Shenanigans!

[phaselocknroll]

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[phaselocknroll]

We're up shit creek, as the saying goes.

[ Her brow is furrowed in concentration, trying to maintain her phaselock on the first guy as long as she can, until she's sure he's out of commission.

Without knowing exactly lies behind them, turning tail and running is out of the question. ]

I'm open to suggestions!

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Peter had really wanted to be cool. Like, James Bond levels of cool -- kicking ass and looking suave as hell in suits, who wouldn't want that? But James Bond had had gadgets and guns and villains who would monologue themselves into submission, and the reality is, Peter can be a bit of a spazz sometimes. As he's busy casting around, trying to think of something, he blurts out, slightly panicked, ]

I don't know, I don't have a weapon!

[ He's afraid to back up much further -- the place is fucking booby-trapped, and who the hell hires two dudes to just sit around all day, guarding a hidden vault? Seriously, what the hell? Did they take breaks? Lunch? Were they unionized? Did they get workers comp--?! ]

Okay. Okay-- Get into the room when you can, got it? I have a plan.

[ Well, he says that, but it's more like 5% of one. Actually, it's more of an idea than a plan. But it sounds a lot cooler to say "I have a plan" than "I kind of have an idea maybe?" ]

[phaselocknroll]

[ Here's hoping the one guy has one hell of a worker's comp plan, because he's little more than a charred husk. Maya drops him with no ceremony, casting a look back at Peter, as if to say are you fucking serious?

But whatever he's got for a plan is more than she's got for a plan.

When his friend hits the floor, the other dude rushes them. Maya takes half a step back, and has just enough time to rip a slit in her skirt for better movement before he gets there. He makes a grab for her but she ducks and rolls through the doorway, coming up in a crouch in the middle of the room. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Once Maya is in the room, Peter tries to get the guard's attention by aiming a kick at the guy's kidney -- or, well, where a kidney would be, if the guy were human. But he's not, so mostly it just ticks the guy off. He turns toward Peter, unsheathing one of his swords. Clearly he doesn't think Peter warrants the effort to wield both. How insulting.

This is fucking stupid, his mind tells him helpfully as the man lunges at him. What Peter lacks in brute strength, he's had to make up for in speed and instinct -- he dodges the first swipe, sidesteps the second. It's a quick dance, barely more than a few seconds, and Peter is watching his opponent carefully, noting which tiles the guard is stepping on and following his lead, forcing them to circle around.

This is fucking stupid, his mind repeats when the guy tries to elbow him. Peter ducks to the left, but not quick enough, and the blow catches him on the cheekbone, sends him reeling briefly.

This is so. Fucking. Stupid, he thinks one last time, then forcefully and purposefully stomps on a tile.

He has a split second to appreciate how surprised the guard looks before he pushes off and leaps backward toward the gunmetal-grey door. Something falls from the ceiling, and Peter catches the glinting of something sharp and metallic before it falls with a resounding, wet thud that shakes the ground.

For a second, Peter is just sprawled on the ground, trying to catch his breath. Then, he tilts his chin up so he can look at Maya upsidedown. ]

Holy shit, did you see that? Holy shit! Did I look cool?

[phaselocknroll]

[ He's going to get himself killed, is the mantra running through her head during the whole ordeal. She's struggling for an idea outside of her phaselock, but she's stretched herself thin and her she needs some time to recuperate.

And then Peter suddenly, brilliantly triggers one of the hallway traps, putting an end to their attacker.

Staring down at him sprawled on the floor, breathing hard and grinning widely, she's never been more attracted to him in all the time she's known him. ]

That was so badass.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He can't help but laugh -- the adrenaline rush is making him a little giddy -- and still looking at her upside down, points a finger at Maya as if it were a gun. ]

Quill. Peter Quill.

[phaselocknroll]

Come on, you.

[ she heads over, offering him a hand up ] We're not out of the woods yet.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He takes her offered hand and hauls himself to his feet, dusting himself off. ]

You're okay, right? He didn't get you?

[phaselocknroll]

I'm fine. My dress didn't quite make it out okay.

[ it's got a long tear in it, going all the way up to her hip. Thankfully it's her right leg, so her tattoos are still hidden. ]

I can move a lot better, though.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Gueeesssss who's getting an appreciative once over. ]

Okay, seriously? C'mon. At this point you're doing this stuff on purpose.

[phaselocknroll]

I am not.

But your restraint is admirable.

[ She gives him a quick peck on the cheek and moves on to inspect the far side of the room ]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He takes a deep breath and mutters, ] That's it. It's over. I'm gonna go crazy before this night is through. [ before following behind her. ]

[phaselocknroll]

We could start talking about skag bile again if that would help distract you.

[ Aside from a table with an unfinished card game sitting on top of it, and a couple of chairs, there's not much else around. ]

Is the vault behind the wall or part of the wall or what?

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He briefly affects his rich boy voice. ] As long as I can have my wicked way with you after this is all over, darling, I shall endeavor to behave.

[ For his part, Peter heads to the far wall, feels along it with the tips of his fingers. It looks like the same type of material in the ballroom -- white, with the inlaid silver swirling patterns, but at this point, Peter wouldn't put it past this guy to have coded in some secret puzzle. ]

Behind the wall is my guess. See if you can find any switches anywhere?

[phaselocknroll]

[ That... turns her on a little more than she would care to admit.

So she occupies herself with inspecting the wall, running her fingers along the edges of the patterns, looking for something, anything. ]

This guy and his decorating sense are really starting to get on my nerves.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He affects the voice again -- mostly for his own amusement. ] Dreadful, didn't I say? Terrible taste, really. And do you remember the fiasco with the chandelier? What an awful party.

[ His fingers are sliding carefully along the wall, and he has a sort of system in mind -- examine a one-foot by one-foot area, find nothing, then move on. He's silent as he focuses on his work, then something catches his eye. That long line is different from the usual pattern, slightly out of place. He runs a finger along it and it lights up, glows a sort of aquamarine. ]

Guess we're supposed to find where the patterns don't match up. [ He notices another and traces it with a fingertip -- again with the same result. ]

[phaselocknroll]

Oh my god, really? This sounds like something Tina would put in one of her B&B campaigns.

[ but after seeing what he's doing, it's fairly easy to spot, and she begins tracing lines as well ]

[nostalgiabomb]

Anything to force us to stare at how expensive-looking this crap is, right?

[ After a while, Peter is pretty sure he's got most of his side lit up like a Christmas tree, but the going is tedious, and he's never been a patient person. ]

So. We wanna talk about the whip thing?

[phaselocknroll]

Seriously, the sooner we rob this asshole blind, the better.

[ she's making fairly decent progress herself, but his remark makes her falter a little ]

What about the whip thing?

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He traces another line and shoots her a sly smile. ] Have I learned about a brand new kinky side of the Badass Siren?

[phaselocknroll]

Uh, no? [ is she blushing? She's definitely blushing ] I don't think so.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ That smile from earlier? Full-blown grin now. He loves messing with her. ]

Hey, it's fine if you do. I've had weirder toys in the bedroom.

[phaselocknroll]

That's not-- [ oh god, now that he's said something she's thinking about it, and she can feel her face heat all the way to the tips of her ears ]

We're kind of in the middle of a job here!

[nostalgiabomb]

Fine, fine. I'll wait till later. [ And he looks so amused.

After a few more tracings, he steps back from the wall and seems satisfied with his work. ]

You're cute when you blush, by the way.

[phaselocknroll]

[ She valiantly pretends that she didn't hear that and focuses on the wall until she's finished. When she steps back to join him, she's finally got her blushing under control. ]

All this just to open a door. This had better be worth it.