Rogues: Recon Mission 1

[Vespyr]

The Pale Watchers

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Jaq and Asthma walked in silence toward the border. The five feet of distance between them was as fragile as thin ice, melting as the dark indigo atmosphere of night faded to lighter grey and violet. A lofty cloak of cloud and mist obscured the sky and moistened the chill morning air with the scent of fresh dew on long blades of wild grass. Each cool breath flowing through the nostrils and chest brought sensations of lucidity.

Asthma kept his slate blue eyes trained on the ground just ahead of his feet and he fumbled with the wad of clay in his left hand as he walked, keeping in pace with the stoic man to his right. His pensive gaze occasionally flicked over and lingered on what could be seen of the foreigner’s face past the stone grey hood and messy golden hair. The hood hid all but the man’s nose and his strong jaw, and his scarred, emotionless lips. Jaq kept his stern yellow eyes fixed forward the entire time but he sensed the nervousness coming off the raven-haired teen in waves and could not dislodge the boy’s presence from his train of thought. He considered saying something but as usual, the man could think of nothing and no reason to speak. The silence between them spoke for itself, asking little questions.

Finally, as the pair of scouts approached the border at Atlantic Street, Jaq decided to make the ice melt a little faster. Dawn was on the verge of creeping up on the desolate horizon.

“Zis your first time out?” he muttered in his thick accent, without turning to look at the boy. Asthma started a little at the suddenness of his voice and stared hard at the ground. First time out… of Rogues territory? His comfort zone? Leech’s apartment?

“Yes.” Asthma replied after a moment. Neither of the males spoke again. Jaq lay his hand on Asthma’s small shoulder briefly and felt a soft sigh from the teen. They parted ways at Long Beach Boulevard; Asthma turned back to seek out a place to situate himself and Jaq continued along Spring Street toward Pacific. The hour was about ten minutes short of dawn and the only sound to disturb the foggy morning silence was the unassuming song of the early birds hunting for their worms.

Asthma warily crept into an abandoned apartment building and took up watch from a third story window that overlooked the southern side of Spring Street. He pushed the thick black locks of hair away from his grey eyes and peered up through the dirty glass at the pale blanket of mist looming over the rooftops of the ruined city. As the teen waited, with his notepad, walkie-talkie, and his knife set carefully within his reach, he fiddled anxiously with his clay until it resembled a man.

Jaq jogged along through the cool mist until he reached Pacific, veered left into a narrow alleyway, climbed up the fire escape of a two-story apartment building, and then pulled himself up onto the roof in time to see the warm glow of the morning sun as it awakened on the horizon. He crawled over to a boxy air vent near the edge of the roof and peered inside. There was a narrow space to sit before the shaft curved steeply and pointed downward through the roof, which Jaq crouched in and crossed his legs. Because the opening of the vent did not face the sunrise, the inside of the metal frame was darker, and if he stayed still Jaq’s presence was hidden by deep blue shadow.

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SPOILER: Click to show

[The New Student Dean]

OOC: Because this is a unique type of stronghold event (i.e. purely informational gathering) and due to the heavy level RPing that has gone on both publicly and privately, I'll be moderating this with the indepth RP knowledge of the surrounding area and the current Barker forces in the area. This will be done fairly to the best of my abilities as a moderator.

Day 1

Time: 5:45 A.M. (Dawn)

Sun: Rising, Barely Any Shadows

Weather: Foggy, Low Humidity

Average Temperature: 59 Degrees Fahrenheit

The Rounds Begin
Barker Patrol A

Barker Soldier 1 (Unnamed): *Yawn* "Jesus, why being so early in the morning? There's no one even here..."

Barker Soldier 2 (Unnamed): "Hey, punk, some of us got families to protect. Just be thankful we're patrolling in the most sleepy area of all Southern California."

Barker Soldier 1 (Unnamed): *Yawn* "Yeah, yeah, I guess. S'not like they don't have my mom held hostage either, y'know."

Barker Soldier 3 (Unnamed): *Yawn* "The more important thing I'd like to ask is why they don't send anyone past Atlantic Avenue."
Asthma Status: Concealed, Secure

Barker Soldier 2 (Unnamed): "Pfft. Punk, we are the minimal patrol around these parts. We've lost a stupid amount of men inthe past by sending them into that hazardous hellhole. Might be a gas leak or something extraordinary dangerous. Be thankful we're not being sent that far."

Barker Soldier 4 (Unnamed): *Yawn* "Quiet. Even if this place is depopulated, there might still be some fools around here trying to brave it out. Focus. This place needs to be kept safe for when we can shoot the extra men to ransack the area. Focus."

The Barker patrol (Patrol A) moseyed along, down south Long Beach Boulevard. This was not their first time doing a sweep in the area close to the 259 Ruins, but there was a mixed air of authority about them. 20% reluctance, 20% belligerent, 20% undisciplined, 40% marching. They were all armed with collapsible batons, and wore black ponchos over their light leather armored uniforms, as they would pass by a certain abandoned apartment building. They would inspect every other building, but not the one that Asthma was stationed in today. Asthma would be able to observe the following things:

-If Asthma takes even a quick glance (Safe):

• At least one of the Barker soldiers had a semi-filled sack (from from the detoured looting).
  
• The Barker formation doesn't seem to be very well kept, keeping a crooked "V", with an Experiment behind them.
  
• They are all lightly armed and armored.
  
• They are all male.

-If Asthma makes a prolonged observation (Moderately Safe):

• The Experiment has a particular number printed on the back of his neck.
  
• Only two of the Soldiers seem to be carrying walkie-talkies.
  
• The Experiment appears to be unarmed and shirtless.

-If Asthma makes a close observation (Mildly Safe):

• The type of Experiment that is with them.
  
• Who appears to be the patrol leader.
  
• Possibly glean a hint of the Experiment's power.
  
• The overall attitude of the group and their discipline.
  
• Possible/Convertible NPCs.

*Jaq may help assist Asthma in these observations, due to his adjacent placement.

Barker Patrol B

Jaq would also hear of a Barker Patrol heading down his way, going down south of Pacific Avenue. Barker Patrol B will pass by around 6:15 A.M., roughly. They will be inspecting every other building, but will not inspect Jaq's building today, it appears.

-If Jaq takes even a quick glance (Safe):

• Confirm the number of the patrol.
  
• At least two of the Barker soldiers had a semi-filled sack (from from the detoured looting).
  
• The Barker formation doesn't seem to be very well kept, keeping a crooked "V", with an Experiment behind them.
  
• They are all lightly armed and armored.
  
• They are mostly male.

-If Jaq makes a prolonged observation (Moderately Safe):

• The Experiment has a particular number printed on the back of his neck.
  
• Three of the Soldiers seem to be carrying walkie-talkies.
  
• The Experiment appears to be unarmed.

-If Jaq makes a close observation (Mildly Safe):

• The type of Experiment that is with them.
  
• Who appears to be the patrol leader.
  
• Possibly glean a hint of the Experiment's power.
  
• The overall attitude of the group and their discipline.
  
• Possible/Convertible NPCs.

*Asthma may only assist in observing Barker Patrol B if he deviates away from his current observation post, as he is not adjacent to Barker Patrol B's current pathing.

*Other details may be gleaned if queried or attempted for.
*Other resources may reveal themselves if optional observation is conducted.

Jaq Status: Concealed, Secure

Barker Patrol A: Oblivious

Barker Patrol B: Oblivious

[Vespyr]

Here They Come

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At sunrise, the voices of unfamiliar men reached up to the third floor of the abandoned apartment building and grabbed Asthma’s attention. The teen’s heart froze with fear and he cringed, listening carefully to the disembodied voices as they came down the quiet street just outside. He picked up his pen, glanced at the watch lashed to his small wrist, and jotted down ’5:45a’ on the first line of the notepad. Then, cautiously, he leaned his face closer to the window and peered down onto Long beach Boulevard for close observation.

The first patrol was making its way southward. Asthma jotted this down. There were six soldiers in total, one of which he inferred was the Experiment, by its lack of a shirt and the number printed on the back of its neck. Asthma would jot down whatever detailed pertaining to the oddity that he could glean from just looking. He also noted that the other men carried some sort of stick or baton, and two of them had radios. Asthma would get a good, long stare at the patrol as they travelled down the boulevard, with their backs to the window and their attention assumedly directed forward. If any of them turned or looked toward Asthma’s building, all the boy had to do was duck below the sill.

30 minutes in the future

Jaq’s yellow eyes closely observed the patrol approach down Pacific Avenue while the rest of his body remained stone still, hidden in the shadow of the vent on the north-facing rooftop. His view of them would be unobstructed until they passed beyond the corner of Spring Street, at which point he would move quietly along the rooftop to follow. But for now, he merely observed, meticulously drinking in the details as they came.

Eight men: seven soldiers and an Experiment. The details of which were…

[The New Student Dean]

Barker Patrol A
Further Data Evaluated

Barker Soldier 1 (Unnamed): *Yawn* "Why don't we check out this building, sir?"

Barker Soldier 4 (Unnamed): *Yawn* "...We already checked that one last time. And the Sergent's not looking in the mood to give thorough inspection."

Barker Soldier 1 (Unnamed): *Yawn* "Oh, um... alright. Sir."

As Asthma peaked out from the third-story of the apartment building, he would see the pack of five soldiers, being followed rather loftily by their Experiment. The first one would point up to floor just below where Asthma had posted himeslf, perhaps prompting the young man to hide behind his window, but the general attention would be to the apartment itself and Asthma would not be noticed.

From this angle, with his 20/20 vision, Asthma would be able to see the name tags of Pvt. McKormic, Cpl. Diez, Pvt. Hancock, PFC Nyugen, and Sergent Horwittz. McKormic was probably the youngest looking one here, while Diez was a man middling his forties, and a unstable temper to boot. Hancock was a little older than McKormic and appeared to be only slightly more mature. While of lower rank, it appeared as though Nyugen, an angry looking Vietnamese man in his twenties, who carried himself a little more enthusiastically as a Barker man, keeping his radio at his left hip and always at the ready. The unspeaking Sergeant seemed content enough (for he never seemed to emote himself) to let the four bicker amongst themselves… his double-batons equipped on both sides of his hips, never collapsed. He was a dark man of perhaps Italian origin, and a cap that fitted rather neatly over his eyes… but he always seemed to be strangely aware, even standing a little quieter when they passed by Asthma’s building.

The Sergeant’s focus, however, was always on the Experiment.

Experiment #J62374.

A simple glance would reveal nothing, as other than the strange aura that permeated around the Experiment, he didn’t exude any type of typical bloodlust. Just a dangerous presence, perhaps to a degree that only the Sergeant seemed to detect from the distance he was in.

Asthma would be able to see the otherwise glum Experiment always being marched with a ominously stern looking Sergeant marching right on after him.

Private McKormic: "So, sir... Is it true that we won’t be switching patrols this week with Sergeant Brookes or Sanford?"

Corporal Diez: "Sergeant Sanford, Pat.

Private First Class Nyugen: "And that’s Private Mckormic, Corporal Diez."

Corporal Diez: "My apologies, Private First Class.

Private First Class Nyugen: "Grrr..."

Private McKormic: "Well, is it? PFC Nyu."

Private First Class Nyugen: "That’s correct. Delta Patrol is remaining off duty until they can find… replacements. Word is that Sergeant Wolf’s training will be done within two weeks, though he’ll graduate faster if we end up like old Alpha. Sergeant Brookes’ patrol is getting some extra equipment training for their success in Magnolia Avenue. Sergeant Sanford’s fighting to keep his rank, considering his demerits, so his patrol isn’t going to be functioining…

“Word is that Sergeant Knicks and Sergeant Nails’ patrols will be assigned to our area soon, sooner if the issue down south is taken care of faster, or one of our patrols disappear again…

“Isn’t that all correct, Sergeant Horwittz?

For all of Nyugen’s attentiveness, Horwittz only seemed to give him a half-hearted nod, before staring back at the Experiment’s head again.

Private Hancock: "That’s bullshit, PFC. That means we get all of the local routes, every fucking day. "

Private First Class Nyugen: "SUCK IT UP, Private. Sergeant Stone’s Bravo Patrol is working just as damn hard. You’ll never get promoted at this rate"

Private Hancock: "PROMOTED!? Shit if I give a shit about promotion. Who is gonna help my grandpa!? No one back at the base gives a shit."

At this moment, Sergeant Horwittz gave a small, but immensely threatening prod to the back of Hancock’s backside, silencing the Private immediately.

Barker Patrol B

Eight men. Seven Barker soldiers and an Experiment.

So long as Jaq kept consistent watch of the soldiers nametags and the nape of the Experiment’s neck (there would be a split second or so where the Experiment would look off in the opposing direction, Jaq would be able to observe the following:

• Cpl. Case (w/ walkie-talkie)
  
• LCpl. Papazian (w/ walkie-talkie)
  
• PFC. Min
  
• PFC. Muniz
  
• Pvt. Ostegar (w/ plundering sack)
  
• Pvt. Johnson (w/ plundering sack)
  
• Sergeant Stone (w/ walkie-talkie)

…and Experiment #J74677.

#J74677 was wearing a huge coat, and was generally allowed to walk with a bit of freedom, even being slightly amiable with the Barker soldiers, though a form of robotic lifelessness seemed to remain. However, the odd thing was that even in spite of this weather, #J74677 did not seem to be breaking out into a sweat, even as the sun began to pierce through the morning dew. In fact, heat or cold seemed to generate from him and into the air, though it would be difficult to tell from the given distance. He walked behind a not-as-stern looking Sergeant Stone, who would occasionally look back at the Experiment.

The Sergeant didn’t seem to emote much either, but whereas Sergeant Horwittz seemed to carry a heavy distrust for the experiment he played retainer for, it appeared as though Sergeant Stone seemed trusting enough to even exchange words with #J74677. The Sergeant appeared to wear heavier armor, and a stranger bracer on his left arm, while his right hand kept out an extended baton.

As far as Barker soldiers went, these ones appeared to be more typical and a little more obedient and disciplined. There were only a few times where the Sergeant would snap up the attention of his troop with a loud but mildly indiscernible bark for deviating too far away from formation.

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Jaq Status: Concealed, Secure

Barker Patrol A: Oblivious

Barker Patrol B: Oblivious

[Vespyr]

Shorthand for Spying

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5:45a
south on L.B, 5 men + exp, armed w/batons, 2 w/radio, McKormic Diez Hancock Nguyen (has radio) Horwittz (sgt), exp…
-not switching pats with sgt Brookes/Sanford? Delta pat off duty until rplcmnts, sgt Wolf training done 2 wks, sgt Knicks & Nails pats to be assgnd here soon? Issue down south?? This pat all local rts every day
-dsgrntled maybe? Somewhat distracted, sgt watches exp, others talking

Asthma’s small hand scribbled furiously, butchering words for the sake of speed, though the log remained legible and he would be able to decipher his own codes later on. For now, he merely kept his eyes and ears strained on the patrol as it moved down the street. He wouldn’t need to change his position until the soldiers turned a corner or disappeared from his line of vision. From his window at the corner of the intersection, Asthma would be able to keep his eye on them for several more blocks at least, if they kept going straight.

His slate blue eyes narrowed and he peered at the men’s hips, noting who carried radios aside from Nguyen. He also kept a wary eye on the experiment, trying to glean any further clues pertaining to the man’s power, weaknesses, or temperament.

30 minutes in the future...

Jaq focused on the men who carried radios, and would note a general physical description of the three of them so they could be identified later. He otherwise kept his attention focused on the Experiment, snatching up any notable piece of information or hint at what his power might be.

Once the patrol passed Spring Street and disappeared from his line of sight, Jaq would wait a few moments for the sound of their footsteps to distance a little and then silently creep out of the vent, crawl over to the edge of the roof that overlooked Pacific, and peer down onto the street only once the patrol sounded like it had moved a safe distance of least fifty feet away, give or take. His yellow gaze would follow them on their path down Pacific.