Section 2: Going For Ace, Try 2

[Charybdis Richelle]

{GM}

After receiving the text from El Cid that warns that he and Ace will arrive in about 5 minutes, the team arrives at Equanimity Estates. Revs drops off most of the team in front of the troll building in which Cid lives. Baby Blue rides along in the front passenger seat when Revs drives off to park the minibus in the driveway for the main office where the two of them can keep an eye on the action at the troll building without being too obvious.

Everyone hurriedly prepares. As the team gets ready, they have time to really take in the area. Doing so, they notice that this building seems oddly proportioned. As Pacman climbs the stairs, he notes the risers are unusually high and wide. Each of the double doors seems as large as one double door would be. The knobs, lock, and scanner all sit higher than comfortable height for a human. The flowered hedges are extremely tall. The trees are tall and wide. Slowly as they put the pieces together, they realize this whole area is proportioned for trolls.

Skye casts Improved Invisibility on both Pacman and herself. Pacman takes up position on the west side of the doorway. Headstone moves to hide in the flower hedges to the west of Pacman while Tears takes up the east position in the hedge. Skye goes even farther east, stopping across from the last parking space. Bone Biter scrambles up the tree directly across the round drive from the doorway.

Two or three minutes after the last of the team gets in place, Ace’s Landrover pulls into the entrance circle from the east, moving west. This puts the passenger-side towards the building. He stops the van so that the front-passenger seat lines up with the door into the building. The passenger-side lock clicks open.

---

ooc: The van pulling up is NOT part of the Combat Turn. The Combat Turn starts when Ace stops the van. If you would like to make a free Perception roll to see if you notice the approach before the van pulls into the entrance you may. (Yes, those of you with Astral Perception may do that if you rather.)

OOC2: Ace takes two Free Actions, but since he's already used one, the second becomes a Simple Action. He also use Simple Action. Ace also Declares a Free Action at the end of Cid's Phase on 7. He Declares his Movement as Stationary.

OOC3: I suspect that Combat Turn 1 will go pretty fast as most of you will be making Delayed Actions, but I am going through it Phase by Phase anyway.

OOC4: Headstone is up on 29.

[Juramenta]

ooc
Free action: observe

Simple action: observe

Simple action: observe

/ooc

{Headstone}

Headstone observes his surroundings while remaining in stealth.

[Charybdis Richelle]

{GM}

In the early hours of the morning, little traffic goes by, so the brightening of the surroundings as a vehicle pulls off of the city street into the Equanimity Estates draws Headstone’s attention. He spots Ace’s van as it approaches the entrance circle to Cid’s building and slowly pulls to the curb, neatly parallel parking in front of the steps. He is keenly aware when the lock snicks open on the passenger side. The engine never shuts off. He hears muffled conversation within, but nothing loud enough to make out. He notes no sign of other moving vehicles or pedestrians.

---

OOC: Headstone devotes all of his attention to observation.

OOC2: Tears is up on 8 (a).

[kennethboyd69]

Tears

Tears will hold action to wait for things to kick off

once things kick off she will rush (run) to ace and attempt to subdue him either willingly bound or by shock glove

[Charybdis Richelle]

{GM}

Tears stands waiting.

---

OOC: Bone Biter is up on 8 (b)

[Ozgood13]

{Bone Biter}

Bone drops out of the tree. Knowing if seen, the driver may focus on him, Bone becomes the distraction.

Sprinting towards the back of the van at top speed, he tries to make it behind the van.

[Charybdis Richelle]

{GM}

Apparently forgetting the plan altogether, Bone Biter drops from the tree and starts moving towards the back of Ace’s van.

---

OOC: Bone Biter Declared his Movement for this Turn to be Walking. That limits his speed for the Turn to his Quickness. Having a Quickness of 3, he drops from the tree as a Free Action and walks 3 m towards the back of Ace's van.

OOC2: El Cid is up on 7.

[Tay-Dor]

[El Cid]

El Cid opens the door as he says, "Thanks for the ride, Omae." he starts whistling the tune of "The Gambler" as made popular by Kenny Rogers as he gets out of the van. He walks up to the door and starts fumbling in his pocket for his keycard to get into the building. He casually looks around wondering where the others are and hopes they don't blow it this time.

ooc: Free action talk to Ace
ooc: Simple action open the vehicle door.
ooc: get out and move 3 meters to the door.
ooc: Simple action perception roll: 2, 4, 4, 4 (I do have Thermographic Vision)

[Charybdis Richelle]

{GM}

Ace chuckles at Cid’s whistling, nods, and says, “Watch your back.” Cid recognizes the runner's motto as Ace’s typical goodbye.

---

OOC: Ace uses his Declared Free Action at the end of Cid's Phase to say his goodbye.

OOC2: Revs is up on 5 (b).

[shaidar]

{Revs}

Revs watches the scene unfold from the darkness of the van, ready to speed over to the group when they message him.

Delayed action: drive the van to the group.

[Charybdis Richelle]

{GM}

Revs keeps his foot on the gas pedal, his eyes on the scene, and his ears on the message indicator.

---

OOC: Pacman is up on 5(b).

[CoyotesLuck]

{Pacman}
Pacman steps close to El Cid where the troll provides cover from the turret and Ace, aiming his Thunderbolt at El Cid's neck. "Ace, Parlely"

[Charybdis Richelle]

{GM}

The invisible Pacman’s seemingly disembodied voice calls out for Ace to parley.

---

OOC: Skye is up on 4.

[Gremlin]

{Skye}

When Skye hears Pacman address Ace, she drops the invisibility on him so Ace knows there's a gun pointed at his head. She then casts a Stunbolt at Ace.

[Charybdis Richelle]

{GM}

Skye drops the invisibility on Pacman so that Ace can see that Pacman has a gun aimed at Cid. She gathers mana, intending to cast but is stymied by the fact that she cannot see Ace in the van through the safety-darkened windows. She holds the gathered energy, waiting for a chance to release it.

---

OOC: Skye uses a Free Action to drop the Improved Invisibility on Pacman. She holds a Complex Action to cast a Stunbolt at him as soon as he comes into view.

OOC2: Baby Blue is up on 3.

[archolewa]

{Baby Blue}

Baby Blue studies Ace's van with her binoculars and listens carefully, looking for any suspicious sights or sounds, whether they be something coming from Ace's van, or sounds that might suggest someone else stumbling on the location.


----
Simple Action: Observe in Detail

[Charybdis Richelle]

{GM}

The area seems calm. Traffic on the main street is light. Traffic on the complex roads is nonexistent. She sees no signs of pedestrians.

Ace releases his safety harness and leans flat against the seat, stretching his arms to reach and close the door that El Cid left open. The door automatically locks the moment the door is closed.

“I’m listening, Pacman,” the spider says. “What are your terms to let Cid leave unharmed?”

---

OOC: Ace uses a Free Action to release his safety harness. He uses a Simple Action (It would have been Free, but he already used his Free Action) to lean over and close the door without actually Moving from his seat. He uses another Simple Action to close the door. Ace will Declare a Free Action at the End of Headstone's Phase on 19

OOC2: Headstone is up on 19. I didn't see anything that would trigger your Delayed Action. So, I am going to wait to see if you want to respond to Ace or continue to Delay. Since no one else besides you and Ace have Actions left this round, I wanted to give you the choice before I let Ace take his next Action. Basically, I wanted to give you a chance to do or say anything before Ace goes again.

[Juramenta]

{Headstone}

Their goal of getting Ace away from his car and more importantly, his turret, has not yet been achieved. So Headstone remains where he is.
He is reminded, however, how he would make for a terrible face. The furthest he would have gotten is to yell at Ace to get his fraggin hoop out and away from that car, or threaten to splatter El Cid's brains all over the sidewalk. He finds Pacman's more gentle strategy intriguing and is interested to see how it will play out.

[Charybdis Richelle]

{GM}

Headstone remains in place, reflecting and waiting for his moment to attack.

Ace sits within his van pushing back irritation at them for delaying him from his business once again and reminding himself that they are not toying with him, deliberately drawing things out before delivering their demands. They are not even unreasonably slow; he’s the one jacked up, making the rest of the world seeming to move in slow-motion. As he ponders this, Ace’s actions remain unseen by the team.

They do, however, hear the van’s security system engage. “This vehicle is protected with lethal force. Provide voice print and biometrics or step away from the vehicle.”

Calling out, Ace says, “If I agree to your terms, I want your word, one professional to another.”

---

OOC: Ace takes a Free Action to re-engaged the security system on his van. He takes a Simple Action to do something unknown by the team, and he takes a Simple Action to speak his two sentences to speak to the team.

OOC2: Headstone is up on 9. I am pretty sure that he will continue to Delay his Action...

OOC3: So, with that in mind, to prepare, everyone please roll initiative for Combat Turn 2.

[Charybdis Richelle]

{GM}

Since no one has yet responded, Ace continues, “If I agree to your terms, I want your word, Headstone – and the word of everyone on your team – that you will immediately release El Cid – unharmed. But I will sweeten the pot. If after I agree to your terms, you keep your word and release Cid unharmed, I give you my word that I won’t kill you – any of you – for this ill-conceived little incident.”

---

OOC: Since Juramenta rolled iggies and from our private conversation on Discord, I know that Headstone is continuing to Delay his Action until Pacman gives his signal. (I am no just assuming that and skipping him.)

OOC2: Ace 's Declared Movement for Turn 2 is Running. Since he doesn't know exactly what Pacman's terms might be, he wants to allow enough Movement to be able to abide if he decides to do so or to act if he decides otherwise. Unseen by the team, Ace takes a Free Action. He has used a Complex Action to speak his short paragraph which is too long for a Simple Action. He is Declaring a Free Action at the end of the first enemy who speaks. (I as GM am guessing that will be Pacman, but Ace will respond to whomever speaks first.)

OOC3: If anyone wants to cancel a previously Declared Delayed Action, you may do so and the end of Turn 1. If you don't do that now, it stands until you are up in Phase 1.

OOC4: Headstone is up on 23. This one I will hold for an in character response, especially since I am still waiting on many players to roll iggies... And since Ace called him out directly.