McKellar doesn't seem to take much notice of the gun pointed at his head.  Which is surprising, given how deserving of notice such a thing is.  Nor does he set the Weirdo down; gentle, whole, or otherwise.  Based on the writhing and whimpering of said Weirdo, you could assume that the Syker is continuing to do whatever it is he has been doing to the man.

Some of the militia notice though, "Hey!  What the fuck?!  Put it down!"  Rifles begin coming to shoulders as the small force starts angling in around Delilah.  All of them taking up the repetitive command for /her/ to put something down.

Crowboy had been looking between the other Black Dogs...and McKellar...and the screaming Weirdo.  Obviously, himself trying to decide what to do.  Once Delilah had her pistol leveled; that seemed good enough for him and he edged closer to McKellar with his own knife....till the militia began barking orders.  He turned on them, shouting back at /them/, "No!  YOU assholes drop them! NOW!"  A threat of little value seeing as how he had brought a knife to a rifle fight.

Prudence, for her part, had had little interest in the screaming Weirdo. When the rifles came up, she had even less interest in being near that area.  So, as her name might imply, she prudently held back where she had been reloading and checking her pistols.  Martin seemed much more concerned, but unsure exactly who to aim at.  So he put an arrow to the string of his bow, but did not draw or threaten towards anybody just yet.

A heavy clanking announced Harry's slow approach from where he had been posted up near the Black Dog.  He seemed more than ready to get involved when he arrived.  Most likely on behalf of the Black Dogs.
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:23, Tue 14 May 2019.

Repositioning the whole assembly, Fletcher took a moment then slipped on the goggles to see what he could see.

The sudden change in shouting made him instinctively look towards the direction it was coming from.

Well crud.

First of all, Kelly was pissed off McKeller wouldn't give her a damn answer when she was doing her best to not assume things and had taken advantage of her being good natured for once.

Second, now not only were people being stupid, but guns were involved.  Shit was about to get real, as they say.

For a moment Kelly considered invoking the saints to protect Delilah, but that wasn't really the best play she had.  The best play she had involved being a dumbass.

The psyker was purposefully ignoring Kelly and her long captivity in the fighting pits.  He was about to learn this was a mistake, as she was about to make the Gracies proud.  If she had any idea who the Gracies were that is.

All right so Kelly is going to attempt to apply a rear naked choke to McKellar with the four way goal of 1) stopping from pointlessly torturing the weirdo 2) getting the attention onto herself and 3) not deploying a weapon thereby taking this whole thing past the point of no return and 4) this will make it so it's hard to hit Kelly without hitting McKellar so hopefully they don't start shooting.

Since he's been pointedly ignoring her for like 3 posts, I am applying The Drop to the Grappling attempt.

05:42, Today: Kelly MacLeod rolled 11,8 using d10+4,d6+4, rerolling max with rolls of 7,4.  Grappling.

Delilah's eyes widened as far as they could, and she stood shaking in her boots while everyone else sprung into action.

Her arm went limp, and the Colt kicked up dirt where it fell to the ground. On jellied knees, Del backed away until her heel caught a clod and dropped her down onto her butt.

All the while, her smarm and charm and sly grin were collapsing, and as she pulled her knees to her chest and stared into her hands -- the left clean and rough from life, the right a mess of burns and scars wrapped haphazardly in old gauze and tape -- she started crying. Not pretty crying, oh no. Not a few elegant tears that hardly make mascara run. Deep, quivering, ugly cries that made the whole face a soggy mess.

"Th-they're m-m-m-ma-king th-them," she babbled through wracked sobs. "Sh-shoulda k-k-killed 'em... Killed 'em all..."

Dean's brow furrowed in concentration, letting his own powers stretch out, crossbow never wavering.  His finger very nearly caressed the trigger as Delilah suddenly reacted.  He already hate the man; he'd given warnings without trying to influence the others and tried to stay out of it.  But realizing what McKellar did to Del was all the excuse he needed.  But Kelly stepped in and applied a stranglehold on the dishonorable bastard, causing him to hesitate.  She had McKellar cold though it seemed and Dean wouldn't go against and risk a squadmate.

Instead, given how close Delilah was now, he took a step to her and dropped to one knee, her back against his leg.  The crossbow still pointed over her, he dropped his left hand to grasp her shoulder.  "You're ok.  I've got you partner," he said, a wave of mental energy infusing her as he spoke, bolstering her.


OOC:
Boost on Del
11:35, Today: Dean Mitchel rolled 5,5 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max ((5,5)).
This message was last edited by the player at 16:05, Wed 15 May 2019.

Kelly launched herself at McKellar, who was very much not expecting such a thing.  He vainly attempted to resist but had no chance against the former pit fighter's skill and surprise.  His eye contact with the Weirdo was wrenched away as Kelly rolled the syker back into the choke hold.

Just before that, Delilah had dropped her gun and collapsed.  Dean rushed to her as Kelly attacked, reaching out with his own abilities to stir up the gunfighter's own biochemical responses.  Turning up the neurotransmitters for calm and feelings of comfort; toning back the fear responses.

The riflemen continued to shout, more frantic and insistent as their leader was taken down in a way that meant shooting would risk him....  Crowboy put himself between the rifles and Kelly, knife waving back and forth as threateningly as he could manage.

Then the Weirdo's junk wings gave a sudden violent rattle and crackle....

The evening dark is suddenly shattered by a shocking bright flare as a powerful arc leapt from wingtip to wingtip.  In the midst of this bright flash, the Weirdo dove for his "paintball" gun....


First!
KELLY - You and McKellar are now entangled!  He is also Shaken!  You may feel free to make another opposed Fighting check to damage him on your Action. I pre-rolled him a 7 on this one.

DELILAH - You start this SHAKEN, but Dean has Boosted your Spirit by a die type when you get to UnShake!

EVERYONE! (Except Fletcher) - Roll Agility at -2!  Fail and you are FLASHED!  -2 to Trait Rolls and Shaken!  Roll a 1 and you are BLIND!  Fletcher doesn't have to roll because he has Special Goggles on!

Round One - Flash Bang!

Weirdo - KD

Kelly - QS

Delilah - QD

Dogs - 8H

Dean - 6H

Rifles - 6D

Fletcher - 2H

05:30, Today: Kelly MacLeod rolled 2,3 using d6-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 4,5.  Agility.

Hmmmm... I'll drop the Red to ensure I get a 4 to pass.  I don't think there's any reason to get a Raise here so I didn't roll the d6.

Well crapbaskets.

No good deed goes unpunished, they say.  Kelly had not wanted McKellar to torture his captive sadistically for no stated purpose, but she didn't realize how much vim a man who she had been forced to patch up still had.

She didn't like it, but bed made, lie.

McKellar was a problem for Later Kelly.  Present Kelly let go of him and launched an aggressive roundhouse kick at the would-be winged raider escapee.  It was a reckless and committed attack that left her open, but he had to eat dirt fast.

So drawing a sword would be an MAP so keeping with unarmed combat.

05:37, Today: Kelly MacLeod rolled 4,5 using d10+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 2,3.  Wild Attack.

Guessing that hits if he has a Parry of 5 as most NPCs do?  If not I'd probably... sigh... chip this, him getting away is bad and this debacle continuing much longer is also bad.

05:40, Today: Kelly MacLeod rolled 15,10 using d8+2,d4, rerolling max with rolls of (8+5)13,(4+4+2)10.  Damage roll just in case.

05:41, Today: Kelly MacLeod drew the single card: 3S using a deck of 54 cards.  Card just in case.

Whether it was luck or pure rage, Del went unbothered by accident he flash of light, and Dean's supernatural reinforcement shook her from her stupor.

With a rough lurch forward, she scooped her pistol out of the dust and brought it up to bear with lightning speed -- for once not a metaphor, the whole frame was glowing bright red and wisps of smoke were curling up from Delilah's hand. And her eyes, unsettling as that was.

The hammer snapped back and the glow went white-hot. It crashed against the bullet and Del's whole hand caught fire, not that she seemed bothered by it.

The bullet went where she wanted, straight at the bridge of the Weirdo's nose.

09:45, Today: Delilah Wolf rolled 1,0 using 1d8-1,1d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 2,1.  Agility. Also I rolled at -1 instead of 2 so this should be even worse.

SAVE ME, WHITE CHIP!

09:55, Today: Delilah Wolf rolled 0,15 using 1d8-2,1d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 2,(6+6+5)17.  Agility Chip Reroll.

Better. Now to get rid of Shaken, courtesy of Dean!

09:56, Today: Delilah Wolf rolled 5,7 using 1d10-1,1d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 6,(6+2)8.  Boosted Spirit to UnShake!

I accidentally rolled this at -1 too, so the actual results are 6 and 8. That's a Raise, so I get my action!

I'm gonna use it to try to show off a little. Two actions, first is to get muh gun back, second is, plot twist, a power roll! That's right friends, I actually have skills beyond bravado.

10:06, Today: Delilah Wolf rolled 6,5 using 1d6-2,1d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of (6+2)8,(6+1)7.  Power Roll! With two-action penalty!

With Quickness now activated, I'm gonna blow this Weirdo's fucking face off.

10:09, Today: Delilah Wolf rolled 8,3 using 1d10-1,1d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 9,4.  Called Shot TO THE FUCKING FACE!

With a raise, even!

10:12, Today: Delilah Wolf rolled 12 using 3d6+5, rerolling max with rolls of 2,3,2.  Damage, with a raise, TO THE FUCKING FACE!

That damage sucks. Red chip!

10:14, Today: Delilah Wolf rolled 23 using 3d6+5, rerolling max with rolls of 2,(6+5)11,5.  Benny Reroll because I really wanna kill this guy.

While most were reeling from the flare, the Weirdo grabbed up his paintball gun and started to rise.  He didn't make it far.  The threat, along with Dean's syker mojo, kicked Del out of whatever hell she had been sent to.  And she came back with literal vengeance in the form of supernatural speed and a gun of blazing bright fire.  His face didn't even have time to register surprise as the bullet crashed through.  His body remained where it was until Kelly spiraled up from the ground and sent it flying with a roundhouse kick.  What was left of the Weirdo landed in a messy heap, the wins rattling uselessly against the ground.  The "paintball" gun clattered back to the ground.

The militia rifles seem to have been blinded and, luckily or by training, lifted or lowered their rifles when they were unable to safely take aim.  McKellar blinked painfully from the flare or the flaming gun.  He sucked in breath that had been denied him while being choked, trying to get back to himself and get some good idea of what just happened.


What with the calling on supernatural speed, I gave it to Del!  I also felt like she needed it more.  *makes his new draws from the spent Reds.....*  Combat Over!

Fletcher reached up and pushed up the goggles he'd borrowed, he then put them back on and looked around before pushing them back up.

With his unfiltered eyes he looked around again.

Hand still merrily burning and with her turning her bandages black, Del gave some serious thought to treating McKellar to a dose of the same. She realized, however, that would mean gunning down his overzealous but fundamentally innocent -- as far as she could tell, anyway -- militiamen. Still didn't stop her starting to swing her aim around, but, by some happy coincidence for them, as soon as she prepared to kill every last one of them, pain finally registered across her face.

Instead, she holstered her pistol, which sizzled against the cracked leather, and casually smothered the fire engulfing her hand against her rawhide chaps. Her protective wrapping was crisped to ashes, but the gundhand's scarred flesh only looked a bit red and irritated.

"I was right. The Weirdos and Takers, one and the same. Dozens, maybe hundreds, with a leader done up all in armor and steel. Every one a mutant, and by no stroke of chance: They're making more out of their victims." To the sharp ear, Delilah had utterly abandoned her twang.

"We have to kill them. All of them."
This message was last edited by the player at 09:59, Fri 17 May 2019.

Kelly looked around.  Subtly, she drew her sword.  She listened for a moment.  She responded to Delilah, relieved she was all right, but not liking what had just come out of her mouth either.  Kelly spoke in a low, just as serious tone.

"Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all and if it is possible, live peacefully. Avenge not yourselves, for vengeance is mine says the Lord."

But then her attention was on McKellar.

"You're disgusting and not to be trusted.  You answer me when I ask you a question.  Got it?"

Dean slowly stood up as everything stood down from chaos, still keeping the crossbow leveled.  "Delilah, do you know where they are?," he asked taking the rest at her word.


OOC:
Letting the spirit boost fade at end of duration.

Del cracked her cooling knuckles and shook her head. "Some kind of stadium. I haven't seen anything like it since before the Harvest, and it couldn't be where I'm thinking of."

"They're abductin' people for more 'n that."  Fletcher called out from where he was examining the weirdos' gear.  "Least, they might be."  He added.

McKellar slowly stood, rubbing at his neck a bit with one hand and holding the other back towards the riflemen in Hold gesture.  Obviously hoping they would see it...eventually.  Kelly's statement, command, and question received a level look, "Your opinion is noted."  His unflaggingly neutral demeanor up to now was beginning to crack though, edging to anger and frustration but he was trying to keep it in check.  Trying very hard.  To the group in general, he added simply, "Dozens.  Not a stadium.  Trailers.  The whole thing was mobile.  A portable reactor; modified military grade.  Early model."  He glanced at Fletcher, noting his comment, before adding, "They use people to feed it.  Somehow.  Its up near De Queen.  Needs water from the Rolling Fork."  He stopped there, eyeing each of the Dogs as though waiting for something.

"Well.  Do we have the fuel?"  Kelly asked toward the more technologically inclined Fletcher and Harry.  She understood the concept of fuel, but not necessarily how it worked.

She kept an eye on Kellar and circled around to Delilah, putting a hand on the badge carrier's forearm, making eye contact with her to ask questions without speaking them.

Harry had clanked up to the scene, servos whirring and clicking in fine mechanical counterpoint.  His lever gun was cocked over a massive shoulder; present, but not directly threatening anyone in particular.  Most of his attention was mostly on the riflemen.  Never knew when someone might decide to be a big damn hero.  But, he had enough processing power to keep an ear on the main conversation.  Having recently looked at the maps and nav programs, he actually had a good idea of the distance in question, "Yes."

Fletcher continued to tinker with the Weirdo tech...

Fletcher nodded at the information McKellar provided.  He then turned his attention towards the weapon he had collected.

He wasn't yet comfortable disarming or destroying the equipment until he understood it better.

McKellar's attention shifted from Harry and the answer, back to Kelly.  Grimly, he just began, "This guy was a scout.  He already found and marked one of my people's farms.  It is possible they could be attacking it tonight.  Now."  As he continued to speak, he leveled a look at each of the Dogs, making it clear he included each in what he was saying, "I will not get there in time without you and your truck if they are attacking tonight.  Even if they aren't, I'm not sure I will be able to stop the force that I saw in his head with the resources I command.  I understand you have some problem with me, but I am requesting your help now."

"I don't like it when someone is being subjected to apparent torture without an explanation.  It begins and ends with that.  Wherever this is, I'm going there.  But the Dog doesn't speak to me."  Kelly replied coolly.

One of the rifles cut in now, still squinting a bit, "Sir!  We can handle whatever it is.  We don't need these crazy-ass road people.  They put on a gun on you, sir!  How can you trust-"

"That's enough!" McKellar's voice sliced through mid-sentence; louder than usual with the tone of authority thrown in.  The rifleman stopped talking immediately and straightened up at the tone.  The rest of the rifle squad did too.  They still looked angry and confused...and blinked alot.

McKellar had never looked away from the Dogs while he waited to make sure there would be no more two cent donations to the conversation from his people.  His eye landed on Kelly as he spoke again, back to the regular neutral, level tone, "I will not apologize for my methods or take the time to make you comfortable with them.  I have people to protect."  He leveled his look on the as-yet-unspoken Dogs...waiting...  In the same way a tiger prowling back and forth in a cage can be called "waiting."

"I didn't ask you to."  Kelly replied, though she left it at that.  Subtly she sheathed Connor and patted Delilah's arm again, and looked 'round to try to read the tea leaves.

Dean stayed silent, crossbow still leveled.  He'd already expressed his dislike and distrust of the man; observing and revisiting mental tortures from the war had done little to change that opinion.  Dean wasn't planning on doing anything but guarding the others, at least until they were away from the scumbag.  As for going to save people, well, that decision was already made.