Minnie
Items : Knife, First Aid Kit, Brooch, 
Skills : Solving Riddles, Medical Care, Knife Fighting

The Handyman would approach the entrance of the mine looking it up and down. This was the place, well probably. The brooch seemed to indicate something of the kind.

He would look over the pin once more before approaching further, he would look through it to identify what he may need to look out for or do when he entered. It could be dangerous.
Amber
The Handyman arrives at the entrance of the mine compound. A gate in a large chainlink fence manned by a security guard. Easthill mine was the primary source of most of New London's industry requirements. Silicon, iron, lithium, depeneding which section of the mine you were in you could find it all here. As such it was fairly heavily guarded and finding your way in wouldn't be as simple as walking in.

Looking over the broach he had received from Mockingbird the same poem is all he could decipher. 'In The Mines The Canary Sings, Heed Her Song For The Salvation It Brings, Then The Nightingale's Toll Rings' What it meant was yet to be found, if it meant anything at all.
Minnie
Huh well that was a pain, well it would have to be done I suppose.

Solving Riddles -Stealth
Medical Care -Security Analysis
Knife Fighting -Reconnaissance

The Handyman would walk around the perimeter of the entrance. He would take note of any security measures and the area, looking out for potential weaknesses in preparation for his attack.
Amber
As he allowed his power to grant him the knowledge and expertise he wanted the Handyman would be able to notice many things that hadn't been immediately obvious moments ago. There were three obvious entrances to the mine complex with each of the checkpoints in the fence. They had removeable barriers across the road and were manned by at least two people each.

The perimeter fence was a chainlink design about 2.5m in height and topped with barbed wire to prevent people simply climbing over. Repeated every few metres was a triangular warning sign stating high voltage but it didn't take a intense inspection to see that these were merely deterrents and the fence carried no electrical charge.

The final thing of note were the regular patrols between the checkpoints along the fence line. From what he could see there were at least three individuals patrolled and at least two of them had canine companions. It was probably best to try and avoid them.
Minnie
The Handyman would further spend time surveying the area as best he could,

He would watch the patrol routes, looking out especially for a location on the fence which would be unwatched or vulnerable to him.
Amber
His extended observations confirmed his initial suspicions although he managed to gain a little more information. It took the guards roughly five minutes for them to complete one circuit of their patrol route. With the three guards that left a couple of minutes before another guard arrived at said location. Whilst he observed he would also spot several guards and workers moving around further in the compound but it was difficult to have precise details from his current location.
Minnie
Time to take a different approach, brute force wasn't going to work and sneaking seemed to be a real pain. Deception it is.

Skills -Infiltration, Lying, Acting

He would move towards the front gate of the mine after readying his skills, ready to talk to one of the guards.
Amber
His skills selected, the Handyman began to move towards the gate. To the side of the gate was a small guard house with a man reading a newspaper within, seemingly unbothered by the approaching cape.

That was until he got within 4 metres of the gate. The guard looking up from his paper before extending his hand towards the Handyman.

*"Stop there, can you show me your ID please?"*
Minnie
The Handyman would place his hand on the back of his neck and let out a nervous chuckle,

"I thought I was going to be given that?"

He would scroll through his phone momentarily,

"I can't seem to find it but I'm sure I was told it would be sorted out on arrival."
Amber
*"Oh? A new hire of course. Give me the name of your shift manager and I'll call him up. Tell him to come collect you."*

He picked up a phone from within his booth and placed it against his ear. His hand hovered above the keypad as his eyes locked on to the Handyman, clearly waiting for a name. 

It would appear as though he had gone through this several times before and this was nothing new to his day to day life.
Minnie
Ludwig would wait a second and release a heavy breath,

"I think it was David? Or maybe... Uhhh... Jeremy?"

He would let out a light chuckle and look down slightly,

"I really must apologise for being disorganised it's been a hectic couple weeks,"

He would saying looking up to him and trying to flash a smile of sorts,
Amber
*"Oh, you must be looking for Jeremy Davids. Hey I don't suppose you could try and hook me up with slightly larger portions when your serving? I'd really appreciate it."*

He began to press several buttons on the phone before beginning to speak.

*"Mr Davids your new start is here at the gate. Yeah. Well I don't know what to tell you he is here. Well can you come collect him to get his id sorted. I don't know I'll ask."* He raised his hand to cup it around his mouth. *"What is your name?"*
Minnie
Ludwig would nod as he said his name,

"*Of course, I'll do what I can.*" He would say in response with a light smile,

"Its Steven," Ludwig would tell the man, followed by a chuckle. "I was sure he would know my name by name, but I'm sure he's busy so I can't blame him."
Amber
*"Yeah he says his name is Steven. Alright I'll let him know."*

He placed the phone back on its stand before looking at Ludwig.

*"He says there must have been some kind of mixup as no one informed him of new hires arriving today but if you just wait here for 30 mins he will be right with you. He just needs to sort some things out before he heads over."*
Minnie
"I appreciate you asking for me, must've been a mixup in scheduling systems or something like that."

He would move over to the side to get out the guards way and begin to wait,

"It could always be my mistake but that would be awkward," He would say with a bit of a chuckle and he would begin to wait the time.
Amber
*"Yeah something like that, anyway he will be here soon so if you just wait on that bench over there."*

The man reaches down into his booth and pulls out a magazine. As he read Ludwig would be able to see the name of the magazine printed on its front page 'Fortnightly Fowl' and a picture of a large cock.

A few minutes later a man could be seen running towards the barrier. He stops just short waving at Ludwig with a smile. 

*"Are you Steven? Come with me and I'll get you sorted out."*
Minnie
Moving over to the bench Ludwig would begin to wait calmly, infiltration was a process that had to be taken one step at a time even if it wasn't the most exciting.

—

Seeing the man approach Ludwig would stand and begin to approach,

He would nod with a smile, "That's right, thankyou for seeing to me." 

Giving him his thanks he would begin to follow the man.
Amber
The duo began to walk through the mining compound towards a familiar looking prefab building. They were popular during the early years of New London. As the city expanded they didn't have time to build actual buildings so these were used as temporary housing. This building was the same style but larger.

*"So we'll just head into my office to sort out the paperwork and see what went wrong. That shouldn't take too long though. Anyway a few quick things to note, you see around this compound the are these knee high concrete bollards with the yellow tips? Beyond those is the active work area, you need a hard hat and high vis jacket to go there. I doubt you will ever need to go there though."*

He paused for a moment.

*"But if you do need to, you should know the basics. We have three separate mines here; A, B and C but we call them Armadillo, Badger and Canary respectively."*
Minnie
Ludwig would follow calmly listening as he spoke.

"We should be able to sort it out quickly I hope," He would say with a smile,

He too would pause looking towards the mines as there names were said aloud.

"And so the Canary sings."

He would nod in acknowledgment of the names, "Thankyou for letting me know."
Amber
*"Oh, you did your research I see. That's why we called it canary, there is some strange airflow that makes this whistling sound. It's quite creepy if you ask me. Anyway, just up here."*

He began to walk up steps on the exterior of the building leading up to a door. Opening it, she stepped through and held it open. Motioning for Ludwig to enter.

*"Come on then, this shouldn't take long."*
Minnie
"I know it's nothing I exactly need to know but I thought it would still be nice to learn a few bits. Just for small talk with the other staff and that." He would say with a smile.

Ludwig would thank her for holding the door and quickly enter, standing calmly waiting for his next instructions.
Amber
As the duo walked into the room Ludwig could see a simple desk and chair at one end of the room. Atop the desk was a laptop as well as a stationery set and a picture frame. In one corner was a large storage cupboard and in the other a large potted plant. Perhaps the most noticeable thing about the room was the intense metallic smell of iron that filled the air.Walking over to the desk the man sat down behind it, moving the laptop to be more central as he looked at Ludwig.

*"Alright then, I'm sorry that there seems to have been a bit of a mix up but lets get it sorted quickly then we can get you to work. Do you remember who you did your interview with?"*
Minnie
Moving over in front of the desk Ludwig would stand looking down towards the man,

"I don't remember being told their name but you might recognise them, long dark hair, pale, blue eyes. Is that ringing any bells?"
Amber
*"Oh I thi-"*

He was interrupted by his phone vibrating in his pocket. He pulled it out to look before sliding it back into his pocket and standing.

*"Sorry I'll be right back. Just sit tight and I'll be with you shortly."*

He walked over to the door stepping out and closing it behind him. With him gone Ludwig was no alone in the office.
Minnie
Ludwig would nod, allowing the man to exit without worry.

Now alone The Handyman would have a brief browse around the office, he would take care not to create much noise and not get carried away as to stop if anyone were to approach the room. He would hope to be able to collect some names or information he may be able to use in up coming conversations from things around the office.

He would begin his careful search, if anyone came near he would resume his normal position. He wouldn't want to be caught in a suspicious situation after all.
Amber
Now alone Ludwig could perform a more through search and whilst everything he had seen on his first arrival was still there he would notice some additional details. On the other side of the desk there were several draws as well as a bin. The picture frame seemed to be a picture of the man with his family standing in front of the Eiffel tower. Although he did appear to be much younger in the photo. As he got closer to the storage cabinet the metallic smell only grew more intense.
Minnie
Having taken a brief look around the office The Handyman would gravitate towards the peculiar smell.

It was metallic in nature, reminiscent of blood or something of the sort. Moving towards the storage cabinet he would slide it open, assessing the contents and locating the smell before closing it once again.
Amber
Opening the door to the cabinet Ludwig would be met with the decaying corpse of the man he had been speaking to moments ago. 

**Click**

The sound of a gun cocking could be heard behind him, as he heard the mans voice.

*"It's good to see you again Handyman."*
Minnie
The Handyman would slowly turn around to see presumably the woman he had met last time in the man's form.

"Now that's fun, not how I would dispose of the body but you do you."

He would chuckle slightly, showing a smile on your face.

"Fancy seeing you here,"

He'd say, shooting finger guns towards her.
Amber
*"No it's not how I would dispose of a body either. Here take this, you'll need it."*

Their entire body seemed to shift into of Ludwig's eyes into the familiar face of Mockingbird. With a skilled flick of the hand the gun she now held the gun by the barrel with the grip towards Ludwig.

*"Congratulations on making it this far. You would think its easy but apparently making it this far is beyond the skills of most of New London."*
Minnie
The Handyman would nod, taking the gun with a firm hand.

He would swiftly begin to swap out his skill set entirely, Marksmanship, Pistol Handling and Gun Expertise. It would take a while to get them all but he would he sure to become a professional before long.

"It appears so," He would look Mockingbird up and down with a smile,

"So one dead man in a cabinet and a busy place, what's the plan."

He pauses for a moment,

"And any spare ammo or just what's here?"
Amber
*"So the plan is your trial begins now. If you are worthy you can figure out what you need to do, you have all the info. If you succeed you will be invited to join us, you may want to think up a bird related name in that case. We have a theme."*

She turned and opened the door before stepping out. She paused turning to look at Ludwig with a smile.

*"And no there isn't any additional ammo. Just the eight bullets left after you shot two and your finger prints on the gun."*

Her smile shifted to a smirk as she raised her hand to her should and pulled the trigger on a tiny gun. Blood exploding behind her as she fell over the railing and out of view.
Minnie
The Handyman would chuckle slightly,

"Very clever, very clever."

He would watch as she shot herself, practically diving over the rail and causing a scene.

The Handyman would quickly dig through his bag, wearing his mask once again and putting on some gloves. 

He would take a stack of papers and begin to set them alight before spreading them around the room, fire spread quick and although not the stealthiest was handy at removing evidence. Stealth was a touch far gun at the point, considering the gun shot and all. Ensuring a nice flame Ludwig would dash out of the office, with hope it would redirect any attention.

Exiting the office he would make a bee line to the Canary mine, whether there was anyone of note in there he had yet to know but it was a good place to hide away for the time being either way.
Amber
As Ludwig changed from his civilian persona to that of the Handyman shouting could be heard from outside. It was muffled and hard to tell the intensity from where his was though. He wouldn't let this stop him though as he got to work spreading paper around and starting a fire, finally becoming one with his inner arsonist.

Then he turned and headed out of the office back into the open air. As he walked atop the stairs he could see a group of men running towards him from one of the mines but he turned and ran in the opposite direction towards the Canary mine.

As he ran the men behind him seemed to be if not catching up with him keeping pace. Not stopping he could see a large entrance to a mine ahead of him with several small tunnels either side of it. It was save to assume these smaller tunnels probably connected to the larger Canary system.
Minnie
The Handyman would dash ahead into the mines, leading the men in behind him.

He would take advantage of the complex tunnel system, dashing into the darkness and tunnels. Using the array of hallways and openings to his advantage he would attempt to split up the group or at least confusion. 

The Handyman would aim to take the men out one at a time with a bullet to the head, horror movie style.
Amber
The Handyman rushed into the mines, a whistling sound audible from the moment he stepped into the enclosed area. Glancing behind him he would see two of the men had split off running towards the now flaming office leaving four men chasing shortly behind him.

He darted into one of the smaller side tunnels as the four men entered the mine and began to spread out. Their heads turned as they searched for any sign of the suspected murderer. They seemed to be getting closer and closer to the tunnel and it would only be a matter of time before they found the Handyman.
Minnie
The Handyman would ready his gun and begin to move towards the first person. 

Once in view he would aim for a clean shot to the head to take out his opponent. He wouldn't let any of them approach him, alive that was.
Amber
It was a strange experience having knowledge and skills granted to you by the alien shard. As the Handyman moved forwards raising his gun it seemed as if he was on autopilot. His eyes looked down at the sights of his weapon aimed straight for a man's head.

Without even thinking he shifted his aim left, adjusting for the airflow in the tunnels before pulling the trigger. The gunshot echoed through the mine as a perfect circle appeared between the eyes of the man before he dropped dead to the ground. At that moment the other men immediately turned towards the source of the noise and began to run towards it.

*"Hey you! Stop!"*

As they ran towards the Handyman he could have sworn he saw a shadow move behind them.
Minnie
As the group ran towards the Handyman he would unleash a flurry of bullets towards the group,

Three shots aimed to the head as had been done before, quick and efficient.

Bullets fired he would turn and dash into the mine, that shadow was shady and not in the apparent way.
Amber
With his natural skill and talent granted by his power one shot was easy enough but even the best marksmen would suffer in accuracy when firing rapidly. Instead of the perfect shot between the eyes the first went through the eye itself, the second went through the next man's cheek and the last went through the final man's throat. Despite the lesser accuracy that was still three kill shots confirmed by the three thumps of the men hitting the ground.

With that done he turned and ran deeper into the tunnels, the whistling sound audible the entire time although growing feinter. Eventually he would find himself at the entrance of a vertical shaft with steps going up and down in a spiral around the walls.
Minnie
The shots weren't ideal but a kill was a kill and they were sure to not bother him anymore.

Hopefully they've got the message, he didn't particularly want to shoot any more people. At least the bodies weren't out in the open as it was.

Now another matter was at hand, up or down. Down we go. If it's the songbirds to find then there's no better place for shady people than down a shady mine.
Amber
As he ran down the spiral steps the sound of whistling grew louder until he came to the base of the shaft. Ahead of him were four separate tunnels each heading in a different direction. Save for the occasional emergency light it was dark down here so any visual distinction was difficult to ascertain.

The sounds of rocks hitting the ground nearby filled the Handymans ears. Looking up he would see a pair of yellow eyes staring down at him from above. The creature they seemed to be attached to was large and muscular, covered in shiny black feathers. Where arms would be was a set of massive wings tipped with large claws.

Whatever this thing was it had secured itself to the walls of the shaft and simply observed for a moment. Then it tucked its wings and began to dive right for the Handyman.
Minnie
The Handyman would fire two bullets towards the divings creature. One for each of the bright glowing eyes, they were usually a weak spot after all.

As soon as his finger had left the trigger he would dive forward with a roll before quickly clambering upwards again. He only had two bullets left and a direct fight wasn't there best choice, he would dash forwards towards the tunnel heading down the one which had the quietest whistling.

The whilstling was the song of the canary which showed danger in the mines, it was wise for his to avoid it should he want to survive.
Amber
As two gunshots rang out the creature smashed into the ground just as the Handyman sprinted through the tunnel entrance. The creatures head twisted with a sickening crunch as it turned to look at the running parahuman. Smoke began to rise from the humped body as its flesh seemed to ripple and the cracking of bone could be heard.

*"Pr-ey."*

The voice was strained and awkward, the sound fluctuated as the body shrunk in size and more and more feathers erupted from its flesh. All the time its eyes never left the handyman.

As Ludwig ran further down the tunnel he would come to the stop at what appeared to be a dead end. The only notable feature of the area were some words etched into the stones surface.

'For he today that shed his blood with me shall be my brother'
Minnie
The Handyman would look the text up and down, *"Fuck,"* He would mutter to himself. He began to switch his **Gun Expertise** For **Knife Fighting** As he acted.

Hopefully this was some spooky bullshit and what he was about to do wasn't too much of a reach. He would quickly fetch his knife and slash across his palm before placing it upon the etching. This wasn't a for sure solution but it seemed like a good palce for some strange blood activated door.

He would steady his gun with is other hand pointing it back down the hallway, he would aim for the creatures leg joint as it approached and fire his last two bullets. With any luck it would be slowed down at the least.
Amber
As soon as he placed his hand on the etching a creaking could be heard. Her turned his head and aimed his gun down the tunnel but what he saw was nothing like the brute of a creature he had seen before. No this thing had shiny black feathers across its body that moved like silk in the wind. It had a sharp looking beak which appeared to be lined with interior teeth. Each wing ended in a hand with razor sharp scythe like claws on long fingers.

Two gunshots rang out and the creature shifted to the side and back again avoiding the bullets. One of its hands pulled back and then swung right for the Handyman's head. It hit only air however as the floor beneath the cape seemed to vanish and the Handyman found himself in freefall.
Minnie
Okay, creaking was good. That meant something was happening at least.

The shots had missed so he would have to make do with knife combat, hopefully his skill wou-

*Wahahawhahshwauhweahsshahahaha* **Falls**
Amber
*Sploosh*

The Handyman found himself submerged in water. It took him a few moments to right himself but soon enough he was treading water and could see the room around him. The walls seemed to be made from worked stone with hundreds of candles mounted upon it filling the room with a soft glow. At the far end of the pool he had landed in he could see steps leading out onto a red carpet which continued through a corridor. Even from here he could see the large double doors at the end of that corridor.
Minnie
The Handyman clambered out of the water and back onto his feet. Brushing himself off he would sigh, it was a bit of a dramatic exit but at least he was out.

He dusted himself off and began to move down the hallway, the double doors were his obvious target and he was going to open them.
Amber
The Handyman clambered out of the pool and walked down the corridor. Each foot step muffled by the red carpet. It didn't take long until he stood before the large doors.

Reaching out to open them the doors began to move before he even made contact, revealing what could only be described as a throne room. At the far end three chairs, no three thrones. Sat on the left was a familiar face, that of Mockingbird notably uninjured, to the right was another woman in a suit wearing a feathered mask with a long curved beak.

On the central throne was a uncomfortable smirk on her face. She wore a wide brim purple hat with the suit jacket and skirt to match. Over one shoulder hung a short cape held in place by an ornamental pin resembling a bird.

*"Mockingbird told me you had potential, I must say I am pleased to make you acquaintance."*

Mockingbird turned to look at the woman.

*"I have the honour to announce the arrival of Ludwig Schmidt, The Handyman."* Her head turned to look at the Handyman once again. *"Handyman, may I present the leader of our organisation Nightingale, as well as another of our senior members Ibis.*"

She had motion to the woman wearing the long beaked mask for the second name. Nightingale began to speak.

*"You had the honour of meeting another member by the name of Corvus in your trial. Come approach, take my hand."*

She held her hand out, open and waiting for the Handyman.
Minnie
The Handyman grinned, and presented himself with a regal bow. "And I am pleased to make yours." He returned to the woman before standing up once again.

He began to walk forward towards the throne, "I hope you all enjoyed the show out there," 

Before long he would be in front of Nightingale and as instructed he extended his hand, taking hers.
Amber
As soon as he took her hand he felt his fatigue and injuries vanish. His eyesight became sharper as minor imperfections were fixed and that sore lump on the back of his shoulder gone. Every single wound, ache and pain vanished from his body.

*"So tell me, do you wish to join the songbirds. If you do I must warn you this is a contract for life and your loyalty is to us above all else. This is you last chance to walk away."*
Minnie
The Handyman smiled as his wounds healed,

"I do." He would say confidently.
Amber
*"Very Well."*

She raised her hand and snapped her fingers. A section of wall behind her opened up and a man in a thick black feathered cloak and a crow styled mask stepped through with a fine wooden box in his hands. Slowly he approached Nightingale and the Handyman Kneeling beside the throne and holding the box out towards the Handyman.

Nightingale reached down and opened the box. She reached in and removed a Bronze pin and began to attach it the Handyman's jacket.

*"First is the symbol of your affiliation, each of us has our own design but until you become more established a simple Bronze feather pin will suffice."*

Looking at the people around the room the Handyman could see each member had a different pin located on their costumes. All were bronze save for Nightingale's who was silver. The only consistent thing with all of their designs was the common theme of birds and feathers. Nightingale reached in and pulled out what appeared to be a pistol.

*"Second a more suitable firearm for those in our profession. Chambered in .32 ACP, six round capacity with built in tinker tech suppressor and firing system making it almost silent and if anyone other than you tries to pull the trigger? Boom."*

She handed the Pistol to the Handyman and now in his hands he could see it more clearly. It was very compact which explains the small magazine capacity but there was no denying it had beautiful craftmanship. A feather pattern was engraved along the barrel and the whole thing had a silver and gold finish. Nightingale reached in and pulled the last object out.

*"And finally is our signature tool, a wrist mounted hidden ceramic blade. No metal components so it will pass through metal detectors without issue and discreet enough to fit under your clothes. To deploy the blade simply clench your fist and flick it up, to retract it simply repeat the action."*

Sitting in her chair she moved her free hand off to the side and clenched her fist. Then she flicked her fist up causing it to bend almost perpendicular to her arm causing a nearly 10 inch blade to appear below her hand. She repeated the action and the blade vanished just as quickly.

*"Welcome to our family. Do you have a name you wish to be called now?"*
Minnie
The Handyman couldn't help but smile at the efficiency of it all. He would certainly be able to get along with this group.

He grasped the new gun firmly, looking it over with a grin. Nice was an understatement, this was an upgrade to be sure. He placed the old gun beside the wooden box and quickly secured his new weapon.

He too took the blade, quickly securing it to his arm and giving it a test as she had demonstrated.

A name, he had given it thought and he knew exactly what to do.

"Gone with The Handyman, I shall introduce myself."

He paused with a grin.

"Everybody, call me **Crane**,"
Amber
*"Then I welcome you Crane. Mockingbird will walk you out but if you ever need work get in contact. If not we will contact you when we need you for a job. Oh and by the way you may wish to find yourself a more... Refined outfit. Don't worry the Songbird's will cover the cost, if a proper costume is not your style you can always go for a well cut suit and domino mask like myself. I'll see you around Crane."*

Mockingbird stood up and motioned for Crane to follow, leading him towards the door Corvus had came though moments ago.
Minnie
Crane nodded in response, "I was planning on getting a proper outfit soon so it works out."

He gave a wave goodbye before walking behind Mockingbird and following her. "See you around."