GIRLS in Merctown

[Megan Price]

(Rolls Held)

Cordelia sits reading the files. She has been trying to reference the information into charts and visual representations. She still does not see and obvious correlation. I can render a few guesses but at this point they would just be guesses
She takes a break to get some coffee and walks over to where Susan is with James when Megan approaches.

"I think the Harkin imposter might still be in the building. I was reviewing the security footage and watched the door open but no one exited the building. Yes, it could mean that the imposter left invisibly, but we can't discount the fact that also could have been misdirect to get us to all leave the building hunting for it. We need to conduct a thorough search of the hangar to ensure it's safety. Also, Susan I need you to call Jez directly and give her a sitrep."

Cordelia stops in her tracks for one whole second. My armor and my gun are up in my room.
She calmly sits her coffee down and checks her personal forcefield. She is starting to overthink the situation. Her calm is starting to fade and the flop sweat is increasing.
" Er.. um.. Megan.. what do you think I shoud be doing?" She asks timidly.
"I dont have a weapon or anything but pens and pencils."
She then contemplates locking herself in the bathroom. She quickly dismisses the idea and takes a deep breath to fortify her nerves and stands up straight. I can do this. Lets get this thing and be heroes.

No weapons? What kind of mercenary doesn't have any weapons? Shit, she probably means on her. This is kinda like her home after all. Megan sighs in frustration for a moment as she tries to order her thoughts. "How are you with finding concealed spaces, or noticing things in general? You probably know this hangar better than me, even if only by a little bit, so where in here could a potential assassin/thief go to hide?" Megan asks Cordelia before another thought strikes her. "Jez does leave her robot vehicle locked up when it's in the hangar, right?"

Leaving Cordelia to get armed and prepped to guard the door, Megan escorts Susan to her room so she can collect her firearm saying to her "Does Jez have a radio? Because I could have done that with my implant. What I don't have is a MTE Cellphone. I used to, but then my contract expired and I had no use for it as at the time the only person I knew in town is Fixer Jones. But now I have a reason again to get one. I just need to make sure I can afford it first.". The the two of them then begin their sweep of the hangar.

[Lucille Davis]

**rolls held**

Susan looks at Megan, nods, and jacks into her Wilk's Secure Walkie Talkie. *cough* Is this thing on? Me me me me... GIRLS, this is Dr. Susan Radio live and on the air. I propose we stop speaking out loud as much as possible. Commander, please return to the hangar immediately, we may have the assassin on premises.

The assassin may be masquerading as brown Co-Employer. Blonde Co-Employer is also here and those of us onsite will proceed with lockdown procedures. None of us are in armor, however, so there is a not-insignificant chance we will all be vaporized.

Lucy picks up on Susan's not so subtle vibs. "Val, Spirit-abs, sounds like we might be in for a bumpy ride, and I'm not just talking about my driving!" she snorts. "And uh, Spirit-abs, perhaps remain invisible if you can? Maybe you, in your mystical ways, can achieve the element of surprise on our intruder?" She begins mentally reviewing her spell for Armor of Ithan, checking that the wiring she worked into her roadrunner armor is in place and ready for action, all while ignoring the occasional bump of a MercTown pothole.

As they arrive at the hanger, Lucy radios in "T-10 seconds for the Mountaineer to land - orders?"

[Megan Price]

(Rolls Held)

"Actually, I have a thought a non-technological, non-mystical means of detecting the invisible. I'll be right back." Megan exclaims excitedly as she runs off to the kitchen and grabs all the flour she can and brings it back to the group. When she comes back, she takes a pinch of it in her open palm and gently blows it onto someone as way of demonstration. "If we suspect the imposter is nearby, dusting them with flour should briefly outline where they are!"

[Underguard]

Location: New Pudacah; 'Merctown'
Time: 11:30am (10 Minutes have passed) ;; December 23 111PA, Saturday
Weather: About 50*F (10*C) ; Clear Skies ; No winds

[Flirts]
Jez and Amber

Jez turns the floor over to Amber who rightly suspects there is a little more than meets the eye as she addresses the guard. He shifts and glances at his coworker before shaking his head once and sighing. "Right before he ate it, I saw a hooded patron in the bar. What stood out was the hood, cause it was a good night and the interior is quiet comfortable. It was as if they were specifically trying to avoid being seen." The human answers and the Dbee nods, continuing where he left off.

"After he went down, the defenders were called and all patrons were interviewed. That individual was not there." He points up to the camera at the door. "That camera also did not pick up our guest, nor the back entrance. One of the reasons the boss is adding interior cameras, apparently door cameras just don't cover it in today's age." The Dbee states.

"And I didn't mention it cause, well, it's not a whole lot to go on. A hood. It was dark in there, no clue on color or what was underneath. Didn't even see the rest of the body." The human finishes and the Dbee nods, both Amber and Jez see the other two nodding in unison. Amber at this point is quite sure that they aren't hiding anything else.

With some extra details, the two then make their way back to the Hanger.

[Crimson Dragon]
Lucille

Lucille thinks on technological methods for invisibility and a true cloaking field has never been fully developed and put into the public sector that didn't involve magic. It is technically within the scope of technology, however. There are Techno-Wizard cloaking devices that use invisibility spells that she has heard off, but even those aren't full proof.

When she accepts the offer, the man clasps his hands together with a grin. "Excellent! I'm sure we'll be in touch soon. Now, off you go!" He says and ushers the three out. Lucille begins the walk back to the Hanger with Valrun, the Spirit and the body in tow.

[The Hanger]
[Susan, Cordelia, Megan]

As Megan realizes they are not alone, she calls out to everyone, who is still on the ground floor, then explains in further detail. Cordelia isn't sure what to do and seeks guidance from Megan who gives her a couple ideas.

Cordelia isn't sure about finding compartments but she's good at finding contraband or places to store it, and notes that the air ducts on the ceiling are large enough for a person to maneuver in with relative ease. Susan takes her queue and immediately sends a message to Jez. Brooks draws a Naruni gun and taps something on his shoulder. Susan and Megan both see a thin shield form around the mercenary who has a concerned look on his face. He unholsters his second pistol and tosses it to Cordelia.

"Hey, Redhead. Use this, I want it back if we survive this. It's a Widow-Maker, it's got four shots so use it wisely. I didn't bring extra ammo." Brooks says to Cordelia. Susan is, at the very least, moderately reassured that while the Harkin was fake, this Brooks does seem to be the real deal and still an ally.

Unfortunately, Jezebel's orders to not alert the assassin was too little, too late as Megan's original outburst likely did that for them.

As Susan heads to her room to grab her weapon, there is an abrupt CRASH! up on an upper level. Megan and Cordelia can't quite place where, but Susan feels her gut drop as it sounds like it came from her lab where the blood sample was going through a test. When she gets to her lab, alone or not, she does not see the Harkin look-alike but sees the lab equipment destroyed and the sample gone.

Megan runs into the kitchen and grabs some flour, dusting Cordelia to demonstrate before beginning to sweep the lower level.

[Enroute]
Jez and Amber book it and arrive at the hanger, with Lucille and Valrun in tow. The spirit remains outside with the body as Lucille, Jez, Amber and Valrun enter the premsis.

Jez, Lucille and Amber immediately notice that James is unconscious with a splint on a couch, Brooks looking towards the upper level and Cordelia standing near him looking at the ceiling ducts and is partially covered in flour. Susan is no where to be seen and Megan is already moving, sweeping the lower level with a handful of flour.

GM Note:
Please include initiatives and a D20 save roll. Not combat posting (yet). Any applicable skills, or intentions. Contingencies would also be welcomed.

[Megan Price]

Perception: [dice]0[/dice]/63% (+15% when either Multi-Optic Eyes or Amplified Hearing are active, +30% when both are active)
Just In Case: [dice]1[/dice]/[dice]2[/dice]
Constant Effects: Sound Filtration System, Universal Head-Jack
Current Effects, Other: Multi-Optic Eye (Zooming, Thermal, Filters), Amplified Hearing
Initiative: [dice]3[/dice]
Saving Throw: [dice]4[/dice]

As quickly as she can while maintaining stealth, Megan moves toward the noise (Prowl [dice]5[/dice]/52%). Looking around the lab, she tries to determine the best place to spring an ambush (Detect Ambush [dice]6[/dice]/57%). While she does this, she starts tossing flour in the air with one hand, trying to see if the flour particles float in an unnatural way indicating the presence of an unseen object, coat something invisible, or just disappear from sight. As she goes about her work, Megan asks Susan "Susan, what exactly did you have going on in here?"

[Lucille Davis]

Perception: [dice]0[/dice] / 28% (+15% for magic or machines)
JiC d20/d100: [dice]1[/dice] / [dice]2[/dice]
Initiative: [dice]3[/dice]
Save Roll: [dice]4[/dice]

Lucy adjusts the straps on her armor before heading into the hanger to find... What the hell is going on in here? Lucy notices she's leaving footprints in a light dusting of... "Is this chalk dust? I remember clapping erasers back my Northern Gun primary school days - Ms Jones was super strict if you got into trouble with her, even if you were a smarty." It dawns on her, from the likely looks this elicits from the others in the hanger, that this may not be the best time for a trip down irrelevant memory lane. "Oh, right. Sorry - assassin in the chalky mists."

Understanding that the assassin may be invisible but still thinking that it must be more than technological, Lucy casts See the Invisible (4 PPE) through her helmet's HUD, followed by Sense Magic (4 PPE), to see if she can detect the assassin's presence.

"I'm going to grab the bullet from my workstation - it showed me the assassin once, so maybe I can get a repeat performance out of it." Although still noting some psychic fatigue from the previous evening and uncertain if lightning will strike twice, Lucy heads to her workstation, her eyes dodging here and there to detect any unfamiliar movement, though she can sense that she's more jumping at. Finding her workstation trashed is a sudden shock, causing her to gasp, her eyes going wide. All that beautiful new equipment. Wrecked! How? Why??? She can feel tears welling up into the corner of her eyes, but shakes them away. Someone. Must. Pay. she thinks, her face becoming a bit flush as adrenaline replaces her tears and an anger at unwonted violence hurled at her precious machines builds up inside her. And for what?

[If somehow the bullet's location eluded the intruder:] Lucy will attempt to perform an Object Read on it.

Object Read

Object Read (6 ISP + 4 ISP for Present)
Duration: [dice]5[/dice] minutes
Impressions: [dice]6[/dice] / 64%
Images: [dice]7[/dice] / 56%
Present: [dice]8[/dice] / 46%

[Assuming the bullet is missing:] Lucy will turn away from her workstation, check the straps securing her vibro-sword, and pull out her 9mm Mauser. "Oh yes, they will pay." She will march back to the hanger, thinking of all of the spells she could cast though her weapons to deliver justice to her fallen mechanical allies.

[If the sounds of combat erupt:] If she thinks she has time, Lucy will cast Armor of Ithan on herself before heading to the source of the sound, guns hot.

Regardless, Lucy's roadrunner helmet chirps with the pleasant sounds of Susan's mental shouts. "Aye Susan! I can hear you loud and clear - and loud! Ah, over.". If any of the GIRLS in the hanger don't seem to get the message, Lucy will cheerfully tell them that Susan requests secure radios.

[Cordelia]

Perception: [dice]0[/dice]
JIC: [dice]1[/dice]
JIC: [dice]2[/dice]

Cordelia is trying to stay calm and search. He mind is racing. She is scanning the area from the ceiling down for hiding places. [dice]3[/dice] Find Contraband 65% She greedily takes the weapon from Brooks when he hands it over. She examines it for a moment to get the operation of it into her mind.
"Thank you, are we sure this thing is actually invisible and not just something else like a temporal wizard. Or he didn't shapeshift into something we wouldn't be looking for. Maybe he turned into a mouse or a fly and buzzed out.
Maybe turned real thin and he's hiding behind a hat rack. I don't think we have a hat rack. Maybe..." Cordelia caught herself babbling.
She sees reinforcements show up. "Good timing. Whats the plan now. Lets get this thing."

[Lucille Davis]

**rolls held**

"Lucy, I'm not magic. Can you protect me from being vaporized with your magic? Say yes."

[Assuming Sense Magic is active:] Lucy looks Susan up and down. "Nope. You ain't magic. But you do got 'em lovely amulets! Now you hold real still - it's been a while since I had to get this enchantment through a pistol." Lucy levels her NE Classic 9mm at Susan's chest, poking her just under the sternum. Hope this works! she prays to Mammu and casts Armor of Ithan (10 PPE) at the closest of point blank ranges on to Susan.

[Underguard]

Location: New Pudacah; 'Merctown'
Time: 11:35am (5 Minutes have passed) ;; December 23 111PA, Saturday
Weather: About 50*F (10*C) ; Clear Skies ; No winds

With everyone back at the hanger, there is chaos. The radio is flooded with calls from multiple people as well as the sounds of voices from those near each other on in the hanger makes hearing anything out of the ordinary impossible.

Amber quickly activates her ability to see what cannot be seen and draws her weapon as she enters the hanger with Jezebel and is able to acquire a radio near James. Megan does not see anything amiss with her flour tossing, though she does accidentally knock over a small box while scouring, which alerts Amber and Jez to her immediate location on the upper level near Susan's Lab. Megan notes that the hanger is such an open space, that the best places for ambush seems to be either individual rooms or entrances/exits, and she can see Jez, Amber and Valrun enter from below.

Jez tries to instill some degree of order amid the chaos she sees, calling for her team to guard the exits in an effort to box them in. Valrun answers Jez's initial call and remains by the entrance they just entered from, Brooks also elects to remain near said entrance. Jezebel hears Susan call on the radio, as does everyone else. Lucille runs to her workstation to search for the bullet only to find it a mess on the first floor, and the bullet as well as the case are both gone. Cursing under her breathe, she readies herself and weapons as she turns to face the interior of the hanger.

As Cordelia turns to see Jez and Amber enter and greets the pair, Cordelia, along with Amber, Jez, Megan and Lucille all here a loud *CLUNK* that seems to come from the ground floor, near Lucille's station in the back, before a whirring noise seems to increase before dying. Suddenly, all the lights in the Hanger go out and the room is flooded by the ambient light from the small windows that line the ceiling. Coredelia, as well as Amber, are barely able to make out the silhouettes of Jez and bump into each other at the sudden change in lighting, which nearly knocks Cordelia over. Megan is able to flip through her multi-optic cybernetic eye but doesn't see anything else in the room. She is able to read the body heat signatures from the thermals but only counts those she knows to be there; Jez, Amber, Lucille, Susan, Valrun, James (unconscious) and Brooks. She can't really tell the different between them, but she does peg the heat signatures. Jezebel is similarly able to scope the area out using her thermals and does picks up the same readings as Megan.

As Susan moves to run downstairs to ask Lucille for assistance, after activating her own amulet, she very nearly trips on the scaffolding but manages to barely catch herself as she hit the steps just as the lights go out. Jezebel, for one, feels suddenly at home in a mostly darkened environment and is able to see rather well. There is another *CLUNK*, this time from one of the upper levels that everyone can hear. Lucille, being near the back where the first noise was, doesn't see, but hears a rapid patter of steps on the concrete near her that quickly ascends the stairwell next to her. Megan also hears the patter of footsteps on the stairwell near where Susan was headed, but doesn't pick up any signature but Susans.

GM Notes:
Current Locations; Jez, Amber, Lucille, Cordelia, Valrun and Brooks (NPC) are on First floor.
Susan and Megan are on the second with Megan being near Susan's lab, and Susan being about 45 feet away on the stairwell.

Lights (and power) is out, there is only ambient light from a line of 8x1 windows just underneath the ceiling. The ambient light is barely enough to make out silhouettes if you concentrate.

[Lucille Davis]

Perception: [dice]0[/dice] / 28% (+15% for magic or machines)
JiC d20/d100: [dice]1[/dice] / [dice]2[/dice]

Conditions: See the Invisible (Duration: 4 min), Sense Magic (Duration: 8 min)

The loud clunk from the upper level snaps Lucy out of an image in her mind where she was about to shoot Susan with magical armor. Well, that's a bit over the top. Shaking it off and now in the dark, Lucy gets a bit worried. Time for some defensive action, girl she thinks as she sends mystical energy through her Roadrunner Ride Armor to reinforce it with Armor of Ithan.

The sounds of movement on the concrete and up the stairs draws her attention. "GIRLS, just heard the pitter-padder of tiny feet headed up the stairwell next to me. Let's see here if some light won't illuminate this uninvited guest of ours." She takes aim with her 9mm and fires a Globe of Daylight up in the direction of the footstep sounds.

Initiative: [dice]3[/dice]
Action 1: Cast Armor of Ithan through her armor (40MDC [half dmg from magical fire/lightning/cold], Duration: 4 min, 10 PPE)
Action 2: Fire a Globe of Daylight (AoE: 14.4m area, Duration: 12 min, 2 PPE)

If she can now see the intruder under the glorious revelation of natural sunlight, then:
Action 3: Fire a Blinding Flash (1 PPE)
Action 4: Fire a Magic Net (AoE: 3m, 7 PPE)
Action 5: Dodge any return fire [dice]4[/dice]

Otherwise:
Actions 3-5: Move the Globe of Daylight around to hunt for the intruder (Spd 12)

If Susan gets in range of Lucy and the intruder hasn't been found, then she will take an action to pull the stunt she originally planned and fire Armor of Ithan on her. Ditto Cordelia (though without the drama - Cordy seems like she might just faint with a gun to her chest.)

[Cordelia]

Perception: [dice]0[/dice]
JIC: [dice]1[/dice]
JIC: [dice]2[/dice]


Cordelia is trying her best to keep it together. Her mind is racing. She turns to Amber. "I have an idea..."
The power goes out. Cordelia stumbles and smacks into Amber, who catches her. "oh jeez" She gets her feet back and tries to adjust to the light. "this sucks, but I still got this" she whispers in the dark. She recieves her orders from Jez.

"I'm going radio silent. Nobody gets through these doors."

She nods in comprehension and darts over to grab some flour. It seems further in the dark with a potential killer on the loose. Cordelia covers the hall area between the main door and the door to the hangar with flour. She then approaches Brooks. She gulps a little. This is a dumb plan "Hold still Mr. Brooks I dont do this with men too often."
She takes a minute to size him up and changes her appearance to match his. She winks at him and speaks in her own voice. "As long as I shut up we should pass as twins in this light." She checks her forcefield again. this plan sucks She grabs the smaller furniture in the area and puts it in front of the doors. She then slides the couch over to the desk and makes some concealment to hide behind and with Brooks help positions herself, and unconscious James in the hiding place. She holds up with the pistol Brooks gave her and watches the flour and the doors. "Stay hidden Mr. Brooks and we may live until tomorrow."
Cordelias eyes have adjusted to the light but there isn't much of it. This is a dumb Idea.

[Megan Price]

Perception: [dice]0[/dice]/66% (+15% when either Multi-Optic Eyes or Amplified Hearing are active, +30% when both are active)
Just In Case: [dice]1[/dice]/[dice]2[/dice]
Constant Effects: Sound Filtration System, Universal Head-Jack
Current Effects, Other: Multi-Optic Eye (Thermal Imaging, Nightvision), Amplified Hearing focusing on the footstep heading toward Susan
Initiative: [dice]3[/dice]

Listening to the chaos over the radio, Megan bemoans the lack of radio etiquette. Then the lights go out. Oh you have got to be kidding me! What does an individual who is capable of being invisible to technology and shape shifting to look like anyone need with removing lights? Either they are visible to magic and/or psychic powers, my thought to dust the air to reveal them scared them into thinking it would counter their abilities, just wanting to cause general mayhem, or some combination of those three. And if they are wanting to cause mayhem, it's probably because they are afraid of discovery without it. The last thought puts a smile on Megan's lips as she feels a renewed sense of hope they can do this.

She scans the interior of the hangar counting heat signatures and concluding that she still can't find the intruder that way, but when she hears the footsteps, she focuses on the area that they seem to be coming from to try and see if see footprints being made in flour already on the floor or an an natural breeze blowing papers askew from the intruder running by. Megan will blindly fire her grapnel launcher at the space she thinks the intruder is in an attempt to entangle them in the line. She will also defend herself from any possible incoming attacks.

Action 1: Determine the intruder's location (based on Perception check)
Action 2: Blindly fire grapnel launcher [dice]4[/dice]
Action 3: Reel line in on a miss, or attempt to tie them up [dice]5[/dice]
Action 4: Blindly fire grapnel launcher [dice]9[/dice], or attempt to tie them up [dice]6[/dice]
Action 5: Reel line in on a miss, or attempt to tie them up [dice]7[/dice]
Action 6: Blindly fire grapnel launcher [dice]10[/dice], or attempt to tie them up [dice]8[/dice]

[Underguard]

Location: New Pudacah; 'Merctown'
Time: 11h:35m:15s (15 Seconds have passed) ;; December 23 111PA, Saturday
Weather: About 50*F (10*C) ; Clear Skies ; No winds

Amber readies herself for the inevitable conflict by activating her psionic body field, while similarly Lucille activates her own magical armor of Ithan. Both on the ground floor, Amber sees the silhouettes as her eyes adjust, though Lucille does spot Susan on the stairwell. Much to Lucille’s surprise, there is a dark figure next to Susan that she cannot identify.

Susan’s eyes do not adjust as quickly, though with the ambient light, she sees someone next to her and a pair of red glowing iris’s flash eye level with her as she feels herself get pushed down the stairs. Susan is barely able to catch herself by holding onto the rail. Jezebel clears the stairwell by leaping from the ground level to the catwalk above and spots a darkened silhouette that does not register on her heat scanner, Jez also saw this silhouette standing where Susan fell. Megan scans for heat signatures, only to come up with the same signatures as before. Susan, after catching herself, heads downstairs away from whatever pushed her.

Amber opens her mind’s eye to her surroundings and sees everything that cannot normally be seen, and using this radar-like mental vision, Amber sees the silhouette at the top of the stairwell where Susan used to be. Suddenly, there is a blinding flash of light as Lucille fires a Globe of Daylight which acts not unlike a flare amid the darkened interior. Jezebel is forced to close her eyes and the light nearly gives the Arismal a headache.

Megan spots the silhouette from the ground floor thanks to the light and it does resemble Harkin. She fires her grapnel weapon at it and is shocked as the intruder seems to swerve around it and seemingly begins to move towards Jez. Lucille then takes this time to cast Armor of Ithan on both Susan and Cordelia. Cordelia, after receiving armor of Ithan, remains on the ground floor near the entry way, armed with Brook’s widow-maker though nothing else.

As Jez recovers her eyesight and opens her eyes, she is surprised to see the intruder heading straight towards her. Ignoring her demands, a pair of red iris’s bleed through the face of Harkin as his hands extend and a sonic-like blast erupts and fires towards Jez. Jez dodges the blast before firing her own. Jez, aiming at the leg, fires and immediately sees that the leg she just hit is not a normal human. The blast from her widowmaker tears flesh off but does not slow down the intruder and reveals a metallic-like structure under the skin.

Amber attempts a bio-manipulation attack on the intruder but does not see any effect as the intruder does not slow down. Lucille tries to fire a magic net at the Intruder after armoring both Cordelia and Susan, but from the first floor, and it being on the second, is not able to get a clear line of sight. Susan beckons those near her to head outside with her and watch the exterior after getting her armor of Ithan, Brooks goes with her, leaving Valrun and Cordelia at the door.

Before Jez can fire a second volley, the Intruder B-lines towards one of the nearby windows and spearheads through it. The glass shattering as it dives out. Jez is fast and follows it to the window and sees it land outside and do a roll before sprinting towards the interior of Merctown. Brooks and Susan round the corner outside of the building just in time to hear the glass shatter from above them and watch as the intruder spearheads easily 75 feet away before landing, rolling and continuing full sprint towards Merctown.

GM Note: You can choose to pursue, but if you do not, you are not in combat. If you do, post combat-posts.

[Lucille Davis]

Perception: [dice]0[/dice] / 28% (+15% for magic or machines)
JiC d20/d100: [dice]1[/dice] / [dice]2[/dice]

Conditions: See the Invisible (Duration: 3m45s remaining), Sense Magic (Duration: 7m45s remaining), Armor of Ithan (40 MDC, Duration: 4min)

Well that went about as well as could be expected, Lucy thinks as her web goes wide and the Harkin-faced intruder escapes via defenestration. Having possibly but accidentally terrified Susan and Cordelia with her pistol of reinforcement, she follows Susan's motion to move outside and, with Jez in hot pursuit, decides to give change and try to get in range for another netting attempt. Through the rhythmic beat of her feet, she pushes her lanky limbs ahead at speed. I hope that Jez can slow him down, she huffs to herself as she readies her pistol.

Initiative: [dice]3[/dice]
Non-Combat Action: Give chase to the intruder to get with a 60' range (Speed 15, so about 75 yd/m per melee)

If Lucy gets in range:
Action 1: Fire a Blinding Flash (Range 60', 1 PPE)
Action 2: Fire a Blinding Flash (Range 60', 1 PPE)
Action 3-5: Fire Magic Nets until one is successful (Range: 60', AoE: 3m, 7 PPE)

Dodge any return fire [dice]4[/dice], [dice]5[/dice], [dice]6[/dice]

Otherwise:
Just keep running!

[Cordelia]

Perception: [dice]0[/dice]
JIC: [dice]1[/dice]
JIC: [dice]2[/dice]

Cordelia is trying to bunker herself and Brooks into the reception area by the front door. She is making herself a decoy by looking like their new employer. She is doing a good job of keeping her wits about her. She only jumps a little bit when Lucille shoots her with armor from her gun.
She is not completely sure whats going on elsewhere in the hangar. She hears commotion. She hears Jez shouting.
The sound of breaking glass and its outside now. Cordelia runs to the door.
Its gonna get away.
SHe turns to Val and Brooks. "Lets go!" She darts into the hangar and to the vehicles. Salamander is not a chase vehicle. She looks around quickly. Lucilles Mountaineer. She jumps in. Cordelia has never driven one before. She has only ever driven her giant hovercraft RV. Im a smart educated woman. I got this. She psyc's herself up.
If it is possible to start the vehicle Cordelia will drive out of the hangar and after the subject, picking up Jezebel and Lucille along the way.

[Megan Price]

Perception: [dice]0[/dice]/66% (+15% when either Multi-Optic Eyes or Amplified Hearing are active, +30% when both are active)
Just In Case: [dice]1[/dice]/[dice]2[/dice]
Constant Effects: Sound Filtration System, Universal Head-Jack
Current Effects, Other: Multi-Optic Eye (Thermal Imaging, zooming), Amplified Hearing
Initiative: [dice]3[/dice]

Megan reels in her grapnel launcher and fires it at the rafters in the roof to zip line herself down to the floor. She runs to the door on the wall with the window that the imposter jumped through, spots him/she/it and Jez running towards MercTown itself, zooms in, and realizes that they are both running way too fast for Megan to stand a chance to catch up, so instead she decides to see what she can do to getting power to the hangar restored by locating where it had been disrupted and seeing whether she can fix it.

Action 1: Reel in Grapnel Launcher
Action 2: Fire Grapnel Launcher at rafters in the roof
Action 3: Zip line down to the ground floor. Climbing/Rappelling [dice]4[/dice]/62%/52%
Action 4: Run to door to see where the imposter is.
Action 5: Realize she doesn't stand a prayer to catching up with him or Jez
Action 6: Look for where power was disrupted (If found, General Repair and Maintenance to assess any damage [dice]5[/dice]/47%

[Underguard]

Location: New Pudacah; 'Merctown'
Time: 11h:35m:30s (15 Seconds have passed) ;; December 23 111PA, Saturday
Weather: About 50*F (10*C) ; Clear Skies ; No winds

[The Chase]
Jezebel flips hers optic glasses and in the second it took her to do that, sees that the assassin is continuing at a full speed dash; much faster than any normal human or superhuman she has ever met. Leaping from the window, she is able to land in front of the assassin and attempts to goad the assassin into fighting her. Much to her own surprise, her voice cracks mid sentence however the assassin doesn't seem to respond at all. It simply ignores her and does a sharp turn around her and continues towards the walls of Merctown, the wind from its speed actually moving Jezebel's hair. Taking aim, she fires two more shots with both seem to connect. It tears off parts of the overlay that covers the metallic underlay skeleton, but doesn't actually blow the leg off. She can see she's damaged it, but not hindered it. Jezebel also sees and hears several rounds whiz past her and impact the assassin in the back, it does not seem to react to the impacts.

All the while, the assassin charges ahead and nearly closes the distance on the wall. Jezebel can tell that this assassin is running faster than most land-borne vehicles drive and certainly faster than she's ever ran, and that it has one goal; to escape.

Field Run Map

[Those giving chase]
Lucille, Susan, Amber and Cordelia try their hardest to follow suit with Jezebel's extreme speed.

By the time that Lucille gets all the way outside, both Jezebel and the Assassin are nearly the size of her thumb off in the distance, running across the large open field between the hangar bays and Merctown. In lieu of other ideas, she proceeds and gives chase, though can quickly tell it is futile.

Amber, after shouting out to those around her, tears around the building and levels two burst volleys at the assassin. She is fairly confident she hit, however it doesn't seem like it slowed the assassin down.

Susan tries to order the false-harkin assassin to stop, though the assassin ignores her completely. She fires three rounds at the assassin as Jezebel gives chase, though she's only positive she connects with one, with one of her rounds whizzing near Jez which prompts her to rethink her stratagem.

Coredelia figures a vehicle will be able to catch up to the assassin. While the Mountaineer is unlocked and doesn't require a key to start, it takes Cordelia a several seconds determine which button is actually the button the turns the vehicle on. The Engine roars to life, though she is still in the hangar.

Hanger Full View Map

[The Hangar]

Meanwhile, Megan determines rather quickly she has no hope in hell of catching the assassin and decides to go onto problem number two, what the hell happened to their power. Checking the primary generator in the back of the main hangar after her zipline, Megan can see obvious signs of sabotage though it is beyond her ability to fix quickly. Megan figures the building has a backup generator somewhere and checks the Workshop Area(2) where Lucille was working on the bullet.

Inside, she finds the backup generator completely disconnected though not destroyed. It'd take her a minute or two but Megan is confident she can reconnect the backup generator and at least restore basic power to the hanger until a full diagnostic can be done.

Close Up Map

[Cordelia]

Perception: [dice]0[/dice]
JIC: [dice]1[/dice]
JIC: [dice]2[/dice]


I got it started!
Cordelia is still impersonating Brooks. She just cant do his voice.
If the hangar door is open Cordelia will put the vehicle in gear and drive out.
If the door is shut, the power is out. Cordelia will jump out find a manual release and push the door open. Then drive out.

Cordelia will then honk at which ever team mates are outside. "Get in loser, we're going shopping!" she shouts out the door.

She will wait for who ever gets in. Lucille ran after Jez and the assassin. Cordelia attempts to give pursuit.
She floors the Mountaineer and steers it toward where she sees Jezebel disappearing in the distance.

She stops for Lucille and immediately begins apologizing.
"Let me begin my 3 part apology by saying how beautiful you are. I need you to drive I don't know how to drive this thing. But whatever we need to hurry Its getting away."

[Lucille Davis]

Perception: [dice]0[/dice] / 28% (+15% for magic or machines)
JiC d20/d100: [dice]1[/dice] / [dice]2[/dice]

Conditions: See the Invisible (Duration: 3m30s remaining), Sense Magic (Duration: 7m30s remaining), Armor of Ithan (40 MDC, Duration: 3m45s remaining)

Lucy huffs, and puffs, and... lowers her gun down to her side and wipes the sheen from her brow, coming to a halt, hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. "Damn," she wheeze, "this Harkin-bot is one fast..." She turns suddenly at a sound from behind her. "...was that the Mountaineer kicking over?" Oh the HELL someone's trying to steal my ride! She gives one last glance back at the pin prick of a man disappearing into the looming walls of Merctown proper. And! A leaping valkyrie of vengeance and death! Get 'em boss!

She turns back towards the base, and raises her pistol. Out of her helmet speakers, she roars, "Whoever avhe skator is in my mountaineer better think twice, before I rain down fire and lightning and incinerate the flesh from your bones!" Too much? she wonders and she walks purposefully back toward the hanger, aligning her sights to appearance location of the rumbling of her engine.

[Megan Price]

Perception: [dice]0[/dice]/66% (+15% when either Multi-Optic Eyes or Amplified Hearing are active, +30% when both are active)
Just In Case: [dice]1[/dice]/[dice]2[/dice]
Constant Effects: Sound Filtration System, Universal Head-Jack
Current Effects, Other: Multi-Optic Eye (Zooming and Thermals as needed), Amplified Hearing
Init: [dice]3[/dice]

Megan looks around the room for a moment then thinks to herself What in the blazes am I doing in here when the fight is out there? Then begins to remove her armor so she can get suited up in her Wild Weasel.

Action 1-6: Remove ATEA-50 Supai Stealth Armor

(OOC: I'm not entirely sure how long the removal process is)

[Underguard]

Location: New Pudacah; 'Merctown'
Time: 11h:40m:30s (5 minutes have passed) ;; December 23 111PA, Saturday
Weather: About 50*F (10*C) ; Clear Skies ; No winds

[The Chase]

Jezebel watches as the assassin extends the distance on her from and takes advantage of her superior leaping ability. As the assassin reaches the Merctown all and starts heading towards the nearest gate, the Arismal leaps. Covering ground much faster and further than her normal run could take her, and she connects to the square of the assassin's back and amid her connection, plants a tracer on the body before kicking off. The impact drives the assassin forward nearly fifty feet as it slams into the side of the wall.

Jezebel notices something when she makes contact, while she felt clothing and skin, her foot stings from the hardened subsurface of the metallic structure underneath it all. Falling back in a ruse of pain to her leg, the assassin recovers and continues on, not even looking back at her, though she can tell she seriously damaged the thing as it struggles to get its pace back going. She’s also sure that its only goal is to escape, not fight.

It rounds the corner to the gate as Jezebel hears the call on the radio from Susan to the Defenders. When Jezebel rounds the corner, however, she sees the Defenders at a heightened state of alertness, though the assassin is nowhere to be seen. Her tracer does show the assassin as being inside the walls. Jez looks back and sees the Mountaineer rolling up and picking up both Lucille and Amber before it heads her way.

[Further behind]

Amber continues her pursuit and quickly finds the assassin out of her weapon's range, though she continue to follow. Lucille, on the other hand, stops and catches her breathe as she hears the Mountaineer roar to life and leave the hanger. As she turns around to the hanger, she sees the Mountaineer heading directly towards her. It pulls over besides her and sees the body of Cordelia with the face of Brooks as she hears Cordelia's voice call out to her telling her to get in.

Moments later, the pair also pick up Amber as the Mountaineer is much faster than Amber is on foot. It takes about another couple of minutes for them the trio to reach the wall.

[Back at the Hanger]

Susan calls out to the radio as she begins the long process of getting into her armor, something the scientist is not all that accustomed too yet. She hears clatter down below. Megan strips from her Stealth Armor and can get into her Wild Weasel in the time it takes for Susan to become fully armored.

The pair of GIRLS finds Brooks in the hanger tending to James. He looks at the pair of them and waves them down. "Hey, your boy woke up for a couple seconds then passed back out. And that other redhead grabbed the mountaineer before speeding off to the gate. My vic isn't here but I can call my sister to bring it here to give us a lift to follow your crew if you want?"


GM Notes:
Jez can choose to jump in the Mountaineer or go solo. If tailing, post applicable skills.
The Mountaineer can also enter Merctown from this gate
No longer in combat.

[Lucille Davis]

Perception: [dice]0[/dice] / 28% (+15% for magic or machines)
JiC d20/d100: [dice]1[/dice] / [dice]2[/dice]

Conditions: Sense Magic (Duration: 2m30s remaining)

Obscured momentarily by the sight of her pistol, Lucy finds Brooks in her cross hairs, but with the familiar voice Cordelia requesting her to get in. "Gruumsh girl! If you so much as grind a gear on my ATV, well..." she holsters her pistol and climbs in, "I don't even know what, just you take care of her now." Good thing I didn't fry 'her' on sight - could have busted out a window!

“Do either of you have any ideas ladies or what this thing could be?” Amber will listen to any theories put forth by Lucille or Cordelia.

Lucy furrows her brow, "Well, hiuk moavher’uk, I've met some 'borg legs in my day, but... this one seems... welp, down right unusual."

Mechanical Engineer 64% / [dice]3[/dice] (to pitch some ideas about cyborgs)
Electrical Engineering 64% / [dice]4[/dice]
TW Construction 90% / [dice]5[/dice] (...and how cyborgs might be able to go intangible)

Lucy will begin bouncing off of whatever Amber and Cordelia spew forth.

[Megan Price]

Perception: [dice]0[/dice]/66% (+15% when either Multi-Optic Eyes or Amplified Hearing are active, +30% when both are active)
Just In Case: [dice]1[/dice]/[dice]2[/dice]
Constant Effects: Sound Filtration System, Universal Head-Jack
Current Effects, Other:

"Alright boss, I'm finally armored up in my Wild Weasel, are we still in the chase? The electronics suite on here would allow me to monitor or prevent any electronic comms to or from the target." Megan says on the secured radio channel, then smacks the heel of her hand to her helmet's forehead as she remembers that Jez is still without her radio, only having a MercTown Cell Phone. Re-activating her radio for anyone else in the group with their radios on "Hey guys, are we still chasing this asshole?" She will also start manually opening one of the hangar doors with the Wild Weasel's enhanced strength.

Condition
If anyone relays to Megan about Jez's orders to be inconspicuous, Megan will sigh thinking to herself Uncle Buck always told me that the good hallmark of a warrior is being competent with a wide range of armors, weapons, and power armors. But the problem is that not all armors, weapons, or power armors are useful for all situations, so you have to try your best to plan ahead. Of course there was absolutely no planning to this, this was all reactions. When Susan requests a radio ping, Megan will comply stating on the radio "Jammer here." Getting out of her power armor, she will go to bunk room and get dressed in her jeans and sleeveless shirt before heading back into MercTown. The first thing that she does once back in town is go to the nearest retailer that sells cell phones and purchase a basic model that has texting capabilities and then will radio Susan her phone number and request the numbers she has for the rest of the group. Unless otherwise directed by Jez, Megan will then proceed to One Eyed Jacks in the Warrens.

[Underguard]

Location: New Pudacah; 'Merctown'
Time: 11h:10m:30s (10 minutes have passed) ;; December 23 111PA, Saturday
Weather: About 50*F (10*C) ; Clear Skies ; No winds

[Hot in pursuit; Jez on the prowl]

Jezebel approaches the Defenders at the gate and quickly sees a commotion which has halted all traffic, with a couple defenders aiding an injured D-Bee. Another Defender approaches Jez as she identifies herself. "Yeah, what the hell was that. Harrison radioed ahead and is mobilizing a response team, they should be in the air already tracking that thing down. Nearly killed that D-Bee as it made it past us, we didn't even see it coming." The Defender adds, tapping his helm. He waves his hand for Jez to pass."You're good to enter. We're blocking and redirecting traffic at this gate and the other gates for the time being, only way in or out of Merctown will be through the Main Gate. Hopefully that will keep this thing inside the walls til it's caught." He says, and Jez goes on through barring any questions. She's fairly confident she knows more than this Defender.

When inside, her saving grace is the tracker she planted as she has completely lost sight and trail of the target. From the way the tracker pings, Jez can safely guess it has made its way into the Hub.

[Slower in pursuit; Amber, Lucille and Cordelia ride along]

The trio ride in the vehicle and discuss what this could be, amid no communications. Lucille knows her Mountaineer does have radio capabilities but isn't sure it's been connected to the GIRLS freq yet. Cordelia continues driving to the gate while they discuss.

While discussion, Lucille does have something of an epiphany; the assassin seems to have anti-tech installed, making it invisible to standard mechanical type sensors, and as it has no mind or mental aptitude, wouldn't leave a magic or mental trail. She's no idea how it could go intangible, but it could easily use it's tech-invisibility to sneak up to and bypass a great deal of standard security systems. She's confident it is an alien design, or possibly some newly developed borg-type thing not visible to public eyes yet.

Amber, meanwhile, connects why her bio-manipulation failed. If it is a cyborg, then it doesn't have any true biology to manipulate; and if that is the case, a good deal of psionic type effects would be useless. Abilities such as Deaden Senses and even telemechanics would likely be useless. That being said, abilities such as psi-sword would be effective at bypassing those restrictions. She doesn't know of any monsters or demons that could have created, or employed such a thing.

Soon the trio reach the gate and find it locked down by the Defenders, with one holding up an arm and hand towards the Mountaineer. "We're sorry, but this gate is closed. Please proceed to the main gate to enter the city!" A loud booming voice is heard that seems to be echoing from the Defender.

[Back at the hanger; Susan and Megan]

Brooks rolls his eyes but nods. "Sorry, being a merc so long, you develop the slang. Yes. Vic is Vehicle. I'll radio her." Susan then hears him call out on his radio. "Sharee, you got your ears on?" He pauses a moment before continuing. "Good. Bring the Crusader. Need a pickup down at the airport." He pauses a moment before shaking his head. "Yes. Yes. You can drive it, I won't take the wheel. I know you love the damn thing, just get it over here. Our quarry hit us at my new friend's hanger." He pauses again and glances at Susan with a weak smile. "Yes, Okay. Got it. You on the way? A few minutes? Good. Thanks." He then looks to Susan and shrugs. "Kid siblings are possessive. Oh, also, don't mention that up..." He pauses with an obvious uncomfortable look on his face. "That Harkin might be dead. That'd really sour her mood." He says, then will wait near an unconscious James.

Megan doesn't hear anyone on the comms though she is able to completely open one of the hanger doors. She then hears Susan and responds to the signal, though both are still in the Hanger. As she opens the hanger door and Susan can relay the inconspicuous warning, prompting an annoyed Megan to disembark the Weasel. As she levels normal clothing and reenters the Hanger area, she sees Susan with Brooks near the opened hanger door as a hovercraft drops in from over the fence with Brooks waving it down.

He turns back to Susan and Megan. "Alright Girls, let's go!" But before he can usher them on, a petite D-Bee girl pops out of the drivers hatch with something of a scowl.

"Hold up! No food or liquids in my baby. No leaving trash or I swear Imma hunt you down. Got it? Now let's go!" She says the first part serious as stone and the last part nearly giddy.

[Cordelia]

Perception: [dice]0[/dice]
JIC: [dice]1[/dice]
JIC: [dice]2[/dice]


Cordelia drives nervously to the gate where Jez was just at. The Defenders loud booming voice makes her jump a bit as she did not expect him to be so loud. "Crap now what?" She turns to the others. "Whats the fastest way to the front gate." She pauses for a moment. Backing the Mountaineer up may be beyond her abilities. She can barely back up the Salamander and she drives that all the time. "Lucille. Maybe this is where I let you drive." She moves over and joins discussion on what they may be chasing.
Lore: D-Bee 65% [dice]3[/dice]
Lore: Faeries & Creatures of Magic 65% [dice]4[/dice]
Lore: Magic 25% [dice]5[/dice]
Lore: Psychics and Psionics 25% [dice]6[/dice]

As she moves out of the drivers seat she changes her appearance back to her own. She takes a moment to adjust herself. "Being a guy is so weird"

[Megan Price]

Perception: [dice]0[/dice]/66% (+15% when either Multi-Optic Eyes or Amplified Hearing are active, +30% when both are active)
Just In Case: [dice]1[/dice]/[dice]2[/dice]
Constant Effects: Sound Filtration System, Universal Head-Jack
Current Effects, Other:

Megan hops in the vehicle with Cordelia and Amber, taking a seat in the back. Having been a resident of MercTown for a few years, she gives Cordelia directions to the main gate, which winds up being a moot point when she gives up driving duties back to the vehicle's owner, Lucille. Megan discusses with Cordelia what their quarry could be.

Lore: Demons/Monsters [dice]3[/dice]/62%
Lore: D-Bee [dice]4[/dice]/57%
Lore: Faeries/Creatures of Magic [dice]5[/dice]/57%

When Amber discusses who could have made the tech, Megan pipes up saying "I've got that same technology, I think. It's in the armor I won from a raffle at the casino last night. I was planning on going back there to talk with them and find out who the supplier or manufacturer is and find a way to try and contact them. This is definitely bleeding edge technology. I don't know much about the Naruni except they have excellent products, which the CS hates with a fiery passion they normally reserve for mages. The other group, the Splooges, I have never even heard of them before."

[Lucille Davis]

Perception: [dice]0[/dice] / 28% (+15% for magic or machines)
JiC d20/d100: [dice]1[/dice] / [dice]2[/dice]

Lucy nods to Cordelia. "I got this, dear." And she slides and scuttles under and around her to get control of her mountaineer. "And Cordelia, we'll talk later about grabbing an ATV without asking, and the fire and brimstone consequences... but in this instance, forgivable."

When Amber mentions the guy behind the assassin, Lucy recalls her vision again. "Well, I can't say I done ever heard of either of these here Splu...git? ... and, er... Naruni? But I did have this psychic vision of what might be one of these two." Lucy begins to describe the vision from the canister: "... You know tall and lean, bald, with lighter skin color, large dark eyes and no apparent mouth... sound like one of those? Could be our employer?" And then she moves on to the bullet: "It has green bumpy skin, long tentacles from the mouth - probably a man - I think wearing sandals??" Ugh. Sandals... seriously. You're just going to stub a toe in those!

Once past the gates, Lucy asks, "So, where are we going again? Anyone got eyes on?" I wonder where Boss Jez is. Bet this tricky 'borg is shaking in its endoskeletal shell, knowing she's on its trail! She snickers to herself with the through, and then decides to ask the group. "While I'm keeping my eyes on the road, maybe one of y'all could get in touch with Boss and the rest of the team - see if we can get coordinated!"

[Lucille Davis]

**rolls held**

Lucy glances over at Amber after dodging the next pothole. "I got myself a little bit of the mind magics as some might call it, yes ma'am. Seems like pulling these here images out of my mind for the others would go a heck of a way better than my rather poor descriptions." She giggles with another set of images flashing through her head "I mean, have you seen Cordelia's attempted drawings! So yeah, sure, better to spread this knowledge around!" She pulls the wheel hard to the right to avoid hitting some old lady or other at a cross walk. "But yeah, maybe after we get to wherever it is we're going."

[Underguard]

Location: New Pudacah; 'Merctown'
Time: 11h:20m (about 10 minutes have passed) ;; December 23 111PA, Saturday
Weather: About 50*F (10*C) ; Clear Skies ; No winds

[Quiet in pursuit; Jez on the Prowl]
Jezebel

Jez finds a few sideways glances from passersby as she leaps to the top of the building and sends her tracking data to the UHF Freq before merging with her remaining electronics and beginning her prowl. The bug she planted is working it's magic and the target is now transmitting closer to the Spokes and still moving, North, Northeast. Jezebel's keen tracking instincts seem to indicate that the target is likely heading to the Warrens, and is at the northern most part of the Hub at the moment. Keeping a healthy distance away, the target either doesn't think anyone is tailing it or doesn't care.

Amid Jezebel's following, she sees an impressive Hovercraft land in front of the Merctown State Hospital with Brooks and Susan hopping out of it.

[The Mountaineer]
Amber, Lucille, Cordelia and somehow, Megan.

Amber offers Cordelia directions, which are followed, and it leads them straight back to the Hanger where Megan hops in, though Susan elects to ride with the employer, Brooks and his sister. The four see the rather impressive hovercraft take off and fly much further and faster than the Mountaineer goes, but now there are several vehicles on the move.

Turning around, Cordelia swaps seats with Lucille and then the four of them converse while they make their way to the main gate. When Lucille goes into greater detail about her vision, describing the bald, pale-skinned, mouthless man. Both Cordelia and Megan know immediately that it is what is known as a Naruni commonly, at least, it's what people deal with regarding Naruni. On thinking on it, Megan remembers that the race described by Lucille is called the Uteni, according to hearsay but she can't be positive without a more concrete source. The second being described draws a blank for everyone.

They make it to the main gates rather quickly, though they no longer know where Susan and the Hovercraft is. When they arrive, Lucille drives past the line to the Defenders and is waved past them after a quick search of the vehicle. It seems the Defenders aren't actually stopping traffic from entering, they are just stopping it from leaving. The four make a quick stop at the Spokes Hotel where Amber was staying so she can grab her equipment.

While the trio wait in the mountaineer for her, Amber is flagged down by the receptionist. "Hey! Checkout was at 11am! Either pay for another night or give me your key!" And Amber realizes she missed checkout by about twenty minutes and the lobby is quite full of people.

Unfortunately, no one has a cell phone in the mountaineer, so they miss Jezebel's tracking information. However, Lucille's radio does pick up Jezebel's message however it comes off as slightly staticy as if the delivery system wasn't designed for that use, Lucille still can interpret the message.

[Fly, Susan, Fly]

Susan jumps in the Crusader Hover vehicle and Sharee gives her a curt but appreciative nod as she takes off. When inside, Susan is taken aback by the space and mobility of the vehicle. It could easily hold all of the GIRLS current roster comfortably with storage space she thinks.

Brooks moves to the front and hovers over Sharee as she pilots, the two talking. "Yo, you know the Defenders have MT on Lockdown right now. Only traffic is allowed in. I'm lucky I was out when you called." Sharee mentions.

"No, I hadn't. Jezebel, the leader of the crew we hired to help, chased the thing we think is killing everyone inside the wall. They went in through the Hub, and we can stop at the Hospital." Brooks answers.

"Got it. Hey, Glasses? Got a name?" Sharee asks and Susan can see deep black eyes staring back at her from the small D-bee girl before she looks to Brooks. "Hey, where's Carl?" She asks him and Susan can see Brooks shift uncomfortably.

"Honestly, not sure. Probably back at the hotel trying to track this thing but he's off radio..." He says, muttering the last bit. There is then an awkward silence between the two as after a few minutes, they land in front of the hospital. As they arrive at the hospital, Susan receives something of a databurst on her radio from Jezebel but it's hard to track without the proper equipment. She does get the gist of the tracking burst that the target is currently heading towards the Spokes.

Brooks looks to Susan and offers her to leave. "I'll go inside, I figure it's best if no one splits up entirely. Except your super boss." He says. He glances back to Sharee who shakes her head.

"I'm staying with baby but I'll stay parked. I'll try to raise Harkin on the radio." Sharee answers and with that, Brooks and Susan hop out in front of the Hospital.

What're you doing?

[Lucille Davis]

Perception: [dice]0[/dice] / 28% (+15% for magic or machines)
JiC d20/d100: [dice]1[/dice] / [dice]2[/dice]

"...so MercTown's on lock down, with a 'borg killer on the loose, and," Lucy's forehead scrunches, and accent thickening, with her disbelief, "y'all be tell'n me that we don't got no way to contact Jez." She eyes each of them between driving dodges in case someone has just forgot they have their cell phone, say, just in their hand, or on their head. I'm of a mind to just turn this here ATV around and head back... but we can't get out of town! What a confuukion aav ukixeuk agh ukevenuk roavaven.

Gobbley

confuukion aav ukixeuk agh ukevenuk roavaven = confusion at sixes and sevens rotten (idiomatic for 'a hideous mess')

She takes a deep breath. "Alright y'all, anyone know of a payphone round here? Or they got one of them phone automats... er, ah... vending appliances on the street here?" Lucy starts to think back about her MercTown travels. Phone. How did I leave my phone? Need to find a phone.

Roadwise (MercTown) [dice]3[/dice] / 26% (to think of how to get in touch with Jez)

[Cordelia]

Perception: [dice]0[/dice]
JIC: [dice]1[/dice]
JIC: [dice]2[/dice]


Cordelia is confused again. That isnt what she described to me before. "My drawing wasn't that bad. And I can draw an Uteni better than that."
She turns away with her feelings hurt. She quickly drops it. "It would make sense though, they love technology.
Whatever is giving it these abilities is probably some new tech." She ponders in silence as she tries to hear the radio. She only hears that no one brought a cell phone. Cordelia has not bought one since arriving at Merctown. She was afraid that her old one she had in school would not work here and got rid of it. It seems necessary now.
The mountaineer stops in front of a hotel.
"If we're gonna be here a while there is a computer place about a block or two down. I could run there and get a phone. I need one anyway. Does anyone know Jezebels number though? "
Either way they seem dead in the water. Well, sally forth. Cordelia bolts as fast as she can towards the computer store to see if they have cell phones.

[Megan Price]

Perception: [dice]0[/dice]/66% (+15% when either Multi-Optic Eyes or Amplified Hearing are active, +30% when both are active)
Just In Case: [dice]1[/dice]/[dice]2[/dice]
Constant Effects: Sound Filtration System, Universal Head-Jack
Current Effects, Other:

"That sounds like one of the Uteni, I think they are called?" Megan blurts out before continuing, sheepishly looking around. "From the stories that I have heard from my uncle, the Uteni are the most common race people interact with when dealing with Naruni Enterprises, especially in regards to sales and orders. That other creature is a total mystery to me."

When Cordelia talks about getting a cell phone from a computer store up the road from the hotel, Megan says "I'll come you because I need one as well." While they walk, Megan says to Cordelia "Don't be too hard on yourself about the drawings. It's tough to draw what is in someone else's head, especially if they forget a detail or two the first time."

After purchasing a basic cell phone with a one month plan and makes sure it's charged and activated, she give Cordelia her phone number and says "Make sure to give this to everyone in the truck and have them text or call me when they get their own phones, as well as Susan and Jez when you can catch up to them. I'm heading back to casino from last night trying to track down a lead, that is assuming that I can enter the Warrens District with all of this going on."

Megan heads strait for One Eyed Jacks and asks to speak to a manager concerning her raffle prize she won last night.

[Underguard]

Location: New Pudacah; 'Merctown'
Time: 11h:30m (about 10 minutes have passed) ;; December 23 111PA, Saturday
Weather: About 50*F (10*C) ; Clear Skies ; No winds

As soon as Susan and Brooks hop out of the hovercraft, Susan spots Jezebel run up to her and give her the low down, and Susan gives Jez her small walkie and relies on her armor's to contact the Defenders. Susan swaps a theory with Jezebel and Jezebel bounds off again.

[Who doesn't like a visit to the Hospital; Susan and Brooks]

Susan tries for a few minutes to raise Harrison and does connect to a Defender. "Defenders RRF, Kale here. Harrison seems to be off radio; she took a squad to search out this target you mentioned before. We spun up, sorry for not responding with a message receipt, it's been hectic now that there's been a positive ID on the target. I'll try to connect the sergeant to you." He responds and Susan explains her theory.

After another minute or so, Susan hears the familiar female voice of Harrison. "Miss Lee? Yes. We appreciate you giving us this information. I can call ahead to the hospital but they are a separate entity from the Defenders so we don't have unanimous authority to grant you access. Just head over, a small contingent is stationed there. I'll call them" Harrison answers.

Susan enters the hospital and sees two defenders near the receptionist area speaking with the receptionist, who nods in agreement. As she approaches, the two defenders wave her down. "Miss Lee? Who's your friend?" One of them asks, pointing to Brooks. Brooks wastes no time and introduces himself. "Name's Brooks. I'm contracted with the GIRLS on this assassin." The defender looks at Brooks through his faceplate. "Uh-huh. Well. The Hospital will grant you the use of one of their labs but not indefinitely. Harrison just called in got them to agree to half an hour before they boot you and take the space for something they have planned on their schedule. We'll stay in the hallway while you're here. Follow us." The defender explains and leads Susan and Brooks down several floors.

Susan is sure their at least two floor beneath the surface and sees several hallways with lab-coats walking in several directions, all looking sideways at her and Brooks as they are escorted by the Defenders. "Think of this as their high security section. While down here, you can't go in any lab other than the one you've been granted access too. Here." The Defender stops at a large pair of double doors titled RSL-004 and opens the door.

Susan almost has a heart attack, the lab is more set up than anything she has come across before with the most high end equipment and space available. "30 minutes." The defender reminds her and closes the doors behind them.

[The Mountaineer; Lucille, Cordelia, Megan and Amber]

Amber runs up and handles the check-out of the hotel while those in the Mountaineer discuss. The receptionist at the hotel mean-mugs her the whole time as if she committed a felony being half an hour late, but otherwise waves her off as she grabs her gear. She returns promptly with her equipment, tosses it in the back and jumps back in to confer with her newfound allies.

Lucille, furrowing her brow in disbelief at how ill-prepared her own team is manages to remember a key detail. Any Defender outpost, of which there are many, would have a radio and/or a phone and could easily get in touch with Jezebel, or at the very least, Susan. Lucille also knows of at least one small tech outlet that sells burner phones on this road when it's mentioned by the others.

Amber also remembers passing several small tech shops that sell basic cell phones for anywhere between 50-100 credits on a pay-per-minute plan; burner phone types. Not much but perfect for the average mercenary. One of them is just a block down the road and would take the mountaineer less than a minute to get too.

Coredelia briefly talks about the Uteni before suggesting she run off to get a phone from a place a block or two away. Megan hops out to go with Cordelia and as the two begin to head out, Amber realizes they are going in the opposite direction she remembers walking past the storefront that sells them for cheap.

[On the Prowl; Jezebel]

During the ten minutes of relative radio silence for Jezebel, after receiving Susan's Wilks Walkie-Talkie. Jez tracks the signal to the Warrens, specifically to the corner of Raveshome Road and Butcher Lane. It's stops moving near a cluster of buildings right before the Hangman's Hotel & Tavern and suddenly, the signal vanishes. Jezebel, keeping a comfortable distance away and relying on the tracker, is unable to see which house or building her quarry ducks into before the signal drops but she knows its on that corner.

[Cordelia]

Perception: [dice]0[/dice]
JIC: [dice]1[/dice]
JIC: [dice]2[/dice]

Cordelia is bouncing, almost running when she hears her name called. She stops for Megan.

“Woah, hold on ladies! There is a place that sells cheap burners for like 50 creds. It’s down here about maybe a minute drive down the block here. I know exactly where it is.” She points down the street to the tech shop she saw during her walks around the neighbourhood. “I need one too, so hold up.”

Cordelia stops and looks around. She definitely needs a map or two. She waits impatiently for the rest of the group. She gets to the cell phone store and looks for the best cheap phone she can find. A pink one.
She is ready to go. phone calls now, fancy stuff later.
"Lets go. The hunt is still on. lets get him."
Cordelia is still bouncing.

[Megan Price]

Perception: [dice]0[/dice]/66% (+15% when either Multi-Optic Eyes or Amplified Hearing are active, +30% when both are active)
Just In Case: [dice]1[/dice]/[dice]2[/dice]
Constant Effects: Sound Filtration System, Universal Head-Jack
Current Effects, Other:

When Amber tells them to hold up, Megan is initially annoyed until Amber explains that there is a closer kiosk that sells phones. Must have popped up in the past few months... Megan thinks to herself before hopping back in the vehicle. At the kiosk, she buys the most basic phone that can make phone calls and text messages. That is all she needs at this point. When they go back to the Mountaineer, Amber looks to her to drive, to which she replies "There are way too many civilians for me to feel comfortable driving this thing in town. The only vehicles that I actually know how to drive are tanks and hovercycles. What about you, Lucille, do you know how to drive this thing?" Then they get the radio call from Jez and thinks to herself That's damn convenient that I was already wanting to go to the Warrens anyway, although it looks like I will have to put my project on the back burner for the moment.

Megan hops into the vehicle and sees Amber getting armored up and just sighs to herself. Once more into the breach I go, practically naked. This time I actually had armor I had been wearing, but Jez had advised us to not wear armor into town because we wouldn't blend in as well. Well FUCK THAT! I'm not leaving the hangar without some sort of armor on, and I currently only have the one suit of non-powered armor. So unless she's going to pay for me to have a less conspicuous suit of armor, that's what I will wear to town! she sullen thinks to herself.

She exchanges phone info with the rest in the truck when she finally comes to Cordelia, watching her bounce like a giddy child on Winter Solstice Eve. "Did someone slip some Mexican Jumping Beans in your food this morning, girl?"

[Underguard]

Location: New Pudacah; 'Merctown'
Time: 11h:40am (about 10 minutes have passed) ;; December 23 111PA, Saturday
Weather: About 50*F (10*C) ; Clear Skies ; No winds

---

[The Hangman's Tavern]
Jezebel and Millicent

Jez is able to key into the Defenders frequency as she makes her way into the tavern. The area around the tavern is one of the seediest parts of Merctown and she certainly feels as though she could be shot at for looking at one of the patrons the wrong way. Walking past the area where the signal died, she notes a small cluster of a dozen or so houses in the area that are potentials; all broken down shacks of houses and look extremely uninviting. Jezebel sees nothing that warrants her immediate scrutiny, as all the passersby seem to be keeping their eyes to themselves and moving on with their business. The Hangman's tavern has four people out front of it, hanging out in a group around a burning barrel, smoking and holding liquor glasses: all armed and looking rather unfriendly. They pay her no mind as she approaches the tavern entrance.

Slamming another empty glass on the bar table, Millicent finds herself unable to drink away her frustrations at the quickly imposed Lockdown of Merctown. Unable to get to her Grease Monkey for her daily tune-up time, she resigns to drinking at the first low key and cheaper joints in town. Truly, a cesspool of some of the more unwelcoming types of the Merctown Warrens, here at least, no one paid her any mind. Her drinking partner had been rambling on about a group of rowdy neighbors that were shoot first and shoot again types. That is, before he passed out on the stool next to her. Apparently, this low bar mercenary had not had a good night’s sleep in weeks as the neighbors, as he describes them, took ownership of a house near his and fire pop rounds and anyone who even looks at their abode. As Mill waves over the barkeep for another round, she hears a new patron enter the room. From her corner, she sees what can only be described as a supermodel with an attitude walk in; gun strapped and goggles on even indoors with a flair of purple hair. As this person enters, Mill's drinking partner for the day slumps to the floor and rambles about needing more sleep.

Jezebel enters the Hangman's tavern; her eyes immediately catch someone slump to the floor in the corner of the bar and she spots a redheaded woman looking at her as she enters. Glancing around the rest of the room, it is one of the seedier places the arismal has visited since her arrival into Merctown. Not somewhere one would just hang out without a purpose. Off in one corner, she sees a pair of men in plastic-man armor, smoking and trading hushed whispers. Both men glance at her for but a moment, then return to their conversations. The rest of the bar is populated by relative loners, with over a dozen tables that can easily sit four having no more than one or two patrons at them. The bar table itself is only occupied by three, one of whom is now resting in a drunken stupor on the ground near the redhead. As far as Jezebel can tell, no one in the bar pays her any mind. She does not see any sign of undue discourse, and the atmosphere of the bar itself permeates unease.

Acting like nothing more than a street-wandering mercenary to avoid suspicion, Jezebel slowly, though confidently, approaches the bar and takes a seat. Jezebel watches the surly looking barkeep refill the redhead’s glass before approaching her with a glass that he places in front of her. Leaning onto the counter, the Barkeep looks Jezebel up and down before scoffing and shrugging his shoulders. "What's a gal like you doing in a place like this?" He asks in a gruff voice. Jez does notice that the redhead seems to be paying her some attention, but that could be just because she is easy on the eyes and something new in this seedy bar.

What are you doing?

[The Mountaineer]
Lucille, Amber, Megan, Cordelia

Amber points out the direction of the shop and the mountaineer heads over. The four gather a set of burner phones at hardly any cost, all straight off the charger stands and loaded with the basic Merctown signal card. They will be useless outside of Merctown, but good for in-town communication; each phone has a card for 100 minutes preset. (Total is 200 cr)

Jumping back into the Mountaineer, Amber checks her phone and manages to jailbreak it on the fly; while not as powerful or versatile as a professional walkie-talkie or armor radio, it can now pick up several dozen radio frequencies only while within Merctown. Satisfied she can now stay connected; she begins to suit up while Megan mentally chastises herself for not wearing her stealth armor. Lucille drives the Mountaineer towards the Warrens. After they enter the Warrens, Amber notes no one has yet relayed the information and calls it in herself.

She hears a cackle on the radio band of the Defenders from her phone, while with heavy static, she can hear the response. "GIRLS. Kale here. We'll cordon the area, but we can't afford to go in force to the Warrens, too many loose triggers. It'll be easier if your outfit goes ahead; we'll move in slowly as to avoid arousing unnecessary conflict; if you put out the SOS we'll move in fast and in force. Kale Out." A Defender responds.

The GIRLS Mountaineer is just entering the Warrens near Cyber Street Clinic and Men of Metal, located on Cyber Street. The location Jezebel mentioned is on the other side of the Warrens.

What are you doing?

[The Hospital]
Susan (and Brooks)

Susan is visibly disturbed by the Defenders not using her title, though they do not seem to react as she seemingly shouts back at them. When asked about consults, the Defender looks to his ally and shrugs. "I'll see if I can't find one. Stay put and see what you can do on your own, no promises on finding one that isn't preoccupied, but I'll try. My partner, Johns, will wait outside." He responds and leaves them too it.

When alone in the room with Brooks, Brooks turns to her and watches her get down to studying begins examining the vile she still has (luckily).

After familiarizing herself with the equipment in the room, she first finds the centrifuge and loads the vile in it to separate the blood from the silver liquid. The process takes less time than normal as she is separating a foreign liquid from a blood sample and not the red blood cells from platelets. She takes separated liquid to a microscope and examines the silver liquid with heavy scrutiny.

Her initial theory, at least a part of it, is confirmed. The silver liquid is a collection of millions of nanites, nanotechnology. All of which seems to be defunct now. On a quick glance, this is more advanced cybernetics than anything she has seen or even heard of on earth. She cannot be sure how the nanites operate initially, if controlled by an intelligence or just following a sort of program but they are highly sophisticated and certainly of an alien design. She does not see any identifying marks, but she is aware that only alien manufacturers such as Naruni have the technology anywhere near, and even this seems to be beyond what they currently offer to the public.

Susan is broken out of her train of thought by the sound of Brooks. "Anything I can do to help?" He asks, genuinely and Susan can see he is peering over her shoulder with legitimate interest in her work.

What are you doing?

[Underguard]

A few minutes pass

Mini-Update
Jezebel and Millicent

[Prior to entering to Tavern]

The four bums turn and look at the supermodel approaching them, and Jez can get a solid look at each of them now. All of them are wearing some sort of knock off armor, such as Bandito or knock-off Northern Gun. The four look like obvious degenerates, with two of them having long duster coats and some style of rimmed hat, while the other two are hooded or the like. When Jez offers the cigars as a means to break the ice, one of the ones in a duster steps forward and eyes her down.

"Huh." He starts with a low grunt and takes the cigar. One of the men behind him speaks up. "Give the gal a break, Jason." Prompting the one who took the cigar to roll his eyes and wave his hand, motioning her into their circle so the others can take the offering.

After lighting them up and taking a few puffs, the one Jez identifies as Jason speaks. "Deal accepted. Saw a resident run over there." He points to the cluster of houses before the Tavern, where Jez's signal died and takes another puff. "Ran past the first series of houses, so if he's your quarry, likely one of the back houses near the wall." He states.

One of the hooded ones speaks up, and Jez can only assume he's on an exorbitant about of caffeine or just jittery. "Yeah! And, like, he was moving real, real, real fast! Like, it was *Zoom*! I ne'er seen someone run that fast! It was real, real-" His explanation is interrupted by Jason hitting him on the back of the head making him fall to his knees.

"Yeah, real fast. Give or take a real." Jason finishes, obviously irritated at his companion who is now rubbing his head. Jason looks to Jez. "You got hard creds, you'll have eyes should we see anything. No promises though." Jason adds and takes a drink out of a flask.

Jez determines she's got all she can from them for the time being and heads inside

---

[Inside the Tavern, at the bar]

The barkeep looks at Jez and lets out a hearty laugh. "Oh, shit. Hate to be the man running from you, sweet stuff. Well, ain't no one come in here like that recently." He states and moves away to refill Mill's drink

Millicent, while nonchalantly listening in, does recognize the description Jez provided but not from seeing him. Her drinking partner described him as one of the degenerates from the shoot first and shoot again house. While she isn't sure what is going on, Mill gets the inkling that this lilac spook isn't looking for her boyfriend but possibly her target.

Jez does notice the redhead taking an unmistakable interest in her presence, moreso than the others around the bar, anyways.

What're you doing?

[Lucille Davis]

Perception: [dice]0[/dice] / 28% (+15% for magic or machines)
JiC d20/d100: [dice]1[/dice] / [dice]2[/dice]

Lucy pulls herself out of a driving daze to find herself entering the southwest of the Warrens with a new phone and 50 credits poorer. Woah, hope my drivin's been ok. Girl, you got to stay focused!

She hears a cackle on the radio band of the Defenders from her phone, while with heavy static, she can hear the response. "GIRLS. Kale here. We'll cordon the area, but we can't afford to go in force to the Warrens, too many loose triggers. It'll be easier if your outfit goes ahead; we'll move in slowly as to avoid arousing unnecessary conflict; if you put out the SOS we'll move in fast and in force. Kale Out." A Defender responds.

Well, so much for the likely much needed back up. Lucy zones in on getting to their destination. "Everyone keep buckled up, these wheels will get us over there. And if ya see something, say something for Mummu's sake!"

Roadwise (MercTown) [dice]3[/dice] / 26% (to navigate the mountaineer to Ravenshome Rd and Butcher Ln while avoiding trouble)

Amber does some quick calculations in her head as they rumble through the streets and tries to come up for an ETA to The Hangman's Tavern. Hmm, across the Warrens should take, what 5 minutes or so? I haven’t spent much time here. Maybe double check with the other girls first, then update Jez on our ETA. She says to the other girls, “So, what do you girls think? About 10 minutes until we get there? I can update Jez and see where she wants us since we are basically on our own out here.” Once she hears the others opinions she will send a text to Jez and let her know they are on the way. About 5 minutes out, Temptress. Let us know where you want us. A.

As they rumble through the Warrens, Lucy begins to wonder. "So, we've got about 5-10 and y'all gals seem to know a thing or two. What's the plan when we get there? I'm guessing rushing in guns a'blaz'n wouldn't be all that wise." That invisibility spell would be useful right about now. Yeah, invisibility - make the whole mountaineer disappear before your very eyes! A whole squad of unseen mercs to stalk out a rogue 'borg! They'd never see us coming... Of course, she realizes, this isn't a plan.

[Megan Price]

Perception: [dice]0[/dice]/66% (+15% when either Multi-Optic Eyes or Amplified Hearing are active, +30% when both are active)
Just In Case: [dice]1[/dice]/[dice]2[/dice]
Constant Effects: Sound Filtration System, Universal Head-Jack
Current Effects, Other: Multi-Optic Eye (looking to see who I can only see with my natural eye)

[The Mountaineer]
Lucille, Amber, Megan, Cordelia

Amber points out the direction of the shop and the mountaineer heads over. The four gather a set of burner phones at hardly any cost, all straight off the charger stands and loaded with the basic Merctown signal card. They will be useless outside of Merctown, but good for in-town communication; each phone has a card for 100 minutes preset. (Total is 200 cr)

Jumping back into the Mountaineer, Amber checks her phone and manages to jailbreak it on the fly; while not as powerful or versatile as a professional walkie-talkie or armor radio, it can now pick up several dozen radio frequencies only while within Merctown. Satisfied she can now stay connected; she begins to suit up while Megan mentally chastises herself for not wearing her stealth armor. Lucille drives the Mountaineer towards the Warrens. After they enter the Warrens, Amber notes no one has yet relayed the information and calls it in herself.

She hears a cackle on the radio band of the Defenders from her phone, while with heavy static, she can hear the response. "GIRLS. Kale here. We'll cordon the area, but we can't afford to go in force to the Warrens, too many loose triggers. It'll be easier if your outfit goes ahead; we'll move in slowly as to avoid arousing unnecessary conflict; if you put out the SOS we'll move in fast and in force. Kale Out." A Defender responds.

The GIRLS Mountaineer is just entering the Warrens near Cyber Street Clinic and Men of Metal, located on Cyber Street. The location Jezebel mentioned is on the other side of the Warrens.

What are you doing?

Megan grimaces inwardly at her dwindling supply of credits as she pays for the phone. When Kale responds on the radio, Megan says "That's about par for the course. Some of the roughest, toughest people, and not-people, can be found in the Warrens. To be honest, I'm not sure if the Defenders technically has the manpower to go in force into the Warrens, or at the very least without 'bots, combat vehicles, power armors, and supernatural support. Even then it wouldn't be pretty." Megan will then give Amber directions for the best way to get to Jez's location relying on her memory of the Warrens.

Then Susan sends a radio text, to which Megan will reply in a low voice "Doc, do the nanites automatically react to touching flesh or meat, or does it have to be directed to attack flesh?"

[Underguard]

Location: New Paducah; 'Merctown'
Time: 11h:50am (about 10 minutes have passed) ;; December 23 111PA, Saturday
Weather: About 50*F (10*C) ; Clear Skies ; No winds

[Walking the Butcher's Lane]
Jezebel and Millicent

Jezebel and Millicent exchange words while walking, with the four outside offering a guttural response of acknowledgement. After passing a house, Millicent is able to point out an alley that she recognizes from her former barmates ramblings as where the trouble house was and points it out. Jez takes second to scope the alley out and it certainly does not seem befitting of commoners. Almost every house down this alley is damaged or run down in some manner, broken windows or doors and obvious activity inside. She isn't sure, but she thinks she hears a child's cry of distress from one of the houses, though not the one that Millicent points out. Jez takes a moment to venture forward and surveil while Millicent waits. No one pays her any more mind than a tenant of the area, and as Jezebel ventures slowly down the alley to surveil, she hears a loud crash from a house a few buildings back, closer to the wall. Glancing up and around, she notices at least two sets of silhouettes in two different houses in windows gazing out at her, or the house with the crash.

She steps back and returns to Millicent as she sees a Mountaineer pull up and most of her team filter out.

A few moments later, a hovercraft lands near the mountaineer, the same one Jez saw Susan near at the Hospital.

[Enroute to the Hangman's Tavern]
Lucille, Megan, Cordelia, Amber

Amber and Lucille put their heads together and weave through the warrens as though they'd lived there for decades. Dodging all the traffic, both vehicles and ground, and making it in record time for the distance. Nothing surly happens, in fact, most seem unperturbed by the large and unbecoming mountaineer that they ignore it or offer mere sideways glances toward it before moving on. Megan and Susan discuss on the frequency and all tied in can listen in. It doesn't take long for the Mountaineer to arrive at the Hangman's Tavern. Lucille spots the unique hairstyle of her boss walking alongside a fiery redhead type and pulls the mountaineer over near them.


[The Hospital]
Susan (and Brooks)

Brooks holds up his hands and steps back at Susan's requested order for space and listens. He simply shakes his head with a sigh. "Not my forte; I'm the muscle of our outfit. This, now this was right up Harkin's alley. He'd probably give you a run for your money on technical know-how, no offense." He admits. He listens to her overt talking out the problem with interest but no comment and shakes his head at the suggestion of money. "Regrettably, no. We might be able to ping our Benefactor for a forward but not sure about the speed at which we'd get it." He says and taps his belt, showing Susan his heavy force field generator belt attachment. "Covered there."

When Susan walks out to address the Defenders, they nod. "Understood." One says simply and then Susan can hear a muffled voice underneath the helmet as though he is radioing. The Defenders escort Susan and Brooks out of the hospital and they find the parked Hovercraft with Sharee sitting atop it with a cigarette.

"'Bout time. Where too?" She says, almost giddily, hopping off the roof near them. When Susan tells her the Warrens, Sharee becomes visibly annoyed and shrugs her shoulds. "Yeah, fine. Let's just take my beautiful baby to the Warrens and hope no one gets the wrong idea and tries to shoot at us, or worse, attempt to steal it. I swear. Brooks. You better be ready to slug a motherfucker that gets the wrong idea." She says and Brooks stifles a laugh and nods. "Fine. All aboard."

It doesn't take long for the hovercraft to travel the distance that the ground vehicles do, and though Susan isn't able to get the Nanites she wants, she arrives and sees the familiar Mountaineer at the Hangman's Tavern.

[Together Again]

There is a moderate reunion in the streets of the Warrens as all of the GIRLS find themselves together again, plus one. Megan, Susan, Cordelia, Amber and Lucille do not recognize the redhead with Jezebel.

Jezebel and Lucille both notice that now, with the double vehicles with one, quite nice looking hovercraft, are starting to draw a few more stares from passersby.

Map

GoM is all of the GIRLS.
Red is the house Jez heard a crash from
Yellow is the house Jez thinks she heard a baby from.

[Cordelia]

Perception: [dice]0[/dice]
JIC: [dice]1[/dice]
JIC: [dice]2[/dice]


Cordelia has been preoccupied by her new phone. She sets it up with a neat background screen and a ring tone that sounds like an eight bit version of theme to Dr.Who. giggle giggle She is happily exploring the options of her phone when she hears her name.

"Cordelia, make yourself useful and investigate the house on my right with the crying baby. Do what needs doing. Amber, you're with me. We're closing in on noisy house. You've got ground level, I'm gonna be eccentric. Everyone else form a loose cordon around the area and starting tightening the cordon. Mark one eyeballs, people. Suzy thinks this jerk has a tech cloak of some kind. And someone call the Defenders and have them move in NOW."

She gets out of the Mountaineer and stretches a moment to limber up after the ride. She squints and looks around. crying baby, huh? She wonders off toward the sound. As a precaution, she changes her appearance to look like what she thinks a vagrant looks like. Wild hair, wrinkled weathered face and a generally disheveled look. She starts looking into windows first to see if the house is occupied.
If the home is vacant she enters and looks around for the sound.
If people are living there she knocks and starts asking "Have you seen my little dog, He was just here, a little dog named Scooby. He's the cutest thing. Id just be heart broken without him." Performance 70% [dice]3[/dice] She continues to lay it on thick and walk into the house looking around for anything helpful.

[Lucille Davis]

Perception: [dice]0[/dice] / 28% (+15% for magic or machines)
JiC d20/d100: [dice]1[/dice] / [dice]2[/dice]

Jez's motions support her words as she clicks on her mic and radios to the others, "Doc, Temptress copies your last. Lucy, swing around to the back of the Hangman with the ATV." (Green star w/white M on map) "Brooks, park that sexy bitch in the vacant lot near the wall." (Blue star w/white H on map)

"You got it, boss!" Lucy responds as she pulled her ATV around back of the Hangman, keeping her eyes peeled for anything suspicious as Amber and Cordelia get out to take position. Suspicious, like, whose this new redhead with Jez...

After the second occupant of the ATV dismounts, She will shoulder the backpack once again and hop up on to the passengers entrance and poke her head inside. ”Keep these safe! their valuable!” Millicent will stow her backpack and satchel inside the mountaineer before hopping off of the vehicle.

"Um, yeah, hi? I'm Lucy," Lucy says, thumb pointing to herself. "And you are...?" as Millicent piles in hunting for a place to put her backpack and satchel. Well this one is forward. "Oh sure, um... just store them over there," she indicates to a relatively secure part of the ATV. Valuable? Poor thing probably ain't got two credits to rub together, and don't I know that feeling!

Lucy follows Millicent out of the ATV, securing the door before turning her attention to the back of the Hangman. "So, you know Jez? Perhaps special ops or something?" she asks Millicent, standing next to her and trying desperately not to give her any off-putting side-eye. "I'm not really a coal-facing combat gal, so this is all a bit new to me. You?" Mummu, please tell me Jez has found some super soldier - we could use the firepower.

As Millicent moves off, Lucy notices the rest of her team stalking and sneaking to take up 'position' and she thinks, Oh right, we should crouch or something. So she decides to play nonchalant examining one of her tires and apparent other maintenance type things. Nailed it. Nothing says nothing to see here like a girl examining her ride.

[Megan Price]

Perception: [dice]0[/dice]/66% (+15% when either Multi-Optic Eyes or Amplified Hearing are active, +30% when both are active)
Just In Case: [dice]1[/dice]/[dice]2[/dice]
Constant Effects: Sound Filtration System, Universal Head-Jack
Current Effects, Other: Multi-Optic Eye (trying to find someone that I can only see with my natural vision, otherwise using thermal imaging and telescopic to zoom in on details), Amplified Hearing

Jez's motions support her words as she clicks on her mic and radios to the others, "Doc, Temptress copies your last. Lucy, swing around to the back of the Hangman with the ATV." (Green star w/white M on map) "Brooks, park that sexy bitch in the vacant lot near the wall." (Blue star w/white H on map) First we set the snare, then we see what gets flushed from each hole. "Cordelia, make yourself useful and investigate the house on my right with the crying baby. Do what needs doing. Amber, you're with me. We're closing in on noisy house. You've got ground level, I'm gonna be eccentric. Everyone else form a loose cordon around the area and starting tightening the cordon. Mark one eyeballs, people. Suzy thinks this jerk has a tech cloak of some kind. And someone call the Defenders and have them move in NOW." Once folks have formed a loose cordon around the area, Jez will leap lightly to the roof of the noisy house to listen and observe closely, still but ready for action.

"Temptress, Jammer here. As per what Kale had informed us of a few minutes ago, the Defenders are cordoning off the Warrens, but they lack sufficient manpower to come in here in force. They can move in slowly as to avoid rousing unnecessary conflict. That being said, if we give them an SOS, they will come in fast.I would imagine for something like this, they won't come in fast, not unless we were deep in trouble. Jammer over and out." Megan says on the radio as she takes up position, unsheathing her vibro-sword in the process, keeping her eyes peeled for trouble as well as searching for their quarry while also trying to remain hidden. (Detect Ambush 62%/[dice]3[/dice], Tracking: People 57%/[dice]4[/dice], Prowl 47%/[dice]5[/dice])

[Underguard]

Location: New Paducah; 'Merctown'
Time: 11h:50am (about 10 minutes have passed) ;; December 23 111PA, Saturday
Weather: About 50*F (10*C) ; Clear Skies ; No winds

Jez issues out orders which are mostly received, barring a few random acts by her teammates. Everyone sees the Hovercraft take off and disappear behind some buildings towards where Jez suggested. Amber jumps out and links up with Jezebel while Lucille takes off with the Mountaineer and parks it behind the Hangman's Tavern. Everyone else forms a loose cordon of the area and begins circling the house with the ruffians that Mill pointed out the Jez while Cordelia peels off to investigate the sounds of the crying baby.

Jumping up high, Jez takes in the location and while her jump was well executed, she notes at least one pair of eyes from a window watching her with feigned interest, most likely due to the fact she just jumped thirty feet without trying. She has a decent vantage point of the house in question and while she can't see any traps, does note what appears to be a cellar door leading below the house on its right side that is loosely concealed with some tarping but seems to have been recently used.

Amber moves in from below and is impressed at Jezebel's jumping ability and she doesn't note much else as she passes the house with the crying child moving towards the one that Jez seems to be pointing towards. She isn't even one-hundred percent sure which house Jez want's them to check.

Susan, working with Brooks, receives a curt nod from him as he moves to the position she suggests, then Susan radios the Defenders with their location. After a few moments, she hears a chirp on the radio. "Copy. Moving in. We have all the gates to the Warrens temporarily locked down. We're noting an increase in traffic and some obvious unrest due to the lockdown that is slowing our progress. If you take fire, send the call and we'll close in fast." Harrison's voice responds. Cycling through her thermals, she doesn't note anything out of the ordinary at all.

Mill follows the Mountaineer and ends up linking up with Lucille and Megan. Megan responds to Jez regarding the Defenders before scouting the area around the trio as they close in. While Millicent and Lucille converse, seemingly like honest-to-goodness tenants of the area, Megan scours the area. Spotting nothing of immediate importance, she does note that several windows are open on the upper level of the house Jezebel seems to be pointed at that would be perfect for ambush firing positions; dark, inclined and the light makes seeing past the window-frame almost impossible. She also does see tracks of what looks like a limping individual that lead behind the Hangman's Tavern, where Lucille parked, towards the second to last house against the wall.

Cordelia, meanwhile, heads inside the house with the crying baby and as she opens the door, sees an unflattering living room-like area. A battered love-seat of a couch with a old brittle wooden like crib and an expensive looking monitor. The sound is coming from the crib, though as she enters she is greeted by a pair of unflattering tenants, a women with matted hair and a tattooed and gruff looking male. He levels a bandito-style pistol at Cordelia. "What are you doing in my house!?" He shouts, snarling extremely unkempt teeth.

Map

Green Star - Mountaineer
Blue Star - Hover Vehicle
Blue/Green Circle - Brooks
Red Trapezoid - Partially Hidden Cellar Entrance

What are you doing?

[Cordelia]

Perception: [dice]0[/dice]
JIC: [dice]1[/dice]
JIC: [dice]2[/dice]

Cordelia barely noticed Milly as they passed in the street. Cordelia is getting into character.
She is super psyched about this, until she meets the residents of the house. And their gun.
She stops and puts her hands up. "HI!" She pauses in fright and swallows. " I'm sorry for the intrusion, my name is Amy Pond, I am watching this dog for a friend. The problem is it got away from me and it is very important that I find it. It is a really cute and expensive dog named Scooby, I belongs to my friend, I already told you its my friends dog, Sorry. My friend was given this dog by a man, if you can call him a man, named Tazerface. Hes a member of the Cyber Street gang and Im gonna be in it really deep if I loose this dog. Can you please help me? I saw Scooby come this way is he not here? Maybe in the next house? Have you seen anyone in the next house? Im soo Sorry I just walked in I dont know what to do." She forces tears to her eyes and lets her lip quiver.
Performance 70% [dice]3[/dice]
Public Speaking 100% [dice]4[/dice]
Invoke Trust: 80% [dice]5[/dice]
Cordelia pours it on and doesnt stop talking until the man either lowers the gun or shoots her.
Please dont kill me
She darts her looks all around looking for anything helpful to saving herself and possibly this family if things go bad next door.

[Lucille Davis]

Perception: [dice]0[/dice] / 28% (+15% for magic or machines)
JiC d20/d100: [dice]1[/dice] / [dice]2[/dice]

"You mean Ms Purple-Bangs? Just met her." She holds up the bottle of whiskey. "She bought me a drink and offered me a job... three minutes ago?" Millicent smirks. "I fix cars. And 'bots. And weapons. I know how to use them, but mostly I fix 'em. I'm a descent shot however." She finishes motioning to the pistols on her utility belt. So this is a new unit? Maybe I'm even luckier than i thought and I'm getting in on the ground floor. At least I'm not the only new member it seems.

Ah, another gearhead! Lucy is beyond thrilled, so much so that she forgets the need for firepower at the moment. "Hey! *I* fix cars... and 'bots and weapons too! Well, along with the occasional improvements. You know how it is, amiright? Ever been to Stormspire? God, those were the days..." She continues to babble at Milly until she turns and walks away and Lucy recovers a sense of the moment.

Right. Limping death 'borg. Focus girl. She eyes the movements of the other GIRLS and begins to triangulate their position while 'adjusting' a barring on her ATV. Once she's got a good idea of where everyone is headed, she offers up a quick prayer to Mummu and casts Shadow Meld through her armor to provide cover to her lanky limbs, and picks her way from the ATV shadow by shadow in an attempt to tighten the noose the GIRLS are creating around the target building. Maybe we'll get the drop on 'em she thinks as she readies her 9mm, eyes alert.

Shadow Meld

(10 PPE, Duration: 8 min; Prowl at 60% and -5 to attacker strike while in shadows)

Prowl (via Shadow Meld) [dice]3[/dice] / 60% while in shadows

[Megan Price]

Perception: [dice]0[/dice]/66% (+15% when either Multi-Optic Eyes or Amplified Hearing are active, +30% when both are active)
Just In Case: [dice]1[/dice]/[dice]2[/dice]
Constant Effects: Sound Filtration System, Universal Head-Jack
Current Effects, Other: Multi-Optic Eye (looking for what she can see with only her natural eye, also Thermal Imaging or Nightvision of needed), Amplified Hearing (listening for potential danger)

Jez communicates through her merged radio. "GIRLS, Temptress. There's a door to a basement on the East side of the building under some tarp. Meg, that's your front door--go through it. Amber, I'm on the roof in front of you. Move to the house just North of the one I'm on. You and Susan should meet each each other on the West side of the house; enter the house from the West however you can. Lucy, grab Milly and follow Megan's lead. I'm going in through the roof--NOW."

"Roger that, Temptress, going in now." Megan softly says over the radio as she pulls the tarp back with her vibro-sword, making sure not to activate the blade when she does so. She stalks down the stairs, staying on high alert as she does so (Prowl [dice]3[/dice]/47%, Detect Ambush [dice]4[/dice]/62%).

Once at the bottom, she reports what she finds to the team. If attacked, she will report that she is being attacked and stay on the defensive until backup arives. She shares video information from her Multi-Optic Eye with Susan if she can.

Megan's comcast post's

Initiative: [dice]5[/dice]
Number of Actions: 6

Action 1: Dodge [dice]6[/dice]
Action 2: Dodge [dice]17[/dice]
Action 3: Dodge [dice]7[/dice]
Action 4: Dodge [dice]8[/dice]
Action 5: Dodge [dice]9[/dice]
Action 6: Dodge [dice]10[/dice]

Parries: [dice]11[/dice], [dice]12[/dice], [dice]13[/dice] Crit Success!, [dice]14[/dice], [dice]15[/dice], [dice]16[/dice]

[Lucille Davis]

**rolls held**

Conditions: Shadow Meld: Duration: 8 min; Prowl at 60% while in shadows, -5 to attacker strike

Jez communicates through her merged radio. "GIRLS, Temptress. There's a door to a basement on the East side of the building under some tarp. Meg, that's your front door--go through it. Amber, I'm on the roof in front of you. Move to the house just North of the one I'm on. You and Susan should meet each each other on the West side of the house; enter the house from the West however you can. Lucy, grab Milly and follow Megan's lead. I'm going in through the roof--NOW."

Lucy pulls her radio. "Aye Temptress. Luce the Goose is on it." Hrm... call signs are hard. Going to have to work on that. she thinks as she pulls up behind Milly, hoping to not startle the new arrival. "Milly, um, Purple Bangs aka Temptress aka Jez radioed us to follow Megan." She points at the cautious headhunter stalking towards the target building. "I'm suggesting we stay just a bit back, give her some space to maneuver." Lucy continues to flick between shadows, roughly following Megan's trajectory.

To the team, she radios, "Please link me to your visuals if possible." She posts Jez, Megan and either Brooks or... whoever's third on her three remaining HUD slots (although it also goes directly into her brain...)

Lucy radios Susan back. "Susan, Lucy, I've got HUD in my NG Roadrunner. Will link up to you." She does so, hoping her view of Megan's backside offers an important tactical advantage to her team.

[Underguard]

Location: New Paducah; 'Merctown'
Time: 11h:55am (5 minutes have passed) ;; December 23 111PA, Saturday
Weather: About 50*F (10*C) ; Clear Skies ; No winds

[The house with the child]
Cordelia

Cordelia stutters her way through her response, in seeming shock at having a pistol leveled towards her when she knows she is practically defenseless. The woman reaches for the pistol in her partner's hands with a scowl towards her partner. "Cliff! Can't you see this poor lady is confused! Yer pistol would irritate baby Isabelle, and me. We don't need no defenders on this corner cause you done shot up a random passerby. Put yer damn gun down!" She practically commands through a hoarse throat. Cliff looks to her with an obvious scowl and keeps his pistol up, looking at Cordelia. "Shut up, woman. You get out of my house. We ain't seen no damn dog. Now get gone!" He commands and even through Cordelia's tear stricken face, the plebus can tell he is serious and he has undoubtedly taken a life before.

Cordelia hears the stifled cries of the child in the crib, and has but two options before her; leave and join the others or risk getting shot.

What are you doing

---

[The target house]
Everyone else

Lucille and Millicent continue talking briefly, acting like true tenants of the area while Megan shuffles down a different ally, eyeing the side of the house with the cellar. Brooks and Susan begin making their way towards the target house from the north-western side, nearest the wall. Brooks, remaining closer to the intersection, acting as a chaser should anyone in the house rabbit.

Amber keeps to the ground and scouts out whatever intel she can find, remaining as quiet as a stalker would be while casing the house. Amber notices a stillness to the target house, though other houses seem to be bustling with different levels of activity. It's then that everyone with a radio hears Jezebel over their private net. "GIRLS, Temptress. There's a door to a basement on the East side of the building under some tarp. Meg, that's your front door--go through it. Amber, I'm on the roof in front of you. Move to the house just North of the one I'm on. You and Susan should meet each each other on the West side of the house; enter the house from the West however you can. Lucy, grab Milly and follow Megan's lead. I'm going in through the roof--NOW."

Lucille, Millicent, Susan and Megan then all see their purple-haired leader leap from one building in a near cannon-ball style dive towards the target building. Leaping from the second level of the house she is on, crashing into the first level roof. Jezebel immediately feels the brittle wood of the rooftop cave in underneath her intent to crash it; it's unclear how this building was even still standing and was likely due to be replaced soon anyways, Jez figures she's probably doing Merctown a favor by smashing this roof, of course, it is the Warrens.

As the roof caves in and Jezebel lands to the floor, inside the building, she is hit with the overbearing smell of iron. As she looks around in the room, she finds three bodies slumped over chairs, bleeding out. The one to her right and to her left are both seemingly dead, the one ahead of her is drawing the slightest of breathes. Whatever happened here was brutal and quick with blood staining the floors and walls near the bodies, and on a quick glance, Jez can safely guess the one near-death ahead of her will likely die within minutes. If Jez looks around, she'll find a fourth body in a room that possibly used to be a sort of kitchen, and is now little more than a room flipped upside down. Moment's after Jez crashes her way in, Amber and Susan move in with her and see the same she does, Amber kicking in the front doors and both girls moving to either side of Jezebel. Susan also sees the one still gasping for breathe ahead of Jezebel down a hallway.

Meanwhile, Megan, Lucille and Millicent move towards the cellar pointed out by Jezebel. Megan finds a steel double-cellar door underneath the tarp with a seemingly sophisticated locking mechanism and a keypad. When Megan tries to open it, she finds she cannot without either breaking down the door or disabling the lock. Lucille and Millicent are each a few meters back, but close enough to see that the cellar door is certainly tech and not something one can just open.

The target house

House Map 1st Lvl.png (510.54 KiB) Viewed 47871 times

What are you doing

---

Butcher's Bill

• Jezebel:
  Megan:
  Amber:
  Cordelia:
  Susan:
  Lucille:
  Millicent:

[Megan Price]

Perception: [dice]0[/dice]/66% (+15% when either Multi-Optic Eyes or Amplified Hearing are active, +30% when both are active)
Just In Case: [dice]1[/dice]/[dice]2[/dice]
Constant Effects: Sound Filtration System, Universal Head-Jack
Current Effects, Other: Multi-Optic Eye Multi-Optic Eye (looking for what she can see with only her natural eye, also Thermal Imaging or Nightvision of needed), Amplified Hearing (listening for potential danger)

What the?! A freaking steel door? With an electronic lock? IN THE FUCKING WARRENS?! Megan's mind is sufficiently blown for several seconds as she mentally processes that until she comes to a few conclusions, and none of them are good. "Temptress, Jammer here. The tarp was covering a steel double door to the cellar locked with a rather sophisticated lock and has a numerical keypad. In the Warrens. While it could be something innocent, I'm going to assume otherwise. And while it may not be connected to the Black Market, extreme caution would be well advised. Standing by for further instructions."

Looking back to Lucille and Millicent, Megan says "Either of you wouldn't happen to know how to crack an electronic lock, would you? I could do it with some explosives, but that might not be the best idea."

Should an attacker come out of the cellar (or come at her from elsewhere for that matter), Megan will defend herself.

Megan's Combat Actions

Init: [dice]3[/dice]
Actions per Melee: 6

Action 1: Dodge [dice]4[/dice]
Action 2: Dodge [dice]5[/dice]
Action 3: Dodge [dice]6[/dice]
Action 4: Dodge [dice]7[/dice]
Action 5: Dodge [dice]8[/dice] Crit Success!
Action 6: Dodge [dice]9[/dice]

Parries (if close enough): [dice]10[/dice], [dice]11[/dice], [dice]12[/dice], [dice]13[/dice], [dice]14[/dice], [dice]15[/dice]