Runners:
Tobias Cheney
UltraBoy!

The last few months on Mars:

UB! has been working for Knight Errant as a corporate runner, he’s got his own team (although one of the members is a KE minder to make sure he stays on mission), and is being used in KE promotions around the city- “A Redeemed Runner!”, “Getting Revenge on Crime!”, etc. He’s been hunting down criminals, runners, etc, and enjoying all the perks of the corp-backed lifestyle. He feels he is finally getting the respect he deserves, as well as some public recognition (even if folks in the undercity won’t talk to him anymore). He hasn’t heard from Tobias, although T and other possible members of Daedelus’ Exchange are on the KE most-wanted, and bringing any of them in would be a significant coup for UB!

Tobias has been continuing to work with/for Daedelus’ Exchange op on Mars, although he’s had to largely flee the city proper- he’s found himself a wanted man (literally- he and other suspected Exchange members are on KE’s most wanted list, and are major targets). However, with Daedelus’ assistance, he has been able to continue his physics research, and amass many of the materials needed for a decent sized dirty bomb. He’s heard rumors that KE is planning something big, and is feeling pretty resentful that UB! is publicly living the big life while he is hit-and-running corp convoys in the desert and hiding in atmo processing facilities and the like.

2 weeks ago:

Tobias has been putting out the word that he wants info on the whereabouts and well-being of his old friend Patrick Henry Hughes. Word eventually gets back to him from John Caruthers that PHH has apparently been taken to Ares HQ in Detroit and is being held there- he’s not sure of the conditions, or how willing of a participant PHH is, but he has some mafia contacts down there who could help with setting up a rescue/extraction. However, there is a price- Caruthers will only help if Tobias gives him UB!, alive. Rooster had previously told Caruthers that UB! was behind the carbomb that killed Caruthers cousins in the uppercity, although Tobias and others also helped, unknown to Caruthers. Tobias agrees.

Fortunately for him, UB! has been trying to reach out and find a way to escape KE’s corporate clutches. Ultraman is pretty much the only person who will still talk to him out of all his old Undercity contacts, but he does eventually make contact. They arrange an ambush for UB!‘s team- responding to an anonymous tip, they walk into a booby-trapped killzone, and are cut to shreds by Tobias, with the help of Marlowe’s team. UB!, at Tobias’ insistance, ko’s and captures his KE minder, and loads her into a car T has waiting, and then jumps in himself, while shouting “LONG LIVE HAMSHALLOW!”, expecting to be sped off to the relative safety of life as an outlaw, alongside his old pal Tobias.

Sadly, T has also boobytrapped the car, and after UB! jumps in, it delivers a powerful shock to him, incapacitating him while the passenger compartment fills with gas and renders him unconscious. T delivers him to Caruthers, and keeps the minder for himself- a useful source of info for the Mars Exchange, surely.

The last few days:

Ultraman is rumored to have a new houseguest that’s he’s been seen around the Undercity with. It’s some weird human in his early 20’s, doesn’t seem all there- looks he had a bunch of surgery recently, he has a shaved head and a ton of not-so-subtle scarring. Supposedly Ultraman has been taking him on drives around town, visitng various sights of UB!‘s exploits and watching old trids and stuff. Folks are saying the Ultraman might have finally lost it, but some others remember some old rumors that UB! was actually an ork poser and think that someone took some pretty intense revenge on him- although who is anyone’s guess, as UB! had plenty of enemies to go around. Jaro has been seen meeting them occasionally for meals and such, having been spared arrest, unlike most of the rest of the Problem Children and Mad Martians, due to the secret deal UB! made with KE, which they appear to still be honoring, for now…..

Meanwhile, Tobias has been interrogating the prisoner (with some drugs provided by Caruthers, as well as some magical assistance from one of Marlowe’s people). He’s trying to plan a dirty bomb attack on KE’s uppercity HQ, hopefully in such a way as to kill Elton Massey, his former contact there, who has apparently been given a significant promotion in reward for his masterful ganger round-up.