Death Valley: A Shadowrun RP (Game Thread)

[Anti-American Eagle]

Andrew looked at the other runners as the Tanaka left, trying to judge them.

The obvious mage, not sure which kind but they're usually useful.
The biker chick, a probable mercenary of some kind.
The flamboyent elf, a weirdo and probable face.
The woman with the mask, a probable face.
The cowboy, a definite mercenary and probable bounty hunter.
The scent guy, i'd guess a tracker of some kind.
The scar lady, a scar like that means mercenary.
The man with the blades, a melee mercenary means probably an adept.
It seems we're here to run the computers...

A little over 11K each assuming nobody dies during the job and they don't off us after it. It sounds worth it, it's only one guy, assuming this is the entire job, and they don't want us to root out whoever made the hit as well after they've had their way with him, which wouldn't suprise me. Probably between a couple of days and a month assuming we only have to grab this guy.

We could grab the mother and the ex-wife, and hold them hostage, threatening to kill them if he doesnt hand himself over to us.
No that's a shit plan, he wouldn't care, he's murdered children.
His ex-wife probably doesn't know where he is, but we should make sure.
His mother on the other hand might... I still like the idea of using her as bait though.

The headware idea sounded possible, but he wouldn't be that able if that was the case. Maybe he was loaded up on a BTL or... Black ice could easily drive someone to do it. Even more exotic would be a stirrup interface, which is possible but unlikely. If he had one installed, it would make the job beyond easy, it would boil down to a hack attack, a straight jacket, and somewhere to store him...
It's still probable that he's just unbalanced and all he needed was money to go off.

"I'll pull any records I can on the guy, but aside from that i'm not sure how to approach this."

 

[FalloutJack]

For the record, Jonesy was more-or-less ignoring Jade's commentary about the money, even though she drove up the dragon's price. That was never wise. Assuming that form was for real, you never do that to a dragon whose patience was already tested. Even if not, you don't do that with the Yakuza when THEY are mad. Not in so direct a manner anyway. You...discuss that the situation may incur extra expenses in the pursuit of the matter. Believe you my, a little common sense goes a long way.

In response to his own question, it was stated that the leads were the best bet. In addition to that, no word on his cybernetics and enough known on the guns he was carrying at the time...plus the understanding that - being an arms dealer - he could have any number of weapons or cashflow hidden away to hamper them all. A moment later, there was an uproar of laughter from elsewhere and it appeared that Tanaka was needed elsewhere. Bottom line: They wanted Tobias alive and it would be rather disappointing if he was not when they got him. Soon after this, another Runner spoke up.

"I'll pull any records I can on the guy, but aside from that i'm not sure how to approach this."

"I do. His ex will be more cooperative than his mother, unless of course his mother hates him too. In either case, seeing how they react to someone looking for 'em will paint that picture, at least, and it'll go from there."

He looked over the menagerie of fellow Runners now.

"I'm going for the ex-wife first. More of a chance for my angle there, I think."

But before he was to leave, he was going to have to know these people - to some degress - and be able to contect them if it was his fate to work with them. Between them all, it seemed like they would probably find the man. Then...he realized that Tanaka failed to answer the question of who might help Tobias in a pinch, the kinds of support he might have. In short, he didn't know either. That was worrying...in that it made this large group all the more necessary.

 

[3quency]

"I'm going for the ex-wife first. More of a chance for my angle there, I think."

Jade holds a hand up.
"Whoah there mate, no point in goin' off all half-cocked. Yer talkin' sense but 'fore we do anything I think we need a united plan, yeah?"
She eyes every member of the group, briefly.
Hackers and snipers and mages, oh my. Quite the ensemble.

"I mean, there's eight of us in on this thing. We need to work it out so we don' end up in a clusterfuck. Workin' in teams is probably the best bet, yeah? Couple of guys check out the Ex, couple for the mum, couple look further into the guy hisself's shit... get what I'm sayin'?"

 

[Anti-American Eagle]

"Couple of guys check out the Ex, couple for the mum, couple look further into the guy hisself's shit... get what I'm sayin'?"

Andrew looked at Jade "Agreed, but who's doing which job?"

 

[hiei82]

"Agreed, but who's doing which job?" one of the other runners said to Jade.

At this point Moonlighter chimed in. She had remained silent up until this point in part due to the upsetting feeling caused by the video and in part due to her lack of knowledge regard group runs. The latter of the two was proving to be a major disadvantage; being mostly a solo-runner (Thievery didn't benefit from large numbers very much)

"Well, that depends on what everyone can do." she said, thinking through the problem in much the same way she would try and crack a safe; answer: use the right tools. "I'm a B&E specialist by trade; digital or physical, but I don't know what anyone else here is capable of." she said, letting the open invitation for introductions hang.

 

[Mr.Ivebeenframed]

"Agreed, but who's doing which job?"

"I'll go find the mother after all a mother knows his son best don't you think?" Clint spoke up. He looked around as the others did and tried to get a feel for the group of runners. He'd work for groups before but never in any leadership positions. He was just the guy in the back listening to orders and joking around a bit but he saw it fit that they needed to act to bring back that man. "I reckon someone with a warm, and kind disposition would fare better talking to his ex-wife."

"People call me Blue by the way. Gunslinger extraordinaire, and not a bad hacker if I do say so myself. " Clint said then pointing to his blue eyes. "And no... I'm not sad as much as my name implies because right now I just want that sunuvabitch that shot up that school. "

 

[Anti-American Eagle]

"Well, that depends on what everyone can do."

He Assumed that was an attempt to get people introducing themselves.

"People call me Blue by the way."

He looked at his wife and then at everyone else "I'm a spider so i'd probably be best utilized looking into Tobias himself."
That's right, I haven't said my name "Oh yeah i'm Geist."

 

[Shadowstar38]

"Well, that depends on what everyone can do. I'm a B&E specialist by trade; digital or physical, but I don't know what anyone else here is capable of."

The statement sounded like a fairly earnest attempt to get a feel for the team. It would be best to know exactly what Wolf would be working with, no matter how temporary it would be.

"I'll go find the mother after all a mother knows his son best don't you think?"

"Seeing as how this is no more than tracking leads for now, I think I'll have a go at the mother as well. I'm more or less a people person"

 

[drmigit2]

Mondaine smiled as the Yakuza pointed guns at him. His guardian Kappa attempted to escape to preform its duties, but Mondaine held it back.

Not today friend. Please.

Feeling the creature withdraw, Mondaine responded. "Now now gentlemen, that would be a very bad idea." Mondaine was referring to the slew of demons that would be released if they did that. Bad news for everyone considering four of them are made directly to attack.

A few people came and went and Mondaine found the magic number, 11k. Enough to set him for a while, though honestly he could do for more. This guy was obviously dangerous and had to be dealt with extreme measures. Mondaine doubted he would bring him back alive.

"My friends and I can run watch if needed. If you end up needing me, he won't be a problem anymore, the problem would become bringing him back at all." He laughed as he joked saying "You would need a dustpan and broom...perhaps a jar." He quickly straightened up though, he seemed to be the only pure mage, which disappointed him slightly.

 

[FalloutJack]

"Whoah there mate, no point in goin' off all half-cocked. Yer talkin' sense but 'fore we do anything I think we need a united plan, yeah? I mean, there's eight of us in on this thing. We need to work it out so we don' end up in a clusterfuck. Workin' in teams is probably the best bet, yeah? Couple of guys check out the Ex, couple for the mum, couple look further into the guy hisself's shit... get what I'm sayin'?"

Jonesy arched an eyebrow at her.

"I wasn't planning on just running off. They raised me better than that."

Whether he meant parents or someone else was up in the air. In any case, one of the others asked who was taking what job and that sort of got some of them talking about where they specialize and who they were. Yes, introductions were important here. Just enough to get an understanding. They weren't exactly friends, just...co-workers. When there was a lull in the conversation...

"As I said, I was planning to work on tracking the man. It's one of my specialties. My name is Jonesy, and I'm a shaman. I would like to make this man extremely dead, but I have a feeling that Mr. Tanaka deserves that pleasure and that we should just...play rough. So, after we're done exchanging information and all, will one of you come with me to the ex-wife's place?"

 

[Asclepion]

The water shimmers with lights and neon. The Shadowrunners set off to investigate.

[hr]

Matrix​

>>>>>[We have all the pictures and video we need. Everyone who was there, every corp head having fun with teenage girls, every exec having a bit too much to drink, everyone taking money and banging glasses with the Yaks.]<<<<<

- Athena (05-10-52-8)

>>>>>[The others were supposed to send me the files for processing.]<<<<<

- Mr. Adequate (05-10-52-9)
---

>>>>>[Anything?]<<<<<

- Shade (05-10-52-1)

>>>>>[Sporadic details.]<<<<<

- Geist (05-10-52-2)

>>>>>[I've seen a few myself. His father is buried in Death Valley.]<<<<<

- Shade (05-10-52-3)

>>>>>[What else?]<<<<<

-Geist (05-10-52-4)

>>>>>[He's filed missing persons reports. Looks like this shooter is no stranger to losing kids.]<<<<<

- Shade (05-10-52-5)

[hr]

Ex-Wife's Residence​

The address leads deeper into the city. The runners were approaching the apartment building listed, walking down the alley. They tripped over something soft, and knew before they turned it was a body. They looked closer at the bundle of rags, which moved a little. The person was curled up under tattered blankets, head on a sack. They couldn't tell what sex it was; the rags offered no clue.

The alley was a den of homeless. Some kept warm near a burning drum.

[hr]

Mother's Residence​

A low glow forms under the horizon, but stars still fill the dark half. The sky is dark, with a band of orange on it's edge- a harbinger of the day to come. The light is enough for human eyes to become accustomed to, though the garden path leading to the residence is lit.

The yard is quite lush and beautiful, with a variety of flowers planted around the area, the grass clipped, and healthy trees. It under the runners as they approach the house. Yet after each step, the grass springs up again as if nothing had happened, and its cool touch made the blades seem benevolent, as if they instantly forgave their stepper as they rose.

A woman answers the door.

 

[Terratina.]

"Well, that depends on what everyone can do."

"I'm Ziggy. Just another people person. Oh and did I mention I own a club?" He replied with a wink.

Introductions were going around, Ziggy listened while he picked at his fingernails. One was a B&E expert, another a shaman, just standard fare for a run. Ziggy decided to stroll nonchalantly out the door while whistling. Nothing much was going to be done here. Then the shaman spoke and Ziggy stopped in his path.

"I wasn't planning on just running off. They raised me better than that."

Ziggy then jumped and up like a child at primary school, "Pick me! Pick me!"

 

[3quency]

Jade can't believe this Elf. She's run into a lotta guys with more ego than they could handle before but to take that attitude to the shadows is something else.

Still, not her business. Moonlighter's right, it's going to be much easier if they can get a read on the team's skills.

"Rigger." she says lazily "Name's Jade. I'll be yer wheel-girl tonight I s'pose."
She looked to the others as they stated their preferred jobs. This Blue guy and the fella that smells like an animal are going to talk to the mother.
The guy she was talking to and the poncey Elf are headed for the Ex.

She looks to the scarred woman.
"Guess that leaves you an' me, squire." she says.
"We got two on 'is wife, two on the mum... any more stuff we can look into meatspace-wise?"

 

[FalloutJack]

Rather surprisingly, one guy immediately showed a rather anxious interest to join him on his trip to the ex's place which - by the look of the data - was an apartment. Jonesy immediately sized him up.

Male elf, good-looking, says he's a people person - probably a Face.

Having taken jobs from an elf before, working alongside one wouldn't be unwelcome. Of course, he'd have preferred the girl - the B&E specialist - but this was business, and on Yakuza time. Fooling around would be for later. So saying, he nodded and said...

"We'll take my truck, if you don't mind. I'm betting your wheels are conspicuous as hell."

That...and he wasn't going anywhere without his friends. They were his responsibility and he would look after them as they looked after him. Jonesy left his phone number for when any one of them needed to get in touch with him. If they were going to be organized, let's be organized. He retrieved his hat and coat as they left and proceeded out to his truck where he reached into his pocket and tossed something under the tarp in the back storage area. There was some shuffling...

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Driving to the area in question, they came to...well...an alley. Ex-wife must not have lived well. Then again, who did? The world was a real shit-hole of corporations on one end and the magically active on the other with humans and meta-humans smack dab in the middle to sort it - and each other - out. If push came to shove and a REAL shitstorm came down, at least he could trust in Dog for guidance, or at least move a bit more east. They would accept him well enough. Coming into the alley with his usual hat and longcoat look, Jonesy decided to explain something.

"This isn't going to be your typical run, Ziggy. A few people know, but I like to keep it at a low profile. You see, my friends back there are rarely employed by people. Even companies prefer Hellhounds over them, but it takes all kinds to-"

He tripped over something. The size, the softness, and the amount of give told him it was a person. A closer inspection would reveal a figure lying on the ground in rags - identity unknown - and a few other people gathered around a bonfire. Definitely...not a nice neighborhood. These people were homeless, though, not heartless...probably. Their only crime was that they had to do what they had to do to survive. Looking down at the person they'd run into...

"Sorry about that."

...Jonesy moved on. An apartment building here would be of the standard 'Ring up the tenant and ask to be seen via speaker' variety. Living here, she would not trust easily. However, living here, she might also part with information for a sympathetic word and some extra Nuyen into her account. Ziggy looked as though he could be overflowing with both. Looking around before proceeding, Jonesy implmented Plan A: Ring up the tenant and so on.

 

[MortifiedPenguin]

The Tanaka left the room after doubling the 'runners fee. Nearly 10,000 nuyen each, not a bad deal for a retrieval job. As soon as he left the other 'runners started discussing who should go where. There was the choice between going to the Mother's or Ex-girlfriends houses to look for information, neither were suited to Sonya's skill-set, so she decided to wait and see if the others suggested any other places to check or had any other ideas.

"Guess that leaves you an' me, squire." Said the elf she had met outside, "We got two on 'is wife, two on the mum... any more stuff we can look into meatspace-wise?"

None of the other 'runners had came up with any ideas then to go and check the location the Tanaka had fed to them, the Ex's place would probably be a dead end, she wasn't so certain about what would turn up at the Mother's place though, when it came to it, some criminals where still mummy's boys at heart.

"I suggest we try and find his apartment, it would give us some idea of what he might be packing, also it's probably the best place to find recent info. Scum bag murderers still need clothes" She said shrugging "Do you know anyone who might be able to find that info?"

 

[3quency]

"I suggest we try and find his apartment, it would give us some idea of what he might be packing, also it's probably the best place to find recent info. Scum bag murderers still need clothes. Do you know anyone who might be able to find that info?"

Jade nods.
"Sounds like a plan. If we talk t' Mr. Tanaka 'fore leaving he should be able to tell us where t' look. Now, you needin' a lift or is that rather gorgeous bike outside yours?"

If the Tanaka doesn't know how to find Dawson it couldn't be that hard to put feelers out. Jade didn't know anybody on any police networks but Dylan may know a couple of people. Either way they should be able to find the place within the next couple of hours, at the latest. Or so she hopes.

 

[MortifiedPenguin]

"Sounds like a plan. If we talk t' Mr. Tanaka 'fore leaving he should be able to tell us where t' look. Now, you needin' a lift or is that rather gorgeous bike outside yours?"

"The Tanaka'll be a dead end, there's no point talking to him, he's already told us everything he knows. He's already thrown 100k at us, I doubt he would do anything to make the job harder. And yes the bike out back is mine."

Damn, the Elf hadn't confirmed whether or not she had the contacts to find him, she would have to ask Spider for some info then, hopefully he would give her a discount since he out her on the job but it would still be costly. She hadn't really been paying attention at the time, but someone said something that sounded like an invite to give names.

"Rogue Knight, sniper"

 

[Asclepion]

Gaining entrance to the building, the runners take the lift up to the address provided.

[hr]

Ex-Wife's Residence - Apartment Interior​

The listing is an apartment, scattered with small personal decorations. The scent is one of inhabitation. On the aisle is a framed photograph of the shooter, a woman, and another boy. Over it, in silver handwritten marker, is:

When her head nestles in my neck
and her fingers graze my ear
and her sleepy breath whispers hymns
my worldly worries disappear.​

The woman is (justifiably) shocked at the runners. The Face; Ziggy; is able to calm her and convince her into cooperating. Her story is as follows.

She divorced from Tobias six months ago. Their son vanished a year ago and is presumed dead. The man became obsessed with tracking the boy down, to the point of becoming distant and abusive with his wife. She doesn't know where he would be, though if pressed she would suspect The Corral Hotel in Death Valley. They honeymooned and vacationed there, it apparently is a place that holds a lot of strong childhood memories for him.

 

[Birdfalcon]

It didn't take long for Kris to follow up on any leads he could get his hands on. A few weeks or so of good old fashioned detective work would bring up some decent leads and roughing up the local gang bangers would take care of the rest. Kris crouched down on a rooftop overlooking the Corral Hotel and licked his lips as he staked out the joint trying to figure out the best point of entry. "Really don't like working with other runners" he said to himself as he wrote some notes on an old memo pad he purchased, hell it was easier than using a tablet and was virtually untraceable in this modern age. Kris returned to a sitting position and made no sound. If something was going to happen here, it was going to happen soon. His old lawman instincts were kicking in, a shit storm was brewing, and the heir to the name was gonna be in the middle of it. An easy grin formed across his face "Just another day at the office" he said in his southwestern accent.

((Edit:sorry about the lateness of the post...hadn't been paying attetion to the thread in a few days figured i would say hes been off on his own investgation and will meet up with the others at the hotel)

 

[Terratina.]

The story was a sad one, everything about this 'run seemed to be sad. Ziggy had put on his best concerned and sympathetic face and it had worked. What was it with this guy and kids? Maybe he had some sorta problem or something. Ziggy couldn't tell; he wasn't a psychiatrist. As much as this was a tale to make men and metakind weep, they needed more info. Sure, the ex-wife had been abused and a buncha kids had been shot, but Ziggy had to focus. This was just a plain retrieval job, plain and simple, best not to screw it up by crying over this. That would just be another act for his dramatic persona. Suddenly reminded about that, he shed a tear for the woman and took her hand as sincere as possible.

"Thank you. But unfortunately there will be more questions," He said, releasing his grip, "Do you know of any people working with him or what he usually carries with him."

The apartment didn't seem that bad from the inside. Especially when the squalid conditions outside were out of view. But judging from the crowds of homeless people crowding around bonfires and on the streets, this was a far cry from the glitz and glamour of the strip of nightclubs where Ziggy usually hanged out; this was a neighbourhood of down-and-heel down-and-outers. This wasn't going to be a rush of breaking into a corp's datavault, this was down-to-earth 'running. But to Ziggy, all he cared about was the fat paycheck at the end, undoubtedly thrown at the 'runners to shut them up.