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."

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[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.

[patterns_bloom]

Alana inhales sharply. Her heart races, and her eyes stay fixed on the blood-soaked Dr. Lecter. She never lowered her gun, so she takes aim and fires.

[cutting_edgex23]

X is already moving at Hannibal, quick and low, claws out.

All of her senses are extended, ready to react regardless of what move the doctor makes.

The effects of Alana's bullet are not relevant.

Yet.

[cook_the_rude]

He is hit, and the blood is spurting from his shoulder, but he doesn't stop yet, coming at Alana with his knife raised.

"I said I would kill you, didn't I?"

His eyes are a glowing, almost inhuman red as he regards Alana, ignoring X completely.

[patterns_bloom]

Alana's breath catches in her throat and she freezes, hands shaking around her gun. She shakes that off, and fires again.

[cutting_edgex23]

Some mistakes a person only gets to make once.

X collides with Hannibal, launching herself airborne before she does so.

It makes it easier to stab one set of claws through his head, even as her foot claws hit him at about waist height and go in through his guts. Her other hand's claws she stabs straight into his heart.

Bones do not mean much to adamantium.

Through it all X is utterly silent.

[cook_the_rude]

"Oh, Alana," Hannibal sighs as he crumples to the floor; he twitches again and lies still.

[patterns_bloom]

Blood spatters on Alana's face. She pants softly, eyes wide, as tears trickle down her face. Shaking, she drops to her knees, her gun clattering to thw floor. She lets loose a keening cry, and then is silent.