Riverside 16: Turn and face the strain

[Darkcomet]

[Power Plant Airspace]

That was hardly ambiguous to start.

The attackers belong to a Union-hostile foreign power known as the Chimera Syndicate, which made an incursion into the Nexus a while back before going quiet, right when it looked like they and the Union were going to get into a full-scale war. It seems the quiet has ended. Specifically, it's clear they work for the Syndicate sub-corporation Anomalous Solutions, known to specialize in dealing with 'Anomalies.' Which...explains the electromagnetic manipulator.

Hopefully they transmit that information quickly, because the AS forces do not seem to be satisfied with that answer. The transmission comes again, this time mass-broadcasted again.

"Bring us Altaran or be destroyed. You will be an example."

The three shuttles open fire, a torrent of heavy, rapid-fire laser blasts aimed straight for the gap in the shielding, concentrated on the same point.

"No exceptions."

[Fenric]

[Power Plant Airspace]

Real-time, as a matter of fact.

And that's about as long as a Science Vessel ever lasts for me.

It explodes with quite a satisfying little explosion.

[Earl of Purple]

Leaving Riverside

A large procession of fifty-six covered wagons blazoned with the two-tailed scorpion of Dalachrech have assembled outside the large termite mound that is the Southside Temple of Dalachrech, and are being quickly loaded with foodstuffs, water, beehives, bales of silk and other, similar things. The Reformed Dalachrechians have decided that, for the moment, staying is too risky. Not everyone is going; the elderly are staying, and a force of volunteer guards to ensure the sudden emptiness of Bugside District don't attract too many looters. Darting in the air above the wagon train are fifteen horse-sized dragonflies ridden by human-sized humanoids wearing modern combat fatigues, aluminium breastplates and morion helmets with goggles and breathing masks. Each is held in place with straps about their legs, and carry a lightweight assault rifle and a spear.

This process will take an hour, and after that the wagons and carts will be hitched to giant metallic beetles and begin their journey out of the city, the dragonfly-knights zipping about, in front and to the sides to determine the best route out of Riverside; but only if the Chimera Syndicate is willing to let such about one hundred potential hostages out of the city. Given their equipment, they probably won't pose much threat; very few of those on the ground are armed with firearms, and less are armoured.

The Third Circle

"Thank you, it would be greatly appreciated." Emily gives Tep a respectful bow and leaves. After the broadcast, she is one of ten student clerics sent with a mentor to seek converts in the countryside, leaving via an old smuggler's tunnel.

[Artemis97]

[Around the Power Plant]

The scouts of Delmah Phor send back word to their home base of the altercation between the two ships. Also the need for invisibility piercing spells is made known. Not long after a few priestesses arrive in secret, distributing magic items that heighten the senses, particularly goggles of True Seeing. Then it was back to waiting for more information to reveal itself.


Meanwhile the analysts were still researching and looking for the current whereabouts of Vyrn, or where he might be contacted.

[Murkus]

[Scae Mount]

She wakes to thunder. She wakes naked, and alone, 'neath a gently raining black sky. With a breath, she draws the shadows close. With ancient fingers she draws skin around herself, flesh, meat to hide, and with a word she binds it there. The darkness gathers cloth to her, a ragged cloak round her body.

She is Adalia again. The mountain mother walks to the edge of the Mount's highest cliff, a disheveled spectre. One more temporary hideaway. One more lost place, she thinks with a scowl.

Lightning flashes at her flank, and she flinches not a micrometer. It illuminates elfin ears, ragged, spiky hair the color of dried blood. Eyes old as the world.

She stares down into the city below, fists clenched. There's blood in the air.

Maybe this is what the mountain woke her for.

[blackouttwo]

[Scae Mount]

A nondescript black van's tires screech as the vehicle (apparently) speeds up close to a certain individual from what seems to be absolutely nowhere. Several suited men in sunglasses, looking the part of the stereotypical CIA agent, clamber out. They're carrying a large burlap sack, and what looks like iron bindings. Every single one of the agents rushes her and attempt to put the bag over her head, and the bindings on her arms and legs before frog-marching her into the vehicle and speeding off again.

As the agents accost her, one stays put inside the vehicle, very clearly sitting on a small bag of some kind.

[WarKitty]

[Scae Mount]

The bag currently seems to be swearing up a storm, using quite an inventive vocabulary. Inside is an extremely unhappy black cat.

[Murkus]

[Scae Mount]

Caesa is so startled by this she can scarcely react. The sudden presence of mortals and their things causes her spirit great distress. Which is why it takes her a moment to react as a bag gets slammed over her head.

A muffled shriek of fury accosts the agent's ears. Her arms and legs flurry out, hard as the rock beneath their feet, enough strength behind them to shatter men like twigs.

They'll only get a moment of struggling this dangerous if they can slap those manacles on quick enough. Her limbs freeze mid-strike, sharp fingers curling into painful claws. A shriek of a much more agonizing sort reaches much too easily through the sack on Caesa's head.

Painful as she is to listen to, she's weak as any human woman with those things on. Her struggles will cease after a few minutes of weakness in their vehicle.

[blackouttwo]

[Van]

"Third acquisition seized, moving onto the fourth."

The van speeds off down the mountain, the van door closing behind the latest acquisition with a slam, and no further commentary from the agents.

[Darkcomet]

[Around the Power Plant]

The drow learn more or less the same thing the science vessel did, with the same limitations. Refer to replies to Fenric for that.

[The Same Van, But A Bit Later]

This is one zippy van.

Inside the zippy van, someone from far away is talking to the man evidently in charge of this whole thing with the van.

"Director. What do you have?" And that someone far away is UDN High Commander Vyrn Altaran, severely unamused with this Syndicate terror threat against Riverside and his life.

[blackouttwo]

[The Van]

The Director just puts on that boyish grin as his driver zips the van back in the general direction of Riverside, and the bags are removed from the heads of the 'acquisitions.' The restraints stay firmly in place on the ones who got abducted, unlike Sszinyon.

Then the phone rings.

The Director just quietly answers Vyrn's call. Listening to Vyrn's question, the young man just grins, and it creeps into his voice. "Four murderhobos I'm about to make a lovely, lovely deal. Rest assured. The situation is well in hand. Valkanhayne out." Not even any actual acknowledgement of Vyrn's authority in the chain of command.

Director Valkanhayne, commander of the Union military division known only as 'Special Projects', is officially having a very good day. Positively beaming as he hangs up and pockets the phone again, he addresses the four abductees - or 'murderhobos' as he has come to call them in the last few minutes.

"Now, then. Let's get right to it, shall we? Here's the tee-ell-dee-arr. Bad guys have taken over Riverside's power plant. My boss wants them dead. Straightforward and to the point. Simple, no? The little kitty cat there gets money and a bottle of premium booze from a distant plane of existence, the vampire-werewolf-drow-I-don't-even-know-what-else-he-is gets a dozen or so willing blood donors and some money to house and feed them in his ever so lovely and classy castle, the creepy lady gets a couple dozen human hearts, in one bulk shipment, aaaand the space-elf with the ninja-clown getup gets some soulstones belonging to a couple of his people who, ah, lost their heads."

Valkanhayne grins that annoying ****ing grin as he rubs his hands together.

"So, who has questions? Because there's no time to answer them."

[Artemis97]

[The Van]

"An assassination contract? That's what you wanted? You could have simply asked instead of forcibly abducting me." Sszinyon snarls. "However, your payment, should you come through with it, will be sufficient. So, tell me, who are these 'bad guys' we are going up against?"

[blackouttwo]

[The Van]

Valkanhayne lets out a 'pfffffffffff' noise as he suppresses the urge to laugh. "Get a load of this guy! 'Assassination contract.' No, no, Mr. Sszinyon, no, my boss and I are hoping for a...let's call it an 'indiscriminate mass-murder spree happy fun time fun-fun spree of mass-murder and fun.'"

A pause as he grins again, speaking as if he were addressing a group of children. "Of course, top priority is retaking the power plant. Because if that goes 'kaboom' like they're threatening to make happen, everyone dies. And that isn't an indiscriminate mass-murder spree happy fun time fun-fun spree of mass-murder and fun, that is a smoldering crater." Valkanhayne's expression shifts to a false, faked, forced grin rather than the genuine one he's been wearing this whole time. And something sincerely terrifying seems to take the place of Director Valkanhayne with no outward change, a gleam in his eye as he leans back in his seat. "My boss and I don't like smoldering craters. I especially don't like smoldering craters. So here's what you happy little murderhobos are gonna do. Kay? Go in. Take the plant back. And kill everyone you see. Collateral damage is acceptable, but no smoldering craters where Riverside used to be. Kay? O-kay."

Seriously, what is wrong with this guy?

[ThirdEmperor]

The Van

The fourth guest - the space elf - looks rather angry when the bag is pulled off his head. Oh, he looks right angry, in the way that would end in blood, were all his gear not piled up around his feet, and his arms bound tightly behind him for good measure. His shirt has been removed as well, along with its harnesses and the coils of gleaming sharp wire wound around them. There's even a bit of cloth stuffed in his mouth.

Someone must have done plenty of kicking and screaming.

He's tall and thin, with broad shoulders in proportion to the rest of his lean musculature. Dark skinned. His head is shaved except for a topknot of dyed bright red, his face painted up in deathly white with splashes of red underlining each glaring yellow eye, and angular shadows painted on to make a mask of grim ferocity. Today, no help is needed there. He looks like he'd be quite ready to make a lunge at the Director were even one of those shiny monowire whips or sharp little bits in his unbound hands - and one can imagine all the creative ways he could find to end a life with them. The collection of thin raised scars across his chest and arms suggests a certain proficiency in those matters.

One can assume the death-stare does not mean 'yes'. But the lack of a suicidal attempt on his captor's life could probably be taken to mean 'not no.'

[Darkcomet]

[The Van]

Vyrn will reprimand him for that later.

"Ah, yes, by the way, Director. New intelligence suggests the Syndicate is about to get a visit by some sort of...were-fox foreign power." He sounds a bit bemused. "You might have them get into the plant under cover of an attack."

[Murkus]

[The Van]

The witch sleeps. It isn't the first time She's slept in great pain. When She and the world were young, the touch of cold iron would have had her staining the inside of this wretched bag with her blood. Ever a nuisance, especially with so much of it, but no longer was it's mere touch a threat to her life. When the bag comes away, her eyes flutter open.

The face is wrong.

This isn't even the woman that Special Projects captured. Her face is haggard, drawn with deep lines, most especially across her cheeks. Of perhaps middle age, ragged hair spills in lumpy braids from the back of her head, and strange piercings line much of the loose flesh on her body. Bags gather beneath a huge pair of crow's eyes.

The stranger sits up. As Sszinyon and Valkanhayne speak, She gathers her naked legs beneath herself. Now She is cozily cross legged, arms clutched to her body, her arms and legs bound with iron manacles. More a pile of metal than a woman, She's so thin.

Valkanhayne receives a look. It is not an angry look. It is wide, and wet, and one might get the feeling that if you look back for even a second too long you might just fall in. He's bound her up, intends to use her as a weapon against mortal men, and has just embarrassed her in front of strangers. The creepy lady. The lady who wants hearts.

Caesa fumbles her gaze into her lap.

"You should be more careful to whom you tell your name," says Caesa.

Her gaze swims to the very abnormal drow. What a scent. She cannot readily discern what he is, and Caesa can discern most things that way.

"Hello," She says, with a jilted little smile. Twinkling, greedy eyes search the room. Her head goes round the van, giving each person in turn a nod or a little 'hello'.

The knife-eared death dealer.

The speaking cat.

Valkanhayne.

Presumably a few men well beneath Caesa's notice.

Overhead, a flock of crows soars over the van's roof, following it like a huge dark cloud of pestilence. All the way to Riverside.

[WarKitty]

The Van

The cat seems oddly non-plussed by this turn of events. Well, as they say, money talks. Of course I would have preferred it if the money had been offered before the grabbing. We are going to be facing all combatants inside, yes? No civilians?

[Ionbound]

[Malechenar Castle - Fourth Tower Compound]

"Not sure." Zhareen says as she stares at the dagger, seemingly lost in thought. "But there was something I was supposed to tell you though..." She strokes her chin and then suddenly snaps her fingers. "Ah! Right! I was supposed to tell you that you should try to get out and met some new people!"

Kanya sighs and replies, "Maybe. But who would want to even talk to me? I'm just...Look at me, Zareen. I'm a corpse floating in a ball of plasma. Who would even want to interact with me?"

[Shadowcaller]

[Malechenar Castle - The Gardens]

Ezra Sharpe thinks for a moment. "Hmm, I think he would. He's a wind vampire, but a different type from you. I need to do some research, so right now he's the best person you could speak to." He pats Lihana's face fondly. "Don't worry, dear. He's a nice guy. I just hope you can't see invisible... but you're also a windpire, so that should be okay."

"Say the word and I'll call 'im." He adjusts his hat.

"Hah, you grievously overestimate me, sir," Sticks depreciates, glancing aside. Private life. Yes. No. Not really. "But I believe gracious thanks are in order for your counsel and your aid, m'lord. I will set to work learning any weakness the being may be hiding." Sticks extends both his hands to take one of Ryhe's, if the lord so permits it. He'll give it a single, gentle shake as he bows over the extended hand.

[Hall of Resonance - Malechenar]

Ryhe reached out to touch the little mechanical gremlin as it repeated the audio city wide broadcast for the sixth time. "Quite a situation wouldn't you say? Perhaps we should consider suing Tenebras and their allies for bringing in such a mindlessly destructive powerplant into our city once this is over. 'Cheap, clean energy', pah! More like a doomsday device."

"They're humans, Ryhe. Just like these terrorist probably are. Their dull minds only understands violence and little of it's consequences." Harold, the other vampire lord replies as he takes a sip of wine from his glass. Unlike Ryhe Harold had no helmet, no mask. Revealing his eyeless visage. "They're useful for little else." The shadow vampire shakes his head. "Our first order of business should be to send Celestel to the 'Union' though. Find out more about these terrorist."

"After we ordered to evacuate the city of course." Ryhe corrects. "But I have already made the necessary arrangements. The nobles will go back to Elshar while the rest will be taken outside the city. There is already a location in place to handle refugees after the last time this happened."

Harold smiles, detecting none of the usual amusement in Ryhe's voice. "Is it starting to get dull already? At least it isn't mindless monsters attacking. Humans at the very least have some degree of reasoning behind their actions. They could have simply blown up the city right away instead of making implausible demands about it."

"As if it makes much difference in the end. It's always difficult accepting the fact that you're about to be killed by a group of violent dimwits."

"Such is the life among humans I'm afraid, everyone at mercy of the spontaneous violent impulses running through their minds whenever something bad happens. But I digress, we have to start acting instead of talking. Probably have to send some sort of statement to these terrorists.”

“Not to mention make some sort of plan to deal with them. We’re poorly equipped to handle these sort of situations however. Might have to acquire outside help once we have more information. Like MERC if they believe they're equipped to deal with it.”

"You're trusting such a important matter to MERC? You put far more faith in them than most do, judging by their reputation. The fact that we still work with them might enrage the Union."

Ryhe waves away Harolds concerns. "I'm well aware. If Celestel encounters something like that, I will simply have her tell them that we're working on a deal with their replacement. Meanwhile I believe they're out best choice for this kind of operation."

"If you say so. Otherwise I can think of a suitable replacement. But we can discuss that later. For now, let's make sure our nobles are out of the city before those fools set off the bomb..."

[Malechenar Castle - The Gardens]

"I'm not worried, but I still don't understand. What would we talk about?" Lihanna replies, sounding a bit hesitant about this plan.

[Abandoned House]

Ryhe accepts Sticks hand and shakes it. "We're in agreement then, would it be okay to send a few warlocks to your shop or would you rather met them elsewhere?" He asks.

[North- and Westside]

Malechenar appears to take the threat completely seriously. They have tv-broadcasts that encourage the citizen's to evacuate the city in a orderly fashion with the help of what is now Malechenar's combined police and military force. It will probably take a while to get even the majority of the population out of the city however. The citizens will arrive in a tent city Malechenar have set up for temporary shelter if they have no where else to go.

[Around the Power Plant]

Finally Malechenar's forces arrives at the site in the form of a small group of soldiers in blue uniforms and black armors made from some alien kind of leather. They aren't looking for the terrorists for the moment though, they're looking for the military fox brigade who have decided to enter the city.

[Malechenar Castle - Fourth Tower Compound]

"Don't say that Kanya, I can see past all that and I know many others who can. But if you really feel so insecure of what you look right now, perhaps we can arrange something so you may look like your old self again? I know that it's possible." Zhareen ensures her.

[Fenric]

So far, there's neither sign nor scent of werefoxes: the powerplant is at present a fox-free zone.

[Ionbound]

[Malechenar Castle - Fourth Tower Compound]

Kanya looks up and says, hoping against hope, "Really? Will...Will people be able to touch me, too?"

[Devixer]

[The Heist at the Museum]

The asphalt of the parking lot heaves, and the Cat Burglar gasps for air as he's spilled out onto solid ground. A demon doesn't really need to breathe, but then, a great deal of the fussing he does is unnecessary, straightening his shirt and dusting away the grit that always seems to cling from the underground. And the grumbling that goes with, that's not needed at all. We won't even bother to spell out all the grumbling he does.

He bends down for a moment though, and pulls a mean little rectangle of black plastic from his boot. The edges are molded to be gripped, and two metal nubs protrude from one end, a button just visible on the matt material. "Uh, I don't know if, y'know, if you'd just rather hit her with a sword or something, but-" A little shrug, and Milo offers the taser to his companion. "But the option's on the table? I mean, uh, she did knock me off a roof, and I really couldn't care, but, hey." It would cause a lot less mess. Although dragging her underground might be even better.

[The Heist at the Museum]

Dipsnig is riding towards the location given to him by Cassidy on wolfback, at a rather high speed. He should be there before long.

Cassidy is climbing up to the roof of the museum to try and get a look at the streets. No way they went far, even going underground. She lowers her goggles over her eyes and activates their night vision to try and find the target.

[Queen of Thorns]

[Above St. Certainty's]

The whole of the tower groans in protest, as force and dark magic bind its crumbling remains together. The peppermint foundation bubbles and boils under flame, sloughing away all around the valiant little duck holding it up, a tide of melted candy spilling slowly across the roof with an overwhelmingly minty smell. A few spare shards fall from the upper reaches to rain down, sharp as daggers. And finally, the collapse is stopped as another duckling winds itself around the base, although the whole of the smokestack slowly begins to bend at the center, leaning farther and farther towards the inevitable.

Above, the fight continues. Sound tears at Adel's finery and opens deep tears in the morbid flesh beneath, and lighting blasts his billowing cloak to a charred trail behind him, but neither stops the candypire from rushing to meet Mallard. Caution now ignored, he draws his sword arm back even before they clash, telegraphing a wild downwards slash.

Aiming for a new tactic, the telekinetic duck starts trying to move large pieces of the tower over to empty roofs, as the tiny rock duck flip flaps his little wings in effort to hold the tower up.

Madame Mallard throws up a small barrier where it would appear he is aiming, while another barrier comes hurtling at him from the side in another attempt to knock him off his feet.

The flame duckling turns his attention to the candypire, shooting balls of fire at him.

[Recaiden]

[Riverside's Riverside... in Riverside! -> Warehouse Clinic]

Alright, now to get him an arm.
A storefront door is rolled up into the ceiling, the door behind unlocked, and Kestrel slinks inside.
Within are gleaming surgical implements, a long operating table, ominously mobile little sensors and claws on the ceiling, a soldering bench...

"New arm. How did you lose the last one? Does it need a shoulder as well?"
"Best lie down. This will be painful."

[Hunter's Hall]

"So what we can tell so far is that they're basically our counterparts in the Chimera organization, and we're pretty near to powerless against them."
"We don't know what means they have against the city?"
"Not at all. There's a slim possibility that we could repel it, but nothing should be staked on it."
"Probably related to the power-plant in Westside, and likely they don't care about the city at all. It's a gauge of the Nexus and of Altaran's organization. But they have little reason to refrain from widespread destruction."
"So there's nothing you can do about this."
"Of course there is. We already have our best on the way. But nothing you can count on."

[Eastside]

The council also appears to have taken the threat completely seriously and are also broadcasting an evacuation order, reminders to remain calm. The main body of the mundane police force has been deployed to organize the withdrawal, minimize damage and chaos, but of course there are problems, of course it will take forever and there will be stubborn people who refuse to leave. Temporary shelters well out of the city are being set up even as people flee to them.

[St. Certainty's Orphanage]

We're sorry, the emergency response unit you were looking for has been directed-

[Around the Power Plant]

But they aren't here yet. Sure, they might have found the only uncongested path over from the hall, but they cans till only go so fast, and there was a long delay over whether they should be here at all.

[blackouttwo]

[The Van]

"If there are civilians, get rid of them."

No mention of any impending strike teams, invasions, or other groups planning to hit Riverside at the same time.

"Bottom line: Secure the power plant, and kill anyone involved in taking it."

The van screeches to a halt.

And then the van's side door opens, and the murderhobo squad finds themselves quickly shoved out the side door of the Zippy Van, along with all of their weapons, restraints are removed, and they find themselves in...

[A Random Street in Westside]

The van then speeds off, side door slamming shut.

[Morty]

[Evacuation]

The Doom Brigade have been assigned by Dipsnig to help with the evacuation efforts. They re-purposed and repaired a number of vehicles for it. They're not comfortable or glamorous, but they can get people out of the city safely and quickly.

[Around the Power Plant]

Meanwhile, the other three mercenary companies are on standby, ready to work with the Malechenar forces. The Howling Commando gnolls are spread far and wide to act as ground troops. Few of the Chipped Tooth Skaven can be seen anywhere, but they're certainly there, waiting. Wazlido's Wingmen are circling above the city on their bats.

[Fenric]

[Malechenar Castle Entrance]

A werefox at last arrives in Riverside, dressed in a silvery-white jumpsuit-type uniform and with a strange set of goggles draped around her neck. A long rifle is strapped to her back, but she appears otherwise unarmed.

The Ghost is talking on her communicator as she walks up to the gate

<vulpine> { I've heard of field promotions before but that's impressive. Ok, I'll see what I can do, General. I'm there now. Samantha out. }

Then, to the presumable guards

Greetings. I have a message and an offer for the leadership here.

[Morty]

[Parking Lot]

Viima enters the parking lot slowly, bearing Dipsnig on her back. The goblin is only steering with his legs now, since he's holding his crossbow in both hands, its safety catch off. He surveys his surroundings carefully. Then, Viima turns her head in the direction of the two hiding people and snarls. She doesn't like that smell at all. Dipsnig dismounts and starts approaching their hiding place from a wide arc, with Viima approaching from the opposite direction.

[ThirdEmperor]

[An Alleyway]

The elf groans, and spits on the ground as he regains his footing. Kicking the others' gear away from his, he sweeps the black-and-white chequered jacket over his shoulders, the dim light of the alley twisting around the motion. The inner lining glimmers with metal threads and thin plastic sensors. As they align with his skin, the harnesses cinch skintight. A belt studded with red amber fits over the waist. One hip holster takes a pistol of molded plastic, with a slender conical barrel. The other, a seemingly normal sword, the hilt and pommel formed of silver lattice in the shape of a rose.

"So, all of you, tell us what you do." The elf's voice is sharp and militant, but the human words are clearly foreign. He turns to his 'companions' at last, lifting a polished silver mask over the upper half of his face. The nose is beakish and long, the edges fringed with feathered pattern, the eyes, covered by dark blue crystal. Only his painted grimace remains beneath. "I kill." That's all he feels need be said. A name is not volunteered.


[Above St. Certainty's]

Flame on one side, invisible might on the other, and Adel only laughs.

The vampire unfolds into a cloud of black smog as the attacks tear through him from either side, and the whirlwind of smoke collapses back to corporeal form a bare moment later - suddenly looming over Madame Mallard, his blade aimed downwards instead, drawn back for a lunging thrust. He drives the point forward towards her stomach now, not a strike that would kill. Not immediately. But a strike that should certainly slow her down.

Certainly, he hasn't gotten many more chances left, as the ducks below disassemble the crumbling tower. If he can't draw blood now, while their attention is away, and with the edge of surprise and the Madame's powers already expending in three directions...

Well, running may just be in order.

[Cyber Punk]

"I'm not worried, but I still don't understand. What would we talk about?" Lihanna replies, sounding a bit hesitant about this plan.

[Malechenar Castle - The Gardens]

Sharpe (hereafter known as Ezra) smiles and fondly touches Lihana's head form. "Don't be so hesitant, dear. My brother-in-law is a nice man, if a bit protective. You could talk about being windpires, for one." He smiles. "Plus, he doesn't live in a head, but he's basically a hat and sunglasses atop an invisible body made of wind and spirit energy."

"His hat is what's holding him together without him having to expend energy doing so. For that reason, it's impossible for anyone to remove it. It's actually possible, but there are brutal safeguards to prevent that."

There's also the fact that de-hatting him will de-air any living thing in a wide area.

Alright, now to get him an arm.
A storefront door is rolled up into the ceiling, the door behind unlocked, and Kestrel slinks inside.
Within are gleaming surgical implements, a long operating table, ominously mobile little sensors and claws on the ceiling, a soldering bench...

"New arm. How did you lose the last one? Does it need a shoulder as well?"
"Best lie down. This will be painful."

[Riverside's Riverside... in Riverside! -> Warehouse Clinic]

Fixer smiles at the demonologist. It's a rather morbid smile.

"I was just made aware of a contact of mine coming to the Nexus. Ilyona. She believes that the human body and even ectoplasm can be made better with machines. If only she were here... she'd fix you up with or without your consent. It would have been nice to see her do so without your consent."

He chuckles. "I'd have also liked to consume your hand and convert it into nutrients, but the fact that it was attached to you once turns me off."