Goon 2 dodging Aiyan 1 Hit, Glitch. 4 Net hits, DV +4 = 10P dmg.
Goon 1 Absorption 2 Hits. 6P Dmg.
Goon 2 Absorption 5 Hits. 5P Dmg.
Goon 1 Knife 2 hits.
Goon 2 Prone-Gun 1 Hit.
Goon 3 Gun 3 Hits.
Goon 1 dodge Billy 1 hit, glitch. +3 DV = 9P
Goon 3 dodge Freddy 0 hits, +7 DV = 16P.
Goon 1 Absorption 2 Hits, 7P dmg.
Goon 3 Absorption 3 hits, 13P dmg.
The thug just in front of Billy attempts to dodge out of the way of the rather awkward gun in front of him, but still gets clipped across his ear. As the fleshy part of his ear explodes into chunks of meat, he screams with pain and clutches at it with his non-knife-wielding hand.
The one just behind him takes a fistful of shuriken to his chest, caught so off guard he stumbles backward, over the curb, and flat onto his ass.
"Scoundrels, you have but to stay your blade and peace shall be rewarded. But with treachery an early visit to the great beyond! What moves do you make?!"
The biggest of the group scowls, showing his tusks. "Slot off, ya weirdos!" He levels his gun at Friedrich, who is so enthralled with his speech that he hardly notices the gun...
Meanwhile, Earless dashes in to gut Billy, and On-his-ass levels his pistol at Aiyan's chest.
1 hit, glitch. Grazing hit, no damage.
0 hits. DV 11 vs armor, 1 Armor Pen.
3 hits. Dodge.
Earless is a little too bloodied to make good on his swing, and on-his-ass is obviously just a bad shot. The boss, though, lands a solid hit in Friedrich's chest. As the noble knight staggers backward, he hefts his sword and charges.
The man never stood a chance. Friedrich's blade tears through the ork's shoulder and embeds itself about halfway down the man's torso. He hardly has time to scream as blood fountains out of him like a bad special effect. Billy, meanwhile, discharges a second shot from his mancannon into Earless.
Earless becomes eyeless, and he drops to the ground, dead. As Aiyan stomps forward with shuriken in hand, the sole survivor begins to beg for mercy. "Whoa, whoa! What are you people?!"
Aiyan slid his two shuriken back into the pouch where they came from and slowly, deliberately, drew his sword. He hit the energy and blue arcs of electricity arced up and down the blade.
"You're worst frackin' nightmare." He snarled, advancing on the man with intent gleaming in his eyes. "Italians. location. now!"
12 hits
Friedrich stumbles back as the bullet had punched into his armor.
"Friend, your blows will have to be of stronger mettle if you're to face a knight. Surrender now, or join thy companions."
Hungry and getting hungrier, now do you know what we need to know or do we just finish this dance now?
"Italia-? Oh, oh! Yeah yeah man. Them Fratelli's, right? They's been moving in on our turf, pushing us out! I think they've been running outta a pizza joint. Down the block, left. Can't miss it. Pi-Za-Kuchen, it's called. Some awful chain place, all garbage..."
He glances over at his friends. The blood. Holy cow, the blood. "Uh, I didn't really like them anyways. We're cool, ja?"
"Sure, we're cool." Aiyan grinned wickedly. He had learned it was wise never to leave possible enemies alive. They had attacked him, and his friends, their lives were forfeit. He jammed his sword forward, aiming directly for the guy's throat.
= 3 hits... peh.
"Bro!"
The ganger tries to roll out of the way as best he can, but...
2 hits, +1 DV = 10P
4 hits, 6P dmg.
Already slightly bloodied from the shuriken in his chest, he can hardly dodge a sword aimed at him while still prone. The blade doesn't quite hit the throat, but does leave a rather large hole right where his lung used to be. He sputters, coughing blood. "Damned... weirdos..." He twitches, then ceases to move.
Aiyan jerked his sword out of the dead guy's chest and flicked it, more by habit than by deliberate style, to remove the excess blood. He slid it up the fabric edge of it's sheath, wiping off the remainder, then let it slide home. He didn't enjoy killing, not really, but he had nothing against it, and got a certain satisfaction from being better than the other guy, from surviving, and thriving.
"Anyone want pizza?" He quipped, giving his compatriots a rare grin, it was almost feral, almost wicked.
"Nay said Friedrich as he looked upon the visceral carnage left behind their group.
He offered no quip or witty retort as William and Aiyan had already done so. The knight lowered himself, and wiped away the blood upon his victims and looked into the cold night.
"We shall leave them to the carrion, for theirs was the plight of the land. However, the spoils remain to us, the victors for ours was a provoked fight."
No hits
Friedrich sets to the dirty work of picking the goodies off the dead.
The knight had sorted the lucre, and laid it out before his comrades.
"Ah, spoils of our ill suited foes." Friedrich hummed and took a quick look at his allies. "Though we carry not these arms, perhaps our coffers grow? As a true knight of the round, little use I have these...ill begotten tools."
Standing up, he looked towards the street where few faces poked from their spaces.
"A decision should be made, and quick flight too for another moment wasted brings our dear damsel in further peril of which I cannot allow!"
Well either its a pizza or pasta, Freddy can watch over us snacking, I gotta go and reload my piece so the sooner we get to a place to eat the sooner we can start looking for leads. Or I figure he might know something I figure I could go for a haircut? might be able to pick up a lead on the way Billy gives his hair a quick scuffle to make it look less neat (less then it already was that is). whatcha think lads?
"Knife," Aiyan claimed, leaning down and swiping it up. He thought about taking a couple of the guns, the little Americans, to sell later, but he couldn't really be bothered toting them around. Instead, he slid the knife between his belt and his pants at his back.
"Like Fred said, we gotta move. Either take this stuff or dump it, Billy. We can sell it later if you wanna." He commented.
"More! Hurry... I'm waiting..." The ghost of a shadow of an echo of a whisper told him in a vicious and cold voice. Now that Shinigami had tasted it's first blood of the day, the personality that had formed around the katana at his waist in his mind was impatient for more. He felt compelled to reach for the weapon and ran a finger up the handle in an almost erotic movement, repressing a shiver.
"Lets go." He stated, his voice slightly thick, and set off towards the direction of the pizza shop, not waiting on his comrades to catch up, trusting that they would follow eventually. He'd wait for them when he had the place in sight, if he had to.
Righto, lets take what we can and get a move on, who knows maybe itll come in handy later.
better give TNGHS a ring, maybe he'll have heard something around his patch about the incident
After about a moment, TNGHS picks up the connection. The video feed is off, but you can hear what is probably a very sappy Trid playing in the background. There are several male and female voices, all of which sound vaguely disappointed that TNGHS has been interrupted from his previous conversation.
"Ah, ah, just a second ladies, I'll be right back with you... Ooh, Billy! It's been so long since you've called me, sweetie! Now what's I can do for you?"
"Oooh. You want the Italienischs, ja? Well, Billy, you know how I feel about those gangs and their wars! They are so below me, and so unstylish! If only they would come in for a proper perm, or even just to trim down some of those tusks and horns on the ugly ones! No, no, not you honey. Shh! But of course, Billy - let me tell you what I've heard. These Italienischs, they come in families, ja? Well those ones you mentioned - the Fratellis, was it? They're not alone here in the Flux. Apparently word got down to their homeland that Berlin is open to the free market! And now they want a piece of it! So, you'd best be careful, mein Freund. I'd hate to see a little hair on your pretty little head get hurt! Now, Billy - the ladies, they are asking me to go back to play. Did you need anything else?"
Billy puts the phone on speaker to allow the others to hear hmm well I don't suppose you might know a place we could find a few of these family members? I might need to ask them about a thing or two and it would save us wondering the streets door to door, also id never want to do a thing about my hair without your say so Julious ;).
You hear a squeal of laughter in the background, and the TNGHS joins in. "Oh, you so silly~ Ah, Billy, baby, I don't know the family names. I can keep an ear out for you, but all I know is these Fratellis, ja, they are one of them. And I hear they have been having troubles with another family. The Risardis, I think it was? They all trouble, those Italienischs, ja? Okay, Billybud, I must go now!"
You hear the sound of a kiss thrown through the commlink. "Ta-ta!" The connection is cut before Billy can get an word in edgewise. At least you have some idea of what you're walking into now.
"Your friend is quite, peculiar" said Friedrich as he adjusted his massive blade. "Lo, a man of pure magic and genius."
While they were on that subject, Friedrich brandished his massive greatsword and raised it into the air.
"On my honor as a Knight of the Round, the Fratellis are beyond my mercy. No man nor beast shall capture a maiden during my watch. Those who involved with such scoundrels shall face a similar death unless they are women or children."
"Now that my path is clear, shall we stride forward, with purpose!"
My enemies enemy is my friend, or maybe just another enemy...hmm well its worth asking the others I suppose guys how about The Risardis? anyone of you know where we could find them, maybe we could even get a job off them to off the Fratellis and get ourselves a few little favours/ cash? two birds one stone? Capish?
"At's too complicated, maaaan." Aiyan pointed out. He had briefly considered the same idea that Billy was suggesting and dismissed it. "It'd take waaaay too long ta find the Risardi family, an' even if we do find 'em, we'd still have t' try an' talk to them." He paused, vaguely aware that his street accent was getting stronger as he spoke. "They might jus' try an' off us fer our troubles. Ya's got ta ra'member, we's bennies in dis town. We wanna cause as little static 's'we can. Jus' get in, get da girl an' get out."
alright then Im out of ideas, Aiyan, you lead the way
Aiyan gladly stomps his way down the street, heading somewhere deeper into the Scharrziele in search of pizza. The late night is only getting colder, and a 24-hour pizza place, full of Fratellis to clean up or girls to rescue, would be a welcome sight.
Fortunately, it doesn't take long to find the place. Pi-Za-Kuchen, just like the now-quite-dead ganger had said. The lights were on, and your not so subtle bunch gathers on the far side of the street, watching the restaurant. There were definitely people inside, though it was hard to tell how many. It was a reasonably sized building, maybe a dozen and a half meters wide and as many long. Two stories, but it looked like the upper story was boarded up and closed. Not a single light on up there, and the failing neon "Za" hung from a disused door leading to nowhere. Narrow alleyways led around the sides and, peering down them, you easily spot at least one side entrance. Looks like there's a car - beat up, but still functional - parked down the alleyway, too.
You also note, as you stand there in the cold, that the place smells damn good. It might be serving soy-based pepperoni substitute on a kale-crisp bread replacement... but it smells like real pizza. It might even taste good, too. It was just out the other end that you'd know the terrible, terrible truth.
As you're about to make an entrance into the pizza place, you stop abruptly and take note of a hilariously out of place sign you'd somehow missed. A standing macroplast cutout of the most stereotypically Italian man you've ever seen, holding a pizza box in one hand and a big sign in the other. Deliberately broken German is written on it, reading: "Bring-a your hung-ah, but leave-a your weapons at-a home!"
That's just rude.
"A strange hunger has aroused in my hearth for I desire such craft that stave off the beast" intoned Friedrich as the Pizzerias' smell permeated his helmet.
Taking a moment to seize up the place, the Knight had been faced with the subject of his quarry, the enemy's fortification. Somewhere within that cold steel outpost lied a maiden in great peril.
"Companions. only the brave would dare to bring mortal conflict upon entering. What shall our plan be?"
While he asks his teammates that, Friedrich poured his sensors towards observing the area for any subtle entrances.
2 hits
Unless Friedrich was planning on climbing up to the second floor and entering through a disused window, the only 'subtle' entrance lay down the side alley.
He also notes what appears to be a cheap and obvious metal detector inside the front door of the restaurant. Seated in a chair behind it, half-asleep, sits a rather grumpy looking woman. Despite wearing what appears to be a uniform, she has a heavy and armored coat slung over her shoulders while she leans sleepily on a shiny new cyberarm.
"Perhaps the alleyway is our best vantage" said Friedrich as he pointed towards the opening between two buildings.
"Aiyan, your guile and agility might prove advantageous should you ascend like a rogue. Do you not aggree?" the knight said as he challenged his friend to go first.
Aiyan had been eyeing up the alleyway himself. It wasn't his normal approach, he would have preferred to go in the front door and let them come to him, but there was a hostage to think about and stealth would help them.
"I can try," he mused, "wait here..."
He set off down the street, going far enough that the pizza joint was almost out of sight, then crossing and working his way back. As he got close, he switched to stealth mode, slowing and lightening his steps, walking heel to toe, and crouching slightly to reduce his profile.
= 4 hits.
As quietly as he could, he made his way down the alleyway to the door.
Aiyan made his way down the alleyway with surprisingly agility, considering the rather large number of blades stashed in various places on the man.
A cursory glance reveals a maglock on the alleyway door. As dirty and squalid as the rest of the kiez. Looked like it was a reasonably heavy door, but probably breakable if you really tried. Though that would blow the element of surprise. Hm.
It had one of the standardized 10-digit keypads, though it looked in worse repair than many of the ones you've seen. Both 7 and 8 were missing. So really, an 8-digit keypad.
The car at the end of the alleyway looked in similar repair. It moved, probably, and that was about it. It was a cheap sedan, with a dull grey paint that was peeling off in more places than it wasn't. Several bullet holes through both the windows and the bodywork told a long and painful history of the vehicle. You notice a pistol laying, forgotten, on the passenger's seat.
Friedrich removed his helmet and produced forth a small chip. He gave a smile to Billy and Airan, and parted his hair. Along the left side of his just beyond his ear was a peculiar slot whereby several electrodes and wired emerged from. With a simple click, he inserted the chip and the knight buzzed with energy.
As if a new voice took over, Friedrich seemed even more confident.
Giving his partners a curt nod, he donned his helmet and spoke.
"Hm..., Ser Lamorak is ready for conquest."
Turning about, he motioned towards the Pizzerias entrance.
"A knight is a bastion of faith and good will. I am but the armor that my comrades rely upon. The watershed against which evil rebounds from, and if rebuked, finds a taste of justice."
No sooner does 'Ser Lamorak' pass through the threshold of the door than the metal detector starts screeching. The half-asleep woman at the counter beyond perks up immediately, reaching into her coat and pulling a pistol. She leveled it, unnaturally steady in the iron grip of her cyberarm, at Friedrich's chest.
Beyond her, Friedrich could see several more patrons - some of which clearly looked better dressed than others. A man in the corner was shrinking back, a look of abject terror on his face. At another table was a father and his kid, a girl who couldn't have been any older than ten. He's moved to try and block her vision of the door, but she looks pleasantly distracted by a dinky toy anyway. A bookish looking ork sits in the middle of everything, reading some kind of AR-enabled textbook. He hardly even flinches when the metal detector goes off. Must be a regular.
Several employees, dressed in greasy looking uniforms, position to get a better look at the intruder. They each have the look of business about them. They don't look much like pizza-place employees. Not. At. All.
Plus, they all kind of look like they're reaching for their guns.
The cyberarmed girl glares into Friedrich. "I suggest you slot off. Now."
ah crap, well I better follow Freddy or this is going to get bloody quick, besides I'm still hungry. Whispers Hey Freddy! hold up! lets go in with a little style, remember we gotta do this careful... er there is a damsel in distress if we go in guns blazing remember?
Ladies!, Gents I've come in peace and for slices of that damn fine smelling pizza, because frankly something that fantastic a smell has got to be worth the price! Billy cranks up his hormones to max.
"Drek!" Aiyan cursed under his breath as he watched Friedrich spout some ridiculous crap and then set off towards the entrance of the pizzeria, followed closely by Billy. He hoped against hope they weren't going to barge in, then he heard the alarm.
"Frackin'... bakebrained, cyber junkie svoluch!" He cursed as he pulled out the knife he had picked up from the chalk outline from earlier and set about prying the door open.
= 3 lousy frackin' hits.
Desperate to find a solution to his mad friends' play, Aiyan grabs his newly found knife and works to break the maglock. He punches the knife through the outer layer of the door and proceeds to saw around the locking mechanism.
The door looks damaged, but the maglock is still holding it shut...
Meanwhile, the cyberarmed security guard took another step closer. She still stood a good three or four meters away, but the deadly accuracy of her gun was unmistakable. "Last warning." She points her chin at Billy. "You too. Frag off. Now."
Billy thought about the fact that this was the second time today he'd had a person looking to kill him before breakfast. so no to the pizza? turning to Freddy he gave the man a look over, he looked like he was a little out of it frankly, but this was a room full of nutters and they both looked nuts to crack. Hey Freddy, look we gotta go, the lady isn't interested in serving us that lovely pizza and I'm still hungry, how about we go outside and look for somewhere else hmm? Whispering in his ear if we die no one saves the girl
Friedrich pauses in place, and stares at the security officer.
A low grunting could be heard from his helmet.
"Heh...heh...heh.."
Sensing that she was serious about her words, the hulking giant stood and called out to the security officer.
Thou are a beast upon man, an aberration, a union of flesh and steel. But know this, you are spared unless you strike upon me once more, for Chivalry holds steadfast in this age of withheld permissions and advances."
After saying his piece, he decides against his better judgement to trust Ser William, for every Knight of the Round had their insight, and perhaps Lamorak's had been filled with too much zeal.
Turning around, he walks out of the Pizzeria.
Billy hands raised in mild surrender thanked whatever magical deity and back out of the place before the girls fingers got twitchy.
The security woman blinks twice, then shakes her head. "You're blitzed outta your mind, chummer." She leans back, apparently satisfied that they were leaving. She set the gun down on the counter - but didn't dare let go. Her finger rested just above the trigger. Waiting.
Slowly, the rest of the staff seems to return to business as usual as well.
And at least the metal detector finally shut up.
Not knowing what was going on around the corner, Aiyan was still focused on the door. He went to work again with the knife, jimmying the door open.
= 3 hits, again. Even virtual dice hate me.
The door gives a little more, and the maglock begins to crack and whine. Aiyan was almost through - he could practically see through the widening crack between the door and its frame.
Aiyan took his knife and made a final effort to open the door quietly. It was in him to sheathe the weapon and put his shoulder to the damn thing, but he persisted, setting the knife to work again, as quietly as he could.
= 4 hits.
As quietly as he could, Aiyan saws at the mechanisms keeping the maglock sealed. The metal whines, obviously never intended to put up against this particular stressor, and finally snaps with a (relatively) loud clang. Aiyan winces at the noise, afraid his efforts at stealth may have just been wasted, but takes a step to the side as the door begins to drift open.
It stops after about an inch or two, but it's enough to peer through and into the restaurant. The door opens into what looks like a back room. A few boxes lay around, and there's some kind of dolly cart resting near the wall. It's fairly dark, the sole source of light a dim florescent lamp hanging from the ceiling. From where you are, you can see two ways to go - through an opening that looks like it leads towards the kitchen areas, or towards a large metal door that probably belongs to the freezer.
The way looks clear, but it's hard to tell while peeking through a crack in the doorway.
Aiyan hesitated for just a moment as he decided what to do next. Proceeding ahead alone would have been his personal preference, but he couldn't deny that he probably needed the strength and guile of his comrades.
He stepped back from the door and raised his hand to his comm unit, switching it to secure mode. "Friedrich, Billy, alleyway door." He said quietly into his comm.
"Achtung" said Ser Lamorak as he bound for the alleyway with Ser William in toe. Rounding the corner, Aiyan stood somewhat surprised that the hulking knight would've responded with such haste.
Upon seeing the destruction of the door, Ser Lamorak drew his blade and slowly entered, knowing that this means of sieging the fortification meant that a peril filled death was soon to come.
"Cometh! Into the maw of the beast!" he said with a howl.
No hits...
ah thank Buddha, a stealthy approach Billy slinks out of view from the front door and heads to join Aiyan.
The three 'heroes' creep their way into the pizzeria's back room. Though the pale fluorescence above casts long and misshapen shadows within the room, it remains almost unnaturally quiet.
Obviously, Friedrich's 'distraction' had left the back of the restaurant empty.
There were still only two ways to go - into the freezer, or towards the kitchens.
girl/food/girl/food/girl/food Billy signals he's headed towards to kitchens to inspect the area for left over food, err the clues for the girls whereabouts, yeah that too.
Aiyan slipped into the room behind Billy and Friedrich and took a moment to consider the situation. Towards the kitchen, they were bound to find people and people probably meant trouble.
~Where would I keep a hostage?~ He asked himself, and the freezer seemed like an obvious choice.
He tapped Billy on the shoulder and pointed at his own eyes, then the door, knowing that the more grounded of his partners would get the message to watch the door.
He grabbed Friedrich and pointed him at the freezer, then reached for the over sized handle of the steel door and pulled.
hmm what's that? Billy feels a light tap, turning around he spies Aiyen giving the freezer door a long look and figures out whats on his mind. seems he's onto something. Billy shimmies to the other side of the door and keeps a eye on the kitchen, would be a bad time for something to walk past as we all get this door open Billy pulls out his gun and preps it.... just in case.
Aiyan reaches for the handle of the freezer. He grips it and gives it a yank before noticing the lock.
Drek. It's another maglock. And this one looks much, much nicer. It's got a card reader and reinforcement covering its interior mechanics. Plus, the door's solid metal. It might take more than a knife to bypass this thing the hard way.
You're going to need a key, a bomb, a decker, or some combination thereof that has the same basic effect: breaking and entering.