Summary:Laynia calls on Lexi to help her find the Hunter and arrangements made for Okhotnik to meet the Black Widow. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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Sadly, Laynia has no means of contacting Hunter - and she really needs to in the wake of her recent meeting with Black Widow. She has no address, no contact number, no email address - the woman is paranoid enough to not only lack a cyber footprint, she probably generates a negative footprint and wipes other people's stuff out too!
BUT — there's hope. Laynia DOES have the digits and such for another person who /does/ have the means to reach out to Hunter, and so Laynia finds herself sending a text to Lexi Haze.
Lexi is DS, can we meet?
Is very important.
Need to talk to our mutual friend.
Meet at alley behind tenement next to soup kitchen I work at?
OK. 20m come sthe response. And about that time later, Lexi saunters into the alleyway in question, a bit warily as she looks around. The mutant is still not really dressed for fall per say, having a loose athletic shirt over a pleated tennis skirt, though she's wearing her customary climbing styled athletic shoes and fingerless gloves, her silvery hair spilling donw her back as she halts in the alley.
Laynia replies Da, 20 minutes and then goes back downstairs from the second floor, signs out for the night, and finds a comfortable spot to wait out of direct line of sight from the street. When she hears Lexi's approach, Laynia leans forward just enough to show her face a moment, flashes a smile, then goes back to cover until the season inappropriately attired mutant joins her.
"Thank you for coming, Lexi." The Russian expat says with a smile. "Have bad news about possible event here today or soon and need to speak with Hunter to warn her, and to see if she will meet with a friend of mine. A friend of /ours/ possibly, though not in mafia sense." She looks to the other girl, and nods. "So…can arrange meeting so I can seek to arrange /second/ meeting?"
The mauve mutant purses her lips as she thinks. "I can set up a meetin', but it might take a lil' bit for her ta get there." she decides after a moment. If only she actually carried a burner phone or something that was on! "C'mon…this way." And she'll lead Laynia towards the site, talking as they go. "So. Is this a bad thing event that I need ta know about an' stuff? Because I really shoud know about bad things. It's good ta know things." And Hunter never really tells her bad things unless she pries it out of the girl.
"Is important, da, but not -emergency-, not yet." Laynia says with a smile. One thing Lexi would surely note is that Laynia's cut her hair, no longer the waist length tresses - nope - now she's wearing a pixie cut, probably shaves a bunch of time off her morning ablutions! She's also wearing a tie-die t-shirt and simple jeans. Looks really comfy and doesn't seem bothered by the mid-40's weather outside either.
As they walk, she keeps a sharp eye out, watching their surroundings in a familiar way - Hunter does much the same, and then some.
"Mmm…do you know about the Razors? If so, they are the issue…potentially soon."
Lexi frowns, narrowing golden eyes as she considers. "I know of 'em, yeah. Kinda the boogiemen around here." she admits. She's never seen one, after all…she just knows Hunter is constantly paranoid they're coming to find her. "Nice hairdo, by the way. Needed a change?"
"So, a friend of mine, one who I have on many occasions trusted with my life shared with me some intel that they are planning something here in the near future, or someone is, still, the signs support it likely that it is them." Laynia does not go into the signs, but she clearly believes very strongly in what she's saying. A smile at the hair comment. "Oh, da! I lose like seven pounds with one haircut!" Which is a lot of hair, but considering how thick and long it was? Believable.
Hands clasped behind her as they walk, Laynia smiles. "How have yo been, Lexi Haze?"
"Mmm, must be nice…" Lexi says thoughfully, a bit envious. "I can't cut mine or do much with it." She tilts her head and shrugs. "Eh, I'm always good. Mostly. Nothin' too earthshatterin' ta bring up, anyway, just day ta day stuff, y'know?" She glances over at Laynia. "So this friend of yours just knows they're gonna be in New York? Or, like, Mutant Town specifically?"
"Well, we are who we are, yes?" Laynia seems unperturbed by this fact. "I cannot do the things you do, your agility and balance, your tendrils. I have oft wondered what more physical powers would be like, mine are mostly mental, though the constructs are real and physical enough, the effort is purely mental." A pause. "Well, mental and based on stamina, so there is a physical component as well."
Laynia sighs very faintly at the question. "Mutant Town, information is very specific."
"Yeah, but ya don't gotta down five pizzas in a meal ta keep up with yer metabolism either." Lexi notes wryly, rummaging in a pocket to get out a roll of duct tape, then breaks off a pair of pieces, forming a cross on the wall as she sticks it in place with a tendril sprouting from her arm. Easy to view that high! hard for most people to easily get it that high on the building, of course.
"Well. That sucks." Lexi says with a frown, then a shrug. "But if they were gonna show up here either way, at least we know they're comin' now."
With the signal placed, it takes a while. But eventually a familiar figure melts out of the darkness to just barely be visible in scraps of light, amber-backglow of green eyes visible. "What?"
Yeah. Hunter is really not one much for words. It's like they all cost money or something. Precious treasure, parcelled out sparingly if at all.
"Well, no, that I do not need to do. Thankfully. On the other hand - your need gives you the means to do so and not end up the size of a hillock." See? There's a bright side, kind of. Laynia is very active, that said, she has to watch what she ingests be it food or drink. She's not old of course, not /really/, but she's not a teenager anymore either.
"Da, is better to know." The Darkstar agrees.
And then her heart skips a couple beats as Hunter arrives with no fanfare and a lot of stealth. She moves a step closer, but does not crowd the former soldier. "Hunter, we have credible intel that the Razors are coming soon, possibly tonight. I would like you to meet my source, she is someone who has saved my life many times, she can absolutely be trusted and has much to offer."
Wordier, but just as 'to the point'.
Lexi's pointed ears perk a bit right before Hunter makes herself known as she turns to face her. "Comin' here. Ta Mutant Town." the younger mutant clarifies, in case it isn't clear. She looks between the two, uncertain how much Hunter is going to trust Laynia.
The worn and weary homeless woman grits her teeth, the muscles of her jaw bunching up. Her eyes positively blaze as she looks at Laynia for several long moments. Then she turns to Lexi.
"Everything ready?" Hunter asks. She has been worried about this for months, and trying to do everything she could to prepare. Even still, she is afraid for her people. Given what little she knows about these bastards, they are incredibly dangerous, and her people will be in big trouble.
After her answer, Hunter turns and eyes Laynia again. "This one from kitchen?" she asks, pointedly. Because Hunter is always watching, and the Pride tells her everything. It's likely no shock she knows, but she's pretty damned bald about it. And she doesn't sound very trusting, despite Laynia's assurances.
Trust issues? Paranoid Hunter? Nah. Couldn't be.
A faint smile to Lexi, and then Laynia focuses entirely on Okhotnik as she speaks. As Laynia is not in on the readiness prep going on she will assume that's one for Lexi, but the question to her she answers swiftly. "Da, Okhotnik..the very one. Believe me, she is VERY good at what she does. She is the one who trained me to fight, she trained me in many things when I was younger girl, she also taught me the value of loyalty. Loyalty to cause, and more importantly loyalty to people. I know you do not yet know me very well, but my friend has saved my life on innumerable occasions, never has she betrayed my trust, always has she been there when needed."
She meets that baleful green gaze unflinchingly, no hesitation, no scent to betray doubt or hesitation. "Meet with her. Please. She can help."
"Uh…well, people know where to shelter an' they've got supplies an' power. For several days with this weather. Blankets. Havin' gotten heaters, but there's burnables an' cans for fires." Lexi says after a moment, frowning slightly. "Depends if th' Razor guys know about th' tunnels an' how to get around in 'em." She pauses after a moment, looking at Laynia, then back to Hunter, filing away that name. Okhotnik? Russian, right. Hunter. She could totally shorten that down though. Better than Hunter. Hmmm, let's see. Ok seems too informal, Nik sounds like she's a Eastern European guy…
…Hottie. Yes. Hottie will do.
Hunter frowns bitterly, jaw still bunching up. "Medical supplies? Clinic?" she asks Lexi tightly. She doesn't ask about weapons. Weapons are her job. And if it comes to their use, her people will be at a horrible disadvantage. They will die by the scores.
Staring fiercely at Laynia, one hand grasping at her side like she wants to punch or throttle the woman, Hunter growls. "You want her to die? Involve her, they may kill her too." In truth, she could care less about this other woman, this stranger. But … she is loathe to actually meet anyone. She knows she herself will be a prime target. And while she is likely to survive it all, others in close proximity will be far less lucky.
"I have med packs an' such, enough to deal with most injuries, an' first aid. I don't got a doctor or somethin' ta make it a full clinic, but there's manuals for what ta do." Lexi says with a frown. "It's harder ta get th' hard stuff an' not risk someone comin' lookin' for it, ta get it back or ta steal it."
The mutant girl rests her hands on her hips. "An' this woman already knows what's goin' on an' warned ya. Warned us. Worth at least meetin' with her ta see what else she knows, right?"
"Meeting with my friend is a good thing, Okhotnik…Hunter." Laynia states, one does not show hesitation to a predator, especially when they're angry - that is weakness and weakness means prey. Nope. "She has been an active field agent since the Cold War, she trained me in black ops, hand to hand, pistol, and rifle. She trained me in spycraft, and she is my friend, the closest thing I have to family in this world…and she is here to help. Help me, help US defend the Pride's lands, to do whatever she can and we can to stop these…Razors…" She was CLEARLY thinking something fouler. "…you would be a fool not to at least hear her out, da? We all would. This is not peace, this is war - and war means you use the resources you have, da? Well, she is a VERY valuable resource, my friend."
Hunter turns her gaze away, jaw still bunching up. "Rather ship them all away than let this happen." She would rather die than let her own people get hurt. She hates this with a seething passion, and that much is obvious.
To Lexi, Hunter just nods. "Take arrowhead to clinic, give to man at desk. Then warn Weather."
To Laynia, after a long and painful pause, Diya nods. "Still stupid risky." But she will meet with the woman. Or die trying, one supposes.
Lexi frowns, tilting her head. "But where should I meet up with ya after that?" the mutant notes, a bit stubbornly. "Yer not doin' this without me there ta help, ya know." Very matter of fact! "And ya know I CAN help…an' yer gonna need all ya can get!"
Laynia /does/ understand, she hates that this sort of thing -will- have casualties unless something miraculous occurs, unlikely though. She's rather nobody had to pay the price save the bad guys, but that's just not how things work. The world is a harsh place sometimes and they all bear the scars to prove it so.
"Can't be any other way, I know you do not know her, but you know me…and I swear to you I would take a bullet to the head for her, and would not hesitate. My friend is worth it, you'll not regret this, not meeting with HER." Relieved, she nods. "We need faster means to reach you, Okhotnik."
No, she is not even thinking of the Hunter Signal! That's so not cool.
Hunter stares at Lexi with intent. "Not me." she says, grinding her teeth. "Meet her." She points at Laynia. "Guide her, other, south entrance, alleyway. Twenty-one-hundred."
Then Hunter rounds on Laynia. "Come here, speak. I come." Yep. That's all she's going to say. And yes, it's as if she's implying she's some kind of impossible superhero, that she'll hear any words spoken to her anywhere in Mutant Town.
That cannot possibly be true. Can it?
Lexi's ears tilt back slightly, as she folds her arms, then throws them up. "Meet who!? Wait, I'm meeting Laynia an' friend taking them…um…" She gets a frustrated look. "Or are we just waitin' for ya ta stalk up and appear out of nowhere like usual?"
"I will meet with my friend, you and I, Lexi, will lead her to the rendezvous point Hunter mentioned by 9PM, twenty-one hundred hours." Laynia thinks she got that right, and then she's rounded upon. Laynia does not flinch. She wants to, especially with how intense Hunter's aura of dread must be. "If I come here and speak, you'll hear it." Not really knowing how she'd do it, Laynia has known people with extraordinary senses, it is possible her hearing is that acute. If so…what a CURSE.
Hunter touches her chest briefly, looking at Lexi. "Will be there." She nods to Laynia, looking intently at her for a few moments. Then she nods again at both of them, and melts back into the darkness. Very acute hearing might hear the scuff of a boot or the grind of grit beneath a sole. And she is gone.
Hunter may not fly, but apparently she can jump the next best thing.
"…goddammit I hate it when she does that." Lexi mutters, then huffs out. "Fine. so I'm going with you to meet yer friend then our leader, with her 'Hottie Powers'" she air quotes, "will know we're there and will just show up. Right." She mmphs. "Fine, I'm gonna go get my ducks in a row, text me when ya got yer friend an' I'll come by to escrot ya in."
Laynia just shakes her head at Hunter's hidden leap exit, and then looks to Lexi. "Is very disconcerting, yes?" She shrugs. "I will reach out to my friend, we will come here and meet with you and then go to the rendezvous." She smiles then, and rather than walk back to her car, she creates a portal behind herself, and with a jaunty wink steps back into living darkness. If Lexi looks closely she might see a second Darkstar, only made of shadow, one who's hair is still long before Laynia enter she rift fully and it collapses into a point, and a wisp of dark flutters up, and fades away.