Log:SERAF, Issue 6

SERAF 2011/07/10 	 Battery Chen Flyne One Man Army Wonder 1

It's a typical summer afternoon in Colonial Bay's Chinatown. Chen has arranged to meet Battery and chat over Dim Sum. The route to the restaurant takes Chen past a busy open air market. Outside of the normal bustle and crowd, a number of people have gathered around one stall in particular at the market.

Chen can't resist being nosey and seeing that is happening at the surrounded market stall. Especially as her grandfather has a stall in the market, so she has a reason as well as curiosity.

Chen starts pushing through the crowd getting into a position to see what is happening. On the way she halts briefly by the OMA clone and asks him, in Mandarin, to pass on a message to Battery that she might be a little late and apologies for the delay.

Flyne, on the other hand, is being the curious little alien it is. Flyne notices humans are doing something Flyne doesn't see too often, and decides to see /why/ the humans are crowded around this one area...

One Man Army replies in Mandarin: << I have better things to do than to deliver your messages... >> He lingers on the scene. It seems as though he's also interested in what's going on.

Chen nods to OMA as she moves on, "That's okay. I'll explain to Battery why she was kept waiting without any notice. I'm sure she'll understand you have more important things than saving her irritation."

The bystanders are gathered around an empty market stall. Some of them mention Old Man Li as being the owner of the stall. He's nowhere to be seen, and some of the shop wares in the have overturned. Dissipating smoke hangs in the air.

Chen rushes forward, shoving everyone in her way to the side, "Grandfather?" she calls out in concern. looking around, behind, under, the stall and upturned goods.

Amongst the items in the stall, there's an old-fashioned puzzle cube.

A bunch of humans gathered around an empty stall? Flyne doesn't seem to understand why everyone is gathered around the said stall, until Flyne sees Chen. The little alien takes it upon itself to get to Chen, via clinging and leaping if it needs to. "Hello." Flyne smiles, looking right at Chen, not even showing a hint that it notices Chen is a bit distressed.

Some of the bystanders chatter about what happened, though no one person seems to have the full picture. Some of them mention some kind of smoke bomb obscuring the stall, then Old Man Li being gone when the smoke cleared.

Chen swears, with great pungency and crudeness, in a mixture of Mandarin, English, and German, picking up the cube. She gives Flyne a nod but immediately turns to the crowd, "Who saw what happened here?" she demands.

"It all happened so quickly," one bystander says. "Maybe in the space of a few seconds. Suddenly there was a lot of smoke and when it cleared, Mr. Li was gone."

Another bystander says, "I think I saw something tossed into the stall before the smoke appeared."

Chen asks the second people, "Did you see who tossed it?"

A couple of people point in the direction they think it came from -- the ledge of a building overlooking the market square. But no one clearly saw who threw it.

Chen extends her neck to look closely at the ledge of the building, searching for any clues.

The little alien seems to understand now that something pretty bad has happened. Flyne is a bit startled when Chen extends her neck, though it gets over it rather quickly.

On top of the building with the ledge, another duplicate of One Man Army seems to be looking around for clues as well. There are some chips and scuffs in the stone and concrete of the ledge, but it's hard to determine what they mean.

Chen says to OMA, "It's the same people who abducted Quakezone who have taken my grandfather. If you saw anything or have spotted anything here please tell me. In this we now have a common purpose."

One Man Army, the one on the roof, replies. "Do we have a common purpose? If Silk Dragon had chosen our side in the war, this entire situation could have been avoided."

Chen says, "One Man Army, Silk Dragon is my biological mother. That's where the relationship ends. She sent me off to a monastry as soon as I was weened and I've seen her twice in all the years since then. I assume you want to rescue Quakezone? I want to rescue my grandfather. The same people, Next Generation, have taken them both."

Chen adds, "I get enough hassle from Pheonix for not being like my mother. Don't give me attitude because you think I'm too much like her."

One Man Army says, "We have people, too. We can handle this ourselves... Information is valuable. Why should I share, without anything in return?"

Chen nods, "You knew it was Next Generation? You know the snatch teams are being lead by a guy named Ribic? This," her arms extends to bring the cube up to the ledge, "is his calling card. Your people are like me, at home in this area and strangers in the rest of the country. I'm already helping to search for Quakezone. That's why they took my grandfather. The people I'm hellping are varied enough to go anywhere and fit in, and we have the FBI resources working with us. I'm not saying you should stop looking. But two teams have a better chance than one.

One Man Army says, "I'll pass on you message to Tim Lee. But for now, we will handle this ourselves." One Man Army turns and begins to head for the stairway down from the roof.

Chen retracts her arm and head. Opening the communicator she calls out on it, "This is Jian. My grandfather has been abducted by Rubic. Can I have a crime scene team here to check out the location? And someone who knows about explosives. Rubic left a present that might be boobytrapped.

Chen turns to Flyne, Can you go to the Dragon Palace and tell Battery I'm going to be late and why I'm delayed, please."

Flyne is refered to by name! "Flyne could, if Flyne knew where it was..." Flyne states quite quickly, a bit exicited at getting to do something. "Where is it?" Flyne asks Chen curiously.

Chen points to the big multi-floor building down the street, "It's there, Flyne.The biggest restaurant in Chinatown.

Flyne nods. "How will I know it's them?" Flyne asks, staying shifted into having its powerful legs and claws.

"Do you have something that smells like them?" Flyne asks, quite simply.

Chen says, "No. Try asking the people in there, Flyne. Battery is well known in Chinatown."

Flyne nods, and leaps off into trying to find the said person.

Soon afterwards, the FBI shows up in Chinatown, along with Miles Fuchs to investigate the crime scene.

Chen points out the ledge and asks if there is an explosives expert on hand to look at the cube.

Chen grabs it back. "No chance. This might be a clue". Jian inverts herself, forming a cocoon around the cube with her face on the inside. Then she opens up for long enough to steal a torch from an FBI toolbox before cocooning again. Using the torch to see what she is doing she twists the cube to a solution.

"Eek!" Flyne arrives in the lobby the restaurant. A female patron waiting for a table flinches and yelps at seeing him.

A waiter grabs a broom at approaches Flyne, intent on shooing it back out.

Flyne tilts its head at the waiter, and tries walking towards the waiter. "Flyne requires assistance." Flyne states quite simply, apparently not caring about the broom being pointed at it.

Meanwhile, inside Chen's cocoon, the Rubik's cube clicks open into two halfs revealing a holographic image. A six inch tall projection of Kubik appears. "If you want to see your grandfather again," the hologram says, "Go to the warehouse at the following address. Show up alone." Kubik's voice is computer modulated, as before. The address appears as part of the hologrm.

Chen thinks, "The message didn't say not to tell anyone. Probably an oversight but it leaves a loophole. Returning to normal shape she tells Miles what the message says and informs him she intends to go along with it.

Miles frowns. "What happens after they spring their trap?"

Chen shrugs, "What's the worst that could happen. They kill me, after which there's no reason to hold onto my grandfather. That works for me. Anything is better."

At the restaurant, the waiter starts to poke at Flyne with his broom, trying usher him towards the door.

Flyne...isn't sure what to make of this, Flyne clings to the broom. "Flyne is looking for someone named 'Battery', where does Flyne look?" Flyne asks, curiously, and obviously /not/ getting the message

Miles doesn't have a response for Chen's statement, other than quietly accepting it.

Chen adds, "Of course, while it said go alone and I intend to do that, having the heroes ready to jump in if needed could be useful."

Miles nods. "By the way, the marks are from some kind of grappling hook. Probably gas powered. We figure that Kubik threw down a smoke grenade, and under the cover of the smoke, grabbed your grandfather, and used to hook to get away in a hurry.

Chen nods and stores away that information in case it might be useful later. "Flyne has gone to explain to Battery why I'm late for the planned meeting with her. Sorry, I haven't managed to get anything useful yet.

No entry for 'waiter raises his broom to bring it down over Flyne's head. He stops, though, when a woman'.

The waiter raises his broom to bring it down over Flyne's head. He stops, though, when a woman approaches from the dining area, saying, in Mandarin, "Leave it be -- I'll handle from here..."

The woman is Chinese and in her thirties. She's dressed casually and she approaches Flyne. She smiles and asks, "You've come to speak with me?"

Flyne doesn't react /at all/ when the waiter looked like he'd hit it with the broom. After the Chinese Women appears and states as she does, Flyne nods to the woman. "Yes, I have. Chen wishes for me to inform you that she is going to be late, and why she is going to be late, this is, assuming you are Battery."

"That I am," the woman in the restaurant says. She crouches down in front of him. "And what is your name?"

Flyne realizes it used 'I' instead of 'Flyne' for a change..."Flyne's name is Flyne." Flyne states while looking curiously at the woman claiming to be Battery.

Battery nods. "I'm willing to wait up for her, and you are free to join me, Flyne. Why is she delayed?"

Miles asks Chen. "You have a communicator. Give us the word for when you need the cavalry to show up."

Chen nods, "I will. If it comes to that. My grandfather's safety is my first concern. But this has seriously angered me. I won't forget or forgive this."

"Her grandfather is missing." Flyne speaks, a bit of direness in its tone. "And she needs to deal with that I assume." Flyne sits down on the ground while still looking at Battery. "My species is different from humans in many ways, but not even we like to lose our own kind..."

Battery looks concerned. "Her grandfather is missing?" She rises up. "What happened?"

"Someone tossed something into his stall, a puff of smoke appeared, and he wasn't there when the smoke cleared. Flyne knows nothing else about it." Flyne states, in the same relitively dire tone as was used previously.

Battery nods, "Can you take me to her?"

Flyne nods to Battery. "Yes, I can." Flyne gets up, and looks toward the door it entered.