london ♔ this is a bad town for such a pretty face

[wynn]

WHO || Wynn, Val'drin, Helen, Francesca, Eric, Lila,  Tia, Grant Peterson, Audrey Peterson, Peter Jayson, various others [closed]
WHAT || A mission gets personal when a cult takes a member of the Knights hostage
WHERE || London, England
WHEN || April 2nd, 10:30 AM  [backdated]
HOW || Actionspam or prose

This is exactly the kind of mess that the Knights like to avoid, and having two missions become very public spectacles in the course of less than a year is not doing much to keep Wynn's hair from turning... oh, wait.

It's already a media circus when the team flies out there in a helicopter that carries Francesca, Eric, Tia, and Lila. Across the street, Wynn has usurped the top floor of an office building to keep an eye on the situation. He watches the screens broadcasting the video taken by the three going on with a tense eye, along with Val'drin and Helen, who are here to consult. Below, the police have blockades of cars, officers, and police line keeping the civilians and reporters back, under orders of Chief of Police Jared O'Keefe.

The Bell 212 chopper hovers for a minute above the building, enough so that Eric can toss a long rope down to dangle over the top floor balcony in the southeast corner. He looks back over his shoulder at Lila, giving her an encouraging but grim nod, and then pulls his SWAT helmet on and grasps the rope, turning around and then hopping back as he slides down. (climb 12) the dc is 10 to climb down, and you are allowed to "take 10" (assume a roll of 10) if you don't have a negative strength score.

Comments

2/3

[telekinection]

[ as soon as she makes sure grant and company are in the stairwell out of earshot, tia looks back at francesca. ] She knows something about all this. This is a set-up. A-- [ she frowns, obviously confused about the reasons ] cover operation for some kind of robbery. [ she gives francesca a desperate look ] Grant doesn't know. [ the implications go unspoken: they're going to have a hell of a time detaining the wife of a Knight for any reason, because he's unlikely to believe it possible. ]

[sirstickuphisass]

[ eric bursts back into the room, stopping in the doorway, lowering his gun as horror streaks across his expression.

lila's gun was on her hip, which meant she couldn't actually sleight of hand it in plain sight... which unfortunately meant that as she was pulling it, the commando could respond with his readied action.

his gun went off milliseconds before she shot, the bullet going straight through the woman's brain (20 dmg), just as lila's shot took the commando between the eyes. their bodies slumped together to the floor in a slowly spreading pool of blood, which is the sight eric is greeted with as he looks between lila and the casualties. ]

[daredtobelieve]

[You really don't need to tell Helen twice. Drawing her gun as she gets up, she's not at all about to be caught unaware. Shit is getting real. She spares a look to check that Val'drin is coming along as well before she bolts for the door.]

[bittersweeter]

[ whoops.

lila swallows, lowering her gun, but looks largely unaffected by the violence and blood. curious, maybe. her bare fingers unconsciously lift to touch the scar on her throat. huh.

so that happened. ]

[socialgraces]

[ francesca's finally gained control of the bleeding, and the hostage seems to be stabilizing by this point. she looks up to tia, nodding to convey good news. ] She should be ready to move now ... As soon as Eric and Lila return with the other hostage. [ because this is her being optimistic ]

[sirstickuphisass]

[ eric stands there for a good thirty seconds, before he very slowly walks towards her. ] ... Are you alright?

[bittersweeter]

She was always going to die. [ it's quiet, not quite a whisper but close. definitely not the answer to his question. lila doesn't look away from the bodies, but it doesn't seem like she's excusing herself. ] The second he touched her, she was going to die. To prove a point or as a threat or just because, but she was never going to walk out of here alive.

[ finally prying her gaze from the pooling blood, she looks at eric and it is very obvious in her eyes that she is way more affected than her dispassionate tone would let on. ] That's why I made you leave. So it would just be me and her. Not her and Tia or her and five other hostages. People like that don't let hostages live. [ she swallows again, looking back at the bodies. ] I'm fine. I'm sorry.

[sirstickuphisass]

[ eric seems to consider saying something else, but just barely catches himself, and decides against it, nodding. ] We'll talk about it later. We should get you out of here.

[bittersweeter]

Okay. [ turning away from the carnage, she will just follow eric out of the room. ]

[daredtobelieve]

[Is this enough time for Helen to make it to the medical station??? HOPE SO. Coming in, gun in hand, Helen's gaze sweeps the room for the woman in question. (spot 12, if I even need it.)]

Mrs. Petersen?

[telekinection]

[ there's a flurry of activity in the tent below, most of the hostages milling around or being checked by professionals, and helen doesn't catch sight of audrey at first.

upstairs, eric leads lila out and tia turns a questioning look at him. he merely looks back at her and then offers francesca and tia a very tight lipped shake of the head. ]

[daredtobelieve]

[Well... that just won't do. Helen grabs the nearest person who appears like they work here.]

I need to find Audrey Petersen. And quickly. [And then she gives Val'drin a look. Because he is there. And I am a moron.]

[valdrin]

[ one of the medics points them towards where grant and audrey are seated, getting checked over, one hand over her heart as grant frets. val'drin meets helen's gaze and nods, heading that way. ]

[daredtobelieve]

[Following after Val'drin, Helen gives both Petersens a quick glance to assess their condition.]

We're here to help. [And keep them here in this area. But mostly to help.]

[antiquaria]

Helen. [ grant sounds relieved to see his fellow researcher, and nods at them both. ] They're... they're going to take Audrey to the hospital. She's been through worse than most of us.

[daredtobelieve]

I'm afraid there's been a change of plans, Grant. We need everyone to stay put for now. If there's any injuries that need immediate attention, I can certainly willing to assist.

[mislabeled]

It's not an injury, it's my heart. [ audrey looks testily at the medic, who shakes his head sadly at helen.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but she's right. She's experiencing chest pains, and we already have an ambulance ready for her." ]

[daredtobelieve]

The ambulance will have to wait. [Helen turns her attention to him, hoping that he realizes she's coming in with orders from Wynn without her needing to say that.] I won't let any harm come to you, Mrs. Petersen. And without trying to sound rude- I'm far more equipped to assist with any chest pains you're having than the paramedics or ER staff might.

[Diplomacy 29 to convince everyone to calm the fuck down and stay put.]

[socialgraces]

[ francesca looks grim at eric's nod, clearly wanting an explanation, but later when she's not forcing down the bile in her throat from the sudden lull in adrenaline.

she turns to tia as she finishes her bandage job on the hostage, the best work she can do up here, at least. ] Let's move her out of here.

1/2

[sirstickuphisass]

[ eric nods twice, sparing lila a glance before helping francesca get the hostage up and moving. ]

[mislabeled]

[ the paramedic frowns, obviously unhappy with the proposition since he don't know who you are, ok. or who wynn is. HE IS JUST A PARAMEDIC.

"You're a doctor?" he asks.

audrey looks between them, and then reaches into her pocket to pull out a little bottle. ] You know what? I forgot I had my pills with me. If I take these, I shouldn't need any help at all. [ she twists the top off while grant frowns at her in a moment of what looks like bewilderment, but then she slams down the whole bottle, and the way she swallows makes it look like it was a liquid - not pills at all. she turns to grant with a frown and a sigh. ] I really hoped things wouldn't go this way, darling. It could have all been so much simpler for everyone.

[socialgraces]

[ let's assume the four of them, plus one injured hostage, are toddling off the elevator now and out toward the paramedics, so they can walk in on whatever is about to happen o__o ]

[daredtobelieve]

[Well, Helen has her gun back out and up at the ready . Because nothing about that sounds good.]

Grant, get away from her. Now. [She focuses on the woman once more.]What is it? What have you done?

[mislabeled]

[ grant's head whips towards helen, incredulity written all over his features. "Helen, what--" but he makes no move to step away from her, his body language protective still, however confused he may be. audrey just gives helen a tight smile, a strange bitterness entering her eyes as she says firmly: ]

What I had to.

[ with that, her body seems to turn into mist before their eyes, as if she evaporates. a spellcraft check of 18+ can identify it as gaseous form. ]

[daredtobelieve]

[Helen doesn't have training in spellcraft. She has been around magic enough to not be entirely confused why a person is evaporating, though. SHE HAS SEEN SOME SHIT. She also got a will save of 25 to not lose her shit.]

Bloody hell- she's getting away!