Music Banter - View Single Post

Oriphiel · 07-01-2015, 08:33 AM

It was only a matter of time before I played this song...

Chapter Fourteen

John was sitting on a street bench, looking around with a calm yet alert gaze. He had taken off his denim jacket earlier while spying on Luke, due to the extreme heat that had come over the city as the sun rose higher into the sky. However, despite the discomfort the jacket caused him, he decided that taking it off had been a foolish mistake. The other two assassins had yet to reveal themselves and were surely lurking around nearby, but his caution also stemmed from the simple fact that he was still in Blue Shirt territory and could be recognized at any second. He dropped his hands down onto his legs and started drumming with his fingers, waiting for his reinforcements to arrive. As the time seemed to pass very slowly, and the heat bore down on him without relent, he felt a wave of relief when finally he spotted two familiar faces near the metro platform. He bent forward onto his knees and raised a hand to motion them towards him. Of course, he didn't have the luxury of being able to call in every single Red Sleeve that he was on good terms with; he knew that the circumstances were beyond believability, and that he could only call in the people who would back his play regardless. Also, he figured that calling in an army of Red Sleeves would simply get them blasted apart by the aliens, while also kicking off yet another war with the Blue Shirts. If he was going to figure out the aliens motivations, while simultaneously exploiting Luke's estranged relationship with the Blue Shirts to get him to join the Red Sleeves, then he needed more subtlety and finesse than a bloodthirsty war party would allow.

"Hey!" said Ricardo as he and Jackson, one of the new bloods, approached John. John stood up and stretched, smiling slightly as he greeted them back with a nod. Ricardo was known for being a heavy hitter, having a reputation that painted him as nothing more than a brute that got the job done, however John knew him better than that. John had also been slated as brainless muscle when he had first joined, and he recognized in Ricardo the same intelligence and instinct that had been initially overlooked in himself during his time as an enforcer. He had called in the new blood because he felt that he knew him well enough to trust him, and also because new members were always eager to do whatever was asked of them, in the hopes of distinguishing themselves and garnering favor. "So, what's going down?" asked Ricardo, as he fussed with the canvas jacket covering his colors. "You were pretty vague on the phone." John nodded his head towards the street, saying "Come on," as he started to walk. The others followed him, and he continued talking as he led them towards Luke's apartment. "Last night, while you were finishing off the Blue Shirts," he said, looking at Ricardo, "I followed the leader of their war party after he tried to slip away. I tailed him to an alley, where he collapsed. However, before I could take him out, there was a flash of light. These... things stepped out of the light, and..." "Things?" asked Ricardo, smiling and narrowing his eyes. Though Jackson was also listening intently, he didn't seem nearly as curious. "Yeah," continued John, "things. Best I can figure, they're aliens of some kind, and they've got firepower like you wouldn't believe. They've also got some sort of shield around them. At first, I thought it was their weird clothing that protected them, kinda like armor, but now I think it's actually some kind of barrier, one that can get punched through with repeated force." Ricardo thought for a moment, before shrugging and nodding, saying "Alright." "You believe me?" asked John in a tone of voice that implied that he already knew the answer. "Hell no," replied Ricardo, "I never did buy into any of that alien shit people talk about nowadays. It's just sci-fi movie bullshit, you know? But even if I don't believe you, I still trust you. There are weird lookin' people out there with good weapons, then I say that they're probably just a gang that got their hands on some of that fancy military tech, you know? If you think they're threat to the Red Sleeves, or at the very least a good challenge, then i'm game." John looked back at Jackson, who was being rather silent, to see how he felt about the situation. Jackson simply shrugged in agreement. "Well alright," said John through a smile. "Anyway, the plan is to confront them. I've been skulking around in the shadows long enough, and it's time that I finally made sense of all of this. I'd rather not start a fight with them, seeing as how they've got a crazy laser gun, so try to stay calm and follow my lead. I don't think they'll attack us, since they seem to be looking for potential allies to help them out with some plan of theirs, but... well, it still might get ugly. They're working with a Blue Shirt named Luke, who is currently being attacked by assassins sent by his leader." "No shit?" asked Ricardo, laughing. "What'd he do to piss the big man off?" John shrugged, and replied "Probably getting his ass kicked in last night's battle. Caused the Blue Shirts to lose a lot of respect, you know? Anyway, they're on the lookout for assassins, and they might peg us for the next wave. Like I said though, just follow my lead and we'll be fine. If we play our cards right, we could gain a serious edge against the Blue Shirts today." "Groovy," said Ricardo, and the three Red Sleeves continued on their way to Luke's apartment, the silence between them broken every now and then by the occasional nervous joke. Even though Ricardo didn't really believe that aliens were walking the earth, and Jackson seemed to be relatively calm about everything, they both suspected that they were in for a serious fight all the same.

While Stan was leaving to report back to the Boss, Jason had looked out the window with the binoculars and noticed that the Red Sleeve spy had disappeared; at this time, John had realized that he needed help, and left the scene to call for reinforcements using a nearby payphone. Stan made his way back to the Blue Shirt's headquarters, thinking of just what exactly he was going to say to the Boss. As the hideout wasn't terribly far from Luke's apartment, it didn't take Stan very long to reach his destination. Standing in front of the Boss' desk, he decided to forgo nuance; he simply told the Boss exactly what he had seen, suggesting that there was some strange new gang in town with high-tech weapons. The Boss, oddly enough, seemed to take the news rather well; without saying anything, he simply smiled and let Stan carry on uninterrupted. As Stan reached the end of his report, the Boss stood up from his chair and grabbed a sawed off shotgun from one of his desk's drawers. "Get some men," he said to Stan. "I want to see these trespassers with my own eyes." "Boss, I don't think that's..." began Stan, before the Boss signaled him to stop by raising a hand. "It's quite alright. Luke tried to tell me that he had met some characters last night, people that he believed could assist us in our endeavors. And considering the ease with which they apparently decimated Sam, I'd say he was correct. For now, the hit on Luke is suspended; I want to meet his acquaintances. If they do indeed possess the powerful weapons and armor that you saw them use, then I think they would make powerful allies. And if they don't have those resources, or if they aren't to my liking, then we'll simply execute them for entering our territory uninvited." Stan nodded, and left the office to gather up a war party.

As the Red Sleeves were approaching the apartment complex, John beckoned them to stop. "Over there," he said, pointing to a Blue Shirt leaning against the building. "Probably a scout or guard. I doubt an assassin would be standing around in his colors, watching the streets," said Jackson. "Definitely," added Ricardo, "but he shouldn't be too much trouble to take care of." However, as soon as he said that, two more Blue Shirts came into view; they seemed to be patrolling the area. After looking around, the Red Sleeves noticed even more of them, posted around the exterior of the building. "Damn," said Ricardo with a sigh. "You think they're here to spy on Luke, make sure that the assassins finish the job?" asked Jackson, but John shook his head. "I don't think so. There's way too many of them for just a recon job." "You think something went down while you were waiting for us to show up?" asked Ricardo. "Maybe," replied John with a shrug. He scanned the scene, looking for a place where he could see into Luke's apartment. The fire escape was out of the picture; it was too out in the open, and they'd have to pass a few guards to get to it. However, he noticed that there was a building near the apartment complex, seperated by a street. The rooms in the side of the building facing the street had windows, and one such room was lined up perfectly with the window of Luke's apartment. "Come on. I've got an idea," said John, as he led the Red Sleeves away.

07-01-2015, 08:33 AM	#19 (permalink)
Oriphiel Ask me how! Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: The States Posts: 5,355	It was only a matter of time before I played this song... Chapter Fourteen John was sitting on a street bench, looking around with a calm yet alert gaze. He had taken off his denim jacket earlier while spying on Luke, due to the extreme heat that had come over the city as the sun rose higher into the sky. However, despite the discomfort the jacket caused him, he decided that taking it off had been a foolish mistake. The other two assassins had yet to reveal themselves and were surely lurking around nearby, but his caution also stemmed from the simple fact that he was still in Blue Shirt territory and could be recognized at any second. He dropped his hands down onto his legs and started drumming with his fingers, waiting for his reinforcements to arrive. As the time seemed to pass very slowly, and the heat bore down on him without relent, he felt a wave of relief when finally he spotted two familiar faces near the metro platform. He bent forward onto his knees and raised a hand to motion them towards him. Of course, he didn't have the luxury of being able to call in every single Red Sleeve that he was on good terms with; he knew that the circumstances were beyond believability, and that he could only call in the people who would back his play regardless. Also, he figured that calling in an army of Red Sleeves would simply get them blasted apart by the aliens, while also kicking off yet another war with the Blue Shirts. If he was going to figure out the aliens motivations, while simultaneously exploiting Luke's estranged relationship with the Blue Shirts to get him to join the Red Sleeves, then he needed more subtlety and finesse than a bloodthirsty war party would allow. "Hey!" said Ricardo as he and Jackson, one of the new bloods, approached John. John stood up and stretched, smiling slightly as he greeted them back with a nod. Ricardo was known for being a heavy hitter, having a reputation that painted him as nothing more than a brute that got the job done, however John knew him better than that. John had also been slated as brainless muscle when he had first joined, and he recognized in Ricardo the same intelligence and instinct that had been initially overlooked in himself during his time as an enforcer. He had called in the new blood because he felt that he knew him well enough to trust him, and also because new members were always eager to do whatever was asked of them, in the hopes of distinguishing themselves and garnering favor. "So, what's going down?" asked Ricardo, as he fussed with the canvas jacket covering his colors. "You were pretty vague on the phone." John nodded his head towards the street, saying "Come on," as he started to walk. The others followed him, and he continued talking as he led them towards Luke's apartment. "Last night, while you were finishing off the Blue Shirts," he said, looking at Ricardo, "I followed the leader of their war party after he tried to slip away. I tailed him to an alley, where he collapsed. However, before I could take him out, there was a flash of light. These... things stepped out of the light, and..." "Things?" asked Ricardo, smiling and narrowing his eyes. Though Jackson was also listening intently, he didn't seem nearly as curious. "Yeah," continued John, "things. Best I can figure, they're aliens of some kind, and they've got firepower like you wouldn't believe. They've also got some sort of shield around them. At first, I thought it was their weird clothing that protected them, kinda like armor, but now I think it's actually some kind of barrier, one that can get punched through with repeated force." Ricardo thought for a moment, before shrugging and nodding, saying "Alright." "You believe me?" asked John in a tone of voice that implied that he already knew the answer. "Hell no," replied Ricardo, "I never did buy into any of that alien shit people talk about nowadays. It's just sci-fi movie bullshit, you know? But even if I don't believe you, I still trust you. There are weird lookin' people out there with good weapons, then I say that they're probably just a gang that got their hands on some of that fancy military tech, you know? If you think they're threat to the Red Sleeves, or at the very least a good challenge, then i'm game." John looked back at Jackson, who was being rather silent, to see how he felt about the situation. Jackson simply shrugged in agreement. "Well alright," said John through a smile. "Anyway, the plan is to confront them. I've been skulking around in the shadows long enough, and it's time that I finally made sense of all of this. I'd rather not start a fight with them, seeing as how they've got a crazy laser gun, so try to stay calm and follow my lead. I don't think they'll attack us, since they seem to be looking for potential allies to help them out with some plan of theirs, but... well, it still might get ugly. They're working with a Blue Shirt named Luke, who is currently being attacked by assassins sent by his leader." "No shit?" asked Ricardo, laughing. "What'd he do to piss the big man off?" John shrugged, and replied "Probably getting his ass kicked in last night's battle. Caused the Blue Shirts to lose a lot of respect, you know? Anyway, they're on the lookout for assassins, and they might peg us for the next wave. Like I said though, just follow my lead and we'll be fine. If we play our cards right, we could gain a serious edge against the Blue Shirts today." "Groovy," said Ricardo, and the three Red Sleeves continued on their way to Luke's apartment, the silence between them broken every now and then by the occasional nervous joke. Even though Ricardo didn't really believe that aliens were walking the earth, and Jackson seemed to be relatively calm about everything, they both suspected that they were in for a serious fight all the same. While Stan was leaving to report back to the Boss, Jason had looked out the window with the binoculars and noticed that the Red Sleeve spy had disappeared; at this time, John had realized that he needed help, and left the scene to call for reinforcements using a nearby payphone. Stan made his way back to the Blue Shirt's headquarters, thinking of just what exactly he was going to say to the Boss. As the hideout wasn't terribly far from Luke's apartment, it didn't take Stan very long to reach his destination. Standing in front of the Boss' desk, he decided to forgo nuance; he simply told the Boss exactly what he had seen, suggesting that there was some strange new gang in town with high-tech weapons. The Boss, oddly enough, seemed to take the news rather well; without saying anything, he simply smiled and let Stan carry on uninterrupted. As Stan reached the end of his report, the Boss stood up from his chair and grabbed a sawed off shotgun from one of his desk's drawers. "Get some men," he said to Stan. "I want to see these trespassers with my own eyes." "Boss, I don't think that's..." began Stan, before the Boss signaled him to stop by raising a hand. "It's quite alright. Luke tried to tell me that he had met some characters last night, people that he believed could assist us in our endeavors. And considering the ease with which they apparently decimated Sam, I'd say he was correct. For now, the hit on Luke is suspended; I want to meet his acquaintances. If they do indeed possess the powerful weapons and armor that you saw them use, then I think they would make powerful allies. And if they don't have those resources, or if they aren't to my liking, then we'll simply execute them for entering our territory uninvited." Stan nodded, and left the office to gather up a war party. As the Red Sleeves were approaching the apartment complex, John beckoned them to stop. "Over there," he said, pointing to a Blue Shirt leaning against the building. "Probably a scout or guard. I doubt an assassin would be standing around in his colors, watching the streets," said Jackson. "Definitely," added Ricardo, "but he shouldn't be too much trouble to take care of." However, as soon as he said that, two more Blue Shirts came into view; they seemed to be patrolling the area. After looking around, the Red Sleeves noticed even more of them, posted around the exterior of the building. "Damn," said Ricardo with a sigh. "You think they're here to spy on Luke, make sure that the assassins finish the job?" asked Jackson, but John shook his head. "I don't think so. There's way too many of them for just a recon job." "You think something went down while you were waiting for us to show up?" asked Ricardo. "Maybe," replied John with a shrug. He scanned the scene, looking for a place where he could see into Luke's apartment. The fire escape was out of the picture; it was too out in the open, and they'd have to pass a few guards to get to it. However, he noticed that there was a building near the apartment complex, seperated by a street. The rooms in the side of the building facing the street had windows, and one such room was lined up perfectly with the window of Luke's apartment. "Come on. I've got an idea," said John, as he led the Red Sleeves away. Last edited by Oriphiel; 08-05-2015 at 10:02 AM.