The Louvre, Gala, Main Area
In collaboration with @DaysWhile Theo definitely had tried to imagine how a moment like this would feel, and if he’d ever achieve it, now that it was here he had trouble fully pinpointing his feelings. There was an interesting cocktail of emotions swirling inside the man, but you wouldn’t see it on the outside, as he looked like a charming, proudly grinning man, posing for the photos toward the press area. Pride. Happiness. Fulfillment. Yet, nerves. Uncertainty. Was his mother proud of him? Would his father be impressed? Would Nick? And why did he even care?
In the end, one’s achievements should not be achieved for the benefit of praise or other’s approval. Theo was proud of
himself. He’d done this, he’d achieved this, and soon he’d achieve much more. The Louvre’s offer was on his desk, more exciting things were to come, and Theodore Noel de Villiers was ready. Things were as good as they were going to get, right now. His sisters were back, his mother finally seemed more cheerful and getting her confidence back, and his father and Nick appeared satisfied, as well.
Theo’s observant eyes and his working hands knew every small detail, bump, groove and shimmer on the sceptre, and so the young man’s gaze was on the audience instead. The surprised eyes, the murmurs, the stares of disbelief and the rise of chattering. There was applause, and a bit of a commotion in order to take the best picture of the recovered lost treasure. And so, he didn’t see the odd reflections the artefact hadn’t shown before.
The flickering of lights, a piercing screech, cocktail glasses and champagne flutes shattered in hands. Close to him, a sound unknown to him, yet the sight it produced was even more unfamiliar. An arrival of sorts. A flurry of almost stark white hair, a sunken face, a body so fragile Theo was surprised it didn’t crack and fall once her feet landed on the stage. His stage. The son’s eyes widened, and while the sights in the Pyramid of Giza so many years ago had opened his mind to things unknown, what was before him was hard to process still.
Her intentions were vague, but her objective was clear. Theo didn’t care an iota about who the woman’s father was as she went for the sceptre, now exposed to the chaos of the Louvre’s lobby now the glass casing had shattered. His fingers curled around her wrist without much thought, the bone pressing in his palm
”No!” Was all he could say, his eyes locking onto hers. For just a moment, he tumbled into the depths of her icy pale eyes, cool-toned, and so opposite of his warm inviting ones.
Her voice tortured and somehow sincere, pulled him from reacting to the thump in his chest. He blinked, confused by her statement, and it allowed her to pull from him. Theo didn’t care about any curse, he was cursed enough as is, which the sudden punch with unexpected strength all but seemed to confirm. His hand shot up to his face and he stumbled backward. And before the man could process what the hell had happened, the woman palmed the artefact and disappeared without another glance his way.
No. No. All he worked for…
The chaos below the stage was complete, and as the ringing from his ears cleared, Theo realised the disarray of the crowd, growing on volume. Guns. White smoke. Coughing. Crying. The sounds of shots and agony. He worked his jaw to soften the pain of the punch as his position atop the stage gave him an awful and unwelcome view of the carnage below. What the actual hell was going on?
Unsure what made him do so, Theo glanced up, his eyes widening at the sight of the being encroaching on his form. He recognised it. Not from memory, but from Aurélie’s tales. This was the beast, and it was coming straight for him. Frankly, it just pissed Theo off. This was supposed to be a good day, yet everything shattered, literally and figuratively, and Theo wasn’t fucking
having it today. The creature wrapped around him, wrinkling his green suit as Theo’s temper flared, and the creature spoke. Used his full government name and everything. What the hell?
His chestnut gaze landed on the handcuffs offered. It struck Theo as odd since his movement was already limited. The beast could just whisk him away, so what was so special about the cuffs? Before he could fully process, the young man his father married came guns blazing, calling out his name, and Theo cringed at the sound of the ricocheting bullets. Surely, the man had aim good enough not to hit him, right? That would be an awkward conversation for Thierry and Nick. Sorry, I shot your son.
As Nick fired off haphazard shots in the direction of The Beast, one connected. A metallic screech echoed above the cries and hiss of tear gas. The snake-like body wrapped around Theo recoiled, and The Beast momentarily slunk back into the shadows of the stage.
The man, windswept and slightly unhinged arrived before him as Theo felt the beast let him go. He dropped to his knees, his eyes wide as his lungs tried to suck in enough oxygen. A question, sincere yet oddly placed.
Was he okay? Fuck no.
”I’m fucking peachy. What is that thing?” He asked, his voice influenced by the previous tight grip as he coughed. The catching of his breath took priority over answering the man’s second question, so Theo just quickly nodded a couple of times. He had, in fact, gotten familiar with using guns.
He watched the man fiddle with his watch, and Theo waited, knowing what the watch could do and produce. The device around Nick’s wrist used to belong to Thierry, Theo knew that. He had spent his youth admiring it on rare occasions Thierry took it off. Theo was fascinated by the Louvre-supplied watch. He’d always wanted one, too, and while Thierry always told Theo “one day, when you’re a man”, Theo could always see the glint of hesitation in his eyes. Because those watches weren’t just for any Louvre employee like Theo would become.
Yet this was his father’s alright. Theo knew it like the back of his hand and had noticed before that his father sported a new one while Nick wore his. It sparked an off sense of hurt in Theo, but he tried to bury that. Right now, it wasn’t time for that to resurface, either, and Theo watched as Nick succumbed to something unknown to him. Without supplying a gun.
”Nick! No. Fuck.” Theo shook his arm, finding him well and fully passed out. Protect himself, he said.
Above him, Theo could hear and feel the looming presence of the beast, and his hands shot to to Nick’s watch, hopefully able to find some form of protection. As he fumbled with the device, his eyes shot up to the crowd, going toward where he saw his mother and sisters last. He found his father instead, Cosy right behind him, cowering, and his mother, too. Where was Auri? His roaming gaze didn’t take long to find the blonde-haired woman through the mist, in her dark blue dress, the fine fabric of the skirt bunched in her hands as she ran toward the stage. Toward him.
However, as Auri made her way forward, she was tased from behind. The HiveMind agent holding the taser gun was smirking.
“Where you think you're going, girlie?” He said, pressing a knee into her back and grabbing her wrists, handcuffs in hand.
There was a growl from behind as The Beast approached. Metal was repairing itself at a rapid pace where it had got shot, and there was dead annoyance in its eye.
It held up the cuffs again, countless metallic strand-like appendages from its head raising up as if to attack.
“Step away from #6 and surrender. Now.”Theo knelt down next to Nick, two fingers on the skin of his wrist to confirm. Still breathing. Good. His gaze shot to his sister, and he watched as she suddenly stopped in her steps, her eyes wide and her body rigid. Her fingers curled and the fabric held by her delicate fingers fell from her hold, forming back to her body. The sound of loud crackles filled the air, and it was then that Theo realised his sister was getting
tased.
”AURI!” Theo roared out, anger rising from deep in his chest. He’d be damned if something happened to his sister,
again. Yet, his one move toward her was stopped by the beast and Theo tore his gaze off Aurélie on the marble floor and put it back on the beast. A muscle in his angular jaw ticked, and with a quick sleight of hand, Theo took off Nick’s watch and placed it in his pocket as he rose.
It was a horrifying sight to see, the beast, the cuffs, and Theo had to realise he was out of choices here. He was held at gunpoint. In some odd form of it. Standing before the creature, in his emerald green suit worn for his accomplishments, he briefly looked back at Auri, screaming his name on the floor, agony in her face as a knee pressed into her back. He couldn’t cause her more hurt. He couldn’t cause his family more hurt. They’d all been through enough. Through way too much. His head snapped back into the creature’s direction.
”Alright, just let my sister go. Leave my family alone, too.”He raised his hands, and when the beast just held out the cuffs even more toward him, he sighed and grabbed them, snapping them around his wrists. He tried to keep a straight face, stoic for the beholder, yet a shimmer of fear reflected in them.
The Beast watched for a moment, before its gaze fell on the HiveMind agent detaining Auri.
”Let the girl go.”All at once, Auri would feel the knee removed from her back, and the sound of footsteps moving back. If she were to look at Cosy or the rest of her family, the HiveMind agents seemed to be moving away from them as well.
Theo would have little time to digest this change of events due to his surrender, however. As the cuffs snapped around his wrists, a metallic appendage would snake around his waist, lifting him up.
”Your compliance will be rewarded. Come with me.”And just like that, The Beast turned away, Theo in tow. There was a hum of static in the air, and the two dematerialized, disappearing from the gala entirely.
The Louvre, Gala, Main Area
@Lexisheeps,
@WhiteAngel25,
@DaysAs the Beast escaped with Theo in his grasp, muffled laughter could be heard on the gala floor. Amidst the blurred lights, cries of the guests, and shrill commands of the HiveMind agents, the laughter grew.
Nick cackled on the floor, unnatural in how he half-slumped upwards, trying to pick himself up like a broken doll off the floor. He stood and staggered, a glazed, far-away look in his eye as his gaze locked onto Theirry, Sabrina, little Subject #3, and Auri. He wasn't Nick anymore. Something else, or
someone else was steering at the wheel now.
“S-step-dad?” Little Subject #3 bleated out.
“Your
step-dad has taken a little nap, darling. I am #6.”
#6 had an evil glint in his eye as he stepped towards Theirry. In a blur of movement, Thierry found his arm painfully twisted behind his back, and the wind knocked out of him as he writhed on the floor, pinned. There was a low chuckle as #6 leaned down, whispering in Thierry’s ear.
“You think you've escaped me, but I am always here. Submit to me, and maybe I’ll let you keep the ashes of your son.”
His words were like ice. “He will serve me well, opening the way to the End. You should be grateful. Your son will make the impossible possible. Everything his father could ever be proud of.”
A dark cackle, twisting harder on Thierry’s pinned arm. #6’s gaze shifted to Sabrina, and gestured to the HiveMind agents, who forced her to kneel. Cuffs were slipped onto her wrists, and tightened.
“The Lady of Nobility, Mistress of the Broken Home, do not grieve for your son. He is merely serving his destiny that he evaded all those years ago in the depths of Gaza.”
#6’s eyes glanced over to Auri, who was finished being handcuffed, and dragged into a kneeling position by her agent.
“You haven't fully recovered from the darkness, have you? Do not fear, Von Galloes will happily adopt you when your father finally falters and succumbs.”
A deep, cruel chuckle, before #6 rested his eyes on little Subject #3, shivering in the grip of HiveMind agents. He was quiet for a moment, before speaking.
“The runt of the family, the innocent child without a memory of her happiness. What will happen to you, I wonder…”
#6 cast his eyes across the family, speaking to them all once more as he crushed Thierry under him.
“Theo is the lamb that was never slaughtered… until now. Von Galloes dares you to save him, if you can reach him in-”
But before #6 could finish, the doors burst open. Smoke canisters and flashbangs filled the room, filling the air with heaviness and blinding light. There was the sound of screams, and frantic gunshots. Someone tackled #6 off of Thierry, and pulled Thierry to his feet. The sound of scattering footsteps, and relieved voices of gala attendants as some had their handcuffs removed, others were helpd to their feet.
It appeared the HiveMind agents had temporarily retreated deeper into the facility, with the aim to regroup and overcome the police force rescuing hostages.
A gun was pressed into Thierry and Sabrina's hands, handcuffs falling to the ground.
The officer in front of Thierry and Sabrina gave them a grim look. “We need help capturing these HiveMind thugs. Hostages have been secured, but the Louvre isn't safe. You know this place better than our best men, will you lead us?”
An officer approached the Vice President of VoidLight as well, handing him a gun. “You know how to use this, right?” He said, winking at Star.
If Thierry and Sabrina were to observe the disheveled gala attendants, they would find Rodrigo Vandelez and the representative of the Etherium to be suspiciously absent.
Undisclosed Location
@WhiteAngel25,
@Days“Yes, I know #6 has an
issue with orders. It can't be helped… No, no, I know the Beast promised that. Listen, if the boy asks for proof I- wait… Yes, yes I see. Then it's all worked out.”
Von Galloes looked up from his phone call as the Beast and Theo entered the basement laboratory, finding Von Galloes, the scepter, and Stella all in the same gray room.
“...I’ll see you soon.” Von Galloes said before he ended the phone call, a cold smile on his face as he observed Theo and the scepter.
He moved to stand over Stella, a hand raised before it came down, stroking her head oh-so-sweetly. “Well done, daughter of mine. You've made your father very,
very proud.”
His gaze locked on Theo as he spoke. “Not only did you bring me the scepter, but you brought the one who can unlock its powers… Very good.”
Von Galloes stepped toward Theo, his sick smile widening. “Finally. Finally, I have you.”
He ran a finger down Theo's cheek, before lifting his chin, moving Theo's face from left to right, inspecting him. With a nod of approval, Von Galloes beckoned Stella with a finger.
“Daughter of mine, kindly escort the young de Villiers to his holding cell. Then report to your own cell and await further instruction. We have much that must be done, and oh-so little time…”
