[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/NeeWKCw.png[/img][/center]
[center]In[/center]
[center]Hounds of Gomorrah[/center]
[hider=With thanks to, for playing the Hounds]
[center][@fdeviant][/center]
[/hider]

Gomorrah was a hot place. Always crowded with new guests and gamblers trying their luck on the slots, while sharply dressed dealers kept big spenders on their toes. It was successful and as Barron looked out on the Vegas strip, flashes of New Vegas flooded his mind, the spire he had always dreamed of conquering, the walls erected along freeside and the Wrangler. He chuckled thinking if those squatters could see him now, a clean Vegas. He had spared no expense at building up his casino and it payed him back every cent, and perhaps it was Vegas of old that lead to his overspending in security that few guests would ever see but it gave him a piece of mind knowing that he had a gate in case groups of armed men made it past the screenings. 

Meanwhile, in the dank alleyways surrounding Gomorrah, hidden in shadows cascading off the piercing metal and glass giants of the city, The Winter Court began to mobilize. With orders direct from the Witchfinder General in Lost Haven, Captain Hawthorn, recently promoted and in competition with the good Captain Dahl for control of the Vegas outfit, stationed his men at every imaginable entrance, waiting for the signal inside. Two agents were sent in armed with countermeasures to whatever systems were in place to keep intruders at bay, both mechanical and magical. 

“Be ready,” Captain Hawthorn called to his men, tuned in to the comlink in his left ear. “And don’t be stupid, save the big guns for that twisted son of a bitch, Barron.”

Taking their time, wandering to avoid suspicion. The two agents eventually found terminals in this crowded den of crooks, taking out a tablet the man connected it to the computer on the kiosk. Waiting for the signal to follow from his partner after she found a suitable spot which to begin any countermeasures against magic. It was during this time a server past by with glasses nearly glanced over until a thirsty guest demanded their attention. 


His partner on the other hand had made it to the women's restroom and began looking for a stall that was unoccupied. Finally after ten minutes a woman caked in makeup walked out allowing her some privacy in order to unpack. Sending a text, her partner responded and in a matter of minutes the action started. 

A prompt from the tablet indicated that the security gate had been disabled and with another text Hawthorn would be notified.

Hearing the buzz from his pocket and the quick chirp on his headset, Captain Hawthorn motioned for his unit to advance, storming the building through front, side, and back entrances, their dark forms like walking shadows in the bright casino. The first group to advance began smashing machines with their weapons, pushing patrons to the floor, some firing into the ceiling, some opening up on bartenders and casino workers, whom they assumed were likely afflicted with some manner of inhuman curse. 

“Come out, come out, Mr. Vanderbilt,” Captain Hawthorn taunted as he strutted down the lower hall of the casino, glancing up to the office that overlooked the entire establishment. “We heard you like a bloodbath, and we’re here to deliver.”

Chaos ensued as patrons ran and hid screaming from the Hounds, who shot indiscriminately at any living thing, knowing that at some point, they would catch Barron’s attention, or kill a few of his lackeys in the meantime.

In the quick moments that followed Carol wondered what was going on, a text arrived to her phone and not from the security room. One of her floor dealers had sent it, and as she looked at it’s contents it was horrifying. Well to any normal human it would have been. Even if she weren’t a Vampire; dealing with petulant children was something she was all to familiar with. As she quickly informed her husband, the floor was still in chaos as dealers the next line of defense against an armed invasion began throwing out cards that increased in size and density exponentially. Creating makeshift barriers saving what guests they could, and fighting off other hounds when possible. Dealers had small decks, of different cards. Only a handful of each in case of an emergency and since there were a lot of tables there was always a lot of dealers on the floor. A jack smashed into a hound as he was busy dealing with all these magic cards, and while the magic surrounding the building had been negated there were still plenty carrying concealed weapons.

One such dealer, Fortuna or so she called herself. Was a plucky brunette with a metagene, luck was always on her side turning the odds slightly in her favor. Her hand reached for the pack of aces and with a deft toss sliced down a hound about to murder an innocent guest as a barrier of jacks began to separate the guests from the hounds. “Move to the stairs! Get to the second floor everyone!” As they moved in terror more dealers began to make a defensive line. The Street Bosses had been called, Southie was on his way along with others who got the call and all they needed to do was hold out for Barron to make his play. 

Hawthorn and his team were surprised by the magic playing cards, having only witnessed incorporeal barriers in their previous missions. They weren’t deterred for long, however, as Hawthorn gave the all clear for his men to reload their weapons with the blessed silver. Normal bullets ricocheted off the dense wards, but the silver tore clean through, leaving small holes that widened as the Hounds continued their assault. It was enough to halt their immediate advance, but those barriers wouldn’t last for long.

Ducking behind turned over blackjack tables the cards had all but been shredded. Some guests had already fled to safety but certainly not enough, whatever weapons these hounds were using seemed to have an odd if but effective enchantment against their magical barriers. Still aces kept cutting down hounds that got too bold and Carol was arguing with her security team who at this point were furious at whatever tech these hounds used to hack their systems.

“And you cannot pinpoint whatever terminal this is coming from?” Carol asked.

“Only that it’s on the first floor. We’ve managed to narrow it down from the guest room terminals so that only leaves any information kiosks.” 

“You can figure that out, but not which terminal?.. Hold on.” With a ping from her phone a text shot up that read. Blessed silver. Under heavy fire. 

“Another ten minutes or so and we can isolate the hacker.”

Sighing. Carol sent the text to her husband, who was strangely calm. Having not left his room yet he looked at the message and smiled. 

[color=cd0000]”Well. I suppose I won’t be going down there unprepared then.”[/color] Taking his steps away from the door he moved further into his penthouse a moved a panel exposing a button.
As Fortuna and the other dealers waited and slung cards out to defend themselves. Some thudding could be heard as the elevator came crashing to the floor. A silent pause from the dealers and another thundering smash could be heard as a mechanical suit fell upon the elevator, gunmetal grey nine feet tall and built like a mobile tank. Barron had brought more than himself from his old world, he brought with him knowledge. He and his wife that is and while most of their old world’s secrets were lost Advanced Power Armor in conjunction with this world’s high tech level had created a beast of a suit something that would make the military cream themselves if they had access to it.


Strolling like one would walk through a park Barron made his way over to the Hounds asking kindly. [color=cd0000]”Would you shut up and die.”[/color]

Hawthorn’s men backed away slowly, still firing their weapons but taking note of their lack of effect. This was not a magical weapon, this was something else entirely. The Witchfinder General couldn’t have anticipated technology of this scale, Hawthorn thought, aware that if he and his men lived, they faced the wrath of the General for failing their mission.

Captain Hawthorn said nothing, only making a subtle motion for his men to toss a few explosive canisters Barron’s way, hoping they might disturb the armor enough for an opening.

Unleashing a wave of blood in front of him he smacked down the canisters as if his blood were a sheet blanketing the field directly in front of him taking the explosive impact and stepping over the now cracked floor as his blood retracted into his suit. Turning to the dealers to spoke. [color=cd0000]”Find the terminal disrupting our systems and escort any remaining guests to safety. I have these guys.”[/color]

With a nod, Fortuna rushed back using Barron as a shield, her and the other dealers began sweeping the area any kiosk that had something unusual connected were to be destroyed and anyone hacking killed. All the while Barron turned his gaze to the hounds and bull rushed one of them into the wall smashing his head in like a egg. [color=cd0000]”I’m going to have to repair that later. But you. You come into my home, MY CASTLE! And think I won’t be prepared?”[/color]

A few Hounds shuddered at Barron’s sudden advance, jumping at the sight of his strange magic. Hawthorn had expected as much, and his resolve was greater than his men. He repositioned, sending a few behind Barron, who unleashed more explosives while Hawthorn kept aim and looked for an opening. If he could just get one shot off, the blessing on the bullets would do the rest.

As Barron began to turn to deal with the threats behind him his eyes began to linger on one man, one hound who had guts and a steely gaze in his eyes. Barron thought you. The commander. Just as explosions rocked his left side damaging his systems severing servos that would normally hinder arm movement in humans. But without any regard to his body he swung around tearing his arm off on the inside of his suit as his body began to stitch itself together again as he unleashed a whip of blood.

Meanwhile elsewhere in the city approximately fifteen minutes out a man began to run straight through traffic past cars and trucks over the roadways and leaping through a building all the while taking no damage nor harming any of the surrounding structures. His body phasing through matter like he was never there all the while thinking. I need to get to the boss.

Seeing their effort, the Hounds continued their assault, exhausting their supply of explosives in the process, trying desperately to save their stock of blessed bullets until they had a clean shot. Captain Hawthorn watched as Barron’s power came at him, smashing into his side and knocking him into an adjacent slot machine, forcing the wind from his lungs. He suspected that had he not been wearing his inscribed iron cross, the whip would have torn straight through him.

The Captain stood up slowly, maintaining his aim on Barron while his men continued to tear at his suit.

Continuous explosions rocked his suit, often rendered ineffective with his powers those that did slip through began to blow away servos and critical components and as good as the suit was the man inside of it was better, stronger and faster than it could keep up with which soon began to show as the sheer strength Barron possesed began to tear the metal and wires with each swing of his arm. And inevitability the suit began to malfunction likely that anyone who worked on the suit for Barron could attest to as his herculean strength and speed akin to Hermes or at least close enough to match any speedster could have predicted. 

However as Barron fought off the Hounds Fortuna and the rest cleared the floor dispatching lone hounds until they eventually found the terminal that was causing system failures. As the minutes had already flew by they knew they had to act fast throwing a massive card into the terminal forcing the nearby hacker into action as he took aim and began firing. While the other dealers ducked for cover, Fortuna began to charge the Hound reaching for her deck of aces only to find it empty. Taking out her joker card she tossed it up into the air and it began to float and expand until she reached one of the edges and pulled it down kicking the card towards the hound smacking him across the chest and flipping over like a flying carpet as it flew taking the hound who was firing at it along for the ride.

Hawthorn looked for an opening, finally noticing the areas where the armor began to tear away, the machinations behind them slowly failing. He let loose several rounds into the same general area, hoping that a couple might piece through enough to graze Barron. A graze was enough for some creatures, and Hawthorn hoped it might be enough for Barron.

As Barron swung up a hound in the air and crushed him. A round finally managed to pierce his side rhickocheing on the metal and squashed itself inside his ribs. The pain was immense but nothing he couldn’t handle but the sudden impact opened him up to more gunfire as more rounds began to graze and shred through him slowing him down and allowing a brief moment of weakness that Hawthorn could take advantage of. Barron’s blood bagan to leak out as his powers over it loosened as the strength from his legs gave out and he had trouble moving.

The Captain took notice of Barron’s predicament and ordered his men back, moving himself closer for the killing blow. Unfortunately, his timing was off, sending a stray bullet into a hunk of metal before noticing the telltale signs of an ambush.
 
As the red flashing lights clicked on Barron chuckled looking up to spot the ceiling lights flash. [color=cd0000]“Looks like you get to have a nice parting gift. Courtesy of the US military. I present my GAU Avenger!!”[/color] As tiles in the ceiling spread out a gatling autocannon dropped out and began winding up.

And just as the action inside began reaching a fever pitch Barron began to force himself up falling over to one knee. As a familiar hand reached out to him from behind. 

“Hey Boss man, you need a hand aur should I just kill these mooks?”

[color=cd0000]”I got myself. You just sweep the place Southie.”[/color]

“Right-O boss. I’ll clean the floah fah you in the meantime.” 

Southie stood in a long furred coat with spiked knuckle dusters and shaved head as he smiled. Running right through each bullet unphased and clocking hounds across the cheek. Going directly through cover and smacking Hounds around as he phases through every obstacle. 

Eventually getting to his feet Barron stood as blood dripped and he sluggishly hobbled towards the Hounds. [color=cd0000]”I’m not down yet boys. I’ve got plenty of hospitality for you all.”[/color]

Captain Hawthorn stumbled back as the intangible assailant took a sizeable swing at his stomach, knocking the wind from his longs a second time. This power wasn’t magic, else the bullets would have pierced his skin. No, this was an exceptionally gifted meta, the type of enemy with whom the General had little to no interest. Hawthorn’s eyes shifted to Barron, weakened by the spray of blessed silver, but advancing nonetheless. If he didn’t do something soon, Hawthorn’s unit would be destroyed.

“Fall back,” he hesitantly muffled into his headset, wincing as he limped toward the nearest exit, hoping to dodge anymore of Barron’s surprise guests along the way. Others followed suit, backing toward opened doors still firing their normal rounds into Barron’s backup forces as a precaution.

[color=cd0000]”I’m going to miss this version. Oh well.”[/color] Barron said standing up with what remained of his powered suit barely hanging to its frame. [color=cd0000]”Wish we had some of those Marvel super metals. I could use a Wakanda right about now.”[/color] As some of his men gave chase to the Hounds; Barron took a seat on a wrecked slot machine the suit crushing what remained of the internals as it spat out coins. As Barron tore off the helm that sat on top of his shoulders he took in the chaos that the Hounds had caused and lifted his phone.

[color=cd0000]”Carol. Set up a meet with Hekate. Maybe the families as well. I think it’s time to finally deal with our, security issue.”[/color]