17025/Bailey's Got the Blues.

Bailey's Got the Blues.
Date of Scene:	26 January 2024
Location:	The Roosevelt Flea Market
Synopsis:	Ted and Joan lose a robot and gain a teenager.
Cast of Characters:	Joan Wright, Ted Kord

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Joan Wright has posed:
The Roosevelt Flea Market is having a busy day today. It's uncertain if the weather or the end of a work week had the most influence but there is a lot of foot traffic in the area. Every stall is let out for the day and all assortments of baubles, appliances, artwork, clothing, memorabilia-

There's just a LOT of stuff. And even for Joan there was a draw in the form of old building adornments in need of a good home. Historical pieces that are PERFECT for some of the restoration projects she encounters.

But Joan's not thinking about that at the moment. Instead the cargo pants wearing Damage Control employee is looking around the crowd, phone in hand and a worried expression on her face.

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord doesn't hear the phone ring. This is his 1072 attempt to create synthetic cloth that mimics the bioelectric aur of Kryptonians. He's pretty sure 1072 is his lucky number! The last 1071 numbers weren't. It had to come up! Law of averages. The engineer without fear bends over his workbench. Bobo, Bingo, and Bongo stand by fresh fire extinguishers at the ready.

Bobo notices the phone and who is doing the calling. He sends a quick communique on the bot network. Then, well... if he had a face and animatronics he'd frown. So he grabs the engineer, narrowly avoiding a small explosion the others deal with, and brings him to the phone, tilting him and bringing his nose up to it.

Ted reluctantly answers. He really thinks 1073 will be for the win. "Yellow! This is TK!"

Joan Wright has posed:
Joan COULD wonder about the colorful answer but at the moment she has a more pressing matter. "Ted, I need you. I'm at The Roosevelt Flea Market and Bailey's gone missing." Joan takes a moment to take in a breath, "I've tried calling her, out loud, using the phone, I even tried using the paging service in the main office but no luck."

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord gets a moment of terror. His beloved little bundle of proprietary tech missing? At a flea market? "I'll be right there, call me if you find heeeeeeeeer.... " Note the the reader, all nine bots are now on the scene in Ted's lab. Cabinets are opened and a uniform and gear brought out and made to encase Ted. 'Dressed' is too gentle a term.

"Ow stop it!"

"Hey get offa there!"

"You... this is rebelliooooooon... getmyphoneyoulouses!!!" The phone and Ted and rushed into the Bug, which caught the gist of things and warmed up. Ted goes through the ventral hatch. The bots enter the side service entrance. Seconds later the Bug emerges from the Kord Co. building and blasts away to the East and Long Island!

Joan Wright has posed:
"I will." Joan assures when Ted asks for an update. Once the phone call ends, she keeps the phone out, checking the app once more just in case. But to no avail.

"Bailey?!" Joan starts calling out again, looking around at the stalls, and asking vendors if they've seen a pink and blue flying roomba with arms.

She knows that Bailey isn't one. But it's so much easier to give people a proper mental image by describing her that way.

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord is the only superhero with a running tab at the FAA. Stuff happens. It replenishes at least once during the flight.

"Hello Bernie, it's Mark... Mark... #21. Jerk. You're not going to believe this, I found a piece of high tech sitting on a table! No. Not Stark... No, not Richards' stuff. No, not that either... Kord Co. Kord CO! It's got the stamp... actually it looks like a pink and blue roomba with arms. It's sorta cute. The bosses will be very happy with this... anyway I spent $25 on it. I want it back from petty cash..." The man looks around furtively, "You're sending a team? How long? Right. Holy F..."

Bongo obligingly opens a skylight for the Blue Beetle, followed by his bots. "Joan! Where are you?" Bobo finds her first and in fact flies down to her and waits, manipulators on its hips.

Joan Wright has posed:
Hearing her name shouted out by a familiar voice, Joan lowers the phone she was using to show a picture of Bailey. She turns to the voice. "Over here!" Joan calls out Only to find Bobo approaching. "Bobo!" She turns the phone around to show their way. "She was last wearing this."

It looks like how Bailey normally does, But apparently that bot loves to accessorize so it's a necessary piece of information.

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord turns to Bongo. "B9. Search and retrieve B10. The rest of you spread out and make sure no one leaves. Bingo, check the bathrooms. Bug... tie it together! He strides over to Joan and give Bobo the look. "Hey, Joan. What happened to her? Never mind, calling up a systems log. Why didn't you recharg her? She was at 2% when you guys got here?" Bobo glares some more. "Ah go make yourself useful! Go on, scram. Direct order."

Joan Wright has posed:
"SHE WHAT?!" Joan frowns, pulling up her own device to show where Bailey's own feedback reported herself as fully charged. She holds the screen up for Ted to see. "I asked. This is what she reported!"

Her frown remains set as she looks around worriedly, "That would explain why she's not responding though."

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord notes Bobo goes off to join the search. He reaches a hand out tentatively on the shoulder. "We're back on right?"

He shakes his head. Don't worry I'll find her! If it takes everything I've got, I will leave no stone unturned. I'll get the bots turning them too. Shoot, we built a teenager. I... geeze she might be miles away with whoever grabbed..."

Let go, you stupid bot! Legolego I'll blow you guts ou... gimme back my gun!"

The scene is difficult to make out until people clear the area. It's Bongo in a tug of war with a man, both fighting over the inert Bailey. Actually Bobo has his legs so she may be having a tug of war with Bobo and the man the rope. Bingo unloads the man's pistol.

Joan Wright has posed:
Hearing the shouts, Joan turns her head. Her head tilts upwards as she tries to glance over the crowd. But fortunately the parting masses explains matters. "BAILEY!" Joan shouts, moving over quickly. Her approach slows slightly as the gun is pulled out but upon the man being disarmed she moves forward.

Now it's uncertain what possessed Joan at the moment. But upon seeing the battle going on over the littlest bot, the untapped motherly rage is unleashed. The man holding on to Bailey soon finds a five foot eight woman pulling him back by the hair. "NOW YOU LET GO OF MY LITTLE GIRL RIGHT THIS INSTANT!"

Ted Kord has posed:
Outside a HUMVEE approaches, containing a squad of AIM shock troopers in tac armor with heavy automatic rifles. The Bug hovering over the flea market is easy to make out. The leader reviews the estimated abilities and weaponry of the Bug, makes a command decision and the HUMVEE keeps on driving.

Inside security hurries to seize the bot napper and hold him for the police. They aren't exactly sure on what the charges will be as he did pay for Bailey and you can't be arrested for annoying a bot. Sad but true.

Ted swaps out Bailey's dead batteries for fresh ones. The machinery cared for, he wisely gets out of Joan's way. Playing to his team's strengths is a hallmark of Kord leadership. He hopes she worked out some anger on the thief.

Joan Wright has posed:
Power source switched out, Bailey lays still for a few more moments before she slowly moves her manipulators. There's a soft beep before the bot lifts upwards, slowly rotating to take in the scene. Upon seeing her siblings and Ted, there's a drawn out boooooooop as the manipulators lower.

Joan, who has released the man's hair once security grabs hold of the bot napper looks over to Bailey. "Bailey..." The architect starts, voice even and controlled. "You lied to me." Not an accusation. A statement of fact. And perhaps a hint of disappointment to the voice.