#>> VERSE ( mcu

[huntershowl]

@godstrayed said:

“ the way i see it, there’s only three kinds of people in this world. bad ones, ones you follow, and ones you need to protect. ” / steve

THE FUCKED UP PART OF IT IS THAT PERSEPHONE DOESN'T disagree with him. they exist in different moral circles: those they need to protect are diametrically opposed. they are creatures of circumstance: if steve rogers had been brought up in her environment, he would be a very different man. ( and the world would be a bit more doomed, she suspects. ) if her parents had been kind — if she hadn't sunk into the world of crime — if the leader of her syndicate hadn't turned their attention on her — persephone might have been good. she might have become a musician, or a chef, or a normal person working dead-end jobs until they caught a break.

but she didn't. so now, here she is, facing off with america's mascot while her companions find another way in to steal what they need to steal. none of their bodies have taken as much damage as hers and survived; persephone was their best chance at distracting the unexpected element when the plan had to adjust around his arrival. as long as rogers is under the assumption that she is here alone, the others can take care of the rest.

being one of the city's worst boogeymen has its advantages, she supposes.

❝ yeah? ❞ she says. ❝ what does bad mean to you, golden boy? ❞ a mechanical arm is already inching toward one of the long knives hidden close to her body as persephone scans the hallway in her periphery. guns are her strong suit, but the combination of close quarters and his stupid shield make this a bad situation for bullets. ❝ you ever think hard about that? or do you just go and kill who you're told to kill like every other piece of shit masquerading as a hero? ❞ their voice becomes a snarl as a flash of genuine anger follows the last few words. no — reel it back. it's never a good move to get personal feelings involved.

just keep him talking and strike fast. they have no idea how much he knows about them; whether he believes the stories about their monstrous, lycanthropic form; if he even knows their real name. best to stay cautious and assume nothing.

[huntershowl]

@s-aint.

❝ I KNOW YOU.❞ THE VOICE COMES FROM A ROOFTOP somewhere to benjamin's left. it's rare that persephone engages first — she prefers solitude, reacts with hostility to those who reach out. but it's true: she does know him. knows of him, at least. her boss briefed her on this guy a long time ago, to make sure persephone was aware of the major players in new york's faction game.

apparently the unseen nearly tried to poach him themselves. superhuman aim, ruthless killer, excellent marks from quantico. their connections in the FBI spoke of him as unforgettable. ultimately, however, they decided he was too unpredictable. the tower leads the unseen like a chessmaster: they never take on an underling they cannot infallibly control.

reading benjamin poindexter's file, persephone couldn't help a slight sting of envy. her marksmanship skills are the best among the ranks of the unseen — god knows she worked like hell to get there, and the unnatural steadiness of her mechanical arms helped push her over the edge and become the tower's right hand. but this is different. from what she's read, poindexter is able to perfectly calculate the ricochet of a projectile in a split second before he launches it. that's a skill she'd kill to see in action. but orders are orders, and she has been told to proceed with caution. worst case scenario, get up close and fight hand-to-hand.

and they're not on a job today. she's not sure what possesses her to reach out — it'd be easy enough just to tail him and observe from afar. instead, persephone makes herself visible. she approaches the edge of the roof and crouches at its edge, dark eyes studying him. ❝ bullseye. right? that's what they're calling you? ❞