Easy Pickings (Mary/Marvel)

[scarlett]

It was just getting dark when she finally ventured out of the scuzzy hotel room she had woken up in. She was pretty sure you were supposed to be out by 10am, but then she was also pretty sure you were supposed to have checked in rather than kick a window in and crawl to the bed. No police had arrived while she was there so she hadn't been dragged away from her musings on the agony of a hangover. God knows what she had done last night, she assumed caused a fuck load of chaos and probably got the shit kicked out of her too cause it took a lot to knock her down and she was fucked. Her head was pounding, she thought probably from the vast quantities of spirits she had downed while her body was healing.
The room had stunk of smoke, which she thought was from her, and sex, which she knew wasn't.

Obviously she was glad to have left the horrible room, but she was curious about where she was. New York, she doubted she had gone that far from 'home', but this was very different to the parts she knew. Ah well, nothing she could do about it, at least she still had both her knives, and oddly a bullet....she wondered who had shot at her last night.

An hour later and she was quite happily slipping her hand into a drunken man's pocket, amusing him with her strong British accent as he struggled to think through the alcohol and most likely, weed, that was pulsing through him. She twisted away and gave a cheery wave, continuing down the street, a pack of fags in hand. It felt good to finally light up, she'd been craving one all day and she didn't like not having her nicotine fix in time. The long walk was clearing her head and the darkness that was steadily covering the city was firing up the little voice that called for some fun.

[marvelous]

The end of a long day. A very long day. In fact, quite possibly the first day of the rest of her life as Mary headed home from a rough day that had taxed her to the limits but what else was new. Mary was used to going to the extremes but there was one slight difference on this warm night. She wasn't flying and out of the cloud cover high above on this dark evening. She was on her last legs and rubbing bleary eyes, clad not in white with gold trim, a cape, and a lightning bolt on her chest, but rather a government issued uniform complete with shoulder holster and a 30-caliber semi automatic pistol in it's pocket. Certainly not a position that was familiar to this young 21 year old that was also with the aid of a magic word one of the most powerful people on the plant. Neither did Mary ever think she'd willingly give up her secret identity and go public but today she had. At least to her co-workers and the high-er ups at SHIELD. The general public wasn't yet privvy to it but her days of running off to hide whenever she needed to transform were over, They'd find out when the need arose.

The car she sat behind the wheel of looked every bit as on it's last legs as it's driver did. Fortunately now that she had a very decent paying job it wouldn't take long before she was riding around with style when she wasn't flying. For now she had to make do and pray this clunker could even crawl it's way into the nearest shell station after a swift stop by her apartment to change out of uniform and then out to find a decent meal before she shut her eyes. With her roommate off on assignment she had to make do and wasn't feeling energetically inclined to turn the stove on and slave over it.

It was a little after 9 P.M. in the big apple by the time she'd changed and made it to a pump to fill her tank with unleaded. Hot muggy night with the pavement still warm enough to fry an egg on as she waited while the numbers on the meter grew larger., her stomach starting to rumble as she opened her purse, clad in cut off jean shorts and a tank top, pistol hidden but still at her side as she returned the nozzle to it's place and slid a credit card through the scanner.

[scarlett]

Arizona was lingering near the petrol station, waiting for someone to turn up looking decent enough to lend her a tenner or so. It was getting cold and her clothes weren't really enough to protect her from the cold night air and she needed a bed for tonight to fully heal her body. She was pretty sure she couldn't go back to her flat, she wasn't sure what her land lord was going to say is she turned up covered in bruises again. He was already annoyed because she was two days late with the rent. She knew he wouldn't kick her out though, the old man had a soft spot for her, wanted to make sure she was ok in the long run.
Finally a woman turned up in a battered old car looking tired and hungry. She wandered over, leaning against the wall near the woman.
'Excuse me, miss, you wouldn't mind lending me a tenner would you...for a bed for the night?'
This woman could hardly think Arizona looked like it was a bluff, she was covered in grime, her clothes were ripped and there were some nasty injuries showing, ones that hadn't quite healed yet. She looked on hopefully, really not wanting to have to steal from this woman, for all she knew this chick was some mega strong super hero.

[marvelous]

In a city where everyone had a story and not all of them could be taken at face value or were to be believed, one could never be too careful. Even a city as populated and lit up as New York had it's homeless, hungry and destitute but it had more than it's share of con-artists, pickpockets and thieves as well. Mary Bromfield had lived in New York before returning to Fawcett City and now she was back with a new roommate. She knew enough to be careful who she trusted. She wasn't however the type to turn away someone if they needed the help and by the appearance of the woman that showed the nerve to approach and plead for cash, she clearly looked like she'd seen better days.

It was still warm out, at least Mary thought so but the temperature was falling. Overnight it would be cool , at least if you had to curl up in an alley somewhere. The one thing that made the bells and whistles go off inside Mary's head though was that one could hardly get a decent room anywhere in New York City for a mere 10 dollars even if it was just for the night. So either the other woman was from out of town, which seemed unlikely or she was playing a game. Or maybe she had a friend she could pay to let her stay overnight and would give the $10 just for the trouble. Whatever the situation was, this woman needed the money more than Mary did right now.

She had a sour odor too her, ratty looking clothes and bruises and Mary's heart bled as though it had been stabbed when she opened her purse once more.

"No. No I'm sorry. I'm afraid I don't have a ten for you. I don't have any change actually so I guess you're just going to have to take this." She gave a comforting smile and discretely slipped a hundred dollar bill into the woman's open palm. Surely enough not only to cover a hotel room for the night but food as well. "Maybe you should go see a doctor. You look like you have to be hurting. Do you need a lift somewhere?"

[scarlett]

Arizona was the bad guy, she was the villain, the criminal, the one who should have been behind bars a thousand times by now. She wasn't meant to feel a burst of compassion for this woman as she stared down at the 100 dollar bill. This was...extravagent, too much money, she felt filthy taking it from the woman, but she needed it. Sure she wasn't the worst of the bad guys, she stole and hurt people, but not innocent people, not civilians, they hadn't hurt her. She fought the good guys and the bad guys and saw no line between them some days. This woman could be anyone, she could be the the best, the sweetest, the most self-righteous superhero in the world, but Arizona couldn't hate her, because this was kindness in the extreme.
She stared down at the money, then back up. 'Are...Are you sure?' She looked at the ground, crime was the most fun route to take by far, she had no regrets in choosing a criminal path, because being a criminal didn't mean you didn't have a heart or soul, she just had bad morals as well.
She gave a slight smile 'No doctor's gonna take me, and I can't really go and see them...I do't have anywhere to go, but thanks.'

[marvelous]

"Of course. I wouldn't be giving it to you if I wasn't sure and frankly I have to admit I am worried about you." She admitted. A peek from the corner of her eyes showed the manager of the service station or at least the cashier if he wasn't the manager, was staring out at her so Mary reached for the squeegee, deciding to clean her windows while she stood and continued in the conversation with the woman.

"Doctors will take you, it's what they do. My name is Mary by the way, what's yours?" She asked, digging a little in search of something to go on for information retrieval purposes when she returned to the carrier tomorrow. Something didn't add up here. The remark that no doctor would take her made a few bells and whistles go off. Had she been attacked? Raped? The victim of some sort of crime or was she on the run from someone or something? Answers Mary had a notion to uncover when time presented itself.

For now her smile remained as though she was unfazed, moving from one window to the next until they were all cleaned. "I really would feel better and sleep better tonight if you let me take you somewhere. If not a doctor then I could take you through a drive through for food or at least drop you off at a decent hotel and stay until you're checked in. It's the least I can do."

[scarlett]

Arizona let out a low chuckle as the woman spoke of doctors treating everyone, she knew about doctors, knew about what they would do to her if they found out who she was, what she was. Any record of Arizona Knight came up and she would be taken out of the building and shot most likely, she was the experiment who was never supposed to be found out about, she had to be disposed off, after all she was only a lab rat... Oh and the thick English accent would probably have them asking more and more questions, there was a lot of 'let's see your papers' and which point Arizona had to flee.
She took a step closer to Mary, not in a threatening way at all, in the way someone would if they were about to share a secret, and Arizona was.
'I don't have a clean record, let's put it that way...I've done bad things. And doctors? Well why would I go to the people who did this to me? She pulled back her lips exposing her teeth properly for the first time so Mary could see the razor sharp points that pressed at her lips and made it so uncomfortable to do anything. She pulled up her hands to show the extended, nails like knives on her fingers.
Then she looked at her with those oh so blue eyes and shrugged.
'Can you blame me for wanted to against whatever did that to a child?'
She put the money down on the woman's car, it just didn't seem fair to take that money, she had means of getting some, she could survive alone, she didn't need anyone else.

She turned and started to talk away, wandering where she could curl up, another grimy hotel probably.
'Arizona...My name is Arizona, or you can call me Nyx if they want to check for all my crimes...'

[marvelous]

Niceties, politeness and generosity had it's limits before they inevitably turn to exasperation & frustration. What are you supposed to do for someone that is either too stubborn, or to be blunt, too stupid to come in out of the rain? Stand here and watch them drown hoping that they case of pneumonia they will inevitably come down with teaches them a damn good lesson? Sad to say but sometimes that's the only option you're left with. You can lead a horse to water but can't make them drink it as the saying goes.

She had been on her guard ever since the woman first approached her asking for a ten but Mary became even more so when the disheveled street girl stepped closer and showed off the physical disfigurements on her teeth and hands she'd been wrecked with. Whoever had done this needed to have their teeth shoved up their ass. Mary couldn't deny she felt sympathy for the other lady but there was still a sense of duty that came along with it. She couldn't let compassion prevent her from doing what needed to be done in the here and now.

It was only her first day on the job, sure but the fact that she had been issued SHIELD identification and was officially an agent meant she had to at least ask questions, however unpleasant they may be. The fact that the woman admitted she had committed crimes and had a blemished record left Mary Bromfield no choice.

Back inside the service station, the cashier that had been peering out the window toward them had a look of smugness mixed with disgust as he glared in their direction, the smugness may have something to do with the set of red and blue flashing lights atop the car heading down the highway and in their direction with a turn signal on. If Nyx didn't play ball, Mary had no qualms against holding her to make sure she didn't run before the police car pulled into this parking lot.

"I'm sorry for the pain you went through but I'm afraid your vague explanation isn't good enough. I'm going to ask you to tell me exactly what you've done. You can either tell it to me or tell it to them." Mary took an authoritative tone to her voice as she flashed her SHIELD I.D. pointed toward the squad car that came closer with lights still flashing and siren heard sounding now. While the other hand slipped her pistol and aimed. A sour lump formed in her stomach and rose til it stuck in her throat but it wouldn't stop Mary from continuing.

[scarlett]

Nyx turned, anger and pain flashing through her too bright eyes as she looked at the woman. Stared right at her, hating every atom of her, and of herself in that moment. They could have been friends, if they had both been different people this could have been a happy encounter. Now it was one Nyx knew she couldn't get out of well. She kept looking at her, feeling somehow betrayed by this stranger. Mary had offered kindness, something which would be revoked as soon as she knew that Nyx was a criminal, because criminals weren't people, of course not, how else could the superheros justify their treatment of them.

She shuddered slightly, terror running through her system, she could see the police car approaching. She had failed, this was it, this was her death. She had trusted someone for that fraction of a second and now this woman was going to put a bullet through her if she tried to escape.
'You did this to me! It's you, you're people did this too me...You can't live a proper life when every good guy wants you dead.'
She glanced to the ground, her body trembling with fear now. Somehow she never thought it would end like this, she had always thought in a massive fight, a dramatic death. She never thought she would be caught and taken back to that...that place.

She was desperate now. 'I never hurt them!! The normal people, the human people...Only the 'Good Guys' The self-righteous bastards who destroyed me...'
She pulled her knife from her pocket and dropped it to the floor, she was no threat anymore, because she could run and get away, but she wanted Mary to know she had destroyed this girl.

She walked toward Mary, hands in the air, showing the woman she was not going to attack. She spoke in a more measured tone now, her lips trembling as several small tears dripped down her face. 'Mary, they will kill me. I'm not supposed to exist. If they take me in then your people,' SHe pointed to the shield badge with disgust 'will step in and execute me. And fine. At least then my parents will know what happened to me. But promise me one thing...' Her voice broke as she spoke the final words. Her lips dripped tiny droplets of blood as her teeth sank into the fragile flesh and she looked straight into Mary's eyes. 'If they try and take me back to that place...that...evil place, shoot me. Please, be the one to put a bullet through my head cause death is better than them...'

[marvelous]

Criminals were people. They had rights just lijke everyone. First and foremost was the right to remain silent and serve their sentence like the judge orders them too but they also had the right to be treated like human not animals and to have their civil rights respected by those who called themselves law enforcement and boasted of having a higher authority. Somehow Mary Bromfield just has the feeling Nyx was playing straight with her when the police car rolled in, the driver stepped out and flashed his badge. Mary flashed her I.D. and explained everything. It was heartbreaking the thought of what Nyx had to endure and what she may endure as a result of incarceration. Mary wouldn't stop the officer from hauling her off but Mary would not turn her back on Nyx either.

Before the police car arrived in full view and came to a stop Mary had one last gambit to play. Stepping back she shouted her word of power that brought the lightning. There was no time to dig through her glove compartment for am piece of paper and pen but now powered up, a quick magic spell took care of the problem.

"I have to do this, Arizona. It's my job but I swear come hell or high water5 I will not lt ANYONE kill you. I will do some investigating and if your story checks out then this paper i am slipping into your hand has my cell number on it. You call me in case of such an emergency and I will find a way to save you. NO matter what. If you're lying i you're on your own but I am giving you the benefit of the doubt. Hide this. I know you'll find a way." Mary whispered in her ear before the policeman officially made the scene.

When he stepped out Mary did her job, however regretfully it was but didn't show it, simply took Nyx by the arm and moved her into the policeman's grasp. Yeah she felt like shit and would have a hard time sleeping tonight but she would keep her word no matter what.

[scarlett]

Nyx's eyes were focused at the floor as the police car drove closer and closer, she didn't look up as Mary handed her the paper or as she whispered the words into her ear. She was numb, frozen against the world as she felt her life and her freedom draining away from her. A hand on her arm led her to the police car and she was pushed against it, letting out a sharp pained breath as her bruises made contact with the cold metal of the machine. She only looked at Mary for a half second when she was being put in the car and her expression was unreadable, a mask of coolness concealing the terror which raged through her body. She couldn't control the speed of her heartbeat or the tensed pain of her muscles as she sat there. She couldn't unfeel the cool metal of the handcuffs that were so tight around her wrists, but she could try and hide that from the Police, from Mary. She didn't want Mary's last memory of her to be a weak one.
But maybe she would help...Maybe...Nyx pushed those thoughts from her brains, Mary was just another superhero, she didn't care.
It was over.