metropolis ♔ has it gone for good? or is it coming back around?

[wynn]

Fireside - Arctic Monkeys

WHO || Oliver, Felicity S., Emma F., Bo, Brantley, Lex Luthor
WHAT || The Knights investigate a connection between Luthorcorp and Sarandis' experiments on Andres
WHERE || Metropolis Kansas
WHEN || April 23rd, 2015
HOW || Actionspam

Metropolis is a bustling city even during these cold winter months, but they have no trouble finding the Luthorcorp building - because it literally towers over the skyline, dwarfing the Daily Planet nearby. It's still daytime when they arrive, working hours, and employees in well tailored suits hustle in and out towards elevator banks, past the front desk.

Comments

[clarkfuckingkent]

[Clark is not laughing. In fact he looks really distressed.]

Lois, you can't seriously be thinking about moving forward with a story like this. You know what he does when people get too close.

[Not at all okay wth you being his next target, Lo. Does not want to constantly save your ass. He turns to Emma and tries to put on a very serious/sincere face so that she'll agree with him. But diplomacy 6 ain't helping no one.]

We can get the information to a reporter at another paper. Maybe the Daily Planet. We have a few connections around the area.

[loisfuckinglane]

You're nuts if you think I'm handing a scoop like this to some other reporter. [ she grabs clark's arm, pulls him aside to say in a hushed whisper that everyone can still clearly hear: ] I could take this story to the Planet myself. Or even something bigger. This could be the break I need.

[telepathy]

[ Not only does she bulldoze over Clark's plea, but she's actually annoyed by it (will 16). ]

I've never considered it good taste for a man to tell a woman what she can and can't be thinking. [ She gestured for Clark to move out of her way and turned her gaze on Lois. ]

But the only way to truly ensure our argument holds no weight would be to publish it in a newspaper like the Inquisitor. [ knowledge local 16 in a creepy series of samerolls. ] I suspect we can persuade the Planet to allow you to be the one to write the story.

[clarkfuckingkent]

Lois... [Just pleading with her and hoping she sees reason. Hahaha. Lois seeing reason when there's a story to chase. What a funny joke I just told. ]

[succubestie]

[She pats Clark on the back.]

We can keep her safe, alright. Nothing to worry about.

[Except he's the one who just saved her ass, but don't mention that okay shhhh]

[loisfuckinglane]

Putting my name on that piece is the surest way to protect myself. If something happens to me, it'd be pretty clear who was behind it. Lex is a lot of things, but stupid doesn't usually top that list.

[telepathy]

Our car is waiting outside: we can take you back to Metropolis and escort you to the Daily Planet, if you can prepare the pitch for your story on the way. To my understanding, a draft would be even better, but I have no doubts we'll be able to persuade them regardless.

[fixyourproblem]

[So, they're just going to walk out to the car and drive away like nothing has happened... not sure if that's a good idea.] Don't you think we need to take the alternate escape route or something? [If Lex is at least as resourceful as they said, he might have prepared back-up plan in case the sac-em-to-the-monsters plan fails. As exciting as a high-speed car chase sequence is, Brantley prefers enjoying it in 4d movie rather than participating in real life.]

[clarkfuckingkent]

Whatever we do, it should be fast. [He's still not okay with Lois writing this story but he can argue pointlessly with her about it later.]

[telepathy]

You'd prefer to stay and skulk about, looking for an alternative exit that may not exist so we can slip out like criminals? [ Her eyebrows raise at Brantley. ] Place a distress call to the local police department.

It will give them probable cause to search the facility and close the facility itself down within the letter of the law, and we'll slip out before they arrive so we don't have to answer any prying questions. But Lex Luthor is the one with the power to sprout another: we need to ensure he doesn't come out of this unscathed.

[fistpump]

[So... they're just going to give the files that Felicity got over to a woman that claims to be press? Then she's going to write a story for a paper that she doesn't even work at? Felicity isn't really sure this sounds like a good idea. Mostly, because she didn't think their mission was "Get the info and then find someone to write an exposé on it."

She would prefer to just call the police, get the hell out of there, make copies of all this data and then distribute it to someone that is a verified reporter. But she's not in charge. So she'll just cling to her flash drive, holding it tightly in her fist.]

[succubestie]

We can deal with Lex Luthor after we're not here anymore.

[She pulls out her phone.]

I'll make the call if no one else is going to.

[Their phones are supposed to be untraceable and such too, right? That'll make it easier to stay anonymous than if one of the newcomers did it.]

[telepathy]

[ The phone rings for a few moments, longer than a police station phone normally would in a well-staffed office, before someone finally picks up. A male voice answers, 'Hello? Arcadia Police Department.' ]

[succubestie]

[When she opens her mouth to answer, she makes her best damsel in distress, panic-stricken voice, and it's pretty damn believable (bluff 33).]

Yes, hello? I need some help, please hurry!

[telepathy]

[ The slow drawl of the officer on desk duty snaps alert as he audibly straightens, knocking something wooden around in the background as he answers, 'Just stay calm, ma'am. Can you tell me where you are?'

Meanwhile, irl, Emma is looking at Bo like wow are you this good an actress when you're letting Andrew flail around on top of you because that explains the success of your marriage. ]

[succubestie]

I-I'm out at the LuthorCorp facility! [She gives him the address.] Some of the things got out and they're...something is really wrong here.

[Good thing she can't read minds. Fucking rude, Emma.]

[telepathy]

[ The speaker goes muffled, but it's barely possible to hear the cop asking someone on his end of the line—'LuthorCorp? Hey Mack, I think we got a call in from Metro. You ever heard of a LuthorCorp facility out this way?' Muffled responses come, and he pulls his hand back from the speaker to address Bo directly. 'Total Logistics Control? I need you to tell me what kind of things you mean, ma'am. Has there been an accident with the equipment? Does anyone there need medical attention?' ]

[succubestie]

I-I don't know, I'm just the secretary. I don't-

[And then she goes quiet for a moment, breathing as if her heart is racing, and then she screams into the phone, pulls out her firearm and fires it twice into the ceiling and then just....hangs up the phone.

Then she slips it back into her pocket and looks over at Emma expectantly.]

Think that'll bring a nice crew of them out here?

[...let it never be said that she does anything half-assed I guess.]

[telepathy]

[ When the firearm goes off, Emma recoils, visibly flinching like DAMN GIRL I WAS NOT EXPECTING THAT. But as she lowers her arms, looking between Bo's face and the phone, she ... nods approvingly. Straightening, she clears her throat. ]

We'd best see ourselves out before they come to investigate. If we're lucky, they'll be clever enough to have a SWAT team. [ She turned on her heels then, striding towards the front entrance where the actual secretary is cowering behind the desk in a panic. ]

[loisfuckinglane]

[ lois is just watching all this like what the actual fuck and looking at clark accusingly as if he somehow knows these people and this is his fault. even though clearly, clark kent doesn't know anyone half so cool. she grabs his arm and starts dragging him along. ] Come on, Smallville. That looks like our cue to vamoose too.

[theterminator]

[It's okay, Oliver is like wtf constantly re-thinking this decision to be part of a team too. But he will grab Felicity and make for the exit like they all should have done well before they started making calls and firing guns in the building like. o_o]

[telepathy]

[ As they make it out into the lobby and through the front doors, five guards come charging down the hallway after them, so it's a good thing they high-tailed it. They make it past the threshold of the front doors, but the guards begin firing shots off. One of them pings off Clark's back harmlessly, another clips Emma in the shoulder, through-and-through, for 19 penetration damage, and a final one smacks right into Oliver's back for 16 crit damage on a nat 20. Sry bae. ]

Get to the car! All of you!

[ Emma slows to stay between them and the guards, ready to be the last one out so she can ensure the rest of the team makes it safely. Pulling the keys from her jacket, she tosses them to Felicity because somebody's gotta hurry into dat driver's seat and get it started and she's in better shape than any of the rest of 'em. ]

[clarkfuckingkent]

[Clark will hang back and be next to last since he's basically bullet proof. He glances to Emma, thinks about urging her into the car before going nah- better not. He just focuses on getting Lois and the others safe instead.]

[loisfuckinglane]

[ with an 18 spot check, moving so close to clark, she could have sworn one of those bullets came right for him and she shouts: ] Clark! [ in horror, glancing back at him and waiting for him to collapse and bleed out on the floor or something, her heart dropping into her stomach for a moment, but--

miraculously, he's ... looking utterly unaffected, and despite slowing down, it doesn't appear to be because he got shot, so it must have narrowly avoided him. clearly. she tries to mask her moment of panic, by urging him to keep up with the others. ] Come on!

[succubestie]

[While she got some healing in, she's not exactly tip top shape, and taking some bullets isn't on her to do list.

She keeps an eye out for her teammates though as they all start to pile into the car.]