Monday, Sept. 14, 9:21 am, Riverside Perk, Bellevue

Void shakes his head slightly in the negative.

"Nothing. I can ask around, but this person sounds like upscale vermin, the kind used to moving in... higher circles."

Monday, Sept. 14, 9:21 am, Riverside Perk, Bellevue

Zo Shrugs. "Definitely not a street tough. That name would be death sentence in da barrens....never heard of him. Waita fraggin minute I think I heard dat name before....yeah now I do. Dis Pertwilling slot deals in antiquities and rarities from England. Been in Seattle a few year, supposedly looking for some artifact dat has some major mojo. Some of da evidence points ta dis spell slingers as havin connections with wizworms, likely Lofwyr, but den dere is also some info pointing ta da Draco Foundation. Supposedly da loot he's lookin for would give a powerful mage world domination or some such drek."

Monday, Sept. 14, 9:22 am, Riverside Perk, Bellevue

Professor nods at Zo's comment. "Yes, my cousin is involved in that business and I seem to remember that name. I'd ask him again about Pertwilling, but we had a falling out years ago. Ethical differences. I was an academic, and he was a thief. Ironic, seeing as where I am now, huh?"

Monday, Sept. 14, 9:22 am, Riverside Perk, Bellevue

"Everyone steals, its all a matter of who haz enough guns ta tell ya not ta bother or we'll slot your hoop."

Monday, Sept. 14, 9:22 am, Riverside Perk, Bellevue

"'We are all in the gutter,' eh, Void?" Professor chuckles.

Monday, Sept. 14, 9:22 am, Riverside Perk, Bellevue

Void, intent on the conversation, has forgotten to blink for several minutes once again. The professor's question does not change his impassive stare, but the corner of his mouth possibly twitches upwards a bit as he replies, "Arrogance on the part of the meritorious is even more offensive to us than the arrogance of those without merit: for merit itself is offensive."

He seems to have a Nietzsche or Sun Tzu quote for every occasion - even it it is not always quite relevant to the conversation.

Monday, Sept. 14, 9:22 am, Riverside Perk, Bellevue

Zo starts to get a confused look on his face at Voids comment then burst out laughing. "An confusion, stupidity an panic kill more people dan all other causes combined except greed."

Monday, Sept. 14, 9:22 am, Riverside Perk, Bellevue

The gears of Jovan's mind are turning in parallel, sifting through and turning over Zo's and Professor's comments not unlike a cat exploring a new toy. Links to Lofwyr or the Draco Foundation. Of course, a valid explanation for the man's clearly eminent success. It does not bode well for us. We will have to walk with much caution. But is this correct? Misinformation is everywhere. People and media and rumors are being manipulated. To what ends? And Professor… he knew about a connection to Pertwilling during his original trial, and his memory is exceptional. Why does he barely recognize the name now? Someone must have gotten to him by stealth after that news article was posted and wiped his memory of Pertwilling. Of course they did - it is exactly what I would do in the same situation. This will need to be explored further in the future, but since no one else knows anything of substance about this Pertwilling, it is best shelved for now.

<<Very well. More on that particular topic shall come later. There is one other thing before we initiate this job. Zo, there is equipment and data left in Oswald's warehouse which I seek and which would be beneficial assets to us. However, they are protected by multiple booby-traps that I cannot disarm. Can you go to Oswald's warehouse, disarm those explosives, and retrieve the doctor's grenades and chemical formulas?>>

[b]Monday, Sept. 14, 9:23 am, Riverside Perk, Bellevue


"Ya really want me dead don't you? Oz gots all sorts of traps an drones. Ya asked nicely, but I'll just be say'n no ta dat. Send one of your spirits ta do it if we need dat stuff dat badly. Besides, you don't think the pawns are already crawlin over that place? Despite da official cover story, I wouldn' be suprized if dey tracked Oz's sorry hoop back to his doss."

Monday, Sept. 14, 9:23 am, Riverside Perk, Bellevue

Professor chuckles at Zo's reaction. "I don't think Jovan wants any of us to explode. He rightly figures there could be useful materials there. You rightly figure the warehouse location may now be compromised. It could be a job itself to extract materials now from Oz's warehouse.

"I'm getting nervous about the Spaniard's safehouse. I wouldn't want to wait much longer to get what we want from there."

Monday, Sept. 14, 9:23 am, Riverside Perk, Bellevue

Void nods. "Yes. We have a narrow window of opportunity. The safehouse is briefly vulnerable - the warehouse is not. I cannot speak for Zo, but it while I may be good at moving like a ghost, I don't have the tech savvy of a true break-in artist."

Monday, Sept. 14, 9:23 am, Riverside Perk, Bellevue


"Den we should get going, if we go at it right now the less likely dere's an ambush or someone getting da stuff first. You ready ta go chummers?"

Monday, Sept. 14, 9:23 am, Riverside Perk, Bellevue

Void turns his seldom-blinking gaze to Zo. "My own part in this is fairly straightforward, and I will be packing light, yes, and concealed. I am ready to implement the plan as soon as the... distraction... is ready to go."

Monday, Sept. 14, 9:24 am, Riverside Perk, Bellevue

"Same here. Prof, send Void an me da codes. We'll be on our way. Void, I'll met ya in da alley in 3 hours--a couple of blocks from da target. Jovie, have dat distraction ready ta go on at 12:36 sharp--no sooner or later. We'll be going in den. I'll cover Void's back, while you make sure Uncle Zola is fendin off a horde of street kids. Void, bring a duffle bag filled with foam dat would fit da computer."

Zo begins to head towards the door, he pulls up a map of the area and then sends Void a GPS location of where to meet him.

Monday, Sept. 14, 9:24 am, Riverside Perk, Bellevue

Void gets up to follow Zo, then pauses briefly.

"Jovan... does that give you enough time? Assuming yes, we will commence."

Like Zo, he is a bit impatient to get on with it, but he doesn't want to be so quick off the mark that the essential distraction does not happen on schedule. His mind is already halfway on the job, though, pondering getting one of those big Maxi-Mart zipped cooler bags; cheap, padded, insulated, and it won't draw a lot of attention.

Monday, Sept. 14, 9:24 am, Riverside Perk, Bellevue

Jovan does some quick mental arithmetic to calculate the time needed for a group of watchers to scan the local area. <<If the stars of fate have aligned to favor watcher spirits, then yes, it should be enough. It is not an ideal amount of time, but it will be enough, barring exceptional circumstances. As for the warehouse, perhaps I will need to handle it myself. That can be done later. For now, let us commence. >>

Monday, Sept. 14th, 12:15 pm. down the lane from Snuffy Q's.

Zo and void meet up two blocks from the back of Snuffy Q's, along the laneway onto which the greasy spoon backs. Not much activity here, and it looks much like the laneway farther up by Snuffy Q's. Garbage bins, with small rustlings inside one or another on occasion. Steam and other vapours rise from various vents on top of buildings. Air conditioning runs in some of the buildings as it is still fairly warm this time of year, and uncharacteristic sunshine bathes the buildings and streets below.

The entry codes, password for the guard out front and computer passwords to keep the hardware and data from self-destruction are at their command.

Monday, Sept. 14th, 12:15 pm. astrally above Snuffy Q's.

Above the street, astrally of course, Jovan hovers, getting a last-minute snapshot of activity in front of Snuffy Q's. The street below bustles with noon-time activity, every available street-side table occupied in the uncharacteristically good weather. There, in front of Timmy Ho's, is the recognizable aura of the one known as Uncle Zola. Still, Jovan is unable to see anything but that aura presented obviously.

The man sits at a table, and marvel of marvels, he holds a book! Such quaint, archaic behaviour. Clearly a man who is happy to stand outside the norms of society. Under different circumstances.....

The traffic below includes people of all ages. There are several children, all of whom are attended by adults. At a table right beside Zola sits a woman, beside her in a stroller is an infant. For a moment, Jovan's attention is focussed on the child. Such a bright aura. So clean and uncorrupted. Soooo tasty it would be ....

Monday, Sept. 14th, 12:15 pm. down the lane from Snuffy Q's.

Zo looks at Void and smiles "Let's go chummer. Time ta slot an run."

Monday, Sept. 14th, 12:15 pm. down the lane from Snuffy Q's.

"Yesss..." Void doesn't quite smile back, but his face seems a bit more animated; like Zo, he seems to be happy that the planning is over, and it is go time. His wired reflexes sending a shuddering rush through him, the people around him seem to be lurching in slow motion. When the two separate, Zo to cover his back with Void continuing on to get the computers, he shows no sign of hesitation as he approaches the entry. He is confident the passwords and passcodes will get him in, and (over?)confident in his ability to adjust quickly to any sudden danger.

Monday, Sept. 14th, 12:17 pm. astrally above Snuffy Q's.

Myriad large and small auras move and vibrate around Jovan in the astral. Insects buzz in the air, people move purposefully on the ground, and flashes of life peek out from hidey-holes in garbage and buildings. The constructs of humankind form intricate patterns of darkness and shades of grey.

A corpulent human has taken a seat in front of the establishment above which is the safe house. No Assensing is necessary to see the darkness of a mechanical arm.

Down the lane behind the objective, Jovan sees the immediately recognizable abomination of Void. Beside him is another form undoubtedly Zo. They move up the alleyway with purpose, leapfrogging, alternately covering each other as they approach the objective. As they get close, Void takes the lead. A little early. Three hours they had agreed! What else can you expect from beings such as these? Now Jovan must adapt, or send a message to them to wait. The former is an annoyance, the latter an embarrassment.

Zola has not moved. Oblivious, it seems, to what is transpiring across the street.

Monday, Sept. 14th, 12:15 pm. down the lane from Snuffy Q's.


Zo motions for Void to wait. "Void, it ain't 12:36 yet. We should wait for Jovie ta do his thing. Dat dere are no guards at the back is a bit glitched."

Monday, Sept. 14th, 12:18 pm. down the lane from Snuffy Q's.

Zo and Void pull up and take hidden positions, waiting for the scheduled time. It appears the original plan is in effect after all.

Monday, Sept. 14th, 12:17 pm. astrally above Snuffy Q's.

The astral form hovering over the scene forces control over himself, though barely. That child is not for taking, not today. He continues his inventory of the scene. Four...Five. Five children. Unarmed - that will work nicely. The perfect pieces for this little chess move. Jovan Peers down the alley towards the foul abomination that is Void's aura; black and poisonous it is, so much so that the nosferatu feels queasy merely by the taste of it. Annoying. I would have expected a greater degree of respect for the plan that we ourselves created. Let us pray that they remember to wait until the proper moment this time.

The black halo floating above Jovan's head twitches nervously. His safety as an Infected and his reputation as a planner are hinging on the successful outmaneuvering of this Zola character. Patience. I have done the necessary footwork on this houngan. A powerful seeker of secrets he may be, but he is no nosferatu. He pursues secrets - he does not hide them in his work like traps. He is not smart enough. After everything else, he is still a mere human being, and he is no match for the power of a well-developed plan.

He Calls out to the universe, equations rippling invisibly from his mind into the surrounding astral space, as he uses a brief call from the Hermetic Eleventh Key. "O you sonns of fury, the dowghters of the lust, which sit uppon 24 seats, vexing all creatures of the earth with age, which have under you 1636: behold the Voyce of God, the promys of him which is called amongst you Furye or Extreme Iustice. Move and shew yor selves: open the Mysteries of your Creation: be friendly unto me: for I am the servant of the same your God, the true wurshipper of the Highest." The centering technique works perfectly; an elemental of Man greater in magical strength than he appears behind and above him, and he feels not the slightest hint of strain.

Spirit. Heed my words closely. You are to conceal yourself here among the clutter and bustle of the street, within line of sight of that group of metahumans there. You see it, yes? Good. Here is your task. From that vantage point, you will gently ply the minds of the children in that group and make them curious of the man sitting alone at that table with the text. Have that young boy go first. Get him curious about the book, and about the man's clothes. Have the boy ask whether the man is a magician. At that moment, influence the toddler sitting beside him to start weeping. Loudly, if you please. I want highly coincidental timing. Then get the other children to swarm the man and distract him, asking for a laser vision demonstration or to teleport them or make them as big as a house. It should be very easy after the baby starts crying - they will believe that he must be Awakened and that he used his powers to upset the infant. The point is to distract the man as much as possible. Finally, alert me telepathically if the man performs any magic or you see any other spirits that are not my own. Do not fail me.

He summons an additional set of four watcher spirits. More basketball-shaped eyeballs pop into Existence. He trains his Eye on the first. You, go across the street into the alleyway you see behind me. There is an aberration there, a foul being crafted by some hellish spasm of man and magic. So too is there another metahuman, a companion of the first. Place yourself snugly within the man's aura, and move with him wherever he moves. The rest of you hide in areas where you can collectively observe the scene in secret. Among the people on the street, in the glass of the building across the street, and behind the corner of the building down the street. The watchers fly off to their assigned positions.

Jovan takes one final moment to assense the book in Uncle Zola's possession. Then he, too, shall be on the move, disappearing into the sewer beneath the road.

Monday, Sept. 14th, 12:18 pm. down the lane from Snuffy Q's.

Zo feels an icky, chilly shiver go down his spine. Jovan's watcher spirit has arrived and parked inside Zo's personal space. That step of the plan is complete, though it makes Zo's skin crawl.

Monday, Sept. 14th, 12:18 pm. down the lane from Snuffy Q's.

<Void...check your 2:00, somethin's near that vent structure right at the back of Home Hardware, looked like a glint from a shiny gun. Can ya discretely take care of it? 6:00 minutes until da party starts. An I said discretely....keep it quiet>

Monday, Sept. 14th, 12:18 pm. down the lane from Snuffy Q's.

<I'm on it.>

As soon as he finishes his terse reply, Void cautiously begins working his way towards the area in question. He curses the fates that set them on a job right from the meeting - his pistol would normally be nice and discrete, but he didn't think taking the silencer to a meet in suitsville was a good idea. Guess it'll have to be the monowhip. He'll have to be careful of the splatters. He pops the fake tip from his finger, getting the gruesome weapon ready to go.

Monday, September 14th, 12:19 pm. In back of Snuffy Q's

Void slinks and sleazes over to the back wall of Home Hardware. Right under the metal venting on the roof. Complete cover. He climbs the stairs to the roof and approaches the metal construct. This close and from the side, slits in the side of the construct reveal two men. Big, hard to tell what metarace. One is armed with an assault rifle, the other with a beast of a weapon. An assault cannon! Lined up perfectly to take out anyone approaching the back entrance.

Void approaches, not sure how to use the mono whip in that enclosed space. As he nears, the one with the assault rifle wipes his nose on his sleeve and catches sight of death sneaking up on them. "Fuck! Hammer! Three o'clock!"

Monday, September 14th, 12:19 pm. above the street in front of Snuffy Q's.

Jovan gets reports back from all of his spirits, in place and doing as ordered. From his vantage point in the astral he can see the energies coalescing around his sprit that will control the children. The book -still- looks ordinary, though it has feel of excitement about it. What is that man doing? Can he really be so oblivious? Is it just a coincidence.. is this just his favourite coffee shop? A flurry of questions cloud Jovan's mind.

He clears his mind and moves on to his hiding place beneath the street.

Monday, September 14th, 12:19 pm. In back of Snuffy Q's

Void steps forward and swings the monofilament whip in an arc out over the edge of the store roof and back across the corner of the metal blind. The filament cuts through the aluminum almost like butter, slicing off a large chunk of the corner which slowly falls over the edge of the building. The passage through the blind redirects the filament slightly, and so it glances off the large man's head onto his body armour, though the weight at the end raises a terrible bruise on the hand reaching out.

With the metal corner sheared away, it is now clear that both men are orks. The prone man's hand reaches a metal box with a flat, grey plunger on the top, and hammers down on it. Across the street, from on top of Snuffy Q's, a horrendous rattle arises, as if some infernal machine has come to life ... maybe a vent fan out of alignment, or something. Arhythmic loud bangs intersperse a hissing drone.The noise all but drowns out the sound of the corner of the blind crashing down the stairs below.

The second ork, with the assault rifle, is lining up Void, and has a slightly clearer shot at him now that the protective obstruction is partially cleared. He has to sit up to do so, and Zo can now see him better, too.

Monday, September 14th, 12:19 pm. the street in front of Snuffy Q's.

The quiet bustle of the noon-day crowd is disturbed by a rattle and bang cacophany coming from above Snuffy Q's. Passersby glare, frown and cover their ears as they hurry on. Children on the street cover their ears and gaze up at the roof, one or two hypothesizing some kind of rotodrone about to break out of the roof of the building. Across the street at Timmy Ho's the reaction is mostly the same, except for a strangely dressed man, almost serpentlike in his appearance, who puts down a book, sits back and closes his eyes. Were the children who were a moment ago focussed on him still doing so, they might have noticed a ... haze around his body suddenly appear, as if green smoke were rising from his body.

The spirit watching this scene and attempting to influence the children starts in alarm. It frantically calls to Jovan, "Master! The one whom you watch has left his body, rising over the buildings. In his place remains a spirit of power and terrible demeanour. I do not wish to be here. I do not wish to be here! I do not wish to be here!!!"

Yet it stays as Jovan commanded.

Monday, September 14th, 12:19 pm. In back of Snuffy Q's

Zo lets loose two rounds from his quiet gun at the second ork, a Ceska Vz120 that has had its barrel shortened and built-in silencer. As the subsonic bullets leave the barrel, the only real noise is the sound of the hammer hitting the caseless bullet.

@Void&Jovie<Void, waht makes you think dis is quietly! Pawns commin in 2 minutes tops.>

Zo sets his commlinks alarm to go off in 1 minute.

Monday, September 14th, 12:19 pm. In back of Snuffy Q's

The rattling noise on the roof across the alley and the clanging piece of metal falling down the stairs create an amazing cover for the flurry of gunshots here. Zo fires off two quick shots at the man turning his rifle on Void. Both hit him right in the back, jerking him forward slightly. He responds with, "Wanna get that?" His partner grunts and begins swinging his autocannon towards Zo.

The rifleman lets go a burst of auto fire that trails up Void's leg. The recoil helps lift the weapon and a second burst catches Void squarely in the chest.

Strange things run through a man's mind as bullets hail over him. Damned if those two weapons these guys have don't look like they are communicating with each other.

Monday, September 14th, 12:19 pm. the street in front of Snuffy Q's.

The populace on the street don't scatter or duck. They don't seem to know what is going on in the alley next to them. There are comments, though.

"Someone should do something about that infernal noise!"

"Aren't there bylaws for this sort of thing?"

Monday, September 14th, 12:19 pm. In back of Snuffy Q's

Moving with frantic speed, Void barely manages to twitch his leg away from the first burst. His luck runs out with the second burst of fire, which strikes his chest at an oblique angle as he turns to the side. Even through two layers of armor, it still feels like being hit with a sledgehammer.

He was expecting some punks or rent-a-cops; these guys are pros. Their calm nonchalance in the face of sudden violence is unnerving, even to him, but with a noiseless snarl of defiance, he desperately attacks with the lethal monofilament line again.

Monday, September 14th, 12:19 pm. In back of Snuffy Q's

Void's desperation appears to be a useful tool. His whip arcs to the side around the remaining metal blind. The weighted end whips around the raised left arm of the prone man and spirals around the arm, locking into place. The final pull of Void's fishing cast hooks the arm and shoulder of his opponent and the monofilament sharpness does the rest. Arm and half the shoulder separate from the man's body. Blood gushes in rhythmic pulses over the side of the building.

With the barest of grunts, the man lets go of the autocannon and with a futile desperation of his own tries to hold the arm and shoulder on with his other hand. He sags and fades before Void's eyes.

The other man barely acknowledges the terrible sight, and centers his weapon on Void.

Astrally above the street in front of Snuffy Q's

Uncle Zola's astral form hovers above the buildings. He gives a nod to Jovan's spirit, but does nothing but ... watch? Jovan's spirit reports this to its master. Its message is still clearly tainted with fear.

Monday, September 14th, 12:19:45 sec pm. In back of Snuffy Q's
The gore happening on the rooftop unfazes Zo. He focuses on himself and a rush of energy courses through Zo, making him feel more alive and in control of his body. He pops off two more rounds at the ork carrying the rifle. The noise of the blind being ripped apart easily masking his shots.

Double post.

Monday, September 14th, 12:19 pm. astrally beneath the street in front of Snuffy Q's

Jovan curses in aggravation at how easily a complication slipped through his net to destroy the original plan. But now is not the time for idle exasperation. The stress of Zola's behavior and the danger of their operation being broken apart kicks his mind into high gear. His thoughts race through his head at breakneck speeds as he tries as quickly as possible to figure out what is happening and maintain control over the situation.

He picks up keywords from the reports coming in from his watchers. Annoyance and discomfort among all passerby at once. Sudden high stress, adrenaline in Zo. Zola moves to the astral immediately afterwards. Zo and Void must have triggered an alarm. They were approaching the back entrance, so hence there must be someone/something covering that entrance. That explains why Zola has no astral scouts covering the building. Zola was watching front, something else watching back entrance - unlikely coincidence, so they must be working together. The alarm, whatever it is, must be a communication to Zola. He didn't flinch or pause as it went off, so he and they must have had prior knowledge that this apartment was being targeted.

Jovan wills himself to analyze more quickly, not bothering to waste precious cognitive bandwidth communicating with his spirits. Visualizations and sentences flash through his mind's eye, running in parallel. Alarm was irrefutably a signal from the system/actors in back to Zola. Whatever is in back appears to be hostile towards Zo and Void. Zola is working with whatever it is. Therefore Zola is here as an enemy of our team. Most likely reasons are that they were hired by the Blind Man or are/were in the employ of the Spaniard to protect the building. We know he has been watching the apartment for at least 12 hours, so either is possible.

But now he is watching without taking action. Odd. Why does he not move to assist whatever is covering the back entrance? Why choose to acknowledge the elemental? Quickly, quickly, window of opportunity is closing.... Wait. Either Zola is acting against the interests of his group, or he is acting with them. Against is unlikely and naive. Assume he is working with his group or system. Assume that he planned this. So watching from above and holding back is advantageous for him. Why? Four likely possibilities. One. He is assessing how best to assist. Two. He could be letting whatever is in back take the brunt of the violence, either because he trusts their/its ability or because he is a magician and doesn't wish to get his hands dirty. Three. He could be waiting for something to happen, such as our breaking into the apartment - he wants to get inside but can't, so he is letting us intruders do the work for him. Four. He is gathering and memorizing as many details as he can, including the patterns of Zo's and Void's auras, for later use. In this case we are partially compromised and his mind will need to be tampered with in order to maintain superiority.

One is contradicted by his nonchalant attitude in acknowledging my spirit. Two depends on how skilled the other hostiles are. Three doesn't fit with what we know of his abilities - he is a versatile and formidable magical force, so if he wanted to enter the apartment he would have magically seized a pawn to do it for him. Four cannot be ruled out. Best course of action appears to be disabling Zola.

Monday, September 14th, 12:20 pm. In back of Snuffy Q's

Zo's shots are dead on. Direct hits, center mass. No effect.

Rifle guy barely acknowledges the bullets thudding into his armour. The trauma to his friend does seem to faze him slightly, though. His shots at Void are scattered, one concentrating on the left shoulder, the other dropping to the right lower torso. They're not machines, after all.

Monday, September 14th, 12:20 pm. In front of Snuffy Q's

The astral form of Zola drops to the street again and merges with his physical form. The instant this happens, his physical appearance returns to normal. He puts his book under his arm and rises, walking in the direction of the stairs up to the safehouse. Though his pace remains normal, he seems to be accelerating.

Jovan's spirit calms greatly, no longer aching to flee. The Spaniard's guard posted at the bottom of the stairs looks up at the man approaching, then drops back to checking the sports scores in AR.

The front door of the safehouse, at the top of the stairs, opens. No one is there. Jovan's spirit snaps out of its fog of fear. It calls to Jovan, "A door opens! A spirit possesses it!"

Zola's behaviour is puzzling in the extreme. Jovan struggles to decipher the man's actions. If he is an enemy, why does he ignore Jovan's spirit? And what is with the door? And the guard? If Zola already has access, why has he not taken what he wants and left?

Monday, September 14th, 12:20 pm. In back of Snuffy Q's

The back door of the safehouse opens. No one is there. It bangs against the wall of the building, but is barely audible over the noise coming from the roof.

Monday, September 14th, 12:20 pm. In back of Snuffy Q's

The hail of bullets from the assault rifle are starting to cut through Void's armour. He ducks and dodges, but still they leave their marks. He is starting to breathe heavily and some blood sprays from his upper thigh.

Void swings the whip at his assailant. The ork slips to the side but the whip still grabs onto his shoulder. It jerks him forward, cutting into the armour, but the rifle stays pointed at Void. The man's steely glare is as cold as anything Void can manage. This is a killer who has been close to death before, and come out the winner. No quarter asked, none given.

He aims calmly. He concentrates. His breath evens out. He won't wait for another stroke of that whip. This shot will kill.

Monday, September 14th, 12:20 pm. In front of Snuffy Q's

As Zola moves toward the stairs and the open door above, he seems to ... what? ... step out. He moves faster and faster without actually running.

Monday, September 14th, 12:19:46 sec pm. In back of Snuffy Q's

"Frag me--dis ammo is drek" Zo aims at the guy on the rooftop trying to focus on a area less armored than the thickest part of the guys armored clothing and lets off another round.

Monday, September 14th, 12:20 pm. In back of Snuffy Q's

Zo's shot cuts a groove along Rifle Guy's right chin and earlobe. Not a serious cut, but enough to get some steady blood flowing.

Rifle guy twitches at the feel of it, and tries to settle his aim down. He selects the notch of Voids armour just below the neck and pours a volley fire at that soft spot.

Monday, September 14th, 12:20 pm. In front of Snuffy Q's

Zola veritably flies up the stairs into the safehouse. The door remains open behind him.

Jovan frantically tries to collate the confusing data this situation presents him. Teetering on the edge of a descent into one of his conspiracy maelstroms, outlandish ideas about Zola begin to crowd out his reason: a dragon in disguise; a being of ancient lineage come to reclaim dominion over humanity; a shedim (a favourite of Jovan's) that .... !!!!

A flash of memory clears away the conspiracies as a hand would brush aside a spider's web. A memory of another outsider like Jovan. A magician in New Orleans. Voodoo. A warrior fighting the plague of shedim threatening that tired, old city. A hero beset both by otherworldly enemies and a prejudiced constabulary.

Uncle Zola.

Monday, September 14th, 12:20 pm. In back of Snuffy Q's

Another burst wings its way at Void, and this time his much-abused armor, even two layers of it, is not enough to stop it all. This time, Void feels the trickle of blood running down his torso. He still seems to have the use of his limbs, but he is feeling considerably worse than moments before - and he wasn't feeling that great then. His vision blurs and flickers at the edges as he struggles to continue, his cold smile hiding a grimace of pain.

Monday, September 14th, 12:20 pm. In the safe house

Quick as thought, the watchers move to place themselves in the doorways to block possessed doors from closing. Who would have thought the little buggers would be clever enough to get it right away?

Uncle Zola stops inside the safehouse, tilts his head to look at the watcher blocking the back doorway, shrugs his shoulders and sits down at a table on which a computer sits. A couple of empty cups from Timmy Ho's sit on the table beside the computer.

Monday, September 14th, 12:20:01 pm. In back of Snuffy Q's

"Frag dis trog!"

Zo drops the pistol and in a single fluid motion pulls out his Ruger. Two burst go out towards the remaining target, the noise of the gun barely masked by the metal falling down from above.

Monday, September 14th, 12:20:01 pm. In back of Snuffy Q's

The thunder of Zo's Ruger reaches the seated rifleman just as a look of astonishment comes over his face. Astonishment from the sudden impact of heavy ammunition tearing through his armour as if it weren't there. He begins to roll, blood spraying from his back, but too late.

One bullet from the second burst neatly finds the same hole left by the first and cuts through to his heart. Weapon drops. He slumps.

A vacant stare meets Void's cold eyes. The lids begin to close, slowly.

Monday, September 14th, 12:20:02 pm. In back of Snuffy Q's

Zo holsters the ruger and picks up the pea shooter. He begins to run toward the back staircase to go in.

"Void, Ya still able ta move? If dey iz still breathin, see to it dat dey don't die yet."

Monday, September 14th, 12:20:03 pm. In back of Snuffy Q's

The team's secretive astral resident's voice comes to Zo's ears, seeming to come from somewhere inside his chest. "Sharpshooter, report. One or both of you made a mistake and triggered an alarm. What is your status? Do you require backup?" The ork can almost feel the magician's fury about the current situation; it almost sounds as if Jovan has realized he has been outmaneuvered, or perhaps it is just an effect of the watcher's manifested voice. Either way, the man clearly sounds livid with rage.

Monday, September 14th, 12:20:02 pm. In back of Snuffy Q's

Void, staggering and not looking too good, but still up, and presenting a stoic front, looks baffled at Zo's request, but the ganger still sees him bend over the two dying men, obviously to at least make an effort to stabilize them.

Monday, September 14th, 12:20:02 pm. In back of Snuffy Q's

Zo responds to Voids shaking of his head in bafflement "Old street sayn, dead men tell no talez, live ones can be down right talkative. Jovie, we had a slight glitch in da plan involvn two razorboys dat where plannin an ambush. Dey is alive fer now but no longer a pain in our hoop. I'm headin in to da apartment ta speak with Uncle Zola, see what the drek he wants. If yer scared drek of em, ya might just wann be our eyes an ears, da pawns should make an appearance in a couple of minutes. Dat waz a bit noisier dan expected."

Monday, September 14th, 12:20:02 pm. In back of Snuffy Q's

"Words will be had with Professor and our new medic when we return, Zo, and someone's head is going to roll for this. Mark my words. I suppose this houngan has given us little choice, but we are still on a deadline. Zola may or may not wish for an ally, but it does not matter right now. What matters right now is completing our objective. Do you hear me? Simply take the computer and go - we can contact him again later when we are in control again. That was the entire point of our ruse to begin with."