(D20 Modern) CORELINE: FIREWALLS: EPISODE 1 (IC)

[perrinmiller]

"Then I guess you are up for some waiting. These muñecos are armed up to the teeth." replies Garibaldi from the phone.

Caelin extends a claw by shapeshifting only his hand and taps a fang thinking, not sure what mewneykos are, but they probably don't have teeth like mine.

"Okay then, I haven't had breakfast yet so I'll get something to eat from the vendor over there. Your PDA has me registered now so ring me back if you need me." He cuts the connection to grab snack.

He takes the snack back to eat it while sitting on his bike and flipping through the screens on the PDA. He checks out the mission parameters that Mimi sent and, say what? investigation is not in my wheelhouse at all. Probably not the gangsters or the Keyton's either. We are all men of action.

He gives Mimi a ring on the PDA and in his most charming voice, "Hiya girl who is the barrier between the infected and the protected. What's the word? Any leads we can shakedown?"

 

[Herobizkit]

Seth gives Vicente a sidelong glance, wondering who the hell would be calling at such a time. He heard Vicente mention Firewall... didn't they already have him on a mission? Right now?

 

[marcoasalazarm]

OOC: Not sure what “something wrapped around him means”?? Also I found a few mistakes on my Char Sheet. It was minor, one of my skills was wrong.

OOC: I meant that something about him feels odd-even from a distance, and w/o any special senses. Although the proiferation of Fictions makes the 'feeling odd' thing to be easily dismissable in a crowd.

IC: ((((((((((((())))))))))

Caerlin sees a hot dog vendor on the corner, selling such things as 'oldie but goodie' dogs, gluten and tofu dogs, and genetically-modified dogs that have odd flavors like chocolate, bubblegum, pizza, inserted chilli and the like.

As for Caerlin contacting 'Mimi', she comes over the phone to advise:

"There is a lead you guys can use once you are done on City Hall. There's a gang, the Halloweeners, over on the Sound area. There are police reports of a few of them using a similar enhancement package."

'The Sound' is the river several miles away, where the main commercial freight district and several factories and warehouses lie. It is a contested area by the underworld, from organized Mafia to two-bit crooks gone mercenary.

 

[marcoasalazarm]

"You're a busy man, Colonel Maybourne, so I'll keep it brief." Seth steps forward to approach the NID official, pauses, then withdraws to a professional distance. "I've been hearing reports of a street drug that is causing the good human citizens of the U.S.A. to self-destruct. Rumor has it that there's a rogue agent procuring some 'unusual' resources that might involve DNA manipulation." Seth added emphasis on the word 'unusual', though he realized as soon as he said it that the word had lost all meaning given today's state of affairs.. "I've been sent to investigate any possible NID connections, or maybe you can point me in the 'right' direction..."

If Maybourne notices the 'Firewall' quip, he either doesn't cares or is hiding it well.

"Well, if it helps in any way... there were a few reports that passed my tabe this morning concerning the... shall we say, *insidious* activities by some gangs on the Sound area. Seems like one of them, the Halloweeners, is escalating big-time in the threat level, and a few of them had made some noise on the Internet about wanting to hurt Dr. Diggers."

Maybourne goes behind the desk and pulls out a folder, opening it on a specific page and showing it to Seth. Joined to the page there is a single picture:

"These guys are trouble. Bunch of gangers that just doesn't seems to die, no matter *what* comes after them. If they decided to stop playing nice..", he names an odd notion with his head to try to indicate the seriousness of it.

 

[perrinmiller]

Caelin gives a little purr, "Thanks babe. We'll take care of it," and he breaks the connection. While finishing his second shrimp and tuna flavored hot dog he considers, hmm, I bet the gangster might come in handy down there at 'The Sound'. He might know someone that can keep us from stepping into it with certain crowds while we go trick-or-treatin'.

He opens up the PDA again and connects into Firewall's databases, looking for some more pertinent intel on these Halloweenies. Maybe he can get some breakdown on gang territories or locations of the hangouts. Also any information on their income streams and businesses that they run. Looking for a good target to possibly capture a 'weenie' for interrogation.

He is a little worried about just charging into gang territory and wreaking havoc, this enhancement package might be bad news for me, if it cuts through my supernatural skin like silver does. Going head to head might be a fatal mistake. Perhaps a little finesse might be in order. Wonder what mister sunshine and the chain guy are finding out?

 

[marcoasalazarm]

(OOC: Sorry about the lateness).

Caelin's search and the NID file show the same thing: that the 'Halloweeners' are a gang, approximately 300 strong (and these are the confirmed 'affiliated, active' members, with several more in 'reserve' and still 'unaffiliated' that raise the number to an estimated 1,000), that have the territory covering the Pier 62/Pier 63 and Waterfront Park areas.

They are a smash-and-grab gang, running a number of enterprises from petty pick-pocketing and car theft to protection rackets, drug dealing and murder. They do not have much in the line of 'advanced firepower', instead relying on brute muscle, overwhelming numbers and blitzkrieg tactics. The police and other local gangs have come down hard on the gang and (supposedly) wiped it out repeatedly, but the gang has always come back from the dead.

Undercover cop reports show that the Halloweeners have recently started to sell drugs and contraband on the south side of Waterfront Park, in pretty large numbers. Most probably to finance the augmentations.

 

[perrinmiller]

Caelin looks over the information, hmmm. Maybe we should do a smash and grab ourselves and snatch a weenie dealer South of Waterfront Park. Will have to be quick and at the edge of their territory.

He looks over at City Hall wondering if the other two guys have finished up and are heading out yet.

 

[Herobizkit]

"Seems as good a lead as any, Colonel. Thanks."

Seth gave Maybourne a quick salute, followed by a thumbs up for irony's sake.

"Sounds like..." Seth began. He quickly realized that the Sound pun was delivered too soon, and so he lamely finished, "We're heading to the Sound area." He sighed loudly, making his lameness all the more obvious.

"Who's your girlfriend, slick?" Seth asked Vicente, pointing at his handheld.

 

[Voda Vosa]

"Our girlfriend, it seems. Another of those mysterious I-speak-in-code lads." the gangster gives a tired look at the phone. "If I knew redemption would require so much patience, I'd had gladly walked to hell instead."
If there is nothing to do inside the hall, and if the sensual doctor Diggers can't be seen, then Garibaldy will go outside to meet with the third member of the newly formed group.

 

[Herobizkit]

Seth sighs. "Another lad, huh. When is Firewall gonna start sending us hot Asian schoolgirls?"

Seth and Vicente leave the Colonel's office and head outside to meet their new teammate. Seth lightly elbows Vicente and says, "Let's hope this guy has skills besides punching people in the face. We're crappy investigators."