New Avalon

[CalamityJade]

Mordriana managed to remain upright till the second blow brought her down. The thug that had hit her was now tying her up while the other two continued aiming pistols. "Yeah, that's right. All of you just sit nice and still...all of you managed to be welcomed by this...this LIE and not one of you is gonna get up here and try to help you're little guidepost?" The man seemed fairly average, though he did have a scar going over one eye, despite aiming fairly well. "Guess it's true what they say. The Welcomed care for their golden lives more than those that got them there."

[yamikuronue]

T backs into a corner, her knife out in her hand. "Heh... so... this is my fate, huh?" she murmurs, unable to tear her eyes away from the hijacking happening on the stage. She should do something, she ought to help, but... she'd just get herself killed. There'd be no point to it, after all. She wasn't Welcomed. She was just a nobody.

Erika drops to a low crouch, creeping after Rob, clinging to her purse tightly, fear making her mouth dry. What he hell was this?! Some kind of terrorist thing? Were they going to get shot?! That's about the only way her week could possibly get worse....

[Hammer Sister]

From the safety of the alleyway, Rob can make a better assessment of the situation.

Where are the police? How did they let this happen?

Never mind that for now; need to do something...

Rob checks his concealed pistol; a compact revolver, chambered for six, holding five bullets. But he can't risk using it, not over this distance; too much risk of missing the shot, and of hitting Mordriana. Plus he doesn't have any spare ammo; every shot must count.

Need to get closer...

"Erika, wait here and stay hidden; I have to try and help. And no matter what happens, do not follow me; I'll come and find you."

Rob ducks back out of the alleyway, and begins to sneak around the edge of the crowd to get closer to the stage.

[CalamityJade]

Rob would barely be noticed, the group seeming more interested that their target was being tied up and an approaching sound. Not to mention that the wind was picking up. As far as the police, that was a tad odd. Usually NAPD were quick to respond to these sorts of events no matter what, so why where they dragging their feet.

Now that he was getting closer, he might notice that while they had rather different kinds of clothing, there was something that each of them had. Somewhere, wether it was the shoulder, arm, or back, was a patch sewn on their clothing with some sort of odd symbol. He wasn't able to place where it was from, but it was unique. While most of it looked like nonsense, the center of each patch was a hand with circles dropping between the fingers.

[Hammer Sister]

Members of a gang?

Rob pauses a moment in the shadows; taking out a small notebook and pencil, he quickly sketches the mysterious logo worn by each of the assailants, along with a few other details. Notes and sketch complete, he pockets the notebook and pencil, and resumes his stealth approach.

Thanks to the distraction of three armed miscreants, Rob finds it startlingly easy to sneak stage-side. Taking care to remain hidden, he unholsters his pistol, flicks the safety off, takes aim at the first assailant's thigh, and fires.

He doesn't wait to see the result; he's already moving to a new firing location.

[yamikuronue]

Aw, fuck it. It's a good day to die anyway.

The youth, on the balls of her feet to reduce the noise of her footsteps, head ducked to provide a smaller amount of motion, hood pulled up to hide her face, creeps toward the stage, knife in hand under the cloak so it won't catch the light and glint. The pistol-fire causes her to duck low, but when she sees it's not at her, she takes her chance and lunges toward the stage, aiming to take down another of the assailants.

[CalamityJade]

The shot hits it's mark, causing the assailant to be struck. He cries out and fires, but it was just past where Rob had been, though he only is barely staying up on his feet. "Aarrg! Damnit, where the hell is Franks!" That was when the wind REALLY picked up. stands were groaning and hats were flying as the wind pushed down over the..wait, DOWN?!

The other assailant was too distracted between the shot and the picking up of wind to do much about the youth lunging at him. He did, however try to hold his arms up to try and protect his eyes and face as he's tackled. Now that she was close, there was a rather strong smell...though not one she was familiar with.

As Rob continued to move and the youth had the man down, there was a loud sound that accompanied the wind. Something of a whirring sound that tended to accompany huge engines. That and the sudden blinding light coming from someplace above them drew eyes up. Above there was a massive shape that seemed to blot out the sky. Twin searchlights were on the stage and the crowd as some smaller shape was lowered to the stage near the assailant that had finished tying up the unconscious Mordriana

[Hammer Sister]

What the fuck?

Rob halts; with the downdraught and the searchlights, he doesn't stand a cat-in-hell's chance of getting a safe shot. Looking up, he cannot make out anything beyond the glare; the noise from the engines doesn't help.

Deciding discretion is the better part of valour (and a preferable survival strategy to boot), Rob holsters his pistol (taking care to leave the hammer resting over an empty chamber), then he doubles back and sneaks away from the stage, making his way back to the alleyway and Erika.

[yamikuronue]

Gritting her teeth, the young girl knifes her prey in the back. She keeps low as she creeps onto the stage -- it's easier if you don't fight the wind, she figures, but move with it. She's got to get to Mordriana before they can lift her out or this whole thing was for nothing.

[CalamityJade]

The wind was favorable in other ways, as the sound was starting to drown out the man's cry of pain from being stabbed. From that position, she could see that there was a rope and harness being lowered to the stage...and it's a good deal to say that if they DID manage to pull that off no one would see the fortune teller again!  On the good side, the tell-tale sound of sirens ment that the police had finally gotten over whatever was keeping them.

[Hammer Sister]

Just as he's about to leave the stage area, Rob looks back once more; he sees the young thief on-stage, heading towards the bound and unconscious Mordriana. Looking up, he sees the harness being lowered.

...dammit!

Thankful for the noise and distractions, Rob wastes no time in heading back to the stage; he approaches the third assailant, drawing his pistol and pointing it at the assailant's head.

"Back off, and no-one gets hurt!"

[yamikuronue]

The youth charges headlong toward the assailant's legs, lunging with the knife, hoping to hamstring the guy so she can abscond with the fortune teller.

[CalamityJade]

The man seemed ready to listen...well, in so much that he heard the yelling and aimed his gun towards Rob. "Nothing doin ma-" He was cut off by the youth taking a dive at his legs. "GAh! Damnit, get the fuck offa me!" He tries to kick at her as he felt the blade cut into his leg. The third...well he was making his way towards the harness rather than let all this be for naught.

[yamikuronue]

The youth hangs on, taking the kicks as she stabs with the knife, trying to ensure he's down for the count before she lets go.

[Hammer Sister]

That makes my job a little easier...

Rob reholsters his pistol, leaving the thief to occupy the assailant; he moves over to Mordriana, and begins to drag her to the edge of the stage, away from the descending harness.