OOM: The Confrontation

[patterns_bloom]

Heart pounding, Alana fumbles for the lock once she's inside Hannibal's office. X is with her, so she's not afraid as she could have been. She draws a careful breath, and then turns and fires at the door with her gun. She peeks through the bullet hole. Hannibal passes by, making her jump, and she fires again.

"I've found more bullets!" she snarls savagely, intending to bring this bastard down, intending to live despite knowing that another her has already failed once.

She faces down the door, backing away from it while holding her gun high and steady, ready for anything. She flicks her gaze to X. "Should we charge him? I'm following your lead."

Comments

[cutting_edgex23]

"The goal is to get you out," X says, matter-of-factly.

"Without you dying. Or being hurt."

[patterns_bloom]

Alana exhales shakily, her hands tightening on her gun. She nods, tilting her chin at the door. "All right. Let's do this."

[cutting_edgex23]

X tilts her head very slightly, nostrils flaring.

"I do not want to hurt you," she says, seemingly to the air.

"But I am getting Alana out of here. It is not negotiable."

[unshattered]

A shadow flickers in the light from the window.





"You're -"

It's soft, hoarse. Barely louder than the rain hitting the glass.

"- you're not supposed to be here -"

[patterns_bloom]

Alana whirls, bringing her gun up like a shield. Her eyes widen, and she lowers the gun. "Abigail?" Alana says, her voice breathy and soft. "You're supoosed to be dead!"

Alana inhales sharply. "This is X. She's a friend. We're going to get you out of here."

[cutting_edgex23]

"I will keep you both safe," X says, body still, focus split between this Abigail and the Hannibal that is outside the office door.

"I am good at that."

[unshattered]

There's silence. Rainfall and wind whispering through the house.



And then, hard steps on the floorboards, running forward. "No -" It's murmured at first, but grows louder as she approaches, "no - no you -"

If she's running for Alana, or X, or the door, she makes no effort to avoid X's path.

[patterns_bloom]

"Abigail!" Alana says in anguish, keeping her gun lowered. "X!"

[cutting_edgex23]

X sighs.

Then she moves further into Abigail's path, grabbing the girl and twisting her to the ground in a lightning-quick aikido throw.

(She has done it to Colossus, in training. This is markedly less challenging.)

"I will not hurt you, either. I promise."

And, without looking up --

"Alana. Watch the door."

Not that she needs to, but it will be better for Alana to be occupied, just now. Probably.

[unshattered]

Even if she were putting up more of a fight, there isn't much Abigail can do against X's strength. She doesn't even bother to struggle much, though she starts to breathe faster, and faster -

In a loud whisper, "You shouldn't be here."

[patterns_bloom]

Alana shakes herself, and whips her gun up, taking aim at the door. Her gaze never wavers from the bullet holes in the wood. "X," Alana says, listening to Abigail's rapid breathing. "Knock her out. Please."

[cutting_edgex23]

X looks up at Alana, her grip in Abigail remaining firm and implacable.

"We will not be able to carry her."

[unshattered]

Abigail leans her head back, no longer looking at X.

"He'll know, now."

[patterns_bloom]

"If we're lucky, we won't have to," Alana says, keeping her gun trained on the door. "The police are coming."

[cutting_edgex23]

"Police," X says, gently shifting her grip on Abigail so as to pinch off the flow of blood to her brain, "are not always very good at killing the right people."

[cook_the_rude]

The doorknob rattles, ominously.

[unshattered]

The pressure on her throat wakes Abigail up. Suddenly she screams, as much as she still can. She thrashes under X's grip, kicking and desperately reaching to pry those fingers from her neck.

[patterns_bloom]

Alana tenses at the doorknob rattling, trying not to fire into the door again. Make every shot count, Cassidy had said. She counts the bullets left in her gun and keeps the weapon trained on the door.

[cutting_edgex23]

X is implacable, grip tightening on Abigail's throat to speed up her race toward unconsciousness.

The screaming is going to be distracting.

She does not say she is sorry.

[unshattered]

Abigail keeps struggling until she can't. Her screaming dies down first, as she runs out of breath, but she continues to kick and claw and scratch at X's hands until the second she's no longer conscious.

[patterns_bloom]

Alana sighs, her gaze darting from the door to Abigail's unconscious body, but only once, and only for a second. "Thank you, X. We should be able to confront him, now."

[cutting_edgex23]

The wounds on X's hands and forearms vanish within seconds, even as Abigail makes more. And when she is at last quiet, X tucks her into a corner, out of sight. Just in case.

Then she faces the door, watching it carefully.

Her expression has gone terrifyingly still.

"Okay."

[patterns_bloom]

"Do you want to open the door?" Alana says, keeping her eyes locked to the bullet holes. "Or should I?"

[cutting_edgex23]

"You should stay behind me," X says, all animation gone from her voice (not that there is ever much).

"Do not worry about hitting me. If you shoot. And try not to be afraid."

snikt

It is at this point that X cuts through the hinges on the door and kicks it out into the room beyond the office. Sometimes surprise is good. She is not sure if this is one of those times.

[cook_the_rude]

Dr. Lecter is right beyond the reach of that door, blood-coloured, large knife in hand, ready.