ATeam-Ch01

= >>>[ __CHAPTER 01__ ]<<< = = >>>[ __THE BOUNTY HUNTERS__ ]<<< =

__ **Chapter Logs:** __ -- Part 1 -- Part 2 -- Part 3 -- Part 4 -- Part 5

__ **Characters:** __ Fenix Hawk, Nova, Johnathan, and Azreal

__ **Summary:** __ A motley crew of shadowrunners are hired to protect Allan Smythe -- the son of corporate mogul Andrew Smythe -- a wealthy young man with a 250,000¥ bounty on his head. The team must keep the endangered Allan safe and secure for three days, until scheduled transportation from the Ute Nation can evacuate him. Their payment is 8,000¥ a piece. Given pink carnations to wear as identifying apparel, the runners meet their mark outside //Dante's Inferno// at 4am the next morning after 'acquiring' a set of wheels from a parking garage. Allan Smythe proves to be an arrogant little bastard, but the team puts up with him because -- like it or not -- he is their paycheck. Shortly after leaving the //Inferno//, the group is attacked by three anonymous bounty hunters bearing small arms, bola launchers, and a foreign sports car. Although triumphant, our heroes realize that protecting this kid is serious business. The shadowrunners roll on to the Redmond Barrens in search of basic medical supplies, and food for Nova's overactive suprathyroid gland. They find an all night Ghetto-Mart and do some shopping. While waiting in their stolen van, Azreal decides to pick a fight with some nearby streetwalkers. The "ladies" don't take kindly to this, and secretly siphon off the remaining gasoline from the team's wheels. After a short drive, the runners realize they are low on fuel and pull into some project housing. They ditch the van in lieu of something more practical -- like a Cadillac or an Oldsmobile -- much to the astonishment of the vehicle's current owner, who unsuccessfully tries to defend his property with a shotgun! Narrowly escaping a second brush with death, the shadowrunners find a low-key motel to hide out in. While Fenix haggles with the dwarven manager over prices, Johnathan picks up a hooker -- leaving Nova and Azreal with Allan to stash the battered 'Oldsmobile LaMancha' two blocks away. After ditching the car in an alley, the three take a leisurely stroll back to the motel. Some local gangers take an interest in the trio -- and most of them die for their troubles -- but not before breaking Allan Smythe's knee with a heavy lead pipe. The runners rally together in their rooms and call for medical attention...they get Patch, a former shadowrunner-turned-street doc with keen senses of business and survival! He tends to their wounds and drugs up their screaming client, handing out business cards to everyone before returning to his private clinic. The group then spends the next day and a half doing what shadowrunners do best... Watching the trideo; almost having sex with underage prostitutes; eating pizza; and generally making asses of themselves! That night, our heroes get a nasty wake up call from a professional team of bounty hunters lead by Diablo -- a monstrous troll and vicious mercenary. Nova squares off against the goblin and gets pummeled into oblivion. Azreal is attacked and has her elf ear mutilated by a sorcerous madman named Butler. Johnathan, after wasting one of two masterful swordsmen (Yin & Yang), goes to the aid of the wounded elven girl. He engages Butler in a firefight, only to be bested and have his heart cut out! Fenix Hawk duels with the remaining sword-fighter, fighting skillfully and honorably -- but coming up short against the human's prowess with a blade. Facing imminent death, Fenix finds untapped strength within himself -- and in an amazing display (Hand of God) -- removes his opponent's head! Weary from battle, the former Tir knight returns to help his fallen comrades. Finding everyone defeated or dying, Fenix is ambushed by a concealed Diablo -- who emerges from a darkened bathroom and puts a shotgun to his head. The elf is allowed to make a 15 second cellular call before being rendered unconscious with a tranq patch... The shadowrunners awaken hours later in Patch's Clinic -- minus one Allan Smythe. Johnathan, his heart nearly torn from his chest, is in a coma. Azreal, missing an ear; and Nova, with a wounded ego; begin to fear the situation hopeless. Fenix, not to be defeated, rallies the team -- and through some quick legwork manages to locate the delivery point for their abducted client -- Pier 46 of the Seattle dockyards. Armed with this information, they formulate a plan to ambush Diablo at the drop. The remaining runners head to the Industrial Zone in Fenix's Ford Mustang Cobra, where they encounter Pier 46's owner, Roy Embers -- a stocky, middle-aged Amerindian man. Through some not-so-creative oral prowess (yep!) and intimidation, Azreal and Fenix convince Mr. Embers to let them use the pier after hours. The team stages their coupe as Diablo arrives on his motorcycle with the battered client. The bounty hunter survives their barrage of concussion grenades, pistol fire, and vehicular hi-jinks -- but the shadowrunners manage to retrieve Allan Smythe and flee the scene in their nearly-destroyed Mustang. They are pursued by a helicopter and two sedans containing the mystery-men who initiated the bounty. Through fast driving and expert grenadier-ship, they destroy the helicopter and make for the Ute Nation. Once there, the runners negotiate on the phone with the boy's father -- Andrew Smythe -- "successfully" bargaining their way to an increased 15,000¥ paycheck. Allan leaves on a prop plane, and our runners head back to Seattle to collect their hard-earned nuyen... In the end, Fenix Hawk ends up losing his beloved and fully-restored Ford Cobra -- not to mention countless adventure's-worth of accumulated Karma Pool. Azreal buys herself a new ear and a new wardrobe. Nova makes it out with the least damage -- but with a bruised ego and the knowledge that perhaps he isn't the perfect killing machine he believed himself to be... Poor Johnathan Myers remains in a coma and some 12,000¥ in debt.

Forward to Chapter 02