Soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_rC-495Z_A

Right now you're taking your new wheels out for a spin on Sunset Beach. The sky shades pink and red and purple as the setting sun falls into the horizon. The palm trees lining the road are darkening silhouettes. Your windows are down, letting the cool evening breeze blow through.

In your pockets are a wallet with about $200 cash, some drugs, a knife, and your trusty Colt Python. In a bag on the passenger seat is an M79 grenade launcher and a box of 5 frags.

Soon, you'll be going to Ken's house in the suburbs, where everyone is meeting to plan the job. Ken and his messed-up family, Ryuji and Catherine. Alex. Even Nick. You shake your head. Interesting friends you've made over the past few days.

You think about what you're going to do until this evening.

>Get a meal at the diner, see Lucy the waitress
>Buy some new clothes
>Smoke weed, get high
>Take the shot of Z, see if it makes you stronger
>Just drive around and listen to the radio
>Something else

>>876411
>implying we're stopping by the dinner since Ivan knows we like the place.
>Just drive around and listen to the radio
Clear our head a bit, get ready to make a decision, talk to Alex and...ugh, Nick about it.

You think about what might happen if you did go to the diner, and Ivan's goons were still there watching. Maybe you'd better cross the diner off your list. At least until you take care of Ivan.

For now, you're just going to drive around. It's a nice night. Might as well enjoy it while it lasts. You turn on the radio.

"-another scorcher tomorrow. I think we can officially say the cold front is over, folks. It's back to our city's regular forecast: (Hot! Hotter!! Hottest!!!)

"Quick update on the nightclub shooting last night in Central. Police are baffled as no witnesses or security footage of the event have been found, despite this violent crime taking place right in the heart of our city's downtown. Some people are saying this is evidence of the disease of violence infecting of our city, and of the corruption and incompetence of our police force. Others say it's just another day at the End of America.

"Now back to the hottest hits of the eighties on RK-1, Heat City's number one radio, here's Vicky D with "This Beat is Mine"!"

Soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CpfZfyTClY

You enjoy a few relaxing minutes cruising down the long roads of the islands. Soon enough, though, it's time to face the music. You turn the car west, and head over the bridge into the city proper, joining the long stream of yellow and red lights that blur in the distance.

(Continued)

It's getting dark by the time you pull up into Ken's driveway. You turn off your car and get out. Nick and Ryuji are both standing on the front porch, smoking. Nick is gesticulating as he rambles about something.

"- so if you tip them enough, they have to do it, because otherwise, I mean- hey, Johnny boy! Good to see you up and about. Y'know, I still can't believe we made it out of that sex club in one piece. Thanks to my help, of course. And my new pal here." He claps Ryuji on the back of the shoulder. "Me and Ryuji here had some good talks today in the car. I mean, he doesn't speak English, I think. But we're cool. Right, Ryuji?"

"バカ外人," says Ryuji.

"Right, see? We're cool."

>Nick, you're an idiot.
>Nick, you talk a lot, but you're all right.
>How's it going, Ryuji?
>What's the word from Catherine?
>Something else
>Go inside

>>876546
>Nick,you talk a lot, but you're alright. (This might be a lie)
>How's it going Ryuji?
>So what's the word from Catherine?

>>876546
>Nick, you talk a lot, but you're all right.
>How's it going, Ryuji?

"Nick, you talk a lot, but you're all right." You're not sure if you mean it, but it never hurts to flatter someone.

"I sure am. Best safecracker in Heat City. And apparently I can shoot straight too. Did you see me nail that guy last night! Kapow! Right in the dome." He did, you grudgingly admit to yourself, save your life in front of the nightclub, by nailing that guy who shot you in the arm. You test your left arm, rotating the shoulder a little. It still hurts like a bitch, but it's starting to function properly again.

You nod to Ryuji. "How's it going, buddy?"

"Good evening, Johnny." He says, in heavily accented English. "Practice English good."

"Nice. Keep it up, champ. Soon we'll have you swearing and complaining like a real American. So, what's the word from Catherine?"

Nick points his thumb behind him at the house. "Inside setting up. I get the feeling she only wants to explain this once, so she's going to wait until everyone's here."

You could
>go inside and talk to Catherine
or you could take a minute, light a cigarette, and ...
>ask Nick what he knows about Ivan
>ask Nick what he knows about the Triads
>ask Ryuji what other English words he knows

>>876598
>Go inside and talk to Catherine

>>876598
>go inside and talk to Catherine
but first
>ask Ryuji what other English words he knows

>>876598
>ask Ryuji what other English words he knows
Inb4 cuck

>>876598
>Ask Nick what he knows about Ivan
>Ask Ryuji what other English he knows

You step onto the porch with the other two men and light your own cigarette. "Nice night," you say. "Radio says it'll be hot tomorrow."

"Pssh," says Nick. "It's hot in Heat City. Who woulda thunk it."

"Maybe instead of making smart remarks, Nick, you could tell me what you know about Ivan. What kind of guy is he? How'd you get involved with him?"

"What do I know about him? I wish I knew nothing about him. That I'd never met the kid. He's a psychopath, Johnny. Just doesn't give a fuck. He's the type of guy, I suspect pulled wings off bugs when he was a boy. The only thing keeping him in line is his old man Vlad, and I don't know if that will last much longer."

"Probably not," you say. "Since Vlad's dead."

"Whaaat? He's dead? What happened?"

"Newspaper said his mansion burned down. His body was found. Catherine says Ivan's used firebugs before, might've done it."

"Jesus. Burn your old man to death? That's fucked up. But maybe possible." Nick takes a drag from his cigarette, exhales. "I go way back with the Russians. Owed them some gambling money, long time ago. Vlad was patient with me, gave me the chance to pay them back. But Ivan wanted my blood. I think he was always mad he never got it. And then somehow, in the years in between, he got even worse." He shakes his head. "Fucked up, man."

Maybe now's a good time to change the subject. "Hey, Ryuji. What other English words do you know?"

He shrugs. "Good morning. Yeah. No. Shit. Piss. You mazzafakka."

"Okay, that's all you need to know, right there. You're good to go." You move towards the door. "I'm going to see how Catherine's doing."

You step inside, hear voices from the living room, and head that way. Catherine and Ken are talking in Japanese about something.

(Continued)

>>876695
>He shrugs. "Good morning. Yeah. No. Shit. Piss. You mazzafakka."

*sniffs* They grow up so fast...

File: catherine black.jpg (134 KB, 894x894)

134 KB JPG

As you enter the room, the other two acknowledge you, quickly finish their conversation, then turn towards you. "Welcome back," says Catherine. "Come to a decision?"

"Maybe," you say. You look behind her, at a large standing whiteboard she's set up. She has names written, details, a photograph of the target. It's a proper mission planning board, at least with the limited resources she has on hand. She looks damn organized and professional for someone who last night barely survived a nightclub shootout and her own father taking her hostage.

>Yeah, fuck it. I'm in.
>This is the big heist plan, is it?
>I have to say, you two don't look much like you're related.
>I picked up a piece of hardware today that might be useful. An M79.
>Don't say anything, just look cool.
>Something else.

>>876744
>Yeah, fuck it. I'm in.
>This is the big heist plan, is it?

>>876744
>Yeah, fuck it. I'm in.
>I picked up a piece of hardware today that might be useful. An M79.

Sup babe, look at my cool 'nade launcher.

"Yeah, fuck it," you say. "I'm in. What else am I going to do, go back to underground boxing until the Russians or the Triads kill me?" You walk past her, look the whiteboard up and down. "This is the big heist plan, is it?"

"So far, yes," she says. "I have a few ideas on how you can approach this. Since you'll be the one leading the team from the front, I thought it was only fair that you decide."

"I'm tempted to go loud, since I picked up a piece of hardware today that might be useful. M79 grenade launcher. Small, portable, packs a big punch."

"So it does. Even if you decide against taking the loud approach, you never know when a job will become loud, if you take my meaning. Always good to be prepared. I'll explain more on the plans once everyone arrives here, which should be soon enough-"

You hear shouting from outside. A woman's voice, angry. A man, conciliatory, scared.

You realize you forgot to tell Nick that Alex was coming, or Alex that you had reconciled (for now) with Nick. For fuck's sakes-

You slam open the front door. Nick has his hands up. Alex is standing by a car, with a handgun pointed at him. Ryuji has his pistol drawn but isn't pointing it at anyone.

"What," shouts Alex at you. "Is he doing here?"

>Okay, let's just everyone calm down ...
>Alex, cool it.
>He's paying off his debt to us.
>Something else

>>876796
>He's my new fuckboy. We discussed it and thought it's the only way to pay his debt to me.

>>876796
>>876807
this

"He's my new fuckboy," you say, landing your hand heavily on Nick's shoulder. "We discussed it and thought it's the only way to pay his debt to me."

Nick looks back over his shoulder, terrified. "No offense, Johnny, but I think I'd rather let her shoot me!"

Alex stares at you for a few moments. She has a new pair of aviators on, making her face hard to read. The gun barrel is pointed a little too close to your direction for comfort.

Then she giggles. It turns into a full-on laugh. She keeps on laughing, has to put one hand on her knee, lowers the gun in the other. "Okay. Okay, Johnny," she says, straightens, holsters the gun, wipes away a tear from under the shades. "I get what you're saying. You can stop scaring the life out of him, now."

You take your hand off Nick's shoulder, saying to him, "Yeah, I maybe should've mentioned Alex was joining us."

"No problem," he says, breathing heavily, clutching his chest. "I'm just going to have a heart attack is all."

Alex slams the door to her car shut, heads up the path, steps onto the porch. As she walks past you, she gives you a slug on the shoulder. "I missed you, tough guy."

"Yeah, you too." You follow her back into the house, grateful that she punched the shoulder without a recent bullet wound.

(Continued)

Soon enough, everyone is settled in the living room. Ryuji and his uncle Ken are talking in Japanese. Alex and Nick are eyeing each other suspiciously.

>Ask Ken, "What do you think of all this?"
>Ask Alex, "How was your solo adventure?"
>Ask Nick, "Ever done anything like this before?"
>Say to Ryuji, "Let me teach you a new English word."
>Wait for Catherine to get started.
>Something else.

>>876950
>Ask Alex, "How was your solo adventure?"

>>876950
>Ask Alex, "How was your solo adventure?"

goddamn it

"How was your solo adventure?" you ask Alex.

"Smelly," she says. "Like I said on the phone, I was hiding out in a sewer drain at first. Couldn't catch a damn break with the police patrols. When I got out, I first found myself a change of clothes, then went looking for you. Followed the trail of bodies until I found you. Today, I spent some time talking to a couple of old friends. They may be able to help in the future. I'll keep you posted."

"All right," you say. "Just glad you're safe."

Catherine clears her throat. "Gentlemen. Lady. Let's begin, shall we?"

(Continued)

File: dragons nest heist 1.jpg (86 KB, 900x650)

86 KB JPG

"All right," says Catherine. "Dragon's Nest. It's a fortress on top of the Triads' private 25-floor skyscraper. The residence of the leader of the local Tong, a rank referred to as Dragon, hence the name Dragon's Nest.

"The top three floors are heavily fortified. The 23rd floor is used for elite parties and special guests, containing a dance hall, recreational rooms, and an observation lounge. The 24th floor holds our target, the vault, as well as offices and libraries. The 25th floor is the roof, and contains the Dragon's elaborate pagoda-style penthouse, as well as a garden, a shrine, and a helipad.

"One way or another, we need to get the contents of that vault. I have a few ideas on how we might accomplish that."

(Continued)

"The loud approach. Simple, direct, brute force. Land on the roof. Blow the section of the roof over the vault with C4. Using the helicopter's magnet, pick up the vault. Fly it out of there. This method won't require any special equipment or skills, just armor, explosives, guns, and guts."

Ken says, "Draw out a vastly heavy safe room with a helicopter magnet through a blasted-out floor, while under gunfire. Simple."

"The subtle approach. Disguise yourselves as guests to an upper-crust party held by the Dragon. This will require some thieving to get yourselves identities for the party. Once inside, you'll have to connect a device for a hacker to remotely disable the vault's electronic security systems. Then you enter the vault and empty it, without being seen, then make graceful exits from the party."

"I've already worn a dress this week," says Alex. "Guess it won't kill me to do it again."

"Finally, the stealthy approach. Like the ninja, be invisible. If we can obtain detailed information on their security - camera locations, guard patrols, and so forth - you might be able to bypass them altogether. I know how to obtain a certain device that's too unwieldy to bring in disguised, but small enough for Johnny to carry. It will instantly disable the vault's electronic security systems if triggered.

"Unfortunately the vault also has a mechanical lock, so either way the electronics are disabled, a safecracker will have to be physically present at the vault's door to open it. That's where our new acquaintance Nick here will prove useful."

"Already had a look at the lock model," says Nick. "If I get the right tools, it's no problem."

"So, three possible approaches. Fast, using violence and explosives. Subtle, using disguises and hacking. Stealthy, using darkness and gadgets." Catherine looks at you. "Johnny is our point man on this job. I think it's only fair he decides." The others say nothing, implying they accept.

Time to vote on how you want to do the heist.

>Loud - go in guns blazing, blow the roof
>Subtle - disguise yourself, hack the security
>Sneaky - sneak in, disable the security

Also feel free to ask Catherine further questions.

Short break while I let you guys decide.

So thoughts guys? I'm a little at a loss here.
Johnny isn't exactly at 100% so I think either subtle, or stealthy.
Or a mix of the two would be our best bet.
Maybe full on distraction theft.

I like the idea of stealthy with full frontal as a backup.

>>877218
>Sneaky - sneak in, disable the security

>>877229
>>877260
>>877371

3 votes for the stealthy approach. Works for me. Writing now.

File: ezforninjas.png (168 KB, 856x665)

168 KB PNG

>>877476

File: dragons nest heist 2.jpg (89 KB, 900x650)

89 KB JPG

"I like the idea of stealthy," you say. "I'm not exactly at 100%. Let's do it like Ryuji the ninja here, and sneak in. Full fontrol can be our backup plan."

"That's always the backup plan," says Alex. "If your cover's blown, kill everything in your way."
"I do prefer the options that require finesse," says Catherine. "Although, as you say, the "full frontal" approach may be required in the end. To begin with, I've obtained a way for you to infiltrate the 23rd floor undetected, from the outside. Infiltration team is Johnny, Alex, Ryuji, and Nick. I do hope none of you are afraid of heights?"

She indicates on the blueprint a certain office. "From there, you'll make your way past the security systems in the building to the vault itself. Use an electro-magnetic device to disable the vault door's electronic security. Empty the vault. In theory you'll be able to leave the way you came, but ... I'll have Ken nearby in the helicopter, on standby, just in case."

"For prep work, there are two major pieces. First is to contact hacker to obtain the layout of the security grid, and maintain control over the electronic security in the fortress."

"I know someone perfect for the job," you say. "He may need a new rig, though. Last one got a bit shot up."

"Then, the prep work will be to secure equipment for him. Second will be to obtain an EMP to disable the security system on the vault door. And I just so happen to know where and when to find one. Johnny, Alex, the two of you should be able to handle it. Ken will drive. Three o'clock tomorrow afternoon.

"Any questions?"

You think it over. It's a risky plan, but it just might work.

>None.
>Yeah, actually ... (write-in)

How many guys we'll have to shoot if push comes to shove? Are there any defensible positions we can get in if we get overwhelmed?

>>877632

>"I'd like to have a hail mary just in case the sneak-in, get-to-the-chopper, and shoot-our-way-out plans all go tits up. Ideas? I was considering a charge to breach the exterior wall and rappelling gear. We'd be able to escape from any exterior room. Maybe tear gas to act as an equalizer, too."

"How many guys will we have to shoot if push comes to shove?" you ask. "Any defensible positions?"

"The offices surrounding the vault should provide you with some hiding spaces. Many of the walls are reinforced. If you have to hold out somewhere, those should work fine. I estimate twelve to sixteen guards, equipped with pistols, tasers, and flashlights. There will almost certainly be an armory on site for them to better equp themselves if it's known intruders are present. Probably non-combatants on site as well. Also ..." she hesitates. "I had hoped this wouldn't be the case. But I believe at least one of the Dragon's elite enforcers will be present. Have you heard of the Five Elements?"

Alex says, "I have. Aren't they ex-PLA special forces? Some kind of squad of badasses who got burned by their own country. Nasty sons of bitches."

"That's them," says Catherine. "So expect serious opposition from at least one hardened veteran, possibly in possession of advanced weaponry. I'll see if I can obtain more information beforehand."

Great. So somewhere over ten guards, at least one super badass, and some innocent people caught in the crossfire. Or maybe not so innocent, if they're close pals with the Triads.

You say, "What about some kind of hail mary escape plan? Like a breaching charge and some rappelling gear. Maybe some tear gas."

"Rappelling gear is how I plan for you to get in, so that will indeed be an option for your escape route. You'll be in charge on site, Johnny. Make the call you think will get you all out alive."

"And with the money," says Nick.

"Yes," she says. "And with the money. As for the tear gas, I'll see what I can do."

Nick says, "I can talk to a guy about a drill. Just get me to that lock and I'll take care of it."

Ken says, "It's been some time since I flew a tandem helicopter, but I should be able to manage. Like riding a bike, yes? I'll be in the sky if you need me. Until then I'll keep an eye on the roof for anything strange." He leans over and pokes Ryuji in the shoulder, says something in Japanese. Ryuji rolls his eyes.

Wow, you think. This is really happening. We're really getting ready to break into the secure fortress of an international crime syndicate and steal their most valued treasures.

You feel ...

>Excited
>Wary
>Confident

>>877798
>Wary

>>877798
>Excited

>>877798
>>Wary

I want steal from their armory and then set a bunch of mines in it or something.

You don't want to get too excited about this just yet. It's a tough job. Need to be careful. Don't count your gators before they hatch, your old granddad used to say.

"Johnny, Alex, Ken," says Catherine. "Tomorrow you three steal that EMP device for us. Nick, Ryuji, I have a few more requisitions for you to fill. Tonight, get some rest, study the blueprints, think about the plan. Wait until the job's done to imagine what you'll do with the money. Dismissed for now."

The group starts to disperse.

>Ask Alex, "What do you think?"
>Ask Ken, "Wish you were going inside with us?"
>Ask Catherine about these "Five Elements"
>Phone Zero the hacker

>>877798
>Confident
Well shit, we've been through comparable or worse already.
I think that goes for all of us.

>>877889
>Ask Alex
>Catherine
>Maybe phone Zero.
In case of EMP fuck ups or our own fuck ups it wouldn't hurt to have a hacker with a grudge against our targets nearby.

>>877889
>>Phone Zero the hacker
Tell Catherine about Zero so she can figure out a role for him. See if he has any experience with EMPs.

>>877925
Failing that he could fuck their security cams, maybe put them on an all clear loop or something until we EMP.

Phone Zero to tell him he'll get a new setup,and ask about EMPs.

You ask Alex, "What do you think?"

"Not sure. I mean, I've done crazier jobs. And this time my team includes an actual ninja. I'm kind of worried about these Five Elements guys, though. That's the major variable. How many, what are they capable of."

"Let's ask Catherine, see what she knows," you say.

"Not as much as I'd like," she replies when you ask her. "Information on them is hard to come by. As Alex said, they're rumored to be former Chinese special forces. They call themselves Wu Xing, after the traditional Chinese system of five elements. Tree, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water. Supposedly each name corresponds to their weaponry or specialty in some way. I'll see if I can find more before the job."

"Okay," you say. "You said you wanted a hacker involved?"

"Yes, we'll need someone to obtain a thorough diagram of the fort's security systems. Camera locations, alarm triggers, guard patrols. During the job itself, we'll need him to maintain control over those systems."

"You mean like putting the cameras on a loop?" you ask.

"Exactly. With the diagram you should be able to avoid major slip-ups, but he'll be ready to assist you. Perhaps he'll also be able to monitor local communications."

"Sounds good to me. I'll give my guy a call. Mind if I use your phone?"

In the kitchen, you slowly dial in the number for Zero's mom's house, the rotary dial spinning back to its original position with a dull buzz and a click. A woman picks up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hi, is Ze- I mean, Marvin there?"

"One moment please!" Away from the phone, you hear faintly, "Marvin! Someone's on the phone for you!"

Still faintly, you hear "Argh! Mom, I told you, it's Zero Crash!" Footsteps approach the phone. "Who is this? A government agent? I already told you, the cereal box was-"

"Relax, Zero. It's Johnny. You remember what I said earlier? About an opportunity?"

"I do! But ... I can't do much of anything right now though. Not without my equipment."

"What if I got you some new gear? Something to replace the stuff that got turned into swiss cheese."

"That ... would be acceptable. I would be in a position to assist you then. I know where such equipment could be obtained as well."

"Okay," you say. "Let's do it ..."

>Tonight
>Tomorrow morning
>Tomorrow night

>>878083
>Tonight
Let's also get some new clothes,might as well shop a little.

>>878083
>"Argh! Mom, I told you, it's Zero Crash!"

kek <--
kek
kek
kek

>>878083
>Tomorrow morning

>>878083
>Tonight
Does the seller know I'm coming? (Am I going to be stealing this stuff?)

"Let's do it tonight," you say. "Get it out of the way. Does the seller know I'm coming? I mean ... am I stealing this stuff?"

"I'd call it "liberating"," he says.

"Stealing. Got it." You sigh. Nothing is ever simple. You remember something else. "Oh yeah. What do you know about something called an EMP?"

"Electromagnetic pulse," he says. "Disables all electronics within a certain radius. Temporary for something like a flashlight. Permanent for a computer. You'd need sophisticated equipment to create one. Not easy to obtain, outside of military connections."

Military? For fuck's sake. "Who would have connections like that in this city?"

"Hard to say. Everyone steals from everyone here. But there are rumors that some of the members of Black Spear are veterans."

"You mean that big group of corrupt cops? They might be the ones who came after me in the motel. You know about them?"

"Yes, I ... I'm sorry I didn't make the connection earlier, Johnny. When I flagged that man you were investigating as a cop. The attack on you seemed too incompetent for how the Spear operates. Maybe you just made them look bad."

"Maybe," you say. "What's the address over there? I'm in the neighborhood, I can swing by and pick you up in a bit. You can fill me in on the way."

"Acknowledged," he says. "I'll be ready."

You hang up. Stealing a high-end computer. Okay, no problem. For this job ...

>Bring Alex
>Bring Ryuji
>Bring Nick
>Go alone

Well,Nick is a safecracker,and who knows what sort of security this computer is under,so I'm partial to bringing him.

>>878199
>Bring Nick
Can't hurt

Nick is the safecracker. Even if you don't trust him, you saw with your own eyes that he has the skills, when he broke open that safe in the tenament in no time. Who knows what kind of security this computer is under, so he's probably the best choice.

You go find him. He's in the kitchen, searching through the backs of cupboards. "Ain't there some goddamn liquor in this place?" he's muttering to himself.

"Nick," you say. "How's it going?"

"Johnny! Uhhh ... it's going good! Yeah. Real good. I mean, besides the fact that in a couple days I'm apparently infiltrating some mega-secret Triad fortress to steal their primary stash. Do you know what the Triads do to people who piss them off?"

"Meat cleavers," you say.

"That's right! Cleavers! Chop-chop, arms and legs in a big pile, maybe with a nice note written in blood for the next of kin. Scary motherfuckers, Johnny. But at the same time ... goddamn! The money, Johnny! There must be a big fucking pile of the stuff in that vault."

"Let's focus on the job," you say. "And right now I could use your help with it. I talked to my hacker guy. He's good to go, but needs me to get him some equipment. You're the security expert around here. Come with me and help out."

"Err ... me? Seriously? Why not get your Japanese friend over there to do it? He's some kind of ninja, isn't he?"

>You've got the skills I need. You're the man for the job.
>You've got to pull your weight around here, like everyone else.
>Have you forgotten you still owe me? Because I haven't.

>>878360
>You've got the skills I need. You're the man for the job.
>Besides, if we're going to piss off almost everyone in Heat City, might as well get the Dweeb Delegation to come after us, too.

In the car:
>So, after all this shit is over with, where you thinking of going? Up north, or out west?

>>878360
>You've got the skills I need to help ensure we get what we need to get to their primary stash.

"Nope," you say. "You've got the skills I need. You're the man for the job. Besides, if we're going to piss off almost everyone in Heat City, might as well get the Dweeb Delegation to come after us, too."

Nick looks at the ground, rubbing his head. "I don't know, Johnny."

"How about this: we'll stop for new clothes on the way. Maybe some suits."

Nicks looks up. "Did you say ... suits?"

Soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wRHBLwpASw

80S SHOPPING MONTAGE!

Slow motion, low-angle shot of doors opening and Johnny and Nick entering a clothing store side by side.

Johnny and Nick wearing white disco suits!

Johnny and Nick wearing yellow zoot suits!

Johnny and Nick wearing flight jackets and aviator shades!

Johnny and Nick wearing 1980s workout gear!

Johnny and Nick wearing bright pink business suits!

Johnny and Nick wearing tuxedos with frilly shirts and cravats!

"Okay," you say. The mix tape in the store music player stops, starts to rewind. "That's enough of that. I'll think I'll take ..."

>A plain black suit. The classic.
>A classy white suit. It'll look terrifying with blood on it. Perfect.
>Something jazzy. This is the 80s, after all.
>Leather jacket and jeans. You'll stick to what you're comfortable with.
>Something else.

>>878479
>A classy white suit. It'll look terrifying with blood on it. Perfect.
Grab some jeans and that leather jacket, too. Also, balaclavas for the heist.

>>878510
Supporting this.

You decide on a classy white suit. This will look scary as hell when you get blood on it. Hopefully someone else's blood. It's not the most stealthy or inconspicuous outfit in the world, so you also grab some jeans and a leather jacket.

"Also these," you say, dropping four balaclavas on the counter. "I'm, uh, planning to travel up north. Cold up there."

You head back out to the Lincoln Continental, wearing your new white suit. Nick has a new white suit of his own, a slightly less gaudy cut than his previous one. "Can't beat the classics," he says. "When you look this good, you have standards to maintain."

"Right," you say. You start the car and head back into the flow of yellow headlights and red brakelights.

"So Nick," you say after some time. "After all this shit is over with, where you thinking of going? Up north? Out west?

"Shit, I don't know, Johnny. Up north? I've just about burned down all the cities on this coast. What can I say? I'm a wildcard. I win big, and I lose bigger. Gambling debts pile up.

"Out west? Shit, I don't know. The casinos out there will probably have heard of me. Maybe I'll head out to Ivywood, make movies. I could be a movies guy. You think I could make movies, Johnny?" He flops back in his seat. "Fuck, man. I dunno. I'm just trying to stay alive one day at a time."

>Say something encouraging.
>Say something to keep him focused.
>Make a joke.

>>878510
Almost forgot: a nice Hawaiian shirt, so we can get our Tommy Vercetti on.

>>878572
>Say something encouraging.
>Better be some original shit

>>878572
>Say something encouraging.
"I'd go west. Try Ivywood. I don't think you'd make it as a movie star, but producing seems a better spot for you. Hell, work as a security consultant for the rich and famous, you know how those assholes want to keep their stuff safe from their rivals.

The car pulls up to a red light. You try to think of something encouraging that hasn't been said a thousand times.

"Er- look, Nick. You're a smart guy, right? Resourceful. You've stayed alive this long, despite making what sounds like a lot of enemies. You're still one step ahead of them. And that's all you need to stay alive. One step. We'll do this job, you'll get your money, and you'll have the bank to do whatever it is you decide you want to do."

"Thanks, Johnny," he says. "I appreciate the thought. But I think my nine lives are just about up."

"You're still got one, right? If I were you, I'd go west," you say. "Try Ivywood. You could be a producer. Hell, work as a security consultant for rich assholes. You know what a thief does to steal their stuff, right? Do the opposite, stop other thieves from doing it."

Nick laughs. "An anti-thief. Never even considered turning legit. I guess there is a demand for my skills in that world. I'll think about it."

The light turns green. You move forward.

Some time later, you, Nick, and Zero get out of your car in an industrial zone. Zero leads you through an alley to a large warehouse, much like the one he was using as his own hideout, until it got shot up by Triads.

"So Zero," you say. "Here we are. Want to tell me what this place is now?"

"This?" he says. "This is the hideout of my greatest rival!" He shakes his fists in fury. "Burn Override was once a rogue hacker, much like myself, of skill nearly comparable to my own. We had an ongoing wager of sorts, a friendly competition. That was before he sold out and started contracting for the D-O-fucking-D! I'll never forgive him for that. This is a fucking battle ground, Johnny, in a war, and you're about to strike a blow for the black hats."

"Great," you say. "A defense contractor. Would could go wrong? Just so long as you get what we need. Nick, you look around the place yet? See anything?"

"Cameras," he says. "One there," he says, pointing out a small white camera mounted to the wall. "And there. And ... hmmm." He pauses. "There should be one there, to cover all the angles. But there's not. That door is uncovered."

"Good luck for us," you say.

"Luck or a trap? It's too obvious. If this hacker is as good as you say he is, er - what was your name? "Zero"? He wouldn't make such a beginner's mistake." Nick frowns, thinking. "What we need is a distraction."

>I'll pretend to be drunk, cause a scene.
>Zero, call him out as your old rival, say you want to talk face to face.
>Let's phone a pizza guy, give him this address.
>Screw it. (Get the grenade launcher from your car. Blast open the wall.)

>>878636
Find a old beater car, rig it to catch on fire, drive it to a power transformer, then smash the beater into the power line the transformer's on and have it burn the thing down.

>>878636
>Pizza guy
The classics are best some time.
He'll just think it's some troll that's pranking him.

>>878636
>Let's phone a pizza guy, give him this address.
>Inb4 vanned pizza-guy

>>878774
Better him than us, I guess?

An alternative would be combining the Drunk Man and the Pizza Guy. The Drunk Pizza Guy.
>Order some pizza, pay the delivery boy to borrow his clothes for a while (or just KO him for a while), and act the drunk pizza guy out.

>>878636
>pizza guy
If there's half a pound of C4 and several pounds of ball bearings waiting to be triggered by the doorbell, let some other poor bastard set it off.

>>878636
>>878711
Switching to Pizza. Order, like, WAY too much pizza. About thirty pies worth. All of them in different combinations.

Then steal a pie or two on the way out, just to put salt in his wound.

File: pizza guy.png (483 KB, 689x532)

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You decide to go for the classic pizza guy prank. You walk to a nearby pay phone, call up a local place. "Yeah, Papa Nino's? What sort of specials you got tonight? I'm feeling hungry. Real hungry." Now you think about it, you are feeling hungry. Maybe you can snag a pizza or two yourself.

You walk back to the other two. "Pizza guy's on his way."

"All right," says Nick. "From here we should be able to stay hidden and watch both the front door, and that side door that's probably trapped. Let's stay put and see what happens."

Soon enough, a skinny Italian-looking guy comes zipping up on a moped, stops, gets off with a way overloaded carrying case. He weaves a bit from its weight as he goes up to the front door, bangs on it. "Papa's Nino's Pizza! Almost Italian!" He waits a few seconds, bangs on the door again. "C'mon! I gotta get this here in fifteen minutes!"

The security camera over the front door swivels towards the pizza guy. A speaker by the door crackles to life, growls with an ominous-sounding voice-changer. "Get out of here. Now."

"Aw, c'mon! This is the right address, isn't it?" The guy pulls a piece of paper out of his pocket. "I could swore this is the address-"

"You have ten seconds to comply before - wait. Wait hold on. Is - is that pizza?" The person on the other end of the voice changer has changed their tone. "What kind of pizza is that?"

"Errr - one with everything, one with meats, one with-"

"Okay. Uh. Hold on. I'll be right there." The speaker disconnects.

>Sneak up to the front door, by the pizza guy
>Sneak up to the side door (maybe trapped?)
>Stay put

>>878842
>Sneak up to the side door (maybe trapped?)

Probably trapped.

Also, put on the balaclavas. No need for him to ID you anytime soon.

>>878842
>Stay put
Wait for him to answer.
Then bust in.

>>878855
This.
Try to flank, maybe the trap only works if dingus is there pushing the button.

"Let's go," you say quietly to the other two, handing them balaclavas. You pull yours on and set off. "Follow me."

Nick pulls out some kind of eyeglass thing, like a jeweler's lens. He quickly examines the door. "Yeah, it's trapped," he says, his voice muffled by the mask, as he pulls out two strange little tools. "But if I just-" He steps forward, jams the tools into the door crack. "Hold on-" He fiddles. You hear a sharp snapping noise, and brace for a C4 explosion, but nothing happens. Nick puts one tool back, uses the second to quickly pick the lock. Cautiously he pulls open the door a few inches. No explosions. He opens it all the way, gestures inside, and the three of you enter.

Inside is a room much like Zero's warehouse. Large banks of computer equipment, work benches, jury-rigged and refurbished technology. As you proceed forward, you hear something from the direction of the front door. Someone humming a song, getting closer.

"Get down!" you whisper urgently. The three of you take cover behind a large metal work desk. You peek your head out the side to see who comes into the room. Who you see is ...

... not what you expected. A short, stocky girl. Pink hair. Floppy sneakers. For a moment, you think this is someone else. A girlfriend, maybe. Then she flops down in the computer chair and starts typing rapidly with one hand, using the other to open a box of pizza and take a slice. She continues to hum to herself as she types and eats.

"This ..." you say to Zero. "Is Burn Override? Your greatest rival?"

"I-I didn't know what he, or she, looked like. I just, you know, assumed."

You rub your face with your hand. "Okay. What machine in here do you need?"

"Unfortunately, the one she's typing on right now."

>Zero, you distract her, I'll get the computer.
>Nick, you distract her, I'll get the computer.
>I'll just grab her and you take it.

>>878932
>>I'll just grab her and you take it.
"Don't worry, Zero. Just gonna tie her up, not bash her head in."

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>>878932
>I'll just grab her and you take it.
"Come on, there's no way a 90 pound girl could take us all on at once."

"I'll just grab her and you take it," you growl. "I don't think a 90 pound girl can take us all on at once."

"Oh geez," says Zero. "I think I saw that in a movie-"

"Man, shut up and just grab the computer when I grab her, okay?"

You step out from cover, not bothering with stealth, and walk straight towards the girl. She's humming away, munching on pizza. Takes her a few moments to notice you, but when she does, she freaks out, which makes sense to do when a huge scarred stranger is in your house walking menacingly towards you.

"Holy shit!" the girl screams. She grabs the open box of pizza next to her and hurls it at you. You dodge. Nick is standing behind you, and it hits him in the face.

"Ahhh! Hot pizza on my face!!" Nick claws at his face, spins, slams into a computer server, falls over.

You reach forward with your huge mitts and pluck the girl into the air, pinning her arms. She kicks at you furiously. "Let me go! Fuck off!"

You turn to Zero. "All right, grab the thing and let's go."

He says, "Okay, I'm on it. Just give me a minute-"

"Wait a second," says the girl. "That voice? Is that Zero? ZERO FUCKING CRASH?!? This is how you repay me, you son of a bitch?!" She kicks and squirms, enraged. "Let me go, you fucking gorilla!"

"Hey now," you grunt. "What the hell are you talking about? And stop moving around so much!"

"Shut up, Burn!" shouts Zero, trying to sound defiant. "You started working for the enemy!"

"To save YOUR stupid ass!" She stops kicking, points at Zero. "The feds fucking got me, Zero. All right? They had me cold. It was either do twenty years, roll on you, or work for them. What was I gonna do? I know women's prisons are a joke on TV, but that shit ain't cool. I can't do no twenty years of lesbian broom rape. And ... and I wasn't going to roll on you. So fuck off. Get the fuck out of here before they realize something's wrong."

Zero is at a loss. "Burn, I don't ..."

You sigh. "Look, kid. We ain't going to hurt you. But my pal Zero here needs a top of the line computer rig for a job. His got shot up pretty bad, on account of me. So I'm helping him get a new one. That happens to be yours. All right?" You jerk your head towards the computer. "Zero, get moving. Disconnect the thing."

"Wait!" The girl's voice turns to panic. "Wait, hold on! I'm right in the middle of some shit for the powers that be, okay? Some codebreaker program. I need my fucking deck tonight, okay? If I don't get this done they're going to fucking axe me. Maybe literally. Look, I- look, you can have it tomorrow, okay? Scout's fucking honor. Just let me finish my job tonight, and you can have the thing tomorrow. I'll stay up all night coding and drop it off wherever you want, first thing tomorrow."

>Sorry. No deal.
>Don't make me regret trusting you.
>Zero? What do you think?
>Something else.

>>878991
>Zero? What do you think?
His decision goes.

>>879005
Also, mention that it'll go quicker if there's two people who know what they're doing.

"Zero? What do you think?" you ask.

Before he can answer, Burn says "Oh, Zero." Her voice gets a coy twist. "You should know one thing before you answer. I still have the photos."

Zero's eyes widen. "You don't mean-"

"That's right," she says. "The ones with the unicorn."

Zero's hands tighten into fists. "You wouldn't dare," he says, dangerously.

"I wouldn't? I think you wouldn't-"

"Seems to me," you interrupt, in an effort to smooth things over. "That this job would go quicker if there were two people who know what they're doing."

Simultaneously:
"Work with her? I'd never work with you! I'm way faster!" (angry finger point, evil glare)
"Work with him? I'd never work with you! I'm way faster!" (angry finger point, evil glare)

"Sounds to me like a challenge," you say. Sometimes they make it all too easy. "Maybe you two should both run the job. Whoever's faster or more efficient gets the take, and declares themselves the better hacker."

Zero shrugs. "But I still don't have my own deck. I don't have the cash to get a new one in time."

"Well ..." Burn seems to be thinking about it. "If we did ... and I'm saying we're going to, mind you, but IF we did ... I could loan you one of my old ones."

"Your old ones? Pfft." Zero scoffs. "How fast could they be?"

"Uh, try 56.6k modem? 256k RAM? Does that float your fucking boat?"

"Get out," he says. "Seriously?"

"Seriously," she says. "Also," she adds, addressing you. "Could you put me down? This is getting uncomfortable."

"All right," you say. "No funny business."

You put her back down on her feet. She turns towards Zero. "Look. I get that you're mad. But I just ... I needed to ..." She searches for words for a few moments. "Ah, fuck it. Let's do the fucking job. I'll show you who's the fastest."

Zero pulls off his balaclava. The light of challenge is in his eyes. "You're on."

"I'm glad it had a happy ending after all," says Nick, walking up to stand beside you, still wiping pizza cheese off his face.

"Yeah," you say. "Me too."

>>879031
cute.

You and Nick get into your Lincoln, close the doors. Zero stayed behind to compare notes with his hacker friend/rival/new girlfriend/whatever.

"Those two are cute," says Nick. "Before the night is over, they're probably going to either screw each other or kill each other. Not sure which one."

"Maybe," you say. "But I think I just got us a second hacker on the job without even increasing their take."

"Yeah, you did, didn't you?" Nick rolls down his window, lights a cigarette. "You're a smart guy, Johnny. You look like a thug. You act like a thug. You're good at being a thug. But you're not bad when it comes to finesse, too. It's, you know. It's cool."

"Thanks." You light a cigarette for yourself, then turn on the radio, click through the stations until you find a song you like. Finally, some real music.

Outro Soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjrQWU2EcsA

You pull away from the curb and out onto the street. You start driving out of the darkness of the industrial zone, past smokestacks and factories and dimly flickering street lights. Back toward the brightness of the city. The gliterring promise of shining high rises and neon lights.

Tomorrow you steal a tiny nuclear bomb.

>>879031
"By the way, gonna grab a couple slices and watch some Zaltron while high with Nick, if you don't mind. Start yelling when one of you start nearing the finish."

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Calling it for tonight.

Thanks for playing Thug Quest 7. Hope you're having fun.

I will return soon. Follow my twitter to see when I go live: https://twitter.com/ravenkingquests

In the meantime, questions, comments, feedback, fire away.

>>879054
Next game begins with Johnny and Nick eating pizza and watching Zaltron while high.

>>879058
Night, Bossman.

Any plans on doing a side story on one of the other characters? Zero's the most obvious of course, but I wouldn't mind seeing an Edna story.

>>879064
I have a few ideas for POV switches or side stories. If it fits in at a good spot with the main story, it may happen.

Aww fuck, zero already got best girl, lucky bastard.

>>880000
Bullshit, I didn't see the part where Zero got ___Edna__.

>>879058
Thanks. Stay R A D

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Thug Quest returns with Part 8 tomorrow evening, about 7 pm wednesday PST.