Paint the Town (IC)

[Raveled]

Blue Jay glanced back at Crimson Tiger, waiting for the other girl to take the lead with the drug user. When it became apparent that she was staying back, Jay edged forward and kneeled next to the man. She was edgy at being so close to him, but he didn't seem likely to attack her again.

She wasn't sure where to start, but the name seemed like a pretty good place. "Who's Bennie?"

"He's got the stuff," the man moaned. "Get Bennie!"

"Was Bennie at the club?"

The man panted and flopped his head back and forth in a loose shake. "Bennie's at the warehouse. He's a Saltie. Man, just go get Bennie!"

Jay looked back at Crimson Tiger and mouthed "Saltie?" back at her. The archer was out of her depth and floundering.

[Blue Rose]

Sam keeps her cool, even though the words should make her wince. 'I'd like to talk about your drawing on the powers of Hell for practical jokes.' Destined to end well. She just hopes she can egg Cerys into mutual silence on the matter; she's obviously in The Trade, after all. But that's for later. For now, she just nods. She considers adding something like, 'later,' but that would imply she's actually planning to talk. "We should get back," she said instead, obviously avoiding the topic.

With that, the cold returns, and they end up in a corner near Mali's car. Thankfully, with the late hour, shadows abound. She catches sight of what she assumes are her friends rounding a corner and follows, in a way Blod knows all too well; Kit's trying to tail quietly, as out of sight as manageable, to be backup if need be.

[Thunder King]

Mali stepped forward, and stood beside the man. "We don't know what warehouse, we don't know what a Saltie is, and we don't know who Bennie is. We need more information. Now, we'd like to help you, because I know you're in rough shape. We're superheroes, it's our job to keep people safe. But we can't do that for you without more information. Okay?"

She hoped the other two would show soon.

[Blue Rose]

Kit slips from shadow to shadow with practiced efficiency, ending up in earshot of the... 'interrogation' is the wrong word. But she's definitely within earshot of something involving a bunch of proper nouns she doesn't know.

From the look of things, the big fight won't be here. Probably gonna be at that warehouse. So, she takes a risk and steps out into the open. "Let me," she says and walks up to the possibly-dying man. She crouches down by his side and adopts her most soothing tone. It's not that she especially cares for this man, but this is no way for anyone to go, ranting and blubbering in an almost-literal gutter.

"Just relax. I'm here to help you," she says, reaching into his head. Normally, she does this to sow the chaos she needs to get the job done. Fear, guilt, despair, rage. Her forte. Now, however, she's digging in for the brightest memories she can find. The reasons to live for. The bits of his brain that tell him things can get better, that he can get through this. Maybe it's lack of practice, maybe it's him, but it's proving a challenge. "But in order for me to help you," she says, digging deeper, though she has no idea what she's digging for, "Please, I need you to help us. To trust us."

[Raveled]

GM

Maybe he wasn't feeling so great because of the withdrawal, maybe Kit's magic was more effective than she thought, or maybe it was just because a pretty lady was next to him and asking him a question, but he smiled dreamily at her and seemed to calm down. "The Salties are down at the docks," he said, rubbing slowly at his chest. "They've got the good stuff. They gave me the Max, and Joe and Josh the Zoom, and they had some new stuff for Isaac." He leaned back and started breathing more heavily. "Please, please. I need my stuff!"

[Tiffany Korta]

Blodeuwedd stood back a slight distance, hidden in the shadow on the lookout for any possible trouble makers. There was still a chance that the man allies could be nearby.

She was close enough however to listen into their effort’s at interrogation. She knew Tona and Sam well enough that they would want to go rushing off to deal with the dealer and his friend, possibly a bodyguard?

“Whilst I’m just as keen as you all to just rush in and deal with these dealers. I think we need to stop and consider some form of plan.â€

She looked down at the man and couldn’t help to feel some kind of concern for him, despite all he had done.

“And I suggest we also call for an ambulance for this man, some of these drugs can be quite deadly.â€

[Blue Rose]

Kit glares daggers at Blodeuwedd from behind her dinky little mask. You don't go blabbing about how you're about to turn the desperate drug addict over to the authorities while he's begging for his next fix.

"He's fine," she says, trying to calm the man down before he lashes out. "No need to turn him over, he just needs to rest a bit." She directs her words more and more to the man on the ground. "Just relax. Deep breath in, deep breath out. Just clear your head and look at me. Calm, slow breathing; we're here to help you." As she speaks, she locks her gaze with his, digging deeper into his mind.

The way you deal with the desperate drug addict is to lie to his face to trick him into trusting you long enough to turn his brain off.

[Raveled]

"Need my stuff," the man mumbled, his eyes drooping lower under the influence of Kit's mind-magic. "Need to get the stuff from the Salties. Pretty lady..." His voice trailed off and he slumped down finally, snoring gently.

Blue Jay had watched the encounter with interest. She had no knowledge of drug gangs or ambulances, and if she had simply run this man to ground the trail would have stopped here. It was impressive to see how far a little persuasion could take someone -- and a little scary. "So these drugs are coming from some people called 'the Salties,'" she said, "and they're down at the docks? So that should be our next move, right? Going down to the docks and finding these people." She shook her head to clear rainwater out of her eyes; it was really starting to come down now, heavy drops instead of a light mist.

[Blue Rose]

Once the guy is asleep, Sam lets out a breath, then looks at Blodeuwedd. "Now, we can talk about the authorities." She stands, and looks up into the rain, grumbling. Rain sucks. Especially in new clothes. But nothing for it. Though she is regretting wearing white.

"So. Plan. We go to the bad guys and make their lives suck. Anybody have GPS? I don't have much cased out by the docks, but if I can get a good idea of the place's exact location, I can get us somewhere in the area. Probably in a broom closet or something. If they're at the docks, they're probably importing the stuff, so we need their records to figure out where they're getting their supply. Oh, and we need to destroy whatever stock they have. Let's go!" She marches back in the general direction of the car, convinced that everything is in order, they have a plan, and somebody probably has a smart phone with GPS back in the car.

[Tiffany Korta]

Blodeuwedd rolled her eyes but said nothing, she probably understood more about interrogation techniques than she cared to admit, but now was not the right time to exchange words with Sam.

“I’ve got my phone on me that should have provide all the information we need. As much as it pains me to say Sam’s plan has merit, but may I suggest a small addition? Before we commit to a battle with unknown forces one, or two of us scout out the area before we commit to an attack.â€

She suspected she’d be the best person to do that, but better that all of them make decisions like that.

[Raveled]

Blue Jay agreed with the necessity of a plan before they tried to take on this gang. "We should send someone ahead of the group," she said. "Someone who is quiet, and knows how to move without being seen, and can assess an enemy position." She grinned widely at the other girls. "So I guess everyone else can sit in Mali's car while I check things out."

They rounded a corner and could see the parking lot of the club, swarming with ejected patrons and not a few reporters. She frowned, taking a step into deeper shadow. "How are we going to get the car without anyone seeing?"

[Blue Rose]

"Or we can send the one who can turn literally unnoticeable and walk through shadows. That makes three," Sam adds, amused by the notion of scouts. "Well, M- er... Crimson Tiger, if you're a ninja, too, we may as well all go in together. Just slip in and decide where to drop the ambush among ourselves. Good to be able to go straight to the action without doubling back to pick everyone up and bring 'em to speed."

"And it's probably not a good idea to get in the car in costume. They can track the license. I can ferry all of us to the right part of town faster anyways, if I can see it on a map." Magic solves everything.

[Thunder King]

"I may prefer to fight up close, but I can sneak just fine." Crimson Tiger said with a smile. "And yeah, bad idea to go back to the car in costume, especially since it's my car. If we're all there, there's no reason to relay information. If you think your teleportation can carry us all safely, than it's okay with me." Getting caught in costume in her car was not her idea of a good plan. Last thing she needed was thugs knocking down her door for revenge. On foot was far better.

[Blue Rose]

"Then we go in together. Blod, the map, please?" She takes a look at Cerys' phone and nods. "I know the way. Everyone, come here and join hands." She walks over to the shadier side of the alley and takes a breath while everyone gathers. "Just relax, and..."

The world goes cold, starting from the ground and working its way up. Those looking down can see the shadows reaching up to pull them in. Then, there's a sensation of falling, and a moment later the cold is gone. The ground is firm. And the air smells considerably saltier.

"We're close," she says after a moment spent recovering. "Stay quiet, and let's get a look at this warehouse. Then, we can find our way in." She leads on, as the only one who knows exactly which random alleyway she dropped everyone into.

[Raveled]

Blue Jay followed Kit, feeling the warm rain wash away the cold from the teleport. She felt safer in the rain, shielded from prying eyes, moving in her own bubble of silence. The group slipped between rows of well-lite warehouses until they came upon one where someone had methodically smashed every light surrounding it. The pool of darkness was almost as noticeable as the man standing outside, hoodie raised against the rain.

Blue Jay looked around for a way to approach without being seen. Her eyes traveled to the roofline and she clambered up the side of one of the adjacent warehouses, her fingers and toes easily finding hand-holds even in the rain-slick cement walls. Once on top she made a running leap from the lit warehouse to the darkened one, thumping heavily on the other roof and hoping the sound of the rain would cover it. She crept up to the skylight on the roof and peered inside.

The interior of the warehouse was lit with scattered LED lanterns, and Blue Jay noticed a number of sagging couches, with a couple dozen young, heavily-muscled men lounging about. They were all armed with at least a pistol, all dressed in similar green-and-grey hoodies. Blue Jay reached up to the commlink in her ear and signaled the other girls. "About twenty inside," she said. "All armed. I think we've found the gang."

[Blue Rose]

As Blue Jay starts climbing, Kit tries to stop her, but by the time she makes the attempt, her friend has already started climbing, and it would take too much noise to stop her. Instead, she bars Crimson Tiger and Blodeuwedd's way, making an obvious gesture that she wants their hands. She has the express way to the top. As soon as those coming along grab on, she steps into the nearest shadow for a much less stomach-churning trip to the dark side of a ladderwell exit on the roof.

"Got it. En route," she says over the radio, and seconds later she's next to Tona, getting her own look inside the building, eyes peeled for a good place to pop in.

"I can get us in there no problem. Only question is where..." Her eyes are peeled for dark corners, or side rooms, not that these boxes tend to have many of those. Any good place to pop in and still have some room to maneuver.

[Raveled]

Blue Jay kept her eyes focused on the warehouse below them, and for a few moments it seemed like she had't heard Kit's suggestion at all. When she did speak, her tone was low and firm. "No. Appearing in the the middle of them would be bad. Too many guns, I don't want to be in any kind of crossfire." She crossed to the side of the building and peered down at the door guard. "Crimson Tiger, I want you to take out the door guard and get the front door open, get their attention. Kit, cover her and make sure she doesn't get shot. Once they're all watching the door, me and Blood will hit them through the skylight. That should scare them enough that they'll try to run. Alright?"

[Blue Rose]

"I can't stop bullets," Sam responds. "Too risky." The idea is just begging to get Mali shot. She finds herself wishing this place were more complicated than a big box. That way, they could divide and conquer. If they could trap them in there and start firing from the skylight... no, they have guns. Run them out of bullets? That's not going to help. Turn them against each other? It would work, but they'd kill each other... but...

"I have a plan," she says decisively. "That guy right there?" she points to one of the guys watching TV. "He's about to make a scene. I'll make it loud one way or another. The door won't be guarded, and we'll be able to get clean shots from here. Crimson Tiger, Blodeuwedd, you can take the front door or I can drop you in the shadows in there to burst out when things get crazy in there. Your call. Blue Jay and I can cover you from up here. Clear?"

[Tiffany Korta]

Blodeuwedd decided to take a diplomatic approach to the two plans.

“Both plans have merit, and neither is perfect. I’d just point out that it would be wise to keep those who can attack at a distance away from the conflict, whilst allowing those whose abilities work best at arm’s length to do their stuff. And certain emotional states can make an opponent unpredictable and difficult to fight.â€

She would have preferred a slower more stealthy approach, but it wasn’t her call to make. She took a deep breath; this was going to cause problems later.

“Whatever we do this is for Tona, I think she should make the final decision.â€

[Raveled]

Blue Jay chewed her lower lip for a moment. "I don't want to make anyone too angry," she said finally. "I don't... we shouldn't... It wouldn't be a good idea here to kill them." Which wasn't to say her first instinct wasn't to kill them, but even though these people were her enemies they weren't Omegadrones or the Steel General's twisted mockeries of flesh and metal. They were regular people who had made a lot of bad decisions, but that didn't mean that she had to kill them. "Can you make them scared, instead?" She pulled an arrow from her quiver and tested the edge, a part of her mind already picking out targets.

[Thunder King]

"What if Blod and I took the guard out. Then, Blue Jay, you break the glass while Kit creates an illusion of heroes dropping in from the ceiling. That way, Blod and I are on the ground where we can do the most damage, while you two are on the roof, where you can do the most damage. With any luck, they'll be freaking out too much to even realize we're among them until it's too late."

[Blue Rose]

Sam looks around, then nods, checking everyone for signs of objection and finding none. "Alright. Get to the ground. You'll know when the party's starting." She gives them time to get down, then sets things in motion, getting the scene sorted in her mind, picking heroes she's seen a thousand times before to make it easier to control the images when the fighting starts. As soon as she has the illusion fully-formed in her head, she gives Tona the signal to blow the window, and the game begins.

The first 'hero' on the scene is Bowman, taking credit for taking out the window with his own arrow before leaping down, into the warehouse, landing in a roll and taking aim at the most important-looking man there. Next down, Lady Liberty, landing like it was nothing and posing dramatically to deliver an ultimatum. "Stop right there, villains!" she decrees. "Your drug-peddling days are over!"

Even as she says that, a blur zips about the room, only stopping long enough every couple seconds to realize that it's Johnny Rocket. And at some point, someone else must have gotten in, because a form is zipping from shadow to shadow, trying to look sneakier than she actually is, since Kit wants them to see the Raven bouncing between the shadows, ready to strike from anywhere.

Let the bullets commence.

[Thunder King]

Crimson Tiger dropped down by the door, keeping to the shadows as she crept up on the door guard. He seemed completely oblivious to her presence, even as she neared. Within a few moments, she was behind him. She grabbed him by the back of the head and struck him in a certain spot, knocking him out. With that done, she dropped him, gently, and dragged him away, getting ready to rush the room as soon as it looked like the bad guys were focused on the ceiling.

[Blue Rose]

Now, for the chaos. Sam focuses, not blinking as she controls the scene from above. It begins with Bowman, carefully timed to match shots with Tona as the guards start falling, then the others spring into action.

Lady Liberty lurches forward, as if charging in for the attack, but instead darts between the goons to draw fire as she weaves through.

Johnny Rocket zips around as a blur of motion, appearing randomly behind the guards more towards the outer edge. "Try and catch me," he says behind one, then in a flash he's on the far side of the room shouting, "IF YOU CAN!"

And conveniently, the shout draws attention towards a pile of boxes, atop which stands the Raven ready to leap into battle as Johnny blinks across the room once more.

The strain of the act is something new. She's never had to do an image like this, something requiring quite so much precision, rather than being filled in by the subjects' subconscious, but it's nothing that can't be solved by pouring more focus into the spell.

[Raveled]

Blue Jay reached out with an arrow and casually broke the glass on the skylight as the 'Freedom League' swept down into the space. She stood, placing one foot on the lip of the window, drawing and nocking an arrow. She scanned the room for a nice grouping of targets, and noticed a trio of the gangers standing some distance apart from the rest of the pack. Her hunter's instinct marked them, and she sent a volley of arrows in their direction.