[voice]

[arsenic_alone]

[It's strained with pain and fear, but it's definitely Gert's voice, if somewhat older. There's busy traffic noise behind her, so it's difficult to hear exactly what she's saying at first.]

They can't hold out. There must be someo-- Ow. Desai. Right.Is there anyone here with an ability to heal, withstand electricity, or somehow avoid being

Comments

[notvictorious]

Gert?

[voice]

[arsenic_alone]

[Her breathing is getting ragged, and her voice is blurry but no less irritated.]

The Avengers are dying at the hands of Victorious. Cassie... Cassie was ok, I think. It's hard to keep track when buildings are coming down. But I think I saw her before I got to the train station.

[notvictorious]

Look, I'm not Victorious. I never will be. If you keep saying so, then you're just trying to turn my friends against me and I'll stop you.

[voice]

[arsenic_alone]

I'm just trying to save my friends. But I don't know how you could be in two places at once. I'm sure I could come up with one... Just... not... Not right now. But you're here, I just saw y-- Victorious -- not half an hour ago. He shouldn't have been able to get here before me. Nico says you're not. If you kill me, guess I'll be proven right. They'll know how to take care of you.

[notvictorious]

I'm not Victorious and I'm not killing anybody.

Where are you?

[thegrimsister]

I will teleport you both to Pluto if you don't knock it off right this god damned minute.

[notvictorious]

Don't give orders. You're not our boss anymore. And I was going to offer whoever she is some help.

[thegrimsister]

Whether or not I'm the boss isn't the point. The point is that if I want to teleport you to Pluto I can, and I will. So go help her and stop bickering.

[notvictorious]

I'm going to bring you to her now.

Thanks for sticking up for me.

[arsenic_alone]

[Dry, and somewhat sarcastic.]

You'll forgive me if I'm a little wary of giving you my exact location.

[notvictorious]

Asking you is a formality, you know I can find you by hacking into the city grids and following the security footage.

[arsenic_alone]

... Fuck this place and it's cameras. Fine. Whatever. If you kill me, it'll just -- Damn. Repeating myself. I'm at [insert location]. I'll wait for you. [Clatter of boots tripping over something, a grunt and a soft hiss of pain.]

Apparently I'll be sitting, and waiting. Promise to keep the empathy in check, even. Call it a courtesy.

[notvictorious]

I'm not going to kill anybody. I'm going to bring you to Nico and then we'll figure out who you are and what you're up to, and then we can all get back to our own lives.

[arsenic_alone]

Not like I have much choice, is it? If I'd known I was going to just get tied up in this shit of a time culdesac, I would have gone somewhere else. I should be back there already.