2072: Game World, IC thread for 2072: Recruitment always open! Options

[Notsoevildm]

@Seth, Ember & Demon
[April 15th 2072; 21:46; 2265 Occidental Avenue, Seattle]

Rage boiled up in Copperhead's veins at the dwarf's attitude. Fraggin' corper playing with people's lives like it's a fraggin' game.

Her face was flushed with anger, the servos in her right hand whining as she clenched her staff with all its strength while the razors on her left hand snicked angrily in and out.

Anger will not help you here, whispered Snake, so close she almost jumped. He is hiding the truth and has you at a disadvantage, foolish girl. Follow him, choose your time and place, and his secrets may yet be revealed.

Copperhead hissed out a breath, retracting her razors and loosening her grip on the staff. Slowly she folded it away and replaced it in the pocket sewn inside her long coat. She glanced at the time in her AR display and then to Ember. She was the 'muscle' and he was the Johnson. Follow his lead, she told herself then returned her attention to the dwarf, locking his physical and astral image into her head for future reference.

[Aria]

@Seth, Copperhead & Demon
[April 15th 2072; 21:46; 2265 Occidental Avenue, Seattle]

Ember did his best to reign in his temper, only allowing some of his anger to trickle through his eyes...

“Monsieur Allenby, I can see that you are someone to value the insurance of recordings. I know my wife well enough to know that she will have taken meticulous records of all your dealings with her, for insurance, and whilst I would rather not waste your time and mine I can verify them if you wish, perhaps there are other ways we can set your mind at rest about our intentions?

We were hired for our discretion and I have every interesting in ensuring your privacy. We simply wish to establish the truth behind these threats and deal with the person or persons responsible. Making an appointment for tomorrow is regrettably not possible...this matter must be dealt with before the trail has time to go cold.

So we can dispense with the posturing and talk sensibly?

Perhaps the eminently employable Miss Tangent would be so good as to call Knight Errant and assure them that we are simply having a conversation with Monsieur Allenby and that there is no need to concern themselves with this matter?”

[Seth]

@Ember,Demon,Copperhead
[April 15th 2072; 21:37; 2265 Occidental Avenue, Seattle]

The cigar goes back in the mouth, and the eyes narrow. "I record everything. Everything I tell you" this is clearly an important topic to Mr Allenby. "Pah! Knight Errant cannot be called off. Its part of the protection." Allenby drains 2 inches of Brandy, and slams the glass on the table. "4 minutes 30 seconds". He leans back. "Your wife had an accident. I saw the reports: no foul play. Accidents happen: she should be more careful".

"Look in the last six months I've only had a kid plant some weak HE in the car, and some floozy working for me had an accident. That's hardly enough to warrant getting all panicky" Seeing the look in Ember's eye he leans forward smirks and says "4 minutes. And maybe they will be early. You lot look like you might be on someone's wanted list, and they move quicker if there is a reward on offer".

"Now don't get panicky..." he reaches for a drawer very slowly and extracts a folder some 6 inches thick. "Here. A present for you. The death threats I have got in the last 2 years. I particularly like the ones on yellow paper. Best of luck." The folder is thrown on the table, bits of paper dropping out of it as it goes.

[Seth]

April 15th, 2072 10:47am; Dearborn; Downtown Seattle
[Pan=Hidden. Id = <Information not available>]

"I'm going to rustle up some help." Dropping in the highly illegal Hot Sim full VR, Jotamon moves his electric senses out. Fortunately this was a law abiding area, and the cars and vans around were nicely transmitting their "hello I am here" signals.

Jotamons senses swirl for a moment, then he arrives in the Matrix. Dressed in the traditional long black leather coat, black shirt, white tie, wearing the obligatory dark shades he moves over to the icon of a Toyota Gopher "Honk the car in front of you is a Toyota" it said. Reaching into his coat, Jotamon pulled out a steel rule and begin to slide it into the door. At first there was a click, but then it stuck.

"This is going nowhere slowly", and he smoothly walks over to a white van showing the Icon "Pets Lunch: We Deliver. No job too big or too small". Well I have a new job for you, Jotamon thought That bike needs to meet Mr Van, and he reaches down with his steel rule. Clunk.

[galenbd]

@Jamie, Jotamon & Doza
[April 15th, 2072 10:47am; Dearborn, Downtown Seattle]
[Internal PAN=Passive. Id = <Information not available>]

"What the hell?", Jamie curses again as Mareno features slack into what she readily recognizes as a RAS state. Why didn't he send an agent to do that?

Now I have to deal with these goons alone. Great.

[Notsoevildm]

@Ember,Demon,Seth
[April 15th 2072; 21:37; 2265 Occidental Avenue, Seattle]

Copperhead grinds her teeth in frustration as the papers spill across the desk. Enough of this! Spirit I need your services. There are secrets in these papers. Gather them up and hand them to the mage, Ember, who stands next to me.

Suddenly, wind whistles through the office. Loose pages swirl back into the folder and the whole folder lifts off the desk and floats over to Ember while Copperhead glares at the dwarf.

As the folder lands in his hands she growls, "Time to go." Then she turns on her heel and stomps out of the office, making the floor vibrate with her steps.

As she passes the secretary, she grumbles, "Having met da little dick you have for a boss, my advice goes double."

She stops a moment to let her two companions catch up. Spirit, conceal us from those who would prevent us from leaving.

She realises that she is ordering Snake around but doesn't worry about it for the moment. She knows the serpent will make her pay for it later.

[JxJxA]

@Seth, Ember & Copperhead
[April 15th 2072; 21:37; 2265 Occidental Avenue, Seattle]
[PAN = Elite, Passive ID = Aubert Benoit]

Demon rolls his eyes at the mention of Knight Errant. Allanby is attempting to seize the part of the mastermind in this danse macabre---the man in the tower who sees all and knows all. However, in his state of hubris, he had made two fatal mistakes: 1-He told them exactly how much time they have before Knight Errant arrives, and 2-He forgot that a five minute response time is little consolation to a sad little man weeping over his newly-perforated patellas. Demon has half a mind to simply end this miserable little dwarf's life, but manages to restrain himself. He still plays the part of the sheathed dagger. The leader of their merry band must give the word first before he plays a new part.

<<@Ember & Copperhead: Give the word and I would be more than happy to make this merde petit batard sing the information you so desire.>>

Watching Copperhead take the initiative, he turns his attention to Ember and waits for his cue...

[Aria]

@Seth, Demon & Copperhead
[April 15th 2072; 21:37; 2265 Occidental Avenue, Seattle]

Ember frowned at the dwarf, all too aware that with Copperhead’s spirit cloaking them he would no longer be able to see them, clearly at least. Damn him! Front was one thing but the wilful arrogance of this little turd set Ember’s teeth on edge.

Enough, if he wasn’t prepared to talk to them now then Ember was more than happy to disturb him again once they had picked through the death threats. He had no problem with the thought of invading the dwarf’s home and hanging him by the ankles if that yielded better results. He made a mental note to ensure they had a hacker on overwatch however, he didn’t fancy being disturbed by the Boys in Black.

He composed a message on the holopad and fired it towards Demon and Copperhead (sometimes he envied his children’s ease with this technology and their DNI trodes and other paraphernalia that made it so easy)

<<We will deal with this one later! Let’s take this information and sort through it, see if we can find a pattern. If we need the dwarf to shed any additional light on ones that aren’t simply crackpot haters then we can press him for more answers then.>>

[Aria]

@Jamie

While you feel your blood racing with the impending confrontation (and your anger at the stiff for dumping his body on you while he VR’d), your agent calmly returns a verdict on the communications of the biker weaving along the pavement.

<<Node confirmed Active. Encryption present. Probability of quantum 7 key encryption 72 %.>>

@ Jotamon

The van’s dogbrain opens before you as a simple console hanging in virtual space. Nobody has spent time programming anything fancy into this particular interface...probably just as well for you given the rush job. The grid guide icon is flashing engaged, fuel counters are in the green and judging by the economy figures there’s something heavy in the back (the inventory is presumably more secure somewhere).

With your current level of hacked clearance you aren’t going to be able to get it to go against its basic safety parameters and ram something, however if you were spoof the grid guide signal for a sec and tell it to change lanes just about now...

[galenbd]

@Jamie, Jotamon & Doza
[April 15th, 2072 10:47am; Dearborn, Downtown Seattle]
[Internal PAN=Passive. Id = <Information not available>]

Of course. I need to command Yokinko better. Jamie loads a minor decryption utility and hands it to Yokinko. Please decrypt them all.

Jamie peeks over the seat, looking at the two bikes running up from behind. Those guys with guns mean business. I’m under cover from the drone, so it shouldn’t notice the muzzle flash. The gunshot mikes will pick it up however. I may not be able to hack the bike quick enough. That’s fine. Let’s teach those bastards to bring bikes to a car war.

Jamie grabs the steering wheel and jinks the car around.

[Seth]

@Jamie, Jotamon & Doza
[April 15th, 2072 10:47am; Dearborn, Downtown Seattle]
[Internal PAN=Passive. Id = <Information not available>]

In the matrix Jotamon breaths a sigh of relief as the door on the van clicks open. Diving in he find the Tom-Tom on the dashboard showing the routing instructions. A quick felt tip pen redraws the route: showing a clear path to the left, heavy traffic behind and to the front. That should do it he thought as he spoofs the guidance systems.

Coming back the normal world his vision is swamped by warning signals. His pharmacopia is already pumping drugs into his system, the Move By Wire has began its intrinsically unstable patterns, preparing for frantic dodging. Two gun wielding assassins are highlighted approaching, AR targets superimpose over their vital spots, red readouts showing weapon characteristics highlight their guns and guidance lines showing the least bad movement options appear along the ground. The expert systems were universally yelling "Move. Move."

Bad Bad Bad thought Jotamon Knight Errant watching, Gun men and pedestrians. Ah well at least I am wearing my respirator, it won't be that clear a mug shot

As Jotamon dives out of the Jackrabbit beginning the one handed cartwheel in what feels like ultra slow motion he is rewarded by the sounds of what can only be called a distraction. The Pet's Lunch van accelerates into path of one of the bikes, which begins to cartwheel. Bike and rider begin to tumble through the air. They said no delivery too small or too big. Well delivery concluded.

Half way through the cartwheel, his taser appears in his right hand delivered by the expert system controlled arm slide, the cross hairs on his target go green, and dart flys from Defiance Ex Shocker, hitting the closest gunman in the forehead, before landing crouching behind a vintage Eurocar Westwind complete with Spoilt Executives Son.

[Aria]

@Jamie, Jotamon & Doza
[April 15th, 2072 10:47am; Dearborn, Downtown Seattle]

Jamie:

The biker intercepted by the van cartwheels and lands in an untidy and probably bloody heap under the bumper of an americar. You wrench the jackrabbit around and it lunges in the confines of the jam and manages to shift itself sufficiently to mount the pavement. This gives you a clear shot through the car at the biker bearing down on you as he reaches for the slung sub machine gun at his side.

Your erstwhile passenger has flung himself out of the car onto the pavement and then back into the road in a series of extraordinary manoeuvres reminiscent of that old flat flick that aficionados still rave about...

Jotamon:

Your precipitous moves take you clear of the jackrabbit, over the hood of the car behind it and as you get a clear shot between vehicles your taser spits once, allowing you to follow through into cover.

Despite the distance your brief glimpse shows the dart fly true and strike the gunman in the temple...unfortunately he’s wearing some kind of combined face mask and respirator and although the dart discharges he doesn’t collapse as you’d hoped. He stumbles and dives between two cars with his back to you.

The second gunman races up the back of another car at decidedly chipped speeds swinging his colt assault rifle round to target your position...seems like you’ve been designated the primary threat...

Jamie:

<<Decryption complete. Analysing content and transmitting.>>

A scrolling AR window appears out of the corner of your eye indicating the flow of information between the biker, his vehicle and the team behind him. The speech is clipped and terse, electronically produced to prevent anyone linking it back to its owner...it would seem that these guys are considerably more professional than the vat boys you took down in Redmond.

<<One is down. Two Target Alpha 3. Primary unseen. 3-4 neutralize Alpha 1.>>

[galenbd]

@Jamie, Jotamon & Doza
[April 15th, 2072 10:47am; Dearborn, Downtown Seattle]
[Internal PAN=Passive. Id = <Information not available>]

Seeing the guy on the bike go for his gun, Jamie hunches down behind the wheel and puts the pedal to the metal, driving right for the guy. Unfortunately she misjudges badly and ends up clipping a curbside clothing machine. While she bounced off of it, her momentum carries her passenger side up over the curb.

[JxJxA]

@ Seth, Ember & Copperhead
[April 15th 2072; 21:37; 2265 Occidental Avenue, Seattle]
[PAN = Elite, Passive ID = Aubert Benoit]

After reading Ember's message, Demon releases a belabored and disappointed sigh. He gives a curt nod to Mr. Allenby before turning on his heels and walking away.

"Until we meet again, Monsieur," he says in an inappropriately merry tone. And believe you me, we will. Now that I know who else you plan to invite to our next soiree, I will be sure to wear the appropriate attire for the situation, he thinks to himself.

As he walks out, he echoes Copperhead's advice to Ms. Tangent and Dave.

"I would suggest seeking out a better place of employ. Personally, I do not understand how you can even endure a mere moment of his presence."

[Alyena]

[April 15th, 2072 10:47am; Dearborn, Downtown Seattle]

Doza pulls the bike up hard behind the van, slewing it round side on to the action. As she leaps off her hand snags the 'Knight' from its holster, an action that is smooth and shows the ease that only comes with long practice. She scans the scene before her, assessing threats and cover, bystanders and exits all without conscious thought.

The hostile running over the car towards Jotamon becomes Target 1. Not least because it is Jotamon but also the assult rifle puts him top of the list!
Crouching she frames him in her sights with clear sky beyond him. "Lets at least try and reduce possible hits on innocents"

She lets loose a long burst and grunts in satisfaction as he jerks and spins, dancing to her tune. She rises and steps sideways already seeking another target. The guy Jotamon tasered is staggering but not down, a single shot flies his way. Too many bystanders in the killing zone to risk more.

[Aria]

@Seth, Copperhead & Demon
[April 15th 2072; 21:46; 2265 Occidental Avenue, Seattle]

Outside Deaths Head Studios Ember indicated that they should climb into the waiting Elite. Although not the largest of cars he was glad, given the size of Copperhead, that it was larger than a conventional sedan.

“David, can you take us south please? We want somewhere quiet to conduct a conversation, preferably where we will not be overlooked. Perhaps a hotel near the airport?”

“How about the Jucy Lucy Inn, it’s a bit further off the beaten track, quiet and anonymous?”

“Oui, that sounds perfect…”

The 5 was quiet running south and Ember concentrated on the views out to Lake Washington beyond the intervening sprawl, trying to distract himself from the nagging worry that he should be with his family. But if they were going to be safe then this was necessary, and damn it, he intended to find out who was responsible!

Ten minutes or so later they were pulling into the hotel car park, a room booked in advance under Ember’s dubious fake ID…

[Aria]

@Jotamon, Jamie & Doza
[April 15th, 2072 10:47am; Dearborn, Downtown Seattle]

Jotamon feels the sting of bullets smashing into ribs, his internal ware desperately trying to stem the bleeding, shock and pain.

The light machine gun bucks and roars and a scythe of bullets strikes the gunman on the car at about waist level, more or less cutting him in half…stray rounds shriek onwards to lodge themselves somewhere in the surrounding light industrial buildings.

Doza’s second controlled burst at the crouching target is evaded although the vehicle he is hiding behind is not so lucky, the bullets churning their way through metal and plastic

On the curbside Jamie is left staring at the approaching biker as he reaches for his smartgun...

Pedestrians and drivers begin to panic in the suddenness of the violence as their brains catch up with events and chaos begins to ensue...it won't be long before KE are forced to respond...

<<Four is down, where the frag did that trog come from? Redesignate Alpha 1>>

[Seth]

@Ember, Copperhead & Demon
[April 15th 2072; 21:59:57; Jucy Lucy Hotel, Seattle]
Ember, Demon and Copperhead walk through the automated door into the air conditioned Jucy Lucy hotel. Outside it was damp with the faint smell of kerosene in the air. Inside the air is cool, corporate and has no taint to it. The small open space is decorated with tables and chairs, a couple of which have suited salesmen <PAN: John Haviland, Fertiliser Technologies, Sales Manager>, <PAN: William Highway, ADX, Product Evangelist> talking to clients <PAN: Harvey Dank, Saeder Krupp, Research Officer grade 4> and <PAN: hidden>. Three other tables have a couple talking and exchanging AR holiday photos. One table has a young mother <PAN: Gracie Brown> with a sleeping baby <Pan: Little Darling> in a pram next to it. There is still one corner table free. This is a typical scene that could have come from the hotel's brochure.

There is an attractive young lady <PAN: Marie Fournier, Assistant Trainee Manager> taking orders from the young mother, well spoken and confident for an 18 year old. As you enter, she finishes taking the order from Gracie and walks over to you.

"Welcome to the Jucy Lucy Hotel, do you want a room, or can I get you something from the bar?". There is the faintest hint of a french accent, and it is a toss up who is better looking: Miss Tangent or Marie Fournier.

Copperhead pauses, hidden behind her Physical Mask spell. There is a sound over the air conditioning. A faint susurration. Warningsss. Attenssssion. Commminggg nowwww. Deaatthh in theirr heaartttsss. Outssidee. Thrrreee commeee. Forrr yoouu. ssss.

[Seth]

@Jamie, Jotamon & Doza
[April 15th, 2072 10:47am; Dearborn, Downtown Seattle]
[Internal PAN=Passive. Id = <Information not available>]

Slammed by the bullets, Jotamon is driven to the floor as the slugs impact and through his armor. His HUD display shows the damage in red as his internal damage control ware kicks into action.
"Biomonitor - Minor damage"
"Damage contol - Accelerated blood clotting initiated"
"Pharmacopia - Drug stocks high. Recommend Nitro injection "
"Gun - Ammo (2)"

As he falls automated reflexes kick in, the Move By Wire protecting his head. The PredictaEnemy^TM code projected translucent AROs of possible enemy positions. The drone overhead identified as the largest tactical threat, followed by the Van. The two remaining humanoid targets were higher priority immediate threats. As Jotamon landed, he was in an optimium position to see under the stationary vehicles. Aha there was an enemy foot.

It was a difficult shot shooting under the car from a prone position, and the pain in his belly was unpleasant. Still Jotamon was good with the taser, and "ZAP" a dart flew into the target's foot.

[Notsoevildm]

@Ember, Seth & Demon
[April 15th 2072; 21:59:57; Jucy Lucy Hotel, Seattle]

Warningsss. Attenssssion. Commminggg nowwww. Deaatthh in theirr heaartttsss. Outssidee. Thrrreee commeee. Forrr yoouu. ssss.

Copperhead's eyes go wide behind her glasses. Her head snaps around in the direction of the voice. Her mask spell drops, leaving her cybered arms glinting in the lobby's lights, reflecting the serpentlike features of her shamanic mask.

"Trouble. Three comesss" she hisses. "Demon, wires now!"

Razors snap into place as she steps between Ember and the threat. Her right hand reaches into her long coat and wraps around the duct-taped plastic stock of her shotgun. She draws the old gun from its holster but keeps it concealed for now .

[Aria]

@Jamie, Jotamon & Doza
[April 15th, 2072 10:47am; Dearborn, Downtown Seattle]

Jotamon

Your dart spirals lazily towards your fleeting glance at the crouching gunman, your tactical systems already predicting over a ninety nine percent chance of a successful strike. He jerks as the electricity grounds through him, throwing his nervous system into a state of shock for the second time in almost as many seconds…you strongly suspect that despite the stim patch he seems to have been administering that he isn’t going to get up again anytime soon.

Jamie

<<Shit, three and four down, confirm Angel One is inbound, switch to containment>>

Doza

You hear a shriek from the direction of the hidden gunman and you estimate that Jotamon has managed to eliminate him. Over near where the driver of the jackrabbit has tried to mount the pavement to escape the second biker is ever so slowly turning towards you with a chattergun drawn. From the side door of the van you see another figure in the darkness preparing to draw a bead on you…how many of these bastards are there?

[Aria]

@Seth, Copperhead & Demon
[April 15th 2072; 21:59:57; Jucy Lucy Hotel, Seattle]

Ember answers the young lady

“Mademoiselle, I have a room booked under the name Feroux…”

He jerks away from Copperhead as she resumes her true form…merde, they had found us? Whoever the hell they were? Perhaps they would at least get some answers, once the inevitable conflict had resolved itself. It would seem that their choice of locale for an inconspicuous meet was going to backfire…

“It would seem I am threatened, please would you be so kind as to summon the police mademoiselle?” She would do so anyway, might as well appear to be more innocent than perhaps they were…now they had to deal with their attackers before the police interfered and their chance was lost.

He delved into the manasphere and wove skeins of magic around himself…watching as time appeared to slow…and slammed them into his spell lock to sustain

[galenbd]

@Jamie, Jotamon & Doza
[April 15th, 2072 10:47am; Dearborn, Downtown Seattle]
[Internal PAN=Passive. Id = <Information not available>]

That's the troll Mareno knows! Jamie hits the windows down button. Her perception is hypersensitive due to the redundant nerve systems laid down in her body, so the windows seems like it will take forever to open.

Figuring she will not be able to shoot the biker before he targets the troll, Jamie cranks the wheel around and pulls her car between the biker and the troll. As she ducks down behind door frame anticipating to be targeted, she sends to Yokinko, Find the van's node and hack an account for us to use.

[Seth]

@Ember, Copperhead & Demon
[April 15th 2072; 22:00:00 Jucy Lucy Hotel, Seattle]

There is an awkward moment, as Copperhead reveals herself. The group in the corner all react unnaturally fast, and weapons appear in their hands pointing at the trio. As things look to be about to get nasty...

The door exploded inwards, and simulataneously the windows smashed into tiny little pieces. There is the "pop" "pop" sound of tear gas canisters entering the building. An emergency broadcast appeared in large AR icons.

<<This is Knight Errant Fire Watch. Please fall to the floor. There are wanted murderers in this building. Cop killers and Assassins. For your own protection fall to the floor. Images of Ember, Copperhead and Demon were superimposed upon the AR>>

The hotel guest with the hidden Pan, laucnhes suppressing fire with his twin Ares Crusaders towards the entrance where figures in SWAT armor were moving into the building. "You'll never take me alive coppers" he shouts, and then proves his words were correct as his head explodes from a sniper's accurate fire.

The salesman <John Haviland, Fertiliser Technologies> races towards Gracie, and grabs her, keeping her between him and the incoming SWAT team. In his left hand he has a grenade, and he pulls the pin with his teeth. Red laser lines criss cross through the smoke and tear gas settling upon Gracie, and searching out John.

The Product Evangelist <William Highway> launches an acid wave at the incoming SWAT team, which splashes against a mana barrier just short of the troops. Some penetrates, but the spell supression on the SWAT team seems extremely effective. Their counterfire smashes into a spell barrier that you recognise as a powerful initiate's physical barrier spell.

The Saedur Krupp Research Officer <Harvey Dank> falls to the floor in a fashion that you recognise as either a mage going Astral, or a rigger entering a VR trance.

"The building is surrounded. Come out Ember, Demon and Copperhead with your hands in the air. We don't care if you are alive or dead, cop killers, but you ... ARRGGH" the megaphone speaker was shot in mid sentence. From outside you hear loud explosions and machine gun fire.

Twooo enemiesss noww Copperhead hears in the hiss of the tear gas.

As the waitress Maire Fournier throws herself to the floor she says "Don't worry Mr Feroux, the police are already here"

[JxJxA]

@ Seth, Ember & Copperhead
[April 15th 2072; 21:59:57; Jucy Lucy Hotel, Seattle]
[PAN = Elite, Passive ID = Aubert Benoit]

Upon hearing Copperhead's warning of incoming danger, Demon has a one-word thought.

Merde.

Fifteen minutes ago, he had resigned himself to the likelihood that his primary skillset would not be needed this night. In the car on the way to the hotel, he had run through his weapons one more time, checking each of the guns' safeties and clips, the baton's batteries, the telescoping staff's trigger, and the flashpaks' charges. All were fine---in fact, they seemed to be very much in the same condition they had been before when he meticulously checked them on the way to Allenby's maison degoutant. He did it because it was a way to expend all the unspent energy he had prepared for plying his craft. Now he would relax, since interrogating/mutilating/killing an insultingly banal dwarf was no longer on his schedule.

Fifteen seconds ago, he had discovered a new target and had penciled a new operation into his now-open schedule. The very lovely Mademoiselle Marie Fourier would be his new mark. The fact that she might be French just made her that much more desirable. However, he was in no mood to chase women after everything that happened tonight. Rather than go after her, he began thinking of ways to make her come for him.

That is, until right fucking now when a bunch of lousy, no-good, armed cock-blockers decided to ruin his fun. How dare they do so.

"Helas, it appears that my lovely companion is correct. Afterwards, I would suggest that you find a place to escape the ensuing bataille," he says to Marie. As if to emphasize his point, he snaps out his Arme de Choix---a silenced, heavily modded Savalette Guardian, and then pulls out a flashpak. With a heavy sigh of disapproval, he takes cover behind one of the hotel's flimsy pillars.

"Mes amis, did you bring protection for your eyes? If not, then I will tell you when to close them."