a chance. But this? This half assed attempt to stay above water? Eventually, it's gonna fail you."

"It hasn't yet," he said as he tried for the door, "Move."

Straightening, her fingers clamping tighter on the handles, she shook her head, "It will. And make me."

"What are we? Ten now? Move," he reached for the door again.

One hand moved, to smack his out of the way, a brow raised, "...No."

Frustration washed over his face as he pulled his hand back, "What's wrong with you?" he shook his head, "I don't want to be here. Move so I can leave, or I'll move you myself."

Her other hand left the knob, and she held up her fists, squaring off, "You can try, anyway."

Dropping his bag, he put up his hands and slid his left leg back, "Don't make me do this over a door."

"You're not…" Watching his feet, she took a small step forward, "... getting through that door…"

"Fine," he threw a jab, cross, hook combination, holding back so as to not hit her with his full strength.

Ducking out of the way, Penny's fist balled tightly and thrust into his ribs, her other arm swinging up to catch his chin.

He hadn't taken Penny seriously. That was his first mistake. Her fist slammed against his ribs and Deckard almost didn't get his high guard up in time to block the second swing. Deckard kicked his bag away and took a couple steps back, his hands up, "Alright," he touched his rib, "Alright," he smirked, this time throwing a jab to her face, cross to her side, and an uppercut hoping to catch her chin.

Weaving to the side, Penny slipped beneath the jab and cocked her hip away from the cross, reaching up her arm to block the uppercut with near impossible reflex, before slamming her fist into his shoulder, swinging around with a hook to his jaw.

The catch to his shoulder, threw him off balance, and the hook to the jaw would bruise as her fist caught it. He had to take another step back to catch himself, Deck's brow narrowed as confusion flashed across his face before determination set back in. Deck threw a quick jab that he followed up with a cross, hook, cross combination.

"You're predictable…" Penny said, as she dancing around the combination, and the corner of her lip curled up in a smile, "And your right…" Swinging swiftly, she struck for his jaw again, "Is still slow."

Deck rubbed his jaw as he took another couple stumble steps. This wasn't real. He must have been dreaming. Shaking it off with a shake of his head and a roll of his shoulders, Deck put his hands back up, "Shut up," he threw a hard left hook for her side, before throwing a right hook.

She moved and the left hook grazed along her side as her arm came up to protect against the right, "You're too used to being alone. Plowing your fists into a sandbag ain't the same as a face to face. And it's made your defenses weak." Swinging, a feint for his jaw again, she instead swept out a leg, high, swinging it hard to take the blade of her shin to the side of his head.

Deck fell for the feint, bringing his arm up to block the blow that never came. Just in time, he managed to switch his guard, but not without taking most of the blow instead of absorbing and distributing it. Stumbling, Deck tripped over a bench and fell to the floor and onto his back. He had to blink to steady his vision as he looked up at Penny.

"Problem with alone, Deck. The bag don't hit back… and it don't have your back." Stepping over the bench, she held her hand out to him, "You need us, too."

Deck clenched his jaw as he looked up at Penny. There was truth to what she said no matter how badly he wished otherwise. Perhaps being alone for so long had made him think it was better than it really was. Maybe...just maybe there was a place for him here.

A clap sounded before the click of a cane hit the floor, "That was…" Keegan whistled, "You did your homework didn't you, Penny," looking beyond Penny, Deckard frowned as he sat up. Keegan wore quite the grin, "It's her gift, Deck. She just has to watch you and then she can kick your ass."

Glaring, Deck looked toward Penny, "What? You used your power?"

With a shrug, Penny's hand fell to her side, "Can't turn it off, Sugar. Just happens… Gift ain't the word I use…"

He cracked half a smile as he shook his head, "You knew all along. It's the only reason you made that wager isn't it?"

"I don't need to see your moves ahead of time to kick your ass, Deck. You really are predictable."

"Oh," he nodded as he stood to his feet. His eyes shifted to Keegan and the man shrugged with a smile before he took a step back, "I'm predictable?" he put his hands up again, "Wanna test that again?"

A brow lifted, but Penny shrugged, "Your call." Raising her hands, she wiggled her fingers at him with a smirk, "Let's go, Big Guy."

Deck nodded, "I'm not going to hold back this time, at all," he promised before he threw a predictable combination.

Rolling her eyes, Penny eased into a block and swung hard, bringing her leg low to his ribcage with a swivel of her hips.

This time, Deck smiled. Pulling tight his side, he caught her leg against his body and swept her anchor foot out from beneath her. His assault didn't end there, though. Holding firm to her leg, Deckard used the momentum to drive her back hard into the floor. When she hit the ground, he released her foot and quickly straddled her waist. Pulling his fist back, his massive form pinning her to the ground and looming over her, he spoke, "How's that for predictable?"

When she hit the mat the air exploded from her lungs and eyes wide, shock registered only split seconds before panic. Her arms rose at the same time and she swung, wild, sloppy arcs, unfocused and unbalanced.

"Stop," he told her as he batted away her wild swings, "Penny, stop!" he warned her again as he tried to catch her arms. Whatever swings landed, did little to no damage. When she didn't listen a second time, Deck used his ability to pin her to the mat, "Stop! It's over!"

"Let me go!" She cried, and it wasn't a note of anger in her tone, but fear. Real, genuine fear, her eyes blazed with tears, "Get off!"

It only took those first three words for him to note that something wasn't right. The cocky attitude quickly dissipated and raw fear overwhelmed her. Quickly he arose to his feet, and when he was safely up, he released her, "I-I'm sorry," he told her.

Rolling onto her side, Penny smacked the flat of her hand to the floor, frustration melting away the brief vestiges of fear, "It's fine… I'm fine!" She hissed, without looking up.

"Temperance," Keegan spoke, concern laced on his voice. The quick pegging of the cane announced the speed of his steps toward the two of them though he stopped just shy of her. Deckard could tell he wanted to continue pressing, to probably ask if she was alright, but when Keegan turned to him, he could see the man had chosen against it. His hand slid into his pocket and when it emerged, a small cardkey was in it, "The key to your room," he told Deck.

"My room?" Deckard replied.

"Yes," Keegan smiled weakly, "she did win after all."

Turning then, Penny looked to Deckard with a small, uneasy frown, "Well?"

A sigh pushed through his lips as his eyes bounced between Penny and the card. He looked down to where his bag was, the door and then back to her before he took the cardkey from Keegan, "You have my back?" he asked Penny.

The mask slid across her features again, as Penny rose to her feet, and stepping before him, she met his eyes, "I took a bullet for Finn, today. What the hell do you think?"

"Rogue's got one chance," he looked to Keegan, "Don't make me regret this."

Deckard retrieved his bag, "By the way, Penny, you owe me three shirts."

With a guarded smirk, Penny shrugged, "You can have mine, any time, Sugar. But I don't think it'll fit." Her eyes danced to Keegan, shoulders pinched in a shrug, "Got your guy, Boss. I'm taking tomorrow off."

"That you did, Temperance. That you did," Keegan spoke as he watched Deckard and Penny exit the gym. A heavy sigh passed through his nostrils as he leaned on the cane, "Rest up, the both of you. You'll need it," he spoke low and after he was the last one in the gym.

---

TAGS || Collab with ||@DarinValore

 

[junebug]

Lex and Josiecollab w/ @La Reina

Lex was relatively ok compared to Josie and Mack. Despite having hit a wall and been thrown over a desk in Josie's lab, she had just come cuts and bruises. Doc said she would be fine and she knew better than to question her skills. She'd be healed up soon enough. For now she wanted to check on Josie and ensure she was ok then head on over to check on Penny. She heard she had been shot but knowing Doc, Penny was already well on her way to being back to her old self. Penny could take care of herself just like Lex could. And knowing Penny, the woman was already back on her feet. Josie was always the more sensitive one of the three musketeers. Plus Lex wanted to see if she had retrieved enough of Josie's notes for the synthetic blocker. It was their mission after all. Lex just needed to know if she had failed Keegan or not.

She waltzed over to the room where Josie was recovering. Keith and Luna were inside. "Hey kids. Thanks for getting me out of there earlier." She was thankful for their help. She was. She just needed to be with her friend right now. "Just need a minute alone with Josie. You guys can come in after if you want." Lex stepped aside and opened the door for the two to exit. It wasn't really optional. Once they were alone, Lex moved over to Josie's bed side. Noticing the notes she opened her eyes wide. "Tell me you're ok and tell me I got what you needed."

Josie slid out of bed and smiled a little at Lex. It would be twice as difficult to rearrange the cells and recreate the blockers now, but that didn't matter. "You got enough for me. I'm just glad you're okay, Lex. It's scary out there."

Lex returned Josie's smile. "It is." She rubbed the back of her head where a bump had formed. "Got sent across one of your tables and through a wall to get those notes. Even lost my ability to shift for a little while. Its back though. Doc made sure." She patted Josie's hand. "You sure you alright? I heard you had all this glass in your back."

"Yeah, Doc healed me quick. I was in here for a couple hours or so with Luna and Keith, even dozed off for a bit, but they kept an eye on me," Josie said. "Keith told me you got my notes and I'm so grateful to you for that. I really thought it was the end. RIEF has the upper hand on tracking Mac and I down though. They used charges to open up the containment cell door and the door blew back towards the table next to me. The force was enough to knock me back into a glass cabinet. If Mac and I both got hurt, that means our blood was still on scene when they came in and RIEF has swabbed that up by now."

Lex grunted. "Great. Just great. They've got to have some info on me too then. Seeing as I...killed one of their guards when I accidentally exploded your lab."

"You made that explosion in my lab? Jesus." Josie took a deep breath and ran a hand over her face. "We have to figure out how to stay under their radar now. They've definitely got your DNA and blood. It'd do us no good trying to get the blood samples back. I need to tell Keegan what happened, so he can pinpoint our best course of action. I can't really do much in regards to the blockers because our tech is extremely outdated."

Lex rose to her feet and began to pace around the room. "I'm sure Keegan will call us soon. Our threat levels must have just gone up. They'll be hunting us for sure now. He has to have a plan. Today's mission didn't go so well. Most of us got hurt, we didn't get all your notes and now we are at higher risk than before." Lex passed a hand through her hair, a bit of worry on her face though she hid it as quickly as she could. "We just have to wait for Keegan. He'll know what to do. He's always got some plan up his sleeve."

"Yeah," Josie responded, weary. Her threat level was probably a red now; she was sure of it. The realization didn't make the situation any more discomforting than it already was. Panic had settled in from the very beginning and working next door to Aspida had been one of the most risky endeavors she'd ever done. She swallowed, her throat dry. She was terrified of what might happen next.

"I need to get my mind off all this. I'm starting to get another headache."

"Yeah, me too. Let's get out of here. I'm sure you're healed up enough and Keegan should be trying to find us soon. Best we make it easy on him. Old man's got enough to worry about with his cane." Lex chuckled. "Let's go find the others. I'll defend you if Doc has a fit."

"Thanks, Lex. You're awesome," Josie smiled a little, and left the room with her notes in hand. She felt like raiding the kitchen right now; hopefully her small tub of mocha ice cream was still in the freezer and that leftover steak in the fridge. She rubbed her temples and looked towards Keith and Luna outside the room.

"Thank you guys for keeping me company. I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything."

Lex and Josie left the infirmary area. It'd been a few hours since they last heard from Penny; hopefully she was healed up and good as new. Doc's hands were magic; Penny was lucky she didn't have to stay in the OR for seven hours or however long it took for humans to get bullets out and stitch up broken skin among other horrid procedures.

Josie arrived in the kitchen and opened up the freezer, relieved to find her go-to treat still there in good hands. She took it out and grabbed a spoon, taking a half bite and savouring the chocolatey coffee flavor. She took another bite and gestured towards Lex with her spoon.

"Alright, let's go find those suckers."

She turned to make her way out when a pair of familiar faces walked in with a new man at their side. A handsome devil at that. Josie grinned and turned away, taking another spoonful of ice cream in her mouth. Penny was shining with Luna by her side and they'd just clocked in a hunk of ripped muscle. Josie licked her lips. It seemed they were giving a tour; one that wouldn't last very long for the next few minutes if he was there.

 

[Reythaak]

fright

Keith Fuller
⤑Location: Keith's Room ⤑Interactions: Just himself​

---

Keith let Lex usher him out, offering a slight little smile and a nod. Outside, he rested against the wall for a moment, letting his head thump back against it and closing his eyes. He could turn off his ability to see auras, but he wasn't particularly good at keeping it turned off. He was a touch too nervous about everyone else to keep it turned off, even if the mess of auras ended up making him think of being in the middle of a rave party after several tabs of acid. He shuddered slightly at the thought, and let out a little contemplative hum.

He definitely didn't feel up to socializing too much. Luna had plans with Josie later, it sounded like, so he wasn't too concerned about leaving her alone… He let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, opening his eyes once more and giving the lights a glare. The dimmed room had been nice, and that pretty much decided what he was going to go do until Keegan summoned the lot of them. Or someone came and found him, that was an option too.

Keith wound his way back to his small room, locking the door once he was inside and standing in the darkness for a few moments. Being able to see a little bit would probably be good, though. He reached blindly near the door, finally finding the little switch he sought and flicking it on. Little fairy lights seemed to blink into existence, keeping the room dim but allowing him to see.

It looked kind of girly; like something a freshman or sophomore liberal arts major would do to make their room "unique." But, Keith was fond of the little yellow-white christmas-y lights strung so they criss-crossed the ceiling over his head. It was a much more subtle light than the harsher bulbs that most of Rogue used.

For the moment, he tried not to dwell too hard on the symbolism there. Something something, harsh light of reality, blah blah blah. He shook his head a little and dug around in his small set of drawers, pulling out a small container of migraine medicine. It was stronger stuff, something created special for dulling the migraines that seemed to come from many of the SHA-13 carriers using their powers too much. A couple pills disappeared into Keith's mouth, followed by a swig of water, and Keith flopped down on his bed and closed his eyes.

Rest sounded divine, and he suspected over time it would be a lot harder to get moments like this.

---

 

[Mobley Eats]

Luna Cambridge | Codename: Nostalgia | Rogue Headquarters: Tour

​

Collab Post with: Penny @Elle Joyner | Deckard @DarinValore


As they left the gym, silence fell over Penny, with the barest sense of awkwardness behind it. She couldn't pretend it hadn't happened... and it was fairly clear that Deckard was aware of what had happened, as well. She wasn't so oblivious to her own feelings that she could pretend she hadn't sunk into that position, but Keegan's interruption had been well timed and she'd avoided talking about it.

But in the hallway, alone... She was waiting for the question. Waiting, and praying all the same it didn't happen. Clearing her throat, rubbing her shoulder, which had already begun to stipple with the red beginnings of a bruise, she glanced over at him, "...So. I guess I can give you the tour, if you want?"

---

Luna felt horrible--in more ways than one.

She entirely intended to be a good friend for Josie, to be the support system that she deserved. She was going to join her for basketball and hopefully wipe her mind clean of the frustration that today's mission had brought on. However, that took a sharp turn when her balance gave in for a split moment, head swimming and pounding angrily at her. It was a warning from her body; anymore stress, whether physical, emotional or mental, and Luna was bound to unfurl into a nasty panic attack. She couldn't swallow the thought of burdening her friend with something so pathetic, so she had came to a sour decision and excused herself, claiming that she was too exhausted for basketball after all.

Man...she really sucked sometimes, didn't she? Of course she did and she was somewhat bitter at her insecurities for confirming it.

"Could today just, like...e-end already?" she mumbled under her breath while pacing the halls. She hadn't been paying much attention to her surroundings; however, a quick glance up caught her mere feet away from Penny and...someone else. Whoooo the heck is this Hulk Junior d-dude? she wondered, her jaw threatening to hit the floor. Luckily, that didn't happen. She settled for slowing to a stop, scooting towards Penny out of nervous habit, and shot Deckard an awkward side-glance.

"Err...H-hey, Pen. And, um, big person that's sorta kinda intimidating but I'm s-sure is super nice and tired of getting judged for his looks so I'll just shut up now." She gathered some air.

His mind raced with inquiries into why Penny reacted the way she did, but none of them proper questions for how little he really knew her, so Deck was about to settle for a tour when someone else walked up. He offered her a small smile and a slight shrug, "I'm used to it by now," she seemed pretty nice. Turning his attention back to Penny, he continued, "A tour would be fine."

Penny looked up as Luna appeared and a small smile formed at the sudden sheepishness of the girl, "Lu… This is Deckard. Deckard… Luna. She's our resident hacker. Computers and brains…" She gave the girl a small wink, before gesturing down the hall, "I was just gonna show Deck here the tour. You wanna come? Saves me trouble of finding you later… How'd it go with Josie??"

"Oh...cool," Luna said, only for her brow to furrow. "Err, well, n-not cool. You shouldn't have to get used to it. That sucks. A-anyways, nice to meet you Deckard." She flashed the massive man a smile, though it waned a beat later with realization. Oh...oh wait, was this the new recruit Penny, Finn, and Mara were supposed to reel in? It sure seemed that way since Pen was offering him a tour.

Luna toed the tiles shyly, flushing a bit at Pen's compliment. She shrugged and made a weird sound with her mouth. Maybe it was as squeak. Or a scoff. Maybe even some hybrid love child of both, and waved off the comment. "I-I just like to play around with tech sometimes, that's all." Her smile returned at Pen's offer to tag along. Again, she was weary from the rescue mission, but walking around leisurely wasn't a problem...which reminded her--"Ahhhh, th-the rescue mission. Right. Um, i-it went good. S-so the tour? Yep. I'm down," she stuttered. God, her smile probably looked beyond cringe-worthy.

"A rescue mission?" he asked as he shifted and looked down the hall, "Who'd you rescue? And where are we going?"

"You've seen the gym. There's basically a lot of hallways… the dorms. Figured we'd start with the Ops center, though. Since it's probably the most important room in HQ." Looking to Luna, Penny frowned softly, "Heard Josie and Mack wound up wth Doc. They alright? How'd you and Keith do in the van? And Lex?"

Luna's head spun a bit from the hailstorm of questions, but she righted herself quickly enough and cleared her throat. "U-um, Mac's fine. Just a cut on her hand that was t-taken care of. Keith was the u-usual MVP. I was meh. Lex came out okay, r-retrieving some of Josie's notes." She shrugged apologetically. "W-we couldn't get all of it, unfortunately. As for Josie…" She grit her teeth and shook off the guilt before it could make a comeback. Not now, Luna! "Her back got c-covered in glass, but Doc took care of her. She's a little sore, but good."

A soft smile graced his lips as he listened. Luna was a nervous mess, "Sounds like things could have definitely gone worse. But, like you said, Doc's a miracle worker," he pointed down both ends of the hallway, "The Ops Center is….?"

"That she is…" Penny muttered, running her fingers over her hip, where just hours before, she'd received a reminder of just how good the woman really was, "Glad everyone made it through okay, and we got Josie back alright. This whole thing… it's kind of a mess, but as long as everyone's alright." Dropping her hand to her side, she gestured ahead of them a little ways to the red door down the end of the hall, "Hang on… Only some of Josie's notes, Luna? That's… not exactly ideal."

Fishing out her card, she approached the door keypad near the door and gave it a swipe, and as the door slid open, she nodded to Deck, "This is where the magic happens. Well… whatever magic Hermione here doesn't handle. All the feeds… Mission briefings. This is where I got to watch you scutter into new hidey holes every week, Pretty Boy. We managed to hack a few security drones… Nothing like the one back at the warehouse, but the surveillance kind… Pick up chatter and pop up videos where they connect."

Luna followed behind them into the Ops Center, making sure to trail behind a foot or so. She scratched the back of her head. "Ah, y-yeah, only some. There were some, um, l-light shows, you know? Big bangs and stuff, but Lex managed to save some of it. I-I'm sure Josie can work with what she's got and get the formula together again," hopefully, she tagged on mentally.

As they walked, Luna's eyes roamed the area in search of her mentor--to hide. She wasn't terribly ready to report anything or get reprimanded. She did that to herself well enough. "I'm just glad Aspida's firewall w-wasn't terribly hard to crack. I could've been faster but…" She shrugged helplessly.

Deck turned around when he heard the click of a cane against the floor, "Don't let her fool you, Deckard, Luna's the best I've seen in a long time," he sighed as he leaned forward, both hands on his cane, "And you need to stop being so hard on yourself, Luna. We were watching from here. You did everything you could, and I couldn't be prouder," he offered her a smile and a nod before he continued into the Ops Center, "Deckard, you'll be joining Penny, Luna, and the others here in the morning. We've got work to do."

"Already putting me to work, huh?" Deckard replied.

"Ya. Normally there's normally a three-week long, new members orientation followed by a boot camp to make sure you can cut it, but with R.I.E.F. breathing down our necks, we've decided to forgo it," he replied sarcastically.

Grinning, Penny shrugged, "Even after I kicked his ass? You made me do orientation. I call BS." Her eyes filtered to Luna and the smile faded slightly, "Keegan's right though, Lu… We wouldn't be where we are now with your talent. You need to give yourself credit, alright? I don't wanna hear you doggin' yourself like that.. Just make fun of Finn, instead."

Luna nearly jumped out of her skin at Keegan's surprise arrival (seriously, how did he do that when he had a whole tapping cane in his hands?), but the energy vanished as quickly as it came. She appreciated everything, all of the compliments and reassurance that she did her job well, but Luna couldn't help but doubt herself anyways. What she could help was saying what they wanted to hear. She slapped on a plastic smile and nodded in gratitude. "Th-thank you, Keegan, Pen. That means a lot t-to hear from you guys, s-seriously."

However, her cheeks puffed out into a pout. She crossed her arms defiantly (as defiant as a puppy refusing to leave the garden sprinklers). "H-hey, I'd never make fun of Finn! That's my friend you're talking about, so...err, yeah."

A pause.

Luna blinked.

"Wait." She looked between Pen and Deckard. "B-butts were kicked? You two fought? With fists? When?!" She started looking Pen over in a panic, though it was quite tame in comparison to her real episodes. "A-are you hurt anywhere?"

"She didn't kick my ass," Deck objected, "She cheated! I kicked her ass, though."

"It's not cheating if I can't turn it off." Penny noted, with a smirk, "And I could've taken you the second time, too. If you hadn't…" But she trailed off and her expression fell slightly, as she cleared her throat, "Anyway. I'm fine, Lu… Getting shot earlier kinda takes the brunt of today's injuries. And I made it through that."

Luna paled.

"I, uh, um...O-okay, hold on." She took a moment to clean her ear. Surely, certainly, she had misheard. Surely, that last sentence was a figment of her hyperactive imagination...right? "You know what? I'm just g-gonna...gonna...yeah." Shakily, she plopped into the nearest seat and slumped forward, groaning into her hands miserably.

"Pen, whyyyyyyy," she whined. "F-first glass shards and now bullets. Next thing it's a n-nuclear bomb or--scratch that. Erase it immediately. I don't wanna think about it." She forced her gaze back onto Deckard, desperate to change the subject. "S-so, uh...Deckard? W-what's your power?" she asked.

Crossing his arms over his broad chest, Deckard shifted uncomfortably, "Psychokinesis. I can manipulate matter...move stuff, tear it apart...all without touching it. Keegan acts like it's some act of God, but me….I wish I didn't have it."

"Comes in handy…" Penny said with a shrug, "Sorry, Luna. I thought… I thought you knew. But look, I'm good, right? Deck here, he got the bullet out and Doc put me all back to together, no trouble." She wouldn't tell Luna how bad it got. She didn't particularly want to know, herself, "And if it makes you feel any better, they were aiming for Finn."

"Oh dear, oh dear," Luna mumbled under her breath. Just the thought of a bullet aiming for Finn made her stomach churn. She mentally coached herself to not empty her breakfast in front of the new recruit before continuing, "E-either way, you're both fine. Thank the ever living gods…Well, thank you, Deckard. Seriously." Her mind brought her back around to Deckard's power. Psychokinesis, huh? That would definitely be helpful. So many of the members today were put in danger, but Deck's power could provide some results without placing himself in the crossfire. What was the range of his power, anyways? Strengths? Weaknesses? Preferred terrain? Limitations? All points she would silently marinate over for a later date, but for now she focused on the discomfort radiating from him.

"S-sorry if that question i-isn't the most fun to answer, Deckard." She smiled, equal parts bitter and soft. "I totally get y-your sentiments though. Some are gifts, s-some not so much, but it's a part of you, I guess. Like, Pen?" She looked pointedly at the woman. "Your ability is d-downright Wonder Woman level awesome. Gotta stop myself from fangirling sometimes." She giggled dorkily, suddenly in the mood to kick back and read some comics with Keith and Finn.

"Wonder Woman level awesome?" Deck couldn't help but smile, "It's alright, I guess," he teased. There was something about Luna, helped him relax in the midst of uncertainty about what was to come. His eyes took in the Ops Center and he swirled a finger in the air before him, "This and the gym aren't all that's here right? I mean, if Keegan's got me coming in here in the morning, then I don't really need to learn about all of this place right now. Let's move on."

"Wonder--" Shaking her head, Penny laughed… and it was a rare and genuine sound. So rare Penny found herself almost confused by it. How long had it been since any of them took a second to embrace reality? Brushing it off, she turned to Deck, "We got a few more areas besides the gym. The labs. Doc's… there's the kitchen, too."

It filled Luna with warmth to hear Pen laugh. She rarely stumbled upon such a thing, aside the sarcastic chuckle here and there. It gave her some hope; for what, even Luna wasn't sure of. It just did. She nodded and stood up. "Y-yeah. I guess the lab is next, then?" She then glanced over her shoulder at Keegan and waved timidly at him.

"L-later, Uncle Kee."

Keegan smiled warmly and returned a wave, "See you tomorrow, Luna."

---

The walk to the lab was longer than Deckard thought it should be, but it gave them time to talk. Clearing his throat, he spoke up, "How long have you two been with Rogue?"

With a small smirk, Penny glanced over to Deckard and shook her head, "Oh, Sugar… Look at you with the Q and A. Ain't story time, yet. Not for me, anyway. Luna here, though… you get my girl talkin', she'll melt your ears off."

"S-something tells me that's not a good thing…" Luna mumbled with a pout, though it melted into a grin rather quickly. She knew that Pen's teasing meant well. She held up four fingers. "I've been here four years, D-Deckard. Uncle Kee let me in w-when I was like fifteen." She truly was grateful to Keegan and everything Rogue did for her; they gave her a home, a safe haven where she no longer had to suffer in paranoia, fear and solitude. She doubt she'd ever be able to repay them properly.

"That's the second time you've dodged my questions," he smirked at Penny and then pointed playfully to Luna, "She knows it's not necessarily a bad thing to reveal a little something about yourself...especially when you want someone to trust you, or even have your back."

A brow lifted and Penny shook her head. She wasn't stupid… she knew his word choice was intentional, and it was a good play. A damn good play. With a small smirk, she looked ahead of them as the lab came into view, a small sigh escaping, "About six years for me. I got tagged by a scanner and I was on the run for a little while. Keegan found me in a nose-dive in the gutter. Gave me a hand out." The corner of her lip twitched higher as she looked over to Deckard, "You push any further, I'm gonna have to kick your ass, again."

"Can't we just l-limit the butt kicking to Tekken? I can roll with that," Luna offered with a smile, though it dropped immediately. "Or not. It's fine. Video games a-aren't for everyone." She smiled apologetically at Pen, remembering her difficulty with watching television and such.

As soon as they stepped foot into the lab, Luna's smile widened a tad. "Welcome to th-the ultimate safe haven." She loved being in the Ops Center equally as much as spending time in the labs. She found herself lending help in here every now and then, only with computer-based analyzation, but still.

He flashed a warm smile to Luna and took in the lab, "It's….nice?" he asked not really grasping anything sciency, "I prefer the gym...just something about the rush of blood pumping through my veins as I work the bag. Anyone special work here?"

"This is Josie's world. She's workin' on some pretty cool things, right now. R.I.E.F. ain't exactly excited about it, but hell if that stops us." Looking around, she shook her head, "I prefer the gym, too. Too much for my head when the smart ones start talkin'." With a grin, she winked to Luna, "Anyway… Last stop… Kitchen. That's my territory. And then I'll show you where the dorms are at."

Again, Luna pouted, but she could understand their lack of excitement. Josie was one of few in Rogue that she could have science and computer rants with; she had attempted the same thing with Keith and Finn but...yeah, that didn't work out. At all. Poor things just stared blankly at her. "F-fair enough," she conceded, "Though you two are totally missing out. H-had got my hands on the latest model of an SD Sniffer. That b-bad boy is a beaut too! C-can't wait to test out how much data it can drain from that stubborn grid…I'm doing it again, a-aren't I?"

Heat rushed to her head as she chuckled.

Shaking his head, Deck spoke, "Don't worry about it, Luna. I'm sure even Penny here goes on a rant about the things she passionate about if you push the right buttons," he paused, "This really is a nice set up," he shoved his right hand into his pocket, "You said the kitchen's next? Is it a big one?"

"Hm." Penny shook her head with a small smirk, "That wasn't a rant… That was Luna at level one. Get the girl going and you'll see a rant." Out in the hall again, she gave a small nod, "Big enough for the crew we have here. There's a system, but you'll get used to it. Steer clear of Finn's snack drawer, and don't touch my blowtorch and you'll be fine, Golden Boy."

Luna shrugged. Penny made a fair point; that wasn't even the hacker's final form.

She pulled out of her thoughts when she heard the word blowtorch. A shiver ran up her spine. She loved Penny, truly, dearly, and without a single iota of doubt, but the mental image of her wielding a fire-spewing death ray was just a tad intimidating.

She held up a finger to add, "A-and technically the apples and peanut butter and stuff are mine, b-but you can totally have some!" She scanned Deckard's massive form up and down. "Err...j-just make sure to leave enough for me, please?"

"How much do you think I…" he shook his head and put his hands up, "You know what...that's fair. How bout this, every apple I eat, I'll replace. I know this place downtown that's run by an archivist. He has the best apples I've ever eaten. I'm partial to the granny smiths though, so he always saves me a bag. I guess I could even share them with Penny," he finished with a smile and a shrug.

"Oh, Lu… he doesn't know. Poor guy." Grinning, Penny shrugged, "Sugar… When you see what I can do with an apple… You'll wanna share, trust me."

Luna quirked an eyebrow in momentary confusion before a small epiphany struck her. "Oooh, y-you mean that one time I tried to cook b-but had no idea how to cauterize the apples, so then you offered t-to blowtorch them and it went straight down the d-drain super quick?" She giggled. "Good times...Err, well, s-scary and dangerous times, w-with Uncle Kee a-annoyed with us, but still good, right?"

Luna took a moment to stop where she was. "Wait...was that a dream or d-did it actually happen? Now I've confused myself. F-forget I said any of that, please."

"Not sure I could forget that," he turned and smirked at Penny, "So you blowtorch food? Sounds like a waste to me when you could just..you know...eat it like a normal person?"

"Lu… Luna. No." Rubbing her face, Penny sighed, "The girl does calculus in her sleep… but can't understand how to sell a pitch. I bake. It's a brulee torch."

Luna blinked. "So...i-it wasn't a dream?" Annoyance almost pulled at her features; it was ironic how stupidly inaccurate her memory could be, but she couldn't help how chaotic here imagination could get at times. She theorized years ago that there was some latent complication involving her ability, but never investigated it out of fear and determination to deal with it as little as possible. She shook the thoughts off, not really sure what to say for once.

With a nod, he looked down the hall toward the door they were coming up on, "The kitchen, I presume?" he asked before they reached it, "Don't touch the torch...don't eat all the apples and peanut butter," he repeated the rules wearing a small smile, "I think that'll be easy enough."

Penny glanced to Luna with a small, sympathetic smile, "You're good, Lu. It happened."

She knew, after all, the feeling, all too well of forgetting…

"Sorry Big Guy." She continued with an easy, guarded laugh, "Those are just the kitchen rules. But the rest is too much for tonight. You'll get there, though." Gesturing to the door, she nodded, "In we go."

 

[Elle Joyner]

---

Night fell over Rogue HQ with all the subtlety of a hammer over a watermelon. Exhaustion from the events of the day ensured not a single soul stayed restless. When dawn rolled around, a small static buzz carried over the loudspeakers wired into every room, Keegan's voice grim and stoic, "If everyone could make their way down to the conference room. There is a matter of great importance to discuss."

A short while later, when everyone had arrived in the small room, cramped with a round table and too many chairs, Keegan stood before them, leaning heavier on his cane than usual, "Thank you all for coming. I'm afraid it's not good news. We've received a distress call from one of our Archivists out in the field. I'm putting a team together to send after them. Meanwhile, it's of utter importance we get started as quickly as possible on recovering from this unfortunate development with Josie's work. We'll need supplies, and I'd like to send the rest of you out for those."

Turning, he tapped his cane in thought, before nodded, "Penny, I'd like you to take Deckard, Finn and Keith with you on the distress call. Josie's team will be Lex, Luna, Mack and Mara… I cannot stress the importance of being careful and cautious to both teams. We are… We are in dangerous territory these days. Josie… there's a good chance with everything that happened, you've been compromised. I want you in the van with Luna. The rest of you will be on infiltration. Get in, get the supplies, get out. Clean job… No flash, no bang. Penny… we managed to send a team out to clean up the warehouse, but there's no promises they were quick or thorough enough. You stay sharp, and you stay out of the way of any more bullets. Keith, you'll need to keep your eyes peeled for our Archivist, but also for trouble. I trust you understand how crucial it is you focus. Deckard… This is your first job with us, and it's not gonna be easy. You see trouble, don't hesitate. Finn… no more driving, alright?"

Leaning back, his eyes moved over the group with a severe frown, "I want everyone back here in one piece, this time. Now… move out, and keep your Comm channels to seven and nine. We'll be monitoring from here."

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