Food Fight!, IC - Dairy Dash Options

[Chance359]

Troy taps Knuckles on the shoulder nodding toward the racks of soykay. The hydraulic jacks kick in and propel Troy from behind cover to Aisle 13.

[Ears]

Rob slows down to a walk on the wet floor, looking around to see if anybody is about to attack him. Three down, how many more to go? Hearing someone demanding a credstick from aisle 5 (soap and stuff) he heads that way. At least one, it seems.

Turning around the corner, both he and the would-be robber are startled to see each other at such a short distance. Did he have to stand right behind the corner?

Rob, who at least expected the other man, reacts the fraction of a second faster and gets his shot off first.
The soft bullet flattens against the other's chest, forcing the air out of his lungs and pushing him back by about a metre.

Still on his feet, the ganger regains his breath and returns fire at Rob, who hasn't even time to think about dodging. The solid round hits Rob in the left arm, who hardly seems to notice the hit.

He fires another shot at the robber, hitting his right shin this time. On the slippery ground, the man can't help but stumble and then fall backwards into a woman with a child - his intended victims, who try to get out of the way but stand no chance of doing so quickly enough. Crashing down in one thrashing and wriggling heap, the three manage to knock bottles of soap off the shelves, some of which break open and douse them in slippery cleanlyness.

A small trickle of blood runs down Rob's left arm and starts to slowly drip onto the floor.
Civies. And a kid to boot. And I'm hit. Wounded even. Thanks for nothing, ballistic underwear.
Looking at the mess he mumbles "civies".

[tisoz]

The buzz-cut haired man straightens from feeling the hard to see, beeping body. Magic he thinks. Might be getting ready to explode, too. He turns and looks along the frozen food cases in the direction of the lower numbered aisles and sees the glowing barrier blocking off the magazine section. More magic that way. He turns some more and heads back down the aisle he was in.

[Green Eyed Monst...]

John Stone approached the gap between Aisles 9 and 10 with wariness, checking for people in other aisles. He spotted a buzz-cut man wearing the gangs colors and toting a shotgun approaching the gap from Aisle 8. He considered filling that aisle with lead from full auto fire of the weapon in his left hand and a couple of shots from the one in his right, decided that could be a lethal mistake if the guy just happened to wear the wrong colored coat tonight, and decided on a less mortal action.

Habetis bona deum, Homo praesumitur bonus donec probetur malus I speak the foreign words, feeling the background count rise from the blood spilled here tonight, the terror it aroused, and to some extent, the magic being used. I send the bolt of mana at the unsuspecting man and this time I feel the magic flow through my body with little resistance.

On the other side of the gap between aisles, the buzz cut man falls to the floor with a grunt, his free out-stretched arm sweeping a slew of electronic products off the shelf and to the floor with him.

[Chance359]

Troy looks up upon hearing a body fall.

"Clear?" he yells and waits for a reply.

[Green Eyed Monst...]

John Stone hears, "Clear?" and says, "I don't think so!" as he walks down the gap between the rows of Aisles toward the side of the building sporting windows. If it was clear, I would have felt my spirit depart that was finished with its last service. Which reminds me I better summon another while I have the chance.

I look ahead through the window into the domain of a dark and stormy night. Quit thinking of that beagle typing on his dog house. You better concentrate, dammit! I think and say, "Aut viam inveniam aut faciam aqua pura." I feel the mana building and shape it to my will. Shortly, an undine hovers near me in astral space.

[Ears]

Rob points his gun at the wriggling mess before him.
Shoot? And if I hit the kid or the mom? An eye won't care I'm using gel rounds...
Talk.
"Listen punk; three of your friends are already down; wanna join 'em?"
After a short pause to let this sink in, he continues.
"Now, slide over your gun, stay down and let the fine lady and her offspring get away from you and you'll make it out alive."
Upon seeing the resignation in the ganger's eyes, Rob let's out an almost imperceptible "Good choice."

[Green Eyed Monst...]

Upon hearing the voice an aisle or so over call for a surrender and relate the knowledge that three of the persons friends are down, John Stone makes the guess that he is referring to gang mambers.

"I've seen four down," John says. "The howling shaman up front." Stone continues to look around as he walks, talking in short snippets. "The mage taking Mr. Nick to the back." "The guy with the katana." "An older guy with a buzz cut and shotgun." "I've also got a customer down at 8 and frozen food." "I had spirits conceal non-gang members." "Also saw a couple of my spirits attack the "Prince"." "Is he down?"

[tisoz]

You hear Mr. Nick over the stores public adrress sytem, the stress in his voice makes you wonder how he overcame his fear to even be addressing you. "I can't see everything from the store camera, but I don't see any of the gang that attacked us still on their feet, except for the one in..." There is a bit of a pause, then he continues, drawing out the first word, "Aaiisle 5, maybe? Johnny says he doesn't see anyone in our back room. Wanda, please, be quiet, dear. It looks like it might be over."

There is something in hearing Mr, Nick's voice that seems to transform the store far more powerfully than his words have any right to do. Maybe the hope that it instills that the attack might be over, and you seem to have survived the mayhem.

Just when the woman in Aisle 5 seems to have screamed herself hoarse, the tornado like spirit appears behind her in the aisle. The next sound is Spike getting knocked back along the shelves and raking them as he falls, pulling down the bottled douches, then the tampons from the next shelf down and finally the feminine hygein pads from the last shelf onto himself. The Woman slowly turns to look in fear at the tall funnel cloud, slowly drawing a deep breath. Surprisingly, the tornado looking spirit seems to bow to her and then move away toward Aisle 6.

[Green Eyed Monst...]

Upon hearing Mr. Nick say it looks like the gang is down and reminding him they may be in places other than the store floor, John Stone directs his spirits. Those of you attacking the gang robbing the store, he flashes a mental image of the gang's colors and emblem, be sure to look for the enemy in the back rooms of this building as well as around its exterior and parking lot. If you find no more, I thank you for your service and consider it finished. You did a fine job.

[BobRoberts]

Troy lowers the barrel of his pistol, pointing towards the floor, but keeping a firm grip. He starts to cautiously move towards the security room, looking carefully before stepping around any aisles.

"Anyone see any more out front?", he asks in a conversational tone. "Just going to check that Mr Nick's alright."

And see if those cameras have an easily erased record function...

[drips]

Sphinx scans the store intently, looking for any active enemies.

"Think they're all down!"

[Green Eyed Monst...]

John Stone reaches his mind out to his spirits. If the are no more gang members standing, I thank you, and you may quit concealing us.

I notice what is on the shelves of the Aisle I am by instead of searching for people who would slice, stab or put bullets into my carcass. A dwarf walks right past me and grabs a medkit, turns and introduces himself with an extended hand. I holster my heavy pistol and take his hand. I almost stammer as I say, "I go by Rocky" I listen to him as he asks if anyone else is hurt. As I grab the most expensive, complete medkit I see, I say, "Yeah. There's a guy in the next aisle over that looks like he got hit pretty bad. I was just grabbing this," I wiggle the medkit, "and heading that way," and circle back around to Aisle 8. I stop at the buzz cut man I downed, holster the machine pistol and pick up his shotgun in the event he gains consciousness, think about it for a second and surreptitiously pull a credstick and car keys from his pocket as I search for other weapons. Heading to the man sprawled at the end of the aisle, a clever thought enters my mind, and when I get to the end of the aisle I look through the front windows and summon an undine.

When it appears before me in astral space I tell it, go to the shaman in front of the entry doors, then the mage by the doors to the back room and then any of the other gang members (I give it a mental image of the gangs colors and symbol) and take any magic items or keys they may have and wait for me with them at my car. As you do this, conceal yourself, your actions and any thing you take.

[Xiuhaun]

After the all-clear is sounded, Knuckles returns his backup pistol to the holster in his lower back, and walks back to where he had dropped his coat earlier. Tying his blue bandana around his head, he picks up the soiled coat and lets it drip dry a bit before putting it back on. He retrieves his main pistol, thinks "Will have to clean this bastard before I can use it again", ejects the clip and unchambers the round. The unloaded pistol returns to the sidearm holster, the round returns to the clip, and the fully loaded clip finds its way into his left pocket.

Surveying the surroundings, Knuckles stands over the fallen Japanese fighter and produces two pieces of copper to place over his eyes. He whispers, "Rest in peace, may this provide you passage to the other side."

Turning his attention to the KO'd woman, he picks her up and carries her towards the front. Stopping at the counter, he addresses Wanda, "How much for the Fizzygoo I dropped back there?"

[drips]

Sphinx drops the barrier spell in front of him and watches the bones fade into nonexistence. He jogs down Area K to the severely injured man. He quickly checks the man's vitals. Satisfied that the man isn't about to die, he lightly slaps the man's face as he drops the armor spell.

"Oy chum, next time try to dodge. Want me to heal you up here or is there a doctor you'd prefer to go to?"

To the rest of the store Sphinx yells, "Anyone in need of immediate medical treatment, come to the frozen food section."

[Green Eyed Monst...]

John Stone comes up behind the giant elf, notices the spell being dropped, and hears the black man ask the guy that is down if he wants healed here or a preferred doctor.

"I snagged the best medkit they had," I say as I hold out the medkit. "If you are planning on using magic to heal him, I'd wait until we get him out of here because there's some background count that won't help."

I hold out my hand and say, "You may call me Rocky. Just another night at the Stuffer Shack, huh? I usually only run into stuff like this when I'm out trying to get my laundry washed." I realize I am feeling the after-effects of the adrenalin surge and quit talking.

[Ears]

Rob looks at the kid and repeats the question "Am I a shadowrunner? Do you think that's the kind of question that elicits a clear response? The kind of question you should be asking of someone who holds a big gun?"
Before the kid can press the matter, a spirit materialises, attacks the ganger and vanishes again.
Rob points the gun at the point where the spirit was just a second ago and yells:
"Frag! Hey, that guy's already surrendered! You, ah whatever you are! Frag!"
Note to self: get some info on how this drek actually works. Can you talk to these .... things?
Bending down, Rob checks his prisoner's pulse, relieved to find him alive but unconscious.
"Magic!" He looks at the kid and continues "Now listen to your mom and leave, that's no business for kids."
6 shots, that's 18 nuyen for unpaid getting-shot-at work. Turning into some kind of charity, chummer?
He holsters his heavy pistol, takes the ganger's gun, stuffs it into his belt and proceeds to pat the unconscious man down, looking for valuables.

Next he grabs a blottle of bleach, pours it all over the few drops of his blood that hit the floor, grabs a second bottle of the stuff, walks the few steps over to the medkits, grabs one, takes off his jacket and starts to work on his left arm.
When a man who fought the gangers as well walks in to get a medkit, Rob stops his treatment, offers his hand and says "Nice work, chummer. Name's Rob. Anybody seriously wounded?"

"Nice to meet you, Rocky. Yeah, you never know these days. One moment I'm looking at vintage comic books mags and the next this place is chock full of gangers and mojo." Looking at Rocky, he continues "So, who're you getting the medkit for? Somebody I should look at once i've got this little hole taped over? I'm no doctor by far, but maybe I can help."

[drips]

Sphinx takes Rocky's hand and shakes it. "Sphinx. This guy is going to be out for a while, I'll need to get him someplace more... clean before healing him. I don't suppose you have a vehicle we could use? I'd rather not carry him onto the bus, it might attract some negative attention."

Standing up and stretching, Sphinx checks out the rest of the 'Shack. "Would be best to take anyone in need of treatment with us as well. I'm a decent enough medic, but working in here won't make things any easier."

[tisoz]

Mr. Nick comes up behind Wanda, bends and takes the shotgun from the "Prince" and places it well out of the downed ganger's reach.

Mr. Nick asks, "Wanda?" trying to get her to quit screaming and pay attention, then shouts, "Wanda!" The girl is finally somewhat silent. Mr. Nick suggests, "Why don't you go back to the break room?" He takes her by the shoulders, turns her in the right direction and gives her a little nudge.

Mr. Nick looks at the ork asking about paying for a spilled drink and shakes his head in disbelief. "No. No, don't worry about it. It's complimentary," he says, then bends to the PA microphone and announces, "Stuffer Shack is sorry for any inconvenience you may have experienced. To show its gratitude to its loyal customers, all orders are free of charge for the next 2 minutes. Lone Star has been notified and we at Stuffer Shack would not want to further inconvenience our vigilant shoppers any further. Thank you for shopping at Stuffer Shack and be sure to check out next weeks special on frozen confections."

[Green Eyed Monst...]

Well, that one set of keys I snagged looked like it had a Bulldog keychain John "Rocky" Stone thinks. And if it isn't out there, I can go ahead and try to load him in my car. "Sure, I have a vehicle. I'm not sure how much room I'm going to have. Any plan on where to take him? This is Rob," Stone motions to Rob. He sounds like he knows a bit about using a medkit, but he needs worked on himself first.

"I was in here to get an umbrella, among other things. I think they have some plastic items we could use like a tarp and curtain an area off somewhere if it comes to that. Stuff like tablecloths, ponchos, maybe actual tarps. I think we should probably kind of wrap him in plastic so he doesn't leave blood all over the place and give the Star reason to look for leaking bodies. Maybe even splash any blood with some bleach so they don't astrally track us. Maybe I can get Mr. Nick to hit it with a mop, too, before Lone Star arrives."

Stone hears Mr. Nicks announcement, smiles and says, "Looks like everything's on the house for the next couple of minutes."

[drips]

Sphinx nods to Rob. "Nice to meet you. I'm pretty handy with a medkit myself. I can take a look at you later if necessary." Turning back to Rocky he says, "I suppose if worst comes to worst we could take the poor chum back to my place. Let me grab some things to sterilize the place."

Sphinx gets up and makes a quick trip through the store, grabbing as many chemicals as he can. He also picks up a decent amount of food and drinking alcohol. As an afterthought he follows Rocky's suggestion and grabs something to be used as a tarp. After fitting as much as he can into his jacket and various grocery bags, he makes his way back to Rocky and Rob. "Think I got what we'll need to take him with us."

[Xiuhaun]

"Thanks... <squints> Nick, much appreciated."

Looking back at the rest of the store, Knuckles overhears Sphinx talking about medical attention. In an overly-loud voice, to make sure anyone can hear, he announces:

"I have a friend of mine who is a doc, she lives just down the street from here. I am sure she wouldn't mind the work, if you are interested. It is where I have gotten most of my work done in the past, real discrete."

Setting Zany on the counter for a moment, Knuckles pops open his wrist-phone and speed dials Sarah "Wagon" Murphy.

"Hey doc, sorry if I disturbed you, but drek hit the fan down here at the SS, and I have a few mates that could use a little of your attention... Few cuts and scrapes, though one got fragged pretty hard, no ones shrieking about it so I think he's stable. Yeah, we'll be down in just a few."

[Ears]

Rob nods at the mention of a doctor. "Yeah we'd better get him some help soon. And although I'm not badly hit, can't hurt to have a pro look at my arm." He'll help carry Tinker outside and then ask "Anybody's got a another van handy?" Holding up a set of keys, he continues "It seems I just won a new motorcycle and I'd hate to leave either it or my own here for the star to admire."

[Green Eyed Monst...]

John "Rocky" Stone goes back down Aisle 8, moving in what looks like double time. I grab the toaster talker by the collar of his armored jacket, drag him to the front of the store, and let go of him near the corner of the check-out counter. I go over to the mage and quickly search his body for magic items, keys, cred, weapons and valuables and use the spirit I'm channeling's concealment power on them. Next over to the shaman and the same. I go out the doors and hit the buttons on the keys I found and a GMC Bulldog right up front flashes its lights. I open its doors, throw in the bag of weapons and the bag of medkits and supplies, then quickly go around the side of the building to my car, get whatever the undine collected for me, pocket the knife, stow the rest and any remaining loot I found in the car, and set Grid Guide to take it to the Tacoma Hilton parking lot.

I go back inside and down Aisle 1, grab a respirator or two, then cut over to Aisle 4, grab a couple rolls of Duct tape, and head for the front of the store. I hand a roll of tape to Mr. Nick and say, "You might want to bind their arms and legs in case they come around before help arrives. I'd hate to think you became a hostage after we leave but before the Star arrives. Thanks for the free stuff." I then start binding the gang members with tape, searching them as I go.

I hear someone ask about a van, and I say, "There's one right in front. The doors are open and waiting."

[Ears]

Rob nods at Troy "Thanks mate." He searches the key and fob for a manufacturer logo (Suzuki) and then the parking lot for bikes that fit the bill. Having found an Aurora that accepts the key, he commences to push it over to and into the Bulldog. Rob then walks over to his Harley, starts it up, rides it slowly over to the van and parks it there.
Walking back into the store, he stuffs the magazines he'd looked at earlier into his jacket, zips it shut, nods at Mr. Nick and asks "Everybody ready for the ride?"
All in all a rather good evening. A pred; a dumb one but still a good gun. A nice bike. Does Debs even do bikes? And a story for 'sis.