Everyone won’t be treated all the same

[dead_reckoning]

WHO: Everyone involved in the Reckoning plot
WHERE: NOHoPE and surrounding grounds
WHEN: Backdated to the fourth day of the takeover, the morning of the 27th. The following takes place between six AM and seven AM. Events occur in real time, except for the part where they’re backdated.
WARNINGS: Violence, references to torture
SUMMARY: After a grueling siege, Reckoning’s takeover of NOHoPE comes to its end with a daring rescue.
FORMAT: Present-tense prose to start, whatever works for you in your threads after. Separate sections will be posted for each part of the rescue, split into different threads and groups within those sections however you like. There will be no tags by the Reckoning NPC account in this log, so control those NPCs as you see fit!

After four days of siege, a grim routine has been established within NOHoPE. The guards patrol, the prisoners are fruitlessly interrogated, the rooftop sentries continue their vigil over the police and news crews outside, the hostages are monitored and fed. Sweeps are conducted for the elusive Jack Bauer, who slips away again and again while periodically snatching food and information.

At six in the morning, there is nothing at all to indicate this routine is going to be broken, save for the news that a hostage is being taken out of her cell due to the promise of having important information on Bauer. When the time comes for NOHoPE to be liberated, Reckoning’s takeover falls apart as suddenly as a thunderbolt from a clear sky.

It happens almost in the blink of an eye. Suddenly, the pale white light of the corridors is washed in red, the low drone of a siren becoming audible. In the cells where hostages are being kept, it's much more alarming: all doors and windows in the room are blocked as armored barriers drop into place, effectively sealing any possible exit points.

At the same time, Reckoning's access to their hostages are blocked.

The PA system crackles to life sharply, a young woman's voice speaking calmly but briskly.

"NOHoPE's power dampening system is now offline. You have fifteen minutes before the system resets and the building is no longer on lockdown. I repeat, you have fifteen minutes."

She doesn't presume to instruct the heroes on how to do their work, so she leaves it at that, moving on quickly.

"Reckoning: whatever quarrel you have with Jack Baeur, the civilians you've taken hostage have nothing to do with him. No one needs to die today -- lay your arms down and surrender yourself to the authorities. These people are innocent. By hurting them, you're no better than what you claim to stand against."

Her voice, which has been steady enough until this point, hitches a little before she can continue.

"Violence isn't the answer to violence. We can find a better solution together. So surrender. *Please.*"

The system stutters a little, and then the message calling for Reckoning's surrender starts looping again, broadcast all over the hospital until the lockdown lifts.

As Yako’s announcement goes out both on the Network and over the intercom, the assembled police units outside need no further encouragement. Once the veracity of the statement is confirmed they are mobilizing, snipers drawing beads on the rooftop sentries, tactical officers loading up in their vehicles, paramedics preparing to receive casualties. Everyone knows this is the best chance they are likely to get. The rescue is on.

Comments

closed to gilbert nightray;

[topslug]

[ Yako's in Danger's office still, watching the numbers tick down, occasionally speaking into the PA system to do what she can to help direct people where they need to be. Whether she's successful at it or not is another matter entirely, but this matter's somewhat out of her field of expertise. Yako's a negotiator, but she appeals to emotion, not logic -- her words probably won't do much to sway people whose motivations depend on a paycheck.

That's the hypothesis she's formed, anyway. She can't sense any genuine malice from Reckoning's individual members towards Jack Bauer,

Regardless, though she's bound up her injuries via improvised first aid, her next question is what to do once the dampeners come back on. How is she getting out of here? ]

[invoking]

[ Gil doesn't like to waste energy. Desperate and short time called for Raven's power which he invoked as soon as he had gotten his revolvers, one slipped into his holster and the other locked and loaded before a whirlwind of dusty shadow and feathers overtake him in the middle of the living room.

It starts off as dim noise. Undecipherable, but harsh. Gil can hear footsteps coming from all around him and then gunfire explodes from twenty feet away at the end of a hall. Emergency lights give away his position: smack in the middle of a hallway with masked men shouting and aiming their guns at him. ]

Shit! [ In all this adrenaline rush, he stupidly forgot to ask Yako where she may be in the building. He flees from this hallway, but encounters more of those masked men trying to block his way.

He fires at one, hitting him in the thigh so he falls to the floor and the others stumble forward. It's the only opening Gil has: he takes it. He slips in between them, knocking anyone who gets too close against the wall and leaving them disoriented as he makes his way down the hall. ]

[topslug]

[ She'd been worried once Gil stopped responding to the communicator, but then she'd been distracted by the challenge of attending to her injuries. She keeps her attention half on the communicator and the map of people moving through the hallways, but with the delay on the display and her own divided attention, it takes her a few moments to realize where Gilbert is -- and it's completely the wrong floor.

She bites her lip, considering, then uses her communicator to place a call, hoping the ringing is insistent enough for Gilbert to pick up -- and that he hasn't simply left it behind in his rush to get here. If he doesn't respond soon, she'll have to try the PA system to get his attention instead. ]

[invoking]

[ More gunfire.

Judging from the damage done to the walls and the explosive noises, those men aren't using smaller weapons like Gil. Automated weapons that fire more rounds than he can in a few seconds that would have shredded his skin had he not ducked for cover behind a wall.

He did manage to keep his communicator on him. Stupid. He put himself in this position. He turns it on quickly, but he has to bolt from his spot as he hears the men charging. ]

Miss Yako? Can you hear me?! [ He takes a sharp turn toward a staircase and looks for something to jam the door with. ]

[topslug]

[ That burst of gunfire doesn't sound good at all. While a fifteen-second delay on the map displaying the interior of the hospital sounded good enough in theory, actually hearing someone in the midst of the action? She wishes it was faster. ]

Mister Gilbert, you're on the wrong floor. [ Her voice has the same urgency as his, if not the same volume. ] You're on the upper floor right now -- you need to go down one floor.

1/2

[invoking]

Ah...

[invoking]

Why didn't you say something earlier?! [ He can't hold the door for long, not with bullets piercing through right above his head. Without anything to jam it, he sprints from it and starts heading down the stairs. ]

What room?!

[topslug]

[ She could argue that he didn't give her the opportunity to tell him, but that's irrelevant now, and it's a waste of time. ]

Tell me the number of the first room you see when you step out.

[ She could tell him to read the map, but that's more likely to get him actually shot, so she guides him verbally instead, relying on her memory of the hospital's layout to tell him where to turn and to go straight. She has to pause from time to time as he deals with Reckoning's members in the halls, biting her lip until she hears his voice confirming his location.

Fortunately, at least, he doesn't have far to go, and once he ends up close enough to where she is, she scrambles for the door. ]

This might take a few seconds to open, hold on -- [ From the outside, the door seems impenetrable, metal sheeting making it almost unrecognizable as a door at all. But as she punches in codes and runs through the biometric scanners again, the sheet metal starts to move, sliding up to reveal the doorway beyond.

Slowly though. It's not budging easily. ]

[invoking]

[ He skips the last few steps in a large leap, making good time. The bullets ricochet around him. He ears how dangerously close they are, ears ringing, blood pumping and heart beating erratically. He pulls the door open and skids into the hallway, listening to Yako's directions and trying to outrun the guards on this floor.

He hears the door and sees Yako, getting close enough to the door -- but he's brought to an abrupt halt as it slowly opens. ]

What is -- [ He hears the gunmen shouting somewhere down the hall. They're getting close. ] Open the door!

[topslug]

I already am. [ Sadly, she can't make it go any faster -- and she hears the shouts just as well. For a moment, it's touch and go for a little longer, the shouts approaching, and the gunmen actually make it around the corner to spot Gilbert, shouting as they level their guns at him. ]

--there!

[ The door opens enough and she yanks Gilbert inside to the accompaniment of a hailstorm of bullets and the door sliding shut again behind them (and it's certainly a lot quicker to do that than open up). Caught off-balance by his weight, they end up hitting the floor in a tangle of limbs, Yako stifling a yelp as it jars her injuries. ]

Are you -- are you all right? [ Dressed in a camisole and her skirt, it's clear she's seen better days, but all the worry in her expression is for him as she struggles to sit up. ]

[invoking]

[ The world spins around him before it all falls back into its proper place. He rubs his head, a dull ache in the back of it and pops open an eye to see Yako --

And that's a whole lot of skin he's seeing.

Up close.

Almost on top of her. ]

F-F-Fine!! [ Gil leaps off and slams against the wall of the room, averting his gaze quickly. Outside, members of Reckoning shout at them to open the door and there's a heavy thud. They're trying to get in. ]

Why are you--?! [ He can't even say it. ]

[topslug]

[ For a moment, she has no idea what could be bothering him, but then she remembers what era he's from. While she doesn't actually blush, she does smooth down the hem of her shirt a little self-consciously with her good hand.

At least he's effectively moved away from her, so it doesn't take a lot of effort to get onto her feet. ]

--I had to do some emergency first aid. [ For now, her gaze darts to the door, which is sealed -- but then, they're effectively trapped in this room until someone else comes along to help. The timer prominently displayed on the screen clearly shows that there only a few minutes left before it runs out entirely. ]

How did you get here? [ Meaning the hospital, presumably. ]

[invoking]

[ He groans quietly, rubbing his aching backside now. He shouldn't have moved so fast like that in an enclosed space...

He continues to avert his gaze, but his tone manages to adopt a serious flare to it now. He might have found her, however they'll have to get out of this room eventually. Who knows what other weapons those men from Reckoning have and what they will do to them. ]

I used my chain's power to sneak into the building. Are you alright? [ He finally peeks at her, trying to assess whether or not she needs assistance. ] What do those men want exactly?

[topslug]

Your chain...? [ He hasn't mentioned anything like that before, but she shakes it off, nodding. ]

I'm fine.

[ She looks as unwell as a few days of captivity can make someone, and she's cradling her right hand close to her like it pains her to move it much. There's a smear of blood on her skirt, and the edge of another improvised bandage peeks out from the hem, and she's clearly favoring the other foot. ]

They're trying to capture a man -- Jack Bauer. He was a patient of this facility, and he's somewhere inside right now, but... [ She trails off, shaking her head. ] I don't know where he is now.

[invoking]

Raven. It's... a bit of a long story. [ He says in a tone that indicates "later". He rises to his feet, pressed against the wall to listen in on the men outside the room. They're still marching back and forth, but they've gotten quiet.

For now, anyway.

He gulps. ]

All this for one man? [ He grimaces. They must not be very clever if they didn't go straight for this Jack Bauer person. ] If the power dampeners are still off, I can teleport us out of the building.

[topslug]

[ She stills and listens, too, frowning. Nothing she's heard about Reckoning's members suggests that they give up easily, but ... ]

They are, but. [ She gestures around the room. ] I was planning on staying here until they came back on to keep an eye on the situation.

[ Her voice is calm and steady, despite obvious exhaustion, and she shakes her head. ]

I can't leave until I know the barriers have come down correctly. [ And that outside help will come, or there will be a lot of heroes inside who are sitting ducks. ]

[invoking]

What? [ He didn't expect that from her. He shifts from his spot on the wall, moving closer. ]

We can't stay here, Miss Yako! They'll find a way in eventually!

[topslug]

The security for this office is very secure. [ If they use explosives, though... well, she can't guarantee anything. She stands her ground stubbornly in front of the console, though, the clock still ticking the time down. ]

I might be the only member of NOHoPE's staff who's still inside right now. If I leave... [ It just doesn't sit right with her. ]

[invoking]

Right now you need to get to safety. Those men will kill you if they get that door open. I can use Raven's power again to get us out. [ He's sounding more desperate now. ]

[topslug]

[ Her expression carries a hint of quiet obstinacy that suggests she wants to protest Gil's words, but only politeness and her regard for Gilbert keeps her from saying anything. She's not a reckless person; she's weighed the potential outcomes and consequences, and she's certain this is where her responsibility lies. ]

Mister Gilbert... [ Her voice is gentle. She doesn't want to argue this, and she's grateful that he came for her, but now--

There's something about the way he looks that makes her hesitate, and she bites her lip. ]

[invoking]

[ Unable to discern what it is she's thinking, Gil holds his gaze, a quiet desperation pleading for her to leave with him. He's not the only one in the building, he knows; Zatanna and a few others have infiltrated and are on their way to set rescue the other hostages. ]

We have no time!

[ He stole Jack's line. ]

[topslug]

[ Good thing Yako has no idea what 24 is, nor if it exists in her universe. She bites her lip and finally ducks her head, uncomfortably. ]

... All right. I'll go.

[invoking]

[ He pauses, half-surprised by her sudden willingness. He had expected more of an argument from her.

Or maybe he's not entirely used to someone agreeing so quickly with him. Either way, he takes it as a good sign and moves toward the door again. There's movement, but they seem to be stalling for the most part. ]

I can use Raven's power again to get us out of here, but we'll have to be quick; that power can't be used so casually and repeatedly. [ He hasn't recovered the missing energy sapped from him when he used his chain to get inside. ]

[topslug]

[ While she'd accepted his reasoning, the prospect that he might actually come to harm trying to get her out of here makes her brow crease with concern. ]

If that's the case, then wouldn't using it be dangerous? [ She doesn't want him to overexert himself, and she steps closer, reaching out to touch his sleeve. Yet for all that, she doesn't seem too shaken. ]

If using it could harm you-- [ That changes her answer. ]

[invoking]

[ Again, he's startled by the touch and concern, but he quickly waves it off. ]

It won't. [ He says resolutely. ]