Quick Fix Game 15: Death Note

[Elbereth she/her]

Maybe go all Cognitive-Realm style and say it's whatever name you think of yourself as? (As I said, I know nothing about Death Note.)

[A Joe in the Bush]

Yup, y'all will get paid once we make a successful getaway

Yeah, I'm going to need half up front to get the things I need for the operation.

[Burnt Spaghetti she/her]

Fund my fires and I'll consider that payment enough

[Haelbarde he/him]

Yeah, I'm going to need half up front to get the things I need for the operation.

Hmm... Let me see what I can do. And 'half' is sorta ambiguous, given that the income from the job could vary dramatically.

[Arrae]

You'll cover all expenses related to the job, right? I mean, makeup and wigs are good for changing your face, but they're expensive.

[Haelbarde he/him]

You'll cover all expenses related to the job, right? I mean, makeup and wigs are good for changing your face, but they're expensive.

Sure. Do you accept platinum?

[Arrae]

3665.13 yen per gram of platinum? Sure. I'll need a 10 gram deposit to start.

[Alvron he/him]

I'll take a couple of kilo bars to look the other way seeing as I work for Interpol and know all your names and everything.

[Master Elodin]

I'll take 0.5 carats of painite up front and then 240 more if you want the other information that I extracted.

[Haelbarde he/him]

I'll take a couple of kilo bars to look the other way seeing as I work for Interpol and know all your names and everything.

What if I give you 10 and you give us a guided tour in the middle of the night when no one else is around?

[Alvron he/him]

What if I give you 10 and you give us a guided tour in the middle of the night when no one else is around?

What guarantees do I have that the tour won't end with a knife in my back and empty pockets?

[Haelbarde he/him]

What guarantees do I have that the tour won't end with a knife in my back and empty pockets?

Well, the other alternative is you give us the security clearance to walk about, and the keys to get in, then you get your money and don't need to see us again.

[Master Elodin]

What guarantees do I have that the tour won't end with a knife in my back and empty pockets?

We don't use pedestrian things like knives.. You'll survive the night. That's all we'll promise.

EDIT: Also, has my payment request been accepted?

Edited May 6, 2016 by Master Elodin

[Alvron he/him]

Well, the other alternative is you give us the security clearance to walk about, and the keys to get in, then you get your money and don't need to see us again.

So I get paid after the job?  Don't think so.  Payment up front.  Then we can talk.

[Haelbarde he/him]

So I get paid after the job?  Don't think so.  Payment up front.  Then we can talk.

I didn't say that particularly clearly. I had been thinking we'd pay for the keys and clearance first, and so that way we could do the swap in a mutually acceptable way, and then you don't have to see us again. 

[A Joe in the Bush]

I'm cheaper. I'll take 6.2 grams of Platinum. I can easily get everything I need for the mission with that, plus some extra goodies that might come in handy.

And Alv, what's to stop you from betraying us once we're inside. I prefer the guided tour idea, with two stipulations. You have a dead man's panic switch, and I have a gun to your head. If you let go of the switch, the alarms go off, and we all get arrested, and eventually Kira'd. But I'll shoot you first.

Once we've gotten in and out, we hand over your pay, we split, and never see each other again.

[Metacognition he/him]

Every screen in the building suddenly goes blank. Moment's later, an image appears and through a hundred different speakers, the same message can be heard. 

 

 

"Greetings Kira. And to you as well, L. I- am M.

 

"No, not that 'M.' I'm afraid Mellow has been otherwise occupied and will likely be so for quite some time. In his stead, I have taken it upon myself to do what L and the police cannot; which is to find Kira and bring him to justice. I hope that the rest of you will be willing to assist me in this endeavor. If you will not, then please kindly do not get in my way. 

 

"Oh, and a message to those that are considering breaking into Interpol to confiscate their records: it is not recommended. I've already taken the liberty of removing everyone's records for the duration of the investigation. They are stored in a safe location that only I will have access to. So you need not fear your information falling into the wrong hands and the only thing you will accomplish will be to risk getting caught by Interpol security. 

 

"Instead of planning a wild goose chase, I offer you another option. You can work for me. You have 3 days to decide on whether or not you will accept my offer. I will be in touch."

 

After the message finishes playing, the screens go blank again before returning to their regularly scheduled programming. The only sign that anything had happened at all is the looks of surprise and shock on the faces of those around you. 

 

---

 

As the self-proclaimed Holder of the Death Note Shard, there's no way I could sit this game out.

 

Player list:

1: {reserved for Meta}

 

 

You know me too well, Alv.

[Burnt Spaghetti she/her]

 

"Instead of planning a wild goose chase, I offer you another option. You can work for me. You have 3 days to decide on whether or not you will accept my offer. I will be in touch."

 

Would I still be allowed to burn things?

[Arrae]

The door to Joseph and Hal's room was open. Good. Rikku was sure they wouldn't mind her...perusing some of the items her fellow partners-in-crime had left in their rooms.

 

A blue light glowed in the darkness. Rikku flicked the lights on and walked into the room. Someone had left his laptop open, and on. Rikku grinned and found the mouse attached to it. She clicked around with it, then started poking around.

 

Then the screen blanked out.

 

"Greetings Kira. And to you as well, L. I- am M."

 

Rikku stared at the laptop in confusion. What was this? Some video? Had she clicked the wrong button? Rikku tried to close the video, but the escape button wouldn't work.

 

Rikku tried to pause the video. That didn't work either. Something played out of the speakers, but she missed it.

 

"Oh, and a message to those that are considering breaking into Interpol to confiscate their records: it is not recommended. I've already taken the liberty of removing everyone's records for the duration of the investigation. They are stored in a safe location that only I will have access to. So you need not fear your information falling into the wrong hands and the only thing you will accomplish will be to risk getting caught by Interpol security. 

 

Who...? What? Whoever had made this video knew about Hal's plan, and claimed to have already done the job. Who the **** could have done that?

 

"Instead of planning a wild goose chase, I offer you another option. You can work for me. You have 3 days to decide on whether or not you will accept my offer. I will be in touch."

 

The video ended and left Rikku gaping at the screen. Maybe...maybe investigating Joseph and Hal's room hadn't been such a great idea.

 

---

 

Meta, how much would you pay?

[Master Elodin]

Alexander sighed deeply, thinking. He played back the message and saw nothing. He turned on his phone and saw a number programmed into it with only one initial: M. He traced the number back to a remote server in the South China Sea, which then led to, eventually, a computer here in the city. He eventually found the records, stored in a very secure file, which he made short work of. He kept them intact(except his), but left a message there. "This is A. I know your name and where you come from. I hold the only leverage that you have against the others, so listen to my proposal: I pull the strings from the shadows, supplying you and your group with help when you need it. I require no payment other that your unfailing loyalty and the promise that Kira will be brought to me when or if he is found. I suggest that you accept these terms, unless you want to end up dead." Then he went back to reading his book, muttering to himself about Investiture and worldhoppers. Edited May 6, 2016 by Master Elodin

[A Joe in the Bush]

His hands felt warm, and sticky. Joseph glanced away from the screen, and realized his knuckles had gone white, and he had punctured the palms of his hand. He forced himself to relax, to open his fists, to lower his shoulders, to rest his mouth. He closed his eyes, and sucked in a great breath of air. He held it for a moment. Then another. And another. His lungs were burning when he finally expelled the stale breath and drew in a fresh one. But he was sufficiently calm now.

 

Joseph gently picked up the remote, and rewound the recording, until the M was again on the screen. He paused, staring at it, memorizing each line.

 

The he roared, and smashed his already bleeding hand into the Television. The M vanished as the screen broke. Pain washed up his arm, but he ignored it. He had always been good at ignoring warnings. He grabbed the broken set, raised it above his head, pivoted, and slammed it down onto the rickety wooden table. His momentum forced him to fall to his knees among the chunks of the table.

 

He breathed, great ragged gasps flowing in and out of his lungs as his arms alerted him to cuts and lacerations made from broken glass and wood. He welcomed the pain, relished in, forged it into a focus. “Shatter you M.” He sighed, leaning forward onto his knees, before pushing himself back to his feet to survey the damage he had done.

 

He’d need to replace the table and TV now. All on his nonexistent paycheck from the canceled Interpol job. He’d find a way. He always had before. Some ways were darker than others, but there was always a way for those who were strong in spirit.

 

Joseph crouched, and gathered up the broken shards of glass into his shirt. He walked them over to the kitchen garbage and dumped them out before repeating the process until the floor was clean of the larger pieces. He repeated the process with the chunks of wood that could fit in the trashcan. The larger pieces he piled next to the door, a present for Sumiko. He picked up the TV, and froze.

 

Inside the mess of wires and electronics, behind the screen, sat a small device. It looked like a transmitter. A listening device. Just how had M known about their plan so quickly? They had only come up with the idea a mere hour ago, after all. He carefully rotated the broken set, eyeing the device nestled inside. “Is that you M? Listening, and watching, refusing to show yourself?”

 

“Well Shatter you. You arrogant, doylist, speck of dirt. I’ll not work for you. I refuse to be bound to someone who sees themself as above me ever again! I’ll take down Kira my way! With the people i choose! If you want my help fighting him, then you come here and ask for it!”

 

He gestured to the front door. “Those four? Rikku, Alex, Hal and Sumiko? They’re criminals. Scum like me! But they’re better than you, far better! They’re willing to trust a man, and treat him as an equal, not lord over him and command him. So M. You gave me a choice. I heard the words you didn’t say. You have our records. Our lives in your hands. You hand those over to Kira, and we die. I heard the threat you gave us. Well I’ll give you the same choice. You come here, you join us! Or I’ll come for you as well as Kira. I’ll kill this false god, then I’ll come for you.”

 

“That is my answer.”

 

 

Meta, no hard feelings, but I am slightly irked about the records thing. I was looking forward to doing an Interpol heist. I’ll settle for doing an RP war with M instead though.

Edited May 6, 2016 by The Only Joe

[Haelbarde he/him]

Alexander sighed deeply, thinking. He played back the message and saw nothing. He turned on his phone and saw a number programmed into it with only one initial: M. He traced the number back to a remote server in the South China Sea, which then led to, eventually, a computer here in the city. He eventually found the records, stored in a very secure file, which he made short work of. He kept them intact(except his), but left a message there. "This is A. I know your name and where you come from. I hold the only leverage that you have against the others, so listen to my proposal: I pull the strings from the shadows, supplying you and your group with help when you need it. I require no payment other that your unfailing loyalty and the promise that Kira will be brought to me when or if he is found. I suggest that you accept these terms, unless you want to end up dead." Then he went back to reading his book, muttering to himself about Investiture and worldhoppers.

Fair warning: Challenging M does not extend ones life expectancy.

[Metacognition he/him]

Would I still be allowed to burn things?

 

When the situation calls for it. This is an investigation to bring Kira to justice. The chances that something is going to have to be blown up eventually is almost 100%. 

 

Meta, how much would you pay?

 

Pay? I'm giving you the chance to work for me. Shouldn't that be payment enough?    Plus, I'm kind of holding your records hostage.... 

 

Alexander sighed deeply, thinking. He played back the message and saw nothing. He turned on his phone and saw a number programmed into it with only one initial: M. He traced the number back to a remote server in the South China Sea, which then led to, eventually, a computer here in the city. He eventually found the records, stored in a very secure file, which he made short work of. He kept them intact(except his), but left a message there. "This is A. I know your name and where you come from. I hold the only leverage that you have against the others, so listen to my proposal: I pull the strings from the shadows, supplying you and your group with help when you need it. I require no payment other that your unfailing loyalty and the promise that Kira will be brought to me when or if he is found. I suggest that you accept these terms, unless you want to end up dead." Then he went back to reading his book, muttering to himself about Investiture and worldhoppers.

 

Only one proxy server? With the records stored on a computer connected to the internet? You don't give me enough credit. 

 

---

 

M watched as the hacker made short work of the security he'd installed specifically for that purpose. It took "A" only a few minutes to find the file containing the fake records; including his own.

 

This is good. M thought to himself. Having someone of their capabilities on board will make this task significantly easier. 

 

Now he sat back to wait for the hacker to realize that he'd been had. 

 

 

Meta, no hard feelings, but I am slightly irked about the records thing. I was looking forward to doing an Interpol heist. I’ll settle for doing an RP war with M instead though.

 

 

Sorry Joe. I just thought it was a good way to introduce my character and his capabilities. If you like, you guys are more than welcome to come get them from me. Just a switch of target rather than the Interpol thing, and I'll actually be able to reply back!

Edited May 6, 2016 by Metacognition

[A Joe in the Bush]

Pay? I'm giving you the chance to work for me. Shouldn't that be payment enough?    Plus, I'm kind of holding your records hostage.... 

At least now you're willing to say the threats you implied. No comment on my RP?

 

EDIT: Ah, you ninja edited me.

Edited May 6, 2016 by The Only Joe

[Alvron he/him]

Now you know why I wanted to be paid upfront.

 

I still need names from Lopen and Trel.