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Encounter Conditions
Only while non-etheric
Initial Text
You faintly hear screams coming from a nearby alley. Taking a closer look, you find two men in corporate security uniforms dragging off an obviously insane homeless man.
He rants and screams loudly as they throw him into the back of a van, screaming "nothing can save you from the Four, they know your secret!"
Summary of Choices
- Try to rescue him (Good) - Fight 2 Midgard Security
- Wait and search the alley - Find 1-2 of: cup of Joe, tattered newspaper page, dirty rags, dirty old trenchcoat, half of a sandwich, ancient candybar; triggers cool coin
- Trail them - Fight two Midgard Security or, with at least 7? Stealth Power and 20 Reflexes and Strength:
- Intervene - Fight two Midgard Security
- Keep trailing them - Unlock Buried Lab
- Search the scene - Get kidnappers' syringe
- Look for evidence - Get kidnappers' syringe
- Ignore it - Walk Away
Choice Text and Results
Try to rescue him (Good (3))
The two guards turn to defend themselves and the homeless man sprints off. A few moments into the fight, the van abandons the guards.
(Fight 2 Midgard Security)
Wait and search the alley
You wait until the grim-looking men have left and pick over the area. There's not much clue as to who the men may have been, but you do find some interesting stuff.
The coin in your hand grows cool. (With unearthly coin equipped)
You found 1-2 of: cup of Joe, tattered newspaper page, dirty rags, dirty old trenchcoat, half of a sandwich, ancient candybar.
Trail them
(This and the subsequent actions except "Ignore it" unlock after accepting the quest Hel's Suspicions)
You trail the van through Southside, which is a little more difficult than you expected. There aren't any other vehicles on the road to cover their escape, but that means they can really go as fast as they want.
You hear the sound of a gun cocking behind you and realize someone must have seen you in your haste. Either two of their security guards looped back around or they dispatched reinforcements.
(Fight 2 Midgard Security)
(Greater chance of this encounter instead of a fight increases with greater Stealth Power)
Since Southside became a refuge for the jobless and homeless, there haven't been many cars on the street. That makes the van hard to hide, but also means they can go as fast as they want.
You just can't move fast enough for long enough to keep up with them. They end up losing you in one of Southside's many alleys and you're not even sure if they were trying.
You've earned 3 XP in Reflexes
You've earned 3 XP in Strength
(With 7 or higher stealth power and 20+ Reflexes and Strength
As you follow them, they suddenly stop and two guards rush out to snatch another bum. He protests vaguely, but they quickly drag him back towards the van.
You hear one guard mumble something you can't quite make out, to which the other replies "gotta meet quota, right?" and laughs.
Intervene
You decide to jump in. The two men turn their attention towards you, letting their original target escape.
One of them growls. "Alright, let's beat those stupid vigilante ideas right out of your head."
(Fight two Midgard Security)
Keep Trailing Them
You follow them, carefully keeping your distance. They pull into the service area of the Metros station… okay, that's a little weird.
They slow down, carefully guiding their van down the tunnels and drop off their prey and a pair of guards at a side tunnel. You carefully avoid the van as it loops around and heads back into Southside.
The side tunnel might have originally been a service entrance, but now leads into a winding complex crawling with Midgard personnel. Well, you found it… but damn there are a lot of guards here.
(Access the Buried Lab)
Search the scene
You wait and search the scene of the kidnapping for evidence. There isn't much, they're definitely quite tidy about their work.
All you can find is a discarded syringe, not an uncommon sight in Southside. If you hadn't just found it at the site, you wouldn't give it a second glance, but it's definitely from someone with a touch more money than the average person leaving used needles around the slums.
You found: kidnappers' syringe
Look for Evidence
You wait and search the scene of the kidnapping for evidence. There isn't much, they're definitely quite tidy about their work.
All you can find is a discarded syringe, not an uncommon sight in Southside. If you hadn't just found it at the site, you wouldn't give it a second glance, but it's definitely from someone with a touch more money than the average person leaving used needles around the slums.
You found: kidnappers' syringe
Ignore it
You just walk away. No harm, no foul, right?