"Ok, Killjoy's go." announced Hardball, checking his notes.
"Awesome. I set my fiberoptic mohawk to bright pink and unload on the nearest guard, full auto. Three hits."
"That just hits. Ten rounds of Ex-ex thud into the security guard, ripping his ballistic vest to shreds and doing no favors to the chest beneath. He goes down in a fountain of blood."
Killjoy punched the air triumphantly.
"I think I'm next." said Carter, drawing a nod from Hardball.
"Right, I fire up my double-mono-filament chainsaw and charge."
Hardball rolled.
"Two of the guards run screaming from the mad troll rushing at them with two chainsaws strapped onto a metal pole. The last one hesitantly readies his stun baton and braces himself. Roll."
"5 hits."
"Blood everywhere. You are not getting the deposit back on that suit."
Carter shrugged, her long blonde hair shifting with the movement.
"Saw that one coming." she admitted.
"Dragnet, you're up."
"I hold my action. I reckon these guys have a spirit up their sleeve, so I'm going to wait for it to come out to play."
"Good guess. As you survey the scene you notice a mass of ectoplasmic flames manifesting behind the others."
"Awesome. Boom, headshot. 4 hits, and it never saw it coming so no dodge."
"Ok, you guys hear a sizzling sound behind you, followed by the distinctive thud of Dragnet's assault cannon. Checking your image links you see a fire spirit that's been ripped in half by your fire support. Fizzle, you're next."
There was a moment of silence.
"Those fleeing guards... how close are they to the charges I set up earlier?"
"They..." Hardball checked his notes "should be just running past them. You hitting the detonator?"
"You can bet on it."
"How much explosives did you have set up again?"
"5 kilograms, shaped to funnel out into the corridor. Commercial grade, with 4 hits."
Hardball rolled his dice and winced.
"They're paste. Good job, you've taken out the last of the guards. I think we're going to have to leave it there as it's time for Carter to go and meet up with her new boyfriend."
Carter sighed.
"Already?"
"'Fraid so."
"Don't worry, I've got a feeling this relationship isn't going to last very long." said Fizzle, grinning.
She kissed him.
"I don't know what gives you that idea." she replied with a wink.
The click of bullets being fed into their magazine sounded unusually loud behind them.
"What's the loadout this time?" Fizzle asked Killjoy.
"Ingram Smartgun X loaded with gel. Silenced Predator with APDS as fallback. Same as always. " the dwarf replied, giving her beloved SMG a fond pat.
"When was the last time we had shooting on a job?" pointed out Dragnet.
"I think it was the night after your last date."
The orc shrugged off the jab with his typical mellow demeanor.
"They never match up to what I can get online, for your information."
"Sure, sure. Hey Hardball, drones picked up anything new?"
The rigger paused for a moment.
"Nope, everything's the same as the last three nights. By the way, did you say you wanted to find an armourer to mod that Ares Alpha with High Velocity?"
"Yeah, but focus on the job. The game can wait."
Hardball shrugged.
"I've got lookout duty, so I figured that I'd get some book-keeping done while you lot are inside." the troll told her.
"Fine, just keep your focus on the drones. I don't want to another team rocking up on our ass without warning."
"Duly noted. Carter, You're up."

Seattle's infamous rain hammered against the clear plastic canopy with enough ferocity to make any water elemental proud. Below, Carter found herself struggling to keep her balance in her excessively spiked heels. As she approached the building one of the guards stepped forwards and gestured for her to halt.
"Hey Murray! How's things?" she asked casually in her best valley girl impression, glad that the guard was one she recognized.
"Wet, miserable, boring... same as usual. Aren't you cold in that?" he said, trying to hide the fact that he was eyeing her cleavage-exposing dress with more than a passing interest.
"A little, but it makes Dale so happy I just can't say no!" she giggled.
Has to be the coldest night this year, and here I am in a fekking mini-dress. If I catch a cold because of this then the others will have hell to pay!
She moved to enter the office building, but Murray held up a hand to stop her.
"You know the rules miss. No-one gets in after hours except security and cleaning staff."
You can bet I know it. Sucks that the cleaning staff are all known on sight or I'd be in some nice warm overalls right now.
"Awww. Couldn't you make one tinsy-wiensy little exception for me?" she pouted.
Murray looked uncertain for a moment, then gave in.
"Ok, but tell Dale he owes me big for this." he said, waving her through.
"I will! Thank you!" normally at this point she'd have completed the airhead impression by skipping past him but in spike heels... not going to happen.
As the door slid closed behind her she pulled out a stick of gum and folded it in half.
*Good job. I was starting to think it'd end up like that stunt at Horizon last year-* began Dragnet over her implanted comm.
*Don't bring up the Horizon job. Ever. Put it in your data lock and hit delete.* she replied instantly.
A popup informed her that her IC had just thwarted a virus. Good, the hacker gum was working. She dropped it into a conveniently placed bin and kept walking, glad of the building's central heating.

It didn't take her long to find Dale, the orc loitering around the security checkpoint as usual.
"Hey." She said, walking seductively towards him.
*Damn girl! Strut your stuff any more and I'll be able to sell this as a porno.*
*Lose the running commentary. I'm working here.*
"Hey there sugar. What're you doing here?"
"Oh, you know..." she stroked his arm "I just couldn't wait to see you again. See, I was thinking-"
"Don't do that honey, it just hurts your brain."
I take it you speak from experience, numbskull?
She pouted.
"I was thinking we should take this relationship to the next level."
"I take it back, you should start thinking more often. So, tonight-"
"Now, in the locker room." she told him forcefully, planting a kiss on his lips. On her HUD a small countdown timer started.
"Uh... sure, ok. We'll need to make it quick, though..." Dale quickly hit some keys on the old-school hard-wired security system.
"There, that's turned off the cameras inside. Let's go."

"I thought you said you wanted to wait. What changed your mind?" asked the orc as he locked the door behind him.
"Well, you know what they say. We only get one life, might as well make every second count." she replied, stripping off her skimpy dress.
"Yeah, but you're an elf. you're going to live for-" He never finished that sentence as the sedative in her lipstick finally kicked in, dropping him unconscious to the floor. Moving quickly she punched in the key-code to his locker and retrieved the bag she'd stored there yesterday.
*I'm in. You lot in position?*
*Waiting on you.*
Unzipping the bag, she pulled out a guard uniform and smiled.
*Killjoy, you're up.*

It's raining.
Of course it's fekking raining, it's Seattle. I don't know why I even bothered buying these gecko tape gloves.
Now that Carter's got control of the cameras we can get going.
The clank of the grappling hook hitting the gutter twenty stories up was lost to the wind. Killjoy tested that it was secure then began climbing, securing suction cups at regular intervals to help her less athletically inclined companions follow. Finally she reached the 5th floor and, after confirming that she was securely fastened to the rope, pulled out her glass cutter.
*Breaching now. Kill the alarm, 5th floor south side.*
*Done. Good luck.*
Killjoy snorted. Who needs luck when you have skill? Reaching in through the hole in the glass she unlatched the window and pulled it open. In a single fluid action she pulled her Ingram Smartgun X out and swept the room, cycling through the weapon's sensors in case she'd missed something. Nothing caught her eye, and with the others hot on her tail it was time to get moving.

The room was some kind of data entry office. Row after row of seats and their attached trode nets left little room to maneuver and provided next to no cover. Fortunately, there was only one guard on this floor and according to their recon he'd normally be on the other side of the building at this time of night. Behind her came the unmistakable sounds of Dragnet attempting something in the meat. She winced.
"How are we doing?" asked the orc, clambering to his feet after his inelegant entry.
"Area secure. Nothing on thermal, and Carter hasn't warned me of anything out of the ordinary."
There was a slight creak as the window closed, its ancient hinges in need of a little oil.
"This place is old school. Are you sure that's not going to be a problem?" asked Fizzle.
"Nah. The exterior is ancient, sure, but all the security we saw when we were checking this place out is hackable." reassured Dragnet.
"Cut the chatter. We've had this conversation before." snapped Killjoy.
"Yes Ma'am." Dragnet gave her an exaggerated salute.
She shot him a glare, then motioned for the pair to follow her.


"And here it is, the server room. See, I told you there was nothing to it!" said Dragnet.
"Looks like the security's all hard-wired. Problem?"
"Please. Who do you think you're talking to again?"
The biggest ego in Seattle?
A few seconds past and the light on the maglock flicked from red to green.
"See?" Dragnet told her, giving the door a casual shove.
It didn't move.
"Ah." The orc suddenly sounded a lot less certain.
Killjoy raised her weapon and began scanning the door. It didn't take long to see what they'd missed.
"Hidden deadbolt, plus a tumbler lock. Want to try hacking that?" she shot sarcastically.
"Huh. That's cheating."
Pulling out her autopicker, Killjoy began fiddling with the hidden lock. Within moments the door swung open.
"Server room. Dragnet, you're up."

OOC: Feel free to leave a comment. I need feedback to improve, people!

Rain. It's the matrix, what gives?
Dragnet's persona materialized in the server node and looked around. He was standing in front of an infinitely tall building, with the single entry flanked by a pair of faceless men in suits. Beside the path he stood on was a few meters of grass, then the flat nothingness of unscripted land. With a cocky grin he walked towards the entrance.
---HALT--- commanded the IC, holding up its hand.
"Don't mind me, I'm supposed to be here." he replied, booting up his stealth program.
---ERROR. AFTER HOURS ACCESS DENIED. LOG OFF AND RETRY LATER.---
"Fine, let's do this the hard way."
Dragnet reached out and drew a Katana out of thin air.
---THAT PROGRAM IS NOT ALLOWED HERE. YOUR ID HAS BEEN LOGGED.---
"Log this. Damn, I need to think of some better lines." Dragnet muttered, decapitating the IC with his attack program.
The figure flickered and glitched as the hostile code tore into its processes. Dragnet was almost tempted to watch its bugged-out dance, but its companion had drawn a gun and opening fire. He raised a hand, and the projectiles of disruptive code hung suspended in the air.
"Seriously? This is like six months old. Don't you ever patch your software?" he asked rhetorically, raising an eyebrow.
---INTRUDER. LEAVE THE SERVER IMMEDIATELY.---
"They really skimped out on your AI, didn't they?"
The IC twitched as the Katana ran through its chest, but Dragnet didn't waste any time watching it. There was security to crack, after all!
*Heads up everyone, we have inbound. Looks like gate-crashers.* Hardball warned the group.
The door opened to his touch, revealing an endless hallway.
*Security are responding. Since when do shadow runs get double booked?* Carter chimed in.
Dragnet activated a search bot to find the target file while his own search program tried to locate the access log.
*Dragnet, how good is the ID you set up for me?*
A single step took him to the correct door and he began a decryption program to open it.
*Good enough to hold up to close scrutiny. Why?*
*The cops are on their way. I wanted to know if I was going to have to get out of here before they arrive.*
*You'll be fine unless they actually bring you in to the station.*
*I hate to be a party pooper, but one of my watchers just went dark. I think they have spirit support.* interjected Fizzle.
*That's your area. I'm going to be a little while, so it looks like you're up, Fizzle.*

No updates over the weekend, I'm afraid. Gotta plan out the next run for my players.

At least you are playing Shadowrun this weekend, even if you are running it.

Fizzle's eyes were unfocused as he concentrated on the telepathic link he had with his remaining watcher spirit. Things progress quickly in the astral plane, which always made keeping overwatch a headache. After a moment he found the spirit that had destroyed his other watcher.
Beast spirit. That probably means a shaman. It's manifesting on the physical...
It took him a moment to correlate the astral and physical locations.
*Carter! Behind you!*
The only reply was the familiar static of a jammer.
"Drek!"
"What's wrong?" demanded Killjoy, still staring down her weapon's sights at the only doorway.
"They've got a spirit after Carter and comms are down!"
"Calm down, you're not helping anyone by losing focus. Send a bound spirit to help her out while you summon backup."
Fizzle nodded and ordered his most powerful bound spirit to intervene, then began drawing magic to himself in preparation for conjuring another ally. The sound of automatic weapons fire echoed up from below them, and he began to sweat in spite of the chill in the air.
"Stay focused rookie." muttered Killjoy.
Just as he began summoning a fire spirit to intervene, he realized that there was a rather more urgent problem about to come to fruition and instead focused his energy on the elemental plane of earth. After a brief battle of wills he'd dragged a muddy elemental to him, ready to do his bidding.
<Conceal myself, my companions, and yourself> he ordered it telepathically, praying that his bound spirit would be sufficient to protect Carter.
"We're hidden from astral entities." he informed Killjoy.
"Good thinking. Last thing we need is for some corporate wage-mage to spot us and put another nail in our plan's coffin."
*---hear m-?---up, there'---metr---ton of hea---down on---* came Hardball's voice over the static of the jammer.
"Can you clear up the signal?" Fizzle asked Killjoy.
"You're getting jammed? Really, Rookie? Do you remember when Dragnet took you aside and told you to invest in a good 'link so this wouldn't happen?" The dwarf berated him.
Fizzle hung his head guiltily.
"I screwed up again, didn't I?"
"Yes. Luckily for you, we planned for that too."
A pop-up appeared inside Fizzle's goggles, informing him that his communications were being routed through Killjoy's 'link.
*Hardball? We're secure for now, the job should be done in a few minutes. You're up, do what you do best.*

Hardball's persona sat on a virtual chair, watching the drama unfold across dozens of virtual screens. The other team weren't subtle, but there was no denying that they were effective. A cross-hair tracked one of them as they closed on the security office, ready to intervene should Carter be threatened.
*Carter, hostiles on the way. Do you need assistance?*
*I'm fine. Don't reveal yourself unless you've got no choice.*
Hardball nodded to himself.
*Plan A is out. Hardball, tell me you have a plan B.* said Killjoy.
*I do, but it's not appropriate to this situation. Head up to the roof when the job is done, we're going with plan G.*
*You have a plan G?!?* asked Fizzle.
*Hardball has way past plan G. I generally don't get worried until we're in the second half of the alphabet.* Killjoy replied.
*Ok, what's plan C?*
*Surrender to the police, then hit the squad car while en route. Only works for small numbers of cops who aren't coming in hot.*
*D?*
*Use breaching charges to get out as fast as possible.*
*Wow. You guys are prepared. So what's plan G?*
*You'll see...*
With a couple of simple commands he set the contingency into motion, linking his drones' sensor arrays to calculate updrafts, thermals and wind sheers. With everything in place he sat back, watched, and waited. After a few moments, his commlink rang.
*Hardball, what the drek is going on? You promised me your team could get the job done quietly but when I turned on the news tonight, guess what I saw.* Mr Johnson sounded profoundly unhappy.
*Another team have shown up and complicated the mission. They have not yet compromised our operation.*
*Listen here you dumb troll! If anyone realizes those files have been doctored-* The Johnson began.
*Corpsec have cut power to the lifts. They'll have to reach the 5th floor before their presence has even a chance of making security suspect the server may have been tampered with. SWAT is on the way, so hopefully they won't risk getting caught on the way back.* Hardball replied calmly, ignoring the racist slur.
*If these guys screw the job then you can forget about getting paid.*
You'd think that Johnson's would be more careful about upsetting the professional killers they're hiring.
*If you don't mind, I need to get back to making sure that the mission goes as smoothly as possible. Good night.* Hardball grinned as he hung up. Being able to hang up on the boss like that made this job far better than his old 8 till 6.
*Killjoy, I need you to go and make sure the other team don't reach floor 5.*
*On it.*

Bunch of amateurs, these guys. What were they thinking with this frontal assault? This is downtown, they had to know that the cops would be all over them in minutes! The thud of an assault cannon far below her jolted Killjoy from her thoughts. Moments later, the heavy thud of combat boots on stairs echoed up the stairwell.
Who uses an assault cannon in doors? She primed the wireless on a grenade.
As the small orb fell her math SPU calculated its speed and position relative to the various floors while her cyberears told her the position of the enemy team based on their footfalls. When the weapon reached the correct altitude she detonated it, filling the enclosed space with tear gas. Enjoy, Chummers!
Blind suppression fire began flying up at her, forcing her to duck back from the doorway.
"P-put your hands up!"
she looked around to see an overweight human pointing an Ares Predator at her. His uniform marked him as the night guard for this floor. Figures.
"Didn't you hear, I'm the new girl."
The guard looked at her in disbelief, undoubtedly taking in her tactical vest, automatic weapon and B&E gear.
"You don't seriously expect me to buy that, do you?" he asked.
She shrugged.
"It was worth a shot." she replied, quick-drawing her sidearm and putting a tight grouping of gel rounds into his center of mass.
The overweight man fell, flailing like a turtle until she rushed up and kicked his gun away.
"Please don't kill me!" he begged.
"Not my style. I was never here." she told him, pouring some chloroform onto a handkerchief and holding it over his mouth. As he went limp she grabbed the spent gel rounds and pocketed them.
In the stairwell behind her she heard gunfire from above and below and assumed that the security drones on the upper stories must have joined the fight. Augmented muscles strained as she carried the guard into a nearby office and applied a slap-patch to his neck.
"There. Sweet dreams, and you forget all about me when you wake up." she muttered.
An explosion echoed down from an upper floor, a warning that the drone had met the enemy's assault cannon and the assault cannon had prevailed.
*How are things going out there?* asked Fizzle over the comms.
*Could be better. They brought some toys that I do not want to be on the wrong end of, and have no compulsions about using them.* she replied, pulling out a flash bang and running back to the stairs.
*Anything I can do to help?*
*Unless you can magically destroy the stairs then restore them when we leave, not so much.* she replied, tossing the grenade down and detonating it. There was a scream of surprise, then someone else yelled in incoherent rage.
Pain editor. Damn it, I hate those things!
*Is that all? On my way.*
Killjoy checked her grenade count app. Most of her remaining explosives would cause considerable structural damage and might lead to further investigation, which would render the whole run moot and possibly endanger Carter if she couldn't talk her way out in time. She pulled out her SMG and turned off the safety. With luck no-one would notice the gel amid all the rest of the spent brass.
"I'm here. Where are these stairs you want gone?" panted Fizzle, sprinting up to her.
"In there. The case between us and the 4th floor." she told him doubtfully.
Fizzle began to concentrate, gazing fixedly at the staircase indicated. Where he stared the metal suddenly turned white-hot and began melting, the heat quickly spreading along the indicated sections until nothing remained but the slowly cooling areas where they had connected to the rest of the case. From below them came a string of profanities.
"Nice work. I had no idea you were that powerful." she told the human.
"I'm not. It's just an illusion."
She grinned.
"Well from the sound of it they're beating a hasty retreat, and... yes, it sounds like SWAT will be waiting to great them. Let's get back to Dragnet."
"So how are we going to get up to the roof?"
"Elevator shaft. One well-placed shot with a grappling gun, plug in the winch and we're up."
"I could just levitate everyone, if that would be quicker." suggested Fizzle.
"That works too. Isn't there a risk that the cops' wage-mages will track your spells, though?"
"Oops. Forgot about that. Listen, could you carry my body for a few seconds, I have to go clean up."
"Wha-?" Killjoy began.
Fizzle collapsed.
"Of course. Just like usual, I'm the only one upright for this run." she muttered, slinging the mage over her shoulder.

Police SWAT teams were moving into position when the crew reached the roof, angling themselves to stay out of sight of the police choppers.
*Clear, move to the next position.* signaled Hardball, watching from his observation drones.
The trio ran to the next patch of cover, then waited for further instructions.
*Look to your left.*
*Gliders? How in the world did you get gliders up here?*
*Trade secret. Grab the Chameleon suits and put them on first, then get out of there.*

Several hours later Carter knocked on the car door.
"You got out okay then?" asked Killjoy.
"It was easy. The cops were more interested in the terrorists with assault cannons than the security personnel. So, how did Fizzle go?"
"Kid did good. I think we're going to keep him." said Killjoy.
"Awesome. Say, we got time to finish that game up before the meet?"
Hardball looked at her.
"After all that, you still want to game?" he asked.
She shrugged.
"I don't like leaving things unfinished."
The troll sighed.
"Very well. Let's finish our game of Corporate Espionage." as he spoke the AR board reappeared, along with character readouts and random number generators. He checked his notes.
"Carter, you're up."

The end.

So, what did everyone think of my first ever fanfic?

Awh, I wanted to know how their game turned out.

Maybe next time...

Please, please please make a next time.

Well, if enough people like this I'll start up a series of stories around this group.

So, what should my next masterpiece be about? You decide!

nm

How about the team joins Slamm-O! / Clockwork in 'Fifty Shades of Grey IC'
A Slamm-O!/Clockwork/Hardball/Dragnet Yaoi not suitable for any age.


Premise is the party along with is hired for a run by Slamm-O to investigate one of the facilities believed to be linked with FastJack's recent problems (see StormFront for more). Clockwork is there for added support and only because this is for FastJack, about the only reason one would see these two together anywhere in the meat. Operations are to go in offline and check it out, taking along the deckers just in case they need to check and secure any data. Given the unknown quanity, Slamm-O wants a back up decker to watch his back. The rest of the team is semi-expendable though he would not do so maliciously, but he isn't about to risk any close friends on this run, and if Clockie bites it along the way on the run its a win-win.

Once inside the compound with lots of spooky undertones, things go south fast with weird stuff reminiscent of the Renraku Arcology fiasco..

In the ensuing conflagaration, while Clockwork and Hardball are doing the Dance of a Thousand Drones, battling for control with the mechanical menaces buying time for the team to counterattack, Slamm-O! slugs it out in cyberspace as Dragnet slips through a back door in a deep dark corner of the system and encounters ... someone (something) that was downloading a wide range of fictional material for further studies, including an impressive amount of adult anime/manga materials. In a paniced response, it unleashes what amount to a System wide signal burst, stunning the riggers (feedback through the link with the drones they were commandeering) along with crashing the deckers and the kamikaze machines as it burns it way out and disappears into the Matrix. Gathering up what burnt chips and other bits they can, the team withdraws relatively unscathed..... or do they?

The entity's attack proves to have had psychotropic effects as various members of the team who had been online/rigging at the time of the incident continue to find reasons to run across each other both in the meat and online, snarling and chest beating ensuing to try and cover an unreasonable/unexplainable growing attraction among the four....

Can the party figure out what's wrong and reverse this or will their new nature's run their course?

Will Carter even bother to try and help or just sit back and watch the hijinx that ensue?


There ya go.... that's a sketchy outline, will leave it to you to breath life into it.

as they often say, be careful of what you wish for.

Hmmm... I'm not really familiar enough with slamm-O! or clockwork to really do them justice, so I may have to just roll with similar ripoff characters instead. Haven't read 50 shades or stormfront yet either...
Well, looks like I have some reading to do.

Not sure I'm going to run with this one. Interesting premise, but between the required reading and my dislike of utilizing canon characters in any major role due to the risk of character derailment. I might get back to it later once I'm a bit more comfortable with the characters... and writing this stuff WELL is a bit difficult, so I want to get some practice in first.

1.

“We have to find a better way to get through customs.” muttered Killjoy, shifting uncomfortably in her transys steed.
“If you didn’t have all those illegal augmentations it wouldn’t be a problem, would it?” Carter hissed back, leaning over as if to check on the ‘crippled’ dwarf.
I don’t know, I think you look good in a nurse’s uniform. Thought Fizzle with a grin, glad that Carter couldn’t see what he was thinking. He’d be the first to admit that he’d been disappointed their relationship had merely been one of the eccentric group’s numerous tests before accepting him as one of them, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t allowed to admire her fine figure. Behind him he heard Dragnet and Hardball discussing the reason for this rather expensive trip.
“Anything new on the matrix?” Hardball was asking.
“Some rumors. A couple of other teams went quiet about the same time we did, they might be involved too. Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“You’ve asked that question before. A lot.”
“Yeah, but… Clockwork.”
“We’re here to check out the job offer, nothing more. My contact was hinting at a seven figure payout on this one, so at the very least it’s worth looking into.”
Any further conversation was lost to Fizzle as they stepped out of the embarkation dome and into the first section of the Aqualogy proper. Faint sunlight danced across the artificial reef that surrounded them, clearly visible through the transparent concrete dome. As he watched a school of brightly coloured fish swam overhead.
“Welcome to Atlantis.” He muttered, pulling himself out of his trance and following the others.

“Two rooms. You being cheap on us, James?”
“It’s tourist season, we were lucky to get this much. Ok, I own the security, we can talk freely.” said Dragnet, fiddling with his AR interface.
“Awesome. I’m going to go and get changed.” Carter informed them, grabbing her bag and heading out of the room.
“This is a nice place. How long are we staying here?” asked Fizzle, hogging the sofa.
“As little time as possible. Ever since the Renraku Archology incident I’m jumpy about spending much time in a sealed habitat.” said Killjoy firmly.
“You were at the Archology?” asked Fizzle in surprise.
Dragnet chuckled, drawing a glare from Killjoy.
“I was supposed to be in there when the place went into lockdown. Fortunately, I’d been partying a little too hard the night before and overslept. Luckiest day of my life.”
“Bet you weren’t saying that at the time, what with the hangover and all.” Dragnet teased.
“Dude, not funny.” Hardball muttered.
“How long have you been doing this? Running the shadows, I mean.” asked Fizzle quickly.
“2030. I was about 17, the world was going to hell in a handbasket, my parents had just died in Kashmir… let’s just say that things weren’t going well and I didn’t have many options open to me. Anti-meta prejudice was a lot worse than it is now, which didn’t help matters.”
“I can imagine.”
Killjoy shrugged.
“End result puts me as the bundle of goodwill I am now. If you’ll excuse me, I have to re-assemble all the weapons I smuggled past security. See you guys around.”
And with that, she was gone.
“I never would have placed her as being in her sixties.”
“Yeah, dwarfs age weirdly. Got to agree with you though, this whole rig is pretty sweet. They even have a good matrix infrastructure.” Dragnet told him.
“Is there a reason that they wouldn’t?” asked Fizzle the technologically inept.
“Salt water prevents you getting a good wireless signal, so being ten to fifteen meters below the surface would normally leave us high and dry, so to speak. Luckily for us we’re hooked into the main matrix through hardwires run beneath the ocean floor.”
“How do you know all this?”
“I looked it up when Hardball said we’d be coming here.”
Fizzle nodded.
“So what’s the plan now?”
“Dinner, then bed. We need to be fresh for the meeting tomorrow.” Hardball told them, giving Dragnet a firm look.
“I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess we’re getting seafood.” Fizzle remarked.
The other two just gave him a look.