The Sting [Lucy]

[Jess]

The Sting

CHAPTER 1 : The Honey Trap

“Thanks ever so, handsome~” Moving through the world and a velvet rope with a measure of disguise or as much of one as the task at hand would allow, Lucy Roberts shone with a smile as she was ushered into a venue that was kept a secret by many, though not for reasons that one might have usually predicted given her profession.
“A girl loves a man who doesn't keep her waiting~?” Intruding not into the halls of criminals nor the houses of dictators but rather the simple excitement of a club, the black beauty beamed as she dressed herself scantly in an one shouldered number in scarlet and a leather skirt to go along with it, and played into her charm more than ever before as she did so. After all, it was only natural for her to seem like a happy reveller in a place like this, right?

Into the lion's den, huh~? The only effort of concealment that she showed as she strutted forward upon high heels the reminder to use a fake name, all too soon she found herself somewhere that was saturated by coloured lights to illuminate the dimness and thumping with deep, heavy bass that seemed to make most quiver along with it, and almost immediately felt herself like a huntress on the prowl as she did so.
Looks like it's full of pussycat's, though… If anything feeling liberated by the chance she had been given after all those missions as things like dutiful nurses and doting secretaries, though this ravishing raven was rarely the sort who was without a well of confidence she seemed to be at her most flamboyant now that she was given the chance to let her hair down a little, or at the very least make it appear as if she was doing so.

Best not let my guard down too much, though? Never the type who felt the need to stifle herself but at the same time the nature of these recurrent undercover assignments meaning that she might just have kept more of a lid on certain elements of her personality than others, right now she didn't need to seem quite so meek and unassuming and could focus on flaunting other parts of her ego that could use some fulfilment, which was nice. Very nice, in fact, after so long.
I wonder how the guest of honour is getting on~? Not about to forget the business which brought her here however even as she let some of the more professional aspects of her personality slide for the assignment, all the while that green gaze seemed to study the space around her in search not only of the figure she expected to meet here, but also in an effort to get a lay of the land as well.

Heh, I'm sure I'll run into him before too long… In no rush to get on with the business portion of her evening however thanks to how long it had been since she had some decent leave, Miss Roberts pulled her fingers through those long and wavy as she moved through the throng of people within whilst she scanned the scene around her, and actually enjoying what she saw a little.
Don't wanna seem too keen, do I~? It feeling like it had been far too long in fact since she had the chance to blow off some steam in a place like this, while the emerald eyed enchantress wasn't exactly a frequent flyer when it came to places like this she realized she had been missing the option of making herself look her best and grabbing the eye of everyone in the room a little more than she might have guessed, and as such was all smiled as she slid and sashayed her way through the mob of revellers in order to understand the lay of the land a little bit better, with some sense of vanity-driven ego swelling within her.

Might as well grab a drink, get comfortable, hm? Silently mapping the area in case of a sudden urge to head to the dance floor or rush toward a bathroom or the nearest exit should the need arise, Lucy paused for a second with her arms folded as that grassy gaze tightened upon something or more accurately someone in the VIP area for a second or two, and then she simply flicked her hair and swaggered her way over to exploit what seemed to be a lull at the bar a moment afterward.
“I'll have-” Struck by a sudden sense of thirst and expecting that she could enjoy nursing a cocktail without compromising the clarity of her comprehension too significantly, though she might have been fine in her apartment or after work with a bottle of beer in hand Lucy decided that there was no reason not to indulge a more spirited choice as such began to eye up the various colourful combinations which were presented for the patrons, but unfortunately was not presented with the chance to voice her choice immediately, on this occasion.

"Helloooo good lookin'! God damn! You are a sight for sore eyes, gorgeous!
You here alone tonight~?
Cause, I gotta say, I'd loooooove to keep you company~?"

Instead having her enjoyment of the moment seemingly spoiled as someone loud and on the whole a little too lacking for respect of her personal space stepped in next to her, the words of the woman were cut off by someone with all the subtlety and style of a rooster, both vocally and visually, and all rolled her eyes because of that fact, and how he seemed to offer her barely any chance to respond as he chattered away next to her as well, seemingly without pause for thought or even breath. Sadly, as a result, all that Lucy could think of right now was how she really wished men like this would learn that less was most definitely more.

“Well-” Pausing for a moment or two merely to make the fool wait before she rebuffed him, the lashes of the lass flapped a few times as she made no effort to seem impressed or even intimidated by the bravado of the fellow who fancied himself as well, from looks of things just fancied himself, and yet before she had the chance to slay the self-appointed cock of the walk her attention was caught by someone else. Someone who could not have made a more exquisite intervention if they had tried.

"This one is a little out of your league, wouldn't you say?
Step off, and you might just make it to tomorrow with your face intact, fool."

A figure striding forward and grabbing the peacock's shoulder firmly as he spoke in a crisp and cold voice, usually Lucy wouldn't have welcomed such an intervention or needed it, but given the nature of the association pushed her annoyance back in favour of approval. I mean, she might not have needed rescuing from some punk in a bar, but the intervention was rather useful all the same, at least on account of who performed it.

Ah, there's the man of the hour~ Seeming to have played her hand a little too well when one considered her desire to enjoy herself just a little bit before getting down to the business which had brought her here, the raven hadn't realised that she would attract the attention of her mark quite so quickly as she seemed to, though didn't entirely dislike it for either the sake of her mission or the boost it gave her ego either.
One might almost think he was gallant, hm~? Almost seeing some chivalry in what he did as well, assuming that one could ignore the coldness and veiled threats which he used to send the peacock packing of course, sadly for his sake Miss Roberts knew better and regardless of the scene or her inclination would fail to see him as some knight in shining armour. He had his own agenda, no doubt, the same as her.

“Wow that guy was… A bit much huh?” Not that she would reveal such knowledge too readily since the aim that this flaunting fox had was to exploit the agenda he carried to further her own, instead she leaned into the image she brought with her here as a stylish and chic young woman who was looking to have a good time with good company, and pushed her hair back as she showed appreciation of his act.
“Who knew I had my very own guardian angel waiting for me in here, hm?” Batting her lashes soon after as she shone with a set of perfect pearly whites highlighted by a deep rouge frame in her lips, she could see that he was feeling very proud of himself for what he had done in seeming to 'rescue' her here, and only leaned into that assumption that much more in order to keep him blind toward her own ulterior motives.

“Or maybe you're more of a prince charming, huh?” Smiling and nudging him with her shoulder as she kept her manner kittenish and playful and everything that a little girl's daddy would disapprove of, Lucy bobbed her brows and continued to smile as she did her best to look starstruck and swept away by the intervention, and hoped to play into what she sensed would be a presumption of the impression he had left her with.
“So tell me, my Prince, what's a nice boy like you doing in a place like this, huh?” Not about to be all meek however since she knew that she had to show this fool that she was every bit 'worthy' of his act as well, the dark dish demonstrated that as she dipped toward him and engaged him on a personal level, though with every bit of the implication that she was definitely the type who would likely buy what he had to sell. She was a catch, and wanted to be reeled in, as it were.

"Just having a bit of fun with my buddies in the VIP room?"

The frisky femme already well aware of the fact that the private lounge in the place was the favourite spot of him and his cronies and that the exact reason which she was here flaunting herself in clothing that was practically painted on, she licks her lips a little as she listened to him bragging as humbly as he can about the perks of his status as a mafia playboy, though more because of how well he seemed to be playing into her hands than anything else. In truth, she really didn’t care whether he was cock of the walk or the chicken who got run over in the road, but he was her assignment and so that forced her to find him interesting.

“Oh, so a very important prince at that, are you~?” All the while feeling almost guilty for how she seemed able to play him like a fiddle, once more Miss Roberts had to note that her greatest asset was not her skill with martial arts or the speed she had trained to perfection, but rather how well she wore the right ensemble. It wasn’t all that sophisticated or something which most would consider it appropriate to take pride in, but ultimately it was a fact which had proven valid more times than she could recount, even in a career as short as hers was.

"Haha, you know it.
The name's Alexei, Alexei Tartarov.
Say, you don't want to join us, do you, Miss…?"

“Lilah.” Finding it only too easy to lie as she dropped a fake name in response to his introduction and invitation, she knew that one's garden variety red blooded male would be far more interested in the carmine colour of her lips rather than the words coming out of them, and could already sense him falling under her spell even only a minute or two into their connection.
“And I'd love to~? Lead the way…” For that reason sensing that her mission here would go swimmingly, 'Lilah' guessed that she would have everything she wanted and more from the lad in no time, and to go with it another commendation for her good service to boot. I mean, what else was one to do when one could turn a hungry wolf like this into her personal puppy, hm~? Plenty, of course, but only one thing in the name of justice…

LUCY ROBERTS - Ravishing Rouge - 2113 Words

 

CHAPTER 2 : A Dangerous Game

What followed after the meeting at the club a whirlwind of faked emotion and the ability to manipulate that ever eager male gaze, 'Lilah' had enjoyed herself well enough when indulging the options for finance, dining and discovery which had been offered by a cub she had made sure would crave her with those whipping lashes and the swing of her hips. Lavished with roses and chocolates and the finest designer items that the realm could provide, she also found herself hanging off the arm of a man who was only too eager to raise his image by toting something pretty, and as such had found herself dining in the chic and sophisticated restaurants and heading to the hot spots that the land and those which surrounded it could provide. However, right now, it seemed she had strayed rather far from the reservation when it came to romantic getaways, that was for certain.

This definitely looks a sketchy as hell venue, huh? Found with the wings she had kept hidden from her 'Romeo' humming as she buzzes around an old and half broken building, Lucy had slipped back into a disguise which she had become rather accustomed to utilizing rather extensively in recent times, and yet still relished the option of exploiting in spite of that. Buzzing about in the shape of something black and mean which appeared almost invisible in the dimming light of dusk, it was nice and by now almost felt natural to stretch out all eight of her appendages in this state for a spot of airborne theatrics, but tonight was not just about indulging a fine figure she had grown to love.

I wonder just who my beloved could be meeting here, huh~? Instead the ebony enchantress focused on her work as she found a nice high spot on the structure to settle herself before turning back to her human form, the wind seemed to whip at the long locks of the lass and the scarf she wore along with an ensemble which seemed positively sullen compared to the spicy numbers she used for seduction, but was functional all the same. Decked out with a leather jacket now in fact and looking that much more of a badass for that fact, those emerald eyes rolled over her surroundings again as she checked to ensure there was no guard or sentry to spot her, and then reached into her pocket to produce something she had been cautious enough to guard from her lover all this while.

“This is black fox, come in?” Holding a small creature which looked rather similar to a snail but with the added option of a coiling chord and mouthpiece attached to it, Miss Roberts hummed softly for a second before she lifted the microphone up and spoke into it, and seemed to rouse someone from the other end in doing so.
“I’m at an derelict factory approximately five clicks along the west road, I think we’ve found our prize?” Working as she had all this time in order to provide herself with the opportunity to clap her paramour and those for whom he worked in irons, after scouting and tailing the mark she had netted back at the club she had been waiting for him to disappear for a meeting with the shark who ran this operation, and after a few false starts was more than sure now that the chance had dropped into her lap at last.

“Requesting reinforcement post haste, we won't get many chances like this one…!” For that reason seeming to be in rather a chipper mood in spite of the fact that she guessed in a matter of mere minutes she would be doing battle with one of the bloodiest gangs of criminals in these waters, Lucy could feel the excitement welling up within her at the prospect of finally putting this issue and the people responsible for it to bed, and yet soon would be shown that her night would seem far from as fortunate as it did now.
“And don't forget bring some lovely jewellery for-” The perils of youth making her perhaps a little overconfident and for that reason the lass seeming to smirk and offer a humorous word or two before something seemed to cut her off, all too quickly did her grin fade and green gaze sharpen as she heard something she did not expect, though perhaps given the circumstance should have.

"HRRRRNNNNGGGAAAAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!"

Stalled in her effort toward humour by a low but loud groan which echoed out of the cracks and welts within the building on which she was perched, the black beauty blinked for a second as she was left to wonder whether or not she had heard man or beast in the howl which rumbled from beneath her, but either way was not about to take any kind of chances.

“Moving to investigate.” Sensing that something had gone far further amiss than she would have ever guessed given the manner of the mark who had brought her here, she had assumed this a simple meeting or exchange or something of the sort, but already she could tell that the reason for Alexei attending this venue was far more villainous than that, and probably a lot grislier as well.
If I’m really lucky, maybe they’re doing me a favour and killing off my Romeo already? For that reason hanging up her call quickly and resuming her waspy disguise with a swift sense of urgency, barely a moment passed before Miss Roberts had hopped back into the air and moved to investigate the sound with a grim sense of hope, or at least a twisted sentiment born from having to put up with that bore for longer than she would have liked.

Looks as if it isn’t my lucky night, hm? This macabre malice seeming to be denied however as she weaved about the rooms of the ruin and found where the gang had gathered, she looks over a circle of roughly a dozen men and recognises several faces, including one she met in a club not too long ago. Disappointingly, not only was he intact, he also seemed like one of the ringleaders in what was occurring to boot. How the heaven's loved to crush a girl's dreams, hm?

Or his either, for that matter? Soon spying a soul in the centre however who she did not know but did seem to be the source of the anguish which had drawn her inside at least, Lucy felt a chill run up her spine as she spotted someone who has already been bruised and rather badly bloodied by whatever had been going on here before her arrival, and was looking worse than worse for wear for that fact. Hell, if he hadn’t been twitching and panting through a rag stuffed into his mouth, she might have even thought he was already dead.

Who is that? Left to focus upon him for a moment merely because of the unexpected 'complication of his presence, in the darkness it’s hard to tell who he is exactly given the rotten state he finds himself in, and so all she could do was take a guess or two for a moment at least. Though lucky for her, it seemed that her lover boy was more than happy to fill in the blanks for her, even if unintentionally in her case.

"Fucking Pig!
Don’t you know the Tartarov’s are the biggest game in town?
And you thought you could take us down, all by yourself?"

The skinny soul who our female focus had snagged in the club lurching forward as if he found some cue and booting the bound soul as hard as he could, the chair that the stranger had been bound in tipped backward as a result, forcing him tip over and leaving him flat on his back as Alexei berated him for the sheer audacity of his ambition. I mean, what kind of fool would try to do their job, eh?

Looks as if I’m not the only cowboy in town? The raven left to realise from his words that the poor fool was some member of the police who had clearly gotten rather significantly buried over his head, she looked his uniform over again and now that she knew what she was looking for was able to spy a badge that had been bloodied by whatever he had been through, and noted from that she wasn’t the only person trying to get to the people in the room, even if their methods seemed rather different.
Not that it helped him all that much, huh? Feeling a note of guilt for that fact and that she hadn’t had the chance to operate before he had ended up in this state, though Miss Roberts knew from both the casefiles she had been given and simple rumour that these thugs had done plenty worse than what she saw before her, but somehow this made it all real. Worse still, she couldn’t help but be reminded of her own father and the end he met, which only lit her fire all the more.

"He isn’t talking Alexei.
If you’re finished warming up for girlfriend, maybe we end this?"

It seeming that a large and slightly misshapen soul stepped forth to pull the rowdy Romeo backward soon after however, a figure in a long coat with a smoking cigar seemed to snag the shoulder of the loutish lad with a mitt that looked almost as big as he was, and then tugged upon it with words so dry that they seemed practically shaped from sand. All of it, however, was something that our little spy could recognise as she sprang from one wall and landed on another to gain a better view.

The big man himself, and he knows about me too? Well, I suppose that’s not exactly true… Able to connect the face she saw on him to the grainy mugshots which had sent her on this mission in the first place, she can’t help but note from his wording that he seemed well aware of her presence in his nephew’s life, or at least what she had them presume from it. Either that or lover boy had some other woman on the go, which, honestly wouldn’t have bothered her in the slightest.

Gonna make for a hell of an introduction isn’t it? Knowing that it wouldn’t be all too long now however before he knew exactly who and what she was one way or another thanks to the ambition with which she arrived, Lucy found her wings twitching a couple of times as she felt a sudden but somewhat sizeable urge to lunge at the boss, but unfortunately sensed her time and attention would be better spent elsewhere for the moment. Ideally she'd attack him right off the bat, but right now there were bigger issues than arrest, weren't there?

"Haha, you should think yourself lucky my uncle is a merciful man?
I would not grant the kindness of so quick a death…"

A chill running through her as the man in charge seemed to pluck something from the pocket of his trench coat which was only too easy to recognise even in this dull light, once more the sable siren found a shiver and a sense of revulsion for the figure she had been tasked to get close to as he grandstanded in front of a beaten and broken man, then took a pistol into his hand with a point to prove.
Looks like I won’t get a chance to wait for backup, will I? Watching as the fool taunted his prey for a few seconds and noting the rising tension in the air, she knew that the smart move would be to stay quiet until she had her team behind her when she was one woman against many, but in this situation she knows that also wouldn’t be the right move either, and besides, she had one advantage as well. Alexei was an idiot.

"Thank him for that, when you see him in hell!"

Any decent man of such morbid business going ahead and getting the job done first before they stroked their ego but this fool not one of those, instead he offered the duplicitous dish the chance to kick her wings into action and fling herself into a blind spot from the gang in a flash, where she could quickly revert herself to a human form which could prove far more useful in this situation or at least that was the hope.
“Aaaaiiieeeee!!!!” Placing a bet on the fact that her unexpected but recognisable appearance would stay their hand enough that she could work both herself and her fellow lawman out of trouble before one or both of them found themselves swallowing a meal made of lead, it was almost embarrassing for her but given the situation Miss Roberts had no choice but to bellow as well, and in as girly a manner as possible. Good job none of her squad were here to hear this, huh?

LUCY ROBERTS - Black Ops - 2211 Words

 

CHAPTER 3 : A Shot In The Dark

“Alexei… What is? Who are these? ” Doing her utmost to act innocent and horrified at the same time as she found herself faced with a dozen angry pairs of eyes looking into her direction, Lucy let the sense of terror that she had felt at the prospect of seeing an innocent man being killed overwhelm her that little bit more as she strove to make her impression that bit more convincing, and found herself looking toward the most familiar face with tears in her eyes because of that.
“This man, what are you? Don’t tell me…!” The vision of the vixen stinging as that raw emotion that she so often had forced herself to supress welled up like the buds in her eyes, she batted her long black lashes as she made every effort to seem like the most accidental of bystanders on this terrible scene, and pleaded with the figure she forged a connection with as she did so. Not for her sake, but rather, for that of the innocent in the room.

"Lilah...? What are you even? This isn't the kind of place..."

Finding only confusion looking back to her and perhaps a note of annoyance with it, though Miss Roberts had her reflexes at the ready to weave her way around bullets should her ‘beau’ and his buddies decide to shoot first and ask questions later, she was at least relieved to see that one of them seemed to stay his hand for the moment, and seemed to encourage the rest as he did so. Everyone was bewildered both by her appearance, and the sense of recognition he showed toward her, Alexei was an unwilling and unwitting hero, at least for a moment that was.

"I thought you were sneaking off... With another woman...?" Offering her own explanation for being here in order not to draw too much suspicion to them either, despite the way in which she seemed to mime disbelief and the sheer inability to comprehend her circumstance, Lucy thought quickly. Acting like she was taken aback and had found something she had never expected, it was easy for her to explain her appearance here as the paranoia of a paramour, especially when one considered how her Romeo seemed to so consistently part her company and refuse her invitations with minimal explanation.

"Who in the hell is this, Alexei?"

It seeming however that the man in charge of the operation was a little less patience or at the very least less able to suspend his disbelief however as the supposed lovebirds looked at once another with jaws wagging like fish in a bowl, Ivan Tartarov clicked his tongue and bashed a less than gentle set of knuckles against the shoulder of his nephew in order to bring him back to the moment. After all, it did rather seem that explanations were in order, and perhaps introductions with them.

"She's my... I told you about her, uncle?
We’ve been seeing each other, these past few weeks?"

The lad at least seeming to rouse from his stupor because of that less than kind treatment, and the additional urging of a fist around his collar, Alexei blinked at the boss shook him, and then quickly blurted the truth out. Or, at the very least, what he had been led to believe that the truth was, of course. Not that Miss Roberts was going to correct him any time soon, of course.

"And you let her follow you, fool?
Your little toys should not stick their noses in where they do not belong boy!"

Such an answer only seeming to draw greater exasperation from the head of the table however, no sooner had he released the clothing of his nephew than had he flicked the back of his hand across the face of a figure who the femme could only but privately agree was something of a fool, and sent him spilling to the floor rather unceremoniously. Hell, had you not just seen the way he had been kicking and taunting that cop, one might have felt sorry for him.

"Uncle, please, I didn't know?"

It seeming that Lucy would not be the only one in this dark den to be wearing tears of protest either because of the act, the slim and scrawny figure of her ‘lover’ wasn’t a patch on the bulk that the boss possessed, and it was only too immediately obvious which of them could easily dominate the other. Both physically, and emotionally as well.

"God... You're? What, I don't believe this...?" It almost disgusting to watch a person who had swaggered about clubs and taunted a bound policeman now wailing like a scolded dog, perhaps it took even more effort from Lucy to hide the way in which she wanted to chuckle at seeing her ‘boyfriend’ seem to be reduced by the man, but she knew better. Instead continuing in her little routine of being a little lady who found herself way out of her depth, she took one step and then another as she stumbled about the room in a daze and glanced around herself nervously. Or at least falsely so, as she wanted to keep an eye both on the gang members about her and the wounded officer they had been bloodying.

"I can explain, just..."

Meanwhile the boy that she had lured into her trap in the club pushing himself back to his feet before looking from her and toward his uncle before back again as he felt like he had been trapped between rocks and hard places of various descriptions, it was rather unclear as to who he seemed to fear disappointing more; the pretty thing he had acted like a big shot around or the member of his family he worked for. However, all too soon it would be obvious where his loyalties truly lay.

"I didn’t think… What is this you’re…?" The raven meanwhile doing little to tip the situation in any particular direction as she continued to survey the scene and moved closer to the floored figure who seemed to still be waiting on his execution, for a second Miss Roberts contemplated flashing him a little wink in order to tip him off, but decided it was too risky. She had to hope instead that when she flipped the switch, he would be quick enough to realise the ruse she was weaving.

"It matters not.
If she has seen, then she needs to die."

Whatever success she found with the routine seeming to have little effect on the man in charge however, Ivan Tartarov revealed just how he had seemed to corner the market when it came to criminal business in the region as he simply shrugged away his worries, and decided that a little bloodletting would rid him of his problems either way. As ruthless as ever it seemed, the man wasn’t about to let the innocent appearance of his unexpected guest or the affection that his nephew had for her get in the way of business, but then given how he had batted the boy around that was hardly a surprise for anyone in the room. Or, almost anyone.

"Wait... Kill her? But..."

The lad himself seeming to be rather stunned by the order and perhaps, had Lucy been who she said she had then the second most in the room in that regard, in the end there was only one person here who was astounded by the command he was given. Not that the poor victim would tip her hand, of course. Not yet, at least.

"N-No... I promise. I won’t tell anyone what I saw? I swear it!" Backing away from the situation with the intention of getting that bit closer to the bloodied policeman nearby, the feet of the fox moved only an inch or maybe two at a time as she shifted closer, and raised her hands and her voice too in protest as she did so. Pleading with the lad for some sense of mercy and saying whatever anyone would have in the situation, she shuddered more from a sense of anger at being forced to act this way than fear, but knew that she could buy herself a few sweet seconds she needed as well.

"Either that or we kill you both?
Your choice, nephew."

By contrast the thug who led this gang seeming to be all about urgency and expediency, he had little time for the protests of the little girl, and showed that as he handled her with even less care and attention than he had his nephew. Lurching forward and seeming to do everything she needed by grasping her shoulder and sending her spilling to the ground with a flick of his own, Miss Roberts knew in an ordinary situation she could have likely avoided such a tumble, but instead cradled the impact and used it to her best advantage as well as she rolled across the ground to land only a couple of meters away from the cop.

"But..."

The lad meanwhile seeming to do everything he could to provide the room with a few more moments of theatre as he looked at the gun in his hand and grasped at straws for a reason not to use it, perhaps it was almost sweet that he seemed so reluctant to do as the man said, but Lucy had bigger things on her mind instead. Keeping herself flat on the ground as she didn’t wish to give the goons a reason to suspect her, she used her new position to see that the cop was still breathing, and shared with him the batting eye that she had intended while everyone was occupied by the drama elsewhere.

"There is no room for but’s, boy!
This was your mistake. One way or another, I will make sure that you pay for it!"

Quite the show it was indeed as well as the man in charge rounded on his nephew and caught him with a couple more hits before seizing him in a hand that was big enough to make the lad’s skull look as tiny as a tomato, the brute showed just what a bully he was as he tried to bludgeon and berate away the weakness which he saw in his nephew and show him that he wasn’t about to accept any answer but yes from the lad. It was almost sad, really.

"Now, are you going to grow pair and do what you need to do for the family
or am I going to bury you like I did your weak minded father?"

Throwing him to the ground like a rag doll and leaving him to pick himself back up as he leered over him, Alexei could only wobble and wince as he found he was carrying some fresh bruises as a result of his hesitance, for a second one might have hoped that he would turn the weapon he clutched in hand on the man who was torturing him now, but he didn’t. That taking far more courage than a coward like him could ever conjure, instead he ran his sleeve over his eyes and stood up, and then lifted his hand in the direction of the supposed bystander.

"Please... Don't...!" This very act seeming to damn him in the emerald eyes of Miss Roberts forever, though she raised a shaky voice in protest as she pushed her palms beneath herself, the trigger in her mind had already been pulled as far as she was concerned. He might not have sent a bullet her way yet, but he was going to, no matter what she said, or how his hand seemed to quiver.

"It's you or me, I'm afraid."

Ultimately the type who favoured his own survival over all other things and perhaps that making him just as bad as the uncle who batted him about so effortlessly, the vision of the vixen seemed to lock with that of her ‘lover’ for a moment as he revealed himself to her in his entirety, and she was left disgusted as a result. Yet, for one reason or another, confident as well.

"You... Really would, wouldn't you?" Seeing more of the man he was in that moment than she had done in the time before that all together, the breath of the black beauty left her lungs in a manner which suddenly seemed lacking the worry she carried, and even with a gun bearing down upon her like this she found her attitude shifting as well.
"He’s done such a number on you, I almost feel sorry for you, Alexei…" Recognising that he was just a scared little lamb who any could lead into slaughter if they were strong enough and finding a surprising sense of disappointment in that fact, perhaps in some teeny and tiny way Lucy had hoped to find at least some small portion of him that she found redeemable, but she did not and that made everything that much easier, really.

"…Almost…!" Keeping him there for that reason with their gazes upon oneanothers as she admitted the fact that she very nearly sympathised with him but confirming rather soundly and perhaps sarcastically that she did not, that she could not, instead the floored fox decided it was time to reveal who she really was and what she was really capable of as well as she flicked her toe forward in one fluid but long motion.
"Hraaaaaa!!!" Roaring as she did so and feeling no shortage of satisfaction either in the feeling of finding her shin seeming to swipe through the skinny legs of her lover like they were little more than saplings against an axe, a shot echoed through the cave as she inadvertently forced him to set off that pistol, though thankfully a stroke of luck meant that its path was aimed toward the sky and not the girl herself, or the ward which she had found within here either…

LUCY ROBERTS - Black Ops - 2366 Words

CHAPTER 4 : Damsel in Defence

Rank… Yakuuuuu!!!! wasting no time in launching into action as she surprised the entire room not only with the sudden shift in her personality but also the way she felled the fool easier than a termite-ridden oak, Miss Roberts pushed her hands beneath her as she shot into high gear and kicked out an air blade toward the nearest set of goons of goons in the room, though more with the intent to scatter them as she regained her footing than in the hope of besting them.
“Hraaaa!” Flipping onto her feet as she spied Alexei reeling on the ground before her as his world had been bounce flip turned upside down by her act, she couldn’t help but lash out with a toe to knock him out with a sense of venting fury, and then pulled something sharp from her pocket to help the wounded soldier who she had moved here to save.

“Here.” Wrapping her fingers around the knuckle mounted knives she carried as her own personal form of sidearm, she yanked them through the ropes around his arms to release him from the binding hold of an old wooden chair, then tosses him the pair in order to finish freeing himself while she found herself with bigger concerns than cleaving hemp.
“Get somewhere safe, if you can?” The figures who menaced the room recovering quickly from their astonishment at her sudden deed and for that reason the raven found hopping into the air to roundhouse someone rushing her with a weapon in hand, Lucy nodded at him and swiped her arm to urge him into action, before she found herself noticing something large lurching toward her over her shoulder.

“Shit!” Twisting around upon her heels as she spies a hulking but familiar figure gaining on her with a rapidity she might not have expected, the black brawler pulled her arms across herself instinctively as she recognised his approach like a wall in front of her chest, and braced herself for impact hard. Harder than one could really imagine, in fact.
Tekkai! Tightening her muscles to the extreme as she mentally repeated the name of her technique in her mind in a manner which almost felt like it would strengthen it, all too soon she felt something crash into her like a runaway train, and despite the iron hard guard she had raised seemed to struggle in the fact of what appeared to be an unstoppable object.

“Hrmp!” Crafting a defence for herself which made her fine form as rigid and durable as iron but even then not able to overcome the sheer inertia of a heavyweight blow like that, especially when she had little time to square her stance, it was only natural to see Miss Roberts fly backward as she found her body bashed by the brute, and soon after crashed into the wall with enough force to make it crack.
Even then… Guy hits like a dreadnaught? Releasing her guard once she had come to a halt, her body seems to throb for a couple of seconds as she regathered her footing, and told her that the man in charge was most certainly holding himself back when he was batting his nephew about only moments ago. Maybe he really did care?

"I’ll give you this, little bird. You have bigger balls than my nephew has? And I see you’re a lot tougher than you look to boot?"

Certainly more so than he did for the poor policeman, in spite of his words, Ivan wasted little time when he stepped forward before letting loose a backhand which sent the struggling cop wheeling across the room in a similar manner as he had Lucy, though with far more significant result. The fighting femme left to shiver as she watched him bounce off a wall to the side and then crumple on the floor in a heap, unfortunately both knew that she would have little time to check on him in a room like this.

“You too. I’m surprised… You’re not running away?” Raising her fists back up and at least feeding on the fury such a deed brought her to deploy a quick series of fast jabs to dispatch another attacker, Miss Roberts lets loose a combo to floor him in short order, before flicking her heel off the ground in order to shoot forward like a blur barely a moment later.
“Usually you prefer your cops in ropes right, otherwise you’re too afraid to talk to them, right?” Exploiting the speed of the soru technique which she was now considered a master of to get behind Tartarov, the martial minx made sure to toss a far heavier punch toward the man in charge, but noted his experience and more in how he quickly and effectively raised his arm to block her attack as a result.

"And smart mouth too?
we’ll shut that up, and not to worry…
A man like me is more than match for one jumped up little girl!"

The man almost seeming to show a sense of approval over her feistiness or at least comparatively so when next to how he had treated her before, or his snivelling nephew for that matter, once more he lashed out with a mauling limb to follow up on his block, but this time found his result more limited than he had before. Lucy ready for it this time though and hopping backward a moment before it hit as she raised her guard again with both her arms in front of her and muscles tensed like metal, while the effort once more sent a bit of pain through that iron wall she managed to avoid the worst of the blow, and after skipping across the ground all too quickly dug her heels in to ready herself for a second round between them.

“Well at least one man down here knows how to fight a bit?” All the while seeming to need to fend off the attention of his mooks, Miss Roberts was only too eager and too able to skirt her way around haymakers and kicks which seemed a grade or ten below that of the boss with the use of her Kami-E skill, and reply in kind with a whole lot more effect for that matter as she flung her fists forward and vented that bit more frustration upon their faces.
“I was starting to think your whole gang was wimps!” Barely seeming to let that green gaze drift all that far from the real threat even as she trounced his minions however, the young pugilist had to feel like she was showing off a little as she flung herself out of the way of gunshots and clocked his guards with fierce strikes to floor them, before returning her attention toward a figure who seemed equally eager to show what he was worth as well. Not that their little exchange thus far hadn't given her a pretty good guess, of course.

"You will find you are not the only one who is full of surprises, little sparrow!"

Not about to let the experience he was unaware of stop him from doing his own bout of grandstanding however as he grasped the long coat he was wearing and at last revealed why his body had seemed to be so large, so tough and so misshapen, from underneath it he revealed the source of his strength, and with a sense of pride as well. Wearing a crooked and confident grin as he tore the item loose from himself and revealed what looked to be an array of armour worked into his frame and the very flesh upon it, sculpted metal seemed to guard his torso and shoulders while his potent right arm had seen the most significant 'augmentation' as well as it seemed to be twice the size of the left, and caked in all sorts of fancy accessories.

"Tell me, little girl…
You think that ballet of yours can break through solid steel, hm?"

Looking half like a crane in fact or perhaps more accurately a wrecking ball, there seemed plenty of reason through which he seemed able to toss grown men around like toys, and ever more so that he now felt himself with a rather significant advantage which he could grin and growl about. His opponent, however, felt differently…

LUCY ROBERTS - Black Ops - 1414 Words

CHAPTER 5: Test Your Metal

Metal men are becoming all the rage these days, huh? All too quickly recalling her encounter with Lassa in the hospital because of the image of a hulking cyborg in front of her, Miss Roberts couldn't help but smirk because of that memory, and perhaps the fact that what she was being presented with was supposed to be in some way impressive. All it really did was show just how much Ivan was underestimating her.
“You’ve been upgrading huh?” Simply swiping her heel once more as she showed that she was in no way daunted by the obstacle with which she had been presented, once more the black beauty showed her training as she lurched behind him with the implication of catching him by surprise, but showed nothing in the way of surprise as her enemy displayed a wary swing of his augmented appendage to ward her away from striking behind him. Which, frankly seemed a little pointless if he was as confident as he seemed, given it was armoured as well.

“Oh wow… Real impressive stuff…” All the while barely seeming to bat an eye at his gear and perhaps hoping to annoy him as she spoke of it with such a sardonic sense of praise, it was hard not to feel like the brute needed to be cut down a peg or two given how he had seemed to boast of his enhancements, and so Lucy leaned into that fact as she got up close and personal with her inspection.
“So this is where all that Tartarov money has been going?” Pulling her punches a little as she worked him over since she knew that she needed to get a better understanding of what she was dealing with before she could best him, it had been clear from her strike before that a simple physical blow wasn’t going to smash through this guard, and so she needed to change her strategy accordingly.

“I mean, aside from what you gave Alexei…” Keeping that mouth going in an effort to distract him that little bit as she tested those defences and relied more on her quickness and dodging ability rather than an ability to tank his hits which she guessed might become compromised, Miss Roberts exploited all of her speed and agility as she weaved her way around haymakers, and the efforts of his henchmen, which seemed to be growing fewer and further between.
“I had a lot of fun with his allowance?” At least happy that the fact that she was fighting so close to the boss seemed to leave his men hesitant about letting loose a shot which might clip him, whether the reason behind this was protecting him from potential bullet wounds or perhaps themselves from a reprisal she didn't know, but appreciated it all the same as it allowed her to focus that bit more on the battle with the big boss.

“I should thank you, really?” Meanwhile enjoying having the chance to unload a little of the tension which had been building up within her through this operation both verbally and otherwise, even as a glancing blow seemed to sting her lip and leave it bleeding the black beauty continued to beam as she dabbed it with the back of her hand, and then threw herself back into the fray regardlles.
“You and your operation bought me a ton of nice designer dresses, and some fantastic lingerie?” All that effort that she had gone to maintaining her cover and tolerating the intolerable leaving Lucy with a real need to let loose and blow off some steam, she couldn't help but taunt her enemy because of that, but was smart enough to use the rage that resulted from it to her advantage. She wanted her foe focused on paying her back for her remarks, and not where she was moving them.

“But the thing is…” Slowing down verbally as a result as she found her back quite literally against the wall, but this only part of her plan, she licked her lips and tasted the iron in her blood as she saw him lining up a killer hit with that mauling metal mitt, and readied herself to even the score now that she had them both right where she wanted them.
Kami-e~! Reading its path by matter of reflex and using that and the flexibility of her form to flick herself to the side just enough to see the ferric fist fly past her nose and puncture the wall like a harpoon, what she had really needed in a fight like was a moment where she could strike out against that menacing mallet without interruption, and fortunately for her it seemed her emphatic enemy was only too eager to provide her with it.

“This kinda fight….” Barely even seeming to notice the fact that the friends of her foe had seemed to be so stunned by the fact that a mere girl was holding her own against their brutish boss that they had stalled any effort at opposition, Miss Roberts instead chose to focus herself for a moment as she pushed all the force she could command into one high and hard kick, and aimed it just below the elbow of the limb she had made sure was jammed in the wall. After all, she couldn't waist a golden opportunity like this, could she?

“Ain't nothing new to me?” Letting loose with her lower limb like a lance but a moment later, the crafty coquette concocted force enough that springs and shrapnel were sent flying as a result, in a manner she had been practicing more times than she could count. In fact, it would be fair to say that this was the exact moment she had been waiting for, ever since fighting those 'zomborgs' with Lassa in the hospital this time, and she was proud to show the fruits of what she had achieved in the meantime. The man she was up against, however, was not to sappy.

"You…! How did…?"

It seeming that it was now the turn of Ivan Tartarov to be left speechless as he saw the weapon he had been so very proud of seeming to shatter like kindling, it was clear that he thought that no effort of muscle or martial skill could ever best the marvel of mechanics which he had attached to his shoulder, and though it was satisfying to see her training pay dividends it was just as much so to shut him up. Which was a fact that Lucy couldn't help but gloat over herself.
“What’s the matter, Ivan? Never seen a gal shatter steel before?” The lass left to tilt her head as he snarled and stumbled away as a result of her stunning strike, suddenly the boot seemed to very much be upon the other foot when he realised that for all of his machinery the 'little sparrow' was still strong, and the man certainly wasn't happy about it. Not one bit in fact, but it had to be said that the fighting fox felt rather differently.

“I’ve been fighting clunkers like you ever since nursing school!” Relishing the opportunity to be a menace now that she had turned the scene to her own advantage, with her own strength, Miss Roberts squeezed her fists tight and felt them shake as she watches her once so arrogant adversary seem to show a similar streak of yellow belliedness as his nephew, but ensures he will have no opportunity to run regardless.
“And I have to say… You should ask for your money back!” Kicking off from the floor yet again to beat him to the doorway because of that and cut off his escape, not even a moment passed before she lashed out with a kick to keep him on the defensive, and noted that without that piece of pride and joy he was now barely more than a man wearing little more than a tin can.

“I think you got ripped off!” For that reason seeming to fend off the feeble assault he is capable of now with ease, she flicks her toe about to ward off punches and swatting backhands effortlessly, then kicked away a pistol he pulled out soon after.
“I'll have to remember to ask…” All the while the vixen working him into her view of the endgame and showing that as she swung her heel and tripped him up, once more those slender but well strengthened lower limbs of Miss Roberts swept across the ground to fell a much more impressive tree, and seemed to succeed in leaving in the same position as she had Alexei earlier without any significantly greater effort as well.

“What kinda third rate mechanic you bought this garbage from~?” Not about to let up yet and for that reason hopping into the air and performing a little pirouette as she built up a little momentum, with no small supply of relish the raven let loose another stabbing blow with her foot as she drove it downward upon him for maximum impact, and felt something crunch as she did so, hammering him with all the force she could muster and then some, once more she sent shards of metal flying as she shattered the plating he had over his sternum and likely broke a lot beneath that as well, as well as drove the air from his lungs well enough to subdue him. All in all, a great attack, and an even better result.

“Whew…!” Straightening herself up after the hit as she found her form throbbing and lungs heaving thanks to both exertion and exhilaration, Lucy couldn't help but let loose a heavy breath as she ended the contest, and found her heart hammering because of the feeling of achievement in her deed. I mean, Tartarov might have been a bully, but even he had felt like a step up from the enemies she had faced before, and she had come through it smiling, right?

Kinda wish Lassa could have seen that…? Thinking of her mentor once more as she looked over the floored form of her foe, she could only wonder what they would think of her feat, but hoped that they would see it positively, especially in light of how much she had seemed to grow since meeting them on the train. God, that felt like a lifetime ago now, didn't it?

“Come now… Don’t be shy~?” Not about to forget the fact that she was still standing in a room with enemies all about her even if they had been stunned into silence however, the brawling beauty couldn't help but lift her hand and wag her fingers toward the foes who stood around her still lost in astonishment, and reminded them that they were here to fight as well, and so was she while she had something left in the tank.
“Which one of you punks is next?” Winded from her effort of course but not about to let any of them relax just yet, the emerald eyed enchantress pushed her fingers back through those ebony locks as she invited them all to step up to her next, but thankfully perhaps, it would seem another timely intervention would mean that none would get the chance.

"FREEEEEEEEZE!
ALL OF YOU ON THE GROUND, NOW!"

Instead it appearing that the cavalry had finally arrived as men in white caps and somehow whiter uniforms burst into the building with rifles in hand and every intention of subduing who remained, Lucy was left to wonder whether their timing was just as impeccable as it seemed or whether they had been waiting in the wings and enjoying the show as well. I mean, she wouldn't have blamed them, right~? It had been a hell of a performance.

“Well, well, well. Looks like the backup is here?” Not that she was about to let them hear the end of the fact that they had arrived when only the 'scraps' remained however, though the relief of watching trained soldiers filter into the room and jam the muzzles of their muskets into the faces of those who remained, the girl resisted the urge to leg her knees buckle and land on her ass as the adrenaline died down.
“Don’t worry guys, there's only beaten dogs left.” Waving her hand instead as she dismissed the remnants of Ivan's group on account of the fact of how her achievement had seemed to kick the fight out of them figuratively even if not literally in all cases, the fighting fox twisted from one side to the other to stretch herself out as she allowed her fellows to seize control of the room, and acted more as a playful commandant than anything else.

“You guys owe me a beer for this one, I can tell you.” Certainly feeling like she had rather earned a big night on the town and hopefully some time off as well given all she had been through and what she had achieved here, the girl with the green gaze grinned as she teased her team about the topic of doing their job for them, but frankly wouldn't have had it any other way.
“I hope you brought plenty of cuffs with you?” Proving herself something of a workaholic ever since being accepted into the Blackpage unit even if she was the squad joker as well, Miss Roberts knew that she was no more comfortable than when she was fighting on the front lines, and proved that to herself with how happy she had been after the fight she had been through. Sure she was hurting a bit, and bleeding from her lip as well, but she never felt more alive either.

“And we'll probably need a stretcher as well…” Not failing to forget the figure who had drawn her in her so urgently either and shifting her focus from the detaining the devils toward something with greater compassion as well, Lucy lifted her hand and flagged one of her soldiers as she turned her attention toward the figure who had found themselves having a worse night than anyone, and then stepped off to see how he was doing.
“We've got a man down over here?” Crossing the room and weaving her way about men being clapped in irons as she did so, the bloodied beaut came to rest next to the figure she had found being tortured here, and sank down onto her knees soon after as she offered a tender touch and empathic emerald eye as well.

“Speaking of… How're you doing, cowboy?” Checking him over and happy to see at least some manner of response offered to her by the prone policeman, the manner of the minx became softer and more sincere as she offered him a kind word and a gentle smile, and was happy to see that while battered and blooded the stranger wasn’t beaten yet.
“Not too sore after letting a girl save your life, I hope~?” Offering him a hand to shake politely as they finally found a moment to introduce themselves to one another, the pride of the pugnacious princess seemed to shift as she surveyed the 'prize' in what she had achieved here; a life. Simple, but on days like today, worth every ounce of blood and sweat she had sweat, right~?

LUCY ROBERTS - Black Ops - 2593 Words – Total: 10697