MHA # 2 | Tuesday Afternoon

[knife_bender]

It was very hard to fall asleep while handcuffed to a radiator, who knew? Still, Diego had managed it sometime after the fifteen hour mark of being held captive by his own brother. Five was nice enough to provide him with a blanket so it was comfortable enough for him to forget about the handcuff thing when he first woke up. Until he went to stretch and was stopped by the cuffs bouncing against the radiator with a clang.

"I'm going to kill him," Diego mumbled for about the millionth time in the last twenty-four hours. He sat up as much as he could, and realized that Dolores was staring at him from the kitchen table. She must have been set up as a guard, which was even more humiliating.

At least there was cold coffee and a gross Danish for him to eat for breakfast? Thanks, Five.

[For one!]

Comments

[grenadesandohana]

Could Steve try the door first like a normal being? Or call to verify the radio report of Diego being tied up at home?

Sure, but where was the fun in that? It was much better to get into urban camo and rappel his way down to Diego's window, then carve it open with a glass cutter and one of those suction cup things like Tom Cruise had in his This Shit's Hard movies.

[knife_bender]

You know what? Diego appreciated dedication, and even would defend Steve when Annie eventually asked what the hell happened to their window.

His eyes darted over to Dolores, like somehow she'd be able to stop this from happening. He clearly had been eating too much sugar if he was treating her like she was people.

[grenadesandohana]

Steve, who had spent two weeks interviewing rodents like they might be people, was just going to go ahead and assume that Dolores was some kind of sentient AI. He commando crawled from the window and around the perimeter, looking extremely badass and in no way slightly unhinged and prepared to sneak up on Diego's captor from behind.

[knife_bender]

Meanwhile Diego had been eating nothing but sugar and coffee for the last twenty-four hours, so it was possible he was a little unhinged as well.

Which could be the only explanation for him trying to get Dolores' attention away from Steve. "Hey, Dolores, could I get some more water?"

This was ridiculous.

[grenadesandohana]

Completely.

Steve used that handy distraction--thanks, Diego!--to leap, ninja-like, and put Dolores in a choke hold.

"You okay?" he asked Diego as Dolores, presumably, lost consciousness. Or never had any. One of those.

[knife_bender]

"I really need to brush my teeth." The sugar, Steve. So much sugar. "How did you know I was here?"

[grenadesandohana]

"Squirrel with a GoPro," Steve said like that was a normal thing to admit.

[knife_bender]

"I guess I should be thankful for that," Diego said. "Got anything for handcuffs? And anything to help me kill my brother?"

[grenadesandohana]

"Yes and yes," Steve said, laying Dolores on the ground and pulling a gag from one of his billion pockets.

Blindfolding and gagging a mannequin: very normal!

After he was satisfied Dolores wasn't moving (...Steve...), he crouched down next to Diego with his lockpit kit.

[knife_bender]

Look, better safe than sorry when it came to Dolores.

"I knew you wouldn't let me down," Diego said with a grin. "You tell Five you're looking for holes one time and suddenly it's a hostage situation."

[grenadesandohana]

Steve grinned back. "When you tell Danny and Annie about this, make sure I sound awesome," he said, popping the cuffs open.

[knife_bender]

"Dude, I will not need to exaggerate, that was awesome," he said, shaking his wrist out once it was free. "I really liked the whole glass cutting thing in general."

[grenadesandohana]

"I'll show you how," Steve said. "It's a fun party trick."

For the kind of parties Steve went to, anyway.

[knife_bender]

"That would be amazing," he said, standing up. "We've got to get out of here. Five's gonna flip shit when he finds out what you did to his girlfriend."

[grenadesandohana]

"Need to pee in an actual room first?" Steve asked, giving the bucket such a look.

[knife_bender]

He so didn't want to talk about the pee bucket.

"Just let me grab my toothbrush," he said. "Are we leaving through the front door or the window?"

Diego, really. Stupid question.

[grenadesandohana]

"Window's less obvious if your brother's watching," Steve said.

[knife_bender]

And way more fun.

"That's smart." Look at them, two geniuses right here. "Okay, toothbrush and then we're out."

[grenadesandohana]

Well, Diego was already in black, so clearly they'd be invisible!

Going out a window. Mid-afternoon. It was a good thing everyone was in a hole.

"We can get you supplied at my place," Steve said, nodding.

[knife_bender]

People in the hole will be so jealous of their cool guy adventures.

Diego briefly left to get his toothbrush and stick it in one of his many pockets. He also grabbed a few knives just in case Five found him. He was not above stabbing his own brother.

He came back a moment later and nodded at Steve. "Let's go. Keep an eye out for knee socks."

[grenadesandohana]

Steve had spent the time he'd been left unsupervised handcuffing Dolores to a kitchen chair and making sure her gag and blindfold were in place.

"Roger that," Steve said, nodding.