Mind The Gap

Participants:

adam_icon.gif alexander_icon.gif eve_icon.gif helena_icon.gif huruma_icon.gif teo_icon.gif trask_icon.gif

Scene Title Mind The Gap
Synopsis PARIAH and the Legion of Doom have a subway encounter.
Date October 19, 2008

Subway - Empty Tunnel

Without electricity in this portion of the subway tunnels, there's no ambient light to help people along. The tracks are empty and dirty. Some patches of the walls and ceiling have fallen away, leaving behind chunks of rock intermittently. The tracks curve a little in places, but stay mostly straight for long areas. A large pile of rubble blocks the way to one of the stations, somewhat conspicuous because the ceiling seems stable around it. Almost as if this blockage had been intentionally made somehow.


It was a shortcut, she told him. To where, exactly, is up in the stuffy, subway tunnel air. Huruma is strolling along the long unused train tracks, the heels of her boots clicking along the gravelly ground below, and her black, double-breasted jacket buttoned tight. Her legs seem bare in the dark, but are actually wrapped with a pair of black pants.

Click, click, click- that sound gets very monotonous after a while, and maybe by now it has dawned upon Adam, the one she escorts, that perhaps Huruma does not know a shortcut.

"And I suppose you call this 'not being lost', do you?" Normally, Adam might not be so verbally grouchy at the Amazon-woman who has joined his Legion of Doom, but his patience has begun to wear thin. His tailored suit is very much not something that belongs in a mostly-abandoned tunnel, and he's feeling less than secure thanks to the fact that he doesn't have a weapon on him. "Bloody hell. I should've used that - that internet thing. I bet that wouldn't have gotten me lost. Like you have."

Another pair of boots are making a clicking noise as Eve is leaving the tunnels after a day of exploring them and trying to familiarize herself more with the area. She is wearing a midnight blue dress that is cut for easy movement and a long black trenchcoat that falls to her boots is buttoned up halfway. Who knows what Eve is hiding under there? When she sees Huruma and Adam, the woman tilts her head and stops as she regards the two Level 5 escapees. "Enjoying your freedom?" she says in her soft voice, her facial expression is blank.

"Took us a while to get the generator working," Alex is explaining, as he leads the way, boots grating on fallen debris. He's with Helena and Teo, showing them around the new base. The sound of other voices has him coming up short, blinking, and motioning for those behind him to stop.

Trask is a little behind Alex, walking just 11 feet from Helena flanking the rest of his party. Teo bringing up the rear. He is wrapped head to toe in black. Watching the shadows.

Helena frowns. "Are we going to have to clear out some squatters?" She's dressed for the chill of the subway tunnels. "I'm not sure it's worth it, even for a week or so, to bother." She makes a vague gesture at Alex, two fingers together, gesturing forward followed by a finger to her lips. Teach gramma to suck eggs, Helena. Still, she'll wait to see what he discovers.

Whether because Teo's harder to kill than the average party member or because he's a big enough fellow that blocking projectiles and other tasks falls to him naturally, he's bringing up the other flank. Granted, there isn't much of a back to bring up anyway, with only the four PARIAH members thatched together in a rough and loosely-knit pack. "Just the day," the Sicilian adds, his wry tone belying the defensive choice of words: they'd done their best. The smile that crooked his mouth folds the instant he sees Alexander's gesture up ahead. Scowling on reflex, he glances over his shoulder to check the way behind before stepping silently toward the wall, setting one shoulder to it.

"The internet cannot'elp you now. I am not lost, either…" Huruma seems a little bit snippy at the insinuation that she has done something wrong. She is just about ready to posture at the man with her, but that stranger's voice directs her attention elsewhere.

Huruma's eyes narrow down the length of the empty tunnel at Eve, jaw gritting together and that sense of hers going back up. More of them? Does she somehow attract today? Is there a magnet in the seat of her pants? "More than you will be…" Unlike Eve's soft voice, Huruma's carries as if the tunnel were an amphitheater; that haunting, velvet tone like something straight out of a horror movie.

Boo.

The sudden interruption in his conversation brings Adam to a halt beside Huruma. He frowns thoughtfully at Eve, one hand coming up to rest its knuckles under his chin. "I don't think we signed up for a social event. Perhaps it's time we found that exit you were talking about, Huruma. We wouldn't want to overstay our welcome in these filthy tunnels."

Eve's eyebrows raise and she tilts her head as chills sweep over her body. She ignores Huruma for the moment and settles her gaze on Adam, "Adam Monroe" is all the seer says and she studies the man, when she hears the other voices behind her, "Looks like we have some company" she says in a deadpan tone and her hand is on one hip as she returns to regarding Huruma and Adam with curiosity. "People have been looking for you, sir" the sir is sarcastic as Eve addresses Adam again.

"And who are these folks, Eve?" Al's voice is oh so gentle, but the blue eyes are cold…and something like a little breeze ruffles out from the PARIAH party, just enough to stir hair and clothes. The breath of a train passing in the distant live parts of the tunnels, perhaps.

Trask moves to begin circling around the edges as the unit comes in contact with others, moving forward but giving Eve and her companions a wide berth. No words come from the mysterious figure.

Helena moves up and forward to stand next to Alex. She looks over her shoulder toward Teo briefly, something undescribable on her face before she turns to murmur to Alexander softly. "You don't recognize their faces. That's Adam Monroe. And that's…that's that woman. The one who might have bitten off Matt Parkman's arm." She remains quiet otherwise, her expression pinched as she studies the pair.

Despite that Teo had less than overwhelming praise for the evacuated bowels of the city yesterday, when he was working in them, he's mildly offended at the hoity-toity English assessment he hears, faded by distance, from down the tunnel. Hey. That's really only a dimple in the pond, however, considering the weight of the female voice that lapped the walls with its echoes before, and Eve's voice ringing out, sharp, familiar among unfamiliar registers. It doesn't surprise him that Alexander makes his presence known, and given the way Trask is arcing out and Eve laces distinct sarcasm through words he can't quite make out, Helena's quick debrief doesn't startle him either. He reaches behind him, yanks the .45 out of his pants and doesn't move.

Huruma can see mouths moving, though the more quiet words are lost on her. "The tunnels only come out past them." She informs Adam from where she stands, white eyes almost glowing in the dim light. Her chest carries a feral growl for a few seconds, and a wave of weariness falls over the people of PARIAH like a thin blanket. Nothing much, simply enough to create a more nervous meeting on their end.

"So unless you wan'to go back, Adam-" Huruma swivels her gaze to peer sidelong at the man. "-then we'ave t'keep going."

"Yes, well. Unless you're hiding a sword somewhere on your impressive body," Adam mutters, "I'm absolutely fine with going back." He offers the group of PARIAH operatives a bright smile, sweeping one hand out towards the nearest wall. "I don't know why anyone would be looking for me - but there's plenty of room in here for everyone to get by. We'll just keep walking, and you'll just keep walking, and no one will have to enter into any sort of unpleasantness." Because otherwise Huruma might eat someone.

"I wonder if cops count as treyf," Alex muses. "I mean, they're pigs. I guess she doesn't keep kosher," His expression is entirely deadpan as he says this. He lifts his hands slowly in a gesture of peaceable intentions, palm out. Look here, no need to fight. There's still that slow breeze emanating from them, but he steps aside, slowly. All the better to let them go.

"Ex-Company prisoners and we come in peace, as long as you do" The first directed to Alex and the last to the pair ahead of her. Eve nods slowly, "We have no issues with you fair enough that we let each other go about our business" she hopes the rest of PARIAH just lets it go so that she doesn't have to worry about a mass fight to break out. "After you" she says with a sweeping motion behind her as she moves near the wall but keeping ever vigilant of the two.

Helena makes a vague little gesture, signalling that the members of PARIAH shout form a gauntlet inviting the pair to walk through. "Sylar is searching for you." she addresses Adam a touch uneasily, but directly. "And if he can get his hands on you, he'll want to take off your head and do god knows what to your brain to steal your ability. He wants it very, very badly. He can shapeshift into someone you know, so be especially careful. If you want to laugh it off, that's your business…but you were warned."

Trask keeps and eye on Helena, waiting for word or signal for him to move in on the others. As she orders the gauntlet formed he raises an eyebrow and moves up to take the indicated place, his field covering anyone passing through it.

Fortunately, Teo feels fairly confident about the generator's resale value in Manhattan. Or at least, he had until that wave of artificial fatigue dropped over his head. It's hard to think about numbers then. Firearm still on safe, he keeps it dangling at his hip. Easing from the sprinter's crouch, he straightens to lope forward, finally closing the eleven-foot gap that spanned between himself and the other PARIAH. He keeps the corners of his mouth tucked in, pleasantly blank, not quite mild, something akin to interest frosting over his blue eyes as he gets his first look at the two Evolved. Huruma is considerably taller than he had expected, Adam somewhat smaller. He lets them by with a good-natured jiggle of his head on its stem.

Huruma looks over all of these PARIAH members with considerably equal suspicion, pausing to examine those who were present at her escape for a few extra seconds. At Helena, Huruma turns a stare, not yet choosing to move onward. As an outsider, she does know very little, though she only makes this known simply and without fanfare. "Who is Sylar?" It is a short question, and obvious enough. One more for the road.

"An'why help an escape?"

…Oh. "Well. That sounds like it's going to be a lot of fun for me when Sylar catches up." Adam's smile seems to be frozen onto his face. It's far from genuine or warm, and he can't seem to tear his eyes away from Helena for a few prolonged moments. "I somehow think that my friend and I are going to be a bit more capable of handling him than anyone else yet has been. We've got a bit more experience." At least, he does. Adam steps a little closer to the wall, starting to ease his way forward again while picking his path carefully. There are things littering the ground that he'd rather not think about.

Alexander puts his back against the wall. There's still that hum of undirected energy coming off of him, but his expression is polite enough. "Sylar is an Evolved serial killer. He hunts other evolved," he explains, tone entirely matter of fact.
"Yeah, Sylar tends to be rude at time. Don't make him to upset Adam" she says to the man and smiles darkly at Huruma before looking off to the side. Eve isn't really showing that much emotion. Her face is still void of any emotion. "Sylar is a serial killer, he steals our abilities. People like us. Be on the look out. He would be hard to defeat" she says to Huruma and then adds, "You haven't done anything to hurt us or anything now have you? So why would we try to stop or hurt you?" she says with a tilt of the head.

Helena gives a one sided shrug. "What they said." Helena says evenly, her eyes briefly flicking toward Huruma. "We came close to killing him the night we busted you out. There was some interference." And close only counts in horseshoes and tac-nukes, as her father used to say. Her eyes go back to Adam. "Good luck with that." she says mildly. He may find it difficult to slide along the wall after a point, since Hel had her people form a gauntlet, one which he and Huruma may find they have to walk through.

The shadowed figure of Sergei just watches as the escaped evolved approach and waits. He still has said nothing as the others banter back and forth. He hasn't even drawn his pistol yet.

"I meant th'first escape, girl." Eve gets a sharp, hissing response as Huruma steps forward again to stroll boldly through, boots clicking against the ground. "You had n'reason t'let me escape. I suppose it was a mess, however…" The tall woman drawls, sending a small shudder of fear up Eve's spine, and resting her eyes upon Helena as she moves. Blondes catch her eye faster. Much faster.

All of a sudden Huruma stops, chin lifted and one hand flexing habitually at the air. She even takes a few steps backwards again to put them all back into her sight, reddish lips curling back over her teeth in irritation.

Lacking constructive input, and his mouth too dry to waste on sauce or spit, Teo stands still and holds his peace. Hanging from his hand, the little red eye is conspicuously absent from his .45, less of a threat than a precaution, more of a precaution than none at all, and nothing about him boasting he can do worse than that. Only his head moves when his comrades finish speaking in turn; he notices Huruma's question went — technically — unanswered.

Adam moves along beside Huruma just as soon as the woman starts moving. As much as this seems to be a relatively neutral standoff, there is greater safety in numbers. If your number happens to be two, you'd best stick together as much as possible. He doesn't respond to the few words sent his way, instead finding it more interesting to follow Huruma's conversation. When she stops, so does he - and he turns to stare back at her expectantly. "Let's not dawdle. We've a fairy princess to mind at home."

Eve does shudder from Huruma's brief emotion manipulation but that is quickly shoved away and her head tilted. "We had other pressing issues to handle. You're escape wasn't of high priority to us, dear" Eve doesn't say that Peter and Sylar doing battle and disappearing had anything to do with it, PARIAH really just didn't have any idea what to with the escapees. Too many things went on that night. Her eerie light grey eyes follow Huruma's every move. Like she is stalking prey. Seems like Huruma has met a fellow crazy. Her eyebrows lift at Adam's comment and while still looking at Huruma, "You mean Elle Bishop?"

Alexander cocks his head at that, curiously, and arches a brow. But he doesn't ask, nor does he reply directly to Huruma. Lest he say something very undiplomatic, perhaps.

Helena looks momentarily exasperated, and turns her head briefly to look at Teo. She darts her head in Eve's direction - believing the woman won't listen to her, there's a request to ask or tell or convince the woman to stop talking. She turns her attention back to the pair and likewise remains silent, waiting to see if they move along, or demand further explanation regarding Elle and why the little group would be interested.

Trask 's eyes fall on Huruma as she puts her right foot in, then takes her right foot out. He waits to see if the reaction was just some sort of Sewer hokey pokey or if she was picking up on his ten foot shell.

Finally, the Sicilian youth speaks up. "You don't really get to crap superpowers all over us then demand information. Walk. I hear you know how." Teodoro pushes off the wall, finally, not to come any nearer to his Evolved comrades, Eve or otherwise, frankly deciding that they don't really need to scribble a bold red circle around the political or tactical problem area for the cannibal and immortal Englishman to see, if they haven't made the deductive leap yet.

"Whicheve'one of you turns it off, move." The statement is obvious if you are the guilty party (Trask, this means you). Huruma does not seem to appreciate being negated. It serves to only make her irritable. And when Eve calls her /dear/? The tall, dark woman turns fully towards her, sharpened teeth shining and eyes glittering with sudden malice. "Mind your tongue, an'I will no'cut it out." Not that she would (right here, anyway). It is posturing, but world be damned if it is not some of the scariest kind, even without the fear she emanates. When Teo speaks up? She simply spits at the ground and gives Alexander and Helena a glowering look as she moves after Adam to follow him away. "Teach your people manners, or you will no'see them again." One warning, for later.

But no one's going to get an explanation. At least not from Adam. It's time to leave, because Huruma is apparently getting antsy. He begins wandering towards the end of the tunnel with his hands tucked into the pockets of his trousers, whistling a jaunty little tune that echoes its way down the dank corridor without any sign of stopping until someone manages to strangle him or he gets bored of it. Whether or not Huruma follows at his speed is really up to her.


Huruma does; scene fades.


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October 18th: Not a Pizza Person
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October 19th: Confessional
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