Statement 4: Lime Grove

[jp1885]

Skipper plunges his knife into the tyre, which deflates with a ‘hiss’. There is no response from the driver, who is obviously engrossed in his phone.

After piling into the flat, the rest of the skinheads disappear out of sight for a few minutes. All that can be heard is the occasional thud and muffled curse.

Eventually they come back out again, one of them struggling with a bulging bin-bag, one carrying a pile of magazines and another with something wrapped up in a leather jacket.

So what’s your plan? Are you hiding, or making yourself known?

[Mr. Handy]

When I said "proper coppers," I was referring to Izzy and Leo, as opposed to me and Des. I didn't know they had already arrived at that point.

My plan was to stop them from getting outside in the first place and trap them in the flat. I was going to block the door (after the rest of our group went inside, if they wanted).

[Trivun]

OOC:   Fair enough! I realise that but Izzy doesn't, I think her looking a bit like a put-out toddler is funny anyway

[Philulhu]

Des just smirked at Izzy’s huff…

[Snapper]

Casually, Skipper stood up, closed up the Leatherman and stashed it in a back pocket, then took a moment to finally note on the palm of his hand what the van rego was.

Skipper ambled around to the driver's side of the van. Standing a couple of metres back (out of door swinging range), he called out to the driver. "Oi! Guv! You got a flat tyre. For a pony I can change it for your spare."

[SaintMeerkat]

DC Leo Dansby.jpg (16.73 KiB) Viewed 401 times

Leo nods at Izzy. "You never know how busy proper coppers can get, he said softly, and grimaced when Des mentioned the truncheon. He didn't bring his baton or stab vest. Not that he would have had time to run to the car to get either.

Leo pats his pocket with his warrant card, making sure it's in place. It will probably make things worse with the skinheads, but if things get ugly, he wants to be able to protect himself and his friends by following procedure.

He readies an impello, just in case.

OOC:   Originally, I also wanted us to trap them in the flat, but then windows came up. Now I think we should let them get out and into their partially disabled vehicle and then surround them, while Izzy and I disabled the electronics but I don't know how we pull that off now. I guess we trap them in the flat and wait for backup. I guess we can still preemptively disable their electronics.

[jp1885]

No worries. If there’s something you want to do, by all means post it. I’m happy to rewind slightly and keep the thugs in the flat if need be.

[BoyBlunder78]

"Whatever we are going to do we had better make it quick. It looks as though they've emptied thw whole flat!!" Eli says,pointing towards the leaving skinheads.

[Mr. Handy]

"I meant you and Leo," Jordan whispers back to Izzy, "as opposed to Des and myself. Hadn't seen you come up behind me." When the skinheads are finishing up inside the flat, Jordan blocks the door with his massive bulk and takes a defensive stance once anyone else in his group who wants to gets inside. With a booming voice, he bellows: "NONE SHALL PASS!"

[jp1885]

Is anyone going in ahead of Jordan?

[Trivun]

Izzy heads to the door and takes position behind Jordan, happy to let his larger frame act as a bulwark against the tide of skinheads inside the flat. However, she makes certain to produce her warrant card and flash it at the thugs to identify her, and by extension, her colleagues, as police.

"Good news, you've just entered yourselves into a free sweepstake for a holiday at His Majesty's pleasure! Backup's already on the way, so whoever wants to try something, they'll be the first to be arrested. Alternatively, you can sit tight right here, and things might go a lot better for you. In the meantime, what have you got there?"

She gestures to the binbag and magazines, and silently prepares a Candano spell in her mind, not casting it yet, but being ready to fire it at the first thug to try and push past if they're dumb enough to ignore sound advice...

[jp1885]

The skinhead in the van looks up sharply from his phone and exits smartly from the van, pulling a pair of Airpods out of his ears as he does so.

"Aw for Christ's sake!" he grumbles. "Thanks for the offer mate," he says to Skipper. "But I ain't got a pony on me - I'm strictly contactless nowadays. It's alright though - my mates'll be out in a sec and they can-"

Suddenly, Jordan yells 'NONE SHALL PASS!' from the direction of the flat.

"What the-?" he exclaims, looking extremely bemused. "Soz mate, I've gotta go."

He slams the driver's door shut and starts to walk towards the flat.

Up at the flat, alerted to the investigators' presence by Jordan's yelling and Izzy's follow-up, the remaining thugs, crammed into the tiny entrance area, stop in their tracks.

"Nuffink..." one of them mumbles. "Jus' pickin' some stuff up fer a mate."

Read Person rolls please.

[Philulhu]

Des eyed up the skinheads, wondering what they were going to do… …

Read Person (60%) 1d100

[SaintMeerkat]

DC Leo Dansby.jpg (16.73 KiB) Viewed 342 times

"Fire in the hole," Leo says quietly. "Cover your eyes."

Suddenly, it sounds like the TARDIS is materializing on the porch, and a gust of dank hot air hits the party as Leo lets loose with a boosted Werelight inside the flat, hoping the spell will both take out everyone's phone and stun them momentarily.

"That should help you make up your minds...' he adds as the interior of the flat flashes brightly for a second and then is dim again.

Read Person (60/30): 1d100

Magic (70/35): 1d100

I spent 1 MP on the failed Shield, so the boosted Werelight will bring me from 17 MP to 15.

[Mr. Handy]

Jordan covers his eyes temporarily, making a mental note to pick up some dark sunglasses. He doesn't know what makes these guys tick, but he hopes they're suitably terrified.

Read Person roll (60% skill) about the skinheads:
d%

[Philulhu]

… but on hearing Leo’s warning, she ducked and raised her arm to cover her eyes… …

[BoyBlunder78]

"What in the..." Eli exclaims upon hearing Leo. He still gets a good bead on the skinheads and picks up on their dubious story. All the years of students and tales of dog eating assignments have honed his lie detecting to a fine point.

EXTREME!!!

[Snapper]

1d%dp30%

Fail.

That was not how Skipper had expected events to play out. He had been expecting to be attempting a vascular neck hold about now. Oh well...

Skipper gave the driver a relaxed wave and started ambling away. Once the driver was out of sight, Skipper doubled back to try the van driver's door, see if old mate had remembered to lock it.

OOC:   Is there anything to be seen through the driver's window?

[jp1885]

Before we carry on, let’s decide who is where. Inside the flat we have Jordan up front with Izzy behind, while way back by the van is Skipper. Is Leo next to Izzy with Eli behind him? Is Des skulking on the steps behind Eli?

[Mr. Handy]

I'm actually just outside the door, but blocking it. That way they can only come at me one at a time.