@Rosetta: You know relatively little about the Gooners compared to some of the other groups in the city, mostly because the majority are either wanted and violent criminals or completely uninterested in communicating with people who don't speak English. That your Turkish-English accent is quite apparent even when you try to hide it doesn't help, though you've gained the trust of one or two of its members.

Your first thought when deciding on your course of action is to try and contact these people, to try and use their membership as a way to get in touch with the more important people in the Gooners.

(Roll Contacts, Difficulty: 4, for a contact that can get you that meeting.)

 

If it sounds like a bad idea to try and talk the Gooners into starting some shit downtown, that's because it is.

Probably not hard, mind you. The Gooners did have a certain reputation, but still, potentially unwise. I don't know much about them, except that their apparent leader is named Big Daddy and isn't that alone a good sign to be worried?

But that's the plan that we had agreed on and it is the best course of action to get away unharmed. Best case scenario, we get away with the loot and the Suits take the Gooners in. Win/Win for everyone involved.

Well, except for the Gooners, but then again, they would be in jail.

So, I went out to the one of the two guys whom I suspected to be members, albeit really low ranking, probably. It would be a stretch to say that we trusted each other all that much, but he owed me a favor and it was likely that he would need another favor pretty soon again, so, he wouldn't gain anything from betraying me.

Needing someone who is able to read the letters from the court of his home country to you that you don't understand is something that one doesn't throw away carelessly.

Especially if you don't know all that many people who would ignore his legal standing in general in this country.

So, to find him, I went to the same pub that we had met the last time. With a bit of luck, I would find him and at the very least, learn where to from there. Before I could make any concrete plans, I needed more information on them.

 

You enter the pub in costume and the entire bar goes silent. Two dozen people, most of them middle aged or getting there, stare at you as you walk to the centre of the room. One of them seems to be braver than the others as he asks you what you want. It seems that most of them know who you are already.

"I'm looking for Paul Bryce," you say to the crowd, your accent adapting to that of the man who had just spoken.

The majority relax as you announce that you don't need to see them. One man, younger than most in the room, walks up to you with a nervous expression and body language that reads of barely controlled fear. He asks you why you want to talk to him and your explanation that you just need him to put you in contact with one of the capes in the Gooners seems to put him at ease.

He tells you that Paul is out of town at the moment, but that he knew a guy who knew a guy that could get you in touch with Backblast; one of the more well known villains in the city. He proceeds to make a few phone calls, at which point you learn that he goes by the name of Rich. You settle in to wait for a while, slightly nervous that you're stuck in a public place like this without the back up of your team mates if the Suits show up.

About fifteen minutes after you first arrived in the building, Rich announces that Backblast is on the phone and that he'd like to talk. You nod, then take the phone from Rich's hand and gesture for him to leave. He looks awkward at that, his eyes focused on the phone in a way that lets you know he's wondering if he'll ever get it back. He doesn't have enough courage to say anything about it though and he wanders back into the main part of the pub.

The phone call with Backblast, if it really is him, is short and sweet. He tells you that he's willing to meet in person further into the East End in a couple of hours. A quick mental calculation tells you that you'll have to take the Tube to get there on time, but that it shouldn't be too difficult. Ironically, and perhaps slightly worryingly, it's fairly close to your hideout.

You give him your agreement and decide your next move. You have enough time for a quick errand if you hurry.

 

I walk out of the bar, give Rich his phone back, thank him and leave. Then, I use my own phone to notify my team that I am going to meet Backblast, and tell them where and when I meet him. I say that I will prepare an sms that will be send the second I press a button in case this thing goes south or is a trap. Might not be able to help me on time but they will know something is wrong.

Then, I make my way to the tube, taking a few corners, making sure that I am not followed and loose the mask. Riding the tube in full costume would be foolish. I try to get there as early as possible in order to scout out the place of the meeting. Unlikely that I will make it earlier than Backblast, but one never knows.

 

You get to the meeting place with half an hour to spare and the pleasant surprise that you are the first to arrive.

Wanstead Park is part of an old family's estate in the East End of London. It has seen better days; most of the gardens are overgrown now and the sole working fountain has been given over to what seems to be a nature reserve. You realise upon entering that there are no people in the park, which seems odd for London, even if it is well past sunset.

As soon as you think that the park takes on a sudden, more malicious aura. While you can still hear the background noise of the city, it seems muted now, as though you are hearing it from a great distance. The ambient light of the street lamps casts ghastly shadows on the white stone of the fountain and small critters dart around just on the edge of your sight.

Looking around, you decide that you have time to quickly explore the area. (Alertness or Investigation - which one you pick will decide how much detail you get. Difficulty: 3)

 

(Rosetta rolled a 2)

You wander around the park with an eye for any potential advantage that you could wield over your opponent, but given what you know of his powers there doesn't seem to be anything worth mentioning. The stonework looks to be in disrepair, but not to such a state that you could utilise it if worst came to worst.

It is as you complete your circuit of the small park that you notice the other cape in the area. He doesn't seem to be bothering to hide, his dark red and black costume being far too noticeable to aid in such a feat. That goes doubly so for the bright orange flame decal in the centre of his chest and the thick scarf that covers his lower face.

As you approach you see that he has a buzzcut that serves to emphasise the large burn scar that marks one side of his skull, twisting the flesh in a hideous manner from the crown to the hidden parts under his scarf.

Backblast straightens his posture as he notices your return, his eyes following the path you came back into the park. He nods his head once, to himself, then focuses on you. He crosses his arms, though he doesn't have much muscle, but it serves the purpose nonetheless. You know he's dangerous. Everyone does. There isn't a person in London unaware that he caused the fire that killed the Queen.

"So, you're Rosetta," he says with a broad Essex accent. "Thought you were a lass."

 

"Yeah, I hear that a lot. Got stuck with the name and it's a bit late to change it. Still, no bad publicity and all that."

I try to concentrate on his movements, whilst feeling tense, trying to get as much of an overview of the area as I can. Just because he looked to be here alone, doesn't mean he was. Then again, I wasn't actually a fighter, so, him being here alone didn't make my chances all that much better if he wanted a fight.

Still, on his own meant that I could at least manage an escape.

"Thank you for meeting with me on such a short notice. I wanted to talk with your group for a while, introduce myself, if you will."

 

Backblast grunts and frowns at you, folding his arms in front of his chest in a manner that your power tells you is defensive with a hint of annoyance.

"Well, ya know who I am. E'rybody knows who I am."

He glances around, obviously wary of there being others in the shadows but seeming unconcerned beyond that. Not surprising given what you know of his power. He was all over the news for years after the death of the Queen with speculation about his exact powers running rampant.

Eventually someone narrowed down that he is a pyrokinetic that creates snakes of flame from his body to his target, which can then explode upwards at any or all points along the snake. It's a powerful ability, backed up by what some call a callous disregard for human lives and others call psychopathy. Looking at him now you could believe either.

His body language seems to be giving off a constant sense of tension and hostility, as though he is always on the verge of violence but kept in check by a will of iron. You're not sure how much it would take to set him off.

"So, whatsit you want?"

 

"Yes, everyone does. Well, as you have heard my name as well and you should know what I do. I translate for everyone who pays. I like knowing and working with strong groups, such as yours. Not wanting to join, have my own crew, but it can't hurt to have a few more connections. As to not have wasted your time, I thought you might appreciate this piece of information," as I talk, I try to adapt to his accent.

"Apparently, one of the princes, not sure which, is going to be visiting Buckingham Palace in 2 days, for some sort of ceremony with the King's Men. Heard this from a few of my contracts who deliver food and materials to the place. I can't guarantee it, of course, since such plans do change and ever since your thing, they tend to be rather secretive with royalty. Also, they tend to spread false rumors from time to time, but I did hear it from a few and word has it, you would like to have more than the Queen on your bucket list."

 

@Rosetta: (You rolled a 1 for Deceit, he rolled a 5 for Empathy. That's a... yeah. That's a roll.)

Backblast drops his arms to his sides and rolls his shoulders, easing the tension from them.

"Look kid, I don't know what you heard, but I couldn't give a shit if Queenie 'erself got up from 'er grave and did a little jig on the Tower. I got other things on me plate, ya know?"

The cape heads over towards an obelisk-type statue barely taller than he is, motioning for you to follow him. He leans against it, one foot bracing him against the granite as he crosses his arms again.

He seems more confident now, less skittish than before and your power suggests it's because he's got a clearer idea of who you are now. He stares at you for a long moment, trying to get a better bead on you.

(Backblast rolls an assessment using Empathy to find an aspect related to manipulation. Scores a 2.)

"Cut the crap, kid. I know you want something so just come out and say it. Maybe we'll come to an agreement."

 

I follow him, despite having been caught lying, I felt a bit better, since it didn't feel like he was going to burn me any time soon. He probably didn't expect any honesty from villains or capes in general in the first place, so, I doubt he was that surprised or offended.

"Yeah, okay, I admit, that was a weak one." I shrug, "Thing is, I need a distraction in 2 or 3 days. Going to hit a place and it is going to be hard enough, even without the Suits making things difficult, so, the hope is that their attention would be somewhere else."

I look at him, "is it possible to come to an agreement on that front? You pissing off the Suits on the other end of town long enough they don't give a crap about what we're doing?"

Nemrut Rapport roll: 4U1+1 => 0

 

(Backblast rolled a 1. No stress taken.)

Backblast frowns above his scarf, contorting his scar into something even more hideous than usual.

"That's a lot ta ask for. Things'a just been settlin' down and you want us to rile 'em up again?"

He shrugs his shoulders again, giving you the impression that it's a nervous habit, and glances around the park. Again.

"I could do it, but it'll cost ya."

His eyes meet your gaze and hold it for a long while, obviously judging whether he's going to tell you something.

"Tell ya what. Ya want an in with the Gooners? I'll give ya it. You just gotta do something for me as well. We got a big thing going down in a few weeks. If I do this ya gotta help me out with that."

His expression darkens. "And if anyone outside ya little group gets wind of this, I'll be holding you responsible."

(Backblast rolled a 3 for an Intimidation Social Attack. Your choice of defence - Rapport, Discipline, Presence all work well.)

 

"I didn't expect this for free," hoped, though, I thought on it for a second, this would most likely end in something really dangerous but you didn't exactly stay a successful villain by playing everything 100% safe. I needed the money we would earn with this, and as big of a wild-card the Gooners were, it would be advantageous in the long run if we had something of a friendly disposition towards each other. And their help would be invaluable during the heist.

"Okay, that sounds fair, not opposed to a favour for a favour, as long as it isn't anything extreme," I paused for a moment, "What exactly would you have us do? My silence on the matter is guaranteed, whether I agree to the deal or not, but I would like to hear it first."

 

"Well, lad. That would be a matter for us after you've agreed to it. You're asking me to go out on a limb 'ere, risk meself just because ya need a distraction. Ya know who I am and what I do. Ya think this'd be a small thing?"

You see a twitch under one eye, but you can't seem to make heads or tails of what it means. You get the impression of nervousness, of anticipation, of fear and anger and hate and despair and everything in between. This man is not stable in any way.

"Know who ya asking for a favour before ya ask it, lad." His voice grows steadily more intense as he continues, his eyes staring at you with a focus that your power suggests is the result of a mental disorder of some kind. "I got a job, similar to yours I reckon. I could do with some help on it that ain't from ma mates in the Gooners. Wosser word? Plausible deniability, ya see. E'ryone knows I'm mental already so they won't pinner blame on them if I work with others, ya know?"

He pauses for breath, gathering himself and reining in his emotions. His insanity is back under control.

"So the only question now is, are ya in or are ya wasting ma time?"

 

It was probably too much to hope for that this would have been some small, non dangerous favour. He might be insane, but he wasn't exactly wrong, one didn't approach the Gooners for small-fry stuff.

"Yeah, I'm in," I said, trying to keep my voice steady and sure.

 

Backblast grins beneath his scarf, twisting his scar monstrously.

"Good, lad. Very good. You'll have ya distraction, ya can be sure of that." He confirms the date of the heist with you and gives a nod of farewell as he pushes away from the statue. His walk is slow, confident, controlled. Just as he is about to turn a corner and vanish out of sight, he turns back to you, what seems to be a nostalgic smile tinged with a bit of anger on his face.

"This place used to be nice, ya know. Shame the council don't keep it tended." He nods at the statue, then continues on, disappearing from your sight.

You look back to the obelisk, finding a plaque situated precisely where his back had been covering. It reads an obituary.

____________________________________
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
|~~ In memory of Elizabeth Martin ~~|
|~~~~01/06/1976 - 19/8/2000~~~~|
|~~~~~~~~A loving wife~~~~~~~~~|
|~~~~ She will not be forgotten ~~~~|
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
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