Issue#1 "First Measures"

[SalmonMax]

Tesseract vanished from her perch and in an eyeblink was among the attacking thugs. A gun had appeared in her hand in between jumps. Erupting out of thin air between two of the street toughs, she discharged the weapon once...twice. The sound of it going off was deep, and quiet...a subsonic round. Two of them were rocked by impacts, staggering back with red blossoms appearing on their abdomens.

 

Not blood though. The rounds were non-newtonian gelatin in special capsules. Getting hit by one felt like getting punched by Arnold Schwarzenegger because of how the round flattened and expanded on impact...but it wouldn't penetrate skin, wouldn't do deep tissue damage. Tesseract wasn't executing criminals on the street.

 

She winked out then before they could do more than stop and look around at her. Another gunshot; she was over on the other side of the group. They swung around again and she vanished again. Four times, five times...pop pop pop pop...she blipped around the alley unpredictably then vanished again, each time firing with incredible precision and accuracy to incapacitate rather than seriously injure or maim. The leader she avoided as well, just depriving him of his backup so the Silver Spider could finish the job!

 

Spoiler

1. Dice MaidenAPP — Today at 11:00 PM

   SalmonMax Request: [10d6] Roll: [6, 6, 6, 5, 5, 4, 4, 3, 2, 1] Result: 42

   

   

   

    
2. 

   SalmonMax — Today at 11:00 PM

   9 successes, ouch, lol

 

1.  

[Asarasa]

Office of Beyond The Verge Investigations...

 

No coincidences, RJ thought, frowning at the shadows in the corner of the office, the shadows that were no impediment to her eyes, yet had flowed around the dragon like gauzy veils. She was still dealing with her changes, and if the exact cause was beyond her, she still understood it to be a fluke of chemistry and biology. Science, that made sense to her.

 

As a cop and detective, she had encountered things she couldn't explain rationally. Every cop did at one point or another. But the dragon spoke of something supernatural, and that was beyond her ken. She had heard things, seen things on TV, from other cities, cities with a more active Meta Scene, but still, actual magic, she hardly believed.

 

"I can probably make a bit of time for you, Detective Li, if it's someplace I can get a bite to eat," RJ replied, trying to keep her tone casual as she assumed he wanted to talk in her person, her unnaturally blue eyes flicked back to the statue sitting inscrutably on her desk.

 

Has the Tong been whispering in you ear, Detective Li? she wondered. She'd been masked, as improvised as it was, and she'd been careful, she hadn't caught a whiff of the Sai Sin Tong following her. Still, it was more than a little odd that she had been considering asking a few questions at the 9th tomorrow, and here they were calling her. She pulled out a small notebook, and started jotting down names and words, adding connecting lines and various punctuation, as she would for any investigation. She booted up her laptop - she didn't have the access she once had, but she could do a casual search to see if there was anything publicly available on a Detective Li of the 9th.

 

"Can you tell me what this is regarding?"

[Nina]

Office of Beyond The Verge Investigations...

 

There was silence on the line for a couple of seconds. “I’m a friend of Capt. Murphy’s. Do you know the Siena Tavern over by the Navy pier? Meet me there in a half hour.”

 

RJ hung up the phone, her mind already racing with possibilities. The mention of Captain Murphy only added to the intrigue. She quickly gathered her things, slipping the Jade Dragon back into her satchel before heading out of the office.

 

The rain had let up slightly, leaving the streets glistening under the soft glow of streetlights. RJ made her way to her car, thoughts swirling as she navigated through the familiar city streets. The Siena Tavern was not far from where she was, and she knew it well - a popular spot for both tourists and locals alike.

 

As she pulled up to the tavern, RJ couldn't shake the feeling that this meeting would be anything but ordinary. She pushed open the heavy wooden door and stepped into the warm ambiance of the restaurant. The smell of garlic and simmering tomato sauce filled the air, mixing with the murmur of patrons enjoying their meals.

 

Detective Li was waiting at a secluded booth in the corner, his alert eyes scanning the room as if searching for potential threats. He stood as RJ approached, a faint smile playing on his lips.

 

Detective Li looked young and appeared to be of mixed ancestry. He was average height and slender but seemed fit. Dressed in a nice suit, pricier than what most detectives would wear. He had short dark hair, but it was hard in the tavern light to tell if it was black or just a very dark brown. His features were pleasant but not exceptional with his most striking feature, pale blue eyes, which looked like ice.

 

"Detective Li, I presume?" RJ said as she slid into the booth across from him.

 

He nodded, his expression serious. "Please, call me James. And you must be Riley Vergas, or should I say RJ?"

 

RJ raised an eyebrow at the use of her alias. "You've done your homework."

 

James leaned back in his seat, his gaze never leaving hers. "I know more than just your alias, RJ. I know about your unique abilities and your… recent encounters with some of the criminal element that plague china town."

 

RJ's eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of wariness crossing her features. "And how exactly do you know all that?"

 

James paused as the waiter approached, offering them menus and taking their drink orders. As the waiter left to fulfill their drink order, they had a moment to peruse the menu and make their selections.

 

“Murph sent me a video of the robbery at the Check Cashing Store. The perps who actually robbed the place belong to a gang the operates out of chinatown. I know Murph from when she was sergeant in the 9th and I was a rookie. Murph and I got along we were both outsiders,” he barks a short laugh, “not in chinatown, in the Department.”

 

The waiter returned with their drinks, for RJ a tall, crisp Bell's Kalamazoo and for Li, a chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc that sparkled in the dim lighting. As they sipped on their drinks, the aroma of simmering steak and fragrant herbs wafted towards them from the kitchen. Their mouths watered as they perused the menu, RJ ultimately deciding on the 22 oz. Bone-In Prime Ribeye, while James opted for the House Spaghetti cooked with chunks of succulent crab meat.

 

After the waiter finished taking their order and left, James leaned in closer and lowered his voice. "As I was saying earlier, Murph sent me a video of the perfs' illegal activities. It's not surprising that they hit a shop outside of Chinatown. Crime rates have dropped significantly in CT over the past three months, but it's not because of our efforts at the Department, even though we're taking credit for it. There's a vigilante operating in CT, but we have no leads on who it could be. No one is talking. The gangs are still present and carrying out their traditional roles. But now, other crimes such as robbery, drug trafficking, gun trafficking, prostitution, human trafficking, and fraud are moving out of their usual territory."

 

 

 

[Shameless]

Marc didn't waste the opportunity the arrival of another super afforded him, and targeted the leader now, sending out a lariat of web at the leader, which wrapped around him securely, and pulled back with all his enhanced strength, Bringing the leader to him.   As he came forward, quite against his will, Marc held out his arm and performed what's best called a clothesline slam, arresting his momentum and slamming him bodily into the ground.  The webs offered some protection against breaking anything, but it was rough treatment to be sure.

He looked over his shoulder to the person he'd first questioned, who'd been pursued by these guys.  "So, why exactly were they after you?"

 

Spoiler

Shameless Request: [9d6] Roll: [6, 6, 5, 3, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1] Result: 28 7 successes

 

Edited September 5 by Shameless

[Asarasa]

The Siena Tavern...

 

RJ focused on the piece of succulent steak on her fork, the scents of fine food and fine wines permeating the restaurant that she was so much more aware of now, so that her eyes wouldn't flick towards her satchel and what was in it. James might look young, but so did she, and he seemed sharp. Has money too, considering the suit and able to get a booth at the Tavern on such short notice. 

 

Though in good shape, James was rather slim for her tastes, but good looking, and she had to admit, him knowing about her, at least some, added a certain spice. She had been anything but an outsider in the CPD, having family in the force, but she was an outsider now. Her lips curled as ideas flowed through her thoughts while she savoured a bite of the excellent ribeye...

 

She shook the distracting thoughts away with a sip of beer. "I may have noticed something about the Tongs acting outside of Chinatown while on an unrelated job," RJ admitted without added detail, while not commenting on Captain Murphy sharing her secrets. "Seems like that's an issue for the other districts. This vigilante is only helping your metrics. I'm not even on the force anymore. Not sure how this involves me." She flashed James a winsome smirk. "I'm just a new, relatively honest PI now."

[Nina]

In an Alley...

 

“I... I wasn't their target. I don't even know who they are. Or who you are, what you are?" The figure's voice was shaky and small, revealing her to be a girl upon closer inspection. Her clothes were tattered and dirty, and her hair was cropped short.

 

Marc took in the girl's appearance and words, his glowing eyes softening with understanding. He reached out a hand to help her up from the ground, speaking in a gentle tone, "You're safe now. You don't have to be afraid anymore."

 

The girl hesitated for a moment before cautiously taking his hand, allowing him to pull her to her feet. She looked up at him with a mix of fear and gratitude in her eyes.

 

As the commotion in the alley began to settle, Gwen appeared beside Marc and the girl, her suit emitting a soft glow as she surveyed the scene. "Looks like you had things under control," she remarked with a smile.

 

Marc nodded in response before turning back to the girl. "What's your name?" he asked kindly.

 

The girl hesitated before timidly whispering, "Aria."

 

Gwen's expression softened at the sound of the girl's name. "Well, Aria, it seems like you've had a rough night."

 

An electronic voice interrupted from the entrance of the alley, "It's about to get rougher."

 

Both Tesseract and Silver Spider spun around to face the source of the voice and saw an eight-foot-tall robotic creature standing at the mouth of the alley.

 

 

[Nina]

The Siena Tavern...

 

James raised an eyebrow at RJ's nonchalant demeanor. He took a sip of his wine, swirling it around in his glass before setting it back down on the table. "The thing is, RJ, this vigilante seems to have a particular interest in these criminal activities spilling out of Chinatown," he began, his pale blue eyes piercing through her facade.

 

"He or she is targeting those who are exploiting the vulnerable, preying on the innocent. And from what I've gathered, you have a reputation for seeking justice, even if it means bending the rules a little." James leaned back in his seat, assessing RJ's reaction carefully.

 

RJ felt a flicker of unease at James' words. She hadn't expected her actions to draw attention from someone like him. She had always operated under the radar, doing what needed to be done without seeking recognition.

 

She met James' gaze squarely. "If you're implying that I have something to do with this vigilante," she started.

 

“No, no… definitely not. But you are a detective and you have talents. This Vigilante probably means well, most assuredly does, mean well, but their actions are upsetting the balance of power, not just in chinatown, but in the whole city. We need to talk to this person. To do that we need to find them. To find them I need you.”

[Shameless]

"Okay, Badass power armor, or maybe some sort of android.  Either way,  that's a new one.  Clearly, someone's been playing abit too much 40K."   He sighed inwardly, even as he tried to discern any weakpoint.   His danger sense was still pinging actively, and he wasn't smiling at all.  They had to protect the civilian and subdue or escape from the armor.  He surmised it could be an android, but at the same time the way it stood screamed that there was a human inside, or at least calling the shots.

"So you gonna tell me what this is all about, before or after we do this?"  He was ready in a defensive position between Aria and their robotic attacker, gearing up to fight a defensive battle.

[Asarasa]

All likelihood, I'm looking for the same woman, RJ mused as she continued to make short work of her big steak. Should have taken my activities on the down low more seriously, it's starting to bite me in the ass. Only getting a real mask, now. Idiot! James Li was too clever by half, or had friends in all the right places. Probably both.

 

"Splash back outside of Chinatown is unfortunate, but I can't say I'm all opposed to the disruption." RJ admitted. She finished her beer with a long pull, then caught the eye of their waiter and with a pointed nod, ordered another. And she didn't have to bend as many rules as she would have, had she still had a badge. "Seems like you don't mind a few creatively interpreted rules, either, James."

 

She offered him a brief smile to soften any accusation. "Let's say I'm willing to help you find this... person." Whoops! That was almost a careless mistake I'm sure Li wouldn't have missed. "How do you see us going about it? I'm going to stand out in Chinatown. Even with a mask."

 

She stood out almost as bad in Ashburn, where demographics said whites were about 10%, but at least she had learned Spanish in her rookie year to be deal with the residents in her first precinct.