The Great Escape was bustling with patrons. The success of both Gemini and the Mavericks meant that they were gaining influence in the area. They were starting to carry out more operations, and they needed external help for a lot of that. Naturally, the heart of all freelance activity was thriving because of it. They might not have seen eye to eye on a single thing, but they all loved money and they all liked the business.

This also made it a relatively safe place for meetups. Needless to say, the life of a freelance esper can get pretty dicey, so they tend to frown on people stirring up shit in their outposts. The Great Escape was one such outpost, and nobody was allowed to hurt anyone else.

Viper had said that she would meet with Lilliah and/or Silmeria later to pick up a box, but she had been attacked. It was not evident if she would return or not, and no specific time had been given. There wasn’t any sign of her, but Viper wore a pretty uncanny suit last time she appeared, so who knew?

Lilliah looked about the crowd as she walked along, clad in her usual sleeveless suit and having a more stoic expression on her face as she read the crowd with the best poker face she could manage. Not too hard if she imagined…less pleasant times in her life. She was looking and listening for anything that might indicate Viper was around, the gift kept safely in an inside pocket of hers, though she also sought to keep her guard up in case of anything…going sideways. The increase in business for her patrons was good, but at the same time the Mavericks had some influence here too. It was a two-way street, and one that left her somewhat nervous but also trying to keep neutral in a place like the Great Escape for a good reason as well.

She had no idea if Viper was going to even show up after Merry’s, admittedly empathizable and relatively justified, attack on the other female esper. Viper seemed the sort to stick to business and keep it at that, and Lilliah was under no foolish preconceptions she could change it otherwise. It was more a thing initially done out of stupid monkey-like curiosity, one she silently swore at her esper form in her mind for pushing on her, and yet now she was hoping to satiate that curiosity without reaching out to get bitten in the hand either. Truth be told, she wanted to see why Viper wanted it so bad. If it got her information, then it was good for the future if she ever ran into Viper again. If it didn’t get her information, she wasn’t going to stick her hand in the serpent’s mouth for it one bit…

While snakes had a reputation for being stealthy, it was hard not to notice Viper’s neon colored hair sticking out from under a black baseball cap. She had her hands shoved into pockets in her jean vest and was staring across the table into space. Or at least her head was pointed straight ahead, her yellow eyes were scanning everyone who walked past her table. Though Viper would have no realistic way of spotting Lilliah, as she had only ever seen her in the esper state.

Noticing the familiar hair, Lilliah pretended not to notice at first before making her way slowly over there and taking visible notice the second time. She sat down at the table across from Viper, looking at her right back in those yellow eyes. It was a far different situation than being in her esper form for this, with the caveat that she was more serious and stoic here than her esper form ever allowed. Looked totally different too. Even so, the Gemini Esper was not going to play all of her cards in a single hand either…

“Are you Viper?” she asked in a rather formalized tone, albeit with a little exasperation tinting her words, lacing her own fingers together as she rested her forearms on the table, “You match the description I was given well enough by my client. I was paid to bring something to you.”

Lilliah pulled her left arm back, reaching into a side pocket on her vest before pulling out the package itself. A small gift wrapped green and tied off in a gold and red bow. She gently pushed the package itself into the middle of the table, right between the two of them, without even batting an eye.

Viper hadn’t budged an inch, even after Lilliah presented the box. Though her eyes were moving all over the place. Before long, she turned to look at the box.

”Is that what they’re calling me?” Viper had never stated what her alias was. Though given that “viper” was written across her armor, it was probably a title she understood.

With cautious hands, Viper pulled the ribbon off of the box. The sight of such a pretty gift attracted attention from other tables, but that didn’t seem to bother Viper. She set the lid aside and pushed past some red tissue paper to get at the item inside. What she pulled out was a plush of a tiger.It had a big head with a cat smile stitched onto its face, and big marble eyes. Viper’s brow jumped when she revealed the contents. But after a quick inspection, she set the plush off the side and looked across the table.

”So that’s it?” Viper folded her arms. ”No other instructions? You were just paid to bring it to me?”

Lilliah looked at the tiger plush with a raised eyebrow for a moment, but as Viper asked a question she let out a small but exasperated sigh. However, her face did not change its expression otherwise. She looked Viper back dead in the eyes afterward.

“For the most part, though the client offered a bonus to learn more about the package and yourself if I got the chance. They were curious to ask about why this package matters to you, and the nature of its contents. Yet around here, and many other places, looks can be more than deceptive. They can be a serpent ready to bite your hand with lethal intent if you reach too far into that enticing-looking hole in the ground.

So pardon my caution, but I’ve had such a ‘bonus’ opportunity like that bite me in the ass for not feeling out the situation first. A dumb mistake, but one I wish to not repeat again in the most blunt sense. Hence my disclosure of these things at this venture.”

The female esper ran a hand through her own bangs before resting her forearms back on the table once more.

“…Though I will freely admit I feel somewhat more curious about this myself now, though, given it seems to be simply a plush toy of a tiger. Also given the very curious nature of how you and my client ran into each other, and the fact that they arranged for me to come to this meeting at all in the first place in their stead.

To that end, may I ask what this package is to you and the nature and purpose of it in the first place?”

Viper Stared at Lilliah for a moment. But her serious exterior broke when she chuckled. ”What is this?” She put her hand on the tiger and pulled it closer to herself. ”I told two people about this meetup, and I knew damn well they were Gems. If they did their job, they’d already know what was inside the box. I expect the government to stick its nose into everything.” She sat back in her seat. ”Come to think of it, what is it with the ‘they paid me to drop this off’ shit? Gemini has operatives for that. It doesn’t make any sense. Unless…” Viper squinted her eyes. ”Unless one of them decided to work outside the system?” After a moment, that guttural laugh that was more fit for an older man escaped her mouth. ”If that’s the case, this is really spicy.” She tugged on her mask and adjusted her seat. ”I’m Afterglow. The ‘Viper’ thing was just an alias I used to appeal to Cobra’s ego. The proudest people are the easiest to manipulate. Just gotta fangirl hard enough and make them think they stand a chance to get some. My goal was just to fight the government espers, retreat, and snag the box once Cobra fled his office. Things got complicated.” She held up the plush. ”As for this? It’s a grimoire. Now, that ‘someone’ who hired you is probably well aware I can just blink out of the area. If you want me to stay, you’re going to need to keep things entertaining.” Afterglow pointed across the table. ”Enter the esper state. Now.”

For a moment Lilliah was silent, pulling her arms down beneath the table…but then a brief shine of transformation glimmered before the visage of Wukong sat before the merc’s very eyes. It was good they were in an isolated part of the establishment, though it wasn’t an ideal situation to be seen transforming. Now, however, as Afterglow’s eyes looked where the girl talking to her had once sat…Lilliah was wearing a grin, propping her legs up on the side of the table and crossing them with her hands behind her head and a cheeky grin on her face. The most idiotic, stupid, and foolish entrance she could have made, smiling into the face of certain danger right in front of her.

…But for once, she had to swallow her pride to agree with her monkey-brained esper form. If she had to do this, because why not, she had to play along as best as she could. Even so, she gave a small chuckle as she swiftly picked up the grimoire-toy and began to look it over curiously. She made no moves to run away or any such thing, just simply to sit and look at it carefully without a visible care in the world.

“I just couldn’t resist! But it lasted longer than I’d hoped, so there’s that much. Was curious why you wanted that box so bad, and wanted to see how you’d react to a ‘third party’ being sent. Not sure if you are much willing to humor this all of course, or if I’m inherently screwed!”

Afterglow sighed. ”Damn, I would have bet money you were the sniper.”

“Hmm? If I had sent her, this place would have been leveled. Don’t think she even heard you back there either, given the murderous rage understandably going on.”

The simian esper felt the softness of the plush and stared into its little eyes, her grin fading into a look of curious examination. Likely it wouldn’t react to her anywho, but all the same she was simply indulging her esper side to help play up the act in part. Not that it wasn’t at least partly genuine, her esper form made it easy, but giving into that influence was not something she did normally for a reason.

“Still, even though all of this could bite me in the ass or worse right now, I’ll hand this back in a second while we're both still here. So no rush. Not like you couldn’t kill me here or blink away with this thing anyways if I tried to run with it, and we both know that well enough by now~”

Viper’s hand briefly surged with magic. A yellow mist encapsulated her hand before she relinquished the tiger back to Lilliah.

Lilliah’s eyes looked back up into Aftertglow’s, that stupid shit-eating grin coming back onto the simian’s face as she sat properly in her seat now. The grimoire was placed back onto the table with noticeable care, sitting equally between herself and the merc. Wukong then rested her elbows on the table, placing her curled-up hands underneath her own chin as she rested her chin on them. The grimoire, for what it was worth was just sitting there staring back at the other esper as only an innocent plush could seem to. Not that it was just a mere plush, as that much was more than obvious by now.

Viper’s eyes swung between the plush tiger and Lilliah. ”So what? You trying to turn this into a date or something?”

“No no no! Not unless you think I’m that good-looking~”

The simian esper gave a teasing wink, before seeming to calm down a little more. This was met with a low growl from Afterglow.

“Truth be told I just wanted to ask about the story behind this grimoire and why you wanted it. The story behind it all. That was all I’d be after here if I can get it.

…Maybe even ask a bit about yourself beyond that, but I figure that would be a bit too dangerous to ask about unless you felt like sharing something extra. Don’t wanna get bit for reaching ‘too far’ down the rabbit hole.”

The female esper sat back and stretched her arms before resting them back on the table, casually this time, but keeping a general positive grin on her face.

Afterglow stared at Lilliah in silence. Her mask may have hidden her mouth, but it was clear by her squint eyes that she wasn’t really sure what to make of the ape esper.

”Fine.” she layed one of her arms along the backrest behind her head. ”My family was really good friends with the police commissioner in precinct eleven. Workaholic, never took a day off. Even on days he wasn’t supposed to be working, he’d be in there filing paperwork or whatever it is they do. ‘It beats sitting at home all day’ he’d say. Jeff really didn’t fit the stereotype of a loud, angry commissioner. I don’t think I ever saw him yell at anyone.” She pointed at the plush. ”My cousin had that plush right there. He used it a few times, but he had a bad habit of leaving it around. It’s kind of big by grimoire standards, but he didn’t like the idea of crushing it inside his pockets. So when we ate with Jeff, he set the tiger down and just forgot about it.” She sighed. ”I said Jeff never got angry at people, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t fuck around from time to time. He knew damn well who that tiger plush belonged to, and he also knew he had a birthday coming up. So he dug through last year’s leftover Christmas supplies and wrapped it up like a gift. He was going to make my cousin wait two weeks for his own plush tiger. He had this whole skit planned where he was going to pull the tiger out of his safe and say he found it at a crime scene or some dumb shit like that. We were all in on it, my parents saw more humor in the situation than I did. But it was just a plush to them. They didn’t know how important it was.”

She reached for a cup of coffee she had set off to the side, and held it up to her mash. Afterglow tapped the center of it, which opened a small port. She poured the coffee into the mask before pushing the cap on her mask back closed. Her filters puffed traces of yellow smoke out of the seams.

”Days before his birthday, Cobra Gang shows up. Jeff was killed, and I may have known just where to look to see where people like him go to hire. I tried to charm my way into King Cobra’s favor. While he did give me my own security detail, it was impossible to enter the commissioner’s office without him leering at me. It wasn’t until big bad gems showed up that I might have had a shot at recovering it. And, well, you know how it went from there.” Afterglow seized the plush tiger and pulled it up to her chest. ”Satisfied? I’m not gunna tell a fuckin’ gem any of my personal details.”

Wuknog nodded in response, her attention having been rapt and admittedly more serious during the entire explanation process. It was a hell of a story to be sure, and even more a hell of a situation to imagine. Yet whether she could trust it as the full truth or not, it was satisfying enough of a tale to help soothe the simian-like curiosity that had pushed her into this situation in the first place. Not a pretty story, but far from the worst she’d seen or heard or frankly experienced thus far…at least from her perspective. Then again she wasn’t going to hold everyone to the bar of that last category in terms of severity...

“Fair enough! Sounds like a hell of a situation to come about to be sure, so at least you have the plush back if nothing else. Cute little thing though~

But hope your cousin does not lose it again. Or, er, however ownership of it goes at this venture.”

The female esper let out a small sigh.

“You did what you felt you had to in order to get it back, plain and simple. Not that I don’t feel at least a bit peeved about the nearly dying thing, but that wasn’t the first time death and I have flirted with each other. Probably won’t be the last either. Though maybe we won’t end up on opposite sides of the battle one day, eh? Haha! _{Ah, depends on what jobs we both get really.}

But I won’t press for more info about you anyway. Your life is yours, and my life is mine. More trouble for everyone than it’s worth to prod any further.”

Wukong leaned back in the seat, putting her elbows on the back of the bench seating behind her before talking again. She didn’t seem as absurdly peppy, more relaxed now after hearing it all, but even so she seemed to pick back up a bit. However, the edges of her mouth seemed to turn up just a bit. Noticeable, but not too much. That simian silliness would not leave her alone in this form, would it?

Afterglow grumbled through most of Lilliah’s closing thoughts. ”I don’t see us fighting together any time soon.” Her eyes briefly scanned her surroundings. ”But you’re one of the more respectable gems I’ve encountered.”

Her body, and the plush, faded into a yellow dust before dissipating into the air.

---

To say that the situation was something out of an old Hollywood horror movie would be an understatement. Dramatics, lightning, the pile of bodies, the blood, it all screamed of pure and utter theatrics to the female esper's mind. The blood tunnel had been a nice touch, the promises of help were at least something unless the blood mage tried to pull a trick, the gunfire on the way in had been expected. Yet all the same something felt peculiarly 'off' about this mission so far.

It was too perfect a setting for all of this, almost as if they'd been expected in the first place and were being treated to the theater show meant to stall, stop, or kill them to avoid the utter and sheer nuisance of the master of the house even thinking of descending to their level. Had someone asked her to guess the plot point coming next, she'd have guessed things would go downhill until the master showed up with a limp Binky in tow and got defeated on the eve of his bragging victory speech. Or something along that sort of lines of 'hey this was all a ritual, and by shedding blood we summoned a demonic beast or whatever else'.

Or perhaps she was overthinking things, which was very possible.

To see this all on a movie screen, however, was far removed from the real thing and the reality of it all that sat before them. Those were real bullets, real blood, and now a real vampire on an organ acting as if he had control. Truth be told he did in a sense, really, it was his home territory and he has hostages. One of her teammates, on the other hand, seemed ready to just blow his heart out of his chest with the pull of the trigger. Fair.

And yet...

"Permission to cull the vampire?"

"Something feels off about this," Wukong said over the team's comms, her body already poised with a readiness to move in whatever direction she needed to by the time the vampire finished talking, not wanting to be ill-prepared for the scenario by standing around gawking or such, "It's too theatrical. Too...neatly organized even. Like they were ready for us, or something else of the sort."



@Izurich@BrokenPromise@Ponn@FamishedPants@SilverPaw

So, the blood mage would be making less of a shield, and more of a tunnel, Ashley reflected after Binky had described the barrier in more detail. That would serve as suitable protection from any weapons fire directed their way, allowing them to reach the mansion unscathed. Which still left the interior to worry about, of course, but while they might be walking into a trap, they didn’t really have much of a choice. Justin had to be stopped, and thanks to those misguided monster lovers, this was the only way to do it.

Upon arriving at the mansion, the G.E.M.I.N.I. assault team rushed out of their van and through the (admittedly rather disturbing) “blood tunnel”, provided by their ally. Once Agent Leroux had dealt with the doors, Ashley and her companions found themselves in what was probably the most stereotypical vampire’s mansion one could imagine, complete with creepy organ music. Indeed, even if she didn’t already know one of the vile bloodsuckers made his home here, Ashley would have probably suspected it just from looking at the decor. Most alarmingly, as far as the Knight of Tomorrow was concerned, were the two rings of what she assumed to be hostages. She felt her muscles tense at the sight, her grip on her instrument only growing tighter when the music stopped, and the organist revealed himself to be an impressively burly vampire. This wasn’t Justin, but definitely trouble, nonetheless, a sentiment that was further confirmed when the creature uttered his unnerving little poem…

From her place at the center of her team’s formation, Ashley would be able to provide both supporting fire, as well as protective barriers and healing to any who might need it, while still remaining relatively safe herself. Well, as safe as anyone could be in a situation like this… Agent Wukong seemed to think this was a trap, and the Knight of Tomorrow’s own eyes were peeled for any hidden danger, but even if it was a trap, what more could they do? Simply turn around and leave? That was utterly unacceptable, especially with at least a dozen innocent lives clearly in mortal danger. Trap or no trap, they had to see this mission through to the end… Raising her energy shield to cover her mouth, Ashley whispered into her comlink, “Should I cast a protective melody on one of those hostage clusters, or would you rather I combine fire with Valkyrie to eliminate the hostile?”

---

Marrie gladly took the clip light and attached it to her Style, turning it on. Since Pac-A-Fist wasn't following, she was glad that she at least gave some assistance. She was certain it would prove valuable. As she went she appreciated the natural architecture and the spikes of stone that were part of it. She broke off the tip of one, just enough to hold in her hand, in case it proved useful somehow. When the goblins came into view, she paused and considered her options. After a few moments, she walked further towards them and hailed them.

"Hey! You guys speak english? I could use some help, if you don't mind." she called out to them. They seemed at least somewhat intelligent if they figured out how to make popcorn, so maybe they could have a good conversation and save her some trouble.

---

When Binky confirmed there was no choice to be made, Jacqueline relaxed back into her seat. She wouldn’t mind having influence on mission parameters, but it was executed stupidly, it’d be pointless. She listened to the political explanation, and nodded at the end. It mostly made sense. The most frustrating part was the fact that Fritzi decided to save face by not using Freelancers, and now the very expected outcome of that population serving as their opponents came into being. Jacqueline didn’t think the emphasis on ‘we, the Gemini, and only the Gemini, will resolve this’, but unfortunately that wasn’t her call. So now they’d have to compete with Mavericks and Freelances, who were supposedly doing it out of good will. Jacqueline wasn’t sure she believed that, but it honestly didn’t matter.

Being assured of Lada’s cooperation wasn’t necessary – Jacqueline thought that woman was likely self-servingly smart enough not to compromise them this time. It was good to hear that their entrance would be covered. Seeing the blood barrier in action was much more exciting though; the bodies of the gang members they’d killed on the previous mission got turned into gelatinous substance and dispersed then shaped into the curved barrier. Jacqueline wondered if these particular bodies worked best because they were fresh, or if they were also used as a subtle test of Lada’s willingness to turn against her previous allies. Then again, from what she’d understood, only Lada and Rottweiler truly had a connection, so the rest of their former team having been killed likely didn’t concern them.

The door of the van opened once the barrier was formed. Jacqueline ran out with the others, following Breacher closely. Since she was near the front, she was easily and swiftly able to use Havoc to throw the door open.

She raised her brows once they crossed the threshold. The mansion was as if taken straight out of some corny vampire horror movie. Jacqueline had no idea if it was supposed to be ironic, humorous, or a genuine expression of the owner’s taste. She glanced warily at the statues – if reality followed a fantasy-inspired script, these might very well become animate. However, she soon noticed the hostages, and peered in their direction. Well, fuck. Hopefully there wouldn’t be even more blood mages this time…But no, maybe they were just to be supposed a pre- or mid-battle vampire snacks that’d empower their enemies? She wasn’t entirely sure how vampires functioned, to be honest.

The pianist stood up, ceasing the oh-so-thoughtful score accompaniment they’d had for that extra kick to the atmosphere. He was obviously a vampire, probably a formidable one given how cocky he was. He probably thought himself smart for that little poem of his, or, more likely, he was just baiting them.

Valkyrie asked permission to get a hit on him. If she thought she could without risking the hostages, Jacqueline thought she should, but didn’t say anything yet. However, she couldn’t help but snark at Wukong over the comms. “Of course, they were expecting us,” exasperation tinged her tone, “we did announce we’d be coming, just not when.” To Orion, she commented, “Well, someone does need to do something for the hostages, but, hm. If we’re assuming the vampire has to kill them himself, rather than there being a mechanism – a trap – in place…Breacher, how many could you build a wall around?”

After their brief yet furious bout of whispering – which Jacqueline wouldn’t be surprised the vampire was able to listen into – she addressed their host. “Why don’t you come earn you precious blood price yourself, huh?” Saying so, she raised her weapon-

-and proceeded to make a long but shallow cut along her unprotected palm. “Mm-m-mm?” she taunted, wiggling her lightly injured hand. Comically, she raised one leg up slowly, then took a very blatant step backwards. She then mock-gasped, “Oh, no, silly me, stepping back like this, huh?” Her words were dripping sarcasm, but hey, if the vampire was hotheaded enough to get enraged by this, or else self-absorbed enough to be willing to take the distraction and make conversation, it’d be good for them.

---

---

Su had been running G.E.M.I.N.I operations with Fritzi for a long time. At least, long enough that the little oddities didn’t stick out to her anymore. In the past, she might have questioned the ethics behind using a blood mage they recently acquired, She might have followed up by asking what kind of deal Fritzi made with them to make them cooperate. She might have further gone on to question the importance of getting to Justin when they could just sit back and let Maverick and the freelancers do the work for them. But Su’s experience told her that the answers to those questions were not important at the moment.

She ran through the blood tunnel like it was the most natural thing in the world.

It was not often that Su found herself comparing China to the USA, but if there was one thing her country did right, it was establishing their government in a clear position of power. The reason why they were trying to beat the Freelancers was because the government was partaking in these silly games. Were this China, there would be no reason to beat the freelance espers to Justin. The populace would already know and respect the government's authority, and they would have no reason to kautau to the public. But the citizens of this country were more rebellious. They had too much freedom to do what they wanted, even to openly mock the government that protects them. And because of this, they were throwing themselves into the den of a lion, too soon and ill prepared for the occasion. Regardless, Su worked for the USA instead of China. As burdensome as everyone’s freedom made her job, it was one of the things she enjoyed about living here. It was like Jaquiline had told her, she could do whatever she wanted here. That was a liberty she would gladly bleed for, much like her squadmates standing beside her.

Upon entering the mansion, it seemed the first guard was both ready for them, and a bit eccentric to boot. While Su had little problem following English conversations, the vampire's eccentric way of speaking was hard for her to follow. She got the gist of it, probably. But there was a lot more to be concerned with than her understanding of the vampire’s rehearsed lines.

Su’s eyes scanned her surroundings. Anyone could tell there was something very wrong with the foyer. The obvious things were the hostages/sacrifices, and the calm demeanor of their opponent. But the most insidious features were the things they couldn’t see. The hostages were standing over what looked to her like a magic circle. It was likely the agents were powerless to alter their fate. Then there was the darkness that obscured most of the room. The center of the room in particular looked quite ominous with the lack of light around it. There was also the curious placement of the wardrobes, which was probably the worst place to keep clothes, but they did create a barrier that made it harder for an entering party to observe their surroundings. The perfect place to host an ambush, if not a trap.

There wasn’t much reason for Su to respond to the others. Jaquiline was on top of things, and spoke better English anyway. Su nodded at Jacqueline when she mentioned protecting the hostages. In truth, Su wasn't sure if a wall would be of much use She also made some hand signs. Like most special forces, G.E.M.I.N.I. agents were taught hand signals to communicate ideas quickly and often without alerting the enemy, Su’s massive shield made it pretty easy to conceal her hand from their opponent in the event he could read their hand signs. She told her allies of a possible ambush/trap from behind the wardrobes. It was likely the more experienced espers were already aware of this, but Su would hate for something to happen to Ashley. It was hard for Su to look at someone so young without thinking about Mika.

Su allowed her shield to slam into the floor, pointing towards the left most wardrobe. Her gun was ready in her right hand. ”Go ahead.” Her eyes narrowed. ”See what happen to your head.”

An enclosed space filled with flammable materials and a trio of pyromancers conveniently chilling wasn’t Klava’s idea of a fun time, so she slipped her hand into one of her sleeves and peeled off a sticker. Just a simple ‘My Name is ____’, red on white. Then, in that same motion, she slapped it on Apollo’s dime-bouncing ass, a melody surging through her palm and into the sticker, leaving a glowing snowflake now pulsating over his right buttcheek.

A Blink Mark. If shit went down, she’d want to make sure that the healer had back up, at least. Or maybe she wanted an ambulance straight to the healer, going by her own track record.

Still, it looked like a simple enough set up. Enemies on all sides, but the unguarded front was the area that they actually wanted to be in. It was an escort mission, so they couldn’t abandon Billy and Blink away immediately, but just needing to hold off enemies was easier to do than to kill them, especially in the presence of a chonky boyo like that robotic butler. While the Timekeeper tried to do something cute, Klava settled into speaking of strategy instead, her voice low and cold as she addressed her allies.

“If we just need to get to the end in one piece, there’s only two things to worry about: them going suicidal mode and setting the whole place on fire, or the robot butler slamjamming us in melee. Nothing else can stop us as a group. So, things to think about.” She began to raise her fingers up one by one. “I’m good with elemental constructions. I’ll definitely seal off the entrance once we pass it, but I can do it for either right or left as well. Just gonna be taxing so I'd rather not. A Slick and a Push Melody could yeet the golem away pretty far too, and that’s the only real dangerous one there. Protector, you good for blocking sniper shots? Rifles with paint jobs are either magical or bullshit. Timekid, you’re the fastest, so scout ahead to see if there’s more bullshit in front of us, if you’re done flirting with that grandma.”

A pause. Her brain whirring, trying to recall the Maverick Esper’s name…naw, Klava’ll ask it later.

“Anyways, don’t really need to do any murdering, so let’s get our cardio in before the pizza party, freelancers!”

With Tetrad's appearance, some of the healing pressure was off Apollo. It was good to know that the thralls couldn't be murdered laissez faire. His reckless disregard for life would have to be withheld for a while. Tetrad greeted him, he did the same. He could at least be a touch amiable when on the job.

"More or less," he responded with a dangerous amount of ambiguity for a healer to have.

Still, the group pressed on forwards through a wine cellar. As tempted as he was to do so, he wouldn't punch a hole in one of the barrels for a taste test. He couldn't drink on the job. Well, he could. He was his own boss. He wouldn't drink on the job without reason.

When they approached the regal woman and her copyright-avoiding butler-bot, Apollo couldn't help but be disgruntled. Every time. Enclosed space? Fire. He really should have kept that fire extinguisher from before. Though, it would have went the way of the golden handcannon.

With a slap on his ass, Apollo was now marked by the maiden's magic. It certainly was a way to keep one of them safe. He took a brief moment to look at it. Was it worth removing? Probably not. He was fine with a snowflake on his ass. However, he did aim his ass as the maiden. With a brief flex, the marked cheek bounced in confirmation.

Klava's plan didn't really include him or the other healer to have specific roles. It wasn't supposed to. They just had to run to the end with the group. His job was just to clean things up, should the necessity arise.

There wasn't much for him to add. He just got ready to sprint and help others should the necessity arise.

Though, he could also run distraction. God knew he could with all of the movement his ass and pecs could generate.

---

_{Reporting to: Billy Black}

---

_{@ERode@OwO@Majoras End@BrokenPromise}

"Is that so? I apologize for the misunderstanding."

The fact that there was not actually to be any sort of vote did not appear to throw Samuel off much, though perhaps that was because he was going to get what he wanted out of the situation anyway. They would be using the blood mage's abilities to form a barrier and assault from the front rather than risk incidents with Maverick espers for little reason. Not that Samuel was hesitant to deal with Maverick agents. He was very much a G.E.M.I.N.I agent in how he viewed them, but they had a clear goal today and the only one to benefit from a confrontation right now was the vampire they were on their way to deal with. And speaking of that vampire, the gunfire and abrupt stop of the vans told everyone that they had arrived at their destination.

Sam wasn't intimately familiar with blood magics but the barrier they supposedly could provide would protect the group as they inserted themselves directly into the mansion. It was like their very own blood-red carpet being rolled out for them so that they could skip the whole 'fighting their way in' step that was necessary with the police station earlier. With just how easy it was for the agents of G.E.M.I.N.I to leave the back of the van and proceed to the door of the mansion, Samuel was able to forget the stressful fact that their lives were in the hands of a blood mage who was hostile not long ago.

Samuel entered shortly after a few others and he stopped to appreciate the fine interior of the mansion they had invaded. The intricate designs on the pillars, tall bookshelves, and the mood-setting dim lighting... they all contributed to that weird feeling that they had just entered a portal to some vampire flick. Of course, it was hard to truly appreciate the elaborate styling of the mansion when it was obvious actual human beings were suffering each moment they did so. But if all vampires did was have a dated sense of taste, then they wouldn't be here to kill one, would they?

When their blood-sucking pianist decided to make his presence visible, Samuel made sure to take his visage in before returning to sweeping the area. If there was one G.E.M.I.N.I agent here who understood the benefits of a 'flamboyant' presence, it was him. Drawing your opponent's attention to another place then striking them from out of their sight was a basic, effective strategy when done right. And the entire group of G.E.M.I.N.I would live many lifetimes more if they took the vampire's cold, confident demeanor as a sign that he held an ace up his sleeve rather than unfounded arrogance.

Hoping to be able to identify and respond to hidden attacks at a moment's notice, Samuel tried to spot any foes lying in ambush in the more darker corners of the room, and, of course, the bookshelves right next to them. Those were perhaps the most obvious places to stage an ambush, so to his embarrassment, Samuel didn't immediately realize it was for agent Orion's benefit that agent Breacher even bothered signing to look out for them.

Well, given her first mission was hunting goblins in a sewer, I suppose I shouldn't have to worry about her not checking her corners...

Silhouette wasn't sure what to make of what transpired next. It was difficult to tell if the hostages were honestly still alive or just twitching their bodies in death, but he would proceed under the assumption they were alive until it was confirmed otherwise. Thus, he was hesitant about stepping forward just yet. He would not dismiss this poem outright just because it sounded silly, but ultimately they could not know exactly what that vampire would do until they forced one out of him.

The lives of these hostages were comparatively nothing compared to those of his fellow agents, as far as Silhouette was concerned, but the fact of the matter was they were in a much better position to protect each other than those twelve. But Samuel couldn't help but feel like the vampire wouldn't just blindly rush the lot of them like an idiot. That would be too simple, wouldn't it?

Sure hope that poem wasn't some weird curse or the like. But perhaps I am merely overthinking it?

"I advise not even blinking until we're sure what this man is capable of," he warns the rest of the agents as his body prepares to spring into action at the slightest hint of danger.

_{@Ponn@Crusader Lord@FamishedPants@Izurich@SilverPaw}

The muscled vampire chuckled at juvenile responses of humanity’s most “professional” guardians. Naught more but a gaggle of illiterate children, they’ve proven to be. Just pets with teeth too small to match their bark, taking actions without understanding the consequences of such.

“To let thine blood flow in the presence of a nightwalker,” he said, his voice dripping with pity, “is tantamount to the relinquishment of thine head. Such ignorance befits thine lesser race though, and at times…could even be charming.”

Even at a distance, the espers could all see it: the yellow irises of the vampire burning with a crimson glow.

Veins bulged out from his neck, muscles growing taut beneath the suit. Sheer, unbridled force surged, his muscular arms raising up to the side as if in preparation for an embrace. And from within the sleeve of his right arm, something slim emerged. Only a meter in length and perfectly straight, the very end studded with a gem. A wand.

The vampire was a caster.

“I am Arzendale, the Sanguine Sovereign! Pledge thine flesh to the Court of Carnage, or thine remains shall feed the wanton desires of His blighted kin!”

And with the world-silencing gravity of a conductor on the cusp of greatness, he raised his wand.


But neither vampire nor esper struck first.

BOOM!

A tremendous force shattered the purple-hemmed wardrobe to the right of the GEMINI agents, wooden chips scattering in the air, some blasting against them. From the wreckage of the furniture, something shot for the group, their steps silent, but the unseen blade they dragged against the ground carving a line through the tilework, between the statues, and straight for the one on the right flank: Wukong.

And in the umbra of that chaotic, invisible assault, another individual slipped into the fray, their movements practiced as they vaulted over the wardrobe. A carmine eye, a different hue from a vampire’s crimson, widened as the adrenaline of murder surged through her veins, the eye-patched nun in an armored habit dashing for the vulnerable backline. With a wicked hiss, her two-handed falchion swung in a vertical chop towards Silmeria, and perhaps only Samuel was in place to assist the sniper before she found herself in the worse possible position to be.

Not that things were simple for so long.

There was no rumbling of a subterranean creature. There was no possibility of an underground attack, when the blueprints of the building itself did not have any space beneath the floor of the entrance. And the carpet had covered any sign of displaced tilework.

Right in the middle of the group, Ashley felt it before she saw it, and in a moment later, found that she was flying upwards, the world spinning as she was sent flying by a monstrous fusion of man and steed, of bandaged flesh and animated bone. Six bladed limbs swung out erratically, lashing at all the espers around it, while the bound humanoid atop the skeletal steed let out a sharp yell, before vines burst out from his orifices and rushed for the still-airborne Ashley.

And as for how a creature twice the size of a horse could appear from beneath without a single sound? The gaping hole in the floor answered the question easily enough: a portal gate, leading only into a fathomless darkness.

But could Jacqueline and Su, the vanguard force of the GEMINI agents, truly afford to turn their backs on the vampire caster and reinforce the scattered formations of their allies? When Arzendale continued to move his conductor’s baton, his gem-studded wand, back and forth, weaving some foul art that none of them could make sense before it was completed?

His sharp-toothed smile locked onto the two of them, and his mouth formed unspoken sounds.

‘Tick tock.’

---

_{@OwO@mantou@ERode@Majoras End}

Tetrad looked a little happier than normal to be talking with Apollo. But she became more serious once she realized what they were going up against. Due to her party girl nature, she wasn’t too concerned about the barrels of wine. Beer, wine, and spirits all had different alcohol content. And even the most flammable ones weren’t combustible. Most of the accidents you hear involving burning cocktails involve people spilling or splashing burning spirits. That wasn’t to say it wasn’t dangerous, but it wasn’t like someone could just light a match and set the wine cellar on fire. There was no doubt the pyromancers' open-carrying flames could probably set the stuff on fire, but it would take a truly powerful flame to make spirits combust like, say, gasoline. They just had to avoid getting splashed and they should be fiiiiiiine.

Tetrad thought Klava’s ideas sounded good, even if her assertive nature reminded her of another freelancer who also thought she was hot shit. Her smacking Apollo’s ass wasn’t even worth batting an eye at. Espers were pretty eccentric characters, and it wasn’t like she had planned on asking him out or anything so childish. As freelancers, their loyalty was to the dollar. But Marrie seemed like a good sort, and if Protector’s actions were anything to go by, he seemed like a cool guy too.

”Well.” She looked at Apollo. ”If the hashtag squad gets split up, I’ll hook up with the half you’re not looking after, okay?”

The older woman scoffed. ”Of course you’re a vagrant! What other sort of rabble would break into my employer’s home with the intent to kill him?" A grin spread across her face when Protector moved to stand beside Fable. ”But I’m glad ‘Bob’ has caught your fancy. Perhaps you’d like a demonstration?"

Steam blasted out of Bob’s shoulder joints. ”THE_LOW_BROW_FILTH_WILL_BE_DISPOSED_OF! EXTERMINATE!"



This happened while Bob pulled a keg off the rack beside himself and chucked it at Protector’s shield. Though just before it struck, the sniper fired a round straight through it. The entire Barrel caught fire, and when the barrel blew apart on impact, its contents were set ablaze.

The burning spirits splashed every which way around Protector’s shield, This included Fable, who Protector had chosen to stand beside. Protector would not be able to avoid getting burned, as some of the burning liquid made it over their shield and splashed against their arms. Unfortunately, the blessing did little to stop the effects of the magical flame from taking. Bob was already reaching for another keg to throw.

The other corridor was not idle though. The two men were not as strong as Bob was, but they united their efforts to pull a keg away from one of the walls.

”Hurry up!"The woman behind them snapped her fingers. ”He’s going to turn us into thralls if we aren’t ready for the 11:15 brunchen!"

Once they pulled the barrel out, they rolled it toward the espers at the other end. Eventually the barrel was moving faster than the men were, and seemed to be gaining even more speed as it continued to roll.They extended their hands, and the barrel was struck with two fireballs, setting it ablaze.The female pyromancer stood at the back, focusing her magic on a more intricate spell.

---

_{@The World}

Before Marrie even approached the goblins, they became aware of her existence as soon as her clip light shined in their direction. They started screeching about half way through her question. An experienced esper might forgive Marrie for assuming some vaguely humanoid creature had the capacity and desire to speak with her. But goblins ultimately chose to live below ground so that they didn’t have to regularly deal with people. They were weaker than almost every other type of monster, and being discovered by humans just meant it was a matter of time before espers came to exterminate their nest. They shouted at each other before running from the scene, carrying whatever they could from the “camp site.”

The catacombs started to beat like a drum. Marrie could feel the vibration in her feet. It wasn’t strong enough to be considered an earthquake, but something was moving in the general vicinity of her area. That, or something far away was moving, and it was large.

Then she would see it. A massive snake as black as asphalt with segmented yellow stripes going down it’s back. Its head bobbed side to side as it worked its limbless body through the open cave system. The stalagmites crumbled in its path, being ground to dust under the behemoth’s weight. As noisy as the Bate twins were, it seemed that the cry of numerous goblins was a more appealing snack to the giant snake. It wasn’t long before it spotted Marrie with its single eye, which shined like a headlight. It lifted its head into the air and opened its mouth. Its body swelled, sealing the catacombs up behind itself, before a deep hiss rolled out of its body. This was punctuated by its cobra-like mast opening, which was filled with spikes. But none of them were as long as its fangs, which were dripping with venom that burned holes in the cave floor.

Highway to Hell had arrived.



Marrie couldn’t backtrack, as the giant snake had come from behind her. And it was only getting closer with every passing second. The path up ahead split in two smaller ones. The goblins could still be seen scrambling down the left tunnel, but Marrie could hear the sound of a two-stroke engine running down the right one.

@BrokenPromise @Ponn @Crusader Lord @FamishedPants @SilverPaw

Leroux pretty much said everything she wanted to say at Wukong, the good doctor - in all of her "wisdom" - decided to announce to the world that they were coming after Justin. Valkyrie believed that even goblins would prepare themselves should they receive such an overtly blatant threat. In fact, she bet it'd be more of a surprise to Justin if Gemini decided to leave him alone after.

"Protecting the innocent from these abominations is also why we're here, so if you can afford them some protection, I think it's our duty to do so." The brunette replied to the emerald-clad newbie, despite her cold tone, it was clear that true compassion was there just underneath the surface.

Silhouette advised them to not blink, something that Valkyrie agreed wholeheartedly as that's pretty much what she had always done in her operations, befitting her role as a marksman, but she understood that he was speaking to the team in general. She needed not to reply though as it was safe to assume Samuel knew this fact about his fellow agent.

Another moment, another one of those godawful pretentiously cringe poems, this abomination sure could talk, huh? That's one of the hilariously pitiful things about some monsters, they tried to emulate the facsimile of sapience, tried to act human, but deep inside, they were all the same. From the most ravenous hellhound to the eloquent pianist vampire, they were all rabid beasts which humanity should not suffer to live. It must be torturous to live such an unholy existence, really Valkyrie was doing them a favor by putting them out of their misery.

She cared not what he called himself for any other reason than to make it convenient to identify her prey; Tony, Arzendalei, Justin, it wouldn't matter once she sent them to Hel!

"...?!" Valkyrie would've already launched a sabot dead center at his dead heart if not for the sudden appearance of multiple threats coming at them from all directions. For Silmeria in particular, twas’ some sort of perverse mockery of a nun - a monster no doubt - who came barreling straight at her with a zweihander. This was certainly not an ideal position to be in for a long-ranged fighter; some say to not bring a knife to a gunfight, but that was assuming the gunner knew beforehand that the stabber was coming!

If left without any assistance, all Valkyrie could do given the little time she had to react was instinctively raising Teslic Gauss perpendicularly against the falchion's swing then hoped that the supernatural rifle was sturdy enough to deflect the medieval weapon!

However, if someone came to assist her and managed to get the crazy nun off her back, she'd take aim at said nun and fire a burst of three shots, preferably at her forehead or heart.

In either case, she'd engage a simple melody to boost her speed as even a millisecond mattered right now.

---

"Note to self: get Multi-Cast note next time."
Current Location: Von Carnage Mansion, Wine Cellar

Soon as the Huntress spoke up once again, Fable's facade dropped to an unamused glare. Partly cause he overheard Klava poking fun at him in the middle of her strategizing, but mostly cause there was no need to keep it up any longer. "So much for formalities." He uttered not-so quietly, sparing a quick glance to Protector, who had decided to back him up. "Was hoping to talk this out, but alas." He said, preparing to counterattack as Bob threw one of the liquor-filled kegs at the two. Okay, probably an easy breakable, Protector's shield should-

Unfortunately his speculations would prove true. Fable didn't have enough time to take cover before the Huntress fired at the keg, causing it to explode. "Ngh-!!" The boy himself recoiled in getting struck by the burning spirits. The magical flames may not have burned as bad as their normal counterparts,

But let's be honest, it still fucking hurts.

Taking refuge behind Protector's shield, the boy did his best to quickly put out the flames that ate through his jacket and burned his "skin". If he had to ditch it this early, then screw it. He can heal himself later. Though he was more worried about his teammate getting burned too. Atleast now they know why the Huntress and the Pyromancers were grouped up together. The bartender aesthetic for the latter might've been a dead ringer though. Speaking of.

Even if Fable could only focus on one half of the opposing team at a time, he did overhear the other woman (Must be the Bartenders' leader.) hurrying the other two out of not wanting to become thralls. So neither of them are controlled? Makes things slightly easier. Peeking out from behind cover, he waited till the keg Bob grabbed was closest to the robot, then quickly fired a lightning bolt at it. He hoped this could buy Klava some time to put her plan in action.

Then again. Wouldn't ignoring them only hinder Billy more?

Huh. Looked like the goblins were more scared of her than she was of them. Which to be fair, wasn't much on her end. And she was going to offer them some advice, too. She stood for a moment as she watched them flee, before beginning to bounce while standing still like a cartoon from the ground rumbling. She turned around, and that's when she saw it.

That's fucking cheating.

Silver Projectile - Bounce - Blink

She immediately launched a magic missile ahead of her, angling the shot so that she Blinked just past the visible range of the right tunnel. As much as she'd love to not have to, it seemed like her best bet would be to let the goblins play bait. They lived here, they probably knew how to avoid the Jörmungandr bastard, right? Right. As soon as she landed she bolted down the tunnel, towards whatever was making that mechanical sound. She hoped this snake didn't have heat vision, or at least would consider the bigger meal down the other tunnel more enticing.

---

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Valkyrie was the first to respond to Ashley’s inquiry, advising that if the Knight of Tomorrow could help the hostages, she should, the sniper obviously having full confidence in her ability to take down the vampire on her own. I guess when you have an instrument that powerful, you don’t really need support, Ashley reflected. Agent Leroux went on to agree, asking Breacher if she could take care of protecting the second cluster of hostages. It was a good idea, Ashley had to admit. As a veteran agent, the armored woman clearly had experience in dealing with situations like these, and was familiar enough with her fellow agents’ abilities to recognize how they could best be put to use. Although an official leader of their team had yet to be appointed, it was Ashley’s opinion that Agent Leroux would be most suited to taking up that mantel.

But that opinion didn’t last for long…

Behind her glowing green visor, Ashley’s eyes widened as the armored woman taunted the vampire in an incredibly juvenile manner. This was not at all how she expected veteran G.E.M.I.N.I. agents to behave, especially after witnessing Agent Silhouette’s admirable level of professionalism. Indeed, when the vampire himself remarked on how foolish she was being, Ashley couldn’t help but agree. After all, they had just run through a tunnel formed by a blood mage. In light of that, why would you ever give your enemy even more potential material to work with, as they sought to end your life?

As if to confirm her fears, the vampire chose that moment to reveal that he was some form of spell caster…

Catching sight of Breacher’s hand signals, Ashley gave the draconic agent a small nod in confirmation. However, no sooner had she done so, then one of the potentially ambush-assisting pieces of furniture blew apart in a shower of wooden fragments, while something darted out to strike at Wukong. Simultaneously, another assailant leaped over the opposite wardrobe to fall upon Valkyrie, their two-handed blade poised to slice the sniper in twain.

But that was far from the only unpleasant surprise…

Thanks to already being on such high alert, Ashley felt the imminent arrival of their next mystery opponent half a second before they made their grand entrance.

For all the good it did…

From a concealed portal directly beneath their formation, a monstrous demonic-undead-arachnid-centaur… thing erupted into their midst, it’s scythed limbs lashing out at everyone around it. Well, everyone except Ashley. Since she had been standing directly above the creature’s point of emergence, the Knight of Tomorrow had found herself flung into the air. But that didn’t mean she was in any way out of danger. Not wishing to leave her excluded, the nightmarish horror opened its maw to fire several thorny vines at the airborne esper, seeking to impale her on their spiked tips.

Quickly recovering from her initial shock, Ashley tucked herself into a ball, while placing her shield directly below herself, so as to block the incoming attack. Although she hopefully wouldn’t need to, as a rising hum and a radiant glow gave evidence that she was preparing a melody. After taking careful aim, and waiting a second for the energy particles to coalesce between the prongs of her wand, the Knight of Tomorrow fired a lance of neon green annihilation into the center of the vines, with luck blasting through them and down the horror’s throat. Ashley was also careful to ensure that, if the beam pierced the back of the monster’s head, it would continue down into its body (and then into the floor below), and not into a fellow agent. They had enough to worry about without adding friendly fire to the mix…

---

So that was their play?

Even as Protector was set aflame and Timekeeper was caught in the splash of it, Klava decided that it was probably still ok. The pyromancers looked only about as motivated as anyone else would when they were threatened with their lives by some spooky monster, after all. Sniper lady and her robot butler was going to be more of a pain though.

But that was fine too.

“Sealing off the pyros,” Klava said, moments before weaving a melody through her fingers and coalescing a large, crystalline snowflake. Throwing it forward, the projectile struck the burning barrel right as it crossed the mid-section of the path. In an instant, a seven-meter tall iceberg burst out, filling up every nook and cranny around it and pushing the barrel back the way it came, before crackling as it set itself in. Fire versus ice wasn’t a particularly bad matchup for ice, and regardless, all they needed was time. Time to deal with one threat while the other was forced to reposition. “Head for the corridor, all! If the robot rushes, we play bowling with a slick and a push!”

Naturally, she followed her own advice, slapping Timekeeper on the shoulder to get him to follow after once his spell neutralized the next explosive barrel.

_{@Ponn@Crusader Lord@FamishedPants@Izurich@SilverPaw and that big mean @ERode}

"To expect the unexpected shows a thoroughly modern intellect." So went one of Oscar Wilde’s plays. It was a popular enough line that it was recited by those who never saw the play, frequently shortened to just “Expect the unexpected.” Su used to find the line tacky. Expecting something wasn’t being prepared for it. Even if you take the expected outcome off the table, there are an unlimited number of unexpected outcomes that remain. Though after she became an esper, she saw the wisdom in Oscar’s words. You couldn’t prepare for everything, and sometimes not getting surprised was the best you could do.

The left wardrobe, now at her back, was scaled by an assassin. Su groaned to herself as she realized this was likely a momentary diversion to catch the front line unaware. Though she barely had time to turn her head before the bone monster erupt out of the floor, stealing the rest of her attention. She was already beside Lillia, so it was a simple matter to step between her and the bone monster. She was able to deflect the attack, if with some difficulty.

An assassin nun at the back, a bladed bone/vine/human monster in the middle, and a vampire from afar, and an unknown number of other dangers that could still be hiding in the shadows. Su’s squad was getting hit from all sides. With little time to think, Su needed to decide what she was going to do about it.

The Vampire was a tempting target. Certainly the way he was trying to provoke them made him an attractive target. especially with his possible hostages. But Su would be ill equipped for that encounter.. G.E.M.I.N.I. may have been known for its monster slaying, but Su’s loadout was ill suited for fighting a monster directly. She didn’t have anything to threaten him with. This was also what made fighting the bone monster less than ideal. While her shield was useful against such a foe, her pistol or melodies wouldn’t do much damage to something so large. The nun may or may not be a monster. Her appearance was human enough that she could be an esper or a human under the effect of a dark blessing. It was possible that she would be more vulnerable to Su’s pistol fire, but then she ran the risk of shooting her allies who were also in close proximity.

But Su wasn’t thinking about what/who to shoot. She was thinking about who she could help, and few espers looked as in need of help as Ashley. While she was still airborne, she had invested all of her power into dealing a mighty blow against the monster below her. While Su could appreciate that kind of moxie, she didn’t think it was a good idea to let their medic fall atop a hostile monster.

”Orion!”

Su aimed over her shield and fired at Ashley, though no bullet came out of her gun. Instead, the crack of her pistol was followed by something hitting Ashley in the back. The fragments of tile and vine that filled the air after her attack had culminated behind her back and shoved her through the air towards Su. Since she was still in the air, the pull should have been pretty strong, she figured, and would pull her away from the monster and towards herself. Should Su’s move work, she’d try to catch Ashley in her gun arm before lowering her to the ground behind her shield.

Her allies could destroy the hostiles. She was just there to keep her squad alive.

Jacqueline sighed at the vampire’s answer. So, he wouldn’t be taunted, distracted, or bothered by jibes, threats, or obvious intent to attack. Jacqueline didn’t particularly care if she was considered stupid – she’d be injured sooner or later. If it was true that willingly shedding blood meant a different thing than having it be shed forcefully by an enemy, well, she might be fucked. But she would face those consequences herself, rather than it having endanger any one else, so she deemed the risk an acceptable one. It was a shame it hadn’t really attracted the vampire the way she though it might. But perhaps it would direct his attention if she engaged him in melee, and if not that, at least he underestimated her.

She’d noticed Su’s hand sign which warned of the danger of an ambush without making it apparent to anyone who watched that she’d noticed. She agreed with the assessment regardless, the whole set-up was indeed very reminiscent of a trap. The sole vampire, no matter how strong, likely wouldn’t have been so leisurely if he didn’t have backup either. So she braced herself for whatever may come…

And yet, was not entirely prepared for the revelation that the pianist was a caster. She narrowed his eyes at him, tracking as he waved his wand around. His words didn’t mean anything to her besides an obvious declaration for the start of the fight. Whether because that had actually been a signal or for another reason, that was when the trap around them finally sprung. Wukong, Valkyrie, and Orion were in line of a direct attack.

Well, the latter had been launched into the air more-or-less coincidentally, as she’d been right in the way of the chimera’s wild flailing. Jacqueline, who was close enough that she might be injured if she didn’t, managed to dodge. When the creature realized it had Orion at a disadvantage, it attacked, but Jacqueline saw that Orion was able to deal that by herself. As Jacqueline readied for action herself, Su was already stepping in to catch Orion, who was still vulnerable while in the air.

It might not be the best move, but staying here with the others didn’t suit her. Su was already taking the role of protecting a fellow agent, and Jacqueline thought Breacher could do all that was necessary to regroup the others and assist where necessary. If the three she’d seen were all the enemies awaiting to ambush them – which was a dangerous assumption but nonetheless one she had to make right then – it would be still five versus three if she left. Maybe the chimeric thrall or vampire or whatever he was would outright perish. If not, it still meant one of the surprise attackers was heavily injured.

This was why Jacqueline launched herself into a sprint, heading for Arzendale. She was already readying a melody, and as much as she might want to use it against the vampire, she couldn’t take the risk of not destroying the portal. When she ran past it, she launched the melody. A spiked metal ball formed, flew towards the magical gate, and embedded itself into it. Jacqueline briefly glanced at it, to see if it would be destroyed as intended or not. If it was, then one worry less. If it wasn’t, it might be a sign the enemy formed it at such strength because they didn’t intend for it to be one-use only. Since she was looking out for danger, she briefly directed her gaze backwards, to see if any of the revealed attackers would attempt to stop her.

However, she couldn’t spend all that much attention on other things; her main target was the self-proclaimed sovereign of blood. Thus, Jacqueline ran at him, readying her weapon for a strike. She’d attack as soon as she was close enough, aiming at his wand or hand. She stared at him as she approached, wishing she were faster.

---

---

_{Reporting to: Billy Black}

---

_{@ERode@OwO@Majoras End@BrokenPromise}

With the pyromancers temporarily cut off from the rest of the group, Apollo knew what he would do. There was really nothing to heal, he thought as the small child slowly burnt. Currently on fire wasn't exactly the most urgent thing for him to heal. Put out? Maybe. But healing someone on fire was a bit of a waste of resources. Thus, he made the decision of being on some level of offensive.

A small alley made things easier to hit. Quickly dashing out from the protection of the 3 meat shields in front of him, he prepared a resonant pitch of light. "Air Apollo, coming through!" He taunted. With a powerful toss, he launched the ball at the sniper. It was a pretty wild toss. In true Apollo fashion, his aim was pretty poor. It would probably hit Bob, the sniper, or the barrels next to them. His follow through was pretty short. Almost immediately after tossing it, he leapt behind the barrels. He wasn't going to be shot today. At least, wasn't going to try to.

---

It seemed as though their vampiric host was far too prideful and a slave to his monstrous instincts to not respond to Leroux's bloody taunt, declaring her foolish and giving himself quite the introduction. But Sam did not get lost in those theatrics and remained silent. He knew something sudden was about to happen.

Calm in my heart and mind. I have to wonder where they'll strike from first.

Thinking about it, Samuel decided that an ambush was most likely to come from the wardrobes or the pillars as that is where would strike from if he were in the enemy's shoes. The wardrobes were a bit closer to the party so he would favor them.

My options would either be to wait for them to move past so that I could strike from behind... or to attack spontaneously, hoping to catch in surprise. Yes, I could see myself flinging an unpredictable piercing note through the wardrobe at whoever looks the most vulnerable, sending them into disarray potentially...

As he pictured how the plan would go... An oblivious Valkyrie finds herself unable to breathe as a well-placed damage note tears through her throat and she suffers an anticlimactic end. Orion, the new agent, is taken out with similar ease and in an instant, the enemy has an overwhelming advantage in morale. The rest of the group is subsequently picked off and the mission ends in a decisive failure.

Samuel barely managed to hold back a groan as he imagined the unfortunate end their party meets in this mental simulation. Of course, members of G.E.M.I.N.I should adhere to better standards than the filth that inhabits this mansion. Sam eventually shook the terrible feeling after he assured himself that at the very least the more experienced agents have the presence of mind not to let their guard down in the middle of an enemy stronghold.

And none too soon, as the surprise attack Samuel felt approaching finally makes its debut in the form of a figure bursting forth from the wardrobe with the goal of keeping Valkyrie from working at a range. Of course, there were other attacks, though Samuel wasn't omnipotent and couldn't react to every single one. He naturally chose to assist agent Valkyrie as he was in the best position to do so.

"Not while I'm still standing!"

Agent Silhouette positioned himself between the foe as quickly as he could, bringing Stab, his rather elegant dagger, up to meet with the falchion, attempting to direct the blow away from his person rather than just blocking. Upon the optimistic assumption, he does not fail and get chopped in half and isn't debilitated by the other, big monster's blender attack, Samuel's other arm holding Slash, his sword, would erupt with countless small black tendrils. These would follow the momentum of the immediate thrust he then would perform with Slash as he aimed for the girl's leg, snaking off his arm and onto her leg before attempting to wrap themselves around her legs in order to restrain her.