IC: Bleeding Edge Options

[Large Mike]

Mother is rummaging frantically through her room. She digs out something that vaguely resembles a cyberdeck. Then she begins hunting anew, and pulls, from under a huge pile of circuits and electronic mess, something that may have once been a drone.

[Grey]

Ricks looks over to Bubba and his girls, "Pack your shit, looks like we're moving how and who knows how much time they'll give us, so we may as well start now."

[JongWK]

Painkiller looks through a window.

Drek, we're cornered! What the frag's going on?

"Guys, if there's an sewer entrance here, we can make a quiet retreat. I know some people who can protect us, and not even these bastards would mess with them. What do you think?"

[last_of_the_grea...]

Three. A mere three. Well, Yellow would be one, that was certain. He'd have to somehow get word to the girls to scatter. Leave them to the Riders? Not if he could help it. For a moment he considered just saying to hell with it and going down fighting...for a moment. He started formulating a plan...some other gang was going to be displaced by the Edgers...or absorbed. That was the way of the 'plex.

Dread head was sure willing to bargain for someone who was in a superior position...

"Three, hmmm. And how much time do we have to get our stuff into the truck?"

Mickey looked at Dread-head intensively, sizing him up...was he hiding something? Was it all an illusion, this superior force? Was Renraku pulling a fast one?

[Fresno Bob]

"Mother? Mother, what are you doing? There'll be time for packing later. Come back downstairs. Wait, where'd you get that drone thing?"

[last_of_the_grea...]

Mickey, after finding out how much time has been alloted, heads back to the house to let everyone know what just happenned, telling Dread-head so and that he'll be right back. He calls Ricks over to him and whispers, "Here's a chance for ya to earn some good will. Use that voodoo that's yours to command and watch everyone as I give them the heads up...if any give the impression of being traitors, I want you to signal me."

He stands where al can see him and calls for attention.

"Allright, Edgers, here's the situation. We're outnimbered and outgunned. We need to get absolutely everything we can into the big truck! Leave nothing behind except the bang. We're going to be escorted out of the territory. I know I promised you all a glorious battle, but after seeing what we are up gainst, I decided we'd all rather live. I guessed nobody here wanted to be a Wild Rider. Am I correct?" He scans the place, looking at each ganger in turn. Then he continues. Those of you who were hired guns, well, you just got paid good nuyen for showing up. Thanks for coming and I hope you'll be available should we need you again. We would all appreciate it if you stayed on hand until we are packed and moved. Allright, Edgers, let's get to work."

He heads back out to Dread head and speaks some more. "You and your guys might want to stay on the outside of your wall until we are done. The erea is trapped, you see. Once we're safely out of the territory, we'll let you know where all the traps are." He grins a little, just enough to let Dread-head know that it's not over until the Edgers are moved.

[Large Mike]

The hired guns seem more or less pleased at the concept of being paid to show up to a party. The pack most of their weapons, agreeing to stick around until the Bleeding Edge have cleared out.

Widow stoicly walks downstairs, grabs a duffle that is already packed, and walks back upstairs. Girl doesn't really have anything other than the clothes on her back, at this point. Diablo and Bishop have a quick conference between themselves for a bit and decide to grab their stuff and throw in with the Edgers. Evidentally this was up in the air for a bit. The hobgoblin they brought in to help walks up to them and talks for a bit. He's directed to Mickey, "Uhh... we're not really sure who's in charge right now, but you seem about as close to it as we're gonna get. You mind if I run with you guys? D and Bish are like brothers to me, and I don't really got no place else to go."

Bruised pulls up stakes fairly quickly and quietly, waiting in the kitchen for everyone else. Mother seems to be having a small scale breakdown in her room, but seems to snap out of it for a second, walks boldly as you please into Ghost's room, picks up a katana (evidentally he did own one, even though he used a stun baton), walks into Promo's room, viciously rips the mattress from the box spring, hurling it across the room, narrowly missing the small group have people that have gathered to watch her go crazy. She cuts a huge gash into the box spring and falls to it, tearing away the wood and fabric like a woman possesed. Finally, she tears it open and reaches inside. She comes out with a dufflebag, *very* large, troll sized, even, and pulls it, obviously very heavy, from the shattered box spring. With difficulty, she throws it over her shoulder. "I'm ready."

[Grey]

Ricks gives Mickey a nod and does his best to keep an eye on the gangers. From time to time he switches over to astral sight to get a look at their auras and see their emotional state.

Not having moved in yet, Ricks doesn't really have anything to pack up, so he just watches things progress around him while trying to get a feel for everyone.

[Fresno Bob]

Nick nods at Mother, and goes downstairs, gathering up his possessions and jamming them into his duffelbag. He rips his band posters off the wall, and rolls them up and sticks them in the bag. Then he goes around the barracks, gathering up anything anyone might have missed. After that, he sits on the edge of his bunk, his filled Ares duffelbag sitting next to him.

"Goddammit. We worked so goddamn hard for all this. And the fucking Wild Riders come...they fucking take it all with their hired guns. Fuck. FUCK. FUUCK!!!", Nick screams, he jumps up and begins destroying things, knocking over the bunkbeds, punching the plasticrete wall, bashing his head against metal support poles, all the while screaming.

[Grey]

Ricks looks over to Nick. "Yo, knock that shit off man."

[last_of_the_grea...]

Mickey looks at the hobgoblin, his brain reeling! Leader? Him? Noo..!

"For now, you're with us. A real decision'll be made once we find new stomping grounds and settle in."

He hasn't got much to pack, so he helps others who need a hand and generally shouts encouragement, trying to keep morale up.

[Large Mike]

Once everyone's ready, there's a final gathering in the livingroom. Everyone stands for a minute. The amassed army outside can clearly see inside, with every and their duffle bags. The hired help seems a little nervous, but that's mostly because they are going to leave a defensible position when they aren't absolutly sure they'll get popped in the head once they leave. There's a ruckus in the hallway, and everyone turns, some drawing weapons. A skinny, strung out figure appears around the corner. It's Junkie, finally done getting clean. "Hey guys, what's going on?" Someone fills him in, and he nods, seemingly onconcerned. He has no stuff, so he's just coming as is.

Outside, everyone gets into the truck, Kake Micky and Nick in the cab, everyone else in the trailer. Dread-head and two of his people wander over to look at everyone and smiles. "You coulda joined up, you know."

He turns to the Russians, "You're free to leave." He turns to the Kingsgate Hellbringers, who have wisly stashed their colors under other jackets or in bags. "Don't think you're hiding, without your colors on. But out of respect for the fact that you aren't wearing them, you can leave. You might expect a visit at some point, though."

He puts the megaphone to his mouth. "Alright everyone, SADDLE UP!"

The entire crew breaks up and grabs their bikes, most of them hidden in the various alleys nearby. Two mages, twins, ride theirs straight off the roof of a nearby building, floating nicely to the ground. Somehow, you hadn't seen them before. The drive to Hollywood is nerve-wracking, a semi surrounded by a fleet of motorcycles. Traffic turns out of your way, and along some streets there are people lined up on the sidewalks, waving you off. Some sad, some pleased. Munk's Skull Crushin' Bad Boyz are all lined up, giving a Roman salute. The bar guys from the losers old HQ are all staring, hard-eyed, but they each pour out their beer to the passing group, presumably to mourn the loss of a neighbourhood fixture.

Finally, you arrive in Hollywood. Some of you know this place, some don't, but none nearly as well as home. The place is as desolate as Woodinville was, but it seems moreso. There are abandoned buildings filled with squatters, fires in trashcans, and street lights that are almost all broken and spray-painted. One is even knocked over. Rusted out shells of cars sit on blocks, and the one source of life you see, a bar marked with a simple hand-painted sign, "Tiggy's Bar and Grill" seems almost abandoned itself, with wood over the windows. There's a Stuffer Shack and what used to be a hotel, with a huge condemed sign over the boarded over-door along with what used to be houses and small offices. One sign proclaims that a doctor used to work and live here, even though it's obvious he doesn't now.

[last_of_the_grea...]

[Fresno Bob]

Nick rubs a cut on his forehead from bashing his head around.

"Like I said...we should put it to a vote among the lieutenants. And you can't vote for yourself. Once again, I vote for Kake."

He nods at everyone as they salute the truck, a look of shame on his face.

[Grey]

"I ain't even offically part of the gang yet, so I guess I don't have any say. Although, from what I've seen, Mickey has been taken charge an' doin' a good job of it."

[Fresno Bob]

"Yeah, well Mickey ain't really a ganger. As of three months ago, he was corpsec. Although, who am I to dispute your decision?"

[last_of_the_grea...]

"You know what? We don't have time for a debate here. Put forth someone or abstain. I'll be willing to be in charge temporarily, until we get our own turf and re-established. Then we can pick out someone new and better for the job. That's 2 for me and one for Kake"

[JongWK]

Drek, I can't believe our luck. If there was a God, I'd swear he's having fun at our expense.

Painkiller looks at the gang.

"So, what now? We could ally with some people I know, but once we do, there is no way back."

[Grey]

"What kinda people are they?"

[Fresno Bob]

"Whatever Mickey. I didn't mean anything by it.", Nick says, jumping out of the cab.

"In any case, we're in potentially hostile territory. We need to find a way to let the gangs around here know we don't really have intentions on horning in on their business. At least until we have some more members. We could host a giant block party, or something, kind of as like a 'Hello, don't fuckin' shoot us.' thing. A real goddamn Soiree. A box social, of sorts. Mickey and I could go around dropping invitations. And hey, a party could attract new members. And, we could go get our fucking turf back. They can't hold a force of that size forever. If we get some heavy stuff, we can shell the fucking house down around them. Even if we lose the house, we'll have proved you don't fuck with the Bleeding Edge.", Nick says, eyes flashing with anger.

"Anyway, we should try getting situated in this house.", He adds, pulling ou his knife, and prying boards off the door with it.

[last_of_the_grea...]

"I think for now we should use the truck to crash in. That way we can be mobile if we need to. Let's split into pairs and scout the erea, see who's where and who's who, then we can plan where we'll live. Nick, you take Painkiller with you. Ricks, you're with me. Everyone keep your phones on. Ricks, can you summon watchers to do a fast recon before we go? I want as much recon as we can get."

[kevyn668]

Sitting on the hood of a rusted out hulk, Sue watches the semi pull up and several gangers jump out.

Well, there's something you don' see everyday...

He takes another swig of the snyth-scotch from a battered flask and replaces it in an inside pocket of his jacket. It may have been real leather at one point but those days are long gone.

Hopping off the hood, Sue straightens the double barrel shotgun in its holster on his back so that the sawed off butt shows over his left shoulder. He scratches his lambchop sideburns and runs a hand over the stuble on the rest of his face. Man, I could use a shave

He crosses the street slowly, keeping his hands open and at his sides. As he reaches the half way point, he sees a wild eyed young man [Nick] hop down from the cab.

Stopping about 3 meters from the man, "Hey, omae. You the new crew in town? Some people 'round here may not like that much. You th' Big Man, or what?"

He digs out a crumpled half full pack of 'Nails, unfiltered, and shuffles one out. He lights it with a cheap black Zippo knock off. He blows out the first puff without inhaling then takes a deep drag. Blowing the smoke out of the left side of his mouth, he fixes the other with a steely eyed glare and waits for a responce...

[Fresno Bob]

Nick straightens his posture. and dons a slight sneer.

"Yeah. We're new. Just out of Woodinville. We picked up and moved here. Forced change of scenery. You probably know how that is.", Nick says, unzipping his leather jacket, revealing a beat up Dead Kennedys T-shirt older than he is.

"I'm not the big man. 'Least, not yet. Our past two leaders were both geeked in as many days. Were putting the job to a vote now.", Nick says.

He sticks out his hand.

"My names Nick. We-", He says, spinning Mickey around to display the Bleeding Edge logo, "-Are the Bleeding Edge, one of the original gangs of Woodinville, forced out of our home by a veritable army. You here for a purpose, or you just want to shoot the shit?", he asks. His index and middle fingers fidget, as if he's used to having a cigarette there.

[kevyn668]

The bigger man grins when he sees Nick's shirt. He listens to the story and then nods, "You're straight forward, I respect that."

Sue takes Nicks hand and shakes it, matching the pressure equally. "My name is Sue, how do you do?" His grin blossoms into a full feral grin as if waiting for the man to say something. Then sombers just as quickly and takes a deep drag on the 'Nail, holding it for a second before exhaling.

"Thats a real shame about your Bosses, Nick, and since youre askin' I ain't here to jus' shoot th' shit. Fact is, I might be lookin for a new outfit. Some recent events have left me between...heh, jobs, you could say." Sue does a quick head count. "So, forced out, huh? Probably took some licks along the way? You guys in the market then?" He takes another drag. Seeing the twitching fingers, "You, uh, got a problem there?" And flicks some ash to the pavement.

[last_of_the_grea...]

Mickey glares at Nick and gives him a rough shove. "Hey, hands off the threads!" He takes off the prized real leather jacket and brushes it off with his hands, straightening it, then puts it back on, glaring at Nick again. If he wanted to rumble, all he had to do was keep it up. He looked at Sue.

"Who might you be, hmmm?" His trigger finger twitched as he gave Sue a half vacant stare.