eighth bite ⧗ video / text ⧗ return from the dead!

[redhourglass]

[ she's been laying low for the night, after the life was breathed back into her body from the gods, the last words she heard echoing in her ears. this is your penance; damning and deserved, the last thing that she could focus on as she crawled across the cold ground towards her bracelet, trying to reach someone before --

it had been too late. everything had gone dark. she hadn't saved a damn person and now it seemed like she never would. maybe he'd been right to do what he did to her; but there were still people she had to protect. moving through the mess of the city paralyzed by fear, she recovered her weapons from the bar where she worked, careful to keep out of the way of anyone who knew her. she wasn't ready to reveal herself yet.

it was only after she was fully armed, suited up that she opened a channel to the network, one of the rare times she actually showed her face - mostly for the benefit of the avengers, assassins and connor and dean. ]

I'm back. [ terse, short words. ] I'm ready. What's the damage?

[ filtered to tony stark, bruce banner, steve rogers ]

current positions and status? were any of you taken out in the attack?

Comments

[zen_en_vert]

I'm back too.

[Deliberately vague? Him?]

[redhourglass]

... what happened?

[ she wasn't prepared for that wave of guilt. ]

[zen_en_vert]

Someone took advantage of the fact that I was sleep walking. You?

[redhourglass]

the same. stabbed in an alley and left to die. apparently i was big news. do you know who?

[zen_en_vert]

Throat slit, and then cat-and-moused until I was gone. Someone who, well, you know- I don't know his name yet, but I would like to find him. We met in the street after and I took a few good shots at him, I hope he's all right. I guess he would be, since they probably had to kill him too, but I still want to find him.

video.

[mulletrock]

[Dean looks like crap. He's tired, his hair is dirty and sticking out at all angles, and for those trained to see it he looks like he's in pain. He had Jo stitch him up earlier, but not by choice.]

Glad to see you made it to revival. Damage doesn't even cover it. I think the crazy's on me. The whole city's gone nuts.

video, private.

[redhourglass]

Dean...

[ she softens slightly, hiding worry behind a mask of professionalism. ]

You look like hell. Any news of how to cure the crazy on this end?

video, private.

[mulletrock]

There was a feed where someone suggested takin' off the bracelets. I didn't get that far into it. Seemed like a two birds one stone thing. People are turning themselves into the gods so that they can get wasted since that's apparently the only cure. So, it's either goin' ape shit and getting ganked for it or takin' off the braceling and goin' gray.

[He didn't want any more civvies to get hurt but he wasn't in any position to be helping, especially not now.]

video, private.

[redhourglass]

Don't.

[ the word was out before she could help it, but she wouldn't take it back. ]

You could turn yourself into the gods; or you could last. How much longer do you think the city will be like this? Lay low. There have to be enough of us and few enough of them that we can make it. Going gray .. there isn't any guarantee you'll come back from that. We don't know enough about it in the first place.

[video]

[not_a_troll]

Allow me to give you a warm welcome back.

[Loki's voice sounds flat. He hasn't really talked to anyone since everything returned to...well...somewhat remotely normal.]

Welcome back. We all have survived once again.

video.

[redhourglass]

[ something is wrong. or feels wrong. that much she knows. perhaps because she hasn't heard from him in a while, because he's still dealing with the loss of his friend and the chaos in the city. but.. it prompts her to ask: ]

What's going on, Loki?

video.

[not_a_troll]

I do not think that is an appropriate question at this point. What has been going on has ceased to be going on. Therefore everything is well. I am able to sleep again and you have returned from the dead.

Of course we cannot refer to the current situation as a festive one, but it beats the sight of people dying, building melting, shadows looming and other rather odd things.

[A small smile appears on his lips.]

Your corpse has not been a pretty sight.

video.

[redhourglass]

[ oh.

she hadn't considered .. how her death might affect others beyond her not being there to protect them. apparently, for loki, it had reached him in a big way. this entire happening had been trouble for him and he'd likely been on his own. ]

It wasn't exactly my plan to die.

[ a beat. ]

Where are you now? Somewhere safe?

video; awhile later

[daddyissues]

[ Although his response is a video feed, it's completely dark. She can't see anything, but may hear a soft rustle in the background. ]

There's a lot of damage.

[ Connor didn't know she died, but knowing that the dead are coming back and coming back normal... it's a relief. ]

video;

[redhourglass]

[ she answers promptly, her feed bouncing slightly. she's clearly on the move, though she pauses in step. ]

Connor. Where are you?

[ .. does she really want to know? ]

Re: video;

[daddyissues]

...I don't know.

[ Altair tied him up well, it took him awhile to wriggle his bracelet off and into his hand to use. He's bound to what feels like pipes along each arm and around the waist, ankles together as well-- no underestimation here. It's too dark to see, but the room feels small and there's no doubt that his sword is gone.

What's strange is that despite the pain, especially in his head, he feels better. Clearer, like some of the crazy was forcibly knocked out of him along with consciousness. Where was he before darkness? Right. He's quiet for a moment, considering if it's safe to be untied, then: ]

An apartment building in Loki, I think.

video.

[redhourglass]

[ there is a pause as she tries to orient herself on the rooftop; which direction was loki district? what district was she in currently? once she's figured out her location, however, she's speaking into the bracelet again. ]

What happened? Why is your feed dark?

[ she's not optimistic about the situation; was he hiding from someone? ]

Are you injured? I'm going to come find you.

video;

[pushesgently]

Welcome back.

[Is that honest relief on his face? Yes it is.]

video; encrypted.

[redhourglass]

Altaïr.

[ she seems somewhat relieved as well, though never as openly. ]

What is the current status of the others?

video; encrypted. (I don't remember if she was around for Desmond biting it)

[pushesgently]

All alive and well...now. We lost Desmond.

Alastair was one of those tainted by Thiazi.

video; encrypted. ( me either. let's go with no for posterity)

[redhourglass]

[ she hisses her displeasure. ]

Is he still alive?

[Video]

[modernmarvel]

[She's back from the dead. Screw text.]

I'm betting Bruce hasn't ever missed the big guy as much as he does right now.

...They got you, too, huh.

private, video.

[redhourglass]

[ like jesus. only more russian. and hotter with boobs. ]

While I was sleepwalking. My guard was down; I wasn't armed, either. [ a judgment call she'd made in case she'd decided to go on a homicidal rampage during said sleepwalking. ]

What about you and Rogers?

private, video.

[modernmarvel]

[He's so not letting her live this down. Even if she was able to kick his ass.]

I seem to be one of the only ones who didn't succumb to my baser instincts. Must be all that clean living Bruce tried to force me into.

[Shrug.]

I haven't talked to the Capsicle.

[Why would he? They're not friends.]

private, video.

[redhourglass]

Somehow I doubt that.

[ they're teammates. she might not be sure what the avengers are, but at the very least they're comrades in arms and that's .. something she can deal with for now. ]

I thought I told you all to keep an eye on each other, Stark. Are you somewhere safe?