Forums » General Roleplay » A Hero Stands... Stumbles (open)

The Red Fool lay on the ground in a puddle left over from yesterday's light drizzle, her ankle throbbing, "Well, that was an adventure and a half..." She mumbled to herself, reaching into the nearly invisible pocket to grab the two aspirin that lay waiting their time. She stood, only to check her boots, "Please be okay, please be okay." She said softly, finding the heel intact, the boots otherwise fine.

The thug, however, had slipped through her grasp. She couldn't even hear him running anymore. Defeated she looked up at the sky, "Well, this is just great!" She reached up to fix her wig and mask, taking care in making sure she was still unidentifiable and pulled off her boots to start walking - she had faith if someone tried anything, she could blast 'em good with one or two bolts of bad luck and then sleep off the throbbing pain in her ankle

Cody Wesson, a young man wanted for the violent uprisings his underground resistance caused, had been lurking casually near a park when one of his minions came up to him, panting and looking worse for the wear.

Cody's hand immediately fell to the revolver tucked into the deep pockets of his camo cargo pants, his eyes searching for the threat. "Where?" he demanded.

The minion pointed back the way he had come. "Someone was chasing me; I just barely got away--I think she tripped or something. She was wearing a mask so I didn't get a look at her face..."

Cody cursed. "Great, the last thing we need is an upstanding citizen interrupting our plan. Did you get your side of things taken care of?" The man nodded. "Good. Return to the compound and stay out of sight for the next few days. I have a score to settle." He headed in the direction his minion had pointed.

Keeping her pace slow, the Red Fool limped while trying to figure out how many blocks she was away from home, "If I'm on twenty-third and I live in sixth... I'm going to die of exposure before I make it home." She thought wistfully of taking a cab home. Actually, that was a good plan! It was easy to make something up when you look like this.

Costume Party. It was a dare. I'm a stripper. Anything would do, and since no one could see her face, she didn't need to feel ashamed! Hah! Take that bad luck!

She walked to the curb, watching for cabs. It only seemed to be when she wanted one that there were no cabs about. It didn't matter - one would have to come in the next seventeen blocks and then she could have a few blocks of rest before she had to climb eight floors to her flat because of course the elevator never worked.

Suddenly the night looked brighter. She hadn't caught the bad guy, but she had actually thought of something smart and her boots were in one piece.

Cody couldn't be sure that he was following the right person, but then, how many people wore masks and limped in public? He was fairly certain that she was the one and watched as she looked for a cab. He smirked. Most cabs learned a while ago that picking up anyone here was a considerable risk.

He casually picked up his pace until he lingered in her blindspot. From here he gave himself some distance--beyond arms reach in case she turned to swing at him--before he hailed her.

"What happened to you?" he asked casually enough.

She turned, looking at the person who spoke to her. He didn't seem overtly threatening, but she still concentrated on him - so that if a bolt of power came racing up her spine it would be directed at him. She gave him a soft smile, "Tripped. I'm not a very coordinated girl." She laughed, as though it was funny.

To her, it wasn't. It was a defeating truth, "Hey, you got a cellphone? I need a cab to get home, I live pretty far from here."

He kept his hands visible--no need to be drawing a weapon just yet--as she looked at him. Surely this wasn't the one who had chased his minion nearly back to the compound.

"Gotta watch for those slick spots," he said. "Some places are, well, more treacherous than others. Especially if you're in a hurry. And sorry, no cell phone. There is a public phone two blocks that way." He pointed in the opposite direction the person was traveling in. "So what brought you all the way out here? And what's with the mask?"

The Red Fool opened her mouth as the first words she thought tumbled out, "I'm a hooker." Her eyes widened in shock behind the mask, "I was at a costume party. Sorry, someone said I looked like a hooker while I was there and I was just thinking about that, so that's why that slipped out." She rubbed the back of her head, making certain to keep the wig covering her real hair.

She gave an uncertain smile, "So, the payphone is just up this way?" She turned her back and felt a current running up her spine. It wasn't bad luck, it was good luck. The unfamiliar warm tingle raced up her spine and she tried to redirect it towards herself, instead the luck spilled at his feet and she prayed he was about to find a fifty dollar bill in his pocket.

Cody blinked in surprise, then laughed. "Must have been some costume party if you came all the way out here." He shrugged and then added, "It's not exactly the best area of town to be wandering around in, though, especially alone. Costume or no."

The public phone wasn't so much a lie as a half-truth. There was one coming into view, but it had been out of order for months. And he wasn't about to let the woman go before he had ascertained whether she was the one chasing after his minion. "Funny though, I don't remember there being mention of a costume party around these parts."

A bubbly laugh left her lips, "Well, I got lost following this guy. I thought he was cute, and I figured I wanted his number. I think he thought I was a creeper, though, 'cause he took off pretty fast." The lie slipped out of her mouth easily and didn't leave a bitter aftertaste in the back of her throat. She kept limping towards the direction of the payphone, finding two quarters in her pocket. Maybe the luck hadn't gone to him, it could have really gone to her!

"Can't imagine why," Cody mumbled dryly, eyeing her costume. "You should probably take your mask off. I can't imagine it's very comfortable."

He paused as they came to the phone booth, and glanced around. It was a shady area of town, even for him, and he didn't particularly trust the so-called locals. He realized then that he should have had his minion meet them at the phonebooth to identify the stranger chasing him, but it was too late now. Maybe he could make a detour past the compound? But that would be risking too much.

He slid his hands into his pockets, contemplating his next plan. Maybe he could just frighten her into telling him everything? It had worked in the past.

She winked, "Well, a girl's gotta keep some secrets!" She laughed and tripped on a crack, sending herself into the phone booth, smacking her cheek on it. It didn't hurt much, it was more of an annoyance, really. She picked up the receiver to head the silence of a dead line, "Oh, damn, just my luck."

She turned her head, her mask getting caught on the edge of the booth, coming up. Blue-grey eyes blinked as she looked at Cody, "What are you doing out here at this hour?" The thought crossed her mind that no one who was up to any good would be out at this hour.

Ignoring her trip, Cody leaned against the opening of the phone booth--effectively cutting off her escape route unless she pushed past him. Any trace of humor he had was gone. "Oh, you know, the usual. Damage control. Making sure people get where they're going in a timely manner. Keeping the streets clear of..." he shrugged and let her fill in the vagueness of his descriptions. "Certainly nothing as fun as a costume party."

She gave a curt nod, "Um, can you just step to the side?" She felt uneasy, "Yeah, there is nothing quite like a costume party." She flexed and relaxed her hands over and over. This was not only creepy, but a little over the top. This didn't seem like he was just standing in the way, instead it felt threatening. She swallowed, expecting the worst and aimed a punch at his stomach.

While she didn't look it, she was strong. Months of working out obsessively had paid off.

He didn't expect a punch to have so much force behind it, especially coming from a costumed woman. It connected and drove the wind from him, making him stagger back a few steps. The things he did for his minion.

He gasped for breath even as he drew his Smith&Wesson Revolver, aiming it point-blank at the woman's chest.

"Right," he said, recovering, "looks like the party's over. Who are you and why were you following my man?"

As her eyes swept over the gun, she opened her mouth, "What's my name gunna tell you? B'sides, I've got less to lose than you, I bet. I'm just a girl in a costume, if you shoot me, you'll have murdered a woman in cold blood."

She held her shoulders tight, trying to look brave and luckily the mask helped hide her features, "Gun or not, you don't seem the killer type."

Cody smirked. "A girl in a costume. Perhaps, could it be, you don't recognize me either? Think about it. Where are you right now? What were you doing just ten minutes ago?" He leaned forward intending to snatch the mask off her face since he wouldn't be able to read her expression with it on. "Do you still think I wouldn't kill if I thought you were a threat?"

She snatched his hand, "Don't touch me!" The glove was cool, her grip tight, "Doesn't matter who you are." AJ closed her eyes for a moment, willing her powers to work, begging, praying.

A sensation built at her spine, but didn't travel upwards. Instead she leaned forward, growling lowly, "Back off."

Surprisingly, Cody did as she suggested. He took a step back, followed by another. He lowered the revolver.

"Anything else?" He asked, his dark eyes betraying nothing. He'd already made up his mind. He would follow her, find out where she lived, and go from there. If she contacted the police, he would know.

She yanked on her boots, not liking the way it tightens on her hurt ankle. She took off running, in the direction of 8th, still looking for a cab. When she found one, she curled up in the back. Instead of heading home, she went to the bus station, changing in the bathroom and slipping out to go to a walk-in clinic, walking slowly in her sneakers, running a hand through her black hair.

Cody let her get a head-start as he returned leisurely to the park where he'd been waiting for his minion. He located his motorcycle at once, leaning against a park bench, and started it up. She was on foot and he'd catch up with plenty of time to spare.

He followed the cab to the bus station wondering if it was the right one--though he recognized her when she got out. He parked and followed her inside, keeping to the crowd when he could.

He lost her when she went to the bathroom; he wasn't about to follow her in there. Keeping an eye on the exit, he contemplated possible places where she might go. Would she take a bus or a cab home? Or was she planning to walk? She was taking a while and he didn't recognize her upon exiting. He drifted aimlessly for a bit, hoping he'd run into her again.