| abstract
| - The skyline of the capital of Britain is dominated by various famous landmarks such as Big Ben, St. Peter's Cathedral, and London Bridge. Crowded narrow streets make it very hard for giant robots to walk around in, but smaller robots and humans can move around with ease. Contents: Chumley Manor The Moist Muffin Nate Briar has arrived. Jayson Redfield has arrived. James Bailey has arrived. It's from a pub where Bruce Hammer happens to be sitting on a bar stool and monitoring his cell phone. He seems a little distracted as he reads the newspapers and he lets his drink go flat. Earlier that day, Bruce had happened to send a memo to Jayson Redfield requesting him to meet with an informant who has information about the Concurrence. Bruce hopes that Redfield is able to comply. Greg MacLeod has arrived. Meanwhile, an ominous black van patrols the very same neighborhood that Bruce happens to be in right now. Coincidence? It may be that, or it may be... THE CONCURRENCE! Sitting in the back of this van is an old, miserable man, clutching his cane with a shaking arm. "Where's that miserable little spy?" he rasps out. "Patience, sah," says the driver of the van, a somewhat less old-looking Dinsmoore replies. "We are on the lookout for him." Jayson Redfield just so happens to be in London! He is, at the moment, looking at his cell phone as if expecting a call. Eventually he closes it and sticks it back into his pocket. He glances around, then crosses the street from where he was standing at a corner. Bruce Hammer heads out of the pub after leaving some coinages on the bar table. He looks out the door as he picks up his cell phone and dials Jayson's phone. He sighs heavily as he hopes that Redfield picks up.
* RING*RING*RING*RING*RING*RING*RING* Sitting in the back of the van Tweet'ing away on a web-enabled cellphone is none other than the Berger Man himself, Greg...er...Berger. Hmm that sounded a lot more clever when he first came up with it. "Relax, homies." He offers, having studied up on the jive of the Millenials age demographic despite the fact that he's still far, far outside of that demographic. "I've got it under control. I'm sending out his pic on Twitter right now." A moment later, Greg peers at the display on his cell, speaking slowly as if reading. "Nice pic, we'll el why no...er...L-Y-K if we C her..." he says slowly, then blanches. Looks like he accidentally sent out Astoria's picture instead of Bruce's. Jayson Redfield reaches into his pocket again and pulls out the phone. He flips it open and holds it up to his ear. "Yo! Talk to me." "Oh what have we here?" Chumley says, peering over Berger's shoulder. "Oh tut-tut, that won't do. Better upload the correct picture quickly, old chap." Bruce Hammer calmly states, "Redfield, you need to get to the safe house as per the message I sent you before. John McPain will be there. You need to make sure he is safe. Please do this as soon as possible." There's a slight pause, "And Jayson, the Concurrence just rolled up. So do this fast." The old, withered man sitting in the black van rasps out, "We can't afford--*wheeze*--any mistakes! If our plan succeeds, we will have total control over England! The only thing standing in our is that informant and his damnable protector, that.. fruity looking man." The old man feels his face. "Damn them. How did they do this to me, Compton Xabat? And how do I have lung cancer!? I don't smoke!" "Hm, this pub looks promising, sahs," Dinsmoore announces as he parks the van in front of a certain pub with a certain Bruce in it. "Mayhap our quarry is in here?" Shawn Berger fumbles with his cell-phone, then finally relaxes a bit. "Whew!...got it." He glances at the phone and then blinks and sits up straight. "Wait...someone's saying they've spotted him. At the Gloucester station." He peers again. "Someone else says they've seen him at Union...wait, they've seen him at...and there's one...huh? Hey wait, these guys aren't--" He looks up in confusion, then slowly shuts off his phone and puts it back in the pocket of an Ali-G inspired track suit. "Pub? Did someone say pub? I volunteer to check it out..." Pubs in London have food too, right? Jayson Redfield bristles slightly at the mention of the Concurrence. "Right, got it. I'll get there quickly." With that, he takes off at a full run, knowing there's little time to spare. Unfortunately, the safe house isn't as close to his current location as he'd like! Switching to Bluetooth, Bruce clips his cell phone onto his belt and readies his two pistols for perhaps what is the end of him. He calmly states as he looks through the door, "Jase, keep our informant alive. It's very critical that you do. I'll buy you as much time as I can. Don't turn around." He winces as he quickly ducks below the window of the pub. He'll need to barricade the door and make his last stand here. Dinsmoore steps out of the driver's seat and politely opens the passenger door for everyone so that they can exit. "Very well, Mr. Berger," Compton Xabat rasps out, slowly pulling himself out of the van. He limps towards the pub, leaning heavily on his cane, but despite the trouble he's having, sheer bitterness keeps him moving forward. "And remember, if he IS in here, I want him alive. If he's not inside, well, we'll check out those other locations our agents relayed to you." "I say, excellent, Dinsmoore," Chumley says, "Now, this reminds me of a hunt in Upper Khazakhstan. Stalking the wild were-goat. Skittish creature, that. Remember that, Dinsmoore?" He tugs on his mustache and twirls it thoughtfully. Jayson Redfield eventually reaches his destination, surprisingly without stopping. He darts around a bike shop and finds the safe house behind it. Without even trying to catch his breath, he practically bolts inside. Sure, the run was exhausting, but he's full of adrenaline. Berger hops out of the van, stumbling a bit, then pulls on his wraparound shades and adjusts his track suit a bit in the (nonexistant) sun. He begins marching towards the Pub, but pauses at the front door, quickly scanning over the menu. "Fish and Chips, Fish and Chips with Pie. Fish ala carte, Chips ala carte, 1/2 Chips and 1/2 Fish..." he looks back at the others and solemny reports, "I'm gonna try the Fish. And the Chips. Must be a local specialty." Then he tries the door to the pub. Oops, door to the safehouse is locked. But when Jayson tries to open it, someone yells, in a panicked voice, "Who is it? Who's there? I have a shotgun trained on the door, and I'm not afraid to use it!" "Are you John McPain?" Jayson calls. What a weird name. "It's Jayson Redfield!" The pub patrons all get down and some start pulling out their cellphones to call the police. Bruce notices the door, that he is standing beside start to open so he quickly does what makes logical sense - he moves to the door and fires a shot around the door handle to scare off whoever is there. He then attempts to block the door with some chairs. It'll at least be an obstacle. "Redfield, are you reading? Can you get to McPain?" asks Bruce via his headset as he darts to the back of the pub and attempts to lock the storage door behind him. "Okay, I can get an exit through the back door...." John McPain walks out of the shadows. "You must be Redfield. Please, don't let them capture me again." He shivers, "You did take the car that Bruce acquired for you to get us all out of here, right? I know he sent that info to you this morning." "How quaint," Chumley says as he walks into the pub behind Berger. He takes in the decor of the establishment, and sees various patrons eating and drinking. "I wonder how the bangers and mash are today," he quips, "Though I would not be averse to some 'bubble and squeak'. Say, any sign of our quarry yet?" Dinsmoore remarks, "As I recall, sah, that were-goat looked rather like an ordinary bearded man. But then again, he did give quite the chase. Oh, and here is your rifle, sah." Dinsmoore reaches into the van, withdraws a massive elephant gun, and presents it to Chumley. Compton Xabat doesn't even react as the gun is fired. As far as he knows, he's already dead anyway. What's one bullet hole? "The "quarry" must be in there," he croaks out. "Get in that pub, I don't care how." From his own jacket he withdraws a laser pistol, which he fires right through the door several times, aiming at what ought to be below chest-height. A bartender on the inside gets shot in the ankle and screams in pain. "Yeah, I got 'im," Jayson replies to Bruce. To John, he says, "A car would've taken too long to get here, unless you prefer I get killed swerving around traffic." He fingers the gun at his waist. "Don't worry, though. I'll keep you safe." He speaks into his phone again. "Bruce, hurry up and get out of there." It's more of a request than anything. Shawn Berger cowers beside the door as gunfire is exchanged through it, then Chumley seems to walk in and he may or may not have the massive elephant gun. Either way, Shawn assumes the worst must be over and enters the pub as well. He nearly trips over some chairs that have been stacked up just inside the door, but then his vision finally adjusts to the dim interior. He doesn't see a bartender, how odd. Although he does hear some pained moans from that direction "Quarry?" he calls out loudly. "Has anyone seen a qu...oh wait, there he -- LOOK OUT HE'S GOT A GUN!!" Berger dives heroicly behind the nearest table, occupied by a couple of middle-aged Londoners no doubt enjoying a much-deserved stop at the Pub on their way home from work. Bruce Hammer blinks at looks at the door. "What the heck? I supplied you with an armored Hummer that way I can get out of here. Well, best of luck to me. When I get killed." He sighs and makes his way out of the back of the pub. He quickly tries to block the exit door with the dumpster. "Good, no wonder why Picard doesn't ask Jayson for help!" He watches the Concurrence with the window and he notices the fire escapes. If he can just get up to the roof tops, he might be able to escape! McPain looks at Jase, "You mean to tell me that you ran three blocks when you had a car." He sighs, "Well, Bruce is as good as dead. Let's go!" Jayson Redfield rolls his eyes. "The car would have been too slow! Jeez. Get it through your heads, would ya?" He tugs on McPain's arm. "Let's move! We gotta get Bruce. Hope you can keep up with me." John McPain looks at Jayson, "You're a fool! Bruce got the world's biggest fool to get me out of here? I cannot believe this!" He looks at Jayson with a groan, "I'm an old man who cannot raise his left arm too high and you want to bring me into a warzone where they will kill me because of the information I know about them. Bruce will die so you and I can escape, 'Kid. So it's either I die or he dies. If I die, so will your info on them!" And then, as Bruce runs out of the pub into the alley, he is greeted by a *lovely* red-headed woman in a yellow sundress. She is just gorgeous. The only thing that's a bit off about her is that she appears to be wearing rubber gloves. "Hey, there, honey!" she says, smiling warmly. "Have you seen my dog? He looks kind of like this--" She reaches into her purse, but what she pulls out is, in fact, a tazer. "NYAAHHHHH!" the woman screams as she thrusts the shocking weapon at Bruce. Meanwhile, in the pub, Xabat is kicking chairs aside. He's not sure how Chumley managed to barge in so easily, but whatever. "Get up, Berger, there's work to be done," he rasps, slowly shuffling around the bar to the back exit. One of the patrons stands, holding up his wallet. "Please, sir, just take my money and AAAHHHH!" Out of sheer spite, Xabat shoots the man in the hand he was holding his wallet with, and the patron collapses back in his seat, screaming in pain. "Watch who you call a fool," Jayson snaps. "All right, fine. Stay in the safe house while I go rescue someone who's in danger. You want me to leave you alone? Is that it?" He rubs his temples. "I'm so sick of getting caught up in crap like this." Chumley's a pretty chunky guy, so people tend to give him a wide berth. Shawn Berger scrabbles to his feet, red-faced, then pushes another patron back into his seat too. "And stay down!" he shouts, then rushes over to the back door. Then he waits for Chumley and Xabat to catch up before bursting outside. When he sees Bruce getting tazered he tries to run in and tackle the guy himself. "Here he is! Guys, guys! I got him!!" Oh, Bruce is a master of disguises. He has been everything from a homeless guy to an MP of the EDC. He's sharp enough to know to dodge a taser from Astoria as well. As he drops to the ground, his two pistols return fire. He shouts into the air, as a decoy, "Jason, regroup at the docks!" He tries to get better hit advantage but now Berger has managed to keep him down. At this point, Bruce attempts to knee Berger in the gut really hard. McPain looks at Jase, "God, you're such a fool. You can either save me and I can give you and the EDC information to save the world. FROM THE CONCURRENCE. Or you can save Bruce's dead body." He shakes his head, "Let's get to the INTERPOL STATION NOW!" Jayson Redfield is torn. What should he do? He can either assist McPain, or he can go to save Bruce. He fingers his gun again. He, at eighteen, shouldn't have to make such decisions, but it is part of being in the EDC. "Dammit," he hisses. "Look, Mr. McPain, I'm not gonna let anyone die. If you don't like it, that's your problem. You can just stay here where it's safe while I go to help Bruce. And quite frankly, I'm sick of you talking like that to someone who was sent to protect you anyway. Show a little gratitude, at least." Astoria Carlton-Ritz--the lovely young lady--stumbles past Bruce, her tazer zapping harmlessly at the air. At the sound of gunfire, she squeels in fright, and rushes behind a garbage bin to avoid anymore shots. Xabat emerges from the back door shortly after Berger, glaring malevolently down at Bruce. He limps slowly, but the look in his eyes is one that promises pain and agony for the disguise artist. "I'm not sure who you are, but you know something I want to know. You'd better start talking if you want to live!" Shawn Berger manages to keep Bruce down...until he takes a knee to the gut, that is. Even with a lot of what we'll generously call 'padding' to absorb the impact, a knee to the abdomen from a trained fighter still hurts. Berger tumbles aside, wheezing and clutching at his midsection. "Sssss--" he wheezes. "Ssssuuuuu--" he tries again. Finally he manages to suck in a lungful of air. "Someone stop him!" At the same time Berger begins fumbling for something in the (tragically unhip) fanny pack he chose to add to his track suit ensemble this morning. Chumley folds his arms across his chest. "Time to come clean, old boy," he says to Bruce, "You had better tell us what we need to know, and quickly." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small blowgun. "Let's see if this will stop you in your tracks!" "I'm Tony Blair's son!" shouts Bruce. A lie. A lie that might work. "I am not sure what you think I have but..." He tries to click his pistols to make sure the rounds are still good to go as he picks himself up enough from dealing with Berger that he decides to launch himself at Compton. He figures the older of the group makes for a great hostage. He then wonders when Chumley left the pub but his trigger finger attempts to disarm Chumley. McPain looks at Jase, "If your idea of protecting me is bring me over to them so they have me captured, then you let Bruce die for nothing. If he was alive still, he'd radio you." He looks at his watch, "Come on! We can get to the US and get to Alameda before we get caught." "What part of 'stay in the safe house' do you not understand?" Jayson stares at McPain. "They won't find you here. And I know Bruce is still alive. Call it instinct, if you like. Either way, I'm going after him, and you're going to stay here. You got me?" McPain looks at Jase, "They put a small tracking device on me. Bruce has been only been able to keep them off my back for so long! Once we cross the Atlantic, they can't find me! Come on, KID, let's get out here now!" Compton Xabat glares over at Berger. "Berger, what could you possibly be keeping in there that could be of any--hnnngh!" Suddenly, Bruce tackles him to the floor. Xabat seems so weak at the moment that it should be fairly easy to manhandle him. "*hnnnfff* Get off of me, you... fruity looking twit!" Xabat wheezes, trying to squirm away. Jayson Redfield almost snarls. "Stop calling me 'kid'. Only my friends are allowed to do that. And I'm not going to let anyone die. Stay. Here. I'll be back for you in a few minutes. That's all I need." McPain looks at Jase, "I have a tracker on me! They will find me. Let's get out of here now!" He tries to pick himself up, "Come on." He opens up his jacket to reveal a bullet hole and a lot of blood. "I don't have much time, Jayson." Shawn Berger fumbles around in his fanny pack until he finally produces a pair of hand-cuffs. "There! Got 'em!" He lunches forward while Brudge is wrestling with Compton. "Good job C-P-T! Hold him steady while I...while I..." suddenly one end of the handcuffs click as Berger manages to get them onto someone's wrist. Then the other clicks into place. "There! Wait...uh, were those the right hands?" Shawn stares into the jumble of limbs and people... Jayson Redfield stares, feeling a little ill. "How...how are you even *standing*?" He turns away, as watching the blood any longer would make him sick enough to retch. "Just sit tight," he says quietly. "Please. I'll be back for you." Without another glance back, he takes off out of the safe house, still feeling ill as he hopes he hasn't made the wrong decision. The left gun in Bruce's hand doesn't work anymore. So he chucks it as he is being squeezed. Hopefully it hits Chumley in the head. He tries to aim that gun in his right hand at Compton. "Well, Old Man, it's time for you to meet the Sea." He then pauses, "I will shoot you dead if you do not stop. I well then kill everyone else here." He only has four bullets left though! Compton Xabat chuckles as he sneers at Bruce. "Oh, you'll shoot me. Well, given the fact I apparently have lung cancer, and my accelerated aging, my doctors tell me I have only two weeks left to live. So really, by killing me you're not changing my circumstances very much. Go ahead. Pull that trigger." He stares right into Bruce's eyes, daring him to do it. Shawn is still hoping that he's cuffed the right people. Then Bruce starts pointing his gun again. "Wait -- who did I...?" He straightens up, or at least tries to. It appears he's cuffed one of his own hands to his leg. Akward. And painful. Berger begins rolling around helplessly on the ground, trying to get at the keys in his fanny pack. This might take a while. A long, long while. Jayson Redfield makes it to the pub, but doesn't find Bruce. He hears the fight nearby, and heads around toward the alley where Bruce is trying to fend off the Concurrence. Now, normally he'd laugh at Xabat's current condition, but now's not the time. He draws his gun and grips it tightly. "Bruce!" Chumley facepalms. "Am I going to have to get out the Chinese submission acupuncture needles?" he says, "Dinsmore! Help me get his gun!" Dinsmoore emerges from the back door to the pub, brandishing his enormous elephant gun. "Your gun, sah." Bruce Hammer attempts to fire a bullet into Compton except he aims at the old man's left leg. "Killing you serves nothing." He then hears Jayson shouting, "Oh crap--- that means John's dead." He bites his lip and just hopes that as he pulls the trigger on Compton, he can get away and try to save John McPain now. Jayson Redfield actually sighs. "No one's dead! Will you people stop assuming that!" "Thank you, Dinsmore," Chumley says, "Now, then. Are you going to surrender peacefully, or is Dinsmore here going to have to blow a rather sizable hole in your body?" Bruce Hammer looks at Chumley, "I have the old guy as a hostage, remember that?" Dinsmoore blinks. *He's* supposed to shoot the quarry? "Sah? I'm not sure I understand." Xabat hisses as he takes a round in the leg, but the hatred in his eyes doesn't dim for a moment. "I don't care which of you does it, shoot them both!" There's a little beeping from something in his pocket. "Hmm, seems I have a message. Wonder if it has to do with that man you hid from me, "Bruce?"" Bruce Hammer is distracted by Dinsmoore. "I have this old guy... the guy that is bleeding in the leg... as a hostage you fool!" He really wonders how the Concurrence are a threat. "What do you mean?" asks Bruce as he hears that beep. Jayson Redfield's grip on his gun tightens. He glowers dangerously at Compton while attempting to slip closer to Bruce's location. MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE SAFEHOUSE An ambulance pulls up near the safehouse hiding McPain. Two EMT's, their faces completely blank of emotion, emerge from the ambulance. One of them knocks on the door to the safehouse. "Who is it!?" John McPain says. "John McPain, we're with Bautler Hospital," one of the EMT's replies. "Jayson Redfield called us and notified us of your condition. Please, come with us before your injuries become life-threatening." "But..." John hesitates. "...this isn't how... *sigh* Alright." Then, he unlatches the door to the safe house. Compton Xabat laughs bitterly. It is a dry, but wicked laugh. "Ha ha ha, what do I mean? Well, let's see..." He reaches into his pocket, producing his cell phone. The old terrorist presses a few buttons, reads the screen, then smirks. "Oh, dear. It looks like we found Mr. McPain. Oh dearie me. Whatever will happen to him now. If only someone helped him out of his horrible situation. Heheheh--*wheeze* You bastards may have killed me with your aging weapon, but I can have satisfaction knowing that your victory over me is hollow and meaningless. Hahaha!" Bruce Hammer leaps backwards and tries to get away from the crazed lunatic. "Excuse me? Aging weapon?" Is that why Picard looks so --... He bites his lip and looks at Jayson, "What have you done?" Jayson Redfield blinks at Bruce. "What do you mean, what have I done? I didn't do anything!" "You heard the man. Killing him will accomplish nothing. Thus, he is useless as a hostage," Chumley says matter-of-factly, "I suggest you surrender." Compton Xabat grins evilly. "Ah, the EDC hasn't told you about their latest weapon, eh? Hm. You might be wise to give me a wide berth. I could be contagious! Oh, but then, you've already come into contact with me, right, Bruce?" Jayson Redfield shakes his head. "Normally, I'd laugh at you, Compton. But really, you're an idiot." Bruce Hammer backs away from Compton, "What have you done to John?" He aims a gun at Chumley, "I've taken on most of you. I'll kill you before you can load that." He bites his lip as he backs himself into a corner. MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE SAFEHOUSE The EMT's get John McPain out on a stretcher, strapping him down nice and tight, and load him up into the ambulance. "We have also brought along a doctor. He will help treat your condition," one of the EMT's tells John McPain matter-of-factly before he shuts the back doors of the ambulance. "A doctor...?" McPain wonders aloud, looking up at the lab-coated man who is in the back with him. "Yes..." the lab-coated man replies, then whirls around, pulling away a surgical mask. "Dr... ARKEVILLE!" The cybernetic villain laughs maniacally down at the helpless informant. "NOOOOOOOO!" John McPain screams, thrashing uselessly at his restraints as the ambulance tears off. John McPain is never seen again. Compton Xabat smirks. "Oh, don't worry about Mr. McPain. He's in *good* hands. *OUR* hands. But, eh..." He looks about. Hm. Everyone seems to have guns trained on each other. And yet, there is no longer any reason to have an all-out gun battle with these two. "You know? Chumley, Dinsmoore, Astoria..." He glares down at Berger, who has now managed to get the cuffs off of his ankle, but has also managed to cuff his hands together. "...Mr. Berger. Hm. Let's go. We have what we came for." Then, with an extra limp, owing to his gunshot wound, he turns and begins to limp out of the alley. "Call me an idiot if you wish, Jayson, at least I am not *weak* like you." "At least I haven't turned into an old geezer!" Jayson counters. He grits his teeth in frustration. "Damn it all...I failed...they got McPain. Dammit!" Bruce Hammer stumbles from the end of the alley into the city. "Gotta get out of here." He grunts and tries to grab a ride on the double decker bus that is passing by. He knows now he can't depend on Jayson to listen to him, but at least Jayson will save him. "Redfield, let's get out of here!" Chumley follows Xabat, somewhat miffed. "I didn't even get a good pint of Stout," he says in disappointment, "Ah well, better luck next time, I guess." Jayson Redfield dejectedly follows after Bruce. Compton Xabat rolls his eyes as they make their way back to the van. "I don't understand your priorities sometimes, Chumley," he growls, shaking his head.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)