IC: Flagstand Shopping Trip

[Akuma]

And thus do our intrepid duo make their way to the heart of Flagstand, AZ. The bus ride isn't so good. The bus's engine has a fit and breaks down in a loud bang (from a dropped transmission) right in front of a police station.

The loud bang of course attracts the attention of the officers inside, who come with guns drawn towards the bus thinking a weapon went off.

Five of the hispanic riders in the back of the bus nearest to Pope and Flynn panic, thinking that they will be charged with border violations. Screaming in Spanish, one pulls a gun and starts firing through the window at the police, two of the larger men *attempt* to grab Flynn and Pope for hostages. The two remaining hispanics are women. One pregnant woman tries to restrain the man with the pistol, while the other, older woman tries to undo the emergency exit latches on the opposite side so she can escape.

[qwerty123]

You have got to be kidding me!

Nevermore just lowers his head, shaking it in disbelief.

His right hand begins tracing the symbol of the ankh in the palm of his left; his mind racing to figure a way out of this that will not cause too much attention.

[Akuma]

OOC Using life 3 Better body: 2 successes. where do you want them? I would guess physical, but want you to make the call.

[Akuma]

OOC By the way... while sitting in the stalled bus in the beginnings of a shootout at the police station... Flynn and Pope can't ignore a billboard for the station clearly stating, "Welcome COPS TV productions."

You can almost hear the music..."Bad Boy, Bad Boy, whatcha gonna do?"

[qwerty123]

OOC: lets bump the Strength just in case things go sideways and I need to overpower a gunman. I also would like to do a life scan on the pregnant lady and her kid. I would like to see it I induce labor now via magic would she and the baby be ok?

[Akuma]

OOC: Understood. The woman looks like she's gonna go into labor any moment regardless of any magical push. However, you would need to touch her in some way to ensure your magic does what you want it to...

OOC: Pope's attacker: Attempt to grapple (Dex + Brawl) = 2 successes.
OOC: Flynn's attacker: Attempt to grapple (Dex + Brawl) = 0 successes Flynn's a slippery fish...


IC Both Pope and Flynn are being grappled to become human shields from the cops' bullets which are starting to whiz past everyone. Yet despite the police having a pretty clear field of fire at the Hispanic man firing at them, their bullets seem to be missing everyone... Isn't that odd...

[qwerty123]

"Hey, Starksey and Hutch! Take it easy out there, we got civilians in here!" Nevermore blasts at the top of his lungs.

I always wanted to be used as a meat shield, my dream comes true.

OOC: While in the process of getting, man handled and pulled from my seat is it at all possible to 'stumble' into the pregnant woman and gently push her into labor via my life magic.

[Akuma]

OOC: just requires a bit of a reach as the guy is trying to manhandle you the other direction, but you have to break out of the hold being put on you. Fortunately, your enhanced strength gives you the ability to muscle your way out of the hold and a dexterity check to reach for the pregnant woman. And finally a Life spell cast (touching your tattoed ankh) and...

IC: Pope/Nevermore is able to twist his body and elbow his attacker aside temporarily as he reaches for the pregnant woman. He barely touches her when... kersploosh! her water breaks in a messy gush, and the woman's wails change from begging her man to stop firing into wails of pain as she starts labor.

From outside, the police are using a bullhorn amid shots to call for everyone to give up peacefully... yet they are still shooting at the original hispanic gunman... and missing.

[lawwnum]

After deftly avoiding be grabbed Flynn takes a sec to evaluate the situation, and then wonders what the hell he did to deserve this.

OOC: ok time for a quickening roll for some extra actions. Also is ayone between me and the gun waving loon? If path is clear im going after him if not want to push the guy that tried to grab me into him.

IC:Seeing Pope getting out of the way, and hoping to defuse this before they end up on the national news, he makes a move to stop the gunman before someone gets hurt.

[Akuma]

OOC: 2 quickening successes. Yes, there are roughly 3 people between you and the gun man. 4 if you include Pope. In my mental image Flynn is on the right side and Pope on the left side. The gunman is in the very back, on the far left. The man on Pope is in the aisle trying to get him out into the aisle. You are on the window side and the guy behind you wants to wrestle you over your seat (and wasn't that a foolish idea). Then of course there's the pregnant woman who has now doubled over clutching her belly and started yowling. The shooter is shakily trying to reload his pistol, a cheap knockoff of the .357 desert eagle. He is having problems putting the fresh clip in (botched roll).

So I figure that When Pope made his roll, he kinda knocked his attacker into the seat on the other side, or at least off balance momentarily, then reached for the girl to do his thing. The other passengers have pretty-much dived under their seats, though a football playing college student is trying to make his way to the back of the bus to be a hero. What are the odds of him getting there in time, vs. the hispanic man putting his clip in and shooting the "all american?"

[lawwnum]

OOC: Ok then 3 actions.....Ok first things first, gotta ditch the idiot grabing me, ok he's behind me and didn't get a good grip sooo.
1 Need to twist aound to face the back and plant feet to lunge over seats.
2 nail the fool that tried to grab me that should make him keep his hands to himself for a few seconds
3 try to lunge as far back towards the gunman as possible
Also Do I notice anything odd with my Awareness if it will take an action Ill wait till next round if not....

IC : Once again wonders what he did to mess up his Karma so bad to deserve this. Oh wonderful its bad enough to have a fool with a gun now I got a jock that wants to play hero.
Spinning around in his seat he eyes up his assailent behind him and the gunman. A straight punch to Mr. Grabbies face and to get some space. Then he yells "Drop the gun Numbnutz!" And launches over the seats.

[qwerty123]

Ok Thrice Great Hermes if you ever looked after me please do it now. This is gonna be a stretch.

While temporarily free from his assailant Nevermore turns his attention toward the idiot in the back of the bus. He watches the man’s hands shake while trying to reload his weapon. Time seems to stop for Nevermore. All of his focus goes to the metal jacket that is just visible on the top bullet in the clip. Passing his right hand over his left forearm and vice versa with the left hand; he feels the tug of the magnets on his brass bracelets. Letting that tug swell inside him, with a quick muttering of Enocian he pushes that feeling toward the metal jacketed bullets.

OOC: Attempting to have there be an accidental discharge from one of the slugs in the clip. I am trying to get this to happen via a Forces three effect that will ignite the gunpowder with ambient static electricity in the atmosphere.

[Akuma]

OOC: for Lawwnum; With a Strength of 4 and a M.A./Brawl of 8, you can kill this thug with your single punch. let me know how much you are going to put into/pull your punch. I'll roll via whatever combo you use. If full strength, I will assume he's deader than disco with his nose sticking out the back of his head...

As for the lunge to the gunman, you don't have the acrobatics skill to cover that. Besides this is a bus we're talking about. Not much room for dives and jumps. It's just too crowded to reach the jerk without going through the woman first.

As for noticing anything odd... you are around Nevermore. there's always something odd going on... start with the fact that AZ cops are firing their weapons repeatedly into the back of the bus, but not hitting ANYTHING. Statistically, the amount of fire and training makes that impossible. And worse, is that there's a film crew outside hiding behind a trash can filming it all.

OOC: Qwerty; Forces 3, your major focus, it should work but with luck apparently running against you... first try has no successes... sorry. Try again, or a different idea?

IC: the Hispanic man finally manages to reload his gun, and glances around. He sees his woman hunched down, but misunderstands, thinking that she's been shot. He also sees the jock coming for him. He takes a shot... and misses despite the almost point blank range. what weird luck...

[lawwnum]

OOC: Ok Im getting an Entropy vibe or something here, There's go to be another being involved here....just who and on who's side hmmmm. Well well whoever is keeping peeps alive so that helps. Of course they could all just be that terrible shots too.

Alright NO I dont want to put my hand thru the guys head just knock him out.

Ok jumping out of question then just have to try to fight thru then. AGAIN dont want to kill ayone just get them outta the way. Either knock down or try to push the pile into the gunman.

IC: Well 1 down and too many to go. Hmmm thats odd the fool obviously doesnt know how to shoot but still point blank and missed? Well looks like we do this the hard way. But this settles it I'm NEVER going anywhere unarmed again, 1 Chakra and we'd be done already.

After knocking out the first guy Flynn wades out into the aisle. Looking at the next guy between him and the gunman he simply says "MOVE"

[qwerty123]

Yea! It didn’t work. Think, damn it, think!

Nevermore closes his eyes and tries to find his center in the madhouse that is the bus. He tries to block out everything save for the barrel of the gun. Barking a word of command in Enochian and pointing his right hand at the gun, Nevermore channels his will toward the barrel.

OOC: attempting to use the gases that fill the barrel after it was recently fired as more fuel for the fire, so to speak. This time I am hoping that it will explode if he tries to shoot again. I realize that I am probable doing a Vulgar effect with witnesses, but I have to do something to save the idiot that wants to be hero.

[lawwnum]

OOC: by the way was thinking and realized I was imagining a tour bus not a public transit bus. This kind of fight on something like the Loop bus is a whole different ball game then on a tour bus. and stepping or jumping over city transit bus seats is not really that hard to do.

[Akuma]

OOC: It all depends on the bus. Yeah this is public transportation, but when you have the situation your in with big guys around you, civies cowering, and bullets flying, I tend to believe that unless you are spiderman and can stick to walls, your not going to be doing a whole lot of acrobatic jumping in a bus that's got... what, no more than 6 or 7 feet inside. probably less. and with poles and overhead racks... I'm still not seeing the jumping bit. sorry.

[Akuma]

OOC: Since I didn't get a number from Lawwnum, I'll assume half-strength. That's 2 strength and 4 M.A. 3 successes to your punch. that's a temporary stun. Bloody nose, maybe some loose teeth.

OOC: By the way, Pope. you didn't get any successes with the first attempt of forces 3 on the guy's bullets. that means you gotta deal with failure... forces paradox. How you wanna go about it?

[lawwnum]

OOC: Yes half strength is good, I dont want any dead bodies if we can help it. And didnt mean to say juping around like a fool, just the aisle are pretty wide and seats low so working back shouldn't be too bad. There should be plenty of room to get around or otherwise "relocte" people out of the way.

[qwerty123]

OOC: I thought you only could get 'dox from botching a roll, not just failing. (Apart from the obvious witness and vulgar magic thing, but that goes with out saying). If not hit me up with backlash! I am a life mage, I can deal. ; )

[Akuma]

OOC: Sorry to be a bit rusty. It's been some years since I played mage. Your initial magical attempt had a single 1 and no successes above 6, the target number. so that's one botch if I remember right. Now just 1 botch/paradox won't affect anything if I reread the edition correctly, but here's the stick. Someone else is messing things up. Someone is using some entropy... either as a spell, or from a talisman and its affecting Pope's entropy ability (or lack there of). kind of like 2 magnets. put them together, and if they either push each other away or attract each other. In this case, your entropy is attracted to the other source but from that other source, vulgar observed magic is bieng done and you may be the unwilling recipient of second-hand paradox if it can't go to the other person...

[Akuma]

IC: Pope can't help but feel the twinges of pain... cast off of paradox flying at someone nearby. No one appears to be either a marauder nor a mage, yet there has to be a reason for all the bullets to be missing everyone.

The Hispanic jumps up at the approach of the collegiate even as Flynn throws himself over the back of his seat and onto the man he dropped with a half-strength punch to the nose. The hisapanic man shouts something and tries to fire his gun, but it blows up sending shrapnel in all directions... yet hitting no one (though some pieces bury themselves only inches from popes face in the apolstry).

"HAHAHA!!! you deserve that! you burrito-eater!" The Collegiate crows. "I'm invincible!!!"

[lawwnum]

OOC: ok I'll asume that with the gun blowing up in his hand mrtrigger finger will be looking for his fingers and no longer a threat.

Burrito eater? Ahh the future leaders of this country, glad I'm not from here.
IC: As he looks up at the sound of the exploding gun Flynn realizes he's no longer needed at the back of the bus and looks to the other Latino's that were causung trouble. Doing his best to knock them out without killing any of them.

OOC: Im thinking 2/3 strength that should be about 8 dice to hit and 3+ for damage. I want them UNCONCIOUS.

[Akuma]

IC: The Hispanic gunman yowls in pain, clutching the bloody ruin of his right hand. He is doubled over for the moment and not really doing much while next to his senorita. With a quick second set of blows from Flynn, the 2nd attacker is put down, leaving only Pope's attacker, who is suddenly feeling very lonely and desperate. He tries to find a way out, but there are no exits with cops shooting in through the nearest windows and Flynn in the way of the window where the woman escaped. Pope in front of him still in the seat, and coming down the aisle is the collegiate.

As noted, the aisles in a public bus are better than the aisles in a tour bus so the remaining man will try to make a rush for the front of the bus past Mr. Invinciple.

Collegiate makes a haymaker swing that normally wouldn't hit anyone and certainly wouldn't normally hit a street savvy person like the remaining man appears to be, but then that luck hits in and the hispanic man trips over his own two feet falling directly into the line of the wild swing. It connects, he spins and hits a metal bar and promptly cracks his head. The last man is down, but now the Collegiate seems to have his eyes on Flynn as the next attacker, clearly missunderstanding the situation.

OOC: an awareness check shows a rabbit's foot hanging from Collegiate's neck... It feels magical to Pope.

[qwerty123]

"Good work there, fella." Nevermore congratulates the college guy after his haymaker.

Then noticing the rabbits foot and the college guys intention, Nevermore lets the smile slip from his face.

"Easy there, dude. He's on our side."

[lawwnum]

IC: Flynn seeing the college boy make a COMPLETELY unbelievable hit stops and smiles at him."Nice shot there Kid." Looking down at Pope Flynn glances at his watch and says" I hope we make it to the Mall before it closes. If we dont our boy Sylv is gonna be pissed."
Seeing the look on Neveermore's he looks back up at College boy. "Easy kid the bad guys are all down an out." Remembering the Burrito eater comment Flynn realizes the problem. Speaking in flawless English, well a slight British accent,"Calm down kid I'm not from around here true just here visiting some relatives." Turns back to Nevermore and offers him a hand up.

[Akuma]

IC: "Oh, so you a screamin' commie liberal, too? This is 'Zona, so y'all can get back to libbie-'Fornia or yer own 'k*nt-ries.' Us honest folk have had nuff!! And now that I'm lucky, you're all goin down for the count."

OOC: The opinions spouted by one nerf-headed collegiate do not portray the opinions of the ST... That said, Mr. Redneck Collegiate is gonna start his haymakers on both Pope and Flynn. Pope is the closest at the moment, but It would only take a step for Flynn to get in the aisle...

Let me know how you wanna handle this fire-cracker so the dice can start rolling.

[qwerty123]

OOC: attempt to dodge the incoming blow.

Judging by his last comment, he came by that talisman. Well if he came by it, he can have it stolen from him. Just have to figure out how?

[Akuma]

OOC: Didn't find a brawling or Martial arts on Nevermore's Character sheet, so will use just Dexterity of 4 to dodge vs. Red-Nick's; haymaker of 2, strength of 3, and his lucky rabbit's foot....

IC: Pope ducks backwards from the almost choreographed punch that the collegiate throws in his direction. For all intent's purposes, it's easy to dodge the boy. He swings with his eyes closed. But suddenly, there's a glass coke bottle under Pope's foot (that wasn't there a moment ago). He slips backwards and his head hits the glass window hard enough to crack it and send him tumbling forward right into the collegiate's fist to get a black eye.

OOC: Nevermore takes 2 points normal damage (can be healed).

IC: The boy is too proud of his abilities and turns on Flynn next. 'Your goin down, Curry-eater!"

[qwerty123]

OOC: yeah I figured his luck power would prevail, but just FYI I do have Dodge. Only at a one but you never know....

IC: Your luck is about to run out, Captain America.

[lawwnum]

OOC: Oh this could get ugly. Ok Mr. ST, I need to know if Flynn senses or notices anything odd about college boy and his lovely adornments. I believe I have an Awareness of 3 or 4. If I pick up on the rabbit foot thing then its coming off of him if not just going to play defense FULL strength. Also dont forget my Quickenening does act as counter magic.

IC: Seeing the obviously well educated punk put Pope down, Flynn steps in front and assumes a defensive stance. "Ok punk you really want to do this, in a shot up bus surrounded by cops?"

[lawwnum]

OOC: For clarification dont wantto kill him just defense full strength, and Speed of the Stag should still be kicked in I hope.

[Akuma]

OOC: Qwerty; the character sheet that I have from you doesn't have any mention of either a martial art, brawling, nor dodge. I am going with the only copy I have. That's why I asked people to send me a copy of their characters... By the way, to Pope, the rabbit's foot seems to be a quite powerful wonder/talisman... (if that wasn't obvious)

OOC: To Lawwnum; Although awareness doesn't give you the mage sight needed to see magical aura's, it is almost as good. Besides with your Awareness roll, it's fairly obvious that there's something special about the rabbit's foot, just from how much he touches it or grabs it to make sure it's still with him.

OOC: for Flynn to make a snatch attack, that's dex 4 plus martial arts 8 to try and snag that rabbit's foot. Again, the successes would make it super easy snatch for someone who could make Bruce Lee look slow... But then the luck... Flynn's Quickening of 4 vs. the rabbit foot's power (with some power being sucked from Pope) and yet another luck misfortune...

IC: Flynn's arm shoots out as fast as his whip-sword could, yet right as he does so, a stray bullet ricochet's off of a metal bar and hits Flynn's hand write at the wrist, crippling it (temporarily, at least).

IC: Pope's own mage-enhanced awareness allows him to see a slight glimmer.. a flash of some ghostly outline near the collegiate. But only for a second. There's definitely more to this than meets the eye. But how much longer will they have to resolve the situation. The cops outside have gotten their SWAT unit ready for a direct assault on the bus...

[lawwnum]

IC: Flynn jumps back holding his injured hand And muttering a string of curses in various languages. He then resumes his defensive stance and waits for college boy to come ater him again. "Curry eater huh is that the best you can do? Honestly if you knew what was in your American hot dogs you'd be begging for my curry recipe." And smiles at him.

OOC: Ok that hurt a little but is mostly inconvienent. Right now Im hoping to bait im into doing something dumb even for him. I want to draw him past Pope so Pope is behid him and hopefully gets a chance to try something from behind unseen. If possible I want to try to take him off his feet wth a sweep of his feet when he comes after me. If not enough room for that then let him get in and actually land a hit on me then cheap shot him in the nuts to drop him.

[qwerty123]

OOC : If Flynn's gambit is successful and I can get behind him, then I will try to end this fast - Rip the Man Body, vulgar life attack. I am also hoping that since the last time the dox went in my direction, I can get a little cosmic help and the pendulum will swing the other way (or not).

[Akuma]

OOC: Qwerty. Unless things have changed in newer editions, my book says Rip the man body is a level 4 ability, and you only have level 3. Sorry. Did you mean Little Good Death? It's a level 2 version.

IC: In answer to Flynn's remark about hot dogs, Mr. All American grabs his crotch. "Yeah, our hot dogs are all beef, buddy, except when we're porkin' away. Heh heh."

OOC: The plan seems to be working so far. He's figured that Pope is down for the count, and Flynn's easy pickings with his injured hand. But things aren't as clear cut as all that. Remember that there's an injured Hispanic person clutching his own wrist in the aisle, too. He didn't just fade away. He's also planning on getting his revenge when Collegiate gets close enough...

[lawwnum]

OOC: Ahhh Hell, ok how I lost track how many more peeps are currently on the damn bus and their condition and closeness please. Also time for another quickening roll a little SELF HEAL should speed my hand along to a full recovery soon, hopefully.

IC: "All beef head more like it. You look more like a chicken dick to me!" Flynn says as he backs slowly away, still partially hunched over his rapidly healing hand. And lets out another gasp of pain and a grimace as he holds his injured hand close to his body and falls down on one knee in the aisle. Coincidentally just far enough so that MR.Jock has to step past Pope to get to him.

[qwerty123]

OOC: yeah things did change in newer editions, but pretty much in name only. Basically the effect I want to hit him with will do 2 points of lethal damage per success I roll on Arete. Also I want to blow a Willpower Point to make certain another botch does not hit me. At this point I am so frustrated (in character) with this all American A-Hole I really don't care if he dies or not. Please roll well Akuma. :)

[lawwnum]

OOC: Yes this has gone on WAY too long. I want to spend some willpower on this too. Put it on my HIT roll. Again I want him to throw at me and I want to block and lock his arm when he does, full strength and use willpower on it. onestly if thisdoesnt work WE need to just get the hell outta there.

[Akuma]

OOC: There are certain moments in time when everything seems to slow down. It is at these moments that the awakened have their moments of clarity, their moments to shine, their moments to make a difference. This is one of those moments when everything seems to happen at once.

IC: With the collegiate's careless step forward... one in which he temporarily releases his hold on the rabbit's foot to make his haymaker swing at Flynn. As he does, the hispanic gunman hunched over in the aisle makes his own surge forward, intent on tackling the boy. The lunge isn't perfect, but it moves the collegiate just enough that Nevermore/Pope's hand doesn't actually touch the boy's flesh to deliver the effect of his magical attack... instead, his fingers somehow manage to grasp... and get entangled with the silver chain of the rabbit's foot.

As the hispanic man's surge pushes the collegiate back, the chain breaks free from the collegiate... and when it does, there is an almost palpable popping of energies. Time stops completely.

Nevermore, the holder of the rabbit's foot suddenly finds himself in the middle of a great hall. It is actually some kind of distortion in which the bus's cramped interior have been spread out to create a wide expanse. At the center of this is Nevermore, and before him, kneeling prostrate like a Geisha is an anthropomorphic rabbit woman. Her fur is the same white as the rabbit's foot. She is wearing a playboy bunny outfit. She addresses Nevermore directly.

"Oh great Master, I am pleased to serve you. So long as you keep my foot close to you, I will protect you and provide you with good luck. I am your servant and yours to command. But know that should I ever leave your presence, my luck will be reversed, and all that was done for you will be undone... as it will now happen to my previous master."

The vision collapses back in upon itself, and Nevermore is back in the normal-sized bus watching as Flynn catches the flying haymaker, reverses it, breaking every bone in the teen's arm as if it were made of glass. But things aren't finished, because the Hispanic is still driving the boy backward down the aisle at increasing speed. And at this moment, the boy seems to be catching every single bullet being fired by the police as he gets pushed down the aisle and out the front window of the bus onto the street where he is run over by the SWAT team truck coming in to stage their rescue... Both the Hispanic and the Collegiate are well and truly dead.

[lawwnum]

OOC: Yeaowwza! That was brutal........I ike it! It couldn't of happened to a nicer shmuck.

IC: Still kneeling in the aisle Flynn just looks at the sudden carnage in surprise, in all his years he never saw something go so bad so fast. Looking at Pope he says "What the HELL just happened?!? Nevermind we need to get outta here before the cops storm the bus and take us into custody for only God knows what. "

[Akuma]

IC: Baljeet Singh / Flynn has survived for many, many years because he has been able to notice things that others didn't. That skill aids him again this day. He was taking a quick scan around the growing crowd that has been watching this shootout unfold (from a safe distance) and he notices one person that seems different.

In the first, quick, glance, he sees only a beautiful blond woman with a very nice, low-cut outfit. But the second glance reveals enough to chill Singh's blood. When he looks again, he realizes that she hasn't moved even a bit. She could be a statue, for all her lack of excitement about the incident. And then she seems to see into the bus and directly at Flynn. Then she smiles, but her smile never quite arrives at her eyes. They are cold, lifeless eyes of a shark, or a machine. Could it be that the X'ers have found you already?

[qwerty123]

Looking at Flynn, Nevermore nods his head in agreement. "Yeah, we need to beat feet." Staying low to avoid gunfire Nevermore tries to move toward an exit away from the gunfire.

Did that just happen, that thing with the bunny girl? This day is getting weird fast!

[lawwnum]

IC: SON OF A BITCH.....what the hell else is going to go wrong today.

Leaning in close and grabbing Pope by the shoulder "Ok Pope my boy I think we have even more company. Looks like a Hit-mark at 3 o'clock, and she made us already." Quickly assessing the situation Flynn gives Nevermore a slight push towards the side of the bus away from Hit-Mark. "Im thinking out the window and try to loose ourselves in the crowd unless you got a better idea?"


OOC: Bangs head on wall, ok Steve now your just being mean ;) lol well Im lookin to try and ditch out the side of the bus away from Robobabe and hope to hell she is alone so far. Since we are both unarmed and a life mage aint much good against robots. I want to use the crowd for cover as much as possible to get some space between us.

[Akuma]

OOC: Cue manical laughter. That's what I'm here for. Butch has his bunny, you get a robo-babe. Dontcha think that's fair?

IC: Nevermore is crouched down, trying to avoid being shot and waddling towards the back emergency exit beyond the pregnant woman. Looking over toward the wall side, where he is crouched, he sees the bunny girl as a kind of reflection in the side of the bus (even though the side of the bus isn't shiny). She's mimicking his every motion.
"Master. Would you like me to make the bullets go away like I did before? The men with guns are about to come aboard. Do you want me to do something about them? I am yours to command."

At that moment, the gunfire stops. There is a momentary silence broken by dull thumps of smoke grenades being launched into the interior of the bus. Men in black SWAT uniforms leap up into view at the windows, breaking them with hammers before leaping inside.

"EVERYONE FREEZE!!!"

[lawwnum]

OOC: Well at least mine robobabe is actually in this world, even if she is going to try and kill me. And I dont expect an answer but we arent going to make it to the mall before it closes are we? LOL

IC: Isn't this just wonderful......I really must figure out what I did to bring this kinda Karma upon me. Hmm might be able to use the smoke to our advantage tho.

[qwerty123]

Oh great, this is real!?! "NO! Don't do a thing, just...just...just don't do anything ok"
Nevermore 'speaks' to the reflection.

Making his way toward the exit in the back, Nevermore steps up his progress once the smoke enters the bus. "Come on, Flynn lets try to use this to our advantage." With that Nevermore begins fiddling with the handle to open the emergency door.

[Akuma]

OOC: Don't worry Lawwnum, it's not even 10am yet. The stores are just starting to open. You've got a nice LOOOOOOONNNGG day ahead of you... heh heh.

By the way, I did say that the SWAT teams are at the windows and have leapt inside. that pretty much puts them in your face. So your choices do not include sneaking out at this moment. You have the following choices.

1. Attack the SWAT guys with the machine guns. Go for broke
2. Surrender to the SWAT guys with the machine guns. Maybe they'll see things your way.
3. Use the bunny girl or magic. See where that gets you.
4. Surprise me with another plan i didn't see coming. You've got nothing or everything to lose...

But choose quickly...

[qwerty123]

Nevermore notices the flack boot at right in front of him a he was trying to work the exit handle.

"Oh thank goodness you are here officer! This woman is in labor and it appears that the baby may be breech, me and my partner here are EMT's and were trying to attend to her when all the shooting began. We have to get her out of this stressful situation and us to some medical equipment. This baby is coming NOW!"

I hope he buys this or we are sunk.

[lawwnum]

IC: Hearing Pope's line Flynn moves to the pregnant women and checks on how bad off she is. Still looking down he yells "Pope you got thst door open yet we need to get this lady outta here and to the hospital STAT!" Then looking up into the machine guns "THANK GOD you guys finally got here! We need to get this lady into an ambulance NOW!"

PLEASE work! Wth a little luck we hitch a ride to the Hospital and can disappear from there.

OOC: Oh yea! we still have ALL day to go! I can only wonder at how this day will end. :worry:

[Akuma]

OOC: Sorry I was offline for a day.... Okay, rolling some persuasion checks...

IC: Although Pope doesn't ask it, Bunny Girl bounds up to the cop and blows a sweet nothing into the cop's ear. "Just a little magic touch for my master." The cop has a temporary blissful look on his face, then he nods down at Pope and Flynn.

"Of course. Hurry up and get her out of here." He leans back out of the bus and yells for a stretcher.

It is no problem for Flynn to carry his end of the stretcher with the woman on it, but Pope isn't used to maneuvering people on stretchers out of smoke-filled busses... No one outside a warzone would have such experiences... But since Pope is using better body and now has luck on his side, he manages to make it without a problem.

The next problem occurs right when the they reach the ambulance. The EMT looks at the woman and starts. "Whoa!! This woman isn't just going into labor, she's crowning. we have to deliver the baby now!!!"

"That's okay!" Claims the SWAT officer. "These two are trained doctors. They can deliver the baby for you right here."

The EMT nodds his head. "That's lucky. Okay doctors, what do you need?"

[lawwnum]

OOC: Ok when the hell did we become doctors? I think Bunny girl blew thecops mind right out of his head and splatted it on the side of the bus. sigh..............


IC: Whew!!! Its working!! This is beyond a doubt the strangest day of my life.....and thats really sayin something. WAIT! WHAT!?! WE'RE DOCTORS?!!? OH Hell.

As Flynn helps carry the pregnant women out of the bus, with a relived expression on hi face things rapidly begin to whirl out of control again. Upon hearing that they are Doctors now he casts a quick glance at Pope. Thinking back to the lasttime he had to deliver a baby, and while this is better then that hut in the shadows of the Himilayas 150 years ago, he is not happy.

Thinking quickly and throwing a fast glance towards the hit-mark watching them he says "We can do it on the way to the hospital, if there are any more complications we could loose both of them if we dont get there quickly!"

[qwerty123]

Yea! It gets better!

"What he says! There could be complications that could be trick in the field.

"Well actually I am not a doctor, I am however a trained mid-wife and EMT. I need blankets, hot water, and some....soothing music."

Nevermore shrugs his shoulders at the weird look he gets from the EMT; he presses on anyway.

"Um. I think that was me asking nicely for you to move on into the cab of the ambulance and tune the radio to an easy listening station, and get this lady to the nearest hospital while I work my magic." A sly smile crosses Nevermore's face.

OOC: I use my life magic by tracing the sign of the ankh on the pregnant lady's belly. I want to make this delivery as easy as it can be. Also I want to avoid using the power of the bunny lady - she scares me.

[Akuma]

OOC: Using life magic, you can sense that there is indeed a complication. the baby's cord has wrapped itself around the baby's neck. The more she pushes, the tighter the cord gets.. It could strangle the baby even as she gives birth to it. You will need to either manually go in and remove the cord from around the baby's neck... or start drawing a very detailed circle on the belly to do the correct effect. (You should use a marker or the blood circle effect, though the latter could be messy...)

IC: The EMTs blink but doctors have stange orders. They don't have any hot water, but they could stop at a gas station to get some... They climb back into the front and let you try to put the woman on the bed... she's starting to writhe in pain, which makes putting her down on the gurney a little harder... unless someone wants to get violent.

Then... just as the two of you are getting her aboard, Flynn here's one of the SWAT officers try to hold someone back.

"You can't come closer, miss. It's still dangerous."

"But officer," Purrs the blonde woman with the sultry voice and baby-doll dead eyes. "I must go with them. We are engaged."

OOC: Mind magic... against the cop's feeble resistance.

IC: "If course." He answers mindlessly. "Let her through. She must go with that one there." He points lazily towards Flynn.

"Darling." She calls out, raising her arms as if expecting a hug.

[lawwnum]

OOC: Your a prick

[lawwnum]

Uuuuuuuugggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lawwnum]

OOC: not many options is there........hope this is one you didnt expect :yum:


IC: Looking up in surprise Flynn hesitates for 1 second then with a big smile on his face says " OH there you are hunny! I was wondering where you'd gotten off too. Well as you can see e're VERY busy back here and its kinda crowded, why dont you ride up front with the driver." Looking at the actual paramedic still loitering about " Hey Buddy why dont you take my lady, Jezebel here, up front with you guys. Sow her some sights on the way to the hospital, we got it covered back here." Then He quickly slams the doors shut.

Looking at Pope doin histhing on the pregnant lady he mutters "Whatever we did to deserve this I apologize." Looking to the front of the Ambulance he mumbles " the way thigs are going we will be lucky to get around the damn block."

As soon as the ambulance starts to move he moves to block the door to the front, then starts to look for something to use as a weapon.

OOC: Ok Im assuming this is the chick i got the bad vibe from before if so I want to do anything short of combat to keep her outta the back. Also ambulances should have both a built in and a portable defib machine, they should do wonders for a glorified toaster.

Oh and you are still a bastard :)

[Akuma]

OOC: Cue more maniacal laughter!!! Buwhaahahahahahahahahahahahaaaa!

IC: "Jezebel" closes the distance with a big smile. "Oh my Ahab! I am so glad I found you!" She embraces Flynn. She nuzzles close enough to whisper. "You are mine, immortal. Leave my sight, and I will kill all living things within 100 meters instantly. Do not attempt to flee or disable me, or I will self-destruct and kill all living things within the blast radius of my body."

"Oh you big silly. You know I am your best assistant. I will be happy to help you in the back. Won't you introduce me to your friends?" She locks her eyes on Pope and the two EMT's.

OOC: she will want to climb into the back of the ambulance with Flynn (and Pope?). She does not seem interested in sitting in the front.

IC: Bunny looks over at Pope from the reflection in the side of the door of the ambulance. "Aww, isn't that cute? your friend has a lover. She seems kind of strange, cold. But if it's love, it shouldn't matter, right, master?"

[Akuma]

OOC: Aww, come on, you know you are loving every minute of it... And this is only the beginning. We haven't even gotten to the mall yet, let alone to japan....

[qwerty123]

Nevermore shakes his head at the new predicament.

How to get out of this one....

Well excuse me, pretty lady but I do have work to do. Moving around to attempt to block the back door of the ambulance just as the new woman on the scene attempts to get in.

Reaching with his left hand he clumsily drops a defibrillator on the metal floor of the ambulance. "Whoops, can I have a little room please," he intones toward the women who is stepping into the doorway. With his back toward the woman he flashes a bright smile toward Flynn; then he clangs his brass bracelets together. Then all hell breaks loose.

OOC: Not sure on how much quint I have, I will blow as much as necessary; also a willpower. Channeling a forces blast into the floor with as much as I can muster. As a forces mage I do wear rubber soled shoes and the wheels on the gurney should he rubberized. Flynn is imortal, so he has that going for him. As for the others - they are on their own. If things don't go so well I will play dead an begin to slow my life functions via my magic so that hopefully I can escape via the morgue. Truly you are a great ST as the PC's are faking death to get away. Keep it up.

[lawwnum]

OOC: :tsk: Damn I know Im irressitable but..........DAMN!

IC: Flynn can only think to ask " Why?" Before throwing a quick glance at Pope and silently mouthing "We're F@#ked". When he notices Pope drop the defibrillator, realizing what he is about to do Flynn can only get out a "Oh Hell" before the feces contacts the rotary oscillator.

OOC: Ok time for a quickenning roll i think, a little empower self all going to Stamina. I think Im goin to need it in a sec. Ok I imagine Im not going to be able to simply pull away from her and stop Pope in time so going to have to ride it out. Assuming that it comes off and I'm still mobil, we are going to have a hell of a time extracting ourselves from this mess.

Actually Mr. ST this is your call if i have the time I will try and stop Pope before he blows us up. Both verbally and physically if i can. Something like "let me get that for ya" and grab the defib and a quick "not here not yet" to Pope.

If I dont have the time well...........that stamina boost will be coming in handy REAL soon.

[Akuma]

OOC: I love my job. I am HE-Who-Flings-excrement-at-Oscillating devices....

OOC Battle: So this is the part where I pull out lots of dice and throw them in every direction, do lots counting... enough to get my CPA license.... or Just go with the flow...
We have Nevermore going first to do the Defib thing, but Flynn is so souped up on quickening that it's all slow motion to him.
And we have "Jezebel" Hit Mark extraordinaire with reactions faster than people can think...

Well, here's how I see the first scene going down... in order of a movie scene

IC: With his wink and a smile, Pope drops the defib and the clinks of his bracelets coincide with the metal paddle hitting the floor. But his spell doesn't seem to reach the shapely blonde with the flashing red eyes... within the same second that he drops the paddle, the cord also comes out of the machine and falls to the floor, too.
The paddle has barely touched the floor when Flynn grabs it... and receives the charge from the spell. Causing him to go unconscious with a shudder.

"Whew, that was close." Bunny giggles. "You should be more careful master, You hurt your friend and almost hurt his lady-friend." She wiggles a finger at him from the window in the back of the ambulance.

Jezebel smiles at Pope while pulling the temporarily unconscious Flynn upright from the back so that he looks like he's standing on his own... "Well, how sweet, I've found another 'friend.'" Then she notes that Flynn has lost consciousness. "Or at least, I assume you are of the same group as him. You wouldn't happen to have visited a veterinarian clinic recently, have you?" She finishes her climb into the now very crowded ambulance, placing Flynn on the bench, while she sits on the edge of the gurney with the Hispanic woman giving birth. "Shall we take this woman to the hospital? Or would you prefer to just finish everything right here and now?"

Bunny looks a little worried. "Master? She doesn't sound so friendly..."

OOC: Lawwnum. You took enough damage to be out for an hour, but I will allow you to use your HEAL SELF ability to speed your recovery down to a minute or so if you wish it.

[lawwnum]

OOC: You know at this point it migh actually be better if I remain unconsious, LOL. Ya some self-heal but going to pretend to be out of it and see if an opportunity to do something that mighnot bite us on the Ass comes up.

[qwerty123]

Nevermores fingers squeeze tightly around the neck of the bunny girl. Her eyes get large and a squeal tries to escape her throat. His fingernails bite deeper and deeper into the soft flesh of her neck. A few moments longer and she is hanging lifeless from his hands, a sick and sinister smile decorates his face.

He shakes his head the fantasy pops like a balloon. The way too cute face of his bunny ‘companion’ stares back at him from some chrome implements on a shelf in the ambulance.




... within the same second that he drops the paddle, the cord also comes out of the machine and falls to the floor, too.

"Whew, that was close." Bunny giggles. "You should be more careful master, You hurt your friend and almost hurt his lady-friend." She wiggles a finger at him from the window in the back of the ambulance.




"Ok, you got us into this. Now get us out."

[Akuma]

OOC: Just to confirm, was Pope asking Bunny to do something or was he talking to Flynn?


IC: Bunny looks hurt. She throws herself to the floor. "Is my master angry that I saved him from the metal woman? I am terribly sorry. I am yours to command. If master wants me to work my magic upon the woman, he has but to ask. I merely tried to prevent master from making the metal woman explode. She told your friend she would do that if she was attacked. But I fear I have made my master angry." cue big bunny tears.

With everyone in, the doors shut, and the ambulance starts off for the hospital. Slowly at first, to get past the crowds... the real EMT's up front exchange worried glances. But the one EMT does try to fiddle with the radio controls to get the easy-listening channel... Right now, he's getting mostly static for some reason.

[lawwnum]

IC: Still unconcious.......or at least acting that way.

[qwerty123]

OOC: sorry should have been more clear. As much as I hate to I am asking the bunny for help. Although I am pretty sure I will regret it later.

[Akuma]

IC: "As you wish, master. I am only a spirit of pure luck, but she is like a machine. I can harm her temporarily. She seems resistant to magic, but I believe my luck can at least temporarily keep her from blowing up, I think. But only for a limited time, so whatever you want to do to her, do it quickly.

with that, Bunny appears to sneak up behind Jezebel through the reflections, then she tries to "Dive" into Jezebel (like Neo did to Smith in Matrix 1). there is resistence and Jezebel arches her back, reacting to the attack.

"I am under under under atttttttttt attttttt. must must re re re self self self... " Jezebel suddenly goes into epileptic spasms as her internal systems glitch up.

The EMT in the passenger seat starts gawking too much as Jezebel's arms start flailing about. "Dude! Is she alright? She's going into siezures. We have to stop her from hurting herself or the patient!" He tries to get up, but at that moment Jezebel locks eyes on him and her left arm shoots out. From the palm, a hole opens up and the EMT gets turned into red haze and goop from the high-speed auto-shotgun built in her arm.

The driver craps himself and starts spinning the wheel randomly. The ambulance has only just left the first accident scene and is maybe only a block or two away from the police station, but it has turned down a main street and his barreling through traffic, careening off of slower cars.

the pregnant woman wasn't completly strapped in and is sliding around the gurney doubled over in pain from the cord wrapped around the baby's neck, interrupting delivery.

Bunny's voice rings in Nevermore's ears. "Hurry! I don't know how much longer I can hold her..."

[Akuma]

Meanwhile, a certain young Chinese man who goes by the name of Luo (pronounced Low) has just finished his breakfast and is looking forward to a nice day of walking around Flagstand when he notices that an ambulance is driving quite badly and heading his way... sort of... Naww, it couldnt be on a collision course, could it?

OOC: Welcome Thanos. Here's your intro...

[Thanos]

Standing 5’9” an obviously oriental man with a bald head stands with his walking staff. He is somewhat slight of build and certainly young. Normally he wears loose pants, a tunic, and wrapped sandals. On his back is a wak-hat, which he normally does not wear on his head unless its very bright or rainy out.


Flashing lights, whaling noises, these Americans just don't know how to do things in a traditional fashion. What am I to do?


Luò Xīng Bàgōng de Jù Lóng waits for the ambulance to get closer, then notices that the inside of the windshield has more than a few flecks of some redish fluid.


It is out of control and someone has been wounded inside.....well one expects speeding noise machines to be filled with the wounded or injured....but this doesn't seem right.


Luo will try to not get hit, but stay close enough to grab onto the handle on the back of the ambulance. If I can hold on I can possibly open the back door and get inside!

[qwerty123]

"You're right she is seizing. I better shock her to get her back." Nevermore grabs the paddles once again. Hitting the charge button and letting the device hit 400 watt seconds. Looking deeply into the 'woman's' eyes Nevermore catches a glimpse of bunny.

"Ok, bunny keep her from going boom and all is forgiven."

With that Nevermore clangs his brass bracelets together and places the paddles on the 'woman's' chest. "This might sting, a bit. Bitch."

OOC: Blowing yet another willpower. I want to fry her system with a blast of pure forces energy. Hopefully Bunny can keep her from setting off her inner self destruct while I hit her with the juice or else this will be a really short game.

[Akuma]

OOC: Will assume that Nevermore plugs the paddle back into the wall before charging... Also assuming you are using a combo of Static Discharge and System Havoc for a coincidental unobserved assault. EMT 1 is driving, and EMT is decorating the entire front winshield with his entrails...

With the willpower expenditure, the spell is a success, but due to Jezebel's anti-magic nature the effects aren't as powerful as they should be.

IC: Jezebel still gets fried from the paddles, and she takes some frying from the spell. Her expensive blouse bursts into flames where it has charred agaisnt her bosom. Her spasms become even more violent, and smoke is coming from her ears, eyes, nose and mouth.

But she still isn't dead yet, and she strikes back with a suddenly clawed right hand strike to Nevermore's chest. The ripping sound is fast and dirty, like a fat man breaking a seam when he squats down. Nevermore didn't exactly feel the cut so much as he felt the drag of her and across his ribs like someone running a stick across a washboard or a picket fence. However, it isn't a fence but his ribs htat are exposed. His chest is a ruin of blood and cloth. Fortunately, it appears the claws didn't cut through the ribs, so the damage might be less than it appears...

OOC: Take 3 levels of damage from her strike. but they aren't aggravated. You should be at injured level.

[Akuma]

Luo notices a spine and skull decorating part of the windshield of the ambulance which is entirely coated in red with a hand frantically trying to wipe the gore away... but it looks like the ambulance is about to hit a stopped UPS truck in a few seconds...

[lawwnum]

OOC: REALLY hoping im awake sometime soon.

If by soon chance getting bounced all over hell in the ambulance might rouse me from my slumber, I would LOVE to get in on this. Perhaps by grabbing the heaviest thing I can see, besides Pope or the pregnant lady, and bashing robobabe's head in. Just a thought.:calm: Perhaps with a little yelling at the driver thrown in for good measure.

[Thanos]

Luo starts walking towards the UPS truck, waves his hands, and yells in almost perfect Oxford English, "Old Chap, get out of the truck! Your going to get rammed in the rump!"

With that said, he continues past the driver and towards the near of the UPS truck, ready to dodge out of the way should the ambulance not stop in time.


[OOC: Not sure what to do other than this as Luo doesn't know a crazy metal lady is in the back. I do have a plan for when you guys get out of the Ambulance.]

[qwerty123]

"Ah, a sucking chest wound; natures way of telling you to slow down." Nevermore weighs his options.

I could try to push her out the back door, or heal myself. I better get rid of her before I do anything else.

Wincing in pain Nevermore sidesteps the burning metal woman as best he can and grabs the handle for the back door. With a quick turn he opens it and with his other hand he pushes the woman in the stomach, avoiding the fire on her chest as best he can.

"Good by, don't forget to write."

[Akuma]

OOC: Lawnnum. From your previous post, I figured you used your Self Heal to bring yourself back and were just playin dead. You can act at any time. As for heavy objects... most are plastic, but maybe you can grab a metal object of some description. Just tell me what skills you're using...

Thanos: Are you using persuassion to get the guy out of the truck or just a good Hong Kong English? Just wondering.

[Akuma]

OOC: Does anyone have a problem with me assuming that Flynn will wake up, and join Pope in the wonderful world of Hit-Mark tipping? No? Consider it done...

IC:...About half a second before the ambulance plows into the back of the UPS truck and does a hollywood flip end over end over the UPS truck. The inertia sends first Jezebel flying and then Flynn who was the closest to the back door. It should have sent Pope out too, since he opened the door, but somehow, his leg was caught in a strap and he stays behind... to become the wet-blanket cushion for the pregnant lady as the ambulance rolls.

Somehow luck is on overload and everything soft seems to come between Pope, the pregnant woman, and certain doom from impact.

Flynn has the chance to use any available abilities to safely land... or land with a flourish.

Bad luck plays out for the Hit Mark who lands in the back of a garbage truck just as it is compacting garbage.... Lights out for Jezebel 101.

When the ambulance stops roling, the driver is dead, but Pope and the pregnant woman have only sustained 1 (additional) level of damage... other than dizziness. they are inside a mess, but the baby isn't waiting any more...

OOC: Pope will have to do something to fix the baby's umbilical cord problem and stop his own bleeding soon, or he might go unconscious and the baby and mother will certainly die. Which takes priority, I wonder...

Lawnnum: depending on what skills you choose to use and how you pull it off, I'll decide if/how much damage you take.

Thanos: That was more than interesting. Especially the way the ambulance flipped over the UPS truck instead of just flat into it. Do you wanna check for survivors? This is pretty much what you get for an intro...

[qwerty123]

I think I might just be changing my mind about this Bunny girl.

Black spots burst behind Nevermore's eyes. Getting woozy from the blood loss. Have to do something about my exposed midsection, and quick. But I just have to help this lady and kid out!

Trying to crawl over to the woman Nevermore begins an Enochian chant. He keeps calling out the numbers three and eleven, the sacred numbers the Order of Hermes long ago tied to Ars Animae. While chanting he uses some of his own blood to trace the symbol of the ankh on the belly of the pregnant woman. Then with a supreme effort he focuses his will so that it overrides reality.

OOC: doing my best to overcome my own injuries to help this little kid get born alive and the mom to pull through. Once the kid is on the scene I hope to stay conscious long enough to work a little healing spell on myself. If not I hope Flynn can help get me out of here and stabilized. Oh, and heck of an intro to the game Thanos. Welcome aboard, glad to have ya.

[Thanos]

[OOC: I should have kept Mothers Touch!]

Luo dashes forward to help anybody he possible can, but mainly the people bleeding in the middle of the rolled ambulance. That is an awful lot of blood!

Acting fast he uses his wits to instinctively apply various herbs to the man who is chanting in the spirit tongue. Another of my kind here, trying to save the woman, but bravely dying himself in the process!

[OOC: Wits+Medicine (7) using previously prepared Herbalism materials to staunch the bleeding and ease the pain....besides perhaps just some pressure over the wound!]

[lawwnum]

OOC: Ok didnt know i was concious yet you never said if I healed enough to wake right up. Hmmm athletics 4 dex 4 I think I will land quite well nothing fancy but want to come up running to the ambulance.

IC: SON OF A BITCH! that could of gone better. Shiva PLEASE let Nevermore and the innocent be alright.

As he comes up from his tumble Flynn sprints to the still settling ambulance. Seeing an old oriental man heading into the back of the ambulance seconds before he arrives he can only hope its a civilian trying to help. Bursting into he sees Nevermore performing a ritual on the Innocent and the oriental man tending to Pope's wounds."Damn it! Pope I hope you are almost done there, we have to move bud." Looking to the new comer "Thanks for helping my friend but we need to get out of here quickly." Looking up Flynn steps aroundthe group on the floor and heads to the front to check on the driver.

OOC: Ok Awareness 4 any hint or vibe from the oriental guy that doesnt seemed phased at Pope chanting in a strange lang, and drawing in blood on the peggers ladies belly?

[Akuma]

OOC: Lawnum; Your Quickening heals you enough that you are only 1 level injured... bruised from the shocking experience. Just like the TV series... You get enough successes to roll out of the fall and come up without looking foolish.

BTW, I don't believe Lou is an old man... I think he is supposed to be fairly young adult...

OOC: Qwerty; The herbals that Mr. Chinese man is putting on you take away the pain and give you a bit of a euphoric clarity... you're still bleading like a stuck pig, but if you don't look, you won't notice.

Next: Unless rules have changed a lot... alway possible... Heal simple creature can do dome of the work for you, but not all of it. The problem is the cord. Healing it would just make it stronger and more likely to strangle the babe. You will need to go in and remove it from around the babe's neck.

You can do that either of 2 ways: Through your blood circle. It will work much easier, but be vulgar observed. Or you can try to go in try the old fashioned manual route by pushing the head back in and then reaching in... Your magic can help make it easier, but it'll still be messy.

OOC: Thanos. Everyone misses the Mother's touch after their first fight... But good job on the herbals... Mr. Arcane and his blood circle certainly smell like mage. there Indo man coming up behind you smells old.... real old... but not crypt/vampire old...

IC: Elsewhere.... The systems come up on 2 separate storage sites. "Activate units JZBL-102 and 103. Update tracking files. Converge on the last known position of Unit 101 and execute any who resist. Primary target facial recognition files being dowloaded now.

[lawwnum]

OOC: Ah my apologozies on the old part then , but again any vibe on him other then hes apparently very calm about weird shit? need to know before I grab Pope and try to run or use him for help.

[qwerty123]

Nevermore hangs his head after tracing an ankh of blood on the woman's stomache.

"Let the fun begin."

He almost doesn't even notice the man applying some kind of herbs to his chest.

OOC: will attempt to avoid the vulgar stuff on the pregnant lady, so I will do it the old fashioned way and get elbo deep in her area. Hoping that my life magic can compensate for the fact that I am not a doctor nor do I play one onTV.

[Akuma]

OOC: Sorry, I posted the feel to the wrong person... my bad. Time for an immortal flashback....

IC: Flynn/Baljeet gets a "Feel" about the Chinese guy... Nothing definite, but something about the way the guy is putting on herbals, the smell, it takes Baljeet back to the days when the Western countries were trying to get into China by using drugs to addict the emperor.... Back then, Baljeet was on a mission... taking secret messages from His government to the Emperor, warning him about the drugs... but en route, he came to a village along the emperor's rode that was closed because "Monsters" were about. Anyone who came to the village would have to be searched. It was an obvious ruze and when Baljeet wouldn't give over his pack, fighting broke out. Although Baljeet was careful to only attack the soldiers, the soliers were much more messy, attacking people nearby when they missed Baljeet.

Suddenly, a man very similar to the one that Baljeet/Flynn sees now appears and starts helping Baljeet. things would have ended very quickly with the two of them, but the captain of the soldiers arrived. and he was a dark sorcerer. The man used dark spells to confound Baljeet and the people nearby... the villagers swooned or fled. But suddenly, the Chinese man who had been fighting with Baljeet changed into a werewolf... a true monster and leapt upon the captain, tearing his head off.

The dizziness faded and the Wolf was just a man, applying herbs to those who'd been wounded by the soldiers. Baljeet helped the man, who said "Who was the real monster, I wonder, the monster who killed a mage, or the men who kill innocents out of frustration?"

End of flashback (for now)

[Akuma]

OOC: Okay Nevermore is going to apply his life magic plus medicine 1 and Dexterity 4 towards doing the dirty deed.... If only you had a farming background, you'd probably associate this with farming.... but as it is... I hope you watched a lot of Dr. House.

IC: Following the intentions of Nevermore, the roughly drawn ankh made with blood starts to change. the blood spreading into finer more intricate patterns on their own, creating a rune of power and energy. The woman's breathing relaxes a bit, becoming more even and the contractions stop for the moment as Nevermore presses his hand inside her, pushing the baby back long enough to reach for the cord. this is something beyond all that Nevermore has ever tried to do. For he is concentrating on the life force energies of both the mother and child, while simultaneously trying to manually push and pull physically. It is a great strain, and sweat from Nevermore's brow drips freely into the herbal mix upon his chest that is staunching the bloody wound.

Outside, a crowd has gathered yet again, trying to help... to see what's inside. mostly to gawk. Police are on their way.... possibly another ambulance...

FINALLY!!!! The deed is done, and the baby's neck is free. In a rush, the baby almost litterally pops out into Nevermore's arms. It's a boy. The mother, seeing the baby starting to move weakly, begins crying in happiness.

Now... who knows what to do next with a newborn baby? The EMT's are street pizza, how about the Indian or the Chinese man?

[lawwnum]

OOC: Nice flashback.......we may needto do more of those. Now for more pressing matters.

IC: Seeing that things are about to get more complicated, Flyn looks around the jumble of supplies on the floor, he spots what he needs. Grabbing 2 clamps a piar of scissors and a blanket. Working quickly he clamps the umbilical cord then cuts it. Taking the child, lays him down on the blanket and checks to make sure he is breathing ok. When the child starts to cry Flynn cleans his face off as best he can and wraps the child up in the blanket. Handing ths child to his mother "Here you go Ma'am he appears to be healthy and intact, which is more then can be said of some." Turning to the Oriental "Thank you for your help but I must ask for even more assistance from you." Grabbing Pope before he falls over," The innocents will be fine now, BUT we need to get him out of here NOW. Or none of us will be safe."

Shive PLEASE let something go right today.....

OOC:Welcome Thanos you have NO idea what you've gotten yourself into LOLLOL

Well Mr. ST did that meet House's approval?

Also I know that there is no simply slipping away at this point BUT, I believe both Nevermore and I have a high Arcane rating, 5 for me, and that should make it easier.

[Akuma]

OOC: Almost doctor Baljeet/Flynn. The baby still isn't actually breathing until the mucus is removed from the mouth and nose... breathing passageways. in the hospital they have a squeezy thing for that... of course memory serves Baljeet, that the other method is to suck the mucus into your mouth, then spit it out... Have to do it gently, after all...

Well Dr Immortal? if you want the kid to live, start suckin or find someone who will...

Yeah, Arcane of 5 can help a lot... once you get a chance to use it... But you gotta get Pope stablized first, and the baby too before you can try to slip away... and then there's Mr. Chinese man, too.

[lawwnum]

OOC: UUGGHHHH what do ya want? Should I cut and paste from WebMD or something? I said I was checking the kids breathing give me a break, afterall I am 'INDOMAN!' LOL I feel like he should be in spandex with a cape.

[qwerty123]

OOC: If I am awake enough I will attempt to heal myself. Yeah I know it can be vulgar, but I will try to shrug it off by saying that it looked worse that it really was. Fingers crossed for coincidental.

[Thanos]

Tou, the young man who is often mistaken for an older man due to his baldness and a certain TV show, tells the man with the sucking gut wound, "Its not as bad as you think old chap, like a cut on your head it just bleeds a lot." This is said in a loud enough voice that it carries to the people outside.

Reaching into a bin with bandages, he gets out some gauze and covers the wound, and actually seems to do a competent job of it. In a much lower voice he says, "Bloody hell ya yank, need me to carry you to the other side?"

[Akuma]

OOC: Worry not Dr. Lawwnum. You can take care of it, no problem. Just wanted to let the graphic be known cause it took me back to learn that it was needed when my daughter was born. Everyone remembers the blankets and towels, etc. but who really thinks about sucking mucus... I mean, Yuuuuck. But anyway, that was just a minor gross-out point for the story.

Let's move on to helping Pope keep it together... literally... heh heh.

OOC: Pope's arete of 3 on healing self has 1 success. He moves from wounded (initial slice plus being in a car accident) down to Injured. And since it's not agrivated, I'll say that the herbals and bandaging from Luo move it one more down to hurt. You are still -1, but as noted, it looks and feels worse than it is... of course, you could do the werewolf thing of making it a scar... but I will leave that up to you...

[qwerty123]

"He, he. You are right guy, it is not nearly as bad as it looks. Thanks for helping out." Nevermore gets up while talking to the new addition on scene. He gives the guy a once over and judging be his manner and style can tell he is not a threat in the traditional way.

"Looks like we should get out of here. Like now." Nevermore begins to make his way out of the back of the ambulance, pausing to take a look over his shoulder at the woman holding her newborn child. He smiles. Pulling his jacket closer around him, he tries to conceal the bandages soaked in blood on his chest. "Why don't you come with us, you look like you could be a help?" Nevermore asks the newcomer.

OOC: Don't think I will do the scar thing, just yet. We are hopefully in a place where we can just get the heck out of there and find a nice secluded spot to catch our collective breathes and begin plotting on just how hard it is going to be for us to run - I mean it has been a struggle just trying to get to the mall. How hard will it be to get out of the country.

[lawwnum]

OOC: Yes have a 3 month old here and while it was a wonderful thing, glad the nurses clean them up before handing them back LOL

IC:Holding open the backdoor of the ambulance , turns and quietly says "Yes my young friend you should come with us for a bit, the man you are helping is named Pope and we may be in need of your assistance again very soon." Turning and stepping out of the ambulance, in a loud voice "Step back please this man needs some air." Then looking around at the growing crowd points to 2 nearby men, also VERY loud "You 2 there's a woman and child inside in need of assistance. "

Putting an hand on Pope's shoulder, points to a nearby bench or open spot of pavement,on the otherside of the crowd. Quietly "Comeon guys lets try and get off the street." Looking at the crowd in front of them "Please people we need to get this man some air." And begins to push thru crowd if necassary.


OOC: I want to try and get us out of the direct veiw of the crowd. If we can get thru them to the otherside we should be able to slip away while they look at the woman and baby. Truly there is no better distraction then the sight of a baby and mother being brought out of an accident like that unharmed.

[Akuma]

OOC: Congratulations GG!!!

For Baljeet/Flynn, it's easy to disapear... all he has to do is get people looking at the woman and they'll forget him. If Pope is able to conceal his injuries and fake his way at helping to get the woman and her baby out, he can pass her off to the big guys that Flynn summoned, and then back out until he's unnoticed. Same for Luo.

Thanos wanted to know if the doors were still closable, but my image is that the whole ambulance is in such bad shape that only Bunny's luck is holding it together. Touching the doors might cause them to fall off, and everything else with it.

Yes, there are sirens on the way, as well as a crowd of other drivers and people who were there when the ambulance did its thing... Yet another crowd.

You guys might want to do your ninja things ASAP or you'll be back in the same situation as before... and this time there are 2 Jezebels on their way....

[Thanos]

With a humble and accepting smile Luo gives a small bow and says, "Of course, I live to serve..."

Shuffling around Luo does what his two new companions do and slips out into the crowd and then beyond it. He looses track of of Flynn, but manages to keep close to Pope and follow him out. Once the three of them are away, he will smile again and to Pope, "That was bloody close....."


[OOC: Ret-con Edited out Spirit Speech]

[Akuma]

OOC: Question. Is Spirit Speech something like French, a foreign language with its own vocabulary, or just the ability to make your own language understood by spirits, while understanding the whispering wind that is their own attempts to communicate? I thought it was the latter, but perhaps newer versions have a different take.

I get that Luo is trying to tip his hat to Pope, but I'm not sure if using "Spirit Speech" on a fellow mortal is any more effective than a wink or a nod at this point.

[lawwnum]

OOC: Thank you just keep the ready made distractions coming, we gonna need them.

IC: As he gets thru the crowd Flynn glances back to make sure Pope and their new 'friend' are still following him. Seeing the new guy starting to fall back he slows down and lets them both catch-up. "Ok boys now to get out of sight and regroup." Looking around he spots a likely looking store front and heads towards it. "Ok hears the plan we go into this little store I will distract anyone still inside, you 2 slip out the back into the alley and I will be right behind you."

OOC: Ok i will be looking for a decent sized store of any type that is likely to have a loading dock. And exactly what I said the other2 slip towards the back and i will try to get anyone actually still in the store to look other way. however if we are ' lucky' ;) everyone should already be outside gawking or at least at the windows. Hope to have a lttle conference out back.

[Thanos]

[OOC: I am actually assuming that Spirit Speech is a magical gift that turns a WW's word/actions into Enochian when desired and automatically translates Enochian into a language that can be understood, but the knowledge is still there that it is a spirits speech. In that Enochian is the language that the Hermetics use to converse with spirits, I am adding 2 and 2 to make 4. If I assume to much, then slap my wrist and we can just ret-con some stuff!]


Luo follows, follows some more, and ends up where he should to the best of his abilities. It would be simpler to just step side-ways with them.....

[qwerty123]

OOC: Enochian is a language that the Hermetics learned from angels. It is a deep language where each word can have multiple meanings. It does not allow a Hermetic to converse with spirits, unless the spirit knows Enochian. However the ST has the ultimate say so on if it is the same as your spirit speech.

IC: Nevermore likewise follows Flynn and the stranger.

[Akuma]

OOC: See the OOC: Let it Begin for my ideas on Spirit Speech.

IC: there are two choices for nearby stores, I'll say you duck into Zeb's hardware/army surplus store rather than the women's boutique...

Jeb is an ex soldier type but he's getting very soft around the middle and his beefy arms have more fat than muscle. He keeps his hair cropped short to look tough, but also to hide his baldness. He is at his counter, running along the wall as the three of you come in. Behind him are the collections of rifles and handguns he keeps for sale.

He takes one look at the Hindi, Chinese, and White man coming in together, and figures you are up to no good.

"I don't know whatcha want in my store, but be quick about it and get out! I reserve the right to tell yall ta take yur bizness some place else."

If the group starts for the back of the store (Back way out) He'll yell that "there's no toilet so Git Out!"

[qwerty123]

"You know what, I have reached my threshold for intolerance today. Shut your cake hole Rambo, and we will be out of your rapidly thinning hair as soon as possible! OK!"

Nevermore keeps walking toward the back of the shop, angrily looking in the shop keeps direction. With his left hand he begins tracing the ankh symbol on his right wrist.

"Huh, you look sleepy Rambo. Up too late last night polishing your pistol?"

OOC: Using a Life (throwing in Forces if you think applicable) effect to put this guy under. I would like to massively increase his delta wave activity in his brain. This should put him into a deep sleep that is hard to wake from.

[Akuma]

IC: At the rudeness of Pope, Zeb reaches under the counter to pull out his sawed-off police-special, Ithaca shotgun, but even as he pulls it into view, his eyes roll up into his head and he staggers a moment before falling unconscious to the floor.

OOC: Hmmm. last chance to load up for a day at the mall... terminator-style...

[Thanos]

"Truly, your mastery of your arts must be immense old chap! I know you not, but in just a few minutes it seems I have been dragged into something larger than myself. I had thought for a few moments that you were one of my kind, but you are obviously not. What is going on AND at being direct and not rude, what are you two?"

[qwerty123]

"Give me a moment before I answer that."

Nevermore closes his eyes for a moment. He places his hands in front of himself and slowly clinks his bracelets together. Occasionally cocking his head left or right, as if listening to a secret tone he alone can hear.

OOC: I want to use forces to check if there is any kind of video camera / surveillance / security device in the store. If there is I would like to cause it feedback so that it shorts out and gives up a private place to talk in the store for a few moments before we begin our mad dash to the mall.

[Akuma]

Nevermore's concentration (and powers of observation) point out the exsistence of 3 security cameras. one is pointing at the front door, the 2nd at the register, and the 3rd at the door to the back. Also, the hidden alarm under the counter doesn't call the police but drops a heavy security bar into place locking the back door. there is both a key and combination lock for the back door.

The key can be found on a chain around Zeb's neck. the combination can be found through another forces check.

The back room is only a toilet, the back door, and the stairs going down... to a basement that is full of weaponsmith machinery on one side, and a full S&M bondage suite on the other side. A desk has a computer that shows the store security videos, and next to it is a tape copy machine for the shelf full of gay bondage and snuff film titles that would make anyone sick.

For Luo and Pope, being sensitive to Spirits, you can feel that there are ghosts in the periphery. they were tortured to death by Zeb and they cannot move on. But they fear him. They are deciding whether you are him, or someone weak they can take revenge upon... But for now, they are staying back...

OOC: Well, you now have a place to chat... for the moment. If you don't mind chatting around a gay snuff porn shop.

[lawwnum]

IC: As soon as Jeb drops Flynn turns and hags the 'CLOSED' sign in the front door and locks it. Then walks over to him and drags him to the the back of the shop. Quickly checking him for anything useful, such as a key on a chain, and disarming him he locks Jeb in the shitter.

" HMMMM not exactly what I had in mind ....but it works." Watching nevermore do his thing he waits a couple of seconds and asks "Are we clear yet Bud?" Seeing the look on Nevermore's face he knows both that they are not being monitered and thereis something weird in the building.

As he begins to walk around the shop ,cataloging what he wants to take when they leave. "No Garou, we are not exactly your kind. However we have no problems with you in fact we have a very good freind that is a Garou as well. And yes you have walked into a Hell of a mess. Ahhh!" Finding some handcuffs behind the counter he walks back to the bathroom, where he left Jeb, goes in handcuffs Jeb's hands behind his back and pulls off jebs shoe and a sock. using the sock he gags Jeb and walks back out and relocks the door.
"So Pope there somewhere here we can talk with our new friend out of sight of the street. I hope you will listen to us before you decide if you will help us or run for your life, but again you have nothing to fear from us."

OOC: WONDERFUL you drop us into weapon heaven and we can only hope to take what we can conceal or ditch easily :angry:. Oh well Im sure i cancome up with some little surprises from here :devious:.

[Thanos]

AH, well, they have told me what I am and that they are not of Gaia. Not exactly what I asked, now is it. Platitudes of 'we're on your side, really' don't go to far either.

"So, does anybody else feel the less than fortunate spirits below us....I am not sure, but they seem to have been tortured and can not move on.....bloody hell, this bastard deserves to die!"


[OOC: Ever heard of the Right of Talisman Dedication....for taking extra equipment around in various forms. You would just have to travel with a wolf for a while.....]

[lawwnum]

IC: "No I'm afraid communing with spirits is not my thing, as for killing him, that can certainly be arranged. But forgive me I have been rude,I am Flynn my socialable friend thats been bleeding on you is called Pope. What shall we call you? or do you like being called by your species?"

[Thanos]

"My full name is somewhat hard to pronounce so most just call me Luo. Nice to meet the both of you, even if the circumstances are strange. I suggest we put him down stairs were those he has killed can take their revenge on him so that their spirits can be free of this realm."

"Seeing as how things keep getting worse and worse for you, perhaps you might want to borrow some of this establishments fine utensils of mayhem?"

[Akuma]

OOC: Oh yeah, I've heard about it. Used a lot by Werewolves. I had a previous player that stretched the meaning to allow him to hide his sawed-off double-barrel shotgun along with his glaive. He actually used it to some good effect... like indiana jones style. But the main point was it had to be a super-simplistc weapon. simple double-barrel breach-loader was okay. pump-loader was too complicated. too many parts.

Why? are you thinking of doing the same?

[lawwnum]

IC: "Oh yes, I have a feeling things are going to get MUCH worse. And yes we can put him downstairs before we leave, but is it safe for us to go down there? We need to chat quickly and I'd rather not do it where we can be seen from the street." He says as he moves around the store picking up some of the odds and ends he spotted earlier.

"You see we have inadverdantly made some folks rather upset and I expect some more of there representatives to be showing up here VERY soon." Taking the supplies he picked up he heads down the stairs. Looking to one side he sees all the weaponsmithing machinery and smiles, looking to the other side his smile falters, "Wow..... this was one sick bastard."

Moving to the machine shop he begins to assemble 2 devices. "Come on down guys, and bring our host too. This will only take me a few minutes and we can talk while I work."


OOC: Ok first of need to know about this building is it a stand alone or connected to another one, also 1 story and basement or is there a 2nd floor. Demolitions 4 Im going to be building 2 IED'S to bring down building and take out the next wave of Hit-marks that we KNOW must be coming, BUT dont want to blow-up the whole damn town. I figure we have maybe a half hr before the next wave arrives looking to pick up the trail and plan to be gone by then.

[qwerty123]

"Good to meet you Luo; and a big thanks for the herbal help you gave me back in the ambulance." Nevermore finishes up his work at disabling the cameras and security system. He then reaches into his jacket pocket and produces a pack of smokes that he quickly lights with the clink clank of a Zippo.

"So, Luo. What brings you to this fine city in Arizona? I mean with the accent you aren't from anywhere around here, or so I surmise."

While speaking Nevermore moves around behind the counter and opens the cabinet containing the 9mm pistols. He grabs one and pulls back the slide, smiling as it clicks back into place. Placing the pistol down on the counter he fiddles around behind the counter moving things this way and that. Finally he finds a Dremel tool and screwdriver. Moving in a haze of smoke from his dangling cigarette he goes to work at removing the imitation wood grain grip on the right side of the handle. Nevermore then uses the Dremel to engrave a Delta sign in the metal of the handle, he then places a sideways eight within the Delta.

Looking over his handy work, Nevermore smiles.

OOC: Just trying to make a gun that I can use as a Focus for Forces magic a little bit easier to hopefully avoid any 'fast cast' penalties for not having my Wonder to shoot with.

[Akuma]

OOC: About the Building: Standard 1 story plus basement. not attached, but so close to the neighboring buildings that only rats and roaches can pass between one building and the next. If you blow one, the ones around it will likely fall too.

Yes, you can whip up something quick. its a matter of time and ingredients. You can throw some gunpowder in empty paint cans with some thing to make a wick. You can throw together a timer from an old clock. but this isn't radio shack, so the parts for electronics will need more time. Zeb believed in guns and grenades, not claymores and demolitions (likely because he wasn't trained in them).

For Pope, yes, you can partially enhance the gun for your magic, but since you are using standard parts and quick scrawling, it will be temporary, and the gun will deteriorate quickly from too much going through it (forces working through it will do physical damage to the actual gun over time). So it'll help you for maybe 1 full gunfight, but beyond that... You might want to grab a backup.

Luo, want anything?

[Thanos]

With a small bow Luo opens up a bit but has strange accents throughout, "Well I am from Southern China, traveled to The Down-Under, and then to So-Cal. I was on my way across the southern US meeting new people and passing along the wisdom of my people while picking up whatever I could find. As it happened, you sir seemed to be in desperate need of what little wisdom of the medicinal arts that I posses."

"Your ways are new to me, but somehow also familiar"


OOC: Luo in Lupis: http://en.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enwiki/3993664
Nothing comes to mind that Luo would want from this place. Although, he might be able to convince the ghosts to PUSH a button to blow the IED when somebody shows up to rescue their torturer (in the precess killing all of them one assumes).

[lawwnum]

OOC: Ok as this is an open forum and I REALLY dont need a visit from the ATF, I wont go into details on how to do this BUT. I know I could create an even bigger boom then a claymore, with what I could find in an army surplus/hardware store. I want to make a couple of rough devices and place them at strategic points in the cellar to bring the building down, not blow to hell. The trigger will be on the door to the basement, simple 2 wires on door and frame. Just need to know how detailed yo want to be about the structure, if wood the bombs shouldbe sufficient if its metal then will use propane torches to heat and weaken metal. Oh and rechecked sorry Demolitions 3 not 4. BUT this isnt his first rodeo.

IC: As he begins to work onthe devices Flynn hears some machine noise and voices from above, iguring he wont be joined down stairs he yells up "Well ifyour not coming down then grab me 2 45's, 2 stun guns and a good knife, I'll be up in a few minutes." Working quickly and efficiently Flynn sets his creations in the rafters and wires them together.

Boy I hope this works......

Finishing placing the devices he then turns on as much machinery as he can and starts whatever Jeb was watching over again from the beginning,with just enough volume to be heard but not understood. Then heads back upstairs, carefully setting the trigger on the door as he exits the basement.

"Ok guys we have a few minutes before we need to move, Pope have you told our new friend just what he has stepped into yet? OH and dont go near the basement door."

[qwerty123]

Nevermore continues to work, now on his second 9mm. He designs it the same way as the first.

"Well long story short. We are a dysfunctional blended family of supernatural types. My real name is not Pope, you can call my Nevermore; all the Order of Hermes does." Nevermore flashes a smile, his head wreathed in smoke. "The guy in the basement is old, like walked with Jesus old...ok well not that old, but you get it. We hang with a couple others, one is kinda like you. I am not sure of your, what do they call it: pact, tribe, sept, whatever it is he is a Silent Strider. I mean you are a wolf man, right?"

Nevermore has finished crafting the two guns with his symbols. He then begins to grab empty clips and begin to fill them with bullets.

"Oh hey look at me making a long story longer. To cut to the chase, we pissed of the local cyborgs and they want us deader than dead. You saw what one of their kind did, so you can imagine just how dead they want us. So we were off to the mall when you ran into us, or we ran into you as the case may be."

Nevermore takes off his jacket and lights another smoke. He moves over to a mannequin and takes off it's green shirt to replace his own bloodstained one. Once he puts the shirt on he then grabs the bulletproof vest from a display and puts it on and his jacket back over it, zipping it up to cover the vest.

"Hey Flynn, don't blow us all up just yet. We need to work on some kind of disguise for us before we hightail it out of here, there are all kinds of different clothes up here. Oh, and did you find any car keys whey you rolled the gay Rambo? I really don't want to ride another bus any time soon."

OOC: I figure that this place has a bulletproof vest, if not just say so. Also taking a leap to move things along a bit, I figure as a life mage I should be able to tell what Thanos is playing since he is in no way trying to hide it from us - I mean he is an obvious PC type, so he must be one of the good guys right? Also took your advice and grabbed another gun, since you suggested it one can only imagine just how many Hit Marks we will have to fight on our way to the GAP to buy cheap suits. :P

[lawwnum]

OOC: good question. Did I find aything besides the key on a chain around his neck when I searched him and locked him in the shitter, Mr ST?

[Akuma]

OOC: Okay, I know we are all in a hurry to get to the mall for the big sale at Macy's or Penney's... but Flynn kind of walked into a pile of poo by going down into/staying in the basement by himself while Pope and Luo did their talking upstairs... So we gotta take care of that BEFORE any demolitions are made/placed.

Oh yeah, the same keychain that has the key to downstairs, also has a GM key, and a Harley key.

OOC: For Pope and Luo, yes, you can find a SWAT-style bullet-proof vest behind the counter. the one on display is a door-gunner vest used for helicopter gunners. its huge and would make you look like a green baseball umpire... or Goalie for Hockey. The vest is black with webbing for lots of ammo, etc, but doesn't hide well unless you wear a big raincoat over it. That's possible, but will be hot and obvious in the hot/dry Arizona summer, don't you think?

And Luo, if you are interested, there is a pair of Chinese fighting swords, the double broadsword type with a curving edge. They are steel, but with a silvered edge and have Chinese writing on them. Unfortunately, its just a simple tourist inscription. "this is a sword." and the other one says "Got Kung Fu?" But if you want them, you can pop them off and use them in a pinch.

And now back to the lone immortal in the haunted basement...

IC: Flynn starts work on his explosives after doing a cursory inspection of the premises. Likely blowing the metal support beams will require a little weakening, and some tampening of the charges to make sure they cut through just right. At first, he associates the queasiness he feels with the Nazi symbol and the S&M torture implements. He has things to do...

But then the feeling causes the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up. a feeling of malevolence is heavy in this place. looking around, there is no one there, but the explosive he was working on, suddenly tips over while he was looking away. then there is the snapping sound of a whip... but no one is around...

and then then, abruptly, Flynn has to yelp at the sting of a whip-crack across his back. Then another across his thigh. He whips around, to see malevolent burning red eyes staring at him from under a bondage mask from the shadows in the corner. then another from another side, a deformed, shaking young man but with burning eyes...

OOC: the slashes put you at "Hurt" level, but the longer you stay the bolder the apparitions will get. So the question is how much pain can you take to make your bombs...

[lawwnum]

OOC: Well thankfully I can take a bit of pain but it does tend to interfer with ones concentration when building bombs.

IC: 'A few minutes earlier'
After seeing the apparitions in the basement and knowing this wont end well, remembers Lou statement about spirits. "LOU!!! I need you down here.. LIKE NOW!" Looking at his attackers "Look I dont know if you understand me but I'm not with Jeb. I'm going to try and set you free from this place if you let me, and punish him as well." Keeping an eye on the spirits attacking him he will dodge if necassary and hope Lou get huis furry butt down there soon. BUT he will try to keep himself between the spirits and the explosives he was working on.

[Thanos]

"Great story, sounds like a lot of fun for a young chap like me!"

Luo does not hesitate and bounds down stairs. From the distress in the voice of his new friend, the young man from China becomes a rather large wolf-man. Once across the threshold he takes a mixed stance with claws glinting and his lips pulled back from his fangs. If that doesn't scare something, nothing will!

[Akuma]

Well, the arrival of an upright (crinos) wolf-man in the midst of the basement sure sets off the ghosts in all directions. Things go flying from shelves, videos, the TV playing the snuff porn explodes, cans of whatnot burst etc.

The whipping ghosts are temporarily frightened by the werewolf enough not to attack Flynn directly, but the room is more chaotic than ever... looking like the scene from poltergeist when the parents open the door to the kids bedroom and everything is flying around in circles. only this time its porn-toys, and weapon parts...

OOC: Flynn will have an extra hard time trying to concentrate with everything flying unless Luo can convince the Spirits to let them be... or he can force them away...

[qwerty123]

Hearing the stress in Flynn's voice Nevermore puts a little speed in his step. He bounds down the stairs after Luo.

"What's got your panties in a bunch Flynn?" Nevermore stops dead still on the steps when he sees the hysteria that is the basement.

"Oh man, it's all night of the living dildos in here. What the hell did you do!?"

[lawwnum]

OOC: I suspect that when things finally settle down I will have to adjust my plan a bit. OH and Harley keys nice to bad my drive skill sucks, and I dont suppose I found a wallet on our favorite Gay Rambo did I?

[lawwnum]

IC: "Ah finally the gang is all here!" He says as he ducks a flying dildo followed by a set of handcuffs. "I dont know what the hell he was doing down here but I dont think he was making many friends."

Trying to salvage what he can of the work he has already done," Luo this isnt exactly helping, was hoping for LESS destruction not more!"

I swear if we ever get out of this mess Im NEVER leaving India again.

[Thanos]

In spirit speech, which sounds like a bunch of growls and half words to the others, "Stop your antics or I will give you something to be upset about!"

Should things settle down, "Avenge you, we will. Soon, metal men come here. Surprise fire for them and evil one. All dead, join you. Free from pain you will be. Peace we need now!"

[Akuma]

OOC: Okay, rolling a persuasion via Spirit Speech... Yoda-speak aside, it seems to be successful. From the Spirits, Luo can receive the intention of frustration and a desire to lash out. They don't understand what you mean by 'Metal Men', but they understand that your reference to the evil one means Zeb. They both want him and fear him. Should he be made weak before them, they will tear him apart. He never looked weak before, so they couldn't touch him.

[Thanos]

Giving the spirits one last look, one of pity and compassion, he says, "Ggrro Ahhhead ith ombs old one."

At least I will fulfill my duty to the litany by seeing the evil man dead and his ghosts freed. Perhaps the spirits of old will see this as wisdom.

[lawwnum]

IC: "Old one huh?.....Well it fits. So our sex toy weilding spirits are going to let me finish?" Then looks at his watch and shakes his head, they've lost alot of time now and he's going to have to adjust his plan.

"Ok furball would the locals here like to play with Zeb a bit while I figure out how to blow this place without taking out the whole block."

OOC: Ok Mr. ST its in your baallpark here how much time has actually lapsed since we entered the building? I still want to be out of here in less then an hour from when we entered.

IC:Throwing Keys he found on Zeb to Nevermore, " Here I found these on our host. Try to find it and start loading it with what we might need. Including enmptying the till."

[Thanos]

The big fur-ball grrrawwwllls an affirmative at the old one.

"They lould indeed like too! ssshouuld I instruuct them lere he is?"

Given the go ahead he will inform the spirits of his location in the bathroom, bound.

[qwerty123]

Seeing as how they others have the scene in hand, Nevermore heads outside to match the keys with the car they start.

OOC: I want to be very careful, I don't want to draw attention to myself. If there is a ball cap in the store I out it on, maybe some tinted shooters glasses as well. Then to the great outdoors to find the vehicle.

[lawwnum]

IC: "Yes tell them where he is and to have fun." Looks at the 7'+ tall Crinos werewolf in front of him and begins to have an idea on how to weaken those beams.:cool:

"Hey there furball I dont suppose you have a way of weakening these support beams a little do you? I mean besides ripping them out of he floor. Altho......that would help too."

"OH wait a sec....can you ask the spirits if they know of any hidden stashes of things in this place, and I dont mean his porn mag collection. Something like a hidden room or large safe that we havent seen yet."

Perhaps there's something here to make this a little faster.

Flynn then turns and tries to salvage as much of the work he has already done as he can.


OOC: Alrighty Hopefully our favorite furball will be helpful in prepping the place for demo, oneway or another.

Second did I get Zeb's wallet when I searched him and locked him in the shitter.

[Thanos]

It is hard to tell that the Crinos Garue is actually 8'8" when he is hunched over, but none the less. Luo asks the ghosts if there is anything else hidden here and if so where. After that he will tell them where the evil man can be found.

May Gaia not have mercy on his soul.

If Flynn gives him some pointers on where to 'bend' some supports, Luo will oblidge as best he can and see if he can ignore the screams from the shitter.

[lawwnum]

IC: Flynn quickly directs the furry wrecking-ball to try and remove every other support beam and rough up the rest, BUT NOT remove them. "Take out these beams and ONLY these for now. And you can sharpen your claws on the rest a little, just dont remove them."
Turning back to his work he looks over the mess in front of him and thinks for a second.

Yes, with no moreinteruptions and if Luo does his job well, this just might work yet.

OOC: Ok with less beams to blow this should go a little easier.....until you hit us with the next curve-ball

[Akuma]

OOC: Okay, trying to summarize a bunch of things at the same time.

Spirits indicate a hidden safe for Zeb's money. (they go so far as to move the cabinet aside to reveal it). They also reveal another on the floor for the really illegal cache of weapons... A rocket launcher and ammo, plus assault rifles and ammo.

Outside, is a harley hog, and a big black A-Team type van with a ski rack on top and a loud-speaker. The side has a banner on it saying "America is for Americans only!" on one side, and "Tea-Party, Forever" on the other side. Apparently, he was going to a rally today, according to the paper inside indicating when Mrs. Palin would arrive and give her speech.

After telling the ghosts where Zeb is bound... they disapear and screams begin from from the toilet, ending in a flood of blood from under the door. Don't go in there.

As far as time goes, I'll say about 20 minutes have gone by from the time the ambulance flipped. I won't tell you where the Hit Marks are, but they are converging on the accident site first, which is still fresh with police, even though the 2nd ambulance has left with the mother and baby.

[lawwnum]

OOC: I KNEW IT!! The racist redneck bastard had to have something stashed.

IC:Upon seeing the rocket launcher and warheads Flynn smiles broadly. "YES! Now i just have to work out a detonater and we are good to go."
Looking to Luo "OK with these babies Im good. And if your sure your spirit friends will leave me alone now you can go see if Pope needs any help loading whatever this bastard had for a car. Oh and please be sure to take the assault rifle :). When we are mobile again we can discuss what to do next.

OOC: Ok Like I said forget the homemade stuff just need to plant the missles in the appropriate locations and rig them to detonate. Actually not even detonate just have the missle activate/launch right into the beam and KABLOWIE!!! If nothing else it should make the next wave a bit more cautious.

[Akuma]

OOC: Let's be sure we are on the same page here.... I said Rocket launcher, as in old fashioned over the shoulder, reloadable Rocket-propelled, Grenade Launcher NOT modern anti-tank or anti-aircraft Missile launchers. the warhead on the rockets is good against a police cruiser, but not much against tanks. And not capable of demolishing a building anymore than a single grenade would. It just has rocket-propelled range rather than throwing range.

To blow this place up, stick with the IED you were building before. Use the RPG's against the Hitmarks... Wonder what would happen if Pope scrawled on the side of this badboy...

I will allow that there are 2 claymores and detonators in the stash, but again, better to use those against the Marks then waste the C-4 on bringing a few beams down, but its your call.

It will take 10 minutes per IED and 10 minutes to set up the Claymores. How many IED's you want to make?

[Thanos]

IC: Once the supports are dented, bent, but not rended Luo will help with the safe(s) if needed. Following that he will shift back to homid and help load the van.

These people and their tools of destruction. When will they learn that sword and fist are the only true methods of combat. You have to look into your opponents eyes, watch him breath, and then telegraph his own movements. A gun, bow, or grenade is so impersonal, you never know who you kill and often as not kill those you don't intend.

[lawwnum]

OOC: Alright WW2 era stuff that should work nicely against hit-marks, however that idea coming from you is not reassuring. I now wonder if any part of this town will still exist when we leave :S. Ok I'll stick with the IED'S and keep the claymores for later. Going to go with 3 IED'S that should be enough to take the building down even if it doesnt kill our metallic friends. And that should get us out of here in under the magic 1 hr time limit. But again I'm not looking to kill them off the bat just want to make them more cautious, afterall if we kill them too fast how many will they send next:\

OH and Luo I couldn't agree more with that thought and if we ever get the chance you will see something that will impress even your large hairy butt.:cool:

[qwerty123]

OOC: Loading the van with as much stuff as we can safely get away with. Basically if it can be used to kill someone I will take it. Putting the munitions in the back and hopefully finding a strong box (an ammo box will do) to cart away the money.

[lawwnum]

OOC: Quick question does this place perhaps have some nice mil surplus radio's? You know the kind with the earbud/microphone thing, that look like a Bluetooth cellphone receiver. Because if he has them we are going to need at least 3 if possible

[Akuma]

OOC: Sorry, Zeb isn't that up-to-date. Everything is more WWII and Vietnam era. He sells to enthusiasts, old farts like himself, young kids. You can find walkie-talkies, though. and with the exception of Luo, you both have each other on speed dial for your cells, right? Unless you are worried about HIT-MARKS listening in...

[lawwnum]

OOC: More worried about hit-marks tracking the signal

[qwerty123]

The musical tone of his phone surprises Nevermore. He starts for a moment then after checking the caller id, sees that it is a familiar number. "Yello!"

Adam still muttering... reaches into his pocket and pulls out his cell phone. And calls Pope, waits for it to ring. If Pope picks up, "Hey bro, its Adam, I was thinking of stepping out for a bite, anything you need me to get while I'm out?" Wait for answer.(in his head, Adam is yelling please recognize this as code and be mellow, and hope that no one is listening). "I heard you were getting ready for a party, it sounds pretty small though, only 2 on the guest list so far but who knows once the word spreads, I'm sure there will be plenty more.


"Dude, NO DOUBT I could use your help. You know how bad I am at party planning. I ran into someone that I invited to the shindig. My guess is you can be fast MATES. You know me making friends and influencing people a specialty. Maybe we could meet up for some grub and discuss this party, it should be a blow out. We can meet at the usual, and if you have to take public transit...'Remain Seated Please, Permanaced Sentados por Favor!'"

With that Nevermore hangs up. "Hey Flynn, Adam is going to be joining us." I hope.

OOC: Hopeful that Adam gets the pop cultural reference - a nod to the Matterhorn at Disneyland; and hooks up with us at the Mater Horn Grill at the cross streets of Birch and Humphries. (Thank you Google Maps.)

[Akuma]

IC: Meanwhile, as the police and fire crews decide how to get the remains of the ambulance out of the path of the street, and get traffic back to normal, 2 women arrive, dressed almost identically. One is a red-head, and the other is a brunette. The meet at the location where the previous Hit-Mark ceased functioning. From that point, they begin scanning around for any of the previously noted hostiles. Seeing none, one of the "Bombshells" walks towards the wreck of the ambulance to get information from the cops there. The other walks directly to a nearby utility pole that houses traffic cameras, and attempts to access the traffic camera information.

OOC: only 16 minutes have elapsed from when Flynn resumed his work on explosives. he has one finished and needs 4 minutes to finish the second. This will give him a total of 3 explosives, ready for detonation... half of what is needed to truly bring down the house. How long do you think it will take for the HM's to figure out where you guys went?

[Akuma]

OOC: By the way, Lawwnum was asking about Zeb's wallet. It wasn't on him. If searching for it, you can find it on a shelf near the back door with a bunch of bills, some of them past due.

Also, forgot to mention that in the Van, there is a Lee Harvey Oswald special M-1 sniper rifle. and a picture of Ex-Gov. Palin with a cigarette burn through the center of her forehead. Maybe Zeb had something planned...

Are people leaving the banners on the sides of the Van?

[qwerty123]

OOC: If the banners are those magnetic kind, then I would like to remove them. Also I would like to try to heal myself one more time while waiting on Flynn to be done making IED's. I figure it can't take that long to haul the stuff we want out the back door to the waiting van.

[Akuma]

OOC: Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought I read somewhere that you can only apply healing once to each wound. Jezebel slashed you once, and you healed yourself for the most part. You have to let time do the rest. You are only minorly inconvenienced, I believe...

[lawwnum]

OOC: Ok the HM's will pretty much just have to look around to guess where we might of went. Now you say 4 min to finish is that just to finish making or is installation included in that? When done I still want to leave as much equipment running as possible including whatever our recently deceased freind was watching. I dont suppose I got a cell off of Zeb by chance?


IC: "Adam's coming? Good we are going to need all the help we can get soon." As he finishes the last of the installation he takes a sec to survey his work.
Damn I hope this works.

Then rushes up the stairs and carefullysets the trigger on the door. Before walking out the backdoor. As he heads for the door he sees a wallet on a shelf, "Ahh Bingo!" . Picking up the wallet he walks out into the alley and heads for the van he sees Nevermore putting the last few items into.
"Ok my friend its time to get the hell out of here." Tossing Nevermore the wallet, "here why dont you try this face on for size." Then climbs into the back of the van. "So what are the odds of us getting to Adam without a tail? Or you wrecking?"

OOC: Ok a few points for clarification
1 I sincerly hope we made it out before they come knocking on the door
2 I want my cell OFF
3 I am using a stun-gun as part of the trigger so even if they kill power to building it will still work
4 walking to the van is as close to being public as I will be for awhile, once there I will be staying in the back out of sight looking over what Nevermore and Luo "acquired"

[qwerty123]

Nevermore hops into the front seat of the van and adjusts the mirror. He pulls a black ball cap on his head. Digging into his pocket he removes a small piece of chalk and traces an ankh on the mirror. Putting the chalk back in his pocket he removes the drivers license of Zeb. Taking a moment to drink in the detail of his face he goes to work. Moments later the face in the mirror is Zeb's (or a near facsimile thereof).

OOC: I lost track of how hurt I was / am. You are right since it is only one wound I have to heal it at a normal rate, but at only at -1 so not that bad. Not sure if I have to roll anything else other than Arete of 3 to look like Zeb, I figure if Life 3 can cause me to grow gills I should have no problem looking like Zeb. Ultimately it is your call. As for driving, I checked the book, feel free to change it as you are the ST. Per the book you can do mundane driving with out actually having a drive skill. If the truck is a stick or we have to do anything fancy we are screwed as I don't even have a dot in drive. However I talked it over with Lawwnum and he thinks it best if 'Zeb' is behind the wheel. If it gets hot and hairy we can switch as he actually has the drive skill.

[Akuma]

OOC: Okay Understood. Yes, an arete of 3 will allow you to re-disguise you to look like Zeb. At least in the face department. I don't think you want to reduce your abilities to become decrepid looking like the old fart. There is no sign of a cell phone for Zeb that anyone could find. take that as you see fit.

Okay, I will take it that Nevermore/Zeb (bye bye pope) is driving with basic skills only. Just note that switching while driving is quite a feat...

[Akuma]

IC: The two HM's are looking for the men they lost. The first has been unable to find them through the cops, though she learns which hospital the woman was taken. Maybe the mother will know more...

The second HM gets back up from central Technocracy and kicks Sylvester out of the system temporarily. Getting the feed from the traffic cameras. She signals the other Jezebel. One goes to the front entrance, and looks inside without entering. the other goes into the next door woman's clothing shop and asks to use a changing room on the same side as the Army-Surplus store. Once inside, she Jack-hammers her arms through the back wall of the women's store and into the Army surplus from the side. Once inside, she will go to the front and check for booby-traps. If they are visable, She will disarm them before allowing the second Mark inside.

OOC: I forgot to mention that I will allow that the 4 minutes will include time to set the 3rd explosive. Now that they are both inside, shall I take it that the group will Van-oose to the restaurant before anything else is located/destroyed?

BTW one of the women from the next door store will check on the customer, and follow her through to the Army/Navy store to make sure she isn't shoplifting.

[lawwnum]

OOC: Yup we will be movin and groovin, trying to put space between us and Zeb's.
And as for the clerk.....Im all for saving innocents but anyone THAT dumb deserves what she gets, I think of it as retroactive birth control, or purification of the Gene pool.


IC: As the van drives away Flynn is in the back going thru the supplies Nevermore procured "Hmmmm please tell me you picked up something sharp for me to play with." Rummaging thru things and organizing them by damage potential, "So Luo how much did Pope tell you? And are you still willing to give us a hand or is there somewhere we can drop you off before they add you to their list."

[qwerty123]

Checking his new face in the rear view mirror Nevermore tosses his cigarette out of the van's window. He pulls the ball cap on his head lower and once the doors close and Flynn and Luo are on board he pulls away.

OOC: Now looking like Zeb I want to drive as casually as possible to meet with Adam over at the Mater Horn grille. If it means I have to go out of the way, then I do to avoid the street where the ambulance crashed and the path the new ambulance would have most likely taken to take the mother to the hospital.

Also, were we able to get rid of the decals on the side of the van?

[Akuma]

Yes, I'll say that you could peel off the magnet and tape banners on the side of the van.

There is a back alley used by garbage trucks for getting to the back of the shops so its easy for you to get down several blocks without meeting major traffic. In the far distance, there is some kind of explosion, smoke and fire rising form Zeb's but since you are far away at this point, you will have to assume the damage.

[Akuma]

The group comes to an end of the alleyways, preparing to turn towards the restaurant when a cop car pulls up behind the van and hits its lights along with a brief toot of the sirens indicating that the police officer wants you to pull the van over. Now.

Reactions?

[Spoogie]

OOC: What are the chances that this guy was under surveillance by the police and possibly Homeland Security among others.

[Akuma]

OOC: Good question. I mean Zeb's such an upstanding pillar of the community and all...

[qwerty123]

"You have got to be kidding me, right? I mean come on!" Nevermore hits the steering wheel in frustration. "All righty; Flynn, Luo, get ready. I have a bad feeling about this. If this cop pokes his head in here we are as good as gone. I am going to stop and .... hope for the best."

Under his breath he mutters, "We are so screwed."

Pulling the van a bit over Nevermore drops it in park and lights a cigarette.

OOC: I am not killing the engine in case I have to make a run for it.

[lawwnum]

IC: Moving up behind Nevermore,"Just relax my friend he might just be stopping you to tell you your shop went BOOM! Be cool and we might get out of this yet." Looking back he realizes the large arsenal laying all over the floor. Damn

Flynn looks for ANYTHING that could be used to cover the weaponry "Luo give me a hand covering this stuff quick."

Flynn then crouches down behind the seat out of sight with a stun gunin one hand. "Oh and if things go south just jump into the passanger seat and I'll take over driving."

OOC: Ok you said it was a A-team style van so with Luo and me against the drivers side wall, the cop would have to stick his head into the van to see anything.

[Akuma]

OOC: Yes, its A-Team style. No windows on the sides, the back ones are smoked, so no unless he looks in, he can't see. but there also aren't any seats and no one made provisions to tie anything down. remember that if you start doing rapid driving... guns and ammo rolling everywhere.

I'll say that in your hurry, you threw the banners into the van before you left. that way you can use them to roughly cover some of the arsenal...

[Akuma]

IC: When the van pulls over, the cop car does too. It has its lights on like it would for giving a traffic violation. the cop sits in it for a while, likely running the plates, then gets out and approaches the driver side with his hand on his side arm.

Then Nevermore's luck takes that sideways lurch...

"Zeb?" The cop asks as he approaches. "What's going on, Zeb? Why did you take down the banners? You weren't supposed to leave your shop until after lunch. And what the hell is this I hear about an explosion and fire at your shop?"

The cop is now right at the driver's door and is looking in suspiciously. "You aren't getting cold feet on me, are you? Stick to the plan and you'll be a hero, try to break it, and we'll end you."

Then, he sees Baljeet and Luo. "What the fuck?!" He draws his side arm and steps back away from the van. "Who the hell are they, Zeb? You better start talking fast or I'll end all three of you now!"

[Akuma]

OOC: Obviously, the cop knows Zeb, so should know what kind of freak he is... seeing non-whites in the van with him is what's suspicious. And wonder what kind of operation the cop would need a low-life like Zeb to do?

[qwerty123]

"Easy there, put that pee-shooter down before you take your toe off. This is all going sideways; and fast." Nevermore tries his best to sound like Zeb. "Look the GD feds must have got wind about what was going down. Things got hot, really hot; so I had to improvise. I got me these here nice 'volunteers' to help me out. See if we just have this go down as planned, well we get some good accomplished; but, if we can pin it on some guys like this here. Well lets just say - God bless the US of A."

Reaching slowly into his jacket pocket 'Zeb' pulls out another smoke and lights up.

OOC: Not sure on the exact roll you need, I figure Manipulation 3 + Subterfuge 2 might do the trick.

[lawwnum]

IC: Quickly picking up on nevemore's story Flynn looks to Luo and begins to chatter away in Mandarin Chinese, throwing in a confused look at 'Zeb' and the cop.

[Thanos]

"So Luo how much did Pope tell you? And are you still willing to give us a hand or is there somewhere we can drop you off before they add you to their list."


"Well as far as I can tell, Gaia has put you in my path for some reason or another. Either I will benefit from your wisdom, you will benefit from mine, or in a perfect world we will both benefit from each others wisdom and knowledge. So, why are you going to the mall to buy suits?"

At about this point the cop pulls over the van and Luo raises an eyebrow......

“多麼了不起的一系列廢話。”

“在這裡，我認為這是正常的事情為你的善良...."

“其實它有波 浪，就像下雨。”

“很明顯，自然是這樣的。”

“這使人懷疑為什麼我們生存呢？”

“當然，人造的工具，他得到一個邊緣 的佛...”

[lawwnum]

At about this point the cop pulls over the van and Luo raises an eyebrow......

“多麼了不起的一系列廢話。”

“在這裡，我認為這是正常的事情為你的善良...."

“其實它有波 浪，就像下雨。”

“很明顯，自然是這樣的。”

“這使人懷疑為什麼我們生存呢？”

“當然，人造的工具，他得到一個邊緣 的佛...”[/quote]

OOC: Ok Thanos my character speaks Mandarin.........not me personally. A little help here please.

Oh and by the way My chattering is just " Is the man with the badge going to save us from the mean man" type stuff. I dont want to chance that we come across the one cop in all of Arizona that speahs Mandarin until I see his reaction.

[Akuma]

OOC: The subterfuge seems to be working...

IC: The cop lowers his gun momentarily, then raises it, rubbing his temple with the palm of his grip. while rolling his eyes.
Mutter to himself. "This is why I hate working with locals and amateurs." He looks to heaven for relief, then moves back in close with 'Zeb'. He uses the muzzle of the gun to jab at Zeb like he would with his finger.

"I said, we stick to the plan! We don't need the Chinese until NEXT Month when Huckabee gives his talk against the building of a new Walmart. We are using MEXICANS for the scape goats here in Arizona for the shooting of Palin."

The cop sighs dramatically, then when his shoulder radio gives a burst of static, he leans back and gives a couple of hand gestures to someone sitting in the patrol car. He gets closer again.

"Okay. lean forward, and I'll take out these two. We'll have to dump the bodies before we take you to the site of the speech, but I can't have any unneeded witnesses, can I?

[lawwnum]

OOC: I'll say it again....your a prick

Ok queue maniacal laughter

[Akuma]

OOC: And loving every second of it. Of course, we are talking about a simple 9mm baretta here, nothing too dangerous for an immortal or a werewolf, right?

[qwerty123]

"Oh no you don't. You ain't gonna hog all the fun of wasting these here slanty eyed dogs. I had to give up my shop for this. You owe me that much." 'Zeb' blows an angry puff of smoke skyward.

"You know I can harness the living hell outta these here guys. Shoot, they might even enjoy it." Licking his lips for effect 'Zeb' continues. "They ain't gonna live that much longer after I do what I gotta do. Besides they just might live long enough, if they treat me right to be used again for the Huckabee fella. Waste not want not my Momma always told me."

OOC: Hoping that the subterfuge holds another round, if not it is going to get interesting really quick.

[lawwnum]

OOC: ok time for a quickening role before things get hairy, a little Speed of the Stag will come in useful i think.

IC: In Mandarin "Luo take a peak out thebackwindow and let me know if this ass has a partner or is waving to the dash camera"

Actually moving a little closer to the cop Flynn says, in very bad and heavily accented English "You help? Take from bad man?"

OOC: Ok now IF he is alone and doesnt go with qwerty's suggestion to let us go, or is about to pull the trigger on me. I should be well within arm reach I will grab the gun, putting a finger between hammer and firing pin, and simul hit him with the stun-gun.

[Thanos]

Luo does as he is told, but makes sure to keep an eye on 'Zeb' as well.

This is turning into a circus and I am one of the freaks. It is rather embarrassing and frustrating!

[Akuma]

When Zeb mentions his intentions for the two "slants" in the back, the 'cop' withdraws his hand quickly and wipes it on his chest even as he shivers in disgust.

"Don't remind me of your sickness. This isn't China Charlie's Take out, you know!" He barks, but appears to consider things. "I don't trust you alone with two slants. They might overpower you and get away. Take out that one who thinks he can talk English. then you can finish off your egg roll in the parking garage before we get into position."

If there is even the slightest hesitation, the cop will get suspicious again, and level his gun at Zeb, while keeping near the mirror, not within quick reach. "Do it now, Zeb, or we end all three of you for weapon violations."

OOC: Yes, there's another guy in the squad car. He seems to have moved over to the driver's side. The man has a cop shotgun across the dashboard... His face cannot be seen because the visor is down, but there is a dash camera under the rear view mirror.

[lawwnum]

OOC: Hmmm this is ALMOST a lucky break. I sure hope they brought some extra clothes with them.

IC: "Take out?" Seeming to try to comprehend the saying Flynn smiles and says "Yes take out from bad man"
Ok now the cop should be out of eye sight and I should be able to make eye contact with nevermore soooo. I mouth the words "Do it and lets get the hell outta here"
Also signaling to Luo to stay put and says in Mandarin "Just play along and it all will work out."

OOC: Well this should be interesting. By the way I know he's a cop and all, or at least plays one on TV, but wont gunfire from a van arouse somekind of a response from the general public? I mean its what....around noon now there must be some pedestrians wandering about somewhere?

[Spoogie]

OOC: Or maybe he knows Zeb is dead and is looking to see if he can get the impersonator to take care of his co-conspirators.

[qwerty123]

"All right, I guess one is better than none." 'Zeb' turns around and gets out of his seat. Crouching low to not bang his head on the roof of the cab he makes his way to the back of the van.

"Yeah, take out. Me takie you outie." One hand dissapers into his jacket and re-appears with a pistol. He places it right on forehead of the man the cop motioned to earlier. Sparing a nasty glace to the other man in the back, "Sit down and shut up, or you'll get some too. Just be nice, and I can be nice. You understand nice rice bag?"

BLAM

"Once the body slumps to the floor 'Zeb' begins to cover it as best he can (while trying not to uncover any of the other weapons in the back."

Sorry Flynn...

[Thanos]

Luo's eyes go WIDE and his body starts to tremble a little bit.

They are all insane!

However, a good spirit attuned werewolf knows when to stuff it do what he is told.

I don't think the magi can heal somebody from a wound like that!!!!!!

[Akuma]

OOC: As for attracting notice, I figure an exploding shop attracts a lot of notice. A cop stop on a back road will attract some notice, but most people fear cop shoot-outs just as much as they are interested in them. There are some watchers from behind curtains, but no one has started gawking so much. and not so much time has gone on. There might be surprise video later, but no one obvious right now.

IC: Now, finally, the cop breathes a sigh of relief and puts his gun down to his side. He nods. "Good. Now, follow us to the parking garage. Get rid of the body there, put the banners back up... and WAIT for us to come back. Got it? No getting creative. WE'LL get the Mexicans, not you."

With that, he'll go back to his squad car, and get in the passenger side. If Nevermore follows them, they will go to a garage along a main street (farther from the restuarant, but not so much so). They will then pull over and indicate that Zeb should go first into the garage. Then they will use hand gestures to indicate that Zeb should go to the level just below the roof, and park there. Once they know where he will be parked, the cops will drive away, promising to be back soon.

[lawwnum]

OOC: Well at least you spared the shirt. I dont suppose I could do a little Self Heal?

[Zoltanbig]

Ali is here....catch me up and tell me where I am?
Spado

[qwerty123]

'Zeb' takes a moment and looks into the rear view mirror. He can just see Luo crouching in the back by Flynn's body. Tracing the ancient sign of the ankh on the mirror his features change. The hair gets longer and a deep rich brown. His eye's turn a deep green and he sprouts some five o'clock shadow on his chin.

Once his new face is finished, he gets out of his seat and opens the door. The click clack of his Zippo is followed by the clang of the lock disengaging on the back door of the van.

"Ok, dude. We gotta jet. Help me drag Flynn here; at least until he gets better." Nevermore pulls Flynn's body to an upright position and lets Luo handle it from there. He then quickly grabs the magnetic banners from the rear and scrambles to get them back on.

OOC: Yea another new face for me! Gotta love Life magic. Nevermore will wait a minute or two for Flynn to come too. If he doesn't then Luo and I will have to get out of there hopefully before the cops show back up.

[lawwnum]

LOL Welcome aboard Zoltanbig!!!!!!!!!!

[qwerty123]

OOC: glad to have you aboard Zoltan!!!!

Also I would like to be on the lookout for another vehicle for us to borrow in the parking garage.

[Akuma]

OOC: I've sent a starter message to Zoltan's character on "Bye Bye Miss Arizona Pie." He can start there, and hopefully, we'll all get together, soon.

I'll allow that since Flynn was using Captain Stag, he'll heal up quick... right before the eyes, and wake up with a gasp...

There are plenty of cars around to swipe. What are you looking for?

But Nevermore's or Flynn's experiences, tell them to check over the side. Sure enough ,the cop car is out front checking to see who might try to come out... Maybe the expect Zeb to try and flee after all... Now why won't they trust their fellow conspirator...

[lawwnum]

IC: Flynn's eyes snap open and he takes a deep breath. Looking down at himself "Nice shot there bud didnt even mess up my shirt."

Quickly getting up he looks to Luo, "Surprise! was going to let you in on things later, should a later come. But long story short no bullet can truly kill me."

Looking around at the parking garage he sees 'Zeb' is gone and Nevermore has a new face again, smiling, "So whats the plan now? Do we try and sneak out on foot with whatever we can carry or steal a vehicle and hope the owner doesnt come back for it for awhile?"

[qwerty123]

"I am not sure. Take a look over here, our friends in blue are staked out by the entrance to the garage. I think if our, excuse me, MY luck holds out we have a half decent shot at grabbing another car and filling the trunk with our swag and driving right past them."

Nevermore finishes up putting the banners back on the truck and to everyone's surprise does not immediately light up another cigarette.

"What do you guys think, I'm gonna include you in on this one Luo seeing as how we sort of dragged you into our sorid world of high stakes fun and games."

OOC: if available I would like to find some kind of un-assuming car. Something with out any security system, Forces magic should tell me if they have anything. Also something that is big and can easily carry all of us, including Spoogie / Adam as I hope we meet up with him soon. Maybe a minivan, or some kind of SUV or truck. Heck even a big old school chevy will do the trick.

[Thanos]

For his part the Chinese Werewolf just looks at Flynn for a few moments. A myriad thoughts flow through his head, but none seem to reach his lips. Looking back at Pope, who has yet another face and then back at Flynn.....

"You two seem used to this kind of thing. I believe I am here to learn from your wisdom, for my own seems pale in comparison. My only thoughts are to crush the two cops down there by driving the van off the garage and having it land on them!"

[lawwnum]

IC: "Hmmmmm not a bad idea Luo......but I think we would be better off leaving quietly." Then as an idea hits him he smiles broadly, "However we can certainly leave a nice surprise here for them, when 'Zeb' doesnt take the shot they are bound to come looking."

Looking back at Luo, " Glad to have you aboard my friend, altho it does complicate our travel plans slightly"

OOC: Well I was right there wont be much town left when we are done. Ok time to set one of the claymores on the back door of the van. when we are done taking what we can and loading the new vehicle. We will make sure all doors locked EXCEPT the back door. With a little luck some of the shrapnel will ingite the tank too.

[Akuma]

OOC: As for vehicles, this seems to be a regular-type parking garage filled with SUV's of all types, etc. but the question is, what kind of vehicle WON'T look like something Zeb would use to try and flee from the conspirators... Or... has anyone thought of just using the Penumbra to escape? You'd have to go the first floor to do it lest you have a nice fall from 40 feet up in the penumbra to the ground... But I'm curious to see what you guys decide upon...

[qwerty123]

OOC: we already looked into the umbra thing and for a garou to take others they have to be members of his pack. So basically Luo can get away but Nevermore and Flynn are screwed.

[lawwnum]

OOC: Well Flynn would be screwed, Nevermore has a new face and could walk up and ask them for directions. Hmmmmmmmmm could Nevermore put them to sleep, even just breifly?

Perhaps long enough to drive past them unnoticed or can we come up with another distraction instead?

[qwerty123]

OOC: why just put them to sleep, I can give them the good ol' "loose poops":shit:.....have them make a run for the crapper, or do it in their pants. That would be a distraction!:evil:

[Akuma]

OOC: Thanks for the update on who can and cannot go to the umbra. So Spoogie could because you guys are part of his "pack" then? But Luo can't until he either joins your pack with Spoogie being the alpha-wolf, or vice versus, then? I'd like to be somewhat liberal about the translations.

The only problem with the spells is how to make them coincidental... like the poops would work if you could get them to eat or drink something. then they and others would believe in bad food... Just doing the Jedi thing would get some negatives like throwing lightning would.

You could always temporarily split up with Flynn in a trunk and Mr. Plastic face driving and Luo in the penumbra. Then you could take a small car. which you dump for another car... Okay, maybe I've been playing too much Grand Theft Auto... heh heh.

[Akuma]

IC: While the firefighters hose down the ruin of Zeb's shop, hundreds of small metal spiders crawl down a sewer drain, to emerge outside the observed zone. these metal spiders spread out to start searching for the missing targets. the firefighters will find the two Jezebels in the basement. they weigh so much more than the parts of the other woman and man that are found... But on their way to the morgue, the two women sit up, kill their ambulance drivers at a stop light (pull them into the back, snap the necks, take their place). and then find some place to switch clothes. They will monitor the airwaves for any signs of the ones they seek...

[lawwnum]

OOC: Ok guys we are over thinking this, most parking garages have stairs on the front AND back corners. Nevermore drives out me and Luo walk down the stairs in the back and meet him on the other side of the block. If the cops can see one of the back exit then Nevermore can stop and ask him something to draw his eyes away for the second or 2 we need. If all else fails I can jump from the 2nd lvl.

[qwerty123]

OOC: lawwnum is right, we are getting carried away a bit here. I will take an SUV and after scanning it with Forces (Arete 3) to make sure it does not have a security system, I will get in and fire it up. First I will look for keys; if no keys then I will once again use Forces to make the engine start. Oh, I figure if the car is locked than I can also use Forces to either pop the lock if it has electronic componets or just lift the metal mechanism via magnitism. I have INT 4 + Technology 1 (I think I do at least, I am at work and don't have a character on this computer to check) but I figure that would be a good start to figuring out how to open a car and start it.

[Akuma]

OOC: Unless I'm horribly misinformed, I think just about all modern cars within the last 10-15 years come with some kind of security system, even if its just the stupid horn-thing. Before that, don't think SUV's were all that popular... however, there are plenty of Ford or GM pickup trucks with back cabs for the hunter who wants to sleep over, or station wagons for the family types before Soccer-Mom's came along, and a few old fashioned sedan-types with trunks big enough to hold a party. Which one do you want?

[qwerty123]

OOC: I am sorry I should have been more clear in my typing. What I mean by security system is more than just what the factory installs, basically I want to avoid those after market complex security systems - especially anything with Lojack.

So I guess I will choose the standard run of the mill SUV.

IC: Nevermore spends a couple of moments walking around some vehicles and clanging his bracelets together. Finally he settles on one. Seconds later the engine roars to life.

"All right, so I got all the swag in here. So I guess I will see you guys at the Mater Horn? Hey, don't worry if I see the cops looking back toward the stairs you are gonna use I will try to get their attention.

[lawwnum]

IC: "Works for me my friend, hopefully we can all get there without anymore major catastrophes. come on Luo it should take us a few minutes to get there and I will try to bring you up to speed with what you just signed up for."

Flyynn leads the way down the stairwell and peeks around the corner to see if the coast is clear to head out.

OOC:Alright Arcane of 5 should help with our slipping away also I will grab a small 9mm from the stash and a stun-gun both should be easily concealable under a loose shirt or in a pocket.

[Thanos]

The 'chink' looks from one to the other and nods his head.

"As you say, but let me remove my very obvious self from the equation."

Looking around he makes sure there are no camera's and then shifts into the form of a wolf-dog. He looks once at Pope and then comes up beside Flynn as if a pet, there is even an obvious collar, but no jingling tags that might give him away.

[Akuma]

Okay, So New-Pope is in a Bronze and silver 98 Lincoln SUV. Soccer-mom friendly with a half-empty Diet Dr. Pepper in the drink holder (already warm) and a fair amount of kids junk in the back. The arsenal/Swag is under the picnic blanket, but if anyone looks, its too obviously not a bunch of coolers no matter how you try. But since its obvious that there's only one passenger, and its not Zeb, the 2 in the patrol car don't stop it on the way out.

Flynn makes Ninja's seem loud with his immortal 'Don't Notice me' abilities. Just one more jogger with a dog...

For now it seems like you've escaped notice of the conspirators and the Hit-Marks...

Time to meet up at the diner...

[qwerty123]

Nevermore starts to sweat as he drives past the squad car.

I just know they are gonna come after me. I just know they are gonna come after me. Hey, they aren't coming after me. This might just call for a great big slice of apple pie once we hit the diner.

[lawwnum]

IC:As Flynn walks with his 'dog' he quietly tries to bring Luo up to date with what kind of mess they have gotten themselves into.

OOC: I'll post what all info I'll be giving to Luo later.

[Akuma]

As Nevermore turns away from the cops and drives away, Bunny appears in the car's back seat... or rather when Nevermore looks in the rearview mirror, she is there, looking a little bit less energetic, perhaps faded than before, but she still smiles at him.

"You sure are one tough boss to work for. I hope you won't ask me to take on anymore metal ladies. I don't know if I can take it. simple cops, however, are much easier to distract."

[lawwnum]

OOC: LOL Well Qwerty you better be nicer to your bunny-lady I think we are going to need her more in the future.

IC: Walking slowly and holding his turned off cell-phone to his ear, Flynn begins to let Luo know what he stepped into, in Mandarin "Hmmm where to begin, well it goes something like this..You called me 'old one' you are more right then you know. I have known both Nevermore's and Adam's families for over 200 years. And that is only a small portion of my life. Nevermore, as you have noticed is a Mage of the Order of Hermes and Adam, whom you'll be meeting soon is a Silent Strider. Oddly both their Sept and Cairn actually live together in relative peace, probably the only such set-up in the world. Where you dont need to know quite yet, forgive me but I feel I have already said too much on that matter.

As for me I am neither Mage nor Garou nor anything else you have probably ever encountered. You saw me shot well if I hadbeen stabbed, poisoned or even blown up the results would be the same. There is but 1 way to kill me.....and you dont need to know that quite yet either.

Now for the mess we are in, well let me short story it. We raided an Iteration X facility that was experimenting on Awakened, we took it out and managed to save one victim of theirs."

At that Flynn stops dead in his tracks.

Yes one victim that Adam was guarding.....but Nevermore said he was coming alone?? Oh Hell......

[qwerty123]

"You know what, I take back what I said about you before. This just might be the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

Nevermore keeps stealing glances into the rear view mirror as he talks to the bunny girl.

"So , can you do me a favor; can you please stop calling me master. It kinda makes me feel weird. Why don't you just call me Nevermore.... And speaking of names what would you prefer I call you? For that matter, forgive me if I sound ignorant or offensive, but what or who the heck are you?"

[Thanos]

Luo makes sure to do dog like things, sniffing here, trotting ahead, staying a little behind until called. But in everything he is actually looking and listening for danger.

And what would Iteration X be I wonder. I have at least heard of this Order and I know Silent Striders. That they cooperate is indeed welcome news. Such sharing of wisdom is in itself wisdom!

Ruff!

[Akuma]

IC: The Bunny girl tilts her head to one side, considering what her master has said to her.

"I am not sure what I am, actually." she says carefully. "I know that I once was a rabbit because I feel a strong connection to the foot... that it was me, and now it's the only part of me that is left. No one has ever asked me my name before, and I have never thought of it. I do not know how I can do the things I do, nor why I feel compelled to call everyone master. of course, no one has been able to hold onto me for a long time, and once we are parted, everyone has died."

"What would you like to call me, Master Nevermore?"

OOC: like a genie from a bottle, she seems to only know that she must serve, not why.

OOC: Here in Japan, It's a full moon out tonight in a clear sky. Thus do the powers of Bunny Wax... The radio in the SUV turns on by itself, and Nevermore's favorite songs begin to flow from the speakers... In fact all the radio stations seem to be playing his favorites, and all the lights are green for Nevermore no matter which way he goes, the lights change for him just when he needs them to be green. And this may only be the beginning... Luck has turned its other cheek for now...

[qwerty123]

I could get used to this...just have to work on the dying part.

The trip to the diner is way shorter that Nevermore would have expected thanks to Bunny.

"Say Bunny, do you like doing what ever it is you do? Also would you mind if me and my friends tried to find out what you really are? I mean, I don't want to see you trapped doing this if it is something you don't want to do." Nevermore waits for an answer just after shutting off the motor in the parking lot for the Mater Horn.

Once Bunny answers, he gets out of the car and lights a smoke.

Ok, now to find Adam.

[Akuma]

IC: Bunny almost looks hopeful, then looks away with a sad expression. "I want to believe in you... just as I have believed in others. But I have lost count of how many people came to possess me. Men or women, no one has been able to hold me for more than a week. And once they have lost me, I'm sure all of them have died. I will do as you ask of me, but please don't ask me to believe that you will be any different."

From the back seat, she leans forward, as if wanting to caress Nevermore's cheek, but she is just a reflection, and not physical... She disappears looking sad.

[lawwnum]

OOC: Hmmmm one week to live huh Qwerty....better live it up!

IC:Flynn shakes his head and starts walking again, quietly "well we are almost there, lets find somewhere for you to change. I don't think the restaurant allows pets." Looking around Flynn turns down a short alley, walking in with a 'dog' and exiting into the next street with an oriental companion.

"Forgive me but something has just occured to me and it might not bode well, as if anything today really has gone well. So Luo we have another block or 2 tell me something of yourself."

[Thanos]

Lou, walking stick in hand, sandals on his feet, continues alongside his comrad.

"There is not much to tell. I was born in China as that that I am. I was taught what I know by my elders. It is very hard for my particular tribe, Stargazers, to make packs of our own so we go out to find others. I escaped by swimming across to Hong Kong. I got a boat to Australia and learned English there. I heard much about this land and found my way here again by boat. I have traveled from the western cost inland ever since."

[Akuma]

OOC: I am guessing that everyone is busy this week, but let me just state that I am giving everyone the opportunity to gather together in one place so we can start working together as a team.

But, I want to know how long do you want me to wait for you guys to get your ducks in a row before I start pushing the story ahead? The weekend?

[Spoogie]

OOC: I've been ready. Just waiting tor the time-lines to come together.

[qwerty123]

OOC: Same here, once you say we are all together - lets move it to the mall and get those suits so we can head off to Japan.

[lawwnum]

IC:To Luo, "Well then I have some good news and some bad news for you my friend. First the good, if you want to you are welcome to come with our merry little band, I cant gaurentee you will find wisdom, BUT we are certainly not boring. And that is all the good news. Now for the bad, firstly you should know we will be leaving this country VERY soon. We have business in Japan and will probably be there for little while. Also by joining us you will become a target for our enemies as well. You most likely never heard of Iteration X before and you are lucky in that, However I believe China has a similar group there, they basically try to capture people like us and turn us and our abilites to their purposes. and if you dont turn they destroy you. Isay this becaause you need to know before you decide. I hope you do but it is your decision. Ahhh theres the restaurant, Adam should be around here somewhere and where is Nevermore?"


OOC: And that is that. Now we just have to decide on lunch :) As for whats next I think it would be cool if we could all get on SKYPE and do some of it like the old days. The faster we can get thru this and get to Japan the better.

By the way good job buying time for Zoltan and Spooge;)

[Akuma]

And so with the exception of Zoltan, we have everyone in roughly the same spot. Nevermore, getting out of the Borrowed SUV, Adam in the bushes, and Baljeet/Flynn walking up the street with Luo.

time for Lunch.

OOC: I'd love to do a multi-skype thing, but I have to work both days this weekend. But hopefully, you'll all get your stories together and figure a plan on how you will go and get your suits and travel goods without attracting the attention of the Iteration X Hitmarks. As I said, they are now waiting in the ambulance, and their spiders are slowly spreading across the city looking for Flynn and Pope's previous previous Id.

[Thanos]

"Well, it seems that you are going to need ALL of the help you can get. Assuming that what you say is true, then the more of us together, the better chance we have of fighting them off. Certainly a 3 corded rope is much harder to break than one of a single cord?"


OOC: Yes he is going to volunteer to help!

[Spoogie]

IC: Well, at first the new Pope is just another person Adam was wary of, but then his sent gives him away. Seeing Flynn with another werewolf is curious but not too surprising for Flynn.

Hat is on.

Just for safety, Adam will take one more peep at the Umbra before doing one last visual and olfactory scan of the neighborhood before coming out of hiding an heading casually to the restaurant. Don't want to talk too openly outside.

[qwerty123]

Nevermore grabs the big rounded booth in the corner and orders a short stack of pancakes with extra strawberries, and a chocolate milk. He waits for his companions to fill in around him.

"Hey, Adam how is that dude we carried out of our raid?"

[Spoogie]

"Ha, haha, still unconscious, last I saw. How about you, I thought you were supposed to stay inconspicuous? How many t1000s are after us so far? Sylvester told me there were two but more were on the way." We have got to get out of town ASAP."

OOC: I think I was just promoted to "Tiny Skeleton" status.... Yaahh?

[Akuma]

OOC: To Spoogie: The umbra looks much as one would expect... like a desert with hints of the original ghost-town... and occasional flickers of buildings coming and going.... For the small time that he looks through, there is nothing unusual around the area o the cafe.

But out there.... metal spiders are spreading their web wider and wider. How long before they come across the group? who knows...

[lawwnum]

IC: Looking at Luo as they enter the restaurant "Good I feel we will need all the help we can get."

Spotting Adam and the current Nevermore, Flynn leads Luo over to the table and moves in so his back is to the windows. " Adam good to see you its been Hell of a day so far. Did I hear you say our guest is still out if it? Oh by the way. Adam this is Luo, he has deceided to come with us and try to help us with our little problems."


OOC: Alrighty then I want to be clear here, I want my back to the street so that a passing car or person couldn't gt in ID on me from the outside.

[Thanos]

Luo bows his head slightly, assuming that he smells the wolf that Flynn told him about. That formality taken care of, he eyes Popes food and his stomach immediately grumbles loudly.

My it has been over a day since I last ate. I do not know what it is about this american food called peanut butter, bit it is delicious. That whole large container of the stuff certainly did fill me up.


OOC: and likely plugged him up as well!

[qwerty123]

Between bites Nevermore talks.

"So the gang is all here, minus the crashed out dude back at Sylvester's. We have an SUV full of weapons, at least two if not more Marks after us, its the middle of the afternoon, and we have to buy suites to pretend to be college students so we can fly to Japan to hide. That about sum it up?"

[lawwnum]

IC: "Yes that about covers it. Except I hope he is still unconsious, we dontknow what they were doing to him or how he will react if he wakes in a room full of electronics and a distracted Adept. Hmmmm that smell good."

Flynn waves the waitress over and orders steak and eggs with a short stack on the side. "Luo you sound hungry better fill up now, who knows when we will get a chance again,"

After she leaves,"So now what do we do, my face is known to them now and i have to stay of the grid as much as possible. which leaves you lot. While I dont want to split up again I dont like the idea of the survivor alone with the Adept."

[qwerty123]

"Yeah, I agree with your assessment. Sylvester is twitchy as it is, who knows what would happen to our mystery man if he came too. For that matter who knows what would happen to Sylvester."

Nevermore polishes off his chocolate milk in one gulp.

"However...how long can it take to pick up a couple of suites? I mean, Luo could do it. We have plenty of cash to give him and can give him our mesurements. Flynn you could hang tight in the vehicle. This way Luo run in grabs the clothes and dashes back to the SUV where we are waiting. Then we all head back to Sylvesters place. What say you?"

[lawwnum]

IC: "yes it could work as long as nothing unexpected happens, but we cant send Luo in by himself. Either you or Adam should accompany him, no one should run around alone until we are out of the country. And I'll drive just in case but I will need to do something about my face. A big hat or something."

[Akuma]

OOC: Quick question: Flynn Baljeet is Hindu, being from India and all, right? So... Hindu's don't eat STEAK since the cow is sacred, right? Wanna change your order to bacon?

IC: while everyone is eating, Bunny seems to be looking around from one reflection to another. She even looks in the back... then hurries back to the closest reflection to Nevermore. "Boss! There's something big going on in the back. There are a lot of people and they are whispering something about Today's... err... what was it they said?"

Then, a family that could have come from the Simpsons and be named the Flanders gets seated in the booth next to the group. They are so purely Christian Contemporary music family its almost painful to the eyes. Father "flanders" has a mustache, glasses, and simple $5 haircut. He wears a pink button down shortsleeve work shirt and powder blue necktie. his wife looks straight out of Home and Garden, and only seems to be missing the apron. The kids are apple polishers with blond hair, and rosy cheeks.

"We'd all like today's special, please, with an extra big Milk for all of us." The father orders plum-doodly.

The Waitress gets a big grin on her face as she turns and overly exagerates her call. "A family-sized order of Today's Special!!!"

[Akuma]

IC: Bunny, who's proud that she could substitute Boss for Master, snaps her fingers. "that's it boss, don't order today's special..."

Once the waitress calls out the order, each of the waitresses pulls out some confetti and throws it in the air as the manager comes out of the back with a party hat, noise-maker and party-poppers. "Attention everyone! There's been a surprise contest here, today. And the 1st family to order Today's Special gets to pay for Sarah Palin's breakfast for her and her crew! Let's here it for Governor Palin! Yeah!!! Yeah!!!"

It seems that only the manager and the family are truly ecstatic about the situation. the waitresses clap because the manager is fixing them with hard stares between happy cheering. No one else is really clapping...

then from the back come a steady line of camera-men, lighting crew, make-up artists for the family, and dozens of secret service security men in black suits with sunglasses and bulging jackets. Police cars pull up to the diner and more officers come in as well. Every booth gets either a Secret Service member, or a member of Arizona's finest.

Without preamble, a secret service man and an officer take both ends of the booth and squeeze everyone into the center. "Move in and don't move around a lot. This photo-shoot will be over soon enough. Just bare with us." The Secret Service man says.

The cop looks excited to be on camera and keeps checking his teeth in the very same napkin holder that Bunny is using to try to ask what she wants Nevermore to do.

[Thanos]

Luo makes a nice big order with plenty of meat.

Between the time that the waitress leaves and the family gets seated he asks,

"Can these X'ers slip sideways?"

[Akuma]

OOC: I love my job... I thought doing the 'Your the millionth winner,' gag is overdone, but this is the next-best thing...

IC: And then in comes Ex-Governor Sarah Palin with her family in tow. along with her secretaries, hair stylists, goffers, etc. They take up every available seat.

"Well, Gosh-golly, I didn't know this was such a darn-tootin popular restaurant." She says to the cameramen who are focussed on her like she's in the middle of a movie. "Now where can a Mama-Bear and her cubs find a place to eat, I wonder?" and she strikes a pose.

Ned Flanders stands up on cue, reading from a card placed under the camera-line. He holds up his hand, timidly. "Come on over here, Governor Pay-lin. We will ..." Next card. "happily share our table with an all..." Next Card "american.... Mama-bear. " And Ned almost sits down then sees the last card and jumps up. "Like you."

"Well, golly gosh, isn't it great to have some true americans to sit with and chew the fat?" Sarah asks the camera before crossing over to the table. She sits down, squeezing Ned and his wife in, and instantly food is brought out and set before everyone at the table. "My, what good all-American service we have here, and not a mexican in sight."

She goes into her pitch about how good american business doesn't need illegal mexican immigrants messing it up, because only good americans know how to make true american pancakes.... etc. No one actually touches their food... because it appears that it was made hours ago, and was waiting for her to show up.

Meanwhile at the gang's table nearby, the cop's 2-way radio squaks a APB for a late model Lincoln SUV which was stolen from a parking garage. The perpetrators are thought to be armed and extremely dangerous... There's more, but the officer has finally managed to rip off the transiever so as to not mess up the camera-shoot. The secret service men and Sarah's husband give the man a very dirty look, and Bristol Palin draws her finger across her throat at the man.

[Spoogie]

I don't think so. But these Hit marks have a way of learning new tricks, so I wouldn't count them out. But more importantly, I'd like to know how they found you guys so quickly.

But for now I think we better get moving before the cameras start rolling. Edit: A little late for the camera thing but its still time to go, leave some money on the table and lets casually go.

Once were outside, lead the guys towards the park (got to abandon the SUV - that also seams a little too quick) if we can get there without incident Adam will do a quick peep to the Umbra and then we'll slip over.

[Akuma]

When Palin finishes her speech, she gets up without touching her food, and starts glad-handing different people... mostly her own people disguised to look like regular people... but the cameras follow her, and she shakes hands with the cop at the group's table, asking "Working hard or hardly working? hahahaha" and the camera pans by everyone in the group as she goes by and then back out into the vans that brought her. And everyone leaves... just like that...

Though 2 metal spiders stay behind, hanging on the windows... Elsewhere, the ambulance starts up and moves out, going towards the mater-horn restaurant.

Finally, the waitress comes back with your orders... Eat up.

[Thanos]

In what must be the most deadpan tone anybody has ever heard, perhaps barring Flynn, "I think the fecal material has hit the rotating air movement device."

He proceeds to wolf down his food, barely tasting any of it....worthwhile or not.

[lawwnum]

OOC: Nah I wont say it....you enjoy it too much.

Oh and I keep the steak when in Rome afterall, besides he hasnt been to strict in about 300 years or so.

IC:Flynn tries to eat as quickly as possible. "Yes our plan A is now toasted worse then what is left on that table. We need somewhere safe for a few minutes to work things out again. But we cant stay here any longer and the SUV is compromised. So on foot it must be." Risking a quick glance out the windows, " I wonder if we have time to grab a few goodies from the car before we leave."

[Spoogie]

As anxious as Adam is to leave, he eats whatever is put in front of him, he probably would have eaten the special and not noticed. Paying extremely close attention to the camera Crew, Ducks his head down; as if looking at his menu, when the cameras come by. "I got a place that we can go that is very private, but we have to make sure that we aren't being followed."

[qwerty123]

"Lets get the heck out of here."

Nevermore wolves down what ever was left on his plate, dissapointed that he did not get to savor the fresh berries.

"I should have know it was going too good to last. We also better get rid of those spiders before we head off though."

[Spoogie]

OOC: I wasn't sure we knew about the spiders. But if that's the case.

IC: They're likely only going to follow us so the big ones can find us easier. If we take these out others are gonna take their place unless we can maybe block their transmittion signal.

[Akuma]

IC: Outside, standing behind the SUV, the cop whose radio went off is being chewed out royally for messing up the camera op, and is being told that he's on beat-patrol for the rest of the week, starting now, so no ride back in squad car, start walking the beat and don't come back till sundown.

Aparently, they haven't noticed that connected the radio broadcast with the SUV just yet... But the demoted cop is looking for an excuse to do something as his Commanding officer and the others start driving away.

[qwerty123]

OOC: talked to lawwnum and we came up with a little plan to get past this cop in the parking lot.

IC: Just as the cash hits the table to cover the bill and the tip. Nevermore gets up and makes his way to the mens room; calling back over his shoulder, "Meet me by the SUV, it won't take me a moment."

Once in the rest room he checks to makes certain that no one else is there (if I have to I stall if some one is at a urinal, if someone is in a stall I go about my business quickly). Grabbing a wad of paper towels he jams them in the waste paper basket, then he touches his Zippo to them.

Just a small fire, nothing dangerous

Then Nevermore quickly walks out the diner door and heads straight for the cop. "Um, excuse me officer. I am not generally the kind to get involved. But, um, well see...there was this kid playing with matches in the men's room. I tried to tell him to stop; but you know kids these days. I kinda figured maybe you could talk to him, he could start a fire or something."

OOC: I figure Manipulation 3 + Subterfuge 2 can make me look like a concerned citizen to the officer.

[Akuma]

IC: The cop is frustrated and bitter. "Tell a cop who cares." He grouses. But then the smoke detector goes off in the men's room, and a light starts winking outside. "Aww dammit! I'm gonna hafta bust some heads for this." He snarls and storms off for the restaurant, ready to kick in some heads... hope there isn't really a kid there now, cause if there is, that kid's getting a beating...

But the parking lot is unwatched except by the metal spiders scurrying under parked cars to keep an eye on the group. they won't come out into the open and are surprisingly fast to get out of the way when approached.

[lawwnum]

IC: "Ok everyone in, NOW." Climbs into the drivers seat. "Pope if you would please." Points at the ignition.

"Alrighty now to get this show on the road. Say You think you could blitz these damn spiders before we get going?"

OOC: Alright if Nevermore can clean the car of hitchhikers somehow we will drive quickly but legally to the nearest alley so we can do some camoflage.

[qwerty123]

Nevermore sits quietly in the SUV. He slowly begins clanging his bracelets together and chanting in a low voice.

OOC: Using Forces (also Enochian) and Arete 3 to see if I can sense the spiders via the electricity in their system. If I can do that then I also want to use another forces effect to short circuit them. They don't have to be destroyed but if I can fry them for a minute or two we might be able to get away. I also have a way to disguise the SUV but we need to be rid of the spiders first.

[lawwnum]

IC: Flynn starts to drive away from the restaurant while Nevermore works. "So Adam where is this safe place you have for us. If its what I think it is, I'm not sure how safe it really will be, today has been one disaster after another."
Looking around and taking a random turn at every intersection Flynn starts heading away from the mall at first.
"The way things have been going so far..........well all I can say is .....Damn. I can only wonder what the future holds for us right now. By the way do we have any way to call Sylvester and tell him we have another passenger for him to set -up?"

OOC: Alright I want to drive in a relatively random direction waiting till the last minute to decide left or right, I want to get at least 4 blocks away from the restaurant before Nevermore tells me we are clear of the spiders. Then it will be right into the next alley to camo the SUV. Then the most direct route to the mall. While carefully obeying all traffic laws.

[Akuma]

OOC: The problem won't be in frying the spiders... the problem will be in frying ALL the spiders. I figure that Nevermore can sense up to a certain distance while the car is moving... maybe 50 feet radius (it would be more if sitting still for some time) and then once he locates a metal spider, he can zap it. However, the town has started to saturate with the buggers. Now that they have the make and model of your SUV, each time you cross another spider's path, it starts following. soon, they will stay outside of 50 meters, learning your limits. Camo the SUV sooner rather than later.... the ambulance is starting to close in.

IC: with a pop and a fizzzle, the spiders drop dead in the parking lot. But as Flynn comes to an intersection, Nevermore needs to fizzle another one.... and then while driving down an alley, a fourth one tries to drop on the SUV from above... only to pop after landing for an instant.

So far, it isn't a problem for Nevermore. the Spiders aren't that difficult to short out, but there is a strain... after the 10th spider, Nevermore feels a bit of a headache begin. He's also running low on smokes (having been puffing a lot recently and not stopped to get more). Also, he feels the spiders are trying to test his limits... staying further and further away from him... 20 feet... 30 feet... how far until he can't reach them, but they can watch the SUV? Sweat is starting to bead on Nevermore's face from effort...

[Spoogie]

OK, First off, It's not the place your thinking. Look around for a residential neighborhood. When we get there, look for a house that looks like no one is home. Mid afternoon, so our chances are good, and we don't want a nice looking house. Chances are less that there wont be a security system. Maybe look for uncut grass or other signs that the owners don't have a lot. Nevermore (hopefully still has enough juice) do a scan to see if anyone really is at home. If were all clear then I'll unlock the door so we can get in. We have a tail so we got to move fast. I think the best way is to do this SWAT style. I'll take the lead, Flynn and Lou guard the Left and Right Sides respectively. Flynn you'll have to keep an eye on Nevermore while he guards our rear. While taking out any spiders he can. As far as the loot on the SUV is concerned, If you want it take it on the first trip because we're not coming back for it. Nevermore, if your Luck holds out the spiders will hold back long enough for us to get away.

OOC: Planning on using the Universal key, once to do it's normal unlock thing, and once inside the house, open a door to my room.

[qwerty123]

"Guys we gotta ditch. The spiders....too many. Soon."

Nevermore is straining with the effort, but he is resolute. For now.

[Spoogie]

Alright, we got to ditch the spiders, Flynn Find a secluded alley where we can step sideways. Lou, get ready.