Genosha - Step By Step: Heading for the Safe House from the Alleys

[x-adrienne.livejournal.com]

Bishop, Sooraya, Jean-Paul, and Artie evade Magistrate patrols in the city to get to a safe house.


Three lean, mangy-looking stray cats jumped in unison when the group of escapees turned a corner and entered the garbage-filled alley behind a block of restaurants. They hissed and spat before streaking off into the darkness, and after a moment the voice of one of the patrolling Magistrates could be heard making an exclamation of surprise as the cats crossed his path. Laughter from his partner followed. It was unclear as to the designation of the approaching patrol- they could be Civil Forces out on a routine sweep, or they could have been Defense or Task Force members, on a deliberate search for participants of the Citadel break-in. Of course, the group escaping the Citadel would have to steer clear of them no matter who they were.

Sooraya relaxed slightly as the laughter died away slowly. She had no idea where Bishop was guiding them exactly, but she trusted the tall dark man and had followed him without hesitation. With a shiver she pulled her veils closer around her and not for the first time she was grateful for the way they hid her face and made her far more anonymous. She scanned the alley and turned towards Bishop. "You said it was somewhere around here?"

"Only a little farther. It's going to be too close for a long stay but we can get in contact and get some rest." Bishop offered as he stepped out from their hiding spot, taking the group across the alley to a nondescript metal door. There wasn't a key but the knob was tricky, no one could be blamed for thinking it was locked.

Jean-Paul landed silently behind the other three once the door was open. He saw no reason to give up the element of surprise should they run across another group if soldiers. He was tired, though, the days of tension bleeding together. "I will take the first watch, I think," he volunteered. He was well accustomed to functioning on little to no sleep - not so for the younger two.

"I'll work on getting us back in contact. I'd rather have Sooraya on first watch so one of us is up at all times." Bishop offered the plan to Jean-Paul as he moved to the archaic looking radio. "Up for covering my back again?"

"I can handle first watch." Sooraya nodded. "And I will inventory our supplies, so I can either make us something when everyone has slept or figure out a way to go get what we need." She looked at Jean-Paul and Artie. "Go get some sleep. We'll manage."

Artie nodded. He felt like he should do more but all of the powers use had left him with a splitting headache and had been a long day. Fuck it. He lay down, back against the wall, head pillowed on his arms and as far from the door as possible. He'd work on getting money, getting food in the morning. There was probably some decent dumpster diving around here and he'd be able to pass off fake money, things like that. After he got some sleep and felt like a real human again.

Jean-Paul waited for a moment and then motioned to Bishop, pulling the other man aside. "It is not safe for me to sleep," he said, keeping his voice low so Sooraya and Artie wouldn't hear.

"Not very safe for you not to." Bishop countered, keeping his voice low and looking at Jean-Paul curiously, waiting for his reasoning.

"Non, mon ami," Jean-Paul said, exhaustion showing through now. "I cannot sleep here. I... I have been many days without certain medications, oui? And so... if I have a nightmare, there will be a concussive blast. The last time someone was caught in one, he hit a wall so hard, he cracked many ribs. It is not safe for you or them for me to sleep."

"Probably perfectly safe for me." Bishop observed. "What do the medications do? Help dissipate the energy?"

Raising a hand, Jean-Paul rubbed at his eyes. "They keep me calm. The blasts, they are... because I am anxious, oui? In the nightmares, I feel threatened. And so there is a blast. I did not sleep so well before we were taken and very little since." Expression very, very serious, the Quebecois said, "I do not want to hurt them, even if it will not be so bad for you."

"If discharging some energy would help, you have me to absorb it discretely. Otherwise I'm not sure what else we could do." Bishop was tired himself and it was showing through. He was running short on spur of the moment plans.

"I... do not know how you would absorb this energy," Jean-Paul said, pressing his fingertips against his eyes for a long moment before prying them back open and looking at his friend. "But I would be willing to try. It is better than nothing. And if it does not work, I will... simply sleep elsewhere, oui?"

"It might be down to that for the kids' sake." Bishop agreed with a nod. He didn't like the idea of making his friend sleep away from what little safety they had but, with Sooraya and Artie there, it wasn't just about them.