ghost in the machine, pt. two | rescue mingle

[whipshots]

WHERE: The southern village, a cave system about 5 miles southwest, and in-between
WHEN: April 6
OPEN TO: Kidnappees (Agent Washington, Tim Drake-Wayne, Cissie King-Jones) & their rescuers (Agent Maine/Brigitte Lindholm; Jason Todd/Stephanie Brown; Diego Hargreeves/Seifer Almasy/Anne Weying)
WARNINGS: Violence & NPC death. Will update further as needed!

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OOC details:

All 3 kidnapped villagers wake deep in a system of caves, firmly bound by rope at their ankles and wrists, with their hands in front of their bodies. It will be extremely dark. They will be able to speak to each other, however, and may notice that their wrist devices have been removed. There will be two canteens of water and two plates of berries and rice. They may begin to loosen or cut through their ropes, but it will be slow-going.

When Nat returns to the village and tells everyone about the kidnapping, it seems a fairly safe presumption that there will be folks wanting to go after the kidnapped villagers, locate them, and bring them safely back to the village. These characters may encounter NPCs along the way as they locate the kidnapped villagers and help them escape.

The odd hit-and-run assaults by the strange doppelgangers had finally escalated: three of their own had been taken. And so of course, others would go after them. Three ragtag groups eventually assembled within the southern village, setting out into the wilderness and trying to trace the path back to the origin of these inexplicable attackers, or at least where they’ve been holding their captives. It’s five miles away, so perhaps about two hours’ walk with all the stopping to check for footprints, broken branches, trampled bushes.

Once the rescuers start working through the dark caves, they start running into aggressive NPCs, and it seems likely a fight will break out.

A list of NPC clones they might encounter:

Anne Weying, Ashley Magnus, Aqua, Bobo del Rey, Brigitte Lindholm, Bruce Banner, Cissie King-Jones, Cougar Alvarez, Foggy Nelson, Frank Castle, Jacob Frye, Jason Todd, Jessica Jones, Joe Miller, John Druitt, John Wick, Kalen, Marian Hawke, Natasha Romanoff, Niska Elster, Oerba Dia Vanille, Peggy Carter, Reyes Vidal, Rinoa Heartilly, Rosa Diaz, Samantha Moon, Seifer Almasy, Thor Odinson, Tim Drake-Wayne

Comments

[notyourrookie]

That isn't reassuring. Wash sighs and leans against Maine's side, closing his eyes for a moment. "Shit. Guess I'll just keep my fingers crossed."

Because if it comes to a fight with Maine, he's not in any fit state to hold his own. Even before the Meta, Maine had been a hard fight, and up close and personal was not Wash's forte when it came to combat. And he was injured and exhausted. Yeah, that would not go well.

But he has to keep going. He's not going to die here.

He starts walking, keeping a close eye on both of them as much as he can. Doesn't want to lose sight of them in case they vanish, in case they're replaced, in case they turn out to be not real and it's just been Wash's mind playing tricks on him.

He pauses when Maine speaks, and he glances back at him. "Uh- it's-" He looks down at his wrist. His bare wrist. Checks the other one just in case he's somehow missed it. But it's not there either. "I don't know where it is."

[whipshots]

Her gaze follows the movement of Wash's wrist, looking for the tell-tale bulk of his wristband, the shape of the device. Nothing. Her mouth twists, considering. What did it mean that it was gone? Seifer had lost his long ago. Did their opponents... want them for some reason?

"There are worse things they could've done, I guess," she says, but it's clear from her hesitant voice that she's not even sure what they've lost. What the repercussions are. She hates not understanding the context or stakes of an engagement.

She glances back down the passageway to where Wash was being kept, for a moment considering if she should run back to look for it. But no. The most important thing is a living, breathing body, and getting him out.

"We can deal with that later. Let's just get back outside and to the rest of the group." Her tone has firmed up, regaining the solidity (her father would call it stubbornness) of having made a decision. Then a moment later, further explanation follows, so Wash won't be caught off-guard: "A few others came with us for the rescue. Seifer, Anne, Steph, Tim, Diego-- I don't know if you know any of them."

[bloodbathing]

Worse things, indeed. Still, a faintly troubled expression passes over Maine's face. Why would the clones want a wristband, of all things? And how the hell did they even get it off? Maine's tried taking his own off before. Suspects that he might have to remove his hand in order to do it.

Unbidden, a sick shiver runs up Maine's spine as he thinks of what Wash's captors could have done. Then he forcibly drags his thoughts away from that possibility. It didn't happen. Wash is going to be fine. He and Brigitte will make damn sure of that.

When Brigitte speaks so decisively, Maine is reminded again of Carolina. He nods and keeps moving, stretching his enhanced senses out as best he can so that no one (and nothing) can sneak up on them.

He can smell blood up ahead. Must be the dead clones.

[notyourrookie]

"Yes, please," Wash says with some vehemence. He doesn't care about the stupid wristband right now. He just wants to not be here anymore. He wants to see the outside.

He shakes his head at the question. "Didn't exactly have much time to chat."

Even if chatting was something that he was generally inclined to do. He's even less likely to do it in a hostage situation.

He starts to walk, determined to leave even if everyone else wants to poke around. This whole situation has been unsettling in the extreme.