metalogs | I want to be blinded from this dull today

Entry tags:

I want to be blinded from this dull today

Who: Leonardo

faceguy, Donatello

purplexing, Accelerator

levelshift
What: Three children commit light B&E and felony theft.
When: Late May. Probably after that Fantastic announcement, what timing.
Where: An electronics recycling facility in Central.
Content Warnings: Kids committing crimes, body horror, psychological horror, blood, sensory overloading. These kids have trauma, thanks nightmare floor! Will update as necessary.

[With everything going on in Central City - the flooding, the lockdown, Fantastic taking over the Alliance - the smart thing to do would be to delay this whole mission. Or even better - call it off, because even though it should be a (mostly) harmless crime for the benefit of Donnie, stealing equipment meant to be recycled is still illegal. But no, they've made plans, scoped the place out, trained. Dropping things now would be putting all that time and effort to waste, and besides, it should be a simple stealthy in-and-out mission, right? It's a recycling facility, how bad can the security be?

Besides, it'll be fun to stick it to Fantastic. A heist (albeit, a small one) happening right after he becomes head of the Alliance? Now that's fantastic.

Accelerator isn't too sure what to expect. He's been in a recycling facility before, back in Academy City, and the security was incredibly lax. This is a different city - different universe, with different rules. He's a little cautious, since this was originally his idea, and he's the one with only thirty minutes of power to work with. Otherwise he's a weaker-than-normal high school student relying on two very capable ninjas.

It's fucking weird to be relying on other people. He kind of hates it, and he isn't totally sure why, though he can't exactly overthink it right now like he usually would. He's trying to stay focused on breaking into the facility and not fucking anything up for Donnie and Leo. He's even made something of an effort for tonight, with a duffle bag to store equipment (a smaller backpack is inside for stuff he'll grab for the Society's cut) and a black hoodie in case he needs to hide his hair (he isn't sure, white hair just doesn't seem very stealthy).

So far it's going smoothly. With Leo's planning and leadership and Donnie taking care of the security system they're able to sneak in and avoid the paths of the security guards. In fact, it's going so well that it sort of seems like they might be able to get in, grab what they need, and get out with no incidents whatsoever.

Of course, it's absurd to throw all caution out the window simply because things are working out right now. Especially when they run into their first obstacle.

After dodging a few more guards, the trio will come to a long hallway, the only path to their goal without having to pass directly several security stations. Spread through the length of the hall are little red lasers, arranged into one very elaborate grid meant to ward off would-be thieves such as themselves. It's like something out of a spy movie, and it's unclear whether these are the kinds of lasers that will cut a limb off or simply sound an alarm if tripped. Maybe it's both.

Accelerator leans heavily on his crutch, looking thoroughly irritated with this obstacle. His reflection might be actively detrimental here.]

This is fucking ridiculous.

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[There's a beat of silence as Accelerator processes his phone is suddenly no longer in his hand.

Ffffffucking.......

He clenches that hand into a fist, glaring at Donatello, though he pauses.

This is the first time he's actually seen Donnie's shell, which is kind of bewildering. There's a thought passing through his mind even as he feels the frustration build at his phone being stolen.

(It looks like a green pancake.

.......................................

...................... If Last Order was here she'd be saying that out loud. That brat has no filter.)

He grumbles under his breath and is forced to head to the kitchen to retrieve his phone.]

It's a proprietary battery. [Which meant a lot back home, he only had one charger he could use. Here, though, that means absolutely nothing with Donnie's skills.]

I'm not skipping work. That'll make me either look suspicious or weak to those bastards, and neither of those things will do me any good.

[Still, he's staring down at the bottle of water, glaring at it like it's offended him, before he decides to sit down and grab it. Fine, whatever, he can drink some water first.]

Edited 2023-05-31 21:32 (UTC)

Could probably figure something out.

[Slapping together a charger is decidedly low-level on his scale of difficulties, even if he looks about ready to fall asleep.

Donnie pushes himself up from the counter, draining the last of his juice before setting the bottle there so he can go rummage through a box of random salvage he's been amassing bit by bit.]

Does it have a specific connector piece or would it charge through electromagnetic induction?

[Leo doesn’t know shit about any of that, so he just pushes away from the counter with his Gatorade. He pauses as he walks out of the kitchen to ruffle Accelerator’s hair just because he can.

He goes to the living room and grabs the blanket off the couch and some of the pillows and spreads it out on the floor, moving the coffee table out of the way to better make a nest. Too bad they don’t have a big projector here, but they’ll make do.]

[Oh my god Leo why. Accelerator is opening the bottle up for a drink, pausing to growl and flails a hand at him. Fuck offfff!!

He's facepalming, before answering Donnie.]

The latter. [He's giving whatever the amperage is for what the Society gave him. Probably not standard but nothing wildly out there.

That isn't the big issue, anyways.]

.... It has a separate charging station.

[The device has to be shut off and the battery removed to be charged. That means no supercomputer filling in for his brain injury. Back home the only person whose presence he tolerated when it was charging was Last Order, and here he's always been on his own when he's needed to do it.

This is actually really nerve-wracking for him, whether he wants to risk this level of vulnerability, and even with all the annoyance on his expression he's also a little tense.]

[Ah, but they do have a projector, it probably just needs some repairs. Donnie's not sure of the exact operational status of their haul so it's not something they can just plug in at the moment.

He fishes out a few things from the box, shuffling back over to the counter.]

Won't be a problem to boost the output. The cradle should be big enough to hold it, I think this was meant for charging smart watches.

[Fiddling with things like this helps him decompress. He doesn't care if Accelerator wants to use it or not, it's an option he'll have anyway, and at least Donnie has enough information now to make a better version when he's feeling fancy. For now, he's just making do with what he's got, and maybe some handy electrical tape.

He stifles a yawn as he checks the output with his computer before sliding over the finished product, dropping his head over his arms on the counter.]

Should be enough, but you'll have to use both plugs or it won't. I can refine it later but for now it should suffice.

[Leo has disappeared into his room and emerged with more pillows and another blanket. He completes his work in the living room, then returns to the kitchen.]

Donnie got you fixed up?

[He eyes the charger, then looks at Accelerator. He seems tense, and Leo wonders if it’s because of the charger. If he had to take the collar off then it’s basically like turning his brain off or something. In Leo’s mind, anyway.]

You can just crash here. If you want. Huvrye won’t care.

[Unless he does, but Leo will deal with it in that case. He doubts it, though. Huvrye takes in strays like a dog takes on fleas.]

[The adrenaline must be fading, as the dominant feeling taking over is a familiar raw gnawing at his insides. He helped steal some equipment, and now he should leave instead of sticking around and letting Donnie build him a second goddamn charger out of nothing.

Then again, it could also be from having slammed into a wall. Hah.

He's looking down at his bottle of water, then the new charger when it's slid over to him. He's still looking down at it when Leo comes back in, and goddamnit he's making it sound like this is just some normal thing people do. Like he's their friend or something. Really, the right thing to do would dig his heels in and call that Uber.

Except he kind of wants to stick around for a little longer. Especially when he knows all that nightmare crap means he's going to have to explain the Sisters, and that's the biggest not-friendship-nuke ever. This feels stupid and desperate and he doesn't even know what he's doing as he sighs.]

... I'm too tired to argue, so I'll hang around for a few hours.

[However, his mouth twists when he thinks about Leo mentioning Huvrye. If he can't decide whether he's comfortable turning his choker off around the turtles, then he definitely isn't around a total stranger.]

I'll charge this thing when I get back to my place.

[He's sounding very brusque as he takes the charger and reaches for his cell phone.]

[Donnie glances over at Leo, wondering what all he's been up to. He starts to nod, and again to confirm that it probably wouldn't be a big deal if Accelerator stayed the night. He's not even sure what time it is but if it were him, he'd hate to have to go through the trouble of getting back to his place. And then there's the whole matter of being alone...]

If you say so.

[Groaning, he shoves himself away from the counter. He should probably ice his shoulder while he's thinking about it, so he heads over to the fridge to look for an ice pack or cubes to throw in a sandwich bag. Probably should better reacquaint himself with the contents of the kitchen some time.

Donnie throws together a makeshift icepack and goes wandering back into the main room. Ooh, pillow nest. At any other time he'd put up more of a front about such "childish" things but right now it looks like the most comfortable place in the world.]

[Why does he think Leo made it? Screw “childish,” he wants to be comfy.

Leo lingers after Donnie leaves, watching Accelerator. Maybe being comfortable here is too much to ask… It doesn’t mean Leo won’t try.]

We won’t mess with you if you want to take it off, you know. Won’t even draw on your face. [He crosses a hand over his plastron.] Cross my heart and hope to die.

[So saying, he turns and heads back for the living room to flop belly first down on some pillows.]

[Won't even - ... he supposes that's reassuring. A little. Given that drawing on his face does sound like something the two of them would do under less brain injury-y circumstances.

It's almost enough to make him reconsider, but in the end he decides it's safer sticking to his guns on this.]

Tche.

[After a few moments he gets up with his water and follows after Leo.

Huh. That certainly is a whole nest of blankets. Accelerator's face is completely impassive as he goes and sits down at the edge of it, kicking his shoes off before taking his crutch off his forearm and setting it and the charger to the side. Then he's going to fuss with his phone to set an alarm for some ungodly hour that has the gall to exist so he'll have time to get home before the battery runs out.]

Edited 2023-06-01 05:21 (UTC)

[By then Donnie's claimed his own spot amongst the pillows, and while he hasn't flopped into them, he has settled in with a contented sigh, glad to finally be somewhere they can actually relax. Somewhere safe. It's not hard to tell when Leo comes to make himself comfortable.

He cracks an eye open as he hears Accelerator come from the kitchen, casting a crooked smile in the esper's direction as it looks like he's decided to join them after all. Not like they can make him stay if he really doesn't want to. At least he seems to be figuring he can trust the turtle boys to some degree.

...because they will sure never stop messing with his phone when given the chance, for one thing.]

[Oh absolutely. Leo only promised not to mess with Accelerator himself, after all.

Right now, though, Leo is equally happy to be resting somewhere safe, pulling a blanket over his shell and legs before rummaging for his own phone and pulling up Jupiter Jim Escape from the Moon 12, on a low volume for now.]

[Huvrye's shift at the theater had gone long - technical difficulties stretching a three hour show to nearly five - and then there'd been the impromptu but insistent all-crew-and-staff We Survived Whatever That Was dinner at one of the few places near the theater that was open all night, even during quarantine.]

[(He'd never done one of those before. It had been unexpected, but nice.)]

[So it's late when Huvrye drops down on the balcony and opens the door. He'd known Leo and Donnie would be out with a friend - probably Accelerator, given how often they talked, but it could've been anyone. What he's not expecting when he heads into the apartment, leftovers in hand, is to find all three teens stretched out on the floor in a pile of blankets and pillows. Either this is a very late hangout, or Accelerator is staying the night.]

[Okay then.]

Hey. How'd the hangout go?

[He has absolutely no idea what they've been up to.]

[His phone getting messed with again is the last thing on his mind. It's late, he's tired, and as soon as he finishes his water he's curling up for a few hours of sleep.

Probably, anyways. He's drinking said water when Huvrye arrives, and he's going to be totally silent. It's awkward enough for him to be staying over at someone else's home, adding an adult he doesn't know the mix makes that worse.]

[Donnie had already been drifting off again, half buried against a pillow on one side, icepack already sliding off his exposed shoulder.

At least Huvrye's not the type to be loud about his entrances or greetings, so when Donnie hears someone else speaking up, he sleepily opens an eye again with a muffled response that more or less equated to, "Fine, fine, everything's fine," although whether or not that's intelligible is another thing.]

[Leo, meanwhile, is not asleep, even though his eyes were closed while he listened to the faint sounds of Jupiter Jim fighting moon aliens. He rolls over to sit up when he hears Huvrye come in. The urge to jump up and hug him and spill everything fights with the desire to look cool for the other two teenagers in the room, half asleep as they might be.]

Oh yeah, the hangout. It went great. [Face man face ON. Leo is trying to appear totally chill and unbothered even though Accelerator is stiff and Donnie has a banged up shoulder. Speaking of, he'll just reach over and nudge that ice pack back where it needs to go.

He's aware that the ruse probably can't be kept up once Huvrye spies the bags of stolen goods that have been unceremoniously plopped down in the living room, so maybe he shouldn't even bother.]

About that, though... We, uh... well... I have something to tell you. [He doesn't think he's going to get much out of the other two for this.]

[Accelerator says nothing, Donnie manages half an answer and has an ice pack on his shoulder, and Leo wants to talk about...something.]

[And there are several very full bags in the living room that definitely hadn't been there when he'd left for work.]

[What exactly had they gotten up to?]

[But he doesn't ask, instead tilting his head a bit towards Leo.]

Okay?

[Where and how this conversation happens is up to Leo.]

[Well, that's snapping Accelerator to full attention as he casts Leo a side-eye. He isn't going to stop Leo or anything, since the crime was registered with the Society it's not as if it was ever meant to be a complete secret, though he's wondering whether or not it's a good idea to tell the turtles' apparent legal guardian.

He really has no clue, so he's just going to trust Leo on this one. It probably won't affect him, anyways.]

[Having to explain things requires brainpower he does not have to spare at the moment.

Donnie does glance at Leo, but unlike Accelerator, he doesn't otherwise seem inclined to make the effort to try dragging himself awake. If his input is needed, he'll try, but for the moment, he closes his eyes again.

...and if he starts snoring, well, can anyone blame him?]

[Leo catches the side eye, but just grins. It’s fine and he’s not nervous! The Face Man Face says so!

Leo shifts so he’s sitting up fully. Donnie is asleep, it sounds like, which is a good thing, so he lowers his voice so he doesn’t disturb him.]

Uh, so, funny story. You know how Donnie needs parts for his projects? Well, turns out buying them is really expensive and junkyards are kinda hit and miss soooo we decided to take some stuff he needs from a recycling plant… in a manner that may not have been on the side of the law the Alliance would prefer.

[Nailed it.]

[...so there's the answer to his unasked question: they robbed a place.]

Did you get hurt? Did you get caught?

[Priorities.]

Edited 2023-06-02 22:57 (UTC)

[............. It isn't showing on his face but that is absolutely not the reaction he's expecting, holy shit. An adult asking about their wellbeing, what is this???]

[It’s normal caring human interaction, Accy!

Leo is glad that didn’t seem to go terribly, and he relaxes a little against the pillows.]

Please, Huvrye, we’re ninjas. Obviously we didn’t get caught.

[What does he take them for? That said…]

And uh… well, Dee banged up his shoulder and Accy here hit a wall pretty hard… and so did I but I think everyone is… mostly alright!

[Huvrye just raises an eyebrow at that protest. They may be ninjas, but Leo and Donnie are also two of the loudest people he knows. He needed to check.]

[The other eyebrow joins the first as Leo lists off injuries.]

Do any of you need a cover story for medical attention, or are you planning on sleeping it off?

[THey'd know the extent of their injuries better than him (and he's not going to pretend to be a medic); that said, he also knows that as the Local Adult, his word will go over better with other adults. It's an out if they need it.]

[At the question he sends Leo another glance. A cover story certainly isn't needed for himself, since the Society knows and if he needed medical attention he'd get one of their doctors. However, he isn't sure if Leo is going to bring up the whole 'the crime was registered' thing.]

I'm fine.

[He is not looking forward to the morning but no one needs to know that.]

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