The Rescue III: Once More with Feeling (In Progress, Closed)

[darkknightfall]

WHO: Batman (darkknightfall), Naoe Nagi (technokinetic), Farfarello (redlamb), an unconscious Schuldig (dummschwallen), and possibly Crawdad (hesitatenot)
WHAT: A rescue mission to save half the Schwartz, full of heroes, assassins, nuns, and shenanigans. Sadly, no unicorns.
WHERE: The Queen's Castle
WHEN: Day 72, 9 pm

Comments

[technokinetic]

The meeting place was the same, because there was no reason for either of them to give away any more information than was necessary. It was a very silent partnership between the two, for now at least - who knew how that would change when Schwarz was reunited? Nagi was determined to put aside as much of his personal grudges as he could if it meant getting Schu and Faru back tonight.

They were independent enough individuals (now, in Nagi's case, since he'd been forced to become that way) that they could simultaneously operate side-by-side without interfering in the other's business. They each had their means of traveling across town and removing obstacles in their path.

Truly, if Nagi didn't know for a fact now after the incident the other night just how counter-productive trying to kill dawdling onlookers or blast open doors - due to being an irritant in Kent's mind for whatever reason - he would have kept doing just that. He was accustomed to solving things in the quickest manner possible and without repercussions.

"Not the castle. So where to start?" Nagi grudgingly asked his search-companion; that was about the extent of their conversations.

[darkknightfall]

"The most likely places are government-owned or seemingly abandoned buildings throughout the city. In my previous nightly sweeps of the housing district I've seen no evidence of Rivelata natives at all, which would mean the soldiers can't be holding them there. We can safely assume they aren't being held there. I have a map-- " he produced it for Nagi to see, "with the buildings that are most likely to hold them marked with red Xs. We'll move from the castle outward clockwise. Moving to avoid attention by the rooftops, we should be able to cover all the places by 2 AM at the latest."

Knowing Nagi wouldn't have needed more than a couple moments to identify the targets, and that he'd ask for the map again if he needed a refresher, Bruce tucked it away in his belt again, only waiting for the nod of assent before launching himself off into the night.

Neither of them cared particularly much for banter, and both were quite driven by their missions. One hour passed, then two, as they moved through the city, from building to building, checking for hidden basements and facilities, the locks, doors, and windows of buildings proving to be as resistant to their methods as a glutton to the offer of a free feast. Still, nothing. Frustrating, but even so, their night's work was not yet half done, and the method was, ultimately, less time consuming and more likely to yield results than the alternative, searching through every building individually for the proverbial needle in the haystack.

Then at half an hour to midnight, the earpiece Bruce had placed in his ear to came to life, issuing something like a muffed scream into his ear, and suddenly, things became much more dire. Though he paused for not a second as he continued to move towards the next target, he hissed into his own end, fighting down the panic.

Of course. Of course she'd be attacked. Of course the guards, the precautions, the nearby presence of the other council members wouldn't be enough. So, much as he hoped otherwise, he was not surprised when his quiet pleas for Claire to answer were not met.

Even what hope he allowed himself, that his spare precautions might be enough, that Max might be able to make it to Claire in time, were quickly snuffed as he contacted her. Voice slurred. Judgement impaired. They'd drugged her. As furious energy coursed through his veins that they could be so petty, so foolish, so juvenile. Even if it was "just" alcohol, it was enough to cost Claire dearly.

Still, he couldn't break off from his mission now. Claire's powers, he hoped, would keep her safe long enough. Hiruma, of all people, would notice she was missing, and enact a search. But, until he could join the rest of the resistance in the hunt for her, he had to finish this-- the boy was too powerful and too emotionally distanced to be appeased with anything else. If Bruce failed to hold up his end of the deal now, it would all fall apart.

And so he just moved faster, pressing his body to it's all too human limits, flinging himself into the hunt.

Damn it, Claire... Damn it.