Swirling dreams of Mr. Entropy and Loki arguing about the best way to torture you, and Barney the Purple Dinosaur rejecting the ideas as not mean enough....

"Listen, we need to show this creep, we mean business!"  The words come from Barney's mouth, but you realize you heard them with your real ears.

The smell of oil oil and burnt metal and rat droppings fills your nose.  You're laying on something kinda slick, kinda rough and definitely hard.

"The )(&&(**Mayor of Big City got elected on a promise of Law and Order. National Guard and Police are down dealing with the power outage at the south end of town, arranged by my boys.  Nothing like giving them five large for each transformer they shoot to motivate them.  Mayor's house, the city council building is on the North Side. We burn them both down. Explain to these idiots that we have Law already."

The voice pauses as if waiting for something, and from a dozen throats, each with its own distinctive sound, one drawling, one uptight and intense, one Italian, another Jamaican, still others, comes the cry....

"The Law of the Gun!"

PT

I shake the cobwebs from my head as I look around for my pack and taking in my new environment.

I pushed away an uneasy sway of nausea as my body adjusted to the strange smells. I'd been apart of that natural world of the norse for long enough to become accustom to the clean air and smells of nature. These new smells although somewhat familiar were an assault on the senses.

I blink trying to get my eyes to focus on my new setting.

You're laying behind some rusty and greasy fifty-five gallon drums that are in a rough cluster.  In front of you is a huge window made of forty by thirty six inch framed squares.  A number of them are broken out and covered with cardboard and duct tape.

Its dark outside, but you see the glow of light through the dirty window.

At the base of the window laying against the dirty bricks of the wall is your pack which is the very first place you looked for it, almost as if you expected it to be there.

To your immediate right is a young guy in a nearly all-black military style uniform.  But you know of no force labelled "High Guard" on its shoulder patch with an insignia that combines infantry, tank, rocket, and airplane into one mass.

Laying next to him is a fifty pound Siberian Husky pup.  The pup looks at you, tilts its head, and makes every sign of asking 'do you have food?'

To your immediate left is another guy.  There's something wild and unpredictable about him even as he wakes up.  In his right hand he cluctches a strange metal pyramid.

Beyond him is a very pale young guy with well-defined muscles, and a tanktop t-shirt with Hawaiian style swimming trunks.  He's looking at you quizzically.  There is something uncanny about him.

PT
Krillis and Avahur, you know who you are....

Getting up quickly putting away my device (Even though I have no clue why it would be out and not in my pack) I quickly jump to my feet and take a look around.  After taking a general look I quickly grab a hold of the sheathes of my swords.

"Hey Andrew, as far as I know we didn't die, this is rather wierd, any idea of what's going on?"

Continue looking around at the other two bodies..

Looking at the guy closest to me,

"Who are you and what are you doing here?  Where is this place?"

*recalls memories of similar positions...*

This is interesting...  didn't expect something like this to occur... and what was up with that voice... Hey Ajax, you there?  Anyway, this  reminds me of the time I woke up in the bushes of that one world where I had met Krillis and Tom.  Hmm this is interesting indeed, then again I suppose its also like the time when I woke up and there were the samurai... but these guys don't look like that sort..  hmm, I guess I'll have to find out... I wonder if I could use magic here...

I rub my head, running my hand over my mohawk.  Dang, Fenris.  Did you have to go about sending me here like that?  Well, don't worry about it.  I'm ready for the Hunt.  Do you know what the game is like here?

Whether or not I get an answer, I dogtalk to Kox.  Kox, do you smell any other people around here, or anything special?  Also, check if you can call in Fenris' might here.

I pull out one of my plasma pistols and hold it relaxed in my hand as I head to sit against the nearest wall.  I try to feel for other versers, like the feeling I got when I met "T".

Av,
You speak to the man in the Viking outfit.  He has an axe in his right hand. On the haft are various runes which make your eyes itch.

There is no reply from Andrew.

Standing up, you see about a dozen people, most of them men, leaving the large empty room through a doorway on the far side of the room.  Most of them have guns of various sorts on their hips or across their backs.  None look like the type of person you'd want to meet in a dark alley.

Krill,

*They have proclaimed themselves above the Law of Odin, and wolfhead. They are lawful prey.*

Kox replies. *I smell fear, and pain. Blood. Humans die in this room....* He whines in distress, getting distracted.  *Are we back Home among the puppy-killers, Krillis?*

You sense three other versers.  All close by as you sit in the shade of some fifty-five gallon drums.  YOu slide over to the wall with the window in it.

The guy in the Hawaiian style shorts and tanktop raisesone elegant eyebrow.

"My name is Devlin Smith." He murmurs. "You can speak to animals. Fascinating."

PT

"Runes eh? I've got a couple myself.."

I lift up my sleeve to reveal a rune on my upper arm..

Then taking a look around I believe to see a semi-familiar face.

I take a couple steps towards the man with the mohawk.

"Hey, Krillis, that you? If so, its been a while, you look different."

I wisper to Kox with dogtalk a little more before getting up, --Kox, don't worry, it's okay.  You don't have to worry about such trifles anymore-you're an immortal now.  I don't think we're Home, but I think we might be somewhere just as bad, if it really smells like that here.--

After consoling Kox, I rise and offer to shake my left hand with Devlin's, keeping the plasma pistol in my right hand.  "Well met, Devlin.  It looks like you were in a mighty fine place.  Bad luck versing here.  My pup, Kox, tells me that it smells horrible-like pain and death."

Upon hearing my name, I turn to see Avahur.  Memories of the Heart coming back, I raise the plasma pistol immediately in his direction before he approaches.  "Keep your distance now.  I may not have as much power as I had in the Heart, but I do have the gun in this situation, and I don't mind using it on a fellow verser like you.  It's not like you'll die."

I look to the last man in the room, and to Devlin, "You know him?"  I gesture towards the man who is yet to speak (McCal).

"On the contrary, I've gained considerable power since we last met, if I really wanted to kill you and verse you out, would I have even considered letting you know who I am?

Honestly, you should think before you start making threats, if I wanted you dead we wouldn't be talking.  Anyway, it appears you've got a dog with ya.  Well funny things happen when versing I suppose..

Krillis, it's just a gun.  Seriously, ya might want to consider everything next time."

I try to create a small flame in my hands, just to see if I could do it here...

A door opens in the air, and a man steps through.  For a second, clean air flows into the room, and beyond him you can see the smooth walls of a ceramic walled room.

Then the door closes and its like it was never there.

He looks startled.

PT

I'm looking around at these people in utter amazement. Other Versers! It was like finding my family after many years of living alone. The guy shows me his runes and I blink and nod in response and slowly get to my feet. I look around trying to find the source of the other voices, the ones who'd shouted about the 'Law of the Gun'.

I look at the others, "name's McCallister...Ya know, those were some pretty bad dudes I think. They plan on burning the Mayor's house and the City Counsel building tonight. Sounds like it might get ugly. Sounds like they might need some Versers to help this town out. What do you guys say?"

Obviously I was still riding the rush from taking out dinosaurs.

To the newer person who suddenly appears out of a door in thin air, ever amazed expressions flying across my face, "who are you?"

"Well, McCallister, it sounds fun.  Although from what I can see you guys have been versing for more than just a few worlds.  If they need our help though, I've got no problems helping them, after all what's a world if there isn't a little violence in it..."

I take a look at the new guy..

While waiting for a response from the new guy to say whom he is, I move over, and put my back against a wall, and survey what other potential entry points there could be regardless if there is a door there or not.

Tom looks around thoughtfully a moment taking in the situation.  He notices the decorum of the area immediately determining that this is probably 20th century earth, sometime between 1925-2006 (after that he doesn't know.) Of course, with variations in the timeline that could vary extensively, but its hard to say.

Glancing around at the social dynamics of the room, it is obvious that no kind of a  group has formed yet.  The fact that one of them has a plasma pistol pointed at the other one indicates that at least some of them have met.  These could be some of the versers on the previous list, but then again they might not.

McCallister speaks with confidence, but not too much confidence.  Tom suspects since he gives the situational update, that he might be the one who knows the most about the situation.

The fact that Krillis is pointing the plasma pistol at Avahur, and that Avahur obviously doesn't care about it bespeaks the fact that he probably has magical or technological capabilities that render the weapon inoperable, and that Krillis probably doesn't know about those capabilities.  Avahur's statement on violence indicates that he could have a similar mentality to that of Michael de Vars, but that is a bit too much of a leap to make.

He does, on the other hand, know that anyone who travels with a dog is far more likely to be someone worthy of trust than someone who isn't, though that is extremely arbitrary.

His suspicions that the Galacticans had originally somehow transported him to his original destination are now magnified ten fold given the fact that he (to the best of his knowledge) did not die on the way here.  Given the age of the place he left, Tom has reasonable suspicion that they were elevated on the galactic heirarchy, which means this entire thing might be an illusion, but given the faint sense he has of the others presence, he is relatively sure that they aren't.

Does this mean that he will always be yanked about from world to world, even with out dying? He tries to suppress the thought and takes the situation as it is.  It is the only way to stay sane.  He does, however, have a promise to keep while he is here.  But first thing is first.

"My name is Tom Day.  It appears that we are in a potential combat situation.  I was brought here, but I did not die in doing so.  I am also a Verser, and given that you all seem to know what that is, I presume you are as well.  I'm willing to help stop the 'bad dudes', but I think information is useful here.  Right off the bat, I'll say two quick things...if we're dealing with superior numbers then getting them to fight among themselves is going to be our best option, and that if we're in a military situation, then I recommend we set aside our differences and choose a leader.  That is probably best decided by the number of worlds visited.  I have been to 5, not counting this one or my home world.  I am also willing to divulge my capabilities if the rest of you are."
This message was last edited by the player at 14:42, Tue 02 Oct 2007.

The pale man in the Hawaiian shorts speaks up.

"I've been to a few...more than that...but often for not very long." He laughs self-deprecatingly.  "I don't think it counts if you've been to a world less than a day before you verse out.  My talents include the fact that I'm quite strong, stealthy, and a very good shot."

He slips a thirty-eight revolver out of his hippack.

"Are any of you priests of Yahweh, or of the Light? And please, I believe there are more than enough to fight out there.  Let us say, I will be glad to shoot whoever starts something, and at this range, I can choose left eye or right eye."

=====================================

Av...the fire spell doesn't work.

Krill...Kox says he can't grow in size.

"I believe that I have been called of prophesy and of the Spirit to serve as His servant.  Though I serve Christ and consider Yahweh to be the father.  I have....performed...certain actions in His name.  However, I believe it inappropriate to speak of them in public.  Suffice to say that I have witnessed miracles against the Dark and the power of the Light.  To say 'I have been the vessel for this miracle' is hubris in my mind, though I do not fault others who do speak of them per se who consider it a benefit to their faith....which is a round about way of saying....Yes.  I have never lasted long in a combat, and I've been in four of them.  I am a moderate shot with a pistol and not really stealthy.  I do have a moderate talent for thinking outside of the box and predicting what my opponent my do, depending on circumstance.  I do not possess any magical or psionic abilities to speak of.  I have just begun some martial arts and melee training, but I don't think that will do much good against guns. I have a pistol, a few grenades and a paint gun which I can use to ....do creative things with if we get sufficient time to prepare for our assault."

Tom will check his inventory...you never know, the Reji shield (which he has no idea how to use) may be in there.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:03, Tue 02 Oct 2007.

I turn to Tom and nod once again, here was a man who knew his stuff. "This will be my fourth world. I don't mind telling you all that I still feel new to all this, but I'm getting there."

Truth was, I was still a little stunned at seeing all of these folks, and their abilities. One of them, that was apparently named Krillis, actually brought an animal with him. "I died fighting a T-rex and woke up here."

I smirked, because unless you were one of us, this would sound ridiculous. "I've been learning sword arts, I was once an EMT and I used a handgun and a shotgun a few worlds ago. I do know a lot about wilderness survival. Unfortunately that won't do much good. Sorry, I'm no priest."

"Well, this will make me sound old I suppose, but I've been to 19 worlds including this one.  I've been in different military ranks, up to about as high as a general or so would be, I've worked with people of all sorts, including the god of death himself.. that was an interesting experience.  It seems magic doesn't quite work so well here, for even my simplest of spells didn't work.  That doesn't matter though, as I prefer blade to blade combat... or blade to flesh in most of my cases.

McCallister, you said you were learning the sword arts?  I know them quite well, and could show you a few things.

Tom Day... eh, I'll call you Day, it's easier.  Day, I'm relatively skilled in martial arts, I'm a very good shot with long ranged weapons like sniper rifles, and above par with sub-machine guns and pistols, so I'm sure I could give ya a few tips on how to hit better with that.

Overall, I had stealth training way back at a military outpost, and among a ninja village... so I can walk slowly over dried leaves and not make a sound.. haven't really had much time to work on that, so it hasn't improved much, but I am very stealthy, with what I learned from being in a scout group a few times at different military installations on different worlds.  I've led large amount of soldiers into combat, defended cities from attackers, worked for Greek gods, and I've got plenty of magical skills, but I'm pretty sure they won't work here, so I won't bother mentioning them.

Any questions?"

I look around, realizing that I haven't spoken about my history yet.  "Not including my homeworld, this is my sixth world, but I feel as if I am quite inexperienced in being a verser.  I'd rather not divulge my skills, because they don't matter in this case.  I don't have any extraordinary abilities, other than talking with Kox here.  Other than that, I can be politically persuasive."

I think to myself that I do have some skills, but that they aren't on the same level as the others.  "I was sent here by Fenris for the Hunt.  If it's a matter of voting, I believe that Mr. Day should be the designated leader, if we are to have one.  He seems to be the most analytical minded of all of us, with the best leader qualities."

After talking, I try to commune with Fenris again, Fenris, Lone Wolf, do you know the pronounced god of this world, the most dominant?  Who is the god, and what are they like?

Tom smiles at Krillis, "Thanks for the thought, but from my analytical perspectiv Avahur here has twice the verser experience as anyone here.  More importantly, he also has more practical military experience.  That matters, a lot.  In a fight, its the veteran that you should listen to.  Having said that, I can offer a few suggestions.

First of all McCallister, can you recall exactly what you heard them say? Even the smallest detail about our targets might matter.

Second, There are six of us here, so I recommend that we divide into three tactical teams of two.  We're severely outnumbered here and we have a very limited amount of intelligence.  We need to know how many of the bad guys there are, what their factions are, and what we can find out about their leaders.

Under perfect circumstances, that means sneaking out of here and talking to the locals.  Something tells me that might not be practical, which means trying to listen in.

The best we might be able to do is toss a few flash bangs and say 'It's a trick!' But true psychological warfare really needs intelligence.  We need it, and we need it fast.  Right now, they don't know about us and we know a little bit about them, that's our primary advantage.  We also know at least two of the targets they're planning on hitting.

I've got a lot of ideas, but priority number one is information, information information."

"Well, Day I think you should do as you see fit, and when you say something that contradicts what I think, I'll go ahead and mention it.  However when it comes to planning once we know what we are defending, then I'll take over.

I do think that we should split into two teams of 3.  A four man cell is ideal, but we don't have that option right now, and so two teams of 3 is good.  If a group gets into trouble, first off its harder to chase 3 people than it is to chase 2.  Secondly, if its a position where the team of 3 is severely outnumbered, we are all versers, so we won't have to worry about death so much, and one person can stay behind to buy time for the other two to escape.  Even if they are chased it will be by less and they can split up have the enemy divide.  By doing this they can potentially get it down to manageable numbers for one person or so to take care and even if not, it will be better for 2 to survive and report back rather than all 3 getting back with an army on their tail.

We need a place to fall back to, and does anyone know the limitations to this world, what can and can not be done, the more we know the better as was mentioned.  Also, due to the fact that they don't know about us, its easier to blend in with the locals... well not so much as look as what we are wearing, but it will be easier to do so since they don't know about us as a whole.

We may be outnumbered but with organization and teamwork, even a small group of 3 can take out a large group of about twenty, if they are organized, remain clam, think with a clear head, and use their resources to the best that they can.  Such as bottleneck your enemies so they can only come at you one or two at a time, and use cover appropriately, etc."

I take a deep breath and assess what time of day/night roughly it may be..

"That's my opinion on the matter currently.

The room is about seventy feet by forty feet, and thirty feet tall.  Its empty except for some old fifty-five gallon drum barrels, and some rickety metal shelf units.  There is a large table in the middle with cheap metal chairs, and half-eaten pizzas and various bottles of alcohol of all sorts on the table.

The grill windows look to be out of the Fifties.

Grease, dirt, and rust cover everything.  Huge cobwebs rest high in the corners of the room.

There is a door to Avahur's left as he faces the table.  There is another one directly ahead on the far wall which the group that was discussing 'burning the City Council building down' left by.  To the right of it on the far wall is a closed freight elevator.  Continuing clockwise, on Avahur's right is a small door marked 'Emergency exit' and scribbled over in grafitti with 'Abandon hope, you doomed dude, if you enter here.'  It leads out onto a flat roof.

"I'll go with Day." Devlin Smith, Hawaiian shorts guy, says standing up, and putting up his revolver.

PT

McCallister stood up straighter at the suggestions and spoke up after hearing Avahur out, "It seems to me that the Mayor has vowed to clean up the city and promised Law and Order, the mob or whatever it is took out the city power grid in the south end of town, and distracted the police and National Guard. Now they are going to go after the Mayor's house and city council building on the 'North Side'."

McCallister's face twisted in remembrance of the Mansion's world, "then they started screaming, that they are the Law of the Gun. There were lots of different factions that I could hear, Jamaican, Italian... A dozen in all I think. That's quite a few factions. I think if we can do anything, it would help the situation here."

I turned to Avahur's question and shrugged, "I've been here only a few minutest longer than all of you, so I don't know what you can do here."

The whole bias system seemed click into my head at that point after hearing Avahur talk about magic spells.

Tom smiles and reaches into his pack, "I just remembered.  I picked this baby up a few worlds ago.  It might come in handy..." He reaches in and pulls out what looks like hub cab with a carrier ball that has several marbles stacked up on top of it, "This thing is a remote piloted vehicle with air-drop deployed marble size cameras (with up to a mile of independent flight for the marbles), and a hundred marbles in the small carrier ball.  The flight source is airfans, although it can glide as well.  The main vehicle is solar powered and has stayed aloft at its maximum for 24 days.  I don't think we need to deploy the main thing yet, but lets send a few cameras out of the window and see what we can see."

Borrowing objection, Tom is going to deploy four of the marble sized cameras through the window and one into the elevator shaft.  He'll have them do a circuit around and above the building and then move out in a spiral pattern.  The one he sends into the elevator shaft he'll try to find a crack or a hole or something to see if it fits in there.  Otherwise, he'll check the elevator for alarm wires and the like, and then carefully open it.

Tom also reaches into his pack and begins equipping himself with a few items, mainly a pair of pistols, the grenades, and a sword.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:31, Wed 03 Oct 2007.

"Well it looks like weapons will work a bit better than swords here... but I still prefer the sword over any firearm.."

I then aside from the two swords around my waist, take my cloak out and put it on, switched back to a gray armor and visor (You guys will also notice a very large rune on Avahur's chest when he switches armor, in addition to the one on his arm), take out and put a pistol, an smg and a scouting rifle (Probably closest resembling a battle rifle in halo), around my waist.  Then put clips for each of the weapons in a pouch on my waist behind my back.  After that I take my Trojan shield out and keep that on my right arm.  Finally I dig around for a black stealth mask and put that on.

Once that is all done I put any remaining gear back into my bags.

Then mumbling more to myself than to anyone,

"Well, I feel a bit more prepared... I wonder where my son went off to... it appears he didn't come here..  Oh well I'm sure he's doing well and can take care of himself there."

(You all can still hear it quite well, just mumbling it for effect..)

I stand directly next to Kox, while changing my own clothes.  I take off the uniform and fold it as well as I can, putting it into my bag and changing into my jeans, shirt, and jacket.  I also make sure I have the plasma pistol chest holster on, with a plasma pistol inside, another plasma pistol in my hand.  I take the glass cutter, wall scaling device, flashlight, and vibro-wise as well to make them easily accessible.

Upon going through my things, I take out the secured box that I retrieved from NeoTokyo.  "Does anyone here know how to open security boxes like this?"  The box is technological, and I say added on, "It's professionally rigged to explode if I try to force it open."

No matter the answer, I say, "I'll travel with Kox."

These guys had collected far more gear than I had on my own travels, and I look at the high-tech star trekky devices incredulously, "...all I have is my mountaineering pack, my sword, this battle axe, and a handgun with an incomplete clip. Anyone got anything to spare a guy? I just got out of a world with no modern weapons..."

It was still amazing how easily this kind of talk was coming to me and how easily this seemed to fit my new world view as a Verser. "I was caught in an avalanche when I first versered. Luckily, I didn't verse with all of it broken..."

"I guess that means you and I Avahur, so what's the plan of action for the moment? Do we have a way to get in contact with everyone else? Maybe we can each take one of those marble-cams so Tom knows where we are..."

I put my hand to my chin for a moment, realizing that I do have a lot of things that I don't actually use.  Rummaging through my bag, I pull out a heavy motorcycle jacket, an AK-47, two cheap medkits, and a 1/2 full 10 lb. bag of potatoes.

I present them to McCallister, and say, "Here, take all of this.  It might help you out later on.  The jacket's somewhat heavy, but it has kevlar armor built in, so it can come in handy.  I haven't needed this stuff before, so you can have it.  We'll just say that you owe me, should we ever meet again."  I smile, and continue to offer the supplies to him.

Then, I sit down with Kox, waiting for the others to decide the order of business.  For now, I'll go along with what their plans are, until I find my own mission in this world.

"Well let me try something then... this may or may not prove useful...  I'm just hoping the verser that taught me this was correct with what he said..."

I concentrate for a few minutes and attempt to teleport to the other side of the room.

If it works I breathe a sigh of relief, if it doesn't then I do a quick inventory check and make sure my shurikens and kunai are still in my other back pouch.

Day sends out the little marbles.

They send back pictures of a wide variety of thugs.  It seems like this seven story factory is some sort of gang headquarters with each floor occupied by a different brand of thug.

You're positive you didn't catch everyone on your first ten minute swing through, but you counted well over forty of them.  They seem to be waiting.  You see several 'leader types' checking their watches.

Av, you try to teleport. No success.

Everyone is struck by a sudden sense of familiarity and without thinking just looks at the table.  There is a guy laying unconscious on the table.

Valiant,

The pyroclastic cloud hit you doing over a hundred miles per hour.  You felt hot, jumbled, nauseaus....and then you got to watch little brownies led by Drill Sergeant Barbie snatch the flying palm tree trunks from the air with cables...and use them to construct a table on which you are placed on your back...

You realize you are laying on your back.  You don't hurt.  You smell pizza and cheap beer along with oil and dirt.  You feel a sense of familarity like you felt with all those others you met on the island.

Your eyes are closed.

PT

"Well, that's interesting, never been in a room when someone versed in.. I've been where people have versed out... only to verse out soon there after.. but well, thats a new one.."

I walk over and slap my hand on his chest..

"Identify yourself or die."

After a moment or two.

"Not every verser is willing to co operate.. I myself along with my son are out to kill a specific one over and over again.."

Tom looks around to make sure no other people are mysteriously popping out of no where.  He looks concerned and draws a wicked looking steel rod from his belt as well looking at Valiant.  He says, "I think what our friend here means to say is that we're a bit concerned at your sudden arrival.  We're currently in rather dire circumstances, so you'll pardon us if we're rather cautious."
This message was last edited by the player at 05:06, Thu 04 Oct 2007.

I nod my thanks as Krillis hands me the extra's, they should prove very useful. Then I reach out and clasp his arm in the old norse way, the way that I'd become accustomed to over the last few weeks of life.

I heard Avahur's words and it sparked the idea that I might actually be 'tied' to these others. It was that sense of familiarity that got me. Like I was born next to this guy.

I move to watch and stand behind Avahur and Tom as they most eloquently stated what I'd already been thinking.

Krillis,

*The Man Upstairs is his most common name in this world, also the Unnameable One, and the One.  He is polite to Odin, but there are considerable amount of the Friends of Giants who while of lesser power are considerably active..  Be cautious, wolfbrother, prayers like this may be noticed by your enemy.*

Everyone,

Suddenly, there is a low hum like a microwave kicking on which comes from Day's steel rod.  There is a mirage like shuffle of the air between him and Avahur.  Avahur convulses, arcing his back, opening his mouth to scream, but no sound comes out.

Avahur falls forward on Valiant's chest, and then slides off bonelessly, and almost drips to the floor with the only resistance being when Avahur's head is stopped by the floor with a loud 'klonk'.

PT

"Right, well first of all, my name is Tom Day.  Second, I apologize for having a gun pointed at your face as the first thing that you experienced upon arrival here.  Don't get me wrong, if you are dangerous or intent on harming us, you'll regret it.  I'm afraid our leader has momentarily decided to take a much needed rest.  First rule of combat...there can only be one leader in a military situation.  Second rule of combat...listen to the veteran.  Third rule of combat, sometimes your ally is more dangerous than your enemy.  Better not to have the ally at all if that's the case."

"At any rate, I'm sure we can probably wake Avahur up if all of you really think its a good idea.  I don't, but I'll go with the majority on this issue.  I will say that since it appears our new friend here has no weapons, he might want to 'borrow' them from Avahur since he's certainly going to need them.

Regardless of whether or not you decide to send me off to the next verse, at least let me update you on the tactical situation as it stands.  There is a wide variety of thugs.  It seems like this is a seven story factory that is some sort of gang headquarters with each floor occupied by a different brand of thug.

I'm positive I didn't catch everyone on my first ten minute swing through, but I've counted well over forty of them.  They seem to be waiting.  I have also seen several 'leader types' checking their watches.  If you're willing to accept my advice, I don't think we have the techniques or skills to sneak out of here.  I'm going to try and program this robot to go and warn the police, but I think our best bet is sadly to take as many of them out as possible.

Tactically, it isn't the best plan in the world, but we're trapped up here, which means that unless we can tap into their communications net, we can't really turn them against one another.  The good news is that if they are on separate floors, we might be able to fool them into thinking one of one kind of gang is still attacking them.

Best option of all of course is to blow up the entire building, since all of us would go to the next verse.  If any of you have a way to do that, please raise your hand.

In the meantime, I'm thinking we want to open the cargo elevator and drag these shelves and steel drums inside it to set up a natural barricade against bullet fire.  Then I figure we go down one floor and let them have it whilst shouting in the accent or style of the floor below.  If we do it behind a flash bang, they might think we're one of the other gangs instead.

The final idea I have, is that we can use one or two of these steel drums as a defacto bomb by pouring all of these half finished booze bottles into them, saturating the pizza boxes and making a macguyverish (er...that's jury rigged for those of you not from close enough to my timeline) style device to further distract them.

That's all I've got so far.  Oh, and assuming you don't want all want to shoot me, McCalister, I've got a few things you can use too.  Krillus, I've got friends back in the verse I just came from that can open it...but not so much myself.  You're welcome to try using my sonic screwdriver though.  I will also ask...how critical are the things inside to you...and how big an explosion do you think it would be?"
This message was last edited by the player at 15:41, Thu 04 Oct 2007.

I think for a moment, and my only comments I make are, "I don't mind trading it for something of yours.  I actually have no idea what is in the box-only that it's valuable.  I got it from a futuristic world, and I'm pretty sure that the explosives are strong enough to destroy what's inside and maybe take a couple hands with it."

Then, I proceed, "Tom, I don't think that blowing the place up is a good idea.  Yeah, we may be immortal, but I'd much rather not die in the process of helping this place out.  Now, one moment."  I walk over to Avahur's unconscious body, and look down at it for a moment, thinking.  "He didn't really kill me...  All I really owe him is...one of these I guess, for trying to kill me."  I put all the power I can into my highly trained legs.  Then, I kick him as hard as I possibly can in his chest.  "I apologize for the brutality of it, but it's just a little revenge.  I don't have any problem with him anymore, as long as he doesn't try to kill me again.  I'm with you on whatever you think about Avahur, Mr. Day."

After that, I walk over to Kox and tell him, looking him in the face.  --You need to be mature all the time about this kind of thing, okay?  Revenge isn't good, so don't go thinking you can take any, alright?--

"When I used to play role playing games, there was a certain kind of player who would routinely take delight at the fact that their tenth level character could threaten the newest first level character with their awesome and amazing powers.  I appeared out of nowhere, and Avahur didn't threaten me.  He didn't threaten anyone except at the guy who, no offense intended, seems to be the least equipped to handle what's going on.

So Avahur might be the strongest among us, but if he's going to waste that strength threating the group in an attempt to make himself look strong, then I'd just assume not take the risk that he's going to do something against us all at the worst moment possible.  The only reason I didn't use my pistol is because if we're going to fight these people, we need to fight them as a group, which means I wasn't going to decide for the entire group what we should do.

I know if I was Avahur, I would be extremely pissed...furthermore, I'm paranoid...which means that if we wake him up, I'm going to be spending approximately half my time watching HIM instead of the people we're supposed to be fighting.  The odds are 8 to 1 against us at least, and they have home court advantage.

I believe we were brought here for a reason; to help these people.  This city is about to be plunged into chaos and the stakes couldn't be higher.  If one of you knew how to wire up an explosive collar or something else that might force Avahur to behave like a sane person, then I'd be more than willing to wake him up, but the truth of the matter is that anyone who doesn't threaten total strangers and then suddenly threatens the guy who appears to be the least threat isn't someone I want to work with.

But that's one vote in favor of waking him up and one against.  As I said, I'll go with the majority on this.

As for blowing up the building, I understand your reluctance.  I'd rather not trade if you don't mind.  If the think can't blow up the building, then I'm not interested."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:23, Thu 04 Oct 2007.

"Ahem...." Devlin Smith says. "I can understand your point of view, Mr. Day, but I have to admit, I was grabbing for my revolver after your action. You startled me a great deal. I wasn't sure who you were going to shoot next."

He pauses.

"That said, I think I could ensure that the unconscious one, what was his name again? Ah, well, I think if you were to give me a few minute's privacy with him I could assure everyone that he would not attack any of you in this world.  There are certain techniques I know to deflect tension, and cause peace, but they are a private matter.  Needless to say, I bow to the will o fthe group on this as well."

He seems grave and gentlemanly which contrasts with his Hawaiian style shorts.

PT
OOC: And Valiant, if you're not aware, you're awake and free to act.  You've heard the last bits of things including the ambush through a veil of waking up and getting things sorted out.  You're now fully aware.

I slowly and carefully sit up and shake my head as if to loosen it.

What in all the hells is going on? One minute I'm working out, the next I'm on an island with a volcano about to blow then I'm here...Where the hell is here and who the hell is everyone else?

Tom does not take his eyes off of Devlin as he puts the device back on his belt.  He doesn't move, doesn't blink, just stares.  He understands his mistakes at this point.  The world is about to change, in many ways that he only barely understands, but there is a mantle of a different kind that he will be forced to take up again; then again...when one is Called, one is called.

He calmly says, "You are a verser.  The world you appeared on is the world I first appeared on after I died on Earth, only with Ice.  Many versers appear there.  Your body is now infused with a substance called Scriff, which makes you functionally immortal.  When you die, you will now travel to other worlds.  Things you have hithertonow thought impossible are now possible.  None of us know exactly where here is, but is in a world much like Earth, filled with darkness and light.  There is an invisible war going on, between darkness and light, and it appears that this world is a shadow between them; a front line of that battle as it were.  You have been brought here to help fight it, whether you choose to do so or not is your decision, but know that below you are 40 armed and extremely psychotic men willing to kill you for their own amusement, who later this evening plan on reigning in a dark ritual of blood and destruction.

Krillus, I did, and did not, make an error in my actions.  Avahur is the kind of person I thought he was, but he wasn't the problem.  I recommend that you waken him by any means that you can.  He's a Verser, so he'll recover soon enough, and quite frankly we'll need him.  There is, I believe, a significant chance he will try to kill me upon waking, unless he doesn't to avoid seeming predictable.  More than anything else, I wouldn't let him alone with Mr. Devlin.

Really, sir.  Asking which of us are priests of the Light, volunteering to be alone with me, and then volunteering to 'secure' Avahur whilst you are alone with him? What kind of a fool do you take me for?  I'm not taking any action save standing here...I don't have to.  You're out numbered by the others three to one.  And by the time the truth of my words makes itself manifest, you're going to have to act, because I think you know what I'm going to do next....don't you?"

OOC: Give Day a really big brownie with walnut ice cream on top!

IC:

He stares startled.  And then he grins ruefully.

"I underestimated you, Tom Day.  Remind me to think of some really horrible and painful way for you to die."  He chuckles evenly as if he's telling a joke.

"Lets play a game. The stakes are the world and all that is in it."

He turns and moooovvvvesss...

His darting speed is more than human, and he heads straight toward a glass window.

PT

I don't know whats worse....waking up with a killer migrain or waking up to a theological discussion. Good and Evil are abstract conscepts. a Duality. One cannot exist without the other.

Seeing Devlin move that fast I stare in shock at the amount of speed he is moving at.

So can I learn to move like that?

Devlin turns and grins as he flies through the huge glass window.  It shatters as he speaks, and it doesn't seem to phase him.

"Good is an illusion born of childish hopes taken advantage of by those wiser and more subtle to the ways of the world. Evil is also an illusion. The truth is there are sheep, and there are wolves. Valiant, I invite you, you can become a wolf."

*Valiant, pledge yourself to me, and I will see you gifted with power.  You will run like the wind*  You hear this in your mind, Valiant.

And then he plummets.  You all hear a crunch outside, and a shrruusussh as glass patters down on the parking lot outside.

PT

I rush over to the window to see if he hit the ground. Still not believing he did that.

If anyone wants to take a swing at Devlin, tell me.
I think I'm going to need to wait up on some people's actions for a bit.

Devlin is laying on the parking lot outside in the middle of a field of glass.  Then he gets up, and waves at whoever is looking out the window.

Seven stories down to asphalt, and not just seven small stories, but seven factory sized stories down to asphalt....

PT

I wave back a bit uncertain but I manage to chuckle a bit.

My jaw agape, I rush to the window still uncertain of what had just occurred. Day's explanation of what I had been going through made too much sense; it echoed exactly the fight I'd been engaged in these last few worlds. So there really was a conflict happening between worlds and we were actually called by the light to help this place. "How did you know Day?"

Then I extend a hand to Valiant, "what Mr.Day says is the truth, this man is an example of our enemy. Powerful yes, but they bring only death, pain and anarchy to all worlds they encounter."

After that I turn back to the others and nod my assent. "I think we have to go out and take as many as possible with us, since we're trapped up here. With a little luck, we'll be able to disrupt their plans for burning the Mayor's house and the city council building. Are you with us Valiant?"

Even as I speak, I'm donning some jeans and putting on the kevlar filled motorcycle jacket. Here among my peers, was validating all I'd learned about versing.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:29, Fri 05 Oct 2007.

Facts and figures whirl through his head, but the one that keeps coming up again is this: Force = Mass * Acceleration.  Gravity = Mass * Acceleration Squared.  It wasn't in the spec, but Reji were master craftsmiths.  Tiny mass moving at faster than the speed of sound was still more than the force involved in his vastly increased mass times the acceleration due to gravity, but there was one other factor.  Avahur's attempts at magic had not succeeded here; but what if there was another axiom for Spirit? What if spiritual forces were different from universe to universe, and that here they were stronger and what if, somehow, the spiritual forces here were as they were in the times of old?

Tom looks at McCalister and says, "Because he never said why he wanted to know who was a Priest of the Light.  He didn't suggest a blessing or anything, he just asked it as a question.  Still, if it hadn't been for Avahur's actions, I would never have had enough additional evidence to put it together.  In the event that I survive this, meet me at the Mayor's house at Midnight.  Otherwise, good luck, and god speed... I think this route will only work for me, if it works at all."

He then takes a step back, and says, "Lord, thy will be done in all things.  I seek now thy council and design.  Let thy hand upon the hands of those who have crafted the shield I now wear be sufficient to analyze and stop my descent upon my landing.  Let thy hand preserve my meager life, if Thou wilt accept it, not for my own sake, but for the sake of those upon this world that the powers of darkness threaten...nevertheless Lord, not my will, but thine."

And with that, he runs, and takes a leap of faith, literally, out the seven story window down onto the ground below.  He places his body between his pack and the ground to cushion the impact that it has upon landing.

"Are you insane?!"  I run towards Tom when he jumps out of the window.  Thoughts dash through my mind when he jumps and I start running, knowing that I can't make it to save him from jumping.  Ideas cross my mind that perhaps the other man was dark, and that Day must be an amazing man to be able to decipher that the man's evil.

Perhaps Tom's a priest of the Light, then.  The information all rushes into my head of what had just gone down in those few seconds.  It was all there-all so clear, yet I didn't catch it.

Upon reaching the window with Kox (unless someone else stopped Day), I get my wall-scaling device ready.  "I'm going to go help Tom."  I shoot the adhesive part of the wall-scaling device onto the wall on the outside.    With Kox, I jump out the window, using the wall-scaling device to go down.  I talk to them more, on my way out the window.  "Like he said-Mayor's house at Midnight."    At that, I try to pursue Day, seeing if I can also feel the other man's direction.

You see Day dive.  Krillis goes over the edge with Kox on his shoulders as he runs down the face of the wall, but far slower than a falling man.

And then as Day approaches the ground he begins a roll.  Devlin looks up, his mouth hanging open in shock and fear.

Day hits the ground,there is an infinitesimal pause, and a k-rumph followed by a pale flash that explodes outwards in a horizontal circle.  It catches Devlin and spins him into the air to go sailing upside down into the face of the factory.

A dimple, not quite  a crater because the matter is not largely excavated, about a foot deep and three feet wide tapers out in star shaped cracks in the asphalt going out ten feet.

A low boom like distant thunder rumbles the glass of the factory.

Seconds later, Krillis lands.

Devlin is pulling himself to his feet fifteen feet away.  He's staggering and his face is bloodied.

"You can't take me, little verser. None of you can. I was ancient before I drank the blood of my first verser. Day played his gambit. Now you too will fail...unless you bow the knee, then we can rule this world together...."

PT

"Well, I'm not fighting you alone!"  --Kox, go to the right and try to flank him.  I'll fight the main battle.--

Immediately, I pull out my plasma pistol and vibrowire, turning the vibrowire on and beginning to fire at him.  While doing this, I run to my left along the wall.

If he makes a move towards me, I jump to run on the wall, and hope to see him well enough to kick him.  If he gets close, and if the kick succeeds, I try to stab him numerous times in the heart with the vibrowire.

Your first shot hits him square in the chest, and his look of amusement shifts to horror as fire burns him.  He rips a chunk of concrete from the wall, and uses it to shield himself from the second shot as you advance, vibrowire humming.

Suddenly he chunks the concrete at you.  It smashes your gun wielding hand, knocking the gun skittering into the dark.

He tries to come at you, but Kox is closed in like death on his hamstring, and he's limping, wobbling as blood courses down his foot to hiss strangely on the ground.

You leap up on the wall, and you can see he's just not expecting it.  He's behind the curve, and trying desperately to catch up....You come down, smash him in the face, and he falls backwards as Kox chooses that moment to push forward against his legs.

You come down on Devlin, and slice into him, and slice again, and he reaches up and grabs your wrist.  You hear it snap like a twig.

He's pulling you down to the fountain of blood that is coming from his chest.

PT

I shout in pain on the inside as my wrist is broken with ease.

I try to push through the pain, and I think clearly about what I have to use against Devlin now.  Both hands are incapacitated, and right now I'm on top of him.  Then, I think about what Kox might do.

I move my head down quickly to his neck and take the biggest chunk I can out of him with my teeth, biting down and trying not to swallow.

I wheel around and start towards the service elevator, dragging any of the metal cover I can drag with me, except for any possibly explosive steel drums. I call to Valiant, "Okay bud, we have no time to spare, it seems that the others have left us to take on that vampire verser, that leaves just the three of us, and he's out cold."

"How good are you with a gun? Cuz' if you're no good with a gun, then I would kindly ask you to find a phone and call city hall or the Mayor himself and warn them of the Law of the Gun that's coming to burn down their buildings and kill them."

I finish dragging all of that into my elevator cubby and form it up so that I can actually use it for such. I keep it open with a metal rod until I'm ready to go. As I wait for a response from the stunned young verser I think to myself how, not that long ago it was me in his position. "If you are good with a gun, I suggest finding a position with a sniper rifle on the building somewhere. Good luck Verser and remember, death is only a doorway not something to fear for us. Die well"

Maybe I was a frickin' jedi after all....

I kick the metal rod out of the way.

seeing my chance I run over to grab the gun.

Yeah I'm pretty good with the gun, I'll post up on the roof and clear a path for ya.


I take the gun and find a way up to the roof.

McCallister, you drag a folding table, a trash-filled barrel, and an empty barrel laden with rust into the elevator, and you start descending as you watch Valiant head out the door to the lower level roof.

Valiant, you step out onto the gravel covered flat roof of the factory.  There is to your left a metal ladder up to the roof of the top-floor room.  Unfortunately, you see two guys in leather jackets, and armed (one with a pistol, and the other with a spiked baseball bat) on the farthest edge of the roof.

The wind is blowing toward you, and you can barely hear their conversation.

"Going....burn the town...smoke that judge who put me in the stir...."

"Yeah, man...time to settle...let the little people know the Law can't protect....they going to kiss my big toe..."

Krillis,
You rip out the neckskin of Devlin, and he screams in shock and fear, and he throws you off him.  You float for an eternal instant as you arc through the sky.  And then you come down, and find your left arm snapping as well since you landed on it.

You hear Kox snarl, and a ripping noise.  And then a thump, and you see Kox roll away as Devlin staggers to his feet.  He puts his hand to his chest, and the vibrowire blood flow is stopped.

"You..."  He can hardly talk as Kox almost finished what you started. He wobbles back and forward trying not to lose his balance.

Avahur,
You wake up.  Your arms and legs are complete pins and needles, and your thoughts have a disturbing tendency to start in one place and end in some place totally unrelated.

"What happened to...I'm under a table."

You really have no clue what happened to you except you felt like your body went on fire, and your mind fragmented in instants.  You tried to pull it back together, you think, but you were in body and mind like a vase shattered, and then hammered again...and everything went dark.

I try again to block out the pain, but allow myself to let out a groan about my arm.  This man seems to be indefatigable, but I smile as well as I can, while trying to use my right arm and legs to lift myself up.

As I get up, I say, "You'd better not be running Mr. Devlin..  I'm not finished with you yet.."

Even though my right hand probably hurts a lot, I try to clench it into a fist and keep it like that, while I allow my left arm to be limp. Exhausted, I try to run towards him and kick his left knee inward.

Table? what..where, wh-- doesn--

I roll over 3 feet to my right and backwards from my back and do a full roll onto my feet, grabbing my sword and nervously looking around trying to remember where I am...

Wait... I was hit...body..burning... what happened...

Ok... pull together fea--avahur that's right it's avahur now... this.. need to focus...

I quickly check to see what I've got on me... then sit down and meditate grabbing a hold of the situation and what went on....

Then I look and listen to what is going on around me...

I take a step back and tuck one of the medpacks into my tunic. I don my brown faded Hawaiian Punch baseball hat that always accompanies me on my backpacking trips. Then I sling the AK-47 over my head, making sure I understand where everything is on this particular gun; ammo, check, safety, check, walnut stock, errr....darn.

Then, last but not least, I grab at that axe again, it came with me...so it must be good for something more. Maybe the magic is still within it? Thor, if you're listening, I could really use your help right now. There's all kinds of people about to buy the farm, and only me and a few others are around to stop them. I need only a day to make it right. If you can help me, I need the axe once again...For glory, for honor, to protect the weak and innocent.

I kiss the thing as the doors begin to slide open.

Krillis,

Devlin literally blanches.  His face turns white as the blood drains from it.

"What does it take to stop you? Just die already."

You can tell he's afraid of you.  And he backs up out of the way as you wobble after him.

Avahur,

You meditate, and under the mental discipline, your brain 'clicks' back together so its all running at the same speed, and under the same control.  You remember facing down a new verser, fire in the nerves, and fragmentation as your brain and body rebelled and began working against themselves.

Its obvious to you that whatever happened to you was not meant to kill you because it would not have been much harder to zap the autonomic nervous system while they were at it.

The pins and needles senstation of having your blood flow cut off in your arms and legs is subsiding to make way for a hitch in your chest.

Broken rib.

You look, and you can see a ripped spot in your shirt along your side, and above one of the crevices in the kevlar plates of your armored vest.  You're not sure what the other thing was except some mind disruptive effect, but this is obvious.  Someone really hammered you with a kick.  Good thing you had your vest on, or it might have been three ribs.

Outside, you can hear a moaning yelp of a dog in pain.

And a snatch of conversation from out the window and far below...

"Just die already!"

The elevator in the room is going down, and someone has removed a table and some barrels.

McCallister,

You kiss the axe, and suddenly you're flooded with vigor as the blessing/curse takes hold as your saliva wets the axe handle.

"The witch's magic still has power" Thor says to the right of you.  "Teach these sons of the Jotunn what a Viking is, and teach them how to bleed."

The door opens, and you see four guys sitting around an upside down cooler playing cards.  To your left you're aware of a man with a beer bottle in his hand.  In the shadows on the far wall between them which you shouldn't be able to see is a guy fiddling with his AK-47.  It looks like he's sitting amongst a collection of sleeping bags all laid out...

"Kill them alllllllll!!!!!"  Thor is shrieking in battle fury.

PT

I smile broadly and as menacingly as I can muster at Devlin.  "It takes a lot more than a pathetic vampire can dish out to take me down.  You have two choices, vermin!"

"Your first choice is to be too exhausted to run, and have me and my pup torture you into the next world.  Or, you can submit in defeat, and I'll spare you.  You will tell me everything you know about versing and you must offer me something in return for sparing your pathetic life.  Speak!"

I look out of the corner of my eye at Kox, to see how he's doing.  I make sure not to move my eyes towards him, though, so that Devlin won't notice that I'm thinking about the pup.

A broken rib, eh? Well it could be worse, I've been through worse though, so I'll just have to deal..

I get up and do what I can to ignore the pain.  I grab my gear and move over to the window to see what is going on, grabbing my sniper when I get there, so I can get a better look of what is going on, and what else this city looks like.

Arriving at the window, after I see the source of the yelling, I then assemble the sniper, and look through the scope to see what is happening in the city, and what else is in the distance that I can see from my current vantage point.

Suddenly Devlin is not paying any attention at all to you Krillis.  He's staring, his mouth hanging open with fangs exposed past you.

Avahur, you look down to see a badly injured Devlin squaring off against Krillis.  The dog is laying on the parking lot, moving a little.  Looking through your sniper rifle, you see the fangs in Devlin's mouth, and all over his body you see the amount of damage he's taken.  Its enough to kill a normal man.

And as you look up you see a city at night.

But then something blocks the lower edge of your view.

You take the rifle off your shoulder to check the scope for errors, and then you see a seventy foot tall Mech, humanoid design, standing in the parking lot as the asphalt crumples under its weight.  You're slightly above it as you're ninety feet up.

Mentat, you wake.

An old, abandoned factory is in front of you. You're standing in a parking lot.  A couple strangers are standing below you.  They've obviously been fighting.

PT

As if propelled by Thor's own furious battle cry I begin running into the scene, uncaring about cover now. I let a bullet dive into the man to my left while he's in mid-beer gulp. Then my AK-47 zeroes in on the guy over the sleeping bags, the only one with a weapon. Then my axe is out as I begin to dance around the cooler-men, swinging the axe through them. Throughout all of this I don't say a word, except a single phrase, "By Thor's Hammer...you will know opposition!"

I continue to bob and weave through them to keep them off balance and taking into account the rest of the room in the process. I wasn't the best with the axe, still I know I could do so much damage to these modern men.

Now there is something you don't see every day...

A mech... wonderful, well must have a verser inside, and since I'm up here.. perhaps he's of the friendly sort...  time to find out..

I take a deep breath.. as much as I can with a broken rib..

Hey, you in the mech, up here, I'm assuming you're a verser in there, well as you can see, its an interesting place here.. the name's Avahur, perhaps you've heard of me, perhaps not, who might you be?

Hmm I probably just alerted everyone in the hood to my presence... oh well, it will be fun.. more killing.. yay for killing.. I look forward to it.

Av,
The Mecha turns toward you.

You hear a shake on the floor below, and then the elevator turns on.

And then you hear gunshots along with a wild scream that chills the blood.

Mac,

You clip the first guy, hose down the second so he's good and dead, and bury your axe in the collarbone of the first of the cooler men.  The next you swing at dives backwards, and rolls away.  You gut the third who is pulling out a pistol.  The fourth breaks a beer bottle over your head which stings, and makes you wobble.  But you're so hyped that it doesn't slow you down.

You see several people who were sleeping in the sleeping bags waking up quickly (its a job survival skill as a gangbanger).

PT

Well, hello there, fine time of day, isn't it?

Do you understand Greek? Yes... no?  Ahh well..

Anyway, I'll stick to common, so, I haven't seen a mech since I designed them way back... any chance you could tell me who you are? I mean you no harm, honestly.

Sure I've designed mechs in games... but seeing one... that's not something I'd ever imagine.. then again, I wouldn't imagine becoming a verser either.. oh well this should be itneresting..

I swing around at the beer-bottler, about neck level. As soon as I make contact I lunge for the backflipper. As I go through this I marvel at the slow-mo feel to it all, how I seem to flow toward the next action.

If a gun catches my eye, I will snag it with my free hand. If I can get a grip on the backflipper, I'll toss him at the sleepingbaggers, but nevertheless I'm moving on a path that will take me towards them.

I won't leave a soul in my wake though.

I can feel my pulse pounding in my eardrums, like the viking drums I'd heard at the faire. The entire scene was taking on a surreal feel to it in my eyes.

I proceed to pursue Devlin, not bothering to take notice of the mech.  The pain too great, I don't even notice it at first.

I continue to demand of Devlin as I approach, now shouting, "TELL ME WHAT YOU KNOW!  NOW!  Tell me everything about versers, and tell me what you have to offer me, so that I don't sacrifice you to Fenris!  I'll have my dog eat you alive!"  I try to have the most menacing voice possible as I speak.

I move along the rooftop so that I cannot be seen by the two men. I try to get a better look at whats happening below with Devlin. I try once again to call out with my mind.

"Why am I still not dead, in spite of what the universe seems to be interpreting as my best efforts?" I try and move, forcing myself up off the ground.

OOC: Will I move, or the Mech?

Mac,

Your axe slips into his neck, blood spurts everywhere, and you're turning back to the backflipper who's trying to retreat as fast as he can, but you're just faster.  You run him down, he throws up his arms in a futile defense, and then he too is sent to the Death Goddess as you send him flying at the ones in the sleeping bag who instinctively fire their weapons at him.

You feel your sleeve jerk, and a mosquito bit in your leg.

You have three sleeping baggers armed with nine millimeters, and one armed with a shotgun which he wasted on his compadre.  They are blazing away at you, but their accuracy is pitiful, and you're just so fast, so inevitable like an avalanche.

PT

Krillis,

He throws a large white crystal down on the ground in front of him.

"The power of the mind to move things is in this crystal, take it, my gift, and I have little knowledge except to say that the verser's power of life, like the vampire's is in the blood.  Centuries will pass, and you will not age a day.  Worlds uncounted will spin before your eyes with some of them so strange that you'll have to invent new words to describe them."

And then he points behind him.

"But look, I think you have something else to fear."

And over your shoulder, you see a huge, menacing shadow move.

Valiant,

I'd say you stole a pistol that one of the gangbangers dropped in his drinking (thugs not being noted housekeepers), and are slipping up on the two men from behind a rooftop AC unit.

You look down.  A seventy foot tall, human shaped mech has been added to the scene.  You feel a sudden urge to start screaming, and not stop, or conversely to curl up in a ball,a nd whimper.

Its moving.

Below you is some guy and Devilin facing off.  The guy is yelling harshly at Devlin.


Mentat,

The Mech moves.  You get to your feet.  The asphalt cracks and hss

*Doctor/human/female is to the left of us in Vehicle Designate One." You can see the time machine about hundred feet to your left next to a parking lot lamppost.  "Badly injured human twenty feet in front of us.  In confrontation with inhuman entity.  Dog laying on the ground, injured.*

I keep moving until I'm in a good spot with a full view of teh combatants. I take careful aim and when the moment is right and then fire my pistol at the person standing in front of Devlin

I pick up the white crystal, and take note of the large robot behind me.  I sure hope that thing's on my side...

I then look Devlin in the eyes, and reply, "I'm not afraid of the dark."  I continue to walk towards Devlin, but slower.  "Shadow, what are you doing there?  Perhaps you're cheerleading?  Or were you summoned by this vampire here?  Are you waiting for me to turn my back before fighting me, or can we both walk away from this battle?"

If I'm still not attacked, I keep an eye on Devlin and the Shadow while I walk over to my dog, whispering to Kox,

Krillis,

You feel a tearing sensation in your chest as you walk toward the vampire who retreats pace for pace from you.  You're falling.  Devlin is laughing delightedly as he dives forward to grab the crystal in your hand.  It hurts a lot, and you can't breathe.

You verse out.

Valiant,

The two thugs on the roof are twitchy, and when you open fire behind them, they get unnerved and dive for cover.  One fires a shot across the top of the AC unit, not coming anywhere near to you.

Mentat,

The badly injured human was talking to you. Then he got shot from the top of the factory.  A very well aimed shot.  He died, and then he vanished.  The dog vanished too.

The inhuman tried to steal something from him, but failed.

All,

And thats probably it for the weekend.

Feel free to talk, and to state your next plans if you like.

And Krillis gets to go back to his college days richer by one white crystal said to have something to do with TK.

PT

I get up, shake my head and stand up in the very big mecha. I don't know who has reason and who doesn't, but I will find out quickly.

The intended approach is known as 'Intimidation' if I recall correctly.

I point my Hypercannon at the general field of battle and switch to loudspeakers. "I am the law. All combatants surrender or prepare to be judged!"

I've always wanted to say that. Among other things I plan on saying at some point or another, of course. And if I am not mistaken, the Hypercannon will be more than enough to destroy the combatants, the building they are on, the ground the building is on, and probably half of the city if I arc the shot.

"And then feel free to explain your actions one at a time."

Meanwhile deep within the bowels of the stinking cespool known only as "The Abandon Warehouse Downtown"....

I continue my pursuit of the sleeping baggers, I actually punch one of them and spin him around to use him as my human-meat-shield. Then I bring the AK around to drill holes into the shotgunner. Nine milimeter rounds wouldn't even get all the way through, so I'm reasonably certain that I can do this with some success.

As soon as they've finished unloading into him, I'll once again throw him at them and then charge in with the axe. I wanted that shotgun...I have shotgun rounds still.

I could wait until I've finished these Bozo's off.

I take a look over the window and look up and down, estimating the drop down and how far up I am, and how far there is above me...  then I proceed to head up to the roof..

OOC: I'm going to be sketchy cause my computer ate the last post to Mac's game.

Mac,
Your plan works, and you find yourself the only one alive in the room except for a fly which seems to be buzzing by you very slowly.

Thor points out that you've nine millimeter wound to your left thigh, but it seems to have gone clean thru, and there is some bleeding but its not arterial. Everyone else is extremely dead.

You can hear no one else on this floor.

Bonus @1 to axe use and Agility.

Mentat,

You boom at the building.

A window opens thirty seconds later.

"Hey mon, we already pay de police commissioner plentah.  This is our turf. Sides, you might get hurt because we follow the Law of the Gun."

At this point thirty weapons ranging from nine millimeters to a LAW rocket launcher pop out of windows and aim at you.

Avahur,

You open the door to the lower roof to climb the thirty foot ladder outside the door.  A guy at the far edge of the roof has Valiant pinned down on your side of the AC unit which he has as cover.

Valiant seems entranced, and a flickering light is in front of him.

He fires twice and breaks some brick near your face.  Little bits of flying brick nick you.  He begins to duck back down...

Valiant,
All of a sudden you see a revolving circle of symbols  of arcane significance.  You know all you have to do is focus your will, and Power is yours.

Words fill your mind and whisper from the gravel all about you.

" I swear by the Six Beasts Who Sit in Shadow and Gnaw at the Roots of Heaven that I will stand unbowed before anyone, that I will hold no one greater than my own imperial will save my Master, Devlin Smith."

PT

I go back down and wait for who ever is alive to come back down.  I walk around a corner, or a place where I won't be able to see who comes down.  I take out my pistol and aim it at any entrances that people could come in from, and if there are more than one, I aim my smg at the the other.  Should there be 3 or more I position myself so that I can cover all of them, within my range, or have it so that they won't see me if they walk in and I can react.

As soon as someone starts to come down from the roof I shoot them multiple times to guarantee their death.

Should there be a door next to me, and someone is coming in on my right, I drop my weapons crouch down grab my sword and draw and slash into and possibly through the midsection of whoever was close to the door, then backing up using their body as a shield I would retrieve my weapons and dispose of anyone else.

If they came on my left side, I would crouch and quickly peer around and start firing down the hall at anyone that I happened to see.

If the doors have no windows, assuming there are some doors, and if they can be locked, a proceed to close and lock them, and I wait for someone to come through an entrance to the room.

For a moment I just stop, watching that fly buzz by, and hearing the thumping sound of my heart in my ears. Looking down I see the hole in my thigh which is spilling blood. That's kind of alarming, I think to myself, mostly because I can barely feel it.

I grab that shotgun, since I'm not a wonderful shot, the wide spread of a shotgun will help that much. Then I look through the place, more ammo or guns would be appropriate right now...

I absolutely cannot stop myself from asking.

"You're joking right?" I am absolutely dumbfounded at the idea of anyone going after a mecha with conventional weaponry. "What makes you think I'm representing local law? Oh, let me guess, all of the local police drive these, right? Well, I've always said you are only killed by luck or stupid."

With the hand that is not aiming a hypercannon, I punch the window where the LAW is located and move my hand and arm back and forth, with the intent of collapsing the entire wall. Maybe the next time I invite them to surrender peacefully they will consider it.

If they aren't all dead.

I look in wonder at the swirling circle and begin to focus my whole being on the words I speak.

" I swear by the Six Beasts Who Sit in Shadow and Gnaw at the Roots of Heaven that I will stand unbowed before anyone, that I will hold no one greater than my own imperial will save my Master, Devlin Smith."

Avahur,

You see the two guys pop up.  You shoot them in the head because that's all they show. They were pathetic.  One of them was about to shoot at you, but he would have been closer to hitting the moon, his aim was so poor. The roof is now clear of foes.  Valiant is doing some sort of magic.  He's entranced.

You climb up to the top roof of the seven story factory, and find nobody up here.

However, you've heard lots of noise of gunfire from below you in the sixth floor, mixed with blood-curdling screams.  Sounds like fun....

Mac,

You vaguely remember something about magic and blood.

1. Nine MM with a box of fifty bullets, JHP
2. One .38 revolver with four bullets
3. One doo-hickey covered 'Dragonslayer' sword with lemon sized fake crystal.
4. One odd looking grenade thing that rolls out from under a pillow when you kick the pillow.  Its not armed.

This is what you quickly find.  There is bound to be more with a more thorough search.

Mentat,

You see a panicked look, and then a rocket lurches from the LAW.  You think it probably was an unconscious shot.

It slams into your face plate, and there is a small explosion,a nd fire rains down.

*Inside arming range of weapon. Fuel explosion.  Damage minor.* 001 reports.

You clear out that area of the building as shots pepper your hull.  You start getting reports of mild damage, and minimal point failures easily routed around.  You're getting stung by a cloud of mosquitoes who occasionally land a shot at a joint or other semi-vulnerable spot.

You're continuing to rip out the wall.  Were you trying to knock down most of the factory, or a large part of it?

Valiant,
You hear in your mind a clear voice not your own.

*Accepted. Worldwalker, you will have little powers in this world because you begin weak,a nd because this world is poor in glory.  But there are other worlds.  Fear not death. This is our gift to you.*

And then you hear Devlin in your mind.

*Can we stop that mechanical monstrosity?  Its about to take the whole factory down on us?"

All,
The factory rumbles under your feet. Everyone sees the Mecha assault the wall of the factory.  Some see it from inside as a huge hand punches through the floor, and others see it from outside.  And one person sees it from behind the control panel.

PT

I strip down to the skin the two people I killed confiscating any weapons or ammo that I find.  Then, with the rumbling and such, I proceed over to a window so I can talk to whoever caused the rumbling...

Excuse me, could you not take down this factory? Well, you can later by all means, but please wait until after I've killed everyone and confiscated their weapons.  Simply put, I'm having fun here, don't ruin it..

After yelling that to the mech I get ready to sprint behind me and off to the side should weapon fire or another hand come my way..

OOC: Just the one wall. It still has three, and should still be a functioning open air structure.

Yep, the field of battle sure looks different from a 70-foot mecha.

"Now look," I haven't even given Avahur's remark any thought. "I'm being more than reasonable here."

"I sayed," I raise my right foot up. "STOP!"

I bring my foot down hard, hoping to generate a localized earthquake.

Did you? Well I haven't heard you speak yet, so you must have been talking to the people I intend to kill, perhaps when this is done we can get together and discuss future plans, eh? It appears to be you're a verser, and since I also am one, I'm sure it would be to both our benefits to work together and kill these people, then talk..

Av,
He's using loudspeakers.  Unless you're in a trance, which come to think of it was two of ya'll, then you heard him.

Mentat,
You slam your foot down.  There is a shudder in the ground, and some glass breaks out of a window.

You've ripped a great hole in the wall, and at least a dozen guys have fallen to their doom.

The others realizing that you're not like the local SWAT team which is intimidated by lawsuits of police brutality, or the local police which is paid for by the drug trade are reconsidering their choice of location very loudly.

OOC: Mentat, but really to all.  It is a Mecha of course, and thus insanely powerful.  But, its only seventy foot tall, and with a nuclear fusion power system able to attain orbit and fly to the outer solar system.  That's all, you say incredulously.

It doesn't have the ability to accidentally fry the half the city with one shot.

Now, it probably could kill most everyone in teh factory in one shot, but not the city.

In comparison, an M1A1 tank is a common gunman compared to it.  But, if ten tanks came at it, the Mecha would be well advised to start using some really good tactics.

So its insanely powerful, but unless very lucky and very skilled, Mentat can't announce himself dictator of the planet, and make it stick.  He can however, in about three turns knock down the wall of the factory facing him with brute force.

And the guys shooting at him are mostly an insignificant threat although it can add up after a time....unless there is a golden bb out there.  The Mecha does have vulnerable spots.

I'm insane I grant you, just not teetotally absolutely batty, m'kay?

OoC:Could I make a knowledge Mecha check to see if I know one...

I walk around a bit in my little area then yell out again...

Ok, so maybe I did hear ya, but really, you are only in one mech, you're going to need a lot more than that to take this planet over, but I'd be happy to assist you in doing so... what say you?

I am not weak. Do not confuse my newness to this power with weakness. Now master, how do I use this power?

I stumble back as rubble flows into the room, followed closely by a huge hand. A robot's hand. Dinosaurs, volcanoes, multiple versers, living legends....now a life sized transformer action figure? What's next?

All I knew in that moment was that I needed to get outta there, because either way, this was going to end badly...unless it was an autobot....


I scramble to gather up what I'd found and then run to the now exposed terrace view. "Heya Optimus! So what's a guy gotta do to get a hand kickin' some freaks around here?"

I stop my attack for a moment. "I just need a standard for identifying your allies. Since you are not shooting at me, I'm presuming you have common sense and can tell me what is going on."

I put my hands on both sides of McCallister so that no one decides to shoot him while he is talking. They'd have to go through me first. "Don't worry. If my intent was hostile, our conversation would be of a different nature."

Hearing McCallister yell to the mech, I head over to the window, and look down...

"Hey McCallister, that you down there?  I assume you found some playmates as well?"

"Honestly, there's a guy and a dog up there, the rest I'm not too sure about. I'm Mac," I say in a yell to Mentat, "Avahur, I have found some guys to take out, are you with us? For what it's worth, I'm glad you're not dead yet."

"Oh yeah, there's going to be a rumble at the Mayor's house tonight and at City Hall. These guys are trying to take out the city leadership. There is an evil verser amongst us as well, so watch out! A Priest of Darkness...I think. Anyway, the national guard is down at the south end being distracted from protecting the Mayor and the City Council in the northern part of town."

There's a freakin' mech in front of me!

Darkness!? That can't be... then... *a couple seconds of silence* Well, that would be interesting... time for the hunter to become the hunted..  Hey Mac, I've had my own run-ins I believe with these darkness guys in other worlds.. Mostly them trying to kill me...

Avahur gets slightly ticked off but remains calm about it...

They also killed my wife on another world, one of these people of darkness looks exactly like me, and he's been to multiple worlds that I've been to, each time hunting down people close to me, at one point is was my wife and son, but my son is now a verser also, and he's grown up quite a bit, I'm sure he'd enjoy it here, the other time he attacked a friend of mine...  Well I don't think he survived that encounter, as my friend is easily one of the most skilled versers I know..  So I think it's possible that if you consider people like Krillis, you and me, members of the light, then darker versions of ourselves are somewhere within the overall scope of the darkness.  If this world allowed us to use magic and such, I could show some of what I mean...

Anyway, at the rumble later on, we very well may run into another verser or two...  So, this could prove to be very interesting.  Also, I was never not on your side, I've just had to deal with a lot on each of my worlds, and you always have to be careful of other versers, as you can never tell who they are, what they are capable of, and what their stand point is on other versers..  They very well may be a part of these darker people and so you can never be too careful, when in doubt, kill first ask questions later... or atleast be in a position where someone makes a wrong move and you can end their life and save you from a bunch of trouble that they would be causing later on.  I told you guys before, I've been to a great many worlds, and I've had to deal with a ton of stuff, if only you'd give me a chance to show you what I mean...

Avahur  turns around and keeps his guns pointed at any entrances so that no one can sneak up on him, and so that he can still listen to what goes on..

"I'm Ed." Last I checked, anyways. "If the building is not critical, I will gladly help you and your allies get clear of it. I may be a little too strong for my own good right now, but quite frankly I'm getting tired of these clowns calling me on my offer to use the Cannon here. I don't bluff."

I offer an open hand. "Hop on so I can drop you on another rooftop. Unless you can give me a reason not to level this building. How about it?"

Valiant, you get a flash of Devlin with his teeth buried in the neck of a gangbanger, and sucking away with blood spattered everywhere.

*I'm in a bit of a rush right now.  I've got to heal, and then I can try to deal with the robot.*  He sounds a bit doubtful of his chances.  *So be patient!  If you can deal with the Mecha, I'll be grateful.*

PT

Well, in that case, move us to a different rooftop, and level this place, then we can search through the rubble for bodies, guns, and other ammunition  so that while you're in the mech, we can still kill people, plus I'm running low on ammo and some new guns and ammo would be very helpful, for when I'm not using my swords..

You want me to deal with the transformer? I got lucky with that shot and i don't think this beebee gun could punch through steel.  How about I come down and join you and we can go from there.

I smirked at the idea of these guys getting a cannon big enough to climb into shoved into their collective faces. "Okay let's do it!"

I clamber up onto one of the offered armored hands, ducking low in case they began to open up on him from the building.

Once he replaces us I'm going to utilize my brief training in stopping bloodflow to help my leg wound, and applying pressure to the wound as well. That would certainly do the trick. I didn't want to use one of those medpacs quite yet...

"Let do this." Inside the suit I'm smiling.

I lift Avahur and McCallister up and move them to the next rooftop, one that doesn't have gunfire coming out of it. "Take cover!" After I set them down, I'm going to jump over the buiding, activate my jumpthrusters for a moment, and fire the hypercannon straight down at the warehouse.

That should have the desired effect with a minimum of collateral damage to the surrounding area.

McCallister,

You patch up your leg by using pressure points, and what little bandages you have with you. The blood flow turns to a seep, and you're fairly confident its going to stop bleeding if you can get some rest.

Valiant,

You're getting a sense of frustration and wrath from Devlin which he's trying to hold in check.

But then his rage shoots through you like a hurricane just blew the doors off a shelter.

*Curse the Lords of Light, this is not fair....!!"

A yellow and orange column of light cuts through the roof in fractions of a second, and plunges through the floor.  You're in freefall, and the air is furnace hot, and ...

Mentat,

A simple hop and drop leaves the two of them on top of the factory water tower.  Another hop, whooosh of turbothrusters, and BOOOM.

Your Hypercannon punches down through the factory, and then in the space of two seconds the rest of the factory collapses inward consumed by a large fireball.

Congratulations, you've killed about 54 gangbangers with that shot, stopped a coup d' etat and mass rioting, versed a vampire, and another player character, and opened up a good spot for urban renewal.

You land on molten asphalt which sinks beneath your feet.  Following your Mecha's advice, you step over to some dirt which is safer for not fouling the rockets.

"... Oh my... that was freaking awesome.... I wish I could kill that many people at once.. it would have made the Trojan war so much easier to win..."

I then take a look at mac and again try to create some small semblance of a fire in my hands, anything even if it's just heat, I try to create some semblance of heat...

You all see a crowd of people spilling out from a storefront across the street from the parking lot.  They are all dressed in their Sunday best.

Leading the way is a bulky, fat man in dark purple robes with gold braid.

He calls up with his trained orator's voice filling the air.

"Praise Jesus!  The Church, Abysinnian 9th Street Baptist, has been praying for six months that God would send an angel to take care of those thugs.  Because surely the police were not going to do anything. Can I get a Hallelujah, people?"

A loud chorus of 'Hallelujah's' comes from behind him as the small crowd stares up.

"That looks like a Gundam." One little boy pipes up.

"Now what I have told you about swearing?" His mother grabs him by his coat as he tries to futilely squirm away.

"I'm not swearing.  Its part of the name, Momma."

PT

ugh... religious people... maybe I should kill them..  That's be interesting... or maybe I...

I continue to think over possibilities, and then decide to hold off till the time is right... ((or price for that matter))  and proceed to pull out my sniper rifle and scan the other rooftops and the surrounding area..

"Holy crap!" I've only been firing this thing at space bugs and meteors. It's pretty easy to lose a sense of scale. I do feel like the Vengeance of God right now. Which is a dangerous thought, considering how the Almighty made it pretty clear that was his domain alone. That thought sobers me up from my powertrip.

"Well, it's a few less murderers in the world anyways." I turn to McCallister and Avahur, who is strangely looking at crowd of church goers assembled in the streets like a hungry dog. "So, care explaining to me why they were attacking you?"

This blasted mecha is getting confining to me. I like moving on my own, darn it. But I won't get out of it until I know there is no further danger.

"Well, just as you versed into this world into your mech, we versed in here in a room, we all introduced ourselves, and after some rough business, we decided to go have some fun killing people, and it was fun indeed... too bad I couldn't get some more kills, oh well...  I'll make that up later..

I'm sure there is more to kill than in just that building."

I continue to scan, then after a thorough scan I pack it away and see what's going on next..

I give Avahur a long look and then back to Mentat's possible cockpit, "Well some of us were just after kills I guess...The main idea was that these guys were about to go and take down the Mayor and the City Council building, calling themselves the Law of the Gun...I dunno more than that. Several groups who apparently thought it best to work together to achieve this. They also said that they were distracting the Federal Guard and police by hitting the south side power stations. So that might be the next place to help out at, hopefully the police don't mind..."

Well Mac, when you've been through as many worlds as I have... no not even that, you enjoy certain things and I enjoy certain things... I simply enjoy killing.  Something that was made known to me after being in a couple life and death... well life and verse situations, it was kill or be killed, so I killed, and I eventually got to like it, and so now I enjoy killing.  It's actually quite fun, and it allows me to hone my skills and make sure that they are the best.  I know they aren't the best now, and so I continue to train and fight until I can get them to be the best.

I walk around a bit then look back towards Mac and the Mech..

Avahur's callous regard for life in some ways mirrors what I might become if I'm not careful. I remind myself not to give in to my base nature so readily, and that the only difference between us is years. I might be a homicidal, cold-blooded killer in a few years, let alone what (I believe to be) centuries would do to my grasp on morality.

In short, I already don't like him.

McCallister just seems very non-judgemental. That, or he believes this whole world to be an illusion or a game of some kind.

I'll hold the jury on him.

"Well, that's...interesting." I check the impulse to test-fire the Gatling gun at Avahur, thanks to the aforementioned train of thought. Instead I choose to get out of the suit, and I'm aiming to get out on the rooftop if possible. I'll probably be soaked from the fluid, and hacking it up by the gallon will probably be loads of fun, but I've got to stretch my legs, and the idea of pacing in a seventy foot tall mecha? The collatoral from me walking would probably destroy quite a bit of property.

OOC: Unless I'm getting out in some indecent way. If I'm going to be in the buff, I have some decency (even if it is suppressable), and I'm remaining inside.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:14, Thu 01 Nov 2007.

"So, Ed you said? How many worlds have you been to?"

Yes, you're decent.

You clamber out on top of the water tower which is the nearest easy rooftop to reach.  You hack up about a gallon of fluid, and almost pass out.

The liquid dries off, and then flakes off in a couple minutes, and except for a slight dusty feeling, you're dry.  To the others it looks like a massive case of green dandruff all over your body.

He's wiry, but in very good tone, and has very intense eyes, and a reserved manner.  Other than that, he's of ordinary appearance.

Mac,

You're not feeling very good about right now.  You're starting to sweat buckets, and you hear Loki laughing at you.

You hear the pastor down below shout up to you.

"Hey, friend, the angel with the axe, yeah, don't you be worrying about Satan.  He has no power here."

And it does seem as if the laughter stops.  But you still feel like crud.

Av,

There are a couple people who have "Obvious Source of Trouble" written on their faces about a block away.  They are staring at the factory and the mech with experssions of "No Way!".  Your intution makes them to be gangbangers who were late for the coup d' etat.  Someone's always late for the party after all.

PT

I stand up and roar. I've been locked inside this machine for a couple of hours now, and I've got a bit of violence worked up in my system from blowing that warehouse to pieces. Besides, such things are how I stop myself from giving in to the urge to pass out.

"Man, do I feel better now! Sheesh." I turn to McCallister and Avahur. If they are both looking at me like I'm insane, I understand completely. "Sorry if my behavior is a little off, but that thing is kinda confining."

I shake the green off of me and talk to them. "So let me get this straight, you and Hackmaster here were trying to do a public service when I came along and spoiled your fun?" I look at the wreckage, then down at the people below. "Well, at least they are grateful. The police are likely to confiscate my mecha, and to be honest with you, I'm honorbound to cooperate if they do. I mean, I don't blow up the law, and they can't be corrupt if their is no one left alive to pay them. Besides, word about this toy being in the police force, even if it is just rumor...that's a feather in the hat."

I smile a bit. I gained the mecha at through no merit of my own. I can't claim any real attachment.

Looks interesting, might as well see what happens...

I let the gangbangers approach the crashed party... (literally) and walk around waiting to see what happens..

Mentat,

You see Mac fall over.  He's looking very ill. Sweating, pale, and trembling.  And then it stops.  And then he's just a small pile of dust, a very small pile about two teaspoons worth.

Av,

You hear a voice...

"Thank you for your help, mighty one."

And you feel the world falling away from you....

Mentat,

You feel as if you're falling through realities, and you hear a female voice.

"Worldwalker, The people of the City are in your debt.  You and the others saved them from..."  And you see a vision of a modern town on fire, as riots, and civil unrest tear the city apart, and guerilla warfare by gangbangers is met by desperate government officials unleashing the tanks to try to retake the City.

PT