RP: ISC Phoenix [Mission 7] - Siege on Sector 72

Robert gulped visibly from the sheer malice of Vincent's voice. He licked his lips before replying. " Not a problem, we'll bring her here. Though I can't say she'll in a particularly lively enough state to feel anything after I'm through with her. Nobody messes with my buds." he growled visiously enough to scare most ordinary people. But still laughable in the face of Vincent's rage.

"Holy shit," Was all that came tumbling out of Jimmy's mouth when he heard the unfettered vocal wrath of Vincent. Luca was wide-eyed, too, and John had to adjust his glasses accordingly.

As for Vincent, all he could see was a faint heat signature where the Neko was. He started seeing it run across rooftops and further towards the heart of the station, but as it started to slow down, its heat signature started to fade, eventually disappearing completely.
She could've been anywhere at this point.

"Remind me never to piss off Vincent," Luca thought aloud as he unwrapped a small lollipop and put it in his mouth, sucking away, "Ever."
"Dully noted," John nodded his head.
"Jim, Mum, get to his wounds ASAP," He directed as he got a message, he took a quick look, "Enzo seems to have found something, Zeta, report back and follow me."

Luca followed the trail over to where Enzo was, skirting through some of the more innocuous aspects of the market, weaving alongside food vendors, brewers, clothiers and paraphernalia craftsmen/women.

The captain inspected Enzo's handiwork, with the familiar scent of Enzo's cigarettes pervading the area.
"Hm, he looks agitated," Luca commented as he pointed to the man's bleeding eyes.
While the sniper was blind, he wasn't deaf. Between winces of familiar pain, he groaned, "This, isn't the first time, this has happened."

Luca glanced to Enzo, then shrugged, "He must keep soul backups or something," He turned back to the sniper, crouching down and getting to face level with him, "Alright, I'll cut you a deal - you tell me who sent Yuki onto me, and whoever else she's working with - and why she's after me,"

He then put his finger to his chest, poking him in the ribs, "And if I like what I hear, I'll get your arse to a hospital, otherwise," He jabbed him in the chest with the rest of his hand, "We've got our own brand of medicine. Deal?"

He was thinking about a response, with a large frown on his face, but still in pain from losing his other eye.
"Enzo, give him a cig," Luca nudged him in the leg.

-

Meanwhile, the vendors that tended to Panther, even though they'd seen their share of weird folks, Panther was somewhere on the top of that list, and a few were happy to make this known to the Kohanian.
"Is that a suit you're wearing, or?" One curious, suit-wearing freepsacer asked, pointing as politely as a freespacer could to the Kohanian's facial features, "That isn't a suit, isn't it?"

"I don't think so," Another Freespacer vendor selling adventuring gear seemed to frown in his suit, "This is a new entry. Must consult Polysentience."
"He's a Kohanian, sorta like one of them 'furries', but the real deal," A Nepleslian shopper, who was in the same store chipped in, "Look 'em up."
"What are furries?" The freespacer asked innocently, "Must consult Polysentience!"

It was up to Panther to discover what 'furries' were, if he really wanted to know. As for gathering information, he was able to come up with these relevant tid-bits, "...as a matter of fact, I have seen some shifty folks hanging around the Grinders, Empress-kissers, mostly."

"There are a few bars around town that the mercenary types like, such as the Fat Neko by the shipyards, the Tumbling Stubby near the square and the Crater Nadir Bar further in. We only tolerate them since the militia presence there is strong."

-

Jimmy and Anna had bought packs of first aid medicine along with them, and had gotten to Vincent and the others quickly.
"Whoa," Jim said as he he inspected the wound, "This is a first."
"Not for me," Anna said as she motioned for Vincent to come along quietly, "C'mon, we'll get that bullet out of you, pump some painkillers into you and you should be good to go in a few," Anna then gave Arin a nudge with a smile as she started to move Vincent back towards the Phoenix, "Thanks for keeping an eye on him, hun."

"Just like old times, huh?" Sebastian grumbled, cracking the knuckles on his cybernetic right hand.
"Cloaking devices are usually restricted technology," Echelon was quick to point out, "This further confirms either illegal activities or previous governmental ties."

"This is turning out to look worse than that night in Kennewes when I was 20," Sebastian cursed, growling with a deep rage which only experience grants.

"I dunno," Jim added as he treated Vincent's wound with an antiseptic, and small, localised doses of painkiller, "We've been through a lot, too."

Anna then got a pair of tweezers and a knife, slowly and steadily working the bullet out of the wound, then wedging it out and letting it fall into a container. She'd later discard the bullet in a medical waste bin.

"There," She said as she dabbed more antiseptic on, put a little more painkiller in, bandaged the wound tightly, and then gave Vincent a cigar to ease the pain some more, "That'll do for now."

Jimmy then turned to Nyezeh, taking a glance to Vincent, "Even though, as a medic, I should be giving the best advice for long term health, I don't think we have the luxury of time at the moment." He made a quick inspection of her remaining wounds, then nodded, smiling affirmatively, "My regenerative painkiller cocktail's negative symptoms should've passed over by now, and it shows!"

Enzo frowned in stinginess as he removed a cigarette from his pack in his breast pocket and placed it between the sniper's quivering lips. Enzo lifted the lighter to the wounded man's face and struck a flame. It held until an orange ember glowed at the tip of the cigarette and staggered smoke came wafting from the sniper's mouth and nose. With his task complete, Enzo picked up the rifle and lent against the nearest wall, idly smoothing out the splintered remains of its stock with his knife so that only the pistol grip remained.

"You thinks that pretty little NAMs lady Arin mights be ables to cuts off the front ends of this thing with her torch-ma-jigger?" he asked, leveling his hand over the front of the barrel where he wanted it to end. The final product he imagined was much shorter than the original. "It makes me wonders why they don't makes bolt-action pistols."

"Killin' time." Vincent grunted, his wicked grin still frozen on his features. He lifted the Finagle's Revenge up onto his now-fixed-enough-to-work right shoulder and stamped out towards the crowd. The remaining people in the bazaar, in a moment of wise mob mentality, parted to allow Vincent to move straight ahead - perhaps startled into action by his shouted curses and death threats.

It was about ten long strides into his death march when Vincent realized that discretion may have been encouraged at this point, so the huge mercenary moved into the crowd that had parted for him, lowering the Finagle so that it was partially shielded by his own bulk - still easily visible to the crowd, but harder to spot than when it was held at the ready position.

A soldier he may be, but Uriel was not one for chases, OK corral shootouts, or scavenging from the scum of the galaxy. So he stood nearby with arms folded over his chest and absorbing all the information thrown his way. Black Widow didn't mean much to him, but he understood well enough: she was serial-killer of a wench. Sex was her tool. The only real confidence it gave to him was in the fact that she couldn't tempt him: an offer of sex from a Neko would be about as revolting as an offer from those four-armed folk or an irradiated Freespacer.

And this 'Black Widow' had access to high-level technologies, which would also mean her choice of firepower, and certainly plenty of money. Obviously she was wanting to keep out of sight if she was hiring locals. Someone was feeding her information- or she was very good- if she knew when Luca Pavone was to arrive.

The Captain was gone, and Enzo had taken off some time ago; Vincent likewise had stomped off in hopes of finding his assailant, but he wasn't far off. He glanced at Robert, the person nearest to him at the time. "I'm going to join Vincent in his hunting party."

If Uriel had any intentions of disappearing from the public eye, he would have to forget them henceforth. Without warning he leaped upward and thrust downward with his great white wings. A small gale formed beneath him and settled as increased altitude to a rough twenty feet from the ground. There was hardly any wind to speak of here, so he had little difficulty catching up with the ID-SOL merc, but at the same time there were also no gusts or drafts to aid him. Uriel would be supporting himself any time he chose to take to the skies.

All eyes were on him he figured, but ignored it. He had to catch up before Vincent had gained too much ground and this was the easiest way. As expected, the crowd parted for him to land, and continued to form a small wake as he moved alongside the raging soldier. Together they were an obvious and frankly odd pair: a couple of giants, one built like a tank- and just as heavily armed; the other a slim, winged creature carrying blade and gun and looking terribly out of place with his alien apparel.

Needless to say it was hard to hide, and more than once Uriel felt the caress of some stranger's hand(s) upon his wings. It was irksome, but he would have to put up with it for now. They had places to be and getting sidetracked with curious locals just wouldn't do.

"I've come to assist you, Vincent." The statement seemed foolish to even the Elysian, whom quickly added, "Whether you like it or not."

Noting that Vincent had decided to ignore her, Arin set off to work as well. The Representative was slightly pissed that she put on a show like that for no consideration, but the work that was to follow wouldn't just benefit the ID-SOL, it was something that had to be done regardless. The Neko had access to restricted technology, it was time for her to even the scales.

The store she was looking for had a sign that read 'Freespacer Only', she doubt it was put up based on racism but rather because of health concerns. The ever resourceful popped a few anti-rad pills, took a deep breath and then stepped inside.

The suprised Freespacer shopkeeper was staring at her but the Representative was distracted, was the walls glowing? Perhaps it was reflected from the luminous green rocks on display, this might be a warm sunny day for a Freespacer but the Nepleslian woman was starting to feel sick. She quickly shuffled over to the shopkeeper and gave a look on something displayed on her trusty Datapad. "I need this radiation source specifically, 200 grams." She wheezed.

The storekeeper noted her deteriorating condition and quickly wrapped up the purchase, handing her chosen rock over in a small lead-lined case. Arin left as quickly as she came.

"On my way," replied Zeta to Lucas message and hurried back. She quickly ran to him and turned on bodyguard mode again. She was looking around for trouble. Becasue trouble was alway looking for them.

Robert watched as his big friend was toted off to get patched back up and ready to fight again. He followed Zeta noting, the change in her voice that said she was going bodyguard mode again. "I guess I'd better follow you. Never know if you'll need my help, huh?"

Zeta looked at Robert and noded. "Thanks. Help is alway appreciated. Thing is, someone is gunniung for skipper so stay sharp and look for anything. If you want assassins look for guys who doesn't look like one. I know it is not easy, but you either don't know about them or they will run at you guns blazing. Poison si bad too, but I wouldn't worry about that much in this situation." She replied still looking around with her hand ready to unholster her pistol again.

Vincent was unfazed when Uriel swept down nearby. Being perfectly honest, Vincent never expected that he would have to march after this bastard on his own. He just didn't expect the Patrician to be the one backing him up - Rags was the likely one, Arin less likely but still probable. When the Elysian spoke, the ID-Sol mercenary merely shrugged.

"The more, the bloodier," he said, completely failing his attempt at cunning wordplay.

Robert nodded. "I know what to look for. Used to run with a gang. I was their Ace till I left." he winked at Zeta. With that he started scanning the crowd for anyone who looked out of place to him.

"See if you can convince Arin to make it right. She shouldn't have a problem," Luca conveyed as he watched the Sniper take steady puffs on the cigarette Enzo had given him.

"Mmm, been a while since I smoked," The sniper replied as he tried to take it out of his mouth, breathing out lightly and letting a cloud of smoke form, "Not bad..."

"So tell me about Yuki, anyway," Luca asked again, "Why'd she hire you and your buds to try and take me out?"
"Y'know," He replied, "You'll have to take that up with my captain, he's residing in the Crater Nadir Bar - or maybe he's up and gone seeing as though that bitch gave us a suicide mission."

"What's he look like?" Luca asked, lifting him up, "Maybe I can still get more leads if I can get to him, and then get your arse to an emergency ward."
"Well..." The sniper started. The description of the captain ended like this: Bald, cybernetic left arm, red eyes, big scar on neck and is armed with a grenade launcher and battle rifle, "And that's all I can remember. Y'see, my eyesight's going bad 'cos I've been shot in one and stabbed in the other."

"Stabbed? Waaait a minute," Luca wondered aloud, then looked over to Enzo, "I know don't like him either, couldn't you have just broken his arm or knock his teeth out something?" He half scorned.

"Just get me to a hospital so I can die in peace, will ya?" The sniper grumbled as he tried to walk alongside Luca.
"Alright, team, regroup and move with me, I've got a lead, and it'll be tough to track down by myself if he's planning to skip ahead. By the way, has anyone seen, or been able to get into contact with Panther?"

Luca then pushed the blind sniper into the arms of an armed militia freespacer and said, "Get this guy to a hospital, quick. He was caught in the crossfire."
"Affirmative," The freespacer said without question, "Your injuries are massive," He flatly stated as he started trudging away. The Sniper looked back at Luca and gave a half smile. At least he was going to die in bed instead of having his boots on.

When the militia man was out of sight, Luca chuckled, "I can't believe that actually worked."

-

Just hot on the heels of treating Vincent, Jimmy saw Arin walk by, "Uh, Arin?" He asked as nicely as he could, "You're glowing a bit."
"She is suffering from Radiation Poisoning," Echelon was quick to point out, "Her system cannot take it for long, though she has taken measures to reduce the damage."

"Err, help yourself," Jimmy said as he motioned to various radiation medicines in his bag.

Enzo ignored Luca's scorn of his methods. If the issue came up later, he'd pretend to be sorry and pretend to try changing his ways. Otherwise, the Captain would just have to accept that Enzo was going to play it safe each and every time. It would be better that way, for both of them.

By the time they reached Arin, however; his thoughts had changed. He had a rifle to get cut down, and the possibilities surrounding such alteration were magnificent. A one-handed weapon which had the armor piercing attributes of the bolt-action rifle. Enzo grabbed one of the bottles of radiation caplets and tossed it into the air, catching in his other hand as he approached Arin.

"Miss NAMs Lady, you're looking absolutely fabulous today, with your genetic mutations and what-nots." he cackled as he talked, presenting the rifle, "Now if you woulds be so kind as to removes abouts ten inches from the barrel of this rifle, that woulds be magnificent. Since you're the resident makin' things's woik' person."

Arin Berelai shuffled around to face Vincentzo. She gave him a placid blank stare and also enough radiation from her body to warrant the wiseguy taking an anti-rad pill himself. She was hunched forward, hands dangling limply on her sides. Some of her mental functions were gone, no emotions. She felt no animosity or annoyance upon seeing and hearing the shady Nepleslian unlike before. She was, for the lack of a better word, zombified.

But aha! Something has caught her empty eyes, something so base, something so second nature to her that it was the sole driving force of this husk of a Representative. Her mouth crooked into the slightest of a morbid smile, revealing the tips of green-tinted teeth, trail of drool and a slow moan. Laboriously she extended both arms, reaching hungrily towards Vincentzo...

...And then fell on the emasculated rifle, not even the looming spectre of radioactive death could keep her away from what she did best. The bottle just happened to be in the way of her other hand and was snatched away too. She grunted something intelligible*, and then turned to continue shambling up the ramp of the ISC Big Bird.

*"PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARTSSSSSS!"

Panther walked up to the group removing the sash over his snout and pulling back the hood. He was going to the Fat Neko but it seems things were wrapping up here from what he heard. "Luca, you require my services?" he asked, while almost sneaking up on Zeta.

Enzo let out a visible shudder as Arin shuffled off, presumably to do work to his weapon. He turned slowly to the group with a look of equal look of hunger in his eyes. He lifted his hands and shuffled forwards two steps before breaking into laughter.

"That's a fun time!" he belted through raucous laughs, "I gotta get infecteds with radiation poison some time! She's looking prettier than ever with those dark, saggy eyes. Of course, that's just 'cause she looks like me without the scars."

He pulled his eyelids down and stuck out his toungue as if to pantomime himself speaking. The resemblance was, as expected, exaggerated yet uncanny. In fact, there was little difference when he raised his face again and continued, "But honestly, she's a nice lady, and I hopes she's gonna be alright. Zeta, you'd be pretty beaten up by that wouldn't you?"

Enzo cackled and winked with his last remark, lighting a cigarette mid-chortle. With the formalities out of the way, he stepped aside and drew the 10mm pistol from the back of his pants. With the clip in his pocket and the shell ejected from the chamber, he twirled it idly while he took his place next to Luca.

"So," he asked nonchalantly, "When do I get to kill a guy for money?"

"Believe me Enzo, once we're done, we'll be getting a pretty penny and more for bringing this crazy lady in," Luca smiled in the rogue's direction, then he saw Arin, who, was, well, very radioactive, "Excuse me Enzo - duty calls."

He ran over to Arin and lifted her up, feeling radiation start to get to him and lifted her over to Jimmy.
"Jim, do you have anything to keep Arin alive?" He said as he put her down lightly on a nearby crate, "She isn't going to die for one weapon."

Jimmy got a sealed bottle of pills, and a sterile syringe. He put it into one of her veins, gained a small sample of blood, and placed it onto a pad on top of the container. He then gave it a quick shake and smiled as the pills adjusted to their patient.

"Arin, these are anti radiation pills, take one every six hours for the next few days," He warned as he opened the bottle and put one into her mouth, followed by a glass of water. He then put the pill bottle into one of her pockets, "We can't have you dying on us. The pills are in this pocket by your side. For everyone's sake and yours, do not forget them."

He then made a quick diagnosis of Arin, and said, "You can still work, since the medicine will get to work quickly, but you'll still feel horrible, and you might not be able to think. You'll eventually get over it after a week."

Jimmy then frowned as he put Arin back on her feet, "Luca, I have the feeling we're going to need another technician to follow you."
Luca paused for a moment, then snapped his fingers, "Nyezeh. Jim, how is she?"

"She's doing alright, why?" Jim replied, starting to look at her medical records, "She's on painkillers at the moment, but she should be alright, otherwise."
"I'm going to need her ready to go, soon." The captain ordered, as he turned around and bumped into Panther.

"Ah, Panther, I've gotten a concrete lead," He said as he watched the Kohanian's lithe figure sprint by, "The merc who answers to Yuki and issues commands to the others is either in the Crater Nadir Bar, or has fled the place," He then gave a description of the mercenary captain to the rest of the crew.

"Alright, when you're all ready, we'll head out," Luca ordered as he ran into the Big Bird's armoury, and got his Styrling Shot-12 out, strapping it to his back, and one of the many Zen-Arms 10mm Sub-Machine Pistols with a stock with a pair of magazines, and the M'Cel with a pair of conventional explosive grenades, and another loaded. He also stocked up on White HHG bullets, "There might be other dangers, as well. Freelancers, more Jet Bulls, or worse."

Panther nodded slightly and walked away from the group while cloaking himself once more. He asked around for directions and headed right to it, in hopes he could kill the man and claim whatever bounty a man, such as one that was attempting to kill the Luca. Money and food is what he needed to survive, and in this way he could do both.

Zeta followes Luca. She was his self-appointed bodyguard. She didn't play on letting him prowl around alone. Well not like that is going to happen any time soon though.

She walked into armory right behind him, taking her machine pistol with its armip hoslter. One extra magazien should be enough. She then pondered for a while but then she took her SMG too. PUt it into small backpack with two extra magazines.

"Ready sir," she said when she was all done. "Freelancers will be a pain in the buttocks but I am more worried about that wanker neko. With that cloaking technology she will be pretty dangerous. It is not enough that she is neko, she is neko with high-tech equipment."

Shortly, Enzo entered the armory with a big box and tossed it heavily onto the table. He grunted as he tossed it, before wiping seat from his forehead. He smiled at Luca and Zeta before he began unloading the box.

"I wents out shopping for some toys while yous guys was gettin' suited up." Enzo explained. He began removing things from the box, one-by-one, naming each item as he came upon it.

"First, I wents to the used guns shop, and they hads guns from all over the galaxy. I boughts a Tiger's Tears, a standards energy pistol, a Type 30 to replace my olds explodeds Type 29, some kinds of new-fangled EMP pistol, and these babies."

'These babies' was a phrase which Enzo used to describe a pair of KN-LR 'Knucklers' which he held in each hand, barrels pointed toward the ceiling. He made a very sharp smirk, the cigarette in his mouth twisting at an odd angle. After the ceremonies, he placed them on the table along with all of the other weapons he had bought. He also emptied his cargo pockets of ammo and laid out the weapons he had on him. When he was fully unarmed, he removed from the box a belt with several black plates going around it. Each plate had a tiny hook or peg sticking out of it. Enzo smiled again while he buckled the monstrosity around his waist. With it, he attached a pouch to his bandoleer on his back, under his coat. There were spots for all his weapons and more, if he needed them.

With his selection made, Enzo gathered his equipment for the excursion: He wore the Knucklers at his waist like some kind of four-barreled cowboy. The EMP-P1A rested on his thigh, its intended target being the Nekovalkyrja the group had encountered whilst he fought the sniper. The Type 30 was right across from it and the Tiger was underneath it. For a final touch, he kept the 10mm on his lower-back as a holdout pistol.

For the first time in weeks, Enzo slipped on his gloves. Just to make sure they were still his, he put out his cigarette between two fingers before doing a rundown of his weapons. He loaded everything up and set the Knucklers on Semi-Auto. He was ready to go.

"This reminds me of the last time I was on Delsauria," he mused, relighting the cigarette as he leant against the wall, waiting for Luca's order. "I got caughts running drugs for a crookeds Nepleslian Patrol Captain, and the Reds were the ones who caught me. Surrounded my ship on a ridge, but they thoughts I was unarmed, and slow. They lefts me no choice but to dust 'em."

Enzo may have snickered aloud, or he may have had a momentary breathing problem. He wasn't even sure about the answer himself.