Megiavelli
Machiavelli stood in the apartment, frowning under his mask. This place was no longer secure. Marco had gotten lucky when he'd chased the looters off earlier today and, while it was unlikely those same looters would be returning, others might well.
No, he needed someplace else to store his clothing. His new hide-out might serve, but it wasn't as secure as he'd like either. He would have to keep an eye open for opportunities.
Another item on his ever-lengthening to-do list.
At least the one he had planned next would be entertaining, he thought, as he held one of the items the looters had tried to get away with. It would take him right to them, and he would gain some more lieutenants for tonight's excursion.

Wellwick|GM
He'd emptied the bag out so it was easy to move, but it was a matter of whether he wanted to carry it on his back or try to scrunch it down and keep it concealed.
It had only been 4 or so hours since Marco's encounter with them, but from what he could tell from his tracking power, they didn't seem to be moving around much.
It was time to head out.

Megiavelli
Concealment took priority, of course. He did not particularly feel like signalling the connection between himself and the man they'd attempted to rob earlier in the day. At least not from the start.
He exited the same way he had the past few nights, avoiding any prying eyes on his way to the street, before he began following the pull.

Wellwick|GM
Having ripped a badge that had been pinned into the bag free, he kept it hidden and accessible, so that he could keep track of where the pull was taking him.
It was starting to get darker, so he knew he would need to be quick if he wanted to get back to his hideout and meet up with the kids again. The problem was that his power was dragging him south and even as he trudged through the streets, the direction wasn't changing massively.
    ROLL: "Tactics" [6] (4) (2) +1 = 7
He tried to visualise the city in his head, and how the pull would indicate where the looters would be. The lines were drag him far down in the city, further than he'd been. He got the sense they were near the river, somewhere, which meant they were on the border of Les Ailes and De Krachtstam territory.

Megiavelli
Well, he was going to have make contact with Les Ailes at some point, so he might as well have a look at how they ran their territory. It was unfortunate, as far as the timing went. He'd have less time with the looters than he might have liked, so he would have to be quick.
Still, it wouldn't do to be seen running, even if he picked up the pace.

Wellwick|GM
The gunfire of before had gone silent. There was the occasional looter on the street, but for the most part things had quietened down, ominously so.
Machiavelli moved through the streets quickly, his boots splashing against slushy snow. It was unfortunate that he needed to cut right through the centre of De Krachtstam's territory, but he didn't see any active capes, fortunately for him.
It wasn't long before he was crossing a train track and the tug nearly pulled him through an industrial area.
He was a little hesitant to move through it. He'd heard that a lot of people took up refuge in the area when they had nowhere else to go, and it became a bit of a free-for-all because of it.
They saw a cape coming through, they probably wouldn't react compassionately. Machiavelli could work his way around, or he could push through, deal with anyone who made an appearance.

Megiavelli
Machiavelli was about 50-50 on success with overconfident civilians, at this point, and he did not particularly feel like flipping a coin for every person in the area to see whether he would get stabbed again.
He would move around until he had some back-up.

Wellwick|GM
He took the slower, more cautious option, but he was lucky enough to avoid any confrontations. By the time he was actually crossing the river, dusk was fast approaching.
Crossing the river, he turned East, following the drag of the badge. Whoever owned the bag was close now, he could tell.
He walked a street with a field of snow to his left, the slowly flowing river just beyond that. There was, surprisingly, the occasional car on the road. He was glad for the coming darkness, since he got a few looks out of the car.
It was worrying, since Les Ailes members may well get reports of a cape, which wasn't what he wanted to be dealing with right now. He had other priorities.

Megiavelli
His name would spread eventually, but timing was crucial there, as well. It would be best not to get too much attention too quickly.
Still, a few whispers about a mysterious cape could well work to his advantage. He smiled to himself as he approached his target.

Wellwick|GM
He heard shouting as he approached one of the buildings. A woman's voice, frustrated, the words hard to pick out.
    ROLL: "Pay attention." [3] +1 = 4
Figuring out where it was coming from wasn't too hard, a block of flats with a cramped balcony per room. Broken windows made it look like a lot of the rooms were hardly habitable, but he could tell that there would be people inside.
The slow pan of the badge's tug told him what he already expected. This was the place.
They were on the second or third floor, he could already tell.

Megiavelli
Good, that had been easier than expected. Now all he had to do was find a way inside so he could make his appearance. Preferably, they'd only see him once he was already in their doorway, but he'd have to find a door he could open, first.

Wellwick|GM
From a distance, he could spot a couple of younger people, smoking in the front entryway to the building. He doubted they would be able to or even want to alert his three prizes, but they might stir up enough attention at his presence that he wouldn't have the element of surprise on his side.
They hadn't spotted him yet, or at least, they hadn't recognised him as a cape. Maybe he could sneak around the back of the building, find an emergency fire escape.

Megiavelli
The back of the building it was, then. It would be a little undignified, but it was worth maintaining the element of surprise over.

Wellwick|GM
As he worked his way around the building, he got a better sense of the exact position in the building they were. He was pretty confident they were towards the front, on the third floor.
Better that way he imagined. Wouldn't do for them to think it safe to jump.
He found the door he had been looking for, but was frustrated there was a handle he couldn't pull on from the outside. The glass of the door was broken though and he could see the bar that he needed to push.
    ROLL: "Dex is alright" [4] = 4
Machiavelli reached through the gap in the window, cautious of slicing his arm. He pushed back on the inside handle and the door pushed open. Retracting his hand just as carefully, he finished pulling the door open from the outside.
Finally he was inside. And conveniently, right beside a staircase.

Megiavelli
Such good fortunes were befalling him today. He ascended the staircase.

Wellwick|GM
He heard the shouting a little more clearly when he reached the third floor. He didn't recognise the woman's voice, but it was joined by a man's. He could imagine the "Sorry" from earlier in the day matching to it reasonably well.
He navigated the hallways, keeping an eye out for any neighbours who might be poking their nose in.
He followed the dragging all the way to a doorway, which seemed to be where the shouting was coming from.

Megiavelli
It seemed like they were still in some distress about their earlier encounter. That could be interesting to leverage. For now, though, he had to strike a first impression.
He squared his shoulders and straightened his shoulders as he calmly strolled towards the door, hands folded behind his back. He didn't dally too much, though; he was curious to see the state of things.

Wellwick|GM
Machiavelli rapped against the door three times.
The room beyond fell silent.
He waited a few moments, hearing footsteps approaching the door. A man, young, shoulder length dirty blond hair opened the door, wide enough that Machiavelli could see into the room.
Inside, he could see the older man from the looting and the woman he had seemed to be arguing with, another person Machiavelli didn't recognise. Beyond them was Greta, who was just standing from a sofa and the brunette who had been keeping lookout at his place earlier in the afternoon.

Megiavelli
Excellent. Now, he could enter by force, use his power to make them comply, but it would be messy, and he'd be scrambling to keep up with their various efforts to deny him and his commands, in the same way Marco had, earlier.
And Machiavelli did not scramble.
"Good evening, ladies, gentlemen," he told the assorted group of five, "my name is Machiavelli. May I come in?"

Wellwick|GM
"What the fuck?" the woman who was arguing with the old man said. "No, you get the fuck out of here, right the fuck now."
She practically shrieked at him. Seemed like she was already on edge from the argument. Darker hair, Machiavelli couldn't tell if it was black or a dark brown, bunched up behind her head. She looked strict in the pointedness of her cheekbones and expression. Machiavelli could imagine her treating even those close to her with aloofness.

Megiavelli
Machiavelli promptly ignored her outburst, turning instead to the familiar faces of the older man, Greta and the other woman. "It has come to my attention that some members of this family have what some might call sticky fingers," he spoke.
"Others would call it an enterprising spirit. I am here to make use of it."

Wellwick|GM
"Use of it-" the older man said, anger dawning on his face. "That's enough. Lucas, get him."
With that, the man who had opened the door was grasping for Machiavelli, trying to pull him into the room and down to the ground.
    ROLL: "Grabby" [5] = 5

Megiavelli
That was definitely not happening. "Turn left," he told Lucas, aiming to make his grab attempt as awkward as possible.
    ROLL: "Resist" [5] = 5

Wellwick|GM
Despite his power flowing through the centre of his words, Lucas managed to push it off, seizing a hold of Machiavelli and pulling him into the room, tackled to the ground.

Megiavelli
Well, this was unnecessarily rude. He looked at the older couple. "Is this how you treat all your guests?" he asked, unconcerned. Presentation was everything, after all.
While he picked himself up off the ground, he kept an eye out for the follow-up attack. A kick, probably. He'd be ready for it.

Wellwick|GM
"Asshole like you, you're definitely no guest," the woman responded.
Lucas did move in for the kick, but Machiavelli was easily ready for it.

Megiavelli
Machiavelli looked at him and said: "Punch me." He'd get caught between wanting to do two different, yet similar things, and no matter the outcome, blocking it would be easier.
    ROLL: "Change the attack" [1] = 1

Wellwick|GM
Even halfway through the kick, Lucas started swinging his fist towards Machiavelli, trying to hit him. He clipped Machiavelli, but it was a weak hit as hits go, with little force behind it.
Lucas staggered backing, looking confused.
The old man and Greta were moving in closer now. Machiavelli was quickly getting outnumbered
"I don't see how you thought this was a good plan," the old man said, nearly in Machiavelli's reach.

Megiavelli
"And yet, you pulled me in, rather than close the door," Machiavelli said, as he stood up, the hit barely even fazing him. "And initiated hostilities. Rude."
He addressed the man, next, as he stepped up to him. "Step left," he ordered, which would delay him and put him in Greta's path. Lucas would probably be ready to take another swing at that point and he'd be ready for that, too.

Wellwick|GM
The old man took the step without even thinking, getting right in Greta's path.
"Get out the way Ivan," Greta said, trying to get around him.
Ivan's eyes spread wide, realising what he had done.
    ROLL: "Wait a second..." [5] = 5
"Wait-" Ivan quickly put the pieces together, Machiavelli's power, what had happened earlier... "You're- This is the guy we were looting earlier! He's got fucking powers, Marl."
Lucas had taken the chance to lunge at Machiavelli again and was already halfway through the motion.

Megiavelli
Machiavelli took a step back, putting himself right in Lucas' face as he spoke. "Swing wild." A wild swing like that would leave his fist too far out front to really hurt him, and his upper arm was hardly that much of a concern.
    ROLL: "Resist!" [6] -1 = 5

Wellwick|GM
Another failure on his powers front. Machiavelli internally huffed. Lucas was angry at missing his bullish charge, but at the very least he was no longer trying to wildly lash out. He seemed smart enough, at the very least, that he didn't want to go all out on a cape who seemed to have a degree of control over him.
Greta and Lucas were now both close enough to hit Machiavelli now, and he was a little worried about getting surrounded.

Megiavelli
"His power, yes," Machiavelli agreed, "but not him." That should be confusion enough.
"Now, step back, all of you," he ordered. "Or I might have to stop being civil."
    ROLL: "Resist" [6] = 6 :: [2] = 2

Wellwick|GM
Everyone apart from Marlene took a step back and all of them looked bewildered. A couple of them, Lucas and the lookout from before looked afraid.
"What the fuck," Marlene said. "You-"
"He can control us. You have to stop him from talking," Ivan said panicked, "quick, cover your ears."
Machiavelli saw the hands going up, knew he only had a second

Megiavelli
He rolled his eyes behind his mask. "Hands in the air," he said.
    ROLL: "Marlene can't hear yoooouuuu" [1] = 1
    ROLL: "Well Lucas definitely can't" [5] -1 = 4

Wellwick|GM
Ivan, the one giving the instruction, was just quick enough to the draw to have his ears covered before Machiavelli's instruction was issued. Lucas, again, resisted.
Frustrating.
Greta didn't let her raised hands stop her from attacking though, kicking out at Machiavelli.
    ROLL: "Kicky" [1] -1 = 0
    ROLL: "Pathetic" [4] = 4
Unfortunately, her raised hands through her balance off and she crashed to the ground, completely missing him.
    WOUND: [Leg] [Any 2] Bashed: Knocked 10' away and back. STAGGERED.
She moaned in pain, landing weirdly on the leg that had been extended. She couldn't even reach down to her legs, her hands still up in the air.

Megiavelli
"Now don't you just feel silly?" Machiavelli admonished. "Rub your leg a little, Greta."
"I understand the men of the family are a little hard of hearing, but are the rest of you willing to hear my offer? I do have other places to be tonight." He'd have to be ready for Lucas to kick him with his knee, but any attacks would be awkward with the way he was holding his hands.

Wellwick|GM
"Fuck, you," Marlene said, breathing heavily, clearly trying to get her hands to come down.
Lucas came at Machiavelli yet again, ears covered.
Meanwhile, Greta rubbed against her leg, using both hands on the uninjured leg, using the leverage to push herself slowly to her feet again.

Megiavelli
There was nothing clever to do this time around, he'd just have to block the attack himself.

Wellwick|GM
He deflected the flying foot, knocking him back into a standing stance, spinning around again just as Ivan kicked out.
    ROLL: "Guts" [2] = 2
Ivan kicked out, Machiavelli trying desperately not to get caught.
    ROLL: "Stampy-man" [1] = 1
    ROLL: "Guts" [5] = 5
Machiavelli braced himself against the boot and winced as the hit connected, but was at least glad that he hadn't got a proper hit in against his ribs or something else important.

Megiavelli
That would leave a mark on his costume, which did not make him feel better. He was actually starting to get vaguely annoyed. "Greta, sit down," he said, his voice a little terse. "If you would stop attacking me, I might actually have left already."
This time, he stepped up into Ivan's face, getting too close for comfort without actually attacking him, and getting ready for the man to strike out at him. He could probably yell and get through it, but, again, image was important.
    ROLL: "Present!" [6] (1) (3) = 6

Wellwick|GM
Greta sat down, hard. She scowled at Machiavelli as she did so, still rubbing the wrong leg.
    ROLL: "Shake-it-off" [3] -1 = 2
Marlene looked red in the face, trying to bring her arms down, but she wasn't having any success.
She let out a huge breath, then shouted, "Maria, get Lucas and Ivan clear, now."
She turned her attention to Machiavelli as the brunette scuttled across the room in the moments before Lucas and Ivan lashed out again.
"You," she said, and her face was etched with fury. "You don't say another word, or-" she cut herself off, clearly realising she shouldn't reveal her plan to someone who could quite literally control her. Or maybe she just didn't have an idea what she would do.
"Just get out, now, and don't, give us, commands," she said between breaths, straining her arms.
Ivan kicked out again before the brunette could get to him, deaf to Marlene's commands, and Machiavelli intercepted him again.
    ROLL: "Don't want to see your face, turn around." [1] = 1
Machiavelli deflected the knee with his forearm, knocking it back down, and Ivan stumbled back a bit.
Damn, all this blocking was going to be leaving him stinging for a while.
Maria ushered Lucas back and he nearly lashed out. Clearly, he didn't know if Maria was being controlled, and he probably wouldn't until he had some security as well.

Megiavelli
Machiavelli turned to face Marlene, an amused smile on his face behind the mask. "Not even one to give you back control over your arms?" he asked, a slight hint of teasing in his voice.

Wellwick|GM
"Shut the fuck up," she all but screamed at him, cutting in early enough that she probably didn't even hear the tail end of his sentence. Machiavelli could read it in her, plain as day. She was terrified, she had no control, she couldn't deal with this.
"Go, go, get the fuck out of here," she yelled, moving towards him, still struggling with her arms, "get out, OUT!"

Megiavelli
He rolled his eyes again. What was she going to do to him, at this point? Still, he casually turned away and took a few steps towards the door, waiting for Lucas to step out of the way. "Lower your arms," he said, on the way. "And I apologise for the inconvenience."

Wellwick|GM
Lucas was half focused on him, half focused on Maria, but he moved clear of the exit.
When Marlene and Maria's hands lowered, Machiavelli looked for the appeasement in Marlene's expression. It wasn't anywhere to be found. She still looked nothing but furious.

Megiavelli
Machiavelli took a moment to brush some of the dirt off the front of his costume, where he'd been kicked earlier, before making his way to the door and opening it. Would Ivan let him go, or would the man attack him anyway? If he were reasonable, he'd just let him leave, but then, none of these people had been particularly reasonable, thus far.

Wellwick|GM
He heard someone spit behind him, a gross, crass sound.
Machiavelli passed through the doorway unimpeded and glanced back. The group was staying where they were, everyone glaring except from Maria, who only looked afraid.
Looking around the hallway, he spotted a few of the neighbours looking out in the hallway at the commotion. Seeing Machiavelli, they ducked back inside.

Megiavelli
Well, he had a bit of an audience, so a slight bow to the family that had let him leave so gracefully was in order, even if he had to grit his teeth throughout. He didn't wait to see their reaction as he made his way back down, head still held high.

Wellwick|GM
No one stopped him. He was back out of the building within a minute, snow beneath his boots.

Megiavelli
This time, he took the front door, to see if any of those stoners were still around. Not ideal, but it'd have to do.

Wellwick|GM
They were, two of them, mooching in the cold. He wondered why they were out here, but at the same time he didn't much care.
One of them spotted Machiavelli when he opened the door and nudged his friend. They looked at him with wide eyes, but said nothing. The stink of smoke permeated the spot.

Megiavelli
He gave them a once-over. Definitely not grade-A material, but he had to work with the tools he had at his disposal. "Follow me, if you would? I have something interesting for you to do."
    ROLL: "Resistance" [4] [2] = 4, 2

Wellwick|GM
One of the smokers nodded, the other frowned at him. "Follow you? We getting paid for a job or something?"

Megiavelli
"There will be food and other supplies for a job well done, yes," he answered. "Come, I'll explain along the way."
    ROLL: "Resist again" [5] = 5

Wellwick|GM
"Nah nah, I'm not gonna follow you without something we can agree upon in advance," the disagreeable one said. "For all I know, you're gonna consider a job well done as beating up a dozen kids and payment being a lollipop or something. What do you want us doing anyway?"

Megiavelli
"We will not be hurting anyone," he answered. "I will be leading an expedition into Sterro's tunnels, and you will be running at the first sign of danger."

Wellwick|GM
"Fucking Sterro," the other smoker said. "You serious?"
His friend cut him off. "Look, I'm sorry, but we're really not equipped for something like that."

Megiavelli
Machiavelli turned around to look at them. "Tell me, what would you say are your biggest strengths?"
    ROLL: "Resist" [3] = 3

Wellwick|GM
A little bit of his power pushed the guy to answer, just little enough that he probably wouldn't even notice the control.
"Dude, I dunno," he said. "I guess I'm decent enough at woodworking, but I don't know what that's got to do with anything."

Megiavelli
He nodded. "And how would you feel at serving as lookout?" he asked.

Wellwick|GM
"Uhm- I'm still getting paid here, right?" he asked, uncertain. "'Cause I guess I'd be fine with that."

Megiavelli
"Only if the expedition succeeds, but yes, that is the plan," he said, before turning around and walking back to his headquarters. "Tell me your names."

Wellwick|GM
"Robert," the defiant one answered, holding out his hand like it was a matter of course. He seemed a bit put out at how much Machiavelli expected him to follow him, but it was somewhat in Machiavelli's nature.
The other one tossed his cigarette into the snow, rubbing his arms with his hands. "Brandon," he said, giving a nod to Machiavelli. He seemed more focused on staying warm than being polite. He wasn't wearing a coat.

Megiavelli
Well, he was getting somewhere with them both, then. "Brandon, tell me, what's your biggest strength?"

Wellwick|GM
"Rubix cube in under twenty seconds," he answered proudly and immediately. Clearly he'd been thinking about the question ahead of time.
"Dork," Robert said, nudging him and laughing a little. He tossed his cigarette as well. "Man, I thought we were just gonna turn in early for the night."
"It's only," Brandon glanced at his watch, "6. We'll have plenty of time."
Reminded of the time, Machiavelli took in the darkness. The sun had pretty much completely set now, casting long shadows along the valley.

Megiavelli
"You have my word that you will be back in time for a good night's sleep."

Wellwick|GM
Machiavelli led his new followers through the streets, back to the bar where the kids were waiting. Towards the end of their journey, they spotted a block of flats where the highest floor was lit up on fire. People were scattered around the outside of the building, whooping and cheering, tossing glass bottles.
Some people were only huddling on the ground, giving the sense that at the very least, the people on in the inside had been evacuated. There weren't any panicked shouts, just people being angry, violent and taking it out on the city.
"Jesus," Robert said, taking in the sight, "I hope everyone got out of there okay." The fire certainly looked to be burning out. It was odd, the way it flickered in the same tone as the setting sun, how it would most likely burn itself out with the daylight.
"People have managed worse," Brandon said, more sombre than Machiavelli had heard him to this point.
They were only a few short streets from his temporary base.

Megiavelli
Machiavelli strode confidently, a step ahead of his two recruits. He quirked an eyebrow at the sight of the burning building, shaking his head a little. Destroying their own infrastructure for no gain other than a small relief. Barbaric.
Barbaric and worrisome. He'd have to put a stop to this at some point, but today he had bigger fish to fry. He nodded along with Brandon's words. "Remind me of this building after we're done for the night," he ordered. "I want to see if there's something that needs to be done."

Wellwick|GM
Brandon responded with a softly spoken, "okay."
They passed along the shattered glass of the bar, and Machiavelli glanced inside, the five kids (including Milo) inside, chatting. They were sitting on the tables and bar, rather than the booth seats.
Brandon and Robert had yet to spot them, and he wondered briefly how he was going to play the introduction of the kids.

Megiavelli
Machiavelli stopped just outside the bar and turned around to face his two new recruits. "Stop," he told them both. "Inside are my previous recruits. They are younger than you. I hope this will not be a problem." He made sure that in no way sounded like a plea.

Wellwick|GM
Robert frowned while Brandon raised his eyebrows, performing a seesaw motion between their brows. Neither said anything, so Machiavelli stepped inside, which gained the attention of the children.
Machiavelli had met Milo's friends just the previous evening. He'd been excited to introduce all of them, especially an excitable kid called Pico, who seemed to be his best friend.
There was Lily who was one of the biggest and oldest of the group, as well as messy boy named Richie, who didn't seem to have bathed in weeks.
Emma rounded out their little group, and it often seemed like she was their leader, despite being small, a pixie like blonde, no more than 10 years old. She made up for it all with her bossiness, which Machiavelli had seen Milo turn into a much grumpier side of the girl, when he jokingly picked on her.
They'd been reasonably well behaved considering they didn't have much reason to trust Machiavelli.
"-because we're meant to share," Richie finished saying, just as the kids noticed their arrival. Milo slid off the bar when he spotted them coming in, a small white stick the remnants of a single piece of candy left on the counter.
"Hi," he said, a lot of brightness and childish spirit, with a sprinkling of exhaustion which was a symptom of the city. He smiled at Machiavelli.

Megiavelli
"Milo," Machiavelli greeted him with a respectful nod. "Is everything alright here? I picked up Brandon and Robert earlier tonight, and they will be assisting us."
He was most curious about how the two adults responded to seeing this. If they started shooting each other awkward glances, he'd have to do something about it.

Wellwick|GM
"Everything's good," Milo said, which Emma frowned at a little, "sir."
At Milo's formalism, Pico let out a laugh, and a few of the other kids giggled. Machiavelli made sure to observe the two adults with him and while both seemed a little uncomfortable with the kids, neither outright said anything.
"Hi, everyone," Robert said, gaining the attention of the kids.
Emma skipped over to him and stuck out a hand. "Nice to meet you."
"We're going back tonight?" Milo asked. He looked a little worried, but not scared. He seemed to trust Machiavelli at the very least

Megiavelli
Machiavelli nodded. "In a moment," he told Milo. "I have to talk to Brandon and Robert for just a moment."
He turned to face the two of them, his voice all business. "You have concerns," he said. "Speak. Best I address them now than when we're already at work."

Wellwick|GM
"They're young," Robert said after shaking Emma's hand and watching her walk away. He kept his voice down so that the kids couldn't hear him. "It's not safe for me and Brandon to go down into those tunnels, so it's definitely not safe for the kids. You're going in there alone?"

Megiavelli
Machiavelli shook his head. "They are my eyes and ears. They know how to keep hidden, and their first priority is to ensure their own safety. They are safer around me than anywhere else in the city, as I am certain you've realised from the building we've just passed."
He sighed. "I assure you they will not come to harm, and should it actually come to a confrontation, I will be the only one facing down Sterro, with the rest of you evacuating."

Wellwick|GM
"I- uh, okay, fine. As long as they are safe." Robert didn't look happy, but he wouldn't get in the way.
    ROLL: "Wits!" [5] +1 = 6
Pico had snuck up on the adults, creeping into one of the booths and used the tables for cover. When he jumped up and shouted "Boo!" both Brandon and Robert flinched back, Brandon yelping in surprise. Machiavelli had spotted him sneaking over, and managed to control the shock impulse, but he had to say that Pico's childish cackles seemed to be easing some of Robert's worries.

Megiavelli
Looking unflappable was an important part of his appearance, so that worked out well. Not to mention that Pico's arrival was a wonderful opportunity.
"Pico, tell Robert and Brandon what we did last night." He was fairly certain that would assuage their worries entirely.

Wellwick|GM
"Uhm, well Milo brought us here and we met up with you and then we went out to go in the tunnels but they were- there were lots of soldiers around and you said that it was not safe so we should all go home and we would try again tonight instead," Pico finished with a quiet, giant exhalation. His eyes buzzed with energy and he looked up at Machiavelli earnestly, like he was waiting for approval.

Megiavelli
"Thank you, Pico," Machiavelli responded, approvingly. "Tell Emma to get everyone together. We're leaving in a minute."
He turned towards the two men. "Satisfied?"

Wellwick|GM
Pico smiled and nearly tripped over himself running back to the others.
"Hey, I'm fine with it," Brandon said, a slight smile on his face after the shock. Robert nodded at Machiavelli.

Megiavelli
Machiavelli nodded. "Good. If you see the children running away, you ensure their safety first, and your own second, am I clear?"

Wellwick|GM
That seemed to put Robert much more at ease, even though Machiavelli was asking them to potentially put themselves in danger. "Of course."
Emma and Milo had led the rest of the kids over, and they were gathering up with the adults. Brandon traded names with the kids, and Robert followed suit.

Megiavelli
That would have to do. He was putting himself in a lot of danger at the moment, but his power currently made him the only one suited to an actual fight, and it was important to build up loyalty amongst his lieutenants, even outside of his power's hold. The last thing he needed was all his people turning on him the moment a power-nullifier entered the mix.
And later on, once he had more combat-capable lieutenants, he could focus on grander strategies, without having to put himself in the vanguard.
"Follow me," he said, as he headed outside, once again glad his costume covered his full body against the cold. "Children, spread out. Stay in my sight and tell me when you see any soldiers," he ordered. "Stay safe."

Wellwick|GM
They made good progress through the mostly empty streets.
People were clearly playing it safe, doing their best to avoid the fighting and riots of earlier in the day. The kids stayed spread out, some out ahead, a couple at the back. Richie stayed nearby to Machiavelli, while Milo took the lead.
Pico chucked a snowball at one point which Lily responded to in kind, but it didn't escalate to a full blown fight. Brandon and Robert were quiet, seeming to take the thing a lot more serious with every passing minute. Maybe they were just conscious of the responsibility they had taken on, or maybe they were starting to realise they could be at home, on sofas and staying warm.

Megiavelli
It was good that they were taking this seriously, at least. If Machiavelli was going to keep the two of them on for a longer term, he would need them to be able to handle this kind of pressure.
Even if he was seriously considering letting them serve as handymen instead of field agents.
"Should you ever need to run," Machiavelli said, to the two of them, "regroup at the headquarters. If I don't join you after half an hour, go home."
He let that sink in for a moment. "Any questions, before we arrive?"

Wellwick|GM
The adults stayed silent. Richie raised his hand though.

Megiavelli
"Yes, Richie?"

Wellwick|GM
Machiavelli already got the sense that the question was inane from the look on Richie's face. "Milo said that he got that big lollipop while he was with you and he wouldn't share it! Can we go see the strange man and get more?"

Megiavelli
"I will make no promises," Machiavelli said, his tone grave, "But I will see what I can do."

Wellwick|GM
Richie looked solemn and nodded, like this was the most serious matter in the world.
It seemed this night was a little luckier for Machiavelli. When they finally did reach one of the giant holes in the ground that led into Sterro's tunnel network, there was no soldiers crawling at the entrance.
Nighttime was fast approaching now, but the darkness below looked far from inviting.

Megiavelli
Evidently the soldiers were otherwise occupied. Good. "I am assuming the both of you are still interested in being lookouts," he said to Robert and Brandon, all the while peering into the hole to see how far his regular eyesight took him.

Wellwick|GM
He was starting to get his night eyes, but he might well need some source of light down in the tunnels.
"Yeah, but it's going to get cold, so we might want to try and get into one of the buildings out here," Robert said, indicating one of the block of flats that faced out onto the road that Sterro had torn open.
"What- what exactly are we looking out for as well?" Brandon asked. "And do you have a radio or something that you want us to use to get in contact?"

Megiavelli
Machiavelli was glad Marco had stopped that raid earlier in the day. It left him with a few options in the here and now. The flashlight was, of course, an invaluable addition to this expedition.
Marco had bought the radios on a whim, once. Phones were reliant on notoriously bad reception, and he had wanted to stay in contact with Naomi anyway. It had not done him much good in that regard, but they came in handy now.
He handed one of them to Brandon. "You will keep an eye out for soldiers and capes. If you see them enter the hole, contact me immediately, if they simply take position around it, wait for my check-in before telling me."
"I will be checking in every five minutes or so, until our reception dies. If I check back in on our way out, I want to know what happened in the meantime, are we clear?"

Wellwick|GM
"Sounds fine to me," Brandon said, flicking the radio on. Machiavelli did the same, and a quick burst of static confirmed they were connected.
"Where are we going?" Milo asked, as the kids formed up on the group, so everyone could hear Machiavelli a little easier.

Megiavelli
Machiavelli took the flashlight, clicked it on and shone it into the hole. "We are going down, and it is very important that you keep your voices down, do you understand?"
"If I say 'run', you immediately run outside together and find Robert and Brandon."

Wellwick|GM
"Okay," Emma said, drawing up to her full height (which even on Machiavelli, wasn't much higher than his waist). "We're ready."
The six of them broke away from the adults, heading towards the tunnels. Machiavelli watched as the two made their way into the building, checking through which windows would work best, before deciding to head to a higher flaw. Robert made eye contact again, but it was past time that they made their way below.

Megiavelli
Machiavelli gave the two of them another nod, before he followed the children. "Emma," he said, holding out the flashlight. "Take this. It is your responsibility, and I am relying on you, understood?"

Wellwick|GM
She nodded, pointedly ignoring a frown from Milo at having been picked.
The darkness quickly swallowed them up as the tunnel sloped downwards for a good fifty metres before it took a turn. The tunnel was at least seven foot high, and wide enough that four of the kids could stand side by side, but there was some variance.
Initially the ground was muddy, slushy, but it wasn't long before the ground hardened significantly. It was hard to tell, but the air felt a little cooler.
The flashlight showed that the tunnel was starting to turn, and Machiavelli realised, looking up, that they would no longer be able to see their way out once they followed the bend round.

Megiavelli
"Milo," he said, deciding to give the boy something to do as well. "Put a sign on the wall that lets us know where we came from, make it nice and big so it will be easy to see with the flashlight." If they had to run, Emma having the flashlight would be able to lead them out.
Machiavelli would just have to memorise the route he took himself.
    ROLL: "But, Machiavelli, I don't have a sign..." [2] -17 = -15
brief infliction of his power meant that Milo found himself pulling items out of his pockets, trying to find something that would work as a sign. Unfortunately, the kid didn't have a piece of paper with him, or anything that would really work-

Wellwick|GM
A second later he decided that his coat would do, taking off the layer and shoving it against the wall. When it wouldn't stick, he tried digging at the frozen dirt that lined the walls with his fingers

Megiavelli
"Milo, stop." Machiavelli said. "I apologise, I should not have done that." He stepped up to him, getting down on one knee before him to look him in the eye. "Are you alright?"

Wellwick|GM
Milo's brought his hands away from the wall, seemingly momentarily disorientated. He brought his fingers up, the dirt packed under his fingernails, but he hadn't cut himself at all.
"I- I'm fine, I'm okay," he said, then his voice turned small, "sorry."
Emma was shining the light on the two of them, and Machiavelli could just make out the look of worry and compassion on her face. The other 3 kids weren't really visible, further back in the darkness.

Megiavelli
"Look at me," Machiavelli said. "This was entirely my fault, and you have nothing to apologise for. I am sorry for making you almost hurt yourself, and I will be careful not to let it happen again."
He turned to the other kids. "Richie, Lily, could you go fetch a stick? Something that allows us to mark where we've been and find our way back."

Wellwick|GM
The two kids were running back up to the surface within seconds. Machiavelli hoped they didn't start Robert and Brandon running, but he was sure the two had enough sense to wait and see just what they were doing coming back to the surface again.
Milo met Machiavelli's eyes again, and he nodded, quiet for once. He shivered, still holding his coat out.
Pico was by his side by the next moment, ushering him back into his coat again, while Emma was casting the light around the tunnel.
Machiavelli saw Richie and Lily heading back down again, clutching a piece of rebar with some cloth around one end. Not the most convenient thing to use, but it would be able to properly cut into the frozen dirt some.

Megiavelli
"Do you think you can work with this, Milo?" Machiavelli asked, trying to sound a little more gentle than he usually did.

Wellwick|GM
Milo took it from Richie, and tried digging into the dirt. It took him a good few attempts to make a hole, but he finally managed to leave a dent.
He made another to the side of it, then a third hole, in between the two, and higher up, creating three points of a triangle in the dirt. The whole thing took him nearly 90 seconds, and even then, it wasn't very easy to see.

Megiavelli
"Do you want some help?" Machiavelli asked.

Wellwick|GM
"I can do it- I want to help, but you," Milo took a breath, clearly trying to keep himself calm, "you could do it faster than me I'm sure." He held the rebar out to Machiavelli.

Megiavelli
"You would be surprised," Machiavelli said, taking the rebar and trying to make a triangle out of the three dots.
    ROLL: "Brawn" [5] -1 = 4

Wellwick|GM
Machiavelli hacked away at the dirt, carving the triangle into the dirt. It took him a minute or so to complete the shape, but looking at it he could imagine the light catching it and making it obvious. It was a little tiring though, considering how tough the ground around them was.
It would only get tougher as they went further down, too.

Megiavelli
This was not going to be the most workable solution long-term, but, really, he could leave one of the lines out of the triangle and turn the sign into an arrow pointing them in the direction they came from.
That should make things a little easier, albeit not much. "That will do," he said, once he'd finished. "Are we ready to continue?"

Wellwick|GM
He looked back at the kids, who had herded around Emma and the light. "I think so," Pico said, some of the excitement having left his eyes, from what Machiavelli could see in the darkness.
Machiavelli glanced back up the tunnel and saw that night had all but descended.
He started leading the kids down into the tunnel, taking it slowly at first, following the bend down to the left.

Megiavelli
As they set off, he contacted the men through the radio. "Machiavelli, checking in, over."
In the meantime, he kept an eye out on how the tunnels were formed, how large they were, how they hadn't collapsed in on themselves.

Wellwick|GM
What came back was already full of static, "Can hear you- Brandon here," a pause that Machiavelli thought was just Brandon's nervousness at work came before, "-over."
The surfaces were extremely uneven, like every ounce of dirt had been gouged out rather than being dug smoothly. Where the surfaces were a bit flatter, they were compacted, dense. The tunnel certainly started to get narrower as they got deeper, but it also levelled out a little more as well.

Megiavelli
It was interesting that they grew narrower as they got deeper. Machiavelli had thought the tunnels would widen as they got closer to the heart of the network, but that clearly wasn't the case.
"You are already breaking up," he responded to Brandon, "Contact will be scarce, I will make contact on our way back out."