Description: The malevolent Shadaloo leader is still making his rounds like some sort of evil anti-Santa, dropping off trinkets and charms to those with a little bit of darkness that they can't quite overcome. Eiserne's mind proves to be an incredibly fertile soil in which to sow the delectable seeds of chaos, and it doesn't take much to convince her to take Haggar's humvee for a joyride through the Metro City highways...
The evening was cool rather than cold, trash bags and cans lining either side some stinking slightly enough that Eiserne would probably be able to make an educated guess as to which bags came form the businesses either side of the alleyway. The alley reeks of old blood, smoke and garbage but the young woman settled in on the rust coloured fire escape finds it familiar and homey.
Traffic and constant foot traffic are a little muted, a quiet little safe pocket of the seedier side of town, the usual residents who lived or pushed here had been dispersed and she could probably get some sleep before they came back in greater numbers to 'reclaim' their turf from the crazy woman who had threatened and then painfully ejected them. She is sore all over, small pains and depression hang over her like a blanket that smothers her cheer and vitality, so many strong people but all so much stronger than her. She feels weak and small, and those things don't tend to last long in this world.
It's difficult, isn't it? Few are truly in this part of town because they -want- to be. There is always someone better, always something holding them back. For example, take the people that Eiserne had "evicted": don't they also have it hard, to have their shoddy home claimed by a depressed woman? What are they to do? How are they to stave off the cold night? And is it ever cold. Barrel drums glow with the heat of hobo fires, many of them surrounded by vagrants begging for even the briefest comfort of a flame's warmth.
"What are /you/ doing here?"
The voice is a wispy thing, like someone had dropped their words and let the winds carry them where they may. Though she may look, Eiserne won't find anyone around, at least not close enough to have spoken to her so gently. Indeed, one of the hobos may give her a weird look if she looks around, but hearing voices is not exactly uncommon in their sort.
Eiserne brow furrows, knees tucked to her chest and only the upper part of her face visible as she opens her eyes and looks left to right without any sudden movement. Sanity and Eiserne could be said to be on cordial speaking terms at best but hearing voices was usually a sign of danger because there was someone else nearby. She eyes linger over the people trying to warm themselves around the barrels, too many, too close.
"Why are /you/ here? When I told you to GO!"
The demented and obviously dangerous woman apparently talking to herself on the fire escape but loudly enough for it to carry. She is loathe to press the homeless here any further, people who have next to nothing are willing to fight pretty hard to keep it, there is some sympathy in that but it is mostly just practicality. One stray dog not fighting another for its scraps because of the wounds it may incur, people have lived in worse states and with even less. The strong people in this country were exquisite, but their people were fat and decadent, even their poor.
The sudden outburst causes a number of people to turn around with a startled jump, looking up at the source of the noise. These poor bystanders had seen what happened to the people that Eiserne had kicked out of her temporary resting place, and they are in no shape to offer any greater resistance. Murmuring abounds about the fire drum and, after a bit of grudging acceptance, move on to other corners and alleyways, just in case. Who are they to know that she won't snap on them next?
In the meantime, the disembodied voice lets loose a chuckle, low and callous for the plight of the recently-vacated homeless men. "That is exactly as it should be. The strong command the weak."
She may notice that the voice doesn't appear to be coming from -anywhere-...or perhaps, from everywhere at once, like a ghostly haunting of the rusty fire escape. The cold air bites at her ears, but try as she might, she won't be able to pick up a positive direction that the sound is coming from.
Grinding her teeth Eiserne hasn't been this incensed against someone she couldn't pick a fight with since she was a child. She surges back up to her feet head swivelling and hands white knuckled on the safety railing, the metal groans and protests because of its age and neglect. There is a luxurious stretch inside her head as a familiar entity butts heads with her inside her own mind. The other Eiserne seems to be intrigued by the voice enough to be paying attention and that in itself is unusual. The other s\elf literally butts heads and shoves her aside, talking to her aloud with their own mouth, "Give over." hands hanging loose and ready to throw one of the sharp bladed knives slipping from her tangled and tightly woven sleeve into her waiting hands Eiserne waits for the voice to reveal itself.
"You're right.. voice, The strong dictate how the weak should live, we agree!" the smile on her face is almost pleasant if unnatural to the face making it . "Now why don't you show yourself" so that Eiserne can put and end to the endless chatter, she already finds this a tedious hassle but she will deal with it and then it will be all over, she can go back to sleep.
How...interesting. Shadaloo intelligence had mentioned something about the girl being...unstable. Now that he's here, now that he can feel the maelstrom of conflicting thoughts and desires battling for supremacy, it's even more impressive. A chaotic mind is infinitely more receptive to influence than a clear, willful one.
"No...I think not. Not yet." The voice is more clear now, rich and forceful. Thoughts begin to convalesce in her split mind without the need for mundane hearing, like a flood of suppressed thoughts that finally found their voice. "I'll ask again... What are you doing /here/?" There's only the briefest pause and the voice continues louder, stronger. "Why do you settle for /this/ squalor, when you could take so much more?"
Eiserne quirks her lips, "Oho, You're in my head" this side is much faster on the uptake and slower to leap to conclusions, its all about survival. Her guard drops as she folds her arms across her impressive bust and considered the implications. It was already kind of crowded so she wasn't interested in letting someone else move in. "I get it, I get it. You want more, maybe we should become fat and stupid like the rest" The tiny room in the corner of her mind where her other self resides positively vibrates with questions about having more, Eiserne is not so easily moved however.
She begins a low and melodious chuckle "Ah, new girl. You don't seem to know much about us." she smiles "So pay attention." Images, old memories, emotionally scars like folds in old photographs, to be beaten, abused, starved... to be shot, bombed, trained like a beast and finally imprisoned as one. To tell how old a war zone is by the relative age of the corpses littering it, to rate her enjoyment of food by how worried by vermin it had been. Eisernes teeth flash white in the approaching gloom "Squalor? This is heaven!"
It's not easy, dealing with such a fractured mind. Amateur telepaths would go mad with the effort it takes to distinguish the various segments of the mind. Ah, but Vega is no amateur. His will wriggles itself into the slightest nooks and crannies.
New girl? ...Ah. Off in another room entirely, a wide, wry grin spreads across Vega's lips. He had expected more of a fight, but this girl, she seems to take this sort of thing as a natural occurrence! Without even trying, she lays her mind bare to him, her memories and experiences that all culminated in her present sitation.
"Pathetic." There's another pause, the voice silent for a few seconds. Despite the luck he's had thus far, truly converting one takes a bit of patience and careful wordcraft. "You've finally grasped these meager scraps and you think that you...that we have accomplished anything? You think that success brings sloth and gluttony?" The voice's presence swells, a feeling of lust growing in power. Lust for wealth. Lust for power. Lust for control. "Have you not wondered what we could have with the slightest effort? See how powerless those men were before us, how we drove them out. Look at the rusty metal, the urine-stained walls. Why should we settle for this, when we can have so much more? ...When we /deserve/ so much more?"
Eiserne faulters now, more because she is undisputed top dog inside this little head and she is not used to being insulted inside her own head. 'Such a dirty, ugly little thing' I'm not ugly, 'Weakling, I could do a hundred times more at you age' I'm not weak! Doors to old memories begin to be slammed shut but her hands are still trembling. The voice hits her where she hurts, she loathes insults, and worse still not form a source she can crush or maim in response, she is left.. impotent. Fear of success? That implies she is a failure as well, people have died for lesser insults. For all ability and power she can do nothing to carve a payment for those remarks into the voices flesh, for its insolence. Her voice is quiet, tightly controlled Unlike her rising body temper and rage.
"What do you suggest then? voice"
she almost spits the word out people in the alleyway can feel the bloodlust and killing intent of the girl who appears to just be relaxing and leaning against the rail of the fire escape. She toys with the dagger she had in her sleeve and admires her reflection in it, picking at her nails and wishing that this voice had a face, that she might smash it to pulp.
The girl's disarray is like the finest banquet, of course! It doesn't matter that he didn't have to work hard for it; to Vega, Eiserne's fears and insecurities are an important source of strength. Such weakness, such infirmity, he can never relate to...but he is well-versed in how to /use/ it.
"I /suggest/...that we don't settle for a run-down pit in a horrible neighborhood. For all that we've suffered, all that we've experienced, we have survived, have we not? Despite others' efforts, we have /succeeded/." The voice's influence attempts to swell further as Vega's will exerts itself upon the poor girl. It's a play at dominance, to silence the opposing thoughts beneath his own, while enticing that small, niggling desire for more. "So... We shall take from them. Let THEM experience the pain that we've had to live through. Let them pick through scraps while we stand over them all in our rightful place!"
Eiserne wallows in her self pity for a moment, the idea doesn't appeal to her at all and she doesn't like this new voice at all. Everything it suggests here is dangerous. But, danger is what brings her to the surface and gives her control and maybe that would give her some more face time with 'their' body. How much trouble could they really get in if she was calling the shots. Trying to keep the lid on the excited bubbling pot that is the other self can be draining when it isn't too afraid to come out and rather than admit defeat or be pushed aside she starts to recede "I don't like you voice, you are dangerous." She relaxes back to the bottom of the conscious mind both personalities (plus one) share and the first returns, the hands are no longer trembling so much as shaking with excitement.
"Kekeke What should we take first? What! What?"
So used to being the little mouse and hiding in the shadows this feels like a fun new game, a chance to be like her other self even if she doesn't recognize the dangers involved in doing so.
"SILENCE."
The new voice is suddenly loud, perhaps overwhelmingly so. It sounds like the noise comes from all around her, a violent reverberation that shakes the air and rattles the fire escape itself. "For too long have we had to suffer with your petty fears! Too often do your sniveling worries keep us from taking what's ours!" Off in his own room, Vega is pacing now. His fist is raised and clenched, a passion swelling that is usually roused when addressing his masses of troops. He is not used to having to step so delicately about his desires, and the longer this goes, the less patient he is. The voice returns in short order, still booming, fierce, as though threatening to split the poor girl's head from within.
"First, we shall rid ourselves of his miserable hovel and find someplace DECENT. A condo, a mansion. It doesn't matter. And if anyone tries to oppose us? We CRUSH them."
The former personality gives the impression of amusement at provoking the new girl before settling in. Eiserne displays plenty of nervousness now with the new voice acting so forceful, the other self was nowhere near as demanding and just let her do her own thing and play, only pushing to the surface to get them out of stations or deal with anyone who tried to hurt her. Having it recede away and leave her with this new demanding voice is a little disconcerting. Its so loud she covers her ears like it might help and swings her head back and forth whipping her pigtails about.
"ow ow ow-OW, you're too loud!"
Its not that she doesn't want the things the voice proposes so much as she wishes it would just tell her what it was thinking without yelling. She actually has no idea where to begin with any of these things and the headache that the yelling is starting to cause though a delighted smile crosses her face after a moments thought. "I always wanted to try, Driving!" the prospect of hurtling around the city at night with an auto mobile is positively exciting, so many potential injuries and damage. A game to set a potential new high score.
Too loud? What a frail girl Eiserne must be! Imagine if she were to be before Vega himself. Would she simply crumble under his presence? Would her mind be able to bear his overpowering might? For a moment, he's tempted to show himself, to see how far down he can crush this little maggot. It's not often that he has to repress his whims...but only the promise of what his patience will bring stays his hand. It's this short bout of indecisiveness that grants the girl some momentary respite.
"Then..." the voice says, now less forceful than before. The tone still bears one of command, but it's not as awful to behold. "That's where we shall start, the first step on our path to greatness." With a stolen car. The 'fun' voice has such limited vision that it's sickening, but at least she's -there-. That's all that matters. "Let's go uptown. City hall. The would-be fat cats there are just begging to be deprived of their shiny new cars, paid for with money that they didn't earn."
used more to a focus on gratification of her immediate wants Eisernes' childish personality seems hesitant to embrace the the concept of a specific undertaking, she fondly glances at the generic and normal minivans and clap trap vehicles travelling the roads and laments the fixation this new voice has on so specific a goal. Elbows pointing into the air with her arms folded behind her head as she thinks with a loud and drawn out hrm.
"-rrrrm, What could it hurt?"
She slips the black back into the colourful woven rags and steps up onto the railing. The fire escape protests loudly despite her being rather small and light. Leaping across the span of the alley she scampers up the face of the wall only seeming to touch upon possible hand and foot holds rather than be using them.
Eiserne completely ignores the homeless people as of now, as she is not staying and they are no longer a threat to her in her sleep, they are as nothing. The city is full of more interesting, tastes, lights and sounds but this is kind of like hunting,
The thrill of the hunt! To run another living thing down pitting her strength against its, the kill one of her greatest joys. She is already beginning to run, the cities darkening skyline is no match for the excitement and mad light in her eyes. She knows she is going the right way, but she doesn't know how or find it strange. A fast and tireless run, quick even strides and beathing, making excellent time across rooftops with sprightly leaps and throwing herself across gap and on, over and around any obstacle in her way and that is where she does not simply rush headlong across strung cables and high tension wires, heedless of the immediate and assured death if she were to fall.
The other Eiserne in the back of her mind is troubled and doesn't recede as far into their shared madness, she does not sleep. She watches and makes no pretence that she is not also listening to the voice, warily and begrudgingly.
If there's one thing for the 'other', more realistic Eiserne to be thankful for, is that this new voice finally falls quiet. As the most chaotic personality has taken firm hold of the body, Vega simply has little reason to continue! All it took, it seems, was a little push to get the beaten-up, mopey girl to give in to her desires! Comparatively, there was no, long, drawn-out affair, no needing to directly intervene. Even better, there was no need to kidnap the girl and hook her up to the really FUN machines. Actually, that's almost a pity.
Now that Eiserne's on her way, Vega rises from the frumpy old chair that he's been seated in a mere floor above. Looking out the window, his dark face bears a pleased grin as he sees her scamper off. It's not long until she's not only out of sight, but also out of convenient range for further suggestion. But worry not: the enigmatic leader has plenty of people who are more than willing to relay the sightings of such a flashily-dressed girl... In the meantime, the Shadaloo Lord simply vanishes in a quick shimmer of dark violet, leaving behind naught but the two mangled and broken bums that rose a clamor when he first flashed in before them
For all the squalor of the slums, City Hall is, comparatively, a paradise. Haggar himself is tasked with the city's safety, and few are willing to risk drawing his attention. People are much better off in this part of town! They all have nicer cars, clean clothes--thick ones, too, that protect from the cold. Businessmen abound, coming to and fro for lunches, meetings, or simply stealing away during work hours for a quickie. The view from the rooftop is actually quite thrilling! And oh, the opportunities! There are a few parking lots just full of cars most of them new and shiny, well-kept by their rich owners. Some of them are even unlocked.
Eiserne doesn't really recall how long she has been running, she chest burns just a little from the exertion but its forgotten as she leans right over the edge of one of the buildings overlooking the streets that she might get a better look, both hands shading her eyes so she isn't holding onto anything. Her eyes are wide and she is really drinking it all in. Its so clean, and bright.. everything is in such nice repair and THIS was in a place where people who could crush cinder blocks were sometimes happy to trade blows in the streets.
A warning grumble from the other Eiserne tries to get her to think about just why it might be so nice around and pristine around here. But she is now much too interested and excited now to be swayed by anything other than being showed aside.
"Which one?"
The prettily coloured and bright convertibles catch her eyes, but she isn't spoiling for choice, Only one Vehicle looks completely out of place but thats because it looks like there a huge Humvee parked outside the mayoral offices. Eiserne is not particularly attracted to it by the drab olive colouring so much as the SIZE, Her eyes dilate as she focuses upon the vehicle almost lovingly, what it could do; what she could probably make it do.
Eiserne want.
Now, where did that little minx go? Now seated in the comfort of a particularly lavish luxury vehicle, Vega reaches for the seat in front of him. The windows are as dark as the paint on the chassis, granting him utter privacy as the monitor embedded in front of him flickers to life. The screen is segmented into six displays, each of giving a different view of the city. There's one in the slums, one at the mall, one at the arena, one at the...
Well, hello.
A couple of blocks away from Eiserne, a lone man looks up toward the rooftop. His irises dilate and narrow into focus, the twin cameras zooming in on the girl up above. A ball cap rests on the surveillance robot's head, while the rest of him is dressed in some sort of sports jacket and long jeans. His hands are stuffed into his pockets, but he doesn't move far. Oh, he'll shift here and there as people move around him, but for the time being, those cold eyes just gaze toward their target. The car, some miles away, roars to life and begins its journey towards City Hall.
Seriously, he didn't think she's ACTUALLY go right there.
That gives Eiserne another few minutes of silence, however! And that humvee, it looks so defenseless, so...fun! Its wheels are massive to the point that, if she so desired, she might be able to run OVER any cars that dare get in her way. It would not be an overstatement to call it a miniature monster truck by this point.
The drop to the street is sheer and high enough to really injure herself. So Eiserne continues to unwind rags, Her entire left arm is bare and she continues to add more length by continuing to unravel much of the coverage around her belly and midriff, satisfied she stabs a fistful of kunai into the roof itself and inspects her handiwork. Should hold.
%Pig tails whipping about wildly the girl slides down the face of the buildings far left corner, the soles of her boots scream as the manically grinning girl skates down the face of the building, the high tension jerk as she reaches the end of the cord swings her out wide form the face of the building and as it does she begins to twiel gently, some more of her cording unravelling but getting just that little- bit- closer to the ground before she can be mashed back into the face of the building.
Feet hitting the pavement Eiserne feels just a little dizzy but is also now quite the centre of attention for the people that were close enough to see. She looks back up towards the rooftop, that was quite away, she shows lo real concern for the loss of roughly half of the material covering her body but dose pull a particularly sharp knife to sever her tie to the, The loose end is tucked away into her cleavage at which point she actually notes her audience and makes a theatrical stage bow. There is even some instances of applause as people wonder if it was a planned stunt.
Eiserne cross the street towards City hall and heads straight for the Herculean vehicle parked outside. Standing beside it she has to hop slightly or stand on the guards to peer inside. Security have taken note of her and are openly having two way conversations over radio about the goings on but she has eyes only for the Humvee. Which is unlocked, lucky break! As she opens the door and climbs inside security start to move. Inside of the Humvee smells so strongly of cigar smoke her nose wrinkles, but its a good smell, she actually likes it. She explores the inside of the cab with some interest before turning her hand to the dash and instruments. Buttons.
The engine turns over like clockwork, but the windscreen wipers, and hazard lights are also on no keys required! The CD players also spits out a CD from the middle of the console as an afteraffect of her button pressing. But Eiserne is happy, the Humvee is going, making it move however is where 'driving' becomes an interesting and new experience. She tries absolutely everything she can find getting a little annoyed the lumbering miniature tank won't move just yet.
Oh, is security ever in motion! Men in suits start flying out of the door in short order, reaching for guns and tasers and nightsticks. It's a mad rush to get there first, for if they fail to stop this mess immediately, Mayor Mike Haggar is going to notice, and if HE finds out that somebody's touching his beloved vehicle, well! They've replaced enough flipped desks and smashed doors already, they really don't want their beloved leader going on a rampage through city hall to get out. In fact, that should be the furthest thing from what Eiserne wants as well, lest she's up for more violent beatings!
The humvee chugs and lurches, straining to move, but always finding itself stuck while it makes terrible, TERRIBLE crunching sounds. The bastard just doesn't want to MOVE anywhere, and it won't be long until the poor girl is pulled out, beaten down, and locked up! Thankfully, aide comes in the form of a sickly violet glow before her very eyes. Dark purple energy wavers around the clutch, and another on the stick shift. The pedal is mashed down, the gear changed to first. The emergency brake is released immediately afterward, while a third bubble of telekinetic force holds down the break.
"Hold onto the wheel."
That voice returns, the command short, curt. Mere moments after the "new girl" says that, the pressure on the brake is released and immediately smashes onto the gas! The thick tires smoke as its rubber burns, reeking heavily before they finally find a grip on the asphalt. The whole vehicle takes off all of a sudden, roaring to life at high RPMs, careening right into the nearest intersection!
Men in suits bounce off or leap too late as an acrid cloud of blue smoke and choking smeel of burnt rubber is left in the wake of the Humvee.. Eiserne throws the wheel hard left and almost slides into the passenger seat as the unwieldy monster of a truck turns. There is a crash that aids the turn as she side swipes a passing car and stoves in the right rear quarter panel, shunting the vehicle aside with more than a gentle push, like it was nothing
Oncoming cars veer wildly to escape path of Eiserne and her new 'killer truck' and the entire time the girl is shrieking with delight. She playfully jerks the wheel left and right playing chicken and the other car -always- blinks before she does, pragmatically as the Humvee would shred most other vehicles, this is what it is to be powerful. To have everyone get out of your way and do what you want!
The new voice in her head is more helpful and directing than the other Eiserne, she begins to feel a liking for how it thinks. She deliberately swipes into a couple of cars that had successfully avoided her, getting a bit more aggressive with her fun seeking "Losers, Loser! Losers" A smash and jolt as another vechicle veers away more towards the pavement, "Learn how to drive! I am!"
If it were anyone but Vega himself, the dictator might...actually be having fun as well! The stick shift moves with heavy clunks as it needs to, letting the engine wind down for a split second before catching onto the higher gear. The engine roars with unbridled fury, eager for the release of the petty road rules that it's had to suffer under for so long. The exterior of the stolen vehicle is hardly even dented as Eiserne goes about hitting other cars, ESPECIALLY when, as she turns hard on the wheel, the brakes slam down to bring the whole back end out in a sort of four-ton baseball swing. The poor sap in the "baseball" car just has no chance as the inferior metal shell collapses, bends, and folds into a mangled shape before spinning off of the road and into the front wall of the nearest building.
And then something truly outrageous happens: the air next to Eiserne shimmers and warps, light bending into that sort sort of violet hue. From within the shifting of space forms a massive figure most certainly humanoid in shape. Vega himself appears in the passenger seat, his thick arms folded across his chest. He looks straight ahead with a giant smile on his dark features, teeth together to display a predatory row of pearly whites. His cloak is absent for this, and despite the bumps and cracks of the cars that continue to scrape and tap against the humvee, he remains mysteriously still.
"Now... That wasn't very difficult at all, was it?" he asks, that very same voice that had been creeping into her head now coming from the man's lips. His voice is still unnaturally clear, though the very words bring a chill to the air that wasn't there before.
Hairs on the back of Eisernes neck are already near standing up with excitement and thrill as she barrels through the traffic which seems to be thinning out, the roaor of the engine is intoxicating and the seats are comfortable if much too big for her. The fact the levels are buttons move for her doesn't trigger any wariness in the girl nor does the strange purple light, She doesn't question or endeavor to understand, simply happy with accomplishing her own objective. A dim child, but it is her backfist coming around at the passenger seat, blade held tightly clenched and stabbing for the heart that is at least a little surprising to most people.
It wouldnt be the first time her mind has played tricks on her, The stab is an automatic response to someone suddenly being that close to her, her eyes are just now coming around to look at him and the dagger stops well short of the Shadowloo Master.
Eisernes brain isn't working overtime what with the excitement of stealing a tank (and her eyes no longer on the road) but the voice of this stranger being the same as the one inside her head is starting in of itself.
Immediately the personality waiting at the back of her mind lunges for the surface, drive the dagger home, threat, danger! But is unable to sweep the weaker of her two personalities aside "Aha, ha-haha It's fun!" The one that is curious and yet filled with energy and purpose.
To think that Vega is on the level of "most people" is to be foolish. Fear is something that the man has not felt in decades. Rather, it's HE who commands the emotion, HE who holds such a weak, embarassing reaction under the heel of his boot. When Eisern's dagger comes close, he doesn't move his arms at all. She'd have a hard time getting to his black heart, if indeed he even has one, through the crossed limbs, but the point is made. The threat, delivered. Somehow, the grin upon his face grows even wider, more malevolent. She stopped. That was her first mistake.
All of a sudden, the brake pedal slams down against the floorboard. All four tires screech again and the humvee's body lurches forward, threatening to send both passengers spilling through the windshield. It's a rude stop to be sure, but just as suddenly, the brake is released and the gas is mashed once again. If she can hold onto the wheel through the chaos, then more power to her!
"That was your only chance. There won't be another." There it is again, that tone. That harsh, overbearing tone of voice. It's the voice of a ruler, one that demands chastized hearts and utter obedience. The air in the vehicle grows even more heavy for a few seconds as his head turns. The whites of his eyes are all he has, orbs outlined with thin wisps of purple flame that sucks in light from the rest of his features.
"I'd hate to have to stop you from having the time of your life, after all." He gestures toward the road, which is coming up on a vicious right turn. People are running in al directions, just trying to get the hell out of the way! Already, sirens cut through the air with a flash of blue and red, police bearing down on the rampaging girl and her newfound ride.
"If you want, I can help make every day this exciting."
The girls face glaces off the steering wheel, Confusion in her eyes openly conveying her failure to understand what she had or hadn't done wrong. As the Humvee nears the corner Her hands move from her bloodied face and turn the wheel gently enough that the vehicle barely makes the turn, its a gentle manuever of the wheel but the hard on the Humvee and the tires as they slide and the wheels lose traction for just a moment.
Eiserne continues driving in silence, arm closes to Vega holind both the wheel and awkwardly the dagger as well, the other elbow rests on door and she gently twists and turns the wheel to keep the vehicle moving through traffic, if seemingly without impacts and a little more evasively.
She ignores the blood on her face, in this circumstance the game is in Vegas hands, she knows she is really trapped in this vehicle and controlling it takes some of her attention, clever. She angles the vehicle into the path of a distant yet oncoming semi.
The wheel seems to be handling staright enough so she definitively takes her eyes form the road and turns to Vega, dread and a sense of doom sink right into the very corners of her soul and every corner of her fractured mind. She could die here, but that doesnt seem to phase this Eiserne who despite all her fears and terrors speaks in a flat unimpressed voice.
"I'm Listening" (against her better judgement)
The other personality has retreated so far into her mind she cannot sense it, threatened and hurt.. she hadn't been drawn out so much as throw in charge, this was a life or death moment and those were always her domain. NEED, what do I need to do to stay alive?.. anything.
Goodness, what a driver the girl is! Her first time behind the wheel and she's already taking the turns like a champ. It's impressive, really, how much damage one little person can do when they're just taking part in /all/ the wrong things!
Ah, but the shift in her psyche has not gone unnoticed. Had he not made his appearance, then surely, Eiserne would simply go with whatever his voice told her. But really, where is the fun in that? Besides, this helps drive out any doubt that, in the end, she doesn't really have a CHOICE but to listen. That poor, poor, rational side of her must be horrified down there, locked deep down where even the Psycho Master can't easily find her. But you know what? That's all right. THIS Eiserne is far more entertaining.
"All /you/ need to do, my dear, is stay alive. To /enjoy/ yourself." On the surface, it's an offer that just CAN'T be right. But then, the man sitting next to her is every bit the embodiment of evil. If this is Eiserne enjoying herself, then it will surely come at the cost of many, many people.
And that's exactly what he wants.
The dictator makes a show of leaning back against the seat, tilting toward the window. His elbow rests on the door, the hand raised in a fist for his jaw to perch on. At the same time, there's a click of locking doors and that same, sickly violet glow overtakes the steering wheel in its entirety, JUST in case she'd get any thoughts about veering away from that semi. "Quite frankly, seeing you have your fun means that /I/ am enjoying myself. We both win, you see? What do you think?" She had better answer soon, for that truck is bearing down /awfully/ fast...
The Humvee is speeding along the road straight for the semi but it is Vegas lack of care that unsettled her somewhat. He wants her to stay alive, any rebuff she could possibly make would be so full of derision she dares not even speak for a moment. Staying alive in situations, inhumane.. desolate, death defying was old hat. She keeps them safe, she keeps them alive. She turns back to examine the sttering wheel, now it too is radiating the same purple glow. The snap of the doors locking had been a turning point. Possessions were meaningless at the cost of your life, things that you loved.. people you loved. If you were dead you lose everything, surviving you kept something.
"I think you are dangerous and I do not like you."
The oncoming semi looms close enough and its horn is constantly blaring, her arm is twisting the steering wheel horribly so that even the steering column is beginning to feel the stresses involved. Her mouth twists as her lips pull back and she she hisses from between clenched teeth.
"I'll do whatever you want me to, end this."
The submission is met with an immediate smirk, a slow spread of the lips that grows and grows. His pale eyes bear down on the poor girl, while the man's sheer presence makes the interior of the vehicle seem smaller and smaller. It's like he's encroaching upon her space without moving, a darkness that seeks to pervade every nook and cranny despite the windows letting in plenty of sunlight. Oh, he's relishing this, the anger and hatred bleeding from his prey. It invigorates him! It EMPOWERS him.
Not a moment later, there's an explosion outside. Then another. And another. Driving beside and slightly ahead of the humvee is another military-grade vehicle, an open-topped jeep. Three crimson-suited men are in the back, one of whom still has his smoking RPG on his shoulder. The other two have already lowered theirs, fitting the tubes for another shot. The semi truck is pelted with the triple barrage of explosives, tires squealing and screeching. There's no one left to control it, now, the driver now in quite a few pieces and splattered against what's left of its windshield. But it's enough for the whole thing to go careening off of the road, the tail swinging past as the humvee's straight course makes it JUST miss the chaos.
In the midst of all of this, Vega had reached into one of the pockets of his jacket, pulling out a slim piece of jewelry. It's a pretty thing, but split on one end opposite of the sapphire set in the metal. It's this that he attempts to press onto Eiserne's wrist, and the thing will snap as the clasp seals itself for good. And so long as he can get that thing on, she'll hear that voice again, creeping up in her head just as clearly and as familiar as the first time she heard it earlier in the day:
"See? That /was/ fun, wasn't it?"
Eisernes eyes never leave the soldiers when they appear, the red they wear is unmistakeably military as are the vehicles and weaponry, For a start he had thought perhaps he really might just be in her head. Maybe even making her do things but soldiers wearing his colours, she can feel the weight of the thing bracelet and the snap when it had secured around her wrist felt like the slamming of a cage door. There is a purple flash across the depth of her eyes an unnatural reflection in honest and bright eyes filled with madness. Mute indescribable terror fills the void between the two personalities, one who cannot express it the other ignorant of it and interested in how pretty the bracelet seems.
Instinct tells her to gnaw her own arm off to escape and even the gloomy Eiserne feels uncomfortable close to intimidated and fearful at what it might mean. Lving rent free in her skull the tyrant might smile at the view, two isolate little islands of relative sanity in a mire of fear, doubt and anger. She Tucks her arm with the bracelet against her abdomen so she will not have to look at it, though still 'acting' subserviently she responds with "A pretty thing for a collar." shem dearly hopes that sinks through to the other self, her voice its tight and bitter. It was a pretty thing for a collar, very pretty. She finds herself turning her wrist to study it before forcing her arm back to her lap. Infuriating!
Vega rarely has people fulfill hsi demands willingly. The show of defiance does, at least, show that this girl still has enough fight left in her to make the next few weeks interesting!
"Oh, don't worry. You won't see me again for some time. Enjoy your /gift/." With a smile that borders on the malevolent, his chest shakes with a deep chuckle, one that lingers in the air long after he's faded from sight in another shimmer of Psycho Power. The jeep takes off down the road ahead, its job finished. It may not have been Eiserne's best day ever, but Vega? Oh, he'll spend the rest of the day in an incredible mood.
Log created on 19:19:00 11/28/2011 by Vega, and last modified on 23:33:38 12/02/2011.