[Open] Don't recognize the face in the mirror...

[sorryitasedyou]

Who: Darcy Lewis and YOU
Where: All over
When: 08/28 - 09/02
Rating: PG-13 to be safe - will update as needed
Summary: Setting up safe spots, dealing with the whole HYDRA outbreak, attempting to keep above the hypothetical water.

The Story:

8/29 ◆ (Open) Setting Up Safe Spots

[After spending some time in Bucky's safe room, it's pretty apparent that she wouldn't be able to stay in there forever. There were things that needed to be done and not everyone had turned HYDRA. There were people here who didn't fight - she didn't want to leave them to have to fend for themselves.

She picks a few rooms and calls in a few favors, getting a little help from Castiel in keeping them quiet. Locations get sent off to Bucky so he could help direct people to them before she takes off on her own to try and spread the word quietly. It takes a little time, but she eventually manages to get 4 different rooms set up and secure with escapes should things get dangerous and the not-so proverbial shit hit the fan.

She may or may not also be taking down a few HYDRA posters here and there as she moves between the floors to check in and make sure the rooms were still in one piece. As she goes, there's a cautious scan of everyone she passes - making mental notes of features if she doesn't know them so she can relay the information. She may even cautiously stop here and there if it's someone she recognizes to try and get a feel if they're gonna try to kill her or not.

Not the best way to probably do it, but she was a little limited in options when they were all stuck here together anyways.]

8/30 - morning of 8/31 ◆ (Open) Around the Mansion

[Avoiding people trying to shove the still sane people into the chairs was at the top of her priority list. She'd been doing fairly well so far, if you didn't count the whole Billy thing. As much as she wanted to avoid going back up to the 7th floor and specifically to her room, it was a necessary evil. Yes, she could grab a few things for the dogs from the other closets, but she couldn't grab the already loaded laptop with the rest of the info that could come in handy for Bucky.

It meant moving cautiously throughout the mansion to the 7th floor, holding her breath and all but running to her room. She didn't want to stick around for long, but it seemed like the people that woke up with the HYDRA crazy juice flowing through their veins didn't remember anything of their time here. It was something that worked in her favor, or at least she was gonna look at it that way.

Once the few items were acquired, she made her way back through the mansion - trying to avoid going up since it would be harder to get out in case they decided to try and set it on fire or something ridiculous. Find a way to flush people out to figure out who was still themselves. Occasionally she circled through Bucky's saferoom to drop off the essentials before bouncing between the ones she'd set up.

At least until Steve tries to grab her on the 31st.]

9/1 ◆ (Closed) to John Blake

[Everything was falling apart, that much was for sure. They were getting to points of desperation that it wasn't absurd to drag someone kicking and screaming down the hall and that was not good. After her little run in yesterday, she needed to lay low - stay out of the way and off the radar as best she could. The people she cared about either didn't remember her or were a little busy trying to keep people from dying or dying themselves.

If she'd learned anything from her little lesson yesterday, no matter how hard she tried to play it safe... It wasn't always gonna work. So, rather than try to lay low somewhere and hide, she kept going with her plans. She needed to check in on the coffee shop, not actually expecting to find anyone there. She had to make sure it was still in one piece and hadn't turned into a HYDRA mansion base or something stupid. They weren't allowed to hog the caffeine.

Flipping on a few lights, she almost thinks for a moment that it's all okay - that she's gonna be on her own and able to get in and out without being noticed. At least she was feeling confident until she realized she wasn't alone. She wasn't sure if he'd been in here when she'd first arrived or if he slipped in while she was clearing out the small fridge of the cream that had gone bad... But he was here and that wasn't good. She scans the room from her spot behind the counter, trying to decide if she should even bother trying to make a break for the hidden door between the Avenger training room and the backroom of the coffee shop.]

Hey... Long time no see, I'd love to stick around and chat but I got big plans, so... Yeah.

[She gives a hint of an awkward laugh, hoping he hadn't had a chance to figure out more about their relationship or friendship or whatever it happened to be that day thanks to the mansion. She was already having a hard enough time with the idea of him being brainwashed. Eyes scan the counter behind the bar for a knife or anything she could use as a weapon - the moment when she wished they served more fruits and things that required cutting.]

9/2 ◆ (Open) Aftermath

[She'd done what she could to lay low after the second run-in with Steve and that mess with Blake. She hadn't seen Bucky in what feels like forever and everything's sore from a mixture of encounters and exhaustion. When she peeks her head out of the safe room she'd crashed in, there's an almost visible release of tension in her body. The posters were gone - things were going back to normal.

She shoots off a few texts to people to check in - letting them know she'd be around the 1st floor, not even sure where to start in helping with the healing process from this. Rather than head right to her room and faceplant in the bed for a week, she stops off at the beach after swinging through the basement out of habit. She needed to clear her head and just breathe for a second before heading back inside through the garden - clearly in no rush. What was the point of running around anymore like a chicken with her head chopped off when the storm had passed. That wasn't to say the hard part was over, but it was a lot easier to work on moving past it all when people weren't trying to brainwash and/or kill each other.

Rather than swing through Bucky's saferoom to grab her laptop, she slides her new phone into her back pocket before heading to the first floor to the room she'd set aside awhile ago to catch some much needed sleep. She'll respond to texts that come through eventually, inviting people to come down to her room on the 1st floor to chat rather than her room upstairs. A, it was closer to the kitchen, and B, she was way too frickin' tired to climb 7 flights right now.]

[ooc: if you want a specific starter, just let me know on plurk or through pm. I'll match style.]

Comments

[oversight]

[ Very little beyond the obvious explains how John is so very good at using the shadows to his advantage. Thankfully no one seems to be questioning it, except perhaps Darcy in this moment. And if he has his way, she won't be doing that for long. ]

Big plans? [ He cocks and eyebrow, purposefully between her and the main door. He's still advancing, sharp eyes pinned on her tense form. ] Secret plans?

[ John will be curious to see how she responds. Will they keep up this pathetic ruse or will she call him on what she seems to already know? Testing the water is his only choice. ]

[sorryitasedyou]

[Yeah, she's definitely questioning it right now - along with some of her life choices... And her dedication to this coffee shop. When he doesn't stop advancing, she makes a decision to try and move. She was already in a bad position and if he cut off her only exit from behind the bar? Yeah, it would get so much worse.

Sliding a hand along the top of the bar, she continues to keep an eye open for something she could use as a weapon. She didn't want to try and face off with him, though. So she was definitely planning on keeping up with the extremely pathetic ruse in the hopes that it might be enough to keep him at bay.]

You know me and secrets. [A beat.] Help yourself to a cup of coffee, I'm just gonna grab some new creamer. Your, uh, your apron is still behind the counter.

[This was her chance. Pretty much the only one she'd get considering he'd cut off her other escape option. Without a second thought, she walks towards the back room fighting the urge to run. She just had to make it to the door and she'd have a shot.]

[oversight]

[ In most other circumstance John would just let it go. One girl's opinion is easily dismissed when you consider how active all the agents have become. Would she finger him as HYDRA? Maybe. The fact that she's running scared already says a lot. But the look Darcy had give him coupled with the mention of the apron leads him to believe that it won't be as easy to pass off her accusations as paranoia, especially with the current climate in Wonderland.

Luckily for Blake, he's got plenty of training in speed and stealth. He's not a super solider, no, but he's trained with the best on his way to the much more administrative position he currently holds.

As if he could draw a straight line right through the obstructions, he's on Lewis, his clammy hand grasping very firmly around her wrist just as she reaches for the door handle. ]

Plenty of creamer right here. No need to go out.

[ His grip tightens slightly, but it's hardly crushing. Just... insistent. Firm. Like a magic trick, the other arm reaches out robotically and tugs a pint of creamer right from a nearby closet. ]

[sorryitasedyou]

[She would definitely finger him as HYDRA and if he knew anything about her at this point, it would probably be thanks to her connection to Bucky. Darcy was so close to the doorknob - to an escape from him that it takes just about everything in her to hold back a scream when he grabs her.

Her breath shallows, turning back to look at him. She doesn't try to pull her arm out of his grasp.]

Well, look at that.

[She tries to remember that it isn't him, that this place was messing with people and turning them into something far more sinister.]

John... let me go. This isn't you.

[oversight]

Oh, it isn't me? This— [ His grip tightens and he leans in toward her, practically sneering. ] This is me. The only part that matters.

[ He doesn't let up, taking it upon himself to draw her into the depths of the back room. ]

Listen, listen, listen— [ John's voice turns entreating and he presses Darcy back against a shelf. ] Shh-shh-shh, it's fine. Really. Don't think I'm not in control, 'cause I am.

[ Blake loosens his hold and his thumb rubs over Darcy's wrist. ]

I'm in control. Of all of this.

[donotcallmethis]

[Helena knows one thing: she will protect all of the children and anyone else who needs protecting. She's a fighter who is upset about threats such as these. She knows what it is to try and be brainwashed to believe in something.

She will not let it happen to others.

And so, when she has the chance to protect people, she is in one of he safe rooms, an assortment of knives hidden on her body. She has a gun, but guns are not always the best choice, she knows. She once brought down a man with a roll of duct tape. If she has to be creative, then she will do so. Looking up at Darcy, Helena nods a bit.]

They will all be safe with me.

[sorryitasedyou]

[There's something to be said for people who were still sane right now. So many people still hadn't been fully vetted on being themselves - she didn't want to mess around too much with texting everyone she knew. No point in spreading the word about the safe zones unless she really wanted to bring the wrong kind of attention on them.

Even without using the Wonderland phone tree, it was amazing how people had a tendency to come together in tough times. She offers a smile to Helena, not even questioning just how lethal the woman might be. Now was a time for a little trust, step one being that she was sure the woman wasn't HYDRA.]

Thank you, seriously. I have a feeling this is gonna get a lot worse before it gets better. [A beat.] Have you seen or ever met Steve Rogers? Runs around in a lot of red, white, and blue?

[donotcallmethis]

This person I have seen. But we have never met. But I have talked to Bucky.

[On the network, anyway, and she saw his message earlier.]

He knows I can fight and what I am capable of. We are much the same.

[So, take that as you will, Darcy! Helena's not as strong as Bucky, and there are no robot-like arms happening here, but...duct tape. The non-fighters are well protected.]

[sorryitasedyou]

[Ok, yeah she's gonna take that in the slightly terrifying could kill you with a spoon kinda way. Although duct tape was equally impressive. And it's a story she'd probably be interested in hearing sometime because duct tape.]

Well, then I'm very glad they didn't get their hands on you. They're already terrifying enough.

[donotcallmethis]

They take people. Force them to be another thing. Like rewire of brain.

[She understands, she narrows her eyes.]

People tried to unmake me. But...I was not unmade. I did not do it so easily.

[Tomas, Tomas broke her, but Castor could not break her more.]

8/29

[thneedifestdestiny]

[The Once-ler, for the most part, has kept quiet the first couple of days. One of his greatest advantages at this point is that he knows he'll be underestimated. He shouldn't be among the first to make a move, but lie in wait for his associates to begin their capture of the uncooperative and join their efforts to enlighten the rest of Wonderland.

For now though, subtly is key - if he's capable of it.

So, he hasn't outright hurt anyone yet, but if she returns down hallways she already passed through, she may catch him putting the HYDRA posters back up on the walls where they were. Can't have someone going around removing all their perfectly good propaganda, can they?]

[sorryitasedyou]

[She really should just let him hang the posters back up, make note of it and circle back to destroy them again. Odds were if the mansion was still being mansion-y, they'd be back up in an hour anyways. But, it was the principle of the matter.

So, she follows behind him - ripping the posters down in a not-so-subtle manner as a show of her annoyance at this whole stupid mess. Probably not the smartest thing, but it was early enough in the event and she was still feeling ballsy.

Clearing her throat, she rips the the one up in her hand and lets the pieces scatter to the floor. She gives him a quick scan, deciding if it'd be smart to stick around or if she'd actually be able to take him if he came at her for ripping up the poster. Well, nothing like living a little dangerously, right? Sure.

#downwithhydra]

[thneedifestdestiny]

[At first he doesn't notice, and just goes about putting up the posters again as though she isn't even there. When she clears her throat though, he finally turns, and he looks so offended.]

Ugh, what is your problem? That's totally unnecessary and super rude. Can't you just mind your own business?

[And with a frown, he sticks up the next poster, but he doesn't move on to put up the next one, since she's apparently just going to rip it down.]

[sorryitasedyou]

What's my problem? You're my problem. HYDRA's my problem with its propaganda stinkin' up the place.

[This is one of those moments where if she had a lighter, she'd just set it on fire in a moment of silent protestation. Of course, she wasn't so good at being silent.]

I feel like brainwashing people against their will is ruder than ripping down a poster, that could just be my opinion though.

[Sarcasm is definitely something she specializes in.]

[thneedifestdestiny]

Psh. Right. Brainwashing. You know you sound like a crazy person, right?

[Then his hands go up and so does his voice, so he can achieve his full mocking potential.]

"Oh, no! Someone's coming in and making Wonderland a better place, and I don't like it! They must be brainwashing everyone because I can't possibly imagine anyone not agreeing with me!"

[Of course, they do brainwash people and he's perfectly aware of it, but that's just bad PR and if he's loud enough about her sounding like she's out of her mind, maybe it'll snuff out any potential uprisings. He spins his finger in a circle by his ear, the universal symbol for "you, miss, are a crazypants."]

8/30

[outofthebreach]

[ Brennan doesn't really understand what's going on with this event for the most part. As opposed to the undead from last time, this time this place's magic seemed more intent on turning all of them against one another.

It's not an unfamiliar concept, if not a prevalent one where he comes from. Blood magic could accomplish it. Red lyrium had proven quite effective at it as well, much to all their dismay. So far Brennan hasn't really seen signs of either, but he's on high alert just in case. Mostly he's been watching out for Dorian and avoiding people, but he's never been very good at sitting still when there's a crisis happening, so at the moment he happens to be out cautiously patrolling one of the floor, making sure people were safe.

He's dressed in his armor, sword in hand and shield at the ready. Just in case. It might look a little odd, but he thinks nothing of it as he prowls the hall, keeping an eye out for these Hydra that have been popping up all over. ]

[sorryitasedyou]

[If the situation weren't so serious, she'd actually laugh at the get-up. It was impressive and dear god she'd never actually met a real knight or anything like it as far as she knew. Musketeers, yes. But not knights.

When she spots him, she does a double-take because... Seriously.]

I'm not sure if a sword will help you out much against them. I mean it might help if they try to brainwash you, but that's not a guarantee.

[A beat.]

Unless you're with them. [Aw, crap. Please say no.]

[outofthebreach]

You'd be surprised what a sword can help with.

[ The young woman is unfamiliar to him, but when she speaks up, he pauses in his patrol and offers her a slight bow in greeting, his lips curving into a friendly grin. ]

And no. I assure you, my lady, I'm not here to brainwash anyone. Especially not for some cult worshiping strange mythical creatures. They often come with terrible reputations.

[ He would know. ]

[sorryitasedyou]

Well, I mean I have a friend who uses a hammer, so anything’s possible.

[She’s just not gonna talk about Steve right now. It’s a little too hard with the whole HYDRA thing.]

Good to know, and you can call me Darcy - just Darcy. [She leaves off the whole ‘I’m not a lady thing’ because she’s genuinely not sure how he would take it as a seemingly bonafide knight.] This one definitely does. Seems like Wonderland wanted to give us a little reminder of home and the BS waiting there.

[outofthebreach]

Hammers are useful as well. A little bigger than what I normally work with, but very useful for blunt damage. [ Then again, that's why he carried a shield. ]

A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Darcy. [ He dips into a playful bow that's as much a tease as a respectful greeting. ] I'm Brennan.

[ He leaves off his titles for now. In this place they seem to confuse more people than not. ]

These Hydra... they are a cult from your home?

9/2

[alionsheart]

[ Robin's done his best to help with the Resistance but he's been rather preoccupied with Henry so it's taken up so much of his time. He has a few friends he's anxious to check on after everything finally goes back to normal, one of them being Darcy. He makes his way to the 1st floor, knocking on her door softly. ]

Darcy?

[sorryitasedyou]

Hey.

[She pulls open the door, looking a little rough for wear. No point in leaving him out in the hallway, instead stepping back to let him in. Something had happened to Bucky, this whole place had basically gone to hell as of yesterday and now they were all stuck to stew in it.]

Make yourself comfortable.

[alionsheart]

[ The expression on her face doesn't surprise him, not with the events of the past few days. He's been quite troubled himself, worried about Henry and Regina, about everyone else and how much damage this brainwashing will do. Focusing on friends like Darcy and making sure they're...well, not necessarily all right but at least somewhat put together, makes him feel less adrift.

So he steps inside, a small smile on his face. ]

You look about as good as I feel. How are you holding up after...everything?

[sorryitasedyou]

[She moved like everything hurt, favoring her right arm.] It actually hadn’t been too bad until the last few days. Seems like people stopped trying to be so cautious about their recruitment efforts.

[Between getting manhandled by Steve and almost brainwashed to dealing with Blake in the coffeshop, she was good for now. Those had been the two hardest to face, add on top of that the fact that Steve had hurt Bucky and they were all just in peachy shape.]

I think that was actually the first event from home for me. Figures it’d be a doozy.

[alionsheart]

[ The stiffness in her movements and the way she carries herself worries him. He's not a doctor by any means but he's not powerless to help, either. ]

How badly were your friends affected by all this?

[ He regrets not keeping tabs on everyone else better. But then he nods at her arm. ]

And you - are you hurt?