[SgtBoomCloud]

The human listened intently to the story, observing the scars with a mild sense of wonder as she gave a nod, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.  "You got a good point, hehe. Though if we was going for most difficult I think ya beat me out from years of experience alone.  Frag, Vory?  That like, Russian mafia drek, right?  Way over my head.  Street gangs be what this hoop used to, and plenty of it." . She took another breath, her hands tightening.  "Well, since you sharing so much, guess it be my turn, omae?"

"Had a family once upon a time.  Low level wageslaves, but livable.  Got that taken away during a turf war.  Fire torched my fraggin parentals and got me good too.  Next thing yknow, I'm waking up in Howlers hideout with fake eyes.  I was their property, their...pet, if ya will.  And frag, did they not love their pets.". She turned away from the elf, pulling her gown away to reveal the most of her back, where signs of heavy scarring g were present where bandages weren't covering.  "Lupo, Sarge, Bonehead, Lugnut, Flak, Chameo, Merlin, Farcall, Haymaker.  The main ones that liked to remind me how lucky I was to be alive under their fraggin boot heels.  If it wasn't for my gift for machines, I'm sure it woulda been worse "

She gave a shrug, redressing herself.  "Either way, I'm glad to be out, and with luck I won't have to involve Howlers in drek ever again.  Frag.. now I'm rambling.  My bad"

[ismilealot]

"I'm next Roarboar! Crank it up" You hear a young, and, OH DREK! That's Tommy! You turn to see your little brothers head pop above the crowd only to snap down suddenly as Bertha takes him where she wants to go. For a few moments he manages to hang on and you hear his happy shouts above the crowd and the music, as well the snap of teeth and grunt of pain when he's jerked and tossed and having his insides jarred loose. But no body gets lucky with Bertha for long and Tommy goes flying off to land on the lap of a few patrons. By sheer dumb luck they happen to be trolls as well and so aren't seriously injured by Tommy's size and momentum. Although Tommy's not quite as lucky as he clocked his head a good one on the table when he fell. Still, before he can really catch his breath he's up crowing and ordering a pitcher.

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena reaches out a finger and tenderly traces some of the scars on Arc's back and shivers.  An unexpected anger rises in her at the sight of her friend's abused body.  She leans forward and whispers into the girl's ear.  "Yelena Petrovna kill them for you if want.  All who hurt you."  She needs to guide the subject away from scars because she does not want to show more of her own, the places where the needles had been inserted over and over and skin samples taken by the doctors and scientists of Camp 14.  Just thinking about that part of her life was hard enough that she does not think she will ever be fully able to talk about it.  As Arc pulls her gown back up she says.  "Is official.  Between Arc and Yelena we have life full of drek.  But we survive.  We do what we must to survive.  And now partners."

She sits back and begins doing her finger exercises again, listening to the sax music in her head as she pushes herself to regain her dexterity.  "So, Arc think we have afternoon therapy today?  And Arc can ramble all she wants to friend."

[Csjarrat]

Feathers stood and watched the scene unfold before him, double parked with a beer in each hand.
Johnny put on a good show considering the kicking he'd had not long ago but a nasty fall got him concerned, especially as he nearly flattened two of the other patrons. Bracing for their reactions, he began his incantations to weave a stunbolt out of the ambient mana, expecting the worst.
Seeing them shake it off with a laugh, he released the partly formed spell and smiled as he made his way back through the crowd

[SgtBoomCloud]

Arc thought hard and serious about the elf's offer to kill all those who abused her growing up.  She was tempted, the look on her face showed that.  But, eventually, she breathed a sigh and shook her head, tapping her cheek a couple of times.  "Nah.  That would be the easy way.  This is some drek I gotta deal with myself, ya heard?  Besides...pretty sure one or two of em were taken care of by Ol' Smiley back there.."  She gave a little grin, shrugging and watching the other work her fingers.

"Another session with that neonazi white collar slitch outta the soapbox trids?  Maybe.  I dunno.  Hoping just once on the first day, yaknow?  That being said, I ain't lying about wanting outta here soon as we can...I guess that's up to your boytoy though, eh?"

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena nods, "Yelena understand.  Just remember that offer stands." 

She laughs.  "Boy toy?  You mean handsome Sam Webster?  That funny.  He could be Arc boy toy, too, maybe.  I ask if want?"

[ismilealot]

Lunch comes for Arc & Yelena. A nutritious soup, salad and sandwich that is still a bit heavy for their stomachs. It's tasty, but when the nurse comes in to change Yelena's dressings she complains bitterly. "A Russian can not live without vodka. You must help me obtain the one true water of life. I pay you very well for saving my life if you get for me." The nurse just smiles and shakes her head. "Not worth my job or your recovery so you're just going to have to get better and go drinking on your own." She finishes checking you and leaves.

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena grimaces at the food.  "Hey, Arc.  Yelena really dandelion eater now.  Johnny laugh out loud to see."  The news from the nurse is even worse than the salad food.  "I not recover without vodka, so what difference it make?"  She eats a bit and lets the nurse check her bandages before settling down.  Turning back to her friend, she asks.  "So, Arc remember when Sam say he come back?" 

[SgtBoomCloud]

Arc gave a snort, raising a brow and shaking her head, grinning.  "Appreciated, but nah.  I didn't get a vibe on him, so I ain't interested.  Besides that..I think I wouldn't like to share~". As the nurse came by with their food, the human lifted the sandwich with a finger and thumb.  Even in 2075, hospital food was drek.  "What I wouldn't give for a Nukit Burger right about now..."

After the nurse left, she turned to the elf, giving a shrug.  "Nadda clue.  He just said soon.  From what I gather, he's the kinda fragger what keep info on a tight leash, and employees only given as much light as he thinks needed.  Great..."

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena nods.  Nukit burger sound good to Yelena, too."

She laughs, "That like all bosses Yelena know.  Information on need to know basis and we never need to know.  Still, hope come soon.  Yelena already thinking of ways to escape hospital prison."  She finishes the drek they call food and sits back to begin her finger exercises again.  She runs through several tunes on her imaginary sax, including one that is quite complicated.  She is frustrated when she is not able to make some of the movements.  She snarls at herself, "Come on, Yelena Petrovna, you know this one.  Do it again."

[SgtBoomCloud]

Arc gave a bit of a shrug at her comment on how employers operate, straightening her back a bit.  "Eh...that's gonna get fraggin annoying if work like what you do is normal wiz biz.  Yeesh.  Then again I ain't surprised.  This drekhead I know, Ralphie, think he is a fixer of some kind, some times he sends a car or gun or somethin somethin my way to fix.  Total sleazeball."

She trailed off, watching the elf get frustrated over her practicing.  "Hoi, chill out girl.  You focused too much on that Drek you gon' sprain something.  Here...freestyle s bit..". The human started to tap on the side rails of the hospital bed, a crude and rudimentary beat, but something to go off of for sure.

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena puts her hands over her face.  "Arc, if Yelena cannot shoot or play, then what is she?  Have to start from nothing again."  She lowers her hands and shakes her head.  "Still, maybe try too hard.  Maybe Arc has better way."  She tries to follow her friend's beat and finds that it is easier to flex the muscles if she is not concentrating on a specific song.  She begins to put a humming music to the movement of her fingers as she plays the imaginary sax.

After a while of free-form practice, Yelena stops to rest her fingers.  She lifts a hand to blow a kiss to her human friend.  "Thank you, Arc, was good idea."  She pauses a bit then adds, "Can you tell me why you help Yelena?  You save life when not need to.

[ismilealot]

It had been a fun night out. Johnny switched Tommy to something non-alcoholic. Yeah, like 3-fingers would have served him that anyway, and had enjoyed watching the bull riding. He placed 3rd. But being happy to still be alive makes everything better. Feathers has fun watching the bull riding, and after the first few injuries seem to be taken in stride by the victims, he relaxes. More than a few drinks later he's glad he came out. Gods but he needed a night out where he was just happy to be alive and having things looking up.

The next morning nursing a hangover reminds him that Bug Juice really was meant for trolls. But hell, he's still alive and that's good enough. Wait, did he really make a pass at that orc girl? Feathers checks himself, and yes, he really made a pass at that orc girl. And I really thought you were young and dumb only once. He thinks to himself, and then starts cleaning up and getting a strong coffee. He's going to head on over to the hosp. this afternoon and check on the two team-members that were not lucky enough to walk away. He was just done with his coffee when he gets a knock on the door. Answering it he's surprised to see Merlin. And he suddenly remembers the young mage weeping over his sisters body. Feathers had been busy helping the few that could still be helped, and the Howlers had carried off their own right after Sarge had given him the necklace, he'd never had a chance to give his condolences. Feathers shakes his hand, and then hugs him. "Merlin, come on in. I never got a chance to tell you how sorry I am about your sister, and Lance. That thing hit like 2 tons of bricks. And they showed more courage than anybody I know because they knew that ahead of time and still walked in there and fought like hell." Merlin nods, and looks older. Then he says, "Thank you. But, I came here to ask if you'd take me as an apprentice. My sister was always the more powerful one. She could summon. All I really could do was counterspell and a few small illusions. Always wanted to learn more, but, didn't have no teacher. I can pay you. I got a lot o' money from helping kill that thing. And I promise you I would work hard and do everything you tell me. You know, wax on, wax off, sorta stuff. I'm serious 'bout this." He stands there looking at you steadily, not a boy begging for a chance. But a man ready to do whatever it took to achieve his dream. He looks at your neck and adds. "The Howlers Hand looks good on you."

Johnny wakes up with just a buzz. Troll resilience ftw! He smiles remembering the night before, he'd needed a good dust up, and now with everything looking up he was in a good mood. For an old man Feathers was still game for what wouldn't break his neck. And he smiles remembering the older human making a pass at that orc girl. He sets about getting ready. The new apartment doesn't come with much more water but it's still more and a shower feels great. He gets Tommy settled and has a quick talk with him about bars and liquor. Won't be long before he's legal, might as well teach him a few things now. When he's got the last of his & Tommy's things in place & settled he decides it's time to see to the two in the hosp. He'd been lucky, his hide was tough but he still may not have made it without that orc mage protecting him and Feathers healing him. Past time to go see the other two and see what kinda shape they were in.

Johnny is the first one to the hosp. And seeing Yelena wrapped in bandages and Arc missing an arm he doesn't know what to say for a moment. Fortunately he hears Feathers arguing with the same nurse he had to go through to get into this drekking room. Like it was a maximum security prison or the pope or summat was in here. He goes back out a minute to laugh at the sight of Feathers trying to get through a nurse a third his size, but Feathers is bit more adroit at working the system and it only takes a few min's before he joins Johnny at the door. Seeing the big troll standing stock still and taking up the entire door he grins at him and jibes. "Any more still in that doorway and they're going to put hinges on you and use you for a door". They both laugh and then go in.

[SgtBoomCloud]

Yelena puts her hands over her face.  "Arc, if Yelena cannot shoot or play, then what is she?  Have to start from nothing again."  She lowers her hands and shakes her head.  "Still, maybe try too hard.  Maybe Arc has better way."  She tries to follow her friend's beat and finds that it is easier to flex the muscles if she is not concentrating on a specific song.  She begins to put a humming music to the movement of her fingers as she plays the imaginary sax.

After a while of free-form practice, Yelena stops to rest her fingers.  She lifts a hand to blow a kiss to her human friend.  "Thank you, Arc, was good idea."  She pauses a bit then adds, "Can you tell me why you help Yelena?  You save life when not need to.

Arc gave a little smile that her little whimsical idea of helping actually worked, scratching the back of her head self-consciously as the question was asked.  "Huh?  What kinda question is that?  We were on the same goal, and I sure as hell wasn't gonna be able to geek that slitch on my own.  We were working together, Yelena...I mean, dayum, I guess we was partners then just not official, eh?  Beyond that, my gut told me to keep people helping me alive.  I do a lot of stupid drek in my life, but one thing I got going is my gut, and how it responds to people.  You may be a badass, omae, and a bit of a hardass, but my stomach told me you needed savin, ya feel me?"  She opened her mouth to continue, but stopped  as she heard a couple familiar voices, followed by the sight of Johnny in the doorway.

The human's now green, not-obviously-fake eyes went wide as she turned to face him, the glint of her cyberarm reflecting the sun a bit as she took him in: standing and very much not dead.  Her lips curled into a grin as she let out a shout of relief.  "Well FRAG, big guy, the least you could have done was get yo' hoop to send a fraggin' get well email or summat!  Get in here, we been goin' crazy round heah."  She waved as the older man Feathers came in, the girl relieved they all survived.  Surprisingly, Arc drew little attention to her arm, though likely would have to be pressed about it.

"Well, looks like most the gang's all hear, I'd say.  Raven not make it?  Nah, not her style..so hey, you gon' spring the two of us, or what?  The food's terrible, our rehab nurse is some fraggin' genocidal despot, I'm killing for a smoke, she needs vodka in a bad drekking way, and we both goin' crazy.  What are the streets lookin' like?  Figuring you guys were able to walk away not on a fraggin' gurney, right?"

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena opens her mouth a couple of times to say something, but the human is saying it all, and better.  She waits until she stops and adds, "Arc not wrong.  Yelena need vodka and cigar now.  Bring any?  Nurse remind of hellfiend in relocation camp that always poking with needles."  She sits back and listens to the troll and older human talk of the aftermath of the battle.  There is a moment of long silence as they tell of the ones who fell and the ones who survived.  She looks at Arc.  "Seems only you and me came hospital."  Turning back to the others she says, "Big honor from Howler gang, Feathers.  Say, anyone know what happen to Yelena Scorpion?  Last saw was blown to house with Arc on.  Or guns?"  Someone pick up to give back, maybe?  And big question is did hear from Sam Webster for job?"