IC - Dairy Dash!, The Night of the Ripper Options

[Green Eyed Monst...]

With no valid targets on the astral plane, Rocky feels about as useful as a knife at a gun fight. All spirits not engaged in carrying out a request, please Manifest and draw fire away from Materialized members of "the group". Moving at the speed of thought, Rocky is standing Manifested down in the courtyard yards away from Knuckles in plain view of the Sub-machine gun wielding girl.

Rocky asks in a plainly audible voice, "You, ok, Knuckles?"

A humanoid rock figure, a dust devil, a jet of water and a Native American appear a few yards off, but near Zany.

[Dranem]

Terry relaxes after a moment having subdued her rage. Nothing but a waste of meat. She steps back, just in case the moron tries something else stupid. "Slot off before I really hurt you. You won't find an easy mark tonight!" She turns to walk away, keeping the purse-snatcher in the corner of her eye for safe measure.

[tisoz]

The van lays down more rubber as it spins its tires in haste to leave the suddenly crowded street. Zany looks at the new abundance of targets, feels the shotgun slug whistle past her head followed by the boom of the shotgun, and decides following the van out of Dodge is a good idea. She lets the sub-machine gun dangle from its sling, grabs the handle bars, and twists back the throttle, riding a wheelie as she catches up to the relatively slow moving van.

In moments, the street is deserted. Only the smoking motorcycle lying amidst spots of blood and fresh tire marks giving testament to the violence that erupted here.

* * * * *

Meanwhile, a few blocks away...

The purse snatcher doesn't bother looking back as he dashes around the corner of the UB chapter house, putting as much distance as possible between himself and the approaching RV.

[Green Eyed Monst...]

"I'm getting tired of these guys dropping in unexpected," Rocky tells Knuckles. "You'll probably be wanting to move along before the Star shows up, so I'd appreciate it if you leave my car and meat bod somewhere I can find them, like Doc Sara's. I'm trailing these guys back to where ever they hole up, then I'll let you know so we can drop in on them and see how they like uninvited guests."

[Xiuhaun]

Rocky materializes next to Knuckles as he was lining up his shot on Zany. Startled, he pulls the shotgun slightly, embedding a slug into the wall behind the ganger. Frustrated, he snaps back at the visage of the mage,

"Yeah, I'm fine. Its spooky as hell when you do that. If I get out of this, I'll see your meatstack gets somewhere safe..."
"like the bottom of a river, bloody mages freak me out."
"Sarah's will be fine, if you can find your way back."

Knuckles watches the gangers flee the scene, then comes to his senses and rushes back towards Rocky's car to meet up with Rob.

[tisoz]

Rob looks out on the recently deserted street and listens intently for any sirens in the distance. He rushes to the downed bike, yells, "I think you got it," in the courtyards direction, then heaves the bike back upright and onto its wheels. He looks around for the nearest concealment and pushes it around the corner and into the trees on Grant Street then crosses back to Rocky's car and listens some more for the anticipated sirens. He waits for the shaman's body to animate and for Knuckles to get in the car, but neither of those things is happening either.

As Rob looks at the fire elemental/hooker under the awning, he wonders if the gunfight actually happened. Yes, the tire marks are still on the street. He looks to the upper stories of the surrounding buildings and notices none look like residential units on this part of the block. Don't tell me no one reported that autofire and shotgun blasts to Lone Star. What'd they think it was a block away, rolling thunder? A string of firecrackers?

The anticipated sirens do not come.

Tinker conference calls over the cell phones, "What are you guys doing? I intercepted two calls to Lone Star reporting a shootout. I can't believe there weren't more." After some talk back and forth Tinker gets back to the point. "I have our possible suspect. I can't get a good pic of him because of the coat and hat and the way he seems to know where the cameras are and hides his face by tilting his head. But it sure fits the M.O. and look of the guy I saw when I looked into the past murders. He just crossed 7th heading down Lincoln. Hold on, it looks like he's spooked. No, he's moving again. It looks like he caught a glimpse of your purse snatcher running across the street a block down."

[Xiuhaun]

Knuckles catches the end of the conversation between Rob and Tinker as he approaches the car.

"Whats the plan?"

After confering with Rob, he contacts the Andersen team to bring them up to speed. With Rob driving the car, Knuckles sits in the back with the meatsack, unloads the remaining 2 slugs from his shotgun, then proceeds to load the three shot from his pocket, followed by the two slugs back into the shotgun.

"A-team, we'll meet you on 6th and Lincoln and head over to bag this guy."

[tisoz]

Rob says, "I'm all for bagging this guy, but shouldn't we make sure it's The Ripper and not just some poor slot who looks like The Ripper. Besides, what evidence do we have to collect the Star's reward. I say let him find our bait while we have trideo, video and cameras set up to catch him in the act."

Tinker comes over the conference cell call and gets relayed through microtransceivers, "There's a nice camera in place and decked right across from the fire bait on the corner of that courtyard where all the action's been going on. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've got the feed and incriminating evidence

"Troy, can you get your aerial drone in position over the elemental? It looks like he may come on it first. If you have some other cameras, circle around and get them in position to catch the attack. Terry, you might think about moving to a nearer corner along his route. Maybe stay out of sight for now and we'll let you know if he passes up the first target.

"Everyone be on your toes. This guy has managed to avoid getting caught somehow."

[Dranem]

Terry finds it hard to act casual after that little bit of action. She feels the anxiety clawing at the back of her being, wanting something to happen. All this 'bait and wait' is getting rather tiresome, she finds herself wanting a little more fun and excitement.

When the decker reports that he may have their target nearby, she gives a small evil smile. Finally some real action! Not wanting to blow the scene, she nods, <<"Gotcha">>, and moves nearer to the corner, but still out of sight. She's almost jealous that it seems the elemental will be the bait tonight, but the reality of how dangerous this fiend is sits in the back of her mind. She feels a little defenseless: no armour, no weapons. So she reminds herself she doesn't have to play the hero in this battle, what counts is nabbing the perp and getting the cash. Some positive rep with the Star would be a welcome change to what we usually get ourselves in.

[tisoz]

The suspect keeps walking down Lincoln, his long coat shedding water as it flaps as he strides along. The drips splatter on the pock-marked plascrete of the sidewalk. The tree branches sway and creak in the gentle wind. The moon is a memory on this typical Seattle night, fighting to shine through the cloud cover. In the distance a car backfires, or is that another shot in the dark?

The man reaches Kirkwood and surreptitiously does a 360 taking in his surroundings. Nothing seems amiss as he crosses the street and walks up Kirkwood in Kelly's direction, the fog moving in behind him as though he were generating it. He walks along the highest building in the area, gaining some respite in its lea from the drizzly rain.

[tisoz]

Rocky follows the van, moving as fast as he can while keeping it in sight, then moving at the speed of thought to an intersection it has passed through. Only a few intersections after tailing them, the van and bike turn left on Washington and pull to a stop in front of the Universal Brotherhood chapter house. The driver runs around the van and helps the toaster talker carry the wounded mage inside the building. Zany pulls her bike in behind the van and covers their six.

[Green Eyed Monst...]

Come tell me when people get back in that van Rocky tells his Watcher as he points to the gangs van in front of the U.B. house. I'm going back around the block to where we were waiting before following them.

Sure thing, Boss the Watcher replies, tell you when people get in that van. Find you where we started following them.

Rocky decides to check on Terry as he returns via a different route.

[tisoz]

All eyes are on the man in the long coat and broad brimmed hat as he approaches the fire elemental calling itself Kelly.

"Hey, Mister, ya want a good time?" Kelly asks, posing suggestively.

"A good time?" the man ponders as he comes within striking distance of Kelly. "Yes, but what if my idea of a good time clashes with yours?" The Ripper asks as spurs pop from his forearms and he lashes out at Kelly's soft flesh. "Die, tramp! Die! Die! Die!"

The Ripper sinks a spur into Kelly's neck as the elemental stands there as though entranced. The spur gigs the elemental like a frog, jutting out the other side of her neck as he follows it up by sinking his other spur into the pit of her stomach. Kelly takes a large intake of breath as the elemental looks up into The Ripper's face, so close she has trouble keeping the bile down due to his halitosis.

The Ripper stares down into Kelly's face, expecting to see a look of excruciating pain. Confusion furrows his brows as the girl disappears from sight. He can still feel her impaled on his cyberspurs, then that feeling, too, is gone.

When The Ripper approaches the fire elemental, Knuckles exits the vehicle and dashes over the grass to the building across Kirkwood from the pair. He follows the wall to its front corner and carefully peers around it as he shoulders the wall.

The first shot staggers The Ripper. The Ripper's shadow dances in the puddle in the street. The second shot cores The Ripper and he goes down atop his shadow with a splat.

A GMC Bulldog comes screeching around the corner on the wet pavement. With its motor sounding ready to blow, the throttle pushed to the maximum, it looks to be making a bee line to the recently expired killer.

[Green Eyed Monst...]

Force eight Manitou, if you would be so kind, please use your confusion power on anyone not a part of "the group" who touches that downed man. Rocky indicates The Ripper.

Force six Sylph, I ask you to use your movement power on any of 'the group's" vehicles to safely increase their speed.

[Kartijan]

When Terry moves off to 'intercept' The Ripper, Carrie goes fully astral and travels unmanifested with her sister leaving her meat bod in the van to collect later.

[tisoz]

The van slides to a stop on the wet asphalt, but perfectly positioned just forward of where The Ripper fell. The back doors fly open and a troll in an armor jacket puts his feet on the pavement and stands from where he was sitting in the van, holding a stun baton. He takes a single step over to The Ripper, whacks him on the head, then bends over to pick up the bloody man. A dwarf hops out after the troll brandishing a shotgun and takes a position at the right rear of the van.

The troll no sooner touches The Ripper than he stands erect and looks all around. He starts walking toward the front of the van, when the dwarf finally notices he has walked past The Ripper. "Hey, Perfessor! Where you heading?"

[Dranem]

Terry is speaking low out of precaution into her transceiver. <<"They took him down way too easy, I don't think this nut's our target.">>
She watches the troll get out of the van, and turns, making a motion with her hand. She seems to be looking at something to her left. <<"I'm going to see if I can get closer.">>

[Kartijan]

Carrie nods to Terry and immediately begins casting the requested spell.
Once the spell is completed she moves to accompany her sister again, once more walking about a step behind, and just to the left of Terry, as she would if she were actually in the mundane.

[tisoz]

The side door of the van swings open and a young acne plagued girl hops out, then trots around the front of the van after the troll.

At the back of the van, a trapdoor hinges down from underneath the van and a low slung drone wheels down the ramp. At first, it looks hardly taller than a mechanics creeper, but with a whir it extends itself about a meter high, spins around in a circle, and moves past the open side door to avoid the curb and stops at the left front corner of the van.

A being materializes upon the sidewalk near The Ripper. It is somewhat humanoid in shape and looks to be made of brick.

The girl calls out to the troll, "Perfessor!" The huge metahuman ignores her until she reaches out and takes him by the hand. It strikes you as odd seeing the girl, dwarfed by the metahuman, lead the troll back toward the van.

The City spirit bends to pick up The Ripper, then abruptly straightens and quits moving.

The drone does a 180 degree turnabout, and you can easily imagine its operator now scrutinizing the City spirit.

[tisoz]

Rob announces over the communication network, "It sounds like the shots that took down The Ripper came from the building taking up the block to the West. Tinker or Troy, can you get us info on roof access?" He then tells the watcher to relay a message to Carrie and Rocky, "Can you check the roof a block West of The Ripper?"

[tisoz]

The girl leads the Perfessor around to the side door of the van, looks inside, looks at the troll, then walks the troll past the dwarf to the rear doors and guides the troll in.

The dwarf watches them pass, then goes to the curb side of the van and looks at the spirit and the drone.

The brick being slowly sits down on the curb, bricks shifting, disappearing and reappearing as it does so. It places what passes for an elbow on what would be called a knee, then rests its head on the back of its clenched fist.

The drone starts spinning in place, then begins firing its turret mounted assault rifle as it continues to spin.

The dwarf jumps for cover behind the van. The girl does not wait for the troll to work his way into the van and jumps inside herself, trying to squeeze between the troll's bulk and the van's side. From sources within the van, a tinny voice asks, "Perfessor, Mary Ann, Skip, are you under attack? Where is the threat? Are you ok?" There is a pause, then, "Oh, drek! I've got multiple spirits at my 20! I could use some help Movie Star!"

[tisoz]

Movie Star listens to Howl's plea, though she is already aware the team is being acted upon by spirits from the behavior of her spirit, and she is searching for the culprit using astral perception. She sees the big manitou as it looks inside the van, then hundreds of hours of magic lessons compete for space within her mind.

In the driver's seat beside Movie Star, Skip tries to make sense of the pretty controls on his remote control deck. The last clear thought he has is positioning the steel lynx to cover the team when it appears things are not going as planned.

Mary Ann just gets the Perfessor into the van and jumps in beside him when she comes into view of the manitou, and forgets what she plans doing next.

Li'l Buddy jumps out of the wild fire from the steel lynx and into view of the manitou. Suddenly, the street seems like as good place as any to take a break. It surely beats deciding whether to shoot at the steel lynx, the spirits attacking Howl up on the roof, a couple more into The Ripper, his teammates that are acting wonky, or the world in general.

Up on the roof, a whirlwind takes shape in the fog, but mysteriously has no effect on blowing the fog away. A slab of rock that materialized over Howl drops on top of him. The puddle of water near him surges up into a fountain, lifting Howl as it elevates. Howl struggles to maneuver himself to avoid pitching off the rooftop and when it appears he has won, the water lets him roll off its jets, fall back to the roof, then crash down upon him.

Howl quickdraws his predator and fires at the spirits atop him while trying to move away from them. Chips fly off the gnome as the bullets hit their target, but they are only chips and the spirit hardly seems to notice.

[tisoz]

The spirit calmly sitting in the form of a fire hydrant disappears from the physical plane, passes through the metal side of the van as though it were a shadow, and attacks Movie Star.

The struggle is short and one sided. The City Spirit rakes Movie Star's very essence with an animal like claw, while the elf feebly fends off the attack as though she can't tell where it is coming from or if she is really being attacked. Luckily for her, her standing orders to her spirits end the attack no sooner than it started as the City Spirit decides it is a good time to go over all options open to it and try to decide on the very, truly, best, least damaging, least vulnerable, perfect, attack.

[tisoz]

The gun shots from the rooftop are barely heard as the steel lynx goes full auto! The first shot or two go ricocheting up Kirkwood toward Dunn. Troy Anderson miraculously avoids the next shots as he crosses their path. The intruding van blocks a few pieces of lead as they bounce off its armored skin. Next in the arc of doom is the sitting brick being, its bricks shatter under the onslaught but seem to be absorbed by the being and replaced by new, unharmed brick. The buildings are not so lucky. Their windows shatter under the fusillade, setting off alarm klaxon and sirens.

[Dranem]

Drek! This isn't good! Terry keeps using the van as cover from the gun-spinning drone. <<"Anyone know how to shut that drone down!?" We're going to have to move out before we get more company.>>