Laverna had slipped out of as Satine about twenty minutes ago. She was tired of being ignored, overlooked, and made a fool of.
A quick change of costume and the Dark Mirror Senshi was...free.
Flipping through the city, Laverna was in heaven on the chill of the night. It gave her a rush that made her already twisted smile even darker.
Launching herself off the side of a three story building, Laverna let herself fall, almost swam dive like towards the ground only to reach out and grab the light post at the last moment. Under the force of her fall, the post screamed but she used it to spin around as part of a bar routine before dismounting with a flip.
One step at the end had her curse. “Should have nailed that.” Laverna sighed glaring up at the now slightly angled light. “Oh well!”
It was then she noticed something she should have awhile back. She was not alone.
“Enjoy the show?”
---
Nether Wallop had, admittedly, flinched, when he saw someone swan dive off a building. It might, he reasoned, not be the most terrible thing he had ever seen, but it would have ranked pretty damn high on the awful count never the less, though as she’d landed, that was when he’d noticed the unusual feeling she gave off, and to a lesser degree, recognized it. Well… recognized was maybe a strong word… but still. It was giving him a little dark-alley dejavu.
Still his best weapon was his mouth in his own estimation, not the crook. He'd have to rely on it.
“Sorry was I supposed to clap? Wasn't sure if it was golf tournament rules or something. Did I miss a judge table?” He looked around them, or gave a show of it anyway, though not for long.
“It was a nice showing but I hope you're not waiting for me to repeat it. I did not come out tonight for a acrobatics fight. I mean I might be able to pull off a Peter Quill dance off but…”
----
His words made Laverna’s brow arch. The lower half of her face was still covered with her cloth mask as he seemed less than interested in anything she had just done. Insulting was just a little bit of how she felt.
“Unless you tell me you can do the same thing, then would have been welcomed.” Laverna finally spoke, arms crossing under her chest. Slowly, she walked from her landing point towards him, eyes clearly scanning up and down his body. “No offence, shepard, but Peter Quill at least had better attire for those moves. Not to mention a better soundtrack.”
As she walked a 360 around him, Laverna felt herself smile under that mask. “Unless you are hiding some decent old songs on you.”
---
“Yeah well I’d show you my play list but some other girl in black filched my ipod.” He spread his hands in a ‘whatcha gonna do’ gesture. “I maintain I had a sweet playlist but alas… Still not sweet enough to level up my skills at judging super powered gymnastics. I mean we’re on a whole ‘nother level here. I’ve rather lost my gauge of ‘that was a five’ versus ‘that was a straight ten’, so the best you get right now is “Well I couldn’t do that, cool beans.” … At least you can plant the beans.” He added, jokingly. “I don’t even get the accompanying sheep.”
--
Laverna couldn’t help but giggle. “You talk alot. Nervous of little me?” Walking towards him, she held up both her hands and showed him they were empty. “I don’t bite…” But her eyes played it off as a ‘yet’.
“So Shepard Boy, how did you lose your playlist? Should still be on your computer if you had an iPod. Unless you have been stealing music and well…” Laverna now gave him a small bow. “That’s my job. Sailor Laverna, Dark Mirror Senshi of Thieves.”
Picking her head back up, she let her eyes show the pout. “Shame about the sheep though. Guess I’ll have to go find Mary and see about a lamb then since you have been picked clean.”
---
“Lack of a new Ipod, besides which, even if this thing came with a nice sporty Sporan, someone would probably mace me for trying to find my keys. Placement is everything.” He flashed a tight lipped smile and shifted the crook slightly, the end out as sort of a warding ‘barrier’ to keep her just a little past arms length.
Dark Mirror huh?
“Very Alice in Wonderland…” He added, fingers fidgeting on the wood. “So not… Negaverse?”
He tried to remember if Mercy had mentioned these guys, and if they had anything else in common past the slimming black, but he was drawing a blank. An uncomfortable one, and his sense of her aura didn’t help. It wasn’t like that weird sensation when that other girl had jumped Lucas in the alley, but…
But it wasn’t reassuring either, and he felt as though he should sprint like a cat that found itself on the greyhound track.
“...Nether Wallop. Page of ...Earth I guess.”
---
Aw, he was playing hard to get. Cute. But a big stick didn’t scare Laverna. Especially because the look on his face made her feel even more daring.
“Correct Mr. Page.” With a wink of the blue eyes, she reached out a hand and touched his staff. Running her fingers along the wood, she caught his eyes. “I am not part of crazy world they call home nor do I serve...whatever their leader is.” Her hand pulled back from the staff and as if she suddenly had too much energy, she spun in a circle on her toe. “I serve our leader, Prince Remarque of the Dark Mirror Court. We do not answer to the beck and call of agents nor to the White Moon Queen.”
Stopping her spin, she gazed towards Nether and cocked her head. “So don’t worry your pretty little head. I’m not going to kill ya.”
---
“Well that’s a relief… I’ve been as close to that as I care to be for a while and it was pretty damn boring.”
Boring wasn’t the half of it, but it sounded more flippant than ‘exhausting, traumatizing, and still playing his nerves like a violin’.
He thought also about warning her off from potential splinters, but he wasn’t dumb enough to think she was that worried about that when she’d started playing with his… stick.
“So what, in your words… do you exactly do? I didn’t hear about you when someone gave me a short briefing on this bullshit.”
She was attractive anyway, at least as far as he could tell with the mask, but then again, promises aside, last time his best friend had had used that as a guide she’d manhandled his plumbob and nearly killed him.
---
A finger came up to where her mouth would appear to have been. “That is the true question. While we do collect energy, mostly as a means to keep the Negabadies from attacking us, we don’t play by their rules. We also don’t go around beating everyone up for shits and giggles.”
Laverna shrugged at that and looked up now, towards the endless sky. “We walk in the world of mirrors. A sort of alternate image to what the other senshi are. Prince Remarque searches for more answers but overall, we have a freedom none of the others do.” However space was not theirs to take. A shame. For now.
Lifting her hand, she not pointed up. “That is our goal. To leave this place and the silly war behind and return to the greatness we once were. To be free of the chains that bind us here. And not have to worry that if we don’t meet an energy quota that our families might die. Though I am tempted to test that theory…”
----
“Which one, the family one or the being free one?” He gave a slightly wry snort at the idea, thinking of the times he’d thought about his own family being gone, his father at least. “I mean one of those has to be the goal of teenagers across the globe. And a bunch of younger kids. That right up there with ‘these aren’t actually my parents, my real parents are super rich rock stars who will show up and whisk me away and fulfil my every whim in apology for leaving me with these mundane idiots.”
He raised a hand and made a sweeping gesture like a director envisioning the shot.
“...Then we grow up and turn into the mundane idiots. … Usually. Apparently some of us actually grow up to the magical bullshit and then we’re duly horrified to find out that the dragon does in fact have teeth and no it doesn’t want to be our friend.”
“So explain to this mundane plod from planet earth how this works? Are you like actually an fosterling from an alien planet and you’re waiting to get your travel papers? Because you look … pretty normal to me. I mean I’m assuming you’re not wearing the mask because you’re hiding some alarming alien physiology. It’s way more fun wondering if the lips match the hair streaks. But then again the ninja mask thing might put to the test even the staunchest no-smudge makeup.”
---
His words made Laverna’s eyes close and she dropped her head back towards the ground. “So what do the kids do that have the super rich parents who decided Cinderella was a great roll model?” Those piercing blue eyes shot open again and she shot a hard dark look towards him. That was clearly a VERY sore subject that if he wished to continue down, she would gladly show him how much she disliked it.
“But if you must know, no, I’m not ET and I’m not phoning home.” She once more walked towards him, ignoring all signs of discomfort he may have been projecting. “Nor am I an alien come here to put eggs in your body and let you carry my young.” Her hand reached up to the edge of the mask she wore and she debated removing it only to stop. He had not earned that yet. “I’m a plod like you Shepard. But it makes me wonder how strong your memory is. My powers are drawn from thieves. What do most thieves wear?”
With one finger, she reached out and poked his chest. “Because if you can see a thief's face, it makes finding them a little too easy. And where is the fun then? Half of the pleasure is in the hunt and chase more so than the catch.”
---
“Cute but my best friend couldn’t recognize me in a strip of tartan and floppy boots.” Wallop argued. “But hey if you got the same say I did I can’t poke too much. And my father’s only pretty much middle class so you’ve got me on that one. What do they hope for? A suburban yard? A farm?” He got the feeling she’d given him a brief glimpse behind a more metaphorical mask, but wasn’t sure. “...Flock of chickens? I recommend easter eggers. Not the easiest birds but they’re still novel enough to freak out the neighbors with pastel eggs at all seasons.”
“Fairy tales are bastards anyway. ******** that s**t. Although I guess if you went with some of the earlier versions squirrel skin might make for some nice sneaking wear. But if you see a guy talking about forty thieves kick him in the nuts, he’s a jerk and he’ll take all the credit and not do any of the work.”
----
Now it was Laverna’s turn to look...befuddled. “Are you always this articulate or am I just lucky?” Her arms crossed under her chest and she leaned back ever so slightly. Some of what he had said, she had to admit she was struggling to follow but still, she was rather...amused.
“Because you aren’t like the others I have met. Straight laced and to the point. They are always so….boring…” Rolling her eyes and shoulders, Laverna turned so her back was towards him and she fell back. She was either going to land against him or hit the ground. That was the fun. No one knew!
“You have a mouth on you. I like that.” But either way, she reached out to once more grab his staff with one hand keeping her from going all the way back. “But Fairy Tales are just that. There is no magic dragon at the end of the long journey. There is no prince...or princess charming waiting to whisk you off to happily ever after. I like the true stories better. The stories were there weren’t always happy endings. Where the hero didn’t always come out on top. Because who said you get to be the hero?”
---
“Oh I can be to the point but that tends to require there being something worth poking with it. This is the special edition ‘what the ******** am I doing out here with a stupid ancient tool of animal-husbandry and an apparent death wish’ Wallop.”
He’d almost, almost said Kidder, but didn’t think he’d slipped in even an accidental syllable. Referring to himself in other terms was still… strange. Almost as alien as referring to himself by his first name. Or more dreadfully, by the shortened version of it. He hated ‘Mike’.
Normally he would have just stepped aside and let her drop, because unexpected trust falls seemed to merit that, but he had the feeling he’d end up on his own butt if he did, and reached out to put an arm out to keep her upright.
“Bad guys think they’re the hero anyway right? Isn’t planning to go to space something of a fairy tale ending though? I mean… what’s out there to find?”
---
Now leaning into his arm, Laverna turned her eyes up at him and there was no guessing she was smiling. Oh she had expected him to let her drop and would have put him on his a** just for the fun of it. So while there was a small disappointment there, she was still enjoying the view.
One hand came up to her chest, over her heart. “It’s where these are from. Mine…” And her hand moved over to his. “And yours. Though…” Her hand dropped. “Since you are from Earth, you may be one of the few who have never left this land. I don’t know how that part works. Will have to ask Remy.” She chuckled, now moving out of his hold. “It makes more sense for Senshi really. We draw our powers from worlds outside of this one. So annoying being stuck here.”
With an exaggerated sigh, she put her hands behind her back, turned and leaned closer to him with a bend at the waste. “And let’s be honest, the victor writes this history books. So of course they believe themselves the heroes. The Negabrats say they are. The White moons says it's them.” With another shrug, she rolled her eyes. “Frankly, I don’t care. Let them fight it out who gets to write the books. Rather boring.”
---
“What, the plumbob bullshit?” He asked. “Sorry… ‘starseed’.” He added air quotes with an air of open disdain. “...It’s like bad fanfic, ‘by the way your -******** soul- looks like something from a video game. Enjoy drowning sims NOW sucker!” He waved it off, leaning on his staff and sighed. “I mean not that I got the point of that anyway, or the game… but ew. Also gross on the Negabrats. I mean of course they do but what the ********, are they supposed to be Peta? “We’re the good guys let's -randomly try and murder people- to show how awesomely cool and loving we are? I mean I’ve only met like, one white mooner but she at least knew the cliff notes on this bullshit and didn’t try and kill me for sitting on a bench.”
He paused, absently patting for cigarettes that were in his other clothes and snorted in irritation, adding. “Sorry, sore point. Not that you seem to like them much either but damn… I was totally ok not knowing more about this crap than I saw on the news.”
---
Blue eyes went wide and then narrowed as she watched him. “Someone had a nasty run in it seems.” Leaning back up, she put one hand around her waist and used it to hold up the other hand she leaned her chin on. “But let’s be real here Shepard, do you think any of us go ‘looking’ for this?” Okay, so when the offer was made to her, she did jump on it. Anything was better than her normal life. But she didn’t seek it out…
“I have no idea how your power works, or even what the reason is for people like you but have you tried not powering up?” It was of handed but still…”If you don’t want to do it, don’t do it. No one said you had to pick up the stick and put on the fur. Though you do look good in it.”
“I’m sure you look better out.” Chuckling, she threw that in there with a soft shrug. “But you don’t want to be part of it, walk away Nether Wallop. Or, make your own path. Heck, no one will ever know who you are day to day so long as you don’t tell. So you could go rob a bank if you wanted.”
---
“Promised a friend I’d give it a shot before I built a bunker under the house and never came out again.” He sighed. “Mostly because another one of the Plumbob PETA crew tried to kill my friend not too far out from me recovering. I don’t have too many of those, so I take it a little personally.” He admitted, then gave her a crooked grin.
“And I don’t know how I stack up look wise but hey I like to think I have some traits that make up for a truly abysmal personality. And I’d probably get shot so… I’ll skip the bank robbery. That’s all you, Senshi of Thieves. Just watch out for marked bills.”
“Someone’s out there looking for it, or someone’s benefiting from it, that's how this kinda crap works. Someone’s perched up there benefiting from people getting hurt and who knows if it even matters what side they’re on.”
----
“Well you do have a big stick if that counts for anything.” Laverna added with a smile but shook her head to the rest. “I don’t need to rob a bank. I would rather...well…”
Holding her hands out in front of her, she looked as if she was holding something. “Divest Some.” She called out. To her hands appeared a small black bag. In the next moment, his crook began to glow before disappearing, a trail of it slipping into her as she closed the opening.
“Steal magical items.” Laverna smirked as she held up the bag for show.
---
Wallop’s jaw dropped for a second, then he shut it again with an snap, the corner of his mouth turning up on one side even while he frowned at the bag.
“Well ain’t that a nifty trick. Congratulations. Let’s tell the lady what she won!” He did his best dramatic game show host voice, gesturing at the bag as he continued.
“You have won…. A Shepherd's crook! It’s so old and crappy you’ll probably get splinters just looking at it, and the first actual sheep it encounters will shatter it into kindling. Prep your barbeques ladies and gents because that or hanging it on the wall like a hipster trying to get in touch with their inner farmer are literally it’s only viable qualities! But hey in a pinch you might get through a game of pool!”
The last he added thinking of prodding at the blonde girl who’d grabbed Lucas’s starseed. Rack’ em up. HA. ...Rack. OK that was terrible, he could do better than that.
“OK but seriously I think I need that. Nice trick though.”
---
“Why?” Laverna asked, a playful look on her face as she watched his face. “Didn’t you just say that you didn’t want to do this? That the only reason you were out here was because you told a friend you would ‘try’ it?” Even as she spoke, Laverna was mentally counting. She knew her attack had a limit and that limit would come quick. Still, she could have a bit of fun while she waited.
“So I just made it easier for you to walk away. You tried it. Didn’t like it. So…” With a shrug, she threw the bag up and it disappeared. “Stop worrying.”
---
“ OK so … follow this logic with me as you’ve presented it. You prefer to steal magical items. You stole my crook… ergo… crook… has magic I just can’t use it yet?” He raised an eyebrow, trying not to answer the ‘just quit’ bit. God it was tempting. It was. But he couldn’t not hear Mercy either.
“See NOW I’m curious. What would you do if I just said ‘******** it, keep the stick’? Which doesn’t seem to do anything to the rest of this magical bullshit but… What… exactly… would you do? Who benefits from me taking my ball and going home? I mean sure I’ve got a problem with the negaverse, I’d have a problem with a drunk driver if they were responsible for what happened. I do have a problem with drunk drivers, but none of them related to, apparently… the earth itself handing me an out moded animal husbandry tool, in a fashion just shy of watery tart’s in a lake. So sell me on this one LeFay. Tell me why, aside from it being easier…. I say ******** it, keep discount mart Excalibur? Gimme your best sales pitch, Cinderellie.”
--
Laverna’s eyes widened and then she laughed. A rich, hard laugh as she listened to him. “Shepherd boy, I don’t give a rat’s...well...behind...if you stay or go. You deciding to stay and fight is your own choice. Be a shame to see you killed but hell, it’s your skin, not mine.”
And if her count was right.
“Now hold out your hand.” She said as the crook reappeared to its owner.
“I find you very amusing so it would be a shame to see you dead somewhere but I as I said, not my problem.”
---
“Well I guess I’ll just have to master a soft shoe routine to go with the stick.” He joked, and did his best version of a couple steps of the same. “Because Lady I have seen what you can do and there is no way we’d be having this conversation if I thought you could follow me home.”
He did a little spin and threw his arms out like an performer finishing his routine.
“I mean mean something’s going to kill me. Even if I never use powers again, someone could yank out my soul again… I could get hit by a car… I could get lung cancer from smoking too damn much… for all I know I could get mauled by a rogue parrot., but none of those things let me feel quite as… strong… as this does. Which is a scary a** dangerous little trick isn’t it? You’re smart, what’s the other thing you can think of that makes you feel -really damn good- and is also -really damn dangerous-?”
He actually hadn’t thought of it until he was talking to her, but he felt like he’d stepped to the edge of a very deep precipice, looked down, and saw Mary’s pale face staring back.
“But hey, you could quit. But I don’t think you will. You’re -hooked- aren’t you?”
---
Grinning, Laverna finally reached up and did something she never did: she pulled her mask down and showed him her large smile. “Shepard, I’ve been hooked since the moment I was allowed to walk through the mirror and take my place in this wild world. I am stronger, faster, more powerful than I ever thought possible. Not to mention…”
With more ease and grace than most, she limbered into a backbend that resulted in a full split on the ground. Leaning forward, her elbows on the ground, she looked towards him. “I finally can put to use my limber body for more than perfect tens.”
“But now, I think you are starting to realize there are perks to this. Yes my handsome shepherd. You could die. A meteor could appear from space and land on your head. Your heart could stop or even a raccoon could come out of the garbage and bite your balls off. But with this, you are stronger. You have the ability to surpass so many if only you just take it.” Leaning up at the waist, she snapped her legs together and rolled into a kip. Back on her feet, she came towards him. “The question is what will you do with that strength. A side show? Come on now. You have too much potential to be second best.”
----
“Ha… I guess she wasn’t kidding. It really does sound like a war.” He mused, absently, chuckling “Be all you can be.” under his breath to himself. Man… Mercy wasn’t kidding huh? “So yeah I b***h a lot but it’s been a crazy a** ride. Though I guess props to this rollercoaster because damn girl you are a ten.”
OK so he wasn’t above flirting with someone who could kill him. At least he knew the risks. As long as Lucas didn’t catch him at this though. He’d never let him live it down. If he lived. “But I’m not sure I’m ready to try for the gold in.. whatever this is though.”
---
With a smile that said she knew how lovely she was, Laverna leaned forward and poked into his right shoulder. “Then get ready Shepard. You have a long way to go but if you don’t start now, you will be riding second for all eternity.”
Her wrist flicked and she moved her hand to his face. It was a soft touch, sensual and sweet. “One night you may meet someone who wants to kill you. You need to be ready for that. I don’t think you will make a good wall decoration. Though you might look good on my floor.”
“Oh, and don’t worry.” Her gentle touch became a sort of light tap. “I’m not going to kill ya.”
---
“Well I’ll take that as a plus… though I hear there are worse things… “ He wasn’t sure he’d ever thought about whether or not people considered him to be ‘riding second’ or ‘sidekick’... though then again… he sort of mentally put himself in that role.
“It’s not so bad…” He smiled a little under her hand. “Side characters get all the love these days, haven’t you been on tumblr or fanfiction sites? Besides someone has to play fling to the lovely lead.”
--
Those words brought a light smile to her face and she leaned in and lightly kissed his lips. “You are sweet. And just enough of a jack a** to make it fun. I like you.” As she stepped back, she shrugged lightly. “Be careful though of getting to comfortable as a side kick. You realize they can be replaced. Let’s see...how many side kicks did Batman go through? Oh or better yet, how many companions did the Doctor go through? Sadly not all side kicks can be Dr. Watson to a Sherlock Holmes.”
“Though let’s be frank…” She did sigh and look off. “Not many people can put up with that always logical mind set either. It gets droll so fast.”
---
“I appreciate the smart but he wouldn’t work as well outside of fiction, too much assumption based on the available facts. But hey Elementary isn’t too bad. I didn’t think I’d like it but hey, guess sometimes things surprise you in a good way.”
He had to admit he was more surprised when things turned out pleasantly than not, was that too cynical? “But I’d be a pretty poor knock off Deadpool too, and I don’t know how many other snarky heros come to mind. Well. Green Arrow maybe but even he’s got me beat on the arsenal. Though I’m not sure if that would make you Black Canary… She’s out of his league too but that’s never stopped them either…”
He could consider getting used to it though, if he got kissed again. She was a pretty thing, and he liked her attitude, and the way her kiss hit the right sort of buttons to make his toes want to curl in those idiot too soft shoes.
“So if I work on -not- being Robin, will I be seeing you around?”
--
With a twist of a smile over her face, Laverna locked her fingers behind her back and leaned forward slightly. “I make no promises. Just don’t go becoming Superman on a girl now. After all, then I would have to find your kryptonite and I just don’t feel like getting my hands dirty.”
Standing back up then, the senshi just shrugged. “Also he may be the most boring superhero out there. Or Green Hornet but for completely different reasons...but they both somehow got a girl. Crazy women. No taste…”
Fingers coming to her lips, she kissed them before moving against him and placing the same ones against his own. “But I think you could entice me. Or at least...peak my interest enough to give you a second date. Afraid of heights?”
---
“I like birds…those things tend to contradict. I’m fine with heights… Also… male writers. I think. It’s probably a safe assumption anyway. I mean the -history- of Superman is neat but he’s sort of gotten a bit away from that these days it feels like… and you don’t really need the Comic Book Guy lecture and I don’t feel like doing the accent. I mean I could rock it but I don’t have a pillow to stuff inside my tunic either.”
He gave her fingers a light kiss when she touched them to his lips, though he knew he was rambling again. Lucas’ fault. He kept seeing Mary in everyone’s face, and that was just bad for everyone. “Nah I’d go for someone more obscure, like the Question. Cause man, lately I feel like I’m made of them.”
---
For a split second, Laverna stood there blinking with confusion on her face. Then she started to laugh. “You know what Shepard. You got me.” She was grinning from ear to ear as she shook out her hair from the hood. “I don’t know who the Question is but I will by the time we meet again cutie.” She pulled her hands back from his lips and pressed them to her own, putting some distance between them as she pulled her mask back into place.
“My Wraith and I have some work to do. Otherwise my prince won’t be happy so I must bid you a good night. Come find me if you ever get bored”
---
Sirene Naiads
