2273/Random Rescuers

Random Rescuers
Date of Scene:	29 June 2020
Location:	An abandoned nightclub turned kidnapper hideout.
Synopsis:	Rescued kids, creepy Hilde, murderous Barney! The
Cast of Characters:	Atlin, Albert Rothstein, Brunnhilde, Barney Barton, Lyle Marston

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Atlin has posed:
Sometimes there were complex dealings in the world, subtle competition from people in power, deals and agreements to exchange that power and get ahead. Sometimes however, those deals needed some more 'old-fashioned' persuasion, simple solutions to grease the wheels. It had all started with a contract, a negotiation that hadn't been won-over fairly and couldn't be salvaged legitimately; and it had ended with a violent kidnapping of an businessman's 5 year old son in broad daylight, along with the shooting of the child's carer. They'd survived, but such a public display had been messy enough to draw the attention of the law and those who operated adjacent to it. The police hadn't quite found them yet, but other vigilanties? That could be rather different.

In Atlin's case? It had been extremely simple what happened: Bad luck. A simple wandering exploration of the city and she'd caught a glimpse of the armed men hauling a screaming child into an abandoned nightclub soon to be demolished. Now? The Amazon still dressed in 'plain' clothing over her armor was making her way around the perimeter. An innocent in the line of fire had the blonde woman uncharacteristically cautious tonight.

Albert Rothstein has posed:
Albert Rothstein had been listening to the police scanner when it happened, and did not get there in time to help, He started heading around talking to some of the local gangs knowing though he sands out he looks like he could be part of that culture, that and the fact he can talk engines helps him fit in more. With a bit of cash flowing hands, and an engine retuned or at least promised to be, he has found himself in the area, looking around. He has his costume under his street clothes, as a 7'6" man with a red mohawk stands out, if he was wearing his Red body suit there is no chance of not being seen, so for now, he can at leat walk stoped or duck behind something so he is only noticable, not have a neon sign pointing to him.

Brunnhilde has posed:
Headed on her way to work, Hilde is actually cleaned up for once and looks almost decently slept. It won't last long, and she's still ghost pale, a strange shadow on the sidewalk, but she isn't dragging exhausted yet. She's got her go bag across her shoulder and her uniform is actually clean of stains for the moment. She's almost respectable. Her pale blonde hair has been pulled back into a careless, messy braid, just something to keep it out of her eyes for when she's working through the night shift. She's half sweating through her clothes already and annoyed for it, the high summer heat definitely having hit. She's making her usual double time to the station because she's almost late when something stops her.

It's hard to tell what the feeling is. Just that tug of coldness in her stomach and the sense that she might be needed. Someone was going to die... or had the potential to. Somewhere near. She couldn't tell how or who, but as if her feet weren't under her mind's command, they turn to start walking in the direction of the incident to come...

Barney Barton has posed:
Barney, otherwise known as Trickshot, sits on the top of another building, watching the kidnapping go down. There was word of it on the street; the actual target being.. someone else, but when a kid is involved?

He's good, and the *thunk* of a crossbow bolt on the side of the building when the kidnappers shove the kid through the door isn't ignored. He didn't miss.

It's a message.

Soon after, the archer is on the move, away from his 'nest', running across the rooftop, making a leap, and climb/sliding down a fire escape to nimbly land on his feet.

He's dressed carefully; jeans, t-shirt, and slinging his crossbow across his back, starts to make his way through the alley and towards the abandoned club.

Lyle Marston has posed:
La Raton had just been on his way for a theft when he heard the child's cry of help. Normally, La Raton wasn't the heroic type, but he could never ignore the cries of a child in need, his code of honor would never allow him to abandon a child in need.

La Raton made his way to the club, Sir Percy his ever loyal companion perched on his shoulders. As he got closer, he slipped into a side alley and began to walk through it. As he walked through the side alley, he whisphered to Sir Percy,

"Alright Mon Ami, keep an eye for a back entrance, we shall surprise these hoodlums"

Atlin has posed:
The kidnappers are 6 men strong, armed with weapons almost certainly picked not to be traced and bodyarmor subtle enough it could be covered by loose clothing. They were ready for a fight, or at least a skirmish against law enforcement or do-gooders while they waited for the call to say that the deal had been signed. With boarded up windows, it was hard for anyone to see inside, but the same worked in reverse. Only subtle shadows moving between the planks suggested the occasional 'peeking' between planks as they look out towards the street with their 'prize' held restrained within.

A back entrance was exactly where Atlin had found herself, pressed against the wall near the security door with a frown on her fair features. A little rusted old lock wasn't going to stop the amazon, but opening it without alerting the guards on the other side? That has the girl who was dressed in a hoodie jacket and jeans...over her armored one-piece pausing.

So far, none of those approaching had been noticed.

Albert Rothstein has posed:
Albert Rothstein has been to a few clubs now and then, and figured the dance floor is where they will be keeping the kid, as they can see in more directions. He will pick a side wall near the back as well, and with a moment's concentration he is walking through the wall, phaasing into the place stopping down hoping this corner is a nice dark spot where he will be un noticed for now.

Brunnhilde has posed:
Others are going in far more subtle. Back doors, rooftops, careful approach in efforts to not draw the kidnappers attention or give up the element of surprise. Sadly, Hilde's not quite that subtle other than always being a strange, pale shadow of a woman. She's not even really certain where she's going, unaware that kidnapping had happened, only that she's now very firmly being drawn towards that house, with the scent of death-to-be in the air but nothing actually happened yet.

She drowsily blinks through the feelings, trying to focus her head a bit more as she realizes she's realizes that she's now well off her path of walking to work and she's approaching a strange, dark little house with boarded up windows on the side street. She pauses out front, staring into shadows and whatever she might see of the darkened planks. If she notices any other do-gooders, she's not giving away their position. No, she's just chillingly staring straight at a set of eyes gazing through planks on the windows. Marking those eyes, even if she shouldn't be able to see them. Those were the eyes that drew her here.

Barney Barton has posed:
Once on the ground again, Barney's moving quickly to the other side of the street, and he's back to climbing without the benefit of a fire escape. One handhold here, another, and jump across and a pull, and he's scaled to the rooftop, looking for an entrance in. He's observant enough to have seen a couple of people; it's his job. But location-wise, he's lost track of all but...

Oh sh**

Moving quickly around, Barney's search ends with a bit of luck. Skylight over the office of the club. It's not big, but enough to fit through after he takes off his gear. (Not yet, though..)

Lyle Marston has posed:
Lyle made his way across the alleyway, being careful not to be detected. As he made hisw way to the end of the alleyway, he noticed a woman at the back entrance, looking at the lock, seemingly trying to get in. Lyle thought about just leaving and finding another way in, but decided against it. Perhaps this mademosille could help him. So, he cleared his throat and said with a bow,

"Well, good evening mademosille."

Atlin has posed:
Professional criminals, fixers, mercenaries, whatever one might want to call these thugs they were pretty well practiced. While one had set about the duct-tape assisted task of keeping their kidnapee quiet, the others had been setting up their security. They'd planned for most potential outcomes and complications...but the arrival of someone just sort of -staring- in the window was a little off-putting.

It wasn't enough to cause panic, a few quick words exchanged instead before one of them sheds his rifle to a nearby corner and checks the handgun in his jacket. A moment later, the front door opens and Hilde would catch a clearing of a throat. That arrow in the door had made them concerned of a tail, it had them on edge, but the woman just looked...spaced.

"Clear out," the man speaks, a 6ft man with the cut of a former soldier and enough obvious tattoos that crept up his jaw to make it clear he couldn't be anything other than former. "This is private property!"

Hilde's distraction had been just that, a distraction: enough that none had quite noticed the phasing arrival of the mowhawked giant in the dark corner behind what had once been the DJ's table. He had a few moments to glance around, clock the number of gunmen and indeed see that the kid had been restrained to a chair neatly in the very middle of the dance floor, almost baiting an attempted rescue.

Barney's skylight? It led to a bathroom, old and unused, but connected indeed to an office at one end of the main club space. So far he was alone, if only for the fact any traffic from such a space would have to pass through the main area and would easily be spotted.

Atlin? The voice behind her had the Amazon turning on the spot, a frown on her face and an immediate raising of her fist...but Lyle didn't look like the men she had tailed. Of course, she didn't need him blowing her attempt to sneak in either.

"Unless you hold a key to this door, I suggest you step away..." she speaks in hushed, accented tones, turning back to face the offending obstacle.

Albert Rothstein has posed:
Albert Rothstein will stoop down behind the booth. He does check it to see if it has power but not kicking anything on yet. The big man, starts going through a few possibilities in his head. He has a couple options, but is not sure about how to protect the kid while he engages them, at least not yet.

Brunnhilde has posed:
It wasn't a house. A night club, maybe? An old warehouse? Somewher they used to hold things like raves? Hilde's still not totally focused, only able to pull herself away from those eyes enough to look at the whole picture when they left the window and dared move to the front door to open in her direction. She frowns a bit more, hearing the words but also strangely concerned. All she knows is that someone is going to die here, most likely, and from the look of her uniformed self, she'd like to stop it.

"...I have a feeling you're all in... trouble. If you don't want to die, you'll need my help..." She explains quietly, her hollow voice just barely loud enough to be heard but they probably could catch everything she's saying. She also doesn't seem to have any concern for herself. Maybe she hasn't noticed the gun. Maybe she really is just that spaced out and now they have a weird druggie on their hands who used the club before to shoot up. Or maybe she simply knows it's not her time, and so fear hassn't occured to her to set in. Whichever it is, she's offering a very strange distraction of an emotionless paramedic standing in the streetlight, staring at the hollow building and the dangerous men inside.

Barney Barton has posed:
The crossbow is pulled and is held in hand. His small bolt quiver is likewise shifted for the fit down. Barney takes a final look down to check his landing area; damn. Bathroom. Might break his leg on the porcelain if he's not careful.

Still?

One step back, then one forceful move forward, and he's breaking the hard glass (he's done this more than few times in his career) and gets as small as he can to fit through, protecting his face and neck from the shards of glass. At least mitigate the cuts.

Barney lands heavily, feeling the bites where he didn't get enough protection, but at least he's in, and he brings the crossbow up, ready to move out again.

Lyle Marston has posed:
Lyle slightly grinned at the woman, while the rather adorable raccoon gave her a curious look. The man was dressed up as a aristocrat from the eighteenth century, his long, brown hair was tied in a ponytail and his eyes were hidden behind a domino mask. Lyle then stares at the lock for a second then swagers up to Atlin while saying,

"Mademosille, I am a thief by trade. Step aside, i can get this lock open."

Atlin has posed:
"A thief?" Atlin blinks, tilting her head to the side before glancing between the object and Lyle once more. A little shift, consideration given before she gestures for the door. "Fine then 'thief'," she speaks, glancing him up and down. "Open this door, take what you will...but stay out of my way while I deal with the thugs who would take this child..."

Albert was yet to be seen, if only for the distraction offered by the eerie Hilde offered, but it would be inevitable that the patrolling man would reach him.

When Barney reaches the door? His perspective offered the same, multiple thugs, the kid...and a giant huddled behind an old DJ booth.

Hilde's words were creepy, enough for the man to pause and shift a little before he shakes his head. "Only person who's going to die if they don't leave is you lady," he speaks, slowly drawing his weapon and tapping it by his side. "Last warning."

Lyle Marston has posed:
La Raton let out a offended scoff when he heard Atlin's order. As he knelt down by the door, he said rather sternly,

"I am not here to steal Mademosille, i am also here to rescue the child. My Code of Honor would never allow me to leave behind a child who needs help. I will be helping rescue the child."

He then pulled out a lockpick and began to work on the door, while his raccoon continued to star at Atlin. Suddenly, the raccoon jumped off Raton's back and waddled towards Atlin and looked up at her, as if it were begging for food.

Brunnhilde has posed:
"...I doubt it..." Hilde mutters, but she turns slowly and begins a very quiet, slowed journey up the side walk. She's not moving fast and her eyes keep flickering back to the club, but she's also not trying to *cause* death. She's mainly waiting. Like a vulture circling a fight scene, waiting to see when it's food will be ready. The chill off of her is practically palatable.

Albert Rothstein has posed:
Albert Rothstein will turn and he phases through the DJ booth to get more element of surprise. He is heading straight for the kid in a rush. He seems to be getting bigger with each step, as he picks the kid and chair up he is ten foot at least. He continues forward huddling to keep the kid covered taking any shots that are directed his way as he hits the far wall, he is at least 14 or 15 foot tall.

Barney Barton has posed:
So, either the giant with red hair is someone being held just in case the kid isn't compliant (yah, sure) or he's a wildcard in all of this.

Finding a spot where he's got good vantage, the sight of said guy *growing* up to near 14-15 feet tall pretty much cements the 'wildcard' thought. Particularly as the move towards the kid is decidedly non-aggressive appearing.

Crossbow up, Trickshot takes ready aim, and first shoots a hand that happens to be holding a gun as one 'goon' begins to pull his weapon to train it on the rescue. Another is pulled into the weapon, and another shot taken, the tip of the bolt still in the crossbow swinging around to find its next target; another hand. Goodbye tendons and muscles.

He'll kill them later.

Atlin has posed:
Creepy, very creepy. Already the man was unnerved as he began to move into the room with his comrades, opening his mouth to voice his concerns. "I think we might need to m-Oh shit!"

Then there was Albert, the sudden barreling blur of motion that snatches the kid and blows straight through the bar, the wall...and probably a good section of ceiling. Shocked as they are, the thugs are pretty quick to react and very quickly there was six guns up and firing, blasting away at the back of the monsterously large rescuer.

A scream rings out as one man catches a bolt in the hand, another as one takes a disabling and painful bolt intermingling with sounds of gunfire and the mercenary kidnappers trying to call out the new threats to each other.

For Atlin, La Raton's correction earned a nod, but she didn't have time to debate with an innocent child on the line. That racoon? It just...gets blinked at. "What a strange creature to bring with you on such a task. Is it a 'familier' of-"

Noise, gunfire, what sounds like an explosion as Albert makes his move? Suddenly subtle didn't really matter anymore and the Amazon surges forward, bursting -through- the wall next to the door in a shower of brick and drywall.

Well...nevermind.

Lyle Marston has posed:
Lyle was about to respond, when all the sudden, he heard screams and explosions. Suddenly, he heard the wall next to him collapse as Atlin rushes through it. Lyle gapes in amazement, before grabbing Sir Percy and rushing through the hole in the wall towards the sounds. Once he got in, he immediatley pulled out his pistols and began firing at the mercs, aiming for legs, shoulders, and other non-vital parts of the body.

Brunnhilde has posed:
As the man slips back inside and the quiet sounds of chaos begin to echo from behind that door, a twitch of an expression comes across Hilde's pale lips. She knew it, though everyone inside was still breathing for the moment. She turns on the ball of her foot and begins making her slow approach to the front door once again. She doesn't shy away from what little sounds of a fight she can hear, nor does she start running towards them. She wants to open that door the exact moment the chaos is over and the bleeding falls out between those breathing and those not. So she lingers there, just beyond the door, fingertips pressed into the handle, waiting. Waiting for that moment where the balance between life and death slightly shifts.

Albert Rothstein has posed:
Albert Rothstein will continue to get the kid away, with his height, he will head towards one of the higher buildings, and play mini king kong getting him to to the roof. Once there he will shrink back some to around 10 foot, bleeding from his back, as the wounds are there, just not as bad as they would have been if he was normal height when hit. He will start untieing the kid once he has him clear of the firing.

Barney Barton has posed:
Two effectively out of the game, as it were. Their weapon-hands won't be holding a weapon properly ever again, what with severed muscle and tendon. It's the shots fired now that Barney has to deal with, and he calls out,

"Hey!"

Should he get a pause and attention, he's got his crossbow reloaded, and takes deadly aim this time. The tip of the arrow shifts and lets fly; ready to hit one, then two with headshots. There'll be death today, but it won't be on him.

The crush of building, as it comes down, sprays the concrete powder into the room, giving Barney an even better set of distraction. He'll be more than happy to head out that way, but not before giving a shrill whistle in the attempt to get Hilde's attention; he's seen that trance-like posture before...

Atlin has posed:
Atlin was a rushing blur of blonde hair, tanned skin and ripped fabric complete with glimpses of her armor beneath. She had no qualms about killing, but she'd been asked and instructed enough not to carry her weapons throughout the streets, so there were no arrows coming from her. The one thug she rounds on brings his weapon towards her, then he's hurled backwards to the sound of broken ribs as her deceptively delicate fist hits him firm in his chest.

The kid in Albert's arms? He's screaming behind the tape gag, terrified by all the noise and violence...but he's safe.

Hilde was hanging nearby but compared to the man with the Crossbow near her? She wasn't an immediate threat. Those that could still use their guns opened fire, aiming for Trickshot, Lyle and Atlin first!

Brunnhilde has posed:
The door isn't disturbed, though the noise of everything caving in and bullets opening fire is enough to slightly drag Hilde from her trance. She blinks, cursing and jerking her eyes up in the direction of the whistle as she pushes the door open. Barney? Barney! Her pale gaze shoots wide and she curses quietly, now definitely not leaving the scene, but she's gotten a bit smarter about things and is hugging the inside wall with her back, keeping as small and close to the shadows as possible so she's hopeflly not noticed. She remains on hand for when the bullets stop and there's just bleeding to end or spirits to usher onto the next life.

Albert Rothstein has posed:
Albert Rothstein will try to calm the kid, and says "Your safe kiddo, they can't get to you, I won't let them hurt you." He will stay on one knee, and says to him "did they hurt you?" He will ask after he has removed the gag. Checking the kid as he does making sure no wounds or anything bad on him.

Barney Barton has posed:
One more...

Brows rise on the archer's face as he checks the amazon (literally and figuratively, apparently) slams one of the dudes is flown back with a properly placed punch to the chest. That, if hit just right, would be enough to stop a heart.

Here's hoping?

The noise in the place is loud; the reports from the guns is virtually deafening, which is why Barney had relied simply on the whistle to rise. It apparently did what it was supposed to, and blue eyes linger on the 'still clean uniformed' paramedic who is inching her way in.

*Scene is NOT secure!*

Clean white shirt is a beacon, and before the last guy with a weapon (who really needs to reload..) can figure out what is going on and aim for someone less threatening, Barney stops his passage back and takes a step forward, the crossbow up and leveled at the guy's heart. It's an almost silent *thoop* as bolt leaves bow, and in the next second, there is an arrow poking out of a chest. Bullets shoow wildly as the last one standing (two are still injured and quite probably screaming in pain as they attempt to remove said bolt from their hands) looks down at his chest before blood starts seeping out of his mouth and he goes down.

Messy.. and probably not a good spot for a kid.

Atlin has posed:
Much as the kidnapping had been quick and violent, so too was its end. Bodies and blood, but the thugs are brought to their end and the kid is secured. A giant with a mowhawk was left with a terrified child to settle, but at least sirens in the distance suggested that local law enforcement was on its way.

A little shift on her feet, Atlin looks about with a frown on her features. The kid was missing, she'd have to track him down...and she was rather aware that being in place when police arrive was going to lead to questions she couldn't answer. Even as the last of the mercs topples from his feet in a bloody mess, she was already giving chase in the wake of Albert.

Eventually she'd spot him of course, see him comforting the child. Safe enough she could move away...

Albert Rothstein has posed:
Albert Rothstein will pull out his mask and put it on, not that it really helps hide his identity as a 7'6" guy with a mohawk, but maybe it is the thought. He will pick the kid up to head towards the cops, maybe they would have someone to take those bullets out, as back close to normal size they hurt more, but getting htem out might be worse as now the entry holes are smaller than the bullets.

Brunnhilde has posed:
The departing giant, and Atlin, were both momentarily burned in the back of Hilde's mind. People to speak with later, people who helped... Maybe good people, maybe not, but they pressed themselves into importance in her head. Still, neither of them seemed hurt. She wasn't there for them. The newly dying, thanks to Barney, gets her attention sharply even is there are two others there quite hurt and in pain, but not dying. It's the last kidnapper which draws her.

Police sirens are coming. It's going to be a matter of minutes before the place swarms with cops, actually on duty paramedics, and others. Hilde has no eyes for it, though. She walks quietly over to the dying man who took an arrow through the chest, something distant and haunted behind her eyes. "...There is no honor in the death that comes for stealing children..." She hisses quietly, letting the edge of his soul go on without help. It'll probably take Barney dragging her out of there to snap her free of wherever her head went, but at least the deed is done.