Black War Syndicate(Started. Open. PM the GM)

[Floris2123]

The vault door opened a few moments after Stefen had knocked on it, revealing the room inside. Jacob looked surprised it looked quite boring he had expected something completely different, still he couldn't complain this was fine as well. He then noticed the wall of glass that stood between the convicts and a mysterious man sitting in a chair. With the back to them Jacob thought to himself about how cliché that was.

Jacob looked at Oliver when he heard the chair turn, he looked back to see the man with the helmet looking at them. A number of possibility who this man was began to pop up in his head. The name he referred to himself was Mantis not his real name no surprises there. He offered them a job, with the Reavers gone and most of his contacts arrested he figured why not. He had nothing to lose right now still he had to talk to Oliver first.

"It was very chivalrous breaking us out like that....you couldn't have pulled all this off by yourself" Oliver made an good point, Jacob wanted to know answers to a few questions before he would accept. He hated working blind but the other cons began to ask questions so rapidly that he held his mouth shut and listened to all of the answers.

"You would think, but breakouts when the transport you're targeting follows the same pattern for 5 months. Then it's just the matter of putting explosions in the right place, getting a hold of a weapon, and all the other boring logistics of it." Jacob looked at the man, this man was very dangerous. Jacob looked around maybe this man had also manged to get an hold of his weapons. He was a 5 times as good fighter with his custom made armor.

"Oh? Do tell, how much money will you be inclined to make if potential clients are getting locked up by the hundreds each day?......I'm not all that concerned about price tag at the moment" Jacob made a mental note about that maybe they would be able to team up with them.

"To put it in simple terms....And I want your help to do it" Jacob heard that things Mantis wanted and he had no problem helping with those. "Whooo! We have one guy on board. Lovely" Mantis said after getting the ex cop on his side.

Jacob looked at Oliver he whispered "I think it would be best to help him for the time being. We might find some of our gang back as well as a few new recruits. And also he might have our equipment that was taken away. And I really want my armor back.

 

[Yokillernick]

Byron thought about the offer for a moment. Mantis seemed to want his brother and all of his policies wiped off the face of the Earth. Their goals seemed to coincide but Byron could help but feeling they were just tools in this man's scheme. The ex-cop seemed to allow himself very easily swayed.

"Steady on there Almberg. This man wants to take down my brother but haven't you thought why? You ask for nothing in return and do you really think that he cares about you getting your life back? He might want to take control of his criminal empire and kill more people. Isn't that what ou as a cop fought against? Unless you can prove to me that we are less than tools to be discarded I won't work for you. Unless..."

Byron thought for a second about his demands.

"You would provide us with all the equipment needed, including safehouses and henchmen as well as when the job is done I want some serious money and a one way flight to a place of my choice."

 

[Evrant-Knight]

"Why don't you just tell us what you want, and I'll decide if I want to throw my support in and we can work out the details after." The arms dealer Calcifer asked, wanting to get to the point of this conversation.

"To put it in simple terms, I want the guy that had you locked up. I want Black, his militia, and everything he has wiped off the face of the earth. And I want your help to do it." The man who called himself Mantis replied with, making a few notes on a pad next to him , then returned his attention to the assembled group. From the way things were going, both Mantis and Caspian wanted the same thing, the removal of Sebastian Black; but at least Caspian had a reason to wanting Black gone. Several of the other inmates had question for the helmet wearing man, so Caspian decided to wait.

Although, he got the distinct impression, that Mantis wasn't telling them everything, and suspected that something might be up.

"It seems like you and I have a common goal for the most part Mantis. Pardon me for being a little frank with you here, but no doubt that I like many of the others here, don't want to be considered pawns in this somewhat elaborate game of chess that you are playing against President Black."

 

[WhyBotherToTry]

Everyone had begun making demands of this man who called himself Mantis. Some, like Almberg, jumped on straight away. Others, like the arms dealer Calcifer, wanted to know more, and some, like Byron, made their demands first. Calvin decided to follow Byron's example.

"You would provide us with all the equipment needed, including safehouses and henchmen as well as when the job is done I want some serious money and a one way flight to a place of my choice."
"Make that two. And I'll be wanting some new papers aswell. As much as I've enjoyed being Calvin Greene I don't think he'll be looked upon favourably in the airports of the world when this is done. That shouldn't be too much to ask a man of your resources."

Caspian, the man who had been with Abigail, spoke up. "It seems like you and I have a common goal for the most part Mantis. Pardon me for being a little frank with you here, but no doubt that I like many of the others here, don't want to be considered pawns in this somewhat elaborate game of chess that you are playing against President Black."

"My sentiments exactly", Calvin agreed. "As well as the fact that I don't come cheap, I'll be wanting to know exactly what's going on, and I'm sure everyone else will be too."

 

[Ganath]

"Steady on there Almberg. This man wants to take down my brother but haven't you thought why? You ask for nothing in return and do you really think that he cares about you getting your life back? He might want to take control of his criminal empire and kill more people. Isn't that what ou as a cop fought against? Unless you can prove to me that we are less than tools to be discarded I won't work for you. Unless..."

Stefan was baffled. Not just at that statement, but at the whole situation. They were all making demands from the guy who just saved their hides. Typical criminals. He sighed lightly, focusing again. He only wanted justice and he had already lost his family and his job. He had nothing to lose when it came to working for this man.

"I don't care wether he cares or not, Byron. I care about justice. I care about wether your bastard of a brother pays for his crimes or not. Not just towards me, but everyone he's ever wronged. And even if Mantis here decides to take over his empire, the more of a fool he'll be. Others will step up to stop him, if not me. And eventually, they'll succeed. I don't need to know why he wants to drop Black. I just need to know how he plans to do it so I can help him."

"You're all unbelieveable. You think -you're- in a position to make demands here? I dare you to go out there and live like you used to. Just walk out of here. Let Black trace you down. See if he spares you this time around. You have nothing on him alone, and if you can't see that then you might as well already be dead."

He turned to Mantis again, edging closer to the glass pane.

"Your intentions are to drop Black and I already owe you my life, whatever that's worth. I will help you. Wether you help me further or not. I do want my life back. But that can wait. Because I'm not getting it back until Sebastian Black is either exposed or dead and with your help, he will be. If this is all some elaborate scheme to take control over his assets. Well, then the moment Black is dead, you can consider me your enemy."

Almberg felt a little agitated. He wasn't in his element here, that much was obvious. Wrinkles creased his face and he stared intently at Mantis. Waiting for the man to elaborate. At least he's shared his thoughts. For better or for worse, he'll be damned if he doesn't express himself.

 

[Shadowstar38]

"You would provide us with all the equipment needed, including safehouses and henchmen as well as when the job is done I want some serious money and a one way flight to a place of my choice."

"You want safehouses filled with armed men in a country that's been the epicenter of anti-gang enforcement for over a year. That's ambitious. Not smart, but ambitious"

"Make that two. And I'll be wanting some new papers aswell. As much as I've enjoyed being Calvin Greene I don't think he'll be looked upon favourably in the airports of the world when this is done. That shouldn't be too much to ask a man of your resources."

"Simple forged documents. That's the most reasonable thing I've heard today. But as far as the henchmen and safehouses go, that's going to have to wait. I need you lot to make it where organizing all this wont bring on a bunch of attention you don't want. I'm sure all the men you need will come flocking in droves as thanks for getting some of the militia off their back"

"It seems like you and I have a common goal for the most part Mantis. Pardon me for being a little frank with you here, but no doubt that I like many of the others here, don't want to be considered pawns in this somewhat elaborate game of chess that you are playing against President Black."

"As I've proven here today, you're more valuable to me alive. The dime a dozen gunmen off the streets would be much better canon fodder than all of you, and a lot cheaper. You are more like...Bishops? Those are the ones that can more in any direction right? Yeah. I'll do with Bishops"

 

[MortifiedPenguin]

Everyone but Oliver and Jacob were making their demands known, money, weapons, henchmen. Mantis had explained the how and the why, but not what. He was more concerned with that, what did Mantis want them to do? Any thug could be lifted off the street to take down Black, he wasn't exactly popular, so why choose this rag-tag group of assassins, pyromaniacs and thieves?

"I think it would be best to help him for the time being. We might find some of our gang back as well as a few new recruits. And also he might have our equipment that was taken away. And I really want my armour back."Jacob whispered.

"I think so too, I want to know what this guy wants from us" He whispered back. "That glass might be bullet proof, but how will it do against lightening" He finished, chuckling lightly.

"As I've proven here today, you're more valuable to me alive. The dime a dozen gunmen off the streets would be much better canon fodder than all of you, and a lot cheaper. You are more like...Bishops? Those are the ones that can more in any direction right? Yeah. I'll do with Bishops"

"For a moment I thought you were clever, Queens can move in any direction not Bishops. But what does that make you? A Knight or a King?"

 

[Evrant-Knight]

Caspian listened to Almberg rant to the others about how they were demanding. He felt a little hurt by this, but could kind of see where he was coming from; looks like the both of them wanted some sense of justice against Black, albeit in different flavours.

"Look Almberg, I'm sorry if I sounded a little too demanding just now. You could say that I have my own reasons for wanting revenge on Black, very personal reasons; or at least in the end, some perverse sense of justice. The things that had happened, the people I cared for the most; they are all gone, and there is no way I can bring them back. My life is different. He may not have been the one to kill them, but it was Black that pulled the trigger on their deaths, metaphorically speaking. I simply want him to pay, whether by death or other means I care not." Caspian said to the group, but mostly directed at Stefan; his words filled with sadness and sorrow over what had happened. His mood had lightened up a little come the next few exchanges of dialogue.

"As I've proven here today, you're more valuable to me alive. The dime a dozen gunmen off the streets would be much better canon fodder than all of you, and a lot cheaper. You are more like...Bishops? Those are the ones that can more in any direction right? Yeah. I'll do with Bishops." Mantis had asked, seemingly at ease with the situation.

"For a moment I thought you were clever, Queens can move in any direction not Bishops. But what does that make you? A Knight or a King?" Oliver responded, then proceeded to follow up with a question of his own; curious as to how Mantis fitted in this chess set of people. Caspian soon smiled.

"Kings can also move in any direction as well Oliver, albeit they are limited to but a single space per turn, in comparison to a Queen, who can move any number of spaces per turn in any direction. But I don't think many of us are Queen material, at least not yet." Caspian remarked, enjoying this little banter session.

 

[Shadowstar38]

"For a moment I thought you were clever, Queens can move in any direction not Bishops. But what does that make you? A Knight or a King?"

"Huh. I'd know that if I actually played chest. Anyway, I'm on equal footing as the rest of you. I won't claim to be your superior. My job here is to tell you the best of course of action. Where to go, how to get information. It's up to you whether or not you'd like to be in on it. Though I cant think of a reason why you wouldn't be."

 

[Yokillernick]

"Alright Mantis. I'm in just remember the suitcases of money and the fake documents when we're done here. I can do a lot of damage to my brother but not even I can work without my arsenal. So if you could provide me with weapons then I can get started."

 

[Ganath]

Stefan bit his tongue lightly. It was inconsiderate to have presumed that criminals couldn't lose something as well. He felt like a jerk for not having realized something so simple. Stefan went to one of the plain concrete walls, leaning against it as the others discussed what appeared to be chess. He remained attentive, but since he had said his, he'd let Mantis play out the rest. He looked at Caspian. His body felt numb and pained, which didn't surprise him. Almberg hadn't been active for over a month. It would take time to get used to action again, he could only hope that wouldn't kill him.

"Justice and Revenge, eh... I think I'm willing to let that go hand in hand for a while. You have all the reasons in the world to go after Black. I'm sure Mantis and his superiours will see it fit to equip us for the job. They've already proven we're not expendable after all. I'm still trying to figure out if Black is someone I want to apprehend or kill, but it seems like little choice at all. A man which such grand ambitions isn't going to be curbed by jail. Not easily.

Almberg sighed lightly. He was speaking to Caspian, his tones a lot more quiet, something you can expect from a less crowded conversation.

"Sorry.. about your loss. It didn't even strike me something such could occur around here and it feels inconsiderate of me. The sooner we cooperate with Mantis and his... group. The sooner we can go for Black and I think that's something we'd all benefit from. While I didn't mean to chastise everyone, it seemed ridiculous to be demanding pay. It's.. Man, it's like demanding to get paid for washing your car...I can't think of a better comparison than that."

Stefan managed a slight smile, but it was practically forced. His body hurt and he needed rest. He wasn't sure if it was pressure, the situation or physical exertion. It didn't matter. He had calmed considerably since his rant, at least he had that going for him.

 

[Shadowstar38]

"Alright Mantis. I'm in just remember the suitcases of money and the fake documents when we're done here. I can do a lot of damage to my brother but not even I can work without my arsenal. So if you could provide me with weapons then I can get started."

"Know anywhere I can get some bot parts?"

Mantis points over to the boxes on the wall with each person's individual names on them.

"In those, you will find all the equipment you were using prior to arrest. I also left a wrist communicator in them so we can stay in contact. For those of you with augments, just remove the chips in them and integrate into your hardware"

 

[Ganath]

"Now that you mention it..."

Stefan looked at the boxes, walking by them and checking the names until eventually he found his. He smirked lightly, making a mental note to remember the other names and see who walked up to what.

"What about clean clothing, Mantis. Got that as well?"

He eyed the box, unwilling to open his just yet. If it truly had everything he used to own, then he was set to throw himself at Sebastian Black. Again, his thoughts rested upon Mantis and his organization. It couldn't have been easy to get their stuff just like that. What he said next wasn't really a question as much as a statement made in disbelief.

"How did you even get a hold of this..."

 

[Yokillernick]

Byron was amazed. Without saying anything else he headed towards the box with his name and opened it. To his surprise everything was in there and to think that Mantis managed to retrieve them from a police station was a real show of power. Byron started taking out his weapons one by one.

At the top was his Cheytac XRS.408 cal Sniper Rifle with his personally modified magazines which hold 60 bullets. Mantis even managed to get his hands on the specially modded bullets which explode once inside the target. They are very dangerous and therefore very hard to get without the right connections. He also found a bipod and a silencer for his rifle.

He put the rifle along with the attachments next to the box and pulled out the next items. The 2 Glock G72 Semi-Automatic Laser Pistols which also had Silencers included. The Glock G72 was a prototype model which Byron bought off the black market. Extremely expensive. He laid them down besides his rifle.

Finally he pulled out from the box his jokoto katana. This tempered steel katana from 959 AD was the most prized weapon he had. He often used in in close combat as he favoured it for its long reach and speed. He grasped it firmly and gave it a few swings, making sure it was still balanced. The katana made a swoosh sound while he swung it about meaning it was still sharp.

Finally there was the usual necessary equipment. A set of 5 flashbangs, a pair of night vision goggles as well as a kevlar vest and weapon holsters.

"I am actually impressed at all this. It must have cost a fortune to get all my equipment back. Unfortunately, there is one thing I am missing. You see this prison jumpsuit? It's not going to do. I'll need my suit so I can equip myself and since you found my weapons I guess you have a suit stashed around here somewhere"

 

[WhyBotherToTry]

Calvin walked over to the box which had his name on it and doubtfully opened it. He was dumbfounded to see that Mantis had been as good as his word. Sitting in the box was everything that he ever took on missions.
He first pulled out his revolver, its highly polished barrel gleaming in the lights. Beside it was a large box of the exact type of incendiary rounds he used. More powerful than the ones that were usually on the black market, these phosphorous-loaded slugs would instantly ignite anything they touched.

Next came his rifle. After checking the scope's lenses to make sure they weren't scratched, he moved the bolt forwards and back to see if it would jam. It didn't. Whoever Mantis had sent to take this stuff back had obviously been extremely careful. He removed the 10-round magazine to find 3 bullets still in it. He'd had 9 still in it when he got caught. Clearly the cops had been having some fun with it. After taking out both the regular and armour-piercing rounds, he placed it beside his revolver.

Then out came his set of throwing knives and set of advanced lockpicks, which included traditional picks for old-fashioned locks, and an electronic one for digital locks. Perfect for opening a route to a high vantage point and silently removing any opposition.

Last came his protective gear. His Kevlar vest, knee, and elbow guards were all accounted for. Protecting joints like the knees was always invaluable in a close-quarters fight. You never know what your opponent might do.

He had a quick look at the others. Byron had taken all of his possessions out, which included a fancy looking pair of laser pistols. Calvin had never been keen on energy weapons. They were a bit too finicky and repairing them was a nightmare.

I'll need my suit so I can equip myself and since you found my weapons I guess you have a suit stashed around here somewhere"
"Likewise. I'll need some new clothes to. We can't very well be expected to put the country to rights looking like we just crawled out of a ditch now can we?"

 

[Evrant-Knight]

Caspian gave a smile of appreciation towards Stefan in regards to the words he said, silently thanking him. He then noticed several people going up to the containers with their names on it, each one discovering their lost items inside from when they were captured by the police or militia. Curious to find out if his were retained, Caspian went up to the box inside, and lift the lid. To his amazement, everything that was his had been recovered; but it soon lead him to a question.

How in the hell did Mantis get all this? Must of paid someone high up within the echelons of the prison system to acquire these. But something tells me otherwise.

Casting his curiosity aside for a brief moment, he began checking all the weaponry for damages, or misuse by the cops. First out of the box came his Spectre M4, which shared the same ammunition as the MP5 he was holding currently; along with the attachments that it used. He placed both guns on the side of the box. From the looks of things, several of the rounds in the weapon had been spent.

Next were his twin FN Five-Seven pistols, with their integrated suppressors, they became one of the best guns for a stealth person like Caspian could use. Then came the most prized weapon of all, the sword that had belonged to his mother the day she died. It was made in the style of a Middle Eastern Kilij, but was forged in England, and a slight curve.

Finally came an unusual choice for a weapon, a series of micro-filament wires. These were light and flexible, but could be razor sharp in the right hands, mainly Caspian's. He smiled with glee at the sight. He then went to his other equipment. This consisted of a specialised wrist mounted computer that could be attached to his coat; it also served as the activation to the cloaking device that was in-built. Other items included several smoke and EMP grenades, both of which had been useful, and an armoured vest that could easily be attached to his coat. Finally there was a silver locket, inside was a picture of his parents, which served as a reminder of his mission.

"Good, its still here." Caspian said, unknowing that he spoke aloud. He then put the locket around his neck.

"Thank you Mantis, for acquiring these items. It will make the job a little easier on us."

"I'll need my suit so I can equip myself and since you found my weapons I guess you have a suit stashed around here somewhere."

"I concur. After what we've been through, a fresh set of clothing and a wash will probably make us feel better, and it will also make us look more professional whilst on the job." Caspian remarked with a definite smile.

Spoiler: What The Sword Looks Like

 

[Hansinkdu]

This fellow, Mantis, had the expertise of a mercenary but the knowledge of a business man. An intriguing character to say the least, the inmates endlessly questioned him of whats to come and made requests for the tasks at hand he would surely provide. Mustakraken knew better then to ask of anything a man who was a mere messenger, regardless of how much leverage he might say he has. Instead he stayed silent and focused, his chances of survival depended upon his worth and discretion. As some of the men moved to their respective cases, Edmond walked slowly to his own, 2nd from the left. Staring at the box with his name so simply printed on it his gaze did not waver, he did not know what to expect. One by one he heard his fellow inmates to his right take out their gear, some with a profound sense of nostalgia. Had his box contained everything of his before he was taken, then a truck would be required as his clinic was most definitely gutted and left bare.

Reminiscing in his clinic, not the most well lit den, under a bridge yet within the slums, an outstanding home of solitude that saved lives and categorized them when needed, now left to gather dust with his nurses surely not returning till he did. Opening the box with little expectation does give a satisfying high when proven wrong. Although his clinic was not within its contents what was did hold a great deal of value to him. His medical bag, which he fastened into a backpack, that he had stocked last with his different chemicals, toxins, and medicine that did not bode well with your average anatomy. His assortment of scalpels, forceps, syringes and basic prosthetic maintenance tools also survived, to which his salvage from the bus was added to. Strapped to the side was his M9 hand gun modified to fire his rechargeable taser rounds for easy incapacitation. Edmond doesn't like to use guns, they cause more problems then solve, but with non lethal shock ammo silencing a violent customer becomes as simple as removing a limb, aim, pull, done. During his check to ensure all his implants and instruments were working Edmond could only smile at thought being back to work. His beloved green lab coat was too outstanding to have just one of. He reached into the back compartment and pulled out one his several spares and donned it so professionally he most of looked marvelous.

The Doctor was back and was ready to operate.

 

[Shadowstar38]

"I'll need my suit so I can equip myself and since you found my weapons I guess you have a suit stashed around here somewhere."

"I concur. After what we've been through, a fresh set of clothing and a wash will probably make us feel better, and it will also make us look more professional whilst on the job."

Mantis rolled his chair back to the monitors and typed a few lines on his keyboard. Asection of the wall next to the boxes collapsed, revealing a seperate pathway.

"Bedrooms are on this floor. The showers are down below. This place will serve as your base. At least until we "commondeer" something more impressive"

The door Mantis had opened lead to some sort of common area. A simple row of seats sat in front of a computer console. A small hallway lead to tow adjacent bedrooms, 2 of them on the right side, and 4 beds in each. The closets in each room sported a wardrobe with clothes of various sizes for the array of guests that would take up residence their. Yet another hallway out of the common rook lead to a kitchen area. The stairs behind the computer console lead down to two sets of showers and toilets, each with their own closed off stalls. If not for the seperation, the bathing area would have a locker room feel to it.

 

[WhyBotherToTry]

Picking up his things, Calvin headed down to the common area and went into one of the bedrooms. Setting his belongings down on the bed, he went over to the wardrobe and had a look inside. After contemplating the myriad of clothes inside, he selected a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. Leaving them on the bed, he sat down and had a look around.

"Dormitories. It's like being back in school." Though he expected here he wouldn't be woken up at 3 in the morning because someone had flipped his mattress over with him still on it. He looked down at the floor and saw the muddy tops of his shoes and the filthy state of himself in general. Rising, and picking up his clean clothes, he proceeded down to the showers. He picked up a towel from a bench on the way in and left the clothes on it. After stepping into the shower and turning on the hot tap, four minutes of heaven followed.

After changing and depositing the dirty clothes in a bin just outside the shower area, he walked back up to the other level and went into the kitchen. Opening the fridge, he took out a bottle of water and drained it in a few gulps. Not seeing anything he was prepared to start cooking just yet, he took out a bar of chocolate and chewed it slowly as he waited for the others to arrive, playing with the ring on the chain about his neck as he did so.

 

[MortifiedPenguin]

"Kings can also move in any direction as well Oliver, albeit they are limited to but a single space per turn, in comparison to a Queen, who can move any number of spaces per turn in any direction. But I don't think many of us are Queen material, at least not yet." Caspian remarked.

He joined Caspian as he walked over to where their equipment was stored. Compared to the others who were all heavily armed all that was his box was a lone taser. He had modified it so it would shoot electrical charged rounds similar to a pistol. He found taking people alive to be more useful then killing them once they appeared to be a threat. You could get all kinds of information out of them.

"True, but I don't fancy being a pawn, plus once the king goes down it's game over, that would make Black the opposing king. Suits him really." He replied.

Once he got his taser back he headed down towards the bedroom to pick out some clean clothes. It was like the dormitories Jacob's men stayed in, it could be worse though, it could be a three by three cell. He was shocked when he glanced himself in the mirror of the wardrobe, he looked ragged. He was covered from head to toe in mud and only god knew what from the sewer. He quickly picked out some clothes from the wardrobe. A light grey suit - it didn't fit as well as his tailored ones but it would have to do, some shoes to match and a tie - black with embroidered red paisley.

He went down to the bathroom and had a shower, before that night he had never thought that a simple shower could be so refreshing. He dried himself, shaved, styled his hair and got dressed in the clothes he had picked.

He went back to the chamber Mantis was in, leaving his goggles on one of the beds.

"I'll play along for now, it'll be interesting to see who is checkmated first" He said to Mantis, keeping with the chess theme.