Thrilling Adventure Tales- Chapter 1: Murder in New York!

[BlueBard]

Frank's Story:

On the phone with Hertzy:
"D-doctor?  Wuh-we met early-earlier to-today?  Kuh-can we muh-meet private-ly?  I huh-have re-reason to th-think y-you may st-still b-be in d-danger."

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

Hertzy by now is starting to get suspicious as well, especially as he sees the men positioning themselves outside the door.  He will try to sound as casual as possible, by his nerves will undoubtedly slip through.

"Yes, my dear boy, you may be right.  In fact, it's time right now.  You'll get to the right place if you ask the newspaper man where we met earlier.  I know him quite well, as a matter of fact, and I'm sure he'll want to know."

Hanging up, Hertzy says to the group, with a meaningful glance at Ray.  "Sorry gentlemen, just a friend whom I met with earlier.  Calling for direction, wouldn't you know.  Now, "he adds, picking up his appointment book again, "if you'd give me the patient's name and number I'll call and set up an appointment later.  I think now may not be a good time.  Now good day, sirs.  If you would leave, I will get on with my business."

While he has an overwhelming desire to consult the Watch, Herzy instead lays his hand casually on the phone, glancing over the list of emergency phone numbers, most notably the one for the police, posted behind his desk.

[BlueBard]

Frank's Story:

That was abrupt,  I think to myself.  Why would he...?  Unless he's in trouble right now!

I start running toward the newsstand.  People see me coming and scatter out of my way.

Along the way, I keep my eyes open.  I'm not the paranoid type, just cautious, but it's beginning to sound like goons are coming out of the woodwork today.

As soon as I reach the newsstand, I stammer, "Wh-where Doc-doctor Her-herziwits?  Emer-emergency!"

[Spam]

Envoy

I wonder who was on the phone with him... Maybe it was some guy to warn him about these guys... Maybe he was faking that conversation... Oh well, I'll just sit and see what happens. I wonder if they've seen me yet, as I haven't seemed to have moved... Maybe it'd be best not to surprise them...

I just look around the room and look at how everyone is standing, or what the expression on their faces are. Hopefully they feel the same way as I do... Rather scared.

[Uncle Yuan]

Steve

ohgeezohgeezohgeez  what did I get myself into?!  I just got here and already I'm chin deep in something really wierd and kind of scary . . .

I might not look terribly nervous, but that pencil is being very rapidly twiddled!

[Alaric]

Everyone:

One of the men confronting Hertzy steps closer suddenly, reaching into his coat. The other man stops him and whispers something, indicating Patch. The first man says, aloud, 'Yeah, but they said they need him now..." The first man seems to consider for a moment, then lets the other man go and nods.

Lizzie- [spoiler]No objects within easy reach right now, although there are various pencils and otehr objects elsewhere in the office.[/spoiler]

Patch- [spoiler]You manage to complete your little "card trick", you are now writing on the card.[/spoiler]

Envoy- [spoiler]So far, the men have taken no notice of you.[/spoiler]

Note: Frank has not reached the newstand yet, although he's within sight of it- moving very fast.

[Panther_Gunn]

Ray's Story:

Leaning down a little bit towards Ashi, Ray speaks very softly to him:

[spoiler]"Perhaps you should run along now.  There's no reason for you to stay back here.  I'll stay here with the Doctor.  Why don't you head over towards the side of the waiting room there, so you don't get in their way."[/spoiler]

He gives him a small smile & a quick wink.  Ray then gets a pained look on his face.  His hand reaches inside his coat for his heart, and he slumps against the doorframe with his left shoulder.  "...nngghhh....hey, Doc.....maybe you should look at this...." he manages to get out, wincing with pain.  He glances up towards Hertzy, and then lets his gaze slide up a little bit, hoping to catch Patch's eye.

[Spam]

Envoy

This is maddening... It looks like the one man wants to grab the good Dr. and run away... I don't know why they need him now, but it must not be for good reasons... I don't know if I should wait here, probably unnoticed, or get up and convince them otherwise... This feeling just doesn't want to go away...

I'll still remain motionless, sitting in my chair.

[kkhohoho]

Ray's Story:

Leaning down a little bit towards Ashi, Ray speaks very softly to him:

[spoiler]"Perhaps you should run along now.  There's no reason for you to stay back here.  I'll stay here with the Doctor.  Why don't you head over towards the side of the waiting room there, so you don't get in their way."[/spoiler]

Please.  Of course there's reasons!  I need a place to stay, and if Hertziwitz is dead, I might not have one.  Plus, I haven't fought in some time.

[Viking]

Patch's Story

He gives him a small smile & a quick wink.  Ray then gets a pained look on his face.  His hand reaches inside his coat for his heart, and he slumps against the doorframe with his left shoulder.  "...nngghhh....hey, Doc.....maybe you should look at this...." he manages to get out, wincing with pain.  He glances up towards Hertzy, and then lets his gaze slide up a little bit, hoping to catch Patch's eye.

Patch finishes writing hastily, looking over towards Ray as he has his "heart attack."

"Doc!" he calls out in alarm.  "That guy's having a heart attack!"

With things happening so quickly, there's no time for Patch to calmly put away his pen or notepad.  He drops them both, and they clatter to the floor near Steve and Envoy.

If it worked for Humphrey Bogart, maybe it'll work for me, Patch thinks.

Patch attempts to grab the coat of the guy who was reaching for his (presumed) weapon, and yank it down off of his shoulders, down to elbow level.  That should seriously interfere with that guy's ability to draw, aim, and shoot.  He then wants to bodily shove Thug Number One into Thug Number two, thereby using Thugs as human shields to dissuade other Thugs from drawing guns and shooting.

He's hoping that Ray's "heart attack" has provided a useful distraction, whether real or not.

[Glitch Girl]

Lizzie

He gives him a small smile & a quick wink.  Ray then gets a pained look on his face.  His hand reaches inside his coat for his heart, and he slumps against the doorframe with his left shoulder.  "...nngghhh....hey, Doc.....maybe you should look at this...." he manages to get out, wincing with pain.

Good act... at least I hope it's an act.  Maybe I can-

Doc!" he calls out in alarm.  "That guy's having a heart attack!"

Patch attempts to grab the coat of the guy who was reaching for his (presumed) weapon, and yank it down off of his shoulders, down to elbow level.

-okay so much for that idea.

If their guns come out, I will try to pull Hertzy down behind the desk and out of the line of fire of possible. 

[Spam]

Envoy

Agh! Patch got the right idea... He's helping. I just don't know if I should help or not... I don't want to risk getting shot, but they are... And what's this? Something Patch dropped...

I pick up the paper that Patch dropped and read it as quickly as possible.

[Viking]

Patch & Envoy

I pick up the paper that Patch dropped and read it as quickly as possible.

-Envoy:
[spoiler]Wedged in the dropped notepad is one of Patch's business cards, on which Patch has written, "GUYS WITH GUNS - CAREFUL!"

(OOG: I had been operating under the assumption that most people didn't have evidence clearly indicating that these four guys had guns, whereas Patch has been trained to recognize certain tell-tale signs.  Ergo, the written warning for anyone that might have had any uncertainty.)[/spoiler]

[Panther_Gunn]

Ray's Story:

Using Patch's actions as a handy distraction, Ray's hand reaches further inside his coat, quickly coming back out with his gun.  He'll train it on the thugs directly in front of the counter (keeping anyone but the four of them out of the line of fire), and if Hertzy is still nearby, try to guide him behind Ray with his left hand.

"I believe, gentlemen, that the nature of your emergency has just changed."

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

He gives him a small smile & a quick wink.  Ray then gets a pained look on his face.  His hand reaches inside his coat for his heart, and he slumps against the doorframe with his left shoulder.  "...nngghhh....hey, Doc.....maybe you should look at this...." he manages to get out, wincing with pain.  He glances up towards Hertzy, and then lets his gaze slide up a little bit, hoping to catch Patch's eye.

Hertzy is torn for a second between running to Ray, who he is likely to know is probably faking it(as a doctor he knows the difference between a real emergency and a fake one), and being ready to call for the police.  He quickly decides to do both.

"This is serious, I'd better call for help."

Patch attempts to grab the coat of the guy who was reaching for his (presumed) weapon, and yank it down off of his shoulders, down to elbow level.  That should seriously interfere with that guy's ability to draw, aim, and shoot.  He then wants to bodily shove Thug Number One into Thug Number two, thereby using Thugs as human shields to dissuade other Thugs from drawing guns and shooting.

Using Patch's actions as a handy distraction, Ray's hand reaches further inside his coat, quickly coming back out with his gun.  He'll train it on the thugs directly in front of the counter (keeping anyone but the four of them out of the line of fire), and if Hertzy is still nearby, try to guide him behind Ray with his left hand.

Hertzy ducks behind the desk, where he is still standing, taking the phone with him.  He will quickly begin to dial the police station.

[kkhohoho]

Ray's Story:

Using Patch's actions as a handy distraction, Ray's hand reaches further inside his coat, quickly coming back out with his gun.  He'll train it on the thugs directly in front of the counter (keeping anyone but the four of them out of the line of fire), and if Hertzy is still nearby, try to guide him behind Ray with his left hand.

"I believe, gentlemen, that the nature of your emergency has just changed."

Good.  Hm..Perhaps...

[spoiler]If I can, I attempt to move swiftly behind the thugs, so as to block the way out.  If they for whatever reason look like the're going to run away at any point after this happens if it happens, I attempt to move out of the way.  If they start running away before I can do such a thing, then I don't try to get behind them.[/spoiler]

[Glitch Girl]

Lizzie

"I believe, gentlemen, that the nature of your emergency has just changed."

That'll work.

I draw my gun and point it at another one of the visitors.  "Y'all might want to be careful," I tell them.  "I'm not quite sure my friend here is all that sane, and me... well, I've been feeling a might bit testly lately myself."

"This is serious, I'd better call for help."

"That may not be necessary doc.  I think these gentlemen were just leaving, RIGHT?"

[Alaric]

Everyone:

(oog- [Don Adams voice] Ah, the old "Wait for the GM to be busy so you can post several times in the middle of a fight before your opponents can react" trick... [/Don Adams voice]...

Seriously, considering that things are moving very quickly right now, and your opponents aren't entirely incompetant, you might want to phrase any "second posts before I post" as "If I have time before they react, I try to..."...)

(Okay, let's back up a little:)

Ray's Story:

Leaning down a little bit towards Ashi, Ray speaks very softly to him:

[spoiler]"Perhaps you should run along now.  There's no reason for you to stay back here.  I'll stay here with the Doctor.  Why don't you head over towards the side of the waiting room there, so you don't get in their way."[/spoiler]

He gives him a small smile & a quick wink.  Ray then gets a pained look on his face.  His hand reaches inside his coat for his heart, and he slumps against the doorframe with his left shoulder.  "...nngghhh....hey, Doc.....maybe you should look at this...." he manages to get out, wincing with pain.  He glances up towards Hertzy, and then lets his gaze slide up a little bit, hoping to catch Patch's eye.

The second man, the one who wasn't going after Hertzy, abruptly starts toward Ray.

Envoy

This is maddening... It looks like the one man wants to grab the good Dr. and run away... I don't know why they need him now, but it must not be for good reasons... I don't know if I should wait here, probably unnoticed, or get up and convince them otherwise... This feeling just doesn't want to go away...

I'll still remain motionless, sitting in my chair.

So far, the men still haven't reacted to Envoy particularly, though the second man does give him a brief glance.

Ray's Story:

Leaning down a little bit towards Ashi, Ray speaks very softly to him:

[spoiler]"Perhaps you should run along now.  There's no reason for you to stay back here.  I'll stay here with the Doctor.  Why don't you head over towards the side of the waiting room there, so you don't get in their way."[/spoiler]

Please.  Of course there's reasons!  I need a place to stay, and if Hertziwitz is dead, I might not have one.  Plus, I haven't fought in some time.

Patch's Story

He gives him a small smile & a quick wink.  Ray then gets a pained look on his face.  His hand reaches inside his coat for his heart, and he slumps against the doorframe with his left shoulder.  "...nngghhh....hey, Doc.....maybe you should look at this...." he manages to get out, wincing with pain.  He glances up towards Hertzy, and then lets his gaze slide up a little bit, hoping to catch Patch's eye.

Patch finishes writing hastily, looking over towards Ray as he has his "heart attack."

"Doc!" he calls out in alarm.  "That guy's having a heart attack!"

With things happening so quickly, there's no time for Patch to calmly put away his pen or notepad.  He drops them both, and they clatter to the floor near Steve and Envoy.

If it worked for Humphrey Bogart, maybe it'll work for me, Patch thinks.

Patch attempts to grab the coat of the guy who was reaching for his (presumed) weapon, and yank it down off of his shoulders, down to elbow level.  That should seriously interfere with that guy's ability to draw, aim, and shoot.  He then wants to bodily shove Thug Number One into Thug Number two, thereby using Thugs as human shields to dissuade other Thugs from drawing guns and shooting.

He's hoping that Ray's "heart attack" has provided a useful distraction, whether real or not.

As Patch attempts to grab the man's coat, the latter steps backward suddenly and pulls a gun, pointing it at Patch.

Patch- [spoiler]You get a sudden image of the man shooting his gun, and exactly how he's holding it when he does.[/spoiler]

Lizzie

He gives him a small smile & a quick wink.  Ray then gets a pained look on his face.  His hand reaches inside his coat for his heart, and he slumps against the doorframe with his left shoulder.  "...nngghhh....hey, Doc.....maybe you should look at this...." he manages to get out, wincing with pain.

Good act... at least I hope it's an act.  Maybe I can-

Doc!" he calls out in alarm.  "That guy's having a heart attack!"

Patch attempts to grab the coat of the guy who was reaching for his (presumed) weapon, and yank it down off of his shoulders, down to elbow level.

-okay so much for that idea.

If their guns come out, I will try to pull Hertzy down behind the desk and out of the line of fire of possible. 

Lizzie dives for Hertzy, and manages to push him down behind the desk.

Envoy

Agh! Patch got the right idea... He's helping. I just don't know if I should help or not... I don't want to risk getting shot, but they are... And what's this? Something Patch dropped...

I pick up the paper that Patch dropped and read it as quickly as possible.

Patch & Envoy

I pick up the paper that Patch dropped and read it as quickly as possible.

-Envoy:
[spoiler]Wedged in the dropped notepad is one of Patch's business cards, on which Patch has written, "GUYS WITH GUNS - CAREFUL!"

(OOG: I had been operating under the assumption that most people didn't have evidence clearly indicating that these four guys had guns, whereas Patch has been trained to recognize certain tell-tale signs.  Ergo, the written warning for anyone that might have had any uncertainty.)[/spoiler]

That stuff still happens, as nothing happened which would prevent it.

Ray's Story:

Using Patch's actions as a handy distraction, Ray's hand reaches further inside his coat, quickly coming back out with his gun.  He'll train it on the thugs directly in front of the counter (keeping anyone but the four of them out of the line of fire), and if Hertzy is still nearby, try to guide him behind Ray with his left hand.

"I believe, gentlemen, that the nature of your emergency has just changed."

As you pull out the gun and point it, you find yourself staring into another gun, which the second man is pointing at you.

Hertzy was unable to take the phone with him when Lizzie tackled him.

Ashi- [spoiler]Remember, there are still two more thugs right outside the door, waiting to prevent anyone from escaping. In fact, at the moment, they're standing in the door, reaching into their jackets. Most likely, your described paln of action wouldn't work very well. However, they likely see you as a helpless child, which might work in your favor if you can find a way to use it...[/spoiler]

I'm assuming that Patch does not, in fact, attempt to do exactly what he described.

(oog- Sorry I didn't post earlier...)

[Alaric]

Frank:

Sorry, almost forgot. Frank reaches the newstand.

[Spam]

Envoy

Alright, I've done nothing for too long now...

[spoiler]I try and concentrate everything I have into making the first two men angry at each other. I don't know how I can do it without them looking at me, but I'll try... And if that fails, then I guess I'll make the one pointing his gun towards Patch angry at me.[/spoiler]

[Glitch Girl]

Lizzie

He gives him a small smile & a quick wink.  Ray then gets a pained look on his face.  His hand reaches inside his coat for his heart, and he slumps against the doorframe with his left shoulder.  "...nngghhh....hey, Doc.....maybe you should look at this...." he manages to get out, wincing with pain.

Good act... at least I hope it's an act.  Maybe I can-

Doc!" he calls out in alarm.  "That guy's having a heart attack!"

Patch attempts to grab the coat of the guy who was reaching for his (presumed) weapon, and yank it down off of his shoulders, down to elbow level.

-okay so much for that idea.

If their guns come out, I will try to pull Hertzy down behind the desk and out of the line of fire of possible. 

Lizzie dives for Hertzy, and manages to push him down behind the desk.

I curse something under my breath that would probably make a sailor go "whoah, hang on there..."

"Doc," I add loud enough for him to hear me, "you may want to stay down.  This ain't goin' well."  I also pull out my own gun.

(question: this desk, is it flush with the floor, or is there a small gap between the front panel and the floor and can I make out feet?  Also how sturdy is it?  Are we talking heavy woord or little better than balsawood for protection?)

[kkhohoho]

Ashi- [spoiler]Remember, there are still two more thugs right outside the door, waiting to prevent anyone from escaping. In fact, at the moment, they're standing in the door, reaching into their jackets. Most likely, your described paln of action wouldn't work very well. However, they likely see you as a helpless child, which might work in your favor if you can find a way to use it...[/spoiler]

I suddenly notice that 2 of the thugs are standing right outside the door.  That would not cause my plan to work very well.  However, I devise a new plan that would not cause as much commotion.  I proceed to walk up to the 2 men. I attempt to make myself look and sound cute, and attempt to mimic how children behave in the U.S.

"Misters, I need to go potty bad.  Can you pwetty pwease take me to the batwoom?  If you don't, I'll scweam weally loud."  If I can goad these men into it, I proceed to go with them to a nearby restroom.   After I'm in for there a minute, I open the door, and attempt to use both swords to stab them in a suprise attack.

[Viking]

Patch's Split-Second Story

Patch finds himself staring down the barrel of a gun.

Feh.  So much for Humphrey Bogart.

Patch gauges when, and in what direction the thug plans to shoot, and twists out of the way just before it happens.  If that works, he'll use his continuing momentum to lunge forward and grab the thug's firing arm, following up with the good old-fashioned "friendly greeting" of a knee to the groin.

[BlueBard]

Frank:

Sorry, almost forgot. Frank reaches the newstand.

No change in my declared action:

As soon as I reach the newsstand, I stammer, "Wh-where Doc-doctor Her-herziwits?  Emer-emergency!"

[Uncle Yuan]

:OOC: So if I understand the tableaux correctly, there are two men outside his office and two men inside his office.  I'm essentially at the door and the two bad guys are past me.::

I take a quick glance at the two outside - they seem to be staying put despite their buddies being outnumbered and facing guns?  How heavy is the door?  I also look for a lock.  At the very least I'll reach over and close the door and then lock it if I can.  No point in letting these other two yahoos in.