3/29 Instance: Just Pray for Me

[Starfish]

Timeline: After "People are Strange."


Eddie: Finishing a last shot of whiskey, Eddie stood, flexing his fist and stepping away from the kitchen table. He took a deep breath, stepping into the dark corridor leading to the front door of the mansion.

Eddie: 'We will never be able to come back...'

Eddie: "And I'm ready for that.", he said back to the voice in his mind, his own a warped snarl as he made his way to the door. Adjusting the collar of his coat, he took a last breath, looking back down the coridoor one last time.

Cassie: Shadows drifted across what little light filled the hallway, growing longer as they silently rushed towards the exit. A slender figure emerged from the darkness behind the door, slowly taking farm. At first it only revealed Cassandra's eyes, followed by her teeth-baring grin. "Going somewhere," she asked.

Eddie: Blinking as his senses kicked in, Eddie stepped back initially, sighing when he noticed who it was, "Cassandra.", he breathed, "Yeah, I am. See you around.", he tasted the lie in the end of the sentence, bitter as his attitude as he turned away, reaching for the door handle, "Don't follow me."

Cassie: "Oh, poor foolish you," Cassandra replied, leaning in close from behind until her face was close to his ear. "You know you shouldn't have told me this." Smiling at him, she disappeared in a swirl of shadows the next moment, only to wait for him outside in front of the door. "Now I have no choice but to follow you around."

Eddie: "Go. Away.", Eddie stepped straight past her, making his way down the front steps and away from the grounds towards the garage, "I won't repeat myself."

Cassie: "Good, then I won't have to come up with new excuses to do it anyway all the time," she replied, skipping along behind him. "You know, you could have said something that you're visiting. People are becoming wary about people sneaking around like this. You can probably guess why."

Eddie: Stopping, Eddie turned, stepping up to Cassandra and leaning down into her face, "Back off, Cassie...", he warned, "You do NOT want to have this conversation."

Cassie: Cassandra did not flinch, meeting his gaze with her own instead, a faint smirk playing across her lips. She hopes her nervousness didn't show. "Oh, now you're playing hard to get, I see," she replied, slightly cocking her head. "I can't help being intriguing when you're acting all mysterious and gloomy."

Cassie: "Maybe if you told me what you're really up to I grow bored enough to lose interest and leave you alone."

Eddie: "I'm about THIS CLOSE to adding you to the list of people I'm about to KILL.", Eddie grabbed her by the collar, mirthless eyes now filled with a sable rage, "I'm going to kill Kraven. Step. Off."

Cassie: This time she wasn't nearly as successful at keeping a straight face. A hint of fear rushed across her features, but Cassandra quickly masked it with her usual cheeky attitude. "I thought X-Men didn't kill," she replied, her body tensing in his grip. Acting on their own, shadowy tendrils curled around Eddie's hands as he held her coat.

Cassie: "At least that's what I've been told often enough since joining," she added.

Eddie: Eddie's grip tightened, "After this, I won't be one.", he affirmed, "I made my choice...", he glanced down at the shadow tendrils, warping his hands into a writhing black ink and re-forming them out of her grasp and releasing her, "Just leave me.", he turned and started for the garage again.

Cassie: Cassandra did anything but, silently strolling after him. "Well, it's not that I could blame you for disliking the man. We only met once, and he promptly tried to blow me to smithereens on my very first mission." She held up a hand. "Talk about leaving bad first impressions."

Cassie: "Though, unless you hope to end up on his list of prey to catch next, killing him requires to find him first, doesn't it?" She quickened her step to catch up with him.

Eddie: "I know where he is.", Eddie knelt down, throwing the garage cover up and stepping inside, "Report came in - we matched the ID of the van...now I know where to look.", he approached something covered with a large white sheet, "Tell the others if you want, but stay outta my way."

Eddie: Reaching for the sheet, Eddie cast it aside, revealing the jet black motorcycle beneath, "Damn shame...I was saving this for the Summer, too..."

Cassie: "Provided this isn't a trap, of course, which it most likely is, seeing how fond Kraven seems to be of him." Cassandra let an appreciative gaze wander across the motorcycle, before looking back at Eddie. "You shouldn't go alone. Not only for your own safety, but to also keep you save from yourself. Allow us to help."

Eddie: Eddie glanced over his shoulder, eyes as cold as the chrome trim on the motorcycle he ran his hand across, "It might be.", he confessed, sighing, "Can't believe I'm drivin' my baby to a slaughter....", he turned away, taking a deep breath, "It's not your problem."

Cassie: "How can you say that," Cassandra asked, an agitated edge in her voice. "I may not know what Kraven did to you that you hate him with such passion, but I'm sure he deserves such hatred. You're not the only one caught up in his little cat and mouse game, however. So whether any of us wants it or not, he's the problem of all of us now."

Cassie: She stepped up to the sleek, black bike, her violet eyes focused on Eddie's head. "He nearly killed you and the others in that warehouse, where I let him slip away. And I'm sure he has a hand in the disappearance of that poor girl, Samantha, and now... Sebastian, too. And again, I didn't do anything to stop it." Her eyes narrowed. "Don't tell me he's not my problem."

Eddie: "He tortured my best friend, who was left so damaged I can't even see him.", Eddie turned to her again, "I've just found out that Johnny's missing, possibly already DEAD!", he spat, "I will NOT WATCH YOU DIE TOO!",

Cassie: Cassandra blinked, devoid of words for several seconds. Did he care that much about her? She swallowed, stoically meeting his gaze. "You won't," she promised him, managing a small smile. "I've more lives than a black cat, and apparently bring more bad luck than one, too."

Cassie: "And I won't watch you die, either, Eddie Brock, which is why you need to let us help you," she added, taking another step closer. "Even at the risk that it might hurt your lone wolf image somewhat, but you're not alone."

Eddie: Eddie stiffened, frowning a little bit, "...all I ever do is piss people off, what do you care?", he shook his head, "I don't think I'll be missed by many.", he smirked, "Unlike you."

Cassie: "Well, I for one would miss you," Cassandra replied, mirroring his smirk as she reached out to put a hand on his shoulder. "That's got to be worth something, no? I mean, I couldn't imagine what you'd need the other's sympathy for when you've got mine."

Eddie: Opening his mouth, Eddie found no words - much to his surprise - instead, he smiled a little wider, taking a deep breath, "Well, if you're just gonna be a bitch about it(!)", he joked with a sigh, casting a lash of ebony webbing to one side and pulling a customized helmet into his hands, "I'll tell you where I'm going..."

Eddie: He looked down at his reflection in the helmet's visor, frowning a little, "...I don't want you to come with me. Because I can't promise you won't get hurt."

Cassie: "And I won't try to talk you out of going alone, because I know a stubborn, hard-head, macho bad-ass on a mission when I see one." Cassandra smirked at Eddie, and instead reached into her pocket to pull out her phone. "Just enter the address here, so I can let cavalry know where they need to ride, in case you need backup."

Eddie: Taking her phone, Eddie did just that, jotting down the address burned into his mind ever since he'd heard the radio chatter. Once done, he handed her phone back, hand lingering on hers, "You...be careful, alright?", his face became more serious again, right before he leaned closer and kissed her cheek.

Cassie: "Hey, I'm a carnie girl, remember? When do we ever take any unnecessary risk? " Her hand closed around his before she took back her phone and put it back into her pocket, all the while smiling at him. "You watch out too, yes? Who knows if I'll be around to teleport your handsome behind out of danger this time."

Cassie: "See you later... Venom." Cassandra grinned, bowing her head to tip an imaginary hat. Turning to leave, she froze mid-motion, and quickly turned around once more. She crossed the distance between them with a quick step, leaned close, and pressed her lips to his. With an impish smirk on her face, she stood back.

Eddie: Eddie blinked, a blush creeping into his complexion, "...mmn.", he sounded, nodding and placing his helmet over his head, securing it in place as he slid the mirrored visor over his eyes. Without a word, he mounted his motorcycle, keys slipping into the igniton as he fired her up, revving the engine a few times.

Eddie: "Thank you.", he said over the sound of the engine before revving his motorcycle for a final time, releasing the clutch and powering out of the garage. Light flickering on to guide his path, he slipped through the darkness on the grounds, leaving them in moments. The roar of the engine fading into the blackness.

Cassie: Cassandra turned to watch after him as he drove away and vanished in the night. Once he was gone, she reached into her pocket to retrieve the phone, checking the address he had left her. She then looked back at the mansion, most of it lying in darkness already, save for a handful of faint lights inside.

Cassie: Even with the jet to take them, it was obvious that the team wouldn't get ready in time to catch up with Eddie before he made it to his target. She was sure he knew that, too, for better or worse. And they both knew that she couldn't teleport others along with her over long distances, much less multiple times.

Cassie: There was only one way, and it became ever more clear with each passing second. As Cassandra memorized the address and pocketed her phone, the vague sense of responsibility had hardened into dedication.

Cassie: "I'm sorry, Eddie, but we both know you need a little angel watching over your back, even if it may only be a dark one." She took a deep breath, before disappearing in a swirling vortex of shadows.

[steyn]

Eddie, you need her help!