26th arrest; wake in sweat you've come to steal my life away

[thiswallinside]

accidental video | backdated to about midnight last night
Hey, look it's the obstacle course.

Oh, wait. Is there supposed to be red paint scraped from the tire walk toward the entrance?

Strewn along that path are a few items. A gun, a shoe, a bag -- look at all those files spilled out of it. Also the NYPD badge that doesn't hold any weight in the City but makes its owner feel a little safer, somehow.

Guess it didn't really work this time. That paint is definitely of the blood variety.

text | about 10 hours after the video broadcast
This message has been automatically released because Kate Beckett has not made check-in with her device in 12 hours...

Regardless of whether I've left the City or been otherwise compromised, there remain a few things to be sorted. Justin, you should check my desk, third drawer. There are directives for how to move forward in the department in my absence.

Castle, you'll want the safe in the kitchen cupboard. If you hadn't already found it; I'm sure you're able to guess the combonation. It will give you full access to my device, computer and files.

[ooc: Evidence to be found; crime scene can obviously be said to be Beckett's abduction, given items left behind and the note. Her directives to Justin leave him in administrative charge, and it's up to him how long to wait to seek out new chiefship. Feel free to poke through Beckett's private entries upon collection of her device, etc. PM me for questions!]

Comments

[Action]

[trapdoor-spider.livejournal.com]

Myrnin is in the warehouse. He's been busy. There are circuit boards scattered across a table and something that looks a bit like the console of a computer via the steampunk era. It's made of wood, glass and copper. He's humming happily as he works.

"Don't worry. This isn't going to hurt. I'll promise you that."

[cuffyoutwice.livejournal.com]

Too late. It hurts already; though that isn't something she's about to make known to her new roommate.

Other things Beckett won't do: dance around singing 'I told you so!', smile and ask for some tea or hey, the smart thing of keeping her mouth shut.

"Worry, me? Just waiting for roses and wine. Best date of my life." If the bars of her cage are any indication, anyway.

[trapdoor-spider.livejournal.com]

"The roses will require a trip to the Overground. I'll keep it in mind when I go for supplies. The wine however..."

And he moves to the fridge to get a bottle of wine out and pour some in a glass. He passes it between the bars, holding it out to her.

"Go on. I wouldn't drug it. That would hurt your brain and I am one of those fabled men who do want you for your brain."

[cuffyoutwice.livejournal.com]

She takes it and contemplates how good it would feel to throw it in his face. Instead, Beckett sets it on the ground and crosses her arms again.

"Only, like most fables, this will turn out to be much darker than sweeping me off my feet in romance."

[trapdoor-spider.livejournal.com]

"Well fables do teach a lesson." He puts his hands behind his back and paces in front of the cage, watching Beckett carefully. "I'm pleased to see you don't crack under pressure. And you can relax. My intentions toward you have nothing to do with romance. I'll not attempt to force myself on you. You've met my girlfriend."

Another pause. "I considered her as a candidate. In the end...I just couldn't do that. Not this time 'round. Previously though...the experiment worked well for a number of years."

[cuffyoutwice.livejournal.com]

"Wow she's such a...lucky young lady." Kate doesn't say it with as much bite as she'd like to, and the words fall flatter than day old soda. Also much less tasty.

She situates herself on what is supposed to pass for a cot with possibly the ugliest quilt covering it she's ever seen. "So. You've been looking for the right one for awhile, haven't you?"

[trapdoor-spider.livejournal.com]

Myrnin returns to his notebooks and his circuit boards. "We both know she's doomed. No matter how hard I try, I'll eventually hurt her in some way. She believes in me though. Against all odds that I am a better man than I think I am."

Some hmming as he fits one of the circuit boards into the console. "Longer than you can imagine. Since before I even arrived in this City. You should feel very flattered."

[cuffyoutwice.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, I'll work on that."

There's not much room to move around freely, but Kate can stand. She's not shy about scoping out her mini-prison; thick brick and concrete. Her foot only slips a little bit when she climbs up onto the toilet, running her hands along the crease in the corner.

"You know I'm not gonna let you hurt her, right?"

[trapdoor-spider.livejournal.com]

"If I believed you could stop me...let's just say you wouldn't be here right now. You'd hold a very different place the hierarchy of humans I believe worth noticing."

Myrnin doesn't bother to stop her. The cage was built, secured and maintained to hold him when the necessity arises.

[cuffyoutwice.livejournal.com]

At least she's properly gauged his ego; must be a vampire thing. Which Beckett didn't really get seeing as they were kind of leechy as far as her research had shown. He wasn't all that different from Rido so far, anyway.

"Oh, would I get to be in Menolly's place? Some kind of vampire bride trophy prize?" She'd read some accounts of things like that; familiars, or whatever. Mostly, Beckett's just trying to keep conscious and calm, though.

[trapdoor-spider.livejournal.com]

She's probably right about the vampire/immortal thing and ego. It's a whole living longer than anyone else deal.

He growls at her when she makes the comment about Menolly. "If you could stop me, you'd hold a position a respect. As it is, you're a step above cattle. As for Menolly, you know nothing about her or myself. I love her as much as a thing like myself can love."

[cuffyoutwice.livejournal.com]

Kate stops her inspection of the cage, climbing down to hold onto the bars and peer through at her captor. She'd never known how much vampires could vary and still be so much alike. Hell, she shouldn't know that vampires can exist at all.

"You've killed a lot of people, Myrnin. And you've got this fairytale idea about you and Menolly, don't you? A star-crossed lovers complex." The best part of all of this is that she believes what she's saying. Maybe it won't be her that puts an end to it, but she won't go without a fight.

"If you really loved her, you'd stay away from her. Are all vampires this pathetically possessive?"

[trapdoor-spider.livejournal.com]

He's entirely too involved in what he's doing to get angry. Instead he smirks at her, rolls his eyes and goes back to his work.

"I agree with you. However she's surprisingly stubborn."

[cuffyoutwice.livejournal.com]

She doesn't respond when she sees him brush her off. There's no point; nothing she can think of to say right now will convince him of anything, so Kate just leans forward to rest her head in her hands.

The headache has only gotten worse, but it's at least a reminder that she's still here, that she's still got time to do something.

"Okay, so what's the deal, here? Am I getting fed to something?"

[trapdoor-spider.livejournal.com]

"Not at all. You're not even being killed--well in the non-traditional sense." He turns to face her. "I'm going to turn you into a vampire then I'll paralyze you with a chemical so that you don't feel anything. Unfortunately you'll be aware but it will be very quick. I'll remove your brain from your skull and insert it into this." He taps the computer he's build with one hand.

"You'll be conscious, aware and sentient. You'll also be capable of creating interdimensional portals and eventually be able to send everyone home."

[cuffyoutwice.livejournal.com]

Given that she's a cop from New York, the fact that Kate has a hard time processing this might speak to its levity. Or maybe she's just tired and worn down. In any case, she sits down on her cot, hard, burying her face in her hands.

"Can I ask you how old you are?" She's got to focus on the case. Pretend the bars separating them are reversed; she's on the right side and the guy who wants to kill her for her brain is on the wrong side.

[trapdoor-spider.livejournal.com]

The look on his face is almost one of sympathy. He understands. He doesn't necessarily like hurting her.

"Over 500. I lost a few years a while ago when I was insane. I'm not sure how many. In fact I could be losing years right now as we speak."

[cuffyoutwice.livejournal.com]

She nods, hoping that some of the fiction she's read rings true. "So that means you're pretty strong, then."

Kate bites her lip, finally sitting up and running her hands through her hair. She's agitated, anxious, and trying to figure out if there's something she can actually do.

"...Why me?"

[trapdoor-spider.livejournal.com]

"Incredibly so," he responds glibly.

He sighs and looks at her, watching her carefully for a moment.

"Because you're brilliant, intuitive, stubborn and courageous."

[cuffyoutwice.livejournal.com]

She's stunned silent for a moment; what had she been expecting? Something about some rare hormone, maybe. Or the fact that she's all work and no play?

"So you're convinced your little project is going to work, then." Kate's not sure she can catch her breath. It's starting to hit home.

[trapdoor-spider.livejournal.com]

"My little project did work. In Morganville I had a computer named Ada. Ada had been my assistant for over a century. Morganville has fully functional interdimensional portals, shields at the city limits and memory inhibitors for those who were allowed to leave. Ada was brilliant."

He smirks over at Beckett. "So my little project, as you put it, will work and it will revolutionize the City. Perhaps soon you'll be responsible for helping send people home."

[cuffyoutwice.livejournal.com]

The knowledge registers, and it shows on her face before Kate can hide the mild surprise. Maybe he's telling the truth, but regardless he really believes this is going to work.

"You really think the deities are going to allow that?"

[trapdoor-spider.livejournal.com]

"I don't think they're going to notice and by the time they do, it will be too late."

He notices the surprise. He expects it even.

[cuffyoutwice.livejournal.com]

Right, great. He actually has a point, now.

"You can't just-- take people and go through them like toys, or merchandise. You can't play with lives like this."

[trapdoor-spider.livejournal.com]

"Can't I?" He's chuckling a bit at her. "Tell me Chief Beckett, do you support scientific experimentation on animals when the results and work will lead to advances that will benefit the entire world?"

[cuffyoutwice.livejournal.com]

She shuts right up, aware that he has a point and yet still very sure that he is still wrong.

"That's-- different."

Great, yeah. Really won that one, way to make Team Human look worthy. Plus side, maybe he'll deem her stupid and let her go.

[trapdoor-spider.livejournal.com]

"Somehow I think from your side of the bars, it's the same regardless of your species."

Not so much really. Good try though.

[cuffyoutwice.livejournal.com]

"At least lab rats get mazes to occupy their time."

She won't even try; he won't let her win this one, and she refuses to keep banging her head against the wall, here. "And don't talk back or feel complex emotions."

Okay, so maybe she will keep trying.

[trapdoor-spider.livejournal.com]

Myrnin moves over to a stack of books, gets several and slides them through the bars in the cell. "If I give you a candle will you attempt to burn the place down?"

[cuffyoutwice.livejournal.com]

After a glance (yes, she's really thinking about it) around her cell, Kate shrugs. "Wouldn't burn."

[trapdoor-spider.livejournal.com]

"Very well."

He passes a fat candle through the bars. "Better now you've got your maze?"

[cuffyoutwice.livejournal.com]

She takes it gingerly, and there's this moment where she considers what kind of damage it would do to him. Could she get it back in his face fast enough to give her some kind of opportunity to get out?

Or would it just piss him off and bring her death more quickly?

[trapdoor-spider.livejournal.com]

[More than likely it'd piss him off. If she were already out then it might buy her a minuscule amount of time. Hot wax is an irritation but not much more.]

Sees video

[valentineluke.livejournal.com]

*Signs of a struggle with police badge and blood? Interested Valentine is interested!!*