crossing_lostrp | [Dean] Ah, shite (tag isabel, MB, Locke, Claire, open)

Moving out of the way to allow Dean and Locke to help Claire to her feet didn't make Megabyte particularly happy, but he knew that his shoulder was preventing him from truly being of any help. Scott may have stopped him from bleeding on the floor, but he would still need to get Pierson or House to make sure that everything was stitched up for a clean heal. Scott had done enough and the man had Ami to take care of and worry about after all.

He realized that he was hovering like a protective boyfriend versus a concerned friend and he wondered how his behavior must look to Kenzaki and Dean; evidently Locke had already figured him out.

(A lot of people have figured me out.)

The question of what Dean thought was answered with the man's next words, "Don't worry, we'll take good care of your lady and your baby."

The world ground to a halt around Megabyte. Complete with cartoon caricature poses of every head craning around to look at him and the sound of brakes squealing. At least that was what it felt like to him. He was immediately torn in two different directions, his probable responses going to opposite ends of the spectrum. The first was to deny, deny, deny and the second was to simply say nothing, pretend he hadn't heard Dean and let the man think what he wanted. The second option was definitely far more tempting than the first, even if it was only wishful thinking.

(And wishing doesn't make it so.)

It took a few moments for the world to start again and for Megabyte to find his voice. He really hoped the heat in his face was a reaction to the pain from his wound.

"It's – we're friends." It wasn't a vehement denial, he simply said the words. Said them probably a moment later than he should have, and probably with far too much hesitancy, but he said them. Not "it's not my baby," not "we're not together," or any other things that he realized he could have said and maybe should have said after the fact.

He just hoped that Dean would leave it at that.

Where was divine intervention when you needed it?

Isabel almost gave the dryer a subtle telekinetic nudge to help it along, but the boys got it moving before she decided if she should or not. She was fairly sure she'd blown her cover with Faith, and probably that black woman too, but neither needed to know the full extent of what she could do.

She frowned as she heard Claire's voice clearly. It sounded familiar, like a bad memory... then she saw the woman's face.

That face, that hair. Memories flashed through her mind as she stared, slack-jawed, at the woman who'd nearly destroyed them. Again she saw Tess, pregnant as this Claire was, desperate to take the baby back to their planet. She saw her at the Granolith, when the truth about Alex had come out. She saw her when she'd come back to Earth with the baby, having lied and deceived and been betrayed in turn.

She was supposed to have sacrificed herself to save them.

Rage welled up inside Isabel. Her hand lifted.

"You bitch!" she screamed, and let loose the storm raging within her.

The door burst from its hinges, crashing against the washing machines as the dryer was flung violently out of the way just as the telekinetic blast hit Claire, lifting her from her feet and slamming her into the back wall. Lights flickered as Isabel gathered the power for another blast.

"You're supposed to be dead!" Isabel screamed.

((OOC: Up to you guys if Dean and Locke got blasted too; Isabel's barely aware of them right now))

One minute Claire was trying not to giggle too much over the dark-haired guy's assumption and Damon's reaction, the next she was pinned up against the back wall, and finally crumpling into a heap on the floor.

Thank god for those blankets, she thought, too winded to speak. Shame about the lack of crash mat - my ankle's really gone now. And oh yeah, what the fuck was that?!

Claire groaned, then rolled over onto her side. Face down on a tile floor while this shape was far from comfortable, with or without the other crap. She dragged herself closer to Damon and curled into as tight a ball as she could manage, deciding that she must have hit her head, because the skullache was ten times worse, ears were ringing like she'd just come out of a nightclub, and there were flashy sparks interfering with her vision. The blonde was yelling something - yelling at me? - but she couldn't make out what. And how the hell had she gotten past the guys and back again so quickly? Nothing made sense!

And what exactly is new about that?

She gulped a few mouthfuls of air, trying to ignore the burning in her lungs while forcing the words out. "What have I ever done to you? I don't even know you!"

"What have you ever done to me? You killed Alex, you bitch! And now I find you holed up on some isolated island... did you make a deal with them? The whole base explosion thing was rigged, wasn't it? Don't try and pretend you don't know who I am, Tess!" She clenched her fists, and the room shook, rattling the washing machines and dryers. "I'm Vilandra, and I'm going to kill you."

She stalked forwards, hand raised again, no thought in her mind but Tess' betrayal, the loss of Alex, and how she would finally have the chance to properly get her revenge.

((OOC: Talk fast... or someone intervene!))

At one moment Dean was realizing he had made an assumption with Damon and Claire, and was about to make some quip to help Damon out from his embarrassment. However, before he could do or say anything Claire was being ripped from his arms and flung against the back wall. /What the fuck?!/

"You're supposed to be dead!" Isabel screamed, and she was definitely a woman of fury. /What, was the father of the child her lover or something?/

Dean launched himself at Isabel and tackled her to the floor.

"But I don't know who you are!" she wheezed, eyes fixated on this Vilandra person's hand. She had no idea what it was meant to do, but it wasn't likely to be good, not after that mini-quake.

"Make a deal with who? What base? My name is Claire, not Tess! Christ, I don't even know a Tess, but I used to work with an Alex at the Fish n Fry.. And the only explosion I've ever seen was when our plane blew up a few weeks ago!"

Claire realised that she was babbling, but what else could she do? There wasn't anywhere to hide and she couldn't even stand up. She shuffled backwards, pressing herself against the wall and desperately wishing it would simply swallow her up and be done with it. No such luck - though her hands did find the IV rack, still flat on the floor.

Grabbing it with both hands, Claire lifted the metal piping high and jabbed it in the blonde's direction. Part of her realised that not even a cricket bat could stop Vilandra from killing her if she really wanted too, but she had to at least try.

"Please don't hurt my baby! Please!"

When Dean tackled the woman like an AFL pro, Claire wondered why she felt like crying instead of cheering. She dropped the rack back to the floor and began rocking, her physical and mental state stretched far too thin to be dealing with anything more. Maybe now they'd give her some painkillers..

Dean slammed into Isabel's side, sending her to the floor. For a moment, Isabel was too stunned to realise what had happened, so focussed as she had been on Claire. She started struggling, not thinking of using her powers.

"Let me go!" she screamed, but the man was far stronger than her physical strength, and as she pushed against his weight, what people were saying to her started to sink in.

This wasn't Tess. She just looked exactly like her. Somehow.

But how could they know? She could be lying. She was good at lying. She could have mindbursted all of them to believe whatever she wanted them to. It was Tess' special gift, like Isabel's dreamwalking.

Dreamwalking.

With more ease than she had ever done to a waking mind before, Isabel plunged into Claire's consciousness. Only moments later she came out again, gasping and shuddering. Claire had a human mind, and she was genuinely confused and terrified.

Isabel started to cry.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm sorry. You look... you look exactly the same as her. Perhaps... you should go somewhere more comfortable. Get a doctor to look at you."

She looked around at everyone who'd seen her openly use her powers. A decision clearly had to be made if she was to gain any trust from any of them again.

"And I'll tell everyone who I really am," she said.

Combining Locke's and Isabel's threads here (http://community.livejournal.com/crossing_lostrp/98003.html?thread=3246035#t3246035).

Locke thought he had good reflexes.

Not as good as Dean's.

The young man hurled himself at Isabel, sending both of them to the ground. Sam leaped out of the way, still staring goggle-eyed at Isabel. "Dean! She's telekinetic!" He hovered over his brother, clearly unsure about what to do.

"No shit, Sherlock," Dean shot back as he grabbed hold of Isabel's wrists. "What the fuck kind of name is Vilandra?"

Locke was certain that now was not the time to question the powerful young woman's name. At least the room had stopped shaking.

"No one's killing anyone," Locke said with quiet authority. He divided his attention between Claire, who'd curled up against Damon, and the trio in the hall. He deliberately stood between Isabel and Claire and addressed the former. "The *pregnant woman* you just attacked is Claire. She's from Sydney. She's one of the kindest souls on this island. She's not Tess."

(deleted comment)

*facepalm*

Oh, I know! It's the latest island threat: instantaneous clones. Just add water! XD

*snigger* now that really would be funny XD

Hmm....

Ruh-roh, Reorge.

*points at S_S* It'd be all your fault! *snigger*

Megabyte had enough. More than enough. He recognized that look on the Psycho Ho Beast's face, and he glared at her even as she broke into tears.

/Do. Not. Fucking. Go. In. Claire's. Head. Again./ His telepathic communique was not kind, not gentle around the edges. He pushed himself into her mind as she pushed herself into Claire's. Megabyte didn't hear what she was saying to Claire, didn't care what she was saying to Claire. All he knew was that he wanted her as far away from them as possible.

She didn't know how lucky she was that Tomorrow People couldn't kill.

He cradled a sobbing, scared Claire in his arms and forced himself to look at Locke. Megabyte didn't trust himself to speak or continue looking at the Blonde Psycho. "Keep her away from Claire. I mean it. Next time it won't be just a wall of force. I can't kill her, but I can protect Claire."

His words were low and tight, and colder than anyone had probably ever heard him speak before. Claire's emotional turmoil rolled over him and into him, all her fear, all her confusion, all her anxiety. He stroked her back and her hair, and then very deliberately and carefully removed the IV from her arm. Pierson or House could replace it once he'd gotten Claire safely back in her room.

Pulling Claire into his side, he washed his senses over her. She was also in pain, probably from a combination of the throw, the fall, and her ankle that she complained of earlier. Megabyte stood slowly, pulling Claire to her feet as well, and encouraging her empathically to lean her weight on him and keep it off of her ankle.

"C'mon, let's get you back to your room," he told her quietly, wrapping an arm around her waist. Megabyte looked around, purposefully ignoring the Blonde Menance, "There's a wheelchair, can someone find it?"

He'd carry her himself, but he knew that his shoulder wouldn't allow it. Megabyte didn't know what Scott had done, but he was surprised that he hadn't started bleeding again; if it had been stitches, he knew that he would have already pulled them.

((OOC: Blonde Menance. *snicker*. I'll hold back a bit now and let everyone else do their thing. Take Isabel anywhere you like, but don't expect coherent conversation from her for a while.))

Isabel grimaced at the telepathic command which pushed its way into her mind. It carried hurt and pain, and it wasn't just because it was projected to her so violently. This man was hurt, he cared for Claire so much...

"I'm sorry," Isabel cried, sobbing. "I'm sorry. I had to look, I had to find out who she really is!"

She gave up trying to get Dean to let her go and lay on the floor, sobbing three years' worth of pent-up grief and anger into a salty puddle under her cheek.

Dean had Isabel pinned. She finally stopped struggling, but he wasn't buying it. If she thought he was one of those kind of men who melted when a woman cried...she didn't know the kind of 'women' he usually fought. He looked at Sam to make sure Sam had his back in case she went all telekinetic again, then spoke to Damon.

"We've got her. Get Claire somewhere safe."

Sam moved into position and he noticed that Locke moved into another equally defensible position just in case. Dean was getting suprised by the old man more and more.

The flatness of Damon's voice and cold in his eyes sent a chill up Locke's spine. "I can't kill her," Damon had said. (Good thing for Isabel.) Locke briefly considered the clearly powerful young woman -- yet another psychic, he presumed -- sobbing on the floor. He wondered what this Tess had done. He wondered if she was dead.

Damon helped Claire to her feet. "There's a wheelchair, can someone find it?"

After exchanging a look with Dean and Sam, Locke retrieved the wheelchair that had carried Ami to the cafeteria. Even though it wasn't for him, he was loathe to touch it. The questions of the few remaining in the blood-spattered cafeteria were a welcome distraction. "Everything's under control," he reported as he wheeled the chair into the hallway.

Locke helped Damon ease Claire into the vinyl seat, then turned to the brothers. "May I borrow one of your handguns?" The boys blinked a question at him simultaneously. "I'll escort Damon and Claire. My knife isn't much good against an adversary with a gun."

The brothers glanced at each other, then nodded. Sam handed over his safetied .45 handle-first. "Thanks," Locke said as he accepted it. After taking a moment to familiarize himself with the weapon, he thumbed the safety off and turned to Damon. "Let's go." He fell into step beside Damon, who pushed Claire in the wheelchair.

Fortunately, the walk back to Claire's room was quick and quiet, and Megabyte easily ignored those gathering around, whispering and asking questions. He'd let someone else worry about the Blonde Menace, his focus was entirely on Claire and making certain that she was all right. He only peripherally noticed Locke and Daniel exchanging quiet words in the doorway.

Something crunched beneath the soles of his shoes and the wheels of the chair. Megabyte looked down, his brain puzzling.

(Glass?)

Placing the wheelchair in lock, he strode forward, carefully, inspecting the spray range of the glass. Bits littered the nightstand and Claire's bed.

"Claire?" Megabyte returned to her side, crouching, not kneeling, down by the chair so that he could meet her gaze. She'd tried to curl up in a ball in the wheelchair as much as she could. He pushed back the anger he felt that she was in this state; anger wasn't going to help him or Claire right now.

"Claire?" He tried again. He took her hand in his and stroked the back gently. "There's some broken glass on the floor and on the bed. I'm going to have to change the bed and get the glass up, okay? I'm going to put you on the couch so that you can lie down while I'm doing that okay?"

She murmured and sobbed something, Megabyte wasn't sure if it was an acknowledgement or just continued misery from earlier. With a firm, reassuring squeeze to her hand, he stood and moved the wheelchair to its new location.

He swore internally. He couldn't move her alone. He shouldn't move her with help. Noticing Locke still in the doorway, he raised his voice just enough to get the man's attention. "We need to get Claire on the couch. And there's glass on the bed and the floor. I could use some clean sheets and a broom."

Locke wasn't surprised in the least when Daniel strode up to his post outside Claire's room. Worry, frustration, and exhaustion had drawn the soldier's features. After a quick glance into the room at Damon and Claire, Daniel turned to Locke. "The Winchesters told me about Isabelle. Claire and Damon are okay?"

"Mostly," Locke replied softly. "Claire's pretty shook up, and her ankle's sprained or broken. Damon's... on edge. We need to get Dr. Pierson or House -- Pierson down here to stitch up his shoulder. The boy won't leave Claire's side now, I'm sure."

Daniel nodded, pursing his lips momentarily. "I thought we were in agreement, John. Isabel, May, and the Winchesters are to be chaperoned at all times. Yet you left three of the four -- after one of them attacked Claire! -- alone." His words were civil, but anger flashed in his eyes.

Locke calmly met Daniel's eyes. He'd been expecting this. "It was a judgement call. Damon wasn't going to make any detours to escort the newcomers elsewhere, so I elected to go with him." The look on Daniel's face said he wasn't convinced. "I have faith in them, Daniel. Dean, Sam, and May. They're good people. Don't know about Isabel yet."

Daniel gave Locke a look he was all too familiar with -- the one that said "Are you out of your mind?"

Damon's voice carried out from the room. "We need to get Claire on the couch. And there's glass on the bed and the floor. I could use some clean sheets and a broom."

Locke looked to Daniel, who nodded. "On it," he replied, leaving Daniel to guard the room.

OOC: Not sure if Daniel was supposed to stick around, fikgirl. If not, tell me and I'll repost. In any case, Locke will be back with the supplies.

Nope, that's cool. Daniel wouldn't have gone anywhere just yet.

At Locke's acknowledgement, Megabyte returned his attention to Claire. Megabyte knelt down in front of her, and pulled her into as much of a hug as he could from the awkwardness of their position. Smoothing his hands over her hair and back, he empathically sent her sympathy, understanding, and most of all caring, affection and support. "It's okay, Claire. You're safe now. I'm here. I won't let her get near you or your baby."

He kissed the top of her head, quietly acknowledging that any other time and place it probably would have overstepped a few lines and been classified as inappropriate. Right now, Megabyte didn't care. He just wanted to be certain that Claire was okay. Pushing her hair aside, he tilted her face to look at him, catching her eyes. "It's okay now, Claire. I promise. John went to get some things, and hopefully Dr. Pierson to look at your ankle. We're going to get you back in bed, and take care of you and the little guy, okay?"

Threadus newus (http://community.livejournal.com/crossing_lostrp/98549.html)

Dean and Sam watched them wheel Claire to another room. It was only when Claire was out of sight that Dean got up and pulled Isabel with him. Sill maintaining a tight arm lock. Not trying to hurt her, just easily subdue her if need be.

"Come on, let's go." Dean pushed her forward. "Back to the cafeteria. Save the waterworks for someone who cares." Sam had another gun out and was walking with them.

Isabel's story and the fallout have been moved to a new thread (http://community.livejournal.com/crossing_lostrp/98840.html).

Megabyte reacted here (http://community.livejournal.com/crossing_lostrp/98003.html?thread=3245011#t3245011), before Isabel got another word out. It doesn't work with the continuity as written, so just pretend like Isabel got shoved out in the hall, up against the wall, shook it off and came back in the room.

Is that good for everyone?

[OOC: Megabyte is responding to Isabel's actions here (http://community.livejournal.com/crossing_lostrp/98003.html?thread=3237843#t3237843). This would happen BEFORE Isabel said another word or went into her tirade.]

As Claire floated into the air, Megabyte acted instinctively, pushing forward, past Locke and Dean. He was right next to Claire in an instant, he might have even teleported for all he knew, but he need to be there because in the next heartbeat, he slammed a telekinetic wall of force up between the Blonde Maniac and Claire. He managed to ease Claire's landing on the floor, although in the confined space it was difficult to maneuver into a position to catch her.

He didn't feel any resistance against his wall, but as he sank down next to Claire and pulled her into his arms, he pushed the wall towards the strange woman for good measure, with enough force to lift her up off her and feet and send her sailing into the wall across the hall.

"Keep the crazy bitch the fuck away from Claire," Megabyte growled.

OOC: Sorry gang, I couldn't work Megabyte's response in any other way. THIS is what he would have done, fight fire with fire, so to speak.

That's fine, I completely forgot about leaving room for Megabyte to respond. I got so caught up in being mean to Soph... old habits die hard *wink wink*.

The sequence of events then was this: Isabel threw Claire against the wall, Megabyte probably-teleported next to her and retaliated, Isabel got up and then started threatening to kill Claire, then Dean did his flying tackle, then Isabel found out it was all a horrible case of mistaken identity and started leaking all over the floor.

It works.

OOC: Quickie post 'cause I can't resist. :)

Dean was safe. Claire was safe. Jess/Isabel/Val-whoever no longer looked likely to murder anyone, so Sam stared at Damon. (Who does look ready to murder one particular person.) "Um... who *isn't* telekinetic around here?"

[Dean] Ah, shite (tag isabel, MB, Locke, Claire, open)

[Megabyte] Er ... Um...Well... (tag Dean, Claire, open)

[Isabel] Well here goes my secret... (tag Claire, MB, Dean, Locke, Kenzaki, open)

[Claire] Well here goes my secret... (tag Isabel, MB, Dean, Locke, Kenzaki, open)

[Isabel] Well here goes my secret... (tag Claire, MB, Dean, Locke, Kenzaki, open)

[Dean] Well here goes my secret... (tag Claire, MB, Isabel, Locke, Kenzaki, open)

[Claire] Well here goes my secret... (tag laundry people, open)

[Isabel] Well here goes my secret... (tag laundry people, open)

Just a Little Jump Down and Over

[Locke, Sam] Well here goes my secret... (tag Claire, MB, Isabel, Dean, Kenzaki, open)

Re: ooc: note

Re: ooc: note

Re: ooc: note

Re: ooc: note

Re: ooc: note

[Megabyte] Focus on Claire (open tag)

[Isabel] Apologies (tag MB, laundry people)

[Dean] Ain't buying it. (tag laundry people)

[Locke] Escort service (tag laundry people)

[Megabyte] Settling Back In (tag Locke, open)

[Locke] Settling Back In (tag Daniel, MB, open)

Re: [Locke] Settling Back In (tag Daniel, MB, open)

[Megabyte] Offering Comfort (tag Claire, open)

Redirect

[Dean/Sam] Ok, what now? (tag laundry people)

OOC Redirect

OOC: Deleted Scene?

[Megabyte] Defensive Mode (open tag)

OOC: That's okay

Re: OOC: That's okay

[Sam] ?!? (open tag)