[Aria]

[Thursday June 18th, 2076, ~13:45, Motorway Services, M40]

Despite the hostile attention he was attracting Isaint took the time to carefully dispose of the last of the drone threats before turning his attention back to the foes on foot…to have to duck the fusillade of fire as the troopers honed in on the muzzle flash from his rifle… 

***

Well frag it…so far Al had dodged the bullet, so to speak, of sniper rounds and autofire, and the foe had clearly had enough… a sharp cutting gesture from one of the troopers on the ground and the two grenadiers levelled their Alphas towards the speeding van…

Al was momentarily distracted from the impending shit storm as the rear view mirror was suddenly filled with writhing shapes and a glance over his shoulder revealed eTher literally exploding out of her shredded garments as she resumed her True form and the back of the van was suddenly filled with rippling gunmetal scales edged in blue and silver highlights as she enveloped William and the Frenchman in her considerable wingspan…and turning back the fire washed into the cab amidst the shattering shards of windshield…

***
_#78

[adamu]

Even as he tore his overpriced eyes away from the abomination in the back of the van, Al was already ducking, dropping his head down onto the shotgun seat.

He didn't know why. Sometimes the voodoo gods just took care of him that way.

No sooner was his body flattened behind the dash than a wall of glass and fire swept over him, flushing through the cab and into the back. The engine that protected him was ripped half from its housing, and treads of the front tires tore away from the ends of an axle snapped in half. The overpressure would have deafened him for life if not for his dampers, and for an eternal quarter second he was sure he was on fire - and would have been without his coat's flame retardant treatment. The concussion made him feel he was spinning, and then he realized the blast and his last jerk of the wheel had conspired to toss the once sturdy Bulldog skyward and then ingnominiously onto its side with a sickening crunch of metal.

He looked around for his bags and shotgun, one half of his mind considering their next move, the other half reminded by the scattered scraps of smoldering lingerie that he really hoped to be around when Lady Twinkle Dragon went back to her lady form.

[Jack_Spade]

A veritable storm of gunfire engulfed Isaint after this shot: Three soldiers had opened up on him fully automatic. Despite his best efforts he felt as he was hit and staggered backwards, falling to one knee. His bio-monitor chirped: A cracked rip and severe bruising, but no penetration.

With grim determination, he staggered back on his feet. "My turn. Vade Satana!"

[spoiler]
Ini 15
Simple Action: Aim
Free Action: Adept Centering
Free Action: Called Shot
Simple Action: Bullseye Burst
AGI 8 + Skill 8 + Smartlink 1 + Aim 1 - Called Shot 1 (Adept Centering)
Shoot Milspec Shotgun Man: 17d6t5 5 [17d6t5=3, 5, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 6, 5, 6, 2, 5, 4, 1, 2, 5, 5]
12 P AP 13 + Successes
[/spoiler]

[adamu]

Congratulating himself on still being in one piece, Al rolled along the side panel that was now the floor, grabbing his demo go-bag as he went.

There were small fires here and there, but he didn't smell gasoline, so the seals on the fuel tank should still be intact.

And he was in no hurry to poke his head out of the wreck and get it shot off or blown up just yet. There was still a lot of gunfire out there - his friends were keeping the bad guys too busy to bother with an insurance shot on the van's corpse. He hoped.

The space was cramped and creepy, the mini-dragon unwrapping itself from William and Frenchie.

If that kid made it through this alive, he'd either come out a badass or a nutjob.

Al's scarred hands worked with blinding, sure speed, slapping a couple of pre-bundled lumps of what looked like dark green clay against the wheel well on the side above the fuel tank, and then sticking a tiny electronic device into it. He looked up at the Frenchman. "Sorta pros these sons o' bitches is, they'll check the wreck fer him, confirm the kill," he said glancing at the shaken teen. "So now we gotta git 'im outta here without bein' seen."

He turned to the monster. "You got any tricks can help with that? Or else just take a run outta here, maybe breathe some fire on 'em or somethin' - get they attention so we can slip 'im away."

[pistolgrip]

Jackhammer continues sprinting for the van, feeling good about his escape as he hears bullets but they don't seem to be coming his way. The smoke behind him is soon mirrored by smoke in front of him, however, as a sudden explosion sends Al's van sliding a few meters across pavement on its side, kicking up a shower of sparks in what he was sure was the final act of the vehicle's theatrical lifespan. The only question would be if anyone else's lifespan was going to last longer--especially with what appeared to be a dragon hatching from the ruined vehicle. "I don't get magic."

[obidancer]

The Frenchman was about to get on top of William as a last attempt to protect the kid when he himself felt engulfed and wrapped in the scaly and warm wings of a small dragon. eTher! He felt the shockwave go through. Enough blast to rip his skin away but the protective shielding form the Drake's body totally diffused the burn.

She unwrapped her wings and he caught her eyes. He would have cracked a sarcastic line, right now but nothing came out of his mouth. It took another second before the Frenchman could break the gaze of the Drake. His sight moved to William, and he embraced him seeing he too was still alive. You're alright Kid. We'll get you out of here shortly.

Al too was alive. It seemed nothing could kill him either and he was already working on rigging what was left of the Van.

I or Jackhammer can make a dash to inside the station with William. or Ether, can you fly? and if so, can you do so carrying somebody like William?

[Aria]

[Thursday June 18th, 2076, ~13:45, Motorway Services, M40]

A voice forms in the runner’s minds, unmistakeably feminine but not quite the tones of the apparently young girl who had been in the back of the van moments before, rather it holds an ageless gravitas at odds with the urgency of the situation

~I can fly but I would not want to expose myself or the child to the fire from these men.  We need to evade them for a short time.  The Knights have dispatched a team from Oxford, in fact their matrix assets are already on site and attacking the opposition’s network.  I understand there is also an SCO nineteen unit inbound from London in response to the firefight.  You do not want to be here when they arrive, I cannot protect you from them~

***

Despite the shortness of breath Isaint dispatches, hopefully for good, the trooper that had been plaguing him but his comrades take a dim view of this, and whilst two bound forwards the rear one sends an accurate burst downrange to slam into Isaint’s considerable protective measures…

***
_#79

[Jack_Spade]

Isaint felt the last hit grazing his helmet, making it ring. For a moment, blackness threatened to overcome him, envelope him and pulling him under.
<<Bio-monitor: Incapacitating trauma detected - administering 2cc Xentho-Vivescamin - you are advised to visit a healthcare specialist within the next 60 minutes or risk unconsciousness. Have a nice day>>
Isaint felt how the drug entered his bloodstream directly at his spine. He stopped himself falling down. He had broken line of sight again, but now they were free to go after his team.
At least there were no more drones at the moment. But his ammo count showed there remained only 5 bullets in the extended mag.
The only grenades he had with him were gas and flash bang - hardly enough to penetrate hardened armor with a chemical seal...
He was distracted by Susi:
<<Car-jacking protocol successful. Your team has been alerted.>>

Ok, new priority, take out the Roadmaster blocking their escape and then... well escape.
Without wasting another second, Isaint rose and catapulted himself into a run, while his rifle went up. Shooting while running was absolute madness, but he trusted the saints to guide him: "VADE SATANA!"
Again he fired, this time towards the massive vehicle's engine. He didn't know if he had hit, instead he increased his speed, trying to evade the hostile gun fire, running for his life towards the stations entrance. 


[spoiler]
Drain Resistance test: Adrenalin Boost: 14d6t5 4
No drain

Auto Injector administers Stimpatch 6 => Stun Damage is down from 11 to 5 = 1 Wound penalty

Ini: Ini Round 5: 15+4d6 26 [4d6=6, 1, 2, 2]

Ini 26
Simple action: Running (originally a free action, but I take the liberty to downgrade a simple action)
Free Action: Adept Centering
Free Action: Called Shot engine block
Simple action: Called Shot
AGI 8+Skill 8+Smartlink 1-Wounds 1-Called Shot w/ AC 1 -2 sprinting
Called Shot: 13d6t5 7 [13d6t5=6, 4, 2, 5, 5, 2, 2, 4, 6, 6, 3, 5, 5]

12 P AP 7 + Successes vs. stationary Roadmaster

Interrupt: -10 Full defense

Defense Test 1: Defense Test 1 (Cover+Full Defense-Wounds): 23d6t5 7  [23d6t5=2, 6, 2, 3, 1, 1, 1, 5, 5, 2, 6, 4, 3, 5, 1, 2, 6, 1, 3, 1, 2, 6, 3]
vs. Complex FA 5 successes
Soak Test 1: 30d6t5 10 [30d6t5=1, 3, 1, 3, 5, 1, 2, 6, 2, 3, 2, 2, 6, 2, 6, 3, 3, 4, 3, 5, 4, 4, 6, 6, 3, 6, 5, 3, 5, 2]
Soak 7

Defense Test 2: Defense Test 1 (Cover+Full Defense-Wounds): 22d6t5 10 [22d6t5=5, 5, 2, 6, 4, 5, 3, 4, 5, 4, 4, 1, 6, 1, 5, 3, 5, 5, 4, 4, 6, 1]
vs. Complex FA 6 successes
Soak Test 2: 30d6t5 13 [30d6t5=1, 5, 2, 1, 1, 4, 5, 1, 6, 6, 2, 6, 6, 2, 2, 3, 1, 5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 4, 3, 6, 1, 3, 2, 2, 6]
Soak 11

Ini 6
Sprint to station
Running: 7 6d6t5 3 [7d6t5=1, 4, 1, 5, 6, 6, 1]

Move 26 meters, -4 to hit due to sprint action

[/spoiler]

#212

[pistolgrip]

[Jackhammer - Bad Handoff - Escape {4/2} - Current condition 0 damage - full body armor] Jackhammer reached the wrecked van to find Al running off inside and William standing with a dragon. Normally this would have made him stop to consider, but Jackhammer was about 90% sure by this time that he was either hallucinating or stuck in some kind of trid. He moved in and went straight for the kid, picking him up as he went along. Then he made for the building that Al was headed towards, hoping the strange little guy had some kind of plan. He was also hoping the dragon was some kind of illusion that one of them had made, but he didn't remember any of them being wizards in particular. But if it was a real dragon, it hadn't eaten William or Al, so maybe it was friendly. That made his head hurt a little to think about, so he just kept running.
[spoiler]
57 posts[/spoiler]

[adamu]

Telepathy now? Sheesh. What new machinations would the devil dream up next?

Well, he liked what it was saying about friendly hackers on scene - if they could keep the bandits out of the local cameras, they had a chance to get the bullseyes off them if they could get out of sight in the food court.

But looked like otherwise she was all show and no go. He didn't say anything out loud, and if she could read his thoughts, that was on her for getting into his head.

I can fly but I would not want to expose myself or the child to the fire from these men. 

No, don't expose yerself hon. We'll jist take care o' that for ya. As fer the kid, looks like ya already done exposed 'im to enough fire all on yer own.

I cannot protect you from them.

Leapin' lady lizards, toots, like ya been pertectin' folk? Reckon ol' Al's gon' look after hisself, thank ya kindly.

But there was no time to bother speaking aloud anyway. His earbud was chirping that a car was ready, but if the opposition saw them get in it, it'd go the way his van had. Taking a tentative step through where the windshield had been he could see Jack pounding in to their rescue and Isaint hightailing it through a barrage of fire for the food court, shooting as he went.

Damn it was nice working with pros.

Looked like it was time to do a little of that self-exposing he'd been talking, well, thinking about. He grabbed his demo go-bag, hefted his shotgun, and led out towards the food court entrance. They were at a good angle, with mostly no lines on the bandits, but when he did spot one off to his right he broke in that direction - he wanted to be off the line of his companions' escape - came to a stop behind a cement rubbish bin, and made a show of shouldering his weapon.

[obidancer]

The Frenchman was lucky to be alive, saved certainly by eTher's wings' wrap. 
Witnessing iSaint's action he started to understand why he may have failed what he had attempted against him back in Istanbul. One thing was for sure, the man couldn't die now.

Closer to him, he quickly realized what Al was trying to do. They were only the four of them left on the run, but he felt very honored and admiring of his companions.
He sent a message via his micro-transceiver : >>Al, I'm in best shape, I'll handle that. You and Jack assure William get out of here safely. I'll assist iSaint.<<

Without waiting any longer, he moved away from the van to take partial cover behind the concrete blocks that protected the station and positioned himself to defend iSaint's dash.

He saw the trooper who was shooting at his fellow runner and fired back, hoping to both distract the man's attention and even better, get him some hurt.

[spoiler]
Initiative 14+2d6: 14+2d6 17
17 - Simple: take aim
        free: Called Shot
      - Simple: Bullseye Burst to the trooper shooting ISaint.
Bullseye burst on trooper targeting ISaint 21 - 2 called shot (- x modifier): 20d6t5 6
damage 8P + net hits AP -7
7    Shoot again, to draw attention on him. and maybe get a trooper hurt.
Bullseye burst on trooper targeting ISaint 21 - 2 called shot (- x modifier): 20d6t5 9
damage 8P + net hits AP -7
[/spoiler]

[Jack_Spade]

While he sprinted, Isaint noticed for the first time consciously that the Drake had taken on his true form. Impressive, but not really his concern at the moment. He saw the Frenchman draw  his weapon and fire in his direction. For a moment he was back in Turkey until he remembered that they now were on the same team. The gun fire erupted once more, but it only served to encourage him to more speed.
The Stim dulled the pain in his ribs, but to any trained observer it must have been clear that he was hurt - not a good thing to be on a playground that was swarming with predators...

'Just a few more meters...'

[adamu]

Al heard Frenchie's message as he sighted in on one of the bandits. Well bless his green frog heart.

Thing was, the Frenchman didn't know that the voodoo gods would never let Al die.

Still, two guns - and targets - were better than one!

<<Don't worry 'bout ol' Al none, kemo sabe. Hell don't want me, an' heaven is full. But yer welcome to join the party!>>

[Aria]

[Thursday June 18th, 2076, ~13:45, Motorway Services, M40]

As the foe move to consolidate their advance on the service building in pursuit of the runners there is a brief lull in the fire and some evidence at least that the hackers eTher mentioned are beginning to monkey with the enemy…and then they resume a suppressive barrage on the area while they reposition themselves to better target the group.

eTher, with an audible snarl, claws her way across the roof of the van, and in a momentary pause sticks her snout over the edge and proceeds to immolate one of the unfortunate troopers.  The flame burns incandescent, the power being displayed unmistakable! 

The Frenchman’s response is equally effective, his rounds slamming home into the trooper that had been swinging his weapon round to track Isaint’s blurred form as he too made for the services building through the cover of the car park…

***
_#80

[adamu]

Al's plan worked - people started shooting at him.

But then, to be fair, they were shooting at just about everyone. So maybe his plan hadn't worked.

In any case, his objective had been to get shot at. Not shot. He dropped down fully behind the rubbish receptacle, scanning behind him for a glimpse of William as high-velocity slugs spanged off the concrete cylinder.