2010-03-15: Dead and Alive

Starring:

Gene_V4icon.pngTracy_V4icon.pngNoelle_V4icon.png

Date: March 15th, 2010

Summary:

Wrong place, right time? Right place, right time? Wrong place, right time? Something more bizarre than usual happens when Gene and Tracy meet again. Introducing Noelle Ashford…


"Dead and Alive"

Manhattan

"Reload."

Gene seats himself at the bar, seated behind the icy remains what it is known by most as a Roy Rogers. A glorified Cherry Coke, with a much higher price tag. For Gene, it is the closest thing that the man will do to drown his sorrows. The drink is taken with an odd stare, but the bartender does what he requests. He worked so hard on the plan. Everytime he did, it just seemed to fall apart from the other end. It was like trying to keep hold onto a wet cardboard box, leaving Gene with more mess than he could handle.

Friends leaving the fight, going into hiding, even turning themselves into jail… It makes a young man wonder. His clothes are clean but worn, Gene's blue jeans and simple black t-shirt washed over and over again from lack of anything else to wear. The replacement peacoat rests on the barstool behind him, the best he can do to keep people away from him. To say that the young man is not in his happy place? …That would as much of a understatement as calling Daphne 'fast'.

Naturally, the person wants to see the very most when he's in such a mood is Tracy Strauss. Right?

On Tracy's part, the opposite is certainly not true: if she knew Gene were here, she'd likely go elsewhere. Alas, such is not the case, this bar-slash-restaurant is the place she chooses to enter at this hour.

There's something to be said about hiding in plain sight, but the paranoia that comes along with it sometimes makes it a regrettable choice. Tracy has places to go, though no people to see per se; largely solitary these days, the politico-turned-fugitive is slightly out of sorts as she enters. Not that it's obvious. She hardly looks any different than ever, a hard-set, icy expression seemingly permanently fixed to her features, the grey blazer and sharp white denim she wears making it seem like she never left her days at the office. She keeps her head down and heads past the bar, looking for an uncharacteristically dark corner. Not the natural habitat of Ms. Strauss. She's usually out where people can see her and who she's with.

"Dad! Look, you wait until I'm halfway back across the bloody world to call me with your thigh pains?" A voice can be heard as someone else enters into the establishment. The owner of that voice, being a young woman who is dressed in a pair of dark denim jeans and a light blue tank top. Her knee high black boots, clunking on the floor. She runs a hand through her dyed blonde hair, the dark brown roots peeking out. She chuckles and shakes her head as she talks to her father.

"No, I'm not a doctor and stop being so beastly, why don't you eh?" Noelle shakes her head and closes her almond shaped eyes before she slides into a bar stool that's one over from Gene. "Okay, okay. I'll talk to you later. Yes I promise." After whispering a soft I love you to her father. Noelle hangs up the phone and looks at the bartender, "Scotch." She says to the man with a good natured smile. She's just got back from vacation and she has five more days of nothing to do! Ahh isn't that great?

Tracy's arrival gets a short glance from Gene. While he notices her and perhaps even recognizes her, for now, he just lets her be. He doesn't know that she's been captured, 'killed', and everything else… She is just a woman who made his cardboard box wet. Taking the drink, he takes a sip of it before he notices Noelle come in. He watches her closely, more out of somewhat hidden paranoia rather than actual interest. For whatever reason, he deems her not a threat and goes back to his drink, silent as before. Seems like Gene is even less talkative than usual.

Tracy's attention to detail is pretty damn superb on the best of days; and now, during the worst of days (so to speak — there have definitely been worse than this), she's even more perceptive to the world around her. She has to be. She has to know what company this place keeps in order to slip past the notice of people she doesn't want to notice her. So, as she whisks past, she notices Gene. It requires a double-take after a glimpse of a vaguely familiar face, and by that time she's beyond the bar … but she recognizes him. The look that is thrown over her shoulder to land solidly on Gene is far from friendly, it's outright antagonistic — but after a few seconds, the woman actually looks relieved, of all things.

It could be worse, after all. The familiar face could be an agent of the Protocols.

After a moment of annoyed staring, Tracy turns away … only turn back and slide into the stool next to Gene, the opposite side from the random Brit. She doesn't look at either. She expresses her reluctance to be sitting here at all with a sigh. "You shouldn't be here."

The Brit doesn't really take notice of the two people sitting next to her, but she notice that.. they don't seem to like each other. The woman downs her drink and slides it across the bar, wiping her mouth. "Thanks, a lot." She says to the bartender and she slides him a tip before stretching her arms out.

Noelle takes her phone out to check it, okay so she doesn't have that many friends.. it's because she works so much. But hey! At least she's doing something good with her life, right? The woman runs through a few old messages in her phone. Why did she come out again? Oh right, to relax and boy.. she's having a ball on her day off. Whoopie.

The seemingly excited Brit gets a causal glance before Gene looks back toward Tracy, figuring that there was a good chance she might come and have at least a brief word with him. He doesn't have the same range of emotion, just the same tiredness that he had when he was alone. "Why… I thought you would be happy to see me in public places. Increases the chances of… You know with you know. Surprised to see you showing your face though. Would have thought you would have been in the Bahamas or France by now if you had the chance."

"I thought so too." It would be easy to just jet away to another continent, and yet here she is, very much stateside. Though her pose is, at first glance, casual, every bit of Tracy's body language is cut off from the young man she chose to sit beside. Folded arms lean onto the bar, her shoulders are tense beneath the squared lines of her jacket, and one high-heeled boot is hooked on the rung of the stool. But only one. She's ready to flee the scene at any time.

She chances a sidelong look at Gene without shifting her head. Even her long, pale hair stays exactly where it is. "I've been following someone — an agent who comes here every week." Posed like a warning, contrary to Gene's comments. Tracy couldn't possibly care if Gene got captured, right?

Nol is still oblivious to what's going on, or that some potential danger might be happening here in a moment. She's whistling now, looking around the bar. Her gaze landing on Tracy and Gene again and then she looks away. "How about a shot of vodka?" she asks the bartender.

When bored.. just drink!

The peacoat is picked up as Tracy explains her reason for coming. Placing it on slowly, Gene only has one question in response, still causal as he speaks. "Why you following them… I thought you wanted the quiet life." A flicker of fire briefly enters his eyes, but the emotion soon dies out… Nothing to burn. "Either way, it doesn't really matter to me. What happens, happens, right?"

Tracy gives Gene a vaguely indignant look; it doesn't last, as she's soon shaking her head and waving off the bartender when she's asked what she wants. The answer is nothing, right now. "I don't buy it," she says with a chuckle, over all sounding rather unconcerned as she presses her opinion. "What happens, happens? That's a quitter's motto if I ever heard one. 'n' I don't want the quiet life. I want my life back."

Shot is taken and then Noelle's looking around the restaurant/bar, she prepares to stand. This isn't so fun after all, maybe she should just go back home for her next five days off. Not like there is anything she can get into here..

BAM A gunshot can be heard going off, but it's not inside of the place that's for sure. Everyone in the room freezes and looks at the door, a few steps can be heard outside of the building and then a shape presses up against the door's window pane. Though it's too dark to tell what it is.

"Bloody hell." Noelle says as she looks at the door with eyes wide open. She doesn't approach it though. Naaah, she doesn't want to get shot. Nobody does it looks like.

"As of now, Tracy, you'll never have it. It's okay to be in denial about it. You were about the other stuff too," Gene begins. He is about to explain more, but suddenly, something else stops him. He gets up with a start, a hand moving toward his jacket pocket. The stool falls to the ground behind him as he glances back toward Tracy, clearly expecting her to have information on what just happened. After all, she was the one scoping this place out.

It might be for the best that Tracy doesn't get to reply; like most everyone in the establishment, she's among those who give a sudden start, staring in the direction of the gunshot. Loud sounds aren't out of place in the city, but that was definitely distinct and close. She hurriedly slides off the stool, standing, one hand on the bar, in limbo as she stares at the door and that dark shape. Wide-eyed, her expression reveals absolutely zero insight into what's going on. To Gene, she gives a subtle shake of her head to confirm it. She can only hope it's completely unrelated to her purpose here.

A hand drags itself down the window, that much can be seen and then the door is slowly opening, as if someone is having trouble with it. A crowd of people, the ones that are close to the door back away hurriedly.

Noelle bites her lip and braces her hands on the bar as she stands, what the fuck is going on? The young paramedic blinks back and gasps softly as the door opens all the way and there is a man lying on the ground in blood, gasping for air and trying his hardest to reach out to someone.

Immediately, Noelle jumps forward and rushes to the man's side, checking his pulse and trying to see where the bullet entered the body. "Call 911! Right now!" Noelle screams at the bartender and she's trying to help him, taking a towel from the bar she presses it against the bullet hole in his chest. She didn't care to see if the shooter was just outside. Who knows what's really going on here?

There comes a choice. Gene wishes that he could just shrink in the back, pretend that this isn't happening. He doesn't want to be a hero. He doesn't feel like he's a hero. He just wants to be a failure left in peace now. However, there is someone that Falls Church mansion that expects more of him. Someone that expects him to do what is right in a world that is filled with wrongs.

His custom tazer is pulled out, Gene sighing as he looks back toward Tracy. "It's likely that if the Agent DOES come to this place, it's likely that this will only draw his attention. Either way, I suggest you leave… You're used to that."

And with that, Gene races toward the outside, clearly planning on chasing after the attacker or at the least see what is going outside at the street at large.

What— ? Tracy backs away on instinct when the person falls bloody to the floor. All she can do is watch, at first, unsure what to do; 911 is being called by the bartender, the British woman is trying to help the guy, Gene is running off— and the shooter might still be around. She eyes the young man's back as he leaves taser in hand, a little embittered by his parting comment, but then she too is left with a choice: get the hell out of dodge like Gene — and most people, including herself — expect, or…

… well, she's still deciding the other alternative. In the chaos, Tracy ultimately slips into the crowd of nervous patrons. She knows where the back door is and uses it, stepping out into the alley.

Holding the man's wound. Noelle looks around as people mill out of the place and she begins to stand up as well, going to look for another towel or something. It's then that she gasps and her eyes blinks and then shut as something is happening to her.. and the man. His eyes bug out and his body jerks around, his eyes rolling into the back of his head.

Noelle's face scrunches up and she grunts in pain. She doubles over as if someone punched her in the stomach and she gasps for breath as whatever just happens ends and the man falls back to the ground, he isn't moving. Noelle's blinks and she looks down at her hands and then to the man and then she screams as she backs away.

Outside, Gene would see two men racing down a alleyway. Which alley? The alley that Tracy is in. They are wearing dark clothing and one is even carrying a gun, he is just in process of putting it away when he skids to a stop, almost running into Tracy.

Tracy is quick to flatten against the wall of the building, even before the men come rushing toward her. Slinking in the shadows was rarely a job requirement before, but in the past several months, staying out of sight and being sneaky has garnered a place in her repertoire. Still, there's little chance that the pair of black-clad men wont see her, her pale clothing and blonde hair standing out in the dimness. Despite the dark, she can tell there's something amiss — like that one of the men might just be putting a weapon away, for instance.

"… You shot that man," she says, an outloud realization. With no time to decide what to do or figure out where she stands, Tracy just acts, reaching out for the gun owner's arm with her customary cold chill.

Worn sneakers slam against the pavement as Gene Kensington begins his short pursuit of the two men. The stun weapon is soon at his side, racing on what has become instinct now. Once he could only imagine running into danger and now… He can't run from it, even if he wants to.

The odd young man turns around the corner, noticing a flash of blonde hair as he sees the two killers. They've caught Tracy! He lifts his taser and fires the two prongs toward the criminal closer to Tracy, thinking that he is trying to save her from the men. This might not go as well as planned, considering she might be holding onto him when the electrified attack hits.

"Ahh, you bitch! What the fuck?!" The man screams aloud as his body sort of becomes really cold and he barely moves. His partner, rushes at Tracy, ready to tackle the woman. That's when Gene enters the scene and his stun gun projectile does indeed hit it's mark and Tracy is still touching him.

"Fuck!" he grunts as he's electrocuted. What a weird sense of hot and cold? As all this unfolds, a freaked out looking Noelle bursts through the back door, the door which the second guy was just standing. And yes.. BANG

He gets hard with the heavy door.. hard. He flails as he falls to the ground and Noelle backs up against the wall as she notices that Tracy is doing something to the man, holding onto his arm? She gasps and backs away as the second man throws a garbage lid at Noelle, the young woman cartwheels out of the way and she presses herself flat to the wall of the alley, wide eyed and looking from Tracy to Gene, to the two men. "What.. the fuck.." she breathes.

A stifled shout of huhhh! can be heard from the woman, overlapping with the gunman's swearing as the electrical current travels from one person to the other. She immediately lets go, the deep cold retreating both from her hand and the flesh of the man she attacked with it. She staggers back all the way to the ground at Noelle's feet — thanks, Gene.

The criminal took down Tracy! THE JERK. At least, that's how Gene sees it. But at least he was taken out with the door, leaving only one more behind. As the stranger that was seated next to him does her odd little display, the Geek God quirks a brow but knows there is little time to really go into such questions.

Running at full steam and dropping the used taser (not having the time to rewind it and use it again), Gene stops only when he is right up on the second man. Should he try any punches or the like, Gene will use the magic of TAI CHI to redirect them. If the guy tries some kicks… Well, he's not so good with those yet, so it'll hurt. Provided there are no kicks though, Gene will be able to go on the offensive, meaning he'll try and deliever a powerful palm strike right for the man's chest.

"Oof!" Escapes the man as he falls to the ground and clutches his chest and bunches up into the fetal position. The paramedic watches in shock as the scene unfolds in front of her and then she's dashing over to Tracy's side and checks to make sure that she's okay, just stunned. Nodding her head, there being nothing that she can do for the blonde. She stands to her feet and walks quickly over to the man that had the gun, picking it up, she places it in her waistband. Not that she really knows how to fire it, but she does know how to put the safety on and such. Her father taught her that much.

"Uh.." she's still breathing heavily and looking at the men on the floor and then at Gene. "Stupid gits." She mutters and nudges the stunned man with her foot. "Are you gonna help your friend out? I don't know how long she'll be stunned but I don't think you want the boys to find you here." She points out to Gene, in a shaky voice. She doesn't know Gene enough to hand him the gun.

Stunned or not, Tracy gets to her feet, momentarily unsteady, as though the alley is spinning (to her, it is, for those first few seconds of battling gravity post-electric shock) before she backpedals away from the men (Gene included), a hand outstretched in warning, whether they're incapacitated or not. Slightly more disheveled than she was seconds before the dose of electricity, she finds herself behind Noelle. "I'm fine," she breathes out; then, eyeing Gene, adds, "No thanks to you." Clutching her arm, she shuffles to the British woman's side. "That man— the one who was bleeding, what happened to 'm?"

The taser is taken back up, retracted and placed back within his belt. As Noelle asks her questions, Gene hasn't the time to respond before Tracy speaks to him. For anyone else, he would look chagrined. For Tracy, he just shrugs. She's worked to earn such a reaction from him.

"Everyone is safe and I'm sure someone can call 911, so I'm heading out," Gene states simply, turning on his head and planning on walking out. Heroic Gene would investigate this to the bitter end. Semi-Heroic Gene is more than willing to just let this be.

The young Brit looks at Tracy and nods her head slowly. "He was shot, by these buggers I guess." She says indicating the two men on the ground. She doesn't mention what happened when people cleared out of the place. She can't even explain it. When Gene begins to make off, she nods her head after him. "See ya.." she mutters before shoving her hands into the pockets of her leather jacket. She's a little woozy, maybe it's the drinks or something. Noelle turns her head towards Tracy and indicates the other exit of the alley. "You should get going too, before people get over here."

Tracy can't argue that — she doesn't want to be involved in whatever this was, and she doesn't want to stick around for when the men get back up. Still, she doesn't run off just yet — not as fast as Gene, even, who she watches go with a faintly knit brow without remark. "… uhm," she distractedly swipes at her hair and looks down at the figures on the alley ground. "…is he alright?" She asks, indicating the man who was shot with a tip of her head toward the building. Is she alright is another question, she thinks as she regards the woozy Noelle, but that goes unasked.

"He's alright, I stabilized him.." a lie, she killed him. Noelle runs a hand through her hair and she sighs and looks over at Tracy, "Look.. I uh.. have to go. I'll see you around." Noelle says softly as she turns and runs the other direction and she's out of the alley way. Bye bye paramedic.

With a glance back over her shoulder at the men — she almost thinks she can see one of them moving — Tracy wastes no more time in leaving too. A crowd has amassed as crowds often due when there's a gruesome spectacle to stare at, a fact which earns a subtle scowl from the woman as she slips through it. She should be walking in the complete opposite direction, but on her way past, she cranes her neck and tries to catch a glimpse of the man the British woman said she stabilized.

The man is in fact lying on the ground, but he isn't moving, it doesn't even seem like he's breathing. That is until moments later.. the man sits up with a gasp and he looks around wildly. Looking down at his shirt, he gapes. There aren't any bullet holes.. he isn't bleeding. Yelling, the man throws the towel off of him and rushes to his feet. He looks around the room and spots Tracy, before she can say a word. The man is dashing out the door and running down the street as sirens sound not to far away. The paramedics and cops are on their way.

Wasn't that man just dying a few minutes ago?

Forget dying, he looked dead from where Tracy was standing out on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant. She's not the only one who stares after the man, but she might just be the only one who realizes what's going on — that there's an extraordinary ability at work here somehow — and takes off after him. She doesn't get far, coming to a halt down the street when she loses sight of the once-victim.

What a bizarre night.

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