And so, your first week at what could be best described as a military base without the military has passed you by. From a purely practical standpoint, it hasn’t been so hard: waking up early to for physical training has always been your standard routine, with the stuntmen courses and all that; firearm drills were surprisingly fun, and as a result you can shoot a handgun reasonably straight now; the odd lessons about Asgard forces and modus operandi disquieted you enough to stave off boredom.

Your morale, on the other hand, is firmly in the gutter.

You miss your old life, your home, your friends and family, even that fat asshole cat of yours, Fish. Your thoughts regularly circle back to the little furball; you woke up in tears on the second night after dreaming of him. It certainly didn’t help with your lack of sleep: Amy wasn’t kidding when she told you about the snoring.

At least this morning, dawn of the eighth day, you got out of bed fairly rested. You may yet be starting to get used to your situation. You make a mental checklist of your activities: for now, breakfast and then training. After lunch awaits the ‘specific training’ which you signed up for… (Choose one.)
>You got some Close-Quarters Combat lessons this week. You did well, but still don’t understand why the others avoid it, though…

>Shooting was enjoyable enough that you decided to train with some more advanced firearms. You discovered yourself a decent shot, at least in semi-auto. They even let you try out a couple of dummy grenades.

>Biting the bullet and the keyboard, you threw yourself at extracting intel from proprietary Asgard data system. You still have a looooong way to go.

>Marcus set up a sort of last-minute ‘recon course’. For now, it’s been a lot of talking and taking notes, but somewhere down the line you’re supposed to go out and scout some places before the big operation that’s coming up.

After a sigh, your mind flies straight to the free time period. There is not much to do in the underground base, so you have occupied these afternoons by…

>You tried to spend time with some of the people you’ve already met (Choose one between: Amy, the girl who has been your guide here at base; Jules, the fast-talking dude that drove the getaway van during your escape from the megacorp; Vic, the only other Blacktype in here)

>You did independent training. (Same as previous choice, bigger bonus)

>>5290389
>You got some Close-Quarters Combat lessons this week. You did well, but still don’t understand why the others avoid it, though…
I can break the president in two, with my bare hands!
>You tried to spend time with some of the people you’ve already met
>Vic the other Black Type.
Try and figure out what's their take on things. The Corp. The rebels. Their situation.

>>5290667
Ditto, working on Power and/or Shotguns Sunday like a lot of fun

> Marcus set up a sort of last-minute ‘recon course’. For now, it’s been a lot of talking and taking notes, but somewhere down the line you’re supposed to go out and scout some places before the big operation that’s coming up.

We're already a God among men with CQC, so I'd rather prepare for the big op.

>You tried to spend time with some of the people you’ve already met
>Vic the other Black Type.

I like blondes.

>>5290389
>Shooting was enjoyable enough that you decided to train with some more advanced firearms. You discovered yourself a decent shot, at least in semi-auto. They even let you try out a couple of dummy grenades.
>You did independent training. (Same as previous choice, bigger bonus)

You ended up choosing CQC. You were shown how to service and use weapons such as handguns, SMGs and shotguns; Jules did most of that, since he is the one in charge of the armory. Following him was not the easiest thing due to his light-speed talking and impatience, but at least you now know how to clear a jam without shooting yourself in the foot.

Your teacher in the art of fucking shit up was Vic – or rather Victoria, as she prefers to be called. She lets Amy shorten her name because, in her own words, “it’s useless to convince the girl once she’s dead set on something”.
She has shown you how to clear rooms and knock people on their ass without getting decked yourself. (+3 Strength)

Most importantly, Victoria has been very helpful in the exploration of your abilities: you have spent a good deal of your free time badgering her, seeing as she is the only other blacktype here. Despite her general brashness, not once did she seem annoyed or irritated by the questions. She has given pointers on which mental and physical cues to ignore and which to focus on; as a result, you can now armor up an area roughly the size of your forearm and are starting to practice with sharp edges and tendril maneuvers.
In a fit of acute homesickness you also told her about your old life, receiving a surprising amount of support: she felt much like you when first brought into the fold, lost and yearning for her home and family. She also told you that time numbs the sadness, ending the chat with a gentle pat on your head. That whole experience left you feeling quite strange. You wouldn’t have pegged her for the motherly type.

“Oof, go easy kid. Save the good ones for Asgard.” She says after blocking your punch with an arm. That strike could have probably fractured a normal bone, but against her it will probably only leave a good bruise.

Her extraordinarily long hair is tied up to a sensible length by little black strings attached directly to her neck: compared to you her control over her substance is much finer, but the material itself is softer and more elastic, unsuitable for armor or blades. It’s much more useful for restraining opponents or as a kind of probe; unlike you, Victoria seems to be able to feel touch, vibrations and even sound through her tendrils.
Abilities aside, her fighting skill are definitely better than yours. She spent years practicing the real deal instead of training for movie sets and performances, and she looks the part: she’s almost as tall as you and with an obviously muscled build, although not overly so and certainly not enough to overshadow her rather shapely upper body. She may be in her late thirties, as her face has still a certain youthfulness, with two green irises radiating cheerfulness and a relaxed smile under her rosy cheeks.

You raise your guard to intercept a left hook, but the feint succeeds in leaving you wide open for the response kick in the shin. You briefly lose balance. (roll Dexterity)

Rolled 81 + 15 (1d100 + 15)

>>5292503
Big money big money no whammies stop!

Rolled 79 + 15 (1d100 + 15)

>>5292503
copying that modifier even though I don't know if it's right

>>5292755
It's supposed to be a - but it changed it to a plus for me.

Rolled 7 - 15 (1d100 - 15)

>>5292503

>>5292806
Whelp, here hopes that critfails don't super count

>>5292963
Check the OP. Low roll is good.

>>5292963
They do super-count, but as >>5293075 says low is better. Only 100 count as critfails and only 1 count as good crits.

Also your stat gets added to the number you have to roll under, not the roll itself. Example: in this situation you had to roll under 40. An higher DEX modifies that to a 55, making things a bit easier. (Adding DEX to the dice roll itself would have done the opposite)

Rolled 48 (1d100)

>>5293082
>>5293075
Oh neat, that's quite nice

>>5292730
>>5292755
>>5292963
You shift your weight backwards to avoid falling face first to the floor, moving your torso sideways to avoid Victoria’s grab from connecting; in one flowing motion you grab her arm and twist it against her back. Before you can reach for the other arm to immobilize her, an elbow sinks into your stomach, forcing you to release the woman. She turns around and takes two steps back, hissing through her teeth. (+2 Agility)

“Agh. That fucking hurt, bastard.” She massages her arm: maybe you did a little too well. “Alright, let’s take five.” She goes to sit on the bench near the door, and you do likewise.

There are always few people training at the gym in the afternoon, and today is no exception – apart from you two, there’s only another pair sparring. You do not yet know everybody’s name, but you are definitely starting to recognize faces.

You sit next to Victoria and take a sip out of the water bottle you had left there beforehand. She is still rubbing her arm, showing the small tattoo etched on the back of her hand: it represents either a sword, a dagger or a similarly edged weapon; you can’t really make out the details without a closer look.
She releases her hair from its bonds, and they inordinately fall down around her. You suddenly feel a small burning pain across your cheek, like it was struck by a stretched elastic band, and you realize that a tiny black tentacle ‘playfully’ lashed you in the face faster than your eye could follow.

“Was that for the arm or for your pride?” You ask while holding a thumb to your cheek.

She shoots you a sidelong glance, but you notice a smile spreading on her lips. “Both. Smartass.”

As you think of a quip to respond with, the door opens, letting in the last person you expected to see: Gennadiy, in all his monumental bulk.

You hear Victoria distinctly mutter “Oh shit.” Under her breath. The two men in the middle exchange a look, then nonchalantly go for the exit. The giant easily intercepts them, literally hooking them around the waist with his massive arms.

“What, you want to leave right as little old me comes up to teach something? It’s not often that I have the time to play, you know!” He exclaims with a laugh, dragging them back to the center of the gym. “But don’t worry. We do have a greenhorn now, and it’s my duty to instruct him directly.” Gennadiy looks straight at you, beckoning with a finger.

This might be why everybody avoids CQC training.

“You’re telling me I have to spar with you?”

“Uh? Oh no, no!” He laughs again. “That would be cruel. I’m only here to show you Asgard Security anti-mutant hand to hand techniques, and how to counter them. Just do what I tell you.”

Victoria places one hand on your shoulder. “It’ll leave you a bit… sore by the end of it.”

>Accept the “lesson”.

>Insist on a spar instead.

>Refuse and ask someone else to volunteer.

>Other.

>>5296293
>Accept the “lesson”.

>>5296293
>Accept the “lesson”.

aaaiieeee Gennadiy sama i kneel

>>5296293
>Accept the “lesson”.
Let's show Vic how cool we are by getting our asses kicked.

>Accept the “lesson”.

Spank me, daddy

File: Small vs Big.jpg (8 KB, 256x256)

8 KB JPG

>>5296912
>>5296667
>>5296444
>>5296376
It’s your time to bravely shine! You face down the mountain of muscle, currently smiling like he’s about to have the time of his life.

“Good, good. Stand there, right there. That’s right. Now, in a situation like this, an ADSec operative would…”

What follows is a long and painful demonstration on the various techniques Asgard uses when forced in hand-to-hand combat with mutants. The actual moves vary, but the goal is always the same: overcoming the power disadvantage by knocking the mutie to the ground to either gain some distance or plant a bullet in their head. Too bad that hitting the floor almost a hundred times in the span of thirty minutes is not your definition of fun. (Now you know how to better counter Asgard personnel in CQC.)

“…and that should be it. That’s what you can expect from normal operatives or even Einherjars. Now, what do you do when facing Fenrirs?”

Those terms were hammered into you in the course of a week. The Einherjar Division is the security unit tasked with guarding mutant containment facilities: as such, they receive special training and better equipment to combat mutants.
Fenrir Division is another matter altogether: you can sum up everything you know about it with “drop everything and run”. Fenrir operatives are literal corp-made supersoldiers with biological and cybernetic augmentations; their creation actually predates the appearance of mutants by a few years, but they were deemed perfect as anti-mutant and are brutally effective in the role. You were told that Gennadiy and Zinaida are two ex-Fenrirs that defected quite a bit of time ago.

“You haul ass out of there.” Victoria helpfully responds while you pick yourself up from the floor.

“Well, yes, retreat would be the optimal course of action.” The giant snaps his fingers and points at her. “But what if you can’t do that?”

“Ambush with guns? Snipers?”

“First try explosives, then that. Unload maximum volume of fire in the shortest amount of time and hope you get all of them before having to reload. If close quarters are unavoidable, flip the Asgard manual on them and knock them over; finally, when everything has gone horribly wrong and you find yourselves up close and personal, the only thing you can do is lash out with the worst of your abilities. In such a situation you’re probably as good as dead, especially if you’re a type two, but you never know when luck might be on your side.”

“Thanks for the suggestions, chief.” You stretch, shaking off the dust from your clothes and the pain from your bones. “Can we go now? It’s well past training time.”

“You two…” he says while looking at the other two people in the room, “…may go. Victoria and Gabriel, stay. I have news.”

You look at the tall woman behind you with a puzzled look, and she replies by shooting her eyebrows upwards and shrugging. She stands up from the bench and walks over to you and Gennadiy.

“Expect a mission briefing tomorrow. I won’t share exact details now, but the operation will involve two teams. You two have been selected for the ‘loud’ team.”

Your ears start ringing and you feel dizzy at his words, but you manage to suppress the panic attack until the wave passes. You’re fine. You will be fine.

“We’re going in hot? I can respect that.” Victoria cracks her knuckles in anticipation.
“That’s right, and it’s going be our largest op in quite some time. We’re even bringing in people from other cells for this one.” He squats down to look into your eyes. “This is your big chance, Gabriel. After this, you’ll officially be one of the gang.”

Victoria gives you a little slap on the back of the head. “Don’t worry, I’ll look out for the rookie. Besides, he will surely hold his own after all he’s gone through in the past hours or so.”

Gennadiy gives a hearty laugh. “He’s a tough young man, I could see that.”

After exchanging a couple more jokes, Gennadiy takes his leave. Victoria does the same, but she does remind you that you can catch dinner together if you come by the mess hall after she’s done showering.

You’re too sore for extra training – so for tonight, you will…

>Eat dinner in the mess with Victoria.

>Look for Jules/Amy, see if they got the news too.

>Try to catch up with Gennadiy and squeeze some more information on the mission out of him.

>Other.

>>5297608
>Eat dinner in the mess with Victoria.
The closer we get the more reluctant she'll be to let us die

>>5297608
>Eat dinner in the mess with Victoria.
Understand yourself and your enemy and you need not fear 100 battles.
Ourself includes those we fight alongside.
Also are we getting a cqc kit? Definitely want a shotgun and PDW.

>Eat dinner in the mess with Victoria.

Still like blondes

>>5298046
>>5297928
>>5297684
You take a quick shower to wash off the afternoon sweat, then go straight to the mess hall to grab dinner.

True to her word, Victoria is sitting at one of the tables. You grab a tray, some food and make your way to her, weaving, dodging and greeting people in the rather cramped and cluttered space, sitting down next to her.

“Hello there.” She says, unflinchingly focused on her dinner.

“Hi. Enjoying the daily cardboard?” The food’s taste - and lack thereof - has become the butt of your mealtime jokes.

“You bet. I swear if they don’t source some better ingredients, I’m gonna start grocery shopping while on mission.” She flicks back a lock of hair dangling in front of her face, then turns to look at you. “So? How are you feeling about the upcoming job?”

You feel your chest tighten a bit. “How should I know? We weren’t told anything, really.”

“Well, we know it’ll be loud and it’ll be big.” She shoves a piece of synthetic chicken breast in her mouth. “Thash enuff to get da idea”.

“…To be honest, I’m mildly terrified.” You decide to be honest, but Victoria raises an eyebrow in your direction, her cheeks still puffed up with a mouthful of pseudo-chicken.

“Fine, without the mildly. It’s my first time doing any of this, and I’ve had scarcely a week to prepare.”

“Hey, if it’s any consolation, the first time ain’t the worst. That would be the second.”

“And why is that?” You ask with some exasperation. You just know she’s setting up some kind of joke.

“First job, you can’t tell what the fuck is going on most of the time. You’re going to be acting on adrenaline. By the second time, you’ll have the clarity to actually start worrying.”

“Ah.” That was not what you were expecting. “Then I hope that truck I came here on doesn’t count as the ‘first time’.”

“Hmm, maybe it does. You’re soon going to get over it, either way.”

“Thanks Victoria, really helpful.” You lay on the sarcasm, but she laughs it off with that deep laugh of hers.

“Kid, don’t worry, I’ll watch your back. You’ll be fine.”

You sigh. “…Thanks.”

That was more heartfelt.

>Ask about her first mission.

>Ask about her life prior to this.

>Ask about her life in here.

>Other.

>>5299234
>Ask about her first mission.
If it turns out to be a sore subject transition to
>Ask about her life in here.

>>5299234
>Ask about her first mission.
what she can remember of it out of the haze of adrenaline

>Ask about her first mission.

You swallow down the first bite of insipid gruel; you could describe it as pure apathy. To give the dinner some spice, you point your fork at Victoria and ask: “What about you? How was your first job like?”

“Asking a lady about her first time, how awfully bold.” Her gaze drifts towards the ceiling with a chuckle. She starts speaking, her voice lower and softer than the usual. “It was in 2075. Back then missions weren’t part of the norm: if you had to butt heads with the ‘corp it meant that something got royally fucked and it was our job to salvage the situation.”

She turns her whole body to face you. “To make a long story short, Asgard located the safehouse where our head honcho, doctor Richardson, was hiding at the time. Never knew him personally, but I hear he was a good man. In any case, the corps smoked him and the whole shelter was evacuated. Survivors contacted the rest of us via the emergency lines, so we rode our white horses to the rescue. Almost all of Exodus was involved, I guess that’s still our biggest op to date.”

“Exodus?” You interrupt.

“Yeah, that’s technically our name, but only the old timers use it now. Richardson thought of it, but most stopped calling themselves that after he got killed.”

“So how did it go?”

“I was stuffed in a truck with three other ‘colleagues’, and we drove to this little town where a small group of survivors managed to hide in after evading the corps. I had been with Exodus for a few months already, but I was scared out of my mind the whole ride.”
She twists her lips in a frown for a moment, her face going somber. “Too bad they got there after a minute. We started shooting, one of us fell immediately. In the end we forced ADSec to retreat and extracted the survivors.” She touches her abdomen an inch above the navel. “Got two bullets in the stomach for the trouble. They said I would have died if not for my hyperactive regeneration; one other of my friends wasn’t so lucky. He was type two and bled out in the truck. Nothing we could do.”

A heavy silence falls between the two of you. You think of changing the subject, but Victoria abruptly decides to continue. “When I saw the corps rolling up to us I froze, couldn’t move a muscle until after the first of us died. Then autopilot took over and the rest is all a blur, only thing I remember clearly is gunning down two people. Using my powers never crossed my mind, and I didn’t even feel the pain from getting shot until we were hightailing it outta there.” She clutches her stomach with one hand.

You are unsure on what to say, so you settle for: “Not the happiest memory, then. Sorry for bringing that up.”

“Don’t apologize. It was a long time ago, and it could have gone much worse.” She lights up, resting her arm around your shoulder and pulling you to her. “Don’t you worry, kid. We’ll show Asgard who’s in charge around here.” Her toothy smile is rather vicious up close, even if playfully so.
>Respond confidently.

>Respond pessimistically.

>Other.

>>5301288
> Respond thoughtfully
> Ask what we should expect to be up against at the actual op site, what the enemy strong and weak defense points will be, and try to figure out how to best cover eachother in the field.
> If she ask say hearing her story made us realize how serious this shit is.

>>5301288
>Respond pessimistically.

>>5301296
+1

>>5301288
>Respond confidently.

>>5301296
oh man if we actually get that kind of info it would be pog

>>5301805
>>5301667
>>5301531
>>5301296
“Thanks. It’s really reassuring to have someone experienced at my side.”

Her already considerable chest puffs with pride. “They’ll get their ass kicked, you better believe it!” She shouts, rocking you back and forth with her arm. A few heads turn toward you, someone even laughs.

“A-any idea of w-what we s-should expect out t-there?” You stutter your way through the shaking. At the question Victoria releases you, taken aback.

“Uhm. I mean, we weren’t told where are they gonna send us… but realistically, it’s either this one city on the coast or, if our big guys decided to jump the gun, a research center up north. If it’s the latter, we’ll encounter a whole lotta Eins, if it’s-“

“’Eins’?” You ask, confused,

“Einherjars, fuck Asgard and their Norse obsession.” She clarifies. “If it’s the former, only your run-of-the-mill ADSec, but civilians and police could possibly make our life very difficult. Collateral damage is the last thing we want right now.”

“Any suggestions on dealing with them? How do we work with each other?”

“With our abilities, we have the advantage in close quarters. When engaging, it’s better to storm them before they can get to good firing positions. As for the teamwork, it’s a bit early to say without knowing our full composition. In general, let me take point and cover my sides and back for this one.” The woman thoughtfully scratches her nose. The movement of her fingers makes you notice a light cluster of freckles dotting her cheeks and nasal bridge. “Other than that, I’d say wait for tomorrow’s briefing.”

“Got it. Sorry, I guess your story made me realize how serious this shit is”

Victoria smiles, more warmly this time. “I can relate. We’ll make it through, you’ll see.” She stands up. “Welp, I’m gonna go check if anyone needs help setting up for the briefing tomorrow. Wanna come with?”

“Sure, why not. I got nothing better to do either way.”

You spend the rest of the evening lending a hand around base and generally making yourself useful. When you go to bed, you do so with a feeling of contentment but also restlessness for what is to come.

[Briefing post incoming.]

File: TacMap.png (116 KB, 1870x1009)

116 KB PNG

You sleep the night off without incident. After breakfast the next day, you get called to the briefing room – the same room you had your little interview in, only packed with chairs and with a holographic display mounted on the table. Marcus is already in the room and waiting; seven more people enter after you, among them Victoria and Jules, and the long-awaited briefing finally begins.

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. As you all know, this briefing marks the officialization of our next mission, designated Operation Firestarter.” He gestures: the holoscreen comes to life, displaying a map of the mission area. “This will be a joint effort between us and the Anchorage cell, which will commit a further eight men and two vehicles. The primary objective will be the infiltration of the Asgard regional office to gather intel on their main facilities in the region; the secondary objective is to recover key supplies from a container ship transporting Asgard materials, scheduled to dock at Nome Harbor three days from now: on April 4th, the target date.” A metal pointer appears in his hands, with the tip hovering above the ship’s position on the lower left section of the holomap.

“To fulfill both objectives our forces will be divided in two units, callsigns EX-1 and EX-2. EX-1 will be a three-man low-profile team, tasked with the infiltration mission…” the pointer follows the purple path labeled ‘EX-1 ROUTE’ “…while EX-2 will consist of four assault squads, each counting four people, and will go after the ship.” Marcus taps the rectangle with ‘EX-2 ROUTE’ written in it. “Everyone present in this room has been selected for participation in EX-2.”

“Now, the operation is divided in three phases” Marcus shows a closed hand, then lifts a single finger. “Once our forward observer in Nome gives confirmation that the ship has docked, Phase One will begin: EX-1 will get closer to their target by car and stop near this access road, while EX-2 will follow the path to the harbor’s causeway and set up a vehicle blockade.” He circles the bridge bracketed in red with his pointer.

“Wi’wha? Thosol’ whivans?”

“Slower, Julian.”

“With-those-old-white-vans?” The bald man exaggeratedly spells out each word, but Marcus does not seem to mind.

“In a sense. Two of them have been up-armored to shrug off small-arms fire and armed with .50 machine guns, along with other interesting upgrades. The two coming from Anchorage have a similar armor kit, but forego weapons for more cargo space. Three squads will close off the north side of the bridge, while the fourth is to advance on the feeder ship with the support of an armed van. This will serve as a diversion for EX-1; the ship is going to be lightly guarded, and the only reinforcement unit in the area is the ADSec detail currently staffing the regional office. Once EX-1 confirms that security staff has departed from the corporate building, the operation will reach Phase Two.”

“In Phase Two, EX-1 will infiltrate the office and start extracting data; EX-2 will secure the feeder and keep engaging all hostiles on the north side of the blockade. Once the ship is under control, the containers on board are to be searched for items that will be listed later in the briefing. After this process is complete, all retrieved objects will be loaded inside the vehicles and the unit will regroup at the blockade site. Here they will hold position and, if possible, clear out nearby hostiles while waiting for Phase Three.”

“Phase Three will commence on confirmed retrieval of the necessary intel by EX-1. Once this occurs, both EX units will drive back the way they came to leave Nome. At this intersection…” he points at the intersection where the routes split off, “EX-2 will pick up EX-1 and take them back to base in their vehicles. If for any reason a rendezvous is impossible, EX-1 will leave Nome via the Secondary Egress Route and return independently.” The metal tip runs along the short stretch of green on the far right.

“If there are no question, I will proceed with procedure details…”

>Ask question.

>No question. (receive a rundown of vital details and skip to equipment/squad choices)

>>5305171
>Ask question.
Do they have any info on what level of equipment the ship and building security are packing?

>>5305171
>Ask question.
>Whats our time window before Asgard's response team arrives?

>>5305330
Reconnaissance reported only unspecialized ADSec staff (aka standard corporate goons) in the city. They should have access to automatic small arms, up to and including assault rifles, but no heavier weapons or ordnance. There is no intel on the ship's security, but realistically it'll be similar to the local one if a little shifted toward very close range engagements (shotguns and submachineguns)

>>5305798
The regional office is only two miles away from the causeway; factoring in the time required to prepare and deploy a team, reinforcements should rush to the scene in twenty minutes at most. Numbers will range from fifteen to twenty men.
This should represent the entirety of the opposing force stationed in Nome; further reinforcements from outside would have to land at the airport via helicopter. Considering the unexpectedness of your blitz, such an intervention is improbable; if transport or attack choppers are spotted at any time, the operation is to skip directly to Phase 3.
Local police should not be a problem once they realize what's happening; they seem to have an agreement with the 'corp to not stick their nose in their affairs. If they insist on interfering they are to be considered hostile.

>Any more questions?

>Any more questions?

No.

On another note... The map of Nome is accurate in the sense that I see less coast, like you took into account that in year 2082 global warming will play dice with our coastal cities. Did you really find a map of Nome, calculate the sea level rise, modify with an image editor and only at the end add notes for the quest?

>>5306816
I did strip off a bit of land when doing the map. Didn't think anybody would notice that detail. Honestly I just eyeballed it, couldn't find any reliable data on sea level rise for this latitude, and I sure didn't calculate it (that would be fucking insane)

Still amazing, bro! Good job!

>>5305330 >>5306816 >>5305798

Now for equipment choices.

Weaponry:

>An SMG. Ideal for close range, and can suppress with full auto. Less effective against body armor.

>Shotgun. Very lethal up close but can’t suppress. Ineffective against armor.

>Assault rifle. All-rounder, with an edge at medium range. Can suppress and is decent against body armor.

>Something else.

Grenades (any two):

>Fragmentation grenade. They blow people up and flush out of cover.

>Flashbang. Will stun and may also lightly damage foes, excellent for clearing rooms.

>Smoke grenade. Will provide visual concealment.

Members of EX-2:

Vehicle 1 (w/ machinegun): Gabriel Harris Cole (you); Victoria Moore; Julian MacCabe; Nate Fuller.

Vehicle 2 (w/ machinegun): Florence Martin; George Carr; Latie Fisher; Nelson.

Vehicle 3&4 (w/o machinegun): eight people from the Anchorage cell.

You can talk with you team about strategies and roles, or even ask Marcus to change the roster (if you have a good reason). Otherwise, they will sort things out themselves.

Note that you know nobody in the op except for Julian and Victoria. You have no idea about who will be participating as EX-1.

Rundown of Operation Firestarter:

Phase 1: blockade the bridge to the causeway.

Phase 2: secure causeway and cargo ship, then search the containers for 1) electronic/computer equipment; 2) chemicals; 3) medical supplies and equipment. Other items are to be considered unnecessary. Load cargo in the vans, defend blockade and neutralize hostiles.

Phase 3: pick up EX-1 from rendezvous site, return to base.

>Make your choices.

> Assault rifle
> Flashbang + Frag granade

>>5312828
>Assault rifle. All-rounder, with an edge at medium range. Can suppress and is decent against body armor.
as a colorless we should have close range handled

>Flashbang. Will stun and may also lightly damage foes, excellent for clearing rooms.

>Smoke grenade. Will provide visual concealment.

>>5312828
>Assault rifle. All-rounder, with an edge at medium range. Can suppress and is decent against body armor.

>Flashbang. Will stun and may also lightly damage foes, excellent for clearing rooms.

>Smoke grenade. Will provide visual concealment.

>>5312833
>>5312975
>>5313457
Very well. Your squad composition will be:
You (AR, flashbang and smoke grenades)

Julian MacCabe (AR, smoke and frag grenades)

Nate Fuller (SMG, smoke grenades x2) will be the driver.

Victoria Moore (SMG, flashbang and frag grenades) will be the squad leader.

Next post will be already on mission. You have until then for any questions/last minute changes/character action.

>>5312833
>>5312975

Your squad mates are barely visible in the van’s dimly lit interior. To your left, Julian is fast asleep and softly snoring; he dozed off a couple hours into the journey after fiddling with his rifle for the entire time.
Victoria sits at your right, extremely busy tapping her foot on the floor while looking perfectly bored.

You cannot see the driver, Nate. The front seats are separated from the storage compartment by a small hatch, and as a result you can’t even watch the scenery go by through the windows. The only indication of movement is the slight shaking of the vehicle in motion.

Nate seemed an alright kind of guy, besides his tendency to flirt with any attractive female in his vicinity, much to Victoria’s chagrin.

You look at her, and she gives you a discreet thumbs up without even turning to look at you. She probably meant it as a reassuring gesture. Marcus’ voice suddenly plays into your earpiece, and all three of you instantly perk up.

“We have confirmation that the ship just docked at the harbor. What’s your ETA?”

Victoria knocks at the hatch once; she must have used some of her abnormal strength, as the resulting clang is deep and booming.

“How long ‘till we’re there?”

“About half an hour love, but I can take a nice scenic route if you’ve got the time.”

“Just shut up and drive, Fuller.” She sighs, then pushes down on her earpiece. “Two-Alpha here, thirty minutes to Nome. We’re going straight for that bridge.”

“Copy that, Two-Alpha. Let us know when you set up the blockade.” After that, the communication ends.

“Everybody get ready. Gabriel, go check the viewport.” Says your squad leader. You comply, going to the back of the van and reaching past the mounted machinegun to slide open the narrow viewport cut in the doors. The strip of bulletproof glass reveals the highway you are driving on, and another white van following you some distance away; you know it belongs to one of the Anchorage teams.
The rest of the landscape is a little greener than last time you were outside, and there is almost no snow left on the ground.

“All clear”

“Good. Now check your gear and sit tight.”
You double check your assault rifle and adjust your body armor: the ballistic vest you’ve been given is light, but somewhat rigid and uncomfortable due to the bullet-resistant plates sewn into it. You idly wonder if your black carapace might be of use.

>You can choose to “armor up” with your powers; bullets will do less damage, and melee attacks have a chance to harmlessly bounce off; you cannot use your powers offensively while doing so. (No tendrils, claws or blades.)

The rest of the trip to the city is uneventful. From the moment Nate lets you know you have entered Nome, it takes less you less than five minutes to reach your destination. You feel the vehicle stop and move again as your driver maneuvers around something.

[1/2]

>>5313457
“Gentlemen and lovely lady, we have arrived. Be advised that we have two onlookers on the near side of the bridge.”

“Aight, on it” Mutters Julian as he opens the side door. Victoria goes out first, then you, and the fast talker stays at the rear.

You find yourself overlooking the harbor: it’s currently hosting less than fifty vessels, all small fishing boats or passenger ferries. Beyond, you see the “city”: the word made you imagine a crowded, bustling place, but what you are seeing barely qualifies as “town” with the adjective “dreary” attached to it. The whole thing must be less than two miles across, primarily made up of little blocks small, cheap wooden buildings.

The four vans have stopped in formation at the causeway access bridge, preventing passage; at the end of the road stretching past the far end you can see a small container ship anchored at the jetty, with the cargo still onboard. The most pressing matter, however, is the small booth standing thirty feet to your right. It is occupied by two men, whose job is probably regulating traffic to this part of the harbor. The booth’s red-and-white striped boom barrier is kept lowered, a vain attempt at dissuading your group to go further.

The two strangers do not look armed nor hostile. They constantly look at your convoy as all teams deploy from their vehicles, then to each other while gesticulating. One of them pulls out what seems to be a phone or handheld radio, and starts speaking into it.

“They look like civilians. Better get them outta here...” Victoria growls, and gestures at you to come forward. “Julian, you keep an eye out from here.”

“Aye.” The man nods.

You and Victoria start walking toward the booth. The sight of two armed individuals approaching understandably puts the two men on edge, as the phone is hurriedly put away, but for some reason they react less fearfully than expected; they stay put as you come near.

“So, how do you want to play this?” Victoria asks.

>Not too aggressively: go up to the booth and tell them to go away before the water gets hot.

>No-nonsense: keep them at gunpoint and order them to get lost unless they like free bullets.

>Fast and hard: barge in, drag them out by force.

>Other.

>>5318695
>Fast and hard: barge in, drag them out by force.

>>5318695
>Fast and hard: barge in, drag them out by force.

and definitely armor up

>Not too aggressively: go up to the booth and tell them to go away before the water gets hot.

>>5318698
>>5318713
>>5319121
“Let’s just get this over with.” You respond.

You step up to the door; one port worker grabs hold of the handle, then lets go, realizing the futility of trying to turtle down in a booth with a large glass windows.

Despite their outward harmlessness, it’s better to not take any chances. You clench your teeth, inhale deeply, and command the substance filling your body to come alive. You briefly grimace at the oppressive sensation of a new layer of hard, carapace-like tissue instantaneously growing just below your skin and stretching it taut, covering the entire front side of your torso.
>You have armored up. To use offensive abilities, you’ll have to do away with the carapace.

It’s the first time you manage to do so much without dry heaving. Quite a win.

You kick the booth door, scaring the occupants away from the entrance.

“Get out.” You grunt.

“What are you-“ You don’t let him finish, grabbing the front of his jacket and tossing him outside to a waiting Victoria. The other man simply puts his hands in the air; you push him outside as he offers no resistance.
You line both of them up outside. The first guy has started shouting, demanding to know who you are and what the hell are you doing here; he gets a fist in the stomach, courtesy of your squad leader, just strong enough to shut him up.
The second worker looks like just about to piss his pants.

“I guess that works. Escort these poor bastards to the other end of the blockade, we have a perimeter to set up.”

>Do as she says and escort them safely.

>”Couldn’t we use them as hostages to get on the ship?”

>Other.

>>5319814
>”Couldn’t we use them as hostages to get on the ship?”

Mission 1 is the ideal time to ask questions that may be stupid

>>5319814
>>”Couldn’t we use them as hostages to get on the ship?”

>>5319885
+1

>>5319885
>>5319907
>>5320343
I like were this is going. Roll Charisma

Rolled 53 (1d100)

>>5320685
oof, our tied for lowest stat

Rolled 80 (1d100)

>>5320685

Rolled 38 (1d100)

You lean towards Victoria and whisper in her ear.

“Couldn’t we use them as hostages to get on the ship?”

She looks absolutely taken aback by the proposal; her green eyes stare at you with clear surprise.

“What the hell are you-“ She begins, but then stops and glances at the two men. After a moment, she gestures at Julian to come.

“Keep an eye on these two, I’ll have a word with the kid.”

Julian nods. The woman grabs you by the shoulder and drags you a short distance away.

“Alright, now tell me why I should take random people hostage, and how would that help us. Police won’t get involved in megacorp business, and Asgard sure wouldn’t mind lighting up a couple civilians to protect their interests.”

“Look, I didn’t say “keep them as meat shields”. They might just make the ship crew hesitate while we get close, or maybe they could bluff on the radio and tell security that we are company inspectors or something.”

Hearing your proposal, her face goes from unsettled and pissed to slightly impressed.

“That last one makes sense. It should at least give us time to get near the cargo; security will surely contact the office to make sure, but we are a diversion, after all. The sooner they clear the field for EX-1, the better.”

She taps her chin a few times.

“Okay then, go back in the van and tell Nate to prepare to get us on the jetty. And just to be clear, those two will not be coming with us, we will make them do this one thing and then let them go.”

You follow her order and return to the vehicle, relaying information to the driver. After a short while, your two squadmates come back as well.

[1/3]

Rolled 92 (1d100)

>>5322571
“Alright Nate, go towards the ship but not too fast. We can’t have them getting any more suspicious.” Says Victoria.

“How did it go?” You ask.

“Had ‘em radio th’ ship an’ say we a ‘corp team ‘bout to check cargo.” Responds Julian. He slaps the side of the van twice while getting in, signaling it to start moving. “Base gave th’ OK to get the ship ahead o’ time. Buckle up.”

It takes you less than a minute to stop yet again.

“We’re here, and we have company outside. Two armed individuals. They are not opening fire, seems like they’re waiting for you.”

Victoria prepares to open the side door. “Gabriel left, Julian right. I’ll try and talk to them. Nate, if things go south open up with the machinegun.”

“Anything for you, honey.”

She groans and opens the door, and you all rush outside.

The ship is actually smaller than you expected from up close, probably under a hundred meters in length. Waiting at the steps of the salt-encrusted metal stairs connecting it to the causeway are three corp goons with two SMGs and a shotgun. You notice a fourth, a short woman, keeping overwatch from the gunwhale with another submachinegun.

Your heart starts beating faster. One way or another, something is about to go down.

Their lead man raises a hand in a ‘halt’ gesture as you get close; you stop at about twenty feet from them.

“We were not expecting an armed team on arrival. What are you here for?”

“Management sent us to check on the cargo and secure the area.” Drones Victoria in a perfect imitation of corporate somewhat threating monotone. “They have just received word of possible hostile competitor activity in the region.”

>[2/3]

>>5322578
The security guy narrows his eyes. Doesn’t look like he or the others are buying it.

“We have heard nothing on the matter. Wait here while we contact the regional office to verify.”

Your lead starts to say something, but the goon cuts her off. “Also, I’d appreciate if you could show us your corporate ID.”

You are, in all probability, a short phone call away from a long hail of bullets.

Victoria is standing a few steps ahead of you, and looking at her back you notice a thin strand of black matter repeatedly crossing in the shape of an ‘X’, then form the outline of a square before disappearing again in the folds of her clothes. It’s almost assuredly some type of silent signal; you are not sure about the meaning, but given the situation it can’t be anything good. With the corner of your eye, you see Julian staring intently at her, too. He twitches strangely.

You feel like you have only a few short moments to act.

>Fire. [Select a target: 1) lead dude 2) SMG goon 3) Shotgun goon 4) Overwatch goon] (Roll Agility)

>Rush. (Same as above minus target 4, then choose whether to hit/grab/knock on the ground) (Roll Agility)

>Try to bullshit something to get on board. (Roll Charisma)

>Other.

>[3/3]

>>5322591
>>Rush. (Same as above minus target 4, then choose whether to hit/grab/knock on the ground) (Roll Agility)

Knock down the lead dude, we're tanked up so we can bullet sponge

dang, we should have asked what signals they use

>>5322591
>Rush

File: 1623962189329.gif (1.78 MB, 350x255)

1.78 MB GIF

>>5322591
>>Rush

>>5323999
nice trips

>>5323999
Nice fucking trips anon.

We're on page 9 boys, so I'll use your responses to get a new thread going on Monday. Sorry for the delay, won't be home until then.

I'll se if I can think up a good logo/opener image for the quest in the meantime.

>>5330683

New thread!