After relaying the conversation and information about the limo, Stringer has Snoop rise up high enough to get an overview of the entire site.
Kat has no ranged weapons, so she just waits, ready to duck to stay behind the sides of the truck. She will only leave the truck if she sees a path to cover or to an enemy she can attack with her katana.
"They're spooked, we are spooked, weird guy with metal 8n his face is spooked. Sit tight and watch. Too many guns and too much emotion."
As Salvo picks up his M16 the air is hot and the plant is eerily quiet. No birds or insects chirping. Clouds move across the moon.
”Stringer, do you have any filters active on Snoops audio? If not, it's really quiet out there. And I mean unnaturally quiet. The last time it was like this, my team was jumped by…Well, things you don’t want to know about.” Staring off into the night in recollection for a moment. ”Mick’s right we need to watch for a while longer. And let’s keep an eye on our surroundings.” Setting aside the M16 and picking up the binoculars. He begins to look around. Especially behind and to the sides.
Kat's nickname comes from her weapon, not any catlike features. She's not especially stealthy nor can she see in the dark, so she sits tight and waits for a call to action.
"Oh for f*$@'s sake."
Pearl walks up to the limo and pounds on the rear passenger window. If it opens she says, "Hey, I'm hoping you can settle a bet for me. Now I just think you're some old rich prick looking for late night action from the street where his nosy wife can't keep tabs on him.
"But my friends think you're some crazy villain waiting to see what supernatural horror is gonna leap out of the swamp and kill a bunch of people. I got five bucks riding on it."
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After relaying the conversation and information about the limo, Stringer has Snoop rise up high enough to get an overview of the entire site.
"But my friends think you're some crazy villain waiting to see what supernatural horror is gonna leap out of the swamp and kill a bunch of people. I got five bucks riding on it."
The executive rolls down the window as ten creatures with wings, claws, feathered legs and the heads and upper bodies of women screech loudly and fly down.
"There! Arrggh!" he yells in terror as his face goes white. Another yells. "Here's $5 bucks!" and fumbles for his wallet.
rounds.
Kat and Salvo feel their blood drain from their face as these horrid nightmarish creatures fly down. They've never seen such things. It's as if their fears have come to life. The guards try and fumble for their revolvers.
Initiative
Salvo Mick surprise round
Evil
Mick
Pearl
Kat
Stringer
Salvo
guards
While Intently looking around for anyone or thing approaching. Slavo fails to notice Pearl move up to the limo. When he hears her question the occupants. He drops the binoculars from his hands, the strap around his neck arrests their fall. Looking over to the limo and seeing Pearl.
Sighing and shaking his head he grabs the M16 just as the flying terrors appear. Suffering from flashbacks of a previous mission he is Shaken.
Fighting through the shock he raises the rifle and squeezes off a shot at one of the hovering horrors.
Shaken modifier included.
"What the frag!?" Stringer hops out of Snoop and slaps the release to let Tank hop out of the truck. The little gunbot speeds after Salvo, doing its best to bracket in the flying monster closest to Pearl.
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"What the frag!?" Stringer hops out of Snoop and slaps the release to let Tank hop out of the truck. The little gunbot speeds after Salvo, doing its best to bracket in the flying monster closest to Pearl.
[dice=Tank Beretta against Yellow]1d20+4
[dice=Dmg, if any]2d6
The two shots hit the creature in the chest.
Mick is up!
Aw, c'mon! Mick thinks as Pearl ignores tactical advice to opt for the direct route. He is already alert and waiting for trouble, but unwilling to break from cover and reveal how deep they're rolling.
Then they show up. Not Oscar the Grouch. Filthy flying female monsters. Things of mythology, but right here in front of him. "Pearl! Hit the deck! I'm coming! Salvo, Kat, hold this group, I'm breaking for the limo!"
Kat gasps as Pearl takes bold action. The martial artist is actually relieved. She feels useless when people are spying and sneaking, but once it looks like a fight, she is in her element. She slips out of the truck as quietly as possible as Pearl starts to yell into the limo. She keeps the truck between her and the limo and then stares in wonder and fear at the strange winged creatures.
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The executives in the limo scream as four of the hideous creatures try to smash the windows with bone clubs. Their mouths contort as fear overcomes them.
The creatures look like they're using the femurs of cows.
The bones have little effect on the thick black glass of windows. A man near Pearl rolls down the window.
"Help lady!"
One creature swings at Salvo
Another at Pearl.
One creature swings at Mick
And three attack the guards.
Party is up!
Dodging the attack and taking a step back from the creature. He thumbs the fire selector switch from Single to Auto and takes aim at two of the horrors by the limo.
”Kat! This one’s yours.”
Holding his breath for a moment he squeezes the trigger. Sending 10 rounds at the two monsters.
Shaken and autofire mods added
"F+#+in' balls!"
Pearl raises her sawed-off shotgun and blasts away at the nearest horrible monster.
Tank continues zipping around the battlefield while plinking away at its target while Stringer grabs his shotgun and runs toward the fight.
Kat drops her plank and taps the accelerate switch and begins to pick up speed as she heads north along the west side of the van. As she banks hard around the front of the van, she reaches back and draws her katana, activating its thunder magic with a softly spoken word, "Kaminari." She banks again and bears down on the monster near Salvo.
She swings the katana at the monster when she gets in range.
+
+
Mick ignores the harpy thing in his face and instead snaps off a shot at the one threatening Pearl. His shot ricochets off the limo's frame instead. He rushes the rest of the way to stand beside the woman.
Pearl's eyes are wide, fearful, and unblinking. Then there's a small relief when Mick appears beside her. With her back to the limo she huddles next to the larger man, a professional at this sort of thing. His courage makes her feel a little safer, like they might just survive this.
Too bad she can't hit s~+%.
Tank zips around to shoot at the monster's back while Stringer rushes toward the limo, firing his shotgun at the same monster.
Keeping the weapon aimed at the last targets, Salvo raises his head to glance left and right for a moment. Noting Kat dispatched her target and Mick is with Pearl while Stringer and his drone are engaging close targets. He decides to fire on the same targets. Squeezing the trigger sends another 10 bullets at the two winged terrors.
Shaken and autofire mods added
As Kat's blade slices through the monster, a rumble like thunder erupts from the blade.
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Arcane Lore to ID these monsters?
'Salvo, and Pearl miss while Stringer's shotgun blows the creature near Pearl to pieces. Salvo still feels the uneasiness in his stomach. Stringer recognizes the creatures as harpies from Greek mythology although they don't seem to be singing now. And he wonder's what are they doing in Louisiana in the swamps?
Two of the creatures fly away from the limo and attack the party. The screams of the executives continue from inside.
Two finally break the windshield of the limo and throttle the driver.
While the ones of the guards continue their assault.
One of the guards. drops as the harpy claws his face.
Party is up!
Moving his eyes left and right again without moving his body. Confirms Kat engaged with one and Stringer, Mick, and Pearl engaging others.
After doing some quick math in his head. He thumbs the fire selector switch to single shot and squeezes the trigger. Aiming at ‘Light Green’.
Shaken mod added
Pearl gets grazed by the monster, but she shoots again.
Kat hops off her plank to face the harpy flying toward her with both her feet on the ground. She grips her katana with both hands and tries to avoid the claws, but takes a scratch across her shoulder. Then she swings her blade at the torso of the strange creature.
+
Mick hears the starter try and turn over and over again and realizes the limo's luck could change at any moment. Oh, no, Pearl's risk will be rewarded, he thinks as he ignores the monsters and takes aim at the front tire of the limo.
Stringer drops to the ground as one of the harpies slashes him with her claws, frantically trying to shoot the mythical monster. "TANK! OVER HERE!" The little gun-bot turns and obediently starts plinking away at the creature attacking its boss.
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Salvo damages the one attacking the driver as the bullets rip into the harpy's chest as Pearl's shot goes wide.
Kat however strikes with deadly accuracy and the katana slices the harpy near her in two. Blood flies everywhere.
Mick hits the tire and the heavy slug causes it to deflate. But the driver doesn't seem to notice as he drops unconscious.
Crit confirm?
The drone wounds the creature as the Mossbery opens a hole in it's chest.
The harpy's leave the guards and head to the party as the guards try to hit the harby's with their pistol butts.
While the one on Pearl attacks again.
One attacks Stringer, leaving the guards.
Another sticks it's head in the limo and claws the exectuives as they continue to scream. And another screatches at it's comrade beings ripped by sword and shotgun and starts towards Kat.
Party up again!
Noting the creature's attention has shifted to the party.
Well, they are all after us now. And why is this a good thing?
After a quick scan of the battle.
”Mick! Help Stringer. Kat! Incoming! Peal, keep shooting. They don’t like it.”
Taking aim and squeezing off another shot at ‘Light Green’. Slavo then moves toward Stringer.
Shaken mod added
Pearl is hurt bad this time, but she keeps shooting.
Stringer screams as a second harpy descends on him, firing his shotgun in a wild attempt to put this one down. "TANK! Support! Here!" The gun-toting drone switches targets as commanded.
8
Kat takes a step back to have the truck at her back, to make it harder for the approaching harpies to flank her. She holds her katana in an en garde stance. Her focus is momentarily diverted by the sight of blood on her blade. She has never used her sword to actually kill an opponent. But her discipline kicks in and she prepares to attack the first harpy foolish enough to come in reach of the deadly blade.
Ready attack:
+
Mick curses inwardly as Pearl is wounded rather viciously. He drops the gun to the soft ground and whips open the collapsible baton. "Hey, ugly!" he shouts at the harpy thing before taking a swing at it.
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Kat once again flies towards the harpy and cuts it in two, blood flying across the blade.
The shotgun wounds the one near Pearl as Mick finishes it off with his baton.
Salvo rakes another one with his M16. The executives continue to cry out but seeing the harpies fall gives them heart. The two remaining harpies fly straight up and angle away but their slow wings makes them still in range of the parties guns.
Party is up again!
Salvo watches the Harpies retreat for a moment. Then takes off running after them.
”Going to see if I can tell where they are going. Mick triage the injuries.”
Pausing to toss his first aid kit to Mick.
”Be back in a few. Don’t worry I won’t go 'Wild Bunch'. Just want to do a little recon.”
Mick grabs the first aid kit and rushes to Pearl's side. He cleans her wounds and wraps the claw marks with a liberal amount of gauze. "I don't think you'll need stitches, but we better keep a close eye on this."
He turns to the disabled limo once this task is completed and taps on the glass with the baton. "Hey! It's time we had a chat, dontcha think?" He asks the trapped executives before picking his Krait back up and wiping the mud off.
We were no closer to finding Lou, and the longer it took, the more sure I was we would end our search with a wake. The sewers were a dangerous gamble that left us feeding dropped quarters into slots in the hope of winning bus fare home. But we hit the triple bar. Now we sat face to face with people who could give us real answers.
The problem was, I had dealt with their type before. Educated. Cunning. Privileged. Practiced liars. Corporate executives, or more likely these guys played executive from their middle management offices, know to keep their secrets hidden. Sometimes even from themselves. But these guys were caught red-handed. We have video from Stringer's drones. They'll talk, it's just a matter of how many fingers I have to break first...
Kat hops back on her board and rides it quietly toward the limo, the leaving harpy blood on the katana as an indication she was not to be messed with. She stops about ten feet from the right side doors of the limo covering that side should any of the executives try to run away.
Although outwardly calm, her heart is racing as the adrenaline of fighting monster from a mythology textbook come to life courses through her system. Some of the blood from the recent kills forms red lines along her gi and up one cheek.
Pearl is starting to seriously question recent life choices.
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We were no closer to finding Lou, and the longer it took, the more sure I was we would end our search with a wake. The sewers were a dangerous gamble that left us feeding dropped quarters into slots in the hope of winning bus fare home. But we hit the triple bar. Now we sat face to face with people who could give us real answers.
The problem was, I had dealt with their type before. Educated. Cunning. Privileged. Practiced liars. Corporate executives, or more likely these guys played executive from their middle management offices, know to keep their secrets hidden. Sometimes even from themselves. But these guys were caught red-handed. We have video from Stringer's drones. They'll talk, it's just a matter of how many fingers I have to break first...
Halting after running about 50 yards and grabbing the binoculars, still hanging around his neck, intently scanning the sky as he tries to keep sight of the Harpies.