(Gamma World) This Is Not a Test #9 - The Early Bird

Our heroes, the De Facto Explorers travelling to the far-off city of Jainus, in search of... The Mutant Master:

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Sonny Helianthus: a sentient sunflower artifact examiner with Restorationist ties. 

Slitheran Wurmtail (aka Squiggles): a mutated earthworm scout, in impromptu power armor, looking for trouble, and finding it often.

Sneaky Pete: A mutated weasel scout.  Pete's telepathy and night vision take a backseat when he whips out his electrical powers.

Lathar Bracken: A pure-strain human from River Bend.  He's got the muscle, the face, and a mount for most encounters.  Lathar's trusty beast of burden, No Name, travels wherever he does.

Ramsay Kallax:  Mutated Ram from the far-off KIA Academy with a predilection for ancient treasures... and the occasional head-butt. 

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Despite the sign of living metal flying overhead, the dried river bed between Fair Town and Jainus proved safe travels. 

Jainus was a much larger town than River Bend, with many of the original buildings of the ancients still intact, or reused for the current day. Humans dominated the town, with obvious mutations and some with not, some with obvious Iron Society markings. 

Trying best to avoid any of the society members, they found a large, but very plain building belonging to the Brotherhood of Thought. 

"Oh boy," Lathar muttered, "Out of the frying pan, into the fire."

"What do you mean?" Sonny countered, "We had lunch with a Brother, we can ask for Artemus."

"Who's Artemus?" Ramsay asked.  

Sonny caught their ram friend up with their encounter with Artemus from the Brotherhood, his ability to turn Hissers back into normal snakes, and the potential that he was either here, or had been here in the near past.

After hanging out in the area for a bit, it was decided that Sonny and Pete would enter the Brotherhood through the front door, while Squiggles searched for a rear entrance, with Ramsay and Lathar hanging out outside.

Upon opening the unlocked front door, they came upon a large, spartan room with just a few long tables and chairs, with a handful of robe individuals sitting around a table in the far corner. A mixture of torches and ancient light devices illuminated the room..  

"Gentlemen, can we have a moment of your time?"  Sonny inquired.  Two robed individuals walked over, doffing their hoods by the time they introduced themselves. "What can we help you folk with?"

"We were wondering if Brother Artemus was around?" 

"How do you know of Brother Artemus?"

"We encountered him on the road."

"Makes sense, he'll be returning shortly, we hope.  Please have a seat and we can provide refreshment."

The one brother dashed off a side passage, while the other returned to the other brethren. 

Outside, Lathar spied a older man with a full beard, walk towards the Brotherhood building,  Lathar tried to catch his attention:

"Hey."

The man turned around, gave Lathar a gaze that would stop most mortal men in the tracks, and finally spoke,"

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

Back inside, water was brought out and small talk was kept the time.  

A loud knock could be heard from the rear of the building.  A number of confused brothers shuffled down a different side passage.  

A lone voice hollered, "I can't see!!!" and a scuffle could be heard.

Coming out of the passageway, most could see two large New Men  The one New Man was holding a simple battle axe, the other had four arms with glowing hands. They flanked a certain worm holding a flintlock pistol. 

Iron Society Thugs

The worm, who looked a lot like Squiggles, made a bold declaration, "Afternoon folks.  This... is a robbery!" and he proceeded to fire at a Brother.

Pete turned around quickly to open the front door and alert his friends, but he barely dodged the doors flying open, a concerned Artemus on the other side, and a mounted Lathar preparing to charge.    Pete couldn't even catch his breath, as he was struck by a familiar blue crackle of electricity. 

Once Pete regained his senses, he noticed there was one additional New Men hiding behind the front three, who was commanding a similar electrical mutation to him. 

Squiggles swung his mace around over his head, yelling "Yee-Ha!"

The Brothers finally jumped into action, performing a wide spectrum of mutant powers, from protective barriers, to throwing tables to block the robbers, to some simply vanishing from where they were standing.  

Despite a flurry of energy and electrical blasts, Ramsay charged in, followed immediately by Lathar on No Name.  Ramsay locked in combat with the New Man with the battle axe, while Lathar locked in with the four-armed monstrosity.    With the extra melee help, a cloud of spent gunpowder filling the hall, two of the New Men hit a hasty retreat.   

With a collapsed Squiggles on the floor, a body of the "hiding" New Man, and a horde of brothers finally descending onto the common room, Artemus surveyed the carnage, and asked the all-important question:

"When's dinner?"

Next: #10 - Big Jake