Log:Christmas in July, Scene 5

Christmas in July 2014/08/07 	 Amy Tommy Cangelosi Enforcer Mystique Annie Anthony Sidewinder

5

The Colonial Bay Yacht Club occupies a picturesque section of the waterfront, the view to seaward looking past Sandy Bottoms Island and the Colonial Bay Bridge. The grounds are immaculately kept, with evenly trimmed shrubbery and lawns where the members can stroll or picnic.

The club includes a modern restaurant with glass walls overlooking the marina and the bay, boathouses of a basic design unchanged in centuries, and the administration building, a multi-story stone building dating from the early 1900's but maintained to look brand new.

The marina is usually full, with a variety of boats. Small sailboats and motor yachts are present, with a launch spot for jet-skis as well. Larger yachts in traditional styles dominate the scene, and a few more modern hovercraft and hydrofoils float here and there among the standard ships. Mystique enters from Bridgend.

Annie enters from Bridgend.

It's another unseasonably cool summer day in Virginia, though at least there's no snow on the horizon, according the forecast. Not today. Instead, the dreaded Polar Vortex (TM) has brought sixty degree weather in the beginning of August, causing the meteorologists to have to say something other than 'It's nice out'. The restaurant at the Yacht Club is busy today and the owner, Tommy Cangelosi, is showing up to check out operations to make sure things are ready for certain 'guests' tonight. His black hover towncar glides up to its parking space.

Amy has been to the coffee shop, and was disappointed to find it's not the meta hang out it used to be - she didn't know anyone. So now she's walking home in a meandering fashion, and is passing the yacht club. She doesn't mind the cooler weather, since she's wearing a jacket, the easier to carry Natasha.

Amy(#2344PenACcF?)

Standing only 5'1" tall, this young woman is seldom without a smile on her cherubic face, and her the twinkle in eyes is echoed in the the dancing light motes which always surround her, shifting colours with her mood. She wears her chestnut hair swept back behind her ears, but she is always pushing it back again as it falls forward.

She's wearing a T-shirt with the caption "Feeling lucky, punk?" tucked into her jeans; both are tight over her distinctly feminine curves. On her feet are well-worn sneakers.

Enforcer(#2648POenACcF?)

This hero stands at only 5' 7" with an athletic build one only gets from daily training. He wears a black mask with white lenses that conceals his identity, and black layered hair that sweeps across the eyes. There's a small radio earpiece and microphone visible attached to his right ear.

He's dressed in a black skin-tight body suit with charcoal gray high tech armor padding with dark red accents, and armor-plated combat boots. Hard plates protect the vitals, as well as the shins, shoulders, and neck. His black gloves come up to his mid-forearms, also covered in armored plates on the forearms and hands. It's light and flexible enough to not impede movement. There's a black utility belt around his waist that has a series of compartments and gadgets hooked onto it. An assassin's blade is slung on his left hip, and a 6" slim metal cylinder is slung on his right. A black cape with a dark red inside lining drapes over his shoulders, with an attached hood worn down unless he's actively being stealthy. With a press of a hidden button on the collar, the hood and cape can retract or deploy.

Mystique(#1660PenACcF?)

Mystique is a harsh featured Witch seemingly in her mid to late thirties. She wears witches' robes but definitely without the silly pointed hat. Her hair is dark chestnut in hue, hanging in curls down to shoulder length and glistening as if freshly washed and still wet. Her hair is constantly moving as if being caressed by a mild breeze. Mystique's complexion is very pale, almost watery, and her skin and flesh has an odd translucence to it. Unless she concentrates there's a continuous extrusion of misty vapors coming from beneath the robes down by her feet and spreading a few feet out around her location before dissipating.

Quinn, in civilian garb, is currently at the Yacht Club proper. He's come down to make some inquiries about membership and renting a birth for the combined reasons of rubbing elbows with some of the moneyed of the city (something important with his various business and philanthropic ventures) and simply because he's thinking about picking up a new toy.

Anthony(#1396PeACcF)

Young and handsome with a slightly aristocratic bone structure, Tony has none of the swagger of your typical tough guy. Instead his mannerisms are relaxed and casual, those of someone who is king of the world and with nothing to prove.

His hair is a dark blond, the color of beach sand in the setting sun and he wears it neatly combed back over his head, the ends trimmed neat and off his collar. A well trimmed beard and mustache highlight a face that is just this side of thin, though obviously more from genetics than diet, and his skin is smooth and unblemished. His eyes are a bright sparkling blue, like twin sapphire chips and shine with an almost voracious intelligence.

Physically he is of moderate height and build, his arms and chest lean but strong. Just a hair's breathe under six feet tall he probably weighs no more than 80 kilograms or so, though you would guess almost none of that is fat. Either he maintains a scrupulous diet or he has simply been blessed with a metabolism that refuses to gain weight.

Today Tony is dressed rather casually. He wears a black lambskin jacket over a light grey t-shirt. Emblazoned in the center of the t-shirt is a circular logo that proclaims "Wayland Technology Foundation" with oversized capitals across the top with "Department of Inadvisably Applied Mathematics" on the lower half of the circle. For pants he wears a pair of jeans, broken in and comfortable without being worn and frayed. A heavy watch, its hands slowly revolving about its burnished face, adorns his left wrist.

The Colonial Bay Yacht Club occupies a picturesque section of the waterfront, the view to seaward looking past Sandy Bottoms Island and the Colonial Bay Bridge. The grounds are immaculately kept, with evenly trimmed shrubbery and lawns where the members can stroll or picnic.

The club includes a modern restaurant with glass walls overlooking the marina and the bay, boathouses of a basic design unchanged in centuries, and the administration building, a multi-story stone building dating from the early 1900's but maintained to look brand new.

The marina is usually full, with a variety of boats. Small sailboats and motor yachts are present, with a launch spot for jet-skis as well. Larger yachts in traditional styles dominate the scene, and a few more modern hovercraft and hydrofoils float here and there among the standard ships.

Annie(#2679PenACcF?)

Long legs, blonde hair, blue eyes. Not everyone notices her features in that order, but many do. She is only average height, but her limbs and athletic figure make her look an inch or two taller than she really is. For the summer, her skin is a light golden bronze: not pale, but not over-baked. Her posture, smile, and skin all exude youthful vigor and exuberance.

Her pale blonde hair falls nearly to her waist when it's down, and mid-back when in a usual high ponytail. Matching brows and light blue eyes both look even lighter against the tan, or make the tan look darker. Either way, it's a nice contrast.

For the season, she's usually dressed lightly. Shorts, tank, and sandals are very popular. A bikini with or without the shorts is great for around the beach and ocean. Whatever she wears, less is usually more. She has to keep up that tan somehow.

Mystique is seated comfortably on the upper deck of Ellbeth's Yacht. She's yacht-sitting in exchange for access to Ellbeth's library of magic tomes. Seeing the arrival of Tommy Cangelosi she frowns, wishing she could nail him once and for all. In her business as a Private Investigator she's fully awar of his role in Colonail Bay's organised crime.

Yachts mean rich people. Rich people mean money. An expensive restaurant for rich people means good food. A girl has to eat, and she'

Enforcer is sticking to the shadows of some nearby buildings. Some clues and Timewarp's shadowing job lead to the Docks, and Cangelosi's business is here, so Enforcer is here as well. Just doing stealthy recon to learn more about the situation with the Masters of Disaster and the bank heist.

Tommy Cangelosi(#2701TOn)

Your perhaps slightly stereotypical mobster. He clearly is of Italian ancestry, with dark slicked back hair. His suit is charcoal with black pinstripes, which contrasts sharply with his red necktie.

Yachts mean rich people. Rich people mean money. An expensive restaurant for rich people means good food. A girl has to eat, so Annie's on her way there for some food. Who needs reliable income? That's what credit is for!

Natasha smells the food from the restaurant and suddenly flies out of Amy's pocket toward the restaurant! "No, bad dragon! Come back!" says Amy, chasing Natasha into the yacht club grounds.

Tommy smiles and says to Mystique, "I have no idea what you're talking about, miss. I'm an honest business ma..." The back of the van opens up, interrupting him, and six men pile out, all wearing body armor and carrying energy weapons. The presumed leader looks like he's a cross between a snake and a man, based on his scales and the tongue lashing out, testing the air. The leader, Sidewinder, growls and says to Tommy, "Did you really think you'd get away with trying to kill my father? DID YOU?!" In response, Tommy's bodyguards draw their firearms and interpose themselves between Tommy and the gunmen from the van. And leaving Mystique between both groups.

MAMBA Agents(#2700TOn)

Your standard issue MAMBA agents with blasters, body armor, and visored helmets. Five of them in total.

Sidewinder(#2699TOn)

A man...or rather, a snake-man with green-ish black-ish scales, stands about six feet tall. He's dressed in a purple and black suit clearly made of kevlar, with dark goggles and a holstered pistol.

Enforcer's head tilts slightly to lift an ear. Not that it isn't hard to hear the taunts and Tommy's yelling from his hiding spot, but it makes things a little clearer to hear. Including the sound of armored men and Sidewinder's shouting. Looks like staking out this place was a good call.

Quinn can't tell exactly what's going on at the moment. He just hears shouting and when he turns to look he spies Tommy Cangelosi arguing with someone and some kind of UFR (unidentified flying reptile) heading toward the restaurant. While it appears that the fecal matter has as of yet to impact the atmospheric impeller he still decides that it might pay to be prudent. He heads over to a different unmarked van, this one parked in front of the Yacht Club. The side of the van unfolds in an arrangement of mechanical arms which quickly armor him up.

Tommy, for his part, looks confused, "Hey...Mr. Snake Guy...I don't know yous. And I'm pretty sure I don't know any snake people in general. So, I don't know your father."

Amy sees the guns being drawn as she chases the dragon and pauses for this more important thing. "Um, excuse me - which of you are the bad guys?" On the whole, she's guessing the ones withth the guns and meta...

Annie gets to have lunch AND a movie?! Crash. Not just a movie, but a live-action show, and before she orders. She keeps walking towards the guys and guns, too get a better view.

Mystique answers Any. "All of them." is what she says.

Sidewinder looks directly to Mystique, "Please move out of the way. I'd rather you didn't get hurt while I took out the trash."

Tommy and his goons continue to back up slowly toward his car, hoping that the interposing hero will provide enough of a delay for him to get to safety.

Amy nods. "Ok!" Her lights dance about her. "I'm Lady Luck except I'm not wearing my costume but really I am. So, you can all surrender and put down your weapons, ok?"

Mystique mist walks to the side. She looks like she's not intending to intervene.

With the roar of boot jets Quinn takes to the air. He quickly assesses the situation. One one side you have gunmen lead by a cold blooded reptile in human form and on the other you have Sidewinder and a couple of Mamba agents. In between them seems to be a civilian. The armored housing of his gauntlets pop open revealing a pair of missiles on the back of each hand.

Sidewinder is distracted by a dragon flying past to hide behind Amy, and it's enough to put him off his shot, which misses by inches. Of course, this is likely to do with the "bad luck" Amy just sent his direction.

Amy says, "Killing is bad. Maybe you should get him arrested instead, then?"

Sidewinder snorts, "Like that would stick. How naive ARE you?"

Amy thinks. "Not as much as I used to be?"

Natasha snorts.

Enforcer tenses. Blaster fire. That's his queue. And this place is too public for a gun fight to be safe for civilians. He silently fires a grappling line to the restaurant roof and sails over to it while no one apparently was looking, and stays crouched low to the edge just above the battle. His hand reaches for his belt and flings out a salvo of carefully aimed pellets from his concealed position.

MAMBA Agents(#2700TOn)

Your standard issue MAMBA agents with blasters, body armor, and visored helmets. Five of them in total.

Four of the MAMBA agents start to cough, doubling up. One of them doesn't seem to be affected for some reason. None of them go down yet, though.

The Colonial Bay Yacht Club occupies a picturesque section of the waterfront, the view to seaward looking past Sandy Bottoms Island and the Colonial Bay Bridge. The grounds are immaculately kept, with evenly trimmed shrubbery and lawns where the members can stroll or picnic.

The club includes a modern restaurant with glass walls overlooking the marina and the bay, boathouses of a basic design unchanged in centuries, and the administration building, a multi-story stone building dating from the early 1900's but maintained to look brand new.

The marina is usually full, with a variety of boats. Small sailboats and motor yachts are present, with a launch spot for jet-skis as well. Larger yachts in traditional styles dominate the scene, and a few more modern hovercraft and hydrofoils float here and there among the standard ships.

Annie hmms. Ok, the show isn't quite as much fun when she sees Amy in the middle of it. Not to mention cute little Natasha. "Hey, don't shoot at a girl, or a dragon. It's not nice!" She picks up her pace a little, and then reaches out to poke at the snake man. With the tentacle that extrudes and stretches out from her back. A slimy tentacle.

Sidewinder avoids the tentacle. There are a couple of gasps from onlookers on nearby boats...but between the various powers and the gunfire, it's hard to say exactly what they're all reacting to.

The two groups are a bit too far apart for Quinn to reliably hit both of them with the same missile, and as it appears that Sidewinder and the MAMBA agents are the primary instigators he decides to target them. With a whoosh one missile launches off the back of his gauntlet, streaking toward the center of the group before detonating in a decidedly non-concussive <*VORP*>, beams of semi-solid energy emerging from the missile and targeting the five agents and their leader.

One agent is flung into the van, hitting the interior with a thump. Another is blown sideways, clear off the pier, only to bounce off a piling and into the water.

Tommy starts to laugh as the heroes focus on his adversary. Sidewinder growls, "Oh...I get it now. You have the heroes in your pocket too. It figures!"

Amy says, "Hey, I'm not in anyone's pocket!"

Natasha stares at Sidewinder.

Mystique bristles at the laugh from Tommy. She wasn't going to interfere but that annoys her. Turning to Tommy she says, "I was rather looking forward to crossing you off my list. Unfortunately that's not to be. However I wouldn't want you to feel left out." Lifting a hand she speaks a word of Power. Mist forms around Tommy's head. "Get him out of here." She then tells the two bodyguards. And put away those guns."

Tommy wobbles, dropping to one knee, coughing. His laughter stops, though.

The MAMBA agent would have had a clear shot if his coughing associate hadn't bumped into him.

The solitary MAMBA agent who has his wits about him, lets loose with a burst of blaster fire toward Tommy, only to find his fellow agent throwing his aim off.

Sidewinder considers his situation, and runs in a blur over to where Tommy is kneeling, making sure to close the distance, "I know you have the city in your pocket...heroes, police, whatever. I don't care anymore." And he takes close aim with his pistol from a distance of only 3 feet.

Just a Sidewinder fires, a seagull, choking on the dispersing gas, drops out of the air and knocks his arm.

Tommy attempts to roll out of the way as Sidewinder's aim is screwed up again. He growls, clearly getting frustrated.

Sidewinder...is fast. Really fast. He foregoes this gun this time, and attempts to just slug Tommy across the face with his free hand.

Tommy is still hard to hit...and barely avoids the swing, "Hey! I don't even know you! Why are you trying to kill me?!"

Sidewinder growls, "Sonny Capelli. Remember him?"

Amy gives up on the defensive and goes for the most basic. Picking up the loose stone she just stumbled over, she hurls it at the determinedly belligerent snake-guy. "OK, I tried to play nice!"

Sidewinder is flung forward, past the towncar, skidding along the ground. He attempts to roll to his feet...

...not quite managing to do so.

Amy nods in satisfaction as her strike clearly not only hit a vulnerable spot but threw Sidewinders sense of balance!

Natasha peeks out from behind Amy's leg, watching Sidewinder's misfortune.

Enforcer frowns as he's about to spring into action, seeing a tiny rock fling Sidewinder a fair distance further. He's fast, but not fast enough to close the distance. "Hrm," he grunts softly, vanishing from sight in a silent and unnoticed puff of smoke. He's so stealthy his movement goes unseen as he stalks near some cover by where Sidewinder is, maybe four meters away still from his target. He moves so fast he's barely even a blur. Then he reaches for his utility belt and flings out another knockout gas pellet towards Sidewinder's head.

Sidewinder collapses after the pellet goes off in his face. "No...vengean..." (Thud)

Amy says to the surrendering agents, "See? I said you should have surrendered right at the start!"

Tommy gets up and dusts himself off, straightening his tie to try to recover a bit of dignity. "Thank you all for your help. I'll be sure to donate to the police benevolence fund in your names."

Mystique gets out a PDA and checks on the current alive/dead status of Sonny Capelli.

The MAMBA agents have all thrown down their weapons, at least the ones by the van.

Amy goes round collecting up the weapons, just in case anyone changes their mind. Natasha scampers after her.

As quick as it sprang up, now the show's over? Aww. Annie looks a little disappointed. Though it did work up a little more appetite. "Shoul've listened..." She agrees with Amy and waves to the MAMBA people with their hands up. "Bye." Her head and smile almost spin a complete 180 to Tommy before her body catches up. "Can I get some comp, too?" She points at the restaurant and pops up brows.

The goons for Tommy put their firearms away in their holsters, not giving them up to Amy if she asks for them.

Annie(#2679PenACcF?)

Long legs, blonde hair, blue eyes. Not everyone notices her features in that order, but many do. She is only average height, but her limbs and athletic figure make her look an inch or two taller than she really is. For the summer, her skin is a light golden bronze: not pale, but not over-baked. Her posture, smile, and skin all exude youthful vigor and exuberance.

Her pale blonde hair falls nearly to her waist when it's down, and mid-back when in a usual high ponytail. Matching brows and light blue eyes both look even lighter against the tan, or make the tan look darker. Either way, it's a nice contrast.

For the season, she's usually dressed lightly. Shorts, tank, and sandals are very popular. A bikini with or without the shorts is great for around the beach and ocean. Whatever she wears, less is usually more. She has to keep up that tan somehow.

Amy says to Mystique, "You said these are bad guys too?"

Tommy looks Annie over once. "You bet. A free meal, on the house."

Natasha stands up on her hind legs and looks at Tommy.

The police start to arrive...several patrol cars rolling (and gliding in the case of hte hover vehicles) up.

"Well, on the bright side," Quinn says, "Now we won't have to chase him down to administer the MAMBA cure."

Tommy nods to Quinn, "Ah...well, you be sure to do that. He's clearly too dangerous to walk around like that, right?"

Natasha snorts as Tommy doesn't seem to take the hint and goes back to Amy.

Mystique nods to Amy. "It's been a long time. Welcome back. On one side you have a Mamba and Mamba agents," she points to the agents, "and on the other side Tommy Cangelosi, the king-pin of organised crime in the city. Mafia Don."

Amy says, "Oh right, I remember!"

Tommy says, "'Alleged'".

Amy picks up Natasha and scratches her head with a finger.

Amy says, "Uh-huh, alleged. I remember that too!"

Mystique looks at Tommy, "You know it. I know it. Save that for juries and the DA, Tommy."

Amy says, "People allege it a lot."

The police start to take statements from people...and they take the four MAMBA agents and Sidewinder into custody.

Q goes to look for the MAMBA agent who got knocked into the water.

"Totes crash! Thanks!" This worked out really well for Annie as far as she's concerned. She turns from Tommy the alleged and shrugs at the alleger(er?)s. "He seems Ok to me." He comped her a meal, and that's proven beyond a reasonabl doubt.

Enforcer rises up from his concealed position now that the danger's passed and the mamba agents are being taken into custody. He throws a respectful nod of acknowledgement Quinn's way once he catches his eye, then looks around one last time to make sure nothing else is amiss.

Tommy gives his statement to the police, praising the heroes while he does so. Afterward, he goes back to talk to Mystique. "No hard feelings about you hitting me in the fight. At least...no hard feelings yet. Keep your nose clean."

Mystique turns to look in a seemingly uninteresting direction, "Come out and show yourself." she says.

Q manages to find the MAMBA agent's gear underwater. Weapon...armor...but the agent himself is gone.

Q returns with the gear of the missing agent at least. "Guess we'll have to file that guy as the one that got away," he says.

Amy takes Natasha.

Mystique looks at Enforcer. "Do you know you have been marked with a dark and evil presence?" she asks him.

Tommy smiles, "As I said to your friend, you're all welcome to a free meal. Though if you get alcohol, that's on you."

Natasha looks up at Amy.

Enforcer gives a single, slight nod. "Yes," he says cooly. It's not news to him by the sound of it.

Amy says, "Come on, Natasha. We'll eat when we get home!"

Q waves to all and heads out as well. "Take care," he says before taking off into the sky.

Amy says, "What kind of dark and evil presence?"