Re: The trouble with corrupted Nodes, Hedge Wizards and Cranky Judges IC thread 2

by **Anja Rebekka Schultze** Sat Jul 11, 2015 10:29 pm

The Technocrat looked at the gun, she still grasped it as if it was her only lifeline then slowly it dawned at her what the stranger was asking her and she nodded and started to move the mouth of the weapon away from Adley.
"G...gang...yes you...could call them that...but you do not want to know..."
The woman said she was struggling with her words.
"I...please just go, they will try to find me...and then you will die as well."
The Technocrat was struggling to breathe, perhaps there ware injuries under her clothing as well, then suddenly she turned her head and looked at her would be rescuer.
"N...no..."
She muttered and shook her head.
"I feel around you as I do when around...you are a Deviant...are you not? You are a mage."

The Technocrat pointed her gun back towards the Hermetic and raised it, pointing it at his head, at this distance it would not matter with the enforcer was loaded with Primium or not, it was a high caliber handgun, the young mage would be dead before he got to someone who would be able to heal him, and even a Master of Life could not heal the dead.
"T...tell me you are not...one of them...that you are not Nephandi...tell me."
The wounded Technocrat was shaking, she shook her head slightly trying to focus, the hand holding the enforcer was unsteady, the weight of it was getting to much on the woman's strained body.
"Tell me or I shoot you...right here and now, I will not go down as the rest of my...Amalgam...I will not."
The woman said trying to sound threatening but her voice was weak and creaking.

Colin you drive though the streets as fast as you legally dare to, after what seam like forever you get to the right street, the one with several storage buildings on one side and a canned goods factory on the other, the street lights where out but a pale, half moon illuminated the street, you spot Adley's car, parked near the middle of the street, you see no one on the street though, and are to far away to see what is happening inside the car.

by Warpmind Sat Jul 11, 2015 11:00 pm

Colin slowed down, as smoothly as he thought he could get away with without spooking the shell-shocked Technocrat, and tried to get a better view of the situation.

((OOC: Is the canned goods factory on the side Adley's parked, or would that be the storehouses?))
((OOC 2: Per+Alertness 1, 3, 4, 6, 8 - so, uh, I see diddly squat?))

by **Anja Rebekka Schultze** Sat Jul 11, 2015 11:06 pm

Adley is parked on the side of the cannery, the factory being on the drivers side of the car.

Yeah you see diddly squat, the car is there and you can see that there is someone inside of it, but you just need to get closer to see more and if you do get closer then you can be sure that the good folks in the car will also see that you are slowing your car for a closer look.

by Warpmind Sat Jul 11, 2015 11:51 pm

((OOC: Driver's side? That doesn't add up - the driver's side is near the center of the road - the passenger side is the one adjacent to the sidewalk.))
Colin slowly parked the car and switched the phone off speaker mode, picking it up.
"Alright, I've got Mister Roth Hicks' car in sight, have to get closer on foot; I'm making an attempt to be inconspicuous, so if you'd kindly play along..."
He casually opened the door, as if unaware of the other car, and speaking just loud enough to be plausible for a phonecall.
"Very good, Sir, I believe I've found the hermetics factory you inquired about. I'll see if there is some contact information posted at the door. If you'll please hold for a few moments..."
Looking both ways before crossing, he sauntered across the street and glanced around for the factory entrance.

by **Anja Rebekka Schultze** Sun Jul 12, 2015 12:32 am

Well you have heard what have been said in the car, as Adley turned the sound of, but it is still on and in speaker mode so you do know the Technocrat is aiming at him.
"Good luck Mr Wainwright, try not to get yourself or my apprentice shot."
Jeffry Morgan muttered over the phone before he was silent as Colin put on his little play over the phone.

As you get closer you can see inside the car that a blond woman in a terrible condition with long, partly loose, blond hair is pointing a gun at Adley, though she seam read to drop at any moment. The woman looks focused on the Hermetic though and either she have not seen you as you walk up towards the factory entrance or she is falling for your ploy and are simply ignoring you for now, both seam likely.

(OOC: Ok, would not that depend on which direction one drive into a street from, now like I said in an earlier post I have a problem with placements and envisioning left and right so I am guessing you are right, but would it not generally depend on what side relative to the car you have the side walk on?)

by Adley Sun Jul 12, 2015 12:39 am

Adley's body froze in place as the gun was leveled at him; he'd missed his chance. There was such a thing as too careful, after all. His hands came off the wheel as if he was surrendering.

"I am -not- a Nephandus." He looked at her and filled the words with the truth; if she had some way to tell if he was lying, or some other tell that he'd projected, then at least she would see that he was not one of them and maybe he might live another moment. "I AM -not- a -Nephandus-" he repeated." It was clear what he thought of Nephandi; after what had happened just yesterday it almost felt good to release all the pent up energy surrounding the hit on their node, what had happened to that little boy...it had been just the tip of the iceberg. If he was going to die, he was going to die suspected as one of them, not even by a mortal enemy.

by **Anja Rebekka Schultze** Sun Jul 12, 2015 1:11 am

The Technocrat looked at Adley intently for what felt like minutes but was probably just seconds before she let out a small sigh of relief.
"I...believe you."
The woman said, the hand with the gun shook.
"My directive is clear, I...am...to weak to...take you prisoner...I should shoot you now...at least then I would cross one more Reality Deviant off before I die."
She said and for a moment her finger moved on the trigger then she lowered the gun slightly, her arm to weak to hold it up any longer.
"But I...have had my fill of...death...for one day..."
The Technocrat muttered sadly.
"Drive Reality Deviant, you will take me to the entrance of a...hospital...so my people can find me...and I will let you live."
The woman cough and give a score moan, she clearly can not last much longer without help.
"Drive...now!"

by Warpmind Sun Jul 12, 2015 1:56 am

((OOC: Very simple - driver's side is toward the center of the road, passenger side toward the side of the road. This applies whether it's left-side or right-side driving, unless you've got a car imported from a country with opposite-side driving - for the US, or almost everywhere else, that'd basically be a car sold in Britain, Japan, India, Australia, or one of the little island countries between Australia and Thailand...))

Colin tried to glance inconspicuously at the woman crawling into Adley's car, as he looked up at the building and walked toward a door slightly further away from the car.
"Yes, Sir, looks good - a little material fatigue, but it looks like that might count in our favour for now. I'm going to look around a bit further."
He then sauntered a bit further off, waiting for Adley to leave the scene.

by Adley Sun Jul 12, 2015 4:01 am

//I'm not clear where Colin is in relation to the car by the time he's got the gun on him, or if Adley's spotted that he's on the scene (granted he's a touch distracted so he may not have)

by **Anja Rebekka Schultze** Sun Jul 12, 2015 6:40 am

(OOC: The cannery is a pretty large building and Adley are parked right in front of it and Colin had been pretending to go up and check the factory's front doors, so I would say he is close enough to be seen, I would say he is just far enough away from the car not to spook the Technocrat and a little to the side.)

by Adley Sun Jul 12, 2015 8:01 pm

"You'd only be making things easier for them, if you shoot me; then we both die." It might be the only things they had in common, that they did not want the Nephandi to succeed and the Will to live.

At the periphery, he could see Colin had arrived but he was not yet close – realizing his presence might set her off? But his attention was on the Technocrat as she lifted the gun to him, watching her very carefully, eyes locked on hers, the gun between them as she decided if she would believe him. He could die, right now, with his pater and Colin watching. The awareness of it was strong. He did not want to die, waste everything that had been invested in him, cause more sorrow and weakness.

Her arm dipped down, exhausted, agonized, but she was still threatening him to the extent she was able. He had another opening, more risky than the first one when she didn't suspect him. But if he let her get to the hospital and call in, they'd eventually try to find him, take him out like his brother at the next opportunity. If he drove her, waited to see if there would be an intercept or if she bled herself unconscious, the threat of this woman could remain hanging over him, reminding him that he hadn't been ready and that he had brought danger and pain to others besides himself.

His hands were still up in surrender mode, away from the wheel but giving him the potential advantage of clearer reach. All he had to do was sweep and pin her arm away from him against the car, then disarm her. Before she shot him, her finger still hovering near the trigger. Surely she would be waiting for him to make a move, even if she was nearly dead. He knew he would be. How many opportunities would he pass up searching for a better or acceptable one, in order to be careful? There were no perfect ones, no safe ones. Just the ones available of variable risk. Careful did not mean do nothing. He was a Flambeau - he could not let fear, worry or doubt rule him and affect his judgement.

'I have had my fill of death today, she had said. Let the words be truth, he thought. Speed of Hermes, strength of Mitra, core of ātar, he gathered the Words and transformed them into action. Everything came to a sharp focus, he could feel his heart beating, his breath of life, the faint sheen of sweat covering his body, the bitter, metallic taste of fear on his tongue, the way that the woman was looking at him and her hands that often told more than eyes, seeing her pain and weakening body control as she slipped closer to death.

His arm suddenly darted towards her on the inside to try to push her gun arm and hand away from him and trap them against the car.

//Dedicate 1 WP; Initiative: 8
Action: Grapple* - :[auto succ],4,8,2,4
*there’s not an option that I saw that fit exactly but it's bare-hand so I figured Grapple (Str+Brawl) - assuming it matters, let me know if you want Disarm instead (Dex+Melee)

by **Anja Rebekka Schultze** Sun Jul 12, 2015 8:30 pm

(OOC:Grapple is fine.)

The Technocrat yells as the arm holding the gun is pushed aside, she do pull the trigger and a bullet that cut through the metal of the car as if it was butter explodes out of the enforcer and embed itself in a nearby building, Adley however you seam to have escaped harm, if just barely, if you had been a fraction of a second later the bullet would have cut through your midsection instead. The Technomancer struggle but she have no strength left she still holds on to the gun though, but even if she had been unharmed the Hermetic would have been physically stronger than her, now however she is weak as a kitten. The woman looked into Adley's eyes, her own was light blue, they where unfocused now from fear, pain and shock, but there where a fire in them, this woman where as dedicated to her faction as Adley was to his, eventually when she realize there is no point in struggling the Technocrat's aching muscles finally relax and she go all but limp.
"I...guess...there will be...no hospital then."
The woman said, there where fear in her voice, she did not want to die either.
"So Reality Deviant...are you going to kill me? If so get it...over with, eventually the Nephandi...will come and one way or another...I do not want to...be here when...they do."
She said, her voice growing weaker, her grip on her gun was finally starting to waver, though she still held onto the one thing that had saved her from meeting the same fate as her Amalgam.
"Before...you kill me though...I would like to know...who...ends me...I am Vera...Agent Vera Kessinger of the New World Order, and you are?"
The woman was afraid, it was not just pain that made her shake, but she was cold to the touch as Adley pinned her against the car, and talking was more and more difficult, eventually her grip failed and the gun fell tot he floor of the car with a clank.

Adley you are not wounded, your car will need a overhaul yes, but you are fine, your hearing however, discharging a weapon right next to you that then cuts though metal, your ears are ringing and hearing the Technocrat's words are difficult, you are pretty sure there will take some time before your ears stop ringing.

Colin you hear the enforcer discharge and then you see a small part of the car rip outwards before the bullet end up in the wall of one of the storage buildings, cement dust from the wall that got hit make a bit of a poof before it settles again, it is hard to know what have happened inside of the car without getting closer though. You hear on the phone the Chief demand.
"Mr Wainwright, what was that sound? What just happened?"
The chief is keeping his voice under control, but there is a hint of a shakiness in it.
"Is he hit Mr Wainwright?"

by Warpmind Sun Jul 12, 2015 8:43 pm

Colin reacted on a hair trigger, sprinting at the car at the sound of the gunshot.
"One moment, Sir, I can't say from this range..."
Reaching the car, and getting a closer look at the grapple and the bullet hole, he relaxed a bit.
"The shot seems to have gone through the car and into a wall. No further injury, though I would guess they'll suffer some degree of tinnitus for a while. Placing phone in pocket to assist."
Pocketing the phone, Colin leaned down on the passenger side, catching Adley's eye, arching an eyebrow and nodding toward the station wagon.

by Adley Sun Jul 12, 2015 9:06 pm

Everything seemed to happen at the same time, his motion and the gunshot. He is sure that he very nearly died, in fact in those first seconds he was not sure that he wasn't hit but had yet to feel it yet. But no, he was alive...looking down at the woman and into her eyes. Sound had become hazy under the heavy ringing and it was harder to understand what she was saying to him. He tried to read her words as she spoke.

"Drop the gun and you may yet live for a while longer," he said, his voice overly loud and with less control than usual, his heart in his throat.

Colin's figure appeared in his view then and he nodded to him, glad to see him but not allowing himself the time to look away from the woman for too long. The gun was on the car floor now. He gauged if he could get to it without releasing her to do the same, or put Colin at risk when he opened the door. Otherwise, he will concentrate on keeping her immobilized for transport.

by Tane Karyak Sun Jul 12, 2015 9:15 pm

After the time passed, Tane went over to Rebecca's appartment. He knocked the door and waited. This time he got his sword and some books to give to the little apprentice of Hildegaard. His friend Coawa came, too, but he was a little less eager to get in.
THis place is awkward, Tann. I feel the spirits and they're restless. This place... They're ignoring them.
THat's why we're here, Cau. Replied Tane.

Coawa:

(But less pale and without piercings)

by Warpmind Sun Jul 12, 2015 9:24 pm

Colin carefully opened the door and laid a hand gently on the Technocrat's left shoulder, adding as much authority and sincerity to his voice as possible.
"Miss, we're not a threat, we're here to help. We will take you to any local medical facility of your choice, but please, resisting assistance to the point where you cannot even inform your superiors of what happened will serve no-one."

((OOC: Manipulation+Etiquette seems more appropriate for the method and intent - under that assumption, I roll 3, 6, 0, 0 to calm her down.)

by **Anja Rebekka Schultze** Sun Jul 12, 2015 9:58 pm

Adley: Getting the gun from the floor should not be to difficult, Vera was not putting up much of a fight anymore, currently she was pretty limp but you know that even a wounded person might suddenly put on renewed effort, but you do think you will be able to handle her for now, it is more of a danger whatever or not she is able to use her magick, physically she is not much of a threat right now, but who know what magick she might possess, now most technomancers are completely dependent on their tools and foci to work their effects, but like the Chief say, a mage is always dangerous, never assume they do not have some way to use magick against you, right now the woman do not seam to be resisting much though.

Colin you hear Chief Morgan draw a deep breath of relief when you tell him that Adley is fine, he do not say anything more, he do not need to say anything more, Colin knew what to do, to try to control the situation in minute details would only endanger the two mages.

You open the door and find Adley pinning the Technocrat down, the woman is so pale, her eyes showing signs of shock and fear, she is moving on instinct and will alone and little else.
"I...I doubt that..."
Vera said weakly, she was cold to the touch from blood loss and shock, she needed immediate medical attention if she was going to survive to give any information to anyone, she clearly did not believe Colin's words but his soft, authoritative voice still calmed her.
"I...can not fight...any more...please...get me...out of here."
The woman managed to express softly, her eyes shut for a moment but she forced them up again, she was clearly struggling to stay conscious.

by **Anja Rebekka Schultze** Sun Jul 12, 2015 10:14 pm

(This scene happens at Beatrice's apartment at around 4:30 in the afternoon.)

Colin you wait for a while outside Beatrice's door before you see a young man arrive, at his side is something...big, the man was tall, bald and looked like he might go toe to to with a HIT Mark and come out on top, the young man went to Beatrice's door and knocked on it. At the knock there is sounds from inside of the apartment, there is a low muttered.
"Oh...who...shit..."
Then a melodious woman's voice shout from inside of the apartment.
"Yeah...sorry I will be right there."

Tane getting your Wereshark friend into the Chantry caused a bit of a stir, and the man got quite if few looks as you walk towards the second floor, no one stop you, not yet, but you hear one woman tell a pale young man.
"Adjan, go and find the Chief."
Before the man left in a hurry. Soon though the two of you stand before a unassuming, white door, you knock on it and a short time after it is opened. In the door opening stand a very small young woman, she is barely five feet tall and slender to the point of being grunt, her face is triangle shaped with large, intelligent dark eyes, a thin, pointed lips, the girl is pretty but not quite beautiful, she was wearing a black, knee length skirt and pale yellow tank top and cardigan and a Verbena symbol in silver around her neck. The girl's hair was short and currently a bit wild as she looked like she had just awoken from sleep.
"Hi...you must be Mr Karyak...I am Beatrice Alexander bani Verbena."
Beatrice held out one of her small hands to the Dreamspeaker as she eyed the other stranger who stood out in the hallway, she also saw that Colin was there and that sure made her feel better.
"I am sorry for my...ehm appearance it have been a long day, I was taking a nap, please come in...ehm...and your friend is, I do assume he is with you Mr Karyak?"
Beatrice said and indicated Coawa.
"Oh and let me introduce my friend, Mr Colin Wainwright, we are in the same Cabal."
The young Verbena said and smiles to Colin, the woman is clearly nervous and she also looks somewhat unwell and tired.

Coawa suddenly steps in front of Tane, he knew that his form could take allot more damage and survive than the fragile young shaman, with a speed that seamed all but unnatural he grabbed Beatrice by the wrist bringing a cry of surprise from the Verbena.
"This one smell of the wyrm."
The wearshark said in a voice that was surprisingly soft for his large size.
"She reek, be careful Tane."
Coawa clearly wanted to rip the wyrm tainted mage apart, but he did not harm her, he only held her and looked at Tane for what to do, this was his friend's world and he would not act rashly and perhaps by that put is friend in danger.

Tane your Avatar mutters in the back of your mind, the spirit is uneasy, enraged.
"Her song is wrong...shattered, once it was beautiful, now it is a song that would end all song."
The Avatar said, his black eyes watching it's host from the place deep inside of the Shaman where it lived.

by Adley Sun Jul 12, 2015 10:15 pm

"Stop talking," he said to her, continuing to hold her as Colin opened the door. He didn't want her to try to use ars mens on either of them and, not entirely sure what her methods might be, he couldn't say if vocal component wouldn't be part of it. Not that he was easily hearing most of what she said anyway. "We will remove you; do not resist."

To Colin he said, "We have to hurry, the other threat could still be nearby." Something far worse than a lone Technocrat. Also the woman looked on her last breath and was clearly fading fast; he prepared to remove her from the car and to the other one for treatment.

by Warpmind Sun Jul 12, 2015 10:32 pm

((OOC: Wait, whose apartment did Tane go to? Rebecca's or Beatrice's? Assuming, for the sake of fluidity, that Tane made the typo.))

Colin bowed slightly to the Dreamspeaker and his Plus One, before turning to Beatrice.
"Gentlemen. Ah, Beatrice, feeling a little better, I see? Good; would you perhaps like my company for the meeting?"

--- Meanwhile, a few hours later --- ((OOC: I always wanted an opportunity to pull off THAT sentence.))
Colin gently lifted the Technocrat out of the car and carried her off to the station wagon.
"You get her to the hospital in that one; I'll survey the area and take your car home. Would you open the door for me?"

by **Anja Rebekka Schultze** Sun Jul 12, 2015 10:38 pm

Vera stopped talking, whatever that was due to complying with Adley's orders or because all her strength now went into staying conscious was not easy to say, the woman certainly looked like someone who would spit in the devil's eye if she felt like it so it was unlikely fear of the Hermetic kept her silent.

If Adley and Colin wanted to save the Technocrat's life the first order of business would be to stop the bleeding from her various wounds, but really there where nothing in a car's first aid kit that could deal with the damage her body have suffered, the best chance she got would be to get her to either a hospital or preferably get her to Amadeus or perhaps his apprentice who could repair this damage, otherwise sooner or later and most likely sooner the Technocrat would die.

Vera whimpered as Colin strapped her to her seat, it was hard to do so and not have the seatbelt press on her pretty badly injured shoulder which caused her a fair amount of pain, the rush of fresh pain did seam to get her more awake for a moment though and weakly she muttered.
"If they see you...you die..."
When Colin said he would go and scout for Nephandi
"T...there are three of them left now...that I know abou...."
Vera did not manage to complete her sentence she went limp in her seat as consciousness finally left her.

by **Anja Rebekka Schultze** Sun Jul 12, 2015 10:45 pm

(This scene happens around 4:30 in the afternoon.)

Beatrice looked quite terrified as the very large man suddenly grabbed her wrist though he did not harm her, the man looked strong enough to snap her wrist in two, but he grabbed her just hard enough to hold her, and his grip while uncomfortable did not even bruise her.
"I...I would really appreciate your company for the evening yes."
Beatrice said in a kind of a desperate tone of voice as she hoped Colin might get the big brute to let her go, she could use magick off course, but she did not feel like attacking a guest of the Chantry if she did not have to and who knew what his man could do, he was probably a mage as well.
"I...am feeling a bit better but I would really appreciate it if Mr Karyak's friend would let go of my arm."
The Verbena said in a strained tone of voice as she mentally got ready to use her magick if need be, she might look small and defenseless, but a Verbena blood witch could bite back if need be.

by Adley Sun Jul 12, 2015 10:55 pm

The infernal buzz in his ears was making it hard to concentrate, or perhaps the adrenaline was wearing off. He opened the door for Colin, checking her over as best he could for any other weapons or items as Colin strapped her in.

"No. I'm not leaving you here with Nephandi loose, they took out her whole amalgam. She is not going to the hospital. Otherwise I would have taken her at gunpoint. She will receive medical attention and a better chance at living following the original plan. Watch her and try to make sure she can't try anything and cannot see." He hoped that he would not argue about not being left behind. He trusted Colin and did not like the odds of leaving him there even with a fast return.

by **Anja Rebekka Schultze** Sun Jul 12, 2015 11:03 pm

The Technocrat had in her pocket, a set of car keys on a simple key chain that simply said Car-05 on one said and on the other said. Replace in cabinet after use. Other than that there where a wallet, an other set of car keys this one on a Mitsubishi key chain, this is probably her personal car keys, a stick of lipstick and a pocket mirror and a very plain, plastic key card, there are nothing else in her pockets, if she had a purse, another weapon or a phone they are long gone now.

by Tane Karyak Sun Jul 12, 2015 11:07 pm

It's a pleassure, Colin. It's just Tane, dreamspeaker. He said with a smile.
But suddenly, they started to whisper in his ear. All of them, his avatar, and his friend. After, he put his hand over Coawa's hand. Pull her inside. You come inside. Said Tane to COlin quietly. He knew that Verbena played with life, but in the verge of death some of the times.
I want to ask a couple of questions before considering taking her to Jeffry.

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