>>1306379

Vice Edition

Soundtrack: Miami Vice Theme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEjXPY9jOx8

Updates: http://twitter.com/ravenkingquests

Previous Threads: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Thug%20Quest

Discord: https://discord.gg/3HegtNU

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Ayyy

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>>1306379
I'm ready

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>>1306379

It had to happen sooner or later.

You wondered how long you could get away with all this before the law showed up. Even in Heat City, there are honest police trying to do their jobs, and an epic crime spree like yours had to attract attention eventually.

Now this asshole in a pastel suit and sunglasses has showed up, swaggered onto your property like he owned the place, and flashed a badge. Part of you wants to just kick his ass right here and now, but for now, you'll try to figure out an option that doesn't involve assaulting a detective on your front lawn.

Detective Martin looks you up and down. "I heard you were a big guy, but I'm still impressed. Pictures don't really do you justice."

"Thanks, I guess." You try to look casual, while keeping a close eye on the detective and staying ready to reach for your Redhawk if you have to. "Can I help you with something?"

"Maybe so, pal. We'll see." The detective looks around at your mansion in repair. "Big place you got here, even if it's a fixer-upper. Mind if I ask how you afford fancy digs like these?"

"I saved some money from a construction job," you say.

"Sure, uh-huh. Lot of guys like you seem to get rich in construction. Funny how that works.

"It's a real shame, Johnny. After getting out of the slammer a few years ago, you kept your head down. Stayed quiet for a while there. You really should've stayed that way. Now it looks like you're trying your best to make up for lost time."

You shrug. "Not exactly sure what you're talking about ..."

>Mr. Martin.
>Detective.
>Asshole.

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>>1306425
>>Mr. Martin.
Oh boy time to break out my James folder

>>1306425
>Detective.
Fucking with the police is a good way to get slapped with bullshit

>>1306425
>>Detective.

>>1306425
>>Detective.

>>1306425

"Detective," you say, trying to sound civil.

The detective nods vaguely, like he appreciates the attempt to be polite, if not the result. "Is that so? You're not sure what I'm talking about. So you don't know anything about the strings of robberies or killings over the past few weeks, is that right?"

"This is Heat City, detective." you say, shrugging. "Somebody gets robbed or shot every day, sad as it is."

"That they do," he says. "I know all about that in my line of work. Of course, this month has been special. Somebody even did something as crazy as robbing the Triads in their private skyscraper, can you believe that? But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

"Just what I hear on the radio," you say.

He points at the door behind you. "Mind if we talk inside? It's a little hot out here in the sun."

It might be good to show him you have nothing to hide. Then again, you remember that you have a captive Yakuza inside. You wonder what might happen if the detective discovered an attractive Asian woman, barely clad in a torn yukata, bound and captive in your house. Maybe you do have something to hide.

>Sure, come on in. Let me get you a drink.
>I'd prefer to talk out here. It's a nice day.
>No. Whatever you're here to say, just spit it out.
>Actually, you should get the hell out of here.

>>1306498
>>Sure, come on in. Let me get you a drink.
She's not dumb enough to blow our cover.

>>1306498
>Sure, come on in. Let me get you a drink.

>>1306498
>>Sure, come on in. Let me get you a drink.

>>1306498
>"How do i know the russians haven't hired you to kill me?"

>>1306544
Oh sure mate, let him know we're involved right of the bat super smart of ye.
>I'd prefer to talk out here. It's a nice day.

>>1306498
>Sure, come on in. Let me get you a drink.
If our captive is discovered "Yeah I know it's over the top but she is really into this sort of thing and I have trouble saying no to her... ugghh, its all about the exotic nowadays, no one cares for picnics or cuddling."

>>1306565
we were put away on a job FOR the russians m8

>>1306625
No we didn't. We never did get caught for that. Only time we get arrested was when we were wrongly convicted of stealing money.
"You survived, but did a nickel upstate for theft. You didn't even steal that money."

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>>1306498

"Sure, come on in," you say. You're hoping the advantage from showing this guy a clean house is enough to offset the risk that he happens to stumble on Akane. Good thing you keep your weed tidied up and bagged in a drawer.

"You were right about this heat," you say as the two of you enter your house. "I was just thinking I could use a beer. Want one?"

"Yeah, thanks." Martin lights a cigarette and looks around your living room while you fetch a pair of beer bottles, wet with condensation from the fridge. The two of you each take a moment for a drink of the cool refreshment.

"So, detective," you say. "What can I do for you?"

"You could say this is a courtesy call, Johnny. Maybe you think you're climbing to the top of the mountain with your mansion and your new truck and all. But really, you're headed straight over the edge. And I thought I'd give you one last warning before it's all over for you."

"Is that so?" you ask politely. "Why is that?"

"Because I'm onto you, pal. The helicopter heist at the docks? The shooting at Club Red? Dragon's Nest? And now this latest dust-up at Enigma. Witnesses have placed a man of your description at all of them."

You shrug. "Lot of guys out there look like me."

"Six-foot-four, with those scars? Not exactly, pal. You stand out a little. So that's part of how I know that you and Catherine Yamada have been busy together. You two make a cute couple, you know that? Beauty and the Beast. A real fairy tale.

"But that story's coming to an end. Maybe you should think about what kind of end." He takes another drink, then looks down at the bottle in his hand. "Good taste in beer, by the way. I'll give you that much.

"The way I see it, you've got two options. Wait for somebody to put a bullet in your head -- could be the Triads, the Yakuza, the Russians, anyone at this point really. Or you wait for us to nail you to the wall and spend the next ten to twenty years nice and safe in the big house. Maybe by the time you get out, they'll have forgotten how you screwed them over. But I doubt it.

"Of course, you could always turn yourself in and turn state's evidence. But somehow I don't think you'd go for that."

>I don't know anything about all this.
>You're bluffing. You don't have shit.
>I'm not the bad guy, here.
>What do you really want?
>Get the fuck out of here while you still can.

>>1306640
>And you're telling me all of this why?

>>1306640
>>And you're telling me all of this why?
Because clearly, you've got some sort of reason why you came here, and it isn't to warn a former felon.

>>1306640
>>Get the fuck out of here while you still can.
WELP, we tried to play nice and invite him in. Time to boot his ass and have Zero see who he's tied up with.

I don't know anything about all this.

>>1306741
Just go with it. I got here at thread 11.

>>1306640

"And you're telling me this ... why?" you ask him. "You've clearly got some kind of reason for coming here. It isn't to warn an ex-con, is it? What do you really want here, detective?"

"You don't think I'm here to do you a favor, get you scared straight, huh?"

"No, I don't. Police detectives have better things to do than play concerned citizen."

"I heard you were sharper than you look." Martin gives you a measuring glance, then takes another drink of beer, thinking it over. "Maybe I just came by to introduce myself. Get to know you, face-to-face. See what kind of man you are."

"And?" you say. "What do you think?"

"I'll tell you this much, Johnny. I think you're an all right guy, despite your line of work. I don't want to have to put you down. But if I have to make a call between you and some poor bastard whose wife you're going to make into a widow, then pal, you better believe you're going down."

The detective finishes his drink and puts it down. "Thanks for the beer," he says as he walks towards the front door. "Be seeing you, Johnny."

>Have a good day, detective.
>Later, asshole.
>Next time I see you, I might not be so nice.

The door closes behind him.

Now what was that all about?

>Just a cop being an asshole.
>He was threatening you.
>He was trying to learn about you.
>He was hoping to catch you off-guard.
>Something else?

>have a good day, detective
>He was hoping to catch you off-guard.

>>1306776
>Have a good day, detective.
>He was trying to learn about you.

>>1306776
>I've got a feeling we'll see each other again, Detective. Till then.

>He was trying to learn about you.
>He was hoping to catch you off-guard.
>Something else?
He probably thinks I know something about the Z trade that he doesn't.

>>1306776
>Have a good day, detective.
>He was trying to learn about you.
I don't trust that this guy is a legit cop. Too many things about him smells. Money says he's with Black Spear
>He was a warning

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>>1306776

"Have a good day, detective," you say as he lets himself out.

You wonder just what his aim was in coming here. Maybe he was trying to catch you off-guard, hoping you'd reveal some important clue. He did say he wanted to learn what kind of man you were. Could be he was telling the truth. Maybe just as a matter of principle, to know the man he's hunting. Maybe to get inside your head, try and predict your actions in the future.
You try to puzzle it out, still holding your beer and looking at the closed front door. You're not sure. The encounter with Detective Martin will have to remain a mystery for now. But you get the feeling the two of you will see each other again.

You realize that Ryuji is standing nearby watching. Goddamn ninjas. How long he has been there?

"Hey, Ryuji. What's up with the track suit?"

"Trying out your home gym," he says. "What was that about?"

You shrug. "Some cop being an asshole. Not sure what he wanted." The whole thing is still troubling you. His motives were unclear, and he seemed awfully relaxed for a police detective walking into his quarry's house. Maybe he's just a really chill guy. "I dunno, Ryuji. Something about him smells. I'm not sure that I trust he's a legit cop."

>What's up?
>What do you think I should do about him?
>Ever had run-ins with the law?
>What are cops like in Japan?
>Any progress with Akane?

>>1306874
>What do you think I should do about him?
>Any progress with Akane?

>>1306874
>>What's up?
>Any progress with Akane?

>>1306874
>What's up?
>What are cops like in Japan?
Here's hoping for Thug Quest: Tokyo Drift
>Any progress with Akane?

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>>1306874
>Any progress with Akane?
>What's up?

I feel like asking ryuji about what to do would just be a violent answer, maybe with a bit of confirming first. Also how much does Johnny use the gym?

>>1306874
>>What are cops like in Japan?

>>1306874
>Made any progress with Akane?

>>1306880
>>1306882
>>1306888
>>1306899
>>1306918


>What's up?
>Any progress with Akane?

Writing.

>>1306899

Whenever he feels like it. He doesn't rely on workouts to stay huge, he's a genetic freak who gets a lot of exercise in his line of work.

>>1306874
>>1306919

"So what's up?" you ask Ryuji. "How's the gym?"

"It is good for the basics," he says, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "How often do you use it yourself?"

"Not that often, I guess. Just when I want to work off some steam. I get all the exercise I can handle through, you know. Work. Speaking of which, did you talk to Ken?"

"I just came from there," he says. "Ken said to ask you to "play bad cop." I don't understand what that means, but that's what he said."

"He means he's done playing nice with Akane," you say, and sock a fist into the opposite palm. "So he wants me to play rough."

"Please do not hurt her too badly," says Ryuji. "For whatever strange reasons, my uncle is fond of her. It might upset him to see her harmed."

You think about the bruises and small cuts you saw on the girl's face, probably inflicted by Ken. "If you say so."

>Go to the room where Akane is tied up.
>Get something first. (Say what).
>Ask Ryuji what you should be trying to find out about.
>Ask Catherine what you should be trying to find out about.
>First make sure the twins aren't burning down the house.

>>1306975
>First make sure the twins aren't burning down the house.

>>1306975
>>Get something first. (Say what).
CLEAVER-CHAN
>Ask Catherine what you should be trying to find out about.
Then
>Go to the room where Akane is tied up.

>>1306975
>Ask Ryuji what you should be trying to find out about.
>First make sure the twins aren't burning down the house.
Grab some oranges and a boot sock. Classic way to beat someone without leaving marks.

>>1306975
>Give her the old Nam special, should have a old radio around here somewhere

if you don't know what i am talking about the standard issued radio gear they used in vietnam could also double as an electric interrogation device

>>1306975

>Get something first.

I'm down with something that will leave minimal bruising but still be effective. Why don't we waterboard her? If not i'm down with using >>1306996 (orange and sock)

>Go to the room where Akane is tied up

>First make sure the twins aren't burning down the house.
>Get a pair of oranges and a sock, and the meat cleaver.

Writing.

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>>1306975
>>1307058

You spot the twins out in the backyard. On the way outside, you stop by the kitchen and grab the four oranges you bought earlier. Two you tuck into your coat pocket, the other two you hold onto.

The girls are standing by the algae-covered artificial pond, looking into its murky depths. "Brought you two a snack," you say to them, handing them the two oranges. "What are you looking at?"

"Mr. Gator," says one of them, accepting the orange.

"Did you know you have a gator?" asks the other.

"I did not, actually." You move to the edge of the pond and peer closely inside. Sure enough, there's a juveline alligator in there. Looks pretty small. It's an ugly son of a bitch, you can tell that much. You watch as it slides up to the surface of the water and out, onto a rock on the opposite side of the pond.

"We were trying to decide what to name it," one of the twins says as the other munches on her orange. "I want to call it Godzilla."

"I want to name it "Ultimate Killer Death Beast,"" says the other, still with a mouthful of fruit.

"No you didn't," giggles the first. "You wanted to name it "Mr. Scrufflybumpkins" because you like cute things."

"That's a lie!" shrieks the second. "I hate cute things!"

>Godzilla.
>Ultimate Killer Death Beast.
>Mr. Scrufflybumpkins
>Something else.
>(Shoot it)

>>1307146
>Mr. Scrufflybumpkins
You can keep it. Just make sure it doesn't crawl into my room and bit my balls off

>>1307146
>>Mr. Scrufflybumpkins

>>1307146
>>Name it Roxy

>>1307146
>>Mr. Scrufflybumpkins
Just keep an eye out for Mama and Papa Scrufflybumpkins.

"I like that last one," you say. "Mr. Scrufflybumpkins. You should name it that."

The second twin, the one who claimed to hate cute things, gets a look of ecstatic joy for a brief moment before catching herself. She clears her throat and looks away. "Fine, I guess," she says, trying to look bored. "Whatever."

"Can we keep it?" asks the first.

"Eh ... yeah, okay. Just make sure it doesn't crawl into my room at night and bite off my unmentionables. Also, keep an eye out for Ma and Pa Scrufflybumpkins. A little squirt like this is no big deal if he really is on his own, but if there's a full-size gator around here, you stay the hell away from that thing, you hear me?"

"We will," they say simultaneously.

Having done your heartfelt Big Brother action for today, you head back into the house and proceed to get ready to torture a young woman.

(Break time for me)

>>1307231
But I want to get to the orange beating!

With puns that she won't understand and we'll refuse to explain!

"Orange you glad to see us?"

"Better spill the juice!"

"That eye doesn't look so good, it could use some vitamin "See" *thwack*.

" . . . . . Fucking Doorhinge!" *Thwack*

This was more difficult than I thought

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>>1307220

You approach the spare room holding Akane.

Ken is in the hall outside, leaning against the window opposite the door. He says, wearily, "My overtures of friendship were less than successful. I'm afraid it's time to try sterner tactics."

"You gave it your best shot as the good cop," you say. "Now it's my turn."

You move towards the door, but Ken stops you. "Johnny, I -- I knew this girl. Years ago. She had a good heart once, before Kojiro got to her."

"And?"

"And I admit that, despite her being our enemy, I should find myself upset if she were badly harmed. I don't think such severe methods will be needed, anyway. She is spiteful, but not strong. I should think you will only need to intimidate her. Perhaps a forceful introduction to show you mean business. Nothing more." He glances down at the meat cleaver in your hand. "More objectionable methods shouldn't be necessary."

>All right. I'll keep her in one piece.
>No promises. I'll do what I have to.
>Are you a killer or not? Don't go soft on me.
>Didn't she try to kill you? You don't owe her anything.

>>1307425
>All right. I'll keep her in one piece.

>>1307425
>Are you a killer or not? Don't go soft on me.
> She's the one who determines how far this has to go.
> Besides this is just fur cutting off her clothes.

Not saying we rape her, but being naked is very psychologically damaging for people.

>>1307425
>>All right. I'll keep her in one piece.
No marks, but I'm going to have to give her some hits. That alright with you?

>>1307425
>Didn't she try to kill you? You don't owe her anything.

but


>No promises. I'll do what I have to.

We ain't gonna torture her.

No. We're going to reason with her.

>Walk in, sit down. Stay silent. Study her. Wait. Few people can wait long. When she seems like she's about to talk, we take the initiative and begin.

"Do you know who I am?"

Her response will probably be one of the following: silence, no, sarcastic response, fuck you, our actual name. Sarcastic or fuck you merits a brief "isn't-she-cute" grin.

"When I say 'who', of course, I don't mean my name. The odds are vanishingly small you give a fuck. I mean my role. The others call me the mechanic. 'I loosen stuck things, like your lips.' Its a dumb nickname. I prefer to think of myself in another role. I'm your savior. Your best friend. Your confessor, if you will. I hear things you would NEVER tell anyone else. I deal in secrets.

Look around you <name>. See this room. Now, if you will, close your eyes and look inside. Imagine two pathways leading away from this room. One leads through the door behind me. Out into the world, fresh air and sun, laughter and fellowship and many, many happy days. The second stays here, in this room. These four walls, this ceiling and floor will be the world for you for the rest of your life. They will be the last thing you will ever see. You will die within these walls.

Scary thought, isn't it? All you ever were and ever could be reduced to an unpleasant stain on that floor, right there - RIGHT. THERE. In front of you. Now, here's the last piece of this, my secret. I love you.

Don't look at me like that. It's true. I love you. I want only the best for you. I want anything other than to see you walk down that second path. I WANT, with all my my heart, for you to walk out that door. But something is stopping that. You have secrets too, and those secrets are keeping you in here. Secrets like where and who and how people are, people who just want to bring pain and death to others. Its just so SAD! You're being kept in here by secrets kept for a bunch of evil men, and even though you keep their secrets, they cause you pain! Its cause of them you're in here! Its cause of them you hurt so much! Its cause of those secrets you facing those two paths now... *trail off, quietly*

>>1307458

(Con't)

And that's where i come in. I'm your best friend and I love you. I want to help you confess. Its the secrets keeping you here. For you to walk that first path, you need to get rid of those secrets, the ones that weigh you down. And cause I love you, i'll do anything to help you confess. I've got time and you and a LOT of anger towards the men who keep you here... I want to HELP you, <name>, and if saving you from yourself means causing you pain, i take no pleasure in it. I will do whatever I must, for you. I'm sorry. This is the way it must be, if you are to walk that first path.

Take heart, though. You will walk it, eventually. Everyone talks, eventually, some just need more help than others So, help me <name>. Help me help you. Look inside yourself and overcome you secrets and help your best friend lead you through that door...

Now, the first secret.

< ask question>

All right. I'll keep her in one piece.

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"All right," you agree. "I'll keep her in one piece. Probably just scare her, maybe hit her a couple times." You hold up the cleaver. "I could use this to cut her clothes off? Being naked is very psychologically damaging."

Ken gives you an irritated look.

"Fine," you sigh. "Just for intimidation, then."

Casually swinging the sock knotted around a pair of oranges, you enter the room and shut the door behind you.

Akane is in here, tied to a chair with her arms behind the back. She marshalls her courage and glares boldly at you. Even like this -- dirty, dishevelled, cuts and bruises on her face -- she's still beautiful. If Ken had the kind of relationship you think he might've with her, you can see why. She is quite a lady.

You hit her in the face with the orange-sock.

She recoils, crying out in pain. When she recovers, she looks up at you in shock and fear. Good. Most people, when you hit them, they buckle. Every once in a while, though, they just get stronger. You were a little afraid she'd turn out to be the second type, but it looks like this won't be so hard after all.

"Hi," you say to her. "Ken was getting a litle frustrated with his lack of progress, so he asked me to take a turn. I'm thinking I can get some answers out of you a lot faster." You put the orange-sock on the table nearby, then run a finger gently down the edge of the meat cleaver, testing its sharpness. "You hear about this bad girl right here? I killed your old boss with this. Catherine's dad. Wonder how many more Yakuza I'll kill with it before this is all done."

You slam the cleaver down into the table, burying the point a couple inches. Akane jumps. You smile.

"Everyone talks eventually, you know. It's just a matter of how many fingers and toes they have left when they do. I'm betting you're a smart girl and you're going to walk out of here with all twenty left over. But I've been wrong before."

You sit down in the empty chair in front of her. "Let's find out together, shall we? Start with your name."

The girl sniffs. "A-Akane Azuma."

"Good. What's your position in the Yakuza?"

"I'm one of the o-bake. It means, um. Ghost? Monster? I'm not sure what the right English word is. We're Kojiro's personal chosen warriors."

"Good. Now tell me about ..."

>The Triads connection.
>The docks connection.
>The drift racers.
>The cathouse.
>Your boss. This Kojiro guy.
>Something else.

>>1307549
>>The Triads connection.
Now, I might be some filthy American pig, but I always under the impression that the Yakuza and the Triads don't exactly get along, what with the war and all that. Mind telling me how that started?

>The docks connection.
>The cathouse.

>>1307549
>The Triads connection.
>>The docks connection.

>>1307567
>>1307574

>The Triads connection.
>The docks connection.

Writing.

>>1307549
>>1307587

"Tell me what you know about this three-way team-up thing the Yakuza have got going on. Yakuza, Triads, and Vietnamese dock gangs. I know you're all working together in one big happy crime alliance. I thought you guys all hated each other. When did you become friends? Did you all just get together and decide to form an Asian crime super-team?"

"It's necessary to keep the Z flowing," she says. "Importing that amount of black lotus from Asia requires all three gangs working together, despite their hatred. When this amount of money is involved, people will do what's convenient and practical, even if it goes against their principles. The syndicate back home in Japan overlooks our alliance in exchange for their cut."

"Of course," you say. "As long as they get paid, why should they care? So the three of you teamed up to sell Z imported from Asia. Triads are the muscle, dockers handle the ships, Yakuza keeps the politicians and rich scumbags happy. Am I right?"

Akane nods.

So your guess for the investigation was right. All three gangs are involved in a huge international Z smuggling and distribution ring.

>Who's really in charge?
>Who's the biggest threat to me?
>Where are they vulnerable?
>What do they intend to do?
>Something else.

>>1307635
>Who's really in charge?
>Something else.
>How big are the tension between the Asians and the Russians?

>Who's really in charge?
>Who's the biggest threat to me?
>Where are they vulnerable?

>>1307635
>Who's really in charge?
>Where are they vulnerable?

>Who's really in charge?
>Where are they vulnerable?

Writing.

>>1307635
>>1307646


"Okay, so let's say I wanted to knock this whole house of cards down. Where would I go? What would I target? Where can I find something vulnerable to me?"

Akane looks at you for a few moments, her expression guarded. You wonder if she's thinking up a lie, or just figuring out what answer would be appropriate. When she speaks, she says, "You have already struck at the Triads' most vulnerable position, the Dragon's Nest. Now the Tong is held together mostly by the reputation of the Dragon and the Elements, though the incident cost them severely in face as well as the more obvious material losses. These leaders will have to be on the move, acting personally in the field. If something should happen to them ..."

"You think the Tong might not survive," you say.

She shrugs. "That's what Kojiro thinks. He mentioned a plan to eliminate them, if it came to that."

You toy idly with the double-orange sock. "What about the dock gangs?"

"Disorganized rabble, he called them. Without the backing of either the Triads or Yakuza, he said they would fall back into chaos and disunity, and soon the police would have them."

"All right, so who's in charge of this whole outfit? I know it's not the Dragon. Does he work for your boss? Is Kojiro the one in charge of all this? Is it the syndicate back in Japan?"

"No! It's not him! W-we only came to this city a few weeks ago. The syndicate were worried about the war brewing with the Russians, and they wanted to set their own house in order first. They sent Kojiro to straighten things out here. When you and Catherine killed her father, well, that became his business. But he has nothing to do with the Z trade. And the bosses back in Japan only care about their money."

"So if they're not in charge, who is?"

"I don't know who -- wait!" she protests, seeing you grip the two-orange sock angrily. "I mean I don't know who it was, but Kojiro took phone calls from someone. He wouldn't explain who, but he got angry when they called. Sometimes he'd order his men somewhere after a call. I asked him about it, but he warned me not to."

"Where did he send his men?" you ask.

"It was different every time," she says.

>All right, I believe you.
>I believe you about some things, but not others. (Say what).
>You're holding something back.
>This is all bullshit.
>(Try to sense the truth. Will require a dice roll.)

>>1307664
>I believe you about some things, but not others. (Say what).
>But he has nothing to do with the Z trade. And the bosses back in Japan only care about their money.
That's not true because we already know the Yakuza has several politicians under their payroll to keep the op hushed up. Furthermore, I find it hard to believe that this is only about the money because they risk too much on a fragile alliance and a drug that they might not know will have a large following. This is definitely about something else and the lab proves it.

>>1307669
She's trying to make the excuse that he was sent here to clean things up in the local Yakuza, and has now found himself in charge, so the politician deals aren't on him. Not much of an excuse. So this and the lab.

I'll wrap this up for the night here, hopefully back tomorrow to tie things up.

>>1307664
>(Try to sense the truth. Will require a dice roll.)

>>1307664
>(Try to sense the truth. Will require a dice roll.)

>>1307664
>(Try to sense the truth. Will require a dice roll.)

>>1307664
>(Try to sense the truth Will require a dice roll.)

May as well try.

>>1307664
>>You're holding something back.

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I'll be coming back to this in a little over an hour. Let's get these rolls out of the way so I can see how well you do on this first section.

Roll some d10s, please! You get a +1 bonus because of your Ambition: Discovery, so it's actually 1d10+1.

Rolled 1 (1d10)

>>1309196

Rolled 6 + 1 (1d10 + 1)

>>1309196

Rolled 8 + 1 (1d10 + 1)

>>1309196
This is exactly why I don't want to RNG this

Rolled 5 + 1 (1d10 + 1)

>>1309196

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>>1309203
Thank god this doesn't count.

Rolled 5 + 1 (1d10 + 1)

>>1309196
FOR BUSHIDO

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You watch Akane closely as she's talking. Over the years you've beaten up a lot of people for information, and you've learned some things about what to look at to tell if someone's speaking the truth.

The fox girl is clever. Good at manipulating. She's in a bad situation, but still in control of herself. She knows how to look shocked to act innocent, how to pout seductively to distract, how to release a single tear to gain sympathy. But she thinks she's dealing with somebody dumb, not just somebody who looks dumb. You think you have a pretty solid read on her.

While thinking about what she's said, you look through the things in the satchel she was carrying. The bombs were all disposed of. That leaves a small wallet with no cash; some makeup stuff; a business card for some lawyer, with a phone number in pen on the back; and some kind of ID badge with her face on it for "Hart Medical."

She's telling the truth about Kojiro, at least as she sees it. He was sent here by the bosses back in Japan to straighten things up only a few weeks ago. He didn't actually make any of these deals, or have anything to do with the Z trade.

As you understand it, when you killed the actual head of the Heat City Yakuza, Catherine's dad, that put Kojiro in charge. Partly due to being sent by the bosses in Japan, partly by virtue of him and his "monsters" being the biggest ass-kickers in the room. So whether he likes it or not, he's now involved in the deal.

Even if he's not responsible for that, it doesn't matter. After what his goons did to Ryuji and Catherine, he's on your shit list. Big time.

You noticed one thing she avoided -- not lying so much as neatly sidestepped. She mentioned weaknesses you could exploit in the Triads and dock gangs, but nothing about the Yakuza. If you pressed her on it, maybe you could get her to admit a vulnerability.

All this you're pretty sure about. Something you don't know about, though, is this last part about some kind of mysterious puppet master. Akane admitted that Kojiro had phone calls he didn't want to discuss, but claimed not to know anything about it.
About the Yakuza's weaknesses:
>Demand answers. (Intimidating)
>Try to be charming. (Persuasive)
>Bluntly state the facts. (Pragmatic)
>Forget it. (Save it for another time)

About the phone calls:
>I believe you don't know anything else.
>I can't prove it, but I don't believe you.
>You're lying, and I can prove it. (Say how.)

>>1309430
>>Bluntly state the facts. (Pragmatic)
>I can't prove it, but I don't believe you.
Easiest way for this to just... go away is to tell me the truth. (Hit her again.)

>>1309430
>Bluntly state the facts. (Pragmatic)
>You're lying, and I can prove it. (Say how.)
Hart Medical

>>1309430
>>Bluntly state the facts. (Pragmatic)
>You're lying, and I can prove it. (Say how.)
hart medical

>>1309430
>Bluntly state the facts. (Pragmatic)

>You're lying, and I can prove it. (Say how.)
You are directly involved with Hart Medical. And something tells me it's more than just a cover. Spill.

>>1309436
>>1309451
>>1309459
>>1309463

>Bluntly state the facts. (Pragmatic)
>You're lying, and I can prove it. (Hart Medical badge)

Writing.

>>1309430
>Pragmatic + Intimidating

She's a warrior... and she's breaking this easily from being hit with oranges? I mean hard, sure, but still.

Point out Hart Medical, all the facts. Show what doesn't line up. Pick up the cleaver.

you think we can turn her if we can show her that Kojiro doesn't give 2 fucks about her

>>1309472

She's not, though. The rest of the monsters are warriors. She's a chemist, a performer, and a manipulative flirt. Confronted straight-on like this, she's out of her element, and isn't stupid enough to try and endure a full-on torture session -- she's trying to skate through on half-truths.

>>1309476

You'd have to show her, first, and some people refuse to see that about their partners.

>>1309487
>You'd have to show her, first, and some people refuse to see that about their partners.

so a phone call trying to get her release and him telling us to fuck off would that work

>>1309430
>>1309468

"All right, girl. I believe some of what you're saying, but I think you're leaving out a few critical details. Like a vulnerability I can exploit for the Yakuza. And don't try to say there is none."

You stand up and take hold of the cleaver's handle, but don't wrench it out of the table just yet. "Let's be practical about this. You won't get out of this room until one of three things happen. One, you get past me. We both know how likely that is. Two, you tell me something I can use.

"Or three, I start cutting on you. Maybe I'll bring out the sock again, because I think it's funny to beat up someone with oranges in a sock. But I'll probably just use my girl the cleaver here. And eventually, after you're a lot less pretty and have fewer fingers to make bombs with, you tell me something I can use anyway."

You wrap your fingers again around the cleaver's handle, taking a tighter grip. "I think you're a smart girl, and you'll pick option 2. But I kind of hope that I'm wrong."

Akane stays silent for a few moments. Her eyes flicker around the room, trying to spot something she hasn't taken advantage of yet. Then she sighs in defeat. "The Yakuza's weakness ... we are few in numbers. Rather than confront directly, we use stealth and subterfuge. When force is required, we rely on the street racer thugs to supplement our warriors, and with our political connections, use the law as a shield. If those two supporting elements were to collapse, Kojiro would not have the strength to defend himself against the Russians."

"So you are a smart girl," you say. "Let's see just how smart you are."

You place the ID badge from Hart Medical on the table next to you, so Akane can see it. "Got an explanation for this? You say you don't know anything about the Z trade, or this mysterious boss, but you've got a cover identity for a medical research facility? Maybe it's not even a cover. Maybe you really work there. You're a chemist, right? Ken tells me you make those bombs yourself."

"It's just to get inside the doors," she says.

You wrench the cleaver free of the table. "Better come clean with me fast, girl. What are you really up to at Hart Medical? Are you in cahoots with this criminal mastermind?"

"It's true!" she insists. "I've got nothing to do with the place! I have meetings on Kojiro's behalf with some asshole in a suit. Bill Parkins. I give him a suitcase, he gives me another, we both walk away. I don't have any idea what that has to do with this "mastermind" you're talking about."

You think she's telling the truth. If there's a connection between this Hart Medical and the greater conspiracy, you're not sure what it is, and she doesn't know either.

This might be all you're going to get out of her for now.

>Let her go.
>Hold onto her.
>Try to ransom her to Kojiro.
>Kill her.
>One more thing ... (Say what)

>>1309532
>One more thing ... (Say what)
what in the suitcases
>>Try to ransom her to Kojiro.

>>1309532
>>Hold onto her.
Let Ken know. He's sweet on her, but we can't be stupid, now.

>>1309532
>Let Ken handle her
>One more thing ... I'm going easy on you because Ken asked me to. He thinks you're worth saving. For his and your sake, don't prove him wrong, please.

>>1309541
Switching to this.

>>1309541
Seconding.

>>1309541
This. Ken's problem until she becomes our problem again.

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>>1309541
>>1309550
>>1309558

Writing.

>>1309565
I might be half inclined to forgive her, honestly. We're mostly pissed because she was involved with what they did to Ryuji. Now that she's given us intel, she's redeemable.

>>1309532
>>1309565

"All right," you say. "I believe you. That's all, for now."

Akane eyes you warily. "What are you going to do with me?"

"I'm going to let Ken deal with it. You're his problem, until you become my problem again. One more thing," you add, pointing the cleaver straight at her. "I'm going easy on you because Ken asked me to. He thinks you're worth saving. For his sake, and yours, prove him right."

You lower the cleaver, then take a few steps away from her. You still get the feeling of a coiled threat from her. You wonder what might've happened if you gave her an answer she didn't like. You avoid turning your back on her as you open the door and let yourself out.

"How did it go?" asks Ken.

"Pretty good, I think," you say. "You were right. I hit her once, pretty good, right at the start, and that was enough. Smart of her, if you ask me. Everyone talks eventually, even tough guys, and she isn't tough. Might as well skip to the part where you spill the beans, and on the off-chance you get to live, you still have all your fingers and teeth. That's what I say.

"Anyway, I got some information. She tried to leave out some stuff, but no outright lies. I'm not sure how we can use the info just yet, but we can come up with something."

"I'm grateful," says Ken, looking at the door. "I still think she has a chance to become something more than Kojiro's puppet."

"Are you sweet on her?" you ask.

He shrugs. "Once, perhaps. Now I simply see a misguided girl."

"I'd like you to hang onto her," you say. "Seems fair you take responsibility. You brought her into this, after all. I kind of see why you did it, now. We can't just let her go, but I don't want to kill her, either." You were mad at her because of what her friends did to Ryuji, but now that she's given up information, maybe you're square.

"I will," he says. "For now, while we're taking advantage of your hospitality, I'll keep her in here."

"Sounds good," you say. "I'm going to get another beer. Interrogation is thirsty work."

You head off to the kitchen, thinking about Akane. A strange mixture of pride and fear, sexuality and innocence, strength and vulnerability.

Another type of man might've taken advantage of the opportunity of being in a room with a helpless, beautiful woman. You think about her pale skin; her legs; the way her body shifted under her clothes, held fast by the ropes. Sometimes you wish you were that other type of man.

Well, who knows? Maybe your chivalry will impress her and she'll come to you of her own free will. You imagine trying to explain the story of how you met to your children. "When your mother and I met, she was tied up in my spare room, and I was squeezing her for intel about a ruthless killer and his shadowy puppet master ..."

(Continued)

>>1309630

You crack open a beer and take a long drink. Yeesh. You thought you might get a chance to relax after rescuing Catherine, but you've already had to deal with a suspicious detective and a sexy Yakuza captive, and it's not even mid-afternoon.

>Go to your Crime Board, add the new information, try to figure this out.
>Get someone's advice. (Say who.)
>Call everyone together for a War Council.
>Fuck all this. Get drunk.

>>1309637
>Go to your Crime Board, add the new information, try to figure this out.
>Call Zero and tell him to do a little digging on our detective friend.

>>1309637
>Crime Board
and then
>>Fuck all this. Get drunk.
Stress is just as bad an injury. Even worse, it injures your mind. You think Sarge said that, or was it Frank?

>>1309638
>and also Bill Parkins. Dig up any dirt on Bill too.

>>1309637
>Go to your Crime Board, add the new information, try to figure this out.
>Get someone's advice. (Nick)
Who knows what he could add, I just kinda want some time with him. Feel like we've been neglecting him.

>>1309638
>>1309639
>>1309652

>Go to the crime board

>>1309638
>>1309644

>Call Zero, ask him to dig into Detective Martin and Bill Parkins

>>1309652

You might get an opportunity to talk to Nick quite soon, actually.

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>>1309637
>>1309653


You'll get drunk soon. Stress is an injury for the mind, someone back in 'Nam used to say. Sarge? That doesn't sound like Sarge. He would've shouted something like, "You pansy-ass faggots need to pull up your big girl panties!"

No, that line about stress was Lieutenant Shepard. He was always worried about the state of the men in his platoon, both physical and mental. You remember him walking among the troops, talking to them individually, asking about their problems, showing he remembered who they were as people. He was a good man, even if it cost him by the end.

Before you settle in for the day with some beer and weed, you'll take care of things. You head to the room where you keep the crime board, a phone, and the physical evidence you've stored up. Maybe you should start calling it the Crime Room, or the Mystery Room.

You look at the whiteboard where you've got all this stuff listed. You cross out "Political connect" under Yakuza -- Councilman Johnson got his foot blown off by a certain retired Yakuza on the rampage, and will be surrounded by guards at the hospital. Won't be following up on that lead any time soon.

You erase "New leader + pals" beside it, and write "Monsters." Already dealt with a good number of these. You stabbed the scythe weasel in the face on the neon-soaked streets; Ken killed the demon in the Yakuza's dojo; and you've got the kitsune tied up in the other room now. You should probably ask Ken how many more of these bastards there are.

You add "Hart Medical - Bill Parkins" and connect it to the Yakuza.

Should you draw a line between Horizon Biotech and Hart Medical? Horizon is a huge, wealthy corporation known to have stakes in smaller medical research companies, and they're suspected of being involved in the Z trade. Maybe Hart Medical is some kind of front. Or maybe they're not. You don't actually know anything about the company. They could be totally legitimate, doing their best to help sick people, and Bill Parkins is just some asshole skimming cash to pay the Yakuza for his expensive hooker habit.

>Add the connection between Horizon and Hart.
>Add something else.
>Wait until Zero can get you more information.

>>1309689
>>Add the connection between Horizon and Hart.

>>1309689
>>Add the connection between Horizon and Hart.

>Git beer

>>1309689
>Wait until Zero can get you more information.

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>>1309689

You redraw the top right of your chart to put a connection between Horizon Biotech and Hart Medical. You don't know for sure that there's a link, but it seems too much of a coincidence to ignore.

You take a moment to ponder the revised crime board. Nothing springs out at you. No revelations or epiphanies. Angels do not descend from on high to present you with the answer to all the mysteries.

Fuck it. Time to get drunk.

You finish your second beer of the day on the way to the kitchen, get a third from the fridge, and plop down in your living room by the phone. You take a long drink, then dial Zero's number.

"What can I do for my thuggish friend today?" he asks.

"Any progress on the Black Spear investigation?" you ask.

"None, I'm afraid. I still need Ryuji's help to sneak into the police station. I hear he's been ... indisposed?"

"Yeah, we had a pretty brutal day there. Me and Ken got fucked up pretty bad. Ryuji's all right. Lost an eye, though."

"An eye? Damn. That's bogus, man."

"It sucks, yeah, but he seems to be in good spirits. Happy to be alive." He actually thanked you for abandoning him, for fuck's sake. Going to be carrying guilt about that one for a while, probably, even if you did stop Catherine's kidnapping because of it. "Anyway, I've got something else for you to look into."

"If it's online, I'll find it," he says.

"I still don't get what you mean by "online,"" you say. "As far as I know you're literally a wizard. But you seem pretty good at tracking down information about people, so that's what I'm after. Two guys. One is a "Bill Parkins" who works at a place called Hart Medical. Find out anything you can about him and the company he works for. I'm specifically looking for connections to Horizon Biotech, but I'll take anything shady or suspicious."

"Parkins ... Hart ... Medical ... Horizon," Zero repeats, clearly writing it down. "Who's the other guy?"

"A detective with HCPD," you say. "Name of Martin. Doesn't seem like Homicide. I'm guessing Vice. He came by here today, snooping around. Might be with Black Spear, or he might have some other weird agenda. Either way, I want anything you can find on him."

"Detective Martin," he says. "Got it. How are you, Johnny? Things okay? I know you go too hard in the paint if you don't watch it. Make sure you take care of yourself."

You say,
>Pretty good, all things considered.
>I've been better, but I'll live.
>Life is fucked.

And add,
>How are things with you, Zero?
>What's your girlfriend up to?
>What do you think about all this conspiracy shit?
>I'll talk to you later.

>>1309762
>>I've been better, but I'll live.
>What's your girlfriend up to?

>>1309762
>Pretty good, all things considered.

>How are things with you, Zero?
>What's your girlfriend up to?

>>1309762
>I've been better, but I'll live.
>How are things with you, Zero?
>What's your girlfriend up to?

>>1309762
>>Life is fucked.
>How are things with you, Zero?
>What's your girlfriend up to?

>>1309765
>>1309781
>>1309793

>I've been better, but I'll live.
>How are things with you, Zero?
>What's your girlfriend up to?

Writing.

>>1309762
> Life is fucked
>What's your girlfriend up to?

>>1309762
>>1309797

"I've been better, but I'll live," you sigh. "Got shot another, like, five or six times."

"Jesus, Johnny," says Alex. "Are you Wolverine? Do you have a mutant regenerative healing factor?"

"I have no idea what you just said, but sure," you say. "How are things with you, Zero? Still living with your girlfriend?"

"S-she's not my girlfriend, okay? She's my rival!"

"Right, whatever you say, dude."

"And in answer to your question, no. I'm putting my heist funds to use and am now renting a small apartment."

"Good to hear. What's your "rival" up to?"

"Having a tough time of it, to be honest. She fell behind in her work for the DoD trying to help me out with everything going on."

"Maybe you could help her out with her stuff?" you suggest.

"I'm doing that, a little bit, but a lot of it is sensitive work that she can't afford to have my fingerprints on. She's got to write it herself, so I'm going to have to let her do her own thing for a while."

"How do you feel about her working for Uncle Sam?" you ask.

"I think "conflicted" sums up my combination of sympathy and intense rage," he says.

"Fair enough." You shake your head, thinking about Zero's weird relationship with Burn, and the parallels with your own problems with women. "The women in our lives really stress us out, huh?"

"You said it," he says. "Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em."

"Although," you say, an thought occuring to you. "We can, for a little while at least, avoid them. Why don't we have a bro night? You, me, Nick, Ken and Ryuji. Ditch the women for a night. Drink some beers, grill some burgers, watch some football. The whole package."

"I don't know about ... sports," Zero says, pronouncing the word distastefully. "But I approve of a male-only social gathering."

"Great. Ken and Ryuji are living here for now, so I guess I'll talk to Nick and get back to you. Gotta ask him if he's found anything out about the Russians anyway."

"Just tell me where and when."

(Continued)

>>1309842

You finish the call, hang up, and take another drink of your beer. You'll call Nick a little later. Right now you have the urgent business of getting plastered.

You wonder about the wisdom of spending time on social events like a "bro night" when you're still neck-deep in the shit. How many people in this city, if they knew where you were right now, would love to kill you right this second? The only thing keeping you safe right now is the fact that they don't know you own this house. And if Detective Martin showing up here this morning is any indication, that won't last forever.

Fuck, 'em, you think. Cops, Russians, Triads, Yakuza. Fuck 'em all. You don't give a shit. You're Johnny the fucking thug, and if you want to hold a bro night, then that's what you're going to fucking do.

You head to the fridge and look inside. "Girls!" you shout. "I need you to go buy more beer!"

Soundtrack: Styx - Renegade
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXhuso4OTG4#t=0m41s

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>>1309856

That's all for this weekend's edition of Thug Quest. Thanks for playing, and remember to Stay Rad.

Next time on Thug Quest: Bro Night!

>>1309859
I have one thing to say about this thread

MY DICK

IS

D I A M O N D S

>>1309859
YEAAAAAAH BOI, Thanks for running boss!

>>1309859
Aiiight boi-eeeeee!