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The Best Laid Plans...; Closed
Topic Started: Apr 20 2012, 01:49 AM (164 Views)
Karas
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Level 5 Commoner
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
Dag blew a cloud of smoke out his nostrils and watched the door. The Redlight Show was empty, the lights off and the moon hidden behind the clouds. Perfect darkness surrounded him, and in his dark mood he welcomed it. The cigarette in his hand glowed brightly as he took another draw.

He was waiting for the others, the ones who felt the same as him. The ones he might call his little army. Meg had told him a fellow hunter had seen what was going on and wanted to talk. Dag was willing to listen.

He'd tried to appeal to the man who ran their offices, tried to dissuade him from the path he was heading on. He'd tried to explain how it would end, that he would likely get them all killed. But he was locked on this path, determined to follow it to its completion, and damn anyone who was harmed along the way. But Dag wasn't about to let him. As much as every fiber of his being screamed for him to walk away, he knew what would happen if he did.

And so there he sat, waiting. The cigarette in his hand slowly dwindling, the drink in front of him untouched. He sat there, staring at the door, the door that would soon admit his co-conspirators. Those who would act on this venture with him, breaking a code of loyalty he and they had sworn to.

A wicked grin split his lips. Hell would have a few more souls when they were through.
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kestral287
Level 4 Better than Novice
[ *  *  *  * ]
The door opened slowly.

The beast that entered was black, and blended in perfectly with the darkness. Were he meeting with a more typical being, that would have been a blessing-- most people were uneasy around Garm at best, and vacated the premises quickly at worst. Of course, this night promised to be anything but "typical". No, this was an auspicious night. A night for plotting a revolution. Privately, Garm chuckled. All revolutions had to start in a bar.

He sat down at the table across from Dag, smiling in greeting. "Who else are we expecting?"




Across town, a woman who could not possibly know of the meeting hummed in frustration. She had an appointment to keep at the Redlight, but she had one more to bring. For the eighth time, she checked her watch. Finally, it was time. Right...

Cas smiled and picked her target out of the crowd in front of the bar. There. She weaved her way through carefully, grabbing the woman by the arm. "I need your team."
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Karas
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Level 5 Commoner
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
Dag glanced up at him and slid a glass and a bottle of scotch across the table to him, "Meg, a couple of fellow hunters, and hopefully Lady Luck."

He took another draw on his cigarette before crushing the thing in his hand, dropping the remains into the ashtray in front of him. He chuckled briefly about how Shelly used to threaten to kill him when he dropped his butts on the floor. He finally took up his glass and tossed it back, refilling it with the bottle of bourbon in front of him.

"So you know me," he said absently, mind still distant, "But I don't know you. Why don't you fix that, then we can start talking about this... situation."
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kestral287
Level 4 Better than Novice
[ *  *  *  * ]
Garm caught the bottle and glass absently, leaving them alone for now. He would need his wits about him tonight. Drinking could wait until it was time to celebrate.

Dag's question brought his minds back to earth, and for a long moment Garm was silent. Questions about his past best went unanswered. Details were not something Garm provided. Ever. There were a lot of reasons for that, but the largest one was, perhaps, the most obvious: a lot of very powerful people down below would be rather unhappy knowing just how many important demons he'd personally executed.

Still, he had to tell Dag something. So, with a shrug, he gave out the abridged, redacted, and possibly edited version. "I'm half-hellhound, half fire demon. I've got more firepower in one finger than most hunters carry-- and I'm not exaggerating. Damn good in a fistfight too-- the only non-augmented demon I know stronger than me is, well, you. Some dark magic too, but not nearly as much."

Another shrug. "Spent most of my life in a special unit down in Hell. Got bored, left, became a bounty hunter. That's my life in a nutshell."
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Karas
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Level 5 Commoner
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
Dag wasn't stupid. It was damnably obvious that Garm was glossing over quite a few facts, facts that Dag would rather know. But he'd given him enough for now. He didn't need to know the man, he needed to know if the man could fight.

The door opened again, admitting a trio of others. Dag smiled when he saw them, waving the men over. They all sat around Garm grabbing drinks and looking at Dag.

"Guys," Dag chuckled, "This is Garm. Garm, this is Daniel, Mac, and Jon."

The two humans nodded to him, with the pangolin demon staying conspicuously silent. Dag paused for a moment, looking them over. This was his little army, they were the only ones that would step up to the plate. Everyone else was either content to stand by, or was crazy enough to agree with him.

"Alright," he grumbled, "Let's get this show on the road. Jon?"

The pangolin grunted, "Only a dozen or so."

Dag nodded and looked at the others, "I had Jon go through the hunters, trying to warn them about what's going down. When we do move, the others will know to avoid the building. Looks like a dozen, maybe a few more, will still be around."

He grabbed the bottle and took a long swig, "They aren't your friends anymore. I don't care if its your fucking lover, anyone still in that building is the enemy, get me? We can't afford to hesitate, not now."
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kestral287
Level 4 Better than Novice
[ *  *  *  * ]
Garm nodded in greeting to the newcomers. He was unsure about humans on the battlefield-- they lacked either the physical or magical capabilities of demons, after all. But some help was better than no help, and one didn't survive as a hunter without some skills.

A trio of frowns crossed his face at the numbers they were up against. Sure, he was worth at least three, and unless somebody had access to one of the few tricks that could take him down Dag was worth another three, at least. Which left six for the humans and the other demon.

A dozen... and they knew they were going to be attacked. Worse, they had to have at least a general idea of who they were going to be attacked by. Garm growled quietly in frustration. "We need more. I've got a friend I trust, my old partner. But that's all the people I trust."

The door swung open then, and Casmira smiled at the room, her arm still firmly clamped around Nina's upper arm. She took a seat without ceremony, gesturing for Nina to sit next to her, then smiled at the room. "I brought a friend."
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Karas
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Level 5 Commoner
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
Dag hummed and nodded, "If you-"

He was interrupted as the door swung open. Jon wheeled around, twin revolvers in his hands before anyone else could move. A growl from Dag stopped him in his tracks. The wolverine tracked the two newcomers with his eyes, chuckling as Cas took a seat.

"Lady Luck," he introduced with a gesture, "And a friend, I suppose."

Dag looked the newcomer up and down, a soft growl of appreciation making its way from his throat. He let his eyes linger on her face, taking in her red fur and green eyes. He tore himself away after a moment, a moment he knew was too long. Now was not the time.

"As I was saying," he continued, "If you trust them, we can trust them."

He waved at the two humans, "Dan, you'll be fire support and rear guard. As always. Mac's in charge of getting us through any doors and security the paranoid old bastard has set up."

The two humans nodded. Jon just looked at him, making the wolverine grin.

"Jon and Garm will be with me," he growled, "We'll tear anyone in our path apart. Nothing fancy, lethality is what we're going for. No prisoners."
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kestral287
Level 4 Better than Novice
[ *  *  *  * ]
Garm cocked three heads at the newcomers, frowning slightly. They weren't hunters. In fact neither one was all that impressive-- pretty, sure, but not impressive. The human in particular looked completely out of place with her navy business suit, and Garm bit back a growl as he rose. "I'll make the call."

Cas simply smiled at him brightly, watching him leave, then turned back to Dag with that same smile. "So. Where do you want Nina and me?"

Nina had been focused on being quiet and paying attention, running through everything Casmira had told her in her mind-- including her paycheck. Her attention was diverted, though, when she felt eyes on her. She looked up, meeting Dag's eyes and giving him a slow smile. Her smile grew when he looked away, and she tried not to giggle. This wasn't the time for that, she reminded herself sternly. Now was the time to plan.
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Karas
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Dag hummed, "I want you with Dan, Cas. Help him find targets, keep our asses safe. And if you could foresee any reinforcements, that would be lovely."

Dag turned to the the cat and frowned slightly, pondering. She was a demon, that much was obvious enough, and probably had a good deal of power. But how much was the question, and what it was. He had an inkling of Garm's, but she was an enigma. A pretty one, but he couldn't afford enigmas right now.

"Where do you think Nina should be, Cas?" he said without looking away from the cat, "You have a clearer idea of what she can do."

"Boss," Jon said suddenly, "Something happening down the block. I'm gonna check it out."

Dag nodded, "You know your part. I'll let you know when we're gettin' to it."

Jon nodded and walked out the door, pulling his longcoat around him to guard from the wind. Dag cracked his neck and grimaced, looking over the remaining people. He wondered who would make it out of this alive, then decided it didn't matter. He was going to try and make it all of them.
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kestral287
Level 4 Better than Novice
[ *  *  *  * ]
Cas grinned and nodded, leaning back in her chair and folding her arms behind her head. "Get me one of them alive and within my line of sight and I'll be able to do more than that. I'll tell you everything you ever want to know about how these people are put together so you can take them apart. But for now... I'll look and see what I can find."

Her grin widened and she leaned back further, enough that it seemed to be a miracle that the chair hadn't tipped over. She didn't need to think about the answer to Dag's question, she'd known what it was since she met the demon. "Nina is with you. The kitten is a fighter when she's riled up."

Nina's gaze lowered slightly, knowing that Casmira's statement-- that seemingly-ridiculous proclamation that a catgirl dressed like a stripper was a fighter-- was going to attract even closer scrutiny from... Dag, Casmira had named him. And he seemed to be scrutinizing her closely enough already.

A frustrated growl sounded from the door as Garm returned. "No response. That's... unusual."

A soft chuckle grabbed Garm's attention, and he glared at the human relaxing in her chair. "Selina's fine. Just a little... distracted right now."

Garm growled again, louder, and all three heads turned their glare on her-- a glare that she seemed to roll off of her. "And just how," he began, his voice low and dangerous, "do you know anything about her?" Cas simply grinned in response, and he turned one head to Dag. "Just who is she, anyway? She looks... useless."

Cas' voice was soft and calm as she spoke, pre-empting anything from Dag. There was no emotion in her face or voice as she met Garm's hard stare evenly. She spoke only facts. "Long before you were born I hunted the saber-tooth across the ice. I was Fu Hao, Empress and greatest general of the Middle Kingdom. I was the Oracle of Delphi, and the people of Greece treated me as a goddess. I was the force behind Attila, mightiest of the Huns, and together we made Rome tremble. When the great god Loki saw my power he tried to tempt me, and with my will alone I destroyed him. I have done more to advance human civilization than anyone else can hope to match. I have been a savior and a destroyer, a warrior and a lover, hero and villian across thousands of lifetimes. My mind is my weapon, and it is enough to make the earth shake and break a man in twain. I have lived the past. I have seen the future. And, with a mere thought, I could control the present. You are a great warrior, Hellhound, but you are not my equal. You have enemies who would like to kill you. I have corpses who have tried. You may call me Casmira, and you should know now that there is no truth I can't discover and no knowledge that may remain hidden from me."

Garm's third head had swiveled back toward her when he spoke, and now he analyzed her much more carefully. A corner of his mind noted that the cat next to Casmira was also staring, brows furrowed in confusion, and he wouldn't be surprised to see the rest of the room doing the same. Slowly, he nodded once. It was enough.
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Karas
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Level 5 Commoner
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
Dag's bark was short and sharp, a wordless order to stand down. He gave both of them a full eyed glare, lingering on Cas a short bit longer. He knew she knew better. He didn't need this crap right now. Dan and Mac were openly staring, and he was shocked himself. But he controlled it.

"If you're quite finished figuring out which of you has the bigger dick," Dag growled softly, "Settle the fuck down. Both of you."

Dag sighed and ran a hand through the fur on his head. Dan and Mac shifted their gaze to look at him, but he avoided looking at them. He knew what they were thinking, dammit, and he hated it. They were looking to him to guide them, but he had no idea what he was doing. A growl rose unbidden to his throat but he squashed it before it escaped.

The wolverine looked back to Nina. She looked so confused, and she had looked down when Cas had called her a fighter. He didn't like that. He regarded her just a little more closely, tuning out how attractive she was for the moment. He forced himself to see past that and pay attention to the little things, the way she was sitting, the way she had carried herself on the way in, the faint crackle of power that surrounded her.

"Well, I for one," he chuckled, "am quite happy to welcome Nina to a suddenly much better looking group. I'll watch your back if you watch mine, eh?"

He turned to Garm, "That goes for both of them. I trust Cas with far more than my life, and she's vouching for Nina. As for you, Meg is in the same boat. I trust you because she vouches for you. That's how I operate, Garm. Trust. I'd rather have three people I could trust with my life that couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag than a million people who could kill a god that I couldn't trust as far as I could throw them."

He chuckled briefly, "It just so happens that I have the best of both worlds. I don't know about all that other stuff, but Cas can, by all accounts including personal, see the fuckin' future. Tell me that ain't a potent weapon in and of itself. Nina, hell, pay more than a seconds worth of attention to her and you'd see that she could probably give us a run for our money."

He pointed a thumb at the two humans, "Dan's almost supernatural with his rifles. I've seen him pull ricochets that went through mazes and made killshots. And then there's his creepy blending thing. Mac, Mac could probably crack the lock to the gates of Heaven themselves, if they'd ever let his ass get the chance."

He looked away from them all, out the window. Trust. If it had existed in this organization beforehand, maybe they could have avoided all of this. His hackles rose and he snarled involuntarily at the memory, the countless arguments he'd had. The bastard had chosen his path. Now he'd have to deal with it.

"So," Dag looked back to all of them, "Here's the base of all of it. This isn't going to be pleasant. We go in, we kill everyone who's with the boss. Every last fucking one of them, and we make sure that he's plastered across a fucking wall if all else fails."

He shrugged, "We fail, and we'll all be dead. Which is probably a blessing, considering that he wants to summon Hell itself here, which if I was paying attention in class, basically would destroy both the earth and Hell."

He settled back in his chair and gauged each of their reactions. This was it, his next statement would truly solidify all of it. No going back, the point of no return.

"So," he said with fake cheer, "Who's with me?"
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kestral287
Level 4 Better than Novice
[ *  *  *  * ]
Nina blushed under all the attention. She was used to working alone, not getting all these stares and smiles and things that were really not supposed to happen right before an important mission. So she just looked down, giving a brief nod for Dag's comment.

It was the hellhound that shook his heads and growled. "That's all well and good. But are we just going to walk in the front door? Or do you have an actual plan of attack?"

He considered, the two outside heads tilting in opposite directions, and shrugged. "Not that I'm opposed to walking in the front door. Or just blowing the place up. Do we really need the building?"

Garm snorted, a lick of hellfire slipping out. "Seems like we could solve the problem with nothing but a big enough explosion. Minimal risk, one shot and it's over."
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