Night_stalker
Slava Ukraini!
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Great, we're stealing the highly recognizable gear and hoping we can sell it later.
And framing a supervillain for good measure.
And framing a supervillain for good measure.
Bad Guy
- Thread starter theimpetus
- Start date
- Original Superhero
- Location
- scrabbling
?
There are 9 votes for not stealing Lion stuff. 4 of them talk about taking a picture, but there are more votes to rob everything outside the armory than there are votes to strip it. Wouldn't the votes for not robbing the armory be similar enough to consider together?
Otherwise we should probably consolidate votes.
There are 9 votes for not stealing Lion stuff. 4 of them talk about taking a picture, but there are more votes to rob everything outside the armory than there are votes to strip it. Wouldn't the votes for not robbing the armory be similar enough to consider together?
Otherwise we should probably consolidate votes.
theimpetus
Fist of the Duplex
- Location
- The Unbekannt
Hmmm. Very well, the votes are similar enough that I will consider them combined. If 'take a picture' does not win majority, however, I will not have the character take this action, just relock the doors and such.
EDIT: The votes to pay Leroy will not be combined however, because I do not believe I can infer that the voters would rather pay him in the other manner than kill him or some other action.
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ChildishChimera
A umbran summon
- Location
- New York
[X] [Now?] Re-lock the hidden doors and leave the armory untouched, but continue to rob the house. He doesn't to know the thief uncovered his identity. Then stash the stuff.
[X] [Shark] Sell the shit you stole, and pay him as much as you can. You'll find some other way to get the rent, and food.
[x] [Investigate] It's time to look into the people that kidnapped you, and gave you these powers.
- [x] [Investigate] Talk to your old buddy, Derrick, at the agency. He's a finance guy, and a project like this costs money. If the CIA is the one behind this, he'll know somethinguseful, but he might not want to tell you…
[X] [Shark] Sell the shit you stole, and pay him as much as you can. You'll find some other way to get the rent, and food.
[x] [Investigate] It's time to look into the people that kidnapped you, and gave you these powers.
- [x] [Investigate] Talk to your old buddy, Derrick, at the agency. He's a finance guy, and a project like this costs money. If the CIA is the one behind this, he'll know somethinguseful, but he might not want to tell you…
- Location
- Elsewhere
I'd advise against going to D.C. Brains connected to machines aren't known to be everyday appliances there. Maybe in Japan, but not there.
If I have to take a guess, I'd say that D.C is mid game territory.
But IF WE MUST go, we'd be better off asking Rita. We trust her, she's not telling anyone we talked with her.
If I have to take a guess, I'd say that D.C is mid game territory.
But IF WE MUST go, we'd be better off asking Rita. We trust her, she's not telling anyone we talked with her.
theimpetus
Fist of the Duplex
- Location
- The Unbekannt
Voting is closed. The winning votes are:
[X] [Now?] Re-lock the hidden doors and leave the armory untouched, but continue to rob the house. He doesn't need to know the thief uncovered his identity. Then stash the stuff.
(Combined with voters for recording, it wins. Laura will not be recording evidence however, because that option did not win the majority of voters. If you voted for recording, but you object to your vote being applied to this one, please let me know.)
[X] [Shark] Kill him, and those goons he keeps sending after you. The dead don't collect debts.
[X] [Investigate] It's time to look into the people that kidnapped you, and gave you these powers.
- [X] [Investigate] Talk to your old buddy, Derrick, at the agency. He's a finance guy, and a project like this costs money. If the CIA is the one behind this, he'll know something useful, but he might not want to tell you…
Chapter should be up tomorrow or Monday, but to get started on it, I need some people to roll some dice. I need three people to roll:
1. 1d100 for What's the Haul?
2. 1d10 for Leroy's Protection
3. 1d4 for Derrick's Helpfulness and 1d2 for ???
EDIT: Also, I added a personal timeline to the background section of the character page if you want to know what Laura has been up to since she arrived in Puritan City. It is not necessary info, and most of it will be revealed through the story. In fact, nothing in the character page and world-building page is required to read the story. It's just for quick reference or further detail.
[X] [Now?] Re-lock the hidden doors and leave the armory untouched, but continue to rob the house. He doesn't need to know the thief uncovered his identity. Then stash the stuff.
(Combined with voters for recording, it wins. Laura will not be recording evidence however, because that option did not win the majority of voters. If you voted for recording, but you object to your vote being applied to this one, please let me know.)
[X] [Shark] Kill him, and those goons he keeps sending after you. The dead don't collect debts.
[X] [Investigate] It's time to look into the people that kidnapped you, and gave you these powers.
- [X] [Investigate] Talk to your old buddy, Derrick, at the agency. He's a finance guy, and a project like this costs money. If the CIA is the one behind this, he'll know something useful, but he might not want to tell you…
Chapter should be up tomorrow or Monday, but to get started on it, I need some people to roll some dice. I need three people to roll:
1. 1d100 for What's the Haul?
2. 1d10 for Leroy's Protection
3. 1d4 for Derrick's Helpfulness and 1d2 for ???
Vote Tally : Original - Superhero - Bad Guy | Page 5 | Sufficient Velocity
##### NetTally 1.7.4
Task: Investigate
[x] [Investigate] It's time to look into the people that kidnapped you, and gave you these powers.
- [x] [Investigate] Talk to your old buddy, Derrick, at the agency. He's a finance guy, and a project like this costs money. If the CIA is the one behind this, he'll know something useful, but he might not want to tell you…
No. of Votes: 11
[X] [Investigate] Don't make contact with anybody. You relocated here from D.C., and created this identity for a reason. You'll find some other way to look into it.
No. of Votes: 4
[X] [Investigate] Don't look into it. Leave that shit in the past.
No. of Votes: 1
Task: Now?
[x] [Now?] Screw it. You already started, you might as well finish. If this is his lair, he probably has some valuable and potentially useful gear. Then stash the stuff.
- [x] [Now?] Leave the symbol of his nemesis, Skull, on the wall. He'll be too scared at the idea that his enemy figured out his secret identity to actually figure out the truth.
No. of Votes: 7
[X] [Now?] Re-lock the hidden doors and leave the armory untouched, but continue to rob the house. He doesn't need to know the thief uncovered his identity. Then stash the stuff.
No. of Votes: 5
[X] [Now?] Use our phone to record the footage of the Lion's secret identity. Then re-lock the doors and keep robbing the house. Then stash the stuff.
No. of Votes: 5
Task: Shark
[X] [Shark] Kill him, and those goons he keeps sending after you. The dead don't collect debts.
No. of Votes: 6
[x] [Shark] Sell the shit you stole, and pay him some of what you got. Tell him it's all you have.
- [x] [Shark] Offer to do a job for him in the meantime.
No. of Votes: 5
[X] [Shark] Sell the shit you stole, and pay him as much as you can. You'll find some other way to get the rent, and food.
No. of Votes: 5
Total No. of Voters: 17
##### NetTally 1.7.4
Task: Investigate
[x] [Investigate] It's time to look into the people that kidnapped you, and gave you these powers.
- [x] [Investigate] Talk to your old buddy, Derrick, at the agency. He's a finance guy, and a project like this costs money. If the CIA is the one behind this, he'll know something useful, but he might not want to tell you…
No. of Votes: 11
[X] [Investigate] Don't make contact with anybody. You relocated here from D.C., and created this identity for a reason. You'll find some other way to look into it.
No. of Votes: 4
[X] [Investigate] Don't look into it. Leave that shit in the past.
No. of Votes: 1
Task: Now?
[x] [Now?] Screw it. You already started, you might as well finish. If this is his lair, he probably has some valuable and potentially useful gear. Then stash the stuff.
- [x] [Now?] Leave the symbol of his nemesis, Skull, on the wall. He'll be too scared at the idea that his enemy figured out his secret identity to actually figure out the truth.
No. of Votes: 7
[X] [Now?] Re-lock the hidden doors and leave the armory untouched, but continue to rob the house. He doesn't need to know the thief uncovered his identity. Then stash the stuff.
No. of Votes: 5
[X] [Now?] Use our phone to record the footage of the Lion's secret identity. Then re-lock the doors and keep robbing the house. Then stash the stuff.
No. of Votes: 5
Task: Shark
[X] [Shark] Kill him, and those goons he keeps sending after you. The dead don't collect debts.
No. of Votes: 6
[x] [Shark] Sell the shit you stole, and pay him some of what you got. Tell him it's all you have.
- [x] [Shark] Offer to do a job for him in the meantime.
No. of Votes: 5
[X] [Shark] Sell the shit you stole, and pay him as much as you can. You'll find some other way to get the rent, and food.
No. of Votes: 5
Total No. of Voters: 17
EDIT: Also, I added a personal timeline to the background section of the character page if you want to know what Laura has been up to since she arrived in Puritan City. It is not necessary info, and most of it will be revealed through the story. In fact, nothing in the character page and world-building page is required to read the story. It's just for quick reference or further detail.
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- Location
- scrabbling
oh goody
wryyy
wryyy
- Location
- Maine
- Pronouns
- They/Them/Theirs
The dice hate us all.
Let's blame that second one on fat finger syndrome.
Let's blame that second one on fat finger syndrome.
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Ivan the Not-so-Terrible
AH MEW CHEEKI BREEKI I V DAMKE
- Location
- Mikonyan’s USSR
The 1 on protection might be good.
"We take our haul to the pawnbroker. After a thorough appraisal of the goods, he gives us two cents and a bit of chewing gum he found beneath his chair."
"Leroy laughs maniacally as he suddenly pushes a hidden button on his desk. The panels of the wall slide open, and a trio of hechmen surround you. Said henchmen are all around eight years old and wield guns that are clearly made out of plastic. Leroy apologetically explains that today was Take Your Son To Work Day, and he has triplets."
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theimpetus
Fist of the Duplex
- Location
- The Unbekannt
Omake 1: I Try to Be Funny, and Sometimes... I'm Not
theimpetus
Fist of the Duplex
- Location
- The Unbekannt
The jeweler held up the ring, pointing at a mark on the inside. "See this? This means it's a Lechenbahls piece. They use lasers to put identification marks in their stones. Remember, I showed you the same thing on a couple of the pieces you brought in last time."
I leaned in closer to him, across the counter. "Yes, but that was just a couple pieces! You're trying to tell me 90% of this shit is worthless? You think I don't know a con when I see one?"
"I'm not conning you. That would be short sided. I'm sure we will be making plenty of money together in the future. Especially if you check for this mark before you bring it to me. Anyways, I don't even want them at a reduced price. I don't want them at all." He sighed. "The kind of person who can afford Lechenbahls run in very small circles, and if they ran into the original owner, they'd just have to take it Lechenbahls to confirm it was theirs. Boom, I'm in prison. Too risky."
"Then sell it to someone who doesn't run in those circles," I responded.
"And if they discover what it actually is and how much it's worth? What will they think? If they don't sell it themselves, which would lead to the same problem, they alert the authorities. I could sell it to a jeweler out of the country, where no customer would recognize it, but he'll know what they are and use that as leverage to screw me."
"Argh. Jesus fucking Christ. Then what will you give me for the others?"
He studied the bunch. "Three and a half."
"Three and a half grand?," I asked incredulously.
"No. Three and a half dollars."
I pulled out my pistol.
EDIT: Changed to match the actual chapter.
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- Location
- EU somewhere.
And many people became terribly lost due to every direction being right!
Such a devious thing! Evil is particularly petty today.
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Chapter 2: There's My Money
theimpetus
Fist of the Duplex
- Location
- The Unbekannt
Chapter 2: There's My Money
The jeweler held up the ring, pointing at a mark on the inside. "See this? This means it's a Graff piece. They use lasers to put identification marks in their stones. Remember, I showed you the same thing on a couple of the pieces you brought in last time."
I leaned in closer to him, across the counter. "Yes, but that was just a couple pieces! You're trying to tell me 90% of this shit is worthless? You think I don't know a con when I see one?"
"I'm not conning you. That would be short sided. I'm sure we will be making plenty of money together in the future. Especially if you check for this mark before you bring it to me. Anyways, I don't even want them at a reduced price. I don't want them at all." He sighed. "The kind of person who can afford Graffs run in very small circles, and if they ran into the original owner, they'd just have to take it to Graff confirm it was theirs. Boom, I'm in prison. Too risky."
"Then sell it to someone who doesn't run in those circles," I responded.
"And if they discover what it actually is and how much it's worth? What will they think? If they don't sell it themselves, which would lead to the same problem, they alert the authorities. I could sell it to a jeweler out of the country, where no customer would recognize it, but he'll know what they are and use that as leverage to screw me."
"Argh. Jesus fucking Christ. Then what will you give me for the others?"
He studied the bunch. "Three and a half."
"Make it five," I shot back.
"I don't bargain; it's a waste of time. I told you this last time, and I don't like to repeat myself. It's a fair price. Take it or leave it."
I pulled out my phone. "Fine, but I'm talking pictures of this shit, and talking to my guy out of town. If he says you swindled me, I'm burning this fucking place to the ground. With you in it." I snapped a few shots of all the pieces without the mark he'd shown me, and shoved my phone back in my pocket.
His face scrunched up in irritation. "I do not like being threatened."
"Nobody does, man. If it's a 'fair price,' you have nothing to worry about."
He collected the jewelry, and walked into the back to get the money. I waited and thought about Leroy. He wanted to be paid tomorrow.
The 3500 bucks combined with what I got for the painting and all the other miscellaneous stuff (prescription drugs, silverware, gold fixtures, electronics that likely didn't have GPS, clothes, etc) left me with about ten grand. Not much compared to what I'd made last time. I could pay my whole debt off, but that would leave me with nothing. I could pay Leroy the five I owed him, but five grand would only last me a couple months, and meanwhile my debt would keep ticking up.
My arms dealer in D.C. would probably give me a whole lot for what had been in that armory… but no. Not worth tangling with the Lion, and not to mention I had no smart way of moving tons of weapons and explosives. Why'd it have to be his house? Anyone else, I would have broken into their safe and made out with way waaay more even with this bullshit jewelry thing, but chances are the Lion wouldn't mind rigging his safe with some kind of lethal trap. Heat from an explosion couldn't kill me, but the concussive force could.
Shit. It'd take me awhile to line up another job, and fuck if I was going to go back to robbing drug dealers, smalltime B&E and living in a motel. Perhaps it was time I started considering the option that had been in the back of my mind ever since he stopped trying to get into my pants, and sent those muscleheads to collect from me. Maybe it was time for Leroy to stop bothering me, permanently.
I smiled.
I parked the boosted white van down a couple blocks down from Leroy's pad, my knee bobbing up and down in a mix of nervousness and anticipation. It would have been nice to do this under the cover of darkness, but Leroy spent a lot of his nights in that underground casino (with no discernable schedule), and since it was rush hour, the police and firemen response time would be even more delayed than it was in Rosemary. I moved to the back of the van, and grabbed the metal can of gasoline with holes drilled in the top and sides, ignoring the others which were connected with gas soaked rags. I hoped my power didn't decide that it would be a good time to spontaneously combust.
I set the can in the passenger's seat, making sure it didn't tip over because of its rounded bottom and threw the big ass rock next to it. I slipped the flare into my pocket. There wasn't a whole lot of gas in the hole filled can, but if I filled it too full it'd be too heavy for me to throw. Man, I needed to get back in shape.
I slipped back into the driver's seat, and put the van in drive. Time to get started. I could feel that tight feeling in my chest, the one I always had before an operation. God, this was going to be fun. I pulled onto the road, moving fast. I drove through a couple of blocks filled with brick, box houses, and reached Leroy's block. His house was on the left at the corner. I slowed down as I approached it. When I was in front of the house right before his, I turned sharply, and crossed the street, driving through the neighbor's yard. I pulled the van parallel to the front of Leroy's house, and drove the van so close that the driver's side mirror broke off and the side of the van scraped against the bricks.
Once the van was blocking the door and one of the windows, I put into park, pulled the emergency break, and grabbed the keys. I quickly crawled into the passenger's side, carefully avoiding the gas can and rock, and opened the door.
I jumped out into Leroy's lawn. I grabbed the rock and swung it as hard as I could into the window that wasn't blocked by the van, the only exit. It was one of those old windows with no screen, just a pane of glass. I heard the rock shatter the glass, as I grabbed the gas can. I could hear yelling inside the house. I swung the can, just like the rock, and it crashed through the broken window. The rounded bottom would ensure it fell on its side, spilling out gasoline through the holes in the top and side. I waited a moment for it to spill across the floor before I lit the flare and threw it into the window. I was rewarded with a rush of heat, and the sound of a man screaming. I laughed. I knew that noise well.
I slipped my beretta out, and moved quickly, but quietly down the side of the brick house, ready to fire. The guard who stood out back rounded the corner, drawn by the noise. I put a bullet in his head. I moved down the side of the house, past his corpse. I put my back to the edge of the house, and lifted my gun, quickly turning the corner. I scanned the back, making sure someone hadn't joined him earlier. No. It was empty. I put my beretta back into the holster and rand down the alleyway.
Once I reached the shed in the backyard of the abandoned house, I looked both ways down the alley, confirming there was no one around. I pushed the back door to the shed open and stepped in. I moved to the middle of the empty shed, stripping off my pants, shirt and mask, but leaving my gloves on. I tossed them the center of the concrete floor. I cleared the chamber, removed the clip from the beretta. I threw the gun onto the pile of clothes. I removed the mini canister of lighter fluid and my zippo from my pants pocket. I soaked the clothes in the fluid, and then opened the front door of the shed. Then I tossed my gloves and the gas can into the pile, lit the lighter and threw it onto the clothes, igniting them.
Clad in my jogging shorts and a tank top, I jogged out through the yard of the abandoned house and onto the sidewalk. I started jogging around the block. Hopefully by the time I circled back to Leroy's there'd be a crowd drawn by the fire, and I'd be able to watch the firemen bring out eleven burnt corpses.
XXX
The diner was nearly empty, just a few patrons. It wasn't an ideal place for discussing possible illegal operations by the agency, but it had been Derrick's favorite. We'd eaten here a bunch of times, and I needed him as nostalgic and amiable as I could get him. Fortunately, our usual booth in the south-east corner, by the side door had been open. The waitress came and set down my coffee. "Your food will be ready in just a few moments," she said in that false friendly voice all servers use. I nodded, and picked up my cup to take a sip. Ahh… It was scalding hot, precisely as I liked it.
As I set my cup down, and I noticed Derrick enter. Same bleach blonde hair, and grey jacket. I checked my phone. 8:30pm. Derrick walked over, and I stood. I opened my arms and gave him a hug. Like I said. I needed him amiable. "Punctual, as always," I said with a smile.
"It's good to see you, Laiyla. How have you been?" He asked as we sat down.
"Oh you know, ups and downs. Been pretty busy lately," I answered.
"Yeah? What are you doing now?"
"This and that. Security Consulting, investigation, some odd jobs here and there. Nothing fancy, but it puts bread on the table. You still doing the same thing?" I took another sip of my coffee.
"Yeah. Been pretty boring without you running around, of course." He smiled.
"Stop it, you dirty flatterer."
The waitress came by, arms loaded with those oval shaped plates. "Chicken fried steak with extra gravy?"
I pointed at Derrick and said, "That would be him." She set his plate down.
"And here's your hot cakes. Let me know if guys need anything else." She set a glorious plate of steaming pancakes before me. Thank god.
"Nah. I quit."
I shrugged and sparked my lighter. The flame twisted into the shape of Derrick, lying on the ground. He was panicked, his mouth moving rapidly. Then the image vanished and I lit my cigarette. Interesting. Was that something that would happen between us, or someone else? I turned to look at him, taking a drag. Strangely, he looked nervous. He hadn't seen it too, had he? No one else had ever been able to.
"Something wrong?" I asked him.
The expression was wiped from his face. "No, no. I'm fine." He pointed at my smoke. "Actually, you know what, I will take one of those."
"Thought you said you quit?"
"Well, you know, one won't hurt. I can quit again tomorrow." He gave me a fake smile, and I knew something was wrong. Derrick was an open book. He didn't school his expressions and fake expressions.
I slipped one out and handed it and my lighter to him. He took them. When he sparked the lighter, the flame shifted again. There was a brain surrounded by a tangle of wiring and a metal frame. It looked like someone had stuffed the inside of a computer inside their skull. It was exactly what I saw before I decided to come to D.C. looking for answers.
Derrick took a deep drag. "What did you say you came back to the city for again?"
"I didn't." I decided to be direct. That worked best with him. "What's wrong Derrick? You look like someone told you your puppy's dead."
He shifted uncomfortably. "I figured out why you're here. You're pretty bad at hiding it. I know we aren't supposed to talk about it though, so let's just drop it."
I stepped closer to him. "I'm pretty sure you're wrong, so why don't you just tell me what you think you know."
He backed up a little, stepping up against the wall. "Your eyes. You need to be more careful about showing people that shit. You could get into a lot of trouble. Look, I get it. You 'left,' the agency," He said, making air quotes with his fingers on the word 'left.' "Let's just leave it alone. You want to get a drink or something?"
I stepped even closer to him. With his back against the wall, he had nowhere to back up to. "I didn't leave the agency. I was fucking fired, by that prick, Asselman. And what about my eyes?"
"Right. You were fired. And nothing. It must have been a trick of the light. I shouldn't have said anything. Let's just grab a drink and forget this whole conversation."
I grabbed his jacket. "Stop lying. It doesn't suit you. Spit it out, now."
He squirmed in my grasp, and sighed. "Okay, okay. Your eyes turned red when you looked at the lighter. There. I know you're in the MKUltra reboot."
I was silent, just looking at him. Did I have my answer? The CIA had rebooted the infamous MKUltra program. The old version had unwilling, unaware participants hadn't it? Who better to start with than operatives that left the agency in disgrace? Kill two birds with one stone. Get rid of potential problems and get disposable subjects to experiment on.
Perhaps I should drop it for now, and get that drink with him. If he thought I was an agent assigned to the program he probably wouldn't mind telling me what he knew.
At the same time… That vision I'd had of him on the ground… If it wasn't me he was cowering from, then who was it? If the agency was looking for me after I escaped, my friends at Langley would be a useful resource. I'd figured the agency would have stopped tailing them by now, but maybe they'd been interviewed. Maybe they'd been told to report any contact with me.
He probably hadn't told anyone about meeting me. The bugs I'd put in his phone and house let me know that, but maybe this little interaction here was enough to push him to tell someone.
Investigate (Select One Option)
[] [Investigate] Following the money trail was never your forte, but no better time to start than now. Take Derrick to get that drink, and see what you can find out.
[] [Investigate] Derrick won't know anything of use. You need names and addresses. Time to hit up some other contacts.
- [] [Investigate] Pick up Morgan, an agency subcontractor who does the things agents can't. If it was the agency, he'll probably be involved or know someone who is. If the new CIA Ultra program is not behind this (unlikely, but possible), he might know who it actually is. You should probably hit up your arms dealer first; Morgan's no joke.
- [] [Investigate] Drop in on Rita, your best friend from when you worked at the agency. You can't really trust anybody, but you can trust her the most. It's unlikely, but she might be part of the MKUltra 2.0 project. You'll have to be careful.
[] [Investigate] It's time to head back to Puritan City. It seems likely the agency is behind this, and being here is dangerous. You can look deeper into it later or some way that doesn't require you being in D.C.
[] [Investigate] Write In
And What to Do With Derrick? (Select One Option)
[] [Derrick] One person knowing you're an Ultra is one too many. Take him somewhere convenient and dispose of him and any evidence.
[] [Derrick] He knows you're an Ultra so you might as well give him a little demonstration of what will happen to him if he tells anyone. Hopefully he stays quiet.
[] [Derrick] Tell him that, hypothetically, if you were to be in the MKUltra 2.0, even his superiors are too low clearance to know about it. He's to tell no one. Hopefully he stays quiet.
[] [Derrick] Write in
Fire Reading (Write In As Many as You Like)
[] [Fire] You look into the fire, and concentrate on...
-[] [Fire] Write in
I reserve the right to veto write ins.
EDIT: Whoops. Almost forgot. Laura will do a fire reading on anything that gets at least three votes in the next 12 hours. The more votes it gets, the harder she'll try. When you make up a reading, be sure to roll a 1d100 (that will be modified by me depending on stuff...) You can wait to vote on other stuff until you get your reading. Or not.
Winning Votes:
[X] [Now?] Re-lock the hidden doors and leave the armory untouched, but continue to rob the house. He doesn't need to know the thief uncovered his identity. Then stash the stuff.
[X] [Shark] Kill him, and those goons he keeps sending after you. The dead don't collect debts.
[X] [Investigate] It's time to look into the people that kidnapped you, and gave you these powers.
- [X] [Investigate] Talk to your old buddy, Derrick, at the agency. He's a finance guy, and a project like this costs money. If the CIA is the one behind this, he'll know something useful, but he might not want to tell you…
[X] [Now?] Re-lock the hidden doors and leave the armory untouched, but continue to rob the house. He doesn't need to know the thief uncovered his identity. Then stash the stuff.
[X] [Shark] Kill him, and those goons he keeps sending after you. The dead don't collect debts.
[X] [Investigate] It's time to look into the people that kidnapped you, and gave you these powers.
- [X] [Investigate] Talk to your old buddy, Derrick, at the agency. He's a finance guy, and a project like this costs money. If the CIA is the one behind this, he'll know something useful, but he might not want to tell you…
Rolls:
1d100 - 10 - What's the Haul?
1d10 - 1 - Leroy's Protection
1d4 - 4 - Derrick's Helpfulness
1d2 - 2 - ???
1d100 - 10 - What's the Haul?
1d10 - 1 - Leroy's Protection
1d4 - 4 - Derrick's Helpfulness
1d2 - 2 - ???
The jeweler held up the ring, pointing at a mark on the inside. "See this? This means it's a Graff piece. They use lasers to put identification marks in their stones. Remember, I showed you the same thing on a couple of the pieces you brought in last time."
I leaned in closer to him, across the counter. "Yes, but that was just a couple pieces! You're trying to tell me 90% of this shit is worthless? You think I don't know a con when I see one?"
"I'm not conning you. That would be short sided. I'm sure we will be making plenty of money together in the future. Especially if you check for this mark before you bring it to me. Anyways, I don't even want them at a reduced price. I don't want them at all." He sighed. "The kind of person who can afford Graffs run in very small circles, and if they ran into the original owner, they'd just have to take it to Graff confirm it was theirs. Boom, I'm in prison. Too risky."
"Then sell it to someone who doesn't run in those circles," I responded.
"And if they discover what it actually is and how much it's worth? What will they think? If they don't sell it themselves, which would lead to the same problem, they alert the authorities. I could sell it to a jeweler out of the country, where no customer would recognize it, but he'll know what they are and use that as leverage to screw me."
"Argh. Jesus fucking Christ. Then what will you give me for the others?"
He studied the bunch. "Three and a half."
"Make it five," I shot back.
"I don't bargain; it's a waste of time. I told you this last time, and I don't like to repeat myself. It's a fair price. Take it or leave it."
I pulled out my phone. "Fine, but I'm talking pictures of this shit, and talking to my guy out of town. If he says you swindled me, I'm burning this fucking place to the ground. With you in it." I snapped a few shots of all the pieces without the mark he'd shown me, and shoved my phone back in my pocket.
His face scrunched up in irritation. "I do not like being threatened."
"Nobody does, man. If it's a 'fair price,' you have nothing to worry about."
He collected the jewelry, and walked into the back to get the money. I waited and thought about Leroy. He wanted to be paid tomorrow.
The 3500 bucks combined with what I got for the painting and all the other miscellaneous stuff (prescription drugs, silverware, gold fixtures, electronics that likely didn't have GPS, clothes, etc) left me with about ten grand. Not much compared to what I'd made last time. I could pay my whole debt off, but that would leave me with nothing. I could pay Leroy the five I owed him, but five grand would only last me a couple months, and meanwhile my debt would keep ticking up.
My arms dealer in D.C. would probably give me a whole lot for what had been in that armory… but no. Not worth tangling with the Lion, and not to mention I had no smart way of moving tons of weapons and explosives. Why'd it have to be his house? Anyone else, I would have broken into their safe and made out with way waaay more even with this bullshit jewelry thing, but chances are the Lion wouldn't mind rigging his safe with some kind of lethal trap. Heat from an explosion couldn't kill me, but the concussive force could.
Shit. It'd take me awhile to line up another job, and fuck if I was going to go back to robbing drug dealers, smalltime B&E and living in a motel. Perhaps it was time I started considering the option that had been in the back of my mind ever since he stopped trying to get into my pants, and sent those muscleheads to collect from me. Maybe it was time for Leroy to stop bothering me, permanently.
I smiled.
XXX
Leroy had turned one of those ugly brick boxes in the Rosemary neighborhood into a fortress. It was only one story, but it had several basement levels, each with a few armed guards. Paranoid or into something darker than loan sharking? There was one door and two small windows out front. The back door and window had been bricked up at some point, which left only three exit points in the front. Normally, that would make the building more secure, especially with the ten guards. However, the few exit points actually made what I'd planned easier. The cameras meant I had to be quick. If I'd been well equipped and maybe had some backup, I would have used flashbangs, grenades and an assault rifle to end Leroy myself, but the whole point of doing this was to save money, not spend it.
I parked the boosted white van down a couple blocks down from Leroy's pad, my knee bobbing up and down in a mix of nervousness and anticipation. It would have been nice to do this under the cover of darkness, but Leroy spent a lot of his nights in that underground casino (with no discernable schedule), and since it was rush hour, the police and firemen response time would be even more delayed than it was in Rosemary. I moved to the back of the van, and grabbed the metal can of gasoline with holes drilled in the top and sides, ignoring the others which were connected with gas soaked rags. I hoped my power didn't decide that it would be a good time to spontaneously combust.
I set the can in the passenger's seat, making sure it didn't tip over because of its rounded bottom and threw the big ass rock next to it. I slipped the flare into my pocket. There wasn't a whole lot of gas in the hole filled can, but if I filled it too full it'd be too heavy for me to throw. Man, I needed to get back in shape.
I slipped back into the driver's seat, and put the van in drive. Time to get started. I could feel that tight feeling in my chest, the one I always had before an operation. God, this was going to be fun. I pulled onto the road, moving fast. I drove through a couple of blocks filled with brick, box houses, and reached Leroy's block. His house was on the left at the corner. I slowed down as I approached it. When I was in front of the house right before his, I turned sharply, and crossed the street, driving through the neighbor's yard. I pulled the van parallel to the front of Leroy's house, and drove the van so close that the driver's side mirror broke off and the side of the van scraped against the bricks.
Once the van was blocking the door and one of the windows, I put into park, pulled the emergency break, and grabbed the keys. I quickly crawled into the passenger's side, carefully avoiding the gas can and rock, and opened the door.
I jumped out into Leroy's lawn. I grabbed the rock and swung it as hard as I could into the window that wasn't blocked by the van, the only exit. It was one of those old windows with no screen, just a pane of glass. I heard the rock shatter the glass, as I grabbed the gas can. I could hear yelling inside the house. I swung the can, just like the rock, and it crashed through the broken window. The rounded bottom would ensure it fell on its side, spilling out gasoline through the holes in the top and side. I waited a moment for it to spill across the floor before I lit the flare and threw it into the window. I was rewarded with a rush of heat, and the sound of a man screaming. I laughed. I knew that noise well.
I slipped my beretta out, and moved quickly, but quietly down the side of the brick house, ready to fire. The guard who stood out back rounded the corner, drawn by the noise. I put a bullet in his head. I moved down the side of the house, past his corpse. I put my back to the edge of the house, and lifted my gun, quickly turning the corner. I scanned the back, making sure someone hadn't joined him earlier. No. It was empty. I put my beretta back into the holster and rand down the alleyway.
Once I reached the shed in the backyard of the abandoned house, I looked both ways down the alley, confirming there was no one around. I pushed the back door to the shed open and stepped in. I moved to the middle of the empty shed, stripping off my pants, shirt and mask, but leaving my gloves on. I tossed them the center of the concrete floor. I cleared the chamber, removed the clip from the beretta. I threw the gun onto the pile of clothes. I removed the mini canister of lighter fluid and my zippo from my pants pocket. I soaked the clothes in the fluid, and then opened the front door of the shed. Then I tossed my gloves and the gas can into the pile, lit the lighter and threw it onto the clothes, igniting them.
Clad in my jogging shorts and a tank top, I jogged out through the yard of the abandoned house and onto the sidewalk. I started jogging around the block. Hopefully by the time I circled back to Leroy's there'd be a crowd drawn by the fire, and I'd be able to watch the firemen bring out eleven burnt corpses.
XXX
The diner was nearly empty, just a few patrons. It wasn't an ideal place for discussing possible illegal operations by the agency, but it had been Derrick's favorite. We'd eaten here a bunch of times, and I needed him as nostalgic and amiable as I could get him. Fortunately, our usual booth in the south-east corner, by the side door had been open. The waitress came and set down my coffee. "Your food will be ready in just a few moments," she said in that false friendly voice all servers use. I nodded, and picked up my cup to take a sip. Ahh… It was scalding hot, precisely as I liked it.
As I set my cup down, and I noticed Derrick enter. Same bleach blonde hair, and grey jacket. I checked my phone. 8:30pm. Derrick walked over, and I stood. I opened my arms and gave him a hug. Like I said. I needed him amiable. "Punctual, as always," I said with a smile.
"It's good to see you, Laiyla. How have you been?" He asked as we sat down.
"Oh you know, ups and downs. Been pretty busy lately," I answered.
"Yeah? What are you doing now?"
"This and that. Security Consulting, investigation, some odd jobs here and there. Nothing fancy, but it puts bread on the table. You still doing the same thing?" I took another sip of my coffee.
"Yeah. Been pretty boring without you running around, of course." He smiled.
"Stop it, you dirty flatterer."
The waitress came by, arms loaded with those oval shaped plates. "Chicken fried steak with extra gravy?"
I pointed at Derrick and said, "That would be him." She set his plate down.
"And here's your hot cakes. Let me know if guys need anything else." She set a glorious plate of steaming pancakes before me. Thank god.
XXX
Standing in the parking lot of the diner, I slipped out a cigarette. "You want one?" I asked him.
"Nah. I quit."
I shrugged and sparked my lighter. The flame twisted into the shape of Derrick, lying on the ground. He was panicked, his mouth moving rapidly. Then the image vanished and I lit my cigarette. Interesting. Was that something that would happen between us, or someone else? I turned to look at him, taking a drag. Strangely, he looked nervous. He hadn't seen it too, had he? No one else had ever been able to.
"Something wrong?" I asked him.
The expression was wiped from his face. "No, no. I'm fine." He pointed at my smoke. "Actually, you know what, I will take one of those."
"Thought you said you quit?"
"Well, you know, one won't hurt. I can quit again tomorrow." He gave me a fake smile, and I knew something was wrong. Derrick was an open book. He didn't school his expressions and fake expressions.
I slipped one out and handed it and my lighter to him. He took them. When he sparked the lighter, the flame shifted again. There was a brain surrounded by a tangle of wiring and a metal frame. It looked like someone had stuffed the inside of a computer inside their skull. It was exactly what I saw before I decided to come to D.C. looking for answers.
Derrick took a deep drag. "What did you say you came back to the city for again?"
"I didn't." I decided to be direct. That worked best with him. "What's wrong Derrick? You look like someone told you your puppy's dead."
He shifted uncomfortably. "I figured out why you're here. You're pretty bad at hiding it. I know we aren't supposed to talk about it though, so let's just drop it."
I stepped closer to him. "I'm pretty sure you're wrong, so why don't you just tell me what you think you know."
He backed up a little, stepping up against the wall. "Your eyes. You need to be more careful about showing people that shit. You could get into a lot of trouble. Look, I get it. You 'left,' the agency," He said, making air quotes with his fingers on the word 'left.' "Let's just leave it alone. You want to get a drink or something?"
I stepped even closer to him. With his back against the wall, he had nowhere to back up to. "I didn't leave the agency. I was fucking fired, by that prick, Asselman. And what about my eyes?"
"Right. You were fired. And nothing. It must have been a trick of the light. I shouldn't have said anything. Let's just grab a drink and forget this whole conversation."
I grabbed his jacket. "Stop lying. It doesn't suit you. Spit it out, now."
He squirmed in my grasp, and sighed. "Okay, okay. Your eyes turned red when you looked at the lighter. There. I know you're in the MKUltra reboot."
I was silent, just looking at him. Did I have my answer? The CIA had rebooted the infamous MKUltra program. The old version had unwilling, unaware participants hadn't it? Who better to start with than operatives that left the agency in disgrace? Kill two birds with one stone. Get rid of potential problems and get disposable subjects to experiment on.
Perhaps I should drop it for now, and get that drink with him. If he thought I was an agent assigned to the program he probably wouldn't mind telling me what he knew.
At the same time… That vision I'd had of him on the ground… If it wasn't me he was cowering from, then who was it? If the agency was looking for me after I escaped, my friends at Langley would be a useful resource. I'd figured the agency would have stopped tailing them by now, but maybe they'd been interviewed. Maybe they'd been told to report any contact with me.
He probably hadn't told anyone about meeting me. The bugs I'd put in his phone and house let me know that, but maybe this little interaction here was enough to push him to tell someone.
XXX
Investigate (Select One Option)
[] [Investigate] Following the money trail was never your forte, but no better time to start than now. Take Derrick to get that drink, and see what you can find out.
[] [Investigate] Derrick won't know anything of use. You need names and addresses. Time to hit up some other contacts.
- [] [Investigate] Pick up Morgan, an agency subcontractor who does the things agents can't. If it was the agency, he'll probably be involved or know someone who is. If the new CIA Ultra program is not behind this (unlikely, but possible), he might know who it actually is. You should probably hit up your arms dealer first; Morgan's no joke.
- [] [Investigate] Drop in on Rita, your best friend from when you worked at the agency. You can't really trust anybody, but you can trust her the most. It's unlikely, but she might be part of the MKUltra 2.0 project. You'll have to be careful.
[] [Investigate] It's time to head back to Puritan City. It seems likely the agency is behind this, and being here is dangerous. You can look deeper into it later or some way that doesn't require you being in D.C.
[] [Investigate] Write In
And What to Do With Derrick? (Select One Option)
[] [Derrick] One person knowing you're an Ultra is one too many. Take him somewhere convenient and dispose of him and any evidence.
[] [Derrick] He knows you're an Ultra so you might as well give him a little demonstration of what will happen to him if he tells anyone. Hopefully he stays quiet.
[] [Derrick] Tell him that, hypothetically, if you were to be in the MKUltra 2.0, even his superiors are too low clearance to know about it. He's to tell no one. Hopefully he stays quiet.
[] [Derrick] Write in
Fire Reading (Write In As Many as You Like)
[] [Fire] You look into the fire, and concentrate on...
-[] [Fire] Write in
I reserve the right to veto write ins.
EDIT: Whoops. Almost forgot. Laura will do a fire reading on anything that gets at least three votes in the next 12 hours. The more votes it gets, the harder she'll try. When you make up a reading, be sure to roll a 1d100 (that will be modified by me depending on stuff...) You can wait to vote on other stuff until you get your reading. Or not.
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- Location
- Maine
- Pronouns
- They/Them/Theirs
[x] [Investigate] Following the money trail was never your forte, but no better time to start than now. Take Derrick to get that drink, and see what you can find out.
[X] [Derrick] Tell him that, hypothetically, if you were to be in the MKUltra 2.0, even his superiors are too low clearance to know about it. He's to tell no one. Hopefully he stays quiet.
Well, we're here.
[X] [Derrick] Tell him that, hypothetically, if you were to be in the MKUltra 2.0, even his superiors are too low clearance to know about it. He's to tell no one. Hopefully he stays quiet.
Well, we're here.
ChildishChimera
A umbran summon
- Location
- New York
[x] [Investigate] Following the money trail was never your forte, but no better time to start than now. Take Derrick to get that drink, and see what you can find out.
[X] [Derrick] Tell him that, hypothetically, if you were to be in the MKUltra 2.0, even his superiors are too low clearance to know about it. He's to tell no one. Hopefully he stays quiet.
[X] [Derrick] Tell him that, hypothetically, if you were to be in the MKUltra 2.0, even his superiors are too low clearance to know about it. He's to tell no one. Hopefully he stays quiet.
So I was wondering: should we work towards starting a cult of some sort?
Our Charisma, intelligence and mysterious fire-seer power would all be great for leading a cult. The "generous donations" of our followers could give us a steady stream of income. And we'd get a bunch of fanatically loyal (though probably not very fighty. At least not at first) minions. Plus, cults gave legal protections. There are freedom of religion laws in the US so the government can't just shut us down without a damn good reason.
Here's a guy talking about cults and how they might work.
Obviously building a cult isn't something we can do in a single day. But the sooner we start, the sooner we'll get a bunch of fanatics at our beck and call
Our Charisma, intelligence and mysterious fire-seer power would all be great for leading a cult. The "generous donations" of our followers could give us a steady stream of income. And we'd get a bunch of fanatically loyal (though probably not very fighty. At least not at first) minions. Plus, cults gave legal protections. There are freedom of religion laws in the US so the government can't just shut us down without a damn good reason.
Here's a guy talking about cults and how they might work.
Obviously building a cult isn't something we can do in a single day. But the sooner we start, the sooner we'll get a bunch of fanatics at our beck and call
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[X] [Investigate] It's time to head back to Puritan City. It seems likely the agency is behind this, and being here is dangerous. You can look deeper into it later or some way that doesn't require you being in D.C.
[X] [Derrick] Tell him that, hypothetically, if you were to be in the MKUltra 2.0, even his superiors are too low clearance to know about it. He's to tell no one. Hopefully he stays quiet.
[X] [Fire] You look into the fire, and concentrate on...
-[X] [Fire] Leroy. Is the bastard really dead? There were 11 corpses, true, but no way to identify them on sight.
[X] [Derrick] Tell him that, hypothetically, if you were to be in the MKUltra 2.0, even his superiors are too low clearance to know about it. He's to tell no one. Hopefully he stays quiet.
[X] [Fire] You look into the fire, and concentrate on...
-[X] [Fire] Leroy. Is the bastard really dead? There were 11 corpses, true, but no way to identify them on sight.
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- Location
- St. Petersburg
[X] [Investigate] Following the money trail was never your forte, but no better time to start than now. Take Derrick to get that drink, and see what you can find out.
[X] [Derrick] One person knowing you're an Ultra is one too many. Take him somewhere convenient and dispose of him and any evidence.
[X] [Fire] You look into the fire, and concentrate on...
-[X] [Fire] Leroy. Is the bastard really dead? There were 11 corpses, true, but no way to identify them on sight.
[X] [Derrick] One person knowing you're an Ultra is one too many. Take him somewhere convenient and dispose of him and any evidence.
[X] [Fire] You look into the fire, and concentrate on...
-[X] [Fire] Leroy. Is the bastard really dead? There were 11 corpses, true, but no way to identify them on sight.
Night_stalker
Slava Ukraini!
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] [Investigate] Following the money trail was never your forte, but no better time to start than now. Take Derrick to get that drink, and see what you can find out.
[X] [Derrick] One person knowing you're an Ultra is one too many. Take him somewhere convenient and dispose of him and any evidence.
[X] [Fire] You look into the fire, and concentrate on...
-[X] [Fire] Leroy. Is the bastard really dead? There were 11 corpses, true, but no way to identify them on sight.
[X] [Derrick] One person knowing you're an Ultra is one too many. Take him somewhere convenient and dispose of him and any evidence.
[X] [Fire] You look into the fire, and concentrate on...
-[X] [Fire] Leroy. Is the bastard really dead? There were 11 corpses, true, but no way to identify them on sight.
- Location
- California
[X] [Investigate] Following the money trail was never your forte, but no better time to start than now. Take Derrick to get that drink, and see what you can find out.
[X] [Derrick] One person knowing you're an Ultra is one too many. Take him somewhere convenient and dispose of him and any evidence.
[X] [Fire] You look into the fire, and concentrate on...
-[X] [Fire] Leroy. Is the bastard really dead? There were 11 corpses, true, but no way to identify them on sight.
[X] [Derrick] One person knowing you're an Ultra is one too many. Take him somewhere convenient and dispose of him and any evidence.
[X] [Fire] You look into the fire, and concentrate on...
-[X] [Fire] Leroy. Is the bastard really dead? There were 11 corpses, true, but no way to identify them on sight.
- Location
- Elsewhere
[X] [Investigate] Following the money trail was never your forte, but no better time to start than now. Take Derrick to get that drink, and see what you can find out.
I didn't want to come here, but since we are, we might as well.
[X] [Derrick] Tell him that, hypothetically, if you were to be in the MKUltra 2.0, even his superiors are too low clearance to know about it. He's to tell no one. Hopefully he stays quiet.
-[X] [Derrick] Keep him on your side, make sure he knows you don't resent him. Try to seem a little more nonchalant about the whole thing, like less of a threat to anyone. Say that at this point, you only want a quiet life. All lies, of course, but he might not know better.
Let's put our Charisma to use, shall we?
[X] [Fire] You look into the fire, and concentrate on...
-[X] [Fire] Leroy. Is the bastard really dead? There were 11 corpses, true, but no way to identify them on sight.
-[X] [Fire] The Lion. Try to look as close into the present as you can, see if you can use the flames to know where he is and how's he taking to someone robbing his house.
Also: guys, you forgot about the roll. I'll do it.
I didn't want to come here, but since we are, we might as well.
[X] [Derrick] Tell him that, hypothetically, if you were to be in the MKUltra 2.0, even his superiors are too low clearance to know about it. He's to tell no one. Hopefully he stays quiet.
-[X] [Derrick] Keep him on your side, make sure he knows you don't resent him. Try to seem a little more nonchalant about the whole thing, like less of a threat to anyone. Say that at this point, you only want a quiet life. All lies, of course, but he might not know better.
Let's put our Charisma to use, shall we?
[X] [Fire] You look into the fire, and concentrate on...
-[X] [Fire] Leroy. Is the bastard really dead? There were 11 corpses, true, but no way to identify them on sight.
-[X] [Fire] The Lion. Try to look as close into the present as you can, see if you can use the flames to know where he is and how's he taking to someone robbing his house.
Also: guys, you forgot about the roll. I'll do it.