ic Mall Rat

[Tiffany Korta]

Daphne thought of something that she hadn’t thought of earlier something she should've thought of earlier.

 

Could you analyse the drugs Mother Unit, does he have any on him right now?

 

Just in case he did she put on the full charm, leaning forward on the bar, hand on chin, to allow him to view the full extent of her “charmsâ€.

 

“If they're that good maybe I could try a small sample, it take a lot of work to keep a figure like this a few extra vitamins might help me.â€

 

She still needed the name of his boss but his mind was slippery and she couldn't quite get a proper hold on it. Still for now this was good as she could get.

[Supercape]

GM

 

The Casino had plenty of cameras. It was practically stuffed with Cameras. As Mother Unit swept into the computer system, it became apparent that there were even some cameras pointed at the cameras. 

 

Flicking through the images, it was pretty obvious that anyone with access would be able to cheat their way to millions in the card games. And quite possibly, the house did. 

 

But this was not an investigation into fraud or corruption. Mr Swishes movements were analysed frame by frame from his entrance. 

 

"He is fingering his left jacket pocket. Ever since he arrived. The images are not perfect, but I can build up a conglomerate picture! Yes, a small bag of pills, tucked in his pocket. That must be them!"

[Tiffany Korta]

Daphne stood there and looks as if she was listening intently to the man, when in fact she was mostly listening to Mother Unit’s analysis. She really wanted to get hold of those pills right now, it seemed a good idea to get them analysed.

 

The obvious solution was a little icky but necessary.

 

“But you just had to help those poor puppies, you’re so brave.â€

 

Moving around to one side she put an arm around him, snuggling against his shoulder. With a little effort, she was still practising this particular talent, her finger began to stretch reaching for his pocket.

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Sure, doll" smiled Swish, gazing into Daphne's eyes. 

 

"Say you sure are a swell gal. I could eat you up and come back for seco....hey what are you doing?"

 

For all his swagger and charm, it was not all a veneer. Swish may have been a thrill seeking, vapid man. But he was good at it. His eyes were like an eagles, and he had cheated, picked pockets, and palmed cards all his life. Even long fingers couldn't outsmart him at his own game. 

 

In a flash he pulled out her hand. 

 

"So, thats your game is it, doll? I thought you was too good to be to true! Don't try and beat me at my own game, honey! I'm the best at what I d...holy aces! What's with the hand!"

 

So swift and his eyes and reflexes been that he had caughth side of Daphne's Elongated fingers...and his eyebrows almost catapaulted off his forehead into the ceiling with surprise. 

[Tiffany Korta]

Oh pooh!

Daphne looked at the man and came to a decision. She wasn’t normally a dishonest person, apart from the whole pretending to be someone else of cause, and she didn’t normally lie. But in this case she would have to go all out going as far to even act.

She looked at him and then down at her hand her eye apparently widening in shock for extra effect she stepped back whilst still looking at her hand.

 

“He told me that it would do some freaky thing but I didn’t think it would do something like that!â€

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Freaky? Honey, I have seen freaky...that finger don't even come close!" he said, taking a few steps back and putting his hands through his elegant hairsprayed hair. 

 

"Why, I saw some schoolgirls turn green only an hour ago. But I ain't ever seen no finger that long!" he continued before pausing. 

 

"Wait...he told you? What are you talking about? Somebody did this to you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Honey, you shouldn't buy any old junk from any old man. Believe me, I should know" he said, recalling the mall. 

 

"...I ain't ever heard of any funky chemicals that did that, though? Exactly what happened? who did this?" he asked, voice turning to one that was laced with suspicion. He gave Daphne a penetrating look with one eye, leaning forward as if the extra foot he gained by doing so would make his ears sharper and his eyes clearer. Perhaps they would, too. Mr. Bluff knew how to tell a lie. And he knew how to spot one, too. 

[Tiffany Korta]

Daphne might be a terrible liar but she understood people well, it helped that she could pick up people surface thoughts almost without trying. Despite it being useful she would never think of or even want the ability to alter people's thoughts, reading mind were okay but changing them was just wrong. That did leave her options limited and she didn't really had time to do something to complicated.

 

With limited options she reached into his mind to try and shut his mind down, to send him into a temporary sleep.

[Supercape]

GM

 

"What you doing?" yelped Mr. Swish, panicking and pulling back as though Daphne was a horde of wasps. He was pretty freaked. And perhaps just then Daphne was not so different from a horde of wasps. She certainly stung. 

 

The sleep washed over Mr. Swish like a swarm of insects. His fingers fell asleep, then his arm, then his body. He slumped to his knees. His eyelids drooped and dropped. 

 

"Whasherdoing..." he mumbled, his last moment before somnelence hit him like a sledgehammer. His body slowly, almost gently, tilred into Daphnes like a drunkard attempting a fumbling embrace with a hottie. 

 

Then, he started snoring heavily. 

[Tiffany Korta]

Daphne wasn’t a cruel or mean person and despite the harm he’d done she didn't want to get him hurt. She kept her arm around Swish, making sure to pocket the pills she was after.

 

Mother Unit we need somewhere to keep this gentleman out of the way. Call Birthing Unit to a quiet spot nearby, we can put him into the stasis field whilst we figure out what he’s been doing.

 

She looked over at the barman and gave a little shrug.

 

“Looks like he had a bit too much to drink, I’ll go dump him outside for a cab. I dying for a cigarette anyway.â€

 

Hopefully once she had him squirrelled away she could look at what these pills were exactly and what she could do to stop them getting out there.

[Supercape]

GM

 

A few moments later...

 

The casino was not unaccustomed to drunken men passing out from excess alcohol use, either celebrating their fortune, or washing away the inevitable misfortune. A few raised eyebrows and snorts of contempt was all that Daphne got as she virtually dragged Mr Swish out of the joint. 

 

Mr Swish was not a large or heavy man, of average height and slim build. Easy enough to drag out, feet trailing behind her. 

 

Not so easy was dragging the man to Birthing unit. At least without attention. 

 

A two minute taxi ride later...

 

Some beat up old taxi, "EZ Cabs", with a suspicious blonde driver wearing suspicious glasses and suspicious eyes had taken a few notes to drive her a few blocks away, in the darkness, to an alleyway where birthing unit was patiently waiting...and Mr. Swish was still snoring gently, mind full of pleasant dreams. 

[Tiffany Korta]

The cramped little cabin of Birthing Unit had been Daphne home for most of her life, but it wasn’t all that the craft contained. In a marvel of interdimensional engineering the ship contained much more than it size would suggest. Including a small stasis pod. WIth the man safely tucked away in the device she turned her attention to working out what he had been doing.

 

Mother Unit where’s best can we get this stuff analysed? But first how about you unlock this so I can find out who he’s been dealing with?

 

She waved around his cell phone, though Mother Unit of cause didn’t need her to do that.

 

We might need to give them a visit, and I know who to visit as...

[Supercape]

GM

 

A little bit later...

 

Mother Unit peeled away the primitive lock on Mr. Swish's phone. It did not take long. The difficulty was the large large number of vague contacts he had. "Foxy Chick" was probably not what Ms Grue was looking for. Nor was "Princess" or "Drunkard". But the list was long, long, long. 

 

What she was probably looking for was "Hound Handler". A number that looked like, with a bit of research, was a number close to or in the mansion of Al Driogano the notorious and shady mobster who ran the Southside Palace from which Ms Grue had dragged Mr. Swish. 

 

The chemicals were another problem. As far as Ms. Grue could tell, it was a virally derived toxin of some sort, which would cause mutation and eventually death. A bit like burning up all your life in a few weeks. 

[Tiffany Korta]

Daphne screwed up her face as she thought through her options. It was obviously something very serious, maybe too big for her on her own, but she had to try and stop this going further before someone got seriously hurt.

 

Okay i don’t want to know how but I want you to try and find a counter to the effects of the drugs. this is Freedom City someone must be able to do something about all this.

 

And what exactly will you be doing?

 

I’m going to find and hopefully stop the source of the drug, which means paying a visit to Al Driogano.

[Supercape]

GM

 

And so, shortly...

 

Al Driogo had more than one mansion, but this one was just outside Freedom City, and by the coast. A splendid yacht was docked. The place had high walls and security camera's, and an immodest amount of land, from carefully kept lawns, to rolling waves of flowers and shrubs, to a small wild corner of trees and undergrowth. 

 

The mansion itself was rather old, and even slightly crumbly. It had a slightly weathered look, its wood and brick needing a lick of paint. Still, there was no doubt it was a place of luxury. 

 

And whilst there were a couple of guards at the gate, Al Driogo himself was not at home...

[Tiffany Korta]

Daphne knew all she needed to learn about a place from her many, many hours watching television and movies. Tonight she’d gone for the traditional pizza delivery gambit. Looking for all the world like a Pizza delivery girl she confidently walked up to the guards.

 

“Hi there I’ve got an order here for you guys, someone named Al Driogo paid for ‘em.â€

 

No one would turn down free pizza, even if they didn’t believe the story, plus in thinking of there boss gave her a better chance to learn his location. Them thinking bout him would make it easier as she scanned their brains for just such information.