Opportunity Knocks

Opportunity Knocks
Date of Scene:	15 November 2012
Location:	Luca - Harbor
Synopsis:	LEXUS attempts to move some important stolen equipment to Hollow Bastion. the path takes him through Luca, where he is accosted by a Shinra special ops team who wants to take the equipment for their own.
Cast of Characters:	Gavan Errant, LEXUS, Reno
Tinyplot:	In A New York Minute

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LEXUS has posed:
A couple days ago, there was a burglary in Manhattan.

This is irrelevant to most people. For LEXUS (and the program he ran over to accomplish this), it's critical. This is why he's driving a U-Haul van containing large, bulky computing equipment through Luca, trying to make his way through the milling, footbound populace. He is patient. For now.

The issue arises, however, that the Turks have been notified that a cargo of value to Hojo's research has been located and will be found at that point in that time.

The Turks now have the capacity to make a big score for the glory of Shinra (and Hojo's continued scienceassery). All they have to do is take it from the middle-aged man with the glowing tats on the face that's driving the truck. Simple, right?

Reno has posed:
A few streets over, somewhere with a good, open space, Reno sits on a crate and looks at those gathered before him, his displeasure plays across his face all to clearly, lips weighed down in a scurrilous frown. "All that trouble and I get one jackass that's worth something." uttered Reno, voice working out in a mutter thanks to his jaw resting in his hand. He is most-likely refering to Gavan Errant, the lone soldier amongst the cadre of black-suited mooks.

Reno heaves a sigh of disappointment before he hoists himself to his feet. "Alright, look alive and listen up!" he trumpets after raking his fingers back through his hair. "Here's the plan, short and sweet! We're stealing a truck! Don't know why, don't know from whom, don't care!" he goes through the list of things he doesn't care about with flippant ease before turning on his heels and making his way off. "Lets go!" he trumpets once more, one hand already ion his pocket, the other propelling the most unenthused fist you ever did see, into the air.

In a moment or two, LEXUS will find himself with a visitor, a man dressed shabbily in a nice suit, tails untucked and shirt barely buttoned, top it all off with a head full of scarcely combed, red hair and you've got Reno. He strolls upto the driverside door and raps his knuckles on the window before motioning for the man to roll it down.

Gavan Errant has posed:
Gavan stood with his hands folded behind his back. Dressed completely in standard SOLDIER armor today,t he only difference being the pair of blades at his hips, one a katana, the other a smaller pistol sized gunblade. Ignoring the jackass comment for now, he looked at the assembled forces and side, wishing Vara was with them, at least then they'd have someone able to do some heavy duty artillery with materia.

At Reno's orders, and the mission description he nodded, moving to flank the turk as the others fell in line, "So, we just goign to walk into the road in front of it? Or do we have some kind of ambush plan in mind? I'd like to not be laid up in medical with broken ribs because someone in a truck decided it would be fun to play bumbper cars with us."

LEXUS has posed:
It's slow going through Luca, and as such LEXUS doesn't make progress very quickly. He doesn't, however, expect the U-Haul would be a problem... Until someone taps on the window.

LEXUS rolls down the window politely and looks towards Reno. His eyes are inhuman, with a digital series of circles with a three-point pattern within them as opposed to an iris. "Yes?" He asks, shortly.

A faint scrabbling sound comes from the back of the truck. LEXUS seems to pay it no mind. He's too busy staring, unblinkingly, at Reno. He doesn't seem to notice Gavan and the Shinra troops preparing to move in.

Reno has posed:
He's... He's actually rolling down the window. Why is he rolling down the window, has this man never driven through a bad neighborhood in his life?! He is rolling down the-! Woah... what the hell is up with his eyes?!

While the window creeps downwards, Reno casts a glance back towards Gavan, he lifts a hand, forestalling his worry of vehicular injury before turning back to regard LEXUS. His lips part, nodoubt about to launch into some sales-pitch, only for him to hesitate with the sound of movement from the cargo section of the truck. His mouth closes and he looks away, attention seeming to shift to the picture splashed onto the side of the truck. It gives him a moment's pause, he was never told if what they desired was alive or not... Or maybe he was and he just, kind of tuned Hojo out.

"Afternoon, Sir!" began Reno as he looked back to Lexus, donning his best smile, "I'm with the Luc-" he paused, Lucanian, Lucas, Lucanite? What the hell do these water-polo loving suckers call themselves?! "Lucanianites" he was covering all the bases there "extra terrestrial relations. I was passing by and couldn't help but notice you're from out of town." he continued, pulling his wallet from his pocket, flashing the realish badge there-in, and then returning it to his coat. "Could I get you to step out of the truck? It'll only take a moment and then we can send you on your way."

Gavan Errant has posed:
Gavan glanced to Reno, standing behind him with his arms folded over his chest now, glancing to LEXUS from beneath his helmet as she waits to see how the truck occupant decides to play this, either cooperating or resisting. Otherwise remaing still with the black suited mooks for now.

LEXUS has posed:
LEXUS frowns for a moment, and then shrugs, wordlessly vanishing from the van with a wave of digital reconstruction, rezzing into view and standing on the street.

The window then rolls itself up and the doors lock. "So, what can I do for you?" He says, evenly. "My time is valuable. Please do not waste it."

It might be unsure if LEXUS actually believes Reno's conversation. He frowns, casually waiting to see what the 'official' does next.

Reno has posed:
Yeah, definitely not from around here...

"Huh..." Reno grunts in surprise, attention shifting from the truck to the man to the truck... Then the truck locks itself up. Reno's features lose their casual, good humor just as soon as the lock-bolt drops down and the tell-tale chunk of the lock engageing sounds.

This was not going to be a easy carjacking.

Ignoring Lexus for a moment, Reno poises a hand on his hip, the other is drawn down over his mouth, pausing at his chin to affect a throughtful posture. A moment passes, a goon clears his throat, Reno snaps back to the present. "Oh, right, sorry, sorry!" he apologizes with a smile and a laugh, turning away from the truck and fixing his attention on Gavan. "Yeah man, you're up." he addresses the SOLDIER with a cock of his head, "Beat up the old guy, alright?" he's always thought that MEATSHIELD would be a better name for these guys.

Gavan Errant has posed:
A sigh from Gavan as Reno orders him to beat the old guy up, he steps forwards, his hands going to his swords, but not drawing them quite yet.

"I'm sorry sir, I'm going to have to ask you stand aside and let us check the vehicle." he doesn't draw yet, looks like Mr. Errant has a bit of an honor complex when it comes to someone who looks seemingly unarmed...even if he was teleporting around a moment ago.

LEXUS has posed:
"I'm afraid I can't allow that." LEXUS replies. "Engaging system compromise vectors."

A moment later, there is an explosion of neon light, Galvan finding himself assaulted by spears of green energy that threaten to sap his power away. "Remove yourself from my presence or be derezzed."

Looks like he's solving Gavan's honor problem by striking first.

Reno has posed:
"Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu-"dge. groans Reno, a hand slapping across his eyes as his head tilts back, loosing the complaint in a skywards drone. The SOLDIER is one of /those/ SOLDIERS.

Don't get me wrong, they're better than the whackado psychopaths, but still.

Then the problem solves itself, LEXUS proves himself to be a person of interest all of a sudden when he assails Gaven with a sudden hail of, well, it said so right there, green spears.

"See!? When a Turk tells you to hit a guy, you hit that guy!" barks Reno, hands flung up in the air in expression of exasperation.

Of course, he's not one just to sit back and watch someone he is marginally attached to get worked over. "Happy now, right? So beat him up, yo!" he calls after Gavan, lifting his left hand to his mouth and closing it into a fist. Placing a kiss to one of the rings on his hand, Reno then thrusts the fist towards Gavan, encapsulating the man in a bubble-like field of light. It gleams for a moment before fading from view.

Gavan Errant has posed:
Gavan doesn't get a chance to react before the area immediately around him explodes in neon light. His body Jerking as he attempts to leap up and away from the sudden assault, his weapons unsheathed, evena s Reno starts yelling.
The SOLDIER then swipes with the Katana, twisting his body as his left hand comes around to try and strike Lexus with the grip of his gunblade, before unleashing a downward slash as magic coursed along the Katana blade to attempt to drain life force from the strange man.

LEXUS has posed:
Energy flows along the edge of the blade as the weapon cleaves into LEXUS, but the response is... not what he expects. A rent is torn into LEXUS' form, and parts of him seem to... shatter away into pixels? "An interesting response. Adjusting combat parameters." He pulls back, engaging a more defensive stance as the suited man's wounds recoalesce shut, and he raises a hand.

Gouts of flame explode upwards, attempting to sear away the magical barrier around Gavan. A moment later, he drives a hand into the ground. The impact seems to sink there... And then purple circuitry spreads outwards from the impact, creating arcing bolts of lightning interspersed with a barrage of shards of geometrical ice. "I cannot allow you to acquire this equipment. Leave this place immediately."

Reno has posed:
Now that Gavan's got himself in gear, Reno turns back to the truck. He tries the door. Yup, locked. He wiggles the handle a bit before giving up.

"Eh, screw it." he muttered before waving the cronies after him. Some look like they want to join in at Gavan's side. Others are too happy to stay out of it.

The group wanders around to the back of the truck, Reno is the first one to try the latch to the cargo area.

Gavan Errant has posed:
Gavan grits his teeth, growling as the barrier is scourged away, before he lands andis struck by the barrage of lightning and ice, "GRRRK! Sorry, I've got orders to take it...and something tells me, letting you have it would be a terrible idea!"

He pointed his katana at the strange man, casting Osmose before he kicked into the air once more, swiping the blade once more as he attempted to reverse some of the damage done, before brining another swipe, this time fromt he smaller blade to the man's mid section.

LEXUS has posed:
LEXUS is knocked some distance away from the brutal assault. He flies backwards, moving and shuddering as the attack glances off of his body, creating a spray of faint light. What is he /made/ of? "You follow orders. How fascinating. Even a User appears to obey higher authorities." Lexus says this without condemntation or sarcasm. "Explain your support structure." He glances at Reno, who is wrestling with the truck. The latch is unlocked. It clacks open.

There is a shuddering sound inside, with a clatter. Is he sure he wants to open that?

LEXUS, meanwhile, has bigger issues. Hexagonal fields of force manifest around him, creating defensive screens. Gavan is familiar with the concept, LEXUS just blew one of them off of him. "What is the nature of your organization? You have a great deal of confidence in your action."

Reno has posed:
"It'd be a really bad idea!" hollars Reno from around the truck. It'd be a bad idea because he likes his reputation of getting things done. The men in charge don't pay too much attention as long as you get things done.

Reno's hand rests on the latch, something inside rustles and moves. Is this going to be another case of Hojo's collection? Will he find huddled masses, stranged, frightened creatures...? He firms his grip and turns the latch, pulling the hook out of it's hole before taking hold of the handle.

He pauses, hesitating just long enough to draw a weighty cylender from his coat, with a flick of his wrist, the rod extends, a spark crackling at the end of his newly deployed baton. With a breath, he tosses the rolling door upwards!

Big Money, Big Money, No Whammys!

Gavan Errant has posed:
Gavan perches on top of nearby lamp post, his blade low and to his sides as he loooks down at LEXUS. "I see no reason to explain who we are to you. It seems to me you're better off just not concerning yourself with that." he takes advantage of their distance, readying himself for the next onslaught as the materia in his weapons glow.

LEXUS has posed:
"I disagree. A better understanding of each other, perhaps..."

Reno opens the truck.

"Would have benefitted you greatly."

Reno looks into the truck. It's full of advanced computer equipment and a weird-looking laser. Well, that explains what Hojo wan-

And then the yellow eyes open. Sleek, chromed steel multi-limbed creatures ranging from the size of a tennis ball to the size of a punching bag scuttle out of the darkness. Each of them possesses the Heartless emblem on their head-stalks, the pulsing blackness connecting the chrome portions undulating in an inhuman fashion.

They emit a modulated screech as they lunge for Reno, the rest pouring out and assaulting Gavan and others in the area. Well, at least they're not IN the truck anymore.

LEXUS golfclaps, before snapping his fingers. There is another gout of flame that attempts to immolate the SOLDIER while Reno tries to deal with the sudden incursion of a ton of Heartless into the mix.

Reno has posed:
Couldn't have been a girl, could it? A woman would be better, actually... Hell, he'd even take a half! Half-Esper, Half-Cetra, Half-Naked.

Twist his arm and he'd take one entirely naked.

Nope. Monsters, the same kind that Wutai employed in their hellacious counter-offensive.

Reno's features took on a crestfallen twist, his shoulders slumped, his baton dangled at the end of his arm. He looked from one set of bead, vicious eyes to the next, and the next, and the next... and the next.R
"Well, Sh-"ucks.

They come at him. He isn't ready. One gets a good, hard prod with the tip of his baton, electrods crackle and the smell of.... the smell of whatever these things smell like when they're electrocuted, fills the air. He swipes at another, cracking another with the rod, flat out. He is overwhelmed quickly enough, brought down in a flood of black shapes. His cohorts fair... much worse. Some flee, just bug-out, 'not paid enough for this' flee. Others try to fight back. Weapons are pulled from coats, they don't get much use out of them.

The heap that is a burried Reno writhes and churns. Light seaps out through the cracks between bodies, bright, glorious, there is a eryuption and forms go flying.

Turk Light!

Reno is left on the ground, a radial scorch mark surrounding him.

He's had better days.

Gavan Errant has posed:
As the world seemed to aplode around him, Gavan crouched preparing to leap from his perch. However, the world explodes with neon light, and there's a swarm of things grabbing onto him. The SOLDIER flails about with his blades to try and shake the things off, before he finally decides to give LEXUS something to worry about.
He flicks a switch on his Gunblade and fire it into the air, a flare igniting before he points his blades at the man, "Bercilak! Destroy him!" A moment later an 8 foot tall robot comes sailing out of the sky, both of it's arms unleashing heavy caliber fire onto the area while Gavan continues to swipe at the things.

LEXUS has posed:
Daemon Heartless fly everywhere. Many of them derezz from the explosive power of TURK LIGHT. The Heartless swarm out into the area, focusing more on keeping the Turk and SOLDIER support staff occupied. It looks like a scene straight out of Starship Troopers as the Heartless rush them. The battle begins in earnest as Gavan calls in his robotic support.

LEXUS' inhuman eyes widen as he adopts a full defensive position, a powerful barrier rising as bullets hammer into it, pieces shattering off as the program struggles to defend against the assauly. The Heartless are mowed down from bust fire, many of them exploding into darkness and clearing the area around the pair. Gavan slashes through, the blade punching hilt-deep through the barrier...

And coming to a halt a fraction of an inch from LEXUS' right eye. "I underestimated you." LEXUS says evenly, moments before the barrier shatters and he unleashes a pulse wave to send Gavan flying back out of critical range. "Your leader is wise. You are creating a distraction. I will have to finish you quickly."

He fires several more pulses of debilitating neon green energy, attempting to break down Gavan's defenses for a killing strike.

Reno has posed:
Reno hauls himself to his feet, his shabby suit torn in several places, body lacerated and battered. He's had worse... but not recently, "Not... my best moment." goraned the wise leadern as he reaches into the left side of his coat and retrieves a flask. Unscrewing the top, he tips the container to his lips and receives... nothing. Scowling, he pulls it away from his mouth and surveys the flask, turning it over in his hand and catching sight of a puncture hole that had relieved it of it's contents. Cocking a brow, he looked to his coat, a finger threading through the hole in his jacket and wiggling about. Right over his heart... How cliche.

This left him for some clean up work, he klaid in, jabbing and whacking away with his rod while he fished a phone out of his pocket. Things were getting heated, time to secure the prize.

Gavan Errant has posed:
Gavan lets out a cry as he leaps down towards Lexus, his blades flashing even as Bercilak continues to unload. As the barrier wheres down he stabs the katana into the shield grinning, "Got...." his hand trembling on the grip before once more his body is shaken by LEXUS' assault, pushing him back, still attempting to keep his aerial superiority.

He lands on another lamp post, and glares even as his wounds make it hard to see as he struggles to stand. "I'll buy as much time as I can! Just get what we came for already!" this was taking a lot longer than it needed too. He flicked the gunblade up it's Materia glowing before unleashing a bullet hoping to remove any remaining barriers LEXUS may have up, before he swung his other hand around, crashing down with the intent to drain more life from his opponent, before the smaller blade is swung, enchanted with poison.

LEXUS has posed:
The enchanted bullet explodes through the barrier, shattering it. LEXUS reels at the impact, surprised as Gavan unleashes a brutal combination attack. The weapons carve into the man, digital points of light spraying in all directions as Gavan unleashes his SOLDIER-born talents. LEXUS finally shows some signs of weakening, staggering and falling to one knee. "You...."

LEXUS' eyes flare violet, and wisps of Darkness begin to boil up around him. "Your time has run out. Your power will become mine."

He slams a fist into the ground, and waves of concentric blackness begins to pool outwards, shot through with crackling purple circuit-patterned light. The energy begins to dart through the air, seeking out Gavan and attempting to consume him, drawing bits of something essential away. He can /feel/ the assault upon his mind and his soul as LEXUS channels the Darkness to strike out at Gavan's life, attempting to consume portions of it.

"Now die."

Reno has posed:
A forehanded stroke of Reno's baton cracks into one of the heartless beasties, a shock of electricity erupts outwards into several others from the original target, they sizzle and boil away even as Reno turns to answerGavan's cry, phone pulled away from his ear as he hollars back. "That's what I'm doing, you think I'm ordering a pizza here?" he jeers even as LEXUS gives Gavan a bad day of his own. The man with the red hair cringes away from the absolute flare of it all. Looks flashy, bound to be uncomfortable.

A new noise is added to the clamour of battle, helicopter blades thump the air overhead as a chopper pulls into sight, large and shear black, your classic 'deniable ops' affair as far as helicopters go.

Side doors slide open and people in suits lean out with launchers. They aim their shoulder-mounted weaponry down at the truck before firing. Gas-propelled harpoons zip out of tubes and pierce the truck at various points, barbs and hooks anchor the projectiles in place and provide good mooring points for the cables that extend back upto the hovering 'Chopper.

With a nod of satisfaction, Reno dips his fingers into the corners of his mouth and issues a shrill whistle, capturing the attention of the gathered. "Job's done, ride's leaving, move your butts!" he hoots even as he himself hops into the open cargo compartment of the truck. Survivors follow suit.

Hopefully, LEXUS acquired this thing through extra-legal means. Otherwise it's going to look nasty on his credit report.

Gavan Errant has posed:
Gavan used the force of his blows to propel him up into the sky and away from LEXUS before he wheels his body readying to dive back down for his assault before darkness surrounds him, his body torn at as he feels the energy tearing through him, screaming into the darkness as the data assaults his body. The world remaining dark as he looses all feeling and crashes to the pavement.

LEXUS has posed:
Let's just say that the guy taking care of the U-Haul no longer needs to worry about it.

"You were not ready, User."

LEXUS moves forward, singularly focused upon the fallen Gavan even as the U-Haul is hoisted into the air by Reno's clever means. The Heartless surround LEXUS and Gavan in rings, watching as the man rises, stretching a hand out over the fallen SOLDIER. "You will now tell me /everything/."

The unconscious form of Gavan is lifted into the air, and LEXUS holds his right hand over his forehead... And then Darkness swirld around his hand, crackling tendrils of power arcing between his palm and the man's forehead as LEXUS begins attempting to basically 'hack' the SOLDIER's mind for information on who he is and where he came from. If Reno doesn't want Gavan to (involuntarily) begin spilling, he should probably pick the poor guy up somehow.

Reno has posed:
Men pile in, they pull their wounded and dead along, the larger parts of them, at least. Reno remains in the open cargo section of the truck, watching as LEXUS and his minions converge on the, now fallen Gavan. It'd be easy to go home, write him off as KIA. It's a big, new world out there. Bound to be plenty of suckers with poor judgment and good skills that would want to be SOLDIERed. Plenty of them. Dime a dozen. Yessir, no shortage there!

But they don't pay Reno to do the easy jobs.

"G-"osh darnit.

The red-haired Turk utters a few last words into his handset befor snapping it closed and secreting it away into his pocket again. They already had a bit of elevation... this was going to be a bit of a drop.

Another whistle, this one a little less shrill, a little less sharp, Reno pushing air past puckered lips rather than that trick with his fingers that the player can never quite do. LEXUS can ignore it, it's not the whistle that's important. It's the small, metal ball that he just pulled from his coat that's kind of special. He brings it to his lips and bites out a pin, spitting it away before he softballs the grenade down into the gathering, spoon dancing away in a different direction as the party favor drops into the ring.

It clatters against the battered street, resting just a moment before it cooks off, a bright flash of light and a concussive shock of force to scatter the party down below. Makes it all that much easier for Reno to step out of the back of the truck and plummet like some heroic idiot. He hits the pavement, doing a bad job of rolling to try and divide the impact along his entire frame rather than just his legs. He comes up in a crouch, a hand thrown towards LEXUS, magical energies coalescing into being around the digital entity, forming four, transparent walls around him, each one a triangle, trying to lock him down in a hard-light prison and buy some time to skedattle.

LEXUS has posed:
LEXUS' tunnel vision does him a disservice at the moment. The clattering object is paid no mind...

And then the explosion knocks Gavan and the Program away from each other, breaking the link. He hits the ground, the Pyramid forming around him. He throws a crackling bolt of power against the wall, and it holds, the power splashing against it. His eyes flash with irritation as his expression hardens, and he stands, pointing at a Daemon Heartless, who runs up and begins striking at the field. It's holding, but not for long.

Just long enough for Reno to get the job done. "You can't escape." He says. "I will find you. And I will recover what is mine."

Reno has posed:
Good old pyramid, never fails... Atleast until someone starts poking at it.

Crap, someone's poking at it!

Reno doesn't rest on his laurels, he bought seconds, no ned to spend minutes gloating about it. He hustles, threatening to threatening to throw out his back by hefting Gavan, who might be a bit of a bigger guy, up and into a fireman's carry. "You know," he chatters to the unconcious Gavan as he hustles off towards the pre-arranged secondary extraction point, "I get that a lot. He can't be any worse than any of my exs though."

At the very least, LEXUS won't leave any passive aggressive phone messages.

LEXUS has posed:
LEXUS says nothing else as the Pyramid collapses. He does not give chase. He has no reason to chase at this point.

They will escape, he cannot stop them right now. He will need to attend to... other issues before he can look into these... strange men.

The Daemon Heartless vanish into the Darkness, and LEXUS simply turns away, opening a Corridor of Darkness and walking into it, vanishing and letting Shinra have their hard-earned prize.