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Summary: An injured Volk, a cold Robyn, a caring Jono and a determined Robin make for an interesting combination.
Date: June 9, 2020
Log Title It is all Necessary
Rating: PG-13
The Future - The Underground - Gathering Area
Hidden in the maze of tunnels is the open area that the mutants have turned into their haven, their home. Not wanting to risk electricity being detected down here, there are battery powered and gas powered lights leaving the place dark and damp. At least three mutants are always on guard down here at the entrance to the mutant camp and secret passwords and codes are needed to get into this room. There's a large door with a large piece of wood barricading it as those down here don't take any chances.
Robin's fingers continue to twitch, "Weapon disabled. I'm maintaining control." Her eyes remain closed and her face is expressionless. "Target down." She falls down to her knees, or she would if Jono were not ready to keep her from doing so. "Porting… out." With those words, her puppet reappears, its arms completely destroyed and Robin opens her eyes slightly.
Seemingly relieved at Jono having someone else to nursemaid, but not wishing to be inflicted with the wrath of the most powerful person in the room, Volk resigns himself to using his most ill-used ability in his repetoire. Instead of moving the bags, he surrounds them in a grab and begins to manipulate all the contents with a decent degree of fine motor-skill, almost a perfect simulcra of telekinesis. Closing his eyes and breathing hard, he lays back and manipulates it all with finger-movements, working very slowly to make sure he doesn't crush or accelerate something to a near-railgun speed.
Oh yes, he catches Robin in tendrils of fire, even though Jonothon sits some feet away, against the wall. "Well done." For all there's little emotion to it. What can he say for someone killing someone? Never mind it was a Hunter. They were once people too. Jono's just going to sit there and look tired. Which he is. "Would you bloody well rest?" Don't think he hasn't noticed, Volk! That does put stress on the body. "Robin, do you need anything?"
Biting her bottom lip and sitting down, her arms limp by her side, Robin says while gritting her teeth, "Obviously a new hire. Real Hunters can make short work of me. I'll mark it on my map when my arms are working." Her puppet falls into the laying down position it almost always takes when back in the caves.
The sound of voices from the gathering area of the underground had attracted the attention of a certain telepath and wheelchair bound mutant. Betsy walks into the area, pushing Robyn along with his wheelchair, a curious look about her, which turns into a frown of worry when she sees Robin in her concentrating pose, and collapse. "You've been scouting again tonight haven't you?"
Releasing the grab, a frustrated and angry look is shot at Jono and the wounded Volk just lays back now, this time throwing an offensive gesture towards Jono, but he puts any work aside for the time being and just lays there… and to anyone looking it LOOKS like the most uncomfortable thing the man has had to do in a long time.
Someone else just got back from scouting as well and that's Robyn. About fifteen minutes ago he came back to his body and Betsy helped him get up and head over to the Gathering Area to get something to eat. His hair has gotten longer over the years, about cheek length, it's greasy and uneven and he now wears a band under his hair and across his forhead. Who knows the last time he's slept as he's been in someone else's body since last night. "Good morning." He says as he spots Robin, Volk and Jono and nods to them. "What kind of feast is on the menu tonight?"
"She ran into a Hunter." Jonothon says with all seriousness from his spot. "She needs to stop scouting inside city limits." A shake of the head and he lifts a hand in wan hello. He brightens just a little at the offensive gesture. Now that's more like it, but it won't stop him from trying to keep Volk down. "There's soup. Not much though." Well, there's plenty of soup. It's just a bit watery today. Or so he's been told. Not having to eat means he pays little thought to consistency. "There is tea however. Rashmi came through again somehow." As he speaks he telekinetically moves Robin to another bed. Hopefully she too will rest.
Robin says to Betsy, "I fell asleep last night and I slept way too long. Just making up for lost time now." She does not mention her altercation, or why Blank does not currently have any arms, instead saying, "I was going to get some of that soup. I'm not hungry now. I'm waiting for a few minutes." To Jonothon, she adds, "Not much of a point in scouting outside of the city. I'm just mapping patrols and possible emergency supplies."
Volk just grunts in reply and then looks at Jono, before pointing under the bed towards what until now had gone unnoticed, a small case of some type, and then points at Robyn, keeping the movements slow. But after that he holds his hands in a cage-like fashion and mimics a rubic's cube, before looking at everyone here, then holding his hands out, the gesture showing some frustrated tension at the enforced bed rest for at least the day…
"A hunter? Which one? And good to see you came back okay." Robin's alive so in his mind, she's okay. Robyn wheels himself over to get some soup looking over at Volk for a bit. "Thanks for last night, and shit Volk…what happened to you?" As much as he tries not to he does feel a pang of guilt wondering if it's because of the mission he asked Volk to go on he's injured so badly. He shakes his head to himself telling himself 'everything is necessary'. "Jono I need to ask your help with something later."
Betsy's eyes flick between the damaged Blank and Robin. She's one of the few people who know how much that kind of damage actually affects the woman, so it's hard to keep the worry from her face. "I made you sleep," she admits. "I don't like doing that to people I know, but you really needed the rest." She walks to the pot of soup and takes out two bowls. She ladles the watery substance into each and brings one over to Robin, handing it out to her. "Don't make me do it again and make you eat." It's the kind of a thread a worried mother might make to her sick child.
Want the case passed to Robyn? He can do that. Jonothon decides to say nothing about the hunter though. Let Robin tell it. He's getting grumpy with this whole situation. Grumpy and wanting to go hide. The psy-fire shows his agitation as it withdraws somewhat. Still coils around his shoulders. is grumpily. Totally doesn't ask Besty to make Volk sleep, for he can do it himself. "He's apparently trying to kill himself." That's what happened to Volk. And even now the teleporter is doing so. There's a bit of a curious look to Robyn, but the Brit merely nods. Any time.
Robin shakes her head slowly at Robyn, "Couldn't have been a real Hunter. Just some kid with electric gloves who was in-training, I guess. I didn't know his name and I've only spotted him once while scouting before today. Blank's been killed a couple of times by most Hunters out there, and this guy didn't even know how to react." She blinks a few times at Betsy and says, "I'll eat when my arms wake up." She shifts her shoulder and her arm moves limply as an example. Blank seems to be slowly regenerating her limbs on the ground, but isn't really moving much.
Seriously looking about ready to strange Jono, Volk's brow suddenly goes pale, and sweat begins to form… as the pain medications he's been taking begins to wear off. Now the male brit gets his way, and he lays back with a little growlgroan in the back of his throat and his eyes close. The only movement he makes is to slip the pistol from under the pillow and shakily brings it to rest by his side under the blanket.
"Electric Gloves…well I'll guess I'll write him down under the 'hunters' listing I have back there, but put a note." Robyn says as he takes the soup and almost greedily gulps it down. It's a mix of hungry and 'need to eat fast, not enough time to eat'. Though he does watch Volk cautiously for a bit. "Volk…what happened out there?" He doesn't mean to come off sounding as demanding as he does but that's how he deals with the worry. "And Betsy, if you ever make me sleep I'll run you over." No time for sleep, the puzzle has to be put together.
Betsy rolls her eyes overdramatically at Robyn's threat, standing and taking the bowl she made for herself. "If you all just took care of yourselves better I wouldn't /have/ to." This is an old, old argument that occasionally gets hashed up now and then. It's rare that she actually follows through with it, like in Robin's case, though.
Jonothon is with Betsy. Why do you think he looks so tired? Well, besides that he used his tk to put Volk back together and stitch him up. That took a lot of effort. He doesn't say anything though. Just eyes Volk right back. Try to strangle all you want! The Brit will put Volk to sleep if he has to. So far Jono's been very polite and not entered the other man's mind.
It seems that the Roby/ins have the same approach to sleeping. Robin shrugs slightly and says, "I'll mark it down, I guess. The gloves are destroyed, though." Which is the reason that Blank is on the ground trying to recover from having her arms blown off. "And his torso was not looking great when I was porting out… Please don't put me to sleep. I don't feel tired when I'm controlling Blank, honest, and there's lots to be done."
Not much more from Volk at first… just slowly reaching for his PDA, and then exhales once before he types out with slightly shaky fingers, -Last night. I was hunting some Hounds. Things got out of hand. Chezlie was there. We fought. I cut her eye out. She stabbed me. Through and through. I was THAT close. Zombies. Sentinels. Pure Chaos.- The PDA slumping out of his hands, that very effort tiring him out some, and he drops himself into a slow biofeedback breathing exercise to compensate.
Robyn reads the PDA and nods at Volk. "Rest up Volk, you did good." He cut the bitches eye out, at least that's something. And about the writing down, well, Robyn's corner in the living area is covered with papers, maps, articles, notes and other such things as he's become obsessive with finding out information and trying to bring the enemy down from the inside. Like eventually he'll stumble upon that one thing that'll give them the edge and make all this make sense. "I'm trying to think if there's anyone I have notes on with electrical gloves.."
"It sounds like he was a new recruit," says Betsy, half heartedly taking a sip from her bowl. "Though I can't imagine it could have been anybody local. Anybody who isn't here has been captured or turned by now." She sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose, "Which means that tthey're pulling in recruits from outside the state."
As Robyn finishes with the PDA, Jonothon wants to read it. Going to let him snitch it with a psy-fire tendril? If allowed he frowns as he reads and then rubs at his eyes. Chezlie. The PDA is given back and the Brit keeps his silence. The psy-fire disappears entirely as he digests this news. Explains a lot though, especially about how badly Volk was injured.
Robin offers to Robyn, "Check my map, it will show where I first saw him and where I saw him this time. Mark the second point with a triangle." Which, according to Robin's legend, means something was destroyed there and there is likely a body to pick through, and Robyn is likely familiar with her maps by now given how faithfully she keeps them. One of Blank's arms seems regenerated now, though it has holes in it. Robin lifts her arm up through some great pain and effort, but seems satisfied at moving it again.
Taking the PDA back, Volk then writes out slowly, -Keeler's dead. I shot him this morning. Before I came back. Also brought your drop, Robyn. And don't pretend you give a shit. You only care because I'm not able to do more right now.- Hmphing once as he passes it to Jono, a frown crossing his face as he glares for a moment at the parapelegic.
Accepting the PDA again, Jonothon all but whispers into Volk's mind, «Please don't be that way.» It's his normal thought projection, not an invasion, even if it is private. And even if it is true that Robyn may have stopped caring about those around him. So many people have been hurt these last few years. Jono doesn't try to plead more however. If people want to fight they can. He will simply leave.
It's not that Robyn doesn't care about Volk, deep down he does, it's just they've all changed and inside he hates seeing what Connor's become but right now, there are just more important things. "Once you can get up Robin we can go over things in my corner. See what we can figure out." He looks over at Volk again and there's a long moment of silence. "Thanks Volk…and I never ask you do anything for just me, it's for all of us." There's so much he does want to say right now but he can't. He can't tell Volk he cares because the two are friends, it's just too awkward for him. "Keeler's dead…okay, I'll be going back in tonight, see what plans they have for repercussions since you know they're going to get us back for that. See what they know and how we can be one step ahead." That's the way to survive, being one step ahead.
Robin nods at Robyn and says, "As soon as I have my other arm back." She looks over to her puppet to check progress on that. Her pain is entirely mental, but it still distracts her to go through this. She starts struggling to sit up, using the arm with mental holes in it to prop herself up, biting her lip lightly as she does so.
There's a roll of the eyes, the seemingly dismissive, but suddenly Volk sits up and just GLARES at Jono. The pain in the movement is obvious, but there's a moment where it looks like the man might climb of bed and do something violent. Instead… he simply rolls over and pulls the blanket over his head, but there's a click of something under the sheets, followed by a snap as instinct makes him check his magazine. The PDA and the rest now ignored for the beginning of a pained slumber.
"No." says Betsy to Robin when she suggests that she's going to go out as soon as she's recovered her arms. "At this rate they won't /have/ to find you. You'll end up killing yourself." She finishes off the soup. "I'll go."
Shocked at Volk's sudden moment for his words, Jonothon doesn't actually say anything. Opens his mouth to protest the man hurting himself, but then simply shuts it without saying anything. Rising to his feet, the Brit leaves without even saying farewell to people. Doesn't know why he's glared at, for that's what he always used to do, and goes off to hide.
Robyn watches Jono leave and shakes his head, he'll try to talk to him tomorrow. He just pats Volk's shoulder without looking at him and wheels himself forward. "Betsy's right Robin, as much as it's great what you're doing, you do need rest." So does he but he doesn't admit that as he plans on going out tonight as well possessing one of the ones in charge again. "I gotta find that Dingo guy again." He mutters.
"We all need to rest," says Robin, sighing. She lifts her other arm, grimacing slightly. The prone Blank seems to have partially regrown that limb as well. "But you all know how it is." She gets up, her arms in pain but usable and she makes her way to the map she's using, making a couple marks on it.
With Jono finally having left the room, and some of the pain having passed from Volk's body in a brief rest… he pushes himself up and out of bed, and goes to his supply bag. Every movement looks a painful to him, but the first thing that comes out is a small bottle of pills. Oxycontin. Taking one out, he just pops it in and crunches it down, swallowing it with a dry gulp. Next he dig in and finds what he seems to be looking for. Chemical skin-bonding and healing agent… First Aid spray. Giving a level look at the others in the room, he begins to unbind the wounds, and sprays then down, the chemical cocktail cooling, helping to bind, and adding some more antiseptic and antibacterial elements to the spots. Concentrated blasts are given to the front and back of his side-wound… the sword-stab. Once he's done, he slowly begins to put all the bandages back in place, and just gives Betsy and Robyn a browperk.
As Volk starts to patch himself up, Robyn lets out a sigh and wheels himself over to give Volk a hand if he wants it or not. No words are really exchanged but he does want to help Volk and sometimes bandaging yourself can be tough. "Robin, you can take a look at my information anytime you want." After all that's all he does nowadays, collect information and sort through it. "Volk…thanks, for everything last night." His voice betrays a slight bit of emotion before scowling. "Fuck, I could use a drink, alcohol is just so damn impossible to get." There change to a more mundane subject. He doesn't even seem to care that Connor is chowing down on oxycontin.
Lucas enters the chamber carrying a stuffed satchel. He's wearing a pair of khaki, tattered cargo pants and a dirty wifebeater, a well worn flannel tied around his waist. Over his shoulder, he has an AK-47 slung. He makes little effort to look at anyone, and marches straight to a munitions cabinet, opening it and pulling out bullets with his gloveless hands.
Robin nods at Robyn and says, "Thank you. And you can look over mine, of course. I keep my maps with my other things if you want to check old ones. I can leave them in your corner if you want." The information that they both keep is likely very different, but mutually useful. Exchanging ideas is good. She pauses at seeing Lucas, giving him a nod despite him not giving any kind of greeting.
Volk's hand goes to the hidden firearm under the blankets at the new presence again. But then it comes back out, and there's a bit of a smirk as he takes out his pencil and pad, and writes down for Robyn to read, -Would you tell Lucas he needs to get rid of that cheap piece of shit Chinese AK and get a real gun?- A bit of mirth behind those pained eyes as he takes up a rag to wipe the sweat from his brow and chest, and after several pained moments he stands up, balancing against Robyn before he takes a few steps around to make sure he's still mobile. Bandages on the arms and legs, a bruise on the ribs, a recently stitched wound a the join of the neck and shoulder… and more stitches under the bandages he has on still. It's not a pretty sight. But it also means that for once, Volk is not in his combat attire. Robin, for her efforts, finally gets a thumbs-up from the man, and then a reassuring nod.
Robyn doesn't great Lucas as he comes in just comments, "We're low on ammo right now, hopefully we'll be able to find more soon. Oh, and you need to get rid of that cheap piece of Chinese shit AK and get a real gun." He says reading it off of Volk's note with a smirk to his face. Once Volk is up he goes back to get another helping of 'soup' so that he can get more energy before going 'out' for the night again. He'll sleep when he's dead. He wheels himself over to where Robin is. "The more we know about the enemy the better. If you didn't hear, I got word that Heather Brown, she went to Xavier's too, is now a Hound." She's the newest Hound on the wheel chair bound Robyn's list.
Lucas doesn't look up until Robyn reads the note. He smirks, and lifts his head. "…Ringo." He turns, and looks for Volk. Spotting him, he walks over, extending his hand. "You look like Ah feel, brosef. An' ol' Samantha here does me right fine, thanks," he adds, tapping the battered weapon.
"'Heather Brown, codename: Timeslip'?" says Robin, miming the usual introduction that Heather always gave. She furrows her brow slightly and says, "That's kind of fucked up. What are her abilities? Super speed, right?" Robin is simply unaware of the time travel component to Heather's powers. She bites her bottom lip and says, "She'll be hard to kill." She hopes that the Hounds can someday be turned back to themselves, but not so much that she thinks they are precious and worthwhile human lives anymore.
Being called 'Ringo' garners Lucas a bit of a look from the student-turned-Merc, as he goes along behind Robyn with his own bowl and cup for some refills from the communal foods. But he's walking somewhat steady, his combat boots traded for a pair of sandals in the shorts and tank-top that he's wearing for the moment. Refilling off tea and soup, Volk returns to his bed, his own personal arsenal hanging on, or propped up against the wall. More of the soup is downed and then set to the side while he finishes what he started originally and takes up some magazines from his assault rifle and continues to reload. On Robyn's ammunition comment, he shoots the parapalegic a look and then holds up a paper pad with the words… Shopping List.
Being called 'Ringo' garners Lucas a bit of a sour look from the student-turned-Merc, as he goes along behind Robyn with his own bowl and cup for some refills from the communal foods. But he's walking somewhat steady, his combat boots traded for a pair of sandals in the shorts and tank-top that he's wearing for the moment. In the middle of that though, he puts the cup in the bowl, and offers a firm shake to Lucas, nodding once and looking him over with a raised eyebrow and then a shake of the head… more of the usual. Refilling off tea and soup, Volk returns to his bed, his own personal arsenal hanging on, or propped up against the wall. More of the soup is downed and then set to the side while he finishes what he started originally and takes up some magazines from his assault rifle and continues to reload. On Robyn's ammunition comment, he shoots the parapalegic a look and then holds up a paper pad with the words… Shopping List.
"Yeah, yeah…I'll see what we need and get you a shopping list, then you'll tell me I owe you later." Robyn says with an eyeroll and shake of his head as he starts thinking about what they need. "I'll try to get you list before I go 'out' tonight but I can't make any promises." Though Jono would probably know better what they need most. "Hey Volk…I'm sorry. I couldn't find much about Tooth last night, there's just not much on him besides what I told you before." And his voice does sound apologetic as he finally gets a cup of tea before wheeling himself over to the medical area. Sure they use the whiskey as a disinfectant but he can't help but add some to his drink. "The hounds aren't ever easy to kill, but we can't let them win. We can't afford it."
Lucas snaps his head to Robyn when he hears the name, the smile draining from his face. His eyes glance to Volk, then downward, and he returns to gathering the last of the bullets for his weapon, stashing them into his satchel in silence. He closes the lid of the cabinet with a bit of a heavy slam, and then begins to head for the door, his teeth grinding.
Robin nods at Robyn and says, "I'm aware. I'm still regretting not crushing that Caleb's head. He was right there. I sustained more damage today and kept my link. I could have stayed. I should have." Though the difference between now and then is that Robin has slept uninterrupted for quite awhile today. Her puppet finally stands up and stands behind her. She marks it on her map and says, "I've watched some recent encounters from afar and from close. I've marked recent appearances from Caleb, Kalindi, Kaji and Envy on my map. I heard that there was something where Deadpool showed up. Does anyone have any idea where that was on a map?" She sighs and says, "I'm just trying to figure out patterns."
Volk simply vanishes from his spot on the bed after setting his food to the side, and is standing in front of Lucas, one hand out as the bandaged man shakes his head once, and then points towards the food and drink… then flicks the other man hard in his unarmored chest and then before tilting his head to one side and arching a brow in a 'really' fashion. Then he begins to slowly walk back towards the food and the others, taking his time as he exhales with each step, slumping a bit as he makes his way slowly across the main area.
"There's Hunters and Hounds…I don't know which are worse." Robyn says shaking his head as he's long stopped looking at location patters, he doesn't believe there is one but it Robin finds one he didn't, well god bless her. "Okay folks, it's that Bat time again, I'll see ya sometime tomorrow." Robyn says as he's gonna go off in the other room and and go looking again. Time for another night, if not longer, away from his body. "Lucas…don't be a stranger and Volk…" Volk just gets a solid nod from Robyn as he turns to wheel himself into the other room.
Lucas stops when Volk appears in front of him. His face remains emotionless as the other man instructs him to eat first. He remains standing there, watching Volk go back to his bed. Then he looks at Robyn, "Ah go by Luke now, Ah wish you'd quit callin' me that, Wheels." He looks over at the food, and then marches over. He grabs a few bits, shoving them in his mouth. He snags a canteen, taking a drink. "Ah can't stay, V," he says to Volk flatly. "Two mutants broke out of the death camp north of New York. They're making their way here for railroading. They're lost, and Ah reckon someone's gotta go fetch 'em." He takes a drink.
See you tomorrow, Robyn. Try to find time to rest," says Robin, "And then maybe I'll try the same." Her expression changes and Blank starts walking out of the room as Robin continues looking over the maps. "Everything is going to make sense sooner or later." She gets up from her seat to go get some soup, her movements mechanical now.
Shooting Luke another look, he looks back at Robyn as he departs, and then shakes his head once, and taps the side of his head as he looks at the other man. The soup is devoured and he lays back on the bed once more, staring up at the ceiling for a moment, and then he takes up the pad and writes something out. The pad glows as he floats it over towards Luke and it reads -Careful. Too easy to be a trap. Take backup. I don't care if you're not speaking, she'll dig you up and kill you if you get killed stupid.-
Without even look back Robyn says "Luke, right…sorry. Good luck getting them back here. Stay safe." He does mean it but he's also very detached from his words. "I'll rest sometime tomorrow. Tell Chole point A at 6am." Volk would know that's yet another pick up point there's no way in hell he's going to ask Volk to do it, not right now. And with that, he's in the other room and five minutes later his body is just an empty shell as he's already left the building.
Lucas reads the pad and shrugs, making a joke that is clearly covering a painful wound, "We speak. Just last week she said to me, 'Luke. Go away.'" He takes another drink of the canteen, the necklace around his neck that was his wedding 'ring' still there even now. "Bygones, right?" He smirks, and gives Volk's ankle a little playful slap with his hand, "Ah'll be fine. It's me." He clasps the canteen to his belt and nods, "Ah got a lot of ground to cover 'fore light. Take it easy, man."
Robin takes a sip of the soup and looks at Lucas for a few moments, her stare blank and dead looking now that she's controlling her puppet. "Good luck."
Lucas glances at Robin on his way out, nodding a little, and then goes.
