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Audio Recap:

https://soundcloud.com/user6815764/exquest-21-vo

Previously on Exterminator Quest:

After clearing the building of Sprouters and taking several specimens, you dropped Maxim and Ilya off in a safe place and returned their equipment. In gratitude, they gave you their contact information. Now, as the last of the evening sun withers away to nothing in the evening Haze of Hong Kong, you pick up the communicator given to you by Zheng. Your hand shakes as you push down your thumb to verify your identity. It’s been a long day, you think, and you’ve come out fortunate once again. But how long will that luck hold out?

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First prompt will go up in about 12 minutes, just so we don't jump the gun on anyone who expects the thread at 5pm.

In the meantime, something for you to ponder.

>If you've read the quest before, what do you think of the writing style?
Too verbose or too sparse? What direction would you like the writing to move towards?

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>>43038770

<Zheng, Zheng, are you there?>

Zheng answers your with a yawn and appears to be in bed, half-dressed at best.

<What is the issue, Esperanza? I was in the middle of some very important business.>

<I took a second assignment today… And stumbled across some things you might find interesting.>

<Some things? What kind of things?>

A pair of breasts and a chin drape themselves over Zheng’s shoulder.

<Who’s this, pig head?>

<Get off bitch. This is business.>

The lips form an adorable pout and Zheng shoves her off.

<Tell me what the fuck this is about you bloodsucker and do it quick, before I hang up on you!>

>I’ve got a few specks to offload
>How many?
>1
>2
>3
>4
>all 5
>Would you know why Russians would be hanging out in an abandoned building in Kowloon?
>I was wondering if I could ask a favor…
>Cute little number you’ve got there Zheng… (needle him)
>Write-In

>>43038987
>Cute little number you’ve got there Zheng… (needle him)
>I’ve got a few specks to offload
>How many?
>2

>>43038987
>>I’ve got a few specks to offload
3.

Also isn't it six? five humanoids, plus he could take one of the locusts?

Give him the locusts and two humanoids.

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>>43039057
>>43039080

<Is that your little honeypot, zheng? You two cozied up in your own little love palace?>

<Fuck off, she's my little idiot at best.>

A knowing giggle offsets Zheng's best attempt at stoicism.

<Enough, I just finished a job and I captured some specks in the process… humanoid and insect. I’m looking to offload 2 or 3 of them with you before bringing the rest back to GEC.>

<Why bring any back to GEC?>

<Because they’re on my tail after that job we pulled yesterday. I’ve got to clear my name with a good performance before they tie me down and grind truthie roofies up my nose with a pair of chopsticks.>

<That bad, eh… I hadn’t heard anything about the fallout until what you just told me. Maybe they found our sources.>

<That’s your problem Zheng. You want some of these specks or not?>

<Of course! Where are you now? We’ll arrange a pickup on your route back to GEC, so as not to look too suspicious.>

<I already took a detour to a local restaurant...>

You give Zheng the details of your current location and he agrees to meet you at a supermarket along the way. Then he terminates the call, leaving you alone once more…

How do you want to drive to the pick-up point?

>Manual (drive yourself)
>Automatic (let the onboard computer drive and take a nap)

>>43039151
>>Automatic (let the onboard computer drive and take a nap)

>>43039200

You set the car drive automatically to your destination. You’re damned tired and you deserve to… close your eyes… for just a minute…

>roll 1d20 for your dream, I’ll use the unordered median post after 15 minutes

Rolled 13 (1d20)

>>43039224
hope for fire

>>43039224
>>43039151

Goddamn trip dropping. These are both me, obviously. Continue rolling 1d20s...

Rolled 5 (1d20)

>>43039224

>>43039224
Sweet dreams, Esperanza.

Rolled 5 (1d20)

>>43039280
Damn it, me, don't forget the dice next time.

Rolled 1 (1d20)

>>43039224

Rolled 4 (1d20)

>>43039224

>>43039314
Thank christ it's too late...

>>43039253
dear god

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>>43039239
>>43039266
>>43039296
>>43039314
>>43039334

>median post is >>43039296
>5

You’re on a golf course. It’s the most beautiful golf course you’ve ever seen.

“You’re the man, Vin. You’re the kind of guy I’m talkin’ about when I tell people that I assume Mexico sends some good people too.”

It’s him, in the flesh. The Donald.

“I… Thank you sir. I’m not Mex-”

“Doesn’t matter who you are, numbskull! Not as long as you’re a red-blooded *real* American. Don’t you want to make America great again?”

“Of- of course, Mr. Trump. But-”

“Then listen to me! Don’t you know how rich I am? You think I got that rich by being a weenie?”

“N-”

“NO! I got this rich by never letting anybody talk over me. Employing Amendment Numero Uno, wetback. I say whatever I want, whenever I want. That’s what makes Americans good dealers. We’re got tongues that can lick any Russian, any Chinaman, and any sombrero waving Peruvian you can find. We lick ‘em good! The best licks in the world come from America!”

“That-”

“I’m going to tell you the truth, Vince. You’re a good kid. Hell, you’re a great kid, maybe even the best. I love you like a son or as much as I ever could love a Mexican.”

“I’m not-”

The Don claps his hands on your shoulders and you feel an unusual warmth flow through you, reinvigorating and arousing every part of you.

“You feel that? That’s what makes me great. That’s the power of the Deal. It’s the best. You can’t get that from anyone but the best. And that’s me.”

You look deep into each other’s eyes.

“Teach me the art of the Deal, Mr. Trump.”

“You got it, kid.”

>Trait Gained
>Dealmaster- +1 to persuasion rolls

The wisdom transferred is unbelievable. When it's done, you'll make them pay. You'll make them pay you!

[1/2]

>>43039472
fuck off

>>43039489
[2/2]

You wake with a start at the supermarket. Zheng has already pulled up behind you in his usual minivan.

He’s dressed discretely, with a surgical mask and some black gloves on. It seems like slim protection against potentially contagious specks but he seems content.

You open up the back of your van and present your selection…

Which specimens do you want to hand over?

>The wild woman
>The Juvenile Sprouter
>1 Adult Sprouter
>2 Adult Sprouters
>3 Adult Sprouters

>>43039523
Oops, forgot:

>cage of locusts

>>43039523
>>The wild woman
>1 Adult Sprouter
>locusts
Does he pay 300bux per locust? If it's for the whole cage, and the cage has 12 or more locusts, then GEC is a better deal. Hell with breeding pairs, for 300bux shouldn't give him more than 3 locusts.

He buys...interesting information, too, doesn't he? Separately?

He might be able to put a price on the sprouter hive like structure and hivemind.

>>43039595

>Does he pay 300bux per locust? If it's for the whole cage, and the cage has 12 or more locusts, then GEC is a better deal. Hell with breeding pairs, for 300bux shouldn't give him more than 3 locusts.

He'll pay 300 for a cage, GEC isn't going to pay you individually for every insect either. It's been discussed previously.

>He buys...interesting information, too, doesn't he? Separately?

Correct. You'll have an option for that in the next prompt or two.

>>43039523
>The Juvenile Sprouter
>1 Adult Sprouter

>>43039523
>The wild woman
>1 Adult Sprouter

>>43039662
>juvenile sprout
>1 adult

>>43039595
>>The wild woman
>1 Adult Sprouter
>locusts

Vote fast.

1 for woman, adult sprout, and a cage of locusts (you have 3 more, all full)

2 for juvy sprouter and adult sprouter

Remember everything you don't take goes back to GEC.

>>43039693
1

>>43039693
1

>>43039693
2

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>>43039489
>arousing every part of you.
Donald-sama, I...

>>43039705
>>43039727
>smells kinda samefaggy...
>1

>>43039735
>2

You offer up the woman, adult sprouter, and a cage of locusts.

It’s a quick transfer and Zheng ponies up the money without complaint. He seems like he’s in a pretty good mood… Maybe you can push him for more.

>gained: $2300

>offer information
>try and bargain for more in the future (write-in a price per specimen)
>Just get going, it’s pretty late now and you need to debrief

>>43039775
20% overall price increase. We must listen to master Trump!!

>>43039775
>>offer information

>try and bargain for more in the future
>>43039825
Yeah. 1200 for human, and. Nonhuman specimens could probably be bumped up to 400 or 500.

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>>43039825
>>43039875
>bargain for more

<Makes you happy, huh?>

<What? What are you talking about, Esperanza?>

<To get the specimens. Take them back to your boss. How much money do you make on them?>

<We don’t make- You want more, is that what your are trying to say? Be upfront.>

>roll 3d6+4 to bargain for 1200 for human specs, 400 for non-human!

Rolled 1, 6, 3 + 4 = 14 (3d6 + 4)

>>43039892
Come on baby.

Rolled 5, 2, 1 + 4 = 12 (3d6 + 4)

>>43039892
Zheng. Meet America.

>>43039913
>>43039928

Waiting on final roll.

Rolled 6, 4, 5 + 4 = 19 (3d6 + 4)

>>43039892

I wonder if they can sell Vince, like, two untraceable cell phones. Since they have that spywatch.

I mean traceable by them obviously but Vince clearly already has no privacy or secrets from them.

Rolled 3, 6, 5 + 4 = 18 (3d6 + 4)

>>43039892
Maybe the con will rise again?

>>43039975
>>43039913
>>43039928
>>43039987

>14, 12, 19

<Don't be a goddamn meathead, Zheng. I do good work for you; this is your second batch of specimens in a week. Can anyone else do that for you? I don't think so.>

<Esperan->

<I want more money, Zheng. I've got obligations now. Big ones. And if you want to keep me and, I think you do if those inspectors found your lousy sources, you're going to have to pay me more. A grand and a fifth for humanoid specs and four hundred for anything else.>

The big man is visibly taken aback.

<I... I'll tell my superiors that. It seems reasonable.>

<Good. Now, I'd like to do something nice for you. I've got information that you might find useful. We agreed I'd be paid for that too, right?>

<R-right. What do you have?>

>explain what you know about the sprouters
>tell him about the Russians
>Write-in
>Actually, nothing I'd like to share just now.

>>43040055
>>explain what you know about the sprouters

>>43040055
>explain what you know about the sprouters

>>43040055
>>explain what you know about the sprouters

>>43040081
>>43040094
>>43040129

You explain what you know about this particular sprouters, that they're not infected humans but an entire hive that reproduces from some kind of central infected human.

<Did you save that human?>

<No.>

<A shame. She would have been very valuable.>

<It wouldn't have been worth it.>

Zheng gives you a perplexed look but quickly moves on, handing you the money.

>Gained: $150

He seems eager to go but he asks you if there's anything else you two need to talk about.

>Actually, I could use a favor...
>Nothing. You need to get going, it’s pretty late now and you need to debrief

>>43040154
>>Nothing. You need to get going, it’s pretty late now and you need to debrief

>>43040154
>>Actually, I could use a favor...
Is there a price on military grade flamethrowers?

Reality inexplicably rewrote itself recently leaving me bereft.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>43040171
>>43040194

Rollin' to determine.

>>43040154
>>43040194
Seconding flamethrowers. Maybe look for the specific kind the Ruskie gave to us.

Maybe with the bank he's making vince can buy a personal vehicle not beholden to GEC. A smaller faster one.

Like a bike. Jeremy would probably like that too.

>>43040219
>>43040194
>>43040220

<Well, seeing as we’re friends now, I was wondering if maybe…>

<We’re not friends, Esperanza. At best we’re business associates. But in the name of doing business, I’ll hear you out on this…>

<I was wondering if you had a...>

You make a wooshing sound and mime the motions you were using earlier.

<A flamethrower?>

<Yes. One of those. I didn't know the word...>

Zheng looks thoughtful for a moment.

<I could probably get you one but...>

<But what?>

<It would be Chinese model, R-67. Burns hot but dangerous. Made for burning Sprouter nests, not precise work.>

<How much?>

<One thousand five hundred.>

<What about a Russian F-75?>

<That would take longer. Probably cost you $2800-ish. When did you become so knowledgable about flamethrowers, Esperanza?>

<Very recently.>

>request Chinese model
>request Russian model
>take neither, you need to leave

>>43040307
>request Russian model
No price too high.

>>43040307
>>request Russian model
My God is a God of Flame Zheng.

>>43040307
>>request Russian model
Okay that's almost half the profits Vince pulled in the last 3 days but surely there's more where that came from.

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>>43040331

<I'll wait for the F-75.>

<Okay. It may take a day or two for Crusty and I to work out the fine details. You can pay us when it's ready.>

<Sounds good. Now I've gotta go. Enjoy your little idiot, Zheng.>

He smiles, a rare event.

It’s only a short drive the rest of the way. You have the van park itself by the unloading dock and walk up to talk to Devlinson personally. One of the inspectors passes you on his way out of the bosses office, snarling at you but Devlinson waves you in from behind him, still smiling.

“Give me the good news, Vin.”

>tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth (except for the bit where you gave Zheng a bunch of specimens)

>tell like 80% of the truth, leaving out the Russians and Zheng

>tell like 50% of the truth, leave out the Russians and Zheng, blow everything out of proportion

>>43040413
>>tell like 50% of the truth, leave out the Russians and Zheng, blow everything out of proportion
My god man, it was wild.

>>43040413
>>tell like 80% of the truth, leaving out the Russians and Zheng
Protect our red friends

>>43040413
>tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth (except for the bit where you gave Zheng a bunch of specimens)
They'll probably deduce enough to call bullshig one no help.

>>43040467
There's a way to explain the loud gunfire.

With a weapon Vince didn't bring back.

Somehow.

>>43040413
>>tell like 80% of the truth, leaving out the Russians and Zheng

>>43040436
>50%

>>43040462
>>43040521
>80%

>>43040467
>Tell it all as it was. Just the facts

80% takes it.

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>>43040548

You tell your story, playing up how you fought your way through an entire nest of sprouters with nothing but your wits, your wrangling stick, and an AK-47 you found in the field. It’s only a slight exaggeration and it explains the gunfire. When you’re done, Devlinson seems gripped.

“Sprouters? And you bought back specs?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m going to have to talk to some people about this. We haven’t seen a sprouter nest in months and now this, right under our nose.”

He quickly begins pounding away at an antique keyboard behind his mountain of paperwork.

>Uh… That inspector wasn’t asking about me, was he?
>ask him about the insect specimens
>take your leave, he’s obviously occupied and you’ve told him everything important…
>write-in

>>43040596
>>ask him about the insect specimens

>>43040596
>>ask him about the insect specimens

>>43040615
>>43040625


>ask him about the insect specimens

“I’ve got cages full of insect specs out there. I’m going to get paid for each of those individually, right?”

Devlinson raises an eyebrow at you, turning back away from the keyboard.

“Every spec?”

“Yeah-”

“I thought we discussed this, Vin. GEC is not going to compensate you in full if your bring in a bag of a thousand roaches. If we worked that way, all the employees would be millionaires by now.”

“But-”

“The lab techs will check if its really something we haven’t seen before and if it is, they’ll sex ‘em. When that’s done, you’ll be lucky to get payment for more than 8 specs, divvied into breeding pairs. That’s more than fair.”

>Fine
>push for more specimens to be counted (write-in amount)

>>43040596
>>ask him about the insect specimens

burn the sprouts, corp war now

>>43040635
>>Fine
It is pretty fair

>>43040635
>>push for more specimens to be counted
You need more than that. 20 specs are worth something.

>>43040635
>push for more specimens to be counted (write-in amount)
15. Bless us Trump-sama!
Fuck you scrooge.

>>43040635
>>push for more specimens to be counted

You're also billing the building owners extra for the sewer lizard, the cats, the muta rats, and all the secondary infestations I cleared out.

Not to mention the extra infestation of rats I cleared from the water plant.

I'm fattening the customer's invoice aren't I? Where's trickle-down economics when you need it?

>>43040730
Don't forget killer croc in the basement

>>43040747
>the sewer lizard

>>43040702
Make it 16 an even number.

600 bux?

>>43040655
>>43040672
>>43040702
>>43040730


"Come on, Dev. These bugs were living on the roots of a sprouter next. They're amazing. Even if you send out every employee here to scour the Earth, they won't find bugs quite like this. I deserve to have a little more than 8 counted."

Devlinson's eyebows knit.

"You know the rules, Vince. I've gone out of my way for you recently and this is how you repay me? By haggling for every cent?"

>roll 3d6+4 to do just that

Rolled 4, 6, 6 + 4 = 20 (3d6 + 4)

>>43040779
Maybe.

Rolled 6, 1, 1 + 4 = 12 (3d6 + 4)

>>43040779
nothing personnel, kid
It's not you mate.

Rolled 5, 6, 3 + 4 = 18 (3d6 + 4)

>>43040779

Rolled 2, 4, 6 + 4 = 16 (3d6 + 4)

>>43040779
Vince had a revelation today. A divine vision. It can't be helped.

Now to see Silver Pete and refill on bait and a fuckton of trank darts.

Itinerary after debrief with all this new income from selling water?

Get 10 more bait bags, 50 trank darts, and 10 more gas grenades. So you can't possibly run out.

Stop and pick up two cell phones.

Make dinner. And spend quality time with either Jeremy or Lopez. Maybe go bat hunting. Maybe snort cocaine. Maybe both!

>>43040635
>“I thought we discussed this, Vin.
Did they?

Which thread was that?

>>43040820
>>43040812
>>43040802
>>43040836

>20, 12, 18
>Deal mastery achieved

"We're both professionals, Devlinson. I appreciate what you do for me, but that's your prerogative. I'm in here trying to make a little extra just to eek by."

"Vince, I can't be doing this..."

"Come on. Those specs are going to turn those inspectors right around. Once they're noses out of here you can bend the rules again a little, right? How about 20 specs counted? How's that sound?"

"Just this once, Vin. But if you pull this crap again, I'm going to pop you. I swear I will."

"Wonderful! So we've got a deal then. Trust me, you'll feel good about this later."

"Get out, Vin."

You oblige him. Outside the office, you give your priorities a once over. You're going to want to stock up for tomorrow if Pete's available and maybe pick up something for dinner on the way home.

>Go see if the quartermaster is still in
>Get down to your van and head home

>>43040963
>>Go see if the quartermaster is still in

>>43040963
>>Go see if the quartermaster is still in

>>43040963
>Go see if the quartermaster is still in

>>43040968
>>43040977

Pete is just locking up as you make your way over to the armory.

"Oh hey, Pete-"

"Fuck you."

"I was just wondering if-"

"Fuck you."

"Come on, maybe you could-"

"Fuck. You."

He finishes locking the door and walks past you angrily. Looks like you're going to have to wait until tomorrow to stock up on gear...

You make your way down to the van, making sure not to take the same elevator as Silver Pete.

The van seems lighter with all the specimens gone. You turn on the console and tell it you're going to drive manual.

>Roll 1d20, thrice. Don't ask.

Rolled 13 (1d20)

>>43041082
We do still have to. Talk to Lopez about that ticket from yesterday.

Rolled 19 (1d20)

>>43041082
Suicidal Silver Pete trying to kill us?

Rolled 10 (1d20)

>>43041082
Ah yes making everyone mad today.

Rolled 16 (1d20)

>>43041082

>>43041101
>>43041103
>>43041150
not bad

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>>43041101
>>43041103
>>43041156
>13, 19, 10

You drive off without incident. Silver Pete doesn't so much as glance in your direction as you leave.

You turn on the radio. It's some old hipster shit but it's alright.

>https://youtu.be/f7wkRET0hbo

The streets are relatively uncrowded. Seems the big rush for water has subsided and the Hong Kongese have all gone home to spend the night with their families.

For the third time today, you're going to a supermarket. What a thrill, you think, flipping through all the different options on the van's console. You settle on one you haven't gone to yet today and set yourself to thinking about the enchiladas you're going to make tonight...

As your mouth waters, you're startled when a trio of VTOLs sweep low over the highway, going in the same direction you are. Seems kind of odd...

You pull into the parking lot of the supermarket and buy all the necessary ingredients for dinner, the final bill setting you back about $22. It's probably worth it if it'll feed you and Jeremy for the night with some leftovers for the rest of the week...

Finally, you make your way home and call up Lopez about that ticket you may or may not have gotten the other day. He promises he'll look into it and that it's no big deal. By the way, he asks, when are you going to see him again?

Soon, you promise and cut the connection.

[1/2]

>>43041357
>Soon
Thanks Valve.

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[2/2]

You park in front of the stupid deli, just like you always do. Almost as an afterthought you grab your Chinese Specs and put them into your equipment bag. Probably not a great idea to leave them in the van overnight, you think. You'll bring the rifle up later, when its a little darker and no one will see you.

You take the elevator, groceries in both hands. There's some kind of banging going on upstairs... Maybe maintenance?

The elevator door opens and the banging gets louder. It's coming from this floor...

As you get nearer and nearer to your apartment, the noises increase. Finally you head a child scream and two enormous and heavily armed figures emerge from your apartment with Jeremy. You put down your groceries carefully and take aim... they haven't noticed you yet.

>start shooting right now
>tail them
>let them go, these guys are out of your league

>>43041491
>>let them go, these guys are out of your league
Sad day.

>>43041491
>>tail them

>>43041491
>enormous and heavily armed
Dammit. This sounds like a job for the sniper rifle.

>tail them

>>43041519
>let the sonfu go

>>43041520
>>43041523
>tail them

Writing for tail them.

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>>43041491
>>tail them
Unleash the fucking fury away from home

>>43041544
How?

>>43041537
You do your best to stay close but out of sight, your Chinese Special close at hand.

Jeremy is struggling and obviously in great distress as the two troopers manhandle him up the stairs. You realize that they must be heading for the roof.

A crackling noise fills your ears as you pursue them. Tinnitus again? Why now?

You follow them all the way to the roof access and watch helplessly as they climb through with Jeremy, covering one another throughout.

Following them even higher, onto the roof, you spot the waiting VTOLs. This is your last chance...

>open fire with both guns
>let them take him

>>43041615
gauss sniper rifle.

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>>43041544
Aye. No one takes our Sonfu! We have had days to form an irreplaceable bond with him. DAYS! You hear that, vaguely defined but recognizably bad near-future dystopia guys!

>>43041625
>>open fire with both guns
Frick. The roof. Not the ground floor.

>>43041625
>open fire with both guns

Live by the dice, die by the dice.

>>43041625
>>open fire with both guns
Anime protagonist is a go.

>>43041644
>>43041659
>>43041673
How is this going to work. Look at that armor.

>>43041625
>>open fire with both guns

>>43041673
>>43041659
>>43041644

A wise man once told you that, in matters of gunplay, it is fine to allow yourself a little bit of John Woo. It adds the element of surprise, he said. But he made one thing very clear. Never go full John Woo.

You go full John Woo. Just this once.

>Roll 3d6+2, boost up to twice with Nerves.

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Rolled 5, 4, 5 + 4 = 18 (3d6 + 4)

>>43041733
boost ALL the things!

Rolled 6, 5, 5 + 2 = 18 (3d6 + 2)

>>43041733
Double boost.

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Rolled 3, 1, 3 + 2 = 9 (3d6 + 2)

>>43041733

>>43041756
>>43041758
>18,20
The dice, too, thirst for sonfu.

>>43041707
Shoot them in the eyes. How's that for a slice of fried gold?

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>>43041779

>>43041756
>>43041758
>>43041779
>18,20,11
>Nerves [7/13]

You bust through the roof access door with a gun in each hand. The two troopers turn to look at you, obviously startled.

You run forward, squeezing round after round in their direction, careful to aim high and avoid hitting Jeremy.

You get lucky and catch one of the troopers in his helmet and he goes down, clutching his face. The other unslings a machine gun and opens fire on you as one of the three VTOLs takes off behind him.

>Roll 3d6+2 to dodge, boost with STR/STA

>-Paternal Instinct (promotion from “Boy Lover”): Your strong desire to protect your surrogate son grants a +1 bonus to your actions when he is in danger. You’re starting to assume a position of fatherhood.

Oh right, that's why +2.

Sonfu powers.

Rolled 4, 6, 5 + 4 = 19 (3d6 + 4)

>>43041877
boost again.

See, this is why you conserve your boosts for just a pile of goo.

Rolled 2, 6, 4 + 4 = 16 (3d6 + 4)

>>43041877
We didn't get this far to stop making stupid decisions now.

Rolled 3, 6, 3 + 3 = 15 (3d6 + 3)

>>43041877
Boost

Rolled 2, 5, 1 + 2 = 10 (3d6 + 2)

>>43041877

If only Jeremy had his giant mantis army.

>>43041898
>>43041933
>>43041935
>19,16,16

You dive behind a rooftop AC unit, feeling the bullets whiz past your already mutilated ear. Jeremy's screaming for you is cut short unexpectedly by a short crude sound. One of the soldiers must have hit him, hard. Your guns are both empty already.

The VTOL that took off just a few seconds ago has already circled the building to suss out your hiding place. It descends mere feet from you and you can see the pilot flick back the safety on his machine guns...

This is it, you think, this is the end. The pilots thumb descends. The crackling noise gets louder.

Unexpectedly there is a sound like a malfunctioning lawnmower and the VTOL careens out of control just as the it starts to fire, spraying rounds past you and into the air. A fine spray of green gunk lands on your white uniform as the VTOL plummets to the ground, crashing on to the street below with a thunderous explosion.

You peek your head out from behind cover cautiously to see the two troopers thrashing as a wave of cockroaches sweeps over them. The one of the remaining VTOLs flees while the other does its best to wait for the two troopers. One makes it to the chopper. The other...

You start running before you can finish the thought.

...has pulled the pin on a grenade.

>roll 3d6+2 to stop him from detonating your sonfu, boost with STR/STA

Rolled 6, 5, 5 + 4 = 20 (3d6 + 4)

>>43042101
Not today.

Rolled 2, 1, 6 + 2 = 11 (3d6 + 2)

>>43042101
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

Rolled 5, 2, 1 + 2 = 10 (3d6 + 2)

>>43042101

>>43042124
>>43042138
>>43042144
DEATH TO SONFU

>>43042138
Yeah gonna double boost that then.

>>43042101
>if we can't have him, nobody can

Well that's one way to prevent the formation of a mantis army.

>>43042144
>>43042138

Double boost or no, anons?

>>43042101
> A fine spray of green gunk
Yes the roaches have arrived.

>crashing on to the street below with a thunderous explosion.
The Scyths will have fun with this one.

Vince is burned. So burned.

>>43042158
Yes.

>>43042158
Yes

>>43042147

Boost it is then.

>>43042124
>>43042138
>>43042144
>20, 13, 10

>STR/STA [2/11]- Not sure how you're standing, Vince.

You run forward as fast as you can and push Jeremy away with one hand before pushing the full weight of your body into the trooper with the grenade. It's an agonizing effort but you draw on your reserves of strength and he topples directly onto his own grenade.

The resulting explosion vaporizes the heavily armored Trooper and hurls you backwards.

>Health [5/11]

You pick yourself up as soon as you can but the pain is agonizing. There are three mantises on the room, all standing over an unconscious Jeremy and not far from a large hole you've created in the roof. You doubt they'll let you get any closer and you need to see if he's okay.

>run down to the van as best you can, grab ammo for your pistol and sniper rifle, get back up here.
>No time for that Vince! Take them on with your Trank gun and remaining darts.
>Beat them back with your wrangling stick and use it to drag Jeremy out of there
>Unleash a trank grenade and then run down to the van for your hazmat suit
>write-in

>>43042309
>on the roof*

My bad.

>>43042309
We really do need mantis bodyguards but we gotta move jeremy.
>>Unleash a trank grenade and then run down to the van for your hazmat suit
Can't afford to roll right now.

>>43042309
>>Unleash a trank grenade and then run down to the van for your hazmat suit

>>43042309
>>Unleash a trank grenade and then run down to the van for your hazmat suit

Haha time for corp war

>>43042309
>>write-in
...might need an extraction, zheng.

>>43042400

You pull one of your trank grenades from your bag and hold it over your head to pull the pin. Even this is enough to make your arms ache.

You give it a short toss to where the mantises are and one of them immediately reacts, scuttling towards you. You get behind the roof access just as a single claw pierces neatly through the door, just inches from your body.

You get down to the ground level as quick as you can and hastily change into your hazmat suit in the car. Then you run back in.

On the roof, the mantises have all collapsed and the ground is covered with a huge number of unconscious cockroaches that crunch beneath your feet as you approach Jeremy's prone form.

He's badly hurt, with a growing bruise on his face and a piece of shrapnel from the troopers armament has buried itself in his side.

Removing his shirt, you do what you can to staunch the flow of blood. Sirens are audible in the distance.

As tempting as it is, you can't let MedCorp take him away. But you can't let him stay like this either...

A slip peeks out of his pocket and you pull it out. It's Amanda's number with an imprint of her lips. Kid came through for you.

Trying to control your emotions, you pick him up carefully and kiss his brow. Vinny's going to make this all okay, you think, he just has to figure out who to call.

It'll be just fine...

>Call Crusty and Zheng
>Call Amanda
>Get to GEC, try and get a hold of Clarissa to operate on him

>>43042595
>>Call Crusty and Zheng
They can get payment in blood samples.

>>43042595
>>Call Crusty and Zheng
sonfu no!

>>43042595
>>Call Crusty and Zheng

>>43039151
>Maybe they found our sources.>
Right, so they do have spies within GEC. Ones that didn't tell them about any of this.

It seems...weird, to send three entire VTOLs to the apartment if they weren't already certain of what they would find there.

>>43042615
>>43042627
>>43042646
>Call Crusty and Zheng

You pop the communicator out of your bag and dial Zheng.

It rings. And rings. Finally-

<What! What are you bothering me for->

Zheng's expression of rage softens as he takes a look at your face.

<What the hell happened to you?>

<There's no time for that! I need help, medical help.>

Zheng is frantically getting dressed off-camera somewhere.

<Just stay calm! I'll be there in fifteen minutes, just let me get my pants on!>

<Hurry! I can't wait for Medcorp to get here!>

<Why not?!>

<Because it's for the kid! I can't let them have the kid!>

<Shit. Okay, get him out of there before they arrive and drive your van to the park. Same pickup point we used last time.>

The picture is moving now, Zheng is obviously getting going.

<I'll meet you there, I know a guy.>

The call ends. You take Jeremy and move as fast as you can without aggravating his condition. Curious cits are sticking their heads out of their apartments and tell them to fuck off as you get into the elevator.

Outside, the sirens are growing even closer. You set Jeremy in the passenger seat and set the van for manual. You've gotta be fast and precise right now.

>roll 3d6+3 to drive like a pro

Rolled 2, 6, 2 + 3 = 13 (3d6 + 3)

>>43042830
Fast and Furious is a go.

Rolled 2, 1, 4 + 3 = 10 (3d6 + 3)

>>43042830
gogogogo

Rolled 3, 2, 1 + 3 = 9 (3d6 + 3)

>>43042830
Our debts with chinese are increasing

Rolled 5, 4, 3 + 3 = 15 (3d6 + 3)

>>43042830
[pro-ing intensifies]

>>43042878
Dare we boost with nerves or is that sufficient to get to the dang park.

>>43042844
>>43042878
>>43042880

Boost or no boost?

Your Nerves are at 7, so boosting twice would bring you to 3.

>>43042925
Okay boost I guess.

Take some chill pills after.

Rolled 5, 5, 5 + 3 = 18 (3d6 + 3)

>>43042925
probably a good idea, yes

>>43042844
>>43042878
>>43042880
>>43042888
>>43042898
>>43042973

>15, 12, 11


You take off as fast as you can, doing your best not to jostle Jeremy too much. You're doing fine until you come to about a block from the park, whereupon you hit a huge pothole and Jeremy starts bleeding anew, leaking onto the passenger side seat. He turns even paler. Your sense of sanity begins to warp.

When you arrive you can barely feel a pulse. Zheng is waiting with his chariot pulled up. A man is in the rear, waiting to take Jeremy away from you.

<Give him to me!>

<No!>

<You bought him here! Give him to me! He wants Jeremy's blood!>

<You can't have his blood!>

A demon smashes your face.

>Health [3/11]

You wake up with a bloody nose, back in your van. The deli is outside the window on one side. Scyth patrol cars are on the other.

The passenger seat is slick with blood.
You've been driven home...

Behind the sun-visor you find some chill pills and you force yourself to swallow them.

>Nerves- [7/12]

You do your best to try and compose yourself as a mix of blood and snot from your nose dribbles into your mouth.. Where's Jeremy? What the hell happened?

>go out, try and get back to your apartment
>try and call Zheng
>call Amanda, tell her you need a place to stay tonight
>write-in

>>43043118
>>try and call Zheng
Aw fuck. Sorry.

>>43043118
>>call Amanda, tell her you need a place to stay tonight

>>43043118
>write-in
Maybe take a cab and not the bloody van wherever you go.

And before you go. Get cleaning supplies. Maybe you should clean that blood up.

>>43043118
>>call Amanda, tell her you need a place to stay tonight

Rolled 4, 2, 1 + 3 = 10 (3d6 + 3)

>>43043182
this eventually, but we really need to heal up first

>>43043278
>eventually
bitch the scyths are right there and can glance inside windows.

>>43043118
>call Amanda, tell her you need a place to stay tonight

>>43043187
>>43043162
>>43043182
>>43043148

You unzip your hazmat suit and remove it. The helmet is badly smashed up from the impact of Zheng's punch... Probably best not to call him now, he's likely busy...

You rub the shit from your face and make a half-hearted attempt to fix your nose like you've seen in the movies, by cracking it back into place.

You only manage to cause yourself a great deal of pain.

You don't have the slip of paper with Amanda's number on it anymore, it was lost in the chaos. But your memory of retrieving Jeremy is tattoed strongly enough to your brain that you can recall it. You punch it into the console digit by digit, wincing each time.

"Vincent? That's you, right?"

"Yeah... It's me. Listen, if you're offering, I'd like to crash at your place tonight.."

"Oh. Um. I don't know if I'm quite ready yet, this is rather short notice."

"Fuck notice."

"Are you alright?"

"No, get some first aid ready. And send your address to this number, I'm coming in hot."

The address follows over shortly and you decide that, just this time, it might be better if the van drives this time.

You do what you can to make yourself comfortable and assess what your next objective should be.

>Revenge
>Jeremy's well-being
>Getting these assholes off your back, whoever they are
>Write-in

>>43043409
>Jeremy's well-being

>>43043409
>Jeremy's well-being
we've invested too much into bug boy to back out now!

>>43043409
>>Getting these assholes off your back, whoever they are
And with it, Jeremy's safety.

We're assuming they aren't GEC? Presumably they were GEC... in which case vince would be screwed, as some witnesses survived the battle.

They did come from the same direction Vince came from when he left the supermarket?

>>43043521
well maybe we could get away with saying that all we knew was someone was screaming and being taken away? unlikely but we should think about any deniability we could use.

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>>43043409
>>Revenge

>>43043409
Jeremy's well-being then

>>43043521
If they are GEC then we are already dead

>>43043571
You still don't have a laptop?

>>43043460
>>43043511
>>43043521
>>43043571
>>43043521

>take care of Jeremy

You're not sure what you fucked up today but you really, really fucked it up. Jeremy almost died because of you and he relied on you to keep him safe.

He genuinely trusted you, a liar and cheat, to take care of him. And he paid for it, maybe with his life.

Shit, you hope he's not dead.

Amanda is waiting for you when you finally reach Tseung Kwan O... and she screams when she sees your condition. You stumble out of the van and she immediately lends you her shoulder.

The last thing you remember is passing through her front door...

>END THREAD

Alright guys, I think I'm going to end it here so we can start the new thread with everything neatly prepared like it was in this one.

Gonna be around to answer your questions and archive, which should be up in just a few seconds.

>>43043615
what do we look like atm? like we got blown up by a grenade?

>>43043596
I guess I'll go set it up it's kind of a shitty laptop with a broke ass battery

>>43040779
>"You know the rules, Vince. I've gone out of my way for you recently and this is how you repay me? By haggling for every cent?"


>>42801915
>"I do have the right. I have discretion according to branch charter 59-a to grant this felon access to certain rights unless there's an airtight reason to take them away. So until you have irrefutable proof, we're out of here."

Devlinson could have, in the face of ingratitude, changed how he used his discretion on letting Vince keep his 4th amendment right.

Alternatively it was a faction with a mole inside GEC in which case nothing Vince did would have changed anything, unless he was smart enough to ask Zheng for a safehouse to hole Jeremy up in until the heat was off.

>>43038751
Archive is here, don't forget to vote 'cuz that's been falling off:

>http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?searchall=exterminator+quest

Twitter is @qmsimmons

>>43043667

Pretty much. And then punched in the face by a man mountain.

>>43043689
nice. well, good thread m8, see you next time.

>>43043721
Next time is Wednesday at 5pm est btw..

>>43043683
Or there's a remote possibility it was Zheng's superiors.

>>43043743
Or they're MedCorp or Scyths who actually don't know about jeremy specifically, and instead were tracking the mantises, noticed the sonic frequencies or whatever that Jeremy releases, and tracked down the source inside the building.

Since those operators operating operationally were real interested in the Kowloon mantises.

>>41508435

>>43043823
Or even more outlandish. It was the Russian mafia friends that heard from Maxim about this exterminator who knew about their location and they just wanted leverage to control Vince.

>>43043683
>>43043743
>>43043823

All this puzzlement.

Makes QMing all worth it.

Which reminds me, I'm going to try and get some insignia/logos designed for the Scyths and Medcorp. Probably post them on the tumblr when they're done.

>>43043590
Unless it was the start of a "working for Zheng now" arc where they removed the neck bomb.

>>43043884
How much HP is even recovered in a night.

>>43043965

Barring any serious lingering injuries, all of it.

You were pretty badly beat up today but you managed to avoid breaking anything or getting shot.

You'll probably have some serious bruises and lingering exhaustion when you wake up as your body tries to recover.

>>43044007
The dice really wanted Vince to win then.

It looked like tailing them instead of attacking immediately had been a mistake until the mantises showed up, which sort of made it into a net...zero? It added VTOLs but also added mantises to the battle.

Unless roaches inside the building would have turned the tables.

>pothole
This wouldn't have happened if the future had hovercars.

They promised us hovercars dammit.

You know what an exterminator could use, for big things in the wilderness that could get away. Like VTOL soldiers.

Tracking tags you can shoot.

>>43044036
Mix of good fortune and the continual application of the paternal modifier plus boosting.

Chances were pretty high that challenging them inside the confines of the building would have ended with Vince severely wounded or dead. The roof had room to maneuver and even it was a fairly risky place to be (though you trounced just about every roll but the grenade save).

The other roll that really hurt you was driving Jeremy to the park. Tsk tsk. What a shame.

>>43044120
>room to maneuver
Oh right. A factor not often thought about in the middle of panicking.

When does Vince pay rent on his apartment?

Could look for a different one if you want to make his lifestyle less miserable and less cocaine-addicted.

>>43044288
Speaking of I think Tuesday was the first day since Friday that Vince didn't do a bump.

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>>42913815
>>Jeremy, I've gotta get us something to stay in touch with. Write Amanda a note real quick and we'll go buy some stuff.

>if we'd gone out into crazy hong kong shopping panic to get a phone with Jeremy a mere several hours ago
>he could have called vince just before he came up to the apartment
>vince could have worn armor helmet and brought heavier weaponry

That would've more short-term-useful than expected.

>>43044429
>Rolled 136 (1d180)
It just hit me that was probably the number of minutes you'd be waiting for Chen's return.

>>43041615
Evidently with brutal rolls.

>>43039151
Zheng's a big guy.

>>43038804
>Too verbose or too sparse? What direction would you like the writing to move towards?
Ah, sorry I know it's always hard to get feedback like this.

Maybe move to less sparse? We can afford more time between updates and keep players now that we're all invested.

>>43044112
It would not surprise me if ammo for the tranq gun of this kind was available since the tranq gun is essentially an air gun

File: 1443916166834.gif (116 KB, 464x315)

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>>43044288

Soon.

>>43044502

Thought I gmrolled that. Maybe GM rolls show up in the archive?

>>43044787

For you.

That's how this meme goes, right?

I never did see the last Batman movie...

>>43044809

Interesting. I usually worry about being too dense since that's my natural style. I've cut it back a lot for Quest writing and to try and keep Vince in character whenever possible...

>>43044112
>>43045175

If you can find someone with an illegal 3D printer it would be child's play to create RFID tags ammo for the trank gun.

>>43045480
>I never did see the last Batman movie...


Neither did I.

Baneposting is all I know.

>>43045480
We'd just need to buy a Batman-like tracking device for the Exterminator-mobile so we could track said RFIDs across the city.

>>43045754

I'm sure there's an app for that.

You just need to make your way to either a mobile phone store or MedCorp Implant Clinic. Depending on how hands-free you want to be.

Actually, let me look at something...

>>43045788
Man we really need a hacker friend.

If only people had been willing to wait an hour to get that bank card.

>>43045788

Upon further review I did not give you a telecommunications device that was installed into the Hazmat suit.

Bummer.