Kaleb shifted his foot down on the clutch and braked as they got to a red light. Turning to Deckart he asked.
“Do you still have my rail pistol?”
Deckart laughed as he patted his right hip. “Yeah, sorry didn’t realize I had kept it.”
Kaleb shook his head as he laughed too. “It’s no problem. You can keep it, I’ve got three ranged weapons now.”
Robert spoke up from the back seat. “I saw the one on your hip. Did you built that yourself?”
Kaleb was quiet as he concentrated on shifting gears. When he got comfortable driving, he reached into his hip holster and handed it to Deckart. “Yes I did, but you two should check this out.”
Deckart grabbed the Cybar pistol and drew his own, aside from Kaleb’s pistol looking more beat up and worn, they were almost identical. Robert moved his face closer to the grate separating the front and back seat to see.
“Whoa! Did you buy a Cybar pistol?” Robert asked
“Ha! I haven’t bought weapons yet. I found that in Under-Town, had to do repairs and reshape it a little but it still works.” Kaleb explained.
Deckart raised an eyebrow as he asked his own question. “Under-Town?”
“You would like it, Deckart. It’s an underground city, seems to be a haven for clan-less and downtrodden aliens. Lots of NPC vendors, a few players too.”
“You have got to tell me where that is.” Deckart said sounding excited.
“Ha! I intend to. Same rules apply though, Deckart. If you find a good lead, tell me.” Kaleb laughed.
Robert was still studying Kaleb’s pistol when he asked. “What kinds of things can you buy?”
Kaleb shrugged. “I don’t know, I got the pistol from a vendor who was selling K-tech salvage.”
“Magical books or anything like that?” Robert asked.
Kaleb shot the younger man a curious look as Deckart snorted in laughter.
“Robert is regretting being talked into choosing Mundane. Thinks he can give himself Magic.” Deckart said sounding doubtful.
Kaleb though just nodded, “He probably can. It least I think so.”
“Why do you say that?” Robert asked hurriedly.
Kaleb turned his car onto a new street as he answered. “I am not sure about Magic, but I think we can at least become mutants. According to Dr. Kane’s research both Deckart and myself are genetic blank slates ready to accept any mutation.”
Deckart gave a grunt of surprise. “That is interesting, but what makes you think it's the same with magic?”
“It’s obvious, Uncle. There have to be people regretting choosing Mundane. So the developers give them an out.” Robert explained excitedly.
Kaleb nodded as he added. “Or Mundane’s are the Jacks of All. We can probably get mutations and magical powers but not to the level of people who choose it outright.”
Deckart nodded as he fell silent. He realized he was still holding Kaleb’s Cybar pistol, so he handed it back. Kaleb waited for a lull while driving before taking his pistol and quickly holstering it. The three men fell silent as they all pondered the implications. Kaleb thought over the different powers and magical abilities he could give himself.
But I’ve made a big deal out of doing this as a Mundane. Kaleb thought to himself as he drove. But I can regrow my limbs; is that a Super Power? What if I made myself a better lizard? Having claws and a tail like Rokka would be awesome. What about Magic? Making my own health potions would be helpful. Is alchemy a Super Power?
Kaleb sighed as he turned onto the street with Diana Torero’s restaurant. He really couldn’t decide if he should give himself abilities. Plus, it probably wouldn’t be as simple as choosing a trait and transplanting it into himself. He also did not know what equipment he would need.
Kaleb parked his car across the street from La Fiamma Ardente. The restaurant was as ostentatious as its owner. A glamour of fire surrounded the bright blue neon sign with the restaurant's name. At least that's what Kaleb assumed as he set the parking brake and got out of his car. The front of the building had two large windows facing the street with the restaurant's name etched into them, in case people forgot where they were eating.
Kaleb was about to cross the street with Deckart when they both heard a knocking sound. Looking back, Deckart covered his mouth as he laughed. Robert was trying the back door of Kaleb’s car but the door would not move. Kaleb shook his head, remembering that Roy said the car was an old cop car, the back doors didn’t open from the inside. He let the boy out of the car and gave him an apologetic smile.
“Sorry.”
“It’s fine.” Robert smirked as he waved at the restaurant. “What’s the plan here?”
Kaleb looked at the restaurant for a few seconds before turning to Deckart and Robert. “I’ll go in first, Deckart you follow a few feet behind me, and Robert you stay out here. If shit goes sideways, you come in swinging.”
Deckart nodded as Robert frowned slightly. “I can do that. But, I only have a small dagger and some throwing knives I bought after the Man-Rat quest.”
Kaleb grimaced as he drew and handed his Cybar pistol to Robert. “Rat-man.”
Deckart sucked in a breath as Robert took the gun. “You sure about that, Professor? Robert here has the aim of a blind drunk man. Seriously, he would be lucky to hit water if he fell out of a boat.”
Kaleb froze for a second before Robert took the gun. Eventually he shrugged saying. “Eh, I’ll be in the restaurant. Don’t hit civilians and if you shoot me, it will piss me off. Also remember to give it back.”
Robert nodded, taking the gun as Kaleb walked to the front of the restaurant. The two large front doors opened as Kaleb approached. The smell of food and cigar smoke hit Kaleb’s nose as he moved into the building. He watched the Maitre D’ in a fancy black suit freeze up as he saw Kaleb. The middle-aged gentlemen stepped around his desk and stood in Kaleb’s path.
“Can I help you with something, sir?” The Maitre D’ asked as he swept his gaze over Kaleb.
Kaleb returned the smile as he easily sidestepped the host and kept walking. “No, thanks.”
Kaleb turned the corner into the restaurant floor as the man spluttered behind him. He heard the man collect himself enough to talk as he made his way to the back of the restaurant.
“Indutae.” Kaleb heard the Maitre D’ say behind him above the hum of conversation in the restaurant.
Kaleb’s felt his feet stick to the floor as for the second time today he was magical held in place. At least I’m not up in the air this time. Kaleb thought as he tried to move his legs. Looking around, he realized the Maitre D’ had stopped him in a way that wouldn’t disrupt the customers. Kaleb gave the Maitre D’ a toothy grin as an idea came to him.
Putting on his best texas twang Kaleb shouted. “What you mean ya’ll don‘t serve pigs' feet in here! What kind of self-respecting diner don’t serve some good old-fashioned farm animal?! Don’t tell me ya’ll got that damn faux meat, I aint having that shit in my state!”
Kaleb had succeeded in both shocking the Maitre D’ into releasing his spell and gaining the attention of the entire restaurant. So much so that no one noticed Deckart wander in to the restaurant and sit himself down at a table in front of the large front window. Kaleb winked at the Maitre D’ and turned to continue walking toward the back of the restaurant when he noticed Diana Torero standing in the doorway to the kitchen.
She looked livid. She wore a black blouse and jeans and had several metal bracelets on either arm. Kaleb couldn’t really tell which one could be her foci but then he noticed she also wore two necklaces. He stopped searching her for any weapons or foci and smiled wide.
“Diana! So good to see you.”
Diana looked like she was about to yell when she realized where she was. She plastered a fake smile on her face as she stared at Kaleb.
“Ah, my friend the lizard. I had not expected you so soon after our last conversation.”
“Really?” Kaleb asked searching her face.
Diana relaxed her posture and nodded and several guests as she approached. “Yes, I was making plans for when you came to call on me. Sad to say none of them are prepared yet.”
Kaleb couldn’t see any hint of a smugness in the restaurateur’s face. “Yes, well, my hand seems to have been forced. So I had to pay your quaint little diner a visit.”
Diana’s face hardened for a second as she continued to glad-hand patrons on her way toward Kaleb. Kaleb couldn’t decide if she was great at faking expressions or terrible. He had insulted her restaurant to see how well she hid her feelings. But, he really could not tell if she was faking.
“What could have forced you to darken my doorway?” Diana asked staring at him.
Kaleb shrugged his shoulders as he waved at an empty table near the front of the restaurant. It was almost the same table Deckart sat at; it was just to the left of the entrance instead of the right. Diana nodded at his unspoken invite as she spoke to a young couple sitting nearby. Kaleb brushed past the Maitre D’ on his way to the table.
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He glanced out the front window at Robert standing across the street. Robert was trying to hide the large bore pistol inside his gray hoodie as he sat on the hood of Kaleb’s car. Kaleb shook his head at his young lookout and sat at the table. He blinked in surprise at the lit candle in the center of his table. Without realizing it, he had chosen a small round table in the restaurant's corner. The atmosphere around the table was rather intimate and romantic.
Kaleb coughed awkwardly as Diana spoke quietly with the Maitre D’ before she sat down. They stared across the table at each other. Diana was back to looking stone-faced and angry now that her back was to the restaurant. She leaned forward slightly as she hissed.
“What are you doing here?”
Kaleb dove right in. “I came to figure out why you placed a bounty on my head and find my friend. Im starting to think you had nothing to do with either though.”
Diana's eyes widen at his accusation. “Why would I pay for someone to kill you? If I wanted you dead, I’d challenge you to a duel. It is best to stomp your enemies before a crowd so that others know what happens to those who besmirch the name of Torero.”
Kaleb could read nothing on the female restaurateurs face. She appeared to be telling the truth. “And my friend?”
Diana waved dismissively. “I have no idea about this friend of yours. Again, why would I go about things in such a roundabout way? We would fight before the Magical councils as it should be done.”
“And your new House would be ok with you fighting a lizard as an equal?” Kaleb asked.
“What new House?!” Diana hissed angrily. “I have not left the House of Giancarlo Torero! I tire of defending myself.”
Kaleb twisted his head in confusion. “But, your black flame.”
Diana sighed loudly. “This?” she asked as black flame engulfed her left hand. “You people should get your eyes checked. This is flame is blue, one of my recent boy toys taught it to me.”
“The one that works at the Blue Goblin?” Kaleb asked as wheels turned in his head.
Diana looked shocked as she asked. “How do you know that?” She shook her head before she continued. “No matter, yes. The young idiot works at that bastards, Derana, restaurant. I like poaching my playthings from his stable of studs. They are all more balls than brains.”
Kaleb looked over Diana’s jewelry. “What else did he give you?”
“Why?” Diana asked as she reached reflexively to the larger of her two necklaces.
“Because that flame is black.” He nodded at her still lit hand. “And the fact you can’t see that means either you're a liar or someone has cast a spell on you.”
Diana looked anger at being called a liar. “Oh please, that young man has as much magical power as you do.”
Kaleb asked. “And Mr. Derana?”
Diana froze for a moment before she reached up to her necklace and toyed with the small green diamond. As Diana thought over his words Kaleb heard the loud screech of tires. He looked out the window at Robert. The boy was looking up the street with his eyes wide as the roar of an engine got louder, Robert threw himself across Kaleb’s car. Acting on instinct Kaleb shoved Diana to the floor as he shouted.
“Deckart, Get down!”
A roar of gunfire drowned out his shout as a hail of bullets peppered the restaurant. Glass shattered, wood cracked, and people screamed as what sounded like thousands of bullets flew over Kaleb’s head. Just as fast as it started the sound stopped replaced by the smell of burning tires and screaming of injured people.
*BZZT*
*BZZT*
*BZZT*
Kaleb heard the restaurant door open and close followed by three shots being fired in the street. The smell of blood and burning wood disoriented Kaleb for a few seconds before he came back to himself. Diana was laying prone muttering something to herself. As Kaleb got closer to check on her, he heard what she was saying.
“Why didn’t the wards work. That little puttana couldn’t have dismantled the restaurants wards.”
Kaleb figured she was fine, so he stood up and looked around. Several of the waiters and patrons were helping others. Kaleb could hear the odd spell being cast as people screamed in pain. He didn’t think he could help in the restaurant so he moved outside. As he passed the Maitre D’ he tapped the man on his shoulder and pointed back at Diana.
“Ms. Torero appears fine. But you might want someone to check on her.”
The Maitre D’ just nodded so Kaleb left the restaurant and checked the street. Deckart and Robert were standing in the middle of the street talking. As Kaleb walked up to them Robert held up Kaleb’s gun smiling.
“I got them.”
“Really?” Kaleb asked looking around for a crashed car.
Deckart put his communicator away from his mouth and said. “He means he hit the car. They still got away. But it might help us.”
“How?”
A male voice emanated from Robert’s wrist. “When Robert spotted the car, I called a friend in the police force to get access to one of the nearby drones. We should have the car’s location soon. The large circular scorch mark from your pistol, Professor, should make it easy to track.”
Kaleb nodded. “That makes sense.”
Deckart jerked his head toward the restaurant. “She say anything about Rick?”
“We hadn’t gotten to that part. I think someone is fucking with the Torero family princess. They probably placed the price on my head to piss me off enough to attack her.” Kaleb explained.
“When you didn’t, they sent in the second team.” Deckart nodded at the restaurant.
“But who the hell would do that?” Robert asked.
“Edward Derana!” shouted Diana Torero’s voice.
She was marching across the street toward them. Kaleb gave her a curious look, he noticed that she had taken off her gold necklace. Diana gave the three of them a nod before she stared at hard at Robert.
“You followed me this morning, didn’t you?”
Robert just nodded. “Me and my brother.”
Kaleb stared hard at the young woman and brought the conversation back around. “Why would Derana put a price on my head?”
Diana rolled her eyes at him. “Well for one, if you die it means he doesn’t have to give you the materials from the Ifrit you gave him. Second, if Hell freezes over and you somehow kill me then my restaurant goes out of business and my family declares a blood debt on you and then you die.”
Deckart scratched his chin. “So he sends in the second team and risks a blood debt?”
Diana shook her head and lit her fist in black flame. “He had his little bitch boy teach me a stupid flame cantrip and give me an enchanted necklace. When word gets around that I have joined the House of Druchuvin then my family won’t seek vengeance. Druchuvin handles its own members.”
Robert jumped into the conversation. “But we saw you talking to the sketchy guy in Hyde Park.”
Diana sniffed. “That was my cousin. He is with those racist pigs in the House of Druchuvin. I wanted to know if his house was responsible for the rumors about me changing Houses. He denied having anything to do with it.”
Kaleb nodded. It was probably the truth. Derana most likely spread the rumor himself. When Kaleb had heard it, then he also spread the lie around. He asked Diana.
“Do you know where your cousin is?”
“Why?”
Robert spoke up, concern in his voice. “Because I think he has my brother.”
Diana nodded slowly. “Hmm, that would be an unenviable position to be in. But shouldn’t we deal with this little problem first?”
Before anyone could reply Robert’s Handler spoke. “They abandoned The car under the 15th street bridge. But the drone got an image of the driver. We positively identified him as Marco Clifford, he is employed as a bodyguard for one, Edward Derana.”
Diana's eyes widened in surprise and her mouth arched up in a wide smile. “Now that is interesting. I don’t suppose I could get a copy of that footage, could I?”
“What are you going to do with it?” Deckart asked.
Diana continued to smile. “I can use it to challenge Derana to a duel. The Councils can’t ignore an obvious attempt on my life. It will take a while to go through the proper procedures but with the footage I can challenge him tonight.”
Kaleb looked at Robert and Deckart. Robert just looked worried but Deckart nodded. “Fine, you can deal with Derana. But tell us where your cousin is.”
Diana looked up at Kaleb with an intense stare. “You don’t want to witness the duel? As the other wronged party I can probably get you a good seat.”
“I would love that. But my friend comes first. If we finish this before the duel, I’ll take you up on that.” Kaleb said.
“Fair enough. His little gang of racists hang out in an abandoned elementary school south of 34th Street and Kerbey Lane.” Looking at Deckart and Robert she added. “You might want to bring more friends, Alessandro has many and they are all pure-blooded magic users.”
Kaleb was mid-nod when he a quest notification popped up.
*Assault the School*
Quest Type: Medium-scale Raid
Rank: C
Recommended Group size: 10-15
Time to complete: 24 hours
Rewards: Magical artifacts, potions, recipes, possible Lair Location unlocked
Description: A small section of the House of Druchuvin is using an abandoned school as a base. They are possibly holding a Super captive. A large force of supers could take the school and free the prisoner. Be warned: The House of Druchuvin will not take kindly to the assault. Affinity will drop to hatred.
Kaleb sucked in a breath through his teeth. Apparently this would not be easy. He heard Deckart and Robert gave similar sounds of surprise. He closed his window and looked to Robert. Robert nodded looking dazed and said.
“Janus? Could you send the drone footage to Diana Torero?”
“Sure thing, Robert. You will have access to it shortly Ms. Torero.” Robert’s Handler said.
Diana walked back to her restaurant. “I wish you boys luck. You will need it.”
They watched her go inside before they talked. Deckart was the first to speak.
“I think we can do it. We’ll just spam our friends list. This is a small raid who would say no to that.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. But we have to make sure we are ready. So besides calling friends we got to see to our own equipment. Hopefully, they won’t expect an attack in the middle of the afternoon.” Kaleb said scratching the back of his head.
Robert looked confused. “You don’t want to wait until tonight, do you?”
Kaleb shook his head. “Night, day, I don’t think it matters when we attack. If they have your brother, he is no doubt screaming how someone is coming for him. They’ll be expecting trouble.”
“You think?” Deckart asked.
“I don’t know. Plan for the worst though, I don’t want to leave Rick in there longer than I have too. He’s an asshole but the House of Druchuvin is worse.”
Deckart nodded as they all back in the car. Kaleb mentally went over his friends list as he started his car. Two Gun, Claire, Jar-lock, Abby, Varlin, Vivienne, D34d–I, Mass, Deckart, Robert, and Rick. He had Toni, Andrea, and Rox but he wasn’t sure if they would help. Maybe Toni would, He would call her later. He heard Deckart going through his own friend's list beside him, but Robert was quiet.
Looking back, Kaleb saw the young man looking a little shell-shocked.
“You okay?” Kaleb asked.
Robert nodded. “Yeah, I just realized that Rick’s been such an asshole to everybody, so my friends list is almost empty.”
Kaleb snorted a laugh. “Yeah, well, they didn’t get to know his amazing personality.”
Robert nodded but remained quiet a smile on his face. Kaleb turned south toward his home as he drove he instructed Farrah to contact everyone on his friends list and see who was online. This would be the first Raid he took part in, at least for Modern Age Online. It was against a group of racist magic users in a school. He had to stop himself from laughing out loud at how excited he was. Win or lose, he knew: This was going to be Epic.