Summary:
January 09, 2015: Two albino killers collide. (Language, gore, violence, graphic scenery, probably not for the squeamish.)
Gotham
Park, abandoned buildings
Characters
![width="100px"](http://comux.wdfiles.com/local--resized-images//width="100px"/medium.jpg)
NPCs
- None
Mood Music:
None
Failure is part of the job. It's always a consideration, regardless of what the mission is. It's the times where Domino fully expects things to work out, where all of the pieces align and success seems right at her fingertips where failure catches her off guard the most. She had managed to do what so few others had, the situation had been almost perfect. Still, she came home empty-handed.
She fled New York City as if all of Hell had been nipping at her heels, breaking countless traffic laws in the blacked out Jaguar on her way back to Gotham. TIPIS probably lit up like a damn Christmas tree tonight.
It's not even two in the morning. The night is cold and still. There's a twisted sense of irony that the very thing she had given Evelyn shit for in this city a few days ago is what she's now doing, herself. Alone on a frost-covered park bench, sitting on the very back with her feet planted on the actual seating area, she leans forward and stares at the USB drive as though it contains all of the secrets of the damn universe.
What had gone wrong? The encryption breaker program had set her back -thousands- of dollars. It was supposed to be up to this task. Had Clyde Kelley died over a corrupt archive?
Wouldn't that just be fitting.
Eventually the drive finds its way back into a pocket, somewhere a lot more secure than at her throat. Elbows fall upon knees as she leans forward, letting her head hang forward. It's been a long and demoralizing night, already.
*
Lily's lurking not far from Domino. She's been watching the girl from a safe distance, beyond where Domino can hear her, never crossing into her periphereal vision. At least in the shadows her white skin doesn't stand out. A leather jacket lined with zippers and buckles offers her some protection, patches like "LA Rider's Dive" are sewed into the leather. Under her jacket is a grey tanktop with bold black words, "Never knows best". Fit as pants are a pair of jeans, torn and shredded with more embroidered patches clothespinned or sewed in over holes.
As she works her way around Dom, she peeks from behind a tree, concealing her body further. She needed this long to make sure no one was coming, that they were alone. They're going to be sharing a special moment, after all.
She's in just a bit under twelve metres from Dom. Hard to spot. There's no way the mercenary will spot her, it would take dumb luck. This will be over quick.
Her concentration hones like knives that she metaphorically works to drive right into Domino's chest. Domino wasn't one of the marks Veruca gave her, but there are others who wanted her corpse for money. But it's not just about money. She wants the contacts, the people who will get her closer to what she wants. The ability to control her powers better, people who will offer her asylum. Things are hot in New York, and she's going to make them hotter.
*
For someone like Domino, pain is an old friend. ..Well, 'friend' like that friend who lives with you and doesn't pay rent while making a mess of your place and pawning off your personal objects to support their vices. She knows it, she's familiar with it, she's had way too many encounters with it. When it suddenly feels like she's been shot in the chest she's off the bench and low on the ground in a flash, biting back the sudden cry that wants to be unleashed as she instead bares her teeth and brandishes her guns.
Something's very wrong. It's like a stab wound, it's -continuing- to be like a stab wound, but there's no blade. No dart. No taser plugs. -Nothing.- Did Iron Man find her? Is this a new trick up his metal sleeve?
Finding cover is impossible when one doesn't know what to take cover -from,- having no idea what the attack is or where it's coming from. Not, at least, until she notices those patchworked jeans hiding in the distance…
Worn by someone who appears to be concentrating in her direction way more intently than she has any right to.
A flick of a wrist and a *BAM!* out of a ten millimeter pistol causes a fist-sized hole to form in the tree right beside the other woman, bark and wood splinters exploding outward from the hollowpoint's impact.
Sloppy… That should have hit its mark.
*
Lily's watching from a distance, watching Domino fall to the ground and standing on her tippy toes to maintain eye contact. Her brow furrows and she tries to drive the blades deeper. To herself she murmurs, "Die.. Why won't you fucking die?" It's one of /those/ people. She can never put her finger on it, but it's so hard to kill people sometimes. She blames her powers. "Come on, Lily.. Fuck.." She whispers to herself.
In Domino's defense, the pain is excruciating. This girl would be a master at torture if she even knew. So when the shot blasts out a chunk of wood from the tree with splinters, Lily nearly jumps out of her skin. "Fuck!" She cries, ducking right behind the tree. The pain ends immediately. Is that white girl the cause of this? Really? What the actual fuck.
Lily hugs her back against the tree, shivering briefly in the cold. She has to run, she's been spotted. That other chick has a gun, she'll .. She'll need to find some way to escape. The park isn't ideal for this, but they're not far from the edge. The city.
Immediately she bolts off at a sprint, running for the edge of the park as if her life depended on it. It probably does. One foot infront of the other, a full tilt sprint as she goes for the outside gating. Leaping up, she noisily begins clambering over it. Up and over!
*
Sometimes it just takes a little shock and awe to scare the squirrel out of the tree. The instant the pain in Dom's chest vanishes, not even fading so much as completely disappearing, and the other person starts to run, she knows she has her mark. Someone got smart and sent a goddamn meta after her.
Took 'em long enough to figure that one out.
With a grunt she pushes herself clear of the ground and starts a mad dash right after her would-be killer. Just having the pain removed from her chest is almost a renewing sensation, there's little in the way of fatigue as she puts on the speed.
It's easy to spot the other when she jumps over the fence. Dom could follow suit but what the hell, she's already pulled the trigger once. Without slowing, barely pausing to aim, both of her sidearms snap up at arm's length and take another shot each, sparking and smashing the aged lock clear of the gate.
Her shoulder collides with the rusting ironwork an instant later, another grunt escaping her lungs as she shoves the bars aside and falls back into an uncomfortable sprint. Is it really just one person she's up against? Someone that runs at the sound of a shot?
She can work with this…
As park gives way to urban decay she hastily takes a fourth shot, this time deliberately aimed at a cracked brick wall not far from where Lily runs. If she can try to direct where the other woman's running to then Dom can cut her off at the pass. The bitch'll never see her coming.
*
Lily lands on the other side of the gate on all fours, scrambling up just as Domino bull rushes the gate not far from her. She glances back, just long enough to try and throw some needles into Domino's knee, but she only has so long enough as a glance. She's panting now, getting tired from the exertion of running at 'ah fuck need to survive' speeds. When she finally reaches an alleyway, a bullet blows some debris right in the direction she was about to go. She skids a little, pushing both hands on the brick wall before pushing off and going down another alleyway.
She'll need a bit more credit than that, though. She's smart, not quite used to being caught, but smart. Through the twist and turns of the alleyways, she stops short of a deadend. To the right of her, partially concealed behind a dumpster is a boarded up window. Coming to stop at the window by skidding back on her feet onto her bum, she kicks open the boards and slips into the building. Her jacket gets caught on the glass and she easily slips out of it, willing to do whatever's necessary to escape.
Running down the hallway of the abandoned building, she slips through an open doorway into what was once a living room. The 60s style wallpaper is faded and peeling from age. Water damage evident from the staccato white ceiling. Graffiti is on the walls, and the opposite window is boarded up. The floor is base wood, splintered and broken, littered with trash. An overturned grocery cart is in the room. This place is a dump.
*
Needles..in knee..! Yeah, that causes Domino to stumble mid-sprint, buying Lily a few needed seconds of lead time. Though, it's noted that the other (is that another -albino?-) needs to look at her before the pain spiked. Line of sight attack, maybe? Good to know.
Maybe she'll aim for the eyes first.
The diversion tactic works either way, though now there's going to be a bit of luck involved. The meta took to the maze of alleys and broken walls. Dom'll have to make do. Pistols return to their homes beneath her arms as she dives into the ruins from a different angle, purely guessing her own direction as she darts through grimy alleys and springs over litter and debris.
It's when she stops at another intersection that the breaking of boards can be heard, her head snapping around an instant before the rest of her turns to follow, her mind made up as to which way to go.
No way in -Hell- she's losing sight of this woman now. If she gets another shot at this Dom may not be so lucky at breaking her focus.
It's the same 60's style building which she comes into a moment later, a hole in the wall leading into a narrow bathroom not far from the kitchen. The living room's close. A short length of hallway connecting the two. Primary path. Best route of escape.
Driven largely by instinct Dom pulls the half-serrated machete out over her shoulder and gets a solid two-hand hold on the grip, ready to lunge out and drive it right through the other woman's chest as soon as she comes around the corner.
Through the heart, if she's lucky.
"Surprise, fucker."
*
Lily skids to a stop in the room, her breathing coming in full breaths. She's safe. There's no way the woman found her in here. She'll just find a place to duck low, and —.. Then just as she turns, hey! That's a knife! Her scream is cut short as she's slammed against the wall by Domino, the knife easily just pressing right through her chest and into the plaster and wood behind her. She's /nailed/ to the fucking wall. Her hands immediately come up to tightly grip at Domino's hand on the blade handle. She has a tight grip.
Direct hit!
Unfortunately, the woman looks back up and stares at Domino, and the pain resumes in her chest, but sort of shifts towards the arm she's holding to that knife. She doesn't want to just kill this woman now. She wants to see her writhing in pain, and she works to really try and snap her forearm in two as she maintains perfect eye-to-eye contact.
"Fuck you," Lily sneers, white blood starting to dampen the wound around the machette. It's almost like pus or sap, it's thick. The knife should be going through her heart, but she looks very alive. Even as sweat starts to form on her forehead. Her hands remain on Domino's, even as she squirms a little, pressing her back a little bit against the wall, and converse sneakers slipping a little against the dusty wooden floor.
*
On one side, now she can stare into the eyes of the other albino that had been coming after her.
On the other side, now she can look right back.
(Remember that part about going for the eyes first, Dom?)
The pain returns, in a different location but as acute as ever. Maybe even more so now that the other woman's life is on the line. But something is so very, -very- not right here.
"You first," she growls through a clenched jaw, wiry muscles standing out as subtle black reflections beneath her armored skin. There's an audible creaking from the material as she pushes the blade further, as if that last quarter inch will make all of the difference in her favor.
"That went through..a little easier than expected," she admits a second later through a hissed breath, a thin sheen of sweat starting to cross her own face.
This isn't working. This, too, is a thing which should be working. -And it isn't working.-
As the pain in her arm becomes almost unbearable she starts to -twist- the machete, growling in a savage mix of pain and blind determination to be the victor in this struggle. Regardless of who wins, one question still remains…
"What the fuck -are- you..?"
*
Lily strains a little bit, her nails digging into Domino's hand as she grunts a little bit. Fuck you first? What does that even mean? As the blade slips in further, the handguard contacts her chest and she lets out a moan somewhere between pleasure and pain. She grins toothily back at Domino and leans in a little bit, eyes staring intently. "Is that all you've got, honey?" She teases, her concentration's flickering, but still maintaining true to Dom's arm. It can't take much longer for the bone to begin splintering, can it?
"This isn't my first time, you know," she says in a mockingly sultry tone. It's really not the first time something's been shoved into her heart. It's probably not going to be the last time, either. More blood forms a wet spot on her shirt, turning the light grey fabric darker. It's running down the wall behind her, too. Her shoes slip a little bit again in the dust and she leans her head back against the wall, staring at you with those black eyes.
"Fuuuuuck!" She groans, the knife twisting in her causing a lot more blood to flow. It starts dripping to the floor under her. Beads of sweat starting to run down her brow.
"I'm an albino, you dipshit." Lily replies snarkily.
*
(This isn't working either. Why is this not working? Why is everything suddenly not working!)
…
"Are you -enjoying- this..?" Domino asks, somewhere between a snarl and a dumbstruck tone. Well this..isn't..dammit..! "You're not supposed to be -enjoying- this!"
The nails digging into her wrists can be felt alright. Not nearly as badly as the pain deep within the core of her one arm, though. The armor helps take some of the bite out of the other gal's nails, too. Squeeze away. She's just going to get a nice, solid foothold on the splitting linoleum beneath them both and shove the machete -upward,- complete with a sickening noise of ripping and tearing innards.
Non-human innards.
"You know what I mean," she snaps back. The look of concentration is growing by the second. The furrowing of her brows. It feels like someone parked a goddamn -tank- on her bicep, but her willpower holds true.
"Now feel free..to die..any time here…"
Only one of them gets to walk away from this.
With her hands both effectively fused to the end of the blade and her feet locked in place for stability there isn't a lot more she -can- do. There is one option left, however. With a sound of near primal fury building up she shifts her stance just enough to get a clear shot at headbutting the other woman's face. Try to break her concentration, that should help!
*
"No! .. No?" Lily replies, giving Domino a hard stare. The second no seems a bit unsure. An automatic response. Maybe she is enjoying this a little bit. In the rational, not crazy part of her brain she realizes she's in mortal danger, though. That's a little exciting.
"Fuck off, alre-AAAAGH!" She growls, just in time for the knife to be worked upwards, both in the wall and her chest. Her arms tense as she tries to brace herself against the knife. That /really/ opens the wound in her chest. Some of it is healing, but not as quickly as she's bleeding out. Could this woman actually kill her? Survival starts to get on the brain. Not as much playing around, now. How is Domino even still conscious?
In that same of line of questioning, how is /Lily/ still alive? She's obviously a mutant, but..
As Domino gets ready to headbutt her, she lifts her knee suddenly to jab it into Domino's gut. This puts a little extra pressure on the knife, causing her to gasp sharply in pain, but hopefully it distracts Domino long enough to hear her out. She's so very tempted to call this other woman a shit for brains dog fucker, but she bites her tongue for now. That would likely get her killed.
Though, she also doesn't let up on the pain. She /will/ break this woman's arm if she needs to, and then she'll move on to other body parts. It will be a slow and miserable death. Instead, she cants her head a little to the side, keeping it braced against the wall as her hands still grip the handle. She's trying to prevent falling on it any more than she already has. "Domino," she says finally.
"I can help," What a crock. "Let me go, I'll make it better."
*
Somehow this other woman can still move a leg up to intercept, and..is..the chest wound already -closing itself up?- This is the first detail which truly causes Dom's concentration to falter. The lines of anger in her face loosen slightly, following a look of surprise in her icy cold stare.
(It's like killing Deadpool..c'mon girl. You've got this.)
Then her name is spoken. One brief pause within the struggle. The pieces had been staring her right in the face, literally. She -knows- someone matching this other albino's description.
"The Flower of Boston…" she grunts. A killer for hire, plain and simple. If Dom lets up now..at all..ever, she's as good as dead.
Which is exactly why she keeps trying. The more strain she places on the blade, on her own arm, the more blinding the agony becomes. Maybe if she keeps 'searching' she can find something vital in Lily's chest to carve into, though the enraged "RrrRAAAUH!" mostly signifies her sudden and critical loss within the battle. There's a soft *Kruk* within her arm as the bones separate beneath the skin, immediately causing her posture to falter. A large amount of pressure holding the blade in place suddenly vanishes, her limb going slack. All which keeps the hand on the hilt is the other woman's savage grip on her wrist.
Even then the blind determination stays in her eyes, now watering around the edges. Go ahead, throw her away from the wall. She's still got another arm. She's got more weapons. She's not done here yet, goddammit!
*
Lily pauses just as Domino had done when Lils had said her name. Someone knows her! That's neat. "A fan?" She presses, grin widening as she hears the cracking in Domino's arm. Her eyes widen suddenly, almost flashing how big they look with her toothy grin.
By shoving with her elbows, Lily makes to shove Domino back. Her hands loosen up just enough so the woman can fall away, but she keeps a hold on the knife. Bracing herself with a breath, she pulls it out of her chest with a cry of pain. "Eeerrfuuuuck!" She pants as she finally is able to stand on her own. Domino had actually managed to /lift her off the ground/ earlier with the knife and she was half hanging by the wall from it. She tumbles forward a bit and lowers the knife. It's covered in her white blood, slowly dripping to the floor.
Her shirt is sticky and clinging to her skin, pants stained with run marks where she was dripping to the floor. The wall is smeared with the same white blood.
Instead of lunging forward and taking the opportunity to strike, she just stands there and heaves for breath for a couple seconds. That took a lot out of her and she's a little woozy. Still, the pain starts to build in Domino's organs, needle like cramps in her lungs.
A feint of trust, she says, "I'm being paid to kill you. I want to control my powers better. I want to be stronger. Help me and I'll help you."
*
Another abrupt grunt soon escapes Domino as she's shoved back to the ground, almost immediately followed by a deeper note of pain and concern as something within her -own- chest suddenly feels like it's being flayed apart from the inside. As if a dozen rats are all trying to claw and bite their way out from within her ribs… There's no blood, no visible wound, -nothing- but the pain and the knowledge that things are in a -very- bad way for her.
Between the adrenalin and the agony her muscles are starting to twitch. Half of her-hell, -most- of her wants to curl into a ball and whimper. Most, but not all.
"You're..way beyond help..bitch," she hisses in an unsteady tone while trying to pull herself together. It's not an easy thing to do. It's also becoming very..hard..to breathe… It's also-
"Haak!"
Dom suddenly doubles over in pain, coughing as dark blood falls from her mouth and onto the floor.
(Can't stab her, can't shoot her, don't have a means to burn her or blast her ass to hell…)
The answer's right there in front of her. The Flower of Boston wants better control of her powers. How could Dom possibly give her that short of offering to spar with powers? This seems way more painful for her than what it would be worth. Still, she does have a way out of this. She'd just end up being in debt to the other meta, which is nowhere she ever likes to be.
..No. If The Flower simply wanted Dom to die she wouldn't be messing with her like this. She knows when someone is enjoying picking apart their victim. Which is what prompts Dom to pull out one of her guns again, clicking the safety off as she points it at her own temple. Now's the time for a serious gamble.
"Let up..or I'll take away your new toy..your contract..and your help…"
*
Lily advances a couple steps, especially as Domino starts hacking up blood. That's cute, she thinks she's a bitch. Stopping just at Domino's feet, the machete still at her side, Lily kneels down and sits on her haunches. She stares, even as Domino puts the gun up to her own head.
She thinks she's toying with her? That's unfortunate. What's really unfortunate is this is the best her powers can do right now. Domino, in all rights and fairness, should be dead by now. She has some kind of shield, some.. thing.. that's keeping her powers from just eviscerating her insides completely. Left to her own devices, the continued torture would take at least another couple hours to really kick the life out of her.
That's not what Lily's trying to do here, though. She has few hesitations about killing, but she tries to get by with as little blood on her hands as she can. Amusing. Because blood is still seeping from the wound in her chest. That's going to take a little while to heal. Worse, she's getting a /lot/ more woozy. Not unlike the time she tried to take her own life. She might pass out before she can finish the deed.
It's those final words that really help her make up her mind. She knows now isn't the time to taunt Domino on using last ditch tactics. Slowly, the intensity of the pain will fade. It's still there, the wounds are still in Domino's lungs. She could suffocate on her own blood. It also doesn't stop the pain and heat radiating from Domino's arm.
Tilting her head a bit to the side, she blinks a couple times and offers again. "Let me help you."
*
It's one hell of a stand-off. For what seems like half of forever Domino sits there on the floor, staring, silently challenging the other mutant as her hand holds the heavy slab of weaponry at her head. Unsteadily. The most familiar weight and balance in the world to her..and she's struggling to keep it held upright while resting against her temple. With her finger on the trigger all of that muscle twitching can't be a good thing, either.
They both look like hell. Point in Lily's favor, she's the one still standing.
Then the threat works. Just what -part- of it does the trick she doesn't know, point is that it works. The pain is ebbing away. Her gun, with it. Like a dead weight her hand and sidearm together fall to the floor beside her, it's taking so much effort just for her to -breathe- anymore. The ghostly pale skin of her face looks even worse, nigh-translucent and stained dark with blood after the assault she just went through.
It's almost funny how her would-be killer is now offering to -help- her.
"That'd be just gravy," she rasps.
*
Not many people have bested Lily before. Sure, she runs into a mutant now and then. They see her and know what she is. The pointed ears, the eyes. She's a freak. Covered in tattoos. She's still sweating, still woozy. She might have the upperhand, still able to stand, but it won't be for long at this rate.
Finally, she holds up the machete. It's still dripping with a bit of her blood. Eyes flickering to Domino, then the large knife, she moves it up to her face and runs her tongue up the edge of the blade. .. Gross! Just as she hits the tip of the machete, she lowers the machete and just lets it clatter to the floor. She's not smiling, not making any faces, her mouth is closed. As she leans forward, she falls gracefully on all fours and moves up Domino's body.
What the hell is she doing?
A couple droplets of her sap from her chest wound drip onto Domino's armor. When she's face to face with the mercenary, she doesn't waste any time trying to press her mouth to the other woman's. Assuming she isn't just shoved to the side, stabbed, shot, punched, or any of the other things that would prevent this from happening, she'll deliver her healing payload in the most direct way possible. Mouth to mouth.
*
Waitwait. Just..-wait.- The mutant thing Dom can handle, no problem. The crazy twisted bloodlust thing..if that even still counts as blood..okay. Creepy, but she knows the type. She's worked alongside them before. Very creepy, but..okay.
Then Lily's moving closer. And..over…
…And…
There's a muffled sound of both shock and alarm as the other woman is suddenly -kissing her.-
This time Lily will find the business end of that ten millimeter pistol beneath her own chin.
As if Dom isn't conflicted enough already, there's something about that strangely colored blood that..just… -What?- That acute pain in her chest, the severed bone in her arm, they..aren't hurting nearly as much as they had. It isn't a toxin, not a chemical upper. She knows the differences plenty well.
Then she remembers the other woman's chest wound healing before her eyes. Something about her blood. It would appear to work on others, too. How fucking strange is -that?-
As soon as the kiss is broken Domino shoots Lily not with a bullet but with a glare. Sure she's already feeling a lot better, but..still!
"Don't do that."
*
Lily's rather into it, at least! She could have delivered her blood by other vectors, but Domino doesn't know that. She doesn't even know what's happening. It's the threatrical portion of it that matters, the symbol of her healing the other mutant in this way. Also, she's been bested by Domino, even if the other mutant is technically /in debt/ to her. That's kind of nice, actually.
"Mmm!" Lily murmurs, tilting her head a bit when she feels the cold metal pressed up against her chin. She stops moving, and slowly opens her eyes before breaking the kiss. The blood? Doesn't taste like blood. It doesn't taste like copper. It mostly tastes like water, a little bitter, it tastes like plant. And ingested, the healing factor it gives starts to kick right in. It gives Domino a healing factor far surpassing her own, even if it will only last a short time.
At the glare, Lily sits back on her knees, and thus, probably on Domino's legs. She laughs weakly and runs a hand through her waterfall mohawk. She doesn't really have anything to add, but it's tempting to add 'What? Don't like the ladies?'
*
Ow..there it is..owowow… An accelerated healing factor is handy, though not always pleasant. Once more Dom's arm is on fire, each thud of her heart causing the entire limb to pulse in agony. It itches, way down near the marrow. One of those itches which is impossible to reach, though trying to do anything about it would only make things hurt more.
"I'm equal opportunity," she replies in a low tone. "I also have standards. And personal space." Which had just been invaded, even if for a good cause.
Within seconds she can feel the knitting of bone slowing down. It's better..but it's not -right.- It's still a significant injury. Which..means she's still dependent upon Lily. Grand.
Resting the hand with the gun across her legs, she gives the other albino a level stare before asking "What made you think that I'd be able to help you with your power?" Is it because she's taken kill contracts before, herself? The matter of who had hired Lily to kill her can wait, as strange as it might be that's not the most important piece of information right now. It might also be impossible to pull out of the would-be killer. Why waste her effort? More important is figuring out how to keep the Boston Flower from coming after her again.
*
"Personal space? I'm not the one who jammed a machete — .. Well, you had good reason. But so did I." Lily replies back, she seems a bit chiller now that she's bled halfway to death. Superficially, the skin has closed on her chest, but the internal damage is still there. Luckily that won't kill her. She could still pass out at any moment, though.
"You've already probably figured out what's going on. It'll wear off in about twenty minutes. If it's not healed in twenty minutes, I'll 'help' you again." Lily reaches up and rubs her chest, mostly just to check that she's actually healed. She sighs a bit and returns the level stare.
That's a good question. Why did she come after Domino only to almost win. She could have let Domino off herself, collected everything the client offered her. She shrugs, "You're not a shithead. You know how it seems when a deal is fishy. I think he was actually hoping you would kill me. I had nothing to lose. I try to kill you and succeed, I see what's happening. I fail — .. I didn't think I was going to fail." She was right.
*
"Yeah. Boundaries," Domino counters. Trying to mortally wound another may cross some boundaries, though in her eyes they're a different kind of boundary. "You're proving to be a little too crazy for me."
When the ability of the other mutant's blood is explained she shifts her gaze from Lily to the discarded machete beside them both, still coated in 'blood.' "So either eat the shit or feel like shit," she summarizes. It's strange, bizarre, perhaps a little revolting, but how else is she going to heal fractured bone any faster? This is a very poor time for her to have a limb out of commission, she just made enemies out of the goddamned -Starks.-
"Yeah, I've heard this play before," she admits. "So you've gone and made yourself a few enemies, huh? That sucks," she says with something of a sneer. "Been involved with that crap a couple of times, too. Is this the part where you shop around for a better deal? Maybe I'll offer to buy out the contract, maybe help you kill the guy instead?" she presses. This is familiar territory, she's had plenty of people turn their backs on her after taking on a job.
*
"Hey douche pistol, everyone is fucked up. No one is normal." Lily replies defensively at the crazy comment. As a mutant, honestly? That position's a pretty strong one.
Lily shifts a bit, she's still sitting on Domino's legs, but at least she's not going on for some secondary make-out session. She's not all that bad, really. "Yeah. I was just saving your life the first one, can't really tell, but I think your insides were pretty messed up." She shrugs, "If you want to live with a fracture.. It's a free world."
"Then you know we're on Act 3. I'm no longer the 'Flower of Boston', I'm Lily." She leans forward a little bit, resting her arms on her jeans. "Everyone has enemies. Mine … Ours are just a bit more deadly than your average folk. .. I could've just killed you.." Lily grimaces, but then smiles, "But I kinda like you. You're /dangerous/."
*
"Normal's no fun, anyway," Domino grunts as she pushes herself a bit more upright. (Ow.) She's not enjoying feeling so defenseless here. Lily's clearly more mobile right now, and it's her blood which is going to keep Dom from being half useless. The control of this situation is no longer in her hands.
"You can't -tell?-" she snorts in a mockery of a laugh. "You're the one that put my organs in a damn blender!" Though with the thought of living with a fracture she wrinkles her nose in disgust, eyeing the fallen machete once more. Reluctantly she leaves the gun lying in her lap, reaching out to reclaim the fallen blade. That, and what it's not covered in. (So gross. So very very gross.)
"You're a long shot away from Massachusetts," she agrees. "Get tired of the scene? There's lots more fish in this toxic pond, I wouldn't even feel threatened if you threw your name into the ring. Three cities ripe with corruption, all conveniently tied together by maglev."
Oh, and Lily likes her. That's just… Lucky her.
Another look at the blade, another look of disgust. This time she slooowly drags the tip of a finger through the goop, silently weighing the odds between her dignity and her health.
*
"I haven't gone back to being normal, so I guess that says something about me," Lily suggests with a laugh. Yeah, she is in control of the situation. That's uncomfortable, but obviously not for Holly. She'd suggest something about how she can't actually /read/ the physical state of the people she's manipulating. She just sort of blindly.. focuses on what she's doing. It's so clumsy. But she doesn't reveal that fact.
Looking over at the machete, she raises an eyebrow, then back at Domino. Now cold, the 'blood' is a little bit thicker and grosser to touch. It's definitely not pleasant. Making a face, Lily says, "Ew. Are you going to eat that off the floor?" She makes a good point.
Flickering from the blade to Domino again, she gives her a curious stare. "I have a past there I wanted to forget. Yeah. I was tired of it. If there's anything about these cities, it's that there's enough to go around and you could never cross paths with me again." She laughs a bit, content with not moving much. The room is still a bit spinny. It's true though, there is no shortage of things to do.
Making another grossed out face, Lily looks at Domino, curious too. "Could always just think of it like a vampire movie," she offers helpfully, raising her wrist.
Dom doesn't need to know she could just rub it on her arm. That'd be cheating.
*
Here Dom arches a brow, staring back up at Lily. "Would you rather I cut it fresh out of you? Not that I expect it to come out any more clean." It kinda looks like she'd really do that if she has to.
Which one's the crazier of the two, here?
The goop on her finger gets flung aside, sticking to the floor with a dull, wet sound which doesn't help to settle her stomach in the slightest. "Welcome to Gotham, the biggest shithole in the country," she mutters. (Now with fifteen percent more -what the fuck.-)
Using the blood as a salve would make sense, wouldn't it. Except that all of Dom's current injuries are way internal. Somehow she doesn't believe that a bit of salve in the pores of her skin is going to be very effective at healing broken bone. That and her armor's in the way. And it's cold out. And she's not about to show herself off to this creepy mutant bitch.
"Well, now you have a future here that you can come to dread. There's a goddamned superhero at every corner, makes moving around kind of a pain sometimes."
With this said, suddenly Domino knows how she can reclaim the upper hand.
"Lot of hazards out here for anyone in our line of work. The fucking Triskelion's in the middle of New York City. High-tier heroes going through Metropolis like a damn infestation. There's the Bat Crew and some seriously fucked up baddies in Gotham. Plus you have the SRD to contend with in all three states. Be real easy to get overwhelmed. Unless you know your way around."
Like..y'know. Domino does.
*
Lily thinks about that for a moment. No. The answer is no, she really doesn't feel like this psycho-bitch having a chance to cut her and suck her dry. Though she does think about it. "Hey, if you want to try it, go for it." What the hell. "This time. It's not like it'll kill me."
She laughs when Domino flicks some of the 'blood' away. Still gross! It has her germs on it! "I know about that. I have plans regarding it. Watch for the cards on the news. You'll see what I'm talking about." and that's all she has to say about that. Not really much reason to give the mercenary more information than she really needs.
Up to this point, Lily's been pretty jubilant. A bit of a snarky bitch, but overall pretty chilled out. It's obvious manipulation that seems to really make her go deadpan, though. She knows what Domino's trying to do. In her flattest voice yet, she replies, "Joker? I just busted him out on his way to Arkham Asylum this morning." Yeah. She means business. She looks a little annoyed and glances off to the side. Rolling her shoulders a bit, she looks back at Dom, "But I'm shopping around, and if working with you means a few tips on moving around, I won't turn you down." She'll play.
*
"Maybe later," Domino dismisses the idea. You know, like after she's healed enough that she wouldn't need it anymore. Fighting with a near-broken bone, not fun! Not at all!
The fact that Lily has plans already starts to concern the merc. Plans for -what,- exactly? The hero population?
You know what, the less she knows…
"Congratulations on letting the biggest nutjob of the century escape," she deadpans in response. She can tell that the trick isn't going by unnoticed, though. So, she pulls another wildcard and actually levels with the killer. "Look. My main interest is keeping you from pulling this shit on me again. Fighting you takes a lot more effort than it has any right to." That, and her abilities could prove to be useful down the road… "If a few friendly pointers keeps me off of your damn scorecard then that's what I'll do. What you do beyond that is none of my concern, I just have no desire to cash in my chips yet."
*
"Can you say the biggest nutjob of the century owes you a favour? Go kick rocks," Lily dismisses, rolling her eyes. She knows what she's doing. Hopefully. "You don't want me to use my power on you anymore?" She raises an eyebrow. Of course not, why would she? It's probably not pleasant to have your insides eviscerated through armor. "You help me out, I'll leave you alone for the moment. If you get in my way, the deal's off." She shrugs. "If it keeps you from running a machete through my heart for now, I'm game."
Lily slowly climbs to her feet, a bit wobbly. She almost falls down, but instead just stumbles a little bit to the left. "Shit. My legs fell asleep." She's lying. "Nnf.. But hey, maybe we can get a drink sometime?" It's worth a shot.
*
"Good luck trying to cash in on that," Domino counters. "The guy's -insane,- Lil. Makes you look like a goddamn nun..wait, no. They're pretty fucked up, too." Blink. "What..?" she blankly asks before shaking her head. (This chick's got some of the strangest slang…)
When the ultimatum is given she stares back at those black and red eyes once more, making a point of holstering her sidearm -now- over any other time. "Likewise," she promises.
Now, -fighting- this other chick isn't high on Dom's list of things to do. But, if they're about to go their own ways..? She's still not fully healed. Now there's another question on her mind: Just how badly -does- she want to be back in fighting shape?
STARKS.
"Hold up," she says while pulling herself off of the grungy old floor. "You fucked me up inside. I'm gonna give you one chance to make right on this, here and now."
*
Lily looks like she's about to make her way out of the room. She wants her fucking jacket back. She got that at a Reel Big Fish concert. What? Don't like ska? Eat it. But when Domino asks her to stop, she immediately stops. Those black eyes flick back over to Domino, "Yes?" Her hands go back on her hips, and she makes a face. She's listening.
She's not the worst person, and she is trying to get on Dom's good side. Not for any personal-personal gain in the way of flirting with her, genuinely, but more because she wants to fuck off and tell her client to do the same. New enemies are there to be made, and she has work to do — but first a bath, a new shirt, and a change of clothes.
*
She's not going to make this any easier, is she. Eugh. There's a horrible conflict taking place in Domino's thoughts with all of this. Things which make her question her sanity, her humanity, her morals… She can't escape feeling like she's just been turned into a fucking junkie, getting high off of this other mutant's -blood.-
Yet here she is, a matte black throwing knife in hand as she approaches Lily. Her mind is made up. The challenge had been offered, she has to come and -take- it.
Everything about this feels so wrong. So very..very wrong.
Her jaw's set in determination as she moves to pin Lily against the wall, ready to nick the side of the other woman's neck with honed carbon steel.
Then she stops. No cut is made, though the blade is clearly in her hand. Ready to be used.
"I'm not gonna use you," she flatly declares, her voice dropping into a lower but firm tone. "Not like this."
That the thought had even crossed her mind will trouble her for a while. She's not going to be baited into becoming that kind of person.
She'd sooner scrape some of that congealed shit off of the machete still lying on the floor.
The smaller blade disappears back along the side of her leg, giving Lily more than enough space for her to leave.
"Don't do this again."
But just which albino is she saying this to?
*
No, Lily never really prefers things the easy way. Though, when it comes to decisions, you can always count on her to make one. Even if it's not always the right one. Lily's still listening for the request, she'd be happy to help her new associate heal, she just needs to hear it. But Domino's not going to ask.
Her eyes widen a little bit in surprise, the red irises flicking to the blame and Domino's expression, she takes a few steps back, hands fallin back to her sides. Wait. What's going on? Then she's just so effortlessly pinned against the wall. She isn't weak, but they came to an agreement. She knows what she wants, and when she finally pieces it together, she just grins, pushing her entire body against that torn wall.
Her hands lay flat against the torn parchment paper and she turns her head to look at the overturned shopping cart when the blade is pressed to her neck. She's exposing it. A light superficial cut she'll survive. Probably. She still has enough in her, right? Though honestly, the tables have turned. Domino's in control, or at least it seems like that. She's ready for it, prepared for the pain. When Domino withdraws, however? She could just leave. Instead, she looks at Domino from the corner of her eye, face still turned away.
"Is it using when I've offered?" Lily says, simply.
*
Offered… -Offered.- The best manipulation is when it involves something which the victim feels they truly need in order to survive. Just one small cut and the pain will all go away. No harm, no foul. She'd be foolish not to accept the offer.
Then maybe Domino really is a big damn fool.
"Yes," she bluntly replies. The one word is given a moment to fully absorb within both of their minds before she turns away and reaches for the fallen machete, flicking most of the goo off of the blade where it spatters, and sticks fast, to the wall and floor.
To her it's not really offered if she still has to cut it out of another's body.
Dom would rather hurt than lose her control.
*
Lily pushes herself off the wall, standing up straight and dusting herself off. She does think about it for a moment, but there's only so much to think about right now. She just wants to get out of this place. "Then I am the sinner. I'll have to make it up to you some other way." She glances when the machete is flicked, and frowns slightly. Gross still. She stands there in a moment of silence, then walks off.
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