meadowlarklogs | operation lost boys; aka let's catch a soldier

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operation lost boys; aka let's catch a soldier - locked

WHO: operation lost boys; strike team: kylo ren, rey, poe dameron, illya kuryakin, daisy johnson, johnny jaqobis; interrogation: stephen strange, lan wangji and mo xuanyu; additional: peggy carter, leo fitz
WHERE: new amsterdam; city proper and eventually the caves
WHEN: november 11
WHAT: soldiernapping and interrogation
NOTES OR WARNINGS: violence, abduction, all the dubious stuff that would happen in an interrogation. will update as needed.

NETWORK PING

( en-route to the garage already, kylo ren sends out the following message to everyone that volunteered on his network post earlier that week.

the message reads: )

Our timeline has altered.

Volunteers for this operation are to meet at the garage safehouse in fifteen minutes to receive their masks and briefing.

GARAGE — LOCKED TO ALL VOLUNTEERS

( they gather in one of the smaller offices aboveground, kylo ren front and center, dressed in black tactical gear. )

I'll try to be brief. ( mask in hand, he addresses the assembled volunteers ㅡ trying, and failing, to not think of his mother. of what she would make of him standing here, trying to rally others to a cause that would be considered foolhardy at best. )

We have a rare opportunity. One that we need to make the most of. ( he exhales a breath, using the moment to gather his thoughts. )

Riots have brought both the NAPD and UNA out in force; they will be on edge, expecting trouble, but they will also be cut off from their base and what support they can offer.

Once we locate a group, we need to separate our target and disable them quickly. Stun guns have been provided for this purpose.

Once they're down, they need to be stripped quickly. We'll slap on an implant-scrambling mask and transport them to the caves for interrogation.

( it sounds deceptively simple. and there's nothing in his voice that suggests that it shouldn't be this simple, this effortless. )

ABDUCTION - LOCKED TO STRIKE TEAM.

( fortune smiles on them.

or perhaps it's just a matter of practicality; after all, once the chaos descends there's only so many places that are going to stand out for potential looters. places that are particularly lucrative.

which is how they find themselves in one of the upper-class residential neighborhoods, the kind where you need a six-figure bank account before you can even think about renting a broom closet, just out of sight as they wait for an opportunity to make their move. )

CAVES - LOCKED TO INTERROGATORS

( the ride to the caves can only be described as hair-raising. but, they make it with time to spare and in relatively one piece, despite the soldier's determination to not go quietly.

admirable, really, even if it's also more trouble than its worth.

getting the soldier out of the transport and into the caves is another challenge, but they manage. arrogance or confidence. it doesn't matter. the soldier is secured and the relevant parties notified. time to get some answers. )

[ OOC NOTE: Here is the comment with the info relevant to the interrogation for quick reference. If there's anything you wish to add, please feel free to do so. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Down the street, a group of four UNA soldiers comes into view. It's not that surprising; there are a number of them up here near the neighborhoods bordering the financial district. Rey turns to those among them, black mask obscuring her implant and her face alike, glowing blue. ]

How do you want to do this?

[ They're already less uniformly operating than before. But there are a lot of ways to separate a group. ]

I can hold three of them back if you want to bait the fourth after the rest of you. Fewer witnesses. But then you'll need to move fast -- the fourth might bite down on something, commit suicide, like Cassian was saying.

I do not mind being the bait if someone thinks they'll be able to incapacitate the soldier before the duration of your power runs out.

[ it is not ideal but he has a power based in strength and he knows he can go toe to toe with a una soldier if it comes down to that. if he needs to be the one to knock the soldier out, he will. ]

I've faced a soldier on my own before. I can do it again.

[ Other than Illya and Daisy, 76 doesn't know most of the other people involved in this operation. Some of them he's seen around the safehouse in passing, but it does make it sink in that he's been keeping to himself.

This is a situation in which someone like 76 thrives, though. The moment that he got the mask pulled over his face and had a stun gun put in his hands, he'd felt a lot more grounded, like something had clicked back into place.

Due to the fact that Illya has been his link to all of this, 76 is quick to follow up his words with a nod, keeping a sharp eye on the group of four soldiers all the while. ]

If you bait him, I can follow in after you and knock him out. If the stun guns doesn't work, I have other methods I can try.

[ He's got super strength; he can certainly get creative with it. ]

I can bait him.

[ he has his ability and he has the shield daisy made him to give him some semblance of protection while he put himself out there. ]

Is everyone all right with that?

[ trying to be a team player here. ]

Bait him.

( from what illya has explained of his power, perhaps it's for the best that he do it. on the off-chance that things go sideways, he has a fighting chance of making it out. )

But be careful. And, if possible, we need their armor undamaged.

[ he nods sharply and takes a breath. ]

I won't damage his armor unless absolutely necessary.

[ a last resort. if he wasn't able to distract enough that things got dangerous, then he would go for the armor. ]

If he damages me, do not worry. Focus on the mission.

Be careful.

[ Mostly she directs this at Illya and Kylo. Daisy and Poe are both in less danger, at least. But she does spare a look at 76 at that moment to impress it upon him as well. Then she itches under the hem of her mask and approaches the mouth of the alley. ]

You want to draw him away from the others while I hold them back. Be quick. During the raids, I couldn't hold them for very long. I'll start after you get their attention. [ She looks at Kylo and 76. ] Maybe we should have you waiting near where Illya will lure them to. With Daisy and Poe, for a quick escape?

[ it's a good plan. not great, not impenetrable, but better than most. they have strength in numbers, an enemy off their game, the benefit of surprise on their side. many things could go wrong, today, but they have a fighting chance of getting this right.

to illya and 76, she offers another option: ]

I can pull the armor off if you can hold him. It'll be piece by piece, but if you tell me where to aim, I can do it.

[ bare more sensitive spots to make it easier to attack him, perhaps. to rey, she asks: ] Do you still have the shock stick I made you?

[ Rey reaches under her jacket -- leather, too large for her by several sizes -- and produces a short baton-style stick that's thick and sturdy. It expands with the press of a button to something several times larger than its size, and she extends it for Daisy's consideration. ]

Here.

[ The shocking tip is not presently buzzing at all, but it does look a bit like a spine. ]

[ There's a few things to note here, all which 76 files away to consider in greater detail later, when they're not in the middle of the op. First is Illya's willingness to let himself get harmed for the sake of the mission. Second is how so many of these people offer up the use of their newfound abilities. Maybe not knowing his is a liability after all, though he definitely intends to make up for it in other ways.

At the suggestion of the young woman he doesn't know, 76 turns to her and nods. Positioning himself where Illya can more easily drag the soldier out of view and they can do what needs to be done would be best.

It's Daisy he knows, so he moves toward her, pointing her to a narrow alley tucked away behind a row of houses halfway down the block. ]

We should circle around to wait there. [ He then glances to Kylo and the other man who hasn't yet spoken, the one who must be Poe based on process of elimination. ] Everyone ready?

If you are not, it is probably too late to do anything about it.

[ they were here, the plan was somewhat formulated and the una soldier was right there and ready for the taking. ]

Move as fast as you can.

[ he directs those words to both 76 and daisy because he would rather not die today especially at the hands of a soldier like this. ]

( if rey's caution surprises him, it doesn't show. though he offers a nod that is as much for her sake as it is for 76 and for illya.

speed is important. not simply for the soldier — though, naturally, the sooner they get the soldier secured the better — but for the armor, as well. )

Once the soldier's implant goes quiet they might look to the armor.

( this is directed to daisy, now. the possibility of some sort of tracker or body camera had been discussed at length on the network. this could work for them as much as it could against them, splitting the UNA's focus. )

If you need help, you know what to do. ( though with any luck, this would prove to be unnecessary. )

We go on Illya's signal.

[ So ready, yes, but wanting to be sure they have their positions settled. Daisy and Poe down where 76 identified a safe spot, and Kylo and 76 down that way to leap in when Illya brings the soldier far enough away from the group. (And Johnny??)

Rey will be the odd one out, staying here holding back the other three. Realizing this makes her feel only a little uneasy. She's doing the math on the best way to bolt without them catching up to her after the others have gotten away — provided she can hold them that long.

It's only slightly nerve-wracking, given that they'd almost killed her last time she tried something like this. ]

And when it's done, don't wait for me to get out of here. [ She'll need to tear off immediately to start working on how to get out to the pyramid anyway. ]

[ it feels like it has been some time since he's been on a job like this. his last mission with the kgb had been the one that led to the formation of uncle and then he had been here.

and here, he'd been mostly spinning his wheels in that realm of things, keeping his true career to himself (save for a few people here and there) while he tried to figure out a way to best use his abilities.

maybe this isn't what he had in mind but it is something. and it does give him some measure of revenge on the una. so, at rey's words, he nods and looks from person to person, lingering once or twice before he looks down and closes his eyes.

there is no prayer, no asking some deity for help. just a moment to center himself before he turns himself towards the soldier and counts down quietly. ]

Three. Two. O -

[ he doesn't finish the last word before he slips out of cover, taking careful steps towards the lone soldier. running will alert him even if it gets him there quicker.

but, he walks, one foot in front of the other until he's close enough to lunge at the man, wrapping his tall frame around the soldier and crashing them both down to the ground.

so far, so good? ]

[ The other three soldiers in his company try to get in on the fight, but from her spot in the alley, Rey reaches out and dampens the gravity around them, anchoring them in their spot. All they can do is watch while Illya grapples with their squadmate.

It's not an easy hold by any means, but Rey can't help noticing that it's easier than last time. They're not as coordinated in their efforts to get free, which means while they're struggling against her force, they're not as efficient at it.

She can certainly hold them long enough for Illya to get the other away. ]

[ It's only after everyone relocates to their assigned spots that Illya kicks everything into gear, grappling with one of the soldiers while Rey uses her power to hold the other three in place, as she alluded to.

Even though 76 comes from a world full of people with abilities, most of them are based in science to some degree. Even Tracer's blinking fell into that category. To see something like this, which comes from Rey herself rather than a device fashioned to work with her, is new for him.

Not that he remains too focused on that. His attention is almost entirely on Illya, waiting for the man to drag the UNA soldier toward the spot where he's waiting. If it turns out to be too much of a struggle, he's ready to spring forward and assist. ]

[ illya takes an elbow to the gut but with the power of his anger sustaining him, he's able to mostly shrug it off. it'll hurt later, he's sure, but it's fine right now.

he manages to get behind the soldier, grabbing his arm and yanking it hard enough that it nearly dislocates before wrapping an arm around the man's neck and pulling tight. he's not intending to choke the man out but if he can cut some of the air off, he hopes the soldier will become more docile.

while he's doing that, he starts shoving him over towards the group, separating him from the other men as quickly and efficiently as possible. ]

[ Illya is quick and efficient in grabbing the soldier and forcing him in their direction, out of anyone's view. It's late and most of the people who live in this neighborhood are in their homes, assuming they have access to them -- and if not, they're in relief centers. Even so, Jack knows they need to be careful not to be seen, especially when the nature of what they're doing is conspicuous.

So far Illya seems to be restraining the soldier successfully, but Jack doesn't know how long that will last or when his power might give out. So he steps forward, sandwiching the soldier between them as he reaches under Illya's arm to grab their kidnappee by the throat. ]

This is gonna be easier if he's unconscious.

[ Just say the word and he can give the soldier a powerful strike to the head, which should be at least enough to keep him down for a few minutes. ]

[ one of the many things that illya's been trying to get better at since his arrival in new amsterdam is asking for help. he's always been the type to work alone, not wanting anyone to get in his way or interfere.

but, it would be absolutely impossible to do things on his own in a city like this, surrounded by people that cared.

so, asking for help. or, in this case, accepting it, at least. ]

Do it.

[ illya tightens his hold on the soldier, clenching hard enough that the man actually gasps and illya will not deny that he gets some sort of perverse pleasure out of that.

he nods at jack and holds tight, prepared to hold dead weight in his arms. ]

[ With the helmet still on, doing any real damage isn't going to be possible, and so 76 doesn't hesitate to shift his hands up so that he can pry the headgear off and toss it aside. He figures they're probably going to collect the whole set to look at more closely later, but there are other people in their group to gather the pieces.

His job is making sure that the soldier stays restrained until they can get him into the car, along with Illya.

It's strange to see the man's face now that he's unmasked, but 76 is able to blank out that thought and take action. He starts with a hard punch to the face, which sends the soldier's head snapping back, likely to collide with Illya's face if he isn't ready.

When that doesn't immediately take him down, 76 follows up another strike, the squelching crack of bone against muscle enough to knock the soldier out this time.

He turns almost instantly to Daisy, gesturing her forward. ] Now.

[ she could reply, but there's no point. action is plenty here; with so much going on, she's already three steps forward by the time she hears what jack has to say.

now is the time to pull apart the armor. her free hand lifts, her own ability on full display as she yanks piece after piece off. they clatter to the ground like the lids of garbage cans, tossed aside for someone else to pick up. poe, perhaps. she isn't sure, but that's not her focus; right now, the intention is to dismantle and disrobe, to expose a sensitive space big enough for impact.

once there's room, daisy pulls the quarterstaff from her hip; with a practiced sweep of one arm, it expands, the end sparking a blue glow that matches the light from her chest beginning to illuminate the space around her. it'd be pretty, if she wasn't immediately thrusting it forward, into the space left behind in the armor's wake, electric current running through the staff and into the now-unconscious flesh of the soldier.

only once she's satisfied with the twitching does daisy retract the weapon, stepping back to give illya and 76 a clear path towards the waiting vehicle. ]

It won't hold, but a shock like that should at least temporarily disable the implant long enough to transport.

It doesn't have to hold forever.

[ hopefully it will be enough. he doesn't waste much time in trying to drag the mostly limp soldier over to the vehicle with 76's help. he's never been quite sure what to think of the ability he's been given but, right now, he can be grateful for it since it means that he doesn't struggle especially with someone like 76 helping.

the door's already open so illya wastes no time in tossing the front part of his body in while leaving the final push to 76. ]

[ everyone else: fighting soldier, tasering a guard, struggling.
poe: waiting in the getaway car, getting his cave route ready on his mental google maps, getting his adrenaline up. thriving.

anyway, as soon as 76 and ilya approach and start shoving the soldier in, he cranes his neck back to watch the process. ]

That it? Who's riding with our buddy? I don't want him waking up back there.

[ It's about this time that Rey's energy runs out. She can't keep holding them forever. So while two split off to chase down after Illya and their missing partner, one of them splits off after Rey who'd been spotted near them and who'd stayed behind, probably under the assumption that she had some kind of tech weapon that did the freezing.

She starts climbing the fire escape and books it straight outta this thread. Enjoy your ticking clock. ]

[ The entire operation plays out as smoothly as it can, but 76 realizes that they're all going to need to book it out of here one way or another to not get caught by the other soldiers, and that means moving as quickly as possible.

He shoves the bottom half of the unconscious soldier into the backseat, then steps away, nodding to Illya. ]

You ride with him. I can escape on foot.

[ He's not sure what any of the other people are doing as far as getaways, but that also isn't his problem. He's going to assume they figured out their own extraction routes to ensure that no one actually gets themselves caught.

So with his part of the job done, he turns from the car and races away from the scene of the crime on foot, moving faster than any man his age should probably be able to. ]

[ it's done. or, more correctly, his part of things is done. he does want to make sure that this man gets to where he's going to go so he nods at 76 and then gestures to daisy to follow him into this car.

once they're at the location and he sees the man in safe hands, they will leave and head back to the city to do whatever else is needed.

they both slip into the vehicle and wait for the driver to get them out of here quickly but quietly. ]

[ poe is not going to waste any time after they take that five seconds to sort things out. as soon as daisy and ilya are in, poe offers a helpful ]

Buckle up.

[ because he is about to SLAM THE PEDAL like they're in the fast and the furious. caves and safe driving wait for no one! ]

[ when he arrives, it is earlier than the rest. it is earlier than the others, those who are assigned to this delicate and indelicate task, in preparation in part for what must be done. in part. in part, because he hopes as much as he would, he would keep to his promises. he would keep to them, as best as he could.

(but, he knows. lan wangji knows, how much more he too would have liked to have been with those who needed him— those who could have used both their hands in different ways. no matter how bruised, how quickly they would be made mess of, lan wangji knows it to be what he too would have wanted. lan wangji knows, because he knows this of himself. and wei wuxian, wei wuxian knows this too of him.)

perhaps it is minutes or perhaps it is more. lan wangji does not keep track. he does not, because he waited before. he has waited, like this, once in the darkness. he had waited, wei wuxian's head rested in his lap. he had waited, that song hummed beneath his breath.

he had waited, in his own quiet, for the turn of thirteen years.

and he would have kept waiting, just like this, if it were not for the shortened spill of dark hair. he would have kept waiting, his heart a dull ache set within his chest, if it was not for that voice.

he would have.

lan wangji, for his part, does not think as he comes into the seclusion of the cave. somehow, already pulled to him, lan wangji's hand trips down the length of his arm to take hold of his wrist. lan wangji wants nothing more than to encircle him, than to hold him tight within his arms, but lan wangji knows only this. he knows only how to ask, without asking. he knows only how to toe against what he needs. he— ]

Wei Ying, [ he breathes out, thin and soft and tight. his dark brows knit, his pale eyes flitting across all that wei wuxian is. as if confirming, as if disbelieving, as if nothing more than the break of desperation floods beneath the skin.

for a moment, what they've been set to do means nothing in particular to him. what does is wei wuxian, his wei ying— what matters is that to see him brings a tangle of concern and affection and relief bone-deep that lan wangji's fingers tremble with the force of it. he hoped, he hoped—

he's okay. he's okay. he's here. ]

Edited 2019-06-26 00:41 (UTC)

[ he's yet to find jiang cheng, among the mess. running into the other displaced, hearing from them whether the messages are intended for him or not - it all leads to soothe him, little by little. to know that his countrymen were safe as well, each in their own way, by the messages that came to him - gradually: desperately, angrily - and to know that, regardless of all that conspires to separate them, he'll find lan wangji here. ]

There you are, [ he says, ] I just missed you at the garages, I guess.

[ he's sorry for it, to make him worry like this. whether lan wangji says not to be or not, he is.

the tangle of emotion that slips through, between them, is enough to cause his own brows to knit. to draw the other in with the tug of his hand on his sleeve, his shirt collar, leading him down into a soft embrace - guiding lan wangji's face to his shoulder for a long, pensive moment. one hand settles up between his shoulderblades, firm and resolved. ]

I scared you again, didn't I? It's okay, we're back together now.

[ there you are.

in the end, it is not a concern of capability. it is not a concern of surety. instead, it is this: it is the fact that wei wuxian once met him in a world like this, in a chaos much like this, his skin greyed beneath illness and ash. wei wuxian had met him, gaunt and silent. sleepless. he had met lan wangji, but perhaps it is truest to say that lan wangji met him. he met what remained of the wei wuxian who teased him, who lan wangji long fell in love with. and so, to see the one who sees lan wangji, the one who looks tired, but clear of eye—

he's drawn down to him, before he has word or thought of it. lan wangji is drawn to him, as he has always been drawn to him, wei wuxian's fingers curled within his collar and his hand holding lan wangji there with all the firmness that wei wuxian dares.

and yet, lan wangji shakes his head. it is not a dismissal of what wei wuxian says, but rather a dismissal of the apology that skims beneath the skin. it is a dismissal of his own voice, the words won't come to sit across his tongue. instead, it is his hands, now steady, that weave the sentiment back to him — back to wei ying. you are here, I am here. and then, that too, goes quiet. it goes quiet and still and absent as one palm finds its way to the cut of wei wuxian's waist. it goes silent, as the other skims up along wei wuxian's arm. it catches, for a moment, along the ball of wei wuxian's shoulder, but lan wangji's palm (rough and warm and calloused) draws wei wuxian closer to him. in the end, it too finds the space between wei wuxian's own shoulder blades. it is grounding, as much as it is assuring.

I am here.

and still, it takes a moment. caught as he is, brought as he is to dip to wei wuxian's shoulder. wei wuxian holds him as though he would a discomforted child. he holds lan wangji, in all the ways he wants to be held — in all the ways that lan wangji wants to hold him. and here, his heart is a rabbit-quick thing. it beats like this about him always, but lan wangji knows what it is to have this bruise. he knows it, as he knows the bruises brought on by others. he knows it, as he knows he will have to lift his head. soon, he thinks, but not now. ]

You are injured, [ he says, after a time. minor as it, lan wangji still notes it. his hands do not stray from wei wuxian, but he turns his head against his shoulder. like this, cheek pressed against the curve, he can smell the heat of the outside against wei wuxian's skin. he can smell the ash. and yet, wei wuxian's pulse hums so close to him. it hums, strong and steady and alive. it is not thin, as it once was. it is not so silent that lan wangji must skim his fingers along the column of wei wuxian's throat to find it. no, here he can nearly taste it as he opens his mouth. he can nearly breathe in its rhythm, his voice a lower rumble as it finds it way up to his lips. ]

Yes, but I'm okay for now.

[ promise, his sentiments urge. he'll be well enough, to be able to focus on the daunting task at hand. the assistance he'd promised people he hardly knew, for information they needed - for the betterment of them all? he was here to deliver on that promise, and would be better able to - because lan wangji was there as well, stalwart and comfortable in his presence. he pats the angle of lan wangji's neck, soothingly, because he feels the way that the man grasps at him and holds him fast. ( he was scared, he was worried. he never seems to call "wei ying" without sounding so upset by it, and it makes wei wuxian feel bad. ) ]

Besides, we practiced for this. I don't want to disappoint you, you put sooooo much hard work into me.

[ he says it with a breathless quality, words skimming lan wangji's ear. purposeful. the way one dips their toes into crystalline waters to gauge temperature, to gauge whether that which comes to nibble upon them are carp or something dangerous. he wants lan wangji to be soothed, to be settled. for them both to fall into that familiar and comfortable pattern of seamlessness. they work well together, they've investigated before. this is one more situation where their natural inclination to align will work out, for them and for everyone. ]

Are you ready for this? Do you want to go over our approach one last time?

[ promise.

it comes in slow strokes, the weight of a palm against the curve of his throat. it comes like his promises do to wei wuxian, the reassurances that he is here— that he has always been here. no matter his bluster in his youth, lan wangji had always found himself as though the moon pulled into his ceaseless orbit. a pale thing, lan wangji had long been warmed by his insistence and persistence. he had long been scorched by the fingers that once and still reach out for him, that touch him and recognize him, that mark him as a man like the long rays of brand.

here, wei wuxian's assurances seep into the flesh. lan wangji holds them, though he'd always known them. wei wuxian is one he trusts innately. he is one lan wangji works in tandem with. as natural as all things, as simple as others— he understands and realizes, adapts and shifts. wei wuxian need only give him glances, need only ask him simple questions. and as they would so often, they would settle side-by-side. side-by-side, for the good of this place and the good of all places. side-by-side, for the good of people they have never met. and yet, lan wangji holds too in his hands what he wants most to protect. what he wants most to—

wei wuxian's words brush against him. close, close enough to feel the shape of. they come soft and teasing and in all ways suggestive and his heart lurches. his skin burns. and he knows it to be already caught against the pale shells of his ears, caught regardless of what surrounds them. and it is only with his restraint, inborn and retrained, that he does not— does not...

it is not difficult, to feel the way his pulse stutters. as though the mantis to the insect, who does not know there is a wren. he wonders, which is he in this moment. he wonders who wei wuxian believes he is. and beneath the soft springs of his relief, the soft swells of all his fondness, there too is something that unfurls beneath wei wuxian's touch. there too is something that has teeth and mouth and claws, something that comes hungrier and comes languid, comes starved. it watches, but is pulled. it is pulled back, beneath the thread of some odd guilt, the moment lan wangji lifts his head. the moment he realizes that even though his face may not display it, that the heat of it all has traveled too along his cheekbones, brushed along his throat.

within the dim of the cave, it is difficult to say if it is only the wan light that makes lan wangji's pale eyes so dark. and yet, the intensity of that look grazes, as if he cannot rest it entirely upon wei wuxian. and he cannot, because— (how much more of this, will he be able to take?) ]

You will not disappoint, [ he says, settled and serious and earnest. sure, as he is always sure, in the devotion that he places within wei wuxian's hands should he only want it. and for a moment, his fingers flinch against wei wuxian's back, against the dip of his waist.

and then, they leave. they leave to curve one against his shoulder and one to poise between them, lan wangji's long fingers curled within the material of his sleeve. it questions: come here? but, the words shape themselves differently. they come no less certain, as his heart quiets against his ribs and his eyes are able to take wei wuxian in and the pause between is filled. ]

If you wish to. [ but, his eyes flit to the blood that touches beneath wei wuxian's nose, the dirt and the ash that paints him as they had once painted him back then. when they flit back up again, the dark of his brows pinch only slightly in consideration, in a mutual need to soothe. ] I am ready.

[ lan wangji is a patient man.

he is as patient as he is quiet, though he says much by the way of his eyes and the way he presents himself within the spaces he's given. as they wait for the captive to be delivered, lan wangji stations comfortably beside wei wuxian, though he follows the line of wei wuxian's idle chatter as though caught within its current. occasionally, he nods or adds little comments. more often, he instead seems only compelled to keep wei wuxian within his line of vision, as if he were to look away, wei wuxian would disappear from them.

even still, lan wangji is aware as much as they are that their window is slim. it would be best, to make use of the time they have remaining to orient a plan of action. as such, within a lull, his voice comes low and steady. ]

Have you received further questions? [ "you" encompasses them all, it seems. he has what have been offered thus far, pulled up to the side in his own vision. he has taken diligent notes, as he most often does, concise and to the point. his pale eyes touch once upon them all, before settling back on wei wuxian again as though they had not left him. ]

No.

[ there's an odd kind of pull in being fit for this task. on the one hand, it's not a pleasant task to undertake. others are in the process of taking down a soldier who will surrender with no easy fight, who will be brought here for interrogation. the interrogation itself will be the least vicious part judging by the company he finds himself in and the skills they each have, but there's no telling yet what they'll have to do with their captive in the long run.

on the other hand, he's uniquely useful now in a way he hasn't felt uniquely useful in a long time. to be both glad to do something and uneasy in the moral standing of what it is that needs doing is a tentative ground to stand on.

the uncertainty only goes so far. the specifics of how they need to proceed are a lot more straightforward. ]

We'll stick to what we have so far. Once the two of you are with him, I'll stay out of sight and keep track of what the questions bring to his mind. Any pertinent information or potential alternate lines of questioning I'll feed back to you via the network and we can adjust the approach organically from there.

[ there's no room for hesitation now: decision made, it's time to follow through. Though best to check - ]

Are you comfortable with that?

[ they're going to need to be ready to improvise. ]

You're both so serious! Being "comfortable" about any of this has no bearing on our ability to get it done.

[ said, with the airs of a man used to getting his own hands very, very dirty. he's spent his time arranging bindings in their holding place and warming up, the dark, pretty length of bamboo that serves as his deadly instrument already thrumming and ready to do its work. he gives it a customary spin, red tassel swaying through the air as he does so.

this job is something he volunteered for, without knowing any of the other Displaced outside of their user names. ]

That being said, I do think it'd be best if you stayed out of view and kept your hands clean of this, in a manner of speaking. Even if he manages to get loose, we can't risk your position. Hanguang-jun and I are combat capable, so you needn't worry if the worst comes to pass.

[ the window between capture and delivery is growing slimmer, they'll have to brace themselves for it. ]

[ there is a weak reprove in the look he casts wei wuxian, almost as though it is an effort more token than meant. he knows how wei wuxian is. it is evident in the way that look so soon resolves. ]

Mn, [ he hums. it is an affirmative, as it most often is. it is an answer to his readiness, but too a confirmation to what it is wei wuxian suggests. hanguang-jun has agreed to help of his own accord, to assist who they might. moral and upright as he is, there is necessity at times to weaves between the lines. but, this too is not what he would prefer. this too is not how he would typically dispatch others. and yet, it is even lan wangji who has dirtied his palms in the eyes of them all. and yet, he had still regained his substance.

and so, to save those who have been taken⁠— to rescue those who had been held against their wills, to do the least damage that one could was a reasonable path. for, in the end, hanguang-jun was not a cruel man. he has never been. ]

You must all be careful, [ he says, his expression solemn as it is still. but still, his eyes flicker. they shift again between the two. wei wuxian, he knows, he may keep watch of. and so, when he concludes, his gaze queries more of the other man alongside them. ] Should you tire, make us aware. [ in one motion, he adjusts the sleeves of the shirt he wears and settles his hands, neat, at his sides again. ] Do not do more than you can.

[ a faint, wry smile at the polite instruction not to misbehave in over-extending himself. they're an interesting pair, two very different personalities with clear history. as teamwork goes, that's a promising foundation. ]

My ability doesn't take it out of me. The two of you have the more difficult job here, so the same applies. [ though, with the assertion of their combat readiness still in mind, it bears asking - ] Have you encountered the UNA in combat before?

[ he's been so focused on his own endeavours recently that he's lost track of new arrivals, of charting who landed in which - to use an unkind but apt word - batch. do these men understand exactly what they're up against here? they must do, to have got all the way here, but the suggestion that he should stay clear if the soldier gets loose speaks to an underestimation that might prove dangerous.

playing hero will do more harm than good here. ]

Edited (TWENTY EDITS) 2019-06-30 17:55 (UTC)

Mine hasn't either! I can play forever and ever.

[ hours, upon hours; he's proven it before. lan wangji ought to know better, while their extended powers have been stripped from them, the results of years upon years of training have remained. the strength, the agility, the stamina are still theirs, still useful and functional and it has allowed him the leisure with which he's gone and addressed strange. has he ever encountered an UNA soldier? well, no. that much is obvious in the way his eyebrows knit and his expression scrunches. no, no.

he pats lan wangji's arm reassuringly, but to strange he says: ]

Nope. But, we've worked together before to put an end to the the Tortoise of Slaughter. If the soldiers are anything like that, it'll be fine. Once we secure him, I'll start playing to make him more pliable and calm - as best as I can, hopefully lead him into feeling more agreeable to answering our questions. Lan Zhan will make sure he's answering truthfully!

[ there's no matching wry grin to answer, but the cool of his demeanor does not match the acceptance that touches at the corners of his eyes. it is a small movement, more in the way of the minute softening of his brows— the imperceptible tip of his chin. he knows wei wuxian's abilities, but he does not yet know the other man's. to use a broader directive was to allow room to be polite, allow room to save face. it applies to him too. and still, lan wangji's attention shifts to wei wuxian as he pats his arm.

and for a moment, something seems to soften further at the corners of his lips as wei wuxian speaks about their exploits plainly. there is no upward twitch, but there is a marked gentleness, a secreted kind of pride in the way lan wangji allows him. the pale color of his eyes seems to flicker with the warmth of it. ]

You will do it, [ he says, no hint of hesitation in the assurance. it comes just the same as his other sentiments thus far: even and low, controlled. and still, his attention moves to strange in the next moment. ]

Mine has not, [ he says, of his power that is. he takes a beat, considering how to phrase the next portion of his statement. ] We have worked well together for some time now.

[ it's a means of agreement to what wei wuxian says and an assurance for strange too, it would seem. lan wangji doesn't underestimate or overlook much anymore. and in circumstances where the odds are stacked too high, he knows how to think on his feet as well as wei wuxian does. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

operation lost boys; aka let's catch a soldier - locked

ABDUCTION (cw: suicide mention)

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( CAVES: closed to wwx. )

jesUS lwj????

look, the last time this happened, they were in anOTHER CAVE

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( CAVES: catch-all. )

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finally dw is letting me tag properly

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