This plan seemed very reasonable to Reptile. It was well-thought, clear, and organised in a surprising way. He was really happy with the way Mickey leads the gang and was glad to have a leader such as him. The guy was smart. Reptile was also impressed by the way he handled the unexpected fight. He took Widow by surprise in hand-to-hand combat and that showed that he knows how to use his enemy's weaknesses to his advantage. Reptile liked Mickey a lot and he could easily see himself becoming very loyal to him.

Nick absently takes the cigarette from Sue, and lights it as he watches Mickey belt the shit out of Widow.

"Attaboy. Smack that bitch up.", he mutters to himself. When the fight ends, and Mickey near instantly takes command, all doubts as to his leadership leave Nick.

"Ok, you all heard him. Lock and load, we're gonna get there somehow. I'm biking, and Sue, you're riding with me."

Once everyone starts scurrying around, Nick walks up to Mickey.

"Man, you pulled a fine job on her...boss."

Blitz slings the car door over his back and frowns. This wasn't as settled as he thought it was. Here they were five people down, and Mickey was about to go half cocked with half the remaineder of the gang, and try and kick what's left of an established gang out of their home. Bad mojo. Very bad. He makes his way over to his bike and mounts. Best he look like he's just going to crush skulls. Instead, he takes off in the direction the ladies took Widow.

Ricks watches the scene with a bit of shock. Damn, things are sure fucked up here, somehow shit needs to get put back together...

"Anyone got a ride for me?"

Eventually, everyone that had agreed to go on the mission (minus Girl) ends up in front of a convenience store around the corner from the small converted office. Everyone is milling about in a group, chatting idly with one another, waiting for someone to announce a plan. Because with all the guns about, it's obviously a bad idea to go in without a plan.

"Ok...", Nick says slowly "...I have a plan. We skip town and head for Aztlan. There, we'll all start over with new names. I'll be Paco, and Blitz can support us by becoming a Luchador."


Nick looks around, and after getting the expected odd looks from everyone, he swallows and starts over.

"Ok, heres a better one. Blitz and Kake will go in first. Sue and I will go in directly after them, and cap a guy each. After that, the rest of you file in. And Beast, here-" he says, putting his Defiance T-250 in the Hobgoblin's hands "I'm giving you the special task of cocking this here mamajama shotgun and looking hard. Reptile, keep that AK fulla hard ammo. If the shit hits it, I want you to kill every motherfucker in there. Sound good?"

"That's the kind of plan I can follow. You can count on me, Nick." Reptile then repeats for himself and to show a clear understanding: "Come in after Sue and Nick. If there's bad shit going on, kill every enemy with AK."

"And you guys make sure I don't have to use it, a'ight?"

Sue reaches into a pocket and produces the flask. He takes a drink of snyth scotch and offers it to everyone in the circle.

He grabs Nicks arm and says, "Not for nuttin but ya know we're gonna get bloody on this one, right? If a bunch of guys busted into HQ and capped two Edgers, what would you do?"

Sue pulls the Predator and thumbs the safety off. He holds his arm at his side using the folds of his coat. "Let's rock."

Ricks looks around, wondering why everything he said is falling on deaf ears. They can't be this dumb, I tell them the place is armed to the teeth and they want to just charge in!?

"Yo, I'm itching for some serious action... but we need a smarter approach here."

"Its a standard sweep and clear. What did you wanna do? We could have the magic man summon up a spirit, I suppose..."

Nick notices Ricks nervous looking, and listens to Pain's dissent.

"Well, strategy...if we take 'em by surprise we've got 'em. You could scan the place one more time, if you want, Ricks. Or you and Pain could even go in, pose as prospective members, and report your findings to us.", Nick says, spinning his M-23 idly by its buttstock.

Sue laughs gives Nick a slap on the back.

"Lets get over to the area first and see what they are up to when we arrive. I've got a few ideas that may throw them off."

Nick smiles when Sue smacks him on the back. Nice that someone finally appreciates his wit.

"We are in the area, Ricks. Their place is just around the corner. So...what are these ideas of yours?"

"Hang on, let me go Astral and go check the place out one more time real quick."

Ricks sits down and lets his body slump as he exits the physical realm. He quickly makes for the target building and peeks inside, first trying to spot the mage, then seeing what the rest are doing.

Mickey got his, well...Nick's Ingram Smartgun ready as he stalked back toward the building they had claimed. He didn't look back. He simply assumed the remaining Edgers were following him. Safety off, clip readied. Spare clip in easy reach. He paused for a moment at the entrance, his brain suddenly empty...

...Bloody hell...the Arcology had to be cleared again! How the hell did Renraku keep screwing...

he blinked and opened the door, the thoughts suddenly gone. He was paying attention to the matter at hand...dealing with Renraku squatters!

Sue tucks the Predator under his right arm so he can light a smoke and waits for Ricks to return from his astral recon.

"Hey, hombre, don't forget to check in with th' Big Man," Sue says to Nick.

Reptile makes sure that his AK-97 functions properly. He takes off the clip that's in it, aims, and shouts at something on the other side of the street a couple of times. This lets him verify not only that his gun is not stuck, but it also reassures him that his Smartgun Link works well. He seems to be happy with the results and puts the clip back in the AK, obviously eager to use it.

Nick suddenly feels an elfin voice cry out, then silence as if it had ceased to exist. However, he feels somehow luckier.

"Eh? Big Man? Oh, right, Mickey. I'm sure its alright with him. If he had any problems he'd have come himself.", Nick says, smiling. He sets his M-23 down on the ground next to him.

"Hang on, I'll be right back. Watch my gun.", he adds, then he heads into the convenience store, and buys a pack of nails. He exits the store and begins his lighting process, tapping the end of the cigarette against his palm.

"You know...Sue. I never answered your question. Yeah. You and I have been doing crap like this long enough to know that we'll definately get bloody. I've got a bad feeling about this.", he says, putting the cigarette to his lips, and lighting it.

Blitz was still trying to wrap his mind around how he was going to become Mexican, and where he'd get his mask. Of course he'd also unslung the Lone Star cruiser door from his back, and was busy fasteneing it with straps to his arm. Once done, he grabs up the chain in his other hand, wrapping it around his free hand. He'd already donned his warpaint, done it somewhere en route. This was Blitz in his element. Blood would spill, lives would end... he would be the end of days.

"Yeah, me too...You got one of those for me?" Sue holds out two fingers to indicate the fresh pack of nails. Then he reaches into his pocket and hands over the flask. "Migh'as well take a drink." He says with a shrug. "Ya also know that the elf slitch fragged us over, too, right? Not for nuttin' but if'n you needed some folks cleared out would you pick a down on thier luck gang to do it? 'Specially if'n the to-be-removed-in-question are packin' as heavy as the magic man says?"

Now that he has Nick's attention Sue pushes forward, "I had me an idea on the way over here: what if we--meanin' the Edgers, o'course--absorb these guys? I mean, as long as they move out, its the same thing, right? They might be jus' what we're lookin' for, right? Plus, they'd fill the ranks, right?"

Sue pauses for effect.

"I only known ya fer a short while, but yer my captain and I'll geek anyone you say....I jus' thought ya might like another option...."

Nick flicks his wrist and deftly pops a cigarette out partway, then tilts the pack toward Sue.

"Yeah, this is pretty skewed...", he starts, taking the flask and upending it into his mouth. He moves it back down, then caps it and hands it back to Sue.

"Bloody hell, mate. Absorbing them. I hadn't thought of it. That's keen. Although...they might not be too enamored with it. The gang that kicked us out gave us the option to join, too. And we ran, rather than that. Still, its something we could try. Although...when could we tell them? Before or after we shot two of their number? Before or after we bust in? What if they refuse? We'll have just given them waring of us coming."

`We're bein' paid by someone what don't like 'em, right? Sure we could absorb, but it'd ruin the effect. Gotta make a mark sometime.`

He's unconsciously tensing and untensing now, psyching himself up for battle.

Sue pockets the flask and takes the cigarette. He lights off the butt of the last one, chain smoking them. "Well, I hadn't worked out the details...Blitz kinda has a point but, like I said, it was just a thought."

Ricks eyes flutter open and he stands up. "Alright, they're all still in there and it looks like the Mage may still be out of it. I'm gunna sneak in while invisible and start a ruckus. I'll send a spirit out to report when you guys should rush in, or perhaps when I'll be sending them all out. We'll see. Its time for me to earn my colors."

At that, Ricks fades from view as he casts Improved Invisibility. He the heads accross the street, getting a look at the best way to get inside and as he does so, calls a small Watcher to his side.

Sue watshes Ricks vanish from sight, " I guess that ends the plan debate."

"Quite.", Nick says, flicking the smoldering remains of his cigarette away from him.

"You know...I'm supposed to call my Parole Officer today.", he says, reaching for his cellphone, but stopping. "Aw, fuck that idiot. He doesn't know I moved. He'll probably get someone to kick down the Wild Riders door, and hey, maybe Lone Star will kick them out for us."

"Oh, you're on parole. What had they caught you for, Nick? You can tell us." Reptile's voice has an understanding tone at this moment. You now realize that he has a few wrinkles on his greyish green face and that even though he couldn't be Nick's father, he's older than what you might have thought at first.

The inside of the building is simple. Immediatly in the door, there's what used to be a main reception area. For some reason, there's also a kitchenette on the left hand wall. There's a big window showing the outside on the front. At the back of what was once the reception area is a short hallway, with two doors on the right side, leading to a bathroom and smaller office, and a door at the back that leads to the office of the guy that was obvious in charge. There are cots and mattresses scattered about haphazardly, including one in the hallway, and many of them are filled with snoring gangers. Each and every one of them has the characteristic eyes of someone on meth.

The few that are awake are either gathered around the kitchenette, where someone is making soybacon and soyeggs, or watching the small TV propped up on a milk-crate in the corner.

The main floor has at least a dozen squatters gathered in clumps of three and four over fire-barrels or crashed out on couches. With the sudden kicking in of the door, and a crazy-look hombre looking like he was here to kick ass and take names, they all turned and stared, waiting for the shit to hit the fan, and hoping it didn't.

"Heh, I kind of like telling this story anyway. When I was about 19 or 20, I got in...probably a fight every day, and a large rumble at least once a week. Anyway, Lone Star showed up at one of these fights, and we all scattered. Of course, I had been smashed in the kneecap, so I couldn't run. Lone Star nabbed me, and I ended up spending 6 months in Prison. Could have been worse. Could've been persistantly gangraped by Orks in the shower, like my cellmate so often got. Poor guy hates hygeine now. Haven't talked to him in a couple years, though.", Nick says.

"It can always be worst, as far as I know. I remember the time I spent in prison myself just as if it was yesterday. I spent a year and a half in prison for dealing BTLs in Bellevue, more then ten years ago. I got parole for good conduct just like you probably did. I didn't hate the life in prison since I was able to defend myself, and no, I never gangbraped humans in the shower, although I've seen it happen too. I'm glad all of this is behind me now and I can tell you that you need be careful with handling the parole officers, they're the key of getting the fucking Lone Star to leave you alone once and for all.", Reptile says.

"I didn't mean to imply anything by the gangraping. Just saying I saw it happen, and almost to me a couple times. One actually got it one time, to my dismay. Had to sleep on my stomach for a week. So you think I should call my PO?", Nick says.

Ricks watches the group through the window and tries to find one that looks to be of week mind. That one there watching the trid. Ma always said that shit rots the brain.

The spell comes together easily for him, as he sends out his dominant will at the poor guy.

"I'm really sorry for you man," says Reptile, not even finding that funny, "but I tend to be a little bit jumpy when people point to orks saying they are responsible for the worst shit that happens. Anyways, you should try to call your PO soon to get an appointment with him, if it's time. He won't like looking for you all over the place, y'know."

The ganger stretched out on the couch, the one with the mohawk with feathers tied in in that psudo-tribal style, stands up and stretches. He lets out a huge yawn, pulls a cigarette out of the pocket of his vest, scratches his chest, and begins to light the smoke as he walks outside.

Ricks, as stealthily as a ghost in disneyland, steps inside. The ganger paces back and forth a little bit, and has most of his smoke, and then butts it out on the bottom of his boot and walks back inside.

"Yeah, I guess I'll call him after this business. Now we just sit and wait for Rick's report.", Nick says, leaning back against the building he's sitting infront of.

Once inside, Ricks releases the fool whose mind he had dominated. Picking his way through the room, he makes his way into the bathroom, where he spots the ‘mage’. His eyes are rolled back as he sits on the toilet with a needle sticking out of his arm.

Can’t be too careful, Ricks thinks to himself as he summons up a bit of mana to put the guy to sleep.

With that taken care of, he releases the flow of mana around him that hid him from everyone’s view and in the next instant summons forth a Hearth Spirit. The lights in the bathroom flicker and in the blink of an eye, a worn out looking junky stands before him.

“Quick, hide me from everyone.”

The spirit gets a sloppy grin on its face the Conceal takes effect. Able to concentrate more after having dropped the Invisibility spell, Ricks moves back into the main room. He peeks in on the two other rooms as quietly as he can, but can’t quite figure out who the leader is. Back in the main room, someone turned on a radio and people started to wake up. That’s when Ricks got an idea…

Throwing the spell at the same fool he had earlier bent to his will, Ricks commands him to stand up and dance around to the music. He can’t help but laugh at the comical sight and neither can the others in the room. Now, go give a high-five to your leader…

The bald guy laughs at the idiot as he gives him a high-five, “Jimmy, you fraggin’ moron, how much juice did you take!?”

Ricks smiles, Thanks again… he thinks as he releases the spell. Calling the Watcher spirit to his side, he gives it a message to deliver, then moves into the corner of the room and hides as best he can. As he Watcher whizzes away, Ricks calls on the Hearth Spirit to Confuse the gang leader and begins throwing Stunbolts around the room as fast as he can!

Outside…

A small city bum materializes in front of Nick, “Hey mister! I got a message fer ya! Ricks told me to tells ya that the gang leader is the guy with the bald head and for you guys to get your asses in there, the shit is gunna hit the fan!”

Sue pulls the boomstick with his left hand and thumbs off the safety. He looks at Nick, "Lets Roll." He gives Nick a crooked smile and taps his own forhead with shotgun in salute.

The squatters seem confused for a moment. What? What's going on? And then it dawns on them. Kick us out? Kick us out!

Fuck. That.

The simmering fury rises in one of them. Then two. Then three. Then, every one of them with the mind to do so is standing defiant. One of them speaks up.

"You motherfucking sons-a-bitches think you own the whole fucking world!?!" The sound escaping from the lungs of what was once a well-built young man, now a bit malnourished, are an absolute scream. "Just 'cause you got some colors and a room on the second goddam floor you think you're the cock o' the fucking walk!?! How about *you* get the fuck out of *my* building, huh!?!" His eyes are practically boiling with fury now. His every muscle, fibre, nerve and sinew are vibrating, waiting to be released into action. There are at least a dozen very nearly as angry as he is.

"GET OUT!!!"

Nick chambers a round into his M-23.

"Alright, Rock and Roll!", he says, heading to the door. Once everyone's there, he nods to Blitz.

"'Ere, mate. why don't you 'announce our arrival'", he says, grinning and cocking his head to the door.

"And remember the entry plan."

Blitz simply nods, a feral smile crossing his visage. This is him in his purest element. Protector he may be, but he was predetor first. He raps his chain curled hand into the car door once, then steps up to the door of the building, hauling back, he rails a fist the size of J Lo's ass at the door, fully intent on smashing it to pieces. Whatever happens to the door, he's plowing in, letting out a warcry as he does.

Forget silent but deadly, this Trog's lethal and loud.

"Good, fresh meat..."

Painkiller's words sound quite ominous as he readies his weapon. Strange enough for a ganger, it's a Defiance Super Shock.

Mickey calmly lifts the Ingram Smartgun, pointing it at the ringleader. His training kicks in and he squeezes the trigger twice, releasing two sets of 3 bullets at the fellow who was only standing up for himself and his home. Recoil was a bugger, but he could handle it. Why did Renraku idiots always do things the hard way. Well, after this moron was dead, there'd be no more of that!

"Anyone else have a problem with my declaration?"

When you burst into the building, four of the gangers are already down, knocked out by (you presume) Ricks, although you can't see him anywhere. Everyone starts kicking all the right heads and shouting all the right insults, and everything is going smoothly. It's like knocking over bowling pins.

Then someone comes up with a 7-10 split.

A giant explosion rocks your eardrums and the room. From the hall, one of the younger gangers has the biggest shotgun anyone has ever seen. Whatever it was, it was huge before it was troll-modified. Now, it's an absolute behemoth.

THe shot sends everyone to the ground instinctually. Some, in the confusion, you're not sure who, caps the kid right over the left breast of his synthleather jacket. The kid grunts and falls to the floor, in the process, letting out another of the giant blasts. Judging by the very lound and very ragged breathing, the kid is still alive.

Also, juding by the racket and the screaming from the various rooms behind the kid, someone has broken out a window, and they're evacuating. You scramble to your feet and rush past to try and bust a few more skulls, if possible.

You're too late, crowded into the hallway with the rest of the gangers. And then, two sharp crack sounds emanate from the slumped psuedo-corpse of the kid. By reaction, Reptile turns and shoots him in the head.

And then it starts. The screaming starts. Nick has been hit directly in the kneecap He jeans are soaked with blood and he's writing on the floor. There's something else wrong, too. One of the bodies on the floor is wearing grey and red.

Kake is missing the entire right side of his head.

All the squatters are quite stunned as they're catalyst to riot is eliminated. Almost to a man, they raised their hands, dropping any makeshift weapons they have picked up. Three of them even slowly back their way onto the side wall, obviously wanting to be considered for membership.

Then Painkiller drops to his knees, something having landed on his back. Instinctivly, Mickey fires of a burst into the offending squatters head, the last two bullets passing through and ricoheting on the floor, very nearly hitting Bruised, who yelps. But not before the offending squatter had taken out a significant chunk of the flesh on Painkiller's shoulder with the only weapon avalible to him, his teeth.

Mickey swivelled his arm back to the rest of the "Renraku scum" and fought the instinct to pull the trigger. It would be so easy...one squeeze and he could kill them all! All of them! So many dead corporate weasels...

He recovered himself in time and flicked on the safety, just in case he lost it. His face went from primal rage to cool and semi vacant.

"My name is Mickey! The Bleeding Edge now owns this building. I'm in charge here. Anyone not up against the Applicant Wall will be shot unless they are moving steadily toward the exit. This is not negotiable. Begin mass exodus!"

He gives Painkiller a quick look to make sure he's allright, then turns to Yellow. "Give the applicants a pat down. A thorough one. Remove any weapons from their posession. If they make the grade the weapons will be returned to them"

He starts to think about Nick's team. They should be in the erea by now. That phone call should be happening soon. Then he remembers the exodus and the applicants. Got to stay focused!

Except for three up against the Applicant wall, the squatters take mere seconds to grab their possesions and file out the door, each shooting Mickey and his crew a dirty look on the way out. Men, women, little kids kicked out of the one place they had found to keep them warm, dry, and mostly safe.