If you are reading this in Reader Mode, be aware of the sidestory post which occurs here: Sidestory 1
You relay the plan to Ryouko first, then get Nanami. There's a small but frustrating delay focusing on her position to get a full-rate connection going. Oh, for a proper network! But there you go, only a few hundred milliseconds to send a message, a detailed situation report, an image, an area map, then begin the ongoing stream of tactical data about who is situated exactly where.
The message goes like this.
Hi Nanami. I'm pretty sure this gentleman we have encountered <image attachment link> is someone from your household, so we wished to warn you that he's at serious risk of becoming a familiar's snack and also getting in trouble with the police, possibly both at once. It occurs to us that you might wish for him to not be a familiar's snack, but the presence of police attention unfortunately constrains our actions. We propose to cause a distraction, but otherwise avoid engagement unless it comes down to an imminent risk of death.
Nanami's reply is swift.
Souta you PIECE OF SHIT, WHY AM I CLEANING UP YOUR MESSES
You're a little uncertain what this sentiment means for your current mission.
So he is your brother, then, and that works for you for the moment, then? you ask, hoping for clarification.
HALF-brother, replies Nanami.
Yeah that's FINE.
Meanwhile, Ryouko explains the plan to a somewhat skeptical Kyouko.
Seriously? Kyouko asks.
You want to do the love and justice and saving people crap right here and now, of all the possible places?
Not really? replies Ryouko.
First of all, we literally owe Nanami our lives. Respecting that debt isn't crap, and even if it were, she's a powerful magical girl with an irreplaceable set of powers which we might n—
Fine, I get it, replies Kyouko.
But I don't like it. She takes a deep breath.
"AWW SHIT," yells the girl. "LOOK OUT EVERYBODY IT'S THE POLICE! RUN FOR IT!"
She then grabs your hand and takes off running down the alley.
"Aah!" you exclaim out loud.
This is not the plan! you exclaim internally to Ryouko.
"What the hell?" says the policeman, reaching for his gun.
Kyouko, sends Ryouko,
what are you doing, I said we'd teleport to the roof —
So catch up and we'll do it! she replies.
I thought you wanted a distraction! People running!
This is why we need tactical networks, you sigh to your girl.
And proper training.
Kyouko is running quickly and you can barely keep up and Ryouko is still there in her nook and —
now all three of you are up on the rooftops. Kyouko's reflexes are better than yours, and she immediately starts skidding to a halt, while you lurch forward past her, out of control — but Ryouko is waiting for you there, to catch you.
You realize you are somewhat shot through with adrenaline, eyes wide, and your heart beating quickly. You take a moment to breathe.
What was that?? you ask, grabbing Ryouko for safety.
I thought you had to be touching someone to teleport them.
I think you count, says Ryouko.
I mean, we're touching on the inside anyway, right?
Well that's good to know, you remark. It opens up a variety of tactical opportunities. Speaking of which, though, there's a developing situation on the street below.
The main problem seems to be that the cop started trying to follow after your distraction, but decided that those two were more of an immediate threat. He is now between your hiding spot and the two men, who are occupying his attention.
"You two keep those hands where I can see them!" says the cop.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, I gotcha," says Souta. "It's all cool, we don't want no problems, officer."
"Don't you get smart with me, Nakimura!" says the cop. "What the fuck was that supposed to be? You trying to play games with me? You suddenly think you're smart or something?"
"I dunno, man, I'm just as confused as you are," he replies.
"Yeah," says the cop, "ain't that always the way?"
The other man — Souta's dealer, you guess — reaches into his jacket carefully while the cop is distracted.
"Okay then, punk, here's how it's gonna work," says the policeman, staring at Sou, "I'm placing you two under arrest for obstruction, and then we're —"
"Look out he's got a gun!" interrupts Souta.
The officer turns his head to look —
the dealer raises his gun to shoot —
Souta lurches forward to knock the cop out of the way —
<BANG>
the bullet grazes Souta's shoulder, and he cries out in pain.
The policeman fires wildly at the dealer, misses, and smashes into the ground.
The shooter watches as the two fall to the ground in a pile, glaring angrily at Souta, who lands in a bit of a heap on top of the cop. He chambers another shot —
Ryouko prepares to teleport down to extract Souta.
Wait just a moment, interrupts Nanami over the network.
We don't have a moment! replies Ryouko.
"You dirty rat," says the shooter, raising his gun, "you sold us out."
Suddenly he stops, and everything is quiet.
You look around. Kyouko's stopped too, which probably means…
Homura and Nanami have entered the alley, the former being led by the latter.
"There," she says. "As I was saying, just one moment."
Homura looks at the men smashed int the ground there.
"Oh my gosh he's bleeding!" she says, pointing with her free hand.
"Yes, dear, he was shot," says Nanami. "I can't even say he doesn't deserve it."
Homura shudders, and looks pale.
Nanami shakes her head. "He'll live, probably. That's not the problem. The real problem is what to do about the other two."
"I was just going to teleport down and extract him," says Ryouko. "Standard combat rescue. They wouldn't have a chance to react."
"Yeah, but the problem isn't this guy," says Nanami. "It's not about saving him in and of himself. The problem is there's a cop, right here. That means
more police attention and we can't afford that. Not with the stakes we're playing with."
"What do you propose, then?" you ask.
Nanami looks over the situation.
"How about we take this guy," she says, pointing at the dealer, "and I simply apply a railgun to his face?"
Homura gasps.
"I mean, we could do all three if you'd like, but I figure they're going to be a lot more interested about the shape of the holes when the cop's actually dead. If we do it this way, maybe they overlook that he's a crap shot."
"But — but that's terrible!" says Homura, pointing in accusation at Nanami. "That's murder! How could you suggest such a thing!"
Homura had let go of Nanami's hand to point at her, and the girl is frozen in time. Homura realizes this abruptly.
"Umm," she says, then grabs Nanami's hand again.
"Whoa, hey," says Nanami, "careful dropping the time stop."
"I was saying that's terrible and it's murder," declares Homura. "Since when is that the kind of things magical girls do?"
Nanami sighs. "Okay, listen, Homura, you made a wish to save Madoka, right?"
"Y-yes!" she replies. "And Madoka would never shoot people in the face! She and Mami would always
save people, not kill them!"
Nanami makes a face.
"Okay, listen, Homura, here's the thing. If people start looking too closely into our little circle of friends, they find out about the twenty fifth century technology in everyone's bodies and brains, then we're all chased by world governments and various forces of darkness and Madoka ends up as a laboratory experiment for the rest of her life."
Homura's expression is one of horror.
"Besides, he's literally holding a gun ready to shoot someone," says Nanami. "It's not like he isn't asking for it."
Homura tenses, steeling herself for something unpleasant, but she's still looking at Nanami like she doesn't want to be touching her for much longer.
"Okay, hey," says Nanami, "maybe there's another way. Hey Clarisse, what do you think?"
> consider your options
[ ] Let Nanami railgun the drug dealer / gunman
[ ] Spare Nanami from psychological impact
- [ ] Have Ryouko shoot him
- [ ] Shoot him yourself
- [ ] Make Homura shoot him
[ ] Perform original combat rescue plan
[ ] Conduct a rescue entirely from time-stop
[ ] Shoot everyone
[ ] (Write in some clever plan)
[ ] Call an ambulance afterwards
[ ] Leave them to their own devices
[ ] Toss the bodies in the labyrinth
[ ] (write in psychological counsel for afterwards)
