Dire Straights (Row)

Fog lights cut through the darkness around the towering Roosevelt building, casting an illuminate offering across the deep red banner '82nd Scientist Humanitarian Gala'. A cavalcade of limousines pulled in front of a sweeping red carpet, ushering out the flow of well known figures in the science community and pretty faces along for the ride. In years past the event focused more on showcases who the friends of scientist were more so than actual scientist, but Bliss still made her way here year after year. The free drinks did well to suit her.

"Bliss slow down on that." Clad in a red strapless dress hugging the form of her torso and falling halfway down her thigh with a rather open gap coursing her leg, Ashley pulled the Southside Bliss ordered away. Her brunette hair hinted at small shades of blond tinting from within the messy updo that took 3 hours to look just messy enough. "You need to be able to talk people into funding you tonight."

"I can fund myself just fine." Bliss pushed her hand towards the glass only to find her hand slapped away by Ashley. A frill covering draped Bliss' arms, meeting the more substantial part of her dress along a black collar stretching past her neck. The dress fit the form of Bliss' curve to an exact square, all thanks to her little half-sister, before puffing out into the dress covering of her leg. The hem of her dress hovered three inches above a pair of boots running just above her knees.

"No, you can't." Ashley lifted Bliss' Southside to her lips and downed half the drink. "I think it is abundantly clear that you cannot keep our venture running."

"Our venture?" The angle of Bliss' brow ran perpendicular to the two elongated satellite strands of hair framing her face while the rest of her hair remained pulled back, but down. "I don't think it is really an 'our'-"

"Don't start." The drink vanished down Ashley's throat. "This is hopeless. I'm going to give you advice, then you get mad, then you make things worse."

"You aren't giving advice; you are-"

"Oh, because you aren't wrong. I forgot." The pull of Ashley's ponytail shook from side to side with her frustration.

"I'll take an Old Fashioned." Two of Bliss' fingers rose to draw the bartender's attention.

"No, you won't." Ashley put her bag in front of Bliss, blocking the egress of a drink's path.

"I'm fine. It's the people here that are the problem." Her initial thought wanted to shove the bag towards Ashley, but in a moment of clarity, Bliss lowered the bag into her lap. "I just need to get on their level."

For a brief moment Bliss made sense. And, it stung Ashley that the balance shifted so. "I need to freshen up. I'll be right back." Both of Ashley's hands mirrored a shaking gesture as she pushed back from the bar and headed towards the back.

"Hey! You forgot your purse!" Looking down to the bag, Bliss let out a sigh and stood, just as her Old Fashioned appeared in front of her. "At least I don't have to pay for what I don't drink."

Bliss set off towards the direction Ashley left in, trying to keep an eye out for the red dress.

"Heels... such a useless article of clothing. If I could go back in time and fine the person who invented them."

"Gia, the Americans view heels as a key to beauty. And they make me look taller," Lunetta finished strapping on dark blue one inch high heel shoes. Her dark purple dress with dark blue frills streaming down her sides fell to her calves. The dark blue straps looped over her pale shoulders allowing the dress to hug her lean body. "I admit, they are hard to walk in."

"I advise you to just wear a longer dress... but if feeling taller makes you feel so good."
Lunetta smiled after receiving the spirit's approval.

In the next flew hours, a party was starting and a certain traitor was attending. A woman by the name of Ashley, or so that is what she went by now. This would be her last social function and Lunetta could move on to the next hit. As long as everything went smooth, the mission would be simple however the girl had one problem. She had way easy way in. Normally her hits owned the establishments but this was a normal gathering.

"What do we have here. A girl trying to look pretty in a dark alley. You know, I could use someone like you for my big plans at the gala." A strong hand grabbed Lunetta's shoulders and something sharp pointed into her back.

"Sorry, we... I have plans too." Lunetta's voice grew weak. The man completely caught her off guard. With the heels on, she could not move well and her body itched with the desire to move.

"Well that's too bad because I have this..." He stopped after his arms were pulled away by black tendrils. Another wave went after his neck and waste before slamming him into the wall.

"And we need help too. Are you on the uhh... list? I think its called guest list." Lunetta smiled as she brushed off her shoulder where the man grabbed her.

The man nodded his head as whines escaped his mouth. His black suit captured his broad shoulders and excellent physique. Blue pin stripe ran down his outfit disappearing into his polished shoes. On his chest was a name tag that read "Dr. K Ministry of Genetics."

"Good, all we need you to do is..."

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Dr. K and Lunetta walked into the gala arms locked. She held his arm close to her using him to keep her balance.

"Can you even walk alone?" taunted the man.

Lunetta giggled while digging her nails into the man's arms, "I would worry if you can find her. She has brown hair, blue eyes, red dress, almost thirty. I don't have a picture but..." the gritted his teeth, trying to show off a smile and hoping she did not break his skin.
She released him once a she spotted a beam producing a shadow. She moved behind him leaning against his back in his shadow. The man stopped unsure what she was doing until he felt her push his lower back.  
"The show starts when the lights go out, don't disappoint us." She moved next to the pillar and waved off the man.

The man sighed and walked away. "To think, my finances would lead me to this. The world does't know what it's missing."

He continue through the galley until he found the drinks, "One wouldn't hurt."
He grabbed a glass and started to sip until he noticed a the girl that matched Lunetta's description. She was bickering with another girl about finances and being wrong. He put it off as just gossip till one of them put her purse in front of the other. A smile grew on his face as he wondered what how he could break them apart. Before his brain could unravel a plan, the girl of interest left.

"With my luck, she will have fire powers or something..." He groan and started following the girl.

As the man caught up to the girl, the lights started to flicker. He ignored it, calling to the woman. "Hey their miss, your dress is but lovely. The name is Dr. K its a pleasure to meet you."

A fine compliment swam through the sea of people, bringing Ashley to turn around and view the man who sent it. A soft compliment never needed to run the risk or turning sour, and in her hurried and frazzled state, Ashley bit the bottom of her lip and shook her head to agree. "Thank you. My friend made it. She's a fashion designer." Ashley pivoted back on the heel, letting the full support of her arch ride into it. "She's getting fairly famous. Just recently had a show in LA and Paris, so you'll see things like this all over."

The flicker of light caught the attention of the more scattered party goers. Bliss being one of them. A surge in the power did not always seem so inconspicuous, but with where her mind rested in the moment, it did alarm Bliss. I guess no one is keeping it together tonight. Great. While the rush of the party continued in full swing, Bliss came up with a better idea than simply following Ashley and returning her purse. She would try to mingle and get some funding. A perfect way to apologize without actually admitting she was wrong.

Now she just needed to identify someone in the crowd- and to avoid the bar. She would be back at zero if she started this deal and had a drink in her hand. Nope, Bliss needed to cruise the floor, find someone to speak to, and get her ideas back into proper funding. All to impress Ashley. Well, the money helped too, but mostly it was to help Ashley.

Dr K. chuckled while moving his hand to his chin to rub his five o'clock shadow. "That explains such elegance among us nerds." She was pretty woman by his standards and had connections. To think she was involve with that weird girl. She would be so much useful in his hands.

She kept is grin while moving beside her, "So are you a guess, I don't know too many..." Before he could finish, the lights blacked out. The man sighed at his luck. He wanted to know more about her. He needed to know more.
"Are you okay!"

Before he could grab his knife, the lights returned to save her. "What the hell..." His smile melted along with his nerve. Sweat rolled down his face knowing he nearly ruined the plan. Whatever that girl was doing, she needed to move quicker.

"Whoever is running this power needs to learn how to do there job. Its not rocket science!"

Then building started to hum quietly under the noise of the party.

"Must be a short. I hope it doesn't ruin the evening." Ashley turned around, trying to see the other faces among the crowd. While she did not know exactly who she wanted to see, she knew the face did not appear. "This night was supposed to be so good." Anything could change. And, everything could usher in a new shift in the night, but from where she stood, it would take a miracle.

A small movement began to shift around the heel of her shoe. "I think they're trying to restore power. Or, maybe overloading the circuit?" The hum continued into the dying wails of its drowning death at the hands of the crowd. "It was Dr. K right? What did you say brought you here?"

Once the blackout hit, Bliss bumped into the back of a large figure. Quick on her heels, and not afraid to brush through a crowd, Bliss made the best of the dark and avoided responsibility for a spilled drink. The lights re-emerged, but the vision before Bliss left her more in the dark. She no longer could see Ashley.

Dr. K looked around for the source of the humming. Given the situation with the lights, he assumed it was the "girl's" doing but... it didn't matter. The next time the lights went out, he would act. Sweat rolled down this face as he repressed the urge to act ahead of schedule. Ashley's date was no where in site so this would be the best time to strike.

"Oh sorry... ahh your question. Well, I was looking for funding for my newest project. I was offer a deal but their were some... circumstances I had to meet."

The humming intensified with the crowd growing silent as it began to pieced their conversations. The lights flickered again before growing in intensity. One of the lights clicked. "Oh no... GET DOWN!"

Dr. K Dived at Ashley to cover her as the lights exploded like popcorn raining glass on over the crowd and flooding the gala in darkness.

"I hope they fix that humming." With her attention thwarted from the conversation, Ashley looked to the walls, trying to isolate exactly which direction the noise grew loudest. "I could barely hear what you said about circumstances or something." More than just Ashley took notice of the bizarre occurrence as it rang through the walls, gently stirring the ceiling.

"Bliss?" Ashley began to think of the scenario where Bliss decided to simply stage either a grand spectacle, or just tried to steal something. Either one would not suite the night, and only served to usher in more heat beneath Ashley's figurative collar. "I mean, this whole thing is a little much given the-"

The longing of the humming became apparent once the glittering shards of glass began to rain across the floor. Ashley found her confidant covering her, a feeling she appreciated- unaware of the sinister motivations.

Bliss pushed herself against the wall. No shards burst upon her, nor did anyone bump into her. Two good things in a room full of calamity. But, now she knew the worst part would come. Walking over the floor full of glass in open shoes would cause more problems than she would care to muster up. Still, she needed to find Ashley. It would just take a little more effort now.

It was time. As the last of the glass fell, Dr. K tried to pick up Ashley and put her on his shoulders. "Don't worry Ma'am, I got you. I won't let anyone hurt you." He attempted to pick up Ashley and carry her out to the stairwell. His knife was ready in case she attempted to struggle or escape as he would bring it to her neck to discourage any rowdy behavior.

His goal was to reach one of the most upper floors. Their we was to meet up with that girl with the weird powers and be freed from his deal.  

Sweat rolled down his neck as he prayed he would not need force. Overpower a girl was easy, but given what the girl in the ally could do, it would not be a surprise if this girl was some sort of super freak. That was still a slim chance though since she did not do anything when the glass fell.
"I just need you to trust me Ms. Ashley. Everything will be okay."

Each shard of glass came down bouncing with a sinister edge. Ashley pulled her foot back to avoid any shards cutting the top of her open foot, but the guard of the man with her laid any doubts to rest. Until it woke new suspicions in her.

Lifted off her feet, Ashley felt a sudden suspicion in the action of her conversation partner. While at first it rang with a little sense- if not an overbloated sense of it- it later soon soured as she found herself whisked off to the stairwell. "I can walk myself." She could, but it did not seem as though her astute realization would be giving her any freedom. "Wait, what- trust you? I barely know you!"

It began to sink in to her head the motivations of the man whom grabbed her. "Let's not do anything crazy now. Just- let's talk this over."

The breaking of each shard left the crowd with a few physical injuries, but mostly just shattered nerves. The floors began to clear away from the middle, giving Bliss a clear sight to see Ashley being carried off by a larger man. The look on her fiance's face began with mild confusion, but later shifted into a more dire form of shock.

If she stalled any longer, Bliss would lose sight of Ashley again. A minor field of telekinesis formed around Bliss, brushing away each of the shards until her path to the stairs remained clean.

"This is faster though." He continued his flight up the spiraling stairwell heaving as his stamina dwindled. He was not build for this. He was a scientist, someone who made discoveries. He was not a knight who could carry girls up a tower. Even his plan did not involve so much energy.

His dread for the shadow girl grew with each step. She ruined his plan, his research, his life. If only she acted like a good hostage. Well, all was not lost.

"Look Ashley, I don't know what you got me into but if you talk now, maybe we can help each other out." Dr. K reached the 8 floor as per the instructions.

"Why does the shadow woman want you? What did you do the get on such a wako's radar?"

He looked down the hall and saw the a room. It was their he was suppose to drop off the girl and then leave. His reward would be his life, but that was not good enough. "I am suppose to drop you off for her, but maybe we can help each other out?"

The shock of her predicament washed over Ashley in waves. None of them particularly better than the previous, but none allowing her to stick her head above the confusion. "Help each other? I don't know what I need help with? And, I certainly know nothing of your predicament."

Ashley moved away from her kidnapper, taking in the dimensions of the hallway she found herself in. Raw telekinetic power could help her, but if this man tracked her down, he most likely came with some contingency plan to neutralize her. She needed an out.

The traipse of feet echoed through the banister. Shadows crossed the railing under a well lit chandelier hanging from the ceiling of the stairwell. Bliss knew whomever took Ashley headed up, but whom she followed, and what their intentions were all remained just as shrouded as those shadows. Still, Bliss took one step at a time, keeping up her hurried pace with no attempt to hide her ascent.

"I told you earlier, I need money." He grabbed her hand and yanked her into his arm. "I hope you don't think I'm done with you Ms. Ashely."
He pulled her too the ground and then picked her up by her hair. "See, I have my own reasons for being here so you have to understand. This is not personal." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a metal ball with a red light. He then shoved the ball into her mouth and then duck taped her mouth shut.

"Please keep quiet about this tracking device. We cant let the shadow girl know."
Dr K. Then proceeded to duck tape her hands and feet together before picking her up again. He could not have her stall any longer. He had to finish the task before the shadow girl found out what he did.

He kicked opened the door, to see a dark room. He dragged Ashley inside and then tossed her into the middle of the floor.
"I brought the girl like you asked. So am I free to go?"

There was no response. He wanted to leave the room, but he did not want to be responsible for the girl escaping on her own. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he realized how spacious the room was. Their were wall size mirrors over half the walls with bars running along the middle. The floors were polished smoothed, though he could not make out the material without more light. The first thing that came to mind was a practice space for dancing but the shape of a couch in his peripheral gave him an idea.

He pulled the piece of furniture over to to Ashely and then sat on it with his feet over her back. "Now you cannot get away and I can relax," he let out a sigh, "You know, if only you just work with me. This girl is weird. Who knows what she is going to do to you."

"What else do you do to traitors."

Dr. K turned around and and saw a what could only be a hand resting on his shoulder. Following the arm back to the body ended at two glowing purple cold eyes.

"When... how... did you get here?" He lifted his feet off Ashely so he could put distance between her.

She giggled and raised her had which spawned a black knife.

"Same as you, I walked, but please take that to your grave."
Lunetta threw the knife hitting the right side of his chest. The man gasped and fell to the ground bleeding. Then he pushed his way to the door. with one hand on the knife.

"Sorry, we don't make deals with kidnappers."

The attempt Ashley made to put space between her and Dr. K turned dire as she ran out of room. Suck between a rock and a hard place, the rock grabbed her and forced her to the ground. A gasp of shock spat out of her mouth as she gathered up what force she could to scream for help. A high scream began to form, but a sudden obstacle blocked the egress through her mouth. A tracking device? A shadow girl? Neither of these things made sense, but neither did this man taping her up and gagging her either.

Her form plopped over his shoulder with no resistance. If she could bide her time- well, she had no real plan at this point. After those lights shattered, the night began taking so many twists and turns, Ashley no longer wanted to know what was on the other side. She knew the man pulling her into the room did not mean to kidnap her for himself; his confession of coercion seemed real and true. Just as real as the pressure of his foot against her back. A perfect symbol of the current predicament.

Then, Ashley saw the light at the end of a turn. A shadowy woman with two purple eyes stared at Dr. K. Her voice took Ashley's hopes further from fruition. A small bout of relief came as he lifted his feet off of her back, but one step forward turned into five steps back as a black knife impacted into the right side of his chest. Ashley thrashed, trying to free her hands from behind her back and force the tracking device from her mouth- all in vane.

But, a small stepping of heels rang out. Ashley looked to see two black boots enter the room.

"Wow, this night got worse?" Her first glance went down to the man crawling to the door, then to the woman with the deep purple eyes. "Don't worry Ashley, I'm gonna apologize after I get this woman off your back." Bliss stepped towards the man on the ground, passing over him while keeping her eyes on the silhouette of Lunette, anticipating her movement from the shadows.

"I'm guessing those eyes belong to the person I'm about to knock out?" Bliss looked down to Ashley.

Ashley tried her hardest to warn Bliss about Dr. K's allegiance, but found her warnings blocked.

"Is she with you Dr.?" Lunetta sighed, "We honestly thought you would run away. We applaud your efforts after earlier."

Lunetta jumped over the couch, still in her dress but with a hood dangling off her neck. She then laid her bare feet across the couch before covering her head with the hood. Her eyes ceased glowing and a quiet giggle filled the room.

"She is not with the man." Gia whispered, something Lunetta could only hear.

"So why would she defend this traitor?" Lunetta asked. Nobody else was in the room except the collapsed man, tied up Ashely, and brave play hero girl. Gia did not respond though. A rare moment of Lunetta.

"So tell me wanna be hero," Lunetta's voice began to distort into an eerie whisper, "Do you know who this woman truly is? Her secrets, sins as they say in America."

Dr. K groaned before making his way to the door.
"Hold on a minute."
The door was closed by a black hand and the only light source into the room was now the moonlight from the window several feet left of Lunetta. He tried to shout but a black girl gagged his mouth with a black cloth. Then he was tossed into a far corner of the room.
"As we were saying, I do not wish to hurt you. We only want to right a mistake in my family. That mistake is this woman who is going by Ashley."

"Wanna be?" Insults usually came Bliss' way, but most people knew directed them personally towards her. Of course, there would always be those who just came back. "I was pretty sure you kidnapped Ashley as a way to get to me. Oh, and I have no clue who that guy is. I was stepping over him. I'm sure he's fine, but I'm here for her."

A high whisper brushed into her ear. "Yeah, I know who Ashley is. She ordered the plane tickets and got the hotel reservations set up." Just what would come from this woman's arsenal still remained to be seen, but at least Bliss knew her own capabilities- even if the room would offer her very little in the means of opportunity. "Trust me, after the night I've had with Ashley, I'm pretty sure it's her and not just someone pretending to be Ashley."

Bliss cracked her knuckles as the lights went out. Ice dangled from the tips of her nails, prepping her for the first strike to levy against whomever came close enough to her. She wanted to telekinetically pull the tape from Ashley's mouth, but the lack of sight complicated the plan. Probably should have done that rather than talk. Oh well, she could make up for that mistake later.