Participants:
| Scene Title | Stolen Moments |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Ethan sneaks into the labs at Eagle Electric to see Odessa. |
| Date | January 14, 2009 |
Most notable business collapse in Queens was that of Eagle Electric, a major manufacturer based out of Long Island City for decades, comprised of acres of warehouses and manufacturing plants designed to produce electronic components to suit all sorts of needs. The western warehouse of the Eagle Electric lot is an enormous and foreboding red-painted building made entirely from sheets of ridged steel. Amidst the grass growing up through the cracks in the pavement and the burned out cars in the parking lot, it seems just as uninhabited as the rest of the area. A large and ruined sign at the top of the office and manufacturing building prominently reads, "Eagle Electric—Perfection Is Not An Accident."
His vision slowly adjusts from the green tint to the darkness, slowly lowering the nightvision binoculars from his side, he goes to slip the device into the satchel at his side. Perched on the trunk of a burnt out car, the black clad man slinks off of the vehicle soundlessly as he stalks towards the building that he had come to so many times before. Except this time it's on less than friendly terms.
The black hood drapes just over his brow as he makes his way through the chill night. No rain, not yet, but the ominous clouds overhead promise that the man will soon have a cover beyond the darkness itself. Ethan slips behind another burnt out car, staring over the hood towards Eagle Electric. She hasn't been home. Neither has he. He hasn't seen her since that day where Eileen was found injured. Injured by a man now dead. It must be obvious to Kazimir that Ethan has betrayed him. So he must make sure that she is safe.. It's the least he could do.
Sliding next to the wall, Ethan presses his back against it as he goes to enter Eagle Electric. Albeit rather quickly and quietly.
There are no guards to watch over Eagle Electric tonight, a fact that would not be out of place were it not for the state of the Vanguard recently. None the less, it appears that security's not been effected by the shake-up. It isn't difficult to get inside.
Time catches up to everyone. It would appear to have finally gotten the better of Doctor Knutson, who's managed several hours of work in the blink of an eye, but now she's seated in her chair with her head down on the table next to one of her experiments, hair dangerously close to the base and open flame of a Bunsen Burner as she sleeps. The Work takes its toll.
His boots move deftly across the cold floor as he makes his way deeper into the warehouse. His silence and low stance are kept, right until he practically crawls up onto the dais. Up to Kazimir's throne. Reaching into a small pouch at his side, the Wolf brings out a small item wrapped in cloth. Setting it down on the chair, he makes his way back down and towards the 'lab'.
Next to the sleeping woman rests the leather satchel she used to carry her supplies when she tended to Eileen. Silently, he places a small tracer into the bottom of the bag.
One gloved hand slides up to gently pull the hair away from the flame of the burner, the other hand silently making its way over her back to her mouth. Where he cups it. Good morning!
"Don't scream. It's me." Comes the gravelly voice.
Odessa's eyes snap open when the hand cups over her mouth. When did I fall asleep? Who's behind me? It takes a moment, but the sound of the voice finally registers as belonging to Ethan. The woman nods her head slowly, but doesn't try to move other than that. She isn't entirely certain where they stand and she doesn't want to assume anything.
The hand slowly traces off of Odessa's mouth and off of her cheek. "Anything new, love?" He asks rather casually for a man who has snuck into enemy territory and jumped on the back of the woman.
The woman rises from her seat and turns to wrap her arms around the intruder. "Oh, Ethan. I was so worried about you." She reaches up to cup the sides of his face. "Sylar. We can't trust him anymore. K- Kazimir took him. Possessed him." Odessa presses her lips together. "Shit. Everything's gone to hell. Ethan, what are you doing here?"
"Slow down, love." Ethan says softly, his eyes flicking around them. "You should do your thing love. I shouldn't be 'ere long, if you know whot I mean." The man suggests. "Now, whot exactly do you mean, Kazimir took 'im?"
"Kazimir isn't… a person. He's like this… smoke. A shadow. I've seen him. He goes into a person and he makes them his own. When we were in Texas, he was forced out of the body we know as Kazimir, and he nearly took me instead. Now, he has Sylar." The words are slow and measured, but Odessa is obviously panicked.
Ethan arches a brow at the words coming from the woman. "Wait a moment. Texas? Forced out? 'Ow? 'ow did 'e take Sylar? Can 'e be killed?" Ethan asks rapidly, as if he were going to rush out and face Kazimir in the next few moments. His gloved hand comes to her shoulder, rubbing it up and down for a moment, trying to soothe her.
"I don't know. I have suspicions." Odessa looks so hopeless. It isn't like her. She's always scheming something. "There's this man who works for the Company. He negates abilities. When he confronted Kazimir, that's when it happened. I don't know. Maybe if we could keep him negated long enough, it would kill whatever it is that monster is made of." With a heavy sigh, she tips her head forward to rest against his chest. "It doesn't matter. You can't do it. I… might be able to arrange something, but I don't know for certain."
"You always doubt me so much Odessa." Ethan says softly, shaking his head. "So are you saying that if I fill the man with bullets 'e won't die?" Sylar's death, if he isn't dead already from the… possesion whatever isn't of much consequence. Sylar blew it, and now he's being controlled by an old man. Unless this is disinformation. His eyes remain level on the woman's head as she leans against him.
"If he had taken me back in Texas, would you have filled me full of bullets and called it good?" Odessa lifts her head again to let her inquisitive eyes roam her lover's face. "You fill him with bullets and I suspect he'll just move on to the next host. I'm not willing to give up on Sylar." He didn't give up on her. "Ethan, none of this matters right now. Forget it. You have to get out of here. Get out of New York. You have to hide." Dark blue eyes widen, wild with desperation. "He's going to kill you if I don't do what he tells me to do."
His eyes go to match hers, his face emotionless. Though his answer of not answering is answer enough. "Then we 'ave to contact this man from The Company." Ethan says plainly. "Whot's 'is name?" The man asks quietly. His eyes scanning the area again, pausing for just a moment to listen carefully. Then he looks back to Odessa. "Very well, if that is whot you wish." Of course he won't get out of New York, but this will be a lot less of a hassle.
A miserable expression finds a home on Odessa's delicate features, tears welling up in her eyes. "I don't want to lose you. I'm so scared of what he'll do. I… I'm working on an antidote. And I'm going to make sure you have a dose. But if I don't have to worry about what he'll do to you, I'll never have to perfect the virus." She gasps softly, the effect of attempting to hold in a sob. "I don't know if I love you or not… But if he kills you, I'll never have the chance to find out for sure."
"I cheated on my wife." Ethan says simply, his gaze slowly sliding down to her. His hand is taken away from her. "I 'ad a mistress. After she died." He gives a slow shake of his head. "I realized 'ow much a fool I was. 'ow much I needed 'er. 'ow much she did for me." His gloved hand comes up to her shoulder again. "I need to go now, love."
This can't be happening. Odessa gave up her freedom to protect him, and this is the outcome? She fixes an incredulous look on him and would step back, except that she'd bump into the table behind her. "So that's it, then? I used you and you used me." The tears flow freely now and she sobs as she lashes out to smack her now ex-lover in the chest with one tiny fist. "How could you?! You knew that I was—" What? Naive, impressionable, inexperienced? The fires of rage die away and the woman drops her arms to her side, utterly defeated. "If you care for me at all, you won't let him catch you. You may not love me, and I may not love you, but I cannot let you die because of me."
"I never used you." Ethan says gently, his eyes roaming down to the fist that he allows to connect with the kevlar on his chest. "I do care for you. If I didn't, don't you think you might be a bit of a liability to me?" He asks, cocking his head to one side. "I do care for you Odessa. Regardless of 'ow you feel for me. I explained everything to you that night, love. It's up to you whether or not you remember it." A little smirk rides up his lips as his hands come up to flip up the hood. Taking a step back he lowers his head, "A few things I say in my life might as well be cast in iron. And that was one of 'em. And 'ere's another. I guarantee you…" Taking a step back, the Wolf slinks back towards the door.
"'e'll never catch me."
For all the world, nothing changes. A few seconds lost. Odessa doesn't turn to watch him when he goes.
But Ethan can taste her tears and her lipgloss on his own lips.
 January 14th: Jigsaw |
 January 14th: Nothing Now |