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The info had been gathered. Regardless of the odd run in that happened weeks prior, the location had not changed. Brooklyn, New York, at the home of one Graydon Creed; this was ground zero, and already it was in full swing. The house was warm, glowing with yellow light, as the old brownstone was housed to a function of sorts. Several figures move behind closed doors and windows, and the smell of booze and food can be taken in easily for those with a nose for it. Music muffles against the walls, along with conversation.
*
"We make too much noise and the scum will rabbit, we might take too long to catch him next time," Victor comments from where they lurk, a frown on the lips of the large man as they peer out at the target location. "If he's here, we want to confirm it for sure before we tear the place up."
The man pauses for a moment, looking between the other gathered mutants. "Raven asked us to bring him back alive, but you do what you have to do to walk out of there."
*
"Hmmm." VX hums slightly at the thought of bringing him in alive. It is clear it would not be his first choice, but he can understand it. And with the right prodding he may be able to give him the information he needs to rip everything down brick by bloody brick. "Any way that one or two of us could get in without being noticed? Get me inside and I should be able to cause some havoc. Maybe have him rabbit into our waiting and loving arms."
*
There's something special about this kind of operation, the buildup of anticipation and adrenalin as the plans are laid out then initiated. This time Domino makes no effort to hide behind a fully white cloak. Rather, she's gone through the trouble of enhancing that odd black spot by painting her lips with a gloss so dark as to appear like freshly placed tar. The tips of her fingers have been given a similar onyx lacquer, on display for all of the world to see beyond fingerless black leather.
Gear had been carefully selected. There's nothing incognito about the lady tonight, she's gone full-on assassin with a heavily modified tactical harness kitted out with weapons aplenty. This is a very special evening. For her. For the Brotherhood.
For all of mutantkind.
"Alive. Right," she flatly repeats while passing a narrow-eyed look Victor's way. "Look, there's three of us. We all have training which exceeds the standards of special forces, right? We could -easily- cover every exit point and wipe the fucking place clean in four minutes, flat. You got any bright ideas on confirming that he's in there before we crash the gates? Smell him out, or something? Otherwise what the hell are we waiting for, let's end this."
*
A nod from Victor. He can smell him alright, not that it made him happy to have caught the scent again. Was there some guilt? Not for the reasons one might expect. He had no qualms about killing the bastard he'd never known about if it came to it, but he still harboured a little resentment that this was how he'd discovered he'd even fathered a child. "Down in the basement, around food and cheap perfume. Probably chatting up some floozy." Did Victor Creed actually say the word 'Floozy'.
"Another option," he suggests, eyes sidelong towards VX as he considers. "You walk in, you drop something to make folks all sleepy-like. We waltz right in and check them in our own sweet time. Deal with any leftovers and carry him back to somewhere more comfortable. We're probably gonna end him, but we want it seen we have the real deal or the fakes will just use the bloodshed to keep playin' the game."
*
VX nods towards Domino, it is clear that he agrees with much of what she just said. His eyes linger slightly over her gear before they travel over her new look. His expression remains gaurded, last time she had nearly shot him. He is a little jealous of the gear, since he left the police force he has been a little limited. "We don't know exactly what they have in there. It could even be a trap. For all we know their are claymores on the doors and the party is a ruse. Best to be cautious and do this like they would not expect. I don't know about you, but it only takes a single bullet to end me. Powers and training or not."
He looks towards Victor and runs his hands through his hair. "The basement huh? Probably the hardest place to get to. And like i said they could be expecting us after everything we have done." But then he nods his head "If I can get in it is not a terrible idea. I don't know if they will survive the sleepy times. But that is not exactly our concern now is it." He shakes his head slightly. "So far he has proven that he is not overly stupid. Lets not underestimate him."
*
The basement! "Damn," Neena breathes out while eyeing the building from afar. "If there's any access to the tunnels he could be long gone before we even hit the stairs. We can still work with this." Like toss a few frag grenades in through a basement window and let the shrapnel and shockwave solve the problem for them. Not as satisfying, but…
Alright, so VX has the ability to put everyone to sleep. The downside is that he's not well defended. Quiet..she can do. She's willing to bet Victor can, as well. The only real problem is that if they go first she's going to be turning her back to VX, potentially for a long time, and -that- idea doesn't sit well with her. Not with his abilities.
"Looks like we get to be your cover," she tells VX. "C'mon, back entrance should get us closer to the basement stairs. Vic, we'll have to share point." This said she's happy to lead their march to the back of the building, keeping herself low in the shadows.
So..maybe she is a little eager to get in there and pick a fight.
*
ROLL: Victor +rolls 1d10 for a result of: 7
*
ROLL: VX +rolls 1d10 for a result of: 7
*
ROLL: Domino +rolls 1d10 for a result of: 1
*
"You're the lead then," Victor nods to VX, patting the shorter man on the back and then shrugging out of his coat to reveal the black tank top beneath. If he was leaving that behind? It was pretty clear he was taking this seriously. He didn't bring any extra weapons, but this was Victor Creed. He had all the weapons he needed in his two hands. "We'll come in a few seconds behind you, give you a couple of seconds." Another pause, he turns to look down at Domino. It wasn't that he hadn't noticed the woman's 'stink eye' at VX, he just didn't really care all that much about it tonight. "Y'got a mask in all that kit Darlin, or are you working for the celler entrance?"
*
ROLL: Domino +rolls 1d2 for a result of: 2
*
VX nods to Victor "He is right, if you are coming in with me you are going to need a gasmask. I will make sure that I use inhalation agents, so you will not need to wear full suits." He nods as he stands up and reaches into his leather jacket, his hand coming out with his 1911. "Well lets go and see if they have a guard on the back door. Or if I have to melt my way in." He turns to look at the other two. "If one of you is not taking the cellar door we will have to make sure that it is blocked. He probably has other escape plans. But that is something we can't ignore." He starts to move now getting ready to head in, his mind already beginning to think of the compound he knows that is closest to what they need.
*
When the question about a mask is raised Domino pauses and turns back to Victor, smirking. Then hooking an eye upward when he's down to a tank top. "Damn, Vic. No wonder Lynnie's so crazy about you. Don't worry, I know who I'm playing with," she assures the scrapper while patting a canvas bag neatly tucked onto her back. That, and she doesn't trust these Friends of Humanity guys any further than she can throw them.
Better still, there's a cellar entrance! Okay, -yes,- she probably should have done better recon beforehand but she's been a little caught up with everything else of late. Regardless of where everyone is about to go she pulls out the mask and fusses with the webbing. "I'll go low, make sure we don't have any ferrets. Do what you have to do, Marc," she states while dropping the mask into place. Voice now muffled, she promises "I can handle myself." Then she makes a point of drawing her own 1911, complete with a suppressor, and reaches out to clack the sidearm against VX's as if clinking glasses at a dinner table.
To the cellar!
*
VX nods calmly to Domino. "I can promise you now that no one will be escaping upstairs and that no one will be coming down to provide them with backup." He shakes his head slightly as they start to seperate "Just be careful. This whole thing is a little fishy to me and they have a million different ways they could make this difficult." He grins slightly as he returns the gun clink "I know you can handle yourself. These bastards do not understand just what they have bought down on themselves."
Spotting the two guards VX looks at Victor "Hang a few steps back. Let me handle the guys on the door and move in before you come in behind me. And try not to breath in too deeply." He holsters his pistol before he is seen and moves in with a small disarming smile on his face, adding a slightly drunken sway to his steps. "Hey fellas, stepped out for a leak and to grab some fresh air." He stumbles towards them now, nearly lurching into one of them before his arms shoot out with a sudden burst of speed and grasp them each by the throat. Throats that are almost instantly eaten away by concentrated acid leaving them hardly able to even gurgle as they die. Their heads flop back grotesquely as they fall to the ground. And then he is through the rear doors, the air rippling around him as a wave of BZ tears out from his body. Almost instantly affect the crowd, the lethargy spreading like wildfire."
*
Darkness. It's quiet in the basement with plenty of shadows. It also keeps the albino separate from the others, which is exactly what this monochromed loner wanted. Quietly moving around with all of her gear would be a challenge for most anyone else but it's exactly the sort of thing Dom's spent so many years training for. So long as she can fit into the crawlspace, that's where she's going.
Look for hidden exits. Look for a positive target ID. The others which she can see are unknowns but they're still in this building. Guilty by association. If they become a problem, they won't remain a problem. All she has to do is find their guy -before- she goes and gets her murder on. Have patience, girl… Savor the hunt.
Oh, yes. And leave some party poppers behind. Whenever she happens to get close to a load-bearing support she'll be applying an explosive charge to it. Y'know. Just in case. Sometimes you've gotta make your own Plan B.
*
Victor had seen throats ripped out…he'd usually caused them. It was often satisfying if not a little messy. This was a bit different though. The bubbling acid and burning flesh fills his sharp senses with the acrid scent and the sounds of bubbling blood, but he gives no more sign of disgust then a little twitch of his nose before he keeps walking. Someone might mistake VX for one of the FoH's Number, but noone is going to mistake the muscle-bound scruffy monster that is Victor Creed for one of the party-goers. He hangs back for a few moments before he'll follow in. As far as sedation goes? It usually takes about enough to kill a Rhino to knock him out for even a few minutes. He's seemingly confident he can manage whatever VX is pumping out into the house.
*
The bodies drop, one after the other, creating a more cryptic scene than the one the duo was originally greeted to. Music is still playing and the smell of food is apparent; VX and Creed had entered into the kitchen. Not another sound seems to be alarmed to their action, but there is a call from below, the basement, a gruff tone calling out "What was that noise?"
Steps count up the staircase, moving from bottom to top, and coming closer to a door off the side of the icebox. Down below, one man is left with two women, and his face is familiar to those who've seen it before. He was the speaker on the street, the speaker in the bar, the same face as one that was hidden behind bandages during a failed recon mission; was this the real Graydon Creed? He smooses to the women by his side, promising them no harm, no worries. The crawl space just so happens to be Domino sized.
*
"Victor. Get him. And make 100% sure that he is the right one. We don't want to be doing this again. I am going to clear the rest of the house. No need for any more nasty suprises. You and Domino are more than enough." VX turns his head towards Victor before moving to clear the rest of the house, the air still rippling around him as he continues to pump out the BZ. He stops for just long enough to sweep up a few sandwiches and crams them into his mouth as he moves. This is hungry work.
*
Showtime. The boys upstairs have gotten the party started. Two rooms, two closed doors, two dames and a dumbass. While they're focused on the stairs Domino slips out of hiding, preferrably behind the remaining trio, then she stalks closer.
Guilty by association…
Something triggers in the back of her mind. Normal human emotions are gone just as quickly as the blade now in her hand gets jammed into the first woman's temple and the suppressed barrel of her .45 falls upon the temple of the other, a soft and wet *Snap!* ending with the gentle rain-like patter of gore across the floor.
Don't blink, you'll miss what happens next!
One arm locks itself around the man's neck, squeezing hard enough to keep him silent and breathless but not enough to snap anything important. Then her gun finds its way against the side of his head. "Don't make promises you can't keep. Are you Graydon Creed..or a fake?"
*
"Y'need help? Start yellin'." Victor warns the man, then he himself reaches for one of those pieces of BBQ and turns himself around, headed back out the door and all-too-casually past the acid-burned corpses. By the time he reaches the same Cellar door Domino had gone through originally? The large man is licking his fingers clean with a few smudges of sauce in his beard. He'd given Domino enough of a lead to sneak in, but he could still smell their target lingering somewhere beyond. Far too big for any Domino-Sized hole, it looks like he intends to walk into plain view, an evil smirk appearing on his lips as thought crosses his mind.
Then the sound of a suppressed shot and the coppery scent of blood hits his nose. Domino had got things started already. A flex of his fingers, his claws were already visible at his fingertips as he bared his fangs. "He's real." He speaks up as he steps down to the likely startled man. "And I gotta say Junior… yer' a real disappointment to your mother and I."
*
The house is an easy sweep. Bodies hit the floor with abandon as the toxin kicks in. Snoozing freely, the outside world could still hear a gathering, but inside, everything is silent but with the white noise of music.
Below, crimson sprays and grey-matter splatters, the man in a suit is given little time to be surprised, or draw his own weapon, when Domino pulls him back. He digs at her arm, muttering some curse under his breath. His eyes grow wide when they spot Creed, and then all the more so at the man's comment. "L-Liar! I didn't even know my parents! You're just a lying freak! Unhand me!" He demands.
*
Slowly he lets his powers die off. The house is peacefully sleeping, and he has no real idea who these people are. He could kill them if he keeps pumping it out, not that he cares if they are all FOH. But he just doesn't have all the intel here. He shakes his head as he lets out a deep breath, before turning to head back towards the stairs that lead down to the basement. Time to see how the rest of the night had panned out. He steps over the bodies as he goes, not bothering to stop and see if he overdid it.
*
When the man, now confirmed to be -the- Graydon Creed (thanks, Victor!) starts to make demands Domino only lowers her weapon from his head long enough to shoot him once in the leg, the spent case almost delicately bouncing across the floor after she's got the gun right back on his head. He can dig and claw at her arm all that he wants to, leather sleeves aren't easily hurt by fingernails.
The mask will make it more difficult for anyone to get a visual read on her. The chemicals in the air make it harder to figure out what's going on with her via scent. It's the tension in her muscles that might first give her motives away.
With Victor standing right there it's taking every little ounce of willpower she has left not to squeeze the trigger and end this once and for all. It could be that the only thing stopping her is the confirmation that the man now in her grasp..is actually Victor's -son.-
If Graydon happens to be sitting he's going to find himself pulled backward out of his seat and forced upright, injured leg and all. "You have a lot to answer for," she growls from beneath the mask, "and very little left to live for."
*
"And they're both thankful for that," Victor comments to the spit of the cursing Graydon. "Yer mom dumped you at an orphanage and never told me about you till you popped up like some crazed animal tryin' to kill those you thought impure. Well my name is Victor Creed and…" he steps forward, seizing the man by the chin and baring his fangs. "I. AM. A. MUTANT." A snarl in the man's face and he releases the man, gesturing to Domino. "She wants to kill you. I couldn't care less. Your blood means nothing to me…but what do you think it means to all your little friends you send marching to murder innocent mutants and children in their homes?" He steps away now, turning his back on the man. "Your mother wants you alive fer now. So we can carry you out of here the easy way. But if you so much as blink funny? Well…my people are happy to take their payback in blood."
*
With a struggle and a tug, the man can only grumble and growl when being held in place, handhandled, and then, shot. Yelling out to the heavens from the white hot pain piercing through his thigh, the man is left to pant and keep his spot, surrounded by them now, loomed over, doomed. "Victor…?" He pants out, his eyes growing wide with a mixture of fear and realization. "No…NO! IT CAN'T BE TRUE!" Of all the things in the world, it seems he at least knew his father's name. "They'll avenge me! All of them! They'll sweep over you like a biblical plague and destroy you all! Do your worst, freaks! The movement will live on!" He promises, spitting Victor's way, then VX's, and finally trying to move his head down and bite against Domino.
*
"Your movement will be ripped apart piece by piece without you leading them. You really think you can stand against us? Look at how easy it was for us to get to you. You think it will be any harder to dismantle the rest of your organisation? It won't be." He looks down at the spit stain on his jacket before spitting on the floor, watching the acid in his spit eat through the concrete. "Do that again and I will spit back." He shakes his head as he looks between the other two mutants. "Are we done here. I am sick of this place and all of the people in it."
*
Want to know what a pissed off hundred and twenty-odd pound albino can do? When Creed gets into his rant and starts -biting at her- she boldly hauls the man back a few more steps then twists around and throws him hard to the ground. By the time he lands there's a rapid *Snap-Snap!* from her pistol, burying two more bullets into the ground at either side of his head, close enough that she could have pierced his ears if they stuck out any further.
Four shots down. Four to go. Her aim is dead solid despite the rest of her almost shaking with anger, keeping herself safely outside of his range while keeping him directly within her own.
Don't let a situation get personal…
She always seems to have trouble with that rule.
If Victor keeps his back to Graydon he's going to miss the moment that the sear releases one last time, shot number five primed to go straight toward Graydon's face.
Maybe VX will catch it in time.
Or..maybe he won't.
*
ROLL: Victor +rolls 1d2 for a result of: 1
*
Snap. Victor's hand is rather painfully wrapped around Domino's wrist and he pushes the gun sideways, a growl in his throat. He'd turned after the first gunshot, rather quick for a big guy. "We're not makin' martyrs of him here." He snarls at the albino before looking at the fallen man. "After we've burned every last little piece of useful information out of you, after we've made use people know just how pure your family tree is, after we've made sure everyone can see you for the scum y' are? Then you'll be allowed to die."
His opinion might not be popular with the other two, hell it wasn't really popular with him, but if Raven wanted to keep the bastard child she'd never told him about in a box for the rest of his days? He'd at least make sure they could make a little use of him. "Kill him when we're done darlin, I'll hand y' the gun myself."
*