[Closed]

[edhwierfan]

Who: Aeron, Colette, Mamoru, Regina, & Riku
Where: Around Locke City
When: Aug. 10, 1800 hours
What: The group goes on a "test drive" patrol of sorts and stumbles on something more serious than they'd even expected.


After the reminders had been sent out, time passed by in a blur. Before he knew it, it was the afternoon of their first patrol and Aeron's stomach was twisted in knots. This was Aeron's first attempt at anything since seeing the Sage - his first attempt to organise something of this magnitude as well. While he oversaw much of the company's dealings, being responsible for other human lives was...new. New and overwhelming.

Aeron had no delusions about his place in the patrol group. He might be the one putting it all together, but he was ill-suited for much else. Someone with a month's worth of defense lessons under his belt, leading a group that was guaranteed to see battle? That was laughable. Perhaps someone else with more experience would take the leadership once things got rolling.

Comments

Aeron's Flat

[edhwierfan]

[Once the patrol members started trickling in, it became obvious that Aeron had been busy with preparations for that night. There were a few weapons laid out on the table, and a box on the floor that carried even more.]

[acequeen]

Regina arrives ten minutes earlier than scheduled, a habit carried over from when she used to attend high school and clandestine gang meetings. Once her amber eyes gaze upon the array of weapons on the table, nothing but sheer awe at that, a question quickly forms in her mind as she paces a little.

... Should she get a semi-automatic pistol or a revolver? A part of her wishes for a machine gun, but it depends on how incognito this first patrol is going to be. Then she begins thinking about the people involved, the potential for danger lurking right above their heads, and she suddenly feels like she had swallowed tons of sharp needles. There is no way in hell they'll leave without any potential scratches, bruises, or gunshot wounds obtained. It'll happen regardless, and that's the risk she's going to take.

'There will be blood,' Regina thinks ruefully to herself, frowning as she picks up a pistol with both hands, sensing the weight of the metal onto her palms (such a familiar sensation), then grips on to the handle firmly.

"That's an impressive amount you got there," she says casually, reaching for a nearby cartridge to load the chosen weapon with a thoughtful expression. "With this, we'll be ready for sure."

[15minuteslate]

"Man..." Mamoru says, looking at the weapons pile. "I guess I've got to take something, but I've never used any of these before."

Going out unarmed seemed like a really bad idea, but so was carrying a gun he hadn't been trained to use. A knife, maybe...?

[acequeen]

Just as Regina is done loading her weapon and making sure the safety is on, she spots Mamoru in the corner of her eye, remembering him as that martial arts teacher from the secret self-defense class at church. She didn't really get to converse with him much, but now is as good a time as any, she supposes, hence why she approaches him with careful steps.

"I remember you telling me how you don't know much about guns," she says with a headtilt, flicking her gaze over to the weapons then back at him. "Maybe you could use some of these."

And here is where Regina points over to where the brass knuckles are located, including a small array of sharp objects and batons next to them. She's aware that not everyone would be comfortable with, much less know about firearms like she does.

[15minuteslate]

Mamoru eyes the knives and batons and brass knuckles warily. "Man...makes me feel like I'm in a gang," he says under his breath.

He takes a knife, though, because it could be useful, and a set of the brass knuckles, trying them on.

Is this what my life is now? he wonders.

[acequeen]

Straining her ears to hear the remark, Regina quirks an eyebrow with a slightly pursed lip, then lets out a faintly amused snort.

"Try being in an actual gang," she comments idly, a faint smirk forming on her lips before it fades away. "This seems like child's play compared to that."

Ah, this brings back memories. Not so good ones at that, but they are there in her head all the same.

[edhwierfan]

Aeron re-enters the room just in time to catch the little exchange, and it gives him pause. It's true, he's always wondered what exactly makes the numbers people so special, and he wonders if combat experience is one of them. It would make sense, and yet, there are people like him and Emery being chosen for the cause. There were people like Emery, Aeron corrects himself irritably.

"The two of you have first hand knowledge of gangs?" Aeron carefully screens any kind of judgment from his expression. They're all working together here, there's no point in offending any of them unintentionally.

[acequeen]

The question causes Regina to jump a little, but she quickly gains her composure as she casts a neutral glance at Aeron, putting the gun away once the safety is firmly turned on. The last thing she wants is an accident to happen just when the patrol is united for one common cause.

At any rate, it's only a matter of time when her previous involvement with gangs comes to light, much to her chagrin, and she forms a frown on her lips along with a curt nod of her head.

"Can't speak for this guy here obviously," she cants her head at Mamoru's direction, idly tucking a strand of red hair with a pensive expression. "But I do know a few things about them. They're not exactly the kind you'd shake your hands with and invite them over for tea."

All said with a light snort and a wry look, courtesy of one Regina Akamine. If she keeps it short and simple without giving everything else away, making sure she appears calm, it'd be okay, right?

The Patrol

[edhwierfan]

[A little ways into their patrol, with no sign of the vermedi swarms they are scouting for, the group will hear the sounds of a scuffle. This is the sight that greeted them: a handful of people surrounding a vermedi, fighting it, and capturing it once it's subdued.

A good look at them shows that they are wearing plainclothes, built strong, have discipline, and wear their hair in military-style regulation cuts. Who could they be...?]

[15minuteslate]

[Mamoru's crouching under cover, staring wide-eyed.]

What -- what're they doing? Are they Numbers Club?

[depolarized]

Doubt it. They wouldn't keep this quiet. [Riku's similarly positioned, darting looks and keeping his hoodie up to hide his hair.]

[15minuteslate]

Plainclothes police, then? I thought they were working with those creatures, not against them. Why are they fighting it?

[depolarized]

Or military under cover, with those haircuts. Private army, maybe.

[edhwierfan]

[Aeron listens to Mamoru and Riku's whispered conversation with half an ear, the rest of his attention on the group fighting the vermedi.]

Looks like they're taking it somewhere.

[He adjusts his hood as well, eyes narrowed as the group of men struggle with the creature and lift it into their transport.]

Maybe they're...from another group? They were trying to subdue the thing, not kill it. Could be they want a closer look at them, as well.

The Old Jail

[edhwierfan]

[So this is where their targets are headed. The taser-armed guards outside are the first clue that something suspicious is going on...

And that's before they even reach the cells inside.]

[depolarized]

Why catch them and put guards on the outside? [Shouldn't they be inside if they were just planning on keeping them in, like a pound? Riku leans against the wall of the nearby building, looking around at the surrounding rooftops near the building. A forward approach to the guards might not be advisable, if they call for reinforcements.]

Anyone have any ideas? I can get on the roof; maybe get the drop on them if I'm lucky.

[acequeen]

My guess is, they don't want anyone snooping in on what they're guarding.

[It's plainly obvious to Regina, otherwise why would there be any guards standing outside instead of inside? Almost as if they're expecting people to just waltz in their presence... Either way she stands behind Riku, flicking her gaze over at him as she loads a new cartridge into her pistol.]

Looks to me like someone has to lure them out of their posts — a distraction.

[Then her eyes widen slightly at Riku's suggestion, a flicker of alarm that lasts momentarily as she frowns. Safety is important to this mission, after all.]

How? Through parkour with some rope?

[depolarized]

Exactly. [Riku nods in agreement. Sadly, he's used to not really caring about his safety so much.]

Close; no rope. I got something that... helps me climb things. It boosts me as long as I have something to work off on.

[acequeen]

[Well, color Regina intrigued. She quirks an eyebrow at the response, pondering as to what the heck Riku is doing.]

Oh? If it's not a rope, then what exactly are you going to use?

[depolarized]

Nothing. [He backs off a bit then plants a foot against the wall of a nearby building away from the guards and kicks off it. His body glows, gently, and the force carries him up, ignoring the laws of physics as he rose a good few feet up more than he should, before he started to fall again. He twisted his body, the weightlessnes lasting just long enough for him to land lightly back down on the ground, glow starting to fade.]

Working on it. [The glow is the most frustrating thing about it.] But if I keep it up and use corners, I can get up a building.

[acequeen]

— Whoa!

[... Did he just float and glow? This immediately evokes a gasp causes her to gape at the sight, almost as if she couldn't believe it herself. It's one thing for a stranger to obtain special magic, but for someone she'd known in the past it's completely different. Taking some steps back, Regina attempts to push back the shock, easing into mild surprise once Riku comes back to the ground.]

You really weren't kidding about going ropeless! [She makes sure to lower her voice because going incognito requires it.] That'd sure come in handy. So, think you can handle it going all the way there?

mind if I drop in?

[15minuteslate]

I'll go with you. I think I can get up there, too, using that thing I can do. There's only two guards -- if we each take one and are quiet about it, I bet we could get in.

...you don't think they have any security cameras, do you? I mean, this is a pretty secret operation, and I bet they wouldn't want to have records of any of those Cousin Its lying around.

[There's at least one discreet security camera visible, attached to the jail wall, pointed at the entrance to the building.]

The more th' merrier~ describing just takes me a bit.

[depolarized]

I've done longer routes.

[Riku nods at Mamoru and takes a look around.] There's at least one. Can anyone... do anything about that? Maybe we can lure the guards out and get the drop on them out of range of the camera.

[acequeen]

[As if on cue, right at the mention of security cameras, there's a faint click of the gun as Regina lifts the weapon, fingers right against the safety. A smirk slowly makes its way across her lips.]

I'll take care of the camera while you two distract the guards. There should be enough leeway that I can shoot it at a safe distance.

[depolarized]

Better make it count. [Riku nods at Mamoru.] I'll go up first; taking the one in black.

[He backs up a bit and runs at the corner of the alley this time, kicking off the brick until his hands reached the rim of the building's rooftop and letting the glow fade before he pulls himself the rest of the way up.]

The Cafeteria

[edhwierfan]

[Say, is that the sound of a machine running you hear? Maybe it's time to go investigate...]