[Earthquake] Reciprocity
Edgeworth: *at 12:35 PM on July 12th, Edgeworth is in the park near his house with his dog. Pess has been acting up the entire day, practically attached to his hip from the time he woke up, and uncharacteristically vocal. At the moment, however, he's ignoring his dog's bad behavior and talking to his girlfriend on the phone* So, you wouldn't be opposed to such an outing?
Angel: Hmm? No, I wouldn't think so. It sounds kind of fun, really. I do like to dress people up. I even managed to get Adrian into something she wouldn't normally wear... Not that I'd go past any boundaries if Mr. Wright would like to set them. *gives a laugh* ...Or Iris herself.
Edgeworth: Did you really...? Your force of personality certainly is formidab- Ah! *trips over the dog, who's weaving in and out of his legs* Dammit Pess! *there's a bit of a beeping at his ear, but he's too distracted to notice it*
Angel: Are you quite alright? *stifles the urge to laugh again* Don't step on him now. Or you could. I'm fairly sure he could take it... And if he couldn't, well, there are a few recipes I've wanted to try out...
Edgeworth: *flatly* Oh, how very droll. Not a terribly funny joke to a dog-lover. I am, frankly, a bit worried something may be wrong with him. He's been uncharacteristically anxious and needy the entire morning. *the phone beeps again* I may have to take him to the vet later today.
Angel: Needier than usual? *she frowns* Oh, whatever. House-pets get ill all of the time. Chop them all up, I say. You can't turn his type into glue, can you? *after a moment her voice takes on a slightly- slightly; she's trying to show effort- concerned tone* Well, if he really is sick... But don't you have things to do today? I'll take him if you'd like.
Edgeworth: No, that's all right, I wouldn't want to put you out. He's usually very good for the vet, but if he's already acting like this... *glances down at his dog, who's giving a thready whine* It'll be all ri- *as the phone gives another beep and he reaches the outskirts of the park, he frowns at it* Ah, how unfortunate. My phone is about to die.
Angel: Then I'll let you go for now. Call me later, alright? After three, though... I've got to go down to the shop. And charge your phone! You really ought to check it before you head out. How irresponsible, really. *amusement is evident in her voice*
Edgeworth: Yes, I will. And it's not my fault, I think the battery on this phone needs replacement... Maybe I'll do that after I- *the phone beeps again, loudly, and goes dead. He frowns* Well. *looks down at Pess, and jerks the leash gently* Come along, let's get you home.
Pess: *whines, sticking very close to his heels*
Angel: *pauses at the phone a moment before realizing it's dead; she shuts hers closed with a vague smile on her face and moves to go get ready and leave*
Edgeworth: *the two of them walk at a relatively leisurely pace out of the park and back to Edgeworth's home* All right, Pess, calm down. *gives his dog a somewhat commanding pat. He walks up the paved walkway to his house* We're almost home, all right?
Pess: *whines, tail between his legs, and then whirls, barking in agitation*
Edgeworth: *stern* Tch! Pess, be quiet. B- *about to repeat the command once again, something stops him, makes his voice die in his throat. It's an unpleasant feeling at the base of his spine that spreads up his back, causing goosebumps to skitter across his arms. With dawning comprehension* Oh... Oh... *looks down at his dog with wide eyes and mutters* Good boy.
Pess: *crouches, wagging his tail faintly, eyes fixed on his master*
Edgeworth: *it's then that the ground surges upward, like a wild horse bucking its rider. His knees were already bent and weak, they crumble as the tremors start in earnest. He curls into a fetal position, still gripping his dog's leash. As the earthquake increases in intensity, his consciousness flickers, he grips against the ground*
Pess: *nudges a cold nose into his ear, wagging his tail with deep brown eyes full of a vague sort of worry*
Edgeworth: *flinches irritably and with some extreme effort, rises. He manages to stumble to his doorway, despite the continuing earthquake, and collapse into it as Pess braces against him. He's pale and sweating, not seized with the memory of his traumatic experience so much as reliving the physical sensations of it. As the tremors of the main quake cease, he slowly comes back to his mind, still shaking, and unlocks the doors to his home, making sure to get the distressed Pess off his leash* Th-that's a good boy, there. All right... It's safe in the house.
Edgeworth: *gives his house a brief look-over, making sure everything is all right. He'd been absolutely sure after he bought the house to have it earthquake-proofed to the extent he was able, so not much is out of place. This is perhaps the safest place he could be, which is some relief to him as he stumbles with a powerful aftershock and collapses in exhaustion against the wall, allowing himself to fall into semi-consciousness. He is too distracted to be very concerned with the fact that the door is ajar and the alarm system is disabled*
von Karma: *sometime later--it isn't clear how long, exactly--short, crisp steps sound out on the front drive of the house as Manfred von Karma makes his way towards the open door. His features are completely neutral, betraying no thoughts, and in his right hand he clutches onto a small pistol. It's unclear how he acquired the gun save that even in this, he must have been prepared*
Edgeworth: *he's pale and sweating, leaning on the wall next to the door to his office, not really very aware. He does hear - and recognize - the footsteps, but the part of his mind that's conscious dismisses them as a hallucination*
Pess: *cuddled up next to Edgeworth, he lifts his head and cocks it*
von Karma: *pushes the door open further, stepping in and adjusting to the change in light. It's quite evident that the boy is inside, and he's aware that the quake has been a convenience in more ways than one. With a flick of his eyes he locates him, collapsed against the wall-- and without speaking, he approaches*
Pess: *gets up, whining and standing next to Edgeworth, tail between his legs. He clearly recognizes the man, but he's not at ease with his presence in Edgeworth's home*
Edgeworth: *blinks, stirring at the - now much closer - sound of footsteps. He squints up* ...who? *something in him twists as he sees the figure in front of him, backlit by the afternoon sun streaming in through the doorway* Suh- You-!! *the shock in his voice is choked, and he quickly stumbles to his feet, not lunging for the man, just staring at him. He hasn't yet noticed the gun, and it's apparent by the lack of caution he's taking* What are you-!?
von Karma: *and... he smiles. He's never had one that was not cruel; this one is radiant, a grin so huge one can see the bones of his skull; it is triumphant, and quite mad*
von Karma: *quite simply* Come to make an ending, boy. *and he raises his right arm, and fires*
Edgeworth: *he sees the gun only too late, his eye focusing on the glint curving over the barrel as it faces him. He has hardly enough time to meet his former mentor's eyes with a gaping sort of dread when the deafening shot rings out and he sees his dog flee in his peripheral vision*
Edgeworth: *he feels the bullet hit him almost as if it's slow motion, a sensation like a heavy, spiked, gothic door slamming on him. He slams back into the wall with the momentum, his vision tunnelling and blacking as he slumps to the ground, aware of nothing but intense pain; like a jackhammer has been trained on the junction of his right arm and it's now separated from the rest of his body*
Edgeworth: *he's about to allow himself to fall unconscious again, but suddenly he feels a strength flooding through him that washes away the pain and clears his vision. He brings his left arm up to his right shoulder and feels the blood coursing from the wound, pressing gently but as strongly as he is capable of doing in order to staunch the blood. He makes no sound*
von Karma: *his arm jerks as he fires, and he knows, instantly, even before the recoil hits his wrist and snaps it back, even though the boy collapses to the ground without a sound--he knows he's missed, he knows he's failed, and the crushing weight of this realization comes down on his body and grips his heart, immobilizing him*
Edgeworth: *the pain is distant now, all he can feel is a sense of having been wronged and behind that a feeling that quickly overpowers it completely: He wants, like nothing else he's ever wanted in his life, to live. He blinks his eyes and stares up at the man who killed his father, breathing shallowly as adrenaline and von Karma's expression cause the entire situation to become clear*
Edgeworth: *low and raspy, but clearly* You missed.
Edgeworth: *after a long pause in which he takes a tentative but shallow breath, feeling a distant pressure on his right lung as he does, he continues more strongly* ...And you have no more bullets.
von Karma: *it's true-- but the fact that the boy has realized it and states it so calmly now causes him to growl out, tossing the gun aside and raising his cane* I do not need any.
von Karma: *the blow from the mahogany cane strikes the side of Edgeworth's face--not nearly enough to knock him out; he is not capable of that kind of force anymore. Without waiting for a reaction, however, von Karma brings the cane parallel to the ground, gripping white-knuckled on both ends of it and bringing it up to Edgeworth's throat, pressing up and in*
Edgeworth: *he doesn't react to the blow at all. At first he flinches away from the choke, but then he remembers the vague self-defense training he's had and with effort brings his chin down, tensing his neck muscles. He is unable to say anything, but he doesn't allow any noise - any weakness - to pass his lips. All he does is focus pained but intense eyes on von Karma, using his brain's last few seconds of viable air to try to remember which of the man's legs is the weak one*
Angel: *has been spending the past hour or so trying to get a hold of Edgeworth- even if his battery wasn't dead, it would've been doubtful that she'd have been able to get through to him- and then, for the latter, larger half, trying to get to him. But this is proven difficult with the congested traffic on the streets and the shop being downtown, near the center of the quake. Unrattled and unaffected, Angel has decided to just run for it, abandoning her car on the street and only vaguely making a wish that no falling debris would land on it*
Angel: *it takes her nearly an hour, as quick as she is, as there are people to help along the way and calls to make- but she eventually gets there, pausing outside the door- it is, oddly, ajar...*
Angel: *something strikes her as strange and she leans up against the doorway, a hand paused at her hip, on high alert- she is completely quiet as she listens*
Angel: *after a moment she hears a thud and throws open the door, and what she sees actually causes her to stop and stare in shock- but it doesn't last long, and in a split second she's drawn a Beretta from somewhere and is aiming it at von Karma's back*
Angel: Turn around. Slowly. *she has no idea who this could be yet- and doesn't know if he's armed*
von Karma: *only vaguely hears Angel's approach, so past normal comprehension, so focused is he on his task. When she speaks and he realizes her words, he scowls and instead of backing away, presses the cane to Edgeworth's throat all the harder*
Edgeworth: *finishes his attempt to resist the choke, turning his head towards von Karma's left side, his assailant's wrist having been weakened by the recoil. This allows him to get a half-breath in as the muscles on the sides of his neck take the brunt of the pressure. It's burningly painful to turn his head towards his ruined shoulder, though, and he lets out a strangled gasp-moan. He's dimly aware of Angel's presence, but is by now so low on oxygen he can't even think, let alone call out*
Angel: *when the invader doesn't turn and it clicks to her just exactly what's going on- along with the fact that he has no gun in his hands- Angel darts forward and quickly clips von Karma upside the head with her elbow (narrowly avoiding the urge to do it with her gun) while simultaneously planting a spiked heel into his side and kicking- hard*
von Karma: *grunts, the first blow stunning him slightly, the second--the kick--causing him to lose his balance and stumble to the side, tripping--he has a gaunt frame, but is after all, approaching seventy. He lands at an awkward angle. The cane, still tightly gripped in his hands as he's shoved off, hits the ground with a clatter beside him*
Angel: *she says nothing, but she keeps moving, kneeling down beside the man and grabbing his arms, jerking them behind his back- there's not a lot of resistance. She cuffs him with plasticuffs, pulling the cable ties perhaps a bit harder than she ought to with her shaking hands. As she does this, she calls out to Edgeworth, her voice nearly level, not quite there*
Angel: Talk to me. Are you bleeding? *she gives a yank on one of the cable ties, her knee pushing into von Karma's side- she still hasn't looked at his face*
Edgeworth: *as his throat is freed, he breathes in sharply, letting out a small gagging sort of cry and pressing the hand that had fallen away from his shoulder as he was being choked to his neck. It leaves a handprint in blood* A-hhhk.. *his speech is cut off by panic and pain*
Edgeworth: *he tries again, taking a few breaths to calm himself. He tries to breathe shallowly, the pressure on his lung has now turned into a faint stabbing pain. His voice is very low and raspy* I...m... shot... yes.
von Karma: *is lying on the ground, still and quiet-- he doesn't move... and doesn't yell*
Angel: *it takes her a few moments to respond- and it's not because she's distracted* *when she speaks it's steady* Where were you shot? *she lets go of von Karma's arms and lets them drop; she leaves him to lie there and pulls out her cell phone, dialling 911 and placing a call to get help* *she hangs up abruptly- she doesn't need the operator's instructions, just the dispatch- and moves towards Edgeworth*
Angel: Here? Your shoulder? *realizing that she's got nothing to compress it with, she draws off her jacket and grasps one of the sleeves* This is going to hurt. *she doesn't give him time to realize that he's going to feel even more pain before she presses the sleeve directly to the wound, pressing on it with the heel of her hand* Did this just happen?
Edgeworth: *his eyes go wide and his pupils pinpoint with the pain, but he bites his lip rather than crying out in front of her* Ahhh-- uh... yes... *he gasps out* M-my collarbone is... I can feel... like... needles. *glances down* Oh... your jacket.
Angel: That's right, it'll be fine soon... *she tries not to look too concerned by him mentioning his collarbone- so as not to disorient him more than he already is- but she is, and it suddenly comes to her what's actually happened... Her eyes tear up, but he can't see it as she lowers her head, pressing harder* Do you feel tired?
von Karma: *finally, he stirs again and slowly sits up-- his face is directed away*
Edgeworth: *eyes searching* Yes... but... I have to stay awake... *starts to pant, lightly at first* Can't... go into shock... *he sees von Karma move through the corner of his eye* Shh...shit... He's still...
Angel: He's not going to move. I'm fairly sure I might've broken something. *she doesn't even turn to look at von Karma and presses Edgeworth's shoulder against the wall, blinking rapidly* The paramedics are coming. Keep talking to me.
Edgeworth: He's... not... *his vision blurs and his breathing quickens, but he's talking more to himself than her.* He's not going to... He's finished... *refocuses on her* I should... I meant to... God... it hurts, Angel... it hurts so much.
Angel: *gently* It'll go away soon. *she can't think of anything else to stay and just keeps her hand steady at his shoulder, knowing that the paramedics might be delayed due to the earthquake- the earthquake. The reason she'd come here in the first place...* *looks down to his face with uncertainty, though she asks no questions; now is definitely not the time*
Edgeworth: *some of the focus returns to his gaze* It will not. Liar. *groans and leans his head against the wall, his panting becoming edged slightly. Not with panic, but his breathing is becoming more belabored and audible, creeping ever closer to hyperventilating as he approaches shock*
von Karma: *several feet away he shifts--not to turn, and certainly not to rise and flee... but it's a movement nonetheless*
Edgeworth: *the movement draws his gaze. He glances at von Karma with bloodshot eyes and calls out with effort, his voice still wrecked* v-von Karma... Still alive... I see. Me too.
von Karma: *says nothing*
Angel: *she immediately snaps her head to the side to look at the man's face when she hears that name and then back at Edgeworth- a hiss escapes from between her teeth* *she realizes that this is so much worse a situation than she could have pictured, but says nothing, moving closer to Edgeworth and leaning over him, still applying pressure to the wound*
Edgeworth: *his eyelids flicker. He can't turn his head to see the man the entire way, but he turns his eyes to the side. It makes him look even more ghastly, showing off the vast expanse of blown blood vessels in his eyes* You... came here to kill... me... at great expense... *winces, concentrating very hard in order to get these next words out* Am I... your white whale, old man?
Edgeworth: *turns away, toward Angel, though he's looking over her shoulder rather than at her* "From hell's heart--" ...Ngh. *winces again, losing his concentration. He hyperventilates shallowly for a few breaths and then calms down* ...et cetera... *faintly* How trite. I never liked that book.
von Karma: *his voice is calm and steady, but for once--quiet* Fool. It was never about you.
Edgeworth: *another rush of adrenaline comes at the sound of that voice. His breathing calms just slightly. He closes his eyes and wearily mutters* Did you think it was about the whale for Ahab...? You didn't understand that book at all, did you...?
von Karma: *there is a quiet laugh but it is dead, made without force. The expression on his face as he utters it cannot be seen. Finally however, he turns to face Edgeworth and Angel-not in any quick motion; there is no more threat, only an old man who has reached his conclusion. There is, however, a smile on his lips: grim, peaceful... and somehow, satisfied*
von Karma: Far more than you ever understood me, boy. Forgiveness, from you... is little, and nothing.
Edgeworth: *frowns heavily, eyes still closed. The emotion in von Karma's voice is something Edgeworth doesn't remember having heard for years, if ever. He feels a strange sensation in his chest and his limbs - except his injured right arm - twitch for a moment but don't move any further than that*
Edgeworth: *raspily* No less than this wound will eventually... be... to... *his voice fades and chokes away, he's only able to mouth the last word: "me."*
Edgeworth: *then... whether from the renewed pain, or the frustration, or the general crushing awfulness of the entire situation, tears well up visibly in his eyes and though it is already bleeding, he bites his lip to keep them from falling down his face. Without voice, though she's close enough that she can still hear* Angel... Sorry... *with a quiet exhalation, he falls unconscious, his breathing regular with a slight whistling wheeze*
Angel: No... *her other hand reaches out to brush his cheek- but she knows he's better off this way in unconsciousness; it is, after all, the mind's way of protecting itself...* *she manages to keep her hold on his shoulder though her eyes have grown blurry and hard to see through* *she keeps her back turned on von Karma, though she turns her head slightly to look at him, saying nothing*
Gumshoe: *the sound of sirens is audible in the distance--they grow closer and closer with every passing moment before screeching to a halt outside Edgeworth's house*
Gumshoe: *there's a commotion outside, the angry yelling of voices... one in particular becoming distinct as Gumshoe kicks the door open with a crash, holding his gun out and sweeping the room pre-emptively, bellowing out* MR. EDGEWORTH! WHERE ARE YOU, SIR?!
Edgeworth: *groans*
Angel: *looks up with a cry of relief; she's been holding on to composure only halfway for these last few minutes* Detective Gumshoe! *she doesn't move from where she's sitting; she can't take her hand off the wound or it will start bleeding again, after all*
Gumshoe: *startled, he looks down at the sound of her voice to find them much closer than he'd expected--and at the sight of the unconscious Edgeworth, his face falls... and just to his side is unmistakably von Karma* M-Miss Starr! ...M...Mister Edgeworth!! *Gumshoe pauses, looking visibly torn between going to help Edgeworth and roughing the old man up*
Paramedics: *rush into the house with a stretcher, glancing across the room. As the other two adjust the stretcher to the ground, the lead paramedic drops down to his knees and puts his hand on Angel's shoulder* All right, let's see here. Gunshot wound? *to the others* Let's get him on the stretcher.
Gumshoe: *well, that answers that question. Shooting one last worrying glance at Edgeworth as the paramedic team gets to work, Gumshoe takes a few quick steps over to von Karma and then literally picks the man up by his jacket, pushing him against the wall* You got a lot of nerve doin' what you just did, pal! *practically snarls, far angrier than most people ever see him*
von Karma: *there is a barely perceptible wince as he's lifted up and slammed into the wall. There is a very perceptible glare, however--and other than that, nothing*
Angel: *gives a last look towards Edgeworth, who has disappeared now behind the paramedics. She then lifts herself from the floor- there's blood all up her forearms and down her front, giving her somewhat of a morbid look- and darts over to where Gumshoe has von Karma pinned to the wall. She grabs Gumshoe's arm, pulling hard though she's aware of just how angry the man is right now* He's injured. He needs to be looked at. *but it's not as though she weren't wishing she could do the same thing right now*
Gumshoe: *Gumshoe's grip doesn't budge, and though he normally might have quailed under von Karma's glare, he's too furious to even notice right now* I know! Why do you think I'm--*he pauses* Oh, you meant him.
von Karma: *levelly, courteously--though he is still pinned by Gumshoe to the wall* Madam, give your aid to the man who needs it -- I do not.
Angel: *her voice takes on sweet tones, though it's definitely the right side of her face that's showing* We all need a bit of help right now. I suggest you get looked after. *flicks her eyes to Gumshoe* And I suggest to you, Detective, that you let it happen. Forcibly, if need be.
Gumshoe: *after a long moment of glaring at von Karma, Gumshoe relents, lowering the man down to the floor* Prison docs are pretty busy, pal. They'll get to him when they get to him. *it takes a lot of effort to do this and not punch the old man straight in the face*
von Karma: *when he's set down, he stumbles slightly but remains standing on his own feet, regardless of the large detective's loose grip. His expression is once again craggy and neutral*
Gumshoe: *it takes a large effort to tear his glare away from von Karma to Angel--who he just notices now is covered with blood* H-hey... you okay, Miss Starr?
Angel: *she stares down at the blood on her bare arms almost uncomprehendingly* I won't tell you that I'm fine, but let's just say I'm glad I got here when I did... *she runs a hand through her hair with some difficulty, pulling at it, and looks back to Gumshoe* ...I suppose you came rushing when you saw where the call was placed to.
Gumshoe: *looks at her... and then lets go of Von Karma with one hand, scratching at the back of his head bashfully* Uh, actually, I didn't get the call. I came rushing as soon as I could spare a moment because of the earthquake, actually. I just... well, got the paramedic call while on the way and... *he trails off*
Angel: *smiles with relief, before turning away, crossing her arms- she opens her mouth to say something but her throat constricts painfully and she shakes her head, holding a hand to her lips*
Gumshoe: H-hey! *Gumshoe lets go of von Karma entirely now - the man isn't going anywhere, of course - and reaches out to put a large hand on Angel's shoulder* You--you doin' all right, Miss Starr?
von Karma: *seeing that Gumshoe is otherwise occupied, an officer by the door steps up and, saluting both detectives, takes hold of von Karma by the shoulder. The handcuffed man winces slightly at the grip but offers a tight smile, making no comment as he is led away. The officer reads his rights to the man before he is helped into the police car and fades from view*
Angel: *moves to the doorway and watches von Karma be taken away by the officer before giving her answer to Gumshoe, not turning to him* I'm scared... for him. *but the admission about Edgeworth doesn't quite cover it- she's not as scared for the injury as she is for what led up to it and who caused it* ...
Gumshoe: *frowns, nodding* I know what you mean. But...! He'll be okay, now that we've got him! Really! They'll do a good job patching him up, so... *trails off, looking down at the ground and not really sure if what he's saying is helping at all*
Paramedics: *having finished stabilizing Edgeworth enough to get him out of the door, the head paramedic turns and points at Angel and Gumshoe* Ride-alongs?
Gumshoe: *the detective sighs again* I can't. Gotta... well, there was a huge jailbreak. Ain't gonna be resting for a while, that's for sure. *looks over at Angel, reaching up to squeeze her shoulder* Make sure they take good care of Mr. Edgeworth, okay?
Angel: *exchanges a look with Gumshoe, nodding and petting the top of his hand- she is unsurprised, of course, by the news of the jail break* Yes, I will. *she turns to the paramedic and nods resolutely* Alright, I'll come along.
Paramedics: *the head paramedic beckons for her to follow and pushes the stretcher out the door*
Gumshoe: *turns, looking at Edgeworth on the stretcher, sad but genuinely furious at the thought of Von Karma doing this to him... but there's no time to waste, and if something doesn't get done more people are going to wind up like that--so with a nod to Angel, Gumshoe heads for his squad car to get back to the station for orders*
Angel: *nods back at Gumshoe and follows the head paramedic into the ambulance*
Paramedics: *as the other two load Edgeworth into the back, he helps her up and follows her in, moving quickly and deftly around the victim. The driver turns on the siren and the ambulance speeds off towards the closest clinic with open beds*
[[OOC: By the six PM news, there's a short story in the news about Prosecutor Edgeworth's shooting by a mysterious assailant during the prison break. He's stated to be in stable condition. The name of his assailant is not mentioned.]]