3rd Fight

[soulless_soldier]

[Barton is treated to her first regain today: in the mail a long box arrives with her name on it. She wasn't thinking of opening her regains, since Mayfield has the opportunity to return some pretty nasty things to her. She knows what this is as soon as she looks at it though. Housemates are free to find her opening the box at the kitchen table. Inside is her trusty hatchet. Barton is a fairly level and monotone girl, but she seems quite pleased with her old weapon back in her hand.

She'll celebrate with her first phone call!

Filtered from drones/NPCs:]

Hey, girlie. The one who decided to murder me in the street?

This ain't over.

[She almost hangs up, then adds as a quick afterthought (and maybe just a hint of a threat):]

Anyone know where I can get a blade sharpened? Asshole drone clerks always chase me out of the hardware store.

--

[Dying doesn't disturb Barton. She's died plenty of times, only to get back up seconds later - it's about the only good side effect of having no soul. What disturbs her is that someone got the jump on her and overpowered her. She's without any powers or protection in Mayfield, and has no allies yet. Not that she relies on anyone but herself anyway.

Today, a small teenager girl will be practicing fighting in the park, using a poor, defenseless tree as a target. She may be small, but she's fierce, and the hatchet is tearing that thing apart.

Occasionally she stops to catch her breath and grab a drink, if you feel like approaching.]

Comments

[notsaul.livejournal.com]

The fuck has that tree ever done to you?

[ANNIE GOLDSTEIN: VALIANT PROTECTOR OF TREE-KIND]

[nosoul-nomind.livejournal.com]

[Looks at the tree

Looks at Annie incredulously]

It's just a tree. I need something to practice on. Mayfield will fix it, right?

[notsaul.livejournal.com]

Maybe it will, maybe it won't. Maybe that tree's actually some poor droned bastard. How could we know? We couldn't.

[nosoul-nomind.livejournal.com]

[Raised eyebrow.]

I thought only people were drones.

Then what do you suggest I practice on?

[notsaul.livejournal.com]

-- Aha, I'm just fucking with you, man! Kick that motherfucking tree's ass!

[and she sits down on the grass to watch exactly that]

You're not gonna get much better fighting a tree, though.

[nosoul-nomind.livejournal.com]

[Riiiight.

Sorry, Annie, Barton's sense of humor is damaged. It's too easy to mess with her like that.]

No, but like I said, ain't got much else to practice on. I think that rec center has boxing equipment for when I ain't using a weapon, but I just got this back so I wanna make use of it.

[notsaul.livejournal.com]

Get somebody to practice with, then!

[nosoul-nomind.livejournal.com]

The only other guys I saw with weapons were those guys with the... chainsaw sword things. I ain't ready to fight them yet.

[She knows she will be, eventually. For now, she'll turn back and give a few more skillful hacks at the tree.]

[notsaul.livejournal.com]

There's plenty of people with less... completely ridiculous weapons than that. And then there's people who don't need weapons at all.

[nosoul-nomind.livejournal.com]

I don't need a weapon, I guess. I just like it.

[She looks the hatchet over, picking off some tree bark from the blade.]

[notsaul.livejournal.com]

What are you, and do you wanna fight me?

[tact is for losers]

[nosoul-nomind.livejournal.com]

[Barton lodges the hatchet in the tree, and rubs her calloused hands to get the feeling back in them.]

"What" am I? Completely human thanks to this place. Do I wanna fight? Sure.

[notsaul.livejournal.com]

If you're just human right now, you might want to pick that axe back up.

[nosoul-nomind.livejournal.com]

If you say so. [She takes it back up and readies herself.]

Show me what you are, then.

[notsaul.livejournal.com]

[Have you ever seen a slightly larger than averaged-sized teenage girl turn into a slightly larger than averaged-sized wolf?

It's not a very attractive transformation.

And yet she's just looking at Barton like "YEAH, I KNOW, I'M PRETTY FUCKING COOL." Just with, like, a wolf-face.]

[nosoul-nomind.livejournal.com]

[Barton's seen a lot of things, but this isn't one of them. Raised eyebrows and a few surprised blinks as she watches this is a pretty extreme reaction coming for her.

It doesn't last long though. This will be interesting. How well can she fight without powers to back her up? It's been too long...]

...

Interesting.

[notsaul.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know, I'm pretty fucking cool. [Where is the voice even coming from no one knows] I'll give you the first move, dollface.

[nosoul-nomind.livejournal.com]

[She frowns at being called that. It's a good way to get her to move first. You're big, she's not. She may not be as strong or fast as she used to be, but she's still a crazy good fighter. She doesn't stay still for a second, and she's not afraid to swing that hatchet.]

[notsaul.livejournal.com]

[The hatchet does hit her, but because of the fur it's hard to tell if it's actually done much damage. Annie seems mostly trying to knock her down, using her size advantage more often than tooth and claw.]

[nosoul-nomind.livejournal.com]

[If Barton gets knocked down, she gets right back up, rolling into it. This girl's an expert. She'll aim her swings low, trying to get Annie's legs out from underneath her. If Barton can pin her down, she'll consider it a win.]

Phone

[hangedhourai.livejournal.com]

Oh, and do you think you are somehow special in this regard? I certainly would think that you are not the last person that will want revenge on another member of this town.

[nosoul-nomind.livejournal.com]

[Whoa slow down there missy.]

I never said that. And I know people don't bother stayin' dead here. I just believe in an eye for an eye, especially when I was jumped unarmed.

[hangedhourai.livejournal.com]

And I do as well. I was just wondering why you felt the need to tell everyone of your revenge plot... in fact saying anything at all was a bit unwise, now your murderer is going to hide from you.

[nosoul-nomind.livejournal.com]

I'm aware of that. I'm not an idiot. She can't hide forever; this town ain't that big.

[hangedhourai.livejournal.com]

That is also true. I just prefer to do things more efficiently.

[nosoul-nomind.livejournal.com]

Gotta fill up the time here somehow.

[hangedhourai.livejournal.com]

That is an... interesting way to spend your time.

[nosoul-nomind.livejournal.com]

Any better suggestions?

[hangedhourai.livejournal.com]

Take up a hobby.

[nosoul-nomind.livejournal.com]

[Silly Alice, revenge *is* her hobby!]

Yeah, sure. I'll get right to baking cookies and cleaning the house, since this town thinks that's all I'm capable of.

[hangedhourai.livejournal.com]

Now you are just being sarcastic. *Pot, kettle, black.* Surely you can think of a hobby that you are actually interested in...

[nosoul-nomind.livejournal.com]

I'll figure something out. But I think we're getting away from the point. The one where someone snuck up on me and killed me.

[hangedhourai.livejournal.com]

I thought we already went over that point.

[nosoul-nomind.livejournal.com]

[She sighs, frustrated.] I'll worry about "hobbies" later, is what I'm sayin'.

[hangedhourai.livejournal.com]

You are assuming I am interested in talking more about your revenge. I have my own to plan to be frank.

[strayprincess.livejournal.com]

[Sara approaches, looking worried. Her eyes momentarily settled on the tree before darting back to Barton. She looks worried. She's seen people practice fighting that viciously before, and it's never good.]

Barton-san?

[nosoul-nomind.livejournal.com]

[She stops, wiping the sweat from her face.]

Yeah?

...Wait, what did you call me? [What is this "san" thing, she's never heard it before.]

[seatcushion.livejournal.com]

My my, you were also cut down? Revenge isn't the best idea, but I understand what you mean.

[ He was killed too, after all. It's hard on a manly mafioso's feelings!! ]

[nosoul-nomind.livejournal.com]

Eye of an eye. I don't care if she doesn't stay down. I at least want a fair fight.

[seatcushion.livejournal.com]

That's quite understandable... I hope you find her, then. And I hope she doesn't end up killing you. Again.

[nosoul-nomind.livejournal.com]

There's no way she's getting the jump on me a second time. Not even close.

[seatcushion.livejournal.com]

I hope you're right...