3775/The Wail Of Sirens

The Wail Of Sirens
Date of Scene:	11 October 2020
Location:	Harlem
Synopsis:	Luke Cage, Niroko, Kitty, and Hiroshi Taka deal with a traffic accident that includes a tipped over and leaking gasoline tanker.
Cast of Characters:	Kitty Pryde, Luke Cage, Noriko Ashida, Hiroshi Taka

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Kitty Pryde has posed:
It's a moderately quiet Sunday in Harlem. A lot of the residents are back from church and have shared family meals, so the streets are just starting to come back a little more alive. This particular block is a close knit community, with people hanging out at Pop's Barber Shop during the day, and maybe spending their evenings at Luke's Bar for a quiet drink, or the Harlem Paradise for some music and dancing.

The quiet day is broken by the sound of sirens as an ambulance in the area responds to an accident. Kitty Pryde and Noriko Ashida are in the area, traveling back from Bushwick where they checked in on the twins whose mutant powers had recently activated. "Let's see what that is," Kitty says to Noriko, and picking up to a bit of a run down the block and turning the corner towards where the ambulance went.

Up ahead is the sight of a bad traffic accident involving multiple cars. A panel truck that ran a red light, colliding with a mini-van with a family of 5 in it, it pushing it into a pickup truck that has two passengers. The mini-van is trapped between the other vehicles, the doors unable to open.

Worse, a gasoline tanker semi-truck swerved to avoid the collision and ran into the supports for a large electric billboard and rolled over. The truck is currently leaking gasoline at the back end of the truck. The front end of the billboard fell over onto the cab of the truck. Electric sparks are arcing from the sign. It's only a matter of time before the gasoline spreads far enough that those sparks will set it off. In addition, the cab of the truck looks like it might be electrified, the driver safe while he stays inside, but trying to climb out would fry him!

Luke Cage has posed:
Luke was on his way to the bar to get it ready to open when he heard the sirens. He swears under his breath, unable to help himself and he starts to run in the direction of the sirens, in Harlem you never know what it is. Sure it could be a bad car accident, it could also be the Juggernaut rampaging through New York.

He charges ahead and skids to a stop for a moment as he begins to try and see everything that is going on and figure out what might be going on. "Out of the way!" he rumbles at a few of the crowd that has been checking it out, bounding over a car towards the accident.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
Noriko sticks alongside Kitty as they go to check out what's happening.  She's practicing energy conservation at its finest.  "Kit.  5 in the van, 2," and she finishes identifying how many and where.  "I'm going to get people out before that thing blows," she calls out with her thumb out at the tanker while she semi-jogs backwards.  Nori zips off on her pivot and goes to the van first, looking for children to prioritize.  "Time to get out of here.  Now everyone's going to get a piggyback ride okay?"

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde runs over with Noriko to the accident. She looks at the scene and says, "If the tanker catches fire..." She trails off without finishing the sentence, the prospects of the fire, or even worse a major explosion from the tanker, being enough that probably no one needs it spelled out for them.

The X-man looks over the area and her eyes go to the large billboard, basically a video board that can show different advertisements. Kitty winces as sparks fly off of it. "How much juice can you soak up? Just like, a surge, or can you sustain it for awhile?" Kitty asks as she runs the rest of the way over.

She spots Luke Cage sliding over the hood of a car to reach the scene. "Luke, there's gas, the whole area could go up soon," she warns him.

Luke Cage has posed:
"We gotta get these people out of here then." Luke says to Kitty, and then he yells to everyone, "Everyone clear the area!!!" he then reaches down and takes hold of the truck and lifts, oh sure he can easily lift it by his strength but trucks aren't meant to be lifted that way so he has to be careful the way he has begun to push it away to try and help Kitty get at the mini-van.

"Clear out of here!" he yells at all the gawkers once more with a grunt of effort.

Hiroshi Taka has posed:
    So, why is Taka in Harlem? That's easy. She was told there was tons of American food to sample in the area. She is pretty fearless, and not someone who sees color. I mean she -is- a shade of gray.. or maybe olive. A native of Japan, she is exploring the neighborhood in her utterly Americanized clothing. She has some J-Pop playing on one earbud so that the other ear can hear what is going on around her.
    Unlike the old stereotype, she's not doing the camera junkie thing today... but just rubbernecking at all of the various businesses.
    She'd just stopped in a local Soul Food restaurant, and emerged with a bag of takeout when the sirens are heard, and the ambulance flashes past her.
    As someone who recently vowed to herself that she'd no longer 'stand idly by'... she repeats that famous quote in the privacy of her thoughts.. the quote about 'All evil needs to win, is for good people to do nothing.' but yeah sure, that's not the exact quote. It -is- her inspiration though, and she turns to speed-walk in the direction the ambulance raced off in.
    Coming around the corner where she can see what happened, she absently sets her bag of takeout on top of a nearby newspaper machine and gravitates towards the scene of the accident... hoping that there might be something she can do to help. But she's not like some powered person. She's just good at Martial Arts... Of course... she's not listening as someone yells to clear out. Clearly they don't mean her. She just evades hands trying to stop her with the ease of years of mastery, and rushes in to be a pair of hands that can help. "I want to help!" she announces to the Hero of Harlem. "I've no powers. Just hands and .... talent." she admits.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
Noriko gets one of the passenger's clear, but apparently has the wherewithal to stop and continue her conversation with Kitty.  She looks up at the billboard at Kitty's question.  "A lot, I think.  How long is awhile?  Look, I'll just go get amped up."  The teen almost seems impatient with herself when she thinks about all the victims waiting on them.  Her sense of time might be a bit skewed.

The blue-haired Asian takes off for the billboard with the bat of an eyelash.  Then she pauses and looks up from the foot of it, then down over at some box that looks like it's hooked up to the power grid.  "Bingo."  ZIP!  Noriko aims her gauntlets at a metal lock in her way and kicks the panel open with her shoe rather quickly.

"Here we go."  Noriko sets a hand inside the rapidly cooling outer shell.  Giant tendrils of electricity burst out and coil around Noriko like snakes.  HISS!  CRACKle!  The billboard immediately goes out with a large spark that shoots off.  Then almost immediately after, like dominoes, the entire block goes out.

Noriko steps back, pulling her hands away, but keeps walking because she knows her hands are only a fraction of the problem.  Then she zips back down to Kitty.  "Hey.  Smart girl. Juiced up."  Which is obvious by the way her eyes are glowing.  When Taka volunteers, Nori grins and says, "Great!" and a thumbs up.  Luckily all this go getterism is tempered by Noriko...just being Noriko.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty's eyes go wide as she sees Luke Cage moving the truck with just his muscles. Granted he has a lot of muscles, but not so many she'd have expected. "Oh. Power Man," she says, and finally earlier comments she heard said to him click.

But she's too well-trained to let that occupy more than a moment of her thoughts. "Ok, get the people in the van," she says to Luke as he's clearing a way to the doors. "And I'll get the semi truck driver."

Kitty moves over towards the area of the sign, nodding to Noriko as the younger girl zips over there to the power supply for the sparking sign. "Great, if we can keep it from catching fire," Kitty says with a nod. She waits until Noriko has siphoned off the power, taking down the entire block! But Kitty moves immediately then. If Luke is watching, he'll find out he's not the only one with powers, as Kitty Pryde just walks right through the roof of the semi truck and into the cab.

Moments later she's emerging again, ghosting through the metal of the cab and carrying out the driver, lugging him over her shoulder which is enough weight she's having difficult with him. As Taka rushes over, Kitty tells her, "Help me carry him far enough away he'll be safe."

The ambulance has stopped some distance away, as they see people with powers affecting the rescue. They run around to the back, opening it up and grabbing their medical bags. A good destination to take the injured people.

Hiroshi Taka has posed:
    People with powers, and some crazy volunteer girl. Taka just bites her lip as she sees what Kitty does. But then she has a wounded man she ends up supporting. Her small frame isn't superhuman. But she -is- stronger than she appears. She helps guide the man towards the Paramedics, reading the man's Ki along the way. She does her best to nudge it into a pattern that will promote survivability and increased healing in the guy. But she really doesn't have time to do more than give it a nudge.
    Wordlessly, she begins helping to ferry folks from the accident to the Paramedics.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
There's just only one way to do this.  Noriko nods to Kitty with her serious face and takes off...heading away from the wreck.  To the average naked eye, it might look like teleporting, especially on a blink, but it isn't.  She quickly raids all apartment buildings and commercial stores within a 3 block radius, stacking up fire extinguishers from even a church basement.  There's going to be lots of...blasts left in her wake.

Noriko then starts to dual wield and quickly tackle the problem by SPRAYING WHITE FOAM EVERYWHERE.  She's building castles, moats, LEVEES OF FOAM!  She seems sort of twitchy each moment she stops to spray, flitting about while never hitting anything.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty tells Taka, "Thank you!" as she helps carry the man over to the EMTs. The semi driver is conscious but in a bad way. Apparently he got electrocuted when the sign first landed on the truck, before he was able to pull himself away from any of the metal in the truck.

The EMTs are ready for their arrival, gently laying the man down onto the ground and beginning to treat him. "Thank you," Kitty tells Taka again. "Going back for the others," she says, turning and running over. "Great job!" Kitty yells towards Noriko as she sees that she's restraining the gasoline and covering it with the fire-extinguishing foam. That should definitely help, not to mention the sign no longer sparking. Though the engines are still warm enough they could be a danger of igniting a fire, one never knows.

Kitty moves to help the pickup truck driver, seeing Luke is working on the mini-van. She pulls the door open. He's stuck behind the inflated airbag. Kitty tells him, "Close your eyes and hold your breath." She rests a hand on the airbag and turns her own head away. It only takes a second of phasing the air bag for the pressurized contents to woosh out in a rush. After Kitty discards the airbag's shell and helps the man out carefully.

Hiroshi Taka has posed:
    Doing her part, Taka nods at the thanks. She delivers the driver and then rushes back to figure out what else she can do. It seems that in New York City, she might be the only person helping who has no powers. I mean sure, she can manipulate Ki, but that seems insignificant when compared to the strength to push a truck, the ability to manipulate electricity itself, or to walk through walls.
    She turns and approaches the pickup to take 'delivery' of the guy Kitty is helping and get him to the medics so that the powered folks can continue doing -their- thing.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
It's really not the most /effective/ solution, but it does help quell anything active and provide some deterrent for the gush of fuel.  "Thanks," she briefly says to Kitty as she rushes right by her, only slowing down enough so Kitty can hear her.  And now Noriko, spotting Kitty and that other guy handling things, zips around the perimeter and helps direct the EMTs when they first arrive.  Then she bounces off to check on anything that is smoking as if doing rounds, apparently not even an eyelash batted at possibly having her face blown off.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty hands off the pickup truck driver to Taka to take the EMTs. He's shake up but doesn't appear injured other than some cuts on his face from the airbag hitting him and pinning him in place.

She looks back, trying to catch the blur that is Noriko as she zooms around the area. The engines of the cars are hot spots, which if Noriko has more fire extinguishers, look like good areas to maybe coat over as well.

Kitty goes over to help Luke with the mini-van passengers then. The parents are passing the children out, Kitty putting one on each hip and running them over to the EMTs.

More sirens can be heard as more first responders are coming.

Hiroshi Taka has posed:
    Her stylish outfit mostly ruined by bloodstains and smudges, Taka looks a lot less heroic than someone in spandex. By the time the responders arrive, she has begun assisting the Paramedics. She is no medic herself. But she is a pair of hands when they have too many wounded to treat.
    They have her holding up an IV bag so they can work, and she rests her free hand on the shoulder of one of the wounded people... working pressure points slowly and subtly to encourage the woman's Ki to slow down her blood loss from the gash in her leg. It didn't quite reach the femoral artery, but it's bad. This is the best that Taka can do while others handle the... heavy lifting, for lack of a better term.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
Noriko had managed to get one of the engines already coated, of the vehicle closest.  But then there were castles to build...and then protect, and she ran out of foam.  Decisions are made on her own time.  Eye's glowing as she stares down at the smoking engine block.  "Not good."

So this time it's a little jog to a few schools, spraying each engine down a little more as she collects more and more 'ammo.'  Little tendrils of electricity zap out from larger bands at a few beads of sweat on Noriko's brow.  She lifts her sleeve to wipe the moisture away.  It's just that one moment when the firefighters have let the hose loose with a leeeettle bit too much power out the gate, so to speak.  Noriko gets nailed as she's crossing in front of it and thrown into the side of the van.  BONK!  She crumples for a moment and then pushes herself up, dazed enough that she's not moving quickly.  Just normal speed.

Luke Cage has posed:
As Kitty and Hiroshi help the family from the van, and Noriko takes care of the power Luke lets out a grunt. Eyes scanning the street and the tanker, 'Power-Man' runs over and shows just where the name comes from. "Son of a bitch...I'm going to stink like gas." he complains, because thats what you do in situations like this. Complain about the trivial things rather than the big things. Reaching down he grabs hold of the frame of the truck and begins to tip it upright, the metal of the frame groaning and bending in the shape of his hands as he does so.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty had seen Luke move the smaller truck before. And to be fair there's a number of people on her team who could do that. But the tanker? Colossus, Rogue, not too many others. She watches with wide eyes as Luke uprights the tanker. The leak is on the top, so once it's stood up the worst of it is taken care of, with just the gasoline on the pavement already.

The firetruck has arrived though, and the firemen see the situation and set up hoses. They charge up their hoses from the hydrants but don't use water on it yet. However that one hose catches Noriko and sends her flying!

Kitty, and the fireman, rush over. "Are you ok?" Kitty asks, moving to take hold of Noriko, unsure whether to help her up or get her to stay down, though the Asian girl decides that as she gets back up. "Ma'am, I'm so sorry!" the fireman tells her.

Meanwhile the other firemen are starting to put some powder onto the gasoline, having the equipment for dealing with such spills. And the EMTs thank Taka, and ask, "Can you talk to the kids, help keep them calm?"

Hiroshi Taka has posed:
    Nodding her head, Taka moves over to the children once she is sure that their mother will survive. She glances at the carnage and then guides the kids around behind the ambulance where they can't see the chaos. "Kids. Please come with me. If you do, then the medics will have more room to work, okay?" She asks in her light accent.
    Once in position, she does her best to keep the kids focused on her. "My father and I were in an auto accident once. He was hurt, but made it because the paramedics know what they are doing. If you like, I can tell you a story from my home?" She offers, going into a favorite children's tale from Japan... translating it of course. What? She's a much better storyteller than the person typing this.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
Noriko was already twitchy, but now she can add that shaky feeling she just can't escape after something so jarring.  "Don'tTouch!"  She tucks her arms across her stomach and hunches over.  "Just-oneSec."  She bangs her left gauntlet back against the van behind her.  Then she coughs.  "Yeah.  I'mFine.I'llHealFast," her words rush out, but are still at an odd speed for her.  Little starts and stops.  "Who'sLeft?"  She glances from person to person in front of her.

Luke Cage has posed:
Looking down at himself, dripping in some of that spilled gasoline, Luke just says, "God damn it. Is everyone ok?" he wonders as he turns then and heads over towards where Kitty is, the only other person he knows here. "Are you alright?" he asks as he draws near but he knows precisely how flamable he is at the moment so he doesn't get /that/ close.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty lets go of Noriko. "Everyone's safe. The firemen are taking care of the gasoline," she tells Noriko. Kitty looks up then as Luke comes over. "Wow. So... yeah, Power Man," she says with a nod of her head, and a soft smile for him.

Luke probably saw her phasing through the semi truck and return with the driver of it. So that particular Shadowcat is out of the bag now, or at least part of it. Kitty looks Luke over, smells the gasoline on him. "Can you guys... hose him off or something?" she asks, looking over to the fireman who is still worried about Noriko.

He turns to check out Luke. "Yes, let's take care of you quick," he says. If Luke is willing the firemen will help him wash off the gasoline.

Luke Cage has posed:
He rolls his eyes a moment and then takes a couple steps away from everyone, "Fire away..." Luke tells the fireman and then holds himself out. He knows the kind of force that those hoses have behind them, but he's Power Man..right? That doesn't mean however he's going to enjoy the experience.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
The glitching Surge doesn't bother with trying to reassure anyone of anything.  Too bad she hasn't lost any of that glowing personality.  She steps back from the concerned fireman.  "Dude.  I'mFine.  IfIHadABleedI'dBeDead."  She has no idea if she would be, but she sure sounds convinced herself.

"AnyoneSeriouslyInjured?"  Noriko leans urgently one way, then another like some meerkat surveying the area as she scouts the EMTs going about their work and spotting Taka with the kids.

Hiroshi Taka has posed:
    Sitting on the rear bumper of a nearby car, Taka is moving her hands around like some flesh and blood C3PO telling a story to Ewoks. She grins as she regales the kids, and seems to have some magnetic charisma when it comes to young people.
    She seems to have found the most useful way to apply herself in the given situation. When she hears Noriko speak, she lifts her head and waves. "Nothing they can't help with!" She calls out, gesturing to the EMT's

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde watches as Luke gets doused from the hose. They do turn the pressure down for him, to levels that might not be the most pleasant but probably wouldn't harm a normal person, let alone someone with unbreakable skin.

Kitty looks back to Noriko, saying, "I think everything's taken care of. Do you need to discharge somewhere? Into the ground somewhere it won't hurt anything? I have no idea how much you can handle or the effects," Kitty says, a little worried.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
"CoolCool!" Noriko lifts a hand to Taka in return.  She reaches up to rub the back of her neck absently and frowns when she finds the segments of her gauntlets pinching her skin.  "I'mTotallyFine.  LevelsGreat!  FeelGreat!"  She's more emphatic than excited.  "ICanFinishMyHomework."  Deadpan.  She coughs twice.  It sounds quick, like a cartoon, but that's just a consequence of how wound up Nori is.

But then Nori just stands there, for what seems like a long time to the electrokinetic at least, just looking back at Kitty and slowly registering that the other teen is concerned.  "ICanGoDischarge.  It'sOkay."  Poof!  She takes off as if she's riding her own lightning bolt that shoots out to the countryside where she ends up leaning back against a lightning rod in a field.  The persistent glow to her eyes dies down to a smolder and she takes a moment to get her bearings before returning, arriving with a thumbs up.

"Talking just like a hyper millennial," that is still a little fast, but certainly no glitchiness.  Noriko flashes a grin to Kitty, "See?" Cough. "I'm okay."  She wobbles her hand back and forth as if to demonstrate she is still in one piece...though it could be misinterpreted as a drunk's re-enactment of how the waters were on the ferry.