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]

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.

[cutting_edgex23]

X sheathes her claws, then moves over to Alana, dropping into a crouch and looking into her face.

Her head tilts very slightly.

"You want me to take the body? Back. With me."

Beat.

"Or that will cause too many questions. Here."

[patterns_bloom]

Alana swings her head around to face X, having difficulty focusing on her. "I... I don't know," Alana says, in a monotone. She shakes herself, and slaps her cheeks. "This much blood will be difficult to explain, but so will a disemboweled body."

Alana draws a shaky breath, and hugs herself. "Take him. Please."

[cutting_edgex23]

"You should wake Abigail."

X's voice is matter-of-fact.

"So your stories will match."

And then she moves to this world's Hannibal, hefting the body over her shoulder and ignoring the blood that leaks all over her.

"Going downstairs might be good. Too. I think someone is hurt. There."

A pause.

"Or maybe it is better not to go down. Until the police come."

[patterns_bloom]

"Jack," Alana gasps, covering her lips with her trembling hands. "Jack's in the pantry." She stands, and stumbles along the way.

Then she stops, and turns. "Thank you, X. I don't know how to repay you."

[cutting_edgex23]

X just looks back at her, blood-stained and upright -- even under the weight of the corpse she is removing for disposal.

"This is what I do. It is okay."

And then she turns, heading for the door out of this room -- not the broken one that leads to the office -- and the clattering sounds of the patrons of Milliways beyond.

Honestly, most of them have probably seen stranger things than this.

[patterns_bloom]

X leaving Alana galvanizes her into action. Alana heads to check on Jack first, and, upon finding him alive, assures him that Hannibal Lecter is dead, and that help is coming. She leaves him to go check on Abigail, and crouches by her unconscious body.

"Abigail," Alana says, patting her cheek. "Abigail, wake up."

[unshattered]

Perhaps fortunately, Abigail's first reaction once her eyes flutter open doesn't concern Alana, but herself. She reaches immediately for her neck, in one sharp movement sitting up against the wall and gripping her throat, as though convinced she's bleeding.

She breathes fast, and heavy, and doesn't look at Alana.

[patterns_bloom]

Alana doesn't touch her. The psychologist gives the girl plenty of space, but Alana does move in front of her, into her field of vision. Alana snaps her fingers thrice. "Abigail! You're safe now. Dr. Lecter is dead."

[unshattered]

Abigail does blink to her, but her hands stay on her neck, and she keeps breathing heavily.

After a few second, she does slow enough to manage one word. "W-what?"

[patterns_bloom]

"You're safe now," Alana says again, settling onto the floor before her. "He's dead."