It's been a bit since I've watched RWBY, but this seems like it'd be fun
No problem at all! Can always do a refresher. Welcome aboard!
Interested.
Awesome, thanks :)
Hitman
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Mori Quam Foedari
STATUS: Someone out there vividly remembers something you said, which you have completely forgotten. 4 mos ago
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Someone out there vividly remembers something you said, which you have completely forgotten.
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2 yrs ago
They call it science "fiction" when there are currently more planets inhabited by robots than planets inhabited by humans.
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"Writing about magic is harder than writing about spies because you’re dealing with something that doesn’t really exist."
3 yrs ago
If you're ever lonely, dim all the lights and put on a horror movie. After a while, it won’t feel like you're alone anymore. Problem solved.
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“Before you marry a person, you should first make them use a computer with slow Internet to see who they really are.”
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Bio
HITMAN
"𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚛𝚘𝚘𝚖, 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚞𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚝. 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎'𝚜 𝚊 𝚋𝚞𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚎. 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚊 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎. 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚊 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎. 𝙰𝚗 𝚎𝚗𝚍. 𝚈𝚎𝚜... 𝚖𝚊𝚢𝚋𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚒𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎. 𝙸𝚗𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚘𝚛, 𝚢𝚘𝚞'𝚟𝚎 𝚘𝚋𝚟𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚕𝚢 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘𝚘 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚖𝚎. 𝙸 𝚌𝚊𝚗'𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝. 𝙽𝚘𝚝 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚍𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑."
Who I Am
Longtime RPer that has not RPed in a hot second. Pondering a return from a self-imposed exile.
Where I Am
Currently Running
Nothing at the moment, but maybe keep an eye out.
Currently Participating
n/a. Maybe it'll change? ;)
Honors
"He's a two-faced bastard of a GM."
"He's American. Enough said"
"He abuses us with lenny faces"
Comment: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
"He hates the gays"
"Wait, since you're a hitman, can't you just scan the bar code on the back of your head and just bring your post back?"
"I have never met a more horrible, selfish, ungrateful human than Hitman. I wish I didn't have to live inside his body 24/7 for the rest of my pathetic, meaningless existence."
老吾老，以及人之老；幼吾幼，以及人之幼
Most Recent Posts
No problem at all! Can always do a refresher. Welcome aboard!
Awesome, thanks :)
《 F R O M D U S T T O D A W N 》
Legend states that man was created from dust itself, into the world of Remnant, a land ravaged by hostile Grimm. These soulless creatures preyed upon mankind, spreading darkness across the lands of Remnant. But one day, a man discovered Dust, a natural resource with great power. Now armed with weapons powered by these crystals, man overpowered the savage Grimm and forced them away. With the hostile Grimm now defeated, mankind could grow and evolve as a species, forming society as we know it. This society was tentative, though, one riddled with imbalances of power between the four nations of Remnant- Vale, Mantle, Mistral, and Vacuo. The nations disagreed on how best to dispel the forces of Grimm, with some even arguing for the abolition of self-expression entirely as a decree to ward off Grimm once and for all. These tensions exploded into chaos as these four nations went to war. As the dust settled, the leaders of the four nations agreed to unconditional peace, the abolition of slavery, the granting of equal rights for the Faunus, and the creation of a new, better solution to the Grimm problem. What Remnant needed a force of fighters to preserve the peace between nations and defend Remnant from the forces of Grimm, and from this came the birth of the Huntsmen and Huntresses, elite warriors dedicated to slaying the Creatures of Grimm and whose duty is to "uphold the peace" of their world.
Four institutions were established across Remnant were established train Huntsmen and Huntresses and help fight the looming threats to leave Remnant hanging in the balance. Using a combination of Dust weapons, inner auras, and wit, these academies trained young minds into soldiers against the darkness of Grimm. One such academy, and the center of our tale, is Beacon Academy, a prestigious academy located in the country of Vale. Beacon's renown is universal, with students from all over Remnant arriving to learn the craft of combat under the tutelage of a wide range of staff and the brilliant Headmaster Ozpin. This year, a new wave of hopefuls have been accepted, aiming to pass the entrance exam and join the ranks of Beacon's huntsmen-in-training.
This year, however, things will be different. Headmaster Ozpin suddenly departed prior to the start of the year due to "personal emergency," and appointed internationally-renowned Huntsman Sterling Ashfield Carlisle, a brilliant- if slightly antiquated- tactical mind and a legendary warrior. In the midst of this sudden, temporary transition, other conflicts are arising as well. The Faunus continue to protest and riot vehemently for equal treatment, the Grimm continue to grow and attack, and other dark forces are at play all across Remnant, working behind-the-scenes in an attempt to engulf the lands in darkness once more.
For the new class of Beacon Academy, though, there are a number of other pressing concerns on their young, impressionable minds. Forming new strengths, forging new bonds, strengthening new skills, encountering new experiences, and having fun are all on the docket. These budding new Huntsmen will soon find, though, that there are a lot more difficulties up the road. More than they could ever imagine.
《 S E T T I N G // I N F O 》
Welcome, thanks for reading this far! Now with some more time on my hands and a sudden, inexplicable desire for a fandom RP, I figured that this would be a fun idea to prop up right now.
This RP is set pre-Fall of Beacon, obviously, in a slightly modified universe from that of the canon. Outside of Ozpin and any other fundamentally crucial characters, the RP will have an entirely unique cast, with my goal being the creation of an equally colorful but also different universe from that of the show. I have planned a villain and a plot and all that, but I also value a players' contributions to the universe and general story of the RP, so as to avoid having an overly linear plotline.
In order to maintain order, I intend on accepting a grand total of 7 applicants, unless the interest in the RP is dramatically above or below my expectations. Any other applicants will be on a backlist in the (unfortunately likely) occasion that somebody desires to leave the RP. I won't be allowing multiple characters unless we have not filled the 7-person quota. Being open is very important to me as a GM, and I would really appreciate it if you could keep me informed on everything in the RP. I am very open to being flexible and working through difficulties, but only if I am kept in the loop. If you disappear, so will your character. ;(
The cast of the RP will be evaluated based on general quality and how well it meshes with the rest of the group. I reserve the right to include or exclude any character from the RP as I see fit. My goal is for everybody to have the best possible time, and if the RP isn't a fit for you, it just doesn't work. I would like to maintain somewhere in the ballpark of a higher casual writing style, which for me means that I expect substance in every post and respect for the other RPers.
Joining the Discord is highly, highly, HIGHLY recommended. Communication is key! [ CLICK HERE TO JOIN! ]
If you have any concerns or questions, you can post them here or in the Discord, or, of course, just DM me! Always happy to answer our questions. Lastly, if you're interested, please drop a post below so I can get a sense of who wants to join. Thanks!
We are currently accepting new applicants!
@Hitman I do have a character for this. He was used in a Kingsman inspired roleplay on another site but I can tweak him for this, if you’re still looking for another writer. :)
Sure, let me take a look! :)
- and -
Ben gave an affable smile to Carmen as she approached him on the fancy red carpeted floors of the casino. ”Hey,” he said with a nod, tugging on the lapels of his suit stiffly. Ben looked like he was ready for a black tie event- clean, pristine suit, now complete with a black Homburg hat perched atop Ben’s golden locks (the hat actually had a listening device inside of it and, in a pinch, could be used as a boomerang). Ben quickly went back to adjusting his tie, still somewhat fidgety. He listened as Carmen spoke up, the girl still sounding somewhat anxious. “So? Where to? I don’t really know how to gamble beyond, like, blackjack or anything…” Carmen trailed off. Ben could sense she was still somewhat flustered. He couldn’t blame her. So far, her only experience on the field that was not a Promenade-controlled exercise was at that absolute dumpster fire of a mission in Timbuktu. “We could go get a bite to eat at the bar or something? I haven’t really eaten since lunch. And I have the 11:30 AM lunch. My ID identifies me as 21, so we could get the lay of the land from there. We could try to walk around, too, catch some conversation. Drunk people talk, and I can listen and talk back more than you. I- I don’t know, though. You have more experience than me, obviously. I’m deflecting to you, of course.”
Ben laughed a bit, trying to mask his latent nerves and project confidence. He wasn’t the best actor, but he would like to think that he did a pretty decent job of it. ”Your idea sounds great! The bar is a good place to go. Kind of where all roads meet at this type of gathering,” Ben said, rolling up his sleeve and looking at his watch. ”And you’re right. Drunk people are perfect to get some insight on who we’re up again. Can’t keep their mouths shut. And plus, I’ll hopefully be able to mark some people for Olly with this thing.” Ben shook up his right suit sleeve, revealing to Carmen’s eyes only a gray pistol with orange highlights clenched in his fist. ”Tracker gun,,” he explained, his sleeve falling down back over his wrist as the pistol mysteriously vanished into the folds of Ben’s suit. ”Known thine enemy, as they say. Anyway, let’s go. Wouldn’t want to keep your stomach waiting!”
Ben took a step, before stopping suddenly, standing there for a few moments in apprehension before clearing his throat and speaking. ”Oh! Almost forgot. You know, Olly did have a good point about how a bunch of rich brats wouldn’t want to sleep on the couch. Might be suspicious. So, I was just thinking...” Ben looked away. ”Maybe we could be, like, you know, a couple? As pretend, of course! Totally in-character.” He took a shaky, tense, and prolonged breath. ”If that’s OK with you, I mean! But...it’s a good plan,” he offered, at least somewhat hopefully, as he lifted a very clammy hand for Carmen to take.
Carmen felt her face turn as red as her dress and looked away before she could embarrass herself further. “I- I- I-” she stuttered. Carmen had never even dated a boy before. Or flirted, for that matter. Even fake dating intimidated her, made her feel a bit tingly in the fingers. The emotional part of her brain was trying to jump into a volcano, but the logical part of her was telling her it was a good idea. It could be… useful for their cover, certainly.
She glanced back up at Ben, still looking mortified. “We won’t actually… share a bed, right?” she squeaked out. “N-not that sharing a bed with you would be bad. It’d probably be grea- I mean, alright! I mean. Terrible? No, not that, I’m sure it wouldn’t be miserable? My parents would kill me if I slept with a boy. Either way. Not that they’d know, right?” Carmen took a deep breath, briefly sounding like she was about to start hyperventilating.
Ben tried to put on a reassuring smile, though deep down he was quite nearly as terrified himself. ”No, no, nothing like that. It’s just to keep our cover identities intact, y’know?” His cheeks developed a gentle pink tinge as Carmen spoke. ”And don’t put it like that! I’m not gonna ask you out in the middle of a mission.” He then quickly rectified that statement. ”I’m not gonna ask you out, period, I mean.” He reached his hand out, tenderly taking Carmen’s hand. ”Let’s just get this show on the road, alright? Somebody gotta scope this place out.”
This whole thing was confusing. First he was saying he would never ever ask her out, and then he was holding her hand? What was his deal? You’re probably just not pretty or cool enough for him. Too much of a dork. Just as swiftly as it had come, she banished the sullen thought. She didn’t want to date, anyways!
So why was she upset? Her cheeks stopped being tomato red and just stayed a slight pink as they walked to the bar together, holding hands. “Mhm,” she said, trying not to open her mouth anymore than necessary. “Right, right. If I hear anything interesting, I’ll let you know.” She would keep her ears peeled for idle chatter, she decided. And not make any more small talk with Ben.
Ben made absolutely, positively sure not to make any sort of eye contact with Carmen as the two made their way to the cantina. It was certainly awkward. Very awkward. Ben fixated himself on some of the pretty light fixtures as they made their way to the primary bar at the casino. It was certainly a very nice place- a glow of red and gold filled the modern, China-inspired Peking Lounge as a number of guests moved to and fro the room. Most of the people in the room were natives, it seemed, but there was enough diversity so Ben and Carmen didn’t stick out like a sore thumb. Ben made his way over to the bar, releasing Carmen’s hand and reaching it into his jacket while trying his best to erase the awkwardness of the last few minutes from his mind.
Ben subtly removed the tracker gun from his jacket, holding it beneath the counter. He leaned against the counter and squeezed off two rounds. The small, gelatin-encased bugs swiveled across the room unnoticed, hitting two guards square in the back as they passed through. Ben then spun the gun around and did the same, nailing another two guards with ease, before pocketing the gun in his suit. He pressed a finger against his ear and put his mouth to his other fist to muffle the sound. ”Marked a few guards in the restaurant area. You should be seeing them on your watches. Keeping an eye out for...bingo.”
Ben had spotted one of the individuals that they wanted to see. Alan Chow. He was an average-sized, if not slightly short, Asian man with dark, combed hair, but it was clear by the way that he dressed that he did not want to be forgotten. His suit, a dark jacket covered in glistening diamonds and a frilly shirt matched with a pair of pants that was equally diamond-studded, was exotic enough to impress Liberace. The guy that he was standing next to made Ben do a double-take. He could’ve sworn it was Yuto for a moment, but after a moment Ben recognized the younger man to be the singer guy from the case file. He did certainly share many characteristics with Yuto. Similar size and musculature, dark hair, boyish Oriental looks, mature jawline, fancy clothes, and the same blank, dead expression. The two were speaking in hushed Cantonese, and so Ben gently prodded Carmen in the shoulder to make sure she was listening. Meanwhile, Ben spoke on his comms again.”HIRAM is right,” Ben whispered almost silently. ”Agent Lancer and the pop singer are almost identical. Looks like they have some connection with Alan, too. Might be a good idea,” he said as the two promptly split up, Tsung walking down the hall and Alan heading for the elevator. Ben discreetly fired two more gel shots at them, marking them down on the watches, before turning to the bartender. ”Erm, I’ll get...two Shirley Temples. One for the lady,” he said in a slightly exaggerated Southern twang. It seemed like the type of thing Johnny Ellison Fuller would say.”That alright with you, Ca-...I mean, Marie?”
Carmen listened into their conversation discreetly. Nothing interesting. “It’s María, Johnny. I’m not French,” Carmen corrected. She put on a bit of a Mexican accent, but it wasn’t heavy at all. María was Mexican, after all. “I like Shirley Temples, yeah! Not like I was gonna order alcohol or anything.” Carmen chuckled at the idea. Like she would get drunk on a mission. The bartender was still standing in front of them, mixing their drinks, so Carmen elected not to discuss the goings-on behind them until she was done.
Once the drinks were served, Carmen smiled and nodded. “Xiè xie.” The bartender smiled back and walked away. “They’re not really talking about interesting,” she whispered to Ben, and took a sip out of her Shirley Temple. They were just as good in China as they were in America! “ They’re just about when the singer dude’s gonna get paid. Sounds like he really doesn’t wanna be here. But he is raking in a crapton of money from this, so it’s probably worth it.”
”Right, right, sorry, Maria,” Ben said loudly, before dropping to a whisper to respond to Carmen. ”Roger. You heard that, y’all?” Ben asked into his earpiece, looking at his watch. ”Looks like the pop singer fellow is lounging around in his dressing room...you can probably slip past security-”
Ben’s speech was cut short as two hands suddenly grabbed Ben and Carmen by the shoulder. Ben’s head whipped around to see the smiling face of a young man. He appeared to be Latino, with bronze-colored skin and short, curly chestnut hair with vivacious brown eyes. He was wearing an amber seersucker suit and had a thin pencil mustache. Despite being a couple heads taller than Ben (and thus a few more taller than Carmen) and having the build (and facial hair) of an adult, his joyful, plump face suggested that he was not too much older than the two of them. Perhaps college, or a couple years more. He spoke jovially. “Are you Master Fuller?” He somehow sensed the apprehension in Ben’s eyes. “Ah, a member of such a wealthy family cannot go unknown to me! I’m a bit of a high roller, so I know all the people at this casino. I hear everything. And are you Ms. Garcia, then? Hola, princesa. I am Alfredo Ruiz, the junior ambassador from Venezuela.”
Carmen jumped in her seat as this Alfredo man grabbed the both of them by the shoulders. She didn’t remember him from their briefing, so he couldn’t be that important, right? “Mucho gusto,” she said, rather curtly.
Ben had a very strong urge to shatter this so-called ambassador’s bones into dust, but unfortunately, Johnny Ellison Fuller was probably not capable of shattering peoples’ bones to dust, and so Ben played along, giving a tentative smile. ”Umm, nice to meet you. Can I...call you Al?”
Alfredo lifted his hands from Ben and Carmen’s shoulders to clasp them together joyfully. “Oh, of course, mi amigo nuevo. Sorry for such an abrupt introduction. I just wanted to meet the son of the man that my nation has done so much business with.” He smiled toothily. “I was just going to invite the two of you to a fiesta. We’re having a large get-together of some of the more well-connected casino-goers, and it would simply be incomplete without the two of you.”
Ben cleared his throat and was about to politely turn this Alfredo guy down, but Alfredo kept talking. “Not too long or too late of a party, of course! I have a big event tomorrow morning with a few other diplomats. Big tournament for a big payoff, so I have to be ready. Mentally, you know?” As Alfredo chuckled, Ben glanced ambitiously at Carmen, before looking back at Alfredo. ”Sounds good. We’ll be there for sure.”
What was Ben doing? Carmen merely smiled and nodded, a bit too taken off guard to sum up a real response. She shifted uncomfortably in her chair as Alfredo spoke. He knew a bit too much about their secret identities for her to be comfortable in his presence. But it seemed like she’d have to, because Ben had accepted his damn invitation!
“Gracias! I’m looking forward to it. Johnny and I are nothing if not party animals, right, Johnny?” Carmen looked at Ben expectedly. If he insisted on going to this party, she’d make sure they had a good cover, damnit!
”Oh, of course!” Ben said quickly. ”Me and Maria here love a good party.” The young diplomat smiled and nodded. “We’ll be meeting in the Tiger Lounge soon. Right down the hall. Hope to see you two there!” With that, the man stood and walked off, heading off to schmootz with some other guest. Ben turned to look at Carmen. ”This is our chance, Carm. To get into the tournament. You OK? You look a little shaken up.”
“W-what? No, I’m fine.” Carmen relaxed a bit when he left, letting her shoulders sag. “That guy is just… a bit skeevy, don’t you think? I-I agree with your decision, obviously, we should just be careful.” Carmen swirled her drink around with her straw. “When did he say that party starts? We might wanna let the rest know, I can go put on some makeup, look a bit classier.” She trailed off a bit, looking at Ben for approval yet again.
”All these people are skeevy, Carm. They’re criminals. And enemies of America. Not exactly the upright type, y’know?”
“You don’t have to be a criminal or an enemy of America to go to a casino, Ben,” Carmen teased.
”But you do to compete in some sort of poker tournament for nuke codes, Ben retorted with a smirk as he hopped up from his chair.
“I did not hear him say that.”
”That’s pretty much what he meant. Anyway, the party's probably gonna pick up in a few minutes.” Ben straightened out his suit. ”I don’t think we’re gonna have a problem. The rest are probably busy, anyway. And I think you look great. Fine as hell.” Ben smiled sunnily. ”But if you want to do make-up or whatever, I guess that’s fine. I’m gonna head right there. If I can snag the invitation right off the bat we can skip all the actual party stuff, which is a bonus.”
Ben’s compliment made her smile a little bit. “Well… I guess I look alright. I don’t have to go and put any makeup on.” She stood, too, and brushed the wrinkles from her dress. “It would help our covers if we stayed for a bit, wouldn’t it? If we convince them we’re legitimate, it’ll be a bit easier for us.”
Ben puckered his lips as he thought. ”You aren’t wrong. At the same time, this guy gives me the heeby-jeebies. This feels more like an in-and-out mission,” Ben explained as he began to walk. ”Get the invite, get out. Easy-peasy,” Ben said as they approached the Tiger Lounge, which was separated from the rest of the bar by a row of beads. Smoke curled out from the beaded entrance to the room. Ben wrinkled his nose. ”Hookah lounge. Ugh.” He looked at Carmen. ”Let’s go. And keep moving. Don’t want you to stand in the nicotine clouds.” And with that, Ben ducked through the beaded entrance and into the lounge.
It seemed as though the party had already gotten started. Men and women gathered around the large, fancy hookahs, all smoking like bandits. Ben gagged as he made his way through, wafting some of the smoke out of his face. How people found joy in doing this, he had no idea. He ducked past a few well-threaded individuals as he looked around the room. No sign of that Alfredo fellow. Ben continued on his way through the lounge, making his way over to a pair of red doors at the other end of the room. He pushed open the doors to the room and took a massive gasp. This private room also had a hookah in it, this one a tall blue porcelain one, but thankfully it was yet to be occupied at this time. The doors swung shut behind the two of them as Ben inhaled as much breathable air as possible.
His eyes scanned the room quickly, and he found what he was looking for. A briefcase, sitting underneath a few seersucker jackets that were hanging on a coat rack. Ben had only known this Alfredo guy for about 10 seconds, but he already knew that only he could have such a horrible fashion sense. Ben made his way over to the briefcase, opening it, and rummaged through the diplomat’s belongings, before smiling widely as he pulled out a fancy black envelope covered in golden swirls and Chinese characters. ”Bingo. The golden ticket. Literally.” Ben tucked the envelope under his armpit as he triumphantly walked towards the exit, stopping at the large hookah and removing the hose, pointing it at Carmen. ”I know you want a puff,” he said teasingly, waving the nozzle around her face.
Carmen squeaked and pushed it away. “You’re crazy if you think I’m putting that in my mouth!” she said. “Those things are full of all sorts of mold and tar.” It was true. She had looked it up!
Ben re-attached the hose of the hookah back onto the body. ”I’m guessing you aren’t part of the Juul squad, then?” he said with a chuckle, leaning back against the table and mimed smoking.
Carmen raised her brow. “No, no way. Are you, Mr. Cool?”
”Definitely not.” Ben shook his head vehemently. ”Not exactly ‘Mr. Cool’ either, but I’ll take the compliment.”
“Not a compliment. Don’t you hang out with football players? I’d say that’s pretty stereotypically cool. Basic, but popular-y.”
”I mean, yeah, but...” Ben looked down, shrugging. ”I’m not like them. They’re all, like, cool without trying. I haven’t even had my first kiss yet. But....” he grinned slightly, smiling again somewhat. ”Being a spy definitely kinda makes up for that. All James Bond, you know? It’s awesome. When you’re not getting shot at while being chased through the desert,” Ben noted, trying to shake the image from his mind.
“Do you want someone to hear us?” Carmen teased. “Being shot at sucks, I agree. Unfortunately, it’s all I’ve done so far.”
”Nobody’s going to hear us,” Ben said defiantly. ”Those people are as high as a kite out there.”
“You don’t know that. Now hide that envelope a bit better, and let’s go join the party. We wouldn’t want to bail so fast and then have our new friend think we’re the ones who stole his envelope.”
”Roger that, Captain,” Ben said jokingly as he grabbed the envelope. Just as he was about to put the envelope into his jacket, the doors to the private room swung open violently, and three individuals stormed into the room. One of those people was a very angry-looking Alfredo, one that very much contrasted the pleasant, sociable (and somewhat creepy) Alfredo from earlier. The other two individuals were tall, Asian men in uniform that Ben recognized as casino security. Ben blinked like a deer in headlights, instinctively stepping back. It was only then that he noticed a small, almost invisible, beeping red dot on the briefcase. A trap. We got set up. I’m a fucking idiot.
Alfredo reached into his seersucker pocket, pulling out a surprisingly dangerous-looking, sharp, letter opener as the two security guards hovered by the door. “I knew it, Fuller! I knew you would try to sneak in, you ladron!” Alfredo smiled toothily like a wolf. “Now I have you right where I want. Oh, I can see it now...gallons and gallons of beautiful, rich oil…” Alfredo laughed to himself as the two security guards closed in on them.
Carmen’s heart skipped a beat as she watched the two guards close in on them. She stepped back and bumped against him. Oh. Oh, we are so fucked. Luckily, it didn’t look like this Alfredo man knew their identities were fake, but… her mind spun with possibilities. If there was one thing Carmen was good at, it was being smart. The brass knuckles at her side and the gun and nightstick in her purse wouldn’t work her. She couldn’t take three tall, strong men physically, and a gun would be too loud and obvious. So, fighting was out. It was time for diplomacy to shine.
Oh, hell, there was no way she was dying in a hookah lounge in fucking China. Carmen clenched her fist, took a deep gulp of air, let her face take on a slightly threatening smirk, and began to speak. “Alfredo, mi amigo, I’m sure we can work something out. Johnny was just being… stupid. Right, Johnny?” Carmen waited for a nod from Ben before continuing. “I sure wouldn’t want my papí to hear about this, would you? He’s never taken kindly to strange men touching and… well, touching his innocent daughter and her friends. After all, he’s taken quite the shining to Johnny here. And I’ve heard that he has… quite the temper. None of us want that. Do we?” Heart pumping in her chest, Carmen smirked, casually fingering her brass knuckles. She really hoped she wouldn’t have to punch anyone.
Alfredo took a prolonged breath. “True, true, your father is a very...unforgiving man. I can’t have him getting too angry at me. Very well then, Senorita Garcia. You may go. But my business with the oil baron’s child is not finished.” The guards moved towards Ben, who took a shaky breath before ducking back, out of the way of the guards. They headbutted into each other, almost comically, and thus giving Ben a moment to act. He reached into his breast pocket, removing a sleek, black, extendable baton, before jumping into action, swinging back and forth with the fast weapon at the heads of the two guards. The smallish boy packed a surprising punch, and the two guards fell to a heap on the ground.
The Venezuelan, however, was still on his feet and was now angry. His attention focused on Ben, AKA Johnny, he rushed the marksman, catching Ben on the arm with his blade and leaving there a gash, before pinning Ben to the wall with one arm, the blade pressed to Ben’s threat. He was only focused on the blonde teen, having assumed that Carmen, aka Maria, had already left the room. “Oh, you cabrón, you are done for now…” he hissed angrily as he pressed the blade against Ben’s threat, eliciting a gasp. “You messed with the wrong man, you hear me? The wrong man!”
Carmen was, in fact, walking out, planning to go right back to their hotel room and get the others, before she heard the two men fall to the ground. She whirled around, alarmed, only to see Ben being pushed into the wall by Alfredo with a knife in his hand. She gasped, and her eyes hardened. She couldn’t just leave Ben here to die! She pulled out her baton and activated the brass knuckles disguised as rings, and then, she charged.
Before Alfredo knew it, all 123 pounds of Carmen Hernandez were slamming into him. She grabbed his knife hand and jumped on top of him, using all her force to pull him to the ground. In seconds, she had her baton pressed against his neck, cutting off all airflow, and her right hand pressing his knife to his chest. “No, you messed with the wrong people!” she said, panting from the sudden effort.
Alfredo could hardly get another word out before Ben came after him, grabbing his baton and swinging it into Alfredo's forehead, knocking him out cold. Ben retracted his weapon, putting it back into his pocket. He grabbed his arm, which was oozing blood. "Carmen...you...you saved me!" Ben said with a sudden wide smile. "Damn, you have something in you...Anyway, we should get out of here. Soon. Very soon." One hand tightly wrapped against his bicep to stem the bleeding, Ben lifted his other arm, aiming his wrist at the men on the ground. He fired three small darts, one into each of their necks. "Amnesia darts. That’ll keep them out of our hair," Ben said, a forced smile plastered on his face to cover up the pain he was in. Scarlet blood oozed out from behind his hand, now dripping from the crevices between his fingers and falling onto the floor.
Carmen took a quick inhale of breath- almost a hiss- when she saw Ben’s arm. “You’re welcome, but your arm looks really bad. There’s so much blood. We need to get out of here now and get you to some private place where I can give you first aid. Come on.” With a lot more confidence than before, she grabbed Ben’s hand and led them out of the hookah lounge. Thankfully, the other party goers were a bit too preoccupied with… well, hookah, to notice the profusely bleeding teenager being led out of the lounge.
Where should they go? Once they were out in the hall, Carmen searched for a supply closet or something like that. It needed to be private. She had a first aid kit in her purse, luckily, so she wouldn’t need to ask anyone for one. And she knew how to do stitches, so they wouldn’t have to go to a doctor unless she fucked it up. Unfortunately for Ben, the first place she found was an empty one-room women’s bathroom. They went in and she closed the door.
“Lucky for you… I know how to do stitches!” She dug around in her purse and produced the first aid kit. Having taught herself, Carmen wasn’t too confident in her abilities, but wasn’t about to let that stop her. “I mean, I’ve never tried on a real, live person before, but what better time to start than when someone needs them? Sit there,” she ordered, and pointed to the toilet seat. “Roll up your sleeve so I can clean up the blood and then disinfect it, maybe?” Carmen then grabbed a ton of paper towels, stood next to him, and busied herself with the first aid kit.
"F-first time?!" Ben looked extremelly nervous. "Carmen, r-really, I think I’m alright. It’s not that bad!” Ben rolled up his sleeve all the way to his shoulder. It was bad. And deep. And very, very bloody. "Some bandages and stuff will probably be alright! No need to rush into anything you can’t do, right?"
Carmen started to mop up the blood with the paper towels. Problem was, there was a lot of it, and it was coming fast. “Well, I mean, it’s pretty deep…” Carmen accidentally poked her finger in there while mopping up the blood, and it went in way further than it should have. “I mean… there’s a first time for everything? It’ll be better to have me do stitches than to bleed out in a Chinese casino, or, like, have to go to the hospital and have your cover potentially blown by the government. But if you think so, we can try to just do bandages. Do me a favor and hold those towels there? Let’s just see if the bleeding goes away.”
"OW! Don’t do that," Ben moaned as Carmen accidentally stuck her finger into his cut. He shook his head as he took the towels, pressing them against the wound. They quickly turned scarlet red as they became soaked with blood, though at least it seemed Ben wasn’t bleeding as badly as before. He looked quietly at Carmen’s face, sitting there in silence, before clearing his throat. "Thanks,” he said plainly, before looking away from Carmen’s face as blush ran through his cheeks.
After a little pause, Carmen bashfully whispered, “You’re welcome.” She felt a bit of blood rush to her cheeks and turned away.
There was silence for the next ten minutes as they held the paper towels over Ben’s arm. The bleeding stopped after 7, so Carmen, in all her know-it-all glory, deemed it not urgently requiring stitches. “Lucky you! You don’t get the experience of me stabbing your bloody arm with a needle.” She grinned, and then dug out the disinfectant. “This, however, might hurt.” She then liberally applied the disinfectant over Ben’s wound. Afterwards, she took out some gauze pads and taped them over.
“There. You should… probably get someone else to make sure your arm doesn’t need stitches, though. I’m not exactly great at this.”
"HOLY FU-” Ben held the swear sword back in as Carmen literally dumped disinfectant all over his arm. Jesus. Obviously her books hadn’t told her how much that shit hurt on an open wound. Ben was very pissed, and if it were anybody else, he would’ve given them a piece of his mind, but he instead managed to pull out his fakest smile yet as Carmen put a few gauze pads over the wound and taped it up. Ben cautiously rotated his arm a few times to make sure all was well, before rolling down his sleeve to cover it up. There was still a tear in his clothes where he had been sliced, and some blood stains, which certainly ruined this nice-looking suit, but at the very least Ben wasn’t an empty sack of flesh being deposited in a dumpster somewhere.
"I owe you. Big time. If there’s anything you need me to do, anytime, you let know, OK?” Ben looked down at Carmen, tucking a few stray strands of blonde hair behind his ear. "And don’t let what Binx says sometimes get into your head, alright? You’re a pretty spy.” He smiled amicably before realizing his misstep. "Pretty good spy, I mean. I mean, you are a pretty spy, but I meant...err...” Ben coughed awkwardly. "...I think we should get out of here.”
He owed her? Carmen blushed and looked away. “I-it’s really no big deal, Ben. You’re my teammate. M-my friend.” She blushed even more when he called her pretty. Hadn’t he just told her they’d never date thirty minutes ago? Jesus, boys were confusing.
“Yeah! Let’s,” she said, and smiled. “I hope you know everyone’s gonna make fun of you for getting stabbed in the first hour of the mission. For once, you’ll be the butt of the joke and not me.” At that, Carmen smiled triumphantly. Small victories. Small victories.
"Hey, at least I managed to get the invitation.” Ben drew the fancy envelope from inside his suit, waving it around in front of Carmen’s face. "That’s a mission success in my books. ”
“True. No offense, I mean, but you still got stabbed. First injury warrants teasing.”
"Hey, I didn’t make fun of you when you joined Prom. Don’t turn my good nature against me,” Ben said teasingly, gently flicking Carmen in the head with the envelope.
I wasn’t going to make fun of you! Binx and Yuto, though…” Carmen crossed her arms. “Don’t you poke me! I’ll sit you right down and make you get stitches.”
"You couldn’t sit me down if you tried.”
“I have a baton. I can kneecap you!” Carmen joked.
"You couldn’t kneecap a mannequin,” Ben shot back playfully.
“I don’t know about that! Ms. Sokolova is a pretty good teacher. Coupled with her signature demonstrations, of course.”
Ben winced mentally at the thought of Nadia’s ‘signature demonstrations.’ Needless to say, Nadia preferred having human subjects. "Try me, Carm. No way you can bring me down. In case you forgot, I’m an athlete.”
Carmen scoffed. “And I am too! Batons are awful similar to tennis rackets, you know.”
"Really, huh? How’s the tennis team doing right now?”
“It’s not tennis season. How’s the football team doing?”
"Early season slump. Anyway, my point still stands.”
“Mmmmmhm. Anyways, before I can expose your terrible spaceball skills, let’s go. This bathroom smells. Mostly like blood now.”
Ben sniffed the air. "Eugh. You’re not wrong.” He carefully opened the door, making sure there were no prying eyes nearby, before stepping out into the hallway and quickly making his way back to the hotel room, so as to not get spotted looking like he had just been stabbed.
The duo made their way back into the girls’ hotel room. Ben tossed the fancy envelope onto a coffee table. "And that’s how you get an invite into an exclusive gambling tournament,” Ben declared triumphantly as he made himself comfortable on the couch, forgetting that this was not his room. He kicked his feet up onto the table.
“And how you get stabbed! Ben got stabbed,” Carmen announced and smirked.
Ben grabbed Carmen by the wrist, pulling her onto the couch. "No, I did not! That was an accident! Shut up, Carmen!”
Carmen’s butt landed right on Ben’s chest, which made for a very awkward seating arrangement. She blushed and quickly stood up. “Yes you did!
"Did not!” Ben fired back
“Your suit’s all bloody and torn and you’ve got bloody gauze on your arm. Everyone can tell.”
"Fine, fine...” Ben folded his arms. "Still got the invite, though. One step closer to finishing this mission tomorrow. Nice work, Carm.” He smirked, as he quickly grabbed Carmen and yanked her back down to the couch again playfully. "Hah! Gotcha,” he said teasingly, and any agents that were still lingering around the rooms would walk in to see this rather juvenile, certainly teenage scene unfolding.
As Ben and Carmen continued their pathetic display at flirting, on the casino floors, Alan Chow lurked around like a shark in the waters. He would occasionally move to make small talk with guests and congratulate winners, but it was clear that there were two things he was looking for. One, big winners, and two, cheaters. OF course, in his mind, they were both the same things. Alan Chow ran a business, not a charity, and the Red Dragon didn't have the money to accommodate any unrelenting poker champs. And so, around the casino the man went, making sure that nobody was violating any rules, or winning too much.
Grace glared at Tom as he offered up a very, very pathetic excuse. They very obviously did not work here. For one, they had managed to enter the room through an actual portal, and second, they were famous now, or at least, famous enough for most mysterious villain organizations to know who they were. Indeed, while the guards here did seem to be at least modestly incompetent, they recognized two heroes when they saw them. They quickly lifted their guns, and then a chorus of gunfire rang out, filling the room. Tom would've been pumped chock full of holes had Grace not acted quickly, opening a wide violet portal in front of Tom's body. The bullets fell into the portal like raindrops into a puddle, before a second portal opened above the guards. They screamed as their own projectiles struck them down, collapsing to the floor in a heavily injured heap. Grace huffed, lifting her head and folding her arms. "How did you ever live without me?" Grace asked sarcastically as she gently nudged one of the groaning guards with her foot. "I pity these poor fools. Let's go, Tommy. We have to...figure this place out."
Grace stepped over a few near-corpses and walked through the corridor. Grace had to admit that this evil lair was quite pretty, with the corridor being quite cool-looking; it was very nearly a glass tunnel, with a sleek appearance, and cool metal floors. The corridor led to another room that was sealed behind a metal door, but of course, doors didn't mean anything to a girl that could create portals through matter. Grace simply opened a portal on the door and stepped through, her eyes widening as soon as she reached the other side. The room was highly reminiscent of a prison. Rows of glass cubes, all with small cots and bright lights inside. Most of them were empty, but Grace saw one of the rooms had a somewhat older superhero inside, one that Grace recognized to be the slumped-over form of Thundering Whisper. Grace gently rapped on the cell door, but it seemed as though the man was entirely vacant inside. Grace turned to Tom. "What is this," she whispered concernedly as she made her way down the hall. At the end of the room there was another door, and against it was a computer. Grace tapped a few keys on the computer, opening a program. "Alright, it's going to take a few minutes to override their software and open the cells," she said to Tom. She opened a portal in front of her. "I'm going to go look for Powers and get help. You stay here, OK?" She gently pressed a kiss on his cheek before stepping back into the portal, with only her head peaking out. "I'll be back soon."
Only seconds after Grace had vanished into the portal, the echoes of boots on the ground filled the area as similarly-uniformed guards, dressed in black and red, filed into the cell room en masse. In a moment, a dozen guards had their rifles trained on Tom. Following the men inside was the same woman that Tom and Grace had met earlier- the same stunning redhead, Andromeda, though now she was wearing a much less revealing velvet-colored overcoat and rose-tinted shades. She smirked. "How lovely for you to join us, Spacewalker! I didn't expect you until much later..." She chuckled slyly, adjusting her sunglasses. "I would suggest putting your hands up as the most viable option here. It'll save me a lot of time and effort. And, plus, I just got my nails done...I really don't want to have to fight right now."
Powers was hard at work, his fingers moving rapidly across the keyboard. He was clearly at least somewhat well-versed with the devices. ”If I was trying to betray you, I would surely have done so by now," Powers noted as he finished the process, tapping the "Enter" button a few times. A long scroll of text rapidly flew across the screen. Powers squinted. ”A vast majority of the power of the facility is being re-directed to something called 'Redacted.' That surely can't be good," Powers said, removing a USB from the device and stuffing it into his pocket. He then slammed his elbow into the server tower, smashing it with elegance. The lights of the tower dimmed as the broken machine crackled and then fizzed out.
The sounds of footsteps echoed outside the room, but oddly enough, they didn't enter at all, instead marching past the computer servers and walking away. Powers crept over to the doorway, placing his ear against the wall and listening. He frowned. ”Obviously, there's another problem elsewhere in the facility," he noted as he opened the door out of the server room, looking out. ”Might be worth taking a look into..." He grunted. ”Interesting." He quietly gestured towards some of the guards that were marching band. ”Perhaps it might be best to scatter their maneuver."
i dont really know this girl too well, she's patti's villain girlfriend after all ;) ;) but srsly idr her too well so maybe patti should try to talk to her??? and do her hypnosis thing to. looks like the geezer is on the move i can deal with him ezpz.
no clue on the blonde guy. looks familiar aiwhghiwl
Blake accidentally sent the text message early after feeling a bump in his shoulder. He glared at a mysteriously familiar man that walked past him, having smacked into his shoulder. "Watch it," Blake said hotly to the mystery man, getting a strange sense of deja vu. Probably some thug that he had scared off at some point. Blake didn't worry too much about him. Blake then sent another text,
sorry some asswipe bumped into me. who do these criminals think they are??? anyway, old man looks like he's leaving. Ill tail him and knock him out. one of you should eavesdrop on flu girl
With that, Blake tugged on his suit before following the Black Baron out of the room, casually trailing him up the stairs. The elder Baron ducked into a fancy ornate bathroom, closing and locking the door behind him. Blake counted to three, before gently inserting his finger partway into the lock. A small but piping hot fire quickly ignited at the tip of his finger, melting the interior of the lock with ease. Blake then swung open the door, pointed his finger at the back of the Black Baron, and fired. A small burst of heat launched from his fingertips, catching the old man in the back and blasting him into the wall. He smacked into the wall before tumbling over, laying sprawled on the ground of the bathroom. Blake smirked. "Caught him with his pants down. Thankfully, not literally. That would be...really weird." He gently kicked the Black Baron in the head, but the man was unconscious. Blake smiled widely. "Easier than expected. This mission is a breeze. Breeze!"
Meanwhile, a few moments after Blake left the room to go ambush the Black Baron, Jim Rockferry approached Malady, casually tapping her on the shoulder and asking if he could speak to her alone for a few moments. Kat nodded, and the two walked out of the room. They headed over to a side room, closing and locking the door behind them, but the walls were thin, and if could certainly hear their conversation if they pressed their ear to the wall.
Jim Rockferry spoke first after a brief moment of silence, his tone jovial but awkward, like an uncle trying to communicate with a teenaged niece. "So, Black Baroness! That's a real big honor, isn't it?"
The girl chuckled quietly. "I suppose so. The Baron was a gifted villain, no doubt. Big shoes to fill. I'd like to thank you for giving me this splendid opportunity." There was the audible sound of a gentle smooch from inside the room.
"Oh, no problem, dear. And yes, these are certainly some very big shoes for you to fill. He was monumental in bringing the criminal world just a little closer together. I'm hoping that with your succession, you can keep doing what he started."
"Mmm." The girl paused. "Jim, would you mind if I let you in on a little secret?"
"Oh, sure thing, dear, what is it?"
Another pause, this one more sinister, before the girl spoke again. "I'm not exactly here only to take this title."
"Really now?"
"Mmm. I'm under strict orders from my father...I'm afraid the criminal enterprise is rather...inept. Not only that, they've grown very irritating for my father to deal with. And so, I've been asked to round up the leaders and take them out in one fell swoop." There was a devilish giggle. "Starting with you, I'm afraid."
There was the sound of some scuffling of feet, before Kat spoke again. "No need to run. I've already killed you." Another girlish giggle. "Just enjoy the sight of the pretty sun over the water."
Jim could now be heard gagging as Kat spoke again. "I mean, I'll be honest here, you're not that good at your job. You let heroes onto your boat. Heroes! I'm going to have to go to the boiler room to deal with them next." Another giggle. "Thank you for making this so easy on me, though!" Kat's eerie giggle was heard once more, along with the sound of shattering glass and an audible thump, as if a body had just hit the floor. A moment later, the doorknob to the room began to turn.
𝙾𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗: 𝙳𝚛𝚊𝚐𝚘𝚗 𝙴𝚢𝚎
𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝙳𝚘𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚎𝚛
𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝙳𝚘𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚎𝚛
𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝟷0/𝟾/𝟸0𝟸𝟷
𝙻𝚘𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗: 𝙼𝚊𝚌𝚊𝚘 𝚂𝙰𝚁
𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚊𝚍𝚎
𝙰𝚞𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚛: 𝙷.𝙸.𝚁.𝙰.𝙼. (𝚈𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝙵𝚊𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚏𝚞𝚕 𝙰.𝙸. 𝙲𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚘𝚗!)
More to follow.
𝟷𝟼:𝟻9
𝙾𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝙲𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛, 𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚊𝚍𝚎
𝙼𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝙵𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝙷𝚒𝚐𝚑 𝚂𝚌𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚕, 𝚂𝚠𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚗 𝚃𝚇
𝟷0/𝟽/𝟸0𝟸𝟷
"Do we have everybody? Excellent. Let's begin the briefing."
Nadia Sokolova was at the head of the conference table in Promenade's Operations Center. The room was abuzz with life. The screens that encircled the room were displaying all kinds of footage from around the world, with agents coming to-and-fro, scribbling on clipboards and carrying binders filled to the brim with papers of all sorts. In the center of the room was a large conference table, and seated at the table was the agents of Promenade, joined by their director, as well as Agent Tom Bates and an unfamiliar face. The mystery man looked even less like a secret agent than the teenagers gathered at the table. He was Asian, middle-aged, and extremely anxious-looking, with beady eyes and trembling hands. He had hastily-combed thin black hair and a pair of large, thick glasses perched on his nose. He sat trembling at the conference table as Agent Stanley walked around the conference table, distributing manila files full of information.
"Your mission today brings you to Macau, a Special Administrative Region of China. Located on an island just south of the province of Guangdong, it is called the Las Vegas of the Oriental world. It is a gambling city, through and through," Nadia explained. "You will be heading to one of the largest casinos in the city- the Red Dragon Macau." A 3D image of a massive casino of gold and red projected onto the center of the table. "A massive casino located right in the center of Macau, the gambling center is run by a group called the Hyut Seng Lung. They are a dangerous criminal enterprise that has grown incredibly wealthy over the course of the last few decades," Nadia said nonchalantly. "They started in the business of drugs and used the money obtained in this business to purchase the Red Dragon Macau, which they have been using to launder their drug money, though admittedly, the casino itself turns a significant profit on its own. Regardless, the Hyut Seng Lung was not of significant concern to the United States government until this past week."
Nadia removed from her file an image of a burning ship and pushed it to the center of the table. "Friday, 10/4. A United States cruiser is ambushed by a large number of masked men while docked in Hong Kong. The ship was transporting a hard drive with important codes for the American naval base at Kanluranin, off the Western coast of the Philippines. Obviously, something of unparalleled value to the US," Nadia explained. "Kanluranin is a key location for the defense of Taiwan and the continued security in the South China Sea, and if the drive were to fall into the hands of an enemy of the US, it would be disastrous. The drive is still in the hands of the Hyut Seng Lung, but thankfully for us, our mole on the inside, Mr. Joseph Lim, has some information for us. Mr. Lim?"
The nervous-looking Asian man looked around tentatively. "Hello, hello," he said quietly, looking at the number of children that was now looking at him. "The, err, the lung are looking to...make money off this. They are holding a private tournament of baccarat for the drive. The CCP is attending, along with other regional warlords. Very dangerous situation. Very risky. But possibly very lucrative. The bid-ins are massive," the man explained, tapping the table nervously, his foot drumming on the ground like a jackhammer. The nerves were clear to see in action. "Scary. Very scary. They are scary men..."
Mr. Lim stared into the distance, and so Tom spoke up, looking at the group as he spoke. "Sending a US diplomat to represent the US would not only be costly and very risky, but it would also be incredibly wounding to national pride and image. Cow-towing to a Chinese triad is not exactly a good look. The United States government has recognized the situation is highly precarious, though, and that it will require an expert, unseen hand to resolve. And that's where you come in. Your mission is to infiltrate the Red Dragon Macau, terminate Frankie Kwan, the head of the syndicate, and recover the hard drive."
Nadia spoke up again, her tone as serious as ever. "This mission will not be as simple as some of your past engagements. The Hyut Seng Lung are heavily armed and heavily prepared, especially with the arrival of a Chinese diplomat in Macau. Security is going to be very tight, and the triad is very protective of their private information, much more so than the average criminal enterprise. Even Promenade does not have access to their floor plans for their VIP levels, where we believe the tournament will be held, and where we believe the drive is being stored. There are cameras everywhere, and the main gambling floors are all insulated in high-tech refracting shards to disrupt cell signals transmitting from those areas." Nadia pulled another file from inside her dossier. "For this mission, we are giving you all cover identities. You are all going to be teenage socialites in Macao, there to celebrate a massive 'birthday bash' for the 18th birthday of one of your friends. We have prepared fake IDs to help preserve your cover identities, along with a pre-prepared field kit for your needs, and HIRAM is doing the finishing touches on an extensive dossier on the Hyut Seng Lung and the information we have available." Nadia looked them over once again, before taking a long and reserved deep breath. "The tournament begins tomorrow, so you have tonight to prepare yourselves and ready the operation."
After saying this, Nadia glanced tentatively over to Tom Bates, who grinned and nodded. Nadia gave a resigned sigh. "Agent Bates has advised me to tell you to keep your workload minimal tonight, and only to passively gain intel as you utilize the hotel's amenities." She pursed her lips. "I would suggest to you not to make a fool out of yourselves or to blow your cover on this first night, though. Fate is resting itself on your shoulders, agents. Do not let it down."
Bates spoke again, a grin on his face. "This way, please. We have some equipment to share with you," he said as he stood from the table. Ben, who had been listening intently to the speech the entire time, hopped up from his chair, snatching the manila folder from the table as he followed the handler out of the room. Bates opened the door to the RND room, a high-tech workstation full of wiring, mechanics, and all sorts of gadgets hanging from the walls and cluttering up on the workstations. In the center of the room was a sleek silver table, and on the table was about a dozen briefcases, each with one of the agents' codenames etched into the side. At one of the workstations was Professor MacMahon, hard at work, with a small orb-like hovering droid floating nearby. The professor quickly turned over as he heard the doors to the room open, smiling giddily as he bounced over to the table with childlike energy. What made the man such a genius with gadgetry was that endless childlike enthusiasm. He was in his 70s, but had the energy of a preteen at Disney World. He laid both his palms on the silver table as HIRAM floated over, hovering behind him.
The professor smiled wickedly. "Howdy, howdy...oh, boy, do I have a lot of stuff for you!" He rubbed his hands together eagerly. "New gadgets that will knock your socks off! First and foremost, the outer layers! I've modified your suits with a carbon fiber mesh. Not quite bulletproof, but bullet resistant for sure. You'll still be hit with quite the impact from the blunt force, which I haven't quite figured out how to mitigate yet, but the suit should be able to prevent the bullet from piercing. At least, the first few rounds. After that, the fibers break pretty easily...the bullets will tear through you like termites through wood. Still working on a fix for that," the professor said. "Also in the mix are multi-purpose decks of cards! I have some razor-sharp throwing cards with identical characteristics to shurikens, as well as listening cards that have microscopic bugs in their core! Oh, and Binx'll like this one..." He removed what appeared to be a deck of cards that was inside a fiberglass case. "Lithium-coated cards. Once removed from the vacuum seal, the outer layer quickly begins to evaporate, exposing the tiny lithium core to oxygen. I would suggest you get out of the way once that one that happens, because you'll see a nice healthy kaboom after that." He chuckled. "And of course, your usual array of gizmos and thingamabobs galore! Take your choice of gadgetry. We have plenty of 'em, after all!"
As MacMahon returned to his tinkering, Ben grabbed his briefcase and laid it down on his worktable. He reached up, grabbing a number of weapons off the wall and stuffing them into the case. Two Nighthawk Customs, equipped with silencers, a modified bullpup rifle, and Ben's custom disassemble-able sniper rifle, which he had affectionately named "Ducky." Ben smirked. "Alright," he said, loading a few more discreet gadgets into the case, closing it, before stepping into one of the several opaque stalls located inside the room. A moment later, Ben stepped out, dressed sharply in a clean black suit. He was no longer Ben McBride- he was now Kingfisher. Well, technically, he was oil heir Johnny Ellison Fuller, but deep down, the Kingfisher was in the building.
Meanwhile, Tom clapped his hands together a few times. "Don't want to rush you guys too much, but the Worm is ready, and we have a limited timeframe to get you into the casino. Also, Foxtrot and Tango wanted to say good luck and goodbye," Tom said with a smirk as the two red foxes entered the room. Ben smiled warmly as he knelt down, scratching Tango under the chin. The foxes were the best little guys ever. Well, they weren't really little, to be fair. In fact, the foxes were quite vicious. Still, they were quite fun to be around, even if just for moral support. Ben gave the fox a boop on the nose before standing up, straightening his tie as he followed Tom out of the room, into another hallway in the massive Operations Center. There, at the end of the hallway, was a massive machine that looked like a gate, covered in thick coils of wires and several large lights. It sparked for a few moments before a bright blue swirl of energy materialized in the center of the gate, swirling mystically like something straight out of Star Trek. Tom grabbed a large backpack that was covered in wires and had a long antenna sticking out the back, tossing it to Ben. "You know what that's for. The portal will send you straight to one of your rooms in the casino. Good luck, stay safe, and have a shred of fun, won'tcha?" Tom laughed, handing Ben two room keys. "Remember, we'll be on the other end at all hours, so don't hesitate to reach out. Good luck again."
Ben nodded, taking a deep breath, before stepping through the portal. It was a strange sensation, using the worm. As he entered the swirling mass of energy, he felt light, impossibly light, like he could float in the clouds. That feather-weight sensation was there for a few seconds, and then all of a sudden Ben was deposited roughly onto a thick red carpet. "Ow," he grunted, struggling to his feet and tossing the Worm backpack to the side of the room, rotating his shoulders as he watched the rest of his teammates be casually deposited in the room. Ben put his suitcase on the carpet, dusting off his suit, as he looked around the suite. It was gorgeous. A large common space, complete with a comfy red sofa, a massive flat-screen TV, and a small aquarium, with two separate bedrooms- two queen-sized beds in each- and a luxury bathroom attached. Promenade had, at the very least, secured for them some vestige of comfort. Ben nodded to himself as he reached into his breast pocket, pulling out the two keys. He tossed one to Binx. "For the ladies," he said, before picking the briefcase back up. "We should meet up and look around, like Nadia said. Get familiar with the atmosphere. Y'know."
Ben plopped down on the couch, lowering his suitcase next to it. "I'll take the couch," Ben said resignedly, loosening his tie as he made himself comfortable. He ran a hand through his dirty blonde hair as he thought of a quick plan. Ben was not a very solitary person, and he had no intentions of walking through the casino alone. He thought for a few moments more before rolling up his sleeve, pressing two fingers to the lens of his AP-Watch. He then opened up his messaging app on the watch, looking through his contacts, and then, very hesitantly, tapped out a quick question:
𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚖𝚎𝚕 𝚞 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚙 𝚖𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚊𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎? 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚙 𝚠/ 𝚖𝚢 𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚕 𝚏𝚒𝚐𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚞 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚙
This text would then be quickly followed by:
𝙲𝙰𝚁𝙼𝙴𝙽 𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚝 𝚜𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚢 𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚘𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚇𝙳𝙳𝙳𝙳
And then, finally:
𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚖𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚏𝚎𝚠?
To say Nadia was disappointed in the group was a drastic understatement. "Absolute and total disgrace" was a far more accurate phraseology for the emotions that were plastered on her face. Nadia watched the television screens, visibly fuming, as the exercise continued. As the exercise came to a conclusion, she stuffed her hands in her pockets and watched as the bomb detonated on-screen. It was quite dramatic. As soon as Erik even so much as peeked into the room, the de-weaponized explosive gave a happy chime before beginning to fire paint in every direction. A rainbow of colorants fountained wildly from the machine, covering both Binx and Olly in a vibrant array of wet hues and also blasting Erik with a nice smattering of paint as well. Finally, the device finally powered down, small fumes of smoke rising from the machine after leaving the room totally covered wall-to-wall in the paint. Excess paint pooled at the door, dripping out from the doorway. This would be a bitch to clean, that was for certain.
Nadia briskly turned towards the building, walking there in long strides, pressing a finger to her ear. "HIRAM, terminate the exercise," she said stiffly, and the robot was more than happy to oblige. A shrill shriek echoed through all of the junior agents' earpieces simultaneously, certainly loud enough to give them a headache, before HIRAM's crisp voice sounded through the speakers. "That concludes the exercise. Director Sokolova is en route."
Nadia stepped into the building, walking around its interiors, looking highly unamused. She made her way up to the 2nd floor and folded her arms, tapping her foot against the ground impatiently as she waited for the group to gather. Once they made it, she shook her head once again, her facial features indicating absolute displeasure. "That was as entertaining as it was disgraceful," she finally concluded, her eyes scanning the room coolly. "That being quite a lot. There were a number of serious blunders made here today. If this was not an exercise, it would involve body bags. I have had comrades, of immense natural talent and skill, be defeated and killed by some of the most unassuming of counter-agents. Promenade included. As of recently, your inexperience has been showing, and your talents must be honed and perfected soon, or else, you will suffer in the field. You escaped Timbuktu with all your lives. You might not be so lucky next time."
She let her last phrase sink in for effect, before she coughed into her curled-up fist a few times, for attention. "During this atrocity of an exercise, a situation has developed overseas. Macao. You will be deployed there Monday evening. 5:30 PM sharp. I am working on mission details...along with excuses," Nadia added begrudgingly. She did not like making excuses. Nadia had seduced some of the world's most influential politicians, generals, and even secret agents before, yet she somehow still had trouble convincing a parent that their child would be going on a fun field trip for a few days. She had to start broadening her horizons with these parent excuse thingies. "Our intelligence officers and handlers are currently preparing the case file, but in the meanwhile it is imperative that you be more prepared for this scenario. Practice. Prepare. Satisfy your...teenage urges," she added callously, her eyes vindictively landing on poor Ben before shifting over to Binx and Olly. "We cannot allow any inexperience or individualistic needs to override the success of a mission. Failure in a practice is tolerable. Failure in the field? Instant, often painful, death."
Nadia stood there for a few moments more, thoughtful, before taking a long breath and speaking again. "I will, just this once, tread back on my words and revoke your punishment, on the anticipation that you spend some of your precious weekend getting ready for the mission," she said sarcastically. "And if any of you have anything to say to each other, perhaps now would be a good time to get it out of the way." She coughed again ominously as she turned away, before giving an electrifying glare over her shoulder.
"Oh, and take a shower. For once, you all smell worse than just sweat and hormones," she said, wafting the air away from her nose, as she continued to walk towards the stairs. "The odors here are beyond unpleasant. Eugh."
"Teenagers."
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