Thread: Empire - City of Lost Cause (Black_Out and meomeo)

The Vagabond dusted off his ragged tattered garments, sending a sprinkling of tiny glass fragments to fall upon the floor around him as he came up out of his showman like crouch. Immediately his dark beady eyes could tell that something was off as they peered out from beneath the crooked wide brim of his dented dull black top hat. His prey was nowhere to be seen. In fact the room was nearly empty, save for the snobbish reporter and a young fresh out of college man with dusky brown hair that was frozen in place by one of the lighting tripods. There was a look of shock that quickly morphed into a display of terror at the villains abrupt arrival. Beneath the curling bands of the vibrant red scarf that wrapped about his face his lips curled in a manner of disgust and disappointment. Where is she? Where is Hammer Time? He stalked directly towards Allison Weaver, the clack of the lethal metal tips of his tap dancing shoes adding further menace to the villains approach. Out of the corner of his evil eyes he sized up the lighting technician. He was trying to discreetly move towards one of the lighting tripods. Probably to use it as a weapon, the cretin figured as his left hand slipped under the torn up tuxedo's jacket and flicked back out towards the stunned man as a slim red dart stuck into his gut. He sank to the floor with a grunted exhale as the anesthetic coated dart caused the man to quickly loose control of his motor functions. He fell onto his side, a puddle of drool already beginning to appear upon the floor from the corner of his slumbering lips as the Vagabond hopped on top of the vacated bed in front of Allison. She was utterly paralyzed as the vile criminal crouched before her upon the partially reclined stark white hospital bed. It felt like her heart caught in her throat when the chaotic moment of his arrival passed and her mind was able to finally process what was happening. By now it was sadly far to late she realized as the dark black leather glove of the Vagabond reached out and snapped around the tender flesh of her throat. Her hands loosened around the phone she had been diligently working in vain to contact Sandy with, letting it slide free and fall into the canopy of the skirt stretched taut between her legs. Her normal unreserved demeanor was all but evaporated in the presence of the terrifying villain. For a change, Allison Weaver was at a loss for words. She felt like the entire room was starting to spin slowly around her as a state of panic began to manifest. Let me ask again. The Vagabond cleared his voice, smoothing away the irritation in his tone as he leaned forward and glared with discontent into the wide eyes of the nosy reporter. His fingers relaxed around her throat mere moments before a backhanded slap rang across her cheek that snapped her out of her dazed state but left her momentarily stunned. Where, oh where, is Hammer Time? I have a score to settle with her! The rage snapped back for a brief instant as he screamed in her face before adding quietly. And you. She could feel a swelling starting up under her right eye where the back of his hand had cracked across her face. Allison gulped as she felt the grasp on her airway loosen and with trembling lips she spat out. I, I don't know. She was. She was just here maybe a half hour ago. She, she just up and vanished. We thought she was going to use the restroom, but she ran. She babbled out, the very act of talking seemed to help Allison Weaver find her bearings. Everyone is looking for her, but we don't know where she is? She was nearly on the verge of tears as she confessed. Jesus, don't kill me. Just then the phone rang, vibrating upon the thin white concave blanket of Allison's stretched out skirt. Both sets of eyes were drawn towards the device and the name Sandy that was brightly displayed on the screen. It's, it's, my. My assistant. Allison meagerly murmured, though she didn't dare make a move for the phone. The Vagabond though did. By the time the second ring had gone off the slim phone was up against his ear. It didn't take long for him to recognize the voice of Hammer Time coming from the other end. Before he could even get a thought together to respond, she had hung up. His head snapped around as he looked towards the shattered opening of the window as he let out a low muffled growl. Oh, it's a lot more then just life or death, Miss Hammer Time. Before Allison even knew what was happening she felt a sudden prick against the skin of her right thigh. Her eyes shot downward, drawn to the source of the sensation as she recognized the thin red dart impaling her soft flesh. She let out a hoarse almost soundless gasp as she felt her entire body waver in the chair and go limp. The image of the Vagabond looking back towards her began to blur as the villain stroked her bruised cheek with a tender pass of his gloved hand. Shhh, you'll get your show, just not the script you were expecting. Now, time for bed bed. ----------------- Just a few city blocks. A few city blocks that looked like they were straight out of a suburban girl's nightmares. The streets were the definition of desolation. The distant sound of sirens sounding from the direction of the city hospital cut through the relatively quiet ambient noise surrounding her. Was she being watched? Every movement, each shift of shadow seemed pronounced. Despite seeing no one in her immediate dreary surrounds, it was nearly impossible to not conceive a threat looming, hidden in the dark, waiting. That's all that stood between Vallie and the front door of the Irish pub she sought. A sharp buzz hummed out, splitting through the backdrop of noise. It rang out again, screeching from the filtered darkness beyond the empty fronts of the vacant looking buildings nestled closely together in the slums. The startling sound of a hacking cough and the slosh of booze in a bottle being brought to over inebriated lips drew her attention to the shadows at the entrance to another wise pitch black alley way. There was a small cluster of homeless vagrants , huddled under blankets, using the narrow crevice between the nearby buildings to keep the slow drizzling rain from soaking them into a shiver. The ringing sound bellowed out a third time before it was silenced by a scruffy looking drunkards face that came into view as the soft blue light of the phone glowed across her worn and beleaguered features. With an abrupt belch, dainty uncoordinated fingers fumbled with the phone, seemingly having trouble with the task of unlocking the screen. Then a loud bark echoed out across the streets as a slumbering stocky grey pit bull popped up and alerted the others to Vallies presence. The bottle settled back from the lips of the ragged fella as his bleary eyes were drawn to the faded light beneath which Vallie walked. Hey, hey babe. He slurred out. Ya looking, your looking for some fun, some fun, huh? Some of the attentions of his comrades shifted, drawn over to the pretty thing passing through the streets while the mutt let out a rumbling growl. Hot little honey, a hot little honey like you, uh huh, yeah. The words bumbled out of his mouth as he tried to get to his feet. What's, what's a girl like you, doing, doing alone, in a place, place like this? Another chirped out as his companions footing faltered causing him to slide back onto his rump. The dog barked again, drawing the slurred shout to Shut up! From the woman's lips as she seemed to give up with trying to figure out how to type in the way to complex at the moment four digit pass code that would unlock the phone. Last edited Jan 5, 2019