8823/Late night Queens

Late night Queens
Date of Scene:	25 November 2021
Location:	Queens
Synopsis:	The Red Arrow comes across Zaya being approached by thugs. Fight ensues and they learn more about one another, and what it means having received the call to the Midnight Mission.
Cast of Characters:	Zaya Abdelkader, Thea Queen

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Zaya Abdelkader has posed:
She had yet to officially move into The Mission, a young girl in transit between an apartment she was not going to renew the lease on andcrashing on a couch at a new found friend's apartment. It had all happened so fast, the changes that she was experiencing. For days she had senses a call to the building and for days she had tried her best to ignore it; yet when you have a Goddess within you that is driven to make sure you do...you do.

It was a late evening, well after midnight and Zaya was leaving The Mission, en route back to her apartment. There were a few small things she wished to grab and she figured she would crash there for the evening. A young girl walking alone thorugh the streets of Queens, choosing to take a shortcut through a side alley she knew all to well.

Quick steps took her into the alley as she inceased her pace, hoping ot get to the other side as fast as possible. However, a car entered from the other end, high beams on and blinding her. She raised her hand to block her eyes and the next thing she heard were care doors slamming. "Hey lookie here boys, what do we have here. Some little bitch thinks she is going to come through here wihtout paying the toll." The men start to walk towards her, two of them have baseball bats, one of them has an actual knife and the leader who had spoken is carrying a small pistol. "You thought this alley was free? Oh you are going to pay or we are going to take it from you."

Zaya froze and exhaled softly, swallowing and started to walk backwards in retreat. "Look. I didn't know. I'll just go back..." She then turns starts to run from the way she came, but she is not fast eniough as one of the men grabs her by the backpack and then wraps her up in his arms. "Got ya ya lil bitch."

Zaya struggles against his grip, unable to break herself free. "Let...me...go." The other men surround her and begin laughing. The leader stepping up and dragging his finger down her cheek. "We got a pretty one here boys."

Thea Queen has posed:
Thea had been spending last few days in New York, courtesy of Malcolm Merlyn and the apartment he had 'offered' her. Sure, that was her real father but she had been hurt enough in the past to not take things at face value anymore. It meant lots of pacing around, alone with her thoughts, considering what had happened at the Midnight Mission and what it meant, along with her own meeting with the Death Gods which had started this all thing for her.

"I can't spend one more minute in here.." Thea running her hands through her hair, then a glance to the suit she brought on her trip. Yea, some action would do. And she still had to properly explore the streets around her place.

The rush of cold, near-freezing wind on the rooftops of New York is quite the change from the warmer Starling, making Thea's teeth clack together. "Ear muffs on the suit. Got to tell Ollie.." she murmurs to herself. Yet soon enough the sound of laughter, a scream. That brings her attention over.

Running atop the low building to the edge she looks down at what's going on. Eyes narrow and she draws an arrow. And just as the man start running that finger down Zaya's cheek an arrow hits the man's hand, right through and pinning it to the alley wall.

"You heard her. Let her go." Thea is standing on the edge, dressed in the black and red leathers of her outfit, bow on her hand.

Zaya Abdelkader has posed:
The arrow whistles through the cool night air, striking the man in the hand and pinning it to the wall. It is a surprise to everyone and all of their eyes search the dark for the source of the strike. It is the opening Zaya needs and she throws her head back, slamming it into the man's face that is holding her. A stomp to his foot and his reaction of pain allows her to struggle free.

However, she is not out of danger. As one of the other men with the bat moves to help the thug with the arrow in his hand get free, the other one takes a swing at Zaya. She ducks and the bat slams into the wall. He swings again and another duck. Clearly the young girl has no fighting skills and is simply trying to avoid the swings. She is in survival mode.

She then peels off her gloves tossing them to the ground. This time when he swings she steps back, the bat narrowly missing her and casuing the man to spin a bit. It is the chance she needs and she pounces on his back, cluthing both her hands on either side of his head. The scream that comes from him is horrific as her grip tightens. It is a scream that draws the attention of the other three.

It is as though the life is litterally being drained from his face, the color fading, wrinkles forming, his eyes becoming more prominent. She is clinging for dear life.

The leader with the gun (whose hand is still pinned) raises the gun towards her, ready to fire. "What the fuck?!"

Thea Queen has posed:
Thea should had known. The Arrow doesn't strike as much terror as it does in Starling City. And BESIDES, she isn't the Green Arrow, she's just the Red Arrow and ..., not that long ago she was Speedy. Which is as much of a sidekick as one gets!

Yet the girl is in danger, so it's time to act. Another arrow is shot, a rappel arrow, leaving a line behind she uses to slide down through with the use of another arrow, the friction making that arrow 'screech' with the sound of her descent, both feet aimed squarely towards the leader who's raising the gun. "Hey, heads up." she warns the guy. Because she's nice like that. Not that it stops both her feet from hitting the man right on the chest with all her weight behind. Hopefully enough to knock the gun away and put him down for the moment..

It's when she catches sight of what's going on. Of the girl atop the guy's back and .., draining him? "Hey, stop that!" she tells her, "Killing him is not worth it."

Zaya Abdelkader has posed:
As Thea slides in and sends the leader sprawling, the other two men decide that is enough is enough and take off in the direction of the car. They know when they are outmatched and clearly they did not expect this type of resistance.

Zaya's eyes flash to Thea and she drops from the man's back, eleasing her hands from his withered face. He is still alive, but weak, collapsing to his knees and sobbing into his hands. "What...have...you...done to me."

The young girl walks over nad picks her gloves up from the ground, putting them back on as she addresses the woman in Red. "He won't die...well he would have." She eyes Thea a moment and then adjusting her baseball cap softly adds. "And thanks. If you had not shown up, who knows what would have happened."

She then makes her way over to the man who is on th ground covering his face. A gloved finger finds his chin and she slowly lifts it, putting his face into plain view. "It is not too late to choose a different path." Her head then tilts to the side as if she is listening to someone speaking, her words spoken seemingly to nobody. "Offended or not I will not leave him this way." She then takes a long breath and exhales, the warm air blowing over his face. Slowly, the life starts to come back to it until he looks as he did before. "Now go.." She steps back and stands up, walking over to Thea as the man Thea had kicked manages to find his feet and scamper off as well, taking out a few trash cans in the process.

Her eyes scan Thea once more, taking the other woman in fully and softly stating. "Zaya. My name is Zaya."

Thea Queen has posed:
Some tension is on Thea's shoulders as she regards Zaya, perhaps waiting to see if she will release the man or ..., if she may have to intervene. When she does slide out of the man's back she inclines her head at the other woman, silently telling her she made the right choice.

And yes, who knows what would had happened if Thea hadn't shown up. All these guys could be dead..

She takes a few steps closer, perhaps to help the fallen man up yet once she sees Zaya leaning in and .., doing what seems to be magic her eyes go wide. She blinks once.

"Well, fuck me sideways..." she is clearly flabbergasted at what just happened, "What was that ...?"

She calms herself a few moments later, specially at the two thugs scamper off and they are left alone in the alley, eyes roaming over the other woman and she replying. "I am Red Arrow." a beat, "You look.., strangely familiar for some reason."

Zaya Abdelkader has posed:
Zaya nibbles her bottom lip and looks about the alley, stepping closer to Thea and talking softly to her. "Red Arrow?" Again her head slightly tilts to the side as if she is listening to an unheard voice. A moment later she offers Thea a smile. "Oh it all makes sense now. It was just explained to me where I may have forgotten. You were at Chichen Itza. The Death Gods?"

She takes off her hat and lets her hair fall freely about her shoulders, shaking her head to lossen it a bit. "Do I look more familiar now? I feel as tho I have some explaining to do and have been told I can do so freely. Come, let's get out of the cold. I know a place we can go and talk. I am told you may be familiar with it as well. The Mission?"

She starts to walk, continuing to explain. "Let me try to keep this simple. I am sure you are well aware of the Goddess Nephthys? If you were at Chichen Itza you are well aware." She turns to look at Thea fully as she walks. "She resides within me. I am but a vessel for her desires. She has allowed me to, for the most part, keep my own existence. However, I am not really able to refuse what she seeks to accomplish. Some Gods or Goddesses are reborn into a newborn child, choosing this to be th beginning of their existence among the mortals one more. I was a little different. I have only been this way for a year or so now."

Again, she seems to be listening and then says with another smile. "You fought well. Nephthy was most impressed. She wished me to tell you."

Thea Queen has posed:
As Chichen Itza is spoken there's a brief shudder that runs across Thea's spine. Memories of that place are still quite vivid. She nods slowly, again her tension returning at this stranger knowing of that place. And what happened! She squints her eyes from under the domino mask, looking at Zaya's face when she lets the hair down. At the request to go to the mission she finally speaks up, "Yes, I know of it. Or rather, I have been there."

She starts to walk alongside the other woman, bringing the bow up to rest down her back on it's sheath, "A goddess of duality." she murmurs with a slow nod, "Life and Death. And more, of course." yet it's when Zaya speaks the rest that she goes silent, listening instead, "You know, some people have been committed to an asylum for less than that." she points out, "... and if I hadn't just seen what I did I might be of their opinion."

"Though I bet you must think you are going crazy at times. How do you handle it?" She asks, arms folding together while she walks, eyes fully on Zaya.

Zaya Abdelkader has posed:
There is a soft reply as she keeps walking, her arms folded in front of her, hugging them close to her body. "I don't." She laughs lightly and shakes her head before adding. "For the most part she lets me live as I choose. She stays out of my head. It is strange. I /am/ Nephythys. And yet at the same time I am Zaya, a recently graduated college girl just trying to survive in NYC. Could she comepletely take over my body and mind? Absolutely, but she has promised me she will not as long as we do what we are destined to do."

A gloved hand raises to brush her hair back behind her shoulder. "She has told me I can tell you anything you want to know. So that means I can say what I want. So you saw the hands thing. The Goddess of Death and Decay...draining life with a consistent touch. You saw the breath thing. Goddess of healing and protection for the Pharoah. If I breath on the are of an injury I can heal it..for the most part."

She turns her eyes once more to look at Thea as she walks. "I can see and talk with spirits..those who have passed. Nephthys is the Goddess of Guiding the Dead." She laughs again. "It looks like I talk to myself a lot." She shrugs. "And some manipulation of darkness. I believe that is all, at least what she has shown me. I probaly apper quite crazy at times. And in a sense I am. There are two beings inside this body...and one has the final say."

Thea Queen has posed:
A brow arches with some concern for Zaya. Not for the Goddess. In truth, she did get a bit burned about the all Gods thing after they tried to take over the underworld in some kind of battle royale. "Not a nice thing out of her, is it?" by her tone it sounds as if Thea would say harsher words, but Nephtys could take that personally. And she saw what happened to that other thug!

"Has she told you what you are destined to do at least?" She asks with some curiosity, continuing on the sidewalk, attention on Zaya, "Healing and Death. A blessing and a curse." she says about the powers that Zaya explains, lips pressing to a thin line, "Can you control the touch though?"

Eventually she does let out a soft chuckle at something Zaya says, "We are all a little crazy from time to time. And ..., I speak to myself all the time too. And no Goddess in here."

Zaya Abdelkader has posed:
"I don't know exactly. It seems to be on a need to know basis. I am aware that I am to serve her needs and desires; whatever those may be. I have a feeling from wha I have been experiencing and finding out about that something big is on the horizon tho. Not exactly looking forward to that." She hugs her body closer as they keep wlaking.

"A blessing and a curse indeed. I cannot control the touch. For whatever reason, it is simply there. I will never be able to touch a living thing with bare hands without it withering. Even plants. They die within my grasp, only to be renewed with a breath if they do not die completely." She laughs again, but this time a laugh of obvious pressure and pain. "I have never told anyone this. Nobody knows except for myself and Nephthys."

There is a small exhale and she stops walking, turning to face Thea fully. "I am told...I also have the power to resurrect one person and one person only with my breath. Yet in doing so, I give up my own existence and allow Nephthys to live fully in my body with my conscience gone forever. I never intend to use this." She bites her bottom lip once more. "All because I read an inscription at the base of a sarcophagus of her most prominent priest."

Thea Queen has posed:
"It's a lot to put on your shoulders." Thea points out the more she listens about what the girl is going through, "Specially if it may not have been fully your choice." eyebrows knit under the mask, she stopping when the girl does. "Still, I thank you for your trust in telling me this.." a beat, "I am not sure if I am deserving of such but ..." and she finally nods, ".. I still appreciate it."

That last part about the ressurrection has Thea's expression turn a touch sadder, "If there's anything I know is that we often do things that we swore we'd never do. If there's one thing we can't change is our nature." a faint smile coming to her expression. "And you seem like a good soul.."

She nods towards the street ahead of them. "Come on, lets keep up. It's cold out here, you might freeze soon." not Thea of course with all that leather on her!

"Yet if there's anything I can tell you is that at the Mission you may find purpose. I was drawn to it as well. It would seem my part in all this is not yet over." a wink, "Seems like bows and arrows are always in vogue."

Zaya Abdelkader has posed:
"It was not fully my choice, but I have no regrets. How many Egyptoigists can walk about saying they have an actual Egyptian Goddess inside them?" SHe quickens her step as well, the cold starting to set in a bit. "Do not think less of me, but I only told you because she said I could. Take heart in knowing that she finds you trusting and worthy of such knowledge. Otherwise I would have said as little as possible."

Her hands now go into the ppocket of her hoodie. "Then we are allies fighting for the same cause, yet I must admit I am still figuring out what that cause is. She will not reveal it fully, leaving me to inquire upon my own. Perhaps that is her intent to allow me to seek and be told what others wish to tell me."

She shrugs once more and hunches her shoulders against the chill. "A weapon in a skilled hand is a benefit to any side in conflict. And from what I have seen of you tonight and at Chichen Itza you are most skilled and I am glad to have you on my side...whatever side that is."

Thea Queen has posed:
"We all are." Thea says about figuring out what their cause may be, "But it's in working together that we will accomplish it." She says, appearing to fully believe what she is saying. A chuckle, "I have been learning the benefits of teamworking. A girl that uses a bow like I do needs all of those she can get."

She reaches up to her hood after a moment of contemplation, drawing it back from her head, revealing the short-ish hair of a young woman. Her hands then move to her domino mask. "Nephtys most likely already knows who is under this mask. But with the confidence you placed in me tonight I feel I should not hide my face." a beat, "Not if we are to work closely as allies."

Fingertips undo the domino mask, pulling it over to reveal a young woman's refined features, blue eyes on dark hair. "My name is Thea. It is good to meet you."

Zaya Abdelkader has posed:
As the mask and hood are pulled away, Zaya gives the woman a warm smile, extending her hand. "Please to meet you Thea. Don;t worry, with the gloves it is safe." She takes in the woman's features, seemingly commiting them to memory. "You sell yourself short Thea. Yet one can never have to many allies, in that you are most correct."

The hood now goes up over her baseball cap; this Goddess within seems to go quite casual. "So tell me Thea, are you staying at the Mission as well? I have yet to move my things there, but plan on doing so in the next few days. It is not reallt a decision I have a choice in. One of those times where my actions are being decided for me."