[Qwikfix]

Arc closed her eyes, visibly exhaling as Jed gives the report.  Flickering a little smirk, she nodded up to him as she gave a thumbs up.  Before she could respond, she head the door knock, her right hand slipping back to her pistol.

When it was Yelena who appeared, she relaxed again, taking a deep breath.  "Ai...safehouse what ain't compromished be good to hole up, but we need a move at shome point.  I got a little cred for a trip out bit no contact.  Ash for that hitslitch..."  she paused, pursing her lips.  "we may need to decoy or jusht shlip out.  Attacking might jusht draw more hitslitchesh..."

[ismilealot]

As they review the drone feed there is definitely a second shooter to back up the first and Yelena had to approve of the choice of weapon, Ares, with a top of the line scope and silencer as well as a top notch body suit that effectively camouflaged him. Yelena would have missed him if she hadn't been looking very specifically for him in that exact spot.

Blackbird had no trouble navigating the city. He passed workers in the street who gave him no further thought than it took to move past him. As he got close to the spot where Nicolai had his safe house, he saw small groups of gangers. But they were relaxed, looking for a bar or just looking for trouble. And even bundled up against the cold there was something about them that made average citizens give them a wide berth.

[gilga]

Marco parked in view of the safehouse and kept his distance. A conflict with gangers was only going to draw attention. He observed them discreetly trying to figure out if were parked there or just passing through.

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena nods to Arc even as she pulls out the map of the town. "Srui, Yelena hears and knows what you say.  But this is betrayal.  Virtual Goddess not just letting Yelena go.  Virtual Goddess send assassins for Yelena.  Yelena wish make point.  Arc help?"  She points to the locations of the two shooters.  "These are known assassins waiting for Yelena.  This place is best place to see both shooters and Yelena should be there to kill both.  But Yelena suspicious of such a good location.  Yelena not like think three layers of assassins as that is hard to arrange, but Yelena careful." She points to a location on the map. "Yelena go here instead.  Forget about first shooter and go for second.  Better hidden so first shooter is sacrifice.  Maybe second shooter sacrifice, too.  But is more important sacrifice.  Yelena go here and kill second shooter.  Not be able to kill first one from place, but not expose as much if third shooter.  Arc can send eye to this place to watch as Yelena go?  Leave other eye on second shooter so Yelena know if move."  She takes her case and goes to the door before turning to face her friends.  "PI man is good friend.  Please get Arc home if Yelena guess wrong and another shooter waits for her.  Maybe have spell of invisibility for Yelena?  Srui, help if can, but Yelena understand if cannot.  Yelena go out to end a life.  Show Virtual Goddess she was wrong."

[SmilinIrish]

Jed nodded at Yelena.  Of course Milaya.  Whatever it takes to get home.  These men know the risk they are taking.  It is only innocents that I refuse. Let me scout this area for astral activity first.   Jed gathered his will and felt the flow of mana around him.  Jed drew the mana around him again, and sent his astral sight out and away from himself to scout the area.  In particular he was looking for any active spells or foci, and any awakened metas.  Satisfied that the snipers had no astral support, he called to his bound spirit and asked for assistance.  He pulled the mana around him and formed it into shape around Yelena, bending the light around her to hide her from eyes both physical and digital.  He felt satisfied that he formed the spell well, he brought it to completion.  But as the mana flowed from him, so did his energy.  Jed caught himself on Arc's shoulder, and steadied himself before letting go.  Jed was confident that he pulled the spell off to excellent effect, but at a small cost.  Must be the cold, but that one took something out of me.  I don't need you within sight Milaya, I can maintain the spell as long as you need.  I'm a little tired from that, but I'll be fine.  I've got stims if I need them.  Jed smiled encouragingly at the girls.  He didn't need them worried about him.  He wasn't out of gas yet. 


Casting Mana window
This grants a limit of 5 to assenssing with the spell
Assensing roll

Casting the illusion spell: 
Drain:   
I didn't actually do it right mechanically.  You cast at force one and use the reagents to raise the limit.  I should have been resisting drain at F1, but I'm leaving it this way for story. 

To see through the illusion spell requires 5 hits on Logic + Intuition, or DR x2.  Then they still contend with her Stealth roll.

[ismilealot]

As Marco watched it was obvious the gangers were moving away from Nicolai's safe house and within an hour only trash remained to move across the landscape.

[gilga]

"Finally! gone..." He thought as he approached the safehouse. He felt a bit paranoid and that deep fear of uncertainty... Can he really get in ? He takes off his clothes and without thinking too much enters the icy water for a swim. "Darn... That is so cold... but if Nikolai can do it with Hellfire on tied to his back - then so can I... I hope...

Can you feel the cold Velenkoradi?"

He explored the lake trying to find an entrance to the safehouse.

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena smiles at Jed.  "PI man sure alright?  Yelena worry.  Arc get eye on Yelena hide sight and keep on place of second shooter.  That one is Yelena target.  Might work in favor even if Yelena not kill.  Bounty on Yelena is very large.  Many assassins will want a chance.  If Yelena shoot assassin but not tell VG then other assassins now watch over back for their competition to kill them.  More assassins look for other assassins than look for Yelena.  Dead man not collect or spend bounty so maybe not as many try.  Yelena go."

Yelena leaves the hotel room and slips out the door unnoticed by the attendant.  She makes her way to the building she has selected as her hide spot and begins to ascend the stairs carefully and quietly.  Her only company is a couple of rats as she walks to the roof access.  The door is secured on the inside with a simple latch and she opens it after checking the feed from the drone that is watching this building and noting that no one is on the roof.  Yelena notes that some snow is brushed away by the bottom of the door then checks to see that there are no recent footprints in the snow beyond the arc of the door swing.  Stepping across the threshold, she slips sideways away from the door and looks around the roof.  It is not that she distrusts the drone feed, but some things are best when double checked.  Satisfied that no one is on the roof with her, Yelena walks to the narrow parapet overlooking the street and checks the feed on drone 1, which is watching the second assassin.  This person is good and Yelena nods approval at the choice of hides he or she has made.  The assassin is nearly invisible, which is a good sign that this one is a professional.  Yelena also approves of using the cutout as a sacrifice, which is tough on the first shooter, but is a good plan from the perspective of the second assassin.  Yelena settles down on the roof back from the parapet and opens her case, removing her sniper rifle, smiling at the feel of the weapon in her hands,  She quickly assembles the rifle and snaps the first magazine into place.

Yelena moves to the parapet and sets up her firing position while monitoring both drone feeds.  She spins up the wireless components and takes aim at the target.  She zooms the magnification is as much as she needs to be able to see the breath of the shooter and flips the sight to thermographic capability to make sure that the target is a person and not a dummy, which would be a serious issue.  Yelena nods at the lack of thermo heat signature, again congratulating the shooter on his choices.  She focuses on the head and is pleased to see the narrow cloud of breath that gives her the idea that she is looking at a live target.  She still has a few minutes until ten, so she begins the steps to control her breathing and shits her aim to the target's exposed head.  She plans on taking the shot after several seconds of aiming at the target and gently squeezes the shot off.

She knows that shot was accurate but is prepared with a second one.

Pre-edge this shot for maximum effect and to remove accuracy limit.  Selecting Called Shots - Vitals and aiming for several rounds to get compensating mods for the attack:  Shoot: 21d6h5 11  Good shot.  DV is 15 AP-8

[Qwikfix]

Arc seemed to sport a blank expression for a bit as she mulled over what Yelena was about to do, thinking hard and fast as befit the situation.  Finally, the rigger closed her eyes and mentally reworked her flying drones, rebooting once more before following along with Yelena's plan.  "We'll needa kip hella quick after.  We'll be ready..."  as the elf turned to leavr, Arc shot out, her left hand grasping the woman's arm gently.

"Don't miss."

After she lefr, Arc shut the door, able to monitor and adjust the drones without much mental capacity as she turned her attention to the mildly dazed mage before her.  "Easy, omae.  Lasht time I shaw a mojoman look like thar, Merlin about fell on me.  Here"  Offering support, she guided him to a seat.  "Resht up...cuz I don't shpeak native, sho I need yall in the next shtep...aye.."  she held her head, stepping g back as she steadied herself.  It's been a long half day...

[SmilinIrish]

Jed smiled at Arc, patting her arm as he took it.  Although his sight was extended somewhere else, he could hear her just fine.  You know, it would be a good idea for me to get some dark glasses and a blind man's cane for moments like this.  Jed continued to alternate his attention to hover over himself and Arc, then back over Yelena.  He was focused on looking for awakened in general, but when watching Yelena, he also was on the lookout for anyone sneaking up behind or above her.  Don't worry Ms. Arc.  That didn't take much our of me.  But a couple more like that and I'll be worried.  The stim patches last an hour at a time, but wear you down more.  I can keep using them to make it to a safe space, but eventually I'll drop from the exhaustion.  Lets hope we don't reach that point.    Jed considered their resources.  Tiredness was started to creep in.  He could count the tasks owed by his bound spirit on one hand now.  They did not have any cash as of yet, but hopefully would rectify that soon. 

[ismilealot]

Kill shot. Yelena knew it the moment the bullet left the chamber. And an instant later saw her would be killer drop, no tell-tale rise of breath in the air around him.

Velenkoradi swam effortlessly around Marco's form. Heat, cold, light, dark, these are the illusions of your world not mine. There is only the flow of mana in all it's forms. That is the only truth. And as Velenkoradi's form highlights the flows of mana in and around the water, Marco sees it. An alteration in the flow of mana that signals a man-made structure. Marco at first swims into what seems to be a water overflow outlet pipe. It's several long minutes down that pipe that his form senses an alteration in the water pressure. He swims down, down, and then up and comes up into an air pocket and a dark featureless wall greets him.

[gilga]

Marco observes in detail the wall, touches it and even knocks of it for any hints of its secrets. One of his senses should teach him something - and there had to be some entrance of some sort. He even listened to the astral world to see if perhaps things look different in there.  To Velenkoradi he replied "Illusions or not, the cold is getting in my bones...
I do not know much about your world,  I used to hear it as muffled voices. I am uncertain why but I somehow turned completely blind and recently it became vivid enough to understand the basics. It also manifests for me in an almost visual manner. Though I know that what I sense is neither heard nor seen...  Your world is alien to me and perhaps my mind translates it to something that my regular senses understand. "
His thoughts move on and he thinks I wonder where the old man hides his door."

Perception + actively looking: 11d6t5 5
(I would not give Marco 'actively looking' bonus for the astral because he is uncertain what he expects to see there).
assensing: 8d6t5 3

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena is satisfied with the shot.  She says a short thank you to the shadow and picks up the brass that had been kicked from the rifle.  She is a bit disappointed that she cannot see the first shooter from her current hide, but reasons that her plan took into account some worst case scenario issues and the plan is still sound even though those issues did not come up.  She is happy enough with the results and moves back to where the gun case is, carefully scraping one foot in the snow to make it impossible to get anything like her boot size.   Sitting, she disassembles the rifle and stores it in the case, along with the spent cartridge.  Standing, she makes sure that she is leaving nothing up on the roof and sends a message to Arc with her implanted 'link.  >>Team [Yelena]:  Is over.  Yelena kill shooter.  Leave other alive.  He will check soon and find companion dead.  Srui move eye from second shooter to first to watch reaction.  Yelena heading back.  Meet outside?<<

Yelena goes back inside the building through the access door, descending as quietly as possible to the ground floor.  Outside, she finds a quiet place and uses the burner to send message to Sam's people. >>Sam [Yelena]:  Yelena kill one assassin who try kill Yelena.  Action confirms that Virtual Goddess has betrayed Yelena.  Is possible Sam can spread story that Virtual Goddess willing kill loyal contractor for money?  Might hurt reputation.  Business built on trust and she broke trust.  Can spread stories?<<

[ismilealot]

Marco search is thorough despite his shivering and at last he finds it. Three slender holes in a triangular pattern and when he extends his fingers as far as they'll go he feels the slight give of buttons depressing. It takes a few tries but eventually he pulls hard enough and the entire wall swings out and around from a central axis point. When it opens a small, soft light turns on and Marco is privy to Nicolai's hideout. A concrete bunker, it's somehow warm, or at least warmer than the water, and there are panels inset into the walls as well as some antique metal cabinets.

Yelena receives a message from a familiar voice. It's weaker, and ragged, and the breathing pattern is that of a man who's every breath hurts, but it is most definitely Sam's voice. >>Do-able. And if you need an extraction I happen to know that the business that supposed priest is on does not permit him to have much security. But, it still has all of it's immunities no matter who's on board.<<

[gilga]

"So typical of that man to not come up with a reasonable method to enter his safe house. Then again, if Nikolai is dead and he really is the only one that knew about this place it is my safe house now."

"Finally..." he thought as he managed to open the secret door. Not freezing was a big plus and Marco's mood improved, he searched for some doormat to not leave wet footsteps on the floor - but could not find anything.

Marco quickly went to the metal cabinets and then the panels trying to get himself comfortable. "This place is going to be home for awhile - at least until I figure out how things work out for me. What good is crossing the border if I really have nowhere to go - stick to the crime scene is the last thing anyone would expect anyhow."