The woman of the trio narrowed his eyes and replied with equal amounts of venom and coldness: "Get lost you freak." She was about to turn away when one of the cybered guys said: "Careful, he has a weapon."
"It's a fragging bow you idiot. We don't have time for the circus. Get moving."

The so scolded man still looked uncomfortable, keeping Sharkboy in his field of view. Suddenly the other foot soldier said: "I know that guy: That's the sharkboy from the trid."
"Silence, both of you. Any idiot can put on that mask. What is so hard to understand here, that we have to get a move on." The woman now getting mad.
She turned on her heel and moved purposefully towards the entrance, leaving her two guards behind who still were focused on sharkboy.

"Anyone could put on this mask?!" To think you would not only dishonor me so, but accuse your companion of being unable to recognize the genuine article."

Sharkboy took quick steps towards them and then leapt into a left-handed cartwheeling handspring backflip before stopping in front of the elf, favoring his right shoulder.

"I assure you ma'am. My offer is as real as my gills" He pushed some air out of his gills to emphasize that last claim.

bnc sets her agent up to searching their PANs for silent icons, while she searches the matrix for a place that suits Shark's con.

"No time, no interest." The woman calls out without looking back, though you still have the attention of the two goons. One of them seems to consider asking you for your autograph - and yet you are supposed to bring the car to the back of the hospital.

The comms of the three are easily found - they aren't running silent, but they show no corporate allegiance. Still, the two goons have Transsys R6 comms and the elf even sports an R7 comm

Finding a venue for filming is easy enough: There is a community center not far away where filming is allowed for a nominal fee through their matrix site.

We can't go out the back, we need to get control of this situation. We also need to get the personal effects from the reception area, the data may have been somewhere in there on a physical device. bnc, can you lock our friend out of the system and loop the cams so we look like we are staying here?

Anna texts >> How about Alex fetches personal stuff while we load Rabe to the car? Let's GTFO without conflict. If we are worried who else is after Rabe, we can hack them. bnc can delay their verification. Matrix slowness or whatever. "

"Alright, then let's do this! Which way is the elevator that brings us to the ER area?"

Once they have the patient secured, Nova will slowly move the gurney out of the room, constantly monitoring his status.


<< Can't we simply have the stuff brought to the ER reception area? Otherwise, yeah, I guess Alex willl have to fetch it. >>

"I get it. Everyone is busy when they go to a hospital, I'm here for something, too. I just can't help but try and snatch up these kinds of opportunities. Though, we don't need you tonight, just in a couple nights. "Tim, my agent, is still looking for the right kind of location to shoot the video at. Want something respectable but just a little grimy. All we've come up with so far is the community center.

"Look, send your contact information to this number, and Tim will call you when we need people. I'll let him know to expect something from you three. Worst that can happen is you get paid to be bored for a couple of hours, right?" He says as he gives them bnc's commcode.

"Before I go in to get my shoulder looked at, is there anything I can do for you to make up for taking your time Mr... uh. Oh, apologies, I failed to ask your names in the excitement. Who should I be telling Tim to expect to hear from?"

After Sharkboy gets their answer he pulls out his commlink and makes a call while turning to look at the driver seat of the ride here. “Yeah, go ahead and take off, I’ll call for a another ride after I get done inside.”

He then texts bnc <<Hey, just gave the muscle your commcode. They're expecting to reach out to a Tim Haber, and send him their info for a quick filming job in a couple of days. Figured you could do something with that.>>

To the orc Taurus will say "We will need his stuff sent to the ER, I guess."

bnc leaves the Sternschutz host but keeps the mark on the gateway.



"Here's the map we received from Eliza. The red spot is your location, Nova. Here's the elevator.
I hacked the sensor gateway and will release an alarm if they want to get through. That should stall them further. You should be able to get out unseen. I'll collect you."

Well done, Shark. That's the excuse I need to get the limo behind the building.

Once Sharkboy tells "Tim" to remove the limo, she'll drive away - only to return on another route to get to the back exit unseen. She'll have the pidgeon drone circle the sky to make sure the three don't accidentally see the limo returning.

Anna further texts bnc, all excited from the possibility of getting caught. >>bnc, officer Hagen is about to hand us Rabe's personal artifacts. Don't get too playful with interruptions. An alarm may have him called to the reception as backup. Best thing for us is if he gets no new instructions until we have the artifacts.

Hagen replied:
"No can do, you've got to sign at the reception for the effects. But meanwhile you can load your guy through the ER entrance so it doesn't get blocked for too long."
He indicated to Taurus: "I'll let you out to the reception area while I lead the rest of you to through the ER."
He looked critically at the unconscious dwarf and then at Nova: "You need help with moving him?"

While he spoke he had called the elevator and ushered you into the cabin with him.

Meanwhile on the parking lot, the limousine moved out while Sharkboy still had the attention of the two goons. The elf was now nearly at the entrance, but stopped to look back at her two compagnions, looking very impatient.
The larger of the two answered Sharkboy: "Eh sorry, I don't think our bosses would like that. Thanks anyway. Huge fan by the way. Loved your promo in Salzburg. Do you have a show planned in the area? My little girl is a huge wrestling fan."

Sharboy uses his 'good' arm to slowly turn the muscle away from his boss and lean in to hold the conversation a bit more quietly. "It's fine. I'm disappointed, but I understand needing to go along with what the boss says.

"I can't say I'm going to be on a show too soon. Right now we're shooting stuff to promote a comeback, and I'm still looking find a good opponent for that first fight. Look, even if you aren't able to take a weekend to get an easy payday, shoot the info along to Tim and I'll see if I can't get some free tickets to a fan."

"I always like to know what the best ways to promote myself are, where'd you come across that Salzburg promo?"

"Roger, thanks for the heads up."
bnc reenters the host running silent, then searches for the officer-in-command's commlink. From his comm, she sends a message to one of the officers at the entrance.

<@officerthisorthatname <The facial recognition system indicates the elf outside might be a dangerous person running by the alias "Siren". Stall her as long as possible without drawing attention, ask questions. She might be a hacker, so delete this message immediately and don't respond or undergo any matrix activities until I contact you again. Handle this discreetly. Don't raise an alarm until you have to. And see that the corp citizens leave the facility asap. If this gets messy, I don't want any civilians nearby.>>

@team "When I tell you now, ask officer Hagen if you can fill out the form from here over the matrix. Until I tell you, follow your plan.
bnc hacks one of the security cameras of the reception area. As soon as the officer she texted says anything to the receptionist behind the counter, she will give the team the signal.

The goon shrugged: "It was all over the matrix for a while. I liked how they collated a dozen or so surveillance cameras to capture your stunt for trideo."

Sharkboy turns himself and the goon back around, leading them to the door when he sees bnc's message come over. "Yeah, I thought the surveillance cameras were a good trick, too. Thanks.

"Well I think I've held us all up long enough. I need to get this shoulder looked at, and you three need to do whatever you came to a hospital for. Do think over that offer though, Mr...? He trails off but holds out his left hand trying to encourage them to finish the sentence.

Taurus attempts to adopt the "Put-upon corp dude with better things to do" face and says "Seriously? There is no way we could get the signing done virtually and get out of your hair?"

"Jesus, did I not tell you to follow the fragging plan 'til you get the sign a second ago??"

One, my name is Taurus or Alex, if you are going to call me a demigod, at least use the right pantheon.

Two, ooops.

And three, aren't you the one ignored ME, like, two seconds ago?

😁🤣😎

"No. Signing in that case is literally signing a piece of paper and add a drop of blood. Chain of custody must be kept intact - and although your corp will no doubt stonewall whatever follow up investigations there are, those are the rules around here.

Here we are." The elevator stopped and opened both the front and the back, allowing Nova and Anna to enter the backside of the hospital while also giving everyone a clear view of the lobby and the entrance beyond, where the guard was just dealing with an increasingly irrate elf lady.
If she had been in a bad mood before, now she was getting downright hostile.
"... Is today Open Door at the mental asylum? I HAVE A FUCKING APPOINTMENT HERE. YOU ARE IMPEDING AN OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION. NOW GET OUT OF THE WAY BEFORE I MAKE YOU!"

Outside the goon replied to Sharkboy:
"Doyscher, but you can call me Ralf. Sure. I might know a few guys from the gymn who would love to get a chance like that. Oh, by the way, can you give me an autograph? To Maria? My little girl would love it."

Anna thinks. "I guess this is one of the people that came for Rabe. Didn't imagine we'll be in the same room."
She is excited with the impending chaos, inspired even. She glances at the woman to assense her, trying to learn about her fast. To be on the safe side, Anna reflexively extends the counterspell field to include the receptionist and officer Hagen, figuring out that she'd rather have more options rather than less. Other than that, she'll pay no attention to the woman, and allow Alex to deal with officer Hagen as he seems to be doing a fine job at that.

>> We got eyes on the elf lady, I do magic defense. I say just ignore her for now and finish our business.

Nova chuckled. "Just a typical day at the hospital, eh?"

She proceeded to push the gurney towards the exit and kept her eyes on the medkit's display.


<< Damn! That elf lady is seriously angry. >>

Anna thinks, her DNI translates the thought to a text message >> She is also a mage, about equal to me in raw power. Sorcerer likely, two foci and a tendency to escalate situations. If the receptionist pushes hard enough I am almost certain she will totally lose it. We just need to have the artifacts before she gets violent, that way we just GTFO and let the police handle it. Alex, hurry up with the forms - the woman may be close to her boiling point. Nova let's hurry with loading the car before she notices Rabe. she forces herself to not look at the intriguing scene, and focus on the task at hand.

They needed to get Rabe out of the radius of a fireball or whatever that woman dishes out.

Sharkboy accedes to signing the autograph "No problem, Ralf." Once Sharkboy does so, he gives his farewells and makes a hasty exit out of the lobby and down the halls towards the private practice wings of the medical center unless he is stopped by security.

"Fine, whatever."Taurus strides to the desk, stretching to his full height as he does so. He is still doing the put-upon corp guy thing. "So I am told I need to sign for corporate property?"

The receptionist handed Taurus a pad and a pen. At the end of the page was a square with a slightly shimmering gel, ready to receive his thumbprint.

Nova had reached the exit when at the other end, the woman exploded:
"I DON'T FRAGGING CARE. OUT OF MY WAY NOW."
The guard suddenly turned to stone and the elf strode over to the reception with murder in her eyes.

"we'll talk later, we've got one hot-tempered bitch out there. The mage just petrified a police officer. Hurry up and get ready for trouble"

<< I'm at the exit and will see that I get him out before she spots him, if that's what she is even looking for. Could be entirely unrelated, after all. Is the car in position? >>

Nova used the blankets from the gurney to cover him as best as she could in the short moment, or shielded him from view from the reception area with her own body, and continued her way outside, still slow and controlled, looking for the car.

The Valkyrie Modul takes up its work immediately as soon as Nova reaches the car and places Rabe inside.

Meanwhile, the receptionst is just in the process of reaching out for the signed document, lifting the packet with the other hand, as the angry elf strides over, looking angrily at Officer Hagen, who is also in the process of drawing his gun.

"She is going to kill them, damn Fox totem" Anna realizes, it takes her a lot of self-control to not protect officer Hagen, and watch him turn to stone. However, her ability is limited. She is likely to negate a single spell, and she and Taurus are more important right now. She has another solution, a terrifying spell that she readily casts at a decent force for her skill. She likes that solution because it would return Hagen and the guard to the flesh (she hopes), and would not harm the mad elf.

A single trickle of blood ran from the elf's nose as she continued towards the reception girl.


And turned to stone midstride herself. In turn, Officer Hagen returned to life.
"What the hell was that?"

"THAT..." said Taurus, reaching over the counter to get the package, "...would be your problem, and good luck with it." The minotaur turns and moves for the elevator

Anna is blushed from the excitement, almost euphoric. She waits for Taurus at the elevator and keeps the door open for him. She does not speak as she afraid of getting into trouble.
>> Petrified the mad elf, let's get out of here! She texts.

The gettaway is almost too easy after that. By the time the two goons try to enter the hospital, the team's limousine is already moving out of the parking lot. Sharkboy deems it wiser not to enter the building after a siren starts to blare and a single red flashing light indicates there is an alert going on inside the building.

Taurus finds the time to take a look into the sealed bag. Inside, nicely packaged in individual clear plastic packages he finds: A pair of plaststeel boots, a pair of badly chared synth leather trousers, cut open, a likewise destroyed ballistic jacket with a synthetic undershirt. A slightly charred midrange commlink, not responding to the press of the on button, as well as a bandana with a pack of nic sticks in it.

Sharkboy sits on a bench outside the building and pulls out his commlink

<@Team @Eliza <Well, with everything going down in that hospital, looks like I won't be able to get my shoulder checked out. Would someone mind sending me a ride?>>

Shark, I can send my bike. It is still in the safe house so it'll take a little while.
As soon as Anna is back in the car she reaches for her bag and wears places the magic ring in her palm. Playing with it fondly, and then placing it in her pocket. Oh, she likes that ring, too much - but the previous owner got himself killed. She must not grow dependent on it, and the petrify worked without extra juice.
After a short while, she says "Nice talking Alex. You really know how to speak to these people.

"You watch enough executives deal with people, you figure out that if you act like you are better than they are, some folks will believe that you are." Taurus settles back into the seat, "The trick is to know not to believe your own act."

<<Appreciate the offer Anna, but I was seen arrived in a limo, so I need to leave in at least a black car. >>

Sharkboy chose not to mention his total inexperience driving.

Anna rolls her as she texts a thumbs up. Shark was a bit of an oddball, so she did not try to understand why he maintains appearances after the task was long over. She asks casually, not very interested in the actual package "Anything useful?"

bnc any idea who were these people? I mean, they are more misfits then us. I don't think they are cooperate employees.

"That went well, all things considered. It's cool to have the cops on your side for once. It would be interesting to know what that woman actually wanted. Was she after the same thing?"

bnc sends a voice message to Eliza, asking her to send for another limo for Sharkboy, though a less expensive one this time.

Then she exhales audibly. "Ladies and gents, that was one good job and pretty decent teamwork. Sheesh ... and close!"
While rebooting her deck, she joinds the team channel over her commlink. "They sure were after Rabe as well. Good thing we didn't take more time to get here. This was about minutes. Shadowrunners, surely. I say, we take a look at the commlink and then find out who would be behind the data. Is it functional? Is there any kind of chip inserted than can be extracted? "

"Let me have a look at that gear. I'm at least somewhat skilled in electronics and mechanics."

Nova took the pieces of gear out one by one.
The commlink was fried, totaly destroyed with bits falling out if shaken to hard. The pieces of clothing had dried blood on them as well as pieces of melted skin.
Nova had more luck with the boots: Both heels had compartments in them. A finagling and the use of a sharp knife revealed a data chip in the left and a small bag of blue powder in the right.

Slotting the chip revealed a large data file of approx. the right size.

Nova had almost put everything aside, when she noticed a tiny button cam in the jacket's brest pocket. It turned out to belong to a sensor RFID chip with a 24 hour storage. The battery was extremely low, but otherwise it seemed to be intact.

"And I have pretty keen eyes. What do we have here?" With a flick of her wrist, sharp blades emerged at her fingertips.

<< I think I found what we are looking for. The data. >> Nova sent while retracting her hand razors she used to open up the compartment.

She looked at the blue powder, wondering what it could be.

Anna looks at Nova admireably and says"Neat..." After Nova examines the blue powder Anna says "Let me touch the blue powder. I have a spell for that" she says and takes the small powder sack in her hand, using her new power focus she casts the spell to see and closes her eyes trying to learn something about the powder that they do not already know.

The powder has a faint aura - or rather an anti aura as it consumes the mana around it. The spell has trouble to connect, but all of a sudden, Anna realizes what this is: FAB III, Fluorescent Astral Bacteria Strain III, a form of dual natured bacteria that feeds on dual-natured creatures. Very dangerous, very expensive and very, very hard to get.
And now, Anna had infected herself.
Almost immediately her focus began to glow in a fluorescent green.

Anna quickly turns off the focus a terrible expression on her face. "Take that away from me. That stuff eats Mana." She says "FAB 3 dammit... The biological weapon FAB, it means that I cannot use the ring, and cannot observe the astral until we disinfect it or it will eat me. bnc... How do I get rid of this bacteria? " Anna says, as white as a wall. She obsessively tries to clean the ring with wipes, more to not cry or scream than because she thinks it is effective.

"So, Rabe really doesn't like magic."

Nova quickly seals the powder and packs it away in her smuggling compartment, together with the chip and the microcam.