10732/The Hellfire Ruby

The Hellfire Ruby
Date of Scene:	13 January 2020
Location:	MYC Museum of Natural City, Manhatten
Synopsis:	The Heist of the Hellfire Ruby gets foiled
Cast of Characters:	Hugo Strange, Nightingale, Samuel Morgan, Punisher

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Hugo Strange has posed:
It was almost closing time at the NYC Natural History Museum. The newly opened geology section was one of the more populated areas of the museum. This was, in part, due to it's crowning jewel, the Hellfire Ruby. This very valuble gem stone has had a very turbulent history and has gone through many owners, many of whom have met a violent death for it. The gem was now a permanent display at the museum, thanks to the genrous donation of Omar Valentino, a Argentinian business man and the last owner before the museum.

The exhibit has 10 people in it by the time you arrived. Among them are three Asian tourists, a family of three, three bored looking security guards and, bizzarly enough, a man wearing a blue dress shirt and tie wearing earbuds . The man with earbuds seemed to stare intently at the Ruby for a bit before slipping into what looked like a staff room.

Nightingale has posed:
     It was almost closing time, but two teens arrive at the museum, one of them talking rather excitedly about the new geology exhibit, and of course, what other exhibits might be best to take in, in such a short time available. She's about average height, with long, pale gold hair--save for one light blue braid, just a few shades darker than her own eyes, on the left side of her face, with three little silver beads on the end. She's wearing a cream cotton poet's blouse, dark blue jeans, and well-loved but well cared for white sneakers. There is a worn, brown leather bag with runes worked into the leather all over, tied to her belt. Nothing else seems remarkable about her. No wings, no extra appendages, nothing.

     "I'm pretty psyched about this new exhibit, Bean! You don't think those stories are at all true though, do you? I mean, seriously, a cursed gem? Thought that idea went out with the thought of Tut's tomb being jinxed!"

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    The other teen seems just as excited to be in the museum, or at least thoroughly enjoying being out and about. Unremarkable except for his bright blue eyes, Bean is dressed as casual as he ever gets, black combats over black combat boots, but this time with a simple long sleeved sweater covered by a sturdy jacket. At his side trots a German Shepherd wearing the distinctive bright yellow high visibility vest of a service animal and a collar proclaiming the friendly canine's name to be 'Bear'. He doesn't seem too happy to be on a leash, but the law is the law in New York.

    "I wouldn't believe in an actual curse." Bean smiles, having been unusually relaxed and mellow all throughout the day. So much so that when he asked to accompany Shannon to the museum, the school staff didn't hesitate to give their permission. A happy Bean is a thing to be preserved. "But a ruby like that is about as valuable a gem as you're going to find. Wouldn't surprise me if a few of its previous owners left the world a bit sooner than expected through entirely mundane reasons."

Punisher has posed:
Museum thefts were uncommon, but not rare. Collectors who don't care about the ethics of their collections tend to hire thieves for this sort of thing, after all.

But then... there's the Hellfire Ruby. A lot of stories and superstitions around it. It's prime fodder for potential assholes.... and word on the grapevine of Microchips network is there will be an attempt on it.

With plenty of warning, one 'Frank Bartov' has gotten himself hired as a janitor, and rigged security early for Microchip to hack into. WIth a couple other remote traps in play, Punisher has taken to using the janitor cover to keep an eye on things, his small armory hidden within his cart.

He's got the uniform and all, with his mop concealing a pair of escrima sticks in the core of it in case he needs something in a pinch.

Hugo Strange has posed:
The Hellfire Ruby itself was a beautifil thing to behold. It was a 35 carat ruby that was made into a ring. The jewel itself was held in place within a special holder that looked like the grinning mouth of a demon. The Ruby was behind a thick pane of glass and was guarded by the three bored security guards. Surrounding it were other geological wonders, but the ruby was the biggest draw. As the time reached 7 Pm, a lound banging noise was heard coming from the staff room the man with buds went into.

Suddenly, the door slams open and five smoke grenades were flung out of the staff room. As smoke filled the exhibit, 7 men wearing dress shirts, ties, and what appeared to be pirate masks entered the room, guns drawn. Five of them appeared to have Magnums and the fianl two Uzis. Three of the goons immedialtey rushed to the coughting guards and incapcitated them with wicked punches while the rest started to fan out to take out the guests. A rather portrly theif rusehs up to Sam and Shannon, clutching his Uzi tightly as he said," Get down on the fucking ground!" Meanwhile, another crew member points his pistol at Frank and tells him to do the same thing.

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon opens her eyes wide, pretending to look pretty frightened as she has an Uzi waved around in her face. "Okay, okay, just please don't shoot!" However, if Bean were to glance her way, he would see her descent to the ground is a little too smooth, a little too calm, for all she sniffles in apparent fear. At least she makes it to her knees, glancing around the room in what might seem terror. She continues on to sprawl out face-first on the ground, just a scared teen obeying her attacker.

     The truth, however, is far different....

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    The gem was utterly beautiful, well worth the trip to the museum, and Bean stands in awe of its majesty even as the events begin to unfold. His reaction is delayed, not the crisp and sudden panic of the families, not the confused professionalism of the guards, but the slightly off-the-beat response of the world weary, of someone who cannot comprehend what is happening right now. Smoke starts to fill the area, bringing with it a familiar smell, and familiar sensations of well known equipment. For a second his professional eye judges the situation. Five known hostiles, small arms only, three pistols, two SMGs, compact packages. All nine mils. This determines the cover available to him. Next his eye flicks momentarily to the trigger finger of the thief bearing down on him and Shannon... and he sees with an internal smile that his fellow mutant is remembering the lesson. On the trigger guard or off? That's an open bolt weapon he's carrying, so there's significant risk here...

    At length he turns, eyes looking straight past the thief. The clearly marked service dog by his side sees the weapon, sees the gesture and goes down flat with a whimper, scooting closer to Shannon. Bean suddenly lifts his arms up at the barking voice, trembling. "Please... don't shoot... I can't... I mean, I... there's no... please!" It's the classic deer in headlights response, his eyes nowhere near the thief, as if he can't see anything at this distance.

Punisher has posed:
He was expecting it. He was prepared for it. He didn't have a mask or goggles on for the smoke, but he was already moving out of the way with his cart to get his gear out when one of the crew start coming for him.

They were trying to take control of the situation, and he was on the list. It's just too bad he was preparing for this.

By the time that Uzi is about to be aimed at him, Frank is already reaching into the cart compartment, and pulling out a Glock 18. With reflexes that most only dream of, he kicks the cart the rest of the way out of sight, and he aims dead center for the forehead of the man who tried to control his movement.

BANG!

"Fuck off." Punisher growls out as he books it around the corner.

Time to get his kit.

Hugo Strange has posed:
The man Frank shot drops to the ground dead. a bullet in his brain as Frank's gunshot echos across the room. The rest of the crew turns towards Frank, with the leader, a tall, African-American man letting out a swear and saying," Kill the Motherfucker!" The rest of the men then start focusing all of their gun-fire on Frank, including the fat man with the uzi, who turns his attention away from Sam.

Nightingale has posed:
     Laid flat out on the ground as she is, Shannon is thankfully out of the line of fire. It leaves her free to steal glances around the room, to see what might offer actual cover, what might offer concealment, and how long she might have to get herself--and potentially others--to either one. It wasn't good. Damn. A quick glance to Bean, and she moves her head slightly. Was that a nod? No, she was just trying to be somewhat comfortable on the floor, not knowing how long she'd be kept down there, right? Right!

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    You could miss it if you blinked. The moment the goon turns his attention away from Sam, he makes his move. Twisting his torso to the left, his right arm flashes down and his open palm smacks into the side of that Uzi. It's not quite a pistol, but it's small enough that he doesn't have to try for a rifle disarm technique. Dropping his shoulder, his right hand grabs the receiver of the weapon, wrapping his palm over the ejection port as he leans forwards to unbalance his opponent. His bladed left hand swipes to the left just behind the barrel trunnion of the Uzi to twist the weapon in the shooter's hand, and then he steps to the side, twisting as he goes, turning the Uzi further and further in a clear attempt to twist the weapon out of the goon's hand... and incidentally break his trigger finger in the process.

    It's a move that's only taught in very specialised classes. Price of admission to one of those? Usually just your freedom, your mental health, and your soul.

Punisher has posed:
Gunfire rains down against the walls that Frank just went by. Another expected outcome. He'd dealt with these situations before in both his professions after all... and speed kept you alive.

As soon as he was near that corner, he dived for it, getting out of sight.

Punisher isn't there to see Samuels technique. Anyone in that hallway at this point does get to see Frank rapidly pulling his uniform off, though... or rather, ripping it off, before he slings his trenchcoat from inside the cart around himself, and pulls out his gear web and G13 carbine from inside.

The skull vest and trenchcoat, the iconic visuals of the Punisher, are on full display as Punisher gets back to running, both his hands working overtime to get the custom rapid don web around his chest.

Anyone chasing him is about to get a huge surprise once he turns around to face them.

Hugo Strange has posed:
As the fat goon falls to the ground, clutching his hand and letting out a cry of pain one of the goons rushes towards Frank. Once he turns the corner, his eyes widen when he sees Frank's get-up. He then tries to dive back around the corner to avoid the hail of lead.

Nightingale has posed:
     Good. One goon down. Looks as if Bean had that one under control. One more bit the dust as the lead started flying. And just who was that guy with the skulls and trenchcoat anyways? Well, whoever he was, he seemed to be working -against- the thieves. As the saying goes, 'An enemy of my enemy is my friend'. Shannon begins doing a belly crawl towards the janitor's cart, keeping low and out of the immediate line of fire, with an eye on anything that might serve as a staff. But will she make it over there...?

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Any other time, Bean would have finished the job either by shooting the goon or smacking him over the head with his own weapon. But that's an open bolt weapon he's handling, and he's not going to subject it to any sudden shocks with the bolt back and the magazine fully loaded. There's no telling what kind of stupid modifications they've made to these weapons, although this is the first time Bean has executed this move to find that not a single shot had been fired. A brief glance at the weapon shows why, and his disdain for the amateurs only grows as he flicks the safety off and changes the selector to semi. Almost as an afterthought, he gives the goon's head a vicious soccer kick on the way past.

    His destination? A position covering the room from behind a sturdy, marble clad display stand, tracking targets of opportunity. Shots begin to ring out, placed with care to cover Shannon and take the pressure off of Frank.

Punisher has posed:
It's around the time the man dives back around cover that a full three round burst in the direction of the man who was trying to chase him with one hand, the other finishing the buckles on his gear web.

"Microchip, how many inside?" Punisher whispers over the commlink to his hacker partner who was no doubt sweeping the building with security. as Punisher sought out another way around to get a better angle.

Hugo Strange has posed:
Sam's fire manages to take down one goon, who falls down to the ground clutching his thigh. Now there are only four men left in the exhibit. Three of them start shooting at Sam while the leader starts to smash the exhibit case in a effort to grab the Ruby.

Nightingale has posed:
     Bingo. That was just what Shannon needed. The minute she's out in the hallway, she scrambles to her feet, grabbing a mop and a spray bottle of rather nasty spray cleaner with all sorts of chemical warnings on the bottle. With her wings hidden by an image inducer, it's easier for her to dart from column to column, keeping one between her and the remaining gunmen at all times. Let Bean deal with them. He had more experience. She was going for the leader.

     One more column.

     Then another.

     Finally, the one that would bring her closest to the leader. She shoots bean a 'keep them distracted' look, and hopes he gets the idea....

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Three shots, one thigh? That's an unacceptable level of accuracy, even with this kind of weapon. Granted, his aim is constantly spoiled by the mass of the bolt slamming shut before the shot fires, a delay he's not used to in a pistol, but there is plenty of opportunity for Bean to find fault with himself and mentally cursing how out of practice he's gotten even as he casually pulls back behind his cover. Cover, not concealment... even high velocity nine millimeter rounds would find it hard to chip through solid...

    *THUNK*

    ... marble? Ah... It shouldn't come as a surprise to Bean that the solid looking stand he was sheltering behind was, in fact, only clad in marble plates rather than solid marble. Luckily the stone breaks up the shots that pass through and slows them enough to be less than lethal, but chunks of marble are flying out of the plate just next to his head. Time to move. Time to do something he absolutely hates doing...

    With a sigh as he bows to the inevitability of the situation, Bean switches the selector to auto. Honestly, it's just a waste of good jacketed lead, but...

    He bursts from his cover with the speed of the desperate, making for the columns which are, he hopes, actually structural rather than decorative, loosing a burst of automatic fire at the group of gunmen on his way past. He doesn't have the luxury of a reload, so he's going to have to make these bursts count. He needs to keep them distracted.

    Which is incidentally also why he chooses now, of all times, to set off the museum's alarms.

Punisher has posed:
It's around that time that Punisher comes into view from another angle, his G13 shouldered and ready.

*POPOPOPOPOPOPOPOPOPOP*

Full auto hails of lead start screaming into the crew.

Punisher is aiming for supression... but when Punisher aims, he usually gets his target.

It's like a scene out of one of those youtube videos, with the Punisher in full view.

Hugo Strange has posed:
From both Sam and the nwely arrived Punisher's shots, the gun toting crew number's start dwindling as the men fall like kindling. Soon there was only two men of the original seven left. Suddenly, the glass holding the Ruby smashes open and the leader snatches the ruby and starts to run for it, the final gunman following, shooting at both Punisher and Sam as he did.

Nightingale has posed:
     Now was the only opportunity Shannon might have to strike. As the leader of the band of thieves makes a break for it, she swings the wet mop in her hand around at his knees, smiling with satisfaction as the weight of the water adds enough force to her swing to send a shock up her arms as the handle connects with the man's kneecaps. There is a string of curses as he goes down, skidding face-first across the floor and winding up in Bean's general vicinity.

     However, knowing this is likely to draw the ire of the lone gunman remaining, she ducks behind a column once more, hoping and praying it's one of the solid ones. She'd seen the fate of the one that had sheltered bean, and remembered his lesson all too well. She might have knocked the leader down, but now she just had to stay in one piece....

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "Friendly!" Bean shouts the very instant Frank enters the room. He has no doubt that the Punisher is running on muscle memory, and likely to consider anyone in the area with a weapon to be a target. The last thing he wants is to be shot by being mistaken for a thief... that would be the ultimate irony. If he has any strong feelings about shooting people who were shooting him, he certainly doesn't make them obvious. What is obvious, however, is that his weapon has run dry. And since the nearest magazines are all in the possession of his enemies, the weapon is now useless, discarded with a casual toss.

    He has to hope Frank can deal with the last active shooter.

    Because, as it turns out, Shannon has left him a present, practically gift wrapped. Not one to waste an opportunity, he makes a break for the leader with the ruby, wasting no time in aiming a kick to send it skidding from the man's hand. And then he stands ready to deliver a knockout kick, if the man as much as /breathes/ wrong. "Stay down. This is your only warning."

Punisher has posed:
To be fair to Frank Castle, he's mostly a solo act. Not many are interested in his methods, and the man doesn't like answering to /anyone/ after the city and country failed him so utterly in the case of his family.

So that near miss just before Punisher adjusts his aim around Samuel makes it clear he almost considered Samuel a target.

When it becomes clear that most of the thieves are dead or dealt with, Punisher switches to single fire and starts to aim for the last guy, center mass.

It goes from a rain of lead, to the accuracy of a scout sniper in his prime.

Hugo Strange has posed:
As the final man is put down by Punisher's shot, the leader is swering audibly as he watches the Ruby slide away from him. As he puts his hands up he looks up at Sam and says," Screw you kid! My boss ain't gonna take to you ruining one of his jobs! He will make your life a living hell then kill you!"

Nightingale has posed:
     With the last of the gunfire dying down to single shots, Shannon peeks out from behind the column behind which she has taken shelter. Miraculously, she seems to have chosen one of the solid marble ones, with only a few stray chips knocked off of the glossy, snowy white surface. Her first thought? Check to see if anybody had taken any injuries that she would be able to assist with. Thankfully, through some miracle, it seemed she might not be needed in this capacity after all. "Everyone okay?" she calls out, hopefully at the same time effectively identifying herself as a friendly to the Punisher.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "Tell him to take a number and get in line." is Bean's reply to the threat, stomping down to bounce the man's skull off the floor, likely knocking him unconscious at the same time. There's still residual rage in his posture, but the tension is starting to drain. "Would it be stupid of me to assume you have someone dealing with the security cameras? Because my face needs to disappear from the cameras I wasn't able to suppress." This, clearly, to Frank.

    With the gunfire and other loud noises over, Bear scrambles up from where he'd been laying prone the whole time, and hurries over towards Bean, pressing himself insistently into his side.

Punisher has posed:
No gunfire, no visible weapons but the kid that he met ages ago. The carbine is kept shouldered, but Punisher does not aim for Samuel. Instead, he starts to beeline for the leader, military sprinting style, with the carbine aimed for center mass.

"Are you a moron?" Punisher asks, seriously. "I have most of the global underworld trying to kill me, and you think one more asshole with too much time on his hands scares me?"

Punisher leans in close, "Tell him to bring it on." Then, in an aside, "Micro is watching cameras. If you're looking for scrubbing, we can handle that, kid."

Hugo Strange has posed:
The leader theif lets out a small cry of pain as his head is stomped on by Sam, his head lulling back after it getting bounced on the floor. The musesum alarams are going on at full blast at this point and the sounds of rushing footsteps are rapidly appraoching the area.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon glances over to Bean, her brows furrowing. "Time to leggit?" Yeah. She steps well back from Punisher, and nods in a gesture of respect. This seemed to be someone Bean knew, at least in passing, and trusted enough to cover their collective tailfeathers--so it seemed. The gesture was only right. "Thank you," she offers to the rather imposing figure, with a light smile. She's quick to get rid of the mop and the spray bottle, moving over closer to Bean in preparation for an exodus if need be.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "Scrub it, I'll owe you one." Bean confirms to Frank. The cameras closest to him weren't working, he'd seen to that, but the ones across the room were recording just fine. And he absolutely, positively, cannot be tied to this as a combatant. That would end with a one way trip to a concrete box in a sub level of a SHIELD facility. He has no desire to go back to the Scorpion Pit.

    Shannon gets a shake of his head, and he quickly hurries to be nearer the other visitors, not looking at them and hoping they didn't see too much. He sits down quickly, leaning against one of the display stands, pulling Bear closer and hugging the canine around the neck. "Time to blend in, look ... victim-y."

Punisher has posed:
"Yeah, those footsteps are the police, Frank. Unless you're looking to fight the first responders, it's time to book it." Comes Microchip over Punisher's commlink. "Figured." Punisher says a bit low. Samuel can hear him, at least, and Punisher turns around and looks in that direction.

"Cover your eyes, kids." Punisher orders aloud, his left hand going to his gear web as he pulls out a grenade, twists the top to arm it, and aims it against the wall to toss it around the corner.

The first responders are gonna get a bit of a flashbang point blank, giving Punisher plenty of time to escape to the security hub for that scrubbing.

Frank? He turns in the opposite direction, and starts to rapidly exfil, his magazine being visibly changed for another as he goes.