Green Fire (IC)

[Raveled]

GM

August 12th, 2011

2:37 PM

13668 Stross Street, Wading Way

Only a couple of days ago, the heroines Catalyst and Flora had foiled an attempt by a couple of rough-and-ready guns for hire to stop a plan to beautify Lincoln, on the wrong side of the river. The bad gals had let a name slip, and like the detectives they weren't the pair had followed the lead gamely. Fortunately, a quick Google search had turned up a promising lead: Olivas Investment, a real estate firm operating out the city's financial district. The firm operated out of a respectable-looking brownstone on the waterfront, and right now the heroines were sitting in a Catalyst's van across the road, sizing it up.

[Aoiroo]

Leaning out the windo with a pair of banoculars in one hands and a granola bar in the other Catalyst examined the perimeter of the place. The firm wasn't very heavily guarded, but there were guards. Rolling up the windown she put an arm on the new tinted bulletproof glass as she looked over at her companion,

"Not sure whether this is normal or not, people having crime set up within a normal business. I don't have much basis that aren't in movies or books. I know this is where the search got us, but I'm not entirely convinced, what do you think?"

[Breella]

Gwen sat in the passenger seat dressed as Flora, her dark green mask covering her eyes, hair filled with inquisitive vines. She eyed the front of the shop also, taking photos of the people who came and went. "It's all we have to work with, I'm fairly new to this myself." Gwen put the camera down for a moment and looked at Catalyst. "By the way, nice repairs."

[Aoiroo]

"Thanks, the extra layer of steel was already there, but the bullet proof glass I had to special order. It took forever to get in. The tires are run flats too, apparently you can shoot them but they have an extra layer of something in them that lets them keep going until you need to stop."

Putting down the banoculars she looked over at Flora through her blue goggles,

"But enough shop talk, we need some way to confirm whether there is in fact something nefarious brewing before we can go all commando on private property. Any ideas, cause a hazmat suit isn't exactly something that doesn't go unnoticed and I doubt I can convince them that there's a spill of some highly dangerous chemicals."

Though it'd be a nice excuse for say a military base or a lab, real estate companies don't have anything chemically unsound enough to pull it off.

[Breella]

Gwen looked around the front of the building the back at Catalyst. She looked back at the building. "I think I'm of little use here, but while we were digging up for the community garden I learned that there are natural gas lines that run under the whole city. I think that maybe we could use that to our advantage." Gwen pulled on green gloves that covered to her wrist. She had learned that she needed to protect her civvie ID by not leaving fingerprints in places she shouldn't be. "You look perfect for a gas leak."

[Aoiroo]

Catalyst glanced at Flora,

"Yes, yes I do and I think I have just the thing to confirm that story. One moment."

She had to be careful not to stand all the way up as she moved about the crowded inside of the van. The mini lab which was really just a small desk surrounded by cheap plastic storage drawers that had been bolted to the wall had a couple of dozen bottles of different chemicals each precisely labeled. After a minute of two of sorting through it, she managed a small clear bottle with the label mercaptan. Getting a syringe from the drawer she sat down for a second and injected it in one of her paintballs with the same chemical base that released all her specialized formulas at high speed.

When she had about three or four done, she reached across the van and grabbed from the other wall one of her already assembled long range rifles (since it was just getting troublesome carrying them around in cases) and moved to the window. Rolling it down she took aim and shot the paintball into the back of the facility and it burst into a colorless cloud of the familiar odor.

"That should definitely get them nervous. Climb into the back, I'll go ahead and drive up to the front and claim I'm here for the gas leak. By then, even the guards should be able to smell it."

[Breella]

Gwen watched in awe at what Catalyst was doing. Personally Gwen thought it was fantastic, what a way to go about it. When the other woman was done and back in front Gwen crawled into the back of the van and crouched her small body between two of the bolted cabinets. She gave Catalyst a thumbs up in the rear view. "Ready when you are." Gwen said as she wiggled and made her body slightly more comfortable.

[Aoiroo]

Smiling, Catalyst pulled up the van to the front guard and rolled down her window,

"Hello, I'm from the city. There has been a report in pipeline irregularities which has resulted in significant overflow in this area which has already resulted in several gas leaks. Do you mind if I check out the premises to see if I can locate any?"

She kept her goggles on but she wore a full smile with the lower part of her mask removed and she kept her tone easy and polite. No need to be rude and most workers try to talk like this to keep people from paniking anyway.

[Raveled]

GM

As Catalyst pulled the van up, one of the several guards standing near the doors jogged over. He was young and clean-shaven, and obviously took his job very seriously. He glanced at the woman in the unusual bio-hazard suit and studied her van for several minutes. "Well, we're not supposed to let just anyone in..."

While the young man was vacillating, another guard ambled up and butted into the conversation. "Mr. Olivas is going to like it a lot less if the building fills up with gas and folks pass out," he pointed out, "or if the whole damn place blows up!" He gestured for Catalyst to step out, pulling his younger coworker back from the van. "Come on in, uh, miss?" The suit hid the heroine's gender fairly well, and it was obvious that the older man was going by her voice more than anything else. "We'll show you down to the building's basement."

[Aoiroo]

As Catalyst was led in she examined her surroundings but really she only needed a few seconds to sniff a little bit and hold her nose,

"Do you smell that?"

She looked down the hallways with a keen eye, she had aimed near the far side of the building but the smell was already seeping through the cracks. She turned to the guard and said in a calm voice but authoritive voice sprinkled with a proper amount of worry.

"It seems that for it to have seeped this far means the leak is far more serious then I first anticipated. I need you to request everyone on to stop what they're doing and evacuate as soon as possible. Also, you should open any windows you can as well as well as cut the power and any back up sources of power. Also, request that anyone with any cell phones, blackberries anything electrical on their person to turn them off immediately and not use them until they are safely transported away. I can't be sure how wide spread or how stable the gas flow really is. It could range from just inside the facility to the whole area around it. As I am the only one wearing proper fire proof attire I will go to my van and get my supplies to see if I cannot find and isolate the leak, do you understand?"

[Raveled]

GM

The security guards apparently bought Catalyst's line completely, and soon the streets around the building were filled with a mix of uniformed guards, and men and women in nice suits. From her hiding spot in the van, Flora could see them milling around aimlessly until an energetic Spanish man in a silk suit began moving among them, interrogating each person swiftly and efficiently. She recognized him from her research: Iago Olivas, head of the real estate firm.

For her part, Catalyst had no problem figuring out where office belonged to Olivas; she walked into the biggest one there and saw a plaque with his name on the desk. She moved to the filing cabinet and started trying the doors, when she heard a door open. Spinning around, she noticed a door concealed in the woodwork open and a large, metal woman stepped out -- Steelshanks, still dressed in the abbreviated black uniform she'd been wearing during the fight!

Steelshanks narrowed her eyes at Catalyst, large hands flexing. "You," she hissed. "I told Mr. Olivas this didn't feel right." She side-stepped over to the desk and picked up a high-backed chair in one hand without apparent effort. "Now that your green girlfriend isn't here, I'm gonna make you into a stain on the carpet!"

[Aoiroo]

Looking at the giant she smiled as she pulled up the lower part of the mask to cover her mouth,

"Well then I guess that does put me in a bit of a pickle, except, I can fix that little problem with just two words. Call Flora."

Hidden under the hood the light blue earpiece lit up as it dialed the number in her pocket, as she rang she grabbed a smoke ball from her pouch and threw it on the ground. The entire office building and the surrounding area filled almost instantly with the same thick smoke as the phone rang and eventually answered as Catalyst moved towards cover,

"Flora, hey, yeah our suspicious have been confirmed like a hundred percent. The silver woman is here, and angry. But yeah, need back up. There's a pair of infared goggles in the glove compartment along with an extra gas mask. Just turn towards the building, we're like the only two people here so if you follow the heat signiture you'll find us almost immediately."

[Breella]

Gwen fumbled with the goggles. "ugh, these again?!" she got them on and tried to look around, at least they were working. "Ok, got them on. I'm on my way in!" Gwen slid out of the truck and using the cover was able to slide into the building. Gwen made her way down the halls and drew closer to her destination. this doesn't look good! the Vines attention was piqued and they strained to understand what Gwen meant, but they soon understood.

[Raveled]

GM

Steelshanks let out a yelp as the smoke pellet popped and began filling the room, and soon the entire office building, with thick smoke that quickly obscured anything farther away than the end of one's nose. The metal woman swung the chair in wide, scything arcs, but didn't come anywhere close to hitting the yellow-suited heroine. She did manage to smash the glass out of one of the windows, though, letting the smoke pour down the side of the building and envelope the sidewalk. Most of the suits began moving away from the building, leaving plenty of room for Flora to dash between them.

[Aoiroo]

Catalyst pushed back keeping an eye on the silver woman as she switched cartridges. The breaking of the window did little to clear the fog and she smiled as she readied her shot. Two rounds, then more up the body of the broad woman. They started small but soon the combined chemicals spread throughout the body covering it in a thick dense foam which restricted all movemen it did however leave the head free for speaking,

"You're a bit of a curiousity aren't you. Though not as much as this whole set up here, I'm sort of curious, why in the world would you guys try to stop the development of a community garden of all things."

[Breella]

Gwen came through the doorway just in time to see Catalyst immobilize the steel woman. Gwen laid some vines out at her feet just to be safe. She glanced around the room and then back at Catalyst. "It would be a good idea to listen to my friend." Gwen clenched her fists and held the Vines at the ready. She was unsure of what to do next, having no experience on this front.

[Raveled]

GM

Steelshanks struggled against the foam bindings but even with her incredible strength it was a losing battle. After a moment she sighed heavily and lay still. "Mr. Olivas ordered it," she said. "He saved my life, so don't expect me to say more than that!" She stared daggers at the heroines -- at least until her eyes slid off Catalyst and focused on the doorway. "Sis! What -- get out of here!"

The heroines turned to see Targetter step into the room, her advanced firearm held by the strap and at arm's length. "It's alright, Steph." Her tone was tired and defeated, and as she moved towards Steelshanks she tossed the weapon at Catalyst's feet. "I think we're about done. These two should at least know what they're up against." She knelt next to Steelshanks, brushing the metal woman's thin hair back. "My name's Marie," she said, eyes still on Steelshanks, "and this is my sister, Stephanie. She was born epileptic, and my mom could barely even afford medicine. It wasn't so bad at first; she'd have a fit every couple of months, and as long as we kept an eye on her she never hurt herself.

"But when she hit puberty things got... a lot worse. She was having attacks every week, sometimes everyday. My mom couldn't take it, started drinking really heavy. My dad... I don't remember my dad." Targetter -- Marie -- closed her eyes and inhaled deeply before continuing. "I thought Steph was going to kill herself. So I asked around and Mr. Olivas said he could help. He took Steph out of the hospital and to this big old house in Port Royal. When she came back she was... yeah, like this." She raised her eyes to the heroes. "I can show you where it all happened. We'll even go with the cops. Just... leave Mr. Olivas out of it. Please. He really has helped us!"

[Aoiroo]

Catalyst didn't lower her weapon, in fact she pulled a matching pistol to trail onto Marie. However, she didn't shoot,

"You say you owe him, but he sent you fully armed to stop a community garden. You could of killed someone? Is he really so precious to you that you would risk something like that?"

She kept a neutral tone but she did feel bad for them, it didn't sound like a lie. Still, even if they were brought into custody if someone else was sent in their place it still didn't solve the problem. Or really answer the question.

[Breella]

We move? The Vines, being young and impressionable were unsure if the women were lying. No, stay ready! Gwen looked around and ended on Catalyst. "I'm not budging until I get some answers about the garden." Gwen put her hands on her hips and looked back at the two women. "So start talking."

[Raveled]

GM

"Mr. Olivas doesn't always call the shots," Marie explained. "I think this one came straight from Abigail -- that's the woman who made my sister like she is. She... she gives lots of orders that involve killing or scaring people off. Sometimes they don't make a lot of sense, but she's the only one that can fix my sister after she gets hurt. It... We still owe a lot to Mr. Olivas. If not for him, my sister would be dead by now." Marie put an arm around Stephanie's shoulder and shifted her body until she was between her sister and the heroines. It would've been an almost comical sight, the slim woman in the tactical vest shielding the huge golem, if not for the fierce emotion in her face. "I'll take you to Abigail's house. I'll even show you how to get past her guards. But you leave Mr. Olivas out of this."

[Breella]

Gwen looked sidelong at Catalyst but still kept an eye, and her Vines near the women. I'm unsure. Gwen told herself, musing in her mind. On one hand we could say we believe them, best case we have another lead... Gwen stroked a Vine on her shoulder. Worse case, it's a trap. It's a TRAP! The Vines chorused in Gwen's mind. Partially because they had just sit through a movie with that reference and partially because they knew that was what Gwen feared.

[Aoiroo]

Catalyst met them at eye level, and then tucked one of the guns away as she reached into her pouch. She pulled out a small metal sticker like thing and handed one to each sister,

"Trackers, you lead us there through these, we will not follow you directly nor will you see us coming. If you ditch the trackers or destroy them I will come back here and find anything Mr. Olivas is hiding, any shady connections and I will use that against him. If you don't want him involved, keep your word and we'll keep ours that we will not bring him into this matter."

[Raveled]

GM

Marie accepted the tracker bug mutely, simply nodding. She showed the heroines a concealed exit from the building and in minutes was on the road, the radio beacon transmitter strongly. Catalyst and Flora followed in the chemical sharpshooter's van.

Targetter led them south through the city, skirted the shoreline, and eventually made her way into the once-grand neighborhood of Port Royal. They passed many large houses set back from the road, most of them clearly having seen better days. The criminal stopped at the base of one small rise. At the summit was a rambling Queen Anne style home with a dark, weathered color scheme and many, many shuttered windows. It was a location that could've easily doubled for the Addam's Family manor.

Targetter's motorcycle was idling at the base of the hill as Catalyst's van pulled up alongside. She pulled off her helmet and ran a hand through her hair, glancing between the house and vehicle. "There's a couple of guards at the front gate," she said, "and some dogs on the grounds. I'll take care of all that and clear your path up to the house. Come up five minutes after me." Without waiting for a response, she secured her helmet again and raced up the road.

[Aoiroo]

Catalyst followed the route to the older neighborhood keeping tabs and arriving about two minutes after the girls when she checked that there were no warm bodies laying for an ambush. She didn't get out of the van, instead she cracked the windo so her eyes could be seen over the glass.

"Be careful, you may not be trying to trap us, but it is likely this person might try to do something to you if she knows you've somehow betrayed her. She does not sound as nice as your other sponser."

Okay, maybe she shouldn't of sounded like she came out of a crime drama, but she wanted them to be careful. They had been helpful so far, it would be so sad if something happened to them for helping, she reallyd idn't want to see anything bad happen to anyone.