Summary:Tracking missing people into the Subways, the heroes make a horrific discovery Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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The gangs in the Disaster Zone are constantly a problem. But one group, is it just one group?, seems to be more. Aligned with a criminal genius, they're extremely well armed and it seems they moving drugs - which, isn't so strange.
What is strange is the information that Peter Parker has managed to pass to Spider-Man. Information that he's shared with Mari McCabe, aka Vixen.
Information has also come to the Hunters ears that there's people go missing. From the DZ is a common thing, but last night a young woman was taken from M-Town. Which is why the small group of intrepid heroes are in the subways again, following Hunter as she leads them through the side tunnels following the trail.
"Now, what were you saying about that data, Spider-Man?" Mari asks.
For another though, it's a different story - a vision of this exact location in the subways has been dogging him. It's hard to tell why, all he really knows is he needs to be here….
Intrepidacious! Just like that seagull fella in that Disney flick with the mermaid, Azazel or something like that. Yup, that's Zeal all right, very much an intrepid heroic type, that's for sure. Thankfully, she knows Spidey has the comms frequency she setup last time, and hopefully Diya still has hers, if not she has a couple spares just in case. Batlings make Boy Scouts look slapdash at best!
Today she even is wearing a set of nose filters, getting gassed not being much of a gas, nope. Well, not this time!
The rather slender young lady in the black body armor cants her cowled head towards Spider-Man at Mari's question.
Infuriating as it may be for some, Hunter did not wait. As soon as she learned of the kidnapping, she went hunting. It's in the name, after all. Being equally infuriatingly independent, she did not initially inform anyone else of this; just gathered her gear and went Hunting.
Apparently, however, there are some amongst the Pride who may respect her but are perhaps not as afraid of Hunter as they ought. One amongst these was the ancient Weather, who reached out by phone to call the Vixen. The elder statesman of the Pride is well aware that Vixen has been helping others against the gangs that have been troubling the Zone, and it is his opinion that given this latest attack has led Hunter towards the Zone that it may well be connected.
Short version: Weather snitched out Hunter to Vixen. She will be very upset. Later.
An hour or so ahead of the others, Hunter has already gone down multiple paths within the tunnels seeking clues and scents. A professional, she has been swift but cautious, using senses beyond what most can even honestly comprehend and a lifetime's experience as a soldier in asymmetrical warfare to detect and bypass traps, hide from tells, and seek out those who have taken one under her protection.
Vengeance is coming. And she didn't pack light.
"There isn't a whole lot *to* say," Spider-Man admits, walking upside-down on the tunnel ceiling next to where Mari is walking rightside-up on the tunnel floor. "Not without narrowing down the plants and chemicals involved." His tone of voice carries both a mild hint of annoyance, and an eager note of curiosity; given how insular Wakanda has been historically, he's expecting to run up against a brick wall somewhere along the line - but if Mari has enough of an "in" with the Embassy to help winnow out some actual answers, all the better.
"But whatever that formula is about," Spidey continues, "if this Klaue guy is behind the research, I'll bet you a dozen of the city's best bagels that it's not a project we want his people to finish. Or himself." He lets out a brief sigh. "And odds on top of that are it's weapons-related somehow. If the biological side were animal instead of vegetable, I'd guess it's yet another kind of augmented soldier research program, but unless he's trying to breed attack cauliflowers or something …"
Hod loves the DZ. He visits regularly, plays impromptu conserts for the denizens, listens to the mad ravings of the mentally ill and uncared for, the downtrodden, the forgotten and the lost. Because they're his people and all gruff drunken foolishness aside, Hod at least /tries/ to protect what he considers his. He also tries not to think about the number of his failures.
Sometimes the bourbon or the vodka or the wine or the engine degreaser isn't enough to stop the images, the flashes of pictures he doesn't understand at all with the sounds he understands to well. Tonight was one of those nights. The fact that it's the DZ only means that he doesn't mind as much as he usually does. He only curses the Norns like twice, maybe twice and a half.
It takes Hod a couple of Ways, but it isn't long before the access tunnel door in the subway opens and from a closet in an architectural firm in the Bronx, Hodr steps through into the bitter darkness. He closes the door behind himself, reaches up to pull off his sunglasses and tuck them away in his shirt pocket gently, baring the bottomless pits of his eyeless sockets to the shadows, and fights back a grin.
Until he hears voices and quickly scrambles to pull the glasses back out and cram them on his face, bumbling his cane in the hurry and letting it fall and bounce to the floor ringing with the sound of Uru on concrete like a bell. "Fuck." he says to no one in a dry flat tone, the word a soft almost breathy grunt.
As the rest get into the tunnels to a point further than last time, just past one of the supposed collapses that has seemingly been opened up since their last visit, a soft and almost sing-song mush-mouthed voice murmurs over the comms, "Noisy dead."
It's a good thing Mari can Hunt as well. Following Hunter isn't a simple thing, after all. With the glowing silhouette of a brown bear behind her, the superhero leads the group thorugh the tunnels. "We're getting closer. Zeal, have you managed to raise Hunter yet?" They've been trying their communicators since they were notified by Weather. They *have* been slowly drawing closer and if Mari's nose is any judge of it - she's about forty feet away.
Hunter will hear the clang of Hod's cane, just a well as Vixen and the others as well. Her nose tells her that Vixens party is drawing close, Hod between her and the others. She can also get the scent of *others*. One is the young woman she's been seeking but there's another four scents as well. All have the tangy undertone of fear and resignation. But there's another scent as well. Something that is … close to the scent of Vixens suit. Sort of.
"I need to get you to speak to T-Challa, Spider-Man. This might be bigger than we initially thought. We came across an operation a while ago and thought we'd put it down - it might be same or it might be something else. I'm not a liberty to say much else, I'm afraid." But yes, she can get him the contact he needs. Whether that will do any good, she doesn't know.
"We're not alone." Mari murmurs at the clang of the cane and looks to the others. The tunnels aren't wide and whoever that is has just lost the element of surprise. Right? "In for a penny, in a for pound." beat "Who's there?" Original, isn't she?
And then Hunter speaks and Mari nods to Zeal to respond. They're here to help!
Activating her thermal and nightvision optics, Zeal walks with one of her batons in hand as they proceed. She's not really able to follow most of the science babbling from the Spider-Man, but that's okay, she often misses out on the technobabble. She's actually odd as a Batling in two regards - she's prone to smiling (so's her mentor), and she's not at all tech-saavy, though she's getting better!
She's learned to use what tech she's been given, she's trained to use it effectively. "Not as of yet, though I can try to find her comm unit."
A pause to talk to her bracer, softly. 'Oracle, an it please thee, would you scan for comm 3?' Of course, shortly after that the woman speaks of 'Noisy dead'. "Of course, Zeal…scanning…partial lock, there's a fair bit of interference down here, but it would seem you are on the right path."
At the ominous pronouncement, and still reeling at the image of attack cauliflower, she prepares for combat.
The sound of the cane clattering against the floor immediately prompts Spider-Man to crouch, "dropping" into the deeper shadows about the ceiling and scurrying sideways from where he'd been, away from Vixen. And he listens, smirking wryly beneath his mask at Hunter's comment. Good to know she's around. But more than that …
"I think I know that voice," Spidey comments to the team before calling out, "Oi, Hod? That you? I'd know that tone of swearing anywhere … It's me, Spidey! And some friends," he adds, just so the Norse blindman won't be too surprised.
As for the prospect of talking to T'Challa directly - well, he'll get back to Vixen on that when they aren't sorting out who just made a spectacle of himself by arriving mid-op. (That diversion in the train of thought does not, however, keep Spider-Man from considering that he might have to disclose his identity to T'Challa … never a prospect he really embraces, no matter whom he'd be identifying himself to.)
Hod was in the process of bending down to pluck up the cane when he hears the call from down the tunnel… and up. And he stops mid bend to sigh heavily. "Of fucking course it is." he says, yet again, to no one. "Always spiders and mutants with me. Wonder if I pissed off Anansi or something. I thought we were cool after Madagascar?" he leans forward on the cane a bit and raises his voice, "Joy. You wouldn't happen to be the reason I'm here, would ya? Because I gotta say, it would be /super/ conveinent."
He crosses his hands atop the cane's silvered spherical topper and leans on it slightly, mostly unaway of how askew his glasses are. He also inhales, turning his head this way and that, trying to pick up his own familiar scents.
Very soft non-whispers follow, as Hunter maintains her position ahead. "Four, take girl. Less hour. Afraid?" A beat. "Vixen suit." Minimalist as always, the only other thing Hunter has to offer, after a few long seconds, is a reminder, "Quiet."
With her comm unit powered back on - battery returned to its place - Hunter maintains position for a bit, choosing the right path to follow. Brief flashes of a dull red light in the darkness, aimed backwards towards the noisy others is the only clue Hunter offers, very intermittently, as she continues to advance ahead, checking very carefully and yet still moving efficiently and silently.
"You know who that is?" Mari's ears prick (metaphorically) at the mention of Anansi. Now she's really on alert - she's not exactly a 'follower' of Anansi, but she's well aware of who's favour she bears and the fact that Bast has set her a little task. OK, not so little.
"Hunter, we're not far from you with an unknown between us." The yellow and black clad woman says. "Though he might be friendly so try not to maul him too badly, hmmm? According to my nose, we're not far from our mutual target as well. What have you found? We'll back you up?" Mari tries to keep things simple for Hunter but sometimes she forgets. "Vixen suit? You've found a suit like mine?" An easy to mistake to make but the rest she seems to process correctly. "There are four and they're afraid? We'll get them out."
Indeed Hunter finds a door that is secured well and the scents she was following are coming from there. Brute force or finesse might get them through.
Approaching Hod and eyeing the askew glasses, Mari's brow raises. "You wear sunglasses at night?" she asks as an introduction. "I suppose that's better than being too sexy for your shirt. I'm Vixen and this is Zeal. Behind you is Hunter and I can't answer your question. Why are you down here? We're searching for someone who has gone missing from Mutant Town." Though he heard the rest of that exchange as well.
It's then that Oracle sends a ping to Zeal. There's movement several yards back in the tunnel. They can't afford to stand around talking, they need to move.
«Incoming on our six, unknown numbers, but more than one.» Zeal breathes quietly over her comms, so not quite a shout to Diya's senses. She actually recognizes Hod, but with her voice distorted he might recognize her. The costume has that nice little feature built in at least.
«I know the man, he makes excellent ribs.» Really? Ribs? (Really! Ribs. VERY good.)
She will take up position with her back to the wall near the doorway the Hunter found, but minding the approach from behind. Her baton is put away and several smoke bombs prepped.
Hod turns the reflective lenses on Mari (or rather over her shoulder to the right), which may or may not be effective in the lighting down here, "Well, since I'm blind, I pretty much just wear them all the time. Keeps the facial sunburn to a minimum."
Someone missing? Seriously? This is NYC, people go missing daily, and this person apparently warrants at least set of spandex to hunt them down. He's not sure if he's impressed or annoyed. He picks up on the bit about four people though and frowns, "Can you get the four to me?" he asks the tunnel in a soft voice, "I can get them out." says the blind chef.
Loud enough for all to hear but not to carry far. "Down, everyone! Incoming fire." Zeal takes cover, wrapping her cape about her and leans makes herself as small and awkward a target as she can.
"We're a lot more than a hundred and six miles from Chicago," Spider-Man jokes - although he's more interested in Hod name-dropping Anansi. "I can't guess if he's messing with you on purpose, but he *does* keep coming up in conversations lately … might be you're here for the same reason we are, after all. If you've got time to chat once we're done with business, maybe we can compare notes?"
Hod's claim than he can get the four captives out … really, probably, ought to get more curiosity from Spider-Man than it does, but that's not a manhole ladder Hod entered the tunnel from, near as Spidey can tell. The blind man has his secrets too, some closer to the vest than others. "If you'd rather handle evac than front-line combat, I don't see why not," Spider-Man suggests - although the warning from Zeal across the comms gets Spidey wondering if maybe they should *all* plan to take Hod's contingency route to safety. «Should I web up the tunnel, or -»
Does he even have time to lay down enough of a curtain to slow their pursuers? He flattens himself against the ceiling again, doing his best to stick to the shadows between light fixtures …
Hunter very, very carefully inspects the very solid metal door she has discovered, checking for potential traps, its mechanisms, and details of function. Her sotto voce info continues. "Door, steel not steel, three lock, H, M, L, keypad. No trap detect. Other side."
The soft flashes of dull red light continue, as the not-so-ex-Spetznaz takes in those daring to follow her allies - even if she feels she does not need those allies. She Can pick out their movement, more with her ears and nose than with her eyes. But there is enough, barely. She cannot identify the targets, and she will not kill innocents. But she will not allow these to threaten; they will be prompted to reveal themselves … one way, or the other.
What follows is a single dull barking cough, which only erupts down the shaft behind the round which skips off the roof of the tunnel, leaving a schmear of lead and a PEHZING! sound as it ricochets and then flattens into an electrical pannel on the wall. The shot completely misses the heroes following Hunter's lead, and should skip over the heads of those behind them. But the panel so destroyed is only six meters behind those pursuers; the demonstration should be quite clear.
"Yes, do it." Vixen says to Spider-Man. "Anything to slow them down … I just hope it doesn't slow us down getting out." She'll worry about that later though. First things first, what have they found. She's also missed the morse code in the light - so sue her, she's a child of the millenium not a Boomer! Morse code is dead isn't it? Clearly not! Mari starts as the bullet whizzes over their heads and they can hear the clamour behind them.
"What the fuck!" and the readying of weapons as they approach.
"They know we're here now, I don't think they did before…" Mari sighs and looks to Spider-Man to do his thang. "We need to get to the other side of the door. I have something that … might do it." But there are others here that can do it as well.
Spider-Man should have time to get some webbing up and leave Mari protecting their backs. Between him, Hunter, Zeal and … maybe Hod? That door should be down in a jiffy. And they're running out of time.
When inspected, they'll confirm Hunters assessment. The door and frame are metal with three physical locks - high, medium, low - that embed into the metal frame. There's also a digital keypad. The door is hinged on the other side, again, embedded into the metal. Someone really didn't want people get in, or maybe they just didn't want people getting out.
"You can get them out? What do you have a transporter?" Mari asks in a teasing tone.
Truly, and probably we have more than half a tank of gas, and Zeal has no cigarettes either. She DID try one once, in the break room at UPS - oh, she /hated/ that experience. Warehouse workers can have a bit of roughshod humor, that's for sure. This guy a true wanker.
«Yes, Spider-Man, do the webs, please.» Avery sends, and then once he /does/ she tosses three smoke grenades into the mix, filling the tunnel with thick, cloying black and white and blue smoke to complicate things further, and possibly cause the baddies some distress too if they don't have breathing aids.
That done she steps between to where the door is, appearing with absolutely no fanfare at all, no herald. "If we can poke a hole, I can get through." She offers.
A grin. "Vixen, I /am/ a transporter…though…line of sight only."
While Spider-Man does technically know Morse, he's more than a little rusty with it; it's been a long time since he wired up a 9-volt battery and a nail to make a crude telegraph terminal. And he's not paying quite enough attention to the flickering light to realize that it's Morse code, either; he has other fish to fry. So to speak.
Even as the first bullet wheets down the tunnel, Spidey is already picking his way swiftly along the ceiling, still minimizing his visibility to the goons with the guns. He'll give away that he's there soon enough anyway, but the closer he can get (quickly), the better.
And when he gets close enough, it's not just a barricade that he works on webbing up; a few quick thwips should help to relieve the gun-goons of their weaponry - and if they have visible night-vision or low-light goggles, Spidey's not above whipping *those* off their heads as well. The barricade is, seemingly, a mere after-thought … but he makes it as complicated as he can on short notice, comprising the barrier of assorted diagonals along different angles, and backs it up with additional weblines beyond the thickest layer - just in case the bad guys manage to hack their way through the first one.
«Not sure how much time that'll buy us,» Spidey comms to the others as he slaps fresh cartridges into his webshooters. «So let's make every second count. Need a hand with the door?»
Hod winces at the sound of the bullet and the shot, he reaches up to stick a finger in his ear and shake it vigorously, his mouth opening wide and closing again like a fish out of water. "I mean, it's no Vixen suit, but yeah. I can get them out." he pauses, "Also, just as a point of interest, calling something a 'Vixen' suit kinda makes it sound very um…" he considers his words, "scant." he quips and then pantomimes holding a pair of cantalopes in front of his chest. "But hey, I don't get anything you kids do these days. I mean, what the fuck is a 'tick-tock'?"
He's not talking loud, but he is talking. Maybe he's one of those nervous sorts that gets chatty when things get dangerous. Or, if the sniff is any indication, maybe he's a bit drunk. He places a hand lightly on Avery's back, gently trying to guide her aside, "'Scuse me." he says, reaching out with a hand to patpat about until he finds the doorknob. "Just curious to see if anyone, you know, checked to see if it was locked." he says as he grips the handle and starts to jiggle it. Once. Twice. Then a third time. The subway tunnels are underground and so it's chilly anyway, but for just a moment those nearest the door can actually see their breath. There's a sound like a sprinkg under preasure mixed with broken glass and the handle turns smoothly in his hand. He tugs the door once, which sticks, then swings open, "See?" he says nonchalantly, "Just cause you bought a fancy door doesn't mean you remember to lock it." he nods once as he pulls it open. It's dark here, and the shadows sort of cling to things oddly, but if anyone is /really/ curious, or perhaps leans on the doorjam, they may find the metal more akin to a flagpole in February then a steel door in July. So basically don't lick the door. That's the important part here.
He steps to the side, "So uh… who wants to go first? Protect the handicapable of the party?"
Another shot does not ring out; those fired upon have not attempted to attack, and so have not given Hunter the need to end them, though end them she would without hesitation if they had. When Avery approaches, she will find Hunter kneeling, a rifle in her hands and to her shoulder, still watching down the scope back the way the rest of the group is approaching. She does not move, waiting and watching silently - it's just kinda the way she is - until the others all arrive.
At Hod's question, the woman with the rifle snorts. Of course she checked to make sure it was locked. She so hates it when people assume 'homeless' means 'stupid.' But the cold is weird, and she glances over her shoulder as he then wrenches the door open.
And then Hunter sneezes.
Not bothering to wait, the Hunter shoulders her rifle and dashes ahead, sniffing, eyes wide, checking things out as she advances swiftly but carefully. There will not be more undetected traps. Detected traps? Those, she cannot simply undo by force of will. But she leads the way towards the scent of the four and the girl. If their followers keep coming … more is the pity for them.
"You're not the only one who's said that." Vixen laughs as she eyes how Hod is holding his hands. He's not *wrong* and Mari is … built. That might be partly why she got the label, Vixen. But only partly. The other part is the pendant she wears at her throat. "A clock?" That's what a tick tock is, isn't it?
The chill in the air has Mari shivering, the air frosting as she breathes out. "Are there ghosts here?" She's noticed that phenonemon when T'Challa is around. "They … didn't lock it?" Suuuuuure. She believes that! Totally.
Spidey's webs obscure the passage, aided more than ably by Zeals flash bangs. It's bought them some time and they're going to need it …
As they enter the room, the four are there. One rushes the group, aiming for Hunter first - but they'll hit Spider-Man and Zeal if they're not careful. He's … horrid. A mass of muscle gone wrong, his skin a lurid purple - like the blood is pumping hard through his veins. His eyes bulge, making he seem almost cartoonish in nature - except he's strong, much stronger than a human should be. The missing mutant girl is chained to the wall, looking tired and afraid but mostly unharmed. The other two? They're husks and it's hard to tell if they're alive as they dangle from manacles attached to the wall.
There is a computer in the corner and a supply of syringes of a metal table which is just in front of a refrigeration unit. Whilst the whole thing looks slapped together, it's still taken some money to do this.
Charged, the Hunter does what comes naturally. There's not even much conscious thought to it; her senses take in the entire room, the situation, the positions of her allies, and then she steps up into the attack fearlessly — and folds under the attack as she throws the misshapen purple-hued fighter into the opposite wall with all of his own fury and momentum. She charges ahead, leaping up to strike the mount-points of those chains, then seizes them and rips them from the wall with the full - and ferocious - might of her body. Her one and only goal in this place was the girl, and with her she drops back down, releasing the chains as she covers the girl from any threat, until it is time to go.
The mysteries of this place are for someone else. Know your mission. Pursue that mission with all you have. And never lose sight of that goal. She will return this girl to safety in Mutant Town. The rest is just delay.
"Easy, big fella!" Spider-Man calls out, "we're here to get you out and home safe!!" Hunter redirected that charge into the wall before he even finished dodging, but all the better, probably.
Spidey is *intensely* curious about those syringes, and the refrigeration unit, and the computer. He can only take so much with him, so the computer (just the CPU tower, or whatever; the monitor can stay, so can the keyboard) and any obvious external data storage are first priority. Those syringes are probably important as well, and he webs a protective cocoon among them, building it up about the rack. He'll take one look inside the fridge unit, but odds are he's not carrying off more than he's already laid claim to.
"Gonna need a lab where we can do some analysis," Spidey reports to Vixen on his way back out of the holding cell. If any of the erstwhile prisoners need help, he's prepared to set his loot aside and provide it, but there *should* be enough strong backs and shoulders to go around without his. Probably.
But just in case there aren't, rescued captives *are* much more important than stealing someone else's research materials and data. Spidey's big interest in analyzing the "medical" stuff is to get to the bottom of whatever Klaue or his minions are trying to *do*, whether involving such captives or not.
Okay…that burst of chill and the open door? Did /anyone/ buy (or rent) that it was Hod's doing? Still, that's pretty mazing. "Lucky for us, Hodr." She says.
And then there's a aharging meaty guy. Yeah, not going to be there when he passes - nope, inhale…Zeal steps between, exhale she reappears inside the room with the husks and the live girl just in time to see the Hunter break the lass free, though she's still attached to the shackles.
Looking at the Husks she blinks, and feels her gorge rising a bit.
And then there's the labe. "Hunter…what did you mean when you said 'vixen suit', I see nothing like it…nor hear…"
Hod is standing well out of the way of the door when people start rushing past, and uh…. big people are thrown around. He just stands there, waiting, hands folded atop his cane. "So whenever you guys are done, lemme know. Whatevers in there smells /really/ bad." In his minds eye(ear?) he plans the Ways out of the tunnels, which will take them closest to the hospitals, how many stops, how dangerous. Good news is that subway tunnels are built for travel, especially in the city, and purpose has a Power all it's own. It shouldn't be to hard to get them to a decent spot with minimal difficulty.
The big guy screams in rage as Hunter redirects him, hitting the wall with meaty thud and sliding down it. Before their eyes, he starts to … wither. The skin no longer purple, but a kind of grey, flaky, colour. His muscles literally deflating with the rest of him.
Vixen follows Zeal to the husks and sighs. "They're alive, but only just." She says. "Bringing you three out, Hod. They're not in great condition. Can you get them to the Clinic in M-Town?" Mari hopes they'll be able to help them. "And yes, I know, Spider-Man. How do you feel about working with SHIELD?"
The mutant girl sobs and collapses against Hunter. She can be taken home now though she might need treatment.
The smell that Hod is getting? It's like Mari's suit - just faintly. Mari doesn't answer Zeals question, though she suspects she knows.
"Zeal, can you get the rest of us out here? Otherwise, we're going to be fighting to get out."
Hunter sniffs, and points in the direction of the scent of Vixen's suit - the one NOT on Vixen's body. "Vixen suit." she repeats. Then she scoops up the girl, breaking off the chains, and straps on whatever else the others need her to carry. She's ready to go now. She wasn't really planning on magical whatsis - she doesn't love that stuff - but if it means this girl doesn't have to cower while Hunter kills some fools, she can be convinced. Maybe.
"If it's a SHIELD type of problem," Spidey replies evenly, "then I'm willing to work with them to solve it. But if they get nosy about who's wearing my mask, then I'm dropping off the evidence and bailing." If he has to disclose who he really is to select individuals, that's … manageable, one-on-one, one at a time. He's done it before, doubtless he'll have to do it again. But for his identity to be on file within an *organization* - nope. Any security system can be hacked by somebody who knows the 'how' and has enough time and effort, so Spider-Man has a vested interest in keeping his real name out of SHIELD's databases, no matter how secure they're touted as being. (Even if they may already *have* that. Which would displease him.)
The possibility that this *is* a SHIELD-level problem, though, seems not to surprise Spider-Man one whit. Repeated kidnappings, nonstandard and probably illegal weaponry, new and peculiar biological and/or chemical weapons like the gas from that vault … yeah, the prospect of bringing SHIELD in on it should have been obvious weeks ago.
"As it happens, I have a stepping point memorized near the Tolliver Free Clinic." Zeal offers. "In case of emergency." She is of course willing to carry more stuff as well, though she does have a hard limit of some five hundred total pounds and doesn't have a stepping point in here, nor the time to fashion one before the gunmen show. A firm nod to Vixen. "Of course, I will gladly walk the team between breaths, if our caned ally can get the injured? Either way, we can get out." And she'll leave several flash bangs as presents for the thugs when they come to find their prisoners and jailer are all missing or dealt with.
Whomever she's assigned to move she moves, and whatever extras she carries as well, all to an out of the way spot, one without cameras, and out of line of sight from the road. Handy that!
Hod nods his head, remaps his plan, "I can." he says evenly. "Though," as Zeal speaks her bit, he nods, "it hardly seems like it's required. Best of luck with your people, if you need help with the bills, find me. I'll uh-what's that thing? Crowdfund! I'll crowdfund something, take up a collection at the bar or whatever." he lets himself be ported when his time comes, and seems no in the least bit affected by the method of travel. He doesn't offer good byes or help or anything else, he merely turns and starts to walk down the street in a random direction, cane tapping ahead of him and swaying side to side.
He was sent for a reason and it hardly seems like the four in the tunnel were it. Perhaps? One never knows, but perhaps more likely he was sent to meet someone else. The question is, which one of them was it? Fuck he needs a drink.