“Usually yes, they are but the death toll with this drug is much greater than normal. There such a massive number of victims that they are looking at it more as a drug induced disease then a drug, lacking answers and feeling pressured to find a solution to the unexplained death toll. The drug itself is Heroine mixed with something else, what that second factor is, I haven’t a clue nor does police officials. They can’t seem to get a sample of it, even from the user’s body because it is absorbed in the system so fast. I was given a detailed case file over it the morning Athene called me about Hecate.”
Hephaestus hummed noncomittaly into the microphone built into his helmet and gunned the motor as he checked for oncoming traffic. A moment later he eased off the curb and out into the flow of other vehicles making their way through the cities streets. Well aware of the recent hostilities that Nemesis had directed toward him, and even more aware that her frustration with him wasn't entirely unfounded he made a point of restraining himself during the drive.*
"Could we swing by your place and collect that file? It might be worth it to peruse the entire contents of it for any more information on this drug. I'm beginning to piece together a rather... disturbing idea of what the difference in it might be from plain old garden variety Heroine. Where are you living these days? I regret I haven't kept abreast of what everyone else in the family has been up to recently."
“Not unless you want to take a two hour flight to my-Jeremiah’s apartment. Something I’m not ideal with. All the information is up here in my head, where it’s safe and not likely to be messed with,” Nemesis said as her hands tightened, her eyes squinted to peer through the blackness of the helmet’s visor. Each time he zigzagged, it felt like she was going to be tossed off any moment forcing her stomach to toss,” Perhaps but what it has to do with us, I don’t catch. After Hades, I separated from her and the rest of the Olympians since the fate’s thread was broken there was no reason to stay anymore.” * **
The drive didn't take long luckily and he left Nemesis to think in silence as he drove, focusing on keeping them safely on the road and within the speed limit. Both of which took far more restraint than he liked. Might have to spend more time drawing less attention to myself he thought. It shouldn't be this difficult to follow the rules.
When they finally arrive at the Warehouse he tapped a button built into the ide of the tank mounted dashboard readout on bike and the remote sent a signal to the sliding metal door that lead into the shops loading bay. It slid up with a loud hum and the rattling of metal against metal and he pulled into the shop, letting the door close behind them.*
He got off the bike and began making his way around the shop collecting odds and ends scattered on the many long metal tables that dominated one half of the gigantic room. Beneath half of a fender he pulled an item. Inside an oil tank e found another. From underneath one of the tables he retrived something that had been tapped to the underside. All of the items he placed on a clear space on one table and as more pieces were brought over it quickly became apparent that he was collecting the parts to a gun. A moment later he set down an extremely heavy looking barrel. It was at least three feet long and would have easily accomadated a .50 round.
A very large gun.
On one wall a heavy metal shelving unit, laden down with motorcycle parts slid aside easily on a hidden track and revealed a large armory behind it. Guns, swords, shields, axes, war hammers, spears, bows and arrows in plentiful supply as well as crate upon crate of various types of ammunition. Crates marked 'High Explosive'. Grenades, L.A.W's, mines and other such weapons were collected and placed in large boxes.
Being in here made her nervous, the weapons and explosives, it all felt like millions of daggers were pointed right at Nemesis. She had dismounted with Hephaestus and followed him, her wings wrapped about her body keeping her warm and wary. She didn’t like it here one bit showing through her graceful steps while walking closer to Hephaestus Nemesis crossed her arms about her front, the cords in her pocket pressed firmly into her side while she heard the boots scuffle across the concrete flooring. Inside her helmet came a ringing sound followed by Hephaestus’s while Nemesis struggled to figure out how to dislodge her phone, afraid she might break it, the Forge Master likely answered his. It was the text message from Athene asking where he and Nemesis was.*
“Hephaestus how hells can you gets my phone out of here?” Her hands taking off her helmet, cradling it into her hands while she looked it over and over. Red eyes shifting over the smooth surface taking it in with each pass, unsure where the detaching device was for this gods be shaken piece of hardware. There was frustration in her voice that couldn’t be denied.
Hephaestus looked up from his phone to see Nemesis fiddling with the device attached to her helmet. "That's not the phone, that's just the blue tooth unit," he said as he gently took the helmet from her before she broke anything. He pressed a button on the device disconnecting it from the phones wireless link and her phone started ringing and vibrating in her pocket. "There you go."
He loaded he crates and pieces of the gun onto a large metal cart and began dragging it along the floor to the back wall of the warehouse. Pressing a button on the wall he waited and a minute later a well concealed elevator door slid open, with no accompanying bell or chime. He smiled at the private thought and stepped in, hauling the cart along behind him and motioned for Nemesis to follow.
When she stepped on he pressed the single button on the inside control panel and the doors slid shut as the elevator began to descend beneath the street. When it opened it did so onto blackness. The room beyond was pitch dark.
Until he hit the lights.*
The underground space was as massive if not more so than the warehouse above. At a glance it was easy to think that it stretched under the street outside and as far as the next block over. How he could have built such a space, even with the powers of a God was difficult to fathom.*
Sitting dead center directly ahead of them was an unusual vehicle. Black, heavily armored with narrow slits in the sides for weapons fire. There was a heavy chair on a rotating turret on the roof.*
"I give you," Hephaestus said, "The Thunder Bolt. I was thinking of giving it to Zeus to play with after he ruined the transmission on my rig from our last little adventure. It'll do for now." He walked over, dragging the cart with him and opened the side door, a large hinged affair that swung up on a couple of hydraulic arms. As it lifted it was clear that the metal walls had been reinforced and were now at least 3 inches thick. They would most likely stand up to small artillery fire if he had built them right. And he always built things right.
He loaded all the weaponry into the interior, an empty space entirely save for the drivers seat up front.*
"This used to be a City Bus. I found it at an auction and made some alterations. The armor is really heavy so I actually had to appropriate and adapt an engine from an A-1 Tank, only thing with enough power to move all this weight and at reasonable speed.*
"The suspension has been beefed up considerably and I changed out the tires for an off-road style normally used on tractors or heavy digging equipment. This baby will run right over just about any kind of terrain and once I get the browning mounted on the turret on the roof we could defend against an air assault as well." He grinned cheerfully and patted the side of the metal monstrosity.*
"Well? What do you think Nemesis?"
Originally Posted by Fallenreaper
