![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
iris and delilah - ii
The Coast Star Robbery, though? Put in the cash, the bonds, the savings, the jewelry and watches, and she had nearly half a million dollars. Now that was something worth reporting on. Front page, a photo of Iris sauntering out of the bank and to her car, flanked by knockout gas and gunfire. One for her trophy room.
She kept going - another few banks and museums, until they started shoring up their security in paranoia. The headquarters of Ford Automobiles during a shareholders meeting, mostly to tell them that their new breakthrough was crap. One day, she’d held an entire movie set hostage, primping and preening in front of the cameras, trying to get the actors to smile. She’d gotten bored and left - but really, that had just been for fun.
But the attention from the public meant attention from the Government, and the day came where her stream of luck ran out. Somehow, they’d found her hideout, nestled away in the Appalachians. Assembly line in an abandoned mineshaft, laboratory and a sprawling apartment on a mountainside, all powered by a series of nearby dams - it might not have been the glamorous retreat a Bond villain would have, but it was close.
And the best part, in Iris’ opinion? A complex-wide speaker system. So while she directed her troops (seventy soldiers strong) from her laboratory, she blasted the Rolling Stones so everybody could hear. Paint It, Black was such a damn good song, and she knew the words by heart.
“Come o~on,” she sing-songed into the microphone, cutting the music out for a moment. “Surrender and I won’t kill you.”
no subject
"You know, why not," Delilah sighed. "It's all going to be a moot point anyway."
no subject
It was an honest question. No knowledge was ever wasted, in Iris' opinion, least of all a first-hand tour of one of the most spectacular sites in the world. She led Delilah out of the living room, towards the rest of the facility.
"This is a hallway. That's it, even I can't make hallways exciting."
no subject
She rolled her eyes. She didn't really fear for her life, in any pressing way, but it was an easy thing to be sarcastic about and sarcasm felt like a strong defense.
"I'm sure you could if you tried," she replied cheerfully, "but interesting and safe are two different things."
no subject
She gestured towards one of the doors. Elevator, it'd take them down into the factory.
"I'm not going to kill you, didn't I tell you last time? But you're right, I'm going to blow this place to kingdom come soon."
no subject
Instead she replied, "I'm not sure I get it. And I wasn't sure the same parameters applied, far as my life goes."
The second part was a lie. She, also in an unsettling way, trusted at least that much about Iris. But it was still the right thing to say, she felt.
no subject
Iris shrugged, pulling the lever to open the doors to the elevator. It was more of a cage on a crank, the sort of things that carried miners down the shaft and into the depths of the Earth. Appropriate, given at this had previously been a mine.
"But the trick is knowing when to be practical - and safe, sure - and when to have fun. In you go."
no subject
Instead, she stepped into the elevator, sighing dramatically as she looked around. "A bit primitive, considering the rest of the place."
no subject
"It was already here," Iris explained, flipping the switch. The elevator creaked and began to descend with a series of loud, rattling clanks. "And honestly, replacing it would've been too much trouble. I've got better things to do."
As they descended, the lights flashed on, one by one, revealing the space below: an assembly line, like in an automobile factory. It wasn't active at the moment, leaving dozens of half-completed robots on a motionless conveyor belt. On the other side of the factory floor, only partially illuminated, a small platoon of her creations stood, waiting.
no subject
She sipped at her drink as they rode in the elevator, trying to maintain an aloof expression. That was admittedly difficult considering how overwhelmingly grand the surroundings were, but she couldn't be caught looking like some sort of fangirl.
Instead, she waited till they stopped and then asked, "Think you have enough murder machines?"
no subject
The answer came immediately, because honestly, no-brainer. She didn't have enough murder machines, not by a long shot. When Iris had enough to take on an army and win, when she'd be able to grind a nation underneath her heel, when she could raise up her own technopalace from the ruins of Washington -
Then maybe she could slow down a little. But enough? Never.
She snorted with laughter, nearly stumbling out of the elevator. "Oh, shit. I just realized - I could kill you here. Nobody would ever know."
no subject
A different, sarcastic, slightly exasperated way.
no subject
She was silent for a moment, letting the weird, echoing quiet of the laboratory stretch on and on throughout the cavern's walls. Then Iris turned away, striding towards a programming terminal. "We should put on some music. What do you like?"
no subject
But there was no winning here, was there. "I like a little of everything," Delilah said, though with a sigh. "What do you have?"
no subject
She wanted - wanted to show off to somebody. Wanted to impress Agent Kaye, and, if she was being honest with herself, wanted to unbutton her. Just a little.
(Maybe a lot)
She didn't go out and say that, though, just plowed onward, ignoring the question completely. "Motown, rock and roll, blues. I've got some swing, if you're as old-fashioned as you look. Oh! Have you heard of the Wonders? They're new."
no subject
But -- of course Iris wouldn't answer, of course it wouldn't be that easy. So she just shrugged and said, "I haven't. Not the best at keeping up with that sort of thing, though I'm not totally in the dark."
no subject
It didn’t take Iris long to key in the commands - have the automatic record player she invented select the correct record, bring it to the turntable, broadcast it through the lab. But it was a mechanical processing once she sent the order, so it was a solid forty seconds before the speakers crackled to life with the snare drum opening of the song.
“See?” Iris said, twirling around. “They’re great.”
oh my God I'm so sorry I lost this notification for so long
"Yeah, they're alright," she said carefully, trying not to let her guard down.
no subject
"Do you dance? Or is that illegal for G-Men like you?"
no subject
She wasn't going to give in that easily.
no subject
She reaches to grab Delilah's hand - slowly, no sudden movements, no ulterior motives here.
no subject
But she made sure the glass was set down steadily and let Iris drag her out, regardless.
no subject
"Admit it." Iris grinned, putting one hand on Delilah's waist. "You're impressed by all of this."
no subject
The hand on her waist was also very noticed, but she wasn't going to fuss. Certainly not. Better just to pretend it wasn't happening, or something.
no subject
There song changed to the next track on the album - not as energetic, more of a ballad. Iris could have stopped for a moment, get just the right tune playing, but that’d mean letting go of Delilah. And honestly, she was happy where she was.
“So,” she said, starting to sway a little. “What does the CIA want with me, anyway?”
no subject
And, considering who she was, she was more than used to men who didn't try to be subtle or clever with her. She also wasn't used to women who decided to drop everything and dance with her in the middle of their evil lair, so.
"I'd think that was obvious," she remarked, swaying along easily. "You've been on a veritable spree."
(no subject)
(no subject)