You’re a muck, that’s why I had to cut you down

[ctu_savior]

WHO: Jack Bauer and OPEN
WHERE: Throughout the City
WHEN: The following takes place between January 3rd and January 10th. Events occur in real time.
WARNINGS: Violence
SUMMARY: Captain Bauer is fed up with having to do administrative stuff for the cops and goes to get back to his roots: running around, yelling at people, and fighting bad guys.

Comments

[a_relative_hero]

Joel was still pretty thrilled that he'd been promoted. He never would have imagined it would happen but it has and he couldn't be happier.

Now since it was time to report to the boss himself, Joel was moving as quick as he could without using his powers. Finding the man, he approached with a smile. "Reporting in, sir."

[ctu_savior]

Jack nodded and smiled. "Officer Weinberg. Ready for your first assignment? We're going to have a talk with an informant, I want to see how you handle it."

[a_relative_hero]

Joel was nervous. His first ever assignment and in front of the boss no less. The last time he'd felt this way was when he was facing down the Es. Keeping it from showing, he nodded. "Yessir. I'm ready to go."

[ctu_savior]

"Great. Follow me."

Jack ushered Joel into his car and talked as they drove. "His name's Michael Ryde. He's been giving us information on Zero's Children, the new mob group. He's cooperated so far, and everything he's told us has checked out. The hard part is convincing him we can keep him safe. He's terrified of these people."

For Garrus

[ctu_savior]

Carlo Neri was a professional Mafia hitman wanted for five murders in Europe. Why he had come to the City Jack didn't know, but when he got the tip about it he'd dispatched officers to his hotel room without hesitation. It seemed like an easy win.

It was only when he learned that the takedown had gone bad and escalated into a hostage situation that Jack went there in person. Neri had spotted the police moving in, panicked, and dragged the nearest hotel staff member into his room with a gun to his head.

Jack could immediately see the situation could require a sniper, and a good one. He called Garrus.

[dontknowgray]

Garrus -- who as a human looked strangely Mediterranean -- was happy for a chance to come out for an exercise run. He abandoned the pretense of humanity, however, once he was out of the squadcar-- it was awkward to ride in them normally, but there was no reason to do otherwise.

Besides, part of him loved the looks and the awe when a six-eight space marine raptor came down the road.

"Bauer," he says, voice kept low. "What do we have?"

[ctu_savior]

"One shooter, one hostage, one way in and out of the room besides the window. No demands so far." In the command van, Jack was keeping things bustling, directing other officers while handing Garrus a file folder with everything he might possibly need to know about the suspect, the hostage, the hotel, and more. The information was available in electronic format as well- Jack preferred it that way, a legacy of his time at CTU, and had a feeling Garrus would too, being from the future and all.

"We've already ID'd a vantage point that will give you a full view of the room. You'll have a clear shot if we can't talk him down." The standoff had now been going on for over half an hour. Jack had no intention of letting it get dragged out into a siege.

[dontknowgray]

"Sounds almost too simple."

Not that simple wasn't bad. It was pretty rare to be given such a straight forward assignment. He glanced through the files, getting what he needed.

"Just tell me where you need me."

[owwmyspine]

It looked like lightning from the outside. Lightning, or some really over-the-top rave lighting. There was loud hissing, and then windows shattered with the discharge; little tendrils of electric light scattered and dissipated into the air.

Inside, one of the lankier Children was thrown back by the force and landed in a pile of boxes, out of the fight. He'd enjoy a fabulous headache later, among other things.

The Blue Beetle clicked his fingers, elongated and still crackling with energy, slinking back to his best spot - himself between the Children and their kidnapped "merch," actual children, among others. It was now seven against one, with twelve to keep out of reach. Not the best odds to fly right on into, but the boat was ready to leave. He'd hoped to scare them enough to make it a quick and easy end, but they appeared rather prepared for metahuman interference.

Which sucked, but hey. He could complain later.

"You do not want this trouble," he said (again; he'd said so prior to tasing the first guy). "Just drop the weapons and

[ctu_savior]

Outside the building, Jack saw the unmistakable signs of metahuman combat and called it in. He took a moment to look in a window before entering. He saw Blue Beetle, the kids, the hostiles. Then he drew his gun, kicked in the door, and started yelling.

"C.P.D., DROP YOUR WEAPONS AND SHOW ME YOUR HANDS, NOW!" The entrance he'd chosen brought him in behind the gunmen, which was good, but which also put the Beetle and the innocents possibly in his field of fire.

The hostiles didn't surrender, of course. People this heavily-armed never did, especially when they were the kinds of people willing to target children. They opened fire, and Jack dove behind a metal cabinet as the bullets started to fly.

[owwmyspine]

Bullets bounced off the pale blue forcefield, rather contrary to Jack's demands upon arrival. Jaime flinched, backing up to shield the innocents. The pincers protruding from his backpiece began to lengthen and arc, sparking and shooting out toward the guns. He grimaced, seeing only a pair drop their weapons, the rest back turned to rain bullets down on Jack's cabinet.

"This way, guys, c'mon!" Jaime's backpiece expanded and flattened behind him as he turned his back on the fight to shepherd the kids behind stacked crates and cargo.

"Jack!" he called over the gunfire. Scarab patched into his communicator. "Jack, they're out of range!"

[ctu_savior]

"Copy that!" Jack heard him clearly over screaming, terrified children and bullets rattling against his cover. He pushed his legs against the concrete floor and slid out into the open, lying on his side while shooting at the hostile's legs. His training called on him to shoot to kill, but he wanted prisoners- they had too little information on this organization as it was.

Two more gunmen fell yelling to the ground, one bleeding from a foot, the other the outer thigh. Jack rolled on the floor and sprang to new cover before their return fire could find him. The gunmen were scattering, including the two Jaime had disarmed, leaving their wounded. Jack peeked around his metal shelving unit, and raised his comm.

"Beetle, can you secure their weapons?" He didn't want the dropped guns being picked up and put back into use.

For Scatty

[ctu_savior]

Vlad Latanov was reputed to be a core member of Zero Children's small but growing extortion racket. Jack didn't want any more citizens being intimidated out of their money, which made Latanov someone he wanted to learn more about.

Jack and a rudimentary disguise were currently lounging in the ill-reputed Tempest Bar, looking casual while keeping an eye on the 'import/export businessman' and his two bodyguards, both local ex-cons Jack recognized from their rap sheets. Latanov looked like an ordinary guy who'd just gotten off work, nothing to indicate that he was willing to order fingers broken to get a few extra bills from a store owner. What Jack needed was a way to find out what he knew without blowing his cover...

[spadassin]

Reconnaissance was something she hadn't done in a while. Not that she was out of practice or anything, that would be absurd. But there was a special sort of finesse required to pull off this sort of mission. A disguise didn't hurt, either.

Smokey-eyed and red-lipped, Scathach sipped on a rum and coke, jade eyes scanning the bar crowd, just as Jack's did. Remembering that she was here to give him some cover, she reached over to place her hand on his knee, giggling in a way that was very un-Scathach like.

[ctu_savior]

Jack chuckled and leaned in to whisper something in her ear. They were getting attention, but it was the good kind of attention, the kind that was murmured gossip and rolled eyes. No one would think a man Jack's age with a girl Scathach's apparent age would be a cop.

"I recognize the guys with him," he whispered. "Both fighters, did time for assault. This will be a lot easier if we can separate them."

[ctu_savior]

"Not exactly," Jack said as he dropped himself into the seat across from the girl and her... daemon? He still wasn't too clear on the relationship between the young vigilante and her constant companion. Another supernatural thing outside his experience.

"How are you doing, Lyra?" He asked.

[ctu_savior]

Jack glanced at his menu but obviously wasn't here for food. "I'm okay. You came out of New Year's all right, didn't you?" She looked uninjured, at least. Still, that had been one hell of a night for everyone involved.