Beth Cassidy wants to dance with the devil. (above_all) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-05-11 16:15:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, beth cassidy, commander tyra shepard, motoko kusanagi |
Who: Motoko, Beth, Shepard.
What: Motoko's a bad luck charm.
When: Saturday afternoon.
Where: Diner, the streets.
Rating: PG-13 for violence and Beth's mouth.
Status: Complete!
Motoko had dreamed again. Nothing felt particularly dire, though she was intensely curious about this Laughing Man situation that her team was getting involved in. In fact, thinking about her team brought an unusual number of feelings into her chest. She missed working with them.
She stopped at a red light and sipped at her coffee, then decided to pull into a little shop and get some breakfast.
Beth was already in the diner, eating breakfast and studying for class. She was eating an egg white, spinach, and roma tomato omelette, and she was in a pair of shorts that were borderline illegal. Her long, tanned, well muscled legs were akimbo under the table. She looked up when she saw a stunning Asian woman walk in. Beth was as good as married, but she wasn’t dead.
Motoko was neither married, nor dead, and seemed to be developing a thing for near -jailbait. She gave the cheerleader a smile, and came over to her table. “Mind some company?”
“No,” Beth smiled. She figured the other woman would recognize the engagement ring she wore on her left hand (Alma had a similar one). “Please, sit.”
She took a seat and a menu, and smiled.
The ring was a disappointment, but conversation was never a bad thing. As long as she didn't get shot at again. Once in a week was plenty. "Thanks."
“The omelettes are amazing here, by the way.” Beth wasn’t just blowing smoke. “Want to try mine?”
“Sure, kid.” Motoko leaned forward, picking up a clean fork to take a bite. Beth wasn’t kidding. She put down her menu and ordered the omelette. “They should give you a cut of the profits.”
Beth snorted. “I’m just studying here this morning, you’re just lucky enough to catch me.” She ignored the ‘kid’ for the moment.
Motoko laughed. “My timing has been crap lately, so it’s nice to make it to a place on time for once.”
“Mmm, well, you’ve still got an hour or so for breakfast.” Beth closed her anatomy book, focusing on her company for the time being. “I’m Beth, nice to meet you.”
“My name is Motoko,” She held out her hand to shake Beth’s. “What are you studying for?” It looked like a medical book.
“First year anatomy. It’s pretty easy so far, but a review won’t hurt.” She had a bit of time before the lecture started anyway.
“What do you plan to do?” It was interesting to learn things about people. Motoko just liked to gather information in general.
“I want to be an OB/GYN. I’m training to be a midwife right now.” Beth grinned. “I helped deliver my fiancée’s kid, and it was ... yeah, it was awesome.”
Motoko only blinked once at delivering fiance’s kid. She’d seen weirder. “Yeah? If it’s something you love, definitely go for it.
The glass in the window across from them suddenly shattered. Darts thudded all along the booth as Cerberus tried to hit them.
Beth had been about to answer when she heard glass break and darts thunk into the booth. “Son of a - “ She hit the floor, crawling through broken glass to get behind the booth.
Motoko grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her along. "You've got to be shitting me!" She already had her gun out and safety unlocked. "Second time this week!"
Beth wasn’t really worried too much about the woman she’d just met. She was too busy trying to crawl out of the restaurant.
The Interpol agent opened fire as more glass shattered around them. She’d done a quick headcount when she’d entered the restaurant, and was trying to ID the shooters. She didn’t know what they were after. It wasn’t a robbery - this was too violent. They wanted someone dead.
A heavy-set man with large orange boots stepped in front of Beth, pointing a gun at her. “Keep your hands where I can see them.”
Beth held her hands up, biting her lower lip hard. She held them up in front of her face, glad that the man was standing with his legs slightly apart. She pressed off with her feet, rolling in a tight somersault and kicking at the man’s groin as hard as she could when she moved.
"Nice," Motoko said. She used the sudden confusion to bolt through the shattered front Window and shoot at the care that seemed to have the gunmen.
Someone grabbed Beth from behind as Orange Boots hit the ground.
Beth screamed as loud as she could. “FIRE!” People would come if they heard that as opposed to just general screaming.
The man clapped his hands over Beth’s mouth, and wrestled with a needle. Motoko pointed her gun at him. “Put the girl down.”
A bullet grazed her shoulder and she rolled out of the way, cursing.
Beth wasn’t going down easily. She reached backward, trying to claw the man’s eyes out, she kicked, she bit at his hands.
Good girl. Motoko darted forward, slamming her shoulder into the man. Between them, he let go of the girl and flailed for his life, screaming in pain.
She grabbed for Beth. "Back this way!"
Beth ran with the woman, trusting her since she’d been there before the attack. “Who the fuck is it?”
“I don’t recognize them. Not the guys I’m after,” Motoko ducked into an alleyway, making sure it was clear as she guided Beth in. “I’m Interpol. I usually leave this sort of thing to the locals.”
“I don’t give a shit who you are, we need to get out of here. Do you have another gun?” Beth had been training with Shepard for a while.
Wordlessly, she handed Beth one, not questioning it. For all she knew the girl dreamed about being some kind of soldier. She certainly had her head on still.
Beth switched off the safety, finger off the trigger. “What’s the plan, then?” She was hugging a wall, letting Motoko take point.
“Get back up, and find a way out of here.” She peered down the alleyway, then looked up. “How good are you at climbing?”
“I’m a flyer in cheer, pretty damn.” Beth switched the safety back onto the gun and then tried to see a point on a fire escape she could climb up. She tucked the gun into the waistband of her shorts, picked up a trash can, and moved to stand upon it.
Motoko moved to give her cover. Men started coming in from both ends of the alley, and she hissed. "Faster."
Beth started climbing like her life depended on it, using her arms and strong legs to pull her upward.
Firing several times, the Interpol Agent quickly followed. The disturbing thing to her was that they seemed intent on taking them alive. She just wasn’t sure who they wanted. She made sense, but this girl seemed special.
Beth bit her lower lip, managing to get on top of the building and looked back for Motoko. “Now what?”
She climbed up, and crouched. She pulled her phone out. “I don’t have many contacts here yet. This is bad. We need to warn the police what they’re dealing with.”
Laying a bit more flat, Beth went through the speed dial on her phone until she hit Shep’s number. She was praying her friend was home.
“You know someone?” She looked at Beth, oddly.
Shepard was in her swimming pool, taking a rare chance to really relax. She swam over when her phone rang, and answered. “Hey, Beth? Your ringtone would probably amuse the hell out of you.”
She didn’t answer Motoko. “Shep? Being shot at, can you come get me and this hot lady who sat with me? Says she’s Interpol.”
“Why do you have all the fun?” Shepard climbed out of the pool, water streaming down toned muscles. She grabbed a towel,her clothing and ran for her new Jeep. She’d decided to get something a little smaller. “Where are you at?”
She could hear Motoko giving them cover fire.
“Place we had lunch last week. We’re on the roof next door. You’ll see us.” Beth rolled to her stomach, figuring she’d help with the gun if she could.
“Shit, I like that place.” Shepard pulled on her shirt while driving with one hand. Miraculously she drove a lot better when she was distracted and driving wet and dressing. She was covered, and had pulled her gun out from under her car seat by the time she approached the restaurant.
Tyra slammed into a big man with a large gun, and continues driving until her new jeep had rammed one of the attacker’s cars. She backed up, and drove up to the building. “MAKE IT QUICK LADIES!”
Motoko stared. She might be a little turned on. “That woman is insane.”
Beth grinned. “Isn’t she hot?” She moved to the top of the building, sliding down the fire escape by holding onto the outside of it with her hands and slipping. Sure, it tore her hands up, but those could be taped. Her hands were calloused enough where she barely noticed it.
Climbing into the back of the Jeep, Beth immediately felt safer.
Motoko slid down after her. If this was her dreams she could have just lept off. Hell, if this was her dreams she would have beaten them all half to death by now. She climbed into the back. "...Wait, I know you."
"Miss Kusanagi." Shepard tipped an invisible hat, then floored it, shooting out the tires of a pursuit vehicle before they could be followed.
Beth blinked. “Of course you two know each other. Does either of you know what the fuck those assholes want?”
“Cerberus,” Tyra said, glancing into her rearview mirror. “I don’t know why they wanted either of you. Well, Motoko.”
She looked over at Beth. “You’re engaged to Alma.”
Motoko said nothing. She just listened.
Beth blinked. “Yeah? So, they want me to get to Alma?”
“I think so. It would make it easier to get to her.” Tyra swung a hard left, and floored the gas. She wanted a lot of space between them and the firefight. “If they’re smart they have a counter measure, or a kill code.”
“Oh, great.” Beth sighed. None of this was going to help her sleep better.
"How good are you at genetics?" Shepard asked Beth. "Because I don't think Faiza has the know how to check for that kind of thing. Damn, I should have thought about that before."
Motoko looked between them, then pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm trying not to listen to any of this, so I don't have to file a report."
“Why do you ask?” Beth sighed. “And no, you don’t, hot Asian chick I barely know but ... you fucked Shepard, didn’t you.”
“A long time ago,” both women responded, simultaneously.
Shepard laughed. “I ask because I think we need to look for any genetic markers. If you were altering a person, wouldn’t you want a failsafe?”
“We can go ask Alma?” Beth chuckled. “Knew it. You’re both leg ladies.”
“I’ll have you know my wife has fantastic tits, too,” Shepard retorted.
The Interpol officer shot a look at Tyra. “You got married?!”
“What?”
“Damn it I owe people money now.”
That made Beth cackle. “Her wife does have fantastic tits, though.”
“Damn....” Motoko made a forlorn sound. “You wouldn’t believe how little luck I’ve had in your country. My last date got interrupted by robbers.”
Tyra laughed again, and punched Beth lightly in the shoulder. “We’ll see if you and Alma can figure that out. For the time being I think you both need to stay either at the ranch, or my place.”
“She does!” Beth smiled at the new arrival, shrugging. “My girlfriend, fiancee really, well, she’s amazing. Shep, you sure you want us at your place?”
“I’m sure. We can defend you pretty easily,” Tyra smiled. “It might be best. Liara is going out of the country and it won’t put other kids at risk. We have a safe room and a small arsenal.”
Motoko leaned back in her seat, and felt around on her shoulder, she winced. “I don’t suppose either of you knows anything about the Fire Nation?”
“No. Are you shot?” Beth blinked, moving to touch the other woman’s shoulder.
“Yeah...I think it went clean through.”
Shepard didn’t take her eyes off the road. “Medkit is under her seat. We’re almost to my place.”
Beth nodded, working quickly to pack the wound with gauze, wrapping it expertly once it was done. She was professional and level-headed, just like she’d always been.
“You know how to pick them,” Motoko said, with slight wonder. It was a professional job. Beth would probably make an excellent doctor of any sort.
“I’m good like that.” She opened the garage and drove the jeep into it. “Guess the kids at the ranch get a body work project.”
“I know a few who’ll be excited about that,” Beth grinned. She helped Motoko down, smiling. “Want some painkillers?”
“No. No painkillers. Maybe some ibuprofen.” She shrugged off the idea of anything harder. She could hear Tyra snort. “Like you let yourself get on the good stuff if you can help it.”
“Sometimes, when I’m all broken up.”
“No ibuprofen, it thins the blood. Not until you get stapled and stitched or until we get Faiza.” Beth crossed her arms, standing firm.
“I’ll be fine.” Motoko waved her other hand. “I’ve been hurt worse.”
“Listen to the girl,” Shepard said. “Or at least let her stitch it up.”
Beth didn’t move. “Don’t make me get out a spot welder, lady.”
Motoko looked between them, then sighed. "Okay, fine."
"Take her to the bathroom," Shepard said as she got out of the jeep. "Kit in the cabinet, complete with sutures."
"Yay."
Beth nodded, motioning for Motoko to follow her. Stitches, Beth was really good at.