Clinic Interior
Tuesday 8/19/70 07:56:35

Not sure what exactly was going on or if things weren't just going from bad to worse now that she had fallen in with the very sorts of people that had been trying to kill her, Angel was nonetheless determined to do what she could. After acknoledging the message from the outside team, she had hoped to just "fall asleep" in her chair as the Johnson guy talked incessantly, but she'd been disappointed by the doc rushing them out. Forced to walk along and keep up appearances, her lightning-fast mental capabilities were a bit stunted - and she was also distracted by the sight of Kyle disappearing deeper into the clinic.
Still, by the time they opened the door and saw Rocky and the newcomers, she had located nodes for the van, the drone, and the hub commlink they were all attached to, and had also sussed out the access codes the commlink was using to talk to the peripherals.
She didn't know much about drones with machine guns, but she set her mind to deciding exactly how to order it to commit suicide.

Recovery Room
Tuesday 8/19/70 07:56:35

Cerberus shot up with a start, heart racing a thousand beats per.

What the....he was in bed - his whole body hurt - and his pulse was pounding in his head like artillery. Then he saw Kyle and it all came back. He'd been shot up bad. Now here he was all hooked up to IVs and sensors and crap.

"Sorry to wake you like that, buddy," Kyle apologized, his hand guiltily lying on what must have been the adrenaline regulator on one of the IV drips. "But I've got a bad feeling about the way things are shaking out, and I don't want you on your back if things go south."

Cerberus shifted on the bed - yup, just as he'd feared - one of those damn gowns that didn't close in back....

Outside the Clinic
Tuesday 8/19/70 07:56:35

Sledge had headed west behind the van, initially planning on just staying a couple of blocks back. But she did not fail to appreciate the way the chassis rode low on the wheel wells. That meant armor. Plus the drone and that van was sure to have some badass sensors, and as soon as she thought it she swung south into an alley. Gunning the hog she made for the first right that would take her on a parallel course, and once she found a straightaway she raced to make up lost time.
En route her agent reported back with the locations of three nodes - van, drone, and a hub that looked like it was in the van. She added all the real time AR display on the team's network as she hauled her two-wheeled beast around some dumpsters and powered down just before exposing herself to Paloma Street.

She sat just around the NE corner of the building directly to the south of the clinic, and she got a hit of job-well-done endorphin as she heard the van screech to a stop right where she knew the clinic door was, about thirty meters to her left.

Dismounting, Fortunato crept to the corner and peeked around, in time to see two humans get out of the van. He amped up the magnification on his contacts before they turned away from him to get a look at their faces - the big guy helping the wounded one was a stranger. But the one with a leg drenched in red - that was a face that would burn in his memory until the day he died - a face he'd stared at on the wall of his room for weeks on end - had sworn to scar and maim even before leaving his apartment this morning - the face of Otto "BurnsHouses" Birnhauser.

Clinic Reception Room
Tuesday 8/19/70 07:56:38

The two newcomers shuffled into the reception room, leaving a trail of shiny red behind them, the pale bald one supported by the right arm of the huge black-clad guy with a crew cut.

Crew-cut started and did a double take as he entered - noticing Rocky to his left. The guy was big, bigger than an ork, but the troll had him by a head. The guy's face was a mask of surprise - because it was Rocky...or because there was a troll hiding in the corner? - but he immediately gathered his wits and gave the former prize-fighter a manful nod.

Smith noticed that for some reason the sleepy ork at the side of the room was suddenly tense, and he saw the tension ripple through the beehive lady and then to the doctor. And then the doc was stepping forward, but the body language was all wrong for a physician approaching a trauma patient. "Damn, Burns, that's a lotta blood." Wooden.

"Yeah, I think it caught the fucking artery. Then I screwed up the healing spell." Voice more natural, but he never glanced down at the wound, steely gaze fixed on the doc's eyes.

The big guy scanned the room, taking in all the different people he hadn't expected to be here.

Clinic Interior
Tuesday 8/19/70 07:56:39

Taking only enough time to throw on his trousers and his jacket, and grab his commlink, Cerberus headed for the door and he and his friend left the room to get a handle on things. The troll was just starting to ask his human friend exactly WTF??? as he limped along on his shot leg, with a sort of weird plastic wall on his left and a bunch of hospital-looking curtains on his right. Straight ahead, he saw a big bank of monitors, and in front of it two people were slowly getting to their feet, their attention directed toward an open door way up ahead and on Cerberus's left side.
One of the two was a dwarf with a big handlebar moustache. Behind him stood a chocolate skinned elf. Then the elf, who already had a pistol in his hand, put the gun to the back of the dwarf's head and pulled the trigger twice.

Clinic Interior
Tuesday 8/19/70 07:56:57
Mr. Smith - Johnson
PAN - Hidden

The staredown was definatly out of the ordinary, but the doctor claimed to know these guys, and didn't ask for any help, so Mr. Johnson stood near the doorway, and watched what events would unfold - hoping his team was ready to swoop into action if the need arose.

He wasn't sure which one happened first, the way the big guy started sizing up the room, or the two shots that came from the back room, but something told Johnson that shit was going down fast, and he dove for cover.

And not a second too soon, either. He hit the floor beside Mildred just as Angel yelped and fell to her knees - overcome by some unseen force. In his AR, Johnson could see AROs moving around based on Sledge's awareness of the situation, which, at the moment, was incomplete. More shots rang out - this time in the same room. The building seemed to collapse under the impact of the drone, and the sound of its whirling blades was only drowned out by the sound of Sledge's motorcycle roaring its engine as she tried to crash into it.

As the chaos exploded in the clinic lobby, Mr. Johnson was quickly opening his briefcase, and withdrawing his pain-inducer. He hardly noticed Angel slipping away behind him, further into the clinic. With one final check with his AR map to verify enemy positions, he tried something ballsy, and slid out from behind the desk - giving up his cover to attempt to get a lock on the enemy mage.

What he saw when he got out there surprised him - everyone in combat was moving like in the trid-flicks - inhumanly fast. Even as Cerberus entered the room and engaged him, the mage had little trouble dodging Mr. Johnson's beams. It didn't help that this was the first time Adam had really tried to use this weapon before - but he didn't think he was doing a horrible job. Aim and pull the trigger. No problem, but keeping it focused on a constantly moving target turned out to be pretty hard.

Things were looking grim. The drone was keeping Sledge on her toes, forcing her to take cover beneith the van, Angel was gone, Rocky, Fortunato, Irv, and the Doctor seemed to be down, if not dead, and as he was firing Mildred moved past him and back further into the clinic. Perhaps a tactical retreat was in order.

The van moved forward to expose Sledge but Johnson noticed the drone was spinning its turret around towards the lobby. That was his que, he dove for cover again behind the desk, just moments before the room exploded in a hail of bullets. As he packed his weapon away again, he thought he might go deaf, but noticed that some of the AROs where still moving around the battlefield. Looking back, he saw the suppressive fire was concentrated mostly at torso level, so he stayed low and crawled through the doorway with his things.

As soon as he was through the doorway, he started to consider what he might do to help the rest of the team that was still in the other room. Right behind him, though, Sledge and Kyle dragged Fortunato's body into the back room. They seemed determined to get him some immediate medical attention, and Mr. Johnson fell into line and assisted.

Just a few seconds later, the machines were beeping in synch with Fortunato's vital signs (which Sledge seemed to think were not looking good), and Mr. Johnson finally noticed that the sounds of machine-gun fire had died out. Perhaps the weapon was out of ammo - but he didn't hear it in the lobby anymore either.

As he started to cross the room, towards the doorway that would let him see how Rocky and Cerberus were doing, he heard Angel's voice over the team's matrix channel, indicating that the rigger is down, and that the drone is under her control.

Time to lick our wounds, I guess.

He half hoped that the doctor was dead, so that he could go take his money back - but the truth was, the team would be a lot better off if he was okay, and could appreciate their help.

Mr. Johnson wasn't so concearned about his poor performance in the gunfight, but felt particularly bad about not thinking of this situation when the Doctor first scoffed at his proposal. Of course Louie wouldn't openly attack this clinic - just like Franco wouldn't openly attack Louie.

Both of them would hire someone else to do their dirty work.

Outside the Clinic
Tuesday 8/19/70 7:56:40
Fortunato - Support Mage
PAN - Hidden

Birnhauser.

Fortunato's heart rate picked up and his eyes narrowed. He felt mana rippling around him unconsciously as the edges of his field of vision started to gray out.

The elf began walking over the cracked concrete towards the clinic, roto-drone forgotten, with his hands twitching at his sides.

Birnhauser.

He was going to kill him, but first he was going to find out who else Birnhauser knew and he would destroy them this was ...

.. Two shots rang out from the clinic ...

and Fortunato had all the excuse he needed to sprint to the door. He barely even needed to tell his spirit who needed killing, the idea was permeating the astral. He wheeled around the corner and found himself staring into the face of his enemy.

A full second crawled by as Fortunato exhaled through his nose and the two stared at eachother, but the instant was broken by a drone crashing to the ground behind him, a giant snake appearing in air and the sudden recognition spreading across Birnhauser's face.

Fortunato walked across the room towards the desk, hands up and ready to deflect incoming spells, but he was completely unprepared for the wave of force which the bald human flung into him. He reeled into the wall, shocked by the chaoatic gunfire whiipping around him and the sudden bursts of blood pouring from veins near the surface of his skin.

It didn't matter.

Birnhauser.

He glared at the mage sucking in every shred of mana he could reach for. In some distant world outside of his tunnel vision he heard gunfire, fistfights and cracking jaws, but here there was only the flood of power surging through him. Hundreds of tiny snakes crawled across his arm as he raised a sword hand towards Birnhauser.

And then he was drowning in electrified water as every ounce of mana in his vicinity was channeled through him. Blisters rolled down his arm from his should and skin began to peel back from muscle as an overwhelming pressure built up in his head. The veins in his forehead split, pouring blood down his face ...

... and blocking his line of sight.

The spell discharge with a sickening rip and an awful aim as Fortunato's arm musles pulled themselves apart and his heart stopped. The sheer volume of mana caught Birnhauser in its wake, but Fortunato was slumping to the floor silently mouthing the word:

Birnhauser.

Clinic Interior - Recovery Room
Tuesday 8/19/70 07:56:57
Angel - Technomancer - Hidden
Commlink - Hidden

Caittie could barely think about what happening in those first few seconds. All she was doing was slowly moving behind Mr. Johnson to make room for the doctor and the two men to talk. Something felt wrong in the room as people slowly moved around, as if waiting for something to happen. If she was to watch the scene as an outside observer, she would have thought it very cliche like a fight waiting to break out in one of her father’s movies... If she only knew how right she would have been.
*BLAM*
Gunfire in the back room sets everything off as like a starter gun at a track meet.

*BLAM* *BLAM*
‘PAIN! I hurt!’, shoots through her mind as she knelt on the floor from a wave of... something... washed over her. Without thinking, she bolted up and through the open door, like shooting off the starter blocks. “DROP!�, she screamed over the airwaves to the drone as she ran around Cerberus and into the room farthest from the fight. As soon as she entered the room, she slammed the door closed and quickly locked it.
Angel didn’t even blink as she overlooked the dead dwarf as his elven co-worker stood over him on her run into the room, her mind ignoring it as a failsafe to her sanity. The scene moved so fast as she also didn’t notice Cerberus nor Kyle enough than just to know that she would have to move around them to get farther away from the starting fight.

As she stood there at the door, she took a deep breath, listening to the continued sounds of combat, closed her eyes and shivered. ‘No... No... No... not again...’, Caittie thought to herself as she then snapped her eyes back open to the sounds of whirring and the pinging of the drone node buzzing with activity. ‘No... NO!’, she cried in her mind as she clenched her hands into fists. “ZIDANE, I WANT IN THAT NODE!�, she cried out to her sprite as she moved behind a monitor rack and dropped down behind it.
“On it!�, she received the sprite’s reply just as she closed her eyes. Taking a breath, Angel felt the familiar shift from physical world, where her body now fell over to lean into the wall, to the digital realm of her own realized subconscious.
Lost was the any semblance of the village she had grown accustom to seeing, either in whole or repair. In its place was a barren empty field of craters and smoking wrecks of what could have been buildings at one point. Flashes of light strobed in the distance as dark clouds thundered overhead, mirroring the same thundering storms that covered her life not five hours ago.

7:56:45:75
“I’m in, but there’s a problem! This place is really scrambled and it’s going to take me a while to work it out!�, she heard Zidane call to her over the virtual landscape.
“Keep working it!�, Caittie yelled back to her sprite. “Please, hurry!�
“Yeah, yeah. I got it!�, was the only reply she got from the male rogue.

7:56:46:50
“Cid! Wedge! Come to me!�, the six winged angel called out onto the virtual landscape again. Within nanoseconds her sprites materialized in two flashes of light. Wedge, the tall human in chain mail with sword on his hip. Cid, the crazy looking engineer who looked out of place next to the warrior with his tool belt.
“Stay by me until I need you, it might not be long...�, she explained as the men standing in front of her merely nodded in response.

7:56:47:25
Calling up the powers that dwelled within her, the pink haired angel focused her thoughts on the stealth she would need to perform the tasks ahead. The wind around her angelic avatar swirled, causing her hair and wings to shift in the circular breeze. Pink mots that looked like feathers drifted around her as she continued to concentrate.

7:56:48:00
Time seemed to drag on for Caittie as she held the threading on her now enhanced complex form. Her mind was running a mile a minute with thoughts and plans which she couldn’t complete just because she didn’t have access to that damned commlink her monkey tailed sprite was working on.
“What’s going on in there?!�, she called out in frustration.

7:56:48:75
“I’m getting there, I’m getting there! This is some hard shit!�, was her only reply as her sprite continued to do his best. Shaken a bit by her sprite’s snappy response, Angel tried to force herself to calm down, but her nerves were on edge due to the seriousness of the situation.

7:56:49:50
Floating there in the swirl of feathers, the horrid landscape hurt her very eyes to gaze upon it. Forcing herself to turn away from it, she called up a map that Sledge’s commlink was transmitting to the entire team. The dots different colors to represent each individual person.

7:56:50:25
She watched the ghostly window play it’s purpose as the dots slowly shifted their position. If they were moving any slower, she would have thought them a still image. ‘I wish I could do something... Something to help out...’, she thought.

7:56:51:00
As she continued to watch the dots and their slow dance, she noticed that two of the dots were truly still. The colors representing Rocky and Fortunato were still in the same spot as they were when she opened the window. “No....�, she said as she brought a hand to her mouth.
“Wedge! Hold this for me!�, she called over to the warrior. “Cid! Help me out with this!�, she continued, this time addressing the engineer. “On it!� and “Understood!� were the respective responses from her sprites as they aided her in the tasks she requested of them.

7:56:51:75
“I’m through the encryption! Just a little more and I’ll be done!�, the voice of her crack sprite called though the gloom of the battlefield. It seemed like forever since she had last heard from him. With his voice she was filled with a spark of hope that she could soon help the very people who were trying to help her.

7:56:52:50
“I’m done! You don’t have much longer before this place alarms! Good luck!�, Zidane called out one last time before she lost connection with it. Smiling for a few nano seconds before showing a face of determination, she forced her will into bending the matrix. In front of her the space warped and a flood of sparking motes of light gathered into the familiar flash that symboled the compiling of a sprite.
There in the gloom, stood a man of slight stature but with a gaze that demanded immeasurable respect. The giant sword on his back gleamed in unnatural light that made it seem mystical in nature. His blond spiky hair contrasted with the blue jumpsuit and coal grey armor he work on his left shoulder.
“Who are you? Why do you call me?�, he asked in an even voice to the floating angel of pink wings. “I need your strength! Fight for me!�, she said, her eyes locking with his, wavering not in the slightest.

7:56:53:25
Without waiting for a reply, Caittie focused her mind on the commlink which now lay bare for her to do as she pleased. With a mere thought, the barren battlefield that was her home node was pulled out from underneath her floating feet and in it’s place was a place of sculpted metal and molten iron.
There in the midst of the lines of furnaces and smelling pots stood the cause of her current worries. Dressed in heavy leather pants, brown boots with black soot stains and a heavy leather smock stood a man playing around with a model toy as it flew around his head.

7:56:54:00
The wicked smile on his face, as his eyes were hidden by thick welder’s goggles, made Angel’s blood boil. But she needed to perform some preliminary tasks before she could do anything with him.
Reaching out with her mind, she easily found the delayed alarm Zidane had halted during his entrance into the node. It took her no time at all to disable it, so her would be victim was left in the dark about her being there.
Just thinking about how he was controlling that drone, shooting at the people who were helping her made her clench her fist and a thick black glow formed around it.

7:56:54:75
“I need you to follow my attack! Follow through with everything you have! Take him down!�, she said to the blond haired sprite in a low voice that grew in volume as she spoke her demands.
“Hmph... At least this should be fun.�, he replied in a halfway disinterested tone, though he wore a slight smirk on his face as he detached the huge sword from his back and brought it out in front of him.

7:56:55:50
With no hint of a reply, the angelic avatar let out a scream as Caittie threw out her hand enclosed in black glow. The surrounding area darkened as a beam of pure negative energy shot out from it towards the foundry worker looking rigger as he still played with the drone replica. The beam’s aim was true and the man yelled in pain as it bore into his exposed back, causing him to drop the remote control to the ground.
Without waiting for any other command other than her action, the blue jumpsuited sprite jumped forward with his oversized sword in a two-handed grip over his head. As the rigger turned around to see who had attacked him, he futilely raised his hands to try to block the now glowing sword as the sprite drove it straight down through the image of the smelter avatar. This vision would be the last he ever saw as he faded both from the virtual world, but the physical world as well.

7:56:56:25
Angel had no time to think about her actions as she ignored her spiky haired sprite’s fading image as his job was finished and ordered her other sprites to perform different tasks to fully complete her self appointed mission. “Cid! Get in that thing, stop it from firing that gun and ascend to 100!�, she barked to her wild eyed, tool belt wearing sprite. “Oh... I get to play now!�, he gleefully said as he rubbed his hands together while fading from view.
Turning to Wedge she continued, “You can stop holding that for me. Thanks.� Almost immediately she felt the weight of the threading on her shoulders once again. With a wave of her will, she dropped the threading altogether and felt slightly weaker.

<<@Team :: “I’ve taken care of the rigger. I have the drone under my control now.�>>

With no more than that, she focused her mind and yet again shifted to another node. This time the one that resided in the drone which Cid now controlled.

Black Clinic Interior
Tuesday 8/19/70 07:56:54
Cerberus - Street Samurai
commlink - off

Cerberus limped along thinking his heart was about to explode from how fast it was beating. Kyle must have injected him with some form of adrenaline, it was the same feeling he had whenever he was in a professional fight. How long had he been out he wondered. The last thing he remembered he had went to his apartment to get his stuff and walked right into an ambush that almost left him dead. He had called Kyle to come get him...realization dawned on him. He must be at the clinic.

Indeed as he shuffled along being lead by Kyle He saw the security station that was located just inside the reception area manned by the same crowbar moustached dwarf and chocolate skinned indian elf but they were both standing. Then in slow motion or maybe it was just from the injection of adrenaline and wired reflexes the elf raised a pisol up and aimed it directly at the back of the dwarf's head, who was looking into the reception area, and fired twice. Blood, brains, and bits of hair went flying out of each hole in the dwarf's head as if the bullets had exploded after hitting the skull.

Cerberus's instincts kicked in and he wasnt about to see what happened next. Kyle had lead him out of his recovery room into a kind of false hallway. One side was made out of a semi sturdy plastic wall and to his right were a bunch of curtains used to make "rooms". Cerberus was sure thats where the surgeries actually took place. Cerberus darted through the curtains and began charging towards the elf and knew Kyle was right behind him. Right before going through the curtains an elf girl ran out of the reception area and began running down the "hallway" towards where he and Kyle had just been standing. It didnt register until a few steps later that she looked like the elf girl Rocky and he had been sent to kill.

The indian elf must have seen Cerberus and Kyle duck into the curtains because he turned and began firing into the curtains blindly but Cerberus was ducked low and running. Trays and machines set up to help people tried miserably to slow Cerberus down but didnt stand a chance against the 800+ pound troll and went crashing to the floor.

As Cerberus ran throug the last curtain he reaquired his targets position and continued to run straight at him. Cerberus smashed him into the wall and then moved away as Kyle charged in and punched him in the face knocking him out cold.

Cerberus looked over the elf and saw that he wasnt moving and then was drawn towards looking into the reception area by the sounds of combat. There was the distinct sound of an LMG and the roar of a motorcycle. Looking up from the elf the first thing he saw was Rocky fighting a man that was almost as tall as they were, clad in black leather. Rocky landed a solid hit to the man's face knocking his head around and with his enhanced hearing he heard the distinct sound of the man's jaw bone snapping. Regardless the man turned and faced rocky again and they continued to fight.

Looking back down Cerberus reached down and picked up the heavy pistol and moved over to the door to get some cover. Pointing at the bank of monitors that was also displaying the carnage that was happening in reception he knew Kyle would understand what he wanted to know. On the bank of monitors Cerberus saw a bearded elf, a bald human, Rocky, the black clad human with the crew cut, the sleepy orc gaurd already on the ground and what looked like somebody else hiding under the reception desk. As Kyle pointed at the bald human he saw Rocky drop to the ground without even being hit by the guy he was fighting. And then another individual he didnt know also received wounds all over his body like veins were popping and then he to collapsed and Cerberus understood.

Cerberus looked at Kyle and nodded. If he was going to make it out of this latest shitstorm he was going to have to fight. Stuffing the heavy pistol, which he had absoutely no skill at using, into the back of his pants he ran through the door In a blur and was charging towards the mage who looked like he had just been running for a very long time. Kyle split off and starting engaging the big man that had been fighting Rocky. The man with the crew cut was definately bigger but he was slow and Kyle was doing a good job of nuetralizing him letting Cerberus focus on the mage.

As soon as Cerberus had appeared the mages eyes went wide and he began running from Cerberus. Cerberus swung and missed several times but he couldn't land a hit on the mage. Then a bolt of energy passed through the air near Cerberus and the mage which made him pause, looking over he saw a human standing in the doorway to the interior of the clinic who had been hiding behind the desk. Figuring the mage was more dangerous and not knowing who the human had been shooting at he continued his assault on the mage.

Cerberus began chasing the mage again and it looked as if the mage was going to run for the exit to get the hell out of there but as he was about to leave more LMG gunfire could be heard and the mage froze just inside the doorway. He turned and ran back towards Cerberus without looking where he was going and after a few steps a female orc appears in the doorway unarmed.

Turning around just in time to see the clothesline attack Cerberus was about to make he ducked just enough to not be decapitated but gets off balance in the process. Cerberus followed up with a solid left punch to the mage's chest and feels the satisfying crunch of bones snapping if not breaking. The mage is lifted off the ground and goes flying back into the wall behind him.

Meanwhile Kyle and the man with the crew cut have a hold of each other and they both go crashing through the reception desk which collapses like its made out of cards. Not before a terrified receptionist rolls out from underneath and goes bolting through the interior door. The crushed desk reveals the man who had shot some kind of energy weapon at both Cerberus and the mage, putting his gun away and grabbing some briefcases.

Then a roar from something outside descends and sounds like its directly outside the door although he cant see it. What he does see is the orc woman dropping prone and covering up right before another burst of caucaphony ensues. Following suit Cerberus also dives to the ground and then watches the mage who had already slid down the wall and was slumped on the ground begin to move again only to go flat also.

Bullets ripped through the reception area creating clouds of debris wherever bullets struck but judging by the spray of bullets it was all being aimed at about waist heigth. Using the opportunity of having the mage prone he scrambled a few feet and decked the mage with as much force as he could muster resulting in a loud crack and a dent in the mages bald head which began leaking blood.

Kyle and the man he was fighting continued to go at it on the floor neither one gaining the advantage, that is until Cerberus managed to crawl over and help turn the tide. Being trapped by the bullets above the man with the crew cut was trapped and after a few well placed punchs stopped moving.

The LMG firing into reception seemed like the only threat remaining. Cerberus gave Kyle some hand signals suggesting that he get to the interior of the clinic even though some of the bullets from the LMG were piercing the walls it was still safer than out here. As the orc woman began crawling towards the interior door she stopped and checked on one of the people who were down and then began dragging them off. Cerberus watched as Kyle crawled after her and began helping her drag the man off to the inside of the clinic. The man with the briefcases also helped out. There was a small trail of blood being left behind by the man they were dragging.

Cerberus rolled over onto his stomach and pulled his pistol back out. Fortunately it was cybered and he used one of his arms to cover his face and positioned the gun hand so that it pointed right at the door. The image of what the camera inside the gun saw filled his cybereyes. If that damn gun from outside came into the reception area he was going to try and get the drop on it by playing possum, god knows there was enough bodies laying around to pull it off.

Seconds later the LMG stopped firing and the engines from the drone it was mounted to could be heard ascending into the sky. Cerberus got to his feet as fast as he could trying to think of what to do next as Kyle came back out into the reception room. "We just go word from that elf girl, she says things are all clear...."

Cerberus was beyond exausted, he was injured severely although his wounds seemed to have been treated but due to his activities blood was beginning to soak through his bandages again. He still wasnt any closer to knowing what the hell was going on though and Rocky was in the corner and he looked hurt and was that elf girl the one from earlier? He knew things might not be over and he couldnt afford to pass out now and even if he wanted to the adrenaline was still flowing throwing him.

Cerberus got a better grip on his pistol and looked over at Kyle. "What the fuck is going on?? Why wont this day end? Who are all these people?"

Clinic Reception Room, Renton
Tuesday 8/19/70 07:56:39
Rocky - physical adept
PAN: Hidden

Rocky was not liking being in the clinic but it seemed better than being on the street at this point. Trying to stay out of the way he stood there watching he new comers wondering what was going to happen next. His new nervous habit had taken over as he absently opened and closed the pill bottle as it sat in one of the pockets of his coat.

�Bang! Bang!�

The gun shots caught Rocky off guard as he had been focusing on the two in the front room. As he watched, before he could do much of anything the big guy that had just nodded at him pulled a pistol and aimed it at Rocky pulling the trigger twice before Rocky could move. The next thing he knew his good shoulder and thigh exploded in pain as the bullets tore into his body, even though he had tried to dive out of the way.

With in a second he was charging at the man with gun, dry swallowing one of his pills that had some how gone from the bottle to his hand to his mouth with out him even thinking about it. By the time he had slipped through the melee developing in the room he felt like a new troll. He hadn’t felt this good in what seemed like weeks, even though it had only been a week since his last pill.

Focusing his energy he threw a straight punch at the slitch that had just shot him. With speed almost rivaling Rocky’s the guy threw up a forearm knocking the punch to the side. Things were going crazy around Rocky, but just like his fights he blanked it all out as he focused on his target taking another heavy swing at the fool that had shot him. This time the guy wasn’t fast enough and Rocky’s cross landed squarely on the guy’s jaw turning his head a full 90 plus degrees to the right. To Rocky’s amazement he didn’t go down, and even turned back to look at Rocky and just smiled.

FRAK!!, That should have knocked that guy flat.�Rocky[/b] thought to him self as he lined up to continue the fight. Having shaken the surprise of the start of the fight Rocky keeps moving trying to take out the human so he can help the others. Even though the guy had seemed to shake off Rocky’s first hit he seemed maybe have slowed down a little to Rocky. It took little effort for Rocky to block the guys first punch after dropping the pistol. Rocky returned fire quickly landing a second solid blow to the man’s jaw, hearing a satisfying crack along with the impact.

Rocky had almost half a second to smile before some weird energy washed over him and things went black……….

Clinic Interior - Recovery Room
Tuesday 8/19/70 07:56:59
Sledge - Support Medic
PAN - Hidden

Unit 234827H78TYU9HS970DUJASFD, Lot 98W7R94IDSFP, specification JRAS-4579 was ready to go. Untouched by human hands Unit 2, one of thousands in the lot, had been patiently awaiting it's selection. It didn't know any other way to wait. Formless it had lain as a mineral substrate until it had been separated, ground, leached, melted and processed into raw materials stacked on mini pallets stored on a muddy hilly mid continental field. All processed by ruthless uncaring complex machines in the services of the current lords of the planet. Shipped over iron tracks, shoveled into hoppers, melted, forged, rolled, and cut into the sub lot that would eventually become Unit 2, it was growing more defined with purpose. Re shipped, re forged, molded, jacketed, boosted with additives, charged with a stack of chemicals it's purpose grew more defined. After laying around formless for eons, Unit 2 had a shape, and that shape gave it purpose. Patient for the ages of the earth, now there grew in Unit 2 a need to fulfill. If it had this shape, then surely it had a need.

Only a decade later, and the moment came in a rush, swirling around in the hopper, along with hundreds of it's brethren, Unit 2 got selected first. The first to serve it's purpose. To be fulfilled! Leading the others, it's shape aligned, sliding ahead at the bottom of the stack, size matched, slotted into a tube. An agonizing pause, then suddenly a carefully calculated chemical explosion starts with a sudden release of electrical discharge to the base of Unit 2. Atoms dance, molecules re shape, gases form, energies release, and Unit 2 loses it's additive chemical stack and becomes a pure shape pushed down the barrel. Aligned, Unit 2 starts to spin, spinning, it leaves the barrel, free!

Unit 2, it's exquisitely calculated form and shape functioning perfectly, flies with joy at the expected speed, and relishes it's fulfillment.

...breathe...

Things were going bad. Like that moment when she'd been up 15 floors and had knocked over Andy's lunch pail. The lunch pail had bounced once on the girder, then teetered on the edge for an agonizing moment. She'd known even as she lunged for it that she'd never get there in time. But Sledge was still going to try. The lunch pail hadn't hit anyone but there wasn't much left after it hit falling from 15 floors up.

She charged. Flipping back her right hand the punch as the extra fuel reached the motor lifted the front which she countered by leaning forward and over the bars, baring her teeth she stared at the rotor drone as it hit the bottom of it's dive. It grew larger and larger as she moved towards it.

Just like the lunch pail, it fell out of reach as she lunged for it.

...breathe...

Twisting her head to track as she the drone rose out of reach, the wash of it's rotors pushing down on her as she rode by, Sledge knew it was about to get worse as the barrel tracked and aligned on her movement. Not realizing her snarl, she executed the mentally rehearsed, never to be actually done, maneuver of dumping her Scorpion. Twist of the handle bars, lean to a side, take the lower leg out of the pin, she let the bike go. Sparks illuminate the shredding chrome and paint of her bike, while she rolls and get's to her feet. A thick metallic thud between her feet, followed by a series of echoing thunks between her and the rapidly devaluing bike provide counterpoint to the thumps of her steps as she runs to the van for cover.

...breathe...

About to lead with her elbow through the window and unlock the door, Sledge drops as quickly as her hopes of reaching the mind controlling the lead spitting drone. In a perfect slide home, she slips instead under the hood of the van, leaden raindrops falling around. She snatches back her hand as even here, under the belly of the beast, there's that sign of protection, the mesh grid of a high capacity discharge panel.

Time for a change of plans.

The rigger was proving a little trickier to get to then she expected, she had no idea what the rest of the team was doing, all she could hear was lead thumping against pavement.

...breathe...

As the van moved back exposing her Sledge rolled into a running crouch and left a trail of flattened lead behind her as she sprinted to the door of the black clinic and dived in and to the right.

...VUT! What a mess! is he still breathing?...

The trog lover had helped him move Fortunato, there was no way Sledge thought she could get traction to move Rocky while that monotonous lead beat was racing through the room. The standard medical ARO made it easy to find the critical supplies she needed, even if it was all crawling around on her knees and belly to get it all. Johnson hadn't flinched too much when she'd made him stuff his hand over the all too slowly bleeding wounds to keep the pressure up. One of the kits actually used a ancient needle to pump the stimulant into Fortunato, which in combination with the suite of patches had filled him with a chemical soup which Sledge really hoped hadn't done something like burned out his magic. At least the ARO labels had said they were mage friendly.

...he's breathing...

Sledge stood up and ran to check Rocky.

...breathe!...

Outside, Unit 2 lay as a misshapen almost formless plug of rapidly cooling lead and thought to itself, "Was that it?"....

Black Clinic, Meredith, Renton
Tuesday 8/19/70 07:57:00

A strong whiff of cordite blew into the room with the morning breeze as Cerberus dragged himself painfully to his feet. "What the fuck is going on?? Why won't this day end? Who are all these people?" he asked his friend Kyle, who stood in the interior doorway bruised and battered but apparently in good spirits. "The one's still alive say they're here to help you. I think the dead one's were here to kill you." The troll's friend and mentor shrugged. "I'm gonna go check on that damn turncoat elf we clobbered."

As Kyle turned to leave, he nearly collided with Sledge, who brushed by him and knelt at Rocky's side - she was relieved to find all his vitals relatively steady.

Nearby, a man in a white coat Cerberus recognized as the clinic's doc slowly struggled to his hands and knees with a groan.

Cerberus was more interested, however, in making sure no one else had had the same playing-possum idea he'd had. He KNEW the bald guy was a goner, so he crept up on the prone form of the crew-cut guy from a safe angle. The buy was breathing raggedly around a number of severe facial fractures, but he definitely looked down for the count. Keeping one eye on him anyway, Cerberus poked his head outside and saw a van idling about five meters outside the door, and a good altitude above he saw the drone hovering. Had that waif of a pink-haired elf girl really pulled the drone off their asses?

On the other side of the interior wall, Smith poked his head out of a shambles of a treatment room and into the hallway to see Angel struggling in his general direction, leaning heavily on whatever would support her weight as she made her way toward the others. She had just given some final orders to her sprites and now, making her way out to check on her meatworld companions, she appeared totally spent.

Still, thought the would-be Johnson, she was a lot better off than their mage. Fortunato was still barely breathing, but thanks to Sledge his pulse was back. And then from deeper in the clinic the crabby receptionist lady led two other ladies - these dressed in scrubs - into the room he was in. He expected them to stop, but they didn't even pause, moving right on through.

Angel saw them emerge from the curtained area carrying what appeared to be cases of medical gear. The old lady leading them stopped just long enough to make sure Kyle was doing a good job of duct-taping the Indian elf into a mummy. As she did so, a cursory glance was all it took for one of the other women to kneel beside the dwarf and rise shaking her head. Moving a little closer as the three women moved into the lobby, Angel got a better look at the dwarf and promptly lost the expensive breakfast the man in the hoody had bought her not half an hour earlier.

Trying to decide what to do about helping Rocky, Sledge was relieved when the three clinic employees hurried in, but was not surprised when they ignored her and began attending to the doctor and the fallen ork guard, overseen by the receptionist. Tough old bird.

As he left Fortunato to go check on the rest of the team, Smith reflected on the destruction and carnage that had befallen the clinic and the people in it over the course of mere seconds, and then realized that he himself was unscathed. Looks like his superhuman luck was still holding true - for himself anyway.

Clinic Interior
Tuesday 8/19/70 07:58:30
Mr. Smith - Johnson
PAN - Hidden

While the hospital staff tends to the wounded, Mr. Johnson heads over towards Cerberus, and the lobby. As he passed Angel who was now leaning against a wall vomitting, he put one hand on her back, and quiety said, "You did great, get some rest." As he walked, he looked around to survey the damage (in terms of people, and not his surroundings).

While Cerberus poked the man to test for life, Johnson got his attention by asking, from behind, "Is he dead? or just out?" The young man, in street clothes, didn't look like much, but he seemed to be keeping his cool, and didn't seem wounded at all. He was also holding two briefcases - which seems strange. He set them down near the wall and extended a hand to Cerberus. "I'm glad to finally meet you, Cerberus."

Black Clinic, Meredith, Renton
Tuesday 8/19/70 07:58:30
Sledge - Support Medic
PAN - Hidden

After confirming what she already knew about trogs, that it took a hoop load to knock em down for the count, Sledge added biomonitors to her quickly growing list of gear on her required to survive list. No time to lose, Sledge kept moving even as she mentally updated her ARO maps and status reports, Fortunato's lucky coin icon shaded mostly grey, Rocky's craggy half face mountain icon a washed out faded image. Without pausing Sledge went straight out into the street under the guns again, ignoring the chop of the blades over head as she headed for her bike.

The heavy chopper took a lot of effort to get back up, shredded paint and chrome, but still functional, as the crash bars had done the job as intended. The Scorpion wasn't something you could just leave in the street. Pushing it to the side of the street and setting it on the stand was a routine that helped her settle down a bit. She didn't like to think about what she thought she might find next, but someone had to do it, and since she was the tusker, she had the feeling it would fall to her as usual.

<<@Team::Angel, subscriptions and codes please, I'll get Johnson's new love machine ready.>>

Black Clinic, Meredith, Renton
Tuesday 8/19/70 07:58:45
Angel – Technomancer - Hidden
PAN - Hidden

The red haired elf slowly made her way down the hallway, leaning on anything that looked like it would support her. She had just made her way far enough down that she could see into the security area and the trio of women looking at someone on the ground. She clearly saw one of the nurses frown and shake her head before they all three stood up to move into the reception area, Caittie’s gaze following them until they passed through the doorway. Curiosity had her looking back towards where they were before though and what she saw made her stop dead in her tracks.
There on the floor was the body of some dwarven man, eyes with distant looks in them as they stared at something not of this world. The green eyed girl could easily see why he had that distant look as his mind was on something else at the moment, namely the floor and mixing with the dark red blood that had pooled around him.
Though Caittie could easily see the scene as anyone else in the room, she saw something else entirely. There, through her mind’s eye, she saw not the dwarf who’s blond beard was turning red and brown, but the cold dead eyes of Beth as her body stared back at her, almost as if blaming the girl for not saving her. The same scene of grey matter and thick red blood around a downed body with the smells wafting in her nose caused a critical reaction in the pink banged elf’s body.

Panicking, Angel quickly looked around her and bent over a nearby bucket while putting her hands on the wall behind it to support her. With not a moment to spare, as the contents of her stomach, the meal provided by the man organizing this team to save her, came rushing back out whist it came. As she looked down into the bucket and saw the splashing mixture of bread, eggs and juice inside it, she retched again, producing even more to the splashing vomit before closing her eyes to the sight.
After she closed her eyes, the elf just stood there leaning against the wall, coughing and gasping as the acid bit into her throat and mouth. Feeling a hand being placed on her back, she tensed up which caused pain to shoot through her body, before relaxing once she heard the voice of Johnson. "You did great, get some rest", the human’s quiet and reassuring voice penetrated into her ears, through the sound of her own breath.
As she tried to reply to his comforting, Caittie could only fall back into a small coughing fit as something itched in her throat. When it cleared up, the elf turned to the side and pushed the long red strands of hair behind one of her pointed ears to see that the man had walked into the reception room. She had little time nor strength to walk after him as a message popped up on her AR glasses, demanding her immediate attention.
<<@Team :: Angel, subscriptions and codes please, I'll get Johnson's new love machine ready.>>

Groaning slightly, Angel pushed off from the wall and turned to enter one of the curtained off treatment areas. As she entered, she noticed some equipment around the area that wouldn’t look out of place in a normal hospital, but what interested the girl the most was the slightly padded treatment table. Pushing herself up and rolling onto it, she lay on her back looking up at the tented ceiling for a few seconds before taking a deep breath and mentally replying to the message.
<<@Team :: “Give me a few seconds…”>>, was all the team heard in reply before she closed her eyes and compiled two sprites, one after the other. The first one was one she had seen before, Vivi, the boy in the oversized wizards hat and billowy blue and black robes. After sending him off to create an admin account for her on the rigger’s vehicle, the pink angel avatar compiled the other sprite, this one of different stature and age than the prior.
Standing at what would be six feet in the real world, the elderly looking human man had white hairs in beard and mane, both long and hung down around two feet. The light scholar’s robes of blue and white set him in a wise and regal light as his face and eyes looked to hold wisdom far beyond what Caittie might ever achieve in her own lifetime. The encounter was short and polite as she requested that the man perform the same task of creating an admin account for her in the drone with hovered at one hundred meters in the air.
Not ten seconds had past before the elf who lay on the padded table received confirmation that the tasks were completed. Taking a breath, the girl moved with her mind into the node that resided in the van which still idled outside. Making slight modifications within the node, she changed the access roster to add a user account before opening her eyes to the view of the black clinic ceiling.
<<@Team :: "Ok… Use this to access it.">>, Angel sent out as Sledge saw an access code appear on her AR view which would allow the ork woman access on the user level. <<@Team :: "Be carefull though... Something's weird... His commlink isnt acting normal...">>, she continued with a tinge of concern in her voice.

Clinic Interior
Tuesday 8/19/70 07:59:00
Cerberus - Street Samurai
PAN - off

Mr Johnson, "Is he dead? or just out?"
Mr Johnson, "I'm glad to finally meet you, Cerberus."

Cerberus finished his assessment of the man with the crew cut and then turned to the man who was addressing him, to amped up from drugs and exaustion to think to clearly. "He is still breathng." Seeing the man's outstretched hand Cerberus reaches out and grabs it in a firm handshake drilling the man through the core with his two glowing green eyes, "Great you know who I am but who the hell are you? I recognize Rocky and I thought i also recognized the elf girl from before, who are the others? "

Letting go of Johnson's hand he stuck his gun back into his belt and then knelt down and started searching through all the pockets on the man with the crew cut.

"I dont think its safe to stay here. Whats the plan?"

After searching the black clad figure on the ground he moved over to the bald man whose brains were still leaking onto the floor and did the same to him. Standing up he began walking back to into the interior of the clinic and saw that people were being worked on and his training kicked in. He moved over to the people who seemed to be running things and tried to assist as best he could while listening to Johnson.

Black Clinic, Meredith, Renton
Tuesday 8/19/70 07:59:15
Sledge - Cleanup
PAN - Hidden

Angel's warning served her as a reminder. In conjunction with the mental commands to hook up the ARO keycodes with the brown van she put her Defiance EX Shocker into the lead position and triggered the door to open remotely so she could lean in without touching much.

The smell was horribly familiar.

With a grimace she squirmed in and did a quick check of the interior, then did the standard checks on body. Confirming what she already knew didn't make her feel better, but at least it was one less thing to be looking over her shoulder at as she moved the van back into a position near the clinic doors from where it had ended up in the street. Once it was in place she started remotely running through the ARO controls looking for the various customizations, in particular the defenses she'd noticed earlier, activity which gave her a distracted air as she moved back through the clinic entrance ignoring everyone as she went for a set of standard body bags inside.

<<@Team :: Cleared, but it needs a serious spray and wipe if you want to be comfy Angel.

Johnson, what's our timetable here? And less important, who were these guys?>>

Black Clinic, Meredith, Renton
Tuesday 8/19/70 07:59:25
Angel – Technomancer - Hidden
PAN - Hidden

Caittie lay there confused after reading Sledge's last message. After pondering it for a few seconds, she sent a reply to Sledge.
<<@Sledge :: "Um... what exactly do you mean by 'Spray and Wipe'?">>, the teenaged elf asked apprehensively, not knowing if she really wanted to know the answer.

Black Clinic, Meredith, Renton
Tuesday 8/19/70 07:59:30
Sledge - Cleanup
PAN - Hidden

Sledge kept in motion, but changed directions. Referencing the clinic ARO guides she turned into the room and paused at the door before taking a deep breath and advancing on the young woman laying on the treatment table and carefully touching her on the shoulder. In her other hand Sledge is holding an unfurled thick plastic body bag and a standard disinfecting cleaning kit.

"Zakhan tharon cerri... I took care of it, you did good. Rest up, I won't leave you here, but we may need to run before our Johnson can finish talking."

Clinic Interior
Tuesday 8/19/70 08:01:00
Mr. Smith - Johnson
PAN - Hidden

Despite the ferocity of the handshake, or the glare of his cybereyes, Mr. Johnson smiled at Cerberus in that way that salesmen do that make you think they're not really listening to whatever you're saying. He was hoping for something more along the lines of a 'thank you', but given the rush of the immediate situation, Cerberus's questions were good ones. "That's Fortunato and Sledge is over by the van. They are here to help me help you out of the big hole you and Rocky have dug, and Angel is helping because the same guy that wants you dead, wants her dead."

As he spoke, Cerberus turned and started looting the hitmen and Sledge's message came over the matrix channel. Johnson spoke his response aloud so that Cerberous could hear it too. He was hoping it would get the troll's attention again. "Well, I'm going to assume that Louie sent those guys, so our timer is already up. I'd like to get out of here as soon as possible - but it doesn't look like Fortunato is in any shape to be moved, and everyone could probably use a moment to patch themselves up. I wanna get out of here, though - so anyone who isn't getting medical attention should help someone who is. This attack was probably only meant for Cerberus. The next time Louie strikes, he'll be expecting a team."

Turning off his mic with a quick tap on some unseen control, Johnson speaks to specifically to Cerberus again. "I came here to make you an offer. I intend to form a team of Shadowrunners for some jobs I have coming down the line, and your references are good - but I can't use you while the mob wants you dead. Same goes for Rocky and Angel. So, I think we can all help each other out, and everyone will get something they want. You get to live, and I get a good gun-for-hire on my team. This will also give us a good opportuntiy to see how well we can work together as a team, before getting into a bigger job."

"So that's the deal. Safety in numbers. I'm offering my assistance in keeping you alive, if you're willing to help my team remove Louie as a threat. If things go well, I may have some more work for you soon, and, in the meantime, you'll benifit from having people you can count on. Its going to involve getting your hands dirty, but from what I have heard, that won't be a problem for you."

"If I had been able to speak with you when I first arrived, I would have pointed out that if I could find you, Louie certainly knew where you were... but, since then, he has already sent his first team of guns for hire after you. I don't intend to stick around for the second - so, if you're interested, I need to know now."

In a much softer voice, to minimize the chance that the rest of the team overhears him, he adds, "And, frankly, if we hadn't been here, you'd be dead - so when I introduce you to the rest of the team, a little gratitude would probably go a long way."

Black Clinic, Meredith, Renton
Tuesday 8/19/70 07:59:50
Angel – Technomancer - Hidden
PAN - Hidden

The elf opened her green eyes as she felt Sledge place her hand on her shoulder. Turning her head to the large ork woman, the elf sighed as she saw what was in Sledge's other hand and what the woman was saying to her. Caittie held a look of defeat on her face as she surrendered to the fact that people around her were dying. On the inside though, the red haired teenager wondered how the rigger actually died, cause she didn't hear any sounds of a fight out side since the all clear was sounded...
Caittie turned her eyes upward to the face of the older woman once more before almost whispering, "Thank you... Um... Sledge, do you have anything that could help with a splitting headache?"

Sledge didnt have any time to reply as Mr Johnson's long statement cut through the digital silence. After listening to it, Caittie spoke up again in her near whisper, saying, "I guess you were right. We don't have much time..."

Black Clinic, Meredith, Renton
Tuesday 8/19/70 08:02:30
Sledge - Cleanup Crew
PAN - Hidden

Flashing her tusks in an encouraging smile, "If you're hurting and moving, means you're still alive."

With a shrug and sigh Sledge moves away from the bench and started heading out of the room while pointing up overhead, "Let me clean up, meanwhile, you be my real Angel and watch over us? Johnson has some talking to do, I need to move some stuff, you fly overhead and keep eyes open, link in a feed, and keep watch in AR."

"I'll be back for you"

She'd dropped the body bags down in the reception room, not really bothered whether or not they'd been use before she returned after her cleanout of the van.

<<@team:: Time's short. Angel can watch over us, Johnson whichever way Green Eyes goes, we need Rocky and Fortunato treated first. Whatever deal you make, see if you can pry loose a spare medkit, supplies, and some biomonitors.>>

Returnng from her cleanup toting a full body bag over her shoulder, Sledge asks one of the nurses something, then after bagging the others she drags them all into the elevators goes up with them.

<<@team:: Van is prepped, Angel you can move to it. Everyone else can start loading up.

Moaning guy .... need me to take care of him?>

Clinic Interior
Tuesday 8/19/70 08:03:00
Cerberus - Street Samurai
PAN - off

Cerberus eyes seemed to flare brighter for a second or two as he stepped closer to Mr Johnson. He leans over and whispers back "You've got alot of balls talking down to somebody who outweights you by four or five times as much and then some. It seems to me that we saved each others ass just now regardless of why you were here so I think we are even. I am grateful for the assistance but I sure as hell dont owe anybody anything, got it?"

Cerberus steps back and out of the face of Mr Johnson. Speaking in a normal volume now, "I always beleved the best defense is a good offense. I'd be more than willing to join up with your crew to shake that turd Loui Finnegan loose from my tail." The glowing green iris's of Cerberus's eyes narrow as the wheels begin to turn in his mind as he begins to think things through. "I know why Rocky, Angel and myself would try to kill Loui but whats in it for you? Is it ok to turn my commlink back on?"

Cerberus begins looking around for something to restrain the human with the crew cut with when Kyle walks out of the interior and hands him the duct tape he had used on the chocolate skinned indian elf. One by one Cerberus and Kyle drag the men into the interior of the clinic and place them in the recovery room where Kyle had woken him up. Knowing the man with the crew-cut was awake enough to hear judging from all the moans he was letting out Cerberus spoke before leaving, "Cooperate with us and you might make it out of this alive..."

Man if they plan on getting information out of that guy I hope he will be able to talk through his mangled jaw.

Clinic Interior
Tuesday 8/19/70 08:04:30
Mr. Smith - Johnson
PAN - Hidden

Nevermind the fact that in a hypothetical situation where we wern't going to save your ass, we wouldn't have been here to get fucked up while doing it.

Mr. Johnson maintained his smile and good-natured display despite Cerberus's strong-willed response, and responded, in kind. His words were forceful, but he tried to keep them as amiable as possible.

First impressions are everything, and I can't have this guy thinking he calls the shots, just because he's big and chromed.

"I offered that as a suggestion, Cerberus - but it appears I need to make myself more clear."

Mr. Johnson had a tendency to push his boundaries when dealing with powerful people, and after dealing with mobsters and other criminals over the last few months, he felt fairly confident in letting an overgrown troll know what he thought of his manners.

"Your size is certainly one of the things about you that has impressed me - but don't fool yourself into thinking that it is going to have any bearing on our relationship. I intend to build myself little team of shadowrunners, with or without you, but I have no intention of being intimidated by the fact that they are all going to be more deadly and probably more capable than I am. They will be good at their jobs, and I will be good at mine - and everyone will be happy."

"So, let's get a few things straight, before you start working for me. Louie sent those guys here to kill you, not me. Before now, I wasn't even on his radar, so you didn't save me from anything other than the mess you made when you left your last job without putting in your two-week notice. I came here knowing the danger, though, so I'm not expecting any sort of 'thank-you' from you. Something tells me you didn't exactly advertise the fact that you were on the mob's '10 most wanted' list when you checked in here, though, so I think the good doctor, and the poor security guard on the table over there would really appreciate hearing something of the sort."

"As for my team, like you said, most of them have their own reasons for being here. A few of them, like Fortunato signed on because I offered to pay them to help you guys out. But, regardless of whether or not he knew he was going into a dangerous situation, Fortunato almost died a minute ago trying to take down the guys sent to kill you. Now, I am going to go talk to the doctor to find out if we can get him on his feet, or if I need to start looking for a new mage - but if Fortunato comes to, I, as your would-be boss, would like to see at least a thumbs-up from you, saying you understand that he just put his ass on the line for yours, and that you appreciate the help."

"If that is too much to ask you to do, fine - I wouldn't want you to strain yourself... but I have very little use for a guy who can't follow my lead, and who has a history of randomly turning on his bosses and shooting up everyone on the team. It's not like I am asking you to kill a little girl or anything. I'm offering you a second chance to rebuild your reputation, and maybe find work here in Seattle, again. I suggest you take it, and don't let me down."

With a look of finality, Johnson turned and left without offering Cerberus a rebuttal. The doctor's team looked like they had calmed down, and it was a lot more important that he get Fortunato and Rocky looked at, than finishing his cock-waving contest with the troll, or overseeing the interrogations, himself.

As he approached Irv's bed, he nodded to both the doctor and the nurse/receptionist, and looked regretfully at the scene. "Doctor Cline, how is the patient doing?" After his own tirade, Mr. Johnson thought it would be best if he showed some concern and interest in the security guard's situation before asking for any favors. Hopefully this would also tell him if the Doctor was available to look at the rest of the wounded.

Black Clinic, Meredith, Renton
Tuesday 8/19/70 08:02:50

Tied into the team network, Sledge and Mr. Smith - along with the elf herself - could all suddenly see Angel's quick handiwork come up as an AR window in their fields of vision - a slow 360 pan that picked up mostly a bunch of clouds. Sensor display periodically scanned through radar and infrared, but the warehouse district was coming to life, and there were vehicle and machinery signatures everywhere, although unsurprisingly nothing was moving anywhere within blocks of the clinic. Oh, well, thought Angel, At least it works both ways - people should have a hard time seeing the drone up there.

08:04:35

With a look, the doctor handed the reins to one of the women and turned to face Smith. He looked like he was about to fall over, but he kept his voice all business. "He'll be fine. I could wake him up, and I will if I need to, but he'd just be back on his back within a few minutes, so there's no percentage in it for now. Now I don't know what you want, but here's what I'll do now, and we can talk later - I'll do what I can for your injured just to get them on their feet. Once I am done, in about five minutes, you and your people are out of here."

Coming around the table to stand beside the doctor, Mildred added, "If you want to talk to that asshole Krys, wake him up now - because once you leave five minutes from now, he's all ours."

Before Smith could reply he noticed that a breeze had come up and was clearing away the low-lying clouds. And there, just in the first break, about five blocks away, was a pair of shiny black SUVs. And there, to the south, three more. Northeast - two more, and a limo, too. And to the west...he was losing count of the vehicles as the dronecam spun in a wide circle around their location. They were completely surrounded.

Black Clinic, Meredith, Renton
Tuesday 8/19/70 08:04:35
Sledge - Ripper
PAN - Hidden

Despite nanite packs, the latest LEO manufactured single purpose chemicals, low grade AI machined structural surfaces the essential function hadn't changed in thousands of years. The waist height slab of extensible plastic, adjustable to most of the metahuman size range, served to keep the body in place where metahumans could perform whatever rituals they chose to perform on the recently departed. All the modern accouterments and accessories only served to make it more efficient and clean, but otherwise the processed was unchanged since the time of the Pharaohs, and who knows how long before that, since there weren't any records from before then... though Sledge had heard some tales from the time of Cara Fahd.

Shoulders shuddering, tears unwiped, the ork woman vomited over the drainage hole in the dissecting table.

The brief moment passed, aching sorrows, past, present, and future, locked away in response to the urgent and ancient need to survive. Sledge went back to work.

Released from the need to keep the metahuman on the dissecting table alive, and with full AR assistance delivering centuries of recent vivisection experience, the process of scanning and analyzing and starting the targeted work went smoothly. It also helped that the situation outside of the room gave Sledge something to think about instead of what her hands were doing.

It looked like there would be plenty of hard work to get through this day.

Black Clinic, Meredith, Renton
Tuesday 8/19/70 08:04:35
Angel – Technomancer - Hidden
PAN - Hidden

Caittie just lay there on the table and thought about the past small battle. As the whole situation started to re-enter her mind, the teenaged elf couldnt help but shiver at the images and thoughts as she curled up into a ball, hugging her knees to her chest. She just stayed that way for a few minutes until she saw the ork woman's message appear in her AR.
Taking a deep breath, the red haired girl slowly unfurled herself as she tried to mentally resolve herself for the walk out to the liberated vehicle. After a few seconds, Angel slowly pushed herself up and turned so she was sitting on the edge of the exam table before she brushed her long hair out of the way. 'I really need to do something with this...', she thought as she let out a soft sigh and reached into one of the pockets of her backpack to pull out a long pink ribbon.
As she gathered her long red hair behind her in a long ponytail, Angel inwardly smiled as this simple act brought some thoughts of the good times she had in her past life, which was only less than a week past... 'No... I have to be strong... Think of something else, girl!', the elf scolded herself as she continued to tie up her hair by wrapping the ribbon around the pony tail several times before tying it in a small bow that hung loose over the tight wrappings.

A few minutes later, Caittie was slowly making her way to the reception room door and had just entered it as she saw Johnson talking to the doctor and the huge troll with glowing green cyber eyes that she had just escaped from earlier this very morning. 'We are here to help him... No matter how much he deserves to... NO... Dont think like that, Caittie. Dad... Dad taught me better than that...', she thought as her eyes locked with him. Caittie unconsiously blocked out her AR glasses from her vision as she just looked through it all into those glowing green eyes. She showed no fear now though as she looked directly into Cerberus' eyes, but Caittie's face was one that a highschool girl would give to another rival across the hall during a staredown.

Clinic Interior
Tuesday 8/19/70 08:05:05
Mr. Smith - Johnson
PAN - Hidden

Mr. Johnson nodded at the Doctor, and was about to agree wholeheartedly when he noticed the movement in his AR feed. Fuck. This guy is determined. No little girl is worth this, what else did they do? He pointed upwards and said, instead, "Agreed - but it looks like we've got a lot more company. A lot more. We'll do what we can, but we're obviously at less than 50%."

"If they're willing to talk, I might be able to buy us five minutes, but consider it unlikely."

Turning slightly from the Doctor, starting to move across the room at Cerberus, and speaking out loud to the team-network Johnson says, "Anyone still conscious get ready for action. We've got incoming. Sledge, how is the van looking as an escape route? "

Noticing the limo, he adds, "Angel keep an eye on that limo, if our good friend gets out of there, and the drone has any ammo left - that might be our only hope at ending this thing quickly." He didn't say "kill him", which was what he was thinking, and somehow hoped that the ommision might make the act seem less dispicable to the timid young girl.

Now close enough to Cerberus and Kyle to talk, Johnson adds in a much less forecul tone than before, "Cerberus, remember what I said before about people risking their necks for yours?" Gesturing at Rocky and Fortunato's body, he continues. "Now's your chance to make things even."

Turning to Kyle, "If you want to stay out of mob-buisness, help the Doctor, otherwise, we could use every man we can get."

Clinic Interior
Tuesday 8/19/70 08:05:10

The boss-guy's latest command broke Angel's poison stare at the green-eyed troll, and she quickly made a few simple commands to the drone, focusing it on the limo mostly, and programming it to do a quick 360 once every thirty seconds.

Behind her, she could hear the doctor and his team going into the curtained enclosure that held Fortunato. "Shit, what an overcast," she heard the doc say, but had no idea what he meant.

In front of her, the Johnson guy was talking to Cerberus and Kyle, and she heard the latter say, "I'm with my dog Cerb here - right to the end."

And every time Smith wanted to say anything, the AR feed kept demanding his attention. Now with a good view of the limo, he saw through the magnified lens that a big man in a dark suit had gotten out of the front of the big Mitsubishi Nightsky and was opening a rear door on Smith's blindside. Meanwhile, two men had emerged from the lead SUV, also in dark suits. One was older with a fiery-red buzz cut and walked with a limp - a big guy with a big shotgun. The other was medium build and younger, with long, slicked-back black hair. They proceeded into the space between the two vehicles, the bigger guy hanging back and the younger wiseguy stepping forward to half-embrace the woman that had just emerged from the limo and stood, giving the team in the clinic a view of her back. Then she turned - giving everyone a look at her face - and gestured for the younger man to join her in her car.

Clinic Interior
Tuesday 8/19/70 8:05:32
Fortunato - Support Mage
PAN - Hidden

Blood and Spittle leaked out of Fortunato's mouth as his heart and lungs started violently trying to make up for lost time. His eyes snapped open and a blurry world swam above his aching head. An unfamiliar face floated into his swimming line of sight, head cocked to the side. Similarly a hand was pulling a biomonitor off of his mana-mangled arm.

The fight came back to him and internal fluids sprayed from his mouth as he bolted upright in spite of the pain and yelled

"Birnhauser!"

The doctor was not taken aback. Stepping back from the table he replied, "You're back in the land of the living. You have five minutes to leave my clinic, your team and especially you have been more than enough trouble for one day."

The slight fell on deaf ears. Fortunato shakily took his feet and continued, "The bald mage. Burnshouses. Where is he. I need to ..."

The doctor interrupted. "His brain is currently leaking into my reception area. Now deal with your team and go."

Fortunato breathed heavily out of his nose as his fists clenched and he pushed through the plastic curtain into the main room of the clinic. Tears were welling up in his eyes and mixing with the blood and grime still spattered on his face.

You blew your opportunity. Birnhauser was here and you fucked it up. Think, you godforsaken desk jockey. His fingers cut into his palms as he stood shivering with rage. You can't break anything here. Hold yourself together, this isn't the place to fly off the handle. His breathing slowed and a small smile spread across his face. His commlink.

And with that the tunnel vision ceased and Fortunato fell off the adrenaline rush and into his broken, aching body. Almost instinctively he dropped to his knees and poured healing energy into himself. Not bothering with chakras, mantras or any other trappings he simply let the mana flow through his broken body. It was exhasting, but purifying. His wounds closed, his vision cleared and sweat poured down his body with the effort of focus.

He wiped his face with his bloodied and destroyed shirt then looked for teammates, ignoring the blinking camera feed icon as he searched. Seeing Johnson directing traffic in the reception area. Fortunato walked to him and asked, "Who's hurt? And did Caittie pull through?" Gathering his scattered thoughts and slowing down he asked, "What needs to get done?"

Even as he asked his questions his eyes settled on the mash of brains on the floor and the trail of blood leaving the room. The body had been taken. If the commlink was gone, there was going to be hell to pay.

Clinic Interior
Tuesday 8/19/70 08:06:00
Cerberus - Street Samurai
PAN - off

Smith just stood there staring, concentrating on his AR vision so Cerberus spoke up. "Rocky has been down for as long as you have", pointing over to his body which was still against the wall of the reception room. "And then if you can I need healed pretty badly myself. Smith says your name is Fortunato? Thanks for coming to my rescue, I owe you one. Here you loo like you could use these.."

Cerberus reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out three R3 Stim patches he lifted from the mages body and hands them to the man.

"I think we have more incoming hostiles but im not hooked into the network yet so im only catching bits and pieces."

Clinic Interior
Tuesday 8/19/70 08:06:05
Mr. Smith - Johnson
PAN - Hidden

Johnson nodded, remembering Cerberus's earlier question, and quite pleased that the troll was playing nice. When he spoke, his words went out to the whole team, as well as being said aloud. "We'll get you hooked in as soon as Angel clears it for safe-use." He then turns to Fortunato, "As for the incoming, I recognise the lady. She works for the Bigio family - probably here concearning the good Doctor's protection payments, and this little incident." He turned to see if the Doctor overheard him and had anything to add about it, but saw he was busy helping pull Rocky onto the table. If he heard or understood Johnson he didn't elaborate immediately. "It seems less likely that all of those guys are here for us, but don't let your guard's down just yet. Continue to prepare to evacuate, as soon as everyone is up."

Clinic Interior
Tuesday 8/19/70 08:06:35
Mr. Smith - Johnson
PAN - Hidden

Gesturing in the direction of the tied up hostages, Johnson says to the team that is standing around him. "I think I'll have a talk with our guests, and see if they have any information they can give us." Nodding at Cerberus and the armful of armored jackets, computer equipment, and other junk he had confiscated, Johnson asks, "Cerberus, would you mind loading everything into the van? Angel can unlock it." Turning to Fortunato he looks the elf over quickly and says, "You might wanna go lay down." Seeing the ferocity in the man's eyes, he wasn't sure if Fortunato was even listening, but he didn't seem to be standing up by much, and as soon as the conversation outside ceased, the team might need magical backup again.

As Mr. Johnson walks over to the recovery room, where the elf and crew-cut human were being held, he speaks on the team-network again, "Sledge, plan to move out in 4 minutes." He wasn't entirely sure where she had slipped off to after working on the van. She wasn't hovering around the loot, the wounded, or the team, but Johnson felt fairly confident that she wasn't idly wasting time. That wasn't her style at all.

Arriving near the hostages, he set his briefcases down on a nearby piece of medical equipment and looked them over. The human seemed to be moving, but he wasn't so sure about the elf. Calmly, he turned to them and asked, "Okay, I don't have a lot of time, so which one of you would like to live."

Black Clinic, Meredith, Renton
Tuesday 8/19/70 08:06:05
Sledge - Ripper
PAN - Hidden

Hands rinsed in blood and other fluids went unnoticed as the ork woman cycled through all of the tasks that all needed to be done right now. Or sooner. Idly she noted her agent had updated the status on Fortunato, so it was time to send a reminder, and do a quick review.

<<@team(audio/text/visual)::Van's ready, load up. <local route maps> If the trog is in, assault rifle in van if he needs it.

Angel can you add all those nice new shiny black sporties to our tracking?

<local route maps> - when selected blows up to a crude highlight of several routes out of area. Though each generally goes by an effective choke point of the previously identified vehicles.

An ARO countdown clock appears and cycles down.

Outside the van, in response to Sledge's commands, slides open doors in preperation, and engine idles slightly higher.

Her hands slows donw a bit as she splits her attention between the AR vivisection instructions and the various feeds from the van, drone and her bikes sensors.

Clinic Interior
Tuesday 8/19/70 08:06:41
Cerberus - Street Samurai
PAN - off

Reaching out with an arm the size of a normal mans leg Cerberus scooped up the armored jackets he had stripped from his would be assassins and proceeded to the van. The act of scooping up the jackets cause pain to flair around the bullethole in that arm but he grimaced and soldiered thrugh it. As he walked out of the clinic he felt extremely vulnerable, looking down the street to the west he could make out the mob guys very clearly only 5 blocks down but they were stopped. Not stopping he continued to the back of the van and looked around on the inside. Electronic stuff was all over the place and he didnt understand what any of it was for.

He placed the jackets down where he thought they would be out of he way an placed two of the guns he had found on the coat keeping the one gun tucked in his belt seeing how it was compatable with his cyber, and something was better than nothing. What he wouldnt give for some kind of machine gun right now. His thoughts drifted to the battle he had just been in and the drone firing into reception. It had almost the same sound as the Ingram White Knight machine gun he had to toss back at his apartment.

Cerberus climbed back out of the van and went back into the clinic to see how else he could help. Just make it through today and maybe things will get better. It looked like the doc was finishing up on Rocky so he figured he might as well be there when he woke up. Even if, atleast to Cerberus, he had flaked out a little when they were working for Loui he still came here to help out. Maybe I should give him another chance.

Clinic Interior
Tuesday 8/19/70 8:06:40
Fortunato - Support Mage
PAN - Hidden

Slightly startled by the large, green-eyed troll, Fortunato only manges to get out a quick "thanks" as he takes the patches and the troll walks away.

At the mention of prisoners Fortunato grins wryly at Johnson.

"I know a thing or two about interrogation and have a few spells that can help out, but you can lead the way if you'd like. If you're having any trouble, call me over. I'll be playing doctor in the meantime."

He finally payed attention to the array of icons dancing across his field of vision and then brought up his virtual keyboard:

<<@Team: I need to know who is injured, how badly and who's had first aid in order to maximize my effectiveness as a band-aid. I know Cerberus needs some healing, but he's got a big hole and I'm a little gassed right now. Unless it becomes an emergency I'd rather leave you for after a nap. Are there any smaller injuries I can patch up?>>

He added:

<<@Johnson: Do you know where Birnhauser's, the bald mage's, commlink is. He and I have some personal business to settle and that comm is the key to settling it.>>

Clinic Interior
Tuesday 8/19/70 08:06:43
Mr. Smith - Johnson
PAN - Hidden

Johnson typed back a response. <<@Fortunato:: Yeah, Cerberus started looting bodies, already. Not sure if he's planning on sharing - but he's going to. If he gives you any trouble, let me know.>>

Clinic Interior
Tuesday 8/19/70 8:06:47
Fortunato - Support Mage
PAN - Hidden

Convinced that the comm was in large and secure hands, Fortunato sauntered over to the interrogation in progress as he waited for medical information to stream in.

Black Clinic, Meredith, Renton
Tuesday 8/19/70 08:06:45
Angel – Technomancer - Hidden
PAN - Hidden

The teenaged elf couldn't help but hold her breath for a second as she looked over the footage of the slick haired man. She couldn't recognize any of the other people in black, but him, just him was enough for her to sweat a bit. Visions of smoking guns, echoing phrases and a dead elven woman raced through Caittie's mind as the past week's 'adventure' came to the forefront.
She was glad to be shaken out of it by Johnson's voice talking about Angel working on the troll's commlink. The ponytailed young woman let out a small grin as she focused her eyes back on the two humans and the hulking troll. "I can work it, but the 'Muscle-Head' needs to turn it on before I can do anything.", she replied to Johnson in a derisive tone when mentioning Cerberus.
After she saw the troll give her a hard stare, the giant man pressed a few buttons on the box hanging off his belt. With that done, it took almost no time for Caittie to log into his commlink and 'fix' everything. She even added him to the network without any asking, but she wanted to do so much more. Logic won over emotions at this point though, so she left his commlink alone except for making it work again.
<<@Team :: 'Muscle-Head' is now online.>>, she had his commlink send out to the team as sorta an introduction. She grinned again for a second, though it faded quickly as she looked over to Johnson and started talking over the net as the troll started to move the looted gear outside.
Caittie waited for the air waves to quiet down some before she spoke up next."Johnson, I think we have a problem! That slick haired guy that went into the limo with the woman works for Louie! His name is Angelo and can order Louie's men around, so he seems important enough...", Angel said outloud, both over the physical plane and digital to the team. Her face showed the look of concern and apprehension to his plan that the people in black may want to talk.

Black Clinic, Meredith, Renton
Tuesday 8/19/70 08:06:50
Sledge - Ripper
PAN - Hidden

<<@Angel:: If you can spare some time, can you dig out the control interface for the van's custom defenses? External shock grid. There may be some other items I didn't find, be useful when I run us out of here.>>

<<@team:: If you can ride a hog, or are a demolition derby driver, speak up, cause we got some driving coming up. I can manage all the wheels, but it'd be nice for me to know who can be my co pilot when the Pork Chop Express and the Love Machine rolls out of here.>>

Clinic Interior
Tuesday 8/19/70 08:06:53
Mr. Smith - Johnson
PAN - Hidden

As neither man responds to his query, Johnson shrugged at Fortuanto jsut before Sledge's message came in. Responding out loud, he said, "I've done a bit of motorcycle racing - so if we're short on drivers, I can help. I wouldn't mind getting behind the wheel of either vehicle, actually. Whoever drives the bike would be exposed, but would be harder to chase down. The van is armed and armored, but makes a more obvious target." As he spoke, he moved around looking for more stimulants or a medkit, or anything he could use to wake these people up fast. "These guys are in no shape to talk - can you give me a hand waking them up?" Mr. Johnson was implying that Fortunato might have some magical solution, but would be just as happy with a mundane one at this point.

Clinic Interior
Tuesday 8/19/70 08:07:00
Cerberus - Street Samurai
PAN - Hidden (cybereyes, earbuds)

Sledge: <<@team:: If you can ride a hog, or are a demolition derby driver, speak up, cause we got some driving coming up. I can manage all the wheels, but it'd be nice for me to know who can be my co pilot when the Pork Chop Express and the Love Machine rolls out of here.>>

Cerberus was startled out of his thoughts by the sudden communication. Taking the earbuds and subvocal mic out of his pockets that he had found earlier he equipped them. Wearing the earplugs was not hard at all since his cybernetic ears could barely feel them. The subvocal mic was on a strip of cloth which tightened and fastened with velcro. Unsubbing his cyberears and subscribbing the earbuds and mic was relatively easy. Reaching up to his neck and activating the mic he tried to reply.

<<@team:: This is Cerberus. I own a bike and have been cleared to drive other ground vehicles. Im only a little bit above average though. Just let me know if you need me to drive anything, although obviously I will have trouble if the controls are for norms. >>

Clinic, Renton
Tuesday 8/19/70 08:07:30
Rocky - physical adept
PAN: Hidden

"There - you should be able to walk. You've got three minutes to be out of my clinic."

At first Rocky wasn't sure if he was still dreaming or what as he slowly opened his eyes and looked to his side, just catching the back of the doctor as he walked out of the inclosed area.

He took a few seconds to try and mentally catch himself up and do a quick check to make sure everything was working correctly before he tried any major movements. Feeling a few aches and painful spots, he knew he would live and could still move.

Sitting up he looked around and tried to get his bearings, he could hear noise coming from beyond the curtains and hoped everyone had survived the fight. The fact he woke at least meant his team had won. He moved slowly still trying to get things moving correctly after having been knocked out, even in his years of boxing that had only happened a couple times and at least then he knew it was coming, the guy hadn't even really touched him.

He steped out of the treatment area and looked around, seeing the door to the reception area he headed that way, since he wasn't apparently welcome any longer. As he went he pulled his earbuds back out and found his glasses that someone been kind enough to shove in his coat pocket. Once he got those on he checked in and looked over the AR feed that was being piped in.

<<@team:: Hoi chummers, sleeping beauty is back. Anything I can do to help? Those Louie's guys in the SUV's? >>

Clinic Interior
Tuesday 8/19/70 8:06:57
Fortunato - Support Mage
PAN - Hidden

In response to Johnson's request, Fortunato kneeled next to the moaning Street Sam. He placed a hand on either side of the man's head and curled them painfully into their traditional positions. They felt alien to his mana burned fingers. A moment of focus later and energy poured through the man's head giving Fortunato a glimpse of the the thoughts running just under his crew cut skull.

Unfortunately, all the thoughts seemed to have been beaten out of the man's head.

Standing up he said, "I've got these stim patches that the big guy, Cerberus, handed to me. They'll probably do the trick. We want him really tied up before we apply anything though. For the record, I can hear his surface thoughts right now -- when we wake him up you start asking questions and I'll transcribe anything useful. I'll jump in if need be."

Fortunato proffered the patch and, after a brief search, used a nearby tourniquet to bind the man's hands to a hefty piece of the security station. Slipping his hand into the coat pocket containing his taser he said:

"Waiting on you, Mr. J"

Clinic Interior
Tuesday 8/19/70 08:08:00
Cerberus - Street Samurai
PAN - Hidden (cybereyes, earbuds)

Still standing next to Rocky he figured he might as well fill him in since everyone else was so busy. "So you came to save my butt huh?? Thanks, I guess I owe you one. Johnson and Fortunato have gone off to interrogate our prisoners. Sledge took the elevator up stairs with some corpses and I havent seen her since. Angel is busy doing alot of things like unlocking the van outside for us to use and adding me into the network and who knows what else. Some of those SUV's are Loui's men more specifically that jerk off Angelo, but apparently there is this other mob faction out there and this is there turf and its giving us a small window of opportunity to get out. And of course you know the Doc wants us out ASAP."

"We are getting ready to roll out in the van at any second so get ready. Oh by the way.." Cerberus points to a surgical tray filled with various tools and a ares predator pistol laying on top. "We found that gun under you when we hauled your butt out of reception is it yours? If you need any help I will be right back but i have to go talk to the doctor."

Cerberus quickly catches up to the Doc who was busy assessing the damage that had been done to his clinic. "Dr. Cline? I'd like to apologize for the trouble I have caused you and your staff. I didnt know this was going to happen. You have saved my life more than once now and I am in your debt and im not kidding around. If i make it through this current situation I will do my best to pay you back and also any favors you may need. I found this gun on that elf Krys? He was an employee of yours wasnt he? I took it to help fight off those attackers but now that the threat has been removed it wouldnt be right to keep it as it belongs to you so I will leave it here before we leave which should be shortly. Anyways like I said im really sorry this happened and thank you for saving my life a second time."

After listening to the doctors reply, Cerberus returns to the surgery room where Rocky was ready to help him get to the van if needed.

Clinic Interior
Tuesday 8/19/70 08:07:00
Mr. Smith - Johnson
PAN - Hidden

After Fortunato further secured the man, Mr. Johnson applied a stim-patch to his head. He had never really used a stim-patch before - there were cheaper and safer drugs to use when one needed to concentrate, wake up, or keep going for an assignment - but he was fairly certain that these things were dangerous. They'd do their job for a little while (hopefully long enough for him to get whatever information he could), but then they made you crash, hard - sort of like the energy-drink he had earlier this morning, but a lot worse.

As the DMSO-soaked bandage did it's job, Johnson walked back towards his briefcases, and out of the man's reach, and waited for him to becoem aware of his situation.

Clinic Interior
Tuesday 8/19/70 08:08:00

The doctor looked up at Cerberus and let out a tired sigh. "No, this is not your fault, and I don't hold it against you or Kyle. I don't think he was aware of the situation when he brought you here, and you were unconscious. Anyway, it's the risk a place like this takes. But I still need you and your people out of here ASAP, and we can iron out details later - although that kid giving all the orders already paid your tab. Call me again when things cool down - and best YOU call me, and not any of these others."

After listening to the doctors reply, Cerberus returned to the surgery room where Rocky was ready to help him get to the van if needed.

Black Clinic, Meredith, Renton
Tuesday 8/19/70 08:08:00
Angel – Technomancer - Hidden
PAN - Hidden

After saying her warning, the teenaged elf saw everyone continue to move around like it was no big deal which made her think that they knew something she didn't. Shrugging a bit, Caittie made her way outside towards the van. As she stepped outside, the girl turned her green eyes skyward to look at the drone which lay at her beck and call. She could only see a small object high in the sky, which she magnified using her glasses. Taking a good look at the drone, she blanched a bit as looking at the huge weapon attached to it and the pure act of looking upward for that long messed with her swimming head, making her dizzy.
Caittie quickly turned her gaze back towards the van before she fell over and continued walking slowly. Making her way to the back door, she mentally commanded it to open and stepped inside as she saw Sledge's message about a van defense printout. Taking a seat on the bench just inside the door and commanding the door to close, she replied to the message, <<@Sledge :: "I've been trying to get that readout for a bit now, but there's a weird subroutine that's delaying it. I dont think it's anything harmful though, I just cant fully determine it's function...">>

After replying, the red ponytailed girl started looking around the inside of the van. Everything seemed like a standard work van except for the special weapon rack and bins that had stacked gear in them. Looking into one of the bins, she saw a couple of jackets that were of plain coal grey color. Pulling the top one out of the bin, she looked at it and she felt a few spots that were thicker than the rest and quickly figured out, based off the other gear in the van, that it must be armored.
Thinking about the situation they were just in and what lay out there on the streets, Caittie put the jacket on and immediatly felt the weight of the jacket. The small elven teenager was also swimming in the jacket. Looking at the lable on the inside, she sighed as she saw it was made for a large man to wear, but just sat there on the bench, leaning back against a closed compartment. 'I guess I just have to wait this out until the rest of them come out here...', she thought as she closed her eyes.

Black Clinic, Meredith, Renton
Tuesday 8/19/70 08:08
Sledge - Ripper
PAN - Hidden

<<@Sledge :: "I've been trying to get that readout for a bit now, but there's a weird subroutine that's delaying it. I dont think it's anything harmful though, I just cant fully determine it's function...">>

<<@Angel:: Deal with it later then, be nice if we could get an audio feed from the conversation out there in black gas guzzler land, give us a heads up on what vut we can expect next.>>

Clinic, Renton
Tuesday 8/19/70 08:08:15
Rocky - physical adept
PAN: Hidden

"Glad to see your still in one piece, your welcome for the back up. Figure I owe'd you one since I started all this shit for us. Thanks for the update."

As Cerberus walks away to continue what he was working on Rocky looks around to see if there is anything he can help with. Everyone seemed to have what they were doing undercontrol so he moved to the front door to keep an extra set of eyes on what ever may be going down outside.