Drake
Newcomer
PL: 60,000
Smolder (x2P) Ignition (x4P)
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Post by Drake on Sept 28, 2020 20:01:55 GMT -6
SHADY SOUTH DEALS
Drake's PL: 40,000 | Items: Devil Lamp
If a leather-wearing foul-mouthed grumpy diminutive teenager wasn't already distinct enough, he certainly stuck out among the group of a half-dozen older men all sporting varying shades of black and gray suits. "Nichols," Drake piped up, mood sour as he plucked a well-chewed wheat stalk from his mouth. "What' the time lookin' like? If our buyer isn't here soon I'm calling the deal a bust." This special transaction had been scheduled to occur twenty minutes ago in the abandoned 'Come & Go!' corporate HQ down by South City's docks. The salty smell of brine and the pungent odor of fish dominated the air while relentless waves of seawater and bitter gusts drove inland chipped away at the aging metal structures left alone on the 'bad side' of town. It wasn't a pleasant place to be in, and having the gall to keep a Tatsuryu waiting was a surefire way to get yourself into trouble.
The smartly dressed gangster rolled up a sleeve, glancing at his watch and grumbling. "Seven fifteen on the dot, boss." Scoffing, the boy kicked a rusted can off into the rolling water below. Smoothing over his jacket out of pure boredom, the boy inwardly sighed as he resigned himself to five more minutes of waiting. While it was well within his right, AND in his best interest, to assume the deal was canceled once the twenty-minute mark was reached actually securing the buyer's money was crucial. The family wasn't necessarily bleeding money but with recent crackdowns getting a large stash of backup cash stowed away wasn't a bad thing, and this shipment was supposedly going to see for clean up-front. The government both at large and on a local level had gotten way more invested in stopping the distribution of their product lately which was a source of frustration. It was the family's largest cash cow and having some Feds sticking their nose into the business only irritated Drake to no end.
It would usually be a shut case for him to rough up the badged idiots throwing monkey wrenches into the Tatsuryu gears, but explicit warnings from Vern himself made it clear that using his powers to any great extent could risk collapsing far more dangerous individuals on their operation. For now they played by standard Earthling rules but if Drake were to start really flexing his strength...? It'd only end in the bulk of their subordinates getting hopelessly outclassed by the dozens of superpowered flying planet-buster freaks. The distant sound of diesel reached Drake's ears before anyone else, the gangster straightening out and gesturing to the rest of his present crew. "Look alive, I think our buyer is finally here with two minutes to spare." Overseeing deals wasn't usually on the agenda for the head honchos of the family, but Drake wanted field experience. It could only help to know what kind of brass tacks and sweat went into executing the grunt work rather than just barking orders from the other end of an oak-and-ivory laminate desk.
A nondescript light blue-hued van pulled around the side of the building slowly, specks of rust dotting the side of the vehicle as the tinted windows reflected only a slight glimmer of the fading sunlight from across the bay. Drake himself looked relaxed while the rest of the crew laid hands on their concealed weapons, not making any moves to draw them yet as the group stared at the vehicle with a collectively held breath. The door slid open with a creaking groan, an immaculately polished shoe being the first thing the gangsters saw as a man stepped out, a suit coat slung over his shoulder. A pair of frigid, calculating sea-green eyes swept over the assembled crew as no words were exchanged for a moment. The stranger waved his hand, the engine on the van cutting off as a few well-dressed goons followed shortly after, each carrying a metal-clasped suitcase in hand. Bowing ever so slightly, the man spoke: "My apologies for the delay. At one point in our journey, a police detachment had seemingly taken an interest in our transportation. I am Salamon. You are the Tatsuryu Family, yes? I believe you had a certain something I'm looking for..."
Drake motioned for one his crew to step forward, the man silently opening a metallic cooler to reveal the product within... several cans of Hetap Mega Xtreme. The 'drink', if you could even call it that, was said to contain illegal ingredients outlawed by the food regulation bureau and granted the drinker a state of hyper lucidity. Powerful stuff, and something Drake had no interest in partaking of himself. The Tatsuryus were distributors and sellers, not users. Salamon in turn gestured one of his own lackeys forward. "May he?" The man said in reference to the opened cooler. Drake gave a curt nod and the suited individual picked up a single can, examining and shaking it ever so slightly. Nodding, he placed it back in the cooler and returned to his master's side. "High-quality stuff you have here. I think I shall be glad we ended up making this deal... that is of course assuming you have the rest of the shipment?" Rolling his eyes, the young Tatsuryu spoke: "Of course. And I'm assuming you have the proper payment in turn?" Underworld business transactions like this were mutual arrangements. The goods were exchanged at the same time if you had any brains. No money meant no Hetap.
Nichols moved to accept a suitcase, opening it and glancing over the bundles of Zeni with a critical eye. Flipping through a few bills to ensure their authenticity, he gave a nod of approval. Unspoken the two groups of minions moved to exchange cooler for case. One small amount of Hetaps was worth a small fortune, and Salamon was sparing no expenses in buying their entire stock. Now, in the midst of this sensitive deal, all seemed to be going well... however there was no way of predicting what could possibly come next. Something, or more accurately, someone could stumble in on this at any given moment and disrupt the entire operation.
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Post by Chromo on Sept 28, 2020 20:47:25 GMT -6
SHADY SOUTH DEALS
CHROMO'S PL: 200,000
An unholy growl echoed across South City's bustling streets. Something that sounded straight from the depths of hell, rumbling with an insatiable hunger that a passerby could only assume would be only sated by the souls of the innocent...
...Was in actuality the grumble of a hungry beetle boy's stomach having a temper tantrum.
"UuuUUghhh." Chromo moaned, flopped atop the roof of an apartment complex. He was famished. He'd spent most of the day trying to find something cool to wear now that Tarch had taken his jacket back- now he just felt naked without something around his neck. That and he was still searching for more people to help him train and hunt for when Shenron was done sleeping. And food, his stomach handily reminded him with another rumble. Don't forget about food.
The wild child snorted in disdain, eyes scanning the dark cityscape as he tiredly lifted his head. But what could he eat? He sniffed the air. The distant scent of a sushi shop a few blocks down caught his attention first... But he was also pretty sure he could smell some freshly cooked steak somewhere at a cookout. Was that the tantalizing scent of bacon around the corner, too? His mouth watered, and his stomach roared again.
However, at the all-too familiar scent of a certain juiced-up beverage close by, Chromo's eyes went wide as his pupils dilated at the mere thought of his new target. Hetap Xtreme.
Chromo's mouth watered, a few flecks of poisonous saliva dripping from his fangs as he pushed himself upright. He could kill for a Hetap right now- sure, he had the one he'd made himself, but he was saving that for a special occasion. And by the smell of it, the motherlode was nearby. The beetle crept across the rooftops, nose held high as he tracked down the shady transaction commencing not far from his resting spot...
And there it was. The best thing an insectoid abomination could ever hope to grace his tastebuds with. From the shadows of the rooftops nearby, keen eyes may have been able to pick out two beady eyes staring down as Chromo surveyed the scene. Sure, there were a few humans seemingly guarding the stash, but his hunger was obviously more important than whatever was happening here.
Both sides approached to exchange, and that was when Chromo saw his moment to strike.
"MINE." With his 'indisputable' proclamation of ownership, right as the cooler was being traded over, a sharp-toothed blur pounced from the shadows, slamming right into the cooler and sending it careening to the side if none were quick enough to intervene. The beetle's abdomen stuck out as he ravenously sunk his teeth into one of the cans, uncaring of the poor, unsuspecting Earthlings who he'd rudely interrupted, or how they'd take their goods being consumed right in front of their very eyes...
Drake |
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Drake
Newcomer
PL: 60,000
Smolder (x2P) Ignition (x4P)
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Post by Drake on Sept 28, 2020 21:07:10 GMT -6
Something was amiss. Drake wasn't sure what it was, and judging by the lax nature of the deal it wasn't coming from the buyers. His sensing skills were rusty (and that was being generous) so the sudden overwhelming pressure on the back of the boy's mind was overwhelming. "Nick," He turned to his trusted partner, a grimace on his face. "I think something is headed this way. I-" And then he felt it. The deathly stare coming from across the wharf. Locking eyes with the distant creature for a second, Drake said nothing... and then it came barreling towards them in the blink of an eye. "FU-!" With a rush of wind the bug toppled one of the coolers, Nichols acting quickly to catch it with his foot as a distant coating of flames roared to life atop Drake's jacket. "The Hell!?" He half-demanded half-exclaimed towards the rogue beetle thing. While most of the product and money had been exchanged, Chromo's sudden arrival had thrown the entirety of both groups into a full-fledged frenzy with weapons being drawn left and right.
"That thing is strong..." He growled, staring at it. Two-hundred thousand was even stronger than his maximum, though Drake could push himself to a win. He had to! Nobody could just carelessly interrupt a deal like this and start consuming their product! "Listen here you little shit, apologize before I-" Nichols, a wary expression plastered over his face, held a hand out to Drake. The Tatsuryu wasn't sure what the veteran was doing exactly, but his intuition was rarely wrong. "Don't," He gave Drake a curt warning. "His name is Chromo. Some sort of bio-weapon. Blew up a city once... and definitely way stronger than you. I'm not entirely sure what you sensed but trust me, boss, we don't want to mess with him." The gangster growled irritably, unsure of how to proceed. Letting this thing get away with blatant theft wouldn't do well for his image or his profits. "Chromo, right?" Drake steadied his voice, powers fading back to a low burn as he took a few steps towards the bug.
"I'm sure you're a big fan of Hetap but that stuff is the special kind, you get me? How would you feel if someone broke into your stash and stole all your special flavors and mixes?" Some sort of compensation was in order seeing as the gremlin had already sunk his teeth into the first can, spoiling it. Yet what kind of bio-weapon carried around cash or valuables!? "So, look, you did just kind of steal that from me, you understand. I'd be willing to give you even more but you need to pay for it... and for the can you're already finishing off." As much as Drake didn't put stock in diplomatic efforts, the other option was trying to fight the thing and getting bodied in the process. he was strong and from what he could sense this Chromo wasn't too far out of his league, but Nichols' words were highly valued and so the gangster decided to take a measured approach.
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Post by Derrick Ottoy on Sept 28, 2020 22:20:58 GMT -6
"Back in South once again. This case better be good, John."
Derry mutters to himself as he was strolling along the sidewalk. The message the boss had back in North City stated that he'll find a briefcase of some kind here. This pretty much confirmed the worst: John has been kidnapped by the Renegades. He didn't know where they were, nor did he know the specific location of the briefcase. The only hint regarding the location was that it was located somewhere within the docks. That still left Derry with checking several different warehouses, but if that's what it'll take to find John, then he'll do it. The second matter was that the recording John left behind requested that Derry didn't look at the contents of the briefcase. Under normal circumstances, Derry would happily oblige with the boss' request, but in their current situation, he just can't resist. As for the third matter, a warning that the Tatsuryu family was operating over by the docks and that he should take great care. But that just raised more questions. Why did John feel that he needed to warn Derry about the Tatsuryucrime family? The last time he checked, they were neutral between each other. Could it be that they have some information regarding the case? Also, how did the boss know that the crime family is operating in the docks as well? How old was this recording?
At long last, Derry finally made his way to the docks. He knew the harbor would likely reek of fish, but Derry never realized how overwhelming the smell was. Seagulls were swarming the docks, picking up any stray fish lying around. Dozens of shipmates are constantly moving around large crates, both loading and unloading from the various different vessels. Perhaps there was at least some other hint as to where the briefcase was located, then this shouldn't take too long. Derry's thoughts immediately settled on seeking out the Tatsuryu family. He didn't feel like having to search the entire dock to find the briefcase, and it would be interesting to finally be acquainted with them. After walking about for a good couple of minutes, keeping his eyes peeled for both Renegades and the Tatsuryu family, Derry finally stumbled upon the 'Come & Go!' headquarters, which was abandoned long ago. "Well," Derry said to himself, "That would be one of the first places I would go." Derry approaches the corner of the building and takes a peak around. Sure enough, there were several sharply dressed men, likely gangsters. "Jackpot," Derry whispers.
Derry realizes, however, that they're all staring at something, although at his current position, he couldn't see what they're all staring at. He extends his neck just a bit further, and immediately backs away from the corner. He couldn't quite describe what exactly he saw. Derry thought he saw some sort of big beetle, almost 2' tall, and it seemed like it was messing around with some sort of... soft drink? "Well, what a bizarre situation I'm about to get into," Derry uttered to himself as he moved past the corner and started approaching. "What do we have here?" Derry asked loudly enough for the gangsters and beetle to hear him, "I don't think I've ever seen something so strange before, and I've fought a goddamn ghost alongside a sword master and a namekian. Sorry to be a bit of a bother, but do any of you just so happen to belong to the Tatsuryu crime family?" Derry pauses for a response, but soon continues, "I don't mean any harm. I just got a couple of questions. Also," Derry points his finger at the giant beetle, "What... are you?"
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Post by Chromo on Sept 28, 2020 22:31:17 GMT -6
CHROMO'S PL: 200,000
Chromo popped his head out of the cooler at the sound of the peeved human hybrid's voice, with a half-devoured Hetap Xtreme- can and all- still stuffed in his unhinged jaws. "...Whuht?" He blinked and looked up at Drake innocently, his juvenile and squeaky voice muffled by the soda can in his mouth. He puffed out his chest and cracked a smug smile at the offhand coment of his strength, but moments later he was just confused what the word "shit" meant and why it was being used in relation to himself.
Drake's friend seemed to put a lid on his temper for the time being, warning him of the beetle's strength. However, this 'compliment' left a sour taste in Chromo's mouth. "Shut up," He snarled, quickly putting two and two together to discern what event Nichols was referencing. He bared his fangs, his jaws parting uncomfortably wide into a snarl. "I only blew up a few buildings, say anything else about that dumb day and I'll blow up you instead of a city." His... episode in West City was not something Chromo liked being reminded of.
Shaking off his own rage quickly in favor of refocusing onto Drake, Chromo tilted his head in childlike innocence as Drake tried to play off of what little empathy Chromo was capable of. "Well duh it's special, that's why I drank it, silly. Don't all people drink things when they're thirsty?" He licked a few droplets from his fangs, nestling into the cooler like a mother bird and its eggs. If his general demeanor, squeaky voice and general ignorance was any giveaway, the gangsters were not just dealing with a bio-weapon, but a child bio-weapon.
He tilted his head, processing the human's words with the grace of an ancient computer connecting to dial-up internet. "Well, I'd smack them before they could get to my stash, obviously." He chirped back, but furrowed his brows at the mention of payment. "You mean those papers and metal discs you grown-ups like for some reason?" Chromo was referring to zeni and currency as a whole. "Blech. I never understand why you adults like those so much..."
"Hmmmmmmm... I guess you have a point though..." He teethed on another can of Hetap as he mulled over his thoughts... Thankfully for the gangsters, Tarch had taught Chromo some basic human customs and decency. This was just like trading Saibamon cards, except with Hetap instead and whatever he had on him to trade. "Well I cooould--"
Before he could elaborate, another voice called out. Chromo turned his head like an owl, beady eyes locking onto Derrick. "Hello, pink human!" Chromo waved from the cooler. He shrugged as the man asked for some crime family, before turning his sights to the beetle in confusion. "Am Chromo." He answered Derrick between sips of Hetap like it was the most obvious thing in the world and needed no further elaboration.
"Anyways, other human!" Chromo chirped, setting down his can for the time being. "I could let you play on my Baotendo swap for a bit! I've got all the unlocks and super secret achievements in Serpent Master EX Six!" He pulled out the little console from under his wings. "Ooor if you have more Hetap where that came from, I could do some errands or something. But psssshhh, that's boring by comparison." A few rounds of video games on an worn console with a few bite marks and saliva on the chipped controllers, or a favor from a being with the power to annihilate planets with one mighty attack? It was going to be a difficult choice...
Drake -> Derrick Ottoy |
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Drake
Newcomer
PL: 60,000
Smolder (x2P) Ignition (x4P)
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Post by Drake on Sept 29, 2020 8:19:08 GMT -6
"Sorry about that, fella," Nichols was quick to try and smooth the unintended insult over. "Didn't know you weren't a fan, so considered my lips sealed on that subject." Really, talking someone down was the only method the veteran criminal could really employ when it came to high-powered individuals like this. A regular human might get coerced by a gun, but normal people also couldn't really harm the powerful, be they bug or humanoid. Too bad the event had already been brought to light, and while the promise to mention it again would be kept Drake had already gleaned what information he needed to know. "Of course you'd smack them before they got to it, but let's just say that someone managed to get some and drank it without your permission. What would you do aside from anything violent?" The more and more Chromo spoke the less hope Drake had of actually convincing the childish weapon of war of anything.
"We like the paper and metal discs because other people will take them in exchange for cool stuff like food and video games. ...Besides I'm not even that old, I'm still a teenager." Sure nineteen was pretty much an adult, but Drake didn't really want to consider what that meant for him. Forgotten this whole time, Salamon cleared his throat to garner attention before speaking: "I'm not sure what to think of this situation," He said mildly "Were you offering this thing more of the product that had already been promised to us? One would certainly consider that breaking the deal we had in place." A few guns were drawn to emphasize the point... not that someone like Drake needed to worry about it. "Nichols," The Tatsuryu said calmly. "Secure one of the coolers we still have for Chromo here. As for you, the deal was a suitcase per cooler. You got the fair exchange rate promised and if you don't like it..." A burst of fire appeared in Drake's palm, flickering menacingly. "Then be my guest, stick around so I can melt your flesh from those bones."
Another sudden energy reading caused Drake to swivel his head in growing frustration, a dangerous glint in his eye as a pink-hued gangster strolled onto the scene. Judging by his words they haven't affiliated with Salamon yet something about him was familiar. "Dirty Snake," Nichols grumbled, hefting a cooler for use in trading with the bio-android. "Powers similar to yours, bossman." One of these days Drake really needed to sit down and learn all the high-profile people so Nichols didn't have to keep telling this shit to him. One of thee days... "One does simply walk into a deal and then demand to know who the ringleader is. That is, unless you have a deathwish." Despite the threat, Drake made no move towards hostility, simply glowering at the man. "We might be of even power right now but I assure you if you think you can coerce us with strength you're dead wrong." Chromo didn't have much to say to pinkman, which was fine. Drake wanted his attention on their impromptu deal anyway.
"We have more," The gangster promised, Nichols sliding over a compact cooler of four more cans. "Not that I recommend drinking them all in the same day. These are the questionably legal variety that contain enough additives and sugar to give a T-Rex cardiac arrest five times over." Then again it wasn't like Chromo was a natural creature. Maybe whatever scientists slapped this thing together also gave it a lead belly? "I appreciate the offer on the console, but you see I too already own one. ...And the game, too. I'm pretty high in competitive online play all things considered!" Too friendly. Back to the matter at hand. "Ahem. Anyway, I'll cash in on the offer of a favor. I don't have anything I want to ask of you right now but I'll give you a ring if something comes up. It won't be too hard or boring either, I promise."
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Post by Derrick Ottoy on Sept 29, 2020 9:47:06 GMT -6
Derry just continued staring at the beetle, wearing an unamused expression on his face. "That..." Derry responds back, "doesn't really answer my question, but I don't really feel like pressing that issue specifically. You keep on enjoying your soft drinks, buddy." Derry just couldn't keep his eyes off of that thing, what with its multiple shades of color, the sheer size of the bug, or even how immature it was. With the way it was acting, maybe it could be just a little kid. Was it some sort of alien, or is it one of those fancy bio androids that have been going around recently. In his current situation, however, the bug was the least of Derry's concerns as his attention was focused directly back to the gangster who addressed him.
That little punk decided to completely ignore the question he asked and even issued a threat to him. Was he even listening to him? Derry explicitly stated that he meant no harm, yet this kid with a tough guy attitude wasn't paying attention. Instead, the 'tough guy' was giving his attention to that bug. Context can come later, but Derry needed some other questions answered quickly. "Hey, look kid," Derry replied back in an irked tone, "I asked you a question, and it's rude to just avoid it. Are you a part of the Tatsuryu family or not? If you ain't, then I'll just be on my merry way, but if you are, then I've got a couple more questions. I don't give a shit who the ringleader is so long as my inquiries are answered" Derry had a sneaking suspicion that these guys were in fact the Tatsuryu family, but he wanted to hear it from their own mouths. Derry continued, "And hey, I just said I didn't mean any harm. What's with the tough guy attitude you got there? I'm just here to ask some questions. Whatever else is going on here," Derry proceeds to shake his hand in a circular motion, indicating the whole mess that's been laid out in front of him, "I honestly don't really care."
At this point, Derry was getting rather impatient. The fate of his own boss is currently on the line, and these guys are just prancing around going about their own business. Derry's face slowly began to contort into a grimace as a slight pain in his head makes itself known to him. The headaches have now returned once again as Derry continues glaring at the gangster. Those same headaches that keep on following him, stalking him every time the gang's livelihood is on the line. Despite the discomfort, Derry had to continue pressing the issue if he wanted a chance of getting any kind of answer out of the gangster. That kid then prattled on about how strong the two of them were, but Derry didn't care in the slightest what he was saying regarding their power. If it didn't have anything to do with the kid's identity, then why bother? In a slightly deeper, more agitated tone, Derry responds back to the gangster, "I don't care if we share the same amount of power or not, just answer the goddamn question."
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Post by Chromo on Sept 29, 2020 10:38:46 GMT -6
CHROMO'S PL: 200,000
Chromo just rolled his eyes as Drake tried to explain to him the value of monetary currency. If people wanted to trade valuable things, why not trade with something cool like Hetap instead of worthless papers for worthwhile things? However, he did perk up slightly to hear the human was not an adult, but a teenager. "Oh, cool! My brother is a teenager too! He is very cool." The beetle quipped, lightening up at the notion that he wasn't talking to a stuck-up adult.
Ignoring the other human who the gangsters were making a deal with, Chromo instead chirped happily at the promise of more Hetap for himself. While he plopped himself into the other cooler of carbonated goodness, Nichols and Drake exchanged banter with Derrick. Chromo didn't know much of what they were talking about. "Uhhh..." He muttered quietly, leaning over to Nichols as the others started to get at each others' throats. "Pssssst. What's his deal?" Chromo whispered to the man, pointing a claw at Derrick. "He's not dirty or a snake unless my eyes are wrong. Why does he want some family people? Are they gonna fight???" If that was going to be the case, it was a good thing he had refreshments.
Though momentarily after, the topic briefly returned to Chromo's trade. "Well, I do have a few rules for favors, first! I will not eat any Vegetables, nor will I do any nice things for people who are named Cress or are Stargoons, or kill people dead unless they are Cress or Stargoons or super-duper-ultra-hyper-evil in general." He clarified quickly, snarling at the mention the name Cress in particular. "Other than that, I can do lots of things!... Like if you want me to smack that guy if he starts bothering you too much and acts like a rude dude." He gestured to Derry again. Though Drake and Derrick were fairly even in a fight, there was the tiny bug-shaped card sitting right between them...
Drake -> Derrick Ottoy |
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Drake
Newcomer
PL: 60,000
Smolder (x2P) Ignition (x4P)
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Post by Drake on Sept 29, 2020 11:05:36 GMT -6
"I'm glad we found common ground somewhere," Drake said. He was finally getting through to the little warmachine, and having him as an ally could be crucial when it came to certain operations. Just thinking of all the possibilities was enticing! And then the moment was ruined was pinkman decided to butt back into the conversation, asserting his false right to answers for his questions. "Hey look, geezer," Drake shot at him "You got the gall to call me rude when you come outta nowhere without identifying yourself in the middle of a deal going down and then demand answers from us? Piss off." Whether he claimed to not want a fight or not was irrelevant. Conceding to his demands would only make them look weak, and that wasn't an option here. "Why don't you run back to your little serpents and send someone who can actually negotiate, yeah?"
Nichols' face had a grimace set into it as the human watched the exchange silently. There wasn't much he could really do at the moment while the two super-powered individuals were squabbling, but for whatever reason Chromo had decided to ask him something. "He's another gangster type. Most conversations between different gangsters is a d- er, ego measuring contest." Did it matter if a bio-weapon heard some foul language...? He might've been a child but still. "'Dirty Snakes' and 'Family' are both, let's say, team names. You ever join up with someone else and they give you a 'team name' to go by? Same concept." As for the fighting aspect of it all, the relationship between Derry and Drake was certainly not a friendly one at the moment. "They might end up throwing fists if both refuses to budge." Grumbling, the older man stepped forward and gave a wayward glance to Drake. Scoffing, the younger gangster turned to speak with Chromo again as Nichols tried his hand at diplomacy.
"Look, buddy, as hostile as his statements were they ring true. Why should we believe or help a random guy that walks into a meeting without offering anything in return? Information is one of the most valuable assets, after all, so demanding it for free... well let's just say that it isn't giving us the greatest first impression. You understand?" Nichols had a sneaking suspicion that some level of desperation was behind this man's erratic behavior and short temper, though with regards to the source of which, he had no clue. "I might be able to answer a few things but that's dependent on what you do next. I expect an apology for disrupting our operations, and the promise of something you can give in return for spilling the beans on whatever it is you're after. If you don't agree to these terms, then, I suppose I could have my new mutual friend take care of you." It was a bit bold to suggest that Chromo was firmly on their side, but the Tatsuryus were the ones with the Hetap and teenager. This was just random weirdly-named Earth guy.
Drake meanwhile continued hashing things out with Chromo. "Not sure who those are, but I'll keep it in mind. No vegetables will be involved, either. As for killing? We don't typically do that sort of thing either. Brings too much bad attention and whatnot for minimal gain." The conditions were more than acceptable. Demolition, intimidation, theft of assets, this little guy would capable of so much more than even Drake himself could pull off. Of course he'd only send Chromo after criminal elements to help justify the action. Despite being rather chaotic it was clear that the bug had some semblance of good-aligned morality, and breaking the relationship off because he found them to be too evil would be tragic. "I might just take you up on that last offer..." Drake grumbled, shooting a glare at Derry. "Not yet, though. Seems like Nichols is trying to reason with him first."
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Post by Derrick Ottoy on Sept 29, 2020 11:57:46 GMT -6
Derry glared back at the giant bug at the suggestion of smacking him around. What exactly is the big deal with this bug? "Hey," Derry barked back, now clearly frustrated, "I can hear you. And I'm not in the mood right now for a fight." These guys are just bartering with the bug, bribing him with some kind of soft drink, so it would make sense to avoid a conflict as the bug would most likely attempt to fight him if things get ugly. Despite the discomfort that he's in, Derry must maintain a clear conscious if he wants to successfully find the briefcase and figure out where John is. As for the other elephant in the room...
The kid just kept on maintaining the tough guy attitude, once again avoiding the questions entirely. It was getting on Derry's nerves at this point, as the headaches began to grow more and more painful, clouding more of his thoughts. This bastard is just wasting my time now, time that I could be spending finding that damn briefcase myself, but he might yet still have some information about the briefcase. As Derry was about to open his mouth to once again demand answers, a different man approaches and begins to speak to him.
The other gangster, perhaps some sort of mentor figure considering the age difference between him and the kid, began asking questions himself. Derry took a moment to absorb what the man was saying in regards to information. Derry slowly breathed in and out and attempted to regain his composure while the mentor was speaking. Perhaps now, he can get some straight answers at the cost of some of the gang's information. Whether that mattered or not wasn't for debate since John's life could be on the line. Although, Derry may need to hide that fact specifically in case the crime family gets any ideas with the boss being absent.
After collecting himself, Derry responded in a more calm tone to the mentor, "Right, right, where are my manners. Sorry, let's say I've... been a bit on edge due to recent events. Derrick Ottoy, top enforcer of the Dirty Snakes back in Central City." Starting off with a more proper introduction could hopefully ease tensions with everyone. Derry continued listening to the mentor, and as time went on, his headache started to die down. Of course, with John still missing, it wouldn't go away any time soon, but at least Derry can think more clearly now. Once the man has finished speaking, Derry replies, "Alright, let's address this one by one. I apologize for interrupting... whatever is happening right here. And hey, I promise to let you in on some info if you really need it. See, I've received a message from my boss, something about a briefcase located somewhere in South City's docks. In that message, he also mentioned you guys. I guessed that maybe you have something to do with said briefcase, so instead of searching the entire harbor in an attempt to find the briefcase randomly, I came here. If you don't know anything about, then I can just continue searching elsewhere." Derry didn't mind answering questions so long as he eventually finds the briefcase so long as it steered away from why the boss wants it. If it comes to that, however, Derry will have to come up with a lie since he can't risk letting out that piece of news. Anything else at this point is practically fair game.
After addressing the older gangster, Derry turns is attention to Chromo and states, "And hey... Chromo, right? Sorry about interrupting your drinking deal here." Hopefully, which the childish attitude that Chromo seemingly possessed, perhaps he could begin to appeal to the giant bug and lower the risk of being outnumbered if things somehow got out of hand.
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Post by Chromo on Sept 30, 2020 10:11:49 GMT -6
CHROMO'S PL: 200,000
"Well, you are not deaf and so you can hear sounds. Like me saying I'll kick your butt if you're super rude." The rude bug that barged in on the shady transaction spoke back to Derrick in a matter-of-fact, yet still childishly and deceivingly innocent tone.
Regardless, Chromo quickly returned his attention to Nichols as the human tried to explain things, like how the snake-people were apparently a club and not actual snakes. "Ooooooh, that makes more sense." Dirty Snakes didn't sound very intimidating or cool as a name, though. Chromo let the gangster talk to Derrick, but whatever they were talking about sounded boring and confusing so he tuned out for the most part, going back to chugging his seventh can of Hetap Xtreme.
Thankfully Drake seemed like a reasonable dude, agreeing to Chromo's terms and conditions. His offer of taking care of the pink-haired earthling was still up in the air, though, as Nichols was trying to reason with him first. "Okey-dokey then." He nestled himself further in the cooler, resting his chin on its edge. Derrick mentioned something about a briefcase, which wasn't very specific. "....Can't he just like, buy a briefcase at a store, or whatever?" Chromo whispered to Drake, commentating idly on the scene. Was he looking for a specific briefcase? Did his boss misplace his and his wallet was in it, or something? Why did adults have to be so confusing...
Regardless, Derrick seemed to know his place, quickly trying to appeal to the superpowered child sitting in a cooler. Though he didn't reply, Chromo's tensed posture did relax slightly in response.
"I'm pretty good at finding things," Chromo quipped in after a few moments. "I've got some buddies that could help too, if it's real important, but I don't smell any Hetap on you. Why do you need that box-case or whatever so badly anyways?" Was it important enough to interrupt a nice drink of Hetap? Chromo had his doubts.
Drake -> Derrick Ottoy |
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Drake
Newcomer
PL: 60,000
Smolder (x2P) Ignition (x4P)
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Post by Drake on Sept 30, 2020 11:11:52 GMT -6
The original buyers, sensing the situation wasn't really in their favor, had collectively grumbled and taken their leave. The squeal of tiers on porous concrete rang out for a moment as they left, leaving just the Tatsuryus and the two strangers in the building. Derry introduced himself at least, and although Nichols had already had the guy pegged for his identity it was nice hearing it from his own lips. "A briefcase, huh?" The older gangster mused aloud. It was most likely a dead drop of some kind. Whether it was cash, illegal substances, or simply information in there he didn't know. It would be odd to expect a totally different criminal syndicate to be holding a dead drop for someone without having exchanged any prior contact information. Perhaps this was where it was stashed and their meeting had simply had the misfortune of taking place atop it? The only such cases exchanged had been the payment ones given by Salamon in exchange for the Super-Hetap. "Can't say I know much about it. We haven't stumbled across any dead drops or caches during our sweep of this building in preparation for the deal."
Drake had been silent, taking a swig from a spare water bottle as he watched the exchange in ernest. Chromo was also settled down though it was clear that their continued use of criminal speech and terms confused him. "He's probably looking for a briefcase someone left here that has important stuff behind. Though why someone misplaced or put a case in the docks is beyond me. The constant saltwater degradation and movement of boats across the harbor make for a very poor spot to try and hide something for an extended period of time." Though come to think of it, there WAS something a bit peculiar outside. "I can't say for sure but I think there might've been a cache outside near the front gate where you came in. Under the red rusted shipping container, I think." Why hadn't he checked it out before? Drake had previously assumed it to just be aged and broken concrete covered up by a frantic worker, but perhaps it was so much more.
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Post by Derrick Ottoy on Sept 30, 2020 16:10:33 GMT -6
Once Chromo finished his question, Derry realized that the dreaded question was asked regarding the reason he needed to find the briefcase. Now came the matter of lying to not only the giant bug, but also the Tatsuryu family standing before him. Then an idea dawned upon Derry: Perhaps someone could still be kidnapped, but what if it wasn't the boss? Turning his attention back to Chromo, Derry responds to the bug's original offer for finding the briefcase, "Well, I suppose it's true that I don't have any of that Hetap stuff lying around. The Dirty Snakes don't bother dealing with those sorts of goods. I could always put in a word to the boss and have him stock up on some Hetap. And as for the reason why I need that briefcase, well..." If Derry was going to sell this lie to everyone present, he'll have to change his tone a bit. After pausing for a moment, Derry continues in a darker tone, "I didn't really want to share this information, but if I don't have a choice, then I'll say it: One of my partners have been captured. Not sure if you've heard of these Renegades before, but they're responsible for the whole ordeal. As a result, my boss sent me here in order to find that briefcase and return it back to HQ. From there, we'll find my partner and get him back, along with perhaps stomping out the Renegades once and for all."
It was definitely a risk to attempt to deceive them with the identity of the one who was captured, but with bits and piece of the actual truth mixed in, it should work at least somewhat effectively. Derry doubted that Chromo and the kid would figure out is lie, but that older gangster may grow suspicious if he doesn't play his cards right.
Derry's attention was turned back to the mentor who responded that he hasn't seen any sort of dead drops lying around. Derry looked directly into the man's eyes to see any slight twitches or subtle movements that could give away whether or not he's lying. Derry wasn't perfect at spotting something like that, but he was at the very least well adept with detecting lies. After all, he's dealt with plenty of customers who were lying their asses off about their payments. The more Derry looked, however, the more it confirmed that what the older man said rang true. "Truly? Hmm, that's unfortunate."
However, the kid then spoke about some sort of rusted red container by the entrance. Derry's attention was immediately set on the gangster's words. Now that he mentioned it, it was a rather old piece of equipment, and several pieces of the floor were in horrible shape. Perhaps the kid was on to something. "Really?" Derry responded back to the young gangster. If what he said was true, then he can just be on his merry way. He can get back to HQ as soon as possible and find out where John is from there. Derry continued, "Then perhaps I'll check it out. If it isn't what I'm looking for, you can have it. I'm not interested in anything else." As Derry was turning back towards the entrance, however, he noticed that they weren't alone. A single man wearing some construction worker attire was staring at them around the corner, and the moment Derry spotted him, the worker began to run away. It could just be some random worker who just stumbled upon their meeting, but if it was a Renegade, then this could mean trouble. "Hey!" Derry shouted a the top of his lungs while starting to give chase, "Stop right there!"
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Post by Chromo on Sept 30, 2020 16:42:36 GMT -6
CHROMO'S PL: 200,000 (x4 MULTIFORMS, KI SUPPRESSION, x13P ACTIVE, 910k TOTAL EACH)
Chromo sighed, becoming more and more bored out of his mind by this fancy grown-up talk by the second. He'd devoured nearly all of the Hetap in the first cooler by now while he was twiddling his thumbs. He did raise a brow at the pink-haired human's mention of his partner being kidnapped, a small pang of empathy resonating in his chest. Chromo knew very well what he'd do to someone who hurt his brother, if this guy and his partner friend were as close then he could understand the stress. "Huh." He remained silent though, instead opting to narrow his eyes and much more intently watch the two as Drake clarified things further...
The human seemed content to leave with the lead of something at the front gate, but the gangsters and the beetle were interrupted by yet another entry- though this one was much more brief. Derrick pursued the shadowy person with great urgency. Chromo furrowed his brow. He could throw the guy a bone just this once, but next time he would be expecting some Hetap in trade. The beetle's antennae perked, swiveling like radio antennae as a few flecks of ki flickered from the shining red dome on his scalp, flickering dully yet rhythmically like a message being sent in morse code.
A screech sounded from the rooftops, and a flash of red lunged forwards to tackle the man Derry was chasing, intent to pin the stranger to the ground without harming him too much. The assailant was... Chromo? Except Chromo was still sitting in the cooler down the alley. Atop the rooftop, about a dozen more pairs of round eyes peeked over. The beetle that tried to pin the runaway lacked the expressive pupils or sharp horn its leader had, but the power from the bug was just as great. Two equally strong Semi-Perfect clones were perched atop the roof, with a swarm of about a dozen Imperfect Chromos behind them. Should the clone on the ground have sucessfully pinned the man Derrick was chasing, it would chirp to the human, staring blankly yet expectantly...
Chromo's [UT3] Pandemic activates, summoning three multiforms! [SIG] Hive Mind boosts their percentage shares from 25% each to 35% each.
In addition, Chromo and his clones activate (x13P) Semi-Perfect, but [UT1] Ki Suppression keeps all four of them at 200,000 PL.
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CHROMO - THE BEST BUG
