Iscariot Ep 5: On The Hunt

[HumanHyperbole]

Docks -- Iscariot

Three men stood a few paces apart, each looked as non-descript in their appearance as the other. But only one thing in their body language gave them away. Their eyes. They scanned the room for people boarding shuttles. One noticed a sign showing departures were delayed. Their leader broke the shared silence.

"Markets. Check-in every ninety... yeah?"

He gave his compatriots a vacant, idle smile, and phrased the order like a question. It was not, and they were off like a shot before he finished his sentence. As the duo departed from him, he remained for a second, taking in the scenery, the people, and a deep cleansing breath. Archibald Brown adjusted the holster under his jacket and got underway.

Sneaking his gun into the station was no small feet and involved him pieces in the bathroom moments before but it was worth it. The reward for bringing in the cocky D list celebrity, and the infamy it could bring him hung in the air like heavy stench. Again he took a deep breath, enjoying himself in the moment, and relishing the prize he assumed to already be his.

Bringing his hand up to his ear to activate comms he instructed the team, who should be getting close to Marty and Helena's vicinity:

"Alive, and able to speak, boys. That means speaking cogently, Soltani."

They chimed back in unison.

"Dê were kirin."
Translation: "It will be done."

[Martin Miller]

Grabbing their receipts for the clothes they'd changed into, Martin pulled his bodyguard with him out into the halls again. As he moved towards a Thai restaurant he wanted to duck into and maybe grab some noodles. Helena had been more than a good sport so far. As they moved through the crowd they were still holding hands, playing their parts. He gave her hand a small squeeze to get her attention, then gave her a wink. To indicate he was relaxed if anything. Maybe just to wink at her.

As they rounded the corner, Martin's face soured as he realized they might not make it to "Thai Fighters" before the shuttle today. He nudged Helena again, one of the people in the crowd walking towards them had a tattoo creeping out from under his jacket. The Golden Eagle of the Peshmerga was one give-away. The way he talked into his jacket when they locked eyes was an even bigger indicator.

This wasn't his realm of expertise. The flyboy felt the need to fly. He pulled Helena along as he tried to flee back in the direction they'd come. A losing strategy but it was all he could think of at that moment.

"Bollocks!!!"

[Fey]

Helena followed Marty's lead out the store. Playing the role she fell into or decided to play in hopes of surviving whatever danger was coming their way. He pulled her through the crowd and towards what she presumed was the restaurant. She didn't hate the idea of getting some food before finding their way out of there. And things hadn't been the ...most complicated. Despite running from some goons initially she thought perhaps they had managed to dodge everyone hunting Marty down. However that sense of security didn't last long.

She recognized the sudden change in Marty's demeanor and looked in the direction of the individual with the tattoo.  Helena's choice would have been to calmly and quickly move in a different direction...but Marty had a different idea. She felt her arm jerk back where they had just come from.

"Marty!" She yelled after him trying to get his attention. "Marty dear this isn't the best direction to run." Going back would only likely cause them to run into someone else running after them. Trying to get his attention clearly wasn't working, she took another route...literally. Helena took the reigns and pulled the fly-boy away from their previous path and towards an alley hoping to find an open door of any sort. 

[Martin Miller]

The first doorway was locked. Then the second latched just as Helena's hand got to it. The locals knew trouble was brewing and knew station management didn't take kindly to that one bit. Especially smuggled weapons. Marty, pressed up against the door turned to Helena and shot her a look, his fists were balled up. If they wanted to get out of this. They'd have to scrap. Hand-to-hand.

Harkening back to his tank-commander training he smacked himself with one of his balled up fists once to get his adrenaline going.

"Bugger all!! Let's go you thundering muppets!!!"

He charged in, shoulder cocked back. Soltani practically stepped through him, her foot thrusting forward in a brutal kick straight to the temple. The tanker was hopelessly outmatched and he flopped down onto the ground, barely conscious. Her partner, MacDaniel produced a simple metal pipe from his jacket. Assassination wasn't their goal. It was obvious they were out to abduct the flashy racer.

"Last chance to run..."

Solatani teased Helena, the hired gun, and fists.

[Fey]

Helena heard the door latch, "Son of a " It wasn't long after until Marty was running fists first towards their assailants. It didn't take long for him to be laid out, and knocked unconscious. She sighed and pushed her hair back, exasperated by client,

"Sorry precious. I don't run." Helena flashed a toothy grin at the woman, clearly insincere. Unlike Marty took a more methodical approach. Reaching into her pocket Helena pulled out her brass knuckles and raised her fists, one guarding her face and one ready to attack. She stepped over Marty and nodded towards her opponents, "Let's dance shall we?".

[HumanHyperbole]

Soltani started "dancing" first. She rushed Helena, with MacDaniel close behind.. He was barely a step behind his partner in the rush to attack, Helena managed to use this to her advantage, simply by sidestepping at the last second, causing both of them to need to pivot at the same time into each other. Catching their footing, they shot each other a glance, they were dealing with another professional. The beat of pause in the dance gave Helena a chance to move between them and her client as she removed her jacket.

"All right... You've got our attention..."

MacDaniel mused before he tried his luck with a wide swing of the pipe. Cain just barely managed to use her jacket to catch the pipe mid-swing. Soltani took the moment to dart to the left and catch Helena's unguarded side and brutally kicked her in the side, shoving her into her partner. With his free hand, MacDaniel tried to wrap his arm around Helena's neck.

"Just throw in the towel, if you're good enough to get this far our boss might even give you a job..."

As if summoned their boss called out to them as he approached from behind.

"Who's she?"

Archie Brown inquired casually.

*Fight interactions are a collaboration with Helena

[Fey]

Helena released a large puff of air as her the woman caught her in the side. She quickly felt an arm around her neck, she grinned at the job offer, coughing out a laugh as her wind pipe was slowly crushed.

"Sorry I don't work with amateurs." Helena swiftly step to the side giving her the ability hit her assailant in the groin. As he doubled over she elbowed him in the face and grabbed the arm wrapped around her neck. Helena twisted his appendage behind him, but not before pulling out her knife from her ankle holster and holding it to his throat.

Meanwhile Marty began to stir and slowly come to, "Come on now love don't miss the party."

Helena heard a voice coming from behind her,

"I'm the hired gun." She grinned and dug her knife into her assailants neck, "Now you're either going to let us go, or your man here is going to have hard time breathing in the next few moments."

[Martin Miller]

Marty shook his head as he came to from his little nap. It wasn't his first time being knocked out by a long shot, and any respectable stuntman, he only forgot where he was for a couple of seconds. There's Helena! She's uh... she's... your hired gun! Right. And that other attractive woman running towards him was...

Her foot planted into him again, this time he was just barely able to catch it as she made contact with his torso. He managed to stumble back and stay upright and in the fight. He smiled confidently like he was getting the hang of it. Soltani spun around and kicked him in the face with her other foot.

"Blimey! You're pretty good at this."

Marty staggered back and nursed the blood coming from his nose. It wasn't the first time a woman gave him a bloody nose. But at least it was the first since Officer School. Soltani was almost flattered. Almost. Her boss chided her as she pinned Helena's client up against the steel bulkhead. Her foot pressing down on his wind-pipe.

"Relax, gorgeous. He's the one we need alive and his chatty self. "

Archibald Brown stepped slowly towards Helena, his attention now shifted to her, and his employee held at knife-point.

"All right... Color me impressed, darling, but I think we can come to an understanding before station security get involved... There's no law here, only business. Don't get me wrong I love my workers but I'm not immune to favorites."

He winked at Soltani. Then his radio hissed to life before the slightly distorted words of station security came on.

"Getting reports of some kind of donnybrook over by the markets, where the hell is Francis?"

Archie continued to try and negotiate with Helena.

"I've got the leverage here, love. But we can be friends..."

He held his hand out in a symbolic offer.

"Dont!"

Soltani pressed her boot down on his throat.

[Fey]

Helena hated the patronizing nature of this conversation.  She gritted her teeth and subsequently dug the knife further into her victims neck, a small amount of blood dripping from the cut. Her eyes darted to Marty - also in a precarious position. There was only one way out of this...and it wasn't conversation.

"Thanks - But I have enough friends." She quickly pulled the knife and stabbed her victim in the thigh - likely causing an immeasurable amount of pain. Helena shoved the now injured man quickly into his boss, taking the distraction opportunity to launch her self at the woman with her boot on Marty's neck.

"Get you're arse up and let's get out of here." She yelled toward her client, pulling him off the ground.

[HumanHyperbole]

McDaniel tumbled towards Archie Brown, leader of the trio. He managed to catch his subordinate, but Soltani had to fend for herself as Cain threw herself at the rival mercenary. She managed to use a judo-esque defense, catching Cain for a split second and transferring her momentum to throw her away. Marty however was ready to take advantage of the moment, connecting with a single solid blow to the former Golden Trail special operator's temple.

The D-list celebrity wasn't the most seasoned fighter, but he had the element of surprise and connected solidly enough to stun his foe for a moment. A bulk-head door opened up, a mass of burly men started pouring out. Station security had arrived. It was time for the faux-couple to get moving.

Meanwhile, a previously unannounced shuttle docked at one of Iscariot's emergency access hatches near a storage dock. Alliance Federal override codes started locking up and overriding the Station's security system. The PA system in turn was captured by the cyber-intrusion. As Marty and Helena sprinted down the steel hallways of Iscariot started blaring a warning:

"ALLIANCE FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT IS CONDUCTING AN OPERATION, SHELTER IN PLACE AND DO NOT INTERFERE. REPEAT. ALLIANCE FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT IS..."

It seemed the British accented former stunt-man had some more explaining to do.

[Martin Miller]

Marty Smiled at Helena as he skidded to a stop. The emergency notice being issued was bad news. Or good news. Depending on your point of view. Helena was operating as his unlicensed muscle right now on a space station some affectionately referred to as a cesspool of moral decay. The arrival of law enforcement also wasn't great for Marty in some ways as he was still hoping people in his less legal dealings didn't find out he was moonlighting as a Bounty Hunter for the feds.

"Right. So I may have failed to disclose law enforcement's current interest in my location... Would it help if I said I was honestly surprised?"

Miller knew this likely wasn't enough of an explanation why feds might be looking for him.

"I might have breezed over uhm... disclosing my financial entanglements with certain elements of law enforcement... I thought if I brought you on I could avoid them getting involved but I fear my brother's made some calls..."

The Golden Trail mercs were gone, with one of theirs injured and Feds on base, they must have gone to ground. Station security, however, wasn't as intimidated by the fuzz. A mass of less than savory-looking security guards started to close in around them. "Mad" Marty was was frozen in place, seemingly resigned to his fate. The impish will to fight on seemingly muted within him.

"Get out of here, Helena."

He flicked through a few buttons on his cortex, sending a transfer of credits to her as promised. Bonus and all. He jerked his head towards a nearby store, customers inside were cowering and preparing for a bullet ballet when the feds came in. Turning to face the station security he straightened his jacket and wiped some blood from his face.

"Good day, gents. Anybody make any interesting wagers lately?"

[Fey]

Helena sighed in frustration at Marty's most recent disclosure - though she wasn't completely surprised. Rolling her eyes she rubbed her forehead, the situation becoming more complicated by the moment. Security was on their way, and she had her out, she had the money - but leaving a friend and fellow criminal in a lurch wasn't really her style, and it was bad for business.

"You're lucky I like  you." She growled rolling up her sleeves, and facing the oncoming assailants"Alright first one that comes at me gets a warning shot, but after that I can't guarantee you'll leave her conscious or unscathed.".

[Martin Miller]

Now

Martin took a series of sharp deep breaths. Then a long breath out. Repeat a couple of times until you feel the effect of your blood being oxygenated. A trick his brother taught him about getting into fights. Though this wasn't another scrap outside the club with the husband of the woman he was buying drinks for. Sebastian's men closed in. Many felt personally aggrieved, none had drawn firearms. The former stuntman readied himself for a few fresh bruises mentally.

Without a word it started. Hopelessly outmatched, the youngest of the Miller boys threw himself at the burly wall. He socked one in the jaw with a quick left, then ducked down, connecting an uppercut to another assailant's crotch. They wouldn't show him any such mercy.

Then

"Don't fight like you've imagined or seen in films, you pillock."

Mason said as his little brother spat blood onto back yard's swimming pool.

"Fight like you're afraid to. If you're outmatched, don't fight like Marty Miller. Don't fight like Da' or your instructor taught you. Fight like the monster you are afraid is caged inside you."

Now

Still ducked down on the ground he grabbed one man's boot with both hands and as he stood back up flipped the man back onto his neck, putting him out like that. Just as he started to feel the rush of a familiar feeling, the feeling he was in the fight and winning, reality came crashing in. By that, several fists and one foot.
The mass of security seemed to be mostly concerned with herding Helena away from Marty.

He kept scrambling back onto his feet though.

"C'mon you feckless muppets, I thought we were havin' a go?!"

CRACK!

No longer in sight, the sound of the brass knuckles connecting with his skull ended the little dog's bark, as well as his momentarily oversized bite.

[Fey]

Helena watched as Marty flew into action. Following suit she threw a punch at the first one that came towards her as promised, followed up by a quick kick towards the assailants chest. The next taking a swift punch to the gut visibly knocking the air out of the brute as he stumbled back. The crowd began to swarm and her distance from Marty began to grow, just when it seemed as though he was going to break through she saw him go down.

"Marty get your pi gu up we've gotta go." Though the distance began to grow and she couldn't see him any more. A pit in her stomach told her it was time to go but her morality held her there, it wasn't fair just to leave him like that. Sighing mostly out of frustration, Helena summoned her remaining energy to push her way through the brutes overpowering Marty. Yanking him by the arm, the gunhand pulled her client through the swarm, "Get outta the way you ugly mutts, this ones too pretty to bloody up. Through the sea of oversized security - she caught a glimpse of the docks. Helena continued to pull Marty through the chaos hoping that the guards behind them were too caught up to notice the disappearance of their targets. From there it was a straight shot to the shuttle they had initially tried to escape on.

[HumanHyperbole]

Lights flashed over one of the larger docking bay doors. The automated override of the PA system continued. Anyone who hadn't fled the area already was rushing away from the docking bays. The limping and injured Marty tried to keep up with Helena as she dragged him through the press of human tide. Security was still on the move and looking for the pair. As the crowd thinned, Cain and Miller were suddenly between a rock and a hard place.

The feds were surely about to rush out of the docking bay doors currently alight, and security was still doggedly pursuing them, Fed raid be damned. A ceiling panel suddenly fell to the floor, only inches from Marty's head. Before either of them could look up, a flash-bang grenade fell to the ground next to the ceiling panel, clanging only once off the ground before bursting.

Ringing. White blinding light. It was never fun, but it wasn't going to hurt them too much besides the headache they were going to have for an hour. What was going to hurt was having a six foot tall blond bloke tackle you from another eight feet up in the air. Which is what Helena's unfortunate client then experienced.

WHAM

Noah MacArthur pulled his helmet up slightly then and smiled at Helena, while also pointing a very sci-fi looking rifle at her.

"G'day, miss, but I'm gonna have to borrow him for a while. Frightfully hard to find pilots these days."

Someone was saying something to him in his earpiece. The aussie accented Fed sighed.

"I would say sorry, but I'm also gonna have to say sorry for this.... Sorry..."

He then blasted Cain with his rifle. A wave of energy burst forth and like that, everything went black.

TO BE CONTINUED ON: THE REVENGE