A Seven Foot Boyscout

By Tat (Heath Doolin)

"Man Jooky, this place has dried up. There ain’t no one here to donate us some cred!"

Jooky hooked a backhand into Scary Mary’s cheek. The slap did nothing other than got her to shut up, which was enough. The two gangers were slumped in the shadowy alley of a burned out plex, doing what they did best which was waiting for a easy mark to bash and rip. Scary Mary did this for fun, but for Jooky, this was biz. Jackel said he needed to get some big scores under his belt in order to make it up the ladder in the Halloweeners. He had already gutted one small ganger they had come across and had the colors stuffed in the lining of his coat for proof, but now it was a simple cred pull. If a ganger came along, that would be wiz double but he just needed some cred from any old soul. The gimpy ork woman they had just busted up had a lousy 5 nuyen on her. Mary greased the scag simply on principle and was now using her carcass to perch on over by the dumpster. After that it was dry for nearly a hour. Maybe head down to Renton’s and roll some drunks thought Jooky as a shadow turned the corner.

"Heads up…looks like a target picked the wrong night to walk down our street Mary." whispered Jooky.

Mary hopped off the body and peered around the corner. "Wiz..looks like a kid. And look, he is flipping a credstick. Whatta zoner!"

Jooky smiled. Easy cred…and maybe something to play around with slow like. Jooky pulled Mona, his big bowie knife while Mary wielded a Walther light pistol and a long stiletto.

The boy was whistling and calmly tossing a cred stick in his right hand. His baseball cap on his head looked old and weather-beaten but Jooky could make out a D on the front of it. He looked like any old mark. Jeans, shirt, synthleather jacket. Jooky paused. Bare feet? That was weird. Even by mark standards. He better not be guttertrash or Jooky was going to slice him up like soy cake simply because he was a idiot. Not that Jooky needed a reason to let Mona sing her song.

The boy walked in front of the mouth of the alley and Mary stepped out blocking his path. Jooky cut around him as he stopped and stood behind him.

"Gimme the stick, fragger and maybe we will let you live."

The boy stopped tossing the stick and turned just slightly to peer over his shoulder at Jooky. That earned a clip on the ear from the butt of Mary’s gun.

"HEY! No one said you could move! Now gimme the fragging stick, drekhead!"

This boy is dead thought Jooky Mary is gonna skin him….

The boy whipped the credstick upwards at Mary. It gouged into her eye, causing her to shriek and drop her stiletto to clap her hand over it. She fired blindly and nearly hit Jooky who ducked low and was going for a stab into the back of the boy’s knee. Only he was not there. Where the?? Mary gurgled in front of him and he looked up to see why.

The boy sat perched on her shoulders, his left leg locked around her neck with the right bracing over the left foot. Mary was blue and trying to bring her gun up to shoot the fragger as he tightened down on her neck. Just as she brought the Walther high enough to shoot, the boy twisted his whole body, issuing a sharp crack from Mary’s neck. He palmed the snub nosed revolver from her relaxing hand as she tumbled to the ground with a grin and a "Thank you!". He stood before the body, looking at the awestruck Jooky with a small smirk on his face.

"Now what was that about maybe letting me live?" he said as he spun Mary’s gun and stuck it into the back of his jeans.

"YOU FRAGGER!" screamed Jooky as he slashed toward the boy. In one sharp move, the boy picked the stiletto from the ground with his toes, flipped it up and grabbed it with his right hand. He met the strike with a parry of the stiletto, the steel clanging as they crossed.

"Strike One!" said the boy as he followed the parry with a slash of his own that scored the face of Jooky with a deep gash. Jooky spun and stabbed low for the gut, meaning to eviscerate the little punk. The boy twisted and Jooky hit nothing but air.

"Strike Two!" yelled the kid as he laid the knife across Jooky’s other cheek. Blood flowed from Jooky’s face as he backed up slowly, rage filling his eyes. The boy paused.

"Want to see what comes after strike three, hoophead or are you smart enough to know when to bolt?"

Jooky considered this but he had a ace up his sleeve. This boy was going down and Mona would have her kill. He feinted left and twirled Mona to his right hand like he had done a thousand times practicing. Mona spun perfectly and Jooky grabbed the blade. He slung it hard, casting for the throat. The boy sidestepped and caught the blade, pirouetting and sending it right between Jooky’s eyes. It buried deep into the surprised face. Jooky went down, hearing the last words of

"Strike Three…yer OUT!" before darkness passed into his eyes.

Snapper sighed as he pulled out the bowie knife from the head of the ganger and scooped up his credstick . They never bolt, too bad for them. He slipped the blades into his jacket and walked off to Al’s place.

Al’s place was a wreck on the outside but pretty nice on the inside. Al had grown up around here. Had worked hard his 20 something years and overall made himself a pretty standup guy without crossing over into the shadows or violating any major laws. He was a bruiser, but a smart bruiser. He stayed off the chips, made a name for himself early, kept his body in peak performance and was living well for a troll. As well as any troll could in this crazy world thought Snapper to himself as he hit the buzzer and punched in the code to disable the security. The heavy door clanked and Snapper braced himself to open it.

OOF! They just had to make the door normal for trolls instead of me. He finally put enough behind it to open the door. Inside what used to be a gym was a nice little squat. Al and his pops worked hard on it. Pops was Al’s dad and lived in the apartment above along with 4 other metahumans of honest means in several other apartments that were built around Troll exterior specifications, which made Snapper seem even smaller than he was. Pop’s passion was carpentry and it showed in the nice hallway. He and Al had built a nice little duplex in the wreck of that old gym and generally kept it a secret to anyone outside save for the tenants who were honest enough to pay a little rent here and there and generally keep good company. No chippers or joyboys or girls to crowd up the hallways and no violence generally. Al and the rest of the tenants kept the violence out on the street and made this place a oasis from the harshness of the Seattle sprawl. Damn if it does not make my doss look like a cardboard box. thought Snapper as he walked to Al’s door. A howl of pain issued forth from the apartment. Al’s voice!

The door was locked but Snapper picked it with ease. Pushing the door open he tumbled low, bringing the gun and knife he had liberated from the ganger slitch into his hands. The living room was empty, the only movement coming from the swinging heavy bag in the corner. Snapper paused and another grunt of pain, almost agony laced sounded, followed by a small pop.

The bedroom! thought Snapper as he leaped over the coffee table and into the open bedroom door. He thumbed back the hammer to plug the first movement he saw and almost let loose a stray round when he caught sight of Al.

Al lay face down on the bed, arms folded under his head. He was naked except for the sheet wrapped about the bottom half of his huge body. Standing on top of his back was a naked woman Snapper immediately recognized as Marlene, a cute little waitress that worked at the place Al and he used to do security for. She was rubbing her heel into a joint on his spine and with a deft move, jerked right. A loud pop sounded and was immediately followed by a huge grunt from Al. A smile spread on the big fraggers face. Snapper covered a grin with his hand and put his weapons away quietly. Big trog is in heaven thought Snapper as he leaned against the door frame.

"Having fun my gargantuan amigo?" he said

Al raised his head as if he was blitzed on Breeze chips. What came out was something to the effect of "Frrreadfdjkgfllmm" before Marlene patted the top of his head and positioned her feet on another joint. Al dropped his noggin back to his arms like it was weighted down. She smiled to Snapper and shooed him away with a flick of her wrist. Lucky bastard crossed Snapper’s mind as he snuck out and settled himself in front of the trid. Another crack issued forth and Al whimpered like a baby. That one got Snapper cackling. He sounded so weak. He turned on the trid and settled into the highlights of last nights Urban Brawl game.

About a hour passed on before Marlene came walking out, a kamino cinched around her narrow waist. Snapper came out of a trid show on the mating life of the kraken with much relief.

He smiled at Marlene.

"So doc, will he ever play the violin again?"

Marlene smiled back.

"Yes I am afraid so. Much to your dislike too. I cannot believe that man can get so knotted up."

"Hell Marlene, I cannot believe you can get past the armor to do that to him."

Marlene shrugged. "Oh that is easy. It’s just finding the nerve points and putting the right amount of pressure. Needless to say, I need my whole body on top of the points to do it."

She made her way to the kitchen and rooted through the fridge. Snapper smiled. Al and Marlene had been going out now for about a month since him and Snapper had got canned at the Palace. Mar was still working there though. Snapper, on the other hand, was working sec for the Wire Girls and was the personal bodyguard to the lead singer, Ms Letta Sotto. They were more than business if you catch the meaning, but she wanted it kept secret due to the spin she could put on that she was available. Snapper let it go, but it was getting on his nerves now and again to see guys he did not know grope for her. Still, it gave him a paycheck and a roll in the hay on and off so life was ok. Al.. well Al was Al. He worked a few jobs here and there, even did some work with Snapper, but life was going to take him elsewhere as he likes to say every so often. He had still not contacted those runners and would lose them if he did not hurry up. Maybe it was Marlene. The big guy was sweet on her and from the looks of things, it was returned. Sure she was a norm and him a whole lot of troll. But overall, he did not look half bad and she was lovely. Besides that ol saying hit them perfect "Opposites attract." Maybe the idea of Marlene not having him around upset the big softie.

Mar tossed him a beer as she returned. Snapper caught it but set it down without opening.

"So what’s shakin Snap?"

"Ahh nothin Mar. Was wanting to see Al about biz but I see he is preoccupied with being the object of your affection…or maybe its hatred from the way you got him screaming in there."

"Like I said, he is pretty knotted up. He will be back up in a few. Hey listen, I got to go to work. Can you lock up behind me?"

"Sure Mar. Hey when can you get me one of them back-rubs?"

"When we start going out. Unfortunately, I am with the big guy."

"So all I got to do is take him out huh? Hmm.."

Mar rolled her eyes and walked to where he sat. "You do that" she said, bringing her face in front of his and pointing a finger in his chest. "And you will answer to me." She punctuated this threat with the finger as she drove it into his shoulder. Snapper’s arm went numb and his eyes nearly bugged out. Mar gathered her gear and smiled at him at the door

"Not all pressure points are used in relaxation Snapper. Don’t push your luck."

Snapper closed the doors up behind her, trying to move his arm but having it no such luck.

"Touchy" was all he said as he went back in front of the trid.

Snap’s arm came back into shape about 15 minutes later which was too late for him since his brain had congealed enough to make him a nearly drooling couch potato. The show was a repeat of the hit Ravage’s Runners, a Trid version of life in the shadows, which meant a whole lot of heroic poses while shooting, endless ammo, and every biff around the runners looking like something outta a bad porno. Ravage was currently icing his 108^th evil person/ ganger/ someone all while looking particularly heroic amongst sprays of gunfire.

"You know…if shadowrunning was that easy, I could have got in and out of it and made my trillion a week ago."

Snapper craned his neck to see Al standing there in his jeans and looking rather shaky.

"Hey Al, sup?"

"Me thank the gods. Marlene somehow takes the power out of me after a rubdown."

"She also gets you squeaking like a small houseape as well."

Al raised a bushy eyebrow.

"How long you been here smartass?"

"Bout a hour and a half. I said hello to you, remember?"

"I cannot remember the last two hours. Where’s Mar?"

"She went to work. She got you by the short and curlies with them backrubs, y’know"

"Jealous?"

Snapper paused long enough to give him his answer.

"Of course not."

"Uh-huh. So what brings you here?"

Snapper shrugged. "Got a lead on some protection work."

"What’s wrong with the Wire Girls?"

"Not my scene. Looking for something better."

Al pulled on a shirt and looked him in the eye.

"Canned you eh?"

"No believe it or not. They are going on a tour in Japan of all places. Unfortunately, I am not invited. So they have me on call until they get back in about a month."

"Ouch harsh."

"Yea. But still, I would rather not go to the land of Yaks since we took down those bunch in the Palace. Still kinda paranoid, y’know?"

"Echo that. So what’s the job?"

"Got a call from my uncle."

This is new thought Al. Of all people he knew, Snapper was the one he knew the least about. The funny thing was that they both palled around together a lot. Snapper was a quandary to Al though. He looked 17 though Al could swear someone told him he was 28 or something. And those moves…no one did that stuff. He mixed fighting skills a lot. One moment you think he is a kick artist, the next moment he is brawling like he was born to it. Then he is kicking like Kyang Li on the trid. Maybe he was a adept. He never asked, just assumed. But a Uncle?

"Uncle eh?"

Snapper acted nonchalant, like he always talked about him.

"Yea, down South ways. We are needed to help ‘right a wrong’ to quote him."

"Hmm sounds like a ‘flag-waving-no-pay-but-for-the-glory-type-job’. No thanks."

"Please chummer you know me better than that." Snap threw two envelopes to the table.

One contained a load of credsticks, the other read a reservation for two airline seats. First class seats."

"Ok. The 25 nuyen question is who is your uncle?"

"Thats easy…He’s Arturo Kranston….also known as Art the Artist"

Snapper could have not timed it perfectly for the end of Ravage’s Runners chimed in

"This has been a presentation of Arturo Productions Limited!"

Snapper’s uncle was one of the big nuyenmakers of Hollywood. Art the Artist, maker of some of the cheesiest drek to hit the tridwaves. It made Al’s head hurt.

---

The leave was not too bad. Sure, Al was having a tough time leaving Mar but she could take care of herself. Besides, the big nuyen deposit convinced Mar to make Al go. Like it or not, they needed it. She made Snapper promise her to take care of the big guy as well. More like threatened to dislocate his head from his body if he did not bring Al back in one piece, but who was listening to the details? The ride to the airport was relaxing except when Snapper and the old cabbie got into a argument on who the best Urban brawl team there was. The mile hike as a result of it was a lot less relaxing. Then there was the patdown and search before boarding. Lets just say it bordered on gynecological. Snapper almost got them in the clink for a crack about the last time he had someone do that to him they bought him dinner first. But finally, they were on their way in the luxurious comfort of first class. And what a place. It was like they put a 5 star hotel up there. Al was in awe of the surroundings and the fact they had a nice troll sized seat waiting for him. He looked to Snapper who told him they knew you were coming. Their fellow passengers though gave them enough stinkeye to drown the entire city of Seattle. Al got not less than 5 checks on his reservation from nervous (but cute) stewardesses to make sure he was where he should be. Snapper followed him with 3 but then again, Snapper was a shoddily dressed human, not a huge troll who looked just about in the right place as he would in a Humanis rally. Al took it in stride, settling into the chair and ordering a troll sized bag of peanuts, to be charged to the account of Mr. Arturo, of course (on the advice of his nephew who was busy downing a glass of real scotch and soda).

Two bags of peanuts and 3 glasses of scotch later, they finally glided into the California Free State. The touchdown was rather light. This was half due to the runway being on huge floating barrels located in LA Harbor. The old LAX went the way of most things around here after the big one way back when. Now it was a toxic nightmare, being used as a huge nightclub and meeting place for the guttertrash. Snapper was already making plans to go visit it.

A burly ork woman met them after the customs and search (just in case Al and Snapper had been able to magically produce the explosives in mid-flight). She held a sign up that read ‘Stanley’ and Al watched as Snapper slowly and with obvious pain, answered the woman. The woman spoke is hushed whispers to Snapper who in turn turned to look at Al. Al was biting his bottom lip right hard but the tears in the corner of his eyes revealed what he thought of Snapper’s real name. Snap rolled his eyes.

"Alright, fragger let it go."

After a full fifteen seconds of unleashed laughter and subsequent tear drying, Al finally came up for air long enough to ask if she was just making sure we got here.

"No ya bum. Looks like my uncle is welcoming us in style!"

The limo sat parked outside the terminal. Al shook his head. If this is anything like shadowrunning, somebody should have told me a looong time ago. But Al knew deep down, this was going to be a once in a lifetime event. Later on, Al regretted thinking he was here for a easy score.

--------

Arturo paced feverishly back and forth. He had a thousand things on his mind, least of which was his nephew and associate who would be arriving shortly. The actors, the salaries, the wants and needs of the ultra ultra rich. God it sickened him. He had come into the life of filming as a artuer, someone who was going to make a movie that tugged at the heart. Instead, Art had to live and making chips and trideo shows on the life of a nobody just was not that profitable. He got lucky and hit the next wave of chill when Hard-boiled pulp novels became the rage with his viewers. His first show, a noir story surrounding a elf gumshoe named Bulletsnatcher became the hit of the decade. From there, he had a roll of number ones. But it was costing him. Life mostly. He was 48 going on 350. The deadlines, the pressure…one of these days it was going to hit him dead on and god help whoever stood in his way that day.

He popped a "EZ" capsule into his mouth and finished it off with a quick glass of mineral water when the telecom beeped. His biff secretary’s perfect face came into view. "Your nephew and his associate are arriving ETA 7 minutes" she cooed softly, the vocal manipulators making her voice sound drenched in butter. It did nothing for Arturo.

"Good good….I shall meet them in the front. Please advise security to stand down."

"Right away sir." She whispered huskily. Damn augmentations he thought to himself What’s next, a third leg? Always something to make you less than perfect, thereby needing it. He hustled on down to the elevator.

Snapper mimicked Al’s thoughts as they drove up to the checkpoint.

"Geez, Seattle is easier to get around in than this." Al followed Snapper’s eyes down the huge barrier cutting through the middle of the city. The ork woman chuckled at the comment. Her eyes came up into the rear view and looked at both of them.

"Its to keep the wrong kind of crazies out and the right kind of crazies in."

Snapper spoke up. "What do you mean?"

"That" she pointed to the wall "is what separates some of the lowest scum on earth with trillions of nuyen flowing into the great entertainment biz. Its a real life fairy tale to folks around here. Make it big and make it in the gate and gold paves your way. Its not really that once you get in though. Pressure becomes your next trouble with how to keep yourself within the walls. You do not have the money, you do not belong."

Al leaned forward. "And where do you fit it?"

The car slowed as she turned her head slightly. "Somebody’s got to cart the rich and infamous around. God forbid they should have to walk or drive on their own. Plus they get me to watch over them. Really don’t give a fig about the carcass in the back. Its the car I am driving that keeps me in here. And if it means saving the life of the producer or starlet or whatever to keep me in and my kids going to a school that gives them a little more chance, so ka."

Al nodded and leaned back. Everybody has to make a buck. The driver just wants to give the kids a chance she probably never had. You had to respect that.

"Hang on gents, we got to make for the checkpoint. Could be rough."

Snap fell back as the car accelerated. Al pushed himself up to watch as the houses around the limo sped past. He saw a few sporadic shots from some windows and a ugly dwarf clothed in rags sling a empty bottle at the car, but generally it seemed like nothing to out of the ordinary. Hmmph..they strive to have it all but as soon as someone else shows up in it, they have nothing but disdain. I wonder how they would feel to know who this limo housed. A couple of nobody ex-bouncers and a ork woman driver. Probably would not even waste the ammo.

The limo slowed as it made its way into the arch. The burly guards were dressed to the nines, which meant big heavy armor and bristling with weaponry. A lone non-armored dwarf made his way to the driver side window and tapped on the glass. The ork slid down the window and Snapper saw a Vulcan cannon swivel to train on her. Snapper watched as the ork woman got out, carefully slid a SMG out of her concealed holster and set it on top of the limo. She then handed a datafile which the dwarf immediately snapped into a wedge-like opening behind his ear. He closed his eyes for a second and popped them back open as he recognized who these people were acquaintances of. With much apology and a lowering of weapons, the dwarf thanked her kindly and tried to maneuver to get a look into the back. However, the woman had taken the time to raise the partition and polarize the glass around the two men, much to the dwarfs disdain. The ork collected her things and dropped back into the seat as the doors in front of the wall lumbered open. She sank the glass down again.

"Sorry for the inconvenience of the wait and the polarization of the glass without your approval. Your associate strictly implied that you were to be brought in secret and besides Timithy back there keeps a eye out for starlets for the local rag to read about the next day. Thinks of himself as a reporter. Gossip monger is more like it."

And maybe a good contact in case you need to know your target is within the gates Snap thought to himself.

---

If you have ever believed there is a opposite universe out there with everything generally the opposite way everyone else is living, they must have thought it up when looking at Studio City. Al and Snapper’s jaw dropped to the floor as the looked out into a modern day Emerald City. Not a speck of trash in the well maintained streets. Expensive cars lining the roads. Glass enclosed shops, garish restaurants with open patio seating and ornate buildings as high as you could crane your neck. And the people. Al had never seen so many beautiful people in his life. Bronzed hardbodies encased in expensive suits cut to accentuate every muscle. Gorgeous females who looked like they broke the molds when they crafted their evidently female bodies. Even the rogue metahuman seemed a lot less meta with no lumps or scars or protrusions. Snapper guffawed as they passed a prissily dressed Troll man whose spiraling horn looked like it was dipped in gold and covered with jewels. Snapper said it best.

"We are strangers in a strange (but beautiful) land amigo."

"You got that right Snap."

The limo moved on and took a right into a studio lot

------

Arturo arrived just as the limo did. The courtesy boy, a rather lithe young kid in a impeccable suit walked to the place where the limo stopped and let him open the door for him. However the kid was not fast enough and only succeeded in catching the door with his chest as it flung open. Arturo winced as the kid had to step back in order to keep his footing but then gradually got back into position to hold the door, huffing and puffing as silently as possible even though it was apparent he got the wind knocked out of him. The first person to step out was his nephew Stanley.

He still looks the same thought Arturo to himself as the kid got out and stretched. Built firmly, he stood at a little over 6’1. His boyish face seemed off on the sculpted body but then again, he had always looked too young for his own good. He bordered on gangly except when he turned you could see the muscles standing out. Arturo knew some men spent fortunes in cosmetic surgery to emulate what Stan had naturally. He still had that stupid baseball cap as well planted on top of his head. Some things never change.

The limo shifted slightly as the door on the other side snapped open, much to the chagrin of the courtesy boy. From within rose a mountain. Arturo looked up and up as the huge troll straightened up and turned. He must have been over 7 feet at least and looked like he was built out of steel. The white T-shirt was barely able to cover the mass. He looked down at Arturo and smiled showing great fangs. If anything, the troll was handsome in a big way. His horn was polished black and had a weird curl downward at the tip. He seemed to posses a lot of the huge qualities of the average meta and a lot more muscle yet Arturo was surprised not to see any of the huge growths and warts that came with your round the corner troll. Maybe he would like a role in some part of my trids flashed into Art’s mind as they both came up to him and stood there looking in wonderment around them.

"Hello Stanley. It is good to see you again."

Stanley winced and the troll next to him smiled but said nothing. Arturo remembered that Stanley always had a problem with his name and he called himself something…what was it??

It clicked.

"Um do you still go by Snapper?"

The smile confirmed that. Stan…uh Snapper motioned to the troll next to him.

"Art..meet Al. Al…Art."

Al bent and held out a ham sized hand which Art placed his hand in timidly. Al smiled and shook lightly.

"Pleased to meet you sir. I must admit it was a surprise to hear that Stanley had a uncle."

The look Snapper gave Al could have melted iron and Al seemed to enjoy every minute of it. Arturo took it that the name thing was a source of great relish and teasing that the troll seemed to like immensely. Art coughed slightly and Snapper seemed to come out of his thoughts of murder.

"Well I suppose you would like to know why you are here. That is easily explainable. Let us go inside."

Both nodded and followed the man in as the limo rolled off the lot and turned right again.

----

"In the business I am in, Stan…uh Snap and Mr…er Al, I have to maintain a number of trideo shows now being broadcast out on a daily and weekly basis. With this responsibility come certain obligations I am swore to uphold." They passed by a mixing room where a elf sat hunched over a mountain of editing gear, a datajack plugged into his temple as he worked. He did not notice the trio as they passed. "One such obligation is to keep producing quality shows. That is tough enough. Another is to protect my investments." They rounded a corner and came into a huge soundstage where much bustling went around them. A woman dangled precariously above them soldering two large cables together. She seemed happy with the finished product and tugged at the rope suspending her. The rope retreated upwards, pulling the woman into the shadowy confines of the crawlspace. Al ducked as a couple of lights being pushed by a man came very close to be smashed with his horn. The trio retreated to the privacy of a corner where they could hear each other above the workman. "The investments primarily is the production you see around you and the actors and actresses you have not met as of yet."

Al and Snap looked at each other.

Arturo grabbed a craftsman holding a bundle of tools. "You..where is Miss Moonstone?"

The craftsman shrugged. "I saw her go into the B wing after the shot. Dunno why she wants to go in there…its empty." He nodded and continued on his way.

Arturo sighed. "Follow me gentlemen." He began to wind his way through the set, which looked remarkably like Club Penumbra in Seattle to a bunch of big doors in the back.

Al spoke up first as they reached the doors and Arturo began to punch in a code on the numerical lock. "Let me guess. We are going to be guarding this biff actress against whatever comes along to harm her head or feet or whatever."

Arturo paused "That is precisely what you are going to do Mr. Al."

Snapper chewed his lip. "So why not hire some local boys?"

"Would you believe I thought of you when she asked for more security?"

"No."

"Very well then. I am paranoid about her Snapper. She is the newest member of my bevy of actors and actresses. She is also being touted as the most hottest thing to come out of Tir Taingre since Alicia Willowmoon. A ton of studios have put out hints to a load of nuyen being available to anyone who can bring her to their studios. This includes Amalgamated who made no qualms about saying they would personally like to negotiate her contract. Unfortunately for them, I have signed her ironclad for the next 5 seasons to my show Ravage’s Runners. I am sure you have seen it. The trouble here goes to a matter of trust and quite frankly I trust no one here, including security. Hence where you come in. I bring you here with no strings attached and no one to influence you. All you have to do is baby-sit her and make sure she is ok. You do this for the entire 2 weeks left in the regular season shooting schedule and I will make it more than worth your while." The doors rumbled open to a empty sound stage the size of a warehouse. All three walked in. The room was dark save for one skylight open to the hazy sun. "Do you have any questions gentlemen?" Arturo said, his voice echoing off into the cavernous depths.

Al spoke. "Yea..what happened to her other guards."

Arturo blanched and coughed again slightly.

"We had three…One was killed in a shooting mishap. The other two quit due to Ms. Moonstones er..trivialities."

Snapper suddenly flung himself to the ground as a foot lanced out of the darkness to where his head had been a second before. He foot swept low taking down the person the foot was attached too and was immediately bums rushed into the wall by a burly ork.

Al turned and caught a hard right into his jaw that staggered him. A troll nearly his size stepped to his left and socked him again and tried for a third but this time Al was ready. The impending fist was caught in Al’s meaty paw and he twisted downward, wrenching the arm of the troll who howled as he bent to ease the pain on his locked arm. Al kicked with all his might into the guys face, sending him somersaulting onto the hard plasticrete before landing in a heap. Another ork jumped onto his back and began to rake his face

Snapper was being ganged on by two people, one the ork that had slammed him into the wall and another woman who appeared out of nowhere to get a few licks in. They drove him to his knees and the ork smiled at him as they battered him harder. Suddenly the orks face changed to a look of pure agony as Snapper locked his palm into the most sensitive of areas of a man and squeezed hard. He screamed and took a left hand strike directly into his face from Snap which flung him back. He rose slowly and turned to the woman who was momentarily amazed at how fast her ork friend ended up on the floor. She got into a readied position and began to circle Snap slowly.

Al was having the toughest time getting a monkey off his back in the form of a ork who continued to try to batter him while avoiding his hands to get him. Another man came in and leveled a Billy club into Al’s stomach meaning to knock the wind out of him. It bounced off Al like it was made of rubber and he caught a fist into his own belly which blew the air out of his lungs fast. Al finally had enough and grabbed the ork the best he could. He jumped high and landed square on his back, mashing the ork with his 450 pound frame. The ork "Awwkked" and laid groaning from the numerous bones that Al broke in the process. Al rose and looked for more enemies.

Snapper caught a high kick to his right with a forearm and snapped a left into the inner thigh of the woman, hitting the nerve and getting a screech from the female. She followed through the kick favoring the deadened leg and came in fast sending a flurry of strikes to Snaps’ upper torso. Snap caught one in his chest and dropped back a step. She is a fast one he thought, ducking and weaving her onslaught. Snap followed with a roundhouse kick the woman ducked and came in fast with a fist into her eye as she rose from the duck. She came in quick again, striking for the face. Time to change.

Snapper split.quickly falling under the delivery from the woman. He smashed his elbow into her other thigh nerve, deadening it. She screamed in pain and Snapper jumped up, carrying a haymaker up which struck her jaw square, rolling her eyes back and sending her to the floor. He whirled to catch another guy but saw only Al and Art standing there amongst groaning forms clutching wounds on the ground. From somewhere in the cave-like warehouse clapping sounded from a pair of hands.

She walked into the natural spotlight made by the overhanging skylight. Tall and thin, he curves gracefully melded her form into a almost living work of art. She looked at the three of them with Jade green eyes. Her oval face surrounded by a mane of silvery hair. She was all elf…she was all woman..she was..

"They will do Arturo. I am pleased that they can stand up to such light treatment. I suppose they will manage to be my exclusive bodyguards but expect them to be more extreme in their treatments of assailants. I see only a few broken bones, nothing life threatening."

Al folded his arms "First rule of fighting unknowns. Leave some alive for questioning."

The elf shrugged her shoulders. "A valued judgment from so large a troll."

"Would you rather me say "Duh.. No me kill since no me know?" Al bunched out his lower jaw to look stupid.

The elf furrowed her brow, obviously angered she had been trumped. "Watch yourself trog. You work for me now." She brushed past them, glaring ice at Al. Snapper on the other hand stood there like a slack jawed yokel, under the spell of her beauty. Al feigned a I am so scared shake and snapped his fingers in front of Snap, who shook himself out of carnal thoughts. Arturo told them what they already knew.

"Gentlemen, that is Solaris Moonstone" he pointed to her graceful form as it went through the doorways. "You are to protect her for the next two weeks." He paused long enough to dial for medics for the moaning people. Snap and Al looked at each other. Al frowned, knowing this was a mistake. Snapper smiled liked he had found the dragon’s horde.

---

The initial beliefs of Al were quickly taken over by adapting to the amount of information that was being thrown at him on what exactly his job entailed, what was to be expected of him (fat chance he was going to mind the rules they brought down on him and Snap, if they did not want both of them to work it like it should be worked, they could just cargo plane them back home to Seattle.), and a total makeover on their wardrobe, much to the dislike of Al. He was more of a jeans and T-shirt type guy. He quickly changed his mind when they custom fitted him in a beautiful three piece Diamond Bros suit matched to his extreme specifications. Even Al had to admit to himself, Damn I would look great as a corper. Snapper rounded the corner, fitted himself in a identical suit cut loose to give him room to maneuver and echoed Al.

"Got to admit Al. We both would be very nice corpers" and laughed along with his chum. Arturo whisked them on their way to start, promising them a nice setup in Moon’s security quarters when they got done with the shots tonight.

Snapper found what most bodyguards found when working Hollywood actors, actresses and their like…the amount of potential take downs for these people was staggering. Hollywood types seem to exude ego, and one thing they did not like people to know about them was that they were frightened. Solaris seemed to be a perfect candidate for this cause, barking at them for wanting a standard ‘point and six’ surrounding of her as they made their way to the soundstage from her personal trailer.

"Absolutely not. I will walk in front of you two and you will follow me. I am not going to be led by a overgrown mountain." She practically screamed until both of them relented, more to get her to shut up than anything. Spoiled lil elf slitch though Snapper sourly to himself as they walked behind Solaris.

The scene was going to be a front of the club scene where Willowstep played by Solaris in something that looked like a freaking bathing suit was in a firefight with a couple of gangers (who looked more like joyboys in ‘official’ gear than anything to both Al and Snap) She was going to be helped by none other than Raven himself played by a lantern jawed fellow by the name of Marcus DuPris. Much fanfare heralded the ‘star’ as he shed his large silk robe and walked past the crew members and Al and Snap with a small yawn. Al nudged Snapper with his elbow and made him take in all of Marcus, which immediately got Snapper giggling. Marcus overheard the hysterics and turned to the two guys who were practically falling over themselves laughing and pointing at Marcus. His eyes blazed as he came upon them.

"You have a problem you little worms?"

Al shook his head no but Snapper kept giggling. Marcus grabbed the thin boy by the collar and lifted him up. Snapper did not stop but slowed enough to allow him to speak, dangling in the mans grasp. Everyone around them had stopped and stood watching them.

Well..heheehehe. Um, Marcus you are supposed to be a shadowrunner correct?"

"I am THE shadowrunner, drekhead. I am Raven! Now what’s so damned funny??" He shook Snapper slightly to emphasize the point.

Snapper allowed himself to be shook a bit, but this boy had a ego to deflate and Snapper was the pin to pop this balloon. Al sighed and leaned back, aware of what Snapper was thinking and hoping that they could get on a flight early enough to catch Marlene before she had to go to work.

"Well MR. Raven. First off, the gunbelt is too low for you to quick snap it from the holster, should be a palm level. Second off, turn the damned gun around. No one in their right mind does a cross over draw anymore. The whole reason is speed and if you did that on a normal night, the gutter thug would be punching large round holes in your body. Third, no one wears green and red on their jackets on one sleeve then leave the other being blank. You just identified yourself as a Turnball AC, a particularly viscous gang who kill anybody of the metahuman nature in the Seattle plex and several other places. You wear that and you might as well paint a big ass target on your back. Fourth and last, good shadowrunners are stringent for detail. They may not appreciate you being their representative with your fly open."

Marcus snapped his head downward to look amid embarrassed tittering from those that Marcus could see and outright laughter from those out of Marcus’s eyeview. Snapper took this moment to liberate his collar by sinking his fingers into the bunch of nerves at the base of the palm near the thumb as he turned the thumb itself with the other hand, causing immediate pain to Marcus who dropped him. Snapper immediately let go to which Marcus grasped his hand and looked at the small man in front of him with half insane fury and half hurt filled eyes. Snapper leaned in and growled low, keeping his eyes pinned to Marcus’s.

"And if you try to get me canned over that, I will make that little pain you felt just now be made to be felt long and hard all over your body. You may want to remember that before you go grabbing unknown security people and those you think are below you. I have enough troubles with who I am guarding and I give you one warning. Others may just see fit to beat the hell out then cack you simply to make sure you know what is what."

Snapper voice barely registered a whisper but Marcus looked like a kid who heard his first bad word. He took a step back. All the bravado he put into lifting Snapper up seemed to wash out of him and he went almost white. He turned away slow and walked to his placement in the scene (Snapper was pleased to see Marcus, when he thought Snapper was not looking, make the necessary changes to his uniform including meekly zipping up). Snap looked at Al, who shook his head.

"You may have got out of that one but the one you are gonna have to take is looking at you right now."

Snap turned to see Solaris glaring at both of them. Her eyes promised retribution for the embarrassment but then when Marcus was not beside her, turned a little less hard. Snap even thought he caught a little amusement there.

----

Boooorinnng thought Al to himself as he reclined in a seat hastily vacated by a crew member who was busy positioning backdrops. Snapper was hovering around Solaris who was busy arguing against using a outdoor shot when runners ran at night. The director, a bespectacled man with a vandyke beard and mustache was assuring her that it would be fine and that they were just doing it to use the ‘natural light’ in the Western sky to highlight the actors. Al looked up at the dull pinkish sky filled with pollution and toxins of every kind. Natural is not the word for it.

He got up and was skimming over a table of props, marveling at how real they looked. He hefted a Heckler and Koch SMG and proceeded to remove the clips and work the slide of the under-barrel grenade launcher. Perfect rendition, even the weight has the right feel. The array of faux weaponry was staggering to even the most used to eye. A smiling dwarf came up beside him as he strapped on a clutch harness to his meaty forearm.

"Look like them eh?"

"Yes I am practically amazed that these could not pass for the real thing."

"The weapons are nothing but reproductions but all the non weaponry..harnesses like you got there, straps, eyepieces, binocs and the like are standard issue you could purchase at any gun shop."

Al put a Manhunter replica in the clutch harness and snapped his forearm. The gun popped perfectly into his waiting palm. He increased the tensile strength of the springs and reset the gun. It flashed into his hand this time. The dwarf smiled.

"Nice adjustment. Seems to fit your arm nice. Why don’t you take it for a while? I am always unloading extra supplies off the sec teams around here. Easier than trying to record the history and all that fragging red tape."

"Thanks a lot." Al pulled the Manhunter replica out of the harness and put his own gun (provided by Solaris’s ex bodyguards) into its place. A little tailor work on my sleeve and it will be unnoticeable. He then caught sight of a interesting set of goggles. He picked them up.

"What are these?"

"Oh, standard issue cameraman goggles for the un-riggered professionals. Some of our boys here use em to place the cameras in the correct angles prior to the shot. They then simply program the cameras to record the infra-red beams they line up with the points in the shot and viola, precision shooting with only the actors worrying about where they go."

Al slipped the large goggles over his head and peered through them. He watched as a guy in front of him positioned a camera in the next scene. A beam of light lanced out and slowly traced the facade of the set and then the door.

"Wow…interesting that they use the same thing high powered snipe scopes …" Al stopped as he saw a thin beam of light lance down from somewhere high over the fence of the lot. High and sharp enough to be..

"SNAP!!! SNIPER!! DOWN!!!!"

The light tracked onto Solaris’s head as Snapper tackled her to the ground. A huge hole bloomed in the plasticrete behind them as shards of it rained down on the two. The holes started appearing faster and faster now that the sniper had realized he had missed and switched to full auto. Al bolted toward the entrance of the lot, leaping the moving blockade like a hurdle to the shouts of the security team behind him.

Snapper shoved Solaris more along the ground to a outcropping of wall and dove behind it himself as the ground where they lay exploded behind them.

Al was running hard toward the source of the firing, a large parking structure maintained by the office building across the street. The guard was walking in front of Al to stop him. Al smashed him to the side and jinked to the right, bounding up the stairs 5 at a time. Top floor he thought rounding the corner. He pushed through the door, snapping the gun to a ready position.

Nothing.

He saw the rope move across the way and legged over to the side. The assassin was running up the street. Al shot twice but the guy rounded the corner and Al’s eyes caught something before he disappeared. A pointed ear…a elf. He turned and was greeted by a two security men who pointed their guns at Al.

"PUT IT DOWN TROG!"

Al realized they thought he was the sniper. Carefully he laid his gun to the floor and got to his knees. The lead security guy kicked him hard in the solar plexus, meaning to bring him down. Al just grunted and remained on his knees.

"You are making a mistake officer. I am from the security team assigned to.."

WHAM!

The officer slammed Al’s head to the side with the butt of his rifle. Al swayed a bit but kept on his knees, blood dripping from his nose. The security guy turned to his associate standing behind him.

"Hey Murray. This damn trog is making a break for it wouldn’t you say?"

Murray smiled and shook his head. "Oh yes Ivan. Force is necessary."

Ivan began to shoulder his rifle and point it at Al. Al growled slightly. Break left then I break them. 1..2..

"THAT WILL BE ENOUGH GENTLEMEN!!!"

The security guys flinched like they had been goosed. Turning slow, they caught sight of Arturo, Snapper and Solaris standing there. Arturo looked livid.

"You are making a mistake. This man is Solaris Moonstone’s personal bodyguard. And from what I hear, you meant to dispatch him rather than do standard arresting procedures? Is that not what I heard??"

Both looked like deer caught in headlights. Ivan opened his mouth to speak but then thought better of it.

"We shall discuss this later in my office. Mr. Al, please rise."

Al stood and gathered his gun up. Ivan the security guard stood still as he passed him slowly. Al stopped for a moment.

"Hey Ivan.."

Ivan blanched. "Y-yes sir?"

"Make sure you remember this. Not all us metas are the bad guy."

He turned to look at Ivan. He shook his head slowly, but the fear in his eyes on the potential of losing his job made it seem like he would have done anything right now.

Al turned slowly and then whirled. He big right fist crashed into the macroplast helmet of Ivan, splitting it and sending Ivan sailing onto the hood of a Westwind a full 7 feet from where he was standing. The alarm of the car shrieked as Ivan laid helplessly across it, knocked cold.

Al turned and walked toward the group. He addressed Arturo’s questioning face.

"Making sure he remembered."

---

Fraggin hell! How was I supposed to know the target had new guards. This is not going to make Michaels happy. She needed to go down and that was why we bought the last ones. Another time…soon.

---

Solaris’s place was humble if you were a regular of Beverly Hills. A 9 bedroom mansion with a half acre of land and some servants quarters. But it sure was beautiful. A lush garden and magnificent trees lined the high walls. A little water fountain flowed in the corner and the overall effect was very peaceful. At least in Al’s eyes. He had wished Mar could be here to enjoy it. She had left little messages in the drop assuring she was ok and that everything was fine. Pops was doting over her and had even made some of his patented Fireball Chili for her and some of the folks upstairs. Much to Al’s relief, he found that Mar enjoyed it. Al had grown on it, so he could stomach what one of his friends had called ‘like eating the core of the sun’ as he downed his 5^th beer to cool his throat. He laid back on the nice bed in the 5 room servant’s quarters. It was plush even by his standards with 4 bedrooms, a large kitchen and living room area and a huge tub in the washroom that could fit his bulk. He could hear Snap in the other room cheering loudly as the Urban Brawl game moved into it second half. The other servants that being two maids named Kylie and Linda were busy in the main house prepping for some party Solaris was hosting. Al knew that meant drunk snotballs and their even drunker ladies. If anything, hi-class parties were a simple way of being seen with the right people, kissing hoop of your boss or potential boss, and mooching off the host. At least that was what he had seen in his past. He figured it was no different here, just a different kind of corporation…entertainment.

"Hey Al! The Spurs went up 7!"

"Great."

"Oh by the way, nice call on the Snipe. You get a look at who it was?"

"Not much. Elf male. Black hair."

"That limits it down to about a million of em."

"Yea but I know he was pro. No traces of him anywhere and the rope he used was a fiber dissolving. Interesting stuff. Turned unusable after about a hour."

"Pretty dark stuff. You have seen it before?"

"Yea. Black ops uses it. Real hush hush stuff. Would not be surprised to find the guy used military grade hardware."

Snap appeared at the door.

"You think it was a corp?"

"Maybe. Who knows"

"You got a hunch."

"Mindless thoughts. A little hunch is a more better description."

"What you thinking?"

"Well it is more of a why than a who. Why would they try to ice Solaris? Any corp or studio around here would want to kidnap her and get her over to her side. I did a little research and found that this girl is pulling some major nuyen for your uncle’s production company. We are talking heavy obligation to get her from him. But this assassin, something ain’t jake about that."

"Maybe a rival?"

"Mmmm..had not thought about that. But then again, how did the assassin know about the shoot outside? He has a mole here somewhere obviously. A rival may try something like that but I dunno. There is not anyone Solaris is in hot contention with right now, at least according to Arturo and several of the crew members I have talked too."

"Hmm."

"Yea, really weird."

"Work on it later chummer. We got a party to host. Oh yeah, that reminds me. Don’t drink the liquor."

Al shrugged. "Never touched the stuff anyway."

"Yea I know but be careful. One of the maids said that Solaris likes to get the stiff shirts a bit unruffled with some kind of super aphrodisiac in the wines." Snap smiled evilly. "Like I need the chemical crutch."

"Sheesh all they need to sample is your blood Snap and they turn into horndogs."

Snap laughed as he left to get ready and watch the rest of the game.

---

"My oh my…what a tuxedo does to a man. Even when he is 7 feet tall." Solaris smiled up at Al and flicked a small bit of fluff from his tailored Giovani. She lingered a bit longer than she should taking him in. Not bad for a troll. Seems to be gifted with a extraordinary amount of strength. She smiled at him and a flit of a thought crossed her mind as to what he is like out of his suit. She quickly brushed it aside but the color flamed her cheeks anyway. She huffed and examined his friend Snapper. He crossed his eyes at her and smiled goofily. She let the whisper of a smile brush her face then coughed it away and nodded ok to him. Admit it or not, she was beginning to like these boys. They did their job but they seem to have a air about them to see if they could enjoy life to the best that they could. Not like some cold, unfeeling guards in the past. And they were good. They had been proving it over the last week. Hopefully they could prove it more on down the line.

"Now you both are in charge of oversight of the party in general. You may meander from place to place but you are to keep inside. Security is being provided on the grounds by Arturo’s production company. You are not to mingle with the guests only help them to where they feel safe and assured. Do you understand?"

Snapper raised his hand

"And if they get rowdy do we bash em?"

Solaris scowled.

"Absolutely not, help them to one of the spare rooms and.."

"Bash em..ok."

"NO! Calm them down. Or give them a drink. No bashing."

Snapper looked hurt. Al rolled his eyes and remained silent. Solaris nodded once more and left to do some final touches on herself and everything around them.

"Aw too bad..I was looking so forward to cracking a few melons of some snooty folk."

"Snap..this ain’t the Cadillac Palace. Try and remember that."

"Jeez ya got that right Al. The way I look at it, this is more like a really bland version of our old jobs."

Y’know he’s right. We are just doing the same thing we always did for better pay. Al thought Maybe I ought to get some business cards "Mr. Al professional bouncer"

Al followed Snapper into the kitchen to snake a few snacks before it began.

---

Al and Snap kept close to each other for most of the night playing "Guess the star" as they began to filter into the mansion around 9:00. Not a bad mix either. He saw a few major stars, a couple of sports figures (one that got Snap panting was "Typhoid" Mary McDonald, a rusher in Urban Brawl for the Los Angeles Sabers. She regarded him like you would regard a fly but Snap took no notice), and some bigwigs of production and FX. It was the typical game too, everyone trying to outdo one another, men in boasting on their latest project or score, women trying to outdo each other on shock value. Al particularly liked the young woman who showed with a dress that looked like a net and only bunched up in the right places to cover certain parts. Snapper seemed to as well since he ambled over to talk to her. Al chuckled and scanned the crowd. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary beside those that wanted to stand out that is. He leaned against the wall and kept his eyes moving.

"Bored?" came a voice from around the corner.

Al twisted to look around it. A muscular woman stood there, leaning in the exact same position he was. She was beautiful, golden blonde locks of hair drifting down over her eyes. Al smiled and resumed his original position, scanning.

"No ma’am. Just doing my job."

"You mean you help Solaris?"

"Uh-huh."

"Were you there when she got shot at a week back?"

"Yes."

"Not very good are you?"

"She is still alive. I think that speaks for how good I am."

"Touché. I retract the earlier statement."

Al nodded to himself. The voice drifted around the corner.

"She knows about you Al. She was the reason you two were brought down here. Be ready in the future. Your life may depend on it."

Al turned the corner again, but the woman had vanished. Completely. She knows about me? Who..Solaris? What does she know and why do I need to be ready in the future?

Al puzzled over this. Then things got a little weird.

---

He slipped his binocs to his eyes scanning the perimeter of the complex. The moon overhead gave just enough light for him to see the Lockheed transport sitting there, a lone guard standing next to it. From his observations, it was loaded with the supplies yesterday. He dawned his hood and slipped over the side of the building. The rope twisted ever so slightly, but he had enough of a hold to keep it from creaking as he lowered himself down into the shadow of the alley below. He paused long enough to assure himself the knapsack contained what he needed. Carefully he ran from his place into the road then again into another alley. No cars had past. He slipped on his goggles and couched at the edge of the alley. The face blinked with the time in his upper sights. One minute until entry. He picked up a stone.

It came around the corner in a low rumble. The shipping truck stopped by the front gate as the guards slowly made their way over every inch of it. The driver slipped out and put his hands on his head to be searched as well. Five minutes passed and the guards finished up. The driver began to get into his cab.

He sprinted, no sound coming from any part of him. The guard standing nearest had his back to him. Normally he could kill this guy twenty different ways without a sound but tonight’s mission took secrecy. He hooked his arm, tossing the stone high over the wall. It struck something metal with a loud clank. The guard played the part perfectly, turning to peer around the corner. He coasted by him with nary a whisper and jumped high, willing his legs to boost him higher than any norm could. The truck restarted with a grumble while he was in midair, masking his landing. Flattening himself, it passed under the arch and into the lot.

Easy entry but then again, this is not Amalgamated. He rolled off the truck as it turned the corner and dropped into the shadows of a sound stage. The guard looked restless, shifting his feet and smoking a cigarette. He slunk back into a shaded spot and checked his time. Almost there. He had watched the guard the previous 2 nights and knew when he would go. Sure enough, 5 minutes later, the guard slipped away. Nothing like a guy who has a standard time to go to the drekker. The man hurried across the cement and went to work on the transport.

---

Al picked the obviously drunk guy up and carried him into a room. Out of sight, he punted the fragger into a bed and shut the door. The place was beginning to reek of seamier times past. Obviously, Solaris had slipped something into the drinks for a lot of people were behaving like blithering teenagers in a Roman Orgy. Al growled as he got goosed twice by a rutting pair of women on the floor and stepped over a guy doing something particularly nasty. God damned sick bastards. He finally made it to a open door and closed it behind him.

"Guess I overdid it."

He glanced to the left to see Solaris sitting on a leather couch. She sighed and looked into his eyes.

"Ms Moonstone. I signed up for this job simply to guard you if you were to get into danger. I am not here to referee the Sex Olympics out there. " He hooked a thumb back. "If this keeps up I am leaving."

Solaris actually looked hurt. "Al, I am sorry about this. Usually I use a drug called "Freedom" just to liven the party up. But this is something different. Something bad. You may retire if you like. I am sure nothing will happen for the rest of the night."

Al looked at her with cold eyes. Then he mimicked her sigh. "You know Ms Moonstone. You seem like a nice person once you get past the ‘Starlet’ Act. You really should not set out to become something like those are out there."

"You know Al. I think that was a compliment you just gave me."
"Take it as you like it. It just a warning. I have seen a lot of good people chewed up by this world and spit out. Something tells me that Hollywood is exactly like Seattle in that respect."

With that..he left to retire to his room.

---

Al awoke and smacked his fist against the wall.

"SNAP…SHADDUP WILL YA? I AM TRYING TO FRAGGIN SLEEP!!!"

The giggles ceased for a moment, then started up again.

Damn kid. Does he ever sleep? Al grumbled as he pulled on some shorts and de-braced the door (this due to the fact that someone was trying to get in earlier..Al did not feel like having someone trying to curl up next to him or hoop-frag him or whatever those nut cases were doing in the main house). He lumbered around the corner and pushed open the door. There amid two very naked females (one Al recognized as the net girl from the main house) reclined a smiling Snapper. Al squinted and looked at Snapper.

"You did not heed your advice."

Snap lulled his head around and looked at Al with glazed eyes.

"I jush hadda lil drink. Jush about this tall" He made a little space between his thumb and forefinger. Then I use a lil charm on thesh two lovely ladiesh and wadda ya know I winds up here." Snap fell back into the crook of the arm of the net lady and smooched her a bit. She giggled again. He looked at Al again "CMON chumley…Thersh plenty to go around!"

"No thanks..I got someone back at home remember?"

"Aww..Thash sweet Al. You are a regular troll scout. I feelsh sho bad that I am not like you."

Lil drekker better shut up thought Al but it quickly faded since he knew Snap was under something he had never seen before. It’s the drug talking Al ol boy. The kid and you are tight, you know that.

Al turned and closed up the door.

"Sleep it off kid. I would hate for you to be like that for too long."

---

The telecom beeped bringing Solaris out of a less than sound sleep.

"Yes?"

"It is time…we must act quickly."

"I understand and am on my way."

"You are bringing that which we need?"

"Aye. Be strong till then."

"We shall."

The com beeped as it disconnected. Solaris got up and dressed quickly.

---

*KNOCK KNOCK*

Al came out of a good slumber. This is it kid. You are gonna have a bath. Al got up again and threw open the door, intent to grab what he was sure was Snap and heave him into the pool outside. Only it was not Snap. Solaris stood before him, cloaked in a dark cape and looking at him.

"Ms. Moonstone what are you doing here?"

"Apparently waking you. Perhaps a bit too early enough to remember something. *ahem*"

Al wondered for a second then sheepishly realized he was standing in the nude. He slammed the door to a call of "whoops" and grabbed his gear.

"I will be right out in a second, Ms Moonstone."

"Please hurry. We have to be going."

"Going? Going where?"

"A shoot off site from the studio. They surprised me by calling up and saying we need to be there."

Al nodded as he slipped on his coat. He opened the door and asked.

"Have you woke Snap?"

"No I could not rouse him."

Al turned down the hall and pounded on the door.

"SNAP GET UP! WE GOT BIZ"

Nothing.

Al finally smashed the door in (with apologies to Solaris beforehand. She just shrugged). Snap slept nestled between the two women, obviously sleeping the deep sleep you only get when you have ingested too much of something you should not have. Al shook him but only got a belch and a mumble from him.

"Al we have to leave."

"Ok but he is coming." Al scooped him up and wrapped him in a blanket like a big burrito and grabbed a handful of the pile of clothes. They both made their way out to the awaiting limo.

---

Al looked about the awaiting compound as they prepped to take off to God Knows Where. He did not recognize many of the people who were helping loading up the transport. When he asked Solaris, she simply responded "night shift" and ordered him to help the men and women. He did finally see someone he knew, that being the dwarf who gave him the clutch harness he was now using. The guy turned and waved to Al then proceeded up the gangway into the transport helping another guy with a long box. Al shrugged and began to load the heavy boxes as well.

They were done in 15 minutes and began to collect the last of their gear (including a snoring Snapper who still was out despite all the noise). The Lockheed rose slowly, banking and heading north. Inside, Al sat on one of the boxes and held onto the overhead crossbar. This is very strange. A night liftoff, people who I have never seen helping us in and coming along. And this is a transport yet I see no cameras no lights no nothing. About that time Solaris walked to him and sat down. Her face had changed showing a mask of seriousness he had never seen before.

"Al."

"Yes?"

"I suspect you have some doubts as to the nature of our trip."

"To say the least. This has nothing to do with a movie set, correct?"

"As I said before, very perceptive"

Al stood and scowled down at her.

"So what’s going on Solaris?"

"In good time my friend. In good time."

Al grasped her collar and began to tighten his hold.

"Now Solaris! I want answers!"

*chaclick*

Al knew that sound. Heard it once too often. He turned slowly and was greeted by all the other people in the hold pointing a weapon of some kind at him. They were tensed and ready to blow him away. He knew the drill. He had overstepped the bounds of whatever Solaris had put on him. And now it had gotten serious.

He loosened his grip on Solaris and put his hands on his head. The dwarf, now sporting mean looking Klashnikov instructed him to put his arm down so that he may remove the clutch gun. He did as he was told. The dwarf unstrapped it from his forearm. Al thought about smashing the little runt down but the 7 guns pointed at his head behind steady pinpricks of laser made him change his mind. There was no wavering from the men and women. They expected this.

"Al I so hoped it would not come to this. Please remain silent and as I said before everything will be explained in good time." Solaris turned and walked past the frozen soldiers into the forward hold. "Guard him and make sure that no harm comes to Ringer" She looked into Al’s awestruck face and closed the partition.

Ringer…Oh Frag…

---

Johnny "Two Tone" Moran stepped into the communications bunker, being careful not to disturb Atlas at the monitoring station. Atlas looked like he was sleeping but that was simply because he was controlling the drones stationed around the perimeter of the base camp. Atlas also had a particular gripe about anyone bumping into him during the patrols. He liked to call it ‘disturbing harmonics with him and his girls’. Johnny just liked to think Atlas was a touch freak. Maya gave him a wave into the backroom. She sat at a terminal, her eyes scanning the lines of text on the screen.

‘So the Greaseman sliced it?"

"Yep. Said this guy is a fraggin ghost. Absolutely nothing on him. Then he found something interesting. Military Red 4. Nearly killed him too. Strangest thing is..it was on his father"

"Fraggin hell..Red 4? Who is his father?"

Maya punched up the beginning of the text. A military dossier.

"Alowicus Hughes..codenamed The Tank. 25 year veteran ex military black bagger. Served 3 terms in the Europe Wars. 2 tours of duty in something call "operation Dragonhunt". Mercenary skills, 3 forms of martial arts mastered, guns, explosives. You name it this dude had done it."

"Damn!! Why did he stop?"

"Dropped out…says here he disobeyed a direct command and went AWOL. Something to do with his kid. Military has a warrant for him and a large reward for capture of him alive. Looks like the dude is too good to let him roam the streets alone."

"Hmmph. And his son is coming here? Why not the dad?"

"Too old. Now mid 50’s. Funny thing is, his son seems to just be a younger version of him. Someone said they seen the kid fighting in boxing ring, others said he was a bouncer, all I know is that whatever the dad did, the kid picked up a lot. Remember the Seattle Slaughter in the old Barrens?"

"One with the big gang fight right?"

"Right in one. Word off the street said the kid got in the middle of it and took out a whole war party- 15 hard noses. Saved a couple of people too from the house the gangers had bombed. Funny thing is, he never belonged to the rival gang. My contact said he simply wandered into it. And get this, he was 16 at the time."

"Jeez a regular boy scout."

"Yep Him and another dude who is known as Snap or Snapper or something."

"What do we have on him?"

"Nothing except a arrest sheet a mile long from Lone Star. Destruction of property , mostly nightclubs if you can believe that. Also some real weird drek. Check this out…’Indecent Exposure and Trespassing by way of the Renraku Archeology’. Says he ran naked in the middle management offices. Only trouble is they do not know how he got there."

Johnny chuckled. Maya smirked and read on.

"Let’s see. Here is ‘Willful Disregard for Public Safety’. He was jumping from one car to another on the I-20 freeway. Caused a 12 car pileup."

"Crap, he sounds like a idiot."

"Yea I thought that too. Only he has a few other crimes here that make me think twice. Like this, 15 successful escapes from Lone Star vehicles and policemen. 3 from holding cells. He has been red-flagged to be shackled to the ground when caught. Apparently, our boy is a escape artist of some considerable talent."

"Interesting."

"So when are they coming in?"

"About 3 hours according to Atlas and his calculations."

"Better prep to receive then." Johnny turned and walked from the office. Maya called out.

"Think they will do it?"

"Knowing what we know and what we need, pretty sure. They probably will join up for a long time."

----

Snapper awoke with a start. His first thought was why he was trapped in a burrito but he quickly unrolled himself. The barrel of a gun greeted him as he came out of the cocoon.

"No sudden moves Mr. Snap."

Snapper suddenly moved to hold his head. It felt like someone had use his melon as a soccer ball for 4 hours. He got up suddenly, fell down, got up again, fell down and wondered why the ground was moving. He finally opened his eyes enough to realized he was in a transport, Al was there and being closely guarded by several other people with large weaponry and that he himself had several guns trained on him. He also realized with some varying degree of modesty that he was buck naked. A pile of his clothes sat next to the cover he was in and he sat down to dress. He pushed the gun away as he pulled on his jeans.

"If its violence you want keep pointing that thing at me. I will make you eat my underwear forcefully." He held up a pair of tan thong panties and realized some of the girls clothes were mixed with his own. The gun never wavered. Snap sighed and flipped the panties onto the end of the barrel then sat there. Again, the gun did not move, looking ridiculous with the panties hanging off it.

"Must want us alive I take it?"

"Yes sir. Please do not make trouble."

"Me?"

The man nodded and finally eased back a bit. Snap moved to a comfortable seat near Al and sat down. Some of the people had eased off but he saw that there was always a gun trained on them. When one stopped, another came up.

"Know anything about this Al?"

Al brought him up to date on the recent goings on. Snapper sighed.

"So we are being shanghaied?"

"Looks that way…or killed. Or both. It’s your best guess."

"Just another day in my life I suppose."

"You know…I am seriously looking into joining the clergy. They never get kidnapped nor dodge bullets nor all this stuff we are being put through."

"You have never been to my neighborhood. Though I would probably join you if they did not still uphold that adultery thing."

"Pshaw…they would not even let you through the door."

The transport ghosted through the clear night sky.

---

The curve downward caused Al’s stomach to sit up and say howdy. Al knew they were nearing a border now. They were going low to make sure to avoid radar and such and the silent mode of the engines indicated they had past into more hostile air. Al glanced out the window and was amazed to see them actually fly down into the trees. He realized that a copse had been carved out of the forest for the transport to fly within it under a camouflage ceiling of branches. Ingenious.

"You guys military?" It was Snapper.

The dwarf spoke up. "In a sense. We protect much that the military does not."

"So why us?"

No response.

After what seemed like a hour, they finally landed with a hollow thump. The gangway opened and various people came running into the transport. Some greeted the others, some simply grabbed some boxes and began to carry them out. A few pointed at Al and whispered something. Al frowned at this. Both he and Snapper were led out.

It was a guerrilla base, that was for sure. But it looked like it had been there for a while. Some permanent building were raised, while others were simple tents. He could make out some people perched in the trees scanning the various areas. Among the base, people milled about. Some were stripping down guns, some were practicing various martial arts, some just stood and talked. What was strange was that everyone hardly talked above a whisper. Al watched as Solaris got off the transport and greeted a few people. Some ran to meet her. Snap and Al just stood and watched. She quickly finished with the formalities and stood before the two. She regarded them

then beckoned them to follow. Al looked to Snap who shrugged and began to follow. Al fell in step. They went into one of the permanent structures.

"This is our communications room. It is masked with one of our few white noise generators so you may talk at normal levels." She turned to both of them and sat on a desk loaded with an array of parts.

"Great Fine and dandy. Now are you going to finally tell us what the hell we are doing here and more important what the hell here is??" Al growled.

"Of course Al. My name is Diana Tybear. Welcome to the central headquarters of E. A. V. E… Elves Against Vanishing Environments."

Snap snorted. "Thought all you elves were that."

Diana smiled. "A lot of us are. Unfortunately, some in the high court have secret deals with corps to exploit our Tir. They do this under the guise of holding within the court licensed corporate headquarters that are set up around here. Often or not, these corp-run laboratories are set up to do things best not spoke of. That is where E.A.V.E comes in. We are a black operation, designed to be deniable to all the connections to those that formed us. All soldiers here are cast-offs and MIA’s but with a firm belief in preserving this environment."

"Where do you fit in?"

"Myself, I am the co-leader. I also supply us with weaponry and such. It is simple since we live relatively close and I have such light on me in the public spotlight that I am recognizable."

"You smuggle weapons? How?"

"I will not bore you with the details. Let’s just say not all those props you looked at were replicas."

Al flashed back to the dwarf saying something about them being exact duplications. He must have been her helper.

"Hmm ok. So you are in actuality a rebel leader. Some people know about this I suspect."

"Yes the Sniper that took shots at me is obviously tied into those that have that knowledge. I suspected they would make another attempt on my life since I found out my former security guards were paid off to look the other way. Hence where you both come in. I researched some things and found you were highly recommended for your loyalty despite your little ..uh.. problems in the past. Hence why you were called upon Snap. It was just coincidence that Al is your friend. He was going to come here anyway?

Snap slumped against a open part in the wall.

"Ok Ok..so here is somewhere in the Tir. You are a Hollywood star who is actually a Guerrilla leader who uses here swing to run guns to her Merry band of men and women to try to stop Mr. Bad Corp from violating the big nice forest. Sorta like Forest Rangers on Tripper. Am I following the way of thinking here?"

Diana nodded "Correct"

Snap sighed "Do you realized how stupid this sounds?? You attach a title to it and you got the trid show of the week! Ok, now for the 25000 nuyen question why are we here!"

A voice came from behind them

"That is simple. Al, or his nickname when we first met him, Ringer, is the figurehead for the group. We need him to lead."

---

He dreams.

Dreams of the forest…lush with life. He stalks the prey. The kill shall be good and enough to feed the young at home. Enough to bring them sustenance. Still, he feels the hunter howl with fervor of the impending end. The deer stoops to the brook, lapping the sweet water. He sniffs the air, knowing he shall enjoy the sweet smell of blood. No others about, the prey is his to stalk. The deer’s ears prick and he freezes. No breath, no movement, nothing to set the deer off. It looks left toward him. Wait..Wait. It looks right. Now!

He springs, howling with glee. If he had wanted the kill immediately, he would have just attacked but the lust for the hunt causes him to sing. The deer bolts. The chase is on.

He lopes at the heels of it, snapping, egging it on to jump faster, higher. They leap a tall plant almost simultaneously. He sees its strength giving out. The prey is done. He leaps, jaws opening for the exposed neck.

The prod strikes his side.

"NYYYYYAAARRRGGGHH!!!!"

He sees them, awake now and fully functioning. They peer at him. One scratches something onto a pad and speaks in some other language. Both are elves. He lunges again. Both never move. The collar chokes back on him and sends a sizzle down his spine. Hurt, undeniable hurt. The first he has actually been able to feel in a long time. He shakes his head but the buzzing is still there. He finds his voice.

"W—why?"

They both stop and look at him, surprised he actually talks he supposes. The tall brown elf bends down behind the bars and smiles.

"Because you are special and we intend to use this specialty."

A hypo of something lances down from its delivery system. It strikes his flank. Drowsy..Very Drowsy. He falls prone. The last thing he hears is what he has heard before.

"Prepare the subject for experimentation, poisons this time."

He wishes to die.

---

"ME!?"

Al turned and was amazed. The elf that stood before him looked unlike any he had ever seen. Tall, but taller than a normal elf. He held the air of royalty, both in manner and wardrobe. Suddenly he flickered and Al realized he was looking at a hologram. The plate underneath the elf projected his image to him. A shock of blond hair cascaded over the frame of the elves body. His blue eyes still retained a power within them despite the holo’s slight graininess.

"Why? Why me? I am a nobody."

The elf shook his head.

"You are much more than you make yourself out to be Al. Much much more. You and your ideals helped start the E.A.V.E. project."

"Ok..I give up. How did I do this??" Al threw out his hands.

"A long time ago. We were a simpler group of people. We talked about such things a peaceful coexistence with the corps in the Tir state. The hierarchy now running the Tir were for it but for the strictest of controls. That was until a member became blind to the true intent of the corps. The exploitation. Greed unfortunately blinded this poor soul. He set out to eliminate those that could oppose him. Those that he could not reach within the confines of the Tir fled to the safety of Seattle and beyond. The man was furious that he could be not reach them. So he began to hire investigations into the whereabouts of the missing members. He soon located them and sent wetworkers to kill them…"

---5 years ago---

Al ran around the corner, desperate to get home. Pops would be furious he stayed out too late. I will be lucky he does not bust my head for this time Al thought to himself. Usually, Buffalo Street would be dangerous to move around in anytime and especially at night but Al knew the Scalpers leader and was wearing the right color on his jacket. Tomahawk had put the word out that Al was chill and not to be touched. Good thing too since their turf ran the length of where Al needed to go on a regular basis. He was trying to think up a excuse for Pops when he heard the screams.

The ganger opened up on the man, but the little caliber did nothing against the heavy body armor he wore. His last thought was "Frag me" as he was cut to ribbons by the combat gun..

Tomahawk crouched behind the burning wreck of the car. He saw Javelin take it and now Booster was gone too. He did not know how many their were only that he and a few others leapt aside quick enough before the majority of the bullets shredded his gang. He risked a peek around the corner. They were all standing. 4 big burly men in heavy body armor. Around them lay his gang. They paid no mind to the bodies as one walked toward a ol brownstone on the other side of the street. He kicked at the door. Twice and it finally burst open. Someone inside tried shooting but the Colt Assault rifle he carried stopped the return fire with a quick ‘thhhrrup’. He rolled something into the building and ran toward the truck they had come out of.

BOOM!

The building was immediately bathed in fire. Incendiary thought Tomahawk. The 4 were now fanning out slowly. One shot a burning body as it ran out of the brownstone. Another turned and started looking for the rest of the gangers. A third started walking toward the alley going toward the back of the building. The fourth monitored a Lone Star scanner. The one looking around the debris was nearing Tomahawk’s current location.

Al saw the man coming down the alley. He moved slow glancing from left to right seeking out targets. The fire raged in the brownstone and he could hear shouts inside. People need help but this guy will take me out . Al fell back against the adjoining wall. He will be here shortly how will I get past him? Al looked up and smiled. The ledge was just wide enough. He hunkered down and came up with a large plasticrete block about the size of a bowling ball. Hope this is enough. He stuffed the chunk in his knapsack and scrambled up the wall. Pulling himself up he could feel the ledge weakening. He shuffled to his feet and edged around the corner. The man was close..nearly under him. He pulled the chunk from his sack. The man was turning his combat rifle toward the brownstone, meaning to kill whoever may try to escape at this end . Al raised the chunk high about to heave it down upon the guys helmet and hope for the best.

The ledge gave way.

"WHHOOAA!!" Al shouted suddenly falling. He still held the chunk. The man looked up, unfortunately putting his face where his head and helmet would have been. Al slammed the block down , smashing it hard enough to splinter it into fragments as well as cave the guys face in. Al fell on top of the body. It twitched a few times and was still underneath him. Al’s heart pounded as he stood and winced at the sight of the guy. He grabbed the ammo belt and rifle and ran toward the back end of the brownstone. Pounding was coming from within the bolted door. Al yelled "STAND BACK" and burned the clip at the lock. It shattered and Al kicked the door hard. It burst in and a blast of heat came from within. A few people rushed out, hair singed.

Al shielded himself with his jacket and ran in.

A woman sat crying, flames licking her sides. Her leg was pinned underneath a fiery beam about the size of a railroad tie. Al grunted and lifted it to his shoulder, muscles straining. The woman scrambled from underneath it and screamed.

Al turned as another guy came barging through the front door. Al was shielded by the smoke as the guy looked down the hall. But the guy, surrounded by bright flames was in his sights. Al ran forward and threw the beam with all his might.

The man saw it coming a second before it hit him. A huge flaming spear.

Tomahawk was about to leap on the man when a guy came flying out the front of the brownstone on the end of a large flaming lance. He tumbled to the ground, the beam bouncing to the side. Tomahawk knew they guy was severely injured by the way his bones crunched when he hit the asphalt even with all the armor. The man coming upon him turned and he heard him utter a curse. The remaining 2 started to fire into the front of the brownstone.

Al ducked as the bullets flew. He ran up the stairs, feeling them giving way. The smoke and fire were slowly pulling the life out of him. He could feel the heat underneath the soles of his boots. Al cursed then heard a cough.

"ANYONE ALIVE?!?" A weak sob came from a closed room. Al smashed the door down. Two young girls sat huddled together. One cried as she saw Al. He crossed the room towards the girls.

The wetworker saw the shadow in the upstairs window. He pointed his gun up to finish off whoever was there. He never saw the Tomahawk arc down into his exposed throat. A geyser of blood burst from the man’s wound and he staggered, clutching with his open hand. His finger tightened down on the trigger and the gun stitched a path up his associates back. The armor stopped it but not before a few bullets pulped the back of the guys head. He fell forward as the other man did, his life-blood draining from him. Tomahawk ran into a nearby alley, singing his call for his fallen brothers.

"Sssh sshh. It’s ok little ones. I am going to get you out of here." Al pulled off his smoldering synthleather jacket and wrapped it tightly around the girls.

"You just stay still and we will get out of here" He lifted both the girls and ran through the door. The hall was alive with fire. The place was coming down. Al felt his skin start to redden from the flames and hugged the girls tighter. He ran fast and hard through the flames. The window at the end was smashed open and Al kicked the remaining glass from the frame.

Outside, he saw the people below. A few were human but there was a number of elves with them. Al coughed and yelled "CATCH THESE KIDS!"

He hurriedly unwrapped the youngsters and told them to close their eyes. He saw both of them were elves too. Sisters in fact. They both shut their eyes tightly and Al scooped up one and tossed her through the window. The crowd more or less caught her as a group. Al grabbed for the other girl. She threw her arms around his neck and would not budge. She screamed as Al tried to pull her off but she would not budge. The walls began to crumble about them. Finally, Al pushed through the window and leapt.

The crowd parted and Al landed hard. He twisted as to not land on the girl. He felt his shoulder bunch up with pain but he came out relatively all right. The girl opened her eyes and looked at him. She smiled and touched his horn.

"Mama I want one of those!" she called out.

Al smiled. The sirens blasting through the night were welcome. But not by Al. He shook a few hands of some elves who slapped his back and thanked him profusely, quickly handed the girl to her grateful mom (who kissed his cheek), grabbed his jacket and knapsack and ran off into the night. Only later did he find the credstick one had put into his jacket for 5,000 nuyen credstick free and clear.

He got a beer and a good steak and bought Pops a new saber saw. The rest went into his account

---Now---

The room was quiet.

Snap gawked at his bud who sat against the desk quietly.

"Jeez amigo, I knew you had a heart of gold but this is white knight material."

"Shaddap Snap. I only did it to help the kids."

"Bulldrek! Taking out wetworkers? With armor? With no gunfire from you!? Color me impressed."

The elf nodded "We were all impressed Al. Those that you saved were family members of the Council hidden away for safety. The two girls, one is standing behind you. Diana was the girl who liked your horn."

Al blushed a bit and turned. Diana beckoned him down and kissed him softly on the lips.

"Thank you Al."

"Umm…sure."

The elf coughed a bit. "But you see Al. All of us saw what you did and vowed to support the cause that nearly killed us all that night. Your story was passed in talks with others. We gained support. We became strong. In fact, you are somewhat of a legend in your own right with some of the council members, including a royal whose cousin you saved." The holo grinned and Al realized he was talking of someone he knew, possibly himself. But to Al, they all looked the same. The grin quickly disappeared and he looked serious for a moment.

"Now after 5 years of talks and treaties, we need you to lead them. "

Al stared at the holo, unable to think of anything to say. This was so much…too much. He had only wanted to help, not start a freaking revolution. But someone had taken his single act and turned it into a call to arms.

"This is too weird. Even for me. I mean you guys survived. I just helped. I am no leader. Hell I am just a ex-bouncer. It was pure luck that I got anyone out of that mess. The 5000 nuyen was fine for thanks. There was no need to make me a figurehead."

The holo smiled "Ah but there is Al. You see, you may have changed the face of the high council itself through one act. Every fire needs a spark, so to speak. You were that spark. And you can help us just once by being there on our first raid."

"FIRST RAID?"

The holo glanced left at Diana. "You did not tell them?"

"Umm no..not yet." She turned and looked toward Al and Snap. "We are going against a research facility of Ares Macrotechnology."

"Oh what are you going to do? Get some people out? Maybe liberate some goods?"

"Um..no..and yes and one other thing. We are going to blow it up."

Al nearly fainted.

---

Al walked into the back, away from the two elves with Snap on his heels. He continually shook his head no.

"Come on Al"

"No."

"Think of the experience."

"No."

"Think of the contacts."

"No way."

"Think of the money."

"N-uuuh… hmmm—No! Absolutely Not!"

"Think of the chicks."

"That only works for you. I got me one remember?"

"Oh yea. Fortune and Glory bud! How can you pass this up?"

"Easy. I remind myself I am not fraggin Indiana Jones and this ain’t fraggin Raiders of the Lost Ark!"

"Oh you saw that one? Damn!"

"Forget it Snapper. I am not one to get killed over something as stupid as this. Hell, we don’t even know if it is worth blowing up! Could be a soy producing plant for all we know!"

"It’s not."

Al turned to see Diana standing there.

"Oh yeah how do you know?"

Diana touched a small terminal on the desk beside Al. Both he and Snapper peered at it.

"This was sliced by our best decker, Greaseman. Read for yourself."

Both scanned over the text. Al’s brow furrowed as he read. He growled slowly. Snapper simply kept saying "Frag me" over and over again. When they finished they looked at Diana with rage filled eyes.

"That is simply what they are experimenting with. It gets considerably worse. Their next experiments will involve dryads. They have rounded a few up. One…is my sister. The other girl you rescued."

Al finally spoke up. "When do we go?"

---

Snapper wandered the compound listlessly. All around him, people were beginning to prep for the assault. Al was speaking to a few people off to the side as they checked and rechecked the artillery laid out before them. Everything from small handguns to mortars surrounded the group. Snap never really liked guns all that much but would rather have it in his hands than nothing at all. Maybe sometime he would go start practicing. He watched as the dwarf prop man lumbered across the tarmac to the transport. He opened a access panel and began to climb inside it. Snap walked over and ducked to stick his head in. The guy had a small acetylene torch and was burning a whole slew of fiber-optics connections together.

"Sup omae?"

The dwarf paused and raised his welding goggles.

"Nothin much. Just fixing a few little things here and there before we go?"

"Hmmph…could never understand mechanics. Definitely takes a art to be able to do it nowadays."

The dwarf pulled his goggles back on and began to weld again.

"Naw..Just a little elbow grease and some deductive reasoning chummer. And maybe a engineering degree or two."

Snap laughed but quieted down since the guy never smiled. Must have been serious.

The guy stopped welding for a moment. He pushed deeper into the bowels of the compartment.

"Hey what’s this?"

"Hmm?"

The dwarf sat up. In his hand laid a tiny cube. It was black and had one flashing light on the end of it. It was attached to a long thin line that was tied to one of the numerous circuit board. The dwarf dug into a pocket and produced a eye magnifier. He positioned it and studied the line then the cube. His face went white and the eyepiece fell from his face.

"Oh no. Ohnoohnoohno."

He pushed toward the opening, pulling the cube from the line. Snapper ducked out of his way as he dropped and started running. He yelled as he went, startling everyone around him.

"WE’VE BEEN BUGGED. TROUBLE IS COMING!!!"

He ran into the comm room.

"Trouble Diana. Found a bug in the Lockheed."

"Bug how? We scanned for them"

"By running the standard rigger diagnostic to find anything attached to the Lockheed. This was hung with a plastic line to a open space on a circuit board. It was designed to mimic the code settings of the board so it could not be traced."

"Frag me…they finally tracked us."

"I figure its been nearly a hour since we landed. That flashing light means the trace activated itself when the engines shut down. They are coming…no doubt about it."

"Ok…we clear out to secondary sites…Now!"

The dwarf nodded and ran from the room, pausing long enough to slam his hand to a red button near the door. Diana dropped the cube and stomped on it. She looked to the rest of the group standing about her.

"ATLAS..back on the drones..full sweeps. Active monitoring. Eva..get the gear onto the Lockheed. We gotta get this stuff out of here."

Snapper ran in with Al.

"Guys…we got to do this now. We are gonna go in now!"

"You cannot be serious!"

"Very…if we wait they will probably double all the forces around the bases near here. That means we will not have enough to tackle our target and try to get my sister out. It is now or never."

"This is suicide. We know nothing of what we can do."

"Yes we do gentlemen. We are ready for this. You just need to come along for the ride."

"But..but!"

"We go now or we never go at all"

Both of them nodded.

"Good..be ready to travel in ten minutes!"

Al and Snap ran out into the crowds already hurrying.

--15 minutes earlier --

He hurt all over. Unbelievable pain. Bordering on madness pain. He laid still as each subtle movement racked his body in a new wave of it. He could feel his body healing, but it was taxed beyond its means. It was a slow process and it meant endurance. He growled. Footsteps approached his cage. He turned his head to look toward the barred entrance. Shoes..black leather walked into the front and stopped before him. He knew who it was. He willed his body to work but his healing factor had shut everything down to make him recuperate. He could only manage his head. The elf smiled down into his face.

"Now that was not so bad for a creature such as yourself? Your body has closed the wounds and I can see the bones knitting together. Marvelous. You are a pioneer my friend."

He forced his body to react. His voice came to him.

"P-P-PRISONER. Not P-PIONEER!"

He rushed the cage, his rage taking over. The guard was there and hit him with the prod again. He fell against the bars, the guard continually stinging him. The elf appeared in his darkening field of view.

"Not nice freak. Your life is worth losing for us. No one knows you are here. And we have plenty more subjects."

He stepped to the side. Someone new was in the cage in front of him. Several someone’s. Their heads were covered and the feet and hands bound and encased in canvas but he knew. Knew from the light green tinge to their skin.

Dryads

He welcomed unconsciousness.

---

Dr. William Michaels stood again as the were lapsed into unconsciousness. His body began to work again, healing itself. At first when he was brought here, his wounds closed liked his skin was made of water. But, over the test of time and the subsequent experiments, the process was slowing. It directly collates to the subjects strength. He walked to his terminal and began making more notes.

DOCTOR’S LOG 1654

SUBJECT: #203

REPORTING: Will Michaels

COMMENTS: Subsequent testing on number 203 has yielded interesting results. His healing factor is influenced from the subject strength and stamina. Earlier tests prove this hypothesis. Noting Log 1232 with invasion testing of bladed objects and gunshots wielded instantaneous healing capabilities to be best exemplified by a person stabbing water. In order to synthesize final product taken from said meta-creature (that being hemoglobin extract d-3), subject has endured the standard battery of tests. Subject has been tested a number of ways including burning, limb removal and re-attachment, poisons, blunt force trauma, blinding, and deafness. Subject has shown the standard weakness to silver but even then slowly healed the knife slashes inflicted upon subject. His reaction to silver bordered on panic and is duly noted. Upon treatment to silver, subjects epidermis reacted as would any metahuman skin to the touch of acid (hyperbolic, and ultra-muratic for example)(note test 1298). Products synthesized blood by-products have been tested and are showing positive results in the first testing upon subject 420 (elf: Martin Gregory). Marked results show increased capabilities in vision, and dexterity. Unfortunately, subject 420 succumbed to some psychoses and ultimately died of massive internal turmoil (cause: unknown and investigating). New tests shall follow on new subjects 464 and 411.

HYPOTHESIS: With the advent of this successful end-product and test for positive results , might another meta-creature’s body provide a sort of anti-agent to the marked end results? Elf subjects of the class majestica onerissus tiamete have been located and are being prepped. The standard battery of tests will be brought upon them as well as new tests.

Dr. Michaels finished and posted his log into the database. He knew Ares would automatically have the access to it and probably send him follow-up questions. Lately, they had been getting more adamant about getting the actual formula, but the high council had balked ever so lightly. Because of the power position the council held in letting Ares conduct their research here, they stepped down but the power play echoed down the corridors. Security tightened, new gates, and new checks had been installed. But Michaels already had it in the bag. He had received his payment into the private Zurich accounts for the first looks at his tests and formulas. The members who paid him would have it first and all the possibilities to go with it. The payment was enough to let him overlook the minor setbacks with subjects and other nonsense.

Like E.A.V.E

The thought just popped into his mind. He frowned. They were the proverbial thorn in the foot of the lion. Minor but enough to be unnerving and downright painful at times. They kept their actions minimal, a bit of theft here and there. Break-ins to the network. Some sabotage. But they had caught it all, and kept them at bay. Even caught a few of the tree-huggers. They made excellent subjects for the bio-weaponry wing too. They were on the ropes. His associate had located their leader and despite a minor setback, had managed to come up with a brilliant plan to locate their base.

"Sir?"

It was Vaquero.

"Yes?"

"Success. Beacon activated. 7 klicks south-southwest in Ivy Canyon. We believe it is their camp."

"Excellent. Take the security leaders and their best men, the magical team and also the air cover. Deal with them."

Vaquero stalled, sweeping his black hair over his elven ears in thought.

"Are you sure we should take them all?"

"Yes. This is their base. You will need to backup. Last calculations suggest that their may be upwards to 60-70 of them"

"But the facility."

"Will be fine. We have the necessary manpower and the defense grid. Eliminating this camp is your priority."

"Very well."

Vaquero turned and left. Michaels mask dropped. Viscous little punk. Michaels knew the high council put the dandelion eater in charge of security to protect their investment as much as him. He showed his loyalty to the facility first of course. That irked Michaels. His was the brain. He should be protected. But the elves only cared for the results and the fragging facility. He wished he could find some other place to work.

But then, you would not have this opportunity to work with such interesting subjects.

The thought caused a tingle in his spine. He smiled. Yes the subjects. He enjoyed the tests. Perhaps someday, you pointy-earred bastard, you will be the subject. And I will enjoy that. He began to prep for the next experiment.

---

The Landrover was loaded with the needed supplies. A number of the camp had pushed out already, heading for the other sites. About half remained of which twenty or so were going to be involved with the assault. Al grunted as he slipped a ballistics jacket over the body armor. It was not heavy but uncomfortable as all get out. Snapper had avoided the military armor in favor of a padded longcoat. He looked at Al, and he knew Snap was getting into a zone. Last time he did this, he tore apart the Palace with Al. We will need that animal in Snap he thought. Al kept his cool, but inside he was drek scared. He had trained. Pops made sure of that. He had killed and he had fought, but nothing on this grand scale.

"You cool buddy?"

Al looked up at Snap. He smiled.

"Ready to Rock and…"

Atlas’s voice came in a shout as the first Yellowjacket began to rain lead.

"CONTACT!!!!!"

---

The Yellowjacket chewed ground, its heavy rotary cannon laying down caseless explosive tips. It evaporated two guerrillas where they stood and blew up a stack of bombs. Al could hear screaming as another YellowJacket strafed the sleeping quarters.

Snap broke and ran low behind the transport. He caught movement at the edge of the tarmac and snapped the M-16 rifle to his shoulder. He shot the two marauders as they came running then watched as rolling track drone unleashed on the advancing rest. Bullets whipped by him and he ducked underneath the transport, firing into the forest. He heard screams and knew there was a lot more of them out there.

The guerrillas fired back, standing their ground against the offensive set by the sec teams. One positioned a mortar and started to launch them. He got 3 off before a bullet smashed into his eye from above. Vaquero eased back in with the Barret Heavy Sniper rifle and ordered another strafe.

Al ran to the comm room. He nearly bowled over Diana as she, Greaseman, and Eva came running out the door.

"You ok Sol..Diana??"

"Fine..we got to get out of here."

"Where’s Atlas?"

They ducked as the Yellowjacket made another pass. The gunfire around them was deafening. Suddenly, a earth elemental came lurching out of the forest near the Lockheed. It smashed the front of it and roared.

"He’s holding the drones down. Says we got to hurry, multiple targets everywhere."

Al triggered a grenade launcher at the elemental.

*FUMP FUMP *

Snapper jumped and ran from the transport. He saw the grenades sail past him and into the humanoid mound of dirt and rock. He dove to the ground.

KA-BOOM !!!!!

The earth elemental exploded in fire and dirt. Al saw Snap roll forward as the YellowJacket fired again. Missed. Al shot a grenade at it. The copter jinked and the grenade went sailing into the woods. It cut over them and wiggled as the pilot regained control. Al was empty. He looked around. He smiled.

Snapper got up unsteadily and felt a bullet smack his shoulder. He whipped and fired at the soldier, killing him. Snapper felt around for a wound. The armor caught the round but man it hurt. Another elemental came from the east and smashed into the living quarters. It rained fists down onto the building which began to crumble. Snap began to run sidestep. He did not see the dirt fist coming.

Al reached down and brought up a roll of chain. He wound back and tossed it into the blades of the YellowJacket.

"RUN!"

They bolted toward the truck as the chain connected with the whirling blades. A god-awful sound erupted as the metal clanged with the metal. It spider-webbed the rotors instantly, freezing the blades. The copter fell forwards, lifted slightly by the tail blades as they tried to stabilize in vain. It plummeted into the trees by the camp, exploding in a shower of metal and wood.

Snapper caught the blow and rode it around. The elemental he first thought obliterated by the blast was slowly reforming. It was twice the size of him and it lunged. Snap jumped again and pulled a katana from its a scabbard. He grinned at what he thought was the face of the elemental. It roared and tried to hit him with a fist of dirt and rock. Snapper sidestepped and sliced fast, shaving the fist from its arm like butter. He ran forward slashing into the body of the monster. The elemental reacted, stepping backward in order to avoid the blade. Snap pressed his attack, dodging the weakening blows of the elemental while raining cut upon cut into it. It finally gave one more half-hearted hook at Snap. Snap jumped and leapt off the creatures fist, sailing into the air. He slashed downward, putting all he could into the blade. It neatly bisected it with a scream that chillingly sounded human. Snap landed in a pile of dirt. He ran toward the truck as Al climbed in.

Al heard a whump as Snapper hopped into the back. They spun off up into the woods. A few shots came their way but the majority of the soldiers were busy trying to hold off the guerrillas who were in the camp still. They pulled over the hill and were gone.

---

They made it to the meeting spot in record time, though Al was pretty sure the truck was on its last legs from all the bumps and bouncing they endured getting there. The forces were now cut to 15 with the assault on the base camp but everybody was looking in pretty good shape overall. Snapper opened his mouth to protest trying the facility but was quickly shut up by Diana beginning to reassign positions. Both Al and Snap looked at one another and shrugged.

"That right there is what we will have to worry about most of all" Eva said as she pointed for Al to scan with the binocs. Al nodded and positioned them to scan. The facility was small, about 4 large building housed in some really large gates. They were patrolled by guards and something else.

"Aw frag." Al said with a sigh. Snapper looked at him with suspicion.

"What?"

"Hellhounds or a very big facsimile, either way that means large jaws on potential throats in a real hurry."

"Why can it ever be easy?"

"You stormed a installation like this Snap?"

"No but damned if the dice are rolling snake eyes in my life. Maybe Buddhism and being a monk instead of clergy."

"Still got that chastity thing going for them too."

"Damn!"

Diana smiled beside Al.

"Not too worry. We are gonna create a little diversion with the mages and some hardware. Team 1 has that job. 2 is coming in with us but braking off to plant explosives. 3, which is us, is gonna investigate the big building there for our personal target. According to Greaseman, that is their laboratories."

The surrounding soldiers nodded and began to split off for positions. Al was surprised to find beside him, Snap, and Diana, there were only 2 other people. Eva and the decker called Greaseman. Snapper was looking Eva up and down with a slight questioning look on his face. Lean and compact, Eva was a elf who seemed to have a bit of Asian in her. Her leather wrapped body seemed to indicate she was muscle, but the talismans on her chest looked to be magical foci. Eva turned and scowled at Snap for the dressing down she was getting with his eyes. Snap blinked and said nothing, but Al knew he was wondering what the girl was supposed to do with them.

Everybody looked prepped. Throat mikes were set, guns readied, the tension was thick. Snap watched as the first mage began to weave a intricate pattern in the air. The wind started to move around them. Al punched Snapper in the shoulder and team 2 and 3 began to make their way down the mountain.

The teams snaked along the gully wash next to the fence. They froze for a second, hugging the wall as a guard strode by the fence overhead. Snap was sure he could hear the guy breathing, he was that close. The guard turned, looked out over the gully and into the forest. Don’t look down…pleaaase. He yawned and walked on. Everyone breathed a collective "whew!" and crept on.

They made their way to a copse of trees next to the fence. Nearby, a secondary gate stood with a guard posted to it. Al guessed this was a gateway to a communications tower uphill. As he thought, a guy walked up to the gate. The guard nodded to him, obviously having recognized the tall man. He shoved his pass into the slide lock as the guard did the same. A buzz shut down the security for 5 seconds and the man passed through. The guard turned back to scan the inside. Greaseman tapped Al on the shoulder.

"We got troubles, I did not expect the communications tower to be separate. We needed to slice into the security to gain access."

Al frowned and looked to Snapper who shrugged and looked about. He examined the fence and nodded.

"Al, drunk exit."

Al shook his head no vehemently.

"Yes…its the only way. Grease is about my size."

Diana wondered what was going on. So did Grease. Al finally gave in and told Diana to radio the diversion to start. Diana tapped in the clearance and the run was on.

---

Mortars exploded near the front of installation with a series of thundering booms. A wind elemental suddenly appeared and smashed into a couple of Hellhounds with a howl that sounded like a gale. Security reacted immediately, rushing to the front gate to return fire. Al could hear the firefight beginning. The security guy at the secondary gate ran to join his comrades, leaving the back door open, so to speak. The teams made their way to the front of the gate.

Greaseman looked up at the top of the gate. A slight bluish tinge showed it was electrified and juiced to the max. He chuckled.

"No way you guys are gonna climb that. So what the frag is a drunk exit?"

"This."

Grease was seized by his collar and trouser backside. He felt himself swing back as the big troll paused and whispered "go limp". He ran forward and swung upwards, launching him.

"WHOOOAAA!"

Grease cleared the 9 foot high fence by at least three feet and tumbled to the ground in a meaty thud. He rolled over, amazed as he saw another body clear the fence in a more refined manner. Snap flipped effortlessly and landed in a crouch beside the dazed decker.

"Diana ain’t paying you to sleep. Get over there and open that gate, you meatball."

Grease nodded stupidly as he rose up, walked over to the guard station and jacked in. Five seconds later, the gate trundled open.

Diana was impressed. "Where did you learn that?"

Al shrugged. "Standard practice for bouncers. Occasionally, you have to get rid of a body over a crowd. You go for height as well as distance."

"Pretty handy for getting over stuff too."

Al nodded as they ran through the gate. Grease stopped Al.

"Why didn’t you tell me you were going to do that, you jerk?!"

"Would you have done it if I had told you?"
"No."

"Question answered." Al smiled and ran to join the group against the back wall of one of the buildings.

The teams split up. The four demolitionists made their way toward the smaller buildings to begin laying charges as Diana and her four backups ran toward the larger building. The diversion was creating a hell of a racket at the front.

---

Dr. Michaels awoke to the first mortar slamming the ground. He slammed his hand down on the ALARM button next to his sleeping quarters almost immediately, but recognized that everyone had probably already been alerted by the explosion. He threw on his shirt and pressed the intercom. Marcus, the second-in-command of the security came on to the screen. He was outside near the front.

"What the frag was that?"

"Looks like remnants of the E.A.V.E.’s sir. We think they are trying to even up the odds from our assault on their base. They are unable to penetrate our defenses though."

"Any report back from Vaquero yet?"

"Yes sir, he says they scattered and him and the sec team are hunting them down now."

"Get Vaquero back here. We may need him."

"Right away Sir."

Michaels hit the disconnect button as another mortar shook the complex. Better go down and make sure everything in the lab is secured. He punched in his code to open the doors and made his way to the elevators.

---

"How’s it going Grease?"

Grease’s eyes came into to focus for a second. He looked at Eva and Diana. Snap and Al were standing near the doorway to the office they now occupied.

"It’s ok…the security is on passive to allow sec guys and the docs to get through without the usual checkpoints. I am trying to locate where the holding facilities are."

Diana nodded but could not hold back the look of worry that crossed her face for a second. Grease knew she was worried about what they may find. He went back in.

Snap looked over at Al.

"Did ya hear that? We may need a hostage."

"Yea..but lets wait on it until we know we cannot get through."

Snap nodded to this. He switched the M-16 to his other arm and backed further into the shadows.

"Ok…the sec system is running a loop so we can run undetected. The place we need to go is 3 floors down in lab C-12."

Diana nodded to this. "Ok..once we get my sister, we set off the charges to blow the insides up and make our way out."

Each of the team nodded. Suddenly, several shots raked the door frame. Al swung and returned fire. Screams issued forth. Al turned and shouted at the 4.

"We got trouble. Couple of sec guys got wind of us. Think I saw a mage."

Eva plopped down and closed her eyes. She went rigid for a second then grabbed a brightly colored trinket on her jacket. Whispering some weird words, she threw it to the ground and it burst into flame. From down the hall, flames shot from around the corner and shouts issued forth. She opened her eyes.

"Mage is down. Channeled a flameblast into his meat. We got to go though. Those flames are not going to stop em for long."

All five ran from the office and down the opposite way toward the elevators. Al and Snap guarded the back end and laid down suppression into the flames. Little fountains dropped from the ceiling and began to foam the hallway. The flame retardant soon had the fire nearly contained. Al shot a leaping security guy several times in the chest but felt a round burn his side before ducking around the corner. Feeling for a wound, he found he was generally ok and that the shot had just glanced him. Still it hurt like a mutha.

He turned to find that they could not get the elevator doors opened.

"What’s wrong?"

"The fire prevention system locked down the elevator doors on this floor. We got to take the stairs."

Grease jumped to his feet and led the charge toward the door at the end of the hall.

They thundered through it and began to leap down the stairway. Diana paused as the ground floor door closed and she quickly began to work near the foot of it.

Al stopped.

"Diana what are you doing??"

"Evening the odds. Just meet me down there."

Al ran down as they got to the third sub-level. Diana came down 2 minutes later. The slowly opened to door.

---

Michaels was wondering what the hell was going on and was seriously worried that he was going to get stuck between floors when he heard the fire suppression click as the elevator trundled past the ground floor. Someone had tried to get into it but the rattle click insured that the elevator doors would not stop. The elevator slowed and opened to the third floor. Dr. Michaels was greeted to the barrel of a large caliber handgun being held by a mountain of a troll.

"Come out here slow."

Dr. Michaels slowly put his hands up and walked out. There were five of them, 3 men and 2 women. All did not belong.

"Who are you people?"

The thinnest one with a baseball cap spoke up.

"Pizza delivery. We have come with a double cheese for a group of dryads."

Michaels felt a hand pressed on his neck as the troll pushed him along. They went up to entrance of the lab. He felt a gun point into his head.

"Open please."

He fumbled for his card

"You will never get-"

WHAM!

The hand on his neck rammed his head into the wall. Not enough to knock him out, but enough to draw blood from his nose and cause him to realize they wanted action, not words. He slipped the card in. The door wooshed open and he was shoved inside.

---

He awoke, stronger but not by much. His slumber was disturbed by whatever was going on overhead. And some shouting. He could now hear shouting from somewhere near. He moved ever so slow, testing his muscles. He was back to semi-normal but still hurt. The darkness that surrounded him inside the cell helped his eyes adjust enough to see the dryads across the way. They all were still bound. Two leaned against one in the corner. Another lay motionless near the entrance. The talk was getting closer. He heard the beep of the door and heard the doctor. The guard near him was getting up, looking to the door. He moved in front of his cage, past the yellow lines drawn to show his reach. He was taking his gun out. He leapt to the cage door and grabbed his legs. The guard screamed as he jerked his leg between two opening and slammed his groin into the straddling bar. He relished the pain and did it again for good measure. Sure, it may cost him his life. But it felt so good to lash out at those that brought him here. He rended the screaming man’s calves as he tried to claw his way from him. Suddenly, the doctor was shoved across the slick floor, slamming into one of the empty cages near him. He landed hard. He paused and saw someone new. Several new people. One peered at him, a large troll with a big gun. The troll squinted and looked at him in the darkness. He growled at him and continued to tear the guards legs.

---

Snapper punched the door button to release the dryads. The all ventured in, Eva pulling off the hood of the one in the center. The unmasked one blinked with huge black marble eyes and smiled as she saw Diana. As soon as her binds were undone, she hopped up and embraced her sister. Diana returned the hug and settled into getting the others undone. The sister turned and found she knew one of the others not immediately recognizable. The troll near the were’s cage. She went to him and smiled up into his face. She reached up and fingered his horn.
"Fire..saved. Long time ago."

The troll nodded. She then motioned past him and looked into the closed cage.

"Save please. Wolf good."

The troll looked at the others.

"Can you trust the were?"

Diana shrugged. "My sister makes many friends in the forest. If she wants him saved, then we need to take him."

"Ok."

He punched the button and the door trundled upwards.

---

The door moved. He sprang, figuring it was a trick but meaning to try to escape anyway. He dropped between the dryad and the troll, willing a were form to be able to battle the troll on two feet. He turned slowly but still turned and was about to attack when the dryad stopped him. She growled and huffed in his language. She told him that these people were to help him and her. She told him to trust her. He changed back and stood up. He looked at each of the people.

He was Amerind. A tall man who stood about as high as Al but was far leaner than the troll. His hair was swept back, long and straight and though naked, he stood with a sense of authority though Al could see he preferred the four-legged form over the two-legged.

"Sorry. I thought you were enemy."

The one with the baseball hat smiled at him.

"Its ok bud, just do not tear my throat out if we do not get out of here alive."

The troll kneeled to scoop up the dryad who had not moved. She breathed but it was a hollow breath. A voice came from behind them.

"You are dead if you kill me."

The doctor.

He whirled and willed the change again. He landed on the doctor who screamed like a rat caught with his paw. He would make it slow. Slow and painful. He opened his jaws to close on his neck. The doctor squealed like a pig and the rank odor of urine came from him as he pissed himself. The voice of the dryad came over his rage. She said they may need him for the freedom he so longed for. It barely stopped him from tearing out his throat. Only home, freedom, and his longing for it let the doctor live. The animal within him howled in anger and only a promise to it for the hunt later stilled it. The baseball-capped kid came over and smacked the Doctor across the jaw with his gun. He got off the bleeding man and changed back. He stood and promised himself he would let the beast have his kill soon.

"Ok so how do we get out of here?"

KA-BOOM!

The explosion came from above. Al looked at Diana who nodded. No doubt her little surprise did its job. She paused for a moment, then nodded.

"The explosives are set. We lost 2 of the 4 but the rest said there is enough set to send this place to Mars."

"Ok..so how do we get out of here?"

Greaseman spoke up.

"There is another elevator to our right that is a service lift. We can use it to go to the shipping areas. With the generous donation of the Doctor’s codes to get past the doors, that is."

Dr. Michaels sneered.

"If you think I will help you trash get away, you-"

"You will help us, or I let the were finish what he was about to start."

The were growled his approval and took a step toward Michaels. Michaels in turn squeaked and nodded.

"Ok..Ok! Just keep him away! Please!"

The team began its escape.

---

Vaquero landed the copter and was met by a Marcus, the sec leader in charge. He had been briefed on the events so far, including the storming of the main office. The majority of the front assault forces who were in turn a diversion had quickly dispersed and were being tracked by the security forces. Marcus had every available security member now sweeping the area, looking for the other guerrillas. Vaquero nodded.

"What is the current situation on the other ones."

"Nothing as of yet. They have a mage with them who burned Tybalt and several others to cinders. They disappeared down the stairs and managed to rig a booby trap which blew up most of the offensive force. We believe they are trapped in the lower regions. As to why they are there it is unknown. We are currently conducting a full sweep of the lower bioweapons and research division as a result of them possibly being shadowrunners."

Vaquero stopped and thought.

"Where is Dr. Michaels?"

"His indicator said he was in his laboratory. We figure he is just conducting his experiments."

Vaquero smashed Marcus in the mouth. He fell with a stunned look to his face.

"Idiot. Look who you are dealing with. E.A.V.E. Their environmentalists. Michaels is their target!"

Vaquero rushed back to the Yellowjacket. He tapped the pilot and had him bring up the schematics on the onboard terminal. He patched it to the central bank and had them bring up Michaels indicator. The pulsing light showed him going towards the east service elevator. Something he never did. Vaquero tapped his mike.

"All security. All available security. Head toward east shipping dock 8. We have them!"

He sat down in the seat as the Yellowjacket rose and swept toward the garages on the east side.

---

The service elevator lurched to a stop and they pulled open the door. The garage was filled with boxes and crates of all kinds. Most had labels of CAS, ATZLAN, TIR NA NOG, and others stamped on the side. Eva pushed open a crate lid and found a strange looking weapon of some kind residing within it. She looked to Diana who shrugged, obviously not sure what it was. She looked at Dr. Michaels who under kind provocation of being were-food told them most of what they were standing in was new pulse technology from some of the floors below his. They were being sold to the highest bidder. Al got interested in a large cylinder under a cloth for a second. Handing the fallen dryad to Eva, he began to search around for a travois of some kind. Meanwhile, Snapper and the bunch had found the garage opener and pushed it open.

Nothing outside.

The gate lay about 500 yards to their right. Snap could make it out in the shadow. They started to move out, oblivious that they had accidentally forgot one. A big one.

A huge beam of light caught them all in its focus. There was no cover to hide in.

"FREEZE! DO NOT MOVE OR WE WILL BE FORCED TO OPEN FIRE!!!!"

The booming voice came from the Yellowjacket which banked and hovered above the 30 something heavily armed security forces.

---

Al’s stupidity in being curious saved his life

At least I hope so

He saw the beam lance out onto his team. He was just rounding the corner. He ducked back quickly and bumped into the..something.

Al was looking at what he could make out to be a really big cannon. He hefted it and strained to hold it level. It was attached to a big pack of some kind which Al slung over his back.

Probably a gas venter or something.

He looked in the barrel for a missile or something but it was too dark in here to see anything. He ran over to the garage door edge and peered out.

He could see the hovering Yellowjacket. Underneath and around it, many security troops.

His team stood there, they did not know he was not among them. He saw the dryads at the back, doing something. One turned her face and looked at him. She knew he was there.

Hope you are going for some kind of barrier because I am about to end this standoff.

He gripped the steel holder on the side of the barrel.

---

Snapper knew it was over.

The doctor screamed for joy and ran from them. He was halfway to the crowd and laughing happily.

The guns were all pointed at them. He could see the laser beams lancing out, separating, pinpointing their targets. It was all over.

He looked to Diana who stood there scowling. He knew she wished the same thing.

He smiled at her and called out to his chum.

"A blaze of glory eh Al?"

"Al?"

He heard a shout and the world became blue all of a sudden.

---

Vaquero smiled. He knew he had the leader. The girl stood there gazing at him defiantly. He had missed her earlier. He swung out and pulled his Barret Heavy Sniper rifle out. He aimed for her head.

Now to finish off what that idiot kid and his troll friend prevented me from doing earlier.

Troll?

Where was that troll?

As if on cue, he swung out of the garage and pointed something big at him. Something, very VERY dangerous.

"JESUS CHRIST!"

Blue light.

---

Al pushed what he hoped was the trigger.

The backpack buzzed and a whine issued from the cannon. Al started shaking and realized it was coming from the barrel. At the last moment, he set the back against himself, thinking it would vent like a missile. Only he knew it was no missile.

vvvvvvvvvvVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVRRRRRRRREEEEEEEETTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!

A beam of blazing blue light shot from the mouth of the cannon. It lanced through the sky like a huge spotlight and struck the copter dead center and went through it. The Yellowjacket exploded in a huge fireball sending debris raining down onto the soldiers underneath it. Al never saw this.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"

Al flew threw the air like he had been shot from a cannon. He slammed through a pile of crates, then a pile of boxes, then another pile of crates. Darkness overcame him.

---

Snapper felt the beam heat his head as it passed over him. It blew apart the copter in a brilliant flash. Everybody dove low. Snapper decided to use the advantage. He rushed the nearest group of security, withdrawing the katana. He saw the werewolf next to him change and dive snarling upon firing men. He saw one security guy try to swing his combat shotgun toward him and he sliced into him deeply. He jumped off the back of the falling sec guy and shot into the mob. He was grinning. Grinning as he pinwheeled the blade through another man and decapitated yet another. He felt a shot hit his armor, another. He felt a rib give. He kept going. Where that doctor? He saw him running through the gate into the open woods, amazingly unscathed. The werewolf howled in bloodlust and he howled with him. Gunfire was everywhere. Diana and Greaseman kneeled, emptying the Guardians into the mob. Eva weaved her hands above the fallen Dryad. He saw another group of security team disappear within the confines of a fire elemental, shrieking as the flesh burned away. And suddenly it was over.

---

Al dreamed.

He saw Mar above him, smiling.

Ghostly robes enveloped her soft body. She danced to music he could not hear. She beckoned him.

Aaaallll….Al….AL…AL! HEY AL! You ok buddy?

Al opened his eyes to nothing. He focused as saw wood and smelled metal, gun oil, burnt something.

"There he is!"

"Frag he must have gone right through…"

"Look at the skid marks from his boots!"

The rubble cleared away from his eyes. Snap appeared before him, bathed in blood.

"Snap, you ok? Are you hurt?"

Snap looked at himself "Who me? Hell no! Um.well I am hurt. But its not my blood."

Al sat up. He looked down at his arm. Broken. But he was alive. Alive and ok..he thought.

"What happened?"
"Later Al. Let’s get out of here! We got a window of opportunity. Thanks to you!"

They hefted the troll up as best they could and ran off into the night. As soon as she believed the far enough, she had the demolition team trigger their explosives. The blast lit up the night sky brilliantly. It was their first success.

---

Al found out later that what he had fired was a Particle Pulse Cannon. Something that was not supposed to exist in the public eye and not in a form that could be lifted. It existed all right although it was supposed to be mounted to a tank rather than carried by a meta-human. The kickback had slammed him into the warehouse and managed to do what most things or people for that matter had never done before, knock the big guy cold.

Al had destroyed the coptor and caused a near panic by nearly bring down a jetliner and lighting up the Tir’s defensive system. The remainder of the group fell into battle with the remaining security forces. Luckily, they had a werewolf with a mad-on behind them and 2 conscious dryads who powered up a load of barrier spells and some elemental magiks to assist. Nevertheless, Eva and one of the Dryads had lost their life in the firefight. All had suffered but were healing. But the fight for the guerrillas was far from over.

Al passed out again, his head still ringing from being introduced to several piles of assorted objects. When he awoke, he found himself at a secondary camp. Some had survived including Atlas and the dwarf to his surprise. Al also found himself in possession of some very high tech weaponry that was in its infancy. Not knowing it, he had lugged the PPC along with him and collapsed in the back of the Landrover. He gave it to the dwarf thinking he may find better use for it over him. The dwarf, who finally gave his name as Sam, went bananas and hustled off to a tent to begin work on it. He of course thanked Al profusely before disappearing within the confines of his dwelling.

The werewolf had hung around the camp until Al had awoke, approached his savior and smiled.

"So finally someone managed to get you some clothing eh?"

The Amerind smiled and looked down at the combat fatigues he was provided by some of the guerrillas.

"Yes and they are quite comfortable considering I have not worn some in a long while."

"Your speech has improved."

The Indian nodded.

"That has also improved. The reason I stayed was to thank you for rescuing me and giving me ..hope."

"Hope?"

"Yes. I and my pack fled from the cities to escape the harshness of meta human kind. But your act tells me there are a few clean souls out there. Who knows we may come back to see what meta-humans have done for themselves."

"Well do not get your hopes up. Not everyone is like me. Far damn few for my tastes. But if you ever get to Seattle." He pulled a card from his pocket. "Look me up. I will re-introduce you to beer."

"I shall look forward to it." He turned to walk away.

"Hey what’s your name and what happened to the Doctor?"

The Indian stopped. "Kyle. Kyle Stormbringer." He smiled again. "Been a long while since I said that name. As to the Doctor, well lets just say he is being watched and I am letting him feel everything I felt. I will see you Al."

And with that, he was gone.

---4 hours later--

Got to get away. Got to go. Got to find safety. He was sure he saw the way out. Just over the next ridge but each time he turned the corner, more forest. He was cold and hungry and his ankle killed him. Got to go. Get away. His heart trip-hammered in his chest. He could hear them. Saw their eyes when he whirled but they never came toward him. I am being herded.

He giggled humorlessly. He knew they were there. Watching, experimenting with him.

"I am a scientist you ANIMALS! I did everything for the good of MANKIND!"

A low growl came from the left. The right. All around. They were there. A whole pack. And the one. He moaned softly. He stood there, his eyes blazing upon them. Michaels fell to his knees. He was almost gone. He laughed and pointed.

"You..GET BACK TO YOUR CAGE YOU FREAK!"

The pack closed in. His laughter turned to screams. Kyle watched.

"You are the freak." he whispered. He moved in to satiate his thirst.

---

The Lockheed, with a little work came through in surprising shape and they were finally on their way after a day of work. Everyone turned out to say goodbye. Even the dryad Al knew as a little elf girl. She said nothing but here eyes spoke volumes. She gave both Al and Snap and crystal pendant to wear. She kissed Al’s horn and Snapper’s cheek and ran into the forest. The transport rose and leveled off for home. Snapper grabbed Al’s arm and pointed to a outside window.

A pack of wolves sat on the ridge in the twilight sky. Even though he could not hear it, Al saw them bay their thanks for returning their leader. Al smiled. Maybe I am a boyscout.

Snap disappeared with Diana for a bit. Al shrugged and laid down on the long sofa like bench near the cockpit. As usual, Snap got the babe. I could have my leg sawed off and he would get the babe. He smiled and fell asleep, dreaming once again of the magic fingers of Marlene.

---

Art was happy, no ecstatic that Al and Snap had got Solaris back from her ‘location shoot’ and then was dismayed to find that due to local trouble they had lost all their equipment and damaged the Lockheed transport. Still, his little star was back and that’s all he had his nephew and his friend were charged to do.

"I cannot thank you enough for keeping my investment safe gentlemen. I will see to it you get double..no triple what we initially paid you. Stanley, you have redeemed yourself in my eyes and I will speak high of you the next time I meet with your father."

Snapper winced but smiled. Al chuckled and went "Father?"

"Don’t ask."

Art went on "You know he is now a arch-bishop in Greece Stan?"

Al’s eyes bugged out. He looked at Snap, his jaw quivering.

"Umm..umm.. please excuse m-me for a moment. I have something in my eye."

Al bolted into a nearby studio and slammed the door. The passing janitor wondered why there was a troll rolling on the ground laughing his head off. He shrugged and walked off.

Snap sighed. Never going to hear then end of this that’s for sure.

---

Solaris/Diana saw them off to the airport. She stood at the gate as the plane began to board the first class passengers.

"You sure you will not lead the E.A.V.E Al?"

"Please Diana. You are doing fine. Besides, it cannot be Elves against a vanishing environment and have a troll leading now? Not good for advertising."

"Snapper how about you? Surely the time we spent together could influence you?"

"Indeed it does milady. But unfortunately I have pressing matters I must attend to in my home. Besides my dear, I am a urbane dweller. I could never make my home in the wilderness."

She sighed and nodded. After a kiss for Al and a smoking, burn the house down smooch and grope to Snapper, she waved to them and left.

As they walked. Al looked at Snap.

"Pressing matters? Urbane dweller? Ok, you have been hanging around the actors far too long. What was with all that drek?"

"Hey, it sounded better than ‘I think I left my trid on and I miss drinking beer and eating Super Stuffers.’"

Al thought for a moment. "Yep it does. You smooth talker you!"

"What can I say, it comes from my side of the family." Family…aw no. I reminded him.

---A hour into the flight---

"SHADDAP AL! GOD CAN YOU LET IT GO!?"

"A arch-bishop? You know, I was thinking of joining the clergy but now that I see what it makes offspring turn out to be, I just don’t know."

"Grrrrr!"

"Well that makes sense why you seem to violate every sin in the book.. You got one up on us normal sinners."

"You are so dead. I am hiring five Spikes when we get on the ground. Very slow and painful."

"Awww now a child of the cloth hiring to kill? Won’t look good for daddy!"

Snap punched the stewardess button. A blonde one came and stooped down.

"Yes sir?"

Snap pulled out a credstick.

"I will give the pilot 5000 nuyen to dump Mr. Laughs here next to me into the ocean."

The blonde ‘hmmphed’ and walked off, wondering why she wastes time on such lower halfs.

"Hey I am serious! Ok..5000 if you take a hammer and knock me out!"

"Self flagellation…oooo big sin! That and masturbation has already got you one foot in the big fiery place!"

Snap wished for a quick and painful death.

---

Which was nearly given to him as soon as he and Al stepped off the Boeing commuter and Mar saw the broken arm. She got 2 good freeze stabs into Snap’s knee before Al hauled her off of him. Snap hobbled behind the ‘loving couple’ wearily and promising himself one biiiigg shot of something caustic once he got to his old stomping grounds. Seattle welcomed them with a funny smell in the air and a lot of god-awful noise. Ahhh. Good to be home!

---one week later---

Snap peeked into Al’s apartment. Al was finishing up his workout. He smiled as his friend looked about like a animal trying to figure out where the hunter was.

"She went to see a friend Snap. Relax."

Snap let his guard drop. He jumped into Al’s chair and switched on the trid. Spinning through the channels, he stopped for a moment on a tridcast saying something about E.A.V.E.

"Local sources say that this splinter group have become guardians of the Tir. Corporations, on the other hand, believe them to be a terrorist organization bent on obliterating their stake in the Tir. Whatever you believe, startling documents released by E.A.V.E show Ares Macrotech guilty of several crimes against nature opposing regulations specified by the Tir nation treaties of ’49. It also names a certain member of the Council itself as a major stockholder in the research facility that was blown up a week ago by E.A.V.E. Tir representatives have begun a investigation into allegations of kickbacks and other crimes within the Council’s structure. Also being questioned is the mysterious disappearance of Dr. William Michaels, lead scientist of the facility. Arrests have yet to be made."

And most likely never will thought Snap to himself. He switched over to channel 82 and settled on last night’s showing of Ravage’s Runners. Al shook his head.

"Again? This crap is getting worse each time I see it!"

"Ah hush, you don’t often get to say you slept with a star do you?"

"Every night."

"Ok Mr. Mush. Shaddap so I can see my baby."

Al paused as the credits began. His jaw dropped.

The trid show blared "AND STARRING THE NEWEST MEMBERS OF RAVAGE’S RUNNERS. JIM NICKEL AS ED, THE TROLL WITH A HEART OF GOLD. HE GUARDS HIS FRIENDS AND SHOWS WHY THEY CALL HIM THE SEVEN FOOT BOYSCOUT!"

A troll who looked remarkably similar to Al flashed on the screen. Snap burst into laughter which quickly died as the trid continued. "AND HIS EVER FAITHFUL SIDE KICK. TRAPPER PLAYED BY DAVE MURTAGH. A KID WHO KNOWS NO BOUNDS! ALWAYS DECKED OUT IN HIS FAVE CAP, HE PROTECTS ED’S BACKSIDE WITH MARTIAL ART MOVES THAT DEFY GRAVITY!" A child-like adult smiled at them both, again looking somewhat like its real life counter-part. Both were in shock.

"I cannot believe we are now characters in a show."

"Wow. How many people can say that?"

"No one that wants to be known as a cheeseball on a third rate trid show."

Snapper watched the actor spin through a series of death defying moves.

"I dunno. He seems to capture me perfectly."

"Oh really?" Al pulled on his shirt and jacket. "Well maybe you ought to check out that cap he is wearing."

Snap squinted. "ARRRGH! A TOKYO DRAGONS BALL CAP!? I HATE THEM! I am gonna sue! My uncle is dead meat! Get me a attorney!!"

Al chuckled as he flipped off the trid. "Plus they missed another part of you in casting."

"What’s that?"

"The guy playing you does not have that great expanse of cranium the sits upon that neck of yours."

"Look whose talking fathead."

"It weights you down you know."

"Oh yeah? First one to the bar buys the rounds."

It sounded to Pops like a stampede of cattle were thundering down the hall.

END TRANS

AUTHORS NOTES: Woohoo. Actually, I am really shocked I got through this one as long as I did. Initially I just wanted to lay down 20 or so pages and give my boys a little more life. But sad to say, once I gave them a inch, they took a mile. I am a prisoner of my own creations. Now I know how Shapcano feels. Kidding.

I would like to thank all you guys who wrote me back encouraging me to write more. A couple of you asked how did I start the two boys up. Well, Al and Snap are like the best friends I had in one way or another all my life. They came in different forms but generally they were like this. They are the perfect foil to each other. While Al is a solemn ordinary guy type, Snap is the opposite. While Al loves Mar, Snap loves women. Loads of women. It leads to some very hilarious dialogue. At least I think so. Also, in a psychological sense, they may represent me. Of course in a psychological sense a banana represents a guys dork and everything wrong in the world is the parents fault while I was in the womb so I take that with a big ol grain of salt.

This story represents the unsung hero. You see them every once in a while. Some guy goes in and pulls a guy to safety and then walks off or like Al goes in and saves a whole buncha kids then is gone. Well, I figured Al would be the type to do that. So why not have him save someone really important and find out later as it comes back to haunt him in a surprising way. Sort of represents the old saying what comes around goes around. It’s how I live my life and it is quite fun to be kind. Some people may want to try it sometime. Could make the world a much more cooler place. Ok Ok…I will get off the soapbox! Put those tomatoes down!

On a lighter note, before I get all the mail telling me there is no way someone could carry and launch a PPC, I would like to ask a person to find me a real PPC and demonstrate it for me before my eyes. That ought to shut up a certain guy I know who is a nagger for details. Hey its Science Fiction! I could have just had Al shoot off a nuclear bomb if I wanted too.

I would like to thank DeckerM, my first fan letter. (Much props to you amigo). As always, Shapcano, my Obi Wan to Luke Skywalker. I bow to his genius as always. And everyone that dropped a note to me. It helps me guys. I love it and thank you all. Also the Chemical Brothers who provided me with the perfect background music when laying down this tale!

This story is dedicated to Wendy, my "Marlene". You make life worth living lover. And on a completely different personal note I dedicate this to an amigo’s dad. I know you moved on to the next plane of existence and do not know if you helped raise him and taught him the wisdom he has now, but be proud of that dude I know as a true omae. His talent makes a lot of people happy and he truly is a friend.

Al and Snap will return. I promise J

-TAT

CONFUSCIOUS MIGHT HAVE BEEN CONFUSED AND BUDDA MIGHT HAVE BLOWN A FUSE!

As always, Al, Snap and any and all characters within this story are property of yours truly and if you use em without my permission, I will have to use my spank ray. And it will be at the number 5 "bruise yer booty" setting too! Any and all references to Shadowrun and the Shadowrun Universe are owned by FASA and used without their permission. So don’t send over Rocko and Smilin Jack again, my cats hair just grew back and I can finally walk upright without a cane. Please! Joke! No lawyers! Bye for now!