xp_logs | Operation: A Roving Commission: Saviors

Amanda and Jubilee go after the 'cargo'.

Regardless of the implications of the sting operation, Remy had made it clear that releasing Bulat’s newest cargo was the priority on the mission. He might lead to something bigger, but it was as important to make sure he didn’t have the chance to sell another batch of new mutants into virtual slavery.

The two shipping crates were guarded, still streaming off moisture from the passage in the boat. Anyone inside would be frozen, wet and miserable; even if the worst was still to come for them. After a moment, the ready light clicked on their phones, notice that the team would be moving on Bulat and they had to move as well.

Amanda tucked her phone into her jacket pocket and pulled her hoodie up over her hair. Taking a breath, she let herself drop into the floor and into the city, its consciousness embracing hers to the point that she was having trouble making out where her mind ended. The slightest edge of disquiet brought her back to herself - the containers. There was a job to do.

The ground between the containers wavered a moment before disgorging Amanda's short, slight figure. Immediately, she ducked into the deepest shadow, staying low. Time for Jubilee's distraction.

Jubilee had taken the time to seed small explosives near the entrance to the yard, not large enough to cause any real damage in the normal course of things, but as catalyst to her own powers the resulting explosions were loud and extremely noticeable. Jubilee herself crouched several yards away in the shadows, waiting for the majority of Bulat's men to arrive, and then the real fun would begin.

Crouching lower as the men around the containers ran off towards the doors, Amanda counted to three under her breath and then straightened. All clear, for now at least. She peeked out from around the corner - yep, there was still one of Bulat's men standing guard, assuming an ambush. Oh well...

'Fates save us from people who do their job," Jubilee muttered into the throat mike she was wearing, voice low but not whispering, as she set off the next round of explosives a few feet away from the doors and further into the building. It consisted of a series of flash-bangs designed specifically to house her powers that she could set off remotely. That should have them running around trying to find the source and give Jubilee enough time to get overhead.

The second round of explosions distracted the remaining guard's attention enough for Amanda to be able to get behind him. A well-placed kick to the back of the knee brought him down to her level and a punch in the throat ensured he'd have plenty to occupy himself. Another boot to the head knocked him unconscious. Now for Jubilee to do her part with the remaining guards while she worked on opening the containers.

For her part, Jubilee had already retreated into the duct work of the building and had worked her way overhead, "Observation the first, these guys totally need to hire a cleaning service, like immediately."

It didn't take her more then a minute to reach her destination, a duct directly over where she'd set off the flash bangs, high enough up that what she was going to do next wouldn't harm her. She adjusted her sunglasses, making sure they wouldn't suddenly shift on her head, and then dropped several more concussion grenades directly into the middle of the guard group. As the small metal cylinders dropped to the ground with a clatter, she smiled and waved at the guard who looked up before releasing the small plasma balls she'd set into each grenade.

The padlock on the first container crumbled into rust, dropping into Amanda's hand as she concentrated New York's power on it. There was a stirring inside, a rustle of bodies and a sense of a collective held breath. Amanda moved to yank on the metal latch open, cursing under her breath as it stuck. She pulled again, hanging off it with all her weight, and was rewarded with a faint creak and a shifting. Readjusting her grip, Amanda prepared to yank down on the bar again...

...only to be suddenly slammed into the container as a second guard, who had been lurking behind the other container waiting for just such a situation, slammed her in the back with the butt of his gun.

Jubilee dropped to the ground, looking around her carefully for anyone left standing, and then methodically started knocking them across the head with the palm sap she had strapped to her hand. There weren't that many who weren't currently either blind, knocked out or bleeding from the small bits of shrapnel the flash-bangs had released and so Jubilee was thinking about heading over to Amanda when she heard the noise of a body being slammed into metal.

"Mandy?" she asked, pressing her fingers to the throat mike. "You dead?"

"Not yet," the witch managed to growl, holding herself upright by the container's locking mechanism. She kicked backwards at the merc as he approached, but he'd been expecting that. The only reason he hadn't shot her yet, she guessed, was because he had orders to try and capture any would-be rescuers alive for questioning. Still, best not to push her luck - she clapped her hands together and summoned her shielding spell, just in time to block the gun-butt aimed at her head. "Jubes, can you come take care of this berk? 'M already going to be pissing blood for a month."

"Dude, that's totally disgusting," Jubilee noted but she made her way around the back of the container, heading toward where Amanda was fighting. "Just keep his eye on you and I'll take him out from behind."

"Next time you spar with Remy I'll suggest he give you a kidney shot so you can have the same fun." Amanda winced as another blow bounced off her shield, followed by the ricocheting whine of several bullets. A good thing the container was metal. "Hurry up before a wild shot takes out one of the poor bastards in the containers."

"I will totally put ex lax in your morning coffee if you give Remy that idea," Jubilee replied, smacking Amanda's attacker across the side of the head before stepping back out of range. "The man does not need any more nasty ideas to use on me."

The mercenary shook his head, the blow with the sap clearly having rattled him. Not enough, however - he raised his gun to take aim at Jubilee. Then it was his turn to be hit from behind as Amanda body-slammed him, shielding spell and all, knocking him sprawling to the concrete floor.

Jubilee glanced down at the man, kicking him in the side of the head when it looked like he was about to get up again before melting the barrel of his gun with a quick application of plasmoids.

"You wanna rescue the prisoners, or hog-tie Mr cranky guard dude?" Jubilee asked, tone casual despite the watchful set of her body-language and the cold focus in her eyes. "I gotta say, totes bringing more rope next time."

"See if he has cuffs or zip ties on him," Amanda replied, dropping her shield and moving to yank on the metal latch again. "Then go get the lock on the other container. We've made enough bloody noise already, we better get this lot out of here before the plods get involved and start asking awkward questions."

Jubilee shrugged as she lent down to rifle through the man's pockets, lifting up a pair of zip ties in triumph before quickly tying the man up. "On my way."

There was a screech of metal against metal as the latch finally gave way and Amanda shoved the container door open. Calling up the werelight, she peered into the scared, pale faces of a half-dozen or so young mutants.

"Welcome to Romania," she said with a reassuring grin. "I'm Daytripper, that's Tinkerbell and we'll be your rescuers today."