71 Queen Victoria Street

[Deleted]

The pandemonium outside had quelled little, but at least the ambulance had been and gone, as the woman told him when Marko approached her again. The sirens about now were those of the police. Without his coat, he was cold, but he didn't really feel like putting it back on when she handed it back to him, either. No doubt there was blood on it... He'd have to head back to the lab and do without for the rest of the day. So much for that bank loan...

“Thanks.” He sighed, throwing the coat over his shoulder. His eyes now fell on the police vehicles and the approaching officers. The woman was right – they probably did want to ask them, and any of the other witnesses, questions... Including that bastard of a bus driver...

...Who, come to think of it, Marko couldn't see, even as he glanced around the small crowd of people. He looked around again, and again, his vision darting quickly from side to side... Before it fell on the woman again. “Where'd the driver go, anyway...?” As soon as the words rolled off his tongue, the realisation hit him – that cowardly asshole had run away!

But... He'd still be in the area, right? And he knew what the man looked like... Well, this really only had one solution. He slid his coat back off his shoulder, and held it back out to the woman. “Would you mind holding onto this for me? Just until I get back. I'll be as fast as I can.” He didn't know how long it would take, exactly – but the driver had both badmouthed him and fled the scene without facing up to the cops, and maybe because of that it was a personal grudge more than Marko actually wanting to do was was justifiably 'right', but he was going to do it regardless. Leaving his coat with the woman again, he headed for the crowd, pushing through it until he was out of the way of the scene.

TAGGING: Katyusha

MADE BY CYANIDE CANDY ✖

[Katyusha Chernenko]

велике спасибі Katyusha saw the doctor accepted back his coat with a thanks and began to looking around them. Then he suddenly spoke, “where’d the driver go, anyway...?” “What...” confused, the Ukrainian turned around, but she didn’t see the bus driver anywhere. Her heart sank when she realized the driver must have been escaping. It’s really a bad move, his charge would be heavier because he attempted to escape arrest. “Oh no...” had she saw him before he left her sight, Katyusha would try to console him immediately. Being cooperative was the only way he should behave! Although Katyusha did siding more with the criminals, she’d rather told people to avoid that way of life. It’s not good, never was. The driver just threw away his last chance of becoming a good citizen of London. Both police also realized his disappearance and now started to search through the crowd. But the runaway driver did have the upper hand - they didn’t know his face. “Would you mind holding onto this for me? Just until I get back. I'll be as fast as I can.” The doctor had slidded off his coat and handed it back to her again. “I don’t mind but... wait!” too late, once Katyusha received the coat, the man quickly made his way through the crowds. The only people remembered what the driver looked like were her and the doctor. He was sure left to aid the police in their search. The nurse hesitated a bit, feeling uncomfortable from the stares she got from the crowds. “He shouldn’t have left,” she muttered under her breath, finally moved to follow the doctor’s action. Katyusha felt him and the driver were almost at a point where they might punch each other in the face. She just followed them to make sure no one would came back injured to the scene. And she hoped she could persuade the driver to surrender himself.

MADE BY MINNIE OF BACK TO NEVERLAND

[Joselle]

Jeffrey Lannister

The Lannister man darted down the narrow alleyway and grimaced back to get a glimpse of his pursuer. The stranger was a persistent one; had Jeff known he was going to do so much work, he wouldn't have tried to do this himself. From the looks and sounds of it, the chances of him making it out clean were very slim. Fueled by anger and frustration, he kicked down some trashcans and rubble to add an obstacle to the pursuer's path. Thereafter, he continued onward with a cruel laugh.

[Deleted]

Once clear of the crowd, Marko broke into a run. Had he been a split second too late to have broken through the huddle of people, he'd have had to have stopped to think which way the driver had possibly gone, but he managed to catch sight of him as he darted down one of the alleyways leading off the road. He didn't need to think, therefore, before pursuing him.

He doubted he knew exactly what he was hoping to achieve by running after the man, really. If it just so happened that the asshole was fast (and lucky) enough to get away, then pursuit would have proved pointless in the first place. Marko supposed he hadn't really thought it through – he'd just impulsively decided it was the right thing to do. And hell, even if he did catch him, what was he supposed to do after that? Grab him by the ear and drag him back out to the main road and dump him in front of the police? Maybe... But even that wasn't going to be as easy as it sounded in his head.

The driver was straight ahead now; a sudden clattering noise echoed loudly off the walls of the alley and Marko only had a few moments to realise that the bastard had thrown the nearby trash cans over to form an obstruction. And... It was somewhat successful. Marko only had the last second to slow down and dodge one of the trash cans, but in doing so he still managed to trip and stumble over it, and he had to take a couple of moments to recuperate from that before pressing on as quickly as he could again, wincing... Damn, he'd managed to do it by catching his foot on the end of the trash can... That was going to come out in a bruise in the morning.

TAGGING: Katyusha

MADE BY CYANIDE CANDY ✖

[Katyusha Chernenko]

велике спасибі Katyusha was getting tired. Her legs were tense from all the walk she had done several minutes before and she started to regret her decision to wear heels. They weren't that high, but they hurt her feet nonetheless. The woman tried to ignore the pain growing in her ankles and focused at following the doctor so she wouldn't lose sight of him. The bus driver led them into narrow alleyway. Had she was a normal commoner, Katyusha would halt her chase and gave the matter into the police's hand. Criminals love alleyways so anyone wished to not be involved with them should avoid this place. In a bad scenario, that driver might be hiding and ambushed her to hold the Ukrainian hostage in exchange for his freedom. She shook her head. That sounded impossible. There were those police as well as the doctor, they would catch him before he could harm her. But if he did, well... Katyusha was sure there were people she barely remembered - or remembered very well - who would not be hesitate to hurt the driver. A clattering sound snapped her train of thought. The woman saw her companion almost unable to dodge things that had made that sound, however, her reflexes weren't as good as his and that made her stumbled upon a large, round metal object. Losing her balance, Katyusha fell and landed on several plastic bags full of stinky garbage. "Argh!" her scream was slightly muffled due to rubbish her face landed onto. The Ukrainian quickly pushed herself up, wobbling a tad. She brushed some dust that in her clothes and the doctor's coat, wincing in pain whenever she raised her left arm too high. She carefully moved away from the trash can and garbage, leaning on the wall. Her left knee apparently had hit the can when she was falling, it hurt like hell when she tried to walk. A single tear ran down her cheek. But Katyusha wouldn't surrender easily. She was persistent in pursuing the males, and even though she couldn't follow them in her initial speed, she'd still do it.

MADE BY MINNIE OF BACK TO NEVERLAND

[Joselle]

Jeff's foot got caught in a shallow ditch, causing him to flail and stumble awkwardly a few paces forward. Straightening up with a curse on his lips, the man resumed his retreat. Ringing in his ears were the footsteps of his pursuers, their reckless but swift steps drawing nearer by the second. Beads of sweat rolled down his salted skin. His family was going to flay him whether he made it out dead or alive. He could keep running, yes--from his family and from that bastard that was tailing after him--but one of these routes were going to lead to a dead end.

And that was it.

The heel of his shoe scrapped the jagged ground and grovel when he stopped abruptly, creating a ripping sound in the air. Though his chest pounded and his fingers trembled from the run, Jeff turned around with a victorious smirk. He killed a girl. There won't be harm in two more body bags.

[Deleted]

It was surprise more than anything that caused him to suddenly grind to a halt. Surprise caused by a sort of disbelief – had that guy actually stopped running and was now facing him. Marko's stomach lurched, though it may have been from the abrupt standstill more than anything else... Although, the expression on the bus driver's face wasn't exactly a pleasant one, either. He was smirking, of all things...

He didn't dare ask why – aloud. Marko's mouth was dry by now, his breath short and uneven from the pursuit. He couldn't even form a sentence that would tell the man to stop – not that one was necessary. Instead, his eyes flickered over the driver's face; over his sly grin and the unnerving look about his countenance. It was almost like, mere moments ago, when he had before been fleeing like a coward, something had snapped in his mind; like he'd come to terms that if the girl died, he'd be responsible, and that now he had nothing left to lose. That was dangerous... Potentially.

Indeed, 'stop running' would have been the natural thing to have said. But Marko didn't. He straightened his back and caught what breath he could. “What are you doing?” He asked, in such a blunt manner that it was monotonal. The man was making things worse for himself by avoiding the police, and the appropriate phrase 'you're just going to make things harder for yourself' sprung to mind, but only after Marko had actually added to his first question, “Are you crazy?”

Another look at the man's face, however, might well have answered that for him... And as figurative as the question had been, were it true, then Marko wasn't exactly in a very advantageous position – and neither was the lady who was also on his tail.

TAGGING: Katyusha

MADE BY CYANIDE CANDY ✖

[Katyusha Chernenko]

велике спасибі The Ukrainian nurse still could hear both men's footsteps, although they were getting fainter and fainter. For a second, she considered to keep following them, but her bruised knee had been throbbing painfully. It didn't seem bad, though. Treating it with an ice pack or aloe vera gels would help, which sadly neither of them was available in her handbag. Sighing, Katyusha carefully rotated her elbow to examine her scratched elbow. Those scratches, thankfully, were rather shallow. Some dirt and stuff from the trash can had stuck on her sweaty skin. Fearing infection, Katyusha took a tissue and wiped the wounded skin thoroughly before putting bandages to the deeper cuts. Leaning on the wall, the nurse massaged her left shoulder using her uninjured hand - the overly familiar shoulder pain is back to bother her once again. She glanced on the direction where she came from. Would the policemen catch up with them soon? Or they already lost them? Katyusha was sure the driver was ready to turn himself in before the police came to the scene. He might get away if those police didn't show up soon. On the other hand, the doctor - who was his name? She didn't remember he ever introduced himself - seemed ready to punch the driver if needed. He looked strong enough to do that. A loud voice cut her thoughts. It was the doctor's voice. Worried, Katyusha forced herself to follow the voice. Her hurting knee made her start crying, but she quickly wiped her tears with her sleeve. She knew she shouldn't have move until the paramedic team came, but she wanted to help the doctor. Katyusha deliberately ignored a small voice in her mind that told her she would be useless in a fight. "Sir?" she asked once she got close to them, standing a little further from the doctor. Looking from the stance, the driver was ready to launch himself to the doctor and attack him. Katyusha raised her hands, palms facing outwards. "Please calm down, sir. We're not going to harm you."

MADE BY MINNIE OF BACK TO NEVERLAND

[Joselle]

Curling his lips, Jeffrey said nothing in response to their cries and statements. The man's outburst echoed in his head the loudest, to his mild annoyance. He was crazy, yes, but so were they for chasing after him. They were either under the pretense of bravery, or they were just being incredibly stupid. That logic made him chuckle to himself, returning the otherwise smug expression back on his face. It was in his eyes, though, that indicated that he wanted to kill them, that he was going to do anything crazy.

Yet when the sound of thunder cracked through the air, the ground trembled beneath his feet. A thick plume of smoke curled into the air from over the edges of the building tops. After a long upward gaze, he realized that one of the sky towers had exploded. A quick glance at the two and then a glance to the side. They were distracted. Pivoting his feet, the soles of his shoes grating against the dust and gravel, he took off and sprinted down the alley way. There was no immediate sound of chase. Good.

Without looking back, he maneuvered himself over bags of rubbish and sinkholes. With some quick thinking, he pushed over a few boxes so it could act as a staircase. Thereafter, he ascended to his escape and threw himself over the chain-linked fence. Heart racing, ears ringing, he paused for a moment's respite. Though he wasn't a true Lannister, he could still feel the pride that swelled within his chest.

[Deleted]

“We're not going to harm you.”

Marko didn't know about that. He didn't know whether that was avoidable – the guy was cornered and... Well, he wasn't going to stand down just because of how this man was starting to act. But he didn't make to challenge him to anything – even for Marko, that would've been a stupid move. Ten years ago or so, he'd have rushed straight into a fight and not even shown reluctance; he'd have probably knocked the guy to the ground by now, but that was then and this was now. One guy... He was just the one guy – an unarmed member of the public... He said nothing, wondering if the man was going to believe the woman's words above all else.

But the confrontation was cut short, regardless. The ground shook, suddenly. Startled, Marko snapped his head around, looking for the source of the loud bang that had resonated with the tremor. Everything was silent, and with his heart in his throat, he cast his gaze to the sky, where the city's financial buildings towered above. He was stunned, glued to the spot, fixated on the smoke with his jaw hanging lax, his mouth dry and no words of English escaping it, only a vaguely coherent comment in his native tongue, “Kakvo po dyavolite e tova?”

'What the fuck is that?'

But he knew damn well what it was – and where it had hit. That was Maximantics, of all places... And that afternoon was... Oh, hell.

He shook those thoughts out of his head, briefly. His attention was caught again, suddenly, when the bus driver made a break for it, launching himself at the fence nearby, so as to climb it. Marko stumbled forwards a bit, as if he were going to pursue him, but...

...He couldn't. His legs felt numb, his palms sweating as he balled his hands into fists and released them again, huffing through his nose. Casting his gaze back to the building above, and feeling as if he'd swallowed a ton of bricks, he inhaled that breath back in. And then, it was back to moving on impulse – he spun back around quickly and passed the blonde woman by, offering to take his coat back.

“Leave him to the police... I have to go.”

TAGGING: Katyusha

MADE BY CYANIDE CANDY ✖

[Katyusha Chernenko]

велике спасибі For a moment, it looked like the men were ready to harm each other; to kill each other. Both were mere civilians, so Katyusha doubted either of them was carrying some kind of weapon. Her eyes glanced to the bus driver, to the doctor and to the driver again. "S-sir, I think it'd be best if we--" Before she had a chance to finish her words, the ground shook. She was lucky; a nearby dumpster bin provided a support for her body before she completely fell to the ground. Far in the sky, grey smoke was rising from one of the skyscrapers. A rumbling noise was faintly heard, but she covered her ears nonetheless. The nurse's gaze instantly fixed on that tower, her heart racing faster as her brain tried to register what just happened. Loud noise. Tremor. Smoke. Explosion. There was an explosion... and maybe there were people on that building. They must be hurt and scared. They needed help. The building was within walking distance from where Katyusha was. She could reach it if she ran now. Slowly she straightened her back and took several deep breaths to calm herself down. If you're panicked, you can't help people; you're only going to make things worse. “Leave him to the police... I have to go.” The doctor faced her, one hand stretched out. The explosion had made Katyusha forgot why she was here at the first place. He said police... right, they were chasing a bus driver who was nowhere within her sight now. Did he use this chance to escape? A single tear rolled down on her cheek. She couldn't do anything to prevent it; she just failed to save him. But there were people waiting for help in that building. "R-right, sorry..." Katyusha placed his coat on the man's hand. "The p-police will catch him later, I'm s-sure. I... I need to go too." She nodded briefly to him before turning to another direction; walking as fast as she could to the burning skyscraper. She gritted her teeth. If her knee wasn't injured, she could just run. It hurts, but her determined heart wasn't letting her to dwell on her own pain. Katyusha wiped her tears, mumbling to herself. "I hope no one I know is caught in the explosion..."

MADE BY MINNIE OF BACK TO NEVERLAND