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>>450659
Immediately after the first two sentences, Cassie-D glares at you hoping to get her point across.

>"Don't you get it? Interfering -was- what we've been trying to do! Petroleum found it suspicious when the District Heads begun grouping together. He sent us all over to try and break it up before anything else happens. Honestly I don't think I'm cut out of the job but he sounded...pretty desperate."

Errai agrees, pointing out how after encountering Havelyn, mayhem became notably more frequent that before. She also hypothesizes that the events were orchestrated to maintain the status quo, either that or avoiding any danger to Petroleum's position. The office lady sighs, realizing that it's futile to continue resisting. You continue your proposal, after which she nods in solemn acceptance.

>"If you ever see a little hooded girl, that's Nikki. She's a bit of a scoundrel but that's only because of her upbringing. Please...take care of her."

Almost on cue, two paramedics arrive through the doorway. They lift her up onto a stretcher outside, along with two more paramedics. Her egregiously-long ponytail is trailing behind her.

(2/3)

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>>450662

>>447982
>So anyways, how it do Halon? He looks kinda beat up. As long as there's not any pressing matters, we should explain what's up to him.

You tell Halon that you need help and explain the situation adequately.

>"I see, and whatever is happening is trying to stop that. I'm sorry I didn't know earlier, people say that they're just jealous cavemen or something. Turns out there's a story behind them. I'll try to make it up to you...once I switch to my backup uniform."

>>448115
>Have a policeman escort Cassie-D to their destination, to make sure there is no further mischief

The only policeman around appears to be Aramid. While he's willing to escort her, the fact that she's riddled with crossbow bolts makes it unnecessary. Halon sends one of his firemen in his stead, aware that losing Aramid might be costly. The head fireman then walks towards one of the rooms to replace his uniform.

>>448210
>Speculate with the others on why Petroleum didn't want to have the district heads to gather together. Maybe because he doesn't want them organizing an uprising.

The rest of you discuss on the recent happenings. Errai expresses concern over the others in the Transport District. Aramid says that we have a legitimate reason for this 'uprising'. Nicotine casually points out the contrast this adventure has over her daily routine. Vector agrees with Errai, it's likely that one or two individuals will be sent to intercept the other District Heads.

(3/3)

>>450665
Who else do we have left to assemble? Maybe we can ring them up, since they should have phones. Warn them about impending danger or sabotage.

>>450665
Realize that Caffine has yet to arrive, possibly meaning she has encountered someone, stressing the urgency to go check up on her while also bringing Halon along if he is able.

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>>450736
According to Nicotine, the last one you have yet to meet is Stoddard of the Maintenance District. She doesn't have a phone, much to her vexation, but at least Aramid does. Unfortunately he reports that he's not reaching him.

>"He normally works in the deeper reaches of the facility, where he is out of reception. Hopefully he is isolated enough until we can directly contact him."

The pitch in his voice squeaked for a moment, probably a fault with his helmet.

>"I ought to get a new helmet these days."

>>450739
She might've been trying to guide the others to your position but then again, she hasn't contacted Aramid or Halon through their mobile phones. Getting from A to B really sucks without Caffeine to speed things along. On the other hand, you doubt if she can find a way to drag all of you there.

Halon arrives with a much simpler-looking uniform.

>"Sorry about that, my 'spare' is actually my old uniform."

You ask him if he can contact Caffeine. Unfortunately her phone's ringing but she's not answering the call. It's definitely impossible for her to be too busy to answer her phone at least for a second.

You move on and leave the fire station, as the others might be in danger. Nicotine expresses her difficulty at running with heels on. Your eyes notice a hooded person hiding behind a trash can.

>Keep going and disregard
>Stop and interact
>Write-in

>>450867
Keep going, while slyly watching the hooded person for any signs of hostility. Meanwhile, ask Vector if he knows of a hooded person in his group.

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>>450880
You glance at the hooded person intermittently, checking if you're being pursued. To your relief, it doesn't look like that's the case. In fact, they're actually trying to run -away- from you instead, tripping on their face before resuming their sprint.

You turn to Vector to ask if there's another person wearing a hood in the group.

>"Not that I know of."

No replies? Alright.

I'll be out for the night, feel free to take the time to catch up with the archives. Activity resumes in 12 hours, because my mourning routine is long.

>>450962
They must running back to inform their boss, catch them.

>>450962
Take down the hooded person while everyone else continues on. Put that max mobility to use, while looking threatening with the silenced pistol.

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>>451136
>>451900
You motion the others to keep going, letting Errai and Nicotine guide the way. You turn around and sprint after the hooded person. Their smaller stature and your excellent Mobility allows you to close the gap pretty easily. There seems to be some kind of cord attached to the hooded jacket, which you yank on and immobilize them. You brandish Cassie-D's silence pistol, which they seem to recognize with a worried gasp.

>"Cassie's pistol! What happened to her!? Is she okay? Please don't hurt me!"

The kid appears to be frightened for dear life. Could this be the girl Cassie-D was talking about?

>>452751
Unhood the arrested person, and ask them for their name, age, and why they are here.

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>>452766
You're really strapped for time at the moment. You pull her up and reveal the individual's appearance—the face of a young girl. Her jacket looks too big for her by one or two sizes. You demand to know about her name, age and purpose.

>"I-I'm Nikki! T-T-Thirteen years old! I was just hiding! Cassie told me to stay safe! I..I..."

It looks like she's going to cry if you press her further.

>>452850
Rejoin the others, and take this person with us.

Reassure her she will be safe if she cooperates.

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>>452865
Nikki looks hesitant to accompany you.

>"Y-You're just gonna hit me!"

Not if she cooperates, you add. You apologize for acting so rashly. You lie to her, saying that Cassie-D got injured and sent you to protect her, giving you her pistol as proof. You also tell her that very bad people are running around and you didn't know what she looked like until now, apologizing for the brash introduction.

She remains hesitant, you tell her that—until Cassie-D recovers—her only recourse is with your group but she still wants to accompany the office lady. Quite an emotional attachment.

>Take her to the Medical District
>Bring her along to the Transportation District
>Let her go
>Write in

>>453061
>Take her to the Medical District

>>453061
>Take her to the Medical District

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Apologies for the delay

>>453067
>>453072
It's likely that you will just endanger her if you brought her with you. Instead you decide to take her to Cassie for her morale's sake. The Medical District is a very important location, and so it's easy to navigate towards its location. As you leave the elevator, you catch sight of Mu Cephei conversing with Aspirin.

You ask them what happened and the former tells you that there's a serious fight going on in the Transportation District. Canopus is currently being treated for a broken leg. The head doctor asks you about Nikki and you tell him that she under the care of a woman named Cassie-D, who is currently being treated for projectile wounds. He requests an idle nurse to escort the young adolescent to...Room 12. Once she is out of sight, he reveals that he read her short-term memory.

>"I find it baffling that, despite her strong compunction, she went through with setting the grocery store on fire."

Out for the night, will resume again in 12 hours..

>>453960
Take the time to ask aspirin about life-extending robotics. And possibly about if he knows if any equipment relevant to such being shipped to any particular location.

Might as well also give him the gist of what we've learned thusfar, thanks to Vector and co.

>>453960
Ask how Cassie-D is fairing, if Mu Cephei had seen Caffine, and what exactly went down at the Transportation District.

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>>453994
You ask Aspirin about medical robotics, ones that extend lifespans.

>"You mean prosthetics? Well, yes, we do but they're mostly for limbs and joints. Sometimes we have replacement organs for certain emergencies and there are no donors around. We have them manufactured a custom workshop by the edge of the Maintenance District. Why do you ask?"

You tell him and Mu Cephei about the recent events ever since you and the others left the hangar. In awareness of the head doctor's psionic capabilities, you try to recall key events as you give brief summaries of the travel so far. The head doctor seems taken aback by the revelation.

>"That's...very good to know. I wasn't aware they would be like this. Don't expect me to join your confrontations though, I'm not one for fighting. It seems this 'Petroleum' person has his body created from an independent source."

>>454271
You ask him about Cassie-D's condition, and apologizing for sending her here in such a poor condition.

>"I...haven't actually checked the patient out personally but I estimate that she should be stable by now. It's good that none of you weren't out to kill, except for that Vector guy maybe."

You turn to Mu Cephei and ask her about Caffeine and what happened in the hangar.

>"The waitress, right? Yes, yes I saw her. She was calling out to us but as soon as she arrived some bandit showed up and knocked her out with a concussion. Then she caused some serious trouble, flipping all over the place and making it hard for us to fight back. Canopus tried dueling with her but she was just so coordinated and agile. You know what happened next. Before I entered the elevator with her, I heard as if another one joined the fray."

She also emphasizes how frustratingly -cocky- this bastard is.

>>453960
What happened to the bandit?

>>456416
Sounds like, even if the others arrive as well, they're going to have a hard time dealing with the bandit, though Havelyn should have it covered. Take the time to check up on Cassie-D and Nikki, and if they try to assault you, threaten Nikki with the pistol or your harpoon if the pistol isn't enough

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>>456440
You ask her about the bandit's current status.

>"I don't know, maybe she's still down there, engaging with the rest. She seems adept at maneuvering herself to better positions."

>>456463
You assure her that the others will arrive with reinforcements, namely two other folks from the Management District whom you have successfully recruited. They are better armed and more combat capable than the supposed bandit. You then ask Aspirin about Room 12, where Cassie-D is resting. He responds with accurate instructions, after which you depart from the two.

You eventually reach the supposed room and find Nikki sleepin on a bench. The nurse might've moved on to do other things.

>Sit beside Nikki
>Enter Cassie-D's door
>Go back to Mu Cephei and Aspirin
>Write-in

>>456864
>Enter Cassie-D's door

>>456864
>Enter Cassie-D's door
Hopefully try to recruit her as well.

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>>456870
>>456871
You keep in mind that she's still wounded badly, at least you're going to try to change her affiliation. You cautiously open the door and find Cassie-D sitting on the bed, wrapped with bandages and looking horrible. She reacts very calmly to your entrance.

>"Oh, it's you...I think? Nikki should be safe, is she?"

You tell her that she's sleeping outside, on a bench.

>"I see, I hope she's safe here. What did you come here for?"

You explain that you want her on your side, elaborating your reasons and adding that she would be better off. Unfortunately she refuses, wanting to remain here until the situation blows over.

>"I don't know, today has been a weird day. I came close to losing Nikki and almost died as well. I think I want to sit this one out and mull things over, maybe resigning once I recover."

>Leave
>Give Cassie-D her eyeglasses
>Ask her a question (Write in)
>Force her to join
>Plead (Write in)

>>457015
Seems reasonable. She's not going to be in moving condition anytime soon, either. Hand over the glasses.

Instead, ask her if she can at least help out woth more information - we know petroleum uses robotics, but also that it's from an independent supplier. If she has any leads on that, or anything else that could be of help to tracking this guy down, it'd be a great help.

>>457015
If she doesn't mind us asking, ask how she came upon Nikki and why she chose to take care of her, mentioning that Nikki has some pretty sharp teeth as well. Then proceed to ask how and why she decided to wrap herself and Nikki up in this situation. When she finishes, assure her that you, your friends, and the District Heads have no intention of harming you or Nikki unless you intend to harm them (though she might get arrested for setting fire to the supermarket). Finally tell that whatever she chooses to do from here on out, you won't hold it against her, but you will adjust for the appropriate scenario, whichever one that may be, then give her her glasses, and leave the room contempt with yourself.

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Excuse me for the delay, this update was tough to plan.

>>457201
You give Cassie-D back her eyeglasses which she puts on and smiles.

>"Thank you, it would be hard for me to see Nikki without it."

You then politely ask her if she knows anything about Petroleum's robotics because you're trying to find him.

>"Oh, right, the body. It was the first favor I did for him. I don't know why, but back then he never showed himself physically. He preferred to contact me through the speakers, my phone, or from the words of someone else. Maybe he's just really shy or weak, so he wanted a robot body. According to Slalom, robot bodies are a luxury available only to the very privileged. , so I used my wide knowledge of contacts and resources to put together some strings and commissioned him one that follows his demands carefully. Ever since then, he actually shows himself outside his main office...sometimes. He still isolates himself in the Management District and spends most of his time in his office like usual."

(1/2)

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>>457459
>>457230
You also ask her about her past, specifically how she found Nikki, why she cares for her so much, and how she ended up under Petroleum's authority.

>"Are you sure? It's a bit...hard to believe. Try not to give me weird looks, okay?"

You assure her with the fact that you've heard, and -lived-, more ridiculous lives. Whatever she may say would sound completely reasonable compared to your experiences.

>"Okay...so...me and Nikki used to be part of a gang back in Talshurm called the 'Blackwater Bandits'. I was the team's arms dealer, I'd get guns for the group in exchange of doing favors for money. Plus, I think I'm a decent shot. Meanwhile Nikki was our petty thief and junior saboteur, running around and throwing wrenches in other people's work. Despite our rough start, we had a good winning streak thanks to our tightly-knit team, almost like a family. Then one day something bad happened: One day a job went horribly wrong and our team got wiped out. The two of us managed to escape but we had nowhere left to go. We couldn't separate since Nikki's not capable of living by herself. So we went straight to the seediest hangout I know and find someone who would take us in before the place got raided. Luckily someone was willing, and he was okay with having a dependent so long as I made myself as useful as possible. So that's my story, what do you think?"

But what about Nikki's sharp teeth?

>"Cute, isn't it? Real talk though, that's a birth defect and it's giving her some serious self-esteem issues. I'd ask you not to make fun of her but, as you can see, I'm not in a position to make demands."

You tell her that you understand wholly and add that you have some...problems of your own. You follow up by swearing that you, your friends and the Distric Heads won't ever hurt either of them unless they attack first. You whisper that Nikki might be in trouble for setting the grocery store on fire. She chuckles meekly, admitting her fault.

>"Heheh, I guess we brought that on ourselves. I mean, Havelyn was the one who shot me, and I did try to interfere with the emergency services. As for Nikki, she was a brave girl for the arson. I would do it myself but setting fire to an almost-empty place is a lot easier than distracting multiple strong and burly firemen."

You thank her for her time and leave the room with a mild, fuzzy feeling. Nikki is still asleep on the bench, you hope she's alright.

(2/2)

Unfortunately this update took my so long it bled past dinner and this is my last update for the night. Will return in 12 hours.

>>457463
Hmmm...
Yeah, I keep hearing about the guy being shy or weak, and my mind keeps connecting it to the vendor. Perhaps he has a brother or another family member with the same condition, and that person is Petroleum.

not that it really matters much, probably.
Lets go check up on our injured teammates. Fill them in on recent events and information.

>>457463
About time we head out to the Transportation District. Although your assured that the bandit was taken care of, you can't be too cautious, so be on your guard.

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Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>457465
Canopus is the only injured teammate so far, but you don't know which room she is in. You go back to Aspirin, asking him about the bibliophile.

>"You want to visit her? Unfortunately you'll have to wait, her arrival was very recent so she could still be in the emergency room. Plus she still needs to rest so you might want to wait for a long while."

>>457570
You tell him that you'll come back instead because you have other matters to attend to. You bid Mu Cephei and the head doctor goodbye before heading down one of the elevators nearby. After a while, you step out of the platform and approach the Transportation District's hangar, hoping to regroup with the others. Remembering earlier accounts, you try to keep watch for a sudden attack.

(1/2)

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>>459465
A cheerleader is running towards you, holding a pair of tonfas. Her appearance matches Cassie-D's description of someone named Hayley Glendale. Recognizing the threat she possesses, you draw your Harpoon and prepare for combat. She notices your aggressive stance and puts her dukes up as well. The two of you circle around each other for a couple of seconds.

Then she suddenly books it into the elevator right before it closes. Clever girl.

>"Damn! She got away!"

You turn around and see Rigel, followed by Sirius and Havelyn.

>"She didn't hit you, did she?"

>"Betelgeuse was worried about your status."

>"Looks like she can't handle being ganked."

(2/2)

>>459559
>"Betelgeuse was worried about your status."

>>459601
My mistake anon, those weren't supposed to be prompts.

I should've made that clearer.

>>459621
Forcefully open the elevator door, and enter the elevator cab

>>459559
Have Havelyn open the elevator, or at least disable it.

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>>459642
>>459712
There's still time to catch up to her. You point at the elevator doors and yell at Havelyn. The stone-clad knight quickly throws his spear with a mighty heave. The weapon slips into the small gap between the doors and the weapon embeds itself halfway into the cab. You see the spear tilting upwards before getting stuck at the top of the doorway frame. The elevator is successfully jammed from going any higher, trapping the cheerleader.

Rigel notices your apparent initiative.

>"I see you're getting pretty feisty, good work. So, any ideas on reaching her? The elevator cab's raised enough that you can't get to her through the entrance if we pry it open. "

>>459901
Tell them to fill the elevator up with enough water to cover the floor as a puddle.
We've got it from there.

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>>460034 Now this is smart
It's not like Hayley's gonna run away any time soon. You ask the three if there's a fire hose nearby, and they point you towards a fire hose cabinet that's not far from where you're standing. You ask Rigel to accompany you as he seems most likely to be familiar with these objects device. Havelyn will keep watch and you get Sirius to gather the others. In the distance you see Caffeine resting with an ice pack on her head. You sigh in relief knowing she's okay.

Rigel activates the valve and you pull out the reel. The fire hose's length is just enough to reach the jammed elevator. You open the nozzle and let out a steady stream of water into the small opening thanks to the embedded spear. After several seconds you hear a yelp and a thud. Sounds like Hayley was trying to jump and slipped instead. After a few more seconds you feel like that's enough water and you aim the hose down by your feet, creating a wide puddle. Sirius is confused at your action.

>"How is spilling water at your feet going to help in this situation?"

You just tell him, and the others, to watch what you can do. It's been so long and now you can finally demonstrate your SPATIAL DISTORTION. Even though it's ranked at Below Average, it should be more than enough for a quick jump in such a short distance. You sink into the puddle you've just created, impressing the three bystanders, and end up inside the elevator cab. Hayley is visibly shocked at your arrival and there's an opening on the ceiling.

>"You've got to be kidding me! This is bullshit! Fine, you want to party?"

She enters a bouncy, boxer-like stance, light swaying her arms to a personal rhythm.

>"Let's dance."

>Try to negotiate
>Engage in combat, she has this coming
>De-inventorize some items at her face
>Use VACUUM PUDDLE and PUDDLE TRAP in tandem

>>460158
>Use VACUUM PUDDLE and PUDDLE TRAP in tandem

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>>460178
You're not gonna take any chances with her considering what she's capable of. Instead you're going to use a trick you learned while watching the other Subjects practice. You combine PUDDLE TRAP (allows others to traverse a specific puddle) and VACUUM PUDDLE (sucks a target towards it) into a PUDDLE GATEWAY—a cheap way of throwing people through walls and floors while disorienting them at the same time.

The two of you sink into the puddle and for once, Hayley shows genuine fear. So much for her cockiness.

>"What's happening!? I don't wanna drown! HEL-"

The cheerleader finds herself outside of the elevator, partly wet and surrounded by the others, ready to strike.

>"It looks like I can't worm my way out of this one, can I? Wait, where are my-"

>"Looking for these? This is for knocking me out without warning."

A pissed-off Caffeine is standing beside Sirius, holding a pair of tonfas and a small pouch. As angry as she is, she still refuses to hit her. Aramid compliments you for your actions.

>"Excellent work, so what are we gonna do with her now?"

>Have Aramid take her away
>Break her kneecaps
>Interrogate
>Write-in

>>460242
Have aramid take her away, I'm sure that he and nicotine can handle the interrogation just fine by themselves.
Besides, this is probably a bid to distract us from engineering. We should hurry on over, and explain to the others any new info we acquired since we last saw them.

>>460242
>Have Aramid take her away

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>>460247
>>460306
Aramid hoists Hayley up on her feet and begins to drag her away with Nicotine in tow.

>"You have the right to remain silent but don't worry, you'll have enough friends in prison."

She realizes the distance the three of them are going to cross.

>"Hold on, are we going ALL THE WAY to -that- station? Couldn't we drop her off at the nearer one?"

You and the rest of the group, except for Propane who volunteered to guard his district, gather by the truck and discuss about Stoddard and the Maintenance District. Saccharin has a warning about the Maintenance District, her voice's pitch dropping again.

>"In a way, the Maintenance District is the largest district in Resorcinol. It's a whole different world under the woodworks but that's just the part beneath the surface. The -real- Maintenance District is huge and contains all the moving parts and nit-n-grit that makes everything else possible. I think we're gonna get lost in there plus I hear there are monsters sometimes."

Caffeine partly agrees with the little girl's sentiment.

>"I'm not sure if the last one was true but another thing about the Maintenance District is that we don't even know where the entrance is. Aramid has been there but he's not with us right now."

Halon mentions that the district is outside his scope and throws in his opinion about the Management District.

>"Stoddard's technicians can take care of themselves, I don't even show up in the place. Fires almost never happen and if they do, they can handle it. You know, whoever this Petroleum guy is, I don't like the way he's running things. All he's done from the shadows is hurt everyone around him."

To contribute to the discussion, you bring up the fact that you stumbled into the place by drilling a hole in the floor. The little girl looks at you with amused surprise, her voice back in her normal pitch again.

>"That was you? Ahahaha—please don't do that again, Aramid was really worried about that."

Last update for the night, pardon the quick and lazy update. I got very drowsy so I couldn't draw more close-up panels. Excuse me, I'm gonna have to lie down for a long while.

>>460361
Vector is the most experienced with this sort of thing - he should know if management poses a threat to engineering, or if it would be more prident to go to the management district. Either way, It might be worth hitting that weapons depot to prevent the enemy from stocking up on lethals. And we might find some choice materials to upgrade with, too - it'd be nice to get more points to work with for specs, alongside other potential features. And halon is working with an older suit, too. I think everyone in general except havelyn could use some defense-wear, considering what happened with the tonfa schoolgirl.

>>460361
In the meantime, you should probably discuss while everyone is here why exactly Petroleum would hire these people, and if there is a possibility to reason with him.

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>>460399
Your team is woefully underprepared for the task, Petroleum's lackeys are on a completely different level than them. You ask Vector where they keep their weapons.

>"The stash is located in the Management District itself. What? Did you really think they'd place it anywhere else? Aramid or Stoddard would've found it by now if it was placed anywhere else."

Betelgeuse points out that it at least has to come from somewhere outside.

>"Although the shipment of armaments must have an origin point, correct? It is improbable to hold a private manufacturing facility."

>"Yes, that's true. Cassie-D and Hayley always smuggled our imports because our private hangar is still under construction. People usually mind their business so we don't draw attention to ourselves."

You ask if there are alternatives and Caffeine brings up Aramid's equipment.

>"Aramid has confiscated his fair share of items, plus he has his police equipment. Maybe we could borrow from him for the time being. It's better than nothing, right?"

>>461605
You pitch some speculation, wondering why Petroleum would enlist these people in his employment. The closest any of them has ever followed the managerial shtick would be Cassie-D and Slalom, and that's assuming the latter is being truthful to her words. Halon agrees with your observation.

>"Yeah, I'm starting to think he just wanted bullies to push people around when he wants to."

You bring up the possibility of reasoning with him, mentioning that Cassie-D served under his authority in exchange for a deal she made with him. Errai believes otherwise.

>"This individual has deployed mercenaries, assassins and saboteurs against us. I speculate that he holds an antagonistic stance against us."

>>461760
Yet he is basically the boss of this entire place. Why would he go to such violent extremes that can and did hurt a lot of poeple, including the District Heads and their staff. You won't get those answers however unless you confront him yourself, so gear everyone up for what could be a raid on the Management District.

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>>461771
Odds are they already know we're coming and they're going to try to prepare themselves for you. Might as well do the same and try to stack the odds in your favor as much as you can.

You ask Vector and Havelyn if they know how to get to the Management District while Caffeine sends a message to Aspirin, requesting him to protect the others in his refuge. Errai and the others return to the truck to reassess their equipment. Now would be a good opportunity to make use of your REPAIR MODULE's integration capabilities. You haven't returned Cassie-D's pistol after all, and there's plenty of stuff around.

>>462075
>REPAIR MODULE

>>462075
What stuff is available for integration?

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>>462085
You decide to make use of your REPAIR MODULE's INTEGRATION FUNCTIONS but first you have to consider what you're going to do with it.

>>462261
Aside from Cassie-D's scoped pistol there's:

- Canopus' TWIN BLADES, she must've left it when she was taken to the hospital.
- Hayley's TONFAS, confiscated by Caffeine
- Unused CAPTURE GEAR like tranquilizers
- The Water Detector you bought yesterday
- A bunch of spare vehicle parts and mechanic tools lying around lying around the hangar.
- A small PROPANE TANK

Everything else is already under ownership, like Caffeine's temporal watch and Sirius' polearm, or can't be taken with you like the fire hose.

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>>462337
Dude. Gun-tonfas, with the capture gear. Make it happen. Also integrate the water detector into your visor for convenience, Canopus' twin blades, your harpoon, and a drill from the tool box into a super harpoon that isn't wielded awkwardly, and the propane tank, a blowtorch, and your suit into a wrist flamethrower.

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>>462348
You got something really good in mind but you're gonna need some material to piece things together. You get Rigel and Decrux to fetch you some scrap metal and a toolbox while you prepare the items for integration. When you're done, you're gonna be a walking (fairly-nonlethal) superweapon. The Management District will not see this coming, unless they have their own Subject.

--

You are now Nicotine and you're currently hammering a drunken Hayley Glendale for answers. Aramid doesn't seem to agree with your style.

>"Nicotine, I don't think inebriation is a legitimate interrogation technique."

Hey, as long as it works.

The cheerleader looks smoked out of her mind, maybe she's a lightweight like Wisteria. You snap your fingers in an attempt to direct her ditzy focus at you.

>"Uggh...what...?"

Hopefully she's not too sloshed to keep going, any last-minute info you can squeeze out of her should be useful.

>>462580
squeeze

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>>462597
Squeeze what? You're tryin' to ask her questions here. In fact, what are you going to ask?

>>462625
How close is she to petroleum
Does the management district have any blind spots she knows about
What were her exact orders and how did she recieve them
Who else is in management
Where's harvey dent

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>>462654
She takes a moment to process the first question.

>"Oh I'm preetty chill with 'em, I just pick fightsss."

Good to know that she's spilling the beans.

>"Oh I dunno, why are ya askin' me? Do I look like a-an arc..architect?"

Sounds like she's not the brightest bulb of the bunch. She responds to your question about her orders with some enthusiasm.

>"That's e-easy! All (hic) I was supposed to do was go to this place...and pick a fight with anyone! Fighting's fun!"

You inquire her about Petroleum's lackeys, mentioning that you already know about the ones met so far.

>"There's Su-san who's like my mom on a bad day and Grant Yindel, some nerd who's good with a computer. Then (hic) there's that girl, she's really an old man who's like suuuper old. Ger-something? I dunno."

That should be enough outta her, maybe. You tell Aramid, who has been listening in for a while, to pass on the dirt to Caffeine and the others. You also tell him to start reaching Stoddard if he can. Meanwhile you decide to joke around and ask the doll one more question: Where's Harvey Dent?

>"Th...Thaat glasses guy? Y-Yeah, he's at the...augh..."

You hope she's not gonna stain the floor anytime soon, the deputy has yet to show up with the bucket.

--

>Return perspective to Whirlpool
>Keep talking to Hayley
>Talk to Aramid
>Fool around for a bit
>Write in

>>462712
Fool around a bit. Use pheromones to make her succeptible to doing something embarassing, then take a picture of whatever she does. Blackmail material if nothing else.

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>>462723
You decide to have a little party with Hayley, plus it would make a good payback for messing with the others. You tell Aramid that she's not feeling well and that you have to take her to the nearest restroom.

>"Told you that inebriation wasn't a smart idea."

Although you can't borrow his phone, he's a thorough policeman, you -can- borrow Hayley's. After all, Petroleum's lackeys need a line of communication between each other. Except for Havelyn, maybe.

>"Where...where are we going?"

You snicker to yourself. Why are you such a good looker? It's not your fault that you're a pretty tomato.

--

You are now Whirlpool again. You took your sweet time since this is your first time using your Repair Module's integration capabilities. Errai will be so impressed once you get out.

If I had the spare time, or a volunteer drawfag, there would be a "smut snapshot"

Last post for tonight, see ya'll in 12 hours.

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>>462768
You walk out of your REPAIR MODULE, brandishing a pair of ADVANCED RIOT TONFAS. You also have an CUSTOM HARPOON in your inventory, as well as a suite of new features on your suit. Thanks to some leftover spacecraft plates, you've also upgraded your DAMAGE RESISTANCE from POOR to BELOW AVERAGE, like it used to be when your first arrived.

Errai is visibly stunned with your upgrades while Betelgeuse commends you for your technological advantages.

>"Your integrated arsenal is very advantageous, with your assistance we can finally conclude this meaningless strife."

>>464093
Show them some sweet moves you can do now

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>>464112
In hindsight you feel like something slipped your mind, but you decide to show off some of your suit's new functions. Your WRIST FLAMETHROWER did startle the spectators though yet they still enjoyed it. Caffeine interrupts your demonstration to remind you about the plan.

>"I don't mean to be a drag, really I don't, but let's save the fireworks for Petroleum, right?"

>Proceed to the Management District
>Wait, we need to gather the others and/or make preparations

>>464314
>Wait, we need to gather the others and/or make preparations

>>464314
>Wait, we need to gather the others and/or make preparations
Ask if there is any way to get some spare ammo

>>464314
>Proceed to the Management District

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This update would've been posted earlier had it not been for my lunch break

>>464334
>>464357
>"Alright, we don't know what they're hiding up there.."

Caffeine is unlikely to be knowledgable about firearms so you approach Vector for advice on spare ammo.

>"Assuming your ammo still follows Cassie-D's pistol caliber, her ammo stash is up above. You could also look in Aramid's cache. I'm sure he has a lot of nonlethal armaments like tasers and beanbag rounds. The only question is how are you going to implement compatibility, you've mixed in a lot of stuff so your weapon might be using custom rounds."

>Go to fetch Aramid and Nicotine
>Talk to someone about something
>Search for Stoddard with someone
>Write in

>>464557
>Go to fetch Aramid and Nicotine

>>464557
Aramid and nicodick

>>464557
>Go to fetch Aramid and Nicotine

>>464557
>Search for Stoddard with someone
I'm sure Caffine will find him in no time.

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The ONE TIME I didn't backup my draft in my clipboard...

>>464571
You request Caffeine if she can search for Stoddard, or at least contact him through her mobile phone. She obliges but warns you that she might take a while.

>"I don't even know where the entrance to the place is, but I'll see what I can do."

You suggest that she bring Vector as a navigator and look in areas that are restricted from civilian entry.

>>464559
>>464563
>>464566
Before you set off to meet up with Aramid and Nicotine, you impulsively ask Errai to accompany you. Maybe it's your hormones being snuggly but you feel that you want her by your side.

>"I understand your longing, who knows what events have occurred while we were separated."

The two of you wave at Betelgeuse before leaving the hangar. Along the way, you engaged in casual conversation while holding hands with her. You want to ask her something but you decide to wait until you figure out what. Eventually you arrive at the police station you visited earlier. Aramid and a subordinate is standing idle and you ask the former for Nicotine.

>"She's currently facilitating someone who's very intoxicated. They'll be back in a few minutes, I assure you. Hopefully, or I'll have to call paramedics...again."

>>465022
Go see Nicotine yourself, you have no time to waste. Bring Aramid as well.

No update for the night, sadly. I got stuck in traffic for several hours then I had to do some household chores so I'm too tired to stay up late. Rest assured I've already begun working on the update and it'll be back here within 11 hours.

>>465022
No need for aramid, just go check on nicotine and her interrogation. It's time to get things moving.

>>462768
Smut snapshots
http://i.imgur.com/s8ByJnF.png
http://i.imgur.com/32KEtva.png

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>>465120
You apologize to Aramid and tell him that you're going to see her anyway. The Management District might be holding up as you speak so time is of the essence.

>"Very well. She's in the restroom over there, in that other hallway. You can't miss it."

You make your way to the locked door he pointed out, knocking and calling out to Nicotine.

>"Wis? Hang on, just give me a minute, I'm almost done."

You tell her that you don't have the time, and ask her what is she even doing in there.

>"I know I know, just let me finish here. I'm helping someone who's sick with booze. I'll meet you at the main hall, okay?"

Alright then. You return to the main hall where Aramid and Errai are discussing about the group's next move.

>Discuss about our preparation
>Inquire their opinions on the situation
>Ask Errai something
>Write in

>>466362
Thank you, your contributions have been appreciated.

>>467938
>Ask Errai something
>What will we do after meeting (and hopefully defeating) Petroleum?

>>467938
>Discuss about our preparation

>>467938
Ponder why you haven't really run into anyone with superpowers from management.
The closest would be vector with invisibility, really. If they could produce Caffeine's watch, why not equip all of them with one? It'd make them nearly impossible to beat.

>>467938
>>Inquire their opinions on the situation

Sorry about the delay, this update's pretty big.

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This was a long update

>>467953
You turn to Errai and ask her what the two of you will do once all of this is over. She ponders for a few moments then answers with a softer tone. Her answer sounds personal to her.

>"Truthfully, I wish to settle down with you after this adventure concludes. I look forward to enjoying a long and fulfilling life, perhaps consummate and bear offspring. We can still have lesser expeditions with reduced danger. Although from what I can surmise, we still have our initial priorities. You do remember the reason we arrived here, correct?"

Right. You quietly consider getting her grammar lessons like Rigel and Mu Cephei.

>>467963
Personal lives aside, you discuss with Aramid about the group's preparation. Equipment is a concern as Betelgeuse and the others lack protective equipment. You ask him if he's willing to borrow you some items for the upcoming raid.

>"Don't worry, I'm perfectly fine with loaning you some equipment. In fact it might be even necessary. Just be sure to return them after this whole operation."

Errai inquires him about the available equipment in his arsenal.

>"I do not mean to be fastidious, but I am curious at the available equipment in your department's possession."

>"As you already know, I prohibit lethal weapons in Resorcinol's premises and I don't exempt myself. We specialize in non-lethal alternatives like taser darts, rubber bullets and stun batons; Painful but not deadly unless you force it to be. I also have a bunch of helmets and vests saved for serious situations."

A subordinate arrives, holding an empty bucket. Aramid tells him to assemble a raid team.

>"I'm declaring an impromptu raid operation into the Management District. Ready our supplies for sharing but a little more manpower shouldn't hurt so gather the others if you can."

The subordinate salutes, handing Errai the bucket before moving into the hallway.

(1/2)

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>>468755
>>468002
Now that you think about it, it does seem weird why they look so...mundane compared to the District Heads. To be fair, aside from Saccharin their abilities help compliment their jobs. Meanwhile the people from the Management District look like they are hired just because.

There are multiple possibilities. The people who DO have powers are either already captured or have yet to debut. Alternatively it's a kind of subterfuge, Halon's implying that they're working from the shadows and Nicotine never realized that they're more than uppity supervisors until recently. Lastly, you assume that he's shooting for Style Points, he could be stupidly vain and picky like that. It's the simplest conclusion.

There's probably a reason why a pacifist like Caffeine has the time watch. Even with her strong moral compass, she's incredibly formidable and she would've been unstoppable had you carried through the violent option earlier. If similar devices were given to hired mercenaries, they'd try to wrest control away from Petroleum immediately.

>>468163
You ask Aramid and Errai about their thoughts on the matter.

>"It's very weird, from what Hayley has told me so far there's only twelve people under Petroleum. Only a few of them can handle logistics properly. There's no way the Management District is small, they need room to at least store all their luxuries."

>"I agree with your sentiment, it's possible that there are mundane subjects residing exclusively in the isolated location. It's probable that there are more to the personnel than what we have met so far."

>"Alright cats, I'm back. Sorry to keep you waiting."

Nicotine returns to the scene with a dazed Hayley in tow. The cheerleader's balance looks very lopsided...and she -reeks- of beer. Errai is mortified at her scent, maybe she's not familiar with alcoholic beverages.

Out for the night again, just lettin' ya'll know. Will return...depending on what time I leave for the obligatory sunday outing.

>>468757
Compliment on her interrogation methods and ask what she learned from Hayley.
Then let's get moving.

>>468757
Nicotine: Blackmail Hayley into helping the group.

>>468757
Ask what exactly she did in the bathroom.

>>468968
>>468943
>>468839
Do all of these

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>>470082

>>468839
You tell Nicotine you find her interrogation style bizarrely effective. She couldn't help but chuckle from your compliment.

>"Gee thanks, Wis."

You ask if she learned anything useful from her time with Hayley.

>"Well, for starters I got her phone. I got her to tell me tidbits about the other lackeys. Lastly, it looks like she's just a scrapper who loves socking people in the face. Maybe that's why Petroleum hired her, to be a gunsel who doesn't mind laying the smack on anyone."

>>468943
Nicotine huddles over to Hayley and shares a few shifty looks with her. You can't make out what they're mumbling, maybe she's trying to recruit her. They turn back to you after a bit.

>"Congratulations, this doll right here's gonna join us in our escapades."

The cheerleader looks incredibly sheepish right now, you wonder why.

>>468968
You ask the dame what exactly happened in the restroom. She glances around her as if checking her surroundings before beckoning you to move closer for some discreet chatter.

>"Remember Vector? What I didn't get to do to him I...yeah, I rolled in the hay with her. I even have the clips to prove it."

She presents you a smartphone, most likely Haley's, displaying a video recording of...a scandalous affair. The volume is muted, to avoid raising suspicion. Your cheeks turn volcanic. If you could blush through your helmet, you would.

>"Okay, that's enough of that. Wanna move?"

You turn to Aramid and Errai, the former tells you to go ahead of him.

>"You four go ahead before me, I need to take the time to gather resources."

You, Errai, Nicotine and Hayley depart from the police station to return to the Transportation District. Hopefully from the travel time you will take, Caffeine has already returned with Stoddard in tow. Upon arrival though you do see the waitress and she looks worse for wear, she even lost her apron.

Next update in new thread, which should be in 18 hours Knowing how slow I update...make it 28

>>472735
Ask Caffine what had happened to her

>>473115
Seconding

>>472735
I guess ask what happened and asses the situation

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>>475556
>>475556
>>475556
NEW THREAD
>>475556
>>475556
>>475556