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CONTINUATION...
Rebecca didn't exactly make a beeline for the others once she had concluded her business at the Brotherhood compound.
She visited a local Uncle Al's to find extra ammunition for the pistol Brody had "sold" her, a Colt Government-Issue M-2024 series 11.4mmACP caseless semi-automatic pistol.
While there, she once more established herself as somewhat of a favorite fixture in the establishment as she was fawned over by many of the patrons in the establishment, none quite so much as a rather large man who went by the name of "The Bear".
He was a former road dueler who came out to Kansas to put his combat skills to good use, feeling considerable unease with the directions taken by law enforcement and the National Guards units in recent years.
Like "Jewel", he was a scout choice favorite of the Brotherhood convoys but he prefered to skipper muscle cars instead of motorcycles.
Rebecca took Mee-Chan to "The Bike Garden", a massive chop shop that specializes in recycling damaged cycle components, hoping some remains from the recent Nomad/Paladin slaughters made their way there but R.N.C. was far too efficient and there was nothing to be found.
That is except elated salavagers and junk men who were happy to see "Jewel" still in one piece.
Most noticable of which was a reporter named Andrew Halloran.
He made it known that he was looking into the attacks but was forced to come here without the knowledge of his editor when heat from R.N.C. was threatening to derail his article on the mega-corperations interest in the outbreaks of violence.
He (like many of the others Knowledge met that day) also had tales of being saved by the Paladin on one of his first (and last) assignments into the Badlands.
She even took him for an iced kale cone (EEEWWWW!) where the two were suprised by an off-duty Peaceforcer who had recalled seeing them earlier in a "dirty" Grand National.
Officer Booker also loved psuedo-gelato and "Pinnochio's" is the best stand in the city, bar none.
Customers wait an average of thirty minutes just to get one and a single cone costs 25 USD!
Both Booker and Mee-Chan had to pay for their scoops but "Jewel" had hers "on the house".
North: "Is there ANYONE in this city you HAVEN'T done a favor for?"
Rebecca: "Just you."
Booker, unlike the other Judges they had seen, wasn't typical for a Peaceforcer.
He genuinely wanted to help people and didn't seem to be caught up in the tireless "War for Order" waged by the KC-1 constabulary.
The Street Judge had even appologized for his part in the "Kansas City Salute" earlier on in the day and hoped that just because he didn't know Jiles very well that it wouldn't be held against him.
Mee-Chan assured him that was the single thing about him that he liked but claimed they had many stops to make and began to nudge Rebecca towards the Outlander.
His "stated" concern being he was curious as to how the others had been doing but the ACTUAL reason is that every stop they had made along the way, someone had REAL grain alcohol to drink (instead of algae-based hooch) and by now the pair were pretty trashed.
A fact Booker had been nice enough to overlook.
They returned to find Brewster, drunk and annoyed with Catherine, anxious and on edge....coincedently also the reason WHY Brewster is still drunk and annoyed in the first place.
Rebecca & Mee-Chan are almost stumbling drunk.
They can be easily heard fumbling up the hall about a minute before they find the right door.
She is in pain from laughing and is begging Knowledge to stop making her laugh....Knowledge has no idea what shes talking about and keeps "shushing" her as he keeps trying to open the wrong doors.
After four failed attempts to swipe the card, Brewster finally opens the door and just stares at the two in disbelief, swiping the mangled card from Knowledges grasp.
Brewster is about to pop: "WHAT IS THE MALFUNCTION....YOU TAKE THE CARD...." she holds it up exposing it has nearly been torn in half "....YOU SWIPE TH-" she double takes the card and finally notices the two of them appear as if they have been in an "very bad" accident "-what the f'k happened to you two?"
Catherine pushes the ex-cop out of the way to see for herself and her jaw almost drops...
TO BE CONTINUED....
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
Cathy: "W-was anyone killed?"
Rebecca: "It was a teeny-tiny lil' thing...not even a crash...more like a skid with a bump at the end of it..."
Beulla notices the half empty bottle of of Jack in Jewel's hand as Knowledge helps her limp into the room and snags it, staring in disbelief.
Brewster: "Hold on...you wiped out...on a bike...at high speed...and DIDN'T break a glass bottle of booze?"
North: "What can I say...I'm a professional."
Cathy: "Hey, what happened to "David Bowie"?"
Knowledge made an unhappy "duck-face".
Brewster: "You lost ANOTHER knife?"
He tries to shrug but the action causes the "dependant" Becca to faulter so he resumes helping her to a couch.
The mechanic begins to look distressed again, now that the "shock" of their arrival has worn off:
Cathy: "Please tell me you didn't kill anyone?"
North: "I'm pretty sure he'll live-"
Rebecca: "Man, once Grover gets a hold of you....y'know, I once saw him eat a whole tire-"
(OH, and the OTHER time at Band Camp....)
This only makes Mee-Chan crack up and she lands abruptly as he faceplants in her lap.
After the initial injury-related discomfort the two roll off each other barely able to stop laughing.
Catherine raises an eyebrow and folds her arms...
Cathy: "Brewster, have you seen my gun anywhere?"
Brewster: "I think you left it in the car....but MINE'S right here if you wanna use it?!"
The combination of grain alcohol and pain-killers kept Rebecca sleeping all morning of the next day but Cathy was sure to wake Knowledge up nice and early.
He tended to his road rash and cleaned himself up as good as his hangover would allow but didn't seem to come to a semblance of life until coffee had made the rounds.
North then made a "coherent" account of his day, as best as he could remember, but unfortunately, everything after the mock-gelato was a blur.
The only omissions he made were regarding Brody Gains.
Knowledge and Brewster had some "hair of the dog that bit them" in their morning coffee but were suprised to see Catherine had pulled an "all-nighter", trying to get data on her sister's whereabouts from her bank account.
The trail ran cold at a post office box but she then discovered (with a little diligence) that the specific bank her sister had switched to was seemingly a favorite of the New Dawn and had 1500 new accounts or transfers and an almost equal amount terminating in the last month alone.
Bank encryption made it impossible for her to penetrate further without giving herself away but she was confident that "local access" could allow her a useful uplink.
Also gambling that the Peaceforcers would be easier to hack and bypass than R.N.C., she made some preliminary probes into the Judges "Lawgiver" data-net.
She wasn't able to establish a safe link for no longer than ten minutes at a time and claimed it could take her upwards of a month with her current gear to find some promising leads.
Cathy did manage pull up multiple references to a phenomena tagged as "Voomer" but was unable to turn up anymore as it required R.N.C. clearance to continue.
Whatever it was, it had somehow been involved in every "recorded" incident she had browsed.
TO BE CONTINUED....
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
Brewster filled North in on her undercover work from the previous afternoon and assured both Knowledge and Catherine that they would likely turn up her sisters whereabouts in a few days.
The ex-cop insisted that she should attend alone (to lessen suspicion) but that someone should be waiting "on-call" should things turn ugly.
Beulla prefered Mee-Chan be the one to back her up but Catherine insisted that she be the one there and refused to take no for an answer.
Both Knowledge and Beulla were beginning to learn just how stubborn the Master Mechanic could be.
Aside from that, all they had to do was keep Miss Calaveri from flipping out until then.
Mee-Chan then mentioned that Rebecca would likely need to visit more people after she awoke and THIS brought the conversation to a screeching halt.
Cathy: "I don't trust this girl."
Brewster: "For once, I see eye to eye with the grease monkey....this "Knight" is bad news....why can't you see that?"
North: "Well, she's "in like Flynn" with The Brotherhood like you've never seen....every trucker who passed our table was offering up an Anchor position to her....there was hardly a soul in the whole compound that she hadn't saved at one point or another...to be honest it was getting kinda irritating."
Cathy: "I'll just BET you were getting tired of all that DRINKING you were doing with that scab-crusted roadslut!"
Brewster: "Why Miss Calaveri, WHAT has gotten into you?"
Mee-Chan was struck speechless by the outburst and could only slowly nod in agreement with the ex-cop, all the while trying not to laugh, knowing if he DID....she would get REALLY angry.
Cathy: "You haven't been able to shut your mouth all morning to Brewster about "all the fun" you "Jee-wel" had last night but NOW you're speechless!?!"
Knowledge looked to Beulla who simply got up and looked away as she left saying:
"Nuh-uhhh....OH NO, YOU DON'T....leave me OUTTA this!"
He gently leaned forward and whispered into Catherines ear.
Catherines expression softened in confusion as she whipered back:
"W-what....here? Now?"
Mee-Chan nods repetitively with a devilish grin.
Catherine nervously shakes her head as she trys not smile, blushing all the while.
Brewster: "NOO....NO WAY....ARE YOU F'KIN' KIDDING ME!?!?"..."I HAVE RELIEVED MYSELF AND IT HAS LASTED LONGER THAN ONE OF YOUR FIGHTS....IT'S NOT NORMAL....WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE!?!"
Catherine nodded as if she had been "taking notes" to the ex-cops observation and then, when satisfied she has it all "mentally filed", she meekly inquires...
Cathy: "Could we borrow the keys to your car?"
Brewster: "Don't even JOKE about that....I even find a bug stain on the window or a kleenx on the floor and b@%&hes WILL get SHOT....UNDERSTAND!?!"
Knowledge is about to toss the remains of his cold "laced" coffee when Brewster stops him and redirects his mug towards her own.
TO BE CONTINUED....
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
Brewster: "How did you EVER manage to find real grain alcohol?"
North: "Seems every trucker and their gunner had a bottle of it somewhere and were dying to share it with us everywhere we went...but that bottle you can thank Gus for."
Brewster: "If he ever decides to give away anymore 640 buck a bottle fire water, you just let me know....I'll wear something low-cut."
North: "How did you get the "undercover" role anyhow?"
Brewster: "Long story....but let's just say I'm NOT happy about it."
North: "It shoulda been me-"
Brewster: "Yeah, it SHOULDA been you....you OWE me....I WILL accept Jack Danials!"
Cathy: "I need someone to come with me to the bank today."
Brewster & North raise their hands.
North: "What the plan?"
Cathy: "We're going to case the place so we can break in later on tonight."
Brewster lowers her hand.
The Jumper is too stunned to react until Brewster elbows his bad arm and he puts his hand back down to rub the aching limb.
Brewster: "You want to ROB a bank?"
Cathy: "NO, no....no, we're NOT stealing any money."
Brewster: "We're stealing data?"
Cathy: "Now you've got it!"
Brewster: "Data that's worth a lot of money?"
Cathy: "Well....k-kinda?"
Brewster: "And how is that NOT robbing a bank again?"
Cathy: "Something is fishy with all these New Dawn accounts and the bank MUST be covering it."
North: "I'll go."
Brewster: "Have you two gone INSANE? I may not be a State Trooper any longer but I CAN'T rob a BANK....and if you're caught, the Judges will try you on the spot....no barrister , no jury....just a f'kin' bullet in the face....is that what you want?"
Knowledge: "I SAID I'll go..."
Catherine looked at Mee-Chan for a moment and cupped one side of his face with her hand as she smiled...
Cathy: "I heard you baby, but I need someone that knows what they're actually doing."
From the far room, Rebecca can be heard laughing and gasping at the remark, unable to sleep any longer with all that noise.
Brewster: "I'm flattered but that DOESN'T change a thing....I ain't robbing no bank!"
Rebecca: "Rob a what?....I pass out for a FEW hours and we're already robbing banks?"
Cathy: "WE ARE NOT ROBBING A BANK!"
Greg: "Why can't we rob the bank again?"
Phil: "We're supposed to be the good guys."
Greg: "Good guys can rob banks."
GM: "Name ONE...I'll wait."
TO BE CONTINUED....
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
Brewster: "They're NOT going to see it that way and neither will the Peaceforcers."
Cathy: "No one is going to see ANYTHING because I'M not going to get CAUGHT....and it's NOT a robbery....it's a simple SLICE!"
Brewster: "You keep telling yourself that once you're in lockdown with a plunger rammed you're colon screaming: "It's not sodomy....it's just a SLICE"!"
Cathy: "Brewster....clearly what we need here is more secrets between the two of us so, let's get on that shall we?"
Rebecca looked to Mee-Chan: "THIS is the team you want me to join?"
Knowledge: "Tah-Dahhh!"
Rebecca: "Robbing banks, huh....and here I thought you were the quiet one? And for your sake, the next words out of your mouth had better not include: scab-crusted roadslut."
Cathy: "You heard that, huh?"
Rebecca: "The people on the floor above us heard that...."
Beulla snikkered.
North: "FOCUS, PEOPLE!"
Brewster: "Oh yeah....bank robbing....f'k no....next?"
The Paladin sipped the coffee she had just taken from Knowledge and grimaced...
Rebecca: "Ugghh....this isn't coffee...it's rocket feul!"
Mee-chan nodded as she handed it back to him.
Rebecca: "Double-Double, from now on...."
But took one last gulp (and caffeine shudder) before passing on the mug.
Rebecca: "If I go and rob this bank, will someone please get me a double-double?"
Cathy: "I s'pose."
The Mechanic got up from The Jumpers lap to get a coffee but made sure North stayed put:
Cathy: "You even THINK about moving outta this chair, and I'm gonna cut it off."
(The ex-trooper turned to the paladin)
Brewster: "I wouldn't drink it if I were you...afterall, she only thinks you're messing with her man."
Catherine presents the biker with the coffee and the Knight hesitates ever so slightly when accepting it but thanks her regardless.
As Catherine walks away, Rebecca tries to smell the coffee to see if something has been put in it, causing both Brewster and The Jumper to do all they can to stifle their laughter at the unease on The Paladins face.
Cathy: "I didn't DO anything to it if that's what you're wondering...."
Brewster: "Awwwwe!?!"
Becca took a sip as the mechanic took her seat once more.
Cathy: "....at least, I don't THINK I did."
Mee-Chan facepalmed.
Becca spit the mouthful back into the mug.
Cathy: "Relax, I'm just messing with you."
Rebecca: "Y'know, I'm not even thristy anymore."
Brewster: "GIVE IT HERE THEN!
TO BE CONTINUED....
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
A glass of orange juice is then passed to the Knight which she is just about to accept, until she notices Catherine is the one passing it to her...
Rebecca: "Uhhhh, no I think I'll just....I'm fine."
Cathy: "You sure?"
The biker nods with eyes locked on the glass.
Catherine shrugs (with a smile) and drinks the glass herself as she returns to her seat.
Miss Calaveri then looks at Rebecca and finally to Knowledge:
Cathy: "Looks like I won't be needing you this morning afterall....it'll take me a couple of hours to do a thorough job so pack a big lunch bikergirl....meanwhile, I had better go and put on something a bit more appropriate."
North: "Are you talking dirty again, babe?"
Cathy: "No I am NOT....ya freakin' perv!"
Brewster: "O-M-F-G, now I GET it....Rule 10 ISN'T for the group....it's just for YOU....because if I have to hear anymore of this lovey-dovey "happy horse hockey", I AM going to shoot someone."
North: "Aww, come now Brewster don't hold back....tell us what you REALLY think?"
Brewster: "It's not NORMAL is ALL I'm saying."
North: "Okay so to recap; case a bank....rob said bank....(Catherine interjects: "IT'S NOT A ROBBERY-")....get lunch....am I missing anything?"
Rebecca: "I MIGHT need a new bike?"
Cathy: "Oh, I SAW it....and your DEFINITELY gonna need a new bike."
Brewster: "How did you even get it back to the hotel without....y'know, blowing up?"
Rebecca holds up her hand to Knowledge for "mad finger props": "Pure skill."
The Paladin looks at Catherine for as second as if sizing her up: "I think I might take her to Brodies."
North: "NO!"
Brewster: "Who's Brody?"
North: "He's her boyfriend."
Rebecca: "He's NOT my boyfriend!"
Cathy: "I'll go meet your boyfriend...."
The Knight grabbed Cathy by her collar and yanked her up close, face to face:
"He's-NOT-my-boy-friend."
Brewster's hand slipped towards her Gong but Mee-Chan could only grimace at the display.
North: "Careful Jewel, you break her....you bought her and this one's expensive."
Rebecca released the Mechanic, straightened her collar and asked her for pardon.
Cathy: "That's alright....men can drive me a bit bonkers too....(then pointing to Knowledge with one hand while strangling herself with the other)....I mean, just look at THIS one?"
This really tickles the Paladins funny bone as she wonders what Grover is doing right now.
North: "Hello, I'm like RIGHT here, y'know!?!"
Becca reassures Mee-chan that Cathy will be fine at Brodies and in fact, anyone BUT him will be just fine with Grover almost certainly on the warpath.
This reminds Knowledge to search his duffle bag for another Bowie Knife to tuck into his belt.
Rebecca: "You really like those things, don't you?"
Brewster: "No, ma'am....he just goes through a LOT of knives."
Gary Stevenson wasn't slowed by mediocre progress reports.
He wasn't delayed by equipment deliveries.
His followers weren't stopped by intemperant conditions.
The New Dawn grew in power with each day and with it so did Stevenson's ambition.
He had decided to test one of his "Voomer Madness" samples on some industrial construction boomers just outside the city limits at a newly-built R.N.C. fortified refeuling bunker.
This attack would prove to be his most destructive to date as the bunker housed over 500 personal, most of which would lose their lives, either as a direct result of the rampaging Boomer or from Judges crossfire.
Unlike the other times, the Federalists were sloppy and a single survivor manages to break free of the dragnet to the safety of the KC-1 walls.
The news reports then claimed the incident was not from Badlands raiders but was infact, a faulty valve, resulting in the explosion that completely destroyed the bunker complexe.
Also unlike the previous times, the massive conglomeration of construction boomers managed to reach the city walls and had only stuck at the barrier a half a dozen times with its fist before being taken down by concentrated fire from ADP Hornet-style combat Aerodynes with every weapon at their disposal.
This occurance sent "ripples through the city and even though most never saw the monsterous fusion boomer rampaging beyond the walls, the cities attack siren had been triggered. The impact of the Boomers punches could be heard and felt blocks from the source....it was becoming impossible for R.N.C. and the Corperate Federalists to maintain the illusion.
R.N.C. was losing control.
This was unfolding exactly as Stevenson had calculated!
TO BE CONTINUED....
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
Rebecca had expected Catherine to be a better choice of partner.
For a group of "Hard Suited" mercenaries, she seemed to be the weakest link in the chain and was curious why Mee-Chan had considered her for the position in the first place.
She was far too dainty for this kind of work.
It was her idea to stage the break-in so perhaps she wasn't dead weight afterall....but Becca would be the judge of that.
They dismounted the dilapidated Outlander in the "nick of time" out front of Brodies.
Wicked Lester greeted the two girls but couldn't take his eyes off the motorcycles remains...
Lester: "WTF hap'n?"
She went to rest it upon the kickstand but the handlebars remain in her hand as the entire bike keels over.
Becca hands him the handlebar: "It's a little loose in the corners...."
Lester: "Ya don't say?"
Catherine waves at him with a cheerful grin as he notices her for the first time prompting Lester to pull the Paladin aside...
Lester: "Who's that?"
Cathy: "I'm the Fixer....who're you?"
Rebecca: "THIS time I'm gonna get a bike I can trust or you can tell Brody the deals off."
Lester: "You're in luck, he took Grover to Gold Cross with Charlie an hour ago....you can be in and out before he gets back."
Rebecca: "How did Big G look?"
Lester tries not to smile: "The tip was just hanging off....it was SOOO gross....you're friend better grow eyeballs in the back of his head!"
Rebecca: "I always warned him that sticking that thing where it don't belong was get him in trouble one day."
She limps to the gate and simply whistles the barking dogs into whipering compliance with a short blast, much to Catherines suprise.
Lester: "I can tell you right now, the best ride in the WHOLE lot is a Shogun 120...but I have a Judge emulator that should enable you to reactivate the weapons at the drivers leisure for about 120 seconds."
Cathy: "I'LL be the judge of that."
Wicked Lester pointed towards the younger Calaveri as she made her way past him...
Lester: "Who th' he77 is she?"
Catherine examined the Shogun and came to conclusion Lester hadn't exagerated.
As bad as Brodies selection was, the Shogun was indeed the best choice currently available but Catherine insisted that Lester leave the emulator off saying it might auto-arm without the drivers knowledge.
It wasn't as heavily armored as an Outlander but was certainly faster.
The Paladin then made tracks for the Brotherhood compound but she would soon discover that Gus was not around either.
She vowed to return after the dinner hour.
Catherine's initial sweeps of the bank were made by a scanner diguised as a typical briefcase.
She had most of the interior scanned before her place in the line even came up.
Cathy was not a crook but even she expected more security for a bank.
Wasn't until she started to sweep the banks exterior than that she began to see the hurdle to gaining unauthorized access.
It would take her three hours to completely map the banks security set up. With the system engaged, it would become a veritable christmas tree of I.R. light & motion detectors....unless she could somehow spoof the system.
The whole matter would be simplified if she only had her Hard Suit.
It was also the longest she had gone without thinking about her sister.
TO BE CONTINUED....
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
Knowledge (on the otherhand) couldn't keep his thoughts off of The Electric Mayhem and its crew.
Not because he wanted the armor and weapons but because he was worried about Lisa, Jerimiah, Bobby-Q, Stone, Raphael, Sally and Maim.
This was the first time he had asked a Sword for assistance since The Battle of The Alamo.
He knew they wouldn't let him down but was VERY concerned that it might come at a "grave" cost.
Had he known the truth, he would have been far more relaxed about the Mayhem & Maim and far more concerned with Brewster & Cathy.
Of all the group currently in KC-1, Brewster is the last one Knowledge (or anyone else) would have suspected of getting "blindsided" by the New Dawners.
By the same token, neither Gary nor Knowledge could forsee the epic confrontation that was about to take place on the streets of KC-1.
Catherine would indeed accompany Brewster on her "sting" operation but things would take an unexpected turn when "The flesh of christ" waffer is substituted for a large dose of Religex and Brewster is instantly "converted" to the New Dawn!
Not only does she convert but she helps Stevenson capture Catherine who patiently waited in the ex-cops Grand National, for Beulla to return.
The flock asks for Brody to dispose of the Grand National, but Wicked Lester (who is a sympathizer....not a convert) recognizes Cathy (once she's captured) and recalls he saw her with Jewel.
Lester manages to contact Mee-Chan and lets him know that Catherine & Brewster are in trouble and that Brody has Hotshot's car.
With Rebecca seemingly A.W.O.L. and Maim "missing", Knowledge decides to get some answers for himself and decides to visit Brodies afterdark.
His imagination has already gotten the better of him as he tries to put himself in Brodies place....trying to prepare himself for the worst of senarios....Knowledge is on the edge of "ballistic" when he manages to finally flag down a cabbie willing to go down to "The Yard".
(In and of itself, his first mistake of the evening)
He manages to find the ONE good samaritan in ALL of KC-1 and the sight of Knowledge loading up one of Brewster's Trenchguns and adjusting his Earthshaker arm brace that the cabbie alerts the would-be rescuer that he must turn him into KC-1 Peaceforcers for his own good.
The driver then tells him that his car uses the latest anti-ballistic plexi-glass and his shotgun won't be enough to pierce it to stop the cabbie so he shouldn't even try.
Mee-Chan then calmly alerts him that his (unseen up till that moment) Earthshaker 660 Nitro-Express uses armor-piercing enhanced penetrator rounds capable of splitting an engine block through 3 inches of ceramic armor so he doesn't give a rats @$$ how much armor-plast there is between the two of them.
Fortunately, one look at the monstrous revolver is enough to convince the cabbie without the need for a warning shot.
North requests that the driver wait for him if he can but the sound of the car pulling away at high speed is all the answer he needs to know he's on his own.
Thanks to some (very expensive) peanut butter, the dogs are easily disabled and kept occupied....just as Becca had told him it would.
He is then quickly and quietly able to scale the fence and gain entrance to "The Yard".
Mee-Chan still has a back-up wand for Brewster's car and he quickly locates the lost vehicle and secures a few more shells. He is suprised that the security is so lax and incorrectly assumes he'll have no trouble finding the Yard Rats and making Brody, Grover, Jimmy James or Charlie squeak!
But Brody has used Wicked Lester to set a trap for The Jumper and simply stood back, waiting for the fireworks to begin.
Knowledge discovers the wounded mechanic tied to a chair in their hideout and is on the verge of freeing Lester when Brody springs his trap.
The Religex dulled scavengers still outnumber The Jumper by 4 to 1 and so he is quickly surrounded.
Brody tells Grover to disarm the outnumbered Jumper but the big man is still wary around Mee-Chan and instead tells Jimmy to do it in his place.
TO BE CONTINUED....
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
Jimmy-James: "That's a REAL nice gun....can I take a look at it?"
But as Jim moves to relieve North of his Earthshaker from its holster, he fast-draws Catherines M-5 BoBson and puts it to J.J.'s throat.
"You mean THIS one?"
This causes a mexican stand-off as Grover and Charlie level double barrel sawed-off shotguns at Knowledge and J.J.
Brody: "J.J. you IDIOT!"
Jimmy-James: "Gains...p-please...DO something!?!"
Brody: "Alright......BLAST 'EM BOTH!!!"
Grover unloaded both barrels into J.J.....(who wasn't very happy about it lemme tell ya!)....but the unwitting scavenger proved to be a reliable shield for Knowledge.
The Jumper began to move towards a nearby window to dive through it but Charlie took his time and fired sparingly. He managed to tag the Trenchgun and sent it flying from Mee-Chan's grasp before he cleared the window.
Brody screamed for the pair of bumblers to get after him and walked up to Jimmy as he screamed and moaned on the floor.
Taking up The Jumper's pistol, Brody tucked it in his belt and shook his head at the dying man:
"It's your own fault....but it seems you'll reach paradise before I do."
Becca's ex then executed poor Jimmy-James with his own scattergun as he begged for his life, writhing on the floor in a pool of his own blood.
Brody then turned to immobilized Lester and asked him:
"You won't go anywhere will ya?"
For five minutes, Knowledge managed to elude his persuers but eventually decided he had to go on the offensive.
He located a precariously stacked pile of wrecks that Lester had warned him about during his first visit and proceeded to wait in ambush, after loosing a few rounds to attract their attention.
Charlie was the first to arrive but is his haste, Knowledge drops his only remaining gun amongst the wrecks.
The scavenger goon is about to stumble upon him as he hides when the bellowing Grover distracts him long enough for Knowledge to charge and knock Charlie over, even taking his weapon from him as he does.
Flipping it around he strikes the car jack holding the precarious pile aloft out and flattens Charlie under a mountain of crushed metal and ceramics.
(Horrible way to go I might add)
Mee-Chan can only curse at himself as now, he can't interrogate Charlie anymore.
Brody manages to spot Mee-Chan in the moonlight and takes a potshot at him but the near miss only causes the Jumper to seek better cover and disappear from view in the process.
He believes he had a second shot and manages to position Grover to make the kill but Mee-Chan eludes capture (once more by the slimmest of margins) and Brody almost accidently shoots Grover instead.
The two scavengers are starting to lose patience with Knowledge and Brody tells Grover to fetch Lester.
He then announces that if The Jumper does not surrender immediately that he will have Grover execute the Mechanic.
(Phil doesn't really care about Wicked Lester at all but is reminded that simply allowing him to die would be playing out of character.)
(Greg doesn't think Brody or Grover are up to the task of eliminating Mee-Chan.)
(Mike has more Doritos and is otherwise occupied but I am almost certain he mentioned something about "ninjas".)
Mee-chan steps from the shadows right beside scavengers but it isn't until he tosses his pistol at Brodies feet that they even realize he is there.
Brody was impressed....Becca was the only person who had ever been quiet enough to sneak up on him.
North: "Alright, you WIN Gains....you don't need Lester....let him go."
TO BE CONTINUED....
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
Gains only whistled.
Within seconds, Knowledge was flanked by two snarling vicious pitbull terriers that snapped at him hungrily from behind.
Brody: "A deals a deal....Grover, give Lester his walking papers."
The mutilated giant released the diminutive mechanic and nudged him on his way but before Wicked Lester could take three steps, Grover cut him down in a double spray of buckshot.
Brody: "Hallelujah brother!!!"
Grover tossed the empty gat aside and began to slowly and deliberately walk up to Mee-Chan...
Gadbois: "He's MINE Gains....you PROMISED!"
Brody: "Ask and ye shall recieve, brother."
Brody eased his aim and the giant began to loom menacingly before Knowledge.
Figuring he was done for, Phil flung the Bowie once more and by expending luck, managed to strike Grover Gadbois in the face.
For the sake of continuity, I rule he has once more disfigured the goon but failed to inflict signifigant trauma.
(Greg is cursing up a storm....because he's using Grover!)
(Phil is wondering why the blade couldn't have just gone through his head this time.)
(Thanks to Mike, everyone who rolls a dice is now applying a thin coating of cheese powder on everything they touch.)
Grover is now pissed!
It took him a little bit (before Knowledge stood still long enough for Grover to get a hold of him) but once he had, he proceeded to land EIGHT monstrous punches to the head in a row!
(Were it not for "stun point" North would most certainly have flatlined!)
Grover had had enough forplay and decides to administer a coups-de-gras in the form of a Neck Snap technique.
Just as it seems its all over for poor Phil, he lands a natural critical and manages to sink the spike end of his tomahawk into Grover's unsuspecting kneecap!
Screaming in agony and unable to walk he screams at Brody to toss him the Jumpers own pistol.
Grover takes Knowledges 660 Nitro Express and is about to execute him with it when he falls victem to the custom "anti-theft" feature...the grip becomes a lethal TAZER pad.
It doesn't kill Grover but now in addition to a crippling leg wound and a second degree burn on his hand, he has now bit the tip of his tongue off as well!
Desite being relatively even, Brody is able to beat the exhausted Mee-Chan into submission and is about to give him both barrels with J.J.'s shotty when a sudden "farmiliar" whistle results in the two guard dogs attacking and tearing Brodies arm to pieces.
Rebecca has finally showed up at Brodies Yard in the nick of time to prevent another embarrasing @$$whoppin'.
Rebecca: "Have I come at a bad time?"
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
The Jumper held up his hand as if gesturing for her to desist.
He stood for a moment while he caught his breath then limped over to retireve his knife.
(Once more, he wordlessly urged her for silence)
Knowledge then walked over to Grover and pryed his Earthshaker from the giants charred hand and returned it to his holster even though smoking flesh still clung to the grip. He then proceeded to scalp the tazed giant and breathed a deep sigh of relief, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
North: "I'm fine...."
The Chief then paused to kick Grover in the short and curlies one last time before walking up to Brody as he cowered, clutching his shredded arm.
North: "....you're late."
Rebecca: "I got here as fast as I could...."
She takes notice of the growing stain originating from under a newly fallen pile of wrecks.
Rebecca: "....what'cha doin'?"
Knowledge halted his approach to Brody when Rebecca stands between the two of them.
Gains cackles with smug delight...
Brody: "You're afraid of h-her and not me!?!"
North: "Actually...its the dogs."
He throws Grovers scalp at Brodies feet.
The Paladin slowly put her hand towards Damion's Broadsword.
Knowledge kept his eyes on the cowering Brody...
North: "He knows where Catherine and Brewster are....that's his part in this dirty little drama....the New Dawn makes the people disappear, he makes the cars and bikes disappear for them."
Brody: "That's a LIE...he just broke in here and went c-CRAZY....you SAW what he did to Grover?!"
North: "He'll live."
The Paladin looked at the Jumper.
North: "OKAAAAY, I DID break in here but only AFTER Lester told me a new convert had recovered Catherine in her car....it HAD to be Brewster....they were going to dispose of the "The Boat"....I got here and they had Lester tied up."
Rebecca carefully watched Brodies face for changes in expression as The Jumper spoke:
Rebecca: "Is this true? Did you kill Lester?"
Brody: "He lost the faith...but WE have a DEAL!!"
The Knight shook her head in disbelief as she stepped away from Brodies bloodied, crippled grasp...
Rebecca: "You'd turn on fellow salvager...you'd turn on family?"
Gains shrugged as best he could while trying not to smile.
Rebecca: "You're a monster Gains....the deal's off...."
She said as she drew Damion's sword and turned to face him.
Brody: "Who are you trying to kid girl....I KNOW you....you can't kill ME."
His laughter mocked her as she raisied the blade up high.
Brody: "You put on a nice front but I KNOW you....you won't do it....not after everything WE'VE been through!"
Her strike hesitated as he laughed like a jackyl at her feet.
Brody: "C'MON THEN....WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?!"
She slowly lowered the blade as a distant roll thunder from an approaching storm echoed through "The Yard".
Gains smiled while Rebecca sheathed her blade after drawing some blood from her own hand along the blade in tribute...
Rebecca: "You're right....I can't...."
Gains beamed up at her from the muddied ground as the first drops of rain began to fall upon his cheeks.
Rebecca: "....but HE can."
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
Brody couldn't believe what she had just said...he was speechless.
Knowledge stepped up to him abruptly (making Brody flinch) and made sure J.J.'s weapon was empty and took the remaining shells for himself.
He then walked past him into the shack and retrieved Brewster's (somewhat damaged) Trenchgun.
Brody wasn't sure what was about to happen and so everytime he saw Mee-chan move at him, he thought he was about to be killed.
Next he instead walked past him to retrieved his tomahawk from the Grovers kneecap.
(Gadbois didn't seem to mind)
He wiped it on the giant and patted his head as he convulsed on the ground trying not to choke on his own blood.
(North turns him on his side so he doesn't drown)
Knowledge then faced Brody, backlit by The Yards interior floods:
"Alonnne at laaast...just the two of us."
The Jumper folded his arms and thought about his circumstances for a moment before winding up and place kicking Brodies head, knocking him unconcious before grabbing him by the collar and dragging him into his own hideaway.
"How did you get THIS heavy eating algae?!"
He awakens gagged and fastened (upside-down) to a hydrolic car lift in his garage, so that if it's lowered all the way, he will be popped like a grape and in the work pit below him....The Jumper has a large selection of heavy work tools he can swing at the helpless Gains.
"OH, good....you're UP!"
The Jumper finally decides on a 5 lbs rubber sledgehammer and takes a few test swings to check for "elbow room" before stepping up to the plate.
"Okay, so here's the problem: Lester told me he knew EXACTLY where my friends Cathy and Brewster are but YOU killed him before he could tell me. Now, he may have lied to me or he may have been straight, but either way, I have no way of knowing for sure and I can't afford to take any chances because I'm fresh out of time....SSSOO, I'm going to beat-you-to-death RIGHT now, unless you tell me something useful...m'kay?"
Brody is already trying to scream out from under the gag: "I'LL TALK, I'LL TALK, I'LL TALK!!!" but Knowledge lands a pre-emptive swing anyways.
(Good roll Phil!)
"OOOHHHH....I KNOW I heard something break THERE...." he mused "....don't tell me THAT didn't suck!"
He watched as Brody struggled to catch his breath.
"Hmmm....but y'know....this one seems like it might be a bit light for you....we MIGHT need something a lil' bit heavier....hold on a second, I HAVE to be sure-"
The Jumper then wound up and lands another deliberate "low blow" on the helpless Gains.
"H-hold on....I f'ked that one one up....my bad....REDO!!!....s-sorry, dude!"
And then lands a third blow in Brodies exposed gut.
"Y'SEE....THAT'S what I'm talkin' about...." (he then chucks the sledge aside) "....WAAYYY too light!"
He then picks up a very large bolt cutter set and makes a test swing or two but pauses, as Brody desperately tries to get Mee-chan's attention before he is struck with the new FAR heavier implement.
"What?....I can't hear you?....well, Can't it wait?....OH, WHAT-ever!"
And he yanks the soaked gag from Brodies mouth.
After a deluge of blood was coughed out by the trapped scavenger he managed to wheeze out that he knew exactly where Cathy and Brewster were and that soon it would be too late. Knowledge wound up with the bolt cutters like a baseball bat...
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
"TALK to me because I SWEAR....I hit you again, and you won't be able to talk EVEN if you wanted to!"
Brody Gains may have believed in an afterlife but he was in no hurry to get there.
Becca, who had been patiently waiting out front, finally brokedown and came in to see what was taking The Jumper so long....and arrived to see him almost do his "Pete Rose" impersonation on her one time ex-boyfriend.
Rebecca: "Seriously?"
North: "What?"
Rebecca: "I could have done THAT."
Mee-chan scoffed: "Really?"
He then hands her the bolt cutters: "Swing away...."
Brody: "B-but I SAID I'll TALK?!?"
Rebecca: : "You don't think I can do it, do you?"
North: "I KNOW you won't."
Rebecca: "Shove over...."
Brody: "I'LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING YOU WANNA KNOW!?!"
Rebecca: "Where are we hitting him?"
North chortled: "See?"
Rebecca: "NO, I just wanted to be sure you found out everything you needed to know-"
Brody: "I KNOW MORE!!!"
Becca hesitated on her swing and did a double take on Knowledge...
Rebecca: "Is that true?"
Brody: "DON'T ASK HIM, ASK ME!!!"
North: "Weelllllll....it MIGHT be."
Rebecca: "Shouldn't we....y'know, find OUT first....before-"
(She then makes a repetitive squashing motion with the bolt cutters that fall mere hairs from their mark.)
He looks at her for a second, completely expressionless and then loses it and kicks his foot (feebly) at the dust:
"F'K!!!"
He composes himself and then turns around after adjusting his collar from the feigned tantrum:
"I s'POSE."
Brody is now so unnerved he is barely able to speak but Rebecca stoops to look him in the eye...
Rebecca: "Now, I believe you were in the middle of saying something?"
North: "Told ya you wouldn't do it."
Becca freezes in mid-sentence and slumps her shoulders for a moment, then, (without any warning) sucker punches the helpless Brody across the jaw with her fist:
"Better?"
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
North: "Well I'll be a Sonnova....Gains is right, you're a "big softy"...."
Gains: "You call THAT: being a softy?"
Rebecca: "I only can't strikedown a "helpless" person....so, DON'T push me, Chief...." she then double takes the helpless Brody "....why is he up there like that anyways?"
Currently standing between the lift forks he simply presses the down button (without a change of expression, except to say: "Duh?"), causing Brody to scream and the lift to rapidly decend.
A look of horror comes over Rebecca's face which causes The Jumper to roll his eyes and he stops the lift before Gains is partially crushed by the tool cart (and other implements of destruction....):
North: "FINE, have it YOUR way."
Brody: "I can always come back later if you want?"
Becca & Mee-Chan: "SHADDUP!"
Brody: "But I thought you WANTED be to talk?"
After a moment of silence The Knight looked to The Jumper and asked:
"Could you bring him up, please?"
Mee-chan raised the lift again so that Brody was eye to eye with Rebecca again.
Rebecca kicked him in the nose sending the back of his skull into the lift fork he was fastened to, breaking the nose and almost knocking Brody out cold:
"I-said-SHADDUP!"
She had just looked back to Mee-Chan when he commented: "Okay, m-maybe you could...."
Rebecca: "Bloody RIGHT I could....shoulda done it SOONER........we're not going to KILL him are we?"
Knowledge: "No...but I AM really gonna f'k him up."
Rebecca: "How bad?"
Knowledge looked at Brody again as he hung there and thought carefully for a moment...
North: "I won't lie to ya....pretty f'kin' bad."
Rebecca: "Like Grover?"
North: "Worse."
Rebecca: "I don't know....Grover looked pretty f'kin' bad to me...."
North: "But he'll PROBABLY live and that's the BEST I can do right now."
Rebecca: "Seriously?"
Mee-Chan only nodded his head.
Rebecca: "I tried baby..."
Becca wets her finger and removes her wedding band and then spits it at him.
Rebecca: "...by the way, I'm TAKING the dogs."
He spilled everything about his part in disposing of vehicles for the New Dawn and his involvement in disposing of "contaminated" bodies.
He even spoke of a large chemical plant that their leader had been using for a base out in the Badlands.
If Cathy or Brewster had been taken anywhere, it was there.
"Whoa....hold on a second....WHAT do you mean contaminated bodies?"
TO BE CONTINUED....
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
Gains elaborated ad-nauseum (undoubtedly in the hopes it would spare his life) about the leader of the New Dawn's church, a man they simply refered to as "The Pastor". HE regularly had Brody dispose of bodies in "secured" containers.
When he asked The Pastor why they took such precautions, he was told they were "contaminated" and that they should not be unsealed under any cirumstances.
He never elaborated on what "contaminated" meant and Gains got the feeling from the encounter that it was a "sensitive" issue.
Seeing as the base IS in an abandoned chemical plant, he has no doubt that The Pastor was telling him the truth but says he must have taken a hundred trailers from the base two at a time with no escorts.
North: "You're lying....two lone trailers in the Badlands without escort?"
Knowledge began to ready the boltcutters and took aim at a kneecap this time.
Brody: "NO, IT'S TRUE, I SWEAR TO GOD....I DON'T know how The Pastor did it but there is a narrow transport corridor in the Badlands that leads straight up to the city limits that has NO gang activity on it what-so-ever!"
Gains claimed in all his (maybe 50) disposal jobs there that not once did he ever see a single Raider or M.F.P. Interceptor.
North: "I'd like to believe you but since you don't seem to have any proof-"
Gains shook his head (wincing in pain from the broken nose Becca had given him)...
Brody: "In the back of th' Yard....I held onto ONE of the trailers, y'know...just in case The Pastor tried to double-cross me...for leverage or somethin'."
Mee-Chan narrowed his eyes as he began to imagine all the manner of traps that Brody might have set to keep people away from all this "contamination".
North: "What am I walking into back there Gains? DO I LOOK STUPID TO YOU!?!"
Brody: "IT'S THE TRUTH, I SWEAR TO GOD!!!"
Gains screamed as tears dropped from his bloodied cheeks...
Brody: "Well, I MIGHT have booby trapped the cab with a hand grenade?"
North: "What do you mean MIGHT have?"
Gains began to break into sobbing.
Brody: "I DON'T remember....m'under a little STRESS here!!"
Mee-Chan sympathetically patted his cheek and smiled at him as if to say: "I know, dude....I know." then he took aim and without hesitation, began to swing for his kneecap again.
Brody: "I REMEMBER-I REMEMBER, THERE IS....IT'S HOOKED FROM THE DOORS TO THE STEERING WHEEL, THERE'S TWO, ONE EACH SIDE....LORD PLEASE, DON'T HIT ME AGAIN!!!"
North: "But what if one of your "crew" had stumbled upon it?"
Brody: "Charlie, Jimmy James and Grover NEVER go that far into th'Yard....only Lester knew about it....but he's in a "better" place now."
This rubbed Knowledge the wrong way and the next sound Gains heard was his kneecap being shattered.
The sound of bone cracking under flesh and sinew was loud and crisp enough that it even made dogs sit up and take notice.
Brodies scream was loud enough that the impatient Paladin (who had now left twice) decided to go back back and put a stop whatever it was that Mee-Chan was doing.
North: "THAT was for Lester you sanctimonious sonnova b1tch!!"
Knowledge took pause as he began to detect the sounds of Becca's boots approaching again over Gain's desperate attempts to draw a single, complete uninterupted breath.
North: "Hold that thought..."
TO BE CONTINUED....
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
He climbed out of the pit just as the irrate Knight reached the door.
She opened it to find Brody gasping and The Jumper waiting:
North: "Good, you're here....in the back of this place you'll find a secured R.N.C. trailer and rig....don't open the back, it has contaminated dead people in it....don't open the front, it has hand grenades rigged to the doors....find it and I'll join you in a moment."
With her finger still held up and frozen as if in mid-sentence, Rebecca then turns around and leaves again with a quasi-confused look on her face as if forgetting why she had entered. He stood there for a moment, half-stunned that an angry tirade didn't follow from the Paladin, then turned around and walked slowly back towards the helpless Gains.
North: "You've been a VERY bad boy Brody...I swore to Jewel I'd let you live but to be honest...every time you add more information to save your life, it only adds another reason to why I should to kill you."
Brody: "That is a b-bit of a pickle isn't it? You kill me....she hates you forever."
North: "Something like that....but YOU are one of the few people I have met, in my time here that genuinely deserves to die."
Brody: "Too bad this isn't Texas...."
He donned his own gloves then stopped the webcam on Lester's tower, after live streaming the "confession" directly to his friends in the A.R.F.:
North: "Did you get all that?"
Yatsune: "In full SHD."
Brody: "THAT'S NOT ADMISABLE IN COURT!!!"
North: "Thanks Toho, you're the best."
Yatsune: "Anytime...you're not going to kill him are you?"
North: "Why does EVERYONE ask me that?"
Yatsune: "Well, it might appear to the uninititated as if your gonna snuff him."
North: "Touche...I'm just gonna f'k him up."
Toho: "I dunno...he looks pretty f'ked up to me."
North: "Yeah, well I was just about done."
The Cyberkid wished him good fortune and logged off.
He then shot the tower with his .660NE revolver.
The Paladin had JUST seen the truck and had almost reached it when the sound of the Earthshaker joined in chorus with a another roll of thunder.
Rebecca: "Oh, F'K..."
She stood in the drizzle for a minute and then cursed herself as she began to walk back towards Brodies shack.
Knowledge then scalped Brody.
The Paladin smiled, as Gains could be heard screaming (and had therefore not been shot) so She then turned around and walked back towards where the truck had been stashed.
Brody was on the verge of passing out but The Jumper imparted one final message:
North: "If you have lied to me....my face will be the LAST thing you ever see."
Stepping outside, he sees Grover cowering in the mud under a dog's shelter to be out of the rain.
Knowledge walks passed Gadbois and tosses Gain's scalp at the giant.
Since Grover has bitten his tongue off, the trash talk has sorta dialed down a notch.
As he walked down the aisles of wrecked cars (wondering how he was going to find it) he heard the sound of a powerful feulcell-based electric engine whine from slumber and the rig's combat lighting activated.
He thought to himself as he walked up: "I could have sworn I said to wait....but the otherhand, at least there wasn't an explosion."
The rig pulled up along side of him with trailer in tow and Knight at the wheel, urging him to jump in the passnger side.
(Which he did after hestitating a second or two to see if he would blow up after opening the door.)
North: "Don't worry...I only counted coup."
She just nodded her head.
North: "And the grenades?"
She unbottoned the glove box in front of him.
North: "That lying MOTHERF'KER....there are THREE....he said only TWO!"
Rebecca: "Then I guess it's a good thing you didn't go afterall....you couldn't have possibly known I taught him to always set three."
The Jumper looked at her about to ask her a question but she quickly prevented it:
"NO you can NOT go back and "f'k" him up for lying....we're LEAVING."
TO BE CONTINUED....
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
Rebecca: "So, what do you intend to do with THIS thing?"
North: "I was hoping we might be able to hide this thing at the Brotherhood compound....only Cathy would know how to peek inside this thing safely so until we find her, we should keep it someplace safe....unless you can think of something better."
She shook her head.
Asking Gus for information was one thing but this was entirely another.
Gus's complicity might result in the revoking of the lot's charter and possibly the expulsion of the Brotherhood from KC-1.
Rebecca: "Can you drive one of these things?"
North: "No....what does that have to do with anything?"
Rebecca: "Then you get the dogs in the backseat."
North: "Why in he77 would I want THAT?"
She pulled the truck over at the main gate...
Rebecca: "Be-CAUSE thaaaat's where I put them when you began to take so long?"
North: "You put muddy, bloody dogs...in BREWSTER'S car?"..."S#@t girl, we aren't going to need R.N.C. to get killed....Brewsters gonna do that all by herself once she finds THAT out."
Rebecca: "She'll get over it."
North: "Fine....I'll take the flak for the backseat but YOU'RE taking the dogs with YOU!"
Rebecca: "Deal."
The Jumper began to climb out of the rig and started to swear at himself for the s#@tstorm he was going to catch from Beulla over this once it was it had all concluded.
Rebecca wasn't going to go to the Brotherhood compound at first but since she missed seeing Gus earlier (and was eager to hear what he might say) she didn't want to risk missing him again by taking too long stashing the trailer.
This confused Mee-Chan who had been following closely behind in "The Boat" but he stayed off the radio and merely followed her lead as she brought him to the Brotherhood once more.
Gaining entrance just as easily and hassle-free as she had the first time, the guard at the gate even allowed Knowledge in with just a glance and she parked the rig in a "sheltered" section of the lot.
The Jumper parked beside her and wondered what she was up to, after expressly forbidding him from this EXACT course of action.
Rebecca: "Not a word."
North: "Fine.........but if I DID it would probably have to be-"
She grabbed his crotch and began to squeeze while the Jumper grimaced in pain.
North: "You're just p1ssed at me because I f'ked up you're ex-boyfriend and he deserved it."
Rebecca: "I didn't think you had the cajones to say that to my face."
North: "It d-doeSN't APpear as iF I w-wiLL for MU-ch LoNger...."
Just then, from the adjacent rig, a mechanic who had been on his back under his truck, rolled out virtually between the two of them:
"Jeez, get a room, willya?"
North broke her grip and The Jumper breathed a DEEP sigh of relief.
"Gus has been asking about you....I think he's at "The Oasis" blowing off some steam."
She got onto her knees and pecked the Mechanic on his forehead....at least the part of it that wasn't smeared with grime.
As she walked away, the beaming Mechanic looked to Knowledge as he caught his breath and chuckled:
"You sooooo OWE me, dude."
Mee-Chan nodded graciously to the grease monkey and limped after Becca.
TO BE CONTINUED....
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
Gus was easy enough to find.
The sounds of his laughter could be heard outside the entertainment module itself, even over the sound of the saloon's music system....a feat normally reserved only for concentrated gunfire.
"Jewel" wasted no time and upon seeing the injured and bandaged trucker and immediately inquired what had happened to Foley.
Gus: "I could....but I think I'll just let the Lady tell it...."
Rebecca had already taken a seat by Gus but a second hand came up from behind and cradled The Jumpers "package"....this time with a much softer touch, even though in their current shape, he couldn't really tell the difference:
"Is THAT all the thanks I get for coming up here?"
Mee-Chan smiled and he turned to hug Lisa, much to Rebecca's suprise.
He then greeted Jerimiah, Bobby-Q and Stone....already on their way to "winding down" from a long hard ride.
Hammerdown was treated like Brotherhood royalty as "The Voice of Freedom" and was the most trashed of the three men.
He was happy to see Knowledge but slurred something out about "grabbing his woman inappropriately".
Bobby-Q: "She was the one who grabbed him J....if anything HE could claim harrasment."
Jeremiah: "I could always fire you."
Bobby-Q: "You don't even PAY me!"
Jeremiah: "Good point...well I AM now and lemme tell ya, it's going to be a LOT less..."
Bobby-Q: "You're great with the algae beer but the pure grain stuff really cleans your clock H."
Stone was a mute but exchanged a tribal handshake with Knowledge and gave international sign for: "Good to see you."
Rebecca: "I gather you've all met?"
Lisa interupted and squeezed Jerimiah out of the "picture" again after taking his drink from him effortlessly and having it herself.
This attracted the attention of all who had taken to following either Lisa or Rebecca as she raised her glass:
"To The Alamo!"
The Swords all raised glasses....(except Hammerdown, but Lisa gave him a sip of his own drink for the toast out of sympathy)....followed by the truckers.
Lisa began to get "too" close to Knowledge for his liking as she tugged on his belt buckle.
Lisa: "Now, are you going to show me why I've come here?"
The entire room looks to Mee-Chan, especially Rebecca who knows about he and Catherine as he tries to awkwardly but unsucessfully break her grip....right up until Maim steps in and yanks him away with a single pull.
"Easy..." comments Erica (a.k.a. Maim)....although The Jumper is now upset she will likewise something odd after their "almost-encounter" on the Halpern corperate jet. Fortunately Lisa chooses not to persue the matter further and Maim doesn't elaborate so the Jumper is left a little stunned but none the worse for wear.
Rebecca: "You know HER too?"
Mee-Chan chuckles as the bodybuilder stands Knowledge back on his feet:
North: "THIS is Maim."
TO BE CONTINUED....
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
Lisa: "That girl was a STAR out there, North....how she got us passed that R.N.C. blockade I will NEVER know."
Gus: "I second that....we came out to save them....they end up saving us!"
Rebecca become anxious: "Was it THEM?"
Maim: "No, just some Nomads."
Lisa acted as if she had just heard a fabrication: "SOME!?!....Girl there were over a HUNDRED of them!"
North: "Anyone care to explain?"
Maim: "It WAS pretty bad.....5 Independant Rigs in formation with 4 Scouts....all we could do was run....then we bumped into Gus and the Brotherhood."
Gus: "We put up a good enough of a fight but there were just too many of them....we were never gonna make it back to the KC-1....that's when "she" had a moment of brilliance."
Maim: "Wasn't like that....Law of the Road states that any affiliate of a rival gang can challenge any other member for the "right of the salvage"....in this case, I just challenged their leader. If he won....the Nomads could have everything without a fight."
North: "And if YOU won they just walk away?"
Maim: "As an (ex) patched member of The Wardogs, Mastiff Moulin is rightfully supposed to claim the salvage....but since he wasn't there-"
North: "So, you beat him and claimed the salvage?"
Maim: "No....I killed him and claimed the salvage."
Gus: "You think I look bad, you shoulda seen what she did to THAT poor bloke..."
Hammerdown, Lisa and Bobby-Q all shiver upon mention of it....Jerimiah even takes off his stetson for a moment, something he NEVER does.
Stone only motions his hand and slightly purses his lips as if to say: "Meh."
Rebecca begin to smile as she looks examines Knowledges face: "you lose a lot?"
Maim: "He can't even beat me."
North: "B@#$H PLEASE, I NEARLY KICKED YOUR @$$ TWICE-"
Gus: "Nearly?"
North: "First time was a draw and the second time I didn't wanna kill her anymore....TILL NOW that is!"
Maim: "Awe...don't be grumpy....I brought you a present?"
This brought a smile to his face, as it did all the truckers within earshot but it wouldn't be for the reasons THEY was thinking of.
Gus also brought news that they had picked up a GENUINE attack survivor who was now recouperating in the compound infirmary module.
He couldn't currently talk but would be able to by morning the Doc assured him.
His only wounds were caused by Peaceforcer weaponry.
This brought great relief to the Paladin but the answers they would eventually get would do nothing but raise more disturbing questions.
Gus: "So, if Brodies history now, what hap'n to the Babies?"
Rebecca: "I left 'em in the truck."
Gus: "Truck....what truck?"
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
After the recent unpleasant run-in with R.N.C., The Brotherhood had no objections to storing the stolen trailer, providing no attempts to open it would made on the compound.
Simply hoping it held something that could be used against R.N.C. was unlikely at the time but against a mega-corperate giant, one takes any advantage they can get.
Now, with the Hard Suits and Motoslaves present, the time for "chewing bubblegum" has come to a close and the time to kick @$$ was just about to begin.
A reconaissance would be organized to get intel on the old factory while Rebecca would be put through a "crash course" in the Hard Suit flight and weapon systems.
Her inexperience would put Rebecca at a signifigant disadvantage when compared to an "experienced" Operator like Maim (who has been practicing with her prototype in the simulator for nearly three months now) but Mee-Chan was confident that Gi-San's modifications would make engaging the weapon systems as easy as one would use an extension of their own limbs. The learning curve would be "non-existant".
Only The Electric Mayhem would have knowledge of the groups true nature but as much as The Jumper liked Gus, he agreed that The Brotherhoods involvement should be kept at a minimum for their own safety.
It would have been nice however to have known there was a formation of armored juggernauts waiting to support the groups actions but this was something Knowledge was not willing to consider.
The VERY dangerous job of forward observer would fall upon the one individual who was reputed to be so silent, he could lose his own shadow.
The traditional Cherokee hunter who has followed Mee-Chan in one capasity or another since he first encountered him in Waycross all those years ago....Stone.
He was the one who had taught The Jumper how to use the Bowie and Tomahawk properly and seeing as he was mute, it took Mee-Chan longer than normal to get the hang of things.
Stone was also a master with all means of silent dispatch. Even in past conflicts, he would use "ancient" weapons to remove modern threats with uncanny speed, skill and accuracy.
His composure was unflinching and his blank "1000-yard stare" expression never changed regardless of circumstances, with the only possible exception being the first time he saw the G.U.N.H.E.D.....then again, it's easy to render a mute "speechless"!
Stone volunteered for the task before it was even asked of him.
He would utilize a revolutionary new stealth system that had been incorperated into a light body armor system that Halpern Security Concepts had developed for EU/SHIELD Recon elements.
By utilizing a holographic feedback loop, the suit would project any background behind the user on his surface.
It was similar in function to the IT-33 Active Camo System utilized by both the fledgling PAC/SHADO faction yet maintained a 50% smaller heat signature than previous models.
Once Stone could confirm Cathy or Brewsters location, he would act as a designator for guided-artillary (launched from The Mayhem or J-Type) and expodite the pairs rescue once Stormfront were in C.A.
(Crisis Area = within range of suspected enemy fire)
Using the transport corridor described by Brody, Stone & The Stormfront would gain access to the Badlands, hopefully under the noses of the Local Gangs, M.F.P. and The Peaceforcers, to put their "ambitious" plan into action.
Meanwhile, Catherine was currently being held in one of Stevenson's cells. She had not been exposed to Religex as of yet since Gary wanted answers from one of these two new "Acolytes".
Religex short circuits the memory and so any answers Brewster could give would likely be broken or incomplete.
Instead he would get his information from the diminutive (5' 2" tall) and vulnerable Miss Calaveri.
Fate had been recently kind to Gary for if it had been Catherine caught and Brewster unaffected, its unlikely Stevenson would have been able to intimidate an ex-state trooper.
Catherine would be easy to make squeak....he would even make Brewster to do all the "heavy lifting".
It's unlikely the Mechanic has ever been in straights so dire as these and yet the only thing she can think of to ask is what fate has befallen her sister?
It wasn't long until she had her answer.
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
She had not eaten or had water since her capture.
This was mostly by her own choice as she refused to cooperate with her captors in any way, shape or form.
Most of the day had passed without any contact at all from the New Dawners. She remained incarserated in her cell and could only ponder what had gotten into Brewster and how she could have ended up in her current predicament.
She was also certain as long as Knowledge was out there, he WOULD come for her....even if no one else would go with him....so, she resolved to hold out as long as she could in anticipation of rescue.
Now, would Knowledge ACTUALLY be able to get the better of Brewster?
THAT'S an entirely different question!
It wasn't until late in the evening that The Pastor finally arrived to greet the prisoner with Beulla and his personal bodyguard, an ex-autodeuler goon by the name of Rex Radisson. Rex had enjoyed some early notoriety in the sport but had been banned for "excessive" violence in a deathsport. One of the few who ever have!
(Trust me...it's an EXCLUSIVE club)
Gary Stevenson looked nothing like he did in Lou'siana.
Extensive reconstructive and plastic surgery had been undertaken by the Mad Genius, who now ressembled Liam Neeson....
"Oh, we can't help but wonder....how big is Liam Neeson's c@#k!" (Wa-Waaah-tsst)
(Yes, I AM a Smodcast fan. Please learn to deal with it)
He had even cultivated a fake english accent to go with the vocal print distortion chip in his throat and let's not even get started on the hairplugs.
EVERYTIME he felt pain and discomfort from his past surgeries or injuries, he thought of nothing but Leision, North and Baker....especially what he would have do to them once he manages to catch up to them.
Fortunately he had no clue that either Catherine or Brewster were affiliated with Knowledge at the time or she wouldn't have been in a dirty little cell. She and Brewster would be dead and buried in some dirt hole out in the Badlands.
Stevenson recognized her face right from the start....Calaveri Concepts is now almost as well known as Uncle Al's Autodeul Emporium and the potential for siphoning cash from them excited The Pastor no end.
She was certainly the richest person he had come across since he began to use Religex to convert others to his cause.
Gary didn't know what to make of her presence in KC-1 but was certain he would discover the reason soon enough.
Gary: "Someone is quite a far way from home, aren't they?"
Catherine was silent.
Gary: "I don't suppose you'd care to share this story with me...looks like it'll be a GOOD one."
Catherine remained quiet which prompted Pastor to cast a eye towards Beulla...
Brewster: "She's looking for her sister."
"B1TCH!!!" screamed the Mechanic at Beulla.
Brewster reacted as if an exposed nerve had been struck at the sound of the "B-Word" but once the sensation passed, she raised her fist to strike Cathy but was prevented by The Pastor...
Gary: "That may be how things get done with State Troopers but that's not how we do things here."
Stevenson turned to Rex and bade him to bring his doctor's bag which the burly autodeuler did without question.
It would be a few minutes before he would return with it but Catherine was already dreading what awaited her.
TO BE CONTINUED...
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
Cathy: "You crazy f'k...you won't get away with this."
Gary: "But my child....I already have...and please, there's no need for that kind of language here."
Brewster: "She has a boyfriend who's also here in KC-1 but as long as he has nothing to go on he's no threat to us."
Stevenson: "I will be the judge of who and what is a threat."
Cathy: "What have you DONE to Brewster?"
Gary: "Do?. I have done nothing but help her to see the light of the new dawning of mankind...a future that is ONLY for those of true faith."
Cathy: "Untie me and I'll show you exactly where to stick your faith!"
Gary: "Do you know what you're sin is?"
Catherine gave Brewster the hairy eyeball...
Cathy: "Trusting a cop?"
Gary: "Pride...you believed you could stop what has already come to pass."
She painfully struggled to free her hands.
Gary: "You refer to this boyfriend of yours...perhaps we should pay him a visit too, ya?"
Cathy: "Whoever you decide to send had best not be family....nothing hurts like losing family."
Gary looked to Beulla for confirmation:
Brewster: "She's right about one thing....he'll fight...but he's not the one you should be worried about."
Gary: "Explain."
Brewster: "He's got a Paladin with him....a Knight....SHE could present a problem."
Gary: "Is that SO? I didn't think there were any Paladins LEFT in the Badlands?"
Brewster: "Well there IS and this one is fast....faster than anyone I've ever seen."
Gary: "Sounds like someone I would love to meet....arrange it."
Brewster: "Right away your eminance."
TO BE CONTINUED....
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
Becca had been anxious ever since recieving word that there was a another survivor.
She refused to drink any further and also seemed to lose her appetite.
It took signifigant effort on Knowledges part to get her to eat what little she did citing because of the medications she was on, he didn't want her to pass out while piloting a 50+ million U.S.D. adjusted suit of prototype powered armor.
She grudgingly conceded.
Mee-Chan then let The Electric Mayhem in on the little secret he had kept from them and exposed the existance of the armor to them.
Just one look at the Hard Suits was all it took to take the Knights mind off the attack survivor but when she saw the Motoroids, the Paladin was speechless.
Miss Ayers had never before seen such feats of engineering genius and couldn't believe what she was seeing with her own eyes.
She touched them to see if they were plastic.
She smacked it to see if it was sturdy.
She examined the engines to be sure they were real.
She sat on the Motoroid and "bounced" on the suspension to check the weight.
Still she was speechless...
Maim: "Kinda takes the breath away, don't it?."
The Knight could only only nod as she soaked up every drop of tactile sensation from sitting on a piece of science fiction.
Rebecca: "This i-is REAL!?!"
North: "She's a beauty ain't she?"
Rebecca: "How did yo-"
Mee-Chan quickly interupted the Knight...
North: "Above your pay grade, little girl."
Rebecca: "This is INCREDIBLE....I've never seen anything like them."
Maim: "THAT'S the point."
North: "Now don't you fret none....Miss Ayers here is good people, she knows the rules."
Rebecca tries to tilt the Motoroid but has some difficulty due to her mending leg and the vehicles heavier weight.
Rebecca: "She feels like she has a fat @$$."
North: "That's because she's built to be used by a rider that weights 200 pounds more than you do and is much stronger...you CAN ride the Hurricane MK I "sans-armour" but I would advise against it."
Rebecca: "There's no way I can ride that thing wearing 200 pounds of armor!"
Maim: "Advanced myomer fibres, simulating an "exo-skeleton"...boost the riders strength tenthfold....you don't feel the armor at all....plus with the Motoroids A.I., it practically drives itself."
North: "Well, it takes some getting used to but she's right....once we have it properly calibrated, your learning curve will go vertical."
Rebecca: "And you are going to PAY me to use THIS?!"
North: "Not me but yeah, that's the gist of it....you'll use the green Motoslave for now."
Rebecca: "I want the RED one."
Maim: "Back off b@#%h, THAT ones mine!"
North: "Providing this all turns out, we'll have another red one made just for you "Jewel" (if that's your preference) but for now, you're going green."
Rebecca: "Fair enough."
TO BE CONTINUED....
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
The ex-Wardog began to chuckle to herself...
Maim: "With me being a Wardog and you being a Paladin an all....I wonder if we've ever fought before?"
Rebecca: "No, never."
Maim: "What makes you so sure?"
(PLEASE, don't say it....PLEASE!)
Rebecca: "You're still alive."
(F'K, F'K, F'K, F'K...THEY HATE ME, THAT'S WHAT IT IS!!!!)
Maim got to her feet and this time didn't seem interested in being disuaded by the Jumper.
Becca likewise dismounted and turned to face Erica.
"THAT'S why I carry the big gun." Knowledge thought to himself, eager to prevent a fight between the two bikers without getting in the line of fire.
Out of reflex, he drew the pistol and fired a single shot into the air (as he had done many times before), forgetting that he was in a underground concrete bunker.
(darn, that sneaky Ol' Number 7!)
Fortunately, THIS time (randomly determined) he had chambered a hollow point round instead of armor piercing hardcore or enhanced penetrator round that would have increased the chances of a ricochet, so instead of an acidental shooting, the round pulverized the ceiling and rained a cloud of concrete dust onto the mortified Jumper as if he were an icing sugar frosted confection.
Dust that was still falling on the "frozen in mid-stupidity" Jumper as the two angry women turned to confront him.
They both immediately broke into fits of hysterical laughter.
The "warning shot" had worked but definitely not in the way he had intended.
Additionally, it also brought Lisa running with weapons at the ready....she was ALSO not pleased....that is until she saw the "sugar-frosted" Jumper.
Phil: "Note to self....start aiming warming shots AT people in the future!"
Greg: "BWA-HAHAHA-HAHA-HA....CLASSIC!!!"
Mike: "No, I'm being serious....is anybody gonna finish these?"
Lisa: "WHAT do you think you are doing!?"
After exhaling another mouthful of concrete dust to a renewed chorus of snikkers...
North: "It's my snow globe impersonation....you like it?"
The girls (guys) are now howling so hard its difficult to stand.
North: "So, I guess we should go over the plan?"
This causes everyone but Becca to keel over with dry heaves, who instead gasps...
Rebecca: "Stop it, you're going to make me p33!"
(Which of course, only makes things even worse)
GM: "GREG!!!"
Greg: "Sorry."
Phil: "Where was I?"
North: "I am going to get cleaned up and when I get back, we will start to go over the Hard Suit "Dummies" guide."
TO BE CONTINUED....
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
Knowledge then left under a cloud....almost like the Charles Shultz character; Pigpen.
After the laughing had finally stopped the Paladin spoke up:
Rebecca: "This is KC-1....we just can't go around testing these things where ever we please....we'll draw a LOT of fire."
Maim: "The weapon systems on these babies really rock good and hard....it'll be impossible to hide the signatures from the cities weapon sensors but most of them won't register as legitimate "gunfire"....at least until s#@t starts blowing up."
Lisa: "I say we go for it anyways.""
Becca raised an eyebrow.
Maim: "You'd walk into he77 just to get him a glass of water....what's with that?"
A smile began to creep across Lisa's face as she put her pistol back in its holster, removed the gunbelt and she proceeded to unbutton her shirt.
Erica took a step away from the Cajun but the Knight only watched and waited.
Lisa: "Once upon a time there was girl, and one day this incredibly beautiful, talented girl...got herself in a little over her head-..."
Lisa turns her back to them and removes her sports bra enough to expose what should be been 2 fatal gunshot wound scars at centre mass with another through her shoulder near the collar bone and a fourth through her left bicep
Lisa: "...things looked pretty dark for our girl but along came this person....they somehow got me through it....paying for the best surgeon they could find didn't hurt either!"
Maim: "Uh-Hunh, he uhhh....I was....s-same kind of story here....except I only had one bullet hole." (as she pointed to her right shoulder)
Rebecca: "What about that other one?"
Maim: "No...not that one, he put THAT one there on purpose."
Rebecca: "He DOES seem to have a knack for rescuing "damsels", doesn't he?"
Lisa: "My Great White North Strong & True shot YOU?"
Maim: "Seriously....I was gonna blast his girlfriend so, I guess I had it coming."
Rebecca: "This is that "national tv" thing everybody is always talking about, right?"
Lisa: "Yeah....Crying Wolf....I met her once."
Maim: "What a total b@#%h."
Lisa: "You SHOULD have shot her."
Rebecca: "Y'know....there's a better than good chance that nothing's going to happen here and that we'll never see your friends again."
Lisa: "If that were so, I wouldn't be here."
Rebecca: "How can you be so certain of that?"
Lisa: "He TOLD me so and I believe him."
Rebecca: "You both seem to trust him so much."
Maim nodded her head.
Lisa: "I'd take a bullet for him...."
This causes Maim to begin to shake her head in disagreement after a moment of thought
Lisa: "...because I know he'd take one for me and never question it."
This causes Maim to begin to nod her head in agreement once more.
Rebecca: "Why wouldn't you?"
Erica points once more to the other scar on her shoulder:
Maim: "He DID shoot me once already y'know?"
Lisa: "'Bout you? Didn't he save your life too?"
Rebecca: "Hmm."
Lisa: "That's not an answer."
North: "That's probably because it's none of you're business."
This caught both Maim and Rebecca by suprise but Lisa, ever the smooth operator, quickly draped herself on The Jumper....only to recoil in disgust: "You're WET."
TO BE CONTINUED....
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
North: "Cathy just has that effect on me."
Lisa: "I always told you that girl was going to get you killed one of these days."
North: "The Mayhem DOESN'T have to do this-"
Lisa: "I wouldn't have come if I thought this was going to be easy...besides now you owe ME and I wouldn't trade THAT for all the tea in China."
North: "Just name it."
Lisa: "One of these days....you're gonna let me ride one of those things!"
North: "You know.......we have two more suits sitting in the back of the trailer....it would take some calibrations but I'm sur-"
Lisa squealed and looked at the two bikers, to give them a high five, forgetting that Truckers and Bikers are like T-Rex's and Velociraptors....oil and water....cats and dogs....and instead, the gesture is met by icey cold stares from the pair.
Maim: "What are you thinkin'?"
North: "The Close Quarters Battle variant....you haven't seen Lisa in action but she's...."
He became hesitant as he tried to finish the sentence, feeling her gaze fall upon him.
Lisa: "Careful."
North: "....sheee's verryy....f-flexible?"
Lisa: "Subtle."
North: "Thank you."
Rebecca: "Well, where do we start?"
North: "After you tarp the Hurricanes, we can take the two of you through a few simulations and get you used to the targeting software. You'll actually mount one once you have the autonomous ops down and we take your measurements for final callibrations."
Becca and Lisa both looked at each other with excitement written all over their faces.
Maim: "We....are gonna die."
Lisa: "Say, is anyone riding the red one?"
Maim: "F'K OFF!!!"
On the otherside of KC-1, a very dedicated and steadfast Officer named Booker had just answered to a domestic call.
He and his partner had just arrived on the scene when screams could suddenly be heard from an apartment above, followed by a series of gunshots in rapid succession....then silence after the echo of the final shot had faded, only to be replaced by the bustle of the city.
With his Combat Assault Weapon at the ready, Booker lead the charge into the apartment only to find a terrified wife who had shot her husband after he had tried to get her to eat one of the "Flesh of the New Dawn" communion wafers.
This would eventually become KC-1's first documented case of Religex "crime"
Noting the three rounds in the perp (only one a mortal injury) and the 12 in the wall, Booker figured she was lucky she managed to hit him at all. The weapon was likewise "no longer a threat"....she had long since expended the entire cassette on her crazed spouse.
When Bookers partner, a Judge named Hartford stepped over the "dead" Reg-Head, he was in for more than a suprise as the "not-dead-yet" husband sat up (in a drug induced rage) and blindly sunk the kitchen carving knife (that he was using to induce his wife into complying) deep into the Officers throat.
Before Booker could raise his shotgun and take aim, Hartford had hit his knees on a one way trip to the floor boards.
As the husband tried to stand, Booker put two shot shells into his torso at close range and then approached hesitantly.
Good that he did for a moment later, he sat up again....screaming just as he had the first time except THIS time he sat up straight into the barrel of a big freakin' gun.
One shot removed the mans head from his shoulders in a fountain of gore and shredded, boney meat.
He didn't get up a third time.
The autopsy would eventually reveal an unusually high consentration of the drug in his system.
Stevenson had been upping the dosages.
Using up his flock faster and faster as he moved towards the next phase of his plan....when he would have no further need for a KC-1 church at all....before moving on to the next big score which was already in the first stages of its execution.
('Cause my man Gary got his s#@t to-GETHER!)
TO BE CONTINUED....
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
At the same time....in another (very familiar) section of KC-1, a certain ex-state trooper arrives at the front of "The Yard".
Brewster takes note of shredded gate and the unconcious crippled fat guy bleeding under the dogs shelter.
She approaches the rear and sees evidence of firefights and the newly toppled stack of cars that have attracted an unusual amount of crows apparently feeding at its base.
Unfazed she steps towards the partially kicked in doorway to Brodies shack, taking note of the shattered windows and numerous buckshot holes in the walls.
The door falls to the floor with only the slightest persuasion on Brewsters part.
Already she can see Jimmy-James lying in a huge pool of blood, shot to pieces along with a goodly portion of the interior wall he was evidently against.
She's barely over the grisly scene when she rounds the corner to find Lester, shot in the back at close range with a double dose of double-ought buck....NOT a pretty sight!
Then finally....like finding a leprechaun's pot of gold....she discovers Brody helpless and delirious, tied to hydrolic lifts fork with saran wrap....ALSO not a pretty sight.!
Jaw fractured.
Nose broken.
In a state of near-concussion.
Kneecap shattered.
Missing a tooth.
Arm mauled.
Scalped....some might even say "overscapled".
Just as completely beaten right to pulped f'k as GURPS will possibly allow without them accidently dying.
She walks up to him and jumps into the pit, without any sort of fear or caution and removes the blood soaked gag from his mouth only to get a horrid scream in agony in mid-anunciation as a reward for her efforts.
Brewster listens to this continue for a few seconds before putting the gag back in his mouth....wasn't hard....and turned to walk away.
Gains manages to grunt urgently enough that she remains in the pit and turns to face him once more.
Brewster: "Are you going to scream again if I take this tampon out?"
Gains shook his head as best he could.
Brewster: "Good boy...now, let's try this again..."
TO BE CONTINUED....
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
Stone began his infiltration of the Dawner compound.
Despite having no idea what to expect this is something the Hunter has done literally all his life.
It comes as easy to him as swimming comes to a fish or flying to a bird.
Stone NEVER planned anything out in advance and every OP to him was a "freestyle".
After leaping from the moving Brotherhood rig (as it successfully navigated the "abandoned" transport corridor) he landed in a ditch near a drainage sewer which he used for his approach for almost half a mile.
When it ran out, he then noticed a series of motion sensors that would make the next stretch difficult to complete for anyone else...but not for Stone.
Using pheromones collected from a female deer in heat, he soon attracted a small group of animals.
Allowing them to get close, he then spooked the herd and used them to spoof the motion sensors as he crossed the expanse to the compound, but not before using his silenced MK23 SOCOM "Hush Puppy" (one of the few high tech weapons he carried) on one of the smaller deer.
Next he came to a large open expanse between himself and the compound.
Stone was certain that it would be extensively mined as he had already discovered and neutralized three of the devices already. His solution....almost a stupid as it was brilliant.
The Cherokee hunter found a patch of dirt road and quickly dug a shallow trench just large enough for himself to lie in, then using the deer for cover, lay in the MIDDLE of the road with a dead animal carcass on him till a rig came along.
He then (using a few character points in the attempt) managed to snag the bottom of the truck, without getting run over or otherwise maimed and pulled himself up under the trailer WITH the deer.
When he reached the compounds perimetre the vehicle was stopped and swept by the Dawner guards before being allowed to enter.
They almost discovered him even through the active camo but he used the dead animal as a distraction at the last possible second and managed to slip through the main gate without being detected.
Stone never took the time to think through anything but was ALWAYS able to react to a given situation on a near instinctive level with the speed and confidence of a seasoned professional, even when the feat being accomplished was something he had never even tried before.
His latest "freestyle" took half the evening to infiltrate the compound unseen.
He would find the best possible locations to set up transmitters and it wasn't long after that The Electric Mayhem began to recieve video signals from the compound....the first evidence to the others that Stone was even still alive at all!
The timing couldn't have been better and the group began to immediately go over the security set-up and other defences.
Mine fields are not a concern for Hard Suits or Motoslaves as they would simply fly over them anyways.
This would also solve the problem of the motion sensors but Stones recce had revealed the compounds nasty suprise.
A pair of salvaged and restored Phalanyx CIWS turrets.
THEY would present a serious problem.
Furthermore, the compounds four main towers each housed 5.56mm mounted XM-214 gattlings and a crate of M-72 66mm LAW's.
These too would also need to be dealt with.
There were at least six objectives to neutralize but Stone only carried enough explosives for four of them.
He would need to work out another solution.
Aside from that, only a squad of "advanced" combat dueling vehicles seemed to stand between the players and dominating compound.
Although Stone could not annunciate his displeasure, the sentiment was mirrored in Knowledges response as he examined the recently acquired intel:
"Somethings wrong with this picture....it looks too easy."
TO BE CONTINUED....
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
Stone had not been in the camp for long before he began to realize something was wrong with the New Dawners.
Their sences seemed dulled....their eyes glassy....reacting almost as if drugged.
In one instance, Stone had (inconceivably) been "caught" as he was placing a transmitter but where any normal person would have seen, Stone was somehow overlooked and ignored as he lay right under the guards noses.
The unusual occurance convinced him to get a closer look at the chemical plant itself.
The "contamination" he was told about must have been linked to the drugged state he is observing that seemed to pervade the inhabitants of the base.
Still, as quickly as he had been working, he knew that time was running out and began to speed up his efforts to prep the area of operations for the coming "Storm".
Speaking of which, Becca, Lisa and Maim had already burnt through two Hard Suit powercells each by the time Knowledge managed to get them to take a break.
The Knight was still a bit shakey on flight-modes, as was The Trucker but the weapon systems had turned out to be just as simple to operate as Gi-San and Catherine had boasted.
Bobby-Q and Jerimiah were blown away by the firepower display put on by the three Hard Suits....
- Micro N-PAWS Blasters capable of full autofire.
- Railgun "Pilum" Launchers capable of firing clean through a concrete parking garage support.
- The Kinetic Repulsors were especially easy to operate.
- Knuckle and Boot Bomber AP charges triggered like a charm.
- S-Mines deployed flawlessly.
- Banshee Sonic Arrays that could not only pop eardrums but liquify solid rock.
- Ion Swords that sliced through an entire Motorcycle in a single swing.
- Shock Gloves that could fry out even a shielded deuling engine or simply stun an individual into submission.
The Motoslaves and J-Type were FAR too destructive to be used for indoor practice but the gals familiarized themselves with the transformation sequence and the Suits harmonization systems.
Even though contained in a concrete parking bunker, the sound of weapons testing still managed to leak out to the nearest portions of the Brotherhood compound.
The truckers who overheard the exchanges quickly fetched their bretheren and they took turns guessing at whatever it was that could be responsible for the destruction they could hear taking place.
Knowledge advised the team to get some food or sleep while they still could.
It was still six hours to sunrise but they were all certain that the call to action would come without a moments notice and once it did, there would be no telling how long it would take or even how it would turn out.
The group put their "affairs in order".
Wills and final testaments were taken from all the team and given to Gus to be delivered to Gi-San in the event that no one returned alive.
All but one person that is.
Knowledge had left his bag at the hotel room and needed the extra ammo he had stored there for his Earthshaker.
He informed everyone that he wouldn't be long and to reach him directly if Stone had made contact (via text).
Unfortunate that he had no notion of what was awaiting him there.
TO BE CONTINUED....
-Peace-
CONTINUATION...
Throughout the evening, Catherine had been subjected to a steady cocktail psychotropics and truth serums.
Initially, Stevenson had gotten the dosages wrong (as Catherine had lied about her weight on her driver's license) and it was a few hours before anything moderately coherent came out of her.
The interrogation didn't go as planned and instead of useful information, all her captors learned about was the best way to overhaul an electric engine, why men shouldn't be trusted and "where did all the pretty lights come from?"
Gary decided to take a break before resuming and ordered Rex to keep her company while he went to check on A.S.P.'s "progress" in the chemical plant.
Stone had no way of knowing at the time but he had managed to infiltrate in on the very truck that had brought in the Boomers to be infected by Stevenson for their lastest caper. Unlike the previous attempts made by the group which utilized only farming and construction Boomers, this new shipment featured the latest combat models brought in specifically to combat the "Rogue" threat.
The BU-37 was a relatively new model in North America at the time but had enjoyed successful deployments in both Poseidon (perviously known as Nippon/Japan) and in Australia (now hailed as the new world super-power to emerge, replacing China as the "big dog on the block") considered to be the leading nation in the Oceania Union. Trade and armament laws currently in place prevented larger more destructive models from being used by the KC-1 establishment but it was believed by the R.N.C. board that the BU-37 (due to very recent improvements in the A.I. software firewalls) would prove resistant to going "Rogue".
They were wrong.
It didn't take Stone long before he had stumbled upon these new boomers being unloaded in the factory.
As he set up another transmitter to relay the new data, he witnessed Gary Stevenson entering to talk to his technicians.
He was too far away to overhear the conversation but due to being a mute for most of his life, had learned the art of lip reading.
In his first text, Stone would not only confirm he had identified the groups leader but had a very good idea where Catherine was being held.
Due to the New Dawns rushed preparations, he would urge that the group to be ready to move out at a moments notice....a moment that would arrive once he sent his next text.
The Electric Mayhem would have already been moving into position were it not for a single fact.
Mee-Chan had not yet returned.
Knowledge had been having a rough week but he immediately noticed Brodies cruddy brown pick-up from "The Yard" as he pulled up to the hotel.
He checked his sidearm and noticed he only had 2 rounds remaining so he took Brewsters only functional trenchgun with him as well as her "discarded" Norinco Gong.
If Gains had been stupid enough to show up, North would be certain make him regret the decision.
Before going to the room, he decided to see if he was being watched and instead went into the adjacent building to see if anyone would follow him or give away their position.
Knowledge had never liked Starbucks coffee but since he was informed he could not remain without purchase, he grudgingly bought a cup and waited in a far booth with his eyes locked on the front windows and the establishments only entrance.
It had been almost ten minutes and he had decided he was simply being paranoid when low and behold, who should enter the store looking for him but a VERY messed up Grover Gadbois!
Grover was already a "slow" person but Religex made him (as it did most others) relatively oblivious to anything that they weren't concentrating on.
Knowledge waited until Grover had limped halfway into the store before he stood up to confront him with shotgun in hand, getting the giants attention with his "one-armed bandit" style reloads.
"Looking for me?"
TO BE CONTINUED....
-Peace-