Special Delivery

[Warmonger]

Ronin barely got a glance at the truck before the man leaned out of the window. He better not scratch the paint. Was the only thought Ronin managed before the weapon fired. Ronin slammed down on the gas, surging towards the highway. The projectile sailed almost lazily through the air.

They must have thought they were shooting at a mini-van or maybe no one ever taught them about leading. The rocket impacted into the ground right behind Ronin. The shock wave lifted the car off the ground but it slammed back down and kept cruising. Ronin quickly sped unto the highway with he delivery van pursuing.

"You know," Ronin began. "I bet my tail light is out." Ronin reached grabbed a flash canister off of his bandoleer. "Thats probably what they wanted to tell me. Maybe this will fix it." He pulled the pin out and chucked it behind him at the truck .

[Barnum]

The flash grenade went off near in front of the van with a brilliant display. The van tried to swerve, but it was too little, too late. Warmonger watched as his tactic did its job. The van continued to careen across the lanes of traffic as the (apparently) blinded driver tried to, and was barely successful to avoid a collision.

All around the dueling vehicles traffic continued to race by. Horns honked. Tires squealed. People cursed. A catastrophe was certainly brewing on the highway.

[Warmonger]

Ronin smiled as he watched the disabled driver swerve through traffic. His triumph lasted only a mere second as another blinded vehicle clipped his rear. Ronin grabbed the wheel as the car spun out but it was too late. He felt his car yank itself out of control. He gritted his teeth for the inevitable collision. The Jersey barrier came seemingly out of nowhere as his car slammed into it. Ronin's head bounced off of the steering wheel causing bright sparks to shoot across his vision as the car shook form the impact.

Ronin realized that he had blacked out. He knew that his accelerated healing abilities meant that it had been only for a mere split second but that didn't stop the throbbing in his brain. Luckily the door worked and Ronin was able to lurch drunkenly unto the highway suit case in hand. He looked down the road to see a trail of disaster as numerous cars had stopped. Ronin could make out the delivery truck which still seemed to be driving plowing towards him. "You scratched my paint. I told you not to scratch my paint."

Taking aim Ronin raised his power rifle at the van. He switched it to fully automatic. Then he squeezed the trigger sending high powered energy shots through he truck's chassis.

[Barnum]

Ronin's energy projectiles ripped through the front of the van, shredding the grill and shattering the windshield. The van's occupants successfully took cover beneath the dash. The van tires screeched again as it careened toward Ronin and his stopped car, but at the last moment the driver popped up from behind the dashboard and swerved the van. It zoomed past Ronin, and the tires squealed again as the drive stomped on the brakes. With the van slowing and about 100 feet away, the back doors flew open, revealing the man with the rocket launcher. He launched another rocket directly at Ronin and his car.

[Warmonger]

Ronin read the man's intent before he even squeezed the trigger. He sprang forward as the Rocket left the barrel using his momentum he launched himself inhumanly high into the air as the rocket passed underneath him.

Ronin opened fire on the man before he even hit the ground with laser precision.

[Barnum]

The rocket missed Ronin as he leaped out of the way, but it slammed into his car, reducing it to burning slag. Ronin returned fire even as the van was screeching its tire again pulling away. Laser blasts tore through the rocket-bearing thug and he collapsed into the back of the van. They were making a fast getaway, and would be out of sight in moments.

[Warmonger]

Ronin half-heartedly raised his rifle then simply lowered it down. Got better things to do. He turned around and glanced at the burning wreck of his car. The flames popped and hissed filling the sky with a stench of burning rubber and oil.

He heard people who had survived the traffic pile-up moaning as they stumbled out of their vehicles wide eyed covered in soot. Ronin also caught the sound of sirens wailing in the distance, but closing in.

Clasping the suitcase in his hand Ronin walked over to an elderly man and a woman who seemed to have come out of one of the few operable cars left.

"Sir, mam," Ronin began. "I'm afraid I'm going to have confiscate this vehicle. Police work."

"You ain't no police you crook!" The woman barked. "I saw you shooting up the place driving crazy.." Ronin felt his face flush hot.

"You punks now a days thinking you own the place," The man jumped in. "I got a good mind to-"

"Shut up and give me the keys you old coot." Ronin ordered. "Before I shatter that fake hip of yours." Ronin fired back then snatched the keys out of his hands. Shoving the couple out of the way Ronin climbed into their old Lincoln.

"If centurion were here he would..." Ronin didn't hear them as he peeled off towards his destination. He still had a long night ahead of him.

[Barnum]

Ronin sped off in his stolen car, leaving the miles of backed-up traffic and burning wreckage behind him. He had only been driving for few minutes before he heard the distinct sounds of sirens. Some of the sirens were heading toward the highway mess, but some of the sirens were getting closer. In just a few more seconds, Ronin saw the flashing lights in his rear view mirror, making their way through the traffic toward his car. And though he couldn't be sure with all the road noise, Ronin was pretty sure he heard the distinct WHOMP WHOMP WHOMP of a low-flying helicopter getting closer.

[Warmonger]

Ronin eyed the cruisers closing in on him through the rear view. He cursed under his breath. I knew I should have had that taillight fixed. Ronin hit the gas as he began to speed up.

His eyes scanned for the nearest exit. There was no way he was goign to lose them on the damn freeway. He needed to shake them in the streets. He would have to ditch the car. I should've stuffed those dentures down his throat.

[Barnum]

Ronin saw up ahead several downtown exits, all of which would get him where he wanted to go . . . eventually. The police cars were getting closer. He would see the flashing lights closing in behind him, but the traffic congestion on the interstate was making their task difficult. Some deft driving now might get Ronin exactly what he was after.

[Warmonger]

Ronin hit the gas and manuevered his way through the slower moving traffic. The police cruisers pressed their advantage and moved in. Had Ronin been in his own car he might have been able to shake them but they clung to him as his car shot off the exit and sped into Downtown freedom.

Ronin knew he had to ditch the car. It was too hot. He needed to shake the Jakes first.

[Barnum]

As Ronin swerved onto the ramp, trying to get away, the police cruisers drew closer. The three lead officers were all competent drives, and in this heavy traffic they had the distinct advantage over Ronin: bright red and blue lights and loud sirens. The cars on the freeway slowed and parted, trying their best to get out of the way of the cops. With far more of a clear path than Ronin had, the three lead cop cars closed the distance significantly.

[Warmonger]

Cursing Ronin stomped on the brakes. There was no way for him to get through all of this traffic. Popping open the driver's door Ronin sprinted shot out of the car and ducked into traffic losing the cops.

He made a line to hit the city blocks. He didn't like running around in the day like this but he kept moving. His eyes scanned for another vehicle he could take.

[Barnum]

The police slammed on the breaks too and exited their cars, chasing after Ronin. By this time the police had, much to the chagrin of commuters, stopped all traffic in both directions, making the road safe for foot pursuit. The FCPD were good at their job, but they were no match for Ronin. After just a few minutes, the officers had lost sight of Ronin completely. They fanned out, searching for him as more police arrived on the scene, and at least one FCPD chopper circled overhead.

[Warmonger]

Ronin listened as he heard feet running behind him but it seemed to be random. No one had him yet. Ronin began moving away down the street keeping an eye out for cops.

Ronin turned a corner so he would be out of sight. He began to head further uptown. He would have to forget the car the traffic was too heavy right now. Besides he was almost there.

[Barnum]

Ronin began carefully negotiating the alleys and side streets of Freedom City. The cops were hot on his trail for the first few minutes, but quickly he left them far enough behind to make further immediate pursuit unlikely.

On the final leg of his journey, Ronin turned onto 16th street. From here it was a straight shot to his destination, and it looked like he could stick to the alleys nearly the entire way. Home free. Almost.

As Ronin started down a long alley formed by two towering buildings, he heard the distinct "tink tink tink" of metal bouncing on asphalt behind him. It was the sound of a grenade. So much for home free.

[Warmonger]

Ronin didn't waste time looking for where it came from. He sprinted forward leapt into the air. The grenade exploded behind him the shockwave slammed into him, but Ronin tucked at the last second and rolled with he force.

Even as he landed the wind was still knocked out of him. The force threw him against a wall, where he banged his head and seemed to be dizzy.

[Barnum]

There was a moment of quiet, and then Ronin heard a faint metallic voice from somewhere above him:

"Target is still viable. Repeat, target is not down"

The alley was filled with a hail of gunfire as four men descended on cables about 50 feet behind Ronin. They fired the entire way down, trying to put their target down for good.

[Warmonger]

Bullets ricocheted off of the walls around him, splinteritng the bricks into stinging shrapnel. Ronin's armor turned the bullets without them touching his flesh.

Quick as he could Ronin sprang up and aimed firing at the nearest rappelling solider.

[Barnum]

As he turned to shoot, Ronin got a good look at his attackers. They were dressed in all black from head to toe. Even their eyes were covered with black goggles. They were ensconced in a tight fitting body armor of some kind that supported all kinds of pockets, straps, and holsters bearing just about every weapon deemed useful in the moder age.

When Ronin fired, the nearest "soldier" was riddled with bullets. His repelling gear locked up to stop his descent, but he dropped his machine gun and fell limp against the building. The remaining three locked themselves off in mid-air about two stories up, flipped their guns over to full-auto, and fired again. Ronin was again pelted with a hail of bullets.

[Warmonger]

Again his finely crafted armor turned the hail of bullets, but roning felt a tug and the familiar sharp pain as a bullet punched through is armor into his abdomen. Like mother's milk.

Deciding to forgo the whole waiting to get shot to pieces part and he quickly dropped a smoke grenade at his feat. Letting the smoke obscure him.

[Barnum]

The alley filled up with smoke, and the shooters disappeared from Ronin's sight . . . as presumably he did from theirs. He could smell them though the smoke: sweat, gunpowder, the smells of war. But the shooters made no sound and didn't fire.

[Warmonger]

Ronin used the moment to make move as quickly and as quietly as he could.

Staying here he would get shot to pieces without the chance to retaliate. He made his way towards the open alley mouth looking for the closest building he could duck into to get away from the gunmen.

[Barnum]

Ronin emerged onto the street, a cloud of thick smoke billowing out behind him. From the looks of things, rush hour was starting to subside. There were only a handful of pedestrians on the wide sidewalk and the traffic in the street was moving freely. The front entrances to both of the buildings that formed the alleyway were both facing this street, one to Ronin's left, the other to his right. The left-hand building was tall, like most of Freedom's downtown buildings. It was probably a bank or something like it. The right-hand building was older and not as tall, probably only 25 stories, probably a collection of office spaces for various downtown businesses.

From behind Ronin could hear the soft sound of boots. The gunman were pursuing him through the smoke screen. He'd have to act quickly.

[Warmonger]

Too many Civilians. The last thing Ronin wanted was a gunfight in the middle of some office complex the tights would be all over it. Instead the Mercenary ran and ducked behind one of the parked cars not far from the alley mouth.

Why pass up a perfectly good bottleneck? Ronin stayed hidden and trained his rifle on the alley opening waiting for the men to burst forth from the smoke to open fire.