Ch.7: "Hot Fuzz" / Hesperides

[Legendary Sidekick]

Kell

In the darkness below, there are rapid footfalls and muffled screams and a twang!

Something in the air gleams in the moonlight.

((Roll shoot defense!))

 

[tbgg]

Ch.7: "Hot Fuzz" / Hesperides

Trusting her instincts that danger is afoot, Kell immediately performs a forward roll off to the side, screaming, "Need help upstairs near the exit!" Using her momentum to regain her feet, she looks about for the source of the threat.






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[Legendary Sidekick]

Sigrlinn and Daphne fly to the balcony. A crossbow bolt zips past Kell's head and strikes the back of the mayor's seat!

There is a note attached.

Outside, Kell hears the sound of metal scraping.

Then nothing. Not outside. There is plenty of commotion inside the theater...

 

[Ireth]

Sigrlinn gasps as a crossbow bolt narrowly misses Kell, and frowns when she sees that it has a note attached. She pulls the bolt out of the seat and takes off the note to read it.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

The note says:

Your daughter for your cooperation.

 

[Ireth]

Sigrlinn grits her teeth as she reads the note, then flies back down to where the mayor is. If he's fully conscious and coherent, she speaks to him; if not, she addresses the bunnymen.

"The attacker left a note. They're holding Jessibelle hostage." She holds out the message.

 

[tbgg]

Ch.7: "Hot Fuzz" / Hesperides

Grumbling slightly when Sigrlinn grabs the crossbow and note, since she was about to grab the note herself, Kell heads back down the stairs toward the exit to see if she can tell what made the sound of the scraping metal.

If she can't tell what caused the sound, she glances around for the guard who commented about her having the look of a samurai, hoping he knows what caused the sound. If she sees him, she asks this very question.


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[Legendary Sidekick]

Kell rushes outside and asks about the sound. The man-bunny replies, "You'll have to ask the mayor."

Sigrlinn flies toward the mayor and tells him of the note. He says, "That son of a…" and rushes outside.

Soon you are all grouped outside the theater. When the mayor hears of the scraping of metal on the street, he thinks a moment…

"It's an underground railroad," he says. "The subway—the lower part of the mines that Hera closed off. That's how the Monkey's Claw gets around without us catching them in the act. Gods know what they're up to down there."

He rushes toward the direction Kell heard the metallic sound, but stumbles in his steps.

"Mayor Haggar," says Master Kikuchiyo. "This is no time to handle everything by force. I know you're quite capable, but you're also the boss of my men!"

"QVAKT!"

The Master lowers his head solemnly for a moment. But he does not address the dead just now—not when one among the living is in grave danger.

"Let my men handle this, sir."

Haggar replies, "I'll take all the help I can get."

"Perhaps we divide and conquer…"



((Where to…?))

West Side	Industrial Area	Uptown
Slums	Subway	Bay Area

 

[tbgg]

Kell asks, "Mayor, have you had a healer fairy check you? That was quite a tumble you took, and I'd hate for you to collapse due to an untreated internal injury or something. I know you're concerned about your daughter, but please, take a moment to care for yourself so you'll be in good enough shape to care for her."

She asks the Mayor, "Is this the sort of thing Hera would concern herself with? She might have something to help us find Jessibelle. And do you have anything that belongs to Jessibelle that would have her scent on it?"


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[Legendary Sidekick]

"Hera...?" Haggar asks. "She might. But then I would be going against the very vision I claim to share--calling on the Olympians as advisors and sources of inspiration, not to solve our problems for us. If I use my position as a reason to make an exception..."

Master Kikuchiyo says, "I would have. I lost six men, and as their chief, if I had Hera's ear..."

"But you don't," says Haggar. "Nor did their wives and children. So how do I tell them that your men were expendable; my daughter is not? Should I tell them my family is more important?"

He turns to Kell.

"I love my daughter, and I would give my life for her. But I cannot abandon my principles; become a hypocrite. Believe me--I want to. But even if I were to step down from my position, I would be resented, and I would deserve it."

 

[Ireth]

"Who says Hera has to solve this for us?" Sigrlinn asks. "If she's willing to offer advice on what to do, I think we should take it, even if we're the ones to act in saving Jessibelle. But we won't know if she's willing or not if we don't try asking. Kell and I need to speak with her anyway."

 

[tbgg]

Kell tells Sigrlinn, "Yeah, but we need to speak to Hera about a LOT of stuff. I would suspect time is of the essence in saving Jessibelle. It might be better for some of us to start looking while the Mayor speaks to Hera. When WE go to talk to her, I don't want to feel rushed to get through our huge list. Stuff is bound to be missed if we have to rush."

She tells the Mayor, "While I can definitely respect your principles, Sigrlinn is right. Asking for her guidance could be appropriate, especially if you approach it from the perspective of seeking justice for the wives and children of Master Kukichiyo's men. She's the goddess of marriage, so justice for the wives and families should be something she cares about. Also mention the stuff these bad guys want you to turn a blind eye to and why you think that's bad for the Hesperides - make it clear that unless you do something to address the situation NOW, every person in the Hesperides may potentially be affected."

"I am told that it is never wise to be less than candid with Hera, so mention your daughter's situation as well, but approach that from the perspective of, 'I want my daughter to live to see her wedding day. She deserves that.' And emphasize that all of us will be doing the actual saving, but we were wondering if she was aware of any maps of the mines or anything else from the time she shut the mines down that might help us track down the bad guys."

She watches the Mayor for his response.


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[Legendary Sidekick]

The mayor clearly wants to rescue his own daughter, but he reluctantly agrees to meet Hera--with help of his men, many of whom comment, "These women are samurai." Daphne quacks, and Piggie tells Haggar that the Duck Huntress is volunteering her arrow to finding his daughter. But she gives Sigrlinn her bow.

"QVAKT!"

Piggie says, "Just tell Daphne where you're headed. She'll get another bow and join you."

 

[Ireth]

Sigrlinn blinks as Daphne gives her her bow -- she'd been about to suggest they go back to Daphne's nest to get Sigrlinn's own bow from there. But this is faster, at least for her. She accepts the weapon with a smile and says, "I'll head uptown."

 

[tbgg]

Kell tilts her head at Sigrlinn, frowning in uncertainty and confusion. "Uh, Sigrlinn, are you intending that you and I should separate, or do you have a particular reason for wanting to head Uptown? Normally when there's a decision like this to be made, we decide together, and I'm a bit confused as to why we're not doing that this time."


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[Ireth]

Sigrlinn looks at Kell and shrugs. "They said choose a place to go, so I chose. Were you thinking of looking somewhere else? I'm just not sure how this 'divide and conquer' tactic is meant to play out."

 

[tbgg]

Kell tells Sigrlinn, "Well, I was thinking about the Subway, given that it seems that that's how the local baddies may be getting around."

The she says, "But I do agree that once the Mayor meets with Hera, if we 'divide and conquer', we need a way to know where and when to meet to find out the outcome of that conversation. Mayor Haggar, what would you recommend?"


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[Ireth]

"True," says Sigrlinn, "but there might be other entrances and exits to the subway that most people don't know about. If we come charging in by the front entrance, they might try to sneak out the back, and it'd be best if we found ways to cut them off from as many sides as possible."

 

[tbgg]

Kell replies, "Well, that's why a map of the mines would be useful. There might still be exits not on the map, but I think we'd have better luck trying to get hold of a map of the mines than trying to find any side or rear exits ourselves."

She turns to face the residents of Hesperides. "Who would know about any maps of the mines? Would Hera know? Or would any of the people who used to work in the mines before they closed?"


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[Legendary Sidekick]

Master Kikuchiyo says, "There isn't a map I know of, but there are mole people who used to be the workers. Most found jobs on the West Side."

Piggie says, "There's a mole-people community not far from the firehouse. Gerry used to go to the Odd Duck before he married me. It's a bar--workmen meet for drinks there. Emphasis on 'men'... but if you think a subway map will help, I'll hail a coach to speed us across town."