The Ironwood Rave: Ollie Ollie

Serena looked towards the stage, where Olin and Cyd were practically wearing the same pants, and in the opposite direction, Mathias was being swarmed by people who wanted to keep the party going. She didn’t want to get either in trouble! Cyd warned her of what happens if you get caught selling drugs. Looking around in more of a panic, she couldn’t see Cain, but Mal was making his way through a mosh pit that had just broken out. Her heart thumping with fear, she took off towards the exit. There were plenty of places to hide, she just had to get to them.

Mal was getting shoved, and he started shoving back, trying to keep his eye on the girl in pigtails, which wasn’t easy, because every girl seemed to be in pigtails. The music was loud, and strobe lights made everyone look like they were in slow motion. “I lost her,” he said into the mic.

“Do you know how many girl's with pigtails there are here?!” Cain complained over comms. “Oh wait I - nevermind.”

Dogo stalked closer to the panic girl as she was hurriedly about to move past him. He snatched her up like a fish in the water when he suddenly felt a hand cover his mouth and nose and was slammed against a wall, his head bouncing as he slid down to the ground.

Vas kicked him in the ribs for good measure. “Asshole.” He snarled, a foot on his neck as he wondered if the other two were going to make an appearance or not.

“Dogo, eyes on?” Mal called. “Dogo, again, eyes on?”

Dogo's eye blurred a bit from the pressure on his neck as he tried to make any sound but that came out was him desperately trying to get a breath in. The guy who ambushed him had put him down hard, now in a vulnerable position with our being able to breath he could even recover to try and fight out of the position he was in. Hell it was hard to even think straight, feeling the weight of the boot on his neck press down when he started to struggle.

Serena ran towards an alley, looking over her shoulder for signs of being followed, stopping only when she tripped over a trash bag sending her splaying to the ground. Mal escaped the mosh pit, looking both ways when he saw the girl pick herself up and start to dash off. “Cain, Dogo, heading West, heading towards the Metro.”

“Copy!” Cain said running to intercept. Only to be coldcocked as he turned the corner. Cain sat nothing but stars and duckling and he threw his ass over a tea kettle into a dumpster.

Vas kept moving to catch up. He was confident Serena could out maneuver whoever the last jackass who in their infinite wisdom thought it smart to send her running like that. She had the home field advantage.

Mal whistled twice for his brothers and got nothing in return. “Where’s my backup?” He called into the radio.

Serena took another sharp turn in an alley, and squeezed herself in the small opening between a gate and it’s chain lock, losing a shoe in the process.

Mal turned down the Alley, punched the gate, but picked up the discarded sneaker. “I just want to talk, kid!” He called, turning to take the long way around.

Vas charged in from the side, like a ghost, and slammed into Mal shoulder first.

Before he could even ask “the fuck” Mal felt like he was hit by a train. He hit the pavement hard, doing what he could to protect his head, while his brain frantically tried to catch up with what was happening. “Who the fuck are you?” He demanded.

“Your fairly fucking god mother. Now gimi the shoe.” Vas said tartly.

“Sure,” Mal said, holding it out, then swinging with his other hand, hoping to sucker punch the man. “BACK UP, I NEED BACK UP,” he called.

The sucker punch staggered Vas when he had reached for the shoe. Okay he had gotten a little cocky but honestly he was more pissed about his sunglasses falling off the getting sucker punched. Serena got him those! What if this asshole scratched them. Vas snarled, his eyes narrow and swung to backhand Mal. “Why you have go and be a colossal dick about it?”

All Mal got over the comms was silence.

Mal held up an arm to block the backhand. “What the fuck are you? Mal asked, straightening his own glasses for a better image. The man was average height and slightly baby face, offset by the mohawk atop his head. But his choice in haircuts wasn’t what had Mal staring. It was his eyes. Black Sclera offset by blue eyes, he’d never seen cosmetics like that. “You an AC17?” He asked.

“Naw brahv. I'm o’ natural. Drop the shoe and run along somewhere not here and if I see you or any one from your unit I do more then stuff ‘em headfirst in the garbage. Be smart. Drop the shoe and run.” Vas said in a cold calm voice as he scoop up his sunglasses.

“Look, I just want to ask the kid a couple of questions,” Mal explained.

“No.” Vas said settling the glasses back on his nose.

“Who the fuck are you?” Mal said again. “And how do you know the kid?”

“Nunya.” Vas said. He had learned it from Serena and found it hilarious.

Mal scowled, glaring at the man. “Really?” He asked, “Look two questions and then I’m done, no more after that.”

“Bitch I owe you nothing. Look I'm being more than generous not flattening your ass but I figure one of you has to stay conscious long enough for the lesson to sink in. So just let me know if you are going to be ass about it.” Vas would have loved to crack his knuckles or something for emphasis but his bone actually didn't do that. At all. He tried.

Mal tossed him the shoe. “Go fuck yourself with it,” he told the man.

“See? Was that so hard? I can be reasoned with.” Vas said. “Stay away from the raves. Stay away from the girl. I catch you around here again, I'm sending your boys home in pieces instead. Save you for last, so you can watch. Verstaan?” The last word slipped out, he didn't know where that came from but he didn't let his face show it. He stayed focused, eyes watching the man who chased Serena, waiting for him to make the wrong move.

Mal tilted his head, eyeing the man over not for intimidation, but for imaging. He had to show up in a database somewhere, and he was definitely some sort of Anom. Mal wasn’t sure what his powerset was, but he knew when to cut his loses. “Heard.” He replied, resting his hands on his hips. “As long as you can be reasoned with.”

Vas leaned forward a bit. “Then run along pup.” He said tone low and impatient.

Mal eyed the tag around the man’s neck which dangled when he leaned forward. “You got it bruh,” he said, backing away to find his brothers.

Vas glared behind his sunglasses watching Mal retreat, relaxing a bit when he was out of sight. He let out a huff and shook his head looking at the shoe and ambled to the gate where Serena had slipped through. “Ollie ollie oxen free.” Vas called loudly leaning against the gate.