The Start of the Storm

[shardofwinter]

The god hosted Yule party left the Nexus in the state of beautiful Winter Wonderland. With the snow falling softly and steadily, and the beautiful festive lights twinkling in the darkness, the Nexus is left with a sense of serene nostalgia hanging in the cold air. This peace and joy clings to the streets for several weeks, buoying everyone’s mood as they look back on the past year and forward to ringing in the new one. 

It starts in the Wilds, and the outskirts. The cold air suddenly feels like it freezes everything it touches in an instant. Light doesn’t quite pierce the gloom. Gentle snowfall becomes thick and falls hard. One or two people looking for shelter from their uninhabitable homes isn’t too noticeable. People can still enjoy their pretty Winter, blissfully unaware. Pipes freeze solid, paths become impassable, power cuts out, simple walks become baffling in the poor visibility. Soon it’s not one or two people, it’s many, it’s families. There are people coming in, bloody, bruised and scared, saying they were chased. Eventually the kindness of friends and strangers becomes strained. Spare rooms are packed to the brim and the storm that stays just shy of the bizarre torches somehow seems to have a slow, but unmistakable march closer towards a point where the Plaza, Industrial sector and Downtown meet. On top of that, people are complaining about PINpoints acting up or portals freezing over. 

Streets are becoming packed full of people with far more problems than solutions. Huddling together and whispering about ghosts and monsters moving about in the shadows. In a place with no government, no organisation, no collaborative emergency services, chaos and confusion reigns supreme. And with chaos, comes panic. With confusion, comes frustration and anger. The Nexus is a powder keg waiting to blow.

That’s certainly how one Durant sees it. As a manager, Isidor is keen on organisation and order. Both things that are lacking in the Nexus at the moment. Groups pop up to help, but struggle to communicate effectively, or work together. Some people get free food twice, some people are still waiting for some at all. It’s madness, and Isidor can’t stand it. Particularly because she, her brother and sister-in-law are stuck here. So, when nobody else takes the mantle, Isidor Durant takes it upon herself to inject some order into this scrum.

In her fur hat and long coat, leather gloves and thick boots, Isidor can be seen directing people this way and that. There’s something about a confident person taking charge that means people instinctively defer to them. She becomes the point of contact quite easily, with people soon taking her direction regardless of whether or not they know her. Under her instruction, people are directed to a building that has tables set up, queues in front of them, and volunteers behind them taking names and telling people where to go. It might still be chaos, but at least now it’s organised chaos.

The question is: Where will your character go?

❅-❅-❅-❅

((Below are comments for each desk. Tag any of them, threadhop, or post with your own character. I suggest putting your character’s name in the subject to help keep things clear. Comments marked with a snowflake ( ❅  ) have been coordinated with the mods and I as official event comments. The OOC Post is here! If you have any questions, feel free to message me or one of the mods!))

Threads of Note
Medicine/Illness | Shelter/Heat | Food | Security/Crime | Lost items/people | Misc resources/Donations | Volunteers | Expeditions | Planning Table/The woman in charge | Drulb's Deelz | A Ship in the Outskirts 

Comments

[liverfree]

Ah, the woman of the hour has arrived. Prometheus greets her with a brief nod, his spear at the ready in case another one of these ruffians decides to do something stupid. Better a whack from the blunt end of his spear than whatever either of his companions would care to dish out.

"You checked the Insani-Tee?" he asks, nary a stumble of amusement over the silly store name. "This gentleman here claims that as the drop-off point for the supplies."

[he_put_the_devil_in_me]

"He also said it's under guard," Daredevil adds, though he rather doubts that news will come as a surprise. It'd be stupid to leave valuable supplies sitting around where anyone could find them, especially for ones who stole them in the first place. "By the 'shot-callers.'" Which means if they find the goods, they find the brains behind this operation too.

[red_room]

"Oh, they talked too?" The spy clicks her tongue in clear disapproval for their enemies. Maybe even a hint of disdain for making her come out here in the first place for such a weak willed effort. When you're used to HYDRA and world ending armies as your opponents, a comparatively easy job feels like a set up. Rather than complacency, Natasha finds herself waiting for the other shoe to fall. "The store's up past this block. Small place, would be easy to guard. Front entrance has floor to ceiling windows to entice moody teens inside for irreverent or music related clothing. Back entrance will be inconspicuous and lead to the alley."

While they march up the street Natasha points out a store of similar design to Prometheus, in case he's never been into a strip mall clothing store before. By description alone she's confident Daredevil has an idea of the kind of place they're dealing with. Small cramped fighting spaces with lots of funnel points and environmental hazards and only two viable entrance or exit points.

In other words, between the three of them they should be able to ensure that no one else escapes to go summon more backup. Nat looks between the two men a few times before nodding toward Prometheus in approval.

"You're the largest and have the most reach with that spear. Take the front entrance and don't let anyone past. He and I will rush in from the back and try to take them out quickly, but there's going to be runners and Im counting on you to stop them by any means necessary. Be ready to shield and dodge though-- guns are definitely going to be a thing. Not for long, but."

[liverfree]

Prometheus has seen such stores before, but a refresher is appreciated. Already he's taking into consideration the points of entry and exit and how those large windows might come into play. When Natasha vocalizes a role for him, he can't find a flaw in her plan. He does have the most reach, and he is the largest -- he can be quite larger, actually, but that would make him a bigger target to be shot at, which he'd prefer to avoid. Regardless, this woman knows how to strategize.

"Well, I have the shield for it." He pats the reinforced metal shield on his back. "It can take a few more shots if necessary. I'll make sure no one gets away." Especially not with the medical supplies, which is the main point of this venture.

breaking posting order by request

[he_put_the_devil_in_me]

Small, enclosed spaces are one of Daredevil's favorite places to work, and a slightly wicked grin pulls at his lips in anticipation. These bastards are going to regret their life choices by the time they're through with them.

The building is easy to single out once they get close enough, and Matt tilts his head slightly, mapping out and counting heartbeats, murmuring their locations to Natasha before they even enter the premises. There's enough subtle sounds bouncing around to give him a general idea of the store's layout, and a shelving unit near the door catches his ear, something that could be easily toppled to block the back exit. It's going to be noisy as hell, but the element of surprise only lasts so long anyway.

And then Prometheus is in position, and it's go time.

The back door flies open, and Natasha is inside in a flash, zeroing in on the spot where Daredevil had pinpointed the closest goon. Before the confusion that's erupting can give way to comprehension, Daredevil slips inside too, and heaves the shelving unit in front of the door with a crash. Gunshots ring out, and he ducks behind another display rack to break line of sight, snapping on his batons and swiftly closing the distance to the biggest threat.

He counts three guns in play - no, two, as Natasha lands a solid blow to her opponent's wrist hard enough to snap it like a wet branch, now armed with a broken pipe from shattered shelves. One's almost out of ammo already, panic-firing at the intruders and nearly ready to click dry, so Daredevil goes for the other one first. Disarming him is easy, twisting the baton into the man's forearm and flinging it outward hard enough to jar the weapon free, but this one seems tougher than the spineless sycophants they steamrolled earlier, not afraid to use his fists.

Good. A man after Daredevil's own heart.

What follows is almost more like a dance than a fight, Natasha and Matt harrying the men like a pair of wolves on the hunt, drawing attention one way only to attack from the other. A leg sweep from her leads one goon to split his chin on Daredevil's upswept baton, a body blow from him staggers another straight into Natasha's waiting thigh choke. Back to back, attacked from both sides at once, they pivot around and fend off blows meant for each other, always moving, always adapting.

It's too much for some of them to take. Outmatched, watching the intruders methodically beat their comrades down bit by bit, two of them make a dash for the front entrance, another trying his luck at the rear until he sees the mess that blocks the way out.

[liverfree]

At first, it's nothing but the sounds of a real ruckus to Prometheus's ears, but he doesn't leave his post, knowing that the two inside have the situation covered. Besides, soon enough there is activity headed his way, namely a pair of gang members who are determined to cut their losses and make their escape.

Good luck with that, gentlemen.

Prometheus blocks the door, striking one in the face with the butt of his spear, swinging it around and clocking him again before he has a chance to defend himself. It leaves the man dazed and groaning as he staggers back, but Prometheus does not get a chance to hit him a third time in a row, as his companion has come up with an alternative method of evacuation.

The store's large windows had long since been shattered by looters and then boarded up by the thieves. This man, stronger than the other, has ripped off some of the plywood and is leveling his gun at the Titan through the opening.

Quickly, Prometheus raises his shield. Gunfire rings out in rapid succession, but the man is nervous, and only one shot hits it mark, denting the metal and making the Titan swear in ancient Greek.

While the man swears and tries to reload, Prometheus is on him in a flash. He grabs the man by the arm and drags him through the plywood opening. It's unfortunately not big enough for him, so the rest of the plywood cracks and splinters around him. Surprised by the Titan's strength, he doesn't have any time to react before Prometheus heaves him up one-handed and throws him forcefully against the wall of the building. The man slides to the ground, conscious but concussed, with a few broken ribs for good measure.

Then Prometheus turns and catches the other thug by the legs with his spear as he tries to sneak past. He tumbles face first into the hard-packed snow and Prometheus whacks him with the blunt end of the spear a few times to keep him there. "Stay down -- both of you -- if you know what's good for you!" he demands.

All he gets in reply are groans from the man who met the wall, and a whimpered, "Y-yes, sir..." from the one in the snow.

[red_room]

An explosion of glass and trinkets scatters across the industrial grade carpet filling a good third of the store with difficult and dangerous terrain as the larger thugs Natasha had been determinedly choking out manages to get a solid hold on her coat and heaves the woman up and over his shoulder, slamming her into the glass encased counter near the register with all of his weight.

Her many layers provide a bit of protection from the blow. The only lacerations she takes are shallow and hidden beneath her gear but the force of the maneuver still forces the air out of her lungs in a ragged bark of breath she's struggling to draw back in.

Instinct takes over long enough for Natasha to weakly roll herself away and onto the floor with another loud Fwump! before the very metal bar she'd been using as a weapon crashes into the spot she'd been laying only half a second before. The spy is getting her feet underneath her but it's slow. Dangerous. Making her a target.

If Prometheus spends time looking inside at the commotion and turn of the fight's tide he might find himself missing how the not-concussed thug is slowly reaching for the gun his buddy dropped into the snow.

[he_put_the_devil_in_me]

The shattering is impossible to ignore, and Matt's attention is drawn to it immediately, taking in the harsh whoof of the wind being knocked out of Natasha's lungs, and the faint scent of fresh blood mingling with all the other blood they've spilled thus far. The distraction costs him a solid blow to his ribs, his opponent taking advantage of a moment's weakness, and Daredevil lashes out on reflex. The man dodges, taking a step back, and before he can regain his footing, the masked man is already on the move.

His intended vault over a fallen display case is less graceful than it would normally be, slowed by the sharp pain in his side, but stubbornness gets him across in time to crash into her assailant, slamming the taser batons on either side of the big man's neck. Behind him, he can hear his abandoned opponent taking the long way around the same display case he'd gone over, scooping up part of a fallen shirt rack to swing at him like a baseball bat.

Time to duck.

The batons lose contact the moment he does, but as Daredevil feels the close whoosh of air as the rack barely misses his head, he can only hope the second assailant had been counting on there being another body between his strike and the bigger man.

[liverfree]

The shattering glass is quite a distraction. Prometheus peers into the gap left in the shattered plywood. Do his allies need help inside? It feels as though his work here is done...

Perhaps not, as he catches sight of the miscreant in the snow grabbing hold of the gun. "I thought I told you to stay down," he chastises, his expression one of disappointment.

The man sneers as he aims for the Titan's chest and pulls the trigger.

Click!

"I didn't give your friend time to reload," Prometheus tells the now wide-eyed thug. As he tries to scrabble to his feet, Prometheus grabs him by the scruff of his collar and gives him a good shake. "What am I supposed to do with you?" he demands. "You'll just run off or try to shoot me again."

"N-no, I w--"

"Don't waste my time with more lying." He drags him to the window, pushing aside concussed man who groans but otherwise doesn't move, and looks in once more. He doesn't want to leave his post, but he might be of better use inside.

[red_room]

Prometheus has one of the thugs held so only the tips of his toes are able to tough the ground. No chance for traction or any way to break free other than to scrabble uselessly at the titan's arm holding him aloft. There's a sickening crack of metal against bone as the larger thug Daredevil had darted away from to come to Natasha's aid strikes his companion with the pipe from the shirt racks in trying to hit Daredevil.

Suddenly he's the only assailant left standing with no way out. Before he can make another lunge for any of them, Natasha draws her own pistol and aims it squarely between his eyes. Every detail of her face says she's going to murder him and feel nothing.

"That's...enough." The safety's still on. Her bluff will make the man pause long enough for either of her companions to finish the job and knock the guy out. Natasha doesn't move until he's down but once he is she's putting away her gun. Leaning heavily against the wall while she looks around. Stacked up neatly behind the register area are their missing boxes of medical supplies, still safely boxed up.

[he_put_the_devil_in_me]

A moment's hesitation is all Daredevil needs, lunging back upwards with a solid blow to the last assailant's chin and sending him sprawling. And then there's blessed silence, or at least, as silent as it can be with a lopsided chorus of ragged breathing all around where the thieves lie crumpled on the floor.

Matt's breathing isn't entirely steady either, and he rubs at his sore ribs as if to ease away the ache. Not broken, but bruised, thank God. His companions don't sound too bad off themselves, but it never hurts to check. "Everyone all right?" he calls out, loud enough to reach Prometheus' ears.

And hey, what do you know, the goods are still nicely packaged.

[liverfree]

There's a moment of tension in the Titan's shoulders when he thinks that Natasha might shoot that last assailant in cold blood, but thankfully it is all a ruse. Or at least Daredevil knocks him out before it matters either way.

"I'm fine!" he calls back. Aside from being shot at and blatantly disrespected (Prometheus, come on, they're criminals, what did you expect?), he's no worse for wear. Still holding the helpless miscreant in a tight grip, he peeks his head through the broken plywood. "I have a live one here I need to take to security, and another one concussed at my feet that I should probably take to the infirmary. Do you need assistance bringing back the medical supplies?"

Ugh, what a mess inside the store. Nothing to be done for it right now, but he can't help but feel terribly disappointed. All of this for some extra money. If this was a taste of the storm's fallout, it was going to be a long Winter.

[red_room]

"Good. That's...that's good."

Natasha's nodding over to Prometheus but she's breathing just as hard as Matt is right now. At least the fighting's over with. Adrenaline's still pushing her strong for the moment but that won't last for much longer. She wants to tell Prometheus to forget the thugs, not to bother wasting their foo or supplies on them, but she knows how well that went over when she suggested it back at the base. Kirk alone would have her head if she tried it again now. Natasha sighs. "Yeah, take them back. He and I will handle the supplies."

There's enough broken shelving and the like for them to rig up a makeshift sled if they have to. The important thing is that no one's shooting at them anymore. It's been that kind of a day.

"Let them know we're coming with the stuff."

[he_put_the_devil_in_me]

Daredevil is also not terribly opposed to plan Leave Them Here, but unlike home there isn't going to be helpful medical services to patch these idiots up and those with broken legs aren't exactly going to be able to hobble their asses to the infirmary themselves, so he's not going to object either.

He throws a sloppy salute in Prometheus' general direction instead, and turns his attention to the mess that used to be a store to help rig up something to drag the supplies back to camp.