Multiple Settings Plumbers: Welcome to the multiverse

[Worthlessplebian]

For a moment, before the dimensional jump, Heilwyn felt a startlingly hot, stinging sensation rush over him like a sudden flashfire. He grit his teeth, fists clenched, knuckles white. Then he felt a shiver, an icy river down his spine, and at last, a plummeting sensation though he did not fall. His mind was wrenched free from his flesh, from his protective steel — scattered on cruel, hissing winds. The long seconds stretched indefinitely, lost amidst the strange, inky ocean. Then nothing, as his mind fully submerged beneath the black, churning waters.

His vision swam when he came to, a whorling tide of lights and colours assailing his sight, head riven with a potent ache. His hand went up, trying to banish the incessant, invasive feelings. It was a writhing, sickening influence like a knife lodged in his gut, but he found the strength to resist it. After the discomforts of the body shift had passed, Heilwyn was met with entirely new experiences; gone were the autonomous adjustment enhancements, calibrating his senses to the new environment. The world felt brighter, vivid, sharp, but craggy, colder, and distanced too. He flexed his hands, shoulders. He felt the solid weight of the riot shield in his left hand, the heavy feeling of his kitbag hanging off his back. His dark black-and-blue gendarmerie riot gear felt uncomfortably warm on his skin, but it hid muscles hardened from dedication and countless deployments. Heilwyn nodded in approval in that — they were alike in this regard.

He listened to the conversation between the two armoured officers, noting the mention of the party's location — the Shangri-La. It was amusing how, no matter the time or universe, men of duty always found the time to banter, whine, and tease. It reminded Heilwyn of his own brothers in the company.

Heilwyn shifted, turning to Kiriko. Rather lieutenant Kira, Heilwyn corrected himself, staring down like a graven statue. "Once—" He began to say, but stopped abruptly. The cadence of his voice had caught him by surprise. Gone was the muted, rural Solenite accent that roughly tinged his words, replaced by a thick, fast-flowing grace that now lent a melodious serenity to his speech. "That'll need some tempering." Heilwyn continued, hand softly grasping at his throat. "Once the drill is over, I'll attempt to establish contact with the rest of the squad. Failing that, rendezvous at this Shangri-La, then the facility. The cult or their lackeys may already be in full-force once we all link up." Heilwyn said, his voice a furtive whisper to Kiriko.

Until then, they'll have to enmesh themselves with their Gendarmerie allies.

 

[K0mori]

Having arrived on the scene in this alternate version of Paris, Sloan paused a moment, expecting some sort of discomfort or annoyance. Her systems reacted as if she had just traveled a great distance in a very short amount of time, but blissfully, as per usual, there was no physical sensation. She quickly acclimated herself to her new surroundings - her internal sensors immediately began to probe the surrounding wireless networks, scan airwaves and catalogue the more useful information sources and gateways.

"We should work our way toward the facility immediately," Sloan suggested. "The others are probably doing the same."

---
​

Elsewhere, a drone buzzes through the air, recording the movement of the cult-like organization she had been tracking. Well-reclined in her seat, she keeps her eyes peeled for anything that's changed since the last time she swept through, or took a sneak and peek through the security networks of nearby buildings. That's when she saw a group of people who seemingly materialized out of thin air. "Hello... Where did you come from?" she whispered, her eyes focusing hard. She activated the drone's sensors and took a quick barrage of photographs before zipping away over a nearby rooftop. She didn't want to linger on them and risk being noticed; she already had a good set of images to look through, and could keep an eye on their movements using the security networks.

As soon as the drone was safe, she pulled up the photos on her AR glasses and snorted with laughter. What the hell? Are they cosplayers? She grinned as she examined the group of weirdos, including a demonic-looking fellow and a high-tech robot. Then, she switched over to the alternate cameras - the ones which measured heat signatures, and noted how the robot was completely cold to the touch. It wasn't a person in a costume, but likely a real android - or gynoid, in this case. That's just odd, she figured, quickly creating a subroutine in her network-trawling software to keep an eye on their group.

 

[Infab]

The first hour of Noël prep was spent relearning how to use firearms properly. The biggest issue being the double barrel they had been given. The thing kicked like a full-grown mule, and fired both barrels with every trigger pull. No single shots here, only double-barrel blasts. They had to clamp onto the thing, holding it at waist height, and brace themselves before firing it at targets. For now, their M1911 would have to suffice for shootouts.

The M1911 was far easier to get used to. Felt comfortable in the hand, quick to draw, and easy to shoot. Point, fire. It barely had sights on it, which were a little annoying, but Noël didn't intend to be sniping someone with the thing. Once they were satisfied with the groupings they were putting into targets, they restocked on ammo, and moved on to the second part of preparation.

Their human appearance.

Demons never went into the mortal world without a human disguise. Standard trade. You didn't want priests or demon hunters out and about, tracking you because you decided to pop on over to Earth to take a soul or two or screw around without hiding your demonic appearance. Angels did the same, purely for not wanting to bother humans with their divine appearances. That or they were too proud to show it. It varied a lot these days.

They spent an hour looking into a mirror, having swapped over to their human appearance. The main thing was perfecting how they wanted to look. Hairstyle, makeup, and so on. Outfit was fine as is. Once Noël was satisfied, they met back up with the group in their demon form.

The jump was... interesting, to say the least. When Noël arrived, the world was spinning like they were stuck on a carnival ride at maximum speed. FOR FUCK'S SAKE, STOP SPINNING.

Noël braced themself against a nearby wall, pressing their forehead against the brick for a moment, before straightening up. There. Its stopping. They blinked a few times, looking about, before breathing a sigh. "I already miss the regular portals." they muttered. Afterwards, they looked to the others. Sloan already had the right idea, but they had lost Slerk in the jump. The fish baby would have to be found at some point. Maybe after they had finished the job? They could just yank them back if they couldn't, right?

They soon shifted into their human appearance, that of a young woman with a similar hairstyle, pale skin, and thick makeup. Noël looked more akin to a member of France's punk or anarchist scene now. "Sloan's got the right idea, for once." they stated, looking to the others, "We need to hurry up and move."


"Okay, M." responded Zendri, laying the clipboard they had in hand on the table behind them. On it, the setlist for the night. It was set to be a pretty long show, a full album's worth of songs as well as a few covers. That, however, could wait. Especially now that the manager was likely dead somewhere in a dumpster, or worse, and a man with a galaxy for a head was standing here talking to them after mentioning the Khan of all people.

"Spill it. What do you want?" they continued, "I've already encountered one or two of the Khan's scouts. Interesting little operation the Khan has going, but they couldn't convince me."

They swung the axe-shaped guitar hanging from their shoulder slightly to the side, out of the way, as they folded their arms. "Wealth? Don't care for it. Power? Had it. Used it. Gave it up. Don't need it." they stated, holding up a hand and counting items off with their fingers. "That covers the scouts. Now... what about you?" Their hand motioned to the man before them.

 

[PixelSymphony]

Oh eugh... is THIS what summoning sickness is based on?!? Clearly the jump had been successful, but the Helldiver's seamless portal this was not; Val swayed slightly in her new locale, blinking rapidly and leaning against a wall to steady herself. She knew she would have to deal with the attention she was drawing but first she had to make the world stop spinning; thankfully even through the nausea she was able to make out the words that peers spoke. She ignored the man's question for the moment as it was soon answered by her now-boss. Aaand of course she dabbles in the stuff. What rich socialite would be fully dressed without a burgeoning coke habit? Biting her tongue, she listened carefully to what Josephine asked her and gave an adequately thoughtful expression. "Ah, my apologies Madame," she responded, oddly enough without any detectable change in her own voice, "I'm not sure, to be honest: I'm hoping It's just a bit of exhaustion, possibly dehydration, but... I will be sure to monitor just in case. That said, I could use a drink; please excuse me Madame I will be right back."

She quickly stepped off in the direction of the hotel bar and, suppressing the inclination to slide behind the bar, ordered a simple Caipirinha, hoping that the easily observable limes would fool any observers into thinking she was trying to quell an upset stomach. Drink in hand, she began to scope out the interior layout of the hotel; even though Dex had presented her the floor plans before the jump, there was nothing like good ol' boots on the ground reconnaissance. Cameras infested the ceiling like hemispherical spiders no matter where she went, and it didn't take her veteran knowledge of private security practices to realize that the place was crawling with bodyguards. All the more reason why a group of socialites such as her charge would chose this locale to hold their little shindig, shielded from the riff-raff of society by hotel staff and, if need be, people like her. She continued to imbibe her drink as she made her way towards the entrance, where additional party-goers were arriving fashionably late in various states of presumptuousness. Val again had to bite her tongue at witnessing the that rolled through the revolving doors, ranging from old-money corporate barons who she wouldn't be surprised if they ordered a shot of blood with their drinks, to new-money toolbags that apparently didn't realize that trying to get the revolving door to go faster and faster in an attempt to generate content for 'the 'gram' was obnoxious as hell. With a roll of her eyes she downed the rest of her drink and left it on a service tray that had been set up nearby, departing for the hotel's bathroom.

Closing the door and locking the door, Val began to peruse through the kit she had on her. "Okay let's see here... Glock 48, expected... several magazines, good... ooh, collapsing baton, I've always wanted to try one of these out. Pepper spray, naturally... small first aid kit, deffo could be a lifesaver... aaand it looks like my wristband has camouflaged itself as a high end smart watch. Smart." Curious at the sensations she was feeling against her body, she double checked to make sure the door was locked, then loosened her tie and began to unbutton her shirt. "Ah HAH, that's what that is." A concealable kevlar vest peeked out from underneath the white shirt, itself colored white so as not to show through the fabric. She was impressed at the fit and flexibility of the armor; back when she was training at the Citadel (the one in Hymnalia, not the Plumber one), the plate carriers she'd worn were reasonably comfortable but restricted her motion in ways she really didn't like. In comparison she had no problem bending completely in half in this getup; quite impressive, she noted. "All right," she said to herself as she moved to the mirror to make herself proper again. "I can work with thisGAHWHATTHright, no horns..."

And to think I'd gotten used to those...

"Right then. Well, I suppose while I'm in here..."

---

A little while later there was the click of the lock and out she emerged from the bathroom, back to her professional look. Quickly returning to where Josephine continued to sip from her glass of wine, she announced her presence, then resumed her earlier position, scanning the assembled crowd while occasionally checking the messages she was receiving on her watch as to the others' progress.

 

[Breadman]

"They're right, Prax." Checkers spoke as she was still looking into the street. "The others are spread out across the city, but we can link up and..." She stopped talking as soon as she turned around and saw Noël's disguise. "Oh Jesus Christ, Noël. You gave me a flashback episode."

"Checkers?"

"She's fine, Dex." Prax calmed him down, slightly smiling at Checkers. "She just got reminded about her youth is all."

"Can you clarify or is this something I'll figure out in the report?"

"Nothing to worry about." He cut off the conversation since they were starting to waste time. "Coordinates of the team are in, so we move." The devices on their wrists came to life for a few moments indicating that new information was coming in. Those who check the map that was available to them noticed that there were markers indicating where their colleagues had made their jumps. It was also displaying the route they should take. They'd have to stick mainly to the back alleys for now, but that would soon change.

"Closest one to us is Val." Checkers pointed to where she was on her map "We can get to her first and then meet with Heilwyn and Kiriko. After that we should get to the facility as fast as we can."

"Metro would be the quickest route. Lets move."

K0mori Damian0358 Infab
----
Beneath the streets of Paris

Beneath the streets, Slerk continued to shadow the two cultists from the putrid waters of the Paris sewers. They continued to argue with each other and complain about their surroundings. For anyone listening to them it would seem like they didn't like each other or the fact that they were even part of the organization. The things they were trading barbs over ranged from the organization to childhood incidents.

"...do me a favor and fuck off the edge of my dick!"

"You know what, screw you and the grand master. I'm done."

"What do you mean you're done?"

"I'm done. Look." He tossed the container he was carrying into the water. The heavy box splashed water around, but did nothing to reveal where Slerk was creeping through.

"You fool! Get in the water and get them out now!"

"No, I wont. I told you, I'm done." He then tossed his headpiece into the waters and turned around. "See you brother Jules."

"You piece of..." The other cultist looked into the waters in frustration and back to the other man. Slerk could see that he was now contemplating jumping into the water to retrieve the items. Perhaps a good time to spring his attack was right around the corner.

joshuadim
---
Hotel Shangri-La

The 'smart watch' on Val's wrist flashed its home screen to her to indicated that a connection between her, the team and Dex has been properly established. A quick text message popped up as an update by their handler

"We have contact! Text is safer until the team links up. Will try to assist however I can."

It wasn't going to be much for the short time before things spiral out of control, but it would do for now.

"Team is on the move to your location."

"You feeling good?" Fleur carefully nudged her with an elbow. "I know the boss lady is a handful, but you usually don't take so long."

"Oh darling! You came after all." Josephine proclaimed as a a new guest arrived and caught her attention. She hurried over to give the newcomer a hug and a kiss, forcing her bodyguards to trail after her in a hurry. "Where have you been William? Your siblings have been worried sick about you."

"Oh you know. Just decided I should go to Algeria for a few weeks. Clear my head." The man was not covered in the files that Dex had sent out. He didn't exactly look out of the ordinary however. Fair hair, square jawline and pearly teeth. Something about him seemed artificial. Likely a series of plastic surgeries. His eyes were not natural either. In fact they looked like they were tampered with. Did this guy pay to change his eyes?

"Clear his head, he says. HA! You wanted to put as much distance between you and your nosy little brother while the merger was happening. Admit it."

"Guilty as charged." He raised his hands admitting his guilt. The sleeve of his jacket fell off just enough to reveal a tattoo on his wrist. An atom crossed with a dagger. Upon noticing the symbol, Val instantly recalled the details in Dex's files. William was a member of the cult! Now an opportunity has presented itself. The clock was ticking and he likely had a part to play in this, but what exactly. Is he a threat or is he a source of information?

PixelSymphony
---
Thomas Jefferson Square

Heilwyn and Kiriko heard a brief static in their comm units for a few seconds.

"Dex here! Don't respond just yet, less you draw some attention your way from your fellow officers. Prax and the team are headed your way, but will have to stop at the Shangri-La first to pick up Val. Chances are that things will escalate before that. There are armored cars near you used by the Gendarmerie. If you can secure one, you can save the team some headaches. See if the officers can be persuaded to let you check one out.

Dex out."

The pair of Plumbers now had an choice of action. The drill wasn't going to be over as soon as they hoped by the looks of things, but there would be safery in numbers at least at the start of the attack. Alternatively, they could try and get control of a vehicle and meet up with the rest of the team, although it would take some convincing one of the drivers.

Worthlessplebian FabulousTrash
---
Palais Garnie- Outside the research facility

As Sloan continued to scan the cultists and other oddiites, she would notice a few of the marked vans take turns and stop in back alleys. Every single one seemed to have parked at specific spots. On a hunch, the hacker pulled out a map of the city and cross-referenced it with the vans locations. There seemed to be a pattern forming, but the only real indicator was that they had seemingly arrainged themselves in a circle.

Further examination on the members from the vans showed more suspicious activity as they started to unload boxes into the alleys. Some of them started to set up equipment, others have unravel parchments and light fires. What were these guys doing exactly? The drones were good, but they weren't really giving her the full picture.

There was one way to find out. One of the vans had parked near Sloan and was in the process of offloading. She had a choice. Go investigate what they were doing, or stay in her place and keep an eye on the cult vehicle that was still parked in front of the research facility. The fact that they haven't done anything just yet was curious as there were readings from inside that were not usual for anything she had encountered before.
K0mori
---
Zenith Paris arena- Backstage

"Money? Banal. Power? You? A cliche more overplayed than Waking dream." He chuckled "Oh don't look at me so surprised. Your discography is well known to me Zendri. I would be a poor fan if I didn't even know the one song you refuse to play after the tour in the 2030s." There was that smile that seemingly existed in the void. "Speaking of." In a blink of an eye he was seemingly gone. Zendri looked around to see where he had gone, only to turn around and see the intruder was sitting on their chair with his feet kicked up and reading the clipboard. "Playing Tainted ground followed by As the star falls. Feeling very nostalgic are we?" He put the clipboard away. "I would have picked a different araingement, but you're not interest in my musical critique. You want to know what the Khan will offer you. Simple. Freedom." He blinked out of existence again, only to pop out again. next to the demon.

"You have your independence sure, but do you really have freedom? Seems like every couple of months someone comes running after you. From Heaven or Hell or in-between looking to get you to come back and take your place in the pecking order by begging, coercion or by force. Aren't you sick of it? It would have driven me nuts." M said with annoyance as he was immagening it "How long before you lose your pattience and just snap?" He stepped back a few times. "With the Khan all of that would go away. No more obligations. No more parasites. No more dodging the man upstairs and his tin soldiers. Just you, your party group and the open road. Doing whatever you like. Doesn't that sound much better?"

Infab

 

[archur]

After the flash, Kher'as couldn't help but regret the fact that she held her body tightly. She was taut, her hands clenched, balancing on the balls of her feet. Anxious.

Kher'as was anxious about trying something new, and she only realized it after she didn't have an exoskeleton.

She blinked. A new sensation, but something that came with familiarity. She figured that the body she was inhabiting did a lot of blinking, which frightened her, frankly. She unclenched her fists, and her eyes raced over the desk. Without her compound eyes, she felt like she was taking in information inefficiently. Note: artificial compound eyes were going to be Kher'as- no, Kiara's new goal. She hated manually having to move her eyeballs around in her skull to look at things.

Then, she remembered that apparently, she'd have minutes to prepare herself. After looking and confirming that yes, the notes she was given were accurate, she figured that a "hornet grenade" would be pretty useful if she grabbed that first. As much as she loved to work on Heilwyn's armor, she couldn't stand wearing it. It was comparable to donning a second skin, which is something she really didn't enjoy.

First, however, she could feel her arms still tense from earlier. She shook her arms in place, jittering a lot less than she was used to when she had these episodes. Where were the arms? The other arms she was supposed to have? Her hands clenched into fists again, then straightened out. Clench. Unclench. She felt the tendons in her wrists tighten and loosen, and she hated the feeling. She could feel her breath shorten into pants, and she looked for the door of the small office to let her out into somewhere to breathe.

"Construction armor." She said to herself as she stepped out into the floor. "There has to be a few proof of concept pieces in the lab where I can fix myself." She could feel her other arms still tight, still clenched up. "It'll help with operating the armor, getting the bombs, and..." She nodded to herself and picked up the pace to where the testing room on this floor was. "Mechadendrites. I need my mechadendrites."

 

[PixelSymphony]

"I'm fine, Fleur," Val responded flatly to her "coworker". "Just had to make a stop in the little girl's room to run a function check on my sidearm... and no, before you get any ideas, I'm not making a euphemism," she added with a frown.

Just then the socialite moved towards the newcomer with a speed that caught Val off-guard, leaving Val to give a hurried glance at Fleur before they both set off. Val very nearly had to break out into a jog to keep pace, quickly slowing to a more professional power walk as she caught up with her charge. She remained silent through the exchange, quickly noting that this was either a relative or close friend of Josephine. Merger, huh? Why do I get the feeling "hostile takeover" is a more apt term if li'l bro wants dirt on it...

And then her eyes caught sight of the tattoo and it took every ounce of restraint not to immediately react to it. Creator on a cross, this asshole's a cultist? What the hell is a cult member doing HERE? Aren't they about to storm the facility down the street? Unless... Val narrowed her eyes to slits as she bored holes into the man's person, sizing him up as a potential assailant. ... unless he's here to conduct some part of the cult's plan... wait, is he going to try kidnapping whoever's in charge of the facility in order to gain access?

A new frown crossed her face. Asshole! That was MY plan! Feigning receiving a message on her watch, she began to rapidly alert the rest of the team as to this new unknown they were going to have to deal with, and quickly.

 

[joshuadim]

Slerk watched, eyes poking just above the water for a clear enough view amidst the trash and grime of the city's underbelly, as the two men argued more before one finally decided he had had enough and left in a fury. The impact of the water made Slerk nearly dart away as a reaction, but instinct told him to remain completely still so as to not give away his presence. As such, he remained as still as a stone as now the sole remaining man was alone without anyone to help him. He would be the first to die, Slerk decided, as the creature began to slowly stir again. He made sure not to disturb the waters enough to alert the landwalker of his presence, as well as avoiding the various clumps of matter and articles of trash.

Slerk thus stalked closer and closer to his victim as the man remained preoccupied with how he would be chewed out over the crate being covered in sewage. He was practically on the edge, meaning that his footing and balance wasn't the best and in turn meant that he was prime for being dragged into the domain of the Terrare. And so, when he was finally close enough to strike - to where he could smell the stench of the landwalker - Slerk lashed out at the man's leg to try to force him into the murky and disgusting waters below!

 

[Infab]

"How long before you lose your patience and just snap?"

"You forget who I am. I have the patience of an angel... at times." responds Zendri, adding on a grin at the end.

"With the Khan all of that would go away. No more obligations. No more parasites. No more dodging the man upstairs and his tin soldiers. Just you, your party group and the open road. Doing whatever you like. Doesn't that sound much better?"

Zendri stared at M for a few moments. "You really don't know me well, do you?" they soon responded, "I could have vanished and stayed gone, after I handed over control of Hell to the Icons... but I didn't. And if I wanted someone like the Khan in power over them, I could have given control to Lilith. She's ever the eager one to seek out power, as you likely know."

They sighed, shifting their stance. "I want to be around. To watch Hell progress as it has through the millenia. To see what new Icons appear, what Kings take power, and what the demons and humans of Hell do with their lives. If I'm needed, I step in. If not, then I do my own thing, like I've been doing. I like poking and proding at Gabe up in Heaven, pissing them off because they know they can't do a damn thing to me, so Heaven's not a big deal. As for Mike... we made up a long time ago. Mike's not an issue."

They then shrug. "The Reapers? They don't bother me. Why would they? I'm not killing angels, or claiming souls here." they continue, "So Purgatory isn't a big deal either."

"So, that brings me back to the issue of freedom... I already have it the way I want it. I'm comfortable with my life, though of course, some things can be better. Yeah, I dwell on the past and what could have been. It makes for good material, and maybe in the future, things will be put right for real. However, I don't need someone to swoop in, take control, and give me my freedom and eternal happiness. Its all fine... and I'm fine."

 

[K0mori]

There was one way to find out. One of the vans had parked near Sloan and was in the process of offloading. She had a choice. Go investigate what they were doing, or stay in her place and keep an eye on the cult vehicle that was still parked in front of the research facility. The fact that they haven't done anything just yet was curious as there were readings from inside that were not usual for anything she had encountered before.

It was a difficult choice; on one hand, getting closer on foot would possibly reveal a lot more information about what was happening with the vans, while on the other, everything she could see from up high seemed mundane; the only point of interest is that it was happening in synchronicity at multiple points around the city. Moreover, approaching these guys might put her in danger, while she was perfectly safe right here. Meanwhile, if she took her eyes off that lone van near the research facility, she might miss out on whatever's inside that's tempting her with unusual readings...

She glanced back to the subroutine that was tracking that odd party she noticed a minute earlier, and was confused for a moment. The demonic looking character was gone, and instead there was a strangely similar-looking young woman... Maybe it was the hair?

"...What the hell?"

She tapped the side of her glasses to clear the video feed and ground herself back in reality. For the first time, she began to wonder whether there were truly strange things afoot, and not just the normal underground happenings that she could eavesdrop on - that she might actually want to get involved, tonight, before something bad happens. Would she, though?

Nah.

She pulled up the video feed that was keeping an eye on that lone van, and settled in waiting for something to happen.

 

[Damian0358]

Looking back at the group from the edge of the alleyway, Ted nodded as Prax stated they would be heading through the metro.

"The faster we get back together, the better," Ted commented.

 

[Breadman]

Beneath the streets of Paris
Slerk's roll+ 3 (Power bonus) +1 (Perk 2) +1 (Enemy is surprised)- Acc. roll= 8+3+1+1=13 Cultist dragged into the water

'Terrare's' grasp emerged from beneath the sewer waters and reached for the cultists' legs as he was too preoccupied with being distraught from his friend's abandonment. He let out a scream as he looked down on the wet appendage that gripped his ankles and then with all the force this creature could muster, lurch towards the murky waters. He tried to swim for his life, but it was too late. His head was grabbed once again and pulled under. His mouth filling with the putrid sewer waters as he opened it in desperation. Then he would open it again in pain as the underground mennace bit down on his flesh, tearing through muscle and sinew.

As he took care of the intruder, Slerk could hear the footsteps of someone coming back. It would appear that the other cultist had a change of heart or was startled by what he heard once he had turned his back on the cult.

'Jules...Jules where are you?" His voice trembled. "Oh my..." He stopped as he saw the corpse floating back to the surface. "What the hell did this?" He wasn't aware of Slerk's presence just yet. Even if he was, could he really do anything?
joshuadim
---
Zenith Paris arena- Backstage

So, that brings me back to the issue of freedom... I already have it the way I want it. I'm comfortable with my life, though of course, some things can be better. Yeah, I dwell on the past and what could have been. It makes for good material, and maybe in the future, things will be put right for real. However, I don't need someone to swoop in, take control, and give me my freedom and eternal happiness. Its all fine... and I'm fine.

M's 'expression' changed as Zendri made it clear that this was going nowhere he wanted. He looked at his watch and back to the demonic entity. He was in a hurry and the deal was a diversion he thought he could handle quick and easy. How wrong he was. The entity sighed in disappointment.

"I have to put my cards on the table." The door behind him suddenly locked itself with a loud click. "The Khan gave clear instructions regarding you, kid. Get in line or make sure you're not a problem. You and Mike both." He reached for his pocket and pulled out a bloodied feather and a broken peace of a circle. Zendri could recognize it right away. That was a halo! "He was just sick of this shit as you were, but he was less talkative." M let the feather drop on the ground and tossed the circle aside. "I'm on a timetable I have to follow, so consider this a hostile takeover. Weigh your options carefully."

"Sir, teams are ready to go." a voice could be heard faintly from M's ear.

"Get to it then!" He was distracted as he barked his order to the underling. Zendri had an opening.
Infab
---
Palais Garnie- Outside the research facility
As Sloan observed the van with her equipment, she heard the chatter coming in and out from it. What grabbed her interest was that the people inside were talking clearly, but whoever they were communicating to came off in a garbled soundbite, yet they seemed to understand it perfectly. Was her equipment breaking? Can't be, she checked it this morning. Was that encrypted or cloaked? Something wasn't right.

What followed was a spike in messages being send out across the city. It wasn't hard to figure out that they were calling every other van that was part of their plan. It was all the same thing too. 'Phase one is finished. Begin phase two. Take what is ours!" From the feed, Sloan could see the van open up and armed men emerge. The drone's scanners could make out the weapons and armor they were wearing. What was really striking was the large brutish one that emerged from the back of the van after everyone else. Covered head to toe with plates with what appeared to be runes carved into them. The brute carried something with him. Was that a cannon?

Sloan had little time to react as the the men were now heading towards the facility itself. Warn whoever is inside? Alert the cops? Just book it? Maybe something else, she'd have to make a decision now.
K0mori
---
The Paris Streets
"Better pick up the pace, team. Picking up spikes in occult activity. Whatever they've planned is in motion."

"We're approaching Shangri La now, Dex." Prax gave a status update as they moved into a new alley. As luck would have it, they had entered one where a group of cultists were performing their ritual.

"Shit." Checkers responded as soon as she saw them and as misfortune would have it, they noticed the team. One of them barked to the others and pointed in their direction with hostile intent.

"Take them down, quick!"

No soon had Prax given the command and every nearby cultist was already converging on their location. From inside the van smoke started to billow out. The more advanced members of the cult were quick to make an entrance. A staff in one hand, a tome in the other and jagged bones protruding from his forehead. There was no mistaking what this was.

"Warlock on the field!"
Damian0358 K0mori Infab
---
Palais Garnier-Research facility
Kher'as hurried out of the door and straight to the part of the facility that housed the construction armor. Despite never setting foot in this building, she knew every corner like it was the back of her hand. The non-human hand at least. Thanks to the Plumber tech she was able to access her constant's memories and instincts to maneuver quickly. She rushed passed colleagues, security staff and even got around one or two supervisors using key phrases that just bubbled up to the surface of her mind.

Was far easier than she expected as some of them seemed to be concerned about something else. Then Dex's voice broke through on her comms to deliver a warning that the cult was on the move. Kher'as picked up the pace as time was now running out quicker. She practically burst through the room that housed the construction armor. The staff there looked at her confused, but she would pay them no mind. She needed her mechadendrites.

Kerás entered the pass-code to gain access to the armor. She could breathe a sigh of relief as the equipment would fit her perfectly. Almost as if it was designed only for her to use. Now she needed to get to her other equipment.
archur
---
Hotel Shangri-La
Not too soon afte Val send her warning, Dex replied back to her. 'Cult is on the move. Find a way to neutralize him.' Easier said than done, but this wasn't going to be an easy job from the start.

"...and I tell him, no that will simply wont do, you can't just walk in and grab handfuls of seeds and throw them around. He looks at me and just threw more in my face."

"No!" The two socialites shared a laugh between each other.

"I am telling you Josephine, the Atom group are very weird, but their parties are always memorable."

"They do sound more fun than the usual faces you see at these events, dear."

"Would you like to meet some of them, then?"

"Oh some of them are here?"

"Naturally, I just had to invite them to your party."

"Please do, darling. I have to meet them." Alarm bells instantly started to sound in Val's head. Josephine was either a target or a method to get to them. She had to intervene and quick.
PixelSymphony

 

[Infab]

The moment Zendri recognized the feather and halo, something within them ignited. This person, M... this wretched, abomination of a creature standing before them... had killed their sibling. The one they had cared about the most, above all others. The only one that had understood Zendri and their wishes, so very long ago, and had continued to understand despite everything.

This would not go unanswered. Zendri could not, and would not, allow that.

They slipped the guitar from around their neck, just as M finished their sentence and received their message from... whoever. Zendri didn't care. What they cared about was the here and now. They gripped the neck of the guitar, much like one would the handle of a baseball bat or the grip of a battleaxe. The guitar's body began to visibly sizzle, the paint beginning to bubble and peel. The rosewood neck crackled, blackened streaks darting up the neck towards the body.

"...Allow me to lay my own cards on the table. Well, my singular card." said Zendri, their voice calm. At odds with their inner thoughts and intentions. "You know I've never been one for... absolute authority. The whole 'do as I say, when I say it, or suffer' type of rulers. I'm a rebel, you see. The original rebel. I do so love a good coup d'État, as the French would say."

A moment later, as M was distracted, Zendri made their move. Swinging the now smoldering axe towards M's head, pure unbridled rage now burning brightly in their eyes.


Just as the small group rounded into the alleyway, Noël spotted the cultists. Yep. Classic cultists. They even have a ritual circle going on. But then, the warlock emerged from the back of the vain. "Oh yeah. There's our officer." they muttered, drawing their M1911 from its holster and opening up on the warlock as they sought cover.

 

[PixelSymphony]

Wait, "YOUR party"? Val mulled over this particular turn of phrase even as her watch flashed a dozen alerts from Dex. If this whole thing is being run by Josephine, chances are the cultists have had her on their radar for a while now... and if they sent someone who specifically knew her that means... Val's inner thoughts went quiet as her eyes trailed from William to her charge. ... not good. That's what that means. Finally surrendering her attention on the two socialites to glance at her watch, she cursed silently. Fuck! Of course they'd be coordinating their timing like this!

The bartender-on-loan steeled her mind as she prepared to go into action. Okay... single target takedown. You know how the rules. Quiet. Clean. No witnesses. Keep your cards close and then play your hand fast. Reaching under her suit, she withdrew a single-use container of eye drops from the first aid kit on her belt, cracked it open, and positioned it carefully between two fingers out of sight. Then she strode out from her position to near the duo and cleared her throat. "I apologize for interrupting, but it is all right with madame, I'd like to clear these friends of William's before they are brought into your presence. Fleur will stay with you in the meantime."

She reached out to place a hand on William's shoulder and with the other, directed him out towards the main portion of the hotel. "Please, this way, we can converse at the bar." As they neared she signaled for the barkeep. "Let me get you a drink," she explained to the other man, "this process might take a bit to get through." A set of beers made their way onto the counter, and as Val reached atop the both of them she squeezed the plastic ampoule secreted in her hand. "So. Tell me about these friend of yours."