The Only Way Out Is Through Part II

Participants:

joseph_icon.gif kaylee2_icon.gif kendall_icon.gif lynette2_icon.gif sable_icon.gif toby_icon.gif valerie_icon.gif

Special Guest Stars:

faye_icon.gif tris_icon.gif

Scene Title The Only Way Out Is Through, Part II
Synopsis The fate of the rest of Gun Hill is revealed.
Date November 8, 2010

Gun Hill


'It's go time.'

A voice downstairs can't be heard upstairs, but the effects of such a thing can be. There's a soft pff sound. A minor explosion. One of the former Company members had rigged the whole apartment building up like something out of Home Alone. Those upstairs probably should have been downstairs already, but there's something that kept them up there— namely…

One of the dogs is missing. Which is probably why they're waiting for a certain dog telepath to get upstairs and help them look.

"Missy's been so moody lately I shouldn't be surprised she decided to run away and hide on us… but why did she have to pick today." a small blonde girl says, flapping her arms in worry. It's her sister's dog. And Missy hasn't been exactly happy with anyone since her person vanished. Even Joseph. Only when Joseph smelled like her person for a while did she calm down, but now…

Kendall isn't quite a dog person, although he doesn't mind them. After all, he had a lot of fun times with Jerry. But Missy, however, is a strange dog and not a puppy. Doesn't stop him from looking for the dog. "She sure is picking the worst time to go missing." Kendall agrees. "Have you checked in your sister's room?" he looks nervous, and… sporting a black eye. Seems like despite the vision of the future and having months to plan for it, someone didn't duck fast enough.
ORDER: It is now your pose.

"There can't'a been many places she went," Joseph adds, in an attempt to reassure. His voice is tired — waking up while it was still dark, the rush to Gun Hill and subsequently letting the deaths of people he considers friends to sink in— well looking for a dog isn't the worst distraction. He's not going slow, movements harried despite his attempts to reassure, shoving the doors that allow for give open to poke his head in, occasional sheep-dog whistle piercing through the dim, only sort of quiet space of the upper floor of the building.

His own dogs are behind his own locked door somewhere further down in the complex, splaying obliviously to any stress or worry or government bullshit on their backs with paws in the air, enjoying the cool of the evening and not even awake to wonder where their owner has gone.

Like seeks like, and Sable has her own hound in tow, one with a name that is a single letter (and a single alphabetical step) away from that of Missy the Missing. Tanktopped and hoodied against the late fall chill, cargo pants laden with a variety of objects (CDs, a pipe, her knife) she couldn't bear to abandon but forgot to put somewhere safe for the duration, the yellow eyed girl has Tamara's dog, Misty, on a leash, and is crouched next to her, shaking the lead and urging. "Go on. Go find yer buddy. Come on, y' fluff headed critter…" Around her neck hang a large pair of headphones, indistinct music ebbing from them.

So far, Misty is not turning out to be much of a tracker. Sable makes a face and prods te puppy in the flank with a finger, prompting a befuddled look from feckless brown eyes. 'What'd I do?' "Aw, don't gimme that face. Don't pretend like yer nose ain't in fine workin' shape 'n'-" and then the sound of the explosion. "Aw, fuck me sideways…" Sable scoops up the dog into her arms. She's only responsible for this creature, dammit. If it's go time, she's about ready to go.

From downstairs, Lynette comes running upstairs, still in her red, swingy, designer dress from this morning, although now it's got these splotches of Noah Bennet's blood on it, and is accessorized tonight by a shotgun in hand as she makes her appearance. Terrorist chic?

"What are you all doing up here still?" is her very abrupt greeting. "For goodness sake." And her free hand runs through her hair, as she lets out a sigh. And it's Joseph she looks to for an explanation, he's supposed to be the responsible one, apparently.

Size doesn't matter when it comes to puppyness. There are many breeds of dogs considered to be puppies well into the first two years of their life, and Missy isn't even out of the first. Despite her size, and the fact she's definitely not a small dog, she's got a puppy-like personality still.

And that includes sulking. In the kitchen. Where she somehow managed to crawl under a tarp in the cupboard.

"Missy!" Valerie calls out, even as the people downstaires come with warning of tragedy. Turmoil. And the soft explosions that they can hear from downstairs are eerie enough.

The dog refuses to respond to the small light haired thing that stole the attention of her person just before her person disappeared, and infact puts a paw over her nose in kind of a childlike puppy gesture of defiance. She's hiding.

When Sable sweeps the dog she's responsible up, there's a sudden sniff sound from Misty, as if she heard something, turning her big puppy eyes across toward a window— where Sable can see movement on the fire escape. Movement. The fire escape itself moving, as if someone's walking up on it. A few someones. Police officers.

And two people in shiny black FRONTLINE suits.

"—oseph!"

Where there was an empty kitchen floor, there is suddenly a stunned figure dressed in a style of clothing befitting the Victoria era, including the tortuously tight bodice. Blonde curls are pulled up in a fashionable bun, though locks of hair have started to loosen and fall around her face. Cheeks are flushed from having just been sitting in cold snow back in New York 1890, her leather shoes and the hem of her deep blue dress still have snow on them, even tho it starts to quickly melt.

Really?!?

Hiro dropped her now and ran… figures.

It takes her a few moment to realize where she is, blue eyes wide with shock. One hand is clutched to her chest still, a gold wedding band on one finger, but all her fingers clutch tightly to the pair of crucifixs that Joseph had just placed there moment before. Or moments for her, days for him.

Her breath leave her in a rush, not realizing she's been holding it, here in the warmth of the home, her breath doesn't mist. "Home…" She says softly, with some relief.

Tucking her feet under her, Kaylee moves to attempt to stand, but the action gives her jolting reminder of what happened. Pain lances through her side and she gives a soft cry and drops back to sit on the floor, free hand moving to touch the knife handle still sticking out of her side. Where the shiny handle of the throwing knife protrudes out of her dress, the fabric is stained dark by blood in a wide circle, she can even feel the blood starting to seep down into her petticoats.

"Help!" It's all Kaylee can do, hoping there are people close. Voice raised, but it quavers a bit with her fear. "Help!" She manages to call a little louder, this time attempting to get to her knees again. Of course, that's until she's assaulted by an over enthusiastic puppy, one Kaylee hasn't seen for five years. "Missy! No! Down!" The puppy it too happy to really notice what's wrong with her person, yet. But then Kaylee doesn't know what's happening around her — yet.

Kendall was still looking for the dog, when he hears someone calling for help. Help? Someone he can help! Even sounding vaguely familiar. Therefore, it's natural for him to go to the kitchen, since that's where the voice came from. Hey, he found the dog. Hey, he found… blink. "Kaylee? Are you cosplaying?" oh nevermind that! "You're BLEEDING!" way to state the obvious.

"Checkin' for Valerie's dog." Having an affinity towards all canine kind, Joseph's statement is reasonably unapologetic, and delivered tensely, and really— he's been like that all day, speaking the bare minimum of the Council slaughter, only the crucial parts. And the dead. About Susan. Anything he didn't say was likely repeated by those that escaped as well, in more detail and pragmatism. "Hold your horses, we're just a floor up from— " Which is about when the yapping puppy echoes down the hallway.

And Kaylee's voice, and Kendall running by. Disbelief freezes Joseph— keeps doing that, requires a better reaction to shock— until the teenager is exclaiming: you're bleeding. Shock doesn't even make room for anger at Hiro. He's moving in Kendall's wake.

Thump-thump-thump-thump. Toby, frazzled and looking as worried as the residents have ever seen him, rounds the corner near the group. "Sorry! The walkie-talkie was jammed— fixed now— why are we all still here?" And then he hears the barking, feels Missy's emotions ping against his consciousness, and hears those exclamations like everyone else. "Oh, dear," he says shakily.

As for his own dog, Rugby is plastered to Toby's side. Well, his ankles, anyways. The corgi is catching all that nervous energy that's been bouncing around for days in the apartments. And he's not happy. He lets out a sharp sound that's half-bark, half-whine, ears flattened against his head.

Those rat bastards. The fire stairs are Sable's preferred mode of conveyance. Who the hell does the Man think he is, tramping up and down a girl's wrought iron? The insult, sadly, must go unanswered, at least for now. Foolhardiness is reserved for love and lyrics. In matters of day to day life (and death), Sable's got a knack for picking her battles.

"Got pigs on th' fire stairs!" Sable announces, loudly, just, you know, for everyone's edification. This news might draw considerable attention, were it not for its competing with Kaylee's voice, crying out for help. Sable gives a low growl, drawing momentary curious attention from Misty. There is a train of people forming, heading for Kaylee's kitchen, but someone's gotta watch the door. Sable scuttles over to the doorway, trying to ease Misty under one arm, letting her dangle from a somewhat awkward hold, as she extracts her knife from her pocket. Unimpressive bit of hardware, really. FRONTLINE would laugh. But it's what she's got on hand.

"We gotta hurry th' fuck up~," Sable calls over her shoulder, into Kaylee's apartment. She gives Toby a curt nod upon his arrival. "Some fuckin' night, eh?" she says, weak humor made weaker by the strain in her voice. Hard to launch a music career from inside Federal lockup.

"The dog… for goodness sakes," Lynette says, rubbing her face. She might be a little stressed. Kaylee's voice is a distraction, after all, she's been gone for… god knows how long now, but the boy's exclamation is was shots her into action again. "Preacher," she says, putting a hand on his arm before he gets too far. And then, the shotgun is pressed into his hand, "Just in case." She doesn't know what's going on in there, but she's not taking chances. And then, with a pat to that arm, she lets him actually head into the apartment while she turns back to the others at Sable's warning. "Kendall! Now would be a good time for your magic!" Is what she says into the apartment the boy went into, while she ushers the others to follow the illusionist and the pastor into the apartment. Until they know what's going on with Kaylee, and until they can't move through whatever's happening down stairs, hiding is the best bet in her mind.

Missy is exceedingly happy to have her person back, so much that she doesn't quite understand the blood and the knife and the danger of the moment. Or the outfit. The blood actually makes her smell more like her person, which means the dog ends up getting blood on her nose, as she sniffs around.

A second dog appears in the room, attracted by the smell of blood. Jupiter used to be a police dog. Jupiter knows the smell of blood.

There's many dogs suddenly on the second floor of Gun Hill, but that actually might make things better for Toby. Dogs are, after all, his thing.

It's not the window to the second floor that gets opened, but one of the higher up ones. Sable catches the sight of the first of the officers. The popo using her escape. And then they begin to hear footsteps up above. In the apartments. In their home.

The danger is above them, and below them.

And they have a wounded time displaced woman in the kitchen.

Valerie runs to join the group in the kitchen, squeaking in panic and worry at the sight of her sister, at the blood. A few moments later she's grabbing towels out of the kitchen, the first aid kit. After all, she's supposed to be the one with helath problems. And she knows where it is. "Oh thank you Missy for being missing." Cause what if they would have evacuated… and Kaylee was dropped in the kitchen. Alone.

"Get her away." Kaylee snaps in frustration as she tries to push the puppy away, wincing as the action shifts her body enough for another spike of pain. At least, she can't move her torso more. Missy has suddenly discovered that something is different about the person who she's been missing, not just the blood, but the smell of the telepath is different. There is a worried whine from the puppy as she's pushed away again.

She's just trying to help!

Kaylee glances up as she hears the distinct sound of hurrying feet and Kendall is there, of course, more are on their way. "Kendall…" a pause ".. Kendall?" The fact the kid's looks have changed has her confused for a moment, but then the fact he is there means.

"What day is it?!" Kaylee asks, finally pinning Missy on the floor, where she squirms, but finally rests there, panting with her bloody nose. Of course, Sable's yell seems to confirm the truth for the blonde haired woman and her face seems to drain of all color, even as Joseph catches up and Valerie joins them. "It's the eight?!" From one fire and right smack into another.

"R-right, but… she's bleeding! Really badly!" Kendall looks at Kaylee, torn, but regardless yanks out his small sketchpad and a pencil. "You want me to draw us all invisible, or the apartment being empty? Because there's an important difference. Are we going to leave, or stay here?" pause. She said for everyone to come here. "I guess we're staying then." he looks at Kaylee. "Someone else help her! And… even if you're not visible, if they bump into you they'll notice, so if they come in, stay out of the way." and then he's on to sketching the room being empty, with mere faint outlines of people present, vague shadows. And once everyone's in the room, they'll notice that they're not visible, and neither is anyone else. Kendall is concentrating!

Shotgun taken, rifle butt nicking against the frame of the doorway as Joseph shoulders the strap attached to it as he moves inside, staring down at Kaylee, and the last thing they see of each other before Kendall's pencil wipes away everything is probably mutual horror. "No, we can't stay," the pastor protests. "There's no hiding. They got negation gas and who knows what else." The sound of his footsteps as he shies nearer Kaylee, steps uncertain, but the creak of floorboards at least indicates the slow path he's taking.

It would be nice to see people, but Joseph bites back this complaint. "There anyone else in the building?"

One plus: yes, they're surrounded by dogs. Toby has more eyes and ears out now, as he makes himself more open to their emotional states, how they react to things. Like sounds. But on the downside, there's FRONTLINE everywhere. Toby heads into the room after everyone else, but Joseph's protest gets the man to frown. "Negation gas? Oh dear. Okay, we need to get her stable and ready to go. Who here is versed in medical? I have only a little bit of field experience…" Fret! Fret fret fret.

Which leaves Sable as sole watchman. She squints at Toby's retreating back once he disappears into the apartment. "Flighty fuckin' faggots…" she mutters, an exceptionally ugly thing to say, and that she doesn't make much of it likely makes it worse rather than better. She pitches her voice into a carrying register, yellow eyes darting from one end of the hallway to the other. "Pigs up top and down bottom. Hope y'all ain't draggin' yer fuckin' feet in there."

"No, we won't stay. But I want us all together. And I want to make sure she can move before we drag her around and do worse damage." Not seeing anyone might be a shocking experience on any other day, but today, it comes more as relief. "Hopefully, we can get moving before the gas becomes a factor."

Lingering toward the door, to be a lookout as well as being a guide to getting everyone out when the time comes, Lynette rubs her face a bit and lets out a sigh. "There's a group on the ground floor. We might have to… go through a delicate situation down there to get tot he bunker, but they should be the only ones left. Except us. When Kaylee can move… we'll move. Kendall, you can keep this up, can't you? We need to get to apartment 105. I have no idea what we have to walk through to get there." But she's counting on him, apparently. Which may be unfair, for someone so young, but there it is.

You'd think someone who spent most their life in and out of hospitals would know more about knifewounds— then again, Valerie was in hospitals for very different reasons, so the most she can pull out of the first aid kit is bandages. And disinfectiant.

"I don't know much— I might be able to bandage her, at least stop the bleeding, but if it hit anything important…" Valerie's scared. She just found her sister and she may lose her. She's suddenly wondering why dad never made her take classes on caring for knife wounds. He had to know this would happen. Dad knows everything.

"I might be able to act as a distraction…" she says, looking up at the floor above them." They are going to have to move, and quickly… And her way of distracting wouldn't work very well.

When your ability is on all the time, you notice things. "There are six people above us." The words are spoken softly by the telepath, who is afraid to move, hand busy with necklace and puppy. "A lot below us, they are moving around too much to get a good count… I think I got to twelve before they moved too much… but I would guess more."

"Need to go." Her voice gets quieter, they can't see it, but Kaylee is looking up. "They have a telepath.. I think?"

"Wait…" Screams echo up from below and Kaylee confirms… "Some of the ones downstairs faded, but I feel more on the edges of my range. "We need to go." They can hear the edge of panic there. So many! "Need to go. Valerie? Joseph?" Her concern going to the people that were pretty much her family before she was thrown back in time.

Unable to see anyone, Kaylee closes her eyes and reaches out for first Joseph's mind, it's only a brush, before he seeks out Valerie who is closer, her hand follows where she finds the murmuring of her sister's thoughts. Fingers seeking to touch something solid and finding Valerie's arm. "Just get me up. We don't have time to deal with me. I'll deal with it." They never did in her own vision, which Joseph may remember. Kaylee ignores the sensation of something trickling slowly down her leg. "We need to get the kids out." Yes… her sister called her a kid and Kendall, they can protest later.

"Y-yeah, I can do it. I'll try to do it as fast as I can so we can move. But, uh… It'd help if everyone put these on." Kendall's illusion fades enough so that he can see them, and he hurries and goes to hand everyone a ring. If examined, they're replicas of the One Ring. "I got a whole bunch of these… it'd help me out a little if you guys wore them." sure, they're not the ONE ring anymore, since everyone has one, but. "I'm pretty sure it'd work for everyone. A few more fall out of his pocket, meaning that Kendall planned for a lot more people, but that's not important now. "This should help us leave… and we should be able to see each other too, I think." the drawing was for a stationary area.

Faded makes Joseph's stomach turn, hands gone icy in their grip on shotgun, and by the time the illusion is lifting, his expression is grim. "Okay. Damn." Takes one of the offered rings with more distraction than thought, settling it where a wedding band used to go, and he catches the sight of Kaylee in the clothing he last saw her in, blood blooming on cotton and wool, streaking down her skirt, but he knows— and he hopes— there'll be plenty of time to fuss in the truck over.

"We got a pick up leaving for Red Hook any minute now. Someone needs to get in touch with Raith and get an ETA— or warn 'im about the situation. For now, we're gonna move. Valerie, help your sister." A glance to Toby pleads his help in that area too, before he looks to Lynette, as if for confirmation, but she's already laid out the foundation of what needs to happen next — he just fills in some specifics. "Come on, let's go."

He's moving out into the hallway a second later. "105. If you ain't armed, stick with the pack," is for Sable, but everyone else too, muttered beneath the sounds of activity above and below. Joseph isn't freezing up this time. This morning cost him already.

Toby accepts the ring and places it on his slender pointer finger, and watches everything change a little around him. Wow. But he nods to Joseph and moves to Kaylee, leaning down to help her up to her feet. "Let's go, then," he says in a hushed voice, Rugby trailing after them nervously. With Toby's mental help, Rugby is kept quiet, as he understands the importance of not making a sound. "To 105!"

Lynette takes her ring and closes her eyes for a moment before she lets out a resigned sigh and slips it on her thumb. "No, no distractions, Val. Not just now." She does give a nod to Joseph and slips out of the apartment after him, she's not armed, not visibly, but there's always the electricity on hand. So she stays with the peacher. "Once we get to the apartment, Kendall and Val go down first, Toby, you go with them, and you all run out of here. Sable and Joseph and I can help make sure Kaylee gets into the bunker safely. Unless you want to go with the kids and Toby, Sable…" For whatever reason, the rocker gets to have the luxury of choice. Maybe Lynette just likes her the best.

At the top of the stairs, she pauses for a steadying breath, then looks over to Joseph. It's just a moment, her vision of today from all those months ago replaying in her memory, but she lets the moment pass before starting her quiet steps down the stairs. Whatever's down there, she's ready.

What the fuck is taking these chuckleheads so long? Doesn't, like, everyone get stabbed all the time in this city? Sable shifts from foot to foot in rapidly growing impatience and worry, and when she peeks into Kaylee's apartment she sees no one. And she thought she heard their voices and-

"Gah, wha'?" Sable splutters as she feels her wrist grappled by thin air and a cold metal something being snuck onto her knife-weilding hand. It's a lucky thing that Sable enters the Wraithrealm the moment the ring scoots over her first knuckle, otherwise there might have been unfortunate and reckless slashings. Sable blinks in utter surprise as Kendall materializes, along with the rest of the group, pressing out of the door and into the hallway she's been watching. She eyes the young man warily, then sticks out her finger so he can properly slip on the ring. "Ain't even gonna ask…"

Is Sable armed? Not really, no. And she accepts this fact. Her blade is neatly stowed in one pocket, before her hand sneaks into another and draws out a pair of Lennon glasses with violet lenses. She snaps the arms open with a flick of her wrist and slides them on, distinctive yellow eyes now hidden behind a purple haze.

"Lez do this."

It's a regular convoy of folks and dogs starting out from Kaylee's digs, and Sable joins their number. With two hands free, Sable can afford to carry Misty more comfortably for the both human and hound, cradling the puppy like an overgrown, fuzzy infant.

"You're going to be okay," Valerie offers her sister, softly, as she pulls the older woman up. Older and much taller. And stronger, even when weak. But the teenager has help. In a few forms. Of adults and others. And a dog who doesn't want to be left behind even offers a bit of a lean on. Her person may small different, but it's still HER PERSON.

as they get out into the hallway, there's some noise from the stairs. Coming down toward their level.

But the invisibility supplied by Kendall should be able to protect them, at least for a little bit, as they make their way to the door.

But in the corner of his eyes, Joseph sees a streak of dark, pigtails bobbing. A child. Coming up one of the stairwells. Tears running down her cheeks. It's such a sudden flash, but one that burns itself into his eyes. One of the children of Gun Hill. About to be left behind. And one that doesn't have the benifit of invisibility to get her through.

"Kendall help Valerie?" She asks even as she uses bloody fingers to take one of the ring, Joseph's necklace still laced around her fingers. As she slides the ring on a finger of her right hand, since the left one is occupied and she has no plans to remove it yet. As her field of view goes wonky, Kaylee takes a moment to wind the necklace around her fingers better, this way she doesn't loose is, lacking pockets in her current getup.

Kaylee watches Joseph leave the apartment suddenly worried, he can feel the touch of her mind again. Be careful. She doesn't even hide how scared she is right now, pleading, Please.

Toby's help is accepted — though she makes some protest about Valeries help — her breath catches as she tries not to cry out in pain, it's jarring for the knife in her side, which is probably doing more damage the more active she is. Clutching at the canine telepath, Kaylee leans on him for support. "Thank you." She murmurs to both in a strained voice, before forcing herself to take more of the weight.

Of course, that's about when an unfamiliar voice drifts up calling the retreat, Kaylee moves, almost pulling Tony along with her. "We have to move."

"Keep goin', I'll be right behind," Joseph is saying to Lynette, already moving for that blur of movement by the time he's seeing it. "Just stick together." I'll be fine, he presses to Kaylee. Magic ring and everything. He glances back towards the group but otherwise moves after the tiny shape of the child dashing upstairs, like a terrible horror film, disappearing past the gap of a door. The stairwell is still empty, by the time Joseph is following kid's lead, darting out of sight of the group.

His hand closes on the girl's wrist, and he becomes visible to her a moment later when the ring is eased off his finger. "Hey," he whispers, ducking into a crouch to make eye contact. On some subconscious level, as distracting as the weight of the shotgun, he's already remembering what the FRONTLINE woman had told him, but it's sort of a second level acknowledgment as he goes to press the ring into the girl's palm.

"This will help you hide," he tells her, knowing no time to go back to Kendall to get extra or anything, and not planning to stick around long enough to need it.

"Oh, please, darling, it's no problem," Toby replies in a hushed tone to Kaylee, easing himself under her to take her weight and help her to walk. But whoops! Then she's yanking him along, and he's running with. And he'd protest when Joseph leaves, but he really doesn't get a chance. Instead, they're booking it for the way out. So far so good, but who knows how long that will last?

There's no protest for Joseph running off, just silence acceptance and the fleeting wonder if everyone else's visions are hitting as close as her own right now. Jesus. But Lynette presses on, leading the others on a way down that hugs the walls and tries not to touch anything. And she's not saying a word anymore, and seeing to trust the others will do the same. Her goal is singular. Get to the apartment. Ignore everything else.

The group that gets downstairs, as slow moving as they may be with an injured woman, they see the doorway. An officer of the law stands in the hallway, handcuffing a blond haired woman. Lashirah, while others can be seen in the distance. Even when they look their way, all they see are a dog or two. "Dogs!" One of them calls, and weapons train the way of the animals, until they are sure the animals aren't going to attack.

"We need to get out of the hall before we trip more traps. They're downstairs."

"I saw a kid run upstairs."

"Let the ones up there get her," he says, as he hoists the unconscious body of Lashirah up and carries her away. Their attention is away from the reinforced door they couldn't open.

Their only way out is through that door.

Upstairs is a different story. The little girl cries, grasping the too big ring in her fingers. It slips around two fingers, and the illusion takes hold, mostly because Joseph believes it will. The girl disappears, only the scraping of her little body can be heard, the choked sniffling. It's an invisibility ring, not a 'you're all deaf' ring.

It's then that someone appears in the doorframe. A suit of armor, a body suit, a weapon raised and pointing inwards. Even as it does, the person inside the suit freezes.

This sight—

Faye Crawford has stood here before. And she'd been determined not to stand here again. But when the time came— she put on her uniform and showed up.

A few steps out the door and the world spins a little for Kaylee, the blood loss is starting to catch up with her. Behind them there is trail of blood, unable to hide that once she leave each droplet. She leans heavily into Toby, so she doesn't see Joseph leaving the group to follow a little girl. This is a good and a bad thing. Good for the group, bad for Kaylee.

Each step down takes all her concentration, for one so that she doesn't whimper in pain each step she takes down, but it also means she doesn't notice Joseph's mind isn't there with the group.

Voices below them pull Kaylee's attention and she sees what is between them. "I need to get closer." She murmurs to Toby forcing him with her, those last few steps.

She remembers having a headache… now she knows why. One bloodied hand leaves Toby's arm and Kaylee starts whispering, fingers pointed at the men. It's just words to Toby's ear if he strains to hear what she is saying, but to one of the officers at the bottom of the steps. What was that? You heard something, downstairs. It's faint. »"

"What was that?" One of the officers straightens, glancing around, gun coming up and around to point at the stairs. While one is hauling Lashirah away, the third goes alert. "Think there is someone still down there?"

You want to go down the stairs. Go on… check it out.»" Kaylee's words have a silken quality to them, like silk on skin. It's inviting, even as her ability pushes these suggestions home, gently without being noticed. Her hand shifts the other man. Go with him.»"

"I dunno man, let's check it out."

Once the men are moving, clearing the way to the door, Kaylee slumps against Toby again with a soft sigh, ignoring the throb of a developing headache.

There's a faint sound at the back of Joseph's throat, sharply stepping away from invisible child and bringing up his shotgun at the direction of the blackly clad phantom appearing in the doorway. In theory, he knows this moment — maybe not as vividly as the woman on the other side of it, but he's had a bad day. He'd made a promise to her and a reassurance that the future could change, even as right now it grinds down the same road it had promised it would in turn.

And he can't see her face. That's an important thing too, towards being able to pull the trigger. He hadn't seen the faces, either, of the ones that attempted to finish the Council. The girl's reedy breathing gives away her position, and reminds him of the fading Kaylee had talked about.

Swallowing dryly, the shotgun dips down, then swings away, loose in his hands. "There's a kid," he says to Faye, quietly. "Don't let'em hurt her." He takes a knee, puts the weapon down, and slides it forward a foot, and shows the palms of his hands.

Maybe he'll get lucky.

"Hey!" Minor shift in perspective goes here. The group of creeping, invisible heroes hear a voice sounding faintly computerised through helmet, and the figure of a FRONTLINE soldier stepping into view, wielding automatic rifle. With is shoulder turned towards the two sizeable dogs they've found — a large, shaggy Alicia, a Newfoundlanded, and the less large but sizeable mutt shape of Max. "We've cleared the basement, let's keep moving— what?"

Tristan's head twitches up, as if seeing something through his faceless visor. His rifle remains still, but abruptly, two silver knives spring from sheaths at his calves, and go spiraling directly towards where he sees the vaguely blobbish shapes of heat vision, barely clearing the officers of law they shwing by.

Toby does everything he can for Kaylee, keeping her on the move and leaning onto him. And when she wants to get closer, by god, he gets closer. There's a little bit of awe on the man's face as he hears and watches her ability work, but there's no comment. Of course not: they're trying to stay hidden.

In the meantime, Rugby is ordered to stay near the group, but far enough away as to not be an automatic marker. He can't pick him up, and he can't ask anyone else to do it right now, so the corgi is free to walk. But Rugby is feeling a little overwhelmed, with all the emotional turmoil in the building. He's pressed against the wall, ears flat, body slunk almost belly-first to the floor, and he's moving, but he's afraid. Toby's attention is split, trying to urge his dog, his child, his most favorite creature in the universe, to keep with them to safety, and that it's okay. But Rugby isn't having it, much. And despite the mental urges to the contrary, he lets out a whimper.

From Lynette's mind, Kaylee gets a string of elaborate and very unladylike curses. But, the invisible woman knew this was a possibility, and while Lashirah did her noblest to avoid exactly this, it's Lynette's turn. Heat vision is about to get a treat, as Lynette calls on her ability, white streaks of electricity leaping from her hands and heading toward the FRONTLINE officer in front of her. Little bits of it seem to run through her hair and over her skin, little seared spots appearing on her dress. But she doesn't seem to notice that part.

"Toby! Get them out! Run, damnit!" She's yelling that, and moving from this side of the hallway to the other to give them room to run. Hell, both the operators have the extra keys to Ryans' apartment. They really only need one.

"I'll make sure she gets out," a feminine voice says from inside the FRONTLINE suit that stares at Joseph. His weapon lowers— and so does Faye's. After all, this has happened before, and it wasn't Joseph who got shot. "I'm going to have to hold you here to be arrested. I'm sorry," she says, voice genuinely sad for a moment, as she moves closer to him, reaching out to take his weapon away. Maybe all she needed to do to change the future she saw was that one meeting.

«I have a prisoner. Keep your weapons off when you enter. There's a child in the room. Not a hostage, just a bystander. I don't want her to get shot by itchy fingers.»

And after what happened downstairs, there's many, many itchy fingers.

But the two police officers who enter in after her keep their itchy fingers under control just like she requested.

It's getting hard to concentrate for Kaylee, the murmuring is crowding into her head getting a little louder and making it hard for her to focus on any one mind now. Slowly, her head lulls forward briefly, until the crackle of electricity has her jerking her head up.

It's enough to make her realize she's running low on time.

"Come on." Kaylee tugs at Toby, but as much as she'd like to obey the order to run, her legs are sluggish to listen."Got to go… don't forget Missy…. or Valerie." Her voice is soft, words slur just a little.

Her hand tightens around the two crucifix, concentrating on how the corners bite into her skin, it helps at least keep her from wanting to close her eyes and sink into beckoning darkness. It also has Kaylee's mind seeking out the owner, but any brush of her mind he'd feel would be weak, and her mental voice seemingly breathy. Yet, his predicament doesn't sink in… not yet.

White lightning hits Tristan full in the chest, and with a plume of sparks, the soldier is sent crashing back, landing hard on his back and, almost miraculously, his limbs go stiff like that of a toy soldier rather than a real one. Electricity dances through the armor, tricking it into responding to what electronics perceive as blunt impact from every side possible, and soft spots go hard, trapping the man inside in something of an exoskeleton.

His visor blinks out, vision along with tiny, computerised data feed. Even his voice box, though faintly curses can still be heard, muffled, within his helmet. Sparks continue to spit from slightly twitching joints.

But he's still a telekinetic. One with a particular talent.

His rifle raises in the air, wild and at an angle, and the trigger pulls. With a spray of bullets, deafening in the hallway, it begins to fire without much in the way of aim seeing as he cannot see, but still, it's forcing the group to scatter, duck, bullets punching holes in the walls that spit plaster and wood at each impact.

Lynette's order snaps through Toby's brain and without meaning to, it snaps along to Rugby as well. He grabs Kaylee tighter and starts to run — "This way!" — but she's starting to fade, and her legs aren't doing what they should. Still, adrenaline is a blessing, and he yanks her off her feet into his arms, managing only by distraction of bullet and lightning to ignore the wimpiness that is his arm strength. "Everyone! This way!!" To the door! Their salvation! "Don't get hit!" (That's helpful.)

Unfortunately, Lynette is in the zone. So the sound of gunfire doesn't jar her until one of those bullets blows it's way through her leg before it embeds in the wall behind her. The woman cries out with the pain, the electricity cutting off before she hits the ground on her good knee.

With the others running, and hopefully getting out, Lynette slides herself into her own apartment, where she seems to be ducking for cover through that rain of bullets. And testing to see if that suit stays rigid or not.

Run and don't get hit. Easier said than done, as Lynette would demonstrate by taking a bullet through the leg. Kendall and the tiny blonde continue to try and lead Kaylee away. So many people getting injured, and she arrived that way. With a cry, her sister suddenly goes down, hit somewhere in the back with one of those bullets. And this is when the illusionist pulls out his pad of paper. What he'd been working on while they ran becomes clear quickly. VORP. There's suddenly a green dinosaur with them. in the hallway in front of them. He'd drawn it to try and act as a mount for the injured, but instead has a second function, while he works to push the injured Valerie up onto it…

It shoots a red tongue out at the weapon, intending to eat it.

Cause while Yoshi's may be good mounts for Marios, they're also really good at eating things.

Hopefully the man won't disbelieve too much…

You get 'em Yoshi!

When she's picked up in Toby's arms, there is a pain filled gasp from Kaylee, her body in that damn whale bone ribbed corset forced to attempt to bend, which shifts the knife. It hurts! Her face presses against his shoulder, as she forces herself to breath again, which is tough with her cinched so tight in that damn thing.

At this point it's all Kaylee can do to not pass out.

SHLORP.

And miraculously, the gun is devoured. Maybe Tris' fucked over helmet prevents him from seeing. Maybe that's not it and he's into videogames which is not unlikely. The world will never know as his rifle disappears, echoing gunshots dying, and the FRONTLINE soldier is left to twitch within his malfunctioning armor.

It's a straight shot to 105, and as much as Toby wants to stop for Lynette, there's the others to worry about. He has to be responsible, and it's so hard for the flighty man to do. But he does it. Shifting his grip on Kaylee — more pain for you, darling — he fishes out those keys and jams them into the door, jiggling it open as fast as he can … with Yoshi's help.

Toby just isn't a nerd. The ring, the green dinosaur with a saddle and Pica, it's all just quaint to the fashionisto. All he knows is it's working, and it's providing a good distraction, and holy mother of pearl, he needs to get this apartment door open to get them into the escape route.

In Lynette's apartment, the woman hobbles over to the kitchen to slide a nice loooong knife out of her block of kitchen knives. And as gunfire cuts out, she starts her way back toward the door, blood running down her leg. She has always had a reputation of being a dedicated safehouse operator. Of being someone who gave her all for those in her care. Who really cared about them. She still lives up to that reputation today.

Thing is, no one ever did ask her if she bothered to get therapy after her captivity.

She didn't.

Knife in hand, she comes back out to the hall, to where that malfunctioning armor keeps the man inside it trapped. And she uses that knife to pry open the visor on that helmet. She has no quips or final words, nothing clever. Usually she's quite clever. And loves to hear herself talk. But no, just now all she has rage, and tears falling down her cheeks as she lifts that knife to jam it through the man's eye, all the way to the hilt.

With Kendall consentrating on getting injured Valerie up on the triumpant, and now burping Yoshi, he doesn't see what happens to the man. Also because he's trying to get the little blonde girl away from here, before more come. Down into the bunker and the escape tunnel.

And no one down here sees what happens upstairs, when the woman in armor who just saw to Joseph's arrest suddenly falls down and goes completely unconscious. The downside of being telepathically linked to someone who dies. It takes a piece of you with them…

But the police still have him in custody, as well as the six year old girl…

With fresh blood on her hands, Lynette will be the last one of their number to exit the building tonight. The last one to exit free.


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