We Were Never Heroes (A Superhero RP) IC

[The United Equstrian Front]

So far this stakeout of a local run down warehouse was proving to be worth his time and effort, so far he had seen multiple people with different backgrounds and nationalities get to the warehouse through multiple ways. Viktor was awed at a couple of peoples rides and clothes he especially liked this one man's costume which caused the man to look like an Indian Chief from times of old, he looked to his watch, it was almost time to show himself. He only had three more hours till complete darkness was achieved. When he heard of the Benefactor person he was curious, even more so when a local enforcer told him he had to leave for Seattle if he wanted to know what was going down, and in an odd case of generosity he gave Viktor his Glock 17 and told him to leave. He shook his head and saw those same people go into groups and leave. He rechecked his watch and smiled those three hours were up. He dislodged himself from a nearby fire escape and plummeted to the ground feet first, with practiced ease he dived into a shadow and appeared behind a door to the warehouse. Viktor Russminov rechecked his violin case and walked through the warehouse exploring it and checking rooms.

He probably should've came here when there was people to talk to, then again some of those same people didn't look too friendly. He went to the basement and shrugged off his case, he opened it and pulled out a black violin and a bow with red strings, he stood in the middle and tuned his violin, he never knew when his next street performance will happen. Soon the instrument was ready and he was itching for a good song to rectify, he mentally went through the song list he had and he chose a basic tune. He then proceeded to tap the floor with a steady beat and switched to tune to a more up beat and jolly tune that wouldn't be out of place within a tavern or bar. The song then took hold within Viktor's soul and he played a favorite of his, a dark and heavy tune was played and the tapping stopped.

[Beiarusia]

Maria Gonzalez (Bloody Mary)
the Bunker, SoDo, Seattle, WA

---

They had spent enough time standing around. Having the vague beginnings of a plan, Maria led them all to the elevator and out of the warehouse where, true to the vampire’s word, there was a limousine awaiting them. Leonid was the first to slip inside; Maria was the last. Once they were seated the driver pulled away from the warehouse. Leonid and his ghoul servant went over their knowledge of the Syndicate – which wasn’t much to go on – and the gambling hall that said group owned and operated in the downtown area. It was a start to say the least.

Few talked at first, an overwhelming sense of awkwardness stunting any conversation that may be had, but the further they went the more open the group became. Not to the point of friendship, but enough so to speak freely. Maria spoke when needed but mostly kept to herself. Not that she was an introvert. Not by any means. The painted woman was studying them, taking notice of how these Variants conducted themselves so that she may better know their strengths and overall usefulness. The Swede, Karin, would make a good ally, as would the vampire despite his eccentricities. Kylen and Lucas, well, cannon fodder was always useful. Maybe they would surprise her, but Maria wasn’t holding her breath. If anything she would relegate them where they would be best suited should it come to that.

It was only after they had merged with the traffic of downtown that Maria spoke again. “When I speak you listen. Do as I tell you when I tell you, understand. I’ve worked for the cartels before, so trust my words when I say them.”


the Twins, Downtown, Seattle, WA

A popular attraction with the Seattle nightlife, the Twins was the go-to hangout for those with money to spend and libidos to sate. The establishment was practically open 24/7, and though it was most busy during the twilight hours of day those with more exquisite tastes could be found coming and going at all hours, with most patrons unaware of what lay just beneath their feet. Even now, with the sun still high above, men and women were lining up to gain entrance. The rich and the beautiful who had little worries from life such as a day job. A modest queue that was attended to by a massive bouncer dressed to the nines. A few VIP’s were granted immediate access.

The limousine had parked itself down the street, close enough to see the club but not close enough to draw attention to itself. A few moments had been spent in a stakeout, after which it became painfully obvious that not one of the Variants would be gaining access with the way they looked. Maria especially.

“If we’re going through with this then we need another way in,” Maria told them. Her eyes glanced from the Twins to the adjacent buildings, catching sight of the alleyways just hidden from sight. It was good enough. “Follow me and do as I say.”

Maria led the Variants from the limo and, before any passersby could catch sight of their oddity, down into the open space between the nearby buildings, leaving the ghoul servant behind with the keys. The network of concrete pathways led them to the back of the Twins where a bouncer was enjoying a smoke, his back pressed against the concrete wall. The door was ajar and there was no one else in sight. Not even the street was visible.

The bouncer saw the group approaching and, flicking the butt of his cigarette aside, stood square shouldered to face them. “Where do you freaks think you’re going?”

The jab was no doubt directed at Maria who took exception. With little warning the man was doubled over in pain as a small blood vessel burst in his side, which was quickly followed with a powerful hit to the head with the butt of the Jericho. The bouncer fell to the concrete unconscious. Prodding with her foot to make sure, Maria looked to the others and motioned them to follow her inside. Gun held at her side, she slowly pushed the door open and peered into the building. The coast was clear. Slipping inside the painted woman moved quickly and quietly into the club through its rear halls, the faint sound of music reaching her ears. A few open doorways offered glances into the club itself where young men and women were enjoying themselves in drunken ecstasy. The lights were dim so no one took notice of the shadows that sped by.

They reached an important looking door. Maria motioned for the others to get down and then knocked before making herself hidden from the peephole. There was a shout from the other side and then the sound of the door unlocking. The moment it slid open Maria pressed the tip of the gun to the bouncer’s head with a warning to be quiet. He complied with a look of fear in his eyes, and once it was clear that no one else was waiting behind him Maria knocked him unconscious as she had the other man. The others entered and the door was closed behind them.

A stairwell led them down into the heart of the Twins.


Mike Cross
VIP Section, the Twins, Downtown, Seattle, WA

---

“Another drink!” yelled the slightly tipsy man as his cards turned up another 21. The scantily clad woman hanging off his arm kissed his stubbled cheek as he took his rounds winnings, only to bet it all once more once another shot of gin had arrived.

Mike Cross was the son of Anthony Cross, the boss of the Syndicate, and while his father worked the playboy partied. His favorite spot, of course, was the Twins where he was numero uno and chief supreme; where the drinks were free (for him) and the women practically lined up to throw themselves at his feet. It was a good life and Mike was intent on living it to the fullest. Of course, he typically lost most of his money gambling, but the money simply found its way back into his pocket so it was the definition of a win-win.

The VIP Section of the Twins was for those looking for a little more than a good time. Gambling, prostitution, and high-end drugs and alcohol could all be found here, and so long as one had the right connections or a big enough bank account the door was open to all. The main room was dimly lit with coloured lights flickering with the beat of the music. Several tables were set up for gambling, notably poker and blackjack, and leather sofas were placed about for beautiful dancers with nothin on to entertain the guests. A massive fishtank occupied the far wall with exotic species swimming about, their already bright colours seeming to glow in the dark lighting. Several bouncers stood about at the fringe of the room; the bartender was enjoying herself as she mixed the drinks. Men and women, old and young, filled the room. A hallway led to the private rooms and to a second exit in case of emergencies.

Mike sloppily kissed the woman hanging off of him and, after losing all his earnings, stumbled off with her to the private area for a good time.

[The United Equstrian Front]

After practicing for a new gig Viktor put up his bow and violin and after doing so he locked his case, he checked his watch a second time and saw it was 7:30 and he sighed, he wished it was night time already but he guessed there were those days. He walked into a nearby shadow and appeared in the alleyway he used to get into the warehouse. He shrugged off his violin case and sat next to a pile of trash. He made note of the time and checked to see if the sun was out, he checked the street lamp and saw a long shadow and assumed it was. he walked out of the alleyway and planted his eyes on the sidewalk and breathed in calming breaths and used his shadow sense for looking ahead of him for people ahead of him. After about an hour of walking he checked his watch and saw it was 8:30 and the shadows were growing. He smiled and chuckled, he thought to himself,
Okay head to a club and stash your violin somewhere and wait till about 9:25, then walk into the club and hope nobody notices a tendril sneaking into their pockets.

After about 25 more minutes of walking he noticed a strong presence of shadows a block ahead, he took a glance around him and saw an alleyway. He casually walked into it and saw it connected to a bunch of other alleyways, he sensed a mugger following him and he chuckled he walked a bit more and the mugger made his move. The mugger pulled out a gun and sprinted to about a foot behind Viktor and said,
"Stop moving give me your wallet. Make a move and you will die." Umbreon stopped and slowly turned and peeked at the mugger beneath his hood. The mugger had a gun aimed at his 'victim' and had a hoodie and sweatpants all in black. Umbreon smirked and retorted,
"I don't have a wallet and that guns empty."
The mugger stepped back and looked at the crazy dude he was mugging. How did this freak know his gun was empty? He swallowed and tried to be intimidating,
"Stop being stupid freak it's obviously is-" The mugger was interrupted by a gun being pointed at him by the freak,
"Now we both know you're lying so how about you live to see another day and leave me alone, if you want to continue this charade then you'll find a bullet in your brain, so scat."

The mugger didn't let him finish and he turned around and ran, Viktor breathed in deeply and slumped while breathing out and putting the gun back in his pocket. He really wished that he didn't have to scare the mugger but it had to be done. He rechecked his watch and saw it was 9:00 he shook his head and walked to a nearby shadow and appeared behind the club to finish his plan. He stashed his violin case behind a dumpster and entered the club from the back and saw a guard knocked out. He blinked and shrugged and entered the club to pull off his heist.

[United Human Planets]

Zaahir stood up straighter when he didnt get a reply to his initial question, and looked at Blake with mild resentment. It was stupid for him to be angry about something so stupid, but he was the kind of insane most only thought happened in movies, so he didnt really understand that. Or maybe he just didint care.

"Well, do you need me to go to the cartel guys house, or do you want me to stay here. I can take others with me if you want, just gotta give me the address to the house. But if not, im gonna go find something to eat. I saw a dead cat on the side of the road, cook that up nice and it'll make a pretty good meal."

He watched her, but didnt say anything else. He was losing his patience, and his crazy was starting to come back as a result.

[Beiarusia]

HOA “BLAKE” NZUYEN
Wi-Fi & Chill, Fremont, Seattle, WA

---

Before Hussar could think it through the little group of would-be heroes was joined by the tweaker from the warehouse meeting. He pulled up a seat and inserted himself into the conversation, and while Blake found it a little presumptuous on his part she didn’t say a word. The more the merrier, right? Not that she was entirely put off by his odd behavior. She’d seen her fair share of drug pushers throughout college – and now too – and Zaahir, while eccentric and maybe a little too loud, was far from the worst Blake had met. At the very least he was focused on his trade rather than what was in her pants.

Sarah had finished up with the barista and was heading back, so the group chatted amongst themselves about where to even begin, but apparently they were too slow for Zaahir’s taste. He grew impatient, fast, and even divulged into a sort of psychotic banter that managed to falter the smile on Blake’s face. Yes, Blake was Asian, and had dealt with her fair share of politically incorrect remarks over the years – not that she was entirely bothered by most things – but the suggestion of eating roadkill, a cat at that, was not only disgusting but somewhat offensive if only for how sincere the man said it, even if he had not directly involved the girl in the remark. Blake was not one to anger easily, and even managed to push this apparent insult out of her mind, but the fault in her demeanor was no doubt noticed by the others. “Yeah, let’s head over to Klein’s house then. Maybe we can find something. Sarah, do you mind keeping… uh, Hussar… sorry, I forgot your name… but, yeah. Sarah, keep Hussar company while we look for clues.” Blake stood, working herself back into a good mood. “Zeke, you tagging along?”

[The Warriors of the Sun]

Zedekiah McMurry
Fremont, Seattle

Zedekiah glanced towards the newcomer, Zaahir. What was with this guy and his obsession with dead cats? As the group grew Zedekiah became more and more uncomfortable, especially with the variety in the cast in personalities the group now contained. He liked to talk a lot, similar to Blake, but everything he said so far seemed wrong Zedekiah the wrong way. Whereas most things Blake said either made him blush in embarrassment or make him realize he was a bit odd himself. But Zedekiah had no plans to speak up against the two any time soon. He enjoyed being around Blake so far, even if she unintentionally made him feel anxious and out of place. Zaahir he couldn't say much, his first impressions weren't great, but he had only said a few things. Best to give the man the benefit of the doubt.

As the group fully reassembled by the computers Blake brought up once more that it may be best to split up and Zedekiah was fully supportive of it, internally. They could cover more ground quickly and decrease the chance of their target getting away. Though truthfully, Zedekiah was most supportive of the idea of being around a smaller group. A ping of concern ran through his mind as he realized he might be split up from Blake and stuck with a combination of the rest of the group who he hadn't even said a word to yet. he also assumed the rest of the group probably wouldn't be as kind towards his own reluctance as Blake had proven so far.

"Zeke, you tagging along?"

It took a few seconds for Zedekiah to process that Blake was referring to himself. He had never been referred to by nicknames before, in school and his missionary work he was referred to by his last name and in his work customers didn't really refer to him by name. When he finally realized she was talking to him he excitedly said with a smile he couldn't control, "Yeah! uh...I-I mean, yes. I'm uh, right behind you..." Zedekiah's voice quickly went from excited to his usual quiet mumbling as he gradually regained control of his emotions in the moment of weakness.

He got up from his seat, eager to leave. A smaller group with Blake was nice, even if he had to suffer through the company of others that he wasn't accustomed to yet. Though simply doing something beside sitting would probably be healthy for himself. Every time so far he had found himself with nothing to do, but think his mind seemed to wander to darker places since this hero business had come up.

[United Human Planets]

Zaahir looked over his shoulder, out at the cafe as he waited for Blake to respond to his question. She didnt respond directly to him, but gave him a funny look at the mention of the dead cat. He sniffed, and rubbed his nose. He watched her, and she looked out at the rest of the group and asked Sarah, and a guy she called Hussar to wait behind, before asking a shy seeming guy if he wanted to tag along. Zaahir looked over at Zedikiah, and saw the shy kid look over him as well, giving him a look of discomfort, before he looked back at Blake like a lost puppy. It seemed to take a second for the kid to recognize that he was being talked to, but he picked up on his name being spoken with a happy, almost ecstatic "Yeah!" before he seemed to get a hold on himself and return to a shy, awkward mumble.

"Excellent!" said Zaahir, clapping his hands together and smiling through his scruffy beard a Zedekiah and Blake. "I just love it when a plan comes together, dont you two?" He continued smiling, before leaning in to his two compatriots. "So, tell me," he continued, "either of you two ever had the pleasure of teleporting? Just gotta tell me the address, and Ill have us there faster than you guys can say, 'crazy man says what!'" He then straightened up, and looked over his shoulder as if someone had spoken to him and said, "what?" before turning back to the other two and laughing at his own odd, mismatched joke. "But seriously though, I can teleport, and thats how we're getting there." Zaahir smiled again, while pulling his hat and hood lower over his head for the third time since he entered the cafe.

[Kuhlfros]

Maria Gonzalez (Bloody Mary)
the Bunker, SoDo, Seattle, WA

---

They had spent enough time standing around. Having the vague beginnings of a plan, Maria led them all to the elevator and out of the warehouse where, true to the vampire’s word, there was a limousine awaiting them. Leonid was the first to slip inside; Maria was the last. Once they were seated the driver pulled away from the warehouse. Leonid and his ghoul servant went over their knowledge of the Syndicate – which wasn’t much to go on – and the gambling hall that said group owned and operated in the downtown area. It was a start to say the least.

Few talked at first, an overwhelming sense of awkwardness stunting any conversation that may be had, but the further they went the more open the group became. Not to the point of friendship, but enough so to speak freely. Maria spoke when needed but mostly kept to herself. Not that she was an introvert. Not by any means. The painted woman was studying them, taking notice of how these Variants conducted themselves so that she may better know their strengths and overall usefulness. The Swede, Karin, would make a good ally, as would the vampire despite his eccentricities. Kylen and Lucas, well, cannon fodder was always useful. Maybe they would surprise her, but Maria wasn’t holding her breath. If anything she would relegate them where they would be best suited should it come to that.

It was only after they had merged with the traffic of downtown that Maria spoke again. “When I speak you listen. Do as I tell you when I tell you, understand. I’ve worked for the cartels before, so trust my words when I say them.”


the Twins, Downtown, Seattle, WA

A popular attraction with the Seattle nightlife, the Twins was the go-to hangout for those with money to spend and libidos to sate. The establishment was practically open 24/7, and though it was most busy during the twilight hours of day those with more exquisite tastes could be found coming and going at all hours, with most patrons unaware of what lay just beneath their feet. Even now, with the sun still high above, men and women were lining up to gain entrance. The rich and the beautiful who had little worries from life such as a day job. A modest queue that was attended to by a massive bouncer dressed to the nines. A few VIP’s were granted immediate access.

The limousine had parked itself down the street, close enough to see the club but not close enough to draw attention to itself. A few moments had been spent in a stakeout, after which it became painfully obvious that not one of the Variants would be gaining access with the way they looked. Maria especially.

“If we’re going through with this then we need another way in,” Maria told them. Her eyes glanced from the Twins to the adjacent buildings, catching sight of the alleyways just hidden from sight. It was good enough. “Follow me and do as I say.”

Maria led the Variants from the limo and, before any passersby could catch sight of their oddity, down into the open space between the nearby buildings, leaving the ghoul servant behind with the keys. The network of concrete pathways led them to the back of the Twins where a bouncer was enjoying a smoke, his back pressed against the concrete wall. The door was ajar and there was no one else in sight. Not even the street was visible.

The bouncer saw the group approaching and, flicking the butt of his cigarette aside, stood square shouldered to face them. “Where do you freaks think you’re going?”

The jab was no doubt directed at Maria who took exception. With little warning the man was doubled over in pain as a small blood vessel burst in his side, which was quickly followed with a powerful hit to the head with the butt of the Jericho. The bouncer fell to the concrete unconscious. Prodding with her foot to make sure, Maria looked to the others and motioned them to follow her inside. Gun held at her side, she slowly pushed the door open and peered into the building. The coast was clear. Slipping inside the painted woman moved quickly and quietly into the club through its rear halls, the faint sound of music reaching her ears. A few open doorways offered glances into the club itself where young men and women were enjoying themselves in drunken ecstasy. The lights were dim so no one took notice of the shadows that sped by.

They reached an important looking door. Maria motioned for the others to get down and then knocked before making herself hidden from the peephole. There was a shout from the other side and then the sound of the door unlocking. The moment it slid open Maria pressed the tip of the gun to the bouncer’s head with a warning to be quiet. He complied with a look of fear in his eyes, and once it was clear that no one else was waiting behind him Maria knocked him unconscious as she had the other man. The others entered and the door was closed behind them.

A stairwell led them down into the heart of the Twins.


Mike Cross
VIP Section, the Twins, Downtown, Seattle, WA

---

“Another drink!” yelled the slightly tipsy man as his cards turned up another 21. The scantily clad woman hanging off his arm kissed his stubbled cheek as he took his rounds winnings, only to bet it all once more once another shot of gin had arrived.

Mike Cross was the son of Anthony Cross, the boss of the Syndicate, and while his father worked the playboy partied. His favorite spot, of course, was the Twins where he was numero uno and chief supreme; where the drinks were free (for him) and the women practically lined up to throw themselves at his feet. It was a good life and Mike was intent on living it to the fullest. Of course, he typically lost most of his money gambling, but the money simply found its way back into his pocket so it was the definition of a win-win.

The VIP Section of the Twins was for those looking for a little more than a good time. Gambling, prostitution, and high-end drugs and alcohol could all be found here, and so long as one had the right connections or a big enough bank account the door was open to all. The main room was dimly lit with coloured lights flickering with the beat of the music. Several tables were set up for gambling, notably poker and blackjack, and leather sofas were placed about for beautiful dancers with nothin on to entertain the guests. A massive fishtank occupied the far wall with exotic species swimming about, their already bright colours seeming to glow in the dark lighting. Several bouncers stood about at the fringe of the room; the bartender was enjoying herself as she mixed the drinks. Men and women, old and young, filled the room. A hallway led to the private rooms and to a second exit in case of emergencies.

Mike sloppily kissed the woman hanging off of him and, after losing all his earnings, stumbled off with her to the private area for a good time.

As they had ridden in the vehicle, Lucas was on his phone, getting in touch with fellow Legislative aides and staffers that he worked with to e-mail whatever information they were open to get, claiming it was for a speech the governor was soon to give about the drug cartels and the recent disappearances of those related to those in the specific Sinola cartel.

The more Bloody Mary spoke and what she did, the more it settled upon Lucas the burning question, "How did the Benefactor find such a force of nature and inspire her loyalty"

His curiousity was piqued, he tapped out another message while no one was looking

Also, try digging up some details on a Maria Gonzalez whom used to be involved with cartels...I know it's not much to go on but I'll get you more if I can

He remained quiet as they entered the Twins as told by Bloody Mary, but remained observant of everything around him, glancing quickly and looking out of the corners of his eyes of any detail he could find...but mostly he kept his eyes on the woman who just led them on a break in on the most popular nightlife attraction in Seattle.

[Beiarusia]

HOA “BLAKE” NZUYEN
Wi-Fi & Chill, Fremont, Seattle, WA

---

“Please don’t yell,” Blake told Zaahir with some exasperation in her voice. The tweaker was loud with everything he said, which typically wasn’t a problem to Blake, but while Edmonton the barista was nosy enough even the apathetic hipsters were glancing their way now. Blake did her best to diffuse any awkward questioning by offering a small wave, to which the hipsters turned away.

The three said farewell to Sarah and Hussar and went out to the street, finding a nice spot behind the building on the behest of Blake who felt that the less seen they were the better. She really didn’t give Zaahir a chance to argue on this one. Once they were out of sight they stood around one another in a loose circle: Blake to the left of Zedekiah, Zaahira to the left of Blake, Zedekiah to the left of Zaahir. They probably stood a little too close to one another for the time being, though, if this was anything like the comics, they would need to all be touching for this to work. The comics couldn’t be wrong, right?

“I didn’t even know there were others like me until today,” Blake answered after being asked the question by Zaahir. It was a lonely existence being the only Variant in the city. At least that was what Blake used to believe. They were simply good at hiding was all. They had all been given Klein’s address earlier, but Blake repeated it for Zaahir before asking, “Have you ever done this sort of thing before? You know, with multiple peeps? Oh! And what about your junker?”

[Altito Asmoro]

Maria Gonzalez (Bloody Mary)
the Bunker, SoDo, Seattle, WA

---

They had spent enough time standing around. Having the vague beginnings of a plan, Maria led them all to the elevator and out of the warehouse where, true to the vampire’s word, there was a limousine awaiting them. Leonid was the first to slip inside; Maria was the last. Once they were seated the driver pulled away from the warehouse. Leonid and his ghoul servant went over their knowledge of the Syndicate – which wasn’t much to go on – and the gambling hall that said group owned and operated in the downtown area. It was a start to say the least.

Few talked at first, an overwhelming sense of awkwardness stunting any conversation that may be had, but the further they went the more open the group became. Not to the point of friendship, but enough so to speak freely. Maria spoke when needed but mostly kept to herself. Not that she was an introvert. Not by any means. The painted woman was studying them, taking notice of how these Variants conducted themselves so that she may better know their strengths and overall usefulness. The Swede, Karin, would make a good ally, as would the vampire despite his eccentricities. Kylen and Lucas, well, cannon fodder was always useful. Maybe they would surprise her, but Maria wasn’t holding her breath. If anything she would relegate them where they would be best suited should it come to that.

It was only after they had merged with the traffic of downtown that Maria spoke again. “When I speak you listen. Do as I tell you when I tell you, understand. I’ve worked for the cartels before, so trust my words when I say them.”


the Twins, Downtown, Seattle, WA

A popular attraction with the Seattle nightlife, the Twins was the go-to hangout for those with money to spend and libidos to sate. The establishment was practically open 24/7, and though it was most busy during the twilight hours of day those with more exquisite tastes could be found coming and going at all hours, with most patrons unaware of what lay just beneath their feet. Even now, with the sun still high above, men and women were lining up to gain entrance. The rich and the beautiful who had little worries from life such as a day job. A modest queue that was attended to by a massive bouncer dressed to the nines. A few VIP’s were granted immediate access.

The limousine had parked itself down the street, close enough to see the club but not close enough to draw attention to itself. A few moments had been spent in a stakeout, after which it became painfully obvious that not one of the Variants would be gaining access with the way they looked. Maria especially.

“If we’re going through with this then we need another way in,” Maria told them. Her eyes glanced from the Twins to the adjacent buildings, catching sight of the alleyways just hidden from sight. It was good enough. “Follow me and do as I say.”

Maria led the Variants from the limo and, before any passersby could catch sight of their oddity, down into the open space between the nearby buildings, leaving the ghoul servant behind with the keys. The network of concrete pathways led them to the back of the Twins where a bouncer was enjoying a smoke, his back pressed against the concrete wall. The door was ajar and there was no one else in sight. Not even the street was visible.

The bouncer saw the group approaching and, flicking the butt of his cigarette aside, stood square shouldered to face them. “Where do you freaks think you’re going?”

The jab was no doubt directed at Maria who took exception. With little warning the man was doubled over in pain as a small blood vessel burst in his side, which was quickly followed with a powerful hit to the head with the butt of the Jericho. The bouncer fell to the concrete unconscious. Prodding with her foot to make sure, Maria looked to the others and motioned them to follow her inside. Gun held at her side, she slowly pushed the door open and peered into the building. The coast was clear. Slipping inside the painted woman moved quickly and quietly into the club through its rear halls, the faint sound of music reaching her ears. A few open doorways offered glances into the club itself where young men and women were enjoying themselves in drunken ecstasy. The lights were dim so no one took notice of the shadows that sped by.

They reached an important looking door. Maria motioned for the others to get down and then knocked before making herself hidden from the peephole. There was a shout from the other side and then the sound of the door unlocking. The moment it slid open Maria pressed the tip of the gun to the bouncer’s head with a warning to be quiet. He complied with a look of fear in his eyes, and once it was clear that no one else was waiting behind him Maria knocked him unconscious as she had the other man. The others entered and the door was closed behind them.

A stairwell led them down into the heart of the Twins.


Mike Cross
VIP Section, the Twins, Downtown, Seattle, WA

---

“Another drink!” yelled the slightly tipsy man as his cards turned up another 21. The scantily clad woman hanging off his arm kissed his stubbled cheek as he took his rounds winnings, only to bet it all once more once another shot of gin had arrived.

Mike Cross was the son of Anthony Cross, the boss of the Syndicate, and while his father worked the playboy partied. His favorite spot, of course, was the Twins where he was numero uno and chief supreme; where the drinks were free (for him) and the women practically lined up to throw themselves at his feet. It was a good life and Mike was intent on living it to the fullest. Of course, he typically lost most of his money gambling, but the money simply found its way back into his pocket so it was the definition of a win-win.

The VIP Section of the Twins was for those looking for a little more than a good time. Gambling, prostitution, and high-end drugs and alcohol could all be found here, and so long as one had the right connections or a big enough bank account the door was open to all. The main room was dimly lit with coloured lights flickering with the beat of the music. Several tables were set up for gambling, notably poker and blackjack, and leather sofas were placed about for beautiful dancers with nothin on to entertain the guests. A massive fishtank occupied the far wall with exotic species swimming about, their already bright colours seeming to glow in the dark lighting. Several bouncers stood about at the fringe of the room; the bartender was enjoying herself as she mixed the drinks. Men and women, old and young, filled the room. A hallway led to the private rooms and to a second exit in case of emergencies.

Mike sloppily kissed the woman hanging off of him and, after losing all his earnings, stumbled off with her to the private area for a good time.

Not gonna ends well for both of us, apparently. Sigh.

Leonid though of a plan to gets into the high-ranked member...name's Mike. No last name, not far enough to get that knowledge, sadly. In any case, entering directly is a futile, if succeed, a suicide. Not for him, but for the rest (probably in this one, as far as he knows he is the only immortal one). Not entering directly, like stealth is near-impossible.

Leonid turned to the rest, "How about, a suggestion from me, that we split up and try to look for the man? As far as I know, the name's Mike. I forgot whether I mentioned the last name yet or not, but he's drunk and he likes to gamble. I mean...he likes to drink and gamble, like a lot." said Leonid, as he split with the rest earlier, and into the bar.

"One vodka, please." said Leonid to the bartender. He doesn't drinks non-blood drinks, but it is for...blending. As far as he has a plan for, chaos is the only option. There's a VIP Section on the basement, and for him to attract the attentions of them, chaos is the only option. Now...now he looks for the right target to incites the chaos.

[The United Equstrian Front]

Not gonna ends well for both of us, apparently. Sigh.

Leonid though of a plan to gets into the high-ranked member...name's Mike. No last name, not far enough to get that knowledge, sadly. In any case, entering directly is a futile, if succeed, a suicide. Not for him, but for the rest (probably in this one, as far as he knows he is the only immortal one). Not entering directly, like stealth is near-impossible.

Leonid turned to the rest, "How about, a suggestion from me, that we split up and try to look for the man? As far as I know, the name's Mike. I forgot whether I mentioned the last name yet or not, but he's drunk and he likes to gamble. I mean...he likes to drink and gamble, like a lot." said Leonid, as he split with the rest earlier, and into the bar.

"One vodka, please." said Leonid to the bartender. He doesn't drinks non-blood drinks, but it is for...blending. As far as he has a plan for, chaos is the only option. There's a VIP Section on the second floor, and for him to attract the attentions of them, chaos is the only option. Now...now he looks for the right target to incites the chaos.

|The Twins|
After sneaking from the back door to the main lobby he sat next to a a nice dude ordering a vodka he pulled out a wallet he stole from a man a couple feet away from him,
"I'll order a red wine please." As he did this he pulled out a couple twenties and slapped it down on the counter currently sifting through peoples' pockets with his shadows, he turned to the guy next to him and asked,
"So come here often?" and immediately regretted it. At least he has a couple twenties a load of ones and two one hundreds.

[Altito Asmoro]

Not gonna ends well for both of us, apparently. Sigh.

Leonid though of a plan to gets into the high-ranked member...name's Mike. No last name, not far enough to get that knowledge, sadly. In any case, entering directly is a futile, if succeed, a suicide. Not for him, but for the rest (probably in this one, as far as he knows he is the only immortal one). Not entering directly, like stealth is near-impossible.

Leonid turned to the rest, "How about, a suggestion from me, that we split up and try to look for the man? As far as I know, the name's Mike. I forgot whether I mentioned the last name yet or not, but he's drunk and he likes to gamble. I mean...he likes to drink and gamble, like a lot." said Leonid, as he split with the rest earlier, and into the bar.

"One vodka, please." said Leonid to the bartender. He doesn't drinks non-blood drinks, but it is for...blending. As far as he has a plan for, chaos is the only option. There's a VIP Section on the second floor, and for him to attract the attentions of them, chaos is the only option. Now...now he looks for the right target to incites the chaos.

|The Twins|
After sneaking from the back door to the main lobby he sat next to a a nice dude ordering a vodka he pulled out a wallet he stole from a man a couple feet away from him,
"I'll order a red wine please." As he did this he pulled out a couple twenties and slapped it down on the counter currently sifting through peoples' pockets with his shadows, he turned to the guy next to him and asked,
"So come here often?" and immediately regretted it. At least he has a couple twenties a load of ones and two one hundreds.

Leonid glanced to the guy, "To a bar? Always." said Leonid as he chuckled. "When you said come here, what do you expect for an answer, anyway? The Twins? The bar? Or the drink? Because frankly, that's not a good question. Wanna say stupid, but it's too harsh," chuckled Leonid. Leonid sniffed the vodka, and then threw it to the bartender, who went into shocking mode.

"What the hell is this vodka? I said vodka, not martini, you jerk American!" as he threw the glass. He looked in the distance that few bouncers walked to him.

Oh shit. Oh wait, this is what I planned...

[The United Equstrian Front]

|The Twins|
After sneaking from the back door to the main lobby he sat next to a a nice dude ordering a vodka he pulled out a wallet he stole from a man a couple feet away from him,
"I'll order a red wine please." As he did this he pulled out a couple twenties and slapped it down on the counter currently sifting through peoples' pockets with his shadows, he turned to the guy next to him and asked,
"So come here often?" and immediately regretted it. At least he has a couple twenties a load of ones and two one hundreds.

Leonid glanced to the guy, "To a bar? Always." said Leonid as he chuckled. "When you said come here, what do you expect for an answer, anyway? The Twins? The bar? Or the drink? Because frankly, that's not a good question. Wanna say stupid, but it's too harsh," chuckled Leonid. Leonid sniffed the vodka, and then threw it to the bartender, who went into shocking mode.

"What the hell is this vodka? I said vodka, not martini, you jerk American!" as he threw the glass. He looked in the distance that few bouncers walked to him.

Oh shit.

|The Twins|
Well ain't this quaint
Well might as well join in, but first he whipped out his gun and fired at the bartender diving behind the counter seeing that the barkeep had a bullet through his neck,
"So how about you take this and we rob the place." As he said this he grabbed the sawn off behind the counter and handed it to the violent man,
He then used a tendril from a nearby woman smashed the table she was sitting at and used a table leg and smashed a bouncer with the table leg.

[Altito Asmoro]

Leonid glanced to the guy, "To a bar? Always." said Leonid as he chuckled. "When you said come here, what do you expect for an answer, anyway? The Twins? The bar? Or the drink? Because frankly, that's not a good question. Wanna say stupid, but it's too harsh," chuckled Leonid. Leonid sniffed the vodka, and then threw it to the bartender, who went into shocking mode.

"What the hell is this vodka? I said vodka, not martini, you jerk American!" as he threw the glass. He looked in the distance that few bouncers walked to him.

Oh shit.

|The Twins|
Well ain't this quaint
Well might as well join in, but first he whipped out his gun and fired at the bartender diving behind the counter seeing that the barkeep had a bullet through his neck,
"So how about you take this and we rob the place." As he said this he grabbed the sawn off behind the counter and handed it to the violent man,
He then used a tendril from a nearby woman smashed the table she was sitting at and used a table leg and smashed a bouncer with the table leg.

He handed him sawn-off shotgun and started smashing people around. Fuck, his plan went off the rail, or the line, or the grid. Or all of three. This is bad, which means no subtlety, which means Bloody Mary and Karin will be the ones who most angry with him and which means he's going to work alone next time, or only as occasional allies. Bringing someone here is a mistake, befriending one is a mistake, even a worst mistake, as evidenced by the current action.

So the only thing that comes to mind...is either surrender, or chaos. And he prefers surrender (God, he really said that to himself!?) and that fact alone made him instantly hated this...guy. Did he ever joined them in the first place?

Leonid vaulted and hiding behind the bar, turned to the bartender, "Sorry! It's kind of an emotion outburst!" and not helping since the bartender attempted to scream, and Leonid was forced to butt his head with his shotgun quickly, using his speed as additional support. Now that he unconscious, he peeked from the bar and waited for the next situation to unfolds.

[The United Equstrian Front]

|The Twins|
Well ain't this quaint
Well might as well join in, but first he whipped out his gun and fired at the bartender diving behind the counter seeing that the barkeep had a bullet through his neck,
"So how about you take this and we rob the place." As he said this he grabbed the sawn off behind the counter and handed it to the violent man,
He then used a tendril from a nearby woman smashed the table she was sitting at and used a table leg and smashed a bouncer with the table leg.

He handed him sawn-off shotgun and started smashing people around. Fuck, his plan went off the rail, or the line, or the grid. Or all of three. This is bad, which means no subtlety, which means Bloody Mary and Karin will be the ones who most angry with him and which means he's going to work alone next time, or only as occasional allies. Bringing someone here is a mistake, befriending one is a mistake, even a worst mistake, as evidenced by the current action.

So the only thing that comes to mind...is either surrender, or chaos. And he prefers surrender (God, he really said that to himself!?) and that fact alone made him instantly hated this...guy. Did he ever joined them in the first place?

Leonid vaulted and hiding behind the bar, turned to the bartender, "Sorry! It's kind of an emotion outburst!" and not helping since the bartender attempted to scream, and Leonid was forced to butt his head with his shotgun quickly, using his speed as additional support. Now that he unconscious, he peeked from the bar and waited for the next situation to unfolds.

|The Twins|
He looked to his side seeing the guy taking out another barkeep,
"So what's your name man? I'm Umbreon." as he said this one of the bouncers shot a bottle above him, he rolled his eyes and popped up from his cover shot the bouncer causing the guy to crumple into himself do to a shot in the kidney, another tendril stabbed a strobe light causing that section to go dark. By now the bar was empty save for him and the dude next to him and the bouncers. Seems about right.

[Altito Asmoro]

He handed him sawn-off shotgun and started smashing people around. Fuck, his plan went off the rail, or the line, or the grid. Or all of three. This is bad, which means no subtlety, which means Bloody Mary and Karin will be the ones who most angry with him and which means he's going to work alone next time, or only as occasional allies. Bringing someone here is a mistake, befriending one is a mistake, even a worst mistake, as evidenced by the current action.

So the only thing that comes to mind...is either surrender, or chaos. And he prefers surrender (God, he really said that to himself!?) and that fact alone made him instantly hated this...guy. Did he ever joined them in the first place?

Leonid vaulted and hiding behind the bar, turned to the bartender, "Sorry! It's kind of an emotion outburst!" and not helping since the bartender attempted to scream, and Leonid was forced to butt his head with his shotgun quickly, using his speed as additional support. Now that he unconscious, he peeked from the bar and waited for the next situation to unfolds.

|The Twins|
He looked to his side seeing the guy taking out another barkeep,
"So what's your name man? I'm Umbreon." as he said this one of the bouncers shot a bottle above him, he rolled his eyes and popped up from his cover shot the bouncer causing the guy to crumple into himself do to a shot in the kidney, another tendril stabbed a strobe light causing that section to go dark. By now the bar was empty save for him and the dude next to him and the bouncers. Seems about right.

"Dude, your fucking nuts. Kind of a wacko, too." said Leonid, hiding behind the bar, devising the next plan. Mike's still the target, how to extract him, is a question. Of course, he can go down and up again with him easily (easier to said than done), that's...going to cost a lot uninvited attractions, sadly.

"Name, huh? Name's Bloody." said Leonid, lying. Not gonna say his real name, too precious to be named with his real name. On hindsight, this is the chaos he wanted. Except that this is kind of too much. An idea popped up, but there's no way Umbreon's gonna do it, especially since he just called him wacko and nuts.

"Hey...uh, Umbreon...there's more bad guys in the basement. Wanna get there? I...uh...will support on this one. With this...shotgun." said Leonid, finally resigned to his...fate for now.

[The United Equstrian Front]

|The Twins|
He looked to his side seeing the guy taking out another barkeep,
"So what's your name man? I'm Umbreon." as he said this one of the bouncers shot a bottle above him, he rolled his eyes and popped up from his cover shot the bouncer causing the guy to crumple into himself do to a shot in the kidney, another tendril stabbed a strobe light causing that section to go dark. By now the bar was empty save for him and the dude next to him and the bouncers. Seems about right.

"Dude, your fucking nuts. Kind of a wacko, too." said Leonid, hiding behind the bar, devising the next plan. Mike's still the target, how to extract him, is a question. Of course, he can go down and up again with him easily (easier to said than done), that's...going to cost a lot uninvited attractions, sadly.

"Name, huh? Name's Bloody." said Leonid, lying. Not gonna say his real name, too precious to be named with his real name. On hindsight, this is the chaos he wanted. Except that this is kind of too much. An idea popped up, but there's no way Umbreon's gonna do it, especially since he just called him wacko and nuts.

"Hey...uh, Umbreon...there's more bad guys in the basement. Wanna get there? I...uh...will support on this one. With this...shotgun." said Leonid, finally resigned to his...fate for now.

|The Twins|
Huh there's bad guys in the basement, that insult to his sanity might be true actually, so with a quick glance around the bar he used most of his tendrils to knock out the lights causing everyone that doesn't have night-vision to shout out about either the lights or each other,
"Well Blood give me about a minute and I might be able to go into the basement." At that Umbreon stood up slid over the counter and shadow stepped to a bouncer pulled out the guy's knife and stabbed him in the neck and then shot another in the knee going to the bouncer stabbing him in brain he then shadow stepped to the counter,
"So Blood what's on the menu? Red Wine, Bloody Mary?"

[Altito Asmoro]

"Dude, your fucking nuts. Kind of a wacko, too." said Leonid, hiding behind the bar, devising the next plan. Mike's still the target, how to extract him, is a question. Of course, he can go down and up again with him easily (easier to said than done), that's...going to cost a lot uninvited attractions, sadly.

"Name, huh? Name's Bloody." said Leonid, lying. Not gonna say his real name, too precious to be named with his real name. On hindsight, this is the chaos he wanted. Except that this is kind of too much. An idea popped up, but there's no way Umbreon's gonna do it, especially since he just called him wacko and nuts.

"Hey...uh, Umbreon...there's more bad guys in the basement. Wanna get there? I...uh...will support on this one. With this...shotgun." said Leonid, finally resigned to his...fate for now.

|The Twins|
Huh there's bad guys in the basement, that insult to his sanity might be true actually, so with a quick glance around the bar he used most of his tendrils to knock out the lights causing everyone that doesn't have night-vision to shout out about either the lights or each other,
"Well Blood give me about a minute and I might be able to go into the basement." At that Umbreon stood up slid over the counter and shadow stepped to a bouncer pulled out the guy's knife and stabbed him in the neck and then shot another in the knee going to the bouncer stabbing him in brain he then shadow stepped to the counter,
"So Blood what's on the menu? Red Wine, Bloody Mary?"

"Blood."

Leonid is no longer patient. Police gonna come soon (Come on, it's a massacre!) and as he glanced to the others who seemed...not happy, not that it is not his fault, partially. Nonetheless, he has to solve this quickly. As he vaulted the bar and facing few of the bouncers left, he gripped over his shotgun and moved in a blink of an eye of normal human, reaching down on the basement.

By the time he was in the basement, it was in a full alert. Though to be fair, Mike still in here, apparently. Soon, he was given the picture by James and he sent it to the rest, the picture and the name. Mike Cross. Now that he knows one, he decided to went to the toilet, in order to devises a plan first to extract the Cross.

Going in violently won't do good.

[The United Equstrian Front]

|The Twins|
Huh there's bad guys in the basement, that insult to his sanity might be true actually, so with a quick glance around the bar he used most of his tendrils to knock out the lights causing everyone that doesn't have night-vision to shout out about either the lights or each other,
"Well Blood give me about a minute and I might be able to go into the basement." At that Umbreon stood up slid over the counter and shadow stepped to a bouncer pulled out the guy's knife and stabbed him in the neck and then shot another in the knee going to the bouncer stabbing him in brain he then shadow stepped to the counter,
"So Blood what's on the menu? Red Wine, Bloody Mary?"

"Blood."

Leonid is no longer patient. Police gonna come soon (Come on, it's a massacre!) and as he glanced to the others who seemed...not happy, not that it is not his fault, partially. Nonetheless, he has to solve this quickly. As he vaulted the bar and facing few of the bouncers left, he gripped over his shotgun and moved in a blink of an eye of normal human, reaching down on the basement.

By the time he was in the basement, it was in a full alert. Though to be fair, Mike still in here, apparently. Soon, he was given the picture by James and he sent it to the rest, the picture and the name. Mike Cross. Now that he knows one, he decided to went to the toilet, in order to devises a plan first to extract the Cross.

Going in violently won't do good.

|The Twins|
He blinked, man that guy is fast he shrugged and looted some of the bouncers' wallets and bullets and walked into a shadow appearing what could be described as a VIP section, and loads of men in suits and bouncers aiming at the door,
Hmm I might need to go for the dude with the biggest gun.
He noticed a man that was behind all of the suits and bouncers and grinned, he warped the shadows till it seemed that the man was the only one there and he struck. He shadow walked behind the man and dragged him to a shadow not caring where he went just that he had some privacy with his target. After popping into in existence in a bathroom, he slammed the dude against the glass with a couple of tendrils and snarled,
"So fatty how's the party? I bet that it was great, now riddle me this ever heard of a Colombian Necktie?"

[Rupudska]

Karin had come into the bar with them, against her better judgement. She had even sat with Leonid and Umbreon, against her better judgement.

That chaos prior only validated her better judgement's opinion of the two, and she picked a seat as far from the two as possible while still being able to clearly see them. She 'ignored' them, quietly sipping a local beer while waiting for them to do something showing a milligram of intelligence.

She walked up to Leonid and stood next to him.

"So, what sort of weapons would you think would work best here? One Vulcan, or a few machine guns? It's not like this situation will go anywhere other than to Hell anyway."

[Beiarusia]

the Twins, Downtown, Seattle, WA

---

The VIP Section was abuzz with talk and debauchery when gunshots sounded over the music. The few patrons who took notice were quickly told it was nothing as the bouncer in charge slipped into the hallway to call up to the others. His phone rung several times before being answered from the other end, to which the man could hear the shouts and yells of both his coworkers and the people enjoying the club. All that was said was that shots were fired before the line went dead. Whether it be a nutjob or a planned hit, it didn’t much matter as the security within the club had regulations to follow, chiefly being the removal of all VIP’s – and any incriminating paraphernalia – from the premises before police inevitably showed up. The bouncer stepped back into the main room and told the others, who quickly killed the music and gave word to calmly make way for the second exit.

Any calm was soon ruined as more gunshots rang out, more distinct now that the music was gone.

Patrons down within the basement panicked and rushed down the hall towards where a second staircase would lead them to the side of the building, pushing and shouting at one another as the bouncers tried to keep order. The others, six in all, made way to stand guard near the main stairwell that lead up to the ground floor, all armed with 9mm handguns with two hefting intimidating TEC-9’s. Anything that came down those stairs and wasn’t Syndicate would be shot on sight.

The head bouncer kicked his way towards the rooms where Mike Cross had went with his female companion. Not bothering to knock, the bouncer burst in only to find the son of the Syndicate boss doing a line of powder off the back of the undressed woman. The lady seemed shocked by the intrusion but Mike finished what he was doing before addressing the man with a lopsided smile. “Ever heard of knocking?” Mike trained his ears for a moment. “What’s going on out there? Someone puke again, ‘cause I swear if someone puked again I’m gonna-”

“We need to leave, now,” the bouncer interrupted, tired of having to play babysitter.

Mike complained, too drunk and high on whatever drugs were in his system, but he and the woman were eventually being roughly escorted towards the second exit. The call had already been made and a car was coming to get them.

[Independent States of Tula]

Włodzisław "Hussar" Sokoloff
Wi-Fi and Chill, Seattle, WA

“Yeah, let’s head over to Klein’s house then. Maybe we can find something. Sarah, do you mind keeping… uh, Hussar… sorry, I forgot your name… but, yeah. Sarah, keep Hussar company while we look for clues.” Blake stated shortly before her and her group walked out of the Cafe.

Sokoloff looked over to Sarah and commented on how she looked less dead "Your color's coming back, definitely looking better now."

With that said Sokoloff went back to looking at the computer before him as he searched local news sites for references to local crime hot spots, one such place kept coming up and so Sokoloff looked back over to Sarah and asked"Sarah...what's your power again?"

[Glaswegistan]

Sarah had just finished sending off a message when Zaahir snatched her attention. Perking up from her phone just as her message headed home, a part of her inside sank and leapt both at once. It was all she could think about even as the other group bugged out; ‘A teleporter’ she mulled the term over in her head over and over. She’d never really had to think too hard about whether her abilities could be classified, whether a terminology could be applied to them, but then she hadn’t met another variant in person until that very day in Seattle, much less a variant like her. That the only other teleporter in the group was apparently a psychotic mess probably wasn’t encouraging.

‘A sodding teleporter, how many of us are there?’

She’d considered saying something, Zaahir was a creepy bastard, but Sarah felt she ought to. It wasn’t very often, she reasoned, that someone who treated space and time as a polite suggestion got to meet someone in the same vein as themselves. Blake’s group had already left by the time she decided to say something.

From the side, Sokoloff looked over to a slightly frozen Sarah, who stood awkwardly in the middle of the shop, duffel sack hanging from her side, phone in one hand, transparent cup of water in the other. At least, with her slightly dumb expression, tracksuit bottoms and hoodie, she could be mistaken for a student. Hussar had noticed she looked better, though it would’ve been hard to look much worse than she had been, it masked her surprise at Zaahir’s latest outburst, at least.

“Thanks, feeling a bit better, but we’ll see if that holds…” She began to fire off a text to her mother. She wasn’t sure what to say. What could she say? “Hey, I’ll be one minute on the research stuff, just need to send a message home.” By the time she was finished, Hussar had another question for her.

“I…don’t think I mentioned, actually. Sorry about that, guess you ought to know who you’re working with.” the absurdity of the man who had lived through half a century of wars, or so he had claimed, talking in terms of ‘powers’ so casually had occurred to Sarah, but it didn’t give her pause; “Guess I’ll borrow the crazy guy’s words here; I can teleport. Never tried it with other people though, before you ask, though apparently I can do intercontinental…uh…”

She tilted the cup in her hands gently, sloshing what water remained in it from side to side whilst looking down at her hands as colour gradually came back to her.

“…I don’t think I want to do that again though”

[Altito Asmoro]

Karin had come into the bar with them, against her better judgement. She had even sat with Leonid and Umbreon, against her better judgement.

That chaos prior only validated her better judgement's opinion of the two, and she picked a seat as far from the two as possible while still being able to clearly see them. She 'ignored' them, quietly sipping a local beer while waiting for them to do something showing a milligram of intelligence.

She walked up to Leonid and stood next to him.

"So, what sort of weapons would you think would work best here? One Vulcan, or a few machine guns? It's not like this situation will go anywhere other than to Hell anyway."

Previously in The Twins bar...

"Few machine guns, unless this...Vulcan is a hell of a weapon." said Leonid to Karin. He hadn't noticed she was there, but that's quite normal for him. Just because he is a vampire doesn't means he can detects everyone around him, anyway. "Hell? It's gonna be worse probably, though we are facing normal humans. Not..other Variants," said Leonid, chuckled as he waited for the vodka.

the Twins, Downtown, Seattle, WA

---

The VIP Section was abuzz with talk and debauchery when gunshots sounded over the music. The few patrons who took notice were quickly told it was nothing as the bouncer in charge slipped into the hallway to call up to the others. His phone rung several times before being answered from the other end, to which the man could hear the shouts and yells of both his coworkers and the people enjoying the club. All that was said was that shots were fired before the line went dead. Whether it be a nutjob or a planned hit, it didn’t much matter as the security within the club had regulations to follow, chiefly being the removal of all VIP’s – and any incriminating paraphernalia – from the premises before police inevitably showed up. The bouncer stepped back into the main room and told the others, who quickly killed the music and gave word to calmly make way for the second exit.

Any calm was soon ruined as more gunshots rang out, more distinct now that the music was gone.

Patrons down within the basement panicked and rushed down the hall towards where a second staircase would lead them to the side of the building, pushing and shouting at one another as the bouncers tried to keep order. The others, six in all, made way to stand guard near the main stairwell that lead up to the ground floor, all armed with 9mm handguns with two hefting intimidating TEC-9’s. Anything that came down those stairs and wasn’t Syndicate would be shot on sight.

The head bouncer kicked his way towards the rooms where Mike Cross had went with his female companion. Not bothering to knock, the bouncer burst in only to find the son of the Syndicate boss doing a line of powder off the back of the undressed woman. The lady seemed shocked by the intrusion but Mike finished what he was doing before addressing the man with a lopsided smile. “Ever heard of knocking?” Mike trained his ears for a moment. “What’s going on out there? Someone puke again, ‘cause I swear if someone puked again I’m gonna-”

“We need to leave, now,” the bouncer interrupted, tired of having to play babysitter.

Mike complained, too drunk and high on whatever drugs were in his system, but he and the woman were eventually being roughly escorted towards the second exit. The call had already been made and a car was coming to get them.

Leonid decided to cut the chase, though as he went out that wacko guy (Ubremon, Urbemon?) slammed a man to the toilet.

He clapped his hands a few times, as he walked to the bouncers. He already in the basement, actually, infiltrated it with his superhuman speed. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Mike Cross himself somewhere around him. No need to be afraid," as Leonid showed something inside his coat. Which is a cigarette and a lighter. "This..is just accessories for me. Look, all I want is for you all to give Mike Cross to me. You do that, and no one has to die," said Leonid.

"I mean, your bullets won't do any harm to me anyway," boasted Leonid. Well, it kind of true, anyway. "But if you don't want to, well...I can go back later, assuming I still live to see the days," chuckled Leonid to the bouncers at the stairwell leading to the main second floor, and to the front of him.

[United Human Planets]

HOA “BLAKE” NZUYEN
Wi-Fi & Chill, Fremont, Seattle, WA

---

“Please don’t yell,” Blake told Zaahir with some exasperation in her voice. The tweaker was loud with everything he said, which typically wasn’t a problem to Blake, but while Edmonton the barista was nosy enough even the apathetic hipsters were glancing their way now. Blake did her best to diffuse any awkward questioning by offering a small wave, to which the hipsters turned away.

The three said farewell to Sarah and Hussar and went out to the street, finding a nice spot behind the building on the behest of Blake who felt that the less seen they were the better. She really didn’t give Zaahir a chance to argue on this one. Once they were out of sight they stood around one another in a loose circle: Blake to the left of Zedekiah, Zaahira to the left of Blake, Zedekiah to the left of Zaahir. They probably stood a little too close to one another for the time being, though, if this was anything like the comics, they would need to all be touching for this to work. The comics couldn’t be wrong, right?

“I didn’t even know there were others like me until today,” Blake answered after being asked the question by Zaahir. It was a lonely existence being the only Variant in the city. At least that was what Blake used to believe. They were simply good at hiding was all. They had all been given Klein’s address earlier, but Blake repeated it for Zaahir before asking, “Have you ever done this sort of thing before? You know, with multiple peeps? Oh! And what about your junker?”

"well," said Zaahir, scratching his chin as he thought about Blakes question about teleporting multiple people, "Ive never actually teleported ,multiple people, per se, but I did teleport a dog with me, and I've teleported away with lots of stuff ive been holding onto before." Zaahir thought it was probably best that he not mention that the things he had been holding onto were frequently dead people, who he had to dispose of before someone found them. He would teleport to places all over the state, and then just drop the bodys and teleport back. As far as he was concerned, teleporting a dead body was fundamentally the same as teleporting a live one. He looked at the two people with him, and studied their apprehensive faces. He began to pet his sweater again, a nervous twitch he had never really noticed he had until now, as he stood in the alley way with two total strangers. Blake mentioned his car, and Zaahir responded with a short, simple "Its a two seater. Unless one of you wants to ride on the roof!"

There was a pause, but when neither of Zaahirs companions seemed very inclined to ride on the roof of his car, his smile faltered, and he said, "alright, car surfings out. Anyways, here's how we gotta do this. I can teleport you guys at the same time, but you gotta be touching my skin for it to work. Clothing wont do it. I once tried to teleport while wearing a long sleeve shirt with a hoodie over top, hoodie got left behind, because it wasnt touching skin." Zaahir proceeded to roll up his sleeves, exposing his arms, and said, "alright friends, choose some flesh, and lets give this a whirl." Zaahir smiled from ear to ear like a maniac, which coincidentaly he was, exited at getting to try and teleport living people for once.