| abstract
| - LeBeau Avenue -Odysseys Undercity Level 2- Tomin Kora - The debris continues from the lobby, discarded papers from the upper areas fluttering slowly in the faint breeze that occasionally wafts in from down below. The once proud street front is vacant, windows smashed in and the contents looted. Reminders of an age gone past are seen all down the avenue, rusted hovervehicles waiting for owners and drivers that will never return. The street leading to the target building is empty for the most part. A bum sleeps under a ragged blanket nearby, his head resting against a wall, he's mostly hidden in shadow, and seems to be deeply asleep. A pair of people meet near a corner, nearly concealed as they speak, make an exchange, and move on their way....that is to say the tipical dealings of the Tomin Kora undercity. The building itself is rather nondescript. It could be any other building in the undercity. From this angle no doors are visible, only a long wall which at the furthest left end recesses inward before continuing on again, this causing an 'L' shape in the building. This terminates in a corner leading to the adjacent side. Seraph leans on the wall against which the group takes in this target, rubbing at her face, absently. She looks across to Kestrel, murmering - "I don't like a lack of exits." As he walks up, Pavel surveys the area with quiet suspicion. Glancing from side to side along the darkened street, hands folded behind his back, he demonstrates a fantastic example of Tomin Kora paranoia by beginning to slowly mentally tug the bum's blanket off him in search of a gun underneath. Sheppard follows in after the group, "We goin' standard procedure, 'ere? Could toss in a flashbang first thin' too, suposed ta be more guys in 'ere, Ah think," he comments. He does not to Seraph, "Aye, but 'at does mean 'ey can't retreat." Kestrel looks over at Seraph, nodding. "Not ideal, 'at's fer damn sure." She rubs at the back of her neck and peers at the building uncertainly. "Rifle's 'bout useless 'ere, too. Kanter's mercy, ain't nobody got decent windows anymore." She quirks a brow at Shep. "M'thinkin' 'ere might be other ways outta 'ere -- hidden ta us, sure, but 'is lot'd know 'em. Be dumb ta only have one way out, y'know?" Skye walks in the middle of the group so she can see as much as possible without, y'know, being picked off while no one is looking. She's got her camera out and jacked into her skull. "Why are we doing that?" she asks Shep, pointing the camera at him. The bum giggles drunkenly as the blanket's tugged at. "I love it when you get playful, darlin'," he murmers before rolling over and giving up the blanket, falling back into silence. No guns are immediately apparent on him. Pavel harumphs, mumbling to no one in particular, "You can never be too careful." The blanket gets replaced, and only then does the little Ungstiri consider the building. "Roof access is not at all uncommon. It is worth another try, da?" The akarite crouches to peer at the building -.. and then looks at the sleeping bum. "Ask the locals. They may know. Better to use their exit than the front door, wouldn't it be?" And with that, Seraph raises a brow, blinking at the fellow. "I'd think he'd need a bath first. Before anyone would.. you know." She makes an oddly unrelated and somewhat useless gesture with her left hand. Apparently, innuendo looks like playing a theremin. "The flashbang? So 'ey can't see shit or 'ear us," Shep replies to Skye. He nods to Kes, "Aye, point, could let two of us go ta 'nother entrance," at which point he pauses, and nods to Seraph as she goes to the bum, "An' 'en let one of us go in the front after the other two've drawn 'ey're attention, we'll catch 'em an' disorient 'em. Two people movin' in, mate droppin' in from above, an' 'ey're gettin' flanked." Kestrel looks from person to person as they speak. "Whatever y'all wanna do," she offers with a shrug. "'Is ain't my kinda thing, y'know? M'more 'bout bein' sneaky." She pauses, eyeing Pavel pensively. "Say, wonder if ya could carry me ta th'roof with ya." Idle interest, that. "But why do /that/?" Skye asks. "Who's in there? What are you after? Is this some kind of assassination thing or your average raid?" "I can see if there's anything I can do to help you guys get inside," Bri's voice comes over everybody's comms. "Let me take a look at the buildings network and systems...if you like?" "I can take you up there, yes," Pavel confirms to Kestrel with a slight nod. "Not a problem. And, da, lyubimaya. If you can- where there are not wires and the like, there might be doors." Seraph lets others handle the radio chatter, moving over to the Bum and.. producing a credstick and shaking the fellow's shoulder with a tattoed hand. Holding the credstick so it's the first thing the fellow will (hopefully) see - she offers a quiet, "I don't suppose you've a minute to talk?" "'Ese are the bastards 'at fucked up schoolgirl, now we're repayin' the favor," Shep replies to Skye, 'Ey tried ta fuck us up, now we're gonna do the same," he looks to the group, making sure he's speaking over the comms as well, "So Kes an' mate'll go up ta the roof an' get in 'at way, Seraph an' Ah'll go in a side door, either found by schoolgirl or the bum? Yo Seraph, yew want me throwin' a flashbang before yah go in? Up ta yew 'ow much cover yah want," "Independents," Kes offers to Skye, by way of explanation. "Th'Syndicate don' like competition, most 'specially not so close ta home." She shrugs, then nods in agreement with Shep. "Already tried once before, an' one'a 'em got away, led ta some nastiness. 'Is time, nobody is." She grins over at Pavel then. "Not gonna, y'know, sprain it, are ya?" she asks, tapping her temple. "Makes sense, then. Thanks, guys," she says. "If it's alright, I'll go in through the door as well." "Aye," comes Bri's reply and then silence on her end. The bum opens his eyes and looks up blearily, the credstick indeed the first thing he sees, "This is a change," he murmers looking a bit disoriented, a light smirk on his lips as he eyes the stick a moment longer, then eyes travel along the arm attached to the hand and he takes in Seraph. "What can I do fer ye, luv?" he asks. Pavel snorts imperiously. "Never," he assures Kestrel. "I could fly the both of us pretty quickly before I strained the limit of my powers. I am gifted, deyvachka. You should see how quick I can take all of Sabrina's clothes off with my mind if I choose it!" Seraph doesn't smile.. much. It's very faint - she nods to the building. "I suppose you live here. two hundred creds says you know about a door into that building. Two hundred more creds says you won't remember me asking about it." She /studiously ignores/ Pavel. You can see the ignoring. There's a tangible aura of it. Sheppard nods to Skye, "Aye, but yew stay back and stay low, don't get yerself inta the line ah' fire, got it?" he replies, before looking to Seraph, "Seraph, yah wanna flashbang 'em 'er not?" Kestrel chuckles quietly. "We'll jest hope Newm don' choose ta lend me a helpin' hand while we're mid-flight." she says. "Usually only happens when m'in trouble, butcha never know, 'ey?" A grin follows. "An' hell, Shep don' need mind powers ta take my clothes off. Point'a fact, if 'e had 'em, I prob'ly wouldn't'a slept with 'im." Speaking of Shep, she pokes him in the ribs. "Let 'er work, ya big goon. She'll answer ya when she's done." Skye grins a bit. "I'm looking for some good footage, not a bullet between the eyes. I'll keep my head down." She chuckles a little and asks, "Is there some sort of violence fetish requirement to live here?"The bum smiles, showing several missing teeth, and others chipped or rotting, "Aye, I see them come and go from round that corner there," he replies canting his head toward the right end of the building, "And I don't even know what yer talkin' 'bout, never seen anybody like ye at all. In fact I ain't seein' ye right now, prob'ly some figment of my imagination." Bri comes back over the comms, "There are...a lot of things on systems here, love," she replies. "I have the doors...they're unlocked, and there's actually a door leading from the roof to the inside. lots of cameras too. I'm cycling through them right now." "Kharasho," Pavel lowly praises Bri, his grin quite proud. "All right. Once she gets the cameras off I think we are ready, are we not?"The credstick - and another just like it - are left for the fellow, Seraph nodding. It's enough - she even touches his shoulder, once, with the hand shy a finger, before standing and moving back to Shep and Kes. "The right side - there. Somewhere. I think this merits more caution - perhaps your flashbang, Sheppard, and moving a bit slower through the building? We've no real idea what is inside." Sheppard nods, taking his flashbang out, "A'ight Seraph, ready when yew are," he looks to Pavel and Kes, "Same signal as before, squish yer commbead when yer in position?" Kestrel nods, and winks at Shep, then shifts her gaze to Pavel. "She's smart, she is," she offers. "Mebbie she kin y'know, git the cameras on our side again. Like on Deserata." The tiny Later shifts her weight all to one foot. "So, uhm... how we gonna do 'is?" Skye listens up for the planning part. Best way not to get shot, and all. She looks at the other four, waiting to hear where everyone is going."It's a lot of rooms in there," Bri's voice comes back over the comms, "I can't get a sense of how they connect, but there's one or two cameras in each room that I can see, and holoviewers in most of them also. About...five..six rooms in all," she explains. "I'm cutting cameras now," she adds and falls silent again. The bum takes the credits in a filthy hand and shoves them in a pocket, "Thanks," he replies softly before curling up tightly under the blanket again. "You and me on the roof-" Pavel nods Kestrel's way- "The other two through the door, da? I had thought that is what we are talking?" Seraph nods to Sheppard, murmering - "Be careful - " To kes... and she leads the way, moving easily for that right corner, frowning, slightly. "I'm not entirely sure what we're looking for." "A door, maybe a hole?" Shep replies to Seraph as he follows, that flashbang still out. He looks back to Kes, nodding once to her before he follows. "'At ain't quite what I meant, Pavel," Kes replies with a chuckle. "Meant what'm I doin', jest clingin' onta ya fer dear life an' hopin' I don' slip?" A wry smirk follows. "Ain't a thing wrong with 'at, mind, jest keep yer hands from wanderin', 'ey?" A nod goes to the departing twosome. Skye walks to Shep's side and a little bit behind, where she can see well enough but duck away from any gunfire."Cameras are off," Bri says, "Skye, mind if I watch through your camera?" she asks. Seraph, Skye, and Shep find themselves entering into an alleyway, the buildings on either side made of similar brick, and the alley ending in a left turn at the end of their building. "Nyet," Pavel informs Kes calmly. "You do not have to do a hooping thing but try and relax, do not fight it." He smirks slightly and glances upward, lifting a hand- marshalling enough power to lift the both of them towards the roof at about running speed. Seraph draws, of course, the longblade whispering from its sheath at her back - overcautious, perhaps, but she pauses at the curve, crouching to peer around it - taking her time before committing to making it. Paranoia isn't a bad thing if they really /are/ out to get you.Sheppard hangs the flashband by the pin on his vest, Jen coming out to help cover Seraph if something should go wrong. He's quiet now, just going along with the mission. Kestrel simply looks over at Pavel, then up toward the roof. She's obviously somewhat nervous. Fidgety. All that good stuff. "Go for it, Bri," Skye says quietly. She walks beside Shep, her own gun tucked away, a conspicuous bulge in a pants pocket--that ever-present backpack is left behind in her hotel room tonight. It's small, almost unnoticable, but this crew has sharp eyes, and just manages to make out a crack in the wall. A nearly insignificant crack, excpet for a few things: Its too straight to be /just/ a crack, and it runs the length of the wall for almost seven feet. Despite Pavel's efforts, he and Kestrel don't actually go anywhere. The small Ungstiri swears viciously, his eyes narrowing. "Sorry. Try again," he mumbles, and closes his eyes entirely to focus. ... and Seraph gives that crack a look of vague consternation, moving over to run tattoed fingers along it. ".. of course." Into her comms, "this may take a moment." Not that she's not looking, trailing her hand along the crack's edge, poking at likely bricks, searching. Sheppard stands back a bit, readying the flashbang, he looks to Seraph, whispering, "Nod when yer openin' it, 'en close it again till the 'nade goes off, 'at way we wont get blinded, once it goes off ,we go in," "Oh," Kes says. "Okay." She blinks for a couple of moments, then just grins at Pavel and flaps her arms. She's a real comedian, this one. Skye focuses the camera on the crack and whispers, "Are you seeing this okay?" Whatever it is that Seraph pokes and prods at exactly that does the trick, it's not immediately apparent, but the brick door swings outward opening into a dimly lit passageway which heads to the left and the right. The passage to the right goes on only a few feet more before taking a sharp turn to the left. It's difficult to see how far the passage to the left goes on, the hallway moving away into darkness. Pavel and Kestrel find themselves easily lifted onto the roof, where some vents and other typical pieces of building technology can be found, along with a small structure which contains a door. "Getting a good look," Bri replies to Skye, "Interesting, that doesn't look like anything I saw on the cameras," she states. "There we go," Pavel snorts with a nod, heading towards the door. "You should go first. You cannot shoot through me, but I can work at any range." Seraph glances to Shep. "I don't think anyone's home.. here. Yet." Quietly, the later moves into the passage, that longblade kept front and ready. She looks both ways, murmering into comms, "Dark in here." And then she chooses.. left. Starting down it into the dim. Shep nods to Seraph, putting the flashbang back on his vest's pouch. He follows after Seraph, Jen held out at the ready. When he gets to the corner, he raises his hand , forming a circle with his thumb and forefinger over his head, pauses, looks back at Skye, makes a pistol with his fingers, and points in the right direction as he moves left. Hopefully that's clear enough as 'cover our backs'. Kestrel goes promptly from flapping her arms to stock-still, freezing stiff as a board for the duration of the flight. "...yeah, ain't gonna be rackin' up frequent flyer miles like 'at, no 'fense to yer mind-bendin' powers 'ere," she offers quietly, nodding. "And ya gotta point." She proceeds forward toward the door, scrutinizing it thoroughly before she even lays a hand on it. Skye nods to Shep. She shuffles her camera into the left hand and draws her pistol with the right. The camera follows Shep and Seraph's movemets to the left while Skye watches to the right. The door Kestrel looks over appears to be a simple metal door. "The roof is open guys. I already took care of that door," Bri says over the comms. As the other three move along down the dimly lit hall and toward the enveloping darkness, they would see it...in the wall, a simple device that almost blends in except for the thin slot and the small bit of metal surrounding said slot. "You just need to do it more often," Pavel tells Kestrel airily. "It is the -only- way to travel. Go on." He follows right behind her, sticking close. Seraph.. stops... well before the slot. She points to her eyes, then it - and then? She moves to the side. Obviously /she's/ not the one that deals with boxes on the wall. She stabs people, remember? Sheppard pauses as he looks at the slot on the wall, then at Skye. He taps her twice on the shoulder, points at her camera, and points at the slot on the wall. He then brings his hand over his mouth and whispers into his commbead, "Schoolgirl, tell me you know what 'is is, an' yah can turn it off?" Kestrel snorts. "Usually jest use a grapple, but 'is was easier," she notes in a low voice, drawing a silenced pistol into her right hand from within her jacket. "An' quieter." She reaches out with her left hand to open the door quietly. Skye points the camera at the slot, without even turning her head that way--she's still looking to the other side, pointing her gun that way. The door opens easily enough for Kestrel, a set of stairs leading down into the building, a hallway evident at the bottom which terminates in a right turn. "Hmm...let me..." Bri grumbels softly in the comms, "I think..." ...and then...there is a click, and another back in the direction the three had come from, and a nearly unnoticable door pops open, but not quite enough to see into the next room. Pavel waits for Kestrel to proceed, ready to follow right at her heels as soon as she does. He watches his surroundings carefully, eyes slightly narrowed. Seraph blinks... and moves toward the crack, thoughtful. A glance at Shep - and she's already reaching to slowly push that door open, opting for quiet over convenience, this time. Sheppard readies the flashbang this time, ready to pull the pin and lob it through the door, waiting for it to be open enough for him to do so. The pink-haired Later looks back at Pavel and puts a finger to her lips, then proceeds down the stairway in smooth, almost catlike steps. Kes is trying to stay quiet here, as well as staying alert to the surroundings. Skye glances over her shoulder at the crack in the wall to see what's going on outside the camera frame. She adjusts the angle a little bit and turns back to watching the other side. The hallway before Pavel and Kestrel appears empty, the left turn only a few feet from the bottom of the stairs. All seems quiet behind the door Seraph reaches for..at least for now. In deference to the nigh-silence of Kestrel's movement, Pavel lets her go in some distance before following, trying to be quiet as well. He keeps one hand half-on the hilt of his longsword as he creeps. Seraph takes a breath... and then moves the door open enough to slip through, still opting for quiet over the usual 'stomp in sword waving'. Shep does get a grin, though - a genuine, wide thing - before she moves. But - move she does, straight into that hidden room. Shep offers up a silent, mouthed curse as Seraph walks into the room, the flashband returned to his kevlar as he aims Jen into the room, ready and waiting. Kestrel holds her breath while she glances up the hallway, crouching down a bit to peer around the corner. The Later straightens and moves on as soon as she sees nothing's amiss. Those booted feet of hers are eerily silent, almost as if they weren't even touching the floor. Skye stifles a snicker and walks backwards after Seraph and Shep. The room the three enter is...empty. Two storage type areas can be seen, doors open, to the left side of them, and to the right, an actual door, with an acutal handle on it. As Kestrel continues on down the hallway a soft mechanical sound can be heard, and after a short moment a small mobile unit wheels its way down the hall. The device in really nothing more than a frame on wheels which supports a small free moving camera. A camera which settles on Kes for only a moment before backing down the hall from the direction it just came. Pavel peeks down the hall past Kestrel, but doesn't do anything about what he sees. He keeps perhaps ten feet between them, looking faintly amused but remaining as silent as his ability permits. Seraph gestures to the far door - taking this particular moment to 'clear' both storage rooms.. at least as far as looking into each in turn, ensuring nothing's immediately intent on leaping out and, say, ripping off faces. It's cursory and quick, practiced and easy - this part of the job she knows well. Sheppard follows Seraph in after she notes that it's clear, Jen still held at the ready, tracking wherever his eyes move as he sweeps the room, he's done this sort of stuff before too. Kestrel freezes for a moment when she spots the mobile camera. As it starts to move away, however, she curses under her breath and raises her pistol to take a shot at the it. Indeed, the storage areas are empty...of everything, including people. Everything is quiet there. The only thing of note in the room is two cameras in opposite corners up near the ceiling, and two holovid units hung up in a third empty corner. The little unit isn't quite as fast as Kestrel's gun, the little bit of machinery taking a bullet that burns out something. A small bit of smoke streams out of it, and the camera whirls around, seemingly out of control. And...there's suddenly loud slamming and clicking sounds....all around as of doors closing and locking. "Shit," comes Bri's voice over the comms, "Hang on guys, got a *cracklecrackle* ..issue *crackle* out the bug..*crackle* and then all the comms go completely silent. "Shit," Pavel says very softly. "Kestrel, why did you -do- that? Did not Sabrina say she had the cameras under control?" He tenses, looking all around himself, flexing his fingers."Damnit." Seraph moves for the handled door - still moving quietly, "Kestrel?" Into the comms, soft and clearly not expecting much of an answer. Grimly, she tries the door - moving through it if she can, glancing to Shep. All business, now. "Fuck, sounds like we've been comprimised. Cover is blown people, move in an' eliminate all targets, /fast/ people, let's 'it 'em while they're still scramblin'," Shep says into the comms, whether people hear him or not he moves after Seraph, and moving quickly, Jen still up and ready, still tracking. Kestrel shakes her head. "It saw me. An' she only said she had th'cameras in th'-rooms- under control. Said she couldn't see how 'ey was connected, 'member?" She taps at her comm, shakes her head, then moves up the hallway. She does, however, spare a moment to nudge the camera over with a boot, none too gently. Seraph's door is locked...tight, the door not budging even an inch, and then....theres a sound, soft, as of a vent opening, air rushing into the room, and out of the airduct rolls a grenade, falling to the floor and coming to rest. The camera falls over useless at Kestrel's kick. As she moves further up the hallway she'll find a doorway almost immediately to her right, a hallway just past that going also to the right, and then a second door, both doors seemingly shut tight. The comms suddenly crackling to life, nothing but a long, loud, throaty laugh can be heard though. Pavel nods."If we need to hurry... hold still, Kestrel. And be ready." Pavel's voice floats out from behind the small Later as he follows her. He clenches his fist, brow furrowing with the effort of his concentration as he tries to rip the nearer door's hinges right off. Seraph is already turning when the grenade drops - and her voice, raised loud for once, is a clarion warning, "Grenade!" And she's already moving - not toward the device, but to drag Shep down, if she can. Preferably behind cover - failing that, she'll use herself. Darned silly Akarites. Besides, Kestrel wouldn't /like/ losing her bedwarmer. 'NADE!" Shep calls in agreement with Seraph. She doesn't have to pull him down, he's diving down into cover as well to avoid the blast. "Someone's got d'lusions'a... wossname... eh, it'll come ta me," Kes mutters, shaking her head at the laughter over the comms. She stops then, waiting at Pavel's instruction, pistol in hand. "Could pick th'locks," she offers with a shrug. There's another soft sound, the airflow to the room stops, and....BOOM! goes the grenade, a horrible gas emitted from it, quickly filling the room, and the most horrible gagging stench imaginable eminates from the device. The laughing stops, and for Seraph and Shep all falls silent. "Looking for your friends?" a deep silky voice asks in Pavel and Kestrel's ears. "Hmmm....where can they be?" That door Pavel works at..the hinges bend and twist a bit, a loud groaning sound as the metal doesn't seem to want to give way, and then...it litterally pops off its hinges, the door falling open. "This is faster," Pavel tells Kestrel brusquely, shuddering a bit as he opens his eyes again. "Go, go. This sounds like trouble." Seraph gags, yes - but she stays low. She even takes a moment, mouthbreathing and looking up .. for vents? Something - something other than doors. She does ask, though - "Sheppard - have anything with more kick than bang? We really should be going." "Frag, but that ain't gonna blow through one of these doors, shrapnel would jus' come back an' scythe through the rom at us," Shep replies to Seraph. He however, goes for a more direct approach, taking a deep breath as low as he can, he stands and runs at the door, slamming into it shoulder first in an attempt to break it down. Kestrel steps back as the door falls. She blinks at Pavel, blinks at the remnants of the door, and blinks at Pavel again. "Yes. Yes, it is," the petite Later replies flatly, then leads the way with her pistol through the opening where the door formerly stood. The voice on the comm gets ignored. The room Kestrel enters is just a big square room, nothing special, nothing in it exept a couple of cameras and a holoviewer in one corner. On it appears a slender man with dark hair, "Wasting time...wasting time," he taunts the two, "Oh...and your little kitten was very delightful. Too bad she won't be coming back anytime soon," he adds with a light smirk on his lips. Seraph just manages to find a vent, a closed vent, but one none the less. The only thing? That vents out in the main room. Sheppard's task of sheer strenght does manage to net him a sore arm and shoulder, a sharp pain running through them when he hits that door, but the door does budge, the bolt actually giving way. The door doesn't completely pop open, but it's much closer than it was before. Pavel 's eyes narrow, but he doesn't waste time with a wise rejoinder. Instead, as soon as he's determined there's nothing by peeking in past Kestrel, he backs out and whirls on a heel. The little Ungstiri turns his brain to the other door down the hall, visibly seething with fury. Seraph raises the collar of her coat, sheathing the blade, for now. "There's another way - " The woman looks back. "Sheppard - the door?" It's a serious, earnest question. "Or are we using that?" She points at the vent. Sheppard rebounds off the door, before glancing towards Seraph, "First, Ah ain't fittin' inside 'at vent, second, if yew think it's gonna 'old two hundred pounds of man an' another 'undred of combat gear...well, 'ats one damn strong vent," he says, back peddling before smashing into the door again in the same manner. The pink-haired sniper pauses only to flip the bird at the holoviewer before she follows along to the next doorway. As Pavel does more mind-bendy things, Kes looks warily up the hallway between the two doors, her pistol again up and levelled. And this time the door pops open, the bolt twisting and giving way completely. Under the power of Pavel's mind the next door flies off it's hinges, only a slight groan of protest. What Kestrel sees is a short hallway that at first appears to go nowhere, but she might catch sight of what looks like a shiny bit of metal with a small slot through the center of it, just big enough for a card of some sort. Pavel pants a little from unseen exertion, smirking victoriously at that door. "Let's go," he grunts to Kestrel, moving for that hallway. "Good point. I keep forgetting you weigh as much as I do." Seraph offers that.. straight-faced. Kes might recognize the joke.. but. That ain't kes. Instead, she moves back toward him, and that door, drawing the blade once more. And? If he gives her room, she'll go back to being first through, moving quickly. Speed now, over stealth. Sheppard does wait for Seraph, moving out after her with Jen raised and ready, tracking as he moves along after her, keeping up pretty easily, "Right, less kill 'ese bitches." Kestrel nods, glancing into the room that Pavel just opened up to make sure it's empty. "Door at th'end'a th'hallway's gotta lock. Keycard. So, I kin open it, 'r you kin keep, y'know, tearin' th'place 'part jest by... -thinkin'- bout it." The Later obviously finds the final thought there to be at least faintly disturbing. Just the other side of that door? There's a hallway leading to the left, and blocking that hallway two men ready with shotguns. One tall, slender with glasses, blond hair, the shotgun actually looking somewhat out of place in his hands, the other short, stocky and wearing a light smirk as they both take aim at Shep and Seraph. "You'll never find them in time," the voice in Kestrel and Pavel's ear taunts. "The place is *cracklecrackle* ...what the...*cracklecrackle*..." and then all goes silent again. "Ha, that is my lyubimaya," Pavel growls with vicious satisfaction. "Keycard lock... you had probably better do this one if you can. It will be sturdier, harder for me to tear." And Seraph doesn't /stop/. She heads right into the middle of the two with guns, blade flashing; it's the taller, glasses-wearer that bears the brunt of her attention, the Later doing her /damnest/ to get into his face and cut him to ribbons. And she knows - she jogs to the side as he moves down the hall.. it clears a firelane for Shep. Shep's only motion is to angle himself so his shoulder faces the two with shotguns, presenting a smaller profile to them. He picks the other target than Seraph, letting Jen have a little talk to him. Kestrel nods, pulling a set of lockpicks out from inside her jacket as she trots down the short hallway. "Prob'ly. Don' wantcha ta sprain nothin' after all." She inspects the lock, picks a pair of flat, narrow strips of metal out of the generally varied mess of tools, pockets the rest, then goes to work. The man in Seraph's way finds himself pushed back and with a sword stuck in him, a look of shock on his face as he looks down at the weapon which pierces through his body. Shep's man just manages to dodge the bullet coming at him, pressing himself up against the wall in the too narrow hallway. Kestrel's tinkering pays off rather quickly actually, a door seems to open right out of the wall, a soft click and a light popping noise coming from the door itself. "Careful now," Pavel murmurs, reaching out to slowly open the door- ready to roll behind it for cover if need be. In the hallway, Seraph leaves the one impailed; on the end of a sword, most don't think terribly much about shooting you. Instead, she shifts, subtly - sending a feint and then a full kick at the other combatant; it's likely not enough to kill, but there's something about the motion that has a visible intent on keeping the man pinned in that corner - she stays as far to the left as can be managed, the coat swirling around her legs at the motion. Sheppard switches targets as Seraph does as well, aiming for shishkabob man's head from his position down the corridoor and letting off another shot. "Right," Kes agrees quietly, straightening and giving a nod. Those picks are pocketed and the pistol brought up to lead the way again as the pink-haired girl peers carefully into the next room. Shep somehow manages to miss Shishkabob man, who returns the favor to him, taking aim for only a second before taking his shot. The second man just manages to sidestep Seraph, and brining up the butt of his gun, he brings it up to try and bludgen the Later swordswoman. From that room the two had just left, a dark figure emerges, moving silently, a light crossbow held, and a dart released in Shep's direction. What Kestrel finds the other side of that door is a small mousy looking man with a gun, pointed up, and quickly leveled at her. Kestrel catches her breath. "Git down," she offers to Pavel, even as she's shifting her aim slightly to shoot at the mousy-looking man. "Him first," Pavel growls, throwing out a hand to try and yank the gun from their opponent's hand into his. "They -are- going to regret this, deyvachka!" The group's all inside a building, in the middle of a standoff, separated into two groups both in separate combats. Seraph simply /blocks/ the stock of that gun. It'll leave a bruise, likely, but the Later deflects the blow, spinning to yank that blade of hers out of the fellow that's been nailed to the wall with it - Her swing is focused, but a bit wild, clearly intended to artlessly kill, sacrificing accuracy for power. Glasses guy has apparently offended. Sheppard is hit twice. Once with that dart, that really doesn't seem to have an effect on him at /all/, and that bullet hits him square in the shoulder he'd been using to face his opponents, blood spattering from it, and it really doesn't look like a very pretty wound. He does, however, grit his teeth and keep going like any good soldier. Seraph seems to be engaging those to the front, so the man with the crossbow gets a talking to with Jen this time around. Jerry walks into chaos, pausing as soon as he is off the lift. It seals, and zips off to another level, refusing him an escape. So, he takes a quick check, then darts to get behind hard cover of buildings using the access point of the broken windows. That mousy man falls back under Kestrels shot, a hole in his shoulder now bleeding out at an obscene rate. Despite this he goes to take the shot, but not before his guns yanked from his hands by Pavel, the weapon flying a good distance before landing and skidding just into view of Seraph and Shepard. In fact at this point the shotgun blasts would have been heard by Pavel and Kestrel, coming from the opposite direction of the mousy looking man. The man with the microdarts however manages to just dodge that rifle blast and he returns fire with another dart. Glasses guy falls from the wall where he's been impaled, and doesn't seem in any shape to immediately return to the fray, the other guy however brings that rifle butt up again and tries for another bludgeoning blow at the Later swordswoman. "Shotguns," Kes breathes, shaking her head. "'At's never good." She does, however, pause to send another quiet bullet in the direction of the downed man before she heads toward the blasts.Kestrel operates an item. Pavel growls softly, ignoring the downed man now he's weaponless and heading after Kestrel at quite a pace. "These hooping idiots are going to die. Every last one of them. I should pull this whole building down on them!" Seraph's blade *thunks* into the stock of the gun; her defenses are good, especially with steel in hand. And then, in that narrow space, she becomes a thing of swirling coat and spinning steel. If it is a melee that one fellow wants? It's what he gets - that cruciform blade seeking vitals beyond whatever defense he musters. Sheppard gets darted in the thigh, and he really doesn't pay it much attention, until his knee buckles and goes out from under him, two tranq darts seems to be enough to eventually bring him down. He supports himself with one knee as he looks to the man with the crossbow, "Yew bastard son of a mother-fuckin' gyro's bitch," he states, "Yew are so as 'ell goin' down with me," he says as Jen gets to speak one more time. Mousy man is down, a bullet through his head, eyes stairing unseeingly up at the ceiling. Glasses man's body lays motionless in the hallway, and just beyond him is Seraph in locked combat with the stocky darkhaired man. Shep's shot isn't a perfect one, taking the guys leg out from under him, but he's down on the ground now and bleeding out through whatever is left of that leg. The stocky man takes one more chance at trying to hit Seraph with that gun. Kestrel nods in agreement with Pavel and moves toward the still-raging fight, raising that pistol to fire again. The fact that her target's locked into melee with Seraph doesn't seem to bother her in the slightest. Hey, I mean... his attention's elsewhere, right? Bonus. Pavel waits for Kestrel's shot and then tries to dart around the corner, past Seraph and her enemy, looking for whatever else might be going on. If he can get through and catch sight of Shep's predicament on the other side? Well, it's longsword throw time, a straight shot of steel towards the fallen enemy's chest. The Later the fellow keep right on going; even if that shot drops the poor fellow, the Akarite's grim focus continues. This one will get a sword in him, even if it's only to be certain he stays down. Not that there's not a moment of surprise at the whole 'shooting' thing. But you take advantage of what you've got, in the end. And Shep hits the floor with a 300 pound *WHUMP*. He's still bleeding from the shoulder and...what's this? Looks like he's drooling out of the corner of his mouth too. Jen clatters down to the ground beside him. Jerry was moving along, happily in fact, up to the point where gunfire and screams hit his ear. He quietly, or in comparison to the noise of conflict, moves to the entrance of the building. If he can peek into the firefight, to see if there is any survivors in the way of his pillaging for goods, he will. Peek. That stocky man's luck runs out, Kestrel causing the first of the trouble, her shot taking him by surprise and then the sword running through his gut causing him to look down in shock before he simply goes limp. That last guy watches Shep go down, a little smirk on his lips...which is quickly gone, the flying sword catching him in the chest and impaling him to the wall, the sword pushing through to the hilt. It's outside of the building though that Jerry would hear the sound, a soft groan and another voice seething with anger, "That bitch is going to pay. I can't believe she did this to you." The direction is down the street, heading in his direction. Kestrel finally lowers her pistol, blinking for a moment in the post-combat silence. "Didn't mean ta steal yer fun," she offers to Seraph, with a sheepish grin. "Jest figured if ya was still fightin'... well, somethin' must be up, y'know?" She looks swordswoman over briefly, pursing her lips a bit. "Y'all still in one piece?" Pavel wanders over and grabs his sword, yanking it out with a scowl and shaking the blood off. "...Shep?" He says suddenly, then frowns. "Kestrel! Come here!" he calls over his shoulder. Seraph murmers - "Sheppard." It's enough - a wave back down the hallway - ... and she comes forward. "What happened? Suddenly there were alarms." Sheppard still lays there. He's breathing...is that a twitch!? Nope, no, it's not. He's out cold. Jerry just got the left cut of the room, not much excitement there, straightening at the sound of angry voices approaching. He sniffs, runs a thumb across the sweep of his nose, then reaches for his pack of smokes instead of his pistol. "What's going on, love?" Bri's voice comes over the comm units, "What do you need me to do?" she sounds groggy and a bit out of it. Two micro darts can be seen sticking out of Shep, one in his back and the other in his thigh. Nearing the building is two men, one with bright red hair, the other a slender darkhaired man, a hand to his head and he looks like he's completely disoriented. His reply is low, nearly inaudible, and slurred so badly it's possible nobody can make it out. The redhaired man holds him up, helping him along. "I'll get you to the meeting point and we'll do some healing," he offers, his tone softening from the angry one of before. "Dunno," is offered hastily back over Kes's shoulder as she scoots around the corner at Pavel's call. "Aw, fuck, Shep..." She pockets her weapon and kneels down beside the Solan. The trank darts are pulled free during her inspection, glanced at, and tossed aside irritably. Then she looks at that shoulder wound. "Gonna hafta take 'im topside," she mutters, shaking her head. "Gonna be a real peach ta carry 'im while 'e's conked out, too." "Are you okay?" Pavel says at once into the comms, deeply worried. "Lyubimaya? I think we are all right in here, but I need to hear from you?" "I'm fine, love," Bri replies, "A little...out of it, but alive. That bastard came out worse than I did. Everybody alive? Do I need to get emergency units there?" she asks. Jerry lights up, the cigarette placed between his lips. He looks to the nearby man, waiting till they near. If they move to enter the room, he slides in front of them, half blocking the door. If not, he'll just nod them on their way. Pavel sighs, lightning a cigarette and heading at a quick pace for the door out. The men do indeed move to enter the building. The one holding his head doesn't even seem to realize where he is right now. "Are you alright, love?" Bri asks Pavel over the commlink. Jerry firmly moves into a blocking position, "It's a pretty gruesome sight in there, pals. I wouldn't suggest entering unless you got some iron stomachs." "As usual, I am unharmed," Pavel tells Bri, continuing for the door. "My friend just needs a place to sit," the red headed man says to Jerry, "He took a blow to the head that was pretty nasty." Although anybody observant enough would see there is no physical wound. "Does this mean you are coming home? So I can check you over?" Bri's voice comes over the comm, her tone coy and teasing. "Do what you got to do, is no piss on me, gov'." Jerry responds, stepping to the left to allow the pair to move ahead. Pavel laughs lowly, whispering into the comms, "Of course, lyubimaya. Right on my way and looking forward to it." He reaches to open the door out of the building he's in, not seemingly realizing that two men- one red-haired, one black-haired- are heading for it from the other side, Jerry just stepping out of their way. The red haired man stops, his friend still leaning on him, still groggy and very out of it. "I just need to..." he stops short when Pavel appears. It's like looking into a mirror, same facial features and all...just two different hair colors. One redhead, one with dyed blue hair. Jerry looks between the two, "Well, isn't this a fine moment? Got a story, the two of you do, I suspect? Faces that close don't come face to face everyday." Pavel stares disbelievingly for a moment, crossing himself automatically. "Who the HOOP are you?" he blurts out, eyes roving over the red-haired man. The man looks Pavel over, "Depends on who you are," he replies, he starts to sag under the weight of the man at his side. Jerry takes a drag from the cigarette, looking between the two curiously. His exhalation is complete with acrid smoke, leaning further back to study the interaction between the two. Pavel glances over to Jerry, his brows furrowing uneasily. He tenses, and says bluntly, "Did you two work here?" The redhead backs up and seems to be looking at the building for the first time, "I think I have the wrong place," he mutters, his eyes looking to Jerry, then back to Pavel. "Mmm, maybe you do, bloke." Jerry responds, with some measured amusement. "Sally along now, if you please. I got business inside." "How did he get hurt?" Pavel demands abruptly, looking over to the redheaded man's companion. "Because I think... maybe you do not." The red haired man backs up a little further, his companion coming with him, "It was a psion," he replies, "His head was messed with," he states. "I'll be waiting for you," Bri replies softly in Pavel's ear. "Oh, bloody hell." Jerry says, "Look, you three want to have a mouth down, that's fine and right. Do it away from the entrance to my scavenging pit, if you don't mind." "Scavenging pit?" Both of Pavel's eyebrows rise as he takes a long, slow look at Jerry. "I surely am hoping you do not intend to take an unauthorized personal cut out of our proceeds from this." He then closes one eye, seemingly concentrating. "Oh, I'm sorry princess, I wasn't aware that you were working and claiming, what with talking with yon ginger here. Terribly sorry." Jerry says, without sounding at all that. He does move to leave. "The red headed man backs away more, "I think it's best we go then. I don't think we want to be stepping on your gains," he adds and starts moving off in the direction Jerry moves. "You missed the part where I ripped down two doors with brute strength, disarmed one gunman and killed another," Pavel coldly informs Jerry, "and you did not get here until the work was done, I believe." His eyes narrow as he considers the two other men, and states flatly, "You are lying to me. You -wait-. Who the hoop are you!" Alastair rubs his hand against his forehead and grimaces as he steps out of the elevator lobby. He blinks a few times and looks around the street with tired eyes. "Hrm." He mutters to himself as he takes in the scene. "Must have hit the wrong floor." "That's the idea behind bloody scavenging, tough guy. I'm not your assistant, I'm the scavenger. That I have to explain that is pretty blinkin' sad when you get down to it as I thought I was clear on the whole division of values. Anyway, Enjoy your chat." Jerry says, leaving the two behind as Pavel's problem. "Johnny," The redhead replies, "I'm Johnny." He starts to move away when the darkhaired man speaks up, "Damned bitch, she fucking kicked me out," he murmers. Pavel's eyes narrow. Abruptly he reaches out psionically, trying to pull the dark-haired man away from Johnny and towards himself. "We killed the rest of you," he snarls. "But again this time we missed someone." Alastair steps aside to get out of the way while Jerry goes through the door, and stumbles slightly. He is about to turn and snap at the man when he spots the others. "Huh." He mutters to himself as he watches Pavel. The limp man is easily pulled to Pavel, only the slightest tug to try and hold him back, the other man stops and looks back at Pavel seeming to concentrate on him. Pavel halts a moment, his posture going slack and his eyes unfocusing a little. His psionic tug on the limp man ceases, letting him fall if he can't be supported on his own. The Ungstiri snaps out of it though with a shake of his head, and stares fiercely at the redhead. "...Oh... That was... Ill-advised." The darkhaired man falls to the ground, slumping over like a ragdoll. The redhead raises a brow slightly, "So you are going to do what?" he says with a light smirk, "Going to cause trouble? You couldn't be more than a kid anyway," he states looking Pavel over. "Nineteen," Pavel states brusquely. "And you are not the only one with a few tricks up his sleeve." Smirking, he waves a hand in the air before him, a great sweep of energy trying to shove the redhead into the nearest wall at somewhere around twenty miles an hour- painful, if not deadly. "Now tell me WHO the HOOP you are!" Alastair straightens himself up and continues watching the contest with a dreary, half-bored expression. He doesn't make any move to go closer, but he doesn't leave either. He eyes the twins first, and then scrutinizes Pavel and seems to vaguely recognize him. The man is pushed back like a sack of potatoes, hitting the wall /hard/, hard enough to knock the wind from him. He coughs and tries to suck wind back in. It takes him a moment before he finally gets his name out, "I told you, Johnny," he wheezes. "Are you a member of the SSC," Pavel demands, ignoring the fallen dark-haired man, eyes only for his redheaded doppelganger. The red head looks over at him and smirks, "Perhaps," he replies, "Tell me who wants to know." "The lover of the schoolgirl your goons nearly killed," Pavel informs the redhead, eyes blazing hot. "Pavel."Once he sees the second man seemingly incapacitated. Alastair shrugs and limps towards the action. He hangs back just far enough to avoid getting splattered with blood if it comes to that. "Pavel Pavlovich," he says with a light smirk, "And your little kitten. What a bitch," he spits back. Pavel draws the bloodied longsword that hangs on his back, informing the redhead with a cruel smile, "You might want to speak kindly of her. You know I am not just a child now, do you not?" Alastair shoves his hands in his jacket pockets and stays where he is, watching. The man laughs and gazes across at Pavel his eyes focusing on him intently. Pavel reaches up and grabs at his head with a yowl, but it quickly subsides, the smaller man shaking it off. "Nice try," he snarls. "I do not want to kill you. Were you in Perseverance twenty years ago?" Johnny's face falls, "What is it to you?" he asks, "How would you know about that?" "Looked in a mirror lately?" Pavel grates, gesturing impatiently at his face with his sword. "I think I need to go now," he states, "I'll take my friend and we'll leave you alone." "I should not let you do that," Pavel says, very lowly. "Your SSC is finished, you know. How loyal are you to them?" Johnny raises a brow, "How dedicated are you to your woman? To your friends?" he asks. "...I have an offer to you," Pavel remarks, exhaling heavily. "Cease your Tomin Kora operations or arrange something with the Grey Syndicate. Your losses here have been staggering. You will lose much less if you pay the standard operating fee. And you will live." Alastair rolls his eyes contemptuously at the exchange, muttering quietly to himself. He shifts his weight to his left foot, and crosses his arms across his chest as he continues watching to see what Pavel will do. "We'll leave your world alone. This can end here," Johnny replies with a shrug. "I'll be off your planet by morning." "Good. If you hold up your end of that agreement there will be no further conflict between our interests and yours," Pavel says, voice clipped. "Now tell me. Were you in Perseverance twenty years ago?" Johnny nods, "Yes," he replies. "And you do look a lot of me...when I was much younger," he admits. Pavel's lips firm into a thin line. After a moment, he admits grudgingly, "...My hair is red." "How's your mother," the redhead asks with a little smile. Pavel sheathes the longsword, watching the redhead warily. "She has amounted to nothing and she is no one. Every single other person in my family has black hair." Johnny looks down and away, "I will be gone in the morning. Perhaps we'll meet again, kiddo," he says moving toward his friend. "Keep your word." Pavel's word is a shade more urging than stern, and he folds his arms over his chest with a scowl that indicates he knows it. "...Perhaps we will meet again." "Hey." Alastair says in a sharp tone, raising his voice a little to be heard from where he stands. "I hate to interrupt, I really do, but if you're /not/ going to kill each other anymore - right?" He looks quizzically from Pavel to the similar-looking redhead. "Do you need medical attention? I don't actually /care/, mind you, so I should probably just leave anyway." "Actually..." Johnny replies to Alastair, "My friend here. He got dumped out of the matrix by some kitten. He's been having issues with his head since then." "If you are agreed to leave without exacting vengeance, then there is enough of a peace between us... go on," Pavel tells Alastair, nodding. "...I am going to get home." Johnny shakes his head, "No retaliation," he replies to Pavel, and tries to help the darkhaired man up. Alastair gives a shrug. "Sure, why not. Brain Surgery is always a laugh." He chuckles and casually waves a hand that suddenly sprouts several sharp and pointy-looking instruments. "You want the back-alley treatment, then? Or do you like him enough to get him to a medbay first?" Pavel nods tersely Johnny's way, turning to go. Only when he's nearly out of earshot does he say, quietly, "Nice finally meeting you." Johnny eyes the tools on Alastair's hand, "We can take him to the medbay," he replies, and mutters something about mad docs. "Love? Is everything alright? You've been gone a long time," Bri asks in Pavel's ear. "Your call." Alastair agrees, bobbing his head from side to side and letting his surgical instruments vanish seamlessly back into his prosthetic arm. "I wasn't sure you had time for it, since you're in a hurry to get out of here. But I'll see if I can't fix him up enough to get you safely on your way." He rubs his hands together quickly. "Allright. The LC clinic has surgery rooms we can use. They're not set up for /precisely/ this sort of thing." He shrugs and waves a hand. "But close enough, right? "Da. Coming home for bed. Will talk about it in the morning," Pavel mutters into the comms, disappearing into the elevator. Johnny nods, and getting his friend supported, he looks up at Alastair, "Lead the way then," he says. Alastair points towards the lobby down the street and says "This way." His tone is unusually upbeat, perhaps ghoulishly so considering the prospect of surgery on the man's brain. He sets off with a limp, by choice or necessity going slowly enough for the solans to keep up. Johnny follows along afterward, "You seem awefully....chipper this evening," he adds looking Alastair over, "You sure your a doc?"
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