9768/Streetlevel Dust Up!

Streetlevel Dust Up!
Date of Scene:	22 January 2022
Location:	Midtown
Synopsis:	Courtney does the heavy lifting, and kicking. Ted helps.
Cast of Characters:	Courtney Whitmore, Ted Kord

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Courtney Whitmore has posed:
Shortly after the evacuation order for Manhatttan came into place and the vast majority of the populace executed the relief plans and fled, there were certain elements who were all too keen on the idea of preying upon a largely abandoned city. The sort of elements who naturally assumed that no matter what serious voices or evidence to the contrary presented, simply could not accept the fact that anything at all was happening. The sort who would eschew any science if it suited them. The sort who had little care or compassion for others. Opportunitists, among others.

And so it is this evening that a small crew of "opportunitists" have gathered in an alley at the side door of Mickey Mantle's. It is a restaurant known for mediocre and overpriced food, but packed to the gills with memorabilia for the New York Yankees, as one might expect from their name. While jewelry stores, banks, and other places filled with valuables tended to hire private security to keep an eye on their target rich coffers, the owners of the restaurant did not think that anyone would break in to steal their steaks. And honestly, no one would, because you could easily get a better one at Longhorn for a third the price, just without the NY logo branded onto it.

Perched at the alleyway door, sparks fly as the group tries to cut their way through the iron bars of the gate over the door. Upon conclusion, the "opportunist" whose job it was was to hold the door once the hinges were burned through dramatically under-estimated the weight of said door, and it slips from his grip, clattering on the concrete. A resounding sound that would have echoed up and down the alley into the streets even if there were people walking about. It seems almost to go for blocks on this quiet night.
    Certainly far enough to reach the ears of the Star Spangled Kid, merely a block away and looking for something to do.

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord is flying overhead and watching the door fall. He's having something of an ethical dilemma as he usually roots for the Mets (and is a sponsor). He kills his forward motion and hovers in place and then begins an almost dead drop. This usually scares the bejeezus out of the bad guys, and his friend Joan, who insisted he never do it while carrying her again. Joan just doesn't understand superheroes. She works well with them though.

Blue Beetle adjusts his goggles, checks his gear and readies for action. You have to check yourself. Everyone has a camera phone these days.

Courtney Whitmore has posed:
It does not take long for Star Spangled Kid to dash over towards the source of the sound. She remembers to turn on her forcefield belt <this time>, and approaches the scene with just a modicum of caution. The opportunists have made their way inside, so all that she sees as she comes down the alley is their van, waiting and running so as to enable a swift get away, and ... a giant floating beetle. A grin crosses over her face and she picks up her pace towards the door as she anticipates the arrival of a bona fide legitimate superhero.

Ted Kord has posed:
Bonafide Legitimate Superhero! Where? Bwahaha!

The Beetle, for his part remains floating about twenty feet up and waits leaning against the wall of the building, directly over the exit they'll take. He takes a look past the star spangled person at the van's license plate and makes sure his goggle cam gets it. Hmmm, a little short for a super hero. Black Canary would not like to hear that and would slap the blue off him. But the Canary isn't here. He waves to her, gives her a smile and makes a polite gesture as if to say, "You first." He isn't really sure what her schtick is and is fine with support and hitting bad guys from behind. Turns out that's the easiest way to take them down. He also likes yelling something like, "You'll never get away with that!" or "Justice something!" then hitting them while they're laughing.

Courtney Whitmore has posed:
Taking the direction, the Star Spangled Kid turns to head into the restaurant, dashing inside to thwart the plans of the thieves. She is almost immediately greeted right at the doorway by one emerging carrying a signed bat, probably one that had been used by one of the Yankee greats and was hanging over the wall. She reacts quickly, bending backwards at an almost impossible angle, so the swing of the bat whiffs directly over her, and then she follows up with a quick sweep of the leg. The robber has very little time to contemplate how he was grounded so quickly by a short girl with bouncy blonde curls before a swift punch to the face sends him to lala land. The girl is careful to move the bat to the side before she runs further into the restaurant.

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord makes an attempt to stop the formidable, tiny woman. Marveling at her move. She's small, she's fast. and she has a form fitting costume. Not much to grab besides her hair or a limb and that might be taken the wrong way. Also he'd feel like a big bully. So he rapidly goes from questioning her strategy to following her in. He does a quick flip of his won and his aero-discs detach from his boots and fly onto the pack on his back where they are stored. Beetle draws his BB Gun and readies a glue charge.

Courtney Whitmore has posed:
The clatter of the bat and the thud of the man hitting the ground announces to the rest of the crew that something is amiss, and before the Star Spangled Kid has been able to move much further in, there are two others rounding on her. "What the hell, there's some girl in a costume here and she took out Lloyd?!!

A voice from deeper within barks out orders. "Then take her out, and don't use real names, morons!" The two charge at the Kid, who is still in motion.

A quick glance from the Kid at the layout, and she seems to hatch a quick plan. She leaps up and to the side of the outstretched arms of one thug coming after her. That one she simply evades and seems to leave for the Blue Beetle. She grabs onto a column next to a booth as she launches to the side, and spins around, using the extra momentum such that her kick to the torso of the other man sends him flying from his feet, tumbling into a bunch of chairs stacked in the corner.

"You wrap these up, I'll grab the boss!" Did she just give an order to Blue Beetle? Either which way, she takes off at a full run towards the sound of that order as soon as her feet hit the ground after that swinging kick.

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord really hope tiny bossy gymnast knows what she'd doing. She shoots past the two goons who evidently feel the boss can deal with her himself, look at the Beetle and crack their knuckles.

"Did you really just crack your knuckles? Who does that? How did you cracks them holding those... crowbars...?" Definitely not memorabilia. The Beetle tosses a small cartridge at them. One man grabs it and the 'hah' dies on his lips.

"<Fwash!>

"My eyes!"

"My nose!"

Numerous sounds like Rocky Balboa working out with that side of beef. A flash of very bright light behind Courtney.

"Beetle man, beetle man

Does whatever a beetle can!

Catching crooks? Betcha life!

With a gun shooting light!

Bwaha! Blue Beetle is the MAN!" Punch. Thud. Punch. Thud.

Courtney Whitmore has posed:
Off within the main entryway of the restaurant, the boss is standing at the maitre d's desk, trying to pry loose one of the prized items - Mickey Mantle's 60th home run ball. The Star Spangled Kid trots over and looks at him. "Leave it in the case, and you can walk out and into the police car without any bruises. I might even let you brag to your friends that you got a shot in on me. But if you touch that, I swear to you that you will wear the imprint of my fist on your mugshot. Your call."

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord enters silently behind the... who is this anyway? Does Canary have a little sister? Nah, those fishnets are a genetic characteristic, in all likelihood. He's tall enough for the boss to see his face over Courtney's blonde curls and when he spots the burglar looking towards him, he merely points down at Courtney and shakes his head. She did say she was taking care of the boss. There is a protocol here. Besides he likes watching her work. Girl Power and all that. He just folds his arms, BB gun very visible.

Courtney Whitmore has posed:
The would be robber looks between Beetle and the Star Spangled Kid. MAYBE he would try it to see how meddlesome the girl is, but she defintely took out his crew on the way. With another hero standing behind her, it's an easy call. He takes his hands way and holds them up, and drops down from the maitre'd stand. "You got it, kid."
    The Star Spangled Kid nods to the man. "Good decision." She turns to head back the way she came, towards the alley, and nearly collides with the Blue Beetle.

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord steps back. Then he's swinging that gun at Courtney, no, past her. She'll feel her hair streaming in the fringe effects of the concussion blast the Beetle sends the thug's away. She might turn in time to see him fire the gun he drew. She'll definitely hear it. Then he gets fattened by the blast, and is left moaning and groaning on the floor. The mask flips back, revealing a man of average looks, short beard, blue eyes, brown hair. His hands hover around her as if he's shy to actually touch her but his voice and eyes show concern.

"Are you OK? Did he get you?" Then he looks down at himself and sees the slug flattened and adhering to the material covering his chest.

"Oh... he got me. Well..." The bullet falls to the floor with a click. "No harm done. The Resistweave works! Ow... owowowow. To a point. Stupid crook!"

Courtney Whitmore has posed:
Jumping a bit as the gunshot sounds out, Courtney spins and plants a kick on the man's face around the same time that he is already falling from Beetle's concusion. "Add attempted murder to your b&e, dickhead." She looks back towards Beetle and there is a flush on her cheeks. "Yeah, sure, I'm fine." She is a bit out of breath, or excited. "Thanks for the assist."

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord does give her a pat on the shoulder then. "Glad I could help and that you're ok. If you need any further assistance, look me up at the Kord Co building. My real name is Ted Kord. I'm going to go home and put some ice on this. Be careful out there."