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A Storm is brewing (Candira and Jugger)

Candira

Candira

Singularity
Joined
Jan 9, 2009
Kate was good at what she did. She was the leader of a gang of magic-using bandits, and they'd been doing pretty well for themselves lately. Maybe a little too well to keep doing it forever. She had a decent stockpile of money to sit back on, and by her estimation, her crew did, too. Of course, with the way they were blowing through every day expenses like ammo, guns, and medical supplies, it was a fairly risky business to be in. Made one really consider getting out while the getting was good.

But then someone would lose a line on a real job, or someone's kid would get sick, or the crew wouldn't be able to get a job done without her without just dissolving, and she'd be pulled right back into the fray. It just didn't seem fair, sometimes. She'd tried hard to make an honest living for herself out here, but there wasn't much call for a woman working these days. At least, not for something wholesome that would keep you fed and clothed. She could easily have been a madame who kept her clients in check, but offering herself up like that held no appeal to her, and no matter how hard you drew the line for some men, they thought they owned you, body and soul.

And she was not about to follow some man's rules like an obedient little dog. She had dignity, damn it. She was organized, clever, and strong. She didn't need that kind of life, and she didn't want it. Pulling off a job was a rush--not just because the risk had paid off, but because she was really living up to her potential. Because she was getting by on the power she held inside of her. Not everyone could use magic--even less with the kind of finesse and control she had.

But with that rush came a surge of guilt and the idea that quitting would probably be the best thing for them--before they got too full of themselves, before they got too greedy. Well, that was all well and good and mighty proper of her...but she didn't think she could stop now if she wanted to. She just didn't know what else to do anymore. Besides, when she was robbing a train, stealing from some well-to-do family, or making a deal, she was in her element. She commanded respect and authority, and she didn't have to take anything from anybody if she didn't like it. Who could give that up? Certainly not Kate.

So it was that she was getting ready to make her escape from another successful train heist when something when horribly wrong...
 
(Very nice image~)

Nathan was the Sheriff of some small western town. They had an oil rig that produced just enough oil to get the town running and have decent business to keep the folks within the little town happy and quaint. Oil was one means of income but cattle driving and tailors and butchers and everyone else kept the small village bustling with life, even if the money going around wasn't as heavy as most of the fat-cat cities around the world. He sighed in content, as he sits in the small Sheriff's office in the middle of the town, polishing a rifle from barrel to stock. He rarely had to use it and he was the only force of law i nthe city...but he would be enough.
 
Just as Kate and her crew were ready to make their escape, a frightened engineer ran into the car.

"Folks, brace yourselves! The conductor's gone mad! He's said he'd rather see us derailed than robbed on his watch!" He ran straight past a startled Kate and her crew men and yelled at the top of his lungs to the next car when there was a stomach dropping lurch.

Kate stumbled forward with her loot and looked around at the screaming, panicking passengers. The last thing she could thing before the car flipped was that she really didn't want anybody to die. All she'd wanted was the money. She'd shot men before--but never to kill! And this crazy bastard was going to take down a whole train of innocents to get at a handful of bandits.

"Shit!" She dropped the bag of goods, letting them fly where they would as she used her wind powers to keep the passengers somewhat steady in their seats as the train car continued to roll and then slide perilously. It was disorienting and difficult, but she managed to keep several passengers from being crushed. It was, however, like trying to stop a stampede by blowing on it.

It was futile. Before they came to a stop, they managed to catch on fire, the windows shattered and they crashed into something rather large--a building? Maybe the train station. Either way, things didn't look good. Kate, who'd been tossed about like a rag doll as much as the other passengers was fairly beat up, and most of her crew was either unresponsive or dead. The few that were conscious were injured.

With a groan, she got up and used her powers to stop the fire in the car she was in and blow away the glass shards from one of the broken windows. The loot was everywhere when she looked around. No point in trying to get it now--they'd be caught for sure if they didn't beat it. "Everyone for himself!" She shouted to her crew. They could always meet up again later if the need came. Now, it was too risky to try and help anybody but herself. The only other conscious crew members that could get out, did so without a second thought. She then hoisted herself out of the dust-covered train into the smoky air, using the wind she controlled to give her a boost. She wasn't too bad off, but damn if she wasn't sore.

She was pretty sure she'd at least cracked a rib, but the pain would have to wait to be dealt with. So would her injuries until she could get back to the safe house. She held her chest and stumbled off the side of the train and slowed her descent with wind. Wincing holding her side, she slowly limped her way away from the wreckage, hoping against all hope that no one would recognize her from a wanted poster.
 
Nathan was out and about in the town...doing some patrols and greeting the citizens who loved and respected him, he would hear the screeching sound of a train grinding across dirt before an explosion as the train collided with the train station. "What the hell!?" He cried out as he began to run off toward the source...only to feel the wind strongly pick up as Kate would begin putting out the flames to save everyone she could before jetting off using her wind abilities. 'A mage?!' He thought in his head as he pulled out his rifle and aimed down the sights...the barrel of the gun sparking with electricity for a paralyizing shot. BAM! The gun went off, and a bullet would soar threw the air before impacting Kate straight in her back and delivering her an electrical shock, much like that from a tazer gun to paralyze her.
 
The sting of the bullet was lessened by the wind she instinctively rose at the sound of a gunshot, but the impact was painful and broke the skin. What surprised her most, however, was the fact that her body was wracked with a powerful jolt--one that was both painful and unnecessary, given the fact that she'd been shot in the back. She dropped, her body unable to move, her mind dazed as she wondered what the fuck had just happened.
 
Nathan walked over the body of the woman, putting a boot to her back to keep her pinned down. He didn't have it covering the bullet wound but he made sure to put enough pressure where she wouldn't even be able to struggle to get up. "What the hell do you think you're doing huh? Running away after crashing a train into my town?" He eventually removed his boot from her and moved to squat in front of her, pulling her head up to look at him by holding her chin and looked to the beautiful woman's face. "Mm...Hm hm....Do I know you? You seem awfully familiar...Is there a bounty on this head of yours?"
 
What the hell was with this guy? She couldn't move even if she wanted to. If not the pain, then the sheer amount of voltage that had passed through her. She'd be defenseless for at least half an hour. She wasn't made of magic. Her eyes were unfocused as he lifted her chin. If she could have controlled her expression, she would have had a look of contempt on her face. How dare he touch her like this? He was going to pay when she was able to move again.

His interest in a bounty on her head meant he was one of two things--a bounty hunter, or a lawman. And fuck if she didn't hate them both. The bounty hunter she could sympathize with--gotta put food on the table somehow. And sometimes people deserved to be dragged to jail. But lawmen? More often than not, they acted like they owned the damn world, and they showed little care or regard to the people who got hurt.

She somehow managed to answer him, though her speech was a great deal more slurred and her head pounded with a furious bout of dizzyness and aching. "Shouldn't you be focused more on the survivors?"
 
"We have people tending to the survivors. Its just my job to catch and arrest anyone who is as stupid as you are!" He murmured and lifted her up, picking her up into his arms and holding her since she was already paralyzed. Without a word, he began to walk her in a random direction, but in reality it would be back toward the Sheriff's office...where upon arrival, he laid her down into an enchanted cell and locked the cage door. "This cell will prevent you from using your magicks so long as you're within it. You're going to be in here for a long time...and if you cooperate...that long time might just get shorter. Understood?"
 
Already dizzy, she was powerless to stop him from lifting her up and carrying her off to a cell. She saw the star on his chest and knew who he was before she really had time to jump to conclusions. She breathed deeply, trying to get her body to respond, knowing full well that she wouldn't get it back for a long time. "I'm just trying to get some help. I got hurt, too, you know. And your bullet didn't help." She glared up at him as he took her into a magical cell.

"You're jumping to an awful lot of conclusions, there, lawman. But since I'm in no condition to fight back, go right ahead. Do what you have to do."
 
"There should've been no reason why the train got off its rails. You were seen using wind magic and your attire is nothing like a simple civilian or train hand. So I'm going to assume that you had a huge part in the reason why there is a train in the wall of the train station now." He said in annoyance as he sat in a chair, eyeing the woman. Nathan crossed his arms and just eyed her down. "But I'll give you the chance to explain yourself and your side of things. Go on then...What am I wrong about, hm?"
 
She rolled her eyes and sighed, knowing that she was pretty well stuck. But since she was stuck, she wasn't going down for something she didn't do. Plus, the power of clear speech was coming back to her. She managed to turn her head to face the lawman in question and frown. "Oh, so since I used magic to put out flames and lift my injured self out of a derailed train, I automatically derailed it. Great logic, there, Rex." She groaned and watched him eying her. His eyes didn't seem to wander, to his credit.

Kate closed her eyes and signed. Well, no doubt one of the passengers would seal her fate soon enough. Someone would find out and tell the good sheriff there. If he was a sheriff. "Look, I didn't derail the train. A crazy conductor did it. Said he'd rather it be destroyed than let it be robbed. I'm not without fault in the situation, but I didn't hurt anyone this time. In fact, I kept those people safe, and I kept the fire from spreading after that crazy son of a bitch blew it up. So don't try to pin it all on me."
 
"This is only a formality. I'm going to hold you here until those who have survived the train crash are able to give eyewitness reports as to what happened on the train. And the fact that it derailed enough is odd. You're the only magic user around and they are rather rare nowadays. So forgive me if I think you were involved." He said with a frown...and listened to her explain her situation more. "I still don't believe you and until a survivor comes in and tells me what happened and who was involved, you're staying right there. Is that understood?"
 
"Well I can't exactly make a break for it, can I?" Kate said with just a hint of disgust. "And just a thought, here, pal, but if you want the people in your custody alive when you bring them in, don't aim for their backs. If I hadn't used my powers I probably would have died. The bullet would have stopped me forever. I don't think you really needed to shock me on top of that." Her eyes closed as she sighed. At least her voice was clear now. It would probably be at least another hour before she'd regain control of the rest of her body.

"Besides. You put me in this fancy cage so I can't use my powers. Even if I wanted to try to get out on my own, there'd be no point. I'm injured, I have no transportation, and I have nothing with which to negotiate but my body, and frankly, I don't fancy that option." Now, she was mostly thinking out loud, but if it gave him any sense of guilt or anything, why not let him hear?

"Gee, sheriff, don't you think you ought to check out the scene of the crime for more than one suspect? Seems a might unfair to keep me here with no proof. Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty? Maybe you oughta go look for some survivors instead of sitting on your ass and watching a prisoner who can't even move," she practically yelled. It was one thing to take her in for questioning and lock her up so she couldn't get away. It was another to immobilize her before bringing her in and to call it quits after she was locked up. Surely her story carried some weight. He had to look into it at least, didn't he?
 
Nathan was, by this point, getting more and more annoyed with her constant prattling. "I'm not going to do that. I'm the only force of law here and you're a dangerous suspect. I'm letting the forensics team handle the investigation. My job here is just to keep peace and whatnot, not do investigative work." He leered at her. "Now keep quiet. And don't mention using your body to me again. I'm not going to make that kind of deal with you, nor would I want to even screw a lowlife scum like yourself." By this point he was just fueling the flames purposely.
 
"Fucking lowlife. I wouldn't touch you with a ten foot pole," she muttered. If she ever got out of this place, she was going to kick his ass. As it was, however, the redhead could barely feel hers. And he was relying on a forensics team? If that was the case, how was he the only force of law in town? The whole thing screamed of foolishness and negligence, and despite her checkered past and unique view point, the injustice of it all ate at her. And the insult of him even suggesting she might try to use her body to get out of here made her so angry she felt like crying.

Son of a bitch.

And then the ground shook with the force of a powerful explosion. Suddenly, the air smelled of smoke, blood, and all manner of unpleasantness. That meant one of two things-- there'd been explosives on the train, or one of her more unstable crew had been angered, frightened, or confused into a panic and let loose. And now, Sheriff Trigger Happy over there would be heading into the fray without bothering to figure out who was really at fault.

"Huh. Seems to put a damper on your theory that I'm responsible for this mess," she said, trying very hard to move. "You might want to go check that out before the real criminal gets away."
 
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