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"Another Day, Another Dollar." A Shadowrun Campaign Journal
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<blockquote data-quote="Kidjake" data-source="post: 6747910" data-attributes="member: 6776876"><p>An unrelated one shot I ran shortly after the above game^, we referred to it as 'Young Love". </p><p></p><p></p><p>Cast of Characters</p><p>Vlad is a human with a pale complexion and dark hair, has a neatly trimmed beard and a head full of discrete cyberware. Prefers the Remington 950 Sniper Rifle. Functions as the team's Infiltrator and occasionally the face.</p><p></p><p>Ovasta is an Ork with a fresh crew cut and twin sleeves of eye-catching tattoos, sporting everything from the traditional flaming skull to the classic hot lady making out with a flaming skull. Always carries an Ingram SMG and as much body armor as he can get away with. Serves as the team's primary muscle.</p><p></p><p>Dwarf is, funnily enough, a dwarf with long graying hair and a scruffy beard. He functions as the team's tech support, though is neither a rigger nor decker, but still likes to get in close with his trusty Roomsweeper and katana when he gets a chance.</p><p></p><p>Hayley is a slightly built human with short, light brown hair and the telltale twitch of wired reflexes. She carries an Ingram SMG though rarely looks forward to using it. Serves as the team's driver and backup muscle for when Ovasta isn't enough.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Like most tales worth telling, this one started in a bar.</p><p></p><p>The name isn't all that important, as all things considered it could have really been any bar, but this tale just so happened to start off in a run down dive out in the Barrens colorfully known as Tim's <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /> and Tabs. It wasn't subtle, but delivered exactly what it promised and so proved exceedingly popular with the locals.</p><p></p><p>Hayley turns her nose up distastefully as they enter the bar and glances at the rest of her team with a 'Really guys?' expression on her face. Ovasta grins broadly from ear to ear and pays her no mind while Dwarf holds up four fingers to the bartender and Vlad nods casually to a table near the back of the bar.</p><p></p><p>At the table in question is a middle aged man wearing a conservative grey suit along with dark shades and a hat, as though they'll hide his identity.</p><p></p><p>Vlad smiles to himself as Ovasta casually snatches a beer off the bar and asks "That our Johnson?"</p><p></p><p>"What gave him away?" Dwarf asks with a bewildered shake of his head. </p><p></p><p>"Amateur or not, his nuyen spends the same as anyone else's." Vlad reminds his judgmental teammates as they saunter over to their prospective employer with a warm smile.</p><p></p><p>Mr Johnson looks at the four of them nervously before saying "I guess you're Mercurio's crew then? I mean of course you are, why else would you single me out....right?"</p><p></p><p>"You guessed right chummer." Vlad says, putting the man's mind at ease. "We're here about the umm...<em>situation</em> you need <em>situated</em>."</p><p></p><p>The man nods, and glances around nervously "Good, I was worried I'd missed you. The pay's eighty large."</p><p></p><p>Ovasta coughs at the figure so hard that beer comes out of his nose and the rest of the group seem equally surprised.</p><p></p><p>"Sounds fair." Vlad says quickly before the Johnson has time to rethink the figure, "Though we were led to believe that all you needed was a little intel gathering?"</p><p></p><p>The Johnson nods. "I do, by the end of the week or it's useless."</p><p></p><p>"So you're paying for expediency?" Hayley asks.</p><p></p><p>The Johnson shakes his head. "I've hired four private investigators and they've all come up empty handed, I'm willing to pay a premium to get this done one way or another."</p><p></p><p>Reaching into his pocket, Mr Johnson pulls out a wallet sized photo of a young lady in her mid 20's with long dark hair and painfully trendy clothes. He passes it across the table and Vlad notices that his hands are actually shaking.</p><p></p><p>"This is my daughter." the man explains. "She recently has become enamored with a young elf that I fear is only using her for her money."</p><p></p><p>"Easy enough fix." Ovasta says, cracking his knuckles. "Who's the chump?"</p><p></p><p>"I only know him as Byron, I met him only once and briefly at that. Please don't hurt him, I'm afraid it'll only send her running to him that much harder." the Johnson says and actual fear is evident in his voice. Even Ovasta feels a pain of pity for the guy.</p><p></p><p>"So where can we find him?" Hayley asks, getting back on track. "You know where he lives?"</p><p></p><p>"I'll be meeting my daughter tomorrow for another handout, I'm positive he'll make sure she's there on time." the Johnson says bitterly.</p><p></p><p>"If you got such a problem with this guy, why don't you just cut the girl off until she comes to her senses?" Dwarf asks with a disgusted shake of his head.</p><p></p><p>"I tried that." the Johnson responds. "I cut her off for a month, but... A friend of mine caught her eating out of the trash. She'd rather scavenge than break things off. I've got to convince her he's using her before they run off together or something equally foolish! I can feel it coming..."</p><p></p><p>"Don't worry." Vlad cuts in. "We'll tail your daughter's floozy and find the skeletons in his closet. You say the word, we'll even put some there."</p><p></p><p>The Johnson nods and slides a credstick across the table to Vlad. "Here's ten grand up front for any expenses you might incur. She hasn't settled on a location yet, but I'll call you with the address once I know."</p><p></p><p>Vlad nods and stands up to see the Johnson off. As soon as the man's out the door Ovasta snatches the credstick out of Vlad's hand and whoops. </p><p></p><p>"Hot damn boys and girls," the ork chuckles. "Let's go get some toys!"</p><p> </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p> It's 1am on the very edge of the Redmond Barrens when they pull up in front of a dingy pawnshop that doesn't even have a name, just a giant orange neon sign in the shape of an $ hanging out front. Of course, this far out in Redmond that's about all the locals can read anyway so it works out alright.</p><p></p><p>The door chimes as it opens into a dusty room filled with junk, trash and 'antiques' and a fat dwarf with ridiculously bulky cybernetics sticking out of his face and sleeves sitting behind a counter. The dwarf manually adjusts a monocle like cybereye with a tarnished, oversized hand and beams broadly.</p><p></p><p>Most know him as Retro, not just for his own stylishly outdated appearance but the fact that the majority of his merchandise could have easily belonged to the average runner's parents growing up.</p><p></p><p>Dwarf throws a friendly hand up as he enters the store and glances around. "We're looking for a tracking device old man. Discrete, reliable and abvoe all cheap. Think you can help us out?"</p><p></p><p>Retro hops off his stool stroking his chin and nods thoughtfully. "I think I just got something that's right up yer alley." he says, almost waddling into the back room. It takes him about 10 minutes and he waddles back out, in one hand he holds a pair of cylinders about the size of his thumb and a tablet the size of a man's hand.</p><p></p><p>"This baby fits all yer needs. It adheres to most any surface, has a broadcast range of nearly sixty kilometers, completely foolproof and I could see letting go of the whole set at...oh, I dunno...eight hundred?" Retro says with a raised eyebrow.</p><p></p><p>"Eight hundred?" Dwarf shouts indignantly. "For that hunk of scrap? I didn't realize it was made of gold!"</p><p></p><p>"Hey, this is a classic piece of tech! I'd like to see YOU find a better deal ready on demand." Retro replies, narrowing his eyes.</p><p></p><p>Dwarf starts to argue further but Vlad tosses the credstick to Retro and says they'll take it, before inquiring about renting a car while they're at it.</p><p></p><p>They get out of there 1500 credits lighter all told, but considerably better prepared.</p><p></p><p>"If this doesn't work, we're coming back!" Dwarf shouts as they head out the door.</p><p></p><p>Retro laughs and throws up a hand. "You'll be back regardless."</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>It's two in the afternoon when the Johnson finally messages the group a name: Luciia's Bistro. Vlad recognizes the place as an overly pretentious little joint in the Seattle Downtown area known for its steep prices, fabulous outdoor dining and low seating capacity.</p><p></p><p>By the time they show up it seems like the Johnson's already been waiting for a while, sipping a soycaf and fidgeting irritably.</p><p></p><p>Since the lunch rush is over and the daughter doesn't seem to have shown up yet Vlad gets himself seated and treats himself to a cocktail on the client's dime while the rest of the team scans the street.</p><p></p><p>While everyone's getting situated a sporty little convertible pulls in front of the restaraunt, driven by a bleach blonde elf with fashionable tribal tattoos and shades. The client's daughter is seated next to him and climbs out as she's waved off dismissively before the elf pulls around the side of the building and out of sight of the Johnson.</p><p></p><p>Vlad takes the opportunity to snap a few up to date pictures of the daughter with a cybereye and snoops in on their conversation with his enhanced hearing, though doesn't hear anything that he hasn't heard already.</p><p></p><p>Meanwhile, Dwarf slips a chameleon suit on in the back of their rented van and Ovasta cracks a large grin as he saunters down the street towards the elf whistling casually. </p><p></p><p>Byron looks up with annoyance as a burly ork stops next to him and leans against the side of his car boorishly.</p><p></p><p>"Hoi chummer!" Ovasta says good naturedly. "Don't I know you?" he nearly shouts with a gratingly loud voice.</p><p></p><p>"I seriously doubt it." the elf responds coldly. "And I don't have any change, so if you would..."</p><p></p><p>"Nah, nah, nah." Ovasta says, waving the elf off as Dwarf sneaks up to the convertible's rear end. "Didn't you go to school around here? I think we had Calculus together."</p><p></p><p>"That seems less likely." the elf replies, obvious irritation entering his voice.</p><p></p><p>"I'm sure of it!" Ovasta shouts indignantly as he hears Hayley warn them that the girl is on the move. "Tell you what, let's hang out; relive the good times, you'll see. What are you doing tonight?"</p><p></p><p>Mere seconds later the Johnson's daughter appears around the corner and rushes to the car without saying a word or even looking straight at Ovasta. The mooching elf cranks the car without acknowledging the ork any further and peels out. As he does so, Dwarf chuckles.</p><p></p><p>"All set?" Ovasta asks as they jog back to the van.</p><p></p><p>"Oh yeah, it's good to go." Dwarf assures his burly comrade.</p><p> </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>"Regroup guys and gals!" Ovasta booms over his commlink as he and Dwarf climb back into their rented van. </p><p></p><p>By the time Vlad's made it across the street, Dwarf's already brought up their target's location and once they're confident the elf has enough of a head start to not notice them tagging along, Hayley starts the vehicle and follows a little over a kilometer behind.</p><p></p><p>The elf's car stops briefly in front of a club called Beniro's and then pulls off once more. As the team casually pulls up a moment later, they notice that the Johnson's daughter sitting in front of the club with a pair of her friends, a blonde elf and a redhaired human, smoking and apparently waiting for the club to open.</p><p></p><p>"Alright, get out Hayley." Vlad says with a jerk of his thumb.</p><p></p><p>"What, why?" she demands indignantly.</p><p></p><p>"Because we need someone to keep eyes on her while we tail the elf." Vlad replies.</p><p></p><p>"Then one of you do it!" Hayley says. "I'm the wheelman, remember?"</p><p></p><p>"We can't." Vlad explains, "She's most likely seen my face, Ovasta was already hassling her boyfriend and Dwarf, well...."</p><p></p><p>Dwarf holds up his hands in a 'What're you gonna do?' gesture. "The young ladies just don't seem to appreciate me hanging around."</p><p></p><p>She glances from one face to another and then sighs. "Fine."</p><p></p><p>Vlad pats her on the back as she slides out the door. "Don't worry about it, it's not like we're going get into a high speed chase without you; we're just going to follow his signal from a few kilometers back."</p><p></p><p>"Yeah, yeah..." Hayley grumbles, putting on a fake smile as she starts walking over to bum a smoke off the group of girls.</p><p></p><p>"Have fun!" Ovasta calls out with a guffaw as the rest of the team leave her behind.</p><p></p><p></p><p>The mark's signal leads further and further away, all the way out into the Puyallup Barrens as the rest of the team is left scratching their heads as to why anyone with two nickels to rub together would waste their time out here.</p><p></p><p>They also discover from Hayley's snooping that the girls are pretty much just cruising the bar for 'guys that like to party'.</p><p></p><p>This pleases Ovasta immensely, but Vlad forces the ork to keep his teasing to a minimum and suggests that Hayley stay put and have a drink until they've got an address to give her. She grudgingly agrees as the rest of the team slowly pull to a stop just up the road from the elf's now parked vehicle.</p><p></p><p>It looks like it was once a nice neighborhood, many years ago and the remains of several honest to goodness mansions line the street; now run down and overgrown but still eyecatching in their own way. The only one that looks livable is the one that Byron seems to call home which seems to have had some work done recently.</p><p></p><p>The convertible is parked on the street along with a pair of other similarly flashy cars. As Vlad's cybereye zooms in for a closeup he notices that the cars belong to yet another pair of lovely young ladies which the slimy elf greets with a more than friendly embrace.</p><p></p><p>Vlad smiles to himself as his eye takes a series of photos to store for later but his smile fades as he realizes his enhanced hearing can't pick up what's being said from this distance.</p><p></p><p>They quickly glance around the van before realizing that none of them bothered to bring any actual listening gear and despite their best efforts, they also realize that none of them can read lips; so they're left guessing as to what it is that the elf is saying to his lady friends.</p><p></p><p>They don't have long to figure it out however, as Byron seems to be giving them directions and while both girls have a look of excitement on their faces as they rush to their vehicles and take off, Vlad can't figure out why.</p><p></p><p>The elf himself walks into the house and spends almost an hour inside, long enough for the sun to set and Hayley to call and ask what the hell's going on, before exiting in a different suit than he went in with and seemingly refreshed. He walks back to his car with a literal skip in his step and leaps inside. </p><p></p><p>Dwarf notes that the car nearly drags the ground when the elf hops in and comments that the suspension must be shot all to hell. When the elf too takes off, they debate on ransacking the house for anything incriminating; but Vlad points out that the house will still be here in a few hours.</p><p></p><p>Ovasta and Dwarf agree that they'd like to find out what it is that the elf's up to.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p> According to their tracker Byron is heading further into Puyallup, so they tell Hayley to hail a cab in their direction and they'll meet up with her. The rendevous eats up valuable time, but since the elf doesn't seem to be in much of a hurry they don't stress about it.</p><p></p><p>By the time they've finally caught up with their target, it's 10pm and he's settled down out in the middle of nowhere. </p><p></p><p>They park half a kilometer away and send Ovasta and Vlad in on foot to get a better view of things. Vlad's synched his ears and eyes up to some of Dwarf's gear so that he can broadcast what he sees and hears to the rest of the team and all four of them have pulled on dark tactical armor and matching masks.</p><p></p><p>Vlad slings his rifle over his shoulder and he and Ovasta jog to what turns out to be an abandoned warehouse where Byron and a lady are helping a drunk frat boy out of a dark red Americar and inside.</p><p></p><p>"Think he's their pimp?" Hayley inquires over the comm.</p><p></p><p>"It'd certainly explain a few things..." Vlad agrees as he surveys the perimeter. "This place doesn't even have power, let alone a security system worth a damn. I'm going to get a better look." he says as he and Ovasta rush to the side of the building at a near sprint.</p><p></p><p>Once they're out of sight, Ovasta gives Vlad a legup and the curious merc just barely manages to leap and grab the wide sil of an open window before hauling himself inside. Ovasta sneaks around to the side of the building and keeps an eye on the front.</p><p></p><p>Inside the drunk and the lady are getting quite amorous and Hayley shouts "Boom, called it!" while outside Ovasta reports several more cars pulling up, two of which belong to the ladies Byron met at the mansion.</p><p></p><p>"I don't know..." Ovasta responds. "Seems a little...social for a bunch of geese."</p><p></p><p>"Hrm...well you ARE the expert." Hayley responds.</p><p></p><p>"Damn right I am." Ovasta replies, killing his mic as yet another car pulls up; this one containing the Johnson's daughter and her friends from the club.</p><p></p><p>As the ork slinks back around to the window he chuckles. "Oh, ho, ho...the client is NOT going to be happy about this. Daddy's little girl looks like she's riding double with one of her friends from the club and some drunk. Can we assume that hilarity is going to ensue?"</p><p></p><p>As Ovasta takes a running start and leaps towards the window, Vlad leans out and catches his burly comrade's hand; hauling him inside. Once situated, Vlad lays flat on the dark catwalk above the warehouse proper to get a better view.</p><p></p><p>The whole area is filled with broken and decaying crates lit with cheap tiki torches. A handful of chairs are scattered out and as the runners watch, six attractive girls lead three very drunk men to their very own special little corner of the warehouse for the time of their lives as Byron looks on, inhumanly pleased.</p><p></p><p>Ovasta places a hand against his SMG, feeling something off about all this, but Vlad shakes his head and whispers. "Be cool, we don't need any trouble here."</p><p></p><p>The ork nods, but doesn't move his hand.</p><p></p><p>"It truly fills my heart with gratitude to see so many guests enjoying themselves for this, our most sacred of rites." Byron finally calls out in a deep, resounding voice. None of the men seem to even hear him, but all of the women seem to focus on the elf exclusively; barely keeping up their carnal farce.</p><p></p><p>"Though...naturally we would have preferred a full house," Byron says and Vlad notes the look of shame that immediately hits several of the women, "We have nevertheless been more than blessed and should be thankful for what we DO have."</p><p></p><p>In unison the women shout out words of thanks an appreciation, apparently aimed at Byron himself; the majority even have tears of gratitude in their feverish eyes.</p><p></p><p>"Oh great..." Vlad hisses under his breath. "It's a fragging cult!"</p><p></p><p>"Called it." Ovasta whispers from nearby.</p><p></p><p>"You did not!" Hayley shouts over the comm.</p><p></p><p>"Well I told you that they weren't whores, didn't I?" Ovasta replies before Vlad waves him silent.</p><p></p><p>"As it would be sinful to waste our guests valuable time on mere pleasures of the flesh...let us begin the ceremony." the elf says with a flourish of his arm.</p><p></p><p>Almost as one, the three pairs of women fall onto their male partners with a bestial frenzy. One woman bites their male in the throat as the second slams a knife into the base of each man's neck while they're still reeling from their initial assault.</p><p></p><p>All four runners simply stare slackjawed as the Johnson's daughter licks her gore drenched lips while her partner in crime takes a turn biting into the man's flesh.</p><p></p><p>Dwarf quickly turns away from the monitor in disgust and Hayley actually throws up in the van while she fumbles with the ignition.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>As Vlad and Ovasta look on in shocked horror the girls continue gorging themselves on the still twitching remains of their victims until most of them appear to be sick. The whole process takes only a few brief moments, but they're moments that will last the runners a lifetime.</p><p></p><p>Byron approaches each woman in turn, showering affection on his deranged followers and tasting their victims on their lips though he miraculously manages to avoid smearing the gore on himself. </p><p></p><p>Finally, Byron settles on the Johnson's daughter and smiles. She seems the least affected by the carnage and both Vlad and Ovasta surmise that she's been doing this the longest.</p><p></p><p>"Sweet child." Byron says in a voice as smooth as silk. "I can see it in your eyes. It's time. Time for you to ascend, like your sisters before you."</p><p></p><p>The Johnson's daughter gasps, actually awestruck by the declaration. "Me?" she nearly squeals. "You mean it?"</p><p></p><p>Byron nods, placing a hand against the girl's back and leading her towards a darkened office by the front door. "I believe it's time. Don't you?" the elf asks, his smile somehow broadening.</p><p></p><p>Vlad and Ovasta glance at each other and Ovasta chambers his weapon. The elf stops in his tracks at the sound and Vlad holds up a hand for Ovasta to be silent, but the ork snorts derisively.</p><p></p><p>"We didn't want trouble, but we sure as hell found it." Ovasta says, slipping across the catwalk towards the office. "This ain't a fling, a few pictures ain't going to break 'em up. The drek is hitting the fan in t-minus 10...9..."</p><p></p><p>"Just come out from up there, whoever you are." Byron shouts as he scans the darkness above him. "Don't skulk about like some thief. Have some backbone. At least have the common decency to-"</p><p></p><p>The elf is suddenly interrupted by the front door exploding as the team's van plows through it, just barely sliding to a stop in time to keep from running over the Johnson's daughter and her murderous beau.</p><p></p><p>Dwarf leaps out while the van's still moving, Roomsweeper in hand, and rolls directly in front of Byron before opening fire. The elf moves aside with a wholly unnatural speed however and the blast doesn't come close. Before Dwarf can even react the elf clocks him with a casual blow to the side of the face that feels like it came from a sledgehammer.</p><p></p><p>Smiling through bloody teeth, Dwarf drops his gun and draws his sword into his hand. "Oh, we're going to dance pretty boy." he says viciously.</p><p></p><p>Hayley opens fire from inside the van and the elf stumbles back a step, clutching his chest and flickering like a trid on the fritz. All of a sudden the elf has disappeared and white haired monstrosity more than a head and a half larger than Ovasta is standing before them; blood stains visible upon its face and claws and pieces of flesh still sticking out from between its teeth.</p><p></p><p>The place where the beast was struck appears to have suffered a mere flesh wound, though enough to break its concentration and dismiss its illusion.</p><p></p><p>As Dwarf gawks up at it the creature smiles and with a voice dripping with malicious glee says "Oh I agree, let's dance...pretty boy."</p><p></p><p>The women shriek at the sight of their master's true form, however that brief glimmer of hope dies before it can even take hold as the team hears them shout "He's injured! They shot poor Byron!" as all six women charge Heyley, knives drawn and murderous shrieks in their throats.</p><p></p><p>The Jonson's daughter is the first to take a swipe at Hayley and the runner easily dodges aside, right into the flailing blade of a second woman. Hayley grits her teeth as she stumbles backwards, glad to note the wound isn't life threatening...yet.</p><p></p><p>Before the rest of the women can charge, Ovasta leaps from the catwalk between them an Hayley; opening fire into the group indiscriminately. Two women go down and the rest scatter behind cover. Vlad unslings his rifle and takes aim.</p><p></p><p>Dwarf takes a swing at the revealed Wendigo with his blade, however 'Byron' simply bats the katana aside and slams a fist larger than the dwarf's head into his sternum; causing Dwarf to stumple back nearly vomiting blood. Hayley continues dancing around the insane women and opens fire at the wendigo with her SMG once again. She catches the creature in the side of the throat and it roars a curse in response.</p><p></p><p>Ovasta unloads into another woman and two more tackle him while he's distracted, slamming their knives into his armored form until they draw blood. Vlad opens fire and one Ovasta's attackers collapses silently missing the majority of her head.</p><p></p><p>The wendigo throws another wild blow at Dwarf but the stubby swordsman brings his blade up at the last second and severs the monster's arm outright at the elbow. It grips its bloody stump in shock and quickly shouts "You'll never get paid if you kill me...no, the girl. She has your money! Kill HER if you want to get paid."</p><p></p><p>Dwarf grits his teeth as he fights the wendigo's control and tosses his blade to the side as he stammers into his commlink "H-he's messing with my mind! Some kinda magic. Vlad!?"</p><p></p><p>A silent pop rings out and the wendigo falls over at Dwarf's feet, the majority of its head simply missing. Vlad's voice rings over the commlink "Dispelled. And you thought we should waste nuyen on a mage?"</p><p></p><p>The three remaining women stop in their tracks and shout an earsplitting, mournful wail at the sight of their beloved monster falling dead. Before they can recover Hayley lunges forward and slams the Johnson's daughter with the butt of her SMG; knocking the girl out cold.</p><p></p><p>Ovasta casually puts a pair of bursts into the remaining cultists. They're dead before they realize they've been shot.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p> Vlad quickly climbs down from his perch and rushes over to where Hayley is securing the girl. He glances over just in time to witness Ovasta stripping the corpses of valuables.</p><p></p><p>"You truly bring honor to our profession Ovasta." Vlad says with a sad shake of his head.</p><p></p><p>"Not like they need it." Ovasta says with a dismissive shrug, putting another burst into one of the downed women to emphasize his point. "Now I know for a fact THAT one don't."</p><p></p><p>While Ovasta loots the dead and dying and Vlad and Hayley secure the Johnson's daughter, Dwarf jimmies the door to the office and steps inside; nearly gagging from the stench. It's a slaughterhouse.</p><p></p><p>Bloody meat hooks hang from the ceiling and a massive freezer attached to a gas powered generator (apparently out of gas judging by the smell) sits in the corner. Glancing inside, Dwarf discovers the butchered remains of at least three women; he assumes followers who had 'ascended'.</p><p></p><p>With a shudder Dwarf slams the freezer shut and busts open the desk, finding just over ten thousand credits on a credstick and a briefcase full of papers signed by more than a dozen women leaving one of several of "Byron's" aliases large swathes of property. </p><p></p><p>Tucking the briefcase under his arm, Dwarf makes his way outside where Vlad is already breaking the news to the Johnson. </p><p></p><p>To Vlad's credit he's genuinely apologetic about how things turned out and doesn't ask for even a single extra nuyen in hazard pay or hush money, though that's of little comfort to a man who just received video of his daughter eating a man midcopulation.</p><p></p><p>After the gagging has subsided, the Johnson instructs Vlad that the rest of their money will be waiting for them when they drop his daughter off. </p><p></p><p>Vlad agrees and turns to Dwarf. "Anything worthwhile?" he asks.</p><p></p><p>Dwarf nods and tosses Vlad the briefcase. "Ever wanted your own island out in Outremer?" the scruffy dwarf asks with a smirk.</p><p></p><p>Vlad's eyes widen as he glances at a stack of properties that they and they alone know about with a smile. "How about you?" he asks Ovasta as the big ork approaches, wiping his hands on his now thoroughly soiled attire. "Good haul?"</p><p></p><p>Ovasta shakes his head. "Nah, cheapskates must've drank all their nuyen....though it wasn't a complete loss."</p><p></p><p>"Oh?" Vlad asks as they load up into the van.</p><p></p><p>Ovasta slaps a bloody Buy 1 Get 1 Free coupon for The Greasy Ork: Pork Ribs And Fixings onto the dash between Vlad and Hayley, eliciting another gag from Hayley at the sight of an obese ork stuffing his face full of fried food and some kind of gravy.</p><p></p><p>"It's on me." Ovasta cackles through a drek-eating grin. "I can't be the only one that's hungry."</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Kidjake, post: 6747910, member: 6776876"] An unrelated one shot I ran shortly after the above game^, we referred to it as 'Young Love". Cast of Characters Vlad is a human with a pale complexion and dark hair, has a neatly trimmed beard and a head full of discrete cyberware. Prefers the Remington 950 Sniper Rifle. Functions as the team's Infiltrator and occasionally the face. Ovasta is an Ork with a fresh crew cut and twin sleeves of eye-catching tattoos, sporting everything from the traditional flaming skull to the classic hot lady making out with a flaming skull. Always carries an Ingram SMG and as much body armor as he can get away with. Serves as the team's primary muscle. Dwarf is, funnily enough, a dwarf with long graying hair and a scruffy beard. He functions as the team's tech support, though is neither a rigger nor decker, but still likes to get in close with his trusty Roomsweeper and katana when he gets a chance. Hayley is a slightly built human with short, light brown hair and the telltale twitch of wired reflexes. She carries an Ingram SMG though rarely looks forward to using it. Serves as the team's driver and backup muscle for when Ovasta isn't enough. Like most tales worth telling, this one started in a bar. The name isn't all that important, as all things considered it could have really been any bar, but this tale just so happened to start off in a run down dive out in the Barrens colorfully known as Tim's :):):):) and Tabs. It wasn't subtle, but delivered exactly what it promised and so proved exceedingly popular with the locals. Hayley turns her nose up distastefully as they enter the bar and glances at the rest of her team with a 'Really guys?' expression on her face. Ovasta grins broadly from ear to ear and pays her no mind while Dwarf holds up four fingers to the bartender and Vlad nods casually to a table near the back of the bar. At the table in question is a middle aged man wearing a conservative grey suit along with dark shades and a hat, as though they'll hide his identity. Vlad smiles to himself as Ovasta casually snatches a beer off the bar and asks "That our Johnson?" "What gave him away?" Dwarf asks with a bewildered shake of his head. "Amateur or not, his nuyen spends the same as anyone else's." Vlad reminds his judgmental teammates as they saunter over to their prospective employer with a warm smile. Mr Johnson looks at the four of them nervously before saying "I guess you're Mercurio's crew then? I mean of course you are, why else would you single me out....right?" "You guessed right chummer." Vlad says, putting the man's mind at ease. "We're here about the umm...[i]situation[/i] you need [i]situated[/i]." The man nods, and glances around nervously "Good, I was worried I'd missed you. The pay's eighty large." Ovasta coughs at the figure so hard that beer comes out of his nose and the rest of the group seem equally surprised. "Sounds fair." Vlad says quickly before the Johnson has time to rethink the figure, "Though we were led to believe that all you needed was a little intel gathering?" The Johnson nods. "I do, by the end of the week or it's useless." "So you're paying for expediency?" Hayley asks. The Johnson shakes his head. "I've hired four private investigators and they've all come up empty handed, I'm willing to pay a premium to get this done one way or another." Reaching into his pocket, Mr Johnson pulls out a wallet sized photo of a young lady in her mid 20's with long dark hair and painfully trendy clothes. He passes it across the table and Vlad notices that his hands are actually shaking. "This is my daughter." the man explains. "She recently has become enamored with a young elf that I fear is only using her for her money." "Easy enough fix." Ovasta says, cracking his knuckles. "Who's the chump?" "I only know him as Byron, I met him only once and briefly at that. Please don't hurt him, I'm afraid it'll only send her running to him that much harder." the Johnson says and actual fear is evident in his voice. Even Ovasta feels a pain of pity for the guy. "So where can we find him?" Hayley asks, getting back on track. "You know where he lives?" "I'll be meeting my daughter tomorrow for another handout, I'm positive he'll make sure she's there on time." the Johnson says bitterly. "If you got such a problem with this guy, why don't you just cut the girl off until she comes to her senses?" Dwarf asks with a disgusted shake of his head. "I tried that." the Johnson responds. "I cut her off for a month, but... A friend of mine caught her eating out of the trash. She'd rather scavenge than break things off. I've got to convince her he's using her before they run off together or something equally foolish! I can feel it coming..." "Don't worry." Vlad cuts in. "We'll tail your daughter's floozy and find the skeletons in his closet. You say the word, we'll even put some there." The Johnson nods and slides a credstick across the table to Vlad. "Here's ten grand up front for any expenses you might incur. She hasn't settled on a location yet, but I'll call you with the address once I know." Vlad nods and stands up to see the Johnson off. As soon as the man's out the door Ovasta snatches the credstick out of Vlad's hand and whoops. "Hot damn boys and girls," the ork chuckles. "Let's go get some toys!" It's 1am on the very edge of the Redmond Barrens when they pull up in front of a dingy pawnshop that doesn't even have a name, just a giant orange neon sign in the shape of an $ hanging out front. Of course, this far out in Redmond that's about all the locals can read anyway so it works out alright. The door chimes as it opens into a dusty room filled with junk, trash and 'antiques' and a fat dwarf with ridiculously bulky cybernetics sticking out of his face and sleeves sitting behind a counter. The dwarf manually adjusts a monocle like cybereye with a tarnished, oversized hand and beams broadly. Most know him as Retro, not just for his own stylishly outdated appearance but the fact that the majority of his merchandise could have easily belonged to the average runner's parents growing up. Dwarf throws a friendly hand up as he enters the store and glances around. "We're looking for a tracking device old man. Discrete, reliable and abvoe all cheap. Think you can help us out?" Retro hops off his stool stroking his chin and nods thoughtfully. "I think I just got something that's right up yer alley." he says, almost waddling into the back room. It takes him about 10 minutes and he waddles back out, in one hand he holds a pair of cylinders about the size of his thumb and a tablet the size of a man's hand. "This baby fits all yer needs. It adheres to most any surface, has a broadcast range of nearly sixty kilometers, completely foolproof and I could see letting go of the whole set at...oh, I dunno...eight hundred?" Retro says with a raised eyebrow. "Eight hundred?" Dwarf shouts indignantly. "For that hunk of scrap? I didn't realize it was made of gold!" "Hey, this is a classic piece of tech! I'd like to see YOU find a better deal ready on demand." Retro replies, narrowing his eyes. Dwarf starts to argue further but Vlad tosses the credstick to Retro and says they'll take it, before inquiring about renting a car while they're at it. They get out of there 1500 credits lighter all told, but considerably better prepared. "If this doesn't work, we're coming back!" Dwarf shouts as they head out the door. Retro laughs and throws up a hand. "You'll be back regardless." It's two in the afternoon when the Johnson finally messages the group a name: Luciia's Bistro. Vlad recognizes the place as an overly pretentious little joint in the Seattle Downtown area known for its steep prices, fabulous outdoor dining and low seating capacity. By the time they show up it seems like the Johnson's already been waiting for a while, sipping a soycaf and fidgeting irritably. Since the lunch rush is over and the daughter doesn't seem to have shown up yet Vlad gets himself seated and treats himself to a cocktail on the client's dime while the rest of the team scans the street. While everyone's getting situated a sporty little convertible pulls in front of the restaraunt, driven by a bleach blonde elf with fashionable tribal tattoos and shades. The client's daughter is seated next to him and climbs out as she's waved off dismissively before the elf pulls around the side of the building and out of sight of the Johnson. Vlad takes the opportunity to snap a few up to date pictures of the daughter with a cybereye and snoops in on their conversation with his enhanced hearing, though doesn't hear anything that he hasn't heard already. Meanwhile, Dwarf slips a chameleon suit on in the back of their rented van and Ovasta cracks a large grin as he saunters down the street towards the elf whistling casually. Byron looks up with annoyance as a burly ork stops next to him and leans against the side of his car boorishly. "Hoi chummer!" Ovasta says good naturedly. "Don't I know you?" he nearly shouts with a gratingly loud voice. "I seriously doubt it." the elf responds coldly. "And I don't have any change, so if you would..." "Nah, nah, nah." Ovasta says, waving the elf off as Dwarf sneaks up to the convertible's rear end. "Didn't you go to school around here? I think we had Calculus together." "That seems less likely." the elf replies, obvious irritation entering his voice. "I'm sure of it!" Ovasta shouts indignantly as he hears Hayley warn them that the girl is on the move. "Tell you what, let's hang out; relive the good times, you'll see. What are you doing tonight?" Mere seconds later the Johnson's daughter appears around the corner and rushes to the car without saying a word or even looking straight at Ovasta. The mooching elf cranks the car without acknowledging the ork any further and peels out. As he does so, Dwarf chuckles. "All set?" Ovasta asks as they jog back to the van. "Oh yeah, it's good to go." Dwarf assures his burly comrade. "Regroup guys and gals!" Ovasta booms over his commlink as he and Dwarf climb back into their rented van. By the time Vlad's made it across the street, Dwarf's already brought up their target's location and once they're confident the elf has enough of a head start to not notice them tagging along, Hayley starts the vehicle and follows a little over a kilometer behind. The elf's car stops briefly in front of a club called Beniro's and then pulls off once more. As the team casually pulls up a moment later, they notice that the Johnson's daughter sitting in front of the club with a pair of her friends, a blonde elf and a redhaired human, smoking and apparently waiting for the club to open. "Alright, get out Hayley." Vlad says with a jerk of his thumb. "What, why?" she demands indignantly. "Because we need someone to keep eyes on her while we tail the elf." Vlad replies. "Then one of you do it!" Hayley says. "I'm the wheelman, remember?" "We can't." Vlad explains, "She's most likely seen my face, Ovasta was already hassling her boyfriend and Dwarf, well...." Dwarf holds up his hands in a 'What're you gonna do?' gesture. "The young ladies just don't seem to appreciate me hanging around." She glances from one face to another and then sighs. "Fine." Vlad pats her on the back as she slides out the door. "Don't worry about it, it's not like we're going get into a high speed chase without you; we're just going to follow his signal from a few kilometers back." "Yeah, yeah..." Hayley grumbles, putting on a fake smile as she starts walking over to bum a smoke off the group of girls. "Have fun!" Ovasta calls out with a guffaw as the rest of the team leave her behind. The mark's signal leads further and further away, all the way out into the Puyallup Barrens as the rest of the team is left scratching their heads as to why anyone with two nickels to rub together would waste their time out here. They also discover from Hayley's snooping that the girls are pretty much just cruising the bar for 'guys that like to party'. This pleases Ovasta immensely, but Vlad forces the ork to keep his teasing to a minimum and suggests that Hayley stay put and have a drink until they've got an address to give her. She grudgingly agrees as the rest of the team slowly pull to a stop just up the road from the elf's now parked vehicle. It looks like it was once a nice neighborhood, many years ago and the remains of several honest to goodness mansions line the street; now run down and overgrown but still eyecatching in their own way. The only one that looks livable is the one that Byron seems to call home which seems to have had some work done recently. The convertible is parked on the street along with a pair of other similarly flashy cars. As Vlad's cybereye zooms in for a closeup he notices that the cars belong to yet another pair of lovely young ladies which the slimy elf greets with a more than friendly embrace. Vlad smiles to himself as his eye takes a series of photos to store for later but his smile fades as he realizes his enhanced hearing can't pick up what's being said from this distance. They quickly glance around the van before realizing that none of them bothered to bring any actual listening gear and despite their best efforts, they also realize that none of them can read lips; so they're left guessing as to what it is that the elf is saying to his lady friends. They don't have long to figure it out however, as Byron seems to be giving them directions and while both girls have a look of excitement on their faces as they rush to their vehicles and take off, Vlad can't figure out why. The elf himself walks into the house and spends almost an hour inside, long enough for the sun to set and Hayley to call and ask what the hell's going on, before exiting in a different suit than he went in with and seemingly refreshed. He walks back to his car with a literal skip in his step and leaps inside. Dwarf notes that the car nearly drags the ground when the elf hops in and comments that the suspension must be shot all to hell. When the elf too takes off, they debate on ransacking the house for anything incriminating; but Vlad points out that the house will still be here in a few hours. Ovasta and Dwarf agree that they'd like to find out what it is that the elf's up to. According to their tracker Byron is heading further into Puyallup, so they tell Hayley to hail a cab in their direction and they'll meet up with her. The rendevous eats up valuable time, but since the elf doesn't seem to be in much of a hurry they don't stress about it. By the time they've finally caught up with their target, it's 10pm and he's settled down out in the middle of nowhere. They park half a kilometer away and send Ovasta and Vlad in on foot to get a better view of things. Vlad's synched his ears and eyes up to some of Dwarf's gear so that he can broadcast what he sees and hears to the rest of the team and all four of them have pulled on dark tactical armor and matching masks. Vlad slings his rifle over his shoulder and he and Ovasta jog to what turns out to be an abandoned warehouse where Byron and a lady are helping a drunk frat boy out of a dark red Americar and inside. "Think he's their pimp?" Hayley inquires over the comm. "It'd certainly explain a few things..." Vlad agrees as he surveys the perimeter. "This place doesn't even have power, let alone a security system worth a damn. I'm going to get a better look." he says as he and Ovasta rush to the side of the building at a near sprint. Once they're out of sight, Ovasta gives Vlad a legup and the curious merc just barely manages to leap and grab the wide sil of an open window before hauling himself inside. Ovasta sneaks around to the side of the building and keeps an eye on the front. Inside the drunk and the lady are getting quite amorous and Hayley shouts "Boom, called it!" while outside Ovasta reports several more cars pulling up, two of which belong to the ladies Byron met at the mansion. "I don't know..." Ovasta responds. "Seems a little...social for a bunch of geese." "Hrm...well you ARE the expert." Hayley responds. "Damn right I am." Ovasta replies, killing his mic as yet another car pulls up; this one containing the Johnson's daughter and her friends from the club. As the ork slinks back around to the window he chuckles. "Oh, ho, ho...the client is NOT going to be happy about this. Daddy's little girl looks like she's riding double with one of her friends from the club and some drunk. Can we assume that hilarity is going to ensue?" As Ovasta takes a running start and leaps towards the window, Vlad leans out and catches his burly comrade's hand; hauling him inside. Once situated, Vlad lays flat on the dark catwalk above the warehouse proper to get a better view. The whole area is filled with broken and decaying crates lit with cheap tiki torches. A handful of chairs are scattered out and as the runners watch, six attractive girls lead three very drunk men to their very own special little corner of the warehouse for the time of their lives as Byron looks on, inhumanly pleased. Ovasta places a hand against his SMG, feeling something off about all this, but Vlad shakes his head and whispers. "Be cool, we don't need any trouble here." The ork nods, but doesn't move his hand. "It truly fills my heart with gratitude to see so many guests enjoying themselves for this, our most sacred of rites." Byron finally calls out in a deep, resounding voice. None of the men seem to even hear him, but all of the women seem to focus on the elf exclusively; barely keeping up their carnal farce. "Though...naturally we would have preferred a full house," Byron says and Vlad notes the look of shame that immediately hits several of the women, "We have nevertheless been more than blessed and should be thankful for what we DO have." In unison the women shout out words of thanks an appreciation, apparently aimed at Byron himself; the majority even have tears of gratitude in their feverish eyes. "Oh great..." Vlad hisses under his breath. "It's a fragging cult!" "Called it." Ovasta whispers from nearby. "You did not!" Hayley shouts over the comm. "Well I told you that they weren't whores, didn't I?" Ovasta replies before Vlad waves him silent. "As it would be sinful to waste our guests valuable time on mere pleasures of the flesh...let us begin the ceremony." the elf says with a flourish of his arm. Almost as one, the three pairs of women fall onto their male partners with a bestial frenzy. One woman bites their male in the throat as the second slams a knife into the base of each man's neck while they're still reeling from their initial assault. All four runners simply stare slackjawed as the Johnson's daughter licks her gore drenched lips while her partner in crime takes a turn biting into the man's flesh. Dwarf quickly turns away from the monitor in disgust and Hayley actually throws up in the van while she fumbles with the ignition. As Vlad and Ovasta look on in shocked horror the girls continue gorging themselves on the still twitching remains of their victims until most of them appear to be sick. The whole process takes only a few brief moments, but they're moments that will last the runners a lifetime. Byron approaches each woman in turn, showering affection on his deranged followers and tasting their victims on their lips though he miraculously manages to avoid smearing the gore on himself. Finally, Byron settles on the Johnson's daughter and smiles. She seems the least affected by the carnage and both Vlad and Ovasta surmise that she's been doing this the longest. "Sweet child." Byron says in a voice as smooth as silk. "I can see it in your eyes. It's time. Time for you to ascend, like your sisters before you." The Johnson's daughter gasps, actually awestruck by the declaration. "Me?" she nearly squeals. "You mean it?" Byron nods, placing a hand against the girl's back and leading her towards a darkened office by the front door. "I believe it's time. Don't you?" the elf asks, his smile somehow broadening. Vlad and Ovasta glance at each other and Ovasta chambers his weapon. The elf stops in his tracks at the sound and Vlad holds up a hand for Ovasta to be silent, but the ork snorts derisively. "We didn't want trouble, but we sure as hell found it." Ovasta says, slipping across the catwalk towards the office. "This ain't a fling, a few pictures ain't going to break 'em up. The drek is hitting the fan in t-minus 10...9..." "Just come out from up there, whoever you are." Byron shouts as he scans the darkness above him. "Don't skulk about like some thief. Have some backbone. At least have the common decency to-" The elf is suddenly interrupted by the front door exploding as the team's van plows through it, just barely sliding to a stop in time to keep from running over the Johnson's daughter and her murderous beau. Dwarf leaps out while the van's still moving, Roomsweeper in hand, and rolls directly in front of Byron before opening fire. The elf moves aside with a wholly unnatural speed however and the blast doesn't come close. Before Dwarf can even react the elf clocks him with a casual blow to the side of the face that feels like it came from a sledgehammer. Smiling through bloody teeth, Dwarf drops his gun and draws his sword into his hand. "Oh, we're going to dance pretty boy." he says viciously. Hayley opens fire from inside the van and the elf stumbles back a step, clutching his chest and flickering like a trid on the fritz. All of a sudden the elf has disappeared and white haired monstrosity more than a head and a half larger than Ovasta is standing before them; blood stains visible upon its face and claws and pieces of flesh still sticking out from between its teeth. The place where the beast was struck appears to have suffered a mere flesh wound, though enough to break its concentration and dismiss its illusion. As Dwarf gawks up at it the creature smiles and with a voice dripping with malicious glee says "Oh I agree, let's dance...pretty boy." The women shriek at the sight of their master's true form, however that brief glimmer of hope dies before it can even take hold as the team hears them shout "He's injured! They shot poor Byron!" as all six women charge Heyley, knives drawn and murderous shrieks in their throats. The Jonson's daughter is the first to take a swipe at Hayley and the runner easily dodges aside, right into the flailing blade of a second woman. Hayley grits her teeth as she stumbles backwards, glad to note the wound isn't life threatening...yet. Before the rest of the women can charge, Ovasta leaps from the catwalk between them an Hayley; opening fire into the group indiscriminately. Two women go down and the rest scatter behind cover. Vlad unslings his rifle and takes aim. Dwarf takes a swing at the revealed Wendigo with his blade, however 'Byron' simply bats the katana aside and slams a fist larger than the dwarf's head into his sternum; causing Dwarf to stumple back nearly vomiting blood. Hayley continues dancing around the insane women and opens fire at the wendigo with her SMG once again. She catches the creature in the side of the throat and it roars a curse in response. Ovasta unloads into another woman and two more tackle him while he's distracted, slamming their knives into his armored form until they draw blood. Vlad opens fire and one Ovasta's attackers collapses silently missing the majority of her head. The wendigo throws another wild blow at Dwarf but the stubby swordsman brings his blade up at the last second and severs the monster's arm outright at the elbow. It grips its bloody stump in shock and quickly shouts "You'll never get paid if you kill me...no, the girl. She has your money! Kill HER if you want to get paid." Dwarf grits his teeth as he fights the wendigo's control and tosses his blade to the side as he stammers into his commlink "H-he's messing with my mind! Some kinda magic. Vlad!?" A silent pop rings out and the wendigo falls over at Dwarf's feet, the majority of its head simply missing. Vlad's voice rings over the commlink "Dispelled. And you thought we should waste nuyen on a mage?" The three remaining women stop in their tracks and shout an earsplitting, mournful wail at the sight of their beloved monster falling dead. Before they can recover Hayley lunges forward and slams the Johnson's daughter with the butt of her SMG; knocking the girl out cold. Ovasta casually puts a pair of bursts into the remaining cultists. They're dead before they realize they've been shot. Vlad quickly climbs down from his perch and rushes over to where Hayley is securing the girl. He glances over just in time to witness Ovasta stripping the corpses of valuables. "You truly bring honor to our profession Ovasta." Vlad says with a sad shake of his head. "Not like they need it." Ovasta says with a dismissive shrug, putting another burst into one of the downed women to emphasize his point. "Now I know for a fact THAT one don't." While Ovasta loots the dead and dying and Vlad and Hayley secure the Johnson's daughter, Dwarf jimmies the door to the office and steps inside; nearly gagging from the stench. It's a slaughterhouse. Bloody meat hooks hang from the ceiling and a massive freezer attached to a gas powered generator (apparently out of gas judging by the smell) sits in the corner. Glancing inside, Dwarf discovers the butchered remains of at least three women; he assumes followers who had 'ascended'. With a shudder Dwarf slams the freezer shut and busts open the desk, finding just over ten thousand credits on a credstick and a briefcase full of papers signed by more than a dozen women leaving one of several of "Byron's" aliases large swathes of property. Tucking the briefcase under his arm, Dwarf makes his way outside where Vlad is already breaking the news to the Johnson. To Vlad's credit he's genuinely apologetic about how things turned out and doesn't ask for even a single extra nuyen in hazard pay or hush money, though that's of little comfort to a man who just received video of his daughter eating a man midcopulation. After the gagging has subsided, the Johnson instructs Vlad that the rest of their money will be waiting for them when they drop his daughter off. Vlad agrees and turns to Dwarf. "Anything worthwhile?" he asks. Dwarf nods and tosses Vlad the briefcase. "Ever wanted your own island out in Outremer?" the scruffy dwarf asks with a smirk. Vlad's eyes widen as he glances at a stack of properties that they and they alone know about with a smile. "How about you?" he asks Ovasta as the big ork approaches, wiping his hands on his now thoroughly soiled attire. "Good haul?" Ovasta shakes his head. "Nah, cheapskates must've drank all their nuyen....though it wasn't a complete loss." "Oh?" Vlad asks as they load up into the van. Ovasta slaps a bloody Buy 1 Get 1 Free coupon for The Greasy Ork: Pork Ribs And Fixings onto the dash between Vlad and Hayley, eliciting another gag from Hayley at the sight of an obese ork stuffing his face full of fried food and some kind of gravy. "It's on me." Ovasta cackles through a drek-eating grin. "I can't be the only one that's hungry." [/QUOTE]
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"Another Day, Another Dollar." A Shadowrun Campaign Journal
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