10479/Peacekeepers: Another link in the chain

Peacekeepers: Another link in the chain
Date of Scene:	19 December 2019
Location:	Central Harlem, Manhattan
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Aguila 6, Kid, Lex Luthor, Dracula
Tinyplot:	Peacekeepers

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Aguila 6 has posed:
New York. Evening time. There are a few people out and about despite the cold. Most of them are down on the street, but not all. Up on a roof, the sort that doesn't have a stairway leading to it, Grant Washington is currently doing his best to avoid notice. He's in the prone position, laying on a blanket with night vision goggles over his eyes. His outfit is mostly made up of Multicam Black camouflage, aside from some of his accessories. Slung around his body is a suppressed rifle with an underbarrel grenade launcher. Looks like he's prepared for something.

Across the street, in the apartment building Grant appears to be watching, nothing appears to be happening. The mercenary must be waiting for something. Behind the building the soldier is on is a rather nice SUV. It's locked up tight and alarmed.

Kid has posed:
Well ain't nothing like walking around the neighborhood. Kid himself stuck to alley ways and quieter sections. Which for NYC really just ment not having to be in a massive crowd of people. He was in a large hooded sweater and keeping to himself as he heads behind the building...

That when he notices the strange random SUV parked there. Certainly not typical. He looked around, down the allies, to the streets, and yes even up, as he knows things get strange. And there he sees him, a man on the building.

So far almost every person he has met ontop of a building, has had a weapon. Usually a bat of some kind. He...did not feel like getting hit with a bat (again). But he also wanted a better view....so he ascends another building that did have a fire-escape he could climb. He did so quietly...and in a word...invisibly, putting on an illusion to hide himself, as he typically did.

Once ontop, he sits on the corner, leaning agaist a stone pillar as he considers Grant....eventually, he sends over his specialized illusion - Malcolm Kid IronWoord. A brute in a suit, mafia type mobster. An 'obviouse' mutant, he very casaully plops down on the roofs edge, as if he materialized in mid air. This illusion gives Grant a wave.

Kid didn't have super-hearing, so he was relying on 'hearing' surface thoughts, such as the words you say before you speak with his telepathy.

Aguila 6 has posed:
"The hell?" Grant asks as someone appears right in front of him, lifting up his night vision goggles to get a better look at the mysterious stranger. Studying the figure for a few seconds, the mercenary speaks again, seeming fairly cool and collected despite the strangeness of the situation, "How may I help you?" A slight smile even begins to form on his face as he thinks, 'Might be worth trying to hire this guy.' He's still wary, but he's not going to show it if he can avoid doing so.

Kid has posed:
The Illusion looks Grant up and down, before smirking. He decides not to be subtle - his real bodies watch is on another roof...let alone his voice. He doubts the man knowsn sign-language. Most don't. But he stands and gives a Grand Bow, before pointing to his throat and shaking, to indicate he does not talk. But than he does a 'Knock Knock Knock' gesture with his hand...and surely enough, Grant could feel it...someone knocking on his mind, as if asking permission.

Aguila 6 has posed:
When the figure in front of him makes a knocking gesture and Grant feels something in his mind the merc turns his head slightly sideways. Then, his shoulders seem to shrug ever so slightly and he thinks: 'Sure.' Once the mental invitation is given the soldier tries to think loud enough to be heard, 'What can I do for you?' There's a little pause and a smirk, "More importantly, what can you do for me? I might be looking to hire someone with the right talents."

Kid has posed:
o O ("Trust me fella, you do not need to yell your thoughts, I can read them just fine. And well, I was just in the neighborhood, curiouse really. Saw that suit up SUV, thought to hi-jack it....but eh, seemed like too much effort") not seeming to care he was telling the possible owner he thought about stealing his ride. Old habits die hard.

o O ("Anyways. I can do alot of things. Run distraction, gain intel, guard folks. Depends on the job. If its a stupid vendetta, pass. That stupid and a waste of my time")

Lex Luthor has posed:
"The target is on the move. You have two minutes before he's in range." The modulated voice comes over Grant's commlink. "We need him scared, not dead. Force him to go to ground."

Down on the ground level, in a specialty high end vehicle, Mercy waited for the mark to begin their drive by. Unknown to Grant, a satellite was already on the mark and tracking him... and Grant was simply one piece of a larger game.

A game with Lex going to war against those who have wronged him.

Aguila 6 has posed:
'Sorry. Don't usually work with psychics,' Grant thinks, nodding his head a little bit as he digests the information. He has yet to look away from the individual he thinks he's dealing with. 'Sounds like you're pretty useful. You based here in the city?'

Grant hears words come through his earpiece and he reaches up with a hand to touch his throat, subvocalizing, "Roger. I'm ready to move."

Looking directly at his new acquaintance, the mercenary thinks, 'Things are about to heat up here. I'll give you five grand if you make sure nobody gets the drop on me while I take care of this business. Just give me a heads up, maybe if you can use your thing to ping me if there's any potential threats you detect?"

Kid has posed:
    o O ("We can talk price after. I am rather picky bout my pay. But buissnes first, as it seems time is of the essence. Like i said, long as were not killing someone over a stupid vendetta...I'm chill. Otheriwse...I'll just eat your brain.") and with that, the illusion vanishes. Not that it ment Grant couldn't speak to him, but still...that was...quite the sentence.

Naturally he could not hear what was said over the intercome from Grants Employer. But he could keep a mind on the block as it where. He takes a deep breath and relaxes, concentrating on....listening to the mind-scape of the block. For potential problems, maybe body guards, nearby officers, someone who likes to play hero, basically he keeping a mind out for interferences.

Lex Luthor has posed:
It's around the time Kid is scanning that a blue sedan starts coming down the street from his left. Most of the block is filled with mundane minds, people just going about their lives...

The two in that car though... have a specific destination in mind, and they have very malicious intent. Murder, to be exact.

Mercy, just out of range of Kid, is already getting the vehicle ready to follow. Her mission was simple, but important. "I'm about to head out, Mr Luthor." Mercy informs Lex over the vehicle comm array.

Aguila 6 has posed:
Now that he knows the target is nearby and the mysterious man he's been dealing with has disappeared again, Grant can get back to focusing on business. And wondering what the hell the brain eating remark was about. He flips his night vision goggles back down over his eyes so he can see things clearly and lifts his rifle, ready to get down to business. The warrior moves smoothly as he prepares for his attack, checking briefly to make sure that his weapon and it's grenade launcher are both loaded, then reaching down with his left hand to pat the pistol holstered on that side. Once he's confident his gear is in order Grant seems ready to perform.

Kid has posed:
The two in the car....he knew the sensation of murder all too well. Felt it too much sometimes. Where they the targets? It was time to find out.

Kid takes a moment to dig into their minds, he can't do deep mind scans, but he should be able to get something as simple as what they look like, and the car their in, perhaps their names.

If he can get even some of this info, he will give try and give Grant a quick visual, a hilight of the car if you will, on the road, to help him find his intended targets faster.

Of note, Kid was still unaware of what gear Grant had, as he wasn't truely on the same roof as him, nor did he try to perform a reading on Grant, deeper than nessary.

Lex Luthor has posed:
The image Grant gets is of his target and their car, and he's looking right at it. Kid can easily tell their target is far off. These people are Enforcers moving to go 'disappear' someone across town. Kid grabs both of their names easily, allowing him to look into their record later.

The car is halfway down the block now.

Aguila 6 has posed:
When Grant gets the mental image in his mind he thinks out a reply, "Thanks." Then he starts moving, pushing himself up from the prone position with one hand, making it look ludicrously easy. His other hand doesn't stray from his weapon's grip as he brings the rifle's stock to his shoulder. Without making the attempt to hide any further he strides towards the edge of the building he's on and steps forward into the air. It's not a short fall, but between his training as a paratrooper and cybernetic enhancements the former operator hits the ground, rolls and gets right back to his feet to begin walking down the middle of the road towards the oncoming vehicle. The red dot sight on his weapon will cross the car's engine block and the trigger of the rifle will be pressed twice, the man's intent to disable the automobile and force his quarry to flee on foot so that they'll quickly have to lay low.

Kid has posed:
Well...that was definintly going to get some peoples attention. But Kid wasn't going to be the one to blow any whistles as it where. Instead, he begins wireing himself up for something else....tracking the two in the vehicle.

If they were smart, they would run. If they were not they would fight. Eitherway, Kid can track them via their emotions. It was not perfect by any means, but he could give Grant nudges in the right direction hopefully.

Lex Luthor has posed:
When someone comes out of nowhere from above without a problem and aims a gun in your direction, most people tend to duck in panicked retreat. These two? They panick and stop the car, ducking down below the dashboard visually.

"What the fuck man! The boss didn't say anything about being attacked!" The other man replies, "Yeah, I don't know. This shit ain't worth dying over!" As they speak, they're hurried movements fumble as they try to open the doors.

Grant, meanwhile, has a clean line of sight to the car. Fire away.

Aguila 6 has posed:
BANG! BANG! Two rounds rapidly pop off, aimed at the car to make sure it won't run again without some serious work. The shooter is moving a moment later, cybernetic legs propelling him with great alacrity towards the nearest cover, the corner of a building. "You two will never make it out of this alive!" Grant yells at his quarry, clearly trying to intimidate his targets as he levels his weapon in their direction, ready to lay down suppressing fire if it's called for.

Lex Luthor has posed:
Indeed, the two in the car book it, almost stumbling over themselves in their panic to get out of their respective seating. They both take off in opposite directions, clearly in an 'every man for himself' situation. It'd be almost comically easy to kill them with Grant's skillset, if he wasn't under orders to flush them out and get them to retreat.

"The driver. Keep on him. The passenger means nothing. A tagalong." The voice clarifies for Grant over the commlink. "If the passenger tries to shoot you, you can kill him, but only if necessary." Seems Grant's employer isn't keen on messes.

Aguila 6 has posed:
"Understood. In pursuit of the driver," Grant replies over the radio as he moves to go after his prey. He sticks to cover as he starts to advance, using parked vehicles to keep himself as unlikely to get shot as possible. His attention is somewhat divided between both of the vehicle's former occupants, ready to engage the passenger or pop off some rounds over the head of the driver. Loudly, with as much bass in his voice as he can muster, "I'm going to tear out your lungs!"

Dracula has posed:
Two pale, bald men wearing black suits, and sunglasses wait patiently in a black, tinted SUV with permanent plate numbers. The vehicle is parked in an alley facing the street. The pair wait in absolute silence in case they are needed. Suddenly the SUV's tires squeal as the driver floors the gas and takes off in the direction of the fleeing driver of the afforementioned car. They are further away than expected but improv is part of the job. The passenger in the SUV is as stoic as his partner and not a word is shared. Somehow they just know what to do.. or so it would seem to anyone watching them.

Lex Luthor has posed:
"What the FUCK?!" The driver shouts as suddenly yet ANOTHER 'assassin' comes out of nowhere. By this time, the passenger is probably counting his lucky stars the 'pursuers' are too 'busy' with the driver, and is just running for his life.

The driver in the oversized overcoat? He's going as white as the people in that SUV as he realizes he's being boxed in... and sure enough, he takes off down the alleyway just next to him in an attempt to juke them.

With the SUV in play now, Mercy starts to talk to the agents in it as well. "Keep a healthy distance, but keep him moving. We want him spooked and going to ground, not a cornered animal." Mercy notes as he watches the satellite feed in her car down the block.

Aguila 6 has posed:
As his quarry ducks down an alleyway Grant moves to pursue, though he's intentionally taking his time and continuing to keep as little of his body exposed as possible in case he gets shot at. Sliding down behind a dumpster he edges his head around so that he can keep an eye on the target. "You're toast, sucker!" The mercenary calls out as he lifts his weapon to aim it at the man. A moment later he calls out, "Damn, no clear shot!"

Dracula has posed:
The unidentified agents do as they are instructed.. just as they were instructed by their master. They appear to be having trouble keeping up with the driver, although whether the driver believes that or not depends on his wits. The agents remain silent as they do their job, as if it is the only thing that is ever on their mind.

Lex Luthor has posed:
He continues down the alleyway. Clearly, this man isn't that smart though, because he yells back. "Gotta catch me first!"

He's missing all the obvious signs of being herded, and seems to be under the impression he 'narrowly' escaped the attack. So probably just some thug used as Enforcer fodder.

Either way, he keeps going. Grant and the agents in the SUV have no problems with keeping up with him, with Mercy's nudging on occasion.

Eventually though, Mercy spots something on her satellite feed as the trio herds the man into an apartment complex. Moments later... "Fall back and get out of sight. There are people coming behind you by a block to intercept, and I don't know who they are. Observe for now."

Aguila 6 has posed:
"More players?" Grant asks, almost rhetorically. He's quick to follow Mercy's orders, though, looking around and spotting a nearby fire escape. It's a simple matter for him to propel himself off of the ground, grab a railing and pull himself over so that he can climb onto the roof of the building it's attached to. Once there he takes a moment to adjust his night vision goggles, trying to get a look at whoever the newcomers are so he can inform the person playing handler over the radio.

Dracula has posed:
The agents silently pull into a coffee shop parking lot, presumably for the free WiFi, or so some might think? They have a clear view of the apartment complex and await orders. Their eyes never stop scanning the complex or the area around it. The passenger agent pulls out a scope and begins turning some of the dials as he watches.

Lex Luthor has posed:
The four briskly walking down the block from around the corner are rather obvious once pointed out. They have their hands in their coats where a holster would be, and their eyes are intently on the apartment complex the driver ran into. They're obviously not trying to be subtle with how they're beelining it.

Mercy, for her part, has been driving casually behind the trio, watching. Tasking the smartglass windshield on her car to bring up facial recognition, she frowns at one particular profile. "These are interlopers from another gang. Chances are they're reinforcements, but I can't confirm that with the politics involved... and I don't want to take the chance. KO them inside the complex if they go inside, but leave them alive. A cleaner will deal with it." The channel is switched then, as Mercy reports to Lex, "Mr. Luthor. We have a problem. A Shredder allied gang is in play now, and I don't know if they're coming to help or hinder. What do you want me to do with them?"

Aguila 6 has posed:
"Roger. I'll keep them breathing," Grant replies over the comms with a little bit of a smile on his face, clearly itching to get into the action. Looking both ways before making a move, the mercenary runs towards the edge of the building he's on to leap to the roof of the apartment complex the gangsters are headed towards. Pulling his sling tight to snug his weapon close to his body he heads for the side of the roof, waiting to see what happens next. His knees bend ever so slightly in anticipation of hopping off of the roof to try to get the jump on the possible reinforcements after they get inside.

Dracula has posed:
The two agents quietly leave the SUV, glocks cocked and ready to go, hidden in holsters on their sides just in case. Taser batons are checked and holstered as well, given that they will be their first line of offense. They head towards the apartment.

Lex Luthor has posed:
It takes about ten seconds for a reply on Mercy's side. Mercy was entrusted with this operation, and for her to pull him into it in the middle of his own day means parameters outside of expectation are in play... and a group potentially linked to another Councillor is unexpected, given the reasons for this herding.

"This is just a group of random mercenaries having a tussle in New York. Nothing new, and there are no direct links to the Council here. Leave them in a closet somewhere and get on with it." Lex replies, having glanced at the feed. "Yes, Mr. Luthor." Mercy replies, before she switches channels yet again, "Just leave them in a closet and follow the driver up from there."

As she speaks, the four enter the apartment complex via the front entry, heading for the stairs.

Aguila 6 has posed:
Seeing that the other two he's working with seem to be heading to try to take the enemies from behind, Grant shifts his plan somewhat and goes for the rooftop's door. Pulling it open, whether it's locked or not, he enters the building and makes a beeline for the stairs. This is the part where he'd crack his knuckles if they weren't cybernetic, but he still balls up his hands into fists in preparation for what he expects is about to happen. It's important that he doesn't spook the driver, though, so he moves slowly, as quietly as possible so that in case his real target is coming up the stairs he can get out of the way, hopefully.

Dracula has posed:
The two agents reach the entrance and quietly make their way inside, batons drawn. If need be they can flash their FBI IDs. Very well done fakes. The pair are on alert, not a single thought distracts them from their task. Should their quarry stir, the batons will be on him immediately. The stairs are before them and up they go.