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xp_logsAt the same time as the kids are escaping, Cain arrives to hand over the stones in exchange for the hostages. Except Belladonna has a surprise left.
The farmhouse had been abandoned for some time, but not so long that it was structurally unsound. Just as well, considering the size of the man who had parked his truck and approached the front steps. As he set foot on the first, there was movement from the shadowy porch either side of the front door, and two men appeared.
They walked forward with obvious caution to the big man, but curiously without fear. The weapons they held weren't brandished or put forward aggressively, the way the uncertain use them to announce their power. Instead, they seemed a part of them, an obvious tool that didn't need any flourish. Their eyes were sharp and calm; natural killers, with professionalism in the place of bravado.
"Mister Marko. This way." The one said, as they took up station on either side of the giant man, leading him back towards the house.
Cain restrained his immediate urge to lash out at the two thugs and just charge the farmhouse. Smash in, grab his people, and to hell with the bag of rocks. But if what he was told was right, these guys were people you didn't screw with, and reckless bravado was only going to get people killed. So Cain kept his hands in his pockets, idly rolling the supposedly-magic stones between his fingers as he paced towards the farmhouse.
Belladonna was impatient. Of course she knew the benefit of waiting; many years spent plotting in her brothers' shadows had taught her that much. But this wasn't her life, it was merely the completion of a plan that she had formulated, and she was anxious to get it over with as soon as possible so that she would be able to get back to her own schemes. And so her gaze was a little sharp as the impossibly-large man entered the room, flanked by two of her men, who moved to points on either side of the main entrance and stood there silently, as they had been trained to do.
"So you're here. I hope you've brought the stones with you. Hand them over, and we will return the hostages." Her tone was flat, perfunctory. The gleam in her eyes, however, was anything but.
Holding the stones in one hand, Cain stepped towards Belladonna, then paused. The accent was unmistakeably deep Cajun, and the inflections even more familiar than he'd expected. "Lemme guess," he said with a wry grin, "you'd be Mrs. Gambit."
"That is none of your concern," Belladonna all but growled, the faintest glow growing around her clenched fists momentarily. Once they got the stones, she would be free to wipe the smirk off the behemoth's face... "Give me the stones."
Cain held out his arm, stones clenched in one massive fist. "You show me my people, and you'll get your damn rocks. And if there's so much as a scratch on them, there ain't a man, woman, or god what's going to stop me from coming back here and ripping your damn spine out through your ass." He squeezed his hand slightly, the sound of the stones scratching against each other clearly audible. "So bring 'em."
Men. Belladonna rolled her eyes, gesturing to one of the men at the door, who nodded and turned, hurrying from the room. "I will show you one of 'your people'... the rest are located elsewhere, as a safeguard to myself and 'my people'. We will tell you where to find them once the stones are in my possession. That is the arrangement. I am not interested in any further negotiations."
When the man returned, he was all but carrying the hostage he brought with him. Between the drugs and the still-fresh marks of the beating he'd received, Angelo really wasn't in much shape to walk unsupported. The inhibitor was still on his wrist, six feet of skin hanging loosely around him.
Eyes narrowing at the bruises on Angelo's body, Cain gritted his teeth. Glancing over at one of the men next to Belladonna, holding a silver tray, he reached out and dropped the stones unceremoniously onto the tray. "All right. There's your rocks. Angelo and Amanda come with me."
"You are welcome to take him," Belladonna said dismissively with a wave of her hand, attention already riveted on the stones. "I'm afraid the girl will not be accompanying you, however."
Cain stepped forward, knuckles cracking. "Bullshit. Deal was, you get your stones, you give our people back. Now, I don't care what power you think you got, because I can guarantee you that it ain't enough to stop me from walking right over and ripping your arms right out of your sockets until you bring that girl out here. You are trying the absolute last of my patience, you little half-dollar bayou bitch, and believe me, you don't want me to run out of patience."
"Firstly," Belladonna replied, once again fixing her gaze on Cain's face. "The 'power' I have over you at the moment is the lives of several of the students from your school. Rip my arms out and they will lose their lives - it's as simple as that. Secondly..." And this is where she started to look really smug, "the agreement was the return of the mansion residents in exchange for the stones. The girl does not live at the mansion, hence, she is not a resident and not due back under our agreement. You really ought to read the fine print, cher. Though I can understand that reading may not be your strong point."
With an effort, Angelo pulled himself away from the man holding him up. He didn't raise his head, though, as he said quietly, "They took her away yesterday. Don't know where."
Growling, Cain pulled back a fist, then slowly let out a breath, dropping his head in resignation. "Get in the truck, Angelo," he said quietly. "We got some kids to go pick up." Waiting a moment, he looked back to Belladonna. "All right, you're dealin' all the cards here. I'm taking Angelo, and we're leaving. I'll expect a call from you like you said, and I'll go pick up the kids. You wanna play by the words of the deal, fine. You got the stones. You fuck with us on this, and there ain't words for the hell I'm gonna bring to your doorstep, lady."
Belladonna laughed. "And yet you still bother wasting your breath with threats. Go on, then." Her green eyes slid to Angelo and her wicked smirk grew. If all the X-Men were so easy to break, it was a wonder they had lasted that long.
Cain shook his head, turning away and supporting Angelo with one arm. "This ain't over, boy," he said quietly with as much reassurance as he could muster. "We'll get Amanda back."
Angelo just nodded and started to turn with him, then stopped as he caught sight of the inhibitor again, raising his arm so Cain could see. "Get this thing off me." His voice was as dull as it had been for every word he'd said since emerging.
With a simple squeeze of two fingers, Cain snapped the inhibitor as easily as if it had been made of candy, letting the pieces drop to the ground. "Done, and done. Now get in the damn truck and let's get out of here."
Another nod, and he let Cain support him to the truck, already pulling his skin back in despite the pain.
The farmhouse had been abandoned for some time, but not so long that it was structurally unsound. Just as well, considering the size of the man who had parked his truck and approached the front steps. As he set foot on the first, there was movement from the shadowy porch either side of the front door, and two men appeared.
They walked forward with obvious caution to the big man, but curiously without fear. The weapons they held weren't brandished or put forward aggressively, the way the uncertain use them to announce their power. Instead, they seemed a part of them, an obvious tool that didn't need any flourish. Their eyes were sharp and calm; natural killers, with professionalism in the place of bravado.
"Mister Marko. This way." The one said, as they took up station on either side of the giant man, leading him back towards the house.
Cain restrained his immediate urge to lash out at the two thugs and just charge the farmhouse. Smash in, grab his people, and to hell with the bag of rocks. But if what he was told was right, these guys were people you didn't screw with, and reckless bravado was only going to get people killed. So Cain kept his hands in his pockets, idly rolling the supposedly-magic stones between his fingers as he paced towards the farmhouse.
Belladonna was impatient. Of course she knew the benefit of waiting; many years spent plotting in her brothers' shadows had taught her that much. But this wasn't her life, it was merely the completion of a plan that she had formulated, and she was anxious to get it over with as soon as possible so that she would be able to get back to her own schemes. And so her gaze was a little sharp as the impossibly-large man entered the room, flanked by two of her men, who moved to points on either side of the main entrance and stood there silently, as they had been trained to do.
"So you're here. I hope you've brought the stones with you. Hand them over, and we will return the hostages." Her tone was flat, perfunctory. The gleam in her eyes, however, was anything but.
Holding the stones in one hand, Cain stepped towards Belladonna, then paused. The accent was unmistakeably deep Cajun, and the inflections even more familiar than he'd expected. "Lemme guess," he said with a wry grin, "you'd be Mrs. Gambit."
"That is none of your concern," Belladonna all but growled, the faintest glow growing around her clenched fists momentarily. Once they got the stones, she would be free to wipe the smirk off the behemoth's face... "Give me the stones."
Cain held out his arm, stones clenched in one massive fist. "You show me my people, and you'll get your damn rocks. And if there's so much as a scratch on them, there ain't a man, woman, or god what's going to stop me from coming back here and ripping your damn spine out through your ass." He squeezed his hand slightly, the sound of the stones scratching against each other clearly audible. "So bring 'em."
Men. Belladonna rolled her eyes, gesturing to one of the men at the door, who nodded and turned, hurrying from the room. "I will show you one of 'your people'... the rest are located elsewhere, as a safeguard to myself and 'my people'. We will tell you where to find them once the stones are in my possession. That is the arrangement. I am not interested in any further negotiations."
When the man returned, he was all but carrying the hostage he brought with him. Between the drugs and the still-fresh marks of the beating he'd received, Angelo really wasn't in much shape to walk unsupported. The inhibitor was still on his wrist, six feet of skin hanging loosely around him.
Eyes narrowing at the bruises on Angelo's body, Cain gritted his teeth. Glancing over at one of the men next to Belladonna, holding a silver tray, he reached out and dropped the stones unceremoniously onto the tray. "All right. There's your rocks. Angelo and Amanda come with me."
"You are welcome to take him," Belladonna said dismissively with a wave of her hand, attention already riveted on the stones. "I'm afraid the girl will not be accompanying you, however."
Cain stepped forward, knuckles cracking. "Bullshit. Deal was, you get your stones, you give our people back. Now, I don't care what power you think you got, because I can guarantee you that it ain't enough to stop me from walking right over and ripping your arms right out of your sockets until you bring that girl out here. You are trying the absolute last of my patience, you little half-dollar bayou bitch, and believe me, you don't want me to run out of patience."
"Firstly," Belladonna replied, once again fixing her gaze on Cain's face. "The 'power' I have over you at the moment is the lives of several of the students from your school. Rip my arms out and they will lose their lives - it's as simple as that. Secondly..." And this is where she started to look really smug, "the agreement was the return of the mansion residents in exchange for the stones. The girl does not live at the mansion, hence, she is not a resident and not due back under our agreement. You really ought to read the fine print, cher. Though I can understand that reading may not be your strong point."
With an effort, Angelo pulled himself away from the man holding him up. He didn't raise his head, though, as he said quietly, "They took her away yesterday. Don't know where."
Growling, Cain pulled back a fist, then slowly let out a breath, dropping his head in resignation. "Get in the truck, Angelo," he said quietly. "We got some kids to go pick up." Waiting a moment, he looked back to Belladonna. "All right, you're dealin' all the cards here. I'm taking Angelo, and we're leaving. I'll expect a call from you like you said, and I'll go pick up the kids. You wanna play by the words of the deal, fine. You got the stones. You fuck with us on this, and there ain't words for the hell I'm gonna bring to your doorstep, lady."
Belladonna laughed. "And yet you still bother wasting your breath with threats. Go on, then." Her green eyes slid to Angelo and her wicked smirk grew. If all the X-Men were so easy to break, it was a wonder they had lasted that long.
Cain shook his head, turning away and supporting Angelo with one arm. "This ain't over, boy," he said quietly with as much reassurance as he could muster. "We'll get Amanda back."
Angelo just nodded and started to turn with him, then stopped as he caught sight of the inhibitor again, raising his arm so Cain could see. "Get this thing off me." His voice was as dull as it had been for every word he'd said since emerging.
With a simple squeeze of two fingers, Cain snapped the inhibitor as easily as if it had been made of candy, letting the pieces drop to the ground. "Done, and done. Now get in the damn truck and let's get out of here."
Another nod, and he let Cain support him to the truck, already pulling his skin back in despite the pain.
