"Mus'ad you are thinking with your stomach again. The bridge convoy is simply too big. Yes we could hit it and maybe take out the escorts. But what then? The bridge is closed off and we are sitting with two truckloads of valuables and nowhere to run.'
"We are ducks in a shooting gallery at that point. Unless someone can pull an exit strategy out of their hat this is a no go."
The in-city transfer is much more viable. Heck perhaps the rest of you could hit that while I look into the return of Colonel Clone. I always suspected there was something fishy about his reported death.
Jack shakes his head a little patronisingly at DA, "What I'm after is a small part of any convoy; I expect the rest to be given to the great god Universal Solvent, his body spread so invitingly below the bridge. And think of the chaos, the beautiful beautiful chaos it will cause our enemies! We are enough to handle any exigencies, and it is a beautiful location to give Mus'ad his exercise. But if the machines whispering in your mind terrorise you so, any V'sori target will do. I have Questions for them."
Spirit roll to become unshaken wild die
No joy there. Bennie spent.
Draw and fire at the goon. Short range is +2 so negating modifier.
Shooting wild die
Damage (if needed) currently running with standard ammo. Overconfident again.
Boo ya! Pop on the shooting. Reroll
I assume this gives me the extra d6 damage. Extra damage
Mus'ad spits on the ground "Coward not even want to come, why should Mus'ad listen to little boy too afraid to fight... want to chase shadows instead. Bridge, and the Camel of Kashmir will show little boy what real men are capable of."
Cash Out whips his gun from it's holster, and draws a bead on the old man's temple before he can even hope to dodge. The crack of the shot rings out, the bullet speeding towards his target. Cash's perception of time slows, the odd villain watching as the bullet speeds to it's target. Inches short of it's goal there is a blinding flash of light, bathing the man, and suddenly it is no mere hobo standing before him, but a wrathful angel, shod in heavenly armor the helm of which the bullet ricochets off into the alley wall.
Cash blinks, and once again the hobo stands before him, but surrounded still by the ethereal outline of that mighty angel's plate armor. He appears perhaps slightly rattled, but otherwise unharmed.
Initiative, Round 3: Cash Out (10H), Holy Hobo (5C)
Reloading with power.
Attempting to fire again. Not certain if a -2 applies due to reload
Shooting ; Wild
Damage if needed This is Heavy Weapon and AP4.
Apart from a wince and a slow trickle of blood starting to stain his rags he seems largely unaffected however, raising his hand towards Cash again. "You call upon powers you do not understand, and know not the darkness within your own soul."
He slices the air between the two of you, and Cash experiences an unusual and thoroughly unpleasant sensation. His connection to his store of 'bullets' is sliced and he feels a great howl rattle through him as something unravels within himself.
He shifts his hand towards Cash's gun next, holding it flat towards the Cash's hand gripping the glock, bringing his other hand around and similarly holding it up at Cash's face, though he makes no attempt to make contact.
"Still you resist redemption, clinging to the shadows of the dark realms that spawned you."
Initiative, Round 4: Holy Hobo (8C), Cash Out (6H)
"I am aware of that." Isabelle answers Oz' timorous response. "However, I also know you are resourceful enough to have determined other means of getting around than the merely-legal."
Putting the gun away. Attempting to run into the street. If I manage to hit the street I'll start screaming.
"A super! He's trying to kill me! Call the police!"
Maybe the police or a ganger will take an interest in this goon.
Going visible before I hit the street. Also atempting. Broadcast on CB channel 9 (emergency) as a civilian seeing this from nearby: Script as follows for as much as I can get out
"Oh my God. If someon can hear me. There is a super powered person attacking a man in the alley near (location). He made him vanish! What did he do to him? He is back and horribly scarred. He has the gun from the super now. The bullets don't affect him! Oh lord I think he is going to kill that man!"
He receives a response after only a few seconds. "Please calm down sir, the authorities have been notified, just find somewhere safe until they arrive." says a calming male voice from the 'other end' of the channel.
As Jack suggests simply dumping the cargo into the ocean, it occurs to you all that the mission didn't actually specify what was to be done with the contents. Destruction would be the easiest, and most effective method to piss the V'Sori off, as whatever it is is obviously of some importance to them. It also occurs to your all that you have heard nothing from Belledonna (or indeed Professor Mayhem) since the mission last night.
Continuing with the CB broadcast: "Ok the man just ran out of the alley. That super freak is still in the alley. I'm moving away from the window before he starts looking around"
I will run off toward whatever is the best place to "blend in" and become lost in a crowd or general area. Let me know if you want notice rolls or stealth rolls. Or if the Hobo jumps me again.
"Well that could have gone better."
Scanning the area reveals no one near enough to have said something so clearly. A moment's reflection causes a chill to run down Cash's spine as he recognizes the voice; Doctor Destruction.
On that high of a roll I am going to assume I know Dr D is a techno type villian.
"Yes and now I'm going to rest here for awhile. I'm very tired. I'm sure there are better amusements for you on Cable right now. That is assuming you haven't invented some kind of hypno love slave ray and have a half dozen women lounging around for you"
Mus'ad proceeds without too much cause for stealth in the direction of the convoy's expected location.
"Excellent. Please sign for the package when it arrives then." Cash feels a strange sensation which tips him off--if he hadn't figured it out already--that Doctor D. appeared to have be interfacing with his own broadcasting power somehow without simply broadcasting his message out into the city.
Assuming Cash stays put, about 10 minutes later a courier van pulls up, the driver looking him up and down a couple times before climbing out and grabbing a smallish box from the back. "Cash?" he queries, waiting until you confirm your moniker before handing over the package and asking you to sign his tablet.
Jack walks with Mus'ad toward the bridge, taking about as much care to be unnoticed as the Camel of Kashmir does. "A fine day for a stroll, neh?"
"I will take cash if you have it yes. Otherwise where is the box from?" Signing for the box and while listening for the answer from the courier. Investigating the box and trying to see if it is ticking or making other sounds. This week has been rough after all.
Notice Wild (not certain if it gets the same bonus)
Reroll for ace plus 10
If it doesn't seem to be ticking or anything else ominous I'll open it cautiously and see what is inside.
The box does not tick, smell of explosives, or anything else that Cash Out is able to detect. When he finally works up the nerve to open it, he finds beneath the brown paper is a non-descript box, and inside is what appears to be a watch style object, with a moderately sized LCD screen and a number of buttons. The screen seems to be inactive, but there is a fairly obvious power button.
Given the context of this item's delivery, Cash suspects that this may be the device rumored to be used by Omega known as a Commlink. Designed by Destruction himself they are purported to be foolproof, and have uncrackable encryption. Since Omega has been using them for 3 years under the noses of the V'Sori, there may be something to these rumors.
Mus'ad is too busy keeping surreptitious tabs on his excitable and hairless companion to know much more than that he remains on course for the bridge.
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After the courier is out of sight and hearing. Muttering about who I need to kill to get more money. Check out the watch. Does it at least tell time? Check the thing and see what it can do. Does it allow for messages? Is it broadcasting on radio frequencies? Are there messages waiting?
The message simply reads:
"Since you seem to have lost yet another member I found you someone else. Try not to break this one..."
Any other data relating to the countdown? Also any data regarding payment or cash value of gear to swipe from a job of some sort?
What do I know of The M'Buna, Barracuda, and the Yaschuk Aerodyne?
The Yaschuk Aerodyne is a commercially available, pre-invasion vehicle, information on that is readily accessible .
The V'Sori M'Buna is an alien armored transport repulsorlift craft. It has secondary engines allowing a maximum hover ceiling of 600 metres, and is the V'Sori's troop transport vehicle whether that be personnel or prisoners. They're also (like many V'Sori vehicles) amphibious.
They are generally armed with two light laser turrets which can be fired separately, or linked together.
The barracuda is the standard V'Sori armed ground patrol vehicle. It is armed with some sort of turret weapon, but Cash doesn't know much more about it. They're seen with some frequency inside Star City.
I hail a cab and use the last of the cash to head on over to the bridge area and get out with my gear (big gun in a duffle with other padding items).
Go invisible first opportunity to do so unnoticed. Fading from this reality partially into another.
Checking the bridge out for good angles of attack. Areas where attack lines are good for range. Places where the two known aerial craft will be given difficulty. Also where if the lead and follow vehicles are taken out will cause chaos and disarray and give advantage to the attacker.
Knowledge Battle ; Wild
Then find a good place to hunker down and avoid the patrols that will clear the bridge.
Notice ; Wild ; Ace
Stealth ; Wild
Keep an ear out for radio chatter.
Jack, smile deepening temporarily, continues without a hitch in step toward the Sea Bridge and the inevitable struggle. Sotto voce, he murmurs toward Mus'ad. "Don't look now, my muscled friend, but it appears the V'Sori presence is increasing heavily as we head toward the bridge. Be alert, that you may overwhelm them when the perfect moment comes.".
Bridge Job:
Mus'ad harrumphs "Maybe best you not walk with me, go into shadow and follow... that way better you see how real man act" though it might occur to Happy Jack that with the brutal lack of stealth of Mus'ad, it would be easy to walk unnoticed to the side of the street rather than beside the massive and unwashed Indian giant.
Spending a bennie to reroll that knowledge battle
; wild
Mus'ad spits on the ground "Coward not even want to come, why should Mus'ad listen to little boy too afraid to fight... want to chase shadows instead. Bridge, and the Camel of Kashmir will show little boy what real men are capable of."
"Yes Mus'ad do that. Go enjoy giving the V'sori more data on how you fight. I am sure we will all be deeply impressed. In the unlikely event you succeed try not to lead the cops directly back here."
The Advocate seems distracted. The villain's attention split between researching colonel clone and rebuilding the chameleon device.
...Time passes...
Once the Camel of Kashmir's Glorious Convoy has left and the air has cleared a SOCOP officer leaves the warehouse and heads west for a time before entering an alley. A street thug leaves the alley and continues west. Over the next several hours a number of people are seen to talk to a number of other people and a number of places are visited as piece by piece and bit by bit The Devil's Advocate uncovers what has happened to the missing Omegan resources, incidentally getting a picture of just how powerful Destruction's network is.
To DA as he goes "Feh, Mus'ad only fight one way. Fist in face, no need make complicated."
As far as his participation on the bridge job, he now appears to be on your team, and the bridge mission is associated with your team.[/ooc]
@Westpoint Pair: So what are you actually doing for the next few hours? Wandering around Westpoint?
He eventually moves on from that and starts making some inquiries. News is initially sparse, there have been a couple of news reports about some missing persons that the police are supposedly looking into, but after asking the right people and putting in some legwork it seems there have actually been upward of 30 disappearances. They mostly seem to occur at night, in dark alleyways, or--as his investigations lead him to the Docks--on the shoreline; six people apparently having disappeared from the piers themselves.
After several hours he finally wanders back towards Downtown to see what the police have on the disappearances. He settles down in a cafe near the pig-pen and pulls out his laptop, easily breezing through their firewalls to access their internal records. He confirms the information he has already discovered, though it seems the docks aren't the only bodies of water used, several disappearances having occured near sewer grates and manholes.
It seems not all of the people have 'disappeared' either, DA is able to find several autopsy and coroner reports that described the mangled bodies of some of the victims which the police have managed to keep from the media (not too difficult all things considered). Their injuries are various and quite gruesome, but he is able to determine a few things:
- Victims were all mostly eaten.
- The assailants cutting tool used in rending his victims is natural, such as claws and teeth.
- Most victims' remains contained traces of a fair amount of fecal matter that was not their own.
Mus'ad continues to walk until he can at least sight the bridge... or trouble ensues...
This is becoming tedious. I suspect it may be time to release the -domesticated Oswald back into the wild...
'Advokate, what can you tell me of this movement on the supply convoy? Where will be an effective rally point as I am obviously not there yet?'
Jack essays a small bow with his customary grin, "A capital idea, O Great Mus'ad. I look forward to the next demonstration of your prowess.". He then quietly wanders in a tangential fashion toward the bridge, on a different tack from Mus'ad.
Peanuts:
a) Any way to determine if Omegans are being targeted or is it just bad luck that Dr.D lost some help here?
b)Can DA triangulate the attack sites to get a better location than 'the sewer outflows near the docks'
c)How serious are the powers that be taking this case?
A young man in a stained pair of overalls works quietly on an out of date laptop. Coffee and a the remains of a sandwich litter the table.
'Advokate, what can you tell me of this movement on the supply convoy? Where will be an effective rally point as I am obviously not there yet?'
To Bella:'That is Mus'ad's party. No finesse, no profit, so no interest. Jack went with him and it seems there is some new fodder. I expect Jack will make it back alive.
I was able to uncover why people have been disappearing lately. It is unpleasant but might be worth trading with those below. Seems there is something nasty in the woodshed. Or at least in the sewers beneath the woodshed. The quisling corps have not put two and two together yet and they might not care when they do.How is your relationship with Ms. Ramirez at the moment? I am downtown at the Cafe Dot (cyber cafe, started by .com crash survivors. Patrons split between tech types and police from the main precinct house nearby.) So meeting here might pose a difficulty. Let me send a message to shellhead and I will meet you where you like.'
The young man pays and leaves the cafe, walking north he pulls out a cell phone and holds it to his face.
"Well done Mr. Krier. I suggest you find yourself a bigger gun then." he responds, before terminating the call.
Text to Mus'ad and the other gentleman I seem to recognize via the Dr D device.
"You seem to have attracted some attention. Plain clothes. Seems to be following you. Look thereabouts"
Notice:
Mus'ad notices nothing... not even the beeping of his wristwatch and instead continues plodding onwards while scratching at his arse.
Wincing slightly at DA's callous efficiency, Belledonna responds. 'I understand. Well, I'll just give Happy Jack a visit then & I should join you shortly. Lunch would be lovely.' With that, she severs the mental link between them & establishes one with Happy Jack.
'Happy Jack, how fares this extra-curricular endeavor of Mus'ad's?'
Notice:
Happy-Jack chuckles softly as he taps out "Spotted already, old bean, but thanks for the tip. I expect His Camelosity to start punching presently, so be prepared. Welcome to the fun.". He then closes the distance between himself and the plainsclothesman as sneakily as possible, hoping for The Drop when the punchings start.