“Nope” Liam said with a wince. “Not unless we can pull off a convincing weekend at Bernie’s with their minder. Moira has some scores to settle from the past decade. It’s possible he’s still in one piece. Possible but not likely.”

“I’ll work with Jim to stage the house.”

"Don't be afraid to call in the cavalry, either," Pockets said. "If this is Jacob's plan, it's up to him to make sure it's done properly."

"That's not a bad idea," Liam replied. "If I can get you a keycard to the Alhambra tonight, how long would it take for you to copy it? Jim has one, but unless its still here when Redwatch finds the place they're going to assume its been compromised. If its still tucked into his desk though, they might not bother changing up the code."

"About thirty seconds with the right hardware," Pockets said. "Even if they change the code, it's still useful to have. It'll teach me about the systems they've installed."

There was a loud roar from one of the bedrooms. The room belonged to Alice, the youngest of the three Gordon kids at 16. Jim came tearing out of the room, running up the hallway. The door exploded off its hinges, along with half the wall, as a fully formed Crinos came barelling after him.

Jim managed to get "shit shit shi-" out before the werewolf smacked him with her claws. He flew through the air, and skidded along the floor, coming to a stop at Liam's feet.

"Gotta go, teenager problems," Liam said, letting the phone fall away. At least they were going to have no difficulty convincing anyone of the use of force. Liam stepped over Jim's recumbent form protectively and spread his arms out wide.

"Heyyy, Alice. I bet you don't remember me but I'm your uncle Liam and I know right now you don't like me very much but tomorrow we're going to be good friends, okay?"

Even as a Crinos, the young wolf was no match for Liam. Darting forward he seized her bodily, pinning her arms against her sides and manoeuvring out of the reach of her slavering jaws as best he could.

"Moira! I need some help here!"

Spending 3 BP, 2 to boost strength to 6, one on Invoking the Beast (Thickened Hide). Liam gains 2 additional soak dice including aggro, but loses 1 dex.

19:26, Today: Liam O'Farrell rolled 7 successes using 14d10 with the World of Darkness 3rd ed, Specialised system with a target of 9, rerolling 10s ((10(+7),8,2,7,7,3,2,9,10(+6),10(+9),8,10(+6),5,9)).
This message was lightly edited by the player at 23:31, Wed 09 Sept 2020.

She'd already been up the stairs by the time Liam cried out. Admittedly, she had stalled for a moment when Liam had managed to wrangle a fledgling Crinos. Liam's voice snapped her back in, and she dashed over, now a full Crinos herself, and help pin her her child. Though not before Alice managed to grab hold of Liam's shoulder. Shockingly, he managed to get out of it with nothing but a ruined shirt.

With the two of them together, pinning Alice proved far more manageable. She was considerably less inclined to bite her mother, but bite she did. She quickly stopped when she found herself with her mother's claws around her throat. Not hard enough to hurt her, but just enough to remind her primal brain who the boss was.

She struggled in vain, and showed no signs of stopping. And Jim was severely wounded, but conscious. He looked up at them from the floor. "Go," he said. "Now. T-Take the kids."

The guards outside had assuredly heard the commotion. The red glow of a flare shone in the window.

Liam looked down at Jim and then out at the arcing flare. He took a deep breath and nodded. "Maggie! Jack! We're getting out of here," he said. He stooped down and picked up the fallen phone in one hand and the dropped spray bottle in the other.

"Cancel the morning pickup, Pockets," he said, putting it against his ear. "We're coming in hot tonight. Get on the ear piece, I'm switching over."

Ending the call he rammed the phone into his pocket and tucked the ear bud back in.

"Don't know how much of that you just heard gentlemen, but this soft extraction just became a hard one. Flares are up. I'm going to need some help."

He reached for Jim. "I'll get them out. I promise. Remember: you're a mook. Lie your ass off and play along. Give me the gun and the burner so they've got no reason to suspect otherwise."

"I'll find you."

Jim was barely in a condition to move, but he managed to get out "s-sock drawer." He coughed up a lot of blood. Liam was no doctor, but he was dicey on whether or not Jim would make it for help to arrive. A little blood might increase his chances.

Moira currently lacked the ability to talk in a human tongue, and her words were hard to make out over the roars and struggles of her crazed daughter. <<When I let her go, she's either going to run after me, or chase you. Either way, don't stop running until we're clear of pursuit.>>

"I patched them through the minute you put down the phone," Pockets said matter-of-factly.

"I think 'Werewolves stole the Gordon children' is the perfect cover here, Liam," said Jacob. "We saw their flare, and we're close by. Head north and you'll lead any pursuers right to us. I'm afraid there's not much we can do about the girl."

"I'm the one with the big one," Tyr said encouragingly.

Maggie, the eldest, stepped into the room. Jack followed. Moira looked at them both. She froze for a moment. <<I... Liam, take one of them. I'll carry the other. Don't make me choose.>>
This message was last edited by the player at 03:18, Thu 10 Sept 2020.

"Don't look, kids," Liam said as he opened up a vein on his wrist with his fang. "And don't you dare object, Jim," Liam admonished preemptively. "This is how you get through the night. Just fucking drink," he said, placing his wrist against Jim's lips.

"Maggie, go into your dad's room," he said without turning. "There's a holstered gun and a phone in the sock drawer. Bring them to me. The safety is on but don't touch the trigger."

"Jack, you're going to stick with me tonight, got it? When I tell you, get to the bottom of the stairs and I'll grab you."

"We're going to head out the back and break North. We've got friends close by. We just need to catch up to them."

Liam was just finishing with Jim as Maggie reappeared from the master bed chamber. He licked the vein closed and squeezed Jim's hand. "You're going to be okay. Just hang in there."

Strapping on the holster he locked eyes with Moira. "We've got this."

Finally he turned to his ward for the evening and held out his hand. "Come on, Jack. Lets go. You're going to have to hold tight."

Protean 4, wolf
This message was last edited by the player at 16:14, Thu 10 Sept 2020.

Jim drank without complaints. Any other vampire and he might have made an exception. "Robyn's going full Linda Blair over here, so unless someone's got a drone up their ass there's not much I can do," she said. "Hasan, d-do you have a drone up your ass?"

"That's no way to talk about Jacob," Hasan said. "We're in position. Ready when you are guys."

Maggie had fetched the gun and phone from the sock drawer, holding the former by the barrel, and had returned them to Liam. She now stuck close to her mother, but not so close as to arouse the rage of her sister. Her eyes were wide with fear.

Jack clung to Liam, wordless and compliant. He was taking all of this so well, he had to assume he was still mooked.

<<Say the word, Liam,>> Moira said as she continued to struggle with her frenzying child. She mustered all the rage she could, and let out a roar. Her voice cracked, and it failed to intimidate anyone outside.

Someone kicked in the front door.

<<Time to go,>> Liam said barrelling down the stairs with Jack astride him, trying hard not to pitch his rider. As soon as he made the landing he pivoted towards the back of the house and raced for the doors smashing bodily through them as need be. With the first breath of cool night air in his lungs he veered to the North. The race was on now.

Two of the guards were in the downstairs hallway, and shot off a few rounds as Liam. Raced out the back. They hit nothing. Moira opted for a more direct route, hurtling her daughter through their bedroom window. She leapt down after her, and slapped her on the shoulder to keep her attention. She bolted northward, and her daughter followed.

The family the patrol had been torturing did what they were programmed to do when they saw a werewolf. They went feral. Fortunately they weren't armed, and none of them were track stars. It would be a little matter to leave them in the dust.

The patrol's ghoul was behind the HMMV's turret. As Moira sprinted ahead and Alice followed, he swung to shoot at their backs. In doing so, he turned his back to Liam.

Liam arced behind the HMMV with Jack hanging tight to his ruff. Launching himself through the air he landed paws first upon the back of the ghoul driving him downward through the eye of the turret with his prodigious force and mass before leaping on again in pursuit of Moira.

14:54, Today: Liam O'Farrell rolled 3 successes using 15d10 with the World of Darkness 3rd ed, Specialised system with a target of 6, rerolling 10s with rolls of 2,9,3,3,8,5,2,4,7,1,9,1,7,5,3.  Str + Brawl.

The ghoul didn't surface in time to return fire. However, once they were a block up the street he heard the engine roaring behind them.

Moira and Alice were barrelling ahead. Liam had to sprint to make up ground. Fortunately, this wasn't his first time running with the wolves. This week, even. As he caught up to them, he could hear the beating of wings overhead.

Ahead in the road, Liam saw a lone cruiser, with a poor mortal cop valiantly facing down a charging wall of fangs and muscle. As they drew closer, he emptied his weapon at the group. Moira swung Maggie around onto the back of her neck. Liam, of course, put himself between little Jack and the hail of bullets.

If Alice was hit, she didn't notice. She was much more interested in Liam and Jack. As she raced after her mother, she drifted to the side, closer to the pair. She didn't look friendly.

Liam found reserves of stamina he was only vaguely aware he possessed to propel himself onward and over top of the cruiser, crushing the roof as he bounded past.

<<That's right, Alice>> he growled. <<This way.>>

He did his utmost best to keep an arms' length away or more from the young crinos at all times and continued to lay on the speed.

The wings over head didn't phase him. Any gangrel who touched down would be a distant spot on the ground behind them by the time they transformed, and with any luck those that continued to dog them from above would be in range of Tyr's gattling gun before much longer.

The HMMV was gaining from behind. Two more roared in as they dashed through the next intersection. One of the remaining choppers shone a light on the group, and joined the chase.

One of the Gangrel swooped in low, attempting to grasp Jack off Liam's back. The boy shrieked in terror. Liam was able to deke away from the swooping eagle. The creature veered back up into the sky, and shrieked menacingly as it prepared to make another pass.

This, of course, gave away his position. Seconds later, there was a loud bang as an airburst round exploded, a black star against the night sky. It rained feathers, but there wasn't enough of the scout left to constitute a corpse. The introduction of anti-aircraft rounds was enough to convince the helicopter to break off pursuit.

One of the HMMVs stopped dead as a rifle round tore through its engine block. A loud volley from Jacob's M60 caused another HMMV to peel off its pursuit and skid to a halt. He had hit them from the side, and Liam only managed a passing glance at him as he raced by. They were still pursued by a HMMV, and God only knows how many airborne scouts. But the boys were making a bigger mess now, and soon a flare went off behind them. And another.

They were in the home stretch now. The road was about to end, and there was nothing but a wide open field between them and the trees.

A pair of Gangrel stood in their path. A last-ditch effort to break off their escape. The Hummer had gone off-road behind them, but wouldn't be able to follow them once they broke off into the woods.

Liam broke straight towards the gangrel, head low as the ground raced by beneath his paws. <<Come get me, Alice!>> he roared, revelling in the thrill of the hunt. As the gangrel came within a bounding step he pushed off and sailed clear over their heads.

<<Good luck, fellas!>> he bayed.

Alice tore the first Gangrel clean in half. She stopped, and grabbed the second Gangrel in her teeth. As she shook the life out of him, this gave the HMMV time to catch up. This was the one from the earlier patrol, and it had just the one man inside. He moved from the driver's seat, and swung the turret around at Alice.

<<Grab Jack!>> Liam barked, veering close to Moira. <<Keep running for the trees! I've got Alice,>> he said, turning to double back as soon as Jack was lifted from his shoulders.

With no rider on his back to deter him, Liam charged straight for the gun turret.

The ghoul's head came off with one snap of Liam's jaws. The flyers in the air circled overhead, unwilling to engage without reinforcements. Judging my the sound of engines, those reinforcements were soon to be underway.

"Looks like they're mobilizing the city again," Jacob said. "Watch yourselves."

People were indeed filtering out of their homes. Some headed towards the Boys, while others made for Liam and Alice.

Without anyone else to distract her, Alice made a beeline for Liam.

Liam arced around Alice and then bore down on the tree line, tossing his head back from time to time to make sure Alice was on his tail.

<<That's right, kiddo, follow grandpa. We've got to run all that energy out of you.>>
This message was last edited by the player at 22:39, Thu 10 Sept 2020.

Alice roared, and followed quick on Liam's heels. Moira ran ahead, and led them on a merry chase. She moved up the Ridge, and worked in large circles, doubling back on their trail a dthey raced through the brush. Liam and Moira knew how to move without being tracked, but a raging Crinos was an easy quarry. Still, the Redwatch who followed them into the woods would have a long trail to unwind.

Although Alice had the advantage when it came to brute strength, she still drew breath, where Liam did not. Her chest was heaving when he and Moira finally turned to face her. Moira quickly put the kids in a high branch of a sturdy oak tree, and turned to size up her daughter. She was looking winded, too.

Alice circled them and snarled, looking for the moment to strike.

Liam too, circled warily. Much like Alice, this was his First Change as well. He'd never brought a young wolf down from their first frenzy. He presumed it was something of an art.

<<She wants me, Moira,>> he growled. Liam had no arms with which to wrangle Alice any longer, and he feared Alice would fight to the death if he tried to pin her with his jaws. <<Be ready to pull her off.>>

God help me, Liza, I hope you’re up there watching.

Liam stopped moving and waited for the pain.

Moira nodded, and circled around her daughter while her attention was diverted.

Fortunately for Liam, this was Alice's first actual fight, too. And it definitely wasn't his. Her attack was easy to deflect, and it left her off-balance. Her mother leapt on top of her, pinning her against the earth. Alice wriggled and railed, but her mother held her jaw shut with one mighty hand. This kept the racket down. Her legs were kicking and scraping the earth, trying to get purchase.

<<Guess it's my turn to say 'little help' here,>> Moira said with a weary laugh.

Liam used the opportunity to revert to his usual guise and then he too raced to Moira's side, using his human arms to help hold Alice in place until she could be settled.

"Easy now," he murmured. "Easy."

"You've had a long night. Time to come back to us."