Black War Syndicate(Started. Open. PM the GM)

[Evrant-Knight]

Awaking from a somewhat peaceful slumber, Caspian had a looked at his wrist computer which received a message from Mantis. It seems he had a series of missions planned for the group, with which they had the choice of choosing where to go. Caspian began looking through the options presented to them.

"Hmmm, mission one sounds like a stake out or a reconnaissance type assignment; and whilst I have some skills in that field, I fear that they would be insufficient. And the last time I tried an interrogation, things got a little bit messy. Mission two on the other hand, seems more like my sort of thing; to which I mean I've stolen things before, and also move about undetected." He remarked to himself, writing a number two on the communicator screen. After straightening out his clothes, he proceeded to the common area/kitchen.

Upon arriving, he saw Stefan and Calvin chatting away, not noticing his presence, as he grabbed some orange juice from the fridge, and made himself some toast to have as a breakfast. When he was done, he joined them at the seating area.

"Good morning gentlemen, I trust you had a reasonable nights sleep?"

 

[WhyBotherToTry]

"My... interrogations had a tendency to involve evidence, talk and accusations. We were not legally allowed to assault criminals in our custody, of course. Still, I know a bit about computers, I suppose. Though I don't doubt there's someone with more tech savvy than me around. We'll do with what we can get, I suppose. I'd love to have someone to watch my back, though once we see what we're dealing with we should assign roles, not just yet. I'm pretty sure I'll be where it's the most dangerous though. I'm not good with long ranged weapons and my eyes are fairly ordinary compared to some people here."

If he's not good with long range guns, then god help whoever he points that rail gun at, thought Calvin. "You're probably right about assigning roles, Mantis will let us know more before we leave."

They were then joined by Caspian.
"Good morning gentlemen, I trust you had a reasonable nights sleep?"
"It was okay I suppose", remarked Calvin. "It's a bit like being back in school, sharing a living space with people I don't know very well. I hope you slept alright, we'll need our wits about us today. Which assignment did you pick?"

 

[Evrant-Knight]

"It's a bit like being back in school, sharing a living space with people I don't know very well. I hope you slept alright, we'll need our wits about us today. Which assignment did you pick?"

"I guess your right about it being like a school, although I never went to one. You could say I was home schooled, home being a carnival. Anyway, thanks for asking about how I slept, which was fairly okay; mattress a little hard, but I sleep easy some times. As for what assignment I chose, number two, sounds like it fits more my skillset, since I've done some thief work in my time." Caspian responded, as he drank some of the juice and took several bites out of the toast.

"So, what do guys think of Mantis then?"

 

[WhyBotherToTry]

"I guess your right about it being like a school, although I never went to one. You could say I was home schooled, home being a carnival. Anyway, thanks for asking about how I slept, which was fairly okay; mattress a little hard, but I sleep easy some times. As for what assignment I chose, number two, sounds like it fits more my skillset, since I've done some thief work in my time."

"We both picked the same one. Stefan says he's good with computers and I can provide cover." We should probably wait until we know more before we decide who does what though."

Calvin thought back to his earlier conversation with Mustakraken before answering Caspian's question. "What do I think of Mantis? It's hard to say, we know next to nothing about him other than the fact that he seems to be incredibly well-funded. I have to admit I'm a bit concerned though. We don't know why he wants Black gone, and for all we know he might have something even worse in store for us and the world at large. I'm going to stay cautious until he gives me a reason to suspect otherwise. What do you think of him? And Stefan, I never asked you either. What's your opinion of him?"

 

[Ganath]

"Good morning! I think I could've done with a little more sleep, but this will have to do with our situation I suppose. It's.. yeah. It's like the academy, or even university all over again. Which isn't all so bad. Seems you're with us if you picked the second task. That's good."

Almberg managed a grin. He had a bit more trust for Caspian than he did for the others. If anything, he should be able to rely on him. Difference of profession or not. He took a moment to think about what he needed to do before the mission. He realized he wouldn't bring his rail gun. That thing was quite heavy as it was and it surely wouldn't make it possible for him to move quietly at all. He'd have to readjust his kinetic device to half efficiency too, as to make the kinetic barrier more invisible. He made a mental note to get right to that after breakfast. He broke out of his thoughts by the question asked.

"So, what do guys think of Mantis then?"

"Uh...I want to trust him. I don't think I fully do though. I suppose it's the mask. The man did save my hide though and he did just arm me and give me a refuge. I'm pretty damn set. So far, he hasn't done anything to prove a sinister purpose. Of course, that doesn't mean it won't happen. Though if he saves my life again, I might need to buy him a beer. You know, to get even."

Stefan let a slight smile slip, eyeing the bread again, but he decided to stay himself. He wasn't that hungry, maybe he was just nervous. There was a lot to think about after all. Right down to the thought of wether he should get some coffee as well or not.

"I am a little more interested in whom we're working for though... On a larger scale, I mean. That's... a gnawing thought."

 

[MortifiedPenguin]

As he was sipping his coffee he heard the other discussing what they thought of their mysterious benefactor.

"I am a little more interested in whom we're working for though... On a larger scale, I mean. That's... a gnawing thought."

"Stefen, don't worry we're working on your side for now." He said, barging into the conversation with his usual smugness. "I don't think Mantis has anything bad planned for us, nor do I think he or whoever he works for share the same world domineering plans Black does. All the possible organisation's he may be a member of seem too good natured for that. He's also very cautious, and is well versed in all of our abilities. The reason why he wears a mask if obvious, if I saw his face, I would be able to identify him within seconds."

 

[WhyBotherToTry]

"Stefen, don't worry we're working on your side for now. I don't think Mantis has anything bad planned for us, nor do I think he or whoever he works for share the same world domineering plans Black does. All the possible organisation's he may be a member of seem too good natured for that. He's also very cautious, and is well versed in all of our abilities. The reason why he wears a mask if obvious, if I saw his face, I would be able to identify him within seconds."

Oliver had butted into the conversation. Calvin turned to face him.
"Don't you think we should be a bit concerned though? He may not have the same plans as Black, but that doesn't mean he's not dangerous. For all we know, we're just disposable to him. Admittedly, it's unlikely that someone would hire people of our skills if they thought of their help as disposable, but he's clearly not lacking for funds, and I'm sure there are others out there with the same skills as us or even greater ones. He knows so much about us, it's a little unsettling. How can you be sure of who he works for?"

 

[MortifiedPenguin]

"Don't you think we should be a bit concerned though? He may not have the same plans as Black, but that doesn't mean he's not dangerous. For all we know, we're just disposable to him. Admittedly, it's unlikely that someone would hire people of our skills if they thought of their help as disposable, but he's clearly not lacking for funds, and I'm sure there are others out there with the same skills as us or even greater ones. He knows so much about us, it's a little unsettling. How can you be sure of who he works for?"

Calvin turned to face him and started wittering on about how they should be concerned about Mantis' intentions.

"One, you admit he's well funded, so why go through the lengths to break us out of jail when he could've hired anyone off the street, this man needs us in particular for something. Two, I know as much about you as Mantis does and you seem pretty...settled. Three, I can't be sure, but when certain names keep popping up over and over again it becomes a bit obvious." Oliver said matter-of-factly, "So no, I'm not concerned."

 

[WhyBotherToTry]

"One, you admit he's well funded, so why go through the lengths to break us out of jail when he could've hired anyone off the street, this man needs us in particular for something. Two, I know as much about you as Mantis does and you seem pretty...settled. Three, I can't be sure, but when certain names keep popping up over and over again it becomes a bit obvious. So no, I'm not concerned."

Oliver's retort rankled Calvin a bit.Maybe I am just being paranoid, he thought. I'm still not sure I trust Mantis fully though. I'll wait until I find out a bit more. He reflected on Oliver's closing remarks: I know as much about you as Mantis does. This too was a little unsettling.How could he know about me? Maybe he has some kind of neural implant or something. I don't trust this one either, he seems a bit too smart. And I don't like that bodyguard of his either. I'll have to keep my eye on them.

He considered saying to Oliver that perhaps Mantis only broke them out because they were his first choice, and that he may have others lined up, but he could tell it wouldn't get him anywhere. The man clearly had no regard for anyone's opinion except his own. So he just looked back at Oliver and said, "I just think it's important to consider all possible angles", and he turned back to Caspian.
"Sorry, but I never heard your answer. What do you think of Mantis?"

 

[Evrant-Knight]

"Sorry, but I never heard your answer, what do you think of Mantis?" Calvin asked again, unsure as to whether or not Caspian gave a response the first time. After finishing is breakfast, he responded.

"My apologies Calvin for not responding to you the first. I was simply interested in hearing the opinions of other before I made my own. As to what I think of Mantis, he is definitely some sort of enigma, who hides behind a web of intrigue and secrets. For now I neither trust nor distrust him, and shall reserve judgement till a time that is necessary. Whilst I'll admit that he has helped us a good deal, apart of me does not trust him fully. I wish to see what kind of hand he plays."

 

[WhyBotherToTry]

"My apologies Calvin for not responding to you the first. I was simply interested in hearing the opinions of other before I made my own. As to what I think of Mantis, he is definitely some sort of enigma, who hides behind a web of intrigue and secrets. For now I neither trust nor distrust him, and shall reserve judgement till a time that is necessary. Whilst I'll admit that he has helped us a good deal, apart of me does not trust him fully. I wish to see what kind of hand he plays."

A man after my own heart, Calvin thought. "I think that's a pretty safe approach. It'll be interesting to see what he has in store." He chewed his lower lip, and thought back to last night, when Mantis introduced himself and returned their equipment to them. He spoke to Caspian. "I saw your sword last night. It's an interesting choice of weapon. It seems to me like it'd be a bit of a liability on the battlefield though. What made you decide it was a good choice?" Hopefully this might help me find out a bit more about Caspian and how he operates, he thought to himself.

 

[Floris2123]

"I suppose that would work," Oliver nodded "I guess whoever they are would crack if we teamed up, I'll go for three as well" Jacob smiled as he agreed with his friend. Oliver then joined an conversation, about Mantis and the thought that they had on him. Jacob didn't trust Mantis completely he still had a bit of mistrust for the man. Jacob looked at Oliver.

"You know Oliver as the saying goes: the enemy of my enemy is my friend. But I don't know if that is also what happens right now. Us being saved from death row seems a bit too good to be true too me. We have to watch our backs we can't afford to be caught again." Jacob looked at Oliver with an serious look. Jacob didn't quote saying much but if he did he was deadly serious.

 

[Evrant-Knight]

"I think that's a pretty safe approach. It'll be interesting to see what he has in store." Calvin chewed his lower lip, and thought back to last night, when Mantis introduced himself and returned their equipment to them. He spoke to Caspian. "I saw your sword last night. It's an interesting choice of weapon. It seems to me like it'd be a bit of a liability on the battlefield though. What made you decide it was a good choice?" Caspian felt angered at what Calvin had said, but he then realised that the man didn't know the significance behind such a weapon, or rather, this sword in particular.

"Hmph, a liability you say. You may be right Calvin, but there is a reason why I carry this blade with me. You see it belonged to my mother, it holds some deep sentimental value; as it is one of the few possessions and memories I have left of my parents, after they were killed by Black's militia." Caspian responded with, sadness had tinged his words with sorrow, as he briefly relived the day it happened. He began telling the story to the assembled group.

"Almost ten years ago. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, any and all patrons of the Carnival were enjoying themselves with the many sideshows, rides, and attractions that were on offer. Everything was perfect, until they came. It was about midday, then out of nowhere, several armoured vehicles showed, each one with a squad of armed men. Rumours were flying as we travelled about that these people were on the hunt for criminals and gang members; and had received a tip off that there were some to be found here.

For awhile everything was quiet, people were scared, they acted skittishly compared to the merriment they was experiencing earlier. Then came the sound of gunshots, they have been stuck in my head ever since, like the thunder of drums. It was soon followed by screams of terror and panic, as innocents tried to flee; some escaped, others cut down. But the carnival didn't take this lying down, they thought to protect everything that was ours.

My parents, some of the most well natured people you could ever meet, despite their previous careers, physically ordered me to run, as they didn't want to see their son injured, or killed, or worse. Whilst I tried to avoid the conflict, I had to kill to escape, and I ran for what must of been hours, never once looking back. When I stopped, I saw fires in the distance where the carnival, my home once stood.

"You monsters, you've done it, you've taken my life away." I shouted with unbridled fury to the sky above. Little did I know that the worst was to come. I soon made my way back, and I looked around, and all I saw were shattered dreams, and broken memories. Everything I once loved was lost. Then I arrived at the place that I called home, and there they were, dead. My parents lay lifeless on the floor, they chose to fight, to the protect the one they loved the most, me." The group that was listening to his tale could almost see tears in Caspian's eyes.

"All that I could scavenge, was my father's coat, a silver locket with a picture of my parents, and the sword that my mother wielded. Thats why I have it with me Calvin, to help preserve their memory, and the memories of all who died that day."

Spoiler: OOC

Sorry for a massive wall of text, but a story like this needs a little length.

 

[Ganath]

Stefan nodded a greeting to Oliver and Jacob. He wouldn't forget his manners. He had said what he needed already on the subject of Mantis though and quite frankly, his gear was more on his mind right now. He needed to run it all through maintenance and make sure it worked as intended.

"Good morning, you two. I guess I've said all I can on Mantis, eitherway. I'm afraid I didn't fully check through my stuff yesterday evening though. I'll have to do it while I can, so I'll excuse myself for now. But.. I do think you're right. Taking down Black is aligned with my goals. I'll give you that."

Almberg cleaned up after himself, leaving the seat vacant for now. He tried to make time to reflect on everyone's thoughts but again, he felt time edging at his mind. He sighed lightly. Stefan could think about everything later. Right now he really needed to recalibrate his kinetic shield and make sure to inspect his weapons more thoroughly. He took a moment to remember the names on the boxes. Caspian and Calvin it was, he believed.

"It'll be good to work again. It took a bit more than a month of trials to get me in jail and it's not like I had access to any weapons or tasks during that time. I'll see you soon, you two. Your names were Caspian and Calvin, yeah?"

He let them speak before he departed, but shortly afterwards, he nodded politely and headed for his bed again, eager to get to work on his gear.

Spoiler: OOC

Heading off for the night, so needed to depart as to not slow down your flow Good night.

 

[WhyBotherToTry]

"All that I could scavenge, was my father's coat, a silver locket with a picture of my parents, and the sword that my mother wielded. Thats why I have it with me Calvin, to help preserve their memory, and the memories of all who died that day."

Calvin was stunned. Of all the countless horrible things Black had done, this one resonated with him, for no discernible reason. Probably just because it seems so out of character, he thought. Black had made getting rid of his corruption his top priority, his whole political campaign was based on it. He was all about protecting those who were just trying to get on with their lives. The fact that he would murder people who had left the criminal life behind them in cold blood was a horrible, if not on reflection, completely unexpected revelation.

"I'm sorry Caspian. I had no idea. Your parents sound like good people." Caspian had something of real value to carry with him. He toyed with the ring around his neck again. My own memento seems petty in comparison. "I wish I'd had that kind of relationship with my own parents. Maybe I wouldn't be here now if I had." He smiled a sad smile. "For what it's worth, it's a very nice sword. Speaking of which," he stood up. "I'd best go make sure my gear is all working."

Returning to the bedroom, he took the box out from under the bed and took his equipment out, checking it piece by piece to ensure its functionality.

 

[Yokillernick]

Byron jumped as the alarm on his wrist communicator. Byron softly cursed under his breath before looking down at the darn thing. Three missions appeared on the screen before him. Hmm, number 1 sounds interesting, might get a chance to use my gun. he thought to himself.
He thought about the other options for a minute. Number three seemed like a good mission but more suited for a grunt, someone like Jacob and his owner Oliver. So without hesitation he punched in "1" and sent it to Mantis.

He go out of bed quickly and grabbed a chocolate bar from his desk, as a light breakfast. He proceeded to dress himself in his suit, before heading out to the kitchen. The chocolate bar was not going to be enough to last him for the entire day, he might as well get something to eat. Calvin and Almberg were having a sort of argument/discussion when he entered the kitchen. He looked around, it seemed that he was the last one to wake up. Ignoring the others he made his way to the fridge, grabbed and two eggs.

From a kitchen cabinet he pulled out a pan, put some oil that was lying nearby in it and made himself two eggs. He put his eggs on a plate, along with some ham and sat down at the table. He began eating, ignoring the world around him as they started leaving the kitchen.

 

[Ganath]

Stefan had made his way back to the second bedroom on the right of the hallway. He took a seat on his bed, pulling out the gear he had collected and placing it next to him. He didn't know how much time he had to run it all through maintenance, but he figured it wasn't much. Almberg was certain Mantis expected them to work efficiently and quickly after getting his messages. He dismantled his gun and checked the various parts. The gun wasn't loaded and it hadn't fired a shot in over 2 month's. He trusted his fellow officers and their custody of the gun had seen it unabused. Everything appeared just as he had left it, which was good. He reassembled the gun carefully and put it aside. Stefan grabbed three clips and began slotting bullets into them all, loading one of the clips back into the gun and putting the spare ones next to it.

The handgun would be ready at least, he figured. He'd have to ask Mantis for a Silencer, he was certain the man had taken his time to study Almberg's equipment. Next on his list was the kinetic shield. He took the small device in his hands, activating it's digital menu, he began flicking through it's various settings. Two years of experience with this device gave him all the knowledge he needed, as he recalibrated the shield. It took him several minutes, but eventually he had the barrier at 50 percent efficiency. It wouldn't flicker or show it's golden coloured hue. The downside was that it would sacrifice half of it's capability. On the upside though, it would recharge roughly 35 percent faster, he realized it didn't scale evenly, making the calculations in his head. Putting the device down next to his handgun, he felt content, checking his kevlar vest.

It was a lighter model, light enough to allow sneaking anyhow. Which he would need. He'd rather have it if things went sour after all. He put it down next to the rest of his checked equipment, moving on to the various grenades and the rebreather mask. They all checked out, but he wouldn't be using any of it for this mission. Stefan realized he had some time left, so he put the rest of the things aside and grabbed the railgun from the side of the wall. It weighted a lot and could hardily be considered a small weapon. He checked the ammo canister and made sure it was empty. The weapon's prototype design would impede his ability to reload the weapon while the heat sink was active. He'd burn his hands off. More so, the weapon was inactive. He gingerly grabbed the ammo canister out of it's place and began feeding metal shells into it. It could only hold 3 of them, but it would be more than enough. Another flaw with the weapon was that is lacked a scope, he realized, but it would have to do. The ability to rip a giant hole in a tank was more than appealing, even if he couldn't do it from a greater distance.

Hesitantly, he put the railgun against the wall again and began dressing himself in the kevlar vest.

 

[WhyBotherToTry]

Sitting on his bed, Calvin was checking his gear. Having looked over his rifle again, he took out the 3 magazines and began slotting bullets into them. When he was finished, he laid the gun to one side, and picked up his revolver. He dithered for a moment between loading it with incendiary or regular rounds. He settled on standard rounds, but decided to bring some incendiary ones too, placing them in one of his jacket's inside pockets. Starting a quick fire might be handy for an escape. He loaded the rounds in, gave the chamber a quick spin to hear the whirring noise it made, and flicked it shut.

He took out his kevlar vest and turned it over in his hands, checking for tears or other signs of damage. Aside from a few minor scratches that it had had from before his arrest, it was in good condition. He strapped it on over his t-shirt. Next came the elbow and knee guards, put on after it was confirmed that they too, were fit to be used.

Shrugging on his jacket and stepping into his boots, he took out his belt of 8 throwing knives and clinched it about his waist. He pushed the revolver into the holster under his left arm. He sat down on the bed, running his hand along the rifle's barrel. I'll have to ask Mantis for a silencer, he said to himself.

 

[Hansinkdu]

A long slumber concluded Edmonds time of relaxation and inaction. With the common area still vacant and no further messages from Mantis, the doctor began sorting out his capsules and container in accordance with whatever task they were given. With up to 20 bottles of toxins to choose from, no task would be more arduous, although his decision for the third task was made solely on the reduced amount of drugs needed to accomplish it. Performing inventory on his possessions reminded him of his daily life in his clinic where making rounds was a common relaxing activity for him. With just a mere thought of his past clinic duties, Edmond began to wonder if the criminals here were in need of medical attention, or drugs, or possibly new cybernetics. Slightly bewildered on how slow he was to recognize how vital his profession could be at his new living area, Edmond made way to the hallway. Bag in hand, the doctor peaked his head in on the first room from the staircase and spoke cheerfully.

"So who would like to see the doctor first?"

 

[Shadowstar38]

Mantis scrolled through the files on his screen. Stopping at a heel insignia, he clicked on it and raised the bar on the side from red to green. He then clicked the speaker button and addressed those still in the makeshift living quarters

2 minutes before departure. Everyone get in gear.

Mantis opened the latch to the door leading to the sewers and waited for the others to arrive.