EPIC SIDESTORY: LOVER'S DUEL CONTINUED

[actuallyhornets.livejournal.com]

[Pain got a call from Viper fifty minutes ago telling him to show up for a fight or he'd kill Alek.]

[Forty minutes ago, Pain called his 'nephew' Ocelot for help and started a plan.]

[Twenty-five minutes ago, The Pain used Mantis to find the Sorrow and figured out the plan.]

[And now he's waiting for Sorrow to report back on the state of Viper's traps before he goes to confront him. He's going to rescue Alek, no matter what he has to do.]

[The Pain is here. The Pain is not happy.]

[The Pain is ready.]



((for actuallyhornets , donttripwire , old_gunslinger , a_sign_of_rain  and hall_patrol ))

Comments

[a-sign-of-rain.livejournal.com]

[The Sorrow returns from his supernatural reconnaissance, drifting quickly through a wall.] Mostly tripwires, it seems, rigged to detonate flash bombs upon the ceiling - there's a large cluster over the doorway to the room, and just over the, er... Alek, as well.

[actuallyhornets.livejournal.com]

Understood. Ocelot, be ready. Sorrow, go follow Viper unseen and be ready to knock him out if it looks like he's going to start a fight.

[a-sign-of-rain.livejournal.com]

Understood. [Off he goes!]

[old-gunslinger.livejournal.com]

[Spins his revolver, once.]

I'm always ready.

[Is on the move.]

[actuallyhornets.livejournal.com]

Right. Let's start this.

[Five minutes. The Pain watches his allies move out, takes a deep breath, and sends his hornets to rest on the tripwires. He pulls out his radio and dials Alek's number.]

Viper? I'm here. Show me Alek is alive and I'll come to your fight.

[donttripwire.livejournal.com]

Alive? Fair enough.

[He rips at the tape over Alek's mouth and holds up the radio.]

Don't say anything you'll regret.

[hall-patrol.livejournal.com]

[He doesn't know that Sorrow has already investigated the area, so it seems like a useful thing to say...]

/Trip wires, all over./

[hall-patrol.livejournal.com]

[He flinches at the sound of the bombs detonating, but sighs mentally in relief when he doesn't find himself paralyzed, indicating that his wires are still secure.]

[old-gunslinger.livejournal.com]

[He slips in unseen among the general commotion and spots the target with relative ease. Hard not to, suspended from a chain like that.

He doesn't approach straight out, but assesses the tripwire set-up. It seems that touching the target-- Alek-- when even one of those remains will turn this entire room into a light show. And of course, he doesn't exactly have access to a ladder...

Ocelot runs a thumb over his lips. Really, why bother being a good sport about this?

He sidles close to the first of the wires and presses X.]

[hall-patrol.livejournal.com]

[He hears footsteps approaching... but they don't seem to belong to Pain or Viper or anyone else he recognizes. And the person hasn't spoken to him so he's not sure whether this person has good or bad intentions.]

[But since there really isn't anything he can do about it, he just waits, plotting a possible escape attempt if let he's taken down from the hook.]

[old-gunslinger.livejournal.com]

[One down. He moves to the next one.

The third one brings him close enough to whisper in Alek's ear. He uses Russian, naturally.]

/Sunny is safe with Natalia. We're here to extract you. Don't move./

[Two more wires...]

[hall-patrol.livejournal.com]

[He relaxes as much as he can in his current position, incredibly relieved to hear that Sunny's safe. He's fairly certain only an ally would tell him that, so he decides he might as well cooperate with whoever this is.

[He nods to show his understanding.]

[old-gunslinger.livejournal.com]

[Good.

The next two wires finished, he starts to relax, but as he wipes a bit of sweat from his forehead he notices a final wire he'd overlooked before, strung to an entire second cluster of bombs. Maybe nonlethal, but he can't risk setting them off.

He moves over to it and crouches down. He presses X, but nothing happens.

...

This is a cutscene, isn't it.]

[actuallyhornets.livejournal.com]

[While he waits for Viper to snap out of it, he quickly goes through his pockets, removing a gun and a knife and placing them far out of reach. He quickly disarms himself, not wanting to be accidentally shot either, and takes off his hornet bag. He doesn't want the queens inside injured during the fight.]

[Bronze knuckles with sharpened points are on. If he needs a knife, he can get one out.]

[Viper will have his fight.]

[donttripwire.livejournal.com]

[He's unaware of his surroundings at first, sucking in air and grasping at his lost bearings. His next instinct is to get on his feet and grab his gun, but it's no where to be found. He's concerned, but moves to his knife and finds that he's been completely disarmed. He's a little more than concerned.

Then he notices Pain.]

...It's about time.

[old-gunslinger.livejournal.com]

[Ocelot looks up as he's nearly out the door with Alek. It seems they're getting out of here in the nick of time-- he doesn't want the spare headache.

He meets Pain's gaze and grants him a casual salute, letting him see that the target's safe in his possession.

Time to leave his uncle to finish what he has to do.]

[actuallyhornets.livejournal.com]

Sorry. I have no patience for games, you see.

[He moves into a combat stance, nodding to Ocelot; he knows that Alek is in good hands.]

If you had just asked me for a revenge duel, I would have come on my own. And you'll have to excuse my comrades; I rather doubted your trustworthyness after the kidnapping and the collaberation with the torturous murderer and decided to take things into my own hands.

[His fists clench. He finds himself looking forward to blood on his hands. He gestures to Viper.]

Now, let's fight. I need to be home in time for dinner, after all.

[donttripwire.livejournal.com]

You slaughtered my teammate and his partners. How was I to know you would be honorable? And I ally with whoever can help me, regardless of past sins.

...I'm afraid your lover will have to start without you.

[He throws the first punch!]

[actuallyhornets.livejournal.com]

He slaughtered my teammate and desecrated her body; what was I supposed to do, let him kill again? I don't understand how Slasher Hawk can work with either of you.

Yes, it does take a long time to wash out blood.

[Pain spins around the arm and elbows Viper in the face.]

[compulsive-owl.livejournal.com]

[Yeah, he knows Viper told him to go away and leave him be, it just wasn't in Owl to leave that man alone for long periods of time. Plus, what chance did he have if Pain had friends and what not.

Where would they be anyway? He curses himself in his mind, why didn't he bring Hawk. What if they decided to come out of nowhere, What if-- Hornets. He hated those insects more than anything, and wouldn't think twice about crushing every single nest in th-- What was that smell?

Osan knew this smell, and she knew it well. He followed the smell down the hall until he reached a door.

Curiouser and curiouser.

Opening it he sees what loo--] Viper?

[donttripwire.livejournal.com]

[He knows he can't be seen, but fades in behind Owl anyway.


It wasn't supposed to happen like this.]

[compulsive-owl.livejournal.com]

[Without concentration his dolls fall just like gravity had wanted them too. He has to find a way to put viper out! After moments of staring he finally found out how to put him out.

Why the hell would you set someone on fire?!

He's afraid to touch him, to move his body. He doesn't know what to actually do, he's never had to deal with burnt bodies that were actual humans. The only thing he had to deal with was Osan's burnt body. Owl sat near Viper's body, wanting to scold him some how-- Even if Viper was the leaser and he was just a subordinate.]

Go by yourself, you'll be fine.. Just fine, Viper.

[donttripwire.livejournal.com]

...

I'm sorry.

:D Calling 143.30~

[compulsive-owl.livejournal.com]

[He can't even hear the faintest squeak from Viper.

Well, Owl decides that it's time to tell the rest of the unit... Meaning it was time to tell Hawk.]

Hawk?

[notayaoifanboy.livejournal.com]

Hawk here. What is it that you need, Owl?