fullofmercy | Between the wasteland and the sky

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Between the wasteland and the sky

It's truly strange, wheeling the Angelina II out of the garage and under the double suns of Gunsmoke, making him squint even behind his dark glasses. Human beings aren't meant to travel that way, he's totally, one hundred percent positive of that. Motorbikes, spaceships--hell, even Thomases are preferable. He likes to see where he's going, he likes to know how he's getting there. Magic doors and multiversal travel are more than he's really comfortable with.

Yeah. But maybe just a little of the disorientation has to do with the place he's reappearing; a little wishful thinking to get him through the sinking feeling in his stomach. Hey, honey, he thinks, gloomy. I'm home.

It's early; one sun has managed to clear the horizon but the other is still only a wavering, fiery line bleeding reddish gold streaks across the infinite waves of dune after dune. A few houses, weathered clapboard, stand between him and the open desert. The morning breeze ruffling the few faded, flowered curtains already has a hint of the coming heat, a little vibrant edge to it, promises of the spike that comes once the second sun rises and burns over the planet for another day. Not a single cloud mars the unbroken smoothness of the sky.

Behind him, around him, the little town is just beginning to wake up. Vendors are opening their shop doors, mothers are coming out of their houses to hang rugs and wash on the porch rails or clothesline, men are greeting each other with silent nods on their way to whatever job they've managed to hold onto. Every one of them is gray and colorless, clothing faded with many washings and hours upon hours of harsh sunlight. Even their faces seem gray and lined. Still, they smile, they shake hands. Even here, where the sand is already beginning to creep up onto their doorsteps, people continue to believe that everything will turn out all right. They have to--how else could they get themselves up in the mornings?

He finds it insulting. He finds it inspiring. It's the most unbelievable thing he's ever seen--the ability of humans to continue daily life under the constant threat of complete extinction.

He half-turns to his right, one hand in his pocket, fingers of the other already searching in his breast pocket for his pack of smokes, teasing one battered cigarette out, and casts his glance over Michael.

"Well," he says, and sticks the unlit cigarette between his lips. "Home sweet home."

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Michael follows easily enough, keeping a close eye on the pair as long as they're in his line of sight.

"I should have worn black, could have said I'm your altar boy." It's only a slight tease, one he probably wouldn't understand that would have had Sam wetting himself holding back the giggles. As frustrated as he still is with life, it's hard to pass up a good clergy joke in any universe.

Still, he squares up his shoulders as they enter the cafeteria and scans the room for anything potentially useful.

Wolfwood cracks a smile as he shoulders his way through the crowds.

"Little old for that, aren't you?"

The steamer is full: December is a popular destination, and the families in the cafeteria make room for two more cheerfully enough. Most of them are young couples looking for work, and there are a handful of children running around, playing games of bounty hunters versus Vash the Stampede that inevitably end in all the unfortunate bounty hunters lying around groaning in exaggerated pain.

They take a fairly unobtrusive spot, and Wolfwood leaves, returns with food and water. None of it's very good, and Michael can certainly see why fresh meat is such a commodity here. Everything available has been so processed it's hard to tell what it may once have been, but it travels well and it's filling, and that's the point.

It isn't long before Wolfwood finds himself dragged into the children's games, but he eases up with them in a way that's impossible around adults. A few parents cast curious glances at the big cloth-covered cross, but as the journey continues, the mood lightens and conversation picks up. Eventually, he tells Michael to head to the bunks to get some rest if he wants -- they'll be traveling into the evening.

They're well into the desert and the suns are near setting when it happens: the steamer's engines groan, grind, come to a stuttering halt, hissing softly as the metal cools.

And then the power cuts out.

In the darkness and confusion, Wolfwood gropes around for the Punisher, then looks for Michael as a few metallic bangs sound in the distance.

"We shouldn't have stopped. Stay out of line of sight of the doors."

Edited 2012-06-06 13:16 (UTC)

Acting on impulse, Michael rolls off the bunk and crouches out of sight, feeling around to identify where he is before silently drawing his 9mm and flicking off the safety.

"You thinking a robbery?" He asks quietly, eyes locked on the doors and waiting for them to open; "Or that they're after the girl?"

"Don't sell them short." Wolfwood positions himself at the side of the door, Punisher in hand. "The best bandits are multitaskers. It all depends on if they know she's here."

Dammit, he'd known it was a bad idea to travel along with an upperclass escort, but they'd had no choice.

As if in answer to Michael's question, there's a crackling from above as the PA system kicks in, and a man's smug voice comes over the speakers, echoing into the stricken steamer. He sounds giggly, at the edge of self-satisfied hilarity, like taking out a sand steamer is just the absolute highlight of his day -- which, to be honest, it probably is.

"Greetings, citizens!" he says. "You are being addressed by the melodious voice of none other than Pierre Patricks. It's such an absolute pleasure."

Low moans echo through the corridors, and Wolfwood grimaces.

The man continues. "We apologize for the delay in your journey. Rest assured you will be allowed to continue on -- just as soon as we've relieved you of any valuables you might be carrying. Don't try to hide them. This is your only warning -- you won't get another. Don't try to hide yourselves, either. Everyone will come to the cafeteria, with everything they've brought. You have ten minutes. For every minute you make us wait after that, I, personally, will kill a hostage."

There's a pause, and then a laugh. "Oh! I forgot to mention the hostages. Say hello, kids."

The silence between that comment and the next sounds from the speaker settle heavy in his chest, but his suspicions are confirmed when the PA fills with the panicked shouts of the same children he'd played with earlier.

"They must have been playing in the corridors," Wolfwood says, low, but rage is beginning to build.

"Pleasure doing business with you all," says the first voice. "See you in ten minutes!"

The PA clicks off, leaving a sinking silence before scrambling and shouting begin in the rooms around them.

Micheal closes his eyes a long moment as the bastard makes his announcement, going over the layout of the steamer in his head. When the system clicked off, the sound of panic began to start.

"How many do you think there are?"

It's a matter of numbers, if there's less than four - it's worth the danger of going in just the two of them even with the hostages. More than that... not gonna happen.

Wolfwood sighs, considering.

"Pierre -- they call him the Pirate. The last I heard of him, he was working with a fairly small crew, but he must have at least one inside man. Probably two, in order to get to the cockpit, and that's where he'd have to be to use the PA. I'd say we're looking at eight or ten, if we're lucky."

His thoughts are running rapidly. "Six of them -- a team for each main level -- will be herding people out of their rooms and towards the cafeteria. I'd say he's probably got at least one in the cockpit with him. The others will be patrolling, looking for anyone trying to cause trouble."

Cracking the door, he looks out, carefully. "I'd say our best bet is to take the team on this level, take their communicators, and try to get to the hostages -- as long as that's really his only game."

That really isn't good. But, his logic's sound enough. he's run crazier gambits on his own.

"If they know we're here and armed they'll take it out on the hostages." He whispers, "We should move quickly and only fire if we absolutely have no choice."

He pushes up on his feet and shifts close to Wolfwood, tucking his pistol into the back of his jeans and then untucking his shirt. "If it comes down to it, send me in as a hostage - I'm a lot cleaner than everyone else... I could probably pull off a rich idiot and take them from the inside if it comes to it."

He's not wrong, but Wolfwood shakes his head after a second's quick thought.

"That should be our last resort." His eyes flick up to the grate above the door, and when he casts a half-grin at Michael, there's no humor in it.

"How are you at taking down opponents without using a gun?"

Edited 2012-06-07 03:56 (UTC)

The chance to bust a few heads is a hard one to ignore, especially the kind of garbage that uses kids for leverage.

A slow smile curls the corners of his lips and he replies easily; "Fifteen forms of hand to hand combat at master level. Specialization on improvisational tactics."

Sam once said his body is a deadly weapon... Michael didn't argue.

"I'm pretty sure I'll be fine."

Wolfwood's smile turns sharp.

"Then we should take a walk."

Hoisting the Punisher, he keys the door and steps into the hall, free hand stuck in his pocket, steps a slow saunter, like he's got no particular place to go.

"Hey!" The gruff voice comes from one of the two men skulking down the corridor, rifles slung across their chests. The taller addresses them. "Where do you think you're headed?"

Wolfwood gives him an exasperated look. "The cafeteria, remember? I'm just doing what your boss says."

The thugs come closer, and the shorter one eyes the cross. "What's that you got?"

"Oh, this?" Wolfwood hefts it, testing its weight. "Just a little of the Lord's Gospel. You never know when you might be called upon to sway a non-believer."

With that, and Michael close enough to take the other, he lifts the cross in one motion and tosses it, smashing into the tall guy's face and dropping him like a rock with a crash of metal and a unf! of surprised pain.

Edited 2012-06-08 03:33 (UTC)

The shorter one is right within reach and Michael grabs him by the shirt and hooks his elbow at his throat - cutting off his air. As he feels the man's weight begin to drop, he throws his shoulder into slamming the guy's head against the wall hard enough to do the rest of the job without making too much noise.

He's out cold, but breathing.

"Keep moving, we're on a clock now."

He straightens from where he'd knelt to get the Punisher and to slip a walkie-talkie out of the man's pocket, tossing it to Michael.

"The cockpit is up ahead, and one level higher," he says. "The others should be patrolling the sleeping quarters and herding everyone into the lower level. Getting through without getting seen could be tricky -- for me, at least. You might have better luck blending in, if it comes to that."

Keeping one hand clenched tight around the walkie, Michael nods. Taking the cockpit is a risky move - but he's prepared for it.

"You point me where to go and I'll be there." His voice is bare whisper, his free hand clenching into a fist. "If they so much as give one of those kids a bloody nose I will kill them."

He doesn't doubt it. Not after what happened on his way in - not after seeing ambulances taking away civilians because of the psychopath that's after him.

Wolfwood looks at him, gauging, then nods.

Never underestimate what a man will do when the lives of the innocent are on the line.

"We need to go up," he says, leading the way. "If we cause enough chaos out here, and take out his men, he'll have to send the reserves from the cockpit. It's still not a good chance to get in there, the door's a bottleneck."

Well, they'll deal with that as it comes.

Briefly considering the play, he nods again. "We should take out the patrols between here and there and pare it down to bare minimum - then seize the cockpit. We have to take the leader if we want the hostages unharmed."

Doesn't matter the size of your gang - a two man crew or a multinational organization... you take out the head and the rest crumbles underneath.

"In that case..."

Wolfwood glances behind them. Doors have slid open, and fearful faces peek out; he gives them an encouraging wave, but they only slip back into their rooms, silent.

"You go this way," he tips his head toward the bow end of the corridor. "And I'll go up the back stairs, and we'll get them between us. If we're really lucky, they may have split up."

He doubts it. When was the last time luck was on his side?

Nearly smiling, he pats Wolfwood on the shoulder; "We can do this, you know what we're up against... and I've dealt with guys that make these assholes look like kids in a sandbox."

He's not worried... then again, he rarely is. No sense in worrying about something you've committed yourself to - you just go in and assume somebody's going to make it out. Hopefully, it'll be you.

"We make it out of this mess, carton of smokes on me."

For a second, his grin flashes, white and sharp. "A really big sandbox, huh...?"

There isn't a lot of time, so he nods, turns, lifting his hand. "Then I'll see you on the other side. I never could pass up free cigarettes."

Or anything else, for that matter.

The stairs are dark and narrow, and his footsteps echo loud against the metal walls of the steamer, but there's no use in pretending he isn't there, and the few seconds before he opens the hatch to the corridor give him time to think.

This would really be an opportune time for Vash to be around. Not that needle-noggin is ever where he might be the most use.

"Don't you think?" he sighs, to the surprised thug who puts a gun to his head.

"What?" asks the other guy, or he would, if the Punisher didn't smash into him and leave him reeling with a hand to a mouth full of shattered teeth. Another hit and he crumples, leaving Wolfwood peering down the dim corridor and wondering how Michael's doing.

The thugs seem surprised to see him, but Michael's ready for anything. Even these insanely over-muscled meatheads. Taking several hard punches in the process, he manages to drop the first one with another swift blow to the head - the second takes a whole lot more and as Michael wraps his elbow under the thug's neck and cuts off his oxygen, the man mutters; "Too... late..." he urped, gasping for what little air he could suck down; "girl..."

Michael frowns and drops him when he stops struggling, letting him fall to the floor like a three hundred pound sack of potatoes.

The cockpit is so close... it'd be easy to force open the door and take control - but if the girl is the target, chances are she's already gone or dead... or will be soon.

He doesn't jog so much as walk quickly, but other footsteps sound, and he slides behind a support to wait, stepping out and into the other man as he comes along the corridor.

"Johns...?" The guy is calling for his partner, flashlight beaming a flicker along the floor, but his voice trails off into a gurgle as Wolfwood hits him with a shoulder to the chest and shoves him up against the wall.

"How many?" he demands. "How many did the Pirate bring?"

The guy's eyes are wild, showing whites all around the pupil as he struggles to breathe. "Not..." he gasps, and Wolfwood shoves harder, making him squirm against the wall.

"Too late, preacher man," he manages, before dropping back. Wolfwood lets him go in disgust, then sights down the corridor, looking for Michael.

The walkie-talkie on the guy he'd dropped sputters into life. "...ohns? Marco? We've lost contact with Alister and Jinto."

Pierre is too smart to send his men out. That's what Wolfwood is thinking, when a door in the corridor slides open, and he comes face-to-face with the bodyguard from before -- with the wide-eyed, fearful girl in tow.

Her hands are bound. There's a gag in her mouth. The man has a gun.

Wolfwood looks at the guy, lifting his hands, then at her. "I hope you weren't paying him well," he says, and hopes to what little faith he has in God that Michael is continuing along the corridor and might possibly manage to keep him from getting shot right now.

When the walkie crackles to life, Michael feels the bottom fall out from under his stomach. Something bad is happening - something very bad is happening.

Turning away from the cockpit, he turns toward Wolfwood and starts toward him at a quick pace - one hand gripping for his pistol as the other clenches the walkie tight.

The bodyguard shoves the girl in front of him, keeping the gun aimed right at Wolfwood's head.

"I knew you looked like trouble, preacher," he growls, eyes narrowing. "Just figures we had to have a would-be bounty hunter on board. Well, looks to me like you're in a pretty tight spot. Where's your God to save you now, huh?"

His hands are in the air, the Punisher at his back. There's no chance of being quick enough to avoid being shot, and it's damn near point-blank: this would be no clipping.

He's not ready to die yet.

His eyes slide to the girl, staring at him helplessly. "Sorry, sweetheart," he tells her. "You picked the wrong guy to back you up. Fortunately for both of us, I didn't."

(He hadn't looked, but there's motion at the corner of his eye, and that means either it's Michael, or they're all fucked.)

It's a hell of a risky gambit, even by what's he's swiftly learned of Wolfwood's standards. There's no way he could have known for sure the shadow passing from one alcove to another was him.

Michael exhales silently and forces himself forward as hard as he can - slamming against the body guard hard enough to send the girl sprawling into the preacher.

"Don't you fucking move." He growls loudly, digging the pistol against the back of the large man's head just above his brainstem. "If I shoot you now, you won't die right away... just hurt until you bleed out, unable to move or scream."

The twitchy primal part of him that saw the way he handled the girl is twanging on high alert - ready to put a bullet in the man and end it. Thankfully the more logical part of his mind knows there's still the little matter of the hijackers in the cockpit if nothing else. Shooting how could get very messy and not just in a way that leaves blood all over his nice shirt and traumatizes a little girl for the rest of her life.

What's life without a little risk? It all ends, one way or the other. Today, though -- he'd rather avoid it, if at all possible.

"Nice support," he says, with a smile edging dangerously on the absolutely deadly furious side. The girl is cowering against him, and he puts his hands on her shoulders, steadies her, steps back to look her in the eye.

"I'm going to take this gag out," he tells her, gently. "Don't scream, all right? We're here to help."

She nods, blue eyes wide and round and terrified, but doesn't scream as he pulls the gag as gently as possible from her mouth. "Why do they want you?" he asks her, and she shakes her head.

"My father --" she starts, then sends a terrified glance at her bodyguard. "He's a tradesman in December. He was shipping merchandise on this steamer: I was supposed to come along with it so I could -- could learn about..."

She trails off, eyes filling with tears, though she does her best to bite them back. "Those children, what are you going to do? Pierre will kill them if he doesn't get me and the shipment!"

"He'll kill them anyway," Wolfwood says, and immediately realizes he shouldn't have, but behind her worry and fear, she's got a core of steel, and she swallows back her hysteria.

"...Actually," he says, slowly, looking at her, "you might be able to help. You think he wants you? Not the valuables?"

Was this whole thing a set-up?

"That's the impression I'm getting," Michael snarls, digging the barrel even harder until the large man whimpers.

Steel eyed, he looks at the girl and is silently thankful he can't see her face... it might have been enough to push him over the edge. "Nobody's dying today," he replies coldly; "except maybe the people responsible for this."

He shifts his weight behind the large man - slamming him against the corridor wall. "How many are in the cockpit?" he asks as calmly as he can manage; "If you lie to me, I'll come back and put a bullet in your head."

Michael pulls just enough for a satisfying click that seems entirely too loud. Part of him wonders just how much of the threat is selling it.

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