To be Free, by Sea (IC)

[Scuffles]

Kristin cursed quietly as she watched Diego leap onto the anchor of the yacht. "This is getting out of hand really fast.." she muttered as she dug her battered old cell-phone out of her pocket and quickly punched in the number for Alan Archer's office. As soon as the PE teacher answered she launched into a rather breathless explanation.

"Mister Archer? It's Kristin. I have a problem. Subito and me were poking around the docks because we heard about some illegal immigrants turning up dead and I think we found something. It looks like Steve Diamond and his yacht might have something to do with it all and now some crazy guy who I think is out for revenge is hanging off the side of the yacht and Subito is swimming around holding them up so they can't leave the docks!"

She took a ragged breath then forced herself to calm down. "What do you want me to do, Sir?"

[Supercape]

GM

"Slow down there, Kristin" replied Alan "what have you got yourself into?" he asked whilst listening to Kristen's speedy ramble.

"Damn! I mean, well done for spotting all of this, but you have got yourself in a heap of trouble there. Best thing is to follow the ship, if you can. But be careful. Don't get into any danger yourself. Just watch, make sure nothing happens to Subito... or anyone else. Meanwhile, I'll see if I can't get some help for you..."

As Archer hung up, the Deck Hand looked down at the motor.

"Where is he?" he muttered "Goddamit! Diamond's gonna be real pissy about this..." he drummed his fingers on the outboard.

[Scuffles]

"Alright, but you maybe better send someone.." Kristin said, then hung up the phone and tucked it away. With Archer off the line she muttered a curse under her breath and then sized up the yacht once more. Subito still had it stopped, so it was only a few meters from the dock.

I can't believe I'm doing this..

With the deck hands still distracted Kristin dashed towards the boat. She weaved past some boxes and hit the edge of the dock at a run and leaped for the side of the yacht. With her arms outstretched the athletic youngster caught hold of the guard rail as her body smacked solidly into the hull.

"Ow." she grunted as she secured a tight hold.

[Ari]

As he had no idea what Kristin might be up to(not paying much attention to the phone call), Subito was startled when he heard the sound of his schoolmate's shoes slapping the dock and the soft *crack* as she launched herself up and onto the boat. Realizing that they were all in it now, he dragged the entire mass he had collected for the deception and tossed it further back into the waters of the dock. Calling up to the crew he said "That's all, thanks!" and slid next to Diego, whispering earnestly in Spanish <"Please, let me and my friend handle this, you don't need to endanger your life. I'm going to follow them underwater"> with that, he swam back to the dock, collected his backpack and wandered off into the maze of vessels.

Once he had been lost to the sight of those who had seen him, he tossed his backpack and shoes into the recesses of a disused equipment shed and dove back underwater, calling on the Blue Dame's aid once more

Lady I- he began. only to be cut off by the quiet Granted

Once more glowing with power, he slid under the yacht of Diamond, and gripped the sides with all his strength.

He wished deeply that he had thought this through better.

[Supercape]

GM

"Thanks" called down the Ship-hand, who had been half tempted to turn on the motor regardless, even if it did shred the young man underwater.

"What a crazy dude..." he muttered under his breath as he went to pilot the ship out of the dock. His whisper was easily heard by the sharp-eared Subito.

"I better do this sharpish" he said to himself "DIamond's gonna be made if we are late for...the appointment"

He shuddered to himself.

Meanwhile..

The boat started to pull out of the dock, at a good, and frankly slightly unsafe, speed. Soon the water started to get choppy. Jack Jackson was following the action, snapping all the way as the Yacht pulled out to see, and last seen speaking to some other boat owners on the dock.

Diego Cruz was a strong man, and clung to the anchor.

"Nice jump" he said to Kristen as the boat began to yaw and pitch, reaching the ocean. The weather was fortunately not too rough, but neither was it too smooth. Both Cruz and Kristen were getting splattered by sea spray, but were in no danger of getting thrown about. Of course, neither of them could hold on for ever, and muscles began to ache as the ship cut a wake to the blue horizon...

[Scuffles]

Kristin hooked a leg over the anchor to ease the strain on her arms. Once she was comfortably settled she turned her head towards Cruz. "You're an idiot." She said in conversational tones. "Only a idiot could possibly be hanging on the side of a yacht as it sails out to sea. Oh wait.. never mind."

Poking her head up just a little she looked around the deck, then ducked back down as a deck hand walked past. With a shiver she glanced at Cruz again. "It's cold and this isn't the most comfortable seat on the boat. We can't stay here forever. There's a little nook between that cabin and those crates. I'm going to hide in there."

Carefully she popped her head up again and watched as the deck hand bent to adjust a rope. Quickly hoisting herself up she squirmed under the rail and scrambled across the deck, then wedged herself into her chosen hiding spot. Once she was secure the young heroine started digging in her bag for the vest, hood and mask she had packed.

No sense letting everyone know who I am if I can help it!

[Supercape]

GM

Diego Cruz evidently thought that Kristen's plan was a sound one. He didn't know how much longer he could hold on, despite his determination. A few minutes later he had joined Kristen on deck, out of sight.

A little later, out at Sea...

It was a dark blot on the landscape initially, glimpsed in between the rolling waves. It grew larger and larger, the Freeway apparently heading a straight line for it.

Steve Diamond came up briefly.

"Call me up when we get there" he said briefly, some tension in his voice, before strolling down below deck to the company of his two lady friends.

The dot grew larger, and soon its true form manifested. It was a ship, much larger than the Yacht. A merchant trawler, small for its class, but still huge, designed to haul cargo crates across the sea.

"There..." hissed Diego at Kristen "That must be it...the ship...on which we were...stored..." his voice was full of anger, but fear too.

[Scuffles]

Kristin peeked over the edge of her hiding place to get a good look at the ship. "Alright, that's pretty big. They must have like a hundred crew!" she muttered at Diego. "OK, so fill me in. You were stored on the cargo ship, then transferred to this yacht? How many people are we looking at here? You could fit a whole bunch of people on one of those."

She popped her head out again for a moment as she tried to catch a look at the name of the ship. "If we're going to achieve anything other than getting ourselves tossed overboard out here I need some kind of idea what we're up against.."

Even though I'm not sure I want to know...

[Supercape]

GM

"I...can't remember" muttered Cruz under his breath, his brow furrowing "just..fragments. You see, they drugged us. With all sorts of stuff. I think we were just lab rats...I remember...him, that face, injecting us. I think the ship looks familiar..."

He carefully peered at the large merchant ship.

"Yes...that must be it!" he said with determination.

Diamond's Yacht drew up the trawler. A man called down, a man holding an automatic rifle. Ex-military but the look of it. Dressed in combat fatigues and a beret.

"Diamond!" he shouted down at the man, as the two ships docked. "We got two for ya. One looks like she may not make it, but c'est la vie...eh? Just drop em as normal. Oh, and El Capitan wants a word..."

With that, some steel steps were lowered over the side of the large vessel, whose name was Flowerbell, and Steve Diamond, with uncharacteristic nervousness, walked up to meet the crew.

[Ari]

Subito's arms ached from the strain, he was rattled and filled with unease from the roar of the engine, the distant voices of the crew and Diamond and his ladies. Hearing the new voice after the engine cut he released his hold..and instantly regretted it. His shoulders throbbed from the unaccustomed position they had been held in for hours, his ears were ominously dulled for several minutes after the ride ceased, and he could have sworn he'd seen a shark.

Surfacing next to Diego and Kristin, he muttered apologies for his hastiness, and asked quietly "So, what's the plan? Do we scout the place out first, sneak in and figure things out as we go?"

[Scuffles]

"OK that guy has a damn machinegun!" Kristin hissed. "You," she continued as she leveled a glare at Diego, "are not going to do anything stupid. If we all get shot on this boat nobody stops any of this from happening again. The instant you look like you're doing anything dumb I'm tossing you over the side and Subito will drag you back to shore."

... One looks like she may not make it ...

Kristin swore, quietly but much more colourfully than one might have expected from a small teenage girl.

"Subi... Heraldo. We have to get whoever she is to medical attention ASAP. The ship is secondary. It's big and slow and we can call for backup on it without it going anywhere. We have to save the people. How fast can you get someone to shore from here?"

And while he's doing that, how am I going to get Diego and the other one off this yacht? Is there a dinghy with an outboard? Idiot, you should know that..

[Supercape]

GM

"Cowards! There are people in there!" hissed Cruz, his eyes narrowing at Kristen "They could be in worse shape. Don't you back down now!!!"

He hesitated, unsure whether to act, and unsure whether Kristen (and Subito) were going to act on their threat.

The guard did have an Automatic Weapon. That was something of a deal-breaker.

As Kristen scanned the big trawler ship, she noticed a few life boats strapped along the side (and presumably on the other side too). The Yacht also had a dingy - or at least, said it had a dingy, an inflatable one stored on deck.

Of course, rowing their way back to the shore would be quite a feat of endurance.

Diamond and the guard exchanged a few words, which Subito's amazing hearing picked up. A few grunts, and a scared Diamond seeking to placate the guard. Evidently the captain was not happy. The two of them headed off, apparently to the "captains quarters".

[Ari]

"I can go at about 200MPH if I need to, it should be enough to get those people to safety" came Subito's whispered reply. He was quite surprised at Kristin's temper, she hadn't struck him as the kind to use much in the way of harsh language. Australia must have different rules for that stuff he guessed. He pondered if he should tear off a piece of his own costume to make a mask for Kristin before turning back to gaze up at the ship and ask "What do you remember of your time on that sir?"

He was pretty done with rushing ahead, if nothing else it would get Kristin angry, and he wasn't up for facing that. However, the words between Diamond and the guard did supply something useful: "Diamond's gone to the captain's quarters. Whoever they are spooks our friendly neighborhood playboy"

[Scuffles]

Kristin winced. Being called a coward stung a little, especially with how frightened she felt. She wasn't about to let Diego goad her into getting herself killed though.

"We're not a squad of Marines Mister Cruz. And we're not a highly experienced team of superheros that can mop the floor with a squad of Marines. I might be able to take that one guy and Heraldo might be able to take a couple more, but we have no idea how many guys with machineguns are on that ship. Trying to assault it would be suicidally stupid."

She gave Cruz an intense look. "Why are they only dropping off two people if there's more on board? How do you even know that there isn't just two? Are you tell... wait.."

A grin crossed her face. "Heraldo, you stopped this yacht cold without damaging it.. can you do a more permanent number on that ship? If you bust up the propellers it'll be going nowhere fast while we help the one who's dying and call for backup to storm that ship!"

[Ari]

"I could certainly try" he answered dubiously. In truth he had no idea if he could damage something as vast and weighty(and designed to endure pressure) as a propeller for a ship of that size. But I'll never know if I can if I don't try he reminded himself. With a barely audible "I'll do my best" he sank beneath the waters, gliding along the length of the ship to find its stern, and method of propulsion.

It took him more time than he thought he would have to to get to the right spot. Dimly in the moonbeams falling from above, he glimpsed the ponderous bulk of the propeller bolted snugly in place just a few feet from the massive rudder. Streaming bubbles behind himself as he flew through the murky depths, he swam an investigatory circle around the thing. In the gloom, his eyes took a while to find a good spot, until a soft ray of light speared through the deep, and illuminated the connection point between the propeller and the ship itself.

Drawing himself a little back from the ship, he tensed himself, and flung a massive punch at the narrow span, crushing it beneath his fist, and breaking the propeller off with a groan of tearing metal. He watched with awe as the thing sank out of sight, where it caused the previously subdued rumbles of ocean life to shift as sea creatures sniffed and batted at it curiously, before a monstrous growl sped them on their business.

Subito had no idea what it was that awoke in the sea at night, and he hoped he would never need to. Swimming back up to the yacht, he whispered his success to Kristin and Diego "I don't think they'll be going anywhere fast,"he assured them "and I think we should make our move, they'll probably have heard that" he added nervously

[Supercape]

GM

The breaking and twisting of metal reverberated throughout the ship, and it was not long before red lights started flashing in control rooms.

A couple of armed guards, their submachine guns strapped casually over there shoulders, walked up on deck past Subito, Cruz, and Kristen.

"What the devil now?" complained one "Engine failure? the propellor get caught up in a body? Hellfire... gonna be in real trouble if we get stranded mid-sea. Hope El Capitan has some mighty big cojon, he gonna need them to get us out of that..."

The other man agreed "ay, but keep your voice down, amigo, or we gonna get hung dry if El Capitan thinks we loosing our nerve..." he replied in more hushed tones.

Saying that, they both moved to the rear of the ship trying to sea if anything could be seen above sea level. A thin trail of smoke and oil could be seen, enough to capture their attention but not enough to provide any illumination.

"Now is our chance!" hissed Diego, looking above to an empty deck "We can get onboard!"

[Scuffles]

I didn't mean right now.. Dammit! Kristin thought as Heraldo disappeared into the choppy waters.

The sound of rending metal that followed soon after made her wince. "Well I guess that's going to wake people up.." she said as she glanced at Diego with a shrug. "But at least they're not getting away! Listen, if you know anything else about what's on board that thing now would be a good time..?"

As Heraldo surfaced she gave him a grin as she said "That sounded expensive.." and nodded in response to his suggestion to 'make a move'. "I think we have to." she agreed, not sounding overly enthusiastic as she shot a look at Diego. "Be careful. We're here for the victims, not revenge or anything stupid like that!"

With that she ducked out of their hiding place and started towards the stairs that led to deck of the larger ship, attempting to move as quickly and quietly as possible.

[Ari]

Floating into the air Subito silently followed Kristin, bringing up the rear of the party and keeping a sharp ear out for guards. He knew that on the one hand the ship's occupants would realize very quickly that they were under attack, but also that they wouldn't think it was anything that would sneak aboard if it could break off their propeller. He hoped fervently they wouldn't think so, at any rate. They would know about Siren, and the recent attacks by the Deep Ones would probably make something like an entire propeller vanishing that much more suspicious and nerve-rattling, but he bet that they would expect to see Siren(at least once they were immobilized), and the Deep Ones wouldn't wait around to attack if they felt they had the advantage. Their only hope lay in their being able to hide from view long enough to escape with the hostages, if they were caught before then Subito had no doubt the people who ruled this vessel would seek to cut their losses as close as they could.

He hoped he could be quiet and secretive enough.

[Supercape]

GM

Diego, Subito, and Kristen sneaked on board the giant trawler. Whilst it was not easy to be quiet on the metal deck, of a slightly rolling ship, they were fortunate in that it was a big ship, and the two men they had seen were busy in the aft, investigating the wreckage that Subito had inflicted.

"I remember....I think" whispered Cruz "yes...down here..." he pointed at a door which lead down to the lower decks of the Trawler.

"I'm sure..." he said as his jaw set. This time he seemed more certain. His brow furrowed and a nervous twitch appeared on his left eye.

The slightly rusted door (the whole ship was in less than perfect, but still functional shape. It had seen, it seemed, many years of service) was not locked, and Diego moved towards it.

"We have to free them!" he said to the other two "and then...El Capitan...and him..." he added more ominously...

Meanwhile

El Heraldo's acute hearing could hear incomplete fragments of a conversation up near the front of the ship. Diamond, and a hoarse but powerful voice...El Capitan.

"So, Mister Diamond, I hear you have been making a scene at the Dock. Posing for camera's, doing your celebrity thing. Do not expect me to be impressed, we are at sea, and here you are like everybody else...

"...mine..." he said menacingly.

"I gotta do it" replied Diamond "Its part of the angle. I can get your...people off here and into Freedom City. Its the perfect cover. Nobody questions Steve Diamond!"

"Just remember who made you" said the Capitan.

[Scuffles]

Kristin reached out and caught Diego by the shoulder. "I'll go first," she said. "We don't know if there's more guards in there and you're not getting yourself killed on my watch. And getting the victims off is our only concern. This ship's going nowhere and there's backup coming that can deal with El Capitan.

I hope...

A faint flicker of green light arose in front of the young telekinetic as she moved towards the door, fully prepared to defend herself if there was more guards to be found on the other side. With a deep breath to calm her nerves she pushed it open and stepped through.

[Ari]

His straining ears caught the full force of Glow's whisper, and Subito nearly swallowed his tongue in surprise. Taking a brief second to collect himself, he quietly took a place next to the door. In a low murmur he told the other two what he could hear.

"The captain has some kind of hold over Steve Diamond, says he 'made' him, whatever that means. Steve smuggles people to and from this boat it seems, I think he ferries the ship's personnel and dumps the captured Mexicans once they've finished with them. Diego, you mentioned that Diamond goes to a lot of places shrouded in secrecy, were any of them around places that would be spots refugees from that new Mexican drug lord would have landed?"

He waited for the answer in silence, stretching his ears and placing the palm of his hand on the metal wall to feel the vibrations, knowing that right at that moment they would need all the warning they could get.

[Supercape]

GM

The trio crept forward, down to the depths of the trawler. Twice, some armed guards stomped past, but El Helrado's hearing picked them up in ample time. It was nerve-wracking business, to say the least, the three rescuers pressing there bodies against cold steel as the guards walked past just inches from them. Diego had a film of cold sweat on his forehead.

Diego seemed to have a hazy, but generally correct, recall of his time onboard. He lead them down to the hold, through tiny corridors.

"Here it is...careful..." he whipsered, as he opened the final door.

There were two armed guards in the next room, on a raised iron platform, sitting down and keeping watchful eye on the scene below them, a good 20 foot drop.

There were a series of beds, maybe a dozen, hospital grade, all occupied with unconscious men and women. They had drips up, and wires everywhere. A bald headed short man was working on them, passing from bed to bed making notes.

Even worse, at the far ened of the room, were slumped another dozen men and women, hereded up in iron cages like cattle. They sat their, unmoving and glazed, as if the will had been sucked straight out of them.

[Scuffles]

Glow found the trip through the narrow steel corridors of the ship both terrifying and exhilarating, and there were several moments when she was so certain that they were about to be discovered that she almost lashed out with her telekinesis. Eventually however they managed to reach their destination.

As she peered into the room she gasped "uh wow, that's a lot of people," then paused. "There's no way we can get them all off this ship is there?"

She thought for a moment, then her voice hardened as she made a decision. "I guess we're just going to have to make the ship safe until help can get here then." With her mind made up she glanced at Heraldo, then Diego. "We can do the guards." She said with a nod at Heraldo. "You think you can take the bald guy? I want him subdued but not hurt Diego. We need him to tell us what kind of shape these people are in.."

[Ari]

The herald nodded quietly as he listened to the telekinetic's suggested strategy. At first he agreed with Kris, he could see no possible way to get EVERYONE off of the ship..until he remembered the yacht still moored to the thing. In a bare whisper he said "I have a plan: we beat the guards, get those people out of the cage. Then I bust a hole in the wall and drag the yacht over here, and we can get everyone aboard! Then me and Kris can break their lifeboats so they can't escape, call the coast guard on Diamond's phone if he's got one on that yacht(which he probably does) and tell them what's happened and about the ship, and head for land and turn this over to the cops. How about that?" he asked eagerly, shifting his banner into a ready position in case he needed to hit someone with it.

[Ari]

It wasn't hard to be quiet when you don't touch the ground, but Subito made sure he made no noise as he slid through the air towards the guard on his right, he still hoped that the man wouldn't notice the golden glow that emanated from him. That day luck was with him, as the guard seemed quite alert about goings-on below him, and totally oblivious to anything closer than ten feet.

Drawing back the Banner, El Heraldo swung hard enough to do a professional batter justice, sending the metal pole into the man's side with tremendous force as he swung his body along with his arms, wincing despite himself as it slammed into the man's ribcage.