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[5e IC] Sunt Venatores Venationem

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« Reply #75 on: <03-24-15/1305:06> »
Stake can overhear the conversation, just barely. He rubs his face with his hand, trying to remember everything he can about the Infected. It's difficult through the slight headache and haze of Kamikaze, but one fact rises to the surface. He mentally writes up:

<<@Team [Stake] Use wood on the corpse. Explain what you're doing to the guy, we don't want him to panic and shoot you. The body should still react to wood piercing the flesh. That'll probably convince him.>>

Stake composes his thoughts for a few moments. We've got 2 down; need to get that last one quickly. Where the hell could it be?

<<@3L1 [Stake] Has anybody who wasn't on the dance floor tried to leave yet?>>

<<@Sister Rebecca [Stake] Has your spirit detected any signs of the last vampire?>>

Double-checking them quickly, Stake sends another command to his commlink. Send.

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« Reply #76 on: <03-24-15/1756:02> »
"What, that?  Those are not like the fangs on the trids," he says harshly, but the shotgun dips low, and he does not immediately place it back on target.  "Intruder, I do not know what you think that proves, but . . ." his words trail off.

The trids?! This fool stands before the wrath of Yahweh based on... on... ACTION CARTOONS?! It's a good thing Sister Rebecca is wearing the helmet, or the look of fury and frustration on her face would probably have turned this negotiation sour by now. What must I say to this heathen savage? She contemplates following through on her threat to simply cut the man down before moving on to thoughts of escaping from him and finding the vampires on her own. It would be harder while being pursued by a murderous Yakuza with a shotgun, but she might be able to pull it off... Then, a message comes through on the comm.

<<@Team [Stake] Use wood on the corpse. Explain what you're doing to the guy, we don't want him to panic and shoot you. The body should still react to wood piercing the flesh. That'll probably convince him.>>

I've only got one piece of wood, and he's not gonna be happy about my pulling it out. Time for the leap of faith. With her free hand, she slowly reaches up behind her head and unclicks the latch that seals her helmet. "You may call me by my name if you wish." she says in a slow and careful tone as he finishes removing her helmet, revealing her stout, chiseled jawline, hard roman nose, and short, chopped, blonde hair. She still hasn't stood up yet. "I am called Sister Rebecca and I can think of only one other way to prove what I say is the truth." She looks him right in the eyes as she speaks the next bit. "Gecko gripped to my back, you may notice an MGL-12 clip fed grenade launcher. I'm going to retrieve it and toss it on the ground to you so that you may inspect it. Take notice of the ammo it's loaded with, and if what you discover is still not enough to sway you to reason; The stock is made of oak. Simply touch it to the creature's flesh and observe." She slowly stands up, dropping the helmet as she does. She holds her free hand out to the side, palm facing him and fingers spread. She raises her eyebrows in request and says only, "May I?"

<<@Sister Rebecca [Stake] Has your spirit detected any signs of the last vampire?>>

Whoops. She mentally snaps back a quick message to the team.

<<@Team [Sister Rebecca] Dispatching recon 2.>>

"Leliel, there should be one more vampire in this building. Please find it and drive it toward us."
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« Reply #77 on: <03-25-15/1307:44> »
Leliel nods assent and disappears down the hallway, looking for its prey. 

Elijah responds quickly to Stake's question.

<<@Team [3L1] Clear out here.>>

The man pull his shotgun back into position as Becca unslings her grenade launcher, watching the barrel carefully, but when he sees that she's not about to shoot him, he nods his assent curtly.  Sister Rebecca leans down and places the wooden stock of the launcher against the man's chest.  There's a sizzle, like a soy patty on a not-quite-heated griddle, but it makes the right impression.  When Becca removes the stock, its impression is seared into the vampire's torso.  The man tucks his grenade into his jacket pocket and places his now free hand in his armpit, and pulls his hand clear of its glove before approaching cautiously, hand outstretched.  "May I?" he asks, gesturing that he would like to touch the stock.  Becca obliges, and finding no acid on the grendade launcher, the man lowers his shotgun. 

"We don't come up here.  Usually immigrants, sometimes for the Bunraku.  Have their own security.  Lately, no security.  We keep our eyes to the club."

He speaks again in Japanese, and turns to leave.
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« Reply #78 on: <03-25-15/1827:28> »
The instant he turns to go, Rebecca sends a quick message to the rest of the team.

<<@Team [Sister Rebecca] Security is standing down. Do not fire. Recon 2 away.>>
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« Reply #79 on: <03-27-15/0053:24> »
Achak doesn't exhale when the armored goon stands down. If anything, he's even more tense and suspicious that before.

Just like that? There's a shootout, the club gets cleared, he's in full gear, Stake presumably drops a few of his chummers, and he's willing to stand down after seeing some skin sizzle?

Achak debates the odds of this being a real retreat, although presumably Stake would warn them if the man's Japanese had been aggressive or duplicitous.

Zwounds, I wonder if he's going to change his mind when he sees the heap of his friends at the bottom of the stairwell on the first floor. Best way to avoid that is to wrap up and move on before he has a chance to rethink things.

<<@Team [Achak] Resuming the plan at 6b. Have a spirit scout the third floor. I'm on point, Sister Rebecca watching my back. Elijah, you're on 6c.i. Keep the Optic X-2 scouting from above, and the Rotodrone on standby for quick movement to cover the bottom floor entrances.>>

He waits by the stairwell to see what Leliel finds.

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« Reply #80 on: <03-30-15/1126:46> »
The man with the shotgun begins to step down the stairs carefully, keeping his face pointed toward Sister Rebecca, and his gun ready, though the barrel sweeps only the floor.  When he reaches the landing, he strafes right, and disappears from view; Becca can hear the pacing of his footsteps increase as he descends the stairs.

Through her psychic link, Leleil communicates to Rebecca, "I have found the demon spawn, but its dwelling is a dark place, tainted with the cries of lost souls.  My magic falls on deaf ears here."
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« Reply #81 on: <03-30-15/1257:30> »
As the man steps down the stairs, Stake tries to stay out of sight. Unfortunately, as he presses himself against the wall, the floor creaks underneath him. The man's head whips around and stares right at Stake. As he reaches for his gun, Stake takes a gamble. He steps into view, hands raised and open, gun hanging from his sling. In Japanese, he says, "I'm not here to hurt you. I'm with the two you were talking with. We're here for the vampires, nothing more. I apologize if I startled you."

Don't be foolish; please just accept that statement. I'd hate to see this devolve into shooting again. I've shot enough innocent people for one day.

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« Reply #82 on: <03-30-15/1318:05> »
Achak listens to the man retreat down the stairs. I'm sure nothing bad will happen when he finds Stake coming up the opposite direction. Let's move on.

It's time for the messy part. "We need the ears," he says to Sister Rebecca, jutting his chin toward the skewered vampire. "For the bounty."

Achak neglected to bring anything sharp with him. The gunstock war club has a sharpened edge, but it is not suited for delicate slicing work. He has the miniwelder and could potentially torch them off, or maybe he could use one of the dagger-like flints he had for his war club. His eyes wander to Sister Rebecca's blade. Much faster, he thinks to himself, although she doesn't have as much protection from contamination.

He steps forward in his chemical-sealed full-body armor. Kneeling down next to the vampire, he pulls the ear away from the head and gives Sister Rebecca a look to request her help. "Stay away from the blood," he advises.

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« Reply #83 on: <03-30-15/1338:47> »
The man comes around the corner of the staircase, sees Stake and begins raising his shotgun reflexively.  When Stake speaks, the man hesitates, then lowers his weapon, and begins descending the stairwell at a fast clip.
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« Reply #84 on: <03-30-15/2217:41> »
Sister Rebecca pulls her hair behind her face before cramming her head back into her helmet and re-latching it in the rear. She was never out of communication with the team, her trodes being inside the jacket, rather than the helmet the way a lot of runners do, but it was still nice to get her enhanced visuals back. For a brief moment, she wonders if she's going to hear about tonight from Marcus. She can almost hear him already. "You gave some heathen savage your NAME?! What is wrong with you, Sister?!" Her thoughts are quickly back to business and in a few moments, her companion begins speaking.

"We need the ears," he says to Sister Rebecca, jutting his chin toward the skewered vampire. "For the bounty." Kneeling down next to the vampire, he pulls the ear away from the head and gives Sister Rebecca a look to request her help. "Stay away from the blood," he advises.

With two quick, elegant motions of her wrist, she severs an ear from each of the two downed men without crouching to do so. She certainly doesn't pick either of them up. Bounties... I desire only the bounty of heaven.

<<@Team [Achak] Resuming the plan at 6b. Have a spirit scout the third floor. I'm on point, Sister Rebecca watching my back. Elijah, you're on 6c.i. Keep the Optic X-2 scouting from above, and the Rotodrone on standby for quick movement to cover the bottom floor entrances.>>

<<@Team [Sister Rebecca] Acknowledged. In position.>>

After watching Achak stow his two trophies and move into position by the stairs, she moves up right behind him, again with the MGL in her right hand and the Blade of Gabriel in her left. She can feel him about to go into motion, when Leliel swoops back into her view. "Hold fast for a moment."

"I have found the demon spawn, but its dwelling is a dark place, tainted with the cries of lost souls.  My magic falls on deaf ears here."

At first she's puzzled a bit. But Leliel is an angel of darkness and water. Probably not the most terrifying among the foes of these particular demons. She takes a brief moment to think. Then, speaks again in the astral. "Lead us to this place, so that we might fill it with holy light."

<<@Team [Sister Rebecca] Recon 2 returned. 3rd contact location known. Moving to intercept.>>



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« Reply #85 on: <04-01-15/1827:02> »
Achak pockets the nicked ears and stands to resume his position at the front. He sheathes his club and readies his Ares Crusader to take the lead. The gun feels light in his hand and he wishes that he had his Ares Alpha back, especially now that the time for subtlety has largely passed. The Crusader couldn't hit as hard as the Alpha, nor did it have the "oh drek" escape route of the underbarrel grenade launcher, for those times when you needed to buy yourself a few seconds. Calm down, calm down. Sister Rebecca can lay down the suppressive grenade fire, he thinks to himself. Still, it was one thing to put yourself in God's hands, quite another to rely on a rookie. Maybe he's just concerned because he's having an off-day himself. He's alive, sure, but his rhythm has been out-of-sync all night.

<<@Team [Achak] Advancing up the stairs, per Leliel's directions. Stake, are you bringing up the rear or are you staying in reserve?>>

Achak is eerily silent as he glides up the stairs. He tunes in his senses, looking, listening, and even smelling for anything that feels out of place. He searches for nearby magic, or any motion that might indicate movement. These hellspawn were granted earthly powers by their dark lord, and Achak was determined not to fall to a deceiver who could conceal himself (or herself) to mundane senses.

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« Reply #86 on: <04-02-15/1158:06> »
Leleil leads the way up the stairs, and then along the hall.  As Achak sets foot on the fourth floor, he is assaulted by the smell of death, not all of it recent.  The cheap carpet is riddled with the tell-tale signs of how this floor has been used: drops of blood from where people were carried, smears from being dragged, bloody footprints, both booted and bare crisscross the floor leading from room to room.  While they seem to originate from different rooms, most of the drag marks seem to terminate in a room to Achak's right, about 10 meters from the stairwell, and the smell of rot coming from the door is strong enough that even Sister Rebecca has to stifle a gag, despite the whirring of an industrial fan that can be heard from within.

In the astral, Sister Rebecca can sense how dread, panic, and eventual resignation have tainted the mana in a way to make it unwieldy in her hands, and she fears that the emotions will invade her as well.  She is reminded of Jesus, calling out to the heavenly Father, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"  She can't help but feel that this is a place where the Lord's might wanes, this is Golgotha.  But, then she rights herself.  No, it is only she, and her flesh that are weak here.  The Lord is omnipotent.

But this is Golgotha.

The pair steel themselves by an open door as Leleil heads inside.  They follow, and find themselves in what was once a large suite.  Most of the furniture has been removed, except for three couches forming a "U" about five meters in front of them, and a bed in the corner.  Six bodies lay on the floor on the other side of the U, all of them decapitated, and in front of that sits a young girl, looking no older than ten.  She sits cross-legged on the floor, and rocks back and forth. 

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she murmurs gently.
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« Reply #87 on: <04-02-15/1732:53> »
Stake breathes a sigh of relief. Thank God he left. Smart man. He starts making his way up the stairs.

<<@Team [Achak] Advancing up the stairs, per Leliel's directions. Stake, are you bringing up the rear or are you staying in reserve?>>

Stake brings up the rear. He was sure that Achak could tell where he was; he seemed to have an eerie sense of his surroundings. Sometimes, Stake wondered what it would be like to be Awakened. Still, he remembered the days before there were Awakened.

"I hope you don't mind me holding onto this a little longer," he says as he raises his gun and ejects the clip. He puts the clip in his pocket. Swiftly, in one motion, he draws another clip and slams it into the gun. A smile flicks across his face. "This is endgame, folks. Lead the way, Sister?"



As they follow the spirit, Stake notices the, quite obvious, signs of vampires. It wasn't pretty, but then it never is, is it? After so long hunting them, the sight is a common occurrence, although it still brought up memories. Yes, old memories. He still remembered the time when he found this in the hotel room his daughter had hidden in.

Shaking his head, he focuses his attention forward. Now was not a time for memory lane.

They enter a large suite, the only living thing inside is a small child. Stake frowns. It is only too plain what the girl is. That forsaken virus didn't discriminate, that was certain. He doesn't let his guard down; for all her looks, the child was far from helpless. Softly, he asks Sister Rebecca, "Can you confirm that she's the vampire?" This would be the first real test for the Sister. She had fared well with the security guard, but this was truly the essence of hunting the Infected. Would she hold up? Most didn't, but Stake pegged her as being made of sterner stuff.

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« Reply #88 on: <04-02-15/2235:48> »
The foul taint of the astral on this floor was almost a welcome feeling. This is the type of feeling she's grown accustomed to while hunting, and while it might not help her spellcasting at all, it does do wonders for her resolve. Jesus was the lamb of god. I am his soldier, his righteous fury, given hand! She's almost on autopilot as the four of them traverse the floor, her training, muscle memory, and instinct taking the lead over rational thought.

The room with the girl is no surprise. In her time, she's seen all manner of horrors, and many of them have worn appealing or sympathetic faces. They have all met the same fate as this one shall. After sensing the telltale aura that marks her firmly as a servant of the Beast, she speaks to Leliel one last time. "Leliel, I had meant to include you in this combat, but I fear your reduced power may render you impotent. Stay and watch our astral flanks, as it were? Make certain I'm not surprised until my fight is concluded. After that, I shall require your assistance no more. Thank you for your aid." With that final request, she closes her third eye, not only out of the desire to avoid soaking up any of the deluge of despair in the area, but also to sharpen her concentration on her physical body. This one feels stronger than the other two. I may brook no distractions. Behind her and to the right, the team leader whispers.

"Can you confirm that she's the vampire?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry,"

With her only response to the team leader being a slow and deliberate nod, the short human woman takes one step forward toward the girl. She raises the blade of Gabriel, pointing it at the frightened young girl, and with a calm, almost loving tone, yet still full of authority and command, she speaks to her. "If it is truly forgiveness you desire, then come forward and receive it. There may still be room left in the kingdom of heaven for you in these brief moments before the end." Honestly, Rebecca believes this to be a ruse of some sort, an attempt to catch her off guard with sympathetic imagery. Many demons use similar tricks, but still. If she were to simply discount an attempt at redemption, even from one so low as this, even when it is likely a deception, she'd never feel right about it. While he is wrathful and glorious, hers is also a forgiving and merciful God, is he not?
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« Reply #89 on: <04-03-15/0057:16> »
Achak gags when he reaches the fourth floor; his hypersensitive sense of smell is a liability at times like these. He certainly has no desire to vomit while wearing a fully-sealed helmet, so he reactivates the chemical seal on his armor to keep the malicious odors out.

Rounding into the room, Achak drops his Ares Crusader on its sling when he sees the girl. Her fate is sealed, but there is no need to be cruel. Her tone is gentle and her posture is non-threatening. It is difficult to spring into action while sitting cross-legged; if she had been on her knees, he would be more cautious.

<<@Team [Achak] Sister, stay here and keep watch with me. Please pray for our protection from evil magic. Stake, be at the ready with wooden flechettes on full auto. Do not worry about striking me; they certainly will not harm me. Sister, if she strikes, hit us both with sawdust. But if she repents, be ready to deliver her from evil. We are the Lord's grace, and His mercy.>>

He steps forward into the room with his hands empty, making sure not to interfere with Sister Rebecca's line of sight. He kneels down along side the girl so that he might pray with her.

"In this world you will have trouble. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. But take heart! I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. Pray, so that you will not fall: 'Father, into Your hands I commend my spirit'.”

He glances up to Sister Rebecca.

<<@Team [Achak] Do what you came for, friend. Put your sword in its place.>>