Back Alley Boogie

If Phase had been enraptured by RiderMan earlier, the moto-Navi's passionate speech turned her visage positively starry-eyed. "So...cool..." she breathed, stunned nearly speechless. She turned her twinkling eyes skyward, a wide, blushing grin overtaking her pretty mouth. She could've been thinking about just about anything, but for the moment, she wasn't saying anything. Even when RiderMan excused himself to see after their unconscious once-adversary, she let him go without a fight, daydreaming away.

Ever the honourable Navi, RiderMan started dragging Tough Goon out of the open road. The contact made the goon stir, groaning to life even as he was being bodily pulled off the road. "Whazzaa?" he mumbled, yellow eyes blinking into existence in the darkness of his visor. The moment they focused on RiderMan's cycloptic gaze, and he registered the quiet threat, he went utterly limp. "Like hell I'm moving, man," a shallow chuckle escaped his abused frame, "Ol' Cookie's skin tax ain't worth getting punted like a damn ColourBall. You can have her...so long as you know that Cookie's gonna be wondering where his fee went, heh heh..." Cryptic words finished, he slumped against the grimy storefront, sinking back into oblivion.

Yet one more noble deed under his belt, RiderMan returned to Phase, who happily took possession of one of his arms again. The unlikely couple made their way down the street, stopping in front of 'Rusty's'. A veritable colossus of a Navi, presumably the bouncer, leaned against the wall beside the door; he was resplendent in a dark, strangely angular suit, a white 'STAFF' badge standing out on his lapel. He didn't seem to have a head...or at least, if he did, it was obscured under the rusty bucket that sat, looking about as out of place atop the all-angles suit as Navi designs got. His body turned to face RiderMan and Phase, sizing them up for a moment...and the bouncer returned to his post, jerking a thumb at the door.

"Ooh, let's head in!" Phase, despite her complete lack of combat programs and slight frame, did a bang-up job of dragging RiderMan by his arm into Rusty's. The bar - more a pub, really, was actually quite pleasant on the inside, as compared to the slightly dingy exterior. Tables and booths were tucked against the walls, served by bucket-headed Mr. Progs, with the far side dominated by a long, burnished counter Most of the patrons were HeelNavis, as befitting the Backaways, with the odd NormalNavi or CustomNavi mixed in. A Navi clad in distinctly tarnished knight's armour, presumably the titular Rusty, poured drinks behind the bar, engaged in a lively-sounding chat with one of the HeelNavi patrons.

"WELCOME!" a Mr. Prog greeted RiderMan and Phase; the rusty bucket muffled the classically-deafening shout down to a more manageable level. "GRAB A SEAT ANYWHERE, I'LL BE RIGHT WITH YOU!" It scooted off, presumably to deal with another table, and Phase took to looking around the room. There were plenty of CustomNavis around, but none immediately identifiable by Calcinatio's description...

"There he is, there he is! WakeMaaaaaan~!!" Phase's voice rang out gleefully, causing a few heads to turn her way. She dashed across the room, skirting around Mr. Progs and sliding straight into the farthest booth, half-cast in shadow. A Navi resembling a young twenty-something sat, clad in red robes and gold plates that somehow meshed perfectly between mage and knight. A long staff of some sort rested with a giant shield against the wall. He looked up from his drink, towards the outburst...and was immediately tackled where he sat by an armful of excited schoolgirl.

...Well, it was good to know at least that Phase's surprise-hugs weren't completely focused on RiderMan. That, and he'd had a helpful aide in figuring out exactly where WakeMan had been sitting.

=Current Position=
Inside Rusty's - Objective Complete!
RiderMan was partially thankful the HeelNavi cooperated, but the fallen foe's quasi warning left the Navi with another item of concern. First he dealt with a professional jewel thief, now a kidnapper/program smuggler named "Ol' Cookie." He's been encountering a lot of undesirable characters for a new Navi. He left the HeelNavi behind and went back to Phase, rolling along calmly on the net floor. She took one of his hands and they both continued to the bar. They paused in front of the rather imposing giant of a bouncer, but the Navi somehow managed to look through his odd headgear and cleared the pair in.

Phase immediately made her way in, dragging RiderMan along with surprising ease. He eased up on the brakes on his lower wheels, which let him roll along with the schoolgirl-like Navi. He glanced around as they continued inside, taking in the pub-like atmosphere. While the establishment was quite active, the décor and atmosphere didn't set off too many mental alarms. There were mostly HeelNavi patrons, but they didn't appear to notice or care much about the pair, they were more focused on their drinks and/or each other. It seemed... kind of fun actually.

They were quickly greeted by a bucket-headed Prog; the bucket headgear appeared to be part of the standard "Rusty's" employee uniform. The Prog looked and sounded ridiculous with it, but it also gave off an oddly casual, benign charm. RiderMan nodded in acknowledgement after it advised them to sit wherever they wished. However, before RiderMan could pick out a place to sit, Phase had found their client. She dashed to the mage knight-themed Navi sitting in a booth off in the corner, and tackle-hugged him not a moment later. [[i]Well, that was easy enough.[/i]] he mused with a chuckle and rolled after her.

He weaved his way past the patrons to the booth, and stopped a couple feet away from WakeMan and Phase. If WakeMan didn't notice his approach, he would've attempted to get his attention by subtly clearing his throat. "You must be WakeMan, am I right? I'm RiderMan.EXE, Calcinatio sent me to meet you," RiderMan said, hopefully giving WakeMan just enough information to verify his identity and intentions. Phase would've likely vouched for him, but he couldn't be too careful. He kept the box still affixed to his back, choosing not to reveal it until WakeMan verified his own identity. Besides, he already had his hands full with Phase to receive his delivery.
As RiderMan approached the table and his eyes adjusted to the darkness, WakeMan's features came into sharp relief. Even as the young knight happily suffered Phase's affections, his motions and gestures towards her were slow and fatigued. Dark circles hung under the Navi's eyes, as though he hadn't rested in days, and his breathing was curiously shallow. Whatever the cause may have been, it was quite evident that he was significantly under the weather.

"So you're Cal's messenger?" the Navi breathed, voice raspy. He shimmied out of Phase's embrace and allowed her his arm to latch onto, and held out a hand to shake, smiling gently. "Lovely to meet you, RiderMan. WakeMan.EXE, at your service. I'm terribly sorry for asking you to come out all this way, but I..." his smile turned a bit rueful, "...well, I'm still not really fit to move about much. I hope you didn't run into any trouble on the way here?"

"Nope, nooo trouble at all!" Phase giggled, light-hearted as ever. "Well, I mean, I kinda got kidnapped and shoved in a smelly old sack on my way to try and find you because I really wanted to see you, but RiderMan totally kicked their butts. Literally! He kicked one of 'em, and they were all 'wha-BOOM!' and flew out of the alley, it was awesome!" She was momentarily interrupted by what sounded like some manner of commotion outside the pub; from their spot in the corner, one could see the hulking bouncer looming over somebody, unwilling to let them in.

Whether due to experience with Phase or sickness preventing a stronger reaction, WakeMan took the abridged string of events in stride. Much like an older brother, he smiled indulgently and lightly doinked Phase in the forehead, who turned her attentions back to the conversation and scrunched her face up at the tactile scolding. "Well, Phase, I'm very glad you're alright, and I am sorry I've not been able to visit much lately. Hopefully this new batch will get me back on my feet, hmm?" Phase perked up and nodded happily, and satisfied, he turned back to WakeMan. "You have my deepest thanks for taking care of her; I'll let Cal know what happened, and he'll compensate you for your troubles."

The knight looked as though about to say more, but was interrupted by a bout of heaving coughs that shook his entire body; with Phase right beside him to compare, RiderMan could see that for all his gentlemanly countenance and pleasant demeanor, WakeMan was quite slight of frame, not much taller than the schoolgirl holding his arm. Taking a series of deep breaths and clutching one arm in a white-knuckled grip, he gasped out, "I hate to be brusque, but you did bring the medicine, correct? I'm thinking that...oh dear."

WakeMan's attentions were temporarily diverted by the Navi from earlier, who'd managed to muscle past the bouncer and storm into the bar. The intruder, a tall, burly sort, was dressed sharp in a white suit, cloud of smoke from his fat cigar trailing behind him, his lapel bearing not a rose but an emblem of...was that a chocolate chip cookie? "Hey now, CookieMan, don't be causing any trouble here!" Rusty helpfully identified the newcomer from behind the bar, his tarnished armour clattering in dismay.

"H-Hey! W-Where d'ya think you get off, talkin' to B-Boss Cookie like that?" A HeelNavi stepped out from behind CookieMan to flank him; one looked identical to another, but this one's voice was awfully familiar. Phase, who'd previously been her usual animated self, went very still and pale; her grip on WakeMan's arm went from affectionate to frightened in the blink of an eye. Thankfully, sequestered off in the darkened back of the room, neither 'Cookie' or the HeelNavi had noticed them...yet. There was only one entrance into and out of the bar, and the two goons were, at the moment, blocking it; it would be up to RiderMan to figure a way out of what could very quickly become a rather large mess.
WakeMan looked worse for wear, which reminded RiderMan of his own NetOp. At least the Navi wasn't all banged up and bedridden like Chuck, but the dark circles under his eyes paired with his raspy voice and slow movements denoted the Navi's fatigue. RiderMan responded to his extended hand by extending his own. The tire of his wheeled appendage split into several slightly curved panels before they slid into position to form a full set of wide, flat fingers and thumb, which he used to shake WakeMan's hand firmly. RiderMan was about to respond and downplay the troubles he faced to get here, but Phase jumped in with her own, albeit accurate, retelling of what happened.

Her excited reconstruction of the events leading up to now was punctuated by some sort of commotion near the entrance, which momentarily grabbed RiderMan's attention. He glanced back, but he couldn't really see anything due to the massive bouncer blocking the door. He put the commotion on the back burner for later, and returned to the conversation as WakeMan thanked the Navi for rescuing Phase and making the delivery. He wanted to continue, but suffered a fit of worryingly unhealthy-sounding coughs, which prompted RiderMan to reach back with his right hand and pry the container off his back with a firm tug. The box popped free and he brought it back in front of him, then opened the simple hinged door with his left hand and pulled the package out. The metal box disappeared as RiderMan compacted the object file for storage, and he held the package out with his left hand.

He was about to pass off the medication to the ailing Navi, but unfortunately another serious variable entered the equation. Still holding the package out to WakeMan, RiderMan looked back to see a white-suited, cigar-smoking Navi, flanked by a HeelNavi. Then he heard Rusty call out the Navi's name, "CookieMan." The situation just became more serious, it was very likely the "Ol' Cookie" the punted HeelNavi mentioned, and the HeelNavi's confirmation sounded almost exactly like the HeelNavi that fled in the alley. He was going to alert Phase, but upon turning back to the pair, the look of terror on her face illustrated her awareness of the danger that had just arrived.

RiderMan lowered his body and his voice, though they hadn't yet been spotted, he knew his appearance would be instantly recognized by the HeelNavi. He addressed the pair quickly, "The med's are here, WakeMan, take them quickly. Phase, can you log out from here? I didn't notice any other exits." He looked around again, which confirmed his earlier observations. If he could get Phase out of the picture, both he and the Navi could log out without a trace... but then again, someone might blab and say they saw the pair interacting with WakeMan. He didn't know WakeMan's combat strength, nor how quickly the medication would take effect, so leaving the partially incapacitated Navi behind with two thugs wasn't a great idea either. Regardless, he had to get Phase out of sight, especially if the situation deteriorated into a bar brawl. "Charles, I might need some chips soon, get ready..." the Navi warned.

Chuck blinked as RiderMan addressed him, remembering this whole busting thing wasn't like a movie, he had to participate as well. He located the neat stack of chips on the small table next to his bed, and slowly grabbed them, though his stiff muscles protested nearly every movement. He laid them out on his blanketed lap for easy access, and blinked a few more times in an attempt to focus on what was about to transpire.
Phase bit her lip at RiderMan's suggestion, shrinking around her grip on WakeMan's arm. "But..." she glanced up at the ailing Navi with eyes like a sad puppy, "what if it's months before I see you again? Won't you...I don't know, need somebody to help you take your medicine, or calm you down? I could do that!" Her voice was quiet but forceful, as good a use of stage-whispering as any; CookieMan was looking around for the source of the whispering, but the darkened booth was giving them just enough cover to escape his cursory glancing.

"I'm sorry, Phase, but you know that's not a good idea. Vincent's going to be wondering where you are...and in the first place, I'm stuck here in the Backaways for the time being, and I'm...well, still not safe yet," WakeMan murmured back; Phase wilted at the rejection, but nodded glumly. Smiling apologetically, WakeMan turned back towards RiderMan, giving his fellow Fire Navi a grateful look and a small deferential bow as he received the package, popping it open without further adieu. A collection of glass vials rested within, each one corked shut and containing a bubbling, faintly glowing red concoction. A small square paper rested atop the bundle of medicine, looking rather like a prescription sheet. The recipient took the small paper and scanned it quickly, murmuring as he went. "Take one every 24 hours...regulate timing to ten minutes plus-minus scheduled time of administration...ensure patient is relaxed before administration. Well, at least Cal's learned from last time," WakeMan remarked, the dryness in his tone having nothing to do with the state of his throat. He closed the box back up and drew his cloak over it, spiriting the parcel away into some unseen inner pocket.

"WakeMan...I'm going to go. You're right, Vince will be worried about me...you'll be okay, right?" Phase's eyes were starting to water a little, the very picture of sisterly concern.

WakeMan turned in his seat and rested his hands on the schoolgirl's narrow shoulders. "Listen, Phase," he put on his very best big-brother voice, "I can't promise that I'll be fine, but I'm going to do my very best to beat this thing back, and the moment I'm better, we'll all get together at the lab and toast to my good health. Why, we could even roast marshmallows over Cal's head, what say you?"

This got the reaction WakeMan was looking for: a smile finally bloomed back over Phase's lips, and she giggled at the mental image. Unfortunately, the sudden noise pierced the dull murmur of voices like a needle to a bubble, and CookieMan and Jumpy immediately whirled around just in time to see the schoolgirl disappear into a turquoise datastream. "T-that was her, boss, the one Tough an' I was haulin'! And that guy there, that's the rat what stole her out from us an' put Tough's lights out!" Jumpy hollered, pointing a shaking finger of accusation square into RiderMan's green headlight-eye.

CookieMan stomped over, towering over RiderMan by a solid head and a bit. "So," he boomed around his cigar, folding his arms across his barrel chest, "you'd be the chump sticking his nose where it don't belong. You have any idea who you're dealing with? Eh?" The heavy veining in his brow, along with the bite to his tone suggested a very sour mood. "You're looking at CookieMan.EXE, commander of Cosa Nostra. If you haven't heard of us...well, we're the family that owns these parts, and right now? You're on our turf, buddy."

At the very least, neither WakeMan nor RiderMan seemed in immediate danger; rather than immediately commence a pummeling, the towering mafioso seemed content to wax on and on, stoking his temper hotter. "Now, I'm a busy Navi: orders to fill, books to keep, the whole shebang. And with so much stress, you can't blame a guy for needing to unwind every once in awhile...but when I get a word from my subordinate here that some damned Nosy Nancy's just kicked one of my boys into the dirt, and made off with my entertainment...well, I figured, time to remind the Backaways why a happy Cookie's a good Cookie."

The bar creaked as CookieMan's already tremendous height rocketed even farther up. Many of the patrons had already taken cover under tables or fled out the door, Rusty and his bouncer ducking behind the bar and...yelling into an old-fashioned telephone? All the while, Cookie, head now scraping the ceiling, loomed over the pair of Fire-types. "I got three lessons I'm gonna beat into you, kid," he growled with a voice like scraping gravel. "Rule #1: don't mess with my boys. Rule #2: don't mess with my skin tax. And Rule #3...MIND YER OWN DAMNED BUSINESS!" he suddenly roared, splintering the hardwood flooring with a stomp like a thunderclap.

WakeMan had stood up, shield and staff in hand, but he was quite clearly leaning on the strange cup-topped stick for support, and his breath was even more ragged in the face of the current threat. Calcinatio's warning rang clear just from looking at him, ...he can't exert himself that much, or...well, bad things happen...if things do start getting all pear-shaped for whatever reason, try to keep him away from the conflict?" It was unknown as of yet just what he meant by 'bad things', but with CookieMan bearing down on the two, fists already rising in preparation for a crushing blow, could RiderMan really afford any more bad things?

=Cosa Nostra=
CookieMan.EXE: 500HP [Berserker: 0/5]
Jumpy Goon: 90HP

=Rusty's= [All behind Bar Counter]
Rusty: 200HP [On the phone??]
Bucket: 100HP

=Objects=
Bar Counter: 100HP [IronBody]

=Terrain=
100% Normal

=Burning Fighters=
RiderMan: 155HP [FirstArmour: 10HP]
WakeMan: 250HP [Stress level: yellow] [Slow]

=Special=

Berserker: CookieMan's rage will increase every time an attack is landed on him, granting him higher attack and AoE damage ranges but lower accuracy. The higher the number gets, the greater the chance he will ignore his chosen targets (RiderMan and WakeMan) and simply attack whoever's closest.

Stress: the more mental stress WakeMan undergoes, the more his infection will spread; the closer to red, the more danger he's in. If it hits red...as Cal said, 'bad things happen'.

Non-fixed combat: Similar to the alleyway brawl with Tough and Jumpy, actions do not have to exclusively be spent fighting; RiderMan and WakeMan can leave Rusty's if they so choose. However, keep in mind WakeMan cannot move very fast on his own, and tires easily.
Though Phase protested RiderMan's idea to log out, thankfully WakeMan supported the plan as well. Their brother/sister-like conversation remained quiet enough to avoid the ears of the intruders, but RiderMan was able to hear every detail. WakeMan reassured Phase, though she was still resisting the idea of leaving. RiderMan kept calm, but occasionally glanced back to keep a good idea of what was going on near the bar while he tried his best to listen to both conversations.

"I'm...well, still not safe yet." This piqued his interest; not safe due to his 'illness'? Or did the medicine do more than just prevent him from feeling, and looking, like crap? As WakeMan read the prescription aloud to himself, his suspicions were further heightened. Apparently he needed to be calm to take the medicine, something which he alluded didn't occur exactly right next time. Cal's warning of 'bad things' happening if he were to be drawn into conflict also went through his head. He had to continue to buy them time, especially so Phase could safely leave.

WakeMan picked up the girl's spirits and convinced her to log out, but unfortunately they were spotted just as Phase disappeared. [[i]Now things get interesting...[/i]] RiderMan mused as he turned to face the pair. He elected not to assume a fighting pose just yet, instead he crossed his arms and glared back at his accusers with a bright green glow from his visor. However, his engine kicked on with a breathy snarl, kicking out hot air from his exhaust pipes. The sound quickly lowered to an idling purr, but with a hair-trigger throttle, he'd get catapulted into battle in the blink of an eye. He rolled in front of WakeMan, meeting the suited Navi. Chuck watched on, though he was in no danger whatsoever, he could literally hear his heart rate rising thanks to the increasing beeps of the EKG next to his bed.

The Navi was easily a foot taller than RiderMan, who assumed a similar pose before he introduced himself. [[i]A gangster, hm? Now I'm involved with another criminal 'kingpin,' but if his goons were that easy to punish, maybe I can deal with him here and now,[/i]] RiderMan calculated, choosing not to introduce himself. He could always fall back on his new alias, "RevvMan," but he preferred to conclude this altercation without it. CookieMan's continued pontificating gave RiderMan time to formulate a strategy while only partially listening, understanding the "cliffnotes" version of his ranting attempt to intimidate the Navi. However, his rapidly increasing size did speak louder than his words, and deserved more of RiderMan's attention. If he had a full compliment of chips he wouldn't have too much trouble bringing him down, but his arsenal was quite scant. His final words were more like a battle cry, almost causing RiderMan to lean back from the force of his bellowing voice. He could respond to his aggression with some of his own, but it looked as if the cramped quarters wouldn't mean much to CookieMan's brute force, plus those who didn't flee were now in danger of getting caught in the mix. RiderMan elected to attempt to diffuse the situation, or at least stall until the situation became more advantageous to him.

RiderMan shifted his stance a bit, looking more relaxed and less rigid. "I know the feeling, Mr. CookieMan. Business can be quite taxing on businessmen like ourselves," he started, trying to form a rapport with the Navi. "Now I apologize for coming on to your turf, I didn't realize it was under your management. I was scouting for an area to start a new branch of my line of high-performance vehicle programs. I couldn't help but hear the tell-tale sound of a custom exhaust on the vehicle your associates used to pick up your 'delivery,' so my interest was piqued." RiderMan continued, keeping a calm, but confident voice as he looked up at CookieMan. He was trying to buy time for WakeMan to take his meds and or get out of the area, hopefully he had the awareness to pick up on the plan.

RiderMan rolled slightly, as if he were pacing as he explained the situation, as well as showing off the polished hardware to hopefully strengthen his story of being in vehicle program sales. "I thought maybe there was another vehicle shop in the area, to which your associates were headed, so I followed to see if I would have competition. When it was made aware to me said delivery was a Navi, I couldn't help myself. I'm a sucker for the "damsel in distress" routine, was hoping to possibly get a new 'assistant,' if you know what I mean," He said with a chuckle. "And I must say you've got good taste, she was a cute one. I tried to get her number, but she elected to give me a rain check." RiderMan shrugged. Hopefully he wasn't yet getting smacked and/or stomped, and started to shift to phase two of his plan: move the issue outside, hopefully where less folks can get hurt (and backup could more easily locate them).

RiderMan gestured towards the door as he spoke. "I know I stepped on some toes, and I plan to give compensation for it. I think I could offer something that could sate your appetite, but I'd prefer we discuss the terms of our agreement outside; don't want the cops or anyone else getting wind of this. What do ya say? RiderMan hoped CookieMan or Jumpy would've noticed Rusty and Bucket attempting to call someone, which likely meant they were requesting someone break up the conflict, which could be Rusty's allies, the NetPolice, or even more dangerous folks. He made no mention of WakeMan, and didn't even look his way as he attempted to guide both CookieMan and Jumpy towards the exit.


ACTIONS:
Attempt to diffuse situation
Guide CookieMan and Jumpy Goon out of the building
The situation looked decidedly ugly, with Cookie's raging temper and boxing glove-sized fists bearing down on RiderMan, and the whole bar thrown into a panic. Rusty, over in the corner with his phone, had seen enough barfights start under his roof that he was expecting a full-on brawl to break out the moment someone decided to move...and yet, nothing happened. Hearing no signs of his furniture being demolished by an angry mobster, he cautiously paused his call to peek out over the bar, and beheld CookieMan frozen in place, with the candy cane-red Navi before him doing an artisan's job of talking his way out of it. Sighing in relief that he wasn't in quite so immediate danger, he returned to his call, "...yes, Mr. Naberius, he's just at my place...yes, that would be fantastic, so sorry to trouble you...yes, you have a good day yourself, take care."

On the other side of the room, CookieMan's prepared hammer-blow was ever-so-slowly withdrawing, hands falling back to rest at his sides. He bent double, beady eyes peering into RiderMan's cycloptic gaze. "...Business, you say?" The professional racketeer may have loved his young lady-Navis, but nothing quite enticed him so thoroughly as the chance of making a new contract or ten. "Well, why didn't you say something in the first place? You're talkin' to the right man!" his size showed no signs of decreasing, but the mafioso looked downright jovial now in comparison to the menacing brute he'd been not thirty seconds ago. "I'm head of Protections 'round these parts, you see. It can be a bit...well, rough as it were, running a business in Netopia Net; lots of competing business, lots of competing families...you know how it is." The yarn was being spun, and CookieMan was right into the prospect of a deal.

"Uhh...B-Boss, what about the girl? Wasn't you just sayin' you've been wanting a s-schoolgirl for ages now?" Jumpy Goon interjected, glancing between the two would-be businessmen with a look of ultimate confusion. "You...what're you doin', just gettin' all c-chummy with this candy-ass?"

"Pipe down, Jumpy, adults are talking," Cookie dismissed his underling with a wave, silencing the HeelNavi for the moment. "Anyway, as I was saying," he continued, letting RiderMan steer him towards the exit, "most businesses in our territory enjoy having us around, as it were. For just a little skimming off your profits - and make no mistake, let us lend a hand and there will be profits galore! - we offer our protection and our services in getting your name out there. Those are some pretty slick wheels you got there, buddy, whaddaya say we work together on getting your rides out and available to the masses? You could change things 'round here, make the Backaways accessible with our help!"

"Boss, l-lay off it, didn't you see w-what Red over here did to T-Toughie? A-a-ain't we more important than one more s-stinkin' deal?" Jumpy's stutter was getting worse; he looked about one second away from drawing his buster and opening fire just to get things moving.

Happily, his boss saved him the trouble...though not towards the target Jumpy might've preferred. "Aww, put a damned sock in it, you jagoff!" Cookie roared, and took a massive swing at his own underling with the back of his oversized hand.

It was at this point that things began going straight to hell.

Jumpy Goon, as befitting his position as a consummate underling, was Team-type, and the moment it looked as though his boss would be getting into combat, he'd made his Team-bond to give Cookie the extra help. Had Cookie been aware of this, he may have refrained from the vicious backhand. As it was, Jumpy went flying across the room, and the snappy-dressed titan went flying the exact opposite direction. Each Navi smashed into their own separate wall, Jumpy picked himself up with a groan of, "Oh no...oh no..." He didn't exactly sound hurt, at least not badly; if anything, he sounded more afraid.

"YOU!" The shout almost shook the walls with the force put behind it; CookieMan stood up, and somehow, he looked even madder than he had originally. "You gonna tell me what that was about? HUH? ARE YA, YOU LITTLE..." he descended into unintelligible growling at this point, advancing across the room towards Jumpy.

The little HeelNavi panicked, and did his best to skitter out of reach of the berserker's reaching hands, ducking under tables as he went. As he went, WakeMan did his best to edge across the room, moving slowly so as not to attract attention. "S-shall we go?" he whispered to RiderMan with a gesture towards the door, voice shaky with exertion and stress. "They...they appear to be pre-occupied for now. Hopefully they...stay like that, mm?"

=Cosa Nostra=
CookieMan.EXE: 480HP [Berserker: 1/5]
Jumpy Goon: 70HP

=Rusty's= [All behind Bar Counter]
Rusty: 200HP [Finished phone call]
Bucket: 100HP

=Objects=
Bar Counter: 100HP [IronBody]

=Terrain=
100% Normal

=Burning Fighters=
RiderMan: 155HP [FirstArmour: 10HP]
WakeMan: 250HP [Stress level: yellow] [Slow]

=Special=

Berserker: CookieMan's rage will increase every time an attack is landed on him, granting him higher attack and AoE damage ranges but lower accuracy. The higher the number gets, the greater the chance he will ignore his chosen target(s), and simply attack whoever's closest.

Stress: the more mental stress WakeMan undergoes, the more his infection will spread; the closer to red, the more danger he's in. If it hits red...as Cal said, 'bad things happen'.

Non-fixed combat: Similar to the alleyway brawl with Tough and Jumpy, actions do not have to exclusively be spent fighting; RiderMan and WakeMan can leave Rusty's if they so choose. However, keep in mind WakeMan cannot move very fast on his own, and tires easily.
Thankfully RiderMan's ruse seemed to believable enough to divert CookieMan's attention and ease his temper. Though the hulking Navi didn't shrink back down to his previous stature, his mood swung quickly from rage to an almost jolly demeanor. [[i]Guess I got his attention,[/i]] RiderMan thought to himself, mostly thankful he temporarily avoided a brawl in the rapidly emptying bar. He continued to look up at the Navi as he started to bring up a whole new business-themed monologue like he and RiderMan were old pals talking shop, even so much as to shun Jumpy's protests. He explained his position as "Head of Protections;" he would provide protection for business... for a fee. RiderMan nodded as he explained, though is mind was starting to fume with a rising distaste for the Navi. [[i]"Protection?" Sounds like extortion to me, I bet his "bill" gets steeper every time payment comes due.[/i]]

CookieMan offered his services to help kick start RiderMan's fictional business venture here in the Backaways, which only elicited further complaining from Jumpy. Though his stuttering voice was becoming gradually more grating on the ears, it stalled/derailed the conversation enough to prevent CookieMan from pressing a response from RiderMan. Better yet, for RiderMan anyway, CookieMan's previously pent up frustration was taken out on the pestering lackey with a large, sweeping backhand strike. RiderMan fully expected Jumpy's elastic response to the impact, but much to his surprise CookieMan went rocketing off in the other direction. RiderMan was left mostly by himself near the bar, with a goon imbedded in either wall. He looked left, then right at his thoroughly bashed opponents, with his head slightly canted to the side. "Uh..." he muttered in a slightly less than intelligent manner.

Though the impact and result were significant, it they didn't succeed in incapacitating either Navi. Jumpy groaned in a mixture of fatigue and dread, while CookieMan bellowed out with a newly rekindled rage, seemingly more intense than a minute or so prior. Thankfully the target of his aggression was still Jumpy, and he seemed to be out for blood... or whatever the Navi equivalent was. Jumpy unsurprisingly started to panic and scurry under tables in a likely futile attempt to evade his enraged boss. A whisper from a familiarly fatigued voice shifted RiderMan's attention. It was WakeMan, and he wisely used the opportunity to attempt an escape. They likely wouldn't find a better chance to duck out of the bar to relative safety. RiderMan didn't turn back to WakeMan, mostly to not draw attention to the ailing Navi as he whispered back "Definitely. Go, I'll be right behind you."

He gave WakeMan a few moments to make his way out, still focusing on CookieMan and Jumpy, in case their imminent clash sent projectiles their way. If he had to, he would raise his arm and fold out a large rectangular shield from his outward-facing wheel hub of a hand. A series of red rectangular panels would flip and slide out quickly to provide a protective surface with which to deflect potential attacks and/or flying debris. However, he didn't plan to wait long, and turned back towards the exit and WakeMan. If the Navi hadn't yet made his way to the exit, RiderMan would've quickly rolled up to his side and pulled WakeMan's left arm over his shoulder and hooked his right arm under the Navi's right armpit. "Gotta move," RiderMan advised as he tried to share some of the load and pull WakeMan along. If anything, the Navi would've been able to jog or hop along. RiderMan didn't want to fully carry WakeMan due to his assortment of carried items for fear he'd drop something important, but if it meant getting caught by the furious CookieMan or not, he'd throw the ailing Navi over his shoulders or grab him by the back of his collar and drag him out.


ACTIONS:
1. Attempt to block/intercept potential projectiles directed against WakeMan (Rider Shield (1-hit shield + 1TCD))
2. Escape Rusty's
3. Carry WakeMan along, if required
WakeMan did his best to hurry his pace; the staccato beat of his staff thumping against the hardwood floors was louder than was perhaps strictly necessary, but the Navi was trading subtlety for speed. Unfortunately, he still wasn't terribly quick about his exodus, and so it was that he gratefully accepted his newfound companion's assistance. He wrapped his left arm around RiderMan for extra support, giving an apologetic smile as they went. "Terribly sorry to trouble you so, RiderMan, but thank you all the same," he murmured, turning back towards the entrance to keep an eye on the battle. His eyes widened, and an adrenaline burst gave him just enough strength to give RiderMan a shove away from the entrance, into the alley. "Look out!" the knight cried, bringing his massive buckler up to face whatever he'd seen.

The danger in question exploded out of Rusty's entrance, taking out the handsome wooden frame and a great deal of the adjacent wall in its exit. RiderMan had been shoved just far enough out of harm's way that the massive...whatever-it-was whistled past him, but WakeMan was utterly bowled over, shield proving little help against so much mass and momentum. Both he and projectile went crashing into the wall opposite Rusty's; as the dust settled, RiderMan could see his comrade struggling to free himself from the remnants of what looked like most of Rusty's bar counter. The knight's face was affixed in a state of panic, eyes dilated, grabbing both at the heavy entrapment, and his own side; it could have been the fold of the cloth, but something under the cloth and armour plates seemed to be moving.

WakeMan's crisis was interrupted by yet another projectile crashing through the wall. The now-familiar goon, severely battered and charred, bounced off the alley wall and came to a groaning halt on the dirty ground. His adversary followed suit, stepping through the sizable hole in Rusty's wall; CookieMan's suit had a couple of blackened holes scorched into it, most likely from the buster on Jumpy's hand, and the colossus' face was frozen into a rictus of rage, veins pulsing in his forehead. "WAN' SUMMORE?" he ground out through his clenched teeth. Out of sheer destructive impulse, his fist lashed out offhand and brought down the rest of the wall with...an explosion. Somehow, he was so angry, his fists made things explode; that couldn't be good.

His massive paw wrapped around Jumpy, picking him off the ground as easily as though he were hefting a baseball. For all WakeMan's struggling, the first thing the berserker's red-tinted vision saw was RiderMan's candy-apple paint job, bright and noticeable as a painted target. With a roar, CookieMan sent his subordinate sailing down the alley, with the moto-Navi just managing to catch him against his Rider Shield. The sudden explosion upon contact was...unexpected, to say the least, and brought Jumpy right down to his Undershirt; the hapless goon slid off the shield and, after crawling a ways, curled into a ball and tried to play dead.

Jumpy Goon was out of commission. Rusty had managed to get his phone call off, but the bar was too wrecked for his well-being to be certain. WakeMan was pinned and, be it of Cookie or his unknown affliction, very, very afraid. Only RiderMan was left standing in the shadow of the colossus - could he last until the mysterious 'Mr. Naberius' showed up?

=Cosa Nostra=
CookieMan.EXE: 440HP [Berserker: 3/5]
Jumpy Goon: 1HP

=Objects=
Bar Counter: 20HP [IronBody] [Embedded in wall opposite Rusty's]

=Terrain=
100% Normal

=Burning Fighters=
RiderMan: 155HP [FirstArmour: 10HP] [Rider Shield Broken!]
WakeMan: 250HP [Stress level: orange] [Pinned by Bar Counter!]

=Special=

Berserker: CookieMan's rage will increase every time an attack is landed on him, granting him higher attack and AoE damage ranges but lower accuracy. The higher the number gets, the greater the chance he will ignore his chosen target(s), and simply attack whoever's closest.

Stress: the more mental stress WakeMan undergoes, the more his infection will spread; the closer to red, the more danger he's in. If it hits red...as Cal said, 'bad things happen'.

Non-fixed combat: Similar to the alleyway brawl with Tough and Jumpy, actions do not have to exclusively be spent fighting; RiderMan and WakeMan can leave Rusty's if they so choose. However, keep in mind WakeMan cannot move very fast on his own, and tires easily.
Thankfully WakeMan didn't protest to the the help, in fact, he thanked the Navi for the assist. However, before RiderMan could respond, WakeMan cried out in alarm and abruptly pushed the wheeled Navi to the side. Even with his sizable shield raised, he was bulldozed into the opposite wall, and subsequently pinned by the large, heavy bar that was thrown at him. RiderMan waded through the settling dust to his comrade, and saw he was wedged against the wall by the bar, and he was understandably looking worse for wear. The look on his face seemed to be a disturbing mix of cornered animal and imminent heart attack, and RiderMan could see some bizarre movement coming beneath his armor and robes. Was it a symptom of his condition? Regardless, it wasn't good.

He planned to free the Navi, but yet another projectile came from the freshly made hole in the side of Rusty's establishment. Thankfully the projectile was Jumpy, and he bounced off the wall several feet away. However, the enraged Cookie stepped out of the hole and stomped his way towards the opposite wall... before destroying the entirety of the bar's wall with an impossibly explosive punch. At least his target was still the thoroughly tenderized HeelNavi. There didn't seem to be any use trying to talk the suited Navi down, he was acting more like an enraged bull than a Navi. Thanks to CookieMan throwing the HeelNavi specifically at RiderMan, the wheeled Navi could accurately assume CookieMan would attack just about anybody right about now, even a "future business partner." The HeelNavi bounced off RiderMan's shield, while the impact destroyed the protective plating over his arm, RiderMan himself was undamaged.

First order of business: free Wakeman. Second: somehow delay or stall CookieMan long enough to allow WakeMan to escape. "Charles, please slot in the SolarShield chip," he requested. Chuck flinched as he heard his name called out, he was a bit lost in the moment, enthralled by the events that happened in front of him. It felt like an action movie, but this one required his interaction. He nodded and reached over to retrieve the chips, and started to slot the requested one through the PET. WakeMan didn't appear to be tangled up in the bar, just pinned, so some accurately applied force could remove the counter. He glanced back at CookieMan to confirm his position. With the backup incoming, RiderMan kicked it into gear. His engine revved up to an angry howl, licks of orange flame popped and flashed from the ends of his exhaust pipes, his tires chirped as they tried to grip the floor and move RiderMan to a good position at WakeMan's side. He chose a spot with the most surface area of the bar counter to work with, facing directly towards CookieMan. If he didn't have enough room to wind up a kick, he would start off to the side of the bar, and execute a sharp turn to sweep his right leg forward, and kick the bar with full force.

With any luck, he would launch the bar up and away from the wall and WakeMan, towards CookieMan if his aim was true, and the bar counter didn't break apart or assume an odd spin in the air. He looked back down at WakeMan, to assess his situation as he activated the uploaded chip. A series of metal frames slid out from the hub of his left hand, then folded outwards, drawing a sheet of gold foil-like material into a rectangular shield. Though seemingly wafer thin, the shield could nullify a significant hit, and even respond with a blast of its own. "Can you stand?" RiderMan inquired as he extended his right wheel towards the Navi. The tire fragmented and folded out into a set of outstretched fingers, ready to grab hold of WakeMan's hand and hoist the Navi back to his feet. He had to evaluate if WakeMan could even stand or move, as that would mean the difference between drawing off CookieMan's attention so WakeMan could duck out unseen, or drag the Navi to safety.


ACTIONS:
1. Slide Tackle: Bar Counter to CookieMan (Movement + Microburst + 2TCD)
2. SolarShield: RiderMan.EXE (1 Hit Shield) + (Counter Fire/Elec (50 Fire Shot + Piercing + Solar Boost): On-Hit)
3. Get WakeMan up to his feet, if possible
<(So, so sorry for the wait.)>

The stage was set: CookieMan, stomping down the trashed alley, snorting and growling like an enraged bull about to charge. In his path stood RiderMan, meeting the whites of Cookie's eyes with his emerald gaze without giving a centimeter. Rather, the mechanical cyclops exploded into motion with a howl of brassy engines, wheels chirping against the virtual asphalt before catapulting him forward. His leg lashed out, and with a spectacular shriek of metal-on-stone, the entire bar counter came free. As it sailed towards the be-suited giant, WakeMan collapsed to the ground with a small groan; the shield-mage curled beneath his shield, wrapped his arms around himself, and went as still as possible...save the uncanny squirming beneath his kit.

CookieMan had just enough time to bellow his alarm before Rusty's counter careened into him. For a single, cartoon-like instance, the giant's tremendous bulk resisted the momentum behind RiderMan's kick, sliding back as he attempted to throw the projectile off-course. However, the Slide Tackle was not to be denied, and just as with his subordinate earlier, CookieMan was thrown into the air. It was only thanks to his size that he wasn't pinballed around as Tough Goon had suffered; instead, he bounced off the wall once, fell to the ground, and was immediately flattened by the counter landing on him. To add insult to injury, a single brick was cracked out of Rusty's much-abused back wall, shattering against the back of the prone Navi's head.

This was, to turn a phrase, the straw that broke the camel's back. With a scream that no longer sounded remotely human, CookieMan flung the bar off him as though it were made of paper mache; the colossal explosion that sounded off at the poor thing's collision was too much for the furniture-come-projectile, and at last Rusty's bar was put out of its misery. This, as it stood, was the least of RiderMan and WakeMan's worries; while RiderMan pulled his ill compatriot to his feet, their foe was bellowing and roaring up a storm. His blackened, tarnished suit ripped at the seams as he began growing once more, muscles tearing the fabric asunder until all that remained of the outfit was a pair of tattered white trousers, and the remnants of a cookie-patterned tie. Undaunted, RiderMan readied a SolarShield, and prepared himself for the worst.

CookieMan, now big enough to practically block the alley wall-to-wall, started a headlong charge down the alley, moving far quicker than was fair for a Navi his size. Before RiderMan knew it, he was very literally in the shadow of the colossus, with his sized-up foe raising high a fist half the size of the moto-Navi himself. Armed with both a FirstArmour and a SolarShield, one could have placed good odds on him weathering the attack. Sadly, t'was not to be: the hammer-blow blew right past RiderMan's defenses like they weren't even there, driving him into the ground with a colossal explosion. The SolarShield, reacting to the intense light of the blast front, sent a searing ray of light directly into Cookie's face before expiring; angered beyond reason, the titan barely flinched, at both the SolarShield's kickback and his own close-range explosion, pulling his now-blackened arm back...

...and punching his other, equally-massive fist forward.

Though a near thing, WakeMan managed to activate a Shield NCP just in time for the blast front, stretching the area of effect over his oversized buckler and reinforcing it with his natural affinity to defence. He weathered the blast with a grunt of exertion, and lowered his spent shield once the flash of light died down...only to be utterly blindsided by the second explosion. The first blast's intent had been to pierce defences, and had done so with aplomb. This one was simply meant to punish, and so it was that Riderman and WakeMan were assaulted with yet another punch-based explosion. The mage-knight groaned with pain, and promptly collapsed to his hands and knees, panting heavily and shaking visibly; whatever was beneath his robes, it was taking its toll even more-so now.

It was, all in all, not the best day to be RiderMan. Before him stood the mad berserker CookieMan, both arms blackened and smoking, and the colossus was so far-gone as to be unfazed by the trauma his own punches were causing him. And behind was WakeMan, frayed to the last straw and practically sobbing with the effort of keeping the whatever-it-was contained. His back was beginning to swell up as though he were hunchbacked, pulsing visibly beneath his cloak. The situation seemed bleak...and all of a sudden, as though enough hadn't happened already, a long shadow slid into the picture, looming from the entrance of the alley. A dark figure, too far away and too wreathed in shadow to be seen, appeared as though out of nowhere; had RiderMan's heroic last stand been interrupted? Who was this newcomer?

=Cosa Nostra=
CookieMan.EXE: 290HP [Berserker: 5/5]
Jumpy Goon: 1HP

=???=
Mysterious Stranger: ???HP

=Objects=
Bar Counter: Rest In Pieces

=Terrain=
100% Normal

=Burning Fighters=
RiderMan: 60HP [FirstArmour Broken!] [SolarShield1 Broken!]
WakeMan: 200HP [Stress level: orange-red] [DANGER, WILL ROBINSON.] [Shield Broken!]

=Special=

Berserker: CookieMan's rage will increase every time an attack is landed on him, granting him higher attack and AoE damage ranges but lower accuracy. The higher the number gets, the greater the chance he will ignore his chosen target(s), and simply attack whoever's closest.

Stress: the more mental stress WakeMan undergoes, the more his infection will spread; the closer to red, the more danger he's in. If it hits red...as Cal said, 'bad things happen'.

Non-fixed combat: Similar to the alleyway brawl with Tough and Jumpy, actions do not have to exclusively be spent fighting; RiderMan and WakeMan can leave Rusty's if they so choose. However, keep in mind WakeMan cannot move very fast on his own, and tires easily.

[SAVE GAME?]
Though his strategy to kick the bar away worked just as well as he would've liked, the ultimate result was simply a much more enraged CookieMan. The hulking Navi's anger seemed to not only twist him into a hulking colossus compared to his normal form, but also increased his strength to a near incredible degree. His fists literally punched through his defenses like wet paper, and the resulting explosions bashed RiderMan against the back wall. Unfortunately WakeMan was caught in the blasts as well, even his large shield didn't seem to do much to protect the pair from the onslaught of punches.

It was very apparent to him he needed to get WakeMan out of there, fast. There was no way he could out-muscle the giant, enraged Navi, especially when WakeMan seemed to be on the verge of hulking out as well. The Navi's cloak pulsated and rippled, as if it were failing to contain something, definitely a bad sign. "Charles, I could use a FireArm chip!" he called out as he quickly kneeled down before he attempted to pull the Navi up over his shoulders, with WakeMan's right arm slung over RiderMan's left shoulder, and his right leg over the moto-themed Navi's left shoulder in a "fireman's carry"-style position. Chuck struggled to keep his right hand from shaking as he picked the chip from the small pile on his lap, then slotted it into the PET.

With the chip uploaded, and hopefully with WakeMan securely draped over his shoulders, RiderMan's right tire panels folded out of the way of a perforated nozzle of sorts. RiderMan looked at CookieMan, then also caught a figure slip out of nowhere to their side at the entrance of the alleyway. If there was a path out in the opposite direction, that would be the preferred route, but if he needed to speed towards the figure to get away, so be it. RiderMan's engine howled, his exhaust pipes emitted an orange glow, and his wheels shrieked as they clawed for grip on the ground below. As soon as they did, he went speeding away towards the hopeful path of escape. As he rocketed down the alleyway, he pointed the nozzle backwards before pumping out a stream of fire towards the ground behind him. It was a long shot, but he hoped the spreading napalm-like flaming material would spread over the ground, leaving a carpet of flames and more importantly a rising curtain of smoke. He hoped to distract or slow down CookieMan, or at least obscure his vision enough for his punches to go wide and not deliver a successful haymaker.

Unfortunately the chip didn't have much fuel to ignite, otherwise he would've pointed the weapon towards the figure, if he was forced to head towards it. He focused on the unidentified figure as he shifted his path to pass as far away from him as possible. If the stranger attempted to intercept or block his path, he would do his best to avoid or circumvent his attempts. If even vaulting over the figure wasn't possible, RiderMan would run him over if absolutely necessary.


ACTIONS:
1. Pick up WakeMan
2. Movement: Attempt an escape out of the alleyway with WakeMan
3. FireArm1: Ground behind his escape path (20dmg Fire x3 + Fighter Range) (B) [attempting to distract or create a smokescreen to obscure vision/degrade attempts to pursue or retaliate
The pulsing of WakeMan's back echoed in whatever RiderMan had in place of ears, as he was hoisted up into a fireman's carry. Thankfully for RiderMan, the infirm Navi was lightweight, and had gone more or less limp save for the ba-bump, ba-bump pulsing against his head and shoulders. Carried as he was, RiderMan could just barely hear, amongst the muffled whimpering, a quiet, "So...sorry..." from his comrade. Even in the direst of straits, the knight was still doing his best to remain courteous.

Cargo as secured as it would ever be, RiderMan debated his choices. The decision-making process was fairly simple: behind him was the silhouette in the alley's exit, and in front of him...was CookieMan, far too large to hope to juke around. While RiderMan was bereft of reverse-gear signals, he did have the ability to turn on a dime and speed down the length of the dingy road, spewing a torrent of liquid flame behind him - perhaps not as safe, but certainly more useful in this instance than road awareness. CookieMan roared his challenge and charged after his prey, smashing great holes in the alley walls with the explosive flailing of his arms. Thankfully, between RiderMan's FireArm and the many obstacles in the larger Navi's way, it wasn't looking like he'd be catching up, but the cacophony of crashes and bestial roars made for a most unsettling feeling of being hounded.

As RiderMan made his way to the mouth of the alley, the mysterious figure came into stark relief. Standing in the alley was a human skeleton, every bleached bone detailed down to the miniscule growth flaws, holding a longsword unadorned but for a skull emblem on the pommel. The skeleton was unclothed, bare but for three ravens sitting atop it: one was perched on each shoulder, with the third blinking beady black eyes down at RiderMan from the skeleton's head. The skeleton did not speak, nor did the ravens; instead, a text program opened up on its own in RiderMan's, and presumably every Navi within range's head, writing at speeds only a Navi could process:

Quote (Naberius.EXE)

SCREEN CRAWL: Subjects identified: "RiderMan.EXE", "WakeMan.EXE", "CookieMan.EXE", "Cosa_Nostra HeelNavi #73, Moniker 'Jumpy Goon'".
SCREEN CRAWL: Scanning area...situation confirmed. Knowledge database updated. Demerit noted regarding subject "CookieMan.EXE".
USER N_COMBAT: CONSENSUS REQUEST: Request run: CookieMan.EXE neutralization subroutines.
USER N_BUSINESS: CONFIRMED
USER N_ADMIN: CONFIRMED
OUTCOME: CONFIRMED

Before the ominous text scroll even finished its split-second runtime, CookieMan had stopped dead in his tracks. His wide eyes finally got their focus back, just in time to see the ravens alight off Naberius' shoulders. In the time it took the tiny, animal whimper to escape the titan's lips, the skeleton simply disappeared. There was no blurring of motion, no dramatic rush of wind. One second, the skeleton was standing idle; the next second, it was standing directly in front of CookieMan, locking eyes with its empty sockets. Its longsword was already angled up, buried to the hilt in the crook's chest and protruding from his back. Scarlet bloomed, and as the colossus fell backwards, he shrank, until what hit the ground was no berserk titan of battle, but simply a very tall man in a battle-stained suit. With a motion smooth and precise as a calculation, Naberius lowered its sword to the ground, just in time for the three ravens to retake their places on its shoulders.

Quote (Naberius.EXE)

SCREEN CRAWL: Subject "CookieMan.EXE" neutralized. No further damage sustained to subjects "RiderMan.EXE", "WakeMan.EXE".
USER N_BUSINESS: Print to screen, "You've been naughty, CookieMan."

"B-B-Boss Naberius! P-Please, it was all just a misunderstanding!" For all his earlier bluster, CookieMan closer resembled a scared child than anything else, trying and failing to climb to his feet while the three blackbirds blinked at him. He looked down the length of his prone body to RiderMan, pointing a shaking finger at him. "I-It was HIM! HE got in MY way, and you know how I get when people interrupt my business!" He was spared any further time to explain himself by Naberius' screen crawl restarting...and cowered the moment he comprehended the first few lines, shrinking on himself and looking quite sorry for himself.

Quote (Naberius.EXE)

USER N_COMBAT: CONSENSUS REQUEST: Request immediate deletion of subject "CookieMan.EXE"
USER N_BUSINESS: OVERRULED
USER N_ADMIN: OVERRULED (PRIORITY)
USER N_COMBAT: RECONSIDERED (UNDER PROTEST)
OUTCOME: REJECTED
USER N_ADMIN: COMMAND: All members of faction "Cosa_Nostra" return to base.
SCREEN CRAWL: Matter concluded.

A pile of debris shifted in the corner, and out from its depths crawled a thoroughly tenderized Jumpy Goon. "Yessir, returning to base, sir" he murmured, too tired to even stutter, and disappeared in a standard blue datastream.

CookieMan, however, remained frozen in place, trying vainly to ignore the message that lingered in his head (and everyone elses). Naberius made eye contact with him once more, however, and he jumped into action, scrabbling to sit up against a ruined wall. Fighting to catch his breath, he mustered all the hate he had left, and channeled it into one last glare at RiderMan. "This...this ain't over...y'hear?" he growled, still managing to sound intimidating despite having just been curb-stomped by his own boss. "I seen your face now. You show your candy-ass...anywhere Cosa Nostra has eyes...Ol' Cookie's gonna know about it, and he's gonna come to exact his dues." Final warning given, CandyMan jacked out as well, presumably porting directly back to Cosa Nostra's home-base.

All that remained in the alley were RiderMan, WakeMan, and Naberius. The mafia elite turned to regard the two younger Navis, but did not appear aggressive as his subordinates had. Indeed, it simply stood in the dirty alleyway, watching as WakeMan's back slowly, but surely shrank down. RiderMan could still feel something squirming and crawling under the knight's armour, but the unsettling heartbeat had at least disappeared. "RiderMan...I think I can stand now," WakeMan breathed, assuming RiderMan still had him on his shoulders. Either way, whether waiting for his rescuer to let him down, or simply working up the guts himself, he grabbed a piece of rubble, and ever so slowly levered himself up. A hand automatically went to clutch his side, but there was no more danger; at last, WakeMan could relax.

The blackbird atop Naberius' head cawed once, and the two crows atop the skeleton's collarbones immediately tucked their heads beneath their wings, appearing to go to sleep. The text program opened up once more inside the processes that acted more-or-less equivalent to the Navi's brains:

Quote (Naberius.EXE)

USER N_ADMIN: Print to screen: "My scouts have notified me of your condition, WakeMan. A safehouse exists near this location; you may recuperate there as long as you require. I will ensure you are not disturbed."
SCREEN CRAWL: Coordinations of site "CS Safehouse No.5" sent to subject "WakeMan.EXE". Matter concluded.

WakeMan's eyes widened with trepidation as he processed the message, but his countenance soon broke out, for the first time since Phase's departure, into a wan smile. "Well, I'd say I've earned this," he muttered wryly, but gave a shallow bow of thanks towards Naberius in reply. He then turned back to RiderMan, grinning a little wider, "I really can't express how grateful I am, RiderMan," he started, finally starting to look a little less deathly as the adrenaline wore down, "You saved Phase, saved me, did Cal the favour of delivering my medicine in the first place...I may have to ask Cal to have a medal made for you." He chuckled at the possibly-joke, the sound ringing through the alley like rusted bells: tarnished, fragile, and maybe a little out of tune, but still rather pleasant to listen to.

"At any rate..." WakeMan continued, "Naberius has, heh, made me an offer I can't refuse...and I think some R&R sounds quite lovely right about now. It was a pleasure meeting you, RiderMan...I hope I can see you again sometime?" He held out a hand to shake, and grasped out into empty air with the other; with a flash of fire and smoke, his torch-staff reappeared in his hand. When RiderMan had let go (assuming, that is, he was well enough to go for the handshake), his buckler reappeared on his other arm the same way; the massive shield was quickly slung onto his back, and he took his first couple steps out of the alley. Just as he was about to round the corner, he let out a quiet 'ah' of remembrance, then turned to face RiderMan one last time. "I just realized, I can hardly let you go off empty-handed, after all you've done for me today. I'll wire Cal a little extra something to bolster your payment...for your troubles, you understand? Good deeds shouldn't be left unrewarded." With one final pale grin, the knight rounded the corner, and the gentle thump-thump-thump-ing of his staff on the cobblestones faded off into the distance.

It looked as though everything was well-and-truly taken care of: WakeMan appeared safe, if relying on Naberius for his security, Phase had been rescued, and the medicine he'd been sent off to deliver was in the right hands. All was well...and the only ones left at the scene of the crime were the mysterious mafia elite and RiderMan himself. The skeleton seemed content to stand in the alley, staring at the moto-Navi with its hollow, unnerving gaze; so long as the strange three-minded administrator chose not to publish its thoughts, there was no way of determining what it was thinking. At the very least, it wasn't aggressive, and seemed honourable despite its occupation.

=Cosa Nostra=
Naberius.EXE: ???HP
CookieMan.EXE: FLED
Jumpy Goon: FLED

=Objects=
Bar Counter: Rest In Pieces

=Terrain=
100% Normal

=Burning Fighters=
RiderMan: 60HP
WakeMan: FLED

=MISSION COMPLETE!!!=

<(The mission is complete - RiderMan may jack-out at his leisure; payment will be granted upon reporting a completed mission...or he can hang out with Naberius, if he really wants to.)>
RiderMan attempted to make a speedy getaway, and while the burning 'oil slick' seemed to grant the wheeled Navi and his ailing comrade some much-needed distance between them and the raging CookieMan, the figure they were rapidly approaching came into full view. The program's fully skeletal form, brandished longsword, and ravens three didn't make him appear exactly friendly, so RiderMan fully expected resistance. RiderMan was prepared to blast right by the skeletal program, but its muted and strange reaction gave him pause.

In a similar fashion to receiving a text message from an operator, messages started to scroll through RiderMan's mind, and blurred over the PET's screen far too fast for Chuck to follow. From the apparent debate coming from the program, their consensus was to "neutralize" CookieMan... was this pile of bones an ally? RiderMan slowed to a stop a good distance behind the program and turned back, only to see the skeleton somehow moved directly in front of CookieMan... and sank the longsword through his chest. RiderMan did a double-take, it was only a second or so where he had the program out of sight, and there was a significant distance between it and CookieMan; he'd never seen anything move that quickly. Combined with the realization of the program's speed, the apparent execution of CookieMan gave him a very bad feeling about this program. However, to a surprisingly amount of relief, being run through by that sword seemed to only placate the Navi.

The significantly smaller CookieMan then cried out, something which ramped RiderMan's anxiety back up to full throttle: that program, apparently called "Naberius," is a (if not THE) Cosa Nostra boss. Said boss had all but deleted CookieMan in a single strike, a Navi that was a only well-placed punch away from turning both RiderMan and WakeMan into navi-colored graffiti on the alley wall. Unless Naberius revealed his trump card early, RiderMan determined his chances of holding his own against the Navi to be slim to none. CookieMan then pointed an incriminating finger at RiderMan, and proceeded to place the blame on him. Apparently Naberius didn't like that, and even considered deleting the Navi before being overruled by its consensus and called for all of his subordinates to return to base.

The previously opossum-acting Jumpy Goon was first to leave the area, while CookieMan gave RiderMan one last threat before logging out as well. RiderMan didn't respond, or even acknowledge the Navi's warning. CookieMan's actions were frowned upon by his own criminal organization, which made him the lowest of the low in RiderMan's mind. Naberius watched placidly from the alleyway while WakeMan requested to be lowered from RiderMan's shoulders. He seemed to appear at least marginally better, so RiderMan obliged and knelt down before tilting his shoulders to let the Navi slide off to his feet. Then something surprising happened, Naberius not only acknowledged WakeMan's condition, but also offered up a safehouse in which to recuperate. Compensation for his underlings' misdeeds, perhaps?

WakeMan immediately appeared more at ease at the news, and thanked Naberius with a light bow before he expressed his gratitude for RiderMan's actions. RiderMan did seem to save the day, he delivered the meds as well as kept both Phase and WakeMan safe, but he couldn't help but be distracted by the fact Cosa Nostra was offering WakeMan a safehouse to use. It seemed too convenient... RiderMan took WakeMan's hand and returned the handshake firmly as he replied to WakeMan's offer of meeting again. "Sure thing, WakeMan, and hopefully in more relaxed circumstances." With that, WakeMan resummoned his staff and buckler before he made his way off, to the safehouse one would assume. He paused, then exclaimed how he'd wire some extra to Cal to pass along to RiderMan for his efforts. RiderMan nodded, "Much appreciated, stay safe, WakeMan."

With WakeMan on his way, it left the wheeled Navi alone with the silent, unmoving Naberius. RiderMan could simply log out right then and there, but he had a nagging feeling in the back of his mind. Was Naberius's safe house offer as sincere as WakeMan seemed to think? Otherwise, Cosa Nostra had just offered WakeMan a cage, which he willingly accepted. He had to find out, he'd kick himself afterwards if he didn't at least ask. Not moving from his position, he called out to the skeletal Navi. "Mr. Naberius, I was charged with WakeMan's well-being, so I hope you understand my concern with seeing him offered a safehouse under the purview of an organization that previously wanted us deleted. May I ask your intentions?" RiderMan's voice was unwavering and firm, but he was careful of his wording as not to sound hostile. His engine purred at idle, and his visor maintained a steady green glow beneath his blue visor.
Both skeleton and raven stared RiderMan dead-on, empty sockets and beady black eyes meeting cycloptic visor. Naberius did not reply immediately; presumably, the Admin 'user' was processing the fellow Navi's request, ruminating on its own without the two other voices there to make consensus. At last, a screen appeared.

Quote (Naberius.EXE)

USER N_ADMIN: Print to screen: "I commend your perception, RiderMan. You are right to be wary - CookieMan's horrendous behaviour aside, Cosa Nostra is still a fully functioning mafia. With that being said, however, you and WakeMan are in no danger from our organization. CookieMan's threats are empty; I will ensure that."

It was a curious circumstance: a boss, potentially even the boss of a full-fledged mafia, casually talking to a Navi that his own subordinate had just attempted to delete. Yet Naberius was making it very clear that CookieMan was in the doghouse for this stunt; with any luck, the mad titan really was the exception rather than the rule. As if to punctuate that thought, the text box reappeared, Naberius evidently done ruminating.

Quote (Naberius.EXE)

USER N_ADMIN: Print to screen: "Sending WakeMan to our safehouse is the most efficient solution. His condition, if left untreated, would result in the likely destruction of a large percentage of the Backaways; as director of affairs for Cosa Nostra, that level of threat to our business must be rectified. WakeMan will recover under our observation, but you have my word he will not be harmed. Once his treatment is finished, he will be free to leave."
SCREEN CRAWL: USER N_BUSINESS is now active.
USER N_BUSINESS: CONSENSUS REQUEST: Request immediate RTB; request permission to draft investigation of personal affairs of subject "CookieMan.EXE".
USER N_ADMIN: CONFIRMED; CONFIRMED
OUTCOME: CONFIRMED
SCREEN CRAWL: Returning to Cosa_Nostra Headquarters.

With a low caw, the raven atop the skeleton's right shoulder woke up, reminding the greater whole of matters to be attended to. Naberius turned to face the alleyway WakeMan had disappeared down. The honourable crook posted one last, ominous message to RiderMan, and promptly jacked out in a standard blue datastream.

Quote (Naberius.EXE)

USER N_ADMIN: Print to screen: "Farewell, RiderMan. We'll keep in touch."
The supposed mob boss didn't immediately react to RiderMan's question. He wondered if Naberius simply ignored him, or even worse preparing to deal with him the same way he dealt with his unruly subordinate. Thankfully neither were the case, as he responded soon after. RiderMan didn't change his stance as read the scrolling data that took the place of Naberius's "voice." The skeletal navi's message appeared to be appropriately critical of CookieMan's actions, and showed an understanding of RiderMan's concerns. RiderMan was again surprised by the succinct and seemingly convincing explanation and tact exhibited by Naberius.

He continued to explain his reasoning for offering up a safehouse for WakeMan. His reasoning appeared sound, RiderMan mentally admitted, but he was still disinclined to trust Naberius or anyone else in Cosa Nostra. That said, he didn't have much choice other than somehow chase WakeMan down. He didn't get the coordinates of the safehouse, and an organization like Cosa Nostra would've likely made it as unassuming as possible, otherwise it wouldn't be much of a safehouse. The skeletal navi deliberated his return to HQ, and upon consensus, he turned away. Before logging out, he sent one final, uncharacteristically ominous message for RiderMan. He didn't get a chance to respond before the navi beamed out, leaving him alone in the alleyway.

RiderMan let out a sigh, one of relief mixed with some lingering frustration. He shook his head, grinning slightly under his mask, then put his hands on his hips as he looked up presumably towards his NetOp. "Well, looks like I'm making friends in low places, huh?" he said, his confidently light-hearted demeanor back in the spotlight. Chuck had been watching silently the entire time, neither contributing nor complicating the matters unfolding behind the screen in his hands. It was fascinating, much more interesting than the painfully trite soap operas that appeared on way too many of his room TV's available channels. Finally realizing RiderMan was indeed talking to him, Chuck murmered a ["Y-yeah, seems so."]

Chuck had the lucidness and self-awareness to realize his response was mostly cro-magnon in nature, so he continued to at least contribute something to the conversation. ["I'm glad you're alright though, as well as Phase and WakeMan... Good job."] RiderMan's engine revved happily in response as he struck an impromptu pose and gave a triumphant thumbs up. "Piece of cake, Charles! Thanks for the assist, partner!" he replied cheerfully. He lowered his arm and took a more relaxed pose as he put his right hand on his hip. "How about we call it a day? I'd imagine you could use some rest, a snack, or both!" ["Sounds about right."] Chuck replied, rubbing his eyes with his non-braced hand before he pressed his thumb against the log-out button on the screen. RiderMan nodded before his body rocketed skywards in a beam of crimson and silver light, then disappeared out of the network.

((Logged out))