After the initial battle with his agoraphobia, Jam seemed to do ok with being outside. The mask helped a lot more than he had thought it would. Hiding his face, walking in anonymity, was somewhat cathartic. The only issue was, the scouting job was extremely boring. LionHead was not a conversationalist by any stretch of the imagination, so they spent much of their patrol watching over the city.
LionHead had a bit of a soldier's mentality and was a stickler for the rules. He was also a bit of a hypocrite since he'd break the rules all the time when he deemed fit. Allowing Jam to actually fight villains or do anything beyond the bounds of a scout was not something he deemed fit for breaking the rules. Jam was his mouthpiece and answered calls across the Desticoms, the communication system for the Heroes of Destiny. It was what they used to give orders or request assistance while out in the field and had ridiculous range.
"Fire on 3rd and Claremont. Six confirmed trapped inside, more possible." Juniper the dispatcher announced
"Tell them I'll take it." LionHead signed.
New Task Added: Assist LionHead
Task Description: LionHead has decided to take a call for a building fire.
Take Objective:
<> Assist LionHead
<> Ensure Safety of Civilians
<> Ensure Survival of LionHead
Task Reward: TBD
Before Jam could utter a word LionHead had already bounded forward and was hopping rooftops. Jam let Juniper know and then followed behind him although much slower.
His stamina is still ridiculous. I can barely follow him.
LionHead leaped a twenty foot space without issue.
"Any chance you can hover me over?" Jam asked Audrey,
"I doubt it. I made you a lion shaped grapnel gun, You could try that." She answered.
"Not a lion shaped motorcycle?" He asked pulling the grapnel gun from the hook on his belt. "Weird, why didn't I notice this?"
"You were busy with the dealing with the suit. Plus you can't use a motorcycle yet."
"What the hell? Why not?" He argued aiming the grapnel gun at the nearest high roof he could find and getting a running start to swing to the next roof.
"Your level isn't high enough. You haven't unlocked it. You just barely unlocked the grapnel gun."
Jam landed on the distant roof with a sliding stop and unhooked the grapnel. He continued to chase LionHead.
"I miss that jumping ability I had. Should have locked that one in."
"Could have tried using blink."
"And end up blinking halfway and falling to my doom if it chooses to fail this time. Plus I need to maintain my MP. Never know when I might need it."
"Good point."
Jam slid to a stop next to LionHead who was surveying the burning building.
"Stay here." LionHead signed then jumped straight through one of the building's top floor windows.
LionHead moved through the building quickly, using his heightened sense of smell to find where any people might be; though it was difficult through the heavy. Unable to speak he was forced to quickly grab anyone he could find and take them where he could get them to safety. Improper maintenance of one the building had sealed a couple and their young son in the apartment. LionHead quickly kicked in the door; the apartment was filled with smoke and the man was on the ground having tried to yank open the door. The woman was found in the bathtub holding her son and was initially terrified to see the large beast man standing in the doorway with her husband over his shoulder.
LionHead held his hand out and the woman hesitantly reached back. He led her to the heavy sealed shut window that led to the fire escape and kicked it out. The window was so thick it took him two kicks just to break it. He lifted the woman and her son out over the broken glass and then set her husband out. He roared loudly and Jam could just barely hear it over the roaring fire. He rappelled over to the fire escape.
"It's going to be ok miss. Can I check you out?" Jam asked.
"I'm fine, check my husband." The woman said between coughs.
Jam read the status bar above the man's head.
{ Name: Van Wilson
HP: 2/20
SP: 2/40
Status: Smoke Inhalation }
If I use heal now it'll be 15 minutes before I can use it again. I'll have to just carry him down. Let's see.
{ Name: Rina Wilson
HP: 9/15
SP: 40/40
Status: Smoke Inhalation }
{ Name: Alex Wilson
HP: 9/10
SP: 46/60 }
"Purify" He chanted. And a white light covered Van and his wife Rina ending her cough. "You guys should be ok now. I'll carry your husband down. You go ahead."
"What are you wearing?" Rina asked confused.
Jam grunted in annoyance. "Just go." He commanded. He grabbed Van in a fireman's carry and hopped over the railing. "Blink" He chanted and a moment later he and Van were on the ground in front of the arriving fire truck. Thankfully the ambulance made it before the fire truck and Jam was able to get Van to the waiting EMTs. "I fixed his smoke inhalation but he's still unconscious. I think he just needs to rest. His wife and son are coming down the fire escape now. They're fine as well." Jam informed them.
"You LionHead's new scout?" one of the EMT workers asked him.
"First day, yeah." He answered her.
"Well, good job. Need a new costume though. That one is terrible." She said her eyes never leaving Van as they got him on the gurney and got him a breathing tube.
"Thanks." Jam deadpanned before leaving them behind to climb the fire escape Rina and Alex were exiting.
LionHead found himself having to lift a good amount of debris from the floor above away from a door to get inside. Inside the apartment he found the entire living room above had fallen through the floor and there was an elderly couple trapped in their bedroom which had no fire escape attached. He jumped over burning objects and pulled the door clean off of it's hinges. The couple were seated in the corner of the room on the floor holding each other. LionHead led them out of their apartment and over to Van and Rina's apartment so they could get out of the already broken window. Jam was already there waiting.
{ Name: LionHead
HP: 5800/6000
SP: 3127/8000 }
"Hey, be careful in there. Your stamina is dropping quickly. If you're going to check the other floors do it quickly." Jam told him. LionHead nodded before heading back into the building.
{ Name: Emil Russo
HP: 23/30
SP: 9/15 }
{ Name: Vienna Russo
HP: 12/15
SP: 11/18 }
"Looks like you guys are ok. Not too much smoke inhalation. Can you make it down on or your own?"
"I can but I don't think my wife can." Emil answered.
"Don't listen to him, he has a bad knee. He can't make it down either." Vienna interjected.
"Ok, I need both of you to hold on to me tight. This is going to feel a little weird." Jam said before casting blink again and carrying the two down to the ground.
Jam and the couple had moved just in time as a huge explosion had disconnected the fire escape from the building but Jam saw it falling toward one of the fire trucks and a group of people that were standing near it.
Shit. Shit. Shit. Think.
Jam looked around hurriedly. "Audrey, find me a push target. Quick." He commanded
"On it." She answered.
"Air Shot!" He chanted holding his hand out and charging up the shot.
"Hold it."
"Running out of MP. Hope I don't need to use this later."
[ Skill Used: Replenish MP Lvl 11 - Successful ]
Upon his MP hitting Zero his MP quickly reloaded. Then a target showed up in the air.
"Fire at that. Fast."
[ Skill Used: Deadeye Lvl 11 - Successful ]
Jam's vision focused on the target as his hand lined up the shot then he released the air shot. It flew through the air and smacked into the falling fire escape as it reached the target. The fire escape blew to the side, wrapping around the side of the building.
"Thank God." Jam exasperated.
Suddenly another explosion ripped through the building.
"Audrey can you run a scan to see where LionHead is?"
"No, too much fire. Sound and Visuals are compromised."
A glass crash from a third floor window as LionHead fell through the air carrying a teenage girl under his arm and a dog hanging by the teeth from the other arm. Jam ran up to assist. LionHead laid the young girl on the gurney near the EMTs and dislodged the angry dog. She had terrible burns across her skin.
< Name: Miranda Arnout
HP: 2/40
SP: 0/60
Status:
Burned
Smoke Inhalation >
"Can you help her?" LionHead signed.
"Purify." Jam chanted and the smoke inhalation and burned statuses disappeared but her burns remained. "Is she the last?" Jam asked.
"Yeah she is."
[ Skill Used: Heal Lvl 11 - Successful ]
Miranda's HP and SP shot up quickly, her burns slowly began to fade and her hair even returned. She slowly opened her eyes and was racked by a coughing fit. After a minute she settled down.
"Are you ok?" Jam asked Miranda.
"What happened?" She inquired groggily.
"There was a fire in your building. You were the last one out."
She slapped her hands over her mouth and began to cry.
"Her apartment was the origin of the fire. It looked like she had an accident in the kitchen and her dog drug her to the closest safe place it could find." LionHead signed.
"I'm so sorry. I should have been paying attention. I'm so stupid. Did anyone get hurt?" She choked out between sobs.
LionHead signed and Jam translated. "Nothing beyond repair. You are partially at fault yes but you're young and you made a mistake. This isn't all on you. Don't put that all on yourself."
Miranda nodded and the EMTs loaded her up in the ambulance.
"Can you fix all burns like that? If so we have a whole unit that could probably use your talent." One of the newer EMTs told Jam.
"I think it has to be fresh, I'm sorry. I'm more than willing to stop by and try though."
"Please do." He said before hopping into the ambulance and closing the door.
As the firemen proceeded to squash the flames the press swarm the two of them with their cameras.
"Excuse me LionHead. Do you have a moment?" one of the reporters shouted.
Jam looked to LionHead who nodded. "Hello everyone. LionHead is currently unable to speak. I'll be translating for him."
"LionHead, was anyone hurt in the fire?" A pretty, young reporter asked.
"A few cases of smoke inhalation but nothing major. A few people were trapped in their apartments but they were all taken care of in time."
"Do you know what the cause was?" Another reporter asked.
"Yes, a small fire that started in one apartment."
"That looks like a lot more than a small fire." The young female reporter said incredulously.
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
"Yeah, that tends to happen when the owners of a building cut corners during building." Jam translated, LionHead seemed to growl lightly as he continued signing his discontent. "Doors that won't open, extremely thick and heavy windows nearly sealed shut, and old building materials that catch fire if you look at them too hard. This entire fire happened in less than 15 minutes from a small apartment fire. No apartment that isn't soaked in gasoline should go up that fast. So if you want to know the cause, call the building managers." LionHead finished before walking away leaving speechless reporters.
Jeez, has it really been less than 15 minutes since we got the call?
Task Completed
You Have Completed The Task Assist LionHead
Civillians Saved - 16
Reward: Exp Gained
500 Delrens
+6 Hero Points
Level UP
Congratulations! You've reached level 12.
+1 Heroism Point reward
All attributes recieved +2 points.
All Currently Known skills gain one level per level up until maxed out at current player level.
Sweet. Wait, where'd the money come from?
"And who are you?" One of the reporters finally found their voice. "The new sidekick?"
"No, I'm just a scout." Jam answered.
"What are you wearing?" The young reporter asked. Jam walked away.
That first scout outing was the most action he would get for a week. Despite his promising actions on that day, whenever the duo got into another scrap, Jam would be put on the sidelines and then talk to the reporters afterward to translate. A bank robbery, that he had to watch from the opposite rooftop. A car chase which he could have probably ended with a triple reinforced shield in front of the car but instead he was told to report back to the Destiny Hall.
He received a measly 15 exp every time he translated for the reporters but after four days of it he'd barely gotten over 30% to his next level. Which Jam learned that he had to go into the logbook to find out just how much exp he was recieving, not that he was complaining, he'd much rather know how close he is to his next level.
The only upside was that after it had shown up on television, he was able to get a different costume. This one looked more like a ninja garb, still a little big and still the same ugly colors. Also, no suit skills and terrible stats. He also had to continue wearing the mask. It had started to grow on him a little.
"I don't get it LionHead. I helped just as much as you did in the apartment fire. Why am I being benched constantly?" Jam interrogated LionHead in the middle of their patrol.
"That first day was a mistake" LionHead signed shakng his head. "Lives were at stake and I gave you more responsibility than a scout should have. I shouldn't have called to you; I should have gotten them down on my own and let the EMTs do their job."
"Then a young girl would have to live with her mistakes burned into her skin." He spat back.
"If you don't want to be my scout any longer than you're free to go back. I will understand. It's not fair to you but those are the rules."
Juniper came on the line. "Calling all available Destiny members. The Villains of History are wrecking shops in Darlinghurst."
"LionHead I'm headed in your direction, I'll pick you up." Cyprus Bleak said over the Desticom. LionHead nodded.
"Roger that." Jam answered.
"Head back to the Hall. With Cyprus there I won't need a translator." LionHead signed.
"You can't be serious." Jam complained.
LionHead didn't bother answering as he hopped off the roof and onto the roof of Carlina, Cyprus' jeep, that sped past.
Damn it!
Jam didn't bother going anywhere instead just hanging out on the roof he was left behind on. He laid on the roof his head resting on the parapet.
Character Screen
{ Character Type: Player
Name: Jam
Alias: None
Race: African American
Country of Origin: United States
Level: 12
HP: 200
MP: 85
SP: 300
Current Powers:
Lightfoot (+8 Stealth)
Bo Staff Prowess (+7 Martial Arts)
Healing Pulse (+11 Healing, Medic)
Refiment Points Available: 24 }
"I got lightfoot back. Maybe the scout role reset the roulette?"
"You have been here over a month. Almost two now. No matter how large the roulette wheel it does have the possibility to land on the same spot twice."
"That's true. I think I'd consider keeping healing pulse if it didn't work on everyone else but me. Plus I need something that is going to heal me without me asking it to. Like automatic regeneration."
"Well, you're a scout. It might not happen anytime soon."
"You know, if I was still a villain, I'd probably get something cool like a sword or twin sai. But I guess donatello will have to do."
"I think its more elegant."
"Yeah, well hopefully elegance doesn't get me killed."
Inventory
1 Bo Staff Cash Available: 2000 delrens> Jam mentally summoned his bo staff. Perfectly weighted, of course, and just a couple inches shorter than he was. He spun it in his hand for a moment. Then he put 15 more refinement points into his Bo staff prowess. "You've unlocked a new bo staff." Audrey annoucned before his bo staff digitized and faded out of his hand. "That felt so weird." Jam commented splaying his fingers. A slot opened up in Audrey's orb and a small silver cylinder popped up. Jam grabbed it and was surprised to find it was barely longer than his forearm. "It's a bit short isn't it?" "It's magic. It extends." Audrey explained. "Really? Whoa." [ Skill Used: Analyze Lvl 12 - Successful ] { Item Name: Bo Staff (Soul Bound) Item Type: Magical Item Spells: Extend/Restrict Shock } "Extend." He casted and the staff extended to twice the size. He casted extend again and it became the size of the previous bo staff. "Sweet a power pole. Too bad I can't use it." As if the universe heard him, he could just hear a familiar sound in the distance. "Did you hear that?" Jam asked. "I'm not sure. I hear a lot." Jam stood up and leaned his head in the direction he heard the sound. [ Skill Used: Acute Hearing Lvl 12 - Successful ] The sound intensified and he could hear what sounded like automatic gunfire. It was only four buildings away clearly muffled by the thickness of the building. Whatever was going down, the location was chosen on purpose. He didn't hear any police sirens or anything over the Desticoms. No one must know about it. New Task: Gunfire Task Details: You have heard automatic gunfire in a nearby location. All other heroes are currently busy. Task Objective: Assess the Situation Accept this Task? [ Yes ] [ No ] "You sure you want to do this?" Audrey asked. Jam contemplated for only a second. "I have to at least check it out. I'm tired of waiting on the sidelines." Yes It only took a minute for Jam to clear the distance between the roof he was on and the gunshots. The second he found himself on the roof he got a potentially terrifying notification. { Entering Zone: Villain Hideout Exp Gain X2 } Shit. This sounds bad. Using his lightfoot power he entered the building with complete silence. The gunshots were much louder in the building and he figured it must really be sealed tight. The inside looked like a casino, segmented into multiple areas with different games. It was empty however save for the henchmen working there. Jam crept around in the rafters overlooking the place. He could see a bunch of men and women with automatic weapons spread out searching for something. Every movement was met with a burst of gunfire. Jam had a birds eye view of the scene but he noticed that heads were quickly disappearing from the group. "I can't tell which gunfire is from who." Jam complained. "There." Audrey said and a blue reticle popped up following a person running high speed in the balcony. The person hopped off of the balcony back into the group of people and landed knees first into one of the men's chest. Gunfire erupted but the person had already moved. The figure was moving so quickly the reticle could just barely keep up, managing to lose them a couple of times. [ Skill Used: Analyze+ Lvl 12 - Successful ] Jam's breath caught as he read the information. { Character Type: NPC Name: Unavailabe Alias: 21 Race: Unknown HP: Unknown MP: Unknown SP: Unknown Powers: Unknown Status: Bound 7-21 rule. } Oh God. "7-21 rule. Didn't The Inspector say that he only ever killed 7 or 21 people? Maybe it's more than just a calling card, maybe it's a compulsion?" Jam asked. "Could be." Audrey answered. Before Jam could move all the henchmen in the room were down and 21 had moved on. Jam shook himself and then rappelled down. He went through checking people, most were just unconscious, still had HP but SP at 0. Plenty were dead as well. Jam lifted his hand in the air and let out a healing pulse that covered the room. Healing pulse was weak, not instantly recovering a set amount of HP like Heal but rather slowly healing the HP as if it were just speeding the natural healing process. Jam felt he'd probably need to save heal for later and he didn't have the time to try to patch everyone up. Also, they looked to just be incapacitated with very low chances of death. One guy sat up and started coughing, Jam moved to him. "Who are you?" The man asked. "I'm just passing through trying to help. Who are you guys?" "Police. West Empire City PD. We were protecting a witness when we were hit." "Did you see what weapons they were carrying?" "Some kind of long sword and a shorter sword. Maybe a long combat knife. I heard gunshots though so I'm pretty sure he has guns as well. He just moved so fast." "It's alright. Just stay still and rest. I'll take it from here." Task Updated Task Description: You've leanred that the men with guns are undercover cops protecting a witness. Task Objective: Protect the Witness Jam rappelled up the balcony and moved further into the building where he heard even more gunfire. He slipped through a door that led to a long hallway. He could see 21 in the distance quickly dispatching guards. He finally got a good look at 21 and saw a person wearing a mostly white suit with black outlines, Red triple sevens emblazed on their chest, a red twenty one on their mask. Jam ran to catch up, hoping against hope that the guards would be able to hamper his progress enough. Right as Jam hit another door to enter to a large lounge he noticed that 21 had stopped and was just standing looking at a strangely out of place reinforced door. "Jam. He's at 20." Audrey told him switching to his ear piece. "What?" Jam sent her as he crept closer. "I kept count as we came. His kill count is at 20. He only has one left if you're right about his rules." "Jeez, he's killed 20 people already." "Worry about that later. Focus on keeping yourself and the witness alive." "Right." Jam slid behind one of the couches and looked over it to observe 21. He watched as 21 put small round devices around the reinforced door. [ Skill Used: Analyze+ Lvl 12 - Successful ] { Item Name: Explosive Area of Effect: 3M } Well, shit. 21 walks backward slowly and Jam sees the detonator in his hand. He sticks his hand out and casts an air shot, The small ball of air fires from his hand and hits 21 in the wrist. The smack causes 21's wrist to go lame and the detonator drops. With a blink Jam is there catching the detonator before it touches the ground. 21 reacts without even looking at Jam, in one swift move drawing his gun and firing directly at Jam's shoulder. After hours of working on his mana manipuation with shield, Jam learned to change the color of the color of the shield and instead of a yellow shield he was able to make it nearly invisible. It took him twice as long to learn to stretch it out but eventually he was able to make it into a second skin. It took a lot of concentration to do, it wasn't something Jam can do on the fly, especially since he had to put tiny holes through out the shield so it won't be both airtight and soundproof. Preparing for anything, Jam had placed a shield around his body and that he reinforced in regular intervals. Audrey added another measure to his HUD for the amount of damage his shield could still take labeled SH. The bullet bounced off of the shield taking with it a quarter of his SH. Up close to 21 Jam could see that the back of the gun barrel was shaped like a red seven. 21's sword and combat knife guards and hilts were also shaped like red sevens. 21 turned and kicked Jam hard in the stomach sending him sliding back to a rolling stop. The kick slipped through the shield and dropped an eighth of his HP as well. Task Update Task Description: You've come face to face with infamous and unknown assassin 21. Task Objective: Survive Lord, they hit like a brick. "Audrey! Inventory!" Jam shouted and threw the detonator at the orb who caught it and entered it into his inventory. 21 fired a shot at Audrey who let the bullet phase through her. 21 switched back to focus on Jam and went on the attack. Jam sprang to his feet just managing to dodge a punch. Jam stayed on the defensive, not even being allowed to blink as with every breath came an attack that he just narrowly slipped. The suit dulled his responses, made him unable to get a good counterattack in. While slipping another punch his right leg moved to the wrong place and he was unable to move in the right direction to avoid a sweeping of the leg. He quickly recovered rolling into the door. 21 slid his gun into it's holster and slid his sword and knife out. Seeing it up close Jam realized how much of an understatement that was. Jam cracked his knuckles as he entered his fighting position. "Boost." He casted quietly and watched disappointedly as the 15 MP drained. { SH: 45/150 } { HP: 180/200 } { MP: 50/80 } { SP: 415/500 } With his currently boosted speed Jam was able to duck out of the way of the sword that could have decapitated him. I'm starting to rethink them being unable to kill me thing. Jam summoned his bo staff and was able to deflect the incoming slices from the sword. Back on the defensive Jam deflected swing after swing while trying to get in hits where he could. 21 had yet to say a word and, though Jam managed to get a hit multiple times, 21 hadn't even groaned. Jam had no indication that 21 was even a person and not some terminator type killing machine. Despite being able to block a lot of them, some cuts still got through, draining his SH bar quickly and he wasn't sure if he could reinforce the shield that was already there without the concentration it took to make it. Jam pushed his back hard against the heavy door and used his bo staff as leverage to push off and slam his shoulder hard into 21. "Don't move too far from the door!" Audrey shouted. Jam hopped back within distance of the door. "Why not?" "Those charges could have been triggered by a bullet. The only reason 21 hasn't shot them is because you're too close to it. I think you're right, they can't kill you." "Sure hasn't stopped them from trying. They tried to shoot me in the face." "Your mask. I think they were trying to get your mask off. To knock you out." 21 had recovered quickly and stood observing Jam as if contemplating their next move. Then the red of sevens on their torso faded until black outlines of the sevens were left and they put their weapons away. Pushing off their back foot, 21 closed the distance in a blink and before Jam could even think to defend. A punch into Jam's solar plexis not only depleted his SH but cut into his HP and SP as well; blood exploded from his mouth as he was left coughing on the ground. Without his boosted Defense he probably would have been knocked unconcious. A kick to the head followed and it cracked Jam's mask. 21 grabbed the back of his suit and tossed him back. "Get Up Jam." Jam shook off the dizziness from the kick and looked at the door. It had a glass window it. Time to try something stupid. "Blink." He casted and in an instant he was in the small room on the other side of the heavy locked door. The room was an office, large with a big beautifully crafted desk and three chairs occupying the space. Jam slid across the edge of the desk like it was the hood of a car and crouched behind it to find a heavyset man in glasses hiding under it. < Name: ? > That's weird. Something isn't right. "Are you the witness?" Jam asked. "Don't kill me! Please!" The heavyset man pleaded. "I'm not here to kill you. I have to get you out of here. Come here, quick." Jam ordered, but the sudden explosion of the bombs caused the man to freeze up. The entire doorway fell back and 21 walked in. Jam grabbed the man's arm. [ Skill Used: Telescopic Vision Lvl 12 - Successful ] Jam zoomed out into the distance and he quickly casted blink. He and the man were transported out of the office and out in the lounge area. "Run. I'll hold him off." Jad commanded, but before either of them could move a bomb sailed over the two and 21 shot it in the air making it explode. The hallway ceiling caved in and they were trapped in the lounge. "Shit, is there another way out?" "Fire exit." Audrey told him. "When I say go, run for the fire exit." Jam commanded but the witness didn't move. Jam grabbed his arm again. [ Skill Used: Calming Touch Lvl 12 - Successful ] He then moved, dragging the man beside him to hide his body from 21 but 21 blocked the doorway. "Get down low, I'll distract him. You make your way to the door." Jam command moving the witness behind a couch before he took off in a run toward 21. 21 prepared themselves for the attack but they weren't prepared for Jam to cast blink and appear behind them, his momentum slamming him into 21's back and drive them into the ground. Jam looped his arms around 21 and lifted them from the ground before falling back and dropping them on their head dazing them. Jam grabbed 21's arm and pitched them across the room. "Move!" Jam shouted and the witness didn't hesitate running for the door. 21 quickly rallied, got back up, drew their gun and aimed at the man hustling toward the exit. "Shield" Jam casted. He knew that sending it to the witness would be dangerous, making it big enough cover every possible lethal location would make it too weak to stop the bullet. Instead he made a small one close to the barrel that deflected the bullet far enough away. [ Skill Used: Deadeye Lvl 12 - Successful ] Jam summoned his small bo staff back to his hand and reeled back as if tossing a javelin. "Air shot!" He casted at the arc of his throw and the bo staff fired from his hand with a boom. 21 caught off guard from the unexpected projectile attempted to move but Jam casted extend on the bo staff and the small staff extended out catching 21, lodging directly in their shoulder. "Shock!" Jam casted on the bo staff and electricity ran through 21. Jam turned just long enough to find the witness struggling with the door. He moved to kick it in and the door flew open. Both men hightailed it down the fire exit steps Audrey's orb hovering behind them. "That was smart. I honestly had no clue what to do here. So many possibilities. It's hard to choose the best one when they all seem equally dangerous." Audrey told him. "Choice paralysis." Jam said. "What are you talking about?" The witness asked. "Nothing, which way do we go to get your out of here." "There has to be cop cars all around here by now. We just need to get to one." The stairs opened back out to the large area with the casino games. Jam could hear 21 moving down the stairs behind them. Jam grabbed the witness and pulled him into a crouch as they moved further into the room hiding amongst the games. "Keep making your way toward the exit. I'll see if I can slow them down." Jam suggested and they prepared to move away from each other. As the two separated however, a grenabe lobbed through the air. "Grenade." Audrey told Jam. The grenade landed nearly right in front of the witness and Jam ran to the man and pulled him back. Jam threw a shield dome around the grenade depleting his MP. The single shield however was only able to mildly funnel the blast. Jam shielded the witness with his body and the blast sent him flying across the room slamming into the wall. His HP drained to nearly 40% and his boost was running out. Luckily the blast had covered the room in fire and smoke and the witness was still moving. "Audrey. Can you control the bo staff?" Jam asked between coughs. "In what way?" "Can you use the spells?" "Yes. I'm a part of you and it's soulbound to you. Why?" "21 won't stop until the witness is dead. I can't put all those cops outside in danger. I have to stop them now." "How?" "Last ditch effort. You'll know what to do." Jam told her. [ Skill Used: Replenish MP - Successful ] Jam got to a knee, summoned his bo staff to him and stuck it in his suit. He searched through the smoke and found the witness crouched behind one of the casino games still stanidng but his eyes glanced over to the upper floor to find 21 standing on the bannister looking for the man. The red had drained from the 21 on their mask and the hole in their shoulder had closed and the suit had even been repaired. Jam closed his eyes and casted shield again; then casted it two more times. "What the heck are you doing?" Audrey interrogated. "What I have to." He answered. "Illusion." Then Jam watched as 21 jumped from the bannister apparently discovering his prey. The witness popped up to move to the door but 21 had pulled his gun and lined up a shot. Jam then took off in a run and jumped forward. When he heard the crack of the gn firing Jam casted blink and placed his body inbetween the witness and bullet. The bullet ripped through his chest asternum and lodged in the back of his chest and lodged in his sternum. He crashed into the ground and blood pooled out around him. 21 heard as Jam's heart began to beat quickly and erratically and then go completely silent.