La Vie de Luxe - Oh Canada! (Site RPG)
[OOC: This RP is a sub game, and follows all the rules of La Vie de Luxe, except this one takes place in Canada, it will join with La Vie de Luxe in the end. See the discussion thread.]
1 Vic-the-Slick
Notre Dame des Neiges cemetery in Montreal, Canada
Vic and a team of henchmen dressed in black hid in the Notre Dame des Neiges cemetery until nightfall. This wasn't all that hard and, heck, Vic thought it was even easy. The evening had been foggy, and the night was foggier still. They loosened the ground around the bronze statue, the Angel with the Broken Wing, and then signaled the helicopter. A dark machine hovered above them, floating on 4 silent rotors. Vic could barely see the blink of a red light as it discharged one end of a strong composite steel rope.
The men connected the rope from the helicopter to the ones already wrapped around the statue. At the outset, the lifting was hard because part of the ground under the statue was either frozen or too compacted. Two men from the team heated up the statue's base to free it. After that, the Angel with the Broken Wings floated into the dark sky and disappeared behind the clouds.
"Soufflé's done," Vic reported, then the men scattered, leaving their 'team leader' to find the nearest lamp post and security camera. Vic smiled wide there and got himself filmed, that oughta get ACME's subdivided attention. Next was to contact Dragon and kick this heist into gear.
2 Chief [Let me give an opening to some ACME Detectives.]
ACME Headquarters, San Francisco.
ACME Control Center quickly processed the image of Vic from the security camera and sent a broadcast to all available agents in Canada to investigate the stolen "Angel with the Broken Wings" from Montreal.
While data was busy being transferred and responses confirmed or stored, all Chief Weller got was an iconic notification on his communicator for his review at a later time. It was picked up by his granddaughter, Hailey, who was playing in his office.
"You got mail, Kuppa," Hailey held the communicator in both her hands and tried to read the message. She couldn't read, but she remembered the picture of Vic the Slick she saw on Chief's computer earlier in the day.
"Leave that alone for now, Hailey, let's go get new shoes for you," Dr. Weller called and Mrs. Weller urged. No matter what it was, Chief knew that Control had everything smoothly running.
3 NinaWest [Thanks Chief!]
Vancouver, Canada
Nina was taking a mini vacation after having arrested Sir Vile, when a friend in ACME messaged her that Chase Devineaux okayed Sir Vile's early release.
"What?" she thought, "that's not even a week!" She wondered what powers possessed him to poke his nose into her case like that. The case wasn't even his department, she and the others should have been told. Then again Nevon would probably take Chase's side, so it was useless to throw a fit.
Then another message came from ACME Control Center that scouts in Montreal confirmed the "Angel with the Broken Wing" statue was stolen from the Notre Dame des Neiges cemetery. Suspect was Vic the Slick.
"I got it!" Nina replied first and got her C-5 clearance to go from Vancouver to Montreal.
4 Kyzano
Montreal, Canada
Dragon was currently sitting just outside the city outskirts in a tree, a single leg hanging down from the branch. It had almost been three days, two and a half really, since she had met with Carmen Sandiego and received, what she now knew, was a disposable phone. Apparently, someone was supposed to call her on it. Dragon had taken the first chance she'd gotten to learn about the small device. Until a few nights ago she'd never needed one so she'd never used one. Sure her ears had picked up the word 'cellphone' more often then not when she was in the city, but she had never really understood what one was. Now she had an object to match to a word.
"I don't understand why someone would want one of these things." She said softly to herself as she rotated it in her hands.
This little device made it easy to find you... why would people want something that was basically a leash and collar? It was not something that was easily used as a weapon and it could not help you hunt for food. It made absolutely no sense to her. Sighing some she jumped down from the tree putting the phone into a pocket. Time for breakfast. There was some small game around here that would suffice, maybe a rabbit or two, she had seen a burrow a few moon's back and she could still remember the location.
Glancing around, she was still on the outskirts of the city, she made sure no one was around before jumping back up to the branch she was on before,which was easily at least four feet over her head, then to the one above that and above that until she was standing on the trunk itself, right near the top of the tree, one clawed hand holding onto the aged wood as her foot was braced against the textured surface as well, he other hand hanging loosely at her side as she stared out over the city. Taking a silent second to breathe in the air, Dragon's eyes looked over the horizon of the city as it slept and for a moment she wondered what it would have been like, what she would have been like if she had been born there. Shaking the train of thought from its tracks Dragon jumped to the next tree catching onto a branch and swinging down to the ground, heading off in search of food.5 Vic-the-Slick
Dialing the number Carmen told him to, Vic waited for his contact, this time Dragon, to pick up. When he heard someone answer, he didn't waste time.
"Ey, yeahum, this is Vic, ah?" started the one time Salesman of the Year, "Yer batt's low, I keep this short: We're meeting at the Viau Bridge, C thinks you're good enough to sniff me out, so let's do that. You find me, we stick together, capice? Don't need to answer, jes show up. Bring this phone with ya." After the message, Vic hung up and was on his way to the meeting point.
Something happened after Carmen went to San Francisco, Vic couldn't figure out what exactly, but something changed. When the boss talked to him last, she told him to keep ACME busy as long as possible, and she didn't mention leaving any cute clues like they'd do for the kiddies. If Vic knew more, he'd probably have a say, but like always, he wasn't told much. So far, things were same-same but different, and Vic kept the questions to himself for now.6 admin [Admin's Note to new Role Players:
In Vic's post above, Carmen okayed the statements that involved her having told Vic something. When writing 'he said' or 'she said' references, run it by the person first to make sure you're not putting words in their mouths.
Secondly, Vic wrote in Dragon's action of 'picking up the phone', according to rules, he should wait until Dragon writes that she picked up the phone first before speaking, however; the action was short and less important than the message.
Thanks for reading!]7 Kyzano
(OOC: I don't mind it, I can rebound off this post but yeah a heads up would be nice next time Vic.)
Montreal, Canada
Dragon stiffened when her pocket started ringing. Glaring as her breakfast ran off, startled by the sound, she took the phone out of her pocket with a growl. Whoever had just called owed her breakfast. Picking up she placed the phone near her ear.
"Ey, yeahum, this is Vic, ah?"
Dragon flinched slightly as she held the phone a little further from her head. Damn this thing was loud! Or maybe it was her sensitive hearing making it loud. She didn't care, she could hear it so it didn't matter how far away the thing was.
"Yer batt's low, I keep this short: We're meeting at the Viau Bridge, C thinks you're good enough to sniff me out, so let's do that. You find me, we stick together, capice? Don't need to answer, jes show up. Bring this phone with ya."
Dragon blinked as there was a beep like noise and, glancing to the small screen, it said the call was ended. Putting the phone back into her pocket. This 'Vic' owed her breakfast... frowning in thought a moment she realized that it was the same voice she had heard talking with Carmen. So Vic had been the male in the hotel room.
Foregoing the chance to catch up to her prey, she would get food out of Vic when she got there, she bounded off into the city. She knew where the bridge was. With nearly three days going by Dragon had scoped out the city, in secret of course, because if there was one thing she prided herself on it was knowing her surroundings. But without her bike, yes she knew how to ride a motorcycle, it was going to take her little over two hours to get there on foot and even then that was excellent time. She hadn't brought her bike because when you're stalking someone silence is key.
When she finally made it to the bridge she saw someone there... was that Vic? She was going to have to assume so. She approached the male, resisting the urge to sneeze when the scent of chemicals hit her nose and stopped a few few behind him. His back was to her... well okay, might as well make sure this was Vic eh?
"You the one who called me?" Her voice was a bit low for a female and it was, as usual, rougher then your average human being. Dragon blamed all those years growing up in the wild when growling and other such sounds were the only form of communication. Thickened her vocal cords, least that's what her adoptive mother had said, and that's what made her voice the way it did, usually it made first meetings a bit tentative as it had a tendency to unnerve the other person more often then not, well that is once they took in the obvious that is.
So she stood there, her crimson eyes staring the man down as the silence was broken only by the water below the bridge and the wind breezing through the sleeping city.8 Vic-the-Slick
[OOC: Ey, Admin, you should make more of these tips, they help, ah?]
Supposedly, Vic was a pro, having been with Carmen longest, if you deduct the time Sarah Nade left VILE for Hawaii. Sarah's always got a teeny ledge over him that way. He's seen a few things, but that don't make it easier meeting a girl with claws and fangs for the first time at a quiet place like this.
"Yeahum, you got the phone?" asked Vic with one hand stretched for the disposable cell.
9 Kyzano
"Yeahum, you got the phone?" asked Vic with one hand stretched for the disposable cell.
Dragon took a moment to look at the man before nodding and taking out the phone from her pocket, placing it in his waiting hand.
"You owe me breakfast." She stated as her hand fell back to her side. This man was an interesting one, but if he worked for Alpha then she would be... civil. At least to the best of her ability. She was still working on that part.10 Vic-the-Slick
"Then let's go get breakfast, Girlie, what do you eat?" asked Vic while he pulled out the phone's battery and SIM card. Then VILE's best Salesman put it on the ground, smashed the thing with his foot, picked up a tiny gold modified chip that fell out, and kicked the rest of the phone into the river below.
"There's a steak place near here, it's seedy so no one'll notice you," Vic was being honest, "you ain't a Veg, ah?"
11 Kyzano
(OOC: HAHAHHAHAHHA! I nearly died when I read that Vic! Vegetarian!? Really?! AHAHAHAHAHA!)
"Then let's go get breakfast, Girlie, what do you eat?"
Dragon watched the man destroy the phone, she was actually glad about that."There's a steak place near here, it's seedy so no one'll notice you,"
Dragon thought a moment, she did NOT like being in the city longer then she had, she liked being around humans even less. But she was hun-
"you ain't a Veg, ah?"Dragon was silent for a few seconds. The shock of someone even ASKING her that question had effectively killed any thought process. Vegetarian? Her? Did he honestly just ask her that? With a small growl of annoyance Dragon gave him an almost deadpan look, one that even the most dense could read as 'Do I LOOK like I am?'
"Steak sounds good to me Vic."12 Vic-the-Slick
The steak house was at least 10 years old, and you could tell where it was just by walking down the street it was on. The smell was great, but the service doesn't exist. You order your food, they give it to you with plastic utensils, you eat, that was the deal. Vic ordered two steaks, one for him, one for the girl.
"So," the greasy-haired one talked, "what's your specialty?"
13 Kyzano
Dragon had to admit the place did smell good, though she could tell that it wasn't exactly the best place. Honestly she didn't care, her immune system was extensive. She had foregone cutlery, she'd never used them in her life before. So she was eating with her hands, the way she usually did when hunting.
"So," She paused a moment in her eating, to look over at the man. "what's your specialty?"
Thinking for a second she decided to finish off the last half of her food before answering, it took her about two bites and less then a minute.
"Care to explain that a bit more?" She didn't really understand what Vic was asking.
Ahh food. She enjoyed it so. She was still hungry but it would do until she had to hunt again. The less time she had to spend around humans the better. She'd head back to the river or something later to clean her hands off. For now she'd deal with it. She needed to bathe at some point today anyway.14 Vic-the-Slick
"Yeahum," Vic started in a low voice, "you got yer claws, ah? They're good. What else can ya do for us. My specialty, I get info. I can dig the dirt on what's where, maybe do a little accounting on the side, and I sniff out the bad seeds before they bother the boss, see." Vic looked particularly proud even in the soft way he spoke, he liked being considered as right under Carmen, even if Sarah Nade gets that position most of the time.
"We'll be spending some time together, you-me, Tike," he put his hands together to signify a partnership. "You tell me what you're good at, I get the jobs that suits ya, deal works out best for both of us."
15 Kyzano
Dragon listened to the man. "I can do a lot. But I'm a hunter through and through."
She smirked a touch, her canines becoming more visible as she did so, crossing her arms. "You need something blown up, I can do that. You need something stolen, I can do that. You need someone stalked and captured, I can do that. You need someone to take care of someone else, I can do that." She chuckled a bit.
"It really depends on the job." She looked to him. "And please... My name is Dragon." She didn't mind the nicknames, but they were starting to get on her nerves.16 Vic-the-Slick
Vic listened and was half happy that the girl was skilled, the other half of him wasn't sure about her pride. The proud ones from the start don't stick with VILE very long. Carmen likes 'em proud, she thinks it shows character, but that's her judgement, not his. From his experience dealing with new Tikes coming in, some think they can do everything, and some don't like being told what to do. Others come to think they're better off on the other team, and etc.
"Yeahum, ok," Vic skidded on and looked through his notepad for jobs in Canada, "there's a house not far across the river, kindda quiet, owner owes some guy named Bettham money. Supposedly, he's out of town, Bett wants his cut, whatever else, we keep.
"Another job has us going down town and blowing up an old basement to see if some safe down there's still got dough left.
"There's another one about a shipment of sandalwood at some warehouse, gotta be real sneaky with that, guards around, but could pay big.
"What's your pick?"
17 Kyzano
Dragon listened but instantly perked up at the sound of being able to do some explosions. "Why not start with the explosives. And figure out what to do after that." She liked explosives. She liked them a lot.
18 Vic-the-Slick
"Down town it is!" Vic put his notebook away and texted some people on his phone. "I'm getting some plastic sent to the area, should get there after dark."
The old town houses in downtown were due to be demolished any way, and Vic explained this to Dragon in detail. He had a hand-drawn map of the area for her to look at. It would be his job to get them to the building and her job to get them inside.
"Got a few hours to do nothing," added Vic, "then we head in around midnight. Meet me back at the bridge."
19 Kyzano
Dragon nodded. "I'll meet you there at midnight then." She said as she stood. That was good, this gave her time. She could get clean, train a little and go hunt down more food... and grab a few of her own personal stash of Kablamo's.
She looked to Vic waiting for him to stand as well, she did learn a bit about manners from her human mother. And she remembered that it was polite to wait for the one you shared a meal with to leave. It was similar with the way she grow up, except with more in the pack instead of just one20 Vic-the-Slick
Vic got up, paid the bill, and started walking to the door. "Good meeting ya, Ti-uhm-Dragon," he said, ready to leave, "You can tell time, ah? Won't be late?"
21 Kyzano
Dragon chuckled walking to and then out the door with him. "Yes I can tell time. When the moon is at it's place in the sky I'll be at the bridge." She turns and nods to Vic.
"Nice meeting you too Vic." With that she turned, jumped up onto the roof of a nearby parked van, then up onto the top of the lowest nearby house and the last Vic saw was her back as she jumped off the other side of the roof, heading to places unknown. All in under 5 seconds.22 Vic-the-Slick
Vic pulled up his collar and put on a hat, then put his hands in his pockets. He thought about asking Carmen again, do a little check to see if she's right with this Dragon character, but again, he kept it to himself.
For the rest of the night, he called the gambling rehab place for his dear ol' Ma, then he made sure the drones delivering things got it right. Might be a long night tonight.
23 NinaWest
[You guys write fast! Nice job!]
Notre Dame des Neiges cemetery in Montreal
Arriving at the cemetery, Nina West searched everywhere but couldn't find a single clue. For the first time, it looked like VILE cleaned up after themselves. Except for the hole in the ground where the Angel with the Broken Wing used to be and Vic's big grin caught on camera, she had almost nothing to go on.
Over the next few minutes, Nina established the time of theft using the security camera footage of Vic. Next, she contacted air towers in the area to see if any picked up an unidentified aircraft on radar. Then she requested that any other camera around be given to ACME crime labs. This has to be the most boring part of crime solving.
Best she could do now was wait for the next thing to happen, if it ever does
24 Kyzano
Dragon had a busy day.
After leaving the city she headed back to where she left her bike, and her shoes. Now that she had transportation, she made tracks for one of her stashes and for where she knew she could bathe in private.
But before this it was time to fully feed herself. That meant it was time to hunt. Parking her bike and taking off her shoes Dragon bounded off into the woods, she only had one stash near the city and the rest were near places she could bathe and hunt.
Taking down a few rabbits and a deer, Dragon ate what she could and left the rest in the open, she'd eaten about half the deer and all three rabbits she'd caught. A lot of food, but for the active life Dragon led she needed it. Besides that fact, her body needed a lot of food, particularly meat. But she didn't want to waste the deer or have it go bad. With a small sigh she closed her eyes, took in a breath, then threw back her head in a perfect howl.
Living with wolves taught you quite a few things. She could even converse with them. Animals had circles humans couldn't even begin to comprehend. But that was something for another day.
After that she took off for a bath. Hoping that whatever wolves, if there were any, had heard her and were on their way to the free kill. Winter was coming, and with that it meant any meat was usually welcome. Even more so a fresh kill.
Bathing was cold but it wasn't as cold as it would be come winter. Dragon was used to it. Though she didn't take as long as she did in warmer waters. It was only around midday by this time and so Dragon settled in for some training. That took the rest of the day and then, when it was time for her to start heading back to Montreal, Dragon took off on her bike.
Leaving her bike near the outskirts of the city, along with her shoes, her feet had small claws on the toes and that helped when she wanted to climb walls, she resumed heading for the bridge on foot. Two hours later and almost exactly on the dot of midnight she was there. Though she remaining completely hidden in the shadows, she wasn't coming out until she saw Vic... or smelt the chemicals that clung to him at least.25 Vic-the-Slick
Vic was watching the road nervously when he felt someone watching him. Hoping that it's Dragon, his partner for now, and not ACME, Vic looked around, seeing if he could spot anything.
In his hand was a map and a set of car keys for an old Buick. If they were going down town, they were going in s-t-y-l-e, like two bit crooks did back in the 70s.
26 Kyzano
Upon seeing, and smelling, that it was indeed Vic; Dragon stepped out form the shadows. She silently walked over to Vic and stopped about four feet from him. "I'm not late am I?"
The only thing new about Dragon was the fact that she now had 6 grenades around her belt. But other then that, nothing had changed much.27 Vic-the-Slick
Vic, already nervous, jumped and dropped the car keys. Brushing himself off and picking them up, he looked at Dragon with a chuckle.
"Ain't got the kindda bones I used t have, y'know," he looked around again, "Get in the Buick, ah? We're going down town!"
28 Kyzano
A car... Dragon paused a moment then let a deep breath out of her nose. It would only be for a short while, and if needed she could always kick the door off. She went over to the aforementioned car and got in the passenger seat. She knew little about cars, but she knew enough.
29 Hobbes
Hobbes gave Officer Laurent a dour frown as they coasted through the deserted intersection. After receiving a message from an ACME Agent Nina West to assist in the investigation of criminal activity within Montreal, Hobbes had spent a four-hour trip from Detroit to Quebec crammed in his snarling K-Car, which bled rust from hood to trunk. Suspect Vincent Fumagalli leered from a warped black and white photo that had fallen near the pedals under Hobbes’ feet.
After arrival, Hobbes had been greeted by surly Officer Louis Laurent, who had disappointed Hobbes by not wearing a Mounties uniform or speaking English, which proved to be a problem in allowing him to navigate their way to La Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery, where Hobbes assumed Agent West may have been gathering evidence with Canadian forensic scientists. If Montreal had any forensic specialists, that was.
"Est-ce que vous connaisez l'homme? Do you know the guy?" Officer Laurent inquired bluntly, gesturing to the image of Vic.
"Non. Je suis nouveau et je ne connais pas les malfaiteurs. No. I'm new. I don't know any of the criminals." Hobbes replied shortly in broken French.
"Alors, un débutant. A rookie, then." Officer Laurent grunted dismissively, closing his eyes.
Hobbes frowned deeper, concentrating on the information he knew of Vic the Slick. A suspected international criminal, the man had deliberately stood in front of a surveillance camera with the intention of being taped. The airborne vehicle onto which the statue was lifted had abandoned the heist’s apparent instigator. At the end of the video, Vic walked calmly out of the frame.
The fact Vic had remained behind was a telling move, Hobbes was certain, if not so sure as to what it indicated. Was this man a red herring? The entire mission in Canada a wild goose chase? Why did so many metaphors involve fish and birds?
Hobbes cleared his thoughts. Even if it was a diversion, ACME Agents had a function to perform and Hobbes would do it without complaint. Find Agent West, alert the police service of Montreal and defend likely targets, banks and museums being most in danger of robbery. That is your job Thomas, he thought, just do your job and everything will be fine.
Roaring by a Buick, Hobbes flicked a glance at the man in the cheap polyester suit and his daughter. A theory for Vic's next move after leaving the cemetery was forming in the agent’s mind when a sliver of unease cracked through Hobbes.
Gliding over to the road’s shoulder, Hobbes slid the car to a halt and eyed the pair by the Buick through the side door mirror. Squinting, he eyed the silhouetted figures with dark suspicion in the distorted twilight.
"Officier Laurent, je crois que nous avons trouvé Monsieur Lisse. Officer, I think we may have found Mr. Slick." Hobbes reached carefully into his pocket and withdrew the gleaming ACME communicator. Agent West would want to be informed about this potential suspect. He started writing her a message.
30 NinaWest
[OOC: To move this on, I'm going to say Nina got the message about Vic being in a car, and I'm going to use Chase's GPS trick back in the "Luxe" RP here too. Thanks for posting, Hobbes!]
Nina West was just wrapping up the scene of the crime, concluding nothing other than shoe prints that probably already belonged to Vic. When she got the message, she rushed to her little electric car and replied by voice:
"Nina West here, I have my GPS on, Agent Hobbes, turn yours on too and you'll see me. Follow that Buick if you can. I'm right behind you."
The electric car buzzed on the pavement, going as fast as it could.31 Hobbes
"Yes ma’am, Agent West. I’ll stay on them. It's good to hear you're nearby." Hobbes activated the GPS on his communicator. Hunching behind the wheel, he scrutinized the figures in the car mirror.
"Just to clarify Nina, I have crossed a man who may fit the description of Vincent Fumagalli." Hobbes continued. "I believe the suspect is wearing a polyester suit. He is standing beside a Cadillac or Buick with a female who appears to be in her late teenager or young adult years. If you have a pressing matter to which you need to attend at the graveyard, that is fine ... actually, it would be better if you came. I'm not well-equipped for an arrest."
Hobbes had forgotten his handcuffs back in Detroit.
32 Vic-the-Slick [All youse up for a car chase?]
Vic got into the Buick after Dragon did and started driving towards the seedier parts of down town Montreal. Nights before, he met Carmen at the Ritz Carlton, but that part of downtown was fancy and didn't need any kind of vandalism.
Closer to town but still on the highway, Vic thought he spotted a follower and he leered. To test if he was right, he put on the turn signal to take a detour, heading to route 148 to Laval.33 Kyzano
Dragon hated cars... and when she noticed Vic getting suspicious she barred her fangs growling.
"What's wrong Vic?" She half snarled, not at him but more at not being told what was going on. She was sitting there with her arms crossed, the 6 grenades still around her waist.
34 Vic-the-Slick
"Looks like someone's sniffed our trail," Vic said to the rear view mirror, "keep them explosives safe, ah? We're taking detours."
Vic's not bad at losing cops... he learned that in Italy, where he knew how almost everything worked. Italian car chases were a dozen a day. Buicks were bigger than the Minis he was used to, but it was an old, normal-looking car, wouldn't be too hard to hide in a seedy neighborhood or a junk yard.
He checked if the other car was still behind35 Kyzano
Dragon growled again. "If you can't lose them soon... I'll deal with them." She said as she turned her head looking out the window.
36 Hobbes
"Est qu'il le voleur, agent Hobbes? Is he the thief, Agent Hobbes?" Officer Laurent inquired as their car did a sharp turn onto Route 148.
"Peut-être. Maybe." Hobbes replied, crouched behind the steering wheel like an animal preparing to strike. He knew if it was Vic the man needed to be stalled and if it wasn't, Nina would be abandoning vital evidence at the graveyard for the wild assertion of a crackpot rookie. Hobbes felt frigid with indecision as to what to do.
Then he had an idea.
Vincent Fumagalli had no idea who Thomas Hobbes was. And between the thick-lensed glasses, ancient rolling rust bucket and rumpled pencil-pusher appearance, Hobbes hardly looked like an ACME agent. In fact, he blended right into a crowd. And he knew French ... an idea formed in Hobbes' head.
Practicing his good Samaritan face in the rearview mirror, the ACME agent flashed his headlights at the Buick.
"There's something wrong with your car. Think there is something wrong with your car, Vincent." Hobbes hissed quietly, gritting his teeth.37 Vic-the-Slick
"Yer seein this?" Vic asked his passenger, "That Canadian or what? What kinda guy would follow another guy down a different route just to give a Good Samaritan signal?"
38 Kyzano
Dragon glanced in the rearview mirror and smirked a touch at what Vic said. "Not likely, there are few humans awake at this hour who would do so, though I've seen a few Canadians do it before. But it's odd... I hear and smell nothing wrong with the car Vic. Nothing's changed since we got in here." Her eyes flicked over to the rearview mirror again. "Why would he be signaling if your car is fine?"
39 Hobbes
Hobbes stopped flashing the Buick. Leaning on the horn, he grinned as the K-Car squeaked out a series of friendly beeps.
"Come on, Mr. Fumagalli. I won't be deterred. There is an imminent danger of which you must be warned." Hobbes laughed, a manic grin splitting through his sulking features.
"Quoi? Qu'est-ce que vous avez dit? What? What did you say?" Officer Laurent asked, leaning away from the ACME agent with a nervous grimace.40 NinaWest
Nina docked her communicator on a little plastic thing on her dashboard and followed the dot marked "Hobbes". Noticing they took a turn down another highway, Nina called highway patrol to see if they could get a night vision shot of the driver and passenger in the Buick.
While waiting for the picture, she decided to cut them off at an intersection. There, she saw the Buick pass by first, not too fast at about 50 mph, then Hobbe's blinking his lights right after. Nothing looked dangerous yet.
A few seconds later, two images showed up. One was Vic the Slick and an unidentified VILE agent. Next was of Hobbes and a passenger, a crazy grin on the driver's face. Agent West made a note to ask about the grin... later. Here goes, Nin thought to herself and sped up.
"Agent Hobbes," Nina said to her communicator, "I'm right behind you, driver of the Buick has been identified as Vic the Slick, positive!"
41 Vic-the-Slick
Vic cursed a little, seeing another car turn off the intersection and following them. That's cop maneuver, no bones about it.
"We've been nice, Tike," time to shake them off. It didn't matter if there was something wrong with the car and that Canadian with the blinking headlights was right. They were ditching this piece of junk anyway. Vic hit the gas.
42 Kyzano
Dragon growled sharply at the sound of the horn. She was ready to take matters into her own hands. Then Vic sped up. She forced herself to relax a little.
"Let's just get this over with... I'm ready to throw one of these things at them." She muttered, oh she wanted too. But she wouldn't kill them. Scare them a bit maybe, make them go away maybe, but not kill them.43 NinaWest
Nina saw the Buick speed up and decided to take matters into her own hands. She moved her car in front of Vic's and slowed down. This was the first and easiest move to try get another car to stop.
44 Vic-the-Slick
"Ah haa!" Vic laughed, "Look at that, not this time, coppers!"
He steered from side to side, but couldn't get through. Dang fancy electric cars!
"Hey you got any ideas?" he asked the passenger.
45 Kyzano
That was IT! Dragon was tired of being in a car and pissed off at the people interfering with her night.
"Yes."
Unbuckling, she opened the door partway and stood up, grabbing one of the explosives from around her waist. Pulling the pin she poised her arm to throw... focusing on the grenade in her hand rather then everything else Dragon counted down the seconds and then threw it towards the car in front of them.
The grenade never made it to the car, but rather exploded in the air above it, making one hell of a bang and some smoke, but not actually injuring the car or the person inside. These people had pissed Dragon off, but that did not warrant death.46 NinaWest
"Holly effin Golightly!" Nina exclaimed, ducking a bit even though she didn't have to. This caused her car to shift to the side, while she tried to figure out what just happened.
47 Vic-the-Slick
Kid's got some firepower! Vic smiled, "good job!"
He laughed as they sped past Nina's car. Take that ACME. Knowing they weren't in the clear, Vic planned a new route in his head.
48 Kyzano
Nodding with a growled grunt, she swung back into the car closing the door and buckling up.
"Thanks." Dragon had five grenades left. She'd use as many as it took to get away though.
Like Hell she was getting caught on this mission.
49 NinaWest
Still swallowing hard, Nina West kept on driving after Vic. That's her only option now, they made the first aggressive move.
"Agent Hobbes?" said Nina to her other unit, "did you see what that was? They're hostile, what's your suggestion?"
50 Hobbes
"I saw it, Agent West. Don't worry, that explosion was definitely life-threatening." Hobbes said unwittingly. "Oh. Oh, wait, no. I didn't mean that. Thrown inaccurately, Ms. West. Not to worry. It was thrown inaccurately. No danger to you." Hobbes quickly added, pulling behind the Buick with a clutch-sputtering lurch.
"I believe we can assume the occupant of the vehicle is suspect Vincent Fumagalli, Agent West. His unidentified female passenger I profiled earlier is likely armed and therefore both suspects should be treated as dangerous. Whatever they're planning, it must be important.
"Now, Nina," Hobbes continued, "Sitting beside me right now is Officer Laurent, who can summon the entire on-duty police force of Montreal with one radio call, so long as we do not call between eleven or five after eleven when they all go on break. Besides then, the capture of an international criminal would look very good on the police and they would help us as much as possible. But I think it is important that suspect Vincent lead us directly to where he plans to go.
"My plan is to switch roles, Nina." Hobbes said. "You continue the exciting job of pursuing the suspects while I perform the boring duty of following from a block away. Then, you 'lose' them at a convenient point for me to roll into the picture again and present myself as a French-Canadian criminal who was promised payment by syndicate leader Carmen Sandiego in exchange for assisting suspect Fumagalli in his heist. By pretending to be working with them, I will hopefully gain enough trust to follow Fumagalli and lead yourself and the Montreal police force right to where the suspect plans to travel. I hope that sounds like a plan, because I see an intersection coming up."
The gas pedal ground into the floor, Hobbes' K-Car brought his bumper behind the Buick with a sputtering wheeze. Arriving at the intersection, the pencil-pushing desk-type rammed the emergency brake into gear and veered left in a curtain of burnt rubber. Releasing the break, Hobbes sped forward and took a quick right, perspiring as he thought about all the ways his plan could go horribly wrong.51 NinaWest
The expression on Nina's face ranged from surprise to uncertainty to confusion then back to surprise as she listened to Agent Hobbes's suggestion. Infiltrating the enemy? Sounds like something that could take weeks to clear with Chief. If you were higher on the food chain, thought Nina, you can do anything you want and say it was situational.
"Let's do it, Hobbes," Nina replied, she was part adventurous and part still upset that Chase Devineaux stuck his nose in her case and released Sir Vile early. If anyone in ACME can do just about anything, then she could too. "I'll 'lose' them in about 2 miles, you take it from there."
[OOC: Great post, Hobbes! Now we're rolling!]
52 Hobbes
"Excellent, Agent West. If this works out, we might just kill two birds with one stone, so to speak." Hobbes replied smugly, sliding his vehicle gracelessly through sporadic traffic.
"Oh. Nina, in case Officer Laurent is incapable of making the call for reinforcements, would you be able to re-affirm the request? That is to say, double-check that a transmission was sent? It would be my inclination to invite the power of the local authorities to crack down on our suspects, but I am assuming ACME agents would also be invaluable to our assault.
"And if anything goes wrong, I will take full responsibility for disobeying your commands, Agent West. But let us hope luck is on our side. We've been fortunate thus far. Maybe prudence takes us a little further."53 NinaWest
"Affirmed!" Replied Nina as she moved her buzzing electric car closer to the Buick and checked the SatNav for a good spot to play her part of the plan.
Her teeth gritted when she thought about this plan going wrong. Vic Fumigalli was one of the few VILE agents that had regular contacts with Carmen Sandiego, and getting this close was almost too close. Vic doesn't look like much, but he's smart. Letting local authorities deal with him could result in an escape.
"Be careful, Agent Hobbes," Nina said, "you might need to leave Officer Laurent first, suspect has experience with authorities."54 Vic-the-Slick
While the two ACME agents exchanged parts to a plan, an oblivious Vic the Slick was still trying to figure out a way to lose the one remaining car on his tail.
"We're city-bound," Vic said to Dragon, "when we hit traffic, it's gonna get harder to lose this one, ah? You try give it a scare again when we hit the next bend."
55 Kyzano Dragon listened to the man driving and merely gave a grunt in reply. Her eyes scanning the road. She noticed that now they only had one follower.
"They're trying to corner us." She snarled.
Wolves did something similar, at least similar in the general concepts. Hunting in packs you co-ordinated your efforts; that's how you got the prey. In this situation, two hunters running at the prey in the same direction would be useless as long as the prey remained ahead.
"Vic, I have a bit of an idea, but no matter what happens you keep driving got it?" Her idea was dangerous... if her timing was off things could go very, very badly for her. But it was worth the shot.56 NinaWest
Nina pulled up closer to Vic's car, she wanted to look like she was persistent. It was dark, and they had been almost bumper to bumper for miles. She hoped Agent Hobbes was doing well, she could see his little dot on the SatNav about a block away.
57 Vic-the-Slick
"Corner us?" Asked Vic, "Ya better be sure, ah?" This girl's been spending her life rolling around in the forest, what does she know about how drivers, especially cop drivers, behave? He'll have to talk to Carmen, if this goes wrong, it weren't his fault.
Vic did as he was asked, and kept driving. "Don't do anything dumb, Tike, I can't come back and collect ya if something goes wrong."
58 Kyzano
"Look, there's only one car tailing us now. There were two, and wolves do this when hunting. It's how a pack works. One plays decoy while the others nab the prey from elsewhere." She looked behind them again, trying to judge the cars distance.
Thinking quick Dragon faced a problem, she'd have to leave the grenades behind if she wanted to go through with her plan. Not that she didn't like it, but they'd come in handy. "Vic just tell me the meeting point, if I do go through with my idea I'll make my own way there."
She would stay until she had no alternative. But it did relax her some to have a backup plan.59 Vic-the-Slick
"Yeahum..." Vic thought about where a good quiet spot was going to be. "Ya remember the Ritz, ah? Where Carmen was nights ago, you got meet me in the alley there, but I can't stick around long. If I ain't find ya tonight, I report back to Carmen, say it's a bust, then we start over."
60 Kyzano
Dragon nodded. "Don't worry Vic, if I go through with my plan, I'll be there. For now let's be careful, We don't know where our second follower went."
Dragon still wanted to go through with her plan, but until she had a clearer idea of what the fallout would be, she'd stick to the car. No matter how much she hated it.61 Hobbes
"Leave Laurent behind?" Hobbes laughed. "Yes, Agent West. I suppose if you are suggesting I strap myself into the backseat of our suspect's car I would probably need to leave Officer Laurent behind. His uniform just might give him away, grubby as he may appear. Not to worry. I know how to get Laurent out of sight."
Reaching across to his passenger, Hobbes grabbed the officer by the neck and pulled him roughly to the car floor.
"Je suis désolé, mon ami. Sorry, my friend." Hobbes hissed excitedly to Laurent. "Ce que je fais c'est necessaires. This may be necessary.
"I'm ready to do the switch whenever you are, Nina." He said into the communicator. "If this works out, we'll have our suspects held hostage faster than Julius Caesar did over the Senate of Rome."62 Vic-the-Slick
The one-time world's greatest salesman snapped a look to his rear view mirror and, from the red light of his Buick, could see the blond girl driver behind him. It's ACME alright, young, plucky, with an electric car. Classic. Dang she looks mad, and she was moving closer too.
Seeing lights up ahead, Vic guessed that was the blinking orange that told people to slow down. Vic pushed the gas petal as far as he could, the old car bucked and sputtered, but it did exactly what it should and the speedometer needle moved faster to the right.
63 NinaWest
"Affirmative on that, Agent Hobbes," Nina saw the Buick speed off and quickly push the pedal on her car too. This electric car wasn't made to go so far so fast, so it stayed at around the limits. Nina cursed then said under her breath, "Come on Fumigalli, lose me, lose me already!"
64 Vic-the-Slick
Gonna lose you now, ACME Electric, Vic smiled to himself. This here maneuver is what we call the Italian Seesaw. When they passed an intersection, he spun the Buick around, it was a bigger car, so it didn't move so much in circles. The Italian Seesaw usually involved at least two Mini Coopers, but this was gonna have to do.
Now facing Nina's car, he got the Buick moving again. It was kind of like playing Chicken, but he's heading for the intersection, not a collision, and having done this several times, he could predict the other driver's direction.
65 NinaWest
Watching the big car turn and head her way was like watching a buffalo do exactly that. Nina slammed on the breaks and veered to the next safest opening on the road. Twisting the steering wheel, she caught a glimpse of the driver and passenger of the Buick. Holly Golightly! Did that girl have fangs?
66 Vic-the-Slick
Vic swerved pass the little electric car with the sort of skill you learn after going to jail for wreckless driving. Popping a grin Nina's way, he screeched down the intersection, splitting off towards the city. He was surprised the tires didn't pop or the engine didn't die through all that.
"That was easy," Vic chuckled, "now let's head downtown before this thing starts to stink and all the cop flies come in for a landing."
67 NinaWest
Breathing a sigh of relief, Nina got out of the car and looked down the smoky path the Buick took. "Agent Hobbes," she said to her communicator, "they went down towards R 14, looks like back into the city..." She wanted to say one of the people in that car had fangs, but she wasn't sure if it was just a costume, so Nina kept quiet. "I'll be standing by. Good luck."
68 Hobbes
"Roger that, Agent West. I am in pursuit." Hobbes replied, voice tinged with excitement. Veering right, the K-Car squealed onto Rue Monteblanc, adjacent to Route 14. An ancient Buick roared past the street and Hobbes snarled in surprise, clamping down on the accelerator and rolling onto the sidewalk to bypass the dense traffic. Losing his side mirror on the traffic light's post, Hobbes tore after the Buick aggressively, blindly cutting off a minivan and a couple of transport trucks.
"I believe I am closing in on the suspects, Nina." Hobbes said. "If they don't stop now, they never will."
Engine snarling, Hobbes pulled behind the Buick and leaned heavily on his horn, sending one long blast of baritone tenor to the lead vehicle.
"Come on, Vincent." Hobbes flashed his lights. "Time for you to meet your new 'hired hand.'"
69 Kyzano
Dragon growled some hearing the one blaring note from the other car. Shaking her head a touch she paused. Wait... that was the... "Vic keep driving."
It was the car that had been trying to signal them earlier. Same exact horn pitch. And she doubted that two cars would have the same, least not on the same night.
"I think it's the second car. The horn sounds exactly the same." She informed the driver. Her eyes cast back at the car following them.70 Vic-the-Slick "This guy again?" Vic inhaled through his teeth, "he really wants to talk, ah? Let's see what he has to say. If he tries anything fishy, we'll jump him." Vic wasn't usually so brave, but he did just blindside a cop, he was feeling lucky. Plus, his partner tonight's got claws.
Turning on the yellow blinking signals, he slowed down, pulling over to the side of an emty road for easy getaway if need be. "Let's wait and let him come over here first," Vic kept an eye on the rear view mirror, "This guy looks too uptight to be an ACME Detective."71 Hobbes
Exhaling in satisfaction, Hobbes pulled up sloppily behind the Buick without signaling. Rolling up his sleeves and messing his hair, Hobbes Rifled through his glove compartment, looking for something tough and slightly disgusting like a toothpick or a cigarette to finish his image, but pulled out a half-finished package of Hauls instead.
"Close enough." He muttered, popping one in his mouth. Looking down at Officer Laurent, Hobbes whispered quickly, "Attendez l'agent de ACME. Elle s'appelle Nina West. Wait for the ACME agent. Her name is Nina West."
"Oui, Monsieur."
Stepping out of the car, Hobbes walked over to the parked Buick, his heart throbbing with each step. Upon reaching the driver door, Hobbes crouched to be eye level with the suspect, who he saw was, in fact, Vincent Fumagalli.
"Fumagalli?" Hobbes asked through the glass with a thick French accent. Moonlight bounced off of Hobbes' glasses, making his eyes impossible to see. "I am François Robespierre. I was acquisitioned by a red dame to help you." Hobbes glanced around shiftily. "You have all of Montreal fuzz out on the attack tonight, my friend. Why did you go right for that trap downtown? I tried to warn you away."
72 Kyzano
Dragon got out of the car, shutting the door, she moved to about three feet from Hobbes and crossed her arms, staring him down. She didn't like this, her instincts were telling her that something was off. She sniffed a few times at the air.
Odd... this human... his scent smelt like two. She continued sniffing at the air a bit, her eyes narrowing at the human as the barest hints of a growl stroked at her vocal cords.
Dragon didn't like this. She didn't like it one bit.73 Vic-the-Slick
Vic looked the guy over. The scent of menthol was interesting, it made him seem a little cleaner than most low lives Vic's expected to see. Then again even serial killers pop in a candy or two.
"You gotta empty all your pockets, ah?" Vic shrugged unabashed, "And you give all your comm devices to me. Ain't no one trust nobody these days." He got out of the car, leaving the door open behind him.
74 Hobbes
Hobbes gaped openly as Dragon and Vincent stepped out of the Buick.
"What are you doing?!" He demanded incredulously, struggling to keep his accent in check. "Are you both without the sense? Want my pockets empty? D'accord. Fine. But get back in the car, Anglophones. If I am getting caught tonight, it won't be with you freaks." Hobbes shot a pointed glance at the female. "Do not keep your eggs in one basket and all that English drivel."
Hobbes tore his gaze away from the pair and looked up the street anxiously, distractedly pulling pens, wrappers and receipts from his pant pockets.
"Merde!" He swore quietly. Hobbes didn't have his communicator on him. Good; he wouldn't be caught by Mr. Pinstripe and his frikky-kicky sidekick, Fangs. Bad; Nina couldn't track them. Very bad. This could wreck the entire plan. It would be a disaster. Treasonous, even.
A dim memory of tossing the device instinctively into the car's penny holder drifted through Hobbes' head. The ACME agent withered on the inside.
His keys were still in the vehicle ignition, though. He had intended to keep chatting brief with the suspects and driving after them again soon after. But what if they wanted him in their car?
Hobbes finished emptying the garbage from his pockets and turned them inside-out. "Vite, vite." He said anxiously, throwing a glance back the way they came. "Question me. Ask me anything you want. Just hurry before the police on patrol come around."
75 Kyzano
Dragon glared as the man that had pulled them over spoke. She sniffed at the air again.
The wind had shifted... and Hobbes scent was coming through more clearly now. The second human scent, that was fading away, on Hobbes could only mean one thing.
Someone else was in that car.
Her attention moved away from Hobbes and over to his car. Glancing between the two once she then started towards the still running K-car.
"Who else is in your car human?" She partly growled out as she continued to take steps towards the other car. The human was already thrown from her appearance, let's see if she couldn't turn that shock into fear.76 Vic-the-Slick
Vic's grin was stationary while he watched this guy empty his pockets. Half listening to Dragon, he knew she probably had the right to do a whole lotta damage.
"She's like a bloodhound, ah?" Vic pointed a thumb at the girl while still facing the blond guy, in a way explaining her behavior.
"Do what yer want, Tike, I'm a interested in what kind a senses we're out of." He was mocking the guy, like he usually does to people when he's on a lucky streak. As far as Vic knew, Carmen's not careless enough to let some Joe walk into a heist midway, and Vic was in communication with her Vileness earlier today. He was going to let Dragon do what she does best before he made any more decisions on this fella.77 Hobbes
[My apologies for the delay between posts, folks. The holidays are upon me.]
Hobbes gave Dragon a mildly guilty look. "The officer that was chasing you ... he is not doing so much anymore. For the next day or so, nothing except keeping my floor mat warm. I was ordered to tie up loose ends, Anglophone. So I did." He shrugged. "If you want to see a Montreal police officer doing what they do best, which is nothing, go ahead. Do it quickly, though. I haven't had time to properly deal with him and there are patrols on this road every hour or so."
Hobbes looked down both ends of the road anxiously before setting his gaze on Vic. "You are Vincent Fumagalli, then? Vic la Slick? You must forgive my own misgivings, monsieur. Before tonight, I believed you were nothing but an urban legend. A Robin Hood of modern folklore."
78 Kyzano
(OOC: Gotten permission for this. And well done Hobbes, indeed the holidays are upon everyone.)
Now Dragon couldn't tell if Hobbes was lying or not, but she did decide to take him up on his offer to look in on the police officer. Looking in she saw just what Hobbes had said... but wait a minute. She glanced over at Hobbes.
This car had come in far too soon and from the wrong direction of that other car. Maybe he had nabbed the cop... but there where was that other car? Ugh too many questions; no answers. Turning her attention back to the car, wait a second. Was that? Something shiny caught her eye from the center... holder thing. (OOC: the penny holder, Dragon doesn't know what a penny holder is though.) Maybe some loose change, but something wasn't right here. This didn't add up. Her instincts were yelling at Dragon, telling her something wasn't right here.
Looking again, her eyes narrowing she realized two things. The first was that the cop wasn't even tied up, and the second was that the car was still running.
Leaving a cop in your car that isn't bound with it still running? That made zero sense, and this guy said that she and Vic had none? No. While his story made sense even she knew that you didn't leave someone that was considered the enemy untied in a running car. The chance that they might wake up was there, and she could tell the officer wasn't dead. The subtle rise and fall of his chest was enough to confirm this.
Alright, well then again the guy did say he hadn't had the time to- oh come on! The cop still had his equipment! Even if Hobbes hadn't the time to deal with the cop right the officer should have at least been disarmed and bound with something! That takes a minute at most, even for a rough binding, if anything a tie or a shirt would suffice, hell a belt would work too! No, these signs made Dragon doubt what Hobbes was saying. There were too many loose ends for this to have been such a job... specially if Hobbes claimed to have taken out the person who had been chasing them in the other car.
"You said we had no sense... but you left an untied officer in your running car. I may not know much about the city, but that is a stupid move human."
Barring her fangs with a deep growl she slammed her hands against the car door, her claws embedded in the partly rusted metal, and then with another growl of effort she pulled her arms back and literally took the door off. Dumping it on the ground beside her she leaned in to look further into the car. Dragon wanted to know what the shiny thing in the circular holder was, this guy was either an insane newbie, someone she didn't think Alpha would send to help them, granted the fact that Dragon was new to the V.I.L.E. game it did not make sense to send another newbie to help at the same time, but this guy... Something was just off about this human and Dragon was determined to figure out what that was.79 Hobbes
The K car squealed in protest as Dragon tore at the driver door, but the metal gave easily. Potmarks on the frame bleeding rust burst into flakes, the color and texture of shredded autumn leaves.
From the floor on the passenger side, Officer Laurent gaped at the opening with dumb bemusement.
Hobbes frowned as Dragon tore the door off his car. The old beater probably wouldn't be traveling further than a Quebec wrecker after this assignment. Shaking his head, the ACME agent trotted over beside Dragon, hoping the rust-infested husk of his vehicle had a little venomous bite of tetanus for Madame Canine. A little nip of lock-jaw would probably make her think twice before taking on an innocent automotive again.
"Careful, madame." Hobbes said calmly to Dragon, quailing on the inside. "As I said, I have not had time to properly deal with our friend. A sudden shock could ruin him."
Edging around Dragon, Hobbes leaned into the gaping hole of his vehicle and tentatively placed a hand on Officer Laurent. Muttering something incomprehensible, the ACME agent snapped his fingers. The police officer gave a hoarse "D'accord," in response.
Using Hobbes' hand as support, the officer shakily stumbled out of the vehicle and blinked drunkenly.
"Meet Officer Julius Bonaparte, mon amis." Hobbes' face stretched into a wicked grin not unlike that of a child who has a magnifying glass and a yard full of anthills to fry. "Officier Bonaparte, salutez madame Canine!"
Laurent turned to Dragon and saluted with a touch of two fingers to the lip of his hat. He stared past her, face expressionless.
"I think," Hobbes said to Vic and Dragon, "We should be properly introduced. I am François Robespierre, hypnotist and most-wanted criminal in the French-speaking world. Montreal is my land. The only authority here works for me, now. And whether or not you two believe I've been hired as your aide, my reward for success from the red-headed dame outweighs the potential dangers of your suspicion.
"If you drive away from here without me and my puppet," Hobbes placed a hand on Laurent's shoulder. The officer was still giving his rigid salute. "You two will go the way of Bonnie and Clyde. Accept me. I am here to help."
The walkie-talkie on Laurent's belt exploded in a burst of transmission. All units were being cautioned of the presence of assailants in a late model Buick. Suspects were armed and dangerous.
Officer Laurent remained stiff at attention. Hobbes' tie fluttered in the wintry breeze. Time was passing. The police were coming. Agent West was coming. ACME was still in play.80 Vic-the-Slick
Whatever sly grin was on this 'François Robespierre's' face, the same was starting to replicate on Vic's. He cocked his neck towards the passenger seat, "Get in the car, Robespierre, and do it fast." The play was convincing, but ultimately, Vic couldn't buy it. Carmen had never hired anyone mid-heist. Carmen doesn't like hostages either, but Vic was wondering just how far this guy would go to keep up his act.
"D," he said to his partner, "put that cop in our trunk. Then you sit at the back." Dragon was in the best position to watch this guy.
Getting into the Buick himself, Vic shut the door, popping the trunk of the car for D. "No need to make sure he's that comfy, ah?"81 Hobbes
"What?!" Hobbes cried in shock. "No, no, no. No hostage, Monsieur Fumagalli. No one's going in the trunk. That's crazy. We need him in the car. Having him pop out of the trunk and say, 'Everything is fine, officers. Carry on,' would look a lot worse than if he was sitting with us.
"Put him in the back with Madame Canine." Hobbes suggested, clapping blank-faced Officer Laurent on the shoulder.
Hobbes hoped Agent West was still following them. Or near. Or about to ambush the two crooks. Forget about where Bonnie and Clyde were going; these perps were definitely the suspects ACME was looking for and they'd been out of the car for over ten minutes sizing up Hobbes. They had no right to still be walking freely. No. Right.
They're waiting, Hobbes thought to himself. Backup must be waiting until we're all in the Buick, then our modern-day Bonnie and Clyde will pull their little land-yacht around the next corner and BAM! Right into a police barricade.
Hobbes envision the ambush already. Two Montreal cruisers with their jackpot lights flashing that heavenly blue. Officers waiting, grim, tense, ready. Riot gear. Yes, Bonnie and Clyde were back. And this sequel would end much like the original, Hobbes was sure.
So sure.82 NinaWest
In the meanwhile, Nina had amassed a small team of 8 or so police officers from surrounding areas. They decided to do a road block on both ends of the highway where the Buick was last seen, but when too much time passed by without any kind of signal, Nin figured they had to do something else. Each road block had 4 officers, the new plan was to move them in from both sides towards the middle where the suspects would be apprehended.
Four police cars, two from each side, made their way very fast to Agent Hobbes's current location without sirens or lights. When they were closer, Nina could see from the night vision camera that Hobbes was talking to Vic while the female suspect that Nina thought had fangs was with Hobbes's officer friend... the car door was ripped? What?
"In position," the officer driving next to Nina confirmed with the other three squad cars. Nina's first team blocked the front of the Buick, while her second team blocked the back of the K-Car.
"Vic Fumigalli!" Nina said loudly, "You're surrounded, come with us peacefully and maybe this will stay local."
[OOC: Ooo, you guys, this is so far really good! I love reading the tension *lol* Dragon has permission to move around the squad cars if you need to. Do whatever in PG-13. Thanks!!]83 Kyzano
(OOC: Nina... If this wasn't the internet I'd be hugging the life out of you. Oh man I am going to have SO MUCH FUN! with this next post. Hehehe Dragon is pissed now. As a side note, I figured that each car holds 2 police officers, as they usually do around here.))
Dragon heard Vic and Hobbes talking. She ignored most of it but she did look to Vic when she was asked to place the officer in the trunk. Glancing back she noticed the communicator, but had no idea what it was, all she knew is that a dot was moving closer to the center of the screen, she heard tires. Ignoring them for the moment, her attention was on this little electrical device, she moved to grab it when she heard something that set a fury within her blood.
"Vic Fumigalli!" Nina said loudly, "You're surrounded, come with us peacefully and maybe this will stay local."
Surrounded!? Dragon barred her fangs, so now her bottom canines were showing as well, as she loosed a deep, threatening growl from her throat. She quickly moved away from the K-car and looked both ways. Cops... she knew it!
Fury turned to rage as Dragon snarled at Hobbes and the officer beside him. "You..." She literally growled out as she advanced on the human, claws at the ready.
Then decided against it, no, Vic needed to get away now. Punishing this human would get them no where. Glancing back at the car she and Vic had arrived in she took note of the direction. Then she glanced behind her... both ways, surrounded. Then her blood went cold with realization.
They were going to put her in prison.
A bestial roar, a sound one could relate to a large flesh eating dinosaur, cut through the winter night air as it tore from her vocal cords, her feral side starting to take over. Not enough for Dragon to become completely mindless, to kill, but more then enough to make her scare the life out of a human and put them in the hospital.
First she had to deal with the cop that she was closest to. Grabbing the saluting officer by the neck she threw him angrily towards the cars behind them where he landed she didn't care, though she did hear a thud that sounded like he'd landed none to softly on the pavement. Taking off in a run, Dragon jumped and landed with a hood denting bang on one of the cop cars in the Buick's way.
Slamming a clawed hand against the windshield, it shattered, she reached in and grabbed the cop that was driving and threw him out onto the damaged K-car, he landed hard on the hood. The second cop, that had been in the passenger seat of the car, had bailed and was reaching for his baton to subdue Dragon when she lunged at him, snarling she tackling him to the ground, which knocked him out from the force and the blow to his head, she picked him up and threw him into the glass of the car right beside the one she'd damaged. The glass cracked badly under the impact but luckily, or unluckily for the cop, his body had landed more on the hood then the glass, saving it from shattering and making him land on the fragments. He'd be feeling that whenever he woke up.
Growling, her brain idly made note of the fact that with all the people around, medical attention would be easier to come by. Least it would come by far more quickly. That didn't mean she'd cease being non-lethal, but it did mean she could be a bit rougher. Though no blood had been spilled, now she wasn't nearly as hesitant to do so. Hearing the doors in front of her open she threw her hands behind her onto the pavement and whipped her feet around slamming the door that was opening near her right back into place cracking the glass, jamming the door shut, and giving the cop coming out of it a good bang to his side.
Pushing off the ground with her hands she got back to her feet, planting a clawed hand on the dented hood of the empty cop car she vaulted over and landed in a crouch, quickly spinning on the balls of her feet she grabbed onto the car from underneath the door and started to lift. Achingly the front of the car rose about an inch off the ground, but that was enough she started moving back all but dragging the car with her, moving it just enough that the Buick would be able to squeeze between the two cars blocking it's path, but not without trading paint.
Letting the car fall back she panted, moving cars was tiring, but she'd moved heavier so this wasn't an issue, it just wasn't fun.
"VIC! GET THE HELL OUT OF HERRRE!" Her growled voice caught on the r and carried it slightly. Turning to the officers, who by now were out of the cars, she snarled, fangs fully barred. "I'll deal with the humans."
Her voice seemed to snap the surrounding people out of their trance, she could almost read their minds through their eyes. 'Had this girl just moved a car?' Yes I did, she mentally growled back. Vaulting over the car again she lunged for the officer nearest her and slammed a clawed hand into his side, luckily for him the uniform protected him from her claws, though they did shred the fabric in a noticeable animal-claw-slash like way, but it did nothing to soften the force of the blow which sent him sprawling as she knocked him down, stealing his baton in the process.
Standing up and growling deeply she threw the baton at the next closest cop and grinned a touch when it slammed painfully, Dragon swore she heard something crack, probably his nose, into his head, knocking his hat off and sending him falling backwards to the ground. He'd have one hell of a bruise tomorrow and he was down and out from this fight.
That was all four cops on this side, plus the one that had been near Hobbes in the beginning, lifting the unconscious human from between the two cop cars, from where the Buick was supposed to drive through, out of the way, she stole his baton, she threw him to join one of his fallen comrades on the hood of the damaged K-car.
She advanced in the other direction, tossing the stolen weapon to her left hand as a predatory growl reverberated within her throat. No way was she being put in a cage. Not tonight.84 Vic-the-Slick
(OOC: Timeline for Canada is a little faster than main Luxe to compensate travel time. Carmen approved the info below. We'll meet up with you Luxembourg guys about after your little action sequence ah?)
First, Vic watched the cops arrive, and then he watched the girl go crazy. He couldn't see everything, but the noise was enough to tell him he needed to get out of the place. When Dragon cleared the way for him, Vic did the only logical thing he could conceive, which was to high tail. The trunk of his car was still opened, and it gaped and closed like a laughing maniac as Buick bounced away in the highway. He needed a new vehicle, something faster, and then he needed to get to a safe meeting spot with Dragon. Wait a minute, that tike went insane on those coppers, how was he sure she wouldn't go insane on VILE? He would have to report to Carmen, but just as he thought about her, the lady called.
The driver grabbed his phone quickly, almost dropping it as he nervously steered through unfamiliar roads.
"This ain't secure, ah? I'm too close to the city," he said in one breath.
"It's fine," Carmen's cooling voice was a stark contrast to the jittery conman's, "Luxembourg. I'm 4 hours away."
She hung up and Vic looked at his phone, the conversation lasted only 7 seconds. He figured she's made up her mind about the destination kind of last minute. She was on her way from San Francisco to meet Eartha in Luxembourg for reasons only she knew. Now he was thinking if he should head there without the new kid and just tell Carmen things didn't work out. The saleman looked at his Timax watch, by the time he made it to Luxembourg, it'd be evening over there.
Slick pulled his Buick over near a junk yard and started going on foot to a place where he could maybe buy some plane tickets and get a new ride. By this time, he'd decided Dragon saved him in her own crazy way, and the least he could do was wait at the meeting point to see if she'd ever show up.85 NinaWest
Nina ducked around the breaking glass that looked like it was just the beginning. The officers with her pushed her back instinctively probably because she was the only one without a gun. The second suspect roared and proved beyond a doubt that she wasn't human. Some of the officers were aiming to fire.
"Don't shoot," Nina reminded, "Don't--" More glass broke and Vic's car screeched past, the moving hood of its trunk 'laughing' away into the night.
As the fight continued, and officers saw more of their own being injured, they started to defend themselves, firing tasers at the girl. Nina couldn't help thinking they were risking their lives for no reason here. Like Agent Hobbes, most of them had families and the case was only about a stolen bronze statue.
Whatever this was... this thing that roared... had just made VILE dangerous. West didn't want hers to be the one incident that changed everything. If an officer were fatally injured, the next VILE case could have a 'shoot to kill' order.
"Let her go!" Nina yelled out, "Forget it! Let her go, and start calling medics!"
86 Hobbes Hobbes did not react to Nina West's snap appearance or when Dragon sending Officer Laurent sprawling onto the asphalt, but as Vic got the Buick rolling away, he realized the plan had gone sour. Wincing at this knowledge, Hobbes slunk over to Agent West and the remaining police, glancing back at Dragon with a hiss of frustration.
"I saw your face!" He snarled. "I know who you are! Believe me; I WILL FIND YOU!"
Sighing, Hobbes removed his glasses and glanced apprehensively to Nina. "Agent West, I can't tell you how sorry I am for this mess. I never thought they'd escape. Is there any way we can stop them now?" He glanced over with concern to where Officer Laurent lay sprawled on the asphalt.