The Mafia Queen (IC)

[Infected Mushroom]

Near Steve Johnson's Vehicle
Underside of DC

Arnold Griezmann

The gangsters had the Senator's car surrounded, yet he wasn't giving up.

Why do you HAVE to make things so hard?

God damn it. He’s a lot tougher than I reckoned… Outnumbered six to one and yet he stands his ground.

“Look Senator,” Arnold said. “This ain’t how you’re supposed to play. And let me tell you a secret… that gun ain’t gonna help you. See cause we’ve got six to one. Also, for that phone of yours…”

Griezmann’s excitement was rising because he could see that while he was talking to Steve, two of his five goons, Fino and Jimmy, were now quietly sneaking around to the other side of the vehicle to ambush the Senator. Clearly, they intended to surprise Steve by opening the other side of the car’s passenger area from behind him… allowing the Mafia to attack Steve from two sides.

Griezmann calculated that he just had to keep talking, while keeping a gun pointed at Steve. Luca and Tony emerged from either side of him, both of them also aiming guns at Steve.

Standing further to the back, the treacherous driver Smith was chuckling darkly.

“It don’t matter who you call Senator,” Arnold said. “Cause we own this whole town. Let me tell ya… the cops they won’t come cause we own them, and also bout-“

BANG!

Griezmann blinked as several other people cried out from around him. It wasn’t Steve who fired. Then who?

Forgetting about the Senator for a moment, he turned around and saw a mess.

---

A few seconds earlier…

Antihero/Vladislav Kalvin

From the cover of darkness about 800 meters away. The ruthless Antihero crouched and aimed with his M4 carbine rifle; it was outfitted with simple iron sights. He was trying his best to make out the conversation Steve was having with the mobsters.

Since they were all yelling like it was some kind of a Law and Order show, this was surprisingly easy.

By the looks of it, Steve had some bravado but it was only going to be a matter of time before the gangsters started shooting.

This isn’t how I prefer it. I’d rather he went with the gangsters, then I could pick a better moment to attack and he’d be in less danger. But oh well…

Now that two of the goons were sneaking to other side of the car, that meant three guns at the Senator.

At least for now, the terrain favors me. They made a small error, they’re in the open, facing the wrong way. Can’t let them open that other door, now or never…

Antihero aimed his carbine and fired. His target selection: the defenceless driver (for he had the remote that opened the locks), maybe this would give Steve a chance.

---

From the cover of darkness, a single 5.56×45mm bullet came whizzing out across a great distance.

Antihero’s aim was true.

The powerful round struck the remote-holding Mel Smith very squarely on the back of his head, instantly taking him out of this world. There was a sickening thud as the entire form of the uniformed driver tripped and fell forward in a very exaggerated arc… he landed facedown on the pavement with a sickening crack.

Several gangsters around him cursed and cried out. Luca, Tony, and Griezmann turned around as they saw the casualty.

From the other side of Steve’s vehicle, Jimmy and Fino jumped as well.

Steve Shot at and shoved the Gangster in front of him, if he hit the guy he didn't know all he knew was he needed that door closed. Steve closed the door and manually locked it. He rolled to the passenger side and locked it.

The mobsters attempted to process what had just happened and the response was one of chaos.

From the other side of the car, Fino pulled at the passenger's door very aggressively only to find it... LOCKED.

"He's LOCKED THE FUCKING THING!" Fino screamed out to the panicking trio of gangsters on the other side. Fino began to bang very angrily at the bulletproof glass as he tried to make out the form of the resourceful Senator safe inside the car.

As Fino was pouring at the car's window, Jimmy stepped to the side and aimed with his revolver, his eyes squinting. He couldn't see the shooter... only a few street lamps, fences, the silhouettes of warehouses in the distance...

"Spread out and FIND THE SHOOTER!" Arnold cried out imperiously as he rushed off to the side, pistol in hand. Luca and Tony looked around uncertainly, weapons raised as they followed his lead.

---

Antihero/Vladislav Kalvin

From the cover of darkness, Antihero kept his M4 aimed. He made not a single sound as he surveyed the atmosphere, calculating based on the mobsters' responses and simply waiting.

They haven't narrowed down my position. I still have the element of surprise. I wait.

---

"Yo GRIEZ!" Luca cried out. "I think we should get the hell out of dodge! I can't see SHIT!"

"SHUT UP LET ME THINK!" Griezmann roared.

Jimmy couldn't take it anymore. The Irish thug had more than his fair share of drugs before starting this op and now with this unexpected development and this Senator slighting him by hiding inside the car, he's HAD IT. Jimmy stepped back and began to unload his pistol uselessly into the car.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

This caused the other mobsters to jump and turn. All they saw was an enraged Jimmy, his eyes bulging, firing away at Steve's car. The bullets were lodged uselessly into the glass and the steel... at least they didn't ricochet like crazy.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Fino cried out.

Arnold couldn't believe it. What a bunch of incompetent idiots. Then he got an idea... THE REMOTE ON THE FLOOR; it could open Steve's car.

He started to walk toward Mel Smith's fallen corpse and the remote nearby; Tony got there first-

BANG

Another single 5.56×45mm bullet flew out. This time, Tony Alfonsi was shot at an angle on the high shoulder and instantly taken out... his corpse fell down at a strange angle and now it lay on top of the remote and slightly above Mel Smith's.

It was now down from 6 to 4.

Fino raised his rifle and having detected a direction where the shot came from, he began to fire his loaded rifle into the darkness. Jimmy had nothing better to do so he joined in.

Arnold however, was OUT.

He turned around and sprinted away and out of sight.

"Hey BOSS where are you going?!" Luca cried. Seeing that the boss was out, he also rushed behind the car with the two remaining gangsters.

---

Antihero/Vladislav Kalvin

Antihero recalculated the odds. They were now behind the car. He couldn't hit them. Any further shots and he'd risk giving his position. It was time to approach by stealth. Lucas' rifle fire was off by a few meters but he could get lucky...

Lowering his M4 down, Antihero maintained a crouching position and began to approach from a side angle. He didn't make a single sound... his dark blue costume blended into the darkness as he prawled around like an attack viper.

It looks like there's three left now...

He calibrated his path according to the shadows, the terrain, and the lighting to minimise the risk of detection.

[Christian Confederation]

Steve Shot at and shoved the Gangster in front of him, if he hit the guy he didn't know all he knew was he needed that door closed. Steve closed the door and manually locked it. He rolled to the passenger side and locked it.

The mobsters attempted to process what had just happened and the response was one of chaos.

From the other side of the car, Fino pulled at the passenger's door very aggressively only to find it... LOCKED.

"He's LOCKED THE FUCKING THING!" Fino screamed out to the panicking trio of gangsters on the other side. Fino began to bang very angrily at the bulletproof glass as he tried to make out the form of the resourceful Senator safe inside the car.

As Fino was pouring at the car's window, Jimmy stepped to the side and aimed with his revolver, his eyes squinting. He couldn't see the shooter... only a few street lamps, fences, the silhouettes of warehouses in the distance...

"Spread out and FIND THE SHOOTER!" Arnold cried out imperiously as he rushed off to the side, pistol in hand. Luca and Tony looked around uncertainly, weapons raised as they followed his lead.

---

Antihero/Vladislav Kalvin

From the cover of darkness, Antihero kept his M4 aimed. He made not a single sound as he surveyed the atmosphere, calculating based on the mobsters' responses and simply waiting.

They haven't narrowed down my position. I still have the element of surprise. I wait.

---

"Yo GRIEZ!" Luca cried out. "I think we should get the hell out of dodge! I can't see SHIT!"

"SHUT UP LET ME THINK!" Griezmann roared.

Jimmy couldn't take it anymore. The Irish thug had more than his fair share of drugs before starting this op and now with this unexpected development and this Senator slighting him by hiding inside the car, he's HAD IT. Jimmy stepped back and began to unload his pistol uselessly into the car.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

This caused the other mobsters to jump and turn. All they saw was an enraged Jimmy, his eyes bulging, firing away at Steve's car. The bullets were lodged uselessly into the glass and the steel... at least they didn't ricochet like crazy.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Fino cried out.

Arnold couldn't believe it. What a bunch of incompetent idiots. Then he got an idea... THE REMOTE ON THE FLOOR; it could open Steve's car.

He started to walk toward Mel Smith's fallen corpse and the remote nearby; Tony got there first-

BANG

Another single 5.56×45mm bullet flew out. This time, Tony Alfonsi was shot at an angle on the high shoulder and instantly taken out... his corpse fell down at a strange angle and now it lay on top of the remote and slightly above Mel Smith's.

It was now down from 6 to 4.

Fino raised his rifle and having detected a direction where the shot came from, he began to fire his loaded rifle into the darkness. Jimmy had nothing better to do so he joined in.

Arnold however, was OUT.

He turned around and sprinted away and out of sight.

"Hey BOSS where are you going?!" Luca cried. Seeing that the boss was out, he also rushed behind the car with the two remaining gangsters.

---

Antihero/Vladislav Kalvin

Antihero recalculated the odds. They were now behind the car. He couldn't hit them. Any further shots and he'd risk giving his position. It was time to approach by stealth. Lucas' rifle fire was off by a few meters but he could get lucky...

Lowering his M4 down, Antihero maintained a crouching position and began to approach from a side angle. He didn't make a single sound... his dark blue costume blended into the darkness as he prawled around like an attack viper.

It looks like there's three left now...

He calibrated his path according to the shadows, the terrain, and the lighting to minimise the risk of detection.

Thankfully his assailants weren't the brightest around. Steve got on the driver's side. He unlocked the door, opened it before slamming it and locking it again. If he was going to be stuck in here he might as well annoy his assailants. "Hi losers, do y'all even have a plan?" He taunted from the safety of his car.

[Infected Mushroom]

Arnold Griezmann

Arnold put as much distance between himself and the assailant as possible, in effect abandoning his teammates to fend for themselves.

This-this is impossible. We own all the muscle in this town!

Who was it? A new rogue player?

At length, he found himself in a dark alley far from the fight. He pulled out his phone and dialled his superior, Nicky Casterllano, who could bring in even more firepower.

"Hey boss," Arnold said, still looking furtively left and right, one hand holding his handgun, the other his phone, "We've got a problem. Someone else is here, he's KILLING EVERYONE. I think- I think I need more back up... like NOW boss!"

---

Thankfully his assailants weren't the brightest around. Steve got on the driver's side. He unlocked the door, opened it before slamming it and locking it again. If he was going to be stuck in here he might as well annoy his assailants. "Hi losers, do y'all even have a plan?" He taunted from the safety of his car.

Luca, Jimmy, and Fino were still huddled on the other side of the car; they were thrown off guard by the Senator's provocative antiques.

"What the hell do we do?" Fino said, waving his rifle around.

"We bail for now," Luca said. "We come ba-"

"But the boss' orders-"

"SCREW THAT!" Luca yelled imperiously. "He's bailed out. We come back with more firepower, I'm shot calling now kay? Now Fino, you cover the left, Jimmy and I take the right... let's back out, eyes out. Slowly... SLOWLY and carefully."

The three of them began a hasty tactical retreat. Their parked vehicles were a good distance away from the battle but they could make it.

They kept their weapons aimed out for a few more seconds... then as if responding to some hidden cue, all three of them turned and bolted away into the darkness and vanished.

---

From a considerable distance away, a large number of armoured black vans were racing into the area from several directions. It would take them a while to get there, but inside them... there were lots and lots of armed gangsters... a whole army. They were coming to reinforce the small beleaguered task force. Nicky Casterllano had responded... however, begrudgingly... to Arnold Griezmann's calls for help. A large army had been assembled and dispatched in short order, showing the strong organisation of the mob's DC forces.

Once they vans got there, there would be several dozen armed mobsters and these guys carried the big guns. However, thankfully for the Senator and Antihero, they weren't there yet.

---

Senator Johnson was left alone in his vehicle. All of the hostiles had bolted.

Slowly and carefully, a lone figure emerged from the darkness by the side of a few buildings. He was clad from head to toe in a navy blue combat outfit, some kind of a paramilitary soldier. His face was hidden behind a helmet, a face mask, and opaque goggles. It was Antihero. He was aiming and holding out a large M4 rifle which he turned left and right. Slowly, and carefully, he approached Steve Johnson's vehicle... after making sure no one else was in play.

The vigilante lowered his M4 and held it deftly with just his left hand. He raised his right hand and waved at the Senator. He lowered a few gloved fingers... he was making a hand sign, as if asking Steve to lower the window panel so he could speak.

But would the Senator trust him?

[Christian Confederation]

Arnold Griezmann

Arnold put as much distance between himself and the assailant as possible, in effect abandoning his teammates to fend for themselves.

This-this is impossible. We own all the muscle in this town!

Who was it? A new rogue player?

At length, he found himself in a dark alley far from the fight. He pulled out his phone and dialled his superior, Nicky Casterllano, who could bring in even more firepower.

"Hey boss," Arnold said, still looking furtively left and right, one hand holding his handgun, the other his phone, "We've got a problem. Someone else is here, he's KILLING EVERYONE. I think- I think I need more back up... like NOW boss!"

---

Thankfully his assailants weren't the brightest around. Steve got on the driver's side. He unlocked the door, opened it before slamming it and locking it again. If he was going to be stuck in here he might as well annoy his assailants. "Hi losers, do y'all even have a plan?" He taunted from the safety of his car.

Luca, Jimmy, and Fino were still huddled on the other side of the car; they were thrown off guard by the Senator's provocative antiques.

"What the hell do we do?" Fino said, waving his rifle around.

"We bail for now," Luca said. "We come ba-"

"But the boss' orders-"

"SCREW THAT!" Luca yelled imperiously. "He's bailed out. We come back with more firepower, I'm shot calling now kay? Now Fino, you cover the left, Jimmy and I take the right... let's back out, eyes out. Slowly... SLOWLY and carefully."

The three of them began a hasty tactical retreat. Their parked vehicles were a good distance away from the battle but they could make it.

They kept their weapons aimed out for a few more seconds... then as if responding to some hidden cue, all three of them turned and bolted away into the darkness and vanished.

---

From a considerable distance away, a large number of armoured black vans were racing into the area from several directions. It would take them a while to get there, but inside them... there were lots and lots of armed gangsters... a whole army. They were coming to reinforce the small beleaguered task force. Nicky Casterllano had responded... however, begrudgingly... to Arnold Griezmann's calls for help. A large army had been assembled and dispatched in short order, showing the strong organisation of the mob's DC forces.

Once they vans got there, there would be several dozen armed mobsters and these guys carried the big guns. However, thankfully for the Senator and Antihero, they weren't there yet.

---

Senator Johnson was left alone in his vehicle. All of the hostiles had bolted.

Slowly and carefully, a lone figure emerged from the darkness by the side of a few buildings. He was clad from head to toe in a navy blue combat outfit, some kind of a paramilitary soldier. His face was hidden behind a helmet, a face mask, and opaque goggles. It was Antihero. He was aiming and holding out a large M4 rifle which he turned left and right. Slowly, and carefully, he approached Steve Johnson's vehicle... after making sure no one else was in play.

The vigilante lowered his M4 and held it deftly with just his left hand. He raised his right hand and waved at the Senator. He lowered a few gloved fingers... he was making a hand sign, as if asking Steve to lower the window panel so he could speak.

But would the Senator trust him?

Steve couldn't tell if this guy was military or another gangster. He ripped a peace of paper from a notepad and wrote a note. 'If your a friendly take your clip out and put ot on the roof, then back up two paces and put your hands on your head.'
If he guy Compiled Steve would get out of the car and locate the keys.

[Infected Mushroom]

Arnold Griezmann

Arnold put as much distance between himself and the assailant as possible, in effect abandoning his teammates to fend for themselves.

This-this is impossible. We own all the muscle in this town!

Who was it? A new rogue player?

At length, he found himself in a dark alley far from the fight. He pulled out his phone and dialled his superior, Nicky Casterllano, who could bring in even more firepower.

"Hey boss," Arnold said, still looking furtively left and right, one hand holding his handgun, the other his phone, "We've got a problem. Someone else is here, he's KILLING EVERYONE. I think- I think I need more back up... like NOW boss!"

---

Luca, Jimmy, and Fino were still huddled on the other side of the car; they were thrown off guard by the Senator's provocative antiques.

"What the hell do we do?" Fino said, waving his rifle around.

"We bail for now," Luca said. "We come ba-"

"But the boss' orders-"

"SCREW THAT!" Luca yelled imperiously. "He's bailed out. We come back with more firepower, I'm shot calling now kay? Now Fino, you cover the left, Jimmy and I take the right... let's back out, eyes out. Slowly... SLOWLY and carefully."

The three of them began a hasty tactical retreat. Their parked vehicles were a good distance away from the battle but they could make it.

They kept their weapons aimed out for a few more seconds... then as if responding to some hidden cue, all three of them turned and bolted away into the darkness and vanished.

---

From a considerable distance away, a large number of armoured black vans were racing into the area from several directions. It would take them a while to get there, but inside them... there were lots and lots of armed gangsters... a whole army. They were coming to reinforce the small beleaguered task force. Nicky Casterllano had responded... however, begrudgingly... to Arnold Griezmann's calls for help. A large army had been assembled and dispatched in short order, showing the strong organisation of the mob's DC forces.

Once they vans got there, there would be several dozen armed mobsters and these guys carried the big guns. However, thankfully for the Senator and Antihero, they weren't there yet.

---

Senator Johnson was left alone in his vehicle. All of the hostiles had bolted.

Slowly and carefully, a lone figure emerged from the darkness by the side of a few buildings. He was clad from head to toe in a navy blue combat outfit, some kind of a paramilitary soldier. His face was hidden behind a helmet, a face mask, and opaque goggles. It was Antihero. He was aiming and holding out a large M4 rifle which he turned left and right. Slowly, and carefully, he approached Steve Johnson's vehicle... after making sure no one else was in play.

The vigilante lowered his M4 and held it deftly with just his left hand. He raised his right hand and waved at the Senator. He lowered a few gloved fingers... he was making a hand sign, as if asking Steve to lower the window panel so he could speak.

But would the Senator trust him?

Steve couldn't tell if this guy was military or another gangster. He ripped a peace of paper from a notepad and wrote a note. 'If your a friendly take your clip out and put ot on the roof, then back up two paces and put your hands on your head.'
If he guy Compiled Steve would get out of the car and locate the keys.

Antihero

Hmmmm... we don’t have time for this. But very well.

Checking to see there weren’t enemies around, he stepped forward. In a very quick and practiced motion he pulled out the magazine of the carbine within Steve’s view. He placed it on top of the car along with the gun itself. Then he stepped back the number of paces and put his hands over his head.

---

Remy Dubois

From a rooftop much further out, Remy lowered his binoculars nervously. Making sure to maintain cover on the roof, he pulled out his COM Link. This allowed him to speak into Antihero’s com system.

“Sir... I just saw six armored vans speed through and they are NOT police. There’s likely many more from other directions. It’s mob reinforcement. You need to go- NOW.”

[Christian Confederation]

Steve couldn't tell if this guy was military or another gangster. He ripped a peace of paper from a notepad and wrote a note. 'If your a friendly take your clip out and put ot on the roof, then back up two paces and put your hands on your head.'
If he guy Compiled Steve would get out of the car and locate the keys.

Antihero

Hmmmm... we don’t have time for this. But very well.

Checking to see there weren’t enemies around, he stepped forward. In a very quick and practiced motion he pulled out the magazine of the carbine within Steve’s view. He placed it on top of the car along with the gun itself. Then he stepped back the number of paces and put his hands over his head.

---

Remy Dubois

From a rooftop much further out, Remy lowered his binoculars nervously. Making sure to maintain cover on the roof, he pulled out his COM Link. This allowed him to speak into Antihero’s com system.

“Sir... I just saw six armored vans speed through and they are NOT police. There’s likely many more from other directions. It’s mob reinforcement. You need to go- NOW.”

Steve got out of the car and kept his gun on the guy. "Who are you and who do you work for?" He asked eyeing the bodies looking for his Traitor of a driver.

[Infected Mushroom]

Antihero

Hmmmm... we don’t have time for this. But very well.

Checking to see there weren’t enemies around, he stepped forward. In a very quick and practiced motion he pulled out the magazine of the carbine within Steve’s view. He placed it on top of the car along with the gun itself. Then he stepped back the number of paces and put his hands over his head.

---

Remy Dubois

From a rooftop much further out, Remy lowered his binoculars nervously. Making sure to maintain cover on the roof, he pulled out his COM Link. This allowed him to speak into Antihero’s com system.

“Sir... I just saw six armored vans speed through and they are NOT police. There’s likely many more from other directions. It’s mob reinforcement. You need to go- NOW.”

Steve got out of the car and kept his gun on the guy. "Who are you and who do you work for?" He asked eyeing the bodies looking for his Traitor of a driver.

Antihero

Vladislav let out an internal sigh.

Evidently, my brand name needs work... maybe it’s the costume, not flashy enough- I should really change the cursed thing eh?

“Senator,” he said, keeping his hands above his head. “I’m on your team, I came here to assist you.”

He tilted his head briefly to the corpses.

“I’m part of a team of special individuals; we’re putting together a team. The game plan is to destroy the Mafia. I think we should work together.”

He paused and then added, almost unable to disguise the frustration:

“The name’s Antihero, I don’t know... you’ve- you’ve NEVER heard? It’s not your fault, it’s mine... I think I need to raise the profile a bit. ... Was I at least on the news in Texas?”

In the distance, the sounds of vehicles were approaching. The sounds of people shooting could be heard... however, there were NO police sirens.

“Look Senator, they’re coming and it’s NOT the police, it’s the mob’s foot soldiers and they are coming for BLOOD; yours and mine. You have to trust me. I am not the enemy.”

[Infected Mushroom]

Underside of DC

Several dozens of armored vans carrying gangsters had stopped over several places in DC within the vicinity (but still outside the line of sight).

As the vans opened up, a large number of goons in suits, ties, leather coats, vests, jackets (many of them capped with fedoras) were stepping out. A side of the vehicles were opened up to reveal rows and rows of military grade AK-47 assault rifles.

Nicky Casterllano himself oversaw the main attack force.

“Grab the gear and let’s move out boys, we’re going hunting.”

The mobsters moved forth and each grabbed a large weapon off the inventory. In several of the other locations, the squads were already moving out.

[Christian Confederation]

Steve got out of the car and kept his gun on the guy. "Who are you and who do you work for?" He asked eyeing the bodies looking for his Traitor of a driver.

Antihero

Vladislav let out an internal sigh.

Evidently, my brand name needs work... maybe it’s the costume, not flashy enough- I should really change the cursed thing eh?

“Senator,” he said, keeping his hands above his head. “I’m on your team, I came here to assist you.”

He tilted his head briefly to the corpses.

“I’m part of a team of special individuals; we’re putting together a team. The game plan is to destroy the Mafia. I think we should work together.”

He paused and then added, almost unable to disguise the frustration:

“The name’s Antihero, I don’t know... you’ve- you’ve NEVER heard? It’s not your fault, it’s mine... I think I need to raise the profile a bit. ... Was I at least on the news in Texas?”

In the distance, the sounds of vehicles were approaching. The sounds of people shooting could be heard... however, there were NO police sirens.

“Look Senator, they’re coming and it’s NOT the police, it’s the mob’s foot soldiers and they are coming for BLOOD; yours and mine. You have to trust me. I am not the enemy.”

"You have a safehouse?" Steve asked before loading the gun atop the car and handing ot to the guy. "We need to get the car moving and get out of here."

[Infected Mushroom]

Antihero

Vladislav let out an internal sigh.

Evidently, my brand name needs work... maybe it’s the costume, not flashy enough- I should really change the cursed thing eh?

“Senator,” he said, keeping his hands above his head. “I’m on your team, I came here to assist you.”

He tilted his head briefly to the corpses.

“I’m part of a team of special individuals; we’re putting together a team. The game plan is to destroy the Mafia. I think we should work together.”

He paused and then added, almost unable to disguise the frustration:

“The name’s Antihero, I don’t know... you’ve- you’ve NEVER heard? It’s not your fault, it’s mine... I think I need to raise the profile a bit. ... Was I at least on the news in Texas?”

In the distance, the sounds of vehicles were approaching. The sounds of people shooting could be heard... however, there were NO police sirens.

“Look Senator, they’re coming and it’s NOT the police, it’s the mob’s foot soldiers and they are coming for BLOOD; yours and mine. You have to trust me. I am not the enemy.”

"You have a safehouse?" Steve asked before loading the gun atop the car and handing ot to the guy. "We need to get the car moving and get out of here."

Antihero

"As a matter of fact I do," Antihero said. "It's about several thousand meters from here but with a bit of luck..."

He picked up the M4 and reloaded it. On his way, he picked up the remote from the ground next to the corpse of the driver.

"I'll have to drive as I know the way," he said as-a-matter-of-factly.

He waited for Steve to get into the car before he did so, taking over and starting the car's engine. Yet he did not drive immediately.

"My man will set up a distraction," he said. Then he spoke into his earpiece. "We're on our way out. Start the diversion... NOW."

---

From many positions throughout the city, dozens of armed gangsters with AK-47s, organised into squads... were approaching. The streets were mostly empty at this hour but there were a few bystanders. However, since the Mafia ran the place they had the good sense to back off, only whispering to each other in terror. Someone considered raising a phone but lowered it as soon as a mobster gave him an eye.

The AKs were approaching...

---

Remy Dubois

The butler was still on the roof top; he could make out the gangsters approaching in the distance.

"Alright," he said, biting his lip, considering the madness of it all. He moved over to his laptop and entered a few commands.

---

On THREE SEPARATE roofs of three differences warehouse, there were three very large steel boxes... all of them within a 2,000 meter radius of where Remy was. Inside each box, was a modified M249 machine-gun attached to a strange metallic contraption and pointing up at the sky at a 90 degree angle; only the tip of the machine-guns were visible protruding just out of a small careful opening at the top of the box... every machine-gun was attached to a few thousand rounds.

Once Remy entered the command... the three LMGs, placed on three different roofs, began to open fire straight into the sky from the small openings inside the boxes.

KA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA !!!!

---

Nicky Casterllano

Nicky was also armed with an AK. He was leading the largest task force, some 24 goons with him. Suddenly, he heard some kind of a machine-gun go off from a few blocks away.

THE DEVIL?!

He and his captains picked up their COMs and the traffic was very busy... it was an absolute MESS. Were they getting ambushed by a cartel?

Nicky cursed and swore into the COMs as he tried to re-organize his large attack teams. They had prepared for many contingencies but this was a giant mess. The large force of soldiers were being re-arranged on the go... and it got messy.

---

Antihero

"That's our signal, let's go," Antihero said, without explaining much.

He hit the pedal and sent the vehicle rushing forward, rapidly picking up high speed. They made a turn and as soon they did so, six goons with AKs were visible, but they had been temporarily distracted by a machine-gun that was emptying itself into the sky 50 meters out.

"HEY!" one of the goons cried out as he turned along with others.

KA DA DA DA DA!

A few AK rounds were fired off but they mostly struck the armoured portion of Steve's vehicle. The escape vehicle rammed into three of the goons and instantly killed them with sickening THUDS...

Antihero tried to turn the car again... the tires were screeching though and hitting the three bodies had interrupted their travel trajectory. A part of the car rammed into a wall; the corpses were still attached to the front.

"DAMN," Antihero muttered.

From the passenger's seat, Steve could make out the silhouettes of the two remaining goons, AKs in hand... approaching from behind, and firing off single shots at the car. The rear window exploded and a bullet flew by, nearly hitting Steve but instead causing the passenger-driver-divide-glass to explode.

The car was bulletproof but somehow, the military-grade rounds of the AKs were strong enough to cause the car's glass damage.

The two goons continued to approach, now they were firing their guns on full-auto and shouting out curses.

[Christian Confederation]

"You have a safehouse?" Steve asked before loading the gun atop the car and handing ot to the guy. "We need to get the car moving and get out of here."

Antihero

"As a matter of fact I do," Antihero said. "It's about several thousand meters from here but with a bit of luck..."

He picked up the M4 and reloaded it. On his way, he picked up the remote from the ground next to the corpse of the driver.

"I'll have to drive as I know the way," he said as-a-matter-of-factly.

He waited for Steve to get into the car before he did so, taking over and starting the car's engine. Yet he did not drive immediately.

"My man will set up a distraction," he said. Then he spoke into his earpiece. "We're on our way out. Start the diversion... NOW."

---

From many positions throughout the city, dozens of armed gangsters with AK-47s, organised into squads... were approaching. The streets were mostly empty at this hour but there were a few bystanders. However, since the Mafia ran the place they had the good sense to back off, only whispering to each other in terror. Someone considered raising a phone but lowered it as soon as a mobster gave him an eye.

The AKs were approaching...

---

Remy Dubois

The butler was still on the roof top; he could make out the gangsters approaching in the distance.

"Alright," he said, biting his lip, considering the madness of it all. He moved over to his laptop and entered a few commands.

---

On THREE SEPARATE roofs of three differences warehouse, there were three very large steel boxes... all of them within a 2,000 meter radius of where Remy was. Inside each box, was a modified M249 machine-gun attached to a strange metallic contraption and pointing up at the sky at a 90 degree angle; only the tip of the machine-guns were visible protruding just out of a small careful opening at the top of the box... every machine-gun was attached to a few thousand rounds.

Once Remy entered the command... the three LMGs, placed on three different roofs, began to open fire straight into the sky from the small openings inside the boxes.

KA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA !!!!

---

Nicky Casterllano

Nicky was also armed with an AK. He was leading the largest task force, some 24 goons with him. Suddenly, he heard some kind of a machine-gun go off from a few blocks away.

THE DEVIL?!

He and his captains picked up their COMs and the traffic was very busy... it was an absolute MESS. Were they getting ambushed by a cartel?

Nicky cursed and swore into the COMs as he tried to re-organize his large attack teams. They had prepared for many contingencies but this was a giant mess. The large force of soldiers were being re-arranged on the go... and it got messy.

---

Antihero

"That's our signal, let's go," Antihero said, without explaining much.

He hit the pedal and sent the vehicle rushing forward, rapidly picking up high speed. They made a turn and as soon they did so, six goons with AKs were visible, but they had been temporarily distracted by a machine-gun that was emptying itself into the sky 50 meters out.

"HEY!" one of the goons cried out as he turned along with others.

KA DA DA DA DA!

A few AK rounds were fired off but they mostly struck the armoured portion of Steve's vehicle. The escape vehicle rammed into three of the goons and instantly killed them with sickening THUDS...

Antihero tried to turn the car again... the tires were screeching though and hitting the three bodies had interrupted their travel trajectory. A part of the car rammed into a wall; the corpses were still attached to the front.

"DAMN," Antihero muttered.

From the passenger's seat, Steve could make out the silhouettes of the two remaining goons, AKs in hand... approaching from behind, and firing off single shots at the car. The rear window exploded and a bullet flew by, nearly hitting Steve but instead causing the passenger-driver-divide-glass to explode.

The car was bulletproof but somehow, the military-grade rounds of the AKs were strong enough to cause the car's glass damage.

The two goons continued to approach, now they were firing their guns on full-auto and shouting out curses.

Steve was shocked by the almost Anti Air look of the Fire. If these Freedom fighters were serious they had the arms to back it. Soon they were speeding away when six gangsters attacked. The madman driving ran them down killed all but 2. Next thing he knew the surviving gangsters were behind them. Steve grabbed the M4 that was next to the Driver and Expertly returned fire through the busted glass. "GET US OUT OF HERE!" He ordered.

[North Timeria]

The bar had erupted into a full open brawl as the assailants came rushing in behind Joe. Zach was a bit nervous as they drew swords and started to swing wildly with the intent to kill. This Zach’s first time ever seeing anything like this. As the fight went on Zach was frozen in his hiding spot in a booth opposite of the action. He held on tightly to the beer bottle he had picked up, unwilling to let it go and unwilling to fight. Zach had frozen at the moment, stuck behind the booth as the rest fought off the attackers. Soon a gun was drawn and Zach watched as Joe struggled for control, eventually freeing the gun and kicking it over to Erwin.

As Erwin focused on the gun a couple of attackers started to surround him Zach took note of this and quickly threw the bottle he was holding in his hand. The bottle hit one of the attackers hard across the head and shattered on impact. As the others shielded themselves from the glass falling on them Zach charged ahead. Running at almost full speed he threw his shoulder into the back of an attacker, knocking him to the ground quickly. As the attacker hit the ground he quickly tried to get up but not before Zach sent a fierce ax kick down into his jaw. Zach could see that he had broken his jaw and the blood in his mouth seemed to suggest he had lost a few teeth.

Joe called out to the group that they would need to end the fight soon. Zach looked over to Erwin and nodded “Why’d you throw the gun away?” he asked and quickly looked around the bar floor. Zach picked up a sword and handed another to Erwin before rushing over to help Joe. He had never used a sword before in his life but it was better than being unarmed. He held the sword up with a tight grip and did his best to maintain control of it. As he rushed to help Joe, sword in hand he questioned his willpower. Would he really have what it took to kill someone?

[Infected Mushroom]

Antihero

"As a matter of fact I do," Antihero said. "It's about several thousand meters from here but with a bit of luck..."

He picked up the M4 and reloaded it. On his way, he picked up the remote from the ground next to the corpse of the driver.

"I'll have to drive as I know the way," he said as-a-matter-of-factly.

He waited for Steve to get into the car before he did so, taking over and starting the car's engine. Yet he did not drive immediately.

"My man will set up a distraction," he said. Then he spoke into his earpiece. "We're on our way out. Start the diversion... NOW."

---

From many positions throughout the city, dozens of armed gangsters with AK-47s, organised into squads... were approaching. The streets were mostly empty at this hour but there were a few bystanders. However, since the Mafia ran the place they had the good sense to back off, only whispering to each other in terror. Someone considered raising a phone but lowered it as soon as a mobster gave him an eye.

The AKs were approaching...

---

Remy Dubois

The butler was still on the roof top; he could make out the gangsters approaching in the distance.

"Alright," he said, biting his lip, considering the madness of it all. He moved over to his laptop and entered a few commands.

---

On THREE SEPARATE roofs of three differences warehouse, there were three very large steel boxes... all of them within a 2,000 meter radius of where Remy was. Inside each box, was a modified M249 machine-gun attached to a strange metallic contraption and pointing up at the sky at a 90 degree angle; only the tip of the machine-guns were visible protruding just out of a small careful opening at the top of the box... every machine-gun was attached to a few thousand rounds.

Once Remy entered the command... the three LMGs, placed on three different roofs, began to open fire straight into the sky from the small openings inside the boxes.

KA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA !!!!

---

Nicky Casterllano

Nicky was also armed with an AK. He was leading the largest task force, some 24 goons with him. Suddenly, he heard some kind of a machine-gun go off from a few blocks away.

THE DEVIL?!

He and his captains picked up their COMs and the traffic was very busy... it was an absolute MESS. Were they getting ambushed by a cartel?

Nicky cursed and swore into the COMs as he tried to re-organize his large attack teams. They had prepared for many contingencies but this was a giant mess. The large force of soldiers were being re-arranged on the go... and it got messy.

---

Antihero

"That's our signal, let's go," Antihero said, without explaining much.

He hit the pedal and sent the vehicle rushing forward, rapidly picking up high speed. They made a turn and as soon they did so, six goons with AKs were visible, but they had been temporarily distracted by a machine-gun that was emptying itself into the sky 50 meters out.

"HEY!" one of the goons cried out as he turned along with others.

KA DA DA DA DA!

A few AK rounds were fired off but they mostly struck the armoured portion of Steve's vehicle. The escape vehicle rammed into three of the goons and instantly killed them with sickening THUDS...

Antihero tried to turn the car again... the tires were screeching though and hitting the three bodies had interrupted their travel trajectory. A part of the car rammed into a wall; the corpses were still attached to the front.

"DAMN," Antihero muttered.

From the passenger's seat, Steve could make out the silhouettes of the two remaining goons, AKs in hand... approaching from behind, and firing off single shots at the car. The rear window exploded and a bullet flew by, nearly hitting Steve but instead causing the passenger-driver-divide-glass to explode.

The car was bulletproof but somehow, the military-grade rounds of the AKs were strong enough to cause the car's glass damage.

The two goons continued to approach, now they were firing their guns on full-auto and shouting out curses.

Steve was shocked by the almost Anti Air look of the Fire. If these Freedom fighters were serious they had the arms to back it. Soon they were speeding away when six gangsters attacked. The madman driving ran them down killed all but 2. Next thing he knew the surviving gangsters were behind them. Steve grabbed the M4 that was next to the Driver and Expertly returned fire through the busted glass. "GET US OUT OF HERE!" He ordered.

Underside of DC

Antihero

When the car crashed into the wall with the corpses at the front, there was a massive shake-up inside the car. This caused Antihero to jerk around violently and many objects from the front of the car to tumble down from the windshield and the surrounding panels. Even before the AKs started to fire, Antihero expected the incoming fire and immediately threw himself forward... there was an ensuring explosion of the car's glass windows as the high caliber rounds entered.

Damn it with fire this thick-

While staying crouched over, he reached to the side to grab the M4 but it was already gone... Steve Johnson had grabbed it. The Senator whipped around and fired the M4 at the two gangsters behind.

Finally showcasing his skill as a former US Army Ranger, his aim was immaculate... even under the pressure and the chaos of the situation. While shooting on automatic, Steve's hand was steady, his aim was largely true and his grip surprisingly firm... such as to minimise the spread of the shots.

The two gangsters were mowed down as Steve emptied most of the gun's magazine into them.

"GET US OUT OF HERE!" He ordered.

Antihero didn't need telling twice. Since the AKs had stopped firing, he assumed Steve struck the targets. Almost at once, he stepped down on the backpedal and began to reposition the car... whirling it around so it could run again. He sat back up only to find that the front of the car's windshield had exploded too.

"Good shooting Senator..."

He stepped down on the accelerator and sent the car speeding forward unto the road.

He heard more gunshots. There was another squad of gangsters with AKs blasting at them from across the traffic lights to the left but from quite far away. Since they were mostly shooting on fully automatic and the vehicle was going pretty fast, most of the rounds missed the car.

Thank goodness...

The vehicle was able to make a hasty getaway into the distance.

---

Inside one of the warehouses

Nicky Casterllano and his small army were climbing the stairs of the warehouse to the roof, they were fully armed with AKs.

Let's see what kind of punk is hiding on the roof shooting... he's dead now

A door was busted open so that Casterllano and his 20 or so goons could rush out unto the roof. But they didn't find a sniper or a machine-gunner... instead they saw a very large metallic box, with a trail of thin white smoke arising from a small opening.

WHAT THE DEVIL?!

The goons on either side of Nicky started to open fire on the box.

KA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA!!!!!

The bullets penetrated the box and seemed to destroy it.

What the hell? Stop wasting rounds!

"CEASEFIRE!" Casterllano yelled imperiously.

When the shooting stopped... what was left of the metallic box fell apart to reveal... a large M249 LMG rigged to a contraption, now shredded by the gunfire. It was all a god damn distraction.

"Sir?" one of the goons asked, confused.

Nicky threw his AK unto the floor. He started raging as he trampled the ground all around him like some kind of a raging bull. He started yelling obscenities at the very top of his voice.

"RIAAAAAAAARGH!!!!!!!! A WAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!! %$&*&#*$&*#$&*!!!!! %$*(%$*%(!!!!"

Most of the goons had the good sense to back off and let him vent but one newcomer approached the mob captain and said timidly: "Sir... are you alright?"

"FUCK YOU MAN!" Nicky raged.

The powerful mob captain grabbed the smaller goon by both shoulders... the goon's entire body, AK included, and with an unbelievable display of strength very easily and effortlessly hurled the shocked henchman's entire body.. over 6 meters across the length fo the entire roof... it was like the henchman was a small plastic toy.

The goon screamed out as his body fell off the high roof and landed... splattered on the streets below and greeted by the screams of scattering pedestrians.

The rest of the goons backed off in terror. Nicky brushed off some dirt from his shoulders (there was no point to this, it was just a tough guy move), cleared his throat, bent down to pick up his AK again, and stood back up. He looked at his men.

"Well what are you waiting for? Scram and find the enemy."

"SIR!" they yelled as they rushed down the steps.

---

In the car

Antihero

I'm surprised I got the Senator out. I was on a kill mission but this rescue... it makes things better.

"We're almost there," Antihero said. There were no goons for miles. Remy's distraction had worked in scattering the mob encirclement... and they had managed to drive and fight their way out of the spread out army. "Senator... I don't know what to say, other than that from this point forth, your life might change forever."

He stopped the car. There was nothing around except a few old buildings. Antihero turned to check on Steve. "You hit?"

After confirming that neither of them had been hit, Antihero decided it was best to walk. He parked the car into a carefully selected back alley.

"Secret entrance is 400 meters out," Antihero said. "But we'll walk and ditch the thing here. Create a false trail. Come with me please."

He stepped out of the vehicle and began to walk, carrying the M4 with him. He hoped the Senator would follow. As he walked, he spoke into his earpiece.

"This is Antihero coming in. Extraction is successful. We are going to the safe-house. Over."

---

Antihero and Steve walked at a very fast pace. They said very little during the walk. Antihero was still feeling the chills from the absolutely EXHILARATING fight they just had; he was a bit of an adrenaline junkie and it was these moments he lived for.

"Thank you Senator," he said. "For the wonderful evening. We are here by the way."

They had reached a warehouse with a steel door that was past a series of fences with warning signs. Antihero turned to the brick wall and unveiled hidden combination typer. He entered some numbers, the steel door swung open (he covered the combination grid, and closed the door after entering with Steve). Once inside, there was nothing but rows and rows of dusty old books... until the very end where there was another wall.

"Now you're going to LOVE this," he said.

He reached down and pushed in one of the hidden bricks. Without warning, the entire wall began to slide open... some of the dust came down. There was a hideout inside. The walls were metallic and it was surprisingly spacious.

"It comes with bedrooms," Antihero said. "Kitchens, toilets, food supplies, weapons... it's actually got a lot of surface area. One of my favourites in DC. Come in, make yourself at home."

After the two of them stepped in, the secret entrance closed.

"Now let me introduce myself properly," he said, extending a hand for shaking... "My name is Antihero. I'm something of a crimefighter. I believe... Senator Steve Johnson? What do you go by? Mr. Johnson? Senator? What would you prefer?"

My my... what an AMAZING night!

[Nagakawa]

Washington D.C.

'The Queen B!tch'

By the time the fight was over, the bar had been made a thorough mess of, and unconscious and bloodied bodies lay all over the floor.

The battered and concussed figure of Paolos Fontana lay sprawled on the ground, looking up blankly as Joe Langley stood over him, wiping the blood from his nose and mouth and breathing heavily in rage. As Leonie, Erwin, Jesse, and Ash stood by and looked on, Joe crouched to the ground, seized Fontana by the tie, and lifted him up menacingly, dragging him over to an unoccupied booth seat and throwing him into the seat violently.

"Tell us what you know", he barked, still holding onto the man's tie. "Tell us what you know, now!" The badly concussed Fontana did not respond, and Joe, grunting furiously, threw a hard haymaker at his temple.

"Joe, stop!" Ash grabbed Joe by the shoulder and attempted to pull him off of Fontana, as the latter toppled over onto the seat again. "It's no use! He can't tell you anything in the state he's in."

"Let go of me!" Joe harshly shrugged Ash's hand off of him.

"Joe! That's enough!" Erwin rushed forward in an attempt to pull his boss off of the concussed mafia man. "You'll kill the man at this rate."

"Won't be the first time I've done that", Joe snarled, only to stop in his tracks as a menacing chuckle rose from Fontana.

"Best be on the lookout", said the mafia man, his eyes turning up to face Joe. "This attack was a... diversion", Fontana continued. "In reality... we have already sprung our trap. Everyone you know... they're all not safe, you know. Your family... friends..."

Joe's eyes widened.

"...Oh, shit. Zeke."

Turning to Zach, Joe grabbed the newcomer by the shoulder and looked him deep in the eye, his face suddenly softening, the concern evident in his eyes.

"Zach, I'm sorry about this, but I can't explain things right now", he said to him. He turned to Leonie. "Tell Zach everything. I need to go."

And without tarrying any further, the congressman quickly pulled his coat on and dashed out of the bar quicker than he had come in.

...

Over the next few hours, the rest of the people who had been in the bar went about tying up all of the mafia assailants who had stormed the bar just a little while ago, dragging them into the back room of the bar and locking the door, leaving the bartender to sit just outside to keep watch.

"I'm... uh... sorry, about all that." Once the bar had been cleaned up to a reasonable degree, Leonie sat down with Zach at one of the booth seats and sighed deeply as she quietly surveyed the remnants of that night's carnage. Bloodstains were splattered all over the floor, and some shards of glass still lay strewn across the parquet, despite everybody's best efforts to clean the bar up thoroughly. At a corner, Jesse had fallen asleep, while Erwin quietly went about taping up a window that had been partially shattered. Ash the waitress sat listlessly at the bar counter and stared blankly into space.

Gingerly, Leonie went up to the bar counter and returned with two glasses of water, one for herself and one for Zach.

"I can explain everything to you", she said to him, between sips of water. "I don't know how much you already know... but you can ask me about what Joe does, and I'll try my best to explain the whole situation to you."

...

Outside the bar

"Hello, Gabbie here. Yes, the operation is going as planned thus far. Fontana's been captured, but we've managed to lure Congressman Langley out of his warren. How's things going on your end?"

"..."

"Ah, you got him."

"..."

"God, you're a brutal man. Did you really have to go that far?"

"..."

"Fair enough, I see where you're coming from. Either way, give me the ward number where Congressman Rousey is being warded. I'll go pay our friend Congressman Langley a visit."

...

[Christian Confederation]

Steve was shocked by the almost Anti Air look of the Fire. If these Freedom fighters were serious they had the arms to back it. Soon they were speeding away when six gangsters attacked. The madman driving ran them down killed all but 2. Next thing he knew the surviving gangsters were behind them. Steve grabbed the M4 that was next to the Driver and Expertly returned fire through the busted glass. "GET US OUT OF HERE!" He ordered.

Underside of DC

Antihero

When the car crashed into the wall with the corpses at the front, there was a massive shake-up inside the car. This caused Antihero to jerk around violently and many objects from the front of the car to tumble down from the windshield and the surrounding panels. Even before the AKs started to fire, Antihero expected the incoming fire and immediately threw himself forward... there was an ensuring explosion of the car's glass windows as the high caliber rounds entered.

Damn it with fire this thick-

While staying crouched over, he reached to the side to grab the M4 but it was already gone... Steve Johnson had grabbed it. The Senator whipped around and fired the M4 at the two gangsters behind.

Finally showcasing his skill as a former US Army Ranger, his aim was immaculate... even under the pressure and the chaos of the situation. While shooting on automatic, Steve's hand was steady, his aim was largely true and his grip surprisingly firm... such as to minimise the spread of the shots.

The two gangsters were mowed down as Steve emptied most of the gun's magazine into them.

"GET US OUT OF HERE!" He ordered.

Antihero didn't need telling twice. Since the AKs had stopped firing, he assumed Steve struck the targets. Almost at once, he stepped down on the backpedal and began to reposition the car... whirling it around so it could run again. He sat back up only to find that the front of the car's windshield had exploded too.

"Good shooting Senator..."

He stepped down on the accelerator and sent the car speeding forward unto the road.

He heard more gunshots. There was another squad of gangsters with AKs blasting at them from across the traffic lights to the left but from quite far away. Since they were mostly shooting on fully automatic and the vehicle was going pretty fast, most of the rounds missed the car.

Thank goodness...

The vehicle was able to make a hasty getaway into the distance.

---

Inside one of the warehouses

Nicky Casterllano and his small army were climbing the stairs of the warehouse to the roof, they were fully armed with AKs.

Let's see what kind of punk is hiding on the roof shooting... he's dead now

A door was busted open so that Casterllano and his 20 or so goons could rush out unto the roof. But they didn't find a sniper or a machine-gunner... instead they saw a very large metallic box, with a trail of thin white smoke arising from a small opening.

WHAT THE DEVIL?!

The goons on either side of Nicky started to open fire on the box.

KA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA!!!!!

The bullets penetrated the box and seemed to destroy it.

What the hell? Stop wasting rounds!

"CEASEFIRE!" Casterllano yelled imperiously.

When the shooting stopped... what was left of the metallic box fell apart to reveal... a large M249 LMG rigged to a contraption, now shredded by the gunfire. It was all a god damn distraction.

"Sir?" one of the goons asked, confused.

Nicky threw his AK unto the floor. He started raging as he trampled the ground all around him like some kind of a raging bull. He started yelling obscenities at the very top of his voice.

"RIAAAAAAAARGH!!!!!!!! A WAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!! %$&*&#*$&*#$&*!!!!! %$*(%$*%(!!!!"

Most of the goons had the good sense to back off and let him vent but one newcomer approached the mob captain and said timidly: "Sir... are you alright?"

"FUCK YOU MAN!" Nicky raged.

The powerful mob captain grabbed the smaller goon by both shoulders... the goon's entire body, AK included, and with an unbelievable display of strength very easily and effortlessly hurled the shocked henchman's entire body.. over 6 meters across the length fo the entire roof... it was like the henchman was a small plastic toy.

The goon screamed out as his body fell off the high roof and landed... splattered on the streets below and greeted by the screams of scattering pedestrians.

The rest of the goons backed off in terror. Nicky brushed off some dirt from his shoulders (there was no point to this, it was just a tough guy move), cleared his throat, bent down to pick up his AK again, and stood back up. He looked at his men.

"Well what are you waiting for? Scram and find the enemy."

"SIR!" they yelled as they rushed down the steps.

---

In the car

Antihero

I'm surprised I got the Senator out. I was on a kill mission but this rescue... it makes things better.

"We're almost there," Antihero said. There were no goons for miles. Remy's distraction had worked in scattering the mob encirclement... and they had managed to drive and fight their way out of the spread out army. "Senator... I don't know what to say, other than that from this point forth, your life might change forever."

He stopped the car. There was nothing around except a few old buildings. Antihero turned to check on Steve. "You hit?"

After confirming that neither of them had been hit, Antihero decided it was best to walk. He parked the car into a carefully selected back alley.

"Secret entrance is 400 meters out," Antihero said. "But we'll walk and ditch the thing here. Create a false trail. Come with me please."

He stepped out of the vehicle and began to walk, carrying the M4 with him. He hoped the Senator would follow. As he walked, he spoke into his earpiece.

"This is Antihero coming in. Extraction is successful. We are going to the safe-house. Over."

---

Antihero and Steve walked at a very fast pace. They said very little during the walk. Antihero was still feeling the chills from the absolutely EXHILARATING fight they just had; he was a bit of an adrenaline junkie and it was these moments he lived for.

"Thank you Senator," he said. "For the wonderful evening. We are here by the way."

They had reached a warehouse with a steel door that was past a series of fences with warning signs. Antihero turned to the brick wall and unveiled hidden combination typer. He entered some numbers, the steel door swung open (he covered the combination grid, and closed the door after entering with Steve). Once inside, there was nothing but rows and rows of dusty old books... until the very end where there was another wall.

"Now you're going to LOVE this," he said.

He reached down and pushed in one of the hidden bricks. Without warning, the entire wall began to slide open... some of the dust came down. There was a hideout inside. The walls were metallic and it was surprisingly spacious.

"It comes with bedrooms," Antihero said. "Kitchens, toilets, food supplies, weapons... it's actually got a lot of surface area. One of my favourites in DC. Come in, make yourself at home."

After the two of them stepped in, the secret entrance closed.

"Now let me introduce myself properly," he said, extending a hand for shaking... "My name is Antihero. I'm something of a crimefighter. I believe... Senator Steve Johnson? What do you go by? Mr. Johnson? Senator? What would you prefer?"

My my... what an AMAZING night!

Steve was happy to be alive and grateful for the heroes help. "Steve is fine. What is this place, who do you work for, and why were those gangsters trying to kill me?"

[Infected Mushroom]

Underside of DC

Antihero

When the car crashed into the wall with the corpses at the front, there was a massive shake-up inside the car. This caused Antihero to jerk around violently and many objects from the front of the car to tumble down from the windshield and the surrounding panels. Even before the AKs started to fire, Antihero expected the incoming fire and immediately threw himself forward... there was an ensuring explosion of the car's glass windows as the high caliber rounds entered.

Damn it with fire this thick-

While staying crouched over, he reached to the side to grab the M4 but it was already gone... Steve Johnson had grabbed it. The Senator whipped around and fired the M4 at the two gangsters behind.

Finally showcasing his skill as a former US Army Ranger, his aim was immaculate... even under the pressure and the chaos of the situation. While shooting on automatic, Steve's hand was steady, his aim was largely true and his grip surprisingly firm... such as to minimise the spread of the shots.

The two gangsters were mowed down as Steve emptied most of the gun's magazine into them.



Antihero didn't need telling twice. Since the AKs had stopped firing, he assumed Steve struck the targets. Almost at once, he stepped down on the backpedal and began to reposition the car... whirling it around so it could run again. He sat back up only to find that the front of the car's windshield had exploded too.

"Good shooting Senator..."

He stepped down on the accelerator and sent the car speeding forward unto the road.

He heard more gunshots. There was another squad of gangsters with AKs blasting at them from across the traffic lights to the left but from quite far away. Since they were mostly shooting on fully automatic and the vehicle was going pretty fast, most of the rounds missed the car.

Thank goodness...

The vehicle was able to make a hasty getaway into the distance.

---

Inside one of the warehouses

Nicky Casterllano and his small army were climbing the stairs of the warehouse to the roof, they were fully armed with AKs.

Let's see what kind of punk is hiding on the roof shooting... he's dead now

A door was busted open so that Casterllano and his 20 or so goons could rush out unto the roof. But they didn't find a sniper or a machine-gunner... instead they saw a very large metallic box, with a trail of thin white smoke arising from a small opening.

WHAT THE DEVIL?!

The goons on either side of Nicky started to open fire on the box.

KA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA!!!!!

The bullets penetrated the box and seemed to destroy it.

What the hell? Stop wasting rounds!

"CEASEFIRE!" Casterllano yelled imperiously.

When the shooting stopped... what was left of the metallic box fell apart to reveal... a large M249 LMG rigged to a contraption, now shredded by the gunfire. It was all a god damn distraction.

"Sir?" one of the goons asked, confused.

Nicky threw his AK unto the floor. He started raging as he trampled the ground all around him like some kind of a raging bull. He started yelling obscenities at the very top of his voice.

"RIAAAAAAAARGH!!!!!!!! A WAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!! %$&*&#*$&*#$&*!!!!! %$*(%$*%(!!!!"

Most of the goons had the good sense to back off and let him vent but one newcomer approached the mob captain and said timidly: "Sir... are you alright?"

"FUCK YOU MAN!" Nicky raged.

The powerful mob captain grabbed the smaller goon by both shoulders... the goon's entire body, AK included, and with an unbelievable display of strength very easily and effortlessly hurled the shocked henchman's entire body.. over 6 meters across the length fo the entire roof... it was like the henchman was a small plastic toy.

The goon screamed out as his body fell off the high roof and landed... splattered on the streets below and greeted by the screams of scattering pedestrians.

The rest of the goons backed off in terror. Nicky brushed off some dirt from his shoulders (there was no point to this, it was just a tough guy move), cleared his throat, bent down to pick up his AK again, and stood back up. He looked at his men.

"Well what are you waiting for? Scram and find the enemy."

"SIR!" they yelled as they rushed down the steps.

---

In the car

Antihero

I'm surprised I got the Senator out. I was on a kill mission but this rescue... it makes things better.

"We're almost there," Antihero said. There were no goons for miles. Remy's distraction had worked in scattering the mob encirclement... and they had managed to drive and fight their way out of the spread out army. "Senator... I don't know what to say, other than that from this point forth, your life might change forever."

He stopped the car. There was nothing around except a few old buildings. Antihero turned to check on Steve. "You hit?"

After confirming that neither of them had been hit, Antihero decided it was best to walk. He parked the car into a carefully selected back alley.

"Secret entrance is 400 meters out," Antihero said. "But we'll walk and ditch the thing here. Create a false trail. Come with me please."

He stepped out of the vehicle and began to walk, carrying the M4 with him. He hoped the Senator would follow. As he walked, he spoke into his earpiece.

"This is Antihero coming in. Extraction is successful. We are going to the safe-house. Over."

---

Antihero and Steve walked at a very fast pace. They said very little during the walk. Antihero was still feeling the chills from the absolutely EXHILARATING fight they just had; he was a bit of an adrenaline junkie and it was these moments he lived for.

"Thank you Senator," he said. "For the wonderful evening. We are here by the way."

They had reached a warehouse with a steel door that was past a series of fences with warning signs. Antihero turned to the brick wall and unveiled hidden combination typer. He entered some numbers, the steel door swung open (he covered the combination grid, and closed the door after entering with Steve). Once inside, there was nothing but rows and rows of dusty old books... until the very end where there was another wall.

"Now you're going to LOVE this," he said.

He reached down and pushed in one of the hidden bricks. Without warning, the entire wall began to slide open... some of the dust came down. There was a hideout inside. The walls were metallic and it was surprisingly spacious.

"It comes with bedrooms," Antihero said. "Kitchens, toilets, food supplies, weapons... it's actually got a lot of surface area. One of my favourites in DC. Come in, make yourself at home."

After the two of them stepped in, the secret entrance closed.

"Now let me introduce myself properly," he said, extending a hand for shaking... "My name is Antihero. I'm something of a crimefighter. I believe... Senator Steve Johnson? What do you go by? Mr. Johnson? Senator? What would you prefer?"

My my... what an AMAZING night!

Steve was happy to be alive and grateful for the heroes help. "Steve is fine. What is this place, who do you work for, and why were those gangsters trying to kill me?"

Antihero

Is it possible to recruit this person?

The masked Antihero sat himself down by a counter. He invited Steve to take a seat as well. "There's drinks if you want, help yourself."

There was indeed, a selection of wines, juices, and various mineral waters by the walls and some cups. The decoration of the hideout was largely minimalistic and very neat; except for some of the drinks, most of this place was somehow empty.

"I'm a member of the Antihero Force... well... YES that's a name in progress until we get something better...," he said. "A former CIA commander put us together. There's roughly more than a dozen of us right now, we have good money backing us but for now... it's NOT a paid gig, we're all volunteer crime fighters... but we do have a big plan. All of us are aiming to fight against the Mafia and bring down the entire rotten edifice. As for why the Mafia is trying to kill you... I would expect it was some sort of botched extortion or abduction attempt. Did they contact you earlier with any demands? Any demands you may have rejected?"

Antihero had a firm instinct based on his surveillance that this was the case, but he decided that if he went with the whole "Well we were watching you the whole time and we know the mob has been extorting you" thing wouldn't do much to build trust or good faith.

"Did you offend them? ... And if you did, then we have to act quickly, I have an idea on what their next move could be."

[North Timeria]

Washington D.C.

'The Queen B!tch'

The fighting had cooled down and Zach watched as Joe swung on Fontana. The other rushed over to stop Joe as he struck him barely conscious. As the other tried to cool Joe down Fontana started to laugh, this made Zach feel a bit uneasy. As Fontana spoke the entire mood changed. "What was he talking about?" Zach thought to himself still new to the situation.

As Joe turned to him he listened intently, not knowing exactly what was going on. Zach had got in over his head; that was now clear.

As Joe headed out Zach nodded affirmatively "Be safe Joe!"

...

After a while, Zach finally got the chance to sit down at one of the booths next to Leonie. Both of them were a bit overwhelmed with everything that had just gone down. Leonie apologized for what happened and Zach shook his head.

"It's fine... I cam down here to help out and that's what I'll do. I just didn't really know what I had got myself into when I met Joe."

Leonie went off and grabbed some water for the two of them which Zach graciously accepted. The adrenaline had made his mouth dry and he had been in desperate need of hydration. "Thanks a lot"

Leonie had finally got around to explaining the situation in D.C., Zach had questions but that probably wouldn't change much.

"So Joe is a congressman but what exactly is he doing to fight the Mafia... That seemed like a lot more than politics." Zach continued to drink his water.

"And what about Fontana, him and Joe seem like they have a history? When he mentioned family being at risk Joe seemed to know exactly what was going on."

As Zach tried to explain himself without sounding too crazy he suddenly thought about his dad. Had the Mafia made the connections already? What if his dad was at risk?

"Leonie what about me and my family? Would they be at risk? My dad is all the way in California and he has no idea what could be coming."

[Christian Confederation]

Steve was happy to be alive and grateful for the heroes help. "Steve is fine. What is this place, who do you work for, and why were those gangsters trying to kill me?"

Antihero

Is it possible to recruit this person?

The masked Antihero sat himself down by a counter. He invited Steve to take a seat as well. "There's drinks if you want, help yourself."

There was indeed, a selection of wines, juices, and various mineral waters by the walls and some cups. The decoration of the hideout was largely minimalistic and very neat; except for some of the drinks, most of this place was somehow empty.

"I'm a member of the Antihero Force... well... YES that's a name in progress until we get something better...," he said. "A former CIA commander put us together. There's roughly more than a dozen of us right now, we have good money backing us but for now... it's NOT a paid gig, we're all volunteer crime fighters... but we do have a big plan. All of us are aiming to fight against the Mafia and bring down the entire rotten edifice. As for why the Mafia is trying to kill you... I would expect it was some sort of botched extortion or abduction attempt. Did they contact you earlier with any demands? Any demands you may have rejected?"

Antihero had a firm instinct based on his surveillance that this was the case, but he decided that if he went with the whole "Well we were watching you the whole time and we know the mob has been extorting you" thing wouldn't do much to build trust or good faith.

"Did you offend them? ... And if you did, then we have to act quickly, I have an idea on what their next move could be."

"Some guy did threaten me to Suport the Omnibus bill, that I went against... The Mafia has infiltrated Congress!" Steve had realized. "We need to inform the FBI, and I have to get back, ny gun bill is being voted on tomorrow!"

[Infected Mushroom]

Antihero

Is it possible to recruit this person?

The masked Antihero sat himself down by a counter. He invited Steve to take a seat as well. "There's drinks if you want, help yourself."

There was indeed, a selection of wines, juices, and various mineral waters by the walls and some cups. The decoration of the hideout was largely minimalistic and very neat; except for some of the drinks, most of this place was somehow empty.

"I'm a member of the Antihero Force... well... YES that's a name in progress until we get something better...," he said. "A former CIA commander put us together. There's roughly more than a dozen of us right now, we have good money backing us but for now... it's NOT a paid gig, we're all volunteer crime fighters... but we do have a big plan. All of us are aiming to fight against the Mafia and bring down the entire rotten edifice. As for why the Mafia is trying to kill you... I would expect it was some sort of botched extortion or abduction attempt. Did they contact you earlier with any demands? Any demands you may have rejected?"

Antihero had a firm instinct based on his surveillance that this was the case, but he decided that if he went with the whole "Well we were watching you the whole time and we know the mob has been extorting you" thing wouldn't do much to build trust or good faith.

"Did you offend them? ... And if you did, then we have to act quickly, I have an idea on what their next move could be."

"Some guy did threaten me to Suport the Omnibus bill, that I went against... The Mafia has infiltrated Congress!" Steve had realized. "We need to inform the FBI, and I have to get back, ny gun bill is being voted on tomorrow!"

Antihero

"I would strongly advise against it," Antihero said, raising a hand. "The Mafia controls everything. The FBI, the CIA... hell even the CRA, the EPA, you name it... all staffed with Mafia cronies. Look, I hate to break the bad news to you but you've effectively declared war on them and MY GUESS... is that they're going to come after you and your whole family now. It's completely up to you but personally... I wouldn't go to the authorities, there's just too much risk."

He considered the Senator before asking:

"Your family... back in Texas, do you have a place to hide them? If not... I can provide a few locations. I know it's A LOT to take in... but the worst thing you could possibly do is show up in Congress again, if you return there... I'm not sure we'll be able to protect you, whatever this gun bill thing is... I think it's the least of your worries."

Antihero himself wanted a drink but with this costume, it was impossible with his whole face covered. First he was denied a good drinking time at the Antihero meet-up and now here too.

"Look Mr. Johnson," he said. "I'll tell you the truth. I think you're a good person and a very skilled fighter... we made one hell of dynamic team back there. I think you'd make ONE HELL of a fighter on our team, especially with you special forces background and we'd make sure your family stays well hidden. But... I can't force you, the decision is yours in the end. So as things stand... you must choose:

Option 1: You walk out of here. We never met. Return to Congress openly or go into hiding. It's your call.

Option 2: Join us. Stay underground and hidden. And help us take down the Mafia... one member at a time.

Now that whatever you choose, we could assist with your family's hiding but please... do consider the fact that we made such a WONDERFUL TEAM BACK THERE... I mean we KILLED IT. What do you say?"

It was at moments like these that Antihero, and the somewhat unhinged individual under the mask, had a hard time restraining his hype and excitement.

Please pick Option 2... come now... come now...

[Christian Confederation]

"Some guy did threaten me to Suport the Omnibus bill, that I went against... The Mafia has infiltrated Congress!" Steve had realized. "We need to inform the FBI, and I have to get back, ny gun bill is being voted on tomorrow!"

Antihero

"I would strongly advise against it," Antihero said, raising a hand. "The Mafia controls everything. The FBI, the CIA... hell even the CRA, the EPA, you name it... all staffed with Mafia cronies. Look, I hate to break the bad news to you but you've effectively declared war on them and MY GUESS... is that they're going to come after you and your whole family now. It's completely up to you but personally... I wouldn't go to the authorities, there's just too much risk."

He considered the Senator before asking:

"Your family... back in Texas, do you have a place to hide them? If not... I can provide a few locations. I know it's A LOT to take in... but the worst thing you could possibly do is show up in Congress again, if you return there... I'm not sure we'll be able to protect you, whatever this gun bill thing is... I think it's the least of your worries."

Antihero himself wanted a drink but with this costume, it was impossible with his whole face covered. First he was denied a good drinking time at the Antihero meet-up and now here too.

"Look Mr. Johnson," he said. "I'll tell you the truth. I think you're a good person and a very skilled fighter... we made one hell of dynamic team back there. I think you'd make ONE HELL of a fighter on our team, especially with you special forces background and we'd make sure your family stays well hidden. But... I can't force you, the decision is yours in the end. So as things stand... you must choose:

Option 1: You walk out of here. We never met. Return to Congress openly or go into hiding. It's your call.

Option 2: Join us. Stay underground and hidden. And help us take down the Mafia... one member at a time.

Now that whatever you choose, we could assist with your family's hiding but please... do consider the fact that we made such a WONDERFUL TEAM BACK THERE... I mean we KILLED IT. What do you say?"

It was at moments like these that Antihero, and the somewhat unhinged individual under the mask, had a hard time restraining his hype and excitement.

Please pick Option 2... come now... come now...

Steve thought it over. "I have a duty to my constituents. I'm a dead man if I go back to Congress. I'll help fight the Mob, but I need to warn people about the mob." Steve said. "I need to go call my wife, after I'm done we can work on figuring out the mobs next move."

[Infected Mushroom]

Antihero

"I would strongly advise against it," Antihero said, raising a hand. "The Mafia controls everything. The FBI, the CIA... hell even the CRA, the EPA, you name it... all staffed with Mafia cronies. Look, I hate to break the bad news to you but you've effectively declared war on them and MY GUESS... is that they're going to come after you and your whole family now. It's completely up to you but personally... I wouldn't go to the authorities, there's just too much risk."

He considered the Senator before asking:

"Your family... back in Texas, do you have a place to hide them? If not... I can provide a few locations. I know it's A LOT to take in... but the worst thing you could possibly do is show up in Congress again, if you return there... I'm not sure we'll be able to protect you, whatever this gun bill thing is... I think it's the least of your worries."

Antihero himself wanted a drink but with this costume, it was impossible with his whole face covered. First he was denied a good drinking time at the Antihero meet-up and now here too.

"Look Mr. Johnson," he said. "I'll tell you the truth. I think you're a good person and a very skilled fighter... we made one hell of dynamic team back there. I think you'd make ONE HELL of a fighter on our team, especially with you special forces background and we'd make sure your family stays well hidden. But... I can't force you, the decision is yours in the end. So as things stand... you must choose:

Option 1: You walk out of here. We never met. Return to Congress openly or go into hiding. It's your call.

Option 2: Join us. Stay underground and hidden. And help us take down the Mafia... one member at a time.

Now that whatever you choose, we could assist with your family's hiding but please... do consider the fact that we made such a WONDERFUL TEAM BACK THERE... I mean we KILLED IT. What do you say?"

It was at moments like these that Antihero, and the somewhat unhinged individual under the mask, had a hard time restraining his hype and excitement.

Please pick Option 2... come now... come now...

Steve thought it over. "I have a duty to my constituents. I'm a dead man if I go back to Congress. I'll help fight the Mob, but I need to warn people about the mob." Steve said. "I need to go call my wife, after I'm done we can work on figuring out the mobs next move."

Antihero

“Excellent,” he said. “Yes do call them now. Get them to safety, the mob could decide to go after them. Do you have a safe house in mind? If not, I can write an address and a contact down.”

He opened a drawer and took out a pen and paper.

[Christian Confederation]

Steve thought it over. "I have a duty to my constituents. I'm a dead man if I go back to Congress. I'll help fight the Mob, but I need to warn people about the mob." Steve said. "I need to go call my wife, after I'm done we can work on figuring out the mobs next move."

Antihero

“Excellent,” he said. “Yes do call them now. Get them to safety, the mob could decide to go after them. Do you have a safe house in mind? If not, I can write an address and a contact down.”

He opened a drawer and took out a pen and paper.

"I have a place don't worry." He assured before calling his wife.
Waco Texas, Senator Johnson's House
"Peter go Wash up for Dinner!" Maggie Johnson called to her Son. "Yes ma'am." The boy called back. Then the house phone rang. "Johnson Residence?" She said. "Maggie it's Steve." He said. "Steve where are you, the News said you were kidnapped!" She asked with relief in her voice. "I can't talk for long, you need to get Peter, get in the car and get To Sanctuary. Don't stop for another go straight there." Steve ordered. "Steve you're scaring me what's going on?" She asked with fear in her voice. "The Government's Compromised, Big Conspiracy crap. I have to go, I love you. Don't trust anyone!" He said before hanging up. "Mama what was that about?" Peter asked. "We need to leave, go pack a bag, We'll get Dinner on the Way!" Maggie ordered her Son.

The Safehouse DC
Steve had just sent his wife and son into hiding. "Alright Antihero, what's our next move?"

[Infected Mushroom]

Antihero

“Excellent,” he said. “Yes do call them now. Get them to safety, the mob could decide to go after them. Do you have a safe house in mind? If not, I can write an address and a contact down.”

He opened a drawer and took out a pen and paper.

"I have a place don't worry." He assured before calling his wife.
Waco Texas, Senator Johnson's House
"Peter go Wash up for Dinner!" Maggie Johnson called to her Son. "Yes ma'am." The boy called back. Then the house phone rang. "Johnson Residence?" She said. "Maggie it's Steve." He said. "Steve where are you, the News said you were kidnapped!" She asked with relief in her voice. "I can't talk for long, you need to get Peter, get in the car and get To Sanctuary. Don't stop for another go straight there." Steve ordered. "Steve you're scaring me what's going on?" She asked with fear in her voice. "The Government's Compromised, Big Conspiracy crap. I have to go, I love you. Don't trust anyone!" He said before hanging up. "Mama what was that about?" Peter asked. "We need to leave, go pack a bag, We'll get Dinner on the Way!" Maggie ordered her Son.

The Safehouse DC
Steve had just sent his wife and son into hiding. "Alright Antihero, what's our next move?"

Antihero

Shortly into the meeting, Antihero had received confirmation through his earpiece that Remy Dubois had managed to safely extract himself from the battle... without incident. He breathed with relief.

"Excellent," Antihero replied in response to Steve. "Now the mob won't be able to get to your family. We are very VERY glad to have you onboard."

And he meant it. With Steve's experience as a political administrator, and his considerable skills in weapons, combat, and explosives with the Army Rangers, the team's combat capability had just gone up considerably.

"Here's what we have so far. Our leader, he goes by the alias Tom Gabriels, he's found an underground Mafia base up in the mountains of New York state. We have it on good intel that it's a location where the Mafia keeps a large number of important prisoners with magical powers. Cruel and inhumane experiments are taking place there, hidden from the public view. And yes... fortunately... or unfortunately, it seems that Combat Magic is real; we live in a strange world. I KNOW... the first time I saw, it was a scary thing. ... Anyhow, our plan is to put together roughly a dozen of our best fighters and hit the place hard... Black Ops Style. You should see the AMAZING TEAM we've put together... ex special forces, magic users, we've even got this prodigious hacker girl and our own ninja it's a KICKER."

He paused before continuing:

"If all goes well we can expose some of the mob's filthiest laundries to the world and we can get a few of the magical prisoners to join our cause... others might be willing to go public with what's happening. But of course... the plan is not without risks. We've done some scouting with drones and scopes and we've found the entrance but not much else; the place looks high tech, state-of-the-art. We're going to need every gun we can get and I expect the Mafia is going to bring out Big Guns inside. Our frontline, which I will fight with, could use some bolstering... would you consider taking part in the raid with us?"

[Christian Confederation]

"I have a place don't worry." He assured before calling his wife.
Waco Texas, Senator Johnson's House
"Peter go Wash up for Dinner!" Maggie Johnson called to her Son. "Yes ma'am." The boy called back. Then the house phone rang. "Johnson Residence?" She said. "Maggie it's Steve." He said. "Steve where are you, the News said you were kidnapped!" She asked with relief in her voice. "I can't talk for long, you need to get Peter, get in the car and get To Sanctuary. Don't stop for another go straight there." Steve ordered. "Steve you're scaring me what's going on?" She asked with fear in her voice. "The Government's Compromised, Big Conspiracy crap. I have to go, I love you. Don't trust anyone!" He said before hanging up. "Mama what was that about?" Peter asked. "We need to leave, go pack a bag, We'll get Dinner on the Way!" Maggie ordered her Son.

The Safehouse DC
Steve had just sent his wife and son into hiding. "Alright Antihero, what's our next move?"

Antihero

Shortly into the meeting, Antihero had received confirmation through his earpiece that Remy Dubois had managed to safely extract himself from the battle... without incident. He breathed with relief.

"Excellent," Antihero replied in response to Steve. "Now the mob won't be able to get to your family. We are very VERY glad to have you onboard."

And he meant it. With Steve's experience as a political administrator, and his considerable skills in weapons, combat, and explosives with the Army Rangers, the team's combat capability had just gone up considerably.

"Here's what we have so far. Our leader, he goes by the alias Tom Gabriels, he's found an underground Mafia base up in the mountains of New York state. We have it on good intel that it's a location where the Mafia keeps a large number of important prisoners with magical powers. Cruel and inhumane experiments are taking place there, hidden from the public view. And yes... fortunately... or unfortunately, it seems that Combat Magic is real; we live in a strange world. I KNOW... the first time I saw, it was a scary thing. ... Anyhow, our plan is to put together roughly a dozen of our best fighters and hit the place hard... Black Ops Style. You should see the AMAZING TEAM we've put together... ex special forces, magic users, we've even got this prodigious hacker girl and our own ninja it's a KICKER."

He paused before continuing:

"If all goes well we can expose some of the mob's filthiest laundries to the world and we can get a few of the magical prisoners to join our cause... others might be willing to go public with what's happening. But of course... the plan is not without risks. We've done some scouting with drones and scopes and we've found the entrance but not much else; the place looks high tech, state-of-the-art. We're going to need every gun we can get and I expect the Mafia is going to bring out Big Guns inside. Our frontline, which I will fight with, could use some bolstering... would you consider taking part in the raid with us?"

"The sooner we beat these commies we can end the corruption. And the sooner I can get back to work." Steve said. "I need to get a message out to my constituents.'

[Infected Mushroom]

Antihero

Shortly into the meeting, Antihero had received confirmation through his earpiece that Remy Dubois had managed to safely extract himself from the battle... without incident. He breathed with relief.

"Excellent," Antihero replied in response to Steve. "Now the mob won't be able to get to your family. We are very VERY glad to have you onboard."

And he meant it. With Steve's experience as a political administrator, and his considerable skills in weapons, combat, and explosives with the Army Rangers, the team's combat capability had just gone up considerably.

"Here's what we have so far. Our leader, he goes by the alias Tom Gabriels, he's found an underground Mafia base up in the mountains of New York state. We have it on good intel that it's a location where the Mafia keeps a large number of important prisoners with magical powers. Cruel and inhumane experiments are taking place there, hidden from the public view. And yes... fortunately... or unfortunately, it seems that Combat Magic is real; we live in a strange world. I KNOW... the first time I saw, it was a scary thing. ... Anyhow, our plan is to put together roughly a dozen of our best fighters and hit the place hard... Black Ops Style. You should see the AMAZING TEAM we've put together... ex special forces, magic users, we've even got this prodigious hacker girl and our own ninja it's a KICKER."

He paused before continuing:

"If all goes well we can expose some of the mob's filthiest laundries to the world and we can get a few of the magical prisoners to join our cause... others might be willing to go public with what's happening. But of course... the plan is not without risks. We've done some scouting with drones and scopes and we've found the entrance but not much else; the place looks high tech, state-of-the-art. We're going to need every gun we can get and I expect the Mafia is going to bring out Big Guns inside. Our frontline, which I will fight with, could use some bolstering... would you consider taking part in the raid with us?"

"The sooner we beat these commies we can end the corruption. And the sooner I can get back to work." Steve said. "I need to get a message out to my constituents.'

Antihero

Hmmm... Commies? Didn't George say some of the prisoners were Comm- AYE. Whatever. We'll get to the politics later.

"A message to the people?" Antihero asked, somewhat skeptical. "Well I would recommend keeping a low profile for now but if you find a way to deliver some message without giving our location away and it helps bolster the people's morale..."

He flashed Steve two thumbs up. "Give me a sec."

Antihero left briefly and came back with a small blue laptop and a printed document. "I'm going to show you a few things on the computer. This will help you stay in coms with Tom and the others. We may have a few meetings here and there to further coordinate the attack. I think Tom Gabriels and you will get along, he's ex-CIA. Heck, I wish I had a special forces background it seems like I MISSED OUT."

Antihero and Steve had a discussion very late into the night. Antihero showed Steve how to use their communications system; some intel was also shared regarding the planned attack on the Vault, the positions, and the expected threats. When all was said and done, Steve Johnson could decide to stay at the compound or find a different place to hide.

"It's up to you Senator," Antihero said. "This place is 100 percent safe and I am paying big bucks for this crusade against the mob; it's a huge project of mine. Feel free to stay if you want."