Post by Carlson Rex on Oct 27, 2020 19:12:04 GMT -5
Carlson Rex walks alone down the sidewalk of a street, somewhere in Chicago. He has earbuds in, his phone tucked away in his pocket for safe keeping. It is dark, like 2 in the morning dark. He turns a corner, nodding either to himself or to whatever is on his earbuds. He walks down the sidewalk a ways. To his right, glowing softly in the late night air, is the UGWC arena. He turns into the parking area and walks across the parking lot, nodding occasionally. He starts toward the lone vision of his own car, sitting beneath a light in the parking lot, finally stopping about the parking spots away.
Carlson: "Listen. You can tell the same as everyone that neither my heart nor my mind were in that match. I don't know why you're being so critical about it. I got my ass kicked. It happens, especially if you're distracted."
The voice in his ear clarifies itself.
Carl: "Listen. I'm not trying to be too tough on you. But, you gotta learn to deal with outside distractions. So what if some street urchin you took a shining to has gone missing? Who the hell cares?"
Carlson starts walking while his mentor talks. He then stops, a hard stop, at the side of his car.
Carlson: "Dammit, Carl. I fucking care."
This causes a pause.
Carl: "You want our help, boy?"
Carlson's hands clinch into tight fists.
Carlson: "I might need it. But, not right now. That is a call I will make when it is necessary."
There's a chuckle through the earbuds.
Carl: "Okay, son. Okay. It's good to see some passion from you, finally. I was staring to worry you'd turn out to have as much personality as a travel pamphlet to Alaska."
Carlson shakes his head.
Carlson: "I'll give you a call when I have anything further to say. I appreciate the call."
Carl: "I don't take too many people in to train. When I do, they better hold up their end. It sounds like you're finding your attitude. I only hope it doesn't get you in trouble."
Carlson: "You and me both, old man."
The earbuds go quiet. Carlson pulls the key from his pocket just as as a slight gust of wind comes up. Motion out of the left side of his eye catches his attention. A piece of paper, folded in half, rests under this wiper blade.
Carlson: "Great. Probably a parking fine on top of everything else."
He takes the paper and finishes unlocking the door and gets into the car. There, he unfolds the paper to read about his anticipated fine.
"Carlson. I need your help. Desperately. Meet me at the following location as soon as you can."
Carlson blinks, recognizing the sprawling but nearly illegible handwriting of his missing friend. Without wasting a moment, he starts the car, pulls up directions on his phone, and gets moving.
= = =
Carlson pulls into the abandoned lot at the location indicated by Sylvestra's note. He pulls to the middle and gets out, calling her 'name'. He spots a figure to his right and turns. There, before him, are some familiar figures. The ones he fought in that alley, what seems like months ago. One of them steps up to the passenger side of his car and rests arms on the top of it. One of the arms lifts slowly as Carlson alertly listens for any other footsteps. The arm flips down the hood of the dark grey hoodie, revealing a blonde haired woman, the hair decorated with what looks to be a pattern of thorns around the crown of her head, dyed into her hair.
Snapdragon: "Well, now isn't this just a coincidence? Prince Charmander trying to ride to the rescue. I assure you, your services are not needed. If you are as smart as you are stupid, or maybe brave, you'll forget about her and never think of her again."
Carlson opens his mouth to respond, but stops as four other figures, dressed in dark grey hoodies and pants like the woman before him, emerge. Two of them carrying a limp form between them. Carlson closes his car door and starts to move around the front of the car, only to stop as the blonde cuts him off, almost literally, with a rather keen looking knife.
Snapdragon: "That's far enough, Wonderboy. She's not your concern now."
The group walk through the outer edge of Carlson's car's headlights. He cannot make out much more of the four others, but the figure being carried is dressed in a brown hoodie, wearing black leggings and jeans that are now dirty and far more torn than they had been when originally purchased. He then sees her face, Sylvestra, her head limp, being supported by the arm of one of the figures carrying her.
Carlson: "Put her down right now or..."
Snapdragon: "Or what? Your noble wishes to protect your damsel in distress are, in the end, self defeating. You wish to keep her in this place, where she remembers nothing of who or what she is. We want to take her home. We want to restore her to her proper place in society."
Carlson quirks an eyebrow at the woman, who slips the dagger back inside of her hoodie with one practiced motion.
Snapdragon: "I can kinda see what she sees in you. Too bad it will never be. Again, you should leave. now. Forget you ever met her. Or us. Or, it can be very bad for you. Tell yourself it was all just a dream."
Carlson goes to move, but the woman's hand goes to her hoodie again. He pauses and one of the figures, with a masculine voice calls out.
Voice: "What are your orders, Snapdragon?"
She looks at Carlson, who still looks like he wants to move.
Snapdragon: "Listen, hero. There are people in this world who adore people like you, who need people like you. We don't. She doesn't."
She tilts her head back just enough to shout over her shoulder.
Snapdragon: "Take her home."
She calls. Carlson hesitates just for a moment, then moves to his left, trying to get around the woman. He lets out a loud oof as he falls forward, face first and unconscious on the vacant lot. Snapdragon shakes her head and looks down at him.
Snapdragon: "Too bad. Orchid. Stay with him, out of sight, until he comes to. Make sure he gets out of here safely."
A tall, broad shouldered woman steps forward, dressed similarly to Snapdragon and the others.
Orchid:"We didn't have any orders about interlopers or fanboys. Are you sure I shouldn't just slit his throat and be done with it?"
Snapdragon looks thoughtful, then shakes her head.
Snapdragon: "No. If we killed him, it could start some definite issues with sleeping beauty. Better we can tell her he showed up and made sure we got her safely away before washing his hands of her."
Orchid smiles, but the smile betrays a little hint of...perhaps...insanity?
Orchid: "Fine. I'll baby sit for him. I'll make sure the entrance is sealed for good before I return home."
Snapdragon smiles and nods in agreement. She turns on heel, pulling the hood of her hoodie up and walking away the direction the others took Sylvestra.
Snapdragon: "The Leader will be so pleased!"
Snapdragon laughs. Orchid laughs as well as she slips into the shadows. Orchid's laugh goes from one of amusement to one that would give a sane person the shivers, a demented, almost demonic laugh that slowly fades into the night. Carlson lays there in the vacant lot in front of his car.
Carlson: "Listen. You can tell the same as everyone that neither my heart nor my mind were in that match. I don't know why you're being so critical about it. I got my ass kicked. It happens, especially if you're distracted."
The voice in his ear clarifies itself.
Carl: "Listen. I'm not trying to be too tough on you. But, you gotta learn to deal with outside distractions. So what if some street urchin you took a shining to has gone missing? Who the hell cares?"
Carlson starts walking while his mentor talks. He then stops, a hard stop, at the side of his car.
Carlson: "Dammit, Carl. I fucking care."
This causes a pause.
Carl: "You want our help, boy?"
Carlson's hands clinch into tight fists.
Carlson: "I might need it. But, not right now. That is a call I will make when it is necessary."
There's a chuckle through the earbuds.
Carl: "Okay, son. Okay. It's good to see some passion from you, finally. I was staring to worry you'd turn out to have as much personality as a travel pamphlet to Alaska."
Carlson shakes his head.
Carlson: "I'll give you a call when I have anything further to say. I appreciate the call."
Carl: "I don't take too many people in to train. When I do, they better hold up their end. It sounds like you're finding your attitude. I only hope it doesn't get you in trouble."
Carlson: "You and me both, old man."
The earbuds go quiet. Carlson pulls the key from his pocket just as as a slight gust of wind comes up. Motion out of the left side of his eye catches his attention. A piece of paper, folded in half, rests under this wiper blade.
Carlson: "Great. Probably a parking fine on top of everything else."
He takes the paper and finishes unlocking the door and gets into the car. There, he unfolds the paper to read about his anticipated fine.
"Carlson. I need your help. Desperately. Meet me at the following location as soon as you can."
Carlson blinks, recognizing the sprawling but nearly illegible handwriting of his missing friend. Without wasting a moment, he starts the car, pulls up directions on his phone, and gets moving.
= = =
Carlson pulls into the abandoned lot at the location indicated by Sylvestra's note. He pulls to the middle and gets out, calling her 'name'. He spots a figure to his right and turns. There, before him, are some familiar figures. The ones he fought in that alley, what seems like months ago. One of them steps up to the passenger side of his car and rests arms on the top of it. One of the arms lifts slowly as Carlson alertly listens for any other footsteps. The arm flips down the hood of the dark grey hoodie, revealing a blonde haired woman, the hair decorated with what looks to be a pattern of thorns around the crown of her head, dyed into her hair.
Snapdragon: "Well, now isn't this just a coincidence? Prince Charmander trying to ride to the rescue. I assure you, your services are not needed. If you are as smart as you are stupid, or maybe brave, you'll forget about her and never think of her again."
Carlson opens his mouth to respond, but stops as four other figures, dressed in dark grey hoodies and pants like the woman before him, emerge. Two of them carrying a limp form between them. Carlson closes his car door and starts to move around the front of the car, only to stop as the blonde cuts him off, almost literally, with a rather keen looking knife.
Snapdragon: "That's far enough, Wonderboy. She's not your concern now."
The group walk through the outer edge of Carlson's car's headlights. He cannot make out much more of the four others, but the figure being carried is dressed in a brown hoodie, wearing black leggings and jeans that are now dirty and far more torn than they had been when originally purchased. He then sees her face, Sylvestra, her head limp, being supported by the arm of one of the figures carrying her.
Carlson: "Put her down right now or..."
Snapdragon: "Or what? Your noble wishes to protect your damsel in distress are, in the end, self defeating. You wish to keep her in this place, where she remembers nothing of who or what she is. We want to take her home. We want to restore her to her proper place in society."
Carlson quirks an eyebrow at the woman, who slips the dagger back inside of her hoodie with one practiced motion.
Snapdragon: "I can kinda see what she sees in you. Too bad it will never be. Again, you should leave. now. Forget you ever met her. Or us. Or, it can be very bad for you. Tell yourself it was all just a dream."
Carlson goes to move, but the woman's hand goes to her hoodie again. He pauses and one of the figures, with a masculine voice calls out.
Voice: "What are your orders, Snapdragon?"
She looks at Carlson, who still looks like he wants to move.
Snapdragon: "Listen, hero. There are people in this world who adore people like you, who need people like you. We don't. She doesn't."
She tilts her head back just enough to shout over her shoulder.
Snapdragon: "Take her home."
She calls. Carlson hesitates just for a moment, then moves to his left, trying to get around the woman. He lets out a loud oof as he falls forward, face first and unconscious on the vacant lot. Snapdragon shakes her head and looks down at him.
Snapdragon: "Too bad. Orchid. Stay with him, out of sight, until he comes to. Make sure he gets out of here safely."
A tall, broad shouldered woman steps forward, dressed similarly to Snapdragon and the others.
Orchid:"We didn't have any orders about interlopers or fanboys. Are you sure I shouldn't just slit his throat and be done with it?"
Snapdragon looks thoughtful, then shakes her head.
Snapdragon: "No. If we killed him, it could start some definite issues with sleeping beauty. Better we can tell her he showed up and made sure we got her safely away before washing his hands of her."
Orchid smiles, but the smile betrays a little hint of...perhaps...insanity?
Orchid: "Fine. I'll baby sit for him. I'll make sure the entrance is sealed for good before I return home."
Snapdragon smiles and nods in agreement. She turns on heel, pulling the hood of her hoodie up and walking away the direction the others took Sylvestra.
Snapdragon: "The Leader will be so pleased!"
Snapdragon laughs. Orchid laughs as well as she slips into the shadows. Orchid's laugh goes from one of amusement to one that would give a sane person the shivers, a demented, almost demonic laugh that slowly fades into the night. Carlson lays there in the vacant lot in front of his car.