chapter five ♔ it'll be a day like this one when the sky falls down

[eldritchweaver]

the blues - switchfoot

WHO || The Knights
WHAT || Failboat returns from the disaster in LA as the Knighthood goes on lockdown
WHERE || The castle, London
WHEN || Directly after this, Fall 2017
HOW || Actionspam

Hasmed's announcement does not brook any rebuttal: all Knights are recalled to the Castle, where they must remain until the Section Heads and Jack Chessing have spoken about the events in Los Angeles that have left the Knighthood without their usual leader.  

The entire Los Angeles area is now covered with a dark miasma that has interfered with any signals that might be sent out from phones, etc., leaving the whole world wondering what exactly is happening down there.  Final images showed horrendous monsters, a panic of citizens, looting and violence from humans and Shadowkind alike.  

Hasmed has warned of extra magical wards on the castle, and anyone arriving will immediately take notice of one very prominent one: above the entire roof of the excessively large building hovers a black and red sigil in the air, a pentagram in a circle surrounded by runes or words in an unknown language, stretching for miles.  

[ This is the social log for post-LA lockdown.  Failboat must complete the top log before being allowed to tag outside of it. ]

Comments

[hacker]

A better way. With three of you? And what about the rest of us? You're just going to shut us out?

[familybusiness]

No, not just the three of us. That would be...even more suicidal than this already feels. As far as I know, nearly the entire team that went to LA is all thinking the same thing.

[Including the Dragon's Claw.]

They're not of any use to anyone sitting here. I think we're all hoping that there's some people back here that won't shut us out.

[He was hoping he might be able to count her among that number but, again, she's packing to leave....a second time?]

I thought you weren't staying?

[hacker]

I left to get the Knighthood help. From SHIELD. [ so much for not telling anyone about that, but at this point, she feels pretty confident sam isn't going to spread it around in a way that gets back to the section heads. ] And the only reason I'm leaving is because now that I did, there's no guarantee they'll trust me to stick around. This isn't a choice for me, Sam.

[familybusiness]

[And with a terrible knowledge roll, Sam has no idea what she's talking about.]

SHIELD?

[hacker]

The intelligence agency. [ she goes back to stuffing her bag full. ] That I work for.

[familybusiness]

[Oh.

Oh.

Welp.]

You work for an intelligence agency. [Aka, not the knights. The mice are sprinting upstairs, so at least he puts two and two together quickly enough.] No wonder you weren't sure what was gonna happen when you got back.

[He's not...entirely sure how to feel about this. At all.]

[hacker]

Don't get the wrong idea. [ she holds up her hands. ] SHIELD was interested in vetting the Knighthood as potential allies.

[familybusiness]

Look, we need all the help we can get. How we get it at this point is the least of our worries.

If you wanted to take us down or something, exposing yourself to become our allies wouldn't exactly make a whole lot of sense. Besides, if they hire people like you, this SHIELD has to be better than who we're already allying with, right?

[hacker]

[ she relaxes visibly. for a minute, it presents simply as her hands falling at her sides, her shoulders slumping, and the tension leaving her face.

then she rushes forward, throwing her arms around him — it's hard to do. he's very tall and she's very smol. but she does it, burying her face against his neck. tears sting her eyes but she pulls them back. she's never been a good crier. but she feels like it, now.

kali had been horrified by the ambiguity of her choice. val'drin, inconvenienced. alex, accepting in the way he might accept any unsavory decision. but sam embraces it, lauds it even. ]

[familybusiness]

[He almost isn't ready for it, the movement of him bring his arms up to wrap around her midsection to keep her from slipping only slightly delayed, his grip tight.

He doesn't know what anyone else said to her, but he knows what he'd expect to hear if he told them what he'd done behind people's backs. Her intentions were far nobler than his own, and everyone had their secrets.

Two secret organizations getting to know each other? How else were they going to do it? From the outside, the knights themselves didn't always look like the good guys, and he knows Skye has done plenty of good during her time here.

It all felt like something of a fresh slate in both directions.

His exhale is shaky as he squeezes her briefly in what's supposed to be comfort, but it's for him just as much as it is for her. He'd been dreading this conversation, worried about her reaction but knowing she deserved to feel whatever she wanted, and now that they've ended up here his relief is nearly overwhelming.]

Thank you.

[hacker]

For what? [ she takes her time to get around to asking, savoring the small comfort that the embrace provides. when the words come, she draws back slightly to look up at him. ]

[familybusiness]

Talking to me. Listening. Not giving up on me.

[He looks down at her quietly, searching her eyes.]

All of it.

[hacker]

I think we've all made some bad calls at one time or another. [ she shrugs one shoulder, letting the gratitude roll off her back rather than reflect in her. ] I'm glad you pulled out of yours. I was really worried about you.

[familybusiness]

[He's pretty sure most people wouldn't necessarily make that bad of a call, but he'll go with it.]

It shouldn't have taken what it did, but I can't change it now. I just have to do what I can to make up for it.

[hacker]

And you think leaving is gonna do that?

[ that's not judgment in her voice. just ... a desire to understand. and maybe a wistful regret that they had only made this right in time for him to disappear. ]

[familybusiness]

[He shakes his head.]

My brother needs me.

[As if that explains everything. For what it's worth, it doesn't sound like he really wants to leave. He just doesn't see another option.]

[hacker]

[ so does she. but that's not fair of her, she recognizes, and so she doesn't say it. but the idea of losing one of the only people who hasn't regarded her as a traitor hurts, all the same. ]

Will I be able to reach you?

[familybusiness]

Felicity is gonna get us all burner phones. Once we have a line of communication, I'll get a hold of you, alright?

[Hopefully that'll happen sooner rather than later.]

We're gonna want to have some way of knowing what's going on with you all, too. I'm just glad there will be someone I can trust that's still here.

[hacker]

Hopefully still here. That conversation's ... in progress.

[ she goes for her hip. ]

Let me get you the number for my SHIELD phone, just in case. And Sam, if you need anything ... We can help you.

[familybusiness]

I'll just have to cross my fingers, then.

[He nods at that.]

I'll get a hold of you as soon as I can. And believe me, you'll be the first person that knows if I need something.

[He'll be surprised if they don't hit some kind of dead end somewhere.]

[hacker]

This is what you meant, isn't it? When you said we couldn't meet after dinner. You're leaving ... now? Tonight?

[ she searches him, a little lost for words now that it sinks in. ]

[familybusiness]

[He looks a little forlorn, a little guilty, but eventually he nods.]

In a few hours.

[hacker]

I'm ... supposed to leave the castle as soon as I'm packed.

[ she shrugs one shoulder as she explains. she can't linger for a few hours to say goodbye, in other words. not a real goodbye. ]

[familybusiness]

Oh.

[He looks distinctly unhappy about that. He breathes out a heavy exhale.]

I guess I should consider myself lucky you got to come find me at all.

[hacker]

Technically, I'm already playing hookie, but you know. [ she shrugs her shoulder, a smile twisting on her lips. ] I like to live dangerously.

[ i mean, it's sarcastic, but is it really in this context ? ? ? ]