"It is nice to meet you all," the blonde woman said and nodded towards the runners, the eastern-european accent clearly noticable in her voice.

Her appearance matches the voice. About mid-twenty, she has those attractive features of slavic women. While she is not tall, she carries herself with confidence. Her build suggests, that she keeps herself fit. The blonde hair is worn long and open. Her eyes are hidden behind a pair of orange sunglasses. She wears a chic business suit, all black, with boots and gloves, and carries an aluminium attaché case. Like this, she definitely looks more businesswoman than runner.

Sharkboy put his suit back on and buttoned himself up when they got out to see their current employer. He decided to not take credit for killing the mage and thus Nova's hiring.

He stood tall in a well tailored and loose fitting suit that contrasted against a flashy ballistic mask. If Nova had been given information on the team, he looked slightly shorter and lighter than the information he provided, but was still large for a human. He didn't exactly look human, though. Obvious gills sprouted out from his neck, a strange texture on his visible skin, and remarkably purple hair. He kept his hands in his pockets and only gave a quick nod to Nova, greeting here with "Sharkboy. The other muscle here."

For the last couple of minutes, bnc retreats into herself. Every now and then she leaves her bag of meat to coordinate the drone which packs all stuff it can carry and hops into a driverlass cab to follow bnc's body. She, too, checks the news and tries to find and dig into the forums mentioned by Eliza.



She's quite wary when she gets off the car. After all, the drive here resembled an abduction more than an invitation. Still, dropping out of the case was not an option anyway and if this Johnson would have planned to hurt her, he'd have had plenty of opportunities. And then there was Raph.

When bnc meets him, however, she's thrown off. Few people really reach behind the ice wall that was bnc's usual mask. On a rational basis, she knew that tailored pheromones can create such a feeling and that feelings are to be mistrusted at best times ... but still it felt warm.
Despite the fact it was freaking cold. She pulls over the hoody and wraps her arms tightly around her body when she steps out of the car. She doesn't intend to show the man that his mere presence throws her off balance. Instead, she puts on a poker face, playing the hardened runner. She only nods towards him and asks, without further greeting. "So, who are you, and what do you want from Bean Si and bnc?"

"For the moment, you can call me Herr Nacl. And what I want is a private word with you so I can confirm a suspicion I have.

Come with me - just a few steps. I imagine you are fond of your private sphere - as am I." He nodded towards the runners and said: "Get to know each other, I'll be right back with you."

Without waiting, Nacl stepped away from the pulk walking to the edge of the greenery, but still visible from the group. Faint noises that sounded like shots and explosions could be heard now.

He nodded, in the general direction of the noises: "Bavaria Film Studios. I imagine they are currently producing season six of Karl Combat Mage Europe."
He pulled a small box out of his pocket and pressed a button. Immediately bnc's ears feeled like they were full of cotton and her headware showed quite a lot of noise around them.

"Well, why not start with what we actually know about this job here," Nova said.

"The information I have been given is, that a girl is missing and we are to find her, protect her and bring her in unharmed. That girl is Kerstin Burgstaller, or Bean Si. There are two factions, the 'Harvesters' and the 'Crusaders', which both want her either to get some tech inside her body or to destroy it. Unlike our employer, both care little about her life. The Harvesters have small, professional teams with a high degree of awakened among them, while the Crusaders make use of a network of BTL-addicts to find what they are looking for. However, noone seems to know where she is, yet."

"Anything else?"

"Sure, I guess there is a lot we have to talk about."
Before she enters the conversation, she checks him for hidden or openly running sensors, especially microphones or other gear to record audio - like commlinks. If something is running, she'll ask him to turn it off, painfully aware that there is little she could do about offline gear.
She then walks a few steps away with him, shivering despite the warmth of her pullover.

"Yes. About Kerstin. I knew her, at least a little bit. I once worked together with both of them.", he points towards where bnc left.
"Don't know much about Bean Si, but she is very capable of defending herself. She was basically... our bodyguard. So anyone trying to murder or kidnap her is willing to take one frag of a beating.
I don't know anything about her recent whereabouts, but she used to live in Linz, Upper Austria."
He shakes his head in disbelief. "And I thought we'd pick up Bean Si at the museum."

"Kerstin?"

Anna's thoughts run wild, and before bnc joined her private conversation, Anna held her hand to get her attention and whispered "Mousetrap". Perhaps, if bnc was as smart as she thought she'd understand why that word. Heck, Anna did not completely understand why she chose that particular word herself. It seemed important though.


She'll give them their privacy but would not let bnc out of her sight.

Eliza's voice came from the car: "The crusaders are not just BTL addicts, although those are relatively easy to mobilize. This particular group has strong connections in the biker szene, especially those gangs that create and distribute BTLs. The boss will fill you in in a minute."

In fact it took less than a minute before he and bnc returned to the group.

Nacl opened up without preamble:

"As it turns out, our hottest lead was in fact a dead end - or rather an unexpected detour. Kerstin is likely not in Munich, even though our opposition has activated quite a lot of resources there.
But back to the beginning: Kerstin, alias Bean Si or Banshee, undertook with Eliza and me a run last November. Our target was a small research facility in Transdanubien, Vienna. Bio- and magitech. We were after a new formula that could potentially be used to heal HMHVV 3, Krieger Strain.
The run was compromised by an unscheduled visit of the facility's boss, Prof. Dr. Rosenberg. Kerstin was shot, badly. She nearly didn't make it, but I managed to use one of the prototypes in the lab to keep her alive. We made it out and layed low for a while. Unfortunately, that prototype caused some compliactions:
Kerstin was able to regenerate completely and even developed a minor magical talent but lost all her implants when her body began to reject them violently. Worse, her mental state began to suffer. The healing consumed lots of energy, making her very hungry and irritable. She also began to grow new implants - so called blood crystals. Both her eyes replaced themselves and she grew them also along her spine.
We tried to find an expert - discreetly - who could help us understand and if necessary stop this process. Unfortunately, the pool of experts around this topic is pretty small and Rosenberg became aware of her condition. The hunt started after Kerstin had a break down and ran off. She had become more and more paranoid and didn't trust anyone anymore. During her flight she killed three people with her bare hands.
I don't really know how the Crusaders got involved or who is behind this fraction, but Rosenberg's people soon had some competition. This is likely the main reason why both of them haven't succeeded yet, since the two groups tend to get in each other's way. Eliza tells me, that Rosenberg's people likely also infiltrated the forums of the crusader chipheads - virtually guaranteeing that you'd meet both groups at a given location.

I've been looking for an antidote to Kerstin's condition and I've made some significant progress. I need you to take over my search for her, so I can clinch the deal on the antidote.

Any questions so far?"

She looked at the two with disbelief, then at bnc trying to figure out if they were staying or not. They did not pick the wrong girl, there was no way that people that actually knew her first hand would make such a mistake. Not wanting to make a riot, she texted bnc using her throdes.
>> Do explain sweetie, how these people could possibly mistake you for her? She has crystals for eyes, no cyberware and is awakened. You would not look remotely similar to me. What is going on? Are we staying? Leaving? She is your sister I am not that dim, but I am pretty much in the dark here.

Before the conversation of the two ended, the group can see bnc grabbing Mr. Nacl with both hands at his upper arms in an emotional outburst. Not anger though, apparently. She mostly stands with her back to the group, but the frail decker so close to the tall man she's looking up to to meet his eyes has the air of a little frightened girl. After the response, she takes a step back and follows him.

In the meanwhile, bnc's mask had cracked. There is no effort, no hope left to compose herself. Whatever she heard terrified her to the core. bnc's on the brink of crying - though still fighting down tears in front of the others successfully - wrapping her arms around her belly as if in pain.

When she hears the news about Kerstin, however, bnc snaps. She raises a hand to her mouth in shock, hears through the story, then turns away and stumbles into the forst without any other word or purpose. After a few weak steps, she tumbles, still leaning to a tree with one hand, then sinks to the ground, feebly rummaging about in her pockets, most likely to find something to numb the pain. She is pale and doesn't react to any calls or messages.

Anna follows bnc, and would embrace her if she let her. She says "please, bnc... you are not alone."

bnc neither feights back nor accepts the embrace. "She is...", then her voice slips to a faint whisper.

The moment he sees bnc grab the stranger, Wraith gets tense as a bowstring. He opens his third eye to quickly check both bnc's an Nacl's aura for any indicators of an aggression against the girl - finding none, he relaxed with visible relief.
His eyes - filled with concern - follow bnc as she stumbles away from the group, but he doesn't try to follow or stop her. "Let's give her a moment...", he murmurs to the other runners.
Stay focused, Raph! She gotta deal with her demons herself.

"From where did she run away, Herr Nacl? To trace her starting point. And this Dr Rosenberg – how ressourceful is he, and what do you know of his contacts tot he underworld?"

"We had a hideout at the Zentralfriedhof Wien (central cemetary Vienna). The high background count was supposed to keep us safe from magical tracking. I'll give you the coordinates.

Rosenberg, is a regional CEO for MCT Mitsuhama. As far as I know, he is a fifth level initate, specializing on counter magic. During his science career he published some pretty well regarded papers on FAB. From what I saw in the lab, they have started experimenting with the HMHVV, trying to reverse its effects.
High level stuff.
As for underworld contacts: Classic Japano Corp stuff: The few Yakuzas there are, as well as access to runners. His main resource is likely his staff and the private security firm that works exclusively for him. He does recruit heavily from the Bundesheer - ex-soldiers that he augments with cyber and biotech."

Nacl replied while looking worried toward bnc.

"Sounds like a guy with a lot of resources..." Nova concluded. "And we should find this girl rather sooner than later."

"The bigger question at the moment, however, is: Do we have any leads on where Bean Si might be now? Is it possible to track her location magically? You know, ritual stuff? Like they do in the movies. Hey! Don't look at me like that... I know, that it is not realistic. But maybe something like that actually works?"

"Aye, but that depends on how close we get to her.", Wraith replied while scratching his chin. "If we can narrow her hiding spot down to a couple kilometres, we should be able to find her astrally.."
He raised his voice a little and tilted his head towards the van: "Elizia, still there? Shouldn't be too hard to hack an addict's account in that forum or spoof a fake one, right? We gotta get more information on these Crusaders."

C'mon, gimme something where bnc can put her brain to use. Anything to distract her!

He observed cautiously whether or how Herr Nacl reacted sceptically about his confidence to find/recognize Bean Si's aura.

Nacl shrugged: "Kerstin always was resourceful and prepared. And since we operated all over Austria and Southern Germany, I'd expect her to hide there somewhere. As a city child I don't expect her to hide in the country. Linz and Vienna are both likely candidates. I'd suggest starting at our former hideout. I had to leave it in great haste after Kerstin blew her cover and it's likely getting watched by the Harvesters now. But maybe bnc or Wraith can find a clue as to where she was heading."

He nodded at Wraith: "I hope you are right. But remember: Kerstin knows how to handle mages - don't expect her to make this easy for you."

Eliza answered: "I already have such an account. The problem isn't getting information but sifting out what is genuine and what is the result of simsense induced halucinations. I have to admit, I'm not very good at understanding how people think, despite having read all to me available psychology textbooks. Technology is more my forte.
What do you want me to look out for?"

Sharkboy glanced over at the shaking girl. "Did she just get told someone died. Did she just get told that she was going to die?"

"We shouldn't just be thinking of places. Are you aware of any family, past relationships or professional contacts that she could trust, at least temporarily, to help her hide?"

"Also, what exactly are we doing with Anna Black and her abusive ward?"

"As far as I understand, Herr Nacl wants to hire them as well."

Nova nodded into the direction, where bnc had withdrawn herself.

"What's her deal, anyways? She seems to take the whole thing rather... personally."

Sharkboy shrugged. "I'm just here to knock some heads, so folks don't really open up to me. She seems to have a past with Wraith, I guess.

"Hey Wraith, what's the skinny bitch's deal?"

bnc takes up a handkerchief Anna hands her and blows her nose. Then she shifts a bit to bring herself in a sitting position, leaning to the tree rather than kneeling in a somewhat awkward position. Not acknowledging the cold creeping into her meagre body through the ground, she pulls out a silvery patch. She looks at it numbly for a moment, then meets Anna's gaze. The two of them have a soft conversation, inaudible over the distance.

"Good girl. Petra is quite good at seeing through a sicko's mind, would you give her access to the account?"

.
Couldn't she have been straight and honest up from the beginning?
"It is peronal for her, she knows Bean Si as well. But she'd better tell you that herself, I'm not really up to date." He sighed. "I'll talk to her."
He walks up to the two ladies,crunching snow and twigs audibly under his shoes to alert his presence. He didn't want to disturb any intimate conversation, but he couldn't help but to overhear some of their talk as he came closer.

bnc puts her patch in Anna's hand and meets her eyes. Then She she stands, determined despite the violent shakes that run through her body. Two trails of tairs and red eyes show that she couldn't fight back all the tears in the end. Just when Wraith came to get them, bnc signals him to wait and joins the group on how own behalf.

"I guess you deserve some answers after what you saw. Also, it's vital for you to get a grasp on the situation and an understanding about how much I can be trusted. So here's the truth. Bean Si is my sister and the one person I hold closest in my life. And I'm the reason the things you just heard happened."
Her voice sounds hollow yet determination grows with every word.
"You got any questions, ask them now. I'll answer to anything, but I might not be in the mood to discuss personal matters once this meeting is over. Also, I'd appreciate if someone had some painkillers with him. Is there a medkit or so?"

As Wraith doesn't seem to be as eager for questions as his coworkers, he looks for the necessary medical supplies inside the van while the others ask their questions.

Nova wanted to reach for her medkit, when Wraith went off to find one in the car, already. So she just shrugged and turned to bnc instead.

"Good to see you holding up. Must be hard. Just one question out of curiosity. I noticed the names you go by are pretty similar phonetically... Bean Si and bee'n cee. I guess it makes sense, if you are sisters. You chose them together?"

"Other than that, the one thing that is important right now is how we can find her. Do you have any idea, where she could be hiding?"

Anna followed bnc, her demeanor is pleasant and friendly, if a bit more serious than she was during the ride. She makes a small 'hi' toward Nova, and then to mr. Nacl, - trying to gauge if he was done talking.

Eliza replied to Wraith's question: "Sure, I'll have my hands full with overwatch anyway now that I have to split my attention between you and the boss."

The boss for his part kept a pokerface at bnc's reaction, but turned to Anna instead: "Mrs. Black, I assume you are going to stay with your friend. I'm indeed offering you both compensation for this work like the others. 10000€ now and 10000 after you complete the job of finding Kerstin.

As to the question of the name: It was the one Kerstin took for herself about two years ago when we started to work with each other. I think she appreciated the double meaning that the name carries.
Hiding places that I don't know of are likely connected to her time before I met her, so it is a good thing we have Wraith and her sister with us. That will give us an edge against the opposition.

Right. I'll leave you to it. I have to attend a meeting with a biotech specialist in Zurich. Eliza can reach me if necessary. The van is stocked with enough food and amenities to be a reliable mobile HQ, otherwise there is a small farm building outside Innsbruck if you need a place to lay even lower.

I'll return there in about three days."

Anna felt paranoid as to what happens after they found her - and if her loyalty won't change at that moment. What if Bean Si does not want to be 'rescued' what if Mr. Nacl is just another one wishing her harmed? She was not sure that joining that group was the right thing to do, but the Jhonson just assumed that they'd join and did not even wait for them to say they would.
looking for Kerstain on their own also could make sense in some scenarios. It made sense to join - if they trusted the man... but if he was yet another one looking to exploit Kerstain then they'll be in conflict with some professional runners... and the Shark has already geeked a mage - she did not want to be near him once bnc decides to go sideways...

She texted bnc >> How much can we trust that man with the best interest of your sister?
Also, can James bring my work bag - and some clothes? I am a big fan of guns and clean underwear...

She said "Well if you have some ideas for locations... I can go scout them very quickly. I am very good at spotting things in the astral. I am likely to know if someone is laying low in one of the hideouts... and Kerstain is awakened now, so I may at least rule out the mundane. "

"Since it looks like we are going for a ride, I would also like to fetch a few things from my flat before we leave for austria. Who knows, might come in handy," Nova mentioned, as it seemed like they would make a little tour in the van next. "That would give us some long-range firepower and I also have a top-notch medkit lying there, which was a bit too cumbersome to carry with me to this meeting. And just in case it becomes relevant, I am quite skilled, when it comes to treating wounds."

Anna said "That is good to know, and I think we may need firepower.
With pride in her voice she said " bnc is miraculous with the medic kit as well and then added "I specialize in health magic - but no other medical skills."

Sharkboy shrugged. "All my drek is already in the van. I travel a lot so I travel pretty light. It a shame I'll have paid down for that hotel room and not use. It was so close to the subway, too."

Wraith returned from the van and tossed bnc some painkillers.
"Before you leave, Herr Nacl: You mentioned that the Harvesters and the Crusaders were getting in each other's way. How far did this go, have they actually been killing each other, or did you just mean hiding leads and the sort?"

"I wan't aware of that new nickname. I thought they just mistook her for me."
bnc seems distant, yet controlled.

<@Anna <1sec>>

"Yah, we, too, should fetch some stuff. Also, I need new guns as I left mine at the museum. Is there any reason not to return to my flat? They seem not to have found out where I live yet. I was quite fond of Tom.", she adds with a sad expression.

Nacl nodded again at Wraith: "No, not killing as such. But the Crusaders had found a girl looking a bit like their target and were about to stone her to death when the Harvesters appeared and tried to snatch her away from them. In the confusion the girl was able to slip away. The Harvesters injured a few Chipheads before having to retreat from reinforcements. Not that the Harvesters did it out of compassion - they simply don't want the valuables inside Kerstin to get damaged - meaning her spine and eyes.

As for returning and fetching stuff: "There should be no problem as long as neither bnc nor Sharkboy are the ones to walk on the streets. The van uses spoofed ID and has adaptable number plates. Send a drone with your credentials to pick up the gun from the museum - a normal post drone should suffice.

I really have to be going now. Eliza can help you with everything else."

With that he left.

bnc happily catches the painkillers and pops one without any fluid. "Danke"

"All right, that's not a problem."
bnc, still pale and shivering, changes the color of her hair to a light ginger and shapes it curly with a mental command. The color of her hoody becomes emerald, with a big white comic cat face and a "AniKat" font on it. The jeans, too, get a brighter color, especially on the knees. The face is still the same, yet it should be less easy to recognize her even when seen. She steps into the car and takes a seat, then passes out.

Online, she commands the drone to send the car outside of town where we can pick up the stuff on our way to Munich without drawing any unwanted attention. The drone itself returns to the flat once the cab is moving and packs all of Anna's stuff, ready to be picked up.

<@Anna<james packs ur stuff we can pick it up there ill stay in the car my stuff is already on the way>>

"One thing I was thinking... maybe we could create some false leads for them? Keeping them busy chasing ghosts, ideally somewhere a good distance away from where we will be."

Eliza repied: "That is a good idea, but be aware that the Crusaders have quite a lot of manpower, and they recruit locally. The Harvesters on the other hand would have to stretch their ressources. So it is a valid tactic."

bnc found that she had received three MARKs for the van and was now able to see the specifications for the car. Beside the high quality amenities, the car had been discreetly armored up to the possible maximum - in addition to a separate passenger protection. The motor and the steering had been upgraded as well and the touch sensors on the outside increased the handling further. Though whoever rigged this thing would have to contend with more biofeedback as well.
There were no weapons build in, but for discreet gunports made it possible to return fire from the inside if necessary.

Anna texted bnc >> Thanks doll... Following the advice, she sent a mail drone to pick up her taser.
She stepped into the car and would be very happy to reunite with her equipment... She asked, "Or perhaps we can try to lure Bean Si to come to us?"

Wraith is visibly surprised by bnc altering her appeareance just like that. "Now that certainly comes in handy", he approves with a surprised grin. "Since when can you do that?"
He gets inside the van and keeps the bike on autopilot for now.

Towards Anna: "I don't think luring her to us will work, Nacl said she became totally paranoid. And if even her partner can't lure her out of hiding, I think her suddenly mystically-reappearing sister will look even more like bait."

"Ok, another question. As I do not have any means of transportation at the moment, I would need some way to get to my flat and back or to another meeting point. I can take a cab, of course, if we do not want to use the van to drive through munich for some reason? Unless anyone has a better idea..."

Eliza replied: "The van is not compromised as far as I can make out - it's a common model and make and the registration is freshly changed. The team can use it freely to move around."

Anna replied "Yes, sadly there is no concrete lead, so I think it is really not a problem to spend some time getting the equipment ready."

"This van is going to smell like a locker room, but without the showers and with even more unwashed garments.

"I hope you're all ready for that."

"Hm. Tecnically, Nova, we could split up: I got a bike, autopilot parked it some 100 metres away from here. You could use that, while Anna and bnc get her stuff with the van, then we meet up again. If your toys are foldable to fit in the compartment, that would save us the time of driving through Munich two times - and time is still running, after all."

With a wink, he continues: "I trust you're smart enough not to steal a mage's beloved bike."

Nova turns to Wraith and nods.

"Thank you for the kind offer. That would work. And, of course, I am gonna get her back in one piece. I will leave my case here, then. With the bike, I will need around an hour."

The blonde runner puts her aluminium attaché into any available storage in the van and heads off to grab the rest of her stuff.



When she comes back, she has a trekking backpack with her containing a black carrying case made of hard plastic a little larger than her attaché, a smaller dark green case with a red cross on it, and some spare clothes, sneakers, hygiene bag and what else you need for a little road trip.

The fetch quests were absolved without a hitch. Since the incident happened inside corporate territory, no consequences are seen in the public.

About an hour later, the team was back together on a small, backyard parking lot.

"That might work, maybe even for the Crusaders. Soon as I got some time - I expect that'll be soon - I'll start infiltrating the forums. Even if they have tremendous manpower the community as such might get frustrated if they feel they can't trust each other hints and that they chase after one false lead after the other. Yeah, I'll have to spend some time in the forums. Also knowing your enemy is always good."

To Anna she texts: <@Anna<id be a very ugly doll dont call me that>>

bnc gives Wraith a smile. "Roughly since I'm 17 or so. I just never had a reason to show you. The fewer people know, the better. Let's go!"

Shortly after, they meet up with yet another team member. James, who brought all of bnc's stuff with a cab, is a handsome man in his mid-twenties. His tan face is decorated by some subtle tattoes, his jaw is broad and firm. Other than that, he's quite insignificant: roughly 1,75 tall, average build, short dark hair.

"Hoi, omae. Here is the equipment you requested."

bnc responds with a smile. "Thanks. James, these are Wraith, Sharkboy and Nova. Team, this is James. Be nice. He always is."