The Mechanic and the Maestro

Cas and Milo Floor, offspring of a Double Agent and a vacuum repairman. Mutants. (Morally grey muses rp blog, semi selective, side blog to rocklandjbrin)

[firejugglinghobo]

"Boop." A girl's voice paired with the feeling of a finger poking Dustfinger's cheek... Except the source of either remained to be seen. Silence hung in the air for a few moments. The world seemed to return to how it had been before. As though there had been no voice. No contact made. And then, what would be a few steps back... "Oh. That's weird... That's very weird. What is up with you?" Alright, now that tone was just uncalled for. But still, there was no one in sight. - doubleofloor

Dustfinger started at the voice coming from somewhere a few paces to his left. His eyes darted around him quickly, searching for the source but finding none.

He was on his feet in a moment, old paranoias that had been untouched for years leaping to the surface in a matter of seconds.

"What are you?"

He kept his words short and curt, mindful of how unwise it is to speak too freely in the presence of some fae folk.

@doubleofloor

[doubleofloor]

What was she? Intriguing question. Was that phrasing related to the distance? Did he assume the source of the prodding was not simply a mutant, a variant of a human, but a being of another kind?

The source contemplated the question, allowing the silence to linger...

"What are you?" She returned finally, deciding to think over her answer further. To ponder whether retaining the mystery could be useful. "You, with the warmth that calls for you in the distance?" Well, that was more lyrical than how she usually spoke. It was just... the most apt description she could give.

[thenexusofsouls]

"We know what you are." A voice speaks into the summer night's air. The streets are quiet, outside of Wade. The night is dark, but not dark enough to hide the figure speaking... And yet the girl is hidden all the same. "We've seen you. We've noticed the pattern." - doubleofloor

@doubleofloor

"Oh really, now?" Wade asked, looking in the direction he'd heard the voice. "Exactly what pattern have you noticed? Me buyin' a paper every Monday? Or takin' my truck through the car wash every Tuesday? Maybe it was uh... the beer I buy on Fridays, was that it?" Was he calling their bluff? Maybe. But if they really had noticed a pattern for something else, well then he had a problem he needed to take care of somehow, didn't he...?

[thenexusofsouls]

Wade's expression softened a bit hearing that. So one of the people they wanted to bust out of prison was... their mom. He sympathized, he really did, but... sometimes people really didn't know their relatives and loved ones as well as they thought they did. How many times had he seen people so sure that their loved one was innocent, only to find out at trial that there was a tone of irrefutable evidence to the contrary. He was sure they believed in their mother's innocence, but as to whether Wade thought she should be let out or not... that was another story.

Four years, though. That was a long time to be wrongly imprisoned, if that's really what was going on here. He'd heard of people being incarcerated for ten, even twenty years, and then their conviction was overturned, so... it was possible. It wasn't like the justice system was infallible. He couldn't help the sympathy he was starting to feel "Okay," he said, accepting their explanation for now.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," Wade replied. "I'm still learnin' what I can do and how to do it. I've only been like this for a few months." He wanted them to understand that, just in case they were already jumping to the misguided conclusion that he was Dracula incarnate or some nonsense.

Wade chuckled. "No uh..." He'd been joking, of course, but... then again, not really. "I never feed from children," he said, his tone turning a bit more serious. "That's all I meant." Call it a moral hang-up, a conflict of conscience, or whatever else, but the very idea of feeding from a kid made Wade feel kindof sick.

"Okay..." he said again, this time accepting that at least they understood the danger and risks involved. "So you don't expect t to be easy and if we're caught, we're gonna have to defend ourselves. What else you got? Plan-wise? Or is that why you came to me? To put together a plan to do this?" Wade wanted to have all information at his disposal ahead of time so that he could avoid another unpredictable and disastrous situation like the one that cost him his entire team.

[doubleofloor]

Good. He seemed to accept their reasoning.

He was still learning what he could do, and how to do it? Did that mean he couldn't use his abilities reliably? Hold up- "A few months?" Cas released a dramatic sigh, "Maestro, no first hand accounts of 1400's Romania for us." A snap of the fingers could be heard from Wade's other side, and Cas snorted, easily visualizing her brother's swinging arm in a near silent oh shucks. "But really, are you going to be able to do your thing in the thick of it?"

So he was making a moral choice, when it came to his diet. "Oh. I thought maybe it was like an allergen amongst the snack bar. Cool." She muttered nonchalantly.

Okay? Cas let her armour slip for the briefest of moments, eyes lighting up even if her features maintained their cool neutrality. Was that his way of saying he was in? "We're- well, we're still working on the broader plan." Should she tell him what they had so far? What if he was only inquiring so he could more easily rat them out to the cops? If he ratted them out, they could do the same to him... He wouldn't want to risk that, would he? They'd have to trust him to some extent, if they were really going to work together. "I'll go into what we have so far, once you confirm you're backing us on this. You accept the deal?" She held her hand out to shake his, firm features out of place on someone so young.

[doubleofloor]

"... Alright, I see now why that might've been an alarming approach. We just wanted to impress you, and make an example of our abilities." Was that... an apologetic tone? The closest Cas had gotten to one in a while.

"Fair point. We'd like to break someone Shield put away, out of jail. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated. We can also pay you, if that helps."

Milo staggered up beside Cas, to his relief. The young man towered over his sister. His arm hung in easy reach by his side, in case she needed to take it. Finally, his attention moved back to Ava.

[etherealstarr]

A job against SHIELD. That definitely made her hair stand on end even more. She'd just gotten off their radar, and this would put her right back on it again. "Name. What are they in for? And why do you need to get them out?" She needed more info than that before she'd agree to a job that easily. As far as she was concerned, they could be setting her up. "Once you tell me that, I can give you my price."

[doubleofloor]

Name. It was likely a risk, telling her. Maybe she'd refuse, and go behind their back, warn the jail of their plan. Maybe security would be ramped up. But maybe the risk was worth it, if it meant her help.

Nimble fingers dancing upon piano keys. Glimmering brown eyes and a melodic voice filling the air, alongside Milo's.

"Marya... Floor. She was wrongly accused of disappearing someone." Cas's voice was bitter, traced with anger not directed at Ava, but at the system. At the follow up question, she licked and bit at her lower lip, eyes behind glass lenses, darting to the countertop in the distance as she considered her response. Finally, she just swallowed and looked back to Ava. A rare flicker of vulnerability, "We want her back home."

Milo nodded, his own eyes heavy with a sadness carried over years. He reached over to give Cas's shoulder a squeeze.

[doubleofloor]

"Okay, but can I make a counter proposal? Maybe I thought, despite being pissed, you'd be smart enough to think it through when an opportunity lands at your feet." Cas argued. "And we're not just lucky, we assessed whether you appeared armed before making our presence known."

She turned to her brother, as he coughed. "Really lodged in there, hey?" He continued, and rubbed at one eye while he cast her an agitated look with the other. Taking the unrestrained opportunity, he started dusting himself off between coughs, and made his way back towards Cas while he had a chance.

[etherealstarr]

"There are better ways to bring a proposal than breaking into my home." Ava took pride on keeping a low profile, taking every step she could think of to not be followed. But here they were, and their presence only ramped her paranoia up to twelve. Just when she was starting to feel at home too. "Not very well, I think. My entire body's a weapon, with a little creative thought. Now get to your point before I put something in one of you where it doesn't belong."

[doubleofloor]

"... Alright, I see now why that might've been an alarming approach. We just wanted to impress you, and make an example of our abilities." Was that... an apologetic tone? The closest Cas had gotten to one in a while.

"Fair point. We'd like to break someone Shield put away, out of jail. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated. We can also pay you, if that helps."

Milo staggered up beside Cas, to his relief. The young man towered over his sister. His arm hung in easy reach by his side, in case she needed to take it. Finally, his attention moved back to Ava.

[doubleofloor]

"And I'm impatient. It's called laying the ground work, Starry Night- Fuc-!" She swore as flour encapsulated the room. That did it. Cas's eyes squeezed shut and she was back in plain sight, despite only catching a light dusting. Ava would be able to see her across the counter. She'd be able to see her short stature, and a mop of dark brown hair with newly brown eyes. Her feet were back peddling rapidly, and just her luck, she tripped over a piece of furniture, ass smacking the floor.

Meanwhile, another figure had been revealed in the freshly fallen flour-snow. Still otherwise invisible, Milo had lunged to stop Ava, hand attempting to grab her wrist, and he'd caught the brunt of the flour. The powder coated his clothes, appearing to hover in the air and move about. He was coughing and spluttering, and blindly trying to get away from Ava. Dust swirled in the air around them.

Cas moved to stand, bringing her turtleneck over her nose. She was clearly taken off guard. Maybe they'd gotten more than they'd bargained for, with this woman. She didn't seem impressed by their tricks.

"So I take it you're not interested in revenge." She attempted, voice muffled through the fabric of her shirt and Milo's spluttering. Her eyes flickered towards her brother, but she otherwise masked her care for him. Care made for a target.

[etherealstarr]

"Then you're very bad at it. If you'd laid the groundwork, you wouldn't be stupid enough to barge into the home of an assassin, thinking you can arrange a makeshift tea party and play nice, and not expect me to be pissed off about it. You're both lucky I didn't have a gun on my belt." Ava retreated to one corner of the room, her hand blindly reaching for a knife out of the drawer, so that she could keep both eyes on them. "Or maybe you are that stupid. Bully for me, then."

[doubleofloor]

"Okay, but can I make a counter proposal? Maybe I thought, despite being pissed, you'd be smart enough to think it through when an opportunity lands at your feet." Cas argued. "And we're not just lucky, we assessed whether you appeared armed before making our presence known."

She turned to her brother, as he coughed. "Really lodged in there, hey?" He continued, and rubbed at one eye while he cast her an agitated look with the other. Taking the unrestrained opportunity, he started dusting himself off between coughs, and made his way back towards Cas while he had a chance.

[doubleofloor]

I suppose. That was an interesting response. Was the Guardians title not an official one? Or was it that she didn't feel the title aligned with her anymore? "Huh. Cassidy double-o Floor. I go by Cass." The young teen replied moodily.

While she did recognize Mantis from the news, she didn't really know anything about her otherwise. It did seem she had an ability of some kind, though, if Cas's instincts were correct. She resisted the urge to reach out and test the theory. It would be fascinating to see if her own ability truly worked on an alien rather than just Earthlings.

"So... you fought the grape?"

[mantcdea]

Mantis blinked, the young girl's words barely registering in her mind at first.

"The... The grape?" Head tilted almost comically, before her eyes widened. "Oh! Oh, you mean... Right. Yes, we fought him. Twice. Not the same version of him, but–" Mantis cut herself off, a hand coming up to scratch idly at her chin. The mere thought of holding Thanos' mind in her hands made her skin crawl.

"Are you lost, Cass? I'm aware that younger Terrans are supposed to be in school at the moment. Do you not like it?"

[doubleofloor]

Cas raised a brow, lips parting to say Yeah, you know. The purple grape. Thunk, Thanos, whatever his name is. But the woman connected the dots first. She knew what his name was, she just didn't respect him enough to acknowledge it. Her avoidance couldn't possibly be tied to that particular situation being terrifying to linger on. She was dealing with everything fine.

Her features furrowed as the woman went on to acknowledge two different versions of the guy. "What, he has a twin or something?" Because boy she sure hoped there weren't Thanos clones zooming around out there.

Lost. "No." She could picture their balcony. Smell the metallic tang of tools and their mama's cooking. "I'm going home." She just had to figure out the best way to get there. At least, under the assumption no one else had taken over their home in the five years they'd been away. And she didn't have her keys, either... She just needed to see it, okay? She could sort out the next steps later.

As for whether she liked school? The teen scoffed. "It's boring, and the people largely suck." She had a few friends, and Milo. That much was nice. So was shop class... and choir, when she used to go. Otherwise? Nah.

[thenexusofsouls]

"We know what you are." A voice speaks into the summer night's air. The streets are quiet, outside of Wade. The night is dark, but not dark enough to hide the figure speaking... And yet the girl is hidden all the same. "We've seen you. We've noticed the pattern." - doubleofloor

@doubleofloor

"Oh really, now?" Wade asked, looking in the direction he'd heard the voice. "Exactly what pattern have you noticed? Me buyin' a paper every Monday? Or takin' my truck through the car wash every Tuesday? Maybe it was uh... the beer I buy on Fridays, was that it?" Was he calling their bluff? Maybe. But if they really had noticed a pattern for something else, well then he had a problem he needed to take care of somehow, didn't he...?

[thenexusofsouls]

"Unjustly? How do you know that? Just about any inmate's gonna say they're innocent," Wade said. Now, if someone was unjustly imprisoned, he felt badly for them, but that needed to go through proper channels. "That's what appeals and petitions for new trials are for," he said. He didn't get to be a licensed bounty hunter by breaking laws all the time, after all. "You want me to help you with a jail break, you gotta give me more of a reason than the word of the inmate."

Abilities? He didn't really use them, but he supposed he had some? "Well if you're thinkin' I can turn into a bat like in the movies, I'm sorry to tell you, I can't," he started, "but I do have superhuman speed and strength, when I care to use them. And I can see fine in complete darkness." He not only thought about things he'd actually done himself, but things he'd seen Mae do, things she'd taught him how to control before they parted ways. "I can also read minds if I can get close enough to someone to touch 'em. But I really don't like doin' that stuff, so I usually don't." Not only was that very weird for him, but he just felt badly about it, like it was some gross invasion of privacy of another person. He remembered how creeped out he'd felt when Mae had done it to him back when he was still human. "And I heal fast. Really fast. Like... poppin' out a bullet and leavin' no bullet hole or scar behind after just a few minutes fast." He'd seen Mae do that right up close, firsthand. "I guess that's about it."

Wade was a bit surprised when a girl came into view, only because he hadn't really expected his demand that she reveal herself to actually work. "Oh, there you are," he said with a slight air of playfulness. "Don't worry, you're not my type," he then replied to her comment about donating blood. He never took blood from children. "That's uh... That's a pretty neat trick, turnin' yourself invisible. If you can do all that, what d'you need my help for?" he wondered.

[doubleofloor]

"Because she's not just an inmate, she's our Mom." Cas snapped, anger flaring in her features. "And she wouldn't have done what she was accused of." She shook her head as Wade continued, scoffing. "Appeals take ages. She's been in there for years as it is."

Unfortunate. A bat might have been useful in terms of stealth and sneaking into small spaces. Speed and strength could be of benefit all the same. Night vision definitely piqued her interest. She could picture them cutting the power somehow. Wade wouldn't face the same navigation issues as others, and maybe between she and Milo they could turn him invisible alongside them, or at least translucent... Mind reading. Hmm. She supposed that could be helpful if there was some kind of passcode involved, unless he could only read active thoughts opposed to searching someone's mind for information. Healing factor was definitely an advantage, if things got out of hand.

"Quite the variety." She stated. A shrug met his attempt at playfulness, and a quirk of the brow followed, "What, can you only drink type O or something?" Cas blinked, as if the answer was obvious. "I'm not ignorant enough to believe invisibility is all we'd need. Not to have a significant chance of success, at least. They know mutants exist. If they bump into us, we can't assume they'd brush it off."

[thenexusofsouls]

"We know what you are." A voice speaks into the summer night's air. The streets are quiet, outside of Wade. The night is dark, but not dark enough to hide the figure speaking... And yet the girl is hidden all the same. "We've seen you. We've noticed the pattern." - doubleofloor

@doubleofloor

"Oh really, now?" Wade asked, looking in the direction he'd heard the voice. "Exactly what pattern have you noticed? Me buyin' a paper every Monday? Or takin' my truck through the car wash every Tuesday? Maybe it was uh... the beer I buy on Fridays, was that it?" Was he calling their bluff? Maybe. But if they really had noticed a pattern for something else, well then he had a problem he needed to take care of somehow, didn't he...?

[thenexusofsouls]

Okay, so much for that, Wade thought with a sigh as he crossed his arms. Who the hell dd this person think they were anyway? But if they didn't want money, what did they want? As they began asking about his connections to the legal system and about a specific prison, he really started to wonder what they were after.

"It's a prison," he said with a shrug. "What're prisons like? Prisoners, guards, crappy meals. It's like any other prison. I don't really know it that well. Never been behind bars myself." And thank god for that. "It's a minimum security facility, from what I hear. Why do you wanna know, anyway?"

He saw the pebble and heard the change in direction of the sound of the person's voice, but he couldn't see them. That made Wade a bit nervous. "Hey listen, you wanna know any more about me, you gotta have the guts and decency to show yourself first," he said, laying it out there on the table. "Unless you're the invisible man, make with the introductions," he prompted.

[doubleofloor]

Minimum security. That was something, at least. What wasn't particularly helpful was his lack of detailed knowledge. Unless he was withholding information. As for why? She hesitated a moment, but if he shared their secret, they could share his.

Besides, she fully believed; "There are two people who were put behind bars unjustly. One in Seagate. I want her out, to start. What abilities do you have, outside of a high tolerance for iron?"

The invisible man? Could he see Milo somehow? Or was that a reference? She leaned into the second theory, given the lack of proof to suggest otherwise. Revealing herself felt like a trap. Why did he care to see her? What good would that do, outside of giving him a face to describe to police, or even Shield? She supposed Milo was still a hidden ace up her sleeve if things went awry. And if they were going to work together, Wade would likely see her at some point.

"I don't intend to donate any blood tonight, so you try and you'll pay for it." Well, if she was going to reveal herself...

Cas willed herself to turn visible. She was a short teenager with a mop of dark brown hair, donning a black turtle neck, an oversized green, patterned sweater, and rectangular glasses. She turned towards Wade, head tilted, and behind said glasses, unnervingly pale, near translucent irises met his gaze. And then she blinked, and her eyes were brown.

[doubleofloor]

Well, that wasn't quite the response they were hoping for. If Ava were to listen intensely, there's the slightest sound of the pad of feet towards the kitchen, easily missed.

Odd, given the movement in that area a moment before.

"Ouch. Why the violence? We're just having a little fun. I'm trying to show you what I can do, given I know what you can." The voice is consistently on the move, now. Dipping around the kitchen, drawing a little nearer, and then back again. "I've heard you have a vendetta against Shield. Is that true? I'm not really a fan, myself."

[etherealstarr]

"Why?! You're in my home, uninvited, whispering my name and walking around like you own the place, and still haven't told me why the hell you're here!" Ava sprinted into the kitchen, ripped open a bag of flour and threw the whole thing across the room. She had to make sure this wasn't some kind of hallucination, that there was actually someone in her home. "If you think barging in here is going to make us friends, you have another thing coming."

[doubleofloor]

"And I'm impatient. It's called laying the ground work, Starry Night- Fuc-!" She swore as flour encapsulated the room. That did it. Cas's eyes squeezed shut and she was back in plain sight, despite only catching a light dusting. Ava would be able to see her across the counter. She'd be able to see her short stature, and a mop of dark brown hair with newly brown eyes. Her feet were back peddling rapidly, and just her luck, she tripped over a piece of furniture, ass smacking the floor.

Meanwhile, another figure had been revealed in the freshly fallen flour-snow. Still otherwise invisible, Milo had lunged to stop Ava, hand attempting to grab her wrist, and he'd caught the brunt of the flour. The powder coated his clothes, appearing to hover in the air and move about. He was coughing and spluttering, and blindly trying to get away from Ava. Dust swirled in the air around them.

Cas moved to stand, bringing her turtleneck over her nose. She was clearly taken off guard. Maybe they'd gotten more than they'd bargained for, with this woman. She didn't seem impressed by their tricks.

"So I take it you're not interested in revenge." She attempted, voice muffled through the fabric of her shirt and Milo's spluttering. Her eyes flickered towards her brother, but she otherwise masked her care for him. Care made for a target.

[thenexusofsouls]

"We know what you are." A voice speaks into the summer night's air. The streets are quiet, outside of Wade. The night is dark, but not dark enough to hide the figure speaking... And yet the girl is hidden all the same. "We've seen you. We've noticed the pattern." - doubleofloor

@doubleofloor

"Oh really, now?" Wade asked, looking in the direction he'd heard the voice. "Exactly what pattern have you noticed? Me buyin' a paper every Monday? Or takin' my truck through the car wash every Tuesday? Maybe it was uh... the beer I buy on Fridays, was that it?" Was he calling their bluff? Maybe. But if they really had noticed a pattern for something else, well then he had a problem he needed to take care of somehow, didn't he...?

[thenexusofsouls]

Unusual diet? Aw, shit, Wade thought. This person might actually know what's up. Usually when people - is this a person? yes? no? maybe? alright let's shelve this discussion for now - confronted him like this about knowing he was a vampire, it was for one of three reasons. One: fans of horror thinking he's cool. Two: law enforcement wanting him to stop his bullshit. Or three:

...you probably don't want that information leaked...

Wade chuckled. "Yeah. Okay," he said, wiping the stubble on his chin as he smirked. "So what's this about, you want money? You want me to pay for you to look the other way, is that it?" he guessed. Ah yes, blackmail. That third reason people bothered him about what he was. Honestly, though, it was the easiest of the three to make disappear. "Okay. I got plenty," he said, nonplussed. "Name your price."

[doubleofloor]

"Yeah, not exactly. I don't give a shi-" She swore, "about your money." There were ways to make money. They couldn't make what they were looking for. The teens knew he was a bounty hunter, but what that entailed in detail? They admittedly weren't certain, outside of what they'd found in their research. What they did know?

"To start; You have connections to the legal system. I want to know what you know about Seagate prison." They needed all the information they could gather, if they were going to go through with their plans.

The voice had shifted over to his other side yet again. A pebble was scuffed along the pavement ahead of Wade, clicking and clattering until it landed in a patch of grass.

[mantcdea]

@doubleofloor sent:

"I know it must be frustrating. You've been dealing with a lot..." "What can we do to support you?" "I'm sorry, but we can't do that, what about-" Why couldn't they just back off, and leave her alone? She didn't want to join in on family dinners. Those people weren't her family. Their parents had been stolen from them. They were behind bars, and she and Milo hadn't even seen them since that night. Not even when the siblings had been snapped back, five years having passed in their wake. She wanted to go home. She wanted to sleep in her own bed. They could look after themselves, why did they have to stay with some perfect family? "Where are you going to go?" Milo asked, rubbing his eyes in the early morning, after Cas had pulled him behind a school bannister and told him of her plans. "I don't know, I just need- If I go into class right now, I'm going to flip a desk." He snorted, sheepishly. "Yeah, don't do that again-" "It was an accident last time. Anyways. See you at lunch... probably." "Probably?" But she poked his forehead and disappeared from view. Cas's eyes were starting to sting as she got to the entrance, as she pushed the button to open the door. The secretary looked up from within the office and watched as the front door to the school seemingly opened of it's own volition... and then promptly shrugged and got back to work. A moment after she stepped outside, Cas was met with a gust of wind and her eyes pinched closed, springing back into view immediately. The teen swore under her breath and veered to the side, ducking beneath the school windows until she'd gotten far enough across school grounds to make a run for it. A dulled sense of momentary satisfaction rose up in her chest as she rounded the corner and out of sight of the school. And then she was alone. Not really, of course, one was rarely alone in New York. But she had freedom. She was lost in her thoughts for a while, walking on autopilot as her frustrations bubbled over. And then she nearly slammed into another pedestrian. Brown eyes flashed up to land on... a bug woman? She didn't really feel like talking to anyone, but something was nagging at her. She looked... Hadn't she been part of the news coverage from that day? "Are you one of those Galaxy people?"

Mantis wasn't planning on ending up on Earth that morning, but there had been a problem with the relations between Earth and other planets. The Guardians had been summoned, including former members such as Mantis herself. The reunion had taken place earlier that morning, and Mantis decided to get something sweet in order to unwind.

She had stopped by a street stall, opting for a waffle. The money was given in exchange for serotonin and a delicious scent that wafted through the morning air. Mantis devoured the waffle in less than five minutes, positively enjoying every second.

If only life could be so simple, Mantis would always rely on the use of sweets to quell her anxiety. But of course, life was so much more complicated than that. Conflict and discord escalated steadily in every single corner of the galaxy, and for every problem solved there were at least fifteen new problems emerging. The sugar rush helped her keep up.

She was chewing on the last bite when she nearly bumped into someone. The empath swallowed the waffle, an apology bubbling in her throat when the other spoke first. Admittedly, the comment made her chuckle.

"I suppose," she replied, her smile warm and friendly. "I am Mantis. What's your name?"

[doubleofloor]

I suppose. That was an interesting response. Was the Guardians title not an official one? Or was it that she didn't feel the title aligned with her anymore? "Huh. Cassidy double-o Floor. I go by Cass." The young teen replied moodily.

While she did recognize Mantis from the news, she didn't really know anything about her otherwise. It did seem she had an ability of some kind, though, if Cas's instincts were correct. She resisted the urge to reach out and test the theory. It would be fascinating to see if her own ability truly worked on an alien rather than just Earthlings.

"So... you fought the grape?"

[thenexusofsouls]

"We know what you are." A voice speaks into the summer night's air. The streets are quiet, outside of Wade. The night is dark, but not dark enough to hide the figure speaking... And yet the girl is hidden all the same. "We've seen you. We've noticed the pattern." - doubleofloor

@doubleofloor

"Oh really, now?" Wade asked, looking in the direction he'd heard the voice. "Exactly what pattern have you noticed? Me buyin' a paper every Monday? Or takin' my truck through the car wash every Tuesday? Maybe it was uh... the beer I buy on Fridays, was that it?" Was he calling their bluff? Maybe. But if they really had noticed a pattern for something else, well then he had a problem he needed to take care of somehow, didn't he...?

[doubleofloor]

"More like you being quite the night owl with an... unusual diet." The voice had moved to his other side, just out of arm's reach. There was an effort to mask the sound of footsteps on the sidewalk, though given the stillness of the night, some quiet friction could be heard by careful ear. Oddly, the sound of shoe on pavement came from either side of him.

"I'm thinking you probably don't want that information leaked."

He seemed pretty unfazed by the fact an invisible being was talking to him. Maybe he was familiar with mutants. Or maybe him being a vampire just opened him up to the concept of others who didn't quite fall into the standard.

[etherealstarr]

@doubleofloor: "Ava Starr?" Is whispered in her ear, but strangely... the person attached to it is nowhere to be seen. Stranger still, she seems to have gotten into the tower, given that a moment later a cupboard in the kitchen opens up. The voice is still beside her, though. Just out of arms reach, now. "I have a proposition for you."

The whisper in her ear made her hair stand on end; seeing no one there put her in a heightened state that had Ava phasing out of view. All fight, no flight or freeze. "If that proposition involves me phasing your brain out of your skull, I'm all ears."

[doubleofloor]

Well, that wasn't quite the response they were hoping for. If Ava were to listen intensely, there's the slightest sound of the pad of feet towards the kitchen, easily missed.

Odd, given the movement in that area a moment before.

"Ouch. Why the violence? We're just having a little fun. I'm trying to show you what I can do, given I know what you can." The voice is consistently on the move, now. Dipping around the kitchen, drawing a little nearer, and then back again. "I've heard you have a vendetta against Shield. Is that true? I'm not really a fan, myself."

[aedearly]

✎ㅤ. . .ㅤ𝑯𝑬𝑨𝑫𝑪𝑨𝑵𝑶𝑵 𝑸𝑼𝑬𝑺𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵𝑺.

₊˚⊹ ㅤa collection of character analysis/headcanon questions to learn more about your character and your partners'! writing/headcanon prompts requested by anonymous. feel free to edit these as you see fit.

[ 🖐️ ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat do their hands feel like: soft, calloused, trembling ? [ ☂️ ]ㅤ.ㅤdo they crave touch or fear it ? [ 🎐 ]ㅤ.ㅤdo they have a sound, like a song or voice, that they associate with peace ? [ 🕊️ ]ㅤ.ㅤwhen did they feel the safest ? [ 💤 ]ㅤ.ㅤhow do they sleep ? curled up, sprawled, holding onto something ? [ 🦇 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat is a fear they never talk about ? [ 🔒 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat is a secret they’ve sworn never to tell ? [ 🪢 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhen was the last time they broke a promise ? [ 🫳 ]ㅤ.ㅤwho do they feel they owe, but never paid back ? [ 💼 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat do they always carry with them ? [ 🧨 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat’s the quickest way to set them off, even if they hide it well ? [ ⛓️ ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat does guilt feel like to them ? [ 💢 ]ㅤ.ㅤwho have they never forgiven and never will ? [ 🩸 ]ㅤ.ㅤis there something or someone that, if lost, would break them ? [ 🌧️ ]ㅤ.ㅤis there a pain they refuse to heal from ? [ 🪞 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhen have they looked at their reflection and hated what they saw ? [ 📿 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat superstition or ritual do they cling to ? [ 🌊 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhen was the last time they cried ? [ 🐾 ]ㅤ.ㅤdo animals like them instinctively ? [ 🪶 ]ㅤ.ㅤhow do they laugh ? [ 🫀 ]ㅤ.ㅤwho taught them what love is ? did it hurt ? [ 💭 ]ㅤ.ㅤdo they believe they’re worthy of being loved ? [ 🎀 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat is their main love language ? [ 🔦 ]ㅤ.ㅤwho do they search for ? [ 📜 ]ㅤ.ㅤis there a story they love sharing with others ? [ 🌒 ]ㅤ.ㅤdo they have a dream or goal they have given up on ? [ 🕯️ ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat memory do they replay when they’re alone ? [ 🌪️ ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat’s the one choice they regret (not) making ? [ 🧩 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat’s a truth about themselves they refuse to admit ? [ 🍻 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat kind of drunk are they ? [ ✉️ ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat kind of letter would they write but never send ? [ 🗡️ ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat is a scar that they have but never talk about ? [ 🕸️ ]ㅤ.ㅤdo they have a favourite lie they like to hear ? [ 🪦 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat would they want on their gravestone but never admit aloud ? [ 🎱 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat kind of future do they crave, and who’s in it ? [ 🌀 ]ㅤ.ㅤdo they have a recurring dream or nightmare ? [ 🍃 ]ㅤ.ㅤdo they feel like they belong ? [ ⚓ ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat does “home” mean to them ? [ 🧭 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhere would they go if they could disappear tomorrow ?

[agentsterling]

(In 2007) A goofy, clearly adolescent voice with a faked British accent can be heard over the phone speaker, “Hello Sir, is your vacuum running?” The eruption of two children giggling can be heard in the background. (Doubleofloor)

Sterling raised an eyebrow at the voice on the other end of the line but once he processed what had been said and the childish giggles the callers failed to suppress, a mischievous smile curled the ends of his mouth.

"Oh, I'm so glad you called! Actually yes! My vacuum is running, as well as my refrigerator, my computer, and my washing machine! What do I do?" He answered cheerfully, playing along with the joke.

[doubleofloor]

Well that was more appliances than expected. "Better go catch them!" A boy's soft voice could be heard in the background. "No no, that's boring." A sharper girl's voice replied, voice muffled as her hand covered the speaker.

"But that's the punch line!" A third child objected.

The girl who'd rejected the original joke came through more clearly a moment later. "Well, you better build yourself a jet pack and the world's best vacuum to suck them all up and fly them back home!"

"... how is that better?" The objecting child laughed, while they awaited the man's response.

[agentsterling]

Continued from X

The Maestro stepped back as the papers were tossed into the air, but he wasn’t quite fast enough to miss all of them. One brushed ever so gently off his shoulder mid-movement, a disrupted ripple amidst the fall. That was something to account for in his steps now, too. Perhaps he could use the paper like a pair of skates and slide across the room towards the door, given the waxy flooring. Hm, not worth the risk of falling on his face, or the obvious give away of his location. Shame. It also seemed he’d bypassed intimidation and jumped right into aggravation. A misstep of another variety. He’d need to tune his approach.  “No one needs to get hurt. I just need information, that’s all.” He chided, carefully placing a foot between a collection of papers.

Sterling didn't lunge at the man when he saw where he was from the papers but he did reach for his radio clipped to his pocket, eyes still scanning the room for any movement of the paper. Even the slightest shift.

"We have a security breach. Seal off Intelligence Analysis. Invisible enemy." When he was done speaking into his radio he addressed the individual.

"This is the dumbest thing I've ever seen anyone do and I know Hawkeye. You broke into a secure government facility and tried to intimidate an agent for information. Fair warning, we don't intimidate easily and someone is certainly about to get hurt. Turn yourself in. You picked the absolute wrong agent on the wrong day to get out of this unscathed." Sterling was usually much more gentle than this, but the individual had approached him in such a way and on such a bad time of the year that the Agent was out for blood. He was ANGRY. So angry it's the first time in years he was considering an actual gun over ICER rounds.

@doubleofloor

[doubleofloor]

Maybe it was dumb, but this wasn't the entirety of the plan, either. The years past had left them desperate, willing to take calculated risks.

The agent was sealing off an exit, but he hadn't requested a complete lockdown of the building. Good.

Hawkeye. The Avenger? The man was insulting him, sure, but he'd brought the archer up specifically. What was his communication with a famous person supposed to do? Impress him?

Turn yourself in.

"I pulled little more than a prank. You agents sure like to jump to violence. Is that the only thing you know? You just throw someone away, the moment they don't behave how you'd like?" His voice held a bitterness, now. A long felt resentment.

The back of his foot landed softly upon the edge of one of the papers.

[agentsterling]

Quite the response. Clearly, his attempt to intimidate had worked. However, no answers had been brought forth. Stepping back towards the entrance to the office, the lights were flipped on and off. The door was closed. “I’m willing to offer a trade.” The voice murmured once more, this time the source appeared to stem from around Sterling’s desk. -The Maestro

Offer. a. trade.

Sterling, in almost an instant, went from alarmed to pissed the fuck off. Something was in here messing with him. Others had done something similar in the past, making him question his sanity when it was already so fragile to begin with most days. He bared his teeth in anger and approached his desk. Without a moment's hesitation he grabbed a stack of papers in front of him and tossed them into the air, watching the way they fluttered and landed around the room. If someone was in there he needed to gather some intel. First thing: do they have a physical form?

"You're about to be in a world of fucking hurt if you don't show yourself right now."

Agent Shepherd was right outside the office door. If he had some sort of physical form perhaps he could tap into it and see him somehow. Heat sensors, infrared, whatever he had that could help contain this potential threat. You don't try to make a trade with a SHIELD agent while hidden in their office unless you had some ulterior motive.

[doubleofloor]

 The Maestro stepped back as the papers were tossed into the air, but he wasn’t quite fast enough to miss all of them. One brushed ever so gently off his shoulder mid-movement, a disrupted ripple amidst the fall. That was something to account for in his steps now, too. Perhaps he could use the paper like a pair of skates and slide across the room towards the door, given the waxy flooring. Hm, not worth the risk of falling on his face, or the obvious give away of his location. Shame.

It also seemed he’d bypassed intimidation and jumped right into aggravation. A misstep of another variety. He’d need to tune his approach. 

“No one needs to get hurt. I just need information, that’s all.” He chided, carefully placing a foot between a collection of papers.