lucetilogs | Strangers in the night, exchanging glances

Entry tags:

Strangers in the night, exchanging glances

Who: Anyone working at Cloud Nine, well-intended rescuers, etc.
What: A raid.
When: August 29th, 11:31 PM.
Where: Cloud Nine
Summary: The night club turned homeless shelter does house quite a bit of food and booze, and a few Kin'corans have decided to take control of the situation.
Rating: R for violence.

It's not just people inside the club that begin it. After the club is locked for the night, someone begins pounding on the door. Despite the owner's instructions to the contrary, several people sleeping on the floor scramble up and open the door to let in a small swarm of men armed with knives and blunt weapons.

"Sorry you had to find out this way, but your posh night club is under new management now. If you have a problem with that? Get in the kitchen."

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Amelia's shout and Wolfwood's reply were enough to remind the pirate that she couldn't wait. She'd have to fight her way through, no matter what. What remained frightening to her is that she'd never learned swordplay without the intent to kill behind her blade. A duel was, in her time, to the death. A pirate fought their enemies without mercy, for no enemy of one would return it in kind.

She lunged into the crowd, using the cutlass and jian in her hands to parry the attacks launched at her and return them with swift--but only wounding--blows. A thrust in the shoulder, and a kick to retrieve the weapon back out of it. A slash above the knee. The hilt as a knuckle guard, and a man was blown down.

Pivot, elbow to the chest. A clang of steel. Parry. A slice, but the woman jumped away. With a second of time, a glass grabbed off the counter top was thrown at the woman's head. The pirate didn't see it strike, but quickly whipped in the chaos for the next assailant. She was fortunate. For this moment, she was free.

Her boots pounded the floor as she sprinted for the kitchen. Her cutlass sheathed, the kitchen door was pushed open with all haste and a cry.

"ARCHIE!"

Finally. Amelia gives Wolfwood a nod, quickly breaking into a run after Elizabeth. They finally make it to the kitchen, although the fight is just as rough in this room as it was in the last. She points her gun up high, aiming over everyone's heads as she fires a shot to get the attention of the people within.

"Enough! Get on the ground!" Unfortunately, because of the bluffing done earlier, the raiders aren't so quick to believe Amelia--which quickly turns into a mistake for one when Amelia's next shot goes through his wing. "I said on the ground!"

Elizabeth is shouting too, but Amelia can't think about that. Her task right now is to make sure no one makes a move, Lucetian or Kin'Coran. Not until the fighting has stopped.

Archie looks up sharply when he sees Elizabeth burst in unguarded, and begins to struggle to his feet with a cry of her name. Why is she here? She shouldn't be here! But standing makes the world spin suddenly, and he slips back to the floor, hand pressed to the bleeding wound at his side. He's in a great deal of pain, but like hell is he going to let anyone know that.

Edited 2012-09-06 03:50 (UTC)

The shock hit her quickly as she saw his state, but her momentary lapse at seeing the blood from a wound was broken by the rustle of a Kin'Coran to her right. While the tension in the room was thick enough by Amelia's command that the rebel rioters hesitated, it was becoming clearer with each passing moment that they would not give up so readily. After that rustle, the pause was broken.

The Kin'Coran moved towards Elizabeth, and it was only with some luck in the tight area by the door that she dodged the swing of his club. As her fingers closed around a pile of pepper from an overturned mill, she sprung up from the floor. The attacker yelled, eyes burning from the spice. She kicked their middle, sending them into some of the cabinetry and growled a warning before turning back toward her purpose.

"If you are wise you will remain where you are, sir."

Her run was a short one, mere metres over to Archie's side. Her hands soared to the one that held his wound, worry in her eyes.

"Oh my God, are you all right? How bad is it?"

"Not too bad. I've certainly taken worse." But he is pale, and as it's been a while and he hasn't really held still, he's lost a substantial amount of blood. "Just a scratch, dear heart."

"You two are adorable. Really." Amelia would roll her eyes if she weren't busy with the unconvinced Kin'Corans. She's running low on bullets, and since she doubts they'll give her time to reload, Amelia's back to using her gun as a blunt weapon whenever someone gets too close.

She's got herself positioned between the attackers and Archie and Elizabeth now, at least. It's something, although not much, considering one Kin'Coran gets a solid hit on Amelia's shoulder while she's struggling with another.

"Damn it!" She still has her legs, which is unfortunate for the man who gets a kick to his groin in exchange for the punch he landed.

Her hand cups his cheek. "It absolutely is not!" She tries to smile, but her words bubble out like a distressed laugh. "We need to get you out and attended to."

Her head whips around at Amelia's cursing. "Amelia!" This is not going terribly, but it certainly isn't going well, either. Unsheathing her cutlass, she extends the handle toward her co-rescuer.

"I do hope you remember your training. Hold them for a bit, and perhaps I can temporarily bandage his wound. Then we'll clear a path together."

Edited 2012-09-08 05:50 (UTC)

"Let Adele do it, love, she's a surgeon."

"I don't care who does it. Just get it done soon!" She winces at the pain shooting through her left shoulder and arm; the guy that hit her had landed a good blow. It makes her reluctant to shift her gun into her weaker hand, but Amelia's still a beginner with the cutlass. She'll need the better control with the blade, so she makes the switch before taking the sword.

Then it's back to it, although it's clear she's favoring one side over the other--to the Kin'Corans too, who try to take advantage of that.

There's no time, and he's right. Adele would be far more adept at caring for him. Kneeling quickly beside him, she kisses his forehead and rises with her remaining weapon. Elizabeth knows footing. She knows swordsmanship when she sees it, and the favouring is easy to spot. Amelia needs help, and she'd rather not have two injured on her arms when she walks out of this chaotic mess.

"All right, Amelia- we clear the room, then we work our way out. Archie- Adele is beyond the door, with the others, darling."

The Kin'Corans spare her no time before they lunge at the now-standing pirate.

"Hold fast, for me."

She tries to guard Amelia's side, but it's difficult watching the moves of her assailant and her ally simultaneously. At least they've got the Kin'Coran numbers down to two, but protecting her co-fighter earns her a shallow cut below her ear. She hisses. They have to knock these two out. Then, they can work their way to the door.

She had originally planned on shouldering Archie herself, but if Amelia was not too burdened by her injuries, the pirate felt she could better protect them both if she could fight in her own rhythms.

Archie grits his teeth and applies more pressure, breath hitching. One slick hand scrambles to grab a clean towel and cover the wound. He just might hold fast for himself as well.

Glad to have a plan and Elizabeth joining the fight, Amelia nods quickly but doesn't look away from her opponent, even when the other woman lets out a low sound of pain beside her. She doesn't have the physical strength to match the man now locking blades with her, especially not one-armed, but she doesn't need it--instead she makes sure his eyes are on hers, then shoots him in the foot.

There's a reason she hasn't dropped her shotgun, even if it hurt to hold.

The man stumbles back, and Amelia takes advantage of the opening to hit him hard in the nose with her right fist, sending him to the ground.

Parrying thrusts of a knife toward her, Elizabeth feigns a lunge but finds herself jumping back for a wide sweep left. By some chance, the attacker didn't read her movements well enough. He had, after all, taken her by surprise, and it was only through her recovery that she was able to swing wide, just the tip of her blade shallowly slicing across his shoulder. The man's hand reached for his scrape, and that was her opening. She flipped the blade in her hands, and with a solid thrust, connected the pommel of the jian with the cheek he'd turned toward her.

She's relieved to hear the thud of Amelia's attacker hit the floor before hers does, and whirls around as soon as she know the man she decked is out coldly.

"Are you well?"

They have to keep moving. Moving their way out of here. God, Archie.

Thinking she's speaking to him, he replies dryly.

"A little bit stabbed, darling."

They've finally got a break, and Amelia holsters her gun when Elizabeth's opponent hits the ground. However that guy hit her, her left arm is all but useless for fighting, with pain radiating down from her shoulder to her fingertips. It makes her the weaker fighter, meaning she should be the one to play tomas.

"Can you walk?" Not that Amelia's expecting Archie to do it on his own. She kneels down by him, offering her left side for him to support himself. It may hurt, but Amelia can at least brace Archie for a short distance--long enough to get him to Adele.

Elizabeth heaves a sigh at Archie's reply. She's still worried about him, and mentioning who the comment was directed towards will do nothing to help the situation. She's more relieved that Amelia has automatically seen to helping Archie get up.

"Thank you, Amelia."

Two marines think alike, and for that, she is grateful. From beyond the kitchen door, things are still, though muffled, in squalor. Soon enough, they'll be in it. For now, she'll help Archie rise up to lean against Amelia's good shoulder.

One arm around Amelia, trying not to touch her skin, and the other around Elizabeth. He mutters something about what most men would give to be between two beautiful women, then shuts up in case either one heard him.

Amelia can feel how Archie tries to be careful, and she appreciates it on a certain level--but now isn't the time. "Don't worry about touching me." Amelia could put up with hives if it meant getting Archie to Adele faster.

Elizabeth helps her get Archie up, and Amelia nods in reply to the woman's thanks. She rolls her eyes when Archie makes his comment. "Be glad I like you, or getting stabbed still wouldn't be enough."

She lifts her head enough to look at Elizabeth. "Ready when you are."

Archie is given a small smile before Elizabeth puts all her focus back into their task.

She nods at Amelia.

"Can you do well enough on your own, helping him walk?"

Archie glances at Amelia, pained, then looks back to Elizabeth.

"What are you going to do?"

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Strangers in the night, exchanging glances

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Do let me know if this is not okay.

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