And that the mercenary did. Or at least, close enough for his taste.
The bad guys were falling like flies.
Jack slowly tried to get up, but was tossed in the back seat by the janitor.
"*cough* no more janitor jokes." He smiled weakly. "Are the girls safe me amigo?"
He looked up at Penny and Milly.
"Ahhh, gracias, you saved me my other shoulder."
"Try not to talk, señor," Ernesto said. He hoped he sounded calm.
Though he didn't know the first thing about gunshot wounds, he did know that he had to try and stop, or at least slow, the bleeding. Ernesto slipped a utility knife from his tool belt, gingerly slicing Jacks shirt open around the wound.
"Wow," he said quietly. Growing up he had seen several bodies with gunshot wounds, however, it was entirely different when the person was alive and bleeding.
He slipped the hammer out of his belt and gave it to Jack. It had a soft rubber grip.
"You might want to bite this," he said as he took Jacks opposite hand and pressed it to the wounded shoulder. "Hold as hard as you can, señor."
Ernesto tore one sleeve of his overall and started cutting it into long strips with the utility knife.
Clump!
Clump!
Clump!
Clump!
From the back of the parking lot, the heavy steps of an approaching machine echoed. As it turned the corner, the thing that resembled a PPD Assault Suit to a tee covered the beleagured car and all about it in a protection shield.
"Get clear!" the suit's loudspeaker shouted to the 'security forces', and then it hunched over and deplyed a large cannon from its back, sublimating gases hissing from it as the barrel powered up.
As soon as everyone was clear, the charge roared into the assailants' van, blowing the whole thing sky-high...
---------------------
The SWAT team's casualties weren;t as bad as they seemed. These were trained and experienced police officers, outfitted with durable gear and high-tech devices. They were resilient enough.
But as the second wave burst through a few skylights, repeeling down on ropes, the battle seemed to be over already...
"If I had Force powers, vacuum or not my cape/clothes/hair would always be blowing in the Dramatic Wind." - Tenzhi
Characters
The heretic gone, Father McMahon turned to face the SWAT team, and replaced his swords.
In one motion he drew his most deadly weapon...
His identification.
"I hold in my hand the seal of a diplomat of Vatican City. Any attempt to fire upon or arrest me without official approval of your Federal Government will be deemed as an act of war," he announced.
The Firefighters moved with extreme quickness and caution as they journeyed up the stairs to the top levels of Tharomar Enterprises. The rescue search was on. The fire itself was being put out as they made their way to Tharomar's office. The sensors in the office detected abnormal heat signatures with immediate response. The job now relied more on cleanup than it did fire extraction.
It was going to be a long night for some.
~~~~
Inside the R&D, Clarence contemplated the room. The fires had been exstinguished by the company's security systems, but the damage was already done. Whoever did this was able to stall the building's defenses long enough for the fire to do what it had to do. The basement area wasn't completely destroyed, but it was enough to remove all offices to another location for the time being.
Except for McCourd. He stays here.
He did notice, however, the proximity of the damage happened in certain places. Captain Obvious didn't have to point out that there was an act of sabotage.
Clarence remembered something about a safe and started searching. Along the back wall, away from the entrance, there was a wall safe. It looked to be the same one that Tharomar had in one of his offices in a much more discreet location. If so, then everything inside should still be safe. It had a 1 hour fire rating, insuring the inside temperature never exceeded 350 degrees. There was also a retinal signature needed along with a passcode in order to get inside. He had one of two.
Clarence Thomas got on the phone. No signal. He couldn't expect much being on the bottom level of the building. There was nothing more he could do here without McCourd and he was going to get to the bottom of this soon. Real soon. Clarence tapped the hidden elevator's access button and the sliding doors opened again to show an empty space. Perplexed, but never one to be caught off guard, Clarence walked out the regular doors of the department and into the lobby.
"Police! Freeze," The moment he stepped out into the open, Clarence had barrels pointed at his face. It did not change the serene look on his face.
"Stand down," one officer said, "Its Mr. Thomas. This way, sir," the officer approached Clarence.
"I'm fine, do your job with someone else," Clarence's attention was outside the building, his eyes scanning past the glass doors.
"Sir, I understand but the situation is critical and-"
"Tell me officer, do you like your job," Clarence asked without breaking his concentration.
"Do I like my... yes sir," the officer replied, confused.
"Do you have a family?"
"Yes sir, wife, two little girls."
McCourd, Clarence thought as he spotted him out in the street amongst the congregation of people outside. It was like trying to find waldo in reality.
"Well, how do you think your wife and daughters would feel when you are no longer able to produce an income... ever," Thomas' eyes pierced coldly into the eyes of the officer.
"I, uhh... uhh... sir, I just," The rookie cop lost the words, hand signals became his new method of communication.
"Your job. Elsewhere," Clarence said and pointed past the officer at nothing in particular.
"Yes sir," the officer scurried away with several others who didn't want to relive what they had just witnessed.
Idle chatter out of the way, Clarence made his way outside to Ethan McCourd in hopes for cooperation. More for the doctor's sake than his. Clarence would hate to have the doctor working on future endeavors with one eye.
[ QUOTE ]
"Your job. Elsewhere," Clarence said and pointed past the officer at nothing in particular.
"Yes sir," the officer scurried away with several others who didn't want to relive what they had just witnessed.
Idle chatter out of the way, Clarence made his way outside to Ethan McCourd in hopes for cooperation. More for the doctor's sake than his. Clarence would hate to have the doctor working on future endeavors with one eye.
[/ QUOTE ]
Dr. McCourd crossed his arms, looking at the old man, "What the hell is goin' on? Why'd you ask me about the R&D lab? Did something happen?"
His curiosity and anger was sincere enough. He was more worried about his projects. He knew the Z-Chip was safe in the vault, but he had other things on the side. Clarence Thomas looked deadly serious. He'd cooperate, for now.
"Sounds like he's depressed," Walter said, stating the obvious. "Either that or he's just burning out on the job. I've seen it happen before. Just gets too monotonous for them." He fiddled with his glasses again as he thought.
Travis sighed, "Its possible, I guess. I mean... its only been a couple of years tho."
"How old is he now anyway? Some kids get to a certain age and it's like an early mid-life crisis. Not where he thought he'd be at that age or something." Walter wasn't one to offer advice since he didn't think he had that good a handle on his own problems, let alone other peoples'. But if asked he'd try his best. Even if only to be polite.
"He's about 24, same as me... I mean, is this ever where we wanna be tho. Seriously. I dont think anyone ever thought that they wanted to answer phones for the rest of their lives. Who thinks they want to be somewhere most of the world rejects."
He thought back for a moment, "Well, there was this one girl," Travis smiled, "She's in the military... aspires to be a stripper. Crazy, I know but... boy could she work it," Travis' face froze as the wave of nostalgia hit him hard.
*Beep Beep*
Two blinks later, Travis looks down at his watch and curses silently.
"Hey, Walt I gotta go. Thanks for the talk though," he moved backwards toward the elevator as he spoke, "we'll have to have some lunch sometime and get you a swimsuit calendar or something for that office space of yours," the words got louder the farther away he got.
Back in the elevator, Travis cursed to himself again as he looked at his watch. He was gonna be late. Again.
Back on his floor, Travis rushed to his cubicle and logged out of everything. Preston watched with open curiosity then looked at the time and remembered. Travis picked up his gymbag and stopped in front of Preston's cubicle.
"You still comin over tonight," his words were rushed but annunciated.
"I dont know," Preston didn't look up from his computer.
A deadpan expression filled Travis' face. He had given up for today, "Whatever," he finished and rushed out of the building.
Once he was in his car, he made the drive all the way into Prosperity and down to the front of the local middle school, Rockwell Intermediate. The school had been built before the great expansion, when there wasn't much idea for it. He parked his car in the teacher's parking lot and stumbled out of his car and into the school. He ran down the turns of the corridors and nearly missed the door to the classroom he was on his way to. His hand caught the frame of the door in the nick of time, stopping him from going too much further past it.
A slightly out of breath Travis stood in the doorway and looked at a young girl of about twelve sitting in the middle front seat of the classroom, arms crossed. Her teacher, Ms. Glover was erasing her board of the day's lessons.
"You're late," Mrs. Glover said as she continued to erase the boards, "I was beginning to think you would not show."
"Me? Not show," Travis replied sarcastically, "Course I'd show. I love stuff like this. Makes me yearn for the good old days," Travis stretched as he entered the classroom.
Mrs Glover raised an eyebrow and gave a sideways glance at Travis, "Please have a seat Mr. Wester and we'll get started."
Travis walked past the girl with furrowed brows and mouthed, "What did you do this time," he sat down in the desk next to her. It was a tight fit, but ok for the time being.
The girl rolled her eyes and shrugged.
~~~~
Vanessa heard the small ding of the sliding doors in Clarence's office and walked over as they opened. She stepped inside and went down to the lobby floors.
She saw her boss and the doctor talking right outside. It seemed like things were dying down, at least inside the building.
Her phone rang, "Hello," she answered.
"Hey V, what happened over there. Radio said there was an attack on T.E. You ok," Monica's was full of concern for her friend.
"Yea," Vanessa smiled, "I'm fine. Just got out actually. But yea, I 'll call you about it all later," she said and hung up.
Vanessa held her phone tightly and walked outside to Ethan and Clarence.
Dr. McCourd crossed his arms, looking at the old man, "What the hell is goin' on? Why'd you ask me about the R&D lab? Did something happen?"
"Doctor McCourd, you're better off not talking to Mr. Thomas like that, trust me," Vanessa's emphasized on trust as she burned a look into him from behind Clarence.
((Pffft. Remind me why I had Percy go home for the night. 
))
((And now you see how I drive. ))
"Hold on to your [censored]' shoes!" Penny muttered with a crazed grin.
Peeling out of the parking space in with a sharp whine as the tires skidded on the pavement in reverse, Penny threw the car into drive and blasted forward.
"Seatbelts please." she said calmly. There was a little light in each of her eyes, as if she had always wanted to do this.
Her torn-stockinged foot slammed down on the accelerator.
VREEEEEEE!!
The car absolutely flew forward, towards the attackers, who were now being attacked by mercenaries AND a giant mecha. They were forced to scatter out of the way of the 2-ton suddenly 40 mph death machine that was a nice wine-colored Alero.
Peeling out onto the street, Penny thanked her lucky stars that it wasn't an icy night and skidded onto the nearby highway on-ramp.
"We're going to the hospital." she announced to the car. "Hang on tight, and I'll see if I can't get us a police escort."
She grinned crazily as the speedometer swiftly approached 100...
Japancakes.
Art - Theme 005 - Seeking Solace
Meanwhile, Kara was busy caring for several spooked patients in her assigned ward. No easy task.
After helping clean up a rather messy case of 'so scared they crapped themselves,' she decided to check on Mina, when she heard gunshots and screams from the floor below. Kara quickened her pace.
"Mina?!" she called as she entered the room, "Are you okay?!"
"He's coming," she said calmly, "I don't think you should stay here."
"Why? What's he going to do?" Kara asked, panicked.
"He'll kill me," Mina morbidly replied, "Or something will happen. It was bound to happen. At least I get to face my enemy this time."
((Wow... I take off for a weekend and for a day at work and BOOM! 100 posts! I can't keep up with that pace so unless you all slow down, I may have to do what I have done to every other thread that blows up and leave. I am sorry but I can't post as much as you guys do.))
[ QUOTE ]
((Wow... I take off for a weekend and for a day at work and BOOM! 100 posts! I can't keep up with that pace so unless you all slow down, I may have to do what I have done to every other thread that blows up and leave. I am sorry but I can't post as much as you guys do.))
[/ QUOTE ]
(OOC: Summary: The Tharomar building is on fire, and the hospital is being attacked by at least one homicidal priest)
[ QUOTE ]
"Hold on to your [censored]' shoes!" Penny muttered with a crazed grin.
Peeling out of the parking space in with a sharp whine as the tires skidded on the pavement in reverse, Penny threw the car into drive and blasted forward.
"Seatbelts please." she said calmly. There was a little light in each of her eyes, as if she had always wanted to do this.
Her torn-stockinged foot slammed down on the accelerator.
VREEEEEEE!!
[/ QUOTE ]
Ernesto boggled the utility knife as he was slammed first into the front seat, then into the back seat. He got the blade under control and tucked it quickly away, imagining how bad it might become if it got away from him.
He finished ripping the bandages by hand and quickly started wrapping Jack's shoulder, tightly. So tight, in fact, that he was not only sopping up the blood, but cutting off the circulation as well.
"Doctor McCourd, you're better off not talking to Mr. Thomas like that, trust me," Vanessa's emphasized on trust as she burned a look into him from behind Clarence.
Ethan looked between the two, and just gave a nod, "I'll keep that in mind, thanks."
He fell silent, waiting. He was still pissed that things were getting even more tense, even though the crisis was over. He began walking back to his car. His main concern, was that she was ok. He didn't want to cost her her job, so he figured the best remedy of the situation was to get out of dodge. He stood at his open door for a second, watching the the CEO and his secretary.
((Gonna go ahead and wrap up in the lot.))
Between the car smashing into them, the Mercenary assault, and now the giant mech attacker, the hostiles were quickly subdued in the parking garage.
One Mercenary approached the suit, bobbing his head.
"Threat neutralized."
((Pssst - it's a SUIT. And I'm gonna give ya 3 guesses as to who's piloting it. ))
"If I had Force powers, vacuum or not my cape/clothes/hair would always be blowing in the Dramatic Wind." - Tenzhi
Characters
((Oooh..))
Suddenly a body crawled slowly towards a mercenary.
"[censored] you all [censored] [censoreds]"
Suddenly the explosives tied to his body counted down from 3....
((I watch way too much 24.))
"Why does every hot chick I meet have to drive like a bat out of hell?" Jack was smiling as Ernesto tied the bandaid.
"I've felt-owwww- worse."
He gave the janitor a thumbs up as the speedometer suddenly reached 100.
"Gracias Ernesto."
Out of the corner of his eye he could see Penny.
"Coming from the wounded guy, after this I'm gonna buy you a drink, that is if we survive the driving!"
"No offense, but I kinda prefer a guy with all his blood inside his body." Penny quipped. "Once you've got that down, we'll see." Still though, her cheeks were tinged with the exhilaration of everything.
Hey, someone actually thinks I'm cute! He must not be able to see Milly from there.
"I'm kinda surprised the fuzz hasn't hopped up on our [censored] yet." she muttered, looking in her rear-view mirror. "Oh well. Like anyone cares how fast you go on the highway."
Pulling onto the offramp, she slowed. She wouldn't risk going TOO fast in business and residential zones, but time was still of the essence.
Soon, the group had pulled into the hospital, Penny screeching into the Emergency Room bay.
"Ernesto, get him outta my car!" she said with a nod. "I'll be in in a moment to get the paperwork for 'im. I mean, I do it all day, why the hell not do it at night too?"
Japancakes.
Art - Theme 005 - Seeking Solace
"Chickenshit." One Mercenary grumbled, grabbing his combat knife and carefully picking at the bomb's wiring.
((What sort of bomb is this? I want to see if I could actually defuse it in time.))
"De nada," Ernesto said to Jack as he tied off the bandage. he pushed himself firmly into the back seat and hastily strapped himself in, holding on to the overhead handle and the back of Millies seat.
Pennies driving scared him more than the explosions and gunfights had.
((Nope, no defusey. Good bye.
It's a three second timer.
Think terrorists on 24. MUWHAHAHA!!!))
"She likes a guy with all his blood in his body?"
He smiled.
"If it weren't for my perfect aim you woulda been like the merc there, and I mean no offense."
He coughed as Ernesto grabbed him.
"Gracias again Ernesto, you were the real hero amigo."
Milly huddled and watched as Ernesto tied the knot round Jack's arm. As usual, the rapid motions of the car had no particular effect on her, just like the roller coasters she had ridden on. As the janitor sat back, the teen bit her lip before scooting forward.
"Sir, you made that too tight. It'll cut bloodflow entirely." Milly gently loosened the wrap and repositioned it slightly. "Mr. Jack? I need you to keep pressure here," She lifted his other hand and set it to the pressure point she had been shown in the first aid class.
Pinnacle
Heroes
When in danger, or in doubt; Run in circles, scream and shout.
"They're clear! FIRE! FIRE!" The Mercenary leader yelled, and the entire group erupted in a massive spray of accurate gunfire.
One Mercenary to the side grabbed one of the attackers by the head and planned to twist his spine right into his brain.