chicago mission ♔ the people under your feet are shooting stars in the night

[rationalizes]

♬ Dreamworld - Rilo Kiley

WHO || Gar, Kat, Mark, Dumage, Martha, Myri, Buffy, Sven, Spike, Desmond Descant, ??, ?? [Closed]
WHAT || The Knights infiltrate Nightscape to intercept a deal for the Eternal Jade. And... so does Des. At the same time. Hilarity ensues???
WHERE || Chicago. Nightscape.
WHEN || Friday, March 9th, various tiemes.
HOW || Actionspam; Don't sweat tagging order.

It's been a busy day. Following Gar's discovery of a message that seems to imply a trade for the artifact known as the Eternal Jade will take place at a location called "Nightscape" the next evening, several of the Knights headed out to the area outlined in Hoffman Institute files, only to discover the place was an office building that sold pharmaceuticals. However, as Myrilandel stared at a strange canopied fruit stand attached to the front of the building, she began to notice something, well, quite odd about it. A long line of people waited against the edifice to enter the stand, but none of them looked as if they fit into the commercial sector whatsoever, with their leather, vinyl, spiked hair, glitter, colored hair, etc. In fact, only by staring at the image presented and concentrating could the others recognize there was something wrong with the whole picture - something that caused theirs eyes to rebound off from it and find the entire scene innocuous otherwise. The line of people disappeared into the canopy - but none of the crowd ever came out again, defying any logic about how many people could humanly fit inside the tiny stand at a time.

It was clear that it wasn't just any fruit stand.

It was an entrance. They quickly surmised just what it had to be an entrance to. Myrilandel managed to note a number of guards emerging from the club after hours, dressed in some kind of futuristic looking armor that... looks a lot like Halo armor. She spotted the symbol on the side of the van they climbed into, and the surveillance team took note of it before heading back to the hotel.

Meanwhile, the research team back home (Kat, Buffy, and Sven mostly, since Gar passed out asleep in her chair) threw themselves into finding out what they could about Nightscape: and found rumors about an invite-only underground club, whose location was protected by magic, which seemed to mesh with what the other Knights had seen. The most interesting aspect of the club, however, wasn't just the fact that invitations to it come in the form of pills that implant directions into the subject's unconscious mind, but that supposedly it played havoc with the memories of those who frequent it. Every visit fades from the patron's mind when they leave, in the same way a dream does - they could remember a vague feeling of what it was like, but not any details about what actually occurred - and the more they attempted to remember, the more the memories would elude them.

Today, they've managed to look up that symbol Myri noticed on the side of the van and identify it as belonging to a private security firm that hires out to wealthy patrons in often underhanded deals. Which has allowed a plan of action to be hatched. :O

The Knights will coordinate efforts to plant a fake detour between the security firm and the club, derailing a van full of guards to lead to a stop light that will be controlled by Kat. And allow them to come up through a conveniently placed manhole to plant a device on the underbelly of the truck that will cripple its battery temporarily. At this point, the Knights will assume control of the vehicle, and Kat, Gar, Buffy, and Spike will don the armor of the guards and take their weapons, proceeding to the club as security personnel. Mark and Myrilandel will transport the captured guards to somewhere safe to keep them out of the way and possibly interrogate them. Dumage and Martha will drop off Sven at the club - he'll be attempting to bluff his way through the front door as a patron so that they can have an eye in the crowd as well, and then the ladies will park on the street to sit and wait as a getaway car / backup if necessary.

Obviously, nothing could possibly go wrong. :)

[ooc; subthreads to come!]

Comments

PICKING TEAMS

[rationalizes]

[After all that hullaboo last night, and learning about the security firm this morning, Gar's explained her plan... but it's time to decide who's doing what!]

We'll need, of course, for someone to monitor the actual guards in a secure location... perhaps even find out what they know about this ... Nightscape while you have the opportunity. And someone will have to be prepared in case an emergency arrives, to act as back-up. And then the actual infiltration team itself, which I had imagined would consist of... Kat and myself...

[bigbad]

You'll need more muscle. [...Sorry Gar and Kat, neither of you strike Spike as major fighters.]

[slays]

Spike's right. [ God, that hurt to say. Physically hurt. ] You guys might need back up. I can come with you, in case things get dicey.

[shootfirst]

Hey, we have muscle. ... Plus giant guns if Myri's description of these guys is right.

THE DETOUR || Procuring the van, etc.

[postergirl]

[HERE COMES THE VAN a couple blocks away, and it's everyone's cue to move the shit into position.

Annnd Dumage is dressed up as a sexy traffic cop along with this totally convincing DETOUR sign that she got from somewhere you probably don't want to know about, waving the oncoming van to the left to follow the zigzag of detour signs that Mark is putting in place right now. The van rumbles that away, and Kat, on the street corner ahead, sits like Dr. Horrible "texting" some very important things that just happen to coincide with the light turning red. The vehicle slows to a halt and it's the turn of whoever agreed to ... climb down into the sewers to place that device on the vehicle's underside.

First person to respond gets the job, with a Strength check of 13 to lift the lid in a timely matter and a dex check of 12 or higher to slap the thing on in the appropriate location]

[bigbad]

[Sewers, it turns out, are pretty convenient for getting around. Even if they're kind of smelly. Spike makes a mental note of this as he waits below, waiting for his moment. Maybe he can use them during the day, if he could find ones that came out in shady areas. It's worth considering.

But he'll have to consider it later. The van rumbles by above him and he pushes up the lid fairly easily with his strength check of 15. He doesn't come out of the sewer more than he has to. He just reaches out and puts the device in its place. His efforts are a little clumsy, dex check 13, but he gets it on there solidly enough. He texts Kat the word "done" while he's still above ground and has service, then back down into the sewer he goes.]

[shootfirst]

[Kat grins to herself when the text pops up on her phone, and then with the press of a couple buttons, the light magically turns ~green~ again, but rather than lurch forward into traffic, the engine springs to life, then dies out slowly with a pathetic whine. The van rolls forward just a few feet and then comes to a dead stop. Inside, the driver frowns, checking the dash, and shouting something at the other people in the vehicle.

The passenger argues with him for a moment, before growling a response and throwing open his door-- where another one of the Knights will be waiting to take him out. Once again, whoever responds first can... have the job and roll the appropriate rolls (intimidate checks, attacks, whatever they gonna do ]

[slays]

[ Buffy steps off the sidewalk as the passenger climbs out of the car, waiting for him just behind the view of the van's cab so that the others won't immediately get suspicious, casually decking him with a check of str 31, dmg 12. ]

INFILTRATION || Kat, Gar, Buffy, Spike.

[shootfirst]

[Presuming everything goes... okay in that last thread (may the Dice be with you) then this foursome will be getting suited up in the safety of the van, parked close to the fruit stand.

The body armor is ridiculously clunky, (though it at least offers a giant Defense bonus of +6??) so it's bound to slow them down, not to mention each suit comes complete with an oversized gun (that does 2d8 damage). Inside the visor of each helmet is a HUD that identifies things like Robocop when you look around. ... You're all UNIDENTIFIED until you put the armor on, at which point you appear to each other by names: LANGLEY, MYERS, ANDERSON, and MOLITO.]

[slays]

I think I'm seeing the flaw in our plan. [ Buffy makes a face -- that ... no one can see, because she has a helmet on -- as she pulls on the last of the body armor. ] There's so no way to move in this stuff. And why do we need to carry this, anyway? [ She holds up the gun. Well, it'll at least ... probably get some ok bludgeoning damage. ] Who were they planning on shooting? They couldn't even stay upright long enough to get to their guns to shoot us.

[rationalizes]

[When Gar speaks, the vocal modulator from the helmet makes her sound like a monotone dude, which... would allow Buffy to realize she probably sounds the exact same] I imagine it's more about presenting an image of intimidation, perhaps. Discouraging problems before they arise. Either way, we'll need to keep up the image that they're expecting to see.

[shootfirst]

Hopefully, it'll give us more access to private areas of the place. Though if you really hate it, maybe you can find a place to dump it once we're in there.

INTERROGATION || Mark, Myri

[nosdacaraid]

[Assuming, once again, that the trade goes smoothly (and hey, that's what Action Points are for!), Mark and Myri branch off from the others after the guards are swapped into the Knights' own personal van. Mark takes the wheel, but he's noticeably distracted, and keeps glancing back in the rearview mirror, frowning heavily.]

[witchwoman]

[Mark's distraction is making Myri nervous]

Is something wrong?

[nosdacaraid]

Huh? [He glances at her sharply.] Oh, uh. Nooo. Just... mission jitters.

DROPPING OFF SVEN / GETAWAY CAR SITTING... || Dumage, Martha (and Sven at first)

[postergirl]

[Dumage let Martha drive, because doing the actual driving sounded suspiciously like work... Either way, she'll do her part by leaning into the back seat, with a shark-like smile at Sven.]

Are you ready for this, then?

[aproperdoctor]

[OH GOD Martha had better not have to do any drive checks.] You'd think infiltrating a nightclub would be more your sort of thing, Dumage.

[thebetrayer]

[yeah because women get an auto-crit fail hur hur hur. 8) But omg Martha Sven is s-so offended that you think he's not worthy of this job. Not really.]

Definitely. [He smiles at Dumage, undeterred by her ... sharkness. He looks ready, ok. With this whole punk formal thing he has going.] Don't tell me you're finally showing concern for my welfare.

OTHER... INFILTRATION || Des, Liam.

[driveangry]

[Meanwhile, not long after all that hubbub ... yet another car parks up a couple of blocks. Except this one is full of a lot more testosterone. Liam puts the car in park, and looks over at his passenger expectantly.]

You know what to do. Chances are the deal won't be going on in front of everybody, so see what you can do about getting behind the scenes, once you're in there. [He pulls down his visor, glancing out from under it across the street]

... Whatever you do, don't walk out of there without the jade. I'll be waiting.

[nothingsodivine]

One question. How likely is it that I'm gonna get shot? [This is a really important questions, Liam.]

[driveangry]

Depends.

Sven's Excellent Adventures

[behindcloseddoors]

[As he crosses the street, Sven would find himself a part of the slowly moving line heading into the fruit stand.

It's probably pretty noticeable that some people in line who are trying to text or make calls are looking frustrated, or complaining about their technology not working. Some of them look ready to freak out without their texting fix. But no one leaves the line of their own accord.]

[driveangry]

[Liam just stares when Des shows up at the car with a girl in tow.]

Mixing business and pleasure, are we?

[nothingsodivine]

You're not gonna believe this. [He opens the back door of the car, so Jade can get in.] Liam? This is Eterna Jade. Jade? Liam. [He climbs into the front seat and starts ripping his shirt at the shoulder.] So much for not getting shot.

[borrowedheaven]

[Jade eases into the back, pursing her lips together. Liam looks back over his shoulder, eyebrows hitting his hairlin-- theoretical hairline.]

I hope you've got someone who can take a look at that.