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Post by Hank McCoy on Oct 26, 2003 21:22:20 GMT -4
OOC: This thread is a branch from the "Mansion's Rooms:Storm's Return" thread. Since Beast, Toad and Pyro split away from the main action there to find raw materials for Magneto to use to fortify the mansion, the action that takes place outside continues here until their return.
As they waited outside the fence for Pyro to catch up, Henry turned to Toad, motioned to the earth mover, and whispered "Apologies, my acrid amphibious ally...for I claim dibs on the Caterpillar." He smiled, wondering if Toad would catch his pun.
Now if they could only do this without drawing too much attention. He had made his choices of accomplices purposefully as he left the mansion. Toad and Pyro weren't really connected to the Professor - beyond being mutants. They were not registered students. If it turned out there was trouble, he hoped that only he would take the heat for it - and he didn't plan on getting caught.
He hoped they could take the two trips it would require to get the vehicles back to the mansion quickly. It was less than a mile, after all. What could possibly go wrong?
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Post by avalanche on Oct 26, 2003 21:53:54 GMT -4
Pyro was running out of breath now as he reached the fence where Beast and Toad were waiting.When he got there he almost passed out, but instead he just hunched over with his hands placed on his knees breathing heavily.
"Ahh..........................oh boy.........................me tired......................ok....................ok...........let me catch me breath........................ahhh......................" me dunno 'ow these mates do it, but me tired.Ok all we 'ave ta do is steal a few mobiles and we be outta 'ere.....................sounds easy enough "Ok mates, im fine now..................so whats the next part of the plan?"
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Post by Snapcake on Oct 27, 2003 1:30:37 GMT -4
Toad bristled a little as Pyro arrived making enough noise to wake the dead. Might as well have brought a bullhorn and announced our arrival, he thought bitterly.
Instead of saying so, he turned to Pyro and asked, "Yo, know anything about hotwiring a ride?"
He hoped so, stealing cars was a trick he hadn't picked up yet but would love to know how to do.
Chancing a quick glance over the brick wall from their hiding spot Toad didn't see anyone moving around in the construction site, but it was still only mid-day so there was a chance someone would arrive.
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Post by Hank McCoy on Oct 27, 2003 11:07:29 GMT -4
"The next part", Henry replied to Pyro's question, "is where we endeavor to commandeer as much of this equipment as we can for the impending conflagration".
"It would behoove us not to be noticed." He hoped that Pyro and Toad understood that part. He suspected that neither one of them would want to cause problems - especially since they were following orders from Magneto. He just wasn't sure how careful they were likely to be. He hoped that they could somehow make this happen without any undue notice. He hoped even more that if they were noticed he could keep anyone from being injured. He took a breath. Better get a move on.
"We should first check the vehicles to be certain no one has left us the keys. Who knows? We might be lucky."
"Should that prove to yield no positive results we will have to either look for a place on the site where they might store them - or we'll have to get creative and find a way to start the machinery on our own."
"Prior to all that, though, we must gain entrance." At that he placed his large, clawed hands on both of Pyro's shoulders, lifting the boy and bounding over the fence and behind one of the dump trucks in one incredibly swift and graceful leap. He knew that Toad would soon follow.
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Post by avalanche on Oct 27, 2003 19:25:23 GMT -4
Pyro turned to face Toad and answer his question. "Well actually mate, me know a bit bout hotwiring a ride......................but me 'aven't done it in a while so me skills may 'ave gotten a bit..............................AHHH" Pyro was cut short in his sentence when Beast grabbed him and leaped with him over the fence.When the two landed behind one of the dump trucks Pyro turned to Beast and spoke to him in a dead serious tone.
"Ok listen 'ere mate, dont ya eva.....................and me mean eva....................do that again without givin' me a bit of a warnin'..............................ok.....................ya damn nea gave me a heart-attack" Pyro looked around to make sure he wasnt too loud to bring attention to himself and the others.
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Post by Snapcake on Oct 27, 2003 23:57:30 GMT -4
Toad's jaw dropped in surprise as the Beast grabbed Pyro and leapt gracefully over the fence without so much as breaking a sweat.
The expression of complete shock on Pyro's own face was absolutely hilarious. It was all Toad could do to keep from bursting into hysterical laughter at the sight.
He tried to keep his mind on serious matters and focused his thoughts on an imaginary furious Magneto.
Finally feeling he had gained control of himself, Toad crouched low and sprung into the air. He landed silently next to Pyro with a small puff of dust.
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Post by Hank McCoy on Oct 28, 2003 0:21:54 GMT -4
"I presume you didn't gain your code name due to your incendiary attitude, my friend. You looked like you could use a lift.", the Beast said to Pyro as he smiled wryly.
And then to both he challenged, "Alright, lads. Time to show what you can do."
At that he made another powerful leap, landing once standing on his hands on the sloped back of the monstrous earth mover, then again bouncing forward he was on his feet at the door of the vehicle's cab. The door was locked. He turned it anyway and he popped the bolt open with an easy tug of his powerful hands.
Guess that means the keys are elsewhere.
He looked around and from his high vantage point, he noticed a trailer - a sort of modified version of the kind that 18-wheel trucks haul. It looked like it must serve as the mobile office for the construction crew. There was a light on inside the trailer.
Uh oh. he thought to himself. Hope they leave that on for security's sake.
He bounced back to find Pyro and Toad.
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Post by Snapcake on Oct 28, 2003 0:38:35 GMT -4
After testing the door of a dumptruck and finding it locked, Toad clambered in through the open window and looked around in the cab hopefully.
Of course there is no key in here, idiot. Why would they lock the door if the key was in here? he chided himself silently.
He noticed movement from the corner of his eye and instantly sank down in the seat before he realized it was just Papa Smurf jumping out of the earthmover.
Toad craned his neck, looking around for Pyro, hoping he was having better luck.
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Post by avalanche on Oct 28, 2003 21:47:36 GMT -4
Pyro was walking around a few dumptrucks checking to see if any of them were unlocked, but to no avail. Great mate, ya knew that would be ta easy..................so now what do ya do?...............the hell with it,its worth a shoot so me might as well try it. Pyro pulled out his lighter from his pocket and looked around on last time before he opened it and controlled the flame in his right hand, there was a ball of fire hovering in his hand.
Well if this dont work, at least ya tried somethin' mate. Pyro took one last stare at the metal hinges of the door to one of the dumptrucks. If me make it hot enough, it gotta melt...........................right? After he thought to himself, Pyro pulled back his right hand and flung it forward hurling the ball of fire at the hinges of the door. Pyro continued this until one of the hinges finally melted. All right!!! Ok, one more hinge ta go and then ya gotta try ta hotwire this or somethin'.
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Post by Hank McCoy on Oct 28, 2003 23:21:41 GMT -4
The Beast stood at Pyro's shoulder and watched as the Acolyte shot a ball of flame from his hands. Impressive, he thought to himself. It isn't textbook Pyrokineticism - he doesn't generate the flame himself. More like Displaced Incendiary Conformation, but his level of control is splendid.
Pyro hadn't noticed him. Henry tapped his shoulder.
As Pyro turned to see who was there, Henry smiled and placed his hand on the door's handle. He pulled it quickly and the door swung open easily.
He smiled innocently at Pyro, bowing deeply and gesturing toward the open door as if inviting him to step inside.
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Post by Snapcake on Oct 29, 2003 1:35:38 GMT -4
Pyro and Beast seemed busy with another vehicle and Toad was fidgeting with impatience inside the muggy cab of the dumptruck.
Time to get this show on the road... if we stick around here too long someone's gonna catch us for sure!
Toad searched around inside the cab; something shiny caught his eye under the passenger's seat. He reached down and pulled out a long screwdriver with a chipped yellow plastic handle.
His eyes narrowed as he remembered seeing a movie once where a couple of hoods used a screwdriver to steal a car. He replayed the scene in his mind and set to work on the steering column.
Minutes dragged by like hours but finally he managed to break the ignition lock with another tool he found in the truck. Sweat poured down his back and he turned his face away fearfully. I know this is how they did it in the movie but what if I get electrocuted?? Finally he screwed his eyes tightly shut and jammed the screwdriver where the key should go, hard. He was so ready for an electric jolt that he squealed in terror as a ferocious rumbling noise filled the air.
Then he opened his eyes, felt the vibrations of the dumptruck's engine shaking his body, and let out a loud, joyful "Whoop!" So much for secrecy, he thought merrily, but with that loud din the old engine was making, it hardly seemed to matter anyway.
Toad leaned out the window of the cab and waved at Beast and Pyro before putting the truck in gear and pulling up the gravel path the construction workers used to get back to the main road.
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Post by Hank McCoy on Oct 29, 2003 10:09:09 GMT -4
"That's one.", he said with a smile.
Beast reached into the cab of Pyro's dumptruck and gripped the underside of the steering column in his enormous clawed hand. The black plastic and bits of metal broke away easily exposing a series of wires. He pulled out two of the wires, stripped them with his fingernails and touched them together.
With a spark and a shudder and a cough of smoke, the vehicle started.
"And that's two.", he said briefly to Pyro as he bounded back to the cab of the earth mover.
With a series of moves that were similar to what he had done to Pyro's dumptruck - Henry started the gigantic machine, scanned the controls....tried a button....pulled a lever...and with a rumble like one of Storm's cloudbursts and a teeth-rattling lurch the giant yellow vehicle moved forward and after Toad.
"Th-th-th-three's a ch-charm.", he said to no one in particular as he shook, rattled and rolled down the access road.
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Post by Snapcake on Oct 31, 2003 16:05:25 GMT -4
Toad parked his dumptruck behind the Mansion and bounded quickly back to the construction site.
He crouched behind the brick wall and peered over his shoulder for the others. Sounds like they're still parking their trucks... He could hear the rumbling engines at the Mansion all the way over here.
Ha! I'll bring back two while they're still fooling around with their first ones. Toad grinned. He felt much more confident now that he knew how to hotwire. Figuring he'd just jump in there and grab a bulldozer and be gone in no time, he leapt over the high fence a second time.
Toad hopped over to the bulldozer and tugged at the door handle. Locked too... that fi- Toad's thoughts were cut off as someone pinned his arms behind him and shoved him face-first into the yellow steel door of the bulldozer with a clang.
The last thing he heard as his vision dimmed were rough voices laughing and the one who held him growling, "Well well well.. ye think yer gonna steal our equipment do ye?"
The voices sounded as if they came from the end of a long tunnel that grew longer still as they spoke... then utter darkness washed over Toad.
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Post by Hank McCoy on Nov 1, 2003 12:03:23 GMT -4
Beast knew that there was trouble before he ever reached the enclosure. He could hear the sounds of something hitting metal, and the excited shouts. He was careful to emerge from the trees where he knew he would have the most cover - and he peered through the fence.
Toad was surrounded by three men in yellow hardhats. The ringleader, the one who now held the unconscious Toad aloft by his neck, was a very large man with rippling muscles.
They must have surprised him.Henry thought to himself. Now how do I get him out of this without being seen?
The ringleader said to the others, "Let's us show dis here mutie what 'e gets for trespassin'". Beast wasn't sure what he meant by the comment - but he knew he didn't want to wait to find out.
He moved to a pile of large orange and white barrels - the kind the construction crew must use to redirect traffic. Though filled with sand and very heavy he lifted one easily as he hid himself from view behind the rest of the barrels.
He tossed the barrel into the air, slamming it into the dumptruck very near the men. It exploded with a WHAM! and a burst of sand - making a tremendous cloud and a WHOOOSSSSHHHH! as the sand fell to the ground. He quickly hefted and threw two more barrels before the men could even figure out what happened. They hit on both sides of the men, bracketing them in. Beast could hear their shouts of fright and astonishment as he began to ROAR! at them and picked up another barrel.
He paused a second to get his bearings - and he saw the men crouched and running with their hands over their heads amidst shouts and curses.
He leapt into the dispersing cloud, quickly locating the unconscious Toad. He lifted Toad gently and slung him over his shoulder.
Well, thought the Beast as he bounded back toward the mansion. "We did the best we could. Let's hope it's enough.
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