Glub Glub (Emmz)

So it wasn't the sparkling shores of Monte Carlo, but Jump City docks did have a certain picturesque quality at Summer's height. It suddenly wasn't just cargo freighters anymore but cruise ships heading for the Mexican Pacific, house boats sloshing alongside piers, and luxury yachts dotted about the shallows. Such wealthier clientele were drawn in as a matter of practicality. Whilst the scenic view of Jump City was predominantly industrial, its prospect for business acquisitions were what attracted these high-rollers. Like moths to a flame.

Not all of this commerce was strictly legal. People didn't just buy boats to caroon lazily from one harbour to another. Some chose them as a method of escape from national law. Their presence here, back under regulated and documented zones, suggested big business was afoot. Specifically the luxury yacht Night Caller went out in international waters acting as a pirate radio ship. Its unlikely hull for the job, plus a professionally rendered name change, allowed it to slip back into American port unrecognised.

Except by those who had seen her before.

A darkened figure rose out of the water atop of some levitating platform. Only last month Pix had served within a criminal gang who'd had prior dealings with this ship and its occupants. Funds were tight of late and he smelt money aboard. This would be an opportunistic strike for him, but not wholly reckless as was 90% of the criminal underworld's calling card.

He knew the owner of this tub and his bodyguards were ashore conducting their lucrative dealings. Meanwhile, he would pickpocket their spare change - still a sum of sizeable concern no doubt. Failing that, saboutaging this vessel's hull would provide the crew with unwanted legal attention from which he could still profit. Hugh knew how to keep a fat-cat off centre long enough to create an opening. He'd thought of everything.

"A safe?! What kind of paranoid douche keeps a safe on board a ship? For the love of..." He would have to rethink his stratagem.

Nina was stood on the distant promenade with a pair of binoculars to her eyes, looking for the yacht that her treasure was said to be in, her nerd community was a very good source of information, they'd do just about anything for her, Kyte may not approve of them fawning over her, trying to win her over to them but the more she kept stringing them along the more useful they became, putting down the binoculars and rubbing her eyes from the cold metal of the eye pieces she walked down towards the event smiling, looking like a wealthy businesswoman who had a small fortune, her name would be Lady Vulpine and her story that she made money in ancient antiquities, adorned with a white dress and a large white summer hat she looked like any other ordinary rich woman, walking along the boats she tried to spy her quarry.

This could be a bounty in disguise, Hugh reasoned, the safe was this boat's most likely treasure chest. There would be passports, petty cash, financial papers, the odd jewellery. Maybe said owner wasn't in Jump City to buy, but to sell. In which case whatever trinket he possessed could be stored on board until the transaction was settled. It was a wonder he hadn't left behind any security...

A beam of light erupted suddenly as an access hatch into the living quarters opened. Footsteps sounded as the man climbed up onto deck, a TV blaring in the background. The occupant was still very much enshrouded in night but Pix could just make out a firearm. In a heartbeat this goon had turned around, Pix sunk to the floor and turned his pixels down to minimum ambience. Though he felt he must be seen there was no cry of alarm. Instead he heard a zipping noise and the sigh of a man offered relief.

There's my safe-cracker. Hugh thought to himself, as he army crawled across a salt-water puddle. Best do something about the loud weapon first. A stream of pixels trickled up to the guard slowly. They condensed and formed a panel, before scooping underfoot and tipping the unfortunate retch overboard as he took his whizz. Now I ambush him when he swims back aboard. (^_^)

Nina walked towards the boat, unaware that it was already being occupied by a villain, walking aboard like a woman just wanting to view the vessel she headed down to where the safe was being held, lifting her dress to reveal her tails ready with her fox fire, creeping down to the bottom of the ship, taking off her heels to be more stealthy.

According to his calculations, the guard would have to swim around the boat's southern end in order to get at a ladder with which he could climb back aboard. The pier itself was too high, and there was nobody aboard that he knew who could throw him a life-ring. It was all a matter of lying in wait over the ladder. With the goon captured Pix would be out of here way before anyone else returned.

He stood to shift position, and bumped into someone else.

(0_0) "Ugh. Crap." Hugh went to grab the unexpected intruder around her mouth. Stuff it full of pixels. Make sure this witness wasn't going to utter anything to jeopardise his masterful plan.

Nina blinked at the sudden surprised and whacked him around the head with her high-heel, pulling away from the hand as she spat the pixels out then pushed him away from her "don't you know how to treat a lady?!" she whispered loudly, creating a clone of herself behind him, thinking the guy must have hired some meta-human guard of some-kind.

The indent left by her shoe repaired quickly, as the pixels which were knocked askew floated back into place. He hadn't been quick enough. Thank goodness this girl had the good sense to childe her assailant with an indoor voice. Pix found it unusual, but was distracted from the conundrum by the appearance of a mirror image. Somehow she had surrounded him. The sprite double-took, presenting his side to both of them as he realised such a danger.

"How did...? How hard did you hit me?" Now Hugh saw the tails (o_O) suggesting he'd just crashed some Furry convention. They glowed dull with a fiery tinge. It looked real but Pix was sceptical by nature. His next attack went to shoulder barge the clone, providing a distraction as he tried to stamp on its tail.

Nina's clone just side-stepped Hugh and lifted a leg in an attempt to trip him, if this was the guard then there would be no problems getting her prize, the real Nina walking into the safe room calmly and sighed "alright, now to figure out the combination" she said, taking a stethoscope from under her hat he put it to her ears and began doing the stereotypical safe-cracking plan that was used thousands of times on action movies, attempting to see if she really could hear a click with each correct digit.

So much for checking authenticity. At least he knew the clone itself wasn't an illusion. Hugh tumbled across the deck from face to backside. As he returned to standing, he understood that he was being left with just one combatant whilst the other doubtless escaped. A waylay. Powers were a useful thing to have. Was he to believe the owner had brought along his daughter? Or perhaps even the man's wife - old, rich men married young after all.

A realisation struck him. The girl did not disappear onto shore, but went into the office. The safe! Surely she wouldn't try to rescue her valuables from it? Not now. Not whilst he was still mostly at large. It would play straight into his hands. Assuming he could get the best of this replica. The kiddie gloves were off.

Two blocks of pixels formed from the stock Pix had brought on board with him. They encircled Miss Doppelganger at a distance, Hugh ever mindful of the versatility of those tails. He himself struck a fighting pose as well, presenting as many threats as possible, "Your earlier question. I know exactly how to treat a lady. Poorly." (^_^)

A third pocket of pixels had travelled beneath the floorboards. They now shot out from between the planking directly up the clone's dress. With that underhand attack launched, the other more obvious blows rained in. Both satellites flew at her head whilst Pix finished off the combination with a kick.

Nina's clone knew she wouldn't be able to survive the attack, the whole point of the clones was a distraction, hearing the commotion above Nina tried to work quicker, hearing the unlocking clicks then the thump of the failed attempt, locking the safe up again "gaaahhh! Okay fifth try then" she said, click, click, click, click! Success! Just as this happened Nina's clone was hit by the attacks and poofed into smoke and drifted into the sea breeze.

Opening the safe and getting out what she wanted, an ancient Geisha fan from the Japanese Genroku era, sliding it into her dress she breathed a sigh and stood up, turning to the doorway of the room.

The exit was barred by the imposing figure of a drenched sentry. Obviously displeased, the only thing more apprehensive than his scowl at this moment was the kalashnikov he still clenched. A tip overboard hadn't persuaded him to relinquish its grip, "I knew it. You think is funny? Pushing people into scummy water, suka." The gun was levelled with one arm alone, leaving the other free to reach out, "The fan. Hand it over. Or I could come get it myself. I would prefer that."

Nina blinked, obviously in a spot of trouble here "no way you pervert!" she yelled as a clone appeared behind him and smashed him over the head with a vase, the real Nina reaching out for the gun to try and get it from him.

The sentry was caught off guard by said second presence. Fine china cracked over his skull, fracturing into shards which gave him cuts to go with bruises. Now much limper in his hand, the Kalashnikov came free easily. He was down on one knee, rubbing his clean-shaven head whilst making a guttural moan. Yet still his glance hinted at a thirst for vengeance. This time he lunged at Nina, trying to make use of his weight to crush the much smaller adversary.

Nina gasped and jumped back, taking hold of the Kalashnikov and aiming it at him "back off! I don't want to use this but I will if you come any closer!" she said loudly, the clone grabbing the guard by the collar of his shirt and trying to pull him back to attempt to give the real some room to escape.

Being one who well knew the carnage bullets could reap, the Russian checked his charge and meekly allowed himself to be restrained, all the while staring daggers at the thief. With her use of clones as accomplices, it would be nigh impossible for a single person to prevent her escape. Someone else aboard had a similar thought. An engine roared to life. The luxury yacht came into motion, moving fast away from its docking pier. The boarding ramp snapped and fell densely into darkened water. Night Caller was fast making her way into deeper channels.

Pix was at the helm. It would appear muggins had left the keys in the ignition. An improvisation had led Hugh to sail this yacht away. He could escape through the air, and was willing to wager his foes could not. Which gave him all the time in the world to make some acquisitions. For he suspected now that the fox lady was not suppose to be here either. Far be it for Pix to be outdone by some reckless nobody.