[IC] MnM 3e - In the Shadow of Imperator: Deadline

[kenseido]

Aiden Starr
HP: 2, Condition: Fine

Well, that didn't last long. He was feeling so good, he actually thought the "job offer" was a compliment on his skill.

Not just more cloak and dagger nonsense.

He smiles less than completely sincerely and takes the package.

"Hope we can do business again in the future."

Did he really?

He doesn't wait long before heading back to the car to examine the instructions in private.

[mrdent12]

Diego Gonzalez
HP: 1
CND: Obsessed
Form: Solid

Following Aidens departure, Diego went to where he thought the car was. Apparently it was taken. So it was either stolen or Anna took it. Pulling the burner out, Diego calls up John. A comm link would look a bit suspicious. "Hey man, wheres our ride? I thought we were going to go cruising for chicks tonight and turns out the car isn't where we left it.", says Diego looking about for John, the jeep, and the camero.

[kenseido]

Aiden Starr
HP: 2, Condition: Fine

Aiden stares at the empty spot where the Camaro was and sighs heavily.

He listens to Diego's half of the conversation while he scans the area for a car he can steal and drive far enough out of town to get back to where he belongs.

[Supernaturalist]

John Steiner
HP:1
Cnd: Impaired (-2 circumstance penalty to all skill rolls)
PP:0

"I was thinking dancing and some drinks ... followed by someplace quiet, where I can get you alone for awhile."

"Ms. Semenov, I couldn't think of a better way to spend the evening." John feels a sense of relief that he's getting away from his teammates for bit. And even though the mission technically is not over, it's tough to think of personal time with Anna as being "on the clock" so to speak.

He plops into the passenger's seat, and some of the stress begins to slowly leave his body. He hasn't been himself for quite a while. It's not the killing that has bothered him, not even the killing of someone innocent necessarily. He's been placed in a role for which he has found himself ill-suited. He's thought about how to speak to Ascendant Chen when the time inevitably comes; and he knows he must be careful. He was placed with his teammates for a reason. Lot's of people don't like their jobs or the people that they work with, but they do it nonetheless. He can't come across looking like a whiner; and he certainly must be careful of what he says about The Dark Ascendant. No matter how much working with him...it...whatever he is, making an enemy of The Dark Ascendant is something only a fool would do. But these are things to be dwelt upon at another time. Right now he's with a beautiful woman, one who -at least at the moment - seems to enjoy his company.

He glances over at her as she takes control of the car. "Ya know...I haven't had time to spend my last paycheck. Wanna help me with that? Where ever you wanna go...I'm buyin'."

[mrdent12]

Diego Gonzalez
HP: 1
CND: Obsessed
Form: Solid

Anna held up her side of things, so it seemed. How long, Diego didn't know, but the appearance of some success despite Sokolovs agents once again undermining Null's operations was something. Turning to Aiden once they got to the jeep, Diego looked at the teen. "You have what you came here for. Your services will be required for the return trip, for John at least, so I trust we can rely on you for that. Where you stay is not of my concern so long as you answer your burner phone after John returns so we can arrange a place to meet. We have the Jeep with what supplies are left. You should be able to drive it out to the desert and load up the supplies into the plane. Leaving it out in the desert off the beaten path will be the most prudent of choices. Keep it and dispose of its previous owner if you want as well. So long as all items make it back into the plane the objective is satisfied.", says Diego matter fo factly.

"I will get a ride back into town on my own with my backpack and any remaining funds.", says Diego. He heads to the back of the Jeep and gets his bag with a tablet and burner phones plus whatever cash remains. Eyeing the explosive, he looks at Aiden. "You may wish to dispose of this in the desert as well.", he says. Waiting around just long enough for Aiden to respond, Diego vanishes into the crowd.

Finding a quiet place or one where him spacing out wouldn't be noticed as much, he sends in the updates to Chen. We were able to salvage some semblance of an assurance the target will go into hiding by having John escort her around. We will not require the safe house after all. Aiden may stay around to provide a ride back after the vote is secured, so we also may not need a ride back. From all indications, Aiden was used by Sokolov to help undermine Praetor Null, similar to Iona with the difference being he was unwitting. I will stay in the city and ensure as best as is possible the target vanished for a few days while also attending to other matters as time permits., says Diego over the Ascendent link.

With his report done, Diego goes about finding a way back into the city proper to get a room near the strip. It would be safer than more out of the way places plus allow for easier intelligence gathering of the state of the world. He needed to reach out to previous contacts and associates to see who still might be relied upon as well. If he was to grow his network outside of Hadron City, he would need some people he trusted in his previous life. Sokolov, Costa, Chen, and others were ahead of him in the agents and safe house game. Far ahead. He would need to catch up.

It turns out party goers were social animals, so finding a ride back to the strip or close to it under the guise of partying wasn't too hard. From there, Diego found a respectable hotel within his budget to get a room for a few nights. He wouldn't be needing it to sleep too much, but it was better than their previous lodgings. It had a bed, smelt of smoke, had a used condom still in the rubbish bin plus some torn panties, and was nicely furnished for a mid range place. Most importantly, it was close to the strip and seemed like the place a normal person would stay.

For his initial forays out, he adopted the guise of a mid twenties red headed woman. He made sure the physical form was attractive enough to disarm most men with not being too big and not too slender. It was the quintessential girl next door letting loose. He formed a low cut dress revealing just enough cleavage to not make the form look slutty while still being open to being chatted up. Coincidently, it also allowed him to swipe a few chips from unsuspecting men who thought they would get lucky. For additional funds as needed, he took up the appearance of staff to trim off some of the money. In his efforts, he wasn't greedy and ensured it would all fall under being too drunk or normal employee theft already factored into business models.

For his immediate information collection, Diego listened. Visitors to Vegas came form all over pre monster times. Sitting at a bar, getting some guys to tell stories of surviving to look tough, catching the errant news report, and the like were simple initial efforts. Next, he took to sitting at coffee shops nursing a coffee looking at news on the tablet. All the information came in like a mosaic that he pieced together in his head as he had been trained to do. Anything useful he soaked up.

For a more in depth look at what was going on, Diego went deeper. He utilized burners to place some calls to buddies in his past life giving the reasoning he was laying low after being burned by Stonghold. To those who seemed like they weren't going to give him up were open to hearing his side, he went further into learning about all the stuff going on and if they had any other useful info. To the more shady ones or even jaded ones, he tried to feel them out if they could be assets for a network outside of Hadron City he could tap. Given the time, he didn't expect much. Turning people took time. Turning people who used to turn other people took even longer.

When the time came to meet back up with John, Diego reached out to Aiden via the burner and arranged a pickup time somewhere out in the desert. jets may still be in the air, so he left it to Aiden to give a place. Diego tried to pry from John all that he learned in regards to Anna on the trip back. Given John's aptitude's were in fighting more than spy craft he didn't expect much.

[kenseido]

Aiden Starr
HP: 2, Condition: Fine

"Sure, I can wait for you." John only? Hmm. Maybe he should introduce the old soldier to one of Shrike's lesser-known features.

But no. Play nice. Diego could easily have taken the data crystal. Or even just completely ignore him. Sabotaging the other racers may not have been strictly necessary, but there were too many unknowns to leave it to chance.

Taking the jeep off-road out into the desert, drive it up into Shrike to unload their kit, and then decide if it's worth keeping. If not, drop it - literally - somewhere far, far away. In any case, the bomb and body would get the air treatment.

Then it was the way he preferred to spend the courier missions, chilling out in Shrike.

[Sakuro]

The weekend passes by relatively uneventful. In the sense that everything goes according to the new plan. Las Vegas is still under siege by monsters. There is still a pandemic plaguing the world. John likely has the most enjoyable experience with Anna keeping him company. Aiden is left to the solitude of his high-tech flying machine and Diego is working. Who knows Iona and Romper are up to. No good, that is for sure.


Diego, the news is bleak. The general state of the world looks like something right out of a medical horror thriller crossed with the early stages of a zombie apocalypse novel. The Macro-Virus is spreading. Fortunately, it kills 90% of it's victims. Only 10% turn into freakish creatures. There are rumors that various parts of the world may be declaring martial law in the near future.

There are news reports that touch on people with superhuman powers, but later get revealed to be using Hadron-tech they somehow acquired.

Media debates about the First Generation are on the air. People talk about how they should be treated. Some see them as victims of Imperator that need corrective psychological therapy.

A news report talks about Singapore militarizing in the rise of the Macro-Virus threat. It is a small report that doesn't receive much attention. But it sticks out to Diego, given his failed mission to visit the nation state and assassinate the former Praetor ... Anastasia.

Hadron City itself is like a media blind spot. Nothing informative is reported on what is happening there. Just well-tailored propaganda that keeps people afraid enough to think Stronghold's work there is necessary and going well.

Reaching out to his old contacts is far more difficult, and frustrating, than passive information gathering. Diego is burned. No one wants to have anything to do with him ... and that's just the people that actually answer his call from a random burner. Only one person actually holds a conversation with him: Luke Devero ... a low level nobody that works out of the UK embassy. Through a series of accidents, he at one point stumbled upon the knowledge that Diego was a spy and got into the hype and adventure of working with him on one of Diego's assignments. Luke is evasive and the conversation is brief.


Come Monday John and Diego meet up with Aiden for their extraction on schedule. Iona is flown into the city via on a private jet. Iona isn't sure if the pilot was coerced, or paid, but the pilot is very polite to her. Excessively so. She is then escorted off the airport premises by an unassuming Latino man in a gray minimalistic suit. Suspiciously, she doesn't encounter a single security guard on the way out. One way or another they were dealt with before her arrival.

With a successful mission under your collective belts, now you need only report it.

When Diego eventually arrives back at the HQ he is informed by the guards that Ascendant Chen is in the situation room. He is also informed that base administrator Sander would like to see him as soon as possible.

Iona and Aiden don't receive any such greeting when they visit the underground hospital that serves as a front for Dr. Sokolov's subterranean laborites in the Under City. They're left to announce themselves, once descending into the laboratories proper. One by one you are admitted into the former Praetor's presence.

I didn't do a writeup for John and Iona's activities, because they might get played out. At a minimum, Iona will schmooze with some criminals and John will party with Anna. John will recover from his Mental Impaired Condition, as I expect spending time with Anna will improve his morale. Anna won't talk shop though.

If you want to do anything prior to your debriefings, feel free. I wanted to get you narrated up to that point, so as to cover bases.

[mrdent12]

Diego Gonzalez
HP: 1
CND: Obsessed
Form: Solid

As defenses go, fortifying Singapore wasn't a bad idea. Anastasia wasn't a fool and while others may miss it, Diego recognized her influence. Other parts of the world might not be so lucky, especially against some of the nastier mutations. In Diego's mind, it underlyed the need for a strong Hadron City and Praetor Null so that world wide incidents can be dealt with effectively. Stronghold and the world clearly weren't up for the task. After catching up on current events, Diego knew that the world needed the utopia only Praetor Null and the remnants of the Imperators forces could bring.

As Diego made a few calls and left a few voice mails, he got the hint. As a burned spy, no one wanted to be associated with him or offer any aid even if in the way of information. It didn't surprise him. Stronghold doubtless spread enough misinformation out there to make him toxic. Still, he planted a few seeds dropping code words only his past associated might know or little innocuous details that once formed a bond of friendship. Like all of his seeds, some might bloom, he hoped. If not, establishing a network outside of Hadron City was going to be quite the challenge.

Back at the base, Diego debated whether to ignore Chen and go straight to Sanders. There wasn't much to say, to Chen at least, as far as Diego was concerned. Their mess ups were all over the news. They always were. Once again, Diego had stopped baby sitting the others and bad things happened. With lack of information, bad things also happened. They did get Anna to lay low with an escort, so that was something. In the end, Diego went to Chen. While he felt some endearment to Sanders, duty was duty. Perhaps by responding to Chen Diego might get back in Null's good graces.

"There is other matters I have to attend. I have given you my report already. Is there anything else you wish to speak?", briefly asks Diego. He wasn't about to be the second to Chen.

[kenseido]

Aiden Starr
HP: 2, Condition: Fine

Spending two days alone in Shrike is exactly what Aiden needs. Very quickly, his world is normal again.

He and Shrike talk about the mission. Where he screwed up, where he had no choice. The two of them spend a lot of time going over every detail of the race. The parts where Aiden was in control and the parts where Shrike was in control. It felt seamless.

He considers, only for the briefest of moments, not telling Dr Sokolov everything. But no. Even if there weren't many ways for his deception to be revealed, it wasn't in his nature to lie to Dr Sokolov. Even a lie of omission is wrong.

He would tell everything. Even the parts that made Aiden look bad. He would mention his belief that Iona purposely tricked him into revealing Anna's identity to John, but he accepts that the error is all his.

And even though this cloak and dagger stuff isn't his scene, Dr Sokolov asked him to do it. So, Aiden should have done it perfectly.

But even now, Aiden doesn't know all of the details. Dr Sokolov may be angry, thrilled, or not care. Everything may have done exactly as Dr Sokolov expected. Aiden should be so lucky.

Hopefully, Dr Sokolov will realize it's best if Aiden just sticks to flying.

[Supernaturalist]

Iona
HP: 2
VP: 0
Cnd: Bruised (-1 to further Damage Checks)
PP:1
EP:3
Dominion Point: 1

As promised, Iona spends several days with Romper as he takes her on some sort of "flexing" tour. She doesn't mind as it gives her a chance to see the kinds of people with whom Romper deals as well as get to know him better. Though the young cyborg is affectionate with Romper, she still operates in a more reserved manner. They have just met and so she makes it clear that their intimacy will take time to develop; she will not simply be his whore.

When they go to meet his contacts, Iona lets Romper do the talking. She is polite, but does not engage in prolonged conversations with anyone other than her Jaguar-Man beaux.

At some point, Iona mentions the "black heart" that Romper acquired in their first meeting. She is curious as to it's nature and why it is valuabke to anyone other than her shadowy teammate, The Ascendant.

Eventually, when it is time to go, she fulfills her promise and recharges the Hadron battery. It leaves her feeling fatigued; and she can barely stand when she finishes. Iona feels quite vulnerable after her efforts and cannot help wondering if Romper will take advantage of her at this point.

When she leaves to return to Hadron City, she give her host a warm hug and kiss. "Will I hear from you? How may I reach you if I need you?", she asks before departing.

Iona is impressed at the treatment that she receives on her return to Hadron City. Just orchestrating a seemless return to Dr. Sokolov is an impressive display of Romper's political power.

Inside the underground laboratory, the beautiful cyborg awaits her turn to speak with his creator.

[Supernaturalist]

John Steiner
HP:1
Cnd: Normal
PP:1

OOC: I have removed John's Impaired Condition

The time spent with Anna is therapeutic yet breif. The focus is simply on having fun: No talk of business, her being a spy, or John being a killer in Null's service. And though John is romantically interested in Anna, there is no mention of the relationship taking on a more serious nature. She is a woman who can still jet-set around the world if she wishes, while John is a man who's fate is tied to Null's fiefdom. John will simply lavish whatever meager resources he has upon her, and accept whatever time and attention she wishes to give, whenever she wishes to give it.

When the whirlwind weekend is over, he kisses her and bids her a fond farewell until they are able to meet again.

With their parting, John must now prepare himself for the grilling he'll get from Ascendant Chen. He's thought about this meeting many times over the course of his mission in Vegas. What he says or does not say could mean his career...even his life if he isn't careful.

[Sakuro]

Aiden

When Aiden arrives in the brilliantly white hallways of the underground laboratory complex an speaker comes to life. Dr. Sokolov's voice emanating from it. The young man is directed to a fabrication room where Dr. Sokolov is currently working. Inside the room is just as sterile as the hallway, save for the presence of a vast workspace populated by moving mechanical components, arms that reach out of floor, walls, and ceiling which end in a variety of tools. At their center is the Dr. Sokolov, and in front of him is suit of high tech armor. Which the fabrication limbs labor over while Dr. Sokolov makes hand gestures through the air.

The doctor himself looks to be middle aged, but it is widely suspected that he is much older than he appears. His a fairly unassuming man with short cut, nearly combs brown hair and dark brown eyes. He wears a white lab coat and a set of horn-rimmed glasses. It was common for Aiden's encounters with Dr. Sokolov to take place while the former Praetor was working on some task. His time was valuable. His work important. Without looking away from his task the scientist greeted Aiden.

"Mr. Star. How was your trip?"


Diego

The blurry, vibrating, black shape turned to face Diego. Then an arm extended to the side, motioning towards a meeting room off to the side of situation room's floor. The situation room was occupied by Diego's subordinates at work. Not the best place for the two Ascendants to hold a verbal conversation about reports between he two of them.

"Let's talk in private."

The speedster's voice warbled as he spoke. His body moving so fast, even standing still, that the movement caused sound waves to fluctuate and waver. There is a gust of air ... then Chen is gone. The door to the meeting room left half ajar. When Diego enters he find his fellow Ascendant on the opposite of the room, facing the door.

"This can't keep happening. Changes need to be made. What are you going to do to improve the situation?"


Iona

On her arrival at Dr. Sokolov's laboratory complex Iona is summoned to a surgical room where she finds Dr. Sokolov working over a tumor covered arm. For the task he is kitted out in surgical gear with thick gloves and a transparent face shield. Without looking up from the limb he greets the android in a level voice.

"Iona. I hope you had a productive weekend."

Supernaturalist, I'll hold off on responding about the Anna and Romper situations in the IC thread. I am going to give you some options though.

For John, you may choose to take Relationship (Anna) as a Complication. It's mostly one sided, with Anna knowing how much John likes her and her entertaining it, but not committing anything beyond "in the moment" situations like we've already seen. She'll probably end up manipulating or otherwise using him at some point.

For Iona, you may choose to take a Benefit that acts as a combination of Contacts and Connected, specialized to reflect Romper and his influence. No PP are needed, but it comes with a corresponding Complication: Relationship (Romper). He's into Iona. Alot. But it is a relationship Iona will need to maintain. Iona may also need to do bad guy things with him from time to time.

John

When John arrives at the base the guard at the guard station inside the hidden entrance informs him the Ascendant Chen and Ascendant Gonzalez are in meeting room off of the situation room. He is also informed that the base's administrator, Corporal Tilly Sander, wanted to speak with him when he returned.

How do you want to do this? Is John going to join the meeting with Diego and Chen, wait for the meeting to be over then meet with Chen privately, head off to talk with Tilly ... or something else?

IF you want to time jump until after Diego has spoken with Chen and have a private meeting with your boss, you may go ahead and post John arriving at the meeting room for his debriefing.

[kenseido]

Aiden Starr
HP: 2, Condition: Fine

Aiden stands there and fidgets a bit.

"Not as well as either of us would have liked. I retrieved the data crystal, but I also exposed Shrike quite spectacularly, and I accidentally revealed Anna's identity to Null's operatives." He places the box with the data crystal on lab table near Dr Sokolov.

He takes a breath.

"I was forced to use Shrike against some macro-virus monsters after Null's man, John, failed to perform an adequate security sweep of the area."

He pauses briefly.

"And I inadvertently gave Anna's identity away when I was surprised to hear that she was their kidnap target as well. I was trying to indicate to Iona that our targets were the same, but she failed... or appeared to fail to grasp what I was saying. I said too much, and John overheard."

He pauses again.

"Diego helped me win a spectacular car race to secure the data crystal..." Thinking about the car race again and all the people cheering got him excited again.

"...and that is why Anna was witnessed being with John over the weekend." Only for it all to be dashed away with the end of the sentence.

Part of him wants to defend his actions. If he had known which mission parameters had precedence; where his priorities should have been focused...

But no. Dr Sokolov would make those determinations for himself. Aiden just needed to deliver the facts.

[Sakuro]

Aiden

The older man didn't stop working, even as Aiden gave his report on the successful mission. Even when he himself responded. When he spoke it was a west Kanasas accent.

"What were you doing talking about sensitive information Infront of Mr. Stiener ... and if you felt the security measures being taken were inadequate why did you not take action yourself? You are better that Mr. Star, and I expect better from you."

Dr. Sokolov stared into the middle distance. His hand weaving patters through the air. Mechanical arms danced around the table, pealing layers of armoring away. Poring over veins of crystal. Sorting through bands of fibrinous, muscle-like clusters. Then the scientist paused and looked directly at Aiden.

"Since you received your Cyber-Viral Implant you have become increasingly insular and started down a dangerous road leading towards stagnation. I am concerned for you Mr. Star. All living things must grow and change. Contentment with the way things are is not satisfactory, because the way things are is not tolerable. Our aim is to change the world. To do so, we must be driven towards that goal. So I will continue to push you, and if need be force you to grow."

There was emphasis on that word 'force'. Dr. Sokolov's stern gaze lingered on Aiden for a moment longer, only for him to return seamlessly back to staring into the distance. His hands moving again. The machinery responding to his gestures.

"You have caused Ms. Semenov no small injury. I will think on how you may repair the damage you have done. As for the Shrike, it will have to be grounded for some time. Until concern over a stealth warship has abated. You will see to other duties in the meantime ..."

[kenseido]

Aiden
HP: 2, Condition: Fine

"What were you doing talking about sensitive information Infront of Mr. Stiener ... and if you felt the security measures being taken were inadequate why did you not take action yourself? You are better that Mr. Star, and I expect better from you."

Aiden bows his head. Dr Sokolov isn't really asking for an explanation. He definitely screwed up by talking about Anna in front of John.

They didn't know about John's utter failure until after the attack. But that isn't Dr Sokolov's concern. Aiden put himself in the position to trust John.

"I'm sorry. I did screw up. No excuses."

"Since you received your Cyber-Viral Implant you have become increasingly insular and started down a dangerous road leading towards stagnation. I am concerned for you Mr. Star. All living things must grow and change. Contentment with the way things are is not satisfactory, because the way things are is not tolerable. Our aim is to change the world. To do so, we must be driven towards that goal. So I will continue to push you, and if need be force you to grow."

Aiden fidgets uncomfortably. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be the best pilot out there. Flying or driving was the only thing that felt right to him now. He knows it wasn't like this before.

"I look forward to your guidance."

"You have caused Ms. Semenov no small injury. I will think on how you may repair the damage you have done. As for the Shrike, it will have to be grounded for some time. Until concern over a stealth warship has abated. You will see to other duties in the meantime ..."

Aiden sighs softly. "What types of duties do you have in mind? Lab assistant?" That definitely felt like a step backwards, but he isn't sure what else makes sense.