[gilga]

Once everyone are in place AM would try to hack the comlinks.

Improve logic F6: 2#10d6t5 3 4

Hack on the fly comlink 1:
Hack: 13d6t5 2 Let's edge it to not tip them off.
 Hack (reroll): 11d6t5 6 8 hits all kept. 

Which files are stored in the link?  Next action either edit file to copy the file (or crack it if protected).
5 logic + 6 skill +2 hot sim -2 silent + 3 logic spell -1 BGC = 13: 13d6t5 6
Amy would browse what information is avilable to her...

[Tecumseh]

Mato nods appreciatively, not having previously considered the intimidation opportunities of levitation. That sounds like a good way to tap into a primal fear of falling, he thinks to himself. Mato remembers how he had to overcome that same fear when he first got his cyberlegs and hydraulic jacks, how to trust your legs to absorb the shock of a 15-meter fall when you hit the ground at 60kph.

He also nods to Bobby's response. "You're right, I shouldn't have implied that we would let him get home. So many things can happen while driving in the Barrens. Something sharp can hit your tire and you can take a spill... But gangers are pack animals, yes, so he might not ever be alone.

"I'll see if I can get into position to hear what they're saying."

Mato steps out of the car. His intention is to walk along the road that crosses the northern wall of the bar, then jump to the roof and sneak to the southwest corner from there. Hopefully that will be close enough for his earbuds to eavesdrop on what the gangers are talking about.

[Lorebane24]

AM:  The firewalls on the links part for you like the Red Sea, and you begind digging around their files and old messages.  Most of it is either drivel or not pertinant: a few messages sent to other gang members about their activities or new tattoos, a desperate plea from a shop owner behind on payments, that sort of thing.  You can find where thwy live, though - one resides in the tenement building, and the other has a shitty squat a few blocks away.A few of the messages from today are about a nova rich hostage that was brought in last night - the kid is definitely here somewhere.  One medsage does seem odd, a memo that was sent out this morning to several gangers.

-"If you're checking on the kid, make sure to grab two steaks - that thing devours them fast.  Madjack only brought one on the way in, and took some burns on the way out."


Mato:  Traffic is regular but slow along the road.  You aren't certain you can avoid being seen, but this is the Barrens - your prettt sure you saw a guy running from a ghoul on the drive here and jo one blinked, so its really a matter of not being seen bu the wrong people, and that you can manage.  Your jacks launch you into the air towards the edge of the roof, but as your fingers reach for the ledge, you find gravity pulling you back down.  Reacting quickly, your toes find purchase where a brick has fallen from the wall, and you are able to kick back up, scrambling your way onto the rooftop.

There is a boarded up maintenace entrance up here, and not much esle but a cooling unit and a lot.of old debris.  Staying low, you make your way swiftly and silently to the southwest corner.  The guys beloow you are oblivious, and currently seem to be engaged in a heated debate over whether the Jet Black cover band indoors is hot drek or just drek.  Eventually, ome of the gangers tosses is hands.  "You wouldn't know good music if I blasted it up your hoop.  I'm gettin another drink."  He step indoors, momentarilly leaving the other guy alone in the lot.

[Lorebane24]

Jawesy:  In fact, you spot an awakened aura pretty quickly inside the bar - a sorcerer, and with a magical strength higher than your own (magic 4).  On top of that, you note that a couple of the gangers (one inside the bar and one of the doormen) are sporting some mid-level cyber typical of a razorboy, all either standard or omega grade.  Some implanted muscle, a but of work on their central nervous system, and some blades inside their hands, but no headware or anything else unusual beyond a few cybereye systems and datajacks on random gangers and civies.

As sorcerers do not astrally percieve, you aren't too worried about him seeing you, but before you slip inot the bar (which will get an interior writeup later and a map when I get home), something else catches your eye.  In the tenement building there is a faitly distinct aura, and a more potent one (magic 5).  It's awakened and appears bright on the astral, but it seems to be pacing on a floor rather than floating.  You cant make out more details without getting closer, but whatever it is, it's dual-natured.

[Lorebane24]

Jawsey:  Forgot to mention -  You also spot a weird anomaly you arent sure what to make sense of.  There are sveral stray animals rooting around, but you see two cats in the area with auras that are just plain weird.  They're fuzzy and indistinct like any other non-awakened creature in the astral, but their auras are slate grey, as if they are emotionally and mentally dead.

[Tecumseh]

<<I have a window!>> Mato DNIs urgently. <<Parking lot is empty, target is all alone! I can neutralize him out in five seconds or less. Slice through the fence and we're gone. I just need a distraction for the chummer in the Pavilion as I drag him to the street for extraction. Objections?!>>

[Beta]

Coming straight up through the roof of the bar, Jawsey is surprised to see Mato there, even if he's stuck over in meat-space.  Looking around Jawsey realizes that they are alone on the roof for the moment, so he manifests, with his form lying on the roof to minimize his profile.

Focusing on talking in meat-space he tells Mato "I think I have a lead, something magical in the tenement building.  Details can wait -- what's up, and can I help?"

[gilga]

AM texts >> The kid is around here alright, these guys deliver him food and stuff.  He eats freaking steaks, what kind of gangs feeds a rich boy captive with expensive food? What kind of terrified prisoner shouts at his captives? My bet is that he is working a number on his old man.

Think quickly as there is only one opportunity for surprise. Do we still need the ganger? Our spirit can find the kid if we release it here, and we can storm the place and extract him once we know the details, but since we do not have an army we must have a surprise or a plan or something wiz to do.

[Tecumseh]

Mato looks visibly startled when Jawsey manifests on the roof and starts talking to him. His first instinct is to raise a fist in self-defense; his second instinct is to shush Jawsey, lest he be 'heard' in the parking lot. In all likelihood the sound will be covered by the Jetblack cover band, if it's even 'sound' at all, but Mato isn't up on the finer points of manifesting and astral communication.

Mato resorts to hand-signals, trying to imply that the target is alone in the parking lot and that it might be a good time to grab him. It's largely gibberish and looks like Mato is trying to make shadow puppets of an upside-down rabbit jumping down a hole. He wishes that he knew Sioux sign language, and resolves himself to lobby the team to learn it together once the job is done.

Then AM's text comes in and Mato's sense of urgency drops off. He thinks it through before firing a text back.

<<The steak isn't for the kid; it's for what's guarding the kid. Bringing Jawsey up to speed now.>>

Mato takes a knee next to Jawsey's prone form, then bends down to whisper:

_{"AM says they're guarding something in the tenement. Might be that 'something magical' you spotted. Can you or a spirit go look?"}

Then, back to AM and Bobby:

<<Jawsey says there's 'something magical' over there. That's has to be related, maybe even what the steaks are for. Do we have any cameras inside the building? It's possible they have more than one hostage in there.>>

[gilga]

AM shows the team the exact reference she found and says "Now that you mentioned it does make sense that it is a beast, something that spits fire... a hellhound perhaps?  The information I stole definitely places the dog and the prisoner nearby. I think we should just wait for an opportunity to take the raid. "

[Beta]

Jawsey whispers Mato "Heading to my body.  Comm if you need help." Then he stays low and swings in a loop back to the car.

Once settled back in his body he resumes the conversation <<What I saw in the tenement was awakened, and lower to the ground than a metahuman.  I can go take a better look, but if I can see it, it can possibly see me.  Possibly I can fight it, but the background here keeps the magic on my sword cane from working, so I lose that advantage.  I can't promise that I can drop it in my own, but I can probably hurt it at least if that helps.>>

[gilga]

Amy Maka said, "Well... you would not be entirely on your own, I can make you faster and more difficult to hit."

[Tecumseh]

Mato observes the east side of the tenement, stepping back from the edge of the roof so that he's not visible from the parking lot below.

<<Jawsey, which floor was it on? The units are in a 5x5 grid. Can you give me an approximate position, how many units up, how many units over?>>

<<Let's get into position before you go confront it, including nixing the cameras. We'll want to be ready to extract.>>

[Beta]

Jawsey again slides out sideways, through the rubble, and this time rises up through the (mostly) abandoned squat until he comes out the roof and can take another look at the tenement, to try and spot the astral form in there again -- this time taking care to count which unit it is in.

[Lorebane24]

Ooc: at work right now so I cant upload a floor plan, but I'll do my best with the description.

Jawsey:  The astral form is prowling back and forth in a room on the 4th floor, the middle apartment (out of 5).  Edging closer, you can make out a large dog with black fur, tangled fur.  It's eyed glow like coals, and occasionally when it growls sulfiric fumes vent from its mouth.  It seems to be on a chain, and a few tall barriers (maybe cubicle walls?) have been placed in the studio apartment, hugging the walls near the door and around two edges to create a sort of U shape in the room.  There is a second aura inside the apsrtment - metahuman, and under an enormous amount of stess.  It doesnt look like they are bound.  In fact, theycan move freely abiut the studii, but they cannot reach the door without stepping into the narrow corridor created by the barriers, bringing him into the hellhound's reach and line of sight.