Re: A Wrench in the Gears

by **Claymore** Tue Apr 28, 2009 4:13 am

Ian raised his eyebrows and looked at Erwin when you two suddenly started getting along. At that point, Erwin looked to Gwen and tapped her on the arm, motioning toward Gauge and Penny that it was ok for her to show her hand next. "The Wrench Monkeys don't have squat. Enough arms to stage a respectable bank heist maybe. The AOA on the other hand, have been planning this long before Frost lit a fire under this city's ass. Come on."

She lead you to an area up against the wall that was sectioned off with a chainlink fence. Inside were several wooden crates. "Got a little worked up there before over Penny's bounty Gauge." She started carefully prying off the lid without braking it. But she wasn't using a crowbar. "So maybe you heard about the explosives that were stolen from an American/Iraq military compound back in 04. Just imagine what a tip on whoever was behind that might be worth. She kicked off the lid, revealing enough explosives to take down the entire parking deck, and that was just the first crate. Then she walked toward Gauge with her hands on her hips until she was inches from him. "Now that wouldn't concern you at all, would it?" This was her turn at sizing you up, but only for a moment. She went back to her display of the crates. "We've got enough Cold War relics and stolen shipments to the middle east to start an army of our own. Now we just need the army."

Erwin stepped in then. "We're not using all this up front though. Right now our greatest advantage is that the Invictus won't expect us to move so quickly. But it'll just be a matter of time before they call in reinforcements to retake Serenity. If we haven't tipped our hand by then, we can beat them back a second time, and that will get enough attention from other Carthian-oppressed cities to make a third wave from the Invictus too difficult. Figures, the Isolationists would be the ones unifying the Covenant on a national scale.

by **Penny Dreadful** Mon Apr 27, 2009 5:35 pm

"I can probably get us some then, it's just that my sources aren't in town. It would have been much quicker and easier if someone knew how to get their hands on the stuff in town. It doesn't even have to be legit, if there's a shipment of the stuff coming in by truck or by boat we can steal it. "

"I've never worked with nitrous oxide, but I know it's not very stable. It's very volatile, sensitive to heat and friction. I don't know if we'll be able to use it with the tanker either. Most tankers are made out of aluminium, and nitrous oxide can ignite from friction with aluminium, which would mean transportation is very risky. And we'd likely need more than just a little bit of it."

She turned to Harper when Gauge asked about what explosives they actually had. "You know, that's a fair question. What have you got? I assume it's not a huge amount where you'd have to make each explosion count, since we were talking about blowing supports earlier."

"About that fertilizer though, we should ask these people with the AOA too if they can get us some. If not I can make some calls, but I don't know how quick I can get it."

by **Jedi_Master_007** Mon Apr 27, 2009 3:35 pm

I watched Penny and folded my arms while she spoke intelligently for the first time all night. "What about a few tanks of NOS? Getting all of that fertilizer is going to be really tough. I know a pig farmer, but that's about it. He won't help though. It would draw too much attention to himself." I looked around, ignoring Ian like he wasn't there. "I see you've got weapons of all kinds here. What about explosives? What have you actually got?" I picked up an AK-47 and checked the magazine. I put it back where I got it from and then stopped on the Benelli M1. I picked up the shotgun, slowly eyeing Gwen, the one standing closest now, from the corner of my eye.

This gun I didn't put down. Instead I started loading it with shells from a box sitting on top of a nice neat stack of matching boxes. "I still have yet to hear who any of you are and what you bring to the table. I'm guessing you're Gwen though." I upnodded Gwen, who was still closest. "I'm guessing that you're Gwen because you're the one next to all of the weapons I see here. Should that be the case, you're the one I'm here to see in the first place.. I rachetted the last shell into the barrel of the shotgun and then loaded on more shell into it. Slinging the shotgun over my shoulder, I stopped and picked up a micro uzi machine pistol. I looked at Gwen, and then back at the small automatic pistol. "I like this. It's small and fast."

by **Penny Dreadful** Mon Apr 27, 2009 2:58 pm

"I don't care if we want to scrap the daytime plan. The simpler we keep it the better, really. But gasoline doesn't have much explosive power on its own, or at least not enough to do the kind of damage we want to do. Plus you'd have to get the entire tanker inside the building before you blow it, or else it'll just blow a hole in the sidewalk but leave the building mostly intact.

Now what we could do instead, is take the gasoline in the tanker and drain it, but save it. Then, line one side of the inside of the tanker with bags of cement, or something similar with high density. Then put the gasoline back in and mix it with ammonium nitrate. It's a common enough fertilizer, and the mixture is stable enough that it won't blow on us if we hit a pothole or something. We park the truck parallel to the building, with the cement side facing away from it. The cement will direct the blast towards the building when we detonate it. Might take out half the block, but that's ok by me unless you care about damage to the surrounding area.

Only trouble is ammonium nitrate is kind of hard to come by in large quantities ever since the oklahoma city bombing. You have to put your name on a list and they run checks on you and stuff. But maybe you guys got contacts that can get us like 100 sacks or so?"

by **Claymore** Mon Apr 27, 2009 4:59 am

Sophie didn't appreciate being manhandled, it was written all over her face. But she stayed quited for the moment. Faust was just grinning, more at the reaction on Harper's face than anything. The guy looked like you just punched him. "I don't know if I like you, or if I should lay you out. But everyone here thinks they're this city's badass or lone wolf or cowboy or whatever the hell else that amounts to shit if they can't work in a team, and somehow I'm suppose to perform miracles by managing you people when Erwin's not around to simply pound you're bloody face in.

I know your type. Flashing a hot girl who's as easy to ride as a tricycle, and a car that from the smell of it, hasn't even been paid off yet. The only reason you're even standing here is you were recommended by a high-ranking lapdog.

But I'll tell you what, Penny here hasn't gone through our little initiation phase yet, and you need a chance to back up that claim. I think this is a match made in heaven!" He spread his amrs and looked up at the cieling with that last note, and more than a hint of sarcasm. "Go get your truck, and take Penny with you to rig it up. If both your throats are in tact when you get back, then maybe we can come to some arrangement."

by **Jedi_Master_007** Mon Apr 27, 2009 4:27 am

"Who the fuck am I? Who the fuck am I? Asshole who the fuck are you? I don't know where the fuck all you have been but I've been stockpiling. Motherfucker I done fucked up Celeste, whatever her name is twice now. And when I can figure out where he stays I'm putting two behind the Sheriff's ear." I rolled my shoulders in my coat looking pissed.

I took Sophie's arm and dragged her two steps forward so she wasn't behind me. "Quit acting like a bitch. There ain't nothin' here for you to worry about." I turned my attention back to the plan. "I'm Gauge. I'm this city's resident badass. Everyone's gonna know it when I'm done, and I'm good enough to make it happen. Don't believe me? Watch while I poke a huge hole in your plan with the Elysium and witness how I fix it." I smiled dickheadishly and moved to the map. I pointed right at the intersection corner.

"You're making this shit too complicated on yourselves. You're acting like you care whether or not anyone knows you did this, and like trying and fucking up means you'll get a lesser punishment. Fuck that shit. Go all out. If you're gonna fight and are serious about hitting somebody where it hurts then you need to quit thinking like a pissant pussy who plays by the rules." I turned to Ian and looked at him seriously while I drummed my finger on the Elysium. "Start thinking play station. Let's blow this shit up. Let's drive a tanker truck right through the front door, set a charge or two on it, and remote detonate." I smiled darkly. I already have the tanker truck, thanks, yanno, to my capitalistic ways." I glanced at Penny as I made my snide comment, slapping my side pocket where I had restashed my bills.

by **Claymore** Mon Apr 27, 2009 1:27 am

When Gauge made not so subtle a point about listing off his resume, Erwin put Gwen on hold for a minute to turn and listen in. Once things started getting heated though, Ian stepped between you two as if braking up a schoolyard fight.

"Alright, everyone knows I've got the biggest dick in this room, so you two can just settle down. Penny, stop posturing for someone you don't know and who's opinion you can't possibly give a shit about. Then he turned to Gauge. "You..., he glanced at Sophie, obviously recognizing her, and gave you a funny look as if changing his mind on whatever quip he had in mind for you. "I don't know you either. Who are you, and why should we care?" He crossed his arms waiting for you to speak your peace. Sophie started pacing behind you. She barley had anyone look her direction since you two came in, and was clearly feeling a little unwelcome.

by **Penny Dreadful** Fri Apr 24, 2009 3:15 pm

"Smarter than me? You just proved that I've got good reason to be concerned without me even having to say anything. You think a wad of dough means I got to respect you? Sounds to me like you're trying to join the wrong club, the Invictus is that way." She jerked a thumb over her shoulder.

"From what I hear, with the Carthians respect comes from what you do, not what you say you're gonna do or how much money you got. Now I proved that I follow through on shit before I even joined this crew. I coulda gone like my brother and made a comfy living for myself talking bullshit all day without anything ever changing. But I didn't. I decided that if I wanted to be honest and stay real with people I was gonna have to do more than talk."

"Now I'm not gonna judge a book by its cover. But ", she turned to her Sire and Harper, "I need to know what's what. I'm not gonna tear down a fascist and put a Stalinist in his place, and I'm not trying to tear down the system and have anarchy, cause next week the fascists are gonna be back in business, and stronger than before. If we're not trying to build a government by the people, for the people, then I think you need to show me the door."

by **Jedi_Master_007** Fri Apr 24, 2009 12:19 pm

I couldn't help but look impressed when I saw this place. It was like the kind of place I always wanted myself. If ever there was a time for me to be envious, this was that time. Happy to accept the fact that for once, I was outclassed I simply followed the tour. Of course, when Penny started staring me down, that's when I made my stand.

"Fuck you bitch." I called her out the moment she scoffed my Ferrari. "You get a bounty for a quarter mil on your head for blowing up a building nobody cared about and you get to look down on me? Fuck you. That shit ain't respect. This is respect." I withdrew my roll of wadded up cash and waved it in her face. I quickly turned to the others. "I got mad props for what you got goin' on here. This is an awesome setup, better then mine. I been in town better part of a year, and I have a setup similar to this, but much smaller. I built my own connections - remember, I found you, you didn't find me. I'm sorry for blowing up like that but I am not going to let this communist cunt stare me down because I am smarter then her."

by **Penny Dreadful** Thu Apr 23, 2009 5:39 pm

Penny looked over at the newcomer with the flashy car and the bimbo hanging off his arm. She'd had some slight misgivings when the recruitment team looked like extras off 'The Lost Boys', rather than freedom fighters, and this did nothing to alleviate her concerns. She hoped this guy had some skills and the necessary ideology, or else this revolution was likely going nowhere fast.

Getting a closer look, and noticing the car was a Ferrari, the skeptical look on her face became more pronounced. She sincerely hoped that driving up in the a car that flaunted the millions the bourgeoisie made exploiting the working class, with a chick that looked like she just got done doing a 'Girls Gone Wild' scene, wasn't all it took to get taken on here. She wondered privately if the real reason she'd been recruited might not be because she'd look good on the back of a motorbike.

by **Claymore** Thu Apr 23, 2009 4:24 am

Penny, you and Harper spent a little more time hammering out a way to take down the symbol of Invictus oppression. Getting inside the building would be no trouble. But setting up what you needed to without getting tagged by security was another matter. Daytime was your best bet. But even then, the security guards are highly trained Ghouls, and may be able to put up a fight or get word out to your potential targets before the charges are set to blow. The idea will take a little more thought. Though he did suggest that scoping the place out for yourself couldn't hurt.

However, in comes someone else who might have a few thoughts. Gauge, a Carthian you haven't met yet, was announced ahead by Primogen Welder. On it's own, Welder doesn't actually have enough status in his own Covenant to get someone invited to this shop. The sexy girl and even sexier Ferrari though, was enough for them to at least see what his deal was and open the door.

Gague, on the way there, Diesel phoned you back saying he could get his hands on enough arms for a few people. Some of it from the armory, and most of it from the evidence room. However red flags would go up if the stuff wasn't returned soon after. He also mentioned though, that at the police raid at the train station that you suspected involved Ghoul, they stopped a huge shipment of illegal arms and were still in the process of inventorying everything.

When you got to the address the Primogen had given you, you found out that the Wrench Monkeys apparently had the entire sub-level of a parking deck. It's main and possibly only access was the ramp you drove down on, set up on a hydraulic lift to hide all existence of this place. The place was massive. Classic rock from various stereos echoed off the cement walls and low cieling, and the air was thick with the smell of sawdust and ozone, that metallic smell that comes from arching electricity in motors. Smaller 'rooms' were sectioned off with an occasional plastic tarp hanging from the cieling or metal rods on wheels, or chain link fence mostly just meant to hang tools on. But for the most part the place was wide open.

Large tool boxes and cars that were being pulled apart or put back together were scattered all about. But it wasn't just an auto shop. There were areas designated for chemicals, explosives, and gadgets you'd never seen before that seemed custom for a very specific purpose. There were a few dozen people working down here, some Kindred, some Ghouls.

You were greeted by Erwin Faust, a guy who looked like a bodybuilder and dressed like a trucker. He had a cigar hanging out of his mouth, and gave you a firm handshake and ran you through the whole deal there. As he took you to the planning area of how to take down the Elysium with the maximum number of Invictus officials inside, you met up with Penny 'Dreadful', who was recently brought on as an explosives expert. She was talking with Ian Harper at the time, trying to figure out how to get inside the building and set charges without getting tagged by security. There, the AOA arms dealer Welder had told you about, Gwen Crane, had to pull Faust aside for a moment. Not out of earshot, just far enough away to have their own conversation for a minute. Sure enough, it involved an intercepted shipment of arms from a Russian dealer called Romaniv. It was one of several imports, so it wouldn't cripple their plans. But it was no small shipment, and would still be a major inconvenience to say the least.

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