Prisoner Transport

Log Title: Prisoner Transport

Characters: Abd al-Baset, Anas al-Libi, Casey Arkeville, Darklon, Lowdown, Mock Mockingbird, Surefire

Location: Skies over the United States

Date: August 24, 2016

TP: Exit Doctor Arkeville TP

Summary: G.I. Joe transports a group of dangerous criminals to an "off-site detention area."

As logged by Arkeville - Wednesday, August 24, 2016, 7:26 PM

Brig - Lower Level - Autobot City

 * Autobot City is a fully functional base, and this is its brig. Autobot troublemakers and Decepticon POWs alike are kept here, ever watched by Autobot City's sentient mind, Metroplex. In addition in built-in security features such as anti-personnel lasers and adjustable forcefields, this brig is always manned by at least two Autobot guards, with more available to watch over VIP guests. Heavily-armored walls and enhanced sensory systems make this brig near impregnable, although it is said where there is a will, there's a way.

Surefire has arranged everything to transport the prisoners to an "undisclosed offsite location." Jumal Pahlavi is due to arrive within the hour to oversee the prisoners' human rights protections prior to, during, and after the exchange - which is one reason why Surefire wants the prisoners gone before Pahlavi arrives. The captives are a motley group - Dr. Casey Arkeville, cyborg mad scientist; Darklon, amoral arms dealer; Mock Mockingbird, former undercover Cobra operative; and both Abd al-Baset and Anas al-Libi of the Carbombian Protection League. All are in wrist, waist, and leg shackles of Cybertronian steel, and are guarded by a G.I. Joe air marshal as well as parasniper Lowdown.

Mock Mock is perhaps the least interesting to anyone on an international scale, although the tales of her own crimes no doubt made the joes less than sympathetic towards her. She looked tired, a little scared, and not intending to cause trouble as she lined up with the others, fidgeting a little in the shackles, body tense. A glance over to Lowdown, and then quickly away.

Admittedly, most of the security prep has focused on the more-dangerous-seeming Arkeville and Darklon, with Mock and the CPL leaders transported along almost as an afterthought. Surefire certainly focuses his attention on them, as he warns them with a little carrot/stick speech about how their treatment at their new home will be partially determined by how well they behave during the transport.

Surefire gives Lowdown and the air marshal a look and a nod, and leads the small group slowly towards the small, inconspicuous transport plane.

Lowdown, fully suited up in his combat gear and carrying his potent Chey-Tac rifle at a ready position, remains near the prisoners. His ears are covered by his visor, but he hears every single word (and for that matter, every breath of the prisoners) with perfect clarity. For a little added security, he also carries his enormous Steyr IWS slung across his back. After all, you never know when you need to shoot someone on the other side of a tank.

C-21A Learjet

 * The C-21A is an "off the shelf" military variant of the Learjet 35A, with room for eight passengers and 42 cubic feet of cargo.

Surefire watches carefully as the prisoners are loaded onto an unmarked, specially-prepared Learjet. Each prisoner is brought in one at a time and shackled to his or her seat. The armed air marshal keeps an eye on the captives while also guarding access to the locked door leading to the cockpit. As they're loaded in, Arkeville and Darklon glance at each other but remain silent. Al-Baset and al-Libi mutter to each other in Arabic, exchanging curses and crude remarks about Lowdown and Surefire. They largely ignore fellow-prisoner Mock Mock.

Mock Mock listens intently, her eyes wide. She avoids looking at Lowdown after the first few glances, fidgeting still. She was last, and as they were being tied to their chairs began to shake a little bit, finally breaking her silence "... bag please? just in case? I haven't been eating well lately? " she requested as politely as she could.

Lowdown waits almost passively as the prisoners are ushered aboard the jet. He waits patiently, his face utterly devoid of expression. Once all the passengers are aboard, and the crew gives him the 'we haven't been hijacked' signal, he finally boards the jet himself. He promptly takes up his position at the rear of the cabin.

The air marshal looks back out of the plane at Surefire questioningly, and only after getting a nod of approval from the Joe security officer does he carefully approach Mock Mock with a paper air-sickness bag, his other hand on the grip of his holstered gun, just in case this is some kind of trick. He offers the bag, and assuming this ISN'T some sort of trick, then moves back towards the front of the plane as Surefire's team seals the cabin and the lift starts to raise the Learjet up to the tarmac for takeoff.

Arkeville is uncharacteristically calm, watching the Joes carefully and flexing his metal right hand. He doesn't test his bonds - he merely allows himself to be shackled in and then sits quietly while the jet is raised to the launch pad. As the whine of the engines fills the cabin, the white-haired scientist does allow himself a small smile and the slightest glance at Darklon. Darklon doesn't look back - the masked arms dealer stares straight forward, body tense. The CPL leaders lean back in their seats and pretend this is just another flight.

Mock Mock takes the bag from the marshall and holds it on one cuffed hand, nodding politely and thankfully to the officer as she sits back now, holding it at the ready. Mock Mock settles into her seat and sighs, glancing one way, and then another. This was going to be a long and awkward flight, to say the least. Her eyes move from the back of Darklons' head, to Arkevilles', and the others with a chew on her lip.

Lowdown isn't a particularly lively guard. His eyes move unseen behind the visor, cycling between the passengers. His jaw tightens just a tiny bit as the members of the CPL mutter to each other, but he relaxes it quickly enough. He silently wonders how many deaths and how much misery the prisoners on this plain are responsible for, how many innocent lives destroyed... The answer, of course, is too many.

The jet takes off, and quickly accelerates away from Autobot airspace. Surefire decided against an Autobot escort, officially to keep from drawing attention, but honestly more to keep the Autobots from knowing where the Joes keep their most dangerous prisoners - the Joes are friendly with the Autobots, especially while the Bots are letting them stay at their place, but that doesn't mean the Joes trust them with everything.

As the jet streaks across the plains of America, Darklon looks outside as if taking in the countryside, the green LEDs in the eye-sockets of his mask flashing. Arkeville leans back and looks as if he's trying to relax, which isn't easy in his locked restraints. He gives Darklon another glance, and then goes back to watching the air marshal, who frowns back at him, apparently not enjoying the scrutiny.

Away from the window, Mocks was halfway asleep, but also somewhat nauseous. And it didnt take long for the woman - who had already been feeling restless in the confines of her cell before - to start fidgeting more. She shifts the bag, making it crumple loudly a moment as she looks at it, and then up and around once more, focusing on Lowdown again. She furrowed her brow, trying to place him perhaps.

Finally after perhaps the Most Awkward Silence in the history of moviekind, she blurts out "They're planning something!"

Lowdown's visored eyes fall on Mock Mock as the stock of his Chey-Tac rises into the pocket of his shoulder. He doesn't waste time with a barrage of questions, or interrogation techniques. He simply clicks off the safety of his rifle and says, "Explain."

Arkeville scowls as Mock tries to blow their plan. It's a little too soon, but - apparently it's got to be now or never. Electricity crackles on the small nodes of Arkeville's metal skullcap. The air marshal straightens up and reaches for his gun - and Arkeville raises his steel right hand, and fires a burst of electrical power directly at the marshal's chest. The man cries out in pain, his body jerking spasmodically - but doesn't fall. Grunting in pain, the red-haired marshal draws his gun. Darklon turns quickly to appraise the situation. The CPL leaders look shocked at what's happening and one of them yells out in fear as electricity starts getting blasted around the cabin.

Arkeville flexes his metal hand and cranes his neck to look back at Lowdown. "Drop your weapons," he warns, "Or I'll take out this entire plane."

"I don't know how I know, I just kept overhearing things somehow, and they're-OHNOLOOKOUT." shrieked Mock Mocks, jerking her feet as far off the floor as she could in instinct. There wasn't much else she could do but close her eyes and wait it out.

Mid-flight on the way to the Joes' "undisclosed off-site location," Mock Mock shouted a warning and unintentionally jump-started the other prisoners' escape plans. Arkeville revealed an ability he never let on to Spike and the Joes that he had - the ability to channel and fire electricity as a weapon. Arkeville blasted the Joes' air marshal, and threatened to down the entire jet if the Joes don't lower their weapons. The CPL leaders seem surprised at this turn of events, but Darklon doesn't. Darklon turns to Arkeville and the LEDs in his mask flash a rapid signal.

Lowdown's rifle is up as soon as the sparks fly, the metal dome centered in the iron sites situated beneath the scope. He doesn't lower his weapon, nor does he switch the safety back on. His finger rests gently on the trigger, voice coming out as calm as if this was just an everyday part of the job, "If you want to take your chances against one of these rounds, maybe we oughta put down in Vegas instead."

Arkeville frowns as his pyrotechnics fail to dazzle Lowdown. As the marshal starts to recover, Arkeville glances his way while addressing Lowdown. "I'd lower that if I were you." Power starts to charge up in Arkeville's skullcap again. "Shoot me, and I'm likely to blow, killing everyone aboard. I'm sure you're not worried about your own life or those of us prisoners, but think about the pilots and medical staff on board. You want all their lives on your conscience, assuming you live?" He flexes his metal hand to fire one of his fingertips at the air marshal.

Sgt. Sideswipe 's back is planted against the hull. He unholsters his weapon - armed with a few stun tranquilizers. At age 23, he looks like he could still get carded...at an R-rated movie, compared to the rest of the familiar, grizzled Joe faces. He carefully stands in the background, ready to wait for that one moment for Dr. Arkeville to turn his back JUST enough for Sgt. Sideswipe to get off that ONE shot.

Listening to the talk on either side of her, Mocks opens one eye again and looks at Lowdown. Then she closes that eye, and openst he other to peer at Dr. Arkeville. She goes quite pale and sits as still as she could, still locked into her chair and knowing quite well she was somewhat in more danger than before.

Lowdown's eyes move over the cabin behind his visor, exhaling slowly through his nose. His expression remains completely neutral, not even a drop of sweat stands out on his forehead. And, after a long and very tense five seconds, he flicks the safety, "Baby steps..." He straightens his finger off the trigger and looks up from the sites, but keeps the weapon in his shoulder, "I assume you've got some demands. Let's hear 'em."

Arkeville fires one of his fingertips at the air marshal, but since his attention is on Lowdown and his BFG, the shot missed and clanks to the deck of the cabin. Arkeville looks flustered, but tries to keep it together while Darklon shakes his head in embarrassment. "Uh - yeah. Demands. I demand to be unchained - as well as Darklon." He casts an evil glare at Mock Mock. "Keep the jet on course - we're expecting a rendezvous."

A little cockiness creeps back into Arkeville's voice and he straightens up slightly, unable to resist bragging a bit. "We've had this little escape planned for quite some time. It was literally child's play to get Witwicky to hand me over to you Joes - just what I needed to plot my escape." He keeps his electrical charge powered up, but makes no more attack as he waits for the air marshal to release him. The marshal looks at Lowdown for instruction.

Ah youth, good ol' youthful confidence. Perhaps overconfidence. A rendezvous? Under Lifeline's near-constant watch, he's developed into quite the restrained medic. But he's still a health nut, and confident in his reflexes. And Lowdown may (or may not) recognize a bit of the impulsiveness streak when he was early on in the Joe career. And how while Sgt. Sideswipe's body remains still, an ever so slight tremble of movement can be seen in his right arm - going toward the holster.

Mock mock was still helplessly bound between the two, but as the gun is lowered a little bit, she looks up, straightening a bit more. At the glare, she flinched and looked away, then stiffened and glowered back at him simply.

Lowdown's eyes are very sharp, and he notices the Sgt's movements. In truth, just about any sort of violence will probably result in an 'interesting' situation, in the 'oh god, oh god, we're all gonna die' sense. But Arkeville's technical failure doesn't earn him a reprieve just yet, "Marshall, go ahead and unchain the doctor and step back. One demand at a time..." Plus, with those chains off, it'll be a little tougher for him to channel that electricity straight into the jet...

Arkeville seems almost surprised that his demands are being met. As he's unchained, he places his metal hand on the marshal's arm, and squeezes slightly. "Ow!" the marshal frowns, looking down. "I'm sorry," Arkeville says apologetically, letting go and glancing quickly at Lowdown. "Him next," he says to the marshal, waggling his iron-plated head at Darklon. "This will all be over soon, and no one has to die." Arkeville tries to offer a comforting smile, looking increasingly mad in the process.

Sgt. Sideswipe barely grits through his teeth "goddamnit" as the Marshall moves in, obstructing a shot he could have taken. In a bad angle moment, the Marshall nervously moves toward Darklon and begins unfastening Darklon's restraints.

Mock had been looking from one to the other... and the Air Marshall yelping caught her attention, her head jerking back that way faster than at a tennis match. She froze, staring at both,a nd then blurt out "You DID something to him! Its a trap!"

Lowdown is inclined to agree with Mock, and with Archeville free of his direct conduit into the ship, he decides to make his move. The rifle twitches upward with a click: the safety coming off. It's questionable whether or not the Intervention is an anti-material rifle, but that's what he considers that metal arm. He sights in and aims to disable the cybernetic limb. There's less than a second between the 'click' of the safety, and the much louder report of the .408 round.

>> Lowdown misses Dr. Arkeville with Intervention . << >> You evade Lowdown's Intervention  attack. <<

Arkeville glowers as once again Mock Mock gives him away, and then gasps as Lowdown opens fire in the small cabin. "Protect meee!" he demands, as Lowdown's shot punches through the hull of the jet. The air marshal suddenly widens his eyes and makes a clumsy fumble towards Lowdown. Air screams as it explosively escapes the jet, which suddenly shakes and bucks in the air, nearly driving Arkeville to the ground. Darklon, who had just been released by the air marshal, goes for an emergency parachute and heads towards the door, obviously intending to leap out and leave everyone else to die. The CPL leaders hold into their seats and scream in Arabic in fearful dismay.

Sgt. Sideswipe doesn't have time to take a shot now, now that the hull is been breached! The cabin pressure begins to do some amazing things inside, one of them being violently jarring Sgt. Sideswipe off balance, as he careens inside the hull. He tries to grab on to something!

Perhaps expecting to be shot at any time - by either of them! - the fake Mockingbird closes her eyes again at Arkeville's glowering look, once more bracing for the end. A loud noise, her ears pop and the wind picks up as the pressure starts to drop. She began to look somewhat green.

Lowdown's expression slips briefly to one of disgust and rage, but he quickly recovers his composure. He braces himself against the back of the rear seats and suddenly has a painful decision to make: take another shot at Arkeville, or reach out for the air marshall. It's probably not very Joe of him to actually consider it a decision, but in the end it's a pretty clear choice. He lets the rifle hang from its sling and reachs out to grab the marshall's arm.

GAME: Lowdown PASSES a DEXTERITY roll of High difficulty.

GAME: Dr. Arkeville PASSES a STRENGTH roll of Above Average difficulty.

Arkeville turns his attention on Darklon as the arms dealer slips on a parachute and goes for the emergency door. "What are you doing? We had a plan! You'll kill us all!"

"Not me," Darklon replies, attempting to shove the doctor aside. Arkeville replies by grabbing Darklon's arm with his cybernetic right hand, and YANKING Darklon away from the door. "We have a plan, and we're sticking with it." While they fight, the air pressure in the cabin continues to drop. The air marshal draws his pistol, and looks at it like he doesn't know what it is. He slowly aims it at Lowdown before being grabbed by him and prevented from doing something he'd regret. The marshal struggles feebly in Lowdown's grip, trying to fight Arkeville's injected hypno-chip.

Mock Mock had started to struggle at this point. It was in vain, but she was going to give it a try anyways. With the wind blowing all about, and people shouting in alarm, she had lost most of her cool not long ago at this point.

Sgt. Sideswipe struggles to desperately hang on to the armrest he grabbed onto as the cargo ship continues to lose cabin pressure!

GAME: Sgt. Sideswipe FAILS a DEXTERITY roll of Very High difficulty.

>> Sgt. Sideswipe misses Dr. Arkeville with Smash. <<

Lowdown doesn't quite realize what's going on with the air marshall, and so pulls the man back toward the rear of the cabin. The crew keep emergency supplies there (in lieu of the drink cart on this flight), and trusts the man to know what to do. He pulls himself forward after grabbing an emergency breathing mask and literally shoves it into Mock's hand, before drawing his sidearm and shooting the steel cable that keeps her bound in her seat.

GAME: Dr. Arkeville PASSES an INTELLIGENCE roll of Average difficulty.

Arkeville looks around in alarm as months of planning and work goes to hell in an instant. He lets go of Darklon's arm and casts about for a parachute of his own, not knowing how long this flight is going to last or if they're ever going to make it to the rendezvous point. He dodges and twists as Sideswipe moves past him, and looks back and scowls as his 'slave' the air marshal does very little to protect him. Well, that's what happens when you have to sneak hypno-chip construction under Witwicky's nose - they doesn't work as well as the real thing. Arkeville turns and makes his way through the chaos towards the locked cabin door, ripping it completely off the hinges when he reaches it.

Sgt. Sideswipe stumbles and fumbles to get a parachute from one of the seats (say it's embedded). He then tries to jump toward Dr. Arkeville. If he's going to fly out, he's going to save a life in the process, even if it's a criminal.

>> Sgt. Sideswipe strikes Dr. Arkeville with Smash. <<

Sgt. Sideswipe says, "Gotcha!""

Grateful, the woman takes the breathing mask in her suddenly free hands. Her eyes widen a bit, and she does what any unarmed soldier is trained to do upon being released - and drops to the floor, pulling the mask on. After a few breaths, she felt a bit better, but hearing was hard for everyone in the thin air. And what were the pilots doing? She instead looks at Lowdown, panicked, afraid, and perhaps needing guidance.

Lowdown has already blown one hole in the plane. What's one more? With Arkeville drawing Sideswipe's undivided attention, he shifts his focus toward Darklon. He's functioning surprisingly well in the chaotic environment, but then he actually trained himself to get a bead on a target and hit it during freefall from a plane. If anything, having a floor under his feet feels like a hinderance. As for Mock, he may be prepared to try and save her life, but he's not about to trust her with a weapon. Besides, his focus is on the prisoner trying to escape. He raises the handgun and fires a trio of shots at Darklon, the first two aimed at the middle of his back. The third is aimed at one of the parachute's straps.

GAME: Lowdown FAILS a DEXTERITY roll of Very High difficulty.

Darklon sees the shot coming, as soon as Sideswipe engages Arkeville's attention Darklon checks the straps on the parachute, rips open the side door, and leaps out - all before Lowdown can successfully nail him with his gun. The jet bucks as air rushes into the cabin, and the ground rushes up towards the plane - the pilots have been attempting to find a place to land since the first electrical burst from Arkeville, and there's a chance Darklon waited too long to jump.

Meanwhile, on the floor of the cabin Arkeville yells to Sideswipe, "Let go of me!" and struggles to get way. However, after being knocked down by the Joes medic he seems to be having trouble finding his footing on the rocking aircraft.

Sgt. Sideswipe frowns and tries to keep a hold on Dr. Arkeville, realizing he's either going to fly out, or land inside. But as a medic, with Dr. Arkeville being the only human right now he can possibly help (thanks to some insaaaaaaaane cabin pressure) - he continues to hold on to Dr. Arkeville. "Goddamnit, hold still!" He tries to grab Dr. Arkeville while putting on the other strap for the parachute.

GAME: Sgt. Sideswipe PASSES a STRENGTH roll of Very High difficulty.

With no orders given, Mock Mock just holds on for the landing as she grabs the edges of her seat to do so, breathing heavily into her mask.

Lowdown curses to himself as Darklon dives out. He doesn't know what the pilots are attempting, and actually considers diving after the arms dealer. To do it in time, though, he'd have to do it now... with no parachute. That could be problematic. Instead, he goes forward to help Sideswipe by holding his weapon on Arkeville. He casts the other prisoners a look briefly, lingering on Mock Mock a moment longer than the CPL leaders. It's probably worth noting that he didn't bother trying to help them. He then holsters his sidearm, grabbing his Intervention again and leveling it at Arkeville, "Give it up, Doc."

Arkeville struggles a moment longer, and then looks up at the gun pointed at him by Lowdown. He gives the parasniper a crooked, ingratiating smile, and slowly raises his hands. "I give up. We're good." With Sideswipe's help, Lowdown has secured at least most of the prisoners and keeps them at bay while the plane lands and help is called.

Arkeville and the CPL leaders are more properly secured, and are sent on a different flight to a black site in Europe, where they won't be causing trouble for a long, long while. Darklon is still at large. Mock Mock, for her help, is sent to a psychiatric facility instead, where she'll receive help for all Cobra did to her, and maybe someday recover....