Offworld shenanigans.

[realmrsreynolds]

Sometimes, the bar at the end of the universe - of all universes - doesn't give you quite the selection as the myriad of worlds that you can have access to when you are that bar's Barman.

"Are you sure that this is gonna work, Mike?"

Sallie is standing in Mike's suite, staring at the wall in front of them both like it's about to open up and swallow her. Which, in this case --

"Of course it will. And it'd be an easier way to stay subtle than going out the main door, if subtle's what you're still going for."

"You know it is. Your ba's such an awful man to shop for. It'd be nice to get him a little surprise." Been living together. I like shopping for folk is all.

Mike smiles, and draws the door.

---

Sallie's not precisely sure if Mike sent her to his New York or not, but it's close enough to the one that Sallie has visited that she doesn't look wholly out of place. (She doesn't yell at the fare machines in the subway this time either.) There is a fair amount of time spent in Williams Sonoma, but she does finally admit to herself that that store is more about herself than for Splinter, so she leaves and ends up finding a couple shops in Rockefeller Plaza that could prove fruitful. She even applauds her own forethought at bringing a charmed shopping bag, so she doesn't have to struggle with a million packages walking around the city.

It's time to hit the subway again, not wanting to walk the dozen or so blocks to her next destination, when she notices two men walk into the Cole Haan shoe store before she makes it to the door to leave. She sees the outline of the guns in their waistbands before the security guard does.

Oh gorram.

Comments

[mnt_raph]

For a second there Raph doesn't realize they're talking to him, but it's kind of hard to miss that particular shade of blue. The fact that they're all wearing vests that read POLICE in bright white letters is a pretty good tip off too.

He looks up, makes eye-contact with the officer speaking, and then very slowly puts his hands up.

"Okay okay, let's just take it easy."

[mnr_splinter]

"move very slowly," Splinter tells Sallie, in a voice just barely above a whisper. "Do you have everything?"

[realmrsreynolds]

"No!" she hisses back, "My bag from the bar, it's here somewhere -- "

It's probably not the best thing to leave in the world.

[mnr_splinter]

Splinter swears under his breath.

"Do you know where it might be?"

[realmrsreynolds]

"They took all their loot into the manager's office in the back and came back out without it."

What Sallie doesn't know is that there's a window ajar in the office, leading to one of the pedestrian walkways.

[mnr_splinter]

"Well then, let us find this manager's office, and as quickly and silently as possible. Come."

[realmrsreynolds]

"But -- " Raph!

[mnr_splinter]

It's almost as if he can read her mind.

"Can handle himself, we need to move."

[realmrsreynolds]

And with all eyes trained on the hulk of a man in the center of the room, it's easy enough for Sallie and Splinter to slip away.

The door to the manager's office is closed when they reach it. Sallie, in one of her wiser moves, lets Splinter stay in front of her the whole time.

[mnr_splinter]

Splinter looks and listens behind them before giving the door to the office a close inspection. Kicking it down is always an option, but it's a last resort given how much noise that would make. And while he knows he could likely get out in time before they're discovered, he doesn't know if Sallie is up to that particular challenge.

But...there's a lock on the outside. That's promising.
He reaches up one of his sleeves and retrieves a lock pick set, and quickly sets to work picking apart the tumblers.

Meanwhile in the back ground there's the low timber of Raph's voice trying to talk reason to the heavily armed men currently holding him at gun point. Then there's the higher pitched sounds of the police being taken by surprise. Perhaps a further gunshot or two.

[realmrsreynolds]

Sallie mumbling a monotone string of Chinese curses while Splinter is working.

She's really trying not to get in the way, but she may be clutching at Splinter's shirt more than truly necessary.

[mnr_splinter]

If only he had his tail, he could continue to pick the lock and have an extra free hand with which to give Sallie a reassuring pat on the hand.
Alas.

A satisfying click comes from the door handle as the lock springs open. Splinter deftly pivots through the door, pulling Sallie along with him.

The next click is a little less subtle than the lock giving way.
It comes from the hammer on a handgun being cocked by the one remaining robber still left inside that had until now been unaccounted for.

"Don't scream," the man warns.

[realmrsreynolds]

"...Okay. Okay." It is a hoarse response but very quiet indeed.

"We just want to leave. That's all."

[mnr_splinter]

"And we wish to retrieve her bag in the process."

Focus, Sallie. Focus.

"If you would be so kind as to toss it this way, we would greatly appreciate it."

"What?"

"The handbag which was taken from my...Ladyfriend," is what he eventually comes up with. "It was..." Then Splinter turns to her, because he has no idea what this particular bag looks like.

City full of people scare Splinter to death.
One man with a gun pointed at him, not so much.

[realmrsreynolds]

"Small beaded. Purple. Jingly?"

"You think I care lady?"

It's quicker than Sallie can follow, but the process starts - clench of the finger to trigger and the actual noise of the gunshot --

[mnr_splinter]

He should never have taken his eyes off of the man.

From the corner of his eye Splinter sees the man's hand tense in preparation to fire.

Like his son, Splinter can move far more quickly than appearances let on, which is a good thing because the man pulling the trigger is his fault. It seems like a single action, but really it's several things happening all at once.

Sallie gets roughly pulled to the ground, but Splinter shifts his momentum so rather than just lay on the ground with Sallie, he rolls back up onto his feet and lunges at the man.

It all ends with Splinter on top of the man.
The gun on the table.
The man's wrist now pointing in a decidedly unnatural position.

"Do not scream," he warns.

[realmrsreynolds]

He would really like to, but he does as he is told.

"All of it. Out under the window. Just go."

Sallie is just staring, wide eyed and frozen.

[mnr_splinter]

If this guy thinks he's scared now, he should count himself lucky that it's an older Japanese man threatening him, and not a four foot tall talking rat.

And then, as if nothing what so ever had happened, Splinter turns towards Sallie.

"We should go."

The muffled sound of Raph screaming comes from the other room.

"Now."

[realmrsreynolds]

Sallie snaps to, moving to rifle through the loot behind them to find her purse - Milliways badge included.

"Okay."

[mnr_splinter]

"You may wish to consider another line of work," Splinter scolds, and not just because he's sure the man has a broken wrist which might take some time to heal properly...if at all.

Splinter locates the window, opens it, and offers Sallie a hand in order to get her through it.

"Surely the police will have this alley secured, we will have to be discreet with our exit."

[realmrsreynolds]

"You wanna use your chalk? I have a badge here."

Added quickly: "As soon as we are home I am hugging you for about a week."

[mnr_splinter]

Splinter's not really looking at Sallie when he answers, instead he's keeping his eyes peeled on the access points to the alley.

"It is my understanding that the badge functions much less obtrusively, let us use that to our advantage."

[realmrsreynolds]

They certainly don't create doors where there weren't any before - they just make the ones that already exist a bit more useful for their purposes.

Sallie's hand - then entire forearm - sinks down into her ridiculously small clutch, retrieving the silver badge in between her fingers.

"How did you know about all of this?"

[mnr_splinter]

"All of what?" he asks distractedly as keeps his eyes trained on possible escape routes.

[realmrsreynolds]

"Me bein' in New York? Where I was? How'd you know I was in there in particular?"