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xp_logs2006-08-23 12:25 am
x-pressive.livejournal.com) wrote in xp_logs2006-08-23 12:25 am
Body Snatchers: Club night
Amanda and Wanda go to the mutant-friendly club Silver to continue their investigation into the disappearances of young mutants. Hilarity ensues when they meet the DJ.
As they walked into the club past the bouncer (who gave them a nod of recognition - they'd been coming back a lot this week since Marie-Ange had confirmed her vision), Amanda found herself hoping they could sort this bastard out without damaging the club. Silver was a good place, one of the few places mutants could go and relax and have a good time and not worry about hiding. Certainly on the downmarket side, which was why she and Manuel had never been there before, but Amanda didn't mind that. It was comfortable.
Of course, that aspect made Wanda stick out like a sore thumb, since the place was mainly teenagers and college kids out for a good time. But that was part of the point. Amanda herself blended too well, so she needed someone who would draw attention to her. Wanda, obviously older and better dressed, drew everyone's eye.
Shooting Amanda a wry smile, Wanda very slowly took everything, and everyone, in. Very obvious movements but that was her entire role here. More than a few looked back in invitation--men and women—but she paid them no mind. Clubs were usual for her but this one was a little bit young for her tastes. But they needed the two prong attack if they were to find anything out.
Amanda would blend in and see if she could notice anything that way; Wanda would simply draw anything odd to her if that's what they were after.
"The DJ's out and about again," Amanda pointed out as they headed for the bar, like ordinary club patrons. "Chatting people up. Seems to do that an awful lot."
"In some places, that would be considered very bad form," Wanda responded, easily spotting him. It sometimes paid to be taller than most of the crowd.
"'S not usual, no..." Ordering a Coke for herself and an orange juic for Wanda, Amanda grinned at the bartender as he recognised her and said hi. "Cheers, mate. So, what do you think, Boss Lady? Worth drawing this bloke out, having a bit of a chat to him?"
"It probably wouldn't hurt, no. If he's not who we're looking for then you just may find yourself with an overly cheerful DJ on your hands." She took a sip of her drink as she deftly avoided a hand that wanted to become far too friendly. "If he is..." An amused look crossed her face. "Well, then that's when the fun starts, I suppose."
"Ooh, I like that sort of fun." Amanda grinned mischievously and tipped the bartender well - expense accounts came in handy. Moving away from the bar to a slightly less busy area so they wouldn't be overheard, she tilted her head enquiringly. "So... how d'we wanna do this? You could try luring him out, but honestly? I think you're a bit too on the imposing side for him." Not to mention too old - from what they'd seen, the DJ tended to gravitate to the younger patrons, male and female both.
Tilting her head in agreement, Wanda sighed dramatically. "I suppose you get to have all the fun this time," she teased. "If you try to play nice, considering what we've seen him doing, he will certainly follow you out for a little 'chat'. I'll simply provide the back up, yes?" If this was the guy, then, really, it shouldn't be all that much trouble to get him to talk.
"Well, I am the cute and innocent one," Amanda replied, looking anything but innocent in a halter and rather tight jeans. "There's that alley out the side... think that'll do for a chat?" It wasn't visible from the main street and it would probably be best if they kept things quiet. No need to scare the public, after all.
"I'll buy the cute part," Wanda muttered as she took a sip, grinning at the look Amanda shot her. "The alley will be perfect, actually. Nice and...private, really. And I can situate myself out there so that he won't see me."
"Good. 'Cause I don't think I'm up to anything more than George the Happy Glo-ball still," Amanda said with a snort, finishing her drink. "I'll go mingle, see if I can't get his attention - if I manage to get him interested, head for the alley and you can bounce him off the road a few times?"
"Oh, he's not all that big, I think he'll only need one good bouncing." Wanda pointed to a near by table. "This'll give me a perfect spot, actually, so I'll keep a close eye on the both of you. I know it doesn't have to be said but I will anyway. Please do be careful."
"Always, Boss Lady, you know that. But I appreciate the thought." Amanda patted Wanda's arm briefly before turning to head into the crowd. "Wish me luck, see you in a few."
Tipping her glass towards Amanda in a silent toast, Wanda quickly found a seat at the table. Pushing the other chair away from the table would signal, at least for a few minutes, that she wasn't interested in any company.
***
Mark Sheppard clinked his glass against a half dozen others and quickly downed his shot, savoring the searing hot burn of vodka in his throat. Shot number two tonight. Better be careful. If there was one thing he prided himself on (there were many), it was his high tolerance, but even that had a limit. He clapped his drinking partner on the back, muttered a hurried goodbye, and went on. These folks were all right, which caused no end of relief. The six of them have been regulars for at least two years now, and had befriended a number of other regulars. They'd not seen anything out of the ordinary. If they hadn't picked up on anything, then maybe Mark was just overreacting. Things come up. Not everyone can make time for clubbing. Not showing up doesn't automatically mean kidnapped.
But those few rumors were really nagging him. Granted, there had only been whispers of foul play, but whispers were enough for Mark. As he headed back up to his booth so he could switch the playlist and chat up the crowd a bit, he scanned the patrons. Two of them made him pause mid-stride. A tall and old (ancient, by Mark's standards) woman and a young blonde one. He'd seen them a couple of times over the past month, and they didn't really tingle his mutant-sense. But since their first appearances, at least one if not two newbies who'd promised to come hadn't. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together.
The playlist would last another hour, and Mark was sure that everyone could survive without his witty repartee until then. The blonde looked like easier prey, so he ambled on over to her (after getting himself another drink at the bar, of course. All part of the cover). "I'd start with 'You come here often?'" he began, speaking just loudly enough over the music, "But I'm thinking that a cliché like that won't go far."
Well, that was easy... Amanda gave the DJ a bright smile. The fact he wasn't too bad on the eyes made him even more suspect - who better to snatch the unwary than a good looking bloke to lure them out? "Well, points for seeing a crappy line when you see it," she said, allowing as much American as possible into her accent. "I'm Amanda. You work here, do you?"
Exactly Mark's thoughts. Give him another three or four drinks and he'd follow her anywhere. There's just something about piercings. He offered her a grin of his own and raised his glass. "Mark. And yes I do. Fan of my work, are you?"
"It's what keeps me coming back - I heard you here a few weeks ago and I was hooked." Flatter his ego a bit - all performers liked that. "Though I notice you spend a lot of time on the floor. Getting up close and personal with your fans, huh?"
Mark smiled and looked away bashfully. Let her think he's loopy and enthralled. "I like to know my clientele," he explained. "I like to think that we quickly make regulars out of visitors by catering to them all."
Gotcha. Apparently she still had her touch. "Oh, I could see myself turning into a regular here. It's a great place, and everyone tries so hard to make you feel welcome. It's easy to see why it's so popular." She let herself drift a little closer, brushing his arm with her shoulder. "Helps that it's got one of the best DJs in New York."
Ooh, she's good. "Well, I don't know about that." Mark hid his fake embarrassment behind his glass, all the while cursing her in his head. "But the compliment is appreciated all the same. So what are you into, Amanda?" He left that wide open, hoping she'd take the bait.
"You mean besides cute mysterious DJs?" she asked, teasing. Oh, she could see how this guy would work if he was involved. And she was getting to be more and more certain of that, the way he kept steering things towards her. "I... work in the city. Mutant affairs. Something of a personal interest." Let's see if he took the bait...
Mark could almost hear the alarm going off. That's it, she's the one. It was only through sheer force of will that he didn't growl and attack her right there. You think you can hurt my people? You've got another thing coming, bitch. "Mutant affairs, huh? Sounds important. You're a big people person, then, I take it."
"Oh, definitely. They're so interesting. I love meeting new people, finding out what makes them tick." Oh, he'd certainly leapt on the mutant affairs part. I hope Wanda's keeping an eye out since this has got to be our front man. "Like yourself, Mark - I wouldn't mind getting to know you better, you know?"
"You know, I was just thinking the same thing." Gotcha now. Mark pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He wasn't much of a smoker himself, but having them provided him with a number of social opportunities. "Fancy a bit of fresh air for a bit?" he asked, nodding at the front door.
Here we go. Amanda smiled again, slipping her arm through his. "Thought you'd never ask," she said, resisting the urge to glance over her shoulder to see if Wanda was following.
As soon as Wanda spotted the two of them arm-in-arm, she finished off her drink. Giving it until the count of five, she slowly stood up and drifted through the crowd, watching as Amanda kept the boys attention. Obviously, this one was a lead and she made sure to keep close without alerting them that they were being followed.
Mark offered Amanda a cigarette from his pack as he led/followed her to the alley nearby. Obviously this is what she had in mind too, he told himself. He lit their smokes with his Zippo and after taking a drag, he pulled out an iPod from his pocket. He unzipped his hoodie, revealing a small pair of headphones hanging around his neck. "I've got something here I'd like to show you," he said, scrolling through his playlists for just the right song.
The cigarette disintegrated as Mark channeled a blast of plasma through his hand and hurled it at Amanda.
"Fu--" The word was cut off as the bolt hit Amanda in the chest and flung her slightly backwards. She landed on her butt, sliding back slightly on the slippery ground. She'd been expecting something, but obviously she hadn't been on her guard enough. "You bloody cuntbastard," she growled, scrambling backwards on her butt. Her chest hurt, liked she'd been smacked with a full body tackle. Nothing to hand she could use as a weapon, lets see if the shielding spell still worked... There was a brief crackle of electricity over her fingers and she swore again. C'mon Wanda, need a big damn hero right about now...
"Language, Amanda," Mark warned. "It might really get you into trouble some day." He wrinkled his nose at the smell of ozone left by the plasma, but conjured up another blast anyway. "If I even give you the chance to make any more trouble, bitch. And I really can't think of a reason why I should."
"Here's a good reason, my boy."
Wanda darted out of the door and slammed it shut behind her, not wanting any curious eyes to spy what was going on. "Didn't anyone tell you it's not polite to go throwing your powers around like that?" Reaching him, she threw a quick punch, drawing his fire away from Amanda.
The punch connected, sending Mark down to the ground too. Dammit, he'd forgotten about the geezer. He reached into his pocket and quickly changed the track. The loud, discordant guitars and drums pouring from his headphones faded into a regular bass beat, and the plasma extinguished and was replaced by crackling bolts of lightning. He threw his hand out, aiming a bolt at Wanda.
She ducked but it still managed to connect with her shoulder, sending her spilling onto the ground. Despite the shocky feeling in her shoulder, she quickly scrambled to her feet, red light flashing around her corners and sending a splash of red onto the walls around them.
"You're playing with fire," Wanda grated out, hands twitching slightly. As the boy backed up, the damp under his feet suddenly was a lot slicker in that patch and down he went. Wanda lunged for him, grabbing him by the front of his shirt and yanking him to his feet, pinning him to the wall. This still wouldn't do for long and she started to look around for a better solution.
In the meantime, Amanda had scooted back, taking cover behind a dumpster. Wincing as the lightning hit Wanda - the smell of ozone and slightly scorched material filled the alley, bringing back unpleasant memories - she looked around frantically for a way to help, cursing her unstable powers. Nothing presented itself, except... "Wanda, think it's time to take out the trash?" she called out, banging on the dumpster to get her attention.
"You're brilliant, Amanda," Wanda called backed and then grinned about two inches from the boys face. "Let's hope you land well, my boy, and then we can ask you a question or two, yeah?"
Rolling her shoulders, she lifted him up even more, to the point his feet weren't even on the ground anymore. Two steps and she twisted, using her momentum and his weight to toss him ass over kettle right into the fairly full dumpster. As he flew in, a simple plucking of the strings had the lid slam shut after him.
Mark knew he was in deep when the old woman flashed red. He didn't think it was literal. "I'm going to fucking kill you!" he cried, banging on the lid. At least he could still hear his music, meaning his sacred iPod wasn't damaged. But he didn't dare put on his headphones. Lord knows what might crawl into his ear.
"Doesn't sound happy, does he?" Amanda said to Wanda, rubbing her sternum a little. With a small degree of malice, she banged loudly on the lid of the dumpster, knowing the sound would amplify. "Now then, you horrible little toerag," she said, raising her voice a bit. "We've got some questions for you. Are you going to be sensible and answer or do we get nasty?"
Note to self: visit the clinic tomorrow. Nightclub refuse. Mark shuddered. The last thing he needed was to catch VD or take someone's heroin backwash. It was enough to make a grown man weep. "What do you want?" he answered, shutting off the iPod. No use wasting batteries. Plus, he didn't want to accidentally discharge and electrocute himself in the metal canister.
"Well, that's a start." Leaning casually on the lid, Wanda hrmed slightly. "Now, then..." She glanced over at Amanda, who supplied his name. "Now then, Mark, we have been hearing some alarming news about some unusual happenings around here. We want them stopped and with the lovely show you've put on, well, we're thinking you might have some answers along those lines, yes?"
"What the hell are you talking about, you old bat?" Mark spat. "I have no idea what you're saying." He was frowning, though. He was supposed to be asking them those questions. Double you tee eff.
"Oh, you've done it now, sunshine," Amanda said, snorting. "I think they'll be picking bits of you out of the alley until this time next year."
Yanking the lid up, Wanda glared down at him, hex rings glowing brighter and brighter around her hands. "One, what do you mean you do not know?" He had sounded rather confused at that. "So, you're saying you're not involved in whatever the hell is going on around here?"
Mark all but jumped up when Wanda opened the lid. Mmm, fresh air. (Or as fresh as you can get when sitting inside a dumpster in SoHo.) "If by 'whatever the hell is going on around here' you mean how you two have been abducting my peeps, then no, I don't know anything. That's what I'm here to find out."
"Hang on a minute..." Amanda shot a look at Wanda. "What do you mean, we're abducting your people? You're the one who's been operating out of that club, using it to grab people for your fucking smuggling ring."
If Wanda looked slightly pained, no one commented on it, not when she was holding the lid to the dumpster. "So, let me get this straight. You were casing us out because you thought we were kidnapping...while we were casing you out because you really weren't all that subtle. Bloody fantastic."
Mark just stared at them blankly for a minute. "No shit," he muttered, unsure of whether to laugh, cry, or both. "There's a smuggling ring? I thought I just had, like, a serial rapist-slash-murderer on my hands."
"Um, oops?" Amanda bit her lip. Sometimes less is more, Sefton. "So, wait, you're saying you were trying to track down the same people we're looking for?"
"Hell yes," was Mark's adamant reply. "I've lost at least three people already. Just up and gone, no goodbyes. Which wouldn't be so strange except they all happened within weeks of each other, and it's suspicious." Mark paused, considering the two women before him. "Smuggling ring? Shit."
"Shit is right," Wanda said tightly, the red disappearing from her hands. If he was lieing, it wouldn't be that hard to deal with him--she had tossed him into the dumpster, after all. "This may be worse than what we originally thought if we are looking at three within weeks of each other...they're stepping up operations, it would seem."
Amanda nodded. "And if they're ending up in the sort of places we found Sarah..." She considered Mark, still in the dumpster. "I don't get it. The vision led us here. So why the dead end?"
"Maybe not such a dead end, after all," Wanda replied, tilting her head at Mark. "We may have been led here so we could meet him after all. It seems he has a passing knowledge of what's going on here, it would be just like Angie's visions to give us a part of the puzzle but not all of it."
The closest approximation to Mark's next comment is "Bwuzzah?" This was making the kind of sense that doesn't. "Who did what in the where now? Please to be translating into English for me."
"Later," Amanda said with a grin. "Wanda, we should probably get him out of here, take him back to the others, yeah?"
"Oh, yes, certainly." Smiling at Mark, she continued, "We've got quite the group looking into this situation and I think we probably all use the help." As Amanda started to walk away, Wanda turned back and then stopped.
"Oh, yes, as I was saying before when I lifted the lid...and two, I certainly am not an old bat, thank you very much." And with that, she let the lid slip from her hands and clang back soundly on top of him.
As they walked into the club past the bouncer (who gave them a nod of recognition - they'd been coming back a lot this week since Marie-Ange had confirmed her vision), Amanda found herself hoping they could sort this bastard out without damaging the club. Silver was a good place, one of the few places mutants could go and relax and have a good time and not worry about hiding. Certainly on the downmarket side, which was why she and Manuel had never been there before, but Amanda didn't mind that. It was comfortable.
Of course, that aspect made Wanda stick out like a sore thumb, since the place was mainly teenagers and college kids out for a good time. But that was part of the point. Amanda herself blended too well, so she needed someone who would draw attention to her. Wanda, obviously older and better dressed, drew everyone's eye.
Shooting Amanda a wry smile, Wanda very slowly took everything, and everyone, in. Very obvious movements but that was her entire role here. More than a few looked back in invitation--men and women—but she paid them no mind. Clubs were usual for her but this one was a little bit young for her tastes. But they needed the two prong attack if they were to find anything out.
Amanda would blend in and see if she could notice anything that way; Wanda would simply draw anything odd to her if that's what they were after.
"The DJ's out and about again," Amanda pointed out as they headed for the bar, like ordinary club patrons. "Chatting people up. Seems to do that an awful lot."
"In some places, that would be considered very bad form," Wanda responded, easily spotting him. It sometimes paid to be taller than most of the crowd.
"'S not usual, no..." Ordering a Coke for herself and an orange juic for Wanda, Amanda grinned at the bartender as he recognised her and said hi. "Cheers, mate. So, what do you think, Boss Lady? Worth drawing this bloke out, having a bit of a chat to him?"
"It probably wouldn't hurt, no. If he's not who we're looking for then you just may find yourself with an overly cheerful DJ on your hands." She took a sip of her drink as she deftly avoided a hand that wanted to become far too friendly. "If he is..." An amused look crossed her face. "Well, then that's when the fun starts, I suppose."
"Ooh, I like that sort of fun." Amanda grinned mischievously and tipped the bartender well - expense accounts came in handy. Moving away from the bar to a slightly less busy area so they wouldn't be overheard, she tilted her head enquiringly. "So... how d'we wanna do this? You could try luring him out, but honestly? I think you're a bit too on the imposing side for him." Not to mention too old - from what they'd seen, the DJ tended to gravitate to the younger patrons, male and female both.
Tilting her head in agreement, Wanda sighed dramatically. "I suppose you get to have all the fun this time," she teased. "If you try to play nice, considering what we've seen him doing, he will certainly follow you out for a little 'chat'. I'll simply provide the back up, yes?" If this was the guy, then, really, it shouldn't be all that much trouble to get him to talk.
"Well, I am the cute and innocent one," Amanda replied, looking anything but innocent in a halter and rather tight jeans. "There's that alley out the side... think that'll do for a chat?" It wasn't visible from the main street and it would probably be best if they kept things quiet. No need to scare the public, after all.
"I'll buy the cute part," Wanda muttered as she took a sip, grinning at the look Amanda shot her. "The alley will be perfect, actually. Nice and...private, really. And I can situate myself out there so that he won't see me."
"Good. 'Cause I don't think I'm up to anything more than George the Happy Glo-ball still," Amanda said with a snort, finishing her drink. "I'll go mingle, see if I can't get his attention - if I manage to get him interested, head for the alley and you can bounce him off the road a few times?"
"Oh, he's not all that big, I think he'll only need one good bouncing." Wanda pointed to a near by table. "This'll give me a perfect spot, actually, so I'll keep a close eye on the both of you. I know it doesn't have to be said but I will anyway. Please do be careful."
"Always, Boss Lady, you know that. But I appreciate the thought." Amanda patted Wanda's arm briefly before turning to head into the crowd. "Wish me luck, see you in a few."
Tipping her glass towards Amanda in a silent toast, Wanda quickly found a seat at the table. Pushing the other chair away from the table would signal, at least for a few minutes, that she wasn't interested in any company.
***
Mark Sheppard clinked his glass against a half dozen others and quickly downed his shot, savoring the searing hot burn of vodka in his throat. Shot number two tonight. Better be careful. If there was one thing he prided himself on (there were many), it was his high tolerance, but even that had a limit. He clapped his drinking partner on the back, muttered a hurried goodbye, and went on. These folks were all right, which caused no end of relief. The six of them have been regulars for at least two years now, and had befriended a number of other regulars. They'd not seen anything out of the ordinary. If they hadn't picked up on anything, then maybe Mark was just overreacting. Things come up. Not everyone can make time for clubbing. Not showing up doesn't automatically mean kidnapped.
But those few rumors were really nagging him. Granted, there had only been whispers of foul play, but whispers were enough for Mark. As he headed back up to his booth so he could switch the playlist and chat up the crowd a bit, he scanned the patrons. Two of them made him pause mid-stride. A tall and old (ancient, by Mark's standards) woman and a young blonde one. He'd seen them a couple of times over the past month, and they didn't really tingle his mutant-sense. But since their first appearances, at least one if not two newbies who'd promised to come hadn't. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together.
The playlist would last another hour, and Mark was sure that everyone could survive without his witty repartee until then. The blonde looked like easier prey, so he ambled on over to her (after getting himself another drink at the bar, of course. All part of the cover). "I'd start with 'You come here often?'" he began, speaking just loudly enough over the music, "But I'm thinking that a cliché like that won't go far."
Well, that was easy... Amanda gave the DJ a bright smile. The fact he wasn't too bad on the eyes made him even more suspect - who better to snatch the unwary than a good looking bloke to lure them out? "Well, points for seeing a crappy line when you see it," she said, allowing as much American as possible into her accent. "I'm Amanda. You work here, do you?"
Exactly Mark's thoughts. Give him another three or four drinks and he'd follow her anywhere. There's just something about piercings. He offered her a grin of his own and raised his glass. "Mark. And yes I do. Fan of my work, are you?"
"It's what keeps me coming back - I heard you here a few weeks ago and I was hooked." Flatter his ego a bit - all performers liked that. "Though I notice you spend a lot of time on the floor. Getting up close and personal with your fans, huh?"
Mark smiled and looked away bashfully. Let her think he's loopy and enthralled. "I like to know my clientele," he explained. "I like to think that we quickly make regulars out of visitors by catering to them all."
Gotcha. Apparently she still had her touch. "Oh, I could see myself turning into a regular here. It's a great place, and everyone tries so hard to make you feel welcome. It's easy to see why it's so popular." She let herself drift a little closer, brushing his arm with her shoulder. "Helps that it's got one of the best DJs in New York."
Ooh, she's good. "Well, I don't know about that." Mark hid his fake embarrassment behind his glass, all the while cursing her in his head. "But the compliment is appreciated all the same. So what are you into, Amanda?" He left that wide open, hoping she'd take the bait.
"You mean besides cute mysterious DJs?" she asked, teasing. Oh, she could see how this guy would work if he was involved. And she was getting to be more and more certain of that, the way he kept steering things towards her. "I... work in the city. Mutant affairs. Something of a personal interest." Let's see if he took the bait...
Mark could almost hear the alarm going off. That's it, she's the one. It was only through sheer force of will that he didn't growl and attack her right there. You think you can hurt my people? You've got another thing coming, bitch. "Mutant affairs, huh? Sounds important. You're a big people person, then, I take it."
"Oh, definitely. They're so interesting. I love meeting new people, finding out what makes them tick." Oh, he'd certainly leapt on the mutant affairs part. I hope Wanda's keeping an eye out since this has got to be our front man. "Like yourself, Mark - I wouldn't mind getting to know you better, you know?"
"You know, I was just thinking the same thing." Gotcha now. Mark pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He wasn't much of a smoker himself, but having them provided him with a number of social opportunities. "Fancy a bit of fresh air for a bit?" he asked, nodding at the front door.
Here we go. Amanda smiled again, slipping her arm through his. "Thought you'd never ask," she said, resisting the urge to glance over her shoulder to see if Wanda was following.
As soon as Wanda spotted the two of them arm-in-arm, she finished off her drink. Giving it until the count of five, she slowly stood up and drifted through the crowd, watching as Amanda kept the boys attention. Obviously, this one was a lead and she made sure to keep close without alerting them that they were being followed.
Mark offered Amanda a cigarette from his pack as he led/followed her to the alley nearby. Obviously this is what she had in mind too, he told himself. He lit their smokes with his Zippo and after taking a drag, he pulled out an iPod from his pocket. He unzipped his hoodie, revealing a small pair of headphones hanging around his neck. "I've got something here I'd like to show you," he said, scrolling through his playlists for just the right song.
The cigarette disintegrated as Mark channeled a blast of plasma through his hand and hurled it at Amanda.
"Fu--" The word was cut off as the bolt hit Amanda in the chest and flung her slightly backwards. She landed on her butt, sliding back slightly on the slippery ground. She'd been expecting something, but obviously she hadn't been on her guard enough. "You bloody cuntbastard," she growled, scrambling backwards on her butt. Her chest hurt, liked she'd been smacked with a full body tackle. Nothing to hand she could use as a weapon, lets see if the shielding spell still worked... There was a brief crackle of electricity over her fingers and she swore again. C'mon Wanda, need a big damn hero right about now...
"Language, Amanda," Mark warned. "It might really get you into trouble some day." He wrinkled his nose at the smell of ozone left by the plasma, but conjured up another blast anyway. "If I even give you the chance to make any more trouble, bitch. And I really can't think of a reason why I should."
"Here's a good reason, my boy."
Wanda darted out of the door and slammed it shut behind her, not wanting any curious eyes to spy what was going on. "Didn't anyone tell you it's not polite to go throwing your powers around like that?" Reaching him, she threw a quick punch, drawing his fire away from Amanda.
The punch connected, sending Mark down to the ground too. Dammit, he'd forgotten about the geezer. He reached into his pocket and quickly changed the track. The loud, discordant guitars and drums pouring from his headphones faded into a regular bass beat, and the plasma extinguished and was replaced by crackling bolts of lightning. He threw his hand out, aiming a bolt at Wanda.
She ducked but it still managed to connect with her shoulder, sending her spilling onto the ground. Despite the shocky feeling in her shoulder, she quickly scrambled to her feet, red light flashing around her corners and sending a splash of red onto the walls around them.
"You're playing with fire," Wanda grated out, hands twitching slightly. As the boy backed up, the damp under his feet suddenly was a lot slicker in that patch and down he went. Wanda lunged for him, grabbing him by the front of his shirt and yanking him to his feet, pinning him to the wall. This still wouldn't do for long and she started to look around for a better solution.
In the meantime, Amanda had scooted back, taking cover behind a dumpster. Wincing as the lightning hit Wanda - the smell of ozone and slightly scorched material filled the alley, bringing back unpleasant memories - she looked around frantically for a way to help, cursing her unstable powers. Nothing presented itself, except... "Wanda, think it's time to take out the trash?" she called out, banging on the dumpster to get her attention.
"You're brilliant, Amanda," Wanda called backed and then grinned about two inches from the boys face. "Let's hope you land well, my boy, and then we can ask you a question or two, yeah?"
Rolling her shoulders, she lifted him up even more, to the point his feet weren't even on the ground anymore. Two steps and she twisted, using her momentum and his weight to toss him ass over kettle right into the fairly full dumpster. As he flew in, a simple plucking of the strings had the lid slam shut after him.
Mark knew he was in deep when the old woman flashed red. He didn't think it was literal. "I'm going to fucking kill you!" he cried, banging on the lid. At least he could still hear his music, meaning his sacred iPod wasn't damaged. But he didn't dare put on his headphones. Lord knows what might crawl into his ear.
"Doesn't sound happy, does he?" Amanda said to Wanda, rubbing her sternum a little. With a small degree of malice, she banged loudly on the lid of the dumpster, knowing the sound would amplify. "Now then, you horrible little toerag," she said, raising her voice a bit. "We've got some questions for you. Are you going to be sensible and answer or do we get nasty?"
Note to self: visit the clinic tomorrow. Nightclub refuse. Mark shuddered. The last thing he needed was to catch VD or take someone's heroin backwash. It was enough to make a grown man weep. "What do you want?" he answered, shutting off the iPod. No use wasting batteries. Plus, he didn't want to accidentally discharge and electrocute himself in the metal canister.
"Well, that's a start." Leaning casually on the lid, Wanda hrmed slightly. "Now, then..." She glanced over at Amanda, who supplied his name. "Now then, Mark, we have been hearing some alarming news about some unusual happenings around here. We want them stopped and with the lovely show you've put on, well, we're thinking you might have some answers along those lines, yes?"
"What the hell are you talking about, you old bat?" Mark spat. "I have no idea what you're saying." He was frowning, though. He was supposed to be asking them those questions. Double you tee eff.
"Oh, you've done it now, sunshine," Amanda said, snorting. "I think they'll be picking bits of you out of the alley until this time next year."
Yanking the lid up, Wanda glared down at him, hex rings glowing brighter and brighter around her hands. "One, what do you mean you do not know?" He had sounded rather confused at that. "So, you're saying you're not involved in whatever the hell is going on around here?"
Mark all but jumped up when Wanda opened the lid. Mmm, fresh air. (Or as fresh as you can get when sitting inside a dumpster in SoHo.) "If by 'whatever the hell is going on around here' you mean how you two have been abducting my peeps, then no, I don't know anything. That's what I'm here to find out."
"Hang on a minute..." Amanda shot a look at Wanda. "What do you mean, we're abducting your people? You're the one who's been operating out of that club, using it to grab people for your fucking smuggling ring."
If Wanda looked slightly pained, no one commented on it, not when she was holding the lid to the dumpster. "So, let me get this straight. You were casing us out because you thought we were kidnapping...while we were casing you out because you really weren't all that subtle. Bloody fantastic."
Mark just stared at them blankly for a minute. "No shit," he muttered, unsure of whether to laugh, cry, or both. "There's a smuggling ring? I thought I just had, like, a serial rapist-slash-murderer on my hands."
"Um, oops?" Amanda bit her lip. Sometimes less is more, Sefton. "So, wait, you're saying you were trying to track down the same people we're looking for?"
"Hell yes," was Mark's adamant reply. "I've lost at least three people already. Just up and gone, no goodbyes. Which wouldn't be so strange except they all happened within weeks of each other, and it's suspicious." Mark paused, considering the two women before him. "Smuggling ring? Shit."
"Shit is right," Wanda said tightly, the red disappearing from her hands. If he was lieing, it wouldn't be that hard to deal with him--she had tossed him into the dumpster, after all. "This may be worse than what we originally thought if we are looking at three within weeks of each other...they're stepping up operations, it would seem."
Amanda nodded. "And if they're ending up in the sort of places we found Sarah..." She considered Mark, still in the dumpster. "I don't get it. The vision led us here. So why the dead end?"
"Maybe not such a dead end, after all," Wanda replied, tilting her head at Mark. "We may have been led here so we could meet him after all. It seems he has a passing knowledge of what's going on here, it would be just like Angie's visions to give us a part of the puzzle but not all of it."
The closest approximation to Mark's next comment is "Bwuzzah?" This was making the kind of sense that doesn't. "Who did what in the where now? Please to be translating into English for me."
"Later," Amanda said with a grin. "Wanda, we should probably get him out of here, take him back to the others, yeah?"
"Oh, yes, certainly." Smiling at Mark, she continued, "We've got quite the group looking into this situation and I think we probably all use the help." As Amanda started to walk away, Wanda turned back and then stopped.
"Oh, yes, as I was saying before when I lifted the lid...and two, I certainly am not an old bat, thank you very much." And with that, she let the lid slip from her hands and clang back soundly on top of him.