The Multiverse: The Grand Scheme of Vidious

Vidious sat upon what could be called a throne, if you believed thrones could be made of solid stone with nary a cushion or pad for comfort. More accurately, a stone chair, which he leisurely leant upon the arm of with a lone elbow. Dressed only in a black silk robe which covered all of his body but his arms and head he was easy to pick from a crowd. Even his head could be hooded. Right now the hood was down, showing off a smooth skull and a small mustache goatee combination. On his person was almost definitely a knife and a gun.

With him were too men similarly dressed, except their clothing was cloth and each had a balaclava to hide their faces. They stood, one to his left and one to his right. Perhaps the most unusual thing of all was those he would meet, and why he would meet them. One would think a leader of the Assassin Society would disapprove of revolution when he had a business to run. But this soon would be his business.

The doors to the room suddenly jerked open, and six gasmasked men and women stood, arm to arm, facing the other three. Each carried a melee weapon openly; two let baseball bats dangle from their fingers, a third had a length of chain, two more brandished brass knuckles. Only the leader - her form clearly female, though her hood and gas mask covered up any discernment of gender beyond that - remained unarmed.

As one, the six advanced forwards, warily taking in their surroundings while the leader held Vidious' gaze, her stride purposeful and careful.

"To what do we owe this honor?" she asked, her voice muffled and distorted through the filter of her mask. The hissing of the six's breathing filled the space.

Vidious pondered for a moment, staring to the band as he lifted his chin from his knuckles to address them. "Well... Naturally I have heard of the inspiring feats of your group and was determined to find out what I could about you. and perhaps we could make a little arrangement?"

He stepped forward towards them, brushing his front free of dust, but stopped a dozen steps away. "Do you know who I am?" he inquired dryly. "I merely ask because I either wish to get pleasantries out of the way quickly or skip them entirely. I am a busy man, you see."

The woman glanced around at her comrades, before adressing the man. "We've heard of you, Vidious, but we do not know of you. But there is plenty of places we must be in order to prepare for the purge. I, too, appreciate the lack of pleasantry. And so, we will move forwards."

The six bowed as one, stiffly. "We are the Vox, those who would be the saviors of Wing City. You are Vidious, the commander of a group that we've heard nothing but whispers of. It is your power and stance that have us before you now."

She folded her arms, studying him. "What arrangement would you wish to discuss?"

"Excellent. So long as we understand each other. My power lies with my resources and I come with curiosity on the subject of your purge. for a start, I think you can do it much more efficiently, and I am willing to lend all my help do so, if only you will hold off for a little while. Afterall, how do you intend to purge when there are such great threats that oppose you?"

He offered a shrug. "Oh, and can you explain what it is exactly you are planning to achieve with this purge? I would like to know that too, before I can work with you."

The woman glanced to her comrades, and all of their collective gazes met hers. As one they each gave their own nod of approval, a silent agreement without words, without context.

"We seek to defend Terra when Terra would not defend herself," she stated, stepping forwards and pointing at the ground. "We seek to annhilate any and all who oppose this noble goal. We seek to eradicate the spies upon her soil, melt the flesh of those who would see us remain defeated. We seek, lord of shadows, to rebuild our planet to a great and powerful one, one who fears no Aschen, no UCON, no Belkan intrusion. We wish to push our enemies back to the holes whence they crawled."

She then relaxed, linking both hands behind her back. "We are a plague upon those who would seek to oppose us. And we know that Terra is not yet ready. Her citizens still slumber. When they wake, however, the result shall be a cleanse in fire. That is what we are planning to achieve."

"Perfect. I have information you might find useful, and i can potentially provide you armaments. there are many deceivers who would claim to share your goal, after all. Aliens who claim Terra is as much their home as those born here. However, I cannot promise you anything substantial at this time. Only a wonderful opportunity. Incriminate your foes while striking your enemies. If you are willing to hear it."

He felt good. Oh yes this was where he belonged. At the head of a group, coordinating trouble. Hopefully a worthy opponent would rise to meet his challenge.

The leader shifted, folding her hands in front of her.

"We are willing to hear it."

"I will acquire you Aschen uniforms, weapons and gear. You will use it to strike at a non-Terran company or group. Simple, no? One foe turned against another. After all," he added with a dramatic flick of his wrist, "Who would believe the Aschen are innocent at this stage? Their reputation proceeds them. The same will methodically be done for each and every enemy until they are all turned against each other. And while they rage and fight in the skies, we will strike at the earth, delivering your great purge."

"That is what I propose."

The Vox nodded. "This is an acceptable proposal," the woman said.

"We will take pleasure in making this strike," she said, slowly. "And we will do it well for Terra."

She walked the six paces towards him, stretching out a gloved hand. She knew of his death-touch - the rumours, anyway - and so she was careful to make sure not a single inch of skin showed when she looked to strike the bargain.

"It will be a pleasure to join our cause with yours, Mr. Renati."

"I don't shake with partners," he answered calmly with a polite tilt of his head. "I'm sure you can understand a man in my position has a number of risks to be careful of. But the next time I contact you will be to arrange a place to drop off the gear. Then it is up to you for the next strike. Though, I admit if you need help finding a good target I know of a few."

His hands remained at his sides, eyes blinking only once to acknowledge her gesture.

She lowered the hand, nodding. "It will be done."

As one - like they always did - the Vox left the building in a single file, the door closing behind them as they faded into the night.

Somewhere, the drums of war were beating.

Ba-dum bum. Ba-dum bum. Ba-dum bum.

"Vidious Renati," came a cool and casual voice of a man dressed in a synthetic black silk robe which covered him neck to toes but lacking any sleeves as he entered the door and immediately headed for the front desk. "I have an appointment."

Accompanying him was two men, each dressed in clothing that matched his own, except cloth instead of silk and with balaclavas over their faces. All three men were armed, but they would be willing to relinquish their weapons should they be prompted to do so.

Vidious himself had no hair other than a small mustache and goatee, but the hood of his robe lay back behind him. Also he had a reputation as the leader of the Assassin Society.

The woman at the desk looked up, "Oh yes. Captain Girak is expecting you." The woman pressed a button on her desk and an elevator on the wall to Vidious's right. "The elevator will take you to the tenth floor. Once there Captain Girak's office is the second door on the left." The woman smiled and returned to her work.

Meanwhile in the office Captain Girak was sitting with his feet up at his desk. Almiuad Girak was an exemplary member of his species. 8'2'', 675lbs. He was quite the Derith. He waited impatiently for his appointment to arrive.

"Thank you," he said with a calm and slight bow before heading to the elevator and ascending. Vidious was not one to be intimidated by size, but he was one to remember his manners, pulling on a matching set of gloves over his hands. As the elevator opened up and he headed for the office he gestured for his men to stay back. They wouldn't be needed.

"Excuse me," Vidious started, "I am Vidious Renati. I'm here to arrange a business deal on a large scale."

"Oh Really?" said Girak. He leaned forward, "I suppose you want to hire a ship orpurchase large amounts of weapons? Maybe your interested in our Mechs? Our Railguns? Our Armor? If not any of those we have our hand in pretty much everything. By the way My name is Captain Girak, Almiuad Girak. I am the captain of Serenade." Girak, for his physical build, had one fault. He talked to much, and without thinking, but he was a brilliant strategist.

"Actually no, though these things may be useful for what I desire. I am looking to employ a company for a large scale mining operation. Either to set up a mining facility or to be a part of an ongoing mining effort. I have discovered an area with precious minerals located far beneath the Terran soil, and I have purchased the land in anticipation for the work."

"My budget runs well past millions."

"A large scale mining facility we can handle. The cost depends on what you want to make the buildings out of, and the mine shaft. This also includes labor costs. For an ongoing operation we charge for labor for each individual plus a small fee for insurance of the workers. If you want your site to be guarded by us that's an additional fee per guard. Now for the actual machinery, you can rent it or buy it, I suggest the latter. I estimate the project will run you around 563 million credits if you use the best materials possible."

"The excavation project will include the digging up of uranium," he said calmly, "Appropriate storage will also be required. Otherwise, the cost remains within expected bounds, as understandably the profits will be great. I will buy the materials and staff it with my own employees. I would, however, require ongoing security."

"Hmm... That seems okay. The cost will remain the same with the subtracted workers and the added containers. Your equipment will include Mining Mechs, Mining Trucks, Drill rigs, among other things. The security team will have Mechs as well, albeit small ones." The way Girak said things gave everything a matter of fact feel. This project would be good. Now Girak would have to reveal a potential deal breaker, "Harb. Corp. will want to share in your proffits. 5%."

"I understand," Vidious said, rubbing his chin. "Could I provide you with five percent of the Uranium instead?" A daring suggestion, really.

"I wish I could say yes, but the board of directors does not allow us to purchase or deal with Uranium. 5 percent of the profits, it's business, you understand," Captain Girak gave a big toothy grin.

"I understand," Vidious offered. "And perhaps we consider further deals in the future. Forgive me for not shaking. I have a personal issue with it."

"I understand completely, and we look forward to working with you Mr. Renati," Girak put his feet back upon his desk, "We will contact you when we are ready to begin."

"Understood. I will leave the exact locations with your receptionist. A pleasure doing business with you." With that he rose and turned for the door, leaving with his two men down the elevator.

Arranging meetings was always fun, and Vidious was in a pleased mood. Not often enough did he get to enjoy a scheme coming together so neatly, so he was hoping to draw this out and enjoy as fully as he could. Hood of his synthetic silk robe up and with a glass of red wine in his hand he leant on the entrance to the Assassin Society, awaiting the arrival of Darien Blackdagger.

Darien Blackdagger punched in and walked up to Vidious. "Convention in town, if you were wondering about the half-cape. I gotta say, the Terrans of the Renaissance sure knew how to dress," he mused, occupying himself with his Ezio costume in order to not think about how badly Mammon had screwed him over.

"Who's the job, Boss?"

Vidious raised an eyebrow momentarily admiring the outfit with a degree of envy. He wondered what it was like not to wear silk. "That depends on how much you like money. To put it simply I'm moving my endeavours elsewhere. For a start... I am hunting drug dealers. None of this 'Magic Beans' business. That's better used as a weapon of war than a narcotic. No... I need something addictive and easy to sell. And I want to control it."

"So what you can do for me is find a dealer. Or a few of them. And that's naturally not all." He dusted himself off as he straightened and knitted his fingers together.

"You want a dealer, you got one right here," Darien responded with a dramatic film-noir twirl. "I can even cook up the junk for you. Tell me what you need it to do and I'll make sure that's what it does."

"I need something addictive and easy to widely produce. Once again, I need more than one dealer. I need to take over the market. As much of Wing City as I can," he stated.

"And secondly, more of a side note, I wish to make the Terran Militia my enemy. If you could keep an eye out for a candidate to act as a 'leader' for them, someone charismatic and so on, that would be helpful."

"Darien!" he suddenly declared, raising his arms, "Darien, could you be my confidant to my plans? You see I'm bored Darien and I wish to see schemes come to fruition. But I need a confidant. It's vital. So can you be that man? The one I trust above all others? If you do I will repay you with whatever you wish."

"I know a guy that got sick of fighting supervillains and opted out. I could yank his chain a little bit--" Then the gravity of the situation began to set in. Vidious wasn't necessarily making him his second in command, but to be trusted with glimpses into the leader's vision was the first step to succeeding him.

He stammered a little bit. "M-Master Vidious. I...I would be honored if you would accept me as your confidant, sir."

"Excellent. Then its done. In that case you need to know why I need someone as the leader of the Militia. I need a man for me to build up. For the media to love and adore. To make the Militia heroes. Except, nothing he will achieve will not have my hand in it. So when he is at the peak of his popularity I can tear him down."

"What do you want in return, Darien? For being my confidant? Name your price."

Darien Blackdagger smiled. He knew exactly what he wanted. "There is a man, one Randin Kaye, that has sought to bring me low ever since the entanglement with the Kontio sisters. I can handle him on my own, but currently he seeks to inherit the fortune and power of the demon lord Mammon by acquiring an artifact of great power, one whose location is only known to a select sub-group of monster slayers and which is the only weapon that can truly harm and kill Mammon. For my price, I require the obtaining of this artifact and having it safely delivered to Jean-Paul. He'll handle our demon problems from there on out. I will negotiate with Jean-Paul separately on this matter once that is done."

"Consider it done," he answered simply, "I will send out my best agents at once to hunt down all those involved, and to find this blade." He tilted his head thoughtfully then stated, "Humans are interesting. Thank you for your time, Darien."

He stomped in through the thick, brushing through the gates in a shadow and a huff. Silently a hundred or so soldiers took defensive position around the massive courtyard.

The soldiers were nice. Handy, indeed, but sometimes a nuisance. They were rusty. Old hat.

Casren sighed, and flung woefully to the stone stairs. He collected himself quickly, swimming deep in thought, slowly returning to a natural position. There he sat still as stone, long enough for the bugs to buzz again not fearing danger.

A hand raised for the nearest knocker to rap-a-tap-tap on the door firmly. The man in question? Vidious Renati. Esteemed and infamous owner of the Assassin Society. Notorious for being notorious himself, and for his death touch, which spared no creature of flesh.

He was dressed peculiarly, in a synthetic black silk robe that ran from head to toe, but left his arms utterly bare. Even the hood was up to conceal his smooth head. A small mustache and goatee were the only hair on his face, along with his dark eyebrows.

Gloves matching his robes were worn and with every footstep you could hear the clonk-clonk of plastic shoes. But he was not a man to be trifled with so simply.

"Over here," Casren waved with slight exasperation.

"Welcome," He oozed, "to the Castle Vankoryth, home of the Vankoryth Detente," now he was flourishing, was he being mildly sarcastic? Really, Casren had been interrupted while deep in thought. He had no cause for formalities, and wished to get to the point of the matter. After one look at this fellow, he seemed to be the point-getting type as well.

His face slipped into a small but earnest smile. "I am Casren, to what pleasure to I owe your visit?"

"Vidious Renati," the man offered, along with a slight bow. "I seek audience with perhaps the head of the home. I saw their message in the Plaza and was most curious. You see, its right out the front of where I work, the Plaza, so every day I see what goes on there."

"Leader? That would be I," Casren offered a bow, as many of the army aimed their weapons at Vidious. A precaution, the innocent fear not.

"What is your work, if I may ask? What is your purpose?" A grin began to pull at the corners of Casren's mouth, his will strengthening along with his backbone. Once did the old vampire's eyes flash warning, before melting into a tired gaze.

"I own the Assassin Society. And this ownership extends well off of Wing City and Terra. But for now my focus is here, and dealing with the unruly vampires."

His arms folded, each hand grasping the opposite wrist. "You see, I believe very strongly in ordered crime, and I can't help but notice two largely troublesome things. Rogue vampires and that vampires need blood." He blinked, a calm and timed blink. "This is my proposal."

"The Assassin Society supplies you with captured hits to dispose of. In return for the security of not having to hunt your own prey you do us the small favour of pulling other vampires in check."

"And in return, will you need funding per head?"

Casren stood, fully intrigued. He extended a hand, meaning to shake on the deal. Three soldiers stepped forth upon this motion, acting in as witnesses.

"Oh, but you mustn't ever target the Detente. If they ever come in your crosshairs, notify me. Exclusively. The problem will be solved."

"Don't be silly," Vidious answered, an unusual choice of words even for him, "The hits will be from other people, as to ensure the money trail leads away from you. You will just be more of a garbage disposal, if I can be so bold as to compare murder to something so mundane. And of course. The Society does not target its allies."

His eyes dropped to the hand and he gave a slight tilt of his head, then shook it. "Just be careful with whose hands you shake in the future."

"Why is that?" Casren asked, dismissing the garbage disposal comment. He didn't care, earnestly. It wasn't a bad association.

Returning his hand to his side, Vidious only simply stated, "I would demonstrate, but that would require something of flesh to die or to lose a piece of clothing." And with that he turned and began to walk away.

The creature appeared in the twilight before dawn. The morning folk were milling about, taking care of business, they never saw him coming.

He was an abomination so nightmarish that his very existence, his form, had been baished from even the most traumatizing of horrors.
A low growl bubbled in the depths of Ubarum's throat.

Eighty vampyric soldiers stepped from the shadows, weapons bared. They were here with the monster, to assist whatever cause he was here on.

A disgrace. A Provocation, the beast thought to himself, That's what this was. The red L was blazen mockery, mockery that wouldn't go tolerated or unpunished.

Ubarum turned to a man cowering, grabbed him by the shirt and ripped his esophogas out. A bloody tendril of throat followd, head dangling limp with lolling eyes. Ubarum threw the corpse at the statue, lurching for another victim. This one, a woman who wouldn't stop shrieking madnees, he was glad to add to the monument. This was, he thought,[i] afterall, tearing the throat of another screaming lady, a retaliation. Ubarum threw her aside, grabbing people as they streamed chaos through the square. His claws were out now, as the beast tore through flesh like soft sweet grass.

He had been provoked, Ubarum thought to himself, foam gathering around his maw. Time slipped from him, death was caked beneath his fingernails and dripping from his teeth. How dare they disgrace him as such? The corpses began to gather in an unruly pile, climbing the statue in a grotesque display of slaughter. Ubarum's vision began to clear, the red aura dissipating, the hate faltering for but one moment. To not take this seriously? His men had followed suit, the reason the tower of bodies was so high.

Enough.

If there was anyone left alive, they heard the word as it bore into their minds. The vampyric soldiers stopped, swiftly standing in formation in a circle around the mess.

How dare these maggots dare assume they can even come close to touch upon the legacy that is..

Ripping a limb from someone in the pile, he crudely turned the sprayed red "L" into a bloody, right triangle of a "D". Above it, he scribbled a V, and flopped the arm over the top of the statue. From within his garments, he pawed out a parchment, and skewered it on the blade of the monument. It bore the same message as the one before, but one would have to either climb the bodies or remove them to discover this.

He left as swiftly as he came, disappearing into the clouds of the setting Moon. The small army, too, disappeared into the shadows.

The message he left behind was as clear as the pile of mutilated corpses on Wing City's precious monument.

The Vankoryth Detente was not going away, and was not to be messed with.

The young white girl girl would walk over to the utter massacre licking her lips. Looks like these vampires had some guts, that was hard to believe, but well this could be interesting, collecting the souls from the mess of people around, she heard movement, but ignored it. Not that she did not care, but doubtful said presence would be interesting nonetheless here she was now.

This Detente family were intriguing and this war would be over shortly, the werewolves much like Hellhounds were mongrels who had no control of their intelligence, they were simply monsters. These vampires seemed intent on restoring their name, so maybe there was hope.

Sensing it again, she yelled in a sing-song voice, "Oli oli option free, come out and say hello, I don't bite!"

Vidious stepped out of the Assassin Society and...

"really now?" he said, a little incredulous. Irritation marked his features, along with a roll of his eyes. So be it. The plaza could be coated in the blood and guts of the enemies of the Vankoryth. And yet he couldn't help but press a palm to his head.

He would need a word with them. A sharp word.

"Disgusting," he spoke to the sleeveless guard on his right. "A waste. And a pity. Not even promised to a god nor greater being. Just a token of vengeance and spite. Have they no taste?"

The cloth-wearing body guard nodded in agreement.

The girl would smirk and reply, "Well appears my creations had a little scuffle, if they restore pride to them, then I may forgive everything they done." she laughed and walked over to Vidious, "We have gotta stop meeting like this Mr. Assassin, people may assume something." still chuckling she would walk around them both, "But now we're here, I have a favor or proposition to ask, and certain you shall find it delicious you of course who I am so no need for introductions, I believe."

As she paced around she would appear stressed but trying to conceal it in her mannerisms.

Vidious tilted his head down, as his first instinct on being approached was reaching out to grab someone. But on realising he recognized the face his eyes narrowed. "You, no wait..."

"Vampires. You're that woman, aren't you? Queen of vampires or some business? Ah, if the business is to do with all these corpses for once I want it to be known that the Assassin Society are not responsible, and that I will be dealing with the matter personally."

Still smirking she would snicker, "No dearie, I am Lucifer although also Lilith and well I did create vampires and succubi, but enough of that. I am not angry at this transgression hell I was beginning to wonder if all my children had become fangless morons, but clearly I was wrong, as for my suggestion or deal would you wish to hear. It's very interesting and would benefit you massively I do believe, plus it is my word my solid word, no strings no nothing, only once will I offer this, so wish to hear?"

Vidious seemed a little bewildered. About everything. He was still recovering from the shock of finding his 'lawn' covered in bodies. "Alright go ahead," he stated simply.

Clapping her hands in joy, she would say, "Excellent, now I have a little issue, as you know or have heard the Gates of Heaven were destroyed, this was because a certain Seraphim forced my hand, but I now fear what I have unleashed I do believe that Heaven dealing with him and we will deal with Leviathan, but there still one issue his army of wrath, they will massacre Wing City is they can, and therefore here's the deal, you can kill them all and not expect any comeback from me and also if you do fight them back I will then do what I can to halt the final battle indefinitely while I carry the throne of Hell. I wish merely balance and slaughtering humans is dull and monotonous." she would pause, "What you say?"

He cleared his throat. "So what you're telling me, if I kill Leviathan and his legions you will prevent the judgement times, which in saying they exist would prove the existence of the religion you subscribe to, and as a result you will own Hell."

He thought for a moment. "So what's in it for me? I mean yes, I will stop them from surging into Wing City and unleashing their torment, assuming I can get into contact with them. I would rather not see this place burn to the ground. But should I fail I simply won't care."

She thought briefly before answering, "Two things, Leviathan is no problem for us, it's his army we want dealt with, but second thing is this. Name one soul you want from anyone dead or name anyone you wish returned to life and I will do it, it's illegal by all standards but this is desperate times so I am willing to break the rules temporarily."

Vidious mouth almost immediately twisted up into a grin. "I want a soulbound contract." He looked utterly amused by the prospect. "And I will guarantee the armies of Leviathan are dealt with."

Appearing to think a little, "Well I can't give you my soul as that is in ownership of my most true love Eve, but I can allow one more thing, one free-soul to be given life once more, no set time limit and one to say goodbye to, for good, I will allow day on the second one, does that please you?"

"Fine. Must I name the souls now?" he looked as if he had heard a particularly good joke, on the verge of amused tears.

"I doubt you will find me as I am sure you don't frequent Gambit's so best name them now, and I will do so." with that she would wait, meanwhile banishing the souls from the carnage down to hell rather casually.

"I name the first, Vidious Renati, to be brought back from hell should I ever inexplicably find myself there," he said, followed by bursting into amused laughter as he reached out to steady himself on the nearest wall.

"Vidious Renati!" Laughter burst from his form. Oh how good a practical joke this world played upon him.

She would grin and clap rather slowly, "My, I was not expecting that, but bravo, I shall of course comply... Note if I am off the throne when this happens deal is void, so you now have to keep me on the throne buster. You essentially sold yourself to me to keep yourself from dying, how quaint." laughing she would resume business, "Now we are clear on this, what of the second?"

"Keep myself from dying? I have died many times and I am yet to be claimed by your hell. Unless your hell is a metaphor for this world. But either way, the second? Hm."

"Now that's a tricky one. I tell you what, when I'm next found in hell, I'll tell you." And with that he shrugged. "Now how would I best get in contact with Leviathan? Or rather, where can I find him? Can the dead do it? The unliving, I mean."

Shrugging, "Look for a bunch of angry or envious demons and you will find him, be warned though he is cunning." with that she would await damning the last soul, casually, "If this is all acceptable to you, I will seal the deal, call me old fashioned but a kiss is how it's done with me, a proper kiss." she would pause, "That seals the deal."

"You will die," he stated plainly, "Nor would I be stupid enough to let a demoness touch me with her lips." He folded his arms. "Unless you are unaware of my natural state of being."

Peering around she would shrug, "It's the way things are done, it's how I seal my deals, do you expect me to go write in blood or something?" she was losing her patience this was impertinent to try force her to change her ways, just one person.

"You will die," he restated. "What part... Look, let me demonstrate." He turned and grasped the arm of his Sleeveless guard, and at once the rot began. Flesh sizzled and burned, rotting way until there was no arm for the hand to be attached to, sending it tumbling down and disintegrating into thin air.

The rot didn't stop, spreading up the mans arm, and once it hit his torso everything went pairshaped. The outside of his body gave way first, meaning his still rotting organs were exposed to open air, some of them even spilling out slightly from his cloth vest.

The mans screams of pain stopped when it ran up his neck and chin cutting off blood supply to his brain and rendering him unconscious. The entire process would take barely a minute, and in that time he would simply be no more.

Only his clothes remained.

"That. Is why I cannot touch."

Grumbling she had in contract in her hand suddenly, and took a quill, "Stab yourself and sign this in blood. I am not a fool, but I am not happy with this, it has to be blood I won't accept ink as blood is forever and it must be your own blood." clearly appearing stressed now she would go on, "I will keep my end of the deal, you just keep up yours."

Assuming the quill had a metal nib it would be done, his insides lacking the Death Touch of his flesh, and then signed. "Oh, don't worry, I will take care of Leviathan's army. That you can be sure of."

Snatching the contract she would smirk, "Nice doing business with you, but I must fly and remember now, keep me on the throne or all this is void. I am powerless and can't evoke this stuff if I am deposed, so Videous it's within your best interests." as the contract was taken crimson fiery energy would surround Videous before ceasing making clear the deal was done.

"Well then," he stated simply, "If you're not on the throne I have no reason to fear you, do I?" And with that he headed back for the Assassin Society to attain a new Sleeveless guard. A dime a dozen, really. And he had plenty of dimes.

But he wouldn't dare walk around without a meat shield.

Slapping her face she would yell, "Imbecile, I said if I am off the throne deal is void, as I am on the throne your deal will exist since then. Including all in your deal preventing end times." she would continue, "Now if I deposed all your deals be off because I can't evoke deals when not on the throne." sighing heavily she would finish, "As I am on the throne and intend to stay on it, your deal is complete, it's not complicated."

He raised a hand and offered only a dismissive wave. He had business to prepare.

Vidious was not normally one to come to a place so mundane, but for the two potential candidates he had he wanted a more relaxed and comfortable environment. A diner seemed to suit his needs. Not nearly as classy and elegant as a restaurant but still not as common and lower-class as a bar.

As such the man dressed in a synthetic black silk robe (which lacked any sleeves) found himself sat at a table with arms in his lap. He had a lone guard with him, a man dressed similarly except in cloth and with a balaclava. But it was perhaps his reputation that stood out. Vidious Renati, owner of the Assassin Society. It didn't take much searching to find the rumours of his person and exploits.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Up the stairs to Canti's diner, the clean tapping of well-polished dress shoes echoed against the outside walls of the modest establishment. Coming to a stop at the door, the man with the strange, embellished dreadlocks slipped inside the building with an odd, wide smile fixed to his face. His eyes were large and round, seemingly fixed that way as he looked from patron to patron, the umbrella in his hand dragging noisily against the floor in a grating screeeeeeee.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

He spied Vidious last of all, his smile widening (if that was physically possible). His smart dress, dinnerwear minus the coat, hinted that the visitor took care of himself, even if he looked a bit eccentric.

"Sucha...chahming pace you chose." He spoke as he approached, his voice unusually high, with a strange lisp to boot.

"Ah we wait for someone else?"

The diner's bell chimed it's sweet ring as the door opened once more.

In walked the self proclaimed golden eyed devil known as Calvin Radi. The most formal piece of clothing on him was the white collared shirt he wore under a black vest. Other than that, it seemed as if the man gave the meeting he was about to have as much importance as going to the grocery store on sunday.

He hummed a small tune as he walked along the diner's floor, looking around aimlessly.

I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts, dee de dee dee, here there a'standing in a row...

Vidious nodded. "Another, yes," he said, eyes shifting to the entering Calvin Radi and raising a hand to hail him. "Excuse me," he called, "Over here. Truth be told I mostly wish to just jump to business, but for the sake of pleasantries let us introduce ourselves."

"I am Vidious Renati. I have brought you both here for employment. I am a powerful man. I can offer you money, entertainment or most other things you can request. You are both candidates for a... Potentially destructive mission. Whilst I or one of my employees could accomplish this, the purpose is to draw out and observe a particular group."

He let it simply cling to the air as he leant back in his seat, only to shoo away a waitress who came over to bug them a moment later.

Rabbit giggled, both hands coming to rest on top of his umbrella as the tip of it rested against the ground, still and quiet for once. He tilted his head to the side, the jingle of his metal-encrusted dreadlocks the only noise he made for the time being.

"Fwends call me Baws." He replied in that same, high tone. "Enemies call me Wabbit."

He looked towards the young man, one pale brow lifting.

"Wut do you call yosewf?"

"Big ones, small ones, some as big as your head..." Calvin went on, his head bouncing melodically as he smiled, deciding to pull a chair away from the dinner's counter and up to the table.

He did not wish to sit next to either man.

He looked to the one with the dreadlocks and ceased his song with a curious tilt of his head. "Wabbit? Well then you can call me Mr. Fudd."

"Do you both understand the weight of what I'm asking?" Vidious continued calmly and patiently. He had dealt with the eccentric and unusual before. There was no point nor need getting angry. "I am willing to offer you anything from political favours to a briefcase of case to a milkshake from the diner to go to the downtown districts and make as big a show of violence and destruction as you can for the sole purpose of luring out the Terran Militia."

"I don't particularly want them to die, but I think its within all of our best interests to keep you both alive."

His eyes narrowed dangerously at the youth, before looking to Vidious.

"Wut gives you the powah to offer us such grandiose pwizes for our cooperation?"

Perhaps that was what he wanted.

"Oooh a case of case sounds interesting! Is that like, a case, within a case, within a case!?" Calvin clapped his hands together excitedly.

"That would be like....what's the phrase these days....Case-ception?"

He smiled wickedly and rubbed the palms of his hands together. "but I think I'd prefer having you owe me one."

The reality was he simply could not think of what he wanted....though the milkshake sounded good.

"I am a powerful man. If nothing else I can pay you in advance. Well... Favours are more difficult, but I am happy to give them. Via contract, perhaps?" he suggested with an idle shrug. "Additionally, I own the Assassin Society. I am not seeking to kill the Militia. My men are entirely unsuited for this. I need a show. A performance. A lot of noise and razzle dazzle to draw out the Terran Militia so I might see how they fight and operate."

"Should you need exits that can be equally granted."

So this man simply wanted him to make a mess? And he'd get paid to do so?

This was too good to be true.

"I wequire little." He promised as he stepped forward to extend a hand, the other grasping his umbrella. "Perhaps in time I will decide what pwice I desire for my services, but for now, consider the distwaction someting of a sinch. It will be wemembered."

Yes. It certainly would be.

"I'll do it cause I'm bored and can use the Lulz." Calvin said as he stood. "We'll leave it at you owe me one. I get one favor I can call in whenever I feel like it. No contract or anything, don't really care enough for that sort of thing."

He clapped once more.

"Well then I will take my leave, I have some associates to discuss this matter with. Good day to you both."

It was not often that Vidious considered others genuinely stronger than himself. Truth be told he was quite confident that if this Leviathan wished, they could probably sweep him and his Assassin Society aside just by sheer brute force. For a moment he took the chance to relax and enjoy the knowledge that brute strength could still win with significant enough numbers. It made the game more fun.

For now his hands stretched out feeling for the dead spirits of all those around him. Oh yes, there was restless souls here. At once he clenched his fist and they all started screaming. Their sound was in unison, but only heard by those who were sensitive to such things. Necromancers, seers and similar people would be utterly suffering. And they all cried one name.

Leviathan.

Deep in the pits of Hell, a monstrous form turned to regard the world above, a smile slowly coming to his face.

It began slowly, a malign presence that rose from the earth. All at once the screams went silent, their sources simply snapped from existence into the maw of this being. Mists stirred, the sense of wrongness in the air becoming one of poison, a corruption ancient in years. Sin became an almost tangible thing, a pressure in the atmosphere that was enormous.

Leviathan manifested his incorporeal form slowly, the dark, etherial energies glowing with black fires. In this form of being, the demon prince withheld the full horror of his appearance, settling for a grand avatar, looming over the assassin like the unholy tyrant he was. Gauntlets of living metal, powerful limbs shifting as he tilted his fiery gaze down to behold this creature who dared to call the Lord of Envy to the mortal plane.

His voice was as thunder, rumbling in the soil and stone, felt as much as heard. "You call, and receive answer. Speak, assassin."

"Great and powerful Leviathan," he began, much like an ordinary worshiper would, but such an act would soon fall away. "I have been tasked to lay waste to your armies so that you yourself might be killed without challenge by many higher beings. However, I have a better idea in mind, if you would humbly hear it."

"But first I must ask of you a question. Do you wish to lay waste to this realm of Terra and this City of Wing?"

"I have no personal desire to destroy your city, assassin. The pits of Wrath are ever full with the toll I harvest from its streets, and my own hungers are sated from the constant envy that so sparks the violence. Such an endeavor would be merely a treat to the legion, the damned and the demonic."

The Greater Demon lifted a claw, leveling a finger directly for Vidious. There was something to the gesture that spoke louder than actions, as if Envy was staring through and into the man, even through the ghostly presence he now appeared in. "However, I might consider...a trade."

"I was lead to believe the contrary, or at least that you wished to bring the Biblical end of days. But please, enlighten me on your actual plan so I might adjust accordingly. After all, I was about to offer you the city on a platter, at war with itself."

Leviathan regarded Vidious for a long moment. This was a man to his liking, one with his own machinations, his own dark desires. Ever so slowly, lips peeled back from fangs in a smile.

"My own desires seem counterpoint to the nature of us demons, yet the new have forgotten the balance of old. I would see none other than Heaven renewed, so that once more Hell settled. Those who lay claim to the title of Greater have no right to stride the mortal plane as if it were the fiery pits."

"Though I suspect the answer, the trade I offer is this. The name of the one who approached you, and you shall have your attack." The demon prince waited for the assassin's reply.

"On request to a specific time? I believe they go by the name Sirad, though they also claimed the names Lilith and Lucifer, current master sat upon the throne of hell. In return for stopping your army, which I believe I have done by simply requesting you hold off your attack which does not exist until a later date, they will bring me back to life should I ever fall into the hands of hell whilst they have the throne."

He raised his hands in a mere shrug.

"I would love you to attack later in the year. I will give you word of when."

"It is agreed, then." Leviathan's words were clipped, as his form writhed with the storm surge of utter fury that rose within him. Such was his anger that the very earth at his wraith's feet began to steam, boiling away.

"This meeting has been most enlightening, and rewarding. You will have your attack, assassin. As for Sirad..."

The smile he bore had changed, malevolence and the promise of pain as easy to see as the blasphemous tattoos that wreathed his body. "Her offer will still stand, long after her essence has been scattered across the abyss. Thank you...Vidious."

"You are welcome, Leviathan." Right. Now to prepare for retaliation. And with that he turned and left, leaving the wraith to dismiss itself. He tugged his hood up over his head and wandered away with a smile.

The mining operation was underway, much to Vidious satisfaction. Temporary HQ's were being set up as well as living arrangements for those who wished to stay on site and the machinery was all arriving, as expected. Time to report, really, and to discuss a slight change in plans.

He already had requested contact with the Derith and now waited in his cushy air-conditioned office waiting for a phone call or representative to arrive.

The foreman of the project, well at least according to the Derith, was Mank'Tikal Dyan. He was a 7'9'', 500 pound member of his race. Not the most intimidating shark either. He went up to Vidious' office. He knocked twice and then entered.

"You wanted a representative, here I am," said Foreman Dyan.

"Ah, Foreman," Vidious said, truning on his plastic chair to face the man. "A pleasure to see you. I have decided we're going to need more drilling machines. Preferably of the vehicle type." This was obviously odd. The uranium mine was deep underground and it would be ludicrous to make some way to lower a truck down.

"About three or four, really. The excess expenses can be paid easily."

"That's fine, we'll have some brought down," said the Foreman, "We've been told to do whatever you ask, but only if you ask personally. I do have one question, aren't Mechs more suited to the job?" The foreman felt like he was asking a stupid question.

Vidious blinked, then suddenly smiled and broke into light, polite laughter. "Oh, ah, yes they would, but I feel its easier and cheaper to employ people with truck licenses."

After stating how easily the expenses could be handled, well... One would think Vidious was just downright suspicious!

"Well, okay," said the Foreman, "That is just fine with me. I wish to inform you that the security team has arrived. Construction is going swimmingly." The Foreman was unsure of what to say next.

"Excellent," he said with a clap of his hands. "Then I am no longer needed here. You can have my office if you like. There's no computer though, half the reason I need to leave."

He stood and offered a polite nod, then went for the door. "Good day."

Darien Blackdagger recoiled at the vandalization of the statue. "Huh. At least those Vankoryth people have a sense of humor," Darien commented at the decapitated form of Edward Cullen teabagging himself while being impaled on the sword of the statue.

Vidious raised an eyebrow to Darien. "You call this humour? Where's the punchline. Not a single word of 'The Aristocrats' anywhere," he muttered disappointedly. "Really, someone needs to clean this up. Ah... Have you brought a weapon?"

"Not that I wish to intimidate the man we are to meet, but I dare say some morals tend to clash with my ideals."

Darien Blackdagger nodded and drew his signature silver and cold iron rapier, the Point of No Return, designed to pierce the hides of creatures of fundamental evil, before quickly sliding it back into the scabbard. "I brought my chain shirt, too. It ain't much, but it protects the important stuff. Ever since those monatuks jumped me in the street, I've never gone out without my murderin' tools."

Dr John Barnes, MD walked over to the two men dressed in his usual tailored black suit, that clung to him attentively, and a black suitcase at his side containing various notes and tools that come in handy in odd situations, and he had to admit this was an odd situation.

'good morning gentleman' he said friendily as if they were old aquantiences. The truth of the matter is he had never met them before in his life.

Vidious offered a slight tilt of his head. He was a figure of suspicion on his own, dressed in a black synthetic silk robe which didn't cover his arms. "Hello Doctor... Ah, Barnes, was it? I am Vidious Renati and this is my associate Darien Blackdagger. Please, feel welcome to take a seat."

Vidious himself took up one of the chairs, careful only to touch the metal. It wouldn't be surprising if his reputation preceeded him, though only those who investigated knew he was the leader of the Assassin Society.

Dr John Barnes, MD didnt hesitate at the offer, he was getting old, graciously, as he like to put it.

'Yes, but feel free to call me john, Mr...?' he asked suddenly stricken he was unaware of the mans name, or why he was here. But buisness was buisness.

'So how may i be of assistance?' he asked fruitfully.

"Thank you, Vidious, but I'd prefer to stay standing," Darien deferred with his hand on the hilt, ready to draw at a moment's notice if this meeting was some kind of setup.

Vidious nodded. "Well, truth be told, I've come to hire you. See I am a man with lots and lots and lots of money. Specifically I wish you to modify a drug for me." He reached into a concealed pocket and withdrew a glass vial of the chemical, which glowed faintly with green pulses. "This is known as Z. I want to modify this drug to a different purpose to its current euphoria enducing one."

Upon seeing the hilt of a sword in the man named Dariensbelt, he became alot more aware of his surroundings and a whole lot more cautious when the small vial was pulled out of Vidious's pocket.

'Might i ask what instead you intend the drug to do? If your looking for a pain reliever or a combatant drug to use against viruses or bacteria, there are many useful drugs on the market that do just that.' the doctor said nievely, in full belief that the mans intentions were minor.

"I suppose you could say my intents are twofold. The first thing I wish is for the drug be subtle. I don't want people realizing they are addicted until its too late. Secondly, I wish the drug to be particularly... Strong in withdrawal. To the point at which a user attempting to quit becomes violent and aggressive to those around them."

Darien Blackdagger shifted his stance and his eyes darted about, as if he was anxious. The corners of his mouth tugged downwards, hinting at his displeasure at Vidious's decision to not entrust the drug to him after what happened with the magic beans.

The Doctor laughed at the mans words, that was, until he realised he wasn't joking. He no longer felt comfortable. 'Well to my knowledge, i fail to see how that would benefit anyone, and depending on what this drug is, it may not even be possible. So if we are done here, i have appointments to keep.'

Dr Barnes stood himself up and offered his hand to Vidious for a handshake.

"I don't shake," Vidious stated simply, "It tends to kill people. Doctor, if you turn around I'm going to draw my revolver and shoot you in the back, do you understand me? For any other I would simply give them the option to say no. But for this I have already told you far too much to let you live if you choose not to work for me."

"The choices I am generously giving you are a swift, painless death from a single bullet or two, depending on whether you run, how you move et cetera. Or a modification for a drug, then a pile of cash, and never seeing or hearing of me again."

The doctor stood up straight as if weighing the mans words in his mind. Was this man serious?

'Vidious, it seems you have left me in quite a situation? To what purpose shall the modified drug ensue?'

Dr Barnes was beyond anxious now but he handled himself well, it seemed what the man wanted, the man got or the ultimatum card is pulled. Vidious wasnt the type of man Dr Barnes would consider associating with.

'How can you be sure i wont release the information once i've returned to my lab to conduct the necessary tests?' he continued.

"I could chop off one of your fingers as a warning," he suggested idly, but then shrugged it off. "Oh but that would be cruel. I tell you what, for now I'll rely on the threat on your life and your teams life to keep you in line, and if you do release the information and my plan is foiled, I'll just kill you and think up a new plan."

He probably wouldn't kill the man. That would be a terrible waste of life and intelligence. He would find something more suiting.

Darien Blackdagger stepped forward. "With all due respect, Vidious, perhaps I could oversee and assist his research and development. This way, you get your results more quickly, and with me around, his nerd friends won't dare make a peep."

"What a delightful idea. Why I wish I had thought of it." What, did Darien think Vidious wanted his muscle for this meeting?

That was enough pressure for the doctor.

'Fine, you shall have your drug, but i will need to know what compounds have attributed to the drug in its current state and what attributes you want the drug to retain.' the doctor ordered with a weary tone to his voice.

"And Darien will work with you," he confirmed. "Ah, the drug currently gives the user a great euphoria and is terribly addictive. That is all that I know it. The drug will need to remain addictive with a pleasant pay off for those who indulge, but they can be weakened or modified."

"Please do keep Darien informed on the progress so he can in turn inform me."

Meep meep!
It was the sound of a minivan out the front with an assassin leaning on the wheel impatiently. He hated castles, mostly because of cold stone floors. Yeuch.

What was worse is he had a pair of not-cadavars in the back. This whole deal was dodgy. Hiding bodies? Killing people? He could live with that. But transporting human beings for slaughter like cattle? Something about that just made him...

Gigglesnort.

Casren burst through the doors of the Castle, having had heard the meep meep! from where he was milling about in the towers. The heads they had spiked below had been arranged in the shape of a dragon, and the old vampire was admiring his handiwork.

But the meep meep, that brought back memories. No sooner had he stepped down the stairs than he noticed his ally behind the wheel. He nearly jumped with joy, but contained the excitement into a spastic wave. After hopping from foot to foot for a moment, Casren motioned for the van to come forward, then ran to lock the gates behind them.

Dr Barnes snatched the vial from Vidieous's grasp and whilst pushing the door open gave Darius a distasteful glare.

Okay this was just a god damn set up. He was driving into a vampire infested castle as the 'delivery boy' of their food. He instinctively reached for his grenade launcher and sat it in his lap as he drove in. If they came for him he was going to give them a mess. "Only two today," he shouted through a tiny gap in the window, "So bleed em dry and make it count." He promptly wound the window back up and glared at Casren suspiciously as he drove in.

"Only? Two meals isn't bad at all! "

Casren followed the van in after the gate was securely locked. He could practically smell this mans fear. It was delicious. Still, the old vampire did his best to hide his growing hunger.

Casren was careful to keep his vampire guards well hidden, signaling them to defend if necessary from behind the van. There were only about four or five of them posted here, but still.

Norrington clambered out the door with his grenade launcher, or rather lobber, flung over his shoulder as he walked with ahis suspicious glare still aimed at Casren for the back. He tugged the door open to reveal the two unconscious bodies, eyes closed, one with their mouth open. "They should be out for another ten, twenty minutes. But I've got a job to do."

"I need to know where you dump the bodies so we can confirm the kills for our employers."

"A member of the Detente needs the flesh for sustenance," Casren said quite plainly, eyeballing the strange weapon. He had never fancied war.

"I'll grab one, you grab the other?" Casren motioned for a body, "We have a dungeon, but the tower might suit their end better."

"Yeah not my job. Look, can you kill them so I can like, take a snap shot? Actually, even better, take a picture of them for me when they are actually dead. Eyes open. And then I don't need to see where you dump the bodies."

"But for the love of god if you don't get us pictures my boss is going to have my ass and then this arrangement is probably going to end. I'll even buy you a friggin' camera."

"As you wish. Shield your eyes, if you don't like blood."

With a pleasurable sigh, Casren descended upon the first body and began to drink. He took the blood from jugular, jaws anchored over practically the whole throat. It was delicious, empowering. The blood gave him strength, and soon the body was a corpse. He didn't inject it with venom, but instead left the body with just enough blood and plasma to remain hydrated for a few hours. The whole ordeal sounded quite disgusting.

"Alrigh'," He said with a pant, not bothering to wipe blood from his mouth, "Tak'r pic're," Was all he managed to rasp out before greedily swooping to feed on the second body.

Norrington went to the front of the care and reached for the camera, then wandered back and took a snap shot. "Y'know... Fucking terrible. That you would even suggest I don't like blood. I'm an assassin. Not all hits can be chokes and poisons, y'know."

"I was being courteous," He replied with a wry smile, blood sticky on his face and kneck.

"This one's done. Guess this makes me an assassin too, eh?" He snorted, poking the eyes of the corpse open. Casren didn't stand, but instead lounged in the dead grass of the lawn besides the van. That feeding felt great.

"Yeah sure, whatever you like," Norrington answered with a shrug. He was probably the single man who could make anyone look courteous and polite in comparison. "Hey so what's with the castle? You guys like to just, y'know... Hang upside from from the ceilings, pose as gargoyles and shit? Oh, its the secret passageways, isn't it? No I can respect that."

At this, Casren had to grin.

"The castle, yes. There are legends behind it, so many that they tend to contradict each other. I was gifted it by an old friend, who had acquired the deed through inheritance. The castle, however, was only an asset. It wasn't a family heirloom, and so the plot thickens."

He looked up to the towers, the gargoyles, and felt a swell of pride.

"The Detente is, after all, named after this here castle. It's the foundation, literally. Besides, "The Bistreo Brotherhood" sounds so...Blase. No, this castle is a beauty, a prestigious home for the Detente. And yes," He turned to look at the assassin, "The secret passageways are quite fun."

"I bet. Just thinking about all the different ways I can sneak up and murder someone gives me a hard on. I'd love to tear this castle apart stone by stone and rig it up as a fully fledged fucking battlestation cross trap. Motion detectors in the wall hooked up to micro explosions and stone-fall traps."

"Fucking hot."

"Indeed," The assassin had caught Casren's interest with all the words he didn't understand.

"Motion detectors you say? Could you have, eh, weapons that fire when someone walks by? As for micro explosions, I'd hate to ruin the interior or exterior. It's practically a landmark, the thing is so old. Still, despite being here, it's survived and..."

Casren thought back to how it had been found. Mostly neat, with vines growing up the exteriors, sealed like a grave.

"Could probably survive one or two, given the case. Stone fall traps, and how about pits of death?" It had been years since he had seen one of those put to good use.

"Oh fuck I ain't doing it for you. Install your own shit." He stared up at the castle for a moment, then stated, "I want to have sex with this building. Anyways, I don't got all day."

"Not even for a shit ton of money?" He said sideways to the assassin, still staring at the building.

"You can go ahead, just please, do take care of the mess," With that, Casren dragged the bodies from the van and flopped them on the front stoop.

Norrington shook his head. "Ain't enough money in the world to make me me-proof a place. Heck, just make sure if you ever want to kill me not to actually physically enter any of my safehouses. I tend to wire the walls with explosives."

Into the front of the van he started to reverse up to the closed gate, then slammed his hand down on the horn trying to give Casren a jump.

Casren did jump, breaking the lock on accident as he jerked it too hard.

"Very funny," He called over his shoulder, swinging the gate open and trying to hide his smile.

Norrington gave an effeminate wave as he reversed out, then drove off.

Casren Bistreo locked the gate behind the van, and let loose his laughter.

Phinx walked through the plaza outside of The Palace, usual purple suit on with the addition of a black overcoat. Phinx was from southern California, she hated the cold that came with winter in other places.

Stryfe was out of town so Phinx was left to handle all of the meetings, her brown eyes watching the front gate for anyone who looked important.

Mostly she was looking for the people who looked like they made a lot of money. Expensive suits, nice cars, bleached teeth and bodyguards.

Vidious marched up to the entrance of the Palace with only a loan Sleeveless guard marching behind him. He was peculiarly dressed, in black synthetic silk robes which did nothing to hide his arms. The Sleeveless, however, was in cloth and had a balaclava. "Hail," he idly called out. "Is there anyone home."

A cool grin crossed his features, showing off his pearly whites.

"Business or pleasure?" The lone guard, who sat in a booth at the front entrance, asked the man, "Don't actually answer that, it's a joke. State your business." The guard said, Phinx making her way towards the booth to get a look at who had arrived.

She hadn't actually seen Vidious before, that she could be remember, so when she stepped into the booth he was just another face she didn't recognize.

"Mary Munroe, leader of the Invictus along with my darling Fatin." She said, introducing herself. The woman would pat the guard on his back, allowing him to tend to any stupid questions those driving in may have had.

"How can I help you?" Phinx asked Vidious.

"I'm here for a trade, and possibly to employ you. I have much resources at my hand, including the rare and valuable mineral of uranium, for bullets, armour or for weaponizing. What I want in return is perhaps a peculiarity."

He straightened up and tried to seem as casual as possible.

"I doubt we'll need uranium unless we get an idea for world domination out of a James Bond novel or a comic book." Phinx said to the man, "Come on through the gate. Let's walk and talk about what you want to hire us for."

Phinx moved to step out of the booth, waiting for Vidious. "I want to see just how peculiar your request can be on such a planet."

"Uranium makes for good bullets too," he calmly said with a nod, "U...283? Shells. But enough of that. I need two things. Firstly, I was wondering if you have ever in your time stolen Aschen equipment and uniforms. I may need them. I have money to pay and I can return them to you once I'm done."

"Additionally I need someone to rough up some drug dealers for me, and to tell them that I now own all drug operations in Wing City." He held a dead serious look on his face.

Phinx let out a laugh, "You're not serious, are you?" She asked. "We're a better class of hired gun, I'm not sure about roughing up your drug rivals." Phinx said, wanting to mention the fact that her syndicate made a reasonable about of money selling drugs in Wing City, amongst other places, as well.

"As for the uniforms we have at least ten from a past... disagreement with the Aschen, they've been repaired just in case we'd need to use them." She told Vidious, "Never know when they'll decide to show up again and need to suffer a few setbacks back home."

"Do you have any from the TNG?" he asked, rather suddenly. "Just in case. One can never have enough armaments. And if it is such a small task to take over drug cartels you shouldn't need many of you to do it, hm?"

Whether it was known to him or not that they also owned drugs was impossible to tell, but his next statement indicated not. "Specifically, there is one group.

They produce the potent drug known as 'Z'. I wish to take that drug and make it my own."

"None, ever since they've stopped being close minded assholes they've backed off. No use for any. For now." Phinx told the man, "For... a price, I can probably get you a few. I have my ways." Mostly theft and lies.

"The Invictus isn't much into dealing with criminals and engaging in criminal acts, but... I run my own thing on the side." Phinx informed Vidious, "If your money is good or your checks don't bounce I'll handle these dealers for you. Discreetly and without getting my more uptight co-workers worked up."

"I can pay discreetly in cash. Should this deal go through a 'Andre Dovachi' will make an order for three empty metal briefcases. They will arrive with cash."

"Assuming we agree. And... Do consider the uranium. It's denser than lead, making it a good way to pierce flesh. I would use it myself but ah... My business tends to avoid automatic weaponry where it is best suited."

"We've already got something that works. It's not lead. How legal it is to use? I guess it depends on which pansies are in charge of war time 'rules' and shit." Phinx said.

"Point me in the right direction and I'll handle this job for you, I'll have the uniforms ready for your guy when he arrives to bring my cash."

Phinx was confident in her and her peoples' ability to do this job. With good reason, she put money into training them with the Invictus out of her own pocket and they didn't really believe in fighting fair.

Great. Now he had to find some other potential buyer for the uranium. It all had to ship, after all. "Well, I'm glad we came to this arrangement. Happy hunting," he offered along with a slight bow, before turning and pointing with both he and his lone guard exiting.

And now it was time for the first of his plans to turn against those involved. Vidious leant on the wall nearest the entrance to his beloved Society, perhaps the only family he could consider having.

The business, that was. None of the people. He had mostly contempt for the people.

Darien Blackdagger dropped down from the second floor in some street clothes that made him look like a member of the Gadget hoverbike gang. "I like to switch up my style. Throws people off." He ditched the fake bling and whipped out his usual fedora from somewhere. "What's up, Boss?"

"Well, I do like to be cautious when dealing with potential threats," he stated simply. "And that mans warnings were, well, taken with a grain of salt. When he has produced a sample of the Z with our modifications I have one simple request. Destroy every piece of information they have in the building about the drug. Burn down all their work. Bring the sample to our labs. And then we can produce it on our own and if he goes to the police or anyone of that kind, they will have no evidence of our efforts."

"Leave the man alive though. He will still be paid for his efforts, in an attempt to placate him from seeking vengeance."

"Standard procedure, Vidious. You wouldn't have called me here just to tell me that." His eyebrow quirked. Something was going on here. Something huge. Not as big as Lucifer's return, but still huge.

"I suppose you've got more for me than just someone to help me with wiping the computer backups."

"Yes, actually. I was wondering if you could acquire me a few maps of the city. Firstly the streets, then the sewers, then any maintenance tunnels which may exist, and if you could attach a rough estimate of how much explosives would be needed for any of the larger sections it would be greatly appreciated."

"Darien, at the end of this, I will give you a holiday home. And I would recommend going to that holiday home when you are given it. At least for a week. I like you Darien. I'd rather see you alive."

Darien Blackdagger grinned. "Well, I like being alive, too. Street map, sewer map, underground, and explosives estimates for the big stuff, followed by a well-earned vacation. Got it."

He took a deep breath and let it out. "You do realize that there's a number of underground bomb shelters in various parts of the city, plus I think I saw a passage in the basement of Gambit's once. Never got to see what was beyond it. Get a bunch of expendables on it, chances are one's gonna get out through sheer luck."

"Oh, don't worry about underground bomb shells. Are you aware of my mining operation run by the Derith? Recently I ordered a handful of drilling trucks. And soon they will inexplicably be stolen by Norrington, who I suspect is attempting to betray me."

"Oh." Then the gravity of the situation hit him. "Oh..."

He put his hands in his pockets and took up a slow, deliberate pace out of the meeting room. Norrington was going to get thrown under the bus thanks to a cave-in, and soon the entire city was going to fall into a giant sinkhole.

Focus on the mission, Darien, he told himself. If Vidious was reading his mind, it would come off as an ear-splitting shout.

Vidious raised an eyebrow. "Oh don't worry Darien. In all my plans I count you as an invaluable individual. As I do all things I'd rather not see go to waste. Ah... But I guess its time to ask you and your chemists to begin production of many plastic explosives. If you can. Whatever you need will be delivered, naturally."

"And I am working on the weapon issue," he reassured.

A crate of Aschen uniforms and a crate of Aschen weapons sat in the center of the cove, Norrington dressed in full assassin gear seated on top calmly with eyes closed and ears twitching.

Not that he thought having his eyes closed was a good idea. He just didn't get much sleep last night.

There were three this time; each clad in gasmasks, hooded sweaters, gloved hands. Not an inch of skin showing, shadows in mid-day. As one, they slunk towards the cove, silently stepping into it, each with chains dangling from their hands. The leader - a big, brawny man - walked forwards, standing in front of Norrington.

"The Vox were directed towards this cove; we have been told that you have a shipment for us." The voice was deep, bassy.

Norrington jerked awake, eyes opening and looking around for a moment. "Woah, shit... Uh..." He rubbed at his forehead. "Okay cool. This is a bunch of stuff on loan. Hey, are you guys actually with the Vox or are you just random henchmen hired by them?"

"I mean, either way is cool, I totally respect the hands off approach. Just got a couple of questions is all." He rolled backwards off the crate. "Want to inspect what's inside?"

The man made no answer, instead moving towards the crates, waving the other two men forwards. Immediately, they both produced crowbars, wedging them into the crates and prying off the lids. The leader of the three went to each of the two, sifting through contents and weaponry with a satisfied nod.

"These are current? How many of us can these equip?"

"Uhm," he shrugged, "I wasn't filled in on that to be honest. Just the delivery boy today. But actually, under the table and so unofficial that even my boss doesn't know about it, do you guys have a single leader?"

"I might have something a hundred times better then some Aschen uniforms. But I can't share it with the grunts. Has to be the leader only."

The leader of the three stared at the white eared man, the eyes through the tinted mask roving over his face.

"We are all The Vox," he said, simply. "Information to one of us is shared by all of us. If you have something better than these uniforms, speak."

The two men on either side of the leader placed the lids back upon the crates, quickly moving to seal them shut with some form of handheld device that emitted a clear liquid. When finished, they began hauling the crates backwards.

Norrington waggled his finger. "No dice."

"So yeah, Vidious had someone he wanted you to hit. Or rather a suggestion. I know you guys work on your own. Ever heard of the Derith? The average one of them is like, three hundred pounds and seven foot tall. Or that might be the small ones. They're sharkmen, and aliens at that."

The leader simply nodded as the other two disappeared around the bend.

"What, you're going to tell me you're the leader of the entire operation of your crew? Look man, I'm flattered you would think I'd be that easily duped and won over, but I'm really just talking about shit on a whole level above your petty 'free Terra' bullshit. Sure, we'll loan you some guns and gear, which we expect back so we can redirect the blame away from you and onto the Invictus, but when push comes to shove..."

"We're the Assassin Society. We work on a different scale to you."

The Vox member tilted his head. "I haven't made any mention of being the leader of us. As I've said, what you say to one of us is heard by all."

Suddenly, around the corner, the two other members popped their head out, mimicking the cat man.

"We're the Assassin Society. We work on a different scale to you."

The leader of the small band gestured to the crates. "The deal was blame upon the Aschen, not upon the Invictus. There are Terrans among them."

"Right right. And when the Aschen say 'those uniforms aren't ours, we want to track down who did this', you want them gunning for the Vox who could be any of the Terran population and not the Invictus."

"But hey, your call. I'm just the delivery boy."

The Vox simply nodded.

"We are not afraid of the Aschen. Any move they make upon us furthers our goals. We would prefer if our name is the one accredited to these acts."

He turned from the man, walking from the cove when his associates had finished loading the boat they had arrived on. "Perhaps your society and us do not work on different scales, after all."

"Yeah... Well, if the Aschen come baring down on you with great force I tell you what we can do, we can give you guns and bombs. Because too be honest, war makes a good profit for assassin's. So, best of luck with all that crap. I gotta go rob my boss of some trucks. Peace out."

Dr John Barnes, MD searched his white lab coat for his glasses before, reducing the magnification on the electron Microscope down. Dr Barnes, was extremely precise and could be described as obsessive when it came to the methods of his work. So far he had figured that the drug supplied already contained a high amount of a substance that had seemed to be created through the properties of heroine and adrenaline., which would cause the patient to overthink, sweat, and generally become hyperactive much more than usual. He began by spotting out some of the drug onto a tile and introduced inhibitors of varying amounts into the drug.

he had thought more than once about leaving behind a trail for one of his researchers to follow and this may be a good place to start. But alas he was being watched.

Darien Blackdagger was busy doing his own research, doing things the old fashioned way of seeing the effects of various mixes and dosages on test mice. "Doctor Barnes, I think I've got it. Look at the black Norway in cage 17. It's displaying behavior commensurate with the desired properties of our concoction. Notes are on the terminal to the right," he waved.

Computer files were easier and less messy to eliminate than a paper trail, after all.

Dr John Barnes, MD stepped over to the cage, and he sighed upon taking the notes.' Yes darien it seems this experiment has been a sucess he plotted the cage number into the computer and found the drugs it contained. 'This always was the most probable solution, yes, however im yet to be certain on how it was the drug glowed green' He said uncertainly. Surely that had to be a definitive attribute? Nonetheless he stepped over to the test fridge and pulled out the flask number 17,'hold the mouse for me,' Dr Barnes coninued as he pulled out a clean sringe for a blood sample. 'Once we centrifuge the blood ,your man Videous has his drug,'

Darien Blackdagger shook his head. "Hell no. Part of the drug's method of operation could be its decomposition into other ingredients that cause the desired reaction. It's what goes in that matters here, though I can see why a man of science such as yourself would be interested in the products. To be frank, I'm quite curious myself as to exactly how this works." He pulled on a pair of clean gloves and extracted the lab rat for the taking of a blood sample.

"Run it through mass spectroscopy, see what's in this stuff. And hurry up with the needle, I'm not sure how long I can hold this guy."

With half a mind to stab the needle into Darien and make a run for it john decided against it and he slipped the needle into a small vein in the mouses upper leg. 'Okay mass spectroscopy will seperate the individual elements that make up the blood, whereas a centrifuge will just sperate the different masses within the blood. i would estimate Iron would be found at the bottom followed by haemoglobin, then the extract we need to formulate the drug and then finally the plasmae. So i would hope you would agree that the Centrifuge is the better option.' he explained hoping to teach as well as direct Damien. He then emptied the syringe into a test tube and turned to damien.

"Yeah, a centrifuge would be more useful for getting the stuff out of solution. MS plus a computer database would get us quicker results as to what exactly this stuff is made of, though we know what went into it. Split the sample, one half goes in the 'fuge, the other into the spectrometer." Here Darien allowed a bit of his arrogance to show through.

"You pop your half in the centrifuge, then get back to the microscope. Seems like something you'd be capable of."

After giving the man a glare, Dr Barnes pushed his test tube into the centrifuge, and allowed the contents to spin for around 45 seconds. Upon removing the test tube he took out a pippette and was careful to only syphon off the secondary level of the concoction. Pulling a piece of glass from a drawer he then presented a home mae slide to his rather expensive looking microscope. 'how extraordinary, th two chemicals arent react, so as long as we keep the drug cool until its time for it to fulfill its purpose, the drug should not deteriorate over any time. The human body would then act as a catalyst inducing heat and sparking off the reaction. what do your results show?

Darien Blackdagger dismissed the good doctor's discovery with a hand wave. Mass spectroscopy, while enabling the discovery of a substance's elemental composition and thus its empirical formula, and from there the molecular formula, from which the structural formula could be derived with some additional information, was a vital tool in any serious chemist's arsenal. "Patience, my friend. I feel safe in saying we've got it, so why don't you wipe the files on the terminal next to the cages?" In this way Darien would get Dr. Barnes to destroy the evidence for him through judicious use of his powers of suggestion.

He just called it "doublespeak."

Meep meep!

Delivery fan was here. Norrington had to resist the urge to bop the horn again to hear the hilarious tone of the van. Cats. You couldn't rely on them. Not that you could see he was a cat when he wore his entire ninja getup.

The vehicle had three bodies in the back. This would be a little awkward for the weak of heart.

Dr Barnes, feeling suddenly uncomfortable, went to an umbrella bin in the corner of the room and pulled out his metal cane. he mainly used it when his back played up after a small trapped nerve caused him ome trouble a while back. He began thrashing at the vrious equipment, seemingly oblivious to the monetary and ethical cost this may have on some unknown population. Glass shattered, metal bent, expensive equiptment was thrown into disrepair and Dr Barnes wasn't exactly sure why? He suddenly became aware of the mess and looked at his cane in horror. 'what have i done?'

Joy!

Casren all but exploded out the front door, waving the van onward with a grin on his face. He wondered if any more Blood would show, he couldn't drink this all himself.

"Hey there," Norrington called out as he drove past through the crack in the window he had let open. "Good news! Lot's of it. For a start, I've got family deal. Then I've got a camera so I don't need to hang around and wait for you to kill the bodies. You can just get me the snap shots when you're done."

By family deal, he meant it. A man, a woman and their son.

Darien Blackdagger smiled. Not what he had in mind, but this was pretty good too. "Geez, one more inch and the lab rats would have gotten out. What the FUCK were you thinking, man. Just...check yourself into the mental ward or something, I'll take the sample and do the write-up on my own time." Really just a fancy way of saying that they split up, but given the notorious response times of the police department around here, he'd probably be in his vacation home by the time they got to the scene.

Now for phase two of the plan.

"Family deal," Casren said with a quirk.

He hoped...Ah dear. Well, anyways. As for the camera, he hadn't gotten his hands on one in ages. His face brightened a bit.

"Does the manual come with it?" He moved to peer into the van, trying to see it's contents.

"Yeah sure, still in the box and here's a bunch of batteries." He opened the door then placed them on the ground. He didn't like handing things to and from people. "So yeah, enjoy the family and everything. Oh but one big thing Vidious wanted to know. Do you guys eat any bipods?"

Casren swooped for the camera box, marveling over it's pictures. He would frame it, the box. The camera Daemala could have, after he studied it.

"Eat bipods?" Casren wasn't sure what he meant. "Do we eat things with two legs?" For a moment, he thought.

"Yeah. Like... Anything vaguely humanoid," he said as he opened up the back doors and started dragging the man out. His head lolled left and right and he began drooling, but he was definitely completely unconscious.

"Humanoid? I don't eat anything humanoid, and I'm not sure I know of any other vampyres that do," Casren raised a skeptical brow, "If Vidious wishes to know the method of which we dispose of the bodies, he is more than welcome to ask outright."

He smiled, revealing his fangs fully, and eyeballing the man on the ground. He would have to be drained, and soon.

"No, we are not cannibals, and I would hardly take offense in the natural order of the food chain. Large beasts do, as I recall, prey on flesh."

Large beasts was said with a tone of endearment.

"N...No you're not getting me. I mean, you feed off them, so that's eating, like a mosquito eats humans, but we're not getting into that shit right now. I mean if I brought you bodies of like, fucking Sharkmen, would you be able to use them? Sometimes our hits aren't humans and elves. It'd just make my life a lot easier."

He rubbed his head. "I don't care ho- actually how do you dispose of the bodies?"

"I'm sure whatever you bring us, so long as it bleeds, so long as it is flesh, it can be properly disposed of. Shark men? I've never tasted one of those. Would have to do some research, I suppose a squid man could be poisonous..."

Casren sighed, then looked to Norrington. "What do you know of Dragons?"

"Yeah I know of dragons. I think I get where you're going with it. And okay, your next meal will probably be sharkmen. Just cause, y'know, missions. Just make sure you take the god damn photos or I'm the one who's ass gets fried." With all three bodies dragged out away from the van, he climbed back into the front seat of the van. "Until next time," he saluted.

Casren Bistreo looked down at the youngest body, deeming it old enough to consume. He then waved at Norrington, tucking the camera under his arm.

It was night when Vidious marched up into the site of construction and digging with a lone individual for security backing him up. Norrington, like always, was dressed in clothing so obscuring you couldn't even see his skin. Just two eyes staring from the mask, and even for those he tended to wear contacts.

The two headed for the security station for a surprise inspection. After all, Vidious was the boss. Or at least the man with the money. In a twisted sense of irony and safety regulations both had hard hats and high-vis work vests on over their clothing.

The change of shift. It was always a hectic time. Jark Kill'Liok was a mech pilot for the security team. The pilot from the previous shift. "She's all yours Kill'Liok. Don't scratch her, she's my favorite," said the previous pilot. "I'll keep the mech safe."

Jark got into the mech and fired it up. It was a Tiger class mech. It looke like a Derith, but about 4 feet taller, and with guns on its arms. Jark walked forward a few feet before he detected movement. "Hello? he called."

Vidious raised his hand to wave. "Hello there. Surprise security inspection. Could you come down so we could talk?" he asked.

Norrington quietly took out some form of tube and started turning a dial on its side while scouting around for how many other sharkmen were nearby.

"I'm afraid I'm not permitted to leave the mech until my shift ends at 0500 hours," said Jark. Just then a few members of the security team on foot came up. They lowered weapons when they saw Vidious.

"How can we help you sir?" asked one of the team, "The mech station is open for inspection if you want to inspect something..."

"Ah, no, its quite alright, begin your rounds," Vidious said with a gesture of his hand, "Surprise security inspection," he added to the group that had just arrived, "I take it you came from a barracks or resting room of some sort. Could you show me to it?"

Jark made his mech give a salute and he went out on his patrol.

The member of the team that spoke was Gin Don, which was a relatively bland name for a Derith. "We have a Barracks about 600 yards south from the Mech station, I'll take you there. Come with me." The Derith began walking towards the barracks.

"Man you guys are huge," said Norrington, who was only five and a half feet tall himself. "You gotta be like, what, 300 pounds?" he asked, still turning the dial on the tube.

"Norrington please. You're meant to be keeping an eye out for security flaws. Do you keep a regular stock of men and armaments available at the barracks?" Vidious asked, eyes keeping forward as he followed the Derith.

"I weigh 564 pounds, and I stand 7'5''," Said Gin with a hint of pride in his voice. "There is an armory in the barracks, but that one only contains pistols and sub machine guns. It is locked unless an emergency arises and we need to mobilize all of our forces. The big guns are at the mech station. As for men we have three shifts worth of men there currently, well as long as everyone from the previous shift has returned."

"Five... hundred..." Norrington said as he turned the dial, "And sixty four. Right." Thwip. A loaded dart fired from the tube for the Sharkman's back, aiming for exposed flesh around the neck area.

Vidious stopped and turned on the spot to stare at the assassin. "Norrington, what are you doing?"

"What in Deri's name...?" asked Gin as he retrieved the dart from his neck. He turned around and stared at Norrington. He crushed the dart. He took a step toward his assailant, "You have made a bad move traitor." He took another step and shot his massive hand toward Norrington's neck. They had one pissed off Shark Man on their hands.

"Idiotsaywhat," Norrington answered as he raised both hands up to meet the arm, which he couldn't possibly hope to overpower. He was tiny in comparison. But from the palms of his hands came a small spray of a paralytic poison. When seeping into the skin it would numb the muscles within seconds, and within minutes anything beyond the affected point would not be able to tense.

In this case, his wrist and hand would lose all feeling.

"Yes, I too would like to know what your game is," Vidious stated, a hand reaching for his robes to draw a concealed pistol, then taking the safety off.

Suddenly Gin dropped his hand. "You... You... You..." Gin couldn't seem to find the words he was looking for. He bore his teeth. He was beginning to rage. An angry shark was not a good thing. Then he was tackled by something unknown and a syringe pierced his flesh near his elbow. Gin immediately went out.

His assailant stood up. A Derith cloaked in black armor with silver accents and a sythe painted on the left side of his breast plate. "You're a bold human to enrage a member of my race," said the 8'2'' figure, "I am Reaper 446, Nidak Ofargin."

Norrington looked from the body on teh ground to the sharkman in front of him. "Okay, now that? That was pretty badass. Lemme guess, my darts are, uh, a little piddly?" They were kind of small. And pneumatic force was so weak unless you had a proper canister of compressed gas.

"Hey, so you an assassin too. Because I totally have a job for you. Also, what's your opinion of your own race?" He glanced up and down the guy.

"Man, must be hard to sneak when you're that fucking tall."

Vidious stared between the two, gun still pointed for the ground, and let out a sigh. "Norrington please. If we are to continue this conversation then perhaps we should at the very least move the suspicious body or come up with a good excuse? God forbid they have any security cameras or a dozen guards could be coming right at this moment."

"I am a member of Harb. Corp.'s special forces the Reapers..." said Nidak, "I am here to keep any enraged Derith under control, that was a sedative, not a poison." Invisible due to his helmet, Nidak had a sharky grin on his face.

"You didn't plan on killing him did you?" asked Nidak

"Me? Fucknaw. Just take him to some other guys to do it for me." He opened his arms for a moment and added, "Come at me bro."

"Also I'm here to rob you of all your drilling trucks." The dart gun tilted slightly to the side and let out another sharp thwip.

And Vidious caught it right in the neck, wobbling for a moment, trying to raise his gun, then collapsing to the ground.

There was a mechanical noise behind Norrington. A chortle came from Nidak and he pointed at whatever was behind the man who had just downed Vidious. More mechanical noises.

"I am here for a surprise inspection of the surprise inspectors," said a familiar voice. It sounded like it was coming through a speaker system, the kind of speaker system on one of Harb. Corp.'s security mechs.

"He's all yours Jark," said Nidak.

"Norrington! Challenge mode activate!" And with that he raised the dart gun into the air and fired it with magnetic force for the nearest light, then dived for Nidak, hands held out to grab at the Shark's throat. Of course, he had enough sense to mentally prepare for counter attack if Nidak was fast enough to stop him mid-air.

Nidak, instead of trying to stop his attacker, took a step to the left, which would cause his attacker to go sailing past him. Nidak was a lazy fighter, why counter when you can dodge?

Jark walked forward in his mech, prepared to down Norrington with a shock round, should he get his hands on Nidak, which was unlikely.

Norrington tilted forwards and landed on his hands, looking for a moment as if he was going to do a flip before suddenly propelling up into the air for the light he had struck with the dart gun. Once again, magnetism was his tool, powerful magic manipulating the flow of positive and negative energy to send him launching upwards.

And once he hit the ceiling he would suddenly blend into the shadows. Despite everything thus far going utterly wrong, he was kind of having a lot of fun.

Nidak acted like he had lost Norrington and began to tend to the downed Vidious. He removed the dart from the man's neck and picked him up. He began to walk toward the barracks. He seemed oblivious to the fact that he had even been in a fight.

Jark walked about 15 yards to the left of Nidak, he was carrying Gin.

Norrington was now clinging by the metal of his boots to the roof, magnetized. He slowly crawled along it as quietly as he could, quite literally blended with the shadows. Right, time to get out of here and complete the part of his mission that he could. He would slowly progress through the building down towards the nearest, safest exit (the least guarded one) and poke his head outside.

Fortunately, being the employee of Vidious, he knew exactly where the digging trucks were. It was just a matter of getting them the hell out of there. Shouldn't be too hard.

Norrington practically had a field day over the next couple of hours, setting up an elaborate series of grenades hidden in small locations, each attached to a small timer. He had to shadowwalk the grenades in but what the hell, that was part of the fun.

In fact, he almost sort of regretted trying to capture the shark men. As he placed the last grenade he thought for a moment, then nodded. Some day soon he was going to pay them back some how. Maybe send them a gift basket or something.

And with that he went off for the digger trucks. As he arrived he quietly slipped into one by picking the lock and then slipping in to start hotwiring. Prepared to start the engine he waited for his queue.

A loud explosion came from distantly in the mining operation. Well, more of a 'pop' really. Smoke spewed everywhere from a smoke grenade and a HE grenade made sure to put a hole in the nearest building.

Over the next ten minutes similar grenades would be going off, scattered about to simulate some sort of poor attack. Anyone tactically minded would probably figure out after the first few that it was only a distraction, though,.

Darien Blackdagger produced the green fluid from his sleeve with a flick of the wrist. "Hey, Master Vidious, I got the junk. I even got the nerd to smash the place up after we finished up, so my hands are clean. You wanna start production, my notes are right here," he indicated, waving a notebook.

"I think I'll be taking my vacation sooner rather than later. Can't be too careful, you know."

"There's no hurry," Vidious stated calmly as he nodded at the instructions, a Sleeveless guard dressed incredibly like him, but in cloth and with a balaclava, walked over to retrieve the notes. "For a start we only just managed to acquire the first mining truck, so digging will begin shortly. I suspect we'll be ready within two or so months."

The Multiverse » Arcs » The Grand Scheme of Vidious

As written by: Patcharoo, NotAFlyingToy, DiamondJack, LawOfTheLand, lostamongtrees, Rulke, FizzGig, Architect, Lobos, Sick Puppy, Saarai

226 pieces and 13 characters involved, written by 11 different authors.

11 places involved

So begins...

The Grand Scheme of Vidious

Setting: Wing City Lake: Pier

Setting: Wing City

Setting: Assassin Society

Setting: Castle Vankoryth

Setting: Wing City Plaza

Setting: Canti's Diner

Setting: Cursed Wood

Setting: The Wastelands

Setting: Wing City Plaza

Setting: Castle Vankoryth

Setting: Wing City Plaza

Setting: Castle Vankoryth

Setting: The Palace

Setting: Assassin Society

Setting: Hidden Cove

Setting: Wing City Hospital

Setting: Castle Vankoryth

Setting: Wing City Hospital

Setting: Castle Vankoryth

Setting: Wing City Hospital

Setting: Castle Vankoryth

Setting: The Wastelands

Setting: Assassin Society