deercountry | (closed) december catchall

[ she shouldn't intervene in the first place. this was within the confines of memory, things so very dear no matter how wretched or joyous they were. memories— they're what made them who they all were. in passing, she sees him, and in an instant following facial recognition and analysis, 2B's perplexed eyes blink. daniel? only after the dressed boys speeding after him pass right through 2B, she follows after in a consistent jog that keeps all the boys in her sights.

it's harder to watch them pry him down from his escape from the fence. the android's buried temper begins to flare, bubbling into an impatient simmer that contradicts the very instinct to protect. protect. i need to protect him— but the enemy is not robotic, or beastial. they are human. it is a reality that is violent and cold, and it squeezes 2B's patience toward the truth. so she should just watch. it's already happened anyway. no, she can't just watch, she hates watching and doing nothing. she despises protocol. she wants to change things. she wants to change this.

call it a stroke of luck or even the desperation of her responsibility at last tapping into the power of her blood— one she had yet to experience and discover. ]

Stop.

[ the desire pulses like her own heart was beating; something encouraged her to step forward. she does, and with her fists tight by her side. she was not about to destroy these human boys— they're just boys. but she could not stand by again. every time the words of red flashed across her visors (COMBAT PROHIBITED AGAINST HUMANS), she remembered the red spurting from the neck of a defenseless man, and a blade driving into the side of another. robby's face replaces the man she held in her arms as he died.

the words weren't flashing. she could protect daniel. she would. she will, and now with more authoritative gruff (which was probably so wrong— towards a human? hell, she could be shut down for that. she isn't. she rebels). ]

I said stop.

[ It's very evident that she apparently does now seem to exist within this memory. Both Daniel and the skeletal group seem to have ignored 2B this entire time, even as she was clearly following them, but it's only when she speaks up that heads seem to turn.

Mostly the heads of the gang that was chasing Daniel, mind you. The latter looks a little out of it after the beating he's already gotten, just blearily blinking as one of the guys is still holding him up, perhaps even tightening his grip on Daniel a little now some unknown factor has entered the scene.

The boys mostly all seem surprised for a moment, perhaps even more so because none of them seem to recognize this girl - who looks a little odd between that hair colour and those clothes, but it is Halloween, so that part is easier for them to ignore - but then most of them seem to shrug it off, instead starting to grin. ]

And who are you? [ One of them - not Johnny, one of the skeletal figures that's harder to tell apart with their hood up - jeers, clearly not taking her seriously in any sort of way. ] His girlfriend?

Yes.

[ just.

straight up.

not that she entirely knew the whole contemporary meaning behind girlfriend beyond being female and being a friend. but 2B is blunt, both with her words, hardly mincing them, and her trailing heels that already seemed bored in their still classy walk to face the boys. ]

If you want something beaten, just look behind you.

[ 🫢 ]

[ All of this - that is, both of 2B's replies to what they're saying - seems to be very, very confusing to the boys. At least they don't back off even as she starts to approach them, but a few of them turn towards each other, confused mentions of but wasn't he flirting with Ali and replies of there's no way she's telling the truth, dumbass being passed back and forth.

.. and that's not even considering the second part of what 2B is saying, let's be real.

It's the guy who was holding up Daniel who seems to meet 2B though. He drops his hold on Daniel, which means the boy just crumbles right to the ground like a ragdoll - but Daniel still turns his head slightly upwards, like he still wants to see this, watch this, even if there's no sign of recognition in his eyes when he looks at 2B.

The guy who dropped him just walks up to 2B until he's right in front of her though, seeming to straighten himself as if to flex his height over her. ]

You should leave.

[ One of the other boys, the one who protested the further beating of Daniel, pipes up with: ] Oh, come on, Dutch! We can't fight a girl!

[ unit 2B is five feet six inches with her heels, and even if the boy has more height on her, she doesn’t seem the least bit intimidated. she isn’t the least bit moved.

she does, actually, have her voice sound more flippant, despite being tremendously stern. ]

It wouldn’t be a fight.

[ that was indeed a bit of a warning. ]

[ Any smart person would recognize it as a bit of a warning.

The boy standing in front of 2B, however? He definitely doesn't. If anything, he just laughs, like he isn't intimidated by her in the slightest either. He's even joined by the one guy who's got his hood down - Johnny Lawrence - who seems to take up the spot in front of 2B right now. Perhaps he feels the need to be the one telling her off, as the leader of the pack. ]

Listen, this worm ruined our night, so now we're going to ruin his. [ A-As if.. they didn't do the latter already.. Daniel definitely looks beaten up enough as he's lying there on the ground, barely able to keep his own head up. ] And if you don't want a part of that either, then you better leave now, or I'll make you.

[ He's probably like.. cracking his knuckles... he thinks he's very intimidating, clearly.

(To be fair - he's a tall and athletic teen, it's not like he has absolutely no reason to feel that way.) ]

I'll give you five seconds.

[ But Johnny isn't the only one speaking up. Daniel opens his mouth slowly, seeming to have trouble speaking with the amount of pain he's in, but he at least attempts to force out some words here. Not recognizing this girl, but worrying about her. Not because she's a girl, but.. well, it is five on one here.. ]

I-It's okay.. [ He croaks. ] Just.. Just go..

[ There's something about her, even if Daniel doesn't realise what.

She feels important, for some reason. ]

[ “it’s okay”? no, it’s not okay. two boys are up to the plate, now. two very confident boys, who are quite convinced they’re alphas. if 2B were the one to laugh, she would guffaw— instead, with her lips calmly pursed, she thinks to herself: this is quite laughable. ]

I’ll give you three.

[ two, one— ]

[ The boys don't seem to need three.

(Or brains, apparently, because maybe if they used those they would realise that sometimes people aren't just cocky with nothing to back it up. Sometimes a girl is just really good at fighting.)

Before the countdown is even finished, the boy standing in front of 2B that isn't Johnny is already throwing out a fist to try and punch 2B in the face - living up to the mantra they've always been taught. Strike first, strike hard, no mercy.

Johnny moves a tad later, but is fully ready to join in on his friend's attack, moving his feet to try and sweep 2B's leg. ]

Edited 2023-01-03 19:52 (UTC)

[ 2B moves her face like water would flow around stone. it’s a gentle sidestep that allows her hand, palm open, to push the boy’s hand just sideways of connection. the instant she takes a step forward, her arm has already hooked the inside of his throat. all that’s left to do is apply just enough pressure for his own weight to do the rest of the work.

the young johnny comes to sweep at her legs, to which— she literally stands there to take the brunt of force. it shouldn’t be anything for her, she weighs over half a ton. but johnny . . . poor johnny might feel as if he’s just struck a sturdy metal pole. ]

[ Apparently some boys have made a few miscalculations here.

Because neither of them see this coming. The one 2B is actively dealing with is easily thrown to the ground by her overwhelming force, while Johnny.. mostly just seems to have hurt himself, though he looks entirely confused as to why while he grabs desperately at his foot. The remaining boys approach 2B, though their movements are desperate, like they're just trying to get a hit in anywhere at this point. Someone - Johnny, perhaps? - screams that this isn't normal, she's not human, and it just makes the other boys more frantic in their attempts to try and tackle her.

Daniel, in the meantime, seems to have managed to at least drag himself up into a seated position, even though he looks incredibly pained and sore. He slowly drags his body backwards until it's resting against the fence, knowing that he can't further distance himself from what's going on than that - and hoping that it's enough, since he looks pretty nervous about what's going on here as well. ]

[ oh, come on. just because a girl could kick ass she isn't human?

(Ironically, they're right on this one.)

2B slips away effortlessly and they're the ones that either fall flat on their backs or their faces. one is thrown into an actual spin before he hits the ground. at last, a punch, and 2B threatens her own in a deadly angle— that stops inches from their painted faces, with the blow of momentum a burst of air past their cheeks. ]

Walk away.

[ Despite the fact that all of them have tumbled onto their face at least once at this point, there's at least one or two of the boys that don't seem ready to give up - Johnny himself included.

But a few more are looking hesitant, and one outright tells the others it's not worth it, grabs one of the more stubborn ones by the arm, starting to drag him off. It takes a few moments, and a bit of arguing, but then the boys finally let themselves be convinced enough to give up on this one for now, making a quick retreat. Spooky scary skeleton boys running away into the night together.

Which leaves 2B.

And Daniel. The younger Daniel, who is still sitting there in that position, though he looks like he mostly only manages to keep himself half up by leaning his back against the chainlink fence. His lip is cut, and there's a red area near his eye that's sure to form a bruise later on - to not even speak of how many there may be elsewhere.

But he is conscious, and he's looking right at 2B. There's a complicated look in his eyes. Perhaps some nerves, because she sure seems intimidating, but on the other hand.. she did chase away Johnny and his Cobra Kai posse.

And with Daniel being Daniel, the idea not saying anything about that feels awful. He forces himself to speak, even though it feels like his throat is full of spikes. ]

.. thank you. [ It even sounds like his throat is full of spikes, his voice all scratchy, but the boy's gaze doesn't leave her, still staring at her. ]

(closed) december catchall

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