Asher backed up quickly and fell over a chair. He scrambled backwards across the floor, trying to get away from the frenzied feline-like girl. Though no sounds came from her vocalizations, Penance hissed and spit as she used both hands and feet to claw him, trying everything she could. Asher kicked at her form in an attempt to get her away. More like an enraged animal than a young girl, Penance leapt over his kick to swing at him."Get off me!" Asher screamed as her claws shredded the gauze around his neck.
Adeline brought herself close enought to the fight to be heard. She called to Penance, "Come on now. Over here! Come on darling. Stop!" Adeline held her arms out in a "throating" gesture to the girl.
"Bliss." Asche stepped quickly toward Bliss and the general mayhem. "You wanna call the sister off the poor guy?"
Bliss laughed and rose to her feet. "Not related to me Asche." Bliss helpfully threw some food toward Penance. "Here kitty-kitty -- nummies."
Asche frowned about ready to do it herself. "Yeah, well, this ain't good for the digestion."
Penance didn't seem to notice the food and calls from the others. Instead, she leapt toward Asher's chest; she appeared intent on landing hands and feet together there if she could.
"Oh spit." Bliss launched herself at Penance. The girl landed on Asher's chest and knocked him flat, his arms and legs outstretched by the blow. She raised one hand in the air, claws gleaming and started to bring them toward his throat. Before she could strike, Bliss knocked her off Asher's chest with her tackle. Without hesitation, Asher scrambled off the floor and behind several tables.
Adeline pulled back from the scuffle as a security detail of two fairly bulky men rumbled into the cafeteria. She walked away, assured she could do nothing as the security men made a bee line for the scuffle.
Lex sidestepped the two security types and made his way to a table, all the while precariously balancing the bowl and cup. He turned to see an aquaintance of his, a man know as Grey(sp?), smash through the doors and look about with a bewildered expression. "What the..." Grey trailed off and Lex grinned crookedly. "Just in time, Brother Grey."
Lex calmly took the 'tomato' from his pocket before sitting down and reached down to a boot to pull out a large knife. Wielding it rather like a vid chef, he neatly sliced the 'tomato'.
Asche dug around in her everpresent med-kit for a syringe and a sedative. She pocketed the readied syringe and moved toward Asher, skirting the fight. Asche gave him a grim smile. "Hey, brother. Let's take a look at you."
Asher looked at Asche, having caught a glimpse of the syringe. "What's that? I didn't attack her," he defended. "I'm not the aggressive one. I don't need that needle."
Asche held her hand up in a peaceful gesture. "Relax, brother. Just want to take a look at you. Sister over there's got claws."
"Oh, okay. Yes, yes -- You're medical. My mother..." Asher paused for a moment, a lost expression on his face. "My mother was a medical." He walked closer to Asche, pushing up the cloth from his scratched arm.
Penance rolled and flailed frantically under Bliss. She kicked, clawed and bit like a wildcat. Bliss rolled clear at the first chance she got, making no move to strike the girl. Penance rolled and found herself blocked into a corner. Grey leapt at the girl, seeing her as a threat to Bliss.
Penance had been watching and was ready. She leapt straight up and let Grey go under. She looked at Bliss and paused a moment, as if doing a double take before she lowered into a crouch again.
One of the security guards whistled as his eyes followed the jumping she-cat. The security team sandwiched Bliss in their presence as the leader asked, "What's going on here?"
Bliss rolled back up into a similar crouch. "Back off gents or you'll get sliced and diced." As evidence, blood dripped from the claw rake on Bliss's cheek. "Got some cool moves there Red." She spoke as calmly as possible. "She's scared, defending herself like a frightened animal would." Bliss rose to her feet. "Good enough for ya Asche? Kept her from gutting him without firing a shot."
Asche swore, loud and bold. "Oh just great, Bliss. Am I gonna hafta straight jacket her?"
"I believe so." Bliss smiled. "I'd try a major sedative too.."
Asche uncapped the syringe with her teeth. "This should do it."
Bliss nodded, seeing Asche had it covered. "Think I'll go get what's left of my face looked at." She strode out and headed for the ER.
Terror seemed to well in the girl's featureless blue orbs as she whipped her head back and forth at the others. She bolted toward the security men and slashed at them with her claws. Blood dripped from her long claw like fingernails. One guard crawled away, his face and arms torn to ribbons. Another readied his tazer.
Penance leapt at the guards again and Grey attempted to block her. He winced as he took a cut to his arm. The security guard reacted in the only way he could when faced with possible life threatening danger; he fired the tazer at Penance.
Her body convulsed under the flowing voltage and she dropped to the floor. Still fighting the electricity, she gained her feet under her despite the wire fed voltage to her leather clad chest.
Asher continued watching the events of the panicked Penance with concern for her. His eyes went wide. "What is that? What did you do to her?" He stopped and stared at the guard.
Asche held a finger up to Asher. "It's a tazer -- gimme a second."
"She was just--" Asher frowned. "A taser? Such force was unnecessary -- How could you just do that?" Asher looked in horror at the electrified Penance.
Asche spun to face Asher. "Listen, buster. It's just a jolt, not designed to kill."
"Not Buster. The name's Asher. You needn't to be so curt, either."
Asche stared incredulously at this man who was growing more intrusive than she really needed right now. If he hadn't been the one attacked in the first place... "Excuse me? I'm sorry. I have a person who is out of control, attacking people, slashing them -- And you want me to be 'polite'?" Asher appeared to just catch himself from retorting and wisely remained silent.
Grey kept a eye on Pen, in case she went berserk again. He stood near, humming a short calming tune, attempting to pacify with his mind. Penance didn't seem to hear the hum or any other noise directed at her. She staggered into a crouch, swiping at anyone around her. Her claws lashed out at the wires, slashing them out of her chest. With a hiss she leapt at the guard that shot her. Weakened, she landed short. Her claws lashed out again at the guard, who jumped back and to the side as his partner pulled out his tazer. Grey was kept busy trying to block her from injuring anyone else. "Do yer thing Asche," He called.
Before Asche could respond, the guard fired his tazer and more security guards entered the cafeteria. Asche turned back in time to see Penance hit with another shot. She swore softly under her breath as she inched closer to girl.
The second tazer shot pierced her side and dropped her to the floor. Her thin, small form shook with electricity induced convulsions. When the charge stopped, she lay on the floor, twitching and weak, but slowly growing stronger.
Adeline shifted a little in her seat, watching the security team. "Gentleman, cornering a cat isn't the smartest of methods. I would suggest pulling back. Give her some space." The security team did back up a bit, but remained poised, ready to leap in if necessary.
Lex ate his supper whilst observing the 'entertainment' detachedly. "Careful she doesn't go into fibrillation..." He offered around a mouthful of phlupp stew. "Too much tazer can do that.." He shrugged and took a bite of 'tomato'.
Asche knelt next to the girl and spoke quietly in a soothing tone. "Hey there, sister." She noted that the deep and total red skin of her body was very cold to the touch. Her big eyes blinked open slowly and she made a weak swipe at Ash. There was no power behind it, but her limbs seemed to be regaining their strength slowly but surely. Still talking, Asche injected the girl quickly in the arm with the sedative, in between the leather bands. Pennance tried to gain her bearings and climb to her crouch, but wobbled and dropped to the floor, out cold. Asche caught Penance quickly when she fell. "Elliot, I 'need' a gurney and an emergency team now, please?"
There was a quiet but resonant tone from the overhead speakers. "Emergency team required in the cafeteria, STAT." the edict from the computer was delivered with the same sing-song voice as always.
Asher sat down in a chair and watched the proceedings. He pulled out a small metal tin, opened it and removed a small packet. Checking that his scratches were cleaned of foreign objects, Asher tore the packet open. He wiped the internal sides of the packet over his wounds, then he dropped the packet and got some vac-bandages. Asher placed them over the scratches with a wince as the bandages heated up rapidly. The wounds' sides were drawn together, and the bandages were tightly sealed to his skin. He closed the tin and brushed the wrappings off the table-top. Looking around slowly, he slipped the battered first-aid tin into a pocket on the side of his thigh.
A trio of fairly burly men dressed in medical whites emerged in the cafeteria area. One of them looked around, spotted Ash and asked, "Problem?"
Asche grimaced at the orderlies. "Yeah, help me get this kid into emergency?" She cradled the unconscious girl in her arms.
The three looked at the prospective patient, grimaced and then got to work, hoisting the girl up onto the rolling stretcher. One orderly advised the other two, "Umm, from the looks o' this one, I think we better strap'er in." Another nodded, agreeing as he fastened the buckles around wrists and ankles. The girl's feet and hands were bare except where the straps wrapped around the flats of each. Her skin was very cold and leathery.
Seeing that things were under control for the most part, the two injured security guards trudged to the ER for treatment. Asche stood slowly, working the kinks out of her shoulders. She pointed to Asher, "You're coming too; Gotta take a look at that scratch. Who knows what she's got under those... uhm... Hell, are those nails or claws?"
"Oh, you need to? They're already bandaged," Asher objected. "Can't you give me some type of injection to prevent in--infection? I don't doubt your expertise, but these bandages are rare enough. I'd rather not waste them."
Asche threw up her hands at Asher. "You are in the best health care facility -- no scratch that -- the 'only' health care facility in Sabattann. You want to play doctor for yourself? Go to it."
Asher thought for a moment more, then placed his goggles atop his head and backed out of the cafeteria.
The last orderly looked to Asche. "ER?"
Asche nodded. "Yeah, she took two taser shots and was still fighting."
The first orderly simply whistled, while the second said, "Two?"
Asche nodded to the orderly. "Yeah, can you believe it?" She leaned over to check the girl's pulse. Penance's limbs began to twitch slightly, her eyelids fluttering and Asche realized she was coming around. "C'mon boys -- let's hurry. That sedative should have knocked her out for the night."
At the touch to her wrist, the girl tried to lash out at Asche, but the restraints stopped her claws from reaching. She strained and began to spit and hiss as her strength began to return. Asche jumped back at Penance' reaction, amazed.
E7's voice chimed in, "It would be my suggestion that this patient be moved to ER."
The gurney rocked back and forth as she struggled, arching her back at the strain. An audible popping sound was heard as her shoulder dislocated from her struggling. She hissed loudly, though not vocally, just the rush of air.
Two of the orderlies also jumped back as she struggled, while the last reached into his medical kit, withdrawing a large needle. He muttered, almost in a whisper, "I dunno whether you got veins or not, honey, but I'm gonna have to guess." And thus saying, he jammed the needle into her arm.
Asche swore at the orderly, "Geez, you wanna kill her?"
"More sedatives. I ain't gettin' raked by that manicure," he grumbled. As the tranquilizer took effect, the girl dropped to the gurney again, out cold, her leather bound chest heaving with lungfulls of air. The three orderlies rushed out with the sedated Penance on the gurney and Asche right on their heels.