closed ♔ and when we collide | we'll see what gets left over

[dragonsclaw]

WHO || Failboat [closed]
WHAT || After the announcement, Jack calls a meeting
WHERE || Thomas Bancroft's room, the Castle
WHEN || 8am, the day after LA
HOW || Actionspam or prose

Solace's announcement makes the situation unfortunately plain - those who have worked to stop Blade and company for the last five years have been side-lined, and will be until this ends, one way or another.  Jack has sent out a secret communication to all members of the team, asking them to gather in Thomas Bancroft's old room, which has stood empty since his death, and is usually locked.

When they make their way there before 8am, however, they will find the door unlatched.  Jack is already inside, with Gar seated near him, one hand on his arm.  Kat leans against the wall behind Fred, who is seated in a chair.  Her arms are folded, and she's grinding her teeth back and forth.

Comments

[bigbad]

[Once he's far enough away from the castle to be reasonable sure he's not being pursued, he pulls out his phone and sends off two texts.]

Elena:

Think you can slip away for that coffee date, love?

Des:

Well? Your cell reception really all that down there?

action~

[doubletake]

[She doesn't text back. Instead, a couple of miles down the road, there's a strange noise beside him before he suddenly acquires a passenger.]

Well, this sure feels familiar. [Elena leans back comfortably in the seat, heeled feet up on the dashboard, legs crossed for 'modesty.'] Last time, I was the one driving, though. Better company this time around, too.

[She glances over at him, eyebrows lifted.]

You said something about coffee?

[bigbad]

[Spike jumps in his seat, head whipping around to look at her (reflex 18), though thankfully, he keeps his hands steady on the wheel (drive 27).]

Bloody hell, woman! I thought we'd meet there, not mid-highway!

[doubletake]

[She chuckles.]

I guess I got impatient. Besides, you shouldn't be texting and driving.

[Her head rolls against the headrest to look at him, an amused grin dancing on her lips.]

[bigbad]

I was at a stop light. [He shrugs blithely.] And if a car crash is what kills me, I deserve to go.

[doubletake]

I'm not worried about you. [He could survive a car crash, lbr.] I'm worried about the poor person you might hit.

[But she didn't think it was going to happen either way. She's just giving him shit.]

So, that didn't take long. Miss me already?

[bigbad]

Hasn't it been, like, a decade for you?

[Which is just stalling and he knows it.]

They're benching us. Well, trying to.

[doubletake]

A year or two. Much quicker than the nearly 700 between visits last time.

[Just saying. The look on her face indicates she knows that's exactly what he's doing.]

Well, that explains the getaway car. You'll have to tell me who 'they' is, though. My knowledge on the state of things inside Wynn's castle is vague at best.

[bigbad]

[Spike gives her a sidelong glance before fixing his eyes on the road again.]

Don't take this the wrong way, love, but I'm not going to be telling you everything. I want to trust you. Doesn't mean I can.

[doubletake]

If you can't trust me, then how do you know I haven't already read your mind to get what I want?

[She lifts a brow at him before she turns her own eyes to the road.]

No offense taken, though. It isn't as if I can tell you everything, either.

[bigbad]

That's the part I am trusting you with.

[She wouldn't have to ask if she'd just plucked the information out of him. He just has to hope he's not wrong.]

Just making sure we're clear. This actually is something I can tell you. They is the other section heads. And our brand new, self-appointed Dragon Claws, Hasmed and Solace.

[doubletake]

[That's not exactly how it works, Spike, but he's right about one thing. She isn't trying. Not right now, anyway.

Not that he'd be able to tell either way.]

We're clear. [She didn't come here expecting anything other than a conversation.

His answer has her nose scrunching up.] I always did dislike Hasmed, though I never knew Solace particularly well. Regardless, if they were up to Wynn's standards, one of them would have been named Dragon's Claw already. It sounds a bit convenient to me.

[But that could be her hatred of Hasmed leading her to the worst assumption.]

[bigbad]

Doesn't it just?

[It's cool, Spike's just as paranoid as she is on this particular topic.]

I don't bloody trust him, but that's only part of the problem. I hardly even trust our team right now. Bloody tired of being lied to.

Also action.....

[nothingsodivine]

[des has a lot more subtlety than Elena... also he hates being a passenger. eventually Spike will have to stop for gas and when he does, he will look up and find Des leaning against a pump.]

The cell reception’s not bad exactly. It’s that weird time thing down there. A month’ll pass in between texts, and I forget my train of thought.

[bigbad]

You know it's all written down, right?

[Spike moves to start filling up the tank. He still needs gas, even if he's having a probably very important chat.]

That's why they call it texts.

[nothingsodivine]

[he rolls his eyes.] Don't be a smartass. Some conversations are better had in person, and I'm pretty sure you didn't drop a line to ask me about my texting habits.

[bigbad]

Like I wouldn't.

[Spike is fully capable of being that much of an asshole.]

But as it happens, no. Anyone drop you a line about what's going on in the castle, or did they assume you were too busy practicing your evil laugh to bother?

[nothingsodivine]

They're all, understandably, pissed at me, so I'm not exactly getting personalized updates.

[he shrugs] But from what I do know, things must be shit.

[bigbad]

Things are always shit. But now they've benched us.

[nothingsodivine]

[Des takes a step away from the fuel tank, eyebrows knit in sudden, undeniable concern.] Benched you? Why? What went wrong this time that hasn't gone wrong before? And-and if this about Wynn, we had to leave him behind- there was no other choice. They have to realize that...

[He pauses and then groans.] Aw shit. Is this about me and Elena? Goddammit.

[bigbad]

[He shakes his head.] They certainly brought that up, but honestly, it seemed a hell of a lot more like an excuse than anything real. Without Wynn there to keep them in line Hasmed and Solace are staging a bloody coup.

[nothingsodivine]

[Des pinches the bridge of his nose.] Wish I could say I was surprised, but even the best organizations get vicious when it comes to filling a power vacuum.

[He still seems to relax a bit.] So what? You're benched, so you're skippin' town now?

[bigbad]

Something like that. [So's the rest of the group, but he's still not sure how much he wants to join up with them. He's not sure of a lot of things.]

[nothingsodivine]

I hope you weren't callin' me to ask for advice. When I didn't know where to turn, I turned to Hell, and, as you can see, that doesn't make me very popular anymore.

[bigbad]

I don't want advice. I want some bloody answers. [He gives Des a sharp frown.] I'm bloody tired of being lied to.