IC: Bleeding Edge Options

[Fresno Bob]

Nick answers his cell, just getting ready to ask the girls what they knew of Mickey.

"Hel- What? Ghost? The fuck?! I'll try!!", Nick says.

Fuck...How'm I gonna bring all these... Maybe just Yellow...", Nick thinks.

"Yellow, come with me! Our gang leader is down!", Nick yells, running outside to his bike. When Yellow is on(assuming she comes), holding as best she can, Nick revs Dream Shredder, and takes off, accelerating to full speed.

[Large Mike]

By the time Nick arrives, a crowd has gathered. Just about everyone in the neighbourhood is here. There must be 100 people here, easy. The tenders at bars, peripheral gang memebers, even the korean guy from A-1 grocery.

They all stand in silence. Nick stops Dream Shredder just short of the corpse, as the crowd opens up for him. Yellow gets off just after Nick, and stands by his side.

[Fresno Bob]

"Let me through, you bastards!", Nick yells, pulling Yellow after him by her wrist. He comes to a stop next to Mickey, and looks at him, then the corpse, then Mickey again.

"Do you know what happened here?! Where's the cops? Where's the authority? What the fuck?"

[Large Mike]

It looks like he was shot once in the back, but his jacket took it. Judging by the fact that his stub baton is out, he obviously used it. There are three tight bullets in his front, two embedded in his coat, and one in his forehead.

The casings are in two different spots. One pile has about 10, and at the body there is one laying just beside him. They're both of the same kind.

As far as you can tell, the Star shouldn't be on the scene... ever. You *are* fairly deep in the barrens. Unless things start blowing up, or there's a serial killer on the loose, the star isn't going to risk it.

It's fairly obvious that you're here, and here with Ghost. Hiding isn't going to work so much.

There's no other gangs on site. Anyone with a half a brain in his head, and anything but red and silver on their jackets knows to stay the hell away from this one.

Searching the body for any other clues, you come across a three inch nail, covered in rust. There's a note wrapped around it. "This time, it really *was* us."

[Fresno Bob]

"Fuck...cops won't come.", Nick says, taking off his motorcycle jacket and laying it on Ghost. He stops and contemplates the Bleeding Edge symbol painted on the back, the red and silver standing out brightly against the black leather. Nick hadn't been around as long as Blitz, but he'd been a member for quite a while. The gang had been relatively benign. Now it was marked with a streak of assassinations and gangland takedowns, all in just a couple days. Fuck. Nick clears his head of those thoughts, and turns to the crowd.

"Anyone who isn't an Edger get the FUCK out of here! Fucking gawkers! Go tend to your own business!", he shouts at the top of his lungs.

"Fuck, they fucking cacked Ghost! In daylight! Outside our fucking doss! Fuck!", He shouts again, letting out anger. "First Promo, then Ghost! Who's fucking next? Are they just going to try to get us, one by one? Fuck that!", Nick continues, drawing his pistol.

He covers his face with his left hand, loosely dangling his Predator in his right. He stands there for a few seconds, then stiffens, tightens the grip on his gun, and looks up, taking the nail and note from Mickey.

"So this time we know it was the losers. I don't like this. Something ain't straight about this...Maybe we haven't been told everything from the start about this shit. The Losers weren't liars...", Nick speculates.

"'Course, my thoughts don't really change anything now. Just my predisposition for philosophy manifesting itself. We can't let this off. The rest of them must be tracked down and blown to shit.", Nick adds in, placing a Nail cigarette between his lips, and lighting it.

"Shit."

[Digital Heroin]

`Took up with the Bleeding Edge, been cracking skulls for them. You need fighters tho, I can come outta retirement.`

He grins a wide, toothy grin. He missed the bar, quite a bit.

`Look, the Edge, we's just taken over these here parts. Might be you heard the Losers were out. We ain't gonna lean on yous though. I've got fond memories of this place. You know anyone looking for a home, you don't be shy on sending them our way though.`

[Large Mike]

"Well, you know we alwayse did pretty good with scaring the gangs outta here. It helps when everyone is, without exception, bad-assed.

Yeah, I heard about the Losers, and I also heard that you guys took a serious beating in the process. As a matter of fact, I heard that you've been acting real fierce to cover it up, too. Word on the streets is that you guys have any more misfortune, and you'll be ripe for the picking. That ain't me, that's just what I heard."

Suddenly, a kid, couldn't be more than 14, bursts through the door, dirsty clothes and greasy hair in his eyes. "Somebody cacked that guy in charge of the Edge. Popped him real good."

The kid looks at Blitz and notices his colors. He lowers his head and mumbles, "No disrespect."

[Tanka]

Kake spins around, no hesitation.

"What'd ya say, kid? Ya say they cacked Ghost?"

He lets out a roar and slams his fist into his thighs.

"Frag, frag, frag! Let's go!"

Kake drops into a run out the door and towards where Ghost has been shot.

[last_of_the_grea...]

Mickey pulls out his pistol and approaches the body, picking up Ghost's stun baton. Before the crowd can leave, he shouts for all to hear, "Listen everyone, spread the word. Bounty: 2000 nuyen to the person who gives us definitive information that leads us verifiably to the killer or killers, payable upon verification! You know where to reach us! NOW everyone get out!"

Mickey takes off his leather jacket and hands it to Nick. "Hold this for me." Then he hefts Ghost's body onto his shoulders in a fireman's carry. Hopefully Mother could get the bloodstains out of his clothes. "Let's go." He hauls Nick back to the doss to the pyre and sets him down gently, as if he were still alive. He positions him on his back, looking up to the sky. Then he goes to wash up and change. On return, he says to Nick, "I know this is cold, but we cannot leave the girls undefended. Would you do me a favour and take 3 more men to the stroll and guard them?" His voice is a little more...empty than usual...he's not giving a command, he's making a request and it's obvious. Then he stands there, waiting for the rest to show up.

[Digital Heroin]

He leans on the counter, eyeing the 'tender on the level, man to man.

`Word's not so far from the truth. But you ain't seen the Losers about, have ya?`

When the kid comes in, Blitz pushes from the bar, and his face goes to stone when the word's delivered. Anyone who's seen him fight angry knows it. Most times when he fights he's about the show, but when he's downright lethal, he's quiet as Mr. Death himself. He looks to Kake and Painkiller, then moves to the kid.

`Lead...`

He gives the kid enough of a push to get him running for the spot Ghost fell, and he's off just as quick as that kid can go.

Bad tidings, blood in the water, sharks circling. It's going to be a frenzy. This is clear. He needs to act, he needs to act fast, and he needs to act definitivly.

[JongWK]

Painkiller shouts something best left untranslated, and rushes outside Skag's.

WTF? They're picking us one by one!

After arriving at the scene, Pain violently pushes aside any bystander in his way to Ghost's body. He checks for any vitals, and if he's truly gone, also looks for all possible bullet holes and tries to estimate time of death.

[Fresno Bob]

Nick nods when he hears the request.

"I know where you're coming from. I think that as a gang lieutenant I should be with Ghost, but, as a philosopher would say, the girls are alive, and need protection. Ghost needs nothing. I'll do it.", Nick says.

When everyone gathers around the Pyre, Nick kneels down next to Ghost's body.

"See you on the other side, Omae.", he whispers, laying his hand on Ghost's head. He tries to replay the scene in his head, based on the evidence he saw.

Ghost must've been walking, when two, maybe three guys came up at him. One shot him in the back, alerting him to their prescene...he probably pulled out his club, and tapped one guy with it...that would explain the usage. Yeah, he probably took out one of the three, and the other two carried him off afterwards. Guns vs Club is a no brainer. They shot him a bunch more times, mostly missing, but they managed to take him down. He was probably still gasping for breath on the ground, when one of the others popped him in the head, like some fucking rat...thats the way I'd have done it., Nick muses.

He stands up, brushing some dirt off his leather pants. Pointing to Kake, Blitz, and Painkiller, he says

"You two, and uh, new guy, come with me. We got some hookers to guard. Bring some shooters, and try to look hard. We'll take your rig, Kake. Dream Shredder's too small for all of us.", Nick says, cocking his Defiance shotgun. He puts ten more shells in his belt, then lays the gun against his shoulder.

[Large Mike]

Before anyone goes anywhere, a familiar face knocks on the door. Opening it up, the girl that was giving Blitz hell at the bar says, before anyone can react "I saw it. I know who it is."

[Fresno Bob]

Nick looks up and turns to her, a vaguely angry expression on his face.

"Yeah? Who was it?"

[last_of_the_grea...]

Mickey looks at the girl with his half vacant stare. "You do, do you? Hoping to collect, I assume? Well, if what you say turns out to be true, you shall have your windfall. If not...well, let's hear it." He sits down, giving her his attention and wishing he could tell when someone was lying.

[Large Mike]

"One of the Losers you didn't finish, Rusty Nail, he's grabbed everyone else who's survived and taken to the sewers and tunnels. He's worked out a deal with some chop shops and has been killing people for their organs. I saw him pop out of a manhole, kill your friend, and head back down."

She runs her fingers through her long red hair, sweaty from running over here. Her eyes shift from person to person.

"Ah, shit. You don't believe me. You're gonna kill me."

[Fresno Bob]

Nick looks at the girl.

"Yeah, thats the long and short of it...Nah, just kidding. We won't kill you. Unless it turns out your story is false, and you're just luring down to the sewer to harvest our precious organs and cyber, or something...So, the sewer, huh?", Nick says.

"Hey, Mickey, let's go check out that manhole. See if it's been moved recently, or any other evidence of people down there. If it has been, we can organize a team to go down and see if we can't flush 'em out. We kicked his gang's ass fair and square. This means more war."

[last_of_the_grea...]

He looks at the girl, then at Nick. "How about we wait for the rest of the Edgers to arrive? I'll bring in Yellow. I want to get her in to Dr. Mallus for that cyberarm to be attatched. Why don't you go through your sources and see if we can confirm what has been told to us? It wouldn't hurt for you to buy me some more ammo, either. I'll give you 100 nuyen for another 50 rounds from your contact. Iwould buy an SMG, too, but I put most of my money into the bounty."

[Fresno Bob]

"I'll loan you one of my SMGs, if you promise to replace any of the ammo you use. Shit, when's your birthday? I'll buy you one. In the meantime, you want to borrow my Beretta 70, or my Ingram? I'll go see Boris and get you some ammo, too. And I'll ask Ming if he's heard anything about these sewer rats."

[last_of_the_grea...]

"By ingram I assume you mean smartgun. That would be my choice. I'll give Dr. Mallus a call. Thank you, Nick, for the loan of your gun."

He pulls out his phone again and calls Dr. Mallus. "Good day, Doctor. I would like to make that appointment for cyberarm attatchment. I would also like to know what you know about any chop shops in the erea. The info I would like immediately, the appointment as soon as you are able. I believe we agreed on 500 nuyen. I shall have it for you when I bring the patient."

[Fresno Bob]

"Yeah, I'll go get it.", Nick says, heading back into the doss. A short time later, he returns with the loaded Smartgun, and four clips.

"Those two clips with yellow tape on them are regular rounds. The one with green tape is the gel rounds. And this one, with red tape, is EX rounds. Don't mix up red and green."

Nick hands the gun and ammo to Mickey, then slides his shotgun under his trenchcoat.

"Now, before any of us do anything else, I think we should decide a new leader while we're all assembled. We should do it democratically, with everyone voting for someone other than themselves. The only person I can think of to lead is Kake, as Mickey hasn't been here long enough, and Blitz, you're a little too hot headed.", Nick ventures.

[Digital Heroin]

OOC: (Since it seems somewhere before everyone got to the first scene, there's a pyre built, and they're at the doss?)

Blitz was later than the other's arriving back to the doss, mainly because he was composing himself. This wasn't a time to be showing fear; not that he was afraid, but others might see it as such. After donning his warpaint, he'd hung just outside the door while the redhead spilled about the <i>Loser</i> cast-off, and as he did he wrapped the heavy length of chain he always carries around his fist. He takes a moment of silence to damn himself for not finishing the job sooner. That's the past though, time to make the future. He unleashes a violent kick to knock the door the rest of the way open, his face a mask of silent rage. Where words often fail, action speaks volumes.

`You say they're in the sewers,` he levels his gaze at the woman, though none of his anger is directed to her. `Then it's time we get our feet wet.`

He sweeps his gaze over the gathered members of the gang.

`The time for talk is over. When a dog is cornered and wounded in an alley it doesn't think for too long, it fights back. We've been hit twice and hard this week, I say it's time this dog gets some fight in it.`

[Fresno Bob]

Nick shakes his head. Where they not listening?

"Goddammit Blitz! We can't just charge down into the sewer! This slitch could be lying, and there could be mines and booby traps, and other shit like that! Or there could be like, fifty guys down there! You think I don't want revenge? Fuck, Blitz, we all want revenge, but this is no time to act like stupid wankers! We've lost both our successive leaders! If we go down into the sewer, where we've never been, to fight some enemy that we know next to dick about, who knows the sewers much better than any of us, we're gonna suffer losses like D-Day! So keep your fucking cool! You and me'll be the first ones down there, once we know something about what and where we'll be fighting!"

[last_of_the_grea...]

Mickey nodded, allready having come to the same conclusion as Nick. "Indeed, Blitz. In fact, we don't even know which part of the sewers they are in. We'll need a map or a guide, we'll need a head count and we'll need a plan. First things first. Let's take care of Ghost's final parting. Where is everyone else? They should have gotten here by now."

He looked to the girl and pulled out 10 nuyen in scrip. "This is for a little job i want you to do for me. It's an easy job. I want you to spread a little rumor for me. Tonight, I want you to be in the erea where Ghost was killed...I want you to scream and run away...then tell everyone that you saw Ghost's ghost...and that he was crying Vengeance. Don't get too specific. Keep it simple and let the idea spread through all who hear it!" He handed her the money, assuming she would do it. He was cold through the entire thing, as if Ghost were never actually a person...but his trigger finger twitched a lot.

"Nick, I would appreciate it if you would go and protect the girls now. Shall I save you a token for a private ceremony? I don't mean to leave you out, but we must see to the living."

[Large Mike]

Basically everyone's gathered, now. Mother and Widow are both here, with the girl in between them. Mother looks much harder than she ever has, hard as Widow, even. She's wearing much more combat-ready clothes than she ever has before, and is even wearing full paint. No one has seen Mother wear full paint for a *long* time. Widow has lit up a cigar, and is contemplating the situation in her usual way. With hostility. Girl (Widow named her, just dropping the 'the') is a picture of determination. She's finally in some street clothes, the latest teeny-bopper trend, except tougher, and with spikes. She's wearing colors.

Bishop and Diablo, having barely known the man, stand to the back, quietly. They don't want to step on anyone's toes in their new home.

Yellow's in the corner nearest Nick and Mickey. She's loading a pair of street-sweepers one-handed, and has a hard look in her eye. To anyone that meets her gaze, she nods solemnly.