Alone Together (IC)

Spoiler:

Stubbs smile woulda lit up the night sky. It been damn too long since he be firing a weapon. He grabs it from Wiremu and takes a quick blast at the one that jus' be failin' ta hit the driva.

"Get sum!"

Updated Musk Truck Stats:

Shooting:

As Wiremu closes the distance between the car with the bright red circle on its side, Stubbs deftly grabs his M36 and lines up a shot. The quick flash-burn of a las discharge assaults your eyes as the smell of ozone does the same to your noses. A perfect hole is punched through the windshield of your truck. The gunner-ganger immediately catches it in the forehead and tumbles back into the car. He's lucky the windshield absorbed the immediate shot or he surely would been killed.

But perhaps he isn't lucky. As he tumbles back into the car, Wiremu expertly rams into its rear right quarter panel. It jerks hard to the right before spinning out of control and slamming into a series of store fronts. While it doesn't explode or anything nearly as fancy as that, it is clearly out of business for the time being.

But they always fething explode in the pict-dramas...

The action slowed down the Bastards a bit, causing Petra to pull away some.

Spoiler:

Stubbs be whoopin' loud into tha air, the shot done gone and did sum gud. Though the damn chindit's drivin' be tha damn kicka. Put dem out of commishun.

"Woooo boy! You don't be tellin' me how gud you was. I mean, shit."

When Stubbs be turnin' back though, Petra's car be damn far away.

"Yo, yo, we losin' the big target. Step on it son!"

Wiremu shouts along with Stubbs.

"Fuck yes! Nothing else to do on my home planet but drive brother! Definitely got lucky though! Here we fucking go!"

With that he floors it after Petra.

Spoiler:

Wiremu caught back up with seeming ease. The Chindit's skills no doubt brought Stubbs back memories of Yorke - 7th squad's old vehicle specialist. The two could not have had different personalities, but skills were skills.

As soon as Wiremu gains on Petra. The vehicle starts to slow down before finally coming to a stop. There is a moment or so where nothing happens. Then, slowly, the passenger door opens and Petra steps out confidently and with a demeanor that commanded the area. It was as though they had not just been involved in a high speed chase.

"So," he said in a booming, deep voice. "How much?" His mouth split into a wide grin and he calmly pulled out a fat Lhogar, lighting it while waiting for a reply.

Wiremu stops the car and looks at Stubbs.

"Da fuck do we do now??"

Stubbs talks in to tha bead in his ear.

"We got him stoppin', ya'll best be gettin' hur soon. Othawise, we might be icin' a fool."

Stubbs looks ova at Wiremu.

"Les play wit 'im a little. Get sum time fuh tha po po to get hur."

Stubbs calls out from tha window.

"How much you got, fool?"

Spoiler:

Petra took a puff, the smoke trailing up from the sides of his grin. "More than the Arbitrator bitch could ever offer you. And you'd be idiots not to understand that. You've seen my establishment; I'm a businessman, not a fool. You're clearly a better driver than my man here, so we aren't outrunning you."

He shrugged and opened his coat. Clearly visible was an ornate hand cannon and an equally fancy vox unit. "We could have a gun fight. Or, how did you phrase it? 'Play with me a little'? Not all of us walk away from that. And sooner or later my business associates will show up." He patted the vox.

"So, let's not cock around. How much?"

Wiremu cursed this shitty place again.

He cast his eyes around the interior of the vehicle, trying to look for some weapon.

He spoke to stubbs as his eyes searched, not trying to keep his voice down.

"Bro we be out of this shitty place soon. Money aint going to do shit..."

Looking at Petra, he spoke a little louder.

"Money aint no good. We pissing off soon and you cant buy shit all in the middle of fucking nowhere. What you got in the way of more practical shit?"

Spoiler:

Wiremu paused and thought for a second...

"And can you get us back to our ship without us being caught?"

Wiremu finds a Stub Revolver in the glove compartment of the truck as he digs around.

"Throne gelt is no good on ships anymore? Damn, must have been a while since I was in the void, I guess. I can get you back to your ship - know the back roads. Don't have any material on me, and your Arbitrator friends are either dead or loading up my loot as evidence currently. Either way, I'll have to move business elsewhere. So, best I can do is give you that Truck you're in. Seems you've taken a liking to it as is."

He waited, still as stone.

Wiremu turns and looks at Stubbs before turning back to Petra.

“Just gis us a second to figure things out? Don’t stress, we be fast as. Both of us short on time...”

He turns back to Stubbs and lowers his voice.

“Bro...I got us into this shit. I don’t want to fuck things up anymore for you... But I got yo back cuz.”

Spoiler:

Stubbs be pickin' up on the big man out thur. He seent him or sumthing, cause he damn well be usin' tha same words against Stubbs and Wiremu. The big man puts a big 'ol hand ova his mouth and whispers to Wiremu in a hushed tone.

"Shit man, we can't be makin' it worse for Capn. We run now and dem Arbites be damn all ova us wheneva we come back hur."

Stubbs, keepin' his mouth covered, be talkin' to tha lady.

"Uh, you guys thur? I mean shit, we got a situation ova hur and you be diddlin' yourselves....you copy?"

Stubbs gets no reply.

As Stubbs now covers his mouth, Petra's face hardens a bit. He doesn't look angry, just contemplative.

"Got a lot of loyalty to the Arbites, is that it? They treat you well? Hard to believe they took an immediate liking to some Off-Porters who are new in town. I'm trying to make this easy on you, but if you don't want that, that's fine."

He took another puff of his lhogar and threw it to the ground. It was clear his patience was getting close to its end.

Wiremu barked a laugh and spoke up so Petra could hear him.

"Fuck off! "Treat us right my ass" Tell that to the fucking welts on my back!"

He shook his head and spat on the floor of the truck.

"Fucking arbites..."

And with that, he puts his foot down, and accelerates towards Petra.

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

As Wiremu accelerates, the back window of Petra's car explodes as an autogun opens up on full automatic. There were two shooters Stubbs and Wiremu hadn't seen behind the tinted windows, but only one was shooting. The other looked to have weapon trouble. It didn't matter though, as the first aims his weapon right at Wiremu.

The shots are right on target, unless the Chindit can get out of the way...

Spoiler:

Round 1

Spoiler:

Wiremu feels the impact of the rounds against his armor. Two hit the truck, but that third shot stung. He counted himself lucky it wasn't his head that got hit. As the Musk Truck sways and misses, it ends up moving about 10m to the right of Petra.

It was on Wiremu. Now what?

+++
Wiremu 12 - 10m from Petra & goons; 1 crit damage body.
Petra 11 -
Stubbs 7 -
Goon 6 -
Goon 4 -

Wiremu swore as the round hit.

"Fuck! Lets get out of here!"

Wiremu keeps heading away from Petra and the autoguns behind them.

Spoiler:

Round 1 Continued

Petra pulled his handcannon and quickly fired off a shot in the general area of Wiremu's head. He called out something to his goons that the Bastards surely couldn't hear.

The shot goes well wide of the mark.

Stubbs


+++
Wiremu 12 - 30m from Petra & goons; 1 crit damage body.
Petra 11 - MW Hand Cannon
Stubbs 7 - w/Wiremu
Goon 6 -
Goon 4 -

Spoiler:

Stubbs lined up a shot on Petra. He know they damn well be makin' a mess, but shit, he didn't like tha guy. And when Stubbs don' be likin', he sumtimes be makin' stupid mistakes. But feth it.

"Aight, get ta gettin'. I try to make 'em think twice bou firin' again!"

He pulled tha trigga, hoping to at least make Petra scream a little.

Spoiler:

The shot grazes Petra's head, drawing blood. As the truck drives away, he gets back in his vehicle and takes off up and out of sight.

Spoiler:

"Ah shit man, missed his ass," Stubbs be sayin' before turnin' back in tha seat and lookin' ova at Wiremu. He'd wished he coulda seen the pricks head explode all ova tha place, but meh, a graze be havin' ta do.

"Could be usin' a lho right bout now, ya hear? And shit, I guess we gon' done and fethed it up," the big man said, leanin' back deep in the seat.

"You think we can get our way back ta tha boys? We been away frum dem fuh far too long."

Wiremu grimaced at his wounds and took a moment to look behind them, not seeing anybody following them.

"Sounds good bro...but we dont know the fuck where they are. Or those cops. Fuck what a mess...."

Spoiler:

Stubbs packed his gun away and got a lil mo comfy in tha seat.

"I ain't gotta a clue, but shit we might jus' as well go back to the area we be knowin'. Maybe we gets lucky and pick up tha scent 'o them."

Wiremu easily finds his way back through the streets the way they had come. It doesn't take long before the duo are back at the front of the club.

The scene is mayhem. Aside from Special Arbitrator Anderson's vehicle, there is maybe one Arbites vehicle. The backup that had come had clearly not been sufficient. As to why that was, it was anyone's guess.

Bullet holes riddles the vehicles and the front of the club alike. From here, it looked as though neither side had won. Nothing stirred.

Stubbs be listenin' hard fuh any sound o' life. Like if dem damn Arbites be dead or not. He looks ovuh at tha Chindit.

"Damn, what be happenin' hur? I sho as shit hope none of tha squad be stuck up in thur. Les' check out tha vehicles a bit closuh, like."

Stubbs be gettin' out of the car, slow as he could, tryin' ta keep it silent. He crouches low, inchin' forward towards tha closest Arbites vehicle.

Spoiler:

Wiremu replies to Stubb's as he gets out of the vehicle.

"Be careful...i dont like the look of this...."

He looks around himself looking for any signs of anything, but stays in the vehicle.

Spoiler:

The Musk-Truck and Wiremu faced forward; Petra's club was to the left - stairs leading up to the doors showing obvious signs of a gunfight. The Arbites vehicles were directly ahead, creating an obstacle in the road, but not blocking it entirely. Stubbs was up there by one of the cars. To the right, the shops were closed and the break off alleyways quiet.

The lights were down now, and the two couldn't remember when that had happened. Dim, red emergency lighting glowed from those bulbs that had not been broken or fallen into disrepair.

Spoiler:

Stubbs looks around the car and cannot see any sign of anyone or anything. Maybe they were inside?

Likewise, Wiremu sees and hears nothing. Maybe they had retreated?

They are both taken quite by surprise then when they finally realize that they have been approached. Too busy staring at their immediate vicinity, the Chindit and Bastard failed to see the figures coming out of the alleyways nearby.

There were six of them, all armed. Some had autoguns, while others had shotguns. They all wore thick uniforms - the type space miners or heavy laborers might wear and most faces were covered with bandannas, balaclavas, or heavy mining masks.  

They had Wiremu and Stubbs semi-surrounded in a half circle to their immediate front, space apart. They must have come from the alleyways on both flanks of the two.

They made no aggressive moves. One stepped forward, his weapon aimed toward the ground in a non-threatening manner, gestured with a gloved hand for you two to come forward. His face was covered in a red bandanna from the nose down and he wore a simple cap on top of his head.

Stubbs didn't be hearin' shit. And damn he was surprised when dem damn fools came out tha alleyway. But the big guy didn't raise his gun, nah, nobody be shootin', nobody be aimin'. So the big guy just stood there fuh a second, takin' in the new figures. They was sho nuff summin' else entirely. Lookin' not much like what dey been seein' since dey got in the port. Another mystery group. Stubbs didn't be makin' no sudden moves, but he be keepin' his instincts tight. Least as tight as he could.

Hope they ain't bout to murder us.

The big man walked forward, hoping the Chindit didn't be doin' nothin' dumb. Deys got them dead to rights and it won't gonna be good ta make anymore enemies then da two of 'dem already be makin'.

"You guys be seein' what the feth happened hur? I mean apart frum a damn gunfight and all...who won?"

The big man smiled a toothy grin, tryin' ta hide the nervousness that be creepin' in.

Wiremu looked around surprised at seeing those around them.

"Well shit...."

He slowly turned the car off, and stepped out, heading over towards Stubbs

The man in front kept his lasgun down and away and moved his hand to gesture at Wiremu to come forth just as the Chindit was getting out of the car.

Bandana still pulled up over his nose, he regarded Stubbs. "We did," his horse voice croaked out. A couple of the others behind him laughed and nodded. Their demeanor seemed professional - not like the Arbites, and definitely nothing like Petra's gangers and goons.

He gestured into Petra's club. "Head on inside. Streets aren't safe."

Wiremu wondered what they had run back into...

"No problem cuz"

As he starts heading towards the club a wave of weariness washes over him as the adrenaline from the driving and the brief firefight wore off.

He stumbled a little as the pain from his wounds washed over him.

"Ah fuck that hurts..."

He steadied himself and kept walking.

Stubbs be lookin' at tha one speakin', prolly tha leader like. He be noddin' his head a little. What otha choice they got now, cuz damn dey damn well outnumbud.

"Aight, I guessin' we goin' in. But, you ain't Arbites, and you ain't that fetha's goons neither. Least I be thinkin' so. So who you is?"

Stubbs be walkin' as he says it. Hopin' they weren't bout ta be killed execution style. Dat would suck. He notices Wiremu stumble and be raisin' an eyebrow.

"You aight?"

Wiremu turned and gave a slightly pained grin.

"Shes been a rough day. All starting to hit me bro. I should be sweet. Be good to sit down though huhuhuhu."

"We're the Innerwyrms," it said matter-of-factly.

They were led inside the club. The doors were shut behind and your eyes began to adjust. It had clearly been the subject of an intense firefight, as the bodies of both Arbites and Petra's gangers were spread about here and there. More of the Innerwyrms were inside, milling about. They were also armed.

In the corner, Special Arbitrator Anderson was bound and unconcious.

The man then turned to regard you. As he did so, a couple of the others raised their weapons on you.

He pulled down his bandanna, and for the first time you see what's wrong with his face. Leathery, purplish skin surrounded a mouth that was filled with razor sharp teeth. The M36 in his hands also started to seem more recognizable, to Stubbs at least. He had seen that weapon before..

...It belonged to 7th squad. It belonged to the corporal, Artur.

"Surrender your weapons. Now."

Ah, shit! Where he be gettin' Artur's gun? Feth me, if dis ain't tha end then we be damn lucky. Hopin' da rest da squad made it out.

Stubbs point ovuh at tha M36.

"Where you be gettin' that anyway?"

Stubbs don' be wantin' ta surrenduh firearms and the like, but shit, dey outmanned, outgunned, and done wit dis whole thang. He takes out his gun and drops it to the ground.

"What you gon' do wit her?," he be noddin' his head towards the Arbitrator.

Wiremu gestured to his empty hands.

"I got nothing. I gave my gun to him while i was driving."

He nods in the direction of the gun now on the ground.

Wiremu looks down as he gestures and sees the pistol he found in the car stuffed in his belt.

"Fuck. Sorry bro. Long day."

He takes the pistol out and drops it to the ground.

Two of the Innerwyrm move forward and gather the weapons while another two move forward and tie each of their wrists together in front of them. Simultaneously, they were patted down, and all weapons not previously concealed (none) were removed.

Spoiler:

The leader with the ballcap and Artur's rifle has stopped responding to questions entirely at this point. His demeanor remains entirely professional, almost to a fault. Even though this guy didn't quite fit the bill for a human being, it was clear it had been professionally trained to fight.

Another voice from the second floor - Petra's office - filters down. It was sing song and full of charisma. You almost couldn't help but immediately be drawn to it. The figure wears a long, red and purple dress that is form fitting to her tight feminine frame. Her head is bald and her skin has the same off-purple hue of the other Innerwyrm. But aside from a few odd bumps on her forehead, she looked much more human than the other mutants here.

Your Mom:

"No need to apologize. You complied with the orders and gave up your weapons willingly. I see that as a good sign; clearly, you are both smart enough to understand the situation you find yourselves in. Unlike some of the others we have encountered. Like the Special Arbitrator you asked about earlier, for example." Her low gothic was impeccable, and you had a feeling that so too was her High Gothic, even though neither of you had any clue how to understand it aside from the odd phrase here or there.

She strode down the stairs with grace, elegance, but most of authority.

"I take it you know her," she asked to both of you. It wasn't really a question as much as it was a statement of fact. As she made her way forward, she was greeted by crisp salutes that dropped down when she passed by.

She moved over to Special Arbitrator Anderson and gently touched her head. Anderson remained out cold and the woman smiled sweetly.

The leader of the paramilitary unit then stepped forward and regarded Wiremu and Stubbs: "You are now prisoners of the Innerwyrm; if you follow directives, you will not be harmed. If you resist, you will be shot."

Wiremu nodded wearily at Arbite.

"Yeah she got us into this mess...."

Wiremu was tired and bleeding. His back still hurt from the whipping earlier. He had gotten Stubbs caught up in this.

This had not been a good day.

Stubbs be noddin' his head. He damn well was surprised, but did his damndest ta not be showin' it. Mutants. Not that tha big man had any type of thang against 'em. I mean deys weren't no orks or nuthin' else, but shit. Not good ta be prisonuhs again. He didn't like that word, not no mo. Not since tha freedom dey been given.

"Yeah, she got us on ta tha owner o' dis here club. Be makin' us ta get him."

Stubbs still itchin' bout Artur's stuff. He regards tha one in the ballcap.

"You take that off a corpse or jus' find it somewhere?"

The woman regarded Stubbs, smiled warmly, and nodded. "In due time, all will be revealed."

With that, the militant leader made a gesture and Stubbs and Wiremu were sat at a table, hands visible on top and bound, overseen by at least four guards.