FIVE 22

<Fats> As the runners gather again at the Yakor, Mary's commlink lights up with a commcall. She turns away from the team for half a minute, discussing something over subvoc through the booming music and the chatter of the runner patrons.
<Fats> When she turns back to the team, her face is solemn: "Okay, so our employer is trying to hurry us up. Guess we don't have much choice other than blowing the whole thing up, eh?"
<Fats> Kit rises from his seat: "I am still against that senseless violence". You notice he doesn't sound all that sure, given how overwhelmingly powerful the opposition seems. "And it's not like we're killing them all in one blow anyway".
<Fats> Red Scorpion dismisses him: "So what, let's go and finish up the survivors, and call the employer's thugs as backup".
<Fats> * Weeeeee I am roleplaying with myself! Anything you have to say for or against this glorious plan of mine? :3

• Che shrugs over his cup of tea.
  

<@Nebokhod> - I for once welcome our new wxploding overlords.
<Che> - It's not that we have many alternatives.
<Fats> <Kit> - Well we could infiltrate Scorpion there, and have her surgically remove our targets from invisibility.
<@Nebokhod> * i ingest psyche
<@Nebokhod> * which we do not have, btw, invisibikty that is.
<@Nebokhod> *li
<Che> - Can she?
<Fats> <Red_S> - Right, like I'm going right into the hornet's nest to risk my neck and do all the work for you fucktards. What do you get your share of nuyen for?
<Che> - Well... Bringing you there and morally supporting?
<@Nebokhod> 16#sd vs 6#sd vs 13#sd summoning of spirit of Man.
<ur_dnd_bot> Nebokhod: (pool 16) 5 hits; (pool 6) 2 hits; (pool 13) 6 hits
<@Nebokhod> 11#sd edge reroll
<ur_dnd_bot> Nebokhod: (pool 11) 4 hits
<Fats> * glolius
<@Nebokhod> * astral bear.

• Che thinks of things while sipping his tea.
  

<Fats> <Red_S> - Not about to pay fat dosh for that, Che. Come on, men, shapen up, we need to settle this quick if we want our money. Off to the harbour we go, I call the Johnson, he sends us heavies, and we deal the Faceless Avenger and his bastards in.
<Fats> * So, down with the plan? Or any principal disagreements?
<@Nebokhod> * bonus powers are innate spell (increase reflexes) and movement.
<@Nebokhod> * let's kick some ass.
<Fats> * Gotcha, feel free to describe any visible effects if indeed there are any.

• Che with a sigh check his Alta.
  

<Che> *checks
<Fats> The smartgun self-check readings float up in your field of view, Che. The pistol seems to be in full working order, next cleaning in 47 shots.
<Che> - Ok, we summon some mooks, point them in the direction of that platform and follow them in the wake of destruction?
<Fats> <Red_S> - More or less. Kit launches the missiles, blows the whole thing up, we clean up the survivors.

• Nebokhod wipes his suddenly sweaty face.
  

<@Nebokhod> - Got some mook for ourselves.
<Che> - Sounds like a plan. Not the best one, but it will do, I guess.
<Fats> - Good man, - Red Scorpion nods to Lucas, - Okay, let's set out, then. - Kit looks like he's about to object again, but remains silent.
<Fats> By the time you arrive in the harbour, Red Scorpion makes a social call, and three speedboats full of Chinese cutthroats are waiting for you at the Eastern Bosphorus. They escort you across the Ussuri Bay; you notice they're armed to the teeth, to the point of one openly totting an RPG. Your cavalcade stops just over the radiohorizon from Loza-618.
<Fats> The sea is restless, pounding your boat with waves a couple meters high.

• Che double checks his guns and coat, preparing for action.
  

<Fats> A lightning storm seems to be coming from the east; it's not raining yet, but you can see lightning flashing blue in the distance.
<Fats> <Red_S> - Okay, Kit, do your thing.
<Che> - Blow them up, then I'll launch our eye in the sky.

• Che prepares Optic-X.
  

<Fats> The technomancer clenches his teeth, diving again into the shared hallucination of the Matrix. A few moments later, a red flash lights up the scene, looking hardly more than just another lightning strike that confused the colour it should be using.
<Fats> <Red_S> = Let's go! - The Chinese speedboats launch to the former defense platform, white foam flying in long trails behind them. You follow.
<Che> - Ok, it's time to tango.

• Che launches Optic-X, sharing its feed with a group.
  
• Che looks for a signs of opposition and survivors.
  

<Fats> Che, as Optic-X gains altitude, you can make out Loza-618 in the distance. Most of the platform was destroyed by a series of explosions and fell into the ocean, leaving three supporting columns standing bare, floating oils burning at their bottom. The fourth column, the one that supported the helipad, was the least affected, so some parts of the structure still cling to it.
<Che> - Good work, Kit.

• Che cycles through drone sensor modes.
  

<Fats> You see dozens of people in the water; most of them apparently already dead. A dozen more cling to the precariously faltering remains of the defense platform.
<Fats> The technomancer nods; judging by his expression, he is less than ecstatic with the results of his work.
<Che> * Any radio chatter on scanner?
<@Nebokhod> - That's a rather big missiles they had.
<Che> - Kit, it's them or some hundreds of people in the city. And, yes, we don't even know their plans on that missiles.
<@Nebokhod> - Something something vigilantes.
<Fats> Che, it takes a while for Optic-X to filter out the flare from the fire, but at it does, your feed switches from fully white to lively colour as you see bodies of the dead cooling in the ocean water even as life vests or rafts keep them afloat. As you watch, the Chinese speedboats draw near the platform and open up on the survivors.

• Che keeps drone ahead of boats in communication range.
  

<Fats> * Perception(Visual) if you please from anyone watching the feed
<@Nebokhod> 11#sd
<ur_dnd_bot> Nebokhod: (pool 11) 5 hits
<Che> * is it with bonus from sensors vision enhancement?
<Che> 12#sd
<ur_dnd_bot> Che: (pool 12) 4 hits
<@Nebokhod> * what boni?
<Che> *Vision Enhancement 3
<Fats> Nebokhod, with your Army training, you notice a struggler up in the former helipad: apparently a sniper, he's tethered himself to the beams of the superstructure, and takes potshots at the Triad heavies. As you watch, one of his bullets slams into the skull of one, making it explode like an overripe watermelon.
<@Nebokhod> * do i have a los to him?
<Fats> * yeah, enhancement applies, Che.
<Fats> * Nebokhod, yes.
<Fats> * He's some 300 meters away though
<@Nebokhod> * i have binoculars!
<@Nebokhod> * any negative modifiers?

• Che keeps low profile.
  

<Fats> * Well, I guess there's the thermal smoke rising from all the burning stuff.
<Che> * There is UV mode in camera too.
<Fats> Kit closes his eyes and turns away from the slaughter, as the Triad goons unload clip after clip into the helpless survivors in the water.
<Fats> * Che, yeah, but Nebokhod can only use his own senses (eyes and/or implants) to aim his spells.
<Che> * Ah.
<Fats> * Nebokhod, the modifiers are in CoreAE, page 135
<@Nebokhod> 12#sd f9 stunbolt at sniper
<ur_dnd_bot> Nebokhod: (pool 12) 5 hits
<@Nebokhod> 13#sd vs 3 drain
<ur_dnd_bot> Nebokhod: (pool 13) 6 hits

• Nebokhod looks on sniper through his trusty binoculars and wills the burst of mana into him.
  

<@Nebokhod> *14S.
<@Nebokhod> * -on + at
<Fats> A searing flash of light engulfs the sniper, and when it's gone, he's hanging on his tethers, unconscious. The Chinese notice the light, and the troll that carries the RPG unloads a few shots in its direction to avenge his fallen comrade. The explosions rock the helipad, it moans like an animal wounded, and crashes into the water, carrying Vex into his watery grave along with whatever minions of the Faceless Avenger happened to be under the struct
<Fats> ure.
<Fats> The coastal defense station is thus utterly ruined; the Chinese wipe out the remaining survivors in but a few minutes, and you head back to the shore, leaving nothing but ruin behind.
<Che> * No looting?
<@Nebokhod> * have you got diving suit?
<Fats> * well if you're up for diving in burning oil...
<Che> * Hmph. I wonder if Gears have one...
<Fats> As you come near the Eastern Bosphorus, the speedboats break off and disappear the way they came. Minutes later, you're back on shore. Your dwarf technomancer remains silent throughout the trip, and as you come ashore, hops into his chair and turns to Red Scorpion: "You know where to send my share. Don't contact me anymore unless in an emergency." With this, he leaves the pier and, by extension, the troupe.
<Fats> * You can add Kit as a Loyalty 2 Connection 4 technomancer contact
<Fats> The Swiss sniper nods nonchalantly as she deals the Johnson's number.

• Che nods to him and starts packing his drones and gear into car.
  

<@Nebokhod> - Be good, Kit.
<Che> - Take care out there.
<Fats> The technomancer makes no reply; you can see today will hang heavily on his conscience for years to come.
<Fats> Red Scorpion finishes her chat, and the AROs most dear to any runner's heart appear in your fields of view: +17500¥ on your bank accounts.
<@Nebokhod> - That's nice.
<Che> * 17.5 to each?
<Fats> With that, the sniper blows you a kiss before blending into the shadows: "Have fun, boys, I'm off to an important meeting". Something tells you you won't see her in Vladivostok a while if that meeting goes well...
<Fats> * yep
<Che> - Good hunting.
<Che> - To Yakor?
<@Nebokhod> - Get'em, Red.
<@Nebokhod> - Yeah.
<Fats> * Red Scorpion is a Loyalty 3 Connection 3 Runner contact that you can mark down, but in the next half a year at least she will be on a personal quest that's taking her throughout Asia.

• Che drives to Yakor with his usual routine of chaotic route while changing plates and colors.
  

<Fats> Thus ends the tale of this run, and with it, the legend of the Faceless Avenger, who tried to fight the fire of syndicate violence with fire of his own. Or does it?
<Fats> * and here I suggest we wrap up :3
<Fats> * at least for now :3