"Depends, what are you offering?" Tracey replies appraisingly.
Nodding vaguely in the direction of the other Slashers, "seems like an awfully big bunch of you guys just to keep an eye on one warehouse."
Jud walks over to Renegade..."Bored...Hey Tinman, what's the plan? What's going on outside? Where'd you get the cool suit? Did you build it? Was it hard? Wanna arm wrestle?"
"Depends, what are you offering?" Tracey replies appraisingly.
Nodding vaguely in the direction of the other Slashers, "seems like an awfully big bunch of you guys just to keep an eye on one warehouse."
The meeting With Jack Axe goes better than could be expected. They was some disturbance when Imagine was noticed by several mooks in the parking lot but Tracy managed to calm things down and get a private meeting.
You were however subject to lots and lots of verbal sexual harassment.
Convincing Jack Axe that you are a V'sori plant is relatively easy, the man is an idiot and is barely in control of the violent drug addled mob known as the Slashers. He leads from the front, commanding respect by being more violent and more murderous and more entertaining that any competition.
Jack Axe agrees that the Slashers will leave you alone but he does require an act on your part allowing him to save face. In addition to implying you meeting was more 'private' than it was Jack Axe requires a public declaration by the entire group that they love the Slashers, are afraid of the Slashers, and will do anything Jack Axe tells them to do.
This declaration will take place next to the fountain at the God Shop as soon as the entire group can be assembled.
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Things you learn about the Slashers.
.Well over half of their members are freakishly well muscled.
.Some of the well muscled show strange attributes. One man is entirely scarlet for example, skin eyes everything is a flat bright red. Another person is permanently hunched with what appears to be heavy bone plates under the skin of their back.
.There are several running generators and plenty of gas but there is very little evidence of electricity in use.
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Imagine tele-communicates the meeting to the group. She includes that she's willing to go along with the declaration, since they don't seem to be requiring anything of value, just nice, cheap words.
This does, of course, come with a rider that if they ever actually ask for something, or want something more than just words, that will become another issue altogether, but the current deal as it stands seems quite reasonable.
She suggests that we get on with it quickly, since we still have the milk run to prep for.
Speaking of which, this may make things awkward, since the milk run has Slasher guards, so either we'll have to make our presence not known (unlikely) or make sure to kill everyone and not allow any other communication, otherwise we'll end up right here again.
Imagine takes special care to seem if she can discern a pecking order. She makes a mental note of the two or three second-fiddle slashers that have the most desire/best chance of challenging Jack for power.
Because that's thing about dogs. You can't trust 'em...but you can trust them to be a dog.
Renegade agrees to go along with the charade for now.
I've been ridiculed once before, I can handle one more time.
Once they return to the safety of their "secret" lair, Renegade reads over the Milk Run mission one more time. "Hey, it seems that we don't actually have to ACQUIRE the shipment. Just learn of it's contents. Perhaps Mr. Intangible here could lurk along the transport route while Lady-Invisible lurks nearby, and when the truck is passing over, he comes up into the truck from beneath, finds out what's inside, then disappears back into the road beneath the truck. No muss, no fuss?"
Jud isn't bothered by making a fake declaration of fear and respect of the Slashers. He's been ridiculed before and he makes a mental note of who's doing it this time...Soon enough punks, soon enough...
"So no smashing the truck, huh, Tinman? If Mr. Blinky can do it without our help, more power to him."
Though clearly disquieted by the almost constant verbal abuse & imposition upon her personal space, Tracy is sufficiently stunned that it actually worked that she goes along with the charade.
"If we can find out what is in it without the V'sori even knowing that would be of more benefit, yes."
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Imagine cutely taps her cute cheek in a cute manner.
to all: Hmmmmm. It dawns upon me that our new status of Bestest Buddies of Slashers (BBS) might play into our advantage. There might be some difficulties in Carl getting in to moving truck to stick his face inside a container. But if the truck was stopped brielfy....
One of us, say, myself (or Tracy, if base physical attraction is important, but who is really into that anymore?) could just stand in the middle of the road and flag them down. As the truckers call for us to move, that person could cutely go up to them and say "I just wanted you guys to know just what a good job you guys are doing! Both me and our mutual friends want you to stay safe and stay awesome!"
Then, while it takes us the 30 seconds to do that, Carl could stick his head up from the street where he had been hiding, poke around, and then go away.
That's just one idea. Anyway to stop the truck might help him. And if it's stopped, he can look at it from the bottom-up, so they might not see him. Which may be good.
"Sounds okay to me. We still might want to appropriate a car that pulls in front of their truck. Seems to me to be more likely for them to stop. Tracy might go all smiley and jiggly at them, but they might just swerve around her. Imagine might have better luck at thinking them to stop and help Tracy. That said, if we pick the spot now, I can go intangible and hide in the street. And when I say 'in the street', I mean it. I can have just my eyes at ground level, and when the truck stops, I can walk up into it."
"Hey, anyone got a camera or a phone with a camera? I could take that with me and take pictures, too"
Renegade stands quietly to let the others do some scheming, trying to get an idea for their plan making capacity.
The adipose blob clearly has nothing to work with in mental faculties beyond finding his next meal or entertainment. This Tracy seems at least open to suggestion, and Carl at least has some creative thought processes going on. The camera is a good idea. Imagine seems to think that feminine wiles can overcome anything, a surprising lack of imagination given her alias.
Realizing that his thoughts are not necessarily safe, he attempts to steel his mind before adding, "I think Carl here has it. This is a SOCORP escort, keep in mind. If we make a move on it once the Slashers are in control, we risk pissing off an organization that is aware of our whereabouts. But SOCORP is significantly more dangerous. I think having Imagine "will" someone to drive a car in front of the escort to force them to stop, as he said, then Carl pops in, snaps some pictures of the contents, then pops out, then we should be able to accomplish the mission with minimal risk to those involved."
He looks around and adds, "If there is a computer here in this...lair...then I could even provide some additional data on the mission."
Jud's brow wrinkles as a thought comes to him, "Hey, I have an idea. I bet I could throw Mr. Phasey a few blocks. I could stand wayyyy down the street, grab him and chuck him at the truck. Of course, if he doesn't phase before he hits the truck he's going to go splat. Cool idea, huh?"
"Jud, I think we won't do that. Phasing out is a bit hit or miss, and I haven't really thought about how far down into the ground I'd end up. And stopping myself would probably still require me to get seriously effed up while I'm trying to stop."
Jud grunts in response and wanders off, no longer interested in the conversation if he can't throw Carl at a truck.
Bored he gives a mental shout, Hey girl voice, where'd that big girl go? Think she'd wanna wrassle?
While waiting a response he heads over to watch what a Renegade is doing and occasionally reaching out to poke at buttons if Renegade has found a computer.
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to all: In the master suite, there is some technical equipment, and I beleive a computer-machine is among them. Due make sure to add yourself permanently to the security log, I beleive it requires a DNA sample.
I concur with the plan to have some poor sap delay their progress long enough. Please do have everyone within shouting distance, as the Slashers have proven resourceful enough to possibly through a wrench into that plan. Hopefully I can make the person play dumb long enough for Carl to get the data.
Speaking of which, Carl, while you're hanging out under the street, please wear some kind of disguise. No need to mutilate yourself, just different clothes and some glasses and a fake mustache should be fine, just in case your shost-form is seen, we need some kind of plausible deniability.
Carl, just keep your mike open, and tell me when you're done--I won't be able to keep the tele-link up.
Looking to the future, I have some thoughts on the other two missions, but let's get this thing done first.
As Jud answers with a non-sequiter, Imagine decides to have some fun with him. She here, but she can go invisible AND intangible. But if I see her I'll let her know of your desire to wrestle. I can't see how she could say no to that.
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Imagine nodded at Renegade, agreeing with his idea.
to all: It looks like we have a plan. We'll set up at Wash'n'Wash as before. Renegade, stay high and flying, and let us know when the convoy will pass. Carl, do your impersonation of a groundhog.
Once I get the heads-up from Renegade, I'll grab the first driver I see and have them park a 'T' across the street. Once the convoy stops, they'll swing out, but slowly enough to give Carl time to pop up, get the data, give me the a-ok and get gone. This goes well, they'll never even know we were there.
Plan 2 is why Jud will be around the corner. If they don't stop, or try to just plow through, we'll need to do it hard. I'll grab their driver to slow them up, and you two big boys come and make their lives unpleasent. Carl still pops up and grabs a look. Then we leave if we can.
Alright, it's go time.