Participants:
| Scene Title | Waterlogged |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Cardinal and Shard return to Coney Island to search the waters for Claire's body. |
| Date | October 06, 2009 |
Despite it's name Coney Island is a peninsula, and only formerly an island. This small piece of real-estate is the southern-most point in Brooklyn, with beachfront property abutted by the Atlantic Ocean. A neighborhood of the same name is a community of 60,000 people in the western part of the peninsula, with Seagate to its west; Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach to its east; and the Gravesend neighborhood to the north.
This area was once a major resort and site of amusement parks that reached its peak in the early 20th century. It declined in popularity after World War II and endured years of neglect. Since the bomb, Coney Island has fallen into a tragic state of disrepair, most prominently evidenced by the closing of the amusement parks on the island, notably Astroland and Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park. The latter of those two serves as a rusting and monolithic ferris wheel that overlooks the decrepit state of the island. It's once bright carnation red paint peeling to reveal rusted steel.
Much of the amusement park areas surrounding the beach are now closed off by chain-link fence, though some portions have been battered down by vandalism and portions of the closed amusement parks are now used by gangs and other unsavory figures as meeting sites. With the NYPD stretched to its limits, police rarely have the availability to respond in a timely manner to this small and remote penninsula, making it a relatively dangerous part of Brooklyn.
It's only been hours since the collapsing ferris wheel took most of the Astroland with it, spilling into the ocean surrounding the peninsula. Rain continues falling across the bits of twisted metal and wood that litter the area, it will obviously take crews sometime to gather up all this wreckage. The only illumination comes the red and blue lights of emergency vehicles flashing off the small waves that lap gently against the silent deserted beach.
Lucky for anyone on the beach, the NYPD is still working to secure the scene. Photo's are being taken, evidence collected. It's a madhouse further in as work crews gather waiting for the okay, it won't be long before they start in on the destruction themselves. Somewhere out there is a body of a certain ex-cheerleader waiting to be found.
Crackle-pop
Four feet slap against the dirt, as molecules realign themselves to form Richard Cardinal and Vincent King. Red crackling sparks fade away as the two manifest into existence where seconds ago there was hardly anything living. The heat from the teleportation surely causes both of the men some discomfort, King raises his hand to dab away a bit of the sweat that formed from the excess use of his ability over the night. His new ability that is.
Dark eyes scan the shore of the beach as Vincent takes a few steps forward. Shard's eyes are rimmed red, and if one didn't know better they might suspect the hardcore rapper has been crying. Shard hasn't spoken much at all. There's much too much to feel guilty over right now. But at least it's over. White is dead. Probably.
There aren't any tears on Cardinal's cheeks, or in his eyes, which at the moment are hard as steel; jaw set in a grimace, he rolls his shoulders a bit as he arrives, the heat of the unusual form of travel having gotten to him a little.
"I won't believe he's dead until we find a body," observes the shadowman rather flatly, heading to the water's edge, "Keep an eye out for any cops heading our way, I'll go under and start looking for him, and for Claire."
A wordless grunt is all Cardinal gets in response from Shard. The rapper sends his gaze along the scene of carnage for just a second before flicking it back up to the horizon. Where the municipal building used to be. His head shakes slowly, disbelief and anguish beating at his chest. A few steps he doesn't remember taking lead him to the water, where he collapses on his rear.
Arms are flung over his knees as he raises his eyes to watch the last few bits of rain fall. The song he was humming earlier this evening. It was a song about the rain hiding tears. They may be doing exactly that as Vincent watches the water blankly.
A glance to the rapper is laden with derision, Cardinal's head shaking as he steps into the waters— and melts away like oil upon it, spreading out and then plunging beneath the surface in a strange rippling sort of motion until he's streaking over the silt-shrouded floor of the beachwater, heading out to begin his search in the ruins of the pier and the ferris wheel.
Chunks of broken and twisted metal from the Wonder Wheel, spread out from the shore. The mess thinning out the further out a person goes. It's out here that a small black shape floats underwater. It's only when one if close enough to see the cloud of blonde hair, that they might realize this is Claire. Even floating there it's obvious that her body has been seriously abused, floating limbs sit at odd angles and her clothing torn in places. There is no doubt this girl is dead, her head looks like it's wrenched at an odd angle.
Luckily, the tide is low at the moment, meaning the water isn't as deep as it could be. Thank goodness for small miracles.
Shard's lips pure together as his eyes search the water aimlessly. He isn't the one to catch Claire's mess of blonde hair, he's above surface. Though he does keep an eye out. If by eye out you mean staring in one direction and moping about one's life decisions, yes Shard is certainly keeping watch. Either that or straight wallowing.
His hands fall from his knees and clasp in his lap, his head tilting back slightly as he lets out a long sigh. "How did I get here?" He moans.
There comes no answer to that rhetorical question, although another question is answered as shadow bubbles back up to the surface and wafts along towards the shore. "I found her," replies the darkness, before erupting with a splash into physicality, turning to wade back deeper from shore, "You'll have to give me a hand, there's a piece of ferris wheel on her."
Going to stand, Shard gives a nod as he steps forward wading into the water. "Show me where she is. I'll zip her out." Zipping. That's what this power must be called. The rapper takes a few steps forward, waiting for Richard to point out where exactly the ex-cheerleader lies. And once he does there's a quick crackle pop of red sparks.
"Alright, she's…" Cardinal locates the body again, calling out directions, "Just a little past that floating carriage… on the left.. under that sign!"
And barely a second goes by, until the crackle pop repeats itself only five feet away from where Shard was moments ago. But now he is soaking wet with a blonde girl in his arms. Going to slowly lower the regenerator onto the ground, he sets her head down gently. Earlier in the night he had vowed to give her the sternest talking to she would ever receive. A disappeared municipal building has kind of thrown a wrench into that plan.
Claire will wake up to being soaked to the bone but very, very hot. The kind of frictional heat you might get from being dragged across a carpet. It's not comfortable to be sure. King glances over to Cardinal. "Got her." He adds in, just in case the other man hadn't noticed.
Once out from under the salty sea water that kept her body from getting the air it needed, Clair's brain finally is able to click on and while she still lays fairly limp and lifeless, her ability starts healing what it can. While sea water dribbles out of the corner of her mouth, muscles are knitting, vital organs repair. In the darkness, only Cardinal will see the change in her skin color as her heart makes that first stuttering beat. Then the small blonde's body jerks suddenly as her lungs try to draw air only to find they are filled with water. With a suddenly jerk, Claire goes to her side, some of her limbs still in odd angles, and coughs up the sea from her lungs.
"Ugg." Is the first thing Claire manages, once she's practically coughed up a lung. She rolls over onto her back and groans. "God… I feel like I was hit by a freight train…" Her eyes flutter open to look at the two men. She starts trying to lift one arm, only to find it hanging limply.. So she checks the other arm and finding it whole presses it against her forehead. "… and I do know what that feels like." Experiment 101… Using her good arm to get to a sitting position she starts working with her broken limbs. Cardinal and Shard get to watch and listen to the sickening snaps and sucking sounds of her putting the bones of her arm back into too place.
"Good morning, beautiful." It's a weary but warm greeting as Cardinal wades back out of the waters, shaking mud from his boots onto the sand as he stops beside the pair, offering her a wan smile, "You need any help putting your, er, body back together? Not that I know where bones go, or anything…"
Shard would normally say how disturbing that is, but right now he's not in the commenting mood. A gloved hand goes down to pat the tangled up blonde's head gently and then he's standing. Taking a step back he sighs softly, "No body." He states gravely. Not a question, a confirmation of the suspicions he had. "Couldn't have been the boy. Must've been his speedster." A long sigh permeates from King's lips.
Leaning forward, Claire grimaces and straightens again so that she can lift her shirt to show several ribs. A hand moves to start pressing the bones back into places, winces as she does it. Might not urt as badly as it could, but it does still hurt. While she does so, she glances at Cardinal and gives him a small smile. "Hey, Richard. Shard." Glancing up at the rapper briefly. " No.. I got this.. I dunno how to explain it.. but I can tell…" Another rough press against her rib cage, her hands guiding it from the surface, "..where they need to go."
Then something occurs to her.. "Magnes!" Her eyes go to Cardinal. "Last thing I remember is seeing him flying towards me." She gives a small groan as she asks. "Please tell me it missed him?"
Cardinal turns his head politely to look away, because really that's pretty fucking gross; gaze following the lights that show where the police are working, his lips pursing in a tight frown. "No, I didn't see any sign of White down there. Hell, he could've burrowed away, he's an earthmover, after all," he affirms. Then he glances down, a brow quirking, "Magnes? Yeah, the kid's fine."
Shard shakes his head. "He was too disoriented, in too much pain to get himself out of there. He could have brought mountains up to stop the Ferris Wheel." The rapper mutters, "But he couldn't. He wasn't in control of himself. I know he was vulnerable." He did know. He could have ended the man's life. "If no one saved him, he died. He had to." Vincent says, though it appears he's saying it more for his own benefit than anyone else's.
"Thank god… He's got to learn when to not come after me." Claire murmurs, leaning forward to shift her legs into place as quickly as she can. "Actually… kinda of surprised it's not him pulling me out." She glances between them both. "Thank you, by the way…. for coming back for me. Better then waking up in a morgue with my organs exposed to the world." Her tone is bland as she speaks.
Finally, Claire is able to, roll onto her hands and knees and climb to her feet. The weight of the soaked trench coat, forces her to shrug it off. "How bad was the damage from the quake?" She asks as the coat drops to the ground with a wet splat. Of course, this uncovers the shotgun still by some miracle hanging on her shoulder by the strap. There is a soft gasp, as Claire looks at it. "Dammit. Not another one… I'm sorry, Richard." She moans, lifting the poor thing, the barrel of it crunched pretty nicely. Only now does she look like she could cry.
The mention of morgues bring a wince from Cardinal, who very pointedly does not ask. The shotgun's recovery and mourning is met with a twitch of a smile, and he allows, "I'm buying a weapons shipment soon anyway. I'll make sure there's a shotgun in it. We should get you back to the library…"
He turns a look to Shard, "…doesn't matter. If he's alive, or dead, the damage is done. And none of your damn hospitals stopped it."
Very rarely does Shard get angry. And even more rarely does he get violent. It's been ages since King has actually hit someone. But it looks like after Cardinal's last comment…
Vincent whirls around, a balled fist cocking back over his shoulder. Pure fury locked into his features, his jaw set into a tight scowl. For a moment it looks like he very well might try to take Richard's head off, but after a moment, his fist slowly lowers. A slow breath is taken, Vincent taking a single step back. "The shipment is coming soon." Vincent mutters in a quiet tone. "You still in?"
The ex-cheerleader gives him a thankful look, and the shotgun is slung back on her shoulder since Claire can't exactly leave that there. "Yeah.. I could use some sleep." Even despite the rather long death. Her hands move to twist the hemline of her shirt to try and get rid of some of the water… It's already starting to feel itchy where it's drying. "Could use a shower too." Her fingers combing through her hair to try to make it a little less of a mess when they try to slip out of the area, of course, she still looks like a drowned rat.
Glancing at Shard, she watches him and the play of emotions on his face. At his question, she does speak up though, even if it was directed at Cardinal. "I'll be there for sure." Claire offers with a smile and a glance to both men.
"There won't be anyone to help with the shipment if the island's six feet under," Cardinal points out, regarding that fist for a moment and then the other man's face, his gaze hard— and then he turns away from the other man, moving to walk along the beach with a vague wave for Claire to follow him, "I'll be there, if there's still an island, King."