Rue: Web of Deceit - Part 41

Civil action

With the warehouse secured, Rue and Blue prepare to secure the "cargo" before heading out to their next destination.

The pair split up to hide in individual spots around the now-empty warehouse, and the moment the van gets into view, Rue starts signalling what they can see at Alec.   There are two people in the front of the van, and two in the back with the children. Of the two in the back, one of them is holding a gun in his hands, presumably to keep the children in check. They cannot see any other firearms from their hiding spot, though they cannot say so for certain. They relay with utter disgust that there are six children in the van, huddled up together in fear, and they can’t help but wonder just how many children the Dingo has been taking all these years. Rue can see Blue acknowledging their intel, and the two of them focus their attention on the van parking by the entrance to the building.   "Okay," Alec whispers, barely perceptible to anyone without Rue's uniquely keen hearing, "Once I take care of the guy with the gun, you're up. Got it?"   Rue nods to him and continues to watch the scene as he slinks away, slipping back out via the roof and looming over the van as they pull up and the two men in front step out, slapping the side of the van as they do. The two inside stand up and open the back door, hopping to the ground and motioning for the children to follow along, "Alright, Pipsqueaks. Just do as we say and no-one needs to get hurt. Come on. Out." The kids hesitate, huddling around an older boy of maybe fourteen as he looks up at their captors, frozen. Pulling back the receiver of his gun, the thug in question quickly makes it clear that it wasn't a suggestion, "I said now!"   As the small group slowly makes their way to the van doors, Rue notices Alec signalling for them. Pointing down, he points out the driver and shotgun passenger making their way towards the door, punctuating his obvious request with a finger over where his lips should be. Rue nods affirmatively, targeting the man on the left first.    They find a loose brick on the ground and fling it forward, the object silently shooting through the air until it collides with the back of the man’s head. There’s a faint thud as the man’s body collapses to the ground, but not enough to alert the men inside the van.   The man on the right barely has time to register the sound when suddenly he is yanked away from the van and towards the building, where he collides with the wall hard enough to get the wind knocked out of him. He clatters to the ground and wheezes, only able to look up long enough to see a hooded figure, seemingly with no face, towering over him and dealing a quick blow to the side of his head.   Rue is about to motion for Blue to go right ahead, but then discovers that the hero has already moved forward, waiting by the van door. He sneaks forward, along the side of the van, allowing the kids to file out before making his move. The gun-wielding thug closes the doors behind the gaggle of kidnapped children, but before he can turn to follow them further, Alec makes his move.   With all his speed, Blue quickly grabs the hand with the gun, his own hand quickly forming a ball of matter around the weapon. Several muffled bangs can be heard as the thug screams and the weapon discharges, but the bullets fail to exit the ball in the direction he'd intended as Blue proceeds to apply several vicious punches to the man's face, before dropping him to the ground. Noticing this, a few of the kids scream in surprise and the final thug is alerted to Blue's presence, but before he's able to do much about it, the hero's fists extend forward, leaviing him in a pummelled heap as well.   "It's okay, Kids," Alec says, laying his palms out in the air as a calming gesture, "It's okay. You're safe now."   With Blue busy with the children, Rue takes some of the restraints and starts to tie up the thugs, deliberately moving slowly so as to not frighten the kids further. They drag the unconscious criminals into the warehouse, adding them to the pile of scum they took care of earlier.   As they work, they can hear some of the children crying for their mummies and daddies, and there’s a hint of something that uncomfortably twists in their stomach. They’d left the two thugs next to the group until last, approaching the area with careful trepidation. One of the younger children sucks in a frightened breath as they get close, and they stop, holding their hands up in much the same way as Blue had done a little while before.   "It's okay, it's okay," Blue says, using his public profile to keep them calm, "This is my friend, Silhouette. They're a good guy. We're gonna get you all home." The children relax a little at the idea, with one of the younger girls even giving a small wave to the black-clad teenager. Alec slowly convinces the group that they really are safe and calls the proper authorities. After a few moments' discussion with the gathered police officers, he returns to the van, sitting beside Rue in the passenger seat and taking a deep breath, his hands a little shaky on the wheel, "Ready?"   “Yeah, ready…” Rue answers distractedly, watching the police officers and EMTs working, some attending to the group of thugs, but the majority fussing over the children and ensuring their safety and wellbeing.   The younger girl who had waved at them is currently sat on the back of an ambulance, a blanket draped over her tiny frame, and as Alec starts to drive away, Rue spots a car skidding to a halt on the edge of the scene, the doors left open as the occupants run out. They watch as the man and woman push past the police officers and see the little girl perking up as they call out her name, hear her calling back until the three of them find each other and the girl is wrapped tightly in her parents’ embrace. Rue clenches their jaw, turning their head away and taking a deep breath before they ask, “I’m guessing we’re going to crash a certain boat party next?”   "Definitely," Alec says, sitting forward in his seat as he begins the short drive over to the pier, "We're going to show them and anyone else that they're not welcome in this city or anywhere else for that matter." The van accelerates to its unimpressive top speed past the warehouses and out of the Industrial district, the familiar smells of fish and seawater filling Rue's senses as they approach the pier.