Shadowrun on the Flye : The Tale of Jaws Larson

[Abombom]

January 3rd, 2058. Seattle, UCAS. Somewhere in Hollywood in the Redmond Barrens.

Months after the assassination of President Dunkelzhan, things had finally calmed down. Too much. So much so that some high-up corp-exec with a few too many glasses of wine in him must have had the brilliant idea of embracing the calm after the storm and "...revitalizing the strength of Seattle! Just as the nation will become stronger under the newly sworn in President Kyle Haeffner!" Someone must have had the brilliant idea of starting a Touristville Part Two to contend with the Mafia-dominated Touristville (Touristville being the only half-decent part of the region due to its predominance of bars, harems, clubs, and casinos) in the west of the Redmond Barrens..

And so... The yakuza-backed corp (or corp-backed yakuza. The lines are sometimes incredibly blurry.) seemed to be purchasing property left and right in this overcrowded part of Hollywood. And people were moving out. Forcibly. Local, established squatters were disappearing... occasionally to reappear in a ditch somewhere nearby. And whoever was backing this territory buy-out, this "urban renewal project," had even hired a nasty little ironically named gang called the Neighborhood Watch to... "negotiate" the departure of this part of Hollywood's citizens... via any means possible. Or so Jaws thought.

Jaws Larson was the sort of savior of his local neighborhood. And the Neighborhood Watch had finally reached his part of Hollywood. Jaws was the hero next door. The man of the hour. No one really knew how a guy like him ended up in the ghettos of the Barrens but everyone was glad to have him. An ex- or possibly retired doctor, he setup his own clinic in the place he would end up calling home for over twenty years. Known for giving away free medicine and even earning the respect and protection of the neighboring gangs, he was a man with a heart of gold.

His kindness was so great it had led him to let many of the worse-off individuals around get free room and board in his little shop. In fact, this extended further: he had ended up forming a rather large makeshift family by adopting many of the area's abandoned little runts. Runts such as the orks Michael and Benjamin...and even an elf named Flye.

-

"Wake up! Wake up, Flye!" Jaws pulled the syringe out of Flye's arm and tried to slap her awake as the sound of bullets hitting hard concrete echoed in the air.

You wake up to find yourself groggy, confused, and with your back towards a ruined building and your left side resting on the edge of a dumpster. It's night-time in a dark alleyway. Jaws has blood on his hands and you notice that his jacket is torn.

[Swift_Fyre77]

Her face stung from where Jaws had slapped her, Flye put a hand to her cheek and rubbed it. "Larson? What, what happened, why..." She asked looking around at the filthy alleyway, swearing she saw things move in it's shadows. Flye tried to sit up yet regretted it as her head ached.

"Ouch, What happened?" She opened her eyes and waited for the fuzziness to clear before she looked up at Jaws. Her eyes widened as she saw the dim light reflected off the blood that covered his hands, and grabbed hold of his jacket to inspect the tear. "Tell me, what happened this time?"

[Abombom]

"Don't you remember? Geez, must be that memory problem of yours acting up again." Jaws attempts to sigh, but ends up coughing blood instead.

"Bastard Watch wanted to talk peace. We were talking all right, until you said that your little dragons or fairies or however you're shaping them these days... they went silent. Then bang! This." He shuffles around his jacket to reveal a wound in his side. "And you had a tranquilizer dart in you, not sure why. You must've hit your head on the fall down. I gave you something to wake you up." He tosses a syringe on the floor.

Another gunshot rings in the air. He thrusts a gun into Flye's stomach with a fierce force she isn't accustomed to. "Enough stories! No fraggin' time for this!" He jumps up from the ground. "Ham and Petey are taking bullets for us as we speak. Get going down that alleyway." He motions towards one end of the alleyway. "Plasma should be there any second now to take you back to the shop."

Jaws begins running towards the other end of the alleyway, taking cover behind the edge of a building.

The alleyway connects two roads. You are given a Colt America L36 light pistol. The effects of the tranquilizer are slowly being replaced with a feeling as if you are on 10 cups of coffee. You have taken 3 boxes of Stun damage. This gives you a wound penalty modifier of -1 dice to all tests attempted.

[Swift_Fyre77]

She hesitated, watching Lars hide behind the wall before she scrambled to her feet, unsteady as Flye made her way to the opposite end of the alleyway.

Bullets sounded again, echoing off the building walls, the noise distracted her and fell to her knees. Keeping a firm grip on the gun, she leapt up and started to run. Whatever it was Larson gave me, it works

Seeing a familiar shape, she yelled, "Plasma!"

[Abombom]

Plasma yelled at her through the window of his Ford Everyday 3000. "Get in!"

The moment Flye sat herself down, a tension could be felt. The dark-haired Plasma, Jaws only real son, his only real kin, began barking his low-tone passive-aggressiveness. "Hah... I stayed for a moment waiting here when I got his call... But I still can't believe it. You're actually here, huh? After everything he's done for you. You're here. Not there. Here."

The engine roars and the smell of rubber fills the air as Plasma furiously accelerates. "I don't know what the hell happened in there, but it's time to clean up your mess."

You notice some kind of large assault rifle by his side. You've never seen anything like this at the shop; normally Jaws just teaches everyone how to use a pistol.

-

The alleyway not being wide enough for a car, it takes a full two minutes or so to navigate the shoddy Redmond streets and flank whatever opposition Petey, Ham, and Jaws were facing. However, the noise of the skirmish stopped halfway to the firefight.

Arriving, Plasma grabs his rifle and exits his car in the middle of the street and yells "Dad?!" An ork and human are kneeling down on a sidewalk, ripping the jacket and clothes off of an unconscious Jaws Larson.

The ork and human are Ham and Petey, respectively. There are holes in the buildings everywhere, giving potential attackers multiple ways to strike from. Make a perception test.

[Swift_Fyre77]

Flye stayed quiet and avoided his gaze while he sang his usual song, of it always being her fault. She glanced down and noticed the rifle, then looked up at him, and back to the weapon in alarm. Where did Plasma get THAT?

When Plasma stopped the car and climbed out, She knew something bad had happened. Flye followed suit, and cautiously walked over to the small group, glancing over her shoulder at possible ambushers.

She stood a bit back, realising it was Jaws she gasped and stepped back more. It is all my fault, Plasma was right all along.

[roll0]

[Abombom]

Plasma throws the rifle down on the floor and rushes to his father. "What can I do?! What can I do to help?!"

Peter continues to rip off Jaws' clothes in a desperate attempt to find the wound as Ham, tears in his eyes, cuts off a piece of his own shirt and begins to fashion an emergency tourniquet. Ham, despite being an ork and not Larson's blood, was the first person Jaws took in from the streets. This happened at so young an age in fact, that he grew up alongside Plasma. The young ork was the pride and joy of Lars.

You are being ambushed!

First, make an initiative test. This is for surprise purposes.

Then, figure out your Initiative Score for this Combat Turn. Make a separate Initiative Test. Successes/hits will be added to your Initiative attribute.

[Swift_Fyre77]

She watched the boys work from where she stood, Flye refused to move any closer, for fear of any comments made towards her. Silent tears streamed down her face, as she waited. Please, please Old ones, let Jaws live, please...

[roll0]

[roll1]

[Abombom]

Ham and Peter continue to treat Jaws, even a member of the Watch springs out from behind some rubble!

-

(Initiative)
((info for you))
You got 3 successes on the surprise test, so that is your threshold attackers need to beat to act against you in the first initiative pass.

Your initiative score is 7+3=10.

((ambusher))


Surprise threshold: [roll0]
Initiative score modifier: [roll1]



((Plasma))

Surprise threshold: [roll2]
Initiative score modifier: [roll3]

[Abombom]

Watch Member Goon ambushes both Plasma and Flye. He has initiative score 9, but goes first due to Surprise. Ham and Petey are non-combatants ((they are assumed to be helping out Jaws)).

Goon is very close! Less than 10m (30 feet) away; he must have been sneaking. He has partial cover behind some rubble.

Goon has a sub-machine gun drawn. Makes 2 burst-fire rolls against Petey.

Burst-fire 1:[roll0]
Burst-fire 2:[roll1]

In case it hits Petey...:
Body Damage Resistance test 1: [roll2]
DR test 2: [roll3]

[Abombom]

The member of the Neighboorhood Watch sets his submachine gun's sights on the group helping Jaws out and begins unloading lead. With so many bullets flying, eventually one of them connects.

"My arm!" Petey is knocked backwards, dropping the jacket he had just removed from a now half-naked Jaws.

The Goon's first burst-fire test yielded a success and hit Petey. It had a Damage Value of 5Physical. Petey resisted by rolling Body. He got 2 successes. This reduces the 5Physical (5P) down to 3P.

i.e. Petey takes 3P damage.

Plasma rushes over to his rifle, picking it up but unable to react, needing a moment to take in the situation. He braces himself.

He goes on full defense.

[Swift_Fyre77]

She hid behind the car and gripped the gun.

[roll0]

[Abombom]

((Turn 1 is over! Reminder: Flye has 3 stun boxes of damage, out of 10. Petey has taken 3 physical boxes of damage, out of ? Ham and Petey may have already been wounded before Flye arrived. Jaws Larson lays unconscious and bleeding to death. ))

(( Goon Initiative Roll))
[roll0]

(( Plasma initiative roll ))
[roll1]

[Swift_Fyre77]

((Flye's initiative Roll))

[roll0]

[Abombom]

((Initiative Scores and Turn order is as follows:
1. Plasma @ 10
2. Goon @ 9
3. Flye @ 7 ))

Petey groans. "Damn it! I gotta g-"

Ham slaps him. "Help or move! No time!"

Petey glances at the car, but continues undressing Jaws and assisting Ham with the first aid.

Plasma drops prone as his Free Action.
He uses each of his simple actions to fire semi-auto upon the Goon.

Agility 3 + Firearms 2 -2 (partial light) = 3 ((roll made separately cos not sure how to edit a die-mistake... He misses))
Agility 3 + Firearms 2 - 1(recoil for 2nd shot) - 2 (partial light) = 2[roll1]

[Abombom]

Plasma drops down to the ground and fires off two shots from his AK-93. He seems to have difficulty adjusting to the low-light conditions and misses entirely. "Frag!"

Goon uses his 2 simple actions to fire semi-auto on Plasma.
Automatics 3 + Agility 3. Cybereyes compensate for low-light. [roll0]

Automatics 3 + Agility 3. Cybereyes compensate for low-light. Gun has 1 point of recoil compensation for 2nd shot.[roll1]

[Abombom]

Each shot connected with 1 hit. SMG has 5P base damage.

Plasma's Damage Resistance Test 1: Body 3 + Leather Jacket Ballistic 2 = 5 [roll0]
DR 2 Body 3 + Ballistic 2 = 5 [roll1]

[Abombom]

The goon forgoes his wild aiming this time around and takes 2 simple shots; this time at the boy shooting at him with an assault rifle. Both shots connect, making it look as if Plasma is well on his way to joining his father; bleeding to death in the middle of this abandoned part of the Redmond Barrens.

2 hits on each DR test reduces each of the shot's from 5P damge to 3P damage. Plasma takes 6 boxes worth of Physical damage.

[Swift_Fyre77]

Flye moves from behind the car, so she has the goon in her sights, and unleashes a spell upon him

[roll0]

[Abombom]

Flye rolled 3 hits on her test. Stunball cast at Force 5.

Goon willpower test[roll0]

[Abombom]

Goon rolls no hits on his defense test. 1 of Flye's net hits is used to buff the damage of the spell.

Goon takes 6 (force 5 + 1 net hit used to buff damage) stun damage

Flye resists Drain of 6 (Force 5 + 1 for using the net hit to buff the damage) using 9 dice (willpower 4 + charisma 5). [roll0]

^Flye rolls 3 successes, reducing the Drain from 6 to 3. She takes 3 stun damage.

[Swift_Fyre77]

Flye cast her magic, and as it moved to the goon, the air rippled, as the invisible force moved. It hit the goon, with bright orange sparks and he stumbled back against the building.

The force she used against him seeped her energy and a migraine started to form. "Oh.." She rubbed her head.

[Abombom]

Turn 2 is over. Turn 3 begins.

Initiative
Goon[roll0]
Flye[roll1]
Plasma[roll2]

Initiative Scores and Turn Order
1. Plasma 6
2. Goon 6
3. Flye 5

[Abombom]

Plasma Pass
Simple action 1: Stands
Walks to Car beside Flye taking partial cover
Simple action 2: Shoots
[roll0]

[Abombom]

Goon Defense
Body 3 + Armor 2 - Armor Penetration 1 + Partial Cover 2 [roll0]

Plasma's rifle does 5P to Goon. Goon's initiative reduced by 1. Flye now goes before Goon.


Plasma runs over to the car and hides behind the engine, right next to Flye. He ignores her completely as he looks out from his cover and shoots the goon right in the chest.

[Abombom]

Flye Pass
Complex Action: cast Stunball Force 5

Sorcery + Magic 7d6

[Abombom]

((oops, screwed up that roll. Why isn't it letting me delete! I think it logs all rolls... ))

Sorcery 4 + Magic 5 - Wound Penalty 2[roll0]

[Abombom]

Goon Defense
Willpower 1 [roll0]

^No hits. The goon takes 4 stun, 1 overflow into physical. He falls unconscious.

Flye Drain
5/2 rounded down = 2. +1 = 3 Drain to resist.
((I totally did drain wrong last spell...)
Willpower 4 + Charisma 5 - Wound 2 [roll1]

^3 hits reduces drain from 3Stun to 0! Flye takes no damage.

[Swift_Fyre77]

Flye conjured her magic again at the Goon. With a determined look she unleashed the spell again, orange sparks bouncing off of him where he now lay, unconscious.

Turning away, she asked Plasma, "How are you, are you okay if I leave you to check on your father?" Flye was hesitant to ask him, but did it anyway. While he mumbled a reply, she left him and ran over to Jaws.

"Is...is he alive?" she asked the two boys.

[Abombom]

Plasma gazed at Flye with hatred in his eyes. He ignored her question and took a moment to look at his wounds.

Petey started laughing at Flye. "Ha! What about me? I'm shot up, t-"

"Shut up, Peter! Get him into the car! There could be more of them out there!" Ham stood up, impressively tall even for an ork. He seemed to be taking control of the situation. "He's all patched up, Flye, but we're going to need some of your help. Can you help Jaws, like you do with the patients back at the clinic? Petey! Put him in the backseat with Flye!"

[Swift_Fyre77]

Flye nodded, to the tall ork "of course." And watched as the one called Peter picked up Larson carefully and carried him over to the car, then climbed in afterwards. She sat down on one end of the backseats, and moved Jaws so his head was laying on her lap.

She grimaced at the blood that stained the bandages but placed her free hand above his major wounds on his torso, and steadied his head with her other hand.
"We need to get him out of here, all of us out of here now!" she pleaded. "I can't heal him till we are back at the shop, or somewhere that is safe."

[Abombom]

Ham walked back to the car and offered a hand to Plasma. "Come Gabriel, there's no time to lose." Plasma spit on the floor and refused his offer, countering "Get your ass in the passenger side, Michael. No one drives Dad's car but me." Ham sighed. The two brothers had grown apart over the years.

Petey squeezed in the backseat, somewhere in the floorspace. As Plasma readied the ignition, a banged up Petey wondered out loud "Wait a minute! I didn't see that Watch member go down to Plasma's gun... Did Flye work her mumbo-jumbo again like she did in that one bar? Are we really gonna leave him alive?"

Plasma turned off the car. "You're right. The bastards that shot Dad need to get a little more than elf-girl's orange fireworks... They need a bullet in their head." He reached for his assault rifle.

Ham grabbed his arm. "No, Gabriel. We can't just shoot a man in cold blood."

Plasma laughed. "Stop being such a wuss. We have to do what we have to do."

Ham reinforced his grip on his brother's arm. "Look, we can grab him and take him back to the shop and interrogate him when Dad wakes up. I'm sure he'll know what to do."

Petey started groaning and grabbed his wound. "Come on guys! Just make a decision. " He turned to Flye. "What do you think, Flye?"

[Swift_Fyre77]

Flye shuddered as they all stared at her. I hate it when they get me to decide.
"It would be better if we took him with us, that way so we, " she emphasised on last word, glaring at Plasma. "...can find out why he ambushed us the way he did, and who he works for."

[Abombom]

"Isn't it obvious? The guy who ambushed us was clearly their guy on watch duty outside. Schmuck didn't expect us to clear the room in 10 seconds flat. I went to grab the car while Ham and Petey went outside and Jaws and..." Plasma caught himself and just stopped talking for a moment. "I swear, sometimes I don't know what the frag my father sees in you." He quietly stared into Flye's eyes.

Petey playfully smacked Flye on the back of the head. "You musta lost your marbles when you went down. You went down fast, girl. We'll fill you in on the rest when you get back. If we ever get back..."

"Calm down, Peter." Ham was always well-spoken, even in a time like this. "You lot stay here, I'll grab that Watch member."

-

Ham snatched the gang member without a hitch, threw him in the trunk, and the group high-tailed it back to Larson's shop deeper in Hollywood. Although on the outside it looked just like any of the numerous decrepit houses in the neighborhood, this was where people came for miles to get treatment.

Petey grabbed Flye while Ham and Plasma began to ease Larson out of the car. "C'mon! We gotta get stuff ready for Jaws!"

They entered to find themselves in a compact waiting room of sorts. It was probably a living room in the past. There was barely any space to sit more than a few patients, but somehow dozens were once able to fit into the space one night a riot broke out. A ten year old blonde girl sat in the receptionist's chair. She was Crash, a comic little human girl very popular with the customers.

She rang a little bell multiple times and then began to imitate the noise. "Ding, ding, ding! Ding! ...Ding! Where have you guys been? I think Hell froze over while I was waiting... Can't get the little bugger to shut up about food!" She pointed towards a Burn by the front door.

Burn was a tiny, even for his age, 7-year old human boy. The story goes that Crash saved his life when they were younger. She had watched over him ever since then, overprotective... playing the role of the big sister despite having no relation. Both were orphans and had lost everything and everyone. They would always get incredibly quiet when details of what exactly happened were ever pressed.

Burn tugged at Flye's left pant leg. He rarely spoke but this was an exception. "Flye? Flye... so hungry... where's Papa?" Burn had taken to calling Jaws Papa for the past few months.

[Swift_Fyre77]

She looked down at the boy and ruffled his hair, smiling softly. "Papa's a bit unwell at the moment," Flye knelt down to his level and pushed his hair back into place. "Come on, I'll see what's left shall I?."

As they left the room, Flye mouthed to Crash, "Why didn't you get him anything to eat? You know where the food's kept." With one last look at Plasma, she followed Burn through the house.

She washed her hands quickly in the sink and lifted Burn up onto the bench. "Okay, Let's see what we have here..." Flye went to the higher cupboards and began opening and closing them, one by one. "Ah, here we are." She grabbed a tin, and closed the cupboard firmly, since one of the doors were a bit loose and turned to Burn.

"All we seem to have left are sardines, and beans." She fished a spoon out of a drawer and washed it again, just in case.

"So, the beans, or the stinky fish, your choice."

[Abombom]

Burn giggled. "Stinky fish, stinky fish!"

Flye felt a tap on her left shoulder, but before she could react, she heard a whisper in her right ear. "C'mon, pointy ears!" As Flye turned to her right, she again heard something... this time in her left ear. "You know we gotta restock! Where's Jaws?! It's time Jaws got his jaws on some real food. I don't want this little bugger eating stinky fish and beans."

An elusive Crash jumped into sight. She started rubbing the top of Burn's head intensely. "All you get to eat for now is a knuckle sandwich! Knuckle sandwich!" Burn starts laughing uncontrollably. Crash looked at Flye. "Just gimme the nuyen*, pretty girl!" She grinned from ear to ear. "I'll get the food myself!"

The sound of metal hitting metal could be heard down the hallway. Two faint voices cried out "Flye! Flye!" and "Damn it, where the hell is Flye?" It sounded like Petey and Ham.

Gabriel "Plasma" Larson burst through the kitchen door. He looks at Flye talking to the kids with two cans in her hand and immediately runs up to her and knocks the cans out of her hands and onto the floor. Burn hugs Crash's arm, scared and confused.

"You come inside and the first thing you think of is feeding yourself and these stray dogs?" He points at Crash and Burn. "Stupid girl. Get into the operating room now and help my dad." He seems to be fuming with rage.

*In case you forgot, nuyen is the accepted form of currency in the country/world other than corp-script, having replaced things such as the dollar or the Euro. Corpscript is a type of money only given out by a specific corporation and only valid with that specific corporation.

[Swift_Fyre77]

Flye glared at Plasma, but knew better than to argue, as she picked up the fallen cans. She quickly pulled out the pettycash box, unlocked it with the key around her neck, counted some nuyen and locked it again before stashing it.

"Here," she handed Crash the amount. "This should get us by for a week." Then lent in close and whispered, "Stay safe, and be careful." Then walked out of the kitchen to the waiting room.

"FYI, I wasn't feeding myself, hotshot. I know you hate your dad for taking strays like me in, but they have eaten less than the rest of us, and I gave my share to them yesterday while you wolfed it down." She turned and prodded his chest, hard.

"So if you want me to help your dad, you had better start being nice to me. Or I will be one of those cruel elves, who are vain and selfish and let him die!" Tears started forming in her eyes again, but she didn't care. "Do you want me to do that?!"

[Abombom]

Crash looked annoyed by the whole situation. "Aww Plasma, why so serio-"

Burn, with his only hand, grabbed Crash. He had lost his left arm long ago, in whatever turn of events that had left Crash to rescue him and watch over him. The one-armed boy could sense something was wrong and quickly dragged Crash away before she could start joking around, as she normally did in these situations, and earn the wrath of Plasma.

"Selfish like the... elves? What elves?" Plasma looked confused. "You mean those Ancient* gangers we ran across a few months back, beating that guy to death just because he made fun of their silly mohawks?" He paused for a moment and then had a self-satisfied smirk on his face, as if suddenly realizing something. "Even those pompous jerks would help one of their own in a time like this. And they were half-crazed guttertrash."

He moved forward until he was no less than a few inches away from Flye, right in her face. "So what does that make you, stray? Less than guttertrash?"

* = The Ancients are a well-known all-elf biker gang operating across all of Seattle.

[Swift_Fyre77]

Without even thinking, she punched him quick and fast in the face, and heard a crack as her fist collided with his nose then watched him stagger. "If I'm less than guttertrash, Plasma, I wouldn't have helped you at all. I would be hiding somewhere in a hole, away from all of this." Flye spat in his face and continued into the operating room.

Ignoring the stares from Ham and Pete she strode up next to where Jaws lay, cracking her knuckles as they started to bruise. "Get me some water and clean clothes for him. I'm going to be a while."

[Abombom]

Plasma staggered back, bumping hard against a wall. He immediately grabbed his sides and yelped in pain. Blood* immediately filled his hands as the quick bandages he had wrapped around his wounds began to bleed out. As Flye spat in his face and left the room, he whispered lowly. "You'll pay for this."

-

Ham walked up next to Flye. "That won't be necessary. We've already stabilized him. I'll help him out in what is to come." The bullets were still in Jaw's body; the only thing Petey and Ham had done in the middle of the street was stop the massive bleeding.

Ham put down a syringe and a scalpel. He was always Larson's number one helper. Everyone thought he would eventually pick up the trade. Whereas mostly anyone who stayed with Jaws ended up, at most, how to give some basic first aid... Ham, at the young age of 16, was already a second-rate surgeon and only some technical knowledge away from becoming a better street doc than half the "doctors" in the Redmond Barrens.

He looked Flye over, noticing a tear down her cheek, her red knuckles, and her general pain*. "Are you okay, Flye?" He lightly grabbed her shoulder, and spoke in a clear sympathetic tone. "I wanted you here to help me out when I remove the bullets... but I think it'd be better if you lie down for a while. I need you level-headed and clear for when you work your magic on Dad."

Ham pointed at Petey. "And Peter. And..." He looked around. "...and on my brother, wherever he is. The bullets went straight through him but one of those shots was a quarter of an inch away from putting him in an even worse position than Dad here."

*Remember, Plasma is really badly wounded as well. Talk about hitting a man when he's down... :smalleek:
**Also, you still have 6/10 boxes of stun damage.

[Swift_Fyre77]

She wiped her tears with the back of her sleeve and nodded. "I'm fine, but I think you and Peter had better get Plasma in here after we're done with Jaws." Flye stretched her arms and breathed in deeply a few times as she readied herself for the spell.

Turning to Ham, she nodded. "I can do this. Just tell me where and when to do the healing spell, and I will do it." She looked at Peter then glanced quickly at the door, half expecting Plasma to come crashing through and added. "I will need a little break in between the spells though".

Maybe I shouldn't have hit him. But he just made me so angry, less then guttertrash.. huh! He couldn't live without my healing powers.

"When you're finished getting the bullets out, we'll get started on your brother."

[Abombom]

Ham inspected Jaws as he lay on the operating table and began hooking him up to the facilities. He opened up a medkit which had the words 'Never say die.' engraved on its front; this was the kit that had saved so many inhabitants of the Barrens. A holographic SmartDoc™ appeared right in the middle of the room. "Scan." said Ham, with a worried look on his face.

He spent a few minutes looking through the medkit's initial survey of Jaws's body as Petey whined about his flesh wound in the corner. After a while, his look became even more grim. "Surgery's out of the question for now, the bullets are in rough spots."

"Aww, man!" groaned Petey, as he stood by the door. "At least he's stable, but when are we gonna get to me?! Look at this! I'm dying here! Get me on that table and bring me some chips, woul-"

A pale white blonde young girl, covered from head to toes in a variety of tattoos and no older than Flye's age, burst through the door helping a staggering Plasma, knocking Petey aside. "Shut your trap, Petey! Always winning! Uh, er, whining! Frag!" she yelled.

Crystal was the first outsider to be taken in by Jaws, disregarding Ham's young adoption. She had lived with Ham and Plasma for over 6 years now and had started up Larson's tendency in recent years of taking in kids from the street. Beautiful but incredibly absent-minded, she was dressed in the skimpiest outfit she had seen on the Trid* or chip** and was back from a night of clubbing.

She helped Plasma to the table beside Jaws. "What happened to Gabriel? I was out at the Red Lady... I mean er... the Needle, I mean the..." She mumbled to herself and seemed very out of it, likely drunk or worse. Her eyes opened wide when she saw Larson's wounds. "What..."

Ham grabbed Crystal and led her to a chair. "Calm down. Everything's going to be okay." Crystal stared, in shock and speechless.

Ham went over to Plasma and began hooking him up to the spare medkit Jaws kept. "Brother, you're going to be fine. You look like drek*** but once Flye's done with you, I bet I won't even have to use this thing." He smiled, and began grabbing a syringe when Plasma grabbed him.

He spoke in a low voice. "Keep that bitch away from me. She is not helping me." Ham came closer to his brother and they whispered lowly for for a while, before Ham sighed, looking annoyed and tired. "All right Gabriel, let's see what Dad's backup 'kit can do for you."

He looked back at Flye. "You go ahead and do what you can with Jaws. I know you can do it, Flye. He's hurting real bad but you can really help him."

*Trid = 3-D television.
**Simsense [chips] have replaced modern media for many. Instead of watching or hearing a movie, simsense lets you see through one of the character's very own eyes and feel what they feel.
***drek = 2058 equivalent of the word s-h-!-t (heh, forum has a swear filter)

Ham First-Aid on Plasma
Biotech 3 + Logic 4 + Medkit 3 [roll0]
Results: Plasma is healed for 3 Physical boxes, reducing his wounds to 3P.

Flye Force 5 Heal spell on Jaws
Magic 5 + Sorcery 4 - Wound Penalty 1 [roll1]
Results: Jaws is healed for 4P worth of damage, reducing his wounds from 11P to 7P.

[Abombom]

Flye Drain
Drain of 2. Charisma 5 + Willpower 4 [roll0]
Result: Drain reduced to 0. No effect.

[Swift_Fyre77]

Flye just stayed quiet as Crystal made her arrival, she was busy readying herself for her magic and didn't want to distract herself.

She smiled at Ham then placed her hands above Jaws' chest and stomach where the wounds were the worst. Muttering quietly, she recited incantations that she had learnt from her unknown younger years and allowed the magic to flow through her.
The air shimmered in between her hands and his body, and when it touched him, orange sparks and lights danced along his skin, making his wounds glow.

After Flye was finished, pulled her hands away, and stroked his hair, tears threatening to spill once more. She wiped them away and turned to Ham. "Who's next?" she asked, glancing quickly at Plasma.

[Abombom]

Ham quickly patched his brother up, doing as best a job as he could with the resources at hand. "There you go, brother. Just that and a few days of rest and you'll be as good as new. Now if you'd just stop being a big baby and let Flye treat you..."

Crystal playfully punched Plasma in the arm. "Yeah! Listen to Hammy here and let F-" He pushed her back forcefully, and she stumbled backwards, falling to the floor and landing on her drunken rear.

"Leave it alone, Crystal." Ham told her. The girl stayed on the floor, putting her hands over her smeared make-up and staring off into space.

-

As Flye looked for her next patient, Plasma briefly caught her eyes. He scoffed, and exited the room.

"Ooh, me! Me! Me! I'm dying over here! Look at this! Looks like a tank blew my arm off!" Petey exaggerated, pointing towards his bloody arm.

Ham spent a few minutes using the remaining supplies of the back-up 'kit on Petey.

"There you are, Peter, good as new." said Ham.

"Good as new?! I'm gonna need a new arm!!!" Petey bellowed.

A loud, pronounced groan could be heard across the room as someone sat up, still covered in blood. "Then we'll get..." He coughed. "....you..." He coughed again. "...a new arm." Jaws had woken up. He began laughing, but stopped when he saw he spit out some blood.

"Jaws! Jaws!!" Crystal, still seated on the ground and some ten feet from him, extended her arms as if trying to hug him. Instead, she sort of fell forward and braced the ground. "You're okay!"

Larson tried planting his legs on the floor and standing but he was pulled down back onto the operating table by the weight of his wounds.

"Careful, Dad!" Ham shouted, rushing to his side. He looked ecstatic, almost at a loss for words. A rare situation for the level-headed ork. "You're... You're in no position to be walking." Michael tried embracing his father, without aggravating his wounds too much.

"What'd I miss?" he asked the room as he hugged his son. "Who let Crystal drink too much again? I thought Gobbo was taking care of her tonight." He turned to the medkit to his right and mumbled some medical terms, then checked some scans. "And who did this amazing job on my wounds?"

Ham, smiling, looked at Flye while he was still locked in arms with an all-too-awake Larson.

I won't bother with a first-aid check on Petey. Between Ham's first-aid and Flye's eventual Heal spell, let's just assume he's as good as new...

[Swift_Fyre77]

When Plasma shoved Crystal, Flye went straight other side to see if she was okay, but was waved off with a drunk smile. And glared at his back as he left.

Then when Lars woke up, a wave of relief washed over her making her body hum from her feet to the top of her head. Orange sparks spontaneously appeared on her shoulder, taking the form of a large rat, dressed in a kimono. She put her index finger to her lips and the rat nodded, his image shimmered as he became invisible.

She turned her attention back to Jaws as Ham rush over and embrace, and blinked when Ham was smiling at her. Flye cleared her throat softly as she stood up, and slowly walked over to them both.

"I...I helped heal you, Jaws." Touching him lightly on the arm. "As soon as we got you back, Ham and Peter stabilised you properly, and I used my magic."

[Abombom]

Jaws smiled and thanked Flye. "I don't know what I would have done without you. That was some impressive work. The bullets aren't even there anymore." The scans confirmed it.

Ham let out a quiet gasp. "She's done more in five minutes than I could have done in five days!"

"It's okay, son. You're still the only one I really trust with my tools in all the Barrens." Larson responded.

He let his son go and lied back down on the table, his eyes seeming to be in deep thought. "I know you're all eager to get some payback, but we're lucky we made all made it out tonight alive. Michael, grab your brother and setup a meet with the locals tomorrow night; they need to hear everything that's happened. Fill in Flye on just what exactly is going on too... I think her memory is acting up again."

He sighed . "...And get Crystal a glass of water for god's sake. Peter, make sure Gobbo isn't sleeping in some ditch somewhere... We're going to need his skills in the days to come... and tell Benjamin to see if he can find anything else on the Neighborhood Watch in the Matrix."

He coughed, spitting some blood on the floor beside him. "And everyone, please: Get some rest. Frag, it's going to be a long week. I need a cigarette..."

-

Ham told Flye everything he knew. How the locals were disappearing. How the Neighborhood Watch used to be called the Raging Redbloods, a random collection of psychos, bullies, rapists and god-knows-what-else... before they got some backing with some sort of syndicate and wised up. How they seemed to be the cheap muscle charged with the task of getting the legal souls who actually had property and a SIN around these parts to sign over their pieces of the neighborhood.

Jaws Larson had been desperate to find a peaceful solution to it all, at least for his local area. The Watch had promised they'd stay clear if only Jaws would do a little work for them... a crime here or there, and access to Jaws' shop for free medical care and cyber-implants from time to time. Tonight had been the night Jaws and the Watch were negotiating the "contract" to save the neighborhood and talks were initially going well but... instead, Larson had walked right into an armed ambush.

-

January 4th, 2058. Sometime in the late afternoon. Hollywood in the Redmond Barrens. The Jaws of Life (Jaws's shop). Living room.

Mostly all of Larson's makeshift family was here now. Gabriel, Michael, Crystal, Crash, Burn, Flye... The only one missing was Benjamin, a troll decker*. Even the ork Gobbo, who normally slept on the kitchen floor or in an abandoned building down the street, was here, wrapped in cardboard in the corner.

Gobbo was 16, the same age as Ham and Plasma. Standing at five foot five, he was short... for a human; tiny by an ork's standards. Ugly, not-too-bright, a bit obnoxious, and always raiding the kitchen cabinets for food to satisfy his endless appetite, he at times seemed like a giant leech. But he was Ham's best friend and Larson saw something in him, just like he saw something in everyone.

Plus, he was an amazing shot with an Ares Predator, or pretty much any gun you put in his hands. Jaws was going to need him in the days to come.

Everyone was talking about last night. Some talking blood for blood, some talking about moving, others just staying quiet and scared. Gobbo, half-asleep and drooling in the corner.

"Pow pow pow! Bang bang bang!" Crash voiced over her impersonation of her shooting a tommy gun into some imaginary 'bad guys.' "That's what we need to do to everyone who shot up Jawsy-Larsy!"

Plasma leaned forward in his chair. "Those guys are already dead, Crash, but good thinking. There's way more where they came from. This was only the beginning. We need to hit 'em hard and fast, shoot to kill. Enough hiding. Look at what happened when Dad tried to talk. I said right from the start we shouldn't be talking to those Redbloods. The only thing talking should be the barrel of my gun." He pulled his AK-97 he had at his side out and looked down it at the floor. "That Watch member we captured is still passed out in the other room. Soon as Firebug gets over here, we're going to pay him a little visit..."

Ham, standing against the corner eating a soyburger** spit out his mouthful. "Look at you, brother! Where'd you even get that gun, anyway? Soon as Dad wakes up he's going to tear you a new one. And you know he doesn't want your psycho friend hanging around here." He sighed. "What exactly are we going to do? Dad didn't even want any of us to come along last time. Like he's going to let us join him in whatever plan he's going to cook up this time. We need to listen to his judgment. He'll know what to do."

Burn could never handle situations like these. With tears seemingly eternally in his eyes since last night, he whispered: "Run... we need to run..." He looked up at Crash. "Just like last time!"

Petey agreed with the boy and whined as was his usual routine. "We gotta high-tail it outta here! We're all gonna die! Dead! Kapoot!" He pretended to slit his throat and be lifeless for a moment. He opened his eyes... "Then again, with our girl Flye over here, I bet we could take 'em all on! Didja see her take that Watch member out last night? She's a killer! Er... not quite a killer. A stunner? A wicked hella good stunning killer!"

Petey punched Flye in the arm, nervously laughing. "I bet you could take out that whole gang with one arm tied behind your back."

*Decker = slang for Hacker
**Soy and tofu and easily mass-farmed substances have replaced actual meat in the future, at least for the poor.

[Swift_Fyre77]

Flye rolled her eyes at Peter. He is so over-dramatic Then she blushed a bit before punching him back, just as hard. 'No way," she shook her head. "No, I don't think I could..." She looked down at her hands and clenched them watching orange sparks form then disappear.

"I still need to learn things, you've all seen what the street mages can do!" she glanced around at them in turn. "I'm surprised none haven't been recruited here as full time healers that's all."

She smiled at Peter "Once I get more training, maybe I could do it with my eyes closed!"

[Abombom]

Crash hugged Burn and then jumped right back into the conversation. "Yeah!! Street mages! Just like Edward McMerlin, the Scourge of Sinsearch!" She held her nose up high and began to walk around in what was presumably a 'fancy' demeanor. She made her voice deep and began to talk like the character off her favorite TV show. "Back away, my fellow elves! I am the True Power of the Land! I am..." She paused for dramatic effect, waving her hands around all 'mystical-like' and staring right into Flye's eyes. "...McMerlin."

Ham sighed and tried to return some seriousness to the group. "You have to be careful, Flye... That... shamanic mask? I think that's what you called it once? It's going to get you in trouble one day. Dad says you're already a pretty powerful healer, and he's worked with some of the best NAN* medicine men in town. You can't have orange sparks showing up everywhere the instant you get emotional. The wrong people are bound to notice."

"Plus, everyone knows in any real fight, the mages get ganked** first." Plasma added, with a smirk on his face. "Wouldn't want that, now would we?"

*=Native American Nations. Remember, they took most of the West of the Modern USA when magic began showing up on Earth.
**=killed

[Swift_Fyre77]

"I know, Ham." she sighed. "It's just hard to control. I'll learn, in time."

But when another spoke, she snapped.

Flye shot Plasma a venom stare. "No, you wouldn't, because if I was killed, I'd come back just to haunt you." She stood up her hands clenched into fists, and walked over to him slowly. "I would make sure that Crash, Burn, Crystal, Peter, Gobbo and Ham was looked after, and not just your selfish self." She now stood over him as he lounged on the chair, her fists slowly glowing orange.

"The way you treat the younger ones, it needs to be stopped. They need to survive just as much as us. You have no right as to who lives and who dies in our family." She narrowed her eyes. "Related or not."

[Abombom]

"Shut up, girl." Plasma stopped relaxing in his chair, sat up properly, and tensed his shoulders. "Family? You're not family, none of you are, except for Michael."

Crystal spoke up. "Don't say that, Gabe! You know you're a brother to m-"

"You shut up, too. You're not my sister. I'll never see you that way." barked Plasma. He looked back at Flye. "At least everyone else around here contributes... even the tiniest among us." He motioned to Burn. "But you? All that power and yet you're good for nothing."

Ham put down his plate, sensing where this was going. "Stop arguing like children and let me finish my burger, damn it. You know she saved Dad, Gabriel."

"Saved? Saved?!" Plasma chuckled. "Dad wouldn't have been so shot up in the first place if it wasn't for having to drag this useless bitch back to safety. Where were you, Flye? Where was all that great power of yours? I can't believe he had had me sit in the car while he dragged your ass around. Never again. Dad knows you're going to be utterly useless next time too, that's why you won't be coming along with us if anything does happen."

He shut up, keeping a smirk on his face, as if wanting to say more but knowing he had said just enough to set Flye's temper off. He seemed tense, ready for anything. Suddenly, a faint shimmer could be seen on his right shoulder.

A shimmer only visible to Flye. A shadow of a Rat. His quiet, ancient voice filled her head. Flye. You know this is not our way.

I think this is as good a time as any to remind you of your Mentor Spirit. :smallcool:

The Dragon and the Rat
Long ago, when Dragon was very young, the Dragon's kin fought an ancient foe. Barely a pup, Dragon's friend Rat hid it and used its powers to conceal it while it slept. Now it is the last of its kind.

Rat has taught Dragon in the ways of its people; how to hide in plain sight, how to disappear. Dragon's brothers and sisters were very wise and kind and so taught Dragon some tricks which it imparted onto Mouse as well; how to care, how to tend for the weak.

Dragon and Rat are best of friends. These magicians typically feel the need to protect their loved ones; moreso by getting them away from the situation than fighting. They also often feel lonely, as if there is no one quite like them except their best friends.

Advantages: +2 to Illusion and Health Spells
Disadvantages:
-1 to Combat Spells.

A Dragon and the Rat magician must make a Willpower + Charisma (3) Test to not immediately flee or seek cover whenever caught in
a combat situation. If there is nowhere to flee, then she is forced
to fight.

[Swift_Fyre77]

She was ready. She was ready to fire every last drop of magic at his smug face of his. Flye was shaking so much that it took all of her will to not do it, then she very almost did, feeling to familiar hum work its way through her body, when the shimmer appeared.

Hearing her mentor's voice, soothed her down almost instantly. She sighed. I know Master, it's just...so hard. How can get him to listen to me? and relaxed her body. The rat bowed his head. You will know, just not like this.

"Ham, I'm going up to bed, I guess that miracle work I did yesterday, did give me some backlash." And avoiding Plasma's eyes, she left the room and went to hers.

[Abombom]

As Flye walked away, everyone kept bickering and arguing over what should be done.

Flye shares a room with Crash and Burn. As she was the last to be taken in, she has the worst bed of the house... an old patient table on the floor with some cushioning added on top. Crash and Burn share a rusted bunkbed.

The room appears to be the tiniest patient-rooms Jaws has in the building. Or it used to be, anyway.


Later, at night...
A knock is heard on Flye's door. It initially starts off as soft, but then rapidly gets strong in volume. Before long, it almost sounds like someone's punching the door.

"Hoi, beautiful girl? You in there?! Flye? Flye! Come on out, the love of your life has just entered the building!" It sounded like Christopher.

Chris, at 17 years old, was Gabriel's best friend. The two were known for going out on the town and returning with the easiest doped-up piece of tail they could find. Like Plasma, he was incredibly handsome for his age. Unlike Plasma, he was a veritable mental case. If Plasma was said to be passive-aggressive, Chris was aggressive-aggressive. They brought out the worst in each other.

"Open up! How about we get some alone time, you and I?" Chris always had a thing for Flye, harassing her and annoying her at every turn. Even Plasma had to calm him down from time to time.

[Swift_Fyre77]

With a sigh and a groan, she rolled off the bed and walked over to the door. "Oh my Romeo has come to save me from this dreadful place!" Flye raised her voice so he could hear her over the sound of his banging. "Oh my saviour has come!"

She opened the door, but kept her hand gripping the doorframe, baring him from entering. "Our 'alone time' is never going to happen Chris, you know that, everyone knows that." Flye crossed her arms over her chest. "So how about we cut the to the chase and tell me why you are really here." And smirked. "And I know it isn't about winning my affection for you."

Leaning towards him, and glancing down the hallway she pulled back, very aware of him watching her. "So, who sent you? Can't have been Plasma, because he doesn't give two frags about me, so it must have been Ham."

[Abombom]

Chris banged on the wall with his right first, and grinned way too widely for comfort. "That's right, baby, your savior is right here."

He began to push on the Flye's arm slightly, and Flye could feel her strength about to give in, but she remained firm. Chris even began to run his index finger up her arm, but he caught himself, as if realizing something.

With a crazy look in his wide open eyes, he said "Aww, the fun can wait till later. And it's such a rare moment to get you all alone like this, too. I could do anything I... fun! Fun! Fun's for later. But for now, a different kinda fun. It actually was Plasma who's calling for you. Come along, babe." He tried to take Flye's hand and lead her off.

[Swift_Fyre77]

Flye shook hear head and whipped her hand out of his, moving back into the room a few paces. "No, I am not going anywhere near him until you tell me EXACTLY why he wants me now."

"If it is something to do with Larson, I'll come quietly, otherwise..." she sat on the end of her bed. "I'm not going till you tell."

[Abombom]

"With Jaws? It ain't got nothin' to do with the man of the house, haha!"

Chris laughed and followed Flye to her bed. "You know, if you wanna stay right here with me, that's fine too!" He looked around. "I gotta say though, I'm used to better beds. Ooh!" He pointed at Crash's bunkbed, all excited. "How about that one? I bet we'll feel much better up there." He smiled and started running his fingers up Flye's arm again.

"Or you know, you could come have a different sorta fun. C'mon, Plasma says he needs you. Trust me, never heard him say it before either." He looked up at the ceiling with a comical, puzzled expression on his face. "Come to think of it, I'd be confused too." He leaned back and began to settle into the bed.

[Swift_Fyre77]

"No, I'm fine, thanks Chris."

Shivering, she got up and moved to the other side of the room, leaning on an old closet and playing with a strand of her hair.
"He needs me huh? After what happened, I highly doubt that."

Seeing him laid out on her bed, she sighed. "Fine! Take me to him." Fye pointed a finger at him. "If I find out this is some sick joke... Plasma isn't the only one to feel my wraith."

[Abombom]

"Aww, don't worry, baby, I'm into that kind of thing. I'll feel your wrath all day long! Meow!" Chris let loose one of the creepiest fake-purrs in existence.

-

Chris led Flye to the storage room of the shop. Muffled screams could be heard in the darker corner of the room. Normally, the room was cluttered with medical supplies, food, clothes... But Jaws had fallen on hard times as of late, and it had become increasingly empty. And now, it was even emptier than usual. They walked around some shelves and came upon a man tied up in a chair, biting down on a piece of cloth. And Plasma.

"Hey there." Plasma greeted them. He had a knife with a serrated edge in his right hand. It was dripping with blood. "Welcome to the party, Flye. Glad you could make it."

[Swift_Fyre77]

"Odd place to have a party, even for you..." Seeing the man in the chair, and Plasma's evil grin, she stopped.

Staring at the bloodied knife, her face drained all colour.
"Plasma...what are you? What is going on?" Looking between Plasma, and the man it dawned on her.

"You want me to heal him, every time he just about karks it so he doesn't die, then when he doesn't answer you, you do it again!"

Flye turned around to the door. "I'm telling Jaws."

[Abombom]

Chris quickly positioned himself right in front of the door, and put his arms outwards, almost as if flying an airplane. "Woah woah there baby-girl. You ain't going nowhere. And even if ya are, at least hear the guy out." He continued making his flying motions, giggling to himself.

Plasma walked towards Flye, cleaning the knife with a rag. "Smart girl. I knew you had a brain in between those two pointy ears of yours."

The man in the chair, with a few cuts on his naked chest, continued to try to yell out. Meanwhile, Plasma got closer to Flye. He spoke in a serious, low tone. "Listen, Flye, I need your help. With your magic, and this old thing..." He kicked a shoddy medkit off a nearby shelf. "We can get this guy to talk. We can fill in some bits of the puzzle, figure out a bit more of what we're up against. What our next move could be. Benjamin has been scouring the Matrix... hasn't been able to find a damn thing on these guys we don't already fraggin' know."

He sighed. "I don't want you here anymore than you want to be here. But I thought I'd give you a chance. Prove yourself useful. And no, before you say it... not useful to me. But to Jaws. If you love my Dad anywhere near as much as I do, or so you say, why don't you help us? In fact...

I called you here before I even really got started." He grabbed the knife carefully on its piercing end, and extended the grip to Flye. "You can even help if you want. I thought you had it in you. This guy was among the guys who nearly killed Dad. He's a Redblood. They're all a bunch of murderin', lyin' sacks of drek. Everyone knows that. So, why don't we set aside our differences for a night, and help everybody out?"

Plasma squinted his eyes, as if trying to gauge Flye, trying to size her up mentally. "Besides, Ham and Jaws are meeting with the locals and not likely to check their phones... nowhere nearby. Everyone else is out as well. This is happening. With, or without you. So prove yourself. Please, help me." he pleaded.

Magical healing only works once on a set of wounds, by the way. So maybe what he's asking you to do isn't as gruesome as you think it is... Or maybe it's worse. :smallamused:

[Swift_Fyre77]

She winced and turned to face Plasma, finding that if she tried anything he would hurt her, so Flye listened.

"I do love him! After taking me in..." Her eyes widened at the knife being offered. No, she couldn't. she wouldn't. never!/ Her eyes flicked to the knife, to him, over her shoulder, where Chris was blocking the door. There was no other option. Nodding she took the knife from him and held it uneasily in her hand.

In a shaky voice she asked, "What do I have to do?"

[Abombom]

Chris moved away from the door and sat down next to their captive. "Knew you had it in you, babe! That's why you're a keeper!" He winked at Flye.

Plasma slowly closed his hands on Flye's nervous grip and steadied her hold on the knife. "I knew you had it in you. Don't worry. It'll be easier than it looks once you hear this guy open his mouth."

He let go of her and removed the piece of cloth from their captive's mouth. The Watch member immediately spit in Plasma's face.

"Frag you, drekhead!" the man in the chair shouted. "Haha... You really think you're gonna get me to talk? Just wait till my Redbloods get here... You'll all be fragged! Shot dead... Well not all of you." He grinned, revealing a bloody mouth and a few missing teeth. "That elf-girl over there? Feisty! We'll keep her around in the back, and each of us will take our turn with 'er... We'll break her eventually." He spat yet again. "Or how about those 2 young 'uns that fed me earlier? I like the young 'uns... The quiet little brother though, not so much." He was referring to Crash and Burn. "Maybe I'll sell him over to a bunraku* parlor. Looks an awful lot like that young child actor, oh what's his name..." He continued to ramble on.

Plasma didn't even bother wiping the spit off his brow, instead calmly taking out a piece of metal from his back pocket. He slowly slid on the brass knuckles and smiled. "I don't think anyone's coming for you. And who said anything about talking?" He smiled and pulled his right arm all the way backwards, as if getting ready to pitch a baseball. "The talking can come later. First you pay for Dad. First, you feel pain."

"Crying about your Dad? Shame one of my bullets didn't g-"

Plasma interrupted his speech with a powerful blow to his teeth. One of his canines could be seen flying across the room.

"Now the party's really begun. See, told you it'd be easy once he opened his mouth. Wanna join in?"

*Bunraku parlors are modern-day harems where slaves of sorts have been converted to the spitting image of the celebrities they look like. Sometimes their personalities are even wiped clean and replaced with a chip that lets them act just like the person they resemble. Very associated with the yakuza crime syndicate.

The process of using simsense while doing acts such as prostitution is very common. Drugs of course, are also still in fashion.

[Swift_Fyre77]

Rolling her eyes, she swallowed hard as Plasma removed he gag.

Instantly her blood boiled, hearing the things that came out of that guy's mouth. And almost bared her teeth in disgust and was almost glad Plasma did punch him, watching the tooth fly from his mouth.

She smiled weakly and shook her head. "N-not yet Plasma." She gripped the knife and moved it in between her fingers. "not yet." she whispered.

[Abombom]

"Eh, don't worry about it. We got this." Plasma began to pummel the guy until his face was a bloody mess and he seemed ready to pass out. The chair had fallen over and the captive lied in a pool of his own blood; he wasn't grinning anymore.

Plasma backed off for a moment. He took off his brass knuckles and rubbed his fist. "It's time to really get him to talk." He pulled out a stimpatch* and slapped it on the Watch member's neck. Plasma looked at Flye. "That'll keep him awake during the pain."

Chris was giggling. In fact, he seemed way too excited during the whole process. "Ooh, lemme, lemme!" He pulled out a giant combat knife that bordered on looking like a machete.

Plasma backed off and stood next to Flye. "Damn it Chris, just make sure not to kill the guy."

Screams could be heard throughout the building. Thankfully, no one was home.


*Think like a giant nicotine patch laced with stimulants.

Intimidation Test
Subject enemy -4, Desired result harmful to subject but cannot be traced back -2, Characters outnumber the subject +2, Captive is being tortured +2, Chris is wielding a weapon +2, Chris Charisma +3, Chris Intimidation +3, Plasma also has Intimidation +1 [roll0] 3 hits.

Intimidation Defense
Charisma 2 + Willpower 2 [roll1] 2 hits.

1 net hit over defense, intimidation successful.


Well over an hour later...

"How many of you are there?! Who are you working for?!" Plasma said as he held up the captive's head by his hair.

"Frag... off..." voiced the Watch member, quietly.

Chris walked over and held a lit lighter right underneath the man's chin. His stubble immediately charred and yelps of pain echoed across the room. "Why you so quiet, chummer**? Lighten up! Hahaha!" Chris joked in a disturbing fashion.

"How many of you are there?! Who are you working for?!" Plasma repeated the question and held his face closer to the lighter.

Tears streaming down his cheeks, he began to respond. "All right damn it, I'll tell you! Just leave me alone... There are 20 of us, counting the ones you killed back there. Those were the new recruits. I don't really know who we work for, only the boss knows. Some guy... some guy called Mr. Miyamoto... mid-40s, always wears a business suit. Japanese. Japa..."

Plasma slaps him, trying to keep him awake. "Keep talking!"

-

The captive, full of wounds and blood running from every scratch, kept talking. He revealed the location of their headquarters. A safehouse or two. The kind of heat they were packing. The size of their turf. When the gang had met Miyamoto and how they started being supplied with bigger guns and better nuyen. Their name change. The name of the gang's leader and its 2 lieutenants. Chris even laughed and bet they could get him to reveal the name of his mother if they really wanted him to, but they decided against it.

The smell of blood and sweat plagued the room. Plasma was cleaning his knife over by Flye. "Looks like we won't be needing you after all, Flye. The guy cracked after only an hour. Hah! Let's let him rot here. I'll patch him up so he doesn't bleed out. Don't bother healing him; let him suffer two steps from death."

chummer = pal, buddy

[Swift_Fyre77]

Flye winced everytime the guy was hit and slashed or tortured in some way that she didn't think Plasma was capable of. If things got worse between us would he stop and think clearly before maybe doing this to me? She lent by the wall, disgusted with the both of them, seeing Chris the way he was, she looked away everytime, but didn't cover her ears to muffle the screams.. they would have turned on her.

Although, it did reap some benefits knowing the information the Goon knew. As Plasma and Chris backed off him, Flye couldn't stand it any longer.
"Plasma this was wrong, beyond wrong. You know your Dad is going to find out about all of this," she gestured around to the man, "The blood, Plasma, all the bleach and chemicals in the world won't be able to hide it."

She handed the knife out to him, "Why did you bring me down here to watch this if you knew all along that I wouldn't do anything?"

[Abombom]

Plasma cocked his head sideways, and looked at her, confused. "You said you were okay with this. We didn't get carried away at all. I brought you here to bring him back in case we took him to the brink. Then, we could have kept working on him with your help. Thankfully he's not nearly at good at keeping his mouth shut as he is at shooting and he squealed way faster than I expected."

"Yeah, fast! Too fast! I thought we were gonna have more fun!" Chris yelled at the two, with a hint of annoyance and a psychotic glare in his eyes.

Plasma sighed. "You even said you wanted to help! What the frag are you doing here? Why didn't you just leave?"

Plasma put his now-spotless knife away. "If it bugs you so much, you can heal him. I'm sure Dad will do it anyway at some point. But you're wrong. I'm not trying to hide anything. I got results... and that's what matters."

Chris meanwhile, stood over the dazed Redblood. He kept flicking his lighter's top on and off.

[Swift_Fyre77]

"I..I mean I was, Really I was okay, but..." Flye blinked a few times trying to remember something but it kept slipping away. "It triggered something from my past. What exactly, I don't know, but it did. Just seeing all that blood..." Glancing at Chris, she touched Plasma's arm.

"Umm, I don't think it's a good idea to leave your friend here with him..." She looked at Plasma, "Just in case... we need the guy at all. Please." Leaning in close and lowering her voice so only he could hear her, "He scares me enough already, but seeing him riled up like this, it scares me more. I know we don't get along very well, but please, don't leave him with the guy."

[Abombom]

"Scared?! But the fraggin' guy deserv-" Plasma began to speak up, but stopped himself. "All right. You take him and try to calm him down." He gave Flye a frustrated glance and addressed Chris. "C'mon Firebug, let's leave this scum alone. You two go on ahead, I'm going to tie him up a bit better and give him a little something to knock him out for a while.

Unless you wanna heal him up a bit..." Plasma looked at this phone for a second and then looked towards Flye as he tightened the ropes on the goon's wrists. "...Go ahead and wait in the living room. Ham and Dad apparently finished early. Thank god this guy squealed in time. They 'ought to be back in the next hour."

Chris, still annoyed, now stood next to Flye... still flicking his lighter on and off. "Graagh! We should just slit the guy's throat instead of cleaning up. But I guess we can use this time to get to know each other better, right Flye?" He winked.

[Swift_Fyre77]

Flye groaned. "Yeah. Sure Chris, whatever you reckon," She rolled her eyes and pushed him towards the door, which she closed as they both walked out.

There was nobody home yet, so she dragged Chris over to the chairs and sat down next to him. Crossing her legs and folding her arms over her chest she sighed then turned to him, still clicking the lighter.

"Chris, why have you always had this obsessive interest in me?"

[Abombom]

Time went by... very slowly as Flye had to deal with Chris's crazed advances.

-

Some time later with everyone assembled in the living room...

"...Look, that's not the point, Dad. We know where they are. We know the kind of bastards they are. We need to hit them first before they hit us." Plasma sighed.

"The locals all agreed not to intervene! It'd just be us... no. I'm not involving any of you again." Jaws wiped the blood off his hands. He had just finished fixing up Plasma's hatch-medical job on the Redblood.

"How could you even do what you did, Gabriel? What's wrong with you? And you let Chris in here... you know I don't want him around." He looked straight at Flye with disappointment in his eyes. "...you even had Flye there. How could you help them, Flye? What were you thinking?"

[Swift_Fyre77]

Flye slapped Chris' hand off her arm again and stood up. "I .. I didn't help them! I had no choice.. Chris came up and basically ushered me to the room." She pointed back at him.

"Plasma gave me the knife, I just held it..i couldn't watch what they doing...Chris..bared me from leaving..I.." Tears started to stream down her face, she angrily wished they would stop showing in front of everyone.

"Jaws.." Her voice broke and she shook her head in frustration. "I didn't touch the guy! I knew I should have done something...but .."
She sighed. "I didn't."

[Abombom]

Jaws looked down, disappointed. "Inaction can be just as bad as performing the ugly deed itself. If you don't stand up for what you believe in, what's the point?" He looked annoyed for a second. "I was going to ask you to help, but after this stunt, it's clear you need to stay with everyone else."

Gabriel started to speak up. "C'mon Pa, we did what we had to do! I bet you've done your fair share of cra-"

Jaws glared at his son. "No! I've done some bad things in my time but you need to learn from my mistakes, not re-live them." He shook his head. "All of you... you're all staying here. None of you are ready. I'm not going to have your blood on my hands."

Crash, startled, yelled out. "Let us help! We can shoot them dead!" She started shooting imaginary bad guys with a pretend-gun.

"I said no!" shouted Jaws. The room stayed silent for a pause.

Jaws got up. "I'll take care of this. This time tomorrow, the Redbloods won't be a problem anymore." He walked out of the room.

-

Moments later...

Everyone in the room was yelling and bickering with each other. Burn was crying in a corner as Crash comforted him. Petey was whining like always. Gobbo was half-asleep, wrapped up in old newspapers. Christopher had been kicked out by Larson a long time ago.

Benjamin got everyone to shut up when he screamed in his deep, troll voice "I got it! I really got it!

...Jaws thinks he's so clever but the password to his Pocket Secretary was way too easy to break. Doctor123? Fraggin' ha! He's calling up old army buddies and planning something with the Redblood HQ. No one's really responding to him, though. He's practically all alone on this one."

Gabriel smiled. "That's it, then! We'll just have to get to them before Dad does anything stupid. Who's with me?!"

No one did anything.

Ham slowly walked over to his brother. "Gabe... Dad said not to interfere. Haven't you done enough today?"

Gabriel edged away from his brother. "Fraggin' coward, get away from me. How could you not help Dad out?"

Benjamin was the first to stand up. "The old man's done so much for me. I ain't letting him go by himself. He's not in any condition to be doing any of anythin' anyway."

Gabriel perked up. "See, Mikey? Ben da Slowpoke is on our side. I bet even elf-girl over here has more guts than you. Right, Flye? We'll need those orange fireworks of yours tomorrow."

[Swift_Fyre77]

"I'm in." Flye pushed herself up off the chair she had been lounging on during the bickering and looked between Gabriel, Ben and Ham.

"I know what I did and didn't do in that room." Her eyes flickered to Gabriel, "But I'll be damned if Lars thinks he's doing it alone. He may think it's a better advantage to go alone, but I agree with Ben.." she shook her head. "He's in no condition to be out there, against those people."

Flye moved over to Ham softly gripping his arm. "Please, I know he told all of us not to interfere with it, but you know as well as us that he cannot do it alone. We have to help him somehow." She glanced over her shoulder to Gabriel, "And i will use my "orange fireworks" if needed."

[Abombom]

Ham looked nervous. "Dad said not to help, I don't know guys...



To Convince Ham
Rolling Negotiation. Flye has no negotiation skill = Defaulting -1 dice. Using Charisma(5-1=4). Target is Friendly (+2). Extra (+1) since Lars is his father. Total dice = 4+2+1 = 7
[roll0]

No hits.

Ham's Resist Test
Charisma 3 + Negotiation 0
[roll1]

1 hit. 1 hit resist > 0 hits to convince. Ham is unconvinced.


Sorry but there's just no way! Please, don't do anything foolish. We shouldn't have even been there last time!"

Gobbo spoke up. "Bert fevre's juss no gshuay..." Munching noises were heard and he spit out a piece of newspaper. "Ugh, tastes like bad soyburger. But there's just no ways I's goin' along without Ham."

Petey started speaking in an increasingly high pitch. "But if Ham's not going... and Gobbo's our best shot... Aah! Cut it out, Gabe!"

Benjamin spat on the ground. "Pah! What's wrong with you lot?"

Crystal pulled out a flask and began drinking. "What should we do? What should we do? If we go, we need to all go together. I just don't know what to..."

"Idiots! All of you!" Gabriel stormed out of the room.

[Swift_Fyre77]

"OI GUYS! Just cool it for a second!" She yelled and pointed at Gabriel's retreating back. "Get back in here Plasma, I am not having you slink off and doing something COMPLETELY stupid by yourself."

Taking a deep breath she cleared her thoughts, seeing a glimpse of her Rat friend on her shoulder, then looked around at each in turn. "Okay, we have to look at this logically, not just rushing off into the heat of the battle once again. What we need are tactics. Facts. Details." Flye punched her palm, punctuating each word.

"We need a plan and a map of who's going to be where and when, and what each of us will be doing." She glanced over at Crash and Burn, "I don't think its a good idea if all of us go anyway, we need people here. Not to distract Lars, but just so we have contacts for if we need it." She winced a little, "hoping we don't need it, but still good anyway."

"So, let's think this as a team, rather as loose cannons now shall we?" She looked over to Ham again, determination burning within her, "What do you say? We think it through, first, then act."

[Abombom]

Gabriel stepped back in the room for a moment. "Don't bother, Flye. If they don't realize they should be helping us, then they're good for nothing."

Benjamin agreed with Flye and Gabriel. "You should all be coming along, except for the little ones!"

Ham warned against acting. "Don't go on this fool's errand... Let Dad handle it!"

"Ye chummers need my gun. Where you kids thinkin'a goin'?" piped in Gobbo.

Crystal and Petey shifted nervously in their seats.




Crystal and Petey are both on the fence... They won't roll resistance but instead it will be an opposed Negotiation test between Flye and co. versus Ham and co.

To Convince Crystal and Petey to Fight
Crystal Charisma +5(5). Defaulting -1 (4). Targets friendly +2(6). Actions harmful to target -3(3). Benjamin +1 and Gabriel assisting +1 (5).
[roll0]

1 hit.

To Convince Crystal and Petey to Stay
Ham Charisma +3(3). Defaulting -1(2). Targets friendly +2(4). Gobbo assisting +1(5)
[roll1]

3 hits.

1 hit < 3 hits. Flye and co. fail to convince Petey and Crystal to go.


Petey looked at his arm. "Remember what happened to me last time?! And look at Jaws... There's no way I'm going, man, no way!" He sounded manic.

Gabriel shouted. "Coward!"

Crystal finished her flask in one swig and timidly whispered. "Me neither. It's too dangerous. Ham's right." She looked towards Ham.

Crash ran towards Benjamin. "It's okay! I'm going! I'm gonna help you g-! W-w-woah!" Benjamin grabbed the back of her shirt and lifted her up with two fingers.

"No can do. You're staying here with Ham."

Crash started punching the air, unable to even reach Benjamin's chest. "No fair! No fair!"

Gabriel looked at Flye and Benjamin and ignored the rest of them. "You're right about needing a plan and not just charging in there, Flye. Meet me in my room in an hour. Don't bother trying to convince the god fragging damn cowards." He walked off. Benjamin followed.

"Flye..." Ham too had determination in his eyes. "Flye, you said it perfectly yourself: loose cannons. We're not cut out for this. You're going to get yourself killed."

[Swift_Fyre77]

"Well, we have to start sometime, you expect us to sit here our whole lives and let everyone else do the dirty work to get things done?" Her face softened a little and grasped his shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. "We'll be okay, with the maniacs of the group going, I can give them cover with my orange fireworks. Gabriel is right in some ways, we need to do something - that's why its good to have a plan." Flye smiled "Even though he's too headstrong, that's why I'm choosing to go to keep them in line."

Walking over to the door, she turned back. "Keep an eye on things here for us, okay? Especially the rest of our family..." Flye smiled at the younger ones and turned away, running upstairs to her room to sort out her thoughts before facing what was to come.

[Abombom]

Ham sighed.

-

An hour later...


As Flye walks into Gabriel's room, she catches them in the middle of their planning.

"How do we know that drekhead isn't lying?" shouted Benjamin into Gabriel's face.

"Chris and me, we put the fear of god into him. Flye helped too! I was all proud of her. She's a lot better at watching people suffer than you'd think she'd be." Gabriel chuckled.


Flye can assume they're talking about the prisoner.

"Anyway," Gabriel noted, "back to the matter at hand. We'll assume that he's right about the numbers and patrol routes. If we pick one off on the southern side here..." He signaled towards a holographic display that was plugged into Benjamin's phone. It was displaying a top-down view of a map. "...then move around here..." He pointed now towards the east side of a building. "...We can wipe out 1/3 of their numbers before they know what hit 'em. Slim pickins'. The actual main bulk of them, if they're even home, are gon-"

Chris barged into the room halfway through Gabriel's sentence. "Sup, chummers?"

Benjamin's voice lowered. "You got the stuff?"

"Frag yeah," Chris replied. He tossed a small bag on the table which spilled its contents, small plastic bags containing syringes and what is likely to be multiple drugs.

Benjamin gave a deep, hearty laugh. "Heh heh heh heh. I haven't used this drek in years. Hoo boy. You know Jazz* was originally invented for use by Lone Star**? Hell, ya know, combat drugs weren't even allowed by the police even 50 years back. Hah! How things change... Only way we'll stand a chance, though."




*From the book, sorta: "Jitteriness, fidgeting, or emotional or irrational
outbursts may be common with stimulants. If other stimulants are bad for hyperactivity and feelings of paranoia, jazz is much
worse. Roleplaying a jazz user means turning it up a notch, and portraying
someone with too much energy to burn."

**Lone Star is the name of the corporation that runs the police in Seattle.

Gabriel began taking the syringes out of the bags and measuring what Chris had brought. He put one in front of Flye. "You gonna be using, too?"

[Swift_Fyre77]

Flye cringed and sighed at hearing Gabriel's praises for her then stood with her arms crossed near the table, with her tilted in thought following what he was saying.
Then groaned as Chris came in and felt sparks tingle over her skin briefly as the contents were revealed. She ran her hands over her face in frustration and sighed again.
"No, thankyou..Gabe." Flye pushed the syringe back towards the bag and lent on the table. "This is part of what I meant about our "loose cannons" problem. Yes it give us more energy... but how are we going to keep our heads when we are all high on this frag? Yes, we have the beginnings of a plan now," She looked at Gabriel, "Which I think is a great idea from what you've said. But keeping us onto our jobs for it, is going to be hard. I can't use my magic, and keep you lot under control at the same time from having a meltdown while the rest us are getting jumped."

[Abombom]

"Under control? Under control?! Gabriel was fuming. He looked about ready to explode, but looked away from Flye and just ignored her.

Benjamin grabbed the Jazz from in front of Flye and put it with the rest of the bags. "Listen... Flye. These are combat drugs. We ain't doing this for fun. Well... I used to, fraggin' ha." He laughed. "What if some of those fraggers are packin' chrome*? You think two kids with peashooter, an amateur spellslinger, and a 'trid** junkie like me are gonna get anywhere without big guns and somethin' to even the score?" He motioned towards the bags.


*=cyberware

**=3D TV

Benjamin is 18 btw, not that it really matters.

They all continued laying out the plan...

[Swift_Fyre77]

"You're right. You are always right." Her eyes flickered at Gabriel as she smiled at Benjamin holding out her hand. "Give me the damn bag. I'm against all of this, but since we're doing what we be doing, I need more spice in my sparks if what they say about jazz is right.. we should have more of a chance."

Flye glanced around the table, then pointed at the hologram. "I believe Gabriel was up to saying where the main majority will be at the site?"