| Hope in Gotham | |||||
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| What: Nate with help from Rose, finally tracks down Hope. | |||||
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Nate life is complicated.
Yeah, Rose already knows he came from a very nasty alternate Earth. She knows he has a weird family, which apparently spawns over worlds and timelines. She was told Nate's 'father' is both a schoolteacher and a mutant vigilant. But still...
A few hours ago Nate told her something even more incredible: Apparently there is this old, scarred soldier around. And that guy could be future Nate. An old man that calls himself Cable and speaks of changing the future and maybe he is recruiting mutant mercenaries. Domino seemed to recognize Cable in him, at least.
And then there is this redheaded girl, a mutant of some kind, he met briefly in the Suicide Slum during a skirmish between gangs. She fled before he could talk to her, but she had /Cable/ in her mind, crystal clear. Nate has been looking for her for a week, and finally got hold of her here, in Gotham city. He asked Rose to come with him because Hope's mind is a slippery thing, and he could use another pair of eyes. Besides, she was going to spend all the evening dancing and getting drunk. This could be far more interesting!
This was getting far more thicker then Rose could truly fathom. When Nate told her, he had to repeat it - the first time she was staring at him and got that distant look in her eyes like it made her brain shut down. After a breath and a small eye twitch the second time was the charm.
Approaching the docks, her attire seemed normal, tattered jeans showing the faint shine of a leather-like attire beneath, her coat buckled and zipped with the maille covering the arms of the leather, and on her back - her swords.
"You deter me from passing the time, to tell me a story I am shocked isn't turning -you- into an alcoholic..." Rose states as one corner of her lips curl upward in a smile she tries to feign.
Oh yeah. What could be more interesting than finding a lone girl who's trying to run and hide?
Yeah. Let's not go there. Instead, let's just go with the whole 'life is complicated' thing.
Right now though, out on the water front, there is someone in an alley not too far from one of the areas filled up with docked yatchts and other expensive water craft. This person is a girl, with red hair, wearing a green outfit. If anyone around here knew her name, it'd be Hope.
But what is she doing? For now, not much. Instead, she's reading what looks like an old news paper and occasionally eyeing the water craft at the docks.
Nate has been trying to find Hope using his telepathy and the brief mindscan he did days ago. So he has this... distracted look. Not quite here. "I have plenty of other stuff pushing me into becoming and alcoholic," he mentions with a faint smirk. "But if I get drunk I can't control my telepathy, so I will have to find some other thing to get addicted. I will listen to you advice... but later. This girl is really close now." He looks around slowly. Fortunately there is not a large crowd in the docks to distract him, so he is heading the right direction.
Rose's brows furrow at what Nate says, nodding and glancing at him from periphery only once in her silent inquiry. She would not pry, not now, or perhaps even after - not being one to pry into peoples lives.
Looking up and away now, pale blue gaze slips over the people here, settling on no one in particular while her hand sweeps up and back, a bare touch of fingertips over the wrapped hilt of her sword. A reassurance.
And Hope...
Doesn't move. Not as she watches a boat, possibly a specific boat pull in.
Or at least that's before the redhead finally starts to get up. But as she glances around, she just freezes for a moment as she thinks she notices a familiar face in the crowd.
That is before she turns, and starts to run...
Nate eyes the sword and tsks. "Hey, we don't have to fight..." on the other hand, this is Gotham, so being armed is not a bad idea. Then he spots a blur of red and tenses. "There she is! And running, but why?" Then again, she did the same the last time and for no clear reason either. "Hey! Wait!" He yells.
That's one thing Rose -would- notice, running. Though with what her line of work is, it is more often running towards her with weapons drawn/blazing, than away.
"Better safe, then sorry, Nate." Rose states, tsking back with a smirk before that blur is caught and she is already reacting as a 'hunter' would. Chasing while calling back at Nate just before jumping a pile of crates and knocking them akimbo across the dock. "Maybe because like any other person; She doesn't like being watched?"
Why? Why?!?
Well considering what Hope knows, and what happened just the other night when she encountered that other guy who was chasing after her the last time Nate chased after her...
But anyways, Hope runs /towards/ those expensive boats. Running right through the 'security' station they have at the entrance, without pausing. Which in turn sets the guard off shouting at her to stop. All though as she hears those crates falling behind her, the redheaded girl just tries to move /faster/.
Nate is not so eager to run after Hope. He didn't want to scare her or anything - to be honest he had not considered Hope would bolt the second she saw him.
And there goes Rose, swift like the wind. "Damn," well, alright. Running it is! Nate is not the incredible athlete Rose is, but he is in top shape and can run too. Flying would be easier, but while he runs he can try to figure out why the hell is Hope running.
Rose came for more reasons then one. One of those lesser reasons occuring now. She did not know what -kind- of person this Hope is but she'd find out soon enough. Doing just the same as hope Rose bolts past the security guards, unsheathing her sword and swinging it in a downward arch as they passed a few boats - passable as yachts - and severed a rope that kept one anchored in, unwrapping it from around the dock in a few swift motions before she carried on, just as easily picking up the pace and pressing in, trying to close some distance while her hands slide over that rope, improvising...
And while Rose improvises, Hope just tries to run. Or continues to try and run.
All though as she runs, if Nate tries to read her mind, he may pick up one thing. That being the girl is focused on getting away from him. She's so focused on it that she's more or less got everything in her head clamped down for the moment.
The security guards though, as they see Rose and Nate rush past, then that sword, curse. That is before they reach for a phone.
Yeah, that's right, security isn't chasing after these guys. They're making a phone call. And since this is /Gotham/ you can bet that it's not 911.
Nate catches that though, it only makes him more interested in talking with her. Actually, he can talk with her. Or at least to her mind: |"Alright, wait a second. Why do you want to avoid me? What is your link to Cable? (Am I Cable?)"| The last question is not clearly 'voiced', but it slips through anyway.
Rose is doing this the hard way. All bets on the fact Nate did not want the girl wounded, killed or otherwise, so she has the sword re-sheathed and is making a slip-knot, watching ahead to try and guage if Hope is going to feign a direction while she moves to the right side of the dock. Pressing herself into a burst after her for just one split second Rose releases the rope and attampts to basically made a western roping show of capturing the red haired girl. No matter caught or not as the rope hits the air Rose is coming to a halt, propping one foot on an anchoring post and bracing. If she catches her she is well prepared to jerk her back and onto her ass. If not, back to track and field.
It's a close thing. Or a lucky thing. Or maybe Rose is just that good. Because that lasso doesn't go around Hope's body. Nope.
Instead it goes around her /wrist/.
Yes that's right, she gets caught by her wrist, and then gets yanked down.
All though as that voice speaks directly into her head, Hope's expression changes from one of panic, to almost pure terror.
Oh, great! Panic is not an original reaction to telepathic communication. But Nate is used to mutants to be less freak-prone. |"I mean no harm!"| He tries again. Seems Rose caught her, though, so Nate keeps running, and will be catching up with the young women in a few seconds.
Rose was not ready to run again, nor did she want to play this game of cat and mouse. The minute Hope is down Rose is winding that wrope around her arm, keeping the slip knot bound tight as well as the girls limb, and closing that distance in a short run, hoping to keep from any further chase via placing one booted foot on the rope that holds her wrist while lowering into a crouch.
If anything is noticable visibly, it is the reactions, those tell-tale signs that Hope gives that leads Rose to believe she is truly terrified, tilting her head ever so slightly before looking back at Nate.
"Maybe you don't want to know, Nate.." BIG assumptions, but if Hope knows 'future possible' Nate, and is -this- terrified?
Who says that it's the telepathy that caused the panic, when it very well could of been what was 'said'?
"Trust me." is said as Rose and Nate get closer.
"There's a lot you don't want to know. So just let me go. Please."
Yeah. She doesn't really say, or do much at the moment.
"No," replies Nate, "I am not scared of what you could tell me," he pauses, to control his breathing, then glances back to the guards. "Let her go, Rose, please. I just have a few questions, and maybe we can help you. If you don't want to tell me about it, at least explain me why not."
Rose was already brandishing a small blade to sever the Rope with when Nate made his request. A swift sweep and that rope Rose held no longer kept to Hope, but the one around her wrist... Will need cutting like an old bracelet for removal.
Rolling her eyes and exhaling, a few of those white strands of hair are blown from her face to land in the mass of hair that fell loosely over her shoulders. "Could at least offer a girl some coffee, or a maybe a piece of pie before you barrage her with questions." She states non-chalantly while picking off an errant piece from her jacket and dropping it on the ground dismissively.
Glancing at Hope though she thumbs over towards Nate and a jerk of her chin. "You can't train them, you just have to settle for the best thing they offer, typically -not- an apology." Who was the one that roped Hope like cattle and didn't apologize? Rose. But it is all Nate's fault!
"Number one..." is said as the rope is severed, before she tries to work what remains off of her wrist.
"I don't know. With all that happened towards the end, I know this is not /when/ I belong. But I don't know if it's even the same reality or not."
Then she glances at Rose, frowning slightly.
"Number two. The less people know, the less that can be repeated that can lead back to /where/ I am. Because if I'm found, I may be as good as dead. Then again, maybe not. I can fight, and considering what I can do, I still have a shot. But I'd rather avoid it as long as I can"
Then she glances at Nate again.
"Number Three... Again, I don't know. I know things that happen. /BIG/ things But I don't know the /hows/, /whens/ and most of the time /wheres/. And the less people know about those, the less they have to worry about."
"Now is that enough, or are you gonna push things?"
"Coffee is a good idea, as it is getting out of sight," comment Nate. "Number one, welcome to my life. I /do/ know I am not from this reality and time. Number two, we can take care of ourselves, and protect you of whatever is chasing you. Number three... number three makes no sense." Pause, "what's your name? I am Nate, this is Rose."
With the glance Hope offers, and the words she speak, Rose just 'hmphs', brandishing a -charming- smile that is all flashing teeth and does not reach her eyes. "We're all as good as dead, no matter what we can do, can't do or /think we know/. My question is, is what you do know, from wherever, and how you know it... Is it worth that risk?"
Now Rose glances from Hope to Nate, narrowing her eyes as it settles back on the red haired girl. "Yeah, hi." Is all she offers, sweeping a hand back through her hair and glaring towards the security booths and then to Nate and back to Hope. "So if you're going to talk, talk and make it worth the worry." The glare slightly shifts, as if its a hard thing to keep that edge on, again with the twitch of lips and then gone. "Now, shall we vacate for a beverage of some sort? I'd hate to have to 'handle' more then rent-a-cops."
And as if to explain number three better, Hope says, "Let's see... Australia was nuked into oblivion. Asia was wiped by bio-weapons. All the water in Europe was poisoned. Some sort of super napalm burned South America to the ground. Africa was hit by other toxic weapons. Oh and North America? To survive the 'President' had the people combine their DNA with cockroaches, who then fed on the humans that didn't splice their genes. And /THEN/ the continent was nuked to kill the bugs. /THEN/ the survivors managed to fill up /TWO/ cities. Then those cities fled into space, only to be killed off by aliens known as 'Brood'. And that's just the highlights from the next two thousand years give or take." while she looks at Nate, as if to judge his reaction.
"Oh, and a single time traveling mad man said he did all of that to try and kill me. And if you were to ask me exactly how he did any of that, or got the stuff to do any of that, or how he set it up, I couldn't tell you. So you couldn't stop it if he still tries to do it."
Then there's a pause, before she slowly starts to stand back up.
"And that's some of the /nicer/ stuff that happens that I know of that could happen."
And of course at Rose's mention of 'Rent-A-Cops, something worse, much worse than them arrives. A car pulls into the parking lot outside the 'dock. A bunch of guys in expensive looking suits get out of the car. And, all of them have AK-47s.
"Two thousand years? That is slow work. I saw it done in less than thirty years, with a side of poisoning the oceans too," comments Nate. "Except for the space cities." Space cities sound cool, and the Brood, well, they have already know about those pesky aliens lizard/cockroaches.
Speaking of cockroaches. "I have to remember Gotham can also be a fun city." Grumbles Nate. He does a brief mental scan, but he is already pretty sure what he is going to find. "I should just drop a yatch on them," instead he creates a telekinetic bubble around the trio and flies them up and away.
"Cockroaches? Ew." Rose states with the curling of her upper lip, as if that was the only part of that she heard, or was worthy of making any vocal note of. Oh, she got it all, her brain is busy coorelating it at the moment, just like it was when Nate told her about it all on their way here, or some of it.
Rose too, is looking at Nate, one brow slowly taking a damn hike upon her forehead. "Sounds worth it to me." But from him to the unloading of vehicles with assault rifles Rose reaches back, drawing that sword slowly from its sheath with a metallic hiss, speaking sidelong to Hope. "Is this some of the nicer stuff? Or just coincidence?" But as soon as it is said, they are gone in a bubble and the swords are rested back in hilts with audible *clicks*. The small moment of thrill from Rose meets a slight slump in shoulders. Inward sulk!
"Sounds like you two have some major events in common, maybe I should go -persuade- security to stop calling people." With that Rose is walking back towards the security booths.
And odds are Rose may very well find that security is more than willing to do anything she 'suggests'.
After all, this is Gotham. Odds are they may have even had to deal with 'The Bat' before.
But anyways, as they're flown away, Hope just shakes her head.
"Look. I said too much. After all, if this /isn't/ an alternate reality, then it's my past. As in /before I was born/. And if I change things too much, well..."
Nate glances at Hope, "ah, I guess that could be a mess. Alright, no more questions. Still, what are you going to do? Hide for years, or your whole life to wait until you are born? If you need to get out of the way there must be better ways of doing it."
"Start over, get a new name, a new place... A new look." Rose says casually while looking out towards the horizon and not at them. Obviously a thought long in her own mind, and one she was willing to share. "I have the resources.."
And here's where Hope just points at a roof top not too far away.
"Just set me down over there. Please."
And then, she shakes her head at Nate and Rose.
"Look, this isn't the first time I've been separated from Nathan during a jump. I'll find him, or he'll find me eventually. Until then, the best thing I can do is lay low. The less people know about me, the less people know about what I know, and the less people know in general, the better"
Nate lands them on the roof, "so hide and wait? That does not sound like a good way of spending your time. Life is for living, and if you change your own future, you wouldn't be here anyway, right? And... you have not even given us a name!"
Rose can't do anything but agree with Nate at a point he makes. Even if she did change everything about herself and tried to lay low, it was not her style, not her m.o... But it's the thought that counts. "If she wants to find us later, I'm sure she can, we're not necessarily the most easy to blend people." She states, glancing to Nate with a brow slightly raised, a silent sign for him to ease up some.
"Well Stryfe..." is said as the redheaded girl glances back at Nate, as if she's been fighting back saying something about how he looks. That is before she turns, and starts to run, before finally jumping from the roof top. Only as she jumps, she does say a few words.
"The name is Hope. Hope Summers."