Shadowrun
Shadowrun Play => Play-by-Post => Topic started by: Mercy Merchant on <03-20-16/1603:29>
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Joe is finishing up his mixed class of ten-year olds with a flourish. The six students are all very into what he is trying to teach them, but one young boy, Tommy, seems to take it more seriously than the rest, as if he has something to prove or something to do. As all the students clasp their hands and bow to you, Tommy seems to want to stay late again. It is not the first time he has delayed leaving and he always seems to ask questions about your dragons. This time is no different. He bows again after the other kids have run off to the showers. "Sensei Joe, may I ask a question? I have been wondering about how the dragon would handle a bad man. Can you tell me?"
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Joe gazes at Tommy for a few seconds. The kid had a good heart and karate seemed important to him, so Joe didn't want to disappoint him, but he also couldn't misrepresent what the dragon meant to him.
"Perhaps the dragon is the bad man, Tommy. To me, Dragon represents the ultimate challenge, and we should always strive to overcome it. When faced with a bad man, a karateka must try to look for a peaceful way to stop him, or contain him. You should always stand up for yourself and for those who need help against bad men, but you should especially try to do so peacefully when possible."
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Tommy nods thoughtfully, as only ten year olds seem able to do. "I.................think I understand. But what if the bad man jus........"
"Tommy. Time to go, honey." Tommy is interrupted by the soft call from the door to the observation room. you look up at the woman standing there. You have noticed the Japanese woman before and had managed to pair her with Tommy by a matter of elimination when the other kids went off with other parents. At five foot three, the young woman is cute, but certainly not beautiful in the trid sense. Her dark hair hangs to just above her collar in a nice way that frames her Asian face. Her almond shaped eyes are brown, but today are concealed behind dark glasses. She is usually dressed in a slim pantsuit when she comes for Tommy, and today is no exception. Tommy looks at her and turns back to you. He clasps his hands together and bows again.
"Thank you Sensei-Joe. I have to leave now. Maybe we can talk dragons again?"
The lad runs off to the showers and the woman at the door watches him then turns to look at you. In a soft voice, slightly accented with Japanese, she says, "I hope that Tommy was not bothering you? I have noticed that he likes to stay late to talk to you. May I say that he is a fan?"
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Joe smiles warmly and makes a slight bow back. "Any time, Tommy-kun."
The muscular man wipes off sweat from his forehead with the fabric on his forearm before approaching the Japanese lady. "He's not bothering me at all, Ma'am. He's just interested in more than just the physical aspects of karate and I'm happy to teach him what I can. He's got a good heart."
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The woman bows slightly and holds out a soft hand. "Thank you Sensei. Pardon me for being ride. I am Myotama O'Reagan and Tommy's mother. Thank you for being interested in him. He does have a good heart, but sometimes he wants to overreach his age and abilities. Probably like all boys."
Your perception lets you see that the woman has a small bit of bruising near her left eye that the dark glasses and some makeup do not completely hide.
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Joe is starting to connect the dots but he's not sure how to get involved. He really wants to get involved...
"Nice to meet you, Ms O'Reagan. Your boy seems to be worried about some man in his life. Some man doing bad things, perhaps violent things. I don't want to overreach myself, but is it possible that Tommy is preparing for a fight?"
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The woman purses her lips slightly, trying to think of something to say. Her son comes up and says, "Hi, Mom. Ready to go. Goodbye Sensei. See you tomorrow?"
Myotama puts her hand on Tommy's shoulder. "What have you been telling strangers, Tommy?"
"Only nothing, Mom. And Sensei-Joe is not a stranger. And that man hits you. It is wrong and he should stop. I am training to stop him."
She looks up at you and blushes a bit. She is quite pretty when she does that. "So that is why you wanted to come here, Tommy? That is sweet, but you should let me handle my affairs. Besides, I am sure that your Sensei does not have the time or the patience to hear about our troubles."
Tommy looks up at you. "Yes he does. Don't you Sensei-Joe? The dragon would, wouldn't he?"
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I'm not the Dragon! thinks Joe, but now was not the time. "The dragon wouldn't. I do."
Turning to the mother, "What man is beating you, Ms? Can I do something to help?"
Joe never thought of himself as chivalrous, but then again he was following the teachings of Dragonslayer. And he liked Tommy anyway.
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The woman blushes again and looks confused. Tommy tugs on her arm. "Go on, Mom. Tell him."
Myotama seems to make a decision and nods at the boy then looks at you. "I leave it up to you. If you want to hear the sordid details, come to our place for dinner. I will make a Japanese meal for you in trade for listening. It is only me and Tommy, so it is not a trouble to set another plate. Here is the address............oh drek." She blushes as she swears then continues to swear softly in Japanese as she fumbles with a cheap commlink she pulls from a small purse. Tommy sighs and rolls his eyes as he holds out his hand. She gives him the device as she continues. "I am sorry, but these things make me feel so useless. Tommy, please put our address in and the car park. And please, Sensei, park at the place he puts in if you are driving. I do not have a garage at my place and you do not want to park on the street unless you want gang tags on your car and maybe a missing wheel or four by the time you leave. It is only a three block walk from the car park. Please do not feel obligated to come. Dinner is at seven and if you are not there by half past, I will know you changed your mind."
Tommy looks up at you. "Alright, Sensei-Joe. Just give me the code to send this to."
After giving the boy your code he sends you a text and gives the 'link back to his mother. She smiles at you and says, "See you at dinner, maybe. Come on, Tommy, we do not want to miss the bus. School was hard today and I need to stop at Ito's on the way home if I am to make dinner." The boy looks over his shoulder at you and waves as they walk out.
Checking your watch, you see that it is just after four now. Your commlink pings with a text message. It is the address that Tommy sent you. According to your knowledge of the area, Tommy and his mother do not live in a nice part of the Barrens, as if any part could be considered nice. There is a short note after the address. >>Please come. Ring the bell for 204. We need help and she is a good cook.<<
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The karate instructor nods and replies carefully, weighing his words. "I promise you that I'll be there tonight and I'll listen to your story. We'll see if I can be of help or not." Joe's word was golden, and he didn't say things like this lightly. Whatever predicament they were in, he genuinely wanted to help.
Just thinking of Tommy, and the fact that this boy was willing to stand up for his mother and even fight for her... how could he refuse?
He takes a quick look at his link and confirms that he received all the info, before letting the mother and child go. "Oh and Ma'am, just call me Joe, all right? And please don't give yourself too much trouble for me." he said smiling slightly. Watching them leave he thought how these were good folks, the kind worth protecting. They live in the barrens and they probably struggle daily, and yet they are still proud and honest and full of good intentions. It amazed him even more that the mother was willing to drive all the way to this dojo and manage to afford the lessons for her son.
Back home, he started to prepare mentally for possibly getting into a fight that evening. Everything was possible, it was the barrens after all, and maybe he'd want to confront whoever was mistreating them right then and there. He tried to meditate but he was too pre-occupied, so he just sat down and watched trid for a while.
As he was driving down to the least reputable part of the metroplex, Joe was trying to picture how things would be going down. Was he going to push a drunk husband out of the house, or would it be telling a ganger thug to go piss off someone else, or maybe he'd have to put an abusive employer back in his place? What was the woman's job anyway? No one with a legit job would choose to stay there. Maybe she was SINless, like countless others?
The adept arrived at the parking garage as per the instructions given to him, paid the fee to the automated machine, trusting that the place would be secure enough even in these parts, and he started making his way on foot towards Tommy's home. He was wearing jeans, a white shirt and his black synth-leather jacket. Because of the neighborhood, he knew that armor clothing was a minimum, and he packed his browning ultra, simply tucked behind at the belt. There was no need for a concealable holster here.
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The car park does indeed look secure, that impression reinforced by the uniformed man in the shack at the front. He nods to you as you leave, making sure that you have your ticket and tells you that you will need it when you return or you will not be allowed back in the garage to even get close to your vehicle. Your eye picks out that the guard structure is made of bullet resistant materials, to include the glass panes I the windows. Additionally, the man appears fit and alert, far unlike some rent-a-cops you have seen.
The three blocks to Tommy's house is like a deteriorating scene in one of those time lapse vids on the trid, except that this is real. By the time you get to the last block, you know that your estimate of the need for a concealed holster is absolutely correct. The number of punks with weapons openly displayed increases with each block farther into this section of the Barrens. You do not look like prey so are left alone. Mostly. A pair of tatted whores approaches you about thirty feet from the address on your 'link, asking if you are looking for company. When you indicate that you are not interested, a huge Troll strolls over and asks why you do not want to sample his girls. "And you already wasted their last few minutes. That means you owe ten credits."
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Joe's hyper alert senses were kicking in as the situation was heating up. But for now, nothing very threatening. Big trolls like this one were tough enough, but they tended to be rather slow. "I didn't ask for anything. They came to me, not the other way around. Just leave it, I'm not worth your trouble, trust me."
That was all Joe could come up with. He wasn't going to intimidate that troll, but maybe showing confidence would be enough to get rid of the idiotic pimp. There was not a hint of fear in his eyes, and although he might appear nonchalant at a glance, he was ready to strike.
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The mountain on two legs in front of you looks confused, almost as if no one had ever talked to him like this before. "Uh.......what?" He looks around but is not getting much support from anyone else on the street. Looking back at you, he pushes the two whores along. "OK. You got this one time." The whores go back to strolling along the street and the Troll heads back to where he was standing to watch them. He motions that he has his eyes on you as you walk past.
The building that matches the address Tommy gave you is a bakery of sorts. All the windows in the building are barred, even the upstairs ones, but that is not surprising as most of the windows you have seen since you left the car park have been barred. The window of the bakery is empty of merchandise, leaving you to wonder if it is even still in operation. The building has four floors and the door to the upstairs apartments is right next to the door to the bakery. There is a row of buttons near a small intercom unit. The name O'Reagan is neatly printed in a fancy style of calligraphy on the card over the number 204.
Ringing the bell for 204 brings a tinny voice through the intercom. The words are so fuzzy that you cannot make even one out, but the banging of feet coming down stairs is evident enough. Tommy opens the door with a smile. He nods to you as he turns his head and yells up the stairs. "Sensei-Joe is here Mom. I'll bring him up." The boy had washed his hair when he showered at the dojo and you wonder if he gets enough hot water in a place like this to take a regular shower. You have heard of water rationing in the Barrens, and hot water would be at a premium. Tommy motions for you to come up the stairs and you follow him, noting that the dim bulb in the stairwell flickers a couple of times during the climb up. The apartment he leads you to is small, by anyone's standards. It takes about three seconds to see that there is a small living room/dining room area, an even smaller kitchen, and only one door that seems to lead to a bedroom. A quick glance confirms a small pile of blankets and sheets on the floor behind the ragged looking couch.
Myotama greets you from the kitchen. "Thank you for coming, Joe-san. You honor our home. Please be comfortable. Dinner is almost done. Tommy?"
The boy moves from where he is setting the table. "Yes, Mom?"
"Please entertain our honored guest. I will finish the table."
Tommy nods and motions for you to come into the small living room. His face goes a bit red as he points out the best spot to sit on the couch to avoid the springs that seem to be poking through in at least two places. He asks if you are interested in seeing his drawings of the Dragon? Without really waiting to hear your reply, he goes to get a book from a small pile stacked against a wall of the very sparsely furnished room. He brings it over to you, saying, "I hope that you can make them out. I had to draw them from memory." Opening the book, you are struck by three things. First, the boy is a whiz at drawing. The details of the dragon scales and the armor of the knight facing him are exquisite. Second, although the dragon always seems to be some variation, the knight is always the same, or near enough to be so. Third, while the dragons are done quite well, there is always a bit of haziness to the outer detail, but the knight is drawn clearly and perfectly. Skimming through the book, you see at least twenty drawings that are complete and several more that are just sketches or partially finished.
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Joe wan't too sure what to expect from that evening, but this was nice, entering the life of this little family for a few hours, getting to know better his most enthusiastic student. For a moment, he was almost forgetting why he even came here tonight.
"These.. these are amazing, Tommy!" says Joe. He would never have expected that a child -- this particular boy! -- would be so good at drawing. Taking the time to inspect each picture carefully, he pays special attention to the knight. "Who's the knight? What does he represent?"
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Tuesday, 5 June 1930 Barrens
Tommy blushes a bit at the praise, but his mild embarrassment is quickly replaced by enthusiasm when you ask the questions. He moves to be able to look over your shoulder. "I do not know who he is Sensei-Joe. He shows up in every vision. Always the same guy, even though the dragons are all different. See? Here and here. The same armor and everything. I think he is trying to kill all of the dragons. But the dragons are strong. Sometimes I think he is trying to say something, but I can't seem to make it out. Maybe it is a foreign language or something."
Myotama speaks from where she is setting the table. "Tommy. Make sure that you are not bothering our guest." She walks over to stand behind you, leaning over the back of the couch. A faint scent of flowers comes from her, pleasant and just the right amount. "He is a good artist, don't you think Joe-san? I think he could go far if he applied the same diligence to his schoolwork as he does to his drawings."
"Mom!. I do well enough." He crinkles his nose a bit. "And what is that smell? Like flowers?"
Myotama stands and quickly moves back to the small dining area to finish the table. "I am just saying that you could do better if you tried. An education is important. You want to move out of this place some day, don't you?"
"Only if I can take care of you." Tommy turns back to the drawings and points out some special things that make the pictures stand out. Again, you notice that although he talks a lot about the dragons, it is the knights that have been given the best detail. Soon, the two of you are called to the table. The smell of the food sets your mouth to watering. Both of them bow their heads and Tommy says a short prayer, adding a special comment thanking Sensei-Joe for coming by to help them. Myotama serves dinner with a light hand. Your observation skills pick out that she wears no jewelry and that one of her ears looks to be slightly higher than the other. She has a nice smile and shares it often, although there is an undercurrent of something else beneath the surface. The dinner is well prepared and there is plenty to eat, perhaps because this is a special occasion. The dinner conversation is light and she encourages Tommy to talk about his day.
When dinner is done, she and Tommy clear the dishes away and begin to wash up. Myotama washes and Tommy dries, but leaves the dishes stacked on the counter because he is too short to reach the upper cupboards.
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Joe naturally helps out with the dishes. More and more he was wondering if she wasn't waiting for Tommy to be off to bed before telling him her story. Joe, patient, didn't mention it, simply returning every smile.
"Tell me more about your visions, Tommy. Do they come to you in dreams? Is everything you're drawing coming from a different vision?"
Joe was actually trying to find the answer to another question, Is it magic?
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Tommy hands you dishes and points to where they go as he talks. "Yeah. They usually come in dreams........"
His mother interrupts him. "Tommy, please use the correct words."
The boy blushes. "Sorry. Yes, the dragons usually come in dreams. But not every night. Sometimes it is weeks between the times I see a dragon. The dragon comes first, followed by the knight, who tries to stop the dragon."
Myotama turns to put something away and you find yourself face to face with her, mere inches apart. From this distance it is easier to see the bruising around her left eye that is mostly concealed by make up. It is also easier to smell the scent of flowers. Tommy breaks the short spell by saying, "Hey. Excuse me but you two are standing in the way."
Myotama blushes and moves sideways around you. Soon the last of the dishes are washed and put away and you all go out to the living room. Myotama tells Tommy, "You need to go get ready for bed. You have a big day tomorrow." Tommy looks like he is about to argue, but stops. He bows to his mother then you and goes off into the bedroom. His mother shakes her head. "He tries so hard to be the man of the house. I just do not want him to have to grow up too fast. He is only ten." She pulls out one of the dining table chairs and motions for you to take another. "Please sit here. These are more comfortable than the couch and Tommy will need the couch for his bed. You have graced our humble home, Joe-san. I am now almost too embarrassed to tell you our problems. Please, are you sure that you want to get involved?"
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Joe sits down very straight but as a manner of respect and seriousness, not in an intimidating or authoritative way. He bends forward a little to answer. "Ma'am, you're a graceful host and a good person. I'm humbled by the courage you two display, and so it will be an honor if I can help at all."
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Myotama nods but still looks down at the table before looking back up at you. “I will try to keep it short. Please ask questions if you need to.” She lifts a hand to the neck of her blouse and pulls it down a bit to show a small mark. It is a Japanese character of some kind and you rack your memory for its meaning. Just as she lets the blouse back up you recall that this is some sort of Yakuza mark. She puts her hand back on the table and continues. “Are you familiar with that mark? It is a sign that I belong to the Yakuza. It was branded into my neck when I was ten years old. That was the year my father sold me to them. I could tell you of my family but it does not matter any more as I lost them and was dead to them from that day. I was trained in the many ways to please a man and I am sure that you know what I mean by that.” She blushes and leaves the table to get two glasses of water. She seems to be back in control as she sits down and pushes one to you. “When I was seventeen, the Seattle Yakuza was trying to make nice with the O’Reagan Family of the Mafia here in Seattle. Sean O’Reagan was offered a prize bride for his son, Mickey, as part of the arrangement. Information and photos were exchanged and I was selected to fill the role of wife to Mickey O’Reagan. I seemed to meet the requirements they were looking for; I speak English quite well, am well read, and had proven to be docile enough. Hand shakes were done and money changed hands and I was shipped to Seattle to be Mickey’s wife.”
“Mickey was a monster. He was bad enough when his father was around to keep him in check, but one day Mickey had had enough parental control and killed Sean. Tommy was three when his grandfather died. Not that he ever really knew Sean. The man was cold and always looking for ways to expand his turf at the expense of the other Mafia Families. His deal with the Yakuza made some of that possible. After Mickey took over, he purged the Family of anyone who was not solidly in his camp. He did not like that I was Japanese and that his son is half Japanese. He took to sleeping with other women, which pleased me since he was not at home to hit me or Tommy. One of his own men killed him three years ago when Tommy was just seven. I have thanked God every day since then. Not that God has paid too much attention to my prayers. Most of the O’Reagan Family was taken over by the Lacostas Family, and they are not an improvement over the O’Reagans. Tony Lacostas made it quite clear to me that he knows that Tommy is Mickey’s son, but I have been able to convince him that we have no interest in re-establishing the O’Reagan influence. We are left mostly alone, although I know that Tony has people watching us. I am hoping that if I can raise Tommy right, he can avoid being caught up in these gang things.”
“I have a job as a……………waitress in a small bar just a couple of blocks away.” She blushes and looks back down at the table again and her voice goes a bit softer. “I am sometimes asked to dance if one of the girls calls in sick and……and I do other things with some of the customers if required to.” She looks back up at you. “I am ashamed of my life, Joe-san, but I am trying to do better. And I do not want Tommy to know that his mother is a prostitute. I take classes at the university to learn to be something better. I study to be a graphics artist and already have things up on the matrix in some shows.” She actually smiles, “Yes, I know that you saw me fumbling with my ‘link earlier. Tommy likes to be the man of the house. He is so bright and knows so much more than I do about the matrix and electronic things. It is a small thing to have him think he can do something to help his mother. I will have a degree in another year and then can try to move from here and be someone Tommy can be proud of. Someone that I can be proud of.”
“But I have strayed from the conversation. The boss of the bar is Aldo Lacostas, the nephew of Tony. He is very hands on and likes to sample the girls when they are not with another client or out hustling drinks. We try to keep busy to avoid him, but sometimes he catches one of us.” She touches her eye. “Aldo is a violent man, much like Mickey and Sean were. He likes to hit the girls for no special reason. Last night I was his girl of the hour and he hit me while he was……with me. I can take it, but Tommy gets so concerned. He wants to train with you so that he can beat up Aldo and take me away from here. You and I know that would not be the answer. Anyway, I do not know what you can do. I certainly do not want you to go to the club and try to “sort out” Aldo. Tommy says that is what the trid stars say about the bad men; that they are going to sort them out. I would understand entirely if you just leave the table and walk out the door. These are very bad men and I do not want you to get hurt trying to help me.” She stops and looks at you.
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Joe was focused and concentrated, giving the Japanese woman his full attention. There is a meditation technique he knows where you try to forget your self and empathize fully with the other, trying to think and feel what the other person says without filters, sort of like a perfect, zen listener, and the adept was trying to apply this technique right now. There was a lot to take in, and he couldn't help feeling saddened by the story. He really felt compassionate to the woman's plea and decided that he had to help her, however he could.
"I understand your situation, and I'm really sorry for you. And ..." he made eye-contact at this point, "I really want to help you."
"Problem is, I'm not sure how just yet. Ideally you'd need to relocate some place else than here, without being followed by Tony's men. You're on Tony and Aldo's turf and you work for them, both of these things need to change to find peace. If you were to leave, do you think Tony would send men after you?"
Joe was trying his best to find a solution for her, but he suspected that things were more complicated even than what she had already let on.
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Myotama lowers her head and you see a tear wetting the table beneath her face. She quietly wipes her eyes and looks up. "You are a good man, Joe-san. Thank you. Yes. that would mean a move, but that would mean talking to Tony and Aldo to make sure that they do not want to keep me. Would you consider talking to them on my behalf?"
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Joe closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "Yes, I can do that. I can even go tonight, but I imagine you might want to make some preparations. Are you ready to leave what you have here behind? Do you have money put aside for emergencies like this? And just what do you think they'll say?"
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Her eyes brighten a bit at your words. "Tonight would be wonderful. Mrs. Wallace will be here in about thirty minutes to watch Tommy while I go to my shift. You could walk me there." She waves her hand at the small apartment. "And this palace? I could give it up in a heartbeat. I would need some preparations. I have very little money put aside because I use most to buy food and pay Tony the rent. Plus there are my classes at the university and Tommy's lessons with you that seem to conspire together to keep us just above living in the streets. I could put off my studies for a bit to give us something, but I will need a job to replace the income I would lose by quitting at the club. I would, of course, look for some sort of waitress position that does not include prostituting myself on the side."
Tommy comes running out of the bedroom at that minute. "Did I miss everything? I tried to hurry."
Myotama looks closely at her son and motions for him to breath on her. She shudders, "I am not sure that you even gave your teeth a once over, young man. Now off to clean them." The boy groans but heads back to the bedroom. His mother calls out to him. "And change into your pajamas. Mrs Wallace will be here shortly." She stands up and walks out to the couch, bending over to pick up the sheet and blanket stashed behind it. As she begins to make a bed on the couch, she says, "You have been very kind, Joe-san. May I ask why you are doing this? You do not know us and I cannot believe that just one meal would convince you to help."
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"I don't think it should matter to you. But since you ask, let's just say that I'm always looking for ways to test myself. It's sort of like in Tommy's drawings, I see myself being a bit like the knight. I don't think the knight does what he does for the glory or the princess, I think he does it first to prove to himself that he's not afraid of the dragon."
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Myotama smiles and nods her head. "Very well said, Joe-san. Yes, I would think that you are the knight. And in some of the stories, rescuing the princess is the dragon that must be defeated." At that moment, Tommy runs back into the room. His mother stops him and checks his breath then tells him to bid Joe-san a good evening. Tommy looks from his mother to you then fold his hands together and bows to you. "You have graced our home, Sensei-Joe. Thank you for coming." Myotama kisses his cheek and sees him into the bed she has made on the couch. After he is settled, she turns the living room light and takes her coat from a closet near the front door. As she does, there is a soft knock and she opens the door to let a small, elderly woman into the apartment. She introduces you to Mrs. Wallace, who spends time with Tommy when Myotama has to work.
The woman gives you an accusative glare as she nods in your direction. It is almost a statement that you are under observation and had better behave. She turns to Myotama and says, "I worry about you, dear. Be careful out there."
Tommy's mother thanks her and promises that she will be careful and leads you from the room. As you close the door, you notice the old woman staring at you. Myotama laughs on the way down the stairs. "She means well, good soul. She has been watching Tommy when I need someone for years now." Even at this hour, there are a number of people about on the streets, mostly in groups of two or more. The walk is less than a block and you can see the line forming at the entrance as you turn the corner and head that way. The bouncer at the door nods to you and Myotama as you approach and lets you both inside. The room beyond the door is flashing from some sort of sparkly ball hanging from the ceiling. The music is loud and the men louder as they call out to the nude girl on the stage. A mug approaches you and tells Myotama to get dressed and takes you to into the room, asking if you want a seat at the stage or farther back until your favorite comes out. A scantily clad girl comes over and asks what you would like to drink. The mug leans over and tells her that you are with Cali and the girl smiles and nods before walking away, wiggling her ass quite seductively. You see three other women dressed just like her waling about the smoky room with drink trays in their hands. There are probably fifty people, mostly men but a few women, in here already and more coming if the line out front is any indication. The room is dominated by a single large stage which is currently occupied by a cute redhead who is bending over to show the appreciative audience everything mother nature gave her.
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As they enter the establishment, Joe is taken aback. He had hardly been in places like this before, and he was a bit shocked by the amount of flesh exposed and the almost complete lack of AR. This really was the barrens, in its absolute rawness.
When Myotama is told to get dressed, Joe takes her by the arm softly, to stop her auto pilot to the dressing room. "Don't you want to do things differently tonight? Shouldn't we do this right now?"
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The woman replies, "Yes, Joe-san. I do want that. But they will not talk with me in the room. I am their property, not a person. And I need to work. If you can change that tonight I will leave with you." She gently moves away from you and disappears in the crowd. The mug in front of you looks at you with a question. "You going to try to buy her? Have a seat and I will let the boss know. I am sure that he will be right with you." He hands you a round chip. "For you, the first drink is on the house. Just give that to the girl that comes by." Shaking his head, the man walks away.
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Joe sighs. This isn't going to be easy.
When the next scantily clad girl comes by, he asks for a beer and gives his chip, waiting for the boss (will that be Aldo or Tony?) to see him. He has no intention to do much more than take a few little sips, just enough to look like he belongs in this disreputable place. The faster he'd be out of here, the better.
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A girl wearing a pair of very tight jeans and a thin see-through blouse walks up to you and asks if you would like a drink, and perhaps some company to drink it with. As you open your mouth to say something, Myotama appears at the girl’s side and takes your chip. “This one is mine, Darla, do you mind?” The other girl smiles and says, “Not at all if you claim him.” She puts a finger against your chest and draws it down a few inches, “But if you lose interest in her, you can always ask for Darla, OK?” She moves off with a smile, leaving Myotama in front of you. She is dressed just as the other woman and blushes as you look at her, but does not drop her head. “Like I said, Joe-san, I am not proud of my life, but it has put food on the table for my son. And that counts more than anything to me. The beer is actually pretty good, but I would not trust the heavier spirits, as they are all watered." As she turns, you notice, perhaps in spite of yourself, that she looks plenty good in the painted-on jeans as she walks away. She returns quickly with the beer and leaves it with you to go in search of other men who need some liquid refreshment.
The girl on the stage changes twice before a large man comes to sit next to you at the small table. He does not have a drink in his hands and waves off the girl that looks like she is coming over. Leaning closer, he says, “Mister Aldo would like to speak with you if you have the time. You may bring the drink.” He rises and waits for you to do the same, then leads you through the crowd of people eagerly waiting to see Ivory strip off the last bit of her clothing and show them what they have been wanting to see from the moment she took the stage. He takes you to a stairway that is guarded by two men who frisk you for weapons before letting you past. Your guide takes you upstairs and to an office, knocking at the door and opening it for you to go through. Inside is a large, well decorated office. A large faux wood desk sits facing the door and several other chairs are scattered about the room, all with hard looking men sitting in them. The man behind the desk is heavy-set and has a florid complexion and his bald head reflects the light above him. As you enter, he raises his hands to you and calls out. “Ah, the man who would deprive me of my favorite girl. Come here young man, please. Let me look at you.” The man’s beady eyes seem to bore into you as he motions you closer. He holds out a hand as you approach the desk. “That is fine, now please turn around. I would like you to see something very nice. Only take a few minutes of your time. But maybe you have seen it before? But I bet not like this.”
When you turn, you are facing a bank of monitors adjacent to the door way. Each is oriented to a different part of the bar below, with three focused on the stage area from different angles, and he tells you to watch screen three. On it, you observe Myotama step onto the stage to cheers and applause. She is fully clothed and begins to dance. You have seen three of the other girls dance as they stripped, but this is erotic dancing at its best and you cannot take your eyes from her in spite of yourself. She moves with a grace that none of the others were able to display. The crowd goes wild, demanding that she lose something and pieces of clothing begin to fall off. It is a mesmerizing act and totally engrosses you, leaving you wanting to see more of the dancing and more of her. It takes several minutes before she takes the last bit off, revealing her body to all below and to all in the office. She artistically moves her body to show off her assets to good advantage as she collects the nuyen that have piled up on the stage from the appreciative audience. She is an exquisite doll of a woman and most of the men below seem entranced by her performance. Aldo calls you back to reality as Myotama leaves the stage. “Hey, Gino, let the man have your chair for a bit. Then you and the rest of you mugs get lost. I want to chat with my young friend here.”
Aldo waits for everyone to leave then motions you to take a seat as he opens a drawer in his desk and pulls out a bottle and two glasses. “This is the real stuff, not the drek I sell to the customers. Hell, most of them are so drunk that giving them this would be a waste of it.” He pours you one and pushes the glass over to you. Raising his he toasts to Myotama and drinks half of it down. “Ahhhhh. Good fragging stuff. Now, let’s talk about little Myotama. I understand that you are interested in freeing her from all of this. You saw her. Were you also watching the men watch her? Did you see the money those mooks were tossing at the stage? She is my best girl. My biggest earner. Why would I want to give that away? Come on, I like you already for showing the moxie to come to my own place with this. I want to help you. So help me figure it out. Why would I or should I consider letting her go?”
-
Joe coldly left the poured drink untouched. He hadn't anticipated that she was that valuable. He wished she'd told him in advance. Well, there's no going back now, I gave her my word. Okay, what should I do? The carrot or the stick?
"Aldo, it's a pleasure to meet you. As you know I want to acquire her from you, and I'm looking for a way for both of us to come out ahead. There's many ways in which I could have done this, and I chose to come to you directly, out of respect." Joe bows his head slightly.
"I'm here to offer you a trade. You give her to me like I ask, and in exchange I'll do something for you. As the businessman that you are, I'm sure we can find something that's of equal value to you. Deal?"
Joe stares straight at the made man's eyes, trying to get a read on him. Will he bite?
-
Aldo looks coldly at you for a moment then smiles. He finishes off his drink and pours himself another. "Ahhh. A favor for a favor. I can get behind that, but I am not a blind or an overly trusting man. We might be able to come to an agreement, but I am sure you would agree that the girl is a valuable commodity. Now, I know the uses and skills of my side of the bargain, but I know nothing of you other than you have got huge brass cajones for coming here to ask this of me. So, two things: First, I do not trust a man who will not drink with me. And second, tell me what you can do and I will see if you fit the bill for something I need to have done."
-
Joe smirks, takes a large gulp from the glass and puts it down abruptly, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, still smirking.
"Of course. Let me introduce myself -- how rude of me not to? The name's Gaze, I'm a shadowrunner. My specialty is hand-to-hand combat, and I'm capable at infiltration and ranged combat as well. If the price is right, I even do wetwork. When you hire me, it's much harder to link the job back to you than if you use your own men. Surely, you must have use for someone like me. My services don't normally come cheap though, so the woman for one job of your choosing certainly seems a fair trade. Wouldn't you say?"
-
Aldo motions to the bottle in an invitation to refill your glass if you want. “Gaze. Gaze.” He shrugs, “No, I cannot say that I have heard of you, but that is no matter since I have now. I like your style, but I am afraid that I cannot just take your word for it that you are any good. Especially since I know the value of my property.” He sips a bit from his glass then nods. “Tell you what Gaze. I could use a good independent operator, but I have to be careful. I got a job you can do for me as a starter. To prove you are serious. If that goes well I will give you a real job. Pull off both for me in a satisfactory manner and I will give you the woman. If I still like you and you agree to a retainer, I could even set you, her, and her kid up in a nice place. But you got to prove yourself. Interested?”
-
Joe takes a moment to think about it, taking another sip in consideration. "Yes, I'm interested, but as a one-time deal for now. My offer was for a 1-to-1 exchange. I do one job for you, and the woman and child are no longer yours. That seems fair to me."
Before Aldo can reply, Joe raises a hand. "But, ... I understand that we need to build a relationship, that we need to trust each other. So I agree to first do a job for you to prove my worth to you, but I don't do pro-bono work. I want some compensation in return, once you're satisfied, so there's no risk on your end, and we can then discuss the exchange I'm really interested about separately."
Joe finally adds, slowly, and meaning it. "And who knows, maybe this can turn into a regular thing later on, maybe we can establish a more formal relationship. But as you said, we need to establish trust between us first. And I doubt you'll be disappointed."
-
Aldo smiles and lifts his glass. "I think we can come up with something to test your skills and commitment. I will get someone to put a package together for you. Come back tomorrow night. One of the mugs will get you and we can talk. The job won't be too tough, but there is an element of risk or I could just one of my own boys. Your independent operator could be the solution to my little problem." He sits back in his chair and puts the bottle away in his desk drawer, signaling that the interview is over. Some signal must have been given because several of the goons return to the office, one coming to stand near you.
-
"I'll be there."
Joe heads back to the show room, looking for Myotama, to let her know how things went down.
-
You are escorted back downstairs into the near bedlam of the main barroom. You notice that the girl on the stage in a bit older, but the men in the room seem a bit more drink and don't seem to care that her boobs are sagging a bit. You see two of the waitresses but not Myotama, but walking around you find her on the knee of one of the customers. She laughs at some joke and stands, seeing you as she turns to go back into the crowd. Her smile is refreshing as she walks over to you. "Joe-san. How did it go?"
-
Joe smiles back. Oh the things I'm agreeing to do for this woman... How did I get into this?
"It went okay. You didn't tell me before just how valuable you are around here." He's a bit shy making this remark, but he tries not to let on.
"So I had to offer something of similar value in return. It will take some time though, but I'm optimistic about this. Give it maybe a week or two, and you should be able to walk out of here and be free. We can talk more tomorrow evening. I have to be back here tomorrow night."
-
It is hard for you to stand in front of her and not look at what is visible under the thin, gauzy top. Myotama smiles at you but then frowns. "Oh, Joe-san, don't do anything crazy. Please." She looks around and motions at the crowd. "I am here for another five hours until my shift is done. Are you leaving or will you stay to walk me home? I can get one of the bouncers to do it if you have to leave."
-
"If it's okay with you, I'm gonna head back now. I need to be in good shape for tomorrow, and .. this isn't really my kind of place. But don't hesitate to call me if you feel unsafe, even at night."
Getting closer to her, he whispers. "And if that drekhead Aldo ever touches you again... well let's say I'll be handling the situation very differently than I have tonight."
He took my carrot, but I still got my stick ready.
-
Myotama looks a bid sad then smiles. "Thank you for helping us, Joe-san. I do not know how to thank you enough. Would you like to come for dinner before your meeting here?" One of the bouncers comes by and tells her to get to work. She nods and turns to go, saying, "Let Tommy know tomorrow if you would like dinner. Same time as today if you want to come." She disappears into the crowd, but not before you get a parting glance at her nice butt as she swivels her hips to make her way through the mob of men.
Walking back outside is like taking a breath of fresh air. Sort of. You have left the smoke-filled room behind, but the sight of the two drunks throwing up on the curb brings you back to the reality that this is the Barrens.
-
Joe was really glad to be out of that place, but the visions of Myotama would be haunting him for a while. The sheer eroticism that she inspired was uncontrollable, and yet Joe was trying to repress it, to focus on his self-appointed mission to help her. His feelings were mixed, but he wasn't going to back down now. And as far as employers went, Aldo wasn't that terrible, maybe this could become profitable for him over time. Running in the barrens for someone who operates there as well has its advantages. There's very little law enforcement, and so there's less of a need to worry too much about being seen perpetrating criminal acts. He should probably buy himself a good respirator though, this place stinks.
He walks back to the parking garage, to get his car back and head home. He'll try to get as much sleep as possible and exercise well in the morning, to get ready for the night to come.
-
The walk back to the parking garage is unnerving. It is not quite midnight yet and the streets are full of drunks, prostitutes, and thugs. You are approached by all three types in the short distance you travel by foot. The drunks ask for money, most claiming to be vets and needing food for their children. The prostitutes ask for money as well, and it seems like the going rate down here is 20 nuyen for oral sex, 50 for a quickie against a convenient alley wall, or 100 for a longer time in an equally convenient no tell motel located "just around the corner". The thugs ask for money, too, but do not seem to want to offer any services for it. The drunks are easy to get past, the hookers seem a bit more persistent, and the fist thug needs to be shown the error of his ways. You show him. And the next two as well.
Suddenly, you see a group of gangers blocking the street up ahead. From the shadows, you can hear them accost two of the street walkers. They ask them if they have seen some guy walking about. The description is inconveniently close to what you look like. They tell the girls that "the boss" is interested in showing this gent the meaning of coming down here. The leader hands something to both of them while he tells them that the boss would be personally grateful for any information about the mug. The hookers chime up that they have not seen anyone by that description, but will certainly be looking for them. The leader nods and waves across the street and you see another group of men over there talking to one of the panhandlers.
There is a psst from near you. Looking in that direction, you see a girl with spiked hair standing about six feet from you in the shadows. It is unlikely that you would have noticed her if she had not made the noise. Without coming closer, she says, "That description sound a lot like you. You want to fight those lugs or let me show you another way out of here? 20 will get you a guided tour. Or you can take your chances with Aldo's thugs there. And the others coming up behind you. Choose wisely, kemo sabe."
-
Without even looking any longer at her, "Must be a mistake, chummer, no one's looking for me. Thanks for the tip, but no thanks."
**If they think I'll give any of them any money, they're badly mistaken.**
Joe continues walking in exactly the same way and direction as before, paying extra attention, maybe, but nothing more.
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Wednesday June 6 2075 0021 Street The Barrens Seattle
The girl swears softly as you walk away. The eight thugs on your side of the street approach a bit closer and the largest one holds up his hand. “Hey ya seen a man looks like………………..”
He is interrupted by the guy next to him, probably the brains of the bunch. “Say he looks like the guy, don’t he?”
The first one smiles and calls out, “Jimmy! We got him.” He looks at you and says, “Now this is gonna hurt some. Mister Aldo wants us to make an example of ya. Be nice and it be over real soon. Just a nice, Barrens Beat Down.”
-
Gaze looks at him just long enough to reply "No thanks." and turns tail as fast as he can. The first rule for self-defense was to avoid engaging in the first place, and he was going to follow that age-old advice this time again, even though he looks cowardly for cutting and running. As he picks up speed, Gaze realizes that there's more than a dozen men coming after him, so it's unlikely he can outrun them all. Cool-headed, he remains calm and scans his surroundings, noticing a back alley with a lot of debris such as old sometimes burnt cars lying around; this would be a good defensive position.
Reaching that position would be a bit challenging though, as there are a bunch of people in the way in that direction, and they don't seem to care for moving aside, with also Aldo's men coming at him from two directions now. As he easily pushes a middle-aged woman aside, probably a junkie given her emaciated look, a nearby teenager finds a way to trip him somewhat and attempts to tackle the adept. As he easily escapes, he realizes that the mob of thugs is catching up dangerous, and Gaze barely makes it to his defensive position before a first punch is thrown at him, but missing his head widely. The expert karateka evades a few more punches using the uneven terrain to his advantage and feeling out the layout. After finally finding a stable foothold on the damaged pavement, he's able to return blows. His kicks rapidly take down 3 of the thugs, and as they get back up and the others are scrambling to enter the fight as well, they hesitate to move in after the masterful display, just long enough for Gaze to have a chance at getting away once again.
With grace and precision, Gaze makes his way up to a second floor balcony by taking advantage of some of the debris and the imperfections in the wall, noticing a strange green light behind him as he does so. This isn't going to buy him that much time, he realizes, with half the men helping each other in reaching up to his position and the other half or more taking the longer route inside the building. He can already hear them climbing up the stairs as he makes his way through the old building. The holes in walls and the yells of the squatters living there make it impossible for him to remain unnoticed, and with every corner he turns he's almost grabbed and pummeled by a different person. With the pursuit heating up, Gaze continues punishing his eager pursuers with hard blows to the legs and abdomen when a chance offers itself. Inside the building is a difficult place for a place fight though, and there are a lot of civilians, so in a desperate effort to stay ahead he jumps out the second floor window and back into the streets with a well-timed roll that takes most of the hurt out of the fall -- the two men directly behind him are not so lucky though and one of them seemingly breaks a leg in his landing.
Gaze's tumble is creating a lot of distance between him and the thugs, but not losing them yet, what with the screaming and yelling and the fingers pointed at him. Okay Joe, you're in enemy territory, vastly outnumbered, and you have to lose them somehow. This isn't gonna be easy but don't give up, wait for your chance! If you keep at it, you'll have the chance to confront Aldo later. Using anger as a motivation isn't the kind of philosophy he wants to follow, but it just can't be helped right now. He can still see the crook's face, smiling and drinking with him and shaking his hand just moments ago, and that's just pissing him off right now.
The men are after him once more, and while he has caught his breath, Gaze is starting to feel the strain in his muscles. Thankfully, the adept is a natural athlete and he has trained extensively precisely in order to handle situations like this one with a cool head and an able body. Sprinting harder this time, Gaze hopes to lose them by sheer speed, and he almost does, with only a handful keeping up with him until he has to slow down. By now he's making sharp turns through narrow, encumbered alleyways. The first of Aldo's men to catch up with Gaze gets a foot to the face that stuns him and he falls down just in front of the martial artists. The three men there once again hesitate but decide that their numbers are good enough to win this through pure brute strength. Gaze sweeps the legs of the first one, dodges a right hook from the second, but gets grappled in a bear hug by the third man, who's much larger than himself -- was it an ork? For a moment, Gaze thinks that this is the end, but with his fighting instincts kicking him, he skillfully escapes from his grasp just as the other man is about to knock the wind of him with a nasty uppercut to the gut, that almost impacts. Within a few seconds, Gaze makes quick work of the two men, while the other one gets back up and yells their position to the rest of the group. Gaze is already climbing through a window, going through the abandoned building with ease, but he can swear that he's seeing that green light again behind him.
Gaze manages to hide inside a different building for about 30 seconds, while the three men and possibly others are searching high and low, converging on his position. Gaze also hears the groans of some of the men he had hurt but that taken out just yet. It's not like he's trying to kill anyone, even though he would be able to do as much with just his bare hands. And these men haven't drawn guns on him either anyway, and they're visibly not trying to kill him. They are probably getting increasingly annoyed with him though, with many of them pretty beaten up by now. Maybe this is some kind of test? Bah, no time to worry about things like that.
This little lapse of time was enough for Gaze to find an opportunity to disappear. Under the cover of darkness, the adept sneaks past the band of ruffians unseen and retraces his steps somewhat. Gaze, seemingly unnoticed, makes his way to the roof of a two-and-a-half-story building and runs and jumps from building to building, ending up maybe a block away from where they lost track of him -- at least that's what he believes. As he is creating more distance between them, Gaze still has this nagging feeling of a green light following him around, but it's annoyingly never there when he turns to look for it.
Hmm, I think I lost them, what should I do now? Gaze picks up his comm' and looks for directions, but there was no GridGuide here, and the triangulation of his position was very vague. He checks to see if he can at least connect to the matrix. Maybe he could contact a friend that could help him out, otherwise he'll have to find his way out of here on his own, and that might take some time.
-
You seem to be relatively safe up here, but you can hear the yells of angry men in the distance. As you fiddle with your 'link to try to get a signal out, the small screen flickers and a voice comes across. >>Hey, kemo sabe. You are good. Very good. You seem to have lost the horde for now. Word on the street is that Aldo is calling in favors from other families. Won't ask what you did to him. And you did all that running to avoid a lousy 20 nuyen fee? Not sure it was your wisest choice, chummer. We can help you, but now you have to ask. And the fee is up to 30 nuyen. Interested? Still your call, kemo sabe.<<
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I still have a lot to learn about how things are done around here. Well, whoever this girl was, she's pretty good too...
>> I won't even ask how you got to my link. Can you help me, chummer? I was obviously wrong to refuse earlier on. <<
Yup, time to stop with the bravado.
-
>>Wise choice, kemo sabe, but from where I stand, you were doing well on your own. I might offer an exchange for the 30 nuyen if you are interested. I will be with you in three mikes. There are some bad apples searching for you on the ground and I need to outwait them. Spike out.<<
There is a noise at the door to the roof and the girl with spiked hair steps through the door. In the dim light, you can see that it is far more than her name and hair that is spiked. She is wearing a collar and wrist bands studded with spikes. She walks to within ten feet of you and talks in a soft voice. "So, decided yet? 30 nuyen and I can take you to the edge of Aldo's territory, but my sources say that he has got the bosses of the nearby territories mad at you, too. Something about trying to kill him? Too bad you did not succeed, chummer. That would have benefitted everyone but you. Your alternative is to pay the 30 nuyen and come meet some people. If you decide to help, I will refund the money. Your choice."
-
"Aldo's lying. Anyway, at this point I'll take the help from anyone, Spike. Name's Gaze by the way, and I'd like to talk to you some more, but obviously not here. Bring me some place safe, have me meet with whoever you want, and we'll discuss. Soka?"
I don't know why I trust her. But I'm running out of options. Let's see where this goes.
-
From the shadow she is standing in, it appears that Spike shrugs. "If his lips are moving he is lying." She taps at an ear. "What? Come back Drake."
Nodding to an unseen person, she then says. "Trish, Tina. I need a distraction. You guys have anything left?"
She nods again and motions for you to follow her. As you do you see the reflected glow of a double burst of green color from over the rim of the building and a lot of yelling from down below. Spike calls over her shoulder as she races for the opposite edge of the building and stops just before going over, looking at you. "Been watching you and I know you can do this." She places a hand on the ledge and drops over into space, only to catch herself on a thin window ledge and use it to continue her motion in a leap to a rainspout hanging off the building across the alleyway then down to the ground in two more jumps.
-
Without skipping a beat, Gaze hops over the ledge and follows suit, with a slight smile. The girl sure is full of surprises.
-
Twenty minutes and some really interesting parkour moves later, you arrive at a small door in a pockmarked wall. She carefully opens it and motions for you to precede here. A dim and flickering bulb barely illuminates a short hallway that ends in stairs descending below the surface. A number of inch-thick cables are strung along the walls, disappearing into the stonework at intervals. The stairs end in a rickety wooden door and you can see an eerie green glow through the crack between the door and the jamb. Spike again motions you to go forward. The door opens to one weird scene. The wall opposite you has a number of trid screen monitors juryrigged to it by anything from old shelving units to wire and heavy tape. None of the screens are completely intact, as all have some sort of crack or cracks across the faces. Rudimentary cables tie into larger bundles of cables that connect to the walls and ceiling.
A young man is seated in a chair in front of the bank of monitors, seemingly passed out, but his hands are moving almost of themselves. The monitors seem to be showing videos of some show that might be called "Barrens Life", except that you recognize some of the landmarks that you have just run past this evening. A noise attracts you attention to another wall, along which sit an old couch balanced on blocks of wood and other debris and three ragged cushion chairs. Four small kids are sitting on the couch, each no older than perhaps ten, but almost certainly a couple are younger than that. A young person of indeterminate sex is sitting on one of the chairs, apparently asleep. Spike puts a finger to his lips to indicate that you should be quiet and points to another corner with three more chairs of dubious quality and vintage. There are two more doors leading out of the room and you hear the sound of a toilet flushing as one of the doors opens and a young woman comes out, hiking up her pants and showing that she quite definitely is not wearing any underwear. She stops and turns to face the door. "For fragging shit's sake, Spike. You should at least warn a girl when you are bringing company over." She jumps a bit to finish with her pants and turns around. Her face is actually quite red as she says, "Sorry about that. Name's Angel, by the way. Can I get you some drek soycaf. Not too bad, but too good, either. I'll be right back."
At that moment the door to the stairs opens a gain and two girls of about fifteen year old slide into the room. They both nod at you and giggle a bit before sitting down in the empty chairs near the couch. They look at you and lean together to talk quietly. They seem to be copies of each other. Spike motions you to take a chair near her, and in the better light, you get a better look at her and revise your estimate of her age to be mid-twenties, maybe. She nods and says, "Quick intros. Drake is zoned out on the trix, trying to lead Aldo's goons in circles with reported sightings. Some luck, but I think they are getting wise and double checking the data so I am going to have him do a couple more and stop. He was able to crack your 'link's security codes and put me in touch with you. Rain is jumped into one of the three Fly-Spy drones we still own that can fly. It was her that was tracking you for us and kept me knowing where you were." Angel comes back into the room with a tray of chipped mugs full of a steaming liquid, which she passes out to you and the rest. Spike continues, "Angel you already met and have already seen more of than most boys in the Barrens." At that, the twins open their mouths with an ooooooh and giggle to each other. "Angel takes care of us and tries to keep us fed and healthy. Tough work out here. The twins are Trish and Tina. They were providing you some help by tossing a bit of distracting mojo about. The kids there are Amos, Chalk, Whitey, and Carla. They are our foot messengers and all around scrounges. Crackers and Moira are out on sentry watch right now so you might meet them later. And I am Spike. I know your name and I like your style. Started off just wanting to help because Aldo was after your ass, but now I want you for what you can do. You got some serious moves and we can sure use some of that if you are willing to help."
With that she stops talking and looks at you expectantly. You notice that everyone who is awake is looking at you expectantly.
-
Gaze takes a long breath and lets his guard down a little, but only just a little. "Hello everyone, nice to meet you. I think I'll have that soycaf, Angel, thank you."
They were all obviously expecting a lot more from him, so even though he's not much of a talker, he started talking. "My name on the streets is Gaze, my real name is Joe. Before I tell you a little bit about why I'm here and what's my business with Aldo, I just want to thank you for your help." Angel was handing him a cup of burning hot soycaf and he took it gratefully, but waiting for it to cool a little.
"As you can maybe tell, I'm not from these parts. Friends of mine live not far from here, a mother and a boy. She's a dancer who works for Aldo and she wants out and asked for my help. I've taken it upon myself to get her safely out and so tonight I went to see Aldo directly. Obviously, I wasn't well prepared for that, but I thought I could simply negotiate an agreement for her freedom with him. I see now that he didn't mean one word he uttered in front of me, and now I've angered him further by avoiding the beat down he wanted to give me, I think." Joe sips at the hot beverage before continuing. This was a rag-tag group of SINless kids living in a Barrens basement, but truth be told, the skill set they had resembled that of a team of runners, to some extent. And yet they lacked equipment, money and probably education -- but they made up for it with cooperation, trust and sheer willpower. I'm impressed.
"I don't know what you want from me, but I think we can probably help each other. From what I hear, we at least have a common enemy, so that puts us on the same side, no?" Joe stares at them, waiting to see who answers him first, as that will tell him who the leader is in the group. So far, he thinks that would be Angel or maybe Spike.
-
Almost as one, every alert eyeball among the group goes to Spike. She nods at you. "Common enemy. Yes, that sounds about right." She nods again then looks at the four younger kids on the couch. "Alright you four, looks like we won't need you any more tonight. Off to doss with you and good job. Early day tomorrow so no goofing off. Brush your teeth, bed, and sleep, in that order." Without a word, the four slip off the couch and head off through the other door. Angel takes a seat on the vacated couch and sips at her drink while the twins just sit and giggle as they talk softly to each other. Spike looks over to you and says, "Not sure what your plans are for the night, but you are welcome to stay here. Not the Ritz, but got a mattress you can crash on. Might be better than going back out there. We can connect you to someone if you need to send a message."
She points to the bank of monitors, focusing on several. "Looks like Aldo's troops are manning the choke points out of here. Chumps don't know all of them, but it would take a while to get you to those. Wait a sec." She looks over at Rain and then to you before looking silently at Drake. Two of the monitors change to show a small room from different angles. You see Myotama on a small couch with Tommy next to her. Both look like they have been beaten. Spike whistles and says, "This the woman and kid? You did not mention she was O'Reagan's old lady. Looks like Aldo is protecting his assets and watching the kid. Sorry you had to see that, Gaze. You want to do something about it?"
-
It's painful to see Myotama beaten again, but even more painful to see Tommy having suffered the same treatment. Anger boils up inside Gaze, but he manages to keep it somewhat in check.
"Yes that's my friend and her kid. It's painful for me to see them this way.." It was hard to swallow. With a bit of desperation, Gaze replies "You bet I want to do something about it. I must get them out of there no matter what, with or without your help. Will you help me? Can I do something for you in return?"
-
Spike nods. “Yes, we can probably help. That does depend on whether or not you can wait for us to get an ops plan together or if you have to charge in right now. And I am sure that someone with your skillset can help us with at least one or two things around here. But first, it looks like they were beaten a bit. Is there any information Aldo might now know about you that could help him get to you? Your address? A family? A job? Is there anyone that you should warn? I can have Drake get you a clean connection to the trix if you need to contact anyone.”
-
"Those are all important questions, let me try to give you the rundown. Before tonight, I've never met with Aldo and I don't believe he's ever heard of me. He now knows I'm a shadowrunner and he knows my handle, but that's not a whole lot to go off of. He could perhaps figure out who my fixer is, for instance, but I doubt he'd risk going down that path. Otherwise, he could try using my appearance to track down where I live and who I deal with on a daily basis, but that takes time and it's quite far from his turf and I don't think this is worth it for him. What he does know is my whereabouts after meeting him, up until moments ago, and he knows of my intentions, which are to free Myotama and her boy Tommy, the two that you've seen on the screen, plus anything those two might be forced to tell Aldo. They know what I do legitimately and where I work. So the most important thing to do for me right away is to alert my boss to what is going on."
"Earlier this evening, I've met with Aldo in his office and offered to work for him in exchange for the release of that poor woman and her son, but now I see that it backfired. I was probably naive in thinking that a man like him could be sensible about something like this. Then he probably wanted to establish his superiority by sending more than a dozen thugs after me, figuring that would be a sure thing, but that failed, and I injured a few of them in my escape, probably angering him. At this point, my best guess is that he's mad at me because I've hurt his ego and put his position of power into question on his own turf, and he'll probably try some kind of gambit by taking the ones I care about as hostages. They must be quite valuable to him regardless of any link between them and myself, so I trust he will protect them to the extent that they behave submissively."
"As to whether we should have a plan, I say of course! Even if I'd like to charge in, as you say, I think my chances of success are slim to none without preparation and support. I also need to consider what the next steps will be for myself and for the two I'm rescuing after the operation. Aldo and his family are not enemies I want to have, but it might be hard to avoid their wrath, and I'd really like putting an end to that threat if possible."
"So all in all there's a lot to consider, both tactically and strategically. This is your neighborhood and you know better who I'm going against, you're the ones who should suggest a plan. I'd like that phone call, too, please."
-
Spike nods several times during your talk then stands up and walks over to Drake. She leans over the young man and taps something into the device on his lap. Within a few seconds, your 'link lights up and Spike looks over to you. "Go ahead, Gaze. Make your calls. You have just less than ninety seconds of secure time, so do not waste it. It could take an hour to get another window. I will wait on other questions until you are done."
-
"Thank you so much." Joe dials for Saito-Sensei hoping that he will pick up even though it's late. If he doesn't he'll just have to leave a message. While waiting for the rings, he thinks ahead of what to say in order to be as thorough in as few words as possible.
-
It takes three rings to get an answer. There is a spike of relief as your sensei picks up the phone. "Hello? Who is this? Don't you know what time it is?"
-
With urgency in his voice, Gaze tries to convey his message as clearly as possible. "Sensei, it's Joe. Please listen to me, this is important. I'm really sorry but I've gotten myself in a situation where I might have endangered the dojo. I'm not sure. You must cancel the classes tomorrow and stay clear for a few days. Please, Sensei! I don't have time to explain. I'll make it up to you."
-
"Calm down, Joe. What is going on? You want me to close classes for a few days? That will mean lots of cash refunds. What sort of trouble are y.................................... The semi sleepy voice cuts off and Spike looks over at you, shaking her head. "Sorry, Gaze. Out of time. There will be another window in a couple of hours if you want to try again. If the adrenaline rush is past, I can show you a place to crash or you can take a walk withy me as I check on Crackers and Moira. You are welcome to come along if you like."
-
The adrenaline rush was not completely past. "No time to waste, shouldn't we start planning our next move? The sooner we take care of this, the better for everyone."
-
Spike smiles at you. "Calm down, kemo sabe. Already working it. Drake and Rain are doing recon now. We will have a better idea of what is going on and where Aldo is keeping her and where his men are positioned in a few hours. Like you said, she is valuable to him and he will not kill them. But you see the drek sort of equipment we are working with, right? We need to be careful as well as good, and that takes time, so take a breath and settle down. You strike me as a guy who has done this sort of thing in the past, so let your team do its job. Rushing this will only make it fail and play into his hands."
-
Joe slows down a bit at Spike's words. With his greatly heightened senses, adrenaline could play tricks on him, springing him to action and keeping his energy level super high even after things have cooled down.
"All right, all right. I'm just worried you know. I've been doing this for a while, but it was never this personal. I was never this worried of causing harm to those I care about. Please let me know if there's anything I can do to help. I'm well rested and I don't think I'll find a way to sleep tonight, so use me how you see fit. If there's nothing I can do, show me the most quiet room you have and I'll patiently wait there."
-
Spike smiles at you and nods. “Not judging, Gaze. I know how it is, believe me. Alright, come walk with me for a bit then I will show you the resting room.” She moves forward and for the first time her face is in the light. You notice a lip ring and a small chain connects a nose ring to a stud at her left ear. She has three small tattoos of oriental characters on the right side of her face and you see a tongue stud when she talks. Her features would barely be noticeable if not for the facial art and jewelry. Her dark hair is cut short on the sides, giving the spiked center a sharper profile. The black leather band at her neck is about two inches wide, with a single row of spikes circling her neck. When she steps towards you, it is easy to see that she is at best an A-cup and is a bit on the skinny side. All in all, she could easily pass for someone much younger than you have originally thought her to be.
She leads you back up the stairs and out into the evening, saying little more than telling you to watch your head at the exit. From behind, her form is definitely on the athletic side, with little to really attract most men. However, her movements are graceful and she wastes no motion that you can tell. Everything she does is with a purpose. She leads you a short distance away in the rubble, climbing a short hill made when the wall of a building collapsed. A short whistle is answered by another and a figure rises up from the bricks and mortar near you. She introduces you to Crackers and asks about Moira. The young man shrugs and says, “She is about somewhere. You know Moira. Do you really need to see her?”
Spike shakes her head. “No, not really. Just wanted to introduce Gaze. He might be spending a bit of time here.”
The boy smiles, “Cool, dude. We can use some help. Oy, was it you that was leading all of Aldo’s goons? You got some skills, man.”
After spending a few minutes with Crackers, Spike leaves the boy and walks back to the building by a different route than the one she took to get to the rubble hill. She chuckles softly. “Never really know if Moira is still with us. Never see her. She does not come to the building. Don’t know how she eats. Met her three times in the years out here. But Crackers knows. Some kind of bond, I guess.”
-
"A nice little organization you got here. I'd be proud if I were you. I can see that this wouldn't be the same without you holding everyone together. They respect you, Spike. Tell me, apart from surviving, do you have higher aspirations? Are you at odds with the criminal syndicates? I still don't know why you're helping me."
-
Spike pauses in her walk then continues. "Not much to it, but thanks for saying so. Fact is, most of these kids were just looking for someone to be the focal point and I guess that was me. But I am proud of what we can accomplish with what we have. And proud to be with this bunch." She stops talking for a few moments. "Aspirations is an awfully big word for down her, Gaze. Not really sure that we any besides surviving and trying to.....well, maybe be a family. Sort of. All of us are orphans, so we got no one but ourselves. Some, like me, were orphaned by the Irish and others by the Italians, and a couple just by accident or because their parents tossed them aside so they would not have to feed them. Doesn't really matter who kills your parents; they're still dead. The O'Reagans were horrible, the La Costas are maybe worse. Tony is sort of smart, from what I hear, but Aldo thinks with his prick more than his head and that means lots of trouble for any girls in the neighborhood. He had some trouble a bit back and Tony had to come down and have a chat with him, so not he mostly sticks to fucking and beating his whores."
She stops and turns to you. "You do know that is what she is, right, Gaze? One of his working girls? Her bad fortune to have been married to the O'Regan boss and have his kid. One of the rumors going around is that Aldo wanted to kill them but Tony said no. Don't know why. Don't even know it that is a true story or not. Just saying." She turns about and starts walking again. "Anyway, I guess you could say that we aspire to get the Mafia out of the neighborhood. There are good people here in this area, Gaze. Some even help us with a bit of food or some scrip once in a while. That thirty I was going to charge you? Well, Angel could make that feed all of us for about a week. You have seen what we can do with drek; imagine what we could do with some real equipment.. But that takes money and we do not have much of that. The saddest thing is knowing that even if we were able to get the La Costas out of here, someone else would come along. Someone might ask what the frag the point is, but the bigger question is what you become if you do not fight it. I do not have a good answer to that, but I know that I do not want to find out. And that keeps me going and keeps the others going. Would it be enough for you to stay and help us?"
-
"Yes, of course I know what she is, but more importantly I know who she is and that she doesn't deserve any of this. I know and like her kid and I thought I could help her out, so here I am, in the middle of a big mess."
"Sure, I want to help you guys too. I don't think I'd be "staying", though, but we should keep in touch, and I mean that in all honesty, regardless of what help you can give me right now against Aldo. I want to help, but I'm also from a different world, from a different crowd, and I don't mean that in a condescending way, just that I wouldn't be a good match as a permanent resident here. I have my own life out of the barrens. But I can offer to come visit regularly and see what I can do for you guys. How would that sound?"
Gaze also intends to give them money, given that they have so little and he can spare some. But that's not what he wants to focus on right now.
-
Spike is silent for most of the rest of the walk back. At the door, she holds back for a moment. “So you do not think that this is where you are supposed to be? Then perhaps not. We all can get turned around on our journey to overcome the obstacles in our path. I happen to think you would be great down here, but then I am not you. We will help you get your woman back and talk for a bit about how you can help us.” She leads you back into the ruined building and into the larger room. She points to the bathroom door and tells you that is works most of the time. You see that Drake and has not really moved, but Rain is gone. Spike puts a finger to her lips and guides you through the other door into a dormitory type room, where you are greeted by the sounds of people sleeping. A dim bulb in the ceiling gives enough illumination to see that there are a number of mattresses on the floor. You can identify everyone but are confused by who is who among the smaller children.
Spike shows you to a vacant mattress with a blanket across the bottom of it and motions to you that this one is yours for the night. She sits down on the one next to you and turns so her back is facing you then removes her shirt. Even in the dim light you can see the marks of numerous scars criss-crossing her back. She lays down on her side and softly bids you good night before pulling a thin blanket over herself and you can hear her mutter something that sounds like a prayer before dropping off to sleep. The mattress does not smell bad and the blanket definitely has a feel and smell as if has been recently washed.
A part of your mind is trying to process all that has happened and wonders just what the frag are you doing here with some punked-out rebel in her late twenties and a bunch of kids. As you try to fall asleep, it comes to your mind that dragons come in many guises, but so do knights.
-
Gaze sits on the mattress finding a comfortable position -- but not too comfortable. His heart is still racing faster than normal, but he tries to clear his mind nonetheless. Breathe in, breathe out. Eyes open, look at nothing in particular. Perceive, but do not think. Think, but do not reason.
Through meditation, his stress level decreases, and in response fatigue kicks in. Time to get some rest, rest is a warrior's future strength. Gaze eventually lays down and relaxes, not meditating anymore, but not sleeping either. Calmly, he dozes off into a light sleep.
-
You wake from sleep on a strange bed, a mattress on the floor of a partially ruined room. Only two small boys are in the room. They are sitting on another mattress, just watching you. They alternate words as they tell you that Spike said to let you sleep as long as you needed to and then take you out to eat. As you stand up, your eye falls on the mattress next to you and you see a small white plastic figure of a knight on a charging steed with a lance out in front as if to pierce the hide of the invisible enemy. The whole thing was no bigger that a couple of inches tall. The boys, again in alternating words, tell you that the toy is Spikes and is usually on the small wooden shelf above the mattress. They nod at it and you can see a couple more knights like it, but in different poses.
When you are ready, they take you out into the main room. Angel calls your name and asks if you like pancakes, saying that she has just made a batch and they are hot. Looking around, you see that Spike and the twin mages seem to be out, but everyone else is present. Drake nods and waves to you, but Rain just seems to look through you. Angel brings you a small plate with a few three-inch diameter pancakes and a bit of syrup. She explains that they sometimes get treats and a special guest deserves a special treat. Drake finishes his plate and looks at you. "You're that guy, right? The one Aldo is looking all over for? I got your girlfriend for you. Found her, I mean. Had to sneak all over his place, but I know where they are keeping them. I can show you, if you like?" At your nod, he does something to the little 'link in his hand and two of the monitors switch from what they were showing to a view of a room with a small, narrow bed. Both Tommy and his mother are on the bed, still asleep. "This is real time, dude. It don't get much better....oh, wait, yes it does. I know where the room is and how to get to it. Spike is out doing a recon with DoubleT now. She said she would be back soon." He goes quiet and watches you. It seems that everyone is watching you. Angel comes over and breaks the moment by offering one additional pancake to each person then saying that was the last of them, except for some she is saving for Spike and DoubleT. She details the four smaller kids to helping her clean up, leaving you with Drake and Rain.
Rain seems to snap out of what she is doing and says, "Bring up number 03, big guy." Drake does something to the device in his hands and another monitor goes more active. The view is of the room where you had been talking to Aldo just last night, but the angle would indicate the camera is high. Drake high-fives Rain and says, "You finally got one in there. Way to go, Rain." Drake calls out to Angel, who comes into the room wiping her hands on her apron. Drake points at the monitor and she squeezes Rain's shoulder as her lips begin to move in sync with Aldo's. The conversation goes on for several minutes. Well, it is apparently pretty much one-sided and Aldo does not look happy. Spike returns at that moment and greeting is hushed by both Rain and Drake. She grabs a plate of food as the twins come in and are hushed, too. Finally, Aldo says something and everyone else leaves the room. Angel, looks over at Spike that you. "Aldo is pissed. All of his shenanigans and eight of his boys at the local street clinic for more than bandaids. Good job there, DoubleT, you accounted for four of them and our guest for another three. Apparently the other just tripped over something. His calls to the neighboring gangs were not well received by Tony. Tony wants this resolved, and resolved fast. Aldo is sending almost everyone into the streets."
Spike looks pleased. "This is a good chance, Gaze. We get your woman out and you get away."
-
"Great. I'm so ready for this. I really want to put an end to this. How should we proceed? Oh and when you say that Aldo is sending his men into the streets to resolve this, what do you mean exactly?"
-
Drake pops up activity on several monitors. "Dude, he is emptying the club to try to find you." There are murmurs from several of the people in the room then all of them look at Spike, who is standing silently, idly turning a coin of some kind over and over in her right hand. She finally puts the coin away in a pocket and looks at you. How good are you Gaze, and how much will you do to get her out? Remember that Tony will want her back or want her dead. She means something to him for sure, or she would have disappeared with the rest of the O'Reagans who survived the take over. Would you kill to get her out of this life? And where are you going to take her that will be safe?"
-
"Would I kill? Yes. Sadly I've done it many times before." They can see that he is somewhat pained at saying this but he is also in a way detached and cold, and no less determined than before.
"Am I good? Well, I won't bore you with humility, I like to think that I am. You've seen a bit of what I can do yesterday."
"And as to what's a safe place for her. I'm not sure yet. Maybe she could stay here for a while until I figure something out? I believe you'd be doing this anyway, but let me just say that I can help support you with some money that would make things easier. How would that sound?"
-
Spike looks at you for a minute. “We are going to walk right up and go in the club. We move fast and go in hard. Right now the opposition is Aldo in his office, two of his thugs, the bar guy, and several non-combatant dancers that live there. One thug is in the front in the lobby with the bar guy and the other is at the door to where they are keeping your girl and her son. DoubleT will take out the lobby guy and bar guy then we move to the second floor. Drake is already trying to get into their comms to interrupt anything going out of the building. Might work, might not, so we plan on reinforcements. That is where Crackers and Moira come in; they will distract anyone trying to return to the club. We go get your girl and leave.” She turns to the twins, “No hard stuff on any of the dancers that might be about. Weapons free on the hard men.” The girls nod and giggle. Spike looks back at you and adds, “As a bonus, we can try to deal with Aldo, but that could eat up extra time we might need to get away. Unless you want to let me and DoubleT go get the girl and you go after Aldo? We could just leave him to answer to Tony. Your call, Gaze.”
She looks at the watch again, snaps it closed, and puts it away. “Let me know on the way. We just hit the two mikes and are rolling hot.” Suiting the action to the word, Spike nods at Angel and leaves the room, followed by the twins, who seem to have stopped giggling. The second one (you are still not sure which is Trish and which is Tina) turns to you just before she goes through the door and smiles. You are momentarily startled by an odd green glow in her eyes. Then she turns and disappears after her sister. Angel is still looking at the screen, but her words catch you as you pass through the door. “Keep her safe for us. We need her. She has waited almost her whole life for you, which means we have, too. Good luck.”
-
**I'm not sure what's going on with these people, but I don't intend to let them down. This is serious stuff though, really dangerous. Angel's right, I gotta protect them, Spike and the twins. Everyone's putting their faith in me. I'm not sure why yet, but I'll make this worth it for them afterwards. I owe it to them.** "I'll do my best, Angel."
"Okay, Spike, we'll do it like you said. The priority is the woman -- her name is Myotama -- and her child Tommy. Aldo, well, we'll make the call when we're over there, depending on our intel from outside. I'll deal with him only if we have time." **And I sure hope we do.**
-
Spike leads you and the others through the rubble in a round about manner, but never seems to be confused. She had given you a short response to your statement about Aldo, but nothing since. Finally, she hunkers down behind a low wall and waits for the rest of you to do the same. She looks at the kid and says, "OK, Whitey, off you go. Let Mickey and Rolf know that they can start the distraction." The small boy nods and races off into the rubble. Spike looks at you. "We got some friends about who are risking things to distract some of Aldo's thugs and delay them reinforcing the club." She takes out her watch and taps her throat and her next words come through the earpiece. "Rolling to ops phase in one mike. Updates from base, please. Drake, Rain, then Angel." Drake reports that there has been no change to the number of guards in the building, but that Aldo has called one of the dancers to his office and is banging away at her. Rain confirms that there are no additional gunmen in the area of the club. Angel asks if Spike really needs to hear what Aldo is saying right now. There are some chuckles and Spike declines. He shuts the watch and looks at you before saying over the mic net, Alright. Rolling on my mark. Three.......two.......one......mark."
Spike stood up and slipped over the wall, followed by DoubleT. You are right behind them when you see their hands begin to glow with what looks like a green flame. There are some people on the street, but they do not appear to be any of Aldo's thugs and they quickly begin to move away from the club, scattering from the expected confrontation. Spike lopes to the club entrance and races in low to the ground, moving quickly to the left as the twins enter behind him. Balls of green fire fly from their hands to strike the two men standing near the bar. The targets writhe and fall to the ground without uttering a sound. Spike nods and motions for you to take the stairs up next to her.
-
Gaze nods to Spike and makes his way to the stairs. His senses are on high alert, his adrenaline is cranked all the way up, everything seems to slow down around him. He hurries up the stairs, hoping that the element of surprise is still in their favor. Everything is going well so far, but don't take anything for granted.
-
Coming out of the stairwell, you are in the same hallway as earlier. Spike motions to the left and you lead the way. She is moving close to the wall and takes something out of a pocket as you both move quietly, followed by the twins. You hear a man's voice from around the corner, talking as if into a malfunctioning commlink, swearing at it. From your angle, you are the first to see the man, who belatedly looks up to see you. His eyes go wide and he reaches into his jacket to bring out a large pistol.
-
Gaze springs to action, moving fast to strike his enemy before he draws his weapon. He attempts to kick him high in the chest, hopefully knocking him down. His karate training lets him get into the right position quickly and efficiently for this move, his adept powers further enhance his physical prowess and gracefulness, a professional at work.
[spoiler]Initiative: 11 + 4D6
Movement: base walking speed is Agi x2 = 16m which is more than the 20 ft to cover.
Melee Attack (kick): 8 Agi + 6 Unarmed + 2 kick specialization + 1 reach (from Kick martial arts technique) = 17 dice [limit: 8]
Base Damage Value: 6 Strength + 1 critical strike adept power = 7S (choosing to do Stun damage using Killing Hands)
AP: -4 (from penetrating strike 4 adept power)
[/spoiler]
-
The thug barely gets his hand on his pistol by the time you get to him. Your strike slams him against the wall and bounces him to the floor. He shakes his head and attempts to stand when a green bolt slams into him from behind you and he collapses. Spike bends over and takes the pistol and commlink as she nods at the door. "Well done, Gaze. Go get your girl. Nice finish, DoubleT." You open the door to find Myotama and Tommy handcuffed to the bed. They both look up as you enter the room and the relief on both faces is palpable. It is readily apparent that they have been hit; several times by the bruising you can see. Additionally, Myotama's dress has been ripped and she instinctively moves her legs to cover them. Spike enters the room and tosses you something. "Might need these, Gaze. Myotama, my name is Spike and we are taking you somewhere safe for a while. Can you walk?"
Myotama nods as you bend over to use the keys Spike tossed you to unlock the handcuffs. Tommy looks between you and Spike, but then back to you and smiles. "I knew you would come, Sensei-Joe. I knew it." Spike goes back out to the hall as you help Myotama stand. She might be able to walk, but she is in pain and leans on your shoulder. Spike call over her shoulder, "Not much time, kemo sabe. Reinforcements are on the way. Apparently Aldo is still oblivious and boffing that poor dancer of his, but other men are coming."
-
"Thanks Tommy, now hurry!"
This is it. This is the big moment, the big decision.
"Spike, can you help her get out. If we want to be done with Aldo, there's only one way. I'll be quick."
-
Spike nods as you leave the room. You think you hear Myotama say "Joe-san. No." Your determination sweeps her voice away. You know that Aldo's office is just down the hall and around the next corner. No one stands between you and the door, but you can hear a hard slap and a woman sobbing as you reach it. The bastard is so sure of himself that he does not even lock his office door and you open it to see one of the dancers laid out naked across his large desk, her breasts swaying to the rhythm of his thrusts into her. He is still wearing his shirt but his pants are down. He is cursing at the woman to perform better or face his wrath when you walk in. He stops in mid stroke and stupidly stands there, completely surprised for a moment.
-
Time to be rid of him once and for all.
"Aldo, you piece of drek." With no further ceremony, Gaze, who now has his heavy pistol in his hand, shoots at the disgusting waste of a metahuman until he is dead, then rushes out to escape with the others.
-
Aldo's look of surprise turns into a sneer and then to horror as he realizes that he will not get to his gun in time. Your first shots dot his chest with ragged holes. He crumples on top of the girl beneath him for a moment before raising himself up on one arm and fumbling for a drawer of his desk and yelling for his men. You take a step forward and plant three more shots into him, the last creating a third eye in his forehead and snapping his head back. Without further sound, the gangster collapses to the girl then slides off her to the floor.
You turn to leave and find Spike standing in the door. She nods to you and steps in, going behind the desk. "Your call, kemo sabe, the man was dirt and deserved much worse than you gave him. But it might have been better to let Tony deal with this drek. Now he will be looking for you................and us." The girl on the desk has been looking at all of the blood on her body and finally finds her voice, screaming in shock and panic. Spike rifles the dead man's pockets and then the desk drawers. She smiles in triumph as she holds up a fistful of credsticks. Standing, she slaps the screaming woman, "Shut up. You are not hurt. Leave this place before Tony and his goons come in to clean house. Tell the other girls, too." She opens Aldo's fat wallet and takes a bunch of scrip out, shoving it at the girl and tells her to use the money to get out of the neighborhood. Looking at you she says, "DoubleT has Myotama and Tommy and they are headed back to HQ. Are you ready to leave or you got more business to take care of here?"
-
"This had to be done for everyone's sake. We'll see if Tony makes the same mistake Aldo did. I think he will be more reasonable. Let's hurry out of here."
I have slain Myotama's dragon. I hope she will find closure after this.
-
Spike just shakes her head and shrugs as she leads you back out to the hall and down the stairs. You pass the dead thugs on the way across the main room and Spike holds out a hand to stop you from passing through the door. She taps her throat and says, “Talk to me, Moira.” A woman’s voice comes through the ear bud. “Clear to leave now. There are three down outside and the rest have cleared away, probably for an alternate entrance.” Spike nods and leaves the club, leading you into the sunlight to a near empty plaza. Three of Aldo’s men are on the ground with large caliber holes in them and you hear soft voices in your ear. Drake says, “Screens show men coming in the rear door.” Rain adds, “You are clear to go to route 3. Request to leave the spy in Aldo’s office. It would help if we already have something there.” Spike takes you at a run to an alley and then up the walls to the roof, where she runs across rooftops and down into ruins with an abandon that you have felt many times but could never share because none of your companions wished to just do this drek for fun and so were never as good and could not keep up. Eventually, Spike slows down then stops against a retaining wall on a rooftop and the two of you pant as she takes a drink from a flask of water before offering it to you. She sits down on the roof in the shade, putting her back to the wall and pats the space beside her.
“You are good, Gaze. Fragging good.” She takes another swig of water. “I think that you and your friends should stay with us for a few days. Tony will flood the area with troops and it will be hard to blink without someone seeing it and reporting it to him. People know us and someone will talk, no matter how devoted to the cause of getting these thugs out of the neighborhood, someone will talk. Money, drugs, something else will loosen a tongue. Tony will find out and then he will look for us. With luck, he will not find us, but we will have to stay quiet for a few days. The good news is that we might just have enough money in the credsticks I took to get you, Myotama, and Tommy out of here to someplace safe. The rest of the scrip I took can get us some food. Also, the commlinks we got from the dead guys are better than we have, too, so it is a win win all around. You done good for us, kemo sabe and I am glad that you came and will be sad to see you leave. You could make a difference here.”
-
Gaze sighs. "I know, I probably could. I come from a different world though, and the barrens just aren't for me. I don't want to sound like a corp blockhead, but it's just how it is. I care about what happens to you all. You saved my butt, offered me a roof and risked a lot just to help me, without asking for anything in return. I owe you and I promise I'll make it up to you. This won't be the last you see of me, I guarantee it. But really, I have a lot to learn from you about resilience and fighting for a cause. These are values I'm striving for."
"At least I'm glad there was a payout. I'm not leaving you worse off than before I showed up, that's not nothing I guess. Anyway, I really want to go check on Myotama and Tommy now."
-
Spike looks over at you for a bit then nods. "Nothing keeping you here, kemo sabe. I understand." Her expression is neutral as she stands and puts her flask away. Taking off at a run, she vaults the gap to the next building and begins navigating back home. You are still not too familiar with the area and are a bit surprised when she gets you to the narrow alley and the entrance to her place. The downstairs is pretty much as you saw it on your first time here; Drake slumped in his chair, Rain likewise on hers, three of the kids on the couch, and DoubleT standing against a wall and giggling to each other. You can hear Angel talking to Myotama in the resting room. Tommy pokes his head through the door and smiles before ducking back. "Mom, Sensei-Joe is here." You hear his mother gently correct him. "Please, Tommy, you should not interrupt. Now say that you are sorry." Tommy apologizes and comes out into the main room, moving close to you before bowing. "Hello, Sensei-Joe. Thank you for coming for us."
-
"It was the right thing to do, Tommy-san. You are welcome." Joe walks to the resting room. "How are you feeling, Myotama?"
-
Myotama looks up when you enter and Angel bows and steps away, returning to the room behind you. You notice that Myotama's face is bruised in several places as she bows to you. "Hello, Joe-san. Thank you for coming for us. You did not need to do that."
-
"I had given you my word that I would get you out of your situation. I wasn't gonna back down after that. I'm just sorry that I couldn't prevent more harm coming to you before it was all over."
-
Myotama looks at you and tries to smile but scrunches her face up in pain. "So what is to happen to us? Angel was saying that we were going to stay here for a few days. Is that right? Here? In this place?"
-
"There isn't much else we can do right now. Last evening, I asked you if you were ready to leave everything behind. Well, this is what is happening right now, I'm sorry to say. When Aldo decided to take you hostage and kill me off instead of staying true to his words, he left me with very few options."
Joe has a look of sadness and empathy, but he's not feeling any regret. "I'm really sorry for you, this must be quite traumatic."
"I don't think it will take very long before we can cross out of his turf and out of the barrens, a day or two maybe. You and I should probably discuss what happens then."
-
Myotama's eyes open wide and she shakes her head a little. "Yes, Joe-san, I could leave everything, but go where. I heard what you did to Aldo. One of the strange girls told me as we were coming here. Two of Aldo's men came upon us as we were waking and one of them recognized me. Those girls just glowed green and some sort of balls of green fire hit each man. They died, Joe-san. Those girls cannot be more that sixteen and they killed men, took things from them, and walked on as if it were a natural thing. I know things like this happen, but........................"
She opens and shuts her mouth a few times without saying anything and just stands there, looking at you.
-
"I don't know what to tell you. You've lived here most of your life, and you've been around men like Aldo for a very long time. You know what they're capable of. Him and his men have committed terrible crimes and they had it coming. Even then, I still offered him a fair trade, but he tried to have me killed and then tried to keep you hostage, Myotama! It's not like there were many other options for me than to team up with this group and take him on. You wanted my help, you wanted out, well you're out now."
"You won't have to stay here very long. If you want, I'll bring you to Renton for a while and then we'll get you and Tommy set up somewhere, somehow."
-
Myotama steps back a pace and looks up at you. She flutters her hands a bit and says, "I do not want to appear to be ungrateful. You saved me from that man. He was laughing and swearing as he hit us. Not even asking any questions. Just laughing and hitting. Then he had us locked in that room. And now........and now.............here we are. Somewhere. And I do not know where we are to go or what to do. But I am sure that we will work it out. Will you take us to your home, Joe-san? Will you help us still more. I am afraid to ask you for more help as it seems to get you in trouble to help us."
Tommy had left the room during the conversation, but now comes back in with the three little boys after him, all laughing and pretending to shoot villains and thugs. They swirl around the mattresses and end up in a small pile. One bumps the wall near your bed and the small shelf above Spike's mattress falls down with a clatter. Myotama scolds Tommy, "Tommy, stop that, and pick that up. You are a guest here. Be polite." There are a couple of Japanese words after that and Tommy hangs his head and nods. He helps one of the other boys to put the shelf back up on its supports. Picking up one of the small knights he plays with the other boy, who has picked up the other two. Myotama speaks sharply to him and Tommy goes to put the knight on the shelf when he stops and whistles. He looks from you back to the figurine then softly calls out, "Sensei-Joe, it's you."
Myotama calls out Tommy's name but the boy holds the knight out to her. She takes it and looks closely. Then closer. She looks over at you and says, Joe-san, it is not possible, but it is you. It is not possible."
From near the door you hear Angel softly say, "It is true."
-
Joe is about to reply to Myotama that it's okay to come crash in his doss for a while, but then the stuff about him looking like a plastic figurine was now the focus. They can't be serious.
Very incredulous, Joe replies "Great, so I'm a knight in shining armor now, just because I went out of my way to help you two out. I get it, you're trying to flatter me. But quit it with the nonsense."
Faced with serious looks all around, the adept reluctantly gestures for the figurine, "Just show it to me..."
-
As you take the figurine and look closely at it, you realize it is not exactly plastic, but something a bit harder. The small face does bear an uncanny resemblance to you. You hear angel speak, "I have one just like it, see?" Looking up you see her remove a small figurine of a knight from a pocket of her apron. "Father made these for us. I was too young to remember, but Spike does. She has told me the story so many times that I almost remember it. Father was a craftsman, a real craftsman. He could make small things like this and put real faces on them. He made these and gave them to us just days before they came for him, the O'Reagans I mean. He had tried to help a couple of families down the street pay the mob boss off and they did not like that. They did horrible things to the families and took our parents away. Never saw them again. They were looking for us, too, but Spike kept us safe. Just like every day since. Anyway, Father told us that some day a knight would come to slay the dragons that lorded over this land, just like in the stories he used to tell us. There are some of his old books about the dragon slayer somewhere. Spike hid them, but I know she looks at them once in a while. He told her that the dragon slayer would send a great avatar, a knight beyond measure, to save us in a time of need. More, he pointed to the faces he had made on the figurines and said that he had been told by the slayer that the knight would have this face. Your face. And you have saved us from Aldo and fulfilled the story."
Everyone else in the room is spellbound by Angel's words. She stops talking and puts her figurine back into her pocket. As if on cue, everyone turns to look at you.
-
Joe can't believe his hears. Dragonslayer, you never cease to amaze me. Do you really have a plan for me?
"Fine, maybe I am that knight. I try to be a dragon slayer. I follow the path of the Dragonslayer, as best I can. I find it hard to believe in prophecy, but in this world, everything is possible."
-
The small crowd of people parts as Spike enters the room and asks what the frag is going on. Several people speak at once and she raises her hands for silence. Myotama takes Tommy by the hand and pulls him close, telling him to be quiet. Angel explains what has happened and Spike looks at you. “Yes, he is the dragon slayer I have told you about and he has killed Aldo and is leaving.” Some of those present look stunned, but Spike ushers them all out until it is just the three of you and her. She turns to you and says, “I think that we should be able to move all of you from here in a couple of days. Your cred sticks should have enough to get you a new life somewhere.” Her look and voice soften as she adds, “No one is putting pressure on you, Kemo Sabe. There are lots of dragons out there, many of them much worse than what sits here. We will just sit out what Tony tosses and go back to doing what we always have. Maybe you belong here. Maybe you belong somewhere else. That is between you and the boss dragon slayer. What is important is that you were here and you helped and that you will help wherever you go. Now if you will excuse me, I need to go check the perimeter sentries.” She turns and abruptly leaves the room.
Myotama puts a hand on your arm. “What a strange woman. Almost like she lives in a different age, the way she talks. I could not understand all she said, but it sounds like we can leave here in a couple of days. What was she saying about money? I do not have any that will get me a new start anywhere. And Tony will be looking for us so we cannot return to my apartment. Are we going to live with you?” She blushes a bit as she asks that, but does not look away from you.
-
Joe is a bit stunned by Spike's speech, but there's no time to think about all of that until Myotama and Tommy are safe. I'll have to come back to see her. We need to talk, and I don't want to let all these people down.
He turns his attention to what could turn out to be his adopted family for a while. "Yes, for as long as you need to get your new life in order. I have some money, a steady job, and the means to get a lot more payout too. I'll make sure you two are safe, that's my priority. I think Spike found some money belonging to Aldo when we came for you, and she wants you to have it, I suppose. I don't think that's necessary though."
-
Myotoma looks relieved and steps up to give you a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you, Joe-San. You have been kind and are a hero. I will try to not be a bother to you.” She stumbles a bit and takes your arm. “I will let you talk to them of the money. I think I need some rest and will lay down for a bit. Will Tommy be alright here? I worry.”
-
"Let me worry for you two. I'll watch over him until we're out of here. Try to get some rest. There will be a lot to do in due time."
With that Joe heads back to the common room, sits down on the ground against the wall, and takes a deep breath. I've had it easy my whole life. It's time to pay back my due.
-
Myotama goes to lay down on one of the mattresses and Tommy follows you back out to the common room. Spike, DoubleT, and two of the kids are not in the room, but otherwise it is just the same. Rain and Drake are both apparently lost in their VR worlds and the other two kids jump off the couch and engage Tommy in a game of some sort. From your angle, you can see Angel in the small kitchen. This leaves you completely undisturbed to think about dragon slayers and dragons. You already know that there are many symbolic dragons in the world, and that they are probably more dangerous to the public at large than the real dragons. These symbolic dragons take many guises’ some will be corrupt politicians, human and organ traffickers, criminal syndicates, hell the list goes on and on. The trick is not so much to identify the dragons, but to determine which ones can be killed and which ones will much your ass like a cat eating a mouse. Spike is right; there are tons of dragons that you can work against. But which ones…………………..
Your morning reverie is disturbed by……….something. The ground shakes as you rise and look about you. The road behind you leads back to the smoking ruin of the cavern you had found the small dragon using for a lair. A simple ruse had occupied his minions, leaving you the best opportunity to rescue the princess and directly challenge the monster who had been terrorizing the countryside. You have found companions that can assist you and the assault on the lair had been swift and brutal and the dragon, despite his fierce reputation, had been easy to dispatch.
You and your party had taken the princess and her son to some temporary safety and have camped at a crossroads. One road leads off to where a much larger and more dangerous dragon is stirring at the news that you have killed its progeny. Taking that road would certainly mean great danger and perhaps death, but your companions seem to want to go that way to rid the land of both dragons. The other road leads to safety for the Princess. She should at least be taken there. But is the safety only illusory or is it real? Would the dragon’s minions not seek out all who had been involved? In the cool morning, with mist rising from the nearby marsh, the decision is yours, and yours alone. Your team has vowed to go after the larger dragon with or without you, but the Princess and her son should be removed to a safe place.
While considering the options, a figure emerges from the mist and approaches. You are the person on watch and so only you see the man as he approaches. Strangely enough, he is armed and armored much as you are and bears the symbol of the Dragon Slayer on his breastplate. He stops a dozen feet from you and stares at you without speaking. His stance is that of a tired warrior and from this distance you can see that his armor is no longer pristine and shiny, but dented and in need of minor repairs. He places the tip of his greatsword in the dirt of the crossroads and rests against it. Then he nods at you and tosses a small statuette at your feet. “I know that you are facing hard choices. I think you need this more than I do. It will remind you that you are a dragon slayer and that you can change the world, one dragon at a time.” You see that the statuette is of a grand knight in shining armor and pick it up as the man shoulders his sword and begins to fade, replaced in the road by the form of a damsel who also stands there and watches you. She speaks, “Your choice will be the right one, dragon slayer. Make it with honor, as you will find a dragon at either turn of the road.”
…………………………..”Gaze? Gaze? Are you alright?”
You stir from a nap to find that Angel is kneeling in front of you. She offers you a chipped mug of soycaf as she looks at you with a worried expression. “You were calling out in your sleep.” She pauses then takes a small figurine from the pocket of her apron and holds it up to you. She places the figurine in your hand and closes your fingers around it. “I know that you are facing hard choices. I think you might need this more than I do. It will remind you that you are a dragon slayer and that you can change the world, one dragon at a time. Your choice will be the right one, dragon slayer. Make it with honor, as you will find a dragon at either turn of the road.” She then rises and fades into the dim light of the room.
…………………………….You feel something brush your leg and open your eyes to see the three kids running about the room. One of them must have kicked you by accident. You see Angel coming from the kitchen with a tray of steaming mugs. She tells the kids to settle down and gives them mugs before moving to stop at you. She looks down with a start. “Oh, you already have some. I did not see you come get it. Shows how much I miss when not paying attention. It has been a couple of hours, do you think that it would be alright to go see if Myotama would like some soycaf and a bit of company?”
-
Joe scratches the back of his head and stretches his neck, struggling to put his thoughts together, dumbfounded. I think I understand. I have a purpose. I'm here to serve. And protect. Wait, isn't that the old police mantra from the trid? Well I'm here to follow the teachings of dragonslayer. A crossroads: an important decision. Why does everything have to be so complicated? I wish I could just hide in a whole right now. And if one things is certain, it's that this wasn't Joe's path.
With an unusual delay, Joe finally speaks to Angel, but he obviously forgot the question and she was about to leave him be. "I'll do it, Angel. I'll help you get rid of your dragon first. Before going back to safety."
-
Looking up at her, you see her smile. The concern is clear on her face, but for a second you are not sure of she is the Angel you know or the maiden from the dream. The face and form are similar, but that could just be your imagination...........right? She nods at you and says, "I know you will make the right decision, Gaze. Remember that this is your life, so do not let Spike decide for you. Now I will go see Myotama." She walks through the door into the sleeping room and you can hear her talking to Myotama in a low voice. You suddenly realize that your right hand is curled into a ball and open your fingers to reveal that you are holding a small figurine of a knight.
-
Joe's mind is racing. He pockets the figurine, trying to clear his thoughts.
The lines between dream and reality are blurred. And he doesn't like that. The adept was trying to resist against forces that are most likely beyond him.
I need to find a quiet place. I need to center myself. I know just the right kata for that, but I need to be alone for 20 minutes and find myself again. Where could I possibly do that?
-
Soft voices come from the two women in the sleeping room and the three kids still running around in the main room do not offer much in the way of solitude. Outside? Perhaps. There are lots of places among the ruins that might be unoccupied. Might be. While you are wondering where you can go, Spike and DoubleT return. She sees you sitting on the floor and joins you there as the twins take seats on the couch. Spike just sits companionably close without saying anything while the girls put their heads together and whisper between giggles.
-
Joe stretches his arms and legs while staying in the sitting position, then relaxes again. "Spike, I've decided that I want to help you all. Let me know what you need from me and I'll do it. Before I leave, so that I don't leave you worse off than before I came. All I ask in return is that you don't call me a hero, ever."
-
Spike slides down the wall and sits quietly near you. Finally, she nods and says, “Deal, Kemo Sabe. Won’t stop me from thinking it, though. So what about Myotama and Tommy. Will they be staying here, too? He seems to be getting along with the other kids, but I do not know if she would like that decision.”
After a pause she adds, “So, I was pretty young when my father was killed, but I can remember that he would tell stories of the dragon slayer knights to all the kids that would listen. But he mixed the stories with a bunch of drek and I am not sure what was true. But it sure seems like you are one, so can you tell me how many of you there are and why it took so fragging long to get one of you down here?”
-
Joe sighs. "Beats me. I know I'm what they like to call an adept. And I know I have this special relationship with a higher power -- I answered the call. I wouldn't consider the entity a god, more like an ideology with a personality, a viewpoint onto the world. That ideology is the dragonslayer, as far as I'm concerned. It tells me about hardship, evil, and overcoming it all, of pushing myself, of believing in myself and in what I do."
"I don't know much about the awakened world past that. I don't understand much of what I am, myself. I just work hard, try to be good, try to follow what I believe in, stand up and do my best. I try to learn what I can along the way. About what really matters..."
After a pause, "I don't know what else to say."
"And as for Myotama, she'll have to decide for herself. I did what she asked of me, and I've offered to continue to help her and her son, once I'm done here."
-
Spike nods. "Fair enough, I guess. I had thought that you would know a bit more about yourself. But DoubleT cannot answer questions, either, so I guess it makes sense. I have to say I am glad that you are staying as I think we will have more trouble with Tony than you think. Anyway, it's about time to round up the kids and get some sleep." She stands up and begins sending the others into the sleeping room, girls first then the boys. Myotama walks out a short time later and sits next to you on the floor. She slips a dainty hand onto yours and says, "Well, Tommy is down. You are something special, Joe-san. Thank you for what you did for us. I owe you a great debt. It looks like we are here for a couple of days and then will see about a new life. Will you come with us or stay here?"
-
"Myotama, I'm glad I could help." Joe bows his head slightly.
"I'm gonna stay here until the group here is safe. I owe it to them after what they did for us. After that, you can come live at my place for some time if you like. You'll have time to set up your new life. I'll help you two as much as I can."
-
Myotama closes her hand on yours and blushes, but does not look away. "Would you want to be with me in this new life? With us? I think I would like that. You understand that I have been with many men? I know that a lot of people might be wary of that."
-
Joe has a puzzled look on his face. I find her attractive, but this isn't right. We don't really know each other.
"I'm not the kind of person to be wary of that. But let's not rush things, okay? You just went through some pretty life-changing moments, and I've just risked my life as well. We're high on our emotions right now, so we need to wait and see how we feel in a week, or a month. Don't take that the wrong way, I'm just not the kind of person to rush into something like that."
-
Myotama actually looks a bit relieved. "Thank you, Joe-san, for being honest. It is refreshing to find a good man that does not want sex as payment for rendering assistance. I would like to get to know you, but I would not have refused you if you had asked, for I owe you my life and Tommy's life and would do anything you want. But thank you for yet another kindness." She stands and goes back into the sleeping room. For a few minutes you are left entirely alone.
-
Joe's head starts spinning again. There's so much going on. So many people with different goals and viewpoints. Joe doesn't usually feel like a leader, nor is he used to having anyone depend on him. I guess this is part of the test. This is part of the difficulties I have to overcome. It's not just about the physical trials and the bravery, it's also about the kind of courage that maybe I lack a bit. The more human kind of courage. The dragonslayer was always about interpersonal relations too. That's how I'm growing through these experiences too. I have to keep my word, always, but I'm only starting to realize what that truly means.
-
A movement catches your eye and you see a fully armored knight standing in the open doorway into the kitchen. His armor is battered and worn, but still intact, bearing the marks of countless fights. A shield hangs from a hook on his right shoulder and he leans on his sword, which he raises in a salute. Just at that moment Angel walks from the kitchen and passes right through the apparition, which shimmers and fades as the young woman walks over to where you are and kneels in front of you. "Warrior, you have passed the first real test on your path. Not all tests are physical; you will be challenged philosophically as well. Your path is narrow and not completely visible without careful observation. You could die on the path, but the greatest threat by far is leaving the path for some secondary or tertiary goal. Be wary, warrior, for there will be choices to make and some will look so like the true path that you will follow them, only to find they lead to the Marsh od Despair. Watch your path carefully and be true to yourself and to the cause of the Dragonslayer."
Angel grasps your right hand and squeezes it, leaving it a bit warmer that it was. Spike walks out of the sleeping room and Angel puts a finger to her lips and rises, leaving for the kitchen. Spike looks down at you and says, "Hey, Kimo Sabe, you ready for bed yet? Could be a long day. All the rest except for Rain and Drake are already in there. I am turning in, too." She smiles at you and goes back inside the sleeping room.
-
Joe just feels tired, exhausted mentally. What the frag is it with these people? And these darn knight visions. He smiled weakly at his own pun, walking towards the bed. Better just sleep it off at this point. I gotta get used to the dragonslayer messages. I really am on the first step along some kinda path, I guess. Because this is all new to me!
-
You are the last person in the room except for the two out in the main room and the two that never come inside. Tommy and Myotama are sharing a mattress several over from yours. Spike is still awake, but you think the rest of the people are already asleep. She smiles up at you in the dim light and rolls over so you can have some privacy. You are asleep almost as soon as your head hits the mattress and sleep the night away. You wake to the smell of caf wafting into the room from the kitchen. Looking around, you see that most of the others are still asleep, although the mattress next to you is empty, meaning that Spike is already up.
-
Joe gets out of the room quietly, before stretching a bit to get his blood flowing. Well, no weird dreams tonight. That's something! As he's thinking, he notices that staying here for too long without a decent shower was starting to have a detrimental effect on his bodily odors. Anyway, let's see what Spike and Angel have for me today. Joe made his way to the kitchen, looking forward to some soycaf to start off the day.
-
Angel is alone in the kitchen when you enter. She nods at you and points to the caffpot as she bends over to grab something from inside an old stove, using her apron to cover her hands as she lifts a pan to the top. She carefully flips the lid up, humming as she stirs what is inside. The aroma sets your mouth to watering and the caff tastes better than it probably should. She stops stirring and looks at you as she replaces the lid. "Spike is out checking on the neighborhood. She said we will probably need to lay low for a couple of days then we can get Myotama and Tommy out of here if they want to leave. Thank you for staying, Gaze. I know that you have impressed Spike and she is a hard one to impress."
-
"Thanks for the compliment. By the way, I just remembered, I really need to make another call today. The earlier the better. You think that will be possible?"
Joe poors himself a cup of coffee and sits down at the table.
"You know Angel, I'm glad I can talk to you, alone. I've been meaning to ask you. What's the relationship between you and the awakened world. Do you have some kind of link to Dragonslayer?"
-
Angel laughs and shakes her head. "You are asking the wrong person about calling out, Gaze. The little bit I know is that Drake monitors the frequencies as best he can with the gear he has and that there are certain windows where it is safer than other times to send a call outside the neighborhood. You would need to talk to Spike about that."
Angel looks a bit startled at your second question. She pulls up the second chair and sits down. "That is a very good question, Gaze. I am not awakened, as far as I know. At least not like DoubleT. You should see those two when they get going. Almost frightening, sometimes. But this Dragonslayer. Sometimes...........well, sometimes I get this feeling that I am in more than one place at a time, only one of those places is way back. Way, way back. I have had a few dreams, some even while awake, of walking a road with a knight, helping him. Now, I know it is silly. I mean, really, what sort of help could I be to a knight? I can cook a bit, sure, but no more than most girls, I expect, and less than many. No, it is something else, but I just don't know what. When I was five, I used to have a pretend friend. He would come save me from the bullies in the neighborhood. But that usually turned out to be Spike; she would come kick ass on the bullies. And she still does, although the bullies are different now, and they don't just want to cop a feel under my shirt anymore. Why do you ask?"
-
"I have dreams too. Dreams in which I'm the knight. I've received a calling, to become stronger, and better, and to push myself. To do this, I must seek out opponents, I like to think of those as dragons. They're the challenges I have to overcome. Myotama and Tommy needing my help, that was a challenge, a quest for a knight like me. I have a mentor, Dragonslayer, I feel him with me, often. He tells me things through dreams, stories. I should always be honest and loyal, and honorable, and dependable. For a long time, I've always been alone, or alone with him, in those dreams. But now I get these new strange messages in which I see you talking to me, telling me about forks in the road ahead, and so on. I think there's a link that exists between us, Angel."
-
Angel sits back then looks at you intently. "Dreams about being a knight? With me in them? How odd. I do not know why you would dream those things; perhaps it is just because of the situation. I have no idea why we would have a link, so are you sure it is me? Are not Myotoma and Spike in those dreams as well? They are much stronger people. I am simply the odd-job girl."
-
Joe looks directly at Angel with a meaningful stare. "Only you. More than once."
-
Angel blushes and looks around the small room before looking back at you, seemingly at a loss for words. "I............I.............I don't know what to say, Gaze. I am not the sort of girls most guys go after. I am not beautiful or smart like Myotama and I don't have skills like Spike. I just........just do the cooking and cleaning and................and things."
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Joe sighs, but with a smile, maybe a bit flirty. "That's not what I meant."
And then seriously again. "I have dreams that feel very real, as though they were more than mere dreams, and they contain messages for me, sometimes with a story of some sort involving a knight or what not. But since I've been here you are in them, for some reason, and you're the one telling me something. That's why I'm wondering if there's a reason why it's you I see."
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Angel blushes even more, if that is at all possible. After all, one can only get so red, right? "I have no idea, Gaze. I used to believe every word our father said about the Dragonslayer Knights. Even pretended to be a companion to one when I was much younger. I can still remember this one time when I was walking along a road with my knight. I think I was some sort of helper...............probably the cook, I suppose. Anyway, we came to an intersection and the signpost indicated two different destinations and the knight pondered which way to go. I can still remember telling him that it probably did not matter as there were likely to be dragons in either direction. We both laughed and he simply flipped a stick and we took one of the paths. Now, remember, this was just me playing, and I do not really know where all my ideas came from, but I have remembered that story for a long time."