q_and_a (q_and_a) wrote in newalliance, @ 2013-04-30 04:09:00 |
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Entry tags: | huntress, question |
Who: Vic Sage and Helena Bertinelli
Where: A highway near the base of the Appalachian mountains.
When: April 18th, 2013 (Backdated)
What: Helena has been released and Vic makes good on his word to help her. So he takes her to see Richard Dragon.
Rating: PG-13
The steady rumble of the engine had a hypnotic quality to it as Vic drove through the early morning. His breathing had slowed to an almost meditative calm as he let his hands adjust the wheel to the movement of the highway. The morning sun was not due to peak from the horizon for another hour but it's rays had already changed the indigo sky to a dull blue. In Gotham his affairs had been set in order. Several fluff articles had been labeled and mailed through various methods that would have them run in the Times and Gazette over the next few weeks. They hadn't been much more than busy work to occupy his thoughts while Helena recuperated in the hospital. Now they would serve as camouflage for the life of Vic Sage.
A rhymthmic clicking sounded from the dash as he signaled his turn onto a mountain road. It was a winding road that lead to a small town at the base of the mountain. A just above that town, like a zen-minded grinch, lay Richard Dragon. The man had seen to Vic's own training and he knew that Richard's methods would help Helena as long as she was willing to learn. With a glance to her sleeping form in the passenger seat, he wondered just how long she'd last. Richard was a patient man but he wouldn't take much in the way of Helena's verbal abuse. It was tantamount to juggling vials of nitroglycerin. Hopefully the whole arrangement wouldn't blow up in his face.
--
Vic had been fairly evasive when it came to questions about where he was taking her. She could understand secrecy in the hospital, but now she was annoyed. With little to be had from conversation, she had scrunched up her jacket to use as a makeshift pillow and fell into an uneasy sleep as he drove.
As the car began to wind up along the mountain, Helena slowly woke. She blinked the sleep from her eyes and sat up to inspect their surroundings. "What is this place?" she asked. How long had they been driving? The whole area was foreign to her.
--
"A slice of Americana." Vic replied without so much as a glance in her direction. The businesses they passed were small, independently owned stores. The closest thing to a corporate presence here was a small McDonald's franchise that wouldn't be open for another few hours. The streets were empty and for all intents and purposes the place may have been a ghost town.
"We're in the Appalachians." His eyes flicked up to the dark form of the mountain peak high above. The view from the top was particularly lovely at sunrise. "On this mountain lives a man by the name of Richard Dragon." The underbrush on either side of the road grew denser with each passing minute. Up ahead was the entrance to a dirt road that snaked off into the forest. Vic turned down that road and drive for another minute before he stopped the car. "Richard is the man who sheltered and cared for me after Lady Shiva nearly ended my life."
"I've already spoken to him and he's agreed to take you on. He'll help you mend your body and if you're willing he'll teach you some new party tricks." Vic turned in his seat to face Helena. "It's your choice though if you want to accept his help."
--
This was all rather ominous for a McDonald's to be present. She stared at him, but quickly realized that he was serious. He was dropping her off in the middle of nowhere to train with a man that he trusted. She said nothing as she settled back into her seat and let her attention fall back to the sunrise. This felt like payback. Helena had saved Vic's life once and now he was attempting to do the same in a way she never expected.
The car slowed to a stop and she knew what it was he was going to have her do. It may have been her choice, but tey were already here and she had the time. She had no faith in the man known as Richard Dragon, but Vic did, and that was enough for her to consider the assistance. "We drove all the way here. I'm not leaving now." She unbuckled the seat belt and slipped her jacket on. "Is this the part where you kick me out of the car?"
--
Vic watched her weigh the matters of the situation in silence. He could have said more but he knew that she wouldn't back down. It wasn't in her nature. It was one of the things he admired most about her. His eyes roamed over the tree line until they fell onto a foot path that would lead her almost two miles to Richard's cabin.
"Well, I was thinking more of a push than a kick." He replied in a flat tone of voice that was accompanied by a smirk. "I'll get in contact with Richard in a few weeks. For now, focus on healing and training."