"I can't say anything either way" You say.
"Fair enough" Stampede said. Just curious.
For a moment, you consider saying that you literally can't say. That you have a magical contract on you. You've never heard of anything like that in real life, but that's the beautiful thing about magic. Once you're talking sufficiently powerful magic, you can pretty much say anything is possible and no one can outright call you on it. But, Stampede's already let it go, so you don't say anything else.
You spend some more time searching the bunker, but you come up empty. Nothing but dust, spiders, and empty rooms. If there was anything here, it's gone. Empty handed, you both walk back to the car.
"Nothing?" Operative says.
"Nothing" You respond.
"Well, we still have plenty of places to check" He says, shifting back to his normal form. "Let's try and get this over with and get inside before noon or we'll burst into flames"
You spend the next two hours going from place to place. Most places, you don't find anything nearly as complex. An old taco restaurant near the Medical Village didn't have anything interesting, a tattoo parlor in Battery Park just had some homeless people squatting in it, an electronics store had a secret room that was completely stripped clean by looters recently. After an hour, the sun starts to come up and Operative has to avoid the highways so you wouldn't be caught in morning traffic. The next place you find anything interesting is Red's Autobody. It's a worn down wooden building with chipping blue paint with a large yellow sign made to be seen from the nearby highway. The parking lot isn't paved, it just has a bunch of gravel dumped on it.
"Well, let's hope this place ends up better than the last one." Stampede says.
"Yeah, here's hoping. You say as you step out of the car. Operative waves at you both as you enter the building. When you approach, the door is locked, but you push against the door, ripping it out of it's hinges. On the inside, it's not unlike the garage Adrian works at, though it's even more delipidated, though the candy and soda machines in the corner are just as old, with a design that isn't used anymore.
"It looks like there isn't anything here on this end" Jasmine says. "No power, no cameras... so... if you don't mind, I'll be right back. I'm gonna get some breakfast. Maybe take a shower"
You hum in acknowledgement. As you search. Apparently, Jasmine doesn't think you're gonna find anything here. Which is fair, neither do you.
"What a dump" Stampede says.
"Hey, at least it doesn't smell like piss around here like that taco place" You say. You and Stampede keep searching the garage, and find another bunker door in a dark back room. You summon another lightning bolt and again, the light turns green. But this time, when you reach to open the door, It doesn't budge. The lever turns, but the door itself doesn't move at all.
"What the..." You say. You try the lever a few more times, but it still doesn't move.
"Huh" Stampede says. "You think you need a different voltage?"
You try summoning another lightning bolt, and the light on the door once again turns green. But, illuminated by the lightning, you see something on the door. You see that the door was crudely welded shut.
"Well, it looks like someone doesn't want us getting in." Stampede says. She then looks at the door, and then her gun "You know, if I rewire my rifle, I might be able to cut through the door." She says as she reaches into her pocket to pull out some tools.
"Wait." You say. "Before you do that, I wanna try something"
"What" Stampede asks.
You lift up your leg and stomp on the door as hard as you can. There's a noticeable dent in the metal door.
"Huh, well, if you are more than one person, I guess either you're strong too, or that armor's enchanted." Stampede says.
You spend a minute stomping the bunker door, each time bending the metal more and more. The lack of air conditioner, the hard work, and the hot suit make you break out in a sweat, but you continue to make progress. With one last kick, the door snaps off, and clatters to the ground. You and Stampede look down the hole to the now damaged door.
"Well, at least I didn't have to use half my energy cells cutting through that door..." She says, slightly relieved. "Well, no rest for the wicked. Let's go"
You both climb down, the ladder. This bunker id identical to the ones you've seen before. But as you walk through the bunker, you start to notice something. The first bunker you went to was a mess. It was clearly abandoned, nearly everything was covered in dust. But here, there isn't any dust on the ground.
"Holy, there was a bunker in there?" You hear Jasmine say. "Wow. I kinda feel bad for leaving... but I'm still not getting any cameras... looks like there's no power here."
"Shit…" You mutter to yourself. But Stampede thankfully doesn't notice. You keep searching the bunker. Apparently, the layout you found before was part of a standard pattern, so that only adds more proof that whoever built this built the other two bunkers. In the apparent residential area, you find a computer. Most of the room is covered in dust, but the area around the computer has relatively less dust, as if someone brushed it aside. As Stampede turns her flashlight, you also see some bootprints in some dust on the floor.
"It looks like someone was here before us" You say to Stampede.
"Yeah..." She says, she also turns her flashlight to the computer, and you can see that it had been opened, and the hard drive has been taken.
--------------------------------
You go to a few more places over the next hour and a half as you work your way back south. You start seeing similar things, especially when you start heading east. Secret rooms or bunkers hidden in places, and several of them are having been cleared out. Power and utilities were completely cut, computers with their hard drives removed, storage rooms with everything removed.
You and Stampede enter the car right after searching a nail salon. Again, you couldn't find anything leading to Lussiac.
"Maybe we should've started looking last night" You say as the car takes off. By now, the sun is in the air, still early morning, but undeniably bright.
"*Sigh* I figured we needed some time to sleep" Stampede says. "Still, we don't know if this was a recent thing. These places might've been cleared out weeks ago"
"That's fair" Operative says.
"Hey, not ending up back in the can is about as good as we can ask for sometimes." Stampede says. "Hey, do you mind if I borrow your phone for a sec, Ops"
Operative wordlessly hands the phone.
"Hey guys, Crowe did hire some mercenaries." You say. "They could be cleaning up after her. Get rid of any evidence that she was there"
"Makes sense. I'm guessing either they or Lussiac probably welded those bunker doors shut." Operative says. "Either way.
"I don't know. I never really liked fighting mercenaries" Stampede says."They don't really have the ordinance to scratch Stampede, and really, what's the fun of fighting if the other guys can't fight back? It's like stealing candy from a baby. It's pointless" She says this as she types away at the phone.
"I don't think that fun should be a priority when we're fighting for our lives" You say.
"Eh" Stampede says, before handing you the phone.
"Why are you giving this to me?" You ask before looking at the screen. It looks like Stampede marked the various places we've already checked, marking the places that were purpousfully cleared out in red. You notice that those are focused near the eastern half of the city.
"Because Operative is driving" Stampede says. "It looks like whoever is starting east and heading west. I'm guessing, they're doing the same thing we're doing. Just starting east and heading west. I say we focus on the west and see what happens. Worst case scenario, they ended up finding Lussiac and whatever happened happened"
"I'm guessing that best case scenario for you is taking Lussiac out ourselves?" Operative asks. Stampede doesn't say anything, but she just smiles.
---------------
Eventually, you get to an old flower shop near Southlake. The shop wasn't anything special, just a small shop with a too-small parking lot. Except for the long, 3 lane street, the shop was surrounded on all sides by thick growths of trees. This area was a patch of area that hadn't been developed in the middle of the city. For 1500 feet in either direction, it was just trees and empty fields. The good news was that this wasn't a well traveled road, people preferring to use the nest street down. The problem was that a police station was about 2000 feet away.
"Keep the car running" You saw to Operative. "If the cops come, we're going to need to get away fast"
"I'll keep an ear out" Operative says, nodding. "Just get in and out quick. I'd rather hang around in walking distance of the cops"
"Hey don't worry, I just need to tap a few buttons and my mech will be here like that" Stampede says, snapping her fingers. "I can bust through whatever the cops can bring"
"Stampede, we're just scouting. We're not trying to get charged with capital murder" Operative says, narrowing his eyes.
"Hey, that only matters if you get caught" Stampede says. "The trick is to not get caught"
"Let's just go" You say, gesturing Stampede to come on. "Let's just get through this without getting a death sentence, alright?"
-------------------------------
Ten Minutes Later...
Operative was waiting outside in the car. This wasn't new for him. He was used to it. At least, until the AC broke down, and the previously cold air being blasted from the AC turned burning hot.
"Son of a..." He turned off the AC and opened the glove compartment. Right next to a machine pistol, there was a miniature fan. It wasn't much, but it would take the edge off the heat.
Several minutes later, You and Stampede still haven't come out. Operative got out of the car
That was when he saw three SUVs turning into the parking lot. They weren't the same make and model, and they weren't all black, but they were driving right in a straight line headed this way. And in this city, there's no way that three vehicles would be right behind each other without at least one vehicle trying to go around the one in front. Especially with two lanes open.
Operative runs back to the car and turns the ignition. He pulls the car back behind the building, hopping the curb, and drove into the treeline out of sight. Once the car was out of sight, he grabs the machine pistol and starts to watch the road for anyone to come in. Thirty seconds later, and all three vehicles pulled in.
Gas masks, armored HAZMAT suits, tactical vests over them, automatic weapons. They looked like militia, but they didn't have any logos. There was a mix or races and sexes, so it wasn't the Neo-Confederates or the Possee Civis. They looked too professional and well armed to be the NTL Cooperative.
Operative faded back into the brush as the apparent leader stepped out and started giving orders. He was wearing heavy armor and was carrying a Light Machine Gun.
"Rosser Squad, Combine Squad, on me. Shotguns take point. If we see Lussiac, we shoot on sight. Alma Squad, take position inside the building. If anyone but us tries to get in or out, light 'em up. Drivers, get those vehicles out of here. We don't wanna tip anyone off we're here."
A chorous of 'sirs' ring out from the group of people as they start to file into the store.
"Shit…" Operative says.
Before he can call it in, you come in over the radio. "Operative. Looks like we finally have a positive. We're setting up an ambush for Lussiac after Stampede goes through her stuff."
"We have a bigger problem, Vigil" Operative says. "There are armed hostiles here. At least 10, no, 15. All armed with automatic weapons and shotguns, all armored, and headed into the building."
Operative looks back up. He was a good shot, and he'd been in a scrap before, but taking on fifteen people at once was not happening. Even if we fired right now and took out a few of them, the rest would cut him down even if it was just on accident. It was enough to give him pause as the hostiles entered the building.
---------------------------------
You and Stampede start your search of the bunker. By now, you both know your way around. Left side is a residential area with bunks, kitchens, and the like. Right is the, well, work area you suppose.
As you both search the bunker, Stampede starts talking. "You know, I was wondering, why the knight thing?"
"Knight thing?" You ask.
"Can you talk about that? I mean is that allowed?"
"Yeah, I can talk about it" You say. "But still, what do you mean, my 'thing'?"
"Yeah, I mean, some heroes have a... a 'thing'. You know, those two archers. Inquisator has his "blah blah, I'm a servent of God" thing-"
"Wasn't he a Cardinal? I mean an actual Cardinal in the Vatican? Pretty sure at least saying that is part of the job description" You say.
"But he means it." Stampede says. "He has his thing, Gangbuster had his soldier thing, and you have your knight thing. Buster was a soldier, but I highly doubt you were a knight."
"How do you know?" You say, grinning. "Maybe I was frozen and thawed out to be a hero."
"Heh, very funny" Stampede says as she opens another door. It was the same room that you first saw Lussiac in, deep in the bunker. "So, who was your liege? Who did you swear your life and your sword to?" She asks in old-time english accent.
"Ah, I pledged my sword to The Earl of Sandwich. I froze myself out of shame because I could never remember the bastard's name" You say, matching the accent with your own.
You and Stampede look around the room. This one wasn't as disused.
In the corner, you see a bedrool in the corner. It doesn't look like it's seen much use, but it was out of place. On one of the tables sits some lab equipment, tissue samples, even a vial of dark red blood. There are several notebooks, as well as a computer sitting on another desk.
You're suddenly very quiet. Most of the places you were at before were completely ababdoned. But you see come signs that someone, that Lussiac was living here.
"Holy shit..." You say.
"Yeah..." Stampede says. "We searched the rest of the bunker, right?"
"This was the last room" You say. "Think we should set up an ambush? Wait for Lussiac to come back-"
"And gank her as soon as she walks through the door" Stampede says, a wicked smile forms on her face. "I'm gonna break into the computer. You let Operative know. I'm seeing just what she's up to on here..." She takes out a flash drive and plugs it into the computer and starts powering it up
"Well, I was gonna do that, but it looks like Stampede's got it" Jasmine says.
"Operative. Looks like we finally have a positive. We're setting up an ambush for Lussiac after Stampede goes through her stuff."
"We have a bigger problem, Vigil" Operative says. "There are armed hostiles here. At least 10, no, 15. All armed with automatic weapons and shotguns, all armored, and headed into the building."
"And that's the only way out..." You say.
"What was that?" Stampede asks as she waits for the computer to boot up.
"FUCK" Is all you can say in response.
Stampede turns on her transmitter and gets the same information you just got. She simply sighs, and furrows her brow in frustration.
"Stampede, I think your bot would come in handy about now" You say.
"It would..." Stampede says. "But it's still at my base, it'll take 10 minutes to get here and it's too big to get through the hole." As she says this, her eyes widen. "We're stuck down here…" She swears under her breath.
"Well, call it anyway. Better to try and get it then to have the chance to use it and not even tried."
"Yeah" Stampede says as she taps a button on what looks like a repurposed key fob. "Now, we just need to work about getting us and the data out of here."
"Well, since the computer's on, I could probably download what we need off of there" Jasmine says. "Though you'd need to keep the Hotspot in range of the computer
"What's the range again?" You ask.
"About... fifty feet or so feet. Maybe seventy-five"
"So, inside of the bunker and just outside the building?"
"Yeah"
"Who are you talking to?" Stampede asks. "You aren't going Section 8 on me, are you?" Her voice sounds concerned, but you notice she has a slightly tighter grip on her rifle.
"It's a person on the other side" You say.
"If you're talking to dead people-" Stampede starts.
"No, I have a headset. I have someone whose gonna download the data from the computer while we work on getting out of here."
Sonya and Stampede
[] Communicate with Jasmine to try to sneak out of the bunker. (Roll default stealth)
[] You take point and just fight your way out.
[] Write in
Operative
[] Try to lure one or two of them outside, kill them, and take their place. Ambush the remainder of the squad from there.
- [] Write in a plan
[] Toss some flashbangs inside and start shooting through the windows, using the trees as concealment.
[] Write in
Sonya
HP: 20/20
FP: 9/10
Armor: 20
Stampede
HP: 9/9
FP: 9/9
Armor: 5
Alias: Operative
HP: 12/12
FP: 12/12
Armor: 10
----------------
Enemies
Militia Mook
Weapons: Various SMGs/Shotguns
Armor: 3
Strength 13
DX 13
IQ 10
HT 11
HP: 10
Perception: 12
Brawl: 12
Club: 14
Driving: 13
Guns (Rifle): 11
Guns (Pistol): 11
Guns (Shotgun) 12
Intimidation 10
Knife: 14
Number: 14
Commander Rosen
HP: 13/13
Weapon: LMG
Armor: 10
Strength 13
DX 13
IQ 10
HT 12
HP: 13
Perception: 12
Brawl: 14
Club: 15
Driving: 15
Guns (MG): 13
Guns (Pistol): 13
Intimidation 13
Knife: 14
Leadership: 12
Quick-Draw: 14
Stealth: 13
Tactics: 10
