[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISM1z9BSED0][img]https://i.imgur.com/5B3hkEZ.png[/img][/url]

[sub][@Ponn][@Crusader Lord][@FamishedPants][@Izurich][@SilverPaw][/sub]

Everyone giving their opinion on the plan caught Binky off guard. Her eyes grew a bit with each affirmation, jumping from agent to agent. That was when Jacqueline asked if there was even supposed to be a vote at all. [color=baddab]”Ah, that’s right, we don’t really have a choice here.”[/color] Binky relaxed her shoulders. [color=baddab]”Fritzi does not consider the main entrance ideal, even with the backing of a blood mage. But the situation is a tangled mess of outside pressure, poor timing, and politics. If we try to go through the Bastion, we will have to fight an unknown number of Maverick espers. Even if their forces are weak, they are using many freelance espers for this operation. While they are technically going against us, their goal is altruistic in nature. They would be cornered between Justin and G.E.M.I.N.I. forces, and subsequently slaughtered. Our relationship with the freelancers would tank further, resulting in a PR nightmare. We might not have jobs after that.”[/color] Binky sighed. [color=baddab]”So Fritzi opted to take a more direct approach to the attack. Now our point of entry won’t be anywhere near the freelancers, which just means we have to get to Justin first. In an ideal world we would have had more time to assess the mansion and it’s threats. But time is of the essence.”[/color] With a groan, Binky mumbled. [color=baddab]”I hate politics.”[/color]

Binky addressed everyone’s other questions, starting with Samuel. [color=baddab]”Assisting me with Justin is going to be lower on your list of priorities. I have slain elder vampires before, and I am confident I can do so again. It’s crucial we make sure that Justin cannot escape or call for reinforcements. Your main goal once I start fighting is to ensure no one else can interfere.  That includes stalling the freelancers and dealing with any other hostiles. Barring that, you are free to assist with Justin’s elimination.”[/color] She closed her eyes. [color=baddab]”As for the blood mage, Lada is under surveillance by other non-esper operatives. Should she turn on us, there will be swift consequences. Though Fritzi has spoken with her, and has assured me that she will do everything in her power to aid our mission. Though we can’t expect her help once we get inside.”[/color] She looked to Ashley when she asked about the barrier. [color=baddab]”It’s going to be a tube that leads straight to the front door. I’m told even esper weaponry has a hard time penetrating it. You likely won’t be able to attack through it, but from what Iunderstand, Lada and the other agents will assist with any threats attacking the barrier. But you just have to run inside and clear the foyer. I’ll remain outside until you’ve dealt with that.”[/color]

And they wouldn’t have to wait long to heed Binky’s advice. Their van, along with several other vans, pulled up to the mansion. Most people might envision a mansion being a giant house on some open plot of land, but this one was in the center of the business district. It had all the hallmarks of a mansion, from an ornate fence to fantastic brickwork. But there was no courtyard to speak of. The fence bordered the sidewalk, and the fence itself allowed the gates to swing inward without hitting anything. Though it seemed Justin had stationed people in nearby buildings to fire down on the vans as they arrived. The espers could hear gunfire before the door to their van even swung open. Who knew how many blocks around the mansion belonged to Justin as well? 

Breacher was the first to step out of the van, leading with her shield. It was hard to tell where the bullets were coming from, but it wouldn’t matter. One of the vans opened up and spilled several corpses onto the street. Some of the espers would recognize them as the slain members of Cobra Gang. At least they were before their bodies gelled and floated into the air as gobs of blood. The blood would gather around the outside of the mansion, forming a tunnel straight for the front door. The inside of the tunnel glowed red, as the barrier of blood seemed to glow under the rays of the sun. Non-esper agents got out of their vans and fired on enemy positions. They had already taken the front of the mansion, and were pushing to the back to cut off all obvious avenues of escape. 

The G.E.M.I.N.I. espers didn’t need to be told what to do. They ran through the tunnel of blood until they reached the door at the other end. It was reinforced, but it was nothing Jacqueline would have difficulty prying open. 

…

…

…

As they pushed open the steel doors of the grand mansion, what laid before them was a scarlet carpet and the droning notes of a grand organ. Screeching with a torturous beauty, the brass pipes sang their miserable dirge, chills running through the flesh of the assembled espers. One by one, flames burst to life, firelight casting ghoulish shadows over life-sized statues of men and women, their bodies contorted in expressions of fear as their cowering position remained petrified for eternity. Each statue stood opposite of each other, lining up all the way to the very back of the grand lobby, to the great organ whose music continued unabated.
More flames set alight, bathing the rest of the lobby in dark warmth and exposing the checkerboard tiles that made up the majority of the room. Right beside the door were two towering wardrobes, lined with purple embellishments, but more eye-catching were the twin pillars that stood to support the high ceiling of the mansion. Carved into the marbled ground around the pillars were sanguine grooves, concentric circles with the design of a six-petaled flower within, and chained to those same pillars were twelve human beings, their limbs tied together and cloth sacks pulled over their head. They twitched occasionally, but that was all the movement that they could afford.

Hostages? Sacrifices?

Above, on the second floor that two curving staircases lead to, a wall-sized painting glared down at them. Imperious and disdainful, Justin von Carnage’s portrait glared at them from above, while the organ music that had been weaving firelight over the lobby stopped abruptly, the unseen musician standing up to reveal himself.

[url=https://i.imgur.com/S2iMqRx.png]He was a tall man, broad of shoulders and chest[/url], dressed impeccably in a light gray vest and a black shirt, the fabric stretched to smoothness by the musculature behind. His silver hair was swept back in short spikes, while his beard bordered his square jaw. The only signs of his inhumanity laid in the canines that peeked past his lips, the golden eyes that held the weight of centuries worth of disdain. This was not Justin von Carnage. This was another, a monster trusted to serve as the vanguard, a monster tasked by the owner of this mansion to hold off the barbarians at the gates.

Without effort, his deep voice travelled the entirety of the lengthy lobby, rattling even the crystals of the gorgeous chandelier that was suspended up on the second floor.

[sub][i]“Tis’ a strange time we’re living in, where words can put fear in you.
Greed runs parliament interior, yet justice seeks to make inferior.
So halt, if you may, you thieves and stooges, and consider other pathways before decisive hysteria.
Alas, blinded by illusions to choose, balls remain chained to your shoes.
Step forth and I’ll claim their heads.
Step back, it’ll be yours instead.
I’m pained, a crying shame, but…
The pursuit of our own wealth lights a flame.
That makes greed a game that lets the whole world turn.
As the world turns, the whole world burns.
Pay the blood price, and their lives may yet be earned.”[/i][/sub]

He clapped his hands.

The chandelier lit up, crystalline brilliance coating the entire room, yet leaving a conspicuous area of dimness at the very center of the lobby. Twelve lives laid on balance. But how many more would be at risk, if this caused the operation to stop before it even began?[hider=Floor 1]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/QFRwU1F.jpg[/img]
[/hider]

[hr]

[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oMNwI4Gyq0][img]https://i.imgur.com/rtlB6LL.png[/img][/url]

[sub][@OwO][@mantou][@ERode][@Majoras End][/sub]

Luna took a quick glance at all of the freelancers. She was a little bummed to see that Marrie wasn’t here, but that was probably for the best. She hadn’t become accustomed to killing yet, and asking her to fight a vampire and maybe G.E.M.I.N.I. simultaneously was likely more than her heart could handle. 

But Luna got over the absence of her missing friend as soon as she realized most of the freelancers were guys. There was a boy, who was as cute as a button, and two total studs that had their faces hidden. Well, the one guy had no face, but there was a taller guy in armor. There was only one girl present, which had to be the one Trixy was dating.  She was tempted to talk to her for that reason alone, but decided to hold off.

Then she said something intelligent, prompting her to do so anyway.

[color=75c159]”A party is a great idea!”[/color] She marched up beside Klava. [color=75c159]”In fact, I think I’ll call the pizza place right now!”[/color]

Billy lowered his arm with a chuckle. [color=lightgray]”I’m doubtin’ many pizza guys have got enough salt to come to a place swarmin’ with G.E.M.I.N.I. agents. But if we take Justin and force ‘em out of the mansion, y’all know I’m down for an after battle feast. Otherwise, the Bastion’s got plenty of room for all!”[/color] 

While Billy was getting ready again, Luna approached Apollo. A man without a face was a bit hard to talk to. Humans were naturally programmed to look for faces, as they were pretty important for reading someone’s mood. Though it was impossible to tell where he was looking or if he was even okay with being approached like this. Not to mention his abbs were [i]right there[/i]. Though she resisted the urge to gawk. Best to keep her eyes on the blank canvas that was Apollo’s face. 

[color=75c159]”You’re going to keep us alive, huh?”[/color] She extended her hand towards the faceless man. [color=75c159]”I’m Tetrad! I also fancy myself as someone who can keep people alive. Oh! Which reminds me!”[/color] She turned to everyone. [color=75c159]”Justin has been turning people into vampire thralls. I doubt anyone we fight is going to willingly surrender, but if you can get them in critical condition without killing them, I can cast a stabilizing melody on them. That should take them out of action.”[/color]

With the freelancer’s accounted for, it was time for the operation to start. 

Billy was only a foot or two taller than Protector, so no one was sure what to expect when he punched the wall. But the result would surprise anyone who hadn’t seen a monster attack a building before. A single punch was enough to crumple a concrete barrier like paper mache. The concrete itself broke up into fist-sized chunks while the rebar bent like straw. The attack created some dust, but it just took a few seconds for that to clear out. Billy threw his shoulder into what remained of the wall, which cleared a path for everyone to follow. 

Soon the path led to a garage door, which Billy didn’t even bother raising his hands for. He walked through it like it wasn't even there, popping the garage door’s rollers out of its tracks. 

The next room was a [url=https://i.imgur.com/gOQJZ2V.jpg?2]wine cellar[/url] Each wall was loaded with keg after keg of wine, and the center of the room was divided into two separate paths with a row of barrels going down the middle. Halfway down the room, the center row of kegs had a gap in them that could allow people to walk from one path to the other. At the opposite end of the room was a narrow corridor that led deeper into the mansion.

At the end of the right path was [url=https://i.imgur.com/qcY8A1b.png]an older woman in regal clothes, and her giant metal butler.[/url] The woman’s outfit was bright pink and was lined with furs from some long extinct animal. The giant butler was dressed in a tux, but his size and obvious metallic nature made him look strange. An astute observer would notice his outer shell had just been painted to look like clothing, but was some metal plating held together with giant rivets. 

Upon the freelancer’s arrival, the woman looked up from the cup of tea she was enjoying. [b]”I do say! It looks like we have some interesting game to hunt today.”[/b] Her butler handed her a pink sniper rifle which she aimed at the incoming espers. 

[b]”JUST_MORE_VAGRANTS."[/b] The robot cast its hand towards the freelancers. [b]”TURN_BACK_OR_YOUR_ASS_WILL_BE_ASSIMILATED!"[/b]

The left path had three pyromancers. One was a red haired woman, while in front of her were two men with black and brown hair respectively. They were dressed like bartenders with black vests and little red bowties. Beside the flames burning in their hands, they didn’t seem to have any other weapons on them. They remained silent as they looked down the length of the room at the freelancers. 

Billy nodded once he observed the area. [color=lightgray]”Welp, ya can earn yer keep now. I’ll be hangin’ back ‘till Justin shows up.”[/color] Billy stepped out of the room. Probably for the best, as magi and exotic weapons weren’t favorable matchups for a monster like Billy.

[hider=Tetrad]
[center] 21 | Female | Maverick | Fortune
Pit Boss | Staff | Arcane | High Roller
Croupier | Graceful 
Gambit | Gravity | Draw 4
[Weightless, Suspend], Stabilize, Damage, Push, Transplace, Extend, Heal, Zone, If: Friend, Else

DAMAGE: E  | SPEED: C | SENTINEL: D | 750

PHYSICAL: E | ARCANE: C | CHAOS: D | 750
[/center]
[/hider]

[hr]

[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4Pzx1NDTtI][img]https://i.imgur.com/OYSa6cT.png[/img][/url]

[sub][@The World][/sub]

Traces of Marrie’s magic were visible on the broken concrete barrier she touched, but it wouldn’t become a true portal until she made another one for it to link up to.

[color=orange]”Oh-hoh! Sneaky! And before I forget…”[/color] Pac-A-Fist handed Marrie a small clip light. [color=orange]”It’s kind of dark, so, how about you take this? It was just a few dollars at the convenience store, nothing spectacular.”[/color] While not as cool or sexy as their hand held counterparts, clip lights did keep both of your hands free and could be worn almost anywhere. 

It seemed that Pac-A-Fist was going to be staying back, as she made no attempt to follow Marrie into the bowels of the earth. She’d have to make the trek alone, with the Bate’s distant arguing filling the silence.

The small tunnelway led into a much bigger one. This path appeared to be made by water runoff instead of some giant behemoth snake. The rows of limestone stalagmites would have been flattened by such a creature. But that wasn’t to say the space contained no life. Just ahead, the glow of a campfire illuminated a tent and about five goblins. It seemed that they had discovered the magic of jiffy-pop. One of them was heating up the plundered popcorn until all the kernels popped. Then he passed the prepared popcorn to one of his buddies before heating up more popcorn to eat. It didn’t look like they were going anywhere soon, and the goblins had a patrol going, perhaps on the lookout for the noisy espers in the distance.