Felix took no offense and quietly agreed that he would slow Wayne down.  Instead, he would keep moving along the direct route to follow up behind.  There is no shame in being the back up.  Its a very important part of these sorts of things...

Wayne bolts off through the night following the directions given to you by the man in the bar. Thanks mainly to the fact he is in exceptional physical shape he maintains an incredible level of speed and easily dodges past through the small groups of locals gathering in the backstreets smoking or eating their evening meals drawing a lot of looks and the occasional mocking shout but little more than that.

Bursting out into a main road and catching sight of the station he ducks back into another side street, breathing heavily, and spots, maybe fifty feet away, the shape of a single woman in a headscarf moving up the empty back road towards you - you can't make out any features at the moment but unless you're very much mistaken that's Olivia Liu; the woman you're here to save!

However, as she continues up the road a shadow detaches itself from the wall on one side of the street - midway between you and Ms Liu - and makes it's way to intercept her. It's a man, clad in a black hoodie and he moves with the bearing of a military man. Now you've seen that man move you think you can make out someone else lurking in the shadows where he came from but it's hard to tell...

OOC: I've considered that a one point spend of Athletics - no need to roll anything though.

***

Felix and Kate take a pushed, but sedate by the standards of Wayne's journey, pace on the tail of the men who set out in pursuit of Ms Liu. It isn't long before they can make out the two figures who Sidney can confirm were the men who were asking after Sidney in the bar. They seem to have slowed somewhat to a more relaxed walking speed and one has a mobile phone pressed to the side of his face. It doesn't take much for Felix and Kate to fall into step several yards behind them - there being enough foot traffic on this main route up to the station to make you entirely remarkable to the few glances they throw behind them.

Wayne had the sash wrapped around his forearms, the heavy metal balls in his hands, ready to throw at each of these sneaky fellows. "Hey, guys, I know there should be some kind of  professional curtesy but I just can't let you hurt the lady." He smirked as he felt more like Spiderman right now than Robin without Batman. If their attention was on him they wouldn't be attacking Liu.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:06, Mon 08 Feb 2021.

Felix picked up the pace a little bit, glancing over to Kate with her much more "hands-on" skillset.  He flicked his eyes towards the gentlemen they were shadowing.  In their shared German language, he said quietly, "Close enough to stop them at need.  Or would you like to stop them now?"  He glanced down at his ever-to-hand phone and quickly tapped out a message to Sidney: KnI Have Eyes.  W Ahead.  Update? (Translation:  Kate and I have eyes on targets.  Wayne went ahead. Update?)

Up near the station the man advancing on Oliva Liu turns slowly at the sound of Wayne's approach and changes direction, advancing on Wayne with purposeful strides and one outstretched hand. He speaks in English with a slight British accent, "This doesn't concern you mate, walk away."

Behind him the other shadow detaches from the wall and advances on Olivia who is hurriedly looking around, realizing all the attention is on her. The second figure Wayne can now tell is a woman. Just over 5ft tall and slimly built she seems to be dressed like a tourist with hair down and a long flowing skirt.

Neither person seems to be armed.

***

Further back Sidney is easily able to keep Felix updated and informs him that, last she heard, Wayne has identified Ms Liu some way up ahead and is moving on her. The two men you are now tailing are definitely heading in that direction but at a fairly sedate pace.

Well, if their targets were moving at a fairly sedate pace, that would make it easy to catch up to them.  Felix set about moving up through the crowds and closing in on the two men.  He would really like to be close enough to intercept should they decide to make a break for anything...
This message was last edited by the player at 16:19, Wed 24 Feb 2021.

09:23, Today: Wayne Breuer rolled 10 using 1d6+4.  Roll 2 (+4 pnts weapons).

09:23, Today: Wayne Breuer rolled 7 using 1d6+2.  Roll one (+2 pnts weapons).

Wayne's weapons flash out, lightning fast. The man approaching Wayne's reactions are good but even he can't move quite fast enough and one of the metal balls catches him a mighty blow in the chest taking him off his feet and dropping him to the ground with a crash and a groan.

The second weapon is also on target but, at the greater distance, catches a more glancing blow on the woman eliciting a shriek of pain but leaving her standing.

Olivia, at the sight of violence, screams and makes a break for it. Pushing past the distracted woman and fleeing the back the way she had come - and away from all the strangers now fighting - at full speed.

***

Further down the road, in the direction that - unbeknownst to them - Olivia Liu is now fleeing Felix and Kate close on their targets. With little effort they can get within about twelve feet of them; they are very much focused on their goal and aren't watching their backs with the diligence they ought to.

Wayne looked back and forth at Liu and her assailant. He decided to pursue Liu and let the woman be. He dashed after her, "Olivia Liu! I am here to rescue you."

Olivia does not seem overly convinced by Wayne's shout and hurtles at full pace away. Wayne leaps the fallen man, who begins staggering to his feet almost immediately, and dashes past the woman in hot pursuit. The injured woman doesn't try to intercept and Wayne can hear hurried but indistinct talking as he pursues the lady he's here to save.

***

Further down the road the two men who Felix and Kate are tailing suddenly stand a little straighter and one of them raises a hand to their ear. With barely more than a nod between them they break into a jog, seemingly no longer worried about drawing attention as they make their way towards the station.

As soon as the quarry starts to break into a jog, Felix gives a nod to Kate and sprints after them.  They would notice they were being ambushed soon enough, but hopefully Kate would have very good ideas on how to handle their sudden realization.  Felix would assist however he could at delaying, distracting, etc.

Wayne decided to tail her, keeping her within ten or so feet. He knows she is scared and is trying not to make that worse.

Olivia makes good pace to start with but is clearly no athlete and begins to slow before visibly flagging as she reaches the slightly more populated main road. Wayne keeps pace pretty effortlessly though behind him hears the pounding of feet as the two assailants from up the road give chase.

Felix and Kate spy the breathless Olivia emerge onto their road about 100 yards ahead. However, the two men they are tailing identify her at roughly the same time. One starts to forge ahead but the other clocks the presence of Felix and Kate at about the same time, slowing and turning to face them with a puzzled expression on his face...

OOC: I've probably truncated the distance slightly to make you all come together at the same point but I figure it's for dramatic effect as it's more interesting that way!

Wayne caught up with Olivia, "Listen, if I wanted to hurt you, I could easily. The guys behind us want to hurt you. The fellow with the glasses and the blonde are with me. I can keep you safe but you have to help me do that."

Felix smiles brightly at the puzzled fellow, "Guten tag!"  He did it not out of politeness, but to add to the man's puzzlement.  To attract his attention.  To leave him more confused and open to Kate's ambush.

Felix himself would move on quickly to try and catch the other one by whatever means he could come up with.  He had received basic hand to hand instruction...  He was no Kate or Wayne, but maybe it would be enough to trip this guy up...

Wayne catches up with Olivia and she lets out a small shriek as he closes but, at this point, she is clearly too tired to keep running. Panting heavily she looks with wide eyes as Wayne gives his speech and then, in an almost resigned manner, nods slowly to him. Behind Wayne the man and woman are in hot pursuit - the man covering the distance at a blistering pace leaving the woman some distance behind.

Further down the road the puzzled man stops long enough at Felix's comment for Kate to hit him hard with a strike to the throat. He drops to his knees gasping as Kate plants a knee to his head.

Felix, not breaking stride, manages to catch up with the other man and trips him with a crude tackle. However, clearly a professional, he's turning even as he goes down and is reaching for a shoulder holster even as he hits the ground!

Wayne squared himself and began a double handed flourish, a defensive move with the sash meant to confuse and keep opponents at bay. If that doesn't work he will try a knee throw, designed to take the man's legs out from under him.

Felix, without many options or fancy skills with ground fighting, decided to do everything in his power to keep the man from getting his gun free or, possibly better, get control of said gun for himself...

Wayne's flourish is sufficient to keep his pursuer at a distance. The man in black halts perhaps ten feet away and begins to circle Wayne with a dark look in his eyes. He sinks into a half crouch and you can see his muscles tight, ready to pounce. Behind him his female companion begins to make up the distance.

Felix grapples with the man and manages to keep the gun in the holster by, essentially, pinning it there with his body weight. Behind him a muffled crack sounds, indicating that Kate  has now drawn her own weapon and finished off the man she had hit. She steps in behind Felix and tells him to move aside, her intention obvious.

While previously the scuffles had attracted little attention there is now widespread panic in the street as the pedestrians enjoying their evening stroll realize how serious what is happening is. There are screams and a general exodus from the area as more and more people notice the drawn weapons and wounds!

Wayne heard the report of Kate's weapon. His team was with him now, and he felt more confident.

"Save yourselves a world of hurt and back off."

Felix would never countermand Kate's orders in a tactical situation.  He rolled off his target and clear of her line of fire.  Though he tried, in his less than nimble way, to put himself in a position to get back to his feet.... possibly dodge, should the guy manage to get his gun out before Kate took care of it.

Kate finishes off the second man with a similar economy of effort and then helps Felix to his feet as they go to provide back up to Wayne.

Wayne remains in something of a standoff with the remaining man whose female companion has now arrived to back him up. She's a short, curvy woman with long red hair tied back with a black sash - very different from the professional looking sorts you have encountered so far.

The standoff continues even as Felix and Kate arrive to back Wayne up but the moment is finally broken by the sound of a distant siren. With barely a glance to his companion the man locks eyes with Wayne and then begins to slowly back away up the side street, the woman mirroring his steps.

Meanwhile even over the still screaming pedestrians you can make out the district sounds of Olivia Liu vomiting heavily in a nearby drain.

Wayne wrapped the sash round his forearms and turned to the others. "We have to get her out of here. I can carry her if need." He went over to Liu. "I'm sorry you had to see that. I understand your reaction, but right now we have got to go." He took her by the arm and gently tugged her to follow.

Felix shook his head slightly to Wayne, "Let me.  Your hands are more useful."  He joined Wayne in attempting to assist Olivia Liu in a friendly, but firm fashion, "Olivia?  I am Felix.  I know this is frightening and I will explain as soon as I can.  But my friend is right, we need to move.  We are here to help you and get you to safety.  Can you help us get to safety?"  He needed to quickly establish a connection.  First names might help.  Sincerity.  Get her to focus on the job at hand.  Get her to buy in: to help.  Whether she really did consent, they were all still going to move out of here; wherever Wayne and Kate thought best.

Leaning on Reassurance to help get Olivia "on board" with us.  Can spend it if needed.

Olivia seems to be hyperventilating but begins to calm down as Wayne and, especially, Felix speak to her. She gulps in air and allows herself to be led by the arm while struggling to get out the words, "Nowhere...to...go. Was trying...to...get a train."

By now the sirens are extremely close and over the screams of passers by you can hear the more coordinated shouts of people with a more professional involvement in the chaos heading in your direction.

OOC: I think that's a fair spend of 1 reassurance point.

Where do you want to head with your newfound charge?