IC: A Short Victorius War, A Living in the Shadows Game Options

[banditf50]

EDIT: Deleted because the free action should not have occured at this time.

[Cedric Rolfsson]

22:05:017 Sunday January 7, 2063 - The Depot - Tacoma

A flash and muffled low pitched scream drew Erebus' attention just in time for him to see three people standing behind a vehicle across the street to the east of their position who hadn't been there a second before when he looked out the door. He took in their presence with some thing of a shock, positive he'd scanned that area, maybe a tenth of a second passed before his mind registered an all too familiar flash.

A rocket? That can't be a rocket, who'd be shooting rockets in the middle of the plex? Wait a minute, that rocket is coming this way!! Holy frag!

Panic and fear screamed inside him and he fought the urge to duck behind the nearest car and cover his head until all the bad men went away. Savagely he shoved the fear aside, he had no time to be afraid now.

"CONTACT 11 O'CLOCK LOW!"

Erebus barked out the warning in the lingo of his old merc unit, and hoped that the others could figure it out. I was something that he'd hoped to work out with the others if they ever found three seconds where they weren't being shot at.

Instinctively he bolted, away from ground zero, across the street towards the cover provided by an alley between two buildings near where the attackers had lain in wait.

His boosted reflexes kicked on line, providing a rush of adrenaline that left him feeling like the world was moving through molasses and that he could leap tall buildings. Even while he was moving to cross the street his right hand found the grips of his Guardian pistol and loosed it from its holster. He half turned as he ran, shoving the Guardian across his body, trying to hold his smartlink's targeting reticule over the torso of one of the people behind the car while running. More hoping to force the other man to duck than believing the shots likely to inflict any damage he squeezed off two quick rounds at about the time he leaped from the street and over the sidewalk.

The next instant he completely turned his body, facing back almost the way he came, to take the impact of the dirty brick wall against his back. At the speed he was moving slamming into the wall felt like being kicked by a Troll, and the air in his lungs left with a loud rush.

Erebus figured knocking the wind out of himself was far preferable to being at ground zero for the missile or the ambush and probably wouldn't even leave a bruise through the armor jacket and armored combat vest he was wearing. He could feel the Void settle over him as his training and his cyber took over and the fear that threatened to choke him was pushed fully aside.

[bclements]

22:05:17 Sunday January 7, 2063 - Outside The Depot - Tacoma

The shots from Erebus's large pistol boom in the night. Running across a street in not that good light does have an effect on his aim, however. Only one shot comes close to the nearest goon, and he slides away from the bullet that richochet's off the hood of the car.

[Shadowrunner13]

22:05:17 Sunday January 7, 2063 - The Depot - Tacoma

Upon hearing Erebus' warning, Tenmou casts his eyes towards the back of the bar and settles his gaze on the door leading to the kitchen. He looks at Virgil before taking off running for the doorway.

He ignored the surprised and annoyed look he received from the kitchen staff as he burst into the less-than-spotless kitchen and began scanning the room for a rear exit.

[WinterRat1]

22:05:17 Sunday January 7, 2063 - Outside The Depot - Tacoma

Seeing Erebus crossing the street, Dragon absently noted that the elf was fast. Really fast, and at least in this instance, even faster than he was. The Japanese was no slouch either, even though he was wounded. Competent, these two were. Still, he wasn't slow either, and he was already moving towards their car, out of the way of the missile and just as important, his shotgun inside. There was almost certainly going to be more than one wave of incoming, and he wanted to be ready for round two.

As he ran, he transmitted to Daedalus, "Missile incoming. Evasive action now!" At the same time, he pulled a grenade from his vest, yanked the pin, and let it fly towards the cluster of three hostiles across the street, while shouting, "Hostile incoming our left!" He could only hope they'd hear that and notice what he had, one goon crawling up the street to their left, obviously angling for a better shot.

[bclements]

22:05:17 Sunday January 7, 2063 - Outside The Depot - Tacoma

Seeing the grenade fly over his head and the very fast movements of his opponants, the first attacker aims and fires a burst at Erebus, hoping to cut him down before the quick moving elf can get an angle on him.

[banditf50]

22:05:17 Sunday January 7, 2063 - Outside The Depot - Tacoma

Astonished at how blazingly fast the one called Erebus is, he'd rarely seen anyone move faster than Dragon in combat, Virgil snaped into action and began his own dash away from the impact site of the missle. Bolting along the wall of The Depot he tries to place the corner of the dilapidated building between him and the impact site before turnig to face the enemy.

Gotta keep my side in sight, who knows what type of spirit offense is floating around out there. Centering in on the opposing mage Virgil knew that he had a fleeting window in which to strike first, and perhaps prevent a return magical assualt. Using thoughts of protecting his friends the shaman tried to push past the pain that had been gripping his head all day, and just let the energy shoot out of his concentration.

[banditf50]

22:05:17 Sunday January 7, 2063 - Outside The Depot - Tacoma

Noise. Static. Whatever one wanted to call the disruption, somthing was obviously acting directly aginst Virgil's ability to hear the call of his spell within his mind. Virgil was a shaman, casting for him was not about recalling the exact way in which two contourting mana streams were composted into a projection of power, it was about hearing the call that all mana has around him. . . .

Now that call was muffled, as if trying to hear a friend's voice during a hard rain. Virgil could hear the mana around him, but things seemed to echo and distort, and it was obviously getting worse the more he tried to use his power.

Though the effort required to put out his spell downright scared Virgil, there was no denying that he had indeed removed the enemy mage from the battlefield. On the astral plane Virgil's powerbolt had went screaming through his hasty defense as surely as the AVM earlier today had gone through Dragon's car. The spell being physical in nature meant that anyone observing could clearly see the mage fall back a pace as the shock of the incoming mana left charred gouges in his chest.

He must've been distracted by the illusion magic he had been sustaining. I would never have managed a second spell at this rate.

[Tiredronin]

22:05:18 Sunday January 7, 2063 - (The soon to be ex) Doorway of The Depot - Tacoma

Before he can respond to the warnings called out, Daedalus watches as his team vanishes around him, clearing out of the way giving him a great view of the incoming rocket and its smoke trail.

He feels a twinge of envy towards those who are able to react with such heightened sensibilities at any given moment as he lets his bodily instincts take over. Daedalus whirls around and dashes back into The Depot diving behind the bar for and calling out, "EVERYBODY GET DOWN!"

In the midst of his dash Daedalus begins reaching out through the radio waves emanating from his cyberarm to the drone he had just too recently threatened a devil rat with.

Time to tap into my speed.

[Tiredronin]

22:05:18 Sunday January 7, 2063 - Outside The Depot - Tacoma

Successfully extending his senses to his mechanical avatar, Daedalus vaguely feels his body land on the ground behind the bar as he whirls Talos around scanning for any other threats.

No drones? that can't be...

Then spying the long tube in front of one of the gunmen he thinks to himself:

This is too simple...

Nevertheless he does observe with relief that nobody is standing in the doorway which he can now clearly see from outside, as well as the rocket streaking toward it.

[bclements]

22:05:19 Sunday January 7, 2063 - Outside The Depot - Tacoma

Seeing the mage of the group utterly flattened by Virgil’s powerbolt and Erebus dodging the burst aimed at his head, the rest of the group of goons reacts, hoping to shoot down their foes and get out of the way of both Dragon’s grenade and another powerbolt from the shaman.

The enemy on the far side of the car begins running across the street, simultaneously firing a burst at Erebus, hoping to get rid of the closest threat and getting in better range to deal with the new-found magical threat that smoked his comrade.

Meanwhile, the first-firing goon takes off toward the rear of the building that Erebus is running towards, hoping to keep from getting flanked.

The goon that Dragon and now Erebus saw crawls toward the edge of the building adjacent to the Depot. Readying his SMG, he’s only able to squeeze off a single shot at Virgil’s fleeing form, trying to eliminate the obviously powerful magician in the group.

[Cedric Rolfsson]

22:05:21 Sunday January 7, 2063 - Tacoma Demilitarized Zone

The sharp whine of bullets ricochetting off the building around his head still screaming in his ears Erebus steadied his hand and calmly squeezed off two quick shots at the suddenly revealed gunman lying prone across the street from his position. Out of the corner of his eye he tracked another bad guy scurrying from their ambush site to support his exposed teammate and a small voice in the back of his head tallied the bad guys, and noted that at least two were unaccounted for in his current field of fire.

Deep in the Void he felt only the vaguest stirring of unease, knowing that his back was exposed to anyone coming up the alley behind him and that the building that sheltered him also created a large blind spot over his right shoulder, but the gun in his hand was like a live thing seeking out additional prey.

[bclements]

22:05:21 Sunday January 7, 2063 - Tacoma Demilitarized Zone

Erebus, despite running and only just now seeing the form of the attacker on his right who had just missed Virgil, still had both bullets strike home into the side of the flanker. The attacker was knocked sideways, and blood begain streaming from his sides.

[Tiredronin]

22:05:21 Sunday January 7, 2063 - Tacoma Demilitarized Zone

Talos's scanner sweep did not reveal any blimps of doom in the area. His sense of paranoia satiated for the moment, Daedalus observed the battle unfolding beneath him.

He noticed one of the assailants moving behind the building Erebus was using as cover. Unable to communicate with him directly, Daedalus transmitted a warning to Dragon:

"Advise Erebus, bogey flanking."

[Shadowrunner13]

22:05:21 Sunday January 7, 2063 - Tacoma Demilitarized Zone

Tenmou located the rear door and barged through it doing a quick sweep for hostiles. Seeing none, he slid his hand inside his duffel bag and liberated his Smartgun. He made his way toward the corner of the bar, hearing the staccato of exchanging fire.

Tenmou peers around the corner, searching for hostiles. He clings to the shadows playing on the wall, doing his best to remain unseen until he has a clean shot.

[WinterRat1]

22:05:21 Sunday January 7, 2063 - Tacoma Demilitarized Zone

Calmly Dragon moved to the car where the Franchi Spas was stored in easy reach. He'd come prepared for things to go absolutely fragging south. The grenade exploding behind the cars was proof of that. As was the shotgun he would soon have in his hands.

Good thing I came prepared. I don't think the grenade got any of those fraggers but at least it flushed them out in the open. Let's see how they handle it when their opposition is playing for keeps too.

Hearing Daedalus's message in his head, he immediately yelled, "Erebus incoming your right!" and hoped the mercenary would understand the message being relayed.

Opening the car door and grabbing the Spas and its ammo belt, he quickly looped the ammo belt over his shoulder, and pumped the gauge, chambering a round. Turning around back to the fight, he allowed himself a tight smile. Party time...

[bclements]

22:05:22 Sunday January 7, 2063 - Tacoma Demilitarized Zone
Dragon's grenade goes off with a loud BOOM that makes the small arms fire that preceeded it seem, well, small. The car that blocks most of the explosion lifts up slightly at the back, and begins to catch fire. The light from the fire provides a reddish tint to the rest of the block, exaggerating some shadows and removing others.

Meanwhile, the one that Daedalaus had picked out as the possible rocketeer had moved to the back of the building and was still running while switching clips on his gun, hoping to put enough space between the grenade's blast and him while.

[WinterRat1]

22:05:22 Sunday January 7, 2063 - Tacoma Demilitarized Zone

Setting himself, Dragon quickly checked to see if he was outside of the anticipated blast radius of the missile, and decided to move himself to his right to extend his margin of error for keeping himself out of the blast zone, as well as giving him a clear shot at the opposition.

Definitely don't want to get caught by the missile. I can live without getting nailed by that.

Running to his right, he smoothly raised the shotgun, took aim, and fired a shell at each of the opposing goons remaining.

Definitely not the best shots I've ever taken, but it'll give them something to think about, at least.

Throwing himself against the corner of the building on the far side of the street, he used the corner to provide some small cover from the goons he saw, as well as any unfriendly forces further to his right that he might not be able to see. He chambered another round into the shotgun, the gauge making a satisfying *cha-klack* sound. Next shots, you fraggers are going down for the count. Bet on it.

[Cedric Rolfsson]

22:05:22 Sunday January 7, 2063 - Tacoma Demilitarized Zone

"Erebus incoming your right!"

Instinctively, the young elf whirls away from the two goons he had been firing on to engage the enemy to his rear. The roar of the shotgun Dragon had retrieved told him the two in the street had things to worry about now which left him free to find the one trying to flank him.

We want prisoners. Dragon and the others can handle the duo in the street and I want to know who set us up. How these fraggers found us, and who sent them.

He sprinted down the alley, hoping to catch the flanking unit by surprise. As he ran he holstered the Guardian and pulled his Predator to take advantage of the non-lethal rounds it carried.

[bclements]

22:05:22 Sunday January 7, 2063 - Tacoma Demilitarized Zone

After making it across the street, pivioting, and running back to the alley on the north with what seemed like supermetahuman speed, Erebus checked the alley for the attacker that Dragon had warned him about. Even though his vision was a little flashed from Dragon's grenade and the resultant fire from the car, the thermographic and low light enhancements to his vision more than compensated for both the flash and the quick look down the alley.

He didn't see much, just a normal garbage strewn alley with the usual old dumpsters, along with the ubiquitous devil rats and at least one cat-sized thing lurking around. Most were running or hiding after the explosion and gunfire; regardless, there was no sign of the flanker that he'd been warned about.

[Shadowrunner13]

22:05:22 Sunday January 7, 2063 - Tacoma Demilitarized Zone

Tenmou had his submachinegun at the ready to come to the aid of his companions. He prepared to pop out and open fire, when a sound reminded him of something...

The high pitched whine of an incoming rocket.

Finding a dumpster not far away, Tenmou shielded himself from any potential fallout from the impact. He was ready to spring into action the moment the blast cleared.

[bclements]

22:05:23 Sunday January 7, 2063 - Tacoma Demilitarized Zone

Sheltering himself at the corner of the bar, under a plywood boarded up window, Virgil summons the two watcher spirits to him. Check for any magically active people out there! his astral presence intones.

Even though the act of asking seemed much more like running through quicksand than the usual sprit through air he normally felt, the watchers returned almost as quick as he had bidden them off. Materializing, one says "There is one, but they are already injured, laying against a building." At that moment, the rocket inbound to the bar goes off with a thunderous BOOM

The two chipheads closest to the door vaporize in front of Daedalus's eyes, or would have if he had looked at them. Instead, crouched behind the upturned table, he feels the pressure wave of the explosion, as the table (with him behind it) is pushed violently back against the wall. Opening his eyes, he sees the doorknob of the building implanted halfway thru the cheap plastiwood table, directly across from his head, then the moans of a few people that lived through the impact.

Virgil is luckier, although seeing the cheap, old plywood flys through the watcher spirits and impacting on Dragon's vehicle doesn't do much for his feelings. The sheet of wood, after leaving a good sized dent in the vehicle, falls to the ground with an almost obscene plop in the silent aftermath of the explosion, then the car alarms start...

Behind the bar, Temmou only notices the explosion via a bright flash of light, followed immediently by the thunderous noise from the high explosive rocket. The rear door is blown open, and the cook he had just passed is blown out of it, slamming against the wall of the building behind the bar.

[Tiredronin]

22:05:26 Sunday January 7, 2063 - Tacoma Demilitarized Zone

Daedalus shook his thoughts away from that doorknob and once again fully in Talos, he looked into the alley Erebus was creeping down and saw the goon on the other side of the corner creeping along as well. It would be like one of those trid cartoons where two characters peer around the corner at the same time, blink, rub their eyes and look again.

Then one would blow the other one away.

Daedalus wanted to make darn sure that the one blown away was not Erebus

"Advise Erebus hold, goon is right around the corner."

Whatever Dragon said, he hoped it wouldn't be too obvious...

[Cedric Rolfsson]

22:05:26 Sunday January 7, 2063 - Tacoma Demilitarized Zone

The walls of the building blurred past as Erebus ran towards the rear of the building, keeping the building close on his left shouler so that if an enemy showed himself down the alley he would have an extra half second of warning before their weapon lined up on him. He kept the Predator in an easy firing position ready to line up and shoot at the first sign of the flankers that Dragon had warned him about.

As he got closer to the corner he slowed to a stop just short of the next corner, blading his left shoulder towards the blind corner and drawing his pistol down to his right hip to keep his weapon from being grabbed.

[Shadowrunner13]

22:05:26 Sunday January 7, 2063 - Tacoma Demilitarized Zone

Tenmou glanced back at the cook, but resolved himself to move forward.

Help will come...I have to clear any remaining hostiles...

He crept forward, up the alley, with his SMG at the ready. Should any enemies try to make their way into the alley, they would be met with force.