And if their Heaven ain't got a vacancy

[goodluckkobra]

Who: Kobra Kid and OPEN
When: Throughout May
Where: Battery City and the surrounding desert Zones
What: Running, mostly
Warnings: potential for violence or references to drug use, but they can be easily avoided if you'd prefer I gloss over those details.


Battery City
The City is clean, almost devoid of personality, and Kobra jolts at the sudden sight of it. This is where he'd died and he remembers it so clearly. It takes him a moment to get with the program, but then he does start to look around frantically for anyone who might notice them and tell someone.

The only human form he can see on this block is a worn and weary pleasure droid and he's not too worried about him. He's likely got his own troubles to contend with and he doesn't seem to take much note of two strangers. Kobra's thankful for once that he's forced to dress in a more subdued manner on the ship than he's accustomed to here.

Of course, once he turns around, he comes face to face with a three foot tall rendering of his face on a wanted poster. It's right next to Party's and Ghoul's and Jet's.

"Should probably get ourselves outta here real quick..."

Zone 3
They're in the desert. That could be good or bad. There's no telling what zone they're in, but at least he knows they can't see the city from here.

He huffs out a tired breath and pulls his bandanna up over his nose.

"Let's start moving."

It only takes a few steps in the sand before he's tilting his head at a rock formation that can't be more than a mile out. He stays stock still, squinting into the hear.

"Huh. Might actually have an idea where we are."

With that, he turns a full 180 and starts back in the direct opposite direction he'd been about to walk in.

"If I'm right, shouldn't be more than an hour to food and shade." And home. They're not far from the Diner.

Wildcard
(Take Kobra to your character's homeworld or hit me up and we can combine the two! I can also write more specific starters.)

Comments

Battery City

[ersatzeverything]

Deacon looks at the wanted poster for a few seconds then wordlessly takes off his pompadour wig and holds it out to Kobra. Having enemies that are organized and stuff sucks.

"Not arguing with you there. So, where's the exit? And, uh, how many guards-slash-automated turrets-slash-security robots are going to be watching it?"

[goodluckkobra]

The wig gets a quick smirk, but no argument as Kobra takes it and tucks his greasy blond hair up and under it. Even with the posters, people don't really know his face all that well. This might actually work. He and Party have never really made an effort to blend in or sneak around, but now it seems like it might actually be worth forgoing a statement if he can find some information about his brother.

"Exit isn't too far. Maybe half a mile, but there will be guards and they'll be armed. Shouldn't give you much trouble leaving, but it's gonna be hard to get me out."

[ersatzeverything]

"Yeah, but leaving you behind to make my escape would be kind of an asshole thing to do so we'd better figure out a way to get you out, too."

Hopefully in a way that avoiding fighting, but if it comes to that he's got his sniper rifle and laser pistol ready.

"Any other ways out? You know, convenient located sewers or something? Vertibirds we can steal? Or maybe just a really really tall ladder?"

[goodluckkobra]

Kobra stops for a moment to think about that. "Never tried sewers before. Thinkin' there was a reason for that, but I wasn't really the plan-maker."

No, he'd been the one they pointed at problems that he could solve. Kobra has skills, but plan-making's never been in his wheelhouse. If the ship had had him missing his brother, it's almost like Kobra's missing a limb now that he's back here without Party.

Then he shrugs. "Let's find out why we never used the sewers before." They'll have to get closer to the edge of the city to be sure that they'll get out, but that won't be hard. Security shouldn't be tight until they get to the exit and it's not like anyone's looking for a Killjoy in Battery City right now, right?

With a nod, he starts to walk down the street, sticking close to the building's smooth and cold walls.

[ersatzeverything]

"Let's hope that it's just, like, radroaches and ferals down there, and not a giant mutant crocodile or something."

That no one ever used the sewers before isn't filling him with confidence about this plan. But they know the guards are trouble, whereas maybe, just maybe, the sewers will be totally fine, perfectly safe, no problems at all.

...

Yeah, right, he thinks to himself. Still, it's the best plan they have right now. He follows Kobra silently down the street.

[goodluckkobra]

"Ain't nothin' like that that I know of." Most of the animals hadn't survived all the attacks, anyway. He'd be shocked to find anything larger than a dog anywhere around here that wasn't bred for food.

He starts to lead them closer to the edge of the city, figuring maybe halfway there, they can find a manhole cover to pry up. He's got a feeling that there's some kind of security precautions down there, but he can't imagine they're better than the ones above ground and it's not like Kobra can't handle a little fire fight in a gross, dark place.

"Probably have some roaches, though, or somethin' like 'em."

[ersatzeverything]

"Roaches I can handle. That'll just give us dinner for later. Gross diner, but hey, beggars...choosers...yeah."

Assuming the roaches are two feet long, like the ones he's used to. Plenty of (awful) meat on them.

"So, why are you a wanted man? Too many parking tickets? Jaywalking with malice aforethought? Slept with the mayor's wife?"

[goodluckkobra]

He looks at Deacon like he's insane, probably because he's lived on dog food for years and even he won't eat bugs.

"'S complicated." He shrugs as he spots a convenient manhole cover and gets to work prying it up. "Broke some laws that took away our freedoms. They weren't right. Then we had to start fightin' back 'cause no one else could."

The heavy metal pops up and he slides it over carefully. "You go first. I gotta close it behind us."

[ersatzeverything]

"You're just planning to have the giant crocodile eat me first, then walk right on by while he's having his after dinner nap." He teases and grabs a hold of the edge of the manhole and drops into the sewer without hesitation.

"Wow, I think my nose is going to go on strike for forcing it to labor in unsanitary work conditions," he calls up from the sewer.

[goodluckkobra]

Kobra climbs down after him, sliding the cover closed and the street's as if they'd never been there at all. Of course with all the cameras around Bat City, Kobra's not naive enough to think that no one's noticed them.

"Yeah kinda smells like my brother's armpit down here." Once he's settled on the damp floor of the sewer, he pulls out his red ray gun and waits for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. "How good's your night vision?"

[ersatzeverything]

"Remind me not to stick my nose in your brother's pit. 'Cause, you know, I might forget otherwise."

Deacon draws his laser pistol, purple and blue and covers in sequins thanks to the Girl's decorating skills.

"It's good enough that I never take off my sunglasses."

[goodluckkobra]

"Good, 'cause mine's shit." It's been getting better since he's been on the Moira and that's just one of many signs that he was maybe suffering from some malnutrition. Who would have guessed that canned dog food wasn't that great for people?

He catches the glitz of the gun and smiles. "Like what you're packin'"

That he's looking at the gun and not Deacon's dick is basically the only indication that that isn't a come on.

[ersatzeverything]

"Yeah, I get that a lot. Oh, you mean the pistol!" he pretends to misunderstand.

"It was the kid's idea. She's yours, yeah? She's great."

It isn't practical for his spying work, not exactly inconspicuous, but he loves this laser gun now. It's got personality that it didn't have before.

[goodluckkobra]

"Yeah." The question surprises him a little, but there's something pleasant in knowing that people know they're family. He takes his responsibilities with her very serious--doubly so now that he's the only one left.

"She's got a good eye for stuff." he smiles in the dark. "Should let her do up something of mine."

As they plod on in the damp dark, they come up to a locked grate that blocks any human passage in or out. There's a door in it, but it's locked with a thick chain.

[ersatzeverything]

"You raised her up good." By Deacon's post-apocalyptic standards. The Killjoys didn't sell her into slavery, she's not doing drugs or being groomed to murder innocents to loot their bodies, and she's still alive. A+ parenting.

When they reach the end of the passageway, Deacon looks at the door, the chain.

"How are your lock picking skills?"

[goodluckkobra]

Even in the dark, Kobra's beaming a little at the compliment. All four of the Killjoys had contributed to doing their best to keep her as safe and happy as their lives had allowed. He knows they're all proud of her.

"Uhh..." He glances at the chain and then up to where he's definitely just spotted a little surveillance camera pointed right at them above the door. "Alright enough for this."

His ray gun fires once at the chain and then up at the camera without missing a beat. The chain clangs to the ground and the camera sparks.

"Better keep moving. They'll be onto us soon enough."

[ersatzeverything]

"That works." He bounces on the balls of his feet, eager to get going, get somewhere safe. "So, how closely do you think they watch the footage on that camera?"

[goodluckkobra]

"No idea, but I've been caught on dumber cameras in the middle of nowhere." He pulls the gate open and the creaking echos. "Might have some kinda motion sensor, too."

So in other words, he's pretty sure they were on candid camera, but he's not going to worry until the men in white are on top of them.

"Thinkin' it means we're almost out. Gotta dump out somewhere soon." Even though it's damp, the further they move, the less actual water there is. That's how he can tell that they're leaving the city. There probably isn't a dump-out, because they wouldn't have water to spare for that, but he thinks it'll still be built like that. It's got to lead somewhere or they wouldn't bother locking it.