RP: ISC Phoenix [Interlude 5] - The Making Of

"No worries, Smithy, I gets it." Enzo nodded along with his own words as if some wiseman were espousing them, "Squids're worth lot o' money on the different coloreds market. I helps yous takes care of it for a cut."

The vagabond poked at the bag with a steel toed boot, teetering on one foot for a moment before crossing the room and taking his place next to Uriel.

"But fer now, I gots 'scoutin' to does. C'mon Birdback, let's go case the joint." Enzo suggested, casually swatting the air around him as he lead the way out the door.

Uriel glared at the bag for a good long time, stuck between moving on with his plans and murdering the galaxy's lowest hellspawn. He settled on a compromise.

"If it's not dead by the time I return, I'm delivering on that promise." He looked from Naoko to Smith before following after Vincenzo. It was like the whole damned crew was going crazy! Smith getting drugged and turning into a woman; Naoko and Smith bringing a Misshu spawn aboard the ship; Luca's seeming indifference to the plight of another individual; it was all so distressing, and perhaps worse was the fact that no one else seemed to notice or care. Once again he was contemplating withdrawing from the crew.

But first things first: there were men who had summoned God's wrath, and it would find them with all due haste.

Luca didn't have any words for Miss Smith. Well, he didn't have any kind ones. Not for him, not for her, or her. His face scowled into an expression of rage as he marched towards Miss Smith and grabbed her by the neck of her suit and lifted her up.

"I am going to freely admit that I have no sympathy for you at the moment Mr. Smith," He scowled, keeping his grip firm and staring into her eyes, "You have been hiding something from all of us since you set foot on this ship, and you've let it eat you from the inside out."

Luca started taking steps towards a wall, keeping Smith in his grip, "You've let this happen to yourself fully aware of the consequences and risks. We've seen you space out, freak out, and act strange around all sorts of things," He didn't break eye contact for a moment, "You're a doormat for Naoko, you've let her walk all over you! I have the feeling that you like it! I've seen the way she looks at you, and how your face turns white when you realise that she is!"

He then made an exasperated sigh, blinking before continuing, "I thought you were smarter than this. You could probably see this coming a mile away, and instead of avoiding it, you just walked right into it," He slammed her into the wall, "All you've done about your problems is pissfart like a pussywhipped bitch! Grow a fucking spine!"

He then searched his top pocket and slipped three pills into Miss Smith's mouth, white pills. He then whispered into her ear, "White Kaserine, from Aerin. It'll flush the Kaserine out of your system in a matter of minutes," He gave her a wink before reeling his head away and resuming his normal voice: "Once you're prepared to stop letting your problems dominate you, wake up and smell the cordite and take charge of your damn problems, give me a call and we'll celebrate the occasion. Until then,"

He slammed her against the wall again and released his grip, watching her slide down slowly, "You deserve everything that's happened to you."

He then walked away, meandered back to a section of wall a few metres away from Smith and slammed his head against it, causing the ship to rattle audibly and leaving a very faint skull shaped imprint in the durandium. He then sniffed the air and rubbed his head before standing next to Uriel and watching the bag in disgust.

"If you don't kill that thing, I will. That's a promise," He looked up at him and said, "Okay. Its time to move out. We've dallied long enough."
He then delivered a telepathic message to Uriel, "Listen, Uriel, that had to be done. You've seen it too, haven't you? The way she looks at him like a cat looking at a helpless mouse?" He was referring to Naoko, "It hurt me a little to tell it to Smith just like that, but it had to be done." Even in telepathy, the tone was genuine, "I don't like having to hurt people I trust, and who trust me in turn..."

Luca started a Power Walk down the ramp, completely armed and without giving a single care about anything around him. He didn't wait for the others to follow him. He reached into his jacket and flicked out a pair of sunglasses, triangular, pointy orange-tinted sunglasses. He put them on without breaking stride. A grin came across his face as he practically tasted the incoming violence.

The Zeroes were going to have a very bad day ahead of them...

And just when Uriel's opinion was withering, Luca managed to reclaim much of the Elysian's respect in one fell swoop. Everything he said, Uriel agreed with. What's more, it meant he wasn't going to idle while members of his crew upset morale and synergy.

When the Captain finished explaining himself, Uriel offered a nod of acknowledgment and a stern smile- like a hardened war hero trying it out for the first time. His exit was in stride with the Captain's, feeling just as eager to leave the scene.

Smith's glasses glinted dangerously.

"Who do you think I am? You don't need to lecture me, Mr. Pavone." she replied, her voice absolutely acidic as she set down the suitcase and turned to make her way deeper into the ship's hold, the sack twirling around in a hand. The baby mishhu inside squeaked with discomfort and nausea as the Origin Representative walked away. "I'm not some incompetent that lets something as trivial as feelings get in the way of business."

As she came to a stop by a GP-ORV, the reason why quickly became apparent as the trunk popped open; Smith quickly undid the sack and pulled out the stunned baby Mishhu by the tentacles so it couldn't sting before looking at it eye to eye. "Listen carefully, because I'll only say this once; escape, and I will find you. I will then tear away every single limb you have. And when my &$%# grows back, I will &$%@ you, do you understand? Resistance. Is. Futile."

It belatedly gave out a single pathetic 'meep' before Smith tossed it into the trunk. With it slammed closed, sealing the baby mishhu away, the woman locked it for good measure before making her way back to the group and the suitcase left behind. She picked it back up again.

"So, are we off?" she smiled pleasantly, flashing her teeth at them all.

"Psh. Whatevers'." Enzo was leaning on the portal of the exit with a soft smirk dangling from his features. He'd returned inside after hearing Luca's rant from outside and seen Smith take the brunt of it. He watched Smithy proceed to shrug it off with dangerous glasses tinting. Enzo lightly shook his head when Smith returned to them with a pleasant smile.

"Yous can't acts like 'at." He chided, "You're just as incompetents as I yam, pal."

Enzo leaned forward with a toothy cigarette shifting smile. A few ashed fell from the burning stick onto the shoulder of Smith's suit. Enzo didn't notice.

"Only difference is," he explained with saliva gathering behind his teeth, "My incompetence is helpful. I am to incompetents to kills someone humanely. You, are like a big, nervous, fraidy-cat-- Whoops, did I says cat? Don't jump, Smithy!"

Enzo exhaled the smoke and leaned back. His face still wore that smile which pinched the cigarette at an odd angle. His right hand rested on his belt holster where the massive snub-nosed revolver slept while his left hand fished in his coat for the obligatory flask of gin.

He'd never liked people who acted one way, but said they were another.

"It's a shame, too," He added mentally, "I was actually staring to take a shine to Smithy."

Robert was surprised by the energy and passion behind Luca's furious words with Mr./Mrs. Smith. "C'mon Zeta," He bumped her lightly with one armored fist. "before the boss hurts himself we better go catch up." he hurried down the ramp right on Luca's heels. "Wait for me, boss"

Zeta raised eyebrow on this whole ordeal. She took out her communicator and punched in message for beta to expect them soon. THen she typed another mesage to Smith.


She then shrugged and went on her way to don her amour. She has put her still regular coloured Impulse armour on and reminded herself to colour it in the same colour Kestrel is.

"Wesley, routine start-up." She said to armours AI, while she was picking her weaponry. She picked standart energy backpack, because it could got longer then assault one. She then put her Peashooter at her side loaded with sabot rounds. "Damn I do not own any shotgun? How is that possible," she said and frowned. "Better make-up for it." She said as she lifted a prize weapon she owned.

Gamma ray vulcam, altered for attachmen to Power Armours. SHe picked up large multi-barreled gun and attached it's power cable to her bakpack. Smile showed up on her face as she felt the big gun in her hands. Pistol and vulcan should be plenty, so she jsut strapped her knife to her right calf and went on her way.

She got back just in time for Robert to bump her into hurrying. She just nodded and walked down the ramp to Luca.

"Think I am armed enough boss?" She asked.

Naoko didn’t wait for Luca to round on her. Instead, while their fearless leader accosted Smith, Naoko quietly turned and boarded the ship, stepping lightly up the ramp.

In truth, no Nekovalkyrja – at least not of her make and model – actually needed to sleep, but Naoko was tired, disappointed, and her ears were burning. She could stay behind and help Smith – she had got him into this mess – but Naoko knew it would do little good. Instead, she felt a change of clothing and a shower would do more towards fixing things than fruitlessly inserting herself somewhere she wasn’t necessarily wanted.

Let them fight, she thought. What did she care?

“I’ll catch up,” she stated, before disappearing through the bay door.

Luca had probably set something in motion that would eventually come back and bite him in the arse or save it - he just didn't know it. Even he wasn't sure whether he'd done even more damage to Smith in those five minutes than Naoko had for all of the few months they'd been together. Action heroes do not make good diplomats.

Action heroes, other wise, were people skilled in removing things, from other people either by force or by words. Remove a dictator from power, too easy. Remove a deadly bio-virus from infecting two planets, no worries. Gunning down hordes of NMX poised on destruction, a trivial ask. Piecing a man's fractured mind back together? Now that was a challenge.

"I dunno Smith, feelings and neuroses are two very differ-" He watched Smith disappear with the parasite-laden bag and slam it into the trunk of a GP-ORV under lock and key, "I see you're ready to grab your problems by the balls, but I would've killed it."

Flanked with his entourage, consisting of Uriel, Zeta, Robert and Smith, Luca was heading towards town, armed and dangerous. He hoped that Enzo would catch up eventually, but he could never predict what that man would do - and that lack of oversight almost did him in. He didn't really care what Naoko did, after all, she bought in an NMX parasite.

It never really occurred to him or the others that the parasite did not belong to Smith, since it just seemed apt that Smith would get caught up in such a clusterfuck by toying with Naoko.

ELSEWHERE...
"I'm done toying with the Chief. He's not made good on our promises. He's getting greedy," The associate was giving his two cents, "Him and his boys have been picking on our runners and leaving 'em empty handed."

"The citizens are getting more uppity. One man has installed freakin' punji pits into his shop to prevent us from collecting. Vinny was lucky and got to the door before the floor fell in."

"Then it is about time we show those shitkickers that we own this town, and not to forget it," He grinned as he held the brick of plastic explosive in his hands, "Now, you and your men, go forth, cause a distraction for the cops and Swat while we get this shindig underway."

"Boss, one problem," Another associate turned the team's attention to a television screen, "Look at this shit here." It was the evening news, where the shuttle crash and bounty hunt gone wrong at the theatre was being shown. Luca, partially disguised as Mr. Yamada could be seen, "What are we gonna do about this motherfucker?"

"We have someone to lay the blame on then, excellent." The board was happy with this idea before the TV switched to a photo of a landmark that was in construction, and partially built. The legs of a man could be seen followed by framework. It was to be at least a hundred and fifty feet tall, and visible from most of the buildings in Nepleslia Prime as an attraction in the bay on an artificial island.

"Excellent indeed..." They had no idea who they were going to fuck with.

BACK TO OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING...
Luca and company had realised something: Walking is not a fast way of getting from point A to point B. It'd be something that would be socially accepted on Yamatai since you'd be doing your bit for the already pristine environment, and in Nepleslia, nobody gave a rat's arse about the environment as long as it was 'liveable'.

"This walking thing is taking too long," Luca deduced after some thought and seeing the Zero Casino further ahead, at least a half kilometre, "We require transportation if we want to make a surprise entrance."

He looked towards the cars nearby, and considered nicking one (He'd return it or buy a new one) but his train of thought was interrupted by an armoured SUV coming barrelling out of the Casino doors. This was followed by two others of similar make and armouring coming out and tearing up the street.
From the lead SUV, missiles of some sort could be seen getting launched into buildings shortly before exploding. Bullets could be heard flying, and citizens and Nepleslians alike scrambled for cover or shot back in vain, getting gunned down in return.

"Alright, they're bringing the fight to us! I can work with this!" Luca pulled the M'Cel from his belt and levelled it at the oncoming SUV threatening to run him and the team down. He fired and watched the SUV go up in plasma flames and launch itself above the Phoenix team.
As the vehicle soared through the air, people nearby stopped and watched the spectacle as metal and glass soared in all directions. From the vehicle, the formerly cocky occupants came tumbling out as human fireballs and fell to the ground with wet thuds - the grenades left in the car cooked off and further rattled the SUV into an unrecognisable steel mess.
"Hoohoo yeah, I love my job," Luca caught himself making a smug commentary on his skills and gear.

However, as soon as the burning husk of the SUV fell to the ground behind the Phoenix team with its roasted occupants, another one came barrelling out of the casino.

"Really?!" Luca yelled before throwing up his hands and watching the situation repeat, "REALLY?!"

The police would arrive in a few minutes, hopefully. Beta's gang was not aware of this happening either, but one could be seen taking cover behind a bullet-riddled automotive with a pistol in one hand and a phone in the other.

"...I kid you not, I'm walking down the street and suddenly BOOM! The Zero Casino explodes with SUV's loaded with grenades an' shit!"

Robert blinked at the sudden assault before turning to fire at the nearest SUV aiming for the driver. "Holy crap, they were waiting for us Boss!"

Luca blinked and looked over to Robert and watched the two other SUV's charge into side streets and collect unwanted passengers, sending them hurtling across the sky, "I dunno, they seem to be going for anything that moves - and last time I checked, we move!"

Enzo started to follow everyone out until he saw they were walking. Already knowing where the casino was in relation to everyone else, he decided to pull out his air bike from the Lady's hold and catch up to them. Not satisfied to wait for Smith to take the bait any longer, Enzo walked past him into the hangar and his ship waiting beyond.

Uriel, far too aggravated with the incessant nonsense happening all around him, did the stupid thing and stood his ground. He leveled his hefty revolver, but did not fire a shot. Luca did the work for him, and what marvelous work it was. Strength was turned to weakness, turned to a fatal blow. He lowered his gun and resumed his stride. He had an agenda to maintain and no hooligans in expensive armored cars were going to stop him.

He approached the young man hiding behind the car. "Move."

Smith didn't rise to take Enzo's bait; she was already starting to go back into being a he. Though not outwardly yet, the mental changes were already starting. With a minor huff of annoyance at the other man, she promptly picked up her suitcase and walked with Luca as he made his way to...wherever he was going.

The Tsundere in her was finally shut up.

****

All hell broke loose in the streets, which wasn't anything special for Nepleslia, but likely a horrible shock to Yamataians. Out of childhood instinct, Smith dodged into an alley with the suitcase in hand and undid the clasps, revealing a disassembled custom GP-1. Smith quickly put it together and threaded the silencer on before screwing the auto-zeroing combat scope onto the top rail. With this done, she pocketed the magazines in the case and slung the rifle

A fire escape ladder lead her to a nice advantage point on the roof.

She wasn't going to be nice either.

Zeta walked next to Luca. He was right, this was quite slow. "You know, boss if everyone would get armours like me and Rob, we could just fly over there." SHe said, but before Luca could answer SUB came out of the Zero-casino.

Luca did not waste any time dispatching it with his M'Cell, leaving fiery wreck driving of the street with remaining momentum. Zeta smirked and seeing as another SUB driven out, she walked in the middle of the street.

"Bloody hell, these bastard never learn. If they would just wait for, us it would be much, much easier. Well it was their choice." She said as she started walking towards the speeding SUV. "Bad one," she added as she raised her gatling.

Her armours targeting system aligned with the weapon and she could clearly seeing where she aimed over-sized weapon. If she wouldn't wear helmet other could see rather scary smile that appeared on her face. She then pulled the the trigger and barrels started rotating and firing fast and deadly gamma rays were send against speeding car.

"I think we're ambushing each other at the same time!" Luca yelled as he kept moving across the street and pressing what advantage he had left. As far as he knew, the Zeroes' SUV's were not focussing on Luca's group, and were still engaged in plain old wanton mayhem.

However, there were a few reasons for them to start focussing on them, since Zeta had opened up with her Gamma Ray Vulcan (Boosted with a backpack) and fried the occupants inside the incoming SUV shortly before making it go up in smoke. Other Zeroes members were running around in the dragnet, and started to notice this. They saw Luca running towards the casino.

They gathered a few things as they pulled their sawn off shotguns, revolvers and sub machine guns from their persons - first of all, he had a smoking grenade launcher in his hands, second, he had friends - armed friends, third, they had no idea who he was - but he was interrupting their 'playtime'.

One of them had barely pulled the hammers back on his shotgun before Luca leapt into him, took him down to the ground and lifted him up as a human shield. Luca had his revolver pulled out and started firing upon other Zeroes members, who were quick to take cover. The proximity of the revolver to the human shield deafened him with every shot.
He then grabbed the gang banger by the belt and the scruff of his neck and threw him across the street, leaving his shotgun behind and taking it for himself in his other hand.

The physics of dual wielding two very powerful weapons without getting a broken wrist could've come into play, but a bit of skill, training and plain-as-day balls overcame the limitations.

"Luca, I've managed to get a visual on the inside of the casino," A voice in Luca's earpiece spoke, it was Echelon. Her computer voice was surprisingly pleasant compared to her speaking voice.
"Wonderful," Luca replied before blasting a Zero's leg off with the shotgun at close range, "How many of them are in there?"
"There are at least fifty armed men inside the casino. The civilians have fled and taken cover, but I see no 'kingpin'."
"Great. He'll die tired," Luca lamented.

Meanwhile, further back, the Beta member was still on his phone, having being pushed out of cover and finding another refuge quickly, "...and suddenly this bunch of badasses show up and they're takin' control! One of them sounds a bit like you, boss!"

As the fight unfolded, Luca was taking point, but found himself pinned down by suppressing fire by Zeroes members armed with automatic weapons. As he was hiding behind a civilian's car next to the engine block, he searched his pocket for a fragmentation grenade. He pulled the pin and threw it over his cover blindly, exploding on the street, and not close enough to any of the Zeroes to hurt them.

There were at least six of them blocking progress, and Luca started to notice red dots on the ground, just outside of cover, and just towards safety, causing him to yell: "Snipers!"

And it was about that time that Seiren finally got on over to the fray in his custom LEAF, where he decided to 'gently place' some rounds from the built-in Mancannon towards the standers on the street, seeing as a pistol wasn't much good against sniper fire.

"Sorry I'm late!" He chimed, pulling closer to Luca's position and preparing the point lasers against any potential rockets that a walking hunk of metal tended to be prone to. "The thing got caught up in a pothole! What can I do?"

Shortly after the arrival of the miniature inventor, another motorized whine greeted the arrival of the crew's token crook. Enzo sailed into place next to Seiren on his airbike and lit a cigarette. He was foolishly without a helmet.

"Where's the snipers, Cap'n Pavone?" Enzo asked, unholstering his Tigers' Tears with his left hand. The powerful revolver shuddered as he drew back its hammer. "Point me at 'em, an' I'll takes care of 'em for yous. You guys can push on through while I plays with my food."

Uriel never took kindly to being ignored. Now that he was under threat of death, he had zero patience. The young man he now presumed to be a member of Beta's gang- It was Beta, wasn't it? he asked himself- was ignoring him. His mistake.

The archangel clutched the young Nepleslian by the throat and forced him onto his back. He knelt, one knee pressing on the gangster's stomach. Their lower profile provided greater safety behind the car. The business end of Professor Hisshana's revolver laid gently against the lad's forehead. "You'll answer me this time, or you'll answer to God for your earthly doings: who are you, and with whom are you speaking?"