Those With Power

[Victory]

Énna left the library feeling larger than life. He was only a few steps away from finding the heroes. His mind darkened for a second as he thought about it. Would he kill them if they proved to be formidable foes? What was he really hoping for? Did he want them to be powerful and challenging, only to kill them, or did he want them to be no threat whatsoever? For a second he honestly did not know the answer and yet his smile returned to him. Today was going to be a good day!

[Mattbot]

(Woah woah woah Vic, hold up. Angel only contacted the guys back at the guard post, he assumed Felix was still out on other business and didn't contact him.)

[Victory]

(Ah yes, I forgot; edited my post - sorry about that.)

[kronosdragon]

(@KT - If someone shows up in the hangar, that's up to them, but Arlaen would most likely not notice them. She tends to zone out when working on something.)

[sgt_Angua]

Gish heard Angel on her headset just as she finished treating Felix.

“Can you drive?” Gish asked Felix. She had realized after the last mission that she was likely the most noticeable, recognizable, and identifiable member of the team, not to mention the most easily tracked in her slow and uncommon float-chair.

Gish could only hope that her oversight wouldn’t cause the team trouble, and had no desire to repeat her mistake. She had seen a van in the garage that would fit her float-chair, although she could not drive teran cars.

(Gish is unaware that Felix didn't get Angel's message.)

[Thunder]

Thorsten spent about two seconds reading the message before he was out the door and running towards the hanger.

(FINALLY)

[Mattbot]

Although the area outside would be silent to most people, Angels alcohol enhanced ears were able to pick up the ever closing footsteps nearing the door. Without fully thinking about it, Salvador grabbed a large finely crafted wooden wardrobe and hefted it over onto the floor, the large bulk of oak slid against the door, reinforcing it against the upcoming assault. Not only did the crash of the furniture draw attention to the Chilean mercs and nearby occupants but it also woke the large form in the bed.

The two scantily dressed women in the bed immediately cowered back beneath the bed quilts when they saw the costumed figure looming over the door whereas the larger man appeared much less surprised, almost as if he had been expecting visitors of this sort to show up at the end of his bed. “What in blazes are you doing-” A wave of shots burst through the wardrobe in front of Angel, splinters of wood ricocheted off the furniture behind him as the walls were tore apart. Pieces of Salvador’s coat were punctured with small bullet holes as he dived to the side of the entrance. “Get the hell outta here!” he yelled over the sound of splintering wood while pointing to the bathroom.

Once they were safely inside and had locked the door behind them, Angel yanked a large metal cylinder from one of his belts and twisted the top clean off. A large plume of smoke rose out of the top and quickly engulfed the entire room in darkness.

[kronosdragon]

Arlaen sped down the highway. Despite her injury, she was still able to balance near perfectly on her bike, weaving in and out of traffic. She slipped past a limousine, which suddenly started to speed up and come alongside her. One of the back windows rolled down, and a cigar-wielding hand emerged from the darkness within.

"Well now, hello there my dear."

Arlaen kept her eyes fixed on the road. She knew the voice, like some sort of sick joke repeated over and over again in the recesses of her mind. She turned off her headset and sped up, swerving in front of the limo and down the highway. She could hear the faint chuckling of the man as the limo sped up beside her once again.

"So, what are you doing in Hope?"

"I could ask the same of you, Dr. James."

"Well, you know, the usual. Just hunting you down. What's wrong with your leg?"

"Nothing. Just had a little accident with my bike."

"Oh? Your bike looks in pretty good shape to me."

"I repaired it, of course."

"Oh, right, I nearly forgot how adept you were at repairing things. I suppose to fixed your leg on your own as well, correct? Or...Are you being housed by someone with medical abilities."

"I fixed it on my own. It's not as hard to steal from a hospital than you might think."

"Okay...So, where are you staying?"

"I'm not stupid."

"Where are you going?"

"To your mother's house."

The man actually seemed to take offense to that, scowling at her as she sped away and turned her headset on.

"Guys, I may be a bit late. I need to take a detour. I'm being tailed."

[Thunder]

Thorsten hurried towards the hangar, trying to remember where he'd left the civic keys. He began to wonder if he really needed quite as many suits as he pushed open the double doors and strode towards a Porsche Boxter. He was also absent-mindedly thinking of getting Kevlar sewn into his jackets.

***

Half an hour later (or thereabouts), he knocked off the headlights and slowed down so as not to alert any of Angel's new friends. He got out and jogged the last couple of hundred metres to the back of the building, as the front door was almost surely not an option. Again.

He threw on his glasses and earpiece before ringing Angel, hoping his phone was on silent.

[Wadling]

"Uhhh, yeah" Felix shrugged "I can do pretty much everything. Did I mention I disarmed a bomb this morning?"

[sgt_Angua]

Gish suddenly remembered that Felix had lost his PDA, and could not have received the message.

“Angel just called,” Gish said, and repeated the information Angel had given her and most of the rest of the group. “My float-chair is clearly too slow, and it would be much faster if you could drive me and my float-chair in one of the vans in the garage.”

[Wadling]

Felix's face lit up, standing up and quickly putting his clothes back on he turned to Gish "Two missions in one morning, sounds like a blast. Let's get going! A van, so many ways to make a dramatic entry."

Without waiting, Felix hurried off to the garage.

[sgt_Angua]

Gish caught up with Felix outside of the elevator. During the elevator ride he continually asked her for more details about exactly what Angel had said, and Gish answered his questions as best she could. The only pause in the conversation came when they reached the van.

[Varthonai]

"Doctor," said a voice at the door. "Package for you."

Marc sighed, unfolded his legs, and pulled on a mauve-trimmed black bathrobe that lay across his bed.

"Many thanks, Monsieur Dravid," Marc said as he opened the door and took the package from the brown-skinned master of the house. "I must leave soon. I apologize again that I was unable to come to dinner with you and your lovely wife last night."

"We were honored to host you at all, Doctor," said Mr. Dravid, bowing. "We are eternally in your debt for taking us in. No other place in this city is suitable for starting a family, much less for raising children."

"Please give my compliments to your wife again for the food," nodded Marc, slowly pulling the door shut again. "Breakfast was just as delicious as dinner."

Marc tore open the package. As he had expected, it was one of Thorsten's PDAs; this would make things decidedly more convenient. He read Angel's text quickly and nearly dropped the PDA in shock--their leader had actually gone off on a mission alone, without telling any of them until the situation had already become an emergency? Marc could understand this sort of behavior from Felix, but from Angel... a better example needed to be set for the team, dammit.

A bat clinging to the ceiling of the Guardians' headquarters' garage sounded a sudden alert, tickling the back of Marc's consciousness. Movement. Engines starting. A small mouse that clung desperately to the Wanderer's motorcycle was moving towards Angel's position, as well. The other Guardians were rapidly leaving the base.

Marc switched the PDA to speak to all the Guardians' channels. "Bonjour, mes amis," he said, his speech deep and smooth. "You may not recognize my voice, but I'm sure you all recognize my manner of speaking... I am staying in the base. Felix has let his PDA fall into enemy hands, and we could be attacked at any moment."

[Wadling]

He opened the sliding side door of the white van and turned to Gish, beckoning. He put on a deep, gruff voice and said "Hey, get in my van. I've got candy."

[sgt_Angua]

Gish heard Marc’s message and hesitated for only a moment. She could contribute more with Angel, where there were likely to be injuries, than fighting with Marc against an attack they weren’t sure was going to happen.

Gish moved to the back of the van.

“I need your help securing my float-chair,” Gish said to Felix.

[Aval]

So we are then.

"Do you ever wonder what it says about you if you speak with biting sarcasm in your head?"

Villa didn't look like she knew.

"So what are these Corners Curvydoors people? Surley curvy doors would not have corners."

[Killing_Time]

(This’ll be a catch-up post so I’m going to run through some events that have already passed, hopefully placing them in a sensible timeline. If not, do complain.)

“The Cuemos Curvados,” Villa corrected him while swiftly removing the orange clip from a handgun, “Are paid, Chilean muscle force. The kind of people you don’t want to meet.” Villa had never met by these guys but she had heard the stories from the unfortunate souls who had, and were lucky enough to survive.

She looked up. “We better hurry off.” The cityscape vanished and left them in the training area once again.
Loading the handgun with real bullets set off a recorded voice dryly warning that a weapon now contained live rounds. “Seems like this’ll work,” she said and handed Ryan the gun.

**

After a quick paced walk from the elevator and down the corridors the pair found themselves in the hangar.
Villa took note that some of the other Guardians had already arrived, especially noting the wheelchair-bound girl and the alien woman, and not quite remembering their names.
Ian Thorsten had also arrived but was already on his way out.

“I wonder if they got any spare cars here – Can you drive?” Villa had already concluded that their destination was simply too far away. She may have been able to get there before traffic would let a car pass through, but such a long, fatiguing distance could be dangerous once she arrived.
“Uh, sure, I didn’t bring my license though.” Villa approached one of the mechanics working there. “Good enough,” she replied at Ryan.
“We would be in need of a spare car,” she said and the mechanic nodded, walked over to one of the garage doors, pushed a button and revealed a silver-colored car, its shape not unlike cars Villa had seen doing racing laps at night in Hope. She smiled and turned back to Ryan.
“Can you drive fast cars?”

Villa had felt pumped up for this. She had missed some fresh, smog-filled air but her mood was suddenly crushed as a voice message came through her PDA. "Bonjour, mes amis," a voice she had not hears before said. "You may not recognize my voice, but I'm sure you all recognize my manner of speaking...”
Ah, the French guy.
“I am staying in the base. Felix has let his PDA fall into enemy hands, and we could be attacked at any moment."
It hit her like a hammer. keep your cool. Her smile stiffened and her eyes widened slightly. What did he mean by enemy hands? Authorities? Anyone who would find out who she was and use it against her?

“Let’s just go.”

[kronosdragon]

Arlaen weaved through cars she believed wouldn't be able to give enough room for a limo to pass through. Semi trucks, narrow spaces, anything to gain distance. If this were an open road, she'd have no problem getting away on her speedy bike. She frowned as she concentrated on getting to her destination, when a French voice came on in her headset. As the news of Angel's PDA being captured filtered through the speaker, she couldn't help but growl and open the gas a little more in an effort to get there faster.

"GPS, find alternate route."

With pleasure, Wanderer.

As a different route glowed red on her map, she looked in her side mirror and discovered that her pursuer was nowhere to be seen.

[Wadling]

"Oh, right, yeah ok" Felix stepped forward to help Gish with her chair "So this is like your personal flying saucer, right?"

[Aval]

“Can you drive fast cars?”

No.

"Fuckyeah."

Ryan let a wry smirk twist over his lips as visceral glee at the prospect of driving something that fast, shiney and phallic flooded his mind.

He had no idea what kind of car it was, but after dragging his fingertips over the smooth body and climbing in to the interior laiden with lights and buttons he knew that it was his duty as a motorist to experience this to the full. Anything less would be an insult to the billions who didn't have this opportunity.

Once properly embedded in the leather upholstery, Ryan gunned up to the sound of the end of the world happening in a combustion engine. Villa climbed in next to him looking significantly less pleased with the state of the world than him. She slammed the door shut.

"Let's just go."

"Avec pleasure."

The monster flew out of the hangar and into the daylight. Ryan turned on the radio and grinned at the skin-tight-catsuit-clad skinny blonde next to him.

My god. I'm living in a hip hop video.

[Mattbot]

After what seemed like several days the makeshift barricade Angel had hastily set up was overcome and thee of the heavily clad mercenaries stormed into the room scanning through the thickening smoke with their firearms. Angel lay comfortably overhead behind the finely patterned panels which lined the ceiling, silently listening from above. As he heard the three figures footsteps trail off towards the still open window, Angel gently removed a panel from beneath him and peered down the corridor outside the room.

His visor didn’t pick up any heat signatures and he decided to make his move. Angel dropped down to the splintered carpet as quietly as possible. The three men ahead of him failed to pick up on the small thud and clink of one of his guns knocking against another. He hastily rose to his feet and began slinking through the smokescreen towards his targets drawing both pistols in a fluid motion and taking aim.

The first of them went down without much fuss, three hard hitting rounds into his back. The stealth armor flickered and glitched around where the darts had pierced the suit revealing its dark checkered pattern. The other two wheeled around immediately after their comrades body hit the floor. Noticing the approaching danger, Angel flung himself to the side of the room, the previously occupied space was riddled with bullets. Before landing on the ground he slung a quick burst into another of the mercenaries sending his body spiraling back into his buddy.

The last man pushed his unconscious mate aside and drew out a small throwing knife. On the other side of the room Angel had just rolled across the floor, up onto his feet and was now sprinting towards him shotgun in hand. The man picked up Angels body heat and rapidly launched the blade at him through the dying smoke. Salvador’s heart was racing now, he’ll make these bastards pay for what they’d done in Pablillo, a faint whooshing noise ahead caught his attention and he realized that his visor had failed to pick up the dull knife spinning towards his head.

As fast as he could move, Angel lunged his head back and out of what he hoped was the projectiles path. As he did so the sound heightened and a small stinging sensation burnt his cheek, the sound died back down and ended with a sharp clanging noise as he assumed it hit wall. A hardened helmet collided with the side of his head and he toppled over, the mercenary followed him down snatching up Angels scarf and un sheathing his corvo knife. The Cuemos Curvados slammed his blade down towards his face but was stopped dead in the air by Angels right hand, the weapon stood frozen in place as the two men struggled neither giving up ground. To Angels luck the man was of a similar build to himself and wasn’t as large as his friends, nonetheless this guy was tough, using his free hand Angel snatched his shotgun from its holster on his chest and pointed it towards his assailants stomach.

The dozens of mini tranquilizers began chewing through the mercs armor, although most of the pellets failed to push their way through and were lodged harmlessly in the suit, a few made their mark. Angel fired another shot for good measure and his opponent slowly fell unconscious besides him. As if on queue Ians voice echoed through his headset.

[sgt_Angua]

"So this is like your personal flying saucer, right?" Felix said

“It is shaped more like a bowl than a saucer, but I suppose you could call it that,” Gish said.

They secured the float-chair in the back of the van without too much difficulty. Gish got in the passengers seat, which was uncomfortable because it didn’t offer quite enough legroom for her.

(I'm not sure if this came across in the post, but Gish doesn't know what Felix meant by 'flying saucer.' She assumed he meant something that was saucer-shaped and flies, but doesn't know the phrase was directly related to aliens.)

[Thunder]

Thorsten was about to give up and wander in anyway until he noticed that Angel was actually on the other end, and that he had apparently shot someone twice. Since picking up.

"Well it's about time. What's the story in there, am I gonna have to lose the tie or are you already finished?"

[Wadling]

Felix turned to Gish, and then looked up.

"Bloody hell, just how tall are you?" He shook his head and started the car, driving down the ramp and pulling out onto the road. He reached for his PDA... "Oh right, I don't actually know where we're going. Uhhh, I don't suppose you could navigate for me, could you?"