Tuesday, March 28th, 2045, 9:45 pm
The three of you stand in front of the the door to the VIP room of the Old Combat Zone nightclub XH had taken you all to. Less than an hour ago he had shown up in his tuned up car on your doorsteps with a job that he thought he might need some help with. He apparently got the lead from one of his fixers but said they were a bit vague on the details. Now, one quick ride later, the three of you find yourselves in the back hallway of a nightclub called Elektro having just shown up at VIP room number 3 from which you can hear yelling and the sound of breaking glass under the pounding digital beats of the club's DJ. XH makes a sideways look at the two of you. "Sounds like a party."
[info]Roll Perception[/info]
Ricardo shook his head, muttering "Carajo..", and looked at his companions. "What the fuck have you got us into this time, XH?" He had been on his fair share of rushed jobs, and if he knew anything it was that this was going to be going sideways shortly. He looked side to side, his long somewhat tangled hair complemented his brightly colored outfit, a variety of neons making him obnoxious to look at.
[info] Perception: [blockquote]Rolled 1d10+11 : 10 + 11, total 21[/blockquote]
[/info]
[info]Perception
Whatever is happening on the other side of that door it doesn't sound like a fight. You only hear one voice occasionally yelling a fuck, damnit, or similar. It sounds like someone is trashing the room alone.[/info]
"Doom said the job would be easy. We just need to take care of some guys for one of his suppliers." Replied XH staring at the door. He put a hand on the pistol in his shoulder holster. "So... think we should crash this party?"
"After you" Katya answered flatly in a thick slavic accent, adjusting her mirrorshades and settling a hand on her own pistol.
XH grins and kicks open the door, drawing his gun in the process to draw a bead on the man turning over one of the VIP room's chairs. The room is halfway to being completely trashed with chairs and sofas turned over and glassware shattered. The mostly untouched centerpiece of the room is a sofa upon which is bored looking topless woman smoking a cigarette and messaging on her phone with her legs propped up on a coffee table next to several small piles of white powder. The room's rowdier occupant turns to look at you all entering the room, unphased by the guns pointed at him. He was wearing a neon green tracksuit, unzipped to show the white undershirt beneath, with EMP threading across his skin to match. A light dusting of powder around his nostrils gave a clue as to who was consuming the drugs on the table. "You Doom's hitmen?"
Noting the lack of danger, XH lowered his gun. "Yeah, You're NeonSlim?" He asked in response. "Fuck, you're late! I said I needed fucking pros fast. You all decide to fuck every hooker you saw on the street on your way here?" He said as he kicked at the chair he had just turned over.
"One. Two hookers, most." Katya replied glibly.
XH tries not to laugh as NeonSlim takes a seat and snorts a line. "Bunch of clowns huh? Well I don't give a fuck as long as you can splatter some punk ass bitches." He says as he began to arrange another line on the tabletop. "I had a shipment of some premium guns coming in this weekend. Thing is when I went to pick them up I find a boat with my guys dead and no fucking guns. Those things were grade A fucking FN Famas MK 7 collaborations with Gold Cloud Luxuries, sapphire chrome finish, integral smartgun, precision burst. Better shit than you guys can afford. I want my guns back." He says poignantly before doing another line.
"If these guns are so special, maybe they killed your guys themselves and walked away. Let's try doing a thought exercise while you're still capable of coherent thought. If I were your guns, where would I be?" Ricardo did his best not to laugh while he was talking.
"Synthcoke doesn't work like that idiot. It helps me focus. Focus on important shit. Shit like getting my fucking guns back. I've got a guy finding the guns right now. All you chucklefucks need to do is go there and get them back. Speaking of..." He pulls out a phone and holds it up to his ear, standing up to pace while he takes the call. "You better have good fucking news... Yeah? Where?... What do you mean you don't fucking know? I paid you to find the fucking guns!... I've got the hitters already fucking here you piece of shit! What the fuck are you doing?... Well then you're not getting any more euros YOU USELESS FUCK!" He holds the phone out to scream his parting words into it before throwing the phone into the wall.
"Hey buddy that sounds like it went over real well." Said XH as he pretended to look very interested in something other than the half naked escort that has yet to register even the mildest interest in the deal going down. "Okay, it seems everyone I've hired this weekend can't go outside without a pass for the short bus... My sleuth apparently has a lead where he saw one of the guns for sale by a guy that goes by Kezz in the Japantown night market. Find out where he got it and get my fucking guns back."
"Hey!" Interjected XH with several snaps of his fingers as your potential employer was about to tuck into another line of synthcoke. "We don't work for free here pal. What's the job pay?" NeonSlim looks up with a slightly more pissed off look than had been on his face for the duration of the meeting. "A solid G for each of you when I get my guns." He says before once again making for the tabletop. XH looks to the two of you for approval.
"Is barely rent for month. How say...? Chump change. Need for expenses, killing is expensive work da?"
[info]Persuasion for a little more cash:
[blockquote]Rolled 1d10+12 : 2 + 12, total 14[/blockquote][/info]
"Look man, your hired help has been absolutely useless for this job, if you want us to get your guns back AND do all of the leg work to get them back we're gonna need a bit more from you. The scope of the job increased right before our eyes as your incompetent goons couldn't even figure out where the goods are."
[info] tryin to get that scratch.
[blockquote]Rolled 1d10+10 : 6 + 10, total 16[/blockquote]
[/info]
"Fine fifteen hundred but not until those guns are in my hands where they belong. Now is there anything else? Need a massage and a happy ending too?" At this NeonSlim rests his elbow on his knees, ready to get back to indulging but apparently waiting for another interruption.
"Will find happy ending elsewhere. After guns." Katya answered, agreeing to the increased pay.
"Sounds good to me." Agrees XH. "Let's go." He says as he turns to leave the room.
Making it out of the room and leaving NeonSlim to his pile of synthcoke, you head back through the main hall of the club. "Dude needs to chill, or at least slow down on the coke." Yells XH over the pounding beats that you had been mostly shielded from in the VIP room.
You make it out of the club to XH's ride, parked right where you guys left it in front of the club. Club goers stand around outside, taking a breath of fresh air or, more likely, smoke and vaporized chems. There's a wide berth given between them and your ride though. That is, except for the five gangers circled around the car like hyenas ringed around a wounded gazelle. "Hey asswipes! Back off the wheels!" Yells XH seemingly on reflex. One of the gangers turns with a leer and grin. "Nice ride. How much did it cost ya?" Replied the ganger, red EMP threading under his eyes flaring like neon tears, apparently the gang's signature judging by the matching ware sported by his companions. "Something you can't afford. Now fuck off." Retorted XH. "Oh I think we can hack something out. Get em!" Yells the ganger with a flick of his wrists deploying finger blades.
[info]Roll Initiative[/info]
[info]Initiative:
[blockquote]Rolled 1d10+7 : 2 + 7, total 9[/blockquote][/info]
[info]Initiative:
[blockquote]Rolled 1d10+6 : 5 + 6, total 11[/blockquote]
The lead ganger was fast, getting the initiative on all of you, and swung his bladed hands at XH before he could get his gun out but failed to connect with XH who backsteped in just the nick of time.
[okay]Ganger Leader attacks XH in melee and misses
Ganger Leader attacks XH in melee and misses[/okay]
[info]Crow to take turn[/info]
Encounter Info
[spoiler]Initiative Order: Ganger Leader, Crow, XH, Ganger 4, Kontra, Ganger 1, Ganger 3, Ganger 2
Enemy Status
Ganger Leader: 1 m away
Ganger 1: 3 m away
Ganger 2: 3 m away
Ganger 3: 5 m away, cover from car
Ganger 4: 5 m away, cover from car[/spoiler]
Ricardo quickly draws his pistol and fires a couple shots towards one of the gangers. "Step away from the ride, cabron."
[info] Firing two shots at ganger 1 with my heavy pistol (name to be decided oops)
[blockquote]Rolled 1d10+11 : 6 + 11, total 17[/blockquote]
[blockquote]Rolled 3d6 : 6, 3, 4, total 13[/blockquote]
[blockquote]Rolled 1d10+11 : 10 + 11, total 21[/blockquote]
[blockquote]Rolled 3d6 : 4, 1, 3, total 8[/blockquote]
[/info]
The ganger's leathers apparently are not reinforced with any armor as the bullets blast through into the ganger's torso with little resistance and spraying out the back in a cloud of blood. The ganger's body hits the sidewalk with a thud as they bite the dust.
[okay]Crow hits Ganger 1 and deals damage
Crow hits Ganger 1 and deals damage
Ganger 1 dies[/okay]
"Watch the ride guys!" Yells XH as he pulls his gun and fires it at point blank range at the leader of the gang, only managing to tag the leader with some flesh wounds.
[okay]XH hits Ganger Leader and deals damage
XH hits Ganger Leader and deals damage[/okay]
One of the gangers pulls an exceedingly large pistol and levels it at Crow as he takes cover behind XH's car. His aim sucks though and the bullet merely puts a small crater in a holo ad generator with a shower of sparks.
[okay]Ganger 4 misses Crow[/okay]
[info]Kontra to take turn[/info]
Encounter Info
[spoiler]Initiative Order: Ganger Leader, Crow, XH, Ganger 4, Kontra, Ganger 1, Ganger 3, Ganger 2
Enemy Status
Ganger Leader: 1 m away, wounded
Ganger 1: 3 m away, dead
Ganger 2: 3 m away
Ganger 3: 5 m away, cover from car
Ganger 4: 5 m away, cover from car[/spoiler]
"Blyat!"
Katya whipped out her pistol and fired off two shots at the wounded ganger leader, hoping to finish him off before sliding into cover behind a nearby food cart a short distance away from the car.
[info]Shooting at Ganger Leader twice with heavy pistol:
[blockquote]Rolled 1d10+13 : 5 + 13, total 18[/blockquote]
[blockquote]Rolled 3d6 : 4, 6, 2, total 12[/blockquote]
[blockquote]Rolled 1d10+13 : 4 + 13, total 17[/blockquote]
[blockquote]Rolled 3d6 : 1, 2, 1, total 4[/blockquote]
Moving to cover a few meters away from the gangers[/info]
The shots perforate the ganger leader, spaying blood across the sidewalk as he falls over.
[okay]Kontra hits Ganger Leader and deals damage
Ganger Leader dies[/okay]
One of the remaining gangers levels his oversized pistol at Kontra's cover as the falafel vendor dives away from the sudden firefight. The ganger fires, hoping to blast through the cart, but only manages to clip the umbrella stand instead. The last ganger to act deploys cyberclaws of his own and charges at Crow with a yell.
[info]Crow to roll Evasion[/info]
Encounter Info
[spoiler]Initiative Order: Ganger Leader, Crow, XH, Ganger 4, Kontra, Ganger 1, Ganger 3, Ganger 2
Enemy Status
Ganger Leader: 1 m away, dead
Ganger 1: 3 m away, dead
Ganger 2: 1 m away
Ganger 3: 5 m away, cover from car
Ganger 4: 5 m away, cover from car[/spoiler]
[info] Evasion
[blockquote]Rolled 1d10+9 : 9 + 9, total 18[/blockquote]
[/info]
[okay] Ganger 2 misses Crow[/okay]
The ganger's clawed swipe catches only air as they miss their swing at Crow.
[info] Crow to take turn[/info]
Encounter Info
[spoiler]Initiative Order: Ganger Leader, Crow, XH, Ganger 4, Kontra, Ganger 1, Ganger 3, Ganger 2
Enemy Status
Ganger Leader: 1 m away, dead
Ganger 1: 3 m away, dead
Ganger 2: 1 m away
Ganger 3: 5 m away, cover from car
Ganger 4: 5 m away, cover from car[/spoiler]
Ricardo fires another couple of shots at the ganger that tried to swing at him while moving behind the nearest car.
[info] Firing two shots at ganger 2, and moving to nearest cover.
[blockquote]Rolled 1d10+11 : 6 + 11, total 17[/blockquote]
[blockquote]Rolled 3d6 : 6, 3, 5, total 14[/blockquote]
[blockquote]Rolled 1d10+11 : 10 + 11, total 21[/blockquote]
[blockquote]Rolled 3d6 : 4, 5, 1, total 10[/blockquote]
[/info]
The duo of shots catch the ganger in the gut and cause him to collapse in place, legs folding under him and back arching to drape over them.
[okay] Crow hits and damages Ganger 2
Crow hits and damages Ganger 2
Ganger 2 dies[/okay]
The remaining 2 gangers, realizing that the odds were suddenly no longer in their favor, turn and make a run for it. They sprint into the street, dodging a car blaring its horn as they turn tail. XH fires off some parting shots at the pair but misses.
[error]XH fires at Ganger 3 but misses
XH fires at Ganger 3 but misses[/error]
[info] Encounter over
Ganger 3 and Ganger 4 are 13 m away and fleeing[/info]
Katya watches the fleeing gangers and looks around to see if anyone else nearby might be a threat before holstering her gun. Approaching the nearest corpse she gives it a nudge with her foot. "Lot of men to steal a car. You think more to it? Perhaps we leave before they come back?"
XH shrugs. "Not enough it seems. I'm guessing they probably figured they could jump us and jack my keys without much of a fight. You know how these street punks are, all posers that can't cut a real fight." He then pulled out his key and unlocked the car. "You're right that we should get going though. They might have some friends left alive out there." He said as he settled into the driver's seat. "Think we should head straight for Japantown or do you guys need to pick anything up before we find this gun dealer?"
"I need nothing more." Katya answered, ready to get the job complete.
"Alright, let's roll." Says XH after everybody is in the car. He peels out from the parking spot and, after a characteristically quick ride, you're in Japantown and parked near the night market where you're supposed to find Kezz. It takes only a few questions and the purchase of some gyros find the gun dealer and next thing you know you're watching him and his two guards from a few stalls over. Kezz is sitting behind a folding table loaded up with handguns and ammunition with a shotgun touting friend standing behind his shoulder. Another guard sporting an assault rifle sits further back on top of one of the three gun crates that presumably hold more wares. "So... How do we want to do this?" Asks XH as he bites into his gyro
"I talk, you watch from here? Shoot if things go bad yes?" Katya eyed the goon with the shotgun again. "Perhaps shoot very fast. Or, collect what is left of body if they are not so pleased to talk."
"Sounds good to me." Replies XH as he pulled his gun free with his free hand. "Just give us the signal."
"Signal is when they start to shoot at me I think." Katya answered before making her way over to the folding table.
As she strolled up she did her best to look like an interested buyer, eyeing the various weapons spread out on the table. "Impressive selection, price is good yes? I am discerning buyer. Home protection.""
[info]Conversation to get Kezz into a talkative mood:
[blockquote]Rolled 1d10+11 : 10 + 11, total 21[/blockquote][/info]
[info]Crit Roll:
[blockquote]Rolled 1d10 : 2, total 2[/blockquote][/info]
Kezz perks up from his seat at the prospect of a customer and gives you a looking over. His eyes linger on your heavy pistol for a second. "Sure thing! Now as a discerning customer, I'm sure you're looking for some major heat. So... let's say for your 'ahem' home protection your local gangers happen to be geared up in... let's just say... militech armorjacks with tactical response team helmets and possible corpo sponsored dermal armor. Am I describing the kind of home invader you would be worried about?"
"Yes, you understand. Very... Organized gang. I will be needing something that packs, how you say? A punch." Katya answered with a nod.
"I have just the thing for you." Says Kezz as he turns around to open one of the crates, he pulls out a light machine gun and hefts it up to the folding table. A bipod extends out of the body of the gun with a click as he brings it to rest. "Colt X70 squad assault weapon with smart bipod. Load this baby's hundred round drum with some cop killers, which I of course have, and your gangers had better have an orphans and widows pool. Also pretty decent at shredding the engine block of your average car. So, think this baby will hit the spot?"
"Is very impressive gun. However, I am looking for something with a little more mobility. Assault rifle perhaps. Do you have with smartgun link?"
[info]Conversation:
[blockquote]Rolled 1d10+11 : 7 + 11, total 18[/blockquote][/info]
"Of course I have assault rifles." Answered Kezz as he hefted the LMG back to the crate. "Now if you want something quick and dirty, everyone loves a Shinryu Combat Advantage Plus. But... if you're looking for top of the line merch, I just so happen to have got my hands on a preem Famas. Check this shit out." He said as he pulled a smaller case out of the pile, gently set it down in front of you and flipped the latches to let it open on its own. Before your eyes was a cobalt blue assault rifle, the only marring of its metallic finish being an engraving by the grip stating Famas Mk 7 1273. "This is the kinda gun you get if you're hitting it big and rolling in the eddies. Which I can tell just by looking fits you to a T. So what do ya think? Are you ready for the big leagues?"
"Now this is good gun! You must be very good to get such thing. Friends in right places?"
"Oh I'm the best in Japantown. Everyone knows me and everyone's my friend." Replied Kezz with a self satisfied grin. "I happen to know some nomads that hit a convoy and found a whole crate of the things. That's how good I am. They don't even know what they have and that's why I can sell it to you for the premium price of a sweet two gees. I'm practically giving away a limited edition piece like this at that price."
"Is very good to be popular!" Katya replied, and gave an uncharacteristic smile in return before making a show of patting around for her wallet. "Chert! I have forgotten my wallet. You will still be here in an hour yes? This thing I want."
"Sure, sure, I suggest you talk to Brick across the street. He's got decent rates and doesn't jump straight to the screws." Replies Kezz with a wink. "Don't worry though, heat like this you'll make it back in no time."
"Spasibo choomba." Katya replied, before taking a circuitous route back to where XH and Crow were waiting.
"So that is what he tells me." she finished, after explaining where Kezz had obtained the guns. "We look now for nomads?"
"Makes sense I guess... We need to figure out what family they belong to, should be easy to figure out where they're hiding after that. Come on, I think I know where we can find that out." Says XH as he throws away the wrapper to his gyro and heads for the car. The next drive is a little longer, taking one of the bridges to leave the city center peninsula and heading east. The hyperdense megabuildings give way to the occasional skyscraper interspersed with highrises when XH pulls off to what appears to be a warehouse surrounded by heavily modded cars of all shapes and sizes. Tables have been set up and an impromptu bar seems to be slinging drinks to the nomads sporting patches from just about every local family as they stand around, mingle, front, and work on their vehicles. XH slowly drives up to another car emblazoned with the same gun toting laughing Buddha stitched onto his armorjack.
"Welcome to the crossroads. Just about every Nomad that has to come into the city makes a stop here. Anyone make a score like we're looking for and someone here is bound to have heard about it." Explains XH as he kills the ignition. "Please don't embarrass me. Can't fuck up the family name." He adds before getting out of his car to walk up to his family member sporting a set of bulky cyber eyes and polishing the hood of his SUV.
"Perhaps you should introduce." Katya said with a shrug.
"Thud, these are some of my static friends. We're looking for some guns that got jacked." He said as he nodded back to you two. The nomad turns and sticks his rag in his pocket before crossing his arms. His cybered eyes, you assume, sweeping up and down to get a look at you. "XH... still freelancing it huh? You know, if you just worked the caravan you wouldn't need to run all over the city getting shot at just so some corpo fat ass can get his blow." At this Thud pulls a beer out of the window of his car and cracks it open. "Okay so what do you guys want? Guns get jacked all the time. I'm gonna need some more info." XH starts to answer before Thud puts up a hand. "I wanna hear it from the statics. You brought them here. Let's see what they have to say."
"Cobalt blue Famas Mk 7 1273. Shipment stolen very recently. Some were sold to small arms dealer named Kezz.
Thud took a sip of his beer before answering. "That's a pretty specific haul... Someone make a score like that and they'd probably be waving their dicks around the crossroads but I haven't heard anything. So that either means out of towners that somehow no one here has heard about or... outcasts." He said with another swig. "My money would be on outcasts and if you want to know about outcasts, I'd talk to the Night Owls." He says with a nod across the way to a circle of cars. "They keep tabs on the outcasts in the area."
Katya nodded in thanks. "Let us go have a chat."
You approach the circle of cars, all sleek black affairs lacking the usual nomad family flair except for oversized headlights. The nomads themselves though wear the same variations of road leathers and racing suits all emblazoned with patches of an owl gripping a snake in its talons. Your approach is noticed by the nomads and one of them looks up from their phone at you.
"A Flying Buddha and two statics walk into an owls nest. Where's this joke setup going?" He says as he sticks a hand out telling you to stop. "Looking for some outcasts that might have stolen some high end guns." The owl looks at all of you as the gears in their head turn. "Let's say we've heard something like this. What's in it for us? Nothing in Night City is free." "You'll have helped us merc some scum... and I'll owe you. Word of a Flying Buddha." The Night Owl pondered only a little more before responding. "Yeah okay sure. Small team of five or six Dead Wheels jumped some static smugglers at the docks the other night. Some hot shit apparently but since these gonks are used to selling bathtub meth they're still looking for someone that could actually afford to buy and fence the whole crate. They've been hiding out in an old warehouse." The nomad slots a shard before handimg it to XH who slots the chip himself before handing it back. "Thanks, we've got the cords." "Uh huh, don't go dying. Word of a cold corpse depreciates pretty fast." Is the nomad's parting words as you head back to XH's car.
Yet another car ride later and you're parked outside the warehouse from the shard. "So... How do we want to do this?"