@Seth, Ember & Demon
[April 15th 2072; 21:46; 2265 Occidental Avenue, Seattle]

Rage boiled up in Copperhead's veins at the dwarf's attitude. Fraggin' corper playing with people's lives like it's a fraggin' game.

Her face was flushed with anger, the servos in her right hand whining as she clenched her staff with all its strength while the razors on her left hand snicked angrily in and out.

Anger will not help you here, whispered Snake, so close she almost jumped. He is hiding the truth and has you at a disadvantage, foolish girl. Follow him, choose your time and place, and his secrets may yet be revealed.

Copperhead hissed out a breath, retracting her razors and loosening her grip on the staff. Slowly she folded it away and replaced it in the pocket sewn inside her long coat. She glanced at the time in her AR display and then to Ember. She was the 'muscle' and he was the Johnson. Follow his lead, she told herself then returned her attention to the dwarf, locking his physical and astral image into her head for future reference.

@Seth, Copperhead & Demon
[April 15th 2072; 21:46; 2265 Occidental Avenue, Seattle]

Ember did his best to reign in his temper, only allowing some of his anger to trickle through his eyes...

“Monsieur Allenby, I can see that you are someone to value the insurance of recordings. I know my wife well enough to know that she will have taken meticulous records of all your dealings with her, for insurance, and whilst I would rather not waste your time and mine I can verify them if you wish, perhaps there are other ways we can set your mind at rest about our intentions?

We were hired for our discretion and I have every interesting in ensuring your privacy. We simply wish to establish the truth behind these threats and deal with the person or persons responsible. Making an appointment for tomorrow is regrettably not possible...this matter must be dealt with before the trail has time to go cold.

So we can dispense with the posturing and talk sensibly?

Perhaps the eminently employable Miss Tangent would be so good as to call Knight Errant and assure them that we are simply having a conversation with Monsieur Allenby and that there is no need to concern themselves with this matter?”

@Ember,Demon,Copperhead
[April 15th 2072; 21:37; 2265 Occidental Avenue, Seattle]

The cigar goes back in the mouth, and the eyes narrow. "I record everything. Everything I tell you" this is clearly an important topic to Mr Allenby. "Pah! Knight Errant cannot be called off. Its part of the protection." Allenby drains 2 inches of Brandy, and slams the glass on the table. "4 minutes 30 seconds". He leans back. "Your wife had an accident. I saw the reports: no foul play. Accidents happen: she should be more careful".

"Look in the last six months I've only had a kid plant some weak HE in the car, and some floozy working for me had an accident. That's hardly enough to warrant getting all panicky" Seeing the look in Ember's eye he leans forward smirks and says "4 minutes. And maybe they will be early. You lot look like you might be on someone's wanted list, and they move quicker if there is a reward on offer".

"Now don't get panicky..." he reaches for a drawer very slowly and extracts a folder some 6 inches thick. "Here. A present for you. The death threats I have got in the last 2 years. I particularly like the ones on yellow paper. Best of luck." The folder is thrown on the table, bits of paper dropping out of it as it goes.

April 15th, 2072 10:47am; Dearborn; Downtown Seattle
[Pan=Hidden. Id = <Information not available>]

"I'm going to rustle up some help." Dropping in the highly illegal Hot Sim full VR, Jotamon moves his electric senses out. Fortunately this was a law abiding area, and the cars and vans around were nicely transmitting their "hello I am here" signals.

Jotamons senses swirl for a moment, then he arrives in the Matrix. Dressed in the traditional long black leather coat, black shirt, white tie, wearing the obligatory dark shades he moves over to the icon of a Toyota Gopher "Honk the car in front of you is a Toyota" it said. Reaching into his coat, Jotamon pulled out a steel rule and begin to slide it into the door. At first there was a click, but then it stuck.

"This is going nowhere slowly", and he smoothly walks over to a white van showing the Icon "Pets Lunch: We Deliver. No job too big or too small". Well I have a new job for you, Jotamon thought That bike needs to meet Mr Van, and he reaches down with his steel rule. Clunk.

@Jamie, Jotamon & Doza
[April 15th, 2072 10:47am; Dearborn, Downtown Seattle]
[Internal PAN=Passive. Id = <Information not available>]

"What the hell?", Jamie curses again as Mareno features slack into what she readily recognizes as a RAS state. Why didn't he send an agent to do that?

Now I have to deal with these goons alone. Great.

@Ember,Demon,Seth
[April 15th 2072; 21:37; 2265 Occidental Avenue, Seattle]

Copperhead grinds her teeth in frustration as the papers spill across the desk. Enough of this! Spirit I need your services. There are secrets in these papers. Gather them up and hand them to the mage, Ember, who stands next to me.

Suddenly, wind whistles through the office. Loose pages swirl back into the folder and the whole folder lifts off the desk and floats over to Ember while Copperhead glares at the dwarf.

As the folder lands in his hands she growls, "Time to go." Then she turns on her heel and stomps out of the office, making the floor vibrate with her steps.

As she passes the secretary, she grumbles, "Having met da little dick you have for a boss, my advice goes double."

She stops a moment to let her two companions catch up. Spirit, conceal us from those who would prevent us from leaving.

She realises that she is ordering Snake around but doesn't worry about it for the moment. She knows the serpent will make her pay for it later.

@Seth, Ember & Copperhead
[April 15th 2072; 21:37; 2265 Occidental Avenue, Seattle]
[PAN = Elite, Passive ID = Aubert Benoit]

Demon rolls his eyes at the mention of Knight Errant. Allanby is attempting to seize the part of the mastermind in this danse macabre---the man in the tower who sees all and knows all. However, in his state of hubris, he had made two fatal mistakes: 1-He told them exactly how much time they have before Knight Errant arrives, and 2-He forgot that a five minute response time is little consolation to a sad little man weeping over his newly-perforated patellas. Demon has half a mind to simply end this miserable little dwarf's life, but manages to restrain himself. He still plays the part of the sheathed dagger. The leader of their merry band must give the word first before he plays a new part.

<<@Ember & Copperhead: Give the word and I would be more than happy to make this merde petit batard sing the information you so desire.>>

Watching Copperhead take the initiative, he turns his attention to Ember and waits for his cue...

@Seth, Demon & Copperhead
[April 15th 2072; 21:37; 2265 Occidental Avenue, Seattle]

Ember frowned at the dwarf, all too aware that with Copperhead’s spirit cloaking them he would no longer be able to see them, clearly at least. Damn him! Front was one thing but the wilful arrogance of this little turd set Ember’s teeth on edge.

Enough, if he wasn’t prepared to talk to them now then Ember was more than happy to disturb him again once they had picked through the death threats. He had no problem with the thought of invading the dwarf’s home and hanging him by the ankles if that yielded better results. He made a mental note to ensure they had a hacker on overwatch however, he didn’t fancy being disturbed by the Boys in Black.

He composed a message on the holopad and fired it towards Demon and Copperhead (sometimes he envied his children’s ease with this technology and their DNI trodes and other paraphernalia that made it so easy)

<<We will deal with this one later! Let’s take this information and sort through it, see if we can find a pattern. If we need the dwarf to shed any additional light on ones that aren’t simply crackpot haters then we can press him for more answers then.>>

@Jamie

While you feel your blood racing with the impending confrontation (and your anger at the stiff for dumping his body on you while he VR’d), your agent calmly returns a verdict on the communications of the biker weaving along the pavement.

<<Node confirmed Active. Encryption present. Probability of quantum 7 key encryption 72 %.>>

@ Jotamon

The van’s dogbrain opens before you as a simple console hanging in virtual space. Nobody has spent time programming anything fancy into this particular interface...probably just as well for you given the rush job. The grid guide icon is flashing engaged, fuel counters are in the green and judging by the economy figures there’s something heavy in the back (the inventory is presumably more secure somewhere).

With your current level of hacked clearance you aren’t going to be able to get it to go against its basic safety parameters and ram something, however if you were spoof the grid guide signal for a sec and tell it to change lanes just about now...

@Jamie, Jotamon & Doza
[April 15th, 2072 10:47am; Dearborn, Downtown Seattle]
[Internal PAN=Passive. Id = <Information not available>]

Of course. I need to command Yokinko better. Jamie loads a minor decryption utility and hands it to Yokinko. Please decrypt them all.

Jamie peeks over the seat, looking at the two bikes running up from behind. Those guys with guns mean business. I’m under cover from the drone, so it shouldn’t notice the muzzle flash. The gunshot mikes will pick it up however. I may not be able to hack the bike quick enough. That’s fine. Let’s teach those bastards to bring bikes to a car war.

Jamie grabs the steering wheel and jinks the car around.

@Jamie, Jotamon & Doza
[April 15th, 2072 10:47am; Dearborn, Downtown Seattle]
[Internal PAN=Passive. Id = <Information not available>]

In the matrix Jotamon breaths a sigh of relief as the door on the van clicks open. Diving in he find the Tom-Tom on the dashboard showing the routing instructions. A quick felt tip pen redraws the route: showing a clear path to the left, heavy traffic behind and to the front. That should do it he thought as he spoofs the guidance systems.

Coming back the normal world his vision is swamped by warning signals. His pharmacopia is already pumping drugs into his system, the Move By Wire has began its intrinsically unstable patterns, preparing for frantic dodging. Two gun wielding assassins are highlighted approaching, AR targets superimpose over their vital spots, red readouts showing weapon characteristics highlight their guns and guidance lines showing the least bad movement options appear along the ground. The expert systems were universally yelling "Move. Move."

Bad Bad Bad thought Jotamon Knight Errant watching, Gun men and pedestrians. Ah well at least I am wearing my respirator, it won't be that clear a mug shot

As Jotamon dives out of the Jackrabbit beginning the one handed cartwheel in what feels like ultra slow motion he is rewarded by the sounds of what can only be called a distraction. The Pet's Lunch van accelerates into path of one of the bikes, which begins to cartwheel. Bike and rider begin to tumble through the air. They said no delivery too small or too big. Well delivery concluded.

Half way through the cartwheel, his taser appears in his right hand delivered by the expert system controlled arm slide, the cross hairs on his target go green, and dart flys from Defiance Ex Shocker, hitting the closest gunman in the forehead, before landing crouching behind a vintage Eurocar Westwind complete with Spoilt Executives Son.

@Jamie, Jotamon & Doza
[April 15th, 2072 10:47am; Dearborn, Downtown Seattle]

Jamie:

The biker intercepted by the van cartwheels and lands in an untidy and probably bloody heap under the bumper of an americar. You wrench the jackrabbit around and it lunges in the confines of the jam and manages to shift itself sufficiently to mount the pavement. This gives you a clear shot through the car at the biker bearing down on you as he reaches for the slung sub machine gun at his side.

Your erstwhile passenger has flung himself out of the car onto the pavement and then back into the road in a series of extraordinary manoeuvres reminiscent of that old flat flick that aficionados still rave about...

Jotamon:

Your precipitous moves take you clear of the jackrabbit, over the hood of the car behind it and as you get a clear shot between vehicles your taser spits once, allowing you to follow through into cover.

Despite the distance your brief glimpse shows the dart fly true and strike the gunman in the temple...unfortunately he’s wearing some kind of combined face mask and respirator and although the dart discharges he doesn’t collapse as you’d hoped. He stumbles and dives between two cars with his back to you.

The second gunman races up the back of another car at decidedly chipped speeds swinging his colt assault rifle round to target your position...seems like you’ve been designated the primary threat...

Jamie:

<<Decryption complete. Analysing content and transmitting.>>

A scrolling AR window appears out of the corner of your eye indicating the flow of information between the biker, his vehicle and the team behind him. The speech is clipped and terse, electronically produced to prevent anyone linking it back to its owner...it would seem that these guys are considerably more professional than the vat boys you took down in Redmond.

<<One is down. Two Target Alpha 3. Primary unseen. 3-4 neutralize Alpha 1.>>

@Jamie, Jotamon & Doza
[April 15th, 2072 10:47am; Dearborn, Downtown Seattle]
[Internal PAN=Passive. Id = <Information not available>]

Seeing the guy on the bike go for his gun, Jamie hunches down behind the wheel and puts the pedal to the metal, driving right for the guy. Unfortunately she misjudges badly and ends up clipping a curbside clothing machine. While she bounced off of it, her momentum carries her passenger side up over the curb.

@ Seth, Ember & Copperhead
[April 15th 2072; 21:37; 2265 Occidental Avenue, Seattle]
[PAN = Elite, Passive ID = Aubert Benoit]

After reading Ember's message, Demon releases a belabored and disappointed sigh. He gives a curt nod to Mr. Allenby before turning on his heels and walking away.

"Until we meet again, Monsieur," he says in an inappropriately merry tone. And believe you me, we will. Now that I know who else you plan to invite to our next soiree, I will be sure to wear the appropriate attire for the situation, he thinks to himself.

As he walks out, he echoes Copperhead's advice to Ms. Tangent and Dave.

"I would suggest seeking out a better place of employ. Personally, I do not understand how you can even endure a mere moment of his presence."

[April 15th, 2072 10:47am; Dearborn, Downtown Seattle]

Doza pulls the bike up hard behind the van, slewing it round side on to the action. As she leaps off her hand snags the 'Knight' from its holster, an action that is smooth and shows the ease that only comes with long practice. She scans the scene before her, assessing threats and cover, bystanders and exits all without conscious thought.

The hostile running over the car towards Jotamon becomes Target 1. Not least because it is Jotamon but also the assult rifle puts him top of the list!
Crouching she frames him in her sights with clear sky beyond him. "Lets at least try and reduce possible hits on innocents"

She lets loose a long burst and grunts in satisfaction as he jerks and spins, dancing to her tune. She rises and steps sideways already seeking another target. The guy Jotamon tasered is staggering but not down, a single shot flies his way. Too many bystanders in the killing zone to risk more.

@Seth, Copperhead & Demon
[April 15th 2072; 21:46; 2265 Occidental Avenue, Seattle]

Outside Deaths Head Studios Ember indicated that they should climb into the waiting Elite. Although not the largest of cars he was glad, given the size of Copperhead, that it was larger than a conventional sedan.

“David, can you take us south please? We want somewhere quiet to conduct a conversation, preferably where we will not be overlooked. Perhaps a hotel near the airport?”

“How about the Jucy Lucy Inn, it’s a bit further off the beaten track, quiet and anonymous?”

“Oui, that sounds perfect…”

The 5 was quiet running south and Ember concentrated on the views out to Lake Washington beyond the intervening sprawl, trying to distract himself from the nagging worry that he should be with his family. But if they were going to be safe then this was necessary, and damn it, he intended to find out who was responsible!

Ten minutes or so later they were pulling into the hotel car park, a room booked in advance under Ember’s dubious fake ID…

@Jotamon, Jamie & Doza
[April 15th, 2072 10:47am; Dearborn, Downtown Seattle]

Jotamon feels the sting of bullets smashing into ribs, his internal ware desperately trying to stem the bleeding, shock and pain.

The light machine gun bucks and roars and a scythe of bullets strikes the gunman on the car at about waist level, more or less cutting him in half…stray rounds shriek onwards to lodge themselves somewhere in the surrounding light industrial buildings.

Doza’s second controlled burst at the crouching target is evaded although the vehicle he is hiding behind is not so lucky, the bullets churning their way through metal and plastic

On the curbside Jamie is left staring at the approaching biker as he reaches for his smartgun...

Pedestrians and drivers begin to panic in the suddenness of the violence as their brains catch up with events and chaos begins to ensue...it won't be long before KE are forced to respond...

<<Four is down, where the frag did that trog come from? Redesignate Alpha 1>>

@Ember, Copperhead & Demon
[April 15th 2072; 21:59:57; Jucy Lucy Hotel, Seattle]
Ember, Demon and Copperhead walk through the automated door into the air conditioned Jucy Lucy hotel. Outside it was damp with the faint smell of kerosene in the air. Inside the air is cool, corporate and has no taint to it. The small open space is decorated with tables and chairs, a couple of which have suited salesmen <PAN: John Haviland, Fertiliser Technologies, Sales Manager>, <PAN: William Highway, ADX, Product Evangelist> talking to clients <PAN: Harvey Dank, Saeder Krupp, Research Officer grade 4> and <PAN: hidden>. Three other tables have a couple talking and exchanging AR holiday photos. One table has a young mother <PAN: Gracie Brown> with a sleeping baby <Pan: Little Darling> in a pram next to it. There is still one corner table free. This is a typical scene that could have come from the hotel's brochure.

There is an attractive young lady <PAN: Marie Fournier, Assistant Trainee Manager> taking orders from the young mother, well spoken and confident for an 18 year old. As you enter, she finishes taking the order from Gracie and walks over to you.

"Welcome to the Jucy Lucy Hotel, do you want a room, or can I get you something from the bar?". There is the faintest hint of a french accent, and it is a toss up who is better looking: Miss Tangent or Marie Fournier.

Copperhead pauses, hidden behind her Physical Mask spell. There is a sound over the air conditioning. A faint susurration. Warningsss. Attenssssion. Commminggg nowwww. Deaatthh in theirr heaartttsss. Outssidee. Thrrreee commeee. Forrr yoouu. ssss.

@Jamie, Jotamon & Doza
[April 15th, 2072 10:47am; Dearborn, Downtown Seattle]
[Internal PAN=Passive. Id = <Information not available>]

Slammed by the bullets, Jotamon is driven to the floor as the slugs impact and through his armor. His HUD display shows the damage in red as his internal damage control ware kicks into action.
"Biomonitor - Minor damage"
"Damage contol - Accelerated blood clotting initiated"
"Pharmacopia - Drug stocks high. Recommend Nitro injection "
"Gun - Ammo (2)"

As he falls automated reflexes kick in, the Move By Wire protecting his head. The PredictaEnemy^TM code projected translucent AROs of possible enemy positions. The drone overhead identified as the largest tactical threat, followed by the Van. The two remaining humanoid targets were higher priority immediate threats. As Jotamon landed, he was in an optimium position to see under the stationary vehicles. Aha there was an enemy foot.

It was a difficult shot shooting under the car from a prone position, and the pain in his belly was unpleasant. Still Jotamon was good with the taser, and "ZAP" a dart flew into the target's foot.

@Ember, Seth & Demon
[April 15th 2072; 21:59:57; Jucy Lucy Hotel, Seattle]

Warningsss. Attenssssion. Commminggg nowwww. Deaatthh in theirr heaartttsss. Outssidee. Thrrreee commeee. Forrr yoouu. ssss.

Copperhead's eyes go wide behind her glasses. Her head snaps around in the direction of the voice. Her mask spell drops, leaving her cybered arms glinting in the lobby's lights, reflecting the serpentlike features of her shamanic mask.

"Trouble. Three comesss" she hisses. "Demon, wires now!"

Razors snap into place as she steps between Ember and the threat. Her right hand reaches into her long coat and wraps around the duct-taped plastic stock of her shotgun. She draws the old gun from its holster but keeps it concealed for now .

@Jamie, Jotamon & Doza
[April 15th, 2072 10:47am; Dearborn, Downtown Seattle]

Jotamon

Your dart spirals lazily towards your fleeting glance at the crouching gunman, your tactical systems already predicting over a ninety nine percent chance of a successful strike. He jerks as the electricity grounds through him, throwing his nervous system into a state of shock for the second time in almost as many seconds…you strongly suspect that despite the stim patch he seems to have been administering that he isn’t going to get up again anytime soon.

Jamie

<<Shit, three and four down, confirm Angel One is inbound, switch to containment>>

Doza

You hear a shriek from the direction of the hidden gunman and you estimate that Jotamon has managed to eliminate him. Over near where the driver of the jackrabbit has tried to mount the pavement to escape the second biker is ever so slowly turning towards you with a chattergun drawn. From the side door of the van you see another figure in the darkness preparing to draw a bead on you…how many of these bastards are there?

@Seth, Copperhead & Demon
[April 15th 2072; 21:59:57; Jucy Lucy Hotel, Seattle]

Ember answers the young lady

“Mademoiselle, I have a room booked under the name Feroux…”

He jerks away from Copperhead as she resumes her true form…merde, they had found us? Whoever the hell they were? Perhaps they would at least get some answers, once the inevitable conflict had resolved itself. It would seem that their choice of locale for an inconspicuous meet was going to backfire…

“It would seem I am threatened, please would you be so kind as to summon the police mademoiselle?” She would do so anyway, might as well appear to be more innocent than perhaps they were…now they had to deal with their attackers before the police interfered and their chance was lost.

He delved into the manasphere and wove skeins of magic around himself…watching as time appeared to slow…and slammed them into his spell lock to sustain

@Jamie, Jotamon & Doza
[April 15th, 2072 10:47am; Dearborn, Downtown Seattle]
[Internal PAN=Passive. Id = <Information not available>]

That's the troll Mareno knows! Jamie hits the windows down button. Her perception is hypersensitive due to the redundant nerve systems laid down in her body, so the windows seems like it will take forever to open.

Figuring she will not be able to shoot the biker before he targets the troll, Jamie cranks the wheel around and pulls her car between the biker and the troll. As she ducks down behind door frame anticipating to be targeted, she sends to Yokinko, Find the van's node and hack an account for us to use.

@Ember, Copperhead & Demon
[April 15th 2072; 22:00:00 Jucy Lucy Hotel, Seattle]

There is an awkward moment, as Copperhead reveals herself. The group in the corner all react unnaturally fast, and weapons appear in their hands pointing at the trio. As things look to be about to get nasty...

The door exploded inwards, and simulataneously the windows smashed into tiny little pieces. There is the "pop" "pop" sound of tear gas canisters entering the building. An emergency broadcast appeared in large AR icons.

<<This is Knight Errant Fire Watch. Please fall to the floor. There are wanted murderers in this building. Cop killers and Assassins. For your own protection fall to the floor. Images of Ember, Copperhead and Demon were superimposed upon the AR>>

The hotel guest with the hidden Pan, laucnhes suppressing fire with his twin Ares Crusaders towards the entrance where figures in SWAT armor were moving into the building. "You'll never take me alive coppers" he shouts, and then proves his words were correct as his head explodes from a sniper's accurate fire.

The salesman <John Haviland, Fertiliser Technologies> races towards Gracie, and grabs her, keeping her between him and the incoming SWAT team. In his left hand he has a grenade, and he pulls the pin with his teeth. Red laser lines criss cross through the smoke and tear gas settling upon Gracie, and searching out John.

The Product Evangelist <William Highway> launches an acid wave at the incoming SWAT team, which splashes against a mana barrier just short of the troops. Some penetrates, but the spell supression on the SWAT team seems extremely effective. Their counterfire smashes into a spell barrier that you recognise as a powerful initiate's physical barrier spell.

The Saedur Krupp Research Officer <Harvey Dank> falls to the floor in a fashion that you recognise as either a mage going Astral, or a rigger entering a VR trance.

"The building is surrounded. Come out Ember, Demon and Copperhead with your hands in the air. We don't care if you are alive or dead, cop killers, but you ... ARRGGH" the megaphone speaker was shot in mid sentence. From outside you hear loud explosions and machine gun fire.

Twooo enemiesss noww Copperhead hears in the hiss of the tear gas.

As the waitress Maire Fournier throws herself to the floor she says "Don't worry Mr Feroux, the police are already here"

@ Seth, Ember & Copperhead
[April 15th 2072; 21:59:57; Jucy Lucy Hotel, Seattle]
[PAN = Elite, Passive ID = Aubert Benoit]

Upon hearing Copperhead's warning of incoming danger, Demon has a one-word thought.

Merde.

Fifteen minutes ago, he had resigned himself to the likelihood that his primary skillset would not be needed this night. In the car on the way to the hotel, he had run through his weapons one more time, checking each of the guns' safeties and clips, the baton's batteries, the telescoping staff's trigger, and the flashpaks' charges. All were fine---in fact, they seemed to be very much in the same condition they had been before when he meticulously checked them on the way to Allenby's maison degoutant. He did it because it was a way to expend all the unspent energy he had prepared for plying his craft. Now he would relax, since interrogating/mutilating/killing an insultingly banal dwarf was no longer on his schedule.

Fifteen seconds ago, he had discovered a new target and had penciled a new operation into his now-open schedule. The very lovely Mademoiselle Marie Fourier would be his new mark. The fact that she might be French just made her that much more desirable. However, he was in no mood to chase women after everything that happened tonight. Rather than go after her, he began thinking of ways to make her come for him.

That is, until right fucking now when a bunch of lousy, no-good, armed cock-blockers decided to ruin his fun. How dare they do so.

"Helas, it appears that my lovely companion is correct. Afterwards, I would suggest that you find a place to escape the ensuing bataille," he says to Marie. As if to emphasize his point, he snaps out his Arme de Choix---a silenced, heavily modded Savalette Guardian, and then pulls out a flashpak. With a heavy sigh of disapproval, he takes cover behind one of the hotel's flimsy pillars.

"Mes amis, did you bring protection for your eyes? If not, then I will tell you when to close them."

@ Seth, Demon & Copperhead
[April 15th 2072; 21:59:57; Jucy Lucy Hotel, Seattle]

Vraiment?!? What is going on here? In a terse whisper, barely audible over the ruccous Ember spoke to his companions

"We cannot fight these people...we must evade them. Ditch your commlinks, they are probably hacked already. I will spend a few moments to try and discover who our foes are...I will be over there..." and he indicates the reception desk "try not to draw any fire in that direction, s'il vous plait"

He clambered behind the desk, already feeling the sting of gas in his eyes

~Tempest, will you watch over me and my companions and keep us from sight? If you could keep the gas from me that too would be much appreciated...~

"She will cloak you, it will make you harder to find in the chaos..."

and then he lifted free of his body on the wings of the astral. His form became powerful, a young warrior in his prime, spear by his side and fire in his eyes...

@Ember, Copperhead & Demon
[April 15th 2072; 22:00:00 Jucy Lucy Hotel, Seattle]

Ember's astral self can see the FireWatch team entering the building surrounded by a powerful mana shield, and that one of them is possessed by a large spirit providing magical suppression to the others. As he heads outside, the astral is full of fury and violence, with clusters of people dying, shooting and hating.

Materialising so as to be able to see any detail at all, Ember is shocked at the scene. It is like an image from Lagos, rather than Seattle. Two APCs are outside the hotel, the first has its doors open, and obviously carried the team that have entered the hotel. The second is on its side with a large smoking hole in. From the marks on the ashphalt it had been travelling at a respectable speed when it was hit by an AVM. Scattered around the front are the dead bodies of 4 firewatch troops ripped in half by explosions and machine gun fire.

Above him there are 6..no 5.. no 4 drones engaged in a violent dog fight with each other. A beam of solid light is erupting from the popup turret of a black van racing towards the front of the hotel, as the beam touches a drone, the drone drops out of the sky in a pyrokinetic display of fireworks.

Across the road is the Merriott hotel, and there is a smoking hole where there used to be a window suite. As you watch, one of the FireWatch troops fires a shoulder mounted missile, and it screams towards the hotel exploding, just as the launcher's head explodes with a high calibre sniper round. Another window is smashed and a stream of Heavy Machine Gun fire emerging from it is straffing a black helicopter wtih Fire Watch markings overhead. The Fire Watch helicopter is turning towards the window, and as Ember watches aghast a hellfire missile errupts from it, heading for the machine gunner in the Hotel.

[April 15th, 2072 10:47am; Dearborn, Downtown Seattle]

Doza drops Mr White Knight onto the sling that holds it around her neck. As she moves smoothly towards the van, a grenade appears in hand as though by magic from a pouch at her belt. Pulling the pin with her teeth she tosses it into the van and slides the door close. Wincing a little she waits for the bang.

@Ember, Seth & Demon
[April 15th 2072; 22:00:00 Jucy Lucy Hotel, Seattle]

Copperhead struggles to make sense of the chaos unfolding around her.

Copkiller? I didn't kill any cops. The dwarf, Allenby. I bet he set us up!

She backs slowly away from the fighting toward the door to the rest of the hotel, her brain taking in the hostage situation and the collapsed man.

"Dis way" she hisses at Demon and Ember.

Spirit, I need your aid once more. Take the grenade away from the man holding the woman hostage and throw it out of the building. You are then free to go.

@Ember, Copperhead & Demon
[April 15th 2072; 22:00:00 Jucy Lucy Hotel, Seattle]

Mistressss hisses the spirit, as it wraps itself around the grenade. John Haviland put up a short but futile resistance, and the spirit flys out of the front of the building taking the grenade with it. In the callous way that spirits sometimes have it drops the grenade as soon as it left the building, close to where the dead or dying Fire Watch troops were lying on the ground.

The red laser lines were no longer pointing at John, and he grins evilly "Hold them back Gamma, the boys are on the way. Can I offer you a lift, and we can continue our negotiations at the far end?"

Gamma snarls a few words and three large radiation spirits morph into being, their aura making the room appear with lurid green glow. "Get the possessed one" he commands, and the spirits ooze towards the Fire Watch team. The illusionary magic covering his face has dropped under the strain of the battle. His skin is covered with rashe, and his eyes are white with cataracts. Despite that he projects immense power as he flicks his hand, and half the furniture in the room, including Little Darlings crib, is thrown towards the incoming Fire Watch team.

@Seth, Ember & Copperhead
[April 15th 2072; 22:00:00 Jucy Lucy Hotel, Seattle]
[PAN = Elite, Passive ID = Aubert Benoit]

Demon nods at Copperhead's advice, and moves towards the door. He looks back in time to see the scene unfold between these John and Gamma hooligans. Holding a woman hostage and tossing a baby at police? How...incredibly unprofessional.

He points the Savalette Guardian at John and squeezes the trigger twice, hoping to at least save the distraught mother.

@Ember, Copperhead & Demon
[April 15th 2072; 22:00:02 Jucy Lucy Hotel, Seattle]

The bullets brush Gracies clothes as they impact into John Haviland's chest. The surface clothes are ripped revealing form fitting body armor underneath. Still the impact knocks him back.

Snarling John points his empty hand toward's Demon, and an Ares Predator IV, a large impressive looking gun, appears in it: deployed from an arm slide. John returns fire, but is somewhat distracted as Gracie screams in fury, wriggles frantically and nearly gets away. "My Baby" she cries as she charges the furniture hoping desperately to rescue Little Darling. "No you don't" John growls, but is pulled off balance by a combination of Demon's bullets and Gracies unexpected burst of strength. He manages to hang onto Gracie with his left hand, but is currently exposed.

Gamma winces as automatic fire from the FireWatch team smash through his physical barrier, but so far none appear to have hit him. Yellow and Green smoke begins to ooze from him. mingling with the tear gas. "You'll do" he mutters. He gestures towards Mademoiselle Fournier with a clawed hand, and a black volcanic glass knife appears in his right hand.

April 15th, 2072 10:50am; Dearborn; Downtown Seattle
[Pan=Hidden. Id = <Information not available>]

Jotamon's expert systems were reporting that the tactical situation much improved, although the strategic situation desparate.
<<Estimated Knight Errant arrival time: 5 minutes. Recommendation: neutralise drone and exit>>
<<Priorities: avoid Knight Errant, clear any DNA markers, identify attackers, identify new third party involvement>>
<<Platelet factories fully deployed, bleeding staunching>>

Before getting up, Jotamon put a bullet through the Eurocar's gas tank, and gasoline began to trickle out. The safety systems were impressive, but so was the stopping power of a Rutget Super Warhawk. "Get out", he gestured to the Rich Executive's Son, waving and indicating he should vacate the car through the other door. In a few moment's he would ignite the gas, and that should deal with any blood left behind.

Getting to his feet, still crouched behind the car that was now leaking gasoline slowly, he scanned and assessed the situation. His systems placed targets over the Drone, Doza, the van, and the remaining motor cyclist. Doza! Awesome! Saving my ass again: she's not going to let me forget that. OK that's the unknown third party who took out the body I saw on the floor. Jamie still looks to be in trouble, though.

Jotamon begin to head towards Jamie, crouching and slightly less spry than earlier, turning after a couple of cars he fired a taser dart at the small pool of gasoline.

@ Seth, Ember, & Copperhead
[April 15th 2072; 22:00:02 Jucy Lucy Hotel, Seattle]
[PAN = Elite, Passive ID = Aubert Benoit]

Demon's eyes go wide when he sees John suddenly pull a weapon on him, and a sheepish grin slowly sprawls across his face. He had thought that holding the woman would have kept him distracted, but it is clear that there is more to this vaurien than meets the eye. When the two bullets---armor piercing he believes---whistle past him, he reflexively clucks his tongue and prepares to put a bullet in John's eye.

That is, until he sees the sorcier toxiques go for the very lovely Marie. Still with an itch to scratch and hoping to run some damage control on the whole "cop-killer" libel---well, libel if he ignores last Thursday, three weeks ago and the fifty other times he had to put down a law enforcement pig-dog, he turns his attention to Gamma. Clearly bullets are not working against the mage, but perhaps they will work against the knife...

He breathes in, slows his heart, watches the smartgun data play across his field of vision as it calculates the shot, and squeezes the trigger.

Now with all of the pro bono heroics out of the way he decides it is time to expeditiously extricate himself from this tempete de merde, and quickly walks deeper into the hotel and away from the radioactive man and his fallout boy cronies.

.

@Ember, Seth & Demon
[April 15th 2072; 22:00:05 Jucy Lucy Hotel, Seattle]

Everything is moving too fast for Copperhead. She does grin as the grenade disappears out the window, then winces as the spirit drops it next to the Firewatch team. Hopefully they will believe the man threw it. Then she spies the black dagger.

Toxsssic, hisses Snake.

She makes up her mind and charges the paralyzed receptionist, only realizing as she hits her that she was magically held. The two tumble to the ground behind the desk next to Ember just as he opens his eyes.

"Time to go" she grins, drawing the shotgun from under her and preparing to run.

@Ember, Copperhead & Demon
[April 15th 2072; 22:00:05 Jucy Lucy Hotel, Seattle]

Gamma screams his outrage to the sky as his sacrifice is snatched from him. This is a bad situation. Fire Watch are here, and they do know how to deal with a mage like him. Without a sacrifice, standing and fighting was not a valid option. "Cherenkov now is the time, let is be away". There is a flurry of blue green sparks, and the barrier between the Astral World and Mundane World thins within the lobby and the two realities superimpose. The Spiky Mana Barrier surrounding the Fire Watch team, becomes obvious, the fading aura of Little Darling can be seen among the clutter of furniture between the Fire Watch team and Gamma.

Gamma is now a green and blue sparking body of light, which blurs leaving a trail of sickly stars behind him as he flees the team moving as fast as only Astral forms can. One of the Fire Watch team, a towering spirit of light, beams projecting from his eyes, waves his fiery spear shouts "I'm coming for YOU Gamma" and follows the trail of stars leaving flaming footsteps.

The Fire Watch team freeze in place. Their training covers this eventuality, and any movement is likely to have them lost forever in Astral Space. Their bullets seem to move slowly in this hybrid world, then fade out a few feet beyond the shooters personal aura. The Radiation Spirits are throwing themselves against the Spiky Mana Barrier, and while it is starting to crack, one of the spirits is already disrupted, and the others are looking worse for wear.

Outside the Black Van reaches the door, and an airburst stun grenade is tossed into the doorway of the lobby. It fails to explode as it enters the strange hybrid world. "I'm on my way" cries John Haviland as he charges towards the Black Van, then leaves his own grey trail as he zooms off into what will be for him, an endless night.

Gracie moves towards Little Darling, her love for the baby unerringly guiding her to the child, and she sobs as she tries to comfort the dying child.

April 15th, 2072 10:50am; Dearborn; Downtown Seattle


Doza

Your grenade goes off with a muffled thump inside the van and you hear the gunman slammed hard against the panelling with a resounding thud that makes you suspect he’s no longer a threat. The remaining biker is swinging round to draw a bead on you having brought his bike around in a skid. The intervening cars mean you haven’t got a clear view of him, sadly, given your size they represent significantly less cover to a three meter something troll…the van looks fairly substantial though and you doubt he’ll try and shoot you through it…

Jotamon

You take a moment to reassess the situation…your tactical threat analysis is pinging the circling drone as primary threat one as it sweeps across the scene, no doubt now with a Knight Errant rigger at the helm snapping mugshots, doing weapon and gait analysis and gathering as much incriminating evidence as possible. It’s hard to fathom the arrogance of your attackers that they are prepared to flout the law so blatantly…either they have a good exit strategy in place or they intend to pull some other rabbit out of a hat!

The contaminants on the road plus the sudden bloom of ignited fuel should erase any trace DNA...luckily people are fleeing the scene and your improptu clean up operation is unlikely to barbeque anyone except the poor bastards that you have already put down...

Jamie

The biker is clearly more concerned about the menacing troll than the possible threat from inside your car…there’s no bullseye painted on him but there might as well be, it’s likely to be a mistake that costs him for a very short time…

…your agent responds with a string of observations, giving you a window to instruct it otherwise before it ploughs ahead with a hack

<<Van node is a locked subscription. Query action? Scanning for commlink nodes…two detected inside. Query hack priority? Analysing for IDs…>>

@ Seth, Ember & Copperhead
[April 15th 2072; 22:00:05 Jucy Lucy Hotel, Seattle]
[PAN = Elite, Passive ID = Aubert Benoit]

Upon reaching the hotel kitchen, Demon has the almost overwhelming sensation to join the crazed mass of hotel guests screaming for the exits---not so much out of fear, but because they would provide excellent cover if trying to avoid the Knight Errant Firewatch team. Besides, based on the strange lights and sounds coming from that hotel lobby, his previous instinct of getting the hell out of there was right on point. However, professional pride and a sense of civilized camaraderie keep him near the door. Ember is a compatriote and Copperhead is a lady, and he'll be damned if he abandons them without even giving them at least fifteen seconds to walk through that door.

In the meantime, he starts looking around the kitchen for the exit so he can point his companions in the right direction if and when they finally arrive...

@ Seth, Ember & Copperhead
[April 15th 2072; 22:00:05 Jucy Lucy Hotel, Seattle]
[PAN = Elite, Passive ID = Aubert Benoit]

As Demon is poking around the kitchen looking for an exit, he manages to spot a veritable antique of a van sitting outside. He is immediately reminded of sage wisdom handed down from his chere mere. "Damien, if you learn anything from me, always remember this: First, always ask to see the money up front. That way you can take it from him or her if the deal turns rotten. Second, always check for herpes. That shit is forever. Finally, do what you have to in order to escape. It is precisely for this reason that other people have insurance." Ah chere mere, peut vous reste bien haut dans les cieux.

Deciding that Ember and Copperhead are going to have to come through this way in order to escape, he inconspicuously strolls over to the van and raps upon the driver's seat window with the butt of his gun. When the glass breaks, he pops open the door and begins to monkey what experienced car-jackers do in all of the sim-vids he has watched over the years. On the first try, something tells him that he should stop touching the wires together. The moment he disconnects them, the air pops with ozone. With a silky, sensuous stream of French curses flowing from his mouth, he gives the car-jack mimicry another go and begins to grin when he hears the throaty purr of a hotwired engine coming to life.

@ Seth, Demon & Copperhead
[April 15th 2072; 22:00:05 Jucy Lucy Hotel, Seattle]

Ember felt torn between flight from the scene, pursuit of Gamma - an abomination who should not be permitted to walk the earth – and helping the child. In the end, with thoughts of his family in mind, he strode through the morass of astral/real world to reach the baby. Working quickly in an attempt to halt its flickering demise he wove the strands of mana and then slammed them down into the failing heart.

Reeling from the massive drain he clutched at his head and tried to calm his racing heart beat…

It was then that the signal reached him through the commlink, the one he had decided to ditch at the first opportunity, which did nothing to instil the state of calm he had been reaching for

<<Ember. First things first, your wife is still alive. >>

<<What!? The children? Are the children ok? You were attacked? What the hell is going on?>>

This situation is becoming intolerable!

<<I will contact you shortly, this link is compromised…>>

Making the most of the confusion reigning around him, Ember headed after Demon, satisfied that the child would live long enough to receive more thorough care. Lurching though the door to the kitchen he dropped his link in a bubbling deep fat fryer…he wouldn’t want to be the tech to try and resurrect anything of that now…

@ Seth, Demon & Ember
[April 15th 2072; 22:00:05 Jucy Lucy Hotel, Seattle]

Copperhead pulls herself up to a crouch, looking around in amazement. They were in the astral and the real at the same time. Looking down, she sees her astral form over her physical body. Her arms glowing pythons, her head that of a snake. She reaches out with one snake arm, its jaws wrapping around the arm of the terrified receptionist.

Come withss me ifss you wantss to livess." she hisses, her forked tongue tasting the girl's fear.

Peering over the desk, she watches as Ember pumps healing energy into the dying baby. She nods then turns and drags the girl, willing or not, towards the kitchen.

As her arms fade back to polished scales, she turns to Marie. "I ain't no cop-killer an' I jus' saved your skinny ass. You best remember to tell da cops dat."

Then she turns and follows Demon and Ember out of the hotel and into the white van.

@ Seth, Demon & Copperhead
[April 15th 2072; 22:00:05 Jucy Lucy Hotel, Seattle]

Ember made his way as surreptitiously as possible out of the kitchen, confident in Tempest’s ability to cloak him from unfriendly eyes, but taking no unnecessary chances. Approving of Demon’s choice of transportation he clambered into the back, still nursing his headache, and gestured for them to take off.

“I need to find out what is happening. There has been an incident where my wife is recovering and I think I should find out what before we can make any more decisions. I suggest we disappear into the barrens for a while, non? If you head to the Horny Troll, Copperhead knows where it is, I will go on ahead in the astral. If you need to divert from there or something else happens then Copperhead can send a watcher to let me know? Once we have more information I think perhaps we should find Allenby again and unleash Demon’s natural predilections? He was the only one who can place us all together as far as I know and Knight Errant knew our handles and had our images. It may be time for our respective identities to retire, assuming we can make it through this mess alive.”

So saying he slipped from his body and embraced the brightness of the astral. Charged with anger and blazing with power he shot away from the others towards the north, his family, and hopefully some answers.

***

Entering the astral of the clinic where he had thought his family to be safe he notes the destruction caused by the attack and the obvious measures that the staff had gone through to protect themselves and their patients.

He listened briefly to the conversation between the sword bearer and Dr. Bob

“Eta for backup ninety seconds Doc. Look, I know this is a medical emergency, but other people are dying too. My partner is dead. Right now eight members of a Fire Watch team are dead having tried to arrest this lady’s husband. I need to talk to your client’s husband now in order to stop more people dying.”

“Thank you for your assistance earlier, but right now: Go Away!”

Ember stood tall in his aura, the figure appearing in the reception area that of a warrior clad in celtic dress armed with a burning spear, long red hair lashing about his clean shaven face in an unseen wind…

“You wished to speak to me?!”

@Jamie, Jotamon & Doza
[April 15th, 2072 10:47am; Dearborn, Downtown Seattle]
[Internal PAN=Passive. Id = <Information not available>]


Jamie looks up from her slumped posture at the window slowly rolling down. Com’on, com’on, com’on

To Jamie’s enhanced reflexes, it seems like it takes forever for a crack to open enough to fit even her light pistol. Not able to wait any more, she launches her arm up, pushing the pistol through the opening. Her arm applies some pressure hoping to keep it in place as she anticipates recoil.

As she raises her head enough to be able to see the biker, her smartgun link forms a crosshair in her vision. She adjusts the angle of her weapon slightly higher hoping that being hit high might throw him off the bike.

Trying to compensate for the bumpy ride, she squeezes the trigger twice.

@ Seth, Demon & Ember
[April 15th 2072; 22:10:00 Back of a white van, Seattle]

Sitting in the back of the white van watching over Ember, Copperhead removes her commlink, crushes it in her hand and tosses it out the window. She pulls her spare from her pocket and hooks it up. Cutter's agent does it's magic and slaves her gear to the new 'link.

Who am I today? she wonders. She laughs as she reads the name. Marylin Monroe, funny man.

She sends the elf hacker a quick text requesting a new backup and then turns to Demon and starts giving him directions to get to the Horny Troll in the barrens.

"What da frag did we walk into dere?" she asks him, not really expecting an answer.

@Ember
[April 15th 2072; 22:02:00 White Van on Downtown roads, Seattle]
The suit's hand flexed towards his magical Katana, then paused. "Ember I presume. We don't have long, as reinforcements will be here in " he pauses "40 seconds. Something smells about this: there is an orgy of evidence indicating that you killed my partner, and I came here to return the favour. These things turn up " he points distainfully at the gangers "just as you are being arrested. Now I don't beleive in coincidence, and this is smacking of a fitup. One put together very quickly. "

"The department's rules are very clear, and I shouldn't be here. My partner is dead, and I am too emotionally involved: that bit is true". He doesn't look emotionally involved but on the astral there is a white hot pulse of emotion that is carefully controlled. "I will be on two weeks compassionate leave and councilling. The press interest in this case is high, and will get higher should this get out. The department will have to 'do something', and that something probably involves you: which means the real guilty party will get away. If you turn out to be guilty I will deal with you, but I don't think you are" He looks at his watch. "I just saved your wife and children's lives, that means you owe me. Meet me at the Drunken Drone in the Barrens in one hour."

@Copperhead & Demon
[April 15th 2072; 22:02:00 White Van on Downtown roads, Seattle]
Demon and Copperhead look at each other, as Ember's meat form is bouncing in the back on some tarpaulins. It was the calm after the storm. They had broken pursuit as far as they could tell and where heading to the safety(?) of the Barrens. A simple bodyguard job from the magician ended in a three way firefight between one of the most wanted terrorists in the Awakened World, and drek hot Fire Watch team that wanted them dead. This White Van, while old, and had a decent entertainment system, and real sound is so much more visceral than a skinlink feed. Bizarrely enough the first music feed was that of Concrete Spectres, Allanby's band.

"We interrupt this program for breaking news. " An AR of a newsreader appears on the dashboard, and images of the hotel you were just in appears behind him. "Military Action in downtown Seattle. A Fire Watch team was ambushed and many members seriously injured and killed (close ups of the horrific injuries of the grenade blasted troops outside the hotel). Sources reveal to us that the FireWatch team was there to interrupt a meeting between three known criminals " your images with click throughs appear. "wanted for first degree murder, and cop killing (a click through of the crime details appears) and the famous Toxic Terrorist Gamma himself (a click through with a massive amount of data behind it. Images of towers exploding, planes falling out of the sky, horrific spirits ripping people apart in a shopping mall). The authorities are holding a press conference in an hour, in the meantime you can get all the latest hot gossip at (click through appears). We return you to your normal program"

@Jamie, Jotamon & Doza
[April 15th, 2072 10:47am; Dearborn, Downtown Seattle]

Jamie

From the slightly awkward firing position you see the first round impact the biker somewhere above the kidneys. He begins to spin back towards you as the second light round splashes across his ribs and he falls backwards off his bike clutching at his chest. The armour has clearly stopped most of the impact but he has got to be hurting!

Another hacked comm call is filtered to an AR window in the corner of your vision…the metallic voice mask making it impossible to pattern the user but the content no less urgent…

<<Angel One in position. Targets acquired and locked. Neutralising one…>>

Which is perhaps why you aren’t completely surprised when a hole the size of your fist appears in the bonnet of your car and the electrics inside give a brief flare and then die as the juice is forcibly ejected from the engine block onto the road…at least the batteries are unlikely to go up in a fireball like that westwind…

Jotamon

The smoke billows out from your bonfire in increasing density and then the flames find their way up the trickle of fuel to the tank and the westwind vaults off the ground in an impressive pyrotechnics display and a whoomp that nearly knocks you back on your arse again. The roaring flames almost drown out the hypersonic whistle of a high calibre round as it destroys the jackrabbit’s ability to move, not that it could go anywhere in this traffic anyway!

The biker menacing Jamie appears to have gone to ground and that just leaves whatever the hell this new threat is…

Doza

From your position at the corner of the van you catch a fleeting glimpse of a large winged drone lift over the highway to the southwest and begin an attack run in your direction. Almost before you can blink it has fired some sort of high powered round towards the jackrabbit that had been carrying Jotamon and then it is banking around for another pass.

Your mysterious benefactor, Johnson, whatever you want to call them, pings you another timely message

<<Get the package and go North, make your way through the buildings to avoid aerial pursuit. There’s a Global Couriers vehicle waiting for you on S Weller St – Location Marked – distance approx. 200m>>

In the distance you can hear the inevitable wail of police sirens approaching…

@Jamie, Jotamon & Doza
[April 15th, 2072 10:47am; Dearborn, Downtown Seattle]
[Internal PAN=Passive. Id = <Information not available>]

Drek, there goes my ride. That sniper drone is going to force me to hunker down here.

Jamie yells to Mareno, Ok, I'm out of ideas. That drone is a real problem. Any ideas would be helpful.

@seth & Demon
[April 15th 2072; 22:02:00 White Van on Downtown roads, Seattle]
Copperhead's jaw hangs slack for a minute as she processes the news. Then it snaps shut and her brow furrows as she performs the mental gymnastics needed to control the unfamiliar interface of her new 'link. She follows each of the links, pulling the data down so she can review it all later. One thing though, does bother her: Allenby.

"We is been set up here. Dat little shit of a stuntie was still breathing when we left."

Before Demon can reply her link starts ringing.

<<Babe, you okay? You made the news.>> says Cutter, his voice concerned.

<<I'm fine loverboy. The feds were more concerned with the toxic shaman and his goons than us. Going to have to lie low for a bit though till this blows over. We're on our way back to the barrens now. See you soon.>> she replies.