[X] "Avoid firefights. They'll be busy ransacking the place, we just need to find Mack and get him out. No deaths would be ideal."
"Good call." spoke Groza. "Should we find a way to kill the lights, I can navigate us through."
"You and your special eyes~"
With your strategy decided, you and Groza enter through the battered doors of the establishment and find yourselves in the lobby. There were clear signs of a firefight, not just vandalism, but it seems the hotel security was caught off guard. There was a trail of blood leading up to the reception desk, and the body of a security guard at its end, having died mid-crawl. The sizable hole in the back of his head made his end clear.
"They left behind quite a trail…" says Groza. You circle around the reception desk, checking if there's a security feed or computer system you can access. For a moment you look down at the body of a dead receptionist, two bullet holes through her chest, one in her neck. There's a handgun in her hand, but unfortunately she wasn't fast enough… You carefully walk around her, noticing a computer monitor that's cracked but still somewhat operational. It's a video feed of some hallways.
There's people running, and people giving chase. Bright flashes, and people falling to the ground. It's a massacre.
"I don't get it… what's their goal? No matter the paycheck, senselessly gunning down civilians will run their reputation to the ground…" Groza mused.
"I don't know either…" you admit. This is unlike anything they've done when you were last in the city. Something must've changed… new leadership perhaps?
"... V, look." Groza pointed towards the desk, more specifically the panic button beneath it. It hasn't been pressed yet. "Police are no doubt on their way, but this may get them to be more urgent and send more forces. Could put a stop to this slaughter sooner."
"We still need to make sure we don't get caught and treated as suspects. It's over if that happens…"
"It's your call."
You look at the panic button, thinking. If the police arrive, you can't fight them, that would turn you into a permanent enemy of the state. If they arrive, you can only run. With this in mind, you…
[ ] Press the button.
[ ] Don't press the button.
You check the camera feed one last time to get a read of the place, and notice a lonely figure sneaking around. It's hard to make out, but they seem to have snuck into some locker room near the kitchen area… wherever that might be. It's as good a place as any to start the search, even if it's not Mack it may be someone who may point you towards him.
"Alright, let's move. I'll take point."
You leave the reception area and head down one of the hallways, the one less riddled with bullet holes and splinters. Avoiding the gangsters is optimal for now, you can check the bodies they left behind after they move to another area. You pass by some hotel rooms, ignoring those that are locked and unregistered, and briefly checking those that have been kicked or shot open. Some of the rooms were trashed and looted, but no bodies.
You approach a double door that appears to lead to the hotel's kitchen. But before you can enter, you hear footsteps. The two of you hide at the sides of the door, watching them open from the inside as you hide.
"You sure that's it for the first floor? You know these crafty fucks can hide shit under their fingernails if they have to."
"We already collected enough dough to last us for a real long time. But we'll keep looking, like the boss said."
Two scrawny looking men walk past, not noticing you or Groza. They were both armed and their faces were covered with red bandanas. Their conversation continues.
"Gotta say, never expected them to grow this ballsy. And right under our noses too!"
"I hear ya, the boss really hit the jackpot this time. Now let's hurry to the second floor, I heard they're interrogating some of the stragglers. I wanna join in on the fun~"
"Heck yeah to that, it's not every day we can cut loose like this!"
They leave your vision, and their voices recede into the distance. Their words made it sound like they were just robbing the place, rather than gunning for something in particular… but this is too much of a coincidence for them not to be after Mack in some sense.
You turn back to Groza and nod. The two of you creep into the kitchen together. It is quite spacious, with no windows, and thankfully no dead chefs. It too seems to have been ransacked to some degree though, but why? What's there to find in a kitchen other than food?
"Storage room, 5 o'clock." you announce. "Cover me while I head in."
You open it with your gun drawn, Groza standing guard outside. The room seemed dark and unremarkable, kinda small too. The door closes behind you as you head in deeper. Sadly, you notice nobody hiding between the shelves or behind the boxes. You tried saying his name, but you got no response. There was just a tiny window at the other end, too small for anyone to even squeeze through. But you saw someone walk past, threading on their tip toes. Someone snuck out, but then you heard a bump and a curse. Did they get spotted?
"Hey! We've got a straggler!" you hear a call, but not from the window. It was from behind you, from the kitchen. You turn around and rush to the door, trying to see what the situation is-
-but the lights go down just as you get there. With no windows, the kitchen is shrouded in darkness, and a few moments later you see the flashes of gunfire illuminate fleeting fractions of a dark scene. You hear the bewilderment of the gangsters, as well as their screams. And after a while, the lights magically turn back on.
You see Groza adjusting her rifle's sights next to the light switch, with two men lying unconscious behind her. A shelf is lying on one of them, while the other seems to have grown accustomed to the blunt force potential of kitchen appliances such as frying pans.
"Found anything?" the assault rifle asks nonchalantly, and you decide to just play off her casual attitude for now.
"Nope, but I spotted someone outside. Maybe he snuck out, but someone might have caught him."
"Let's hurry then." she was prepared to follow you, but then you hear more voices nearby.
"I'm sure I've heard gunshots down here… guys? You ok?!" calls a man from the way you came from. Groza sighed.
"... V, how about you go find the target while I lure these gentlemen away? You won't have the privacy to access his safety otherwise."
"... sounds good. Go."
The two of you nod, and you leave the kitchen through another set of doors. You can already hear the flick of the light switch once again, inviting those fools into her playing field. Knowing she can handle a few gangsters, you continue onward.
You know that the wall to your right is next to the alley where you saw that man, so you keep following it until you spot some sort of exit point. And soon enough, you do. The bright green EXIT sign makes that obvious, so you head out. The alleyway you enter is tight, cluttered, and long. You look down each end, but then-
"AAAH! L-let go of me!"
Your vision snaps to the direction of the sound. You rush down the alley, spotting two figures. One of them is your target, Mack Bell, held by the neck and his feet dangling above the ground. And the other… a masked female, clutching him by the throat, lifting him with just one hand. The other held a familiar gun, aimed at his abdomen.
"Drop him!" you called, your weapon aimed. But she must've noticed you sooner, and took Mack into a chokehold, using him as a meat shield against you. Her gun was aimed your way.
"W-wha… H-heather? I-Is that yo-AH!" Mack tried to speak when he laid his eyes on you, but the assailant laid her hand on his throat again and began to squeeze. You see that her hand has no skin, no artificial skin at least, it's just mechanical, and her fingers are beginning to flare up like they're heating up. It is clearly burning Mack's throat, threatening to scorch through…
"... alright alright, I get it! I'm backing off, see?" you take a step back, though without aiming your gun away. "Hey, hey, I remember you. From the diner, right? VMS-07?"
For a moment, the hostile doll hesitates. Her scorching fingers cool off, and Mack can breathe again, though he dares not say another word.
You're sure of it, it's the doll you saw when you first entered that diner where you delivered the package. Leather jacket, short white hair, and that mask that can project any kind of imagery. VMS cocks her head, her display mask showing a pair of eyes, squinting in suspicion.
"I'm the delivery girl, remember? You were hired by Bizon, and… the contractor?"
As a response, her mask displays the silhouette of a man when you mentioned the contractor. It seems she knows who you're referring to, though judging by the nature of the symbology, she may not know much about them.
"He hired you, didn't he? For this gig? To kill that guy you're holding right now?"
For morbid imagery this time, she displays a handgun, aimed to the side at Mack's head. A blood splatter came when it shot. You're grateful it's just imagery, though it lays her intentions pretty bare. She starts to back away, not loosening her grip on Mack.
"H-hey, all I'm here for is that guy. I'm not after you or the gang you're with, alright? Maybe we can make a deal?"
She stops for a moment, the mask shining dark for a moment. Then it shows a man laughing, sunglasses and golden chains, probably a celebrity… the message is clear, what can you offer what she doesn't already have?
"How much is he paying you? I've got an E-war module, I could-"
But the offer is shut down by burning banknotes raining within her mask. Does she not care about money? What else can you offer… Maybe negotiations were doomed from the start?
But a sliver of hope presented itself then, when you noticed behind her a vehicle slowly going into the alley. You spot AA-12 in the driver's seat, the jeep fitting tightly into the alley way, but fitting nonetheless. She notices the situation, and nods to you.
"... if money's not your style, I've got something else…" you speak, constantly drawing VMS' attention to you. AA-12 is slowly driving the jeep nearer, trying to get it as close as she can without her hearing, before she would go full gas. VMS listened, but her patience was clearly thinning, as she took a few more steps back. Her mask displays three blinking dots, getting redder and redder. She wants your answer.
"Calm down now, no need to get your gears all grinded up. I have the answer to all your problems…"
Just a little closer. Just a little bit of stalling, and you'll be set. You look Mack in the eyes, his understandably terrified eyes, and give him a wink.
"And that answer is…GET DOWN MACK!"
The engine roars as she hits the pedal and races down the alley. VMS looks back, seeing the jeep's headlights approach her like she's a deer, and she is thus forced to let go of her target. Mack, though a little disoriented, does as he's told and hits the ground.
And the T-doll? She turns towards the Jeep and jumps. Her knees nearly brush against the front bumper, and her feet bounce off the roof as it passes under her, but thanks to her SMG acrobatics she evaded AA-12's stealth attack completely.
Of course, you knew this would happen.
Mack, thanks to your callout, hit the ground and let the jeep harmlessly pass over him. But he would still need your protection, so you've made your move.
As AA-12's momentum raced towards you, you opted to do the same as VMS, only with a running start. First step on the bumper, second on the hood, third on the roof. You're too short to cover it in one jump anyway.
As you jump off, you see VMS has already recovered from her jump, and you're not going to give her any more time.
You aim your gun and shoot.
In response, she rolls to avoid your volley, not backward but forward. You roll as you hit the ground as well, putting you quite literally face to face with the hostile doll, leaving you between her and Mack.
In CQC, whoever gets their gun aimed at the other wins. So you bring up your namesake weapon, and VMS kicks it straight out of your hand. Damn, you should not have let yourself be disarmed so easily.
You grab her arm and try to wrestle her for her gun, the only thing you have time for. But she's strong, stronger than you expected another SMG type to be. She pushes you against a nearby wall. Her mask displays the graphic imagery of a throat being slit.
You spin around and put your feet against the wall, trying to run up and twist the gun out of her hand. It almost works, but she's still holding on tight. You prepare to drive your elbow down on her joint to break her arm-
-and you feel a sharp pain as she stomps your bad leg, forcing you to your knees. She uses this moment to untwist her arm, gaining the upper hand again. Time for contingencies…
In the split second before she aims her gun at you, you take advantage of your kneeling position to grab the knife from your boot.
Her arm. That should remove the immediate danger. You can worry about the rest later.
You stab upwards, driving the blade into VMS's forearm. The arm stops, and its grip on the gun slackens. Good. Now, you twist and-
Pain. Shock. The world goes blurry. Of course, you forgot about her other arm. Hazily, you see VMS raise her leg to kick you away.
You impact the wall, your breath being knocked right out, and hit the ground on all fours. There's a loud crack, and you're not sure it was just the wall. When your vision refocuses, you see VMS staring at her gun wielding arm, pierced by your blade and unresponsive below the wrist. She can't fire the weapon or even let go of it, the joints in her palm and fingers stuck. Her mask displays cogs jammed by a crowbar, sparking as they cannot move, but she doesn't seem too bothered...
'Just what the hell is she?' you ask yourself. Last time someone gave you such a hard time, you were tangoing with a ringleader. This is just another T-doll… or so you thought until now.
She unceremoniously rips the knife out of her arm, regaining some level of animation in her shooting hand. She looks towards you, her mask a simple blank as she's about to aim it at you. But then you hear some hurried footsteps, and both look to the side…
"... Mack no!!!"
VMS throws the knife, its edge stained with T-doll blood soon mixing with human blood. It embeds into his right leg, and he falls to the ground, barely a metre away from your gun. She starts walking towards him.
You try to stand up, but your bad leg has been severely damaged. Not to mention, that impact definitely cracked some other joints. You keep trying to force yourself to stand, but every time you stumble down again… you can't get to him…
VMS grabs the squirming Mack by the collar, pulling him up to his stumbling feet. You feared she might finally go through with it this time, but she seemed to be thinking one step ahead perhaps. You hear the footsteps of AA-12 rushing to the scene, but Mack is already being used as a meatshield once again by that point.
"V! Are you alright?!" she asked, taking a position near you.
Well, time to put on the mask again.
"My back's sore, but I can't complain. What took you so long?"
"Alley was too tight, okay? Couldn't get out through the door."
You both turned your attention back at VMS holding Mack as her shield, gun aimed at his head. AA-12 had her shotgun aimed, but it was probably the worst tool one could ever equip for a hostage situation. Somehow you feel like you're in a worse position than before…
"That your guy?"
"Yup."
"... you sure he's worth it?"
"H-hey!" called Mack, struggling in VMS's grip. "I can assure you I am most DEFINITELY worth it! H-heather can vouch for me! I am-!" His claims were cut short when VMS pressed the barrel of her gun against his neck, after which his voice grew a lot smaller. "O-o-okay I-I'll just quiet down…"
AA-12 tries to take a step forward, but the mask on VMS' face displays a stop sign. She's not letting either of you get any closer. AA-12 rolls her eyes.
"Ugh… So, what's the play, V?"
AA-12's voice doesn't seem to betray much worry. Does she trust you so much? Or is the thing at stake here only of importance to you? You can hear police sirens in the distance, neither of you can stay here for much longer. Weighing your options, there's not much you can do…
Ots-14 is out there somewhere still, but you can't reach her through Zener. Perhaps you are being jammed… which means there are stronger forces at play here. You couldn't even reach into VMS… it's like she's a void in electronic space, like just an object, isolated from the grid. You've got no reliable way to surprise VMS anymore, and she's far too dangerous up close. You're not sure how AA-12 would deal with her… she's ruthless, no doubt part of the gang that mercilessly slaughtered this hotel, and yet…
"... why haven't you killed him yet?"
A question you ask simply, plainly. The hostile SMG responds by pressing her gun tighter against his neck, her finger caressing the trigger. He squirms, perhaps thinking his prayers, as VMS stares you down with a pair of black eyes on her mask. But you're having none of it.
"Yeah yeah, very menacing… but an assassin would've done it already. Leads me to believe you don't really need him dead."
She stayed silent for a moment, which for her meant that her mask was blank. Even no response is a response, one you can understand, but only so much. There's no way she'll tell you what she wants him for, how long she'll keep him alive, and what she'll do to him. And even if you knew, can you trust this… thing?
[ ] Let her go for now
[ ] Stall and hope that Ots-14 will show up to turn the tide
[ ] Offer [write-in] in exchange for Mack
[ ] Write-in
