The Second Soldier

Sadie Brin. Mother of Rockland. Former Shield Agent. Cat lover. Mutant. Captured by Hydra and trained by the Winter Soldier. Currently in hiding. (MCU OC rp side blog, follows from rocklandjbrin)

[sadiebrin]

Sadie Brin

Mother of Rockland

Second Soldier, Trained Under the Winter Soldier

****

Primarily MCU Based Marvel OC Roleplay Blog

Semi-Selective

Multi-Verse, Multi-Ship

Paragraphs Preferred

Open to asks and starters! :)

[sadiebrin]

It wasn't funny, really. Okay, well, the mental imagery her brain had concocted? That was kind of funny. But the discomfort? Feeling backed into a corner, pushed to either tolerate, lash out, or run from another slimy human being? Far from it.

She didn't have to put up with this treatment. Not anymore. Part of her feared if she got up, he'd follow her. She was nearly certain he would, if she gave him a choice. Was it better to run, or stand her ground?

Her laughter clearly bothered him, and his response reminded her that this? This was just one sad little man. And this was more of a moral quandary; a matter of what she'd stand for, now that she had a choice. A part of her may feel like she deserved poor treatment, but he didn't know her past. He just saw her as someone he could try to exert power over.

But the catapult remained an option, or a- Oh, that got her. As silly and nonsensical as it was, it tickled the part of her brain that needed to release the stress, as a boiling kettle releases steam, "You just-" She slipped into another unintentional cackle as she found her head turning to face Basta, looking at him but hardly seeing him as he was, "Do you want to experience a Basta-pult?"

[firejugglinghobo]

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Okay, so maybe she wasn't making fun of him. Maybe she was just cracked. He hadn't taken her for an unstable person, but what she said didn't make any sense. 'Bastapult' wasn't even a word.

He unconsciously put a bit of space between the two of them, sliding back along the step ever so slightly, leaning away to look her up and down a time or two, as if searching for the source of her sudden volatility.

[sadiebrin]

"A Basta-pult. I could send you flying into that wall over there," The laughter began to fade, just a couple more breathy chuckles escaping her before she added, "if I felt the need." She looked towards him, focusing her eyes on his with warning now, her voice steady, "Don't make me feel the need."

Good. He was giving her space. "Now, did you genuinely want to talk, or did you just stay out here to harass me?" She didn't particularly want to talk to him. Why would she? He'd given her no reason to trust a word he'd said, and he'd made it very clear how little respect he held for others. But all the same, information was information. If Dustfinger was spending time here, it was best she learned what she could of the people.

[thenexusofsouls]

The soldier bunched herself up under the desk, palms pressed to her ears with enough pressure that she could hear the squeak of her joints. She was trying to block out the noise. The angry shouts as she disobeyed direct orders. When had she entered the office? One minute she'd been searching the aisles...

well,

Shallow breaths

A tap on her shoulder, sending her jolting alongside her racing heart, wide eyes searching for the source- an elderly woman with a light laugh, and an apology for startling her. She was only reaching for the milk

Bright, fluorescent lights

Constant chatter and clanging and beeping that was not, in fact, a heart rate monitor, and was instead the tills as the cashiers scanned various items

Too many options

kind of.

At some point she'd passed the bakery, and a small child in a cart had wheeled by, holding a...

And then she'd found herself in the office. The door was locked from the inside. The desk had the indent of fingers on the edge of it's surface, as though imprinted in wet cement. One of it's legs wiggled like a snake. Both still gleaned with the sweat of her hands.

The manager kept slamming on the door, shouting and raving about calling the police, and company files and trespassing. And yet she was frozen in place. - For Wade, sadiebrin

@sadiebrin

"Donuts or muffins?" Wade muttered to himself as he looked around the bakery section. His head tilted to one side, then the other. "Eh, they each have their good points..."

It was supposed to rain today. Not just rain, thunderstorm. So far, though, the sky had gone dark for a couple hours and it had gotten rather windy, but so far... no rain or thunder. Perfect weather for Wade to do a little shopping during normal human hours without fear of getting too impaired by the sun. He'd felt a mild tingling on his skin when he stepped outside, but... not too bad. And really, he just had to go from his apartment building to his SUV, and then from there into the store. He could do that standing on his head, so... time to shop.

Being a vampire sucked, pun intended. Needing blood all the time was not only unappealing to Wade, but it was massively inconvenient with his schedule and lifestyle. And he refused to give up the foods he loved, even if they did nothing for him nowadays. At least he could eat whatever he wanted without fear of getting fat or developing heart disease, since whatever made him a vampire seemed to regulate his body to keep it in tip-top shape without him having to do much of anything.

His deliberations on exactly what kind of indulgent human food to buy were interrupted by a very distressed woman staggering from near where he was toward the back of the store. Confections could wait. Wade followed her, sensing that something was very wrong. When she went inside an office and slammed the door, Wade stopped and watched as the manager began pounding on the door like a child throwing a tantrum. "Really?" Wade mumbled to himself.

Making his way to the door, Wade laid his hand on the manager's shoulder. "Take a breath, okay? I think she's havin' some kinda problem." The manager was taking too many breaths, as it were, and spouting more boisterous nonsense about how she wasn't allowed in there, and if she didn't come out right this instant he was going to called the cops!

With an irritated smirk, Wade reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. "Dude, relax, I am the cops," he said, flashing his badge just fast enough for the manager to see something that looked official but not long enough for him to actually read that it only said government licensed bounty hunter on it. It worked, and the manager took a step back from the door. Only one. Wade looked at him like, you gotta be kiddin' me with this bullshit. "Yeah, you wanna gimme some time here, man? I'll handle it, don't worry." With that, the manager huffed and left to deal with an irate woman who couldn't find the type of cheese she wanted and was making it everyone else's problem.

"Hey... miss?" he called through the door. "You okay in there? Need some help?" He was trying to get through to the woman but also sound as non-threatening as he could manage.

[thenexusofsouls]

"Exactly. there are plenty of other things she could play with that wouldn't put 'er at risk. We're new cat parents, we've gotta be careful," he joked with a chuckle. That felt weird to say to someone he'd just met, but it was true. They hadn't even known each other for a whole day and already they'd jumped into joint custody of the furriest of tiny units.

"Yeah, I guess..." Wade said unconvincingly. "Although, everyone who really knew me is dead, so... what I used to be before I became... this... is probably irrelevant to anyone I would meet now." Now his tone sound almost accusing, as if he was somehow blaming himself for his own transformation. Maybe he was. If he hadn't screwed things up as badly as he had on that one mission, he might still be human and a whole lotta good people might still be alive. "Yeah, that's a priority of mine, figurin' all this out without hurtin' good people and without even killin' the bad ones, if I can help it. So far, it's been okay, I just have to skip cities before my uh... feeding patterns get discovered, that's all. But maybe if I can get myself a good butcher who doesn't ask too many questions, like you said, I could stay longer."

Wade hoped that the more he practiced and the more time he spend physically as a vampire, he'd improve his skills. Maybe they'd start to feel more natural after a while, or at least improve and become more versatile. Sadie seemed to think that was possible, so for now, he was going to let himself believe it. "I guess it's just that most people, when they think of vampires, they think of some suave, mysterious guy who looks like he stepped out of a GQ magazine and who definitely knows what's up, not some baldin' dude in jeans who sometimes crashes into walls when he tries to run fast," he said with a self-deprecating smirk. "So that's why I said it seemed kinda stupid. But yeah, to be fair, it is pretty fast. I mean, I was a fairly fast runner before all this, but now I'm just ridiculous."

"That's true. Oh, you know I'll be takin' all the selfies with her. C'mon, why even own a pet if you're not gonna take pictures of 'em all the time?" Wade said.

"Damn, girl," Wade said to the oblivious kitten, laughing as he, too, tried to fan away the aftermath of Bee's fish dinner processing. "I think maybe feedin' her regular fish instead of fried stuff next time might be a better idea, so she doesn't go turnin' it all into tear gas," he complained. "Or better yet, we should look into some of that like... Smalls or Farmer's Dog or whatever those brands are that ship you fresh, human grade pet food every so often. That has to be a bit more nutritionally balanced for sensitive little kitten stomachs than fried fish sandwiches are, right?"

Bee, listening to her new humans talking but of course not understanding, made another dramatic, sleepy stretch before looking up at Wade with half closed eyes.

"Yeah, we're talkin' about you. You just gassed us out, you little stinker," he said with a big grin. He looked to Sadie. "Look at that face. She knows exactly what she did. No shame. Unbelievable," he said, feigning a fair amount of aloof annoyance.

Bee curled up tight again, and with a hefty sigh, she closed her eyes and was contented again.

"No shame at all," Wade repeated. As the subject moved back to potential avenues of acquiring food for himself, he nodded. "Yeah, it definitely is. I guess I haven't put enough time and thought into bein' creative and thinkin' outside the box since... it all happened, but maybe I should."

[sadiebrin]

"... do you think we should baby-proof the outlets and cupboards?" She joked in turn.

She could practically see him swirling into a whirlpool of negative thoughts once again. An empathetic shrug attempted to dissuade him, "It's relevant to me. Your past is a part of you. Anyways, you've treated me with a lot of humanity tonight. Maybe that's enough." Saying as much felt vulnerable, and she hoped she wouldn't come to regret it.

"Seems like a pretty good priority. I hope the butcher idea works for you. Maybe New York will have a good handful of butchers, you could rotate through them. Make it out like you're not entirely hooked on blood themed dishes." A smirk was cast his way. "Maybe you could even say you're taking part in a long term study on iron deficiencies or something."

Sadie snorted at his description of a literary classic vampire. "You're a refreshing break from the stereotype." Selfies with the little love was an endearing concept. She usually tried to avoid ending up on camera, out of fear her image could end up in the wrong hands, and ease in the tracking of her whereabouts, but maybe she could get ahold of an instant camera, or something similar. "Cute." She mused softly.

"The grease could be getting to her, I suppose." She agreed with disgusted amusement. "I'm not familiar with those brands, but I would hope so." Maybe she could reach out to Derek and Oline, and get a reminder of what they fed their cats.

Ohh, a big stretch. "You tell him it's natural, right? We're just going to have to deal with it, because you're the queen of this domain now?" She mused in a smaller voice, giving the kitten a head rub. There she went, off to Snoozeville once more. "It wasn't that long ago, and you've had a lot on your plate." Speaking of which, she was getting pretty hungry. Maybe some of the bread she'd picked up was in order.

[sadiebrin]

She'd seen it coming. Sadie had made an effort to hold the blade's handle firmly, to keep her arm tensed, in case the stranger made to disarm her. She'd had her hand on him. She could've manipulated his clothing, or easily touched the wall to secure him. When he moved, her eyes darted from her companion and down to the hands grabbing for her knife.

What she didn't see coming was Dustfinger lurching towards her. Turquoise energy had just seeped into the fabric of the man's jacket when hands wrapped around her arm and yanked. She lost her footing... And her grasp on the knife, stumbling backwards with a wide eyed look of agitation in Dustfinger's direction. What was that? "Let go!" She made to pull her arm free, eyes darting between Dustfinger and the other. Was he worried she was threatening his buddy? No... That was ridiculous, right? He'd been trying to protect her... He hadn't seen her fight first hand, not really. He probably just saw the knife and let his instincts take over.

Still, now they had to deal with the consequences. If she had a second to crouch... She could go for the wall but using too much would risk collapsing it, and she didn't want anyone else dragged into this mess. There was a dumpster a little ways down the alley. The second knife still maintained it's place on the ground. For the moment she waited, observed.

[firejugglinghobo]

Dustfinger struggled to push himself between Sadie and Basta before either of them had a chance to lunge. Sadie's arm slipped easily from his grasp, but she seemed content to hold back for the moment.

Basta flipped the knife in his hand, feeling its weight in comparison with what he was used to. He didn't advance, either, well aware that he'd regained the advantage, if he'd ever really lost it in the first place.

His eyes flicked briefly to the knife on the ground, now closest to Dustfinger, who wasn't inclined to pick it up.

"Stop. Stop."

He took a deep, shaky breath, trying to steady himself as much as the others.

"Let's just talk!"

Basta's weight shifted from foot to foot impatiently. He knew there was no reason for a fight, Dustfinger was sure he wanted nothing more than an excuse to start one.

"We were trying that. Then your girlfriend threw me into the wall. I told you what I came to tell you. Now you get a choice: come quietly, or..."

He spun the knife between his fingers, and Dustfinger took a step toward Sadie, as if he could stop her from perceiving a threat and trying to eliminate it.

[sadiebrin]

Lip curling with a burning disdain, Sadie watched as the man handled the knife. Her knife. She'd won it once, and she intended to again. The flip was familiar. Dark hair, longer. No suits, but largely black attire. A series of jabs and slices she was forced to dodge and parry, or suffer the consequences.

Despite the knife in hand, she noted the way this man's gaze flickered to his own on the ground. An attachment? Or simply a desire for more power? Regardless, she wasn't about to ask Dustfinger to retrieve it.

Sadie craned her head to keep an eye on her adversary, and took her opportunity to crouch. The moment her hand touched the ground, turquoise energy seeped in. She could use the pavement to grab hold of the slime-ball's legs, but that would leave his hands free and armed. She could bring the pavement up further and make a go at his arms, or sink him mostly into the ground, but both option would take a moment, and she didn't trust him not to lash out at a sign of trouble. So, she curled a snake of pavement around the knife handle and tossed it her own way, free hand snatching it from the air with practiced ease.

A brow raised in the dark haired man's direction. More threats. "I threw you into the wall, because you kept getting in my space. Now you have yours, I have mine. Threaten us again and you and the wall will be re-acquainted." She kept her tone as level as she could. Matter of fact. Only the slight tremble of adrenaline. She maintained her crouch. "What do you want him for?"

[promptfairy]

❥     𝐁𝐎𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐒    [   𝚆𝙾𝚁𝙳 𝙿𝚁𝙾𝙼𝙿𝚃𝚂    ]   .

headcanon prompts with questions based on plants   &   what they represent in flower language .  happy roleplaying !!  ♡

abatina :   is there anything in life your muse has changed their mind about over time   (   due to becoming more educated on the topic ,   certain experiences  ,   etc .   ) ,    or that they   would   change their mind about under certain circumstances ?  

acanthus :   is your muse deceptive ,   or willing to lie or deceive to achieve certain means ?   why or why not ?   

aloe :   how does your muse handle grief ?

amaryllis :   what is something or someone that your muse takes pride in ?   how do they express that pride ?   

anemone :   how does your muse view the world ;   as a cruel   &   unforgiving place ,   a land full of wonders ,   or something in - between ?  where does that world view come from   (   what experiences ,   life lessons ,   etc .   ) ?  

angelica :   where does your muse draw inspiration in life ?   what motivates them ?

apple blossom :   how does your muse go about expressing or not expressing their sexuality ?  

bachelor’s button :   does your muse actively seek romantic companionship ,   or cherish the liberties of being single ? 

basil :   does your muse have a love - hate relationship with anyone or anything ?

bay tree :   does your muse seek glory   &   accolades ,   or do they favour a simpler ,   more personal life ?  

begonia :   how cautious is your muse ?   are they prone to noticing red flags ,   or paranoid to the point of untrusting most everyone ?   why or why not ?  

belladonna :   how does your muse respond to silence ?   do they take comfort in soundlessness ,   or seek to fill the void with noise ?   

bluebell :   does your muse learn from their past ,   or are they prone to repeating the same mistakes ?  

carnation :   what is your muse’s relationship with their gender ?   how do they express or not express this relationship ?  

chamomile :   what is your muse likely to take away from a painful experience ?   are they one to be haunted by adversity ,   or to use what they’ve gone through to become stronger ?  

chrysanthemum :   how does your muse express romantic love ?  how do they feel about love as a concept ?  

daffodil :   is your muse one to be loyal in relationships ,   or are they likely to quickly move from one bond to another ?

daisy :   did your muse ever feel as though their innocence had been lost ?   what moment in their life could be described as the end of their innocence ?  

edelweiss :   what was the bravest moment in your muse’s life ?  are they known to be courageous from then on ?  

fern :   does your muse believe in magic or cosmic forces ,   or are they more likely to think their life is ultimately a matter of their own control ?  

forget - me - not :   has your muse ever forgotten something that is or was important to them ?   are they afraid of forgetting things like that ?  

gardenia :   is your muse one to confess romantic feelings early on ,   or to conceal them for long periods of time ?  

gladiolus :   describe a moment from your muse’s life that they will never forget .

goldenrod :   does your muse believe in luck or fortune ?  why or why not ?   where do they believe these things come from ?  

heliotrope :   does your muse believe in soulmates ?

hibiscus :   how does your muse view the gentler ,   daintier things in life ?   as things worth preserving   &   caring for ,   or things only bound to wither   &   disappear ?  

holly :   how strong is your muse’s sense of intuition ?  are they aware of it ?   do they ever fear that it is only paranoia ?  

hollyhock :   how strong is your muse’s sense of ambition ?  what’s something they strive for in life ?  

hyacinth :   is your muse athletic ?   does it come naturally to them ,   or have they had to work for their physique and/or skill ?  

hydrangea :   how much does your muse value communication in their relationships with others ?  are they prone to being misunderstood ?

iris :   if your muse could convey one last message to someone they have lost or left behind ,   what would it be ?  

ivy :   what are your muse’s views on marriage ?   do they believe it is something strictly for love ,   or an institution rooted in business   &   social benefits ?   do they desire or have they desired to be married ?

lavender :   how easy is it to gain your muse’s trust ?  once their trust is broken ,   how might one go about mending it ?  

lilac :   what was your muse’s childhood like ?   how has their upbringing affected them as they’ve aged ? 

lily :   how does your muse view their mother ?  

lotus :   has your muse ever felt as though they’ve been reborn ?  have they ever desired the feeling of a fresh start ,   or a better understanding of themself and/or the world around them ?  

magnolia :   describe your muse’s relationship with nature   &   the natural world .  

marigold :   is your muse prone to jealousy ?  how might they handle envious feelings ?  

mint :   does your muse view themself as virtuous   &   moral ?  what do these words mean to them ?

nasturtium :   describe your muse’s relationship with their birthplace ,   or homeland .  

oak :   who would your muse consider the strongest person they know ?  

pansy :   does your muse often reflect on their own actions ?   do they ever think a lot about the past ,   and what they could have done differently ?

parsley :   describe a holiday your muse enjoys ,   and why they enjoy it .

peony :   what would a   ‘  happy life  ’   look like in your muse’s eyes ?

poppy :   what comforts your muse ?

rhododendron :   is your muse receptive to warnings   &   advice given by others ?

rose :   how much does your muse value other people ?   do they wish to have many friends ,   lovers ,   and/or associates ?   are they an easy person to love ?

sage :   what is your muse’s legacy ?   what do they want to be remembered for   &   what might they actually be remembered for ?  

salvia :   is your muse possessive over people or things that matter a lot to them ?  how do they express that possessiveness ,   or lack thereof ? 

snapdragon :   is your muse merciful ?  why or why not ?

southernwood :   how seriously does your muse take themself ?   do they prefer a solemn   &   intellectual atmosphere or do they delight in jokes   &   banter ?  

sunflower :   what brings your muse the most joy in life ?  

tulip :   how does your muse view people in general ?  

violet :   how does your muse respond to betrayal ?

willow :   how does your muse handle sadness   &   depression ?

zinnia :   how has the loss of fallen comrades and/or loved ones affected your muse ?   has it taught them anything or given them any new perspectives ?

[darlingflight-moved-deactivated]

claamor:

I want to make this known; it’s OKAY to flirt with my muse, it’s okay to say flirty things to them, yes, they may not react to it, they may not respond to it positively, but know as a mun I’m 100% OKAY with it. Especially if my muse is clearly attractive appearance wise, go a head, flirt with them, if my muse is your muse’s type, it’s okay to flirt, we don’t have to be shipping, we don’t ever have to ship to have you flirt with my muse; I WON’T think you’re pushing a ship on me either. But I just feel that some people are scared to have their muse be flirty to another because we a muns might take it the wrong way.

I’m not saying this goes for everyone, but I’m letting you know that it doesn’t make me uncomfortable and I’m fine with it.

[academic-vampire]

𝔟𝔬𝔬𝔨𝔰 𝔟𝔢𝔱𝔴𝔢𝔢𝔫 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔡𝔞𝔣𝔣𝔬𝔡𝔦𝔩𝔰

[thenexusofsouls]

The echo of feet. Long white coats. Voices overheard past cell bars.

“…- worthless if we can’t get the asset sorted out. Check into other candidates. For now, I’ll get Victor to take a look. Get the soldat in place.”

The input of a key code. A clink of locks. Rough hands grabbing at heavy arms, weighed down by drugs and metal gauntlets locked around forearms, bubbling out around outstretched fingers. She walked alongside the agents. If she didn’t, they would drag her. Moments later, and they were in another room, just as cold. She sat. Waited. - Sadie for Victor?

@sadiebrin

This really wasn't at all what Victor had in mind when he signed on to work for HYDRA. To say that they had misrepresented themselves was a gross understatement. Although he really couldn't argue with the fact that he was performing cutting edge research, he just didn't expect to be performing it on restrained and decidedly non-consenting patients.

The moment he had voiced any concerns for the ethics of the research, he'd been brushed aside. And when he said he didn't think he was right for the project in an attempt to quit, he was told in no uncertain terms that quitting was not an option for him. Realizing he was essentially a prisoner himself now, the only thing Victor could do was continue with his research and try to wait for an opportunity to escape. He just hoped that might take weeks instead of years.

He really didn't think his latest medication to help stop seizures was ready for trials yet, a she hadn't been working on it for that long, but... the men who came to tell him he'd be treating a patient, or an asset as they called them, didn't really leave him room to argue. When Victor entered the room, he saw a woman sitting in a chair, heavily restrained and obviously drugged. "How am I supposed to properly examine her when she's locked into a chair and not in any condition to answer questions?" he asked.

"Just do your job, doctor," said one of the men.

"She's been sedated," he said.

All they did was stare at him.

"This medication is not designed to be combined with sedatives. It could affect how the drug works or cause unexpected side effects. It is my professional opinion that this may not be safe," Victor said.

"You weren't asked for your opinion, doctor," said a second man.

Victor tried hard not to roll his eyes out of sheer frustration. "Right," he mumbled under his breath, turning to the woman and went into his usual spiel, knowing she probably couldn't hear or understand him anyway in her condition. "Hello, I'm Dr. Frankenstein. You can call me Victor, but I'm sure you much rather call me something far more derogatory than that." He drew out a small flashlight from his lab coat pocket. "Can you look at me, please? Yes? Hello?" he said gently, waving his hand in front of her face and tilting her head back a bit. "Can you try to watch the light for me?"

[thenexusofsouls]

It bothered Victor to no end to see just how much a small amount of water was welcomed by the woman. He... he hated this. This job, this place, the people here, the way they treated the subjects as though they were lab rats... it all made him angry and exceedingly uncomfortable. But he was here, now, and there was nothing he could do about it. Despite that he got better food and for the most part was not manhandled unless his inborn sass reached an unacceptable level with his superiors, he was just as much a prisoner now as this woman before him.

Her thanks made his chest tighten, though, for he felt that giving someone water was no great act of charity, for having it should be a basic human right in the first place. "You're very welcome," he said nevertheless, forcing a smile for her. It wasn't a fake smile, just one he had to push past the layers of other negative emotions he was feeling at that moment. She was not the source of those emotions, nor were they her fault, so he tried not to take it out on her.

"Careful, doctor. You're presence here is suffered only for as long as you are useful to us," one of the soldiers warned him.

Victor really couldn't help the smirk that followed. "Did that feel good to say? Hmm? Don't worry, I shall be sure to tell your superiors that you kept me well in line, you needn't try quite so hard," he said. He would have added a shoulder pat, but... he knew he was on thin ice already as it was.

"Continue with the subject," ordered the other soldier, growing impatient with Victor.

"Oh, have I reached today's limit of acceptable pushback? Darn. Well, tomorrow is another day," he said, turning back to the woman. "It is a shame that I always seem to hit my limit by lunchtime. It leaves nothing left for relief of the soul, come dinner," he mumbled as he prepared the pill.

Of course he was going to ask if she was willing to take it. Whether symbolic or not, a choice on either of their parts or not, Victor was a doctor first and a prisoner second. When she agree, he smiled. "Alright. It's a tiny one, but even so, take it with plenty of water so you're sure to get it all the way down, yes?" he instructed, bringing the water to her once again as he held up the pill between his thumb and forefinger so she could see it. "I'll place it on your tongue, and then you can drink," he said.

[sadiebrin]

Acknowledgement of her words. An upwards pull of his lips. The gestures were a contrast to most in Hydra's quarters. With the other soldier's warning, Second felt thoughts of what she could only describe as concern, drift across her consciousness, despite her groggy state. If his medicine worked, he'd be safe for the time being. Otherwise... she couldn't be so sure.

And still he pushed their buttons. Was he seeking punishment?

The doctor turned to her once again, mumbling. She responded with silence, but her eyes were fairly steady on him, now. Listening. She was rewarded with another upwards pull of his lips, as she agreed to take the medication. Was he responding positively due to her compliance? Or was he truly relieved by her agreement? Perhaps it made him feel lighter.

He began with the instructions. More water? That was certainly welcomed. She nodded, sticking her tongue out slightly and swallowing the medication back alongside the water, once both were offered. A dulled wave of nerves washed over her, but the sensation was distant enough still that she paid it little mind.

Would they observe her for a while yet? Or simply send her back to her cell?

[thenexusofsouls]

The soldier bunched herself up under the desk, palms pressed to her ears with enough pressure that she could hear the squeak of her joints. She was trying to block out the noise. The angry shouts as she disobeyed direct orders. When had she entered the office? One minute she'd been searching the aisles...

well,

Shallow breaths

A tap on her shoulder, sending her jolting alongside her racing heart, wide eyes searching for the source- an elderly woman with a light laugh, and an apology for startling her. She was only reaching for the milk

Bright, fluorescent lights

Constant chatter and clanging and beeping that was not, in fact, a heart rate monitor, and was instead the tills as the cashiers scanned various items

Too many options

kind of.

At some point she'd passed the bakery, and a small child in a cart had wheeled by, holding a...

And then she'd found herself in the office. The door was locked from the inside. The desk had the indent of fingers on the edge of it's surface, as though imprinted in wet cement. One of it's legs wiggled like a snake. Both still gleaned with the sweat of her hands.

The manager kept slamming on the door, shouting and raving about calling the police, and company files and trespassing. And yet she was frozen in place. - For Wade, sadiebrin

@sadiebrin

"Donuts or muffins?" Wade muttered to himself as he looked around the bakery section. His head tilted to one side, then the other. "Eh, they each have their good points..."

It was supposed to rain today. Not just rain, thunderstorm. So far, though, the sky had gone dark for a couple hours and it had gotten rather windy, but so far... no rain or thunder. Perfect weather for Wade to do a little shopping during normal human hours without fear of getting too impaired by the sun. He'd felt a mild tingling on his skin when he stepped outside, but... not too bad. And really, he just had to go from his apartment building to his SUV, and then from there into the store. He could do that standing on his head, so... time to shop.

Being a vampire sucked, pun intended. Needing blood all the time was not only unappealing to Wade, but it was massively inconvenient with his schedule and lifestyle. And he refused to give up the foods he loved, even if they did nothing for him nowadays. At least he could eat whatever he wanted without fear of getting fat or developing heart disease, since whatever made him a vampire seemed to regulate his body to keep it in tip-top shape without him having to do much of anything.

His deliberations on exactly what kind of indulgent human food to buy were interrupted by a very distressed woman staggering from near where he was toward the back of the store. Confections could wait. Wade followed her, sensing that something was very wrong. When she went inside an office and slammed the door, Wade stopped and watched as the manager began pounding on the door like a child throwing a tantrum. "Really?" Wade mumbled to himself.

Making his way to the door, Wade laid his hand on the manager's shoulder. "Take a breath, okay? I think she's havin' some kinda problem." The manager was taking too many breaths, as it were, and spouting more boisterous nonsense about how she wasn't allowed in there, and if she didn't come out right this instant he was going to called the cops!

With an irritated smirk, Wade reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. "Dude, relax, I am the cops," he said, flashing his badge just fast enough for the manager to see something that looked official but not long enough for him to actually read that it only said government licensed bounty hunter on it. It worked, and the manager took a step back from the door. Only one. Wade looked at him like, you gotta be kiddin' me with this bullshit. "Yeah, you wanna gimme some time here, man? I'll handle it, don't worry." With that, the manager huffed and left to deal with an irate woman who couldn't find the type of cheese she wanted and was making it everyone else's problem.

"Hey... miss?" he called through the door. "You okay in there? Need some help?" He was trying to get through to the woman but also sound as non-threatening as he could manage.

[thenexusofsouls]

"Eh, it's probably best to just not mess with it. It's not like there aren't plenty of other kinds of toys Bee can play with. Trust me, she won't be hurtin' for toys and things. I mean, we've had her for how long and we've already bought her a couple. so..." Wade said with a shrug. "No need to start messin' around with things that might be potentially dangerous for her, right?" He was a new cat parent, so the last thing he wanted to do was screw thing upright off the bat by introducing potentially dangerous things into Bee's life.

Wade shrugged, though he looked unconvinced. "Humans don't usually eat each other, so that's a big red flag. I think that's probably what most people would cite as bein' a reason why vampires aren't human." They way he said it, it sounded like he was upset about the fact that he didn't consider himself human anymore. Sad, or maybe regretful. He did notice how Sadie seemed to become subtly uncomfortable when he mentioned doctors and getting poked by them, so maybe that was a topic best left alone.

"Before. She was our bounty, actually," Wade explained. "We were supposed to arrest her in Mexico and bring her back to the states, but... obviously we had no idea what she was and she gave us the slip a couple times. And then... we got mixed up with a cartel. They wanted her, we got in the way, and shit happened. The rest you know, I guess. I don't know where she is now. We decided we'd prefer to go our separate ways, but we parted on good terms."

Wade laughed at Bee's lackluster response to him preparing to show off his abilities. "Yeah, I can tell she really cares," he said. "It's okay, whatever. Naps are really important, I get it." He chuckled again as Sadie told him there was no pressure to get ready. "I can do it, just... I'm still not like... all that great and turning it on and off whenever I want, I gotta like... get in the mood. I know that sounds stupid, but I guess I'm still learnin', heh."

"Yeah, I show up in mirrors. The longer I... uh... exist, I guess... as a vampire, the more I'm learnin' that a lot of the fantasy stuff in books and movies just isn't true," he said, shaking his head. "We don't turn into a puff of ash in the sun, we don't turn into bats, we don't sleep in coffins or on grave dirt, we have reflects in mirrors and on camera, and garlic doesn't bother me any more than any other human food does. Crosses don't do anything, I can cross flowing water, silver chains don't hold me down, I mean... there's a whole lotta bullshit out there that totally isn't true. Oh, and I can go anywhere I want, you don't have to invite me in first," he said with a half smirk.

"I did, actually. It's a little hard to get to full speed in a space this small. Smackin' myself into a pancake on the wall isn't my idea of fun, so... yeah, I held back just a bit." Wade thought he could go a bit faster if they were out in the open, but he didn't like to do anything conspicuous like that in public... not unless it was necessary. He wasn't exactly trying to broadcast that he was a superhuman something-or-such to everyone around him. He'd only told Sadie because... well, she kindof was too, and they needed to know a bit about each other's abilities to work together. And in the spirit of being honest, since she had understandable trust issues.

Wade kindof... stopped and blinked himself when he heard the diminutive poot. His brow furrowed and he started to smile. "Did she... just do what I think she did?" he asked, but just as with Sadie, Bee's brief foray into miasma expulsion soon made itself known to him. "Aw, daaamn... How does somethin' that small make a stink that potent?" he said, waving the air in front of his nose and chuckling. "Well, I guess we know all her pipes are workin' just fine, right?"

"Yeah, not here, they don't. Not that. Maybe like in England or somethin'. Don't they have somethin' called blood pie there? Does it actually have blood in it? I don't even know what it is, heh." Maybe that was the key, moving to a location where that sort of dietary eccentricity wouldn't be thought of as quite so strange.

[sadiebrin]

Sadie nodded in quiet contemplation, trying to think up an alternative to the balloons. A pillow fight? A piñata? Where every hit was for a stressor, or something he needed to get off his chest, until the pillow burst, the piñata cracked open? She simmered on those. "Not worth the risk." She agreed.

With his first line of evidence as to why he wasn't human, her lips pressed together, brows slipping down into an awkward expression. "Fair point." A pause. She noted his tone, almost grieving. "I can't say one way or another as to whether that's ever been an expression of mutations, or if it is something different. You were born a human, though. That has to count for something, right?" At what point was a human no longer considered a human? When they were turned into a weapon? An icy weight seemed to drop in her stomach. You're a person. That was just a thought. You're alright. And she was a human. So were the people who had treated her otherwise. She rubbed at her face, exhaustion setting in from the day, and the weight of her thoughts, "People can be incredibly cruel to one another. At least for you, you have a chance to figure out a fairly ethical means of getting what you need to survive, while causing minimal harm, if I've understood right?"

The woman been their bounty. Interesting. She listened quietly, a bob of the head meeting the conclusion to the intel. Good terms. At least he didn't have her on his tail. "Good."

He had to get in the mood. A playful little grin tugged at her lips, and for a moment he'd be able to see where Rockland got his smile. "Not stupid." She reassured. "Abilities are like muscles, in my experience. You don't typically become a body builder overnight. Not naturally, anyways." Accounting for super serum and the like.

Her head crooked to the side, curious, as he listed off the facts and myths of vampirism from his experience. "Noted. At least you won't have to miss out on family pictures with Bee."

A sympathetic wince met his description, a pancake Wade definitely did not sound like a good time. "Good call. That's pretty impressive. I can run faster than a lot of people, and you're definitely faster than me."

Sadie hadn't been aware of Bee applying to work in a deli, but she had certainly cut the cheese. "Yup." And then the smell hit, like rotten fish left in a garbage can in the summer, and she reached up to plug her nose. "No kidding." Only her no sounded kind of like doe, and she laughed. She contributed her free hand to the fanning process, and that helped dilute the smell soon enough. She set her palms back down, one coming to rest gently on Bee's back, the other on her lap rather than the couch.

Blood pie sounded vile to her, but something like that could potentially help Wade's case. "Maybe, I'm not sure. It's worth looking into."

[sadiebrin]

She'd been trying to live a peaceful life, since escaping. And for the first little while? She'd managed. But then came Winter, and Hydra on their tails. A painful reminder not to feel too safe. And now?

His knee brushed hers, sending an uncomfortable tickle through her skin. Memories skittered through her brain. The movement was purposeful, there was no question. Her muscles tensed, heart picking up it's pace, and a series of responses drew up in her mind;

Punching him in the face. A classic.

Drawing the stairs up into a wall between them.

And then there was a section of the stairs lurching up under Basta's ass, sending him catapulting across the street, or backwards through the doors of the building since he'd been oh so keen to listen in, like something from Loony Toons. Hmm. Yeah.

She found herself laughing a little, and then some more, the nerves and discomfort and humour bubbling up into her chest. Good. A response she doubted he'd expect, as he flipped his knife out. She didn't even answer his question. Just laughed.

[firejugglinghobo]

"What's so funny?"

Basta's face fell into a glare, his cool facade evaporating in an instant.

What was she laughing at? It wasn't a nervous laugh, or even the laugh of somebody who'd gotten the upper hand. Was she making fun of him? Was there something about him she found ridiculous?

His hand moved around the hilt of his knife, clenching tight as he repeated with force, "What's so funny!?"

[sadiebrin]

It wasn't funny, really. Okay, well, the mental imagery her brain had concocted? That was kind of funny. But the discomfort? Feeling backed into a corner, pushed to either tolerate, lash out, or run from another slimy human being? Far from it.

She didn't have to put up with this treatment. Not anymore. Part of her feared if she got up, he'd follow her. She was nearly certain he would, if she gave him a choice. Was it better to run, or stand her ground?

Her laughter clearly bothered him, and his response reminded her that this? This was just one sad little man. And this was more of a moral quandary; a matter of what she'd stand for, now that she had a choice. A part of her may feel like she deserved poor treatment, but he didn't know her past. He just saw her as someone he could try to exert power over.

But the catapult remained an option, or a- Oh, that got her. As silly and nonsensical as it was, it tickled the part of her brain that needed to release the stress, as a boiling kettle releases steam, "You just-" She slipped into another unintentional cackle as she found her head turning to face Basta, looking at him but hardly seeing him as he was, "Do you want to experience a Basta-pult?"

[sadiebrin]

Her brows furrowed in annoyance at Basta's harsh laugh, and worse yet, his breath wafting into her face. He might as well have smacked her with a peppermint plant.

This man had no clue what she and Dustfinger had been through together. He hadn't seen her companion protect her, and become injured in his pursuits. She didn't necessarily trust him because of how much she knew of him; they looked out for one another. That was fact. She'd allowed him the privacy of his past, just as he had, hers. And that was still the case, as much as she wanted to know what was going on.

This man. Boy was he brazen. Sadie's brows raised as he shifted about in her hold, as if he didn't have a knife pressed against his side. As he actively got in her space in a way she couldn't brush aside as accidental. Her heart had been pounding throughout most of this exchange, and she was having a hard time hiding her trembling with adrenaline, now. She was done. Working with his momentum, the soldier grabbed hold of him with her free hand and made to slam him against the alley wall, with a restrained strength. Enough to make a point, not enough to send him through the bricks.

Inkheart? Okay, that didn't sound like a code word for a Hydra journal.

Sadie. Blue eyes remained fixed on the threat.

Look at me. Gritting her teeth, she did. Brows furrowed in further disbelief as he continued on his request.

"Why? His threats are empty? You're bleeding. What makes you think he won't make an attack the moment I let him go? What's to stop him from hurting others?"

[firejugglinghobo]

Too late.

Basta showed only a split second of surprise as he collided face-first with the brick wall of the alley. But a light entered his eyes that nearly stopped Dustfinger's heart.

The fire-dancer was already moving forward as Sadie spoke and Basta took her words as an opportunity to go for the knife pressed against his side.

Dustfinger's hands wrapped around Sadie's upper arm, hauling her backward with all his strength, knowing it might not be enough to move her. At the same time, both of Basta's hands wrapped around the knife. He palmed the flat of the blade with his right to shield his organs from any quick moves on her part. His left gripped the handle, deftly twisting in an attempt to wrench it from Sadie's grasp.

This was what Dustfinger had been so trying to avoid. If Sadie had listened, he could have explained that Basta would only be dangerous if he felt immediately threatened. The only way to keep safe from his knife was to give him to reason to use it.

[sadiebrin]

She'd seen it coming. Sadie had made an effort to hold the blade's handle firmly, to keep her arm tensed, in case the stranger made to disarm her. She'd had her hand on him. She could've manipulated his clothing, or easily touched the wall to secure him. When he moved, her eyes darted from her companion and down to the hands grabbing for her knife.

What she didn't see coming was Dustfinger lurching towards her. Turquoise energy had just seeped into the fabric of the man's jacket when hands wrapped around her arm and yanked. She lost her footing... And her grasp on the knife, stumbling backwards with a wide eyed look of agitation in Dustfinger's direction. What was that? "Let go!" She made to pull her arm free, eyes darting between Dustfinger and the other. Was he worried she was threatening his buddy? No... That was ridiculous, right? He'd been trying to protect her... He hadn't seen her fight first hand, not really. He probably just saw the knife and let his instincts take over.

Still, now they had to deal with the consequences. If she had a second to crouch... She could go for the wall but using too much would risk collapsing it, and she didn't want anyone else dragged into this mess. There was a dumpster a little ways down the alley. The second knife still maintained it's place on the ground. For the moment she waited, observed.

[thenexusofsouls]

The echo of feet. Long white coats. Voices overheard past cell bars.

“…- worthless if we can’t get the asset sorted out. Check into other candidates. For now, I’ll get Victor to take a look. Get the soldat in place.”

The input of a key code. A clink of locks. Rough hands grabbing at heavy arms, weighed down by drugs and metal gauntlets locked around forearms, bubbling out around outstretched fingers. She walked alongside the agents. If she didn’t, they would drag her. Moments later, and they were in another room, just as cold. She sat. Waited. - Sadie for Victor?

@sadiebrin

This really wasn't at all what Victor had in mind when he signed on to work for HYDRA. To say that they had misrepresented themselves was a gross understatement. Although he really couldn't argue with the fact that he was performing cutting edge research, he just didn't expect to be performing it on restrained and decidedly non-consenting patients.

The moment he had voiced any concerns for the ethics of the research, he'd been brushed aside. And when he said he didn't think he was right for the project in an attempt to quit, he was told in no uncertain terms that quitting was not an option for him. Realizing he was essentially a prisoner himself now, the only thing Victor could do was continue with his research and try to wait for an opportunity to escape. He just hoped that might take weeks instead of years.

He really didn't think his latest medication to help stop seizures was ready for trials yet, a she hadn't been working on it for that long, but... the men who came to tell him he'd be treating a patient, or an asset as they called them, didn't really leave him room to argue. When Victor entered the room, he saw a woman sitting in a chair, heavily restrained and obviously drugged. "How am I supposed to properly examine her when she's locked into a chair and not in any condition to answer questions?" he asked.

"Just do your job, doctor," said one of the men.

"She's been sedated," he said.

All they did was stare at him.

"This medication is not designed to be combined with sedatives. It could affect how the drug works or cause unexpected side effects. It is my professional opinion that this may not be safe," Victor said.

"You weren't asked for your opinion, doctor," said a second man.

Victor tried hard not to roll his eyes out of sheer frustration. "Right," he mumbled under his breath, turning to the woman and went into his usual spiel, knowing she probably couldn't hear or understand him anyway in her condition. "Hello, I'm Dr. Frankenstein. You can call me Victor, but I'm sure you much rather call me something far more derogatory than that." He drew out a small flashlight from his lab coat pocket. "Can you look at me, please? Yes? Hello?" he said gently, waving his hand in front of her face and tilting her head back a bit. "Can you try to watch the light for me?"

[thenexusofsouls]

Victor... honestly really hated this job. He loved being a doctor, both from an intellectual standpoint and because he got to help people... at least, in theory. But in this sort of setting, he didn't feel like he was helping anyone. The Hippocratic Oath he'd taken was practically vibrating around in his brain as he took note of how groggy the woman still was and how nervous and tense she seemed. This was not someone who was lucid enough to consent to medical treatment, and that made him feel awful about the whole thing.

"Come on, come on..." Victor said, irritated, snapping his fingers at the soldiers. Would someone get him a cup of water today? How hard was it to just get water? Once he had the water in hand, finally, he brought it closer to the woman. "Here. Just drink some water first," he said, concerned that, if she was too dehydrated from the sedative, the pill might get caught in her throat and she could choke on it. He helped her to sip from the cup, as much as she wanted to drink. "There we are," he said gently and with a smile. It wasn't much, but at least he could be cordial to her.

Hearing her question, Victor hesitated for a moment. One of the soldiers, however, was quick to get annoyed over the simple asking of a single question? Victor turned to glare at the man. He might not have much authority in this place, but he had some ability to push back. They needed him, at least for now, after all. "Settle down, man," Victor said. "You've taken away every other right of hers, at least leave her the privilege of asking a question."

"She does not need to ask any questions," the soldier said firmly.

"Well it just so happens that I need to answer. Call it a self-indulgent compulsion of mine," Victor said, very nearly going nose to nose with the man. He then grinned very fakely. "There's a good lad. You'll get over it. I am certain there are a thousand other ways in which you can express your toxic masculinity," he muttered, turning back to the woman.

He cleared his throat a little. "As it is, by itself, of course it is safe. As a doctor, I have taken an oath to do no harm. I would not knowingly administer a harmful drug. However... I have been overruled on waiting for the sedative to wear off completely, so there may be some interaction between the two drugs. Unfortunate and unnecessary, but as I said, I have been overruled. But don't worry, it won't kill you, and it won't be painful. It just might not work as well as intended." He shot the soldiers another irritated look. "So... will you take this for me?" he asked, holding up the pill. She had already nodded yes before, but... Victor wanted to make sure. He knew she'd be forced to do it anyway, but he wanted to keep his illusions of agency a bit longer... for both of them.

[sadiebrin]

As soon as the water was brought forward, she leaned in as far as she could manage. The restraints dug into her arms, and the soldier hardly paid them any mind. Her mouth was parched, and that took precedence. She chugged back most of the contents, only saving a sip or so to wash back the medication.

"Thank you..." She murmured, panting.

With the other soldier's sharp warning, her features stiffened and snapped downwards. It was only as the doctor's voice rose, that her gaze did as well. Muddled surprise and concern washed over her features. He was... defending her? Did he know what he was risking on her behalf? Hydra didn't take kindly to defiance.

She watched with bewilderment as he got right up in the other man's face. Were they going to fight? Did-did he just- Toxic masculinity? Her lips parted, jaw falling slack, eyes wide. What was he doing?

It took her a moment to process what he was saying, between the sedatives and her brain fixating on how much trouble he'd likely just gotten himself into on her behalf. Why? Why? Why would he do that for her? Did he not realize how Hydra worked? Focus. The meds were safe, just not ideal under the circumstances. Okay. Not as terrifying. Especially if they did help with the... Seizures, he'd said? She appreciated his phrasing; a request, rather than an order, even if she knew a no wouldn't go down well in the circumstances. Her eyes brushed over the armed soldiers, and focused back on him. Hydra needed her at full functioning. If the meds really were what he described, maybe they'd help.

"Yes." The soldier opened her mouth.

[thenexusofsouls]

The soldier bunched herself up under the desk, palms pressed to her ears with enough pressure that she could hear the squeak of her joints. She was trying to block out the noise. The angry shouts as she disobeyed direct orders. When had she entered the office? One minute she'd been searching the aisles...

well,

Shallow breaths

A tap on her shoulder, sending her jolting alongside her racing heart, wide eyes searching for the source- an elderly woman with a light laugh, and an apology for startling her. She was only reaching for the milk

Bright, fluorescent lights

Constant chatter and clanging and beeping that was not, in fact, a heart rate monitor, and was instead the tills as the cashiers scanned various items

Too many options

kind of.

At some point she'd passed the bakery, and a small child in a cart had wheeled by, holding a...

And then she'd found herself in the office. The door was locked from the inside. The desk had the indent of fingers on the edge of it's surface, as though imprinted in wet cement. One of it's legs wiggled like a snake. Both still gleaned with the sweat of her hands.

The manager kept slamming on the door, shouting and raving about calling the police, and company files and trespassing. And yet she was frozen in place. - For Wade, sadiebrin

@sadiebrin

"Donuts or muffins?" Wade muttered to himself as he looked around the bakery section. His head tilted to one side, then the other. "Eh, they each have their good points..."

It was supposed to rain today. Not just rain, thunderstorm. So far, though, the sky had gone dark for a couple hours and it had gotten rather windy, but so far... no rain or thunder. Perfect weather for Wade to do a little shopping during normal human hours without fear of getting too impaired by the sun. He'd felt a mild tingling on his skin when he stepped outside, but... not too bad. And really, he just had to go from his apartment building to his SUV, and then from there into the store. He could do that standing on his head, so... time to shop.

Being a vampire sucked, pun intended. Needing blood all the time was not only unappealing to Wade, but it was massively inconvenient with his schedule and lifestyle. And he refused to give up the foods he loved, even if they did nothing for him nowadays. At least he could eat whatever he wanted without fear of getting fat or developing heart disease, since whatever made him a vampire seemed to regulate his body to keep it in tip-top shape without him having to do much of anything.

His deliberations on exactly what kind of indulgent human food to buy were interrupted by a very distressed woman staggering from near where he was toward the back of the store. Confections could wait. Wade followed her, sensing that something was very wrong. When she went inside an office and slammed the door, Wade stopped and watched as the manager began pounding on the door like a child throwing a tantrum. "Really?" Wade mumbled to himself.

Making his way to the door, Wade laid his hand on the manager's shoulder. "Take a breath, okay? I think she's havin' some kinda problem." The manager was taking too many breaths, as it were, and spouting more boisterous nonsense about how she wasn't allowed in there, and if she didn't come out right this instant he was going to called the cops!

With an irritated smirk, Wade reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. "Dude, relax, I am the cops," he said, flashing his badge just fast enough for the manager to see something that looked official but not long enough for him to actually read that it only said government licensed bounty hunter on it. It worked, and the manager took a step back from the door. Only one. Wade looked at him like, you gotta be kiddin' me with this bullshit. "Yeah, you wanna gimme some time here, man? I'll handle it, don't worry." With that, the manager huffed and left to deal with an irate woman who couldn't find the type of cheese she wanted and was making it everyone else's problem.

"Hey... miss?" he called through the door. "You okay in there? Need some help?" He was trying to get through to the woman but also sound as non-threatening as he could manage.

[thenexusofsouls]

"Hey... now we're talkin'. That's not a bad idea," Wade said. "Poppin' balloons with aggravatin' things written on 'em might help work out a lotta frustrations." Ah, but then he glanced at a contented, sleeping Bee. "But... I'm not sure my foster daughter here would like that very much. Too much noise for tiny, delicate kitten ears, you know?" he said. He shrugged. "Unless she wants to join in, I dunno. Some cats like playin' with balloons, poppin' 'em with their claws and whatever. Just gotta make sure she doesn't eat any of the rubber shreds, that could be bad."

Maybe she couldn't help him all that much with his vampirism, and maybe he couldn't help her much with the people that were after her or with repairing her relationship with her son, but there was something to be said for just... not being alone through it all. Sometimes, just having someone to talk to about things helped immensely. "Okay, then," he said with a nod when she said they had a deal.

He chuckled over the whole issue of being able to still call himself human in a conversational sense. "Well, if you're givin' me permission to still use it, then I guess that's good enough for me. And yeah, you guys are definitely human. Me? I have no idea what I am anymore. Part of me would love to find out, but the other part doesn't wanna get poked and prodded by a bunch of doctors tryin' to find out, you know?"

When she asked how big of a room he could cross in a second, he looked around his modestly-sized living room. "Well... I guess the stronger you are, the more distance you can cover. I haven't been one very long, so I'm pretty weak as far as they come. The one who made me, she was pullin' all kinds of crazy shit on me when I was tryin' to arrest her. Like... she'd be standin' right in front of me, punch me in the face, I lean back from the impact, and by the time I bring my head back down, she's gone. I turn around, there she is right behind me. She punches me again, gone. Nowhere in site anywhere around me. And that was standin' out in the middle of a desert gas station pavilion, in broad daylight, hot sun beatin' down on us, and she was still that fast. Me? I dunno. I can do a little."

He looked around the room again before getting up from the couch. Bee lifted her head, eyes sleepily blinking, before she went back to sleep. "Okay let's uh... I'll go from here to there," he said, pointing from the couch, across the room, to the end of the hallway that led to the bathroom and bedroom. "Gimme a second to uh... do my thing," he said. He didn't know how to just casually use his abilities yet, he always had to be in hunter mode first. So he took a second to get into that mental headspace, enough to make his fangs descend and his eyes go all funky, feeling his heart start to beat faster. Curious, that... since he always thought vampires were.... well, dead. "Okay. Oh... you can see my eyes now, by the way," he said, bending and pointing to them so she could see the icy blue reflective quality to his irises. "Okay here goes..."

He wasn't great at this yet, but he did it as well as he could. To Sadie, it'd look almost as if he had quite literally teleported from one spot to another, except for the quickest, blurriest movement in between. A slight breeze rustled some things in the room, indicating that he had moved through the space, just really quickly.

Bee slept through the entire thing. The tiniest of kitten farts escaped her in her sleep, the fish from earlier beginning to work its way through her system.

"You really think a butcher would buy a story like that, though?" Wade asked, now looking quite the vampire with his reflective eyes and fangs that changed his speech in just the slightest way. "I don't want the guy callin' the police sayin', 'Hey, yeah, you know I think this guy might be a serial killer or somethin'," he said with a chuckle. He came to sit back down on the couch.

Bee stretched her back feet toe beans a little, but otherwise ignored him.

[sadiebrin]

"You never know." Sadie agreed with a little smirk and a nod. He brought up a good point, though. Kitten ears would likely be pretty sensitive to the noise. She could understand that; she doubted the balloon popping would keep it's charm several in, from a noise perspective. "True." Even if Bee did get into it, the rubber would be a concern. "Maybe you could pop them in a room with the door closed? Or somewhere else entirely." Where, she wasn't sure.

Okay then. They had a deal.

"Yeah, I mean, we can do a whole knighting ceremony if you'd like, but I think you can just use the phrase as you will." She considered his words, head tilting from side to side, "What makes us so clearly human, and you not?" Poked and prodded by doctors. She grimaced at the visual. White coats, sharp needles, beeping hardware. Electrodes and rubber between her teeth. Pain. The smell of antiseptic. "Yeah... I get it."

She was grateful for the distraction. The stronger, the more distance. That made sense. He'd been trying to arrest the one who'd made him? "Was that before or after everything went down?" As he described the fight, she could visualize the sequence with relative ease. Her eyebrows raised, and she scratched at the back of her ear. And that was with the sun beaming down on them? "That's... yeah. That's fast."

Wade was getting up? He was getting up. He was going to show her? Oh, this could be interesting. Her eyes lit up, and she sat up a little straighter, though her movements were slowed, because baby. The little one seemed briefly intrigued, and Sadie murmured, "Your Dad's going to show us a trick." And she was sleeping again. The woman snorted softly, and watched as Wade laid out the plan. An amused smile tugged at her lips as he requested she give him a moment to do his thing. "Take your time. No pressure." She teased.

Wow, his eyes were very cool. "They're almost mirror-like... Can you see yourself in mirrors?" Had she seen him in the diner window, earlier? She couldn't quite remember.

"Whoah." He was fast. A gentle breeze brushed her face, and she wasn't sure if she was reassured or intimidated. Both? Both. At least, if something were to go very, very wrong, he could likely handle himself in a fight... Even against her. But if he didn't turn out to be who he seemed? That very thought could become unnerving very quickly. Noted. "Did you have to hold back a bit, to stop yourself running into the wall?" Could he be even faster in an open space, in that case?

And then came the tiny toot. Sadie blinked, "Was that what it sounded like?" A breath later and- "Oh. Yup. That's fish." Her eyes squinted, nose wrinkling, and she laughed.

A look to Wade, as her attention was drawn back to the butcher. There was a slight shift to his voice. "Maybe. People eat a pretty broad range of food around the world. I doubt they'd jump to the conclusion you must be violent just because of an unusual diet."

[thenexusofsouls]

The echo of feet. Long white coats. Voices overheard past cell bars.

“…- worthless if we can’t get the asset sorted out. Check into other candidates. For now, I’ll get Victor to take a look. Get the soldat in place.”

The input of a key code. A clink of locks. Rough hands grabbing at heavy arms, weighed down by drugs and metal gauntlets locked around forearms, bubbling out around outstretched fingers. She walked alongside the agents. If she didn’t, they would drag her. Moments later, and they were in another room, just as cold. She sat. Waited. - Sadie for Victor?

@sadiebrin

This really wasn't at all what Victor had in mind when he signed on to work for HYDRA. To say that they had misrepresented themselves was a gross understatement. Although he really couldn't argue with the fact that he was performing cutting edge research, he just didn't expect to be performing it on restrained and decidedly non-consenting patients.

The moment he had voiced any concerns for the ethics of the research, he'd been brushed aside. And when he said he didn't think he was right for the project in an attempt to quit, he was told in no uncertain terms that quitting was not an option for him. Realizing he was essentially a prisoner himself now, the only thing Victor could do was continue with his research and try to wait for an opportunity to escape. He just hoped that might take weeks instead of years.

He really didn't think his latest medication to help stop seizures was ready for trials yet, a she hadn't been working on it for that long, but... the men who came to tell him he'd be treating a patient, or an asset as they called them, didn't really leave him room to argue. When Victor entered the room, he saw a woman sitting in a chair, heavily restrained and obviously drugged. "How am I supposed to properly examine her when she's locked into a chair and not in any condition to answer questions?" he asked.

"Just do your job, doctor," said one of the men.

"She's been sedated," he said.

All they did was stare at him.

"This medication is not designed to be combined with sedatives. It could affect how the drug works or cause unexpected side effects. It is my professional opinion that this may not be safe," Victor said.

"You weren't asked for your opinion, doctor," said a second man.

Victor tried hard not to roll his eyes out of sheer frustration. "Right," he mumbled under his breath, turning to the woman and went into his usual spiel, knowing she probably couldn't hear or understand him anyway in her condition. "Hello, I'm Dr. Frankenstein. You can call me Victor, but I'm sure you much rather call me something far more derogatory than that." He drew out a small flashlight from his lab coat pocket. "Can you look at me, please? Yes? Hello?" he said gently, waving his hand in front of her face and tilting her head back a bit. "Can you try to watch the light for me?"

[thenexusofsouls]

Victor really didn't like how out of it the woman was. This was not at all how he wanted to test a new medication. Not only was it cruel and unethical to be giving her anything additional when she was already under the influence of a powerful sedative, but it wasn't sound experimentally either. It added an extra variable to the equation of potential things that could affect how the test treatment might work, and that would make the results even more difficult to replicate in the future if it happened to work. However, he knew he had little choice but to do as he was told.

He watched as she did her best to follow the flashlight, noting how she was alert enough to hear and understand him, but also how the light seemed to hurt her vision. "I would prefer to wait until the sedative has worn off," he tried to insist, even knowing that was impossible. He might not have a choice in the matter, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to still be as much of a pain in the ass about it as he could.

"Just follow your orders, doctor," said one of the men. "Your opinion isn't needed."

Victor smiled in that sort of way someone smiled when they were pissed off by trying to maintain some level of decorum. "My professional opinion... is why I am here. Unless one of your has earned your doctoral degree overnight? Hmm? Either of you?" Victor said, looking between the two men with no small amount of sass.

"Just do it," said the second man. "Stop delaying."

Victor sighed, knowing he was completely stuck. "Fine," he mumbled under his breath, putting away the flashlight and taking out a vial from his pocket. He opened it and took out a single pill. "Water, please," he said and was promptly handed a cup of it. Turning to the woman, he tried to remain polite and professional. "Alright... I am going to need you to swallow this pill for me, can you do that? It is something I have been developing that I think may help with your seizures. Can you swallow this for me with some water? Nod if you can."

[sadiebrin]

He seemed pretty insistent that they wait. Blue eyes drew slowly between the doctor and the soldiers. Could she share concerns without repercussion? Unlikely. Nearly any time she'd spoken out of turn, she'd been met with pain. Soldiers don't speak unless directed. They'd made that very clear. Hydra ran on order, and speech was a privilege granted.

Not to mention, her eyelids were heavy, and her body felt weighed down. Would her mouth pronounce the words right? Would her brain form them, and put a full sentence in order?

She closed her fists and reopened them, within the gauntlets. Flexed her toes. Allowed heavy eyes to close for a moment... She heard a rustle, the quiet clink of something solid against the walls of a small container. And then the doctor requested water. Water? Blue eyes opened once more, pulling up to the dark haired man's face. She swallowed past a sandpaper throat. But the water came with the pill.

A faint ripple of concern brushed through her once more. "... it's... safe?" She mumbled, voice a bit drawn out, but the question was paired with an instinctive nod.

"Soldat." One of the soldiers chastised firmly all the same.

It was for seizures? Is that what had been happening? At least he told her as much, unlike the others.

[sadiebrin]

She couldn't say it didn't give her some enjoyment, turning her head to see Basta clinging to the handrail for a moment.

"By all means, join the party." With a grating grumble, the stairs shifted back into place, as best she could manage. Because that wasn't the point and she felt confident he knew as much. Plus, she kind of wanted to make a show of how much she didn't care she wasn't in there. How did trust her friend, despite this man trying to pull them apart. Dustfinger hadn't done anything to betray that.

"But if you want to talk? We're going to do so face to face." Her voice was firm. She tilted her head, raising an eye brow. Got it? She doubted setting boundaries would go over so easily, with Basta, but make them clear, she would.

[firejugglinghobo]

Basta's lip curled in a satisfied smirk.

So he had gotten under her skin just by standing behind her. Sadie was so predictable. It almost seemed unfair to tease her, but Basta had nothing better to do.

"Oh, but I thought you didn't like people getting too close."

He slipped easily into a seat on the step next to her, just close enough that his knee brushed hers as he pulled his knife from his hip, snapping it open with a practiced flourish, and began picking methodically at his nails with the tip of the blade.

"Or was that just me?"

[sadiebrin]

She'd been trying to live a peaceful life, since escaping. And for the first little while? She'd managed. But then came Winter, and Hydra on their tails. A painful reminder not to feel too safe. And now?

His knee brushed hers, sending an uncomfortable tickle through her skin. Memories skittered through her brain. The movement was purposeful, there was no question. Her muscles tensed, heart picking up it's pace, and a series of responses drew up in her mind;

Punching him in the face. A classic.

Drawing the stairs up into a wall between them.

And then there was a section of the stairs lurching up under Basta's ass, sending him catapulting across the street, or backwards through the doors of the building since he'd been oh so keen to listen in, like something from Loony Toons. Hmm. Yeah.

She found herself laughing a little, and then some more, the nerves and discomfort and humour bubbling up into her chest. Good. A response she doubted he'd expect, as he flipped his knife out. She didn't even answer his question. Just laughed.

[sadiebrin]

"Hm..." She hummed, not even wanting to give him the satisfaction of negative attention. Sadie kept an eye on him as he made his way up the steps. For a moment she hoped he was going on his way, but of course not.

He steadied behind her. Not likely. She knew what he was playing at. Turquoise energy seeped into the steps. They grumbled. The sound of stone grinding on stone erupted into the air, as the upper once-steps shifted and smoothed like a slide. She tilted them higher and higher, all the while keeping her gaze forward. She might as well be a collie keeping the sheep in line. If he wanted, he could do his best to keep his footing, or he could simply cling to the now intensely tilted handrail. His choice, neither comfortable.

"I could join them if I wanted. I'm choosing to respect my friend's boundaries, but you wouldn't know anything about that." She answered, as if what just happened was a shift in the breeze. She was fairly confident she could find a way to listen in on their conversation, even if a direct invitation wasn't in the cards. But she planned to push past her discomfort, for the time being.

[firejugglinghobo]

Basta looked down in panic as the ground started shifting beneath his feet with a rumble of stone against stone. His feet scrabbled for a moment, and he clung to the handrail.

He wasn't going to be able to stay where he was with any sort of dignity, so he let go, stumbling down the stairs where Sadie sat until he was standing back on the ground in front of the church, ruffled and a bit undignified, but none the worse for wear.

"Very cute."

Basta bent over with his hands on his knees to get on Sadie's eye level.

"Feel good about that? If you're not invited to the party, then nobody else can go, is that it?"

[sadiebrin]

She couldn't say it didn't give her some enjoyment, turning her head to see Basta clinging to the handrail for a moment.

"By all means, join the party." With a grating grumble, the stairs shifted back into place, as best she could manage. Because that wasn't the point and she felt confident he knew as much. Plus, she kind of wanted to make a show of how much she didn't care she wasn't in there. How did trust her friend, despite this man trying to pull them apart. Dustfinger hadn't done anything to betray that.

"But if you want to talk? We're going to do so face to face." Her voice was firm. She tilted her head, raising an eye brow. Got it? She doubted setting boundaries would go over so easily, with Basta, but make them clear, she would.

[sadiebrin]

Nope.

Fight or flight rushed through her. It took nearly every fibre of her being not to slam him into the alley wall. Her arm tore from his grasp with far more energy than needed, muscles tense. Her glare was fiery, words biting. "Do that again and you'll nurse a concussion." Close. Close- he was too close. His face was right there, and she wanted to push it away with her palm. She did keep the knife lowered, but it remained by his abdomen. Her hand trembled slightly; luckily the motion was likely hidden from his gaze. Unfortunately she couldn't mask the race of her heart.

Even better. Yuck. His proposition disgusted her, it rang far too much like the words of Hydra. Was he referring to other mutants? Even if he was, what were the chances any of them were her family? Highly unlikely. What did he mean by someone who could? Someone who could what? "Not interested."

Her hold on the man remained in place, despite her friend's request. Not until he withdrew his threat, would she even consider releasing him. And even then she'd want to ensure his blade was well out of reach, first. Given his behaviour, Sadie didn't feel confident he shouldn't be in jail... Even more absurd, all of this was over a book? Threats and hidden discussions over some parchment?

A red journal was held open in the agent's grasp. Words read aloud, followed by agony and fear. They used to work together.

"What book?"

[firejugglinghobo]

Basta looked pleased, and that wasn't good news for either Dustfinger or Sadie. He wouldn't be intimidated by threats of violence. Of course, Dustfinger knew how to get under his skin, but Sadie was speaking a language that Basta knew well.

"What book!?" Basta laughed in Sadie's face. "You mean you've been with him long enough that you'll protect him without a question asked, but you've never even heard of the book?"

He turned toward Dustfinger, angling to drag Sadie around slightly with him. He didn't care how he touched her, pressing in and invading her space to keep control even as she leveled a knife at his stomach.

"What kinds of secrets are you keeping, Dirtyfingers? She doesn't know who I am, she hasn't heard of Inkheart... Does she even know about Silvertongue, or Roxane?"

"Sadie."

Dustfinger tried to keep his cool. Basta had managed to get under Sadie's skin so quickly. He couldn't let him get under his as well. That was the game he and Basta always played, a dance not predominately of violence but of wits, and Dustfinger intended to keep the upper hand.

"Sadie, look at me. Let him go. Now."

Her control was slipping, and Basta thought that meant he had the upper hand. But Dustfinger knew how important control was for Sadie, and what she might feel she had to do if she lost it.

Little as he enjoyed Basta's company, he didn't want that to happen to him. If it came to blows, they'd all only end up dead.

"Don't listen to a word he says. Just let him go."

[sadiebrin]

Her brows furrowed in annoyance at Basta's harsh laugh, and worse yet, his breath wafting into her face. He might as well have smacked her with a peppermint plant.

This man had no clue what she and Dustfinger had been through together. He hadn't seen her companion protect her, and become injured in his pursuits. She didn't necessarily trust him because of how much she knew of him; they looked out for one another. That was fact. She'd allowed him the privacy of his past, just as he had, hers. And that was still the case, as much as she wanted to know what was going on.

This man. Boy was he brazen. Sadie's brows raised as he shifted about in her hold, as if he didn't have a knife pressed against his side. As he actively got in her space in a way she couldn't brush aside as accidental. Her heart had been pounding throughout most of this exchange, and she was having a hard time hiding her trembling with adrenaline, now. She was done. Working with his momentum, the soldier grabbed hold of him with her free hand and made to slam him against the alley wall, with a restrained strength. Enough to make a point, not enough to send him through the bricks.

Inkheart? Okay, that didn't sound like a code word for a Hydra journal.

Sadie. Blue eyes remained fixed on the threat.

Look at me. Gritting her teeth, she did. Brows furrowed in further disbelief as he continued on his request.

"Why? His threats are empty? You're bleeding. What makes you think he won't make an attack the moment I let him go? What's to stop him from hurting others?"