Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0556

He looks at Keru and jerks his head towards Kouki, "I saved your friend's life. If it weren't for me he'd either be dead or a drooling idiot for the rest of his life."

I'm really starting to get tired of dealing with these fucks.

Kambei begins to walk slowly getting into an optimal position to fight the three of them, if necessary, "On top of that he is responsible for kidnapping the girl I'm looking for, and you were going to help him hack into her commlink, which makes you an accessory." He stops once he finds his spot and shifts his stance to allow a fast draw without looking overly aggressive, "Not to mention the fact that I had to use 100 yen of my own money to pay the Doc to fix him up. So I figure you could help pay the debt I'm owed and we can all call it even and go home."

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0557

Keru snorts at Kambei's words.

"First, Kouki's not my friend. Not that he hasn't wished otherwise too often, but I didn't deal with him, I dealt with Ryu of the Falcons. And he already was both drooling when girls were around as well as being an idiot all the time."

Kouki starts to protest this assessement, but falls silent when, for once, his survival instinct overrrules his ego. Keru continues without ackowledging him.

"Second, I didn't help kidnap anyone. I did some digging about a Mr. Tanaka, and they wanted me to hack a stolen commlink.

So, whatever is between you and him is between you and him. It's not my debt to pay."

Keru shifts her stance a bit, hands on her hip. The mage behind her seems to focus his attention on Kambei now.

"Now... you want information I got. I want a favor, to be collected at a later date, for it. Backup during a meet, or somethin similar."

The hacker crosses her arms and looks at Kambei.

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0557

Kambei considers his options for a moment. It is a lot better to work with a willing participant than a hostage at gun point. And there's no way I could keep three of them in check with one of them being a mage without something going wrong.

"Alright, if you give me accurate information on the people that they sold Ahiko to that leads me to Ahiko, and what I need to know about the clinics they got their ware at, and I'll back you up one time."

He turns to the mage with a bit of a glare, "and you, stop staring at me like that or I'm liable to do something about it."

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0557

Keru specifies the deal.

"I give you what I know. If you need more than that to find your girl, that's not my problem."

Then she briefly turns to the Mage, sounding slightly annoyed.

"Hiro, stop staring. Do we have a deal, mister?"

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0557

If it weren't for that mage...

"Yeah, we got a deal," he says, "now tell me what you know."

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0557

Keru nods, and starts explaining.

"On Ryu's request I looked into the "Mr. Tanaka" that contacted the Falcons a few weeks ago, and dug around a bit. I had no success at first, all throw-away commlinks and disguises. And the money offered up front was laundered as well. However, the cybernetic implants the Falcons got were the key - the clinic they got the cyber at, the Henshin Clinic, is paying protection to athe Sarenzen-gumi, part of the Wanibuchi-Rengo. The clinic's systems were not as protected, and I found the link to the Kumi."

Keru transmits the adresses of both the Henshin Clinic and the Sarenzen-gumi's offices - situated at the edge of a restaurant district a bit away from the korean quarter - to Kambei.

"Anything else?"

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0600

"And what about the security at both locations? Do you have any idea what they are like?" Kambei questions. If they really are the Yakuza it's going to be a real pain in the ass to get Ahiko out. What did she get herself into...

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0557

Keru shrugs.

"The clinic doesn't have much security. The Yakuza get protection money, but that's taking most of their security budget. A few guards to handle drunks and junkies trying to steal drugs.

The yakuza offices I don't know about in detail, but their ilk usually has a number of guards, and good computer security."

Hiro pipes up. "They are lousy at astral security."

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0558

Kambei looks at Hiro, "interesting." He turns to Kouki, "and where did you hand over Ahiko to them? Was it at their offices - which is unlikely - or did you pick some discreet location? Did they come with a lot of men or just one car? Anything you haven't told me yet would be good to know. No detail is too minor."

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0600

Hiro smiles too, but Keru rolls her eyes, muttering something about peeping toms.

Kouki, who has held his tongue with some difficulty only, seems glad to show he too has some valuable information - or so he thinks.

"We met them at an older parking lot, in the outskirts of Neo-Toyko. The exchange was smooth as silk - they drove up, opened the car door of the nightsky they were riding in, we dropped the girl in, and they transmitted us the reward. Didn't take longer than 2 minutes!"

The young man looks proud, even though he hasn't given any real information.

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0601

"Okay, that's good," and Kambei turns back to Hiro, "and did you ever get a good look at Ahiko? Did you get a good enough read on her where you'd be able to identify her again if she's been modified?"

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0601

Hiro has a blank look on his face, blinking.

"Ahiko? I am not sure, where does she live?"

Keru rolls her eyes, then looks at Hiro, annoyed again.

"Did you attend that meeting?"

Kouki shakes his head before Hiro can answer, again acting to make hismelf more important and useful. Sucking up, in other words.

"He wasn't around... not that I have seen him anyway."

Hiro looks a bit puzzled, then seems to understand.

"Ah, I wasn't sure... I askenned a lot of girls, you know."

Keru grinds her teeth, muttering something about peeping again.

It doesn't look like Hiro will be of any help, although Kambei got the girls DNA so he can check suspects.

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0601

Kambei sighs, great lot of use these two were. It's like I'm back at square one, except I have the commlink. At least that's something.

Then suddenly, he remembers something, "Kouki, when you were at Fortune, somebody made a crack about how some other girl at the club looked like Ahiko. You remember that? She didn't look anything like her at all either. What was that about?"

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0601

Kouki smiles, remembering the scene.

"Oh, her - she just acted like Ahiko, you know, trying so hard to get a boyfriend. Probably would have done anything to keep a boyfriend too."

The zoku laughs, probably remembering the strip clips Ahiko did for him. Keru sneers at him, her face showing her distaste. Hiro looks a bit confused, as if he doesn't know if he should ask what was so funny, then reconsiders once he spots Keru's expression.

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0602

Kambei nods, "I guess I should have expected that."

He turns back to the other two, "if that's all you know then you'd better get going." He looks out at the light begining to break through the perpetual haze of Neo-Tokyo's sky, "Me and Kouki aren't done for the night yet."

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0605

Keru nods at Kambei, and cuts off Hiro when he's trying to explain that the night is actually over soon.

"We're done here, Hiro. They're not interested in arcane mechanics as related to the day/night cycle."

Keru exchanges comm numbers with Kambei, sends a last thinly-diguised glare at Kouki, and heads down to her bike, followed by Hiro, who waves to Kambei and Kouki. Soon afterwards the engine of their bike is heard, and they drive away under the first rays of the rising sun. Almost a sight for a movie ending, with the barren surroundings and the reddish light.

Kouki watches them go, muttering something impolite and probably untrue about Keru's morals - but only once she's so far away that even Kambei's enhanced ears would have had trouble picking it up - then turns to Kambei with a smile on his face.

"So, what do we do next?"

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0605

He paces a few steps looking out the window, “Next we go do a drive-by of your warehouse, see if it’s clear or swarmed by cops – its only been a few hours and it was in a shady spot – and if it’s all clear you’ll look for a usable bike so we don’t have to ride like this.�

Kambei pauses by the door, “mind you, I’m assuming you aren’t going to try to pull some shit on me. Cause if you do, our recent understanding on how we are proceeding is null and void and I’ll have to find you and not be so pleasant when I do.�

He motions for Kouki to exit the building, “if we are all set then, after you.�

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0615



Kouki swallows, paling a bit, and his smile is a bit forced, although he assures Kambei that he'll not cross him.



The zoku seems to be cowed indeed, and not planning to stab Kambei into the back. The two drive by the warehouse, after checking the area's traffic from afar, and looking out for police patrol drones, or other signs that there's already a presence of the cops.

Seeing nothing, they approach the warehouse. The corpses haven't yet started to smell that bad, but the sight of the dead is chilling - made worse by the signs of looting, a number of the zokus have been stripped bare. There are still bikes around though. As Kouki explains - after mourning over the remains of his Scorpion, whose loss seems to hit him far worse than the death of his friends - they must not have been able to crack the codes to start the bikes.

That would make the scavengers rather unskilled, or not connected to people who can handle such codes - or they simply are still contacting those kind of people. All the more a reason not to linger long. Kouki doesn't take long to pick a bike anyway - he knows what bike he wants, even though it wasn't as good as his old, as he complains.

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0620

Once they are some distance away, Kambei signals to pull over and pulls over on the side of some out of the way stretch of road. Once they are on the road he asks, "alright, tell me about the clinic. What was it like inside? Was it hard to get into?

"And did you see any girls getting cut up like they were getting rigged for pfixes or anything like that when you went in for your cyber?"

Kambei is getting a little frustrated with the lack of natural sleep, the day coming on, and Ahiko looking no closer than last night and it shows.

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0620

Kouki ponders this a bit, then shakes his head.

"I didn't see any girl, but the clinic didn't seem very well protected. A guard or two at the entrance, probably a patrol. And a chain-link Fence around the staff parking area. It was a cheap clinic, old furniture in the waiting room. And the cars the staff uses were not the best either. And the nurses were foreigners. Kind of cute though."

Kouki has a slightly leering expression as he remembers his trip. His assessement, crude as it is, shows his way of thinking - probably the only reason the Falcons didn't boost a few cars or drugs there is that the clinic does have the yakuza's protection, if only as a threat of retaliation.

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0622

�What about the Yakuza’s office?� Kambei asks, “did you ever go there or Keru just looked into it and you stayed away? And they ever give you any indication of why they did with Ahiko? I want to know even though any reason they’d have give you would probably be a lie.�

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0622

As Kouki explains - although reluctantly, and trying to downplay the importance - he didn't really go to the yakuza office, since they were supposed not to know it was the yakuza hiring them; only Keru found that out. He also has nothing but speculation to offer about possible reasons - most of his thoughts seem to center on carnal matters, and the idea that the yakuza would not kidnap a daughter of a rich family just to restock a bunraku parlor if there are the poor and the illegal immigrants to pick from seems to escape him.

As far as Kambei knows the yakuzza ofices are mostly used for business - internal meetings, hanging out, showing presence, as well as meetings with outsiders of lesser importance, mainly those who don't have much to lose by being seen there, or no choice.

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0625

Kambei nods his head, expecting as little as he was given, “okay, lets go scout the place out then. Not much of a chance we’ll find anything but I can’t leave a stone unturned.�

He steadies his bike as he retracts the kickstand, “if you are still awake, lead the way?�

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0626

Kouki stiffles a yawn, then pops a pill, and a bit later his eyes are wide and he's speaking a bit faster than usual. Kambei didn't see what the zoku took, but it's not Long Haul - the symptoms are different. Probably some cheap and dangerous stim.

The trip to the Henshin clinic takes longer now, with the early rush hour starting. It feels longer too, with a hyper Kouki talking again. Nothing useful, only girl stories, and more or less veiled flattery.

The closer they get to the clinic, the worse the streets become too - not as bad as in other countries, but more litter on the streets, and more uneven pavement. Then Kambei sees the clinic. It's a drab, functional building surrounded by an old chain-link fence. The signs of a stretched budget catch his attention - chipped paint on the walls, some not yet repaired damage where a car scraped at a pillar, cheap furniture in the entrance hall visible through glass doors. The entrance is guarded by a bored man in an overall.

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0630

Kambei doesn’t stop or stay around long enough for the bored man to pay notice and changes directions to head towards the Yakuza’s joint for a quick drive-by to get the lay of the land around there too.

Aoi and Ayaka should be waking up already… what wouldn’t I give not to be out on the streets right now and in a warm bed instead.

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0800

The trip takes even longer now, despite brekaing a few traffic laws, since the early morning rush hour turned into morning traffic jam. But Kambei makes it to the street where the office is situated. At this time of the day, most of the yakuza should still be asleep, having conducted their business in the evening and night the day before, so there should only be a few guards or look outs.



Kambei easily spots the lookout - he's acting like a food vendor, but he's got the look of someone harder, a few scars that Kambei recognises as from surgery after setting broken facial bones, and his body just looks a bit too bulky. The guard is even easier to spot, he's standing in front of the stairs to the office, on the street, and looks tired and bored.

The office is on the first floor, with a separate entrance, and probably a back entrance too. From the floorplans Kambei has, the office takes up half the two-story building, split on the first and second floor.

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0805

Kambei obeys the grumbling of his stomache and finds a convinient place for them both to park their bikes near a foodstand and orders a couple of rice dumplings.

Really need to find a bathroom too...

Inbetween stuffing his face with his breakfast he asks, "so, they'd probably recognize you if you walked in there, huh? No chance you were disguised or looking different when you originally dealt with them?"

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0825

Kouki nods.

"Of course they'd know me, I am famous."

After a pause filled with eating rice, the zoku continues.

"So, what now? I know this bar, we could go drag some girls. Maybe they know something?"

The zoku actually looks like he thinks that may work.

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0830

Kambei nods at Kouki’s claim to fame as if he accepts it as true, no point in deflating the punk’s ego… there might be some use to him yet. And I’d probably lose half my jobs if it weren’t for people like him causing all kinds of mayhem to be fixed.

He nods again at his suggestion, “that’s not a bad idea. You know any places like that that are open this late?

Kambei decides to humor him a bit too and says without any sarcasm, “maybe some place where you aren’t known enough for the Yakuza to get word?�

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0830

Kouki smiles.

"That will be hard, but... hm... there's this club. It's called the Hole. Undergrund, and 24/7 open. Not my usual style, but it's mostly visited by shift workers, and travellers with jetlag. Should not have Yakuza there."

Kouki grins again, still pumped up by the stim he took, and prods Kambei with his elbow in a display of familiarity.

"So, bet you I can score the prettier girl!"

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0830

Kambei thinks it over as he disposes of the wax paper and napkins in a nearby trashcan. "Yeah, that might work. But remember, we are going there to find Ahiko, if I can't find her, me and you can't be friends."

He lets the meaning of that last statement hang in the air unsaid and pats Kouki reassuringly on the back as he walks back to their bikes.

He takes a moment to adjust his concealable holster from the inside for maximum discretion, "What kind of security does this joint have?"

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0850

Kouki shrugs.

"The usual - a bouncer. I didn't notice any other security when I was there two weeks ago. Lots of pretty girls though!"

It doesn't sound as if Kouki would have noticed a squad of red samurai setting up a fortified bunker if there was a pretty girl nearby, but those underground clubs usually don't have the best security.

A short trip later the two stand in front of the club's entrance - a stair that leads down into the ground. At night it probably looks like the mouth of some beast, but this time of the day it looks like some 1:2 scale model of a an old subway station entrance. There's a bouncer standing there looking Kambei and Kouki over, frowning as he notices the gang colrs on Kouki, and rock music is heard from the entrance.

Next to the bouncer a changed one - an Ork - is picking up trash left from the night before and stuffing it in a plastic bag he carries.

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0855

Kambei nods at the bouncer and picks his way - a bit uncomfortably - down the stairs, trying to avoid contact with the ork, without making it look obvious. While not a bigot like most others he had known, Kambei was still uncomfortable around metahumans and typically tries to avoid dealing with them, or even worse, touching them.

On the way in he puts his arm around Kouki’s shoulders like they are good friends and speaks in his ear, “just remember, we are here to find Ahiko, don’t start any unnecessary trouble.�

Once inside, he lets Kouki take the lead, seeing as he was clearly in his own element.

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0900

Downstairs, the club looks emptier than Kouki made it sound. The layout is rather conventional - bar to the side, dance floor in the middle, couches and booths at the walls, small stage at the backwall, and two "dance platforms" hanging from the ceiling.

The guests are not very numerous - about twenty, and most seem a bit tired as well - but many of them are gaijins, changed ones, or both. There's even a massive troll who must be almost 3 meters tall, and half as wide, sitting on a couch in the corner. Kouki, clad in his "American Biker" leathers, does seem to feel at home, winking at two elven women mustering him cooly, and heading to the bar, where he orders two beers - Miller, not Keirin - with a horribly fake English accent - and remembering too late that he's currently broke, since Kambei paid Kouki's doctor bill with Kouki's change. The zoku turns to Kambei with an embarassed smile.

"Uh... would you mind fronting me some Nuyen?"

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0905

Kambei is taken out of his element as he takes in the patrons of this club. Trying not to stare openly, but still scrutinizing each one of the unfortunates closely, he walks with Kouki over to the bar.

He simply nods at the zoku and transfers 50 nuyen to Kouki’s commlink and orders himself a vodka and redbull. What a freak show this place is… I wonder how hard that troll can hit…

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0905

Kouki smiles and pays for the beers, handing one to Kambei.

"Try this, best beer of the world!"

The zoku then puts his back to the bar, his elbows on the bartop, and looks the club over, commenting on the girls present in a diplomatically put "frank" way. The two elves seem to have caught his eye, probably because of some scene from the "Born to combat bike" simsense he mentions, where apparently an elven groupie plays an important role. Kouki, still hopped on his stim, claims they might know something about Ahiko - or maybe he expects to impress them if he claims to be on a noble search for a missing girl.

"So, let's go over and talk to them!"

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0908

Kambei glances at the "Miller" beer with distace and clears the look off his face and puts on a smile before he glances at the two elves.

Well, might as well start somewhere. Who knows... it could even work.

"Yeah, why not," Kambei says, "you take the lead since these seem like your type of people."

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0908

The two elves speak good japanese - probably chipped, they look like caucasians, possibly russians. Both are tall, taller than Kambei, and not just because of their high heels. They haven't seen Ahiko, or heard of her, or heard of any kidnappings of local girls. While it sounds like something they say often, it also seems to ring true in this case. Kouki is changing the subject of the talk from Ahiko to himself at this point, trying to make himself out to be a "tough, hard and street smart devil in two wheels".

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0920

Kambei lets Kouki do his thing for a little bit without really joining in on the conversation but once he is sure that the elves don't know anything he sends a message over the commlink, "they don't know anything. Wrap it up, I don't want to be here all morning if there is no point."

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0920

Kouki looks as if he wants to protest for a moment, but caves in and half-heartedly excuses himself from the elves. A minute later he's already looking for the next best female. Not many of those left, though, and his enthusiams is vanishing the more he realises that he is expcted to look for ahiko, not score with a few girls.

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0925

Kambei insists on keeping Kouki up to the task at hand. While he allows him to do a little bit of a thing and won’t even interrupt him if he manages to score any numbers, he doesn’t allow him to linger too far past finding out whether they know anything or not before moving on.

No sense in deflating his ego, as long as he stays compliant. And it’s not like any of the girls here should be expecting anything good out of any guy who would try to pick them up in a place like this.

Maybe his opinion would have been different if they were Japanese humans, but that thought didn’t occur to Kambei this morning.

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 1025

As it turns out, none of the people present have any clue about Ahiko. After an hour, Kouki starts to get tired again - his stim should have stopped having an effect too by now. The zoku had no luck with any of the girls, but he didn't get slapped or worse either - his "I am trying to find the poor girl who has disappeared" ploy apparently worked.

The whole club looks different from what Kambei may be used to. More foreigners, more changed ones. The people also are more open, or so it seems. Less polite too.

And no trace about Ahiko... it looks like there is an ffice or a clinic that has to be visited. Physically or electronically.

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 1025

Kambei brushes his hand through his hair, sighing in frustration, "alright Kouki. Get out of here, I don't need you anymore. Get some sleep, and stay out of trouble."

I need to look at things from a different prespective. Maybe take a look at the clinic a bit more closely. If it looks dead, I'll get in there now, otherwise I'll have to wait for night. Maybe get Rattler to check up on the Yakuza office too...

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 1045

Kouki protests, but half-heartedly and not for long, and heads out to get some sleep. Kambei, still running on long haul, drives up to the Henshin Clinic. At this time of the day, there's some activity going on - patients and visitors entering and leaving, although not in great numbers. Thre also seems to be a shift change - Kambei spots afew nurses and one man that may be a young doctor from the way the nruses defer to him heading to the parking lot of the clinic.

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 1055

Stupid kid, insisting on staying when a few hours ago I had a gun practically at his head. That's why a mean needs a proper family, he thought bitterly.

Kambei heads into a nearby store and buys a cheap baseball cap and an “I Love NY� t-shirt to change into as a very primitive disguise.

They don’t know who I am and this should give me the “idiot� look of the crowd they cater to anyway.

After quickly changing and bundling his discarded clothes in a bag in an alley corner, hopefully I find it again, he heads into the clinic, pretending to be a potential customer looking for a catalogue, a few brochures and maybe a quick tour of the facility before he commits to a clinic for all the ware he plans to buy with the new money he has had the fortune of acquiring.

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 1130

The clinic receives Kambei friendly, and hands out electronic fliers - even some old-fashioned hardcopy fliers are visible at the reception. First he's shown around by a nurse, but after about 10 minutes, a young doctor takes over. In his office, the young doctor first chats about the clinic's services, but after a bit he hints at more discrete services by mentioning that at times, the registration database may experience some errors - terribly embarassing, and they are working on that.

It looks like the clinic does offer some under the counter work as well - or at least part of the staff.

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 1130

Kambei sits through the whole sales pitch, nodding politely, and assuring the doctor that he is impressed by what he has been shown and will take their offers under consideration and call back tomorrow.

On the way out he requests permission to use their lavatory and uses the opportunity to “get lost� in the clinic and take a quick look around the areas he wasn’t shown.

Kambei is looking for any locked corridors or large rooms with active heat signatures or anything suspicious that jumps out at him

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 1130

There is an elevator, large enough for entire beds, at the end of a hallway that is locked - and with a notably newer and less worn looking maglock than the main doors. Also, Kambei spots a nurse with a patient in a wheelchair waiting at the lift at the other end of the hallway, even though the suspicious lift is currently not occupied.

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 1130

Kambei glances around quickly to see if he can spot any cameras. If she is here I can't risk waiting for the night... they could move her. And it's not like physical security is tight here, I could get away if I needed to. I have to take the risk.

If he doesn't spot any cameras he waits for nurse with the patient to get into their elevator and scans his maglock passkey through hoping it works his magic.

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 1130



Kambei spots a camera, carefully hidden, that covers the elevator door. Usinf the maglock passkey seems a bit too risky.