Theft and Vandalism

"Trent, are you really considering going through with this?" Mark asked him while the artist sized up the paper. "I mean a tattoo? Really? I could just get someone to program you one, and we wouldn't have to use our zenny to do it, and it's something that won't show up in all of your gmo's." Mark said, almost trying to discourage him from getting it.

"300 you say?" Trent said while looking at the artist.

"Up front?" Mark said recalling the comment from earlier with the other customer. "I've never heard of an artist getting paid before they actually execute the work." Mark shrugged it off and said, "Do what you will."

"It shouldn't take long to do this simple thing either. Lets get started on it." Trent pulled out the 300 from the bank account, taking away a large chunk of the funds. A audible thud could be heard by Trent as Mark hit his head against the coffee table in disapproval.

The artist took the zenny in his hand, counted it quickly and passed yet another disapproving gaze at Trent. Finally, he seemed to give up and shrugged. Money was money and Trent was a paying customer. The artist walked out to the chair and gave it a hard slap before walking over to his tools to prepare.

"Siddown," he ordered, "I ain't gonna say this twice so listen good. If this is your first tattoo, you better know it's going to be permanent. This ain't like human tattoos. This is going REWRITE part of who you are. No amount of laser surgery will clear this up once I start so boy, you better be SURE you want this."

His tattooing pen buzzed in his hand as he tested it. This was clearly Trent's last chance to bail.

((Moderation warning: This tattoo will show up on all your GMOs and permanently alter your base appearance - You will be required to add a small line of text describing this tattoo to your navi's description in your profile and all of your GMOs. You cannot have this removed by any means. Do you wish to continue?))

* * *

"Mannn... I really wish I could help you out, but 1580? That's not really good enough to risk my grade A stock, you know?" lamented the shopkeep, "I mean I might be willing to rent out one of my normal boards for that much but eh... Alright, I like you so I'll tell you what: I'll let you rent a normal zippyboard for 800 if you gimme three battlechips as collateral - my choice from your folder. You'll get them back when you return the board. I won't settle for anything less."

Trent sat down in the chair and pulled his right arm out of his body suits sleeve. He sat his arm on the chair, showing off some of the scars on his arms and chest. There was a gap between two scars, where Trent wanted the tattoo, on his upper arm. "I'm ready when you are," Trent responded. He relaxed in the chair a bit, not really worried about the change to his programming. He pointed to the area he wanted the tattoo, outlining the size of it with his fingers.

Mark on the other hand wasn't so calm about it. "What? Can't be blocked out by GMO's? Is always there? What? This is bad Trent! What if we need to stay hidden? That's an identifier!"

"Only if it's visible Mark," Trent said privately. Trent relaxed in the chair a bit more, waiting for the artist to start. "How long have you been tattooing?" Trent asked, trying to make conversation.

SINNBAD seemed perturbed. His frown was evident as he closed his hand, terminating the hologram.

"I am sorry I cannot comply with this request. I will have to catch them without the help. However, I still plan on returning when I have the proper funds. Good day sir."

He ended with a smile to show good intentions and left the store. His frown returned as he looked around to find the 'Cyber Ice-Cream' vendor he saw earlier. When he saw it, he began weaving through the crowd again. This time he was not fancy, he just pushed through the crowd like a cowcatcher. When he was close enough to talk to the vendor he spoke, his smile returning.

"Good day sir. I am looking for a few individuals clad in white that have been looting and vandalizing around here lately. Have you seen them?"

He tried to sound professional, but there was the faintest hint of a growl in his voice.

"Eight years. Now don't move, this is gonna hurt." the artist said before holding Trent's arm tightly and pressing the pen down.

(-1 HP) The searing tip of the pen drew across the navi's arm like a fiery knife made of salt and needles. Trent could barely believe the previous client didn't scream but tried to at least hold his own during the process. On Mark's PET, various warnings flared up buzzing about "IRREPARABLE DAMAGE" and "WARRANTY VOID" and other generic but serious-sounding messages in big bold font. Trent looked down and saw that only the first letter had been completed and seven more still remained.

The skip between the first two characters was barely the reprieve he needed and only served to heighten the pain of the second letter as the pen touched back down onto his skin (-1 HP). Trent had serious problems focussing and his only thoughts were to simply endure for however much longer this would take. This was torturous. Trent nearly blacked out from the on and off lines that the pen continued to carve into his core (-6 HP).

"Done." The artist said, snapping Trent out of his trance. The artist was also courteous enough not to slap Trent's arm which now bore the permanent mark of "Командир".

((it's just damage, not Max HP drop))

* * *

SINNBAD was so pre-occupied with getting answers that he didn't notice the navi running the stand was female. She gave an annoyed face and repeated with contempt, "Sir!?"

Recognizing that it would be bad for business to explode at the potential customer, she tried to conceal her rage and salvaged her comment, "...No. I haven't seen anything lately. Can I interest you in a cyber ice-cream?"

Her tone sounded rehearsed and scripted but it was more than likely just her inability to contain her emotions. This interrogation was off to a terrible start.

SINNBAD's smile wavered. He was still not used to social interactions. Especially those that required such duplicitous undertakings. He was a knight, a soldier. Everything was easier to him if it was direct. However, that tended to harden his words and rub people the wrong way.

"Sorry madam. What flavors do you have and how much for one?"

Trent couldn't believe how much the tattoo hurt. It was nothing like hat human tattoos where, the pain was too much for him to even talk. Grinding his teeth, holding his breath, and clenching his fists where all methods he used to escape the pain, even if for a second.

After the event, Trent shook off the pain and looked to the artist, slightly shocked by the whole experience. "That was nothing like I thought it would be." He said, still a slight amount of daze from it showing in his eyes. "I thought we would at least get the chance to converse during it. Crazy." He said, while inspecting his arm. The work itself looked solid, and well done. Trent couldn't help but smile a bit when he realized this wasn't something he could have even guessed would happen when he started the mission.

Trent choose not to rise from his chair, and instead looked at the artist and said, "Mind if I ask you a few question about this area? My operator and I are thinking of visiting here more, maybe making it a more permanent section of our travels."

The artist turned to wash up and replied, albeit with a bit of a stall, "...Whaddya wanna know?"

He was still a bit gruff about engaging in small talk but at least now he was more open to questioning.

* * *

The girl was still visibly angry and began to give another rehearsed reply, "Here at Cyber Ice-Cream, navis can enjoy a variety of classic flavors like chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. Or they can try more exotic ones like mango, kiwi and pineapple. There are many more to choose from as you can see."

She tapped the display, full of samples of the ones she mentioned as well as a bunch of other ones.

"It's 100 zenny for a small and 300 zenny for a large. What can I get for you?"

((If you come up with a flavour you want, they will have it))

SINNBAD wished to smooth over the earlier misunderstanding, but prices around here were outrageous.

"A small vanilla then please."

He stated as he produced a small bag of 100z in his hand.

"Just how is everything? I mean its the beach so it's a bit different than where I'm used to, and it is a nice switch. Do you like it here? Any problems with it?" Trent asked

He started to put his arm back into his body suit, and cringed slightly as the suit hit the area. The pain was stinging, and rather annoying to him, nothing he couldn't deal with though. He relaxed back down into the chair and waited for a response from the artist.

"S'alright." The artist answered with a sigh, "Good people, good business, no viruses... Crime's been goin up though. Small stuff mostly."

Trent perked up at the mere mention of crime but with the artist facing the other way, he was quick to hide his enthusiasm regarding the hint. However, they both turned to the door when they heard a female voice shouting from outside, "Hey! Stop him! Thief! Thief!"

The artist turned away and went back to minding his own business.

* * *

The girl scooped up the a ball of vanilla for SINNBAD and put it in a small cone. She stretched out over the display to exchange it for the zenny. SINNBAD reached out halfway to pay.

"YOINK!" blurted the navi who suddenly rushed past him from behind and snatched both the ice cream and zenny away!

"HEY!" The girl shouted and called out, "STOP HIM! THIEF! THIEF!"

Most navis were too slow to react, SINNBAD included. However, he did see that the navi fit the description of the white armored perpetrator and was riding a Zippyboard. The thief cut his way through the crowd easily, obscuring SINNBAD's line of sight. With so many civilians in the area, it would be dangerous to start attacking recklessly.

The maze of people did one good thing though. As a collective, they managed to unintentionally slow his progress, but he was still powering through the crowd. The navis behind him slowly cleared away, creating a path directly to the thief but there was still a wall of navis up ahead.

((Thief escapes in 2 turns))

"Out of the way! Move!"

SINNBAD shouted as he shoved his way through the crowd after the thief. His boots clanked with a heavy tread that seemed to become lighter with each step. Eventually he was skating across the ground an inch above the concrete street. His strides were as wide as he could make them in the density of the crowd. His arms moved to either side in broad strokes, swimming against the current of people.

"Someone stop him! Stop thief!"

SINN continued to shout as he pushed and weaved through the crowd. He attempted to dance around the more immovable clusters. Right, left, spin to the far left, skirt to the right. The adrenaline pumped in his veins. His heavy armor felt as if nothing to him, doing little to slow him down.

"GET DOWN!"

He bellowed as he shoved at the civilian in front of him as he neared the thief. The unprovoked quickness and force of the push would probably send the civilian sprawling. Using the fallen citizen as a ramp, SINNBAD pushed off its back and leapt into the air at the thief. His great white cloak whipped behind him like a pair of huge wings spread wide and his armor gleamed in the sunlight.

His hand shot out and launched three spheres of sapphire radiance at the thief as he cleared the heads of the crowd to get a clear shot. The bubbles were tiny and streamed out of his open palm like a jet of water. As they got nearer they expanded until they could encompass the zippyboard and its rider. But would they capture the thief before he got away?

"Small stuff like what exactly?" Trent asked before the girl began screaming. He sat up in the chair and looked at the door, knowing that had to do with his mission. He saw how nonchalantly the artist was acting and said, "Thanks for the art and the report on the area. I'm going to go check this place out some more." Trent sat up from the chair and walked calmly out of the parlor, gently closing the door behind him.

His feet carried him quickly, but he tried his best not to look too worried or bothered by the events until out of the sight of the parlor. He saw the crowd of people near the ice cream stand, and heard the shouts of his partner, SINN, rising from it. "I have zero doubts of where that zealous one is," Trent muttered, running into the crowd himself. He was far less graceful while moving through the crowd than SINN was. Trent ducked and dived around, but was trying to clear his own way through, taking less care for the other people.

"Move out of the way!" He shout ahead of him as he ran. The knight was visible by Trent just as he chose to use a civilian as a jumping off point. Trent couldn't help but chuckle. "For the good of the whole," He muttered. "SINN Trap him!" Trent shouted.

Summary
1-3) Catch up to the crowd and SINN
4) Laugh quietly as SINN uses a person as a spring

SINNBAD did his thing, pushing people over and blasting the area with a wave of bubbles. The thief was in no position to dodge with all the navis blocking his way and was caught in the round prison. However, in his rampant recklessness, he had missed the Zippyboard and caught two nearby civilians instead.

"HEY!" one yelped.

"AUGH! WHAT THE HELL!" the other one cried.

In addition, the navi that SINNBAD had trampled was furious with him and began to swat him viciously with her handbag while spouting expletives. If this wasn't bad enough, the thief's accomplice, dressed in exactly the same white armour, scooted his way out of a nearby alley to offer his assistance to his apparently ally.

"Hah! What happened to you?" the newcomer jeered.

"Dude, shut up and get me out of here." the trapped navi answered.

"Hey! HEY! Get us out of here too!" the other trapped civilians called out, "Yeah! Yeah! Come on!"



1D6A: 580 HP [floating above ZippyboardA] [bubble trapped: 1 turn]
ZippyboardA: 500 HP
CivilianA: 80 HP [bubble trapped: 1 turn]
CivilianB: 80 HP [bubble trapped: 1 turn]
1D6B: 600 HP [on ZippyboardB]
ZippyboardB: 500 HP
CivilianC: 99 HP [angry with SINNBAD]

Terrain: 100% Normal

SINNBAD.EXE: 150 HP
Trent.EXE: 190 HP

[Battle 1 - Begin!]

SINNBAD was wapped with a handbag from a very angry female navi. The purse glanced off his body as if striking a brick wall. If that weren't bad enough, his armor hardened another degree as thin golden scales took root, spreading across his form like a coat of feathers. A soft white glow encircled him in further protection. He shrugged off her glancing blows and growled.

"Stand aside citizen. Your help in capturing this criminal was appreciated."

He said curtly before he strode forward and attempted to grab at the riderless Zippyboard. His great cloak swished behind him as he moved. His steps were light, but his armor tinkled under his golden fleece. If he could get a firm hold, he would try to pull the vehicle from under the trapped navi in white. And towards him to mount.

"This does not belong to you, thief."

He stated as he tried to mount the Zippyboard.

Trent stepped into view of the two zippy riders just as SINN was starting to make a very large amount of noise. "What a good distraction," Trent thought, while backing up into the crowd and watching the new zippyboard rider. "SINN is yelling about those not belonging to them. Must be our thieves." Trent said over a private line to Mark. Trent tried to duck low and blend into the crowd around the event. Shoulders hunched knees bent, trying to make himself smaller and smaller into the sea of other forms. Once he thought it was well enough hidden, he activated his stealth mode. A smirk came over his face as he vanished from sight.

Trent pushed his way to the right in the crowd, trying to flank the other zippy thief. He found the crowd overall shifting in where they stood, so it wasn't hard to dodge and weave his way through, and to the flank of the new rider. Once he was in position behind him he pinged Mark for the info of a chip. The cannon chip.

"That is going to be quiet the surprise to the rider of that board to just be blasted from where it is." Mark said with a hint of laughter and amusement in his voice. "Lets do it." He slotted in the chip.

The heavy boots took a few more steps forwards, placing Trent as close to the ride as he could. Trent widened his stance and pulled out his makarov pistol, extending his arm and aiming the weapon at the back of the rider. He would only have one chance to get this right, and with the added bonus of stealth, he shouldn't miss his mark. Fingers tightened around the grip of the weapon, and his index finger prepared for the squeeze of the trigger. A loud sudden blast was heard, as the barrel of the invisible makarov pistol lit up, sending a powerful bullet spiraling from it.

TURN SPLICE ACTIONS
1) Stealth Training- Invisibility (Invisible)
2) Process Upgrade Preparation -Movement + Take Aim + Take Aim. Move through the crowd and to the flank of the new 1D6 Rider.
3) Cannon to 1D6 Rider + Take Aim (40 + Knockback) Stealth Shot

The white navi not trapped in the bubble pointed his buster at his less fortunate ally.

"Hey hey HEY HEYHEY!" the imprisoned navi protested, not wanting to be shot. His cries fell on deaf ears as the buster was fired, dealing minimal damage (2) but also dropping the navi onto the Zippyboard like a rock.

SINNBAD attempted to pull the Zippyboard away from the thief, not taking into account just how annoying being continually batted in the face with a purse was. His aim was knocked awry and his mantle suffered from the assault (1) (1). His attempt to mount the board was also premature and he made a short leap onto nothing.

The 1D6s laughed in unison as SINNBAD was beset by the enraged female navi though that laughter was cut short by the sound of a Cannon striking one of them in the back (40). He was pushed away by the invisible force but managed to stay on the vehicle.

"What was that!? Hey, screw this! We're outta here!" the recently freed thief called out and quickly popped the bubbles holding the two other civilians in a humane manner before provoking them into action, "WHO DOES THAT KNIGHT THINK HE IS? ACTING ALL HIGH AND MIGHTY LIKE THAT JUST BECAUSE HE WEARS ARMOUR AND TALKS WITH AN ACCENT?"

The civilians were rallied in an instant shouting, "YEAH! YOU JERK!" and "SERIOUSLY, WHAT A DOUCHE!" Apparently neither of them had witnessed the thief steal the zenny and ice cream but had experienced first-hand SINNBAD's negligent actions.

The thief snickered as he kicked his Zippyboard into action and resumed his escape plans. His ally was quick to join in. Judging by the speed the two were travelling at, there was no way for SINNBAD or Trent to catch up to them and they were far too tough to take out before they fled completely.



1D6A: 578 HP [on ZippyboardA] [fleeing: currently 2 movements away] [-2 actions]
ZippyboardA: 500 HP
CivilianA: 80 HP [angry with SINNBAD]
CivilianB: 80 HP [angry with SINNBAD]
1D6B: 560 HP [on ZippyboardB] [fleeing: currently 2 movements away] [-2 actions]
ZippyboardB: 500 HP
CivilianC: 99 HP [angry with SINNBAD] [-2 actions]

Terrain: 100% Normal

SINNBAD.EXE: 150 HP [20 HP casing] [18 HP barrier] [-1 action]
Trent.EXE: 182 HP [invis] [-3 actions] ((-8 HP from tattoo damage))

SINNBAD, someone not to give up so easily, attempted to chase after the thieves as they fled. He ignored the continued ill feelings of the navis around him as he charged through their ranks. His arms pumped to either side and his boots clanked with each footfall as he ran. The ground flew underneath his long strides.

He reached out with a gauntleted hand towards the nearest board as he got close. His fingers grew long and sharp, stretching to touch the speedy zippy. His clawed hand attempted to gouge into the board, digging for a hold. To pull himself onto the board. They would not get away that easily!

For reference.

A angry frown crossed his face, although no one could see it, as the rider managed to hold on to the zippy board after the surprise attack, then manage to zoom off on it. SINN took off in quick pursuit. Trent knew that he couldn't catch up with his current speed, and instead watched the crowd as they got more and more angry. Quick thinking caused him to say, "Mark, Flameline chip."

Wasting no time the chip was slotted into the PET, as Mark turned back to his conversation with Destin. Mark wasn't sure exactly how he felt about this, but it was far more rude to simply ignore Destin. Trent, however, was almost joyful that Mark wasn't intruding in his plans.

Trent took a few calculated steps forwards as the riders moved off. Waiting just a second more, trying to determine how fast they were moving, Trent activated the Flameline chip. He pulled out a throwing knife, which was ablaze with flames, and stabbed it into the ground. With the power of the chip, the flames traveled through the netways, and a line of fire erupted from the ground, ahead of the zippyboard riders. "That should slow them down, make them stop, or something." Trent said, as he faded back into the visible spectrum, his throwing knife already back on his hip.

Summary
4) Flameline 1 Chip Attack in front of the Riders, creating a firewall (Hah, punny) (Fire (70 + Ground Attack + Wide Attack))

SINNBAD didn't quite grasp just how fast Zippyboards could get and his chase was incredibly fruitless, especially with the group of irate civilians blocking his path and assaulting him with swats and light shoves (8). Simply attempting to ignore the group didn't actually stop them from interfering and his Rageclaw dive ended in another failure.

Trent's actions bore better results as the Zippyboard thieves were forced to drive right through the flames to continue their escape, considerably searing the underside of their rides as well as the navis themselves (70)(70)(70)(70). However, the thieves were undaunted, powering through and escaping down the long stretch of plain road. There was still a chance to catch up with them, if only Trent and SINNBAD had some form of speedy transportation on par with those Zippyboards...

1D6A: 508 HP [on ZippyboardA] [Fled...]
ZippyboardA: 430 HP [Fled...]
CivilianA: 80 HP [angry with SINNBAD]
CivilianB: 80 HP [angry with SINNBAD]
1D6B: 490 HP [on ZippyboardB] [Fled...]
ZippyboardB: 430 HP [Fled...]
CivilianC: 99 HP [angry with SINNBAD]

Terrain: 100% Normal

SINNBAD.EXE: 150 HP [20 HP casing] [10 HP barrier] [Rageclaw: 5 uses]
Trent.EXE: 182 HP [invis]