(a bunch of people are pissed off.)

[ioudas]

WHO: cross marian (ioudas) and a bunch of people who are pissed off at him (& maybe a new friend!)
WHERE: around the city
WHEN: saturday morning - sunday night
WARNINGS: once again, cross
SUMMARY: Cross is finally back in the City, not without consequence.
FORMAT: quick.



(He doesn't want to be back in the City, but he doesn't feel like he should be anywhere else. Since his travels to the many water worlds weren't all that adventurous (who knew that some things didn't change), he was restless. He couldn't stay at home because timcampy had taken to watching his every move and even when he was out, he was sure that the tiny gold golem was watching him.

So, he set out to do what he always does as a consequence of his bad decisions- make more of them.)

Comments

(lillian ; saturday morning)

[ioudas]

(After basically untangling himself from Timcampy's tail and actually returning to the City, Cross supposes that he should start cleaning and redoing the apartment. The flowers that he was crossbreeding were dead, the fridge was empty thanks to Timcampy's eating, the place had a thin film of dust and containers everywhere that was driving him insane and he was out of everything "essential".

What it also signified that he wasn't comfortable at home. The thought that he had something that could possibly kill him at any notice so near, so he had hidden them both, Judgement and Maria in a hidden room that he had made after he (the Earl) bought the place.

It was odd too, with actual doctors and actual bandages around his face, people seemed to stare less at him. His vanity was hurt, but considering imPort relations, he figured that the more he disappeared the better. Or at least as much as a 6'6 man with bright red hair and half a face could.)

[glassbox]

[ Danger tells her, when they return -- Cross is back. Immediately, her instinctive response is a swell of anger in her chest. In all honesty, Lil isn't the sort of woman you can reason with about these sorts of things, especially not now. There's too many fresh wounds, with Madison gone and the strange tension that comes with Danger's return to her organic body -- and more literal wounds too. She still hasn't fully recovered from the gunshot that nearly killed her.

But she does try to stay away, at first. She knows herself better than she seems to. She knows she'll be furious, violent. But confrontation is something Lil doesn't set aside easily, and her frustration with him has festered since he ended things with her over the Network. She can't let it go like that, not without some closure. Not without punching his lights out at least once.

So, it's a shame really, that he doesn't change the apartment locks, because Lillian lets herself right in. Her voice echoes through the space. ]

Cross.

[ioudas]

(He was in the bedroom, trying to figure out how to pin his hair so that it would hide the bandage straps around his head before giving up in frustration. Cross is already in a bad mood, and the moment that he hears his voice, it just gets worse.

It isn't in the sense that he's glad to hear her, but realistically, he didn't expect to hear from her again. Alas, to get to the fire escape, he'd actually have to run past her and he couldn't easily just jump out of the window.

Sighing to himself in the mirror, he was going to have to change these again wasn't he?)

In the bedroom.

[glassbox]

[ The sound of her footsteps is an ominous sound as she approaches, long strides carrying her across the distance until she's throwing open the bedroom door. Her mood worsens just being there, just feeling the familiarity of the space she shared with him. It pisses her off inexplicably, but the swell of unexpected emotions in her chest is probably the only thing that keeps her from going straight for him and clocking him in the face.

She's an intimidating presence anyway. Her anger is practically a physical thing in the room with them, and it fills her voice when she demands without preamble: ]

When the hell were you gonna tell me y'were back?

[ioudas]

(He keeps his back to her, making sure that she can't see the state of his face. Even now, when he can practically feel her anger, his vanity stops him. Or, maybe it's the fact that he refuses to be pitied, or is it that he's too used to not showing weakness to the enemy?

The question might be when did Lillian become the enemy?)

Never.

[glassbox]

[ Never.

That single word makes her hands clench into white-knuckled fists at her sides. In her head, she's thinking about how all men are the same, how the ones she cared for always let her down, and how bad that hurts. It makes her so angry that she ever waited for him, worried for him, wanted him. She can't stop herself from crossing the remaining distance, grabbing him roughly by the shoulder and forcing him to look at her, her other hand already raised as if she means to strike him, to make him feel some of her pain --

But she sees him, his face, and she stops, not knowing why. She shouldn't care, but she does, and feeling that just twists the knife in her gut deeper. She can't even say anything, stopped just short of hitting him by horrible, conflicting feelings of heart-wrenching concern and resentful fury. ]

[ioudas]

(The fact that she doesn't hit him makes him even more angry. What? Is he so frail and damaged that he doesn't even warrant a hit? He childishly worms his way out of her hold, a small sneer on his face.

Although he's been spared a punch to the face from Diamond Lil, he's upset. She never should have seen him like this; maybe a few weeks later when he looked more like himself and he could write off the face, but not now. Instead of actually telling her his feelings, how much he's missed her, how all he wanted to do for all that time was lie in the sun with her and hold her, he couldn't.

Cross clams up even more, acting as if he's the offended party.)

Well, you've seen me. And you can still keep your promise.

(shade ; saturday afternoon.)

[ioudas]

(How exhausting can one day be? Timcampy was still in a fury, settling in the bed with his teeth bared, eating through whatever he could to make sure that Cross couldn't make travel arrangements and holding his communicator hostage. So, naturally, Cross had to grab whatever money had left on whatever fake credit card that hadn't been maxed out and went to lunch.

How could the City still be this chilly in April? Granted, he had been in the most remote regions of Nepal and this was warm comparatively, but he had been waiting to try and get rid of the paleness and the freckles that had reemerged because of his exile. Every bit the scrawny redhead that he used to be (plus some muscle, of course he always kept in shape for some debauchery).

Food was good. Food was scarce in the tiny village and he had been feasting on local delicacies that, while delicious and exotic, hadn't quite in the spot. It was warm, and it was somewhat busy inside, and there were less chances of people spotting him somewhere this nice.)

[foreshadower]

[ While there may have been little chance of someone spotting Cross, he hadn't banked on an immortal running free with his powers once more. The Shade had spent a miserable week with nothing, suffering through an alternate universe, suffering with little of the gourmet fare he was accustomed to.

He made it, finally, somewhere warm, letting the shadows envelop him for just a trace longer, seeming to make him larger, giving him something to work with. Comfort.

He needed the comfort, and so he stuck to the City, and in a small bistro, slipping out of a dark corner with a smile on his face, too smug and self-satisfied, when he finally saw Cross. ]

Why General, how delightful to see you again.

[ioudas]

(He must have been too relaxed, that's why he was spotted. Though, for a while in Nepal, he had half expected Shade to just appear out of nowhere from his own shadow.

Maybe, while he was in the throes of passion with someone, he'd just look up and there would be Shade, silently judging him. The sad part was that the thought sometimes gave him some comfort that he was doing something normal, rather than running away from everyone.)

Of all the people to find me here, it had to be you.

[foreshadower]

And is that so bad a thing, General?

[ The Shade's slight smile was only belied in small ways, the way his lips were a bit too strained, eyes behind his sunglasses a touch darker than normal. It wasn't so much that he was pissed at Cross for running, but really.

There were some ways to deal with stress that were simply laughable. ]

[ioudas]

It seems that being alone comes at a high price.

(The passive aggressiveness is enough for Cross to get the hint.) Please, why don't you invite yourself?

(Non-enthusiastically said, as he offers a seat to the other man.)

[foreshadower]

[ Oh, well, he didn't mind if he did take a seat. The restaurateur had not been by to take their orders, so it was hardly a trouble. Other than having to deal with Shade's standards, but oddly enough, most restaurants knew him by now.

Well. He did enjoy eating out quite a bit. ]

Isn't it better to have company, though?

(hooded justice ; late saturday night)

[ioudas]

(Dammit, really? You owe some people a lot of money and the next thing you know they're sending their people after you. Granted, Cross owes him a lot of money because he told them that he was going to bet on a horse and thanks to some tampering (cheating), he won a lot of money because he defined statistics. Go him.

But instead of giving someone their money back, Cross decided to run away to Nepal with it. The original intention was to, in fact, maybe buy out the apartment next to his and take down a wall to expand his- maybe an indoor pool. Cross was in an alleyway with three very large people from the very influential Irish mob. It seemed that like these guys never really learned their lesson and Cross was starting to lose his temper with them.

Seamus wants his money, they say, says you disappeared with it.

He doesn't deny it, he's the one that towers over them, but they're armed and he isn't.

Hate for you to lose a kneecap, they threaten- or something, all Cross really wants is a drink so he isn't paying attention. They're talking, he's ignoring, it's a very routine thing for him. One gets mad and tries to punch him, and he dodges. It just goes down hill from there, Cross's hair gets messed up and he just snaps.

All the frustrations finally just come to the surface, and coupled with years upon years of dealing with things far above regular thugs on his shit I have to deal with scale makes it easy work to get rid of them. One thug gets his knees done in by Cross getting a hand on his bat, the other gets a fist to the face before getting a concussion and the last one, he pushes him up against the wall.)

You tell Seamus that if he should forget that he gave me the money. In fact, if you want, tell Seamus to find this lot in the hospital. You hear me?

(He just lets him go before ruffling through their suits for a cellphone to call for an ambulance.)

[ropedin]

[ He often went back out late at night. This was when the heinous crimes happened, and Hooded Justice wasn't going to waste the time waking up early to do nothing during the day. At some point, he'd ended up on the other end of the alley where the altercation was happening.

He didn't interfere, actually. He slunk to the shadows, watching. The whole lot of them looked Irish. Figured. The taller one, the one they were ganging up on, seemed to do fine. Hooded Justice had been about to leave, since he'd done well enough, when he turned to dig through pockets, leaving one relatively unmarred.

Stupid, was the thought, when he stumbled toward him, but this time HJ was on top of things, faster than a man of his size should move, and he had the man in a chokehold, keeping him trapped. The only sound was the slightest of scuffles when HJ caught him up in the crook of his elbow. ]

[ioudas]

(Argh, was that seriously happening? They probably had one hiding in the dark, waiting for the right shot. An oversight on his part, but nothing that wasn't fixable.)

Jesus Christ, Seamus. (Cross reacts, trying to use the guy's weight and force against him that he can throw him over his shoulder and make a break for it.)

[ropedin]

[ HJ went flying, but that didn't mean that he was down, flying to the ground, before he tucked and rolled, and then turned. The distraction worked. It left the last man, the one Cross had let go flabbergasted. Good. That's what he'd intended. It left him precious moments to take care of the bigger issue.

The issue being the man that was lurking, waiting, since he'd lost his partners.

HJ dashed past the tall redhead, lunging for the bruiser, a hand to his throat to stop him short. ]

[ioudas]

(Cross hated when people didn't take his advice. Unsure what was exactly going on, Cross just sighed and simply just stared at the other man's cohorts to finish calling an ambulance. One more, he assumes.)

Hey, if you're going to deal with the other one, could you tell me in advance what to tell the ambulance?

(He's absolutely apathetic to the whole thing. Either way, Seamus learns not to send more people after him or else a man in a gimp mask might come after them. Sitting on the chest of the bigger bruiser, seeing as this night took a terrible uncool turn, he started to dial first Seamus and then the ambulance.

Here's the deal, he says in a thick accent (whether or not it's put on in the first place is up for debate), come after me again and next time it'll be him that he's calling an ambulance for.)

[ropedin]

[ Hooded Justice turns, once the last of them is sufficiently passed out, a solid blow to the head knocking him clearly into slumber land, or what could pass for such, despite being sent there through pain as opposed to relaxation.

When he turned to shoot a look at Cross over his shoulder, all the annoyance and surprise at his voice. He hadn't expected that, but then again, who else would have dealings with the Irish Mob? It shouldn't be a surprising as it was, but he still didn't seem to expect it.

Instead of saying anything, he stood. Still keeping his glance on the man. Then, and only then did he finally speak. ]

Tell them the men need medical attention, and then restraint. Preferably both at once, but they treat before imprisoning. [ His tone of voice said it all. That he didn't agree with such methods. ]

(monica ; sunday morning.)

[ioudas]

(Why did he drink so much last night? All he can vaguely remember is punching someone, a guy in a gimp mask and going home? Stumbling home? Who knows, really. At least this time he didn't end up a) outside of the City, b) in another country or c) in the same dimension.

But, he's out of bread and he needs something for this hangover. Last night, he really didn't think to stop over at a local apothecary shop or even go to China town. Strong coffee, all the pastries he doesn't care, just don't talk so loudly. Then, he can just sit in a booth and slowly die a well deserved death.)

[uzi]

<sub>( She's a person of routine and constant movement. Sunday morning, crack of dawn, and she's out in sweats and a tank-top and Nikes, a towel around her shoulders and her arms bare. She keeps moving, laps and laps through Central Park, miles and miles that keep her fit as her mind thinks through twelve hundred problems. She doesn't stop, doesn't make eye contact, doesn't smile. She just keeps moving.

And then it's over, and her muscles feel taut in the best way and there's a glimmer of sweat across her brow, under the curve of her chest. She's breathing hard when she pushes her way into her regular cafe, when she orders something herbal and cool and caffeinated all at once. And then, only then, does she spot him.

Oh. He does have a lot of nerve. She can see hangover written all over him, she can smell it like a wolf smells fear. Instead of being mad--oh, no, she's not mad, hasn't let herself be mad in ages, only irritated--she's glad. Not glad to see him, but glad he's given her this opportunity. Glad her muscles are aching comfortably and her heart beat is steady and she's got a glass of passion fruit lemonade iced tea something or other in her hand.

She marches over to him, every inch a commander. She takes a deliberate sip of her drink and then sets in down on his table. And then, in a voice pitched low so no one else can hear but harsh enough to hurt sensitive ears, she says: )</sub>

You. Are. A. Dead. Man.

Actually, I hoped you were. Because that would've been the only reasonable explanation.

I guess now I will have to kill you.

[ioudas]

(Cross too is a creature of routine. Once he sobers up, he does do some running, mostly from people he owes money to, but there's some exercise that's done. It's odd, for a man whose diet is mostly alcohol and carbs so that he can have more alcohol, he was in excellent shape.

He should have just stretched himself across several chairs, that way he could have avoided all of this.

Cross has suffered a lot of injuries in the past, if it could happen, it's happened to him. And yet, the most painful thing he has ever experienced is the sound of Monica's low voice in his ears. He winces, trying to bolt upright to yell at her, only to curl up in his seat and cover his head with his hands.)

You should have just killed me.

[uzi]

_{( She laughs, at that, harshly. After the mess Lil's been in, after her own worries, she isn't in the mood to be very sympathetic. She lunges across the table and grabs the collar of Cross's shirt, pulling him towards her. )}

Give me a reason not to.

[ioudas]

(He looks terrible; it's the combination of the hangover and the fact that bandages cover half his face that just drives it home. He frowns slightly, hands on her own to try and pull her off.)

I've died once, I don't want to make it a habit.

[uzi]

_{( She shakes him a bit, for good measure. )}

Then tell me what the hell you think you're doing.