A trail of aching derrières- next time they'll be more thoughtful

[gone_byebye]

The door opens onto an expanse of asphalt, steel, and glass. Nearby a sign reads:

WELCOME TO WHITE FLINT MALL
BEST PRICES IN THE DC AREA

4708 BETHESDA AVENUE
CHEVY CHASE, MD

It's a big parking lot, with the mall itself only visible off in the distance. Ray gives it the squint-eye before turning to the others. "Okay, people," he says. "This is it. Johnny says it's underground. Egon's best estimates indicate three miles down. Are we good?"

Comments

[masterofsoresu]

"Helping those who can't help themselves is one of my specialities. You may find it rather like falling off a... bike." He just stops himself saying "swoopbike" out loud.

[gone_byebye]

"I can hear you, you know," Erwin says sharply. "Can we get out of here before you get to congratulating each other? No offense, but there's a whole bunch of government goons coming and I only get lucky once."

[md_donighal]

"Thanks for the heads-up, and for the suitable chastisement. I think we can handle them, but in the absence of any further personal lucky breaks, you may wish to develop an intimate relationship with the floor."

[masterofsoresu]

"I may be able to talk our way out of this," Ben says enigmatically, "but if I can't... down would be a very good place for you to get."

[gone_byebye]

Erwin blinks a few times, then nods. "Gotcha," he says and eases himself down to his knees, then to the floor. He instinctively laces his hands together behind his neck as he does so.

Two other elevators go ding!

[steadfastknight]

Kitt looked over at the elevators, this time more warily. Government goons, they'd said.

Kitt stepped forward. Protect human life and all that, and there was enough room here for him to transform - just not enough for him to move once transformed.

"If we're expecting bullets, I can take care of it." He kept his voice quiet.

[md_donighal]

"As can I. Let's hope we don't have to, though. Ben, do you think your... powers of persuasion... will affect that many people at once?

[masterofsoresu]

"We won't be certain until I make the attempt, but it's not much of a stretch."

[gone_byebye]

The doors slide open. Two squads of uniformed guards- possibly ex-police, possibly MPs- are on the other side, and they level their guns at the people they can see. "All right, don't move," says the foremost guard in the elevator on the left. "Where's Whistler?"

[md_donighal]

"Who?" Michael deadpans.

[masterofsoresu]

"You won't find Whistler here," Obi-Wan assures them, supplementing the statement with a hand gesture he hopes is sufficiently small and subtle not to make anyone's trigger finger inch.

[gone_byebye]

Someone else would have looked up at the sound of his nickname, but Erwin- Whistler- stays exactly where he is. Which is probably fortunate, because the lead guard stares for a moment- and then turns to the rest of the squad. "Dammit! We won't find Whistler here- the bastard's probably up on twelve by now..."

The guards in the other elevator are poking their heads out and peering around a little. One of them says, a little uncertainly, "Do you guys have identification?"

[masterofsoresu]

"You don't need to see our identification," Obi-Wan assures them, suppressing his amusement under the inevitable sense of what, in old Corellian, is referred to as dejys visti.

[md_donighal]

These aren't the geeks you're looking for, Michael thinks, loudly enough that Obi-Wan can probably hear it.

[gone_byebye]

There's some hasty conferencing in elevator two. Eventually, the guards turn back to the three men in the hallway. "We don't need to see your identification," the lead guard assures them.

[masterofsoresu]

"We can go about our business," Obi-Wan continues. "You'd better head up to twelve and look for Whistler."

[md_donighal]

Michael just watches with a mixture of awe and envy. I don't know whether I'll be more annoyed with him if this works or if it doesn't.

[gone_byebye]

The lead guard bites his bottom lip and looks like he's about to say something, but just then a walkie-talkie on his belt bursts into life. "Chaney! Report! What's going on out there?"

"We're on the trail, sir," Chaney responds. "We were just about to head up to twelve to look for Whistler."

"What are you waiting for? Move! He's blind as a bat and you can't catch him with two squads and both hands?"

Chaney flushes red, mutters something, and gestures to the others to get back into the elevator. Both elevators' doors close behind them.



".... can I get up now?" Whistler says, face still pointed at the floor. "And how the hell did you do that?"

[masterofsoresu]

"I think it's safe, yes." Ben takes Whistler's hand and helps him to his feet. "As to how I did it... I doubt you'd believe me if I told you. Simply put, I can be most persuasive when I put my mind to it."

[md_donighal]

Michael is in fact annoyed, but only Obi-Wan's likely to pick up on that. Despite himself, he's grinning from ear to ear.
Much like his mun, who's currently got one of the strongest cases of the Grinning Stupids he's had lately. I'm told it's possible to split the corners of your mouth from this sort of thing, but I think I'll be able to stop short of that.
"Now, let's get out of here before they come to their senses." He presses the button for the other elevator.

[steadfastknight]

Kitt, however, was looking at Obi-Wan with a sense of vague recognition.

Nah.

"Indeed," he said. "I don't want to draw too much attention."

He had counterparts in this universe.

[gone_byebye]

"Which way are you guys going?" asks Erwin- or Whistler, that being what the guards called him. "If you're going down, I think a friend of mine was still on level D when I found the elevators. Marty Bishop. Baritone voice, tall, mid-forties. Blond, assuming they didn't shave his head or something. If you see him, could you grab him?"

[masterofsoresu]

"We're headed down, yes," Ben allows as, "towards the power room, but we'll watch out for him. Can you find your own way from here?"

[gone_byebye]

"I think I can manage. I got a pretty good read on the layout of the place a while ago on this raised map they have. It's about two floors down, right outside the power room. Turn right coming out of the elevator. Can't miss it."

[md_donighal]

"Thanks," says Michael. "The power room was where we were heading, as it happens, but the map's likely to come in handy. Take care of yourself, friend."