Caesar & Keystone
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Location: Grimm Indiana (El Asilo/The Nuthouse!)
Skills: General Observation
Skills: Body Conditioning, Athletics
The rescue, or whatever this had turned into, was not going exactly as planned. Even saying that this had planning of any kind was a stretch. This was a disorganized jumble that, tactically speaking, just put them all in a horrifyingly bad situation. If Caesar had the notion of killing a handful of people all at once with minimal danger to himself, this is one of the ways he would have done it: Trapping all of them in a neglected stairwell and doing something awful. Come to think of it, this was
almost exactly how he offed a group of Cartel members and corrupt Federales in Mexico City back in the early 80s. Or was that a freight elevator? The deaths piled up as to make details jumbled sometimes. Bottom line, that didn't matter. Caesar was in a place, lured by the one thing that he wouldn't have ever walked away from, and here they all were. He was waiting for the other shoe to drop just as much as he was elated to see his little Taco Belle again. Confused, maybe a little concerned, but still elated.
The problem was that, even so close to her as he was, Caesar couldn't help Alicia at all. Just out of reach. Sometimes that statement might be metaphorical but this time? Absolute glaring literal. If it wasn't for the musician snagging her at the last minute, he might have even gotten the chance to see her die this time. Caesar had to remember to get her a car or something. But later. Later. Now, they had to get back out.
Keystone was thoroughly amazed at the ease with which Alicia (that was Alicia, right?) hurled Riley across the gap. He was a big man - seriously, he was known for it - and throwing a whole, conscious person
up a set of stairs was a deceptively difficult feat of strength, even for someone as large as himself without a start or counterbalance or
something. She just picked the singer up and slung her like a ragdoll. That was something to talk about later.
Caesar reached out and snatched Priya at the end of her turn, being thrown up and across the gap. He had no idea who the hell this person was, and thus gave her a quick once-over. He inhaled sharply through his nose, as if catching a scent like he was part canine, while narrowing his eyes and glaring at her. A half second later he simply growled and nodded his head back up the stairs, indicating for her to continue to the others.
When Alicia made her similarly impressive jump, she didn't quite land as well as the threw the others. Keystone held out an arm for her to grab onto, offering his strength of his bicep and purchase of his ballistic coat to assist in her in staying upright after the leap.
Then things took the opportunity to get ever stranger, if that was possible. It might have been a trick of the uncertain light and shadow cast by the two LED security lights work on the coats of Mr. Gonzalez and Mr. Keystone, respectively, but it looked very much like Alicia became genuinely, morbidly afraid of something from below. Not that the two men were unfazed by the sudden growl, coupled with visuals that left all things demonic to the imagination, but they both knew Alicia very well in their own ways. If took a lot to faze her. A
lot. Let alone to react in actual, visible horror. Caesar drew his .45 and readied to use it if necessary, though truth be told he was more of a melee aficionado, especially as it came to sharp implements. But as a very wise old greybeard once said,
"Swords are of no more use here." The guy probably meant something that shouldn't have been answered by drawing a hand cannon, regardless, given the circumstances you work with what you have. Caesar shrugged. If Gandalf had an UZI, things might have gone differently.
Neither man knew the word that she uttered. They both understood the disadvantaged position they were in, however, and knew that a change of location to regroup was the smartest recourse. Keystone followed Alicia's advice first, picking up the until-recently deceased lady who had borne him a son and hauling ass back up the way they came. He remained ready to give assistance to anyone who might stumble along the way in the most directly effective, strength based manner possible.
(Looking at you there, Cecily!) Caesar took up the tail end of their withdrawal, firearm at the ready should anything uninvited require the speedy insertion of exothermically propelled ammunition anywhere vital. Or just messy. But preferably both. Either way, this was Dodge and they were all getting the hell out of it.
