All Up To Get Lucky

Summary:
Nov 09, 2014: How do you get someone out of a Cuban prison? It takes a village — or two robots and a CEO.

Canaleta Prison, Cuba

The most secure prison in all of Cuba, even counting in a certain notorious American prison in the region. Over 3000 inmates are held within its walls, from Cuban 'Supervillains' to political prisoners, to mass murderers, this is where they keep the ones they don't want getting out. Though, it's not exactly close to the same standards of the 'real' superhuman detention facilities elsewhere in the world.


Characters

NPCs

  • Prison Doctor
  • Customs Agents
  • Unnamed weather controller and his brother

Mood Music:


The dead of night, searchlights moving about from old watchtowers left over from the original construction of this old facility. Guards constantly patrol the walls, searchlights even moving about the sky attached to old anti aircraft encampments most likely bought from the lowest bidder. Inside of the prison the halls are deadly silent as lights out has taken effect not too long ago.

Deep in the prison itself inside of a windowless empty room sits Jason. He's had almost no human contact for three weeks, awaiting the fourth attempt at an execution that they've tried to make. For him it's felt more like years, his only real contact with anyone being when they've tried to kill him, get information from him, or when he'd tried to make his escape. There's no way for him to open the large metal door on his concrete cell from the inside no source of light, not even a toilet.

*

New York

Mike Drakos is, at heart, an honest, straightforward, decent person, even if that heart is a mechanical device that varies in structure and precise function depending on which of his various chassis he's wearing. Pepper wants to extract that bodyguard of hers, from a prison yet, and … seriously, Mike's not even sure he likes the guy; he's died twice all over Mike's property and never once offered to clean up the blood and remains. Still. Leaving someone in a Cuban prison? Even if it's justified? What if it IS justified? Well, find out, Drakos. You're the one with the bugs. Get there and find out.

Mike determines that this will need an infiltration vehicle. He has at least two passengers going in, and at least three coming out if Lucky is retrievable, and that means he has to be able to approach the island without being noticed, with no particular drama when he's there, and then get back out without being noticed. This means stealth.

He's doing this for Miss Potts, and thus, he's asked her for a wrecked aircraft, mostly titanium, from Stark Enterprises part yards; he's going to need the materials to build the craft he'll need to be.

It takes about a day to prepare it, and Mike is deeply integrated into the structure of the plane — for now, it's a plane — and he lets Pepper know that he's ready. It looks unassuming, like a small private jet, but with engines that Stark might put on one of his 'showing off' toys. (Psst: they're not real.) And he's waiting at their private jetport, a simple but stylish plane and nothing more.

"Get aboard whenever you're ready, I've got us pre-cleared for a trip to Stark Enterprises Bahamas office, but we might encounter that mysterious triangle thing. You never know," Mike's voice says from nowhere in particular.

*

Knowing that she was going to go to a jungle in Cuba on a rescue mission has had the robot woman with the shopping and fashion addictions in an absolute tizzy. What does the well dressed debutante wear on a rescue mission to the jungle? It took her over 24 hours of serious searching of the internet to finally find a shop in New York that would be able to get her what she needed. And so, she is packed up and ready to go. Her current outfit is for the cover story, a light linen skirt suit in a cream that goes well with her pearls and silk blouse. She pulls a roller bag behind her, full of everything she'll need in one hand and her ever present tablet in the other.

*

It took far, far longer than Pepper considered reasonable for JARVIS to track down her wayward bodyguard. But, he finally did, and the CEO of Stark Industries does not waste a moment when she's got what she needs to act. Cricket of course comes along, she's Pepper's PA, and she has to figure out and schedule a business reason for them to be travelling to Cuba. WHILE they're already en route. And, because Pepper has always believed in being prepared, she asked for an acquaintenance to accompany them — someone she feels is trustworthy and likely very useful in a tense situation. And when Mike Drakos offers to supply the transportation, she can't in good conscience say no. She even helps get the tail markings so the plane he has waiting appears to be official.

Once they're underway to Cuba and Pepper has asked the flight crew to give the trio a bit of privacy to talk (not knowing that Drakos is the flight crew), she looks around for Mike. "I haven't seen Mike." She seems a bit worried. "Did you happen to see him, Cricket?"

*

Sitting primly in her chair and staring at her tablet and tapping away busily. When asked a question by her employer, she looks up while her fingers continue to tap away as quickly as before. "He's all around us, Ms. Potts. He's the plane you are currently in." As if that explains it all, she goes back to work on their cover story, making sure it is rock solid before they land.

*

The pilot's compartment door dilates open, and Mike is apparently in the pilot's seat… except that the cloud of ultrafine particles that make up the 'shell' that he uses to impersonate his human shape(s) moves into the same room with them, swirling around and settles into what looks like a slightly dusty human in a flight suit.

"Sorry, Pepper," Mike says — from the speakers. "I should have told you, but the fewer people who knew the better. If necessary, I can restructure into a submarine, and I've got some limited weaponry. I'm going to take us suborbital in about five minutes, once we're out of the New York traffic pattern and we'll be south of Cuba, for our approach to Ciego de Avila, in about 30 minutes. If I read that correctly, we're going to be Venezuelans, right? From Caracas?"

*

Pepper Potts blinks quickly for a moment. She knew she'd been asking for more than average backup on this trip, but hearing that Mike IS the plane? That's a bit of a surprise. "That explains your request then, Mr. Drakos. I… don't know whether to be extremely flattered or a little bit weirded out." She then mentally rewinds what the usually blue-haired man said. "Oh, um, yes. Right." And then she has to spend a moment reminding herself what a Venezuelan accent sounds like. Thankfully they'll be there very soon.

*

The weather so far is perfect for flying without a cloud in the sky. It's actually rather peaceful all things considered. The air traffic itself is a bit cluttered for this time of year, but there's not really all that much that could raise a red flag.
*

Pepper Potts doesn't expect Mike to stick around and talk with Cricket and her, as he's, you know, not only flying the plane but he IS the plane. She doesn't want to distract him. So, the rest of the flight for the two ladies is spent making sure they're both in full Venezuelan mode, getting the accents stabilized and all that good stuff.

There is a moment of lessened gravity, but Mike uses the curvature of the earth and the shape of the trajectory to keep the passengers remarkably un-jarred by acceleration. A light snack is served, using cups that have covered lids.

The fact that the plane sucks in the wings and is essentially an ovoid in flight is probably only visible to someone who looks hard - the primary 'engine' for this flight is Mike's use of metallikinesis, which also means there's not a contrail, alas for the contrail-enthusiastic, and he's only off by about four minutes; the plane moves again at 'private jet' altitudes from the south, just north of the Venezuelan coast. All is ready for whatever approach Cricket has decided is best, whether that means 'get into the country via an airport' or 'sneak the hell in under the radar'.

*

Just outside Venezuelan airspace

Cricket looks over to Pepper. "Do you wish me to be speaking in Venezuelan Spanish? Or just accented English?" she inquires. She smiles as she gets the cover story set perfectly, the documents and computer files necessary all in order. Between her and Jarvis, any cover story they wanted could have been covered. "We are here on business, Ms. Potts. There is a distributing company that Stark is looking into purchasing, to upgrade to our specifications and use for ease of distributing to this area. This will allow for increase in jobs as well as increase in the income of the area. Very lucrative for the local government as more tax revenue would be gained by them."

Pepper Potts says, "Both, Cricket. Spanish to the officials, accented English to me. I don't want them to know that I'm fluent, just in case. Mr. Drakos? Let's try to make this look as official as possible. If SI can get a foothold in this country, that would be an unexpected bonus." She's totally not going to counton it, though."

*

"Just as long as he doesn't own it as an American," Mike says cheerfully from the cabin. That whole Embargo thing is still sticky. Mike connects through to the airport and gives appropriate approach signals.

"You manage to get us past the customs people with minimum agony?" Mike asks. He's not prepared to be searched. It tickles.

*

Inside his little pitch black room, Jason calmly exercises to pass the time. He's not got anything on him to properly tell the time, and lucky for everyone else these three weeks have been enough time for him to get over the withdrawal. Though he was fairly violent for the first two weeks, not he's just rather determined having assaulted the last two people who tried to drag him out for more blood testing. The torture he could lock his mind out of soldier through, but the experimentation was already a bit much.

*

Cricket goes back to her tablet. Technically, she doesn't need to use it, but it seems to make people feel more comfortable then having her just stare off into space. Every last minute of the mission is combed over to make sure that there are no flaws, perfected with the precision of a computer mind. She looks over to Mike. "That is why the company will be being purchased by a dummy corporation. They don't trust anything that isn't slightly corrupt, so I'm giving them a believable level of corporate corruption to buy into."

Cricket wrinkles her nose and then nods. "I have all the paperwork needed for customs, including the monetary amount should it be neccessary."

*

Ah, la mordita … Mike's glad he isn't the one who has to do that stuff. He's been working on his appearance… when the plane comes in range and lands, it's longer and larger around, with a large cargo section that opens to lower out a vehicle. Mike steps out of the pilot's door, a six foot eight bruiser of a pilot in a chauffer's uniform, the plane locked in place in the proper parking slip, and strict ordenes to the airport workers to keep away, as it has "an aggressive alarm system." That's code for 'it will kill you if you set it off' and is well understood.

The vehicle that gets lowered is not a Hum-Vee, but rather, something more elegant looking; windows are black, vehicle itself is a subtle steely grey with metallic undertones, and it also has a clear marking from all directions, "alarm system".

*

Pepper Potts shares a conspiratorial smile with Cricket. International subsidiaries are a thing, and they can and likely will happen. "Customs won't be a problem." Nothing is a problem when one has enough money. It's the getting out again that has more variables than Pepper is usually comfortable with. She hastily checks her own belongings to make sure she has everything, and then she's following the 'driver' out of the plane. Deep breath, Pepper. You can handle this.

*

Rather suddenly as they touch down clouds begin to form in the skies above. It's slow at first but there's a storm brewing over in the direction of the prison complex. It's too fast to be natural, too localized to be coincidence, something going on within already.

Never the less at about the same time customs officials are already riding out to greet the craft. They're about as well armed as one would expect them to be with recent events having colored the locals opinions somewhat, but there's nothing to say it'll prove too much of a problem.

*

Cricket looks to Mike's new form and nods in approval. "We should get together sometime. It takes me a couple of days to change my chassis and skin for a whole new appearance. Possibly your programming might be a benefit to my own." As the plane lands and the vehicle is driven out, Cricket follows suit, putting her baggage in the luxury Hum-Vee and then walking towards the oncoming customs officials. If Pepper can be kept away from the lies and corruption, all the better. Cricket would never try to sully Pepper's good name with such underhanded dealings.

*

The Chauffeur watches. He's impassive, thuglike, and probably safer (for Customs) at a distance from the friendly young personal assistant. But he sends her off with a deliberately-audible and gruff, "Vaya, mija" — go, daughter — and keeps a steady watch on them. Because he wants them to know that if they mess with her, they get HIM on their heads. Which is, of course, the standard game here, when women are involved in business, because men are pigs.

*

The particular customs official that comes steps out of his vehicle to greet pepper with his armed protection looks to be of the much more…. sleazy variety. At a glance he seems more the kind of person who got his job the American way, with family connections, and a bit of blackmail. He's wearing a rather expensive looking rolex watch. He looks around with a small pad in his hands, and a smile on his face. Taking note of the burly mans words he straightens out a bit and offers a friendly "Buenas noches."
Yes, Cricket, so petite and delicate, so sweet looking with her freckles and coppery hair. The armed protection from Customs look to her, speaking to each other in Spanish with lurid grins. When she greets the customs official in fluent Spanish with a Venezuelan accent, the security men look momentarily uncomfortable. That means she knows exactly what they were saying about her. But since Cricket seems to show no signs that anything of that nature was said, the agents let the matter go.

Instead now, they look to the large thug that is waiting by the vehicle. Between him and Cricket's strictly business attitude, they soon get back to business themselves. After some discussion with the official, an envelope is passed to him. "Me alegro de que pudiéramos llegar a un acuerdo, senor. Gracias." — I'm glad we could come to an arrangement, Sir. Thank you. —

*

They're supposed to meet their contact, according to their plans, at a ristorante in the nicest hotel in town, sometime this evening. The Chauffeur drives them past the prison on the way, and as the vehicle passes, what appears to be a clod of dirt falls from under the wheelwell. It quickly crumbles into a swarm of flies. Small, robotic, the insects diffuse out and enter the prison, leaving a direct chain of links to one another so that Mike can communicate with them from afar. They quickly investigate the entire reachable area of the prison.

While this happens, the Chauffeur stops at what appears to be an 'upscale' establishment where one might acquire tapas and drinks… traffic to the hotel would be terrible at this time of day, or so says the radio.

*

Okay, her spur of the moment decision to hire Cricket has just proven to have been inspired. For at least the third time this week. She WANTS to grin the grin that usually makes Tony fear, but she very strictly maintains her Prime Minister Thatcher demeanor until Cricket returns to her and Mike's side and they pile into — wait, they primly take their seats in the car. Then she's leaning over to give the robotic girl a hug. "You kick so much butt, Cricket."

She looks at the prison as they pass it, and can't help but idly wish Jason could read minds. She'd tell him they were here, and that he's going to be out of there. And, as the car stops at the tapas establishment, she takes a deep breath. "We're almost there."

*

Cricket is a little shocked at the hug but happily hugs back. "Oh, that will come later. This was just… I could use their biometrics as well as a PhD level of Psychology to manipulate them to my desires. I kept you out of it so you could have as much deniability as you need. Should it be required, I can take on a new guise when we get home."

Cricket looks to the prison as they drive by, frowning softly. She's read what sort of things can happen to a person in those places and it makes her shudder to imagine it. The flies swarming to the building causes her frown to fade. "Mr. Drakos, is it possible for me to be in direct contact with your other self?" Yes, she's a little bit of a control freak, wanting to micromanage every little detail. She's a robot. It's forgivable. Human error is an anathema to her.

*

The storm above has already gotten much worse, blocking out some of the prison lights as Mikes drones get to work scouting the area. There are guard towers on ever corner of the complex, with men in what look like budget power armor manning the walls. This whole place seems to be made out of the leftovers of other superhuman prisons, as if they'd just been given what their allies couldn't use, and made it their own.

There's a single man out by the far wall hidden in a push moving his hands around in odd patterns, trying to control the weather from without rather then from within. He's not been seen by the guards yet, but could easily provide a bit of a distraction with whatever it is he's trying to do.

Deep in his cell Jason has no idea that anyone's coming for him, just putting his mind into focusing on what his next move might be. Then comes a knock on the door, time for another battery of experiments.

*

"You want to follow the telemetry? Certainly," Mike says, opening a tight near-field communication frequency to Cricket, and providing a filtered-and-collated data feed from the cloud-of-flies sensor. Individually, they're a pain to deal with, but collectively, they're a sort of hive-submind that Mike can leave with just a tiny bit of his self-awareness, so that they can respond to strange things.

Strange thing number one: Guards who are about to take Lucky on a trip. Strange thing number two: Some guy outside the prison in a concealed location, doing Push Hands Exercises from tai-chi or something, who seems to be emitting energies that the bugs can vaguely sense on their equipment, exercises that are being reflected by electrostatic surges in the cloud forming overhead.

"They're just now taking him out of his cell… I don't have enough drones to do things with, but if we can talk to whoever that weather manipulator is, he might help."

This conversation takes place with a grant from the 'Drakos Tiny Hearing Aid Foundation' because if he spoke it out loud, the people in the bar might find them stranger than they are as Wealthy Businesspeople And Guard.

*

Pepper Potts is actually rather practiced at the whole double-talk thing — saying one thing and meaning another. "I do hope that rain lets up soon. Cee," she addresses Cricket with an abbreviated version of her name, "could you check the weather forecast for me? I'd hate if we were late to our meeting." Translation: please try to get in touch with the weather manipulator, maybe we can help each other with our goals.

*

Cricket noticed the man with the odd hand gestures outside and had to go over the plan again. No, there was no weather manipulator hired for assistance. So this is an uncontrolled element. When Cricket is asked, via Pepper code, to look into the matter, she nods. Typing into her tablet, she frowns. "I will have to step outside. I'm getting terrible reception in here. If you will excuse me." Translation: I'll go outside and try to make contact.

Outside of the restaurant, Cricket 'focusses' on her tablet as she walks, stopping by the bush but not actually paying attention to it. Her words are quiet, for his ears only. "Al parecer, hoy es el día para romper amigos fuera de la cárcel . Tal vez podríamos ser de ayuda ya que nuestros objetivos son similares?" — It would seem today is the day to break friends out of prison. Perhaps we could be of assistance since our goals are similar? —

*

For a moment the man jumps in his boots in complete surprise, a bolt of lighting striking with full force. From this close it's more obvious that this man can't be that old at all in his teens. He starts off denying any knowledge of some sort of prison break going for the obvious excuse of just practicing bambosa. At a prison, at night, in all black clothing, from a bush, and about that time he just sort of buckles down and admits that he's trying to save his brother from the prison who was taken, and he hasn't been allowed to even visit.

A small plain windowless van drives past down the street, headed into the parking lot right beside the nice car the group had arrived in. From the drivers seat out steps a man in a plain set of coveralls closing the door behind him the heavy tint making it almost impossible to tell who's inside of the other seat. He takes a look over the nice vehicle snapping a photo with of it with himself in the frame his phone that looks a bit too nice for a man with his kind of pay grade.

Inside the prison Mike's drones get a front row seat to an 'important operation' being done on Jason. He's carted in by two burly men, strapped down to the table, and a rather calm looking doctor goes right to work. By the looks they are harvesting organs, and blood from him, without anesthetic.

*

Mike's near-field is not giving Cricket quite the detail it was since she went a distance away, and the operation begins … Mike says on the earphones, "they're cutting him up. Apparently, this is the third or fourth time. I'm going to take down the doctor if I can. Cricket, there are people messing around with my truck. I'm also going to get them away from it.

The truck begins to make that YEEEP YEEEP noise, "ALEJARSE DEL COCHE" in a loud voice, and there's a PZZZT! as a focussed EMP takes aim at the phone. Yeah, Stark is really really picky about people messing with his tech, well known even in Cuba. Right? Or Mike's going to use that excuse. He doesn't like being felt up by strangers.

Meanwhile, in the prison, the drones have collected mostly into one room, and there's a sudden link-up as a few hundred of them attempt stealthily to connect to the doctor… one to his ankle, the other to an opposite wrist, and the REST of the connection goes to the 220V power supply … if Dr. No Anaesthesia doesn't survive, it will be too bad.

*

Cricket holds out her hand to the young man when he stops making excuses. "Vamos a ser más fuertes si trabajamos juntos . Por favor , queremos que nuestro amigo fuera así." — We will be stronger if we work together. Please, we want our friend out as well. —

As the windowless van drives by, Cricket pays attention. Windowless vans are well documented in use in criminal activity. As well as labour jobs though, which fits the coveralls the driver is wearing. Perhaps she is being overly suspicious. No no, he's taking pictures of their own transportation, making it look like a selfie. Her computer mind accesses the earbuds that the team is wearing. She describes the man she's looking at, down to the quarter inch in height and the ounce in weight as well as what he is doing. She also takes mental note of the licence plate of his own vehicle. All these things are uploaded onto the tablet and sent forward to Pepper's own device without so much as a touch to Cricket's tablet. Sometimes, being a robot is great for stealth.

However, once she is told what they are doing to Jason, stealth isn't Cricket's main concern. "Permission to go full offense."

*

Pepper Potts looks out the window of the establishment when their 'car' starts complaining loudly, using the gesture to utter a quiet, "Go" to Cricket. Then she's looking at the bruiser-driver. "Perhaps you should check on the car." She's honestly not all that keen on being left in here by herself, but she's giving Mike the option to go help Cricket if he deems it necessary.

*

Down goes the cellphone on the painter, and at the same time down goes the doctor, slumping over onto Jason who's already been sliced open. The nurses rush over to see what's wrong breaking quarantine leaving behind the other man they where experimenting on. They're just lucky the good doctor didn't fall into the organs they'd already gotten from Jason, who now no longer being held down as much, has the chance to get down to the stabby stabby, despite being already cut open. It's quick it's violent and before anyone can really stop him he's already killed the nurses, and is slumping back to the floor.

The teen nods his head towards Cricket before trying to bring back his focus to controlling the weather as the clouds start to swirl somewhat tornado sirens starting to blare as he works. It seems someone noticed the formation now, but it doesn't do good for long as a bolt of lightning strikes the compounds generator plunging the whole thing into complete darkness.

*

Mike steps to the door, all nearly seven feet and omighod looming monster, and ensures that whatever is in the windowless van isn't going to be a menace to them. Because the phone(s) all become undiffused silicon as the metallic contaminants migrate into a single point, and then the guns (all of them) suddenly have solid metal parts - no moving parts, it's all a single lump of metal. If any humans attempt to pester him, he'll simply demonstrate the gentle art of brazilian-style jiu jitsu on them. And he's MUCH bigger than they are.

He then notices the tornado. How did he not notice that tornado … right. Looking for the Jason.

"Cricket, I'm gathering the remaining drones inside into a lighting system and will begin setting people free… Miss Potts, do you wish to remain here or go with the vehicle? I cannot predict the tornado."

Cricket slips off the linen jacket and drapes it onto the bush. "Esté listo para atacar. Yo no te hará daño , así que por favor no tengas miedo." — Be ready to attack. I will not harm you, so please don't be afraid. — Cricket was willing to be subtle when she thought it was a simple prison, but these monsters have made her synthasized emotions flare with rage. She rolls up the sleeves of her silk shirt and holds her arms at her waist as the skin tears and a laser cannon rises out of her each forearm. The cannons on her arms flare before letting out a release of power, blowing a very large hole in the wall of the prison. She ignores the approaching tornado, knowing who its master is and strides angrily towards the hole she just made, kicking off her heels and tearing the side of her skirt for ease of movement. "Understood. Weather manipulator is with me. His brother is in here. I will refrain from killing, but immense physical harm is a certainty."

*

Pepper Potts looks to Mike, and has clearly learned from the Scooby Doo School of crime-fighting: NEVER SPLIT UP. Trying to keep her movements seemingly unconcerned and casual, she leaves some money on the table to pay for their refreshments and stands to primly follow Lurch-the-driver. Once she's in the vehicle, though, all pretenses of calmness are gone, and she's VERY much openly concerned. But, she knows better than to insist on constant updates. Mike and Cricket know what they're doing, and they'll tell her what they can when they can.

*

It only takes but a few short moments for Jason to fully regenerate — a massive change from previous rates. When he comes back up to a stand after his regeneration there's something decidedly different about him then before. He's not quite in the same mindset he was in by a long shot, no remorse in his features as he kills the unconscious man, and takes his gun. There's no warning when the lights go out and the five guards stationed outside come rolling in. The poor man still strapped to the table can only watch as the flashes of gunfire goes off and the screams ring out, necks snapped, squelches of blood, the ground and the poor man getting completely covered in the stuff. At this point Jason doesn't really care who's in his way, and someone's probably going to have to put him out of it.

Outside, the tornado continues to grow in size spiraling down, causing the people on the wall to start abandoning their posts, just in time for Cricket to smash down the wall. It's chaos with people running for cover, gunshots screams, and more coming from the prison as people are released. Though without power there's no way to let people know about the breakouts and the break in.

The men in the back of the van are completely confused when all of their surveillance equipment goes dead, and their guns lock up completely. Though they quickly become much more concerned with the rapidly forming tornado, evacuating from the back of the vehicle and into the building beside them for shelter.

*

Mike adjusts the seats of the vehicle into something more resembling a racing crash safety pod, and of course the windows and sides are already bulletproof and armored. The vehicle moves as he sits in his driver's side chair, closing around them. The tires think about deflating before he seals the slice left by a calthrop… or just a nail. Same thing. It gets eaten into the car because Metal doesn't care where spare parts come from.

Meanwhile, the scanning drones … including the ones that are attached to Lucky's body in places … send information back that lets Mike realize that Lucky is off his nut.

"Your bodyguard has berserked. He's now killing anyone, threat or not, who is between him and what he thinks is freedom. I'm going to have to take him down."

No way he's going to let Pepper alone either. So. The car, as it approaches the hole in the prison wall, shifts into a longer, more tubular form, with the chair holding Pepper, and Cricket's clothing (but not the jacket, as it's probably blown away by now) and elongated into a sort of dragon-serpent shape with LOTS of millipede-style legs, the car heads into the prison. A second cloud of drones is released, and a third: the second cloud providing LED lighting along the path ahead of them, and the third cloud joining up with the ones that lead to Jason Lucky.

"Cricket, we are incoming. Again, beware of Jason Lucky, he's not sane at the moment."

*

Cricket may look adorable, but there is something about the look on her face that makes her also look very very dangerous. She walks along the corridors in her stockinged feet. While she currently doesn't seem to care, she'll likely be really upset that the silk stockings have gotten several runs in them from the rough floor surface. She makes certain to walk in front of the teen, the bullets hitting her and not stopping her. Once the guards realize that small arms just won't cut it, they call out for rifles, but it's too late.

Programmed with a knowledge of almost every martial art known, Cricket begins her attack. She is fast. She is fierce. And she currently has turned off her sense of compassion. She is exactly what she was designed to be, a killing machine, and she does it well. For her employers sake, she doesn't actually kill anyone, but instead leaves them all in enough de-abilitating pain to wish they were dead.

Upon hearing about Jason's mental state, she turns to the young man behind her. "Quédate aquí . Mi amigo es actualmente peligroso para su salud" — Stay here. My friend is currently dangerous to your health. — Comforting, no, but accurate.

Stepping in the room with her insane friend, she waits to see if he recognizes her. The blood that is speckled all over her might make that more difficult.

*

"As long as we get him back, Mike. That's enough for now." Yes, Pepper is becoming increasingly worried about Lucky, but knows that this is neither the time nor the place to deal with it. And millipede-car is … REALLY disconcerting. Just saying.

*

When Jason makes his way out into the hall he doesn't say a word, firing off shot one, two three four and five, each aimed for the heart. He drops the spent clip loading in a fresh one from one of the dead guards before carrying on. The second one of the rioting prisoners tries to get into his way with a shank in hand Lucky just lays him out cold. He's not here right now, well not mentally anyway, just calmly walking along down the hall and killing anyone in his path who he even thinks might be armed.

The weather boy stops for a second just to question what she means by dangerous but by then she's already gone, causing him to just keep focusing on making that tornado look as big and threatening as possible without letting it touch down. He doesn't want to kill anyone, just to have his brother back. Though even as he does this villains and criminals are already streaming out of the building, trying to get out as fast as they can. Might not be safe out in a tornado, but then again not much safer rotting in prison.

*

The drones DO check the room that Jason was in, because there was the other guy they hadn't quite started in on yet. Odds are good, since the Tornadomaker hasn't found him yet, that this would be his brother. So they release him, and (speaking in spanish) guide him, once he's able to move without screaming. They're fairly comforting for glowing lights that look like … well, in this case, little humanoid beetles, since this is the second batch. The first ones were much more bug-like.

"Coming up on your location," the Mike-i-pede car says, and stops for a moment, attaching to a sink faucet and filling a couple tanks with water. It will be necessary. NO BLOOD ON THE UPHOLSTERY.

"We will make room for your companion if you wish, and his brother. It might be a bad place for them here … we can get them out of town or out of the country."

*

"Can we get them to Paraguay, Mike? There's a Stark subsidiary company there. I can ensure they'll have a place to stay and honest, stable employment." It's the least Pepper can do for their help in getting Lucky out of this hell. After all, the only thing she's currently doing is passenging. And trying her best to stay calm. It's … increasingly difficult to stay calm.

*
Face to face with Lucky, Cricket can see that there is no recognition of her on his face. Knowing that there is a young man behind her that could not handle the ferocity that Jason would bring down on him, she breaks into a run towards her co-worker. Slippery little thing that she can be, she darts around him to get behind him and then wraps an arm about his neck, cutting off the circulation to his brain and knocking him out cold.

Shortly after, she is seen coming out back into the hallway with the weather manipulator, carrying a man almost twice her size over her shoulder. "It's time to go. Please step into the vehicle behind you."

*

The moment the brother is out the weather teen stops the storm which slowly just turns to nothing. He doesn't quiet know what to say about the two completely blood soaked people coming back out, silently doing as asked and getting into the back of the car.

It's all happened so fast that there's almost been no time at all for people to react the stream of convicts coming out in force as perhaps one of the biggest Cuban prison breaks takes place. Jason's completely unconscious body has a few new scars on it, which considering his regeneration seems rather odd. Though while unconscious he doesn't look nearly as threatening.

*

As Cricket moves in, Mike is ready: "Please rinse off in the decontamination mist," he says, spraying a fine, clean cold wash to remove blood from future passengers - and using a number of suction devices to prevent it from dripping, because while blood is bad enough, wet is just nasty on top of it.

He offers to the weather controller, "We can take you out of the city, or to Paraguay if you wish to be safely gone. Do you have other family here?"

Once outside the prison, of course, he's reshaping into a rather ordinary looking "limosine" truck that doesn't look like the other vehicle. He'll make his way to the airport, and go around to the parked plane, but he's going to have to scan the plane first for intrusion and explosives.

*

Cricket lets herself be sprayed down and holds Jason in the spray as well. Her softer side is starting to return as she runs a hand through his hair, concern on her features. "Let's get you home," she says, even though he is out cold and can't hear her.

Inside the vehicle, she gets into the back where her luggage is and starts to change out of her wet and bloody clothes. She notices they are driving away from the suit jacket that is still resting on the bush outside the prison and sighs. Oh well, it was a nice suit. Of course, blood just never comes out of linen, so it's nothing but garbage now. If anyone is watching the woman with the bullet holes and tears in her arms changing in the back, she doesn't seem to notice.

*

Pepper Potts takes the time they're travelling to the airport and Cricket is changing clothes to talk with the weather manipulator and his brother, explaining to them in more detail the options Mike mentioned briefly. It probably helps that she's shed the stupid hat and sunglasses and is pretty well recognizeable almost anywhere. It takes a few mintues of reassurances, but she finally gets an agreement from the two young men to give her offer of a new start in Paraguay a try. Hopefully it's far enough away from Cuba to spare them any repercussions. "Paraguay is a yes, Mike." She then leans a bit further to address her PA. "Cricket? How is Jason?"

*

Now dressed in jungle fatigues that … good grief, are those designer too? Well, considering everything else she wears is, why wouldn't this be too? Cricket looks over to Jason and starts double checking his body for any permanent wounds, even though she knows it's silly. "He seems to be fine. Physically. I cannot make any promises that they didn't break his mind permanently though. I do have the knowledge equivalent of a PhD in Psychology, as I stated before, if you wish me to give him therapy when he recovers."

*

The airplane is surprisingly enough bomb-free, though it's repelled at least three attempts to get in… and someone tried to chuck a railroad spike into the jet intake, not that it matters. Metal is (delicious) metal, after all. The car hoist rolls open as they approach, and Mike just drives the car onto it then melds into the rest of the jet as the equipment restructures itself around them, and as people get into their seats (and medical bed) the jet, without making any attempt at starting engines, takes off VERTICALLY before the guard forces can get to it. They're in the stratosphere rather quickly once people are in place. And then it's a matter of moving very fast with minimal drag. When they get to Stark International Paraguay, Mike brings the craft down in the shape of the Trimaxium Drone Ship, because he's geeking out a bit.

*

Stark International, Paraguay

Not having much in the way of family the two graciously travel along with them a bit wary of sitting anywhere near the unconscious Jason. The older of the two who was rescued doesn't say a single word the entire time just sitting in complete silence while the younger brother does the talking for him.

When the ship lands the slight jolt is enough to bring Jason somewhat back to consciousness. Much to the shock and horror of the two boys, but he doesn't really seem to do anything other then lay there looking at the ceiling once his eyes open back up.

*

Cricket was taking the precaution of strapping Jason down to the medical bed, just so he doesn't fall out of it during flight, but Mike stopped her — he had metal-infused fabric for replacement clothing that he could use to restrain the man if needed, and otherwise, straps would just be flashback material. So, he was wiped down and redressed and laid on the medical bed without obvious restraints. She is by Jason's side, soothing his hair when he comes to. "Hey there. Glad to have you back with us. We're just landing at Stark International in Paraguay now. It's over, Jason." Her voice is soft and soothing, modulated specifically to comfort.

*

Pepper Potts feels its her duty to see the young men off safely, otherwise she'd be there along with Cricket to sooth Jason. As soon as they've landed, she disembarks with them, leads them to the SI plant's topmost manager to explain the situation, then leaves them with every last bit of US cash she has on her person, which amounts to a measly few hundred dollars. She feels it isn't nearly enough, but it's all she has.

Of course, that's when she sees the Drakos-plane-thing, and irrationally start laughing. "Oh my god. Seriously?"

*

Mike drips out of the vehicle and coalesces into his normalish looking robot human form by the floating steps.

"Yeah, I love that movie, and it's very streamlined."

He grins at Pepper, and says, "What, you think I should sound like PeeWee Herman?"


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