The Strike of the Union - vol. 1

It is a quarter to six and just about quitting time. The crew on this shift really hustled and has managed to get everything unloaded and into place ahead of schedule. For the past 10 minutes you’ve all been shooting the breeze and waiting for the top of the hour so you can clock out. Mostly everyone has been talking about their plans for the evening. You already had your evening decided for you this morning.

Your sister Susan cornered you before you left for work and asked if you could babysit the kids so her and Pedro could have a date night. Both of them have been working a lot of overtime during the past few weeks while the heatwave was going on. Crowfall isn't an easy city to raise kids in. When your couple is made up of a nurse and firefighter, it ends up putting even more stress on a relationship. You know they could really use the night out so it wasn't a hard decision to agree to watch the kids.

Ana, your sister’s oldest daughter, happened to overhear and begged her mom to start treating her like an adult already. Susan wasn’t having any of it. After you agreed to watch the girls Susan made sure you promised to keep an extra on Ana to make sure she didn’t sneak out. Or sneak a boy in.

At five of six you receive a big slap on the back from your buddy, and shop steward, Lance. "Glad I caught you before you clocked out. Think you might be willing to pull a double? We got a rush shipment coming in an hour or two and I’ve had a lot of callouts." Lance looks around and motions for you to follow him somewhere less busy. "I haven’t had to actually fill any of those callouts. Bunch of guys actually volunteered to fill the slots almost as soon as they opened up. The two Reynolds Brothers and their ‘entourage.’" Lance can't help but roll his eyes as he says entourage

Both of you have been keeping an eye on Bobby and Wes Reynolds since they started here a month ago. Lance never got a shot to interview either of them. Someone pulled some strings upstairs and suddenly these guys had jobs despite no longshoreman experience. Most of your co-workers loved them and their outrageous stories even though neither one had any work ethic to speak of. But that’s not what you and Lance have been interested in. It's the rumors of their ties to the mob that got your attention.

"I'm sorry to disappoint buddy, but my dance card is full tonight; I'm watching the kids for Susan and Pedro. I don't think the Reynolds Brothers are going anywhere soon so we'll get more chances to snoop."

I know Lance is going to be disappointed, but family is important and I promised. Admittedly, Ana would jump at the chance to cover for me and prove that she is growing up, but I'm not going to lie to my sister and conspire with my niece just to satisfy curiosity.

If he really wants me to investigate I'll call Susan and see if Lance can watch the kids. She knows I have a mountain of medical bills so she might let "Uncle Lance" watch the kids while I work a double. And hey, if he's not willing to order pizza and play board games then it's not that important.

Lance nods his head but look a little disappointed. "Understandable. I’m sticking around anyways, so it’s not like these clowns are going to be unsupervised. Say hello to the family for me, will ya?" He gives you a pat on the arm just as the clock strikes six and everyone rushes the timeclock. As you walk away Lance calls out, "If anyone happens to me make sure to avenge my death," and gives you a wink before walking away. It's a recurring ‘joke’ he’s been telling you a lot since you gained your powers. His way of poking fun at his perceived role in your ‘story’ as the type of character that usually has a short lifespan.

When you arrive home you find a pretty typical situation. Ana and Carmen are on the couch fighting over the remote control while Susan is bouncing Isabelle in her arms trying to get the young child to quiet down. Susan gives you a smile and when Isabelle sees you she double downs in her crying fit now that there is a new target to possibly give her some more attention. Susan just sighs. You can hear the shower running and can assume Pedro must be cleaning up after his shift which ended about the same time as yours.

"There’s some leftovers in the fridge you can heat up if you want them. The girls already ate; except for Miss Fussy over here. She’s been like this for hours. God knows why. School is starting back up in a few weeks so Ana and Carmen really should be finishing up their summer reading but to be perfectly honest I’m not expecting you to get on their cases about that. As long as the house doesn’t burn down I’ll be happy. We should be back by 11. I really appreciate you helping out, Steven."

"Everything is fine Suze, get spiffed up and go paint the town."

Stephen takes Isabelle and begins to gently rock her while singing an old Pete Seeger song in a voice loud enough to compete with the crying
The gentle swaying and deep bass of his voice soothes Isabelle and she forgets to cry while listening to her Uncle's singing. When she settles down Stephen offers her a snack.

"Ana, come in the kitchen with me for a minute. I need to talk to you for a minute."

Ana tosses down the remote with a huff and stomps into the kitchen. Stephen hands an apple to Isabelle and motions for Ana to sit at the kitchen table; she sits with the dramatic flair that only a teenager can manage.

"Ana, I heard you telling your mom that you want to be treated like an adult, and I wanted to..."

Ana tries to interrupt with her side of things... "She treats me like a kid and never lets me..." then abruptly stops talking when Stephen holds up his hand and shows her is serious face.

"Please take a breath and let me finish. I wanted to give you a gift of wisdom" Ana rolls her eyes "Given to me by your Grandmother when I was about your age and moaning about how I was being treated.

In this world there are girls, gals, and women (I know that no one says gals anymore but Grandma was old school).

A girl is DEPENDENT - she needs other people.

A gal is INDEPENDENT - she can manage on her own and doesn't need other people so much."

Ana grins and says "That's me, I'm a gal."

Stephen continues

"A woman is DEPENDABLE - she is there for other people and she can be counted on.

Your Mom is a woman, she is there everyday for everyone. Tonight is special because it so rare that she and your Dad take time for themselves.

If you want to be treated like a woman, show your parents that you're dependable. Help out around the house, do the dishes, or laundry, or cook dinner without being asked. Take care of your sisters when you see that they need help, not just when your parents ask you to help. If you want more responsibility and trust, first you need to show them you are ready - not just old enough but mature enough.

Be patient, your parents are busy and accustomed to thinking of you as a kid so they won't start treating you like a woman right away. Keep stepping up around the house and they'll notice. Does that make sense?"

Ana tilts her head and grins "So Grandma told you how to be a woman?"

Stephen "As I recall she told me I was a guy and suggested I start acting like a man or learn to keep my mouth shut. So whaddaya say I watch Isabelle and get dinner ready while you act like a woman and help Carmen get started on that summer reading assignment."

Ana looks slightly dejected

"And after dinner when Isabelle is asleep you choose the movie."

Ana smiles a little and sighs, "Okay"

"And remember Ana, if you want to start a fight with your sisters try bossing them around, if you want them to actually do something try doing it with them or asking for help."

When Suze and Pedro come downstairs the TV is off. Ana and Carmen reading on the couch, Isabelle is on the floor in front of them flipping through picture books, and Stephen has the sauce simmering and the water boiling for Spaghetti.

Stephen holds his finger to his lips and makes a shooing motion for Suze and Pedro to go quietly.

It is clear that Susan wants some answers on just how you brainwashed her children into behaving like this so quickly, but Pedro joins in on quietly shushing her and gently pushes her toward the door. They both silently mouth ‘thank you’ on their way out.

After that, you and the girls settle onto the couch and watch a movie. It is a very pleasant evening with no shouting or fighting. Carmen falls asleep halfway through the espionage thriller she has no real interest in. Ana excuses herself midway through and returns with a mug of coffee for you.

"Not bad, right?" It isn’t great but it is drinkable. "I have a friend that works as a barista and they have been teaching me a thing or two. Too bad passing knowledge of coffee making isn’t enough to pad out a resume... Let’s say I take your advice and keep it up every day. I become like the best daughter ever and mom and dad let me start looking for a part time job. Would you maybe be willing to be a reference? Tell any prospective employer about my many skills and generally how great I am?"

"I can give an employer a character reference, that is a reference from someone who hasn't been your employer. You haven't worked for me I can't speak directly to how you are as an employee and since we are family I couldn't be anything other than a character reference anyway.

I'll tell them you're smart and ready to learn.

What jobs are you thinking about?"

Ana frowns. "You sure can be a real stick in the mud, Uncle Stephen." She quickly realizes she is trying to persuade you to help her and tries to double back. "I, uh, meant that in a fun way... oh crap. I just mean that everyone lies on their resume, right? There's nothing wrong with saying I worked for you." That seems to light an idea bulb over her head.

"Honestly, I don’t care what kind of job I get. I just want to be able to be a bit more independent; like we talked about. I hate having to beg mom and dad to give me money every time I want to go see a movie with my friends. But what if you pulled some strings down at the docks? They have to have something I can do down there. Sorting mail? I don’t know. I'll do whatever. But then I could earn your character reference and your buddy Lance’s reference as my boss, right? Plus, you'd be able to keep an eye on me so mom and dad would be way more likely to say yes. It's win / win!"

"So 'Everyone lies on their resume' huh? I don't know what 'everyone' does, but I know this is a blue collar working family. We don't have trust funds, stock portfolios, or summer homes. What we do have are skills and work ethic and reputation, and that's all we have. Lying on a resume is gambling with your best asset, it would be like the Queen of England putting her crown jewels on Red 32. You can take the risk if you want to, but personally I'm not comfortable gambling with my reputation."

"Anyway, if you get what is called an 'entry level position' you don't need much of a resume. Tomorrow I'll talk to Lance and see if there'e anything you could do at the docks office or the Union Hall but you should also talk to your mom about openings at the hospital."

"And I think you're smart to try out different jobs and see what you like and what you don't like. When I was your age I washed hearses at the Gonzagareddi Funeral Parlor and worked at a gas station; I still hate the smell of gasoline. Your Mom babysat every weekend and when she got a little older she worked as a waitress at Tony's Pizza. She once told me those jobs taught her that she likes taking care of people but not serving people."

Ana squeals with joy when you tell her that you’ll talk to Lance tomorrow. There is no hiding her excitement at the mere possibility of getting a job and some spending money that is all her own. "I really, really appreciate this Uncle Steven. I’ll make sure you won’t regret this and will never do anything to harm your reputation. If only my mom were as helpful as you and actually let me babysit or wait tables. I’m more than willing to do any of that stuff. Except for washing hearses." She shutters at the thought. "Did you ever see anything cool on that job? Vampire rise up out of the back of the hearse or something?" She laughs and pokes fun at the thought of her boy scout uncle out there fighting vicious monsters.

The two of you talk for a while longer before Ana goes off to bed and even helps get Carmen into hers. It’s about half past 10 and you expect Susan and Pedro to be back in another hour. Two at the most.

If the Union is the type of hero to perform neighborhood patrols, he might be able to squeeze one in and be back before the end of date night. Then again, maybe it is best to play it safe and stay in. Ana has been plenty receptive to your insight tonight but she still is a teenager and might just be waiting for you to let your guard down before sneaking out herself.

Stephen finishes the dishes in the kitchen and checks on the girls before settling into an overstuffed armchair in the living room.

He thinks I'll just rest my eyes for a few minutes. When Suze and Pedro get home I'll walk over to Lance's apartment and see if anything interesting happened tonight.

At some point you must have nodded off. Susan’s laughter wakes you. Light from the kitchen silhouettes the couple into playful shadows. It seems like date night was a success. Pedro walks through the room and gives his thanks for watching the kids. You meet Susan in the kitchen as he finishes pouring two glasses of wine. The color in her cheeks indicates that these are far from the first glasses they have had tonight. She too offers her thanks and rushes off, allowing you to easily check in with Lance.

The lights are on when you arrive at his home and knock on the door. A tired looking Lance answers after a minute. He is still wearing his uniform from work so it is clear you didn’t wake him. Without a word, he invites you inside where he collapses on the couch.

"God did not intend for man to stand on his feet for that long, buddy." Lance starts rubbing the aching muscles of his feet. "Fun night with the girls?" He allows you to give him an update on the family before getting into a report on how the second shift went.

"Something happened. I think. It's hard to say. Right from the start it was clear that something was up. I’ve never seen Bobby and Wes actually working hard but they were all over the prep work before the ship arrived. I was keeping a pretty close watch on them but then a security guard radioed in about some teenage vandals all the way over at warehouse B. I wasn’t gone more then 20 minutes and somehow, in that small amount of time, the crew had nearly everything unloaded and into place. The Reynolds even invited me to come play cards with them and their boys, so I imagine they’ll be plenty late tomorrow."

Lance looks plenty tired and frustrated. "Maybe I’m being paranoid but... do you think they would go as far as to send a distraction to get me away from the docks while they.... did something? I mean, I don’t know what they could have done but... it just seems odd, right? Am I being crazy, Stephen?"

"It was odd for the Reynolds brothers to volunteer for a last minute job, it was odd that they were actually working hard, and it was odd that they managed to finish the job while you were away. Yeah, it's odd.

Next time that there is a rush shipment and they volunteer you can tell them thanks but you have to spread the love around. I'll take the extra shift and maybe we can look at the shipment without the Reynold's looking over our shoulders.

By the way, was there any vandalism?"

Lance laughs a little. "I can give it a shot, but I’m pretty sure that decision is above my paygrade. If the Reynolds want extra shifts, I don’t know how much say I’ll have in the matter. Just like how I wasn’t able to weigh in on hiring them and I certainly won’t have a say in giving them the axe, if that glorious day ever comes.

"But, yeah. There was some petty vandalism. Handful of punk kids cut a fence, snuck in, and spray painted some... what do they call it? Tags? I sound so old right now, don’t I? They ran off when the guard showed up but he wasn’t sure what to do about the fence. Had to call the cops to get a report for insurance purposes and authorize OT to post an extra guard at the fence until we get it fixed. Real headache that I could have done without."

"The Reynolds Brothers are new so they don't have much seniority. When I said "spread the love around" I just meant holding the line on seniority. I've got years more seniority than them so the job is mine if I want it. I'm just asking you to back that up as shop steward and check with other guys who've been around to see if we can lock out the Reynolds. They only got the last minute job because no one with more seniority wanted it."

Anyway, I can pick up a six pack at the bodega if you want a drink or I can let you get some sleep. It's your call."

Lance sighs. "You know I try to do everything on the up and up but you gotta realize that the world isn’t as black and white for most of us as it is for you. It’d be great if everyone could play by the rules. Then we wouldn’t even have needs for things like unions... or The Union," he says your alter ego name with a wink. "But you know as well as I do that far too many people are playing with cards hidden up their sleeves.

"So nine out of 10 times I’m able to play by the rules and everything is handled fairly. Unfortunately, on occasion that isn’t an option. Sometimes I receive... suggestions that certain guys should work certain assignments. Not all of us can take a bullet to the chest or break their way out of cement shoes and I know you can’t be out there watching my back 24/7. So on occasion, as much as I hate it, I have to bend to outside pressure. I’m letting you know when that happens and I hope you understand why I have to do it. If we’re going to clean up the Deep, then we need to remain ‘we.’ Having me stuffed into a barrel and tossed into a river because I told some crony ‘no’ ain’t helping nobody."

Steven sighs and looks down at his feet
"Yeah, I know can be too much of an idealist and I need to remember the world is painted in shades of grey."

Then he looks up and grins
"I'm officially curious now so next time you see a darker shade of grey around the Reynolds brothers let me know. We'll figure out what to do when it happens.

Well, if you don't want a beer then I'm going to finish my walk and get some sleep."

Lance gives you a sorrowful smile. "Thanks for understanding, Stephen. I really wish there were more people like you in this city. Things would be a lot simpler." He raises his watch and squints to read the time. "Think I’m going to have to pass on the drink. Been a pretty long day. I’ll see you tomorrow."

Lance shows you out and you start a nice quiet stroll back home. The streets are empty and the lights are out in almost every house you pass. The Deep is very peaceful under the moonlight.

You awake the next morning and find a busy kitchen. Susan is sitting at the table with an empty cup of coffee. She is rubbing her temples. It has probably been a while since she had that much to drink in one evening. Ana slides bowls of hot oatmeal to her sisters and goes to refill Susan's coffee.

Stephen quietly walks behind his sister and gently rubs her shoulders for a few moments, then he softly says

"I hope you both had a good time"

and as Ana returns with her coffee he gives Suze's shoulders one last squeeze and heads into the kitchen in search of oatmeal and coffee.

"Too good of a time, it would seem," Susan responds. "I really appreciate you looking after the girls. Don’t worry about it becoming a regular thing though. I think we both need some time to recover." You are able to gather up some oatmeal and the last of the coffee.

"We walked the pier for old times sake. I haven’t spent any time down there in... I don’t even know how long. Have you been recently?" As far back as the 50s the pier has been a major hangout for teenagers in the Deep. Carnivals rides, games, a ferris wheel. You remember taking Susan through the fun house during Halloween when you were both young. She wouldn’t even open her eyes.

The past five to ten years have not been kind to the pier. The owner of most of the bigger attractions got into financial troubles and stopped doing all of the required maintenance as a result. This led to some injuries and lawsuits. Some of the old attractions have been replaced by cheap makeshift apartments and a never ending stream of businesses that go bankrupt within months of opening. The whole area has a shady reputation now.

"Not lately, it's not what it used to be is it?"

Maybe I should take my mask and check our the pier this evening. Maybe I can do something to help resurrect the area so that another generation of kids can enjoy it.

Susan shakes her head. "All the old haunts are gone. I was hoping to shake the rust off my skee ball skills but no such luck. The arcade was boarded up. That old pizza place I used to love is now a seafood buffet. I had to hold my nose when we walked by it. It was practically a ghost town but I felt like people were watching us the whole time we were there. It's such a shame. I have no many great memories of dates on the pier."

Ana’s jaw drops so hard you can practically hear it. Susan realizes her mistake and tries to back it up. "Please don’t start, Ana."

"You--" Ana catches herself before she can put her foot in her mouth. She’s clearly making an effort here. "You are lucky a place like that existed when you were a kid. It sounds like a lot of fun." Susan seems surprised at this response. She finishes up her breakfast and excuses herself to get ready for work.

"I can’t believe her!" Ana remarks once her mother is out of earshot. "She went out with creepy dudes on the super dangerous pier all the time but last month when I went bowling with friends she rented the lane right next to us to make sure I didn’t so much as hold hands with a boy." She mocks fainting at the scandal this would cause.

"I really hope things go well when you talk to Lance. I’m dying to get a real chance to show mom that I can be responsible, Uncle Stephen."

"Just to put things into perspective, back in the day the pier was family friendly and lots of fun and not dangerous at all; and I know that your Mom usually had a good time on those dates because Grandpa made it my responsibility to 'observe from a distance' and report any 'funny business'. Also there was a 9 o'clock curfew."

Stephen fills a small thermos with oatmeal and travel mug with coffee, then grabs his lunch from the fridge and says

"I'll let you know what Lance says."

then he kisses Isabelle and Carmen's heads and nods to Ana as he heads out the door.

Stephen buys the latest edition of the city newspaper and reads it at the Union Hiring Hall while eating his breakfast. He pays particular attention to the crime section and any stories about the Deep.

Ana rolls her eyes. "So I guess parental paranoia runs in the family." She laughs and wishes you a good day at work.

---

You arrive at the hiring hall a little while later. The main headline in the crime section of the paper details a sharp drop in violent crime as the heatwave has finally broken. The late summer weather is still mildly hot and humid but at least it no longer seems to be driving abnormal behavior. One article related to the Deep catches your eye.

It is not directly about crime, but does mention a legendary criminal: Coffinstrike. The international freelance assassin who is widely considered one of the most deadly men in the world. The article talks about a third sighting of him this month inside the Deep. This is highly unusual considering the man is best known for his unrivaled stealth abilities. Usually it only becomes known that he was in town after someone shows up dead with a coffin and a number burned into their skin. The number representing the number of people he has killed.

The writer of the article speculates on the sightings and what it could mean. Could it be someone simply dressing up as the well known villain? Or maybe Coffinstrike is allowing people to spot him to try and draw out a particularly elusive target so he can take them out when they try and flee the city. All three sightings were in three different parts of the Deep and each individual claims to have seen him watching the street from a rooftop.

You finish the article just as Lance walks up and gives you a pat on the back. "Morning, pal. Bright and early as always, I see." He yawns and takes another sip from his coffee thermos.

"Yeah, I get a wake up call each morning from the the bill collectors. When i finally get that hospital bill paid off maybe I can sleep later, eh?

Speaking of money, Ana is looking for a part time job and wanted me to ask you if you know of any entry level office type jobs on the docks. And before you think about it too hard and give yourself a stroke, just know that it wouldn't break my heart if the answer was 'no'. Dock work attracts all kinds of men and Ana is young... makes me nervous. I'd rather see her waiting tables or working at the hospital with Suze."

Lance thinks of it for a minute and nods his head. "I can think of a few places she could help out. But if Ana and Suze are keen on her waiting tables, I might have an idea there too. You know the girl I’m seeing? Amira? The one that keeps trying to have us all go out on a double date and I keep telling her you aren’t seeing anyone?"

You’ve met Amira a handful of times. They’ve been dating for almost a year. You remember being there when they met at the diner across the street from the hospital Suze works at. Amira is a few years younger than Lance and you. She was working on her doctorate when her father got ill. The expenses of fighting his illness have been very high. Amira is his only child and her mother died when she was little. Amira cut back on the hours she was putting in working on her doctoral thesis and started working at the diner to help pay the bills.

"I’m sure Amira could put in a good word for her. Susan would have to be happy with that arrangement too, right? Not only would a trusted friend be able to watch over Ana while she works, but Suze would be right across the street and could pop in whenever she wants."

Stephen studiously ignores any mention of his non-existent love life

"Great idea! Thanks. Is Amira working tonight? Maybe we could stop by the diner after work and ask her about it? I don't want to mention it to Ana unless it is a real possibility.

Then later tonight I thought I might wander over to the Pier while I keeping an eye on the rooftops."

As he mentions rooftops he deliberately looks down at his hand resting on the newspaper with an outstretched index finger pointing to the Coffinstrike article.

"Sure thing. She starts a shift around 4. I’m sure she will be glad to see us."

Lance follows your outstretched finger to the article. He smirks. "I was going to ask if you saw that." He looks around to make sure no one is paying attention to the two of you. "You don’t think you’re jumping right up to the major leagues with that? Not doubting your abilities, buddy, but that guy killed Deadnite. Like 3 times. Do you have any leads beyond what the paper said? The Deep seems like such a strange place for him to show up. Sure, we got people with grudges that run deep, but they usually don’t have the pockets to match. Who could afford to hire him here?"

Stephen continues looking at the paper as he says

"The strangeness of sightings in the Deep is what concerns me so much. I wouldn't leave the neighborhood looking for him just to prove myself because you're right that he might be out of my league, but if he's here in the Deep I gotta look into it. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't look try to protect the people.

I don't have any leads and the paper isn't much help, but I'll feel better if I at least walk around and look. I can't even guess who might have hired him, but the whole thing is strange enough maybe this is a personal thing."

he looks up at Lance and smiles, saying

"Let's go find out what jobs are available today. I was thinking if they show up I'll try to work a job with the Reynolds brothers, maybe they'll say talk about last night ."

Lance shakes his head in worry. "Let’s hope its nothing personal. I’d hate to be the guy that made that maniac angry enough to come at them pro bono."

---

As expected, neither of the Reynolds are in today. A few of their cronies are and you spend most of the day working alongside them. They all move pretty sluggishly and it is clear that the crew was out pretty late partying after they got off work last night.

At the end of the day everyone is in a rush to get home and crawl into bed. Except for one of the men, who says he’s going to grab a smoke before heading out. Oddly, he makes his way toward warehouse B where the vandalism took place last night. Not exactly the usual place for someone to take a smoke break.

Stephen follows at a distance, he walks casually but he keeps the guy in sight and stays far enough back that his steps can't be heard.

Your co-worker, who goes by the odd nickname of Toddy, lights a cigarette as he rounds the corner of Warehouse B. He’s been on the docks for 2 or 3 years now. Hard worker that shows up early and is always willing to take on any extra work available. He doesn’t talk about his home life too much, but you remember him mentioning a large amount of debt from a failed restaurant he tried to launch. It has put a lot of strain on his marriage and he’s now working multiple jobs around the clock to try and get his finances in order.

Toddy stops briefly to look around, but luckily you are taking the necessary precautions to avoid his casual scan. He continues on and you move forward to the next safe vantage point.

You position yourself near the corner of the warehouse to watch as he makes his way over to the extra security guard stationed at the hole in the fence. Toddy strikes up a conversation with the security guard but you are too far away to hear the brief exchange. He reaches out to shake the guard’s hand and for a split second you think you see the light of the sun glint off of something metallic in Toddy’s hand. When the shake finishes, the guard balls up his hand and puts it in his pocket.

Toddy starts walking back in your direction.

Stephen steps back, waits a few moments, and then walks casually around the corner towards Toddy. He lifts his hand in a halfhearted wave

"Hey Toddy. Got a minute?"

When he and Toddy are standing next to each other, Stephen looks at the ground and with some awkwardness he says

"I, uh, I guess you know what happened to me during the strike last year? I was stuck in the hospital for a long time and now the bills are... well... its not easy. I'm trying to pick up extra work wherever I can and, uh... I remember you saying something about a restaurant that didn't work out and that you're picking up odd jobs too. I was hoping we could help each other out... like... if you hear about a job that needs more than you can handle, or you're already committed and can't do two jobs at the same time, then maybe you could give me a call. I'll do the same for you too. What do you think?"

Toddy comes to a sudden stop. He seems surprised at your sudden appearance, but this quickly smooths over and he welcomes you with a firm handshake. Nothing is being passed between hands with this one.

He gives you a sympathetic look as you explain the issue. "I never really thanked you for sticking up for us, man, but we all appreciate it. Of course I’ll keep you updated. My cousin owns a moving company. We’re doing a pretty big job this weekend and could use an extra pair of hands. My main source--" he stops suddenly. He looks up at you and tries to cover with a smile. "That’s my main source of extra income right now. Do I got your number? You know what, I’ll get it from Lance." He gives you a tap on the shoulder. "Hang in there, buddy. We’ll all get through this eventually."

He seems in a hurry to get out of here all of a sudden.

Stephen quickly scans the surrounding structures and then walks back to the Union Hall at a casual pace to find Lance.

While they walk to the diner to see Amira, Stephen fills him in on his exchange with Toddy. "I think something might go down tonight. I wanna come back here tonight and stake out the hole in the fence."

You don’t notice anything else out of the ordinary in the area. When you return to the Union Hall things are pretty quiet. Most people have already left and Lance is wrapping up some paperwork.

He listens attentively as you fill in him on the way to the diner. "Toddy never came and asked for your number. I’m inclined to agree with you that something might be going down." The frustration in his voice is clear. He doesn’t want this type of thing happening anywhere in the Deep, let alone right under his nose. "If you need a second pair of eyes to watch your back, let me know." Normally Lance does not volunteer to involve himself in your super heroics beyond passing along information. He clearly feels responsible for whatever might be going on.

The bell rings as you walk through the door of The Doctor’s Orders diner. The hostess is familiar with you and points to Amira’s section. Luckily things aren’t too busy. She holds onto the menus since you are familiar with what they serve and with how incredibly useless the menus are. The owners thought it would be hilarious if they made all the writing look like illegible doctor’s handwriting on a prescription.

"Didn’t expect to see you lads in here today. What a welcome surprise. Should I put in for the usual?"

"The usual would be great and can I get big favor on the side? My niece Ana is 15 and looking for a first job; I was hoping there might be an opening here. Getting a job is her idea and she is highly motivated."

Amira gives a surprised smile upon hearing your request. She scoots Lance down further into the booth so she can have a seat across from you. "Oh that’s great. Never too young to get a little experience and show your work ethic, am I right? Ha! Like I have to tell you two that. You guys work a little less hard I might actually get to see Lance on occasion and Steven here might actually have a chance to date every once and awhile.

"I absolutely think Ana could get a job here. The manager is all about giving back to the city and would love to give someone like Ana a chance to get their first entry on their resume. I’ll put in a good word and pass along any info to Lance." She gets up from the table so she can put in your order and go back to work. Before she gets too far, Amira turns and says, "I could put in a good word with Nicole too." Amira weeks at Steven and nods in the direction of the hostess she has tried to set you up with a few times.

Lance quickly tries to change the subject. "You said you think Toddy passed something to the guard? Any guess as to what it could be?"

Stephen smiles and shakes his head at Amira's persistence.

Someday, when I'm not up to my ears in debt, living with my sister, and not scared that a romantic interest would get hurt by my strength

Speaking softly to Lance "It was small enough to palm and glinted like metal. Maybe a key?"

Lance nods his head and thinks it over. Even though the diner is mostly empty, he replies in a quiet voice as well. "I wish I had done an assessment of the keys we have in the office. First thing I’m doing in the morning, for sure. Off the top of my head, I cannot think of anyone in the Reynolds’ circle that has access to any secure areas on the docks. If it was a key, they either stole one or it goes to something unrelated to dock business. Right?" He taps his fingers on the table as he tries to think things over again.

"If they are responsible for the hole in the fence, I feel that is already their way in. So I doubt it would be a key to bypass any exterior barrier of entry. It would have to give them access to something on the property. Which would mean as long as you can catch them sneaking in, they could lead you right to whatever it is they are after. Assuming all of these assumptions are true.

"You know, I always thought being a cape was just punching baddies and thinking up clever one-liners. You got your work cut out for you."

After dinner Stephen thanks Lance and says "Don't wait up"

Stephen stops home to change his nondescript work clothes into a different set of nondescript work clothes with the addition of a hooded sweatshirt, a blanket, a couple baseball size rocks, and a brown bag snack. He waits until dusk and then walks to the docks with his hood up and his head down.

Stephen started working the docks years ago and he knows how thin the security patrols have become (cost cutting measures) and which are the darkest and most remote stretches of fence. He walks an indirect path from his home to an area of fence that he knows will be relatively dark and deserted.

He paces his walk so that he arrives when the sun has set and he carefully checks the area for security guards or witnesses, then he leaps over the fence in a single bound. Once inside the fence he leaps onto a shipping container and puts on his mask, becoming the Union.

Moving across the tops of containers as much as possible he heads towards the hole in the fence. When he can see the hole in the fence and the guard posted there he begins ducking and even crawling to get closer. When he is on a container maybe 50 feet away he rolls out the blanket and lays down to begin his stake out. He is up there for the night or until something happens. If at any point he starts to nod off he will put the rocks under his body in uncomfortable places so the pain will keep him awake.

Things are real quiet for the first few hours. The guard on duty at the cut fence paces back and forth while chain smoking to keep himself awake. At regular intervals they switch out with one of the guards stationed at the security HQ to get a break. Time slowly ticks by and it starts to seem like nothing is going to happen.

A little past 1 in the morning, a car pulls up and stops right beside the fence. The security guard on duty flicks away his cigarette and prepares for a possible confrontation but then visibly relaxes when the security guard you saw at the end of your shift exits the car.

He ducks through the fence and slaps the guard on duty on the back. He keeps his arm on his shoulder and pulls him so he is facing away from the hole in the fence while they talk. He slips him a hand rolled cigarette which the uniformed guard gladly accepts. This provides enough distraction to allow two men in dark clothing to slip through the hole in the fence and slide into the shadows unnoticed by everyone but you.

The shady guard looks over his shoulder and sees that all is clear. He gives the guard on a duty a handshake and heads back to his car. He suddenly stops and snaps his fingers. He makes a very overexaggerated charade of someone forgetting they needed to take care of something. You seem him explaining this to the guard on duty who nods along and waves him off. The man walks back toward security HQ. As soon as he is out of sight of the guard on duty, the shady guard takes a detour behind some storage crates. No doubt he is working his way back around to meet up with the two that snuck inside.

The two men that snuck in are about 100 feet away. You see their shadows occasionally as they quickly move between containers. You have a general idea of where they are, but it is not yet clear where they are heading.

Careful of how hos shadow might be projected, The Union quietly stands and walks along the top of the row of containers to follow the intruders and keep them, or at least their shadows, in sight. He carries one rock in each hand.

If at any point his row of containers runs out he drops to the ground and follows quietly in the shadows.

You carefully follow along and do eventually have to drop down to the floor. It doesn’t hinder your ability to follow these men at all. They are lucky that the dock is all but deserted right now because they are lousy at keeping quiet.

After a few minutes the two men in dark clothing meetup with the crooked security guard. They try to speak but the guard shushes them. They continue to creep along for another few minutes before arriving at a storage container where their footsteps finally stop.

You can hear someone fiddling with a padlock for a minute and then the familiar sound of it unlocking and being pulled loose. They take their time sliding the door of the container open so as to avoid any more noise. You creep a little closer as the men enter the container but are currently on the opposite side of the entrance so you cannot see inside.

Their whispers carry enough that you can catch pieces of what they are saying.

"--hid it behind--"

"--couple of suitcases--"

"--don’t touch anything else--"

"--I can’t see--"

There is a smack, something clattering to the bottom of the shipping container, and then silence that seems filled with panic. Finally a very annoyed whisper scolds one of the others, "No flashlights, you idiot!"

"--might be it--"

"--no, a briefcase stupid--"

"--hurry up --- need to meet--"

They seem fairly unprofessional and oblivious to your presence. You could get a jump on them quite easily, if you wanted to.

The Union stands next to the open container and jumps enough to grab the top of the container and hang, then he uses his impressive strength to quietly pull himself atop the container. He then walks slowly to stand directly over the opening.

When the mooks finally find what they seek and exit the container, the Union plans to jump down onto the group (like a bowling ball into pins) and then quickly toss the mooks into the container while they are disoriented. Then he will close the handles to lock the container and turn his attention to whatever object they came to retrieve.

That's the plan anyway.

"Hey, I got it!" is said far too loud for a sneaky operation. It is quickly followed by shushes and the smack of someone being punched in the shoulder. They repeat, much more quietly, "I got it."

You crouch by the top of the container and wait for the moment. It doesn’t take long before all three men exit in a tight group. You cannot help but smile at a plan coming together so nicely. You leap down and turn your shoulder into the back of the first thief. He barrels into the other two and all three men are thrown to the ground with ease. The briefcase slides another 10 feet away. Before anyone can get a handle on what has happened, you toss them back into the container like they are as light as aluminum cans. The doors are shut and the handle is down before anyone can even open their mouth to protest.

The briefcase is locked but you obviously have no trouble whatsoever prying it open in a split second. Inside are at least a dozen manila folders and several floppy disks. You leaf through the folders but are not quite sure what you’re looking at. It is information on many individuals. Some are related by blood, but many others have no discernible connection you can pick up from the information in the folders. There is information on where they work, where they live, their day to day routines. Detailed information about their entire lives. You don’t recognize any of the individuals, which seem to come from all walks of life. Some are locals living in Crowfalls (even some in the Deep) but there are many from throughout the rest of the United States as well.

There is a soft knocking from the inside of the container. "Yo, buddy. Can you let us out, maybe? This is really uncool."

"Wow. You are absolutely, one hundred percent correct that this whole situation in which you three trespass and get your criminal stank all over this place where honest hardworking people sweat to feed their families, that whole situation is totally uncool. It would be so much cooler if you stayed away from the docks, and really the Deep, altogether. Yep, uncool is definitely the word to describe what you have done tonight, and I want to thank you for being the bigger man and saying it first.

Now, should I call the police to let you out of this box quickly, or would you prefer to wait and savor the surprise of who and when you get let out?"

Inside the container you hear hushed whispers as the men discuss their options. You hear a smack, followed by "That is the stupidest thing you have ever said."

"Hey man, it’s worth a shot!" There is more shuffling around and finally you hear a man step up to the door.

"We would like to propose a third option: you let us out and we buy you a drink? Sounds fun, eh?"

Smack! It sounds like the man that just spoke shuffles away and another takes his place.

"Listen here, buddy. If you’re out here in the middle of the night, then you are clearly up to no more good then we are. Now some very important, and dangerous, people are expecting that briefcase to be delivered soon. If that doesn’t happen it ain't just us who will pay the price. They will start snapping finger bones all over town until they figure out who has it. You don’t know who you’re messing with. So let us out of here and we’ll forget this ever happened."

"A delivery? Why didn't you say so! Are you boys with the Postal Service or UPS? Oh, never mind, I'll do you a solid whether you're teamsters or APWU. Just tell me the name, address, and delivery time. I'll deliver the package and explain my concerns in person."

They respond with silence. There is a small amount of shuffling and shushing, but otherwise only silence. Finally, the negotiator returns and speaks in a very serious tone. Almost desperate. "Buddy, this ain’t fair. We don’t even know who you are and, no offense, but you don’t sound too trustworthy. I realize you got us at a disadvantage here, but this is serious business. You sound like one of them crazy vigilantes. You think you can take this guy down, I am all for it. I’m tired of being pushed around and told what to do. I’ll even drive you to the meet up location. But we gotta have this discussion like men. Face to face. The only disembodied voice I make deals with is God Almighty, and I don’t think you are him."

"Give me a minute."

The Union walks quickly and quietly through the stacks of containers until he is behind the docks office. There is a 20' storage container serving as additional storage that has been sitting in the same spot for five years and there is no reason to think it won't be there another five years at least. He lifts the end of the container up almost a foot and slides the manila folders and disks into the empty cavity between the side rails under the flooring.

He closes the now empty briefcase and walks back to the criminals-in-a-can.

These guys seem like blue collar criminals who don't make the decisions but get stuck with the dirty work. I sympathize but I gotta remember not to trust them farther than I can throw them... okay, farther than they can throw me. I think it's worth the risk to see if they take me to see management. If I can talk to a decision maker maybe I can negotiate hands off the Deep.


When he returns to the container-o-criminals he lifts the door handle and quickly steps back to stand next to the shipping container corner with the briefcase visible in one hand. If they come out shooting he can duck behind the corner out of sight and be gone in a heartbeat. If they are willing to talk he will see where this goes.

The men are very relieved when you return and open the door. They walk out and it doesn’t look like any of them are armed. At least they aren't obviously packing heat. If they do have something on them, it would have to be a small caliber pistol in order to stay hidden. The heat of summer doesn’t leave a lot of places to hide large weapons.

The two men in dark clothing look to the crooked security guard. He takes in the sight of you with a raised eyebrow. "Gotta admit, you are not quite what I was expecting. Seriously, man, who are you?" He takes another look at your size and remembers how easily you dealt with them. "I mean, you look plenty capable but I’ve never seen your picture in the paper. You new or just in dire need of a publicist? ‘Cause my sister-in-law is real good."

His eyes land on the briefcase and thankfully this gets him back on track. "Right. The deal. I don’t know what’s in there. I don’t want to know. All I was told is that it is important and valuable. I got a good honest gig here. I wouldn’t be risking that if this wasn’t big. The money ain’t worth going to the slammer, or ending up six feet under though. Here’s what I propose: You hand us the briefcase and we’ll act like everything is normal. We’ll go real slow so you can tail us to the meet up. Then you swoop in, do your thing and beat some information you want out of someone that actually knows what is going on."

"I'd rather car pool.

I'll "hide" [air quotes] in your trunk and hold the lid closed while you drive to the meet. When we arrive, if the meet up is happening right there by the car then you [pointing at the crooked security guard] tap the side of the trunk once so I know to pop out dramatically and draw fire away from you - and you should all act surprised of course.

Tap the trunk three times, once each, if you're just parking and I need to creep out to follow you to the meet - someone might be watching you and it has to look like I'm being sneaky and you're unaware.

Okay?"

The Union hands the briefcase to the crooked security guard and waits to follow them to their car.

A publicist? I'm not trying to be famous, I just want to protect the Deep. I don't see how fame would help with that, and it might attract trouble. I'm just gonna focus on the task at hand 'cause "a job well done is it's own reward".

The security guard nods his head. "Looks like we have a deal." The other two thieves give each other a questioning look. They do not appear as on board with the plan as the security guard, but for now they continue to follow his lead.

The trio sneaks out through the same hole in the fence that they came in through. They use the very high tech method of tossing pebbles at a storage container to create a diversion. You have no trouble keeping up and are ushered into the trunk of the car long before the legit security guard returns to his post.

Almost immediately after the car gets rolling, the radio is switched on and turned up loud. You have no doubt that this is being used to cover conversation between the three men.

After about 10 minutes of driving you feel the car dip forward. It feels like it is going steeply downhill for about 10-15 seconds. The driver does a three point turn to back the car into a parking spot, the radio shuts off, and all three men exit the vehicle. The rear springs get a workout as one of the men leans against the car and casually trips the lever to open the trunk. It doesn’t swing open 100%, but it does mean you can now easily exit the vehicle without forcing the trunk open yourself. It also affords you a small view of your surroundings.

You are in an underground parking garage which appears to be oddly full for this time of night. None of the cars appear to have license plates attached. You remember reading in the paper about a local car dealer leasing an underperforming parking garage to use as an overflow lot for older models that failed to sell. This must be the place.

Another car pulls up, but it is outside your view. The three thieves walk off to the right where the vehicle must have come to a stop. Several car doors open and you hear quite a few footsteps before the crooked security guard offers a greeting.

"You’re late. Let's get this over with," an unknown male voice tells him.

With the car backed into the space, you should be able to sneak out of the trunk unseen as cars to either side to give you a good bit of cover.

The Union gently opens the trunk and quietly crawls out onto the ground behind the trunk. Then he peeks over the car to get a look at the action.

The three individuals you rode here with are standing opposite a well dressed man in his mid-twenties who is flanked by two very large bodyguards. It looks like there are more in the car behind them. At the far end of the lane is a large van with the engine running. It is blocking the nearest exit from the parking garage.

The well dressed man looks like he is putting far too much effort into looking the part of a mobster. Most likely he is either related to someone important, or a recently promoted hoodlum trying to look more impressive than he really is. Either way, he still ranks higher than the crooked security guard.

They hand over the briefcase and try to apologize, but the mobster holds up a hand weighed down by several large rings. The security guard takes the cue to shut his mouth. The mobster hands the briefcase to the bodyguard on the far side of him. He has a key and unlocks it.

The mobster looks at him and the bodyguard shakes his head. The mobster looks back to the three thieves and gives them a ‘tsk tsk.’

"You boys have a good explanation for this?"

"Hey, Reynolds just told us where it was, man. We went and got it and brought it to you. That was all we was asked--"

"Awfully quick to sell out your friends. I don’t like that."

"No! That’s not what I meant!"

The mobster shakes his head. With a snap of his fingers, bodyguards are moving in on the three. "I say we separate these boys and see what we can get them to tell us. That work for everyone?"

The Union loudly smacks the trunk lid closed and stands up. He strolls out from behind the car while speaking

"They won't be able to tell you anything. The case was empty before they picked it up from the docks."

He stops in front of the car and looks at the crooked security guard and associates, saying

"You boys shouldn't quit your day jobs; it didn't even occur to you to check your trunk, did it?"

He turns to face the clothes horse

"But I would be surprised if you provide any job training or apprenticeships; and it is a poor craftsman who blames his tools."

"But please excuse me for straying from the agenda. I called this meeting to explain that your criminal activities in the Deep are parasitic and to negotiate your complete withdrawal from the neighborhood.

Now, before we begin our discussion I need to confirm that you represent management - are you empowered to negotiate deals on behalf of your organization?"

Everyone jumps when you slam the trunk lid closed. Both bodyguards reach into their jackets for their weapons but stop when they see you are unarmed. They wait for instructions from their boss.

The thieves look wide eyed in fear. Their attention goes back and forth from you and the mobster. They all keep their mouths shut.

The mobster gives you an incredulous look while taking in your appearance. He exchanges glances with his guards. They are blank faced. "Nice get up," he tells you while shaking his head. "You look like the K-mart version of a superhero. I may not have trained these useless schmucks, but I’ll be able to provide you with superhero lesson number 1: Mind your own business and you'll last longer. Shoot this fool."

The guards pull out their weapons and unload gunfire into you. The heavy caliber rounds take you off your feet, but are hardly going to take you out of the fight.

The three thieves from the docks take off running in the opposite direction while the bodyguards walk over to check and make sure they took you out. Several more large bodyguards get out of the vehicle.

---

Dice Pool Limit: 5

The Union: 3 HP

Threat Ratings:
Mooks: Bodyguards: 12

Optional Side Objective:
(One round time limit) Stop the thieves from escaping: 3

Gazing up at the parking garage ceiling

Well that was an interesting sensation... and the thieves are getting away... I can track down the security guard later so I'll let them go for now and deal with these goons. Even though they just shot me, I'll be a sport and give them a chance to reconsider their employment options.

Laying on his back in front of the thieves' car, the Union stretches out one hand, grabs the underside of the car, and quickly pulls the vehicle up and over him as he rolls onto his chest, just like a blanket in bed. Then does a push up and brings his foot up under his should like one of the yoga poses Susan does in the living room. He stands, tipping the car up on the passenger side so that it forms a shield between him and the goons. (2 Defense Dice)

He brushes himself off and tries to talk some sense into the goons in a loud, clear voice

"Is this job worth it right now? I mean, you all just shot me! and not only did it not hurt me, I just lifted a damn car by myself!

What's gonna happen when I throw this car at you? Or punch you? Will my fist only break your ribs or will it go all the way through your chest and out the back?

Are you getting paid enough to deal with me? Do you even get medical benefits? How you gonna take care of your family when you're laid up in the hospital?

You should consider a career change right now, 'cause I'm comin' for the twelve year old playing dress up in Daddy's suit and if you get in my way it might be the last bad choice you ever make!"
(3 Attack/intimidation Dice)

-----
Target - Mooks
Trait - "kicking ass for the working class" - 5
3 Attack
2 Defense

After your intimidation attempt, no one moves or speaks for a very long moment. The thieves are long gone; leaving you alone with the guy playing mobster and his armed thugs. Even from this distance, and with a car between you, it is easy to feel the rage induced heat coming off the mobster’s brow. "Would you idiots just get over there and end this fool!" He screams in full blown tantrum mode.

"Do it yourself," one of the thugs says and begins to walk away. The mobster screams at him but he is so mad the words are barely intelligible.

You hear the hammer of a revolver pulled back and the footsteps freeze. "Get back here," the mobster spits out. No one moves. You peak your head around your cover and see the mobster has his pistol trained on the bodyguard that dared to defy him. All eyes are on him. You have seemingly been forgotten for the time being.

---

Dice Pool Limit: 5

The Union: 3 HP

Threat Ratings:
Mooks: Bodyguards: 10

Optional Side Objective:
(One round time limit) Safe the bodyguard's life: 1

Is the car shield for their protection or mine? The bullets knocked me down but didn't hurt me... and I wasn't ready... would it be different if I wasn't standing still? Focus! I gotta save the guy who is standing up to management!

The Union quickly scans the exposed undercarriage of the car that currently stands between him and the goons. He rips off the fuel filter and throws his best fastball at Guido Junior's gun hand, yelling

"Wildcat Strike!"

Then he kicks the car so that it tips over and lands upside down with a crash that echoes in the parking garage. He rips the sway bar off the front suspension and waves it menacingly.

"You wanna walk with your buddy or bleed with your boss!?!"

-----
Target: Mooks
Trait: Hard Hitting Brawler - 4
Defense - 1
Attack/Intimidation - 4

The fuel filter slams into the mobster’s arm, sending the gun falling to the floor. He yelps in pain and it almost looks as if he is going to start crying as he vigorously tries to shake away the pain.

The bodyguard that stood by his boss is frozen in fear when you flip the car. The other one takes off running the same direction that the thieves went. Far across the parking garage, by the exit, you hear shouting as the men inside the van blocking the exit try to decide what they should do.

The remaining bodyguards inside their boss’s car seem less intimidated. They exit the vehicle and draw their weapons. One of them shoves the frozen in fear guard behind them so they can get to work.

Gunfire rings out as the guards shoot in your direction. Some of the rounds find their target, but you manage to stay on your feet. All around you windshields explode when stray bullets hit them. You think you smell gasoline from a shot that must have penetrated a gas tank, as well.

---

Dice Pool Limit: 5

The Union: 3 HP

Threat Ratings:
Mooks: Bodyguards: 9

Save the bodyguard's life: SUCCESS!

I gave them a chance...

The Union gives the front end of the upside down car a nonchalant push and watches it rotates on its roof like a turnstile opening a clear path to the goons standing around the mobster's car.

"and here we go..."

The Union walks up to the gunmen, grips the sway bar with both hands,

"...batter up!"

and he starts swinging for the fences

-----
Target: Mooks
Trait: Hard Hitting Brawler - 4
Defense - 1
Attack - 4

The first swing lands square in the gut of one of the bodyguards. Predictably, he folds over with a comical expression of shock and pain on his face. The other guards remain unfazed and keep firing.

Bullets tear into your clothing, but aren’t too much to worry about. As you close the gap to the next guard, the worry on his face grows. Seeing how useless the gun is, he tosses it aside and comes at your with fists raised. He lands a quick one-two before you hit him with a golf swing that lifts him into the air; up and over the mobster’s car.

The mobster is slowly backing away from you. There is terror in his eyes. "Shh-sh-shoooot him!" His bodyguards ignore him. They all realize the guns are useless.

Two of them charge from opposite directions. You swing the sway bar but they are able to evade and both slam into you at once. The force sends all of you crashing into a nearby car. One of the guards slips behind you and locks up your arms above your head. The other one starts treating your midsection like a punching bag.

---

Dice Pool Limit: 5

The Union: 3 HP

Threat Ratings:
Mooks: Bodyguards: 7

The Union lifts his right knee up and kicks straight out into the boxer's stomach, sending him flying backwards and landing on his back. Then he reaches over, like he is tying his shoes, and the second goon flips over him to land with a surprised yelp that becomes a thud as he hits the concrete floor.

The Union begins picking up the discarded pistols by the barrel and throwing them overhand like axes at anyone still standing and at the van blocking the exit.

-----
Target: Mooks
Trait: Hard Hitting Brawler - 4
Defense - 1
Attack - 4

Everywhere around you are bodyguards groaning in pain and yet they keep getting back up to receive more punishment. A few more hop out of the van and join the fight. One goes to the back and removes an unorthodox extra lock that is keeping the back doors shut. They open the doors and say, "Take out the freak in the mask." The response from whoever is inside is too quiet for you to hear. The two of them keep talking, but there is far too much going on right next to you to bother keeping track of whatever is going on in the van.

The bodyguards realize their best bet is to try and keep you tied up. Wherever they can, they attack in numbers and try to keep your arms pinned while the other wail on you. Someone chop blocks you, taking you off your feet right in front of a car. All the bodyguards converge and proceed to stomp and kick as hard and fast as they can.

The lead mobster sees an opening and rushes to the car you are in front of. He bashes in the window and shouts "Cover your ears!" Neither you or the bodyguards have time to react before he slams the car horn as hard as he can.

Your head must be inches away from the horn. The kicking stops as it sounds out for a solid 10 seconds straight. You try to plug your ears, but it is hard with the mask in the way. When it finally stops, you are left nearly deaf besides the horrible ringing sensation.

---

Dice Pool Limit: 5

The Union: 2 HP

Threat Ratings:
Mooks: Bodyguards: 6

Damn that hurts! I gotta stop screwing around and finish this fight

The Union, on the ground surrounded by mooks, steels himself to ignore the ringing in his ears and get the job done. He rolls onto his knees and starts punching everyone he can reach in the most vulnerable places that he can reach (belly, knees, and groin!) as fast as he can.

When the last mook within reach drops to the floor clutching the family jewels, the Union stands up in the middle of a ring of moaning, crying henchmen and looks slowly around the garage to see who still has any fight left in them.

-----
Target: Mooks
Trait: Hard Hitting Brawler - 4
Defense - 2
Attack - 3

No one is left. Lying at your feet are all of the beaten and broken bodyguards. The mobster is backed up against a nearby car with a terrified look on his face. "Look, buddy. We can talk this out. Work toward a compromise. Win, win!" The sound of heavy footsteps and metal scraping against concrete causes both of you to look toward the van. The individual who was in the back has finally gotten out and is making their way in your direction.

The man is easily 7 feet tall and 350 pounds. His skin looks almost bleached white. He has numerous jailhouse tattoos scattered across his uncovered torso. He raises a long chain he has thus far been dragging and starts to swing it over his head like a lasso. You see a sharp hook attached to the end of it.

The mobster starts laughing. "You are so screwed now, buddy. Tear him to pieces, Balor!" The monster of man takes a few more steps toward you before his arm suddenly snaps forward. The chain cracks through the air and wraps around you several times. Balor yanks on the chain and you are dragged across the concrete in his direction.


Dice Pool Limit: 5

The Union: 2 HP

Threat Ratings:
Boss: Balor: 3 HP

The Union lets Balor drag him along the ground until the giant stops pulling and stands over him, blocking out the industrial florescent lighting.

He lifts his arms up and away from his body, like he's doing the chicken dance at a wedding reception, and the chain links bend and snap. Balor growls and stomps down on the Union's blue and white mask but is surprised when the Union catches the foot inches from his nose and twists, dropping Balor to the ground next to him. As soon as Balor hits the ground the Union starts kicking and elbowing the tattooed albino giant laying next to him.

-----
Target: Balor (Boss)
Trait: Hard Hitting Brawler - 4
Defense - 2
Attack - 3

Balor shows a brief look of shock when the Union breaks free of his chains. It washes away a second later and he is back on the attack. When the Union counters this as well, Balor isn’t sure what to do. For a moment, he accepts the onslaught. You get the impression that he isn’t used to going toe to toe with a worthy foe. Your steel like fists make it clear pretty quickly that Balor is in trouble.

He brings up his arms like a boxer trying protect his head and upper torso. His legs kick about for a minute and you hear what sounds like a knife being removed from a sheath. You turn your head just in time to see the blade hidden in his boot coming at your thigh.

"Yeah! Stab that--" the mobster tells. You swing down one first like a club and the blade shatters into a million pieces. Both the mobster and Balor are speechless. Balor holds up his hands in surrender.

"Oh come on! You useless piece of--" the monster starts stomping your way. Balor uses the distraction to kick you in the ankle, expecting it to snap. When he only comes away with a sore foot, the pale giant knows he really messed up.

---

Dice Pool Limit: 5

The Union: 2 HP

Threat Ratings:
Boss: Balor: 0 HP

The Union stands in clothing torn by bullets and asphalt, listens to the faded but still ringing sound in his ears, and slowly shakes his head at the ghostly giant.

"Sit down quietly while I have a few words with your boss and then we'll have a talk of our own - or I can keep punching you; it's your call."

The Union turns his head to look at the mobster stomping towards them; the petty boss who ordered all this mayhem. In stark contrast to the world weary fatigue he just showed Balor, the Union suddenly sprints to scoop up the overdressed thug by the lapels. Holding the mobster a foot off the ground, the Union turns so that he can keep an eye on Balor in the background.

"You were about to confirm that your organization is withdrawing completely from the Deep, isn't that right?"

-----
Target: Balor (Boss)
Trait: Kicking Ass for the Working Class - 5
Defense - 0
Attack - 5

Balor remains stone faced as he thinks over what you said. Just before you turn toward the mobster, you see the almost imperceptible nod of acknowledgement from Balor and you know that he won’t be anymore trouble.

"Whooooooaaaaa! Just who do you think you are!" the mobster tries shouting at you before realizing it is no use and he has to listen to what you have to say. "Things aren’t that simple, ok." He suddenly sounds even more weak and pathetic. Like a child forced to explain that the basement is flooded because they thought they could make it into a pool. "I ain’t even from here, ok. I work out of Detroit. I was told to bring a crew down here and pick up that briefcase and bring it back home. But that’s all I know. I swear it."

You take a glance back at Balor. He shakes his head no to indicate that the mobster knows more. When you turn back the mobster is all smiles and seems to have regrown his spine. "What I do know is that that briefcase is real, real important to my boss. You send me home empty handed and things are going to be far from over. He’ll send more guys down here next time and they will tear your precious little neighborhood apart piece by piece until they get what they are after.

"Now I’m willing to let this whole misunderstanding go. I’ll be the bigger man and not hold anything against you. But I need that briefcase, El Supa Lucha."

---

The Union: 2 HP

Threat Ratings:
Boss: Balor: -1 HP DEFEATED

The Union effortlessly carries the mobster aloft as he searches for the sway bar that he dropped during the fight. After picking up the bar he drops the mobster face down on the hood of a car and pulls his hands behind his back. The Union bends the steel bar around each wrist, securing the mobster's hands behind his back in custom shackles.

He fashions a gag by stuffing the mobster's pocket square in his mouth and wrapping his necktie around his head to hold it in his mouth.

"I hear you that the briefcase is real important to your boss and sending you home empty handed won't solve anything. So why would I send you home at all?"

He carries the mobster to the van and places him in the cargo area. After removing the mobster's wallet, any expensive jewelry, and other valuables he says

"I'm going to give you a few minutes here in the van to quietly consider your situation. Really think it through. You're scared of your boss because you know what they are capable of doing. But you don't know me at all and you haven't really thought about what I might be capable of... so your boss is a problem for another day, and if you're not useful to me then you might not need to worry about your boss at all."

He closes the van door and walks around to sit on a car near Balor (but just beyond arms reach).

"So, how did you end up in this line of work anyway?"

The entire time you are tying him up, the mobster is struggling. He keeps screaming out muffled unintelligible words right until you plop him down in the back of the van. His eyes widen at your threat and you can tell that it has done the trick. You’ve left him with plenty to think about by the time the door of the van latches shut.

Balor seems unsure if he should talk. He thinks over it for a good while before speaking in a voice that sounds hoarse from infrequent use. "Blackmail. My Pa died owning a lot of money to the wrong people. It was this or let them... put my sister to work." He keeps his head down and it is clear he is not happy with this arrangement. "I don’t want to fight you. Even if I wanted to, I don’t know if I could beat you. But if word gets out that I gave him up," he motions to the van where the mobster is, "it is not going to be good for me and my sister."

"Rock and a hard place... Are you naturally big and strong or did something happen?"

Balor looks up at you for a moment. He is a hard individual to read but you get a general sense of disappointment before he looks away again. "Good genes and hard work, I guess. Never been much for lounging around. Every job I’ve ever had puts the muscles to work and they seem to keep building up bigger and bigger." He shrugs his shoulders. Balor starts to turn his head in your direction again but freezes. You turn around and follow his gaze to the van.

The back door is open and the mobster is on his feet with a terrified look on his face. It is pretty understandable considering the man that currently holds a knife to his throat.

You recognize the skull motif costume of Coffinstrike. He stands motionless, watching you and Balor. The knife is dripping an unknown liquid. No doubt he has coated it in some type of poison and made a show of it so you can see it even from a distance.

"The briefcase. Where is it?" The question is addressed to no one and everyone. Coffinstrike inches the knife close to the mobster’s throat. He tries to scream through the gag and gets a knee to the kidney for his troubles.

He keeps his eyes on Coffinstrike and softly says

"You could find your sister and get outta town, go far away, maybe the other coast. Then look for honest work that pays cash, stay outta the system and under the radar. Get a fresh start."

Then the Union shrugs his shoulders and points with his left hand to the briefcase on the parking garage floor, right where the mobster's bodyguard dropped it just a few days minutes ago. At the same time he uses his right hand to slowly slide the mobster's jewelry and valuables toward Balor.

Balor collects the loot but doesn’t leave immediately. He speaks softly and asks, "You sure? I could stay and help you with..." He looks to Coffinstrike and gulps.

Coffinstrike lays the sharp blade right up against the skin of the mobster. He doesn’t draw blood but one wrong move and it is all over for this man. "I planned on taking it from them when they left the meeting. Imagine my surprise when you started a real ruckus. I heard everything, kid. I know the briefcase is empty. I have a feeling you might know something about that."

The mobster struggles and Coffinstrike has to pull the blade away a bit to avoid accidentally ending the man’s life. He pulls him closer with his other arm and shushes the man back into silence. "I will rephrase my original question. Where are the contents of the briefcase?"

In a calm, steady voice devoid of both anger or fear, the Union asks the professional assassin with the poisoned blade

"Do you like doughnuts?

If this is the parking garage that I think it is, then there is a bakery two blocks from here that sells more doughnuts than any other shop in the Deep. This early in the morning, they've just started making doughnuts for early commuters so we could pick up a few fresh, warm glazed and some coffee. Find a rooftop somewhere and chat.

We can talk either way, but I'd rather do it privately with a warm doughnut and a cool breeze.

Junior there just tried to kill me, repeatedly, so what do you say? Let's leave the organized crime intern in the van and then you and I can walk outta here and figure this out?"

Coffinstrike nods in agreement. He tosses the mobster back into the van with ease and slides his knife back into an unseen sheath on his back. "You’re buying." He dashes behind the van, causing his cape to swirl. Before you can really register it, he is gone.

Balor is still standing behind you. He lets out a huge sigh of relief and thanks you for your mercy before he takes off running in the opposite direction of Coffinstirke. You lock up the van and head off to buy breakfast.

It feels like you have eyes on you during the entire brief walk to the bakery, but you are never able to spot where Coffinstrike is hiding.

The tired looking clerk doesn't even bat an eye when you walk in wearing a luchador mask and work uniform that is riddled with bullet holes. They quickly get together your order and hand you a receipt. You notice that you received 10% off for a ‘Superhero Discount.’ You’re about to toss the receipt in the trash when something else catches your eye.

Written on the bottom of the receipt in small handwriting is an address, followed by a small drawing of a coffin. You turn and look at the clerk. They give you a wave and wish you a good day. Nothing seems amiss with them. Perhaps there is more to Coffinstrike’s powers than the public is aware of?

When you arrive on the rooftop of the address from the receipt, Coffinstrike is waiting. He’s seated against an air conditioning unit with his gloves off and mask tilted up so he can enjoy the breakfast you’ve brought him.

"I like the way you do business, Mr..." Coffinstrike pauses and allows you to introduce yourself while he bites into a jelly filled donut. "I wish more capes were as calm and level headed as you."

Coffinstrike stops enjoying his breakfast for a moment. He seems genuinely impressed with your attitude. At least as far as you can pick up from a man whose face is still half covered up by a mask. "That is a good way to live. If more people acted like that then there wouldn’t be a lot of need for my services in this world."
"Nothing against your neighborhood, Union, but I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have a good reason." He brushes some crumbs off his hands and slides them back into his gloves. After finishing the last of his coffee, he slides his mask back into place as well. "My business here is personal. International assassins," he too uses air quotes, "tend to end up with a lot of enemies. I heard some rumors floating around that some of those enemies managed to find out who I am when I’m not wearing the mask.

"In order to get to me, those people are planning on taking out people that are close to me. I have my doubts that they actually found out anything, but I’m not willing to take that chance. So I came to town to intercept the package and see what they have for myself."

Coffinstrike sighs. It is difficult to get a read on him while his hockey goalie like mask is on. You are able to pick up on his frustration mixed with a hint of amusement. He taps a finger on his knee a couple of times as he thinks about how to respond. "You’re real good kid. Real good. If I spent some time I’m sure I could get the answer to the first question. Maybe even the third. The second one casts a pretty wide net though and I’m already running on fumes. You got a real bright future ahead of you. Strong frame to go along with that sharp mind. Crowfall is lucky to have you."

He claps his hands together. " Well... you caught me." He mockingly holds his hands out like he is ready to be cuffed. "Tell me one thing though. When did you switch out the files? Earlier today? Yesterday? Don’t tell me it was any longer than that."

"Shit.

You ever read Working by Studs Terkel? It's just interviews with all these people talking about their jobs, the parts they like and the parts they endure, and the random shit they think about and do on the job. It's great. He interviews police officers and sex workers and farm workers and factory workers and office workers, you know, really covers the gamut of jobs. Gives you a deeper insight into the work lives of these jobs that we take for granted or assume we understand, but you can't really know what its like unless you do the job.

I was really hoping that you were on the up and up, because the 'assassin protecting his loved ones' would be such a typical Hollywood story. And selfishly I was hoping to get a look behind the scenes of an international assassin's life and see what most people never see, like a chapter from Terkel's book.

At least we've had a nice chat, huh? I mean, I may not be a fan of your profession but I respect that you're dedicated to your trade and you've put in the time to master your craft. So thanks for the coffee break.

But what makes you so sure I switched out the files? Maybe I BURNED THEM!"

He shouts the last words as he flings the coffee at Coffinstrike and leaps forward to grab the assassin.

If I get too close the knives are coming out but if he gets away and disappears that would be worse; he can follow me and learn my real name, find my family, or just wait until I fall asleep from exhaustion. Even if he just decides to avoid me and get a duplicate list
he'll kill people. I've gotta grab him and not let go and hope I can subdue him before he kills me.

Coffinstrike sees the attack coming at the last second and brings an arm up to protect his face from the hot coffee. You are able to wrap your arms tightly around the assassin before he is able to grab a weapon. You are confident in your own abilities but it almost seems like he didn’t even try to go for one. Surprisingly, there is very little fight in him at all and it takes almost none of your considerable strength to keep hold of him.

"Burned them? I highly doubt that. You’re a clever lad so you have to see why I won’t fall for that. You said that you didn’t have much time to look through them. Burning them without knowing the names and location would put all those people at risk. I know you wouldn’t do that. Alright. I guess we’re doing this the hard way."

"Freeze! Drop the weapon and put your hands in the air now!" It takes a second to realize where you are. Coffinstrike is gone. How is that possible? You were holding him not more than 1 second ago. You blinked and now you are back on the docks and the only thing in your hand is a 9mm pistol.

Blue and red lights cast your shadow onto the ground where the two thieves and the crooked security guard all lay dead. They each received gunshots to the head, execution style. A dozen cops behind you continue to scream orders while you try to make sense of what is going on.

You spot the briefcase everyone has been after tonight. It is laying on the ground about feet from the corpses. The briefcase is open but the only item inside is a copy of Studs Terkel’s ‘Working.’

What just happened?... police are behind me so they might not have seen my face... my mask. DON"T TURN AROUND!

Did Coffinstrike knock me out somehow.. then track down and capture the thieves... bring us all to this location, murder them, frame me, and call the cops? That makes no sense...why go to all that trouble? Why track down the thieves at all? How is all this supposed to lead him to the list?

How did he repair my clothes? There are no bullet holes and these are the same clothes? It's like I never got shot in the first place... oh shit!

What if he slips through time when he "disappears"? He wanted to know when I switched the lists so he could go back in time before I hid the files! That's why he killed the thieves, he was here when they arrived. Damn it! They were sketchy guys but they didn't deserve to die!

Okay, take a breath...what do I do now? I can't get detained by the cops because there is probably no evidence to back up my story. So I gotta get rid of this gun and get away from here without letting them see the mask.

The Union slowly lifts his hands above his head and begins to crouch down as if he is surrendering and about to kneel on the ground, but when his knees are close to the ground he pushes up quickly into an Incredible Hulk style leap that carries him up and over the nearest stacks of containers.

When he lands he crushes the 9mm pistol into tight steel ball and vents his frustration in an epic toss in the direction of the ocean.

Even if someone finds that hunk of scrap and figures out it was once a gun, there is no way they can shoot a bullet for a ballistics match.

The Union has a home field advantage at the docks and he easily eludes his pursuers and slips off the property by jumping the fence.

Okay, if I did travel back in time with Coffinstrike and the thieves are here now, then that whiny mobster might be waiting for them at the parking garage. He was supposed to bring the list to Coffinstrike and after he failed then I bet Coffinstrike traveled back in time to the garage to find out why... but that means that the mobster has a connection to Coffinstrike and might be able to give me information. If he is at the garage...

The Union travels as quickly as he can to the parking garage hoping to change his luck tonight.

You see the large white cargo van parked down the street from the parking garage the second you turn onto the street. They’re here!

You sneak your way into the parking garage and see a very angry looking whiney mobster pacing back and forth. His sedan filled with bodyguards is behind him, with two of them standing near the rear of the vehicle. The mobster checks his watch and shakes his head. "Where the hell are those numbskulls! Remind me to slap them silly if they ever actually get here," he grumbles to his bodyguards. The one that you talked out of fighting last time you were here rolls his eyes. He has had enough of taking orders from this wannabe gangster.

Since the thieves and crooked security guard have yet to arrive, the cargo van is still parked down the street. It hasn’t yet moved up to block the exit. This leaves you alone with the mobster and a small contingency of guards. One of which you know is none to keen about his employer.

Okay, they're here and not going anywhere yet. Take a deep breath and think through the situation; this is more complex than just punching gumbahs.

Just like Mom taught me to play cards, what cards are in his hand? what cards are in my hand?

What is his secret Ace? He can manipulate time. Why is that a secret? Why does the world think he is sneaky when he is really just manipulating time? Why hasn't anyone else who traveled through time with him already let that cat out of the bag?

... either he doesn't usually take others through time with him, or he usually kills them when he does, or they usually don't remember.

If it was just that he doesn't take others with him he could have waited until I let go to travel through time; even if I turned him over to the police he could just time travel out of his empty cell or the back of the vehicle. So he wasn't worried about taking me with him.

It isn't easy to kill me but he didn't even try. He just called the cops to mess with me, and if I hadn't remembered what happened that would have totally confused me. So yeah, people must usually lose their memory when he takes them through time.

But I remember, and I don't know why, but I might be the first ever to know his real power.

So my Ace card is that I know his secret power and he doesn't know that I know.

If I bust these errand boys and Coffinstrike hears that the Union showed up at this parking garage tonight he might figure out that I know his secret. He could go back in time and try to change things again - and that might be even worse. I can't let him realize that I know his power until I have a chance to actually stop him.

I'll sit tight for now and if I can follow these guys without being seen that would be another good card in my hand. If I know where to find them later I can track down the hit list through them.

Coffinstrike said ""Tell me one thing though. When did you switch out the files? Earlier today? Yesterday? Don’t tell me it was any longer than that."

Is there a limit to how far back in time he can travel? Was he hoping that it was within his window? Or does he just need a point of reference to avoid arriving too early and twiddling his thumbs?


The Union carefully and quietly sits down to wait out the mobsters. He memorizes the license plate and listens to conversations hoping to hear some detail that can be used to track these guys later. He spends time watching the mobster intern and the disgruntled henchmen to be familiar with their faces.

The mobster in training gets more and more visibly angry with each passing minute. After 10 minutes this starts to bubble into terrible anxiety. Even a distance away from the man, you can hear him muttering about how screwed he is, how he’ll never be trusted with another job ever again, and worries about how he is supposed to show his face in town again if he screws this up. His guards try to maintain their composure but when the mobster has his back turned they cannot help but snicker at his predicament.

Eventually the van pulls up and a man shouts, "What’s the hold up?" The mobster cannot form an intelligible reply so one of the bodyguards informs the van that the delivery guys are a no-show. The passenger in the van doesn’t seem to be worried about it. "So we gonna beat the snot out of those Reynolds brothers and find out where the briefcase is?"

The mobster’s eyes light up. "That’s a great idea!" Everyone piles into the sedan. You already know where they plan on going. They are always talking about the Seadog Pub. They practically live at the place. If someone wants to find the Reynolds Brothers, that is the first place they would stop.

As the mobster-clown car sedan pulls out of the garage, the Union dashes out the pedestrian door and starts running through alleys and on side streets to the Seadog Pub in an effort to reach the bar first and unseen. His strong legs turn each stride into a long jump that multiples his running speed and before he really has a plan formulated he arrives in the alley next to the bar.

He peeks around the corner but the mobster sedan is nowhere to be seen, so he steps back into the shadows, peels off his mask and strolls into the pub.

The Seadog lives it up its rowdy reputation. You have to push past distracted patrons to even get through the door. People are standing on tables and spilling their drinks all over the place as two men appear to be in some sort of wrestling match on the ground. It probably started as a fist fight but neither man is sober enough to even stand, let alone land a punch.

After a bit of searching you manage to spot Wes Reynolds in the corner. He is talking to a waitress and has his arm blocking her escape. It is painfully clear that she has no interest in the conversation.

So far there is no sign of Bobby Reynolds or the mobster and his guards.

Bobby is probably one of the drunken wrestlers... or he's in the can

Stephen works his way to the corner, taps the waitress on the arm and says
"The bartender wants to talk to you." while gesturing back towards the bar

then he does a double take at Wes Reynolds and says
"Hey! You're Bobby Reynolds! I've seen you around the Hiring Hall with your brother right? Put 'er there." and offers his hand.

Wes turns when you tap him on the shoulder. The waitress uses the momentary distraction to duck under his arm and hurry away. She locks eyes with you and mouths ‘thank you’ before disappearing into the crowd.

Wes looks annoyed first, but this washes away with another chug from his bottle of beer. He accepts your hand for a shake. "It’s Wes actually. Bobby’s my brother." He studies your face and after a minute there is finally some small level of recognition. "Oh hey, your Stephen Wetblanket, I mean Westen, right?" He laughs like he made the best joke of all time. "What the hell are you doing here? All the guys say you wouldn’t know how to party if your life depended on it."

As an indication that he is not offended, Stephen offers a big smile and Wes is too drunk to notice that it never reaches his eyes.

"Either my days must be numbered or the guys are full of shit!"

the truth is that after the 'incident' alcohol doesn't seem to have any affect, and bars are incredibly boring if you're stone sober

"What are you drinking? Let's have another round."

Wes’s eyes light up. "Well if that’s the case, then I’m drinking top shelf, baby!" He pulls you along with him to the bar and orders a couple of shots and another beer. He slides one shot of vodka over to you just as his brother joins the group.

"Who’s this guy and where’s my sh-- Hey Stephen! What the hell are you doing here?" Bobby asks.

A slight commotion brings your attention to the front door. The mobster in training has arrived but only brought one bodyguard in with him. It is the one that refused to abandon him during the fight that got erased from time. The guard shoves another patron out of his boss’s way as the duo makes their way through the crowd. It does not look like they have spotted the Reynolds brothers yet.

Stephen keeps his eyes on the mobster intern and slides his shot over to Bobby while he says

"I'm here to unwind, it's been an exceptionally shitty night and it ain't over yet. What the hell are those guys doing in the Seadog? Suits like that stick out like sore thumbs in here."

Bobby slams down the shot without question before both brothers follow your gaze to the mobster. "Oh crap!" They say in unison. They lock eyes for a minute and the silence seemingly says everything they need to.

Wes reaches into his pocket and pulls out a one hundred dollar bill. He slams it to your chest and says, "Stall that guy for us and they’ll be more where that came from." The brothers take off toward the back exit. On the way, you can hear Bobby chastising Wes, "I told you not to trust that stupid security guard to get the job done."

Stephen pockets the cash and starts working his way towards the mobster ranting loudly in his best imitation of slurred drunken belligerence.

"Hey! Wha'are youse doin' here in a shiny shoot!?! Thish ish a blue cower bar and no shoots allowed!"

He staggers through the crowd directly towards the junior mobster, gesticulating towards the front door with a total absence of coordination.

The mobster rolls his eyes and his bodyguard steps up between you and him. "Keep your distance, pal." A couple nearby patrons notice the exchange and jump in.

"He’s got a point. What are you doing in here?"

"Daddy cut off your allowance so you got to slum it down here with people that actually work for a living?"

"We don’t have any of that imported crap, so save yourself some time and get back in your Lamborghini."

This last gentleman actually gets right up in the mobster’s face. You can see the fear in his eyes. The bodyguard wastes no time shoving the drunk man to the floor. That sets the whole bar off.

The bodyguard is punched by four separate people within a span of 2 seconds. The mobster cowers low to the ground with his arms over his head. Within 10 seconds the bar loses its unity and everyone starts wailing on each other over minor grudges, real or imagined.

Out the front window you can see Bobby and Wes taking off. Wes looks back at the chaos inside with a smile on his face.

The rest of the bodyguards outside don’t seem to notice the Reynolds brothers. They are hurrying out of the sedan and into the bar to help their boss escape.

Since the mobster is cowering on the ground with his head covered, Stephen grabs the bottom of his suit coat and pulls it up over his head and steps on the coat tail, pinning the mobster's head and shoulders to the floor.

Stephen quickly checks the suit pockets and then pants pockets until he finds the mobster's wallet. He stuffs the wallet down the front of his pants and then staggers towards the back of the bar. He doesn't push violently or hit any of the bar patrons, and he does nothing to defend himself from the melee either. When he is shoved or punched or a bottle breaks over his head he tries to "go with it" and blend into the crowd.

When he reaches the back of the bar he staggers down the hallway to the bathrooms and storage area looking for a door to the alley.

Okay, I have the mobster's wallet so I have his name and probably his home address. I can track him down later, and if I need a back up plan then the Union can drop in on the Reynolds. Now I need to get somewhere safe and quiet so I can make a plan to defeat a time travelling super assassin. Why couldn't this happen to a smart hero like Lilith or an experienced hero like the Warden?

You walk through the entrance of a 24/7 convenience store. It has a small sandwich shop with a dine-in area attached. The only other people inside are the clerk and a customer who appears to be on his 400th scratch off lotto ticket of the night. Neither one pays you a lot of attention as you enter.

You take a seat out of direct sight from them and start to look through the mobster’s wallet. His Michigan driver’s license gives his name as Ricky Conway. His home address is in Detroit. Moving on from that disappointment, you manage to find a hotel keycard tucked away between a couple of hundred dollar bills.

The Regal Point Plaza. It is a pretty upscale hotel in downtown Crowfall. You happen to know that it is owned by Terrance Fabiano. When the hotel was renovated last year he came under investigation for using his own crews to launder vast sums of money hidden within the construction costs. The charges were ultimately dropped.

The Fabiano Crime finally is probably a front runner to be the number 2 organized crime operation in Crowfall behind the Paganelli Family. There has been plenty of violence between the two outfits over the years.

I am the only person who knows that Coffinstrike manipulates time... HE MANIPULATES TIME! How do I fight that?

Okay, how do I deal with this situation? I may be the only person who knows that Coffinstrike can change time, as long as he has the secret then heroes are trying to fight stealth not time travel. I need to get the word out to the world, but I have to assume that if Coffinstrike knows I am the source he will travel back in time and try to stop me. If I knew how to fight him that would be a good way to lure him into a confrontation, but I don't have a clue how to fight when throwing a car isn't the best move.

So I need to get the word out in a way that he can't stop it. It has to be anonymous and through as many outlets as possible. That is the smart, responsible move; inform the world and its heroes so everyone is better equipped to fight Coffinstrike. If I am really lucky someone else will take him down right away.

I still need to stop the assassinations in the Deep, and I suppose Crowfall at large, but I can't let Coffinstrike realize that I know his secret. This is like all those police procedural shows that talk about bad search warrants and 'fruit of the poisonous tree'; the police know the facts but have to find some other way to get the evidence into court. I know that Coffinstrike has a hit list, but I have to find a plausible alternative for how I know.

Coffinstrike knows that I patrol the Deep and that I was at the Docks. I can follow up on that end without raising his suspicions. There are plenty of loose ends including Toddy, the Reynold's brothers, anyone else they brought into the dock's job, Ricky Conway and his henchmen, and even the dead security guard and his two helpers. Plenty of people knew and might have talked, so if I ask Ricky some questions there is no reason to jump to the idea that my memory survived the time manipulation.

Step 1: Expose Coffinstrike's secret
Step 2: Chase down Coffinstrike and the hit list starting with Ricky Conway.


Stephen stocks up on coffee and heads back to his apartment over the garage.

He works until dawn writing out a letter long hand on notepaper, crossing out lines and discarding drafts until it seems good.

When he is confident that Lance will be awake, Stephen calls and says

"Lance. I won't be working today and if anyone asks tell them I got in a fight at the Seadog Pub last night and I'm taking it easy.
Coffinstrike was at the docks and things got seriously strange last night. I'll fill you in later. Bye."

When the house is awake Stephen heads over for breakfast and to borrow Susan's typewriter.Then he spends the morning carefully typing his letter with both index fingers. When the draft is finished he visits a self-serve copy shop and leaves with 500 copies. He buys envelopes and stamps before heading to the library.

He spends the afternoon in the reference section creating a list of newspaper editors and reporters (Roscoe Wilson is at the top of the list), television producers and reporters, law enforcement agencies, and Superhero publicists and agents and managers.

He arrives home before Lance's shift ends because he's not going to stuff, stamp, and address all these envelopes alone.

When you get to the breakfast table you find Susan looking worried while a happy looking Carmen sits at the table with a thermometer in her mouth. Susan takes it out and Carmen asks, "Can I stay home today?" Susan pats her on the head.

"Sorry, kiddo. You are healthy as can be." Carmen frowns. Susan gives you a weak smile. "Ana has some kind of stomach bug. So far the rest of us seem alright so I guess it wasn’t something we ate."

She tells you not to worry and sets you up with her typewriter.

---

You meet up with Lance later that day. He is a bit more stressed than normal but is relieved to finally be getting some answers from you. He fills you in on the situation at the docks. They were forced to make due with a skeleton crew today. Just enough to unload anything that absolutely had to be moved today. The police had most of the docks locked up tight for hours as they continued to investigate the crime scene.

Lance tells you that the cops are looking for a burly man, possibly bald, who is able to leap tall buildings. Beyond that they didn’t have much more to ID him, as dark as it was. Lance desperately wants details on what happened, but manages to calm down long enough to read the letter you prepared.

"Oh my god. This is insane, Stephen. How could you keep this from me for months?" A couple of the dots begin to connect and he waves his hands. "Ohhhh. So you’re saying Coffinstrike killed those men on the docks last night? They didn't have his usual trademark though. It isn’t like him to kill someone and not take credit for it. I totally believe you. Why would you make this up? I just don’t know what we’re going to do about it."

"Can I tell you the whole story? I want someone else to know the details and you're the only friend I can tell, but I don't want to put you in more danger?"

Lance nods vigorously and waves his hands in the internationally recognized gesture for 'get on with it'. Thankfully Lance manages to listen without interruption through to the end.

...so then I'm suddenly back at the docks with police pointing guns at my back and three dead bodies around me. The hit list is gone and he replaced it with a copy of Working by Studs Terkel. He didn't claim the kills because he was trying to frame me and I'm lucky that I got away without the police getting a good look.

I went to the parking garage and the mobster was still there. I was guessing that Coffinstrike wouldn't care about inconveniencing others so he wouldn't call them off. The mobster got angry and went to find the Reynold's brothers. I go tot eh Seadog Pub first adn went in without my mask. I bumped into Wes and Bobby and made a distraction so they could get away. I got the mobster's wallet and found out his name is Ricky Conway. The I came home and started writing the letter.

You know, he didn't have to kill those three idiots... they were just average guys who made stupid choices. In the parking garage they got away and lived before he went back and changed time; he killed them just to cause trouble for me."

The sadness and frustration on his face twists into an angry resolve and Stephen points to the pile of letters and envelopes

"Now I'm gonna cause trouble for him. It's not what I thought hero work would be, but the smart move, the move that will hurt him the most is if we mail these letters and get his secret out into the world.

We don't know the limits of his powers or his determination so we have to assume that he could travel back in time and investigate. I have a plan to mail 500 letters anonymously.

We're going to put 20 letters each inside big manila envelopes that we are not going to seal. The we drive around to different drop boxes around the city, we put feed the big envelope into the drop box open end first then hold the back end of the envelope for a moment while we shake out the letters and then let go of the empty envelope. We mail 500 small letters and it looks like we mailed 25 big envelopes. We're also going to change hats and clothes between drop boxes so he won't see the same person at each drop box if he manages to stake out every drop box in the city."

In the moments after revealing the grand plan, doubt and confusion take turns on Lance's face, so Stephen takes a deep breath and explains in a firm voice

"Coffinstrike is extremely dangerous. We have to be extremely cautious. He can't track this back to us because he is a sociopath and he will kill our families and everyone that we care about. Help me stuff the envelopes and I will take care of mailing them all tomorrow when the streets are busy and I can blend in better.

After these are mailed I'm gonna find Ricky Conway and get some answers."

Lance wastes no time getting to work on stuffing envelopes but you can tell that his mind is working a mile a minute. After about five minutes he stops working and starts staring off into space. You have to snap your fingers in front of this face to get him back into reality.

"Sorry. Was lost in thought." He gets up and starts pacing, as he is prone to do while thinking or worrying. In this case it is probably both. "The plan is solid. It is sure to give you one up on him... if he doesn’t already know who you are."

Lance returns to his seat and takes a deep breath. "Why didn’t he just kill you? What if he tried and realized he couldn’t? For all we know, he spent three lifetimes trying to end you and failed every time. That would have infuriated him. The greatest assassin that ever lived bested by some brand new superhero. What if that is why he set you up?

"You know about his secret when seemingly no one else does. Why? Presumably, he could have reset time and set you up without leaving your memories intact. That would be a much worse fate. But you retained your memories of the other timeline and he left the book as... as what? A joke? A dig at you? He wanted you to know it was him that set you up.

"I can’t shake the feeling that he may know more about you, and by extension, me and your family, then we realize. He must have followed you from the rooftop, or the parking garage, all the way back to the dock. What's to stop him from going further back to before you had the mask on? At the very least he went out of his way to pick up that book, and that was just to send a message. There is no telling how much he knows about you.

"Look, Stephen, I am more than willing to help you with this. I think it is a great idea and stands a good chance of really doing a number on Coffinstrike. I just want to lay it all out there before we commit. I don’t have any alternative suggestions. It's just... something to think about."

Stephen's face loses all expression and he stares vacantly for an uncomfortable length of time. As Lance opens his mouth to break the the silence, Stephen's head tilts back and he begins repeating the same four-letter word over and over again. Initially he curses softly, and although his volume does not increase, soon the word acquires an edge and a sharpness as his anger and frustration are fully stoked.

"I never wanted this! I wasn't thinking when I hit that super goon and got sprayed with chemicals - the whole situation was just so unfair! We work all day at an honest job that may not be fancy but it matters, but the company would rather hire hire a super goon than pay us what we deserve!

Then after all those months in the hospital we find out I have powers. Okay. I'd rather work as a human forklift than a hero, but that was never gonna happen - not with corrupt corporations and crime families and... everything wrong with the way the world works! So I thought maybe I could make a difference for the working people in the Deep - and then in walks Coffinstrike! Talk about over my head! That's not even getting dropped into the deep end of the pool, it's getting dropped in the middle of the ocean!

I don't know what I'm doing. I didn't even think about the Studs Terkel book as a taunt, but you're right; why would he go to that trouble?"

Stephen lets out a big sigh while he clenches and unclenches his fists.

"How about we split the difference? I'll write a new draft of the letter and we send it only to the heroes and not the press or law enforcement. That way we're getting the word out about his time powers but with less chance that Coffinstrike finds out about it so less chance of retaliation.

Then I talk to Ricky Conway and try to find the list and/or Coffinstrike. If I run into him I'll let him talk and we'll see if he expects me to remember him framing me.

What do you think? All our asses are on the line here, but mine's bulletproof."