Realistic or Modern Mission: 2-7 Miracle Squad

[Aldur]

Welcome to Miami!

In response to the recent on-going crime wave, the Miami Police Department has invested countless thousands of dollars into the newest hero initiative: "The 2-7 Miracle Squad"
This team has become the last bastion of hope for the residents of Miami. A plethora of evils has plagued the city in the form of drug smuggling, trafficking, prostitution, gang violence and serial murders.

Through a combined effort, the mayor and Police Department have managed to make the project a reality. The 2-7 Miracle Squad is a team of ragtag members who have shown themselves to be willing to bring Miami out of its cycle of misfortune. Talented individuals, with all kinds of pasts, united under the careful command of Chief P. T. Knight.


​

 

[Aldur]

ACT I: First Step



Police Chief Harold Edward Cannon had given his order. The 2-7s were tasked with leading the arrest of Diego Felipe, one of Miami's ever increasing number of drug barons. He was a big name within the Medellin Cartel and revered among its members. The police had just gotten the warrant and were supposed to apprehend Diego at the Super View hotel, which intel suggest is his main base of operations. The Miami Police Department dispatched 2 units at the hotel, hoping that Felipe would go willingly.

The Miracle Squad was put on standby.

After the units arrived at the precinct they were met with a heavy display of firepower, showing the druglord's unwillingness to go peacefully. A dozen men exited the building. They were all armed with UZI sub-machine guns, each with a different strategy of holding the firearm. Among them was a man who presented himself in a black attire. He stood out among the others, both because of his choice of wear and because of his abilities. Both of his hands held an SMG, while two handguns levitated in front of him. The henchmen opened fire on the officers, killing one and injuring two in the process.

An armored van appeared on the scene. No lights, no sirens. The only cue giving up its identity and consequently, its intentions was a stern, standard issue paint job which consisted of the words "2-7 Miracle Squad" written in bold white color, streaked along the van's sides. The squad members were each given a lightweight kevlar vest with their codenames and a helmet. Qualified individuals were allowed to carry standard issue firearms as well. Aside from their equipment, the 2-7s are required to wear a bright orange armband at all times. A stylized rooster head was patched onto them, along with the line "Too beautiful to be murdered".
- - -

Spoiler: Tags

Gus Lioness075 Malikai Necessity4Fun B Bag o Fruit lazee

 

[Lioness075]

Name: Sam Casan	Superpower: Superspeed
Rank: B	Age: 21
Attire: Sports sunglasses, baggy khaki cargo pants with the ends rolled up, dark red tank top, and barefoot (shoes won't fit anyways)

Swinging open the back doors to the van, Sam promptly stepped out with her bipedal legs being the first thing seen by anyone nearby. Moving out of the way for her teammates to join her, Sam scanned the building they'd arrived at, mindfully remaining close to the van if she needed to quickly get behind it for cover. Luckily, she was faster than the average human anyways, but it was best to avoid taking any chances here. From what they'd been told, these guys were armed to the teeth. Plus, she had a team here and wasn't doing this alone. Charging into the fray was generally not a good idea when one has a team.

Crossing her arms over her chest, finding it a bit more awkward than usual with the kevlar in place, Sam looked sideways into the van and asked, "You guys coming or what?"

 

[Teh Frixz]

Tabitha 'Tabby' Crane ​

"I'm coming! It's all asses and elbows in here!" Backing out of the van at a gratuitous rate of speed more appropriate for a long shot in a bad B movie, Agent Tabby Crane finally emerged. Standing up fully, the top of the van she'd just pornstar crawled out of was only up to her shoulders. With the added affect of a near perfectly permed hair that gave Beals a run for her money in volume, she looked even taller. Back at headquarters, she'd been up since the crack of dawn teasing it up and now on the scene she looked stunning. An XXXL grey sweater adorned with the words "FREE HUGS" hung off her shoulder, showing a single sexy black brastrap before being cut off to show off her jazzercised midriff. Lycra overload as her tight lime green pants mingled with the pair of chuck taylors she was rocking. Scrunchies lined her left forearm, capped off by gel bracelets on her wrist.

It felt like the words of Loverboy could have been drifting in synthesized waves as she struck a pose with a wide smile on her face. Simultaneously producing a pair of largish plastic sunglasses and blowing a bubble only to pop it suggestively, she looked over the scene. Sammy was already out and hurrying to cover her that horrible vest on. "Gag me with a spoon..Guys, we've got the makings of a party out here. Let's roll!"

 

[Malikai]

Spoiler: Pre-Post Information

Spoiler: Image(Same as Usual)

Jeremiah "JJ" Johnson
Location: Super View Hotel
Mood: Pumped and Ready
Clothes: Jeremiah is wearing a brown jacket and white tank top underneath, as well as a pair of dark blue ripped jeans
Nearby: Lioness075 Teh Frixz ( Aldur )

The van rocked from one side to the other, had Jeremiah not placed his feet firm against the floor of it then he would likely have been knocked about by it. A sigh escaped Jeremiah's mouth, this wasn't something he was expecting today. He had expected that this would finally be his day after fourteen days of sobriety that he could let loose, unfortunately fate would have that he would be called in for a mission today of all days. As the van came to a stop Jeremiah looked up as everyone began pushing their way out the van. Shrugging Jeremiah waited for a few people to get out before he squeezed his way out of the van and into the light.

Jeremiah took a moment to look over himself. Right now he was wearing the clothes he nearly always does, which at this point had become fairly dirty. Apart from that he was wearing a kevlar vest that in the place of where the codename would normally be a yellow colored smiley face is pinned. The only other thing of note to Jeremiah was something he himself couldn't see. His hair was fashioned into a ponytail behind him, having been long enough to do so.

After a few seconds of stretching his muscles and stretching his light generation powers with a few small flashes, Looks like everything is in shape. Alright then, time to get caught up with the other members. A few steps was all it took to get to where Sam and Tabitha both stood, "Yeah of course we're all coming. Just takes a bit when we're all stuffed in one area. Damn is it hot in this." Jeremiah pulled at the vest he had on, "Let's not get going quite yet. I think we should get a plan out before we start doing anything." Though that should have been obvious. Jeremiah finishes up in his head. As he stands looking at the two that have already come out and the rest of his group in the van, Jeremiah begins setting up a small barrier of light on his body. Something that would show off a few slight shimmers.
Disregard this post, JJ comes in later than this claims

 

[Gus]

Lucas M.​

​

Behind the hotel, in an alleyway, an inconsequential green box hummed quietly to itself, a low buzz just a whisker past two octaves below middle C. It was minding its own business, heedless of the human drama progressing out in front, merely doing its job of bringing voltage down out of the lethal range before feeding it into the building. The current inside the box spiked suddenly, raising the pitch to a shrill squeak for just a moment, then settled down again. A moment passed and then the squeak returned but louder and longer. Again, it faded away. The third time it was sustained and accompanied by a shower of sparks, smoke, and finally a crackling of bluish lightning as the box exploded.

In the wreckage of the box stood a young man, waving away the smoke. Anyone watching might have thought for a moment he was naked, but as the smoke cleared it seemed he was wearing clothes after all. Torn acid etched blue jeans and a ratty brown high collar shirt, mostly concealed by an ill considered white sport jacket. His hair was scorched slightly, as was the jacket, but then he reached down into the wreckage of the box and his hair stopped smoking.The scorches on the jacket fade, but do not entirely disappear.

He scanned the alley quickly with his one good eye, and glanced up just in time to see a lookout on an upper floor of the hotel taking aim. A shot rang out and the jacket jerked slightly as the bullet passed through. The young man made a rude gesture and hot footed it out of the alley, a ragged hole in the jacket's left breast and another in back the only signs that being shot has inconvenienced him in any way. Emerging from the alley in time to see the 'heroes' exiting their armored van, he smiled an unconvincingly winning smile and strutted fretfully across the street.

“Ey! Mon amis! You will be so glad I found you, eh? I have information for sale. I warned your capitaine that this was no job for regular cops, but does he listen to Lucas? Non! And see what 'appen! This is a job for miracle squad, no doubt, no doubt! But even the great miracle squad need information, oui? I need to speak to your seargent, eh? Where is Prichard? PK? Where are you? Is me, Luc! Your friend!”

Waiting for a reply, he inhaled sharply through his nose, then hacked and spat on the ground. For a moment he bounced up and down on his toes, then caught himself doing it and stopped. Then his hands began to twitch. Then he clenched his fists and hid his hands behind his back. And the bouncing started again...

 

[Aldur]

Pritchard T. KnightLocation: Super View Hotel
Mood: Determined
Tags: Gus Malikai Teh Frixz Lioness075 B Bag o Fruit lazee Necessity4Fun​

Things were getting heated and the hotshots were leaving the van. Pritchard removed his hands from the wheel and fixed his haircut with one while getting his aviators ready with the other. He opened the unusually tall door on the driver's side and stopped the engine. He quickly took the keys out of contact and shoved them in his pocket. Turning his head towards the inside of the door, Pritchard leaned forward and pulled a lever and released a couple of safety locks. He grabbed a shotgun from the inside the van and exited the vehicle. It was the iconic Franchi Spas.

"Alright, kids!" he exclaimed, emphasizing the last word with a slight drawl. His southern roots were clearly obvious. He grabbed the door. Its second function was to work as a shield, having only a decent sized visor to look through. "If you can't take a bullet, then I highly suggest y'all stand behind me." The sergeant's attire was on full display. White dress pants were the most attention-grabbing part of his look, second being a shiny shirt the color of the ocean. Black dress shoes normalized the outfit, while an obvious kevlar vest ruled out a night at the club.

He stepped forward but was suddenly stopped at the sound of a familiar voice. "Hey, Lucas! You caught me right in the middle of something, mohn ah-mee, can't cha see?" Pritchard held in a chuckle, while lowering his Spas, aiming for the henchmen.

They were preparing for another wave of fire. Some of them were reloading, while the telekinesis guy looked over the Squad as smugly as he could. It made Pritchard feel uneasy for a moment, while the guns' magazines went flying by themselves and others were smacked into their place.

"Eat lead, gringos."

And so Pritchard shot first. Technically, the henchmen shot first, but that didn't matter. The buckshot managed to hit two of them, leaving them injured and prompting a barrage of bullets from their friends. "Everyone! Take cover!"

 

[Aldur]

The henchman clad in the black suit exchanged his smirk for a frown of retaliation. Two of his men lie on the ground in pain as one of the pigs shot his weapon. He barked some orders at his underlings in his native tongue. They all nodded and the looks of anger turned into a patient contempt. They refrained from firing. Instead, they kept their guards up and two of them rushed to the aid of their fallen partners.

Suspiciously, they waited.

- - -​

 

[Necessity4Fun]

Kendrick Haywood

Location: Super View Hotel
Age: Twenty
People Around: Samantha, Jeremiah, Tabitha, 'Luc' and Chief Knight.
Interactions: Aldur

--'Equipament'--

Spoiler

Suitcase Contents: Three plastic car miniatures, a Slinky, Slingshot and a couple 'bullets', Chatter Telephone, Five superhero/cartoon figures, Poochie and a Plane model.
Suit Pockets: A pouch filled with bouncy balls, Loaded water pistol, a Rubik's Cube and a Yo-Yo.

There is no hope for this team...

During the ride, anything that could be heard from Kendrick was the angry click-clacking of his Rubik's cube. Bothered by the news of how the members of the police department had failed, despite it being their own stupidity, the boy had taken the puzzle out of his pocket, hopping that by dedicating his attention to it he would be able to focus on the mission.
God, he HATED those criminals! The concept that some people had taken it upon themselves to ignore all of the rules of conduct and laws, for, for, STUPID HERBS?! It would never ever make any sense to him. These guys were probably bonkers from the start! There can't be other explanation. And since they're a menace to the society, they deserved to be behind bars, it is simply logic. Which is why Kendrick was in the Miracle Squad, to help restore the order. At first, he had joined in a whim, impulse and he hadn't been certain of why. At this point however, it was very clear that he enjoyed the job.

After the van had barely stopped, his hot-headed teammate had hopped outside, promptly rushing everyone inside to leave too. One by one, the other members of the Miracle Squad started leaving, but Kendrick himself waited to be the last, though the Rubik's cube had been pocketed minutes ago. Once they all left, the boy had space to dislodge his suitcase from bellow the seat, a feat he wouldn't be able to do carefully with the van packed like a sardine can.
Finally, carrying a rather thick black suitcase, he stepped out of the van already making a commentary:

"Eager as always, aren't you Samantha?", the unwanted observation came out, with the most neutral and natural of stances as he put the suitcase beside the vehicle. It was a bit heavy, "Simply rushing inside would be reckless."

Along with the vest, armband and helmet everyone had been given, Kendrick was wearing the upper part of a grey pinstripe suit with shoulder pads, a pastel purple shirt, orange denim pants and black penny loafers. His hair was combed back in a 'floofed up' pompadour, with a constant wet shine from all the hair gel. The Haywood's crest cufflinks still made part of his attire, despite the fact that he shouldn't be using them. Old habits are hard to let go.
About to sigh at both of the girl's impatience, Kendrick was surprised when Jeremiah spoke up, suggesting they thought of a plan before heading in. Perhaps there was still salvation to this group:

"I agree.", he had announced, but was kept from elaborating his position due to a new arrival.

The fellow in a white jacket started speaking to them as if they were friends, but for Kendrick informants like him needed to be watched carefully. Trusting was already a hard thing for him to do, and with individuals that played double constantly that suspicion only grew. If this 'Luc' could betray whoever informations he had to give them to the Miracle Squad, what kept him from also betraying the squad and putting a third, or even fourth player in the board?

"I don't trust this guy...", Kendrick commented out loud, not taking his gaze from the strange figure not even for a second.

That's when Chief Knight stepped out of the van:

"Alright, kids!" "If you can't take a bullet, then I highly suggest y'all stand behind me."​

"Wait, what?"

Kendrick had no time to say words, as Pritchard seemed to be positioning himself to aim already. In a mix of disbelief and alarm, he ducked after his suitcase and remained crouched, nearly behind the van for safety. Once the barrage of shots was no more from both sides, the boy approached his boss, carrying the suitcase and taking cover by the ground elevation of a flowerbed in the building's entrance. Chief Knight was a cool guy most of the time, but when he was too proactive like this, it really ground his gears:

"Chief, with all the respect but: Are you bonkers? You're going to make the rest of us into swiss cheese back here! Why in the Heavens would you charge without giving proper instructions, when you're the only one with a gun license?!", he whispered at their boss, the tone of indignation and anger clearly showing through.

 

[Gus]

Lucas M
​

The squad was moving out. His moment was slipping away! PK acknowledged him at least. And toyboy. That was good, even if it was just to express distrust. The others ignored him completely. That was bad. Lucas shuddered with the need for social approval. Or drugs. Both would be nice, but he'd settle for either one.

To toyboy he simply remarked “Trust is 'ard won, n'est-ce pas? Gardez-vous des faux prophetes, hien?” As PK moved forward, Lucas stuck to him like a shadow, keeping up a steady stream of chatter.

“Hey now, PK, you know me, I don't want to interrupt you while you are working, but still, you have to admit, it would be bad if the miracle squad ended up like those pi- cops! We wouldn't want that, you know? You, your squad, you are too beautiful to die! And that is where your friend Lucas come in! I know these streets, I know the gang, I been in the hotel, I can get in again! I know stuff can help you PK! You got to listen to me now! Like: I know you are not the only ones who can do miracles aroun' these days. Did you know they have a guy who can move stuff with his mind? Like straight out of Star Wars, PK! Who knows, maybe they do mind tricks too!”

"Eat lead, gringos!" ​

Lucas turned, seeming to notice the henchmen for the first time just as Prichard's shotgun went off. The dealer's automatic weapons stuttered and several new holes appeared in Lucas's jacket and jeans. He looks disgusted and flicks his fingertips along his throat and chin in their direction. “Osti d'epais de marde!” he shouts, “This is a private conversation, mes tabarnaks, fuck off, ehn?”



Turning back to Prichard, he says, “What you say PK? You want my information or not? Hey, where are you all going? Is only bullets. Wait until they get out the rocket launchers! Then take cover.”

 

[Gus]

Kate Barrett
​

There was a flare of light from above. A feminine figure in khaki shorts and white cashmere top dropped out of the sky, landing in the midst of the fray with a surprisingly heavy thud. Her black boots cracked the pavement, belying her deceptively slight build. Several bullets meant for Pritchard bounced off of her, shredding the back of her camisole with fashionable, not to say immodest, holes.

She took little notice of the attackers, instead giving her full attention to the leader of the miracle squad, a coquettish smile quite thoroughly at home on her impish face.

"What have you gotten yourself into now, Mr. Knight? Any statement for the press about the current situation?"

She offered a hand to help him up out of his defensive crouch. Lucas rolled his eyes audibly.

"Oh, naturalement, just what PK needs, his putain d'journal sniffing around, and showing off!"

Kate's smile flickered, just a little, and with a wave of her free hand, inky black tendrils sprang from her fingertips, closing around Luc's torso and throat, choking off whatever else he might have been about to say.

"I see the junky is here, so I intuit the men with guns are drug dealers, yes? They are going to regret putting holes in my top, though not as much as they'd have regretted putting holes in my Knight in shining kevlar, mm? What say we end this quickly and you can tell me all about your bravery over coffee. Off the record, of course!"

 

[Aldur]

Pritchard T. KnightLocation: Super View Hotel
Mood: Pleasantly surprised
Tags: Gus Malikai Teh Frixz Lioness075 B Bag o Fruit lazee Necessity4Fun​

Now, things tend to happen quite fast in a firefight. Naturally, things go from zero to a hundred in an instant. Pritchard's eyebrow recoiled in response to Kendrick's comments.

"Dunno what to tell you, Kenny boy, but this bunch don't look like the diplomatic type." Upon seeing the sudden change in the gang's behavior, he put his weapon against the shield and waited. He brought a hand to his back pocket and turned his head towards Lucas.

"Why that..." A pack of cigarettes neared his mouth, with one protruding from the top. He wrapped his lips around the butt of the cigarette and returned the pack to his back pocket. "That would be quite useful, mohn ah-mee. Whatchu got?"

While reaching for his lighter, Pritchard was greeted to a softer sight. A blonde she-devil of a woman quite literally rocked his world. Suppressing a cheesy "I thought angels were supposed to have wings." line he instead took to lighting his cigarette. The fire was dancing faintly in the reflection of his aviators.

He took a strong huff of the cigarette and upon the awaited puff he broke the silence. " 'Afraid that's classified information, ma'am. But I'll make an exception just for you." He lazily grabbed the woman's extended hand with a strong grip. "How about this?" He straightened his pose while still holding the shield.

"Local druglord apprehended by the special police unit, 'Miracle Squad'. And don't you worry about ye old knight. Takes more than a few bullet holes to end his mighty quest." Pritchard topped it all of with a coy smile.

 

[Gus]

Kate and Lucas

​

Spoiler: @s

Aldur Malikai Teh Frixz Lioness075 Necessity4Fun

Kate sidled up alongside Pritchard and draped her other arm, the arm not restraining Lucas with inky black tendrils, around his shoulder. She wriggled expressively, snuggling in tight against him. More bullets flew, bouncing off of his shield which now protected them both like some kind of demented umbrella for weather you really really should not be out in. It was cozy and cuckoo simultaneously. In a theatrically loud whisper, she cooed tantalizingly close to his ear
"Ooooh? Classified information? Do tell...No wait, don't. I don't want to know. ...officially."
She smiled coyly as she slowly choked the air out of Lucas, then frowned as she read Pritchard's expression.
"Really?! As if that junky has ever had better intel than what I could have told you from a glance at the situation."
She held his gaze a moment longer as Lucas began to change colors, then rolled her eyes and sighed with exasperation.
"Fine. Be that way."
She waved her hand lightly and Lucas's bonds seemed to retract back into her hand without any trace that they had ever been. Lucas flopped on the ground gasping. Kate wrinkled her nose at him as if he smelled bad. In point of fact, he did, but she was clearly doing it for effect. Just as she was about to toe him over onto his back to ask him what he had to say that was so important, a stray bullet ripped through her right boot, capturing her full attention. She rolled her neck around slowly, cracking several vertebrae repeatedly, then swiveled and stalked towards the henchmen.
"Right!" she shrieked. "Those boots were two HUNDRED and SIXTY dollars. NOW it's personal, you bastards!" She flicked both her hands towards the ground and much thicker whips than before, almost like those of a squid, lashed out of each arm. Her hands seemed to disappear, as if replaced completely by the oily, smoking shadows, which flickered like an angry storm cloud. The shooting paused. Kate half turned and called back over her shoulder to the other members of the squad.
"Well?! Do the rest of you want to earn your paychecks or are you going to STAND there and let the free press do all the work?"

Punctuating her taunt with an insouciant toss of her long blonde hair, she turned back and lashed her shadow tentacles out, grabbing the two nearest henchman and yanking them forward until they face planted into the force barrier they had thought would protect them.

Meanwhile, Lucas, like a whipped dog who knows very well which adult is the safe one, crawled over to Pritchard's feet, rubbing at his throat with one hand, and slapping at Pritchard's boot for attention with the other.

"PK!" he rasped. "PK, you 'ave to stop 'er. This drug lord is clever, they are holding back. Probing the squad like they did those pi- cops. For the cops, they waited until they were fully deployed to use the teflon bullets, you know this. Cop-killer bullets are not all they have! I saw them testing them on the force field. They have something new. Something that could hurt even Tabitha and Kate, peut-etre!"

 

[Teh Frixz]

Tabby

"Force field, schmorce field. We are the Miracle Squad, not the hide behind armored vehicle squad!"

Throwing off her sweater to essentially strip down to the hyper-stretchy Lycra pants and sports bra. The very height of risqué fashion to be certain. Laughing, she steps out from behind the car and into the small no mans land. A bullet zinged nearby, bouncing off the ashphalt.

"That's it! Let's see how TOUGH... YOU...GUYS...REALLY...ARE!

With the muscles clenching across her body, Tabby began to grow. Sprouting like the proverbial beanpole, she rapidly passed by twenty, then thirty, then fifty feet tall. Coming to a practiced seventy five feet, she exhaled and took a single step. The ground shook and bullets began pinging off her body from nearly a dozen sources.

Stepping carefully into the hail of bullets, her legs and feet working as cover for her team, Tabby gripped and tore off the carport and driveway cover, throwing the debris out into the bay!

 

[Gus]

Lucas Marsolet
​

Lucas gave up his feeble efforts to get Pritchard's attention and flopped on his back, staring up at Tabitha in rapturous awe. For a moment, he forgot even to make an effort to catch his breath, watching her walk overhead and into the fray. At last remembering his need for oxygen, he drew in a long shuddering sigh, and exhaled a barely audible "Mon dieu, elle est magnifique, n'est-ce pas?!" to nobody in particular.

 

[Necessity4Fun]

Kendrick Haywood

Location: Super View Hotel
Age: Twenty
Codename: Jack-In-The-Box
People Around: Samantha, Jeremiah, Tabitha, Lucas, Chief Knight and the blond reporter, who I assume is Kate?
Interactions: Aldur , Gus

--'Equipament'--

Spoiler

Suitcase Contents: Three plastic car miniatures, a Slinky, Slingshot and a couple 'bullets', Chatter Telephone, Five superhero/cartoon figures, Poochie and a Plane model.
Suit Pockets: A pouch filled with bouncy balls, Loaded water pistol, a Rubik's Cube and a Yo-Yo.

Answer me, quickly!

"Ohohoho. This guy has some nerves!"​

He flashed a glance back at the poorly dressed double player, clearly holding back an unkind remark. Now, Kendrick knew better than to start an argument in the middle of a job...But damn! How he wanted to! It wasn't even whatever the smoking man said that ground his gears, it was the fact that it had been hidden in bloody FRENCH! Coward. If you want to say something, then say it, clearly! For.God's.sake...!

"It happened once. Won't happen ever again, if I have anything to say about it.", it had been vague and probably no one was listening, but that least this seemed to put the itch on replying head-on at ease. There's a time and place for that kind of thing and this was definitely not it.

Then chief Knight addressed him, which was a welcome distraction, except the reply that the boy got just made him want to facepalm:

"That is not what I meant- Ah nevermind...", Kendrick sighed defeated, "Careful, I'm the subordinate here. No barking orders at everyone and expecting them to comply..."

Fighting the urge to take the lead as he was used to, Kendrick opted for standing-by and listening to the exchanges for now. No one had a plan other than diving head-first, which was an action that would 100% going to get him killed. Yeah, pass. There's a fine line between being heroic and just plain stupid, and he wasn't going to cross it. He preferred to live.
The young man watched attentively the arrival of the blond reporter, her interaction with the informant, the boss, the assault of the thugs towards her and the impressive comebacks. The woman was strong and incredibly skilled for just a reporter! It made people with powers like his just seem completely out of place in the middle of such a heated conflict... And then it came, the inevitable call to action, and not from the chief! At this point, any hope of having a strategic meeting prior had been lost.

"This is not even the first time...", the boy mumbled, just as the French guy came literally crawling towards them.

The informant was still not worthy of trust, however, it would be unwise to not at least consider his warnings. What kind of abominable weapon could hurt Tabitha?! And how were these criminals getting their hands on it?!
Kendrick observed the building ahead, trying to find an opening where he would be able to both be somewhat safe and get in the action, but the barrage of bullets that had come time and time again didn't seem like they would let him. That's when the giantess herself decided to act. Perfect! That would give him enough of a gap to do something...but what?
Resting his chin on his right hand, the boy surveilled the 'battlefield' with the utmost attention:

"Okay, that side's been taken care of for now... I could stay behind her but that...could be both risky and perhaps not as helpful... Maybe if we could surround them somehow...", and that's when he had an idea, instantly snapping his fingers... It's a HOTEL! There is normally more than one way to get inside!

For a second Kendrick grinned at himself. God! He was so damn smart sometimes!! And now to confirm his suspicions~...

"You! French guy!", the boy looked at the turtle-man in the ground and pointed at him, "If you know this much, you've been inside right? Did you see any other entrances around or behind the hotel? Service door, ventilation system, garbage pipes...", I can't believe I'm saying this, "...sewer entrance or anything of the sort?"

 

[Gus]

Lucas Marsolet
​

Spoiler: @s

Aldur Necessity4Fun Malikai Teh Frixz Lioness075

Lucas sat up, tearing his eyes away from the glorious sight that was Tabitha, turning them to The Toyboy with another sigh. More to himself, but loud enough to be heard, he grumbled.

"Now, suddenly everyone wants to buy Lucas's information, ehn? Before? Non! Everyone is say 'go away, stupid junkie, nobody likes you' Now it's 'French guy, you must have been inside, tell me everything?' Pah! Of course I have been inside, didn't I say so?"

His irritation at being distrusted vented, he reverts back to his basic desire for approval. Toy boy will do. He gets up and scampers back toward Kendrick, grinning broadly, his scowl vanished as if it had never been.

"Toyboy! It is so good to see you again! And still alive! Truly it is a miracle! Let us stand here behind the van where no bullets will spoil your fancy clothes..."

Lucas seems to almost dance behind the van, a sort of staccato shuffle step that blurs his limbs as if he has enormous nervous energy to burn off.

"...so you want to know Lucas's secrets ehn? How he get in and out of hotel? My way may not be helpful; Lucas travels through the wires. But do not look so crestfallen mon ami! Have faith! Lucas will never ever let his friends in the miracle squad down! Wires have to be contained in conduits, ehn? Little plastic tunnels just for wires. Mostly they are all underground, but there is a transformer behind the hotel... it is... compromised. Lucas had a little trouble getting out, and... well, it blow up. C'est la vie. But before I come out to help you, I notice a big conduit is bust open. That could be your way in, ehn? I mean, that or the front door... So. How much is this information worth to you, my friend? You seem... what's the word? Rich."

 

[Necessity4Fun]

Kendrick Haywood

Location: Super View Hotel
Age: Twenty
Codename: Jack-In-The-Box
People Around: Jeremiah, Tabitha, Lucas, Chief Knight and the blond reporter, who I assume is Kate? -> Just this French guy...
Interactions: Gus

--'Equipament'--

Spoiler

Suitcase Contents: Three plastic car miniatures, a Slinky, Slingshot and a couple 'bullets', Chatter Telephone, Five superhero/cartoon figures, Poochie and a Plane model.
Suit Pockets: A pouch filled with bouncy balls, Loaded water pistol, a Rubik's Cube and a Yo-Yo.

My entire life I was literally indoctrinated in business and negotiation. I know how to use it and well.

Unfazed by the informant's antics, Kendrick impatiently tapped his right foot as Lucas went on about how he was shunned by society or something like that. The boy rolled his eyes, fighting a new urge to put the other in his place. If he didn't want to be judged, then he shouldn't have gotten involved with drugs in the first place!
The choice to be marginalized had been his and his alone. This victim act wasn't convincing anyone, was meaningless and it was wasting his time. You couldn't possibly blame people for doing the right thing. This guy should be glad that he was not in prison right now and quit whining. What pointless, childish behavior.

Once he was finally done, Kendrick let a sigh. Following this strange individual by himself was all kinds of reckless, but... It's not like he had any other option in this case. Ignoring his brain yelling at him about how he shouldn't be either listening to this person, neither going with him anywhere, the boy followed Lucas' trail from a distance, suitcase in hand. He had decided to suitcase the heck out of the informant if the other made any suspicious movements. Since it was so packed and heavy, it was bound to at least hurt.
As the two made their way behind the van, Lucas energetic walk completely contrasted with Kendrick's alarmed and cautious step by steps.

Opposed as his earlier stance, the man was quick to start talking, not wasting anymore time. The constant addiction of French words was annoying, very annoying. But work comes first. The information he received hadn't been any of what the Kendrick had expected to work with too. It would be maaaaybe a taddy bit more complicated than he had initially thought. However, it could still work and though his loyalty lied first with getting the mission done properly, he couldn't simply pass the challenge that was presenting itself to him. For a second while Lucas spoke, the boy grinned, the machinations of his head already tweaking their plan to match the new data. Oh yes, he was going to enjoy this!

His excitement was interrupted when the man asked about money. Of course, how could he had let that slip? Everything in the world eventually ended in the issue of payment. At the mention of how rich he looked, Kendrick's semblance went grim, but it was gone as quick as it had arrived. Leaving the impression that perhaps, it had been just imagination:

"Well, actually. This little bird has fled the nest and cut all his ties. Sorry to disappoint in that matter", he spoke with a calm tone of voice, but there was something off about it, information was definitely being omitted from that story, "However! I'm a very prepared individual who has kept all of his paychecks from his last job stored for emergencies. Let's make it like this: once this is all over, one of those it's yours, it's about three hundred dollars. BUT! You'll have to explain me exactly what the path from the room with the conduit to the front door is, and oh! Surely you have that in mind already but as a friendly reminder, I need that thing to have at least a diameter of 4 inches, or it simply won't do."

 

[Gus]

Lucas Marsolet
​

@s: Necessity4Fun Lioness075 Teh Frixz Aldur Malikai

Lucas scratched at his stubbly chin with one thumb, considering. $300 was a lot of money... more than he'd likely get out of Pritchard for sure. On the other hand toy boy looked like he could afford a good deal more. And there were rumors... but it was better to take the deal before he wised up or Pritchard got wind of his side deal. He'd hit the bossman up later. And the precinct captain separately, of course. $300 was a tidy bonus. No sense getting greedy.

"Done!" he said, spitting in his palm and holding it out to seal the deal. He waited a beat, then another, then shrugged and wiped his hand on his grungy white sport jacket. "Follow me!"

Darting across the road, he ducks down the alley behind the hotel.

 

[Gus]

Kate
​

Her initial pique mollified by concussing the henchmen against the inside of the force barrier, and further emboldened by Tabitha Crane's literally wading into the fray, Kate stands the now semi-conscious bad guys up and shifts them away from each other, wiping their bloodied faces along the inside of the field in order to get a sense of the shape of it. Intuiting that their adversaries lacked the power for a full dome, she dropped the flunkies as unceremoniously as she had Lucas before. The dark tendrils vanished once more and were replaced by flares of what looked like distilled, dappled, sunlight. Similar jets erupted from her feet and launched her in a high arc that touched down on the far side of the barrier. Pleased to find her guess was correct, she shouted back to the others.

"Tabitha, Pritchard, Toy-boy! Keep the pressure on, I'll flank them!"

She charged their positions, bullets ricocheting uselessly off of her skin as she did her best to protect her clothes from the brunt of the damage. The joy of battle took her, and the dropping of the gunmen blurred together into a collage of righteous violence. Unfortunately, in her fugue state, she failed to see the man atop the hotel lining up his shot at her. The gun was long, sleek and black. The barrel was easily three inches in diameter. It bespoke high tech death, a solution for miracles. The muzzle spoke a single guttural syllable and vomited a spinning thin sliver of tungsten towards Kate...

 

[Necessity4Fun]

Kendrick Haywood

Location: Super View Hotel
Age: Twenty
Codename: Jack-In-The-Box
People Around: Lucas, the double-player
Interactions: Gus

--'Equipment'--

Spoiler

Suitcase Contents: Three plastic car miniatures, a Slinky, Slingshot and a couple 'bullets', Chatter Telephone, Five superhero/cartoon figures, Poochie and a Plane model.
Suit Pockets: A pouch filled with bouncy balls, Loaded water pistol, a Rubik's Cube and a Yo-Yo.

Focus now, everything else should be secondary this moment forwards.

The young man watched silently as the other stopped in thought. Kendrick knew that look pretty well, that expression of rational consideration, of pondering about the most advantageous way to proceed. The path of the bigger reward. It brought him all kinds of bad memories and with it anger, which was definitely exactly what he needed during a mission. It wouldn't cloud his judgement at ALL!

He averted his gaze, trying to keep his temper at bay, at least for now. It didn't help that Kendrick still felt like having a beef with the French. His pride just wouldn't shut up about how wrong it felt having to treat this guy on an equal basis. A double-player and a junkie, despicable. Oh! The things he subjected himself to just to complete his job properly...

"Done!"​

With an enthusiasm that was uncalled for, the informant exclaimed, pulling Kendrick's attention back, though not without an eye roll first. He had expected to be assaulted by shenanigans again, but what came certainly surprised him. The man had spat into his hand and then offered it for a shake!!

"Argh, gross!!", he complained in his mind, not making an effort to hide the appalled expression, "Street germs!"

When that didn't seem enough for the other to drop the action, the boy remarked, "I hope that you're not expecting me to touch...that.", raising his eyebrow in an interrogatory, if not slightly teasing manner, "You're wasting both of our times..."

At last, the message went through, culminating on the man drying his hand on the jacket he was wearing. Kendrick shot the garment a look of pity. Not that it had been something great, but surely the owner didn't help its case. It had certainly been through a lot.
Dragging the suitcase with him, Kendrick followed the informant in the pace he managed to. The French guy, still oddly jolly for the situation, 'guided' the boy through an alley that surprisingly ended up in the back of the building, which had been a relief. His earlier idea of sprinting to the back meanwhile Tabitha and Kate not only served as a distraction but also as shields, though not inherently bad, certainly posed some risk. Now that was a danger he wouldn't have to comply with.

As soon as they got there, a lingering scent of burned rubber and plastic assaulted then. Given the time that had probably transpired since the transformer had blown up, it was safe to say they had caught the tail of the scent, which surely wouldn't last much longer. The transformer box was open, but there wasn't as much damage done to it, as one would expect when given the expression 'blow up' as a descriptive. Perhaps, the opening of the door had served to direct the explosion towards outside? Either way, this seemed like a properly planned device. He was somewhat impressed.

Kendrick glanced at the box, and despite the unpleasant scent, didn't catch smoke coming from the device. He judged it was safe to approach and whatever reaction had occurred was already long done. Without a word, the teenager set his suitcase on the floor, near the building wall with a 'thunk' and started clicking on the lock to open it up. At this point, there was no time to lose, thus Kendrick started doing what he did best: Giving orders.

"I'm going in, feel free to give me directions in the meanwhile. I'll still be able to hear whatever you say, just don't expect me to reply.", he instructed while going through the suitcase contents, evaluating his options, "Is there anything urgent that I should know about before I do that?", the boy asked, briefly turning around to address the man, but soon returning his attention to the suitcase.

 

[Gus]

Lucas Marsolet
​

Location: Behind the hotel -> In the hotel wiring -> Upper floor of hotel
Nearby: Kendrick
Mood: I better get that 300 bucks!
Necessity4Fun Aldur Teh Frixz Malikai

Lucas scratches his chin.

"Hnn. Anything else you should know? Euuhh..." he hesitated, thinking hard.

A shot rang out from the top of the hotel. Lucas's face flickered slightly, like a video glitch, as the bullet passed through his head, fragmenting against the brick wall of the building across the alley.

"Now Lucas remember: there is a sniper on the top floor! Maybe if you are not bullet proof, take cover behind the metal box, hien? Don't worry your pretty black locks, toy-boy. Lucas will protect you or Lucas won't get his 300, ne-ce-pas?"

Another shot rang out, perforating Lucas's jacket for a second time. He spun toward the hotel, making violently rude gestures with both hands as a steady stream of Quebecois profanity spilled from his lips. Still swearing, he reached over to a frayed cable sticking out of the shattered green box and vanished. Only the very keenest eyes might have picked out the slight flash of light through the window of the gunman's room, but a moment after that, the window shattered outward and the gunman, rifle and all, pinwheeled out the window and plummeted, shrieking all the way, into the dumpster just down the alley from the transformer. After the thud of human garbage meeting literal garbage there is a moment of silence. Then Lucas's head pops out the shattered window.

"..and that is what you get for spoiling my jacket, Ostie du marde!" to Kendrick, he waved, adding "Oi, toy-boy! Is all clear! Do not forget our bargain! I will meet your Teddy or whatever in the basement, oui?"

 

[Necessity4Fun]

Kendrick Haywood

Location: Super View Hotel
Age: Twenty
Codename: Jack-In-The-Box
People Around: Lucas, the double-player
Interactions: Gus

--'Equipment'--

Spoiler

Suitcase Contents: Three plastic car miniatures, a Slinky, Slingshot and a couple 'bullets', Chatter Telephone, Five superhero/cartoon figures, Poochie and a Plane model.
Suit Pockets: A pouch filled with bouncy balls, Loaded water pistol, a Rubik's Cube and a Yo-Yo.

Time to go fight some bad guys!

After a careful inspection of the first layer of equipament, Kendrick wasn't able to find anything particularly useful to the present situation. There was but one item that looked promissing, but it would certainly have a size issue. He makes a displeased/disappointed low sound, before moving the foam divisory up. Just like earlier, the boy quits towering over the toys, setting back in his usual thinking pose. His gaze goes from item to item with cons and pros in mind.

And suddenly a shot rings out, breaking his concentration:

"What?", he raised his head in confusion, and glanced back at the informant, "I thought we were out of shooting range..."

"Now Lucas remember: there is a sniper on the top floor! Maybe if you are not bullet proof, take cover behind the metal box, hien?"

"Oh, and now you tell me??!!"

Kendrick locked his gaze onto Lucas in both annoyance and disbelief. How could he have forgotten something this important?! He couldn't get over the level of absent-mindedness and unprofessionalism that the French was displaying time and time again... And he was supposed to leave this person to stand watch?? Madness!!!

Then there was a second shot.
This time Kendrick turned his head back, following the angle the bullet had come from. The source had possibly been one of the windows right above them. Behind him, a barrage of angry French commenced which was very likely composed of nothing but insults. The teen sighed. Oh, great! Yeah, that's sooo mature. You know what? He should do it louder so that the entire neighbourhood could hear it too...... Because yelling solves everything, of course.
Kendrick left the man to do... whatever and focused on picking the perfect tool for the job once more. He tried to evaluated cons and pros faster, seeing as he was out of range from this sniper, but that didn't mean there weren't any in the nearby buildings, from where he would certainly be in range. He had heard that entire discussion back in the front, these criminals sounded oddly prepared.
When you can't (fore)see your enemy's moves, your best bet is to limit their options and be ready to counter what's left. This was sometimes a good strategy for games, but also more than that.

He finished going through the contents of the suitcase, taking the equipment he had deemed the best for the current mission, out of it and flipping its halves back together. He could have extra time to lock it again, but then again, the more time spent in that position, could turn into more opportunities to get shot at, and the teen wouldn't take it as nicely as the informant apparently had...
Speaking of the man, Kendrick had turned around to the sound of electricity running and he was nowhere to be found. It didn't take him too long to put the pieces of the puzzle together, --Travelling through wires; Electricity-- but he would have appreciated a head's up before he had left. They were kinda supposed to be doing this together, to some extent. Feedback was a thing... Hah, why was he expecting common courtesy from that guy? Pfft, that was nonsense. But hey, at least there was no longer angry French in the background! Thank the Lord.

Kendrick brought the chosen toy closer to him and made a dash for the transformer box. His movement was brought to a halt when the sound of glass breaking cut through the air, followed up by screaming. Since he was nearly by the box, the boy decided to turn around and enjoy whatever was happening. He was in time to catch the end of a criminal's plummet inside the dumpster, which he promptly admired with whistling impressed. It definitely made his day much better:

"Aaaand that one is out for a 'nap'! A well-deserved one.", he grinned to himself, filled with amusement. He would have looked for the window where the fall had started, but the return of angry French saved him the trouble... That was definitely expected, which wasn't, was the fact he got waved at afterwards:

"Oi, toy-boy! Is all clear! Do not forget our bargain! I will meet your Teddy or whatever in the basement, oui?"

"Ahh, stranger danger! I am not your friend, do not act all friendly...", Kendrick did not acknowledge the wave and his good mood from seconds ago was ruined, "Hey!! You do not get to call me toy-boy! And don't just assume I brought a teddy bear along! Any type of plush would be useless out here, comprendre?!"

Groaning in frustration, he continued on, setting behind the green metal box. He had never thought that he would use French ever again, and definitely not in such a situation. God, He HATED the language! Well, not the language itself but everything else it reminded him of. Just using this much made Kendrick want to hit his head on the wall. But perhaps doing...well, this served to emphasize just how seriously he had meant that entire sentence.

If he had been looking forward to leaving before, by now the boy wanted nothing more than to have this over with and go back to his apartment as fast as possible. He finally set the toy standing and took a few breaths to have his concentration back and put his annoyance in check. The toy in question was a figure that some would be able to match to a Masters of the Universe character. Kendrick however, couldn't care less about that.
His reasons for picking the item were all technical. He hadn't had time to inspect the conduit space itself but knew better than to expect it to be exceptionally big, thus he considered a size of about 5 1/2 inches to be a good average to work with. The thickness of the plastic gave the toy both more durability and made it certain to hurt on impact. And last but definitely not least, plastic did not conduct electricity, which should be a given seeing that he was sending it through a conduit, travelling alongside wires and more wires.

Having calmed down, Kendrick closed his eyes and concentrated, drowning out his environment. This process made the bonds clearer; as if actual physical connections existed between him and all of his toys in range. He focused on the entity that was closer to him, striving to reach the other side of the string, setting it as his destination. When Kendrick could see again, the world had taken quite the shift in perspective. In front of him was... himself. Towering, taking support on the wall behind him in a stance that one could very easily confuse with sleeping.
It would never cease being weird:

"Okay, let's do this.", he thought to himself, maneuvering the toy around the transformer box, towards the entry.

 

[Gus]

Kate
\
​

As the squad closed in around them, most of the gunmen began to retreat toward the hotel, save one overconfident dirt bag who was keeping Pritchard pinned down with a continual spray of bullets from and AK-47 in each hand. Kate smiled as she waltzed up to him from behind. One good punch and the squad would take the lobby. Then her story would pretty much write itself. She drew back her fist, her feet lighting up to brace her for a really good haymaker.

She swung her arm... and it flopped forward uselessly, glancing off the man's shoulder?

What the hell? Was he a super?

She raised her hand for another blow. Or tried to. Her arm wouldn't obey her. She looked down, puzzled. Her right arm hung limp and useless at her side. There was a ragged hole in her sweater just below her right clavicle. They'd pay for that... the.. bastards.

The main bastard in question glanced back at her, grinned smugly, and began a slow retreat toward the hotel, never letting up in his barrage on the squad.

Ought to follow him, she thought... but she stayed put instead, swaying slightly, trying to remember what she was doing here.

Dying, stupid.​

What?

You heard us perfectly well.
You always do you just choose not to, stupid cow.
And now theres only two of us thanks to you.​

Kate stumbled, looking around, trying to localize the voices.

Odd.

She thought she had put on the white sweater for work this morning. The nice one with the taoist symbol on it. The black side of the circle seemed to have taken over the whole sweater now. In fact it seemed to have escaped from sweater entirely and was erupting out into the real world, in three dimensions and living color, as if the darkness in her soul had broken loose and wanted to swallow her up. She was now just the tiny spot of white in a sea of blackness...

Her eyelids fluttered. Her hair ruffled in the breeze as she fell over backwards.

It's like flying she thought. I like flying. The impact of her body on the pavement seemed louder than a woman of her size ought to make, but she heard nothing.

Her left hand fell across her eyes concealing almost everything but the faint smile on her lips. The black ichor from her wound spread in a pool around her, bubbling, hissing, and steaming in the sun.

 

[Aldur]

Pritchard T. KnightLocation: Super View Hotel
Mood: Unpleasantly surprised
Tags: Gus Necessity4Fun Teh Frixz Malikai
​

In an effort to advance, Pritchard lost sight of Kendrick and Lucas. The scene was now a sight to behold, looked like something you'd see in a comic book, but with more blood and R-rated mannerisms. Kate vanished too, in an attempt to solo the black-suited super. This irked Knight just a little bit, but what would make him lose his calm was the sudden realization that Kenny and Lucas simply vanished.

"Aw goddammit!" he exclaimed. "Kenny-boy! Frenchie! Shucks!" he continued. Knight then switched back to Kate, who seemed to be in quite the conundrum. He saw her drop to the ground and seeing as the henchmen were retreating, he held his shield up high and made a run for it. Seconds later, he got to Kate and crouched next to her, raising the shield and holding it an angle, so as to cover as much of her as possible.

"Ms. Barrett! Wake up! Kate!" In the absence of an additional pair of arms, all Knight could do was scream out her name and hope for the best. He stopped for a second and took aim at the retreating henchmen. Breathe in, pull trigger and BANG! Two henchmen were hit. One of them got away with a few pellets in his leg, while the other was incapacitated.

"Thank God for buckshot!"

Pritchard then backed up, daring to attempt to make Kate a smaller target by dragging her feet closer to her torso and positioning her arms on her chest. That's when he noticed a hole under her collarbone.

"Hell, Kate, you picked the wrong time to stop bein' indestructible!" he grumbled. Knight dropped his shotgun and put two fingers on her neck, under her ear. Nothing, it only vibrated. He grabbed his shades and dropped them, revealing a pair of wide eyes and severe concern. If the absence of a pulse was worrisome, then the puddle of black, thick blood confirmed Knight's fears.

He grabbed his comm as quickly as possible but hesitated. He couldn't call an ambulance, not yet. The street was dangerous still. Even more so now that Kate had been hit from an unknown location, possibly a sniper. Knight stopped for a moment and stabilized his breathing.

After that, he started undoing his belt. He shook his head in disbelief at the situation and put one end of the belt through the two handles and put the shield on his back. He then tied the belt around his chest tightly. Knight stuck one arm under Kate's knees and put the other around her back. The exit point of the bullet Kate was shot with was big and ugly. Still, he thanked the heavens it didn't split her in two.

Knight raced to the nearest building and entered the first open door he found. It was a salon.
"Miami PD! This woman needs shelter!"