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  • Matteo Carducci

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    Rise of the Blood Moon Event Thread

    November 11, 2019 - 2:00pm

    (open to Bakkhos entry first but will spill into Open after the "Family" meeting)

     

    [matteo]…but Joey…[/matteo]

     

    [npc]…sorry man… can't explain it… but am outta here for now.[/npc]

     

    With that the kid revved his bike and was skidding out of the stadium parking lot. Amber eyes blinked dumbfounded at the trail of smoke the bike left in the cold air before glancing over at Tony and lifting and snapping both hands towards the bike in a giant "What the fuck was that!?" gesture. Tony only shrugged which drew a shriveled frown onto the Senior Capo's features as he pivoted on a heel and marched back into the stadium and up the flights to his office in the box seats.

     

    He was already dialing by the time Tony came in, the agitated Capo pacing behind his desk as he waited for the line to pick up. He was talking the moment it did.

     

    [matteo]…'ey…Angelo….. Joey dun skipped town too. What the fuck is happenin'? That’s the fifth moon-thumper I know that’s up and skidaddled outta New York.[/matteo]

     

    [gaspari]….its Lycanthrope, Matteo, and I know. Talked to Bazzini a bit before he left and he said it was just a really bad feeling he had that he needed to be away from here and people before the moon rose tonight.[/gaspari]

     

    Really?!?... THIS was the time to be correcting his slang?? It was the rest that gave him pause though. He hadn't known about Bazzini. Bazzini wasn’t afraid of anything, yet even he had left town. His tone was quieter, more respectful of the head of the family when he continued.

     

    [matteo]….what the hell could be scarin' 'em bad enough to split Angelo?[/matteo]

     

    The long pause on the other end of the line didn’t do much to make him feel better.

     

    [gaspari]…I don’t know Matteo. Come in. We need to get the family on alert. Whatever is coming, I suspect it will be a long night.[/gaspari]

     

    With that the line went dead. He suspected Gaspari was calling in the other Bosses. Thumb came up to bite on the side of his skin, a bad habit he had never fully ditched. Amber flicked up to Tony, the head of stadium security was patiently awaiting orders. Hand fell to his side as he slid his top desk drawer open and pulled out the box of extra ammunition.

     

    [matteo]…lock 'er up. Then meet me at the club. Family's gonna group on this one.[/matteo]

     

    Tony simply nodded and headed out to secure the stadium. The young Capo quickly secured his ammo into the leather sling bag he tossed over his shoulder, hand reaching inside the leather bomber jacket to ensure his Eagles were tucked securely in the harness under his arms before slamming the drawer a bit hard and snatching his keys from the desk.

     

    The 'Cuda roared down the 495 towards the Lincoln tunnel. The frown remained etched on the Sicilian features as he sped towards the Standard Hotel. The club would be closed now. If Gaspari was calling in all the Bosses and their right hands the club would allow the family to meet without the eyes of the public on them.

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    She’d been standing on the edge of her loft for hours, cold rain at the top of the world hammering the crown of her head so hard it peppered mist, sluicing in rivulets down the black waves that flowed freely on her back.  Feathers heavy, toes curled over the edge as she stared into oblivion below, rain turning into mist halfway down the hundred floors to produce just a dreary day on the ground. 

     

    Breath pulled into her chest.  It itched. Burned.  Head spinning, muscles twitching.  Something was happening.  Something that rivalled the viciousness of the rip in the sky.  Normally graceful limbs hung in exertion, breath labored.

     

    The world, was throbbing.
     

    Taking a step back, the huge appendages merely flowed behind her as she walked, unwilling to pick them up.  Her phone had rung several times, the green face lighting up her glass penthouse in the gloom.  Light hurt her eyes… water across her tile floors as she entered the warmth to pick it up.  Three missed calls, three messages.  Lucky.

     

    She was… a mess.  She felt, like death.  It was the crack all over again, the delve into a darkness of golden eyes and a changed being.  The avian Meta could feel the full moons, a product of the change of worlds like the Weres, this felt… like a full moon on steroids, but it was messing with her head in ways she couldn’t explain.

     

    …picking up the phone, black flicked to the ruckus in her aviary at the edge of the roof, and she felt it too.  Phone shook and clattered from her fingers, bouncing off the tile.  The air, shuddered.  Hand caught a chair. This was not good.  Dizzy.  Disoriented.  It took a moment to pass.

     

    Yoga pants clinging to vetted muscle, she scooped up the phone, thumb on speed dial.  Soaked black cami fluttered suddenly as she began to move, glint of a gold ankle bracelet sharp as the graceful dancers feet turned to pure power.  She was already running, through the double doors back into the frigid rain, picking up speed.

     

    “I’m coming in… get off the streets, stay inside,”  were the only words spoken when the other end was picked up.

     

    Wings snapped out in a spray of droplets as she pushed off the ledge, fist closing around the phone.  It was worse in the air, vibration in her brain like a freight train.  It bounced back and forth between her ears like a ping pong ball, stretch to her muscles anxious.  Thankfully, the flight wasn’t long… skidding to a halt on the roof of the hotel with an aggressive landing.  Teeth edged, muscles shivering fiercely, eyes black.  Half dressed, agitated, soaked to the bone.  Strike mode.  It was rare she was this hostile, she could control it.  Now, she felt completely out of control, glass crackling beneath her fingernails crushed the phone's screen that was still in her hand..

     

    She couldn’t be in a room with the family.

     

    She shouldn’t have come.

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    Cuda roared into the private parking under the Standard. Engine snapped off even as he was hopping out of the car. Strides were long, disapparating midstride and apparating more than twenty yards down the long corridor to the main elevator banks.

     

    Foot tapped impatiently waiting on the club elevator. He had a bad feeling. Joey was one thing… but Bazzini skipping town on them was unsettling.

     

    The car zipped up the eighteen flights, opening up on the club. He nodded to Jimmy at the door and walked in taking a quick accounting of who was there. Gaspari glanced up at him and nodded from his spot by the wall of windows, Lucky was lounged in a leather couch with a drink already in hand, his right hand was standing nearby. Carmine was perched on a stool by the bar talking with Alessia with his own right hand standing behind him. Nuzio was missing but then he had to come from a lot further, likely Gaspari had him stay put. In addition there were four Capo's and six soldiers. Fairly complete turnout. Wilson was missing but the Cleaner tended to steer clear of family gatherings. The one that was more conspicuously missing was Gray.

     

    Hands slid into his pockets as he moved to stand beside Gaspari.

     

    [matteo]Gray?[/matteo]

     

    [gaspari]..hmm?...oh… she is off getting something straightened out overseas for the next couple weeks. [/gaspari]

     

    Frown was instant. Gaspari didn’t have his guard dog and that he didn’t like. He also didn’t like that he hadn't known Gray was AWOL. He was quietly protective of the headliner. He didn’t give a shit what anyone thought of her, she protected Gaspari like no one else, taken more than a single bullet for their head of the family and just kept going. Damn energizer bunny. If something big was going down he really didn’t like that Gaspari didn’t have her watching his back.

     

    Bazzini was the other obvious absence.

     

    [matteo]…we still expecting?[/matteo]

     

    The head of the family glanced over and offered a faint smile and nod.

     

    [gaspari]…got two more coming that I am aware of. Only want to discuss this once. [/gaspari]

     

    Hand reached up and patted Matteo's cheek with a wink as he jutted a chin to the bar.

     

    [gaspari]….grab a drink Matteo…. take a deep breath and relax a bit.[/gaspari]

     

    That calm was why so many followed Gaspari… it was also what could be infuriating in times of crisis. Perhaps sometimes it was OK to get worked up. With a faint nod he made his way behind the bar to grab himself a scotch…..and wait. Not one of his virtues.

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    Phone buzzed, about fucking time.  It clicked open as he took a long drink, watching the overly ambitious younger Capo take his impatience to the other side of the room.  The call ended before he could utter a word, eyes on the screen before it slid back into his pocket.  The woman was known for being intense, but this was not a good sign.

     

    Cal, he looked at Gaspari quickly.  Coming in top side.  Said not to leave and stay inside.

     

    Whether ominous or otherwise, the woman knew something the others did not.  It was rare she came in topside, having the ability to see things none of them could without drawing attention.  She was her own brand of different, and he knew better than to dismiss her instincts.  She sounded, off, though.  It was disconcerting.  He nodded at them, pushing up out of the chair the second he felt her hit the roof.  Something was definitely wrong, the gambler moving out of the room and signaling for his right hand to stay put.  Purposeful footsteps made their way down the corridor to the roof access.  It was at that moment the door opened and the drenched headliner stepped in.

     

    Jesus.

     

    “I need a moment,” her breath was heaving, pushing past him to make a beeline to her own rooms.  True to form, she polished up in record time.  A grey silk halter that barely skimmed, or covered, anything was slid on in favor of the soaked cami.  It rippled as she moved to grab dry clothes and wipe the rain from her limbs with soft towels.  Dark charcoal pants, creased sharply over vintage Versace heeled boots.  Silver tangle of decorative, glinting chains down a bare sternum.  Water was pressed out of her hair, smoothed and twisted quickly into a unique spiral plait that snaked down her spine.  She didn’t need anything else, effortless grace compressing hairtriggered agitation.

     

    Lucky had made himself comfortable in her room as she pulled herself together, fingers on his temple.

     

    “I know you can feel this,”  she said quietly, leaning down to snap the cuffs of her designer slacks over the heels.  It was rare she carried, pants unzipped as she pulled on her inner pants holster, settling everything up.  A shiver ran through her back, shuddering the feathers to a ruffled arch before they smoothed and she seemed to be within sorts.  “What the fuck is going on?”

     

    He shook his head, their way back to the club in short order, the man retaking his seat and the headliner taking up her normal residence behind his left shoulder.  She almost looked normal as the unique appendages sank to rest on the floor like an inky black cape.  Gold sheen glinted eerily in her eyes as she looked over the gathered assembly, she hated half the people here.  She wasn’t spilling anything yet.  Not yet.

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    He had taken up a spot not far from Gaspari, glass of scotch swirling in his hand but hardly touched as the dark eyes watched out the window. The buzz of the phone caught his attention, glancing over at Cavalli.

     

    He listened to the man speak of Cal. He didn’t know her well, seemed loyal and Lucky spoke decent enough about her. As Lucky pushed from the chair the Senior Capo lifted a brow. Words quiet to his second boss.

     

    [matteo]…need me?[/matteo]

     

    Lucky grinned and shook his head. They got along well, they both had an old school mob mentality and were dangerous when the family was threatened. Where they differed was Lucky was content to be the dictator of his limited castles… the younger Capo was content to climb wherever the head of the family wanted him to climb to….and every indication was it would be high one day.

     

    Nod accepted the answer as he lifted the glass to his lips and finally sipped from the glass. Wasn’t like Lucky to go check on someone himself. What the hell was going on? She coming in injured or something? Even that seemed off…. Lucky would have sent him or the right hand soldier he had brought to fetch her if it was just a messed up family member needing to whine about something. Lucky knew things…. danger sense on the Boss was ridiculously accurate. The fact that something had gone off for the man made the possibilities even worse.

     

    Hairs on the back of his neck bristled. First the moon-humpers jumping ship… now this…. Frown lingered over his expression as he glanced again to Gaspari who continued to quietly watch out the windows.

     

    He had finished his drink and was putting the glass behind the bar when the man returned, the woman just behind. She was a good looking woman in the same way Derrick was. Dangerous and keep your damn hands off good looking. But where he was sure none of the family messed around with Derrick, he wasn’t sure about Calista. The performer was more of an enigma than Gaspari's pit bull.

     

     

    Eyes moved to Gaspari suspecting they were all there now. It was his place to kick them off. The head of the family nodded slightly to the woman in greeting before sliding his hands into the pockets of his slacks and facing the family.

     

    [gaspari]….time I think is really limited… but we need to get the entire family warned and under lock down.[/gaspari]

     

    The "what"s! came from several before the head of Bakkhos flicked those dark eyes around shutting them all up.

     

    [gaspari]…. Tino and Bazzini both skipped town.[/gaspari]

     

    The gasps again were quieted with a look. Everyone knew the two were lycanthropes, key protectors of the family.

     

    [gaspari]… Tino just left a note but I spoke with Bazzini. Seems instincts had gone into overdrive that something very bad would happen if they stayed here…. Bazzini was worried he would hurt us no matter what precautions we took.[/gaspari]

     

    Matteo was leaning a hip against the bar near Carmine, head nodding slightly. Quiet words added to the ominous weight that suddenly was hanging over them.

     

    [matteo]…Joey said same thing.. headed outta town 'bout an hour ago.[/matteo]

     

    That was almost more disturbing. Joey was young and stupidly reckless at times. He didn’t back down for anything even when told to. That he skipped town too meant something had actually been stronger than his need to be a "bad ass" soldier.

     

    Glance to Gaspari held the frown that had been etching on his brow ever since.

     

    [matteo]…wanted me to come with 'im…. was that spooked.[/matteo]

     

    Gaspari frowned for the first time. There were not many Lycanthropes in the family, it was disconcerting that they all felt the need at the same time to bail on them with ominous warnings.

     

    [gaspari]We need to warn the family that something is coming. Bring in more to watch over the key venues in New York. [/gaspari]

     

    Fuck… there went opening Satyr stadium again. It had been one catastrophe after another and they still hadn't gotten open. Though he wouldn’t have wanted to open without Joey anyway. A werewolf on security duty at a venue that likely would turn into Mad Max would come in too handy. Meant he and his guys could take up security detail for Gaspari in Derrick's absence…. Gaspari wasn’t going to like it. The Capo never understood why the head of the family was completely cool with her watchdogging him all the time but in her absence wanted no one to "waste their time" trying to take her place… that he didn’t need it.

     

    This was different. He was getting some guarding whether he liked it or not… whether he knew it or not. Bakkhos was becoming a damn global conglomerate… they couldn’t lose him… it would all fall apart if they did.

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    "Vell?" 

     

    It was a simple question. Etan liked those. 

     

    [npc] Ain't you gettin outta here like the rest? [/npc]

     

    How many times had he been asked that today? Two or three. No clue why. Not his place to ask. Wouldn't do to have underlings think he didn't know. He traded in information... well, Etan liked to think he did.

     

    "Staying right here.  Not enough time to get to Germany."

     

     Etan had heard that several Lycanthropes felt it wasn't safe to be in the city, but that didn't mean he had to leave. Shifting wasn't exactly the same.

     

    Regardless, the diminutive man had places to be. Herr Carducci had called him in tonight. 

     

    "I'll see you around." The words were spoken with a sort of dismissive amicability. Etan didn't much care for the footsoldier, but he didn't hate the man either, and there was something to be said for making people think you actually gave a stoat's ass whether they lived or died.

     

    With a wave, Etan was on his way out of the building. It didn't take too long before he arrived at the Standard and made his way up to the club.

     

    His boss was talking by the time he arrived, and Etan slipped into the meeting quietly, taking up a spot in the darkness that covered a corner of the bar. It wasn't his place to talk here, nor was it his desire. 

     

    gallery_2_18_957.png ...Bazzini was worried he would hurt us no matter what precautions we took."

     

    Well that was certainly disconcerting, though not unexpected.

     

    Etan was starting to understand what was happening with the family Lycans. 

     

    Deft fingers plucked the everpresent fountain pen from his pocket. 

     

    gallery_2_18_957.png "We need to warn the family that something is coming. Bring in more to watch over the key venues in New York. "

     

    So, Herr Gaspari was spooked too. Interesting. 

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    Eyes flicked up as Ethan joined, the head of his security taking up a quiet position in the room near the bar. About time he showed up.

     

    [gaspari]We need to warn the family that something is coming. Bring in more to watch over the key venues in New York. [/gaspari]

     

    The Capo nodded, right elbow leaning on the bar as fingers played with the large flip knife he always had stuffed in his pant pocket. Point pressed against his thumb as the blade turned slowly in the other hand. He wasn’t really one for these United Nations of political heavyweights. His position had him with a seat at the table but he really preferred the trenches with the rest of the family. Problem was, he was a victim of his own insights and Bakkhos smarts.

     

    [matteo]….should keep the club closed. Just put up a sign there's a private event.[/matteo]

     

    Quiet words broke the heavy silence that was lingering as everyone tried to make sense of the "warning" signs they were now discussing.

     

    [gaspari]…not sure we want to set alarms off with…..[/gaspari]

     

    Carmine didn’t let him finish. It wasn’t often the oldest of the bosses had something to say but when he did….the family listened.

     

    [npc]Matty is right Angelo. We don’t have the luxury to be "visible" everywhere. The casino will be packed right now, to vacate it would be chaos and I have three ships coming in tonight so I need my guys at the warf. The club here and Lucky's are not currently open… we keep 'em shut and move those guys to the other venues to ensure we got the protection if something goes down. Matty puts his security detail off the stadium to cover the rest.[/npc]

     

    The head of the family was quiet, arms folded behind his back as the gaze flicked to Matteo thoughtfully before slipping to Carmine then Lucky.

     

    [gaspari]….we leave Nuzio upstate and hope whatever this is doesn’t have that far a reach?[/gaspari]

     

    It was Lucky's turn to say his peace nodding as his arm draped over the square frame of the leather seat he had once more sunk into.

     

    [npc]…we give 'im a warnin' , but ya… think we gotta make the assumption he can handle the vineyard. Besides… he has that underground bunker.[/npc]

     

    Matteo nodded to himself, watching the blade spin in his fingers. He had said his peace already, now he just needed his orders. Gaspari turned to look out the windows, the frown betraying thought as the mind that had pulled them all together was working through scenarios probably faster than most of them could come up with them.

     

    [gaspari]…ok. Lucky, get your club security to the casino. Since they swap there they don’t need any instructions on how to get around and take care of the place. I will call and get the Club's security to the warf to back up your men Carmine.[/gaspari]

     

    The head of Bakkhos looked his way and instantly the Capo's gaze lifted to meet it.

     

    [gaspari]….need your guys on the streets. We need to get the small businesses warned and get them out of harms way.. to the casino might be good place since there will be heavier protection there.[/gaspari]

     

    Nodding he pushed the blade closed and slid it away into his pocket once more, gaze slipping to Ethan and giving a slight nod. The other man would know to step out and already start making calls. Their security was off duty tonight due to the stadium still not being open. They had to call in everyone if they were tasked with guarding the streets. Eyes went back to the head of the family.

     

    [matteo]… and you…. where will you be boss?[/matteo]

     

    He wasn’t even trying to hide that he was demanding the head of the family also took up in a place of safety. But it wasn’t Gaspari that answered… it was Carmine. The older boss knew their young head could be reckless, in this however, he needed to show stable presence to the family.

     

    [npc]…the casino… that is where most of the family will end up and we can reconvene in the upstairs offices later tonight to reassess where we are.[/npc]

     

    Faint smile tickled the head of the family's lips. The nod almost a "touché" to the head of the docks.

     

    [gaspari]…the casino it is. [/gaspari]

     

    Nod was dismissive to them all as Angelo slid out his phone to start getting his security detail moved, walking to retrieve his coat and head down to the underground parking. Matteo made a point of lingering to walk the head of the family out. He wasn’t taking any chances, but before any of them made it out something was off that the young Capo couldn’t place until he moved to the sliding doors that went to the club's outdoor balcony. The darkened windows of the club had kept it hidden but the moment the dark glass slid open the crimson flushed in.

     

    [matteo]….um….. was it supposed t' be a lunar eclipse? Aint that the only time the moon is red?[/matteo]

     

    Now he had a distinct chill up his spine as he watched the beginning of a red full moon rise. What the hell had the lycanthropes sensed?

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    Where there normally was the soft mysterious smile at the head, today only held a lowering of the dark lashes.  The world was vibrating against her skin, enough so that Lucky shifted his hand from his knee to the arm of the chair near her.  He could feel it, and without alarming everyone else, he acknowledged to her that he was concerned too.  She had already spoken her peace to him, he would use the information when he saw fit.

    "….time I think is really limited… but we need to get the entire family warned and under lock down."

    She had said the same to Lucky….

    "…. Tino and Bazzini both skipped town."

    The Weres.  Were they skipping town because of a threat?  If so, they were leaving for a reason, it was a bad omen.

    "… Tino just left a note but I spoke with Bazzini. Seems instincts had gone into overdrive that something very bad would happen if they stayed here…. Bazzini was worried he would hurt us no matter what precautions we took."

    Just a Were thing?  Attention was keenly on the figure that entered and lingered in the shadows near the bar. An itch in her bubble.  He always was.

    "…Joey said same thing.. headed outta town 'bout an hour ago."
     

    Eyes slid to Lucky, then the younger Capo.  The flipping of the knife was driving her instincts batty.  Everyone poking at the edge of her tolerance, the world pressing in from all directions. She wanted nothing more than to go over there, grab it from his hand and smack him with the fucking thing.  Only boys played with toys.

     

    "…wanted me to come with 'im…. was that spooked."

    "We need to warn the family that something is coming. Bring in more to watch over the key venues in New York. "

    "….should keep the club closed. Just put up a sign there's a private event."

    A tight inhale and exhale brought a quiet shiver of feathers in the silence, again Lucky’s fingers tapped gently on the arm of the chair.

     

    "…not sure we want to set alarms off with….."

    •npc• "Matty is right Angelo. We don’t have the luxury to be "visible" everywhere. The casino will be packed right now, to vacate it would be chaos and I have three ships coming in tonight so I need my guys at the warf. The club here and Lucky's are not currently open… we keep 'em shut and move those guys to the other venues to ensure we got the protection if something goes down. Matty puts his security detail off the stadium to cover the rest."

    Why wasn’t Lucky saying anything?  Eyes closed quietly, reopening to watch the lights.  To this point, hands had been calmly at her sides.  She could turn into an elegant statue when she wanted to, silent, forgotten if not for the curiosity she was. It seemed when she stood still people were more apt to stare.  It didn’t bother her most of the time, tonight?  Eyes flicked darkly to one of the other's right hands, his eyes averting.  She was in attack mode.  Pure and vicious.

    "….we leave Nuzio upstate and hope whatever this is doesn’t have that far a reach?"

    Again that fucking blade, gold sheen lit up as she moved the dark orbs back to the fidgety capo.

    "…ok. Lucky, get your club security to the casino. Since they swap there they don’t need any instructions on how to get around and take care of the place. I will call and get the Club's security to the warf to back up your men Carmine."

    No.  It was stupid to show their faces.

    "….need your guys on the streets. We need to get the small businesses warned and get them out of harms way.. to the casino might be good place since there will be heavier protection there."

    No!  They needed to shelter in place.  Again the soft quiver, the sound like a rustle of leaves in the silence of autumn.

    "… and you…. where will you be boss?"

    As she listened to the plans, jaw set.  Christ, Lucky.  Fucking say something!  Hand moved to grasp the back of his chair. He held up a finger to her to wait.  Fuck waiting!  It was that moment a red sheen flushed over her features, inky feathers blushing in the iridescence to flicker a blood hue.  The Meta was blushing into camouflage mode. 

     

    “Don’t leave,”  dark vocal chords broke the silence over the sliding of doors to the balcony.  She would deal with the repercussions of speaking out of place later.  The sky had indeed cleared, long strides pushed the doors shut in front of the younger capo.  “Don’t go outside."

     

    It felt wrong.  It felt wrong for any to leave the building, to catch attention.  Of what, she couldn't explain or pinpoint yet.

     

    "Anyone.”

     

    Chest drew in and let out a controlled breath, not sure if she was expecting a backhand or a verbal lashing, hand still on the handle to prevent the capo from opening it again as the proximity flickered a red in her eyes before moving back to the black gold.  She’d never spoken in a public meeting before.  Most other than Lucky had ever heard her speak at all, eyes flipping back to the glass.  If not for the window, she wouldn’t have seen it.  Movement brought attention to the outside.  Shadows, flickers, so fast through the buildings even her eyesight was only catching glimpses.  Firearm was reached for, then paused, still as a cat watching prey.  Instinct, she was moving on instinct.

     

    “I need your phone…”  she said quietly.  She could get an eye on this.

     

    …at some point they should probably get her something hands free… maybe, the thought only partially erupting as he handed it to her.  Doors were slid open again silent, agility gliding her nauseatingly on the railing with a tightrope walker’s balance and she was still again.  She was a predator, but she felt like prey.  Everything told her to remain still.  The smooth black cape always so elegantly tucked away curled like an archangel before she leapt, disappearing into the blood red shadows.

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    Light changed. It was subtle. A tinge of red crept into the room as they talked. Probably just a reflection from somewhere. 

     

    Eyes flicked around the room again as the bosses talked. Right. Herr Carducci's forces would be tasked with protecting the streets. Didn't seem particularly safe, but he had to imagine they weren't alone. 

     

    The figure in the shadows slipped away, phone lifted gracefully from his pocket. Numbers were dialed, and the heavily accented voice carried across the line.

     

    "Night off is canceled. Need you to get everyone together. Somesink is comink. Somesink big enough to spook Herr Gaspari. Warn ze business owners. Get zem to ze casino."

     

    There was no time to wait for a response. The call had to be repeated a few times. People knew the voice well enough to know its owner didn't exaggerate when it came to orders from the boss. 

     

    Satisfied with the number of people he'd contacted, Etan made his way back into the room in time to hear a voice he didn't recognize. The movements, though. They were purely animal. When the statue moved. it usually meant something was dying. His eyes were drawn back to the balcony as Calista moved. So that was what she sounded like. Interesting. The tidbit of information was filed away, less important than the shadows flickering in the now blood red light. 

     

    Though he wanted to know exactly what was happening outside, Etan made his way over to Matteo's side. 

     

    "Ze men haf zeir orders." Etan said quietly, so as not to interrupt anyone else. "How can I be of help?"

     

    As many years as he had spent with the organization, the shifter knew better than to jump to conclusions when faced with unknown circumstances.  

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    Dark caramel flicked more than once to the feathered princess beside Lucky. She was agitated in a way he had never noticed before. Lucky clearly felt it too as his hand moved closer to her position as it rested on the arm of the chair.

     

    The Senior Capo was often dismissed as a lucky playboy who got his position just because he understood the inner workings of the family more than anyone else. Truth was he was very observant and made it his business to absorb nuances about everyone in the family. He protected them and he did that much better if he could anticipate their reactions and understand their triggers.

     

    Cal wasn’t usually triggered by anything which definitely caught his attention, eyes flicking when the softest sound of feathers shivering against eachother reached his ears. Just what the hell was going on in the city.

     

    He was the first to notice the flush to camouflage of the exquisite feather structure, brow lifting slowly just as she spoke. She never spoke at these meetings, none of the right hands did. It drew his brow even higher. Orbs flicked to Gaspari as she "ordered" them all to stay put. The head of the family had a frown beginning to descend on his brow. The Capo wasn’t sure if it was because he was mad at the Bakkhos bird or if it was like himself, a feeling of dread that one that was normally so silent was so forcefully instructing.

     

    Brow lifted higher as she approached him. Just what the…..

     

    His phone?

     

    The dark eyes met hers with a curious yet concerned expression even as the phone slid out of his pocket and into her hand, his grip overlaying her fingers for the briefest moment with a faint squeeze. He suspected he knew what she was doing.

     

    Still…. he didn’t like her heading out into who knew what without support.

     

    He didn’t like any of the family out without support.

     

    Dark eyes flicked to the heads of the family as they all watched her perch on the rail outside and take off. He knew what he needed to do, and he knew they were all NOT going to like it. About to move away from the bar, Etan came back to his side. Gaze didn’t move to the German, instead it remained on the heads of the family to ensure none had their attention on them. Etan's inquiry on how he could help met with a chin jutting slightly back to the club doors and the hallway beyond.

     

    Etan had been with him long enough to read the Capo well and moved again quietly back into the hallway. Confirming attention was not on him he watched those within as he moved to the door himself. Stepping into the hallway he began to punch a never before used code into the security panel just outside the club entrance. Words were quiet as Gaspari had already snapped around and was frowning at him. The Capo offered an apologetic smile.

     

    [matteo]…. You can thrash m' later. I put a little somethin' extra into the club design.[/matteo]

     

    [gaspari]Matty!....[/gaspari]

     

    Head shook even as metal could be heard turning and clicking, the glass windows suddenly going dark as steel storm shutters began to slam shut on the outside of each including the door to the balcony now forbidding the Bakkhos bird her re-entry.

     

    [matteo]…sorry Boss… the family needs her heads more than her soldiers.[/matteo]

     

    Head inclined slightly as Gaspari began to move towards him, Lucky standing from his chair as Carmine merely grinned, clearly the only one not surprised that the Capo would move into protection mode. The steel door shut in front of the Capo just as the head of Bakkhos nearly reached him. The entire thing electrifying with a hum which meant Gaspari would think twice about fazing through it. Turning he strode towards the elevator, fist hitting the down button as he turned to Etan.

     

    [matteo]…phone.. PHONE…[/matteo]

     

    He needed to warn her.

     

    As the German offered his phone he quickly dialed his own phone, frowning as it rang several times before finally the sound of it flipping open, wind rushing over its speaker. He didn’t need her to talk, only listen.

     

    [matteo]…Cal…. I put the club under lockdown with the heads inside. Ya won't be able to get back in through the balcony but when I designed it I left you an entry from the roof. Southside of the large air unit you'll see a steel door on the floor with a panel. Just give it yer first name. It will voice recognize you.[/matteo]

     

    He wasn’t about to explain how he had managed that one and she would figure out the steel stairs down under the door would lead her back into the offices of the club.

     

    [matteo]…. too many family aren't protected. Am headin' to the streets to ensure we got security where it needs to be. Need heads up as soon as you know what the hell is goin' on. Call this number.[/matteo]

     

    With that the phone was hung up and tossed back at Etan the moment the elevator doors slid open. Stepping inside he growled softly under his breath as side of his fist hit the ground floor.

     

    [matteo]…we need everyone in the streets moving the family to shelters….[/matteo]

     

    Elevator was going way too slow for his patience. Shit…Frankie was recovering from a big healing job when some of the family got ambushed by a start up gang.

     

    [matteo]..Etan… can you get one of our guys to Frankie's… he aint going to be up for any fightin'.[/matteo]

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    • 3 weeks later...

    Standing on the edge of an abyss was freedom.  She sometimes thought she, more than anyone else she’d ever encountered, was truly free.  At the drop of a hat she could simply take off into the darkness and never return.  But here she was, no barriers between her and the sky above, and the vast stories below.  No fear, her pause feeling like an eternity.  Updraft ruffled her shirt a bit, probably not the best to be wearing during this, but a flash of tits if the wind shifted was not the most of her worries.

     

    The enforcer was always interesting to listen to.  Her ears never missed anything.  Neither did her instincts.  She was not used to anyone giving her concern.  Lucky knew she hated being doted on, so he didn’t.  It was an unusual relationship.  Right hand in public, business partners behind closed doors.  Where he was living large and enjoying it, she was always quite cool. Business.

     

    The Capo’s concern had been met with suspicion, muscles tight under his squeeze.  She didn’t like being touched where she was not in control of the situation, and she didn’t like being seen as if she needed help.  Gold sheen had flicked up to him. She also didn’t meet people’s eyes, she could watch them without looking at them.  Looking at their eyes was distracting.  Eyes said too much.

     

    Into the abyss it was, escaping her thoughts.  Blood red shadows and quick moving flicks inbetween buildings.   Phone, listening.  She told them to stay inside!  She ended the call with a scowl. 

     

    Wings snapped out several  stories below to sluice the bird of prey through the brick Labyrinth, a rocket of fur and teeth out of nowhere avoided in a split second.  Shoulder clipped a downspout and she tumbled with unusual grace onto a roof, literally hitting the ground running to scoop up the phone that had clattered from her hand.  She was not fast enough!  She was not fast enough to outrun this…  leap off the edge held the grace of a diver in full twist to fall backward and face her attacker, firearm snapped out and discharged with accurate aim in the neck.  It was enough to discourage the swipe of claws that had attempted to bat her out of the air like King Kong.

     

    Mother fucker.

     

    The split second flinch of the beast opened an inch, and it was all she needed to fold in and dive like a falcon in full prey mode.

     

    Were.  Weres!

     

    She couldn’t shake it, the monster leaping back and forth downward in full bounds to keep on her tail.  Updraft.  Updraft.  Dangerous, but necessary.  Wings snapped out, halting the descent like a parachute, kicking off a building in time to avoid another swipe and gain altitude.  She didn’t stop until she was so far above the city it looked statuesque.

     

    They were everywhere.

     

    Pistol snapped back in, she frowned at a cluster of loose feathers the thing had tried to grab, plucking them out as she hovered in the immense updraft and dialed the phone.

     

    “Weres,” a breathless, shouldn’t have been calm but was, voice murmured.  She was out of breath.  “They’re everywhere… overrunning the ESB.  I’m going to figure which direction they’re coming from.”

     

    Bakkhos had the upper hand at least, she was in fact the eyes in the sky.

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    (Etan skipped with permission)

    Huff was agitated as he stared at the blinking numbers slowly decline. He half listened to Etan make a few calls, the most important of which sending some protection to Frankie's place.

    The club was safer on the top floor but it meant the trip down to the underground parking was ridiculously long, the car stopping to pick up passengers twice who were snarled a warning to stay off as the Capo slammed the door close button each time.

    Fingers were itching to have his wheel gripped tight and tearing off towards the smaller districts where the rest of the family probably didn’t have the itchy spider sense he did that now had him prickled to heated agitation.

    Dark caramel snapped up as the phone rang almost the moment Etan snapped it shut on the call to get Frankie some support, the German didn’t even answer seeing the call was from the Capo's phone. Scowling he took it and snapped it open, rewarded with the heavy breathing from the other side.

    What the….?

    Weres. They’re everywhere… overrunning the ESB. I’m going to figure which direction they’re coming from.

    [matteo]What?!?[/matteo]

    He had frozen, the question rhetorical just as the doors FINALLY opened on the basement level of the parking lot.

    They need to warn….everyone.

    The small businesses in little Italy would struggle the most to protect themselves… that’s where he needed to go. Get it together…

    [matteo]…ok…ok… we're gonna head t' Grand and Mulberry… speed dial on m' phone has Lucky… heads up the bosses an' I will start warning the others.[/matteo]

    Hand ran through the dark locks as he stopped at the open door and scowled… words quieter.

    [matteo]…shit……Cal… we will need to know how far and how many are comin'….fast as you can feed us the info………….we're so fucked….[/matteo]

    The last not really meant for her but breathed before he snapped the phone shut and tossed it back to Etan.

    [matteo]…..headin' for lil Italy. You get…. everyone…. its fuckin' lycans run amok…overrunnin' the place.[/matteo]

    Etan would understand the seriousness and communicate appropriately. He sprinted for his Cuda…slipping into the seat and snarling the car to life, wheels squealing as he tore out of the underground parking lot.

    The family had a couple run ins with lycans but one at a time, never "overrunning" volumes of them. Car tore down Hudson, making it all the way to Canal St. That’s where everything went to shit. Cuda snapped left and right with violent jerks to avoid the smoking vehicles that had already crashed, forced to exit at Broadway rather than Lafayette, nearly tipping as he yanked the wheel.

    [matteo]…FUCK.[/matteo]

    Forced to stop he was quick to get to the trunk and yank open the treasure chest. Two guns were slid into the back of his jeans, machine gun slung over his shoulder as he strode down to Lafayette, the Capo apperated into thin air mid stride, foot hitting the pavement two blocks further down. An Italian Nightcrawler heading into the streets as the first screams began to pierce the air.


    ((This thread is now open and can begin chaos post order - meaning you can post out of order of the previous set of posts - just please don’t post more than one time in every 3 posts to allow others to react))

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    Dika stumbled as he caught his toe on the curb, throwing his arms out wide to catch himself from falling. His knee hit the ground hard, jolting him and wracking his body with a dull pain. His now-scraped palms were burning, his head throbbing, his lungs on fire, and his heart was ready to burst. Tears were streaming down his face as he forced himself back up and kept running down the alleyway he thought would be safe; safe from the craziness, safe from discovery, safe from them. Dika squeezed himself in between a dumpster and a fence that spanned across the alleyway, pressing himself up against the wall, making himself as small as possible.

     

    Dika huffed and puffed as his head swam; it was sheer chaos, it was like a war zone. He knew that lycanthropes existed, but never in numbers like this. There was treatment available for the lycaneximius virus and only those in extremely isolated areas or those crazy enough to try and get infected would ever actually be afflicted by it. To have so many out in the streets all at once, roaming about in never-before-heard-of packs, and for them all to be this stark raving mad; it was the stuff of nightmares and Dika just wanted to wake up. With nowhere to run, and nowhere to safely hide; Dika didn't know what he was going to do. The beasts were everywhere, the police were few, and even if the Vanguard and Order of Light showed up, there was little to be done for a powerless mage hiding out in a back alleyway.

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    "What?!?"

    His voice crackled over the connection.

     

    Bows came down.  Wavy tendrils had slipped from the once sleek ponytail, lifting upward as the updraft shifted and the black umbrella also shifted accordingly to maintain her position.  The signal was crap, he was underneath the casino. 

     

    Getting his car.

     

    To go out on the street.

     

    Fucking.  Hell.  That boy was never going to make it to the top if he kept sticking his neck out. That’s what soldiers like her were for. 

     

    "…ok…ok… we're gonna head t' Grand and Mulberry… speed dial on m' phone has Lucky… heads up the bosses an' I will start warning the others."

    Warm glow lit the gold in her eyes as she flipped it to speaker and scrolled through the numbers.

     

    Watch the sky. I have back-up.  You shouldn’t be on the street, that’s what we’re for.

     

    Voice was eerily calm.

    "…shit……Cal… we will need to know how far and how many are comin'….fast as you can feed us the info………….we're so fucked…."

    Don’t do something stupid.  Matteo!

     

    She was already moving, an arch of incredible gymnastic skill as she kicked off buildings and surfed the updrafts to gain speed and simultaneously made calls. At least she hoped they could hear her over the sound of rushing air.  Phone clicked closed, feet hitting the top of her penthouse already running, slamming the door open and flicking all the switches.  She’d never used them for this, but hey…  it was worth a shot.  A thirty second stop into her flat had her Asps strapped onto her thighs, reavers snapped on.  Her own phone retrieved… her mistake the first time she went to the Casino.  She’d serve penance for that later.  Diving off the side of the building, they followed.  It’s wasn’t often she flew with them; they were actually faster in their dives, and more agile.

     

    Diving was not something she needed them for.  Smoke signals. 

     

    First.

     

    He wasn’t hard to find, the sound of the thing was a dead giveaway- but it was the vibration of the engine that drew her ears to it.  Then it was silent.  Something had happened.  Sluicing through the alleys, the scent of cinnamon on her nostrils was like breadcrumbs. He was heading for little Italy.  Where the hell were his people?!

     

    Securing the Capo and giving him back his communication seemed a helluva lot more important than eyes in the sky at this very second.  She was a soldier, and there was a distinct lack of them by his side at the moment. Her “pets” would automatically circle over interesting targets.  They could be left to their own recognizance for a moment.

     

    Quietly touching down on top of a dumpster, eyes narrowed at the screams.  The scent was strong, he’d either passed this way or she was gaining on him.  But first, balancing on the edge, she leaned back slightly- an eyebrow arching at the breath she had heard behind it.

     

    A crack caught her attention elsewhere.

     

    Gold flicked past the fence as they caught a shadow, senses feeling the rustling of a beast moving so fast toward the first thing that caught their rage.  It was following Matteo’s scent as well.  She was fast, but barely upward before a roar leapt at the fence, a blinding weight of muscle and ferocity yanking her out of the air.

     

    Slight and as graceful as a ballerina, she was still a heavy girl… and her weight hit the brick wall hard enough to shake mortar and send shards bursting outward.  Grunt was sharp, echoing in the alley as she ricocheted off the wall and smacked onto the ground.  Back of her hand wiped blood from a split lip, eyes wicked as black pupils expanded wide and engulfed the gold sheen.

     

    Oh honey… you’re going to have to beat me up worse than that to get past me…

     

    She had a gun. Gunfire would only attract their attention.

     

    She was on her feet with speed to rival the beast that towered above her, Asps snapped out, kicking off a building to take the fucker down.  She didn’t have the limitations they did.  Fist fights took place on a horizontal plane, on the ground… she didn’t have that limitation, and a helluva lot more rage.

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    • 2 weeks later...

    Don’t do something stupid.

     

    That was the last thing she had said to him.

     

    Somehow, charging down the street listening to the howls and snarls getting closer without a form of communication back to the rest of the family and only carrying a single machine gun and two glocks, even if they had high capacity magazines, seemed a bit "stupid". Problem was, they had small mom and pop places in Little Italy. Not exactly an armory of safety. This part of the family ran the "legit" businesses and would never be able to defend themselves, not from this. The club, the casino, the wharf… they all swarmed with armed soldiers, they could hold their own. Out here…. they were dogchow.

     

    He felt naked. He missed the annoying sound of Mason in his earpiece telling everyone where each and every enemy was located. He hated the way she could do that but right about now….. he would give his left nut for her voice. Just what the hell did Gaspari mean she was "away"…. she should be here Dammit!

     

    Calista in the air was new for him. They had not fought together per se. She was more a Lucky soldier than a Gaspari. Of course he wasn’t sure what good she was going to be to him since he didn’t have a damn phone. He really hadn't thought that through when he gave it to her and didn’t take another for himself.

     

    Cinnamon filled the air as the ebony smoke curled in the spot he just vacated, stride reappearing a block down the street. Body spun on the heel, gun pulled from behind him as the howl came far too close. Back up….. she had said she had back up. He hoped she got them out here soon.

     

    Spinning he sprinted towards the bakery, first family shop in Little Italy.

     

    Joseph.

     

    Idiot kid was standing in the street watching the red moon rise.

     

    [matteo]JOEY…get the fuck inside![/matteo]

     

    The teen's eyes snapped to the Cap in surprise just as a shadow erupted from the alley to thrust itself for the older Bakkhos. Gun broke the night a split second before the ebony wisps billowed in the hands of the werewolf that tried to grab him, the Capo apperating several feet above the creature, leg swinging to clobber the side of its head. Glance told him the teen had froze.

     

    [matteo]INSIDE!!![/matteo]

     

    Gun snapped off again as the creature spun only to again grab wisps of ebony, its nostrils sneezing at the scent of cinnamon left behind. Capo appeared from nothing behind the teen, foot planting on the kids backside to send him sprawling towards his family's bakery door where his mother had just emerged having heard the Capo's scream. Her wits were better than her sons, snatching the kid by his shirt and half throwing him inside as the gun went off again.

     

    This was going to be a blood bath… where was Calista and her back up?

     

    Come to think of it… where the hell were his guys?

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    Dika's head snapped up as he heard the crashing near him. Some giant flapping thing of a woman came crashing into the wall and dumpster he was hiding next to before flying away again. The whole city had gone haywire! He realized she was in the midst of a fight and he was no longer safe. He wedged himself out of his little hidey-hole and booked it away from them, just falling into a dead run. His briefcase was swinging wide with every step he took; but he knew the strap was secure and everything inside was well-cushioned. What he wondered about as he turned a corner was the heavy thing hitting him in the side. He stopped in an empty street and put a hand inside his jacket, feeling his side to make sure he was okay. It was his gun! He had completely forgotten about it! He had taken a few one-on-one lessons and practiced shooting at the range; both from Pharos, and he was fairly confident he could use it in case of emergency. He figured this was as emergent as it was going to get. 

     

    Dika pulled out his revolver, and thumbed the cylinder release. Flipping it out in one smooth motion he then pulled out his speed loader. He aligned the bullets with their bores, inserted them and pressed the thumb release on the loader. It's hooks released the bullets allowing them to slide the rest of the way in. As he tucked the loader back into its pouch he gave the revolver a quick flick of the wrist. Sending the cylinder back into the frame of the gun. It spun for a brief moment before finally locking in place. 

     

    Dika, now armed, kept running down the street, away from as much danger as he could avoid, realizing from the streetsigns that he was headed east on Grand. He looked behind him and saw the sign for Center and in front of him was the sign for Barker; he was in Little Italy. He looked around in hopes of seeing one of the shops or restaurants open that he could run to. He did! It was a bakery, with its lights still on! The grates were down, but maybe the door was still open. He headed towards it before seeing a teenaged boy come out of an alleyway next to the shop.

     

    Everything seemed to slow down and happen at a snail's pace, at least in Dika's eyes. A man suddenly appeared in a flash of magic, surrounded by rapidly fading wisps of smoke. He screamed something, Dika didn't quite register what it was he said because before he could process the thought a lycanthrope came barrelling out of another alleyway towards the boy. The man fired a shot at it, teleported again before the first bullet even made contact, and shot at it again. He screamed at the boy again; who still stood there, frozen. A woman burst out of the bakery door that Dika had been eyeing and grabbed the boy, running back inside with him. Dika saw the man fire off another shot before the lights in the bakery flickered off. Dika yelled as he lost his safe haven and turned to yell at the man. Time had caught back up at this point as the man frantically turned about and watched for another attacker. Dika lowered his pistol and stomped up to him; upset about still being stuck out in the open but thankful for having someone around who seemed like they knew what they were doing. 

     

    Dika opened his mouth to say something; but stopped mid-syllable. He was inspecting the man, scanning his 'aura' if it could be called such and seeing what the man was capable of. Something else had caught his eye however; something in the earth itself. The mana stream, the ley line, it was all wrong. It was like a polluted river of magic and it was flowing all wonky. Dika clapped the man on the side of his arm and gestured down towards it, asking him  [dika]"Hey, are you seeing this?"[/dika]

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    Crack of an Asp across bone was tremendous, spin of the giant thing away from her as blood spurt from its maw was followed with vicious slashing from someone that seemed to defy gravity.  Throat was opened up with razor sharp synchronized blades, another crack of the Asp twisting the head to expose the slippery white of cervical bone, a final slash snapping its head clean off.  Mountain of fur and blood heavily collapsed.

     

    Somewhere in the middle, she’d become only slightly aware someone was running away.  Probably for the best.  The last thing she needed was to be in a full on confrontation with a damn Were and having to protect a runner at the same time.

     

    Tight sigh heaved once and she was in the air…. climbing.  Little Italy was more on her mind, things to do first.  One more thrust upward crested her ascent and ended her barrage of phone calls.  Casting a glance above, her pets were doing their job.  Circling on hot spots.  It was a pattern, weird… but there.  Just southwest of Little Italy there was something…. all four directions, there was something.  Power flickered in certain blocks, smoke rising from others.  Shadows streaming like water into a cut in the metaphorical turf.  The swan dive was graceful, falling backwards and tucking as the descent brought severe speed… keen eyes flicking to the path that she had been taking before the Were incursion.  The Capo was distracted, dammit, distracted!  Kids, women, another guy.  Strike boneshattering, the Asp almost buckled under the weight of the death strike from above, black cloak snapping open to halt the dive, heels on its back to ride the furry fucker to the ground.  Crushed skull, but not done.  Wolverine-like claws sheered neck bone and spinal cord.

     

    [Calista]Magic.  Like a magnet.  It’s bypassing us, toward Tribeca…  more north, east, west.[/Calista]

     

    She stood still for a moment, foot on the back of the pile of bloodied fur, catching her breath. Glance was quick at a sheered cut in her shoulder.  Well fuck.

     

    [Calista]…my sense of direction is scrambled… reinforcements in the air, called the heads, they’re in similar quagmires…[/Calista]

     

    Gold eyes fell on Dika a moment, collapsing the Asps and clicking them back into her thigh holsters, thumb pressing the release on her reavers to click them harmlessly back and pull her gun to check the mag before returning it into the kidney holster.  The damn straps were the only thing keeping this party from becoming a peep show, shirt held down with leather like a Spartan woman’s damn toga… or whatever the fucking thing was called.

     

    [Calista]They aren’t stopping.  Orders boss?[/Calista]

     

    She deferred to him, tossing him his phone.  She wasn’t leaving his side, because somebody obviously did.  Dumbasses.

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    People assume that every mage was part of one of the two larger organizations or embedded as in house counsel or something somewhere else. He had to suppose it had something to do with the early practice of gobbling up mages and a fundamental misunderstanding of human nature. There were greedy mages, bought by the promise of money. There were lonely mages, bought by the promise of family. There were even mages with criminal pasts who understood the loyalty they owed to a capo and the boss himself.

     

    That said, there were plenty of mages who wouldn't have joined up with Bakkhos under any circumstances, and they made up most of the magical world's visible representatives. But you don't care about that, and why should you? You care about the Bakkhos capo and senior soldiers currently fending off a werewolf attack.

     

    Etan had made his way through the boroughs, his diminutive size allowing him to slip, unnoticed, past the throngs of weres as he scampered along walls and through pipes to reach the homes of Bakkhos' foot soldiers. Those he could not reach in person received phone calls, instructing them to converge on Columbus Park. It was central enough for the scattered forces, open enough to be easily defensible, and had good enough sight lines to be an easy gathering point. Others still received calls that directed them towards Family run businesses and carried out their orders to defend critical resources.

     

    It took a short while, but eventually a small army gathered. Humans, enhanced and otherwise, Mages, even a few offworlders of scattered backgrounds. The Bakkhos host was about 80 strong by the time Etan and his small band of 30 arrived. The gathered crowd had begun their defense, and the commotion was both visible and audible from blocks away.

     

    The Bakkhos forces now assembled, Etan returned to his human form, ducking as a were leaped directly at him. [npc] Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos! [/npc] See? this is why we talk about mages. One of the magically inclined embedded in Bakkhos' ranks stopped the beast in midair, immediately redirecting it into another oncoming lycan.

     

    Straightening up, the German fished a phone from his pocket. Speed dial was hit. "Corner of Baxter and Bayard, Kapodaster, Where do you need us?" The words were spoken as soon as Matteo picked up.

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    • 4 weeks later...

    Body again apperated, the tell tale wisps of ebony smoke curling like fingers after the air as the creature charged him, the lunge into a space he no longer filled resulting in it slamming into the brick wall just heavy footfalls came up behind him. He was already spinning when the intruder dared to grab his arm.

    Gun whipped around dead center for the man's forehead expecting another lycanthrope, the trigger half pulled as brows gnarled over his expression.

     

    ..da fuck?!

     

    Expression spat from his lips just as he spun, the lycan once more on its feet coming for them. Gun leveled shot ringing out just as a mass of fur and wing slammed into the street beside them. Flinch controlled as he lifted a brow at the woman.

    Well that was one way to make an entrance.

     

    "Hey, are you seeing this?"

     

    Spinning to look at the guy that had nearly had his brains blown out the other brow quirked.

     

    Nah… I didn' see nuthin' tryin' t' attack me.

     

    Sarcasm dripped. Who was this guy?

    Dark eyes flicked to her as she mentioned her sense of direction was scrambled, the faint nod acknowledging as the business mind quickly started running down scenarios. There weren't really many where they were not fucked.
    Hand snatched the phone from the air despite seeming distracted, reflexes lethal.

     

    "They aren't stopping. Orders boss?"

     

    The liquid gaze slid to her, clearly still pondering options when the damn phone rang in his hand. The Germanic voice barking their location and asking for the same orders. He heard the roar of the army now bearing down on them.

    The phone first.

     

    Etan….  Market on Elizabeth. Largest number of family will be there. Send a crew to protect 'em. I am headin' up to the winery up by Broome.

     

    The winery was the reception point for Finger Lakes, a distribution center and massive liquor store which also made it a large laundering location for their international funds. He knew Etan would come join them after he set a team out to the market. Phone snapped shut and slid into his pocket.

     

    Calista…. yer with me…

     

    Finger pointed to the sky.

     

    Get me some eyes….but stay close.

     

    She had proved she could be lethal from the sky and that would be handy since he couldn’t see everywhere, particularly when he apparated. Pause came as he blinked at the guy that stood in the middle of their mess. Who the fuck he was wasn’t really high on the Capo's list of things to figure out at the moment.

     

    Suggest you get yer ass outta the street if you plan on livin' through the night.

     

    With that feet started sprinting up Mulberry, body vanishing into swirls of mist only to appear again a block down the road just in time for the front line of lycans to catch up and begin to spill into the streets of Little Italy…

    They all would be lucky to live through the night.

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    Dika ignored the gruff man teleporting around and barking orders; he didn't need that kind of crap. Something was wrong here, very wrong; and he was determined to find out what it was. Dika took one hand off of his weapon and lowered it to his side. With his free hand, he aimed at the ground and started making practiced hand motions; picking at the air and sweeping across it as well. He wasn't sure if it actually did anything magic, but it helped him to concentrate and clear his vision to see the mana streams better. He was focused down, toward the ground, and he finally began to see it clearly. 

     

    There it was, the ley line, running smoothly and correctly; but within something else. Dika could see it now; the magic that had wrested control of it. There were symbols and lines encasing the natural magic flow, spinning around it and totally controlling it; how it moved and where it flowed and it's speed in which it travelled. Something had caused this, was causing this.

     

    This was magic Dika didn't even recognize; who the hell could take control of a ley line like this? This was big and scary magic, total world-domination magic. Dika was frozen to the spot at the thought; his mind raced with the questions and possibilities but his body didn't even flinch. He wasn't paying attention to anything else; he didn't even notice the lycan headed toward him at a full run.

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    • 2 weeks later...

    Starting at Eris' Airport Compound.

    Finishing at the Bakkhos Liquor Warehouse.

     

     

    She felt the air quiver before a thundered rage hit the fence several hundred yards out from her window, partially from force, partially from the thousands of volts that were always throbbing through it on the full moon.  They were testing the fence.  Large eyes narrowed, peeling away from the entertaining melee on the news to her phone that began to rattle on the marble side table.  Frown tickled her brows for only a split second, listening to the garbled voice.  It was pure will that the message was even getting through at all.

     

    “I’m coming.”

     

    The rest of her brandy was downed.  The tiny form seemed to slice through the room with purpose, silk cami rippling over the light skin.  Designer business suit was off in stride through her apartments, replaced with leather flight pants, boots, thigh holsters of all sorts of fun toys.  Flight gloves, shoulder holster and flight jacket in hand, she merely leapt over the side of the stairwell to land several stories down into the hangar, dark ponytail in a sharp whip.  She slammed a short machete into the side sheath of her boot.  Girl had rough and tumble clothes, made by the best craftsman of course.

     

    Ahanu had already started the engines as the irritated Sheut stuffed in her earpiece. 

     

    “Toby, fluff the cocks and get in,” she quipped through the com.  “People are breaking my shit.”

     

    In a furl of dark hair from the updraft, Ahanu changed positions to co-pilot, Toby snapping the side door open to take point with more firepower than a vampire would rightly need.  By shit?  She meant booze.  By booze…. she meant, well… booze, and also Mouse.  Mouse went out every so often, and was due back.  Apparently, back meant hunkered down in the liquor depot with her driver.

     

    “We’re going sightseeing.”

     

    *npc*  Mouse?

     

    Toby waited for an answer.

     

    She was silent.  Nobody broke her shit.  More importantly, nobody threatened her people. She had ripped people limb from limb for less.  

    Jacket pulled on and earpiece replaced with the headset, furl set her brow as the chopper left the ground in only the sharp ‘cutting it close’ fashion that the expert pilot could get away with.  The Sheut ruled the air in this city.  Sure, there were others that had smaller operations, but she had the choppers and the planes, and the runway.  Everything else a busted up nightmare...  Fires, smoke, accidents, sections of the already fragile electric infrastructures flickering and taking out city blocks.  It was the moon.  Early, odd, and full of the whispers she had her finger on lately with all the magus problems. This was definitely Sheut business.  Everyone’s business was Sheut business. Since this was her side of the world, she was responsible for figuring out this mess.

     

    First.

     

    Mouse.

     

    *npc*  Christ, they’re everywhere.

     

    It was Ahanu this time, lifting the rifle to take a shot at one on a nearby rooftop.  The blades would chop the thing to bits if it took a leap at the low flying chopper, but not before mangling them and taking the whole craft down with it.  The Sheut Viceroy angled around a building, the glass thundering in percussive rattles as the craft’s vibration echoed from the brick, nodding to her.

     

    “Going down,” she said quietly into the com, passing off to Ahanu, headset off and exchanged for the earpiece once more.  “I’ll let you know where we are when I get her.”

     

    She stood next to Toby for a moment before stepping out and into the air.  Leaps rivaled the power of the beasts, with much more finesse as she descended into the city, landing with the grace of a dancer in front of the Bakkhos liquor store- another thing she was responsible for keeping tabs on.  Too big for their britches in her honest opinion.  Eyes already had gleaned what was happening… front lobby windows shattered and lights sputtering as a Were was banging against the set of steel doors to the warehouse that had been closed for protection.

     

    Mouse was in there, beyond the doors, the Were turning and pitting it’s ire on the vampire instead.  Calm lashes blinked, leather gloved fingers creaking slightly as they tightened to fists and released, the thing starting its charge, and her foot hitting the bumper of a car to send it slamming toward the thing.  Steel door made a horrendous noise as the Were smashed back against it, followed by the buckled car crushing the beast and the quiet footsteps of crunching glass into the destroyed lobby.  Machete pulled from her booth sheath, she made several leaps up and over the twisted metal to decapitate the thing.

     

    Shame.  It was a nice car.

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    Eyes had already completely scanned the situation, avian reflexes inherent in the change.  It pissed her off to some extent, she rarely slept, the tiniest noises catching a flick from the black irises.  Phone.  The German again, eyes narrowed at the Capo on the phone, then back to the guy that seemed to be focused on something else.  It was itching in her ears, that strange directional issue that had been bugging her for some time- now amplified, this entire night of hell bringing her agitation to a boil...

     

    …and a charging Were became the pinpoint of her ire.  She knew what she heard, nodding to the Capo as he"poofed", knew what her walking orders were, but the seemingly oblivious guy was about to become puppy chow and the predator in her met it full on.  The world spun into motion, click of reavers and snap of asps sharp.  Blood.  Everywhere.  Flurry of predator feathers and fur; final strike splattering a surge of blood against brick in arching arterial spray, the thing clattering to the street.  The rest was up to him.  Asps clicking back to thigh holsters, fingers lightly traveled over a slashed bicep.  Teeth, claws, she didn’t know which.  Fuck.  Eyes narrowed at the mage before she disappeared into the sky in a blur after the Capo.

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    • 4 weeks later...

    (Etan skipped but feel free to jump in)

     

    Muscles burned as he sprinted up the street, apparating mid-stride before re-appearing half a block down the street in a swirl of ebony smoke tendrils,  his momentum continuing to press forward. It was several blocks to the liquor store, the Capo vanishing twice more as he drove towards the Bakkhos base.

     

    Final apparation took him to the middle of the street in front of the entrance but as the wisps curled through the break in the air, the steel projectile came nearly flattened him. Gasp filled the air as he reappeared and re-apparated almost in the same breath as the vehicle flew through the excess of smoking tendrils, air burning of cinnamon as he appeared nearly six feet off the ground, dropping back to the street in a three point stance.

     

    DA FUCK?!?

     

    Expression flung from his lips as dark amber orbs caught the flash of what he thought was a woman fly after the hunk of steel to finish off a were. Shit… they were here already.

     

    Gaze snapped to the sky looking for Calista, she was lagging behind, his attention pulled down the road from which he had come in time to see her go after another beast as that damn man stood in the middle of the road still. What the hell?!? Had the whole world gone nuts?

     

    Snorting he snapped open his phone, autodial quickly ringing Nicholas inside the locked up store.

     

    'ey Nick. You got the place locked up? Any breaches?

     

    He listened as the old gruff declared the place locked tight and defensible, clearly irritated at being followed up on.

     

    Nuthin is defensible tonight it seems. Keep the place tight an' arm yaself. There's hundreds of 'em comin'.

     

    With that he snapped the phone shut in time to catch a shadow pass over his head, the wereleopard having been trying to get into the building from the roof but decided the man on the ground was easier prey. Moon-thumpers were always hostile transformed but this level of aggression… he had never seen it before.

     

    Gun pulled free as he was charged. He held his ground till the very last moment before the space he once filled was replaced with wisps of ebony and scents of cinnamon, the beast slamming into the brick wall from its own momentum as he appeared above, explosion ripping the air, bullet lodging in the back of the creatures neck as gravity pulled the Capo down from his seven foot floating perch.

     

    Again he was struck by the fact that they would be lucky to survive the night.

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    • 2 weeks later...

    Dika's head snapped up at the horrendous noises surrounding him, snarling and screeching and gunshots galore. He gave a guilty look of thanks to the flying woman before she leapt away again to fight off the crazed lycans. Dika knew that was what he should do as well, run off and find a better place to hide and be protected by people who clearly knew what they were doing moreso than he did. He took a tentative step toward the teleporting man, but then looked back down at the ley line. He couldn't just stand there any longer, though; he knew he needed to make a decision. 

     

    Dika took off in a full run, away from the shouting and fighting and toward the backflow of the ley line. He was determined to find out what was going on, as he knew it couldn't all be a coincidence. Even if it was, he knew he couldn't simply hide in the shadows and wait around while he watched these people kill everything they came across. So, he ran, he ran as fast as he could even knowing he couldn't outrun anything that might come after him; he just knew he needed to traverse the ley line as fast as possible.

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