Participants:
| Scene Title | Bound By Blood III |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | At a blood drive outside St. John's, some people try to stop a theft of blood, and save others from getting hurt. |
| Date | June 24, 2010 |
Morningside Heights was and is still known for its high density of educational institutions. Most of the neighborhood is owned by Columbia University; the rest is shared with Barnard College, the Manhattan School of Music, the Teachers College, Columbia Greenhouse nursery school, and a variety of religious seminaries.
In addition to places like the Cathedral of St. John the Divine and Morningside Park, the neighborhood boasts a variety of restaurants and clubs, excellent bookstores, and Mondel Chocolates, selling handmade chocolate candies even today.
Before the bomb, Morningside Heights was dominated by students. That is still the case today, but their majority is now far smaller — with Morningside being one of the neighborhoods least affected by the explosion, it has become a very popular place to live. Housing is extremely expensive, but people are willing to pay through the nose for a place they know is safe and sound — at least in structural terms. Population density is high; like everywhere else in the city, so is crime, although Morningside's biggest problems are theft and embezzlement. Along with the consequences of college parties and/or pranks.
St. Johns plays host to a great many events through the year from food drives, their meals passed out to the homeless in the basement, sheltering the residents of the city when the storm worsened and made day to day life uninhabitable and packing the pews with people. The step shave often been crossed by parishioner and penitent alike. They've been privy to hosting the vaccination against the H1N1 vaccine and have long since showed a healthy and interactive relationship with the community and the city that they have been in since longer than most can remember.
Today, the New York Blood Services has camped up in the front, their advertised mobile blood drive to help restock the dwindling supplies of New York's demand. With stored blood only viable 42 days, and the population, the increase in crime leaves a heavy demand that must be filled by generous volunteers. A small line outside the three large RV's, cheerful visages painted on the side of people doing their duty to community, people come in and out, corner of their elbows taped with cotton and bottles of OJ in hand.
New Yorkers helping out New Yorkers. Workers man tents where people's pertinent information is taken down, determining qualification for giving blood, hands offered up to endure a prick of finger to determine blood type. Other people just mill, tourists and residents alike that go along on their business, heading out for lunch on their breaks.
And Monica Dawson is in line to donate, as she's always one to help out and advocates the idea of everyday heroes and such like. In a pair of track shorts and a tank top with a little jacket to match over it. But the jacket is hanging over her arm just now, in preparation for getting stabbed and drained.
Blood drives aren't her beat, nor are they much news — if anyone is covering it for the Times, it will be a college intern at best. Maddie Hart has come on her off time to give her blood, something she does often enough as an O-negative blood type — universal donor. She sighs as she waits in line, a little weary due to the humidity and heat. Her blonde curls are up in a ponytail, but they stick to the nape of her neck and she fans herself with one of the pamphlets they give you while you wait — don't donate if, yada yada yada. "It seems ungrateful to complain about the heat after that winter, doesn't it?" she says conversationally to Monica, her Aussie accent giving away that she is not a native New Yorker.
ORDER: It is now your pose.
Not bothering with a jacket today, Magnes is wearing a black t-shirt with white letters that say 'I Like Penguins', which hangs over his blue jeans. He's beginning to head to the back of the line, then spots Maddie and Monica, raising an eyebrow. "Ah, you're Monica!" Then, looking to Maddie, he rubs his chin slightly. "And don't I know you from somewhere?"
Brennan's weaving through chairs, plenty of nurses and helpers, doing their part too, but he's there in case someone takes a header and it's part of his volunteer work. Michelle is somewhere too, providing cool outdoor air conditioning to those who get closer to the tent and are having their blood collected under the more larger and closed off tent that helps to accomodate the increased traffic that the three mobile homes can't take. All in all, it's a nice day truly for such a thing and as the line inches forward, Monica crosses that line between summer swelter and amtokinetic air conditioning. Maddie will be next for the cool air.
"Weather seems to be one of those things we have a short memory about," Monica says, her own accent marking her New Orleans roots. She smiles crookedly there, "Which might be a shame, but I'm not sure anyone wants to remember the cold this year." Oh, and then there's a Magnes there. "Oh, hey there. …Magnes, right? Good to see you again. Here to give blood?" And Monica lets out a sigh as she crosses into that cool air, stretching a bit in the more comfortable weather.
The reporter smiles at the arrival of Magnes, who she recognizes from the shelter as well as Audrey Hanson's office. "Mister Varlane," she says with a nod. "I'm Maddie," she adds, to remind him of her name, and to nod to Monica. Normally New Yorkers aren't quite so friendly, but then at least two of the present aren't originally New Yorkers. "Oops. Says to be sure to be well hydrated. I think I've sweated out any water I've had in the past few hours. Too late to turn back now, I think. It'd look like I was wussing out, yeah?" A smile shows she's mostly kidding.
"Yeah, giving blood. And hello Maddie." Magnes offers a hand, looking around at the crowd of people. "I've never been sure, or really even looked into it, but is it really alright for Evolved to give blood?"
Someone at the front of the line is taken into the tent, tall, blonde, looking like his clothing have seen better days really, but there's all sorts of people, all different walks of life. Now Maddie's hit the invisible line between heat and AC, leaving just Magnes. A police car slow drives by, a whoop whoop of it's sirens to let a jay walker know that what he just did was unacceptable. Overhead a news chopper hovers, taking in the scene below, likely filming it.
:whump: There's a thud against Maddie's leg as a beaming adoring four year old looks up at her, arms wrapped around her leg. "Hey blonde lady" A glance to the people to either side of Maddie and a flash of dimpled smile, brown haired pig tails, purple shiny dragon wedged under arm and pinned to her leg. Someone that Maddie is familiar with, way back when a school roof collapsed and did much the same kind of clinging but with considerably more negative emotions. "Tee vee guy!" One hand releasing Maddie's leg to point to magnes.
"Well, nice to meet you, Maddie," Monica says, shifting her jacket from hand to hand to offer hers to the other woman for a shake. "Monica, like he said. And yeah, I feel supremely dumb for not thinking to bring some bottled water along. I'll be paying for that later." At least there's juice! After the donation. She laughs as Maddie goes on, nodding her head, "There would be whispers all over about the blonde who just couldn't handle giving blood. I know, I'd start them." She offers a little wink, to show she's kidding. She blinks at Magnes' question, a hand going to her hip as they cock out to one side. "Why wouldn't it be alright?"
There is a brow lift at the distinct change in temperature, and then she glances down at the child hugging her leg. "Heyyy," she tells the little girl, bending down to smile at the child she was temporarily trapped with. "How are you? Your mom or dad around?" she asks, looking around for someone the child likely belongs to. At least here, there will be no roof collapse. She grins up at Monica's quip. "Yeah, I'd be just ruinin' Aussies' reputations as fierce criminals, right?" To Magnes, she nods. "It's just a gene, right? I mean, should I not give blood because I'm left handed?"
"Yeah, I guess so. Genetics isn't one of those things I'm a super brain about." Magnes smiles down at the girl, giving a slight wave. He has no idea how to react to that, it's bound he'd be recognized eventually. "I could run over to a store and grab some drinks, if you guys want?"
"Mommy's working. Icky needles. I don't like" Horror or horror's on the young girls face, and soon a second joins the fray, thumping into Monica's thigh as the first abandons maddie to flop around Magnes's leg and hold tight, looking up at adoringly. "Hi" She says again, batting her blue eyes. "Hi, I'm Genevieve" She flashes a mouth full of teeth, bottom two gone. "This is squirt" The purple dragon thrust way up, even as Brennan is making his way to where he see's his daughters pestering people.
"Hey! Sir! Sit down. You need to sit down so we ca- Beverly! He's got a gun!" Comes from in the tent, one of the scrubs wearing women escorting people in and out, blue gloves on her hands is backing out of the tent, hands up.
"Give me the blood, All of it. Where is it?" A masculine voice heard from inside.
Monica laughs at Maddie's reply and is just about to respond when she suddenly as a limpet on her. Looking down, she smiles at the second little girl. "Hi there, sweetie." But! No time for playing around as there's suddenly stuff going on, of the criminal variety. "You have got to be kidding me." Peeling the little girl off her, she passes her over to Magnes, given that she doesn't actually know about his superheroing alterego yet, she says, "Look after the kids." Her jacket is dropped before she runs over that way. Yes, toward the gunman. And why? Well, to deliver a kick to his hand with the hopes of knocking the gun out of it. No one ask how this young woman has had enough training to be able to pull that off. She's very dedicated.
"Are you bloody kidding me," Maddie grumbles, even as she swiftly crouches down to take a hold of both little girls' hands, drawing them close as she stares after Monica. Trouble just seems to follow Maddie around — roof collapses, polar bears, and now a gunman? "Stay with me unless your mom or dad comes to get you," she tells the two children, looking for somewhere safe to hide behind.
Magnes almost says something, then Maddie takes the girls, and he nods. "You watch them." And he's running after Monica. "Wait!" he calls out to her, aware of the last time he went to try and, well, do something, but she might have gotten lucky the last two times! "Let me help you!"
Brennan's moving towards the tent in as fast a pace as Monica, gently pulling people back and away from the tent in a calm tone, the hope to keep people from panicking, even as a few more other volunteer's are exiting from the tent not to mention some people who were donating blood. Mass exodus in place, as the threat of a gun is a pretty valid one these days in New York, just not usually something that you hear of at a blood drive.
The two girls cling, though one to Maddie and Genevieve clings to Magnes, Maddie's attempt to take her is hampered and as is his ability to run after Monica. She grabs handfuls of his shirt, climbing him almost as if he were a mountain and wrapping her arms around him.
Monica's not too long into the fray, and a glance to insidein the gaps of when people exit and the doorway is empty shows the blonde man who was escorted in not long ago, stuffing bags of freshly drawn plasma into a black backpack with one hand, the other with his gun held out, pointed towards the doorway and people inside the tent still.
Shoving the helper out of the way, Monica skids into place in front of the gunman. Hey, she's been shot before. It wasn't all that bad. >.> <.< Right. "Hey! Hey, no need for guns here, right? You'll get your blood, just… put that away."
Maddie tries to grab Genevieve as the little girl climbs up Magnes, who's already darting off toward the tent. "No, wait!" she calls, but picks up Dessendra so that she doesn't run after her sister. "Don't you go running off on me, too," she tells the girl, moving away from the entrance to the tent and toward one of the RVs to use as shelter.
"Oh crap!" Magnes exclaims, quickly keeping the girl attached to his back with gravity, then he's running back to Maddie. "Are you alright, Genevieve? You have to stay with the nice lady so I make sure people are safe." he explains as he continues to run, keeping her gently cling to his back.
'No! I'm staying with you!" Sudden fear in the little girls voice. One's that Magnes recognizes from the incident outside the diner, the penguins and Adam with his hunting rifle. "Don't go!" One arm wrapping around his neck and holding tight despite the gravity that assures she'll remain stuck to him.
Dessanda clings to Maddie as people start to hear through word of mouth what's happening and scatter like cockroaches after the light has been flicked on. Phones out as 9-1-1 is called. Michelle emerges from one of the RV's, looking around with a panicked face, part of her soothed by the sight of Maddie with her daughter, then with magnes, Genevieve clinging. "This way, come, come" French accent thick with fear. "They say there's a gunman" hoping it isn't true as she holds her arms out to maddie to deliver one child to her.
Inside the tent, the gun has been trained squarely on Monica, finger curled around the trigger but not pulling it yet. 'back the fuck off. I just want the blood. Stay there, don't come any closer, do you hear me?" Even as his words, focus on Monica brings with it a wave of dizziness and weakness. Not only to her, but to those behind her as well.
"I'm not moving," Monica says, her hands lifting up in a placating fashion, "I just want you to put the gun down. There's a lot of people here, kids and everything-" That wave hits her mid-sentence, and her eyes close for a moment as she tips forward a little, just barely catching herself. But it does force her to place a steadying foot in front of her. "…Stealing is one thing, adding assault with a deadly weapon is another. Just… put the gun away." She shakes her head, trying to stay focused.
Maddie recognizes Michelle from the shelter, and she gives a shake of her head. "Trouble follows either you or me or both of us," she says, handing Dessandra up to her mother, then reaching for Genevieve as Magnes comes back to them to act as the intermediary between them. "Look, it's your mom, right? Come on sweetie. He's going to go help stop the bad man," she tells the child in her Aussie accent, before aqua eyes rise to meet Magnes. "Be careful."
"Yeah, I'm gonna make sure everyone is safe, you'll be fine, Genevieve, I promise." Magnes bends down slightly so Maddie can have an easier time taking the girl, removing his gravity attachment to her. "God, Monica's crazy, but she must be doing something right if I haven't heard a gun shot…"
A gun barks in the tent.
Magnes may come to regret his words as the sound comes from the tent, barely muffled by the white plastic walls and it's a sound both girls know full well and is still fresh in their minds which incites panic as they dart into the RV proper, magnes's words unheeded by them as fresh tears start to fall and they scream for their parents. Brennan makes his way into the tent at the sound, worried that now there might be someone hurt, shot, or worse, dead.
But there isn't. Monica's step forward to steady herself was taken as a threat and the gun went off, but never hit the woman. There's a new hole in the tent, and in one of the other RV's, a bullet has embedded into the side. "I said back off!" ANother wave of nauseau, dizziness and even some chest paint hitting Monica, the latter for Brennan.
Monica doesn't jump at the gunshot, but she does dodge to the side (slower than usual, but hey), her heart stopping for a moment. But, as she refocuses on the man, one hand comes to clutch her chest as she hunches over, her other stays lifted. "I'm not trying to stop you," she says, her voice sounded strained, "I just don't want anyone… to get hurt…"
Taking Genevieve, Maddie passes her into her mother as well, and then slips into the RV behind them. "Someone's called 9-1-1 I expect?" she asks, panting a little from the exertion of lugging children and her heart pounding from fear. She flinches at the sound of the gun, glancing over her shoulder with worry in her eyes, even as she drops to her knees to get beneath the window line.
Magnes immediately starts running when Genevieve is taken, and leaps into the air so he lightly lands on top of the tent. He reaches into his pocket, pulling out a sharp metallic batarang prop, trying to cut a small hole open to see what's going on down in the tent, so he can determine how to act with as little noise as possible.
The blonde is done, got what he needed and is striding away from Monica and Brennan who has come to stand behind the dark skinned woman, trying to get a hand on her shoulder and bring her away from him, cramps starting to overtake him like they are the other woman. Even magnes feels it atop the tent, the wave of nauseau, dizzines that's strong enough to make him stop what he's doing, leaving him with only a sliver in the tent and the movement of others below. Towards a back panel in the tent that is open to let breeze in and keep air circulating, he's making a run for it.
Inside the RV, Michelle gathers the girls with them, another woman from in the back crawling forward to help, even as the french woman shares a look with Maddie. "I hope so, because my phone is with Doctor Brennan"
Monica isn't hard to lead away at this point, considering, but when she catches the blonde just walking away… she gestures up to Magnes. She doesn't /look/ at him, but two fingers seem to be subtly ushering him /that a way/. Or, really, whoever might be watching.
"I have mine," Maddie says, crouching by the door of the RV, pulling her cell phone from her pocket and calling 9-1-1. When the dispatcher answers on the other end, she breathlessly gives the information and the address, then hangs up, sliding the phone back into her jeans. "No good deed goes unpunished… why the hell is someone holding up a blood bank…" Though of course, as soon as she says it, her aqua eyes get wide. "Oh, it's those people…" she didn't handle the story herself, but the connection between the past incidents and the gunman is finally made.
Magnes groans, not dealing very well with nausea up there on the roof. The lack of concentration causes him to lose control, and he suddenly falls through the weakened fabric of the tent, narrowly catching himself as he lands on his feet, then falls to his knees with the batarang still in his hand. He's groaning and watching as the guy makes his escape, and tries to make one last ditch effort to stop him. He tosses the batarang, slightly gravity enhanced and pushed by gravity at the same time. He's no good at throwing, but he tries to at least guide it as best he can before releasing it from his field.
Godspeed, Batarang.
Score. Barely.
there's a grunt, teh gravity enhanced thing that Magnes throws in his desperate attempt to try and stop Jacob partially succeeds. Digging into flesh, it lodges there. A hand goes to his side, holding onto the wedged weapon but heads out of the tent, as fast as he possibly can and disappearing from sight, leaving others in the ten and around it, on their knee's with varying symptoms even as there's the sound of police sirens drawing near.
In the RV, reclining chairs, glass fronted coolers storing the sucked out blood of donors, the quartet of females hover, waiting to know whether it's safe to come out, or whether to remain down. Genevieve clings to her mother, Dessandra has her arms latched around maddie's ankle. Outside of it, outside of the tent, Brennan helps support Monica, moving low and fast as possible from the tent. "Are you okay? Did he shoot you?"
"No no," Monica says, although she sounds like she's in pain, "He missed. He didn't hit anyone else, did he?" She leans on Brennan as they make their way around, though. "I feel… weird, though."
Magnes watches as the man runs off with his batarang. That was an accurate replica! He starts to stand to go after the man, then stumbles back, starting to head back from the tent, and as soon as he steps outside, he falls forward, just floating there in unconsciousness for everyone to see.
"You aren't the only one" Brennan answers her back, looking over his shoulders, seeing the floating Magnes who promptly drops to the ground when Brennan lays eyes on him, with a crunch. There goes his nose. "Shit" But they're at the door to the RV and he looks away to knock on the door. "Michelle, take this woman, she needs help. I think I just broke someone's nose!" Brennan self chides, even as Michelle is easing away from the girls and Maddie, to open the door a crack and start to help Monica in.
Magnes starts to float again, when Brennan looks away, the doctor hurrying back to make a grab for him and drag him back too as cops start to filter into the site, guns drawn. The blood bandit has struck again it seems but somewhere, a couple blocks away, laying on the ground and coated in red, is Magnes's batarang.