The Awakened - First Pillar (IC Thread)

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

"Then call me Ares, as bloodshed and war are the only things I have ever known." Viktor said. "However, the Government already knows my name, and it is feared for good reason. There wasn't a team I haven't lead to its death. So perhaps it is better, they don't know who I am." He said.

[Arkhi]

As should be expected, Keaton felt a chill go down his spine upon seeing Hades.

"Good morning," he said stiffly, choosing his words wisely. "I'm just looking for some food." And please let it not be Hades-ized. "But after that, is there anything I should do?"
Keaton wanted to spend the day getting into the network. This place's security was tight, but getting in would be invaluable. However, he couldn't risk suspicion on day one.

[Supernovae]

Jude reached into his cloak and pulled out his sword, looking at it's rather abysmal condition. Spending the better part of the last year running from town to town and hiding out in the woods didn't leave him with many useful possessions."I don't suppose you'd have any weapons. I know I've grown famous by slaughtering senators with my blade, but I doubt the lord would mind me putting a bullet in his foes."

[rustytengo]

"You don't need to worry about me messing with memories to much, after all altering a story already written is easier then making a new. You get less contradictions between things that way. So if unless there's something else you would like to say, I will be going now? I need to find some new clothes as well and that might take a while. I don't have much money to buy them with so its going to take a bit to find ones I can afford in New York." Beverly rambled as she headed to leave Cedric's office.

[Chim]

Eugene watched Beetle leave through the portal. Us. One of us is missing. That last part Beetle said replayed in Eugene’s head a few times. Does that include me? Am I one of ‘us’? He never had an ‘us’ he was a part of since he didn’t have many friends. Sure he talked to people in school, but only one person ever stood up for him. And he failed that person.

Eugene wasn’t exactly sure why but after a few minutes he followed Beetle. Maybe it was because he wanted to be a part of ‘us’, or maybe he didn’t want to fail someone who stood up for him again. “I-I’m going too. I d-don’t know who Rebecca is, but my a-ability can be of some use.”

[Chevaleresse]

"Not to be arrogant, but I believe that there's no situation in which I wouldn't be useful. Unless, perhaps, we needed to do a lot of sitting still." Allen hurried after Beetle, using a small amount of his power to speed his passage.

[Jory]

Lux nodded at Beverly's statement. "She's right. All I have here are the clothes I was caught running in. Cedric, I'm going to need to ask you for some funds so that we can maintain our appearances. It's for the mission, obviously," Lux said with a gleam in his eye. As long as they were going to a party, Lux was going to roll through in style. He then turned and addressed Beverly as she was leaving the room. "Aren't you going to need money for your new clothing? We haven't even given you any yet. And don't say you're going to use your powers. We need to keep a low profile if we don't want to catch the government's attention during this mission."

[rustytengo]

Beverly stopped at Lux's words and turned back to him a smile "I don't think the government is tracking men buying clothes for pretty girls. But I see your point." Turning to Cedric with on eye closed and a cute smile and her head tilted a little to the side "Could I pretty please have some money to buy some pretty clothes for the party Mr. Cedric" Beverly said teasingly with a giggle.

[Snap Crackle Pop]

Alice wasn't going to sit around when someone was missing from their little group, and hopefully her powers could prove to be useful. She cast a glance to Nexus before passing through the portal, briefly wondering if he had to stay there the entire time while they were out.

[Flux]

(And we're back, now that I finally had the time to do this.)

Jory, rustytengo

The car pulled up to the location of the dinner party. As Lux and Beverly stepped out, the size of the place was instantly imposed on them. The house was practically a mansion, covering at least three stories and stretching across a massive lawn. The lawn itself was decorated with fountains in the shape of angels, water pouring from their cupped hands, and multiple gardens. The estate was surrounded by a wrought-iron fence that stood around 15 feet high. The front gate was closed, with a guard standing at either side. Lux and Beverly were both dressed well, with Cedric having granted them some spending money. (((Up to you how you are dressed. Cedric is actually very wealthy, though he doesn't like to show it often.))) The driver pulled away, leaving the duo to deal with their entrance alone.

Stratos

There was the sound of tires on gravel as the car pulled up to the cabin. Two men were inside, one of whom exited the vehicle and approached the cabin. He had a tuxedo in his arms, presumably for Anver to change into before the dinner party he would need to get into.

Hukuna

Viktor, now known as Ares, found himself inside the estate, having been coerced into attending. Zeus and Poseidon stood by the two doors that led to the room, on opposite walls. They looked very much like guards, though perhaps that was to be expected, considering their jobs. There was a bar in the corner, the back shelf filled with all sorts of expensive liquor. A man was tending to it, meticulously wiping the bottles and the bar itself. He had short-kept blonde hair and blue eyes, and was dressed in a black vest covering a white shirt with a bowtie. Nothing in particular stood out about him. He appeared to be a very average man, probably hired simply for the necessity of a bartender. In contrast, the other guests currently in the room all appeared very wealthy. They were of many age groups, making small talk with each other around the room. The bartender called out, noticing Viktor standing alone.

"Anything I can get you, sir? Perhaps some wine?" He gave a casual smile. "I assure you, they have almost anything you could imagine here; it's quite the collection."

K_H, typhlosionrulez

The duo was dropped off outside of the city, a short distance away from where they would be heading. They could see the building, as there was not much else past it besides fields. It appeared relatively small from the outside, only reaching one story into the air, but stretching a good distance across the ground. The walls were made from stone and cement, and there were no windows in sight. A security globe was stationed above the metal doors in front, watching those who would approach. It appeared they would need to deal with that first before even knowing if the doors would open.

Snap Crackle Pop, King Murdoc, Chimchain

The group had traveled for most of the day, finding almost no clues as to where Rebecca could be. Beetle's grandfather had tagged along when he discovered what had happened, and even Nexus had tagged along. They were now in the outskirts of New York, having searched everywhere else in the near vicinity. A car stopped a few blocks down, and two men stepped out. It was hard to get a good look at them from this far, but Beetle could see them much better through the eyes of the insects he had scattered around. One of them wore an embroidered blue coat that stretched to the ground, along with a fancy white shirt, while the other wore a black trenchcoat that hid his torso. Beetle was only able to catch a small part of their conversation since he had not really been focused on them, but what he heard snapped him into focus.

"...remember, get the pyrokinetic girl and get out. Keep conflict to a minimum, and most importantly, do not force her."

Beetle turned to the others quickly, breaking off contact with the insect.

"I think I may have gotten a lead on Rebecca!" He pointed down the road. "Those men said something about a pyrokinetic girl, and it sounded like she was being held somewhere. It's got to be Rebecca! And besides, it's the only lead we have! I think we should follow them."

Supernovae

The car stopped a distance away from the location. Jude knew the plan: He would walk the rest of the way before infiltrating the target building. Still, Zweiss stepped out with him to give him a final reminder.

"This is the moment, Jude. Your first mission. Remember, get the pyrokinetic girl and get out. Keep conflict to a minimum, and most importantly, do not force her. A willing ally is many times greater a benefit than a hostage. Your ability will simplify make the task." He waved a hand as he stepped back into the car. The tires spun as it drove away, leaving Jude to make his way to the destination.

(((You will arrive after K_H and typhlosion have made it inside already...)))

Arkhidon

"Good morning. I'm just looking for some food. But after that, is there anything I should do?"

Hades frowned. "...You didn't really answer my question. You aren't the best at this conversation stuff are you?" He spun the donut around his finger and shrugged. "But not really. Do what you want..." He began to walk away before spinning around again. He had a malicious grin on his face. "Actually... I'll be heading out on...'business' later today. I think it would be quite interesting for the both of us if you tagged along. How 'bout it?"

[Jory]

Lux got out of the car, scanning the area as he emerged from the vehicle. So far so good... he thought to himself as he took a step forward, watching Beverly disembark the car. He gestured for her to link arms with him. "Remember, our mission is to find the official and press him for information about the new government program that's looking into the Pillar. We need to get access to any information they have about it. Let's keep a low profile. The last thing we want is to advertise the fact that we're Awakened." He looked toward the house, noting the military-looking men guarding the entrance. "We don't want to run into any trouble here. We're outgunned."

[Ragnar]

Ace lights his cigarette as leans on a wall.He acts casual like a normal bystander as he observes their designated area. "Oy, Kenny..there's it is, it seems its more secure than i thought. that place is locked in tight" Ace sighed. "see that metal orb over there, it seems like camera" Ace points out the globe by tilting his head.

"How good is your aim, think you can disable that globe with your aura blast?" Ace said to Kenny. "once you destroy the globe. i'll carry you close to walls so you can blast our way in."

[K_H]

Kenny responded to Ace.

"No Problem. heck, i could even bust through the Doors at this range!"

as Kenny spoke, he pulled out the Quartz Crystal Pendant from underneath his shirt. He then aimed at the Security Globe, and fired off an Aura Beam at the Globe, destroying it. as he did so, the Quartz Crystal flashed blue. Kenny then turned his attention to the Doors, and fired off a Sphere at them with enough force to blast them right off of their Hinges, and the crystal flashed blue again once the Sphere collided with the Door. The Door then fell inwards.

[Ragnar]

"Nice work kid" Ace said to Kenny as he quickly grab the boy's body and holds the back of Kenny's head, to prevent any whiplash by the force of his speed. "Okay, now hold on.. you might feel nauseated after this trip" Ace sheepishly smiles at his partner. without waiting for Kenny's response, the speedster runs off at a supersonic speed, carrying Kenny along with him as they enter the busted door and went inside the prison, seemingly undetected, like a breeze entering the place.

Edited September 25, 2014 by typhlosionrulez

[Sutoratosu]

Anver looked up from the table at the sound of the Vehicle approaching, getting up from the Mahogany slab of wood and approaching the window. He concentrated for a moment. Two human heat signatures popped up on his mental Thermal Screen, one in the car, and another just outside the door. It was time. And Anver was ready... though he honestly didn't know what the hell was waiting for him after this little excursion. For all he knew, Utopia would just roll up after he had done the job and pop a cap in him too; putting a hit on the hitman. But no... there was no time to think about what might happen, only time to think about what must happen, and what he must do.

"Show time..." The embattled man sighed, pulling his Glock out from the back of his waistband. He loaded a single round into the chamber. Thoughts of just opening the door and killing the man outside and jacking the car couldn't help but flash through his mind, but he suppressed them just as quickly as they had appeared. Cooperation is what was needed right now... there would be a time to spill blood, of that Anver was sure. But now, was not it. He lowered the gun and stowed it inside of his Blazer pocket, opening the door and greeting the man outside, noticing the suit he carried.

"I suppose that tux is for me..."

[Supernovae]

Jude walked toward the building as the car sped away. It was a strange building, no windows, made entirely of concrete. But, one thing caught his eye. He could see a small gray camera that was destroyed by some blast along with a caved in door.

"Strange," he muttered to himself. As he turned and stepped forward through the doorway.

[rustytengo]

Beverly was now wearing a knee length black dress that bared her arms and was cut so that if someone wanted to look at her features they would actually have to try, with her black leggings, a pair of black flats and dark grey gloves that went to her wrists.

Beverly stepped out of the car she looked around the estate "Well this is a perfect place for a party the location makes for a lot of chances for some interesting stories" She thought to her self until she herd Lux talk to her.

"Remember, our mission is to find the official and press him for information about the new government program that's looking into the Pillar. We need to get access to any information they have about it. Let's keep a low profile. The last thing we want is to advertise the fact that we're Awakened."

"We don't want to run into any trouble here. We're outgunned."

As Beverly linked her arm with Lux's, she said to him with a smile "Observant as always aren't you? Anyway you don't need to worry I am actually pretty good at keeping a low profile if need be. Though we shouldn't let our guard down either, I am sure we won't be the only Awakened here. At least if any book I have read is any indication."

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

"I prefer a good whiskey my man. Someone like me has seen to much to even consider a frilly little wine. Something hard, punches you in the jaw. If you got anything like that, I'd be happy to suck it down." Viktor said, while he smoked a small cigarette. As this was guard duty for the most part, he didn't want to have to put out one of his good cigars if somebody came looking for trouble, so he smoked cheaper stuff he didn't care about on this kind of details.

[Jory]

Lux grinned at Beverly, the woman's black dress going very well with the young man's fitted black ssuit with a slim black tie and a white collared shirt. Simple yet elegant, he thought to himself, glad he'd picked such attire for the situation. He looked at the woman again. "You know, just because we're here on business doesn't mean we can't have fun while we hunt down that official. Let's head inside," he said to his partner, leading her toward the well-guarded entrance to the grounds. Hopefully Cedric had taken care of his end and they would have no difficulties getting into the event.

[Flux]

Jory, rustytengo

The guard held out a hand as they approached.

"Invitations please."

He inspected the cards that were handed over before giving a signal to the other guard. He waved them through as he opened the gate.

"Welcome. Please enjoy the party."

Lux and Beverly walked through the gates, finding themselves on the main lawn. A series of paths wove around the gardens, while a larger main path led to the estate. The were small groups of people walking the paths, admiring the gardens and talking amongst themselves.

---------------------------------------------

Hukuna

The bartender smiled as he turned back to the bar.

"I know the feeling. I think we've all had those days."

He grabbed a bottle and a glass and began pouring it.

"So, what do you do that's got you in on a party like this, Mr. ...?" the bartender asked, raising an eyebrow and ending it in a question. "You must be somebody important, though I'm afraid I don't recognize you."

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Stratos

The man nodded.

"Come to the car when you're changed."

(((You can skip to the party if you want. No need to do the guard scene.)))

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K_H, typhlosionrulez

The duo walked through the broken door, finding themselves in a narrow corridor with a steel door at the end. Three police officers came out, armed with pistols. They all had their guns raised.

"Put your hands in the air and get on your knees!" one shouted. "You're breaking into a government building! We will not hesitate to fire if you come any closer!"

It was easy to tell that the officers were uneasy. They probably had no idea what had destroyed the camera and the door.

Edited September 29, 2014 by Flux

[Ragnar]

Ace rolls his eyes after seeing the armed police officers, "Really now?" Ace said as he steps forth towards the three man with a smile on his face. with that, In a blink of an eye, Ace takes the initiative and flash step towards the three man, disarming them at ludicrous speed, taking their guns right out of their hands and strips them off their radio. He then deliver a pistol whip on the back of the two officer's neck, knocking them out cold into the ground.

"Looks like the tables have turn, don't move! we're just here for the girl. where is she!?" Ace said as he pointed gun at the remaining officer.

Edited September 29, 2014 by typhlosionrulez

[K_H]

Kenny walked over to the Door while Ace held the Officer at gunpoint, and used Aura Beams to slice through the Door's Hinges and Lock, producing much the same sound as a Laser Cutter as he did so, Quartz Crystal Pendant flashing blue three times. Kenny then knocked the Door down with a single punch.

Edited September 29, 2014 by K_H

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

"I am a phantom of war, a man who leaves everything in his wake in destruction. Why I am here, not sure. I guess just because I don't want to step on any toes. New to these parts, and they invited me, and I don't want to be that guy. But government people and I don't mix. I am a solider, and war is all I know. All I am good for is killing. Guess they feel safer with me around though, don't need a security detail when you invite a monster to your party. You can call me Viktor Grimes, or just Viktor. Those boys will call me Ares." Viktor said, pointing towards Zeus and Poseidon when he found them in the crowd. "And others will call me the Crimson Tide. But you just call me Viktor. I am just a normal guy like you, got a family to protect, and this is the only way I know how." He took a deep swig of his whiskey, as he put out his cigarette.

[Jory]

"Thank you," Lux said as he took their invitations and led Beverly into the party. He scanned to his left and right, not noticing anything particularly out of the ordinary. "Nothing in particular is setting me off, Bev. How about you?" he asked discreetly as he steered the couple toward the groups of people talking on the lawn. If we're going to find anyone, we need to mingle. The bar might be a good place for that, he speculated, reminding himself to check that area later in the evening. For now, it seemed as though the bulk of the party was still outside. And where there's people, there's talking, he said to himself as he awaited Beverly's reply.

[Sutoratosu]

Anver adjusted his sleeve cuffs as he walked through the front doors of the Estate, glancing around at the party goers and refined social elites and government officials in attendance. It was a bit ironic, if one thought about it. The former CEO and his families would used to attend parties just like this from time to time... Anver himself had been among the elites. But he had fallen from that position a good while ago. And yet here he was, at another party. It was just that this time his wife and daughters weren't with him; this time, his family were hostages, and this Dinner party a test... a test that would decide whether or not they would live or die. And there was no way in hell he was going to allow himself to fail.

He found a relatively quiet corner of the place, sitting down at one of the many tables and pulling out a triple encrypted burner phone. He usually reserved the ones this powerful at discretion and stealth for emergencies, given the fact that most of them cost more than a damn smart phone because of the advanced software required to preform the call in the first place, encrypt it all three times, getting more complex with each round, send it wherever to what ever mobile or land line it needed to get to, and then de-encrypt it all three times on the other end. And it had to do all these things in just a few seconds at the very most, for efficiency's sake.

"Anver!" Alan's voice echoed in his ear after he dialed the man's number on the touch screen. "Thank god! I was beginning to think that you had been captured by the TSA!" Anver raised his eyebrow upon hearing that.

"Why would you think that?" he asked, a hint of suspicion in his voice. he had a feeling something had gone down after he'd left Donovan... "Didn't Donovan call you after wards to tell you that everything went fine?" There was silence on the other end. "Allan?" he questioned. "Allan, what's going on; how is it that you thought I was dead?"

"Donovan's gone without a trace,"Allan blurted on his end. "After his jet landed in New York, I received word that all his bank accounts were emptied... and then I didn't hear anything more. I've tried at least a dozen times in the past day to reach him, but my calls always end up ringing forever and ever on his end. Though, I guess he probably fled to somewhere in Europe or Asia; he does have investments in a few foreign companies...and God knows how many dual citizenship the guy has managed to obtain over the decades. But i figured that if he just up'd and left without a single word to anyone, it had to have had something to do with you."

"Oh, it probably does..." Anver sighed.

"How so?"

"I know the man a lot better than you; that's just the way he is. The guy's prudent beyond words with almost everything he does, whether it be his investments, his business choices, his associates, or even getting into any type of agreement at all. And he's damn near paranoid about the law; hence why I was a bit surprised when you told me he was willing to let me hitch a ride with him. But I can see now that this was his plan all along, probably from the minute you asked him to help me; he would do it, because his sentimentality ruled stronger than his paranoia. but the moment the deed was done, he was gonna get the hell out of America entirely, and head somewhere where it would be absolute hell for the government to get him back here to file any Felony Charges."

There was silence on Allan's end for a minute, then:

"I see. This was his ultimate insurance policy, encase things didn't work out for you." The was an edge of anger in Allan's voice just then. Being a Spec Ops veteran, Allan had a pretty damn strong ideal of comradery and not abandoning your allies in a fight. Anver could tell that he was probably grinding his teeth on the other end, thinking of Donovan as a complete coward for not staying in the states.

"Don't think of him like that," Anver chided.

"What? how did you...?"

"I know you better than you think, my friend" He answered. "Don't go wasting your time fuming over the man, this is just who he is. He's always going to be thinking about himself first and foremost at the end of the day, even while he's helping friends. I've come to call it Selfish Altruism over the years."

"Oh please, Altruism my ass!"

"He helped me, didn't he?" Anver interjected. "You and I both know he didn't have to. He could've just flat rejected your plea and call the feds on both of us." There was again silence on the other end. Anver heard another voice in the background over the transceiver, one thick with an Indian or Pakistani accent, whoever it was, they were speaking in a fast paced foreign tongue. There was the sound of the phone being placed down and a heavy set door closing shut. then a few seconds of silence. Then the sound of the door opening again, a person running and the phone being picked up a abruptly. Allan's voice came back on, somewhat Urgent.

"Shit! shit! Shiiiiiit!" he repeatedly cursed. Anver leaned forward a bit on the table.

"What's going on, Allan?" he demanded, his own voice filling with an urgent tone.

"Feds! A Couple of fucking feds just busted in while I was meeting with a potential contact for you! A Little Pakistani man who owns a dry cleaners. Used to be in the Indian army before he went A-wall and illegally immigrated in a boat."

"So... what?" Anver asked. "Did they come to come to send him back? he get caught or something?"

"No!" Allan shouted. other voices doing the same could be heard in the background in the call. "These guys weren't Immigration! They sported full black head from though, shades over their eyes! I know damn well you know the type!" The sounds of Dogs barking and even more shouting filled the call. The K-9s sounded as though they were getting closer and closer to the phone. "Fuck!" Allan cursed. "These guys definitely aren't Immigration, they move too damn fast!"

"They just sic Attack dogs on you?" Anver questioned, a bit concerned now. Allan was fully capable of handling himself, much more than Anver. but if the feds were resorting to sicing dogs on people they suspected of associating with people...well, with people like him, then that was an extremely troubling sign...

"No! Thank God the didn't!" Allan shouted on the other end. even as he spoke, the barking faded. "I had to freaking hop the fence into someone's backyard. they had a Fucking German Shepard and a Pit-Rot-wieller mix out!" That's when a gun shot was heard. Allan screamed in pain, the sound of someone falling to the ground could be heard. Allan's voice was more urgent than Anver had ever heard it. "Bastards just shot me! Right in the damn back of the knee, Jesus!"

"Allan!" Anver shouted, standing up bolt upright from the table. "Allan, where are you!?" There was no answer. just more shouting and the sound of more of Allan yelling obscenities... and then a line akin to "Say hello to my little friend!" followed by the sound of sub machine gun fire.

"ALLAN!" he shouted again. he had no idea who the hell had shouted out the phrase or opened fire. Then the call ended. Anver reached up slowly and pulled the device away from his ear, seeing the words "Signal Lost" scrawling across the bright blue screen in bold white letters. He jostled the table roughly in anger at having lost the call at that particular moment. The cuffs on his sleeve were beginning to singe with heat. he could smell a slight smokiness...

"What? Oh, No, No, no!" he said, flustering as he tried to control himself and his power. he quickly was able to force himself to calm, thankfully. He looked down at his white cuffs. The thing's hadn't been singed too badly... but they would still be noticeable. "Fuck it," he said, taking both the accessories off and stowing them inside his Tux. The only thing he could hope right now was that Allan hadn't just been killed...and that no one had noticed his reaction. He glanced around discretely, thanking God that no one had even so much as looked in his direction during the whole conversation and reaction just now. He had made a good choice with this table.

"Alright," He said, preparing a pep talk for himself. "Calm down, we can figure out where Allan is after this, but right now, there's a job to do...Focus! They're counting on you!" and focus he indeed did, bringing up the Thermal Field in his mind. he homed in on the Bartenders lower than average heat signature in an instant.

"There!" he said, snapping his eyes open and directing his attention to the bar. Oh...how Ironic...well, he could see why the Utopia guy, Alister, had called his target "The Bartender" now. "Now... to wait for an opportunity... towards the end of this, when everyone's leaving..." He smirked at his entirely new plan. He'd pose as the sad drunk and go over and start drinking half way through the event, evaporating every drop of alcohol before it could get into his system. Then, after the party ended, he'd wait till the fool would doubtlessly call for a cab for him... and then he'd start this whole mess with the element of surprise on his side, and do what was needed... for his family.