Getting out of Dodge

[prototypezeus]

Alex is nervous. He's been avoiding this day for a while, but he can't put it off any longer. His food supply is running short, and there's only one thing to do before it goes dry completely... he has to leave Manhattan.

He stands on the edge of the rooftop in the Red Zone, looking over the city that's grown far more quiet than the last time April was here, nearly a year ago. The sounds of gunfire and animal-like screams continue in the distance, but there are few normal city sounds left.

Comments

[prototypezeus]

"Doesn't sound like there are many other options." Dana shuts the book and tosses it onto the bedside table. "There's just one little snag."

"What?" Alex asks, dreading the answer.

Dana pulls aside the bedsheet to reveal that her ankles are cuffed to the bedframe. "Wanna spring me free?"

Oh. He was expecting something more difficult. Alex's hands form into razor-sharp claws, and he slices the cuffs free.

[slayers_desire]

That seemed easier than she had originally thought. "I can take you both into the Nexus right now. Once we leave, my psychic image of the room will disappear from the sniper's mind, and they will be alerted you are gone."

[prototypezeus]

"We can't be gone long," Alex says, meaning himself and April. "Once they know Dana's gone, they'll come out in force. I won't have long to try to get past their defenses."

[slayers_desire]

"I know. We will leave Dana in a safe place. And come back here to help you escape." April uses her PINpoint to open a portal.

She glances at Dana. "It is not an alien ship. Trust me."

[prototypezeus]

He's still not sure how exactly they're going to get off the island. But if he has April helping him, he might be able to charge across one of the bridges. Maybe.

"All right. Let's go. Fast."

[slayers_desire]

She guides them through the portal. They don't arrive in the Nexus, since she didn't want to leave Dana there unprotected and unaware of her surroundings.

Instead she had brought them to Lorne's bar in Los Angeles. The one place she knows she can trust someone to watch over Dana until they return.

Lorne himself turns when the portal activates. He frowns at the three people exiting, only recognizing one of them. "What mess is this now?"

[prototypezeus]

Dana wraps the sheet around herself before she follows them through, since she's in a hospital gown and barefoot. Alex sticks close to her side, and he bristles a little at their surroundings, wary of unfamiliar territory.

He only looks a tiny bit surprised at Lorne's appearance, since the man obviously isn't human.

[slayers_desire]

"Lorne. This is Alex and his sister Dana. We need to leave Dana here. Please place her under the same protection as anyone else who would come to you during a time of need..."

"Sure thing Darling... First thing will be to find her some nice clothes."

[prototypezeus]

"Darn, and here I was looking forward to everyone getting to see my backside," Dana jokes nervously.

Alex isn't sure how to react to any of this. "Dana..."

She looks over at him. "Okay, get your real face back on, I am not having this conversation with one of those guys."

Alex's body ripples with red and black tendrils, changing his features back to the young man he usually is.

[slayers_desire]

"Lorne is a protector. This place is a safe haven. I would trust my own son or daughter with him. And he has fought some pretty tough nasties in his own right..."

"Oh stop luv, you are making me blush..."

[prototypezeus]

Alex looks him up and down, trying to assess how badass Lorne really is. He knows better than most that people's appearances don't necessarily correspond with how dangerous they are. "You know that face I was just wearing? You see anyone dressed like that, you blow 'em away. Because they'll be coming to kill her."

[slayers_desire]

Lorne just looks relaxed and at ease when Alex assesses him. "We will make sure that she is protected."

"We have several apartments here too, where we can get you situated. Each comes with all the features to keep you as safe as you need to feel." Lorne explains to Dana.

[prototypezeus]

"It's kind of backwards but I think not having armed guards outside my door will make me feel way safer than if I did," Dana says with a humorless grin.

"April's vouched for you," Alex says to Lorne. "She'd better be right." It's mostly just posturing, paranoia for his sister's safety. He doesn't trust people, not without very good reason to.

[slayers_desire]

"I can show you to a suite right now." Lorne offers her, extending a hand.

April looks down at her PINpoint, trying not to react to Alex's lack of trust. "We better get back."

[prototypezeus]

Dana takes the offer of help, going with Lorne. "You keep your ass safe," she says over her shoulder at her brother. "I better see you again."

Alex isn't very good with people, so he doesn't notice April is bothered. "Yeah. Bring us back out near my door. We don't want to show up in the hospital."

[slayers_desire]

"Definitely not. They would already be in full alert there." April brings them back to the door which they had initially started this adventure.

[prototypezeus]

Alex stands on the edge of the building, and a strange feeling comes over him as he looks at the familiar city. This will be the last time he looks on his hunting grounds, the place where he was created and has spent his entire life. After today, everything will be new and unfamiliar. His targets won't be so easy to choose, and he won't know his way around whatever new city he finds himself in.

Assuming they make it past the blockade, that is.

[slayers_desire]

"This is your path Alex... lead the way... I will help when and where I can." April tells him, before taking her shadow-form again.

[prototypezeus]

"I don't have a good plan. They're guarding the bridges with thermobaric tanks and helicopters. Wouldn't surprise me if they call for nukes if they see I'm getting away. Same goes for the tunnels." His goodbye look to the city is replaced by one of assessment, trying to decide the way he wants to leave.

[slayers_desire]

Any of those would actually harm you?

[prototypezeus]

He nods. "Thermobaric tank shells hurt like hell. And the last time I was up close and personal with a nuke, I'm not sure how long it took for me to gather enough biomass to wake up."

[slayers_desire]

I am not sure how my psychic shields would work against either. So let's try to avoid both, if we can April projects her voices, to see if there is a path of least resistance.

[prototypezeus]

"I can't swim across. It isn't far, but water hurts me, and I sink like a stone. We can steal a helicopter, but one leaving the island will be noticed." Her voices will back him up on that. There are really only three viable paths off the island - a bridge, a tunnel, or a helicopter. And all of them are dangerous. Unless she helps to shield him from being damaged.

[slayers_desire]

The paths I see are a bridge, a tunnel or a helicopter. All of them are dangerous. But I sense that my shields should prove useful.

[prototypezeus]

Alex can already hear the increased sound of helicopters as Blackwatch reacts to the absence of Dana at the hospital. "They already know something is going on. Maybe it's better to do a frontal assault. The tunnels are easier to block, but they're more protected from air support. A helicopter would be easy to shoot down, and if we land in the water, I could be in trouble. Attacking one of the bridges might be the best option." But he's also pretty sure that they're rigged with explosives, to blow out the bridges if it looks like he's going to get away.