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Post by Gertrude Huldon/Guzzle on Mar 11, 2012 19:52:25 GMT -5
Month 6, week 2, day 7. Following Prison Transport.
The clean up crew did an admirable job with the smoking rubble. For one it's no longer smoking, and second, it has shrunk significantly. But the mess is still there, progress slow thanks to the number of live arms hidden in the wreckage.
From the garden, Gertrude looks at the moon-lit remains of what used to be her home, dressed in a baggy shirt and baggy pants, a cold beer clutched in her hand. She is still not sure how to feel about any of this, and it reflects in the almost dazed look in her eyes.
Then, finally, she mutters something and turns to walk down the stone path, passing a pond and heading into a field tent that serves as her temporary home until her house is rebuild. Like hell she will let all of this drive her away from what she has earned, even if she no longer has someone to share it with.
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Post by Carolyn Blake on Mar 11, 2012 20:21:11 GMT -5
Inside the tent, a familiar black-clad blonde is sitting in Gertrude's favorite (only?) chair, which is turned so that it is facing the tent opening. How exactly Carolyn got into the tent without anyone seeing her is a mystery. That's just what she does.
Her rifle is across her knees, and she's holding a revolver loosely in her right hand. She's the picture of the perfect casual soldier. This might worry Gertrude. Carolyn is never casual.
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Post by Gertrude Huldon/Guzzle on Mar 11, 2012 20:29:54 GMT -5
Gertrude does not scare easily. So her response to seeing someone sitting in the only chair she had left is met with her coldly and swiftly digging out a gun from beneath her shirt, aiming it at the occupant. But when that streak of blond hair catches her attention, her stance relaxes. But she does not lower her gun.
Visits from Carolyn are rarely peaceful.
Especially not when she is acting casual.
"Carolyn."
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Post by Carolyn Blake on Mar 11, 2012 20:43:35 GMT -5
In her mind, Carolyn is running the steps involved in rising, disarming, and taking down Gertrude. Not that Carolyn expects to need to do so. But knowing she can is what's important.
"What happened here?" Carolyn asks softly, "And what does Slaughter want with Elsa, Gertrude?"
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Post by Gertrude Huldon/Guzzle on Mar 11, 2012 20:53:31 GMT -5
Gertrude knows that Carolyn can take her down. But Gertrude also knows that she is a very fast and calculated shot. She does not want to prove this though.
She is fully ready to snark at Carolyn's question, ready to mock her for being blind since she was right here. But then she mentions Slaughter. A chill goes down her spine. "The hell you talkin' about?"
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Post by Carolyn Blake on Mar 11, 2012 21:21:34 GMT -5
Carolyn stands up, her rifle slung off her hip, and starts to slowly close the distance between herself and Gertrude.
"I'm talking about an entire federal convoy butchered and burned. I'm talking about several low-level metas released to run out and cause havoc as a distraction to cover up the appropriation of one meta."
By this point, Carolyn should be right up on Gertrude unless the other woman moves.
"I'm talking about my almost getting killed and risking my family because of that sadistic bastard wanting your wife, so get that damned gun out of my face before I feed it to you and tell me exactly what happened before I came on scene."
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Post by Gertrude Huldon/Guzzle on Mar 12, 2012 18:07:03 GMT -5
Gertrude keeps her gun trained on Carolyn. But her eyes betray her. They widen, showing her shock at the blonde's words, almost unwilling to believe. But she has worked with Carolyn long enough to know that she would not lie about something like this.
Finally, she lowers her weapon. Her other hand moves up to press first against her face, then up and through her hair. "Peckin' hell....I didnae even know she was a meta, Carolyn. I got no idea what Slaughter wants with her, how they're connected..." Then, she remembers something. "Hrn. That mornin'....One minute, she was fine. Then, she started attackin' me, ramblin' about those robots that up and disappeared. Thought I was one of them Autobots and she a Decepticon or somethin'."
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Post by Carolyn Blake on Mar 12, 2012 20:46:23 GMT -5
"Autobots and Decepticons...."
For a moment, Carolyn looks almost lost. Confused. She blinks once, twice before turning aside. Her fists clench at her sides, the only indication that she isn't her usual calm and deadly self.
"The disappearance of those... things coincides with an increase in unregistered meta activity. Elsa is fully documented, though, just like you are."
"Did either of you have anything to do with them, any run-ins before they went to ground?"
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Post by Gertrude Huldon/Guzzle on Mar 12, 2012 20:51:50 GMT -5
Gertrude is bad at reading people, so she misses the exact importance of Carolyn's reaction. All she knows is that something is weird about it.
"Wait, fully documented? Then why the hell didn't I see any of her papers sayin' that when we registered for marriage? If she is registered, how the hell did she get out from showing both me and the city hall suits?" This is just annoying her more and more. Her fingers twitch a little. "No, just saw 'em on the news sometimes."
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Post by Carolyn Blake on Mar 12, 2012 22:29:55 GMT -5
"Documented to us, Gertrude. You know we have more resources than the local yokels," Carolyn says in a long-suffering tone.
"It doesn't make any sense, Gertie," Carolyn says after several moments. The casualness may be startling to Gertrude, along with the frustration in Carolyn's tone. She holsters her revolver and continues, "Slaughter is, quite possibly, one of the most powerful metahumans on the planet. There is no reason what so ever that I can think of for him to focus on Elsa. To risk himself- and he was alone during the attack- like he did for one person."
Carolyn smirks, "Least it cost the fragger an eye, this time."
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Post by Gertrude Huldon/Guzzle on Mar 13, 2012 19:31:37 GMT -5
Gertrude grumbles as she thinks about what Carolyn said. But the other woman is right: It just doesn't make any sense. And Elsa, great as she was, never struck her as the type to have the brains to hide something as big as this. Meta abilities are one thing, but being a person of interest to Lord Slaughter?
"Hnnngh. This is makin' my brain hurt." She brings a hand up, massaging her temple, as if that is going to help her make sense of it. Though she does crack a smile at Carolyn's boast. "Heh. Really? 'Bout time someone showed him that he ain't no Diamondback." Now there was a pain in the ass. Bringing her down took five days, all of their numbers and left a remote town in complete ruin.
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Post by Carolyn Blake on Mar 14, 2012 23:10:46 GMT -5
"Yeah."
"I don't think we'll get that lucky again. He was careless. I don't think he knew I was there until I shot him."
Carolyn's fingers flex. "But I will take him down. There's no other option."
She cuts her eyes over to Gertrude. "If you think of anything, let me know. And just me. Not Control."
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Post by Gertrude Huldon/Guzzle on Mar 15, 2012 21:17:30 GMT -5
"Well, at least now we know that he can get careless. Disputes that old 'AI with powerful android endo-skeleton and reinforced organic tissue' theory that ol' Brains had goin'." Gertrude says that very slowly, to avoid tripping over her own words.
Then, she shoots a rare look of worry at Carolyn. It does not last long. "Be careful. He'll see you comin' next time, and now he's got a grudge.
"Feh. Like I'm ever gonna say another word to those buggers. I might accidentally tempt them into tryin' to snag me up again."
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Post by Carolyn Blake on Mar 15, 2012 22:38:33 GMT -5
"They won't. You're too unpredictable for their tastes," Carolyn says with a shrug when Gertrude talks of being taken back into the team.
"If I do things right, he won't see me at all."
She shifts her weight slightly. "I need to go. I don't want to call attention to you by being here too long."
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Post by Gertrude Huldon/Guzzle on Mar 20, 2012 20:53:25 GMT -5
"Still hung up about that time I socked ol' Alfredo, huh?" She can't help but smirk at that. The bastard had it coming, and it felt so damn satisfying.
"Got that straight. If I hear anythin', or remember somethin', I'll call you. Cause I've got a feelin' that tryin' to ignore it will just rain down more buckets full of who knows what on my head. Better to be prepared."
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