H&D Enterprises I

<Bel|GM> The hum of the car mostly drowns out Davis' humming.
<Bel|GM> Mostly.
<Bel|GM> He'd been cleaning his kit for the entire two hour drive and not once had he ever stopped humming.
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<Bel|GM> At least he didn't keep the guns up front anymore. They were mostly locked up in the trunk. He'd insisted on the 'mostly', then refused to explain where he hid his piece.
<Bel|GM> At least he was a good shot. The best.
<Bel|GM> Considering this case, you might need it. ||
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<LA|Hunter> Although my hands and eyes were focused entirely upon the odious task of driving, my mind was preoccupied with the details of our latest "job". In some ways it was a normal, get in, get out sorta of situation. However...
<LA|Hunter> I began my usual litany of complaints."Why is it, Davis, that we never get the thick-headed brutes, or the defenceless blaster? It's always , take care of this pre-cog thinker, Hunter, make sure to keep your eyes out for this elusive stranger, Hunter!"
<LA|Hunter> And as per usual, Davis ignored me. "And now, these assholes expect us to take out some sorta body-switching smoke boy breaker! In the middle of their assault. Yep, no possible way this is gonna go wrong." But even as I continued my rant, I could feel a smile slowly bloom across my face.This would be a tough job, yeah, but it would also be fun.||
<Bel|GM> ...
<Bel|GM> Davis continues his humming, but a smile can clearly be seen stretched across his face.
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<Bel|GM> The game plan: Your employer will begin their assault on the suspected location of the target. Once they reveal themselves, it's up to you to take them out and send a picture of the completed job to a provided number.
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<Bel|GM> The likely location is in a run-down residential district outside of NYC, covered in abandoned buildings. The usual playbook here is for Davis to set up across the street with his rifle while you wait at ground level for the signal, but it always needs tweaking. ||
<LA|Hunter> As we began to approach to the location I decided to rehash the operation. "Alrighty, old buddy. It doesn't seem like there's any particular reason to deviate from the usual plan.Make sure to keep your aim on the original parahuman- if it comes down to it I'm fairy sure I can keep the smoke double distracted and it's hardly as if your bullets could
<LA|Hunter>  do anything." I laughed, "Yet another situation where a gun can't seem to get the job don all on it's own huh? I think that's 15-13 to me now".||
<Bel|GM> He grunts. "Wouldn't pay us the big bucks if you could just shoot the problem, eh?" He's already settling into Job Mode. He's had trouble distinguishing civilians from lamp posts in Job Mode before, but he swears it helps his aim. You hope he's right.
<Bel|GM> ...
<Bel|GM> 40 Minutes Later.
<Bel|GM> ...
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* soulpelt|Wink is now known as soulpelt|
* Antioch|GM is now known as Antioch
<Bel|GM> After parking a few blocks away, you and Davis have made their way through the brick jungle. Trash litters the streets, and no one peers out their windows at the silhouettes in the night.
<Bel|GM> The best view presents itself in a five story office building in the middle of a block. Your contact assures you that the likely hideout is across the street from here.
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<Bel|GM> Without saying a word, Davis sets up his tiny folding camp chair and starts reassembling his rifle. It's comforting, in a way. ||
<Bel|GM> [[REDACT]]
<Bel|GM> Without saying a word, Davis splits off to head upstairs and set up his tiny folding camp chair and reassemble his rifle. It's comforting, in a way. It's showtime. ||
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<Bel|GM> The tiny earbud squawks in your ear, then passes on Davis' deadpan drone.
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<Bel|GM> "Check. Check. You read me?" ||
<LA|Hunter> I holster my submachine gun, hoping the situation wouldn't become so dire I'd be forced to use it. I make my way as close to the building as I dare and attempt to find some cover I can hunker behind and, when the fighting starts, make into a hardy armour.||
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<LA|Hunter> "Loud and clear, buddy. Missing me already?||
<Bel|GM> "Affirmative."
<Bel|GM> No humor from Job Davis, though you keep trying.
<Bel|GM> You hunker down behind an overflowing dumpster to wait for the promised attack. None too soon, it turns out, as you've barely finished squatting before three cars roar into view and fishtail to a stop in front of the building directly across from yours.
<Bel|GM> Bass blasting, men in blue shirts and handkerchief masks jump out, spraying near indiscriminately into the facade.
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<Bel|GM> Nearly simultaneously, Davis reports "Movement third floor. Possible target. Taking the shot."
<Bel|GM> The boom of his rifle sounds out just as a shadowy figure jumps from the roof to land amongst the gunmen. ||
<LA|Hunter> Time to move. I flexed my power and gathered the concrete and metals around to form my armour before starting my sprint into the building- the gunmen would keep the smoke copy busying whilst I made my way in, or so I hoped.||
* Antioch is now known as Ascalon
* Ascalon is now known as Antioch
<Bel|GM> You steamroll your way through the one-way gunfight happening in front of the target building without incident. A few bullets ping off your hardened shell, but pose no real threat.
* Antioch is now known as Ascalon
* Ascalon is now known as Antioch
<Bel|GM> You bull straight through the shattered remains of the front door. Once inside, Davis' voice sounds again.
<Bel|GM> "Shot connected, another combatant in room. Shadow-target has retreated from the gunfight. Tracking building." ||
<LA|Hunter> "Good job, Davis. Attempting to track target now.". I bared my teeth in a feral grin as I made my way to the third floor- they certainly weren't getting away now. ||
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<Bel|GM> As you climb the stairs, another shot booms out.
<Bel|GM> "No effect on target. Likely swap."
<Bel|GM> The bullets from the street decrease in intensity as you climb up. On the second floor stairway, the earbud squawks again.
<Bel|GM> "Movement on fourth floor-several armed personnel heading down."
<Bel|GM> ||
<LA|Hunter> I cured- the bastard must have swapped with his copy on the groud floor. It had been a while since I'd made such a stupid mistake- I made a mental note to buy Davis an apology bear once we got out of this mess as I made my way back to the firefight on the ground floor."Heading back down to the ground floor Davis. Target has probably swapped with hi
<LA|Hunter> s copy there."||
<LA|Hunter> (*cursed)
<Bel|GM> "Affirmative."
<Bel|GM> You jog down the stairs, each step rattling the whole stairwell as bullets start to plink off your armor again.
<Bel|GM> Once back on the street, you see the blue-clad men halfheartedly firing into the building again.
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<Bel|GM> They likely know this pattern- show up, get terrorized by Shadow Man, have the group slip away. It's gotta get old.
<Bel|GM> Davis again: "Personnel heading towards rear of building. Possible exit. Opening fire." At regular intervals, the report of gunfire sounds. ||
<LA|Hunter> I cringed- Davis was a good guy but he had a hair-trigger finger sometimes. Ah well, I had other things to worry about at the moment. "Any idea where the target is?"||
<LA|Hunter> (derp forgot to say that I was heading towards the rear of the building now)
<LA|Hunter> ||
<Bel|GM> "Shadow is at the fourth floor. Actual target is unknown." Another report punctuates his statement.
<Bel|GM> As you round the corner towards the back, you get a good look at the dank and crowded alley.
<Bel|GM> There's barely enough room to accommodate the fire escape attached to the rear of the building.
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<Bel|GM> A door stands open at the fourth floor, but nobody is visible yet. ||
<LA|Hunter> "I'm going in through the back, Davis. There's going to find an unpleasant surprise when they try to pull of their usual escape."||
<Bel|GM> "Affirmative."
<Bel|GM> After a brief moment, the earbud crackles to life again.
<Bel|GM> "Shadow just leapt into this building. Decamping. Stay on target."
<Bel|GM> There's a few seconds of scraping, then the transmission ends again. ||
<LA|Hunter> "Will do Davis. Be careful."||
<Bel|GM> When you pull yourself onto the escape, the whole thing sags slightly, but holds.
<Bel|GM> The thunderous reports have ceased, replaced by the slowing pops of small arms.
<Bel|GM> Once you get to the third floor, someone pokes their face out of the door, then spots you. Their eyes widen and they slam the door again.
<Bel|GM> ||
<LA|Hunter> "Now where are you going, buddy?" I ask as I charge straight through the door.||
<Bel|GM> The heavy metal door crumples to your enshelled shoulder, revealing a crowded hallway filled with tired people holding handguns. They immediately start yelling, some running away as the rest open up.
<Bel|GM> Some chips fly off your armor, but otherwise it's kinda sad. ||
<LA|Hunter> "One of you is gonna tell me where the shadow man is, otherwise things are going to get...messy."||
<Bel|GM> There's a veritable chorus of "Fuck you, man!", followed by a further barrage of fire.
<LA|Hunter> "You brought this on yourselfs 'fellas", I start lashing out with my power, deciding to cut down each man in my path. Perhaps we'd even get a bonus from our employee if we cripple their rival gang.||
<Bel|GM> By the time you're done with the group, there's hardly any chunks left larger than a hand and the floors and ceiling are painted with blood. A few managed to get away, but the vast majority have been pureed. Still nothing from Davis. ||
<LA|Hunter> It didn't look like anybody else was coming down- target must still be trying to make a distraction for his guys to get away. I start to make my way up the stairs once again, keeping an ear out for sounds of conflict."Davis? You okay?||
<Bel|GM> Silence. ||
<LA|Hunter> "Fuck", I continued making my way to the third floor- since the shadow double had made it's way to davis, odds were the real target was still on the third floor, where the shadow had last been seen.||
<Bel|GM> Suddenly, your comms crackle to life.
<Bel|GM> There's heavy breathing and a thump, then Davis' voice cuts in.
<Bel|GM> "Shadow attacked," he pants, "Ground floor now, exfil, can't fight it."
<Bel|GM> If Davis says he can't fight it, he's tried and failed. Usually bad news. Davis has fought a lot of things normal people would consider impossible to fight, including, once, a semi truck. ||
<LA|Hunter> "Need me to come back and cover you?" At this point I was certain I couldn't actually be damaged by the shadow, and I certainly wasn't willing to let Davis die. Going unsaid was the possiblity that if I left my pursuit to help Davis out we might lose our change to kill the target.||
<Bel|GM> "No." More huffing. "Go to the car. We're out." ||
* Nonagon is now known as Nonagon|Sleep
<LA|Hunter> "A hasty retreat is it then!" We'd have another chance at the smoke kid another time, and at the very least we'd crippled his gang. I started to sprint back to the car as fast as I could.||
<Bel|GM> By the time you get back to the car, you can hear sirens in the distance.
<Bel|GM> There's no sign of Davis. ||
<LA|Hunter> "Davis, I'm at the car. You need help getting back?"||
<Bel|GM> More heavy breathing.
<Bel|GM> "No."
<Bel|GM> Huff huff.
<Bel|GM> "Start the car." ||
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<Hierophant> Gundor's actually getting back in the game now
>Hierophant< Middle of a game, broski.
<LA|Hunter> I grinned- stubborn bastard. The day Davis was put in the ground was the day Scion turned evil and roasted the world."Sir, yes sir!". I jumped in the car and started it up.||
<Bel|GM> Just as the engine turns over, the door opens and Davis slides in. He's disheveled and out of breath, but he's still holding his rifle. A good sign.
<Bel|GM> "Fucking drive, man! It's a fucking beast up close!"
<Bel|GM> And there's Regular Davis. ||
<LA|Hunter> " Okay okay, geez". I continue mumbling as I hit the accelerator, "Don't even get a please or a thank you. How are you Hunter?Did you have a good time Hunter?"||
<Bel|GM> "I'm good, and I had a blast." He laughs.
<Bel|GM> "But seriously, I got to use the Soap on a Rope? You know, with the flash bangs on the cord, in the stairwell so it gets all the floors at once? It fuckin' WORKS, man!"
<Bel|GM> He punches the air. "I'm a fuckin' genius, dude." ||
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<LA|Hunter> "Finally, I was beginning to think you'd never get a change to test that baby out!Thank god one good thing came out of this whole shananigan." Some people might think it a bit odd we'd be so chipper straight after a failed hit, but after a couple of years in the business Davis and I had learned to take this sorta thing in stride.||
<Bel|GM> You start the long drive home, Davis thankfully choosing to blast random rock stations rather than humming it out. Halfway through, you get the call. They're slightly miffed that you didn't get your target, but given your results, they're happy either way. You've been credited the 10k for job completion. Excellent work. ||
<Bel|GM> |||