bump

First off, inventory and general skill overview.

Second, check out Freya's haunt because it sounds interesting.

>>8217509
You're a mercenary systems operator. You can hack most computer systems, read radar, sonar, and a number of other sensors with ease. You are the voice in the earpiece for your partner, Sergei. He does the shooting, you make sure he's pointed the right way. Among a plethora of technical skills, you're also pretty handy with a pistol, rifle, and if worse comes to worse a crowbar will suffice. You're healthy, neither exceptionally strong nor fast, but damn are you smart.

Among the things on your person are a .45 ACP sidearm, cellcomm, eyepice/headset, and some cash. (55 creds, plus account access key). You are wearing jeans, boots, and t-shirt.

You press the gas and head for Freya's.

(w/o reply, will go directly to that)

>>8217623
You find yourself at Freya's, a bar that an old friend used to run- does she still run it? The neon sign blinks steadily as ever, and the glow from within the tinted windows assures you that it still has patronage. You park nearby and pocket your keys, sauntering in through the bar's door. Inside is slightly hazy with smoke, smelling thickly of cigarettes, booze, incense and pipe tobacco. There are close to half a dozen people at the bar, a couple at a pool table, but you don't recognize the bartender. For one, it's a man. You keep looking, and stop by a wall of photos, recognizing yourself from your academy days...

"You! Hot damn, if it ain't tha Brainiac himself!" You know that voice, and that South Texas drawl anywhere. It's Freya!

She's gotten a bit more buff since you last saw her, but carries the same swagger. She walks straight up to you and pulls the pipe from her teeth.

"This is for leaving."

She socks you in the jaw, hard enough to make you see stars.

"This is for comin' back."

The combination of having your crotch grabbed and her tongue down your throat- to say the least- catches you off guard.

What now?

bump

[Shameless self-bump.]

[Why not?]

Roll with it. We definitely have some history with her, so I doubt she'll react poorly to us reciprocating her gesture.

Roll with it, find out if anything new has been happening in the area.

>>8218014
>>8217969

You return the favor, not being too rusty at this sort of thing yourself. In short order you have your back against the wall and a very enthusiastic inferna groping you in full view of the entire bar. When you both finally come up for air, she just smiles at you.

"Haven't seen you since Houston. Academy days, Sam... where ya been?"

"UH... Systems operator. Work with a merc outside of Caohuila... What's the world been up to while I was gone?"

She pauses, a somewhat disappointed smile on her face. "And here I thought ya was just in ta fuck me hello..." Freya chuckles a little and looks you in the eye with that aint-afraid-a-nothin' stare. "Ty, Berkley and the boys got on the force, sent around the country. Everyone of'em bit it. I hear Hugo's tradin' in arms nowadays. Joey's out somewhere huntin' bounties, Mack's haulin' cargo from here to Seattle, and I'm still here... 'cept I don't need a bouncer, now." She nibbles the edge of yur ear in the way that makes a shiver run down your spine. The lady's more than forward.

There is a silence, and you realize the entire bar is staring at you two. Relations between humans and inferni are strained at best, despite the best efforts of the law. They look at you like you're both insane. Freya's giving you silent permission to run like hell before you get lynched.

Any bright ideas?

Grab her, get in the truck, and drive like hell to somewhere safer for the time being. Hopefully if you don't have any assholes tailing you, stop off over by the hotel.

Size up your odds of taking on this entire bar by yourself. After realising it's hopeless, haul ass to the truck, pull out ASAP. Remember to pay her another visit when things calm down. Til then, well, that deli's still open, right?

>>8218456
>>8218422
"Run, dumbass!"

She throws your grip off her arm and shoves you at the door. You fumble with the keys but get it in the ignition and the engine growls to life. You look back in the bar and Freya is turning those bastards end-over, delivering an ass-kicking more than worthy of her namesake. One man, bald and mean looking, limps out of the bar wielding a pistol. Freya grabs him and slams his face to the door jamb. Even at six-to-one, that woman has the advantage.

"I said GIT!" she yells after you, before throwing herself back into the fray.

Damn, she always could mix it up better than anyone at the academy.

You mash the gas pedal to the floor and get thrown back in your seat as the hovertruck leaps off the line and zips down the street. You make it fourteen blocks, take three turns, and make sure you're not being tailed. Classical ubran warfare strategy, you remember. You're easily making fifty, and try to decide between sleep and food. You need both, and the back seat of the cab has only one more pack of rations.

While thinking, you pause at a stoplight to grab your cellcomm and text your old friend, "See you again, soon." She'll understand. You link your cellcomm to the city-wide net linkup, and slip on your headset. The eyepiece wirelessly connects with the cellcomm and you plot out a route. The Goldbergstein Deli, Hugo's Pro Arms, and a generic motel are all on the same route. Breathing a sigh of relief, you make the shortest trip first: the deli.

This deli business is making me hungry for a cuban sandwich.

Keep it coming OP, this quest deserves more attention than its getting thus far.

>>8218699
[Me too, and thanks. :D Now back to your regularly scheduled quest!]

You used to come to this place all the time back in the day. Back when the Marshalls were a shining figure of authority, back when you were young and all your academy buddies would come here for lunch. Mortimer (Short Mort to you and your friends) always had the best pastrami, hands down. Who else bothered to make his own spicy mustard, pickle all his own goods... your stomach growls and you press the gas a little harder. Damn, this is making you hungry. How you go from horny to hungry without batting an eyelash has always been a strength for you, Mr. Imperturbable. You pull up to 57th, and look over to your right.

You hunger becomes a cold lump that drops when you see what's become of Ol' Short Mort. You recognize his balding head, attached to the bullet-riddled body slumped over the counter. The entire deli is shot to hell, with two cruisers parked out front, lights still flashing around. The front of the place is strapped over with yellow crimescene tape, and you see a uniformed officer interviewing a blood-smattered young woman. Your best guess (and judging from the resemblance, the apron...) is, that's Mort's niece. She's shivering, wrapped in a towel. This shithole of a city didn't even send out an ambulance.

You sit in your truck, dumbfounded. The closest person you had to a father, shot dead. Anger takes hold of you, and you dial Sergei.

"Get down here, ASAP," you growl.
"What? Why w-"
"Sergei, I haven't asked you for *jack-fucking-shit* up to now, and now I'm calling in a fucking favor. Your ass down here, NOW. Bring the biggest fucking guns you can."
Click.

Having hung up without even bothering to say goodbye, you know Sergei's packing every ounce of Semtex he can, and strapping in for the worst. This is unlike you and he knows it. The emotional turbulence subsides, and you steel yourself, wondering what to do next.

bump for great justice

Investigate the scene, try not to piss off the cops. Do some general detective work.

>>8219089
Agreed. Are there any telltale markings here? We need to first look for gang signs, or any other immediately obvious clues as to who killed Mort before we go around pissing off the cops and locals.

>>8219089
[Logging this response in my save file.
Otherwise, folks, I may call it a night on this quest & pick it up tomorrow night. Low traffic, and I am hungry as fuck.
Want me to stay, I like you enough to do so, anon. In any case, I'm breaking to go eat something.]

Talk to the niece if the cops will let you and see if you can get some information. Offer to take her somewhere safe, like Freya's. From there investigate around the local area and get some clues. Perhaps there's a place around here that has plenty of gossip?

>>8219296
The thread is also archived for now, so don't worry and just feed yourself. Food makes you strong and ready to face down the neckbeard hordes, etc.

Thank you for your awesome.

Out of curiosity, what time do you think you'll be continuing? Same time tomorrow?

>>8217390
>>8217623
>>8217830
>>8218317
>>8218629
>>8218934

Oh god. I just read all these posts in this guy's voice.

And it was fucking awesome.

>>8219364
Much appreciated! And it's my pleasure, anon.

>>8219380
Most likely midnight CST, if not earlier. I'll be true within an error margin of 30 minutes,

:D