Actually, I was wrong. With this team I obviously can expect jobs just popping up for us by themselves, which is pretty neat! I mean, I do not know about the payment for this one yet, but I expect Discord will have negotiated a decent deal for us.
He got a call from his buddy Cheeks, who’s apparently the leader of the Iron Hounds, Discords old gang. They are missing people. So far five gang members have disappeared. No clue to where they have gone. It may be one of the other gangs in the area recruiting aggressively, but Cheeks wants to be damn sure about it before confronting them and risking a gang war.
All missing members are Orks. And I think Discord knows most, and likes at least some of them. So, sure thing that I am going to help him find out what happened. Romeo and 69 are in as well, so as usual Hunt0rKill0r69 picks us up and we are on our way to the Redmond Barrens. First destination: the home of a guy called Gorel (or something similar that hurts equally to pronounce).
In the car we quickly catch up about what went down last week. Hunt0rKill0r69 and Romeo succeeded at changing the owner of the Steel Lynx. Guess it is our Steel Lynx now!
Romeo also managed to somewhat tame his new weasel friend (69 thinks it’s actually a Marten, not a Weasel), and he named it Missile.
Discord did some research on Devil Rats. He insists that the rat spay I ordered after our last visit to the black-site is going to do shit about them. But it has to work! I mean it clearly says Devil Rat Spray on the label! Maybe I should get some gas grenades and fill them with it?
When they ask what I did all week I just so manage to stop myself from answering “Nathaniel.”, and instead briefly mention picking up my new armour, then change the topic to asking Discord about a crash course on the gangs that may or may not be responsible for disappearing his friends.
There are two gangs coming in question. The first one is Crimson Crush. They are located east of Tourist Ville. Seems they have started out as an armed militia that became big after the Matrix crash. Used to be only Orks, but now they also recruit some Trolls and Ork Posers. They are leading a war against Humanis. You know, this group of human assholes that think they are better than any other Meta humans. When they are not busy doing all of us the favour of decimating those bastards, they are also dealing with BTL.
The second gang are the Skraacha, who’s turf is the Ork Underground. They too are a kind of neighbourhood-watch type, picking fights with Anti-metahuman groups. Otherwise they do some smuggling stuff. And they do not keep with anyone who’s not an Ork. I am sure they will just love having Romeo and I sticking our noses into their business…
Both gangs are friendly competition to the Iron Hounds, and ideally we want it to stay that way.
To be honest, I don’t really know what Discords old gang is all about. And I also don’t get to ask before we arrive.
Gorel’s place turns out to be pretty fancy, given where we are. Spike and I didn’t live too far from here for a while, and we certainly did not have a door! And this apartment even has one that can be locked! We know, because it is. And the only one answering Discords knocking, and calling “Hey Gorel, it’s me, Discord!”, is a very old Chinese Lady living next door, telling him to shut the fuck up. She can’t remember having seen her neighbour most recently. But then she also complains about Discord constantly coming by and being loud and annoying, even so he swears he hasn’t been here in ages. Maybe we should not fully rely on the memory of an ancient Dwarf…
The next place we go to is the home of Snag - not Snack, I have been corrected. He was crushing together with another one of the five missing Orks. There’s absolutely nothing in their place. That’s much more like how I remember the Barrens.
That there isn’t even a mattress or a gas light standing around could mean that they packed up their things and left. But it could just as well mean nothing at all. There where places Spike and I stayed at, where we would also not have left our things unattended. And if we had done so anywhere around here for more than a day or two, people would have noticed and taken them.
Probably agreeing with this sentiment, Discord decides it is time to change tactics. He wants to go look for Petey. I haven’t seen the dude in like six years or so. When I first arrived in the Barrens the guy used to scare the shit out of me. He was already bloody old and wrinkly enough to look like a grey Shar-Pei those ten years ago. Always wandering the streets, suddenly appearing out of nowhere. Always mumbling to himself. I can’t say I have missed bumping into him unexpectedly when sneaking back to my squat at nightfall, trying not to draw anyone’s attention on me, just for him to start making a racket telling me something about drug dealing racoons, or fairy dances in the moonlight… I never really thought of him as a useful source of information. But then, who cares about the crazy old guy hanging around close by while you are doing your business? Discord might be on to something, thinking Petey might have seen something. Maybe a bottle of Whiskey and a cozy blanket will help his Neocortex alining two useful sentences in a row. Now we just need to find him!
Since Petey is constantly wandering around the Barrens, hanging out around them and waiting for him to find us might be the best way to do so. And while we are here, Discord suggests we can also have a look again at the black-site. He even has this idea that the rats may have kidnapped and eaten his friends, but I have my doubts. Why take some grown Orks when there are enough small children without a guardian or shelter in the streets… Still, it would be interesting to see if the rats are still there or not.
On the way to the black-site we buy a few grenades. Just to be safe. We don’t get any that I could fill with the Devil Rat Spray, but I have a bottle in my bag that I am taking with me. I also put explosives into my SMG, and we are bringing the Steel Lynx.
Shortly after entering the lower levels we hear the familiar squeaking in the darkness around us. So far the rats are keeping their distance, but the space between them and us seems to become less and less the further we go. As we reach the dome shaped eco chamber the rats are already lining it’s walls ahead of the entrance. There are at least 50 regular rodents, and six Devil Rats. I can feel their eyes on me, and I wonder what they think that we are. Hopefully not the food delivery.
But there aren’t any bodies, or bones, or any signs of them having dragged anyone down here for dinner. That’s something. Also, they are just standing there, not running, not attacking. Just squeaking amongst each other.
Romeo deems it a good idea to throw them a piece of the food that he keeps at hand for Missile. A small rat runs forward, takes it, and delivers it to one of the Devil Rats. It sniffs at it, still not taking it’s eyes off us, and then eats it. And the squeaking gets louder! Great job, Romeo. I hope you have brought enough food for the whole fucking punch, or we might end up being the consolation prize!
The squeaking becomes yet even louder. More agitated. Rats are standing up on their hind legs, reaching noses and whiskers towards the sky. And there, out of a ventilation shaft in the wall, come four more large Devil Rats, naked and ugly as hell. And in-between them, I swear I kid you not, is an even larger rat. This one is not naked. It is clad in black fur with dark purple patterns, and between its ears there are two horns!
I have seen enough. It is time to retreat!
The rats eyes are following us as we stumble backwards out of the room. Just as I am starting to turn around, out of the corner of my eye, I can see the horned rat shimmer and fade into the background. For a moment I expect it to reappear right in front of us, just as the Blood Spirit did, but luckily it does not. We get to leave. The rats keeping their eyes on us, but not attacking.
Now I need a Whiskey! Time to show the guys where I used to live here. No, not the places I hung out with Spike. The lost years better stay that way… I’m gonna show them the Whiskey At The Cross-Roads, Mrs McCoys old Pub.
Also, someone I know from back then may be there. And maybe they know what has happened to the missing Hounds. After all, the Redmond Barrens may be managed by gangs, but they are still reigned by the Mafia.
On the way Discord asks me with a conspicuous tone in his voice: “Hey Jace, is the Mafia by any chance making people disappear?”. “Probably”, I answer, “but most likely not yours.”
While I was hoping to find a familiar face having a drink at the Cross-Roads, I am quite surprised to find Miri there! I mean, I guess it makes sense, the Pub is still a hot spot for the Irish, even if it is no longer run by a McCoy. It was given to some other associate since none of Mrs McCoys heirs wanted to take over. Miri and her father were both busy with their Made Man things, her brother Jimmy went to Law School, and I think Miri’s mom is a wedding planner, or has a catering service, or something. At least some gig where she has access to fancy food leftovers. Miri used to bring me some of them sometimes, saying that I couldn’t live on Fish and Chips forever, and somehow not counting my argument that I was actually living on Hash Browns and Mushy Peas most days.
Well, and these days I’m happy when I am getting the honour of having a drink next to her, without being dropped like a hot plate on some Goth Girl, I guess.
“See what the rat dragged in! Hi Jace.”, is how she greets me, knowing fully well that I can’t stand hearing the word rat anywhere too close to my name. And that was already the case before meeting the creepy rat army that has taken over the black-site.
I tell Miri about the rat infestation, after all it isn’t too far from here, and she asks me what I am smoking. Luckily we have video footage. Even the horned rat and its sudden disappearance are on it. “Ha, that’s weird!”, is all Miri has to say to it, not exactly looking shaken by an army of magic rats having taken up residence in her neighbourhood. But at least she is willing to discuss the missing gang members with me now. Not that she knows anything about it. The Mafia is not missing anyone. Desertion seems plausible, but then at least their closest friends should know something about it. Maybe we could check in with them.
I buy Miri a drink and ask if she’s going to be at the Horizon later. All I get is a shrug and a “Maybe.”, so I decide to leave her alone for now.
Sipping our dinks, Discord, Romeo and I discuss our options. They have become… limited. Maybe we should just talk to the other gangs. What’s the worst that can happen?
Discord calls Cheeks and gets his okay. Romeo is quite eager on becoming the mediator between the different gangs. He is confident he can trick them into talking to him. Why should they not? After all he’s a smart kid from a good home with manners and all. And to think I was worried about what the rats might do to us…
So we called it a night and headed home. In the morning we will meet with the gangs. I’m sure it will be lots of fun.