Players:
Summary: Robyn comes looking for an old friend, finds little trace.
Date: June 6, 2020
Log Title Next Time Telephone!
Rating: R
Somewhere Between NYC and Salem Center
It's late evening and James is outside the safe and secure confines of the Hunters Den. Parked inside a Humvee, he's been teaming up with random scouts pulling night detail out in the city. Next to him, one such random scout. You see…he has an idea. One that may succeed in revealing the location of the resistance's base once and for all. All he needs is to make contact with an old friend to prove his theory.
Tonight is the night that James's theory may, or may not, be proven. The random scout next to him won't remember a thing as shortly Robyn is inside his mind, standing next to his old friend Tooth. He doesn't bother trying to hide or pretend anything but asks one question, knowing James will know it's him. "Why is Audrey 2 what you remembered?"
There's the signal. The on-edge James moves with a swiftness only one of Xavier's could have learned. In his hand, a common enough looking dart, but one he means to stab the Scout with. If he's successful, and James is right, Robyn may find it temporarily impossible to leave the host.
Robyn is stabbed by the dart and winces, but he doesn't try to leave so he doesn't know he's stuck yet. "Nice to see you again too James." Robyn says as he looks at him and there's a smile. Not cold, not mean but friendly? There's a change to the tone of voice too, it's not one of anger it's one that's almost like seeing an old friend. "So, why Audrey 2?" He asks again.
James lets go and gives the scout…no Robyn a shove, "Because you're weak. And I can use those details to my advantage." The hyena smiles, and ignores him for a moment as he retrieves a sheet of paper. Unfolding it, he marks a blue circle on map that's filled with several more. "I've been speaking with soldiers that have reported missing time, narcolepsy…mental disturbances. More common than you'd think." He huffs in amusement, "But when you rule out all those with past issues, the area several of them reported it in makes a nice large circle in the city. Wound you like to know what I think is at the center?"
"The creamy filling?" Robyn ventures for a guess, yeah he's being cheeky but not in an asshole way. "I'm glad you remember what your friend can do James, there could be some people with missing memory, might be my fault. Let's just say, I went a little crazy for a time there." He doesn't seem to give away if that's the location or not. "Hey James…you remember that promise we made to each other all those years back? Would you still keep it if there was one?"
James folds the paper and places it back in his pocket. Raising his lip in a seer, he repeats the same thing he heard recently, "Feel free to ask but 'maybe' the best I'll give you is the courtesy to listen." He starts packing up the gear, unafraid that Robyn may bolt. He's got time on his side. At least 15-30 minutes. By then, he could have the mutant collared and in Mutie jail.
There's a shrug at that before Robyn talks. "Well good, that's all I want you to do, is listen. I miss you James, I miss our friendship. You were always like a brother to me, always looking out for when something was wrong. You are probably one of the best things that came out of Xavier's for me, you and the other friends I got. I just wish you could be with us and maybe things wouldn't seem so horrible. I know it can't be, I know you're doing what you have to, to survive. You made yourself out to be the bad guy, I get that so….thanks I guess. I'm sorry you were the one that had to choose this path, I wish I could help you."
James tosses the last box into the truck and slams the rear hatch, jaw tight. Touched something? Maybe. But his voice is still neutral. It's a subject that has been verboten since it happened, one that the hyena would only accept silence in regard to the outcome of something 10 years past, "I'm not sure what you're looking for, Robyn. but you're not going to find it. I can't reason with instinct. My instinct says I need to protect myself and my clan." He takes several steps towards the boy and hovers over, "And you know that means I am willing to go as far as it takes to do so." He frowns, "And the resistance is nearly crushed as it is. You can't even snatch my assistant, Jinx. Two weeks, she'll be a hunter too. Considering the information she could have given you, your failure is laughable."
"What her well James, protect her, okay? Protect her like I couldn't Jordan." Robyn says to James as he is reading between the lines, or maybe too much between the lines. "My failure is laughable James but for reasons you don't know." He then gets a very serious expression on his face as he takes a step closer. "Protect her with all you can." He whispers with a dead seriousness in his voice. "Don't feed her to the wolves like I did Jordan many times over. My sins I don't think will ever be forgiven."
James leans in closer, expression never changing, "Ask Volk about mine, or Rashmi, or Lucas." He leaves the topic of Sins at that. As for Jinx, "She's not mine to protect. She is a Hunter in training. And in a week she will be joining me when I decide to see what's at the center of that circle. If it's a death trap? Well, maybe I will have the pleasure of knowing that I took a few of you into oblivion with me."
"Oh I know about yours, you did mange to pretty much kill Lucas. He's a walking dead man now, Rashmi…her and Connor are the closest thing I have to family anymore." Robyn says as he's not letting James's words phase him. "Whatever it is you're looking for James…I hope you find it. And she is yours to protect, just like you look out for your clan, right?" He says and there's a slight nod, no hate or anger pouring off of him this time. "I just wanted to come by and tell you I miss you James and….thank you." And with that he tries to pull out but…he can't as there is a growing look of confusion and panic on his face.
James smiles, but doesn't address the dart's effect quite yet, "She's not mine to protect Robyn. She's a future employee. If you feel so strongly for her, then you should come and get her." He tilts his head, front teeth showing off just enough to hint at trouble, "Is something wrong, Robyn? You didn't seriously expect that I would let you just vanish, did you? I mean, I did say I would do 'anything' to protect my clan." And that includes turning him in.
The dart, shit, now he knows he's gotten over his head. "Shit…the dart." Taking a deep breath Robyn confronts James. "Okay…what do you want James…why do you want to keep me here." He's trying to stay calm but he can't help but feel a bit scared right now. "I know what you said, but what do you want from me now?"
James shrugs and leans against the vehicle, happy enough to assume he's got control of the situation for the moment, "Your underground, Robyn. How many people are in it right now? Ballpark. Soldiers, civilians…everyone." He pulls the notebook out of his pocket and waves it for a moment, "I wonder if I have taken more of if you have saved more. And whose numbers are more important."
Robyn shakes his head at James. "I'm sorry, there is no way in hell I am telling you that James. If you want to go down there, you go but I am -not- betraying them. I am not going to feed them to the Hyenas." He says firmly as he crosses his arms over his chest. "Being stuck in here isn't enough to make me talk."
James smiles, and stalks over to Robyn, "Doesn't have to be…but there are questions that beg to b answered. Like…if I took you to Russia—would you find your way home when the dart wore off? Of, if I kill the body you're in now whole you're in it and stuck, will you die too?" There's a flash of claws, "Simple way to find out, I suppose."
There is fear that shows on the face of the scout that Robyn is inhabiting and his voice quivers as he speaks but otherwise he stands quite still and looks right in
James's eyes. "I don't want to die James, but if it's a choice between telling you where the base is and you killing me….well you'll have to kill me. I'm -not- betraying those who live there."
The hyena shakes his head as he takes a knee in front of his former friend, "It's not a question of want, Robyn, it's a question of when. Tonight…next week. They're almost at your door. And with them, I'll be there too. So, now that think I am making myself clear…are you willing to do what 'you' have to do to protect 'your' clan?"
"I'm sorry James….I might have trusted you once, I even loved you like a brother but I can't tell you any of that. I am doing what I have to protect my clan so the answer is still no. You will not get any of that information from me. I will die to keep that knowledge a secret." Robyn says again, obviously afraid but his words are said with conviction. "I'm sorry our lives had to cross this path right now." He tries to form a psi-blade but he finds he can't even do that. "I guess then James…do what you will."
James reaches to grab the scout by the throat to pull him close. Now angry, for whatever reason, the hyena gives him a warning growl, "If you honestly cared for them, you wouldn't have come here. If I wanted the information, I would take you back and have it extracted. As would anyone else who has enough sense to figure out what's going on."
Robyn is grabbed and pulled down easily. "I can't James…I can't give you that information. I have an idea of what's going on…with your clan but I can't give that to you. I don't trust you anymore. I can't trust you anymore. I've made too many mistakes to let myself make another. You wanna know where the base is…how about in New York State." He says as he looks James in the eyes. "I can't." He whispers obviously full of fear.
James gives him a little shake as soon as he hears the line about trust, "Gooood." He pushes Robyn down. "You being here puts everything I…You have worked for at risk. They are onto you, Robyn. They will come, and soon." He pulls out a pistol from his belt and tosses it on the ground, "Evidence cleanup time. You need to shoot me." He laughs, "And don't miss. I'll take care of the soldier after you have left."
"They've been onto me for a while." Robyn says back quietly as he's pushed back down. He takes a deep breath and takes the pistol. "I understand protecting your clan James. Take care of her." He says in a whisper as he aims with the gun. "You've always been one of my closest friends." He says before pulling the trigger, aiming for his shoulder a place that isn't vital, but right now he knows what has to be done. Once he's shot James though, he'll leave as soon as he's able to.
James UGHS as the force causes him to take a few steps back. He shakes his head a few times as pain washes over him, "I'm never ready for that as much as I think I'll be." A pained sigh as he retakes his seat nearby, claws ready "I ain't doin' this until I know you can leave." Minutes tick by and soon, Robyn can without an issue. When that seems to be the case, James holds up his hand, ready to rend flesh with a downstroke, "Soon as I know you're clear." Before Robyn can leave, however, James offers a parting piece of wisdom, "She's alive, Robyn. Always has been." Then without warning, the claws come down, his aim: to catch Robyn with them as he leaves, "That's for endangering my clan!"
