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[Snowpocalypse] Can't Wash it Off (R 5.6)
Rossi,
Jester was quiet the whole way back across the lake. Sure, he responded when you spoke to him, but otherwise, he was lost in thought. Silica and Hadden rode close by, Sil even pointed out a few spots to avoid, helping out in her own way.
You got back to the Crossover flats in tact, late afternoon. Snow's coming down heavy, but the lava pit is still warm in comparison. Crossover is hot enough to make a person sweat now, and it's gotten pretty popular for it. Invert was waiting for you, led you and Jester into the set of old, broken down basement offices where they set up shop.
"Other than Arbor, and the guys we left at the sub, most of them are holed up here." Invert says as you enter the hallway. "Amp Heads'll come around every day or so for jingle, but as long as we got stuff to trade, we're alright to chill. There's a washroom down the hall, but we gotta melt ice for the water. Doesn't take long in here." Invert's wearing, of all things, a dress. The kind you can just pull over your head, goes halfway down her thighs. She looks smaller, almost cute. Except she's got that shiv hidden somewhere, you're sure.
Jester doesn't even notice her. He heads into the first room with a bed, starts to pull off clothes to lay down. Invert asks while you're in the hallway (there are four others in the hall, just sitting on their asses resting), "Everything alright? I thought you were in Red Brick?" She sees your ring, and her eyes widen.
Jester was quiet the whole way back across the lake. Sure, he responded when you spoke to him, but otherwise, he was lost in thought. Silica and Hadden rode close by, Sil even pointed out a few spots to avoid, helping out in her own way.
You got back to the Crossover flats in tact, late afternoon. Snow's coming down heavy, but the lava pit is still warm in comparison. Crossover is hot enough to make a person sweat now, and it's gotten pretty popular for it. Invert was waiting for you, led you and Jester into the set of old, broken down basement offices where they set up shop.
"Other than Arbor, and the guys we left at the sub, most of them are holed up here." Invert says as you enter the hallway. "Amp Heads'll come around every day or so for jingle, but as long as we got stuff to trade, we're alright to chill. There's a washroom down the hall, but we gotta melt ice for the water. Doesn't take long in here." Invert's wearing, of all things, a dress. The kind you can just pull over your head, goes halfway down her thighs. She looks smaller, almost cute. Except she's got that shiv hidden somewhere, you're sure.
Jester doesn't even notice her. He heads into the first room with a bed, starts to pull off clothes to lay down. Invert asks while you're in the hallway (there are four others in the hall, just sitting on their asses resting), "Everything alright? I thought you were in Red Brick?" She sees your ring, and her eyes widen.
Comments
"We were... Then I got this sinking fucking feeling my sister was back home. I made the trek with Jester, and had to deal with my asshole of a dad." I pause, "well, he was an asshole. Now he's just a fucking bloodstain on some operating floor. Jester shot someone for the first time... He's taking it hard. Tell everyone to give him some space, OK?"
"You need anything?" Invert asks, looking back at you, up at you. "I mean, I got this, you can kick back. Spend time with, you know, him. Shit like that. We'll need to set something up for jingle in a few days, but for now, we're golden." Behind her a couple of the gangers are chatting over some food, not much, mostly scraps, but they're eating.
Jester's pulled off his shirt and boots. He's sitting on the cot, leaning forward a bit, just staring at the floor.
It strikes me as I cross the threshold into the room that I don't really have a plan here... I stand there awkwardly looking at him for a second before closing the door behind me, and strolling over to sit down beside him. I pull him into a hug, gently brushing his hair, and not asking anything of him for a few minutes... Really as long as I can before Invert has the gang ready.
You hear it before the knock happens. Feet shuffling outside, some bits of conversation, people gathering. Then a knock, a second. Invert says, "We're ready, Rossi."
Jester sighs once, then pushes himself back up to sit on his own. He looks over at you, silently asking you to say no, "Want me to come?"
You leave him there, because you've got work to do, right? Opening the door, you see Invert there chatting with Em-Sixteen. Inessa is behind them, Wandering is near the back. Your gang is ready to rock and roll.
Anything you say to them before heading to the Pier?
I step out into the hall, and close Jester's door before addressing the group. "I want you guys to act like you're going to the Pier to turn me in... I'll be masked up, and ready to go. Demand to talk to whoever's in charge... If they say no, then we'll fight our way in, and take what we need to live. Either way, I want Poke brought to me."
Wandering rumbles, "Good luck to that poor soul." He pauses, then adds, "Boss, those Pier-boys won't be letting her walk out. So, I 'spose we'll come in all Trojan horse-like with you, then just start the slaughter? No sense in chatting, you know? I can pave the way, but there's some things I want out of there, and some folks we do NOT touch. Cool?"
Inessa says, "To Hell with Pier folk. If we're going in to take, then let's TAKE! Why do it halfway, pussyfoot around, Rossi?"
Inessa pipes up, "Then we split it. Ten in the gate, the rest of us come up from the lake."
"In what?" Em asks, incredulous.
"Fuck, I dunno, climb it?" Inessa says with a dismissive wave, since she's assuming she's part of the ten.
Then with a cackle of delight, Invert yells, "Now move like you got a purpose, you bunch of bastards!"
Anything left before we skip to the Pier?
After Invert takes them out, Em walks beside you for a moment. She looks over, worry in her eyes. "I think. I think they won't try to hurt you so bad if you look rough now." She pulls out a small razor and slices her left thumb. "Let's get you a little bloody, ok?" She dabs at the scarf on your face and near your neck, too.
Wandering chuckles from behind you both, "Em, girl. They're gonna punch on Rossi no matter what. Can't nothing be done about it. But, I'll make sure they don't hurt her too bad, since we got a reward riding on it."
Then I turn back to Em and whisper, "I don't want you bleeding on my account..."
The Gate looms overhead as you eleven walk up in the late morning. Gnu looks out when Wandeirng calls up, and you all move to the front of the line, getting cuts for the masked murderer.
There are four guards coming down on the platform. Gnu is still up top, and a couple of his have rifles trained on you all.
Em is standing right by you, a pistol in your face, but you know she's got it out just in case. Wandering is talking mad shit about this.
But you've got to sell this, Rossi. I'd like to see you either Manipulate to get through without trouble, or Act Under Fire when those guards come over to fuck with you.
Wandering's behind you still, saying, "Hey now, easy on the goods, man. We got to get him in to the Council for the jingle. I will crack your head if you break my fucking toy, get me?"
Em's glaring at the guy, his name is Pantsed, one of Gnu's cousins, missing a front tooth. He laughs, "Hey baby," he says to Em, "I got a bigger gun'n that."
What do you do?
Fuck this guy. I make a big show of shoving Em back a step or two, so I have a second to charge Pantsed... Get him on edge so he tries to subdue me. I'm gunna make an example of this asshole.
It sounds like maybe you're trying to wrest control of this situation, right? It sounds like you want to Seize by Force. You'll be taking some Harm, but if you pull it off, they'll buy that you're "the guy" and get you to the Council quick quick.
(Rolled: 2d6+3. Rolls: 1, 5. Total: 9)
OOC:
I'm not using any weapons/my gang here, so it should be a flat 1-harm before armor (to him).
• You take definite hold of it.
• You impress/dismay/frighten your enemy.
And holy shit, Rossi, you're on him. Inessa runs interference on the guns and Wandering and a couple others pull you back off the poor sod. You're bloody now, for sure (Harm next post), but holy fuck these guys are on alert and they treat you like you're fucking Hannibal Lecter (whoever he is).
In short order, they've moved back and the platform is brought up with you on it, the gang acting as a buffer, "keeping you pinned".
(Rolled: 2d6. Rolls: 2, 3. Total: 5)
Wandering chuckles, "That was perfect. Per-fect."
The chains pulling up the platform to the second story groan and shudder under the weight and speed of your lift, but nothing breaks. Gnu is up top, and the guy has a shotty, trained on you. He isn't as spooked as the others, he's giving you a wide berth, making sure you're under control.
As the gang moves you to the Gate, Wandering calls, "Check this shit out, Gnu. I got me a posse for the masked stranger. And you thought I just took off, yeah? We're here for the jingle. You wanna pay out, or is this a Council thing?"
"It's a Council thing." Gnu replies sharply as he directs you and the group. "Wandering, turn over your weapons, man."
Rossi, what was the plan for this one?
I stop right in front of Gnu, smirking under my scarves, and call him out. "You know, the second these guys drop their guns I'm going to shoot you with your own shotgun. Maybe I'll stop at that bitch doctor's shop on my way out, and make sure she can't sew you up."
Your gang makes a show of dumping off guns, but you know several of them are still holding. The four guards escort the lot of you out of the building into the open air. On the way, Inessa has started chatting up Pantsed, telling him that you sucker punched him, stroking his ego. He buys it, poor sod.
For reference, here's an old visitor's map. It' about as accurate as you'd think.
The sun is peeking behind streaks of blue and gray clouds, and the snow is coming down in big flakes like dandruff off an old man's scalp. The cold is bitter, and folks are moving away from you.
You're in the area called "Festival Hall", which is mostly filled with closed doors painted with spray-painted numbers. Four older people in very nice clothes, light stuff like they stay inside all day, they're at the end of the hallway. The hallway goes on behind them, but this seems like some meeting place. The dark-skinned woman with salt and pepper dreads holds up a hand when you're about twenty feet away. The halls are industrial carpet, worn thing and never replaced after the Big Freeze. Corridor is about twenty feet across, big enough to move freight, really.
"You killed half of Poke." The elder woman says. Her tone is flat. "Why?" It sounds formal. Rehearsed.
What do you do?
I'm quiet the whole walk out to the festival hall, and I do my best to seem disconnected as I take in the scene... The elderly woman acting like she's entitled to some degree of respect really gets under my skin. "You killed half of poke," she sounds so disinterested in it all, "why?"
"Because he fucking deserved it."
She looks you over, "We're giving you to her. Whatever she wants to do to you so she'll get over this... funk or whatever. So she'll get back to work." After a pause, she looks to Wandering, "Head to the trade office, Wandering. You'll be paid the full bounty, and you can split it among your... friends."
One of the guards, not Pantsed, another guy about his size, starts to come over to take your arm, lead you away.
What do you do?
I pull my arm away when this other guard reaches for it, and growl, "don't fucking touch me." I turn back to the door, but look back at the elder, "you don't know what you just brought down on your fucking people..."
That guard is reaching for you again, Rossi. Em's tensing, sensing this is when it goes down. Those elders have pistols, shiny ones. The guards have rifles, too. Your guys have whatever they've hidden on themselves. You've got numbers, they've got arms. This will be one hell of a scrap, but you're rather sure you've got them.
What do you do?
Pantsed is bringing his rifle up, but Em is moving over, and Inessa was already right by him. Wandering is moving with a couple guys to the other guard, and the rest of the gang charges the guy behind.
It's going to be bloody.
It sounds like you're trying to Seize the elders by Force, right? Use your gang and make the roll. Let's see how this pans out.
(Rolled: 2d6+3. Rolls: 5, 5. Total: 13)
They bring their uzis up quick and fire after you as you zip past, one of them tracking you and hitting one of the elders when you side-step out of the way. Then you're on the elders, and they just don't stand a chance.
You hear more shots behind you, but you're busy doing your thing. A white hot rush surges through you, the thrill of taking these assholes down.
Then, it's over. You're standing over the bodies of the Council, your gang took care of the guards, even the guys with uzis. Em checks the chamber on her uzi, wipes a little blood spray out of her eyes and gives you a confident nod. Wandering is still choking one guy out, looks like he's taking his time.
Somewhere outside, towards the lake, there are two large explosions. Invert's team hit the Pier, too.
What do you do?
I pick up a handgun from that old bitch's corpse, and make sure it's loaded... I don't need it perse, but it makes sense to have. With the gang armed up, I motion for the door. "Grab everything you need, and let's move for the infirmary. I want to clear it out, and burn it to the ground."
You hear gunfire outside, nearby and farther away. Invert's group is pushing hard on the Pier, she wants to prove something with this one. You know she's supposed to fight her way from one end of the Pier until she meets up with you, then either take off, or push back through to the Gate, based on your orders.
You and yours come out of the parking garage into the open air. There are people hiding and running, a few men with guns who are in fortified positions. They're going to fight for their homes, Rossi. You'll have to pick them out like ticks.
What do you do?
"Clear a fucking path, and you won't get hurt!" is my only warning for them.
Let's see you Go Aggro on them.
(Rolled: 2d6+3. Rolls: 1, 3. Total: 7)
Making a beeline for the infirmary, you see the pair of men who were stationed here took off. Sitting in a booth near the front, is Poke. Her eyes are sunken, face drawn, body thin in her oversized lab coat.
She looks down the hall to see you leading your gang towards her. She looks resigned. Tired. She doesn't even speak first, just watches as Inessa heads inside to start grabbing supplies. Wandering is near you, Rossi. He seems to have at least some concern for Poke, a little protective, maybe?
Poke looks up at you, her expression unreadable.
Inessa and Em are working fast, grabbing high value shit while the rest of the gang is working on finding ways to bag it and carry it. You hear more gunfire down the pier. Invert's still fighting.
She sniffs, "I did... good things. Saved lives. You just... you just take them. You... murder."
She hasn't moved. For the door, or for the gun.
I pause for effect, and look deep into those sunken eyes, "you're not even that good of a fucking doctor. Sure I've killed a few people — some of them more deserving than others — but how many people are you going to kill giving them shit medical treatment? Sitting here drunk off your ass, and pretending the world owes you something... You're a pathetic piece of shit, and this," I motion to Inessa and the gang clearing the place out, "this is an opportunity to start fresh. Now pick up the gun, and get the fuck out of my sight."
"...fuck you."
Poke picks up the gun, and pushes herself up, using the table to get leverage, her starved muscles too weak to move without help. "I'm taking this gun and throwing it in the fucking lake, you monster. Take the meds, take it all! I don't fucking care...." It seems like she has more to say, but it's like she realizes you don't really care, either. Not about her, for sure.
She starts walking out of the clinic, towards the Gate. Wandering comes up with a couple bags of shit, says, "Boss, I'm walking her out."
Invert looks around, asks Em, "Where's dumb bitch?"
Em blinks, then figures it out, "Left. Took a nice mag."
"Fuck." Invert answers.
I look over to Invert, "anyone hurt?"
Inessa quips about Wandering, "Give the guy a break, Rossi. He's not so bad. Sometimes we play damsels. How's he to know different?"
Em doesn't offer up an opinion, but she's watching Invert, making sure Invert sees you're okay.
I look back to Invert, and point over to Em, "most of the blood is hers — she had the idea to bloody me up, make me look the part to get in here... Pretty good idea. The rest of it was us blowing out the council's brains. They never saw it coming..."
Inessa answers, "Doubt it. If he's smart, he'll make himself scarce..."
Invert adds, "Backdoor's wide open. We can take the lake."
I lose myself in thought, and let the wind whisper me some truths...
(Rolled: 2d6+2. Rolls: 4, 4. Total: 10)
Invert makes a dismissive noise in her throat, "Guess you get another date, then, Eggflip." She looks at you, Rossi, ready to take them forward, "Boss, we could get some good take if we head back that way."
Eggflip walks near you, obviously interested in bending your ear, "Gnu keeps his family in some thick walls, boss. With the Pier under attack, he and his boys will be holed up in there. Invert used all the explosives on the lakeside, you know. How are we getting in?"
Gnu's family has B2 secured as their place. The entrance to B1 is a bunch of cars piled up, with broken-up concrete stacked in every cranny. There's a door to get in there, just a stout steel door sitting in between a crushed van and a broken SUV.
Nobody's out here, no power on the ramp leading to that door, just the bit of light spilling from above.
What do you do as you come down towards the entrance?
"Get our shit from the lockbox at the gate, and get me my fucking assault rifle... I'm gunna punch a hole for us." In the meantime, I'm going to scout out the place, and make sure there isn't another way in.
(Rolled: 2d6+1. Rolls: 4, 6. Total: 11)
• Where’s my best escape route / way in / way past?
• What should I be on the lookout for?
• What’s my enemy’s true position?
This is what the parking ramp looks like from Gnu's side. There are cars and concrete in that entrance.
There is a set of stairs on the opposite wall that lead down to Gnu's level, but you know that would be booby trapped to hell and a narrow spot for folks to fire up at you. Bad move. It's the front door, and you need to hit it hard.
Of course... you could smoke them out, too. If you're willing to spend the time.
You should be on the lookout for the fact that whoever opens that door will be the focus on five guns. You will have to sacrifice some of the gang to get in. Gnu and the rest of the Gate guard (four others) as well as his extended family are all down here.
Invert gets the gang moving on setting barrels up. What's in these things? Using up fuel, or burning trash or what, Rossi?
"How long do we wait on them, Rossi?" Invert asks.
Invert's got the barrels set up, she's got Em lighting them in the corridor.
Why don't you give me a Pack Alpha to see how this plays out, Rossi?
(Rolled: 2d6+4. Rolls: 1, 3. Total: 8)
• they do what you want.
You hear a baby crying. It's coming from behind that door. Em comes over to you, not saying a word, but pleading with you to do something, anything. I assume you're hard, right? No response? I know you don't give in, but do you acknowledge it?
Long John complains loudly, "You know? We could be hauling shit out the Pier. This is bullshit! We could be setting ourselves up for life, not taking out some fucking petty vengenace!" Eggflip is near Long John. LJ has a rag with ice inside, keeps holding it up to his teeth.
Eggflip is backing up Long John, "We don't need to kill all of them. There's folk we can sell to Underlake. The girls are pretty, they could work for Roxy."
Inessa doesn't like this, but she's dealing with it by yelling at the door for them to give up and walk out. She even tells them we can work it out, a peaceful surrender. Gnu yells back that you killed two of his kin, he's never coming out.
When things heat up for your gang, pressure building, who do you make an example out of, Rossi?
I walk over to Little John, and take the rag of ice he's been breathing on for who knows how long now — I shove it down his fucking throat and kick him back down the hallway. "You wanna go fucking steal shit from people who'll come back and shoot you for it? Fine. Go. I'll deal with this shit. Just shut your fucking mouth!"
Then I turn to Eggflip, pissed as all hell, and shove a finger in his face, "and who told you we're fucking selling people into slavery? Huh? If you think I'm gunna let you say one more word of that bullshit I'll kick your sorry ass out into the freezing cold. Gnu and his boys have a mind to fucking kill me — and now you — for fucking with this sweet little deal he's got raping women and stealing shit from whoever comes to his little home. I'm going to sit here, and make sure that asshole's bullshit dies with the fucking council. All he needs to do to save that baby's life is come out with his hands fucking up, and his whole family gets to walk."
I storm up to the door and slam a fist on it, "you hear that you piece of shit? This is fucking judgement day! You willing to kill your whole family because you're too fucking greedy to face the consequences for the bullshit you've done? This is what you've been doing to people at the gate. This is fucking justice. Why don't you do one fucking selfless act in your whole fucking life, and save your family?"
Some violent coughing near the door, then Gnu yells out, "Alright! Fuck... fucken alright! We're coming out!"
Another long minute, the longest minute. You see the door shudder, open up towards you slowly. Then, with sudden effort, the door pops open, smoke billowing out around the edges and coming out to spill onto the pavement.
A screaming person comes running out. He's got a kerchief over his nose and mouth, probably fourteen years old, screaming and running straight at you.
Your gang guns him down, half-freaked out by this explosion of activity. Then gunfire erupts from the open doorway.
Em takes a shot, falling back. Inessa dives to the ground. Invert was over by the stairwell, and she's moving up to flank the door where they can't see. But there's no way she's moving closer while your gang is firing hell in that smokey hole.
What do you do?
(Rolled: 2d6+1. Rolls: 1, 5. Total: 7)
Gnu and the others take aim on the most obvious target - you, unloading a couple shots before you're on them. One shot hits your left arm, another hits you in the gut, you feel it burning in your flesh as you grit your teeth and keep those legs pumping. (3-Harm minus your two armor minus Rasputin means 0-Harm, will roll in next post)
BAM! You burst through the doorway, and there's some light here, red light, enough to make out shapes and forms in the smoke. They had set up concrete barriers in here, Gnu and his three boys are hunkered down behind them taking shots. You leap over the barrier, shotgun in hand. Gnu's your first target, I assume? Cut off the head, see if the snake will die?
BAM! You level the shotgun on him before he brings his bolt-action up to bear. His head explodes in a pulpy mass, spraying his grandson, a buck-toothed teen full of fear and now covered in blood. He drops his gun, scrambles back away. You saw this one, Rossi. He groped a young girl in line, rubbed himself on her as she stood stock still, full of the same dose of fear shooting through his veins now.
The situation looks like this:
You know there are two more men behind you, you know that Em has your back. But it's hard to see, incredibly loud, and your lungs are burning from the smoke already.
Rossi, you can leave Em covering your back, head for the baby, then head back out. You know you can pull that off, with your armor and the gang's covering fire when they see you running out, you can make it. But Em might not make it. Or you can push the attack, putting yourself in worse danger, and end this. It will probably save Em. Probably.
What do you do?
(Rolled: 2d6-2. Rolls: 2, 6. Total: 6)
(Rolled: 2d6+3. Rolls: 1, 4. Total: 8)
• Take definite hold of it.
• Suffer little harm.
Without the shotgun, how did you dispatch the last guy, Rossi?
Invert's at the door, coughing and calling for you, "Rossi!! Where are you?"
That baby has stopped crying, you can't see more than a foot in front of your face.
I can't see anything in there, can I?
Invert calls, "Rossi! Da fuck are you?" She's near the door, the light. Exit.
You can't see much of anything, but nobody is shooting at you now. There's more coughing deeper inside. A girl's voice calls, "Don't! Don't *cough* kill us! Please!"
I'm going to assume you're not going to wipe out the rest of them, right? So you can get the three girls, aged between thirteen and seventeen, named Rippey Flip, Chicane and Suicide. But you've got eyes on that baby, right? It's a baby boy, and he's being held by Chicane, the middle girl. What did you tell her to get them out of there, Rossi?
I turn back to the light spilling down from the door, and call out, "Invert! We've got people incoming! No more shooting!"
You save those girls, Rossi. Mask or no, you didn't murder those kids.
A little while later, you're sitting on a piece of concrete, recovering your breath. Em is sitting by you. She's been shot in her thigh, and she's still coughing up black phlegm.
Inessa asks, "Are we taking in those kids now?" She asks it like she knows the answer.
I swallow hard, and sling my shotgun over my shoulder. There's been a long trail of blood following me here, and with the exception of Merrell and his gang, I've done everything I can to keep myself, my husband, and my sister safe. I take off my goggles and pull down my scarf. The smell of blood, guts, smoke, and gunpowder lingers in the room, and the unfiltered smell of it on my nose would usually be enough to make me sick. I walk over to Invert and hand her my goggles. "Clean the place out. Find yourself a little place to call your own."
Then, to the three girls, "come on... Let's get you checked out." I wouldn't want that kid dying of an oxygen deficiency...
The gang starts working on pulling out what they can use, what isn't ruined by smoke. They leave bodies lying, because really, who cares?
--END SCENE--