video;

[concitus]

[ Pietro Maximoff stands on the opposite side of the table from Kenneth and crew, his shirt punctured with multiple bullet holes, all bloodied. His forehead is bleeding slowly, and his white-blond hair disheveled, sweaty, and dirty. His eyebrows are lifted in challenge as he looks back at them.

Suddenly, after several long moments of silence, he cracks his neck and then, without warning, he disappears in a blue blur. A few seconds later, he stops again, his expression the same, but his captors tied to their chairs with their ties, belts, and available electrical cords he'd found in the room.

When he speaks, it's with a heavy central European accent. ]

Say again, now. The truth this time. Where is here, how am I here, and where is my sister? I give you thirty seconds to answer. If no answer after that...

[ He gives a casual facial shrug and cocks his eyebrows almost menacingly. ]

Maybe I kill you; maybe I leave. Do you feel lucky today to gamble this?

Comments

[deadashale]

Jesus - hey!

[Laura raises her voice to get the man's attention.]

Have you ever heard the phrase don't shoot the messenger? They are not lying to you as crazy as this all sounds, and I know it sounds crazy. You don't have to hurt anyone to get the answers, in fact, I'll come to the office and personally talk you through anything you want to know, just don't hurt those guys - they're not the best welcome wagon but they're innocent - they didn't bring you here, they haven't done anything with your sister, and they're not lying.

[Laura, basically, is already walking out the door, keys jingling as shoves them into her pocket.]

My name is Laura and I came through the portal like you did - and I've been here for quite a while I'm pretty qualified to give you the laydown - as long as you're not looking for the scientific side of things. What do you say?

[concitus]

[ Pietro lifts an eyebrow and looks around for the source of the female voice, taking a couple of seconds before finding the beautiful woman on the device from whence it came. ]

Do I look like I was in any position to come through anything, hezký?

[ He stands a little straighter and holds his arms out so his full bullet-riddled torso is visible. ]

You want me to wait for pretty lady to come here to tell me same thing? I could do that.

[ Especially since he'd been bluffing anyway. ]

[deadashale]

Some of us aren't - I wasn't. I'd been ripped to shreds and was dead before I came through. That's what this portal does - it's supposed to bring in people who wants a second chance, but it's... misfiring, or something.

[Laura takes the stairs at a quick clip, skipping several along the way fairly graceful all things considered.]

We have people working on it, but if you give me a few minutes I'll be there and we can talk it out you and me and we can untie the desk jockeys turned welcome wagons, sound like a deal?

[Laura steps out into the Lobby and beelines for the front door only half looking between her device and where she's going - figuring if she gets him to agree she'll beeline it for the DoDS next.]

[concitus]

[ That gets Pietro's attention. ]

I didn't say I want to leave here. I want to understand and it sounded like lies; fairytale things. I did not die fighting with Avengers to protect my country's people for nothing. I was willing, I sacrifice myself, so I want to keep second chance if that is what this is.

[ Lifting an eyebrow, he looks over his shoulder at the men strapped to their chairs briefly before looking back at the camera and shaking his head, nose wrinkled with disinterest. ]

How about I not kill them, I talk to you, they stay tied to chair and learn to better compassion for guests, 'uh?

[deadashale]

I can give you the laymen's version of what's going on here and what all of this is, but if you want a more scientific breakdown I'll have to point out toward Five, Peter, or Lydia. It's not a fairytale, though. I can definitely tell you that much.

[Laura gives a facial shrug.]

I'm nothing if not willing to compromise - we either have someone or one of us unties them afterward. I really need to talk to someone about putting one of the displaced supers in charge of welcoming new arrivals this is getting ridiculous.

[Laura shakes her head, hotfooting it down the street.]

[concitus]

[ A dismissive sound escapes him and he waves a hand in the same tone. ]

That sounds like Tony Stark stuff, I won't understand it anyway.

[ He shrugs. ]

I don't care what happens to them once I leave this building, Hezký. I can agree to that.

[deadashale]

Yeah he was here at one point - Peter's kind of his protege, basically, but he's gone gone for a while and wasn't here for the final push to get the portal working right.

[Laura shrugs - realizing that this guy sounds like he might be from Tony and Peter's world but based off of the gunshots that massacred that shirt she's pretty sure he was done.]

Deal. What does that mean? Hezký?

[canitestout]

Hol-ly shit - and I thought me shoving Kenny across the room was a bit much.

[Alice stares in shock, eyes wide and jaw half hanging open.]

Maybe don't kill people, though - even if this whole kidnapping thing is crazy murder bad, mkayyyy?

[concitus]

[ The shock on her face makes Pietro smile a little, cocking his eyebrows smugly. ]

Oh, you didn't that see that coming, 'uh?

I will wait and see what Laura has to say before I make decision.

[ He shrugs, but the smile doesn't fall away. If she is especially clever, she might notice that he's all bravado and that's about it. ]

[canitestout]

I don't know who Laura is but if she's someone from here they seem to understand this crazy stuff more than me. I just got here a few days ago.

[Alice shrugs.]

And I shoved that dude - the one you tied up with his own belt into the corner and broke a chair. They're not very good at their job.

[concitus]

You believe this nonsense they spin?

[ This sounds and looks less like a challenge and more like a sincere interest. ]

[canitestout]

I wouldn't if my brother weren't here before me having drank the koolaid, fully bought in, and reassuring me that this isn't a crock of shit.

[Alice shrugs.]

[concitus]

I don't know what you mean by koolaid, but it you don't worry he has been compromised?

[littleducktails]

Are you still bleeding out, or do you feel woozy or lightheaded, sir?

[Prim asks - a bit of a shift happening in her normal demeanor. She might normally be much more worried about the tied up DoDS agents, but the man looks like he's got...a lot of bullet holes in him.

And he shouldn't be standing if he is still bleeding at all.]

Usually, people are healed when they come through, but if you aren't I'll come there quickly to heal you...

[Prim looks worried - in earnest and doesn't try to hide it.]

[concitus]

[ Seeing genuine concern on a complete stranger's face, especially one so young, knocks the cockiness right out of him. ]

Oh...no, malý miláček. It's just the shirt. Thank you. You don't worry that pretty head about me, okay?

[ He offers her a small smile. ]

[littleducktails]

What does that mean - maly milacek?

[The words are foreign to Prim so she flushes a bit as she tries to repeat them, offering a small apologetic look.]

Sorry - I'm not familiar with your accent or the words.

[Prim reaches up to tuck some hair behind her ear.]

So you were shot - one, two...at least five times wherever it is you came from - sometimes they will scar and others they'll be healed completely, you might want to check and if you do feel faint or anything juice or something sugary and reach out to me. My name's Prim... welcome to Eglaf - and if I can do anything to help please let me know?

[Prim offers him a small smile.]

[concitus]

[ His smile broadens a little at her American-sounding attempt at the Sokovian term of endearment. He repeats it slower for her so she can echo the pronunciation properly. ]

Malý miláček. I believe it might translate to little darling or something in that realm in English. English is not my first language, so my apologies. It is Sokovian.

[ He nods. ]

Prim, that is pretty name. I am Pietro. I will be all right, but I will let you know if I need anything.

[littleducktails]

[Prim repeats the words and gives a small nod because they don't sound quite as butchered.]

That's sweet - and it's okay. I don't think your English is bad at all - and it's not easy to learn a second language from what I hear.

[Prim smiles.]

Thank you and it's nice to meet you - you should eat too, soon, just in case. The portal has been acting up so we don't know if it fully restored you like it did with me and some of the others when you were brought back.

[concitus]

[ He huffs a laugh. ]

English is not easy language to learn and I know mine is broken, but it is good to know that it isn't terrible.

[ As if on cue, he can feel and hear his stomach rumble a little. ]

My metabolism is so much faster...I am always hungry, Prim.

[ His expression shifts suddenly when he belatedly processes what she said. ]

What do you mean with you? Tell me you did not come here the way I did, malý miláček, you are so young...

[ Not that Pietro is much older, at only twenty-six. ]

[freezerburning]

Here is a little place called Eglaf, Florida. Never heard of it? Yeah, I hadn't either.

[ she should be more alarmed at the fact that he's got people bound and waiting for some kind of punishment, but to say she hadn't scuffled with the same people would be an understatement. so she squints the video with a dull sort of interest. ]

And you're not going to kill anyone - you're on video, by the way. Not sure if you knew that. [ a single shrug and she cracks her own neck, not dissimilar from the way he'd done his own. ]

They didn't bring you here, and it's pretty fucked up to think we're just here because of random science bullshit but yeah, that's why we're here apparently.

[concitus]

I haven't heard of nearly any place in America, Krásná. So that is no surprise.

[ Her lack of urgency in her response is of interest to Pietro; its's aloof. He likes aloof, because it means confidence, in his experience. ]

I might. I might not. Nobody could catch me if I did, video or no. Why are we here, then?

[freezerburning]

What did you call me?

[ there's a slight narrowing of her eyes, and her mouth pulls to one side in a smirk. ]

I could catch you. But why we're here? I don't know, but the thing that brought us here is broken, so we can't go back.

[concitus]

Krásná?

[ He smiles, shrugging. ]

It is compliment in Sokovian.

[ The smile shifts into a self-satisfied smirk and he shakes his head. ]

I don't think you could. You could try, but you would fail. I cannot go back anyway. [ Pietro gestures to the state of his clothes riddled with bullets and covered in blood. ] I would have nowhere to go but the afterlife. Though perhaps that would at least afford me rest, no?

[freezerburning]

Huh.

[ his accent is nice, even if she has no clue where Sokovia is. either way, she accepts the word as a compliment for now, though with begrudging suspicion. she raises a brow at him, eyeing the bloodied shirt and the holes. ]

I could catch you, I think. I'd make a bet but this place doesn't even give you money after it pulls you in.

[ a shrug of one shoulder. ] I know someone else who died that's here. She seems to like it. I mean, living here. Not, um. Dying.

[concitus]

[ His eyebrows lift. ]

I promise, you would not. But I am interested to know why you think you could.

[ Pietro huffs a cynical laugh, shrugging. ]

I cannot remember the last time I had money. I wouldn't know what to do with it. You are probably right.

[ He nods, thinking of his conversation with Prim. ]

Little blonde girl? Yes, so she's said.

[ Smirking a little, a laugh exhales from his nostrils. ]

I knew what you meant. I can't say I recommend dying. I personally did not enjoy it much.