Flophouse Blues

Participants:

elisabeth_icon.gif gavyn_icon.gif kaitlyn2_icon.gif

Scene Title Flophouse Blues
Synopsis Three of FRONTLINE's ladies find resistance at a flophouse.
Date December 04, 2010

Red Hook


Dispatch, send backup! Units under Evo fire. Jesus Christ! Get FRONTLINE out here!! Officers down!!

The call went out some 20 minutes ago, and a team was dispatched from Red Hook immediately. Although much of Elisabeth's own job is supposed to be paperwork, she is a far more hands-on leader than Kershner was in terms of being on-scene regularly. The blonde is bitching a blue streak under her breath about fucking DHS and always pushing ahead without proper fucking backup for the cops on the street and such things. Suited up with two other members of her team, Liz's helmet has been repaired for her — not that it is of any damn use to her in the state her power is in right now.

As their personnel carrier arrives on the scene, it becomes evident almost immediately why they were called in. Eight black-and-whites are on the scene, lights strobing incessantly blue and red on the fronts of all the surrounding buildings. Three unmarked cars that are clearly of Federal origin also litter the area like so many children's toys, overturned and one of them burning. Cops are triaging their own members as best they can behind cars. The scene is chaos.

As the three women disembark their transport, all the windows on the third floor of the building explode outward onto the street. Glass doesn't just rain down, it flies at high velocity toward the ground, causing bloody injuries in anyone unlucky enough to not be under cover. A voice booms through a bullhorn from the same area, "Get the fuck back! I've got two cops up here that I'm gonna smash into so much chunky pulp if you send another wave in here, you stupid fuckers! Get back!"

Just like she said she would, Gavyn answered the call. She put on the suit again and, unquestioningly, left. Granted, she spent the transport there in silence, face hidden behind the black mask of her helmet. The only thing that might give away any sense of what she was feeling could be a slightly elevated heart rate.

Still, keeping with an outward calm, Gavyn follows behind Elisabeth. The butt of her rifle is seated into her shoulder as she takes in the scene, flinching reactionally to the explosion.

The hiss of irritation escapes one of the suited figures, sounding odd through the communication. It's not the glass bounces off her armor that causes the sound, but the explosion of injuries around her that has the ex-cop stiffening up. As unprotected people are peppered with glass it registers with her ability. Discomfort and an itchiness, like a "Son of a bitch…" Kaitlyn Dooley growls out, as she fights that overwhelming feeling, tempering it down as she takes a deep breath.

Eyes then tick over in her HUD to the flickering beats of her teammates, making sure their okay. Of course they are, but it's something to concentrate on other then the overwhelming discomfort. "Whoever the hell that just did that up there. I'm gonna put my foot up there mother lovin' ass I find them before y'all."

As the glass above comes flying down, Elisabeth's gaze turns immediately upward. The helmet and full Horizon armor guarantees that the minor nicks and cuts never get as far as her skin though the jagged edges rip into the material some. "Christ," she murmurs through the radio. "They've got a full-on clusterfuck." Needing backup was an understatement. The team's leader points toward what looks like might be the person in charge, a woman carrying a bullhorn. "Her."

And then the trio is walking toward the aforementioned woman looking for all the world like action-movie figures in that armor. The flickering light from the burning car and the red and white strobe effects give them a surreal appearance as they approach where the woman with the bullhorn crouches behind one of the cars. She looks up, double-takes like mad at what she sees, and then actually looks relieved.

Elisabeth squats down next to her, flipping the visor in her helmet to a less opaque setting so that the woman can see her expression through the faceplate. "Tell me what you've got, Officer… Jakes?" The nameplate is visible at least.

The woman, perhaps in her mid-30s, looks like she is in way over her head. "We came in to back up DHS on an illegal flophouse. They said there were a couple of unregistered Evos holing up in there — they didn't tell us there were a fucking dozen of them," the brunette growls in a very pissed off tone. "We lost three officers and four more took damage in the first round. One of those fuckers in there has telekinetic ability or something. Literally blasted out the entire front wall as we went in the door. Threw the guys backward about 50 feet. And someone else threw either a molotov cocktail or a fireball, we couldn't tell which — it happened at the same time the wall blew out, though."

The voice from above screams out, "I ain't fuckin' around! You get off this street and we walk, or I swear to God, I'm killing the last pigs I got up here!"

Jakes grimaces and looks at the FRONTLINErs. "And now you see what we've got going."

Though she's listening to the officer talk, Gavyn seems far more interested in watching the building. Particularly the upper floors. "Who the hell ordered DHS and NYPD to handle this alone to start with," she asks aloud, incredulous at the notion. National Guard alone, maybe.

Hands tighten on her rifle as the voice screams out, but she keeps it trained on the ground. "What's the plan," she asks, this direct to Liz and Kaitlyn.

There is a soft snort from Kaitlyn as she glances up at the windows and the shouting voice, luckily no one can see the unamused look from the healer. Switching to only coms, the medic asks, «With those windows blown out… Proto is loaded up. I can have him online and in the air shortly, if'n you want some support from a direction they ain't gonna expect.» Her chin jerks in the direction of the window.

Probably of all the members, Kaitlyn has no problem with using the Prototype vehicle. Her training in Annapolis having been focused on that even.

Elisabeth glances up as the hollering starts. Switching to internal comms after patting Jakes on the shoulder, she stands up. «Send Proto in,» she orders Kaitlyn calmly. «If we can get a better look at what's going on, I'll feel easier about sending people in. We've got at least two destructively-powered Evos in there. And while hostage negotiation is where I came from, I doubt he's planning on listening to me. I'll keep him busy, though. Mitchell, while she's taking Proto in there, I want you to skim over to the side there,» she points, «if I remember the buildings in this area, there should be exterior fire escapes going up the back of those alleys. Balconies.»

She can't use her ability, but it's not like she doesn't have the training. Walking around the front of the car that Jakes is using for cover, Liz activates the helmet's microphone instead of her usual methods of amplification. She doesn't want to pass out in the street here. Defeats the purpose. "Okay, listen! We don't want to lose anymore people. Not the cops up there with you, and not you either! Let's talk! You guys want out, and we want our people out. We can't pull back, you've crippled too many of our people. So talk to me some!"

Gavyn nods as her eyes flick back to Kait and Elisabeth as orders are given. Once the plan is laid out, however, she moves. Though not too quickly. Proto still has to be sent on his little journey first. She heads roughly for the corner that had been pointed out, and a casual look could pass her off as checking on officers that had taken cover in that direction. But once that drone is up and moving, she'll slip around back and make use of the fire escape.

«Yes, ma'am.» Kaitlyn throws a sloppy salute before she's heading back to the transport, pulling that shotgun over her shoulder. «Proto, baby, it's time to come out and play.»

Within the depths of the transport two red menacing dots flicker on in the darkness. There is a whirl of motors as the turbines fire up at the tip of each wing, another outside could possibly hear it whining up. As Kaitlyn backs up the large metallic aerial vehicle slowly eases out. «Come on, Proto. That's a good boy right there.»

It's quite a sight to see it hover in front of the medic, bobbing up and down lazily, focused on her. «Camera up.» A small camera at the bottom of it drops down ans moves side to side, Kaitlyn lifts a hand to her hemelt and a view of herself pops up, but she can still see the robot beyond. «Okay, Proto. Attention.» She turns and looks at the building now focusing on that window. «To my mark.» The aircraft slowly pivots and the turbines go up a pitch or two as it slowly rises.

Kaitlyn is quiet, eyes narrowed as she watches the images in her helmet. «Up another foot. Good. Okay. Thermal.» There is a moment before she says, «Should see this Harrison. Patch video to team.» Instantly, the view Proto has is shared with the other two women as well.

Well…. you know, you'd think Liz would learn to not just stick herself out there in the line of fire, right? But no. She still does it. Aaaaannnnnd…. she still causes just as much a stir when she does it as she always did. The guy — young man? boy? — at the window takes her move forward as a threat and hurls something at her. Some kind of shockwave that slams into her and slams her back against the police car. "I said get the fuck back, you stupid bitch!" he shrieks. He's got to be young. The panic in his voice is clear — FRONTLINE is not exactly known for being gentle.

For Elisabeth's part, she slumps when she hits the car, the breath knocked out of her. But she's fine — the armor absorbed the impact. That's what it does. And she's already shoving herself back to her feet by the time there's a whole bunch of consternation about Proto's arrival.

Her HUD comes up showing the thermals that the droid is sending out. Four people standing, two on the floor. There may be two others on the floor behind the entire group, but if the lumps back there are people, they're rapidly cooling in the cold night air. «Shit,» Elisabeth murmurs. «One telekinetic of some kind, one pyro. Lord only knows what the other two are. I have to assume that if they're armed, it's minimal. They're threatening the cops with the chunky salsa routine instead of threatening to shoot them.»

She pauses, studying the layout of the group. The two warm bodies on the floor might be tied up. Hard to tell in just a thermal image. Two of the standing group are standing over them, presumably guards. One at the window and one watching the back wall — probably keeping an eye on the hallway in case more come in. «Does that look to anyone else like a couple of their friends got either hurt bad or killed in the first wave?»

The display that comes up gives Gavyn just a second's worth of a pause before she's climbing up that ladder. It's right where Elisabeth had said it would be and she's moving fast if not exactly running. And thanks to that armor suit, the distance is covered faster than if she hadn't been wearing it. She crouches before reaching the window that allows access into the building and leans over a little to look inside.

Switching to comms, Gavyn's voice comes out quietly over the system. «Looks bad,» she replies. «You want me in there? Doesn't seem like they want to talk much.» A toggle of her controls switches to the same IR screening, giving her the layout of warm bodies from the back.

«Let me…» Kaitlyn starts head turning a little, the bot moves too. «Camera.» She orders and the thermal switches off to give a regular view inside. « Better?» She asks her leader. Her brows furrow as she studies what they have, finally there is a disappointed sigh. «I don't want to risk the cops in there with the rubber bullets or the electrical…. thingy » Kait never could remember what they called those « that Proto can do.»

Dooley chews her lip a bit thoughtfully, before declaring, «Your call. What's the plan boss lady?»

«Yes, Ma'am.» Comes Kaitlyn's drawl over the com, her focus on settling Proto in front of that window, head shifting subtly. Once that wicked looking metal bird settles in front of the window, red eyes glowing brightly. «Alright, boy, ya heard the boss.»

A movement in her video vision, has her and the robot looking over in time to see one of the people starting to come up, «Stay down.» A short burst of bullets impact the area around whoever that idiot is sending them back down again.

«Cops are still there. Remind me to apologize to them for the bruises?» She studies the room with a frown. «Thermal.» The world turns to the colors of the rainbow, giving her a better look. «Got two behind a couch to the right when you go in. One is glowin' pretty bright so I'm gonna guess that's the pyro.» Proto turns a bit and Kaitlyn continues. «One behind the counter in the kitchenette.» It's followed shortly by the sound of the gun going off again. «I said stay down bitch.» The person might not hear the healer, but she still growls it out. «Forth…» Kaitlyn trails off as she searched for them. «Possibly the bedroom,» but she's sounds rather uncertain.

Elisabeth arrives at the front door, her own HUD showing her exactly what Kaitlyn is talking about. All right. She can also see Gavyn's form out on the balcony. «On three, Mitchell. I'm coming in from the front and ducking left. Don't hit me.» She'll do what she can to make sure her partner up here has a clean field of fire and that she doesn't hit Gavyn either.

As the last volley comes through, the pyro in the group darts upward and hurls his power at the flying monstrosity near the broken-in windows. The other form behind the couch screams when he does that, crying out, "Jason, don't! Please! Please make this stop!" Whether she's Evo or not, she's terrified.

«One, two, THREE,» Elisabeth says. Andshe bursts in the front door at the same time the pyrokinetic launches his ability, shooting rubber bullets toward the sofa.

The one in the kitchen is apparently the telekinetic, because as Gavyn comes through the fire escape, he points a finger at her and slams her back against the wall, half on the window of that escape route. She's pinned there something like a butterfly on a board.

The other silhouette — the one in the bedroom that isn't registering properly — may be cowering in a closet further back.

Two unconscious cops don't get up or otherwise make any effort to move out of the way.

Her rifle hadn't even come up and she's already pinned to the wall. The force of it pushed the air from her lungs in a grunt, but she hangs onto her rifle. «Got a telekinetic here,» she informs the other two, trying to lift her rifle enough to shoot the bastard in the leg. Just a little higher and she can make him about six inches shorter. «I'm stuck to the wall. Hoping to get a shot off.»

The blast from the pyrokinetic, comes across bright in the screen, even as the large robot dips to the side in an attempt to avoid it, along with the jerked movement of Kaitlyn's own head. It catches Proto along one side, leaving a long black scorch mark, but beyond that he stays airborne slowly righting itself. Kaitlyn will surely be moaning about the marred surface of Proto's metallic armor later.

«Hey! I just gave him a fresh coat of wax this morning.» Already in a fowl mood from the injuries around her, Kaitlyn doesn't take the frustration off on the pyro, as much as she'd like too. Instead her teammates can see the now scorched robot turning towards the kitchen, red eyes coming to bear on the the criminal there, before letting loose another hail of rubber bullets at the telekinetic.

Tag-team for the win. Elisabeth's bullets, though rubber, slam into the boy called Jason — an unregistered pyrokinetic — and send him flying back against the wall behind the sofa. The girl back there with him screams once more, covering her head when the shots are fired and then scrambling to the boy when he crumples behind the furniture.

The telekinetic's attention was on Gavyn, so Proto's shots have a similar effect on him. He slams back against the cabinetry, stunned into at least temporary submission.

As Gavyn falls to the floor, released from her imprisonment, there's a brush of air past her. It doesn't seem to be aimed at her, just something that's there.

Just as she's about to thank the drone, and Kaitlyn, Gavyn turns her head toward the brush of air. She checks, assuring that she's still running with IR on her screen and slowly stands, watching. «We need to get the Ghostbusters up here or something,» she informs the team quietly, «something else is here.»

Keeping her muzzle down but prepared to shoot at any movement, Gavyn takes a step toward the telekinetic in case he wakes up too soon. But her eyes stay focused on the wall she'd just left, scanning and wary.

«Not pickin' anythin' up on heat.» Kaitlyn murmurs studying the spectrum of color on her Hud, hands perched on her hips, lips pursed. «Proto… Infrared?» It's an attempt on trying to find something that might very well be nothing.

«Watch yourselves up there, I gonna get mighty cranky if'n I got to heal either of you.» It maybe Kaitlyn's job, doesnt' mean she has to like it. Even if it is better then freezing on the streets of the city.

The infrared isn't showing anything on the HUD. Elisabeth is looking carefully, too. But since nothing's showing up, she moves forward to slap cuffs on the stunned boy behind the sofa with the growled threat, "You even think about lighting anything else on fire, you stupid fuck, and I will negate your ass permanently." Yeah, sure… it's a lie. But he doesn't have to know that. And Elisabeth is perturbed!

"Mitchell, sweep the rest of the place. I thought there was one more." Liz will keep an eye on the girl crouched in terror near the guy she just cuffed — she's not trying to pull anything, just crying softly.

Giving a shake of her head, Gavyn steps forward. If there are spooks, or invisible people, then things will have to be checked very carefully. Leading with a hand rather than rifle, though still prepared to pull it up and shoot in a heartbeat, she begins with the wall she'd been pinned against and works her way through the kitchen. She even pauses long enough to push the telekinetic with a booted foot toward Elisabeth.

There is not much more the healer and her robot companion can do at the moment, so the robot hums softly as it turns with the movement of the medic on the ground. Eyes squint at the image in front of her. Occasionally, they can hear Kaitlyn murmur to herself, but it's intelligible over the com.

Nothing jumps out at Gavyn. There's no one else anywhere in the apartment who can actually be discerned. Ultimately, it appears that things are under control. And Elisabeth says, «Dooley, send the NYPD up.» The punishment the kids will suffer for all this…. as awful as it sounds even to her, it's not her problem. They've done their job. «Mitchell and I'll be down in a minute.» As soon as the cops take over.

That nothing else is in the apartment makes clearing the rest of it short work. And it leaves Gavyn shaking herself mentally. Crazy, jumping at shadows now. «All clear,» she states as she returns to the living room. A quick glance is sent toward those who remain, alive or otherwise, as she waits for the cops to arrive.

«Stand down Proto.»

The robot slowly drifts back from the window on autopilot, before tilting sharply to one side to begin the short trip back to Kaitlyn to hover just above and one side of her. The guns hang low as if standing at attention.

The medic then turns the black smooth surface of her helmet towards the patrol supervisor. "All your's up there. Safe for you and yours to get on up there." Kaitlyn gives a sweeping gesture that emphasis' the point to get their asses up there.

Then she turns her attention to Proto. Dark eyes study the scorch marks, going up on tip toes to touch it and see if its permenant. «Aw… baby. Look it what that mean ol' pyro did to you.» Of course Proto just continues to sit there coldly and not reacting, not that Kait cares. «Don't you worry, when we get back to base, I'm gonna see if we can polish that right outta you.»

Elisabeth is forced to laugh at Kait's chatter to the droid. Shaking her head, she waits for the cops to come up, along with EMTs to handle the two cops unconscious on the floor. The other two bodies are apparently other squatters, dead in the fight well before FRONTLINE was on-scene. All in all, FRONTLINE's job is done. And Elisabeth is more than happy to turn it over to Jakes and let her process the paperwork.

She doesn't let the team depart until they're all safely enclosed in the prisoner transport with negation drugs coursing through their systems. And then she looks at the other two women, pulling her helmet off. "Let's go home, ladies. Beer's on me."


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