1307/The Best of Broadway

The Best of Broadway
Date of Scene:	05 July 2017
Location:	New York City
Synopsis:	An after party gets raided by thieves. Heroes help thwart the villainy
Cast of Characters:	1061, Sister Reinhardt, Sam Axe, Emma Frost, Lady Shiva

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Dr. Mid-Nite (1061) has posed:
    The Plaza is one of the more famous hotels in the city of Manhattan. Ages old and with a distinctive look to it that conjures forth imagery of the 19th century, it presents an element of elegance to a more modern day, a testament to a time when things were slower paced perhaps, but still allowed those of the higher society in the city to take time to enjoy each other's company. The gatherings have always been in celebration, touting the best of New York and its people. Charities, award ceremonies, musical events all are held on the grounds. But the most telling feature of the old hotel is its ballroom.
    The long hall is a picture of white and gold, marble upon the floor and in the supporting columns, the gold a gleaming inlay in the subtle lines of the architecture. Tonight the place is done over in a winter theme, with subtle icicles and glaciers marking the decor and augmenting the areas where the band plays from and the food is being offered. The main hall itself is an open floor for people to mingle and travel through, a few conversational nooks created by small tables set aside and screens raised to partition. Around the edges of the ballroom itself are alcoves with larger tables set for people to relax and enjoy themselves. But perhaps the most striking aspect is across the way there are the glass doors that open out onto the balcony area, letting one take in the night sky.
    The people here tonight are all connected to the theater or the the 'culture' of New York. Those who support Broadway and its history of success, the art that it creates. Yet another play is added to the long list of commercial and artistic darlings, though this one is based off a children's movie from some years ago. Still... it has its own certain charm.
    As for the reason that the man known as Dr. Charles McNider is there, is to perhaps fill the quote needed for charitable individuals who represent something of a good cause. Visibility, conversation, connections. All good goals for a man who makes most of his living trying to help others. Of course... doesn't help to send a distinct and blind misanthrope to a gathering of people.
    "No offense, lady. I just don't see the appeal. An old disney flick rewritten and the same songs? Not my cup of tea."
    "Well, I should say your opinion is in the minority Mister...?" The woman frowns as she tries to keep her tone civil.
    "McNider. Doctor. I suppose."
    "Well. Good _evening_ Dr. McNider. I can understand how someone like /you/ couldn't see the appeal." The young woman starts to turn in a huff.
    "Was that a blind joke?"
    "Wha? No I..."
    "Yeah, nevermind."
    She chuffs and storms off.

Sister Reinhardt has posed:
    Suzanne was there because she had set up the sound system for the play. it was a habit for her to work in the background and let the actors, themselves, shine. So she was there in a dark colored dress and sticking near the perphery of the 'event'. She has a flute of champagne and just quietly observes from afar....including the huffy walk away the woman does from Dr. McNider. that raises her eyebrows.....

Sam Axe has posed:
When you are the friend of a spy, you sometimes get drug into things you would rahter not be at. Right now for Sam Axe, this shindig is one of those things. He is dressed in a suit and wearing a pair of unneeded glasses, as he mingles with the crowd. He is using his normal cover ID of Chuck Finley, though this time Mr. Finley is an investment banker as opposed to the other jobs he has had over the years. He speaks with another gentleman in a suit, "You see it is all about the potential for leverage with the IPO..." He talks a decent game as long as no one realyl starts to analyse what he is saying.

Emma Frost has posed:
    Emma Frost found herself... well, doing exactly what one does when rich, idle, and in the middle of redesigning and renovating one's own high class club. Slumming it with only the -rich- instead of the -exceedingly- rich. Perhaps that explains why she's dressed in one of her more plain but stylishly appropriate outfits, not putting in the effort to truly stun. Of course, she does a bit of stunning, but it's mostly of the sort that involves a little telepathic nudge when some undesirable stock trader or securities broker finally works up the nerve to approach her. If she wanted plebian conversation, she wouldn't be putting on her best icy wicked witch stare over her third martini. Still, it's an evening's entertainment, and what else has she got to do? Not be seen? What a ridiculous notion.

Lady Shiva has posed:
    Amongst the push and shove of bodies, another woman drifts through the crowds. Her movements are leisurely, a sense of serenity seeming to hang around her like an aura. While others are jostled or bumped, she manages to move through the crowd without touching or being touched. Simple movements, deft, fluid. Shiva carries a flute of champagne in her right hand. The level of the liquid has not changed from the moment it was given to her by a waiting server.
    What has brought her here this night is an enigma. One that has caught her interest. Her focus is a fleeting thing when it comes to anything but her personal quest yet this night she was drawn to the play. Not to watch the actors on the stage playing out their roles. Her eyes were on a doctor who she did not understand. Why he came to this place was confusing.
    As the discussion with Doctor McNider concludes, she pauses about five feet away without saying a word.

Dr. Mid-Nite (1061) has posed:
    The good Doctor is then left alone in his corner of the ballroom, his hands on the top of his white and red cane, leaning against it a little as he takes in a deep breath. Looking terribly stylish in his typical black and white tuxedo, he doesn't really stand out too much save for that he is alone. He touches one hand to the face of the watch upon his wrist, then draws back and manages not to heave a second sigh. Instead he turns his head to the side, dark glasses reflecting a shadowy image of the busy ballroom.
    And then out of nowhere he addresses the woman standing near him. "Fancy meeting you here."
    Around the room there is the steady ebb and flow of humanity, people gathering in small clusters, drinking and dining. The band plays music from the show, augmented with the help of a strong electronic system that Suzanne helped install. Right now it's a low beat tune from the ballroom scene of the show of all things, appropriate.
    Meanwhile around Mr. Finley has the attention of that gentleman as well as a few older women who seem rapt on the man's very words. When he makes a point they all nod in unison in support of it, and when the gentleman asks him a question they all turn such an interested gaze to the man as they await his answer.
    Only for a younger man to pipe up, "But you can say that about any industry, can't you?"
    Yet across the way the alluring Ms. Frost has done a remarkable job of not being approached by those she might find tedious. Were one to observe from afar it might almost seem humorous. An idle ne'er do well will get a gleam in his eyes as he starts to head that direction... only to abruptly find himself heading past her towards the Chocolate Fountain, yum. And it's curious how somehow all of these young idle rich men find themselves all in a logger-jam trying to get some sort of snack.

Sam Axe has posed:
Questions, the enemy of any good line, 'Chuck' Smiles, 'Well to some extant that is true but as my buddy Roger says.." He turns to one of the older woman listenign and asks, "Do you knwo Roger? I think you would love him, why this one time he cracked us up during a staff meeting..." Question dodged, he leaves them hanging on the story as he slips away towards the bar.

Sister Reinhardt has posed:
    Suzanne, safely out of the way of the movers and shakers in the ballroom, gets a bit of amusement watching the guys walk right by Emma Frost. She doesn't realize as to 'why' they were. but, to keep a lower profile, she spins something around on her left middle finger, and puts on a pair of dark blue glasses. "Wow. this can really mess up your vision, can't it?" She then chuckles, but doesn't seem to mind too horribly much.....yet.

Emma Frost has posed:
    Emma sighs out as she notices the... well, not quite -army- of daytraders she's sent for snacks. She finishes her drink, signals for another, and figures perhaps moving will assist... if only because she's sent the -vast- majority of her ablative socializing armor off to the snack bar. And so re-armed with another martini, she begins to make her way across the ball room, just looking about for anyone who seems even remotely interesting. These affairs are so much easier when she can sell basic memberships to the Hellfire Club to the ambitious men who want more time with her. Perhaps one of those dreadful Sentinel robots will malfunction again and crash through the roof into the food service table... ah, to have precognitive powers instead of telepathy. Alas. Still, she prowls until she finds a pack of lawyers. Perhaps not better than stock traders, but surely more useful to lay some groundwork with, and really, she can prattle smalltalk with ease. They don't need to know she's borrowing it from the mind of one of the busboys clearing plates.

Lady Shiva has posed:
    A hint of a smile touches Shiva's lips as she closes the distance to the good doctor. She stops at conversational range, turning so her back is more to the corner which gives her a better view of the room. A habit for one in her profession. "I suppose fancy is a correct term," she muses, setting her glass on a nearby table top where it will be out of the way. She has never taken a sip. "Our attire will attest to that." Normally she dresses for ease of movement. Even dressed as she is for the play, she has continued that habit. The straight black skirt falls to the floor but there is a high slit allowing her leg to be seen with each step she takes. The top is an Asian style, red and gold in color, asymetrical hem falling to just below her hips. The neckline is high. The long sleeves are attached to the collar, ending in points by her hands. No heels, instead a pair of simple flat slip-ons.
    "You have known of my presence for some time," she says. Despite being two rows behind and further down, she had known the moment he sensed her presence. "You did not enjoy the play and I cannot imagine you thought you would. Why did you attend?"

Dr. Mid-Nite (1061) has posed:
    With that question defeated it leaves Chuck there to hold court amongst the intrigued and curious who are so taken with the man's charisma. The older woman smiles happily to the man and nods, "Roger? No I don't know that I do." And she proceeds to listen with such rapt attention, even as her friend who is not getting quite as much attention from Mr. Finley seems terribly put out about the fact.
    One of the music techs steps to stand by Suzanne and asks her, "Hey, Suze, do we have any more bluetooth speakers, there's one that's fritzing over above the bar." He gestures aside towards the bar with one hand even as he touches a fingertip to his earpiece and grimaces. "Can't raise anybody on these things, not getting a response from the van guy."
    Emma effortlessly settles into the new social dynamic, those lawyers chattering away pleasantly, though at the addition of Ms. Frost their discussion is not quite as lurid as it may have once been. But they bring up the topic of the musical and what each of them thought, terribly mundane all told.
    When Shiva draws near the Doctor grunts, "Rental." In reference to his attire, though it does fit him fairly well. But then at her second question he glances askance at her. "Social obligation. Non-profit clinics still need money. Should really send someone else on these things though..."
    But before he can finish his words, there's a ruckus across the way at what passes for the buffet. Abruptly it's /knocked/ over, pushed over on its side by two men in tuxedos and now what look like plastic masks of Disney characters. Pluto and Goofy are the perpetrators who have so viciously cut off the food supply even as they wave their firearms up into the air and fire off a few rounds with a loud /BAM-BAM-BAM!/ that impacts the old ceiling and causes a cascade of dust to fall from on high.
    Across the way Donald Duck is holding an assault rifle and yelling for everyone to get down, causing a shockwave of screams to sound out, rippling through the crowd as more and more people cry out. "Get down, get the fuck down!"
    On the other side Minnie Mouse holds her gun on a few more people in those alcoves, making sure they're locked down and stay there. But it's only when Mickey appears right there near the musicians, his own rifle pointing upwards as he /yanks/ a guy by the arm with him. The guy he's holding by the arm screams as well, but also has a mask on, though it's of Bugs Bunny for some reason.
    "Alright lissen up!" Mickey hollars across the room, "You privileged bastards are getting robbed. All your cellphones go in the BLUE bag, all your valuables go in the RED bags, Minnie will be around to collect them! And if there are any of you super freaks in the crowd!" He grabs Bugs and yanks him closer, "Just know that my pal Bugs Bunny cancels out all your freaky superpowers, so deal with it!"
    Minnie starts making the rounds.

Sister Reinhardt has posed:
    "Sure. Lets see if we can fix it first. Bluetooth tends to flake out if it's not on the precise frequency." Suzanne says as she heads over, with the tech and starts to fiddle with the speaker....JUST as the commotion begins, and the masked people start telling people to get down. Suzanne just takes a deep breath, and finishes fixing the speaker, but she does take a good look at 'Bugs'. "Hmm.....that could be a bit of a problem, I suppose." And suddenly the speaker's working. "Huh. How about that...."

Sam Axe has posed:
Not having powers Sam does not worry aabout whatever effect Bugs might have on people. He stays in character though and goes to the ground like most of the frightened crowd, the difference is he is thinking. First since he is near the bar he grabs one of the stonger alchools available and one of the lighter the staff uses for flaming drinks, a pckets square becomes a crude wick. For now he trys to keep that improvised weapon under his jacket as he waits for Minnie the collector to come his way.

Emma Frost has posed:
    Emma doesn't flinch at the gunfire. She frowns. She glances upwards, and she takes stock of the situation. She plays along, even if it -kills- her to scuff her pants on the floor. Best not to do anything drastic... not yet anyhow. Not until she's certain that Bugs isn't actually capable of blocking her powers. Oh. These cretins better hope that the police arrive and arrest them. Or perhaps the Avengers. Certainly, they're going to need the help of a super hero once she gets her hands on them. But for now, it's a matter of simply undoing her necklace and removing her rings. And seething. And planning the exact unfortunate fate for these -cartoon characters-. Really. Not even a Broadway themed heist? Amateurs.

Lady Shiva has posed:
    The explosion of activity and noise has people screaming and diving for cover. Some had hoped to make the exits to be cut off by the evil creatures in the masks of innocence. In all the chaos, Shiva doesn't move. She remains standing in the same place. Her gaze shifts over each of the villains in turn, a momentary gauging of their abilities. The threat of lost powers does not effect her. She has none to lose. As Minnie finishes with Emma, and moves forth, she will come to Shiva who stands without offering a thing to the bags.
    "I have nothing of value to provide," she says calmly. She holds her hands out to her sides. No jewelry, no clutch purse that she was carrying. Nothing at all.

Dr. Mid-Nite (1061) has posed:
    There are other masked individuals on the periphery, though they seem to be moving to secure the perimeter, locking various doors and closing some of the windows. Shades are drawn with a rattle as gunmen start to filter around and amongst the crowd.
    Suzanne is over near Bugs and Mickey, as the leader of the group is standing behind the musical display. He calls out, "Now everyone stay calm, keep down, and we'll get this taken care of as soon as possible. Consider this a fair tax that you bastards can't wiggle out of, right? No off short bullshit swiss account for a bullet to the face, right?"
    Bugs for his part seems to go weak in the knees for a moment, but he's /yanked/ back up to his feet.
    It doesn't take long, however, for Minnie to make some of the rounds. People are coughing up their phones, their jewels, their wallets, anything that might be of value. She keeps on along the line, moving, moving. She gets to Emma and takes what's due, then she goes on until finding Shiva.
    The attention of two gunmen are upon the woman who refuses to get on the ground, one of them brandishing his weapon and snapping, "Get on the floor, assholes!" The other asshole apparently being the blind man with the glasses who holds his arms out.
    "What's going on? Someone describe to me what's happening! I'm incredibly frightened!" Which comes from the Doctor as he holds his cane out as well.
    "Just get down, on the ground!" Two more gunmen start to move over in that direction.

Sister Reinhardt has posed:
    One of the people 'Bugs' power DID affect, was Suzanne, though the other tech didn't realize it. While the tech lays down on the ground, Suzanne notices that Bugs is EXTREMELY scared, and the leader was just muscling him around. He was a bully.

Suzanne doesn't like bullies.

So, Suzanne simply focused herself and she suddenly 'warped' towards Bugs, grabbed him, and was out of the building with a loud tear of his shirt on the leader's hand.

Knowing hos scared he would be, she leaned him against an alleyway wall. "Stay here, you'll be safe. I'll be back for you." She says putting the pair of glasses upon him and smiling to him. And vanishing in front of him again, to reappear next to the lead gunman......

As the Blue Lantern....

Sam Axe has posed:
Since the doctor and the unkown woman provide of bit of a distraction, Sam goes to work; since most of the criminal crew is focused on that pair he pulls out his Molitov cocktail, he lights his pocket square and rolls the bottle toward Mickey and Buggs, trying to be stealthy about it. It is not going to be nearly as potent as a real device would be but it should still create a nice bang and flash as well as some glass shards.

Lady Shiva has posed:
    As the gunmen come closer, Shiva remains as she has been. A calm beacon of zen in a swirling maelstrom of violence. "All is well, Doctor. These men seek to rob others who have succeeded in life while they have not. Sit, there is a chair two feet to your left." Her eyes never leave the gunmen, a quiet observation of their muscle movements as she gauges what they will do before they do it. Her chin is up, shoulders back, stance still looking like she's not the least bit dangerous with her perfectly coifed hair and lovely attire. "I do now cower. Ever. Your skills are laughable at best, pitiful at worst. Walk. Away."
    The doctor should be so proud of her for giving them a chance.

Emma Frost has posed:
    Emma keeps herself focused. Waiting... tensing... she really -should- avoid showing off her powers. Of course, once Bugs is gone... well, it's really not her fault. Minnie should have been polite. Intelligent. Considerate enough to rob -another- party full of -other- rich people. It really is her own fault that Emma reaches into her mind and simply makes her see... feel... -experience- really, that entire bag of loot suddenly being an entire bag of spiders that oh so desperately want a rodent snack. Really. -Cartoon- characters. The utter gall of it.

Dr. Mid-Nite (1061) has posed:
    One moment Bugs is there, the next moment there's a /rrrrriiip/ and suddenly he's gone. Not before Mickey rounds and blinks, "Wha?" He tries to bring his gun up as quickly as possible, firing off a few rounds at the after-image left behind by Suzanne. "The hell was that?" He has just enough time to turn around and scream at Pluto, "I thought you said that guy stopped powers!"
    Pluto shrugs!
    Then suddenly there's a /CRACK-HSSST/ and a sharp flash of light coming from that impromptu flash bang, catching Pluto and Mickey right as they're talking. The big-earted mouse yells, "God-_dammit!_" And his rifle comes up as he's getting ready to just fire blindly in a fit of rage.
    Minnie suddenly /reels/ as she _shrieks!_ her voice wavering as the bags of goods are dropped to the ground with a clatter as someone's smart phone probably takes the brunt of the impact. She brings up her own gun and takes an aim at the spiders, all the spiders, can't you guys see all the fucking spiders?! Fuck! A few rounds are fired, BAMBAM!
    But the four around Shiva are taken with the moment trying to convince the woman to get on the ground. Then everything starts to kick off and they swing their guns around, tracking... nothing? What is going on.
    Dr. McNider clasps a hand to his chest, "My heart, I have to... sit down." And he does so, and when he half-falls into that wooden chair an abrupt black field of darkness flashes up into existence around him and Shiva... and those four gunmen there close to the edge of the dance floor.

Sister Reinhardt has posed:
    As if serendipidous, Suzanne 'pops' back in after the flashbang goes off. And her own personal 'bubble' protects her from the smoke produced by the flash bang. Just as 'Mickey' tries to pop off a few shots, the gun is wreched out of his hand by an unseen force, and his wrist is bound, before he's lifted off the ground, with the rest of his limbs bound in the same blue force.

Pluto, once he's found, gets the same treatment, before she looks to 'Minnie' shooting somewhat randomly, but she's too far away to just yank the gun out of her hand....for the moment.

Sam Axe has posed:
Sam expected the flash bang but did not expect all the other events, "Things were so much simplier in Miami." He mutters to himself as he starts to grab the civilians closest to him and guide them behind the bar and other available cover, "Alright guys and dolls, stay down and behind here and oyu should get out of this alright." he sort of name drops the famous musical. to give more space for the non-combatants to hide he overturns one of the catering tables.

Emma Frost has posed:
    Emma groans... this is why she's not a superheroine. She throws up a hasty barrier to block the bullets, and then... oh no! One of them must have hit that table leg or something, because that decorative vase just rocketed at Minnie's head like... well, a rocket. She clearly isn't at fault for this. No. It's -Minnie's- fault for panicking at the spider hallucination. She'll have to think of a way to punish her for that as well. And then she simply pulls herself up and wanders towards the perimeter... slow, steady... what? She's not going to hurt the other ones. Not -too- badly. They'll surely get -some- sort of therapy in prison.

Lady Shiva has posed:
    The darkness welcomes her like an embrace from an old friend. She smiles faintly even as she moves.
    The first target is the one to the left. The muscle in his arm had flexed, the finger tightening, as he prepared to take fire at the crowd. The arm is captured, pushed upwards, drawn around behind her as she brings a foot the side of his knee. The sound of the break is loud, the clatter of a gun hitting the floor following it. The gun is kicked in the direction of the good doctor, out of reach of the bodies she leaves in her wake. Then she is spinning, her foot taking the closest in the temple and sending him to the floor. The gun is still in hand so the move is followed with a punch to the throat. Then the gun lands and is kicked way in the direction of the first.
    The other two have heard the noises and are turning her direction with their weapons. Her senses guide her as sight is useless in the darkness so thick it is tangible. Their chi is so faint, she has to rely on her skills as an assassin to guide her. She grabs the hand of one, taking the arm in a hold as she pulls him in front of her just as the gun goes off from the second. The man she is using as a shield grunts, the bullet impacting his shoulder. His gun hits the floor. Still holding the arm of the injured man, she pushes off from him, feet coming into the air and striking the fourth man solidly in the chest. He begins to fall, gun landing somewhere off to his left. She pushes off the impact, using her momentum to flip the one she holds to the ground. A punch to the chest it halted just an inch before it makes contact, a punch that would have killed the man. She frowns and her fingers touch a point on the side of his neck. He passes out without a sound.

Dr. Mid-Nite (1061) has posed:
    Just as a round goes off, the firearm is ripped right out of Mickey's hands, flying up into the air. He shouts, "What the..!" Even as he /leaps/ upwards to try and snare it out of the air suddenly a beam of energy will whip through the air and loop around his hands, binding him and trussing him up like a Christmas goose, yanking him to the ceiling to dangle there rather awkwardly.
    Sam then steps to the fore, lifting his voice even as people reel around him. The three retiree women and a few of the men hunker close to him. The table is knocked over and provides cover from the ruckus, even as one of the women /swoons/ into Sam's arms and proclaims in a throaty voice, "Ohhhh, Mr. Finley!" She touches the back of her hand to her brow and seems to go weak in the knees as well, her dress flouncing about her.
    A few more rounds are pumped into the bags as Minnie continues to panic, but then out of nowhere a vase rockets into the side of her head, crackling into pieces and seeming to /knock/ her to the ground with a seeming weight entirely out of correspondence to its size. She falls down, clean out, the rifle in her hand spinning around on the marble floor and slowly coming to rest.
    Then from the darkness that seemingly manifested out of nowhere there is a series of crunches, cracks, grunts, and screams of pain. There's the sound of weapons clattering on the ground, and a few thuds as bodies hit the ground. Then there's a voice that says, "What's happening, what's happen---ACK!" And then silence.
    The shadowy non-light disappears as abruptly as it came, and reveals the Lady Shiva standing amongst the fallen, with the blind man removing the clips from the weapons and unchambering the rounds with a click.
    And as quickly as that, it's over. Except for the police carting them off.
    Though the Doctor steps around and kneels beside the one with the gun shot wound, checking his vitals and then tearing the man's shirt as he tends to him.

Sam Axe has posed:
Sam turns his head away form the crowd and flashes his trade mark smile for a moment then he gently lowers the fainting woman to the ground. Once the gun fire stops he stands to look around pushign the unneeded glasses back up on his nose, "My that was more exciting than the show." he smips back into the Chuck Finley character that he let lapse when the attempted robbery started.

Sister Reinhardt has posed:
    The Blue lantern easily lowers the gunmen to the police's hands and fairly quickly, disappears.

It's then she appears next to 'Bugs' and walks over to him, if he's still there. "Come on. I need to figure out where to take you. You apparently have the ability to nullify many powers, and I'd rather keep you safe." She says softly. "I don't know if yours is a mutation, but I'd like to verify that as best as possible."

No one will notice the red haired music tech missing anyways, but the BLue Lantern does take a bit of a trip to a place that Bugs could get help.

Xavier's School for Gifted Youngters......

Lady Shiva has posed:
    There is no telling exactly what happened in the darkness for most present. Shiva seems as calm as she was before the entire incident. She just happens to be amidst four downed men. She feels a tress of hair has fallen from her updo. It is quickly tucked back into place.
    As the doctor moves to treat the gunshot wound, she sighs faintly. "He will not die," she points out simply, watching him work. "None of them will. My gift to you, doctor." The paramedics will likely be over soon to assist. Seeing the police, she decides that discretion is the better part of valor. She does not wish to deal with witness statements and interviews. There are too many secrets in her life.
    "Until the next time, doctor. A pleasure as always." Without waiting, she turns and drifts off into the crowd of now milling bystanders.