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Thread: [Nexus] Inside 47
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2012-09-28, 01:32 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2007
- Location
- avatar by Ashen Lilies
- Gender
Re: [Nexus] Inside 47
Blue Zone Streets
"And you can talk to him without mentioning that you want to kill him? If so, then go ahead and call him." Charity says.My avatar! Isn't it just utterly diabolical? Ashen Lilies made it!
"Money cannot buy health, but I'd settle for a diamond-studded wheelchair."
― Dorothy Parker
Spoiler: Interested in Nexus FFRP? Newcomers welcome!
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2012-09-28, 03:00 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2010
- Location
- Dexter's Laboratory
- Gender
Re: [Nexus] Inside 47
[The Sitar's Strings]
3... 2... 1... Poof! A Clarissa suddenly materializes in front of The Sitar's Strings in a dazzling explosion of violet light that probably (temporarily) blinds a handful of astronauts up in space!Spaaaace! Let's go to space! I love space!
Clarissa smirks confidently, theatrically drawing a pair of sunglasses clipped to her shirt and lowering them over her eyes like the sassy hotshot she is. Her role is a relatively straightforward one, that of a laconic, egocentric cop. Ah, hubris, how flexible you can be!
Her lissome and lithe body is bedecked in the uniform of a policewoman. A pair of handcuffs hang from her side of her tight costume and a Glock is holstered at to her right. She chomps on a fresh, minty strip of gum as she searches the crowd for Becky.
"Mmmm!"
"This is going to be fun."
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2012-09-28, 04:05 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2006
- Location
- Poland
- Gender
Re: [Nexus] Inside 47
Both halves of the Fast Response Squad rapidly change direction and start heading the other way.
The bikers to the left keep evading the Chrysalids as one of them, the combat caster, tries to get away for long enough to cast a spell that causes the ground under the Chrysalid's legs to erupt with fire. Hopefully it'll burn their legs badly enough for them to lose some mobility.
The group to the right uses a different tactics. Two of the bikers rush towards the Chrysalids only to rapidly turn around at the last moment. The purpose of this manuever is to give the other two time - one of them casts a curse that attempts to weaken and rot the monsters' armor while the other one prepares and throws a landmine under one of them.My FFRP characters. Avatar by Ashen Lilies. Sigatars by Ashen Lilies, Gullara and Purple Eagle.
Interested in the Nexus FFRP setting? See our Discord server.
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2012-09-28, 04:38 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2009
- Location
- I go places
Re: [Nexus] Inside 47
[Red Zone - Just a Park]
The eight zombies start to shuffle off in different directions - two of them go towards Sophie, and the other six for the Fast Response Squad.
The Chrysalid heading for Sophie is hit in the eye. The bullet causes it to stop in its tracks and stumble for a few moments, but it somehow doesn't manage to die. Instead, it eventually regains its footing.
Two of the three Chrysalids to the left continue to pursue the bikers, oblivious to the caster. The third one, however, does notice the caster, and crouches low before springing in a high jump in hopes to knock the combat caster down before they can cast the ground-erupting spell.
The other two Chrysalids at the right keep going after the bikers, fooled by their tactics. The curse to weaken their armor is partially successful, but their outer carapace doesn't completely rot away. One of those two, however, accidentally steps on the thrown landmine and is blown to the ground, writhing in pain.
Of the few Chrysalids that are attempting to escape, one of them is bitten on the leg by Noah. It hisses in response, and looks down to see a dog on its leg. It tries to knock him off by hitting it with one of its arms. The other Chrysalids seem to be able to escape without being further wounded.
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2012-09-28, 04:42 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2008
- Location
- Nexus
- Gender
Re: [Nexus] Inside 47
[Red Zone- Just a Park]
Sophia reaches down with her left hand, pulling out a clip of ammo for her pistol, while sending off two more shots at the Chrysalid's eyes, and starting to move away from the zombies.
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2012-09-28, 04:48 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2006
- Location
- Poland
- Gender
Re: [Nexus] Inside 47
[Red Zone - Just a Park]
The combat cleric, Gniewomir, interrupts his spell and swings at the Chrysalid with his axe, which glows with divine fire of his god, which allows it to tear through flesh more easily.
The other three bikers change their strategy and go on the offensive. One of them - Anatolij, the leader - turns around rapidly and tries to drive past one of the Chrysalids, slashing it with a superheated sabre as he does so. Two other join up to attack the other beast - one of them blasts its eyes with a shotgun and the other one sprays its legs with his SMG.
The bikers in the other group turn around when the see one of the monsters wounded and the other one weakened. One of them fires another burst from his assault rifle while the other one aims a handgun at its eyes and fires. The other two prepare their next move.My FFRP characters. Avatar by Ashen Lilies. Sigatars by Ashen Lilies, Gullara and Purple Eagle.
Interested in the Nexus FFRP setting? See our Discord server.
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2012-09-28, 04:57 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2008
- Location
- With folk in the North
- Gender
Re: [Nexus] Inside 47
The Sitar's Strings
"It's nice to meet you too, Zefir." 'Ekkehard' will take Zefir's hand and shakes it with quite a limp grip. It's the kind of limp that suggests the person shaking isn't being very firm to prevent shattering every bone in the hand being shaken.Terrowin Avatar by HappyTurtle. Much thanks!
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2012-09-28, 05:14 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2006
- Location
- The King's Grave
Re: [Nexus] Inside 47
Did she ever set anything on fire by mistake whilst practicing on her own?
That sort of experience will often sour things for someone.
"The flute is a really unusual one," Sigil replies with a nod toward the instrument. "And quite a bit different from the others. It functions through playing music with it. A bit harder to get the hang of. But once you do the control that it allows for is incredibly precise."Warning! Random Encounter™ detected!
The Eternal Game Nightmære Stuff
It doesn't matter whether you win or lose, just how awesome you look doing it.
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2012-09-28, 05:36 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2005
- Location
- Minneapolis MN
Re: [Nexus] Inside 47
Blue Zone Streets
He considers it for a second or two.
"Maybe I should just text him."
He starts to type a message and then stops. He deletes it and tries again without inviting his uncle to come and meet him. He hits send and tucks away his phone.
"Chairty this thing, I think it is getting worse not better."
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[Red Zone - Just a Park]
Noah lets go of the leg to avoid the attack but quickly moving back in to get another bite. Hopefully he will be able to slow it down long enough for him to figure out some way to kill this thing. He looks over the creature looking for some sort of weak point.
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[Abandoned Skate Park]
Nothing she wasn't willing to burn anyways, she was pretty careful whenever she practiced.
She sets down the brass charm and picks up the flute looking it over skeptically.
"Should I try this one out? What if I hit the wrong note and set you on fire or something?"Check out My Writing
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SpoilerThe stars glimmer
and I can't help
but wonder.
Do they cry on those worlds,
to?
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2012-09-28, 05:46 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2007
- Location
- avatar by Ashen Lilies
- Gender
Re: [Nexus] Inside 47
Blue Zone Streets
"Calvin... I think I should take you to the infirmary. At Remnant." Charity says. "I won't tell them what you and your uncle do - hell, I don't know anything about what you do - not any specifics. All they need to know is that someone is trying to make you kill your uncle."My avatar! Isn't it just utterly diabolical? Ashen Lilies made it!
"Money cannot buy health, but I'd settle for a diamond-studded wheelchair."
― Dorothy Parker
Spoiler: Interested in Nexus FFRP? Newcomers welcome!
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2012-09-28, 05:54 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2006
- Location
- The King's Grave
Re: [Nexus] Inside 47
[Abandoned Skate Park]
That manages to get a laugh out of Sigil. "Then I'll be a barbequed pony. But don't worry, it doesn't work quite like that. Believe it or not that flute is one of the safest tools to practice with that I brought today."
Huh.
That's kind of hard to believe.
Especially considering how neutral that Orichalcum charm seemed to be.
Hmm...
Probably worth fiddling with?Warning! Random Encounter™ detected!
The Eternal Game Nightmære Stuff
It doesn't matter whether you win or lose, just how awesome you look doing it.
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2012-09-28, 06:02 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2005
- Location
- Minneapolis MN
Re: [Nexus] Inside 47
Blue Zone Streets
Calvin nods. "I think you are right. We should go there, but my uncle can never know."
He hates hospitals, he doesn't trust Remnant but he agrees pretty quickly. He starts to stand up ready to go. He won't offer an explanation, but he figures Charity couldn't stop him if she wanted to. If she tried she would be hurt, and he didn't want that to happen. He needed to be somewhere they could stop him.
--------------------------
[Abandoned Skate Park]
Astrid tilts her head at the laugh.
"If you say so."
She holds up the flute like she has seen people do and tries to blow into it randomly placing her fingers on the holes. She has no idea what she is really doing.Check out My Writing
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Poem by me.
SpoilerThe stars glimmer
and I can't help
but wonder.
Do they cry on those worlds,
to?
-
2012-09-28, 06:43 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2007
- Location
- avatar by Ashen Lilies
- Gender
Re: [Nexus] Inside 47
Blue Zone Streets
Charity is surprised that he agreed so quickly, and takes it as a sign that he's really worried. She walks with him, staying close enough that if he tries anything, she can grab him and use the emergency teleport. It's expensive to run, which is why she hasn't used it yet, but if she thinks they won't make it there on foot, she will.
Unless Calvin has any difficulties, they should arrive in the Remnant thread in the next post or so.My avatar! Isn't it just utterly diabolical? Ashen Lilies made it!
"Money cannot buy health, but I'd settle for a diamond-studded wheelchair."
― Dorothy Parker
Spoiler: Interested in Nexus FFRP? Newcomers welcome!
-
2012-09-28, 06:49 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2009
- Location
- I go places
Re: [Nexus] Inside 47
[Red Zone - Just a Park]
Two more bullets go into a Chrysalid's eyes. It falls to the ground and doesn't move for some time, but slowly starts to move its legs to try and get up. The two zombies heading for Sophie keep shuffling along, but their movements are starting to get erratic.
The airborne Chrysalid is slashed in one of its legs by a divine axe, but that doesn't stop it from landing. It tries to stab through Gniewomir's bike tire with one of its unwounded legs while trying to grab Gniewomir himself with one of its hands.
Anatolij's sabre slashes across the Chrysalid's torso with little efficiency, but the Chrysalid is a bit too slow to react in any meaningful way. The two other bikers of that group have differing degrees of success. The SMG again does no damage to the Chrysalid, but the shotgun to its eyes is considerably more effective. It's knocked over and scrambles to get up, unable to see.
The two bikers of the second group who stayed behind are now being approached by the remaining zombies, who are starting to shake a little. The attacker with the assault rifle hits the already downed Chrysalid, keeping it from getting up again. The other Chrysalid is it in the eyes by a handgun shot, and it is knocked back considerably though not killed.
Noah won't find any clear weak points on the Chrysalid's body, besides maybe the eyes. His second bite is with another hiss and another attempt to get him off by the creature.
The other Chrysalids have escaped the park and are either recovering or trying to find more victims.
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2012-09-28, 06:55 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2005
- Location
- Minneapolis MN
Re: [Nexus] Inside 47
Blue Zone Streets
Besides stopping every now and then looking bothered and clenching his fists. He doesn't say anything when he stops, but he apologizes once they start walking again, saying he just needed to focus for a bit. As they get closer he quits stopping just focusing on keeping going forward.Check out My Writing
New
prestige class
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Poem by me.
SpoilerThe stars glimmer
and I can't help
but wonder.
Do they cry on those worlds,
to?
-
2012-09-28, 06:55 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2008
- Location
- Nexus
- Gender
Re: [Nexus] Inside 47
[Red Zone - Just a Park]
Sophia starts running towards the Chrysalid, sending a bullet at the head of each zombie before her clip clicks on empty. The clip drops out, and she slides the one in her hand into the gun, before trying to blow its legs off while it's still slowly getting up.
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2012-09-28, 07:07 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2007
- Location
- avatar by Ashen Lilies
- Gender
Re: [Nexus] Inside 47
My avatar! Isn't it just utterly diabolical? Ashen Lilies made it!
"Money cannot buy health, but I'd settle for a diamond-studded wheelchair."
― Dorothy Parker
Spoiler: Interested in Nexus FFRP? Newcomers welcome!
-
2012-09-28, 07:13 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2006
- Location
- The King's Grave
Re: [Nexus] Inside 47
[Abandoned Skate Park]
...
....
.....
Nothing happens.
At all.
Even a little bit.
Though... Astrid should be able to feel... something. A sensation of a flickering dancing in tune with the notes she plays. But no flames appear.
Sigil smiles. "See? Told you."Warning! Random Encounter™ detected!
The Eternal Game Nightmære Stuff
It doesn't matter whether you win or lose, just how awesome you look doing it.
-
2012-09-28, 07:15 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2005
- Location
- Minneapolis MN
Re: [Nexus] Inside 47
Blue Zone Streets
As they get on the train Calvin sits staring at the floor. He doesn't react when Charity puts her arm around his shoulder. Before the train gets there he speaks up again.
"Charity you wouldn't hurt me right?"
He just needs to hear her say this isn't a trap that he is about to walk into. Because right now his mind is screaming at him for going along with this.
----------------
[Red Zone - Just a Park]
Noah continues to dodge biting at the creature when he can retreating back growling and barking when he can't get close enough.
-------------------
[Abandoned Skate Park]
Astrid shrugs and tries to blow a few more notes.
"OK, so how does this one work?"Last edited by McBish; 2012-09-28 at 07:17 PM.
Check out My Writing
New
prestige class
Thanks for the Nude Avatar MethosHazara
Poem by me.
SpoilerThe stars glimmer
and I can't help
but wonder.
Do they cry on those worlds,
to?
-
2012-09-28, 07:19 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2007
- Location
- avatar by Ashen Lilies
- Gender
Re: [Nexus] Inside 47
Riftline
"I swear, I won't hurt you." Charity promises. "I want you to be safe, you and your uncle both." He may be an evil person for indoctrinating Calvin the way he has, but Charity doesn't wish his death. But more than that, she doesn't want Calvin to have to live with the guilt of killing him.My avatar! Isn't it just utterly diabolical? Ashen Lilies made it!
"Money cannot buy health, but I'd settle for a diamond-studded wheelchair."
― Dorothy Parker
Spoiler: Interested in Nexus FFRP? Newcomers welcome!
-
2012-09-28, 07:27 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2005
- Location
- Minneapolis MN
Re: [Nexus] Inside 47
Riftline
"Thanks."
After that he will follow along quietly until they reach Remnant.Check out My Writing
New
prestige class
Thanks for the Nude Avatar MethosHazara
Poem by me.
SpoilerThe stars glimmer
and I can't help
but wonder.
Do they cry on those worlds,
to?
-
2012-09-29, 04:48 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2006
- Location
- Poland
- Gender
Re: [Nexus] Inside 47
Gniewomir shouts a prayer in a strange language and is enveloped in flame. He keeps trying to fight the Chrysalid off - he's clad in power armor, which both protects him and grants him superior strength.
Anatolij, meanwhile, turns his bike around, sheathes his sabre, produces a large-caliber handgun and fires at the back of the Chrysalid attacking the priest. The two other bikers keep up the pressure, firing at the Chrysalid and aiming for the shotgun wound.
In the other group, Antoni the sapper, lobs a grenade at the zombie. The combat witch, meanwhile, casts another hex, this time trying to lead her squadmates' bullets towards weak spots in the enemy bodies as they keep firing.My FFRP characters. Avatar by Ashen Lilies. Sigatars by Ashen Lilies, Gullara and Purple Eagle.
Interested in the Nexus FFRP setting? See our Discord server.
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2012-09-29, 05:40 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2009
- Location
- I go places
Re: [Nexus] Inside 47
[Red Zone - Just a Park]
The Chrysalid shot by Sophie isn't further wounded by the bullet to its leg, but it also can't get up again because of the bullets already in its eyes. The bullets to the heads of the zombies do nothing at all. Rather, the twitching of the zombies starts to get much worse, and they eventually bend backwards as two blades profuse from their chest. The zombies are blown to large chunks as a new Chrysalid bursts out of each of them.
The Chrysalid being attacked by Noah eventually decides to stop trying. It instead springs up to the roof of a nearby building and tries to flee.
The Chrysalid being fought off by Gniewomir isn't hurt by the pistol shots to its back. Despite being engulfed in fire and already wounded, it tries to use its powerful arms to pry off his helmet, if he has one on. If not, he instead tries to pry open his jaws while a viscous liquid drips from its jaw.
Most of the other Chrysalids can't do anything further, pinned down by gunfire. Of the six remaining zombies, two are killed outright by a grenade. The squad may notice bits of chitin and purple flesh among the dead zombies. The skin of the other four zombies is starting to writhe as they slow considerably.
[Elsewhere in the Red Zone]
The few Chrysalids that took to fleeing have taken advantage of the confusion in the fleeing hordes, and are killing as many people as they can in hopes to reproduce and spread the Hive's numbers.
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2012-09-29, 05:49 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2008
- Location
- With folk in the North
- Gender
Re: [Nexus] Inside 47
Elsewhere in the Red Zone
Three children are looking out of an alley's mouth. They are all exactly the same height, and clad in identical papery robes. They aren't really looking; they all have closed eyes, but that doesn't seem to stop them from knowing what's going on. One, apparently a boy, is very dark skinned, with short curly hair. He's drumming his fingers against the wall. Next to him is an androgynous half-elf with very pale skin and ear-length pale green hair. The third is a girl whose skin has a pale orange tint and several spikes above her eyebrows.
They sit where they are, and wait, merely observing. For now, at least.Terrowin Avatar by HappyTurtle. Much thanks!
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2012-09-29, 07:56 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2005
- Location
- Minneapolis MN
Re: [Nexus] Inside 47
[Red Zone - Just a Park]
Noah barks a few more times at the fleeing creature. He wishes he could do some more damage to these things but he isn't going to give up. He runs into the streets sniffing after the creatures hoping to be able to help protect some of the people being attacked.Check out My Writing
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prestige class
Thanks for the Nude Avatar MethosHazara
Poem by me.
SpoilerThe stars glimmer
and I can't help
but wonder.
Do they cry on those worlds,
to?
-
2012-09-29, 10:09 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2007
- Location
- Stuck here
- Gender
Re: [Nexus] Inside 47
[A[nother] Park]
"Nah, not at all." Sharon looks genuinely happy, indeed. "And I think I'll call him...Maurice!"
===
[The Sitar's Strings]
And Becky appears at roughly the same time, on the opposite side of the crowd. She's wearing her usual (well, current usual) outfit, which is cut very high in the hips, just as high in the back, and rather low in the front. It probably catches a lot of attention.
Of course, the fact she's rather pale and has red eyes might also catch attention in these parts, as she leans back against the wall, one stomper-boot-clad leg tilted back as she looks across the crowd for Clarissa.
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2012-09-30, 06:01 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2006
- Location
- Poland
- Gender
Re: [Nexus] Inside 47
[Red Zone - Just a Park]
Gniewomir tries to shove his flaming axe into the Chrysalid's mouth. Hopefully that'll get the point across. He's wearing a helmet, so the Chrysalid will have to pry it off, which won't be easy. Anatolij drives up close and tries to thrust his saber into any weak spot in the armor he can find.
The sapper produces a shotgun and begins to fire at the zombies. The witch falls back to an SMG and fires at them as well.
All the other soldiers keep firing until their target Chrysalids are dead.My FFRP characters. Avatar by Ashen Lilies. Sigatars by Ashen Lilies, Gullara and Purple Eagle.
Interested in the Nexus FFRP setting? See our Discord server.
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2012-09-30, 02:57 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2007
- Gender
-
2012-09-30, 03:03 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2007
- Location
- avatar by Ashen Lilies
- Gender
Re: [Nexus] Inside 47
Vinny's Place
Elaine listened to her inner voice. It was telling her that this man was dangerous, but it didn't feel like he was dangerous to her. He'd behaved as a gentleman so far, taking events in stride and not trying to take advantage of her.
"I would be much obliged if you would escort me home. I'm staying temporarily at the Remnant base while my son is away." Elaine says.My avatar! Isn't it just utterly diabolical? Ashen Lilies made it!
"Money cannot buy health, but I'd settle for a diamond-studded wheelchair."
― Dorothy Parker
Spoiler: Interested in Nexus FFRP? Newcomers welcome!
-
2012-09-30, 03:08 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2007
- Gender
Re: [Nexus] Inside 47
Vinny's Place => Remnant
Vinny frowned as he started to guide the “proper” woman through the streets of his neighborhood towards the Remnant base, half a city away. He didn’t know why a dame like her was staying in such a place, but he didn’t figure it was his job to ask. In truth, he figured it wasn’t his job to ask a lot of the questions that came to mind, such as why his “girlfriend” suddenly changed into another woman right before they could have some fun or why Billie hadn’t bothered to inform him of this before it had happened. He answered his own questions with a mental shrug and continued on his way, leaving the thoughts and questions behind him for another time.
After he had stepped down the stairs leading from his apartment building, the mobster took a quick glance at the lead sky, glad that it wasn’t raining for once. Elaine’s appearance had already ruined his plans for the evening with Billie and he wasn’t sure he had it in him to withhold his temperament if any more predicaments happened to him at the moment. Vinny lit a cheap cigar as he waited for Elaine to get down the steps behind him and fixed his hat once the lighter was put away. “Just stick close, ma’am. Loik I said before, this part ain’t too friendly.” He reminded her. When Elaine nodded fearfully and stepped slightly closer to the man she barely trusted more than nothing, he started down the street, trusting her to keep close but smart enough to keep an eye on her as he did so.
Normally he’d offer the broad his arm, but with her looking like such an easy target, he figured that if any trouble started, he’d need both of his hands to stop it, and when he caught a couple miscreants in the corner of his eye as they exited an alley behind them, he knew his guess would be right. Unlike his usual “wordiness” self that he was in the apartment, he kept silent. Elaine almost started to speak, to ask what was wrong, but she stopped, sensing that perhaps speaking right now would be a very bad thing. It wasn’t the fact that Vinny was such a big man that was frightening at that moment, but more of the fact that right now he held himself like a mongoose ready to strike, ready to do anything that he saw as necessary. He didn’t look like he was the warm and friendly guy she’d met in the apartment.
He was…cold.
Seeing Elaine’s sudden wariness, Vinny held in a sigh and popped out his elbow, finally offering it to her as a way to silently say “It’s alright, I’m here”. After a moment Elaine finally took it, scared to do so, but more scared not to.
Now that he was reassured that the broad wasn’t going to go running off at the first sight of suspected trouble, Vinny kept walking the broken streets with the back of his mind still aware that they were being tailed. The mobster’s eyes continued to scan the crummy buildings of the area from under his fedora’s brim even as he watched the alleys and dumpsters, wondering where the ambush was going to come from and when it would happen. His eyes kept searching the entire half mile before the ambush was in place. The way the other four thugs walked out of a duplex a couple blocks ahead of them told Vinny that the pair behind him must have some way of communicating with the rest of their gang, making running likely a very fruitless action even if he didn’t have the frail looking arm-candy at the moment. It also told him that these people were experienced and knew how to run an operation so any attempt to simply walk past them would be met with knives and maybe even a gun as they demanded their valuables. That meant just one option, an option that Elaine probably wasn’t going to like one bit. “Ma’am.” He started as he looked around for a place to hold up. “There’s trouble, but I’ll take care of it. Just do what I tells ya.” She started to say something, but Vinny wasn’t listening anymore and cut her off as he dragged her down an alleyway. Seeing the wall at the other end, she finally spoke up. “It’s a dead end though!”
The grin Vinny gave her at that moment did very little to reassure her. “I knows Ma’am.” He told her right before picking her up before she could object and setting her on top of the dumpster in front of the wall. “Just stay here and yous’ll be safe.” He assures her before turning around just in time to see all six of the gangers meet up at the entrance of the alley.
Even though they were obviously eager to get what spoils they could, they all paused and looked over what they had found. A weak looking woman and a single big man didn’t seem like much of a challenge, but the way that the man flicked away his cigar and lit up another one set the hairs on their necks standing. “Nows…” The man said as he took off his coat and hat, handing it to the woman behind him. “Hold these please, ma’am.” He whispered to her before turning back to the muggers. “Nows, I doubt yous all know who yous dealing with, but I’m willin’ ta give ya a cha-“
The sounds of multiple knives and even a length of chain stopped the mobster’s speech right before the part where he was going to ask them to leave nicely. Now that they had made apparent that they weren’t going to play nice, Vinny had no inclinations to be nice any more. The mobster simply gave a shrug before rolling up his sleeves to bare his heavily scarred arms. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence between him and the gangers before one screamed and ran forward, shortly followed by the others in a ragged line.
It is a difficult thing to stab someone in the shoulder when you have no knife, but Vinny was able to do it like it was the simplest thing on earth. The screaming kid’s first and only attack was pitiful and sloppy, a slow stab forward towards Vinny’s chest with a switchblade. All the mobster had to do was twist slightly, grab the kid’s wrist with his left mitt and use his other hand to yank the elbow inward, breaking it horribly. Vinny’s ire was up though, so he didn’t stop at a mere break. He kept pulling even as he shoved the wrist back until the hand was up against its owner’s shoulder, knife included. The move only took a fraction of a second, but the result was one of the six out of the fight even before the scream had ended. Even as the scream turned to one of agony, Vinny’s right hand lashed out, up the arm to backhand the man to the ground. With the first out of the way, the second man was in just the right spot to receive a left jab to the nose, halting him in his tracks and stunning him momentarily. That moment was long enough for Vinny to kick the man’s left knee in, making him scream horribly, but that was cut off soon enough as the mobster shoved both sets of his fingers into the man’s mouth to grab the man’s jaws.
To Elaine it looked like it was the easiest thing in all creation for Vinny to rip the man’s jaw wide open, breaking and dislocating it with a loud series of pops and cracks before letting the man fall to the ground to gurgle pitifully. The sights of the first two people being so horribly hurt so quickly were too much for her and she couldn’t watch anymore. Vinny’s hat was the only thing she could think of to place in front of her eyes to keep her from watching the rest.
By the time Vinny finished ripping the man’s jaw off, the violence finally registered in the rest of the gang to the point where the third was trying to stop his charging momentum, hoping that it’d help his chances. When he noticed that it wasn’t and that Vinny was stepping forward, he swung his bowie knife to try and ward off the mobster, but instead of backing off, the brute quickstepped forward just enough so the knife dug into his left shoulder. The pain hurt, but Vincent “Vinny” Vincenzo was used to pain and the haphazard swing couldn’t have dug too deep anyway.
Besides, the sacrifice had been worth it.
With Vinny inside the thug’s reach, it meant that the would-be robber couldn’t defend himself as the mobster reached up, grabbed his nose and gave it a vicious twist to break it before thrusting his palm against the tip to shove the broken cartilage into his brain. The man’s body shuddered before falling to the ground, his dead eyes open but unseeing. As the body fell, the other three gangers stopped, leaving Vinny standing with three victims lying on the ground behind him. The two sides stared at each other for a moment before Vinny smiled once more and took a long drag on his cigar as he straightened his tie. When they still didn’t strike, the mobster took the cigar out of his mouth and tapped the ashes off, revealing the tip of a slender steel spike inside the cheaply made smoke before gripping the concealed weapon in a back-hand manner.
Two of the robbers fled at the sight of the weapon, believing that their lives would be forfeit if they continued to attack. The third, the largest of the bunch, simply growled and swung his length of chain at Vinny’s head. It took very little effort for Vinny to catch the chain in his left hand and pull the mugger closer to meet the handless ice pick he held. This one hadn’t learned the lesson that his companions had, so Vinny took his time. With a series of rapid stabs, the last of the muggers suddenly gained a series of bleeding holes in his right arm before an especially vicious stab logged the spike in the socket of his shoulder, rendering it useless.
Behind the hat, Eileen couldn’t tell what had made the man scream initially, but the following crunching sounds made her suspect that her “protector” was taking his sweet time before the man was silenced. She held in a frightened whimper when Vinny took his jacket back and shrugged it on. “Keep the hat, ma’am. Yous don’ want ta look.” He told her before gently taking her off the dumpster. Contrary to her expectation, he didn’t set her down right away, choosing to carry her gently to the mouth of the alley instead so she didn’t have to walk through the gurgling and crying bodies of the attackers. Even with the hat and Vinny’s precautions, she caught a glimpse of the ground that made her ask herself a question that she wasn't sure she wanted answered.
It hadn’t been raining, so why was the ground wet?