[Mercy Merchant]

Robyn's avatar nods.  >>Alright.  I can leave VR and still let the drones do their thing while I tend to your injuries.  Al, here is the route that should take us to the entrance to Below closest to where the mages are waiting for us.  Leaving VR...........now.<<

Robyn slips back to the meat world and moves over to where she can look at ISaint.  "OK.  Let's see what we have here.  Hoo-boy, you sure know how to get hurt.  As it happens I can help you."  Robyn opens the medkit she has been carrying and has been brought to the van with her, hooking several leads to ISaint.  Soon, ISaint is feeling a bit better and Robyn disconnects the leads.  "Anyone else need me to look at them?"

[Jack_Spade]

<<Arthur assist her with First Aid>>
"Thanks, yes, there, about two centimeters to the right. Oh... yeah that was the spot." Isaint and Arthur both tried to assist as best as they could in the confines of the commandeered vehicle, but Robyn showed no sign of actually needing the support, methodically cleaning and bandaging Isaint's bruises.
When she was done, he quickly buttoned his shirt again and closed the various armor layers. He felt better already, but the hurt was still very much there.
"Rick, you next. You look like death warmed over."

[adamu]

Al tapped at his commlink with a tobacco-stained fingernail and routed Alyce's...Robyn's...directions to the HUD on the van's windshield. Checked the ETA. Glanced at the patch on the back of his scarred left hand. He figured he had about half an hour before he crashed, and wanted them all underground before that happened. Fucking Below. He shrugged mentally. He knew the job was dangerous when took it.

But of course he could never have imagined how dangerous.

There she was back there, crazy shades facing nowhere as her hands worked their medimagic on his coworkers. The last time he'd seen her they'd been approaching terminal velocity in a Cambodian river basin. But she must have worked on him after that in much the same way she was now. Or he'd never have woken up. Now, watching her fingers dance over Isaint's bruised flesh, he wondered how many....eyes on the road, genius. Places to go.

Things to do.

People to see.

Hell, they got themselves straightened out a bit, they had a damned wedding to arrange.

[Mercy Merchant]

Robyn nods to ISaint then turns to where Deckard is sitting.  She has to step around Jackhammer to do it, but he does not seem to mind as her chest passes mere centimetres from his face.  She applies the kit's leads to the mage and gets to work.  She is able to make better use of Arthur's assistance this time and the effect is much better.  If no one else needs me just now, I am going to check on my Hell Hound.

[Jack_Spade]

Focused Concentration:
Agility Boost: Agi Boost: 7d6t5 2
Focused Concentration + Adept centering: negating 7 points of wound mods, range and size modifiers
FA: Long Burst:
AGI 7 + Skill 6 + Smartlink 1
FA Burst: 14d6t5 4[14d6t5=3, 6, 3, 5, 6, 2, 3, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 3, 5]
13P AP -1 Defense -9

I'm assuming we are dealing with a Lockheed Optic-X2 and a police rigger based on the Chop Shop Mechanic from RF p. 183 with a R1 Rigger Interface in cold sim using full defense
Evasion: 3d6t5 0
Soak: 3d6t5 1
Obliterated




For the first time since the moment the biker gang had appeared, Isaint had time to take a focused look on his AR display and the warning one of his Agents had been sending for the last minute. "Shit, did any of you notice that we have a police drone tailing us?
Jackhammer, I'm opening the side door, be a dear an keep me steady while I lean out."
Isaint grabbed the shotgun from Arthur's back, made sure it had the right ammunition and concentrated: "VADE RETRO"

A stream of bullets flew blasted the drone from the air. He couldn't be sure if a rigger had been jumped in, but he hoped not. When he was back in he said:
"We can add destruction of police property as well as possession and use of a Class D weapon. We can expect a severe response. So let's get underground asap."

[Mercy Merchant]

Robyn grimaces a bit.  "Yes, I saw the Bobby Bird a couple of minutes ago.  It showed up just as we were trying to break free from the foam.  I did not feel much need to say anything about it as I suspect there are more than one such drone in the area or approaching.  It was unarmed and I have no real interest in antagonizing the Bobbies more than necessary.  I am already picking up a newsfeed from a drone that must be hanging about at some range.  The pictures are grainy, but I am sure that more drones are on the way.  I hope that a rigger was not jumped into that one.  I would recommend getting to the entrance to Below as quickly as possible."

[adamu]

"I'll second the quickly part, cuz we jist picked up a tail - the kind with flashin' lights an' shit on top."

Al killed the van's safety features and floored the accelerator to blow through a red light. Commuter electrics ground to abrupt halts behind him as their anti-collision features did their job, effectively blocking the pursuing police cruiser. But it was already too late - a line of three more cars was already positioned ahead of him, blocking the way forward. He was on a surface street running parallel to the North Circular approaching The Hyde, so he decided to make his own on-ramp - crashed through a chain-link fence that looked like only weeds were holding it up and just about ruined the van's suspension bouncing down the embankment onto the busy A-road and into the traffic flow.

It would take them a minute to get behind him again, and Staples Corner, covered by a virtual roof of flyovers would cover them from eyes in the sky long enough to break contact. It wouldn't take them much time to reacquire, but by then they'd be close to the Below entrance...

[Jack_Spade]

The moment of weightlessness during the jump reminded Isaint unpleasantly of his already much agitated and abused stomach. It took all his willpower not to hurl into his ballistic face mask. Instead he found a grip and strained his muscles to keep him steady for the landing - but to no avail, the landing was hard enough that he just tore it from its anchoring. Meanwhile his agents had found another four drones within a 100 m radius, closing in on their position. But at least they didn't dare to come closer after what had happened to the first one.
A constant grinding noise indicated that the landing had killed at least one gas cylinder of the suspension.
Over the noise of the car, the screeching of tires and the blaring horns of offended British commuters he called to the team: "OK, THIS WILL BE A CLOSE ONE. AS SOON AS THE CAR STOPS WE'LL HAVE TO RUN. JACKHAMMER YOU'LL GO FIRST. KNOCK DOWN THE DOOR OF THAT SEWER ACCESS. AL YOU TAKE CARE OF ROBYN, RICK YOU AND MRS: KARASU TAKE CARE OF THE DOG. ME AND ARTHUR WILL SECURE THE REAR AND DISCOURAGE ANY PURSUERS. DON'T GET SHOT."
Another needle sharp turn brought Isaint temporarily into close contact with Rick and immediately he felt the burning heat of his aura on him.
He continued: "I'LL DROP A GAS GRENADE IN PLAIN VIEW INSIDE THE ENTRANCE. WITH ANY LUCK THEY'LL PLAY IT SAFE AND WON'T APPROACH WITHOUT HAZARD GEAR. BE READY."
The AR map in his Vision showed them already within 200m of their target. Now 150, 100, 75... At that moment the screeching of the tire stopped only to be replaced by a loud popping noise and a wild swaying of the car. 30m away from their destination the car stalled, while drones and cars with flashing lights rapidly approached.
"MOVE, MOVE!"
Isaint had stumbled from the car and readied his rifle, while Arthur mimicked his movements. 'Shit' <<Arthur, do not engage human targets, only drones.>>

[adamu]

Take care of Robyn, huh? She looked perfectly mobile to Al. He figured the best way to take care of her was to help discourage pursuit. He'd already pushed in the cigarette lighter, and as everyone piled out he pulled it free of its slot.

This was a '68 Aztechnology Governor, the sort of all-electric most people drove but Al would never be caught dead owning. They were a bitch to blow, but the geniuses that had designed it had run a brake fluid line way too close to the vanadium battery. On the way out he opened the battery access panel in the floor, reached in with his knife and cut some live wires close to the fuel unit, and dropped the lighter in. There'd be an electrical fire in a few seconds, and then the battery would go. That'd be enough to get into the brake fluids, which were flammable on this model, and ran through the whole undercarriage. There'd be no spectacular pyrotechnics, but the van would be a fully-involved blaze in about half a minute....

His boots were on the ground and he was running behind Robyn for the sewer access Jackhammer had just torn open...

[Mercy Merchant]

Robyn piles out of the van and moves with whoever has Al2 to the sewer entrance.  The Hell Hound being unconscious could be a blessing here as they levitate the large beast down the hole.  One of the drones sends Robyn the feed of the van catching on fire and she grimaces again.  "Well, we will bloody be replacing that vehicle, I guess."  She drops down the sewer after the hound and moves away so that the rest can join them.

[DireRadiant]

[Yukika Karasu - Sunday July 5th, 2076; Harrow to Down Below London] #24

I listen as these people move. I move the Unclean Hound as needed.

The Polite Oni blows up a police drone.

It appears we are going to destroy more vehicles and move underground.

We scurry like rats into a hole.

A dirty hole.

[Jack_Spade]

Steadily, keeping up a measured rate of fire against the drones closing in, Isaint and Arthur retreated from the burning car. Only when the last of his team members had entered, he turned around and ran towards the entrance. Not a second after that some police officer seemed to have found a grenade launcher, because now it began to rain tear gas canisters. Isaint didn't so much climb the ladder as he slid down, landing heavily on the ground. Arthur followed with the calm, deceptive speed of a machine devoid of anxiety or the need to breath.
"Ok, we move. Same order as before. Hopefully Metro-Police won't enter here without consulting a map first."
As he had said, he placed a gas grenade visibly on the base of the ladder before moving away with the team.

#391

[Mercy Merchant]

Robyn is already moving and thinking of the next step.  She has pulled a map of the sewers from the matrix and flashes it to the team's 'links.  >>Team.  Attached is a map of this area of the sewers.  I have overlaid our route in red.  We will be at an abandoned tube station in about ten minutes and will enter Below from there.  After that, it is but a short walk to where the mages are waiting for us.  I have already talked to one of them and they are very interested in helping us, as long as I am willing to pay their as yet undetermined fee.  I have agreed to their terms.<<  There is a growl and a whimper as the massive Hell Hound comes awake at last.  Robyn moves to him and holds him as she brushes her face into his black fur.  Robyn looks about in the darkness and says, "Thank you so much, Karasu and Dekard, for taking care of my dear companion.  It appears that he will be fine now.  Also, my deck is trying to clear us of the RFID tags, but it is a daunting chore."

She uses her drones to scout ahead and to the rear, linking their sensor feeds to the team and using her own radar and ultrasound sensors to guide the team in the darkness. 

[adamu]

Al was still feeling good, real good, hippie good, but he knew the crash was minutes away. If those mages couldn't help (and their first performance had hardly filled him with confidence), then he'd soon be in a world of pain and suffering. Stimming with this weird disease in him might not have been the best idea, but then those guys hadn't seemed like the types to accept a time-out until he was feeling better.

Now here they were in a sewer, which he didn't mind terribly, and on their way back to Below, which he minded incredibly. Still, it'd keep the constabulary off their tails, and this next job sounded like one he could probably sleep through. Get a couple of people to get married. Sheesh. He figured they could just leave it to the women and otherwise coast through the whole thing.

Realizing the future was bright, he lit a cigarette and decided to relish the last few minutes of his drug-fuelled high.

[obidancer]

Deckard was in his own thoughts trying to assess his abilities while channeling a powerful spirit. It was something still new to him and had to learn how to handle it all.

He politely refused the care Robyn had to offer; now was just not the right time. And he doubted she could do anything for him right now.

Yukika had kept her spell on the Hound and though Magic Finger spells were not the most efficient for such a task, he let her do what she could to help. Instead, he focused on casting a simple levitation spell on the knocked out gnome mage and carried him along inside the sewer.

The mage was going to be a burden, but hopefully will be able to enlighten them a bit more on who were after them.

#75