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Synergy Storage Facility · In Collaboration with [&.Exit] & [&.vietmyke]Synergy Storage Facility · In Collaboration with @Exit & @vietmyke _ Jack was busy tending to Vsyka as Jin and Reman dealt with the other individuals in the room. He quickly pulled out the cape she had stowed only a moment ago and began wrapping it around her burning hands, trying his best to suffocate the last of the fire eating away at her skin. Vyska collapsed when it was finally extinguished, her screaming coming to an exhausted end and her body curling into itself as she tried to cope with the pain. Meanwhile, Jack assessed the rest of the room, witnessing both Jin airbend Sumire’s assailant out of the window with incredible force and also Reman knock the man out with his briefcase. He was stunned, somewhat impressed, but also wary of what he was seeing. A realization began to sink in and he quickly realized exactly who he was in the room with and what had to be done. A snap decision was made and Jack reached into his jacket and pulled out a pistol, aiming it at the back of Reman’s head.
Click.
"Fuck." Jack dropped it and reached into the folds of Vyska's jacket, pulling out a second. He held it up to Reman for a second time and pulled the trigger, producing another hollow click.
"What... are you doing?" Vyska asked weakly from the ground. She was curled up on her knees with her hands tucked into her chest, both of them wrapped in the cape she'd put away only a few moments ago. Her breathing was labored and her body was shaking.
"Witnesses." Jack answered back plainly. He dropped the second useless gun and pulled out a knife from under his jacket. "They've seen too much." His eyes snapped from Reman to Sumire, who immediately threw her hands up and stepped in front of Jin, protectively.
"IALREADYKNEWJINWASANAIRBENDER!"
Quickly grabbing at Sumire’s arms and pulling her behind him, Jin had already begun taking a few tentative steps backward. His hands reached for his side- a gun that wasn’t there. He held an arm out in front of him- not that he particularly knew what he was going to do with it. As far as Jin was concerned the airbending he had just done was a one time thing- not easily replicated.
A quick analysis of the way Jack was looking at the two nonbenders in the room led Jin to the conclusion that Ms. Moon had been a bender for a while now- and the bodyguard was aware of it. Which meant Sumire and the Xuoshi engineer were loose ends.
”I didn’t see nothin’, hear me?” Jin clarified, taking another tentative step towards the door. Already, he could hear sounds from outside the control center- it wouldn’t be much longer before someone noticed all the commotion. ”Now, I think it’d be in everyone’s best interest if we pretend the last 10 minutes never happened.”
Reman was wide eyed as he quickly realized what is happening and how he is not out of the woods yet as Jack was set to making sure no one knows Ms Moon’s secret. He needs to choose his next words carefully here. “Jack, think about this, this does not need to end in blood. I am a Xuoshi, my family will want to know what happened to me if I die here.”
As he said this, Reman slowly reached for his pistol and he guessed he did need it after all. But, he did not reveal it yet, just waiting on Jack’s response and while Jack’s and Ms. Moon’s synergy guns did not work. His normal pistol should work and he has defended himself once already and he will defend himself again. Plus, he knows how to use it.
If I am being honest, right now Jack. I only care that the unconscious man behind me tried to kill me and by the looks of it the other man tried the same with Sumire and Jin. Ms.Moon did nothing wrong and Jin only defended himself. So how about we just listen to Jin and just forget about this? You do nothing and I say nothing agreed?”
Jack wanted to say something but his focus was split between his duty and the questions plaguing his mind. He didn’t know what was going on, but he knew where to start to find out. ”V. Did you know?” He asked, keeping his eyes on Reman. He couldn’t see what he was reaching for, but the slightest wrong move and he would act.
”No… I’ve never… I’ve nevuaaAAAHHH!” Vyska’s scream became a ball of hot plasma that emptied from her mouth. A gout of flame spewing onto the floor like a waterfall and dancing against the metal. Whatever noise she was making was muffled by the sound of flames biting at the air and her eyes widened in terror, but her suffering only lasted for a moment. Jack turned around and struck her lightly on the back of her neck and the fire immediately stopped. She collapsed again, out of breath as beads of sweat dropped from her brow.
”What about you?” Jack, who was now kneeling next to Vyska, turned to Jin.
The body by Reman began to shuffle as it slowly, sluggishly tried to get back up.
”It's a… new development.” Jin replied quietly. Not necessarily a lie, but not the whole truth. Though as far as he was concerned the less anyone knew about the extent of his abilities the better shot he had at not dying.
”But I've never been able to throw people out of a window before...” Jin quickly added, looking at his hands suspiciously, ”The most I could ever do was hold a bullet in the air.” That wasn't a lie, though Jin had also never tested the extents of his abilities beforehand anyway.
”So that leaves just you.” Jack said, turning to Reman. ”Are you a bender?”
Reman would have said something then, but the sounds of the man slowly getting up took priority. Though he was not sure if the man was still hostile or not. But he would not take the chance if he was. So Reman walked backwards, and using his foot, he brought it down hard on the man’s back and held firm. Causing the man to collapse and get back on the ground. More or less pinned to the ground for the moment. ”Stay down if you know what is good for you.”
Turning his attention back to Jack and spoke honestly. “No I am not a bender and I am pretty sure if I was it would have shown now.” Taking a quick look at Jin and the downed Ms Moon. ”But that does not mean I am going to sell anyone out. Now I am not one to judge so hastily based on what the government says and as far as I am concerned. I do not think anyone here is responsible for what has happened and if this person below my foot is still going to try to kill someone.”
”If what you’re saying is true, then you’re going to help him get out of the city.” Vyska said, slowly getting to her feet and giving Jin an exhausted nod. ”I don’t know what’s happening but I do know that this morning, I could not bend. Now I can, and if people all over the city or even just within a few blocks of this facility are suddenly becoming Benders, then it is no longer safe here for any of us.”
”This isn’t the first time this has happened in the history of the world and they have contingencies in place for it.” Vyska’s eyes fell on Reman. ”Your family has recently updated the designs on all drones in and out of the city with hardware from Varrick Global. The same hardware the RSF in the Upper Ring are now equipped with. They can tell a Bender apart from a crowd with just a scan and right now, they’ll be sending both of these in force to sweep Ba Sing Se the same way they did a hundred years ago.”
”So what are we doing standing around here?” Jin quipped, growing a bit agitated, taking another few steps towards the door, tugging Sumire along with him. ”If they're going to start sweeping Ba Sing Se, then we need to bail, now.”
"I've got a car fueled and loaded with supplies in the garage. I'm leaving, if you want out, decide now. "
“But, where would you go? It is a wasteland out there and you will not last long without somewhere safe to go.” That was when it hit him, Tu Zin, one place that Jin could go where it would be safe But, no way Jin could find that place on his own. He knows those few that showed interest in the outside world in the Upper Ring know of Tu Zin and more importantly, how to get there. If it exists that is and that would mean being Jin’s guide and leaving the city. Well, he always wanted to see the outside world and it would mean helping Jin not die a pointless death while trying to avoid dying in the city.
After a moment of thinking about it, Reman made his choice. “There is a place you can go out there in the wasteland. A settlement in the wasteland if it exists, I have a general idea of how to get there and only a few in the city know of the place. Which means I am coming with you Jin, you need a guide and it is the best shot you got of surviving out there in the wasteland.”
Reman made a short chuckle, “I guess I am still going out in the wasteland after all.” |