(no subject)

[iknowyourfear.livejournal.com]

WHO: iknowyourfear, aerial_bliss, regularexercise, enigmaestro, skrullactually, owwmyspine, evenharder, catmasked, canbleadernow.
WHERE: Norman Osborn's tower.
WHEN: After Norman's post, with Terry's post in bewteen.
WARNINGS: Use of Abby's sad-face icons.
SUMMARY: Abby's been discovered as a spy. Hideous things happen.
FORMAT: Quicklog.
NOTES: Refer to this post for plot information. Please tag yourselves in. I'll be organizing this post by different threads below!

[ He has this vivid memory. Stamford, Connecticut. It's a hot day, the worst kind of day to be outside in thick fatigues, dragging your feet through training drills. Sometimes he remembers better than others, what was said. But the one thing he never forgets is the way Abby looked when he transformed on her, the way she covered her ears and screamed. She'd been so scared of him.

Guilt sits heavy in his chest. He couldn't do that to her again. Never, ever wanted to do it again. She'd been one of the first people he wanted to help when his powers were finally under his control. She trusted him. And yet, here he was, outside her door on Norman Osborn's orders. There were reasons-- he was afraid for her, afraid that if he didn't do this, someone who cared less about what happened to her would get sent instead, or that Osborn would arrange a fate worse than interrogation-- but none of it seemed to make this okay.

He's getting sick of this kind of moral compromise. But what else can he do now?

He knocks on the door. Waits. ]

Comments

COLLECTING ABBY: Cloud 9, Trauma.

[iknowyourfear.livejournal.com]

[tothecloud.livejournal.com]

[ She's getting ready for bed, with the taste of toothpaste still fresh in her mouth. Abby opens the door with her Hello Kitty pajamas on, warily sticking her head out to see who would want to visit her so late in the evening. But, when she sees that it's Terry, her wariness folds under a blossoming smile.

He's always welcome. ]

Terry. What are you doing here?

[iknowyourfear.livejournal.com]

[ It makes it all the worse that she's smiling. Salt in the wound. She trusts him. She trusts him. And he keeps telling himself that he's protecting her, in a twisted way, by doing this. It's better than letting Osborn hurt her in a different way, in a way he can't control.

Right? ]

Abby. Put your coat on. You have to come with me.

[tothecloud.livejournal.com]

C-Come... With you?

[ Abby seems confused. But it's Terry. If he's telling her to do something, it has to be for a reason, right? So, she obeys. She goes and gets her coat, putting it on over her pajamas. ]

What's wrong, Terry? Did something happen?

[iknowyourfear.livejournal.com]

[ He tenses in his shoulders, and the line of his mouth tightens. There's something conflicted in his eyes when he sees Abby standing there, innocent and unsuspecting. Blindly following him, like always.

Suddenly, he grabs her by the shoulders, shakes her lightly. His voice his urgent-- quiet, but almost distressed. ]

Don't you get it, Abby? He knows. Osborn knows.

He sent me.

[tothecloud.livejournal.com]

What do you mean he--

[ She stops. Realization dawns on her, chased quickly by dread. He knows. She knew Osborn had been suspicious of her for months, but knowing-- did he know about Mr. Stark? About everything? She was in trouble, so much trouble.

Then she realizes the other thing. Terry. Osborn had sent Terry. To get her. That means... ]

N-No! Terry, you can't. [ She takes a half-step away. ] I'm-- I don't want to go! I'm scared--

INTERROGATION: Cloud 9, Trauma, Riddler, Victoria Hand.

[iknowyourfear.livejournal.com]

[victoriaous.livejournal.com]

[This wasn't the best way to handle things, and Hand definitely wasn't happy with the idea of interrogating the girl. However, that was why she was participating in this, because someone needed to run damage control and make sure that nothing happened that could possibly get out and draw unnecessary attention to them, because it was bound to happen with Stark involved. It would have been better to have just let Abby stay ignorant, feed her false info to give to Stark, but Norman had already made up his mind, so this was just how it was going to be.

She takes a seat off in the corner of the interrogation room, making notes and working from her PDA. Things had to go perfectly, if this wasn't going to blow up in their faces. ]

[iknowyourfear.livejournal.com]

[ Trauma arrives a few minutes later, with Abby in tow. He has her by the shoulder, but his posture is protective. He walks her ahead of him in a way that suggests he wants to keep her safe, but at the same time, there's deep conflict in his face. Resignation.

He's going to do this. He has to.

He escorts her into the room. Sits Abby down in the lone chair there, and steps back. ]

[tothecloud.livejournal.com]

[ She's terrified. Scared out of her wits, because she knows exactly what's about to happen. It's not knowing in the same way as someone who's read Terry's file or heard about his powers. She knows, because it's been used against her before. Just thinking about the memory makes fear tighten in her stomach in an uncomfortable knot.

She sits in the chair and balls her hands into fists, clutching handfuls of her PJ pants. ]

[enigmaestro.livejournal.com]

[Edward had requested a separate room. He wanted to remain an enigma within this situation, and by God, he would. Precautions were necessary, after all, and a man in his position couldn’t be too cautious.

He peered at the young girl behind his tinted glass. He could hear everything she uttered, he could see every movement she made.

He was more than a lie detector, so much more. He was a survivalist. And if this poor young creature had to be sacrificed to ensure his survival, well…

So be it.]

ESCAPE, PART I: Cloud 9, Trauma, Ms. Marvel.

[iknowyourfear.livejournal.com]

This post (http://community.livejournal.com/capeandcowl/1446546.html) happens here.

Re: ESCAPE, PART I: Cloud 9, Trauma, Ms. Marvel.

[canbleadernow.livejournal.com]

[Karla was angry. That sweet, stupid girl had gotten herself caught, which was only slightly more stupid than Abby becoming a spy in the first place. It had to be Stark, no one else would be such a cold hearted bastard as to send a girl like Abby to Norman Osborn as a spy. Not only that, but it really screwed up some of her plans as well.]

[iknowyourfear.livejournal.com]

[ At the end of the hallway, Trauma emerged, carrying Abby's bundled up form in his arms. He had to get out before someone-- Hand, or even Nygma-- noticed that he'd taken their hostage with him. He had plans to meet some of the other superheroes outside, but he had to get to the third floor first.

Abruptly, his steps stopped. He saw her-- Karla, at the other end of the hall. His expression was surprise first, then defensiveness. He hesitated. Was she going to try and stop them? ]

no clue wtf that was

[canbleadernow.livejournal.com]

[Karla narrowed her eyes when she saw Traume round the hallway carrying a human sized bundle. More specifically, an Abby sized bundle. She could stop them, or at least delay them long enough and make a big enough commotion others would come. But that would leave Abby at the hands of Osborn. Not only that, this was a perfect opportunity to further herself in the eyes of the hero community.]

Is that her?

[iknowyourfear.livejournal.com]

[ Terry took a half-step backwards. His eyes hardened. He was ready to put up a fight, if it came to that. ]

Yes.

[ A pause, then: ]

Are you going to alert them?

ESCAPE, PART II: Cloud 9, Trauma, Catwoman, Hardball, Blue Beetle, Hulkling.

[iknowyourfear.livejournal.com]

EXTERIOR;

[skrullactually.livejournal.com]

[ Continued from here (http://community.livejournal.com/capeandcowl/1446546.html?thread=125828498#t125828498).

Instead of taking them straight to the window, Teddy drops them down in an alley in the shadow of Avenger Tower. West side -- just like Trauma'd said. Peering from the mouth of the alley, it takes a moment but Teddy thinks he sees the window that Jaime was talking about. Three stories up is a bit of a drop, though, for somebody who's just lost his alientech wings. He looks at Jaime and then back at the window. No sign of movement that he can see just yet. ]

How're we s'posed to do this?

EXTERIOR;

[scarabsuited]

Hey--what, uh, Ted? The wind--[Jaime's already protesting, letting go and getting his bearings back on solid ground. He shuts up and cranes his neck up and--oh. Yeah.

Why did Scarab have to go offline this week?]

I don't know if I could catch them--like, Force-style. [frantic.] I mean, aside from nuts I haven't exactly--

[breath. okay. shut up. look around and think.]

Okay...Okay, there's no...Do you think you can make footholds? Like--no, like...Can you--well, that's probably like cement, that's stupid. [he paces, tugging at his hair, stopping and staring at a dumpster. thinking...thinking something that sounds really dumb outside of Hollywood.]

EXTERIOR;

[skrullactually.livejournal.com]

[ Teddy looks -- also frantic, but not as bad as Jaime -- back and forth between his friend and the window above. Eventually, though, he reaches out and puts a firm hand on Jaime's shoulder. It's an attempt to anchor him. Teddy doesn't even know if it'll work. ]

Jaime. Jaime. Focus, man.

[ He turns and looks at the Tower again and then gestures with a hand. ]

Ask Trauma who else is coming. Or if I'm s'posed to go up there on my own or what. He knows what security we're walking into.

EXTERIOR;

[scarabsuited]

[Being forcibly rooted to one place for more than a second seems to help. Somehow. At least enough to pick up the comm and text faster than he can talk. But once that's done and waiting begins again, Jaime gets fidgety under the shoulder, making up for it by darting his head around the same sights over and over.]

Khaji Da, Khaji Da, c'mon, buddy, just...[He's tried calling Scarab awake by name earlier in the week to no avail, but there was nothing else he could do for--oh, text.]

Maybe Roger and Selina? So, four?

INTERIOR;

[iknowyourfear.livejournal.com]

[ She's so small in his arms. It's hard for him to even picture the Abby from his time-- taller, hidden behind a helmet, and nothing but clipped words and hard stares. This isn't that Abby. This Abby, he wanted to protect her. And failed.

He doesn't want to think about what she's feeling right now. What kind of mental damage he's done. She's conscious, but unresponsive against him. Breathing. But scared. Withdrawn. He's see this before. His victims. Frightened to the point that they can't think about anything but what he's done to them.

She needs help. He carries her to the window on the third floor and pushes it open. ]

INTERIOR;

[skrullactually.livejournal.com]

[ He doesn't know what to expect when he reaches the window. Teddy knows it's going to be bad (it's Trauma, after all, it's going to have to be bad), but no matter how bad he tries to make it in his head, nothing compares to actually seeing Abby cured up in Trauma's arms. The sight makes him reel, almost violently and as much anger and loathing as his body can come up with in a single moment, it's nothing compared to just how much it hurts to see Abby like that.

He grits his teeth and exhales through them sharply. Keep it together, Altman, he tells himself, but his eyes already are starting to sting. He can't help but look at Trauma accusingly. Hands ball up into fists so tight that both of his arms shake. It takes every once of self-control not to throw a fit. ]

When this is over-- [ His voice is quiet. ] --there's gonna be some fucking hell to pay. Terrance.

[ He looks down at Abby and reaches out, wanting to take her -- to hold her. ]

INTERIOR;

[meowminx]

[ She follows Teddy into the building. Only she doesn't bother with the window so much, phasing through the wall to get in instead. Faster that way. ]

Will she be okay?

[ Teddy knows her and Trauma knows she's coming. Despite the generic burglar look, she doesn't really think she needs introductions. ]

INTERIOR;

[iknowyourfear.livejournal.com]

[ He hesitates, his expression hardening for a second before he looks away. The guilt is as plain as any emotion ever is on Trauma-- which isn't very, but more than obvious to someone who knows him. His grip tightens briefly on the girl in his arms before he shakes his head, as if to clear it. ]

Selina, I need you to take her out. [ There will be time to mourn this later. Now, he has to get Abby out. He promised her. ] I ran into Karla earlier-- she said she wouldn't raise the alarm, but I don't know how long it'll be before someone notices. She'll suffer more if we're caught.

[ Terry turns to Teddy. Doesn't quite look him in the eye. ]

Teddy, you're with me. If they come for us, it'll be harder for them to catch two Cloud 9s.