Tangled Currents - DES, Stormy Waters subthread Options

[Raiderj]

Vexboy aimed his gun. "Nonconduct this." He fired a stick and shock into the last gunmans forehead and he shivered and slumped down off the balcony. "NO WAIT!" Vexboy said running to try and catch him. "Oh shit! Is he dead!?" "Doesn't matter if he is. Shame to say but thats just combat. If he is alive then you can catch him later. He isnt going anywhere. Get D-pop!" Vexbot gulped a bit but nodded. He went into the room. "D-pop I presume. I hear you have information about a group of children being trafficked into Seattle and I am trying to save them. I know your probably a hardened criminal but these are KIDS... Innocent... most likely innocent kids that have no control in this. I can pay you in nuyen or jobs or..." It was at this moment about a dozen armed gunmen rushed into the room. "Drop gun!" One shouted at Vexboy. He looked at them all and rolled his eyes. "Im not gonna drop the guns! You know how long ive spent polishing them!?" Needless to say this reaction took the gunmen by surprise as Vexboy tucked them into this sleeves. "If I was an enemy Id like to think I would have made it more obvious. I just want to parlay..." Vexboy explained. Internally he was in panic mode but he felt it best to fake confidence.

[adamu]

Thursday, 21 November, 00:09; VIP room, Chalka, Downtown Seattle

If D-Pop had been surprised by the assassination attempt, she was downright flabbergasted by the almost comically earnest speech of the young man that had come through the door. Not initially responding, she looked at one of the gun-toting Russians that had rushed into the room and gave a short nod. They took their weapons off of Vexboy. She got up off the floor and looked quickly around the room. She spoke to Bronwyn but her eyes were on Rave - "Is this the one you told me about?"

"Yes, the cop. I don't know the kid."

"Their appearance is no accident." She looked at Rave and Vexboy. "If it's trafficked children you want to know about, come with me and you'll hear more than you ever wanted to know. Or don't." She turned again to the lead Russian. "These are not my enemies. I would guess freelancers. Could you do me a favor and find out you can with this one?" she asked as she stepped out onto the balcony and nudged the fallen attacker with the toe of her boot. "Text me with what you find?"

Then she started walking rapidly toward the stairs that led to the dance floor, not looking back to see if she was followed. Flanked by Bronwyn and DES, she turned to the smuggler and said quietly, "Thank you. That's twice you've saved me. Now, can you get us somewhere relatively safe without being followed?"

[Raiderj]

"Huh. I didn't think pulling a Luffy would work. I was begining to think pulling the Gandalf would have been better." Vexboy thought to himself. He walked up to DES and D-pop. "My handle is Vexboy. Im an adept of the Dragonslayer. So uh... Where we going? I have a ride and some gear stashed outside."

[adamu]

Thursday, 21 November, 0010; on the way out of Chalka, Downtown Seattle

"Well, Vexboy, adept of Dragonslayer," the woman responded without slowing her step, "you'd better go and fetch it. If you want to catch the bus, that is. As for where we're going, only my friend here knows, if he's even decided yet. And we're going to keep it that way until we get there."

[Raiderj]

"Gotcha. I'll be outside. I'll be watching the back and i'll stay out of view for now. What are you riding? Unless we have to take the same ride id rather go on mine." Vexboy asked DES.

[DireRadiant]

Thursday, 21 November, 00:11; VIP room, Chalka, Downtown Seattle

"Now, can you get us somewhere relatively safe without being followed?"

DES considered the question carefully as they walked out of the club, ignoring the guarded looks from the other club goers. Another few moments reviewing the access logs and activity history on the van and fly spy reassured him slightly.

"We are safest in the Wind. As for following that depends on who goes with us."

DES gave a look at the young man who named himself Vexboy, surveyed the club, then spoke to Warrior Woman, "This is not the place for children."

[adamu]

Thursday, 21 November, 00:11; leaving Chalka, Downtown Seattle

D-Pop listened to DES and looked hard at the young gunslinger. Several emotions played across her face, then she decided. "Go and fetch your own wheels, then. If you can keep up with my Warrior, then you will be with us."

Once the boy ran off, she turned to Rave. "I know you are a cop." Bronwyn stood in the background sheepishly. "You I would definitely like to have with us, if you want to help children. Come along if you will. In any case, I'd suggest you not discuss my or my work with your superiors. They may be compromised by the forces we oppose. And...there are other reasons they must not be involved. If you'll trust me I'll show you what I mean. Now, DES, we must go."

[DireRadiant]

Thursday, 21 November, 00:13; VIP room, Chalka, Downtown Seattle #31

DES took advantage of his original survey of the club and picked out a direction before sending commands to the Van. IT was a very distracted walk, as he monitored the AROs from all the devices and experienced the murmurings and swirling colors he could never quite see. DES was trusting Warrior Woman to control the immediate environment.

Outside the Van arrived, doors sliding open, and he entered, glad to finally stopping worrying about maneuvering his own body and able to dive straight into a Drone and have time to pay attention to everything much much better.

[Vegas]

Thursday, 21 November, 00:14; Chalka, Downtown Seattle

She had been helped to her feet by one of Chalka’s security team that looked like more beef than brains and she had managed to nod her head surely enough to dismiss him to check on other patrons and secure the chaos that was happening in the VIP balcony.

She felt like there was an elephant sitting on her chest. She tentatively brushed her fingertips where the bullets had flattened and embedded themselves against the imperceptible body armor she wore as if it were the needed validation that she was still alive. The armor had done it’s job and her breath hitched in pain as her fingers moved over the most tender parts beneath the impact, the places the deep bruises were already starting to form. As she glanced down to her chest, she could see where her fingers and smeared angry lines of someone else’s blood against the stark white fabric of her outfit. A string of curses in Russian escaped her lips about the same time D-Pop turned her attention upon Rave.

She had been outed as a cop, but her face betrayed none of the thoughts that flashed through her head, nor gave away the difficulty she was having breathing at the moment. Rave’s eyes flashed towards Bronwyn for a split instant before returning to watch D-Pop and even DES in the corner of her vision.

Trust. D-Pop was asking a lot of her in that moment but she knew if she let this opportunity slip through her fingers, she might never get another one. She once again nodded her assent and put her effort into following the small crowd as they navigated their exit from the club with DES in the lead and her on their six.

[adamu]

Thursday, 21 November, 00:20; on the road, Downtown Seattle

DES and the three women rode in silence for a bit as the smuggler worked to confirm they had no tails. Then D-Pop's commlink chirped. She put it to her ear and listened.

"Yes, thank you for calling. We must meet. I am on the road now. I'll text you back once I've confirmed our destination."

She broke the connection and went up front, put a hand on DES's shoulder.

"I need our destination, my warrior. One of our agents has obtained one of the critical bits of intelligence we've been waiting for."

DES spoke quietly and she sent the text.

[Raiderj]

Vexboy got changed into his gear in an alleyway and came out to get his Suzuki. He got on and followed DES. He felt tense and excited to finally get some info.

[adamu]

Thursday, 21 November, 0124; 38th Avenue NE, Northeast Tacoma, Tacoma, Seattle Metroplex

It was obvious that the big RV was trying to sterilize its six, and more obvious that whoever was driving knew how to do so.

Vexboy, however, though naive to many things, knew the streets. He kept a discreet distance, but managed to stay on the tail of D-Pop's vehicle for an hour of switchbacks and sudden exits to a rundown neighborhood near the Tacoma docks. So when D-Pop, Victoria, and the other man and woman he didn't know got out, he was able to glide his Mirage right up towards them. D-Pop smiled at him in a mixture of surprised and not surprised. The one other man, the obvious Tribal, led the way into the house.

It was as new to DES as the rest of them - he'd known Gwen maintained safehouses, but had never needed to borrow one before. She'd been happy to help when he'd called her, though the safehouse was all she could offer, being out of town on a job. The five people quickly took in the layout of the modest house, including the functional but less-than-appetizing rations. Lights worked, water ran, and the furniture didn't look like it had rats living in it yet.

[Raiderj]

Vexboy took it in and looked around. "May I use your bathroom?" He asked the man.

[DireRadiant]

Thursday, 21 November, 0133; 38th Avenue NE, Northeast Tacoma, Tacoma, Seattle Metroplex

"Go ahead. We are all guests here." DES hooked into the house system and started capturing feeds from the internal and external monitors.

"Though if you leave the seat up Standing Heron will break you."

DES started making arrangements to switch vehicles out.

[Raiderj]

"I don't know who that is but i'll take your word for it." Vexboy went off to the restroom. Afterwards(and washing his hands)be came out. "Is this everyone or are we waiting for someone else?"

[adamu]

Thursday, 21 November, 0133; 38th Avenue NE, Northeast Tacoma, Tacoma, Seattle Metroplex

Seated on a threadbare sofa next to Bronwyn and across from Victoria, who sat in dusty armchair, D-Pop answered, "We are expecting others, the first of which, I'm assured, should arrive momentarily. He will have critical information for us. So please. I don't have a picture, but I'm told he's a big, bearded elf. So please don't shoot anyone like that who approaches."

She took a long swig from a bottle of water she'd liberated from the small kitchen.

"in the meantime, now that things have calmed down slightly, if anyone has any questions...."

[Raiderj]

"Yes. I was told that a bunch of kids were being moved. Though pedophidila comes to mind, there could be other motives. Blackmail if the kids belong to someone, one could keep a few of them as easy slaves for Blood Magic, werido cult. Any ideas what we are up against?" Vexboy said sitting down.

[adamu]

Thursday, 21 November, 0136; 38th Avenue NE, Northeast Tacoma, Tacoma, Seattle Metroplex

Bronwyn looked at D-Pop, and the latter thought for a moment. It didn't have that sense of prevarication that accompanies someone coming up with a story. More like a careful consideration of how much of the truth to tell. Finally, "Yes, a bunch. We think about a hundred. And yes, many of the buyers are freaks. We need to intercept the transaction. The first step is to find it. We're right now expecting to hear news on that front at last. The second step is to determine when it will be - we're quite vague on that right now."

When she said that, Rave thought of what she'd uncovered in her search of the K-E files.

"The third trick will then be to stay alive until whenever the deal goes down. The enemy is getting proactive. And then the fourth will be seizing the shipment, which is certain to be heavily guarded physically, virtually and astrally by both sides of the deal - the seoulpas and the yakuza."

[Raiderj]

"Damn. Back during my vigilante days we made special care NOT to mess with organized crime. Me and my partner were small... You know... Damn..." Vexboy said with a sigh. He sat on a chair and smiled. "Then again Dragonslayer Adepts live for these odds. Bring it on."

[adamu]

Thursday, 21 November, 0136; 38th Avenue NE, Northeast Tacoma, Tacoma, Seattle Metroplex

D-Pop smiled quietly in response to Vexboy's enthusiasm, and shared a look with Bronwyn.

They were quiet for a moment, then Bronwyn spoke, looking in turn at Vexboy, Rave, and DES. "There is something else you must know. The whys and wherefores are rather difficult to explain, but suffice to say that, although D-Pop and I will support you as best we can, when the time comes to intercept the shipment, only you will be able to act directly. We will have to remove ourselves from the situation completely. Fortunately, there are other chosen surrogates that will be joining you. Like you, they have been selected by us and the Fates with utmost care. So you are sure to succeed, provided you are willing to pay whatever price the Pattern exacts."

[Raiderj]

"Pattern? Thats some ancient terms there. The Dragonslayer said. Vexboy's curiousty piqued. "Whats the Pattern?" He asked aloud.

[adamu]

Thursday, 21 November, 0136; 38th Avenue NE, Northeast Tacoma, Tacoma, Seattle Metroplex

D-Pop opened her mouth to answer, but then stopped. Her raised eyebrows conceded it was a challenging question.

Bronwyn opened her mouth, but also shut it again. She looked at D-Pop.

D-Pop looked back with a shrug that said don't-look-at-ME-that-one's-for-YOU.

Bronwyn took a deep breath. "Um, how about, it surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together?"

[Raiderj]

The Dragonslayer sighed. "Ok kid sit down... Vexboy looked like he was in quiet reflection for a few minutes. Then he spoke. "The Dragonslayer is confused how people are still using that termanology but he said its like the world is made up of patterns. These patterns define the form of the world, including the creatures, objects, and forces in it. Without patterns, things have no meaning.
These patterns are what define, and are defined by, magic. Essentially, magic is the art of understanding and manipulating the Patterns of the world. By studying an object's or creature's Pattern, one can understand that object or creature, and affect it through magic.

Every object or creature has a pattern that defines its place and behaviour in the universe. Objects or creatures who possess Names have stronger patterns, called True Patterns, which can affect the universe and magic more strongly. So kind of like the Force but replace bacteria with names?" Vexboy asked confused.

[adamu]

Thursday, 21 November, 0136; 38th Avenue NE, Northeast Tacoma, Tacoma, Seattle Metroplex

D-Pop and Bronwyn were clearly impressed. Vexboy had definitely come up a notch in their estmeem. D-Pop gave Bronwyn an I-told-ya-so look.

But Bronwyn had something important to say before the conversation could proceed. "Okay, first of all, kid, talk to the hand about bacteria. Six was shaky enough, but as soon as Lucas started laying bacteria and virgin births on us in one, Star Wars stopped being Star Wars. Nothing, and I mean nothing after the early eighties counts, got it? Okay. Now that we've got the ground rules straight, I have to say you know your shit! I apologize for not speaking at your level to start with. Thing is, even if you can know all that stuff, doesn't mean you can use it. Most of us - I mean those that actively manipulate mana - well, if we actually consciously thought about that stuff, we'd get nowhere. LIke trying to talk to your commlink in machine code. Even a lot of novahot deckers are merely operating just behind the iconography level. But thost that can get into the machine code - without getting bogged down in it - well, they're a whole 'nother level, aren't they? Same with magic, most of us operate on a more intuitive or symbolic level. I mean, when you took out that assassin an hour ago, did you take time to consider his place in the Pattern and yours, and how to twist that relationship to your will? But here's the thing. There are some who, whether by study, sacrifice, or talent, can operate at that level, at least in some arenas. Some that can see and, to some degree, anticipate the pattern. These are our guides."

[Raiderj]

"Im just a simple adept. That came from my Totem. He has practically raised me. I actually know very little about magic." Vexboy said. He looked a bit taken aback. "I do need to clarify though my condolances, Lucas was a sellout bastard. Horizion's shifting the properties to their Disney branch is just the death strike in your fandom's cuckholding to the almighty nuyen. Trekkies don't have to worry about such trivial matters fortunately. Our intellectual property isn't profitable." Vexboy said with a smile.