Children of The Divine (IC)

[Jay 2K Winger]

Location: Johnny's Room, The Mirage, Las Vegas

When everyone present declares their readiness, Solomon points the "brawn" (Luke and Lupo) to their positions. The two exits by the north wall-- leading out to the main lobby area and thus to the Strip-- can be covered by them. The staff corridor exits are being watched carefully by Johnny's buddy who works security at the Palazzo, Fred Dutch and another security guard he's vouched for. Solomon opts to stay out on the Strip itself to keep an eye out for trouble. Aiden, Jack, and Emmett, meanwhile, are to enter the exhibition gallery to try to warn Rodrigo Sevilla and protect the Heart.

Everyone is also equipped with the ear-piece communicators. These tuck into the ears in a way that they're not immediately noticeable, and are set to a frequency that everyone on the team can stay on. Selene works on tapping into the Palazzo's security system to keep an eye on things with their cameras.

// Timeskip - Johnny and Selene stay in the room, and Solomon goes with the group as far as the entrance to the Palazzo, where he hangs back to keep an eye on things outside.

Location: The Palazzo, Las Vegas

The other casino is quite busy by the time the team arrives, as the Blue Man Group show is letting out. It's vague, but everyone on the team can definitely sense that something is not right.

As the team approaches the exhibition hall, they're approached by two people wearing Palazzo Security uniforms, complete with ballcaps. One introduces himself to the team as "Fred Dutch. Johnny told me you'd be coming." He's truthful and leads them into the exhibition hall, where a variety of esoteric artifacts and other pieces are on display, with the Corazón del Invierno gemstone at the far wall. The other security person doesn't introduce herself-- and it is a woman-- but she is sweeping the area with her gaze, looking for threats. Her heart is racing, however, as are some of the other security personnel on site. She seems ordinary, however, with her cap pulled low.

"Ms. Ieyasu will show your friends the exit points," Dutch says. She nods and beckons for Luke and Lupo to follow her.

// Split Up Time -- Luke and Lupo go with the security guard, Ms. Ieyasu. Jack, Aiden, and Emmett stay with Fred Dutch in the hall.

Location: Exhibition Hall, The Palazzo, Las Vegas (Jack, Aiden, E.J.)

"That wall's a foot and a half thick, solid concrete and rebar behind it," Dutch explains. "Infrared trip-alarms around it, plus a number of other security measures. The Corazón is the centerpiece of Mr. Sevilla's collection, we spared no expense."

"What is going on here?!" a booming voice demands. This proves to belong to an extremely heavyset man in a tailored suit. His thinning hair is swept back from his head, and his beard and mustache trimmed into a thin goatee. He is an older man and has to lean on a walking stick as he waddles over furiously. Dutch hastily whispers to the group, "That's Mr. Sevilla. I hadn't had a chance to warn him yet..."

"Mr. Dutch!" Rodrigo Sevilla bellows. "Who are these people, and why did I hear you discussing your security systems with them? They could be thieves for all we know!" His outburst is attracting the attention of the other exhibit viewers, who are turning to look.

Location: North Hall Exit Points by Exhibition Hall, The Palazzo, Las Vegas (Luke & Lupo)

The security woman gestures. "There, and there," she says, pointing. "Those are the closest exit points from the Hall. If your supposed thieves want to get out fast, those are it. Otherwise they'd have to make it across the lobby or through the staff corridors, and those things are a maze."

She glances back over her shoulder. "I should get back," she adds. "Got a feeling something's about to happen." She moves to leave.

// Annnnd go!

[Naamah]

Location: Exhibition Hall, The Palazzo, Las Vegas

"Mister Sevilla. How could you - oh, of course." Aiden smiles, his hands open, his eyes twinkle with - something that isn't quite human. "Last time we met I was in quite a mess, don't you remember? Of course, as a amateur of the language, I was so very forgetful about how very different the colloqiualisms between the King's Spanish and those dialects of South America. My mistake, of course, but the lady found fit to drench me in her drink. A waste of good liquor, wasn't it?"

He holds out an open palm to each of his compatriots. "This is Jack Childs, and here is my good companion Emmett Jager. Both respectable men as myself - you do remember my name, don't you? Aiden Mistel? I'm sure it just slipped your tongue, no need. Please, it's so good to see you again."

He holds out his hand. Emmett might just be breaking out in hives on the load of untruths that had dripped from Aiden's mouth.

[Mytical]

Lupo fires up his inner focus, since there is no specific enemy it should not blind him to threats but increase his awareness of his surroundings. He quietly says into his communicator "Not sure about that woman who showed us this, seemed a bit to anxious to hide her face."

[Chanlin]

On first ariving Emmett takes a moment to hang back and gaze at all of the security staff and then does the same when Mr. Sevilla comes into the room. As Aiden starts spinning his tale Emmett gives him a sideways glance, but seizes upon the opportunity, "Aiden has told me something about you before. I'm pleased to be able to meet you finally." He gives a wide smile. The others would almost drop their jaws at the fact that EJ just lied, but it would occur to them that what he said is in fact the truth. Aiden did just tell them something about this man, though what was said was false.

"When Aiden here found out that someone might be trying to steal from you, well we just had to come and make sure that it didn't happen. Please don't think I'll of Mr. Dutch here. We are all here to make sure that no theft occurs."

[Scorpodael]

Jack fixes Sevilla with his very best unnerving stare- Which is, of course, very unnerving indeed. "I am certainly not a thief. Somewhat eccentric, perhaps, but not a thief." He says, before turning away, stepping out of easy earshot, toward where Luke and Lupo are stationed, outside. Then he raises his hand to his earpiece, speaking quietly to let the team know about the security guards whose heartrates aren't normal, and their positions... and that Ms Ieyasu is among them. "They're more nervous than they let on, I think- the possibility exists that they have been bribed, threatened, or blackmailed into cooperating with the... Shadowman." He decides on the nickname pretty much on the spur of the moment, from what Aiden told him about the shadowy nature of the man in his vision of the past.

[Jay 2K Winger]

Location: Exhibition Hall, The Palazzo, Las Vegas

Sevilla blinks as Aiden addresses him, looking puzzled, and then, as Aiden's story weaves, his gaze slides off into a vague recollection. "Oh, yes," the fat man mumbles. "Mistel. Yes, the American with the bad accent." Sevilla has an accent of his own, a Catalan one. He looks from Aiden to Emmett, then fidgets slightly under Jack's stare. The Spaniard's heart rate is elevated, but it's clear it's just from indignation and concern over his collection being in danger. He looks at Dutch. "Is this true?" he demands.

The security guard nods. "I got it from a good authority on these things, Mr. Sevilla. Mr. Mistel and his friends do have some experience in this kind of thing." This is sort of a lie, but Sevilla doesn't notice.

The sensation of something being "off" doesn't decrease, and it's especially clear to Emmett. Jack, before stepping out to talk with the others, might notice something else. It doesn't strike him until after he left the room, however. There were eight people in the exhibition hall, but there were at least nine heartbeats...

Location: Outside the hall, by the exits, The Palazzo, Las Vegas

Neither Lupo nor Luke would notice anything odd right away, but the female security guard, 'Ms. Ieyasu', seems very quick to get out of their line of sight. It would only happen if Lupo happened to look in her direction after focusing, but there seemed to be something she wore on her back. Why hadn't they spotted it before? But it's hard to spot it or keep it noticed in the mind, even with the supernatural focus. Indeed, if she breaks line-of-sight, the whatever-it-was fades quickly from the mind...

[Chanlin]

Emmett glances around the room again unable to shake the feeling of unease and then he facepalms. "I'm such a moron." He looks right at Aiden and Dutch, "The trouble earlier was to delay us. They're already here!" He says this so that its picked up on his communicator.

[Scorpodael]

Jack comes back into the room pretty much as soon as he realizes that he heard more heartbeats than people, looking at each of the guards in the room, and trying to ascertain where the extra heartbeat is coming from, all the while moving toward the Heart. "Selene! Give me the location of everyone who is visible in the exhibition hall on the cameras!" He says, reaching into the pocket full of salt...

[Naamah]

Location: Exhibition Hall, The Palazzo, Las Vegas

Aiden glances around, startled by the sudden information blazing into his ear and actions from the other scions.

Already here. Fuck. Well, if you think you're going to lay a Trick on me...

He reaches into a pocket, draws out one of the flares Jack had offered, hides it in his right palm.

"And I told you, Shadowkin." It seems impossible for Aiden to yell; he manages to amplify his voice without straining it, allowing it to ring into each corner of the room. "It was a night like this when you first saw me - a picture, was it, a newspaper clipping or a picture on a screen. You saw me and you thought - these ones are special, yes. But this one, in particular - something's not right about him. Something about him is locked in shadows, just like me. That's what you thought."

He steps close to a large stele, with some inscription of glyphs on it. It's not a perfect guess, but it's the biggest shadow he can see.

"And you thought... I want to see him. I want to know that secret. And you found me, as you hid in a room, like Houdini, impossible to see how you did it - and you looked me in the eyes, craving the truth."

He's barely breathing, projecting far too much of himself into the tale - a tale, Emmett would realize if he paid attention, that is almost entirely truthful - at least the parts about Aiden.

The aesir-kin swallows.

"And then you let me see yours."

[Mytical]

Lupo says into the Comm "People, we are compromised I am sure of it!" and follows the security guard. He is now convinced that where he was situated is not safe, and is in fact about to get attacked. "She could be trying to pull me off my station, but she has something on her I didn't notice until I fired up my inner focus."

He's now aware of a catch 22..if he engages her, he might get too focused on her and miss everything else, but he can't risk closing his eyes either.

[Jay 2K Winger]

Location: Exhibition Hall, The Palazzo, Las Vegas (Aiden, Emmett, Jack)

The wrongness intensifies as the ruse is discovered, and Emmett especially would be able to "see" that some illusion is at work in the hall. It's difficult to locate where from, exactly. Dutch, when Emmett speaks up on that, draws a stungun from his waist, turning and trying to find the intruder.

"Bravo," a voice drawls suddenly. It fills the air, and it's not clear where it's coming from. It has a Southern drawl-- it sounds Cajun, almost, definitely from "N'Awlins, Loozeeyanna" or somewhere in that vicinity. Aiden would recognize the voice of the 'Shadowman' from his vision. "Penny for Mr. Truthy."

Location: Outside the hall, The Palazzo, Las Vegas (Luke & Lupo)

As if on some signal, 'Ms. Ieyasu' suddenly reaches behind her back, grasping something, and then pulls. At that moment, whatever sort of memory-proof perception filter it had 'pops' and the two fighters would see that she has a Japanese sword strapped to her back, and she's just drawn it. People around spot it, and start to gasp in shock, when the woman points the sword at the ceiling, shouting in Japanese: "<Heavenly Confounding Vexation!>"

All around her, the lights start to flicker and the sprinklers start to go off, limiting visibility and causing people to shriek in surprise and alarm, and there's a rush of chaos. People are running for the exits, the opportunistic are grabbing for cash and chips, and fights are breaking out.

At the same time, the exit that Lupo had been guarding bursts open to reveal a jotun, charging forward and swinging a baseball bat at him.

Location: Exhibition Hall

As Jack re-enters the room, he can hear peoples' heartbeats getting faster and more intense, and yes, there's the ninth one. It's still hard to find where it's hiding, but it's starting to sound like it's not behind the stele that Aiden is approaching...

"You are an interesting one, Aiden Mistel," the Shadowman continues from his hiding place. The illusion roils subtly. Emmett might notice what Jack is noticing: that the Shadowman isn't there... but isn't he? Even in that dark shadow, there's a shape like a man, leaning insouciantly against the wall, a fedora on its head. "What are you, really?" he taunts further. "So full of secrets. Your mother would be so proud."

The noise outside the hall definitely gets the mundies' attention, as guards and Sevilla turn to look at the cascading water from the sprinklers and the mass of confusion outside. The distant shout of Japanese can be heard as well--

And the lights in the hall start to flicker and then pop as they overload. Thankfully, however, the sprinklers do NOT go off.

[Mytical]

Location: Outside the hall, The Palazzo, Las Vegas

Lupo can't help but chuckle at the lights and sprinkler bit. It will help him more then hinder him. Pulling out whatever weapons he had finally been able to secure, he goes for the obviously bigger threat. The Jotun. He can't help but quip. "Somebody didn't do their homework." Though he studies the Jotun's move to anticipate its strategy, but since he is aware that there is probably many others out there he is not going to go 'all in' either. Especially with so many civilians in the way.

[Scorpodael]

Location: Exhibition Hall

Jack bares his teeth at the Shadowman, flicking his gaze back and forth, and making a decision... He reaches into his coat, takes out the CS grenade and one of the flares. Then he primes them both, tossing them in the same direction- toward the entrance to the hall. His aim is to create a cloud of stinging gas illuminated from inside by the flare, but he's not sure how effective it's going to be. At least it should give folks a second thought about heading into the hall that way.

[Chanlin]

Emmett looks toward the shadow and opens up his Soul Gaze power hoping it will work...

If it allows him to get a clear view and he sees the man there he pulls his gun and shoots at him, if not he will make his way toward the case with the gem in it and stand near it.

[Jay 2K Winger]

Location: Outside the hall, The Palazzo

The Jotun's first swing is dodged by Lupo, and the second intercepted by his weapon (let me know what it is!), and soon the two are exchanging a series of parries and dodges of each other's swings. This jotun is of similar size to the one they fought earlier, but the top of his head is shaved bald, with a thick braided beard covered in hoarfrost. It's pretty well-practiced at this, too.

"Hold still, champ!" the Jotun spits. "It'll only hurt for a second!"

Meanwhile, the other exit door bursts open and another big Titanspawn mook lumbers out, a red Oni, armed with a spiked iron club. It spots a distracted Luke and grabs him from behind, locking one thick arm under his jaw and trying to throttle him.

In the confusion, the woman with the sword disappears into the crowd...

Location: Exhibition Hall, The Palazzo

The flickering and dying lights in the hall mean that more and more shadows start to form, and the Shadowman's chuckle only gets louder. "Oh, this is fun," his voice says. Emmett's Soul Gaze trick works, starting to break the Illusion's hold over him, and he can see that the thief is NOT standing behind that stele in its shadow.

"I'm in their system now, let's see-- Heads up!" Selene suddenly says into the ear-pieces of the team. "Those security guards aren't mundies!"

"Still, I've got this timetable to work by, you see," the Shadowman continues. "I'm afraid I really can't let you delay me. Boys?"

At which point, Selene's warning becomes clear, as some of the Illusion breaks, and two of the other security guards in the room turn out to be... something else. Not giants or cyclopi-- they're much more normal-sized. But the removal of the illusion shows that they aren't really alive. Their eyes gleam with an eldritch light, and markings consistent with Vodoun practice adorn their exposed skin. Zombies, then.

But they're not shambling, decaying corpses, these zombies. They move with purpose and regular speed, and one of the zombie guards advances on Sevilla. Dutch fires his stungun, but the zombie guard keeps going without flinching as it raises a hammer-like fist.

The other zombie guard starts moving toward Emmett, the one with a clear weapon.

All this confusion, however, means that the Shadowman can't keep up his illusion as strongly, and appears to be heading for the Heart of Winter's display case...

// GM Summary:
Outside the hall-- [enemies] 1 Jotun (baseball bat), 1 Red Oni (iron club), Ms. Ieyasu Su (sword, vanished in crowd); [allies] n/a; [others] dozens of confused and panicky people; [hazards] sprinklers going off, flickering lights

Inside the hall-- [enemies] "Shadowman" Matt (Illusion-cloaked, approaching Heart?), 2 Vodoun Zombie Guards (unarmed); [allies] Fred Dutch (stungun), 1 mortal security guard (stungun), Rodrigo Sevilla (unarmed); [others] n/a; [hazards] flickering lights, CS gas by entrance