The Pen: Part I - From the Outside

[Tagz]

“Never figured you as the kind of person that would have such knowledge, where’d you learn that?”

Doppel let out a blithe chuckle as the bartender questioned him. Surely he had to know that the geezer wouldn’t give him a factual answer. The two weren’t close enough to be trading life stories. What they had was a nominal trust. It was only worth showing he had such information to give as long as Acacia decided to make the cinnamon buns. She now had both the knowledge and the skill to make them, and if she did, then Doppel would happily become one of her returning customers. This dull prison needed some spices anyways. Truthfully, the shape-shifter just had an obsession with good food.

“Y’know, I wasn’t always a prisoner.”

Doppel responded jovially as he continued to slowly down the alcohol that had been placed before him. Soon enough, however, one of his main concerns were answered. Apparently, the bartender was well connected. Furthermore, the man behind the counter began explaining his mutant ability. Well, he didn’t really explain much… or anything at all. All that was mentioned was that his abilities were rather insipid and sat at the mundane side of the table, but could prove useful under the proper circumstances. Without being told what his powers were, the old man was unable to begin planning the best course of action. Not wanting to push the matter further, he assumed that the person who called them all here had some semblance of knowledge on what they’re powers were and how to best utilize them.

Finally, Alicia spoke. She responded to Acacia’s concerns first. They were valid ones, ones that Doppel shared so he listened intently. His head was held low as he traced the rim of his glass with his right index finger. His eyes remained closed as he processed the young lady’s words. The dealer was an anonymous entity. It wasn’t the first time Alicia dealt with anonymous clients. As well, the young lady had already checked off any possibilities that it may be someone with malicious intent. Doppel found no flaws with her reasoning. Her conclusion is that the client is a low-key individual with a fat wallet. How many people fit that bill? Being an information connoisseur, you’d think that Doppel would at least have a few guesses, right? Unfortunately, the information provided by Alicia was minimal. Any person Doppel could think of was little more than a wild guess. It was like shooting darts in the dark.

“Okay, so how did this mystery man contact you? Letter in the mail? Surely, you had your own concerns, so how did you question him? Or was the letter so detailed that there was nothing more you could ask of him?”

If he could squeeze out more information from the reserved girl, perhaps he could go on his own to find out who their client was. Unlike Alicia, Doppel didn’t regularly work for the nameless. It gave him a hideously perturbed feeling. Furthermore, he wasn’t entirely convinced that the girl didn’t know her own clientele. However, it was rather inane for the old man to bark up that tree. If she truly didn’t know, then there was no information to give, and if she did know, she clearly had no intention of passing on such information. She may, however, let slip their method of contact.

The girl then turned to face him. It was time for his questions to be answered. Raising his head, he looked the young woman in the eye as she detailed the Bandolier’s manpower. They were represented by eighteen individuals at most. According to Alicia, they weren’t particularly powerful. She then mentioned that the device they were assigned to retrieve was possibly from the outside world, though the mystery man didn’t feel the need to clarify. This made things interesting. It was quite improbable, but if her notion proved true, then that would make the device in question worth quite a bit of money. Perhaps by finding out what the piece of equipment is Doppel could find out who asked for its retrieval.

----------

Either way, there were a few minor questions left that needed to be clarified. The discussion that proceeded was succinct. They quickly came to a consensus and the group briefly disbanded. Alicia gave everyone the time they needed to get themselves prepared for the game at hand. Really, all that the elder required was his hand gun. So as he left the team he went on his merry way, back to his rented room in the brothel. He changed forms on the way there. Once more he shifted his shape into that of a beefy man as he walked down the street. When he reached the brother, he took to the form of Carmel, the young ethnic beauty of the fat madam’s whorehouse. In fact, as soon as she stepped into the building, the madam called for her.

“Ah, my deary! Are you ready to put in some work? We have some early morning patrons that have requested for you personally.”

“Sorry, I’m in the middle of a job already.”

“… I don’t run a motel. I need you to start working more, or I’ll rent your room out to someone who will.”

“I paid you for the month. If that’s how you feel, bother me next month.”

Doppel wasn’t interested in the madam’s blabberings. He was on the verge of practically a full month’s worth of rations. He was going to be rich! It was a safe bet too; he already had two weeks worth sitting up stairs. ‘Speaking of which, I should probably that somewhere safe.’ Stepping into his room, the old man moved directly to the single closet in the room. Transforming into the muscle man once more, he lifted the closet off the ground and placed it atop the mattress. With the closet removed from its original spot, Doppel lifted up the floorboards. The opaque white lid of a cooler came into full view. Beside the cooler was his nigh ancient gun. Stuffing it into the hem of his jeans, he crammed his rations into the cooler and closed the compartment. He then, very carefully, returned the wooden closet back into place, being sure that even the dust wasn’t out of place. He did not want any scratches against the floor or some inconsistency in the dust to giveaway the position of two weeks worth of rations. He needed a better living arrangement, and fast.

----------

The shape-shifter had finally made it to the motor pool. It had taken him a good twenty minutes or so, despite the fact that he jogged the entire way. Off in the corner, there were some men playing cards and as soon as Doppel approached the parking lot, they leapt at him. No doubt these wolves were the guards of the motor pool. What a pain in the ass.

“Hey, hey, hey. What business do you have here, young lady?”

“I have business with Alicia. She told me to meet her here.”

“Oh yea? For what purpose?”

“We’re going on a date, what does it matter? Where is she anyway? Just call her and tell her I’m here.”

“Do I look like your secretary?”

Doppel shot the man a dirty look. He was beginning to get agitated.

“Fine, whatever. I’ll wait across the street. Tell the girl where I’m at.

“Again, not your secretary.”

Biting down on his lip, Doppel forced himself to remain calm. Picking a fight would solve nothing, and a fight with a wolf was just a hassle. Revolving on his heel, he turned and sauntered off across the street, directly in front of the lot’s entrance. He made sure that he was in a position where he could see everyone that entered and left, as well as be seen by everyone who enters and leaves. Additionally, he was in the same form and clothes that he entered the bar with, just to make things easier.

[Zhiel]

Rufus was listening with interest as Alicia was bombarded with questions, not so much because he was interested in the answers but more the way she would handle the situation, he already knew most of it from listening to the previous conversation over the walkie-talkie. Alicia seemed to have things under control, her responses being both reasonable (though not foolproof) and detailed enough to not warrant much further questioning. He found it interesting she decided to outright lie about the device itself however, saying it "might" be outside tech when she knew it was, likely she expected them to assume her own cut to be far higher than their own if it was confirmed to be outside tech by the client, or something along those lines, and while it was higher Rufus didn't think it was unreasonably so given the circumstances. Her response to his own question hadn't been given much attention it seemed, he'd have expected her to be a bit more positive to having another body in the field, so to speak. Well you didn't get very far in the Pen by just trusting anyone so maybe it wasn't that surprising.

Either way all the problems were soon worked out and people split up to go prepare for the trip, Rufus himself finished up in the bar and then walked back into the kitchen and restroom where he found Emma working on a dish someone had ordered as lunch. "I'll be gone for a while, I'll need Jake to work extra later don't want to leave the place looking vulnerable." He said in the time it took him to walk across the room and into the corridor, a faint "ok" could be heard as he shut the door behind him. This wasn't exactly the first time he'd left the pub entirely to his employees for a while, they knew what to do and how to handle things in the meantime and, at least to Rufus, it went without saying that those who had to work extra to cover it got paid for the overtime. It wasn't that he expected them to leave if he overworked them, but rather that he was a firm believer in that treating others fairly would make them less prone to try and commandeer your establishment while you were gone. Of course he was prepared to deal with such an eventuality if it should arise, which was partially why he always kept the more valuable information to himself and as extra incentive he'd cut a deal with the Wolf Clan long ago that they'd protect his ownership of the building, though that last part wasn't public knowledge.

Walking past the 'informations room' that Alicia had been into earlier Rufus entered the doorway just a few paces after and came into a dimly lit room which had the resemblance to an office with the exception that the desk was made up off a few stacked crates with planks and a rusty metal plate on top, along with a scavenged type-writer, some other random object such as ledgers or stacks of paper, but also resting on the table was a portable walkie-talkie similar to the one Alicia used for her daily activities, and while he didn't need one as badly since most of his work was done from this one building it did pay off to be 'reachable' from just about anywhere inside The Pen and he did go out for extended periods every once in a while. Sitting down on a make-shift chair Rufus picked up the walkie-talkie and switched it on as he began to sift through the many frequencies until he got to the one Randal had told him to use if he needed to contact him, it was one of those that walkie-talkies were ordinarily unable to go into due to restrictions built into the devices, but Alicia had modified it thus allowing it to access military frequencies. Exactly how Randal had aquired a walkie-talkie with this functionality was unknown to him however, but it wasn't a large concern on Rufus part as he theorized the man to be a lot older than he seemed.

"Randal?" He asked, but was only met with silence. Either Randal had stopped using the frequency, never used it in the first place or he was just not available/responding, either could be possible, the man wasn't exactly social. "I'm going to be around your area soon. If you're hearing this then I've got a proposition for you. Meet me out there at your earliest convenience, Rufus out." He then said, if Randal heard it then that would be good, but if not then they'd have to do without him. At least according to Alicia it seemed they were good to go as they were but he'd feel safer with more people to watch his blind spots. Once finished with the message Rufus took the Walkie-talkie and headed down the stairs into his room where he slept, quickly changing from his bartender outfit into one more suited for being outside. He wore a thick pair of dark grey trousers and a shirt of similar make, both being patched up a dozen times and both having leather padding under them to provide a bit of protection. Over this he wore a black trench coat like garment whose colour had faded in several areas giving it a faded grey look, particularly along the bottom rim though other than things like that it was of pretty high quality though it wouldn't be apparent without looking closer, which was what Rufus preferred as he didn't want to draw too much attention when he wasn't out on his regular business. To compliment this attire he had a leather belt in which he had a small pouch sewn on and a make-shift holster on the back of his waist where a small six-shot revolver rested, a small emergency side-arm that he had acquired through a trade with the Wolf Clan. After clipping his walkie-talkie to the left side of his belt he grabbed a metal pipe that was a little over a meter long with one end being cut and sharpened that stood resting against the wall, holding it in his right hand as he began to walk out of the building.

After a while Rufus also came upon the motor pool as it was known, though he himself didn't own a vehicle (he had little reason to) he sometimes hired the services of others, most notably Alicia if he needed to transport something larger or a larger quantity of things though this was a rarity. Partially due to the safety concerns of transporting something too valuable, but also due to the rarity in needing to do as much, which was the primary reason he hadn't bothered with getting a working vehicle in the first place. As he approached the large building he noticed a woman standing opposite the entrance and as he came closer it became evident it was Dopple. As to why he/she was standing where she was Rufus assumed the shapeshifter hadn't been allowed inside, so he walked up to the woman and nodded "Glad to see you made it, let's go join up with Alicia." he said simply before he turned and walked into the entrance to the car pool, the guards looking up as he approached. "Hey Rufus, what brings you here?" the man asked, obviously familiar enough with him to know him by name though given he was the bartender at the most popular (and just about only) actual pub in the wolf clan area maybe that wasn't a big surprise. "This and that, don't mind the brunette she's with me." He said as he walked up to the two and produced a flask of fairly high quality (though low-alcoholic) beverage and handed it to one of them, a simple gift or in some peoples eyes a bribe, but it tended to prevent questions of a sensitive sort. As he walked past them he looked toward where Alicia usually kept her vehicle and saw that Acacia was standing with her, it seemed she had been let it, probably after being told she was ok by Alicia. Why the same hadn't happened for Doppel he had no idea, maybe they just hadn't been in sight at the time, not that it mattered to him.

"Hey ladies, we all ready to head out?" he asked as he approached, leaning against the iron pipe as he came to a stop a short bit in front of them. "I feel like we're missing someone though..."

[GoldenKitten]

Alicia didn’t make a particularly outward gesture of surprise, but she was amused that Acacia managed to arrive first. The girl was well known for taking her time, and surely wasn’t as invested as the others. She watched as the girl dealt with the “guards”; some defense, one scary little girl and they let her right through. But then, Alicia knew if someone REALLY wanted to do something to her vehicle no defense she could buy would suffice. The guardsmen were enough to keep the street rats out who might vandalize the vehicle, that was really all they were good for, but it was enough.

As Acacia approached Alicia shot her an incredulous look, “Sparkles? That’s the best you got? I don’t even sparkle! Shiny maybe, but definitely no sparkles to be had. Best be careful there or I shall deem you Plant-butt for the remainder of your days.”

The comment was made entirely in jest as even with her arms folded Alicia had been sporting a cock-eyed grin the entire time she spoke. Finishing she shook her head and patted her vehicle, “Ever ridden in one? Well, whatever the case you got here first so you get to choose where you get to sit. Might I suggest the seat behind the drivers, it has the best padding, and fewest sharp edges.”

She pointed to the seat in question, and indeed it did look like she was telling the truth as some form of quilted cover had been stitched over the metal seat. At that point though things went silent, neither acquainted well enough with the other to really hold a conversation. She again had nothing against the girl, but though she knew Rufus and so garnered more trust than most might, she was still a largely unknown factor in Alicias life. Certainly she knew what she could do, and had picked up small snippets about her along the way, but nothing that made the more than once-or-twice associate’s.

Thankfully they were spared more than a few moments of awkward silence when they heard Doppel arguing with the Wolf Clan before she saw him. She wasn’t sure why he chose this form so often, she was sure he had his reasons, but if she had the power to be anyone it seemed like it would make far more sense to be someone imposing, not someone who actively garnered attention. Eventually she saw their minor spat ended and she neither heard nor saw Doppel for several seconds. She was about to go see why he hadn’t come in when both he and Rufus made their way into the small area, the Wolf Clan members already divvying up Rufus “tribute” amongst some rusty medical caps they were using as drinking glasses. She could see Doppel was annoyed but had pulled his punches when it came to arguing with the Clan member, something any intelligent person had to learn to do to thrive under one of the main gangs territories.

Seeing Doppel brought up memories of the final question he’d had before they left, and which had been the hardest to play off; “Okay, so how did this mystery man contact you? Letter in the mail? Surely, you had your own concerns, so how did you question him? Or was the letter so detailed that there was nothing more you could ask of him?”

Alicia had, had to think fast and furious when this came up. In hindsight she’d pulled it off flawlessly, but at the time things could really have gone South in a hurry if she’d given to much away, or simply taken too long to give an answer which would have meant she was hiding something. Instead almost without hesitation she had knelt down and found the manila folder that she’d placed under the bar after the earlier discussion. She fished around quickly and had retrieved the contents; the radio frequency cleanly printed and placed it atop the counter between them.

Of course the paper was nice, and the printing wasn’t cheap either; but it was still possible. If she had shown him the radio he’d instantly have asked for more, but given the funds in play here it was reasonable to assume the client could produce this much that she was showing him.

“Showed up earlier in the mail. I’m sure you know since I helped rig your walkie, those are military numbers a normal civilian talkie can’t listen in on. So they’re at that level, but then so are we so that’s not saying much. Anyway I guess they’d done they’re research and knew I could contact them. I did so and then I got the spiel I’ve now given you. Not exactly the most translucent deal I’ve ever run across, but I’ve already highlighted why I don’t think it’s ingenuine.”

It was true. The parts needed to build a walkie-talkie were common enough that most mid-level individuals could afford them, and they were the primary means of communications amongst them. But anyone could listen in on the communications on civilian channel limits, and indeed if you switched over to those numbers you were likely to hear dozens of conversations going on all at once in the downtown area. While likely outdated outside the wall, the old military limitations, keeping a large number of channels for military use only was a fact intelligent members had abused inside the Pen. With proper modification a civilian model could tap these channels; someone could still listen in if they had a similar device and knew the proper channel. But there were hundreds of channels to choose from on the military frequencies, so it was the closest to clandestine long distance communication one could get inside the Pen.

As she finished she’d switched topics to something she hoped would take his concerns somewhere else, “Personally I’m less worried about pissing someone off, as I am about the trade-off. Honestly getting it’s the easy part by comparison to the idea of being double-crossed at the exchange. So what I’m thinking-”

She’d then run off into some possible outcomes and how they should deal with them. Doppel was curious, careful, and distrustful by nature; but she hope she’d played the convincing part, looking back she thought she had. Their concerns were legitimate ones, and some she didn’t have answers to. But at the end of the day when you were putting a deal together lies had to be told if you wanted to make a profit. Certainly there was the concern they could take ill to being strung along later on when the truth inevitably came out, but Alicia was betting big. That was the strategy, bet big or go home, if they got their payday then there would be little for them to hold against her in the end. There were loose ends and untold sides to every deal pulled in The Den, it was the inevitable end result that determined future relations.

With the four of them now dumbly standing around the scrap heap that was her vehicle Rufus voiced the very question Alicia had been about to bring up. Almost as if on cue there was a solid thud on a nearby wall and they looked up to see that Gen had landed there, likely having fallen from above. Despite the noise he made the guards were already so enamored with their brief respite of duty that they hadn’t even noticed when he hopped down into the motor pool next to the group.

Alicia shook her head and threw her hands up as if giving up, “How you manage to be the last one at every gathering ever despite being able to fly is a mystery I will never solve.”

To this the boy shrugged and offered no answer as to what had taken him so long. With nothing further to say Alicia took the reigns, “Alright then let’s go. Choose your seat…oh, but the late one gets to ride in the back.” Gen looked ready to argue but Alicia shot him a look that said “shut-up”, if he wanted a say in things then he should have taken it more seriously.

While the seats weren’t in the “normal” symmetrical position the four central seats were at least inside the roll-cage and offered some protection. The seats Alicia had shunned Gen to were two square metal plates strapped to the back of the vehicle which was a less than fun place to be, even if they weren’t getting shot at or ended up in a wreck. Additionally there was seating atop the vehicle and if need, a foot-stand around its body meant it could transport a fair number of people, though this was a rare occurrence even for Alicia. It wasn’t often you got, or indeed needed more than three or four personnel on a single mission.

As they got seated Alicia took the helm at the driver’s seat; while from the outside it only barely resembled a car its inner-workings were for all intents-and-purposes identical. She had to crank the ignition a number of times though that wasn’t rare; getting the parts to keep the engine running wasn’t too difficult. But creating the parts needed to get it going in the first place was, she’d likely be handing a fat paycheck to Gens father in the next year when it finally decided to stop all-together. But that was the way things worked in the Pen, you used something till it refused to go any longer, they didn’t have the extra materials to spare on ANYTHING…at least, not anyone who wasn’t a gang bigshot.

She began throwing the stick shift around as she whipped them around, to face the exit to the motor pool. One of the Wolf Clan laughingly rushed over to the gate that barred entry from the street-front and opened it, shot glass still in hand as the gang members jovially wished them well. Though some people could afford regular trips to the pub, many of these lower level Clan members barely made enough to live off of. It was no surprise Rufus treat, no matter how weak had turned the teetotalers into a group of schoolgirls in no less than four minutes.

Before she stepped on the pedal she adjusted the make-shift pieces of old mirror she’d found in a bathroom once so she could see behind her and then they were off. For Alicia who made use of the vehicle several times a month she thought nothing of it, but if any of the others had never been in a car of any sort the sudden burst of speed, and wind was likely startling.

The car pool had been on the edge of the living area of Little Town, still within Clan Territory of course but not close to the flood of people downtown. This meant they could avoid any congestion and head straight for the still (usually) operable highways. This was beneficial for a number of reasons, not the least of which was that moving a vehicle through a crowd of people was dangerous both from accidentally injuring someone, and simply being raided by desperate locals trying to use their numbers to succeed (Alicia was thinking from experience here).

Instead they were able to fly down several relatively empty streets, Alicia always having fun going as fast as possible. The highway marked the border between Bangerz and Clan territory, so the closer they got the few people they saw, though many of the poorest individuals of Little Town called the ruins that were now surrounding them home. What one could see was the occasional flicker of movement on a rooftop, though by the time you checked it was gone. The main gangs claimed to be at a rough peace with one another, but one would be a fool to think they weren’t thinking of ways to move in on each other. These flickers of movement were the no doubt hundreds of Wolf Clan stationed as sentries along their boarders, ready to report and repel any Bangers movement at a moment’s notice.

Almost as if reading her mind a group of men were making their way out across the next intersection a block ahead and then stood in such a way they clearly intended to stop Alicias vehicle. Her first inclination was to turn immediately and find another way around, but closer inspection showed these were Wolf Clan, and she couldn’t afford to do something that might anger them.

As she shifted the vehicle down a gear and slowed to a park she turned to her passengers, “Don’t say a damn thing unless they direct it at you, and think smart if they do.”

Stopping before the men it was clear these Wolf Clan were the real deal, not those children you saw running around in Little Town in Wolf Clan colors trying to be hardasses. These men wore full body armor, with long flowing fur (nobody was entirely certain where the Clan got their fur, but most higher level members had a coat) coats slung over their tactical gear. Pistols, knives, and grenades could be strung along their beltlines, and all of them were carrying relatively high-quality (for The Pen) rifles.

All of their faces were visible though some wore helmets covering their upper part, it was clear they were all over thirty though. This combined with their long braided hair (a pride thing amongst both female and male in the clan, there was a complex hierarchy to the braiding) and three striped tattoos each had on their cheeks marked them as seniors in the Clan. These were men who had killed dozens if not hundreds of people in the name of the Clan, and when they weren’t out here on missions were well treated by any establishment they were to visit in Little Town.

Being familiar with the Clan itself Alicia recognized most of them, particularly their leader who was approaching their car. Rashar, or that was his Clan name at least, was a frequent visitor to Rufus bar and given his position was often the peruser of his more high quality liquors. Unlike some the man could hold his own, and could still be standing after a couple dozen drinks, meaning he’d often stayed late into the night and spoken to Alicia who was also usually there looking for work on a relatively frequent basis. She knew his motivations weren’t entirely pure; he wanted her, something you could see in his eyes when he did actually get close to drunk. In all honesty this didn’t make Alicia dislike him; she could think of far worse fates than joining the Clan under one of its most prolific commanders…but Alicia was independent, and she could definitely also think of a hundred better fates than that as well.

Rashar approached the vehicle and leaned down over Alicia with one hand on the buggys roll-bar, from here you could see his heavily tanned skin, deep hazel eyes, clean-shaven face, and the many intricate braids in his hair strung with hundreds of beads further stating his position, “What brings you and such a large crowd out here today Alicia? We had an incident with the Bangerz earlier; we’re not letting anyone through until things are cleared up.”

Obviously Alicia couldn’t tell him everything, but this wasn’t a case where she could lie either; “The outer wastes, a retrieval mission, something from one of the smaller Outer Gangs. I just need to get on the highway Rashar-khan, I’ve no intention of going into Bangerz territory.”

The man brought his free hand up to his mouth, in thought. Clearly showing proper respect and tagging on that “khan” hadn’t been a bad bit of manipulation, just calling him Rashar outside the bar could have implied she thought they were on even standing (which whether they were, or were not, no Wolf Clan would appreciate). Having thought it through Rashar looked back over the occupants of the vehicle before turning his eyes once more to Alicia, “Why do you do this Alicia? This dangerous life isn’t something you have to do to yourself. If you just join the Clan officially you wouldn’t have to do all of this.”

Nobody could have mistaken the intent there, he hadn’t outright propositioned her of course, but if he was talking about joining the Clan and “staying out of danger” it didn’t take a genius to figure out what position he did mean. Alicia just stared at him for a moment; for once the girl was utterly at a loss for words. It wasn’t that the idea appealed to her it was that she literally didn’t know what you were supposed to say to something like that and get out unscathed some way.

She was lucky one of the other Wolf Clan was a fool; she recognized him but didn’t know his name as he yelled out from the line formed in front of the car, “Yeah Alicia. Make better and safer money, hell I’d come to visit you!”

Alicia instantly turned from Rashar and shot the other man the dirtiest look he’d probably ever received. In addition she raised her right hand and gave him the middle finger, only when she did so a foot-long crystal dagger like structure formed around the digit. It was a mild threat, but also a reminder that Alicia was not a gentle little snow-flake. Given her appearance it was sometimes forgotten that she’d held her own against an entire Wolf Pack back when their alliances weren’t so tight.

The man’s insertion into the topic had obviously ruined it in Rashars mind though as he sighed and tapped Alicia on the shoulder. The girl whipped about and was ready to take someone’s arm off though she stopped herself in time as she just stared and listened, “You promise you’re just going for the highway? If you do something that kickstarts a-”

Alicia had, had enough and she wanted to make it clear she was not amused by the situation and so interrupted, “Yes Rashar”, she made sure to leave the honorific off this time, “I’m not crazy enough to do business in the Bangerz territory without good reason anyway. I just need to get to the highway to take me to Old Town.”

They shared a long staring contest, each for their own reasons. Rashar because this clearly hadn’t gone how he intended it too, Alicia because she knew if she let up now she risked being turned around. She could of course find a way out of Little Town even if the Clan was keeping it locked-down, but that could hurt her reputation with them later if they found out. She had to make a stand here and be let through of their own volition, and after twenty or so seconds it worked as Rashar backed off and waved his hands at the rest of the Pack, “Alright, let them through.”

Alicia wasted no time putting the car back into drive and was about to take off, but she thought it best she not leave things to tense between them so she turned to Rashar before pushing the pedal, “Thank you.”

Rashar just waved it off and then pointed at her like a stern parent, “Just don’t make me regret it Alicia.”

“I know,” was all she said before she pushed the pedal and they raced off again after the Pack had cleared the road. As they got far enough away Alicia held a hand up to her chest and let out a long exhalation of pent up stress she’d been stowing inside the entire exchange, and then without a word she went back to driving just as she had before.

It only took them a minute from that meeting to reach the large highway that ran above and acted as a channel to every major area in the Pen. As she pulled on to the on-ramp and headed off into the direction of Old Town she was unimpeded save for the occasional pothole in the unmanaged road. Contrary to what one might think there were few obstacles on the highway. Certainly when the Pen had first been erected and panic was high these streets were an impassable wall of abandoned cars, but in the hundred years since almost every inch of the highway had been scavenged for parts so that it was now an eerily empty and quiet place.

For some time they passed without anything of note happening as the highway was raised above the buildings below, but that didn’t last long. Soon larger buildings arose on either side of them, some much higher, where others were roughly at the roof-line and Alicia spoke aloud so everyone could hear over the sound of the engine and rushing air, “Alright time to get your looking glasses on. Keep your eyes on the rooftops that are somewhat in line with the road, we’re still along Bangerz territory. Wouldn’t be the first time someone’s taken a shot at me from one.”

Fortunately her concerns seemed to be for naught as nothing happened. At one point a group of children had spotted them from a nearby rooftop and waved and shouted at them. Alicia had not waved back, several years back she’d learned the Bangerz weren’t above using children as scouts. Fortunately after several tense minutes it seemed this wasn’t the case as she found no further movement, and before long they were out of “Downtown” altogether, or what the major gangs called Downtown. In truth Old Town still had its share of skyscrapers and multi-story buildings; it just wasn’t under anyone’s control.

She spotted a poll that had once held a sign that told them what the next exit was, though the sign had long since rotted off or been stripped for parts. As such Alicia slowed down and popped a small container that sat between the two front seats open and retrieved a map from it, the map had been placed between two plastic sheets she’d found so it didn’t flop about in the wind. Quickly tracing her finger along the roadways she ascertained this was indeed the correct place and as they approached the exit she began throwing a series of switches on her dashboard that a normal car didn’t have. As she did so and then spun the ignition again the vehicle suddenly slowed down a great deal, but at the same time the engine quieted to a near imperceptible rumble as she allowed gravity to roll the vehicle down the exit ramp.

She braked there and then spoke without turning around, “This is the point of no return. Get off now or get ready to stay quiet, and remain vigilant.”

With that out of the way the vehicle began its movement forward again, though this time it was only at about twice the speed a human could move, though at least they wouldn’t have to walk it. This was the land they called the wastes, and the reason was obvious. While many of the buildings were still standing tall they were in obvious disrepair, many showed signs of having been looted long ago, and there were no obvious signs of life. Occasionally one caught sight of a building that had collapsed all-together when shoddy craftsmanship and a hundred years of no repair came together.

For the next half-hour the group anxiously made its way from street-to-street, Alicia occasionally taking a narrow side-street if she determined a particular road was too open to take a chance moving through. By-and-large Old Town was indeed abandoned and they were safe to move through it, but you never knew when a group like the Bandoliers might have used any of these old buildings as a base. Then you’d have a dozen angry raiders trying to strip you and your vehicle for all their worth in the blink of an eye, so intense vigilance was necessary.

As Alicia recognized they were approaching their destination she turned off the main road into a tight alleyway that was barely large enough for the vehicle, and as they reached the end she began to look at the narrow-band of skyline the alley afforded them. Across the street and what took up about three-square blocks in front of them was what had once been a park, now it was a mess of overgrown weeds, trees and little else. A series of double and triple-story buildings sat across the way and in-between looking at her map, the skyline, and thinking Alicia finally pointed at one of the buildings off to the side, a non-descript gray-slate office building.

They’d been parked so long the others had gone to doing their own thing as Alicia had been studying the skyline, and she almost missed it as Doppel quietly told a dirty joke to anyone who would listen in the back. A whistling sound in the distance…a sound she knew but it was so far off, and Doppels talking had muddled it that it took her a moment to place the source. Then in a sudden burst of energy her eyes went wide and she turned the car off and jumped out, tearing a cloth cover from a container attached to the vehicles side and looked at the occupants who were now staring.

In the most urgent yet silent voice she could manage she “yelled”, “Get out and hide, NOW!”

As they did so she tossed the tarp over the vehicle hastily so that if anyone looked, at a glance it would appear to be a trash heap. She heard the whistling again and she was sure the others did to though she wasn’t sure if they knew what it meant. In the last few seconds she had she pulled the red cap off her head and tossed it underneath the vehicle before her crystalline structure seeped out and covered her entire body and she pressed against the nearest wall, camouflaging as best she could.

A series of black flashes shot through the air above the park in the next few moments, several went way past so they couldn’t be seen. But one landed in the branches of one of the still living trees. It was a man, or at least one assumed it was as it was in the shape of one, heavily armored with a gas mask that extended out like a beak, with optical equipment over its eyes as it surveyed the clearing, a large and very high quality rifle in-hand with a laser scope one could track with their eyes.

Reavers.

It was unfair to say the Inner and Outer Gangs were the only major players in the Pen, for there were also the Reavers. Nobody knew who they were, or what they wanted as one had never been captured alive; naturally the rumors were abounding when it concerned them. Many believed they were one large family, inbreeders, this seemed to contain a hint of truth as all of them could fly. And while Mutant powers varied wildly between bloodlines, the actual powers themselves tended to be the same for parent and child. So that all of them could fly seemed to suggest a very close genetic society if nothing else….or the flying ones were the only ones that ever left the “compound”, who knew?

Whatever the case when the Pen had been constructed whoever, or whatever the Reavers were had moved in and immediately claimed the local National Guard Armory while everybody else was still in a panic. By the time a semblance of order had come about they’d turned the Armory into an impenetrable fortress, which it remained to this day, even the main gangs not daring an assault. As such nobody had ever gone inside, and nobody had ever left, so what the actual Reaver society was, was unknown.

What was known was that they were master weaponsmiths. They had already had access to weaponry, armor, and other equipment the rest of the Pen wouldn’t develop for another twenty years when they claimed the armory. And in the time since they’d clearly learned how to continue improving their designs. They were vultures, swooping down and eliminating whole communities in the Outer Wastes, stripping everything they needed and then leaving as quickly as they had come. At the same time the Reavers seemed to have had no interest in expanding beyond their compound and as such the main gangs left them be.

But that did lead to the occasional situation such as this, Alicia had run into the Reavers before but she’d been in a heavily armored vehicle alongside several Wolf Packs. Right now they were naked; if there were more than two of them the group stood no chance against a group of Reavers. And yet, as quickly as this came to mind it was gone, the Reaver in the tree apparently didn’t see them and in a blur disappeared from view. The whistling they used to communicate their location continued for several minutes, pulling further and further away until it could barely be heard, and Alicia chanced looking around the corner to ensure they were in the clear.

After several moments of stillness she turned around, the crystal pulling away from her skin and she kicked the front of her car angrily, she always hated feeling powerless; “Dammit! Yeah, pick this one day to operate in this area you assholes!” she said to nobody in particular, obviously aiming it at the non-present Reavers.

Regathering her thoughts as she retrieved her cap she tried to continue where she left off, “Ok, guess we’re walking the rest of the way, I can see the building the Bandoliers are in from here. We’ll set up in the building adjacent and formulate how to move from the-“

As she was speaking and getting the supplies together she happened to be leaned over the car, grabbing a bag from inside when she happened to look back at the group behind her. She almost jumped out of her skin when she saw an additional individual standing behind Gen in the back, her rifle was off and aimed at the figure in an instant as she spoke firmly, “Friend or foe? Three seconds!”

[Darkoda]

Acacia inwardly sighed at how little effort it took to scare the guard into backing away. She wasn’t even trying – quite literally she was simply a bit annoyed with Alicia but beyond that quite indifferent to the whole situation. It really showed when dealing with the bottom of the rung as far as Wolf Clan members went. Maybe there would be some profit in offering some of her own methods of protection for the place – no, too much work for likely not much profit. That and she didn’t need to be doing anything to encourage them to try to recruit her fully yet again; she valued her freedom to do as she wished too much to be tied down in hierarchies.

Back to Alicia though. Undaunted by her teasing, she continued in her usual deadpan manner. “Hmm, true, you don’t actually sparkle. I need a better term for you then, or I can just cover you in glittering pollen and make the original work. It would take less effort too.” Given Acacia’s usual demeanour, most people who barely knew her would take that comment very much seriously. Given that she ran into Alicia enough to move past the near total strangers phase and the fact that their conversations typically involved some degree of snark, odds were good that she could tell when Acacia wasn’t being fully serious by now. Or not, that worked for her as well.

In the meantime she was in a position to take advantage of her companions’ delinquency in actually getting here in a reasonable time-frame – which said something coming from her who put no actual effort into getting here quickly or even moderately. She’d never actually been in a vehicle before; again, she had no real need for them and typically didn’t go anywhere that actively needed transport. It really did look like riding in the vehicle required one to have some thick skin to avoid getting their rear shredded by the random pointy bits of metal. Given Alicia’s ability, she could see why she might not have felt much urge to deal with things like comfort.

The padded seat it was then, which left them with nothing else to do but wait for the others and given that their relationship was effectively the equivalent of two people who might exchange a couple of words in passing, that left a silent wait ahead. A more normal person might attempt some degree of conversation, but Acacia wasn’t the most vocal at the best of times and the current situation looming overhead didn’t encourage her. Under any event Doppel’s arrival and the following antics worked well enough to give them something to watch until Rufus got rid of the guards in the tried and true method of bribery.

Though seeing a bunch of guards get drunk off of a bottle of likely cheap alcohol might have been depressing if they guarded anything of hers.

Driving was a new experience. Acacia instinctively gripped onto the seat when the car shot off and all of a sudden they were moving under the power of something else. It took quite a few streets until she stopped worrying about getting blown off the not particularly safe vehicle but she eventually did manage to relax enough on that front to keep an eye out on the scenery. She’d never been on the highways proper before and this was all new scenery to her. Not very interesting scenery, but new nonetheless. Running into some of the Wolf Clan guard – the real ones – was quite interesting though. She didn’t need to be told to stay out of the impending discussion, she had no intention of drawing attention to herself.

And what an interesting one it was; Alicia had gotten herself an admirer in the upper ranks, something to file away for her own amusement later on assuming that they all survived today. For now though, she’d be content watching the rooftops and ensuring that they wouldn’t get shot. The buildings gradually became more worn down from the lack of repairs and inhabitation, as the vehicle slowed down and they traversed the streets, until they finally came to a stop in an alleyway; apparently they were close now. Conveniently enough there was a park nearby to work with and if fact she was busying herself by tapping into the plantlife abundant in the area – they weren’t crafted by her so information would be hard to get but all plants had some degree of senses that her powers could pull to the forefront. She just needed time.

That time was wasn’t going to get as Alicia suddenly burst into motion, experience and survival instinct snapping her to the situation at hand as she stared at her for information. Given the urgency, Acacia didn’t question her; she just leaned against a wall in the alley, exerting her influence on the ivy covering it that subtly and quickly grew out, obscuring anyone leaning close by to appear as a patch of overgrown plants as long as they kept still. She had to do some quick leaf colour adjustments so that no one would stick out but for a rush job she found it quite exceptional given the circumstances.

How good a camouflage was put to the test moments later when a heavily armoured being landed in a tree, with more technology on him than she’d ever seen. She had never met one of them, but rumours spread easily and one couldn’t go on for long without hearing about the Reavers. The most she knew was that they control the National guard and were all incredibly dangerous. Looking at one of them now, she fully believed the latter part.

Fortunately, it noticed nothing wrong and soon after left again, filling the air with an odd whistling that would likely be burned into her memory after this incident. She still wasn’t exactly about to calm down though; nearly being snuck upon like that had years of well warranted paranoia going and even with Alicia moving on with their original goal, something kept bothering her, both her own senses and a growing whisper from the plants that just got a direct shot of her influence –

She didn’t know whether Alicia moved first or not but Acacia didn’t hesitate. The thin ivy suddenly surged behind her as she spun around, thickening vines racing for that unnatural presence everything was now practically screaming at her about. She didn’t live this long in her garden by being easy to backstab and she wasn’t about to start now, though she did at least only move to restrain instead of outright kill. Granted, restrain would very quickly shift to kill given the slightest reason. It seemed that not aiming to kill from the beginning crossed Alicia’s mind as well from her comment or perhaps she just didn’t want to shoot a loud gun here.

“Loud noises make you an automatic foe.” The throat would be the place to snap to quiet someone before they got too loud.

[Tagz]

Doppel sat on the curb hunched over, fuming. He twiddled his long slender thumbs as he tried to dispel his irritation. He was rather unsuccessful, evident by his grinding teeth and flaring nostrils. Soon enough, however, a familiar figure appeared before him, beckoning him towards the motor pool. With a heavy sigh, the elderly man rose up and followed behind Rufus. He dug his hands deep into his pockets and walked with a nasty slouch. He was in a foul mood and not interested in speaking the same ne’er-do-wells that rejected him moments prior. Yet, in but a few short moments, he would himself facing those very same guards once more. There was a spiteful gleam in his eye as he stared down the dogs (not wolves, just dogs).

The dogs didn’t even bother acknowledging his presence at all. They instantly started chatting with Rufus. No doubt they frequented his bar, and thus were well acquainted with the bartender. They even knew him by name. Rufus responded to their question quite vaguely before mentioning Doppel’s existence. They still didn’t acknowledge the shape-shifter’s presence as they were far too busy focusing on their new present. The vexed old man scoffed at the guards, before eliminating their existence from his memory, stomping off irately.

Doppel had little idea where Alicia usually kept her car, but it was a relatively empty lot. It didn’t take much effort for the man to spot the diamond girl and her… car? ‘That’s a car?! Shit looks more like a dune buggy than anything else.’ A small, disappointed sigh slipped out from between the man’s lips. ‘Well, as long as it’s got four wheels and five seats, I guess it doesn’t matter.’ In truth, the very fact that Alicia had a “car” meant she was quite well off. Even Doppel didn’t have one. Then again, the old mutant didn’t have a need for one either. It would be a poor investment.

Skulking while sulking, the shape-shifter eventually found him self amidst the group of young women. Not long after, Rufus joined them as well. Greeting today’s companions, he made note of the fact that one of them was missing. Then, Doppel’s day brightened up. Just as Rufus brought up Gen’s absence, the kid literally fell from the sky. It was as if God himself plucked the tardy boy from the random back alley where he was drilling some prostitute, scolded him for his irresponsibility, and dropped him right where he needed to be, the motor pool. It was hilarious! Doppel’s frustration frittered away immediately as he burst out in a hearty laugh.

“Damn, Gen. Nice timing.”

The old man walked over to the youngster and threw his arm around the tot’s shoulders.

“But you’re still late to the party. I hope you curb that habit of yours, cuz if ya pull that shit while we’re out doin’ our business, we might just have to leave you on our way back. I’m sure the Bandies would love a new trick. You could be their consolation prize!”

Hopefully, no one within earshot would know what the name “Bandies” referred to, aside from the people getting into the car. Alicia was already rearing to go and called for everyone to pick a seat, though demanded the toddler ride in the back. Without hesitation, Doppel jumped up and declared,

“Shotgun!”

Placing his hand on the top of the car’s door, the shape-shifter catapulted his body through the frame where a window should have been. An easy feat when one sports a slim body. Adjusting his self until he was comfortable, he jerked his head in Rufus’ direction and stuck out his tongue. A contented smile was plastered all over his face. He was positive that the seat he’d just stolen had the bartender’s nametag clipped onto it somewhere. That didn’t matter today. Doppel was riding shotgun.

“WHOAAA~!!!”

He cried out in dumbfounded shock as the young woman suddenly and violently stomped her foot on the pedal. Was she insane? How fast was she going? Was she trying to kill the group before they even got to Old Town? It really was a trap! That wench! Who knew the petite blonde was such a speed demon? Doppel scanned over her face as she blasted down the streets of Detroit. This girl was enjoying it. What was a tuckered out old geezer to do in such a situation? Alicia seemed determined to give the man a heart attack. Still, she was probably used to handling the wheel and hopefully wouldn’t crash. That being said, there weren’t really any other cars for her to crash into and she’d have to be a real dunce to collide with an unmoving object. Exhaling his anxiety, the man turned his head back towards the Acacia.

“So, about those buns…”

The old man was intent on finding out whether or not the plant girl was going to make them or not. He had been craving them for decades, but of course, he never got his hands on one. This girl just might be his ticket. The prison he’d found himself locked into was really a dreary place. He found great joy in good food, good liquor, and good sex (regardless of gender, good sex was good sex). He was a man of vices. If the woman was able to satisfy one of his three great pleasures she would be worth keeping tabs on. Before, he’d come by her once in a while for groceries, but that was rare. He usually exchanged his services for goods, and Acacia almost never had a need for any of his services. However, she was going to start selling cinnamon buns, he’d definitely become a steady customer.

Before long, the group was speeding down the highway. The various flickering forms that danced on the rooftop were painfully evident. Soon enough, a few of the dancing wolves strolled across the highway, intent on stopping their merry band of men. The group’s employer demanded that all others kindly shut up and leave her to do the talking. Doppel simply shrugged. It was a fair request. He’d already proven himself incompetent at convincing dogs to let him through the motor pool’s entrance. Now that the group faced real wolves, it was doubtful that the shape-shifter could convince them to step aside. Jobs like these required Alicia’s silver tongue.

Doppel sunk low in his seat out of boredom. He casually glanced around, studying the scenery. What more was he to do while some dog sniffed Alicia’s ass. The banter between the two wasn’t even entertaining. The least the two could have done was to put on a show. Innuendos and sly remarks should have been thrown left and right, but no, this rated G conversation was quite boring. You’d think a wolf would be a bit more brazen when picking up a chick.

No matter, Alicia soon proved why she was doing the talking, rather than the man in the passenger seat. Though there was some friction, she’d managed to convince the pack of wolves to let the group pass. Slamming her small foot on the pedals once more, she sped down the highway with great fervour. Yet, despite the speed at which the blonde drove, it was a rather long trip to Old Town. Doppel immersed himself in a conversation with anyone willing to listen, and if there was no one, the group would be forced to hear him drone on by himself.

Eventually they reached the exit ramp. The young woman flipped random switches on the dashboard and the car did as commanded. The prideful roar of the engine suddenly turned into a faint whimper. Catching the hint, Doppel’s voice lowered as well. Clearly, they’d reached the danger zone. Clearly, they’d reached the Wastes.

Though he was still chatting gaily, the old man’s head refused to turn to the back where the people he was talking to sat. His eyes were fixated on his surroundings, scanning them over repeatedly. This place had been one of his many concerns and he’d be damned if he let some riffraff get the drop on him. What had felt like thirty minutes slowly trickled by before they reached their destination. The driver wisely pulled off the main road and into a narrow alley. Paying attention to her as she surveyed the area, the old man gazed at the random office building she’d pointed to, announcing it as their destination.

Well, that was good. There was an ancient park nearby, covered in all kinds of greenery, Acacia’s possible playpen. He was still deep in conversation though, as he glanced around the area. That is, however, until an alarmed Alicia called for everyone to “disappear”. Perking up his ears, he quickly understood the situation. If only he could shift his shape into that of a plain old rock. That would have made his life a lot less demanding. He played with the thought of staying in the car, and having Alicia’s tarp cover him, however, should the group be spotted and attacked, he’d be in a piss poor position to respond. Thankfully, the walking flower garden began increasing the volume of the vines that dangled off the side of the building. The old man swiftly slipped behind them and waited patiently for the Reaver to pass them.

Reavers were a phenomenon he knew very little about. He had the same basic information most well connected individuals had, but nothing more. A few high class clients had requested he utilize his mutant powers to waltz right into the compound and retrieve Intel that no one else could attain. Though they tried to entice him with a relatively high pay, the risk was far too great. Well, you couldn’t really call it a risk. The outcome of such an attempt was pretty clear. The rumour was that they were a bunch of inbred hillbillies, and given that so many of them can fly, the rumour had some merit. If that was the case, they’d know each other extremely well and would probably pick up on the slightest change in one’s mannerisms. No, Doppel would be found out and executed before he even made it to the front door. Such an idiotic mission was completely suicidal. Yet, in all honesty, the shape-shifter was very curious as to what was inside the Reaver compound, and if he should ever manage to retrieve such information, he’d live in the lap of luxury for the remainder of his days.

That would never happen.

“Dammit! Yeah, pick this one day to operate in this area you assholes!”

Doppel let out a light hearted chuckle, amused by Alicia’s actions. The sounds of whistling grew faint as the Reavers continued down their path to who-knows-where. Gripping the vines that concealed him, the old man parted them and stepped back into the sun. As he did so, both Alicia and Acacia snapped to the attention of some lone newcomer. Well, at least he appeared alone. The geezer lazily glanced over at the new arrival’s direction. There was no need to be rush, the situation was in good hands. The two femme fatales were more than enough to handle the unknown element, especially since the unknown had yet to take any hostile actions. As well, the fact that Rufus’ friend was still on the party list was to be taken into consideration. Nevertheless, Doppel’s rule was to hope for the best and plan for the worst. It was for this reason that, despite his blasé demeanour, he could still be seen caressing the handle of his gun.

“Wanna give a name, stranger?”

He asked curiously.

[Zhiel]

OOC: Once again, sorry for the delay. Hopefully the post is coherent enough.


Once Rufus and Dopple had arrived it didn't take long for Gen to finally join the group as well, arriving by seemingly literally falling from the sky onto the wall surrounding the compound. Of course being the informations dealer he was Rufus had a fair idea of the powers of most 'mid-to-well-known' individuals within Wolf Clan Territory who made a living using their powers, so he wasn't that surprised by the way of his appearance though apparently Dopple found his timing amusing, and in a sense he couldn't really disagree on that. Not much was said after that, other than Gen being relegated to the seat at the back by Alicia and Dopple sweeping in to take the seat next to the drivers, sticking out his/her tongue at Rufus as he walked up to the vehicle himself. He'd actually preferred the seat that Acacia was having, what with the padding and all, but at the same time the seat behind Dopple wasn't bad either, it would mean he'd have another (petite) shield before himself and any projectiles coming from straight ahead, so he just shrugged before he climbed in.

From there it didn't take long before they were off, at which point he could see the guards were already intoxicated... He had picked that particular 'brand' BECAUSE it shouldn't cause them to get drunk on the job... Apparently he overestimated the lower ranking Wolf Clan members. Rufus could do little more than sigh, before he turned his attention back to the road ahead when Alicia hit the pedal to the metal and being in the back seat made it possible for Rufus to see the reactions of the other 'girls' as Alicia's speed demon streak took over and they blasted off in uncomfortable speeds even for Rufus though he was used to it when not under pressure (like when being shot at), so other than holding onto a part of the vehicle with his right arm he was sitting rather casually whilst finding the others reactions amusing, though admittedly not that different from his own when he had first ridden in a so called car during a job he'd done for the Wolf Clan in his early years. As they sped down the streets they soon wound up near the Bangerz border, at which point Rufus switched his attention to the Bangerz side, as they were the more likely to attack them whilst on the road.

After a while further a group gathered on the intersection ahead of them, and upon further inspection they turned out to be Wolf Clan, some big shots even from the look of the fur they wore. He had always wondered how they got their hands on those, but no amount of discreet digging had provided him with anything but hearsay and absurd rumors, and he wasn't about to risk his relationship with them by doing more direct informations gathering on such a trivial (to him) matter. Obviously having seen they were Wolf Clan as well Alicia chose the wiser option of confronting them rather than avoiding them, the later action could cause some friction for all of them later down the line after all, and so she shifted the gears down as they got closer and eventually came to a full stop. Looking closer at the Wolf Clan members he too recognized Rashar and most of the others though he didn't know most by name, and the only reason he knew of Rashar's was because he'd heard conversations he'd held at the bar while Rufus was serving him and some clan friends of his. Being told to keep quiet and let Alicia handle the situation he was more than happy to oblige, she had a better way with words than he and whilst Rufus had a reputation of being fair and trustworthy in his dealings (something which made some people think he was easy to dupe, then they often found out the hard way that he really wasn't.) however Alicia knew the guy personally and had more than her fair share of conversation with him so if anyone could get them past this roadblock it'd be her. Plus he was curious to see just how she'd handle the situation.

The conversation started as you might expect, Rashar asking why they were there, though the apparent conflict with the Bangerz was troublesome news as such a thing could escalate quickly and without warning, though as they weren't headed in that direction, which Alicia said, it shouldn't be an issue, plus she worked his ego by adding the honorific when addressing him, which was always a good way to leave a positive impression. Rashar then looked at the other people in the car, and as his eyes passed over him Rufus made a respectful nod, hopefully showing he understood the difference in their social standing, before Rashar continued and essentially asked Alicia to become a Clan whore, but in a sort-of subtle way that meant refuting it would require carefully selected words, which Alicia seemed hard pressed to come up with. Luckily one of the clan members in the background was an idiot and gave her the opening she needed to move the conversation along, and after affirming she wasn't about to be pushed around they were eventually let through, with Alicia tying up the situation with a thank you to Rashar. Probably a wise move on her part. And with that out of the way the group once again began racing down the streets and soon came to the highway, at which point Rufus returned his attention to the Bangerz side of the road and watching for signs of attack but other than a group of children waving and shouting at them from a building he saw nothing.

After a while they closed in on the wastes, at which point Alicia shifted her car into the more silent mode she had talked about earlier. Exactly how it worked was beyond him, but he was glad they had stuff like that since they'd otherwise have had to leave the car near the highway and walked the entire way, which would not have been great if they had to escape quickly. Rufus was ready to leap out on the outside of the vehicle at a moments notice in case they were attacked, something which depending on direction would provide him with a better position for retaliation with his six-shooter, but as they passed street after street nothing sprung out at them and they soon found themselves in a small alley where they stopped as Alicia started looking at a map, a while after which she pointed at one of the buildings in the distance. 'So that's where the Bandoliers hang out huh...? Pretty unremarkable, but they are just a small gang after all.' Rufus thought as he studied the map and the skyline from the back seat, having mostly tuned Dopple out by this point though he too was oblivious to the sound in the distance which soon made Alicia fly out of her seat and pulling the camo-tarp for the car and whisper-yelling at them to hide, at which point Rufus also heard the sound in the distance and he also flew out of the car like a cat out of the tub before he grabbed part of the 'roll-cage' and slided under the car though the narrow alley made him hit his head on the way down, making him groan as he laid under it holding his forehead. 'Bad idea... Ow...' At least he was well hidden and in a decent position should they be discovered, though he couldn't see much himself.

Despite not having seen it Rufus knew what the threat looming over them were just too well... Reavers, a mysterious group of supposed inbreds that had access to the best technology in The Pen and to boot they had a really troublesome mutant power. Like with the Sire Rufus had tried to gather information on them as well but that had met with equally little results as no one had made it inside their compound, or if they had they never made it back out, in the end he knew little more than anyone else though he wasn't one to believe in everything he heard he too was afraid of them, and for good reason as he'd just barely survived a previous encounter with them many years back, simply from being out of sight at the time they attacked the rest of his group. After a while the sound of the Reavers began to grow distant and while still feeling a little nauseous from hitting his head so suddenly he was shook into moving when Alicia cursed as she kicked the car, at which point he started crawling out from under it, just as Alicia and the rest of the group noticed another presence standing behind Gen and all reacted in their own way. Being at a low vantage point Rufus just couldn't tell who it was from where he was but he had a clue.


Randal as he called himself at present was a moderately tall man, a bit over 6 feet tall, with a muscular though not bulky build. His clothes were a patchwork of greys and browns with what resembled a badly torn bomber jacket worn over the patchwork shirt underneath, it's zipper long since gone. Black spots around ripped areas of the shirt and trousers seemingly suggesting blood staining it, but there were no indication of wounds on the tanned skin underneath except for some odd black spots on his skin that seemed like if someone had sewn some mix of leather and kevlar over them. He didn't wear any boots but instead had what looked like random cloth around his feet like some kind of make-shift wrappings with a similar thing for his hands. Overall his appearance suggested a man around his mid to late twenties, there was little to suggest actual injuries on his face however he had a black 'line' passing over a part of his forehead that looked similar to the black splotches on the rest of his body, his eyes had an almost eerie purple colour to them, with dark brown chin length hair unkemptly hanging down around his head with grey strands being visible here and there though it was clear that while he had put little effort into cutting the rest of his hair the white strands were shorter than the rest.

He didn't seem to give much of a reaction to the threats directed at him by Alicia and Acacia, and while his expression wasn't uncaring he just seemed calm and unphased by it, though at the same time he seemed amused by their reaction "Ah yes, alert the whole block to our location why don't you?" he said while looking at Alicia, referring to the rifle she had pointed at his head before he turned to look at Acacia who had him in a hold with her plants at this point, and smirked. He was just about to speak again when Rufus interjected, having finally managed to get up on his feet and survey the situation "Woah woah, let's all calm down now." He said as he walked up to the center of the group "I guess I should have given a description of him, I apologize for that. This is Randal, his manners aren't the finest but you'll find no one better to watch your back out here, assuming he's on your side." Rufus seemed almost panicked as he went about disarmed the situation, either he just didn't like in-fighting, or he did not enjoy the idea of having Randal as an enemy. "So please lower your weapons and uh, plants."

[GoldenKitten]

There was that tense moment where Alicia had to make a snap decision. If this was a foe they were going to have to engage him in some form as running was pointless at this range, especially if he had friends waiting. And at the same time there was the valid point that the man made himself, firing a weapon especially when they knew the Reavers were in the neighborhood was a risky move…and would it even work? You never knew what you were facing when you came across someone in the Pen, as the mutant gene knew no limits to what it could do and allow. Yet, at the same time if she dropped her weapon to go for the more silent attack approach she risked giving her target an opening to exploit even with the others attention now on him, and it again fell back to the question of if his powers might allow him to exploit this opening.

Thankfully this impasse gave Rufus enough time to surface from his hidey hole. In another situation the waiting could have been deadly, but thankfully in this case it had probably saved someone’s life…whose, who could say? At any rate Rufus was suddenly on the scene and switching from person-to-person, trying to smooth things out, and though his words made sense it took a moment for them to settle in and Alicia to lower her weapon.

Even once she had done so she still had it held tight and in the new-comers general direction as she eyed him closely. She’d heard the name of Rufus little buddy in passing once or twice but nothing beyond the name. But what he was, was what concerned her and his disheveled appearance did little to ease these worries. Even the lowest of whores and beggars in the Downtown area were better off than those that took to the wastes. The only reason someone chose this path was either because they were insane, had burned their bridges with the Inner Gangs, or were something…far worse; none of these boded well for good business deals.

But, Rufus was trustworthy and his schemes and contacts rarely failed, even so as she finally eased up and holstered the weapon on her back she cursed, “Damn you Rufus, a little forethought next time?”

She just barely whispered this even though they could all hear it, and she did so while still facing the man not taking her eyes off of him. She then rose a finger at Randal, “Well then, welcome to our little soirée. But, I’d recommend you not try your luck next time. Manners or not, I’m better shooting a man if he’s incompliant because,” she tossed her hands in the air, “-if he’s an enemy, then I’ve already got a problem then don’t I?”

She took two steps back with her eyes still on him before she turned around, a more natural state retaking her. As she completed collecting all of her equipment, the task Randal had interrupted she spun toward the open street and raised a thumb into the air as if hitch-hiking a ride (the connotation in Pen had long since turned to a sort of “Let’s get moving” symbol.

“We’ll walk from here. Even in its highest gear we’d be heard if we took it any closer in the vehicle, and those keen-sighted buggers flying around would surely see a car fussing about, even if the Bandoliers didn’t. Acacia, can you get us across the park unseen? I’d normally say we just move from building-to-building as it looks to me as if we’re on the Bandoliers “blindspot” as it were. But as we don’t know where or in what propensity the Reavers are active in this area I’d rather take the slower, but safer road if it’s available.”

When she got an affirmative she nodded, then continued as she pointed to the top of the gray slate building she’d identified before, one street back from the buildings that met the other side of the park; “Achieving that we’ll make sure that tan building over there is empty, then use it to scout the Bandoliers position and plan out our next move. Are we good?”

Once everyone was satisfied Alicia took several tentative steps out on to the main road, her head on a swivel as she did so. But it soon became apparent that for the moment they were safe, and they all managed to make it across to the greenery that lay there. Never before had Alicia been so glad for random coincidence as Acacias unexpected presence opened a much safer avenue for making their way to their destination than would otherwise have been possible. Even under normal circumstances moving from building-to-building would have been tense, and fraught with peril. But moving slowly through the overgrown weeds cloaked by the girl’s natural camouflage their biggest concern was probably snakes (which, Alicia was glad to say, they did not find...).

Though they did have Acacia cloaking them and halting the movement of the plants as much as possible Alicia still elected to take the slow road, and it took them near twenty-minutes to make it to the far side of the relatively small area. She figured the reason for this was self-explanatory but should anyone have asked she would have had a singular response, “Reavers.”

Their movements through the tall grass, and bushes might have been near impossible to spot with human eyes…but then very few people in the Pen were human (the occasional unlucky sap did get tossed in, or on a very rare occasion the mutant gene wasn’t passed down resulting in a small human population, though none would ever admit to being one obviously). Add to that, that the Reavers had optical equipment which nobody knew the extent of their advancement but which certainly increased their vision in some way, and her caution was justifiable. Eventually they made their way to the opposite end and Alicia peaked out from the brush.

Holding a hand up to stop anyone from following her she turned and spoke, “I’ll whistle if it’s clear, stay here until I do. If something does go wrong don’t be stupid, observe and then react,” it wasn’t that she didn’t want help if things went wrong, but if people just rushed out guns and powers blazing they could have a very poor situation on their hands quickly when they had such a small grasp on the situation currently.

After speaking she brought her weapon to bear, turned and crouched, slowly making her way out on to the road and toward the tan building she had indicated. It was easy to forget when you were just having a casual conversation with her back in town how well-versed in tactics Alicia was, and how knowledgeable she was about just about everything in the Pen. Her family had descended from the militant organization of the rebellion, and while most thoughts of “mutant pride” had been lost by her father’s generation, the military tactics that had been learned during those conflicts and passed down through from parent-to-child had not. And while her father had passed away when she was twelve, it had been more than long enough to teach her much of what made her so effective today.

As soon as she was certain she was clear she went from slowly emerging from the bush into a full run towards the building directly across the street, which was next to the tan one. At the last moment she slid and came to a stop crouched and still against the buildings wall. There she stood for several moments as she covered her vulnerable sides and listened closely for any reaction, but when none came she began to creep toward the tan building. While several of the buildings windows had been boarded up over the years showing it had at some point been occupied, one was open to the wild.

She crept below the first two windows until she had positioned herself beneath the open one. She again remained still and utterly silent for several long moments, attempting to hear if there was any movement coming from within. Eventually she took a good hold on her rifle and in one fluid motion popped up with it aimed into the building’s interior…looked empty, several more seconds of no movement and she performed a clean vault over the four-foot hurdle (any glass long since gone, so not even requiring her to be careful and use her powers as she got a handhold and thrust herself in), disappearing inside.

Though the others couldn’t see her any longer that didn’t mean Alicia had stopped working. The building’s interior looked long deserted; there were signs squatters had been here occasionally, a long moldy cot in a nearby corner, some discarded trash, and the like but it was all old. Regardless, Alicia had learned through experience not to judge a book by its cover, some of the real crazies out here weren’t quite as worried about being sanitary as your average individual. She’d once found a similar situation only to be jumped when she let her guard down, that was one trial she had barely escaped.

As such she was quick and proficient as she swept through all the rooms on the first floor, gun at the ready. While she did so she heard talking and froze, however as she moved to the adjacent side of the building she realized it was coming from their actual target, the Bandoliers headquarters…looked like she’d chosen correctly. After making several more passes and checking the upstairs which became apparent was a barren flat with nowhere to hide she was convinced they could use this building as their staging point. Its long destitute appearance coming from actually being unoccupied for some time.

Making her way back downstairs slowly (she was now close enough that just stomping down the stairs might draw attention) she found the front door of the tan building. Someone had barred it with a wooden beam, but that had been quite some time ago as the wood had clearly seen many seasons pass, and even someone without her heightened strength could have broken it. She snapped the beam, which made pretty much no noise as it was moldy and wet, and then slowly opened the door. Again she checked her sides before sticking her head out slightly and raising her fingers to her mouth, letting out a light whistle.

Once the group finally made their way over to her she raised a finger to her mouth to silence anything they might have to say aloud and whispered, “One street over. Quiet voices and actions people.”

After ushering the group in she looked left and right once more, then closed the door behind them. Having already had a “lay of the land” so to speak she turned and made her way up the stairs making sure to point out to the others that if they followed suit they should do so softly. Arriving in the large open area that comprised the upper-floor she took a more detailed tally of their surroundings, completely vacant with six boarded-up windows on each street-side. Crouching low to the ground she moved to the opposite end and quickly found that there were boards that had fallen out of place, and holes in others giving plenty of places to scout the street over.

She risked a quick glimpse around a corner through one of the larger holes and tried to do her best to memorize the situation in a split-second before disappearing back behind the area between windows. Staying low to the ground she held up both hands to indicate that from her brief window of opportunity she had spotted seven individuals standing outside the Bandoliers hideout, she had no doubt there were at least two-or-three the narrow opening hadn’t allowed her to see. They were close enough now that the raised voices of several of the Bandoliers could be heard even if regular talking could not; the current topic seemed to be getting a heavy machine-gun working in case the Reavers returned. Clearly Alicia and her crew hadn’t been the only ones spooked by the resident scarecrows.

With so many individuals at the front the group could hardly risk glimpses, much less make a plan. The Reavers presence had put the Bandoliers on high alert, and going in guns blazing was obviously a full-hardy plan for young gang-bangers, not the group of relatively educated individuals present. Thus once everyone had arrived upstairs Alicia spoke softly, “Settle in. We’re waiting till things cool-down, that could be until tonight…hope you brought some snacks,” she smirked at the group briefly before she returned to her hyper-sensitive vigil, a state few but Rufus had probably ever seen her in.

She hadn’t been too far off either, the group waited motionless for several hours. Having arrived somewhere around noon-ish it wasn’t until the early evening that things calmed down on the homefront. Much like the wall created a late sunrise, it created an early sundown, and by four the lighting in most areas of the Pen was more akin to what an outsider would associate with 6 to 7PM.

Though they should have been more wary the darkening seemed to instill the Bandoliers with a false sense of security instead as most of them cleared out, save for two watchmen sitting out by a lit barrel and talking. Earlier they had watched three of the Bandoliers leave down the street who hadn’t returned, they hadn’t been carrying anything though so Alicia had come to the conclusion they weren’t moving the prize. The remainder of the group, and any others who might have been inside all along were now within the interior of the lightly glowing building. For a headquarters this group certainly weren’t being particularly discreet, but then that among other failings was certainly why they were a small Outer Gang in the first place.

Of far more importance was that now that there were so few people, and even the guards left weren’t being particularly careful, the group could now observe and plan. The row of buildings they were on was much the same as the street where Alicia and the others had come upon first, save that while this was a home, the Bandoliers HQ and the street overall seemed to be comprised of what had once been multi-story office-buildings. To the left of their HQ was a taller building, all the other buildings on the street were shorter, and seemed to be empty, the HQ itself was four-stories. As she noted these things she started making plans in her head, when an unexpected voice spoke up.

“The sewer…”, it was all their new addition Randal had said though Alicia followed his pointing finger.

On the far left side of their headquarters the road had caved down into the large sewer system that had long since gone unused in the city. Of course Alicia had seen the cave-in already but only on closer inspection did she see what Randal was now pointing out, there was a narrow but manageable opening into the tunnels below. And assuming there weren’t further cave-ins at least one of the tunnels likely went directly below the Bandolier HQ, and given their set-up Alicia was relatively confident they hadn’t put any defenses there.

“Good eye,” was all she said, she had to admit this was a big find, but she didn’t feel like being too friendly with Randal for the same reasons she had distrusted him just hours before.

After several more minutes of gauging the situation Alicia had finally drawn a plan in her head, and for the first time in hours moved. Whereas the others might have been antsy and moved about Alicia had quite literally remained unmoving the entire day to the point you’d have wondered if she were alive at some points had she not been breathing. Everyone had varying degrees of patience when it came to stalking prey; Alicia was toward the higher-end of that scale. When you were starving, twelve, and all alone it taught you the value of patience when marking and stalking a target…or rather the resulting failure when you lacked that patience taught it to you. Regardless, one might be want to draw comparison between her stone-like powers and utter unmoving stance through the entire afternoon.

Now though she slid over to the center of the room and waved her hands inwards as if to beckon everyone close, “Alright, this is the plan. Eventually one of these two fools is going to need a bathroom or smoke break, and assuming their brains remain as small as this set-up they have going on has lead us to believe that will be our chance. I’ll go street side with Doppel, nab whichever makes an easier target, and then Doppel assumes his role.”

She turned to Doppel, “And that’s when it’s all on you, for a few minutes at least. Come up with an excuse to get inside, I’m sure their partner will buy one of the usual spiels. You then find our tech, meanwhile we’ll be preparing for extraction. I don’t think it should be too hard to find, these guys are going to be putting anything of worth in a vault, or the closest they can approximate it. And the contact said this is newer tech, fancy silver and shiny bobbles I expect. And it’s ovular, like a canister so if you can get into the vault I doubt distinguishing it from the rest of the trash should be hard.”

She turned to Gen, “In the meantime Gen you’re going to be getting up on top of that higher building over there. We don’t know if they’re keeping it on the lower or upper floors, but either way I want someone ready to extract Doppel from either possibility. So if it’s upper he makes his way out, hopefully unseen; either way you fly back to the car.”

“Similarly,” she turned to Acacia, “Acacia and I will both make our way to that opening in the sewer. Acacia prepares a shield of plants to grow on the spot, and if the goods are on the lower floors I’ll break up into the building, we’ll let you know where once we’ve gotten into the tunnels. Doppel joins us and Acacia unleashes the shield and blocks them from following us since we’re bound to alert them in this scenario. But the ensuing confusion should buy us the time to get clear.”

She turned to Rufus, though she briefly eyed Randal as well, “You two will remain here. I need keen eyes on any possible changes that might occur, and you two seem the best for that task. In any scenario everyone tune your radio to 189.95hz, that bands rarely used so it’ll be your safest bet.”

She took her own radio out and performed the switch as if to make an example, though obviously everyone here should have known how to do it, force of habit on her part mostly. She then returned her eyes to Doppel, “Alright you all need to listen closely. Doppel, when you’ve found the tech give us the code-word ‘Alpine’ if you’re in the clear and can easily retrieve it, ‘Capricorn’ if you find it but it’s under heavy guard at which point we’ll proceed with a smash-and-grab once we have a better idea of the sewer systems. Or of the upper-halls, in which case that falls to you Gen. If you retrieve the tech without pursuers on the lower levels it’s ‘Earth’, similarly up top no pursuers ‘Sky’. If things go poorly and you’re spotted with the object just give us a good-old fashioned ‘Oh god, oh god they’re eating me!’ with the attached ground or roof codeword and we’ll come in for a quick rescue and snatch. And lastly if it all goes to pot you’ve got your traditional ‘FUBAR’, but I’m hoping someone whose broken into much higher-end places than this can handle themselves in any verbal mix-ups you might get in with some juvenile street gangers.”

She nodded as if cementing it in her mind and then stated softly, “And that’s it, the last codeword is “Hey, got it!”, at which point we all make our way back to the car hopefully while they’re still either oblivious or confused. Any further questions? Ask them now because once we move in on one of these guys this operation goes silent and active.”

Assuming there were any further questions she answered them, and it wasn’t too long until her prophecy became truth. One of the men stood up and proclaimed to his partner, “Yo, Laz, gonna go take a leak k’?”

The other man simply tossed a hand at him nonchalantly as if he didn’t need to hear about it and went back to his smoke over the fire. Alicia tapped Doppel on the shoulder, “Go time, follow me.”

The two of them made it downstairs to the Bandoliers side of the street. Earlier Alicia had spotted this structural weakness and knew it was their out, much like the beam that had barred the door one of the windows was falling apart even without her help. A solid tug and she opened a large enough hole in the boarding for them to squeeze through as she went first. She quickly judged that the one walking off was the easier take, as the man still sitting was in clear view of several open windows in their HQ, and you never knew when someone was watching.

Alicia wasn’t a master of stealth, but she knew how to move quiet, and her powers meant this often translated into a quick kill as long as she wasn’t detected. With Doppel in close tow the duo made their way down the street out of the light of the fire, almost pure night darkness cloaking the area by this point. As he made his way around some rubble toward a place that looked like some sort of shoddily constructed restroom for the nightshift Alicia made her move as soon as she was sure the guard at the fire was still as oblivious as ever. She stood up and began moving forward faster, then, faster, and finally she was running.

The man had been moving to pull his pants down when the noise clearly became audible and he turned, “Who-ghkack…”

Whatever he had planned to say was cut short by a sickening gurgle as a razor sharp blade of obsidian went through his neck, nearly beheading him in the process due to it being oversized. As the rock-like substance pulled back into her skin Alicia lowered the body to the ground and reoriented the head upward so Doppel could get a look at him, as she’d gone out of her way to ensure his face remained unharmed since it was of course perhaps the most important part of taking someone’s place.

As Alicia wiped a little of the stray blood that had made its way on to her arm away she asked, “You good to go?”

By the time she asked the question she was looking at a virtual replica of the guard lying on the ground, though it was of course Doppel. With a nod she slid back toward the shadows after hiding the body just behind the stall, it wouldn't stand up to scrutiny but the remaining guard on duty was doubtful to find him before morning. Once finished she slid back into the shadows as Doppel approached the campfire, or rather the “guard” returned to it she used the ensuing dialogue to move from rubble heap to heap until she was on the other side of the building. And slid down toward the opening in the sewer.

As for the killing…it didn’t even bother her anymore, it occasionally struck her how easy it had become, but her brain was in mission mode at the current. But yes, there were instances, usually where liquor was involved, where she had questioned if becoming so used to killing that she hadn’t even batted an eye-lash when performing feats like she just had made her a bad person. But in truth it was this place more than it was any one person, anybody who thrived in this society had gotten their hands dirty to do so. That was the nature of things, there was nobody clean and pure in this city; not her, not any of her compatriots, none of the gangs, and no not even the man whose head she had just severed without a second thought.

This was the Pen, and tonight, they were about to hit the motherload…she hoped.

[Darkoda]

The new visitor who was rapidly approaching the end of his life-span if he didn’t knock it out was basically snarking at Alicia while at least two people were ready to try to kill him – that did not bode well, either he had an excellent poker face or he was quite confident in walking away from this and she inclined to believe the latter. It would be quite a problem if a full blown fight broke out here, it might be bet to just poison the guy now and ask questions later. Especially given that he was smirking at her now, yes killing him it was, she didn’t live as long as she did by hesitating.

Fortunately Rufus chose this time to show himself, informing them that this guy was the Randal fellow that he was talking about earlier. Who it was fortunate for would remain a mystery but for now, Acacia allowed the vines to return to normal with time though she still did not trust this Randal fellow on pure principle; as a rule trusting people in the Pen fully was foolhardy at best and she in particular found it very wise to always expect someone to double-cross you somehow. It could be considered paranoia but with the kind of lives most led in here, it was only prudent as far as she was concerned.

“Indeed, you should know better than that Rufus.” This was the understatement of the week; by all means Rufus should be extremely well versed in how horrible of an idea it was to surprise her given that the last time it happened she very nearly ended up starting a fight that would likely have left his bar in not very good condition if it wasn’t for her lack of desire to deal with having to fix his shop or get both himself and Alicia on her case. As it was the only reason she showed restraint enough to not attempt to kill Randal immediately was because of the situation at hand.

She still wasn’t exactly happy right now, but she was close enough to move on. “Yeah, yeah, just stay close.” This she had no problems with – in fact she could do with spending some more time within the park flora in case she needed to do anything drastic with it; it was quite unlikely that things might come to that but it was always best to have contingencies and if they ended up being brute force she was confident enough that between her, Alicia and Rufus they could keep a gang busy long enough for a getaway. The others were a bit more questionable but that would be a bridge to cross if they came to it.

Of course going through the park was slow, both because they could only move so quickly with Acacia keeping everything moving naturally (most people did not appreciate the detail that went into not only keeping the plants still, but having them flow with the breeze and still hide everyone all without looking unnatural to not only human eyes – she could do that half asleep - but those of potentially enhanced vision wielding mutants) but also because Alicia was being a bit hyper cautious and taking the really slow road, not that she really minded after that Reaver incident and Randal popping up from nowhere; the slower they moved, the less she had to bother with maintaining the camouflage and the more she could focus on making sure that they weren’t snuck up on again.

She didn’t care that there was a multitude of powers out there that made one suited for stealth, the alleyway was one thing but it should be virtually impossible to sneak up on her surrounded with so much plant life and she was going to make sure that this did not change today.

Eventually they made it through at which point Alicia volunteered herself to scout ahead as the one least likely to die from heavy arms fire. She eventually waved them into a building where after some quiet moving about and dealing with some old stairs Alicia provided the details that they couldn’t figure out from what they heard from the Bandoliers. Whatever the others were like, waiting meant little for her – she was mainly plant, staying still came naturally to her. “If you want I can just put you to sleep for a few hours~” Of course she was joking, being drugged was no state to be in when you might need to react quickly at any moment. Still didn’t stop her from messing with them though. In the meantime she just sat there and did what plants do; photosynthesize.

It took till sundown for the gang to get sloppy again but fortunately planning was a far quicker affair. “As long as I stop them from following you don’t care right?” Shield was relative as far as she was concerned but she had enough ideas to make sure that most people would not be capable of chasing after them in an enclosed space like that and surviving. Soon enough the plan was set into motion; Acacia gave the pair a minute before setting off herself; while the sewers weren’t in a location that should be visible from the Bandoliers’ HQ, that didn’t meant that a random patrol outside wasn’t around. She slipped out the building, sticking to the growing shadows as much as she could as she verified that no one was around. Moving with a stealth honed from far more experience than she was comfortable with, she ran across the open street once she got as close as she could get from cover.

She’d seen the hole that Randal pointed out, quite narrow but with care the average person could slip in without disturbing the area. She didn’t want to be out in the open any longer than she had to be though. If she was good at one thing though it was utility and with a thought and some focus, the area below the cave-in grew some vines and moss to stabilize the opening, virtually impossible to notice due to the colouring even from her close position. Not stopping her run, she dived into the gap, her plants doing their job and stopping anything from breaking off or making excessive noise. Sure she got squeezed a bit but she’d learned long ago that she didn’t exactly have a skeletal system like a normal person but was far more flexible like the plants she resembled. She wriggled and squeezed through without much worry and landed in the sewers.

If there was something she was grateful for, it was that between the years of disuse and the cave in blocking out the elements, it was practically an underground cave and not what one would think of when the word sewer was mentioned. Her first order of business was to adjust the rubble now that she could see beneath; if she had that much trouble getting in, Alicia’s stone self was liable to end up making a ruckus. From there, she walked on leisurely, occasionally flicking her thumb at a part of the wall or ceiling and embedding a seed into the concrete. Alicia would be coming along soon enough but for now she’d prepare things for her own role.

If it came to it she was going to make sure that this entire area was a death-trap the likes of which even the insane would hesitate to enter.

[Tagz]

Things weren’t turning out well for the remarkably calm intruder. Given the state of his attire, it was clear that he wasn’t a particularly lucky man anyway. When life gave him lemons, he fumbled and dropped them. He had a decent stature and was quite fit, but probably didn’t see many rations coming his way. There were dark blemishes all over his clothes. They appeared to be blood stains, yet his skin wasn’t burdened with any wounds. Doppel concluded that either the blood stains weren’t really blood stains at all, or that the blood that stained him wasn’t his own. The latter was the easiest to believe (he could simply have a violent occupation), but the shape-shifter refused to rule out the former. Perhaps his occupation wasn’t violent in nature, but put him around dark liquids, oil perhaps? No, they didn’t look like oil stains, and a man who could spare wasted oil wouldn’t be dressed as poorly as the invasive man. So if the liquid stains on his clothing weren’t from items found in this man’s day-to-day life, than perhaps it was a hint of his abilities.

He had interesting eyes.

The stealthy man, rather than tensing up, seemed rather amused by the reaction of the young women. He sent a snarky comment in Alicia’s direction before turning to Acacia, no doubt intending to do the same with her. It was then that Rufus crawled out from underneath the vehicle. Clearly shocked by the sudden turn of events, the man was quick to try and cool down the situation. Alicia was clearly displeased but took it in stride. Acacia on the other hand seems to have been hardened by her time in the bin. Of course everyone was, but most people could at least feign a smile. Doppel had heard of the girl, seen her in passing, and even ordered some vegetables from her a couple of times before, but he’d never paid the girl rapt attention. Though there was no one in the group he really trusted, Acacia was quickly falling to the bottom of the list. She seemed to be far too trigger happy, which was ironic because she also seemed to be the least happy of the group. Doppel on the other, well, he was just a bundle of sunshine.

Either way, the group was settled and they began planning their next course of action. As usual, Alicia commanded the group and instructed Acacia on the vital role she was to play. Quickly and quietly they all made it into the dense greenery of the ancient park. They had chosen the slowest path of all, and it took the squad nearly twenty minutes to reach their destination. All the while, they were devoured by the plant life. Untrustworthy or not, Acacia’s abilities were a godsend in this penitentiary for a plethora of reasons, this was one of them. Thanks to the green girl, the plants appeared to flow as naturally as they would have with the group’s absence. Even those pesky mutants with super eyes would have difficulty spotting them. Alicia sure knew how to pick her crew.

“I’ll whistle if it’s clear, stay here until I do. If something does go wrong don’t be stupid, observe and then react.”

She also knew how to command them. The young woman was almost militaristic in nature. Having stationed her crew as back-up, she lowered herself and slinked away. Since he was not interested in poking his head out of the shrubbery, Doppel did not see what occurred next. He simply stood low and gripped his pistol with both hands, waiting for the signal. It took a while. No doubt, Alicia was being as precautious as she always was on missions. Eventually, the whistle came, and after thrusting his head out of the bushes to check the open road for drifters, Doppel bolted towards the open door with haste.

Quite silent, he simply followed his employer up the steps. Upstairs, by a hole in the wall, Alicia sat and stuck her neck out momentarily. Apparently, she’d spotted seven individuals. There was no doubt that her second-long look didn’t allow her to see all the men out there, so that seven could probably be pushed to a nine or a ten, which was almost half their estimated manpower. The Reavers must have spooked them as well. This notion was confirmed with the audible talks of attaining heavy artillery in order to combat the Reavers should they return.

Doppel couldn’t help by chuckle, but when Alicia cracked her small joke, his disappointment was clearly evident. He in fact did not bring any snacks.

Still, the extraordinarily elderly man was not of the impatient lot. In fact, most people in the group were surely veterans when it came to assignments of this nature. At least, that was the geezer’s assumption. Why would Alicia enlist a bunch of greenhorns? That being said, Doppel certainly wasn’t a rock or a plant. It was unfortunate that he couldn’t pass the time by chatting with anyone. Given that they were in the middle of a mission and their target was within earshot, it wasn’t wise to run your mouth. Vexed and completely bored, Doppel stood leaning against the wall, arms crossed, with one foot pressed on the wall as well. He’d change positions every now and again; he even paced back and forth for about an hour. Come game time, he was sprawled out across the floor, connecting the dots on the ceiling to make animal faces.

The light had dimmed as the sun fell behind the city’s walls. Rising up, Doppel made his way to one of the holes, discreetly observing the Bandolier’s actions. It’s not that he didn’t trust Alicia to do a good job of assessing the enemy camp, it’s just that his life was at stake and, well, he didn’t trust Alicia period. He knew that he’d be the one walking into the base, so he’d preferred to have his own measurements. Trust issues aside, small Outer Gangs were really quite nice. They were so poorly organized that it made operations a shitload easier. Unless, that is, they were intentionally being stupid in order to invite the group in. Though that possibility may have already been listed as unlikely, it forever plagued the old man’s mind.

Soon enough, the group gathered to listen to the blonde woman’s strategy. Everything that’s been flooding his mind was immediately halted as he listened to the woman fixedly. Her plan had a good base, Doppel found no reasons to object. The codewords were relevant, witty, and very easy to memorize. That was a non-issue. Moving to the wall that faced the adjacent building, the old man sat silently. With his eyes closed and ears perked up, he strained himself to hear every little thing the guards said, waiting for one to separate from the other. It didn’t take too long for the fools to fall in line with Alicia’s plans. As he opened his eyes, he saw the blonde standing in front of him, tapping him to garner his attention.

“Go time, follow me.”

With that, the two slipped downstairs. The younger of the two opened up a new doorway into the wall. Following close behind her, Doppel noticed that it took her a moment’s thought to pick her target. All it took was a quick scan of the area to see why. As the duo immersed them selves in the darkness, they crept closer to their victim. Then, demonstrating her experience, Alicia’s hand perfectly perforated the man’s neck before he even had time to react. A small grin tugged at Doppel’s lips as he admired the little girl’s skill. This toddler was truly a product of the Pen.

“You good to go?”

Ambling towards the corpse, the old man tossed her a simple ‘yea’ as his skin and clothes peeled back and flipped in on themselves. Truly embodying his nickname Doppelganger, Doppel (for short) went from sporting a slim and curvaceous female body to wearing the body of a rather short and plump man. However, he still appeared to be young, perhaps in his late twenties. He then moved to return to the campfire as his current boss slipped back into obscurity.

“Back. I miss anything exciting?”

He questioned as he neared his “partner”.

“Nope.”

His partner replied simply, without so much as glancing in Doppel’s direction.

“Cool.”

A short reply only deserves a short reply. The espionage specialist began pacing back and forth as the Bandolier guard sat relaxed. It didn’t take long for the guard to question the old man’s anxiety. Doppel used that opportunity to start up a conversation of boredom and hunger. The conversation was rather short. Still, the old man continued to pace, growing more and more uncomfortable. Hopefully, his real colleagues kept the patience they’d demonstrated earlier, for Doppel remained outside for at least twenty minutes before he spoke up.

“Y’know, we’ve been out here for a while and I could go for a snack. How about I bring you back something and you keep it between us?”

He asked the man near him.

“You're crazy, the old man let you off last time you skipped out on watch. Bah, fuck it, it's your ass not mine.”

Ah, so the leader was an old man.

“Which is why I said, keep it between us. Now, do you want me to bring you back anything in particular?”

The shape-shifter asked.

“Very funny. You get a kick out of my powers depriving me of the joy of eating don't you? Keep talking and I'll save the old man some time and deprive you of that ability myself.”

‘Crap,’ thought Doppel as he figuratively shoved his face into the palm of his hand. Small slip ups were bound to happen, but they were always unpleasant. Still, countless years of experience had taught the geezer never to admit he’d slipped. It was far better to just roll with it. Practicing this, the now short and chubby Doppel let out a small laugh at the guard’s expense as he walked into the building.

The guard accepted the elderly man’s proposal regardless. He nodded towards the door, gesturing for the shape-shifting mutant to go on in and do whatever he pleased. As he said it earlier, ‘it’s your ass not mine’. Yet, as the old man strolled away, he could still hear the guard bitterly mumbling behind him.

“... I mean, do you know how good that stuff smells? Nope says the body, can't do that!”

His mumbling grew quieter and Doppel continued to walk deeper into their quaint establishment, until it eventually became inaudible.

As he pushed the only working door open (the others apparently long ago barricaded in event of emergency, the first sign of decent planning the Bandoliers had shown) Doppel entered for what all intents and purposes one probably expected the interior to look, if a tad tidier. The walls and floors had been caked in a century of dirt that wasn’t ever going to come off along with most of the colors being bleached out, though any fallen rubble and the general floor plan seemed cleaned. The hall he stepped into was large and open like he remembered old office buildings being, though the waiting desk and other such things had been forcibly unbolted from the ground (the holes they had once occupied readily visible) and replaced with more homey and “modern” furnishings.

One thing that instantly stood out was the heavy machine-gun they’d been talking about staring him down at about thirty-paces from the door, though thankfully nobody was currently manning it. As he moved in he was made aware of three men sitting right by the door around a shoddily crafted table, playing Cathello (the Pens distant cousin of “poker”, many of the rules were lost or changed over the years). Either they didn’t care about who Doppel was, or more likely didn’t care what he did as he was all but ignored save for a simple nod from one of the men who was sitting in such a way that he was forced to look at him as he came in. Casually, the fake Bandolier answered back with a casual nod of his own.

Thankfully, that had saved Doppel the time and planning required for getting past them as well, as they were far too concerned with their game. Moving past the machine-gun, he noted that it had been hastily bolted into the ground with… something. If he had to guess, it was probably someone’s power as it looked like an organic effluvial green fluid, now hardened. Moving past it, the old man glanced around briefly. He wasn’t entirely certain where to go. There was a prominent main stairwell, centrally located like most of those you’d find in more grandiose classic architectures of the time. But there were also a dozen doors lining the room, and it was likely that there were just as many on the floor above. Purposeful or not on the Bandoliers part it would still make checking them all in a stealthy fashion difficult. Without a lead he could be there the entire night assuming nobody figured him out in that time.

Doppel’s planning was interrupted however when a name was called, “Jacob!” Even though it wasn’t a name he was familiar with a century of espionage had rendered Doppel capable of ascertaining when a voice was directed at him. Both from the location and the way it tended to be “aimed” at the supposed listener. With little effort, he turned around and found that he was being addressed by a slightly older (compared to his current body, anyway) man who was leaning over the second-level railing, and responded with the neutral answer he had found most people accepted over the years,

“What?”

The boy just shook his head with a cocky grin on his face, “Oh… you in trouble this time! Stay right there.”

He could hear the boy running off and saying something in an animated way, though he sensed trouble the shape-shifter knew simply moving on or backing out could blow his cover. Instead he hoped it was a situation he could talk himself through, though naturally he’d thought up several other ways out in the event of an emergency. If he was lucky, then it would all be related to him skipping out on guard duty. If that was the case, he could just make some mundane excuse. From what the guard outside had said, the man whose form Doppel had taken on had a known habit of shirking responsibilities. If that was the case, he’d probably have gotten out of such a situation relatively unscathed before. If not, than hopefully any punishments received wouldn’t leave the geezer incapacitated. After a few seconds he heard the voice of an older man call out with greater authority though it yelled the same name in the way a parent might when disciplining their child, “JACOB!”

A few seconds later and the veritable “old man” appeared, likely no older than forty-five or so in reality. Why he didn’t even have a single grey hair yet. He too was a rug-rat in Doppel’s eyes. It was either a testament to the stupidity of today’s youth, or to how the Pen had changed the expected lifespan of an individual, Doppel wasn’t sure which… wait, no, it was definitely kids being stupid. Either way it was obvious to see how this man had managed to get the group of younger individuals to follow him even if they were a smaller gang. He wreaked of a false charisma that the aged mutant had seen many times before, which was now shattered by his anger at “Jacob”, and the way everyone in the hall had gone quiet and averted their gaze from the scene seemed to suggest he commanded fear and “respect” as well. He had black hair as slicked back as one could get without hair products, wore an old but still somewhat impressive suit which was a rarity in the Pen, and Doppel had no problems imagining his sharp eagle-like features contorted into a grin as he shovelled promises at those around him.

The man tapped on the banister and growled in a pointed tone, “Get up here right now, we’re going to talk!”

Doppel didn’t like this; youngsters who had still seen enough years to consider themselves “wizened” could be volatile in the Pen. At the same time this offered the chance for possible insight into the compound without blowing his cover, so rather than get shot in the back he began making his way toward the stairwell that lead to the second floor. That however was when he met troubling resistance from the older man.

“I know you can jump up here! So stop putting it off and come here right now!”

The barely contained yell he was speaking in was compounded by him practically drilling his finger through the wooden railing as he slammed on it in an obviously impatient way, if Doppel didn’t come up with a good excuse there was a chance the man would just try to kill “Jacob” even without being found out. Should he act as a lackadaisical slacker? Moan and groan, while spilling out certain words to calm the old man’s anger? Perhaps talking with him in this manner would send him into an immediate rant, giving Doppel time to hurriedly walk up the steps? Either that or he’d find out what exactly it was about this man that frightened all the other Bandoliers. The latter outcome was highly possible and a piss poor result.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’ll be on my way up.”

Interestingly enough, he simply huffed, puffed, through his arms up, cursed, and walked away. This was an unexpected reaction. Given the demeanour of the other gang members as well as the old man’s aggression, Doppel imagined him to get quite physical. In fact, he kind of hoped he would. As long as it wasn’t anything crippling, it would be good for him to get a glimpse of the leader’s power. At the very least, the old man wasn’t forcing the shape-shifter to utilize a mutant ability he didn’t have. A little disappointed in the old man’s weakness, Doppel walked up the steps to the second floor. The first man that called out his named was grinning at him as he passed by, clearly enjoying the old mutant’s misfortune. This was met with a sneer as Doppel made his way forward.

He’d walked up the stairs at a brisk pace, so he managed to see exactly which room the Bandoliers’ Boss had gone into. It’d have been very suspicious for him not to know which room he was being called into. He continued his hurried pace until he reached the top of the central staircase. From there, he made his way to the left wing of the second floor. The upper levels surrounded the first floor with a balcony. From there, they have deeper corridors and offices. There is a single bridge connecting the two sides of the balcony that encased the first floor, and having reached the top of the staircase, that is where Doppel found himself.

He kept his pace up as he turned to the right and made his way to the room he’d seen the boss walk into. Stepping off the bridge, the first door to his right was wide opened. Doppel mentally sighed, relieved, he didn’t need to rush to make sure he saw which room the man went in. He graciously left it open for him. As he walked in, he was aggressively commanded to shut the door behind him. This did not bode well. Still, the veteran kept himself calm as he closed the door and stepped forward.

Within the room Doppel found a smaller layout that had likely housed two or three individuals when it had seen regular use, but which had now been repurposed as a single large office for the boss. Though not new by any stretch of the imagination the furnishings were still beyond what many individuals in the Pen could have afforded. A small wooden desk with a chair clothed in some form of fabric was where the lead man clearly spent his time, along with two less well put-together wooden chairs sitting across from it for any visitors. On all the windows facing the outside, metal shutters had been bolted over them and though they likely wouldn’t stop an all-out attack, they’d certainly halt the small arms fire of the average Outer Gang… or any escape attempts on Doppel’s part.

All-in-all it screamed someone who had found a little power and was trying to look the part. In all honesty how much paperwork could the boss have been doing? It, like many appearances in the Pen were left over vestiges of a world no longer relevant to its occupants but held through force of habit. It was the uncanny valley of the old and the new… just, you know, for offices. In the end all of that likely wasn’t important, what was important was that the boss wasn’t behind his desk but was instead standing nearby and told Doppel to take a seat. Once more, the old mutant did as he was instructed. Quietly sitting down, he allowed the old man to begin the conversation. The man walked over and stood over him.

“Tell me Jacob, do you remember what I said when you walked out that door earlier?”

“Vaaaaaguely.”

Doppel responded, stretching his word out unnecessarily. He wasn’t sure if “Jacob” was a mouthy smart ass, but given his lousy work ethic and his habit of mocking people, he probably was, or at least, Doppel hoped. Still, his one word response wouldn’t be too unnatural if “Jacob” turned out to be more mild mannered than he’d been led to believe. It appeared that the shape-shifter had his victim’s personality pegged properly. The man didn’t find fault with his answer, rather, he briefly chuckled to himself, though it sounded forced and not even remotely amused.

“See, that’s our problem boy. So let me remind you. What I said-”

Before Doppel knew what had happened to him he had been picked up with inhuman force from his seat and slammed into a nearby wall with such power that it shook. Before he could act or say a word the hand that had picked him up by his collar wrapped around his neck, and he was quickly choked of breath though not to a mortal degree, instead only stopping him from speaking. While the leader of the Bandoliers was far from the strongest mutant he’d ever come across, the man was still degrees stronger than Doppel or your average individual without super strength. The man proceeded by flicking his free hand with the snap of a wrist, and when he brought it to bear, Doppel had a massive spinning drill-like spike protruding from the man’s palm in his eye.

“What I said, kid, was that if you ever abandoned your post again I’d start taking parts. So tell me, what did you just do?”

He loosened his grip just enough for Doppel to get his breath and speak, though not enough to wiggle free from where he was held. As he was gasping for air, Doppelganger swiftly rummaged through his mind for the answer least likely to get him killed.

“Okay, okay, okay. That’s fair, and hey, I won’t even make excuses this time, though I’d be an idiot to risk angering you so much without a good reason. How about you take a finger and you leave this as a warning. A nine-fingered man never forgets.”

Relying too much on assumptions of Jacob’s demeanour was a risky game, but it was essentially a safe bet that he was a man who made excuses before. The words flowed out of him quite naturally, and if Doppel’s assessment of Jacob’s manner of conduct was correct, than these words were likely to flow out of Jacob’s mouth just as easily. Still, relying too much on preconceptions wasn’t wise. The shape-shifter did well to keep that in mind.

When the boss punched the wall next to Doppel’s head it made such a loud bang it was like having a gun set off next to his ear. As the boss pulled his hand back Doppel found the metal drill now imbedded in the wall next to him, easily long enough to go through a person’s skull. He was again thrust against the wall with enough force to deprive him of air as the man spoke menacingly, and though Doppel had been threatened by worse than him, this was still the mediate problem.

“I’ll make you a deal Jacob. You run out there, hop over that rail as fast as you can, and go take your posts until your fucking shift is up. You do that, and maybe I let you off this time. You fail that or fail me in the future, and I take your eyes first. And so help me if I find you went down for rations when you weren’t allowed to again that will be your end boy. Are we clear?”

“Crystal!”

Doppel blurted out his answer with haste. As soon as he replied he was pulled away from the wall, slammed on to the desk, slid along it and was finally thrown across the room toward the closed door. While Doppel righted himself the man was closing in pointing outward as it became increasingly clear it was in the shape-shifters best interest to not try to engage in any further reasoning. Chances were if he didn’t comply he’d find himself not alive long enough to try finding the necessary object. But, he’d been given a possible clue, it wasn’t a guarantee but the man had quite clearly suggested that a lock-up of some sort was “down” in his rant which Doppel was more than cool-headed enough to pick up on. It was best to check it out.

Having been dismissed, the old shape-shifter slid out of the room, closing the door behind him. Walking towards the staircase at a brisk pace, he readjusted his clothing and fixed his hair. Doppel wondered how patient his cohorts were. Judging from the wait early on in their mission, he had a vague idea. Hopefully, they could keep that fortitude up for a while longer. He was being watched closely by the Bandoliers’ ring leader. It certainly wasn’t wise to make a pass at the cylindrical device. Still, he surveyed the interior of the building as he made his way back out to Jacob’s post. ‘This is going to be a hassle,’ he thought as he stepped out of the entrance.

Immediately he was greeted by a jubilant sneer from his new guard buddy. The mutant that apparently couldn’t eat anything noticed that “Jacob” had come back out empty handed. Clearly things hadn’t turned out well for him, just as the guard warned. Doppel rolled his eyes and scoffed.

“I wasn’t all that hungry anyway.”

This was followed by a burst of laughter from the other guard.

“Shut up, Laz.”

The laughter grew more ardent. With a sigh, the old mutant leaned against the wall to his immediate left, ignoring the mutant sitting on the steps. It was rather dark out. Had he managed to swipe the canister while he was inside, this would have been the perfect time to disappear. Alas, life did not work in the mutant’s favour. His being in the Pen was proof of that. Though it would have been more pleasurable for him to pass the time in idle chat, in his situation, the less he said the better. Just as he’d done before, he switched positions throughout his lengthy wait. It was still an hour or so shy of midnight. Apparently, guard duty was akin to a night shift job. He would be out there for quite a while.

However, dawn would eventually break through the blanket of night. Just as dusk came earlier to the pen than it did to the rest of the world, conversely, dawn came later. Four, well-rested men walked out of the building, greeting the two individuals. Strangely, the group was more precautious during the day than they were at night. With a yawn, both Laz and “Jacob” stepped inside the office building.

“Wonder if the boss will even let you get your rations after that little stunt.”

Laz said before laughing and walking off as he raised a hand over his head as if waving goodbye as he made his way up the nearest stairs. All told the man just seemed to be offering a chiding prod in “Jacob’s” direction rather than any real malicious intent as the boss and the boy from before had, it was safe to assume that either Laz had been this man’s friend to a degree, or perhaps they were both at the bottom of the totem pole.

“Who puts a starving workforce on guard duty, anyway?”

He spoke with a light-hearted chuckle. This was reciprocated by Laz as he laughed while continuing to walk off, probably to sleep somewhere. Doppel was quite tired himself, but he had more pressing matters to deal with. Where were the rations kept? He didn’t want to ask a question that “Jacob” was expected to know, nor did he want to get caught frantically searching different rooms, as though he were ignorant to the general layout of the building. It was preferable that he didn’t just jump into the search. There was a new group of people playing cards and they were all hunched over in the far left corner of the relatively empty first floor (the previous group having long since disbanded and gone about their menial work). Doppel made his way across the room, sitting down as he reached the group.

“I call next game.”

“What? Fucking Jacob, you just got off your shift. I’ve been waiting longer. I’m next, and Spike is after me.”

“Fine then, I’m after the puppy.”

“What did you just call me?! Idiot! Did you forget just why they call me Spike? Wan’ I should remind you?” Barked Spike, rather agitated by Doppel’s remark. It didn’t take long for the group to ignore the old man’s jibes and continue with the conversation they were previously having. As he was watching over the game, hoping to discern the possible location of where they kept their goods (and perhaps, by extension, the device), Doppel caught a glimpse of movement out the corner of his eye. It was another young mutant across from the opening which he had seen the day prior when the group had been frantically preparing defences in event of the Reavers possible attack. He had no clue exactly who they were, but it was what they did that caught the older man’s attention.

A dozen doors covered the left side of the buildings first floor if you were to face inward from the entrance, some were clearly blocked beyond repair but others had been in working condition, thus leading to Doppel’s predicament. But this young mutant, who had this dazed look on his face, made a direct beeline for one of the doors toward the back which he opened and proceeded inside, though Doppel could not see what happened from there it was the only sign of activity he had seen so far. And as he milled about the central area he was able to glimpse that of all the doors present on that side, this door was the only one from where light shone from beneath its shaky frame. It was a possibility and the only sign he could make without actively searching. But on the opposite end if the area was off limits he could blow his cover, or at the very least he might burn what little good will the boss still had for “Jacob” if it was just a door to nowhere. As he turned his eyes back on to the game Doppel continued to consider his options, it had been a sign, but there were other possible routes to take as well… at the same time the longer he waited the more likely someone from his group would be finally spotted when full daylight rolled around.

Considering the mutant’s facial expression and the time of day, it was a safe bet that he’d climbed out of his bed mere moments ago. What does one usually do after waking up in the morning? Piss, shower, and eat, often in that order. There was a good chance that that was where he was heading, however, it wasn’t a guarantee. Going along with the assumption that he had just awoken, there was still the prospect that he hadn’t woken up off of his own accord. What if someone kicked him up and sent him to do something special. There was no way to tell what he was doing in that room without simply following behind him. Still, Doppel was of a more cautious breed. Hopefully his companions could keep their heads tucked in for a while longer.

The shape-shifter came to the decision of staying put for a couple hours more. He’d keep the door in his peripherals, but show focus on the game he was currently playing, passing the time idly chatting with his new group. Hopefully he would be able to gather more information on that room by analyzing the traffic it sees. Doppel chose an arbitrary time of two and a half hours. If after watching the room for little over a couple hours he failed to find significant enough reason not to walk in, he would pull up his skirt and waltz right in there. Unwarranted bravery could get you killed, but so could hesitation. Walking that fine line was like walking a tight rope. Still, Doppel sat and waited without detracting his attention from the group before him.

Over the next few hours nothing of particular note transpired. Doppel became convinced he had honed in on the proper location, or at least that of their food stores. It had taken a few minutes but the young mutant had reappeared out of the doorway with a small can in hand. It was of the make of the Inner Gangs who had packaging facilities in their territory and even out here most of the Outer Gangs got their non-perishable items either through trade or theft with inside sources. It was cheap stuff, barely food especially for someone who remembered what food outside the Pen’s walls had been like, but it was exactly what you’d give to a hired hand as rations. Still playing it cautious, Doppel waited as the minutes and then hours passed away and while only two other individuals went through the door in that period they both came back with a similar haul. There was no guarantee they kept their armoury or other goods there, but he knew he’d found where they stored their rations, and it was the only hint he had unto now.

As the time lapsed, Doppel followed through with his promise. He stood and pulled up his skirt. “Jacob” didn’t make any statements before leaving the card-players. As well, he’d been slowly detracting himself from the conversation for the last twenty minute, and hadn’t even said a word for the last ten. The others probably didn’t care where he went or what he did, as he was clearly not on duty at the moment. The old mutant simply slipped away, discreetly making his way towards the only lit room on the left side of the floor. Though he didn’t want to walk directly there, he also didn’t want to get caught blatantly wandering around. Another fine line he had to walk.

When he managed to reach the room, he calmly opened the door and saw a stairwell leading into some form of cellar below. Several lights hung down its length and a loud hum suggested that whatever generator was being utilized to run the few electric sources here was held down there. Beyond that he couldn’t see much as there was an immediate turn at the base of the stairs and no other obvious tell-tale signs, but as his only reasonable lead Doppel made his way down the stairwell. And as soon as he reached the bottom he knew he’d hit a jackpot…maybe not the one he was looking for, but a strong contender.

It was clear the downstairs floor had always been used for storage, even when this had been a real city. It was wide and open and many boxes were stacked with no real sense of order, some low enough for Doppel to see clear across the room, while others in the corners were stacked to the ceiling. One had to hand it to the leader of the Bandoliers, appearances aside he either knew how to steal what they needed, or had good contacts. There were crates around the room with the insignias of multiple gangs, predominately the Inner Gangs, amongst it all there were enough rations and munitions to last the Bandoliers years down here. They might have been a low level group of nobodies at the moment, but it was clear their leader had been planning to climb the ladder in some fashion even before this item Alicia’s contact wanted had come into their hands.

He let his eyes wander before he set them on a small area toward the back of the room where several lights were set up; it was also clearly where the sound of the generator was coming from. As he weaved through the stacks of boxes and neared the thumping machine he could see that the area toward the back of the room had a wire fence closing it off, and behind the fence on the walls beyond were an array of higher quality firearms than the Bandoliers were seen carrying around outside. It was a smart move, have the real firepower ready, but appear less dangerous than you really were; made the weaker gangs easy prey, and made the stronger gangs consider you a non-threat.

Along the fences link was a gate, a latch on it suggested it was meant to be locked but at current it had been undone and the gate was slightly ajar. Knowing he was unlikely to find anything amidst the stack of boxes, and figuring he couldn’t get in too much trouble for entering when it wasn’t his responsibility for keeping the area locked, he slid the door open which made a slight grating noise, and stepped through. Beyond the armoury that lay there he could now also see that a corner of the room had been turned into a sort of workshop with a number of tools hanging on the wall, a desk upon which bits of electronic equipment lay, and around the corner-

A voice called out from around that corner in a heavy and seemingly inebriated Scottish accent, “Who thah hells—it now?!”

Doppel was intrigued by the accent. It suggested he was from the outside world. Then again, after about a hundred years, was their accent still as Doppel remembered it? As he thought this over, he was quickly greeted by the owner of the voice he’d just heard. A larger man appearing to be in his late-fifties with greying hair pulled into a pony-tail, a sharply shaved goatee, and smart but long rugged features came from around the corner a large machete in hand. He had an eye-patch over one eye, but his other was a strange mix of amethyst and sky blue that almost seemed to glow. He wore a huge overcoat and equally heavy gear that was of significantly higher quality than that of all the other Bandoliers save the boss himself and was smoking a cigar, a rarity itself in the Pen. It seemed safe to assume this man was one of the long-time members of the Gang or so Doppel thought, though the strange look he gave him as if he didn’t immediately recognize “Jacob” was disconcerting.

It took him a moment before he lowered the blade and caught up, “Damn Jacob! Don’t be sneaking into my private space and such, yah know I don’t like it.”

He laughed as he walked over to the desk, laid the blade down and sat; his piercing eye still on Doppel as he continued to speak, he chuckled before starting, “I tell you, I’d be surprised to see you down here after hearing about thah little run-in you be havin’ with thah boss las’ night. Jacob usually be too damn fearful after such a beatin’ tah come ask for rations.”

The shape-shifter was immediately startled when the Scottish man began speaking about “Jacob” in the third person. What was even more worrisome was that the man had reached down behind his desk with his left hand while he was talking. When he brought it up, Doppel was staring at the barrel of a rather impressive rifle. The craftsmanship was beyond anything he’d seen in a hundred years, hell considering the gauge of the chamber and its build it might have been even better than what they had back then. It was most definitely not something the Bandoliers should have been able to afford, or even steal, such a fine piece of work would have bought a hundred slaves, and been guarded by an entire battalion in transit.

As he held the rifle toward him he removed the cigar from his mouth and set it on the table before bringing his other hand to hold the gun straight at Doppel while still seated. He began to speak, but when he did so all hint of his previous Scottish accent was gone instead replaced with a traditional mid-western tone, “But then, you aren’t him so I doubt you’d have such fears plaguing you.”

A low pitched whistle was Doppel’s first reaction. This poor turn of events was rather unexpected.

“Well that’s off-putting. What gave me away?”

The man gave a sort of half smile as he took a deep breath, “Ah don’t worry, sir, you didn’t do anything too unusual. Were I one of these gangland fools I’d have probably given you the device on a silver platter but we all have our talents, yes? And I mean that is why you’re here, nothing else of value to their name. Truly I’d have taken it out of here days ago but I had to discern its safety and usefulness before such an action. We’re always careful.”

‘Gangland?’ Doppel mentally questioned. Putting his odd terminology aside, it was surprising to say the least that someone else was on a mission to strip the Bandoliers of their little trinket. However, it really shouldn’t have been too surprising. If Alicia’s client knew about this, and if the device was as valuable as he (or she) insinuated, than such an occurrence should have been anticipated. The old mutant’s curiosity quickly kicked in. If this man wasn’t a member of the Bandoliers, than why was he walking around their storage room so comfortably? How did he make it in? Did his fake Scottish accent have something to do with that? Was he impersonating someone as well? Was that why he dropped it the moment he confronted Doppel as being an outsider? Furthermore, if he wasn’t even a Bandolier, how was it that he so easily managed to discern Doppel from Jacob?

With his eyes still on Doppel and his finger still on the trigger, the large mutant reached over the gun with his free hand and flicked something on his desk. In an instant a small silver cylinder, much like Alicia had suggested it would look like flared to life, pulsing blue running lights glimmering along its length. It made no sound, simply sat there and glowed and the man brought his hand back to his gun.

“Limitless energy, we’ve made some good stuff but this could compact our designs three-fold,” he shook his head with a grin on his face as if he could envision it, “They have no idea what they have, it’s just a way to climb the social ladder to them, but it could be our future.”

His attention returned in full to Doppel (whose interest was now peaked) as he proceeded; “Well now I suppose you’re wondering why I haven’t just put a bullet through your head then? Well you smell of an age gone by, I reckon you aren’t much younger than myself, we might even have fought together back in the day. And while my eyes reported thinking someone was in the area last night we never confirmed it. And I’ve gotta say, staying hidden from these gangbangers is one thing, but staying hidden from us is altogether faaaar more impressive. So, for old times’ sake and because I’ve no desire to kill more intelligent and skilled mutants than’s needed I’ll let you walk out that door.”

Despite the large man’s reassuring words of not wanting to kill the shape-shifter, Doppel still viewed him as a larger and larger threat the more he talked. Not only was he able to distinguish him from the clown he was playing, he even managed to tell Doppel’s general age? How? That was nigh impossible. What else did he know? What Doppel’s real body looked like, his adolescent antics, his mother’s maiden name, the birthday of the goldfish he was given as a child? There was no way this man had managed to gather that information by normal means. What were his mutant abilities? The fact that he was aware of the old man’s old age and still made the assumption that Doppel was the younger of the two was also be taken into consideration. This fake Scot was a dangerous man. The shape-shifter casually stuck his hands in his pockets, letting out a sigh of relief before speaking (and pressing the speak button on the walkie-talkie).

“Well, that’s a relief, but you’ll forgive me if I don’t take your word at face value.”

The sizable mutant reached over his rifle, retrieving his cigar and taking a drag before he tossed it back to the table, “Trust me, even if you’ve got yourself a plan for retrieving it, and even if you somehow manage to get it away from me it won’t be worth it. Assuming you make it more than two blocks from this hideout, which is a long shot I should add, and by some miracle you escape you will have made an enemy you do not want. Whatever price you’re being paid will not be worth it, and I can assure you the cause will not benefit you in the long run like our own will. So; turn around, walk out, take whoever’s waiting around outside with you, and we pretend this didn’t happen.”

He left a long pause, “What’ll it be?”

“Just to be fair,” The geezer began. “Your own cause probably won’t benefit me at all, whereas mine would. Admittedly, I am interested in seeing the designs you wish to condense, but you’re probably not willing to share. And I can’t exactly walk out of here empty handed, but you’re not really giving a choice, are you? You’re an allegorical lion in the den. I wasn’t expecting someone else to be in the midst of robbing the Bandoliers. What a pain in the ass. That said, I’m not really worried about you eating me, despite that shiny rifle you’re waving at me. You’ve mentioned that we’d managed to elude your eyes yesterday. If you’ve got eyes, I assume you’ve got arms carrying arms. Though I may be ignorant to your combat capability, you’re also ignorant of mine. You know not the extent of my mutant abilities, the amount of mutants I’ve brought with me, or the extent of their mutant abilities. Needless to say, I’m rather confident in myself as well as my military backing.”

Doppelganger wasn’t backing down. A subtle air of confidence draped over him.

“I have a friend who’s watching my heat signature. Simply seeing me engage in a fight is enough to trigger all-out war, and even on the off chance that you can best me; my cold, lifeless corpse would definitely send them in, full force. Moreover, the fact that we’re under the Earth just makes things even more difficult for you. The only staircase I see leading out of here is the one I came down in. So again, even if you manage to kill me, you’d have to try and slip through the ongoing fight to make your escape. Naturally, such suspicious behaviour would make you the first target. And obviously, we’ve got our own eyes watching over the place, just in case someone tries to run off with our device.”

Doppel’s gaze trailed off as he thought for a moment. A small smile trekked across his face.

“Limitless energy, you’re not the only one that could make great use of such a thing. I’m not sure what gave you the immediate assumption that we’re doing this for pay. But I simply couldn’t pass up the opportunity to study and utilize such technology.”

He paused for a moment as his eyes drifted back to the unnamed fake Scot. They then fell down to the more than impressive rifle in his hands.

“That is, unless you’re willing to part with that. The craftsmanship of your rifle is of such fine quality even an imbecile could tell that it’s better than any other in the Pen. In all my days, I’ve yet to come across such a gem. I only brag about my physical prowess and that of my compatriots so as to give you some inkling of who it is we are. We’re not a petty bunch and there is absolutely no way we’ll just turn around and walk off empty handed. Yet, frankly, war always has casualties and it is best avoided if possible. We came to retrieve technology beyond that of the Pen, so as to improve upon the technology already in the Pen. We’ve torn apart this city for a century. This device could greatly improve the conditions of our lives and the lives of the people around us. That said, if I managed to bring your rifle back with me, we could still improve technology in the Pen. Unfortunately, it’d be restricted to improving our ability to kill each other, but at least it’s something. You can empty the magazine first if you feel uncomfortable.”

Doppel than retrieved his shoddy pistol from his hip. Sighing from disappointed as he compared the two firearms, he shrugged it off before pointing it at the large man’s head.

“I’m willing to leave here without the device, I’m just not leaving empty handed. Fair?”

The other man had not interrupted Doppel the entire time he’d spoken, and had been given plenty of time to react when Doppel upholstered his pistol. Throughout the shape-shifter’s monologue he’d just been smiling coyly, and it didn’t seem like a fake smile, even as Doppel had brought the weapon upward it seemed the other man was still confident in his ability to get out of the situation. The geezer had seen a lot of bluffs and good poker-faces in his time in espionage and he’d learned to differentiate them from someone who was genuinely unconcerned, this was definitely the latter.

As he had finished the man made an amused “Hmm” sound before speaking, “Not bad. I’m to assume you have a radio on you somewhere and just dropped some code words into that little speech of yours, and that your plans now in motion? A classic really. But-”

He stood up and now that they were standing in relative close distance to one another Doppel could see the other man stood a solid two-heads above him. He retrieved the cigar and placed it in his mouth one last time, not removing it as he spoke, “-before it begins I’ll point out the error in your logic. If you had enough people waiting out there to “trigger all-out-war” as you put it, you simply would have stormed the Bandoliers when they let their guard down at nightfall. Not to mention if you intended to nab the device and retreat you’d need a fast transport, not something that could carry many people. No, you’re ten people or less. Well then, good luck to you.”

Doppel was beginning to appreciate the man’s calculative mind. A phrase he’d once heard on a television show way back when came screaming in his head. Smart criminals make for good cops, essentially saying that an intelligent adversary refines your skills. Despite this, the shape-shifter knew that the time for subtlety had ended and yelled, “Back-east!”

What happened next was a fluke, an utter stroke of luck that couldn’t have gone better and probably saved the old mutant’s life, because apparently Alicia and Acacia could not have picked a better spot to be lying in wait. The ground below the two buckled upward once throwing both men off their balance just as the other man fired a single bullet from his rifle. Having been aimed at Doppel it did manage to graze his chin despite the situation, causing a trickle of blood to leak out. Luckily he wouldn’t get a chance for another as the floor buckled once more this time throwing the man backward into the fence surrounding them; while shouted voices from above and quick stomps down the stairs showed this had not gone unnoticed.

Having been slightly more prepared for the tremors Doppel was still on his feet (shaky as they might be) as he lunged for the cylinder, not worrying about disconnecting it from the little construct the man had set it into, and pulled it tightly to his chest. The man had regained his footing and was readying his rifle till he saw Doppel held the cylinder in his hands at which point he started to walk forward toward him, and from his stature it was a safe bet he had greater strength in a fist fight than Doppel. The old shape-shifter readied his weapon but before either could attack a third tremor occurred, and this time the floor broke open.

Concrete shrapnel was sent flying through the room pelting both men and a large slab of concrete hit the other man square in the chest, though it only took him a moment to shrug it off. In that moment, however, Alicia’s face and hand appeared through the small hole that had been created, “Small body, small body!” she yelled.

In an instant Doppel had taken on the smaller form of a child and Alicia popped up grabbing him by the wrist. She noted the man who had readied his rifle at her and a ripple of black stone covering her left side sent the bullets ricocheting around the room, forcing him to stop. And in that moment she wrapped her free hand around Doppel’s wrist and ripped him through the opening, into the sewers below.

[GoldenKitten]

As Alicia moved into the opening it was a tight fit but she was still small, if not quite as small as Acacia, and with a little wriggling slid through. By the time she did so Acacia was already a hundred paces ahead of her, and down here it was utter dark so nothing could be seen. Still the hole was far enough away and she had taken enough steps inside to risk a little light as she produced a small pen light.

Ironically despite the smaller pens being more complex most heavy duty bulbs hadn’t survived more than twenty years at best once the Pen had been closed in, but pen lights not only had a longer shelf life, but put less stress on the Pens limited resources that most people could afford at least one. Bigger bulbs existed as was proven by the electrical grid that ran through Downtown and even some of these outer areas. But every one of them was treated like gold, and for many families in the Downtown area their light source (most unable to afford more than a single bulb every year or two) were their most precious possession. More affluent individuals and businesses were able to afford more, or in Rufus bars case had been granted more due to the business it pulled in for the Wolf Clan.

As she walked forward the sewer was much like any of the unused sewer systems found throughout the city. Only those in the Downtown area were still operational and could still be called “sewers” in the traditional sense. Most outside that area had either been blocked off from the decay of time and lack of maintenance, or were purposefully blocked off by the Inner Gangs to prevent infiltration. This meant that any “biomass” was long gone, washed away by countless years of rain and instead replaced with a cave-like ecosystem. Rain-water still pooled down here though only in small avoidable areas that had broken through the concrete floor creating miniature ponds, and wild animals often called them home. Though mice and mosquitoes seemed to be this sectors only inhabitants from a quick look around.

Catching up with Acacia who was walking at a slower pace, Alicia could now see she was occasionally flicking a finger at a nearby wall and just watched silently. She set the pen light behind her right ear as not to have to carry it around as she briefly scouted ahead of the other girl to get a lay of the land. She wasn’t entirely certain what Acacia was doing but it didn’t take a genius to figure out she was making good on her claim of setting up a defense. Not knowing much about plants Alicia could only guess as to what that would be, but honestly she didn’t care what it did as long as it let them get away.

It only took a minute to recognize her prediction had been right, the way they came in was the only entrance as though the area had once been a crossroads, it was instead now an ‘L’ shape, with the bend going beneath the Bandoliers hideout. One of the other directions had caved-in completely, and the other had seen the massive roots of some enormous tree that must have been on the other side of the buildings eventually burrowing through the concrete itself, through the open space, and into the ground beneath it effectively blocking that direction off as well. This made their options limited as they’d only have one decent location for insertion, but it was better than going through the front door. Even if she had to fight her way in a bit, she was sure to face less resistance coming through the basement than any other route as the Bandoliers had clearly never set up defenses or even acknowledged this tactical weakness their headquarters possessed.

While Acacia continued about her work Alicia stood at the bend in the ‘L’ and looked out toward the road, then in, and back out. She did this several times as she got a mental picture of where the sewer finally met up with the building, and further how far into the building that provided access. She came to the conclusion that they’d only be able to make an infiltration into the back-left side of the building, she’d hoped for more options but it was still their best bet. And she was assuming it was how things would go, almost nobody stored their caches elsewhere if they had access to a basement type structure. It was a holdover from days gone by, even as people accepted mutant powers as an everyday part of life they seemed to forget that those very powers often negated old staples…such as where the safest place to store your valuables was.

Having chosen a point where she believe the best place to break through without causing a complete cave-in would be Alicia took a seat on the dry step that had once served as the sewage channel. A few minutes later Acacia joined her and it was time to play the waiting game, Alicia was fully aware it could take a few hours, she’d rather Doppel did it right than fast. As such and being out of earshot of the guard Alicia occasionally attempted to make small talk with the plant girl, but as before their unfamiliarity with each other made such conversation difficult. Meaning much of the time spent down in the dark cave was utterly silent, though Alicia did manage to compliment Acacia at one point.

“Your work in the field was nice. The others might not be as familiar with using the foliage in this place for cover, but I recognized how you’d have hardly noticed us…”, that was probably the part where you were supposed to say good job but Alicia just sort of trailed off, compliments were reserved for special circumstances. And even though Alicia had truly meant what she said, getting too friendly with someone you weren’t totally familiar with was dangerous, even if Rufus trusted her.

And so they waited.
And waited.
And waited some more.
Something was wrong.

“Something’s wrong,” Alicia stated as she stood up and headed for the entrance to the sewers, motioning for Acacia to remain where she was. As she neared the exit she switched the pen light off and slowly peaked out when she was certain there wasn’t a trap waiting right there for her.

She hadn’t thought Doppel would be captured, at least not without letting out some sort of a warning. All appearances aside he was a professional, and he would also recognize they would be his only chance of future rescue in that situation, so he’d have let on to it somehow. Still, hours without word became concerning if for no other reason than their actions wouldn’t be so easily masked once morning came to pass. It would be harder for them to move, and both the blood splatter her strike had caused, and the body itself could be noted if one of the guards headed that direction when enough light had popped up.

Thus she had mixed feelings when she peered out just far enough to see Doppel…or at least the man he was supposed to be sitting at the camp fire on guard. She suspected he’d had a run-in with the man’s immediate superiors who’d forced him out here, and keeping his cover was the most important thing. Still if this man’s guard shift was all night that was going to leave them precious little wiggle-room between the shift change, and full daylight; where even if their activities weren’t noted it would still make slipping away afterward more problematic. Nobody could have picked them out of that field in the dark as they made their way back, but even an unskilled marksman could get a shot or two in when the lights were up.

But concerning herself with such things was a non-factor, she couldn’t rush Doppel, and indeed doing so could jeopardize their infiltration just as much as daylight could. She was confident they could hold their own, even so she wouldn’t want to be in an extended firefight with a force that was at least double their number, and likely three or four times that in reality. If she’d wrangled up more followers she was confident they could have just taken the Bandoliers head-on and succeeded. But at their current level she’d just have to trust Doppel to get the job done, something his many years of successful espionage proved he could do.

As such she returned to where she was sitting and leaned against the wall before speaking, “He’s back out there, something must have happened inside. We’ll just have to wait it out.”

And wait it out they did, she didn’t doubt the old man’s ability, but it really did start to look like they were going to be there the entire night. She’d check every hour or so and sure enough he’d still be sitting there, and each time she became increasingly anxious as every minute they were here, they, or one of the other “teams” stood a chance of being discovered.

Alicia needed no sleep, most people in the Pen slept lightly and shortly due to the inherent danger it presented, but Alicia even less so. Partly because of a learned behavior, and partly it seemed because of her powers. There was no real logic behind it other than that she was a mutant, and as humanity had quickly learned the mutant gene didn’t always make sense. Other than the enhanced strength and rock like substance she could produce the trait of needing little to no sleep ran in Alicias family, she along with all the relatives she remembered could stay awake for weeks at a time. And even when she did rest she did it because she knew her body needed it, never having experienced the sense of “exhaustion” other people talked about when they were tired. That wasn’t to say she couldn’t be winded or feel out of sorts every once in a while, but sitting down and taking a drink was all it took to cure the sensation, and she never truly entered what people would refer to as “Sleep”.

It made her the perfect look-out as well as making her nigh impossible to find her unprepared, but it also meant she sat around fully aware of every excruciating second of operations like this. It was during one particular bout of pacing back-and-forth that she heard voices outside. It was now early morning though it would still be several hours before sunlight filled the area allowing Alicia to still stealthfully check on the situation. It seemed finally that Doppel was switching off with the next shift of guards which was both a positive and a negative. Positive because he could hopefully begin undeterred, negative because now there were multiple guards, none of them on their side all outside the entrance.

Though a slight lightening of the sky showed that morning was coming it would still be two hours till sunrise for the outer world, and two more after that for full light to take the Pen. She may have trusted him to get it done, but this fact was making her increasingly antsy as she retreated back into the sewers and slowly paced in stark contradiction to her utter stillness the night before. She’d waited a thousand times before, but she still preferred quick in-and-outs, waiting was fine but tactical espionage always concerned her.

Even more-so the longer, and longer Doppel seemed to take. She again doubted he had been found out as he would have let off some warning, and they would have seen some changes in the Bandoliers activity as they didn’t seem the sort that were smart enough for a coordinated preparation. But as minutes turned into hours, and the opening to the tunnel began to turn the pale blue of morning light she was becoming overly sensitive. Flexing her arms so that a coating of rock would form there, retreat, and then form again; over-and-over in a nervous habit.

Then with what felt like a booming roar, though it was only due to the utter silence that had permeated the sewer and was in fact very low in volume, their radios came to life. Alicia waited for a codeword but none came, instead it was nothing but the loud roar of some sort of engine…or maybe a generator. Alicia wanted to say something but knew the old man could be trying to let them in on the situation at hand without being overt and so remained silent. The roar grew louder as if he was getting closer to the source, and then there was talking between someone else and who she assumed was Doppel since she hadn’t really had time to implant his new voice in her head, and unlike him she hadn’t paid close enough attention to mimic it. But as it was the younger of the two voices, and the other spoke with a distinct accent she wasn’t familiar with it was easy to pick up on who-was-who.

It however was not easy to distinguish exactly what was said thanks to the constant roar of the machine in the background. However, as she began to listen as closely as possible and filter the sound out she was able to pick up on what was happening and her eyes went wide. Someone had made Doppel, she didn’t know how, and from the sounds of it they weren’t the only one after the device. But it called for immediate action and Alicia was already on her feet and headed to the area she had determined was the most stable point in the sewer roof even before Doppel started dropping code-words. And when Doppel called out, clearly any sort of attempt to cloak his words gone Alicia went into action, praising that they were in the right area…though she hoped the old man could survive the few seconds it was going to take to get through.

She pointed at Acacia, “Get back!”

The sewer was low thankfully meaning she wasn’t going to have to do any acrobatics, she could firmly plant her feet into the ground and still strike the “roof” with her firsts. Pulling both of her arms back as they became heavily encased in the black rock Alicia slammed both fist straight upward into the concrete above which instantly heaved up almost a foot, and when it dropped large chunks of the roof fell toward her though she was ready and had her own defenses erected so they rolled off. Despite this she didn’t cut through instantly and a gunshot over the radio spurred her on, for all she knew that meant Doppel was already dead; she needed to get in while the device was still there.

Like most people her legs were capable of dealing more force than her arms, and while not overly acrobatic plenty of exorcise had rendered her limber. Rolling fluidly from the first strike she leaned down planting two arms, and one leg into the ground and performing a complete split striking the roof with an encased leg which forced the concrete up three times as much as it had before, and even more to fall down upon her when it retreated. If it didn’t immediately, the area would soon cave-in after their departure, but for now she could see trickles of light through the cracks into the room she had made. And so with a mighty heave of her legs she sent herself head and fist-first through the weakest looking point in the break.

Her hand burst through the floor of the basement and she wrapped her fingers around the nearest solid surface, ripping her body through the hole she’d made. Looking around she only had a split-second to take the situation in, and couldn’t stand on ceremony to really get a handle on what was happening. She saw Doppel, he was alive, and he had in his arms what had to be the device. At the same time she noted the other man to her side though she had no time to take him in, in detail other than that he was readying his weapon.

She knew she had no time to break the hole open wider and yelled at Doppel, “Small body, small body!”

The shape-shifter thankfully caught on quick as Alicia grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him close as he took the form of a child. At the same time she had brought up a defense on her side as she knew she’d taken enough time to be attacked, and indeed this proved prudent as several bullets were deflected off her impromptu shield. And then, wasting no time she a reached back down into the whole she was half stuck in and thrust them both back into the sewer with great force so that they collapsed to the ground in a heap.

Even without using her defenses her skin was tough and brushing against the rock had been nothing as she quickly got to her feet. Doppel on the other hand was squishier and she hoped he (and the device in particular) had made the journey safely. However almost before she could get to his side he was pulling himself up, device in-hand and it looked intact. There was no time to waste though as she looked at them both, “Follow and stop for nothing!”

Strangely the man had not followed them; instead they heard shouting above as more Bandoliers had entered the room. The man seemed to don that fake accent Alicia was unfamiliar with and from this distance she could hear him roar, “They gah’ thah device yah dogs! After them!”

Alicia needed no further prompting and she hurled herself toward the “entrance” they had used to get here in the first place. She could hear Acacia and Doppel running behind her, and soon after a set of thumps as evidently the Bandoliers had started to come through the hole she made. However, almost as quickly she heard screams and yells, she could only assume it was Acacias defense but she had no time to look back to see what was happening. Instead charging forward building inhuman momentum as she cloaked her arms in rock Alicia and slammed into the small opening, instantly sending debris flying all over the courtyard, blowing holes into any nearby building they impacted, and instantly widening the entry to the point the two following could simply run through.

As she broke out into the open she pulled the old rifle off her back and rounded to aim at the entrance to their headquarters. It seemed however when the ruckus had begun inside that the guards outside had retreated within to help as nobody was there. Regardless she didn’t trust it would remain that way and with her aim still on the door she made a military gesture with her hand toward the nearest window on one of the houses across the street, “Get through it, move!”

While Doppel and Acacia did as she said she found her preparation well rewarded as a figure came out the front door. However, it was just a single man, and though she had only glimpsed him briefly it was most certainly the one that had been in the cellar with Doppel. He instantly raised his own rifle at her, and though she couldn’t appreciate its quality from this distance she could still tell a good gun when she saw one. She opened fire and her marksmanship proved true as it slammed into the man’s chest, and yet he didn’t budge or even flinch.

In response the man opened fire and Alicia allowed her defense to come down over the entire front of her body. Despite this when the shot impacted her upper body, even though she wasn’t wounded, the kick of the bullet was so incredibly high that it knocked her off her feet to the ground as she lost a handle on her own weapon. She was shocked as she could usually take dozens of bullets to her shielding without worry but this had not only knocked her back, it had taken a large chunk out of the shield in a single blow. Regardless, surprising as it was she knew she had to act and scrambled to her feet rapidly searching for her weapon but even as she got it and tried to ready it, she saw that the man was already taking another shot.

And then in a hail of bullets he was forced to roll to his side as Rufus and Randal opened fire from the building across the way. Wasting no time Alicia tossed herself through the window Doppel and Acacia had already made their way through, and simply went bashing through the weak wooden walls to the street and park beyond as she pulled out her radio, “Got it! Got it! Everyone move now!”

Somewhere behind she heard a huge bang but couldn’t worry about helping Rufus and Randal. The important thing was having the car prepared to go, and if they all made it then it was for the best. But everyone knew when they took jobs like this that not coming back was a risk you took. Right now she had to do what was most prudent to ensure the greatest level of victory they could attain.

Moments prior as Alicia had escaped and Rufus and Randal had provided covering fire the man had quickly recovered and after briefly ascertaining what windows they were firing from had raised his own weapon. Only as he did so he flipped it on its side and cocked what appeared to be a larger chamber below the main one, and then pulled a trigger sending a small black orb hurtling toward the building.

Inside Randal had instantly ascertained what was about to happen and before Rufus could react he had grabbed the barkeeper by the collar and thrown them down the stairwell. They rolled, knocking heads and bruising body parts before landing with a massive thud at the bottom. But the man’s reasoning was immediately apparent as the wall of the upper floor exploded in a ball of fire, completely collapsing the roof above it. And as Randal and Rufus reoriented themselves the aged building itself began to creak and groan as the supports that had been on the side the grenade hit gave way, and the building itself began to lean in that direction. Alicia had ordered the retreat and it was clear the men could do no more as Randal thrust the door open and the duo rushed off after the retreating backs of the rest of the group several dozen paces ahead.

Alicia and the others were running with all their might and though she had been worried at first, it seemed they were going to get away as they neared the other side of the park where the car was in under a minute. And that was when almost as if to spit in the face of that idea things went sideways. She’d only barely glimpsed the flicker of red laser light in her eyes before she heard the shot. The round had passed within an inch of her face, and the concussive force it produced was enough that she could physically feel the air rushing by. And then one of the ageless trees that had been right behind her profile exploded into an innumerable amount of splinters as the enormously high caliber shot passed through its trunk, felling it at the impact point more effectively than any axe could have.

Even as the tree fell to its side behind her Alicia readied her rifle in the direction of where it had come from. She spotted the black figure on a rooftop a hundred meters off but knew she stood no chance of hitting it. Even so she unleashed everything she had in its direction as she ran yelling to everyone present, “Go, go, GO!”. Thankfully either they overjudged her skill or were just being careful and the sniper ducked out of sight as she emptied the entire 11 shot clip left in her rifle.

It bought them the time they needed as Doppel and Acacia got behind the safety of the alleyway shortly before Alicia did herself, somewhat annoyingly it appeared Gen had been the first one to arrive for the first time in his life. Rufus and Randal were shortly behind with Randal holding his own weapon in the direction the shot had come from, futile a gesture as it might have been. As they jumped in the vehicle Alicia ripped the camo-tarp off her vehicle and tossed it to the side with no intent of taking time to pack it up despite its value.

The sniper had changed everything, she’d thought they were just dealing with someone like herself who had made their way in and was trying to claim the device for similar reasons, or perhaps an Outer Gang. But the gun that man had, had? And then the sniper who even at that distance she had still recognized? No, what little bits of the conversation she had picked up now made sense, and they didn’t have a moment to lose.

As she jumped into the driver’s seat she thrust her rifle into Rufus hands as he entered the alley and ran past her, “Ammo! In the center box there, get it reloaded. Everyone in and have your weapons ready!”

She began frantically cranking the ignition, trying to get the old bucket to turn over. It took five tries and as she did so she heard ominous whistles sounding out from all around them, but she didn’t dare waste time looking around. As the car roared to life she looked up and threw the car into reverse, “In or not, we’re gone!”

The vehicle was thrown into a rapid reversal as two black shadows appeared at the opening to the alley, the sound of the car apparently having given away their exact position. And as Alicia spun the wheel and the car weaved backwards around the corner, slamming into walls and jolting its occupants every which way the two Reavers had filled the previously occupied alleyway with a volley of gunfire which they just narrowly avoided. But even as Alicia swung the car out on to the main road and put it into its highest drive she knew they weren’t even close to out of trouble. If anything their real trouble had just begun.

[Darkoda]

Alicia’s arrival didn’t take much longer from when she’d started up with her idea of what defence meant to show up, the small light from that penlight moving about with her as she explored ahead. Pen lights, remarkably convenient for getting about given how hard it would be to get any kind of light within the Pen. Granted, she of herself could care less; it would be far too much trouble to hook up any electricity within her garden to begin with even if she was about to try for lighting and frankly, it was better for her that the place lacked any lighting beyond natural…..or some degree of natural. Everyone who was supposed to be there either had some manner of night vision or in her case could just simulate it by making her eyes glow a bit.

Even now that was precisely what she was doing in order to see where she was going before Alicia arrived. She believed that this one was called bioluminescence, something only a few living things could pull off. Fortunately for her there were a few fungi that fell under that and mushrooms were close enough to be under her sway because she really would not liked to have to constantly remember to keep some manner of flashlight on her at all times, she found it enough of a bother to remember that radio.

On the way there she took note of the roots of a clearly long lived tree that had grown deep enough to reach the sewers below. How many years it must have taken to gradually wear through the concrete of the buildings, roads and sewers in the tree’s quest for growth? It also provided another option, if need be just having the roots move might well be enough to make the entire area collapse with the lack of support. Ideas, Ideas….well it gave her something to do while waiting since going with Alicia’s idea involved more attempts at them trying to communicate and realising that they didn’t know each other, though somewhere along the line Alicia said something that might have been her trying to be nice?

“Well thanks? I think that was meant to be a compliment anyway….” She wasn’t too sure but maybe she should actually attempt to give a bit herself, she couldn’t keep being wary around her so much and not make any attempt to get to know her even slightly. “It might be best if we make an attempt to at least gather more small talk material later for when we end up alone together again.”

So time went, as Alicia eventually went to check in on Doppel and they learned that circumstances left them with a bit of a delay. Fair enough, it wasn’t much for her to stay still for extended periods. Still, she didn’t want to be here for an entire night; at daytime things were liable to become far more likely to end badly. Case in point, things took too long and the emergency evac ended up coming into play.

Acacia only waiting long enough to make sure that the two were alive and able to move before she took off, finding Alicia’s advice quite prudent right now. Granted she wasn’t quite concerned about anyone following them and indeed, a few of them were learning quite quickly that the tunnel was a death trap to anyone that entered. Branches skewering through you tended to do that though it sounded like the other things she put weren’t going to be necessary. Pity after the trouble.

And on that note, they had trouble and quite a bit of it, whoever they were dealing with had some very high tech weaponry on their hands given that Alicia nearly got her head popped off by a sniper bullet and did completely destroy the trunk of a tree. Sheesh. Well then, time for stealth was over and it was time for the quick escape. And with the whistling again confirming what she was starting to suspect she found it for the best that they were leaving in a vehicle. From the moment bullets started to fly Acacia had already shifted into battle mode, her skin shifted into a texture very similar to an ancient petrified tree and leaves wrapped around her in a similar fashion to a camo suit. Once she had reached the car though Acacia had done nothing beyond secure herself to the seat and staring blankly like she was zoned out.

That might not have been a bad description either, she was focusing on something entirely different while she had the time to do so, it wasn’t necessary per say but she’d probably have to keep up her own manner of artillery for an extended fight so the less force she needed, the better. As the car took off, Acacia’s arms swung wildly through the alleyway they just left, the plant girl giving it a couple of seconds for the bullets to stop before she started her retaliation – she didn’t exactly appreciate being shot at before.

The walls of the alleyway were already weakened from the high calibre fire from the Reavers but the massive vines that burst from the buildings around finished the job, oversized thorns growing from the monster plants as they homed in on their targets from all sides. She knew that their body armour was strong and questioned her plants’ ability to force their way through but then that’s why she had poison. Lots of poisonous and corrosive sap that said plants were leaking in the entire alley.

Of course this was a stopgap at most; she was hoping that they’d at least end up stuck in that tangled mass of vines and get their equipment ruined even if she couldn’t just kill them, if they were removed from the fight long enough for them to get distance since Acacia’s ability to contribute was going to go down slightly; she couldn’t very well make plants sprout to attack if she was sitting in a car constantly driving about in directions that she couldn’t predict, aiming for at least three flight capable mutants. Well she could but it would require some shenanigans to get placement right.

“This is going to get annoying fast.” They had to be flight capable; this would be so much easier if they were grounded. Maybe they’d stay on the rooftops, that worked fine as long as knew which ones. “Are you sure that your client wasn’t trying to kill us?”

[Zhiel]

Being chastised by both Alicia and Acacia for his carelessness Rufus merely shrugged "Give me some slack, I wasn't even sure if he was going to show and I assumed he'd contact me before showing rather than appearing like he did..." He answered, looking at the ground and having a bit of a frown on his face. Rufus prided himself on his accurate information and always being prepared, so this had stung quite a bit for him. "With the Reavers around I decided to take the silent approach. I'm not used to dealing with people who scare easily, so I apologize for that." Randal said as Alicia told them to follow, though it was obvious he wasn't actually apologizing, however something that might have been telling was how he held his left wrist with his right hand when speaking about the Reavers, with the wrist and hand being a lot more wrapped than any other of his limb-attached appendages, completely obscuring it other than a few black points here and there. Rufus merely sighed, hoping the others would just ignore him, the man just did not mix well with other people.

While the group made their way through the parks vegetation Rufus thought the same as Doppel, Acacia's ability was definitely a godsend in this place, more-so than he could ever have thought though of course he had not seen the extent of the plant girls abilities before but this made him more inclined to believe many of the rumors circulating about her as having more truth than fiction, which just made her scarier. He considered breaking up the silence with a bit of conversation but decided against it, realizing that with the low visibility a potential enemy could be just meters away. He instead opted to keep his eyes on the ground so as to avoid stepping on any snakes or other nasty wildlife usually found in places like this. Luckily they did not run into any such creatures and after a good while had reached the other side, with Alicia taking charge as per usual and leaving shortly to ascertain the situation in their nominated hidey-hole.

Being near the back of the group Rufus had no way to check outside the thick vegetation and so just waited patiently until they finally could hear a whistle from the building at which point Doppel was the first to rush out, followed by Acacia, and as Rufus himself got to the end of the brush he briefly looked around and then sprinted toward the building and jumped inside, turning around just to see Randal standing by the window as if he'd been there all the time. To anyone else who had been watching he'd simply have been following a mere foot behind Rufus but he apparently knew how to move fast without making much sound on top of not drawing attention to himself as Rufus had been completely oblivious to it, of course someone more experienced might have picked up on it regardless, but unlike Alicia, Rufus only did things like these occasionally.

Once inside the group found their way to the upper floor and through a window was able to look down at the Bandolier compound, and after guesstimating their numbers Alicia began working on a plan with Randal's input on the sewer. Maybe the man was just very knowledgeable about the area or in-tune with the wastes, or perhaps his sight was just that good, but to Rufus the cave-in just looked like a hole in the ground rather than a part of the sewer system. Regardless it didn't take too long for their plan to get set into motion as one of the guards went to relieve himself, and walked out of sight of the other guard... "Fool, you'd think they would know never to be alone in the wastes." Randal sneered, though whether he was speaking to anyone present was hard to tell so Rufus said nothing, but he found it a little amusing how he said this yet was the loner type himself, literally living on his own in this crazy place. But he wasn't your average mutant, Rufus knew that much.

With Rufus and Randal left on watch they both noticed how Acacia nimbly moved into the sewer, though they (or Rufus at any rate) couldn't tell what happened over at Alicia and Doppel's direction until what seemed the first guard walked out of the shadows and joined up with the other guard. As there was no signal and they soon saw Alicia slink down the sewer as well Rufus assumed the plan was a-go, and as such all that was left right now was to wait. They didn't have to wait long for something to happen, as roughly twenty minutes later they could see Doppel moving into the compound. With any luck he'd be able to snatch the device and get out without any fuss. Heck Rufus would be tempted to give him his own extra share if it worked out that well. But as with all good strategies they never quite survive the first encounter with the enemy, and soon Doppel was back out with no device in sight. "We're in for a long wait it seems." Randal said as he stared down at the compound "I wasn't prepared for this..." he then muttered to himself, to which Rufus raised a brow but he thought better than to ask him what he meant.

Either way whilst waiting for something to happen Randal sat by the window keeping watch, as two doing so would increase the likelihood of being spotted, while Rufus sat on the floor at a place where some water was dripping down the floor and over the course of several hours creating a small icesculpture out of it with his ability. It wasn't highly detailed so if it was supposed to be anything specific or just something to take his mind of the wait was hard to tell, either way he was starting to get unnerved by the way Randal seemed to shift his attention to him every so often, there was something wrong with his eyes that he couldn't put his finger on, and his left arm seemed to twitch ever so slightly before he did so... "It appears out friend is going to be out there for a while... I'll.. be right back..." Rufus couldn't really figure it out, but Randal almost seemed panicked as he near soundlessly disappeared down the stairs. Rufus heaved a sigh of relief, and waited a couple minutes before he crept up to the window and took Randal's place as look-out.

An hour or two later, just before the guards switched out Randal came back, just the same way as he had first appeared startling Rufus a bit "Gah, would you please stop creeping up on your allies like that?" Rufus said as he looked the man in the face, just now realizing, at least partially, what had been wrong with his eyes. Before the purple colour of his eyes had diminished and turned almost gray, but now they were an almost luminescent violet... Interesting...

In response to Rufus the larger mutant merely shrugged as he went over to the other side of the window and peeked out, noticing that a couple new faces had just appeared, and that soon Doppel finally went inside the compound. And then more waiting ensued... And more waiting... Rufus while used to waiting was getting restless due to how nervous he was growing, Randal on the other hand sat completely still and silent to the point Rufus might have mistaken him for dead if he didn't know better.

Then suddenly the walkie-talkie on his hip crackled to life as a voice came through, though it was clear the 'talkie wasn't held properly as the words were hard to make out, though why this was the case soon became evident as they heard the conversation taking place. It seemed someone else was after the device and they had ended up in conflict with each others. Rufus unholstered his six-shooter as he began to peek out the window again just in case, whilst following the conversation as well as he could, until it reached it's end and who Rufus had to assume was Doppel yelled out the location, followed mere moments later by a ringing gunshot and a resounding boom that they could hear both through the 'talkie and from outside. Hopefully Alicia would get there in time to help Doppel, cause the situation looked dire right about now.

Just a few minutes later they could see how Alicia and the others came out of the caved-in sewer once again, as a huge man with the shiniest rifle Rufus had ever seen exited the compound, who subsequently got shot in the chest by Alicia, but for some reason didn't fall over... He then shot at the woman and the mere impact of the shot sent her on her ass... That was one scary mother of a gun. Without a word both Rufus and Randal opened fire on the big scary man, Rufus with his six-shooter and Randal with a small side-arm Rufus hadn't noticed earlier. Either he had it well-hidden or he had retrieved it when he had left earlier. Though he really didn't have time to think too much about it, as only a few seconds later the big man sent a small black orb sailing in their direction. Rufus soon realized what it was, but by the time he would have reacted it would have been too late, so it was lucky for him that Randal instantly recognized it and flung them both down the stairs. The falling itself hurt naturally, Rufus would have a sore everything for a few days now, but with the explosion of fiery death happening above them he really didn't mind. Laying sprawled out on the floor Rufus stuttered a thank you to Randal who was already up on his feet and dragged Rufus up along with him, and then they ran.

Being as far back as they were Rufus did not noticed the sniper's presence until a tree next to Alicia just about exploded. He cursed but continued running, the car was the only way out of there so he had little choice even if running toward the sniper seemed suicidal at best. Randal's reaction to the sniper was a little more specific however as he growled "Reavers...". Luckily it seemed that Alicia's attempt at covering-fire had worked as the sniper didn't shoot at them further and they were all soon by the car, with Alicia pushing her rifle into his hands as she tried to get the ignition going while telling him to get the weapon loaded and for everyone else to get ready as well. He did as told, swinging into the seat next to the drivers as he began to reload the weapon. He generally didn't handle rifles, but a few occasions had left him using either Alicia's rifle or one that resembled it, and so he knew what to do and was just about done when Alicia finally got the car going and it reversed at full speed and made a 180 into the wall outside the alley. Randal who had climbed up on the back had to suddenly jolt up on the top of the vehicle, saying something about women and driving as they got going, though regardless he held his weapon out while gripping the roll-cage with his left arm, waiting for any Reavers to show.

[GoldenKitten]

The look on Alicias face was hard to read, she was gritting her teeth and openly cursing, but at the same time one could tell by the way her eyes were flickering from side-to-side that she was still calmly assessing the surroundings. The truth was she had two deeply conflicting emotions tearing at her mind at that moment. The bravery, and soundness of thought that her father had instilled from birth; and the utter fear that her previous run-in with the Reavers had imposed upon that natural bravado. Alicia had almost died many times in her life, but those had always been from stupid mistakes that she took to heart and learned from. The only thing she had learned when she had fought the Reavers was that they were inhumanly powerful; there was a difference between screwing up, and facing an opponent you stood no chance against.

That difference was fear. All the killing, all the anger, all the depravity, everything that took place within these walls couldn’t prepare you for that kind of fear. The fear of being stalked by something that was your better in every possible way. She’d had guns held to her head, almost been sold into slavery, fought in all-out gang wars, and seen some of the darkest depths this world had to offer in her journey to where she sat today. But that instinctive fear all living beings were born with trumped all supposed desensitization as fight-or-flight kicked into full gear…except in this case there was only one option.

She heard Acacias comment about this being a trap from the start, she very much doubted that since there was no guarantee who was going to accompany her and if they’d simply wanted one of their heads any number of organizations would have been up for the job. Still, she couldn’t help but feel that the contact had to have known about the Reavers shared interest in their target. As the car sped down the road Alicia retrieved her radio while scanning the rooftops and her rearview mirror, nothing yet but she knew it was only a matter of time as she tuned it to the proper channel; “You son of a bitch. You knew the Reavers were in on this and didn’t let us know!”

There was a long silence filled only with the roar of the vehicle as it made a furiously fast bee-line for the highway, pushing the vehicle to speeds it had never endured before, parts of it actively rattling as if they were going to fall off at any moment. At first it seemed there wasn’t going to be a response, but finally the same calm voice spoke out, “The secure radio please. The Reavers will easily track the signal you’re using. I suggest you all turn your radios off.”

Alicia scoffed for a moment at the audacity but her internal logic side couldn’t fault the reasoning. Though the Reavers were a mystery it was entirely reasonable to assume that with their higher level of technical prowess they could listen in on radio communications, even on higher frequencies since they weren’t totally private, just used less frequently. Alicia didn’t particularly want to retrieve the radio she’d been sent, it didn’t change much of anything, but having such a device could provide a future boon and simply giving away its existence irked her. But thinking it through she saw no other alternative as she muttered, “Fine” and switched her radio off turning to the others to inform them to do the same, as she did so she could have sworn she saw a black flicker across the street behind them.

On any other day she’d have called it a trick of the eye, but today was different, and she knew it meant they were moments from confrontation. Reaching into her back pocket Alicia retrieved the slim black construct, powered it on, and ensured it was on the right frequency. However, before she could begin to speak the voice came across and being focused on driving she set it in a dashboard holder between she and Rufus.

“Unfortunately Ms. Alicia, I am not omnipotent. It was reasonable to assume there might be others aware of the Bandoliers haul, if not its exact details. But word that the Reavers were active in that area did not come to my attention until you were well within range. I never promised the job would be easy, but then did you think such a pay-off would come without possible consequences?”

Alicias eye twitched and she wanted to yell at the man but before she could reach for the radio he continued, “Regardless should you fall to them it will suit none of our interest. So with that in mind I’ve more than a few fallback plans in place in event of emergency. You’ll need to follow my instructions, you might not like that but you know well as I do you won’t last long in your current state.”

Varying degrees of rage, curiosity, and fear all poured into Alicia as the man spoke. And yet, just as before, her logical side could not fault the reasoning. This was a distinctly inopportune scenario but while she wanted to blame the voice for their predicament, reason dictated that not only was that not likely, but that continuing as they were would end in their demise. And so, bundling all her rage inside her Alicia held the radio and let out a more accusational “Fine! What now then?” than she had intended.

Before a response could be given a rapid series of bangs echoed out from behind. A quick look showed that Randal was firing, and Gen next to him was unleashing powerful bursts of wind. She couldn’t get a good look at who they were firing at other than a few black blurs sliding across her sight in the mirrors occasionally. In actuality two Reavers had now pulled into close chase behind the vehicle, and still two others could be seen moving along the rooftops on either side of the road. While they could fly the mutants seemed to keep low to the ground so that when fired upon they could make immediate contact with it, launching themselves into an acrobatic dodge that made firearms virtually impossible to hit with. Similarly the rooftop Reavers seemed to be staying out of it for now, but rather than take to the skies they remained low and almost invisible hugging the rooftops themselves. Though all of those in pursuit looked to be lightly armored, a Recon team in all likelihood, it didn’t change the fact that more powerful groups than them had fallen to such a small team of Reavers before.

Alicia tried to push down harder on the acceleration, but it was quite clear the buggy was at its limit and refused to move any faster. Given that the Reavers clearly had no issue keeping up with such speeds it was evident that a prolonged engagement was a losing battle, something needed to be done but she didn’t know what. That was when the voice came across the radio, “Listen, you need to keep going straight. If you get on the highway you’ll be in their territory, and you might as well hand it over at that point. Instead, do you see that large triangular shaped building ahead? Keep going toward it.”

She couldn’t figure out why going straight was any better a plan than getting on the highway. If they did that maybe they could at least make it back to Wolf Clan territory. But part of her knew they’d never make it that far in their current state, especially out in the open of the raised road, and even if they did there was no guarantee the Wolf Clan would engage the Reavers. She didn’t trust anyone, let alone a voice on the radio, but she also knew that the highway was death…she might not trust them, but she was at least going to have to believe for a little while.

The building in question was easy enough to see, most people were aware of where it stood as a sort of visual land marker within the Pen. The large pyramid (which had once been glass, all long since broken now leaving behind only a steel framework) stood out, as it was not in the Downtown district but rather the factory district, and what had once been homes. As such it stood a solid twenty-stories over any other structure surrounding it, and was frequently the point of reference people used when designating South-west. Alicia didn’t know what the contact might be planning, but she reasoned they couldn’t be betrayed until the device was safe, so she hoped they had a genuine plan and in short order had gone blasting past the entrance to the highway.

All the while the crew had been exchanging fire with the following Reavers who had made multiple attempts to board the buggy, but had not actually retaliated in any way. It was strange though it only took a moment to rationalize that they didn’t want to risk damaging the device. This gave them a small advantage…miniscule as it might be as it was curbing the Reavers from unleashing their full might, and might just buy them the time they needed to do…whatever it was the voice planned to do. But all good things come to an end and while the group, Gen in particular, had made a valiant effort of pushing them back (with walls of wind in his case which had tripped them up several times) it seemed the Reavers were quickly learning.

It had started with them seemingly learning to predict when and where he was going to unleash the blows and dodging them all-together rather than getting caught and recovering, and now they were doing so with consistency. And with that in mind they moved in, in what was quite clearly an orchestrated movement, much like a single mind, or more likely a well-oiled military machine.

It began when one of the followers had sped up as if to catch the vehicle drawing the group’s attention. At the same time one of the Reavers on the rooftop had finally propelled himself downward and Gen moved to counter them with a blast of wind. But even as he caught it in a cyclone he had no chance at responding when he recognized the other rooftop Reaver had dropped in a synchronized fashion. And before anyone could help Gen he had been throttled and ripped off the vehicle before being carried and slammed into the nearest building sideways, as he and the Reaver who caught him hovered in mid-air. Unfortunately they clearly couldn’t stop to help him, and at the same time couldn’t even try to provide covering fire as they themselves were still being sieged.

Hovering there with Gen pinned to the wall, bleeding profusely from where he had been shoved with a great deal of force the masked Reaver reached for its beltline and in a flash produced a long military-grade knife. It quickly spun the blade upwards so as to be holding it in a stabbing motion and brought it straight at the boy’s face. And then with only inches between the blade-tip and his eye Gen managed to catch the Reavers arm, halting it ever so briefly, though his opponent continued pushing inward with overwhelming force as it continued to try and drive it through his eye-socket and into his skull. The fact that the Reaver seemingly made no sounds of exertion (or they were at least masked by the helmet it wore) only added to the tension as Gen put all his effort into pushing his adversary away.

At the same time while the group and Randal in particular had been paying attention to the closing Reaver they had missed that the one behind him had continued to fall back, and had eventually pulled out of sight. The reason soon became evident as Randal continued to open fire on their close pursuer, he knew they were up to something as he’d survived too long not to, but even so discerning what that “something” was, was entirely more difficult. The plan became evident when Gen who had been covering his other side was suddenly snatched from beside him and the missing Reaver showed itself, Randal only having a moment to brace himself as a shadow descended from the sky.

The sheer weight of its body dropping upon him leveled him into the bars as an iron grip closed around the hand he was holding his weapon in. Randal knew what pain felt like and even as the Reaver damn near shattered his wrist he refused to let go of the gun, but at the same time was handily pinned there as he attempted to kick the other mutant off to no particular avail. And this opening now allowed the Reaver who had been following closely before to quickly jump and board without issue to the vehicles rear.

While all of these details couldn’t be observed from Alicias position she could still get the general gist of what was happening, even as it went down. And as soon as Gen had been ripped off of the car-top she’d set into motion. She hoped the boy lived, her father and his had been friends and she didn’t particularly want to have to go tell one of the few families she was on good terms with that their son had died in her care. Alas, now was not the time for such thoughts as she turned to Rufus, “Take the wheel, do what the radio says! Understand?”

As soon as he confirmed he understood she slipped to the side allowing Rufus to maneuver over her. The man wasn’t as versed in driving the vehicle as she was, but she’d let him have a hand at it a couple times, and even a novice couldn’t screw up “Keep going straight”. As soon as she was certain he had his hands on the wheel she retrieved the rifle from where he had been sitting and threw its sash over her shoulder. She then reached up, grasping the open roll-cage above her and pulling herself on top of the car. In the time it’d taken her to do so events had progressed.

Randal was still fighting for control with one of the Reavers while the other had positioned himself over the back where Doppel was sitting and leaning down over the shape-shifter. Though he was now wearing a mask and had shed his previous coat the voice that called out was quite clearly the one from the Armory, “I did tell you, you’d be making an enemy you didn’t want.” It stated calmly.

Alicias was able to condense her weight so that there was no chance she could be thrown from the vehicle as she reared back and formed stone across one of her arms, swinging it at the prone figure still looking down at Doppel, “You talk too much!” she roared in a timeframe no regular person could have even responded, much less reacted in.

Yet before her very eyes the man slid in a seemingly impossible manner as his torso moved backward, avoiding the blow even as his feet and head remained where they were. His arms quickly twisted into a cyclone like structure that her fist happily fit into before all its energy was exhausted, “And you fight like a child,” he again stated in a serene voice, as if the battlefield was more his home than anywhere else.

She couldn’t even register the blow that came next, one moment his hands had been wrapped around her own, the next one of his hands was gone and her vision went blurry as the world boomed when his fist landed squarely across her temple in a cross-jab. Sturdy as she was even without her defense her head was still as important as the next persons and her thoughts and vision instantly went wild with confusion and a fuzzy lens when the blow made contact. She tried to regain her focus but even as she did so the man took a step past her and in a very militaristic sort of fighting style landed a heavy chop to the back of her neck which instantly sent her to the “floor” before she began to roll. Even as pain and disorientation overcame her some natural survival instinct took over.

The man had moved on from her as she slid over the edge of the car, hitting the road and spinning in a ball alongside the moving vehicle for several feet, and then at the last moment she reached out and grasped a piece of the vehicles rear end. It’d have killed anyone else, but Alicia was able to form a barrier of rock so that even as the car drug her along she remained uninjured. Her reason and logic centers still weren’t working properly after that little blow to the head, she might even have had a concussion, but some part of her knew she needed to get back on to the vehicle.

The Reaver leader seemed to make note of this but seemingly didn’t care as he took out his rifle and proceeded to stand back over Doppel with it aimed straight at him, “Last chance. We’d prefer it doesn’t get damaged, and you’d prefer to live. Even trade my friend.”

[kensei]

There were certain things that couldn’t be avoided, certain things that had drawn on his time, forcing him to be late to the meeting. He wasn’t going to walk into this unprepared, for that reason he had gotten his rifle, a beautiful weapon by Pen standards a gift of his father’s from his time amongst the Wolves. Along with this he had gotten his backpack of supplies, amongst them, a can of food if it took longer than he hoped, a deck of cards, ammo, bandages, and small pair single lenses binocular, as well as homemade I.E.D. the kind that was the go to substitute for cheap grenades in The Pen.

However once he arrived things proceeded smoothly, the gang quickly got on the way, with only one small speed bump in the form of a patrolling wolf pack slowing them down. It wasn’t until they had finally parked that the entire op heated up. With what could only be called an insane amount of luck, they had parked just before shit could completely hit the fan. The tell-tale signs of Reavers sounded through the air, but the entire group managed to hide out of sight just in the nick of time.

And in continuing with this very narrow trend, Rufus’s friend showed up, and life was spared. Or at least that was how it appeared, the look on his face told another story, by Rufus’s crawling out from underneath the car and calming the situation down. And finally they could truly begin.

It was a long walk but thankfully uneventful walk to the building they had marked as their target to plan the assault and gain info on the Bandoliers before they struck. It was a quaint building, it would have been a nice place to live a hundred years ago even, of that he was sure. While they waited, he almost pitied most everyone else, for not having anything to eat, but not enough so as to share his only can that marked his supper. He had been out in the wastes enough to know that usually ops like this took time, more time than one cared to admit it was going to while going into it.

After finishing he opened his cards, offering a game to any that wanted while they waited, though he only played a bit himself before clocking out for a small nap before the op got underway.

He was awoken with a kick to his leg, causing him to jump and grab the holster of his pistol, though seeing he was still in his group he lowered his guard. Sighing as he went about cleaning up his cards, giving a quick count to make sure he had a full deck while Alicia gave the details of the plan. It was a solid plan, and probably the best that could be expected to have given the circumstances.

As they confirmed everything, and people started to go there way, Gen picked up all of his supplies, leaving the empty can as a memento to the stake out, a habit of his to let someone know somewhere down the line, it had been used. It was something of his calling card; he shook his head at himself before climbing out window that hadn’t been boarded up on the opposite side of the house. He waved behind him as he jumped out the window.

Instead of hitting the ground, his body stayed in the air, as he used the cover of the many buildings to make sure he wasn’t spotted as he made a long pass towards his destination to camp for the remainder of the operation.

The building was larger than the Bandoliers, giving him a perfect view over the entire op. He pulled out his binocular and placed it to his eye as he looked over the building. From the looks of it, Doppel had already entered the building when he arrived. Only a few of the rooms had lights that he could see into. But it gave him at least some idea as to what they were dealing with. He had been able to spot three people from the windows that he hadn’t seen earlier, and all of them had some form of a rifle. Assuming they were somewhat powerful mutants, this was defiantly going to get troublesome from a numbers standpoint if it turned into a fire fight.

Granted, he didn’t think they were, if the info was accurate and from the signs the Bandoliers had shown, they didn’t have them simply by their status. No one sat at the bottom of the food chain if they could help it, so it was obvious the Bandoliers couldn’t. But it still left risks. He just hoped that the op went smoothly, but above all else, he wanted to make sure he got his paycheck.

With a shrug he took off his backpack, pulling out his cards, the light of the moon wasn’t enough to read them by, and he didn’t dare risk running a light on top of a building. So instead he opted to just shuffle the cards in different ways. And play games like 52 pick-up. While he waited.. And waited… And waited..

From his view he didn’t have any reason to worry about Doppel’s safety as the night drug on. But it didn’t make the entire thing any less tedious. While he had been forced to do these sorts of things many times, it didn’t make it any easier on him. He hated waiting, even if he knew he had to. His mind was geared towards problem solving and needed constant engagement. And so by the time that night started to finally break he was about ready to pull out his hair in frustration.

He grabbed his things, flying off the back of the building before making his way inside, not wanting to risk being exposed on the rooftop as dawn started to break. Though admittedly, he also wanted to be able to stand and walk around a bit, using the opportunity to stretch and relieve himself before walking towards the front of the building.

The one saving grace was he finally had the ability to entertain himself with a game of solitaire, one of the few card games that hadn’t changed much over the last hundred years. But as the hours passed and daylight grew, anxiety started to take hold. It was taking too long. That fact couldn’t be ignored. Doppel had been inside for hours at this point and eventually one of the patrols was going to find the guy Doppel was impersonating and the whole thing was going to go to hell. And if that were the case, should he simply bail? Twenty armed mutants versus five (he assumed Doppel would be dead long before he got the chance to do anything) however skilled were not good odds.

As his leg had taken to spasming in his anxiety, he traced the barrel of his rifle, playing the scene down hundreds of times, working him up to the point that when the radio finally screamed to life he grabbed his gun, ready to shoot from the shock of being drug out of his own little world. His innately good hearing allowed him to easily pick up on the conversation; it wasn’t something that bordered on inhuman, just very, very keen. He hurried about picking everything up, as he grabbed his rifle, peaking out a window to the guards. They weren’t moving, which meant that while his cover was blown they weren’t looking at a fire fight quite yet.

Earth.

Grinning to himself he readied his rifle, the extraction was on Alicia. He knelt down, and positioned himself as he waited, listening to the radio that remained on the entire time. He made his move as he heard gunfire in the street, but clenched his teeth in inaction as he watched the scene. The man was being littered with bullets from Rufus and Randal already and didn’t even have a mark on him; firing on him as well was only going to be a waste of bullets. Instead he decided to make sure the getaway was secure.

Flying out of the building he flew high above the buildings to see what exactly was happening in the air. His eyes being drawn to the black dots quickly making their way towards the group, Reavers.. He let out a string of curses as he flew down to the car, making it there only a few moments before Alicia and the others. He helped her rip off the tarp that cloaked the vehicle, grabbing the spot he had held previously with no qualms. If they were being chased, he was the one they wanted in the back right now, that was a given.

Gen was almost ready to take the damn device and leave himself out of nerves by the time the car finally started. Slamming his head into the back of his seat he cursed again. His whole body was shaking, he had, had three encounters with the Reavers in his years of scavenging the Wastes. He knew better than most just what it meant to have a pack chasing after you. Their fastest could keep pace with him, even when he pushed his limits he never could lose them, it was only by virtue of the fact that they lost interest in him that he made it out alive, though never had he made it out unscathed.

He slung his rifle over his shoulder as the car roared onto the road, his eyes darting from one Reaver to another as he started to focus his energy. The first that made its move had tried to simply jump onto the back of the car, not realizing the sort of resistance he was bound to face. The force of the wind that slammed into him was like a slap from almighty god, knocking him down into the road with enough force to cause his body to bounce back up. But true to their reputation, the bastard didn’t even seemed to be phased by it as he rolled to his feet and took off as if nothing had even happened.

They continued to assault, left, and right, as Gen swatted them out of the sky, and even dared to go on the offensive in some cases, by pushing mass walls of wind at them to stall out their flight. But with each passing moment it was becoming painfully clear he wasn’t going to be able to hold them off forever. The only thing keeping them alive was the fact they had the device in their control, but as soon as they figured out the way to attack without risking its safety, it was game over.

As if on cue with his thoughts, they made their move. Moving against two of them wouldn’t have been a problem; he had already had to deflect such moves already. But it was the third that truly had caught him unprepared. Even if he had noticed it, even he was unsure if he could have summoned the strength to push back all three. But completely unprepared, it spelled his doom in an instant.

As he was ripped out the car his whole world spun for an instant, as the Reaver positioned the two of them for the perfect impact. The force of slamming into wall was like being hit by a semi for him, his whole world spun as his mind felt like it had been split in half, which in truth it had, the blood spilling from the back of his head was proof of that. His entire body felt distant, as he watched the Reaver move his hand down, to get a knife or pistol he assumed. He bit the inside of his cheek, trying to focus in on that source to pull himself back to reality. He needed a plan. He needed to act.

His eyes shot open as he grabbed the Reaver’s arm with his left hand, as he locked his elbow against the building, trying to stall the attack. But even with the added leverage, his arm was slowly caving to the constant pressure of the Reaver. Gritting his teeth he reached behind him with his free hand, grabbing the long sheet of plastic explosive that was the norm for Pen use. It was similar in design and power to what SWAT teams would use a hundred years ago to breach a door.

He slammed the device onto the Reaver’s face as he pressed the button to arm the device. The fact clearly shocked the Reaver somewhat as the pressure with which he had been putting on the knife faded, allowing Gen to push it to the side before sending a strong gust of wind between the two of them, throwing the Reaver to the other side of the street, the Reaver landing on the ground right as the explosive went off.

Gen fell to his knees as he was no longer being held by the Reaver, as nausea filled his body. His world was still spinning as he stumbled to his feet, slowly recovering from the blow. But in his own dizziness he hadn’t been able to take advantage of the shock he had put the Reaver under. For right as he was finally ready to make his move, the Reaver had gone about picking himself up, and had knife in hand. His mask was filled with cracks, and from one a small trail of blood could be seen. “So you do bleed huh?” Gen shot out as he summoned the wind underneath his wrist. This time the wind formed like a saw blade, swirling so fast as to make it as impassable as steel, and able to provide the exact same function as being able to cut.

The two stood ready, as both seemed to assess the risk of making the first move. Gen let out a few deep breaths, trying to quell the fear he felt. This was the first time he had ever dared to try and go toe to toe with one of them, he only hoped, it wouldn’t be the last.

The Reavers mask had two very clear pieces of optical sighting over each eye, one shorter and one longer which it was safe to assume acted as a sort of built-in telescope, something Gen had never had enough time to observe before though it might also be because the user was clearly a recon unit. Below the eyes was a breathing mask, though what its use might be for was anyone’s guess. The explosion had heavily fractured the breathing apparatus, and the shorter eye-glass was clearly broken. The longer scope seemed to be zooming in and out rapidly, for a moment he thought they were scared but then being the son of his father Gen realized that it was far more likely the power that drove the device had broken and was doing so on its own.

As if to confirm this the Reaver reached up with its free hand and tapped a button, forcing it to stop all zooming movement as they quickly peeled the helmet away and set it on a hook on its hip. It showed the Reavers were prepared for any scenario, and evidently not letting any piece of their equipment fall into enemy hands was part of that preparation even if it was broken. What was perhaps of more important note was that a lot more dark black hair fell out of the helmet than Gen was expecting, and as he got a good look at her it was quite evident the Reaver was in fact a female. Probably no older than he was, and oddly enough she appeared to have Oriental heritage just as he, though that hardly mattered in this case.

On any other day if he’d seen such a girl walking down the street he’d probably have called her cute (well, you know, except for the trickle of blood pouring from a small cut in her brow), but the eyes staring back at him kept him from making such comparisons. They were the eyes of someone trained, not even phased by this turn of events and instead coldly calculating how they should proceed. If she weren’t so obviously a girl in her face he would certainly not have guessed it as she was even more lacking in feminine demeanor than Alicia was, and the large black coat and armor she wore completely masked her gender otherwise. Gen immediately tried to mentally throw away such thoughts, in the Pen gender didn’t matter when your life was on the line; survival did.

She stared at him harshly with her dark blue eyes for several seconds before she finally moved in a blinding flash. Unlike the average street gang member Gen had taken down on a regular basis there were no superfluous movements or sounds. Other than the fact that he could now hear her paced breathing without the mask she was virtually silent as she swung the blade toward him and he countered, blocking the blade just in time with a grunt. Even with his wind power between them the fact that she could put such pressure on him definitely proved the Reavers tales of strength weren’t just legend, she might well have been close to hitting as hard as Alicia.

And unlike Gen without missing a beat she’d already traded hands with the blade and was coming at him from a different direction even as he was still blocking from the first. His ability to manipulate the air around him was his only saving grace as he managed to use it to push him back faster than his own muscles ever could have, dodging the slash by mere centimeters. This continued for another five blows as Gen quickly realized he was constantly being put on the defensive, this had been a bad idea and the killing blow could be coming at any moment…and that was when he finally noticed something.

Every blow or two the girl traded hands with the blade as to make them hard to predict and counter, doubtless this had been the end of many other mutants as even if you survived the first few blows she would quickly overwhelm your senses with a flurry of movement in all directions. And while this small opening wouldn’t be enough for someone to grab the blade normally as she did so in very precise and minute movements, it was an opening Gen thought he could make use of thanks to his unique power. And so with all his might he tried to watch the blade instead of the girl herself and as he had to propel himself backwards from a mighty swing he spotted his opportunity. The girl moved to switch hands, likely so she could propel forward into a stab which might well have been the end if Gen hadn’t made this realization.

With all the precision he could muster he pushed wind into the small corridor that the blade was traveling through between hands and in an instant the blade reversed itself, spinning before it imbedded itself into her lower abdomen a few inches. Gen meant to press the attack but the girl suddenly provided a mighty leap backwards and threw one of her hands at Gen, for the first time showing her own power in the control of wind as a mighty gust forced him backward before he finally used his own power to nullify it.

By the time he’d recovered she’d put a dozen meters between them and Gen watched as she reached down and grasped the blade. A slight twitch and a mild grimace was the only complaint she gave, still not saying a word or even making any sounds to suggest the act hurt. Regardless from the amount of blood on the blade he could see as it was retrieved it had likely penetrated a good inch into her flesh, though as she took up a martial pose again it seemed that wasn’t going to stop her. But just as it looked as if she was going to go for the attack again she froze and after several moments lifted a hand up to her ear.

When she spoke it actually caught Gen off-guard, it was light and petite sounding more like one of those high-class whores the upper classes of the gangs had than the brutal merchant of death that had just tried and almost succeeded in murdering him, “This is Falcon 3. Repeat Again.”

It took Gen a moment to recover from his momentary shock but his inquisitive side kept him from attacking for a moment. At first he thought the girl was speaking to him but he quickly realized that made no sense, nor the way she raised her hand to her ear. Then his brain flashed back to how his elders had talked about various pieces of electronics throughout his life, and one piece came into mind. They’d told tales of how the military used to communicate with small radios that could fit in your ear, and that they acted on such secure frequencies that it took great skill and manpower to crack their encryption. At the time Gen had written it off as a tall tale, even the best stuff the Pen had managed to create to this day was as large as your hand…and yet, unless the girl was totally mental she was talking to someone.

For the first time the girl truly grimaced and seemed displeased, not out of pain but rather she seemed angry at whatever she was hearing. But after giving Gen one more look she stated simply, “Affirmative Command."

She spun around on Gen and he was prepared to begin defending again…what he wasn’t prepared for was a giant pistol suddenly taking the blade of the knife she’d been using. He had no time to try and disarm her or prepare an adequate blast of wind to throw them off course, plus he’d learned long ago that the Reaver guns had such punch that trying to deflect their shots was a dangerous task as it wasn’t guaranteed. Instead he ran to the side, using wind to throw his body forward as quickly as possible as the brick wall behind him exploded in pot-hole sized impact points. Gen began to analyze how he was going to respond and tried to ascertain where the girl was standing, but when he looked she was gone…and the firing had stopped.

The seconds ticked by as Gen kept spinning around, trying to keep his eyes on any possible locations she could be coming from. But as seconds turned into a half minute, and that turned into a full minute he started to contemplate the possibility she’d moved on. Was that why she’d looked angry, had she been called off? After an additional few seconds Gen recognized this must be the case and instead focused his attention back toward the vehicle which he could hear a ways off. He could ditch now but for all he knew the girl was going to come back with backup, being out here was dangerous alone, and even if he made it back he wouldn’t put it past the group to cut him out of his earnings if he ditched them and they managed to survive…it seemed he’d need to catch-up and try to stop this attack.

His head was still spinning from the blow he had suffered. What focus he had managed to pull through was slowly slipping away as the blood ran from his skull, with no sign of stopping. If he had been back in the city, it wouldn’t have been a problem, how many dozens of mutants could hear. That was a different story. He closed his eyes, trying to think of nothing but the throbbing pain running through his body. It may not have been pleasant, but it was his only ground to the world, a fleeting hope that shock and pain would keep him focused.

He kicked off the ground, flying low and fast in a manner that was so close to the Reaver’s own way as to be unsettling. But unlike them, his pace was unbridled, for most mutants a car like Alicia’s was the fastest they had ever gone, but for him? Heh.. The speed at which he had managed to rejoin his group was a testament of just how far technology had fallen in such a god forsaken place like The Pen.

By the time he had caught up, it looked as if everything had got to shit. But why wouldn’t it have? After all, he had been the one keeping the Reavers at bay for the most part. Without him getting on the vehicle was going to be a simple endeavourer for such mutants. But even so, he was shocked to see Alicia being drug behind the vehicle and Doppel appearing do be killed in a moments notice.

On reaction more then careful planning, he slung the rifle off of his shoulder, and pushed the leaver forward, chambering the repeater rifle. By the time he had brought it up, the apparent leader had already taken notice, pausing just long enough to give him a quick glance, obviously thinking nothing of a bullet from a standard gun. But for all the Reaver’s cleverness, confidence in his apparent indestructibility, however he still had one trick he could pull.

A tube of wind connected Gen’s rifle to the side of the Reaver’s. As the bullet traveled down it, the compressed stream acted upon it, pushing it, and forcing it down the path at even faster velocity then its own muzzle speed, and at the same time ensuring it hit its mark. But despite the added speed, a round of such caliber wasn’t enough to destroy a rifle as well built as a Reaver’s was. But it was enough to knock the gun away from Doppel’s face, though still in the Reaver’s hand. It was a small opening, he hoped Doppel or someone could make the most of it.

But that was all he could do at this range, lifting any of the Reavers off was too dangerous with the rest of the group so close to them. Whatever was going to be done about them would be up to the ones still in the car until he managed to board it again himself.

[Darkoda]

Acacia was seemingly just sitting back on the contraption with little more than an annoyed huff on her face. In reality she was sifting through quite a few fallbacks she had come up with and trying to find something that could deal with this current mess. She’d met people who could fly, who were overly destructive and who had some measure of really tough skin, usually from a mutant power since quite frankly there wasn’t any brand of armour in Little Town that she couldn’t bypass through some means or the other. She’d never had to deal with anyone who had all three at once and in such overwhelming amounts. She saw that their guns could near shatter Alicia’s body which said a lot about what would happen if they shot any of them. She saw a tree get shattered like a rotten plank, and from what she could feel, her plant swarm’s stall time had expired far too quickly to be of much use given how damn fast the Reavers could apparently fly.

Yep, this was definitely a crappy situation they got themselves in – oh it would be easy to just blame Alicia but it would also be quite the cop-out; she chose to come of her own free will mainly out of general boredom and a desire to try to understand a couple of the people she ran into most often in Little Town. Now she didn’t understand any of them anymore than before – hell, she’d just learned how little she knew of Alicia given their utter inability to have a conversation lasting for more than a minute and they were probably going to all die at this rate. Well the death part at least she was going to try to do something about which was why she was flooding the air with a few of her lighter seeds, the small pods floating near invisible in the wind, getting over everything as Gen’s winds guaranteed that the pursuing Reavers got a face full. She would like to help but….well plants weren’t all that mobile and this situation was revealing a nasty weakness in her capabilities; she needed something solid to grow her plants on which was near impossible when she was in a car moving incredibly fast. Well not actually impossible, the real problem was that they would grow well behind the Reavers.

For now the spores would do until she got a better opportunity…one that she hoped didn’t come up given how bad the situation would have to get for her to be in a position to contribute, she did not need the Reavers getting quite that close. So of course that was practically what happened and now Doppel was liable to get a bullet to the head. This would be a time to act but anything she did would prompt an immediate reaction – she had no illusions to how aware the Reaver was of her even if she was ignored so far though that in itself was a bit worrisome; one aimed for the biggest problems so going by that the Reaver could be seen as especially confident that she of all people was more of a non-issue. Well whatever it turned out to be she’d improvise and hope that she didn’t end up too badly off.

The seeds that still spread from her needed something to do anyway. A large mass of vines suddenly burst around the Reaver who was seemingly the leader of this small band, wrapping tightly and really aiming to try to shift that rifle of his away from anyone. At the same time the vines shot themselves into the ground where if all worked well, the commander would be dragged off the car and at least stalled for a moment while he dealt with those stretchy vines – those were designed for stronger foes and if they worked as they should it should at least give them a few seconds more and every one of those counted in this situation.

As Acacia was trying to do something about the Reaver, the seeds that Alicia so nicely got on her stone body sprouted themselves with far more force, the plants shoving into the road hard enough to pitch the stone up and over as another growing vine yanked her onto the vehicle. Acacia was no doctor but she doubted that Alicia was in the best shape after that trip and she did actually look pretty out of it. They did not have time for her to recover normally. Well, drastic measures it was, her hand shot past her face, right in front of her nose as she released a scent that should mimic the smelling salts used to snap people back to awareness quickly, though the scent would likely be something Alicia would remember and not be happy about ever, it was quick and effective.

“I can make a garden. If I do, I’m not doing anything else till we reach that building. Choose quickly.” Acacia was pretty much banking on Alicia being aware enough to at least get an idea of what she meant. Given that at this rate they were probably going to get sniped she could ‘simply’ make so many of her larger plants grow that it might well slow the Reavers down through sheer numbers enough that everyone combined could actually keep them from making another successful boarding attempt; between Gen’s winds and some especially sticky flypaper trap plants she had in mind, they just might make enough of a tangle to be a half decent buffer. That said, there was a reason she didn’t just do this from the beginning; while she doubted that the Reavers would open fire now and risk destroying their prize, she was understating the undertaking when she said that she wouldn’t be able to do anything else. She would most certainly feel something like that afterwards given what it would take to hold back people with that level of strength and speed along with making sure that the commander couldn’t just send another of those firebombs and torch them all. Frankly if Gen wasn’t here to lend aid with his winds it would likely be a waste of time.

“If we get lucky, you’ll get to see how a carnivorous plant works.” What, she was allowed to dream, the thought of a Reaver becoming lunch did improve her mood slightly even if she knew it wasn’t going to happen.