Log:In a Mirror Darkly, Scene 1

In a Mirror Darkly 2009/08/23 	 Bard Halo Jennifer Lady Luck 1

Bard will just be wandering like he always does.

"This is Heather Lau with CBN, on location at the First Virginian Bank where a hostage situation is under way. Behind me you can see the police have cordoned off the area around the bank where, just minutes ago, and group of robbers attempted a brazen daylight robbery..."

"Police responded to a silent alarm tripped inside the bank to find that the robber were still inside. Reports are not veriied at this point, but we believe that there are at least two bank robbers, and perhaps as many as ten hostages inside."

Bard can be seen in the crowd working his way forward, not sure what is going on. He approaches an officer, all he knows was he got a mysterious phone call telling him to be here at this time.

Amy is out shopping and hears the news report on televisions for sale. Realising the bank is just outside, she hurries to the, stripping off her outer clothes to reveal her costume as she goes.

Jennifer hears the call and makes her way towards the scene of the incident. She draws to a halt beside a police car and asks the officer there, "Who's in charge?"

Lady Luck spots Jennifer and waves as she approaches.

"That'd be me," says a uniformed officer, a Caucasian man in his forties with more stripes on his sleeves than the other cops around. "Sergeant Fowler."

Bard nods. "Can you enlighten me as to what exactly is going on, Sergeant Fowler?

Jennifer says, "Good afternoon, Sgt Fowler. I'm Jennifer Markham." She waves to Amy and signals Amy to come over, "Can we be of assistance? What's the situation?""

Lady Luck heads over to Jennifer and Sgt. Fowler. "Hi - can I help?"

Fowler says, "Multiple perps, from what we've gathered from a couple people how managed to get out. Five or so. One of them a meta, with..." He pauses to look down at a notepad. "'Energy powers'."

Jennifer nods, "Right. Any chance we can talk to the witnesses? And have the robbers made any demands yet?"

Fowler looks around at Bard, Luck, and Jennifer. "/Can/ you help?" He asks. "If there's a meta involved, then my people are going to be out-gunned. We've tried to make contact with the bandits, but they're not answering any of our requests."

Bard thinks. "Can I try to talk to them, or would that be too unreasonable?"

Angstrom nods to Jennifer. He points over towards a police van, where an officer comforts an man and a woman who are sitting on the tailgate of a police truck.

Fowler nods to Jennifer. He points over towards a police van, where an officer comforts an man and a woman who are sitting on the tailgate of a police truck.

Lady Luck says, "I can help, sure! I was beating bank robbers when I was 5!"

Bard chuckles. . o O (I was robbing banks when I was fifteen...)

Fowler nods. "And I've been on the job for a while too -- long enough to know that when the capes show up, sometimes it's best to stand back and let them work."

Bard says, "Do you have a number I can call? Maybe, if we're lucky, talk to them?"

Lady Luck says, "Can we talk to someone who saw the bad guys? I mean, it would hep to know what the meta's powers are!"

Fowler says to Bard. "We've been ringing the bank on telephone and trying to get their attention with the megaphone. So far, no luck."

Lady Luck says, "Then we'll have to get closer to talk to them!"

Bard grins. "Can I try the megaphone?"

Jennifer says, "Did any of the bank employees get out? Someone with knowledge of the bank's interior?"

Fowler points to the two people on the back of the police truck. "Those are the two witnesses. You can go and talk to them."

Jennifer thinks. o O (Lorelei ought to be here. This situation is made for her abilities.)

To Jennifer, Fowler says: "We have the floor plans for the bank here. The security company has been contacted and they are cooperating fully."

Lady Luck has a look at the plans: an indication of her change of attitude over the last couple of years.

Fowler beckons over the cop who has the megaphone. He offers it Bard.

Jennifer says, "Thanks. Amy, shall we go talk to the witnesses? Bard, you want to try talking to them? Sooth the savage robbers with song?"

Bard takes a peek at the plans too, but he's more than willing to just walk in.

Bard laughs. "I'd rather just talk."

Lady Luck says, "Ok, Jennifer!"

It seems like a typical bank -- a main lobby, tellers behind bulletproof glass, a vault, offices for bank execs.

Bard takes the megaphone. Before putting it in his mouth to teh megaphone he asks "Anyone want to give me some luck?"

Bard clears his throat. "Excuse me! We would like to talk for a moment, just want to get what you guys are about, nothing too serious. Just a little chitchat." Bard says walking forward, making it clear to anyone who s looking he's the one who is talking.

Lady Luck goes to talk to the witnesses.

The front windows of the bank have their blinds drawn -- it's tough to see what's going on inside. However, in response to Bard, one of the sections of he blinds shifts as someone peeks through at Bard from inside the bank.

Bard waves. "Hey there. Just want to know what you want."

The two witnesses are a man and a woman, bank customers. The both seem a little tired, perhaps on the downside of an adrenaline rush.

Lady Luck says, "Hi - I'm Lady Luck or you can call me Amy! What can you tell us about the bank robbers? Did you see what the supervillain's powers were?"

The person inside the bank continues to watch Bard. On a closer look, he appears to be wearing a mask.

The man nods. "He's got some sort of energy field around himself and was able to stretch it out from himself to knock out the bank guard."

Bard thinks. o O (Not very talkatvie, let's try again) "I'm trying to make this process painless. Just tell us what you want, it's not that hard adn you know the number to call. It's a lot easier to use a phone than me using this thing and barking at you."

Lady Luck nods. "Do you know where the hostages are? How about the robbers?"

The woman says, "One thing that was funny though... it didn't really seem like they were after the money. The normal robbers wanted to leave, but the force field guy said they couldn't, not until they got something out of the vault."

The man sounds unsure. "10? 12?" He looks to the woman for confirmation. She nods and adds, "About that many people."

Lady Luck says, "Oh, so that's why they've holed up in there!"

Bard sighs and begins to walk back towards Amy and Jennifer. "just give us a call with your demands people" He says spinning around really quick, then goes back to heading towards Lady Luck and Jennifer.

The masked man in the windows disappears into the bank, letting the blinds fall shut again behind him.

[To Bard] Lady Luck says, "I don't think they really have any demands - they just want something out of the vault and the hostages are to stop people coming in till they can get it!"

Fowler steps away to deal with a television news crew that's encroaching on the police perimeter.

Bard sighs. "Well I'm not one for fighting, but it looks like we'll need to sneak in. Any idea on how we can do that?"

Lady Luck says, "I'm not really good at sneaking, I mean, not when people are keeping a careful lookout."

Bard winces. "And solo combat isn't my strong suite, I'm more of a group guy. We can't risk a direct assault though... Give me a moment."

Bard walks over to the blue prints of the bank looking for easy access points, that might be overlooked.

Lady Luck says, "I can maybe stop the hostages getting hurt though, or killed anyway."

Bard turns to the group. "you," He points to jennifer. "You any good at going in unseen?"

Jennifer says, "Does a fish swim?"

Jennifer goes to look at the plans. "Did you find out how many robbers in there?"

Lady Luck says, "Uh-huh! Well, except wen it's dead."

Lady Luck says, "Ten or twelve."

Bard grins. "I like that answer. Now we got two ways in, emergancy exit, possibly gaurded. or ventilation. Either way may trip the alarm, though that already happened.

The two witnesses agree on the number of robbers: four, plus the force field guy.

Jennifer says, "If I was them I'd reset the alarm. The emergency exit is one way in only. Easy to watch. Once in the ventilation system we can go in several directions."

Lady Luck says, "Uh-huh and I'm probably small enough!"

Jennifer says, "Did you get a description of the meta?"

Lady Luck says, "He has a sort of energy field about him which he could stretch to a distance to make someone fall unconscious."

Jennifer grins, "Buck naked or wearing a costume? If so, what color? Is his face exposed at all, showing his skin tone?"

Lady Luck says, "They didn#t say!"

Lady Luck goes back to ask the witnesses.

Jennifer says, "Let's go talk to them again."

Jennifer goes with Amy.

Bard grabs the megaphone again. "My job or yours?" He follows the other two.

Jennifer says, "What are you willing to tell me about your abilities, Bard?"

Bard nods. "Other than being rather persuasive if the need arises, I can generate illusions near me or I can create a wall of sound that damages things, that and keep allies standing as needed."

Jennifer nods to Bard, "How persuasive can you be? If you can talk them out without a fight it would be good."

Bard thinks. "I can try, but I doubt they will be that willing." He walks out into plain sight again.

Bard clears his throat again. "Excuse me, we'd like you to come out peacefully. I mean there is no need to make things get ugly. Nothing can be worth the years of your life that will be wasted in the event you fail. No one really wishes to cause harm to you. just come one out and we can talk about letting you walk. It'll be easy, no one gets hurt."

There's still no reaction from inside the bank.

Bard grits his teeth. He looks back to Jennifer to see if he should keep trying.

Lady Luck says, "I think we'll have to go in!"

Jennifer nods and waves him over. "Had me convinced. I'd have come out. On the other hand I would be in there in the first place. You mentioned illusions? If I got you into a suitable position could you create an illusion that would fool the robbers into seeing nothing amiss while the hostages were led out?"

Bard shakes his head as he returns to Jennifers side. "My illusions are only over a set area. Maybe 4 meters across. Also to make them work I'd need to be playing some music." He unslings the Mandolin from his back and plays a chord, orbs of light orbit around him at the max area.

Lady Luck says, "But you could make it look like we're out here while we're sneaking in?"

Bard nods. "Provided I stay out here I could."

Bard says, "But only for a limited amount of time."

Lady Luck looks to Jenn. Plans aren't her strong point.

Lady Luck says, "We can't take too long or they'll get whatever they want from the vault!"

Jennifer says, "Bard is more likely to be useful inside. Especially if a hostage gets hurt, from what I gathered from his words. I'll suggest the roof entrance to the ventilation system. Down the main shaft to the first floor splitter and then see which gives the best access and observation points. Now, if you haven't been inside a air conditioning system before, you may not realize how dusty it is. We'll want dustmasks to prevent sneezing."

Lady Luck says, "Oh yeah, I forgot about that!"

Lady Luck goes to borrow some germ masks.

Bard gets a germ mask.

Jennifer turns to Sgt Fowler, Can you call a conference somewhere out of sight? That will give us a reason to be out of sight too in case the robbers are peeking. And if you have germ masks in the car first aid kits it would be handy.

Fowler nods. "Good idea. I'll make sure we're out of sight of the camera crews too, in case they're watching the news.

Jennifer nods and smiles, "Good thinking."

Fowler beckons the heroes over to an area in the shade of a police van, shielded from the line of sight of the bank and from the tv news people.

Lady Luck says, "I'm kind of excited. I mean, this is the first time I've been a superhero since I got my powers back!"

Lady Luck follows the beckoning Fowler.

Bard follows.

Jennifer nods to Amy, and to Bard, "This is what I'm trained for. Getting into places unseen and unheard. Follow my lead and watch what I do. Are you ready>"

Lady Luck says, "Uh-huh!"

Bard grins. "I was born ready."

Jennifer nods, "First we need to get to the roof unseen." She looks around for any nearby taller buildings.

Lowtown, so called because it was the first part of the city built on drained marshland, is now the main shopping strip of the city, outstripping the quaint stores of Old Town and rivaling Boardwalk Mall itself. The main thoroughfare, running east to west, is Sea Breeze Boulevard, but even the side streets are busy with commerce. The buildings are less closely packed than in the surrounding districts, with more parking lots, but that's not to say parking is always easy.

Lady Luck says, "I bet I could climb up or something."

Jennifer points to a building, "From there we can shoot a grapple line to the roof of the bank. After checking the robbers don't have anyobe on lookout up there."

Lady Luck nods.

Bard grins. "Wee, zip lines!"

Lady Luck looks out for lookouts. :)

Jennifer leads the way to the nearby building if everyone in in agreement. Might as well take the elevator to the roof. Then move over to look sneakily over the edge of the roof down towards the roof of the bank. Jenn uses her binocs to scan the other roof for any lookouts, or security cameras.

Bard follows Jennifer.

Lady Luck follows Jenn's lead.

Jennifer says, "Looks clear." Getting out her swingline she casts the gapple over to the bank roof and tugs to make sure it;s secure. "Have either of you rappelled down a line before?"

Bard shakes his head. "Nope."

Lady Luck says, "Kind of but not fot a long time."

Jennifer nods, "Okay, hang onto me then." She secures the end of the swingline to the this building and pulls out one of her short Japanese double sticks to use as a runner.

Jennifer hooks the line with the stick, holds both ends, and slides down the line, aiming to breakfall at the bank roof landing to mute any sound she might make.

Lady Luck hangs on to Jenn as she rappels.

Bard grabs onto Jennifer for dearlife.

Bard let's go the last second and attempts to land safetly.

Bard lands safely in a three point landing, his other hand making sure he doesn't lose his Mandolin in the process, which is still on his back.

Jennifer slides down the swingline to the roof of the bank. She tries a breakfall on reaching the bank roof and nearly face=plants into the building. But Bard's slipping free to perform his own gaceful landing lets her recover at the last moment.

Jennifer flashes a slightly embarrassed grateful grin at Bard - Thanks - she mimes, and then holds a finger to her lips.

Lady Luck seems to let go of Jennifer at just the right time to help her landing.

Lady Luck says, "That was fun! Ok, where's the way in?"

Bard gives a little salute.

Jennifer checks around herself to make doubly sure nobody is on the roof watching, and then makes her way over to the ventilation outlet. The first time she checks on getting there is for any alarms on it.

Jennifer thinks. o O (Let's hope Amy's luck holds and she wasn't overheard.)

Lady Luck keeps an eye out for trouble while Jenn checks.

Bard also watches out.

Jennifer nods and goes to work on the alarm. It takes not too long before she clips on a last bypass and wipes her hands on her jeans. Then she gives thought to opening the access panel with no noise. A drop of oil on the screws before they are removed and the panel pulled away.

Lady Luck frowns. She can get down that, but can she avoid making a noise?

Bard looks down. He gives Jennifer a, 'Is this a good idea' look.

Jennifer glances in and sees the sheer drop. o O(Good. Nothing to hang up on.) Stepping into the shaft she supports herself with a hand on the lip of the shaft and puts on spider grip pads on elbows, knees, feet and hands. Clinging to the inside of the shaft she whispers, "Grab hold again. And kep a lookout."

Bard grabs a hold.

Lady Luck does too, keep a look out.

Jennifer moves down the shaft like a spider scuttling down it. She goes slowly, being as quiet as she can and checking ahead of every move for security. In her ear is the little ultrasonic detector to warn her of motion detectors.

Bard quickly puts his mask on.

Bard then grabs ahold for dear life again.

Lady Luck breathes through her mask, holdong on till we get to the horizonal part.

Jennifer climbs down to the point where the shaft splits off into different directions at the first floor level. She stops to listen, recalling the floorplan to determine where each branch leads to.

Lady Luck takes her usual approach: guess the best way to go.

Lady Luck heads the direction she feels is right without waiting for agreemwnt, crawling stealthily.//Stealth. Also Invis ('happen not to be looking this way')

Jennifer follows Amy.

Eventually, the heroes come to a grate where they can see the bank lobby. There are four robbers in the main lobby. One is by the front door. A second is in the back talking to someone out of line of sight inside the bank vault. The other two are watching the hostages who are sitting down in a line in front of the teller counter, on the customer side.

Bard looks at Jennifer for orders.

Lady Luck does, too.

Jennifer grins, looks at Bard and Amy, taps her wristwatch and holds up three fingers. Then she counts down from three... two... one... and breaking out the grill with a casual surge of strength, she hopes, uses her energy whip to pull the vault door shut and spin the locking wheel. "Surprise!" she calls out to the remaining robbers.

Bard jumps down slinging the mandolin off his back.

Just before the vault door closes, a voice from inside can be heard, saying, "What the he--?!" The four gunmen whirl around and immediately focus on Jennifer.

Bard points at the hostage gaurding men. "You don't want to fight us, we are more powerful than you!" He stops pointing and begins to play some music, he makes it appear he splits into three copies.

The robbers seem stunned at the sudden appearance of the heroes and look unsure of what to do next.

Lady Luck drops down beside Jenn and, picking up the grate of the ventilation shaft, hurls it in the direction of one of the guys guarding the hostages, where it bounces of his gun and ricochets towards the other robber's gun....

The flying grate knocks the gun out of the hands of one of the gunmen. It ricochets into the other gunman watching the hostages. He holds onto the gun, but the grate knocks him to the ground.

Wham! Something that sounds large and powerful slams against the inside of the bank vault door.

Bard rushes forward but keeps playing his illusions now stand right next to the criminals acting like they are about to start beating the living day lights out of the criminals but two more of him appear next to himself. He speaks. "You don't want to do this, leave and everyhting will be alright."

Lady Luck makes a face - how did she miss that one? - and gestures at the gun of the armed man by the hostages, knocked down though he be. Her light motes shoot out toward the gun.

The man, as he egins to get out from under the grate, realises his gun's barrel has become bent beyond use, presumably under the weight of the grate.

Jennifer slides out of the air trunking activating her force armor as soon as she's clear. The whip is still in hand and snakes out at the robber near the hostages. Then it curls back to strike at the gunman near the bank door before moving past him and slamming forcefully into the door.

Jennifer slams the two gunman sending them into knockout land. As they drop she shouts to the hostages, "Run. Get out to the police line."

Wham! Again, something tries busting out the bank vault.

The hostages don't need much more of an invitation; they begin to flee through the front entrance.

Jennifer smiles at the remaining two disarmed robbers, "Why don't you two head out to the police too. Because when your friend breaks out of the vault in here is going to be a very dangerous place."

The two remaining gunmen start running for the emergency exit at the rear of the bank.

Jennifer grins, "Sgt Fowler struck me as a rather competent officier. I suspect our fleeing punks will find a reception waiting for them out the back of the bank."

Lady Luck giggles, regarding the occasionally-booming bank door, ready to act as soon as it falls.

Bard drops his illusion and sits quietly focusing himself, he continues to play but he's trying to feel more energized.

Wham! Again the person in the bank tried to break down the vault door. The door doesn't budge a bit. After a moment of calm a voice calls out from the inside. "Hello?"

Jennifer glances over to Bard, "Your cue I believe."

Outside of the bank, the fleeing unarmed robbers run into the waiting arms of the police.

Bard grins at Jennifer. He walks forward. "Yes? how can I be of service to you sir?"

Wham! Silence. Then: "Get me out of here... I have money, I can pay you."

Bard shakes his head and laughs. "We have no interest in money... Just tell us your name and promise to come quietly, I'd advise it before the air runs out in there."

Lady Luck says (not loud enought to be heard in the vault), "Well, I kind of like money....."

Jennifer chuckles quietly, "Amy. He's in a bank vault. Who's money do you think he's talking about?"

Lady Luck nods. "Yeah, I know! I was just saying."

A grunt of exertion is followed by a slightly louder slam against the inside of the vault door.

The vault door holds fast.

Lady Luck says, "I really think you should give up, Mr Villain!"

Silence. "Ok. I'll come peacefully."

Lady Luck says, "Ok - we'll see if someone can open it. Oh - and who are you?"

Bard says, "And what are your meta powers so we can expect what migh come at us?"

Sgt. Fowler comes into the bank with a couple of other policemen, guns drawn. "You guys have things under control in here?"

Lady Luck says, "Uh-huh but the villain's locked in the vault."

Bard grins at the situation.

Jennifer says, "Instead of being in Stronghold he's in a strong box."

Fowler says, "We nabbed the two guys who tried to escape through the back door." He looks at the vault door. "I hope that thing's not on a time lock."

Bard says, "I'd say the situation is /safe/."

From inside the vault: "My name is Mind Force. I move things with my mind. Give me a moment and then get me out of here."

Bard looks at the otehrs, and moves towards the unlucking mechanism for the door., he slings his mandolin onto his back and pulls out a Harmonica from his pocket. He cleans off some lent and gets ready for the others to get ready. "Let's let him out." Bard lips to the others.

Suddenly, from outside of the bank, there's an explosion.

Lady Luck says, "Oh, a telekinetic? Hm.... I can maybe get the lock to - oh!"

Jennifer spins around, "What the...!"

Lady Luck runs to see what the explosion is.

Bard moves towards the doors to see what detonated.

Jennifer hastily follows

Outside of the bank, three robots have set down on the street outside -- one over the smoking remains of a police car. The look like stubby jets with legs, armed with rockets and laser gun barrels. A couple of police are knocked down onto the ground in front of them, conscious and scrambling to get out of the way of the robots.

As one, the robots seem to focus on Jennifer as she exits the bank. One of them drones: "Target acquired. Directive: Terminate."

Bard says, "Friends of yours?""

Jennifer looks curiously at the robots, "But... we haven't been introduced. Normally it takes a couple of minutes before people want to kill me."

To be continued...