Where: ???
When: May 08, 2012; Later…
What: Some of the captives encounter an unusual source of trouble. And get rid of it.
There's no telling how long it's been since Rylie was removed from the room. It seems like hours, though in the endless monotony of four walls and no entertainment beyond watching the two sleeping bodies, it could have only been minutes.
Since Rylie was taken, Zan's sat staring at the door. He hasn't moved from where he'd propped himself up against the wall, he hasn't touched the tray of sandwiches or taken any water. He hasn't tried to clean up any more of his face from where earlier attempts were left off. It leaves him still a sight with his face a mass of bruises and dried blood, one eye swollen to near closure and nose broken. The required hunch he holds himself in and all too careful movements tells of more injuries along his body, bruises he's yet to examine.
By looking at Zan's face, it could be argued that Nicholas has had it easy so far. He certainly seems to be the most ignored. And then again, the least ignored. His sedation has been watched the most closely, his lapses into cognizance brief. The side effect is that while he hasn't had the beatings Terri and Zan have seen, he also hasn't been able to tap into his powers more that a stray flicker here and there.
Today has been no different. But at least in that time between wakefulness and full recovery, there has been some time to share in information and planning before he's put under again. For their safety, as the claim has been.
The red headed man stirs finally, after what seems like hours. Although he has escaped the physical beatings, the drugs have continued to take their toll on his mind and his body, leaving him lethargic and dull sensed. Rubbing his hands over his face, he takes a look around the now-familiar room with squinted eyes. Eyes that stop at Terri and a sudden pause says more than words could about his concern for her. Armed with the infromation shared during his last wakeful moments, he looks up to the ceiling and then back around the room to see if any of the others are awake.
While Zan's vigilance has has been on the door, movement does catch his attention. The glaze that usually lingers as the sedatives are wearing off is absent from his eyes, fully aware, his focus touches on Nicholas briefly. A breath is let out, a tense sigh that can imply anything from his own injuries protesting his movement to the situation they've found themselves in as a whole. "Hey," he offers, wrapping both arms around his middle and returning his watch to the door.
Voice dry and weak, Nichlas echoes back with a simple 'Hey'. His head turns to find Zan and very slowly and carefully, Nicholas stands up, using the wall to aid him. "Terri been up any? She okay? Where's the DJ girl?" Nichloas stops a few feet from where Zan sits on the floor, then leans over to tug the laces of his boots tight.
"Earlier," Zan answers on Terri first, without looking toward the last sleeping body, "she's fine, maybe a little sore. After they roughed us up… yesterday I think." His head tilts some, giving him a chance to look at Nicholas again. "Don't know where they took Rylie. Came in suddenly a bit ago…" Which could be hours or mere minutes. He frowns slightly, worried, and shrugs. "Just took her then left."
As the pair ret over the women folk, the door opens again. Less dramatically this time. A pair of women walk in, the tall and muscular Thea and another face only slightly familiar. An itch at the back of the mind. Last seen sitting sullenly at the bar at the rave they all went to, Tobie is just as sullen as she steps into the room and closes the door behind her.
Thea takes a moment to look over the two awake bodies in the room, much like someone looking over a horse or a car to see if they want to buy it. And Tobie only leans back against the door, her gaze firmly on her shoes.
Nicholas looks over as the door opens, his lips curled with an anger and disgust upon seeing Thea. He does not recognize the other girl, but since she isn't tied up, that puts her in the Evil column for now. "Where's Rylie? What do you bitches want now? Seriiously, it getting to be time. And its running out for you and your little friends."
The door opening pulls Zan's attention off Nicholas, though he tries to keep a mask of neutrality when it's Thea and Tobie who enter. He frowns at both, torn between echoing the older man's demands and starting with his own, highlighting the defiance he'd muted just the day before. Or remaining silent, for all the good either choice might do. He does try to draw himself onto his feet again, to stand and be less vulnerable. And it's no doubt that it hurts when he moves, he can't hide it all.
Thea lifts an eyebrow at the demands made, but instead of addressing Nicholas, she just gives a nod. "That one. He'll do." Tobie doesn't respond right off, and the woman turns to yank the girl forward and send her stumbling in Nicholas' direction. She manages not to tumble right into him, but looks back at Thea, who motions her forward.
The older gang member turns to look over at Zan, though, to add, "Don't worry. I haven't forgotten you." And while she speaks, Tobie comes over to Nick's side to reach out and put her fingertips against his face. "I'm… sorry," the young thing says to him in a whisper, tightening her jaw as a slippery liquid seeps out of her fingers and onto his skin before she lifts her hand away again.
Nicholas pushes at the younger girl, but only after she has made contact and reaches a hand up to wipe at the goo on his face. "What the hell is this? Hidin' behind a little girl, bitch? I'm takin' you down..and we're gettin' out of here."
"I'm sure you haven't," Zan responds, a wary glance following Tobie to Nicholas before settling on Thea. "No reason for you to keep this up. Told your 'boss' yesterday she won't have any more trouble from us. Bring Rylie back and just let us out already." Brave words, though he doesn't expect them to work too well. Hopefully things won't get any worse.
What it is becomes slowly clear. It starts with a tingling in his lips and mouth, the feel of his heart rate slowing down, and a dull pain that feels steadily worse. Tobie lets herself get pushed away, but she steps closer again a moment later. Hovering. Her weight shifts from foot to foot. Nervous.
Thea, though, just looks between the two men before settling on Zan. "She'll be back soon, I'm sure. And she's satisfied. Sure. But you're here and it seems a waste not to have a little fun, right? Do his lips look blue to you?" She wasn't looking, but when she turns her attention to Nicholas again, it's true, his lips are starting to turn.
Nicholas suddenly grasps his head with bith open hands and lets out just the tinest yelp of pain through clenched teeth. As he tries to draw another breath, it is like his throat denies him the chance and he leans over gasping for breath, only bringing in a minimum of oxygen to his lungs.
Nicholas suddenly grasps his head with bith open hands and lets out just the tinest yelp of pain through clenched teeth. As he tries to draw another breath, it is like his throat denies him the chance and he leans over gasping for breath, only bringing in a minimum of oxygen to his lungs.
A look from Zan follows Thea's to Nicholas. His jaw tightens, hands curling into fists. "Fun," he asks, incredulous. He looks at Thea, brows pushing toward his hairline in disbelief. "That… You think…" For a second he looks like he might laugh, quite the expression pulling his bruised and blood-crusted face. It lasts only an instant when he takes hold of that defiant anger and stalks toward Thea. It hurts, but he doesn't care at the moment. "That's not fun! Knock it off!"
"Oh, calm down. It's just a test. Tobie." Thea shakes her head at Zan while Tobie's other hand reaches over to touch Nicholas again. It's a similar feeling as the liquid finds his skin, but in short order, the poison halts and he's able to catch his breath. The pain lingers, but everything else fades fairly quickly. And Thea turns toward Zan to give him a slap on the chest that would probably hurt even if he wasn't already wounded. "Happy? He's fine, probably."
Nicholas shakes his head a little more as he draws in a deep breath and lets it out slowly, his hands still holding his head. "Wha…what the hell…" Nicholas turns to push the girl aside and rush at Thea, his face angry and full of rage. "Let us go!"
The flinch isn't at all feigned and the pain that follows the slap actually causes Zan to take a half step back. He lifts a hand, covering the spot for a second before he straightens again. It still hurts, but he uses it. While Nicholas comes in a rage with more demands, the teen actually acts from where he stands. Hit him, he'll hit back since he's not tied down, with an open handed slap coming for Thea's face.
Getting it from both sides. Thea's attention turns to Nicholas when he charges, the sole of her boot hitting him square in the chest and shoving him backward. It leaves her open for the slap, but also gives her a reason, however small, to spin around and land a kick against Zan's side, sending him against the wall with a bang.
Tobie, meanwhile, skitters back out of the way of all this. Not a fighter, that one.
Nicholas topples backwards, still weak from the near-constant drugging and the recent loss of air. His arms windmill as he steps back to the wall and slumps down it to his butt. In a bit of shock, his eyes glaze for a few moments before looking back up to Thea, but a good bit of the fight was knocked out of him.
Zan's eyes squeeze shut as the boot drives into his ribs, the following grunt muffled when he hits the wall. He slides down it, going onto his knees, though one hand goes up and against the wall to slow the motion. He draws in a ragged breath, cheek pressing against the coolness of the wall. As his fingers curl against the paint or plaster or whatever makes up the decorative coating, he pushes himself upright again, holding his breath until he's standing when it comes in and out in a couple of short, sharp pulses. The teen turns again, pushing away from the wall to face Thea. "Your girlfriend hits harder," he tells her.
"Just because I'm nice," Thea says as she returns to a more relaxed stance, but she seems to be keeping alert all the same. The door opens behind her, though, where the familiar voice of Jesus is saying something in Spanish; it's the only warning they get before Rylie is shoved through looking a bit haggard. They still haven't hit her face, wherever she's been, but she looks worse for wear all the same.
She slows to a stop a few steps in, head tilting to the side as her ace scrunches up. Likely trying not to cry, even though it looks like she's done plenty of it.
Thea has one look over her before dismissing her with a disgusted expression and turning to join the others outside the door.
"Tobie. Take care of all this," she says just before the door closes behind them. It's unlikely they've gone far, but whatever emotional display the young blonde might be working up to, Thea isn't of the mind to watch. Tobie, however, just sort of stares from the corner she's pressed into.
"Yay..more of the same." Nicholas barely manages to get out in a breath. He doesn't dare try standing again, but watches Tobie carefully, looking for any opening while Thea makes to leave. This could be it. The one chance, but thereis no energy left for it. He pushes against the wall, trying to roll forward to get up, but can't manage the balance and stumbles back to his knees a few feet from where he started.
The world beyond the door is ignored but for a glance to count faces, whatever Zan can see from where he stands. He makes no move to stop Thea, no further attempts at retribution or failing acts of resistance. He moves only once the door begins closing, a hand going to Rylie's shoulder, gentle and comforting despite the cold look going to Tobie.
Rylie tenses a bit at the touch to her shoulder, and Zan might notice blood soaking through the back of her shirt here and there, but she turns toward him anyway, an arm sliding around him. Gently. "I want to go home," is whispered to him, but she only lingers a moment or two before visibly bucking herself up and turning back to the room.
Tobie lifts her hands at the looks, but she starts toward Nicholas, who is still first on the list, apparently. "I really am sorry. This isn't… I'm not… They're not my friends. This will be a lot easier if you sit still," she says. Friends or not, she's doing what they ask. Although she's timid about it with them all awake and staring at her.
As Tobie steps closer to Nichloas, all of the anger, frustration and helplessness that hass welled up inside him screams to be let out. The young girl says she's sorry, but she also bright them here, has kept him drugged and the others drigged this entire time and now he knows it, knows she is the cause. From his crouch there on his knees, his fists clench tightly as his side and with another two steps closer, but before she can touch him, he launches up into the air at her with suprising speed, his adrenaline pumping madly. Self defense training has taught him the ways to stop an attacker and some time with the Mossad has shown him that the best way is the final way. His right hand outstretched, fingertips curled into his palm, his hand takes on the aspect of a tiger's paw and flies ahead of his charge, aimed right for the young girl's exposed throat and windpipe. A blow that if it connects would drop her at once, though her chances after that would be out of anyone's hands.
His own touch remains light, arm replacing hand as Rylie turns, Zan's head nodding agreement and understanding. "I know. We'll get out soon," he murmurs the promise. He takes a step forward, to remain close though his hands drop to his side. As much as he might think Tobie needs to atone for her own participation in this kidnapping and the assaults, torture, Nicholas' viciousness and the girl's hesitation and continued apologies gives him slight pause. "Don't kill her," he warns, still quiet. "We can use her."
The words come just a bit too late. Nicholas is already on the move and in the zone, as it were. Tobie's eyes go wide and she tries to back out of the way, but hardly has the training Nicholas does. And by her shuffling steps, might not be in that much better a physical condition.
It doesn't help that her power flicks out of control with danger confronting her so suddenly. A gas spills out from her, filling the room like a fog. Adrenalin pumps out of her, leaving them all to breath it in, soak it up through the skin as the attack lands against her throat and she falls to the ground in a gasping heap. Those outside don't seem to notice anything wrong right off, but even if they did, it wouldn't be enough to save her.
