Match of the Millennium

Description: Moondyne Mouse commandeers a car and extricates Mitsuru and Steve out of the Mishima Zaibatsu facility. Mitsuru is... less than enthused.

[MOONDYNE]
The garage beneath Mishima Zaibatsu's underground complex was dark and silent, the sirens and commotion of what had been going on deeper in was completely unheard. Soundproofing was everywhere down there.

There is the sound of a car's engine's thrumming to life, the headlights beaming, the outer door to the garage being worked remotely.

The car's tires screech as it peels out, and the radio beings to blare...

(cue music: https://youtu.be/V5BF1V1pbTs )

"Ahahahahahahahaaaa! Whooohohoooo, no stopping this ride Stevey boy!" Moondyne is leaning her head right out the driver's side window as she accelerates the car to up around 60mphh, cackling all the while, and seeming to be having the time of her life, especially considering the whole front chestplate of her armor looks like a soda can a fat lady sat on. Well, one kinda did, but that's beside the point. The car is a 4 door sedan, who knows who, and it likely won't be reported stolen for an evening or two. Moondyne is careful about dumping cars like this--she needs to take it somewhere to clean it out of the others fingerprints and DNA, course--she herself didn't have any, so that wasn't typically a problem.

First stop is likely some food--fast food? All the food--thankfully Moondyne's holo-emitter is still functional while she buys the group an exorbitant amount of food, before speeding off. God only knows if she actually paid or not, and who's money it even was, if it was real.

"What do you say Stevey? You want some threads, there maybe? here hold this--" she casually hands over what looks like a scrap of metal that likely just ame off her torso, while keeping her eyes on the radio.

[STEVE]
Steve placed Mitsuru on the back seat carefully, making sure to apply the seatbelt for her safety. He then sat next to Moondyne in the front seat, before she sped up to manical speeds. "Blast, Cool it down, will you?"

Shortly afterwards, Steve briefly falls asleep (somehow, over the loud music!) Spent by all the events that transpired. Before he wakes up through the smells of a mountain of fast foods and Moondyne's request. He sheepishly grabs the metal piece. "Threads, you mean Clothes? I'd be thrilled. I've spent too long in this.... Baggy Disaster." He snacks on some fries, often looking back to the unconscious Mitsuru with a worried glare. "Blimey, I hope she'll be alright."

"By the by, Moondyne. What made you decide to help us? I mean, bollocks, I'm outstandingly grateful that you did. Though I'm just not sure what you're getting out of it."

[MOONDYNE]
"Whoohoohooo--Oh, alright," Moondyne Mouse let the gas pedal of the car relax a little bit, till they were on a more fast but reasonable speed, reaching over to pop open one of the many boxes of chicken nuggets they had bought.

"Well you see Steve, I didn't want to let you just sit there forever," she turns the volume of the stereo system down a bit, so the man can hear her much better. She takes a turn and pulls into another parking garage, this one looking like it was connected to a large department store.

"What, you wanna go back? I can turn this car around, you know," she smirks, a little, looking back at Mitsuru, casting a disinterested gaze.

"She need to get cleaned up? Who knows where they were keeping her," Moondyne opened the door and stepping out--already cloaking herself holographically into a short woman with her approximate features, but human, and wearing a black and gray pinstripe suit, red cravat, fedora, spats.

[STEVE]
Steve nods at the somewhat vague answer. "I see. And no thank you, I enjoy my freedom." He says as he cracks a genuine smile, opening his car window and breathing in some fresh air.

"It's always darn weird to see you transform like that. I'm sure Mitsuru will wake up soon. So when she does, I'll let her do that herself." More crunching of fries.

[MITSURU]
Her mouth was dry.

Mitsuru's entire body felt drained; there was a dull, persistent pain in her spine that wouldn't go away. There was a weakness, a fatigue through her body. The motion stops. Her eyes open. Even in her haze, she understood where she was. She was in a car. Back of a car. It wasn't the room. It was another room, confined. She was moving, sitting up. She heard something through the muttering sea. Voices? She didn't recognize one of them. But the other comes with unlimited understanding.

That was Steve's voice

Steve. She was in a car with Steve, and somebody else. She remembers.... she remembers herself and Steve. Arguing. Fighting. The nurse rat thing insulting her. Why was she insulting her? It was swimming in front of her like a bad dreams. The deathly-pale girl stares with dark rings under her eyes, looking from Steve, to Moondyne outside, to Steve. There is a flash of emotion, a flash of fear. And finally, she says what was on her mind.

"Guuuh...?" Mitsuru states eloquently, as she forces away the fog in her brain.

[MOONDYNE]
"Well, look who's up, your girl, Steve-O," Moondyne Mouse smiled, now looking quite like a very short woman dressed in a snazzy gangster-ish outfit. In a suit that'd likely put Daniel 'Ladykiller' Little to shame. It was actually much more 'Sailor Ironmouse' than going off him, though.

"Wakey wakey, got some drinks for you--and protein burgers--humans like those, right?" Moondyne grinned a little, tipping down the black horn-rimmed sunglasses to peer at Mitsuru with her reddish brown eyes. Her eyes remained the same even in her transformation, despite her ability to change that any way she wished.

"It's not too bad," she held up what might have been a chicken strip, likely they had gone to burger king--and snapped it up, wholly into her mouth without chewing it at first, like an alligator.

"Hmm..." she chewed it slowly, contemplatively.

[STEVE]
"Mitsuru! You're awake!" the Boxer yells exuberantly as soon as he hears the girl.

Not really registering Moondyne's voice, he starts talking to the girl. "A-are you alright? Come, have some food. You must be starving." gesturing towards Moondyne, he continues. "This is Moondyne, and she helped us escape that damnable facility. We took care of that bit- mean, the Demoness. You're safe now."

[MITSURU]
Mitsuru wasn't looking relieved.

She was- she was still in the kimono, wasn't she. She touched it, the ceramonial robes meant for a tea ceramony. A tea ceramony. Daddy. Father. Miss Sakamoto, Lyraelle. The demoness. When Steve mentions the demoness, it should be happy. She was saved, she was free, Steve was there again. Everything should be happy and joyful and she should be having real fast food again. But she wasn't looking happy. No. She glances back to Steve.

She was looking at Steve with terror.

Instinctively, she backs away from her friend. "How do I know you're really Steve? Where am I?!" Mitsuru's eyes dart around in horror. Because it couldn't be Steve. It couldn't be a rescue. IT was another one of Lyraelle's pranks, wasn't it? The mouse was insulting her, she remembers that! Flashing with white energy, she stares at horror at the Englishman as she screams at him. "If you are really Steve, prove it! All of you prove it!" Mitsuru starts to kick the door of the car on the other side, a panic coming in.

"Let me out of here you FOOLS!"

[MOONDYNE]
"Uh oh, she's gettin' away from ya," Moondyne is sipping from a large to-go paper cup with a straw, probably some orange Fanta in there--as she watches Mitsuru get up and try to run off. Moondyne patently does not try to stop her.

"He's very much Steve, my sensors don't lie, momma," Moondyne speaks up in Steve's defense, nodding. As if that would do much good in this situation.

"I dunno, I think she needs like, 20 Vicodins, and to have a nap," Moondyne Mouse is more amused by this than anything, though she IS trying to help... it's just hard to care when Mitsuru reacts this way.

"And we're in a department store--hey, that car isn't even mine--actually I dunno who's it is," Moondyne snorts a little in laughter.

[STEVE]
Steve's own look turns to sadness, as Mitsuru lets loose upon him, before he sterns up his face into one of understanding. He turns around completely, leaning and looking over the car seat, giving Mitsuru his full attention.

"How can I prove it to you?" A straightforwards question with a calm tone.

"Look around, and you can see where we are. Outside. We're bloody outside, Mitsuru. Finally." He opens the car door, stepping out and onto the parking of the road. Opening the door that Mitsuru was frantically kicking, and stepping away to give her room to leave. "Go on then, you're free to leave. Though I would love to talk before you decide what to do."

"Now, what kind of drink would you like?" He states, gesturing to one of the bags Moondyne 'bought' earlier.

[MITSURU]
Mitsuru runs out of the car when it opens.

It felt like outside. It felt like freedom. Mitsuru looks around, dazed and confused. The air tasted like freedom, the wind sounded like freedom. There was no endless drone of air conditioning units, no taste of recycled air over and over. It felt like outside. A drink is offered, the bags of food. She felt so thirsty, so hungry. But Vicodins and a nap, drugs. Drugging her. Paranoia surges in her mind and heart. It all felt real to her.

But how did she know it was real?

"No, no, it's not outside, it's not free." Mitsuru rambles a bit, still feeling foggy, still feeling confused. Mitsuru turns towards Steve, flailing a distance away. "You're just her! You're just Lyraelle and her stupid minion!" Mitsuru balls her hands into fists as she glares at Moondyne. "Or... or you are Lyraelle! And you are the minion! Or.... or you both of you are minions, or... Lyraelle?" Mitsuru shudders a bit, stumbling as weakness takes hold of her knees. She steels herself at the last second. "Or... or Steve came out and saved me, after Lyarelle... after she took my face... and I am out..." She trails off, trying to seperate the fantasy from the reality. She holds, trying to sort across the boundaries. "... Why did I run away Steve the first time. From the caberet." She adds, looking up, face twisted into a furious glower.

"Why did I run away, and what did you tell me?"

[MOONDYNE]
Moondyne is giving Steve a bit of a confused look, as if to say, 'what the hell did you get me into here', with regards to Mitsuru, raising a brow at the name.

"Me and him just beat the shit out of whoever was holding you there and brought you here, I needed Steve's help," she shook her head, but doesn't make any move or motion to try and stop Mitsuru. She shrugs at her litany of questions, not seeming especially concerned.

"Maybe we should just... videotape this, and play it back in slow motion, figure out what she's talking about," Mouse idly recommends.

[STEVE]
Steve shakes his head, disapproving and frustrated over Moondyne's Harshness. "Shush. You're not helping here, I'll handle this."

"Lets see now, what /did/ I say to you." He scratches his chin, the memory somewhat foggy after all the months. Mitsuru would likely notice that Steve looks rather unkempt. His hair is grown out longer then usual and unstyled, and he has developed a fair amount of stubble. "That's right. You wanted to leave because Velvet wanted you to do uh, 'that thing'. You rightfully felt horrible about being made into something you weren't." He takes a sip of the straw sticking out of his cola. "We talked about a bunch of things, but I recall warning you about the controlling nature of your father, since you wanted to return to him. I also tried convincing you that that kind people are more plentiful then you might think." he looks down at the concrete for a bit.

"Those were the broad strokes, I believe."

[MITSURU]
Mitsuru had forgot.

Mitsuru forgot about so much before the long stay at the bunker. She didn't know if Steve was real or not, or if this was another hilarious prank to make Mitsuru humilated in front of everything and herself. But she forgot. She forgot about everything there. And when Steve talks about, even in broad strokes, it all comes back to her. She remembers. ANd it hits her like a freight truck. How faraway it was when she was living in a world that was so different from now. So different before Lyraelle had... Miss Sakomoto had...

Tears begins to build up in her eyes.

"Steeeeeeeeeeve!" Mitsuru squeals as she charges at Steve. Running into him with a full-forced body check, she hugs Steve. "Yare yare daze, good gr-grief." She mutters, trying to cling to that old memory, that old place. That sour teasing, hiding the raw emotional attachment to liking people, to trusting people. Except what comes next isn't a punch. That's what she would do, punch Steve in the shoulder, and be harmlessly angry. It's what she would do before. She wanted to go back there. She wanted to be back there. She wanted to go back in time and be there.

She releases Steve, lowering her head.

Grabbing her upper arm with one hand, she breaths hard as she wipe her eyes with the other hand. "Steve, Grandpa Mishima is a bad man, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. This is my fault. I should have listened to you. The demoness, Lyraelle, she did things to me in the bunker, she wanted to punish me and bully me because I made her so mad. I should have let you two kissed." Mitsuru sniffs hard. "I should have let her do whatever she wanted, because this all was- this was all my fault!" Mitsuru stamps her feet once, scowling. "I- I don't even know what he did to you, and you got out somehow? I guess the... thing helped you?" She doesn't look at Moondyne, clearly uncomfortable with it as she pulls her kimono tighter over herself. She turns slightly in place. "You don't have to forgive me Steve,"

"But at least promise me you won't let me be that stupid again, okay?"

[MOONDYNE]
Moondyne is doing as Steve asked and is keeping quiet, though she's also turned away to wander off a little nad inspect the stairwell/entrance of the parking garage to see if anyone was coming down. She didn't want anyone calling the police if they walked in on this scene and thought this was an assault in progress or a kidnapping, after all. She yawns a little and sips at the drink, turnong one of her large ears back towards where Mitsuru is breaking down.

"I'm a mouse, thank you, and a very good one," she corrects.

[STEVE]
"Woh, woh- Easy there!" He says, almost losing his balance with the sudden, surprising tackle. He returns the hug, the emotions displayed clear as day on his face.
A broad, content smile of relief.

"Blast, It is so good to see you again. The real you." Steve takes a step back after the hug, making sure to give the girl her space. "Blimey, both of us were being Stupid. It was at much my fault as it was yours, I never should have sided with that monster. We should've just kicked her stupid arse together, yeah? Lyraelle deserved everything, and more then we did to her. She had the bloody audacity to impersonate you in front of me." He points to Moondyne, thumb over his shoulder. "I said help, but it's more like that she saved us. I would've been helpless without Moondyne here. She cracked open the whole facility like... like a can of white beans. So indeed, A very good Mouse."

"I- I will certainly try, but I can't quite promise that, I'm sorry."

[MITSURU]
To be fair, it was a kind of kidnapping.

Mitsuru felt weird, super weird. Happy? Crazy? "She made me kill daddy." Mitsuru said coldly and distantly. "I don't know- I don't know if my Daddy is alive or dead. She made me do homework too. She took my daddy's shape, and made me kill him." Mitsuru should be happy. She had a new savior. She wasn't going to shake that off. She would never shake it off. But this was all thanks to Moondyne. Someone who sacrifices so much to save her, right? Mitsuru should be so gracious. She should be so overjoyed, thankful for the help for saving her life, for saving Steve.

But Mitsuru didn't -trust- strangers.

Even the ones that helped her. Especially the ones who helped her. Velvet Blue. Daddy. Grandpa Mishima. Miss Sakamoto. So many deceptive, deceitful wolves amongst the good people like Steve and Bob. Mitsuru didn't want to be grateful, or gracious. She wanted to fight Moondyne. Everyone. Steve? She would fight Steve. Mitsuru was sounding more and more anxious, as the teenager averts her eyes from Moondyne.

"Mices are not supposed to be that big." She mutters bitterly.

Mitsuru tries to figure out what she wants. "I'm not hungry or thirsty though." She states, connecting why the bag of food is there. And then, she connects more. "Why are we in a department store? Are we stealing something? We need to keep moving I- are there Darkstalkers on the streets still? I- I" Mitsuru shuts her eyes, and drew in a deep breath. She exhaled.

"I need to get to my father now."

[MOONDYNE]
"Uh, no, here to buy you new clothes, since you've just been locked up in a private prison for months," Moondyne pipes up again, satisfied no one was watching them, turning back to the man and the girl.

"Well, private prison is putting it mildly--but you will be needing something to wear I think, and well, whatever else you want," Moondyne shrugs. "Like a new phone, maybe? the both of you," she gestured to Steve.

"And no, no Darkstalkers, they killed most of them and swept the rest out of the city, I think."

[STEVE]
"She did what?!" he exclaims loudly, angered by the revelation what Lyraelle did. Before he composes himself, and gets back to the point. "You still want to go back to him, huh? Well, I understand."

Steve sighs, seemingly not particularly happy about her decision. "I was already planning on asking you what you wanted to do, but you were ahead of me, it seems." the Englishman takes a long sip of his cola. "It is your decision to make, and I will not stop you. But I will reiterate to be careful. He will still want you to be his perfect version of Mitsuru. Don't forget what Hachiko said, all of that was ordered by your father." He restates this again, hoping he can get through to Mitsuru.

"Preferably, I would still like to escort you there. Who know's what they'll try to pull. He acknowledges Moondyne's questions, turning towards her with a nod and smile. "Thanks again, Moondyne. Both clothes and a phone would be fantastic. We uh, stand out a little in our current Attire. To say the least."

[MITSURU]
"You don't understand!"

Mitsuru stamps her foot again, before looking away. Her spine was hurting more. Her scar was hurting less. "It doesn't matter what I wear. We need to get there as soon as possible!" Mitsuru tries to stifle her temper, her rage, her fear. And succeeds, as she struggles through the clarity of her statement. "Lyraelle... turned into my father. And she turned into me too, but only after she used her tail on me. If she turned into Daddy, then daddy must be in danger, or dead, or... or worse!"

Mitsuru very specifically averts her eyes on the worse.

"... I need to make sure he's alive. I don't care if I am- I am dressed like this. ANd you shouldn't care if you are dressed like that. All the better! People should look at us and go 'that's not the right way to look!' Because we are not treated right! Let everyone see it! It's been illegal, and I hope everyone sees us!" Mitsuru sounded awfully confident on her choice. "So no, I don't want to shop." She was looking towards Moondyne now. "I want you to drive me home now! And bring Steve along too!" She halts a moment, and looks away.

"... Please. I don't want my father to be dying, or worse, and Lyraelle catching up with him..."

[MOONDYNE]
"Steve, this is making me late for my spa treatment," Moondyne grunted, looking over at the British Boxer, gesturing to her chest. Under the holographic illusion she was still very much damaged. She had been hoping to get this out of the way and then get back to one of her hideouts, where she could set to work undoing some of that. It was less that she didn't /care/ about Mitsuru and her issues, daddy or otherwise--which well, she /didn't/, but that was besides the point.

"Was trying to be nice and take you two out and all, since you know, you just escaped from a warcrimes-level clandestine prison and science facility--but I seriously don't have time for this," she gestured to the situation in general, starting to move back towards the car, and head to the driver's side door--opening it, and sitting half-way inside and out, one leg on the pavement still. It looked kind of funny with her sitting alone in the driver's seat by herself, given her size, likely she used something to boost herself up a little bit when she drove, especially as fast as she had been before.

[STEVE]
Steve listens to the girl's explanation intently. "I..." His expression is rather pained.
"....Understand. Your conclusion makes a lot of sense. Lyraelle must have gotten to him, and he could very well be in danger." He takes another deep sigh, shaking his head. "As much as I loathe that man, I will follow your wish. We should depart right away, then. But...."

He looks over at Moondyne, and the Car. "Moondyne is right. She has already done more then enough for us. We'll need to find another way to get there. A bus or train would be the fastest, I imagine." He walks over to Moondyne's side of the car. Holding out his hand for a shake. "Lemme know if you ever need anything, Yeah? I'm in your debt."

[MITSURU]
She hoped Steve was right, and he was just in danger.

Mitsuru felt that it would be even worse if he -wasn't- in danger. With Miss Sakamoto playing with his chest, teasing him while he was on a phone call with Mommy, who didn't suspect anything while Daddy cheated and philandered with a hideous Darkstalker. The emotions running through Mitsuru flared up for a moment. But then, she swallows them. Steve was going to help her again. They were going to DO THIS. And without the Darkstalkers around, without the lockdown... they could make it there. They would make it to the Tokugawa Mansion. And she would get her justice. She wasn't going to get the ride from the mouse.

But could Mitsuru really blame her?

Mitsuru looks pained at Moondyne, but shakes off her own insecurities and temper. Coming over to Moondyne, she gives a respective bow. The ora ora ora voice is gone, as she puts on a restrained, respectable young lady tone. "Thank you very much, Moondyne. I apologize for being so rude. I am in your debt for saving me, and Steve. Please, if you reach out to me later, I will reimburse you, on behalf of the Tokugawa family." And like that, she goes back to her husky tones, thumbing out of the parking lot.
%"Now come on, Steve, before I lose my temper!"

[MOONDYNE]
"Aww, well damn--now I feel a little bit bad for not having any patience," Moondyne sat back, looking a little conflicted there, before pulling her other leg into the car and pulling the door closed, once Mitsuru apologized. She started the engine and pulled out, pausing for a moment as her window came around to where Steve was standing.

"Well I kept my promise, you will see me again, if you need me," she twiddled her fingers in a little coy 'waving bye' sort of gesture, before she gripped the steering wheel with both hands and began to put pressure on the pedal, moving to swing the car out of the parking garage and up the ramp, into the light.

[STEVE]
"Or if you need me." he returns, with a smirk. Waving the mouse goodbye. "See you around, Moondyne."

Right afterwards, he hurries after the girl. Looking down at his exposed legs peaking out of the hospital gown, feet only covered by some slippers. "Blast, I could've at least used some pants." he shakes his head as he catches up with Mitsuru."

"So, where to? I'll follow your lead."

[MITSURU]
Mitsuru stands fast, as Moondyne makes her way.

Everything wasn't quite where it was. Everything wasn't quite perfect. She still felt rattled. But with Steve and herself free, they needed... they needed to... "We need to..." Mitsuru considers hard. She was trying very hard to get her brain on track. How were they going to get there? They would... walk? Yes. Walk. But walk -safely-. Things would work out. Mitsuru puffs out her chest, as she looks to the man in the hospital gown, and herself in a kimono. It was like a bad cosplay of a mediocre anime. But she points down a somewhat... random direction. "We will go -that- way!"

And she begins, leading the way to their finale.

Log created on 11:54:28 02/01/2021 by Moondyne, and last modified on 12:57:35 02/02/2021.