epidemiology | EVENT ★ I PREDICT A RIOT

EVENT ★ I PREDICT A RIOT

I WANNA START A FIGHT

RIOTS

In the time between the quarantine and now, the virus has spread unnaturally rapidly, with the amount of the population infected estimated to be around 1.5% or approximately 3,750 people. Understandably, the panic has increased considerably. People who were taking the virus seriously before have begun to work themselves up into a frenzy, and even those who were calm are beginning to get anxious.

An infected teacher went on a violent rampage at the local elementary school yesterday, leading the school board to close all Woodhurst schools for the rest of the week while the entire staff is studied for symptoms. There’s no test for the Bristol virus, however, so it’s impossible to tell for sure. This, of course, worries the parents. The unrest starts with a protest at the school, calling for schools to be closed indefinitely until the quarantine is over for the safety of the children, but it doesn’t stop there.

Unrest turns to rioting before long; the majority of the riot is focused at city hall, where citizens are demanding answers, but there’s also mayhem at stores as the people of Woodhurst loot them, stocking up for what some assume is an impending apocalypse. Those who don’t believe this have locked themselves up in their homes not for protection from the infected but the rioters. Suffice it to say, most of the citizens out on the streets are of the slightly unstable variety, although some just found themselves caught up in the riots and became worked up by the crowd.

Local police forces -- including ALASTAIR agents posing as police officers -- have been dispatched to deal with the rioters at city hall. Rioters who attempt to leave the city are taken care of by officers sent by the federal government to enforce the quarantine.

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

It might be a good idea to see what supplies can be found at the supermarkets, although you run the risk of getting attacked by a violent looter. The police won’t necessarily turn away anyone trying to keep order at city hall, but any supernatural powers will only incite the already violent crowd, so it’s recommended characters keep from utilizing their powers if they want to stay in one piece. Then, of course, there’s always the option to protect innocents who happen to be stuck out on the streets in the middle of the riots.

While the entirety of the police force is focused at the quarantine borders and outside city hall, now is possibly one of the only chances to get full access to buildings in the city. There are still some workers who haven’t been sent home and some of the buildings are locked up, but there are few police officers that can be spared to go check out a simple break-in.

Now is the time to search the city, if you're feeling brave. If you’re really ballsy, you can even try to slip in through the back door of city hall and go through their records. The only important building in town that’s not able to be searched is the hospital, which is incredibly busy due to the high number of people injured in the riots and traffic accidents.

Of course, just because rioters aren’t around doesn’t mean you’ll be left alone. There’s always a chance you’ll find yourself alone in a building with someone very hungry. Willing to take the chance?

Submit all CYOA choices to this thread.

OOC NOTES

The Bounty Board is now open! If you are looking for ways to get involved in this mission's optional objective, this is a good place to start. We’d also like to remind everyone that ALASTAIR does not invent cover stories for characters -- that’s all them! The only jobs they’ll help with getting are in the police force and government; everything else is up to characters to interview for.

Questions about Woodhurst can be submitted to this thread. Questions about the game in general should be directed to the FAQ. You may submit mission ideas or player plots at any time.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[The tunnels are sprawling and dark, it's no wonder that canvassing corners doesn't get them very far very fast. After ducking down here with Lucina a few days back, Jason's opted to go back in alone. Unfortunately, following the sound of shuffling movement echoing up the tunnels doesn't lead to the kind of paydirt he's got in mind.

It takes a split second for the spinning figure to register as recognizable. Given the shushing gesture, he does—to his slight credit—keep his mouth shut for a beat. Brows raised pointedly, hands half-raised in mock surrender. He drops them after a second of giving the area a once-over for any real reason for alarm.

Water, more water, debris. That's about it. What are you doing, bud.]

Hate to break it to you, but if you were gonna swing, you missed your chance.

[Maybe a little more on the deadpan side than the wry one, this time around. Don't brandish a crowbar at him, asshole, that's just rude.]

[ It doesn't take more than a fraction of a second to recognize the figure approaching from behind, but even without swinging, the damage is already done. Sorry Jason. Sigma lowers the crowbar hurriedly, his shushing finger dropping to point halfheartedly at the observation before dropping it apologetically with a heavy sigh. ]

Yeah, I know.

[ His voice is quiet but huffy, still sort of jumpy. Maybe it's just nerves, or there's something in Jason's tone that's genuinely irked enough to stifle any sort of Solid Snake Sneaky McGee he might have tacked on. But it's only distracted for a heartbeat before he's glancing back around the way he'd been creeping. ]

Look, you haven't seen a- [ A cat. He's looking for a goddamn cat does that sound stupid now or what. ] -anyone down here, have mew?

[It sounds a little stupid. Even when Sigma manages to stop himself short of spitting out the incriminating details of the cat-hunt—he doesn't stop himself short of punning like a c-list supervillian. He gets a particularly expectant look for that one, but no comment yet.

He's jumpy. Maybe it's the nerves tying up his tongue. Maybe he just heard him wrong. (He doesn't think so.) Lets try that again.]

Why? Thinking about making a few new friends?

[This doesn't seem like the most well considered of plans. What with the nervousness and the brandishing of crowbars and the jumping at shadows, you don't exactly look like you want to be down here, bud. Anyone who might be trying to hide down here isn't necessarily going to be happy about being found.]

[ Okay it might sound stupid but it's very important to some people. And it's hard to catch yourself when you never notice yourself doing it. It's like trying to catch yourself blinking. Besides, he didn't even mention the cat! (But he was thinking it pretty hard.) ]

[ With the return question snarking up, Sigma's own tone rears its ugly head again. ]

Yeah, I heard Crowbar Lovers Anonymous meets up down here on Thursdays, so I thought I'd check it out.

[ But enough clowning around, this is serious. A critter's life is at stake here. He can't help but chance another look over his shoulder; he could've sworn he'd heard something before Jason showed up. He goes on distractedly, voice still enough of a quiet hiss to listen over. ]

I'm looking fur something that got swiped from the mayor's place. They said the guy came down this way, but I've been down here for ameowt an hour at least...

[ And he's still very much empty-pawed. ]

[Still sounded stupid tbh.

Probably he should comment on this rude-ass response and the apparent investigation of grand theft but mostly—]

Ameowt.

Yeah, give or take-

[ ... ]

[ You know, he might have gotten away with it if he didn't grind to a halt with his mouth half agape for a second too long before his eyes narrow properly. Why you gotta call him out like this. Why now. ]

About...

[If not now, when. Well, that guilty look clinches it, even if it doesn't explain it. (Every Robin is guilty of a little wordplay now and then, but really it's usually a little more about the timing.) Since Sigma's looking a little ruffled, maybe he should back off.

Or, y'know, maybe not. Helpfully—]

Let me guess, it was a cat burglar.

[Anyone he should know?]

[ An explanation probably wouldn't help at this point. He's usually better at timing the wordplay too, but there's no reining it in for the sake of comedic planning with this stupid curse. Don't think about it don't think about it... ]

I mean, it wasn't exactly a stealthy break-in from what I've heard, but if you wanna be not-actually-technical about it, a cat... was burgled.

[ And we're back to full stupid again. ]

[People are dying, Sigma.

Well, okay, it's still a little early for the full on chaos. But really, with the riots and the closed borders and the spreading sick, it's only a matter of time. Two and two fit together pretty easy on this one, but he looks remarkably unsympathetic.]

Something tells me Mr. Mayor's got bigger things to worry about right about now, champ.

[As do the rest of them. Hell, cats aren't even carriers. It's probably safer than any of the rest of them are, right now.]

[ People die every day, Jason!! ]

[ No, he knows it's a dumb priority. That's what makes the deadpan look sting enough for him to physically wince. ]

Look, Jason, I was already heading down here when I heard about it, and... I mean, morale's important, y'know? If anything happened to Pepper right now, I'd feel pretty shitty too. The guy's got a lot on his plate.

[ Why's he trying to justify himself, it's probably like justifying himself to a brick wall. So much for being stealthy with all this talking. ]

Or like, what if there's some important secret info on her collar or something? That sounds like a politician thing to do.

Is he a politician or a supervillian, I'm getting some real mixed messages. But hey, maybe you're on to something, I'm sure he's had the genetic code we need to crack for a cure right there around Fluffy's neck the whole time.

[Because, y'know, convoluted super-secrets on cat collars makes lots of sense that way. As productive as this aggressively sarcastic conversation is, it's derailed not-unsubtly by a splash and a clatter echoing up the sewer tunnels in their direction. Down the way that Sigma was stalking. Seems they've got an eavesdropper.]

Hey, sometimes it's to-may-to to-mah-to. [ ~~he did live through 2017 you know~~ ] But we'll never know if we don't find her!

[ Isn't the intrigue alone worth something, boy wonder? Look at that, he was right after all. The sound of movement almost startles Sigma off his feet and he spins right back around, crowbar held at a slightly more respectable angle this time. ]

Hey, d'you hear that?

[ Verbatim out of the disposable stealth game mook's handbook, but hell if it doesn't do its job in flushing out their little onlooker. One clatter becomes two, and they evolve into footsteps as two becomes five, though with the acoustics of the place it's difficult to tell whether they're coming or going. Either way, Sigma's bounding off in pursuit. ]

[More evidence that Sigma's from the universe god abandoned, tbh. But look, he's from Gotham, there's no beating that for corrupt politicians and themed weirdoes and overcomplicated schemes per capita. This just smells less like a conspiracy and more like a catnapping, c'mon.

Sigma's off like a shot before he can suggest a slightly more strategic approach to their eavesdropper. Protags. Well, when in Rome. He hangs back just long enough to drop his mask out from under his arm to put it on to get a better lay of the land—benefits of night vision in dark tunnels. He turns the corner after Sigma, just in time to spot someone else ducking away at a fork in the distance.]

Hang left, big guy.

[He'll catch up.]

[ Okay fair, Gotham's pretty bad. But. Look, less judging, more making sure he doesn't get himself killed, didn't Batman teach you anything. ]

[ His eyes have long since adjusted to the darkness of the sewer, but it doesn't take long for the path this way to dip into near murky blackness. He can just barely catch the geometry of a split in the path, but as for any person-shaped details down either, they're well lost. At least until the tipoff from behind. One he's just gonna have to trust at this speed, darting down the left way with a gotcha! thrown over his shoulder. ]

[ For a harrowing few seconds, there's nothing to rely on but sound. Just the skidding of changing directions up ahead to even remotely indicate a turn. Which Sigma takes at full tilt and serendipitously slams the fleeing figure into the wall, stumbling and toppling the both of them on the narrow path with a pair of yowls, one loud and human, one muffled and very much not. And simultaneously, his blood manages to fire up and run cold. ]

Shit— Careful, it's hi—

[ In the split second it takes for Sigma's heart to leap into his throat at the prospect of accidentally pile driving a cat, the guy gathers himself up enough to throw a punch. Training kicks in enough to shake it off, grab the next one and twist the arm, but god help him, he can't tell what bag or jacket or whatever the screeching is coming from and the hesitation is crippling. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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