4th Bite // [Spam]

[400yearsofsurvival]

[ Ice cold fury lurked in the laundromat. Trapped in a small ring of dust barely a few paces across. It didn't leave him much room to maneuver. The last time he'd dealt with Stiles, he'd put up the act of being out of control. But not this time. He was the perfect picture of control. Sure, he'd been surprised by the barrier. But he wasn't what Stiles had seen down in Zero.

He spent his time calmly testing the limits of the barrier. Pushing against it, creating those brilliant streaks of blue as the barrier reacted. Crouching down, trying to break the line of dust by any means. But it wouldn't budge.

Anyone who came down to see the truly trapped vampire would find him black-eyed and fanged. Paler than usual. Either standing at the center of the circle, waiting for them. Or idly dragging his claws against the barrier. ]

((ooc: Totally open, but final rights of defeat/removal go to Zane, at the player's request.))

Comments

[imfollowinghim]

[Bucky is not an idiot.

Failed HYDRA science project/off brand super soldier or not, he's not invincible. He's not as strong or as fast as some of the other people on board, and Jerry - ha, of course he's named Jerry - is a bigger unknown factor than most of the others. No one's told him what his weaknesses are, how to take him down, and that means getting on his radar is dangerous.

(It still doesn't bother him that this is something he's willing to do. If anyone goes after a weaker, more or less innocent person, he can and will put them down without batting an eyelash, because someone has to be willing to and he's good at it. Simple as that.)

But he is curious, so he heads down to the laundry room under the pretext of actually doing laundry, and even manages to pretend to look a little surprised by the vampire's presence.

So hi. Enjoy being stared at in believable confusion by a guy who looks like he stepped out of the 1940's, because, well. You know.]

[400yearsofsurvival]

[ If Jerry was thrown that the soldier came down to visit him, he didn't show it. But he didn't buy surprise. Not even for a second. It lacked that sharp, acrid scent of genuine shock. So at first, Jerry just stood there. Still as a statue but for slightly tilting his head as he inspected the man.

The era was one he recognized. The 40's had treated him quite well. All those grieving women. In such desperate need of a man's help. Posing as a wounded soldier, sent home from the war. He had one of the largest, most successful nests of his time back them. He missed how gullible and trusting people had been.

And he's just going to keep staring at Bucky, with those cold, dark eyes. His face serious. Hungry. Until he figures out what the man wants. ]

[imfollowinghim]

[Bucky would probably argue that people hadn't been all that gullible or trusting, especially not where he's been hanging around recently. Prior-to-the-Barge recently, anyway. People were often skittish and scared, nervous that anything could end in tragedy because for so long, everything was.

Of course, it had helped that he'd been traveling with Captain America for part of his career, but he's got plenty of memories before that.

After the initial "surprise", Bucky just heads to one of the laundry machines and tosses in his dingy uniform, and busies himself with loading detergent and getting the machine started. Sorry Jerry, but you're not the scariest thing he's ever seen, and even if you could step over the mountain ash and go after him, being mauled to death by a vampire isn't the worst thing that ever happened to him.

Which is kind of depressing, but here we are.]

[400yearsofsurvival]

[ It was all a matter of perspective. If Bucky did try to argue it, Jerry would gladly reveal how easily it was to prey on the skittish fear of woman. Especially back them. Getting them to trust him. Time after time. But to him, most all humans were gullible, pathetic creatures.

He watched as the man started his laundry. Idly dragging a sharp fingernail against the barrier that held him. Leaving the faintest blue trial, as despite the casual motion, he was applying as much strength as he could manage. He had no doubt the man had come down here just to do his laundry. ]

What exactly did you think you'd learn, guy?

[imfollowinghim]

[One of the bad-but-useful things about going through what he's been through is that fear? Isn't really something he feels anymore in situations like this. He can still be scared enough to act quickly and aggressively when he knows his life or someone he cares about is directly on the line, but right now?

He's dead. He's been tortured. He's seen stuff no one should ever have to, and so the relaxed nonchalance as he straightens and glances over his shoulder at him isn't faked.]

Nothing. Just needed to do some laundry.

[400yearsofsurvival]

[ The vampire continued to trace lazy patterns of glowing blue in the barrier. He watched the man. Not believing the trip had just been for laundry. The false surprise. The lack of fear. The apparent calm and collected attitude. He trusted those were true. But not the claim. ]

And how long before your friends need to "just" do laundry.

[imfollowinghim]

[Bucky shrugs, disinterested, like this is actually a conversation of when his pals are going to need to do laundry.]

That's not something I tend to keep track of. But I can ask, if you're really interested.

[400yearsofsurvival]

[ His hand stopped tracing those patterns. And instead, he just focused it on driving his claws as hard as he could against the barrier. The barrier reacted in kind, not allowing his hand to pass, his hand seemingly engulfed in the unnatural blue light it generated. ]

I'm sure you'll ask. Whether I want you to or not, guy.

[imfollowinghim]

[And again, Bucky doesn't flinch or really react at all, even if there's a part of him that sees that flash of blue light and thinks "HYDRA" before he can really stop himself.

Still, it makes him feel more angry than scared, and he wishes with a viciousness that he'll regret later that they weren't here, that this was something happening during the war, because things were a lot easier then, when it came to stuff like this.

He chuckles, not quite humorlessly.] Don't be. I don't really give a shit about who's outta clean socks.

[godsays]

[ Zane steps in.

He is dressed in close-fitting, dark-colored clothes, like he used to wear when he went out into the mists. The way he moves - even the way he walks - has an incredible grace to it, careful and predatory. If there is any emotion that he shows, it's mild annoyance.

He's already swallowed down more than enough combat metals. Pewter, for the strength and speed and agility; tin, for sharper sense and perception; steel and iron, for Pushing and Pulling metals against his own center of gravity. And atium. It may be wrong to waste one of the precious nuggets of the metal, but Zane has judged it worthwhile. With atium, a Mistborn could take on an army and win. Its unique quality lets Mistborn see a few seconds into the future, and react disproportionately fast. Atium makes it easier than ever to kill.

Not that Zane intends to kill Jerry. He just intends to win.

He steps up to the circle. ]

What do you think is about to happen?

[400yearsofsurvival]

[ Jerry knew the look of a fellow predator when he saw one. But this was not one that he expected. Zane. So alike to Stephen in appearance, yet so incredibly different otherwise. But something was different than he'd observed previously. Did it have something to do with that unnatural, metallic odor that clung to the man.

It was said it would take an army to take Jerry down. Especially if he were at full strength with an entire nest to back him up. His kind did not go down easy. At least not by human hands. And little did he know that Zane now had that power. And Jerry, weakened and contained, didn't stand a chance. But he didn't know that. Because he only saw someone who read to him as almost entirely human. And that's all that mattered.

He moved as close as he could when Zane stepped up to the circle. He guessed it was the same thing as everyone else. Humans thinking they were safe and secure. That they could come and look at him like some sort of animal, just as they'd done when he was in Zero. So there was nothing but mild distaste in his expression. ]

Not what you're expecting to happen, guy.

[godsays]

[ Not what you're expecting. Zane doesn't smile. This isn't triumph, for him, but it's not pain either. This is necessity. This is his duty.

He sees Jerry's confidence is unflagged, and he decides, abruptly, that more conversation isn't going to be productive.

He steps forward, and fudges out part of the ash circle, brushing it aside. He burns atium, and the ghost of what will happen solidifies in his vision. He waits. ]

CW: Vampire doing his bitey thing. For real, this time.

[400yearsofsurvival]

[ When Zane breaks the circle, the subtle pressure of the barrier is simply gone. No longer confining the vampire. He doesn't move, though. Glancing around briefly, before looking back to Zane. As if he expecting something else. An attack. An appearance of one of the werewolves. But instead it was just the two of them. Unmoving. Waiting. For a moment.

His patience had been worn down, so he didn't wait long. It happened in a snap. His mouth seemed to grow all at once, as he suddenly launched himself forward. Quick as a viper strike. He went for Zane's throat, but not to feed. This was purely for lethal purposes. ]

[godsays]

[ The shadow of Jerry's motion is visible to Zane before Jerry launches himself, a blue ghost twisting through the air towards Zane. Zane is ready, his weight already balanced properly, feeling the metal machines on either side as solid anchors to Steelpush against if he has to.

He could just dodge, knowing what it is Jerry's going to do. But he doesn't want to risk Jerry losing interest. So, in a smooth and liquid motion, he brings up a hand to plunge a metal dagger into Jerry's chest, dancing out of the way of the vampire's strike with Pewter-induced speed and grace.

Jerry's jaws will close on nothing but thin air. ]

[400yearsofsurvival]

[ It was more Zane's speed that surprised Jerry than anything. Anything human, anything living, shouldn't be able to match him. Let alone surpass him. He staggered back from the blow, staring down at the dagger in his chest. It barely missed his heart.

And it hurt. Just as Allison's arrows had. Not that he showed it, but it pissed him off. He reached up and yanked it out of his chest, dropping it to the floor. But the wound didn't start healing like he expected it to.

He stalked toward his attacker. Not bothering with wasting energy on speed. His intent was pure strength. To grab the guy by the throat and hurl him into the nearest wall. ]

[godsays]

[ He doesn't stay still. But he doesn't get out of reach either. He launches into a flurry of quick blows, each one with punishing strength, enough to break bones on a human.

Now it becomes a little more clear how he fights. That he always reacts just a hint faster than should be possible. That he seems to know where Jerry's about to move before he even starts, and that he's always right. And sometimes he even moves in ways that should be impossible, changing trajectory midair or blocking with force that seems to come from nowhere.

And something else might be clear, after a short time of this:

He's toying with Jerry.

It's not long before he pulls a little pouch from his belt and tosses it between them. The pouch breaks at the seams; coins burst from it, all on vectors straight from Zane and towards Jerry. They pick up speed, and at least a handful of them slam into Jerry. Zane intends to use them to pin Jerry against the wall. ]

[400yearsofsurvival]

[ Zane wasn't the only one toying here. Jerry had started to see what the guy was doing. Maybe not the how behind it, but movement like that didn't go unnoticed. Nor did that force. Each blow hurt like hell. Like a bullet to the chest. But he hardly seemed to react. He was focused testing the limits of Zane's apparent speed. Had he been at full power, he might have been able to do more. But he was working with what he had.

The blows may not have outright broken bones, he was made of heartier stuff than a human. But they were still wearing him down. Tiny fractures that should have healed instantly but remained. Soft tissue damage. He wasn't backing down. But one particular blow sent him back a little further than anticipated. But before he could strike again, those coins flew at him.

He hit the wall, looking down at what had pinned him. He plucked out a coin that and embedded in his chest with clawed fingers. Holding it up for a moment before letting it fall to the floor. ]

You think this can hold me?

[maced_eggs]

[Mason comes downstairs with an armful of laundry. It's part of his deal with Iris and Gwen: do the laundry, get rewarded in vodka. Even though he was scheduled to go sober soon, he still meant to do the laundry. People were nicer to him when he didn't smell.

He turns the corner to enter the room and stops dead, gaping wholly at the monster at the other end]

Oh, bloody hell.

[400yearsofsurvival]

[ Of all people he expected down there, Mason counted among the very last. Given the smell of the guy, he doubted Mason knew what a washing machine even was. And he'd assumed some warning had gone out, given the few visitors he did have.

A smile spread over his face, not touching his eyes, as he pushed against that barrier. His tone would have been friendly, if not for the fangs he spoke through. ]

Hey. Guy.

[maced_eggs]

[Jerry wouldn't be wrong in that assumption; Mason struggled to make a weekly trip down here at all, and rarely remembered to shower. Here, he stood distressed and angry at the doorway, hugging his basket]

Fuck off. What're you doing down here?

[400yearsofsurvival]

[ His gaze swept the room. From the machines to the dust at his feet. From one wall to the other, before returning to Mason. With a smile and tilt of his head that showed just how much of an idiot Jerry thought the reaper was. And made a whole lot creepier by the expanded black of his eyes.

He dragged a finger in a slow circle against the barrier, hard enough to create a blue light trail. No, not a circle. The same thing that was now carved into his cabin door: a spiral. ]

I could ask you the same thing.

[maced_eggs]

I'm doing my fucking laundry.

[Mason was snappish and annoyed now, debating the likelihood of being attacked while trying to do his chores. He hadn't yet made the connection that Jerry couldn't move from his position.]

Wormy little bastard. Think you're so bloody smart.

[400yearsofsurvival]

[ Mason's attitude had exactly zero impact on Jerry. And he made no secret of it. He shrugged. ]

We all have laundry to do. And... [ He leaned forward a little, halted by the barrier. ] ...I was here before you, guy.

[maced_eggs]

[Mason, rather unusually for him, sneers back and storms towards the nearest available machine. He made his warden a promise and he was going to do it; especially if it pissed off the vampire he hated]

Technic'ly, I was on the bloody ship first. An' I don't listen to men who hurt little girls.

[400yearsofsurvival]

[ He moved, slow and confident, keeping at the edge of the circle closest to Mason. He made no attempt to hide the absolute hunger on his face as Mason moved into the room. But it wasn't to feed on the reaper, it was for paypack. For making him sick. ]

Technically. They hurt me.