13:18:12 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ
JJ

JJ grunts again in disgust and mutters something under his breath as he shifts back and forth on his feet impatiently. "Felix, hold this." He pushes the shoebox containing the gun in to his friend's hands.

"Come on," he states, "let's go downstairs so we can be closer to your bike."

JJ starts toward the stairs leading down to the lobby. As he walks, his gloved hands start moving rapidly in front of him, manipulating his comm's AR.

<<C410 @JAX/Felix/ChinaDoll: JJ & Felix moving to main floor to position near med room. Report your positions. Felix has the package.>>

With his message sent, he pulls the Predator from beneath his jacket and starts down the stairwell.

13:18:12 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ
Felix

Not seeing any activity on the street, at least not yet, Felix's consciousness reintergrated his body... which he did just in time to get a box shoved into his stomach. With a quiet "humph", as air was pushed out of his lungs, the young mage grabbed it.

His mouth opened as if he was about to say something, but not a single sound came out. His eyes simple went from the box, to JJ and back to the box.

"JJ... I...." he finally whispered.

Truth be told, Felix simply didn't want the box. Not at all.

As JJ started toward the stairs, Felix hurried up behind him, catching his friend in a few quick paces. His hood on his head, he carried the box as if it was the heaviest burden, awkwardly changing its position in his hands.

13:17:03 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ
Halo


Halo was momentarily surprised when TF started shoving gear into her hand, but she was greatful when he handed over a shot of Cram. She had a feeling if the shit hit the fan, she'd be popping that in a heartbeat. She nodded her thanks towards him and mentally she focused more of her attention to the video window in the corner of her vision. She expands the window a bit further so she had a more detailed picture of outside the loading dock.

[13:18:23] C410 Halo@Auran/TF/BronzeWyrm/Nurse/Shade/Cammy: I've got our box, TF and I are at the loading dock waiting to split if necessary. We'll haul ass and catch back up with you all in the park. Watch your backs we'll be bordering on La Raza turf while we're down that way. You guys all set?

She sat there, half-leaning against the door frame watching the video feed and started thinking about their situation. She opens up the AR feed upon hearing Wyrm was sending the drone's eye view to the channel. She put it up into the majority of her field of vision and takes a closer look at the out of their turf trolls and looks for any identifying markings on them or their bikes.

13:19:10 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ
BronzeWyrm

Wyrm watches the approaching bikes, she asks the sprite to hold off for a bit, there's still a chance this might not rise to a conflict, that and she wants the bikes to move faster for more effect... The sprite dances around the target signals, looking for the first weakness to strike.
She zooms in the roto-drone's camera to pick up as many relevant features from the bikes and gangers as it can, see if anyone in the gang can figure out where these intruders come from.

[13:19:15] C410: BronzeWyrm "Halo, advise me on your departure, I'll logoff back to the Real, then Nurse and I will go with you."
[13:19:17] C410: Bronzewyrm "Doberman drones at ready flanking front door, awaiting further orders. See if anyone can get an ID on the intruders from the drone video."

13:19:28 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ
Felix
Crouched in the stairs, cradling the box in one hand, Felix's eyes kept darting between JJ, the street and the package. Already, he could feel his hearth pounding away in his chest.

00:02:37 Sunday, April 12 2070
Sitting outside on the stairs, Felix smiled and chuckled at the remark.

"Well..." he turned his head just enough to catch Halo in the corner of his eye "I'm still not too sure if that was a very bright move on my part."

13:19:29 Sunday, April 13 2070
As if it was chewing gum, the young mage was chewing feverously on one of the strings from his hoody. It was probable that, in a few minutes, the drek would hit the fan... and it would probably hit really hard.

00:02:43 Sunday, April 12 2070
Feeling the girl's eyes on him, he quickly regained his usual shy demeanour and turned his head away. His hood, as if with a mind of its own, seemed to creep a little forward on his head, as if trying to better hide his face. Her biking boots scrapped on the concrete steps as she came and sat next to him. All of a sudden, Felix felt very interested with looking at the tip of his own shoes.... anything not to look at her. Anything not to blush.

Somehow, he knew she understood why he had acted the way he had. They simply sat there, in silence, until Felix felt so uneasy he decided to speak up.

"I'm not sure I can do this... I'm afraid we might be getting in over our heads."

13:19:30 Sunday, April 13 2070
People would get hurt.

00:02:52 Sunday, April 12 2070
Biting his lower lip, he leaned slightly into her.

"You guys are all I have. I just hope nothing happens to you all. I don't want any of you to end up like those orks. At the orphanage, the nuns would say that if you did good, God would make sure good happened to you. Those who did evil, would have evil done upon them."

Felix felt a knot creep up from his stomach and into his throat.

13:19:31 Sunday, April 13 2070
People might die.

00:03:39 Sunday, April 12 2070
"I'm afraid that... slowly, we might be becoming evil ourselves."

He sighed heavily.

"I dunno what I'm saying anymore... I think I had too much beer tonight..."

He turned slightly toward Halo, looking up towards her, loosing himself in her deep blue eyes.

13:19:32 Sunday, April 13 2070
After today, he might never be able to hear the voices of some fellow gangers.

00:04:11 Sunday, April 12 2070
"I might know a lot of stuff, but I don't know what the future holds... I just hope it's nothing bad... if something ever happened to you I.... Well... Halo, I...."

13:19:33 Sunday, April 13 2070
There was death in the air.

00:04:55 Sunday, April 12 2070
He looked at the beer bottle he was holding, tilting it sideways.

"I'm drunk... thats what I am." he said half laughing. Acting had never been one of Felix's talent, but he did his best to hide his uncomfortableness. He cleared his throat and jumped to his feet, getting some distance between himself and Halo.

Still avoiding direct eye contact, he decided to change the topic.

"So, you guys had fun at the... well... the Fun Z?"

13:19:34 Sunday, April 13 2070
Felix started mumbling to himself, murmuring a prayer.

Dear God, give me courage, for perhaps I lack it more than anything else. I need courage before men against their threats and against their seductions. I need courage to bear unkindness, mockery, contradiction. I need courage to fight against the devil, against terrors and troubles, temptations, attractions, darkness and false lights, against tears, depression, and above all fear. I need Your help, dear God. Strengthen me with Your love and Your grace. Console me with Your blessed Presence and grant me the courage to persevere until I am with You forever in heaven.

13:19:46 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ
Halo

[13:19:46] C410: Halo "Gotcha, Wyrm got eyes on them now, looking for any ID's on who we're about to deal with. Auran how you holding up chica? You ready to use your sliver tongue with these guys?"

Halo lets her mind wander a bit to replay the events of last night, the trip to The Zo e with JJ, Auran, Aziz, and Tao, the hit of Bliss, a side deal with Rahim, catching sleep where she could back here, fighting over the remote with Aziz, the conversation with Felix...

00:02:43 Sunday, April 13 2070

She made her way over and sat down next to Felix on the cooling concrete. She stole a quick glance at him as he retracted into his shell before staring out into the neighborhood, looking past JAX's garage and onto the river.

Her voice was soft, the usual teasing and hardened edge was gone, she usually let her guard down around Felix, she didn't have to put on a show for him, they could just talk about anything and nothing for hours on end if nothing interrupted them.

"You can hang in there Felix, you're a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for. You standing up to Neo tonight proved it. I think it made an impression on a lot of the crew, I'm sure of it actually. We'll always get in over our heads somehow... the important part is that we're all there for each other, that we stick together." She sighed softly, "We're family, for good or for bad. We're stuck with each other... "

13:19:50 Sunday, April 13 2070

Her breathing had slowed as she was remembering, screwed up concepts of "family" that still plagued her. She was a few days away from being a year older, a year more detached from her blood family and a year more intertwined with her gang family. All of it was just hitting a little too close to home this time. She clenches her jaw as she pushes those thoughts from her mind and tries to refocus on the situation approaching them on bikes. She'd likely have to tag-team with Auran again if they actually tried to talk to the approaching Trolls.

00:02:54 Sunday, April 13 2070

She had been so wrapped up in thoughts of "family" and staring out into the night that she was caught off guard when Felix leaned into her. She smiled softly and bumped back into him playfully. When he tells her that the gang is all he has, she slips her arm around his shoulders and gives him a gentle hug, keeping her arm around him as she thought about how to respond.

"If it comes down to a fight, I'm not going to sugar coat it, some of us could get hurt. But remember, we're on our turf, we've got that advantage." She shrugged slightly. "As far as God goes, we're not really on speaking terms anymore... I'm sure evil will be trespassed upon me for what I've done but that's my cross to bear. Until then, perhaps I'm just doing God's work till he sorts it all out in the end."

She fell silent as she thought about that for a bit, listening to Felix's concerns about 'becoming evil' she shakes her head and is about to tell him all the reasons he's not evil when he plays it off as drunken babbling.

13:19:55 Sunday, April 13 2070

God, God was a sadistic bastard. As evidenced by Halo's life as well as the 14 heavily armed Trolls approaching their HQ.

00:04:15 Sunday, April 13 2070

She was honestly touched by Felix's genuine concern for her well being and his cute desire to see her remain breathing for a while longer at least. She was about to lean over and give him a soft kiss on his cheek as he stumbled for the words he was looking for, but the next second he was back to talking about being drunk and he was jumping up and putting distance between them.

She's momentarily confused and left to wonder if she did something to spook the poor kid. She hears him say something about The Zo e that snaps her back into this reality.

"The Zo e? Eh, Aziz and Tao got in a game of pool I think, not so much fun as it could have been since JJ, Auran and I headed to see Rahim for their "party favours." You didn't miss much. I think you were off making this place safer for all of us when we took off, but you should be glad you stuck around here. Next time we head out I'm bringing you with us, if I have to strap you to the back of my bike and drag you out kicking and screaming."

She grinned like a cheshire cat and laughed richly. There were too many good times still left to be had for anything to get too terribly fucked up in the next couple of days.

13:20:01 Sunday, April 13 2070

Boy did she jinx herself with that thought. Convinced she has a pretty good idea of just who the Trolls are, she shrinks down the window from the drone to a more manageable size and pays more attention to the loading dock camera and her field of vision.

"Part of me wishes they'd just get here already and get their shit over with, whatever it might be."

13:17:01 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ
Tao-Fighter

Tao-Fighter is a bit disappointed, to be unabled, to read the effect of his speech, or any emotion at all, in Halo´s face. New doubt dawns in him, he remebers the dream about Sascha and fear rises, that this could be a bad omen. History could repeat itself. No, I won´t. His eyes threaten to water.

His face turns to an artificial display of grim determination, as TF hands her a flashbang, his heavily braced shock glove and a dose of cram. Then he puts his glasses and goggles over his eyes and his breather over his mouth. The breather holds one inhalator of Jazz and Kamikaze, each, ready to activate on a skinlink command. finally he draws his ski-mask down over his face. He crouches behind cover, to Halo´s side, pointing his Ingram at the entrance.
When Halo speaks up on the Team-Channel Tao offers a plain reply, for the other team members to know.

[13:18:35] C410: Tao-Fighter@Auran, BronzeWyrm, Cammy, Halo, Nurse, Shade: <<Set!>>

With his gear ready, he finally decides to recruit some help, as the I-Ging suggested. He would rather wait until a fight was evident to start before spoiling his regeneration, but sometimes seconds meant the difference between life and death.
He begins a soft, voiceless chant and reaches out into the realm of the dead, but only as far as he could without risking his own life. When his mind reaches the threshold of the 10 hells, he mentally calls out the name of his grandfather three times. This time, the voice in his head was calm and comforting. 'It´s all about timing, my son. To know when not to act.' He resists the tempestuous winds trying to drag his soul over the bridge, further away from the mortal world and his imagination returns unscathed into his own body. The old amerindian male manifests for three seconds, while Tao thanks him silently and asks him to vanish and stand by in the astral plane for his call. Echoing his Ancestor´s words, he starts thinking about the oracle again. The I-Ging suggested a retreat to the southwest, but the others probably wouldn´t give any credit to some tossed coins.
Halo´s announcement makes him feel slightly more uneasy.

TF: "I fear Auran won´t talk down anyone after this night with to much Nova and too little sleep. So, maybe You ... We have to take care of this."

The 'We' didn´t sound as if he thought, he would be of any use, but the girl to his side was sunken in her own thoughts anyway. Nurse can handle people better then most think, but she´s not completely in, yet. Raven could handle it, too, but these Trolls probably don't like elves. He thinks to himself, glad his own nature was obscured at the moment.

13:20:01 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ
Tao-Fighter

She looked like a mage pearing into the astral, while looking into the AR and into her self, but Tao doesn´t pay attention. He is bothered with his own thoughts and watching the entrance and the vid feeds, when he notices the little blinking icon, that symbolizes an incoming call from Rachel. He silences it with a wave of his hand, as there is no time to deal with her now, automatically sending a voice mail, prerecorded for just such a situation.

Halo: "Part of me wishes they'd just get here already and get their shit over with, whatever it might be."

The Addict inside TF jumps at that comment, craving for an excuse, to get another hit, but he keeps it restrained for the moment. He trys to offer a smart or encouraging remark, but the words that leave his mouth as he looks at her are probably neither.

TF: "Let´s hope it´s just talking, I don´t want to loose " You he thinks. After a small pause, that betrays his thoughts, he turns away from her and offers a weak, "... anyone."

The uneasiness in his face is concealed by the mask, but his wavering voice makes it evident to everyone, trained to listen. Fears start mounting up around him again, crumbling into despair, what little confidence he had kept from his speech. The look on Sascha´s face as she had died away under his hands, hanging before his minds eye. It´s my fault, that they where beaten almost to death. My fault that Sascha died. That She is here now. He wants to tell her why, release the secret, before he meats his end, but he keeps it locked away. To tell her now would be as selfish as not having told her right away, it would only lighten his burden at her expense.

13:17:38 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ
JAX

JAX breathes a sigh of relief that he and Thyn make it back across the street before anything nasty starts. He finds himself wondering if the trolls that were coming knew what was up or if they were simply looking around. Things could spin out of control in a second and it made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. What hair there was on the back of his neck.

He looked at the stuff he'd brought over and shook his head. The van stopped, they were at the Y. The junk in the van was basically everything he owned that could conceivably be used as a weapon. Including his speakers, though he hoped a sonic assault wasn't the best tool that the Crash had at their disposal. From inside he heard a martial-sounding classical theme. He tossed boxes and bundles to Thyn who caught them easily, carrying easily two or three times what JAX could manage. In a matter of minutes there was a pile of nutty stuff at the gang's disposal in defense of their HQ. If it came to that.

JAX suddenly felt really vulnerable. He gritted his teeth and checked the shotgun he'd slung over his shoulder. If it came to it, he'd have one chance, one shot and hopefully the others could make it so that was all he needed.

Thyn carried the gear into the garage and waved at Halo in her perch covering the loading bay door. JAX and Thyn began moving everyone's bikes into groups by team and more or less out of what a likely line of fire was. He paused momentarily to admire his bike as he pushed it into place, a smile stealing across his face, banishing fear for a fleeting moment.

<<<410 Crash: Thyn and I are moving the bikes into teams...>>> he relays a snapshot of the arrangment to CD for propagation to the others, <<<...if there are any scratches, it's Thyn's fault.>>>

He switches his commlink to hidden, open only to the 410 Crash and Nurse, subscribes it to CD's comm and consults the tactical map (adding personal beacons to mark the new location of everyone's vehicle) to find his team. He crouches at the pile of junk he'd brought over.

<<<410 Crash: Anyone one want a mono-saw?>>> The roaring growl of a chainsaw ripping into life echoes through the gym and over the comm network.

13:30:00 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ

The bikers look to be deliberately taking their time as they approach the Y from the front. The streets are deserted both before and after them as word of their coming spreads and the normal citizenry scatters for the hills.

As they pull into street before the Y, they fan out into a long line, reving their engines and making the walls of the building literally rattle from the sound of it. Then one of them, larger and meaner looking than the others, kills his bike and dismounts, stepping forward. The other engines don't go off, but return to their normal idle as the big troll cups his hands to his mouth and yells. "Give us w'at 'ars and that's that!"

Slam looks to the other members of the gang. "Frag this. Who the frag told 'em we have the fraggin' thing, anyway." He looks a little nervous. "We got everything boarded up and ready?"

13:30:02 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ's Roof
Aziz

Aziz reaches down and kisses the dented bullet casing around his neck, loosely holding the AK. He shoulders it, and sights down the barrel for a moment.

"Fuck you!", he shouts down, and fires a burst at the larger troll.

13:30:00 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ
Raven

“Good question...”

As it's clear, that the trolls are headed here, Raven calls the spirit to her side, whom she had summoned earlier, to help her in the upcoming confrontation. The spirit manifests next to her, but stays on the astral for now.

As soon as she can see the trolls, Raven will look out for a good target to aim her Control Thoughts spell at, while assensing them. Seeing the spirits on the astral, she also tries to figure out, who the magicians are among their awakened, likely those closest to the spirits. If there seems to be any one troll not in sight of those three, she will hit that one with her spell.

<410Crash: [Raven] Six of them are awakened. Three with spirits. The rest probably adepts. Five of the others have more cyber in them, than is good for them.>

...or us... she completes here thoughts in silence.

If possible, Raven tries to relate who of the trolls is in which category (magician, adept, cybered monster, mundane), but especially the magicians, so they get shot down quickly, if it comes to that... which it most likely will.

13:17:46 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ
Halo

Halo nods to both JAX and Thyn on their arrival with gear back to HQ. With more eyes on the doors she takes a few moments to leave the loading dock doors, as well as their decoy box, in the hands and eyes of Tao as she goes to check the other entrances to the gym to make sure they were still secured and locked up tightly. She didn't need any surprises should these fuckers try to ambush them all.

Satisfied they were locked as tight as they could be for the time being she does her best to help the boys rearrange the bikes for the quickest getaway.

13:30:00 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ
Halo

The vibrations of the engines revving outside sends a shiver up her spine. Normally she'd find the whole experience rather thrilling, right now it was painfully unnerving.

"What the chinga do those pendejos think they're doing?! Do they think they're gonna vibrate their way inside?" Her nervous excitement is evident in her voice, and the rapidly thickening accent along with more frequent slips into Spanish.

She visibly flinches slightly as the first burst of gunfire comes from above.

"So much for talking things out..." She pulls the Slivergun from the small of her back and waits for all hell to break loose as she takes up her spot near the loading dock door and her bike. She sends out a comment to the channel via audio and the tension in her jawline is audible.
<<410Crash: [Halo] Did anyone want to bother to ask em what the FUCK they think is rightfully theirs before we started gunning them down?>>

13:30:02 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ
China Doll

"ooo..nkkk..so.so.js.jo.so..oo"

<<Crash410:

Agent X, a dark silhouette icon of a man in a sharp shouldered suit reaches under it's jacket, and pulls out a glossy black gun shape that contrasts with the brilliant white of the shirt. The gun shape swivels to point at anyone looking at it, the barrel growing to fill the entire field of view.

Meanwhile, in the background the wireframe view of the area around the Y is filled with the motions of many red and green icons flashing various amounts of data and alerts. One rooftop icon is highlighted with a fiery blow up aura, and bright white lines connect the roof top icon and on of the large red icons on the ground.

BANG!>>

China Doll snaps awake and claps a hand to her ear.

13:22:14 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ
Tao-Fighter

Tao feels alone and cold, wrapped in the icy sheet of his thoughts. He had barely noticed Halo stuffing the decoy box under his right arm and taking off. The tactical tells him, that she is still in the gym, though, along with JAX and Thyn. He nods to them, as they pass him, to get the bikes out of the way, felling useless as he sits there leaning against the wall. He looks up the text of the I-Ging again and decides, to summon some company for his grandfather. He already felt ashamed, because he had not dared to call fourth a stronger incarnation of his ancestor. The Rattlers follow his invitation, just like last night, though their cheerful mood quickly swings to the gloomy image of their masters depression, before they retreat completely into the astral again. He feels tired, he wants to just drop everything and leave, but the fear for what will happen to his friends doesn´t allow it. He sits there for a minute, maybe two, while the others are moving around him. When he takes a short peak into the astral plane, his grandfather tries to comfort him, paraphrasing old flatvids from his childhood again, but TF´s mood doesn´t improve much.

Ancestor Spirit: "We have no choice into what times we are born, but we can chose, what to do with the time given to us!"

13:30:02 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ
Felix

The first shot was fired, and then Hell followed after. Felix's world shook with the roar of motors, and cracking of gunfire, and the voices shouting in his head. His knuckles white on the edge of the box, the young mage took a few deep breaths to calm himself down.

This is messed up... We won't make it...

Felix's small glitter of courage was now starting to fade away, as fear was eating him. Soon, his friends would be falling all around him. He had to do something.

Just as he peered around the corner, the first volley from the trolls came, shattering windows, hitting the concrete around him. Outside, he could clearly see materialized spirits springing into action at the command of their summoners.

Frag!

One flew up out of sight, probably heading for the shooters on the roof. The other took off a few feet of the ground and sped toward the upper floors.

As Felix saw JJ get hit, he started forward to go to his side to help him... but a shotgun blast roared sending the mage back for cover. Felix felt his vision cloud with anger. Seeing his friend getting hurt, hearing all the explosions around him didn't make him afraid anymore. It made him mad.

Taking a few steps back to get behind some cover, his back agaisnt the med room's wall, his body slowly slip agaisnt the wall and to the floor. Both arms around the box, cradling it like a child.

<<410Crash: [Tag] Tao, one spirit going for the second floor. Slow it down. I'll deal with the one going to the roof. Get us some back up chummer, fast.>>

His head rolled back as he slipped out of his body and sprung toward the roof, his fire elemental at his side.

13:30:02 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ
Auran

** Brrrat** the shots ring out from above Auran's head. Her body goes rigid for a second as she freezes in fear at the sound of the gunshots. Holy shit, Holy Shit! HOLY SHIT! Her mind goes everywhere and nowhere at once. She bites her own lower lip a bit, in nervousness, and when she draws blood, she remembers where she is. Cool.. Cool... I'm cool..... Instinctively her magical abilities take over, and her body quickly adjusts itself for maximum nimbleness. Auran fires a shot at the troll carrying the heaviest firepower. Her breathing slowed, she concentrates, her eyes almost locking on to the targets throat. As the gun's sights crosses her vision, her finger pulls the trigger with almost divine precision. She ducks down, as she tries to glimpse a vision of her victim.

13:30:02 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ
Toy Robot

The jaunty sound of clacking metal and hard wood is a distinctive music produced by a unique percussive insturment: the AK type assault weapon.

Toy's eyes glaze over at the familiar sound as enemy magical and vehicle support close in on the gang's position.

We're...all...gonna...die...

She's seen this before. A convergence of resources on a hideout. Automatic fire will tear through the day like so much festive grey confetti but at the end of the day endless reinforcments win. The war is over because it's time to die.

"Love you guys...really," she whispers, although no one can hear.

And then she opens fire.

13:30:00 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ
JAX

The voices of the trolls relay through CD's commlink, nevermind that the young dwarf is groggily gaining what she can recover of her senses, "Give us w'at 'ars and that's that!"

Automatic fire rattles out. JAX's belly clenches and he aches all over with the instant hit of adrenaline that instinct dumps into his blood.

--- FRAG---FRAG---FRAG---

...the words scroll across his forehead as - in spike of panic - he activates the link giving phosphorescent life to the thought repeating itself in his head.

His hands tighten on the shotgun in the same instant. The vehicles were in place and he mind runs down the possibility of jumping on his bike and taking the hell off. He is paralyzed by the thought. And equally so by the thought of 14 trolls sitting outside on nasty bikes with nasty guns and nasty attitudes.

And now they were firing.

---14TROLLS---14TROLLS---FRAG---14TROLLS---FRAG---14TROLLS---

...scroll the tattoos, interspersing the two thoughts dominating the young man's mind. The speakers set up in the gym now seem like a terrible joke. And the flaregun in his waistband. And the shotgun in his hands. And JAX. This is all a terrible, terrible joke. And JAX isn't sure he's gonna stick around for the punchline.

---JOKE---14TROLLS---FRAG---14TROLLS---JOKE---FRAG---FRAG---14TROLLS---MOMMY---FRAG14---

And so on.

13:30:02 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ
Halo

Halo takes another good look at the video feed at the bikers lined up in front of their HQ and the breath catches in her throat. She swallows hard and visibly pales.

<<410Crash: [Halo] Before anyone bothers to waste anymore ammo, might want to be advised you're taking shots a a nice chunk of the fucking Spikes out there. The lead choob isn't Torgo from the looks of it, but I'm not taking chances. Might be a fucking wise idea to get the riders with their boxes down here to their bikes and lets lay rubber. Anyone without a ride, Thyn's van's here...>>

13:30:00 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ
BronzeWyrm

Wyrm had been quietly watching the bikes approach, the colours on their jackets making a chill run down her electronic spine. If they're who she thinks they are, this isn't good. She holds back the Sprite from starting her attack, preparing for the worse, but hoping for the best.

Electrode signals that the drones are in position, he's in his buggy and has the hovercraft set to dash for the river.

0day is beside her in VR, assessing a weakness to exploit the trolls. His physical body is sitting in the couch across from her.

Then the shit hits the fan, she watches Aziz's icon flash, indicating he's in combat, hears the rattle of his assault rifle over the comm network, seeing the status monitor that it hits the leader of the group. "So much for fragging diplomacy." she mumbles to herself and 0day.
Halo's comment makes her stomach drop, her fears realized, no more time for heroics, this isn't our gang war, fuck why did Slam get us involved in this?! Looking at 0day's icon, "Lets crash the party to give us a chance to scatter, this fight we won't win."
[13:30:03] C410: BronzeWyrm "Give me a few seconds Halo, we need to reduce the bike count of the Spikes if we have a chance in hell of getting out of this alive. Electrode, let those Dobermans rip, we need the diversion."

She's in battle mode, this isn't the first time she's gotten into a fight, and she intends this to not be her last. She goes after the first commlink while she signals her Sprite to go ahead on the second. 0day holds back watching the status of Electrode's drones. This better be worth it.

13:30:03 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ
China Doll

...Time for Fox and Hounds!

<<Crash410: Agent X Initiate Option Alpha Variant Primary>>

China Doll gabs the back of the couch and hauls herself to her feet, looking vacantly over the lounge.

They aren't all dead are they?

Oh, VR.

Though they'd still be warm if they'd just been killed.

<<Crash410: China Doll//PRIORITY TARGET FRONT TIRE BLOWOUT!!!!!!

Agent X's dark cut edged silhouette icon fills the wireframe space, reaches into his interior jacket pocket and pulls out a stack of flash white cards. Holding up to display the contents to everyone, a series of instructions appear and start cycling through accompanied by a calm baritone voiceover.

"Welcome to Crash 410, for everyone's safety please proceed with the following steps:

Team Slam assemble in the Auditorium and prepare to initiate and maintain running contact with ... Spikes ..."

Further instructions can be seen forming on the next layer of flash cards.
>>

Chine Doll mutters, "See if they feel safe without good rubber."

13:30:02 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ
Nurse

Just being here had already had Nurse on edge given everything that has gone down since her arrival. Listening to China Doll snoring behind the couch now that everyone else, as far as Nurse can tell, was as ready as they could be was quickly working up to being more than just annoying when the building itself also rumbles, with the sound of the bikes. China Doll's sudden state of wakefulness just as the shots are ringing out from the rooftop is indeed opportune for Nurse, as she continues to 'stand guard' seeking to protect Wyrm.

She doesn't think she likes that Wyrm is continuing to send her a live feed of what one of the drones outside is getting. "Everything is just so complicated," she is thinking, not knowing whether she will be able to keep her 'promise' to her Mom about not missing any school because of this.

13:26:02 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ
Tao-Fighter

Back in the physical realm with his senses, he starts bothering about the upcoming task. He considers taking a line of Nova, to reduce the pain in his chest and boost his confidence in the upcoming task. He fingers the two small bags of cocain in his jackets pocket, while he watches Halo positioning her bike for a fast escape. He starts to temporarily free his face from the Gear, again.

[13:27:00] C410: Tao-Fighter@Halo "Hey, Angelina, want us to share some Angel Dust, to powder your cute nose, since we are probably doing the talking?"

While he sends off the message, he notices, that Rachel has been trying call him and got rejected again, twice. Starting to worry, that his girlfriend could be in danger, he checks and sees, that she left a message, after each of the three calls. He quickly looks over the synopsis, his Navi OS created automatically, while absently rotating the bags of Nova around each other, like meditation-spheres in hie right hand. concierge. Me and Auran. Mindy. Me and Halo. This can wait.. The third message has no synopsis, as it is only a single sentence. Tao-Fighter has to read over it, trice, however, to catch the meaning. He pales, as the message finally sinks in.

As Halo settles between him and her bike, he stares holes through her, as though he had not noticed her return, the bags still circling in his grasp.
After a Moment he fixes her face his blue-green eyes searching for her´s, in an attempt to anchor his mind in the present, and states with a removed expression and distant voice.

TF: "She quit..."

13:30:00 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ

Aziz let loose with his AR, sending a lot of lead in the way of the troll leader. The leader looks like he'd been halfway expecting somethinig like this and avoided some of it. He still took the brunt of the attack, though being a heavily armored troll, it didn't seem to phase him much. JJ followed up with a similar attack, one of which hts and seems to have a small effect.

Slam curses and fires hs pistol at the leader, but the gun jams. This, of course, causes more cursing as he clears it.

Shade fred off a pair of blasts at one of the trolls among the spirits. One shot hit, the other did not.

The all hell broke lose. The gang leader returned fire at Aziz with his shotgun. OOC: 2 hits, 3 hits, 7P/-1 Another of the trolls fired his shotgun twice at JJ as well. OOC: 2 hits, 2 hits, 7P/-1

A third troll shouldered his AK and scanned for targets.

Two of the larger trolls unlimbered their combat axed and accellerated toward the main doors. The troll that Shade shot orders his sprit to attack and gets close to the leader as another of the trolls casts a spell and a shimmering dome of force springs to life around them.

Two spirits fly forward, one heading for Shade and the other for the roof.

ToyRobot sprays fire at the leader, though the barrier stops some of the bullets. Between the slightly murky barrier and the troll's quick action, however, she didn't manage to hit. She did, however, find herself on the recieving end of a barrage of autofire from the ganger with the AK. Two three round bursts, base+burst DV of 8P/-1, first with 4 hits, second with 5 hits.

The third troll with a combat axe spurs himself after the other two, heading for the lobby doors.

In the Matrix, BronzeWyrm and 0Day started pounding the ganger's comlinks, but the security wouldn't fall easily.

Another of the trolls lifted his shotgun and started looking for a target.

Thyn took a shot at the troll with the AK, sending blood leaking from his jacket but not taking him down. Thyn discovered that the troll with the shotgun had been looking for just such a target and fired twice at him. Two shots with 3 hits each, 7P/-1

The last troll, also with a shotgun, took aim on the building, blasting at one of the drones but missing.

The dobermans went wild, sending bullets sailing into the approaching bikers. The bikers were agile, however, and only a few injuries were sustained.

Auran took a shot at the troll with the AK, taking him down.

On the astral, Felix shed his meat body and headed upwards, his fire spirit in tow. OOC: Projecting is a complex action. Ordering spirits is a simple one. I made an assumption. The spirits began to fight, and the air spirit moved like an oiled snake, evading each of its attackers. It countered by attacking the spirit of man, moving quite skillfully. OOC: 3 hits, DV 3, I believe. Wow, astral combat is pretty slow.

Raven cast about for a target not in sight of the mages, but didn't find one. In the end, she just picked one and cast the spell at him. Protected by the trollish mages, it didn't take hold.

-- Pass 2 --

Aziz quickly found himself on the angry side of a spirit. It attempts to engulf him. OOC: Melee attack with 5 hits. If it succeeds, resist DV 5 with just body (and inhalation based toxin protections). See engulf rules for the rest.

The spirit in combat near Shade again attacked the spirit of man. OOC: 3 hits, DV 3 Felix's spirit showed up at the party on the roof immediately thereafter and joined in though the spirit avoided the attack. OOC: Couldn't find your rolls so I just made them.

On the ground, two of the mages made a flinging guesture and Auran felt himself under magical assault from two spells. OOC: Force 5 stunbolt with 2 hits and with 5 hits. The other mage simply maintained the barrier.

Two of the trolls swung their combat axes at dobermen. OOC: One hit with 3 hits, one hit with 2 hits. The attacks are at a base of 9P/-1. The other heads for the doors and hacks at the lock. It doesn't hold up against his strength.

Shade takes two shots at one of the trolls and, hampered as he is by the melee, he only partially avoids the second one.

The drones do their best to defend themselves, but the melee makes it impossible to land a shot.

Slam throws down his handgun and heads for the stairs, his cyberarm gleaming in the light as he gets ready to crack some troll heads.

The battle continues on the astral, as well.

Shade finds him the target of a pair of shotgun wielding trolls. OOC: Two shots, one hit each (you can thank cover).

[color=orange]-- Pass 3 --

The astral spirits do a little better as the materliazed spirits lag behind, but the astral fight is far from over.

Shade decides it best to return fire to the trolls firing at him and does so.

The adepts continue their assault on the drones and the door. The door finally flies open, torn from its hinges and the two adepts land deadly blows on the drones. OOC: Each drone is hit with 2 hits, base DV of 9P/-1

One mage flings a stunbolt at Shade and the other two don't do anything obvious. OOC: 1 hit, force 5

-- END ROUND 1 --

Three trolls are standing at the entrance to the Y, combat axes at the ready. Two have light wounds, but the third is fresh. Four more trolls aren't far behind, each carrying a shotgun. Three mages and the leader are huddled under a physical barrier. Yet two more trolls are huddled under the barrier and have yet to do anything useful. A last troll lies on the ground, clutching his AK and bleeding. The leader and one of the mages show some signs of being injured.

Toy Robot

13:30:00 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ


Toy poked her head up behind a window and wiggled her Eastern Bloc rifle through in order to spray at the enemies amassed below.

A jolt of adrenaline, nervous pulsing, and instinct made her jerk the rifle off target and twist to the side, seeking cover. She felt the presence of death about half a second before it descended upon her with icy claws with an instinct grown sharp by spending so much time in his decaying stench.

The survival instincts and reflexes of flesh and blood were simply not fast enough to cope with small pieces of steel tumbling through the air at several thousand feet per second. As divots and dust exploded from the window frame around her two Eastern Bloc rounds struck her in the left carotid artery. They passed through the flesh, the cavitation off of the rounds perturbing her spine and trachea, and fragmented, hard and crimson, on the ceiling behind her.

Toy's vision receeded into the sensory white-out that accompanies insufficient blood flow to the brain. It felt like falling backwards into white water. Her body felt more and more distant, until the sickening numb feeling shooting up and down her body from her neck didn't seem to matter anymore.

Time to die...

13:30:03 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ
Shade

It was like waking from a trance. The last few seconds, those moments walking on the precipice of life and death, jolted Shade back to reality. It was like seeing his life flash before his eyes, except his ‘life’ consisted of something like the last 18 hours or so.

18 hours ago, he’d been a kid waiting for his family to come back. 18 hours ago, he’d been running with the 410 Crash as something to do to keep his skills sharp while waiting to return to his normal life. 18 hours ago, the 410 Crash were just friends, and some of them not even very good ones, at that. 18 hours ago, this was just a phase, nothing more.

Then came the call from Auntie Lee, and the discussion at the restaurant. Could one conversation change a person’s life more completely? His family was dead. Just like that, all his hope of returning to his normal life was gone. And it got crazier. Auntie Lee really was…his mother!?!? And that meant that Merri, that China Doll was his half-sister?!?!?

Just the knowledge that his father, the one who had taught him to be a man, to be a warrior, to be a Christian, had had an affair shook Shade to the core. Did his mother know? How could she not? If she did, what was her response? If his father hadn’t told her, why not? Why did he have the affair in the first place? Why had Auntie Lee given him up to his father? Those and dozens more questions danced around his head.

Shade was too stunned to ask Auntie, Mama(?) Lee for the details, and she hadn’t volunteered them. They were questions he wasn’t sure if he wanted the answers to. They were questions he wasn’t even sure he wanted to ask.

He’d been too stunned to do, say, or even think much of anything since then. Like his name, he’d drifted into a world that was part of this one, yet not. The last 18 hours had passed without him interacting, without him even really speaking to anyone. He’d seen his fellow gangers laugh, talk, do drugs, party, relax, bond…but he had done none of that. Only drift silently in and out of their lives, watching and observing.

He’d heard of Neo’s execution of their prisoner and grudgingly respected the troll for being willing to make a hard decision to do what he believed had to be done. He’d observed Felix standing up to Neo and smiled inside at the kid’s guts and willingness to stand up for what he believed had to be said. He’d listened to the deal that was going to be another step towards the gang’s climb to the big time and hoped it was true. He’d watched the small but still there seeds of quiet romance blossom among some of the gangers and rejoiced for them. He’d seen some of them get wasted and party with one another and envied them for their closeness. He’d seen them casually simply sit and enjoy one another’s company, and felt himself drawn to that.

But for himself, he was a ghost inside. A jooksing. A bamboo with both ends cut off. A man with no past, and a man with no future. And yet, he had been forced to consider his observations in the context of what he knew about each of the gangers. They came from different circumstances, some with no family but the gang, others from a good family background. Some were better off than others, and some definitely had more issues than the others. Despite all the differences between them, as he watched them express their love and affection for one another in myriad ways, he looked inside himself, and realized that his love and affection for the gang ran deeper than he had ever realized. Sometimes still waters run deep, and the ties that bind knit you together before you even knew it happened.

Now, he was a kid without a family. Now, running with the 410 Crash was his life. Now, the 410 Crash wasn’t just friends, they were family. Now, this wasn’t a phase. This is his life. And this is his family. The only family he has, maybe the only family he’ll ever have. And someone is trying to take this family away from him too.

Something had snapped inside Shade the moment someone had fired the first fateful shot. He didn’t know who, only that it was one of the 410 Crash. It was a brash, stupid thing to do, because it was the spark that set off a powder keg of retaliation. The Spikes, he thought their name was. He’d heard of them, they had a rep as one of the top gangs in the Sprawl.

They lived up to their rep, and proved they were out of the Crash’s league, that much was obvious in seconds. He saw Auran go down beside him, badly wounded, and he swore he’d heard Toy gasp in pain as a hailstorm of bullets eviscerated her position.

Watching Toy and Auran go down was ultimately what woke him up. A warrior always walked on the brink of life and death, and being put on that precipice once again, Shade felt his mind relax as a lifetime of training took over. The confusion, questions, doubt, pain, anger, all of it melted away, replaced by a calm, determined resolve.

The 410 Crash was his home, and these people were his family. His life no longer belonged to him, for him to hold onto as he waited for his family to return. Now he was among family. It was time for him to fully embrace his position and responsibility as a member of that family.

A quick scan of the situation showed that things were looking grim. Clearly, The Spikes knew their stuff. A group in the back, the command group, he guessed, hunkered down behind a magical barrier while throwing spells left and right. Two others, most likely their computer crew, were there with them.

In the front, several of them had charged the door, obviously intent on storming the building. While Shade had done his best to instruct some of the others on the intricate art of hand-to-hand combat, most of the gang was still woefully deficient when it came time to get up close and personal.

Between the command group and the assault team, a group of trolls was laying down a hailstorm of bullets with shotguns and assault rifles. It was like watching a well orchestrated military assault, and the warrior in Shade admired their proficiency.

But he wasn’t going to let admiration stand in the way of doing what had to be done. The gang’s lack of close combat proficiency made his decision for him. Simply put, there were too few people in the gang who could go head to head with one of those axe wielding trolls and live, let alone emerge victorious. Holstering one of his revolvers, he gripped the other one in both hands to aim better and fired a shot at one of the trolls attempting to break down the door.

Without waiting to see what had happened, he immediately dropped prone to the ground next to a moaning Auran. Thankfully, he’d been paying attention during the briefing and knew that Nurse, and medical attention, was only meters away.

Staying flat on the ground, he immediately began dragging Auran towards the Lounge, where Nurse was stationed. Transmitting into his commlink, he said calmly and clearly, “Auran’s down. Nurse, I’m bringing her to you.”

13:30:03 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ
BronzeWyrm

Wyrm comes to the real, the taste of iron on her tongue. Her nose is bleeding and her eyes are bloodshot from trying to - unsuccessfully - hack the Trolls' comm systems. "Ouch, that's one tough cookie."

She looks up, Nurse is starting to tend to her wounds, she quickly calculates the time it would take... no time, gotta get out of here, they're beating down the door!
She waves her friend off. "Not now, gotta leave, the Spikes are here!" She tries to stand, her feet are a little unsteady at first, her head is pounding, but she thinks she can make it.

Beside her 0day comes to, and the start running to the back stairs to get to the gym, to the bikes. Electrode's waiting to give whoever he can a ride. His hovercraft has just left the doorway, and heads North, hopefully to present a distraction. He prays this won't be the last time he'll see his hovercraft.

Then Shade's comes down the hall, dammit, she can't leave him and Auran like this!
[13:30:04] C410: BronzeWyrm "No time, NO time! Downstairs into the buggy, we can heal her on route."
She stops her flight, grabing one of Auran's legs as 0day grabs the other. CD is there and they move down as a group to get out. She sees through the drone's eyes, see the trolls have broken through! Not good!, adraneline surges as Wyrm pushes forward.

13:30:03 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ
JAX

JAX's image link is blaring with flaring red icons and fading green ones. He freezes, panic stealing coherent action. His eyes dart, one way, then another, and back. They fall onto the chainsaw. He pulls the gas mask hanging loosely at his neck up over his face, fastening it. Eyes still locked on the saw. Cries and messages fly across the 410 channel - he chokes, throat tight. His bike is close. Very close, he could be the first out of the building.

At a command the sleek waiting bike's engine turns over, electronics standing in for a human touch. The engine roars and echoes loudly in the gym. He hears hacking and crashing outside the gym. More shouts, more cries.

They're coming down. We need to be ready. I need to be ready. To cover them.

He clenches his teeth, sudden bile rising in his throat, tongue fat in his mouth. His eyes flick to the chainsaw again. He makes a dash for it and flicks off the safety, toggles the 'go' switch and the saw's roaring whine is added to the cacophany in the gym. He waits. Waits along side the door for the Spikes.

God, what am I doing... JAX's brow breaks out in sweat, blurring the and refracting the word 'God' as it blinks on his forehead.

13:30:03 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ
Halo

Halo decided it was now or never She was gonna take off with a box and try to divert at least a bit of the heat out front onto herself and away from her gangmates. She kicks a leg over her bike and settles in, throwing her helmet over her head she looks back over her shoulder and yells at Tao.

"Get the fuck on or I'm leaving your ass!"

She slaps down the visor on her helmet and with a hastily entered code and a press of her thumb she brings her bike to life, it's engine's high pitch whine as she revved adding to the growing noise inside the gym.

[13:30:03] C410: Wyrm I'm taking off, with a box. Hope someone's behind me to help distract them.

As the trolls roll up on their bike, Neo takes a hit of Jazz as he loses himself in the music, and the buzz of the combat drugs.

Whe he hears the shooting start, he'll pop up and lob a bunch of flash bang grenades at the massed trolls. It ought to confuse them, if it doesn't knock thwem out entirely.

[13:30:03]Where the fuck are our drones?

The Imperial March continues playing, and Neo is Darth Vader.

Up until13:30:04 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ
Tao-Fighter

She quit! Tao-Fighter´s own words echoed in his head. He was shocked and surprised, but he also felt guilty, because he was not hurt and even felt some relief. He hoped, he had not hurt Rachel too much and if so, that he could still make good for it. He didn´t notice Halo snatching the decoy-box back out of his lap, when his thoughts where disrupted, by the 14 Trolls lining up in front of the Y and Halo´s comment.

Halo´s: "What the chinga do those pendejos think they're doing?! Do they think they're gonna vibrate their way inside?"

The Nova forgotten for the moment, he replaced his eye-gear and breather on his face, but did not draw the Ski-Mask back down, so it only covered his ears, together with the headphones. The C410 Tactical protocol instantly marked the awakened spotted by Raven.

Then suddenly all hell broke loos. Somebody had fired the first shot, and it looked as it was none of the Trolls. Nooo! the elfin wizard thought, Yesss! the addict thought and activated the Jazz inhalator with a mental signal through the trode-cap. TF rocketed to his full hight, with the jolt of adrenaline and synthetic stimulants, wiping the breather away from his mouth, to take a deep breath, that made his lungs hurt, as his thoughts started to pace back and forth, much faster, then even his drug-augmented body could follow. He quickly asked his astral aids for a complex string of favours, exressed in short metaphors from chinese literature, that he had learned over the years, for this express use.
The C410 Channel had broken into chaos, with too many people transmitting at once. Though the C410 Tactical and his Navi OS converted any overlapping audio messages into text, added synopsis and updated the virtual map, TF could not grasp all the incoming data, even through his trodes.

When his spirits where gone, TF became aware of the cocain again and, figuring, that it would also support him in summoning more aids, decided to take it, talking or no. While he ripped one bag open, with his teeth, he tried to keep up with Halo, who was jumping onto her wheels. He inhaled the contents of the small bag hastily, leaving a white beard of dust on his upper lip and spilling a good part of the dust onto his hand. Though wanting to offer the second bag to his gang-mate, as the hightened awareness surely would have enhanced her already considerable skills on the road, his voice was drowned out, when she yelled at him and shut her helmet´s visor, so he put it back into his pocket, while taking seat, behind her.

13:30:03 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ
China Doll

Last out of the lounge, as usual trailing the group when on foot, China Doll, is able to see the change of direction as BronzeWyrm turns to help the wounded. Blanching as she sees her hurt friends, her arm twitches, and with a click her Defiance Shocker snaps into her left hand.

For what seems an eternity she gazes at the blood, then past it, through the highlighted wire frame image of the building and the augmented reality multi dimensional overlay showing the indistinct mass of giant angry indistinct red blobs gathered at the mains doors on the floor below. Inside the doors, a set of diminuititive green high definition icons of her other friends wait.

The images re scan and update, a new feature turning her cold inside. A large jagged yellow oval appears centered around the downstairs doors. Ignoring the now out of date instructions Agent X drones out, China Doll calmly slots her taser away and reaching out to help move people along comments in a clipped tone, "Breach. Down the back stairs."

In the auditorium below the Ducati Razor starts rolling forward, kick stand folding itself up, and glides over to the base of the stairs towards the rear.

13:30:03 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ
Raven

Everything was pure chaos, gunshots were sent back and forth, people screamed, mostly her friends it seems, Raven had no idea what was going on exactly, but then she heard Shade's voice over the comm.

13:30:04 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ

The spirits swirl and battle. In the battle away from Felix, the watchers and spirit of man manage to push the tide against the air spirit, damaging it. Closer to home, the other spirit strikes at Felix in astral combat. OOC: 1 hit, DV 2

The adept fighting the drone with the AK gives it his all, landing a mighty blow. OOC: 5 hits, 9P base damage

Shade takes a couple of shots out the window, targeting one of the advancing trolls barely injuring him.

The spirit battle rages on with the fire elemental striking and mildly injuring the air spirit.

Halo got her hands on one of the decoy boxes and made for her bike.

Two of the trolls with shotguns fired at Shade, seeing his pistol slinging as a threat. OOC: 1 hit, 2 hits, 2 hits, 1 hit, 7P/-1 base

The other adept swings at the doberman with the remington, landing a stunning blow. OOC: 7 hits, 9P base damage

The final adept paused at the entry to the building and flipped two grenades inside, ducking for cover. The grenades skittered and bounced.

On the roof, Aziz hastily retreated, going for the nearest egress.

Neo chose that moment to lob a couple of grenades into the midst of the advancing orks, being more or less on target with them. A couple of the trolls took minor injuries, but all looked relatively okay. Two of them leveled their shotguns in Neo's direction and fired. OOC: 1, 2, 1, 2 hits from four shots, 7P/-1

The mages watched for targets of a more immediate sort.

Knives and Cammy both expertly snatch up the grenades and toss them back out of the door.

Raven's air spirit appears within sight of the mages, materalizes and immediately feels the fury of two stunbolts. OOC: Two force 5 stunbolts, 3 hits, 3 hits.

Inside, vehicles warmed up and began moving as the 410 prepared to make good on their escape.

--- END ROUND 2 PASS 1 ---

13:30:04 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ's roof (Astral Space)
Felix

Felix’s astral body came out under the now clouded sky just in time to see Aziz dodge out of the Air spirit’s grasp. Its long smoky tendrils were still extended toward the ganger when a massive humanoid made of fire came through the floor and stuck him with a massive blow. The air spirit doubled over as if punched in the guts, flying a few feet back.

The thing emitted a growl that sounded like a thunder strike as it charged toward Felix. The mage, and his elemental, had a big advantage over the air spirit; they only existed on the astral plane, and could move at a much faster speed. Felix blinked away as the air spirit’s tentacles lashed at him, swiping the now empty space. Both fists together, the wizkid gave all he could as he swung at what seemed like the spirit’s head.

Although the blow connected, it simply went through, the dense smoke reforming itself after the strike.

Frag… No damage…

His feet hovering a few feet off the ground, Felix waited for the next attack, building up his own will to pit it against the spirit’s. His friends still needed a few seconds to get down the roof. He would make sure they got them.

13:30:05 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ

--- PASS 2 ---

The spirit battle between the spirits and the watchers waged on with neither side gaining a clear advantage. Raven's spirit uses its power and the mage panics, dropping his barrier and retreating. Above the building, Felix and his fire spirit slowly gained an advantage over the air spirit, injuring it even more.

The leader, now free of the barrier cursed and shouldered his shotgun, intent on shooting anyone who tried to shoot him first.

The adepts regrouped and pushed into the building, their massive combat axes in hand and moving like they knew how to fight together.

The trolls with the shotguns got ready to deal out some punishment if anyone should pop up to oppose them as they moved toward the door. The grenades from before exploded, cloaking most of the entrance area in smoke. The trolls didn't seem to mide too much.

The two unfeared mages held their fire and remained with the leader, ready to errect another barrier at a moment's notice or stunbolt someone into oblivion.

Inside, the melee began. The three adepts were faster than their opponents, but they were outnumbered by the group of Cammy, Knives, Slam, 2by4, and JAX. Slam's attack couldn't get past his foe's defenses. Knives, however, used the opening to flick in a couple of his blades. His first throw was on the mark, but lodged in horn. His second throw, however, drew blood. 2by4 waded in whith his staff, but was repelled. Jax finds his efforts similiarly thwarted.

The trolls wasted no time in returning the attack, striking at Slam, 2by4 and JAX in turn. Slam and 2by4 both took a hard hit but didn't go down. OOC: JAX attacked with 4 hits for 9P/-1 base damage. Add your full reach to your opposed roll and the +4 for friends in melee.

--- PASS 3 ---

Both air spirits are ripped apart in astral combat as they find themselves unable to defend themselves.

The melee wages, as well, with the trolls pressing their advantage. Slam goes down from his wounds and so does 2by4.

13:30:07 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ's roof (Astral Space)
Felix

Both fists closed, Felix waited for what seem like an eternity. The vaguely humanoid cloud extended his arms and plunged toward him with a roar. Eyes like two small slits on his face, he waited for the creature to be literally on top of him. The spirit let out something that seemed like a roar of triumph when it brought its fist on Felix… only for it to swipe at nothing. Instinctively feeling its mistake, the air spirit turned around just in time to get a direct hit from a column of blazing fire.

The cloud flickered, as plumes of dark smoke separated from his body to be blown away by the wind. Just as it was regaining some sort of composure, Felix came head on into him, tackling him with all his might. He caught the spirit at the waist, like a running football player, making him dive through the roof, one floor, a few walls, until they finally came to rest when he shoved him against the bare dirt and grass behind the Y.

A deep voice echoed in Felix’s head. Between the words it spoke, he could hear the rumble of a volcano.

Master, step aside.

Letting his grip slide off the Air spirit, Felix rolled on the side just in time to see the Fire elemental come crashing down from the Y’s roof. Landing straight on the Air spirit, the firey humanoid sandwiched the toxic cloud between his knees, literally sitting on him, and started pummeling it’s face with his two large lava fists. Screaming in pain, the Air spirit astral form started to tear itself apart, bits and pieces flying everywhere. A few seconds later, it was evaporating back into the mist of the astral space.

The fire giant got back up, fuming bits of the air spirit astral body still burning and melting on his hands. Awaiting new orders, it looked at it’s master. Felix nodded, thank the elemental for it aid.

It was now time to get back to the real world.

A few seconds later, Felix senses were attacked from everywhere, as he reintegrated his body. He was being dragged across the floor by the collar of his hoody. He started to kick with his legs to try to get back onto his feet, panic taking over. When a dark form hunched over him, Felix started to flail at it with his arms, trying to hit it.

“Chill out Tag! It’s me! It’s me! Stop slapping me with those puny fists!”

JJ.

With a helpful hand from his friend, Felix got back onto his feet and followed him to his bike.

13:30:05 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ
Electrode

When Drone 1 starts spitting electric sparks, Electrode forces Drone 2 to stop laying auto-fire and play possum. The trolls have been ignoring the field of constant autofire with little effect it seems.

When the troll moves to the door to join the other two, the drone perks up and starts laying fire to the two people standing beside the leader. Maybe these won't be so well armored, and the concentrated fire will help bring them down.
The drone first targets the one on the right: squeezing off a series of short, wide bursts.
It then targets the one on the left of the leader: squeezing off a series of short, wide bursts at the second target.

13:30:06 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ
Raven

Raven slows down on her way back, to call another spirit, she peers inside the Kitchen, where Toy Robot lies bleeding on the floor.

The young shaman yells over to the other gangers heading for the stairs, while pointing inside the kitchen: “Crap! Toy is down, too!”

Then she concentrates on her summoning and shortly after the called spirit appears next to her, waiting for instructions.

Despite the desperate situation, Raven manages to smile. The summoning was not an easy task, but it worked far better than she had expected.

“I will see what I can do. If she is stable, there is a chance that I can get her back on her feet.”

Then she asks her spirit to heal the downed ganger.

Promptly, the astral being heads off into the kitchen and materializes next to Toy Robot's wounded body.

13:30:03 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ
Shade

Shade was glad he’d made the decision to hit the deck after firing his shot at the troll, because he was immediately on the receiving end of enough return fire to light him up like a Christmas Tree.

Not that he’d ever had a real Christmas tree, since they were frightfully expensive. His family had bought an artificial one that could be reused year in and year out. Although he had seen a real Christmas tree once in San Francisco when he’d visited there with his family. It was very pretty, with lots of lights. It smelled good too; the natural scent was fresh and natural, in the smog filled toxic air.

He missed the garden at home just then. It wasn’t big, just a small little thing his mother and sister had taken care of and cultivated with tender care, but the scent of real, fresh flowers every year was a treat he always looked forward to.

It was an odd thing to think about in the midst of fighting for his life, as he dragged a still quietly moaning Auran away from the window, bullets smashing into the walls around them, splinters and dust flying around from the shotgun shells rapidly chewing up his previous position into nothing. But it made sense.

The garden was gone now, and he’d probably never see it again. If he didn’t do something to help Auran, Toy, and the others, it was looking increasingly likely he’d never see them again either, and that was something he didn’t plan on letting come to pass.

Looking up, he saw Nurse, Wyrm, Steel, 0day, and China Doll come running out of the Lounge. He heard Wyrm yell into the commlink that they didn’t have the time to heal Auran right now. He wanted to argue, he didn’t know how bad she was wounded and he didn’t know if she’d have the luxury of time.

Then he heard the doors downstairs give inward with a loud crash, explosions that had to be grenades going off, and the unmistakable sound of hand-to-hand combat below. As much as he hated it, he knew Wyrm was right.

Letting go of Auran, he got back to his feet in a crouch and took off running for the kitchen as fast as he could in his awkward state, the wired reflexes blending seamlessly with his natural body movements to let him move faster, smoother, than God had ever intended any person to be able to move. Transmitting over the commlink, he broadcast his intentions to the gang, C410: “Take Auran! I’m going back for Toy!”

Trusting Auran to the others’ care, he bolts into the kitchen, practically careening off the far wall and sees Toy lying comatose amidst a pool of blood and shattered synthpeanut butter jars. The synthpeanut butter has redirected and absorbed a lot of the blood, forming odd patterns, almost like a river delta of blood on the kitchen floor.

Running over to Toy, his heart almost breaks with the thought that she, maybe the closest thing he has left to his heart in this world, might be dead. Frantically checking for a pulse or signs of stabilization, he’s relieved to find a faint, but study pulse. She’s going to make it…He thinks. He hopes. He prays.

He begins dragging her back out of the kitchen, away from the line of fire so he can pick her up and carry her, when he spots Raven out of the corner of his eye.

The shaman slows down and yells, “Crap, Toy is down too!” She closes her eyes for a moment, and then a spirit materializes next to Toy’s body. Shade smiles at Raven, a warm smile that comes from relief that she’s still alive, and thankfulness that she might be able to save his friend.

13:30:07 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ
Raven

As the spirit concentrates on its innate talent to heal wounds, some of the worst-looking wounds disappear from Toy Robot's body. Slowly, the downed ganger regains consciousness.

One of the first things, she hears, is Raven's voice: “Careful now! You are still hurt. Come, we are getting out. And don't let yourself get shot again! This way.”

Then Raven leads Toy and the spirit towards the back of the building, to the window she has decided to use for the flight.

On the way, she asks the spirit for another task, speeding up herself, Toy Robot, the spirit itself to keep pace, and any vehicle they might be using, for as long as the Heal spell needs to be sustained. Once its effects become permanent, the service will be fulfilled and the spirit can return home.

< I got Toy. We are moving out now. Good luck! >

13:30:04 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ
Tao-Fighter

When Halo´s machine howls in a high pitched whine, another concentric wave of adrenaline expandes outward from Tao´s heart and is reflected back in, at the inside of his skinn, leaving it with a tingling expression. When they rock forward, toward the barely opened dock gates, he hastily wraps his rigth arm around her slender waist, to keep himself from falling off backwards and rests his left hand with the Smartgun loosely against her upper arm, to steady his position. Hs eyes water, though the airstream can´t pass his headgear and he dosn´t even feel it on his face.
In a tight u-turn, Halo expertly let´s the back of the bike slide a bit, as they enter Hunt Ave. and accellerates in the enemies direction. Tao-Fighter feels tense, as the drugs whipe his mind and body into compleat allartness. His grip around his gangmate had tightened momentarily, to the point, that it hurt slightly, when the backwheel lost traction, but he quickly forces his cramped muscles to relex a bit and sattle in a position more comfortable for the pair of them.
He closed his eyes for a splitsecond, that seemed like minutes, concentrating, to feel whether his grandfather was still present in this plane. He was, and too close, to summon a second relative, so Tao would use the time, to call another little helper.

TF: "Angel, w´shou´turn left and make a loop southwest!" He yelled over the wind, the engine and the gunfire, though he was sure, Halo would have done anyway, he didn´t want to take the risk. Passing by the assambled Spikes would be suicide, even if it wasn´t northeast the 'bad direction'.

As the edge of the HQ draws closer, TF focuses his thoughts on the staccato beat of his own thundering heart. When his mind is sufficiently detached from the physical world around him, barely kept from leaving the body and expanding into the astral plane, he envisions the little figure, only an eyeblink before it apears. Clutching to the back of Halo´s helmet, with its pale, stubby arms and legs, a small humanoid with an almost perfectly egg-shaped head, the tip angled sharply to the right side, manifests less then a centimeter away from TF´s nosetip. The head, faintly rattling and shaking in the airstream, turns around vertically, untill the black spots on the front vanish under the head and reapear facing it´s master. Egg-Head greats it´s summoner with two quick klicks. Tao can´t help but smile by the silly sight, though he feels disappointed, that he can´t summon another spirit of man right now.
When his concentration detaches from the astral creature again, a thought shoots through his mind, as he remembers what he has left behind in the Y!

Dreck, they´ll find the 'Tripple Happiness'!

13:30:08 Sunday, April 13 2070
Gang HQ: Gymnasium
JJ

Breakdown, breakdown. Broken dream for you my friend.

JJ looked down at Felix and smiled one of his crooked grins, helping him to his feet. "Wasn't sure if you were out for the count or what."

He spared a glance back down the hall but kept moving at a steady clip. "We got to hurry. I've been shot."

As they enter the gym, JJ scans the place. Not seeing Aziz he sends a voice message to his comm, "Az bro, where you at? We are in the gym, getting ready to roll. Hurry."

JJ can't stop singing to himself...

Breakdown, breakdown.

13:30:09 Sunday, April 13 2070
Outside Gang HQ: East Alley
Aziz

Aziz jumps off the ladder at the end of the fire escape, and lands heavily, taking a knee and slapping his palm on the pavement. His comm chirps, and he responds to JJ.

"I'm in the east alley, under the fire escape. Felix or you can bring me my bike, I'll give you authorization."

13:30:06
Gang HQ

With the firefight out front over, the trolls look a little surprised when vehicles errupt from the HQ and blaze away on the streets. Halo draws the bulk of the pursuit and it's only a few that the leader manages to send after the second group. The third group gets a few splinter chasers, but that's about it.

13:30:12 Sunday, April 13 2070
Outside Gang HQ: East Alley
Felix

A few seconds after Aziz's call went out on the com, JJ and Felix, both on racing bikes, came screaming down the alley. Sliding the bike on it's side, the young wizkid brought it to an abrupt stop a few feet next to Aziz.

It took what seemed like an eternity, for Felix, to change bikes and get on with JJ. As the engine roared to life again, CD and JAX joining them, Felix got a good grip on his friend's jacket, trying to balance himself as not to fall.

The AR display from his glasses showed two icons speeding by the trolls and drawing the bulk of them.

Halo. TF.

As JJ sped the bike down the alley and unto the street, Felix could think of nothing but how worried he was for Halo. How scared he was for her.

She's the best biker there is. She'll be fine.

His thoughts were cut short. Two trolls, and a spirit, were coming their way. Fast.

13:30:16 Sunday, April 13 2070
The Streets
JJ

"What the frag man," JJ starts as he looks back and sees the pursuit. "Ah, shite!"

He guns it down the small alley.

"Shall we split up?" he says over the small meshed network he shares with the others in the group.

13:30:19 Sunday, April 13 2070
The Streets
Felix

His head twisted to the side, eyes locked behind them, Felix's grip on JJ's shoulder became tighter.

"Make up your mind, fast. I'm gonna try to buy us some time."

It was time for Felix to try something he had never done: mind control while on a moving vehicle. Closing his eyes, the young mage shuted himself from the outside world, ignoring all external stimulus until all he could hear were the voices around him. Most of them sounded scared and filled with panic. Some were moaning in pain. Opening his eyes back again, he focused his own mind on their two pursuers, trying to force an image in their head.

13:30:13 Sunday, April 13 2070
Behind the Gang HQ
Raven

“Damn, damn, damn, this didn't work well...”

Blindingly fast, Raven dashes across Elizabeth Street towards the place, where she had hidden her bike earlier, with Toy Robot and the spirit, who is the source for their magical speed-up, following closely. While the shaman had levitated the two down, she could barely move straight from the strain the concentration had put on her and she had to wait for them to hit ground before going herself, but now everything was back normal, the slight distraction from her increased reflexes was easy enough to bear.

Shade has some trouble to keep up with the impressively fast gangers, but Raven contacts him, once she realizes, that he is coming with them, so they can meet somewhere.

< @Shade: We need to stay safe for a while, a minute at least, otherwise Toy's wounds will open up once again. We will be at Cyberia in a few. >

With Toy Robot on the auxiliary seat behind her, Raven drives away from the Y, the spirit moving besides them, but once they are around a few corners, they slow down, waiting for Shade.

When they catch up with him, the spirit takes the seat behind him on his bike, and gives the vehicle a similar speed boost as Raven's.

“Let's fly! At least they will have trouble to follow us. I just hope there are no traffic checks...” Raven says before she hits the accelerator pedal.