Scavenger Hunt Part 3: Pimpbusters

As we drove to the Mall, Silvertongue said "I think someone left something in my jacket. You had better check yours as well." We checked and found a hi-ex grenade, a miniwelder with 15 minutes charge left, a few trauma patches and some spraycans of green paint. We decided to keep them, as they could be useful. Dove took the patches, Tinstar took the grenade and welder, and we all took a can each.

In time, we reached the Crime Mall. Usually, it's North America's largest and most bustling black market, sometimes it's a vacant wasteland (especially for a few days after Knight Errant come to visit). For the last several months it's been as busy as can be, offering up an assortment of stolen goods, "fell out a truck" discounts, second-rate but discreet street doc services, and all while putting a roof over the head of dozens, maybe even hundreds, of squatters.

Around the back, at what used to serve as the loading docks, is where Jimmy the Chin does his work. Or, rather, where his girls work, and he reaps the benefits. Known as a dwarven Golden Gloves boxer with delusions of mob grandeur, Jimmy lost his Mob connections to the Chicago bug spirits years ago.

The Chin was freelance muscle and enforcement for a while after all that, getting his whole extended family into the business. Right now, they're all semi-retired from the overt violence racket, deciding that it's easy to snatch pretty girls off the streets and make them do the hard work.

As we pulled around the ash-covered expanse of the Crime Mall parking lot, we spot him just inside a loading bay, in a black Actioneer suit, standing next to a space heater and a Bulldog Step-van. About a half-dozen girls hobble back and forth in front of him in spiked heels and very little else.

Another dwarf built just like Jimmy - all shoulders and no neck, squat and powerful - stood next to him, looking around and checking his watch while one of the girls is likely on the clock with a customer behind some "privacy" blankets hanging in the loading dock. The two dwarves have too much in common to not be related, so it looks like we've got two brawlers to deal with, one way or another.

We agreed that Tinstar would be in charge of planning our combat situations, and he said "We need to get the Gel Rounds out for this, and keep our distance. It's the best way to avoid killing any of the girls. I reckon that we can get the pimps in a surprise attack, and then use that van of theirs to drive the girls back to Tarislar."

Dove said "Don't forget the tag on their backs, and on the van to keep the odd punk or two off it."

Tinstar said to Dove "I like the cut of your jib, pal."

I thought he was making sense. A surprise attack, and then I could only imagine the look on their faces when they find that the girls are gone and that there's an Ancient tag on their backs.

Tinstar then said "Are we ready then? Let's flatten the bastards!"


Even with the dwarves' wired reflexes, we just floored them in a hail of Gel Rounds. In the process, Tinstar was floored with a single round, but his wired reflexes let him get up just enough to nail the Chin.

Dove went "Are you alright, Tinstar?!"

Tinstar said "I ain't spitting blood, so I'm not done yet. Hurry up with the magic, will ya?"

"In a minute. I have to do it old-school first and then use magic."

"Just hurry up."

As Dove quickly extracted the bullet from Tinstar, I went over to the dwarves and took their guns. Custom Morrissey Altas with ammo. No mods for dwarven hands means it's not surprising that they lost the gunfight. As I went round to the curtain to check if any of the girls were there, I saw that Dove was trying to heal Jimmy. As long as he doesn't actually wake him up, I don't care. When I opened the curtain, I saw a young elf girl on a king-size mattress.

I said "Are you Jenny?"

She nodded.

I told her "We're with the Ancients. We're getting you back home."

She jumped up and hugged me. I hugged her back, saying "Let's get you back home." Then I shouted "I've found Jenny!"

Tinstar shouted "Well, get her out here and into the Rover! I've put the other girls in the van, but it isn't riggable."

Looks like I have to drive the van and remote-control the Rover back...


A few minutes later, at the Daisy Chain...

As we got the girls back out, Jen just ran out out of the Rover and hugged Squire. Silvertongue said to Belial "That's one pimp who exploits children taken down. Now if you'll excuse us, we've got some more errands to run."

Belial then shouted "My Milessaratish just saved a child from sexual exploitation! Let's see you do better than that, Sting."

Sting dropped several troll horns on the floor, saying "Horns from the local Spikes. All dead, of course." Damn, that's going to be tough to beat.

As we ran back to the Rover, Dove said "So, who are we going to do next?"

Tinstar said "I think we should do those Humanis punks next, they're nearest. Any reason otherwise?"

We all shook our heads. Most of our team were human, but we all knew that Humanis gave them a bad name. Stealing a few hoods should do nicely for an objective...