Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
Re: Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
The banshee careens around a broad corner and heads down an avenue dotted with more Corporate buildings. A low grumble accompanies the twist of the throttle that Bradbury applies to whisk past a crawling utility truck. The ork cranes his neck, scoping out the side of the Yamaguchi exterior. The end of the property backs up against a parking garage--presumably belonging to their neighbor. A narrow service corridor serves as a separator between the two, though it is tucked behind the 3 meter tall perimeter fence. The parking structure is decidedly vertical, while the pagoda-structure narrows as it climbs, making a jump between the two a very risky proposition. His gaze follows the maze of buildings, and Bradbury realizes that the neighboring garage is the only shared property.
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Drew Buddy
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Re: Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
Anon nods at his companion's musings.
"Sielle, I hear you. They might be useful if backup is coming. But if so, would be useful about a kilometer away. If backup is Lone Star, does no good if cars are disabled on site. I cannot afford to buy on my own, though. Also, plan is had for getting into truck vault," he says with a grin. He'd have to go over the details again with Loki, but the results promised to be interesting.
He paces along the shoulder of the road, taking everything in.
"Are you wanting to set thing up here, or are we done with the scout? May be Bradbury and Tianwe could use help at depot."
"Sielle, I hear you. They might be useful if backup is coming. But if so, would be useful about a kilometer away. If backup is Lone Star, does no good if cars are disabled on site. I cannot afford to buy on my own, though. Also, plan is had for getting into truck vault," he says with a grin. He'd have to go over the details again with Loki, but the results promised to be interesting.
He paces along the shoulder of the road, taking everything in.
"Are you wanting to set thing up here, or are we done with the scout? May be Bradbury and Tianwe could use help at depot."
Re: Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
Flexing a gnarled hand, Aremys gives Anon a skeptical look. Magic tricks alright. And like any good trick, the magician doesn't want to tell how it's done. Well, it sounds like a load of dragon dung to the Ork, and unfortunately he doesn't have much choice but to play along and make sure he has an exit if his companion gets caught with an ace up his sleeve.
"The spike strip a kilometer out will cause a pileup on the road coming I which will hopefully make in impassable. That would prevent Lone Star backup. It's a gamble but we don't have much to lose. Anyway, nothing more to do here until we are ready. Might as well go and join the others."
Aremys stalks back towards their sorry excuse for a ride, absently kicking a tire, only to have the rusted hubcap pop off and go rolling down the road. One day he we have a more suitable mode of transportation...one day, so long as a little magic trick opens up the vault doors.
"The spike strip a kilometer out will cause a pileup on the road coming I which will hopefully make in impassable. That would prevent Lone Star backup. It's a gamble but we don't have much to lose. Anyway, nothing more to do here until we are ready. Might as well go and join the others."
Aremys stalks back towards their sorry excuse for a ride, absently kicking a tire, only to have the rusted hubcap pop off and go rolling down the road. One day he we have a more suitable mode of transportation...one day, so long as a little magic trick opens up the vault doors.
Re: Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
Bradbury slows the bike and pulls to the side of the road, trying to get a better sense of the distances involved in what looks to him like a do-able jump.
(( I'm trying to get a better sense of what I'm working with here. Tell me about the fence, the parking structure, what exactly I'd be jumping onto. Are there windows in the pagoda after I hit one of the ledges? Is the parking structure free-standing, or attached to another building? What kinds of vehicles appear to be parked there? How wide a distance does it look like I'd be jumping? ))
(( I'm trying to get a better sense of what I'm working with here. Tell me about the fence, the parking structure, what exactly I'd be jumping onto. Are there windows in the pagoda after I hit one of the ledges? Is the parking structure free-standing, or attached to another building? What kinds of vehicles appear to be parked there? How wide a distance does it look like I'd be jumping? ))
Re: Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
Bradbury's eyes sweep over the adjacent buildings and pick out the relevant landmarks of each. Yamaguchi's pagoda roof rolls off of the building several meters in traditional style. A jump from the second level of the parking garage would put him on the roof of the ground floor, though it's an exceedingly long distance and would prove difficult as there are almost 5 meters of empty space between the two. Failing to land the jump would put him in the service corridor, on top of frag-knows-what, resulting in possible injury or detection. The parking garage is physically attached to a different non-descript wageslave factory, but has a private, robotic entrance on the street. The ork makes out entry-level luxury sedans and vans--typical fare of your average sarariman. Even if he landed the jump, the hapless former-dockworker would have to contend with doing so as stealthily as possible, for each level of the pagoda has 360 degrees of windows (though comparably smaller than the floor-to-ceiling units on the ground floor.)
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Drew Buddy
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Re: Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
Anon nods and grunts in reply.
"If traffic is as low as dwarf says it will be, there no pileup. Just don't want cops disabled within shooting distance."
He kicks a soykaf cup down the road as he speaks, mulling an idea.
"Agreed, lets get to the others. And are you over RPG idea?" He asks with a grin.
"If traffic is as low as dwarf says it will be, there no pileup. Just don't want cops disabled within shooting distance."
He kicks a soykaf cup down the road as he speaks, mulling an idea.
"Agreed, lets get to the others. And are you over RPG idea?" He asks with a grin.
Re: Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
The pagoda looms in the heat like a defiant challenge aimed directly at the ork. He raises an arm and wipes the sweat from his brow with his sleeve, taking another look at the structure before speeding off down the street. Splitting the lane, Bradbury squeezes between a large tanker truck and an industrial van that broadcasts "Sunshine Cleaning Co. #1!" on the side. A dust devil of road grime and scattered refuse swirls behind Bradbury and Tianwe as the thread the needle and surge ahead, the Banshee desperate to devour the road and shit out incredulous wageslaves.
Several blocks down the road, Bradbury makes his way to the right and slow to a stop, his boot stepping down onto the road as he draws up his comm to connect with the rest of the team. As he pulls up the channel to dial Anon and the rest, a dingy ice cream truck storms past the pair on their left, its merry tune compressing an expanding in pitch as it darts along the street and into the distance. Alston has no capacity to contain the longing painted on his face. What he wouldn't give for something cold right now-- a Frosty Swirl, or a Chocolate Dipped Soy Pop, or a "Trog Toe" as he'd called them as a child. The flash of recollection takes the ork aback, and relieves him of the impetus to give chase to the ice cream truck, replacing the urge with confusion and frustration.
Shaking the feeling, Bradbury turns to his silent compatriot, and quips, "You've been studying that thing without a word for what seems like days now. Must be a good book. Don't spoil the ending for me, yar?" Opening the comm channel, Bradbury addresses the team to relay what he's seen,
<Well, lads, the transport corp isn't exactly inviting looking, but I think it's doable. There's a parking garage next door, and I think I can jump from it to the roof of Yamaguchi. From there, we'll kind of just have to see how it works out. I don't see anything that looks like a vehicle yard, so they may keep their trucks in a garage underground, or offsite altogether. What's your position? When you're done there, we should reconvene somewhere around here and all check it out.>
Several blocks down the road, Bradbury makes his way to the right and slow to a stop, his boot stepping down onto the road as he draws up his comm to connect with the rest of the team. As he pulls up the channel to dial Anon and the rest, a dingy ice cream truck storms past the pair on their left, its merry tune compressing an expanding in pitch as it darts along the street and into the distance. Alston has no capacity to contain the longing painted on his face. What he wouldn't give for something cold right now-- a Frosty Swirl, or a Chocolate Dipped Soy Pop, or a "Trog Toe" as he'd called them as a child. The flash of recollection takes the ork aback, and relieves him of the impetus to give chase to the ice cream truck, replacing the urge with confusion and frustration.
Shaking the feeling, Bradbury turns to his silent compatriot, and quips, "You've been studying that thing without a word for what seems like days now. Must be a good book. Don't spoil the ending for me, yar?" Opening the comm channel, Bradbury addresses the team to relay what he's seen,
<Well, lads, the transport corp isn't exactly inviting looking, but I think it's doable. There's a parking garage next door, and I think I can jump from it to the roof of Yamaguchi. From there, we'll kind of just have to see how it works out. I don't see anything that looks like a vehicle yard, so they may keep their trucks in a garage underground, or offsite altogether. What's your position? When you're done there, we should reconvene somewhere around here and all check it out.>
Re: Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
Tian raises an amused eyebrow at Bradbury's quip. "I am reading on how to keep you alive." And myself... he adds silently.
Now that he's been momentarily wrenched from his study, he takes his first critical look around the transport complex. Things could look far better in his estimation. "I hope your feet are light, ork. If we raise alarm here, could blow whole mission. We may consider rigging explosives at ambush site. Underside of trucks is not armored. They would just have to drive over. I do not know that doing this thing now is worth risk of exposure," Little-Hawk counsels solemnly.
Now that he's been momentarily wrenched from his study, he takes his first critical look around the transport complex. Things could look far better in his estimation. "I hope your feet are light, ork. If we raise alarm here, could blow whole mission. We may consider rigging explosives at ambush site. Underside of trucks is not armored. They would just have to drive over. I do not know that doing this thing now is worth risk of exposure," Little-Hawk counsels solemnly.
Re: Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
A tumbleweed composed of garbage and decaying organic matter scurries across the shoulder, carried by the chill, foul wind that sweeps in over the Barrens. The sun begins a death throe as it tucks into the edge of the horizon, the radioactive hue has dimmed into a muted purple--like the color of a festering bruise. A gunshot sounds a klick or two away, the sound waves stretching out across the desolate expanse until they resemble little more than a dry scratch.
Traffic--for lack of a better word--thins out considerably, to the point where Anon and Aremys are counting one or two vehicles every five minutes. It seems that the bulk of Seattle's citizens prefer not to traverse the lonely Barrens highway at night. A battered Americar rumbles past, its muffler banging noisily on the pavement with each slight compression of the vehicle's suspension system and sending out a barrage of sparks in its wake, to mingle with the inky clouds of exhaust. The muffled sounds of a Johnny Nuclear track undulate from within the vehicle's dark confines, giving Aremys an irritated twitch as he is forced to revisit his drive to the Barrens.
Traffic--for lack of a better word--thins out considerably, to the point where Anon and Aremys are counting one or two vehicles every five minutes. It seems that the bulk of Seattle's citizens prefer not to traverse the lonely Barrens highway at night. A battered Americar rumbles past, its muffler banging noisily on the pavement with each slight compression of the vehicle's suspension system and sending out a barrage of sparks in its wake, to mingle with the inky clouds of exhaust. The muffled sounds of a Johnny Nuclear track undulate from within the vehicle's dark confines, giving Aremys an irritated twitch as he is forced to revisit his drive to the Barrens.
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Drew Buddy
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Re: Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
Anon shudders in the dying heat, and turns on his heel back toward the bulldog. Bad things happen in this place, and he is fixing to become one of the monsters who goes bump in the night for the weary travelers desperate enough to come here for a shortcut. His sense of trepidation continues as he plops down in the van, but now for much more personal reasons. The drive over here had been about a unpleasant as could be, and this has not been good for either Anon or his Orc companion, who had taken out his displeasure in a very overt display upon the vehicle.
Anon starts chatting conversationally as the motor fires up, and the vents once again belch torrid air at the pair.
"Celé, I am thinking that key to vault is guards themselves. If what little man said is true, breaking into trucks brute force is not to work. I am thinking we get guards themselves to open back of truck with a little illusion, and trickery of mind. Make them want to open back of truck. But much depends on Loki. He keeps, what is saying? Cards close to chest. I need to know that he can do what I think he can do."
Stray stares out the window as the wasteland beyond rolls by, "I cannot do alone. At least very well."
Anon starts chatting conversationally as the motor fires up, and the vents once again belch torrid air at the pair.
"Celé, I am thinking that key to vault is guards themselves. If what little man said is true, breaking into trucks brute force is not to work. I am thinking we get guards themselves to open back of truck with a little illusion, and trickery of mind. Make them want to open back of truck. But much depends on Loki. He keeps, what is saying? Cards close to chest. I need to know that he can do what I think he can do."
Stray stares out the window as the wasteland beyond rolls by, "I cannot do alone. At least very well."
Re: Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
The rattling of dusty windows and the tin-can orchestra of the passing Americar wake Loki abruptly from his dozing, like some overly enterprising neighbor taking out the recycling with a leaf blower. A small metal hip flask balanced upon his chest tips momentarily, trickling some of its contents down the front of his stale undershirt. The aroma of Schnapps adds bite to the already gut-testing rancor of the back seat. Cursing, he fumbles at the bottle, replacing the screw cap and glowering at his surroundings.
Frayed layers of upholstery streaked with grime, spilled food, crushed-in ashes, and questionable liquid stains are evidenced throughout the cabin. Someone has bled copiously onto the corner of the bench seat in the not too-distant past, and inspection of the contents of the ash-tray include a candy coated peanut, a paper clip, and one human tooth. Swallowing thickly, Loki reaches for the handle, yanks open the sliding side door, and steps out of the sweltering cabin into the barrens.
Shading his face with a hand, squinting terribly against the sunset, he approaches his two comrades and the three stand silently for a moment.
"So....whatcha guys think?" he says. The question feels stupid, no one replies. "Well, we and three other guys are all that were stupid enough to drive out into this desert today. I think its safe to assume we'll have this convoy largely to ourselves. We have some final details to plan once we hook up with the others so we all sing the same song when the chorus begins." By their silent stares, Loki has a distinct impression he is a beat or two behind the conversation. "Well then...shall we head back?" he asks. He turns to look, but Aremys has already begun walking to the van.
Frayed layers of upholstery streaked with grime, spilled food, crushed-in ashes, and questionable liquid stains are evidenced throughout the cabin. Someone has bled copiously onto the corner of the bench seat in the not too-distant past, and inspection of the contents of the ash-tray include a candy coated peanut, a paper clip, and one human tooth. Swallowing thickly, Loki reaches for the handle, yanks open the sliding side door, and steps out of the sweltering cabin into the barrens.
Shading his face with a hand, squinting terribly against the sunset, he approaches his two comrades and the three stand silently for a moment.
"So....whatcha guys think?" he says. The question feels stupid, no one replies. "Well, we and three other guys are all that were stupid enough to drive out into this desert today. I think its safe to assume we'll have this convoy largely to ourselves. We have some final details to plan once we hook up with the others so we all sing the same song when the chorus begins." By their silent stares, Loki has a distinct impression he is a beat or two behind the conversation. "Well then...shall we head back?" he asks. He turns to look, but Aremys has already begun walking to the van.
Last edited by Conway on Fri Sep 26, 2014 6:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Drew Buddy
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Re: Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
Anon turns and leans against the door as the van bumps over the poorly maintained tarmac of the abandoned highway. His position gives him a good view of the grumpy orc and slightly befuddled human, the latter which particularly interests Anon at the moment.
"Sersakhan, perhaps it is time to be coming clean. You have talent. Talent you have not shared with us. I can see this all over your astral signature. We might be needing talents like that tomorrow night. So tell us, what is it that you are able to doing? And more important, can you do the mucking about with people's minds?"
"Sersakhan, perhaps it is time to be coming clean. You have talent. Talent you have not shared with us. I can see this all over your astral signature. We might be needing talents like that tomorrow night. So tell us, what is it that you are able to doing? And more important, can you do the mucking about with people's minds?"
Re: Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
The last rays of daylight sweep across the Seattle cityscape, slicing through thick clouds of smog like a plasma cutter. The air thins with the waning sun, bringing an abrupt end to the bizarre and oppressive heat wave. All of the pressure and moisture form a turbulent brew in the horizon, causing the hairs on the back of Bradbury and Tian's necks to stand on end. The motley pair relax on a corner, beneath an inactive holographic billboard. The swathe of shade provided by the concrete overhang above provides a bit of cover to their continued stakeout of Yamaguchi.
Tian chews absently on the inside of his lip as he exhaustively examines demolition diagrams in VR, his large pupils darting back and forth as they register images that Bradbury can't see. The team's amnesiac rolls an Alpaca cigarette back and forth between his palms, pausing at certain intervals to look back at the pagoda roof and judge the trajectory of a possible jump and the wisdom of such a risk at the same time. With his comrades en route and the comm chatter quiet, he can only attempt to quell the growing anxiety in the base of his esophagus.
Tian chews absently on the inside of his lip as he exhaustively examines demolition diagrams in VR, his large pupils darting back and forth as they register images that Bradbury can't see. The team's amnesiac rolls an Alpaca cigarette back and forth between his palms, pausing at certain intervals to look back at the pagoda roof and judge the trajectory of a possible jump and the wisdom of such a risk at the same time. With his comrades en route and the comm chatter quiet, he can only attempt to quell the growing anxiety in the base of his esophagus.
Re: Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
Loki's eyes flick to Anon before going soft, unfocused, peering into somewhere beyond the here and now. He mutters softly, "Mucking about...that's about how I'd describe it."
For a moment he is silent, wondering just how much he need share with the elf. Every 'runner has a few skeletons, this lot being no exception- perhaps even toward the extreme. How they all came to work together, and on a job that turned out to be fixed, was still a mystery. Skeletons would be dug up, one by one, if they all continued to work with one another. Of that he was sure. As bits and pieces of their past and skills became mission critical, they would be revealed, and like an unseen adhesive would further bond the group in solidarity.
"I can....use a bit a magic," he continues, "..like you said. Just a few things, really. They sorta just....came to me, I guess. I haven't always had the Talent." he says in a rush. "Anyways...I'll spare you the history lesson. Yeah, I've got a few mind tricks... I'm pretty good at making things confusing for people, clouding their judgement- adding to the chaos, ya know? And getting what I want from them. One way," Loki's eyes grow distant again, a dark expression on his face, "..or another."
For a moment he is silent, wondering just how much he need share with the elf. Every 'runner has a few skeletons, this lot being no exception- perhaps even toward the extreme. How they all came to work together, and on a job that turned out to be fixed, was still a mystery. Skeletons would be dug up, one by one, if they all continued to work with one another. Of that he was sure. As bits and pieces of their past and skills became mission critical, they would be revealed, and like an unseen adhesive would further bond the group in solidarity.
"I can....use a bit a magic," he continues, "..like you said. Just a few things, really. They sorta just....came to me, I guess. I haven't always had the Talent." he says in a rush. "Anyways...I'll spare you the history lesson. Yeah, I've got a few mind tricks... I'm pretty good at making things confusing for people, clouding their judgement- adding to the chaos, ya know? And getting what I want from them. One way," Loki's eyes grow distant again, a dark expression on his face, "..or another."
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Drew Buddy
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Re: Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
Anon nods respectfully at the cagey human. The feeling of having baggage that can't be shared is all too familiar to him. Anon has plenty of enemies behind him, and is not eager to create new ones in this new life.
Except for the dangerous people who hired us in the bar, he thinks with a twinge of unease.
"This is good. I am going to be needing help. I am thinking I can create illusion inside cab of truck that will make guards want to get out very fast. All you are needing to do is convince them that vault in back is safest place to flee to. Then they open door for us. No explosives, no picking of the locks, no burning needed. Causing confusion may help cause panic as well. Will be good if they are not thinking straight."
His eyes turn toward the ceiling and he muses, "maybe can make invae... Or spiders. Lots of spiders."
Except for the dangerous people who hired us in the bar, he thinks with a twinge of unease.
"This is good. I am going to be needing help. I am thinking I can create illusion inside cab of truck that will make guards want to get out very fast. All you are needing to do is convince them that vault in back is safest place to flee to. Then they open door for us. No explosives, no picking of the locks, no burning needed. Causing confusion may help cause panic as well. Will be good if they are not thinking straight."
His eyes turn toward the ceiling and he muses, "maybe can make invae... Or spiders. Lots of spiders."
Re: Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
Loki's normally good humor creeps back into his demeanor as he imagines the ploy Anon is suggesting.
"I like your style, elf." he says, grinning now.
From the floor of the van, Grimey looks up at him, seeming to sense the change of his companions disposition. The black weasel is bent possessively, devouring a stale tortilla chip dusted in myriad, multi-colored spice powders unknown to nature, that he must have found somewhere in the bowels of the van. The animal stares at Loki calmly, no longer as shy or skittish around the strange human as when they had first found one another in the dimmest, remote alleys of Seattle's slums. Little drifts of dark new fur are growing in, evening out some of the thinner patches that had speckled his otherwise obsidian coat, and he'd fattened up a little bit in recent weeks. Unfurling an index finger, Loki reaches out to scratch idly beneath the rodents chin.
"Together we can certainly cause a scene, omae. But it will still take a strike of luck to get them all to react the way we'd like. My...powers of suggestion...are a bit limited. I can only compel one chump at a time. It'd help if we knew who carried the lead."
"I like your style, elf." he says, grinning now.
From the floor of the van, Grimey looks up at him, seeming to sense the change of his companions disposition. The black weasel is bent possessively, devouring a stale tortilla chip dusted in myriad, multi-colored spice powders unknown to nature, that he must have found somewhere in the bowels of the van. The animal stares at Loki calmly, no longer as shy or skittish around the strange human as when they had first found one another in the dimmest, remote alleys of Seattle's slums. Little drifts of dark new fur are growing in, evening out some of the thinner patches that had speckled his otherwise obsidian coat, and he'd fattened up a little bit in recent weeks. Unfurling an index finger, Loki reaches out to scratch idly beneath the rodents chin.
"Together we can certainly cause a scene, omae. But it will still take a strike of luck to get them all to react the way we'd like. My...powers of suggestion...are a bit limited. I can only compel one chump at a time. It'd help if we knew who carried the lead."
Re: Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
The cool night breeze does little to ease Aremy's anxiety about the up coming hijacking. The sweat that has poured out him all day, soaking his clothes, has dried into a sticky sheen, leaving him feeling more unpleasant than ever. He listens to the two...mages...discussion with some trepidation, but also a curious interest, not just because his life may depend on their capabilities, but because what they claim to be able to do is so alien to him.
"Sounds to me like you are at the poker table playing a bluff, mates. What happens if they call it? Don't forget that our esteemed employed said the guards would include one mage as well. I don't known frag about magic, but if you're using it, wouldn't another mage know? It would be nice to have a plan B besides this..." He gently pats the AK-97 wedged next to him between the seat and center console. Normally such a thing would be impossible to fit, but it appears as if the previous owner of the vehicle removed various amenities, like the arm rests (must to the car's current occupants discomfort), to fit just such a weapon.
((Roll police procedures knowledge to see if there is a standard position for the highest ranking officer.))
"Sounds to me like you are at the poker table playing a bluff, mates. What happens if they call it? Don't forget that our esteemed employed said the guards would include one mage as well. I don't known frag about magic, but if you're using it, wouldn't another mage know? It would be nice to have a plan B besides this..." He gently pats the AK-97 wedged next to him between the seat and center console. Normally such a thing would be impossible to fit, but it appears as if the previous owner of the vehicle removed various amenities, like the arm rests (must to the car's current occupants discomfort), to fit just such a weapon.
((Roll police procedures knowledge to see if there is a standard position for the highest ranking officer.))
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Drew Buddy
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Re: Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
Anon turns his face to the breeze coming through the window, feeling downright cold where the sweat has collected under his hair and collar. The bumps in the road grow increasingly sparse as they reach the edge of the barrens; the buildings become cleaner and less pockmarked and bullet-ridden. He sighs.
"Plan B? Hell, this is plan A. As for a plan B, I don't know. You are having suggestion? I am not sure we are having many options without getting attention of groups much bigger than us."
He stares out the window at the slowly modernizing landscape. He's out of his depth and he knows it. Sure, this job pales in comparison to escaping the Tir, but the latter had required a great deal of luck. Luck he's not sure he can count on. He muses over the steps that brought him here, to this dilapidated van in a decrepit section of a seemingly lawless nation-state. If he had been asked a year ago where he thought he would be today, this would have been last on his mind.
"Plan B? Hell, this is plan A. As for a plan B, I don't know. You are having suggestion? I am not sure we are having many options without getting attention of groups much bigger than us."
He stares out the window at the slowly modernizing landscape. He's out of his depth and he knows it. Sure, this job pales in comparison to escaping the Tir, but the latter had required a great deal of luck. Luck he's not sure he can count on. He muses over the steps that brought him here, to this dilapidated van in a decrepit section of a seemingly lawless nation-state. If he had been asked a year ago where he thought he would be today, this would have been last on his mind.
Re: Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
By the time the Bulldog arrives in front of Yamaguchi plaza, belching noxious fumes and sputtering noisily, the sun has long since set and darkness fills the voids between blinding corporate signage and the errant street lamp. Like switching off a light brings out the roaches, the encroaching darkness brings out the denizens of the Nipponese underworld. Clusters of joy-girls bustle on the more prominent corners, their rank and file composed of lithe, mini-skirt clad celestial beings all the way down to heavily-made up geisha in full kimono. Drunken sararimen stagger from bar to bar, clutching at one another for balance and stopping to flirt fruitlessly with the working girls. The odd Yakuza enforcer struts the boulevard, unmistakable in his mirror shades, black suit and wingtip shoes. Electronic dance music is felt, rather than heard as sound waves creep through the fractures in concrete--dark rhythms rising from some primordial place of vice worship. Despite the renewed hustle and bustle of this corner of Nippon-town, the team feels at ease. Or at least, more in their element.
Tian and Bradbury have fully melted into the shadow underneath the defunct billboard surface. Only the glowing ember of Bradbury's Alpaca cigarette provides Aremys, Anon, and Loki a clue as to where their other two team members are staked out.
Tian and Bradbury have fully melted into the shadow underneath the defunct billboard surface. Only the glowing ember of Bradbury's Alpaca cigarette provides Aremys, Anon, and Loki a clue as to where their other two team members are staked out.
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Drew Buddy
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Re: Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
Anon approaches the stakeout point casually keeping to the shadows. Hiding without trying to hide. Just another working stiff going out for a smoke break. He crouches next to the decker and dockworker in the shadow below the sign's bright glow, taking in the writhing mass of humanity getting its fix below.
Other practitioners are able to immerse themselves in the astral plane, move about it at will, a source of great jealousy and even a bit shame for Anon. His own ability is limited to the equivalent of dipping his face in the water and looking around while the other kids swim in the pool. For the moment, that will have to suffice. He takes in the landscape in astral space, looking for wards, spirits, or defenses of any kind on or around the property.
"So what's it looking like?" He asks Bradbury and Tian without looking at them.
Other practitioners are able to immerse themselves in the astral plane, move about it at will, a source of great jealousy and even a bit shame for Anon. His own ability is limited to the equivalent of dipping his face in the water and looking around while the other kids swim in the pool. For the moment, that will have to suffice. He takes in the landscape in astral space, looking for wards, spirits, or defenses of any kind on or around the property.
"So what's it looking like?" He asks Bradbury and Tian without looking at them.
Re: Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
Anon - Perception Test
Re: Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
Aremys stands with hands on hips gazing at the building in the dying light. His eyes roam over its impenetrable features and his gut sinks.
"That is a god damned fortress of an office. I don't see how we get in there undetected. It would be too big a risk to the operation to even try since if we are caught they will probably cancel transports or beef up security enormously. Sabotaging the trucks is plan B, right? Magical access is plan A, if I follow. Perhaps we need a different plan B - we might have more luck stealing some rockets! If we are intent on sabotage though, we may be better off finding a mechanic who works here, taking his family hostage, and forcing him to go in and plant the explosive and give us the ability to open the cargo doors. At least that way, if he did his job, we wouldn't have to infiltrate that bastard of a building."
"That is a god damned fortress of an office. I don't see how we get in there undetected. It would be too big a risk to the operation to even try since if we are caught they will probably cancel transports or beef up security enormously. Sabotaging the trucks is plan B, right? Magical access is plan A, if I follow. Perhaps we need a different plan B - we might have more luck stealing some rockets! If we are intent on sabotage though, we may be better off finding a mechanic who works here, taking his family hostage, and forcing him to go in and plant the explosive and give us the ability to open the cargo doors. At least that way, if he did his job, we wouldn't have to infiltrate that bastard of a building."
Re: Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
Anon turns to reply to Aremys. As soon as the elf lays eyes on the enhancement-obsessed ork, he feels a shiver tremor down his spine. The grouchy gunslinger is ablaze in colorful life-energy, except for a pair of pitch-dark punctures where his cybernetic eyes have been installed. The missing essence just feels wrong to him, but he shakes it off and averts his gaze.
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Drew Buddy
- Posts: 1488
- Joined: Sun Oct 30, 2011 7:06 pm
Re: Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
Anon shudders at more than just the ork's visage. Cyberware has always been unsettling when viewed in astral, but he could almost swear that the rest of the ork's essence was pulling away, as if trying to escape.
Your mind's just playing tricks on you.
Anon's attention turns back to the other unsettling matter.
"I am not going to be bringing innocents into this," he says, feeling a flush of heat work its way up his neck. He feels something growling, vibrating his bones, only audible to him. "We are not touching any man's family."
He turns his gaze back to the facility, hoping to move the subject forward.
"All glass in building has wards. If we are certain that trucks are inside, we might be finding other way in."
Your mind's just playing tricks on you.
Anon's attention turns back to the other unsettling matter.
"I am not going to be bringing innocents into this," he says, feeling a flush of heat work its way up his neck. He feels something growling, vibrating his bones, only audible to him. "We are not touching any man's family."
He turns his gaze back to the facility, hoping to move the subject forward.
"All glass in building has wards. If we are certain that trucks are inside, we might be finding other way in."
Re: Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
Tianwe nods solemnly, glancing from the brick of explosives in his left hand to the detonator cap in his right. "I agree with both of you, on separate points." He nods to Aremys. "Much can go wrong here. Would be safer to start interference farther down the line." His gaze turns to rest on Anon, whose eyes seem far away from the present situation, but hold a focused light nonetheless. "But we should not bring harm to those who bear us none."
Surveying the scene of the transport depot from the shadows, Little-Hawk sighs. "But if our course is set here, then I will help.". His eyes flick to Bradbury and Loki, asking their opinions with a silent but heavy gaze.
Surveying the scene of the transport depot from the shadows, Little-Hawk sighs. "But if our course is set here, then I will help.". His eyes flick to Bradbury and Loki, asking their opinions with a silent but heavy gaze.
Re: Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
Bradbury smokes absent-mindedly, unaware that the cigarette is burning down to its end until he gets a mouthful of burnt filter rather than tobacco. Disgusted, he flicks the singed butt into the humidity-damp street beside the Bulldog. He's been musing on the building all day, and the news of the wards makes the place go from a helluva hill to an unscalable mountain. Returning his attention to the group, the ork ribs, "You know, I've never really gone in for popular radio, but if there's one Top 40 Hit I just can't get enough of, it's 'Rockets Are Definitely The Answer.'" He rakes his fingers through his beard, displeased with himself for growing passive aggressive and outwardly dismissive. "And yeah, I agree that bringing innocents into this is a bad idea. If nothing else, I think we want to keep as low a profile as possible, and taking hostages isn't generally something that helps you fly under the radar. But it sounds like we're all pretty much on the same page. This doesn't really seem like the direction to go, considering we don't even know if the trucks are here. I could make that jump," Bradbury points from the parking garage to the first level of the pagoda, tracing his finger along the arc of his would-be feat, "but it means fragall if there's no way for me to get through the windows undetected. I haven't seen any other way to get into the building short of strolling right in through the front door." He pauses a moment to consider just walking casually through the front door during business hours and smirks at the silliness of the idea. "You chummers find anything more valuable on your field trip?"
Re: Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
[ The Barrens -- Night of the heist ]
The heavily modified Banshee cuts through the dusk, turbocharger whining as it force feeds compressed air into the motor and the revs climb and fall. Bradbury has to remind himself to let off the throttle whenever his speed starts to pick up. He glances in the side mirror to insure that старик is still within range. Tian--stone faced and pressing his deck tightly to his chest--rides behind the ork adept.
The rest of the team sweats inside of the Bulldog, watching the gloomy terrain flit by through the filthy windows. The sun is settling in the Seattle sky, igniting an explosion of amber and orange hues, like a gasoline fire on the edge of space. The moon, rarely visible, has already made its appearance. A good omen, the grim bunch hopes.
Catching sight of the overpass that was described to him, Bradbury throws up a hand as a signal and feathers the brake.
The heavily modified Banshee cuts through the dusk, turbocharger whining as it force feeds compressed air into the motor and the revs climb and fall. Bradbury has to remind himself to let off the throttle whenever his speed starts to pick up. He glances in the side mirror to insure that старик is still within range. Tian--stone faced and pressing his deck tightly to his chest--rides behind the ork adept.
The rest of the team sweats inside of the Bulldog, watching the gloomy terrain flit by through the filthy windows. The sun is settling in the Seattle sky, igniting an explosion of amber and orange hues, like a gasoline fire on the edge of space. The moon, rarely visible, has already made its appearance. A good omen, the grim bunch hopes.
Catching sight of the overpass that was described to him, Bradbury throws up a hand as a signal and feathers the brake.
Re: Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
The Banshee whirs down beneath him as the ork and the decker come to a slow stop in the moribund landscape. Bradbury guides the bike to the side of the road, kicks out the kick stand, and allows it to come to rest leaning to its side. Stepping off the bike, gravel and road grit crunch faintly under his boots, and the wind whoops discontentedly across the flat emptiness of the Barrens highway. As he ambles over to the guarding on the side of the road, small wisps of grime spring through the air around his feet, the stench of residual oil and exhaust playing at his nose. Among the assorted graffiti on the ferrocrete center divider lies the phrase "ODDFELLOW" in letters nearly a meter tall, the angular text standing out in neon yellow paint and as being oddly accusatory.
The rest of the team rolls up on the location and piles soddenly out of the Bulldog, their annoyance at the vehicle and the breakless heatwave quite literally dripping from their languished faces. Bradbury stands with the team for a silent moment by the side of road, taking in the scene and making various notes of the terrain to himself. The road crew uniforms that the team sports have contributed to a sense of camaraderie that had not been lost on the ork. Even the other ork-- with whom he'd locked horns a few times-- had seemed more agreeable to Bradbury over the last couple days' planning and preparations. Tensions were easing a bit and personalities were clicking as the five men became more accustomed to working with one another. A car comes rumbling out of the distance and jolts by the group, hardly seeming to slow down-- let alone pay them any attention-- as their reflective vests scatter the light from its headlamps in all directions.
Its taillights receding down the highway, Alston turns his attentions back to the group, and begins, "Right. As we've discussed, I'm only of use up close and personal. Let's go over once more where everybody plans to be set up." The ork glances briefly up at the overpass, wondering what-- if any-- tactical advantages it can practically serve them.
The rest of the team rolls up on the location and piles soddenly out of the Bulldog, their annoyance at the vehicle and the breakless heatwave quite literally dripping from their languished faces. Bradbury stands with the team for a silent moment by the side of road, taking in the scene and making various notes of the terrain to himself. The road crew uniforms that the team sports have contributed to a sense of camaraderie that had not been lost on the ork. Even the other ork-- with whom he'd locked horns a few times-- had seemed more agreeable to Bradbury over the last couple days' planning and preparations. Tensions were easing a bit and personalities were clicking as the five men became more accustomed to working with one another. A car comes rumbling out of the distance and jolts by the group, hardly seeming to slow down-- let alone pay them any attention-- as their reflective vests scatter the light from its headlamps in all directions.
Its taillights receding down the highway, Alston turns his attentions back to the group, and begins, "Right. As we've discussed, I'm only of use up close and personal. Let's go over once more where everybody plans to be set up." The ork glances briefly up at the overpass, wondering what-- if any-- tactical advantages it can practically serve them.
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Drew Buddy
- Posts: 1488
- Joined: Sun Oct 30, 2011 7:06 pm
Re: Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
(( My plan was to summon a spirit right after sundown, so I could have time to nap off any drain from healing myself. So if I could get a retroactive roll for summoning an F7 spirit of man, with the two optional powers: Fear and Innate Spell [TriD Phantasm]. Then I'll decide what force healing spell to use if there's any physical drain. ))
Anon almost shivers in the sudden coolness of the air as he steps out of the bulldog and straightens his uniform. He's pleased to see that the shabbiness of his fellow runners makes them blend in even better; Night time roadwork in the barrens is not the kind of assignment that would be given to softer employees. He idly wonders what the hazard pay for this kind of posting would be. A lot of things go bump in the night in the Barrens, and tonight they are going to become one of those things.
Anon points his thumb toward the van, "Old Gloopy back there is going to be making fake knocked over truck in road, and maybe making guards scared if needed. I will make swarm of bugs in convoy cab, and Loki will be convincing guards that back of truck is safest place to be. If plan is not going quite right, perhaps Tianwe can be getting control of trucks. Make sure they do not flee, and maybe open doors remotely if guards don't. Either way, will be help when we need to leave."
He eyes Bradbury. "If you are needing up close, our spirit friend can hide you, let you get as close as need. Perhaps let you get drop on guards once doors open. Same for you, Aremys."
Anon almost shivers in the sudden coolness of the air as he steps out of the bulldog and straightens his uniform. He's pleased to see that the shabbiness of his fellow runners makes them blend in even better; Night time roadwork in the barrens is not the kind of assignment that would be given to softer employees. He idly wonders what the hazard pay for this kind of posting would be. A lot of things go bump in the night in the Barrens, and tonight they are going to become one of those things.
Anon points his thumb toward the van, "Old Gloopy back there is going to be making fake knocked over truck in road, and maybe making guards scared if needed. I will make swarm of bugs in convoy cab, and Loki will be convincing guards that back of truck is safest place to be. If plan is not going quite right, perhaps Tianwe can be getting control of trucks. Make sure they do not flee, and maybe open doors remotely if guards don't. Either way, will be help when we need to leave."
He eyes Bradbury. "If you are needing up close, our spirit friend can hide you, let you get as close as need. Perhaps let you get drop on guards once doors open. Same for you, Aremys."
Re: Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
A devious smirk crosses Bradbury's face at the thought of being functionally invisible to his inevitable foes. He offers a nod, and says "Sounds a-o-fraggin'-kay to me. Anybody got any ideas on how to identify the mage in their group? We want him neutralized but quick."
Re: Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
Anon Stray crouches by the circle of charcoal. His fingertips are splayed outwards, dripping the foul mixture of orichalcum powder and tar that his talismonger provided. The hermetic closes his eyes and reels against the sensation of the sky plummeting down to smash him into astral smithereens. He can feel bear with him, which provides some measure of comfort. The abandoned lot where he made his preparations is spinning away now as Anon's mind is transported to somewhere ancient. Impossible shapes and runic languages flicker about in his sight beyond sight. Hulking, formless entities watch as he trespasses. The elf does his best to ignore their presence and focus his mind on his singular purpose. He projects his request for assistance as a mental command, beckoning the denizens of this particular astral plane.
Anon's eyes snap open abruptly. His hands are shaking from remaining in one position for what must have been hours. He is drenched in perspiration. The reagent mixture, having co-mingled with elf's sweat, is dripping off of his fingertips and on to the cracked tarmac, where it hisses like sulfuric acid. Sensing the ritual coming to completion, Anon rises shakily and staggers backward, away from the circle.
The chunky asphalt bubbles and roils like magma. It spreads outwards until the edges of the molten rock lap at the charcoal ring. A figure slowly rises from the hissing ooze; a humanoid shape with elongated limbs. The entity is made of a liquid rock, a surface that refuses to harden. Anon suppresses a shiver at the sight of the fearsome spirit. Although the spirit doesn't have any discernible features, Anon can feel it staring at him.
(( Spirit of man, force 7, 4 remaining tasks. ))
Anon shakes his head, removing the last vestiges of the vivid scene. Interacting with the spirit world has certain side-effects--flashbacks are one of them. He watches the intimidating asphalt golem standing motionless underneath the overpass and is glad that the spirit is on their side.
Anon's eyes snap open abruptly. His hands are shaking from remaining in one position for what must have been hours. He is drenched in perspiration. The reagent mixture, having co-mingled with elf's sweat, is dripping off of his fingertips and on to the cracked tarmac, where it hisses like sulfuric acid. Sensing the ritual coming to completion, Anon rises shakily and staggers backward, away from the circle.
The chunky asphalt bubbles and roils like magma. It spreads outwards until the edges of the molten rock lap at the charcoal ring. A figure slowly rises from the hissing ooze; a humanoid shape with elongated limbs. The entity is made of a liquid rock, a surface that refuses to harden. Anon suppresses a shiver at the sight of the fearsome spirit. Although the spirit doesn't have any discernible features, Anon can feel it staring at him.
Anon - Conjuring Test
Anon - Resist Drain Test
Re: Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
(( You've arrived a few hours ahead of schedule to prepare. If you want to narrate getting into your chosen positions, I'll kick this bad boy off. ))
Re: Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
Aremys pulls the cargo van over to the side over the highway, the overpass directly above. I'm the dark and shadow, the van is almost invisible. The engine sputters to a standstill with what sounds like a death rattle, making the anxious Ork wonder if it will ever start up again. He leaves the keys in the ignition and climbs over the seat into the cargo area, making his way to the back doors. With a hiss of frustration he sets to work peeling some faded Russian punk rock stickers from the windows so that he can get a clear view of the oncoming traffic and ambush spot. A loud metallic snap shutters through the inside of the van as he racks his worn assault rifle, readying it for action.
Looking over to Loki and Anon he gives them a grim, ready nod.
Looking over to Loki and Anon he gives them a grim, ready nod.
Re: Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
Little-Hawk expels a shaky breath as his sweat-slicked fingers fumble at the detonator cap, pressing it firmly into the wad of plastic in his other hand. He looks up and glances around the scene, half of his mind running through weight to blast radius equations, the other half imagining possible permutations of tonight's encounter. He's certain he hasn't yet cornered the one that will manifest itself. He affixes a generous wad of explosives securely to the underside of a crumbling, hopelessly oxidized manhole cover just before the overpass in the convoy's direction of travel, and replaces it gingerly. Peering down the highway in the direction of their target's origin, he nods once; the convoy should have no choice but to drive right over it.
Next, he sets to work rigging the neglected columns of the overpass, idly admiring the abstract art spewed all over the place by countless cranked-out street urchins and wannabe thugs. As he works, he idly wonders if the team's road crew disguises are as inconspicuous as they first thought. This part of the Barrens obviously hasn't seen one for an eon or two.
Fixing the last of the explosives to the dilapidated concrete, Tian wipes the sweat from his face and hikes a few yards of the road to get a better vantage point of the ambush site. Yes, it looks right. With a bit of magic and a bit of firepower, the team should be able to get the convoy to stop right... there. As he walks a bit closer to the site, he rifles through the area jammer's list of whitelisted nodes, making sure the none of the team's gear has been left out. He crouches down and lifts up on the shredded remains of a truck tire, obviously blown by a hail of gunfire, places the jammer underneath it and flicks its wireless receiver to active.
Tian glances back toward the underpass, shaking his head slightly. {{ Someone move van, unless you want it become part of road block. }}
Little-Hawk takes one final look around the scene, satisfied that he's prepared as much as possible. The only thing left to do is wait out the quiet, which is always the hardest part when you can feel the storm coming.
Next, he sets to work rigging the neglected columns of the overpass, idly admiring the abstract art spewed all over the place by countless cranked-out street urchins and wannabe thugs. As he works, he idly wonders if the team's road crew disguises are as inconspicuous as they first thought. This part of the Barrens obviously hasn't seen one for an eon or two.
Fixing the last of the explosives to the dilapidated concrete, Tian wipes the sweat from his face and hikes a few yards of the road to get a better vantage point of the ambush site. Yes, it looks right. With a bit of magic and a bit of firepower, the team should be able to get the convoy to stop right... there. As he walks a bit closer to the site, he rifles through the area jammer's list of whitelisted nodes, making sure the none of the team's gear has been left out. He crouches down and lifts up on the shredded remains of a truck tire, obviously blown by a hail of gunfire, places the jammer underneath it and flicks its wireless receiver to active.
Tian glances back toward the underpass, shaking his head slightly. {{ Someone move van, unless you want it become part of road block. }}
Little-Hawk takes one final look around the scene, satisfied that he's prepared as much as possible. The only thing left to do is wait out the quiet, which is always the hardest part when you can feel the storm coming.
Re: Run #2: The Flash and The Furious
Aremys watches the would be midnight bomber work with a raised eyebrow.
{{"Hey mate, if you drop the overpass and blow the roadway behind the convoy you will trap them sure. But you also prevent us loading the product into the van and being able to drive away...maybe share what your plan is before hitting the detonate button, eh?"}}
{{"Hey mate, if you drop the overpass and blow the roadway behind the convoy you will trap them sure. But you also prevent us loading the product into the van and being able to drive away...maybe share what your plan is before hitting the detonate button, eh?"}}
Last edited by Elliott on Sun Oct 12, 2014 7:29 am, edited 1 time in total.