1x1 | Consulting_Angel & tanthamore

[Consulting_Angel]

Cassian Bellamy
"I'll have you know I'm genuinely
self-centered and deeply shallow!"

Cassian rather hoped that they'd get to the security room, if there was one, before Mardochaos, but he also doubted that they'd be there first. After all, if he had his own working security system, he'd also want to be watching it as much as he could. Especially within a 'working' factory. One thing he also noticed was that, aside from the machinery moving again, it seemed to be in worse condition than it had been when he was last here - though that was several years ago now.

"Maybe it's just to see if he could get it working. No real reason." Cassian suggested, as he found a set of rusted metal stairs that led up to a walkway higher up. Maybe there'd be a better view up there, Cassian thought, and hesitantly made his way up, a little uncertain whether the steps would hold - but they did remarkably well. Now that he could see more of the factory floor than he had at ground level, he took his time to observe the area, looking for a door, or perhaps other flights of stairs. Spotting a room with large, grime-covered windows on the same level he was at, Cassian wandered over, using his foot on the door again and stepped into an office room that was likely used to oversee the factory floor. As he did so, a large spider descended from the ceiling, right in front of Cassian's face - to which he yelped and flailed for a few moments before batting it away, where it landed dazed and scuttled off behind a computer. There was nothing else of note in the room, so Cassian quickly left it.

[sapphic psychic]

𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐡𝐚𝐤𝐭𝐚
currently coughing up a hairball ✧ total wc ; 363
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Naveen caught sight of Cassian ascending a set of metal stairs. He held his breath, waiting to see it fall, but surprisingly, it didn't. Huh. That gave Naveen the courage to quickly follow after his partner, taking the steps two at a time because even though he knew that Cassian had done it and was unscathed, that didn't mean he wouldn't fall to his death. Naveen followed Cassian towards the walkway, but lingered for a moment as the other man wandered away. He looked up at the ceiling, looking for any tiny security cameras. Squinting, Naveen thought he could see one tucked away in a corner. But right as he was about to call out to Cassian, he heard a yelp coming from the doorway that Cassian had wandered to. Naveen jogged over, eyebrows furrowed with concern. "Everything okay?" He asked, eyeing the villain up and down. He appeared to be physically unharmed, which was a comfort. Naveen made a mental note, though, to stay close to Cassian just in case. He followed Cassian around the upper level, peering into different rooms but finding nothing but musty, abandoned offices. "Man, this Mardochaos guy really knows how to hide. Where else could he possibly be?"

Up a flight of stairs and to the left, looking on from above...
The teenager had strolled quietly out of the security room, making sure that the door was left slightly ajar. He found himself looking down on the factory with a twisted admiration. He knew what the final fate of the great building was going to be and he couldn't wait. But he had to - there were two very important men who were waiting just for him. How special he was. The teen spotted said men flailing around the factory like lost puppies, one of them looking more confused than the other. He pitied them, how feeble they were. "You're not still going on about that security room, are you?" He called out, resting his chin in his right hand, elbow laying on the flimsy metal barrier that kept him from falling down onto the machines. "I'd be happy to help some lost old men find their way."

[Consulting_Angel]

Cassian Bellamy
"I'll have you know I'm genuinely
self-centered and deeply shallow!"

He was starting to wonder why this particular mission was assigned to them as well - was there a reason, or was it just the latest thing that had popped up and they were the next available pair to be assigned something?
He was brought back out of his thoughts when Naveen asked if he was okay. "I'm fine," Cassian huffed, turning to face Naveen, "Just startled by a spider." he gestured vaguely towards the office he'd just been in, slightly annoyed that a spider of all things had managed to startle him. He was starting to wonder if Mardochaos was even still in the factory - perhaps he'd just left it running? But that seemed unlikely. There had to be more for them to search.
"Maybe there's another room or level..." Cassian suggested, seeing that there was another walkway above them, and shortly after spotting another flight of metal stairs on the opposite side to where they were now. He started to walk over to them, but stopped short as he heard a voice calling from above.

Cassian looked up and around until he spotted the owner of the voice - Mardochaos, no doubt, recognising him from the photo and his noted past sightings. He was going to call out something more good-natured, maybe try and get on the kid's good side. That was until the teen had called them both old. "WHAT. I'm not old!" he shouted back. Little punk, maybe he would let him get captured for the Programme after all. He grumbled about this for a few moments, then resolved to at least give the teen a chance - there wasn't too much else they could do. And, who knows, perhaps they could find out why Mardochaos had decided to power up the factory again.
While Cassian did not smile - knowing that it would be too fake - his voice was less hostile as he called up, "Well that would be helpful. Or perhaps you could come down and we could talk?"

[sapphic psychic]

𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐡𝐚𝐤𝐭𝐚
currently wondering why mardochaos is like 16 ✧ total wc ; 358
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At the unfamiliar voice shouting from above, Naveen looked up and saw a teenager staring down at them like they were miniscule ants. Maybe he and Cassian were seeing two different people or something, but for the life of him he couldn't get over the fact that they were potentially about to fight a kid. A literal kid. He watched Cassian as the other man spoke, impressed by how nonchalant -- okay, besides the age thing -- he was about Mardochaos being so young. Naveen set his hands on his hips, watching carefully as the two interacted.

Up a flight of stares and looking on from above...
It didn't come as a surprise that one of the men seemed to be more willing to talk to him. But the teenager didn't mind, especially because he enjoyed giving the audience a performance. "Perhaps old was a bit over-the-top. Shall we say," the teen paused, "Middle-aged?" He smiled wickedly. When one of the men requested that he come down to talk to them, he pretended to think very obviously, putting a finger to his chin and turning his gaze upwards. "Hmm... let me think," he mused. "What's stopping you guys from coming up to me, huh? Scared?" There was no doubt in his mind that these men were likely a bit apprehensive because climbing the stairs would put them at a disadvantage. "I'm not sure why you two would even need to talk, seeing as you already appear to know me." The teen stared intently at the man who originally spoke to him, the one who called himself... did he even have a cover name? "You." He pointed at the villain he recognized, "I remember you. You were such a cool villain, shooting that cool purple stuff around. I still don't know how you do that. I'm really only good with fire." At that moment, the teen laid out his right hand flat, and a small flame appeared. He used his other hand to point at it, very proud of what he had just done. "Also, call me Marty whenever we get the fun started. It's easier than saying the full Mardochaos."

[Consulting_Angel]

Cassian Bellamy
"I'll have you know I'm genuinely
self-centered and deeply shallow!"

He noted that Naveen wasn't saying anything - just observing the conversation as it happened. He didn't mind, though, knowing that it was probably best that he wasn't intervening just yet. He wondered if they should have planned some sort of signal or a back up plan of some sort if things went sideways. It was probably going to be fine, though.
Cassian let out an offended sound as the teen suggested that he was middle-aged instead. He put a hand to his chest when Mardochaos suggested that he - they - were scared to come up to his level. It was enough to spur Cassian to move.

"No! I can come up, just you watch." he retorted, and made his way over to the metal stairs, only hesitating for a moment before going up them. Ugh, if only he had his cuffs deactivated... he was sure his powers had restored enough to let him levitate. It would certainly look a lot better than having to walk. He muttered another 'Little punk...' to himself and then wondered if he was old. Well, no, he was only 25.

He reached the upper level, and walked towards Mardochaos, stopping about ten feet away. Cassian raised an eyebrow, unable to stop himself from smirking as the teen complimented him about his powers. His ego had been stroked, and that made him much less hostile to the villain than he had been earlier.
"If I knew how I got them, I'd tell you." Cassian replied, his voice at a normal level now that he was nearer to Mardochaos - Marty, whatever. "I'd show you some more tricks if I could figure out how to get these off." He gestured to the cuffs he wore. "And I'm still a villain - I have no intention to change for whatever Programme I'm being forced to take part in. That's why I want to give you the chance to leave, to get away before Naveen there, or any other hero, tries to take you in."
Cassian rather hoped that he would be taken seriously, but he highly doubted that it would be just as easy as a short speech to get Marty to leave. He wanted to at least show the teen he was on his side, maybe find some sort of compromise, whatever that may be.

[sapphic psychic]

𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐡𝐚𝐤𝐭𝐚
currently letting cassian work his magic ✧ total wc ; 362
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Naveen couldn't believe that Cassian had taken the kid's obvious bait so easily. In fact, he had to hold back from rolling his eyes to not let the kid -- Marty? -- think that the two of them were potentially at odds. He decided to follow quietly as Cassian spoke to Mardochaos, clearly acting... friendlier than Naveen had ever seen him before. He couldn't help but wonder if this was what Cassian was really like when he was with people like him. Not that it really mattered nor would he say anything, but Naveen certainly was curious. He caught sight of the cuffs Cassian was wearing and cursed silently. He didn't have anything that would unlock them cleanly, but he was sure that Cassian could break them if he slammed them hard enough against a hard surface. "Hit them against something," Naveen muttered quietly, trying to stay slightly positioned behind the other man as they approached the teen.

Across the way...
To be honest, Mardochaos was mildly impressed that the two men had dared get as close as they did. But when -- what even was this guy's name? Cedric? Cade? It didn't matter -- the man with powers started trying to get him to leave, all the teen could do was laugh. "So you ARE with the Programme," he exclaimed delightedly, "You talk as if you have nothing to do with heroes, yet here you are with your lovely little hero boyfriend tagging along." Though Marty sounded deliriously happy, the end of his sentence came off stronger. He took a step closer to them, starting to close off the space. He highly doubted that this guy actually wanted Marty to be free, after all, he had been converted by the Programme. Plus, villains lied all the time. He should know. "Honestly, I'm kind of offended you think it'd be that easy to get me to go with you. Especially because," the teen took a step closer, "You're a villain yourself, aren't you?" With that, Marty shot out a small burst of flames with his hands to cause a slight disturbance before turning on his heels and bolting away. As he ran, he grinned, adrenaline pumping through his veins.

[Consulting_Angel]

Cassian Bellamy
"I'll have you know I'm genuinely
self-centered and deeply shallow!"

"And break my wrist? No thank you." Cassian muttered back. He'd certainly considered doing so before, though he'd previously not wanted to risk alerting Mardochaos to their presence, and his current concern with hurting himself. Perhaps, though, he thought, he could at least try it when he had a moment to do so.
Maybe, with a bit of luck, they'd at least loosen so he could squeeze his hand out of one of them. He didn't particularly have any concerns about the consequences of forcibly taking them off, he just didn't want to hurt himself.

Cassian wasn't sure what to think of the teen anymore. He would rather him go back to complimenting him. Whatever - he'd still try and get on the villain's good side, try and have him at least listen. Unfortunately, it wasn't going to be an easy task. "He's not my boyfriend - I'm being made to work with him." Cassian corrected. Besides, he'd never date a hero of all people, no matter who they were. Still, he stood his ground, even as Marty had started to move towards them, though he kept alert. "What - no, I'm telling you to leave, not come with me." Cassian explained. I'm trying to help you, why are teens so annoying? He thought, so caught up with said thought that he'd very narrowly missed the the burst of flames from the villain.

"Chasing him down it is, then." Cassian said to Naveen, taking a moment to smash his wrist on the metal railing, in the hopes that it would break or loosen the cuff, before taking off after Marty. Yeowch - now his wrist hurt as he'd expected, though it had surprisingly done some damage to the cuff. He pried it off as he ran, tossing it to one side - consequences could be considered later - and then tested his powers. A blast of energy after the teen, not as strong as it normally was, but it would do for the time being.

[sapphic psychic]

𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐡𝐚𝐤𝐭𝐚
currently really wishing that he wasn't babysitting a 17 year old ✧ total wc ; 282
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Naveen stood on guard as he watched the interaction happen, the bantering starting to get on his nerves. Especially when Cassian made it out to sound like it was so difficult to work with him. Really? He liked to think that he didn't make Cassian's life too horrible, but with the way that Cassian was acting, Naveen couldn't help but get into his own head. But as the teen took off right after blasting fire in both of their faces, he had to push it down. "You tried," Naveen said sympathetically, falling into place next to Cassian once more. After the other man broke off his bracelet, they followed Mardochaos down the metal pathway. Naveen kept his eyes trained on the villain carefully, watching where the teen led them. But they were just a few seconds too short as Naveen watched in horror as the kid launched himself over the railing and back down to the factory equipment. "This kid is not human," Naveen stated when he saw that Marty had landed on two feet with no problem. A beat later, "Okay, that was stupid. Of course he isn't -- he just shot fire out of his hands. Ohmygodwhatarewedoing?!" Naveen's thoughts seemed to be spilling out of him, putting his hands on the back of his head. "I-I mean, what if we don't get him? What happens then?" He wiped his mouth with one of his hands, pacing, knowing that they were wasting time. He knew that if they stopped even for a moment, they could be taken out with the building ablaze. But it wasn't like he had gone after a kid before. For the first time in years, Naveen felt stuck.

[Consulting_Angel]

Cassian Bellamy
"I'll have you know I'm genuinely
self-centered and deeply shallow!"

He scoffed. "You want to try it next time?" he asked, sharply, unable to help himself, taking the sympathy as sarcastic instead of genuine. He did not like the idea he had failed in getting the teen to listen. He tried to think of something else he could say, as they ran after Marty. What words would have convinced him as a teen? Probably not many. He still wanted to try and help the kid, though, try and prevent him from falling into the hands of the Programme. Maybe ask more about what he was doing and why, instead of going right into convincing..?

Just as he thought of something, though, Cassian watched as the teen launched himself over the railing. He grabbed onto the railing and leaned over to see where Marty had gone, almost letting out a sigh of relief when he'd landed on his feet and not as a mess. He considered trying to levitate down, but he hesitated at the thought of smashing the other cuff off - though maybe the adrenaline from running after the teen would help power through the pain. Ah, screw it. He stopped leaning over the metal railing to look at Naveen while he panicked and paced, then smashing the other cuff against the railing.

"We can deal with whatever happens later." Cassian replied, a little surprised at himself that he was staying calm. Pyrokinesis was not something he was new to encountering. "I'm sure I'll get the blame anyway." he pried the broken cuff off, and tested his powers by levitating a foot into the air. He landed, satisfied with it - now he didn't feel totally useless.
There was very little time, so Cassian thought quickly. The last thing either of them needed was to end up trapped here when Marty decides to burn it all down. "We can either try and find this security room - it must be near, the kid must have watched us on it - or we can go after him without it."
He could have easily gone after Marty on his own - abandon Naveen, levitate down to the factory floor and make chase - but something was stopping him from doing that. Maybe he just didn't really want to chase after the kid.

[sapphic psychic]

𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐡𝐚𝐤𝐭𝐚
currently panicking ✧ wc ; 461
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Naveen inhaled deeply, trying to steady his racing mind. He really, really could not afford to lose this kid right now. "Yeah, you're right..." he stated, nodding as if to convince himself more than anything. But it was interrupted by the harsh cut of Cassian's words: 'I'm sure I'll get the blame anyway.' Naveen narrowed his eyes slightly, biting the inside of his cheek to keep his comment to himself. Instead, he focused on the mission at hand. "I mean, I don't think we know where the security room is. Plus I doubt the kid would've returned there. He doesn't seem like the type to hide," Naveen said roughly, spotting the old metal staircase. He jogged down, then found the next one to reach the ground floor. Once there, Naveen spotted the teen sitting on one of the old factory lines and approached him.

"You made it!" Mardochaos exclaimed, a wide grin spread on his lips. He jumped down from the assembly belt. "Now you finally get to witness what I've been up to." As if somehow activated right on cue, the old belt lurched to life, slowly bringing a small USB shaped item in front of them. "You see, we villains don't exactly love the Programme. I'm sure you heroes worship the ground they walk on," Marty snarled, eyes bright. "They preach balance yet refuse to treat us like equals." Naveen raised his eyebrows, half surprised that this kid was already so fueled by anger against the Programme; something had to have happened. Though, he couldn't exactly blame the teen. He remained silent, knowing that it would be best to allow Mardochaos to vent his anger. "Well, I've decided that I'm going to give them a taste of what they put us through." That really caught Naveen's attention. He watched as Marty took the USB-like device in his hand. "This contains... information on the Programme that will allow villains everywhere to disappear." The teen glanced at Cassian. "In fact, if you claim to not be a hero, why don't you take it." He held it out to the villain, waiting for him to take it. Naveen was sure it was a trick. It had to be. But he couldn't intervene. Not if they were so close to being able to capture the kid (if he even had it in him). "What information do you mean?" He asked, already knowing that Marty wouldn't reveal anything. "Oh, I'm sure you know," Mardochaos winked, "But, if you guys want to live, we should hurry this up. The building is set to collapse very, very soon. So what's it gonna be?" The question was directed at Cassian, and Naveen threw a subtle side glance to Marty that only meant one thing: 'Blast him, now.'