[Mercy Merchant]

Athos replies, >>Sure.  I can be there for that.  Send the address.  I will try to work something out with Yulia for some support.<<

[Jack_Spade]

Kynos sent the address and made himself ready to once more drive into Yak territory. He didn't have much hope of catching Venom there. That guy hadn't looked like someone who stayed around if the climate got tough.
He stopped his bike a good 100m from the bar away and hid it behind some rubble and rubbish. The new armor was only partially hidden by this long coat, but the helmet was nice. Schwarz had done excellent work with it. Especially the environmental seal would come in handy. He had taken off the helmet while he walked towards the bar, stashing it in the bag together with his rifle.
He looked around before sending a short message to Max and Athos: <<I'm down the road in front of the bar. I'll send you a life feed from my camera, be ready to catch anyone trying to flee.>>
After waiting for the reply, he made his way towards the bar.

[gilga]

@Maxwell Strawberry say "Yes put on a plane, untouched undisturbed or interrogated and sent back to Japan. This was the deal I made with his dad. In exchange the Japanese Yaks will not send another overseer on their behalf and I do not have a childish brute to keep out of harms way. Because he is too important to face consequences.

As much as I care he can be the date of the Devil, he still get to go home because I do not need the international syndicate messing with my affairs."

(If Maxwell knows anything about economics, it is a bit suspicious that a simple pub owner has this kind of connections.)
 

[gilga]

@Athos cat say "This is the Dormouse and he seem to be having a nightmare he is not usually like that. He was created by the same people that created me. He is fed data from a massive network of hidden spies in large portions of the matrix and when it's data analysis algorithms perceive a threat the Dormouse is awaken and neutralize the threat. A moment he is here and the other moment he is on the other side of the world, he is not based on nanites and finds the idea of a physical body repulsive.

Unlike me and Red, despite his massive firepower I wouldn't call him intelligent or even self-aware, he is an older design that acts like a global IC. He was designed over 50 years ago for the previous matrix. You could say that he is my grandfather programming wise."

@Kynos You draw a lot of attention when you enter the Joke. The silence is tense until after a moment that last forever somebody claps his hands. Then they all join, one of the Yaks say "A round of drinks to honor the insane hero that stuck it to Venom." To say the least you are a bit surprised, but you seem to be the most popular guy in that establishment. The only one that does not share the admiration is a very pretty ginger elf. You think you have seen her before, she went out of the joked when you put that asshole to sleep.

[Shaman_Yuri]

@Minnie you are not completely concentrated at the picnic but you can see that Nagisa and Strawberry are deep in a conversation it is no smalltalk because Nagisa is grave serious despite

placing her head in the Strawberry's lap. What catches your attention is the mentioning of a name....Venom. Strawberry said that he was sepoused to leave town but did not.

"MICE!"

It's hard not to react to the thousands of electrinic rodents as if they are really crawling all over me despite the fact that since I'm just in AR using my glasses and gloves, they have no impact on me really.  I keep most of my body under control, but my tail is a study in agitation.  And yes, I cried out.

"Yulia!" I hear more than see Nagi's concerned.  Although I could focus past my glasses and see her, I remain focused on the game.  Although not for long.  I try to get a message to Astarix but before I can, my glasses blink out.  I try to reboot...to no avail.

When I refocus my eyes, Nagisa has risen from Strawberry's lap and is standing before me, her face worried.  Strawberry never rose, but her own face is curious too.  I smile to reassure my girlfriend and new mentor.

"I'm fine, but I think my glasses are toast."  I remove the article in question from my face and hand them over to Nagi.  If anyone could figure out how to recover them, it would be her.  "One minute I was standing with Athos' avatar Astarix and his two new associates, the next we were covered with mice and then my glasses died.  I think it was some kind of attack, but for all I know it was my luck with computers.  You know me, Nagisa," I add with a grimace.  "If you can use it, I will break it just by touching it."

[gilga]

Nagisa say "Definitely bricked... You missed quite a bit of drama, Strawberry apologized for kidnapping me and allowed me to leave. I choose to stay because she is right, this is our best chance to stay together. We were talking about some trouble maker orc, as if the world is not full with Bruno's, but this one is cartoonish insane. The kind that steal rockets from army base and then test them on random vehicles... completely cuckoo! .

Apparently he is a silver spooned asshole, born to one of the leaders of the Yaks, and he was captured and was supposed to catch a plane to Tokyo but the van was ambushed and everyone in it was killed. Drained out of blood, the one blood that was not there was of our lovely friend. Apperantly daddy is angry and concerned and he is willing to let Strawberry continue stay under their radar if she bring him his beloved son back. The thing is, nobody have seen Venom ever since and his fate seems to be liked to some infected. I am going to find him, and we were wondering, if you were going to help."

Strawberry just look, she seem to be astonished by how motivated Nagisa became. You yourself are a bit astonished and the reason was so simple, nothing complex or intelligent. "Your best chance to see your girlfriend is with me."

[Mulcarn]

Maxwell was about to say or more like scream something at Strawberry but he stops himself and grits his teeth instead.  Seething with obvious anger he tries to change the subject by saying: "Does this place have a basement or an unused storeroom?  It doesn't need to be very big just large enough to set up a magical lodge."

[Shaman_Yuri]

"Are you talking about someone named Venom?" I ask.  "I heard you mentioning his name while i was talking with Athos.  They mentioned it to.  I didn't get the full story before we were cut off, but it sounds like he has something to do with Athos' and my mess too.  I think your problem is my problem.  I'd help anyway, but I definitely want him if it'll help us get to the bottom of who tried to kill us in the warehouse."  I look at my glasses in Nagisa's hands and sigh.  "Hopefully you have better leads than I'm coming up with.  I need a new comm so I can try and find out if Athos is okay.  He was jacked in, I'm sure.  I think the others were too unless they're as fast as me out here."

[gilga]

@Maxwell Strawberry say "I can make a basement, do not worry about it, but it is important for me that this Venom is found and placed on a plane... my life would be a lot more difficult if he is killed."
Strawberry takes you to a small wooden shack behind the joke. It is nothing much two rooms, and a kitchen. She then infront of your eyes, cast a spell and you can see that the earth move from one of the rooms to make the walls thicker and creates a small underground space. "Better security for the entire house and a small basement. " She say, '"rent is 2500 a month and I can bring you a food processor and some basic furniture if you need. What do you say?"

[gilga]

@Minnie Nagisa say "With the kind of equipment I have here, give me two hours and your glasses are good as new."

Strawberry say "This is good to know Yulia, Venom is a brute that is up to no good. Nobody likes him but he is sort of royalty. He has his own men that came with him from Korea and his family in Japan are very rich and powerful. They hired me to keep him safe and they know he is up to no good.  I constantly had a spirit protecting him, this is why I know where he is, or more precisely where he was when he met an awakened vampire that banished my spirit. I asked Nagisa to take it from there. I know many people want him dead, and I know he deserve that but anyone that harms him has some serious issues with me to a point where I might do things that I am not comfortable with. Our independence is at risk if he is harmed - all the agreements Ando signs are approved in Japan and his family can put me back at war with the Yaks."

[Shaman_Yuri]

"Another good reason to get to the bottom of this so you're no longer under Yak jurisdiction."  After saying it, I realize that Finnegan control may not be any better for Nagisa, though, and I give her a guilty look. 

Then again, when all is said and done, I may be joining Tony is a little room for the rest of my life since they'll be sure I know where Nagi is no matter what i tell them.  Well I can deal with that when the time comes.  First things first.  Clear Athos' name and get Dame Valentina out so that we can close the deal that started this whole mess.

"Thanks Nagi," I say softly before she can leave. "I appreciate it.  We'll make sense of all this once we can at least stop the bleeding...literal and figurative."

[Mulcarn]

For a brief moment, Maxwell forgets about his troubles and watches in awe at the ease of Strawberry's spellcraft.  "I wonder if shes more powerful than me?  He quickly dismisses that thought and resumes his regular demeanor.  Too tired and hungry to argue anymore, Maxwell reluctantly says: "So be it, I promise to not kill him and yeah the accommodations are fine.  He reaches into his jacket to pull out his credstick to hand it to her.  "Here, take whatever you want off it.  I don't care anymore."  Maxwell quickly surveys the place then heads back to the front of the bar to pick up all of his boxed-up stuff to bring inside his new living quarters.  This takes only a few trips before he was done.  He finds a spot on the ground to lie down, not even caring to check again if there's a couch or bed that'd be more comfortable instead.  Sluggishly looking around the room to make sure he didn't forget anything before shutting his eyes to take a small nap.

[gilga]

@Minnie Strawberry say "There is the issue of payment,  I have placed you in a jinx with the Finnegans. I am going to pay you for this gig, you will get 7k a day and I'll make sure that nobody knows about this money. This will be yours if you ever need to disappear. I am going to assemble a group of runners to help in this. Hopefully, people of skill. "

[Shaman_Yuri]

"Strawberry," I say with a waving-away motion, "I'd be doing this even if it wasn't helpful for you, too.  It's to clear my own name and make things safe for Nagi.  You don't need to pay me for that!"  I pause a moment.  "I just need to connect again with Athos and replace some of my equipment that I never took from my room at the apartment."

[gilga]

@Yulia Strawberry say "I want you to have your options, Nagisa had quite a lot saved up because she knew she may have to hide. You should have your own safety fund because you are playing a dangerous game and things can change all the time. You got to take care of yourself and I may not be around to save you, if things go badly with the Finnegans you'll need some cash of your own. "


She then takes a big apple and hands it to you. "You haven't toched any of the food since we got here. It is a shame that it goes to waste."