ic Codus Immortus: Icy Juice

[Tiffany Korta]

 

Zhenshchina-voin

"It's safe to assume that Zui will quickly know that we've arrived." she looked at the others before adding "And that would have happened however we had chosen to arrive." it hadn't been there best arrival, but it could have gone much, much worse.

 

"We really need to get the drop on him, if we even can that is, so we need all the help that we can. The guy always think ten step ahead so lets if we can go for an option that he couldn't imagine."

 

She had never met Dr Zui but had read everything she could over the years, one of the advantages of working for the Ministry was a very extensive library on such threats.

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Zui, hmmm? I can see that's a problem. You know he signed the Codus, I presume?" murmured Sonny. He was anxious, but this was an interesting problem, and one that absorbed him. 

 

"Not that it protects him. I know Murk thinks most poorly of him. And I would imagine Zui is not fond of Murk. But the Codus is the Codus. No killing, no torment, no violence in the Club" he said, reiterating the three primary rules of the Codus that were second nature to him. 

 

"You have to understand this causes a particular problem in Hong Kong. If the Chinese authorities got hold of him, he would most likely be exoctured or tormented. No doubt why he signed the thing. The issue of how far we go to protect him is something of a grey area..."

 

He shook himself. 

 

"But I am not entirely sure Zui is in Hong Kong right now. One never knows exactly where he is. But on the other hand, if anything is being smuggled in or our of Hong Kong, I would bet that it is via the Docks. Zui has quite a stranglehold on the docks, and I know at least a couple of smugglers that work directly for him..."

[Exaccus]

it was a complicated problem all in all but perhaps they were thinking about it in a way that made it complicated, he'd found that sometimes a problem needed to be turned over and rotated a little to find the simple answers it required.

 

"What about that green bug lookin guy that Y'ddren mentioned? Some kinda lieutenant who'd know whats going on but doesn't enjoy Zui's intelligence or the protection of being on the clubs ground." he'd seen some films about the triads and such, they were huge and whilst only the boss knew everything, everyone knew something "Maybe leaning on them we can piece something together?" he offered "though i imagine it won't be easy as such...it sounds like it'd be easier than trying to put the squeeze on Zui."

[Avenger Assembled]

Dimitri gave this some thought. Given the choice, he'd have preferred to turn Dr. Sin over to the Chinese government for an execution - preferably a slow one. But knowing Sin and knowing his reach, he knew that turning the man over would likely not result in anything as smooth as an execution - but more likely an attempt by the Chinese government to coopt his organization, with dire results. 

 

"Easiest task is to bring Zui to us," he suggested. "Strike at smuggling operation, or at insect fellow big man suggests." He made a little gesture Dreadnought's way. "Either someone talks, and we gain, or someone talks to boss, and we bring him in our direction. He will have to handle problem himself, bringing in outside consultants would only attract unseemly attention to his labors here. We are a trouble but the Chinese government gaining an in on his operations; that is death." 

Striking a match against his palm, Frost studied the flame and said, "I suggest we look on docks for insect fellow and bring him to heel." 

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Green bug?"

 

Sonny's eyes lit up and a crooked smile hit his lips. 

 

"Yeah I heard of him. Zui's star alchemist. Dabbles in everything chemical from ancient sorcery to cutting edge carbon fibres. They call him the Sting. Ambitious fellow, from what I gather. He dances a thin line with Zui. Useful, but ambitious. I guess that's a complicated relationship. Zui likes his henchmen competent but not too competent, if you follow me..."

 

"But he is dangerous. And so are you, I guess..."

 

And thusly and hence and so it was...

 

That after some unpleasant trawling through Hong Kong Traffic, and now early evening, the truck pulled up outside the Docks. They never slept, but the activity was on the wane as the furious activity of the main day ebbed away. 

 

Sonny had been making phone calls and had identified the most likely ship - Pink Octopus, and the most likely warehouse 33, that Zui - or the Sting - or both, where operating from. There was no garuantee's in ths line of inquiry (despite Sonny's impressive skills in navigating through the gossip of Hong Kong), for Zui was notoriously cunning with webs of deception, and it seemed that the Sting was no fool either. 

 

 

 

 

[Tiffany Korta]

 

Zhenshchina-voin

Hong Kong was a strange place a mix of East and West that reminded Klara of her own origins, and how she'd thrown herself into a world she didn't understand. All she had to go on was the many and extensive Ministry briefings that she'd read during her time working there.

 

"If they're working with the local Snakeheads we could be in for a bit of a fight, there vicious buggers and they're bound to have local meta help." she looked at their various choices before adding

 

"If we just charge in and try to strongarm them they're bound to hold us off whilst who we want sneaks away, I suggest we try something a little more delicate in nature."

[Exaccus]

"Oh? Im not one fer delicate touches myself, but if it can be avoided, diplomatic incidents are best kept ta a bare minimum i'd say, whatcha got in mind klara?" his brain was still weighed down by thoughts that fell on him like lead balloons but his curiosity was peaked, enough that he put down the box of instand noodles he'd been investigating (Chicken flavour, he reckoned.) and sat up a little bit more to pay some attention.

 

"I'm up for it regardless though, that said, I'd appreciate a bit of spice in my life right about nows."

[Avenger Assembled]

"An excellent idea," said Frost. He looked at his two companions, doing the math in his head. "Well if we're doing огромный монстр, I am the smallest one of us which I suppose makes me the damsel in distress. So I run at the gates, shrieking like a woman about how the gigantic monsters have come for our souls, and while they are dealing with the madness I slip behind them and strike from the rear - but that may be too involved. What was your plan, Voin Zhenschina?"

[Tiffany Korta]

 

Zhenshchina-voin

Klara thought for a few moments before glancing up at the roof of the warehouse, an idea of a plan forming as she did.

 

"How about be do this as a classic distraction? I can get up onto the roof and find a skylight or something to peek in as the two of you run the distraction." she sighed a little before adding

 

"I guess no one thought to bring comms of any kind, and Mr Murk isn't exactly one for cutting-edge technology. We'll just have to wing it like we did back in the old days!"

 

She managed a weak smile not looking forward to the prospect when dealing with someone as savvy as Doctor Zui.

[Exaccus]

"Ah now, that is a classic and i have found myself to be very distracting in the way only a gentleman juggernaut like me can be." Eyebrows a wiggling to emphasize his euphermism

 

"But aye, my vanguard comm musta aged to dust over 10,000 years of sleepin so ill keep an aye out for yas, speakin of which, d'ya need a boost ta get to the roof?" He offers along with a dinnerplate sized hand

 

 

[Supercape]

GM

 

And thus!

 

The Truck had pulled up outside Warehouse 33 - and the Pink Octopus was maybe two hundred feet away, bobbing gently in the waters of Hong Kong Harbour. 

 

"Distraction, Intrusion, and a very big fist if its needed" concluded Sonny, nodding at the plan. "As for me? If you need any ancient sumerian texts deciphered, or suddenly need an interpreter of Welsh, then I am happy to oblige. As both of these scenarios are rather unlikely, I will be sitting behind the big guy..." he explained, nodding at Dreadnought. 

 

"Just try and make sure nobody gets killed, please!" he added more hopefully. 

[Tiffany Korta]

Zhenshchina-voin

Klara held up her arm on which she wore a rather plain looking vambrace, except gem that glowed and sparkled as if lit with an internal light.

 

"Thanks but these allow me to fly if needed, but as we don't want to be seen I think I use them to teleport instead."

 

With a dept of experience, she reckoned that there was just about the right about of distance to get her to the edge of where she needed to be, without making to much of a show about it.

 

"I guess I'm ready when you are, I'll go when they're distracted by running man over there."

[Avenger Assembled]

And so it was that soon a blue-white man in his boxer shorts was running towards the warehouse doors and screaming at the top of his lungs - an ample volume indeed, given that he could give all his lung power to the shout and nothing for breath. "Halp! Halp!" Comrade Frost was a man more than willing to discard his own dignity if it helped save the day; after all, how could you sacrifice what you had never really had. "Is Satan himself after me!" he called, pounding on the warehouse doors with strength perhaps greater than his thin frame allowed for. He hammered on the door for a while, then turned to run for the boat. "He says he will grind my bones to make him bread!" 

[Exaccus]

There was something noble about it to be honest, willingly sacrificing your own sense of dignity for the good of others it was a trait he wasn't sure he himself had, so with a newfound respect for comrade frost as he looked away from him stripping he instead focused on sunny.

 

"hey bud, if things go south, you and ya friend in the truck best scatter, maybe make for the club and get ready to bail us out, from the sounds of this guy he'll honour his agreement to the codus by letting the authorities take care of us so as not to bring harm or death to us by his hand or any he controls." he reasoned as he heared comrade frost begining to bellow about grinding bones to make bread.

 

"Thats my cue, iff'n you'll be excusing me." giving a polite nod of his head to sunny and klara he lumbered thunderously forth, exageratedly stomping his heavy boots into the concrete of the docks and leaving deep, crisp imprints in the surface like footsteps in the snow.

 

Channeling his frustrations with his condition and how undersized the world was for him he let loose a sincere bellow of anger as he crashed bodily through anything not important enough to the docks continued functioning like it were naught but a particularly crunchy bank of fog.

 

Now for his part to convince them their interests were in danger from his rage-blind rampage through the docks.

 

stooping to rip a mooring post from the ground he hefted it over his head and with a twist of his frame and a flick of his wrist sent it whistling through the air, missing comrade frost by a wide margine and hitting the water near the pink octopus like a cannonball

 

"Stand still so i can smash you into jelly!" he boomed, lashing out at one of the nearby freight containers just lightly enough to leave an imprint in the doors and slide it with a terrible screech of metal on concrete a few feet back.

 

 

[Tiffany Korta]

Zhenshchina-voin

After waiting a few moments to make sure there attention was elsewhere Klara made one the last check on the distance, the keen eye she'd developed over several decades of practice. Before she left she turned towards Sonny to add.

 

"Like Dreadnought said if trouble starts, and it probably will don't wait for us if it looks bads. Myself and Dimitri have gotten out of tighter spots before, and the kid looks to be on the tough side."

 

With a finally reassuring smile, she raised her vanguards above her head and struck them together and with a flash of multicoloured light she was transported to the roof of the warehouse.

[Supercape]

GM

 

The theatre was, of course, most dramatic and most effective. The thugs outside the warehouse, greasy haired broken nosed scarred and mean, did naturally take several seconds to take in the spectacular nature of the play, but once they realised that the events, whilst implausible, were actually not only possible but happening, action was taken. 

 

Which meant running inside the warehouse. 

 

"<Don't lead him here!>" shouted one more astute thug in Cantonese. 

 

On the roof of the ware house, Voin has a good view of the action, and also several chimneys, hatches, and even a grimy skylight that she could work with. THe skylight was, it must be said, stained with purple and green and smelt rather foul. It was hard to see through (and one would not wish to press nose to close to the glass) but she could see movement below...

[Tiffany Korta]

 

Zhenshchina-voin

Klara took a moment to admire Dimitri commitment to the bluff, whilst she'd never underestimated the man in a minute it was somehow comforting that he could still surprise. With a smile still on her face, she made her way further onto the roof looking for a handy skylight.

 

It wasn't particularly nice but it would have to do, and she'd been in worse places during the war anyhow. She could at least see the floor of the warehouse if needed and if she was lucky then the action would happen right below her. She even gently tried to clean the glass a little to get a better view, there wasn't much she do right now until things started happening.

[Avenger Assembled]

"Ohhhh!" Dimitri exclaimed, shaking his fists at the sky as he first ran for the boat, then around the warehouse with Dreadnaught in hot pursuit. "Father in Heaven and Buddha and all the saints, save me! I swear I never drink again! Damn witch's spells and also giant curses!" He pounded on the door again and shouted, this time in Japanese (never having bothered to learn the language of his one-time Chinese allies). "<Does anyone in there speak a civilized language? I will pay in gold and jewels if you open door!" When Dreadnought came lumbering close, he shrieked like a woman and plastered himself against the door. "You son of Devil!" Come on, see it, wait for it. "Good men inside door will not let monster like you kill good Christian man!" He held still, preparing himself for a blow he would never feel.

[Supercape]

GM

 

"<Get lost!>"

 

"<Beat it!>"

 

"<I'm Buddhist! Take your Christ elsewhere!>"

 

"<Shhh! Stop shouting! You'll draw attention!>"

 

Were a selection of the babble and cacophony behind the door. Aside from the voices, agitated foosteps and the muted sounds of firearms being pulled. Of what type of fire arm, there was another question. This was a smuggling dock. It could be anything from a peashooter to an illegal RPG. Possibly even a hybrid of both. 

 

Up above, Voin got a slightly better look of the figures. A dozen, maybe more figures backing away from the door and pointing weapons that side. Mainly firearms, from what she could tell, although quite possibly it was crowbars and machetes. 

 

Behind the dozen hired help was a tall thing figure with an angular silhouete. It was hard to say, through the old glass smudged with some livid green fungus, but he had a greener shade...

[Exaccus]

Trusting that the eccentric immortal had a plan, Dreadnought had very little hesitation that he covered with a bellowing roar before lowering his head spreading his arms and charging forth in a rugby tackle that could've felled a redwood.

 

It felt good in a strange way, he'd so often pulled back on his momentum when in motion, letting a little of it slip free was exhillerating as he felt the top of his unbreakable skull make contact with the briefest sensation of a solid object before it fully delivered the force of his charge

[Supercape]

GM

 

At that moment, as per cunning plan (most expertly executed), Frost turned to mist and Dreadnoughts fist plowed through into the door. 

 

It promply exploded back, in a cloud of dust, and with it, a fair few blocks of masonry. So extreme the power, the door whipped through the warehouse and cut a hole in the opposite side of the building a good several dozen feet away. 

 

The hired hands looked scared. This was because they were scared. 

 

And not a soul look upwards to the skylight, where Voin was perched. 

 

Inside the building, loaded and half loaded crates full of merchandice that smelled of smuggling. Knock off goods, arts, and, yes, weapons and drugs. 

 

The hired hands held guns that looked like dart pistols, carved into the shape of a wasp or seprent or some other venomous insect. Some carried clubs and irons. And behind them, a man in green shiny armour, not tall, very slender, his body half crouched to spring away. 

 

The Hornet!

 

"What are you doing? Why have you come?" he hissed in a low, surprisingly high-pitched voice...

[Exaccus]

Honestly dreadnought had not been expecting this exactly, he knew very little about frost and klara in truth, merely seen their signitures in the codex when mr murk had brought him up to speed on various goings on relating to the growth of the codus swallowing the urge to laugh in suprise he instead bit his lip to stifle his jovility.

 

"hrrrg hold still you overgrowth smurf....!" he boomed before the green armoured figure caught his eye "You what mate? you want some too cactus boy? i got plenty o' asswhuppin to go around fer you and yer backup dancers!  ill take you all on!" he roared as he smashed his way fully into  the warehouse proper

[Supercape]

GM

 

The Hornet replied with snide intelligence. "Cactus boy? I am neither a boy, nor a cactus" he said in fluent English with a Cantonese accent. The astute would judge it affected; the Hornet, whatever else he might be, was molded from pure cunning, from refined brains. 

 

"You are Dreadnought..English...Vanguard...yes, I know you. I know everyone I might meet" he said, taking a few steps back. But not in fear. No, in prudence. Tactical prudence. 

 

"Why are you here? This is private property, and the English have no jurisdiction here..." he pointed to the cameras on the ceilings, which had been lamentably out of view of the Skylight. 

 

"I just filmed you breaking and entering, I think..."

[Tiffany Korta]

 

Zhenshchina-voin

Far above the action Klara had a great view of everything going on though apparently not everything as the sudden appearance of Hornet showed. She'd tried to keep up with every hero known to the Ministry but there were so many it was almost impossible, new ones kept popping up every time you turned around. Plus he was probably trying to keep on the down low, working for a crime lord and all.

 

Right now she chose to stay put, soon it would be the time to strike but she'd choose the moment to catch them all out.

[Exaccus]

Rumbled Dreadnought thought to himself, this guy was obviously in the know and from his mannerisms rather quite pleased with himself, time for a bit of a change in direction to keep the overall plan in motion, playing into this spikey green dude's behaviours.

 

"Ahh...a thinkin' man, now that i can respect, clearly you're in charge of this operation....and not my target." he added, relaxing his posture from the agitated and tensed muscles to a more loose and relaxed approach.

 

"T' be totally honest with ya, its too hot for this monkey business for me, i'd much rather have a civil conversation, as you know i've got no jurisdiction and even less interest in whatever's going down in the Chinese underworld and know enough that its not gonna change any time soon, So tell ya what, tell ya guys to put their pea shooters down and lets you and me go talk this over, can't risk being overheard now, can we?"