"I'll contact him, then, and see if we can get magical support. Until then, I'll need to contact J, but if you do first, see if you can't keep her close by. We'll need to get everyone involved together, and discuss the change in plans. Would you like anything else to drink, or eat, before you go?"

Moving in to the kitchen, he finished off the bread, and the cheese, and got some more milk out of the fridge. As he went about his business, he kept his back turned to Bennett, but spoke over his shoulder. "Oh, and Bennett? Try not to break into my home again, hmm? I'm sure you would have the edge in a firefight, but let's not test fate. My home is my own. If you have preferred meeting criteria, let me know, an I'll conform to them."

You contact J, I'll see what can be done about our Blue Krewe 'assistants'.

I don't discuss things over comms counselor. Especially with people I've never heard of before. I'll send you a drop box address later.

He stands, moving across the room slowly.But let's make one thing clear. You aren't Family. I understand this is your home. This is a Family city. You're jest renting. Until that changes, no matter how close you think you are to the Hammer, remember that Family always comes first.

Good day counselor.

The door closes behind him.

Goz's commlink beeps with a matrix address.

Goz goes about cleaning up his kitchen, glancing over as a little cleaning drone rushed out to vacuum the crumbs up that he left on his couch. Draining his glass of milk, he slid the glass into the cleaning unit and moved back into his living room, slipping out of his jacket as he did so to get more comfortable in his chair.

He put another call through, this time to the Hammer. "Harry, I have a few questions for you. When might be a good time to get some lunch? You free anytime in the next hour or so?" It was always safer to keep things casual, and discuss serious business in person, a fact that Goz had, only moments ago, ignored at his peril. He wouldn't make the same foolish mistake again.

Harry, as usual, answered on the last ring. He never hurried, except for the Dona, Jack Ozlowski, or Eric Weisller.
Why not 1 o'clock, same place as breakfast?

Goz- Friday, Aug 17th - 1215- Franklin Heights Apartments

"Sounds good, sir. I'll see you there." Heading back into his room, he changed back into his suit. It always paid to dress sharp in front of ranking members of the family. They respected cleanliness and a good image, provided it wasn't all there was, with no substance.

Dropping his bag back into his closet, he sent a quick text to J with an AR overlay of directions to the Pink Elephant. Lucky hit a snag this morning. Please come by to discuss change in plans. Meet me at 1400; if you're early, help yourself to food and drink on me.

That done, he locked up, made a mental note to review the security feeds from earlier and see how exactly Bennett got in, and how long he had been there, and set all of his appliances that were equipped with a visual sensor patrolling, everything from his vacuum drone to his visual scan, biometric access refrigerator.

As he walked out the front, he waved down John. "Hey, just a heads up, there was a break-in at my place earlier this morning. Nothing was stolen, but I'd like security to be on alert around there; I would hate for it to happen again. Oh, and this morning, I may have upset some NOPS officers; is there anything we can do to prevent them from watching me indoors, or intercepting my transmissions? I don't like to be spied on." That wouldn't stop someone like Bennett, but it would put a thorn in his side, and the reputation Franklin Heights had for housing members of the Family, hopefully they had come across this surveillance problem before. "If you could, I'd like to be provided with a secure landline. Thanks, John.

Heading out to the garage, and hopping on his bike, he set out towards the Old Metairie Restaurant.

Rayo - Friday Aug 17th - 00:08 - Warehouse Rumble

Rayo holds his right arm with his cyberone and leans against wall, as the blood starts to move down his arm, at his fingers and starts dripping from the barrel of the gun.
You okey, Ma'am? I sure hope that there ain't more people with shotguns.. freaking shotguns.
Rayo holds now his gun with both hands, even his chromed left hand now red with his own blood, takes small steps inside the door, aiming at the body and moving towards the shotgun. He also tries to listen any sounds of backup or moving heat signatures.

Helga leans over and chants softly, placing her hands over Rayo's wounds, A warm golden glow spreads from her hands over his wound. The pain cases as the wound closes.

Rayo looks over his shoulder to Helga with a bit of stunning look. When he realizes what has happened he smiles back to her. Thanks.
He reaches for the shotgun, at the same time pointing the gun at body on the floor/stairs, then he checks how much ammo is left and places his fingers to the neck of the body to check any life signs.
He looks back at Helga and whispers, quite loudly So, which way? Did you say he's in the basement? Let's get this over quick before more people arive.

The plug has been removed from the shotgun, leaving 5 rounds left, counting the one in the chamber.Helga seems to concentrate for a moment, as if listening to something, then nods. She pulls her self up, and moves down the entrance hall, moving just pass the stairs. After 10 meters, she stops, and points at an elevator door. If the inside is any reflection of the heavily vandalized door, the thing must be a death trap. There is also a door a few meters away, likely leading to the basement as well. Helga says nothing, her face set in determiniation.

Rayo silently follows Helga, putting his Ceska back to underarm holster and points the shotgun towards the elevator door. While waiting, Rayo learns to use his new gun.
So. Here's the trigger. This looks same as in assault rifles.. and aiming should go through here. Here's some weird new lever. "Spread". Spread what? Spread legs? Spread barrel? Spread how wide your brains scatter? Hmm.. maybe it's nothing important. Now, let's see.. they seem to load this thing from this hand grip. Better not test it now.. but which way to move it? Push or pull it? Man.. I hate these freaking shotguns.

Helga hits the button for the elevator, and waits tensly while it rises. A golden glow surrounds her as the two of them wait. The elevator *dings*, followed by a long dramatic pause as it slowly opens...

revealing no one inside.

She grins. After you?

I would normally say, "ladies first".
Rayo grins back, as he moves forwards and covers the whole room from left to right and back with his new toy as he moves towards the center of the room.

The elevator fits the dwarf and the troll well enough. There aren't many options. 5 levels up, and one marked 'B'. Helga hits the button.

Going down. She says it with relish. Quickly she prepares a second spell, covering Rayo is a second spell of glowing light.

Armor. If we go in the front door, it would be best to be able to go back out again for you yes? I know you dwarfs are not so sturdy. I will not be able to keep it and mine giong for long, and bring down the lightning though.

I understand. It's like driving my boat. Can't have all my toys and autosofts online at once, or you're vision starts to lag. But gee.. you seem to worry about me a lot? Thought you would be more like your nickname would consider you to be..
Rayo gives a playful grin and a quick tap to Helga's back thigh.
Just kidding. But we halfers might not be as sturdy as you hornheads and tuskers are, but we sure in hell beat those skinny flower-eaters.
Rayo raises again "his" shotgun, pointing at the elevator door and takes a look of determination.
Ready.

She pats Rayo on the back
You are not a true warrior. I do not thikn you will make it to Valhalla even if you die on combat. It is best that you not burn in your hell just yet.

She smiles a concerned smile at Rayo just as the doors *ting* open. Standing not ten feet away is an ork and a human, hastily leveling weapons at you.

Initiative 12

Rayo's Iniative

Rayo blasts the ork guy twice with his shotgun.
Roll

The men in the hall fire into the elevator as Rayo blasts out. The first one is hit solidly with the shotgun. Gun fire chatters back in to the elevator. Rounds hit Helga squarely spalttering blood even through her armor.

Dodge Roll

As Rayo shoots and tries to dodge, something in his mind doesn't remind him that jumping againts elevator wall isn't the best solution. As Rayo takes a shot, he bounces from the wall and rolls somewhere to Helga's feet.
Damage Resistance Test

SMG fire on Rayo inflicts base 10DV, 5 resisted. Rayo takes 5 boxes damage Physical

Helga roars out in pain, and throws a violent red ball of energy into the hall. The PowerBall blasts out in to the hall, barely under her control, into the men.



The ball blows out, flinging one of the men back and bouncing him off a wall, very likely with enough force to break bones.

1st Combat Round 2nd Phase

The still standing human yells out MAGE! and unloads with his SMG on Helga.

6 Hits w/ Edge. Reaction test at -1 = 1 net hit. 5 net hits Long Burst

Base DV 6+ 6 Long Burst + 5 Net hits = 17 DV -2 AP

Helga's Damage Resistance Test Body 8 + Armored jacket 6 + Armor Spell 5 = 19

5 Hits = 12 Boxes Phsyical Damage Inflicted

The rounds chew in to the big troll woman, breaking through even her armor spell. She collapses back against the rear wall of the elevator in a bloody mess.

Rayo's 2nd Iniative Pass
Rayo mourns and shoots from the ground at the standing man twice.

First shot avoided, second shot hits, inflicts damage

The shotgun roars again, taking the SMG wielding human in the right side of his torso and spinning him around. He's badly wounded but not quite dead yet.

End of 2nd Pass

Next Initiative 9

Iniative

Rayo shoots the final shot from the shotgun towards standing human, drops the empty shotgun to the ground and gets up.
Firing

2 successes on the dodge

The wounded man back pedals down the short hall, firing wildly into the elevator.

Long Burst 2 successes
Apply -1 to dodge from confined space

Dodge

Rayo dugs and weaves and amazingly only gets grazing hits. At the same time he pulls his Ceska from the underarm holster (simple), activates the smartlink in it (automatic) and fires a Short Burst back (simple) and screams (I take this as an extra automatic action from tight situation, or something like that).
DIE!!

The rounds hit as he nears the corner , taking him near the middle of his torso. He screams as the rounds hit, and drops to the ground, writhing , but slowing as he bleeds out.

Exhausted, Rayo drops to his knees, but keeps pointing the gun towards the hall. A few seconds later, when his breath has slowed down a bit, he crawls backwards a meter where Helga is lieing. Still pointing the gun up at the other direction.
You okay? Helga? Helga!?

The large troll woman doesn't respond more than to groan slightly. She's not dead yet, but she's losing blood fast.

Roll Perception - Audio -2 modifier

Hold on, girl. I got ya.. not going to lose another troll today.
Medkit is at the van. Need to get her back to my van. Or get my van over here. Either way, I'm fighting against time here.. this wasn't supposed to go like this.
Perception - Audio - Roll

Rayo hears the sound of boots on concrete coming towards him from the direction the man was running. Sounds like two, and coming at a run.

Oh crap..
Rayo gets up and starts hitting the elevator button to close the door and get back up. He moves the gun to his left hand and puts the right hand to the pocket of his jacket. When the hand emerges again, there's the frag grenade he took from the van. As the door starts to shut, Rayo pulls the pin out with his teeth and lobs the grenade to the hall, near where the latter man fell.
Sorry, no time to play with you guys.

Rayo's mind races, counting off the seconds before the frag grenade goes, looking nervously at the shot up elevator. A lot of rounds were fired in to it. The doors are still open. 3 seconds. Doors aren't moving. Feet are closer. 1 second. *ting*. The doors start to close. A figure comes around the corner leveling a weapon at Rayo. he hesitates for just a moment....


BOOOOM

The roar of the blast reverberates through te elevator doors, magnified by the confined space.Something slams into the doors as the elevator begins to ascend, pieces slamming into the door. The car slowly rises, smoke slowly seeping through the slit in the door. Mercifully, it stops finally, at the second floor. Oops. The door slides open.

Frag! I don't have time for this!
Rayo puts his head out of the elevator and looks around at the same time as pressing furiously the button to go back to the first floor.
Hold on minute Helga.. or two.
Should have called some back-up.. should have. All dreked up, once again. And where the hell is your damn storm spirit? Couple of lightning bolts and we could have just smoked outside! But you have to be so "do it yourself" kind-of trog.

The door slowly trundels close, and slides down to the first floor. The door chimes and slide open again.

Rayo takes the shotgun from the floor and yanks it to the elevator door, so it won't close. Then he takes a last look on Helga and starts running as fast as he can towards his van to fetch the medikit.

Rayo runs out, bleeding every step of the way, and nearly stumbles out through the door. he catches him self at the steps and keeps going. He can hear foot steps running out of the door, someone yells something inarticulate. A gun roars twice.

Rayo keeps on running as fast as he can, vision once in a while blurring, weird noises in his ears, but only thing staying in his mind is to save Helga. Why to save troll woman he just met? Why not just quit, get home and let somebody else to save Luigi? He doesn't know.. but some things need to be done.

Rayo's spinning feet finally propel him in to his waiting van. he nearly bounces off as he careens into it, but manages to catchi himself on the door handle and throw it open.

Rayo finds his medkit from back under the seat, and starts running back.

As he runs back, Rayo sees a large, familiar, human man wearing a drab borwn longcoat, pistol in hand. Bennet is standing over the body of the man that chased Rayo outside. He simply looks at Rayo with a bemused expression.

Rayo stops and stares at Bennet, starting to remember something about him being Rayo's back up. Rayo starts look around him.
Lucky. Is she here?
Then he looks back at his own bloody hand that is carrying red back with cross at it's side. Rayo remembers again what he needed to do.
Never mind. I need you help! She's dying! Please, hurry!
Rayo starts running again, not even remembering that there might be somebody inside welcoming him with a weapon.

Lucky's on her way. Who's "she"? And what the hell were you thinking running in there on your own? You think I'm going to run into a building with no clue who's inside and only a shot up halfer to get my back, you've got a suprise coming your way.

Bennet stands his ground, apparently content to wait, heedless of the fact that Luigi is inside, maybe dying, and Helga certainly is.

Bennet's voice drowns in Rayo's mind somewhere in cursing part. Huffing and buffing he enters again in warehouse running towards the elevator.

Rayo reaches the elevator, with Helga still lying there, in an ever widening pool of blood.

Rayo slides the last few feet on his knees, getting burning sensation as knees and floor rub against each other and little wholes to his trousers. He starts unpacking the content, clinches bio-monitor to Helga's arm and activates expert-doctor system to tell him what to do and where are the worst wounds, even though it wouldn't be that hard to find.
Hold on Helga.. just a little bit more.
Somehow he even remembers his own safety, takes his gun from holster and places it next to the medkit.

Stabilization & First Aid

Applying the drugs to bring her out of shock, Helga stops shaking after a few moments. The blood stosp flowing with liberal applications of slap patches, and soon her life signs stabilize.

J - Friday Aug 17th - 00:15- Warehouse Rumble

Lucky's truck pulls up, illuminating Rayos' van first, then Bennet standing to the side of the front door over a body. Apparently this neighborhood doesn't care much about a few gunshots because there's no sign of the NOPS. Lucky waives to Bennet as she pulls around back. She's been in contact with him via commlink for the last few minutes, so she and J know generally what's been happening.

Lucky pulls her truck up to the back side of the building, coming out of the alley, just as two figures emerge , armed with SMGs.

Lucky hits the brakes.

I am not getting my truck shot again. J, take 'em.

Lucky draws her own Steyer TMP and jumps out of the truck.

Rayo - Friday Aug 17th - 00:15 - Warehouse Rumble

Rayo sighs for a relief, packs medkit, throws all unnecessary things (like bloody rags) to one corner of the elevator, sit next to Helga and starts smoking.
Now what? I really should take you to hospital, or more likely to black-clinic. Dr. Tell might be pissed if I called him this late of the hour.. and I'm already in debt to him. Maybe Helga could help me with the Crashcart issue. Yes.. that should do it. But how I'm going to move you? I might be strong for a dwarf, but you're a freaking troll. You would be like a child to Luigi. A thought hits Rayo's mind. Luigi! We were here to save him! Damn.. how did I forget that? Should I take you to a hospital or try to find Luigi.. who might be in as bad shape as you are. Drek, drek, drek, drek.. but if Lucky tries to own you - I won't let her. Being owned by Mafia is a bitch.
Somehow Rayo starts smiling as he looks at Helga.
Life is really dreked up. And then you freaking die. And then you're resurrected. And then you maybe die again.. or maybe I'm a freaking immortal. Yeah.. drek.
Rayo mutters more to himself, realizes that his own leg starts aching and decides to do something about it, as there's already a medkit next to him.

First Aid