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Aberrant: Dead Rising - Evening Distractions [Complete]


Jasmine Gentian

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Bond squared up to Jasmine, adopting a formless close-fighting stance - reminiscent of a boxer's, but the fists relaxed, ready to grab or strike as the moment required, his weight balanced between his feet. When she smiled at him, he gave her a sly wink in return that almost broke the girl's focus as she fought the urge to simultaneously blush and giggle. In that moment, he attacked.

Jasmine was fast - as fast as he - and much stronger. Bond was getting used to the strength difference now, however, and was moving to place himself in positions where his lovely opponent wasn't able to bring her full leverage to bear.

Even so, it was tough. Jasmine didn't seem to need much leverage to apply her full strength. After the first couple of passes from Bond nearly tripped or threw her, she adapted fast, dark eyes narrowing at his trickery even as she smiled. A few more passes, with Jules occasionally stopping them to demonstrate a point, and now and then calling out some critique, and Jasmine was anticipating him as often as not, and Bond's arms were starting to bruise from the powerful sweeping deflections she was employing. He was able to keep her from getting a firm grip on him, however, twisting out before she could consolidate any advantage, which he considered to be a victory... of sorts.

Still, I think my best bet when it comes to a hand-to-hand fight with a super-strong opponent is "Shoot them safely from a distance" he thought wryly as he forced Jasmine back once more. He watched her warily as she circled for a moment, then stepped in towards him, trying to get hold of his leading arm. He swayed backwards without shifting his feet, and Jasmine, intent on the prize, stepped in close and reached out. Bond's sudden grin was her only warning, and that was too late.

He grabbed her wrist, tugging her forwards further. Though she was strong, she didn't weigh any more than she should, and with her weight forward she was off-balance enough for him to make use of that. He side-stepped and dropped, still pulling her forwards as his other hand grasped her ankle and tugged it out and away, sending Jasmine into a controlled flip that ended up with her on her back and blinking. But not winded Bond noted to himself Interesting.

"Gotcha." He smiled, his face upside-down as he leaned over hers. "But very well done." He got to his feet and helped her up, rubbing his forearms absently as they waited for Jules' assessment. Taking a quick look, he noted that the exposed skin beneath the sleeve of the t-shirt was starting to show some faint bruising already. Been awhile since I've felt that he mused with a wry smile, then looked up at the two ladies.

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Jules nodded. "Very good," she told Jasmine, sounding surprised. "And you say you've never had any training before today?" At the girls confirmation, Jules shook her head. "Amazing, I would have said that you've had at least some."

She glanced at Bond. "That makes me curious." There was a bit of animation in her eyes and expression now, as if teaching had pierced the veil around her world. "Would you mind taking over, James?" she asked. "I'd like to see some krav maga, if you don't mind. I'm wondering if we all learn as fast as Jasmine, or if this is something natural to her. If you don't mind, Jasmine, shifting the focus of the class a bit?"

She grinned and added, "Anyway, it's time you tossed me around a bit. Fair's fair and all that rot." Her English accent was really bad, but her eyes smiled a bit when she tried it.

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Jasmine shook her head, and grinned at Jules and Bond a little.

"I'm up for anything - this isn't the kind of world where it matters anymore if you fight just one way or another, right? The more you know, the better off you are." She turned, and looked Jules over curiously. "But before we do, I should know - what are your skills? I mean.. besides knowing martial arts. You seem super-strong.. but do I need to keep holding back, do you think? Do you want me to? I've been trying not to hurt Jim here.."

She glanced over at him, and winked playfully. She was pretty sure he was the kind of guy who wouldn't let that bruise his ego too bad, although he could stand to get taken down a peg or two every once in awhile. She turned back to Jules with a little grin.

"Well, Jules? Should I pull my punches?"

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"As I mentioned, I've been kicked by a horse and was fine a few minutes later. I've been stabbed, shot, burnt, bit and I'm fine within moments. Long amounts of sustained damage will eventually overcome my natural ability to heal," Jules said, forcing her voice to be as casual about her various traumas as it would be about a shopping list. "Eggs, milk, cat o'nine tails, nine millimeter to the left lung." She bounced on her toes a bit, warming her legs back up. The movement was so familiar to her that if she closed her eyes, she'd be back home, with Dan facing off over the mats.

She kept her eyes wide open.

"Seriously, don't hold back; just stop if I tell you to stop. If you still don't believe me, I can show off a couple of scars," she added with a grin. It wasn't a good expression.

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"Okay. I've got a few of those myself, so I'll take your word for it. I have to admit, this is kind of interesting.. not just learning new stuff, you know. But, seeing how well all these "gifts" actually work against actual coherent opponents, instead of mindless undead. It's.. trickier. There's a lot more thought to it."

Jasmine waited patiently for Jim to proceed with his instructions. She wouldn't hold back physically with Jules, but she did force herself to hold back her grin. After all, she might be having the most fun she'd had in six months.. but she knew the woman across from her was probably in a slightly less pleasant place. The look on her face certainly wasn't filled with joy, and it wasn't that hard for Jasmine to figure out why.

Who knows, that could be you in a week or so, after Dallas.. you know what you're probably going to find..

But she forced those thoughts to the back of her mind. Now wasn't the time to think about that. The only thing she was going to think about now was fighting. And maybe how good Jim looked as he started demonstrating the brutal Krav Maga techniques Jules had asked to learn..

No.. not that either, girl. That's a whole other kind of distraction.

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Bond began by explaining that the first thing to remember about Krav Maga is that it is not technically considered a 'martial art', at least from the point of view of martial art purists and Krav Maga practioners. Practitioners referred to it as a 'close-fighting system', which he admitted was as good a term as any. There was nothing pretty about it, nothing breathtaking except, perhaps, the focused aggression and ruthless mindset the system trains the practioner to adopt in combat situations. It used a "whatever works best" approach incorporating locks, trips, sweeps, throw, strikes, pain holds and limb breaks taken from various fighting arts, stripped to the barest, most efficient essentials, and put together as a grab-bag of techniques for every occasion. Bond explained the principle of retzev - never slowing, never hesitating or stopping, using whatever was at hand, whether loose objects or part of the terrain the fighter found themselves in to neutralise the enemy.

"There are only two rules to follow." Bond said as he finished up the brief academic tutorial. "One: remember that there are no rules in a real fight. None." He looked from Jules to Jasmine and back again, his face glacially calm as he explained. "You win by whatever means are easiest. That means if your opponent has a gun or knife, you take it from them and use it. If you have them in a grapple and there's a body of water nearby, you drown them. If there's more than one attacker, use them against each other. If you can lure them in by pretending to be helpless or through seduction, playing to their weaknesses, you do it." Bond gave them a grim smile, his eyes glittering. "Honour is for dead heroes. Winning a fight means you live and those depending on you live. You decide which is more 'honourable'." He let that sink in, then smiled, the grim air falling from his gaze. "Rule two is simply that you don't injure your sparring partner. So, let's get on with it."

He took them through trap-and-strike routines first, showing them how to counter a punch, kick or grapple, neutralise the attacking limb(s), and strike back in a staccato series of motions. The techniques made use of the body's natural flexibility and were blindingly fast even without superhuman reflexes behind them. "Everything around you is a weapon, every offensive action from your opponent can be turned into their defeat." he highlighted as he caught a (not full strength) punch from Jasmine, twisted her arm inwards to throw her off-balance and turn her away from him before fastening an arm around her throat in a neck-lock that was clearly a prelude to a wrenching neck snap or a choke. Since it was a demonstration, the neck-hold was gentle and Jasmine was almost as aware of his body pressed against hers as much as she was the lesson itself.

A moment later and Bond had released her, stepping off to the side and watching. "Alright, ladies. Let's see you try that on each other. Remember now: bumps and bruises are one thing, but while we're practising lets keep the sparring friendly, hmm?" He smiled and waved them towards each other.

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Jules rolled her shoulders and faced the younger woman, centering her balance. She wished that James had shown her some hands-on as he'd done with Jasmine, but Jules knew that she was a strong enough fighter to not need the help.

It was a different style than she was used to, and Jules found herself trying to fall into the stances of Aikido. Krav maga was much more forward and less reactionary. Jasmine came at her first, and Jules grabbed her wrist, pulled her past herself and put Jasmine on the mat before realizing that she'd done it with Aikido. She'd never tried to learn anything else, so it was natural that it was her instinctive reaction.

"Sorry," she said, offering her hand to Jasmine. The girl came back up smiling; Jules had been careful to not hurt her. She'd fallen straight back into instructor mode. "That wasn't what I was supposed to do. Here, I'm going to let you pound on me for a while. I'll watch you, and figure out what I should do."

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Jasmine laughed a little, and nodded.

"Alright.. let's try it that way a little bit. Till you get used to student mode again, right? And I might know a trick or two that will help."

Jasmine closed her eyes for a moment, and drew in a deep breath. She seemed to do that instinctively, to focus. Then she opened her eyes, and nodded to Jules. Her expression was more serious, and when the fighting began, so was she. Krav Maga seemed to come a bit more naturally to Jasmine that the Aikido did.. it seemed to be about what worked the best instinctively at for Jasmine, it was kind of like learning how to arrange a sentence with words she already knew. So she came at Jules with the attacks, not holding back, but not asserting any more force than normal either.

The tricks came with her speed. It was hard for Jules not to slip back into her normal fighting style, but this time, Jasmine seemed to be able to anticipate it, even before Jules could carry through. At first, the dark-skinned girl would counter with a Krav Maga move.. after all, that's what they were supposed to be doing. But as the attacks grew quicker, and Jules fell back more on her Aikido training, Jas began to react in a way that took Jules off guard - she started to move too fast for the Native American woman to be able to counter her. Jas would attack, and as Jules moved to lock or flip the girl, she would seem to move twice as fast, dodging out of Jules' reach, and sometimes even landing another attack before Jules could regain her footing. After a few frustrating moments, Jules began to realize that Jas was, in a way, cajoling her into using the Krav Maga moves, by only utilizing her speed when Jules reverted back to Aikido. It was infuriating.. and at the same time, maddeningly ingenious.

Click to reveal..
Activating Enhanced Initiative and Quickness several times over the course of the fight. Not that it matters too much, this is a fic, but just for kicks.. QP = 15
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Jasmine was indeed fast, Bond noted with a faint sinking feeling. But not as fast as him: faster. The girl fairly blurred at times as she sparred with Jules, using her speed as a way of cajoling the other woman into not using Aikido forms. She was faster than anything the Brit had seen, and he was distantly amused and annoyed at the realisation that she had been taking it easy on him while sparring.

Well, fair enough he mused to himself as he watched the pair with a cool measuring eye. It's sparring. No need to pout just because the 'slip of a girl' feels the need to NOT toss me around faster than I can blink. Heh. Male pride. Was a time when my nose would be out of joint at this. Now I'm just interested in whether or not I can learn to do that too before I run into someone with the skill, strength, speed AND inclination to turn me into a pretzel before I can impress them with my winning personality. He smiled encouragingly at Jasmine as Jules started to respond to the strategem through emulation, then stopped them for a moment as he showed the Native American woman in slow steps how to do the trap-block and strike, the same way he'd shown Jasmine. Then he stepped out of the way again and let them square up.

"Treat it like a tennis game: the 'ball' is the momentum and flow of battle between you. See if you can trap and counter each other continuously without one strike getting through." He urged with a smile before leaning back against the wall and folding his muscular arms over his chest. "You're both fast and sharp: lets see how that works."

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Jules nodded and mentally took the kid gloves off. Where Jasmine had been fast and perfectly coordinated, Jules simply became fast. In training, you should go only fifty to seventy-five percent as fast as you could, to learn. But now, Jasmine had shown her that wouldn't work, and Bond was asking for speed.

And did he get it.

Jules smiled faintly at Jasmine, nodded and asked, "Ready?" When Jas nodded back, Jules moved. She was no longer operating at training speed; her attacks became faster. For a brief moment, she matched Jasmine, attack for defense and defense for attack; then she surpassed her.

It wasn't pretty. Each action became a little more sloppy, and the faster she moved clearly forced her to make more effort. But Jules was still faster than a cobra on crack, though she was careful to draw her full punch back instead of pounding Jasmine mercilessly.

When she was hitting Jasmine three times for each time Jasmine hit her, she stepped back, panting a little. She hadn't broken a sweat yet. "Well, Bond?" she asked with a little smile. "Fast enough for you?" She glanced at Jasmine. "Your way of moving fast is good. If you'd loosen up a bit, you could do more than you do now.

Click to reveal..
Using Multitasking to gain more attacks.
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Bond watched intently, his eyes widening at the speed of both combatants then widening further as Jules pushed the envelope. As Jules stepped back and smiled at him, he gave a low whistle and shook his head ruefully.

"Ladies, I confess myself humbled." He said with a slight bow. "It's no shame to admit I wouldn't be able to beat either of you in a straight fight. You're both stronger and faster than me." He shrugged and grinned at the pair. "I suppose I need to work out more. Too much sitting on my arse in the Falcon on long road trips." He winked. Under the t-shirt and jeans, it was plain to both women that Bond was in excellent shape; not musclebound, but powerful like a dancer, swimmer or gymnast.

"So, let's get you two working on combinations, though to be honest it's sort of like teaching fish to swim at the moment." He chuckled as he started to demonstrate, using Jules this time and working through the motions slowly before showing his willing students the sequence at a faster pace. "So we have the trap and counter, but as Jules demonstrated it doesn't stop there. You never just hit the enemy and wait for them to fall down. Hit them twice, three times. Use the trapped limb to send them to the floor or into a wall then pound on them while they're dazed." He showed them a takedown which was strongly reminiscent of Aikido, but then brought a knee into the side of the foe's head as the attacker stood, then brought their heel down on the downed man's throat or face. After that, he unloaded one of his pistols to use as a prop and showed them a disarm that left the practitioner holding the gun.

"If you're doing it right, they should feel like they're fighting a Tasmanian Devil on bad hair day." He smiled merrily as he twisted the gun out of Jules' hand and smoothly reversed it. "Remember, don't make the same mistake the guy who used to own the gun did and wave it in their face. If you can, back up immediately and cover them. If there's no room or time for that, use the gun to add some wallop to a punch." He considered his 'class' for a moment then shrugged. "Hmm, not that either of you need more force behind the blow, but the principle is sound."

"Third option is to shoot immediately when you have the gun. Put one in their leg if you're confident with a firearm, otherwise aim for the centerline and squeeze the trigger. At close range, you'll put any normal person down and out." He glanced from Jasmine to Jules and tossed the lovely Native American the gleaming golden pistol. "Now lets see you practice that a bit, then we'll call it a night I think."

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Jasmine and Jules practiced the movements and tactics Jim had shown them for awhile longer, until even they were beginning to feel a bit worn out. Finally, Jasmine was the one to hold up a hand, and step back.

"Alright.. no offense guys, but I think I'm about ready to call it if you don't mind. I could keep going for a lot longer, but I was up at four a.m. this morning helping the wall crew out, and I think I'd like a break, even if I don't need one."

She smiled warmly at Jules, and held out a hand to the Native American woman. They exchanged a firm handshake, and Jasmine nodded pleasantly at her, and then turned back to Jim as she addressed them both.

"Thanks, guys. This has been.. great. I hope it's not going to be the last time. I learned a lot, and.. well, honestly, it was kind of fun. At least, I think that's what fun feels like.. it's been a pretty long time, and I don't really remember much about it to tell you the truth."

The comment was a wry one, but a bit sad at the same time for it's honesty. Even before the world had gone to hell, Jasmine's life hadn't had much to do with "fun".

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"Oh, that won't do at all." Bond smiled, a mischievous glint in his eye, then he chuckled. "Seriously, it was entertaining and educational for me, too. Even if most of the education was 'Don't get into close combat with women who can pull your arms off.'" He winked. "Thank you both for a lovely evening, ladies. If you're not quite ready to sleep yet, can I invite you both for a drink at my humble abode?" His tone was light-hearted, matching the good-humored twinkle in his eye.

"In all seriousness, the Falcon isn't the ritziest place in town, but it does have an excellent drinks selection and I mix a mean cocktail, if that sort of thing intrigues you at all."

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Jules closed her mouth; she'd been about to ask Bond if he wanted to continue what they had been doing. Clearly, he did not. He wanted to get her drunk - well, them drunk.

Did she want to do that? It seemed like work; she'd have to go and be entertaining and social. It might be fun, but she could see it stretching out before her. She'd go. She'd hold her drink and have the occasional slip. And she'd watched people not in the grips of grief having fun. At least around Morgan, she didn't have to pretend to be normal. She really wasn't aware of how badly she was pretending.

It might be fun.

Going out drinking with a man felt wrong. It felt like cheating on Daniel... Morgan, or both.

Jesus, she was screwed up.

"Sure," she shrugged, feeling the guilt rush in. "I'll have a drink."

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Jasmine thought about it for a moment. She could go with Jim and Jules to his Hummer.. have a drink, and hang out. Or she could go back to Violet's.. with James, and Violet, and Jill, and Joanna, all caught in their complex romantic entanglements. Back to Violet's, where the atmosphere alternated between lovey-dovey or tension so thick you could cut it with a knife.

"Yeah.. sure. A drink sounds great."

She smiled a little reassuringly at Jules, and ran a hair loosely through her hair, trying to straighten some of the tangles out of it that had developed from being tossed around a concrete bunker for a couple hours.

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Bond wasn't lying. The Falcon had a huge collection of different types of booze on board. From straight liquor and beer to the various sweet and sticky drinks that go into most common (and some of the less-common) cocktails, he had an impressive array of poisons. Jules and Jasmine both watched as he lined the bottles up on the hood of the hummvee, whistling to himself as he unpacked what seemed to be the contents of a New York cocktail lounge stockroom from several of the large crates. They exchanged bemused glances as he put some music on the PA system and set out several lanterns around the area, creating a circle of light and music that was almost unreal when they considered that the 'bar' was the hood of a military vehicle and that the world was overrun with zombies.

"I find that solace is where we make it for ourselves." Bond said quietly, his eyes serious despite his smile as he leaned against the Falcon, studying the other two. "Sometimes we find people we can share it with, and that makes the oases of calm into gardens of respite." He shrugged, merriment coming back into his blue eyes as his tone became faintly self-mocking. "Take that as you will. Free wisdom from a man who thinks he knows something." He drummed his hands in a brief tattoo on the hummer before straightening up.

"Welcome to the Falcon Lounge, ladies. The name's Bond and I'll be your bar-steward for the evening." He grinned as he picked up a cocktail shaker and spun it round on his palm, then winked at them. "Place yourselves in my oh-so-capable hands and I promise you won't be disappointed."

Jules nodded aquiesence, as though it didn't much matter to her either way. Jasmine giggled a little at his patter and nodded at Bond, concealing her uncertainty. She hadn't had alcohol save the one time at Violet's, and it was for some reason very important to her that Jim not think her inexperienced... Even though she was, she admitted to herself wryly.

Smiling broadly, Bond started to mix drinks, combining seemingly-random splashes from various bottles into the shaker. He put on a little show as he did for them, combining his new talents with his old vocation for the first time since Z-Day and making bottles dance, leap and spin without spilling a drop as he worked. After mixing coconut rum, Triple sec, lime juice and grenadine, he poured a measure into three tall glasses, topping them up with Sprite. "No lemon or lime, I'm afraid." He apologised before shooting a splash of Irish Cream dead into the middle of each glass with unerring aim. "But this should be good regardless. I thoroughly recommend every lady try it at least once." Mischief danced in his eyes as, with some ceremony, he presented each of them with a glass before picking up his own and raising it to them with a grin.

"Cheers."

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Bond’s setup and preparations drew an arched eyebrow. It seemed opulent in the face of what they faced, but in truth, it was no more outrageous than Violet’s bar, or the fact that she and Morgan shared living space that could house at least a dozen more comfortably. The world is going to shit, and still the Supers want creature comforts. We have people living in tents because we can’t share. Jesus, is this the world we’re saving? And are we really saving it from the zombies, or just giving it to the supers?

Man, she didn’t want to think about this. In fact, Jules was prepared to get a buzz fairly quickly. At Bond’s toast, she returned it with a, “Cheers, indeed.” She was one of those unfortunate Native Americans who was easily influenced by alcohol so she honestly expected that the glass that she downed quickly would give her that warm rush and rip the edge off of her quiet pain. She hadn’t had any chance to imbibe since her change, and so the lack of bliss came as a nasty shock.

To Bond, she eagerly accepted his drink and kicked it back, only to seem disappointed in it after a moment. “Fuck,” she sighed, leaning until she was resting against the Falcon. “I… don’t know if I can get drunk anymore.” She stared sadly into the empty glass. “There goes that,” she muttered, setting it back on the hood. “So have either of you had that problem?”

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Without a word Bond set up a triple JD and coke and slid it over. "If you're looking to get drunk, it'll take a lot. I consumed the best part of a case of bourbon in one sitting a few days after my change. That got me good and drunk, and I didn't even have a hangover the next day."

He exchanged a glance with Jasmine as he sipped his own drink.

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Jasmine shrugged a little, and she met Bond's gaze sadly as she picked up her drink. He saw her glance at Jules discreetly as Jules took a gulp of the JD and Coke mixture that James had slid her way, and he could see a look of sympathy plain on the young woman's features. She wondered of Jim knew that it had only been a week since Jules had been forced to burn the body of her little boy.

"I haven't really had the chance to drink since my change." Or ever, for that matter.. "So, I don't really know."

She took a small sip of the drink, and tried not to make a face at the unexpected bitterness combined with the sharp tang of carbonation. If you can kill zombies, you can have a drink. Don't be a baby. She took another, deeper sip this time, adjusting to the odd combination of sweet and bitter that the mixture presented.

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Jules did take a deep swallow of it, then stopped, looking a little embarrassed. "If it's going to take that much, I'll leave the booze for someone else," she said simply. "Just finish off this one here."

She was quiet a moment then said, "Someone say something about themselves. Like, I'm bad at this small talk." She gave a little grin. "Really bad, I think."

What was she doing here? She was just bringing the party down. I'll finish up, square up with James and go. Morgan will be looking for me soon, anyway. She tried not to let her heart pound a little harder at that thought; it was just pounding for a ghost, not the man who was his brother. Stupid heart. Dumb shit heart.

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"Don't worry about the booze, just enjoy yourself. I have plenty and have plenty more stockpiled." Bond said with a smile, his eyes compassionate as he regarded the woman. He considered her for a moment longer before turning his attention to Jasmine and raising an eyebrow.

"As for small talk, I'm terrible at it." He looked back at Jules as he took another sip of his drink. Jasmine snorted slightly at the straight-faced Bond, who shot her a wink before continuing. "No, really. I am. Last time I engaged in small talk before now I ended up getting beaten up by girls!" He was all wide-eyed seriousness and mock-sincerity. "And all I really wanted was to have someone to drink with and talk to." He played it straight for a moment longer before relaxing and grinning at them both.

"You know, though, what you said about this prison in Arizona, wasn't it? Combined with Elijah's little 'Children of the Corn' situation not long ago. Then there's the RUS matter I've heard some of the scientists that came in with that Walker fellow talk about. The worst threats really are the sentient ones. The zombies are more an incidental menace, terrible though that is to say. They're an accidental smokescreen that lets the real bastards get away with murder." He leaned comfortably against the hummer. "Something really needs to be done, but not half-arsed, and I'm thinking it's going to take normal humans and Supers to make it happen."

It was plainly a leading statement, and he plainly meant it to be seen as one; Bond was trailing a hook in the water as he toyed with his drink, those china blue eyes studying the other two from behind his affable smile.

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"New Mexico," Jules said. All the relaxation that had started to creep into her voice was gone; had she been a cat, there would have been a ridge of fur rising on her back. "The prison's in New Mexico."

The glass in her hand shrieked in a short warning, then shattered. "Fuck!" Jules barked, twisted her bleeding hand away from her body. James was already grabbing for a towel, but the woman shook her head. "No, don't fuck up the towel, just... let me get in it in the light." She deftly picked a piece or two of glass out of her hand then focused on it. Before their eyes, the blood stopped flowing and the wounds closed. Within seconds, only pale, razor-thin lines remained to show what had happened.

"Sorry," Jules said. "I owe you a glass, now." She shook her head, her short, shaggy hair cut bouncing around her face. "I should go... before I mess up the mood more."

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"Oh no you don't." Bond was smiling, and his tone was gentle, but there was a firmness there under the charm. He set the towel back down and picked out a plastic cup, pouring another triple measure of bourbon into it and passing it over. "I'm the one that's sorry. I didn't think before I spoke. And I can pick up a glass in Dallas when we go, so 'fuggedaboutit' as they say."

"I was curious about how you two see the dynamic here, in the Refuge. I've never met another super except my ex-partner before coming here, and never seen them living amongst normal folks on a permanent basis. Well, Priest is an exception, but he has more of an extended family of his own than actually being part of the larger settlement." He sipped his drink reflectively. "I was wondering what your impressions are about the social problems with co-existence. After all, there's a certain truth to power corrupting, and a lot of people take that to mean anyone with more power than them is corrupt."

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"Well.. I mean, I know neither Jules nor I have been here very long, but from what I've seen, there's a lot of tension here. And I don't know that it's unwarranted. I mean.."

She sighed, and hesitated for a moment before she spoke. After all, Jules seemed close to Fox, and though she didn't have anything bad to say about him, she didn't necessarily have a lot good either.

"I've spent the last few days trying to help out around this place. I mean, why not? I'm here, I'm benefiting from it, the food isn't bad, I have a roof over my head, and at least I don't have to sit there at night and listen for the sounds of zombies approaching. So.. it might not be heaven, but it's sure a lot better then hell, and I might as well do what I can to help improve purgatory."

She motioned towards the fence line, where the beginnings of the wall were starting to rise.

"I know Captain Fox runs the place, so he has a lot to handle behind the scenes. And Priest is here, and helps out on the missions, so I know he isn't expected to do anything because it's more of a partnership with the refuge than actually being part of the refuge.. but then there's James, and Violet, and everyone's pissed off at them, and I haven't heard one lick about James - who's stronger than I am, and can probably go longer to boot - getting out there and doing a thing. Then again, it may be that he has, and people just don't care to mention that right now cause they're too pissed off that he's screwing several of the hottest women on base. And Violet could get out there and help, especially considering all she's been given to open this club, but then again that might cause more problems than it would solve. I get the feeling she tries to avoid going out amongst people cause it seems like wherever she goes, men lose the ability to think with any head other than the one between their legs. I have to admit, I may not be the best looking woman in the world, but I wouldn't trade gifts with Violet if you could give me everything of value that's left on this god-forsaken rock. It wouldn't be worth the hassle it causes her, in my opinion."

She hesitates for a moment, then sighs, and shrugs, taking a longer drink of the beverage. It didn't seem to be doing a lot to her that she could tell - and that probably did have something to do with her abilities. But at least it made the talking a bit easier.

"And you're right about the power, I think. I mean.. it cuts both ways there too. A lot of people may believe that, whether it's true or not. And at the same time, people are going to have a hard time going back to the concept of living in a society where it's dictated to them what is going to happen by a select few. People aren't used to that anymore.. they're going to have a hard time swallowing it, even if the people in charge are kind of there by default, or luck, or have the best of intentions. History has shown us that when a handful control the lives or situations of the rest, things usually benefit those on top a lot more than those living underneath. So why should people think it's going to be any different now.. you know?"

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"We totally have three groups here," Jules sighed, rubbing her face. "The haves, which ironically includes me and Jasmine, despite having been here less than a week and a half, are pretty much, without exception, Supers or people tied to them. We have the professionals, doctors, soldier, mechanics, who get some benefits by what they do. And then the have-nots, which is everyone else. And it's a real problem. The Supers don't even seem to realize it; I only have because... well, hell. I grew up in a poor-ass Indian town, and I live better here than I did there. Kinda made me look around here, once I... after I calmed down a little. And when Morgan asked me to be his assistant, I figured I had to get to know the place."

She shrugged and said, "But there's a lot Violet could do that she won't - the same with some of the Supers. Dan took someone in, Priest doesn't take any space outside of his stuff, Myf's living in the clinic... and Violet and James could fit a couple of more large families into the heated, powered, watered building they have for five people. That they're turning into a strip bar and pleasure house." Jules actually looked angry, though a different kind of angry than she had before. "We need schools, libraries, labs... and they're building a pleasure house.

"Just like Morgan and I could put some more people in his building. We use one room, and there are a dozen more that are just empty. We could get a dozen people out of the tents. I'm going to try to talk to Morgan about it, but I don't know how he'll take it.

"This could be a great place. We could rebuild the world from here. I've gotten started, but there's like two of us at the moment." She sighed and drank some more bourbon.

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"That pretty much matches up with what I've learned since being here." Bond nodded his head in agreement, giving the two ladies a smile. "Nice to know that I'm talking to a couple of folks with their heads on properly." He folded his arms on the 'bar' and leaned over towards them, his tone confidential. "A lot of the have-nots are very unhappy. The only reason they're here is fear. The only reason they behave and you haven't had worse trouble is fear." He straightened up a little, his eyes serious. "Fear's a poor motivator. Mix it with resentment and a feeling of helplessness and it goes sour and turns into hate really easily." He started to mix a fresh batch of whatever the cocktail was as he spoke.

"Here's my read on what's happening. You have a lot of men and half as many women of sexual age. That's one stress point. You have special dispensations being handed out: exceptions to the rules. That's two. Then there's the James/Violet et al situation. That's three AND four, four being the building they're using for something most people see as frivolous. And finally, you have people here who have through grit, determination, guts and a bit of luck made it through hell to get this far, only to be disarmed and told that only the 'in-crowd' get to protect themselves. You might as well tell them that they are at the mercy of Captain Fox and those he considers to be trustworthy, especially when most of those people don't even need weapons to be deadly." He deftly set up three more glasses and poured the sweet concoction into them, once more dropping a shot of Bailey's into the mixture so that it spread like a caramel cloud.

"Here you go, and sip it this time. It's more pleasant that way." He smiled as he passed one drink over to Jules, then set the other in front of Jasmine before picking up his and taking a sip.

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Jasmine nodded, taking the second drink and sipping it a little, letting the taste linger for a moment before she swallowed. Her face softened a little as she thought, and she sighed.

"I know you're right, Jules. I've thought about that myself.. I mean, I showed up here, and I was just accepted, given a place to stay at Violet's, just because.. well, honestly because I think she wanted to recruit me for her club, now that I think about it. Or maybe because I she found out I was different. I'm not sure. But I do know that she's been nothing but kind to me either, and hasn't really asked anything in return."

Jasmine was quiet for a moment as she thought of Jennifer, and the vulnerable look on her face when she wasn't so full of charisma and sex-appeal and.. well, Violet-ness. And the gentle way she had treated her after Jasmine's own violent response to being woken from the depths of terror. And she thought about what she herself used to be like, and what that girl might of thought of the person she was now.

"I wouldn't judge Violet too harshly.. she's trying. I don't know how I can tell you for sure, and maybe you'll just believe she's manipulated me. But.. I think her change.. well, I think it changed her. I mean - obviously, it changed her, but.." Jasmine sighed, a little frustrated. "I'm not saying this right I guess. What I'm trying to say is, I don't know about you guys.. maybe it's not like this for all of us. But.. I think about who I was, before all this happened to me. And I know that the things that happen to you change who you are, and how you react. But.. I don't know, it's hard to describe completely. It's kind of how it's easier for me now to learn to fight, to absorb what you're both teaching me.. I kind of think it's like that for Violet. I've been living with her a week now, and while I haven't been around a lot, every time I have interacted with her.. even when she seems to be actively trying not to, she seems to.. I don't know, ooze sexiness. Like she can't help it. I think of who I used to be, and it's not just that I've changed because of what happened. It's like, in that moment, the way I thought changed, and suddenly everything seemed completely different to me. I think Violet's trying to do what she thinks will fix things. But think of her change.. I think part of her just works like that now, and I don't know that there's anything she could do about it.. just like I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to go somewhere or meet someone again without my first thoughts being "How can I escape from here?" or "What would it take to eliminate them?"..

Her voice trailed off quietly, and she took a deep breath, glancing up out of her reverie.

"But you're right. Something needs to be done to address the inequalities, or this place is gonna blow way higher than that compound would've, even with thirty pounds of C4 strapped to the roof.."

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"Someone mention an exploding roofs?" Priest said as he came limping out of the darkness. From his dress, he was ready to go on a mission. He even had his shotgun with him. Looking at Bond,

"Rum and coke, por favor."

"Jasmyne, we've all had to fight to survive. It's why we are here. By we I do mean all of us, Super and non-super alike. I worry about the bulletproof crowd, because as you've pointed out, they don't live in the same world. I mean, how could they? The don't worry about waking up and having something gnawing on their arm ... if they can sleep alone anymore."

Priest takes his drink.

"Dallas is coming up. Your welcome to ride with me and mine if you like. We could always use the help."

Looking to Jules,

"I don't think I've thanked you for keeping Sarah safe. Thanks. Glad she didn't get caught up in all that craziness."

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Morgan walked into the light as Jasmine's final words trailed off. "I hope you don't mind. I was out checking the perimeter before turning in and I saw the light. I couldn't help but over hear the last few things said." He frowned standing just inside the circle of light. "I didn't realize things around here were viewed so badly."

Seeing that no one objected to his presence he walked forward and helped himself to a glass of whatever bottle seemed open and handy. "First let me dispel one thing. Violet and James have built her club, no one else's labor or materials have gone into it's building. They collected everything themselves and anyone that has assisted in it's building has done so because Violet has paid them. I allowed it because I thought it would be a boost to moral to have someplace that anyone could access and go to to have a little warmth or shelter for a little while. That was also before they formed their little Harem that has cause me such a headache." He frowned at that. "It wasn't intended to be a strip club, but just a club where anyone could go to relax."

"Second, I'd like to point out that as of yesterday everyone in the refuge is working together to build a school, library, power generation and walls to name just a few. I was planning to talk to everyone to discuss it and my plans for the future, but the thing with the cult came up and I haven't had the chance yet." Looking to Bond, "As for disarming... we have security patrols that constantly roam the perimeter and the refuge on patrol they are armed. They are the only ones in the compound that are normally. Anyone can keep their weapons, they just aren't allowed to carry them around all the time. The last thing I want is for the refuge to become another Dodge City with hot headed people drawing weapons on each other because someone offends another. They aren't disarmed in the way you are suggesting. And I let you keep your guns because you don't need them to be deadly, so there's no point in disarming you." There was a little reproach in his tone with those words.

Sitting on a camp chair he finished, "I am open to suggestions on how to improve things." His eyes narrowed slightly as he added, "Democracy isn't an option since I founded this Refuge and much of what exist does so because of my hard work and efforts, but I would be willing to accept an advisory council made up of both supers and normals." He held up a hand to forestall any protest, "I've been in the military since I was 18, and I've seen what politics is like and that's one thing we absolutely do not need right now. As flawed as Monarchy can be at least when you have one strong individual making decisions then at least things get done and the nation moves as one for good or ill. The last few years or even decades in American politics has been completely disgraceful. All the politicians looking out for their own benefit at the expense of the nation as a whole. Terrible. Not saying I want to be King, just that this little piece of land is safe because I made it safe and the nearly 300 souls inside these fences are alive, fed and sheltered, because of what I've done. Bond if you come back in another 6 months you'll find a school and a library and a power plant and dormitories to house all these people and more, and they will all be surrounded by high concrete walls to keep the zombs out, not to keep the serfs in. Anyone here is welcome to leave and go to anywhere they wish. That's freedom. I won't force my leadership on anyone that doesn't want it, but I will protect what I've built."

Morgan slammed back the shot of JD and poured another. "Sorry to rant at you. I'm trying my best to make this place the best I can for everyone not just a privileged few. It takes time, we've just gotten to a point of having more than a hand to mouth kind of survival and now that we have we are moving forward. It was only three months ago that refugees started wandering in looking for shelter, before that it was just me and Ger and Markham trying to make a secure place for ourselves. That's three months to go from a flat fenced in piece of cleared ground to what you see around you now. I'd say that's not bad for three months."

Fox looked down into his empty glass, "Bah. I'm sorry, probably sounds like I'm bitching. It's been a long day and not a very satisfying one. Just ignore me and pour me another."

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"I'll be coming along to Dallas too." Bond smiled at Jasmine. "The Falcon will be emptied of the excess cargo, so I'll have plenty of room to carry supplies and people we find there. I'll need a shotgun rider, so consider that an offer from me to ride along if you want."

Then Fox came into the circle of lights and Bond listened with an easy smile on his lips as the Captain appropriated a couple of drinks whilst holding forth on his plans, his reasons, and the fact that Violet's building was built and owned by her, which Bond hadn't known and hadn't been told by others. Interesting.

"Right you are." Bond said with a friendly smile as he splashed another double of JD into the Captain's glass. The man had overheard a lot already, had made his opinion very plain in no uncertain terms. Bond had no inclination to speak more on the matter, since the discussion seemed to be more or less closed by Fox's no-nonsense statement of his position. The man was a military officer and had reverted to type when under fire, and that was that. Bond knew that the old adage about tightening grips and slipping through fingers applied equally well here, but would be damned before he'd get into it with the man.

At least, not yet.

"On a related issue..." Bond said with a casual air as he looked at Priest, then at Fox. "How's the other James getting along? All better yet? I heard he's all healed but his eyes, but that was a day or so ago. Remarkably resilient of him, seeing as he took two pounds of C4 to the face."

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Alcohol was a dangerous thing, even for a super, and Jules had had a lot of it in a relatively short time on an empty stomach. It wouldn't last long, but right now, she was enjoying the first slight buzz she'd had in a while. When she looked at Morgan, she really saw Dan, as she remembered him from their first meeting at the bar in Towaoc.

Click to reveal.. (Flashback)
Cindy Dine giggled like an airhead, though nothing was further from the truth. "Jules, you're so silly!" she said. "Just because Joey turned out to be a shit-"

"No, no... I'm serious, this is my new vow!" Jules exclaimed, lifting her glass high. "No more Indian guys. It isn't worth it. And it wasn't just Joey. It was Carl, George, Simon and... what was the name of my boyfriend in Junior High?"

"R-r-r-r-ruh-icky!" Cindy sang. She was a bit deeper in her cups than Jules, which was honestly why Jules liked drinking with her. She made Jules not feel like such a lush.

"Oh, yes... Ricky. Ass of a twelve-year-old boy." Jules giggled at her funny joke. It was a lot funnier than it should have been because of her four beers. "Anyway, all Indians, and so I say - no more!"

"Then can I ask you to dance?" The two women spun to see a white guy standing there, smiling easily. "I'm not an Indian." He wasn't; he was also a stranger, which was something of note, in tiny Towaoc.

"Um," Jules said, staring at the cute man holding a hand out to her. After that brilliant response, she giggled like a little girl in embarrassment. Cindy elbowed her in the ribs and made a 'go on' gesture with her head. "Sure," Jules giggled, taking the offered hand. "But what's your name?"

"Fox," he said, his blue eyes dancing. "Daniel Fox. And yours?"

"Jules WhiteElk," she said, leaning against him because he was cute and she could use some stability.

He guided her to the dance floor, which was the small open space in front of the jukebox. "Jules? I bet you get told you're a jewel all the time."

"Not really," she said, a delighted yet slightly shy smile.

"Huh, how odd," he said softly, his hands settling on her waist as if they belonged. He smiled at her and Jules felt the shivering hand of fate when she smiled back.

Jules pulled herself back to the 'party', worlds away from the wonderful memory she'd just recalled. The slight buzz and a sudden reminder of her dead love made the situation she now found herself in rather awkward. She was a little uncomfortable that Morgan had arrived; Jules felt like she'd been talking smack about him, even though this was all stuff that she was going to bring up with him. Her heart sank as he laid out his point of view, which was pretty much wrong all ways around. Worse, it directly conflicted with her own ideas and visions for this place, and she felt the ugly shiver of cognitive dissonance.

She opened her mouth to counter what he was saying, but Bond finished shifting the conversation, and Jules didn't feel that she could get it back, despite knowing exactly what to say. Suddenly depressed again, she wondered what she'd tell Walker when her grand vision never manifested. Almost sulking, she leaned against the hummer and listened to the conversation milling about her.

She was quiet until Bond mentioned the exact nature of the bomb that had injured James. "What?" Jules gasped, shocked into speaking by Bond's casual mention of two pounds of C4. "Dan," she said, looking at Morgan, "you didn't tell me that! You just said a bomb! Two pounds of C4 isn't a bomb, it's a BOMB!"

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Morgan was perceptive enough to see the reactions of the others to his words and sighed. Was his vision really so bad? Damn booze not working any more...

"Yeah, it was a Bomb with a capital B. The amazing this is both he and Priest survived. Also says something for the folks who constructed that building that it didn't come down burying everyone inside."

He didn't much care what Bond thought as an outsider, but Jules was a different matter. "Like I said sorry for ranting. It's been a very tiring few days. I really would like to hear other suggestions for making things better, and I promise to listen too."

She had just called him Dan. Son of a bitch... I was afraid of that. Nothing for it but to ignore it an move on. It probably hadn't helped that he'd just been going on like a priest giving a sermon. That was something Dan had a habit of doing from time to time. It was a trait they shared.

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Jasmine finished her drink slowly as she listened to the conversation around her and learned to savor the taste of the drink that Jim had poured for her. The topics shifted from more relevant matters, to discussion about James and the bomb. She listened quietly. She looked up at Fox at the sound of his apology, and spoke up.

"We understand, Captain. It's been a tiring few days for all of us. Look.. I think Violet considers me a friend, and I haven't been around for a lot of the difficulties around here, so maybe my perception won't seem biased. I'll talk to her, and see what she says. Maybe we can come up with some good solutions. In the meantime, I'll keep working on the wall and trying to help out around here. Hopefully it'll help out. And thanks Priest, Jim.. I'm sure I'll take one of you guys up on that offer to shotgun on the ride to Dallas. Any idea when that's gonna happen, Cap?"

For Jim, and even Jules if she was paying attention, they could tell that perhaps the alcohol was getting to Jasmine a little.. she seemed to be one of those types of girls who loosened up, and became a little less reserved as she drank. At least.. she seemed to talk more, without thinking about it quite so much..

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If Bond had his private thoughts about how likely the military man was to listen, he kept them to himself, well masked behind his friendly smile. He was watching Priest out of the corner of his eye, wondering if his friend had had the opportunity to broach the subject of his personal grievance against James yet with the Captain. If not, here would be as good a place as any. Jasmine's question sparked some further interest: she really wanted to go back to Dallas. He hoped she still felt that way when she found what was waiting there.

"Well, I'm ready to saddle up whenever everyone else is." Bond told the lovely girl with another smile. "How's your drink, by the way? To your taste, or would you like to try something else?"

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"Speaking of the bomb, Captain, what is going to be done about that little stunt?"

"I don't much appreciate his attempt to kill me. As much as he's suffered, I'm wondering if there isn't more you can do. I don't want to see him cast out, but I want to make sure that dumb ass never does this to anyone ever again."

Priest was getting a little worked up and the alcohol wasn't helping.

"Damn man, he nearly made my Sarah an orphan. After all the hell she's been through, that would been a sorry, stupid, and senseless way to go. If it hadn't been for my vest, I'm sure I would have gone. That was too close and the next person you stick with him may not be so lucky."

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Jasmine started to respond to Bond, but Priest spoke up, and Jasmine took a nervous sip of the drink she was holding. After he spoke, she glanced up to Jim, who was positioned next to her. She responded, but it was a quiet murmur, and her tone of voice held a touch of sarcasm.

"Wonderful.. but I may need something stronger here in a minute.."

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Fox looked over at Priest, "That's a good question. What do you have in mind? It's not like we have a real court system around here. I'm the closest thing we've got to the rule of law and there is nothing that can make James obey if I do hand down a punishment other than threat of exile. Given his abilities that wouldn't be much of a threat. Normally I'd say he's too valuable to lose considering he can lift and move more than any ten other men and has contributed his fair share to the community stocks. But with all hard feelings his little harem has caused in the refuge in the last week I'm pretty irked with him at the moment."

Fox sighed, "Question is what kind of punishment do you feel would be justified by his irresponsible actions? What will it take to satisfy your sense of being wronged?"

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Jasmine hesitated for a moment, glancing at Bond before she turned back to Fox and Priest.

"I.. have a suggestion on that. Something that may serve as a useful punishment, but that James may agree to as well, saving you the difficulty of getting him to listen to you, Captain. It may also do something to affect his standing, and the issues he's been having with the community.."

Jasmine trailed off, waiting to see if either man was interested in hearing what a seventeen year old girl had to say about the matter.

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