Gunn and BlackJack proceed to collect data trying to put all the pieces together on why the hellhounds are apparently moving into their turf and getting out of the go gang line. With a little ingenuity, reaching out to a few contacts, and some magical aid they follow a trail that leads BlackJack and Gunn being attacked.

It is clear that whomever is attacking them wants them alive. Gunn loyal to a fault protects BlackJack but gets himself captured. BlackJack gets a chance to make a run for it and hides in a dumpster.

Just as BlackJack was about to be discovered some supporting members of the DRMs including Lucian come to his rescue basically shooting off the head of the man that was lifting the dumpster. To BlackJacks discust the head flops into the dumpster and lands at his feet as he backs away to the back.

Once Lucian and BlackJack get back to the location of the fight the bodies are gone including Gunn.

BlackJack makes a call to Bob to have him turn the elevator back on. He gets a gruff response, but that he will get on it in between babysitting his “consultant”. Yes, Bob the builders persona included the air quotes and looks like a computerized version of the friendly cartoon character from a past era. While stuck in the elevator the Raven shaman goes to work summoning another apartment spirit.

Shade having warned everyone decides it would be best if he was the only one on the network so he can rule out hacking or internal matrix traders. So he jumps back to the cpu and begins editing the user list basically canceling network accounts. He starts at the top with Bob’s account. Later reflection might point out that this could have been a bad idea. His persona glances over at Bob’s icon who is messing with a bunch of digital wires around what looks like elevator wires as he issues the edit command. Bob blinks out of existence his account no restricted. Shade goes to work removing other accounts.

Oddly enough when BlackJack pushes the elevator button again it returns the same error that about emergency protocols or something like that. He is going to have to have a little chat with Bob about priorities. He summons a third spirit and then goes to find the stairs to find out what is happening. Deciding to go back to the security room instead of all the way up to the 8th floor on foot between all the renters who are trying to exit the building because of all the fire alarms.

Shade’s work on the user accounts is interrupted as a less friendly vampiric version of Bob the Builder (complete with vampire cape and teeth) appears behind him. “I knew you would be trouble. Trying to delete me out of my own home. Your out of here.” He pulls out his hammer from his belt and it stretches out into a very keen scythe and the hacker takes a swing at Shade. He connects sending lots of corrupted data into his persona. Back in the real world Shade’s cyberdeck begins to warm up and smoke. Back in the matrix, Shade returns the blow as a dark sinister broadsword appears in his hand and he dishes back his own vicious blow sending parts of VampBob persona flying like little cubes. A few swings later Shade finds himself looking dumbfounded at a burning hot, brick of a cyberdeck in his lap, a huge headache, a nasty case of vertigo, and a annoying hum that seems to come from inside his own skull making it hard to concentrate. He shakily gets to his feet just as BlackJack reenters the room. He seems to be going over to pull the cable out of Bob’s head, but thinks better of it when BlackJack arrives. Hearing what happened he is sent back to the van with one of BlackJack’s spirits to guard him.

BlackJack goes into the security room bathroom (it hasn’t been cleaned in a while) and using his years of training stiffens his body and positions himself so he doesn’t have to touch any of the foul things in the bathroom and launches his consciousness into the astral plane and flies up to the 8th floor. He discovers what looks like a alamo scene at first. DRM members are barricaded inside the boss’s office and it looks like more members outside are preparing to bust into the office. The environment is full of confusion, hate, and betrayal. It is at this time that one of the DRM lieutenants in the room with the boss who only moment before had been planning with him injects him with a needle and before anyone inside the office notices begins shooting the other DRM members. Gun fire is also heard in the hallway as several drm members show their true colors. Fearing the worst the DRM lieutenant outside kicks the office door open and moves in while bullets fly in the hallway. Not seeing any magical danger on the 8th floor and no real way to help astrally BlackJack returns to his body a whole new plan in his mind.

Meanwhile a very frustrated, pained Shade makes his way to the groups van only to find Ricket’s looking unconscious in the drivers seat his sister nowhere to be found. Fearing the worst and his foggy mind not fully processing what is happening he moves up checks on his friend and pulls his data cable out of the van’s rigger connection. It is only after Ricket’s starts convulsing that he wonders if this was a bad idea. Ricket’s starts breathing naturally and resting comfortably moments later, but remains unconscious. A fact that is probably the only thing saving Shade’s life at the moment.

BlackJack makes his way outside the building. He notices that most of the residents have made their way a good distance from the building. He makes his way around to the boss’s office and commands one of his spirits to open the window and another to toss his boss out the window. A moment later both spirits having completed all their tasks vanish. A few seconds before the unconscious Dimetri would have gone splat on the ground BlackJack throws up a levitation spell and slows his boss falling speed and then starts levitating him slowly towards the van.

The DRM Traitor forgets all about the incoming attackers and gun fight in shock of watching his prize suddenly being thrown out the window by a transparent man moves over to the window and seeing BlackJack on the street and the threat that he is opens fire knowing full well that he had the DRMs only mage lined up perfectly in his sights as a burst of three bullets headed his way. He is shocked and awed as his perfect shot becomes a meer flesh wound and the shaman goes about his business moving the boss. He then tucks for cover not wanting the shaman to have a chance to cast a spell on him. This of course leaves him completely open to bullet fire from Dimetri’s first lieutenant as he blasts his way into the room and nearly takes the traitors head off. A fact quickly remedied by BlackJack who with a smile commands his one remaining spirit to toss the traitor out the window before it returns to its own plane of existence.

The boss in the van unconscious along side an unconscious rigger and a very troubled hacker means BlackJack gets in the drivers seat. A spinout later they are all on the road. It appears all the remaining hellhound infiltrators quickly loose interest and flee with DRM members in organized hot pursuit as Lucian, Dimitri first lieutenant, takes charge and waves from the window to BlackJack as he drives off.

The group drives into a strip club parking deck a few blocks away and evaluate their circumstances. BlackJack is shocked to find several bullet holes in his coat on the front and the back, but himself barely scratched. Shades falls asleep in the back with the other unconscious while BlackJack celebrates being alive and that his boss is alive with a cigar and several swigs from his flask. Several hours later and at another gang safe house BlackJack makes a quick call to Daisy to get the scoop and finds out through her and Bob he eventually takes the phone away from her that they lost 4 gangers, but hellhounds lost more. Everyone is talking about his magic mojo and are happy to know the boss is alive. Lucian is currently running things and wants to meet with BlackJack as soon as possible to make sure the boss is safe. Bob, instructed by BlackJack, goes to work cleaning up the mess in the security and also pulling favors for information on the hellhounds. BlackJack also asks Daisy to look into Ricket’s missing sister.

Shade, BlackJack, Rickets, and Rickets’ sister sit around a booth at the Waffle King. Just below the sign is a flickering 24/365. Gaining no comfort from the fact that the metal detecter they discovered they just walked through didn’t go off even though they are packing heat. The dive is packed and they had to wait a few minutes to get in and everyone recognizes that three of the four of them don’t belong. They feel eyes penetrating them from all sides for a few moments and then slowly everyone goes back to their own business once the group has been seated and orders food. The kitchen and the cashier station is behind bullet proof glass. The serving staff isn’t in full combat gear, but is in enough armor to protect them without getting in the way of serving their customers.

Jennifer seems to have slipped back into her shock and silent starring but does manage to devour her meal while the group eats, talks, and goes over plans. Towards the end of the meal Ricket’s sister looses it and Shade and he help her back out to the car while BlackJack flirts with the cashier and pays the bill.

Back in the van the group heads off to make sure the gang boss Dimetri is okay. It is a bit errie for Rickets to be both in the back of the van comforting his sister and driving the van at the same time, but everyone eventually gets used to it. They pull up in front of the apartment complex that is also Dimetri’s home. The gang having taken over the building and the boss having the run of the penthouse floor. They even make some cash renting out many of the power floors to locals.

The word has spread that the gang is at war with the Hellhounds. The streets are empty. The poor excuse for a green space park is barren of street kids playing like they usually do. All the entrances have visible DRM members with visible Heavy Pistols.

Ricket’s stays in the van with his sister and at BlackJack’s request launches his big drone and puts it in surveillance/patrol mode while he continues to deal with his sister with very little improvement. Eventually she gets quiet again and becomes unresponsive just staring out the passenger window at nothing so he jacks himself into the van for a break.

Shade and BlackJack head into the building. The guards give BlackJack a nod and watch Shade questioningly, but don’t stop the two from entering. Their first stop is the security room to deal with Bob the security builder.

The security room is on the basement floor and is an apartment room that has been converted into the security center and network node of the entire building. A bed, table, kitchenette, and bathroom are all that remain of the original purpose as heavy duty wires come into the room from all different directions through broken out holes in the floor, ceiling, and walls all leading to a computer terminal half in the wall and half resting on the table. Bob “Hardhat” McStorm sits at the table tapping away on the keyboard attached to the terminal with one hand and sipping on a soycaf mug with the other. He gags back from spitting all over the terminal as he sees Shade follow BlackJack into the room. “He can’t be here… this is a restricted…” his face is read, but with just a lifting of his hands he gets quiet (with a little visible effort).

A few minutes later two rather large orcs arrive and take point outside the “security room” per standard procedures. There is a look of panic between BlackJack and Shade for a second, but it passes as the two orcs give a respectful nod to BlackJack and completely ignore Shade. BlackJack spins a tale about Shade being a hired security consultant and needing full access to the system to verify it is prepared against their current rivals. It takes some convincing buy Bob finally agrees and generates some credentials for Shade and points out that they expire in 8 hours as he tosses him a chip to transfer the embedded code into his persona. He ten pointed out a slightly uncomfortable looking chair and a jackpoint along one of the walls while he himself moved over to a very comfortable looking old leather lazyboy and jacks himself in. His last look is on Shade gives the message, “I’ve got my eye on you.” without question as the two jack in.

Seeing that everything is in order BlackJack heads off to the elevator to go to the penthouse to visit the boss and that is when all hell breaks loose.

Shade jacked in finds himself in a matrix host that resembles a digitized version of the apartment complex. He activates the code from Bob. A moment later wondering if he should have scanned it first and finds his Shade Ringwraith persona to suddenly have a very cartoon-esk sheriff/guest pass appear on his black robe. He also finds himself teleported from the I/O Port he was in to the CPU and then rerouted again to the camera Slave Port where he finds rows upon rows of camera feeds of all the entrances and levels. Along with the camera feeds and controls is a cartoon button panel that resembles the apartment call box they passed on the way in. This one is labeled with nodes instead of tenant names. He goes to work getting acquainted with where each camera is physically located and starts scanning them for the face he saw on the video and anything out of place. It doesn’t take long for him to notice a disturbing trend.

BlackJack presses the up button and goes to work summoning some of the apartment spirits to help him in case of attack. The first looks like a teenager fully decked out in gang colors with just a hint of spirit transparency. A moment later he sends this spirit off to check in with the boss and give him instructions to leave. The spirit is then to stay with him and guard him. It nods and flies off to complete it’s task.

The trend that Shade notices is that within seconds of each other all the cameras on the first floor starting at the main entrance suddenly go to static. The system registers it as a hardware malfunction that cannot be restored from the network. The trend continues as the cameras in the stairwells also go static floor by floor in rapid succession. Quick thinking on his part Shade jumps to the CPU and triggers all alerts and alarms. So basically everyone in the building is suddenly bombarded with fire alarms, hurricane warnings, tornado warnings, earthquake drill signals, water pollution count reports, acid rain warnings, nuclear bomb detections, etc. Safe to say everyone knows something is up and all the residents start making their way out of the building in a panic using the stairs.

BlackJack’s upward moment stops abruptly as multiple alarms start going off everywhere. They are especially loud in the little elevator. The elevator stops on the second floor and opens and locks. It seems you can’t use elevators during emergencies.

BlackJack makes his way back to the war council room and discovers the meeting has disbanded. He goes off to find one of Dimitri’s aids and learns the boss has return to his residence and that the gang appears to be under attack from another gang. He moves off to a silent spot and checks in with his spirit spy. The spirit is all to happy to tell him about how the hellhounds appear to be moving into the DRMs turf and that they appear to have two gang members helping them. He files this information away and the spirit for a future task as he heads off to meet with Dimitri at his residence.

After an hour passes without any sign of the gang boss or anyone reacting to their request Rickets sends Shade back into the local host with the instructions to cause as much noise as possible. They will not be ignored. Shade deciding that Rickets has more experience on the streets and dealing with gangs follows his lead. He jacks in and goes to work with abandon and causes the rise of some nasty IC in the host CPU node. The young newly named decker goes to toe to toe with a the black night. ‘Tis but a scratch’ The fight is two sided, but Shade is the victor. His cyberdeck a little banged up for his troubles. It is still functioning, but will need some TLC later when he has a chance to pick up some tools. He smiles over at Rickets and doing his best street impression says, “No sweat, chummer.”

Dimitri has taken over the top floor of an old apartment complex. He is currently pacing in his office while talking on the phone. As BlackJack enters he curses and throws the mobile across the room causing it to shatter against the wall near BlackJack’s head. Without saying a word BlackJack, well known as the gang’s mixologist works up two drinks from Dimitri’s extensive synthetic alcohol collection. After calming down and enjoying the beverage Dimitri brings him up to speed on the situation and the two come to an agreement to invite Shade and Rickets to earn their freedom and start paying off their debt by working to resolve the current problem. BlackJack leaves Dimitri, who still appears out of sorts in an unusual way, to deal with his own demons and heads back to the safe house. He had one of the gang drop him off at the body shop where Ricket’s van is getting an overhaul and some other work done picking it up and heads off to bring Rickets and Shade up to speed and present them with an offer he hopes they can’t refuse.

In route he gets a call from the mohawk singer on guard duty who is blurting out that the guests are asking to talk to the boss and nobody else. BlackJack calms him and says he will take care of everything. As he arrives onsite he notices that everyone is on alert. Checking in with the guards and the lookout he quickly gets the impression that their guests haven’t really been all that quiet and goes to confirm his suspicions. He finds the gangs top “decker” feverishly trying to restore connections and disabling and restarting security and alerts. He seems very angry and very confused.

Arriving in the locked room he discovers that the Shades is probably the cause of all the chaos. A single universal data cable dangles in the background from the one camera in the room. Shades and Rickets sit comfortably on their beds relaxing a mischievous grin shared between them. Feeling that they have his attention Rickets and Shades demand to see the gang boss. Making claims of security troubles (besides what Shades just did) and traitors and the like. The only person they claim to want to trust is the boss. BlackJack convinces them to show him their evidence. He also presents them with a way to pay the gang back for helping them get free of corp slavery.

His sister comes out from her covered bed with a stretch and a loud yawn, but still looks a little in shock from all that has been happening. So shocked in fact that she makes her way to Rickets and gives him a hug. There are still tears in her eyes.

BlackJack leads everyone out of the building (no blindfolds this time) and over to Ricket’s van. Ricket instantly notices the van has been washed and some of the rougher bullet marks and dents have been buffed out. Blackjack gives them directions to a restaurant so they can eat and talk away from prying eyes and ears.

Shade, Rickets, and Ricket’s sister remain locked in the safehouse room they have been assigned. The tension is high, but all the same the three fall asleep exhausted from the drama of the day. Even with all of Ricket’s wounds he still sleeps deeply. All of them sleep through Ricket’s Sister Jenny fidgeting in her sleep in the middle of nightmares. Her body seems to glow for a moment along with the air around her seem slightly distorted. As the glow fades her troubled sleep fades and she sleeps the rest of the night soundly. The same, though slightly weaker glow comes around Rickets body and the severity of his wounds lessons by morning he is feeling much better and well rested.

They are awakened to the sound of their doors multiple locks being locked back and discover a poor excuse for breakfast has been served. The silence that follows is quickly interrupted as Jenny goes ballistic. Ricket’s always being shorter, but the older brother tries make sure she understand that they are on their own now and their parents are dead. Her level of emotion and stress and her language grows even off the handle. Rickets attempts to put her in her place and discovers something he never knew about his sister (and something she doesn’t know either.

She moves to push him away from her but before he can even touch her Ricket’s find himself in motion and flying across the room and into the far wall leaving an remarkably accurate impression in the wall. He slides to the ground stunned and looks up at his sister who has her own look of shock and horror on her face. She runs off behind her curtain and climbs on to her bed. If she hadn’t been crying before it is even more obvious now.

Coming to his senses Ricket’s makes his way over to the certain and tells his sister he is okay, but gets little in the way of a response. All the while Shade sits on his bed at first amused by the whole brother and sister show before him. Even taking a moment to mimic like he is eating soy pop at the trids. Rickets goes and bangs on the door until a ganger with a mohawk answers. “Get me BlackJack. I need to see Blackjack!” is all he says not even taking in the gangers response.

---

Meanwhile Dimitri has called a war room meeting and invited BlackJack to join him and his 5 divisional leadership team so to speak. Two of these leaders a fellows by the name of Toad and Gozer are calling for the corpslaves heads on a pike for the amount of blood helping them at the whim of the troll has caused the gang. Saying anything less is a sign of weakness. Another more business level headed leader named Blizer is talking about selling them off for their parts and washing their hands of the loses. Juniper, Dimitiri’s right hand (wo)man and assumed lover, usually a part of heated discussions like this is ignoring everyone and treating Dimitri’s gun shot wound to the arm which he is currently ignoring. Clearing his throat all eyes turn to him and then to BlackJack when he says, “What do you think we should do with them BlackJack? You have worked first hand with them.”

Cooler heads prevail and after hearing BlackJack’s thoughts on the situation the shaman gets tasked with assessing their usefulness to the gang and developing a method the former corps can pay the gang back. As he moves to leave it seems like everyone in the room is suddenly getting calls. He steps out and summons a spirit to collect information on what all is happening when he sees Dimitri wave him off to go about his business.

He makes his way to the room the guests are occupying and taking a page out of Lone Star’s book pulls the two corp types apart and interviews them separately to make sure he knows everything. While amusing himself by making the ganger on guard duty some peon with a mohawk sing loudly so those still in the room can’t hear his questions. Once all that is settled he also being informed about Jenny takes a look at her and discovered she is magically active. Not the same way he is, but that she also seems to have a magical snake wrapped around her body in a protective manor as she sleeps. Telling Rickets that he healed her, but to let her sleep, he leaves to go report back to Dimitri.

---

Shade and Rickets locked up starts to take their toll on them. Have they replaced one prison with another? Do they ever get to control their own destiny. Since the gang left them with all their gear Shade goes to work splicing his cyberdeck into the one camera in the room and begins searching the gangs poor attempt at a matrix host for more information.

He walks through the network as if it is standing still and discovers some of the weakest security and icon fabrication he has ever seen. Most of the nodes are still in their default modes. Using the default pass codes from the factory manuals he takes over multiple cameras and their built in microphones. He overhears and records a ganger having what sounded like a guilty conversation on his mobile referring to not being found out yet and that moving ahead with the current plans. He jacks out of the matrix and brings Rickets up to speed. The two decide that this might be their ticket to freedom and demand to see the gangs boss on a matter of life and death. The ganger isn’t convinced my Rickets fast talking, but Shade proves to be very elegant with his words and though the ganger appears to ignore him he thinks a seed was planted.

They arrive to address BlackJack had received and find a fierce battle going on. Pulling into an ally and a few summoned spirits later the group concealed by a spirit and lead by a watcher make their way to the gang boss, Dimitri. Dimitri is a tall Ameridian complete with mohawk and warpaint. They found him hiding out in “Igor’s Military Surplus and Costumes”. The entire front of the shop now missing.

Wanting the battle over and being a bit over gunned Dimitri ask BlackJack if his mojo could take care of things and that he should go into the back and check on Igor. Victor and Richard realizing that this was all caused by them and the borrowed motorcycles went to work trying to get everyone out of the fire without dying.

Victor found a data port in the back office and went to work checking on what was going on and determining what he could do to help. Richard pulled out his control rig and went to work trying to find and isolate the Ares drones he knew would be in the area assisting the strike force the gang was fighting. BlackJack commanded his summoned Air Spirit to guard the entrance and made his way to the back discovering that Igor seriously injured and senile had locked himself into his own weapons vault.

Victor bypassed the vault security and popped it open for BlackJack. He then pulled up all the camera feeds of the shop. Following that he reached out to a buddy back in Ares Corp Security to try and bring this bloodbath to a close without anyone else dying. Richard meanwhile found a drone he could use and using security codes from Ares (these guys really should update their stuff when going after their own) and took over a hunter drone. After giving it some quick instructions he made is way into the back where he found BlackJack healing the shop owner. Once he was done he looked a little tired and pointed to a rocket launcher hanging from the vault wall and then pointed at the dwarven Rigger who got a big grin on his face. “Yeah, I can put that to good use.”

Outside the battle between the corp and the gang continued. Victor quickly learned that additional forced had been called in which means the gang was holding their own against this small strike team which was pretty respectable, but they had been hit pretty hard their numbers having already dwindled while the whole strike team was still active. Richard began setting up and configuring the rocket launcher.

Victor gaining his supervisors access to the Ares Security Node quickly when to work pulling the active documents on the current recovery missions in progress. Finding one strike team here and another at the warehouse the group started in. He quickly sent both groups commands that the group had successful dispatched the two runaway security employees and to return to base. Both groups moments later begin to strategically withdrawal. He then goes to work building up a camera data to support their demise. BlackJack discretely stepped out of the back of the shop into a closed off rear alley and began another summoning incantation, putting a great deal of need into his beaconing of a street spirit and gave it a simple instruction and quickly went back inside hoping he wasn’t going to miss the show.

Richard moved into position and locked the rocket launcher into targeting status on the ares strike force van. Unlucky for him three of the team members noticed him and his big weapon and began shooting him causing him to take cover. The remaining living gang members got pulled back and dove for cover in the little shop as well. They seem to have all lost their nerve as their buddies had lost their lives.

BlackJack, as cool as a cucumber, made his way back to the front of the store and plopped down next to the Dimitri as if it was a vacation day. Building a little confidence in his other gang members they quickly began providing cover fire so Richard could get his shot off. A knowing smile on BlackJack’s tired face.

The ares rigger tries to peel out even without all his team members in the van as Richard steps forward and fires. The distinctive sound of a personal anti-vehicle weapon launch is heard by all follow by the more common sound of an explosion followed by many small explosions kind of like the aftershocks following an earthquake. The rigger van did move forward with much haste, but only for a few feet before having an “accident” as both of it’s back tires explode having “ran over something”. Now all that remains is a crater and metal shards, some blood, gore, metahuman parts, fire, lots of things on fire. The remaining strike force is either dead, on fire, or begins running away from the scene.

Normally the fleeing survivors would be the lucky ones, but not this day. Blackjack’s eyes take on a distant unfocused look as a shimmer, similar to the air waving above a candle’s flame, appears just outside the threshold of the shop. He blinks and the shimmer fades away. Off in the distance a local looking out the window sees the two fleeing corp goons suddenly stop and being making the telling signs of a person being choked. They eventually collapse their skin visible through their helmets is a grayish blue tint.

Victor at that moment decides two more Ares employees have officially died. He clears out the announcement of their death at the hand of one team and makes it obvious that the team now struck down by a well placed rocket had dispatched their target before falling to some unhappy locals.

Dimitri, Blackjack, Richard, Victor, and the remaining living gang members disappear into the shadows taking their dead with them. Something they don’t always get to do. Picking up Richard’s one surviving gift from the corp that just tried to kill him, a hunter drone. They pack into his van and head off.

Eventually Victor, Richard, and Richard’s Sister get blindfolded and find themselves locked in a sparse room that appears to be underground. The room has a single bathroom and looks like a crude tarp has been setup blocking one of the three beds from the other two to give the female among them some privacy. A single plastic daisy colors the room. Dimitri lets them know that they would need to prove themselves and that they would stay in this room until preparations and discussions had been had within the DRM gang.

BlackJack wakes up to the sound of motorcycle engines fading away. His head is bounding as if the troll he had been doing shots with last night had sat on it. Not really remembering what all happened to him the evening before he lays still making a mental check of his body and discovers all his gear is intact including his medicine. He quickly pops the liquor flask out of his pocket and takes a heavy drink. Several minutes later he starts to feel better. Opening his eyes again he finds himself in the back of a stripped out van. Across from him is a semi-attractive blond dressed like she is out for a night on the town, a concert, or a rave. Her outfit says street, but he knows instantly that she is faking it. The clothes have the fabricated street grim all over them. The woman appears unconscious and is bound to the side of the van. Hearing movement from outside he slips out of the back.

Victor starts searching through their new “home” and discovers an old, unused, and in need of repair warehouse. Inside the warehouse is a single office structure in one corner. It has two rooms and a bathroom. Gang graffiti is all over the walls, but it has power and water so at least they have that. He starts making his way back to the van and Richard to discuss what they will do next.

Richard has been getting reacquainted with his baby as only a rigger can. Within seconds he realizes that the van has seen some action in his absents. Poorly patched bullet holes are his first clue. The fact that the starter has been completely bypassed is his second. Overall though it seems to be in remarkable shape. Deciding he should be the soul owner once more he went to work rebuilding the starter and customizing it so only he could get her to start. Finishing that up in record time he her a faint sound coming from the back of the van and moved to investigate.

BlackJack looks around to get his bearings and notices quickly that some of the graffiti marks the warehouse as under his gangs protection and breathes a little easier until he find himself looking down at a dwarf as human walks up behind him. Neither seem to be pointing a gun at him or anything so he doesn’t react by drawing his one. He kind of remembers hearing something about the ganging helping out a couple of corp types break free of their bondage. He quickly gets straight to work welcoming them and asking about the girl tied up in back. Seeing the two of them still in corp wear and discovering they are carrying corp weapons he rises up into a panic and makes arrangements with Daisy to get them some new clothes. Discovering that they have been in the warehouse for a few hours he immediately demands the hit the road until Daisy can meet up with them and they can burn or trash their existing clothes.

They drive around a bit and discover security forces at the warehouse they had previously been in. The warehouse also appears to be on fire. They keep moving and eventually meet up with Daisy who gives them some nondescript cloths and even scans them for bugs. “You can never be to careful chummers, it can keep you alive.” Having new clothes and feeling a little better after doing some work on their weapons and gear so it no longer can be traced they head back into the van. Blackjack checks in with the boss to find out what to do with the former-wageslaves and finds some disturbing news that the gang is in a furious fight with Ares Corp. The group heads that direction.

Especially when your family rejects you because you where born a troll and they couldn’t handle it. Tossing you out into gang territory because they are ashamed. Growing up with Orcs and squatters, finding yourself in gang territory, becoming a sport to the halloweeners who decided your the largest moving piñata they have ever had the pleasure of taking sticks too. Yes, you could say growing up as a troll is just plain hard.

He stumbled and dragged himself into an alley and fell flat into the feet of an orc talking to his buddies. The group took pity on him and saw him as a great resource of muscle for his gang. They had no idea what a potent resource and friend he was going to be. The gang had an elderly mage that discovered the troll had an innate magical ability. What he called weak magical ability was really a physical adept.

He found a free dojo in the community and began training with a master adept. Still avoiding the Halloweeners he found a game shop/arcade he enjoyed and met up with a corporate kid who was feeling his oats living it large “in the barrens”. They discovered they both enjoyed the latest sim game and a friendship of an odd couple variety was born.

He found a family in the DRM. They take care of their own and within a year he was an invested member. Looking out for their turf, but he still owes the Halloweeners payback. He has been squatting and looking after the dojo while the master travels. He has heard of Shadowrunners and has ideas of becoming one of them.

An Ace Ares Human Computer Technician and Software Developer named Victor Sterling:

It is said that corporations are one big family that takes care of their own. This is most especially true with said new youth are discovered for having a knack at discovering and pointing out all the flaws in security software at the early age of 7. Our young decker completely reworked his newest birthday present from an animated interactive toy corporate security guard into an ultimate voice activated maglock release system. A feat only discovered when the school realized that all of their pastries had been “removed” from the locked cupboard and distributed to all the children who had been disciplined and would have otherwise gone without that day including himself.

He was put on the fast track after that and went to an advanced class where he learned to be a hardware and software engineer. Occasionally his job would allow him “unwarranted” access to private corporate communications between the higher ups he help service from his cyberterminal in his office. He slowly starting putting together that his loving corporate family wasn’t nearly as generous or caring as all the slogans and PR had led him to believe. Bringing any of this to his family only brought scorn and trouble so he begin keeping it to himself and so that he could continue to do his own research he began collecting spare parts from the terminals he serviced and began building what Shadowrunners call a Cyberdeck so he could hack the corporate network undetected when not on duty. It also helped him work around paying for most of his food, video sims, as he went about researching his company he begun thinking he should bail before things got worse. Anything had to be better than Ares Big brother watching always over his shoulder and he thought for sure the longer he stayed the more likely they would catch him working the system from inside.

Growing up as the dwarven son of two uppity ups within Ares Corp had its perks. Going to the finest corporate education facilities, discovering a talent for tinkering with and controlling the finest remote weaponry tech available within RD was huge. As a corporate security rigger he had seen the worst side of his corporation. He has seen all the latest tech being used against men and women some innocent and some not innocent. His contract solidly prohibiting him from reporting it to anyone. The corp was slowly eating away at his soul. He began taking evening trips outside of the corp domain and scurting the border of the barons visiting may bars, clubs, and shops looking for escape. At one of these shops he met a rather large troll ganger. The two stuck up a conversation on the latest hot sim game and insteantly became friends. So much so that when the your corporate type made a faux pas insulting another of the trolls gang friends he stood up for his new Dwarven friend and a bond continued to form from that day on that would change his life forever.

One day while chasing after some Shadowrunners trying to escape after an illegal visit on corp property, his Ares van riveted with bullet and nearly getting himself killed, he had an epiphany. A van similar destroyed by the runners as a diversion. He would report it as his own and let the runners escape or be picked up by other security forces. He reached out to the only friend he had in the area or outside the corp for that matter and made a deal with the DRM Gang that if they would store his van and take care of it they could use it for gang business. The gang leaders leap at this. Already having concocting plans of their own. The gang was all to excited to assist him in making it look legit by beating him up and putting him very close to flames of their warehouse camp fire.

The young dwarf hobbled to an Ares checkpoint and was picked up by other members of their security force and after an extensive debriefing and a visit to the “crash site” the entire event was put into his personnel file and he was given a warning to be more careful with corporate assets in the future. After a week of unpaid leave, medical visits for wounds, and several security and physiological evaluations he was returned to working status, but found himself demoted and in charge of minor elevator work which all the more encouraged his continued planning and daydreaming about his great escape from this “corp prison” with his family. Little did he know that another individual and classmate growing up was also having similar thoughts.