Sign up for role playing and creative writing with friends

The change of scenery – while recognized and appreciated as an attempt to establish more welcoming terms between the vigilantes and their hosts – did little to reassure Nightwing and Red Robin. The comfortable chairs and offered refreshments didn’t distract from the fact that this was as much a cell as the previous room. Without establishing more trust with these other-worlders the two Gothamites would be carefully supervised and likely forbidden from leaving the premises. For the sake of diplomacy, the brothers would abide by the rules of their hosts, despite having already calculated an exit strategy if the situation were to turn against them.

[+red “Something funny?”] Tim questioned, observing the light smirk on his older brother’s face. His own voice was laced with hints of frustration and bewilderment – not understanding how Dick could find humour in a dire situation like this. For all his intelligence and skill, Tim Drake had never mastered Dick Grayson’s ability to “go with the flow”. Since they were moved to this room, Tim had been running through scenarios in his mind, desperately attempting to plan for the unpredictable, while Dick seemed content to deal with whatever trials the situation presented with spontaneity and instinct.

[+blue “Doesn’t this [i Director] remind you of someone?”] Dick replied, broadening his grin as his little brother made the connection: brooding mannerisms, mission-oriented, curt responses, a chilling air of inarguable authority… all he needed was a few black belts, a couple billion dollars, and a bat suit. Even Tim had to chuckle at the comparison.

[+red “I guess it’s a good thing we didn’t bring Batman. I don’t think this world could handle too of them.”] Tim teased back, just as the door opened to reveal their new ally. Just as before, Nightwing was quick to stand and greet the newcomer with a friendly extension of his hand, while Red Robin stayed seated in the background, watching in silent observation. By the skeptical raise of Tim’s brow, just visible by the crease in his mask, it was clear his first impression of the man had fallen short of expectation. He had asked for this world’s leading expert on inter-dimensional technology and they brought in… someone who reminded him remarkably of Oliver Queen! Sensing his brother’s hesitation, Dick took the opportunity to speak.

[+blue “Yes, well, in our world, most of Earth’s heroes use masks and costumes to protect their identities and their families. We also have this strange custom where we introduce ourselves when meeting a new ally.”] Nightwing remarked lightly, taking a jab at the fact that neither the Director nor the Captain had offered their names upon meeting the young heroes. Nightwing and Red Robin had only presumed their titles by how the others addressed them.

[+blue “I’m Nightwing. My little brother, Red Robin, is our resident expert on technology. We were told you might be able to help him?”]
Without a word, Tim stood from his chair and stepped towards the newcomer, not bothering to wipe the skepticism from his face. He raised his wrist, entered a code and twisted the bracer until it detached from his glove. With no further instruction, he simply tossed the wrist-computer to the stranger and waited expectantly. Despite his distrust for the man, Tim was fully willing to surrender the hand-made piece of tech – both as a test of Stark’s abilities and as a show of cooperation. He didn’t keep privileged information on the device, so even if the man could break his encryptions, he’d never learn anything dangerous about the brothers or the rest of the Batclan. What he would see upon hacking the devise was several encrypted files containing an immense amount of collected data regarding the breaches, as well as profiles of all those suspected of crossing into this world from his own. If Tony could bypass the young teenager’s security and access the information saved on the device, it would not only corroborate their story, but it would also prove Stark’s competence.

[+blue “While the breaches are, of course, our main priority, I am eager to track down the fugitives from our world. Striker and Shade may seem like harmless thieves, but they’re cunning, vengeful, and – as you’ve noticed – hard to contain.”] Nightwing spoke, addressing the Director and the Captain, giving the newcomer a chance to focus on hacking Red Robin’s computer.

[+blue “They are also, undoubtedly, not the only ones to stumble through undiscovered breaches. The criminals from our world can be incredibly dangerous. Let Red Robin and I handle the fugitives. You should warn your agents not to engage if they come across a trespasser from our world. We don’t want any of you getting hurt.”] Nightwing explained, trying not to let his words sound patronizing. While trying to keep an open mind about these strangers, Nightwing still had his doubts. Growing up in Gotham with Batman as a mentor marked Dick as a critical target in one of North America’s most dangerous cities. He and Tim had to adapt to the monsters that lurked in the shadows of Gotham and were prepared for anything. But Dick rarely trusted other members of the League to handle the villains he was accustomed to – so how could he possibly trust these strangers to hold their own?

[+red “We will also need access to any recent missing persons in your database, particularly any with meta or inhuman abilities. If any of your citizens accidently wandered into an unguarded breach, we will need to alert the Justice League in our world to apprehend the suspects before any damage can be done.”] Red Robin chimed in, casting the occasional glance towards Stark in order to monitor his progress on the wrist computer.

[+red “Which, of course, brings to light our first obstacle. We need to find a way to contact our dimension through the breaches. While we’ve dealt with multi-dimensional breaches before, we’ve never had the need to establish communication lines capable of crossing the very fabric of space and time. It should be possible… with my knowledge of the technology available on my Earth and access to local expertise in this world, we should be able to make contact. That is… if you’re up to the task?”] Red Robin asked as he turned his eyes back towards the man with his wrist computer in hand.
[hr ]
Without any other apparent options, the siblings were forced to follow the advice of their new allies. Logan begrudgingly took the Lieutenant’s coat and covered his wounds as instructed, while Lyssa kept her eyes curiously fixed on Laurent. She had assumed he was a meta-human at first, some sort of Elemental able to manipulate darkness and shadow, but the more she witnessed the less likely that appeared. Meta-humans were often limited in their abilities, having only a few of their genes mutated to accommodate super-human conditions. Laurent seemed to lack those form boundaries, making Lyssa wonder if he was something more than a meta. Perhaps and alien like Superman or Martian Manhunter, or a (demi)god like Wonder Woman, Aquaman, or Ares. Maybe something more demonic like Raven or mystical like Zatanna or Klarion. If any of this was true, it was far better to have Laurent as an ally then an adversary. Lyssa was glad she’d managed to establish a partnership – no matter how uneasy or temporary – with a man of that much power. The Lieutenant was her own mystery to Lyssa, but Logan seemed to trust her, which was enough for Lyssa to play along.

The siblings slid into the car, signing their fates over to the two strangers. Their chances were better with Laurent and Gwen than out on their own, but that didn’t entirely settle their nerves. Lyssa was a little concerned that Laurent did not join them, as she had far more standing with him than with the Lieutenant, but Logan’s reassuring hand on her forearm put her mind somewhat at ease. Despite the danger, at least they were in this together.

[#000066 “Look, not that we don’t appreciate the ride, but Lys and I are taking a bit of a risk here. We don’t know this world, nor the people in it. We’ll be honest with you if you return the favour. Where exactly are we going? Who are you people? Aliens, metas, gods? We’ve got all kinds back home. We’re willing to help you, but it’d be nice to know who we’re falling in line with.”] Logan spoke, breaking the unnerving silence that had fallen over the vehicle. He didn’t want to say or ask anything that could jeopardize their chances of getting medical treatment, but he did want to know if these people were more trouble than help at this point. It would also be useful to know the extent of the abilities they were working with here. If Nightwing and his fellow do-gooders did follow them into the breaches, Lyssa and Logan would make targets out of anyone who tried to help them. At least if they knew what their new allies could do, they could warn them how best to deal with the Heroes from their own world.

While Logan’s approach was a little more demanding, Lyssa thought it best to offer something up front, hoping for a little good will in return.

[#660000 “As you’ve seen, my brother and I are thieves. Logan’s a fighter while my skills are better suited for infiltration. Logan’s blessed with incredible perception and an infallible memory, and I can’t feel pain… not anymore at least. Both of us are what are called ‘Latent Metas’. We have the genetic potential to develop abilities, it… just hasn’t happened yet.”] Lyssa admitted, not missing the sharp warning glare from her brother. He clearly disapproved of sharing these crucial details, especially since their latent genetics are exactly what got them locked away in the Facility years before. But Lyssa knew they couldn’t expect any honesty from the Lieutenant if they were unwilling to be honest themselves.

Director Fury's mind's eye leapt back to the destroyed holding chamber that he had had both the Lieutenant, this Striker [i and] Loki in for just a moment. "[+purple No,]" he said, giving no patience to the blue aesthetic stranger's humorous tone. [+purple they don't.]"

"[+purple That remains to be seen.]" the black man said, shifting his weight on his feet as he regarded the casual speaker with all of the seriousness his manner of always about to lose his temper conceded. Their world had had enough of people from beyond-whatever coming to them and causing disasters of varying natures, and it seemed it was only increasing as time went on. It was increasing at a staggering and upsetting rate. First there had been the days of the super weapons, back in Captain America's and the Lieutenant's times; the times of her old master Red Skull and his mass destruction for the 'greater good' as he saw it. They seemed like the days of old, classical villains- the ones they laughed at now with their twisting, slicked moustaches, doddering around in black capes like evil Poirot himself. But they gave birth to the super soldiers, their first problems; those like the Captain and his German counterpart, the last survivor of her stock, and his before the whole idea was scrapped. But now they had people like this Loki, and Thor- one of the Captain's comrades actually under the Avengers initiative- and their introduction as 'gods'. They were the creatures of literal lore who had come down from the 'heavens' and now wreaked their petty drama upon the earth. God forbid the Greek gods descend one day, the Norse were bad enough with their alien armies swooping down from nowhere.

He had wished for the simplicity of the era before now and its intergalactic pressures and fears. It seemed so easy: there were the bad guys, there were the good guys. Fight them and the world is safe again. Fury had despite himself almost wished for that again; and then he had gotten it. Hydra wasn't dead, America was its new seed, and now it seemed like it was an era of super weapons again. Ultron; the weapon that thought. The AI that decided that the world needed to be without humans hurting one another and the earth and more. Fury was realizing it wasn't simple; he was a fool for wishing.

[right [pic http://i.imgur.com/YnxdMl6.jpg?1]] Captain Rogers drew forwards to see the map that the red one had brought up, his brows arching. He looked to Fury who looked displeased but considerate as he viewed what was given him. "[+blue That looks like the United States,]" he said.

"[+purple I know what it looks like.]" the director responded calmly. He blinked, eye flickering up to Red Robin, the possessor of the map, and then to Nightwing. "[+purple Seems your story has some verity to it after all.]"

Steve didn't say anything initially after Nightwing had finished, simply glancing back at the director once more. He understood what that meant, the only question that was left, then, was whether or not he would allow them to reach Stark. The man gazed at the two strangers for a long moment before he inhaled, his next breath turning into a sigh as it exited him. He shifted and left the room, "[+purple Stay here.]" leaving the Captain with the other two. Just outside the room, Director Fury picked up the phone and called someone.
[center ♦]
[left [pic https://thechive.files.wordpress.com/2017/02/guys-tony-stark-costume-was-so-convincing-people-thought-he-was-the-real-deal-6-photos-27.jpg?quality=85&strip=info]] Tony Stark was only too eager to have been called by the director himself, picking up the phone that was given him in the hallway of the hotel ballroom where he was at. It took about 45 minutes for him to leave the party, and then another 45 to reach the facility. When he did, the average sized man in the well fit, dusty gray suit with a red shirt and white tie entered. His well cut and finely shaped whiskers about his face surrounded a frowning look as he peered at the two masked individuals through the door into the meeting room that Nightwing and Red Robin were eventually led to: finer, cushioned chairs being the upgrade in this situation, and an offer of water.

"[+red Where the heck did you pull these guys from?]" he asked, brown eyes visible now over the blue tinted sunglasses over his eyes. He clapped his hands together then as he actually entered the board room, rubbing his palms together. "[+red So, who's the lucky guy?]" He pointed to Red Robin, "[+red Love the colors, kid.]" and turned to Nightwing, rather turning to look up at him, slipping his hands into his pockets. "[+red Wow. Look at you.]"
[center ♦♦♦]
The man's head snapped to Gweniviere when she said she knew someone who knew 'better'. His eyes narrowed, a muscle leaping in his jaw, but she delicately avoided looking at him. No one knew portal travel better than he; she knew that. Was she thinking of his brother, then? Surely not, as they had just left his comrade in the facility, nor should she think of the doctor, or anyone. [i He] was the person to come to, surely she hadn't forgotten. Frustration knotted itself deep in his stomach at that, tearing his gaze from hers to fix it on a street brick, folding his hands behind himself to hide their flexing in agitation.

[right [pic http://th03.deviantart.net/fs43/200H/f/2009/137/4/e/Scarred_Girl_by_Samiross90.png]] The lieutenant, however, her attention remained on the situation at hand, eyes drifting between the two of them during the moment of hesitation. If they would not answer her within the next ten seconds, she would leave them. Surely Loki had been recognized in his bold crash into their holding chamber and SHIELD would come barreling after them. She had little time for strangers when parts of her team were being threatened. Her hand dipped into her pocket briefly, retrieving her watch and taking a glance at it. The glass had cracked somewhere during the skirmish but she could still read it, humming low in her throat. It was beginning to get a little too close to their pickup time. It was time for things to happen so they could meet it or they were on their own. Her eyes arose again once the brother answered her finally. Her brows quirked a bit at the mention of repayment, a pinprick of a grin touching her lips as she dropped the watch back in her pocket. "[B Excellent.]" With that she began to stride off in a direction down the street.

Gweniviere's head turned back to the man, concern weighing the line of her brow as she considered that. "[B Best get back then.]" she said in a low tone, glancing around as she brought them across the street. It was an old city and there were a number of alleyways and it was time to get off the main streets as soon as possible. No one knew who would recognize you and tweet out said thing. The Lieutenant's mess of white hair from under her cap and her uniform might be noticed, and Loki's entire existence and costume stood out. She at least could pass as an eccentric or a bike rider. She pulled her cap off, pushing her fingers through the sweaty white hair on her head and endeavored to comb it back under the hat before replacing it.

Laurent's stride was wide and quick behind them as he made a motion towards himself. His clothes melted into a more urban iteration of what he had on before, his long leathers turning into an evening coat and suit underneath. He pulled the lapels to lie better upon himself, exhaling as he continued, keeping an eye on the sky as if he could already hear the ripple of the booster rockets on Stark's suit, or the flash of lightning and red cape that would hail his brother's approach. He would mind the skies as Gweniviere minded the streets.

The Lieutenant unbuttoned and shrugged off her coat, handing it back to Logan. "[B Cover your wounds. Don't flatter yourself that your shoulders are broader than mine. They aren't.]"

The group mostly traveled in silence, something she appreciated, until they got down behind a row of houses or apartments that was backed by an empty lot, separated by a sad-looking, wooden fence with graffiti all over it. In it, there was a shiny black sedan that the two locals made their way towards. Inside the lighted cab was a man wearing a headscarf as if he were a vintage woman in a convertible tied closely about his round face. He glanced up over the back of what looked like a book, the curl of blond hair on his forehead bouncing a little as he arched his brows, dark lips pursing a bit as he then set the book aside and started the motor. Gweniviere nodded to him and rounded the hood of the car, sliding into the passenger seat. "[B Get in.]" she said just before she ducked in.

[left [pic http://i.imgur.com/OyHI03y.jpg?2]] Laurent slowed and allowed the other two to get inside, exhaling and giving Gweniviere a patient look, a notably intolerant look being given to the car itself. He swallowed, peeking at her through the cab, "[#003300 [B How about I meet you there?]]"

"[B I don't care, can we just go?]"

He nodded and shut the door, giving the back seat up to the bleeding twins instead and glanced around as he stood by the car. "[#a46d8f [B Lieutenant, who are these people?]]" came the light voice of the man in the well-fit blazer driving. He gave her a tight smile, his eyes holding a modicum of similar tension.

"[B Stragglers,]" she said, gesturing him forwards, "[B let's go, we didn't make it cleanly.]"

The man looked forward, eyes glancing over the two in the back for a long moment with that same smile before he seemed to give a twitching shrug and began to pull away. The car departed Laurent, the man nodding after it before his body faded into nothing.

The entrance of the Director demanded the attention of both the masked vigilantes, each showing a very different, yet similarly perceptive reaction. With eyes hidden behind the white lenses of their masks, both young heroes scanned their company, taking in every ounce of visually betrayed intel. The man held himself with an air of authority, followed not only by the agents in the room, but also by the figure Red Robin assumed was one of this world’s heroes. While Nightwing turned attentively to the newcomer with a respectful nod of welcome and every visible intent to abide by the man’s stated authority, his younger comrade was far more wary. The white slits of Red Robin’s mask narrowed considerably at the man’s hostile tone, and his gloved hand subconsciously rested on his utility belt, prepared at a moment’s notice to defend both himself and his brother. Although his movements were subtle and nearly silent, years of training, patrolling, and fighting side-by-side had made Nightwing well aware of his brother’s intentions.

[right [pic http://i1144.photobucket.com/albums/o482/Tiger_Is/8b969841-8451-456d-aa68-b4cf3647a2fd_zpslcz2niju.jpg] ] [b [+blue “Relax Red, these men have every right to be suspicious.”]] Nightwing ordered gently without sparing a glance at his partner. His eyes never left the Director nor the Captain, shifting between the two with a casual – yet highly attentive – gaze.

[b [+blue “I can understand your mistrust, gentlemen. I assume Striker and Shade were less than cooperative… they don’t handle confinement well.”]] Nightwing admitted with a pointed glance around the secured room and the guards stationed at the exits. He knew the siblings’ history – knew of their imprisonment and experimentation at the Facility. He had no doubt that Lyssa and Logan Thorne would rather spill blood than find themselves in that situation again.

[b [+blue “I can assure you, my brother and I are only here to help.”]] Nightwing’s expression and posture only added credibility to his words. While Red Robin still stood tense and anxious at the back of the room, Nightwing was calm, relaxed, and emanating a tone of passivity. He had no intention of fighting these men, and was pleased when the shield-wielding hero seemed to support that notion.

Once again, the blue-clad vigilante was grateful that it was himself standing here with Red Robin instead of their mentor. It had not been an easy decision; Batman had strongly voiced his objections to sending two [i arrogant children] into an unknown world with no backup and an unreliable method of contacting home. Nightwing tried not to take the depreciating jabs to heart, knowing that – albeit harsh and rather cold – Bruce Wayne’s words were born out of a deep concern for his sons. In a sense, Batman was far more qualified for the unpredictable circumstances of this mission. His decades of experience, proficiency in all-varieties of combat, and expertise in adapting and responding to spontaneous, unpredictable scenarios (thank you Joker), made him an ideal candidate for a blind venture into another world. Batman’s lack of diplomacy and confrontational nature, however, was not.

Nightwing was a clear second choice for the mission. Having trained under Batman since he was a child, the young man was almost as skilled as his mentor. With the added skillset of his acrobatics and charisma, Dick Grayson was well suited to take the lead, even despite his lack of superhuman abilities. Red Robin’s position on this team took a little more negotiation. Tim Drake was still in his late teens, with far less worldly experience than his brother. It was his unmatched technical abilities, genius IQ, and curiosity for other-worldly tech that earned him journey through the breach.

With the Director’s final question, Nightwing allowed Red Robin’s analytical expertise to carry the conversation from there. Nightwing appeared to simply fall back and listen absent-mindedly to his partner, but the experienced detective was, in fact, using this opportunity to observe their surroundings and take in whatever information he could about this world and its heroes. One thing as certain about this particular pair of vigilantes: a lack of powers was no reason to underestimate them.

[left [pic http://i1144.photobucket.com/albums/o482/Tiger_Is/859ea812-491f-43a2-b7e2-cc928f88a5ce_zpsicdjbne9.png ] ] [b [+red “After securing the area surrounding the breach Striker and Shade stumbled through, Batman and I analyzed the energy signature of the breach. We were able to trace similar signatures in the surrounding area and coordinated our efforts with other Justice League members to secure as many breaches as possible. When Nightwing and I entered the breach, there were a total of nine portals found so far: Three in Gotham City, two in Metropolis, one in Star City, two in Central City, and one in Bludhaven. ”]] Red Robin announced, holding u his wrist in the middle of his explanation to reveal a holographic computer screen generated from the technology in his gauntlet. The screen projected a map of what looked very similar to the United States, with each of the mentioned cities and breaches marked in red across the country.

[b [+blue “Our people are still searching for more of these energy signatures and securing the breaches so no other civilians can wander through. The only way to truly close the breaches, however, is to locate their parallels here in this world. For that, we’ll need your help.”]]
Nightwing added with restrained optimism. The Director did mention having issues with portals and rifts before, but that did not guarantee he would believe their story this time, nor did it ensure his cooperation even if he did. Dick could only hope the threat against their own world might motivate these men into help stop the breaches… if not, this mission was about to get a lot more dangerous for Nightwing and Red Robin.

[b [+red “Tracking the energy signatures is… complex. Closing them, even more so. While we certainly need manpower to secure these breaches once their found, and to detain any threats that pass through the breaches on either side, I’m going to need someone with a particular skillset to help me establish a tracking program compatible with this world’s technology.”]] Red Robin admitted, shooting a glare towards his brother when he heard the young man chuckle at his lack of tact.

[b [+blue “Red needs to talk to your resident genius. If you have anyone with expertise in advanced technology, I’m sure one look at the data in Red Robin’s computer will be enough to corroborate our story.”]]
[hr ]
[right [pic http://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/a0/70/f3/a070f38ac55605808a483cf43952d791.jpg] ] With Lyssa’s exhaustion and the debilitating pain in Logan’s arm, both siblings knew their chances of navigating this new realm on their own were slim. Regardless, the Lieutenant’s invitation was met with hesitation. Lyssa and Logan exchanged a wary glance, silently communicating their own doubts and concerns. While the former had formed an uneasy alliance with Laurent and the latter, a reluctant truce with Gweniviere, neither felt confident placing their lives nor the lives of their siblings in the hands of these dangerous strangers. Surprisingly, it was the least trusting of the two that made the final decision. Logan didn’t dare risk his sister’s life on these unforgiving and unfamiliar streets, and he was fairly certain the Lieutenant wouldn’t have bothered with the offer if she intended them any harm.

[b [#000066 “Alright, we’ll go with you. But I don’t take handouts. If you help my sister, maybe there’s a way for Lys and I to pay you back.”]] Logan replied, wanting it understood that he had no intention of being a burden. Lyssa’s skills helped them all escape, but Logan had been rendered rather useless in their recent situation. The scar-faced man was determined to pay his debts and he had a feeling the opportunity would soon arise.

[b [#000066 “When we came through the breach, we were being pursued. Nightwing – one of our own resident boyscouts – is not much of a concern, but he will follow us through. Trouble is, if Nightwing falls off the radar back in our world, it’ll attract the attention of several heavy-hitters you don’t wanna mess with.”]] Logan warned, giving his sister full support as they stepped towards their newly-forged alliance. He doubted the two were care about a riled-up collection of foreign heroes, but the siblings new from experience what lengths the Justice League would go to in order to [i protect] their own.
In recent years, evidence of string theory, time travel, and pocket dimensions had become indisputable.

[left [pic http://i1144.photobucket.com/albums/o482/Tiger_Is/scar_zpsjatyigug.jpg?t=1450553284] ] Most of humanity remained willingly ignorant to such matters, but others, particularly Meta-humans, were far more sensitive to these alternative realities. Some even suffered from flashes and residual memories of these other realities – thanks to the Meta-gene experiments they suffered at the Facility, Logan and Lyssa were no exception. They had seen first-hand what the world would fall to if a vengeful Justice League allowed themselves to cross that moral line. Flashpoint, Injustice, the Two-Earth Crisis… in each case, small changes to the timeline had disastrous results: wars between the Atlantians and the Amazons, the global domination of a corrupt and murderous Superman, the merciless bloodshed of Meta-against-Meta warzones, the utter destruction of entire cities and countries, all in the name of “the greater good.” The siblings could only imagine the devastation it would cause if their world’s heroes viewed this realm as a threat. Laurent and the Lieutenant were an impressive force, but they wouldn’t stand a chance against the entire Justice League.

[b [#660000 “Logan’s been studying our world’s heroes for years. He knows their strengths, their weaknesses… he can help you prepare. Unless we can find our way back home and close whatever breach we stumbled through, this mess is going to get a lot more dangerous for both worlds.”]]

[right [pic http://i.imgur.com/YnxdMl6.jpg?1]] His shield had lodged in the door, desperate to break it down before they could escape. He [i knew] that man's abilities inside, and if it were the two of them there that meant that the Lieutenant was up to something she wanted done without carnage at the very least. In and out. But they had had to get in first. He didn't know what they were after, it was chewing at him right now with the obessiveness that he remembered feeling when he found out that Bucky had been alive. But he could hardly call a search of every inch of the facilities to figure out just what they had taken.

Sighing now as he stood in the now empty interrogation room he was thinking over the events of his contact with 'Striker' as he had called himself. Claiming to be from another world, or realm or reality. Steve had to admit that an alarming number of people and things were coming to him and the people around him where that was true, but it was still so hard to [i believe]. But then again, so was his survival through seventy years of ice encasement... So was the attack on New York, by [i aliens] that Loki had summoned at his beck. [i The] Loki, and his work now with Thor, his brother. It was a lot of evidence that this fellow earlier had possibly really actually fallen through some tear in the veil or whatever... He wasn't sure anymore. The super soldier was torn about what to believe.

His attention was cut short when another agent came and approached him, using the formality he was undeservingly addressed as a character back during the war... But he stayed silent on the matter. It had become his nickname. But the use of 'sir' ground on him. "[+blue Don't call me sir, son.]" he said, trying not to sound too critical, but it did bother him. He was just an agent, now. Hardly a soldier anymore. But more a soldier than Widow, at least, in comparison. He wasn't sure where he fell anymore.

Once in the room he was as surprised as the others, but also someow numb to it all and barely reacted outwardly. "[+blue We've had a long night already,]" the dirty blonde responded with a nod as his eyes turned to the smaller. He wasn't sure he was comforted by the tone the other took. He was tired already, but emotionally so. Only if he really exerted himself would he really. "[+blue and you are in the United States. But I'm not the leader.]" The man responded, brows drawing together, discomfited with the idea. Sure, he held notoreity, but he wasn't anything but a special agent.

[left [pic https://sueedworthy.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/nick-fury-samuel-l-jackson-shield-the-avengers.jpg]] "[+purple That'd be me.]" came another voice from behind them. The Captain and the other agents turned and parted for the entrance of a man in a long black coat, his voice crowing over the voice of the men in the room. They fell silent as he came in, his step slowing until he came to a stop, his foot landing audibly as he looked over the two in the room with his one good eye. "[+purple And you two have suddenly landed your asses in my facilities out of the blue like this, and your friends who came before you [i also] trespassed just like this and they didn't leave a very good impression.]" his eye widened, looking between the two of them with the glower that those that worked with him likened to a grouchy parent tolerating no further lip even as he was inviting a response.

"[+purple We've been recently bombarded by any [i number] of freaks and 'foreigners' coming through portal holes, so do excuse me if I'm a little reluctant to be hospitable.]" the man continued when Nightwing offered his hand.

However, on the Captain's end he did recognize the names that were dropped, at least, a flash of recognition igniting in his eyes as he looked to the man in the mask. His attention hovered on him as he continued speaking, glancing towards Fury. They had come to something of an understanding between one another during the attempted rebuild of SHIELD after Hydra's last attack on its infrastructure. Now, they were a tiny part of what was once a great thing. It was scary that they had been so quickly uncovered again. "[+blue Director,]" Steve said quietly, trying to catch the man's eye (a feat only slightly difficult to achieve considering he was on the side with the man's good eye). "[+blue the names of those people at least matches the one who I had with the Lieutenant in the other room earlier. He also mentioned a Batman. I think we should at least listen about what they want to do.]"

The director turned his head towards the other with a look that warned him about interrupting like this, but seemed to think about it a moment. Turning back to the two of them, he parted his lips again, "[+purple How many more holes are there?]" He asked, ever expectant and slightly accusatory. The idea that there was so much chance for catastrophe- he could only imagine if someone like Loki would rediscover another realm he could slip into, or for something [i else] to slither through into their world. It was a point of stress that hovered tight in the man's abdomen as he thought over this the moments he took to do so. But ever cautious, he was reluctant to believe a complete stranger from another world. Weird costumes aside, he really wasn't ready to make deals with faceless individuals like this.
[center ♦♦♦]
[right [pic http://i.imgur.com/OyHI03y.jpg?2]] Turning her attention back to the siblings, Gweniviere caught sight of the woman, Lissa, beginning to succumb to her wounds. Frowning, she had to start reconsidering her request for them to keep moving.

The immortal's eyes lingered on the little woman as she faded some. Seems the strain was getting to her now. Drawing from the wound back up to his face, he wondered how long she would last. It brought to mind how she had cauterized her own wound without even flinching earlier. His eyes flickered up to her face before turning to the brother. Thus far he was still unimpressed with him, but he remained quiet. If they continued bickering, they would be left behind. The only ting they would lose would be two potential allies, or potential nuisances who knew their identities, already positively identified within the facility they had left. It would be no problem that he could see for them.

His eyes lingered on those who spoke, each in turn, before his eyes flickered over to Gweniviere. The woman's eyes slid to him as Lissa spoke up, the white haired woman exhaling slightly as she looked down at the trail of blood that one or both was beginning to collect standing where they were. Chances were it wouldn't likely cause them trouble, a random needle in a field of haystacks, that blood. But if they moved anywhere there may be trouble. Especially if these two were the trouble that at least the brother wanted to profess clarly to her.

Her eyes arose again when she was addressed, arching her brows as he introduced himself and his sister, glancing between them briefly with a nod. Humming low in acknowledgment, she regarded him for a moment before shaking her head. "[B No harm.]" she responded, flashing a glimmer of a mild smile, if crooked due to the nominal damage done to her face. Shifting her lips a little, her hand arose to touch the wound in the side of her face, looking at her fingers. The clot agent that the captain had given her had worked for the time being, of course, but it wouldn't forever and the gummy residue it left would be overcome eventually. She glanced back to Logan, "[B Even.]" before flicking her eyes to Lyssa briefly.

[left [pic http://th03.deviantart.net/fs43/200H/f/2009/137/4/e/Scarred_Girl_by_Samiross90.png]] Laurent felt the corner of his mouth curl slightly at Logan's comment about spilling blood. He had, in a way, yes. But none of his own.

Licking her lips, Gweniviere wrinkled her nose a bit at the lingering taste of the clotting serum in her mouth. It of course wasn't made to be pleasant, she knew, but it left this gummy feeling all througout that she wanted to rinse at her next convenience. She exhaled as she nodded. "[B I think it would be best if you came with us.]" Gweniviere said, gesturing to the two of them, "[B You said you weren't from around here. Might be another problem on our heads,]" she nodded to Loki. "[B We know a thing or two about that. And we also know someone else who knows even better.]"

Logan couldn’t say he was expecting much better from the blonde, but he couldn’t deny he had been hoping for a little mercy on his sister’s behalf. To hear that the monster hunting his sister would likely slaughter her on sight was far from reassuring, especially when he knew Lyssa was not the type to cower and hide. She would run, but only for so long. If she thought there was any chance at freeing her brother, Lyssa would not stray far from the building, keeping her well within the reach of the Lieutenant’s partner. With his fears confirmed, Logan felt his body tense. His wrists strained uselessly against the biting cuffs as he sat, overwhelmed by his own powerlessness. He couldn’t protect his sister while trapped in here, and yet, he couldn’t escape without her. The news visibly shook the man’s composure and it would be no mystery to the blonde that her words had devastated him. Still, when Logan spoke, his voice was calm and unwavering, as he carefully concealed any of the fear and dread he currently felt.

[b [#000066 “She deserved better than this.”]] Logan’s words, voice of the adversarial tone he had used with the Lieutenant in the past, were proof enough that the loss of his sister meant more to him than any squabble shared between the two captives. The mere fact that he didn’t direct his pain and anger towards the bearer of such news, was a testament to his appreciation for the blonde woman’s honesty. He may not have openly showed it, but that small gesture – telling him the cold but honest truth – was the first step in clearing the tension between Logan and the mysterious woman. The second step came moments later when the woman’s partner appeared with his sister, injured but alive.

Lyssa had no time to waste on caution or concern. When the woman tensed with obvious wariness of her approach, the young thief had to rely on whatever shaky trust she had built with Laurent in order to protect her from the stranger’s defensive instincts. Surely the man who had brought her here would understand her attempts to fulfill her side of their agreement? As the cuffs fell away, Lyssa backed off, giving the woman as much space as she needed to feel safe. She took Gweniviere’s [i Thank You] with an affirming nod, hoping this was a sign that the woman was no longer interested in killing her and her brother. Lyssa did have her doubts, however, when Laurent grabbed a forceful fistful of both her and Logan’s garb and pulled the back in that disorienting swirl of nothingness.

By the time the group emerged and the adrenaline was slowly dissipating in Lyssa’s blood, the young woman began to feel the effects of the bloodloss that she had been ignoring until now. A sudden wave of dizziness washed over her, not at all lessoned by their recent teleportation. The uneasy sway of the young redhead claimed the forefront of her brother’s attention, making Laurent’s efforts to pacify the man somewhat unnecessary.

[b [#000066 “Damnit Lyssa!”]] Logan cursed as he steadied his sister with one hand on her shoulder and the other (weakened by his own injury) finding the blood that seeped through the side of her shirt. The cauterized wound in Lyssa’s side had reopened during the exertion of the rescue and though she still felt no trace of pain, the other symptoms of her injury were starting to weigh on her. Lyssa needed to rest and recover her strength, and both siblings had bleeding wounds they needed taken care of. They’re priority now was to find somewhere safe where they could tend to their injuries and regroup. Unfortunately, in an unfamiliar city, with unfamiliar heroes, in an unfamiliar dimension, Lyssa and Logan were painfully unprepared.

[b [#660000 “I’ll be fine Logan. You know I’ve had worse.”]] Lyssa insisted with every attempt to diffuse the man’s anger, though her words did little to ease her overprotective brother’s concerns. While she could understand Logan’s position, the younger sibling had other priorities – such as making sure the powerful, and dangerous strangers that had helped them escape, didn’t change their minds about keeping the siblings alive.

[b [#660000 “Thank you, for keeping your end of our bargain.”]]

[b [#000066 “Thank you? That bastard stabbed you, Lys! He could have killed you! If he really wanted to help, he wouldn’t be standing there watching you bleed to death from a wound he caused!”]] Logan argued back, clearly still wary of the stranger. He only pried his eyes off his sister in order to keep the other two in his sights. Why they had brought the siblings here instead of leaving them to the mercy of the Boyscout, Logan had no idea, but he wasn’t ready to drop his guard just yet.

[b [#660000 “Logan!”]] For the second time since the four were reunited, Lyssa’s sharp tone cut off her brother’s fury and brought him back in line. Logan was willing to fight any battle, no matter how ill-suited he was; the only exception was his sister. He wouldn’t dare fight her on this, especially when she was so determined. Lyssa, of course, was just as concerned about Logan pissing off a powerful being like Laurent as she was about Laurent being unjustly accused.

[b [#660000 “They helped us escape, that’s more than enough.”]] The young woman forced the weariness out of her voice, both to ease her brother’s worry and to hide the severity of her condition to those she only partially trusted. Laurent could have easily left her and Logan in that holding cell, or simply killed them both during the escape. Either he spared them as potential allies or merely as an effort to uphold his deal. Either way, he had earned some report with the younger Thorne. The woman, on the other hand, was still a threat to Lyssa. The damage done by the redhead’s blade was plainly evident on the blonde’s face and Lyssa could only fear she’d pay for such a strike with her life. Logan seemed to sense her uncertainly, and did his best to ease the tension between the four of them.

[b [#000066 “Lieutenant? That’s what the Boyscout called you, right? I’m Logan, my sister’s Lyssa. Shade and Striker from Bludhaven… which I’m guessing doesn’t exist in this world? You told me you attacked us because you thought we were one of [i them]? Well, we’re obviously not. All four of us spilled blood back there. What do you say, we call it even? I won’t hold a grudge if you don’t.”]] Logan spoke evenly, his tone notably void of the hostility he used when speaking with Captain America. It was evident, his only concern now was his sister – just as it had been back in the holding cell.

[b [#000066 “We don’t know this city. Is there any place safe we could stay? Just while we treat my shoulder and Lyssa’s side? Then we’ll be out of your hair, I swear it.”]]
[hr ]
[b [#777766 “Captain? There’s no sign of the four fugitives. I’m afraid they have escaped. But we do have a more pressing issue. If you would follow me, Sir.”]] The agent requested, somewhat anxiously in light of their failure to apprehend the escapees. The Lieutenant was enough of a concern, but allied with this stranger, [i Striker], who knew what they were capable of? Suspicions only grew as the guards discovered two additional trespassers in the same corridor where Striker and his redheaded partner surfaces mere hours ago. The strangers, while not nearly as hostile as their formers, spun the same ludicrous story of travelling from another dimension. Not wanting to take any chances, the agents swiftly detained the intruders and escorted them to one of the holding cells, waiting for Captain America to decide their fate.
The agent brought the Captain to the holding cell where their two new prisoners were being kept and was welcomed by the utter shock of the two men suddenly free from their binds and conversing amongst themselves against the far wall of the holding cell. As soon as the agent led the Captain inside, both strangers fell silent and addressed their company with a passivity that starkly contrasted Striker’s behaviour.

It was the older of the two men that spoke first. Dressed in armoured Kevlar, with a simple domino mask across his eyes, a full utility belt around his waist, and two escrima sticks strapped to his back – Nightwing looked to be at ease in these unfamiliar surroundings, unlike his partner. The younger, similarly dressed hero in Nightwing’s wake wore different colours (red accents instead of Nightwing’s blue), a full hooded mask, two belts across his chest, and a cape draped over his shoulders.

[b [+blue “Sorry about the cuffs. In our defense, we did tell your men that restraints were unnecessary.”]] Nightwing stated, motioning to the discarded binds absently left on the floor. The black and blue clad hero held an air of confidence and ease that was quite unique in their present circumstance. The fact that he was in an unfamiliar world, detained by an unknown collaboration of guards and superhumans didn’t seem to faze the young man. That was because Nightwing had been in situations like this many times before, left to the mercy of strange heroes and villains with seemingly ever disadvantage and yet, here he stood without a hint of doubt or fear in his posture. Batman had trained his protégé well.

[b [+red “Red, white, and blue: I told you we were still in the States… or at least this world’s equiviant.”]] The younger of the two spoke directly to his partner before his masked eyes returned to scan the room. Lacking the same ease as his elder, this younger hero did manage to hold a similar level of confidence, although his was far more calculated than the former.

[b [+red “Strict uniform on the lackies, with military grade weaponry and a hierarchy of command. Each uniform depicts the acronym [i S.H.I.E.L.D.] – a defensive connotation, not typically associated with criminal intent. Their leader, dressed in national colours and symbols, his patronage clearly stated, holds himself with the mannerisms of a solder, despite the clear authority he holds over the others. He’s an uncanny parallel to the late Commander Steel of our world.”]] Red Robin spoke, again keeping his deductions directed at his partner. While Nightwing held the social confidence in situations like this, it was Red Robin’s cool intellect that would guide their behaviour in this world, making Nightwing eternally grateful he agreed to let the younger hero join him on such a dangerous mission.

Nightwing took a step towards the Captain, first raising his hands in a passive, non-threatening gesture to show he was not here to fight.
[b [+blue “My name is Nightwing, my little brother here is Red Robin. Both of us trained under one of our world’s most infamous heroes, Batman. We’re not from your world, but we mean you no harm. Red Robin and I came here through a portal that linked our world to yours. A portal recently used by two of our Earth’s criminals, Shade and Striker. We came here to get them back before they could cause you any trouble.”]] Nightwing explained, hoping this world’s hero at least had an open mind to hear him speak. Batman warned them that this mission would be near-impossible without the cooperation of local law-enforcement… which is exactly why the team decided on sending the charismatic Dick Grayson, as opposed to the stoic loner that mentored him.

Nightwing approached the Captain slowly, but assertively, extending his hand in an offer of partnership. Though he was unaware, his mention of names such as Batman and Nightwing may credit his story, since those were the names Striker had mentioned during his interrogation.

[b [+blue “Once Shade and Striker are apprehended, my brother and I would be more than happy to help you locate and seal any portals that opened between our two worlds. Our friends back home are tracking these portals as we speak, trying to minimize the damage, but we can’t be sure that Striker and Shade were the only ones who stumbled through unintentionally. We also need to know if any of your citizens might have slipped through to our world."]]

Steve turned at the sudden outbreak of noise to see Logan on his feet and facing him defiantly. The weight in his voice made the super soldier take pause, looking at him a moment with his brows furrowed at the reaction. He wasn't, even with that reaction, making him want to respond, to allow him that peculiarity. But the Captain licked his lips, nodding silently as he glanced down, and turned to leave.

Gweniviere's brows furrowed at the sudden reaction as well, arching them in surprise, interested to watch what was happening. She wondered briefly if that was an inferiority thing with him. She shook her head slightly and remained ever the listener as she was, licking her lips and letting her eyes flicker back up to the Captain as he left. With his exit, the German war veteran's lips cracked into a vague grin when she watched the guards go with him. This would be the best time to do something, if she had a clear enough way out. It was one reason that Gweniviere had remained rather more quiet, fine with being out of the spotlight for the time being, and allowing Logan to be the center of attention as the new face among all this mess. It allowed her a little bit to start looking around, testing the feel of her shackles, testing her boldness... Settling back in her chair, the metal creaking slightly, she crossed her knees, resting her heavily restrained hands in her lap.

Stepping outside as the door closed behind him, the blonde super soldier stepped out of the way for the guards, exhaling slowly. He understood that. So small when he was younger- just a year ago it felt like. But no, it was over seventy, despite what he might feel or think. But that aside he was always looked down upon in that same way. It was a familiar feeling, and he felt guilty for doing the same thing. Barring that, however, Steve turned and went to look up the name, passing through the halls to go see what came up. [i Striker]. He didn't recognize it, of course, but then again he hadn't heard of half the things he had fought and defeated (for the most part) in the last year. So much was cropping up in the wake of Loki and Hydra's surge back into the spotlight.

Gweniviere scoffed, a rueful pulling on her lips as she brought the lower into her teeth with a low laugh and a shake of her head. "[B Figured as much,]" she said in a reminding tone. "[B I spoke only for the record. Put it out there.]" Sister, huh? So the two were related, not just companions. Some family business of some sort, she assumed? Explained a little about him, at least.

The Lieutenant exhaled slowly as Logan waited for her answer, dropping her gaze, mouth pulling tight. She knew he would kill that woman on sight more likely than not unless his main perogative had become escape. She would know better if he wasn't collared like he was. The foreigner was unpredictable at the best and worst of times. He was a creature of mischief after all. But stranger things had happened. However, the tone of his voice--he who had spit nothing but poison this whole time at her and at Captain America-- made her hesitate. Gweniviere wasn't entirely numb to others, even after so long, but she knew the likelihood of outcomes. "[B I can't rightly say.]" she finally decided. It wasn't exactly a lie, more of an omittance, but she wanted to tell him straight, yet wasn't exactly prepared for multiple reasons. "[B But it's likely.]" Gweniviere wanted to be honest, and figured perhaps the honesty might be met with some positivity, and didn't want to get his hopes up. Her partner was at his basest a killer who struggled with valuing lives of others. Growing up immortal didn't help that. But she also worried about perhaps devaluing herself as a possible asset to this Logan should things go curiously sideways.
[center ♦♦♦]
[right [pic http://i.imgur.com/diWzUnM.jpg?1]] He grinned at the sudden grasp in his clothes from the mortal, his long coat offering her plenty to fist her fingers in. Once they emerged through the veil, Laurent immediately released her and his eyes searched the area. Finally landing on the familiar, scarred face of the Lieutenant as she stared at him, open mouthed, Laurent grinned, pleased with surprising her even in these dire straights.

"[B Lo- Laurent?]" she said, the rough huskiness of her voice music to his ears. His grin widened at her, relief flooding his features after the amusement of seeing her open-mouthed as he looked at Gweniviere again- not through a video feed but safe-- safer-- now that he was here; real.

The woman's brows came together, wondering a split second how he got here before she pieced together that he was released from the handicap and a grin pulled, if crookedly across her mouth, exhaling in what sounded like relief.

After snapping out of his reflection, eyes immediately set to searching over her as she looked to him. Laurent noticed firstly the blood and the deep cut on her cheek and his hand rose to flicker towards it. That was before the voice of the brother caught his attention and the immortal turned, looking over his shoulder. He awaited the brother's threat, hands flexing at his sides as Lyssa moved past him to Gweniviere and his eyes warily flickered between the two of them, trying to watch everyone as he bristled uncomfortably stuck between two strangers and his partner.

Gweniviere shifted some uncomfortably, her body tensing as the redhead approached her and her hands reached towards her. She wasn't aware that Laurent and her were on good terms, despite their appearance together, and quickly looked to Laurent who seemed wary but willing. Holding still at Lyssa's words, she watched as the other nimbly unlocked the restraints on her arms and they fell away. Impressed, her brows rose, glancing up at the woman. With that the Lieutenant immediately pushed them to the floor, grin spreading wider across her face and eager to free herself no matter the situation. "[B Thank you.]" she said quickly and stood up, her head reaching above near everyone but Laurent in the room.

A loud, metallic bang was heard as the edge of Captain America's shield lodged in the other side of the door, bending it and barely, barely almost cutting it down. Laurent turned from it when Lyssa addressed him next, noticing Gweniviere coiling next to him.

She took the heavy metal restraints from the floor and tore them in two, snapping the hinge and holding a relatively dull, but heavy piece of metal in her hands now. He appreciated her resourcefulness, but his thoughts were on escape. The possibilities of this fight, cornered, trapped, gunned down flashed through his mind's eye and he nodded. "[B [#003300 Yes.]]" Laurent breathed, making a grab at the young woman, nabbing her sleeve and pulling her towards him and took a stride towards Logan, stretching and seizing his shirt as well. "[B [#003300 Gweniviere-]]" he began, looking to her, but she was already latching onto him and he let the whirl of the ember flecked haze envelope them.

Appearing out of it again, Laurent had deposited them in the city plaza that they had left the car in (the SHIELD facility being in the city proper of Washington DC). His hands dropped from the two he had seized, hands coming up to present his palms as he preemptively expected the brother to make a pointed retaliation from being grabbed, eyes wary. He hadn't delivered them home, as he could have, or to base because he had in tow the two strangers in addition.

Gweniviere glanced around, taking in their surroundings. "[B Good. Great.]" she said, her hand releasing the fistful of material she had seized from Laurent's chest. She turned to the rest, "[B We should keep moving, though, get out of sight, out of the way.]"

With that Laurent's hand came out, cupping the side of her face in which she had the wound. A gentle glow of green filled the cup of his palm. The Lieutenant frowned, her hand coming up to take his wrist and remove it. "[B Not now, it's fine.]"

He frowned at her, feeling that twinge of rejection in his stomach, and pursed his lips. "[B It won't take a moment-]"

She nodded towards Logan, "[B Why don't you make it up to him, first?]" Gweniviere wasn't sure what the other two intended on doing, but she had half a mind to keep them close, but worried about their allegiances. They had, frankly, appeared out of nowhere. Stranger things had happened, of course, but it still stirred her stomach a little, something about this.

[right [pic http://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/a0/70/f3/a070f38ac55605808a483cf43952d791.jpg] ] Logan kept his careless composure for nearly the entire duration of his encounter with the Captain, but there were some triggers even one as collected as Logan couldn’t ignore. The seemingly harmless utterance of a word too often associated with the pain of Logan’s past set him off. In an instant, every muscle in the young man’s body was flexed and tensed for a fight – the cuffs bit into the flesh of his wrists and the chair clattered to the floor as Logan bolted to his feet, and the sound of clicking guns filled the room as the young man’s actions prompted the guards to take aim. Logan, however, seemed unbothered by his surroundings. His eyes, burning with a cold, contained fury, stared down the Captain as his lip curled with revolt.

[b [#000066 “Don’t call me [i son.]”]] Logan practically spit the word as if he didn’t even like the taste of it on his tongue. With the rapid change in his demeanor, it was now apparent how this seemingly defiant delinquent could be far more dangerous than he let on. As the Captin continued, reminding him that he refused any care for his wounds and that his position as a captive still stood, Logan settled back down in metal chair (set back on its feet by one of the guards). He took the time to calm himself, internally meditating as the Captain spoke with the other prisoner, and by the time the Boyscout took his leave, Logan was acting as if his little outburst never occurred at all. His was visibly more relaxed and resigned to his situation when the woman directed her next words to him.

[b [#000066 “If that’s some fucked-up version of an apology, you can keep it to yourself. There’s no peace between us, not while you’re friend is hunting down my sister.”]] Logan retorted, with nothing more than a slight bitterness to his tone. It was clearly less intimidating than he intended, but Logan’s mind was on his sister. She always came back for him, despite his warnings for her to stay someplace safe. It was taking way too long for her to show up, meaning she had either run into trouble along the way or was still trying to escape the bastard that followed her into the air vents. As much as he was content to keep that social barrier between him and the woman fully intact, Logan’s concern for his sister began chipping away at his resolve and the young man gave a resigned sigh before speaking again.

[b [#000066 “Is he going to kill her?”]] In top condition, Logan had every confidence that his sister’s particular skills would help her evade the strange man that was tracking her, but she was far from unscathed. Logan didn’t know the full extent of Lyssa’s injuries, but he knew by the blood in the hallway and the laboured effort of Lyssa’s escape that she had been hurt during the ambush as well.
[hr]
[left [pic http://i1144.photobucket.com/albums/o482/Tiger_Is/scar_zpsjatyigug.jpg?t=1450553284] ] Sneaking around the building was admittedly much easier with the stranger at her side. While Lyssa could often navigate herself through the labyrinth of corridors, bringing others with her always proved to be a challenge. For Laurent, however, it was a benefit. He simple eliminated the threat of the guards altogether, clearing their path to the Security room with no conscious witnesses to their presence in the building. Their journey to the Security Room took far less time than anticipated and Lyssa was soon searching the feed for her brother and the Lieutenant.

Once found, Lyssa’s attention was drawn to the collar fashioned around Laurent’s neck. She was joyfully relieved that the man hadn’t accidently (or intentionally, for that matter) killed her during the painful procedure, especially as the color fell away to reveal just how powerful an adversary Laurent would have made. The subtle changes in his appearance signified a much stronger vitality to the man and that eerie emerald energy that seemed to envelope him was enough to make Lyssa wary. There were beings on her Earth – Meta Humans, Aliens, Ancients, etc. – who possessed powers far beyond that of human capability. As far as Lyssa’s experience was concerned, all of them were to be feared.

With Laurent’s arm around her, Lyssa couldn’t help but tense warily, unsure of what he meant when he offered to take her to Logan. She was right to be on edge – the swirl of darkness surrounded them and the young woman felt a sense of utter disorientation ripping her from the world she knew only to spit her out someplace else. Unable to contain the flutter of fear from the experience, Lyssa’s hands unwillingly clung to the man who had pulled her into this brief abyss. When they emerged, it took seconds for Lyssa to regain her ground before a familiar voice cut through her daze.

[b [#000066 “Lyssa!”]] Releasing her hold on Laurent, the young red-head hurried over to her brother. Her eyes scouring him for injuries just as his did to her. The siblings shared a look of mutual concern before Lyssa set to work on his cuffs. Being just simple handcuffs, the practiced thief had her brother freed in seconds and was already moving on to the blonde woman.

[b [#000066 “Lys?”]] Logan called in a warning tone. He still didn’t trust the woman, nor her seemingly meta-human partner and any time wasted on freeing them only hindered their escape!

[b [#660000 “I made a deal Logan. He helped me, now I help her.”]] Lyssa, always the one with the stronger moral compass, refused to bale on her side of the deal… especially since betraying the man with superhuman powers seemed far more dangerous than risking a few extra moment freeing his partner. Frustrated and confused by his sister’s insistence, Logan had no choice but to do his part. He pushed his metal chair against the door as a brace to prevent the guards from breaking in and stood protectively in front of their only exit, in case the Boyscout decided to make a second appearance. As long as he could hold them off long enough for Lyssa to work her magic, he’d have done his part.

Again, Lyssa’s expertise with technology and lock picking proved its worth and the metal shackles that once viced the woman’s wrists fell away after only a few moments.
[b [#660000 “Can you get us out of here?”]] Lyssa turned her eyes back to Laurent, hoping her efforts to remove his collar may be worth one last favour. Once they were free from this building, she and Logan could concentrate on finding a way back home.

Steve sighed, beginning to grow impatient with this fellow. He was trying to be nice, trying to work with this but he was beginning to cave. Not into complacency, no, but to becoming irritable. Sure, it wasn't his style, but he could call someone and she would be more than happy to become more intimate with the situation. He knew he would need her for the Lieutenant over there, and apparently this Striker fellow. The irritation was showing on his face, his breath pulling a little and he turned away, making contact with someone, whoever it was behind the mirrored glass.

Gweniviere's lips pulled into a crooked, purring little amused grin. She liked seeing the good captain so disturbed and irritated. Her eyes fell half-lidded as she watched the irritation crawl and sit and seethe in his features.

"[+blue That's what you keep saying,]" he said, voice growing hard as he looked back at him. But his jaw was set. There was no point in arguing with this man, he was being unreasonable and snappish and he wasn't having it. "[+blue But you're not exactly filling me with confidence, son.]" the man almost snapped, biting back his temper. It had been a long and hard last few weeks with Hydra out doing whatever it was planning and they were nowhere near figuring out what was happening. And now he had to deal with this little punk and his smart mouth.

"[+blue That's your problem.]" Captain Rogers said, arching his brows at the man and inclining his head. He didn't care about what the Lieutenant did to him, it wasn't his fault nor his problem. He had offered to fix said problem and had been refused, and now he was removed from the situation. "[+blue You resisted. I don't know what kind of world you claim to come from but circumstantially, that's what happens.]" He then looked to the German woman. "[+blue And don't think I've forgotten you, Lieutenant.]"

Her eyes were already on him, shrugging, "[B Oh no, I know you haven't.]" the woman said, taking a breath through her teeth.

His mouth twitched at that, looking perplexed because he knew she was serious. "[+blue Hydra has been too active. You're looking for something. I will find out what.]"

The German woman grinned, the expression quickly devolving into a smirk as it slipped to the side, "[B Oh, but what could I [i possibly] want from SHIELD?]" Her expression returned to seriousness. "[B You're a shell of what you used to be. Who's to say I'm not here just to fuck with you?]"

Steve's mouth just tightened, "[+blue Because your latest hits have been in the arcives.]" He wasn't stupid, SHIELD was broken, almost dissolved, but it wasn't completely incapable.

"[B You'll have to hit me with more than just common knowledge, I'm afraid. Anyone who's anyone is looking for what little SHIELD had kept from being spilled online.]"

[right [pic http://th03.deviantart.net/fs43/200H/f/2009/137/4/e/Scarred_Girl_by_Samiross90.png]] Steve turned and exited the room.

Once he left, however, the Lieutenant's golden eyes slid over to the man she had attacked (on accident apparently). She glanced him over, shifting more comfortably in her seat and crossing her ankle over her other leg, bouncing her knee a little. "[B Not that it matters,]" she said, arching her brows a little as her eyes trailed back to her reflection in the mirrored glass. "[B but I thought you were with SHIELD coming around the corner. Like them.]"
[center ♦♦♦]
[left [pic http://i.imgur.com/JI3Us7o.jpg?1]] Laurent felt a small smile come up on his lips at her admittance, "[B [#003300 Clever girl,]]" he said quietly, appraising her as his eyes moved over her once again, but the smile was brief. Handicapped as he was, the god was by far not defenseless. It was in preparation for times like these that he had honed his skills to compensate for his lost magic. The foreigner had spent decades ensuring that he could protect himself should this world or any of the others he had inhabited or visited briefly. Paranoia and his own imprisonments, time and time again. His body had suffered enough for him to learn he needed to protect himself. And though the damned collar had sapped his seidr, it did not suppress his vitality. Even tired and bleeding as Lyssa had been it seemed she was still sharp enough. It could be a ploy to put him at ease, Laurent tilting his head up to read her body language, letting his eyes fall half-lidded as he considered her with reserve, "[B [#003300 But you are right,]]" and tilted his head, "[B [#003300 if you help me release the Lieutenant then I will honor it.]]"

Her smile wasn't taken lightly as he looked at her, confidence apparent in her eyes when he brought it up. It would be seen whether or not her skills would arrive to match up to the suggestion that she could manage it. It did not appear to be a rueful smile, but he found himself again hesitating on believing a complete stranger. However, the foreigner noticed her hesitation, how easily she lost that smile in thought.

Laurent's eyes drifted down, following Lyssa's gaze as he heard the voices below, drawing up beside the smaller woman as he viewed the male agents through the grate of the ventilation system. His green eyes glanced over the trio who had paused below them.

The immortal dropped down, fingers already hooked in the notches of his throwing darts and flung two out at the two front men in the small security detachment. It didn't take long to subdue the men and leave them on the floor. Standing over the other man it was a simple thing to knock him out and then turn back to see the disappearing form of the woman he was escorting. Nabbing his two darts back again from the bruising wounds he had left, he followed her quietly around the corner to find her stopped.

Drawing up beside her, Laurent looked around the corner and exhaled, opening his hand and took the two darts in his fingers and revealed the flesh of his palm. Desperation was beginning to claw at him as they drew closer to getting Gweniviere freed, and as such he made a decision that the white haired woman would disapprove of. He was dampened, not completely out of the picture regarding his seidr. He couldn't summon it but weakly. Pricking a vein in his wrist, the immortal breathed a couple of words and it ran a dark teal for a moment, filling the inkwell tip of said dart before wringing his hand and cutting the magic that made his head cloud to perform, exhaling uncomfortably and then put the tiny wound to his lips for a moment, sealing it. It was all he could manage other than healing himself, was manipulating his own body as his magic was forced to stay within.

Looking to Lyssa he put a hand out in a ceasing gesture and then slipped around the corner to repeat the process and clear the way. Soon the men were slipping to the floor, the god standing and watching them crumple. Turning back he looked at the camera above them and then his eyes flickered down to Lyssa as she joined him.

Coming up behind her, his eyes flickered over the feeds she skimmed to find her brother, and the Lieutenant. His breath caught to see Gweniviere and a notable blood stain on her face, eyes snapping to the familiar blonde head that was turning and facing the two of them, looking perplexed. His teeth grit. [i Captain America.] His eyes flickered over the screens as he listened to Lyssa explain her intentions."[#003300 [B Good.]]" He didn't want this to take long. Already antsy from the wrench in their plans already. He hated it when things turned out like this, unexpected. Even though such things were the spice of life, tonight he was in no mood for it. A nod in affirmation that he understood and the tall man took a step back as she did, glancing around and preparing to return to where they had come.

Her ovement towards him caught his eye, turning his head and considering her warily as she approached him. It was one thing to work with a stranger, it was entirely another to allow her close to him. The immortal grew still as she approached, hands flexing at his sides. If she tried anything her life would be short. As her hand neared his throat, he fought his hand down from immediately snapping up to seize it, his jaw tightening as did his lips, forming into a tight line as he stretched his chin up slightly to give her more room but did not take his eyes from her.

His lips parted to respond to her after swallowing in preparation, but before he could do so, Lyssa's instruments had invaded the contraption. Laurent sucked in a sharp breath, sorely tempted to react harshly as his teeth grit audibly with irritation even as his lips twisted into a bitterly amused grin. He curled his hands at his sides tightly to perhaps refrain from lashing out at her, as he knew he would be triggered to do so on instinct. "[#003300 [B Clev-]]" but then suddenly the electricity hit him and the word was pulled into a sound of shock and he quickly bit it off, the muscles in his neck flexing hard against the metal of the collar. But within a few seconds it stopped and he pulled a breath, his msucles finally relaxing to allow himself to do so.

With the collar off of himself, Laurent felt the rush of his seidr in his veins and took a breath as it suddenly felt like he could breathe again. His coloring seemed to improve. He was a pale fellow, but it gained a more peachy pallor to his skin instead of the ashen pallidity it had had just before. His green eyes brightened some as well, the energy surging into himand his hands flexed, bringing his hands up, the green energy of his magic threading through his fingers. A grin pulled across his features, eyes turning up to Lyssa as he closed his hands. The immortal took a stride towards the computer system, eyes alighting over it. "[#003300 [B We don't need the vents,]]" the green eyed man said, brushing a hand over the computer system as soon as the Captain disappeared into the other room through the feed. "[#003300 [B We need to take this opportunity now.]]" Turning around, Laurent swept a hand around Lyssa, "[#003300 [B I will take you to your brother.]]" Summoning the comfortable energy of his magic about himself, a black cloud flecked with embers enveloped the two of them, and the next moment (after a brief moment of weightlessness) they were standing in the security room.

He had taken the opportunity himself to move without letting her respond, a very slight passive aggresive note from him. The cloud cleared and his eyes flickered from the bleeding fellow and swung immediately to Gweniviere.

Logan could tell that this Man in Blue was hesitant to believe his story. It was ironic, really. This was probably the first time Logan had ever been willing to tell law enforcement the truth and yet, the truth was harder to believe than any lie he could have come up with. Still, it wasn’t just the Captain who was forced to deal with a foreign entity; this was just as strange to Logan as well and he had to be careful. He didn’t know the rules and laws of this new world and he didn’t want to sign himself up for execution for taking a false step. It was better to be honest for now, at least until he could figure out what and who he was dealing with.

[b [#000066 “Well I’m sure as Hell not from around here, Boyscout.”]] Logan retorted, growing frustrated with this repetitive circle of questioning. Logan’s eyes wandered over to the woman still spitting up blood from Lyssa’s knife to her face. Being that his shoulder was still in so much pain, Logan had a hard time feeling sorry for the blonde, especially since it seem that the only reason he was in here being questioned was because of his presumed affiliation with her and her [i Hydra].

[b [#000066 “Trespassing. Right. You know, in my world, getting stabbed, beaten, and arrested is more than enough punishment for trespassing, but if you want to leave me chain up with the hardened criminal that nearly killed me, that’s your call [i Hero].”]] Logan bantered back, rolling his shoulders to relieve some of the stiffness from being cuffed for so long. Where the hell was Lyssa?

As the Captain asked his name, Logan raised his brow, giving the Man in Blue an incredulous look. He expected cooperation? Really? Not only was Logan put off by the condescending term [i kid], but after being viciously attacked, then beaten, arrested, and interrogated, he wasn’t really in the mood for introductions. Besides, Logan wasn’t sure how this multi-dimensional thing worked. For all he knew, there was another Logan Thorne living out his days into his world too. If the Captain researched who he was and found out he had a twin sister that hadn’t yet been apprehended… no matter how unlikely, it was better to play it safe. No real names, only aliases. That should be enough to stave the Hero’s curiosity.

[b [#000066 “You and I aren’t exactly on a first name basis, Boyscout. On the streets, they call me Striker. Every Hero in the state knows me by that name, so it should be good enough for you.”]] Logan answered back, not giving up on his arrogant demeanor.

[b [#000066 “Go on [i Hero], run the name, see if anything shows up on your records. Either there’s another Striker out there who looks just like me only doesn’t happen to be cuffed in your interrogation room, or there’s no record of me at all which proves I’m not from around here. See for yourself.”]] Logan dared, wanting to put an end to this endless line of questioning as well as give Lyssa the opportunity to slip inside without the Boyscout watching.
[hr]
[b [#660000 “With or without that collar, you could kill me in an instant. I’m wounded, tired, and distracted by my brother’s capture. There’s not much to stop you from betraying me once we find out where your friend is being held. But in my world, there is such a thing as honour among thieves. If I get that collar off of you, you’ll own me. At least enough to spare my life and my brother’s as soon as we get out of this.”]] Lyssa admitted, showing her motives weren’t entirely selfless.
[b [#660000 “If not, well… I guess I’m dead anyway.”]]

When Laurent asked about whether or not Lyssa would even have time to deal with the collar, a confident smirk played across her face. Lyssa was a genius when it came to infiltration. Her mind was a key that could open almost any lock. It had taken her weeks to figure out the mechanisms of the collar back on her world, but only seconds to perfect it once she knew what she was doing. The appearance and the external mechanics of the collar looked very similar to the ones used on her world. It shouldn’t take her long to find the differences and work her way through them. A few minutes while they waited in the security room should be plenty of time. Her only concern was whether Laurent could be trusted once she set him free.

Lyssa stopped as she heard the voices below. Now was her chance to see if her new ally would actually hold up his end of their bargain. With a curt nod of her head, she agreed to let Laurent deal with the guards below. He was strong and experienced enough to compensate for Lyssa’s lack of fighting prowess, so the young woman stayed up in the vents out of his way while he dealt with the guards, as she usually did when working with her brother. Once the hallway was clear, Lyssa dropped down and skittered through the corridors towards the security room where two guards stood on patrol. Yet again, Lyssa left the fighting up to Laurent, and while the guards were occupied, she slipped inside and took control of the security monitors. It took mere minutes to find her brother and the Blonde woman locked away in an interrogation room with a blue-clad soldier who Lyssa suspected was this world’s, human version of Superman.

[b [#660000 “There they are. As soon as that man leaves the room, we’ll be clear to break in. I can disrupt the security cameras and alarms from here and there shouldn’t be too many guards in our way if we use the ventilation system again.”]] Lyssa suggested, using the security room’s access to meddle with the system.

[b [#660000 “My brother knows we’re coming. He’ll do what he can to get the hero out of the room. We just have to be ready. Speaking of which…”]] Lyssa turned back to face Laurent, approaching slowly to evade any suspicion. She gave him a reassuring look, silently asking for his trust, before she lay her hands on his collar. After examining the device for the next several minutes, Lyssa took her set of lock picks from her bet and raised them to the contraption on Laurent’s neck.

[b [#660000 “It looks like this collar has a built-in security system that wards against removal without the proper codes. The collars they used on Logan and I were the same. I can get it off, but it’s going to hurt. Just try not to lash out and kill me in the process, alright? If I stop half-way through, this thing will likely keep shocking until you’re dead.”]] It would have been wise to wait for Laurent’s permission, but Lyssa didn’t have time to wait for him to consider his options. Before the man could have a chance to argue or agree, she inserted her lock picks into the device and got to work.

Lyssa felt the shocks on her own hands from the contact, but it would be a mere fraction of the intensity Laurent would receive. Fortunately, her well-practiced hands worked quickly, and Lyssa was able to remove the collar in a matter of seconds. As the collar fell free, Laurent was now unbound and Lyssa in a far more precarious position than before. But the monitors showed that the Captain was getting ready to leave his prisoners, making this their best chance at rescuing their partners, so long as Laurent kept his word.

Putting his internal comments aside about putting this one in somewhere because of hysterics--it had become apparent to himself after dealing with Loki and other such magically inclined persons that there was a such thing as magic to begin with, and now be believed in its potencies-- he nodded,trying to put this in perspective. He was beginning to believe a lot, but the proposition of an entirely different realm that resembled theirs was... pushing it. He was old- a lot of this was a bit much for him still. Irritation was beginning to strain the features on his face. He wanted to be open-minded, but at the same time he had to be wary. "[+blue Wait- you're telling me you were pulled from some other- realm.]"

Cap blinked, his brows furrowing in a frown, shaking his head. He still hadn't heard of any of this business at all, 'Bat-Man' and whatever. But it sounded concerning. Where was he from- he sounded distinctly American, so that was ruling out a lot of places he could be from. He turned and looked towards the tiny camera up in the corner behind him, frowning in confusion. "[+blue Well, if he shows up maybe we can straighten this out. But until then, you were still trespassing on and inside of SHIELD databases ad we cannot ignore that.]"

His eyes turned to the Lieutenant beside the unknown agent, "[+blue You, however, aren't going anywhere. We will find your accomplices and you'll all enjoy some jailtime until we figure out what Hydra wants.]" She looked back at him, smiling at him before her eyes landed on the other man tied up in the room.

Turning in to his own thoughts, Captain Rogers wondered how he should handle this. He only knew of a few people who could possibly know about this, who were either hardened cirminals, or rather difficult to reach- save for one. Thor, from Asgard, might know a thing or two about what was going on... or he would know someone who would. But the war veteran hesitated- he still didn't quite believe him, but didn't want to rule out anything that would hamper their ability to react properly, but he also didn't want to call on Thor for no reason. Had Hydra or SCATTER or anyone found out a new technology about something that they didn't know about? His eyes turned to the German veteran in the other chair, still nursing her cut mouth as she drew a tongue shining with blood over her lips again and spit another mouthful onto the floor. But it did seem like it was dwindling a little. Steve looked back at the scarred young man. "[+blue What's your name, kid?]" [size10 I'm gonna try and get Cap outta here in a moment so he can try and research the name or something if you want something to go off of or want to speak with Gwennie specifically just fyi.]
[center ♦♦♦]
[right [pic http://i.imgur.com/JI3Us7o.jpg?1]] His eyes followed the red head as she immediately set to going back inside of the vents. His skin crawled at the idea of trapping himself again, even to get back inside. The cramped space of the venthilation system made even the simple, ridiculously blank and spacious hallways of the interior of SHIELD seem too close for him. He had occupied a great many cages. Some were labyrinthian like that- and then too he had no way of protecting himself. His hands flexed but his thoughts returned to the Lieutenant and he took a breath and moved to follow.

He nodded stiffly and awaited for her to lead so he could follow and crawled inside after her. It was kind of Hydra to have fitted him with a set of what seemed to be rather tactical clothes, while still keeping his aesthetic for understated elegance. It slipped along the dusty, metal interiors easily and with minimal sound.

His attention perked at her next words, eyes snapping to the woman he was trusting to get him inside. He would deal with her afterwards if her interests became too claustrophobic. However regarding his collar, tt was a weakness he wasn't sure he wanted to give to her; how his magic had been dampened. His natural resilience, no, but what was that but keeping him on the same level as Gweniviere or the star-spangled American he was sure he had seen just before he had alighted? He was a god who had learned how to use his abilities as any other "gifted" individual as Hydra so ariculately put it. Without them he felt as if his blood had run cold, now a useless sludge. He was disabled and frustrated and had no patience all of a sudden for questions of that nature as he was trying not to panic without it. But his composure kept, if tight, and a thin smile came up on his lips, broadening into a grin. "[#003300 [B And what use would you have to know that.]]"

Laurent stared at her retreating back a moment as he followed in the half crouch they were forced into as his hand absently rose to touch the metal around his throat. How much he wanted the collar off his neck, how frustrated he was to have it on, how it hampered him... The desire swelled in him fiercely. How much he could do to help them this night. But- He wanted to trust the Lieutenant but she was a bit out of commission . His eyes trailed down a moment and then away. It was likely a tactic to perhaps try and get him on her side. "[#003300 [B Is that so, well, do you even know why...?]]" he quieted himself as he too heard the voices and turned slightly to gauge how far they were from the grate.

"[#003300 [B I don't suppose,]]" he murmured barely above his breath, "[#003300 [B that you even have the time to achieve that.]]" His eyes slid back to the woman, arching a brow with a knowing look. He then nodded towards the vent, "[#003300 [B May I?]]"

[left [pic http://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/a0/70/f3/a070f38ac55605808a483cf43952d791.jpg]] [b [#000066 “He’s the reason criminals would rather stay in jail than walk the streets at night. It’s no surprise most of the Bat’s enemies wind up in the Asylum; you’d have to be crazy to go up against the Dark Night. Oh, and he doesn’t take kindly to other heroes messing with his business.”]] Logan retorted. The heroes of his world were very familiar with Batman’s territorial view on crime. Gotham was [i his] city, and no one – not even his fellow members of the Justice League – were allowed to set foot in Gotham without an invitation. He was just as possessive over his villains, willing to travel the world to see justice done. Logan knew it wouldn’t be long until Nightwing found out where they disappeared to and soon enough the whole Batclan would be bursting in to bring him and Lyssa home… or to prison, more likely.

[b [#000066 “Don’t worry, Boyscout, I’m sure you’ll meet him soon enough.”]] Logan added, meeting the hero’s eyes with a rebellious glare of his own. Now that Blondie had stated he didn’t have the stomach for torture, Logan had nothing to worry about. Lyssa would be here soon to break him out and the siblings could spend their time figuring out how to get [i back] to their own world. Of course, it would be a lot easier if they had help from some of the locals, but neither the bitter woman nor the clueless hero seemed too inclined to believe him, especially without some hard evidence.

[b [#000066 “Believe me Boyscout, I’d love to convince you, but how the hell do you expect me to do that?”]] Logan growled. He could have told the hero to check the security cameras from that storage room he and Lyssa appeared in, but if they weren’t smart enough to check the footage, he certainly wasn’t going to call their attention to it. So far, they didn’t know about Lyssa, and Logan wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible.

[hr ] [right [pic http://i1144.photobucket.com/albums/o482/Tiger_Is/scar_zpsjatyigug.jpg?t=1450553284]] Lyssa was growing anxious as the minutes ticked by without Laurent’s decision. The time they wasted standing around arguing, Logan was held captive by these people – wounded, alone, and probably far too pissed off to do himself the favour of keeping his mouth shut. Lyssa needed to find her brother fast, before Logan’s temper and distaste for authority got him hurt or even killed.

As soon as Laurent agreed to help her, Lyssa gave a sharp nod and headed back towards the ventilation system. It wasn’t ideal, since the guards had witnessed them escape through there, and would no doubt be monitoring the vents, but it was the quickest way in, and the easiest path to navigate back to where they met. Laurent could guide them to the security rom from there. Once they reached their destination, Lyssa’s could use the security cameras to locate her brother, set off alarms in other areas of the building to draw the guards’ attention, and even quarantine their enemies in certain sections of the facility to ease their way towards the holding cells.

[b [#660000 “The hall is this way.”]] Lyssa stated, casting a glance back at her unlikely partner. Lyssa’s eyes flickered towards the collar around his neck before quickly turning away. It reminded her far too much of the inhibitor collars in her own world; the thought made her cringe. As she lifted herself back into the ventilation system, she couldn’t ignore the questions nagging her mind. Better to find out as much as she could about Laurent while they were still on somewhat civil terms.

[b [#660000 “That collar that you wear… they used something like that on us back at the Facility to keep us in line. It even blocked abilities of the Meta-humans that were with us. Does that collar do the same thing?”]] Lyssa asked in a hushed voice, keeping her eyes ahead of her as she crawled through the vents towards the broken ceiling tiles she had escaped through not long ago. If that really was an inhibitor collar, than Laurent may be more than just a human. That could either be incredible useful… or lethal, depending on whether Lyssa could stay on his good side.

[b [#660000 “I might be able to take it off… if it’s anything like the ones they used on us.”]] Lyssa offered cautiously. After her and Logan’s escape from the Facility, it had taken her almost three weeks to figure out how to take Logan’s collar off without killing him in the process. Once she knew what she was doing, it was hardly a challenge for her to crack her own. If the tech wasn’t too different from the ones she dealt with in her own world, she should be able to unlock Laurent’s collar once they got to the security room. That is… if he trusted her enough to even let her near it.

As they neared the hallway they had escaped from, Lyssa stopped talking and silenced her movements so she could hear the voices down below. There were at least half a dozen different voices, likely belonging to the agents that were still hunting the escapees. Lyssa wasn’t a fighter. They’d ether have to wait it out or find some other way to deal with the guards.

In his many years of dealing with Hydra officials it wouldn't have been the first time he had seen insurgence among the ranks, or violence in the same vein if circumstantially different. His eyes dodged to the Lieutenant who was watching silently from where she was sitting, saying nothing. He hummed to himself low in his throat, "[+blue It wouldn't be the first time I would have seen her try and kill one of her own in front of me.]"

The Lieutenant's eyes remained on him for a few moments, the recollection of that happenstance pulling a twinge of discomfort within her that she swallowed and her eyes slid silently over to the stranger. As far as she was concerned, aside from the absence of the file, everything was fine- save for the appearance of the other super soldier. His spangled uniform struck her sourly, her eyes moving away from him again. She wanted so much to break that jaw of his, cut that mouth open just like hers was and pull him down to her level. The level that he had reduced her to. But with all of this swirling loathing was held down underneath her skin, simmering.

He then turned to Gweniviere, "[+blue Is he one of yours?]" The woman's gold-yellow eyes turned to him, Rogers' mouth pursing a little. She wasn't someone he was often in contact with- but reputations preceded. More than that it was still jarring to look at the color of those eyes, one slightly more yellow than the other. But for what he knew and had seen of her, he knew the Lieutenant was as violent as many came and it sent a jolt of hatred through him to see her so [i complacent] about it. He was as much a soldier as her, but just the cold ferality of the look, white hair and those pale eyes, it was honestly disconcerting to him. He glanced towards Logan again, his brow furrowing a little as he looked back at the woman and tilted his chin down, looking at her from underneath furrowed brows.

The Lieutenant remained silent on the issue. The other was blustering about his supposed innocence and she was simply content that there was someone else here to take the brunt of this issue until Laurent could make it back, or at least make himself useful and report it. Certainly, take the attention of the Captain so I don't have to do anything but continue to stay still and bide my time. Presently her eyes moved over to the brunette again, opening her mouth and dragging a bloodied tongue over stained teeth.

Batman? No, the only person he knew named like that was Antman, or Spiderman of the others he had heard of, but definitely no bats. The sheer number of vigilantes growing lately he found concerning. So many people running on their own, with their own rules and allegiances. It was no wonder that SHIELD had begun to dip into surveillance to make sure none of them were going to cause [i more] damage than Hydra or Loki's army had. He didn't think the country at least could handle much more gried. Steve swallowed slowly and shook his head, "[+blue Not yet, at least.]" This worried him. Batman. That sounded like something he needed to know about, that SHIELD needed to know about. "[+blue Who is Batman.]"

Steve looked at him for a long moment, hard pressed to let that tone convince him of anything...but somehow he was inclined to believe him. The bitterness in the other's voice seemed genuine, but the idea of laying his hands on the other just for information wasn't what he was about to do. The idea was repulsive (and it was also illegal, even for SHIELD). "[+blue That's not my job. We're waiting on her.]"

"[+blue Convince me, then.]"

[center ♦♦♦]

[right [pic http://i.imgur.com/JI3Us7o.jpg?1]] He frowned at her mention of teleportation, a uninformed if literal Midgardian word that roused certain suspicions. It was something they never understood, so they simply described it at its basest level. But, there were only a handful of things that he knew of that would cause such a phenomenon. Had he been so distracted that he had missed the date? Certainly not...? "[#003300 [B Teleportation,]]" he repeated, his dark brows coming together over his eyes. He took another look at her again, taking in the features and garb of this woman. She didn't look like she was from any of the nine realms save for perhaps Asgard, but her manner, her attire and her locution (for as changeable a feature as that was) all suggested otherwise. Her resistance to pain, however, was intriguing. Was she simply different, or from some realm he hadn't heard of?

Frustration and insult knotted tight and uncomfortable in his stomach at her words and pulled a dark smile onto his lips. Oh, if he only had this [i collar] off and then he would show her exactly how pleased he was that she was showing such nerve. He could do it without her, he wouldn't even need to rely on the Lieutenant to get this done. They wouldn't be in this situation, he was positive. But as it was, he had a handicap and he wasn't about to be left behind on something like this. Swallowing his pride he gave the woman a mirthless and cold smile.

Finding it strange, he figured she despite her words mayn't be asking for his help, but she wanted it. Curiosity welled, thick and virulent, in him as he gazed at the intensity, the [i daring] of this woman. It was infuriating as well, but livable. But it was important that he learn what had happened to bring two Midgardian realms together, as he assumed this woman had come from. Or simply if it was an anomaly connecting two parts of the country as had happened before.

"[B [#003300 Fine.]]" Laurent responded crisply, slipping the blade back in its place on his person. "[#003300 [B I don't know this facility either save for the places we had to be.]]" [i Be cooperative,] came a reminding voice. He swallowed bitterly, giving her a patient look as his mouth twisted, fingers flexing as he eyed the wound that she had. If the man didn't have this damnable thing suppressing him he would have been able to remedy that within a moment. It never was more terrifying to be helpless, Laurent feeling anxiety should things get worse render him immobile for a moment. An opportunistic show of solidarity, making it no longer serve as an issue that he had to work around, [i something] under his control. Frustration crawled through his hands, fueling the movement and he clenched them again, his eyes snapping back to her face. "[B [#003300 Generally I don't have to [i bother], but considering the circumstances...]]" a heated exhalation through his nose. "[#003300 [B If we get back to the hall that you met us in I might be able to bring us to the security room.]]" Laurent cleared his throat, glancing behind her briefly, "[B [#003300 And I would suggest quickly, for we might be seen out here.]]"

"[#003300 [B Were you already in the security room before now?]]"

[right [pic http://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/a0/70/f3/a070f38ac55605808a483cf43952d791.jpg] ] It was a sad truth when one could say they were used to being caged like an animal. Between Logan’s years at The Facility and his multiple sentences at Blackgate Penitentiary, the confines of the interrogation room were nothing new. As soon as the hero stepped back, Logan released the tension in his arms. He knew that if he relaxed and kept his limbs stationary that the sharp, piercing sting in his shoulder would eventually fade to a dull ache; far easier to ignore, especially with the hero’s questioning to keep his mind occupied. Lyssa was on her way to save him, assuming she was able to ditch her pursuer. It wouldn’t be long until Logan was freed and he could treat the wound in his shoulder then. He’d much rather sit here and bleed than trust anything his hero or his fellow captive had to offer.

[b [#000066 “Not much of a brain behind that blonde hair, is there Boyscout? That bitch tried to kill me! You walked in on her aiming a gun at my head; do you really think I'm working with her?”]] Despite his situation, the insults and cocky remarks flowed easily from the man’s scarred mouth. In his experience, these heroes’ hands were often tied by their own pretentious morals. Not many (aside from the Bat) took pleasure in torture or violent discipline, so Logan would take every opportunity to steal his pride back from these people, unafraid of the consequences. It wasn’t that Logan felt the hero incapable to punishing his defiance, just unwilling; and it was always fun to watch the righteous squirm when they’ve got blood on their hands, deserving or not.

[b [#000066 “Yeah, the Dark Kni… wait, you're telling me you don't know Batman?”]] For the first time since they brought Logan in, his arrogance gave way to a flash of confusion and concern. Batman was the most intimidating [i Hero] to patrol the streets! He was one of the founding members of the Justice League, had trained more successful protégés than any other in the league, had single-handedly cleansed the street of Gotham from psychopaths, meta-humans, aliens, monsters, and mutants with nothing more than he could carry in his utility belt! He was the only human known to go head to head with Superman and win! Batman was one of the most well-known, respected, and feared members of the entire League. There wasn’t ANYONE on Logan’s planet that hadn’t at least heard of the Dark Knight! Which meant, he wasn’t on his planet any longer… this would definitely complicate things.

Despite this terrifying revelation, Logan wiped the fear from his features and replaced it with that arrogant smirk he walked in with. This wasn’t his world (dimensional shifting wasn’t entirely unheard of where he came from, but Logan never thought it would happen to him!), yet it had its similarities. The Boyscout seemed about as determined as the heroes Logan was accustomed to. He was sent here with one mission: get information out of the intruders; and there was little doubt in Logan’s mind that the blonde hero would stop at nothing to complete his mission. Unfortunately, Logan didn’t have the answers the hero was looking for. He’d just have to stay strong until Lyssa was able to find him.

[b [#000066 “Let me make this simple for you Blondie. You're not getting any answers from me. I don't know HYDRA, I don't know SHIELD, and I didn't know Sergeant Stabby over there until she ran that blade through my shoulder an hour ago. It doesn't take Brainiac to figure out, I'm not from here! But since you’re more likely to shake my hand than take my word for it, why don't you get on with your pointless interrogation. I love to see you hero types cringe once you realize you’re torturing an innocent man.”]]
[hr ]
[left [pic http://i1144.photobucket.com/albums/o482/Tiger_Is/scar_zpsjatyigug.jpg?t=1450553284] ] [b [#660000 “Whether you believe me or not, the situation still stands. I’m going back in there to save my brother. I didn’t ask for your help, just that you don’t stand in my way. Best case scenario, I save my brother and your partner and bring them back here without you having to lift a finger. Worst case scenario, I die on the way in and you’re no further from rescuing your partner than you are now.”]] Lyssa explained, her voice growing less patient with every second that ticked on. She knew Logan was too proud to keep his mouth shut and it was only a matter of time before those guards added to the scars already engraved in his skin. As much as she despised the thought of rescuing the woman that stabbed her brother, she would do what she had to in order to get Logan out of that wretched place.

[#660000 [b “And what conclusions would you have drawn given the circumstances? My brother and I were teleported here… somehow. One minute we were sprinting through a shipyard and the next we were locked inside some computer storage room! We were trying to escape when we were attacked first by the guards, then by you and your partner.”]] Lyssa strained to keep the bitterness out of her voice as she spoke. She hated being spoken down to, especially from those who only knew half the story. The young thief had little experience with teleportation – Nightwing had brought her and Logan to Belle Reve by Zeta Tube once, teleporting them hundreds of miles in seconds thanks to Justice League technology – though she assumed to be transported like she and Logan were, someone had to have orchestrated this: either sending them here or bringing them here. Since Nightwing would have been too proud to let another capture his rogues, she assumed someone in this building had brought them here and locked them in that storage room. With that context, Laurent’s story of the siblings breaking into a secure facility seemed ridiculous. Who would bring them here and lock them in that room just to frame them for breaking in?

[b [#660000 “The more time waste here, the longer my brother and your partner will be at the mercy of those Agents. I may not know what those people are capable of, but you obviously do. Are you going to leave your partner there to suffer alone? Or are you going to let me save her.”]] Lyssa demanded, her patience finally running out.

[b [#660000 “I need to get back into the security room. It should have everything I need to find our partners and clear the way to rescue them. The way I see it, you’ve got three options here: either kill me, let me pass, or take that blade you seem so eager to use and help me get past those guards.”]]

The room they were taken into wasn't very big, even for an interrogation/detainment chamber. The two were seated a small distance apart and a bare wooden table with a metal frame and legs was set rather crookedly in front of the two, the closer end towards Logan more than the Lieutenant. There was the token mirrored glass, slightly scratched, and looking about as dingy as a room lit with really only two single light sources suspended from the cieling could be.

Captain America's hand snapped back from holding the item up in offerance, his previously relatively calm demeanor devolving into a frown as he moved away. "[+blue I would if I were bleeding, otherwise it would be a waste. But if you want to sit there and continue bleeding, feel free. But your S.O. took it,]" he said, gesturing back at the Lieutenant.

The woman in question glanced over at them as she drew her tongue over the ridge of her top teeth before averting her gaze again in sullen silence. She wasn't exactly keen on speaking unless she absolutely had to. Didn't matter to her whether or not the truth was going to be used or not. Nothing was going to plan today- why bother even thinking to make another one. She had run into these buffoons who had all but ruined her chance of escaping [i and she hadn't even stolen anything]- if she were in the mood for flippancy, she could make the silent complaint to herself that she didn't understand what the big deal was, ignoring the fact that she was an international criminal as far as they were concerned.

It was only the blonde super soldier's appearance that was putting her on edge. She didn't realize that he would be there, she had somehow forgotten that he lived in this city. Somehow the idea of running into him on such an accidental scale seemed unfathomable to her- and now she was struck. And if he knew what she was looking for, she would be in deeper trouble now than she would be anyways. She could only wait to see what accusations they would sling at her thinking Hydra was planning this or that when in reality it was only her, the begrudging and yet adamant Laurent and Dr. Arndt at operations likely awaiting confirmation she could only hope she could offer as soon as possible.

The Lieutenant coughed a little, sliding a glance at the Captain as he took a step back from the man. Her yellow eyes turned down and she spat another mouthful of blood, a last one as the substance from the vial did its best to staunch what it could reach as the plastic taste of the chemical. The super soldier then drew a hissing breath through her teeth, seething with the metallic tang of the blood in her mouth and let her head tilt back a little, pressing the side of her wrist against the stab wound in her side with a harshly muffled note of pain, her mouth hardened into a thin line. [i Dark Knight?] who the hell was that, Moon Knight giving himself a new name now that he had seemingly and utterly lost his mind?

The captain frowned as well, leaning against the table that scraped back just a little bit on the concrete with his added weight. "[+blue The Dark Knight-]" he repeated, sounding concerned through the bemusement on his face, reflecting ahrsher in his eyes as they gazed at the defiance in the other's. He glanced over at the Lieutenant who said nothing, nor even gave him a look save for the chilling glare she tossed towards him which gave him nothing. Of course. He and the woman hadn't crossed. [i Batman? Was this another unregistered vigilante?] he wondered to himself, brow furrowing.

"[+blue Well, we could start with the basics:]" the man suggested with a bit of bitterly dry humor, arching a brow briefly. "[+blue What is Hydra doing here on SHIELD premises?]"

[center ♥♥♥]

[right [pic http://i.imgur.com/IjenJkz.jpg?1]] Laurent's eyes narrowed sharply when she moved, but he daren't move just yet, a muscle leaping in his jaw. But curiosity, as was his fault, was getting the better of him, and when he saw the smallness of each item he let his eyes move from the items alon and watched her watching him. The man's body was turned slightly to the side in the ready, neutral stance, ready to sling another knife into her body should she try anything different. Agents of their caliber, if mortal, if puny, if [i weak] had the strangest and most oddly effective of abilities, he had come to realize, and it had only worsened his disposition towards.

His fingers tensed as the rest of himself had at the movement around the knife, peeling it ut further from flush, beginning to curl those fingers and bring the breadth of the knife into his pocket. To pin an appendage, to stop a draw, to do anything. He never carried a gun. They were easy to wield, but beyond his preference. He had trained young with the knives, and wasn't keen on trying new things. There were far more powerful things to rely on.

Laurent couldn't help a grin, if sneering, at her irritating but clever defiance. "[#003300 [B If bleeding internally.]]" Laurent made note in a quiet tone, not moving his hand from his knife's position. He had learned a thing or two from the lieutenant and the Herr Doctor Arndt in his time here. When your own healing abilities were constricted to your own self, you needed to learn how to fix others without those humors running through your veins alone with this damned collar on.

The man's expression of vague interest dropped into seriousness at her question. "[#003300 [B Much.]]" he responded in a flat tone.

He could always leave her behind. It didn't matter. Laurent's mouth pulled quietly into a vague smile, letting his eyes fall half lidded. "[#003300 [B Yes, well,]]" the raven haired man said, losing said smile as it faded slightly, in a manner of speaking at least. It stiffened, "[#003300 [B Words are one thing.]]" his dark green eyes returned to the woman, "[#003300 [B I would know the value of their weight in truth.]]"

Laurent frowned to himself, turning his head to the side a little. Argus? Who was Argus? And who was Nightwing? That sounded like someone's alias, but no one he would be familiar with. It wasn't as if he was versed with all of the nonsense with 'gifted' individuals as SHIELD referred to them. But the terminology of these different militants made him draw more of a hesitation. He could hardly deal with S.H.I.E.L.D., H.A.N.D., Hydra, and whomever the splinter cells were with their extremist scenarios- as if the Centipede project weren't enough, their disaster being required to get cleaned up before Hydra's reputation, being rebuilt as it was, would be ruined permanently at least where SHIELD was concerned. He then gave her a confused frown. "[#003300 [B Well,]]" the man began, "[#003300 [B I imagine they assumed you are traspassers on SHIELD campus grounds, in a high security facility as we are, if not believing he were working with myself and the Lieutenant.]]"

"[#003300 [B As it stands now he's been seen in association with the Lieutenant. I doubt they will see him in any friendly manner, even if they believe him in mentioning that he is not. The fact of the matter is you are both trespassers on SHIELD campus grounds.]]" Laurent's eyes narrowed, giving her a reserved look. Was she unintelligent? What on earth did she [i think] they wanted with the other fellow? "[#003300 [B I can't imagine that wouldn't be apparent to you given the circumstances.]]"