CLOSED SIGNUPS The Sanctuary IC

[Reina]

"Ah shit, here we go." Miles turned the letter in his hands a few times. The insignia of the Triad was something he knew very well. They even used a particular stationary that he was sure they didn't sell at any Staples or Officemax. He read the date and time a few times before tucking the invitation in the back pocket of his jeans. He had to leave immediately. There was no keeping the Triad waiting. To do so would mean certain death and he wasn't about to put something like that to the test. He had been summoned before so he had an idea of what to expect. He packed a sports bag with a few days' change of clothes and some handguns and took off as quickly as he could.

He arrived at the Sanctuary within a couple days, just in time for the meeting on the invitation. He had been to the Sanctuary many times over the years, the hotel serving as a true sanctuary for him in his time of need. He'd received weapons and medical care a few times yet still, he continued to find himself in awe as he crossed its threshold. The hotel was stunning with its grand staircase in the center, its high ceilings and large crystal chandeliers throughout. The hotel had the perfect lighting that only accentuated the modern touches of black and gold. The luxury hotel was no place for someone like Miles yet here he was, enjoying all its beauty. But it was the concierge at the front desk that most drew Miles' attention. He hadn't been to the hotel since Santa's hiring but he had heard about her before and was very much interested.

"Well if it isn't the most beautiful concierge I've ever seen. How you doin' darlin'?" Miles said as he stood before the front desk, setting his bag by his feet and giving the concierge a signature Miles smirk.

Santa looked up from her desk at Miles and did her best to give him a smile. She had heard about Miles before, plus it was her job to know who was arriving for the particular meeting scheduled for later in the evening. "Mr. Thatcher. Welcome to the Sanctuary. We've been expecting you. Please scan your brand under the scanner, please."

Miles did as told, pulling the sleeve of his checked flannel up slightly to reveal the mark of the Sanctuary he had been branded with years ago. He placed his wrist under the scanner as the infrared scanned the branding. On Santa's computer screen, Miles' entire profile appeared. "The Manager is expecting you in the lounge. You can proceed there. Your room tonight will be 201. I'm sure you remember Sanctuary protocols?"

"How could I forget?" He said as he leaned his arms against the counter. "Hey, so, what do you say about getting some special concierge service tonight in my room?" He raised his brows a few times with a smile. He knew what he wanted and he wasn't one to beat around the bush. He was the type to blatantly ask for what he wanted and needed. He didn't need to fake it with pleasantries that weren't going to get him any closer to what he wanted.

Picking up immediately on his innuendo, Santa shook her head. "That, Mr. Thatcher, cannot be arranged. But I can arrange for other accommodations and company for you if you'd prefer."

"Ah, come on. Promise it will be worth your while.." he said, not one to give up so easily.

Santa on the other hand was quick to dismiss him. She returned her gaze to her computer and began to plug away as she answered simply, "Doubtful."

Still, Miles wasn't one to take no for an answer and he often pursued things even when he knew he shouldn't. "I know it's not about a protocol thing. I've heard you like some company from time to time. People around here talk. What am I missing? What they got that I don't? Why aren't you interested?"

Santa handed him his room key and returned her eyes to her computer. "You're male. I won't ever be interested. Now, the manager is waiting Mr. Thatcher and if you don't need anything else, I have other guests to check in."

"Damn!" he yelled out. "It's always the good ones too." He slammed his hand against the counter once before Miles grabbed his room key and turned towards the lounge. He definitely needed a drink after that encounter.

-----------------------

Santa smiled at the next guest, happy for Miles to have moved on. "Could he have been more obnoxious?" the next guest said as he stood before her. Vincent practically rolled his eyes as he perked his nose slightly in the air to show his distaste for the man.

"Mr. Thatcher is known to be a little…loud," she replied. "Tone and presence, I'm afraid. Welcome to the Sanctuary, Mr. Moretti. Please scan your brand."

Vincent pulled up the sleeve of his five thousand dollar black Prada suit to reveal the signature brand of the Sanctuary. "Always a pleasure to see you, Ms. De La Vega. I trust you are well this evening."

"Quite well, Mr. Moretti," Santa answered as Vincent's profile appeared on her computer screen.
"You'll be in room 307 this evening. The manager is expecting you in the lounge. You can proceed there. Should you need anything, please do not hesitate to let me know."

Vincent grabbed his room key and nodded his head towards Santa before rolling his luggage towards the lounge area. Unlike Miles, Vincent was not impressed by the look of the Sanctuary and didn't find himself in need of services at the moment. He had been to many luxury hotels throughout his life and this one was no different to him. The only difference was the amenities that were tailored to his choice of lifestyle and profession but nothing more. He proceeded down the hall, taking the elevator down to the lounge. As the doors closed, he took advantage of the various mirrors and adjusted his suit, diamond cufflinks and ensured he hair wasn't standing in places it should not be.

When the doors opened, he rolled his luggage behind him and proceeded towards the bar to order a martini. He could see Miles from the corner of his eye and did his best not to make eye contact with the man and especially refrained himself when hearing him order a Jack Daniels. Clearly the man had no tastes. But what could he expect from someone who ordered a simple Tennessee whiskey. Why the Triad had sent for such a simpleton was beyond him. The bar was stocked with any drink he could possibly imagine with the most skilled of bartenders and the idiot ordered a Jack. Fool.

As soon as Vincent had his drink he moved quickly away and took a seat in one of the leather chairs to await the manager. He looked around but did not see Arthur Van Courtland though he was sure that Arthur could already see him. It was to be expected that Arthur would only show himself once all the guests of the Triad had arrived.

Vincent silently wondered how many invites had been sent out and still pondered how such a neanderthal like Miles Thatcher had been summoned. He crossed a leg over the other and grabbed his phone to keep his eyes on something other than Miles. Last thing he needed was for the man to make eye contact with him. Miles never shut up and he wasn't about to be on the other end of a tirade while waiting for Arthur.

Instead he focused his thoughts on what the Triad could want. It had been a while since he had received any orders from them directly. He had been busy collecting Triad coins and increasing his wealth through various other contracts and missions that weren't directly related to the Triad itself. He was hell bent on having his own fortune he could fall back on. As much as the Moretti name had benefited him, it came with its own pitfalls and expectations that he longed to be free of. He hoped to one day run his own enterprise. As much as he enjoyed being behind the eye of his scope, he much preferred to give the orders than to be the one that received them. He was still working on a name for himself and he was going to achieve it.

Even as the head of an enterprise, a Triad mission was an obligation he would never be able to get away from. For now he'd wait to see who else arrived and perhaps he could put the pieces together once they were all together.

 

[Blood Lightning]

Relaxing with a view of the lake on her waterfront home, former hitwoman and expectant mother Nanami Higashi looked out at the water, thinking about her past life. The people she killed, the things that she's done. Those were a dark six years and she was now settling down, living a quiet life and getting ready to welcome her first child. Unfortunately for her though, the Father didn't exactly bother to stay and by the time that pregnancy test came back positive, he was already long gone. Much to her dismay. That was one thing she was more afraid then her old life; going through pregnancy by herself with no support, as she was not on talking terms with her Father or her Brothers, not even her Adoptive Brother, Shinya. And her Sister and Mother have both long since passed away. And no one was gonna date a pregnant woman, much less one that was in the later stages. The attention she got though was nice though, well sometimes...at least until someone reached out and tried to touch the belly. That was annoying!

As the wind blew against her hair, Nanami slowly stood up from her lawn chair and began waddling from her back porch and into her home. Putting her hand on her back, she made her way to the front door, resting her other hand on top of the swollen belly, smiling as she felt a kick against the palm of her hand. "While I enjoy carrying you everywhere in my tummy and feeling those little kicks, sweetie, I can't wait to have you in my arms because I...I'm kinda done being humongous, tired and gassy all the time." She mused. "But I'll take care of you. I promise."

Upon reaching the front door, she saw an envelope in the mail basket. To her dismay though, that meant one thing. The Triads had come calling. This was further confirmed when she saw that their insignia had been used to seal the letter. Sighing, she opened it. As she started reading it, she felt her blood running cold and a sizzling pain in her right wrist, where she bore their mark. And to Nanami's dismay, this was followed by that feeling of dread and a dull pain in her stomach. Because she was relatively far along in her pregnancy at thirty-six weeks, she initially thought it was a contraction, but realized it was too early for her to be going into labor. She had at least one more week, but hopefully four. Maybe even six now with this letter from the Triad. And with the instructions, there wasn't really much of a say for her and they could probably care less about her being heavily pregnant. Frowning, she set the letter on the entry way table nearby.

Grabbing something to eat, she began to wonder about why the Triad had called for her despite very likely knowing about her condition. There truly was no escape from that life, was there? And it hurt knowing that she will be endangering her child over it as well. So her meal was dragged out as this thought crossed her mind. After cleaning up, she made a couple of calls as she expected to be away for a while, including one for her Doctor that she had seen the previous day as she had expected to miss her next appointment. Hopefully medical care at The Sanctuary would provide maternity care. Sure, they were great at treating wounds sustained in combat, from gunshot wounds to knife wounds to the worst of blunt-force trauma. Nanami had made a full recovery each and every time. But can they deliver a baby or comfort her once she goes into labor?

Either way, she had to be careful if she were to get into trouble, as any hit to her stomach could prove fatal for the baby. Unlocking the drawer that contained all her guns, Nanami proceeded to grab a Handgun and a Karambit Knife. She could probably get some new long-arms at the Sanctuary, be it a Rifle or Shotgun, preferably a Rifle since getting too close to anyone in a fight was not ideal to her at all. After grabbing a few boxes of ammunition, she made one more call...

A couple days later...

A couple days after she had received the letter and approaching thirty-seven weeks, Nanami arrived at the Sanctuary. Donning an elegant green dress that she had gotten for the occasion, Nanami felt a little more confident, though she did turn quite a bit of heads due to the bulging belly. Not that she really blamed them, it was certainly hard not to look. The interior of this hotel had never ceased to amaze her. And to think that she came here many times in her life, she'd be used to the luxurious décor, from the well-done carpets to the crystal chandeliers. There were a few people in front of her. Both were men. One with a scruffy-ish beard and the other, clean shaven and dressed rather elegantly. As she stopped in her tracks, the scruff-looking man seemingly tried to flirt with the Concierge and was rather...brazen about it and went way further then he should have. The Concierge proceeded to shoot down these less-than savory advances and the man left rather unhappy. Nanami flinched as he slammed his hands onto the counter before taking a deep breath. What an asshole, she thought.

Up next was the man that was dressed more formally. He was certainly handsome, but probably not really her type. Nice suit though. However, dating and romance really shouldn't be crossing her mind at the moment. After all, Nanami was here on business, robbed of maternity leave if that was even a thing in this line of work...

The second man proceeded to express his...distaste for Mr. Thatcher. So did the Concierge for that matter. This gentleman, Mr. Moretti, was rather quick with his transaction. Exchanging pleasantries, grabbing his room key and then...moving on. Finally, it was her turn, so Nanami waddled up with her suitcase. "Welcome to the Sanctuary, Ms. Higashi." Santa greeted her, before peering down at the belly, albeit briefly. "Please scan your brand." Despite smiling, the Concierge was a little concerned for the woman. Why was she here? Shouldn't she be at home resting? Judging by the size of her belly, goodness she was probably about to pop any day now! "Love your dress by the way. You look very stunning."

"Oh, thank you." Nanami herself smiled and blushed a little.

"You'll be in Room 401 for the evening. Though the Manager is expecting you in the lounge. So please proceed there. Was there anything else I can help you with, Ms. Higashi?" She asked.

"Yes. Since I am needed at the lounge, can you please see to my belongings and have them delivered to my room as I do not wish to be dragging it around, especially since I'm already carrying the little one on the way and...almost. Thank you, Ms. De La Vega. Oh and one question. I know this is a bit...strange to ask, but the Sanctuary wouldn't happen to provide maternity care, would it?" Nanami asked.

"Though it is unlikely since people in our line of work don't tend to have children or settle down, I can look into it for you since we do have excellent doctors and medical care professionals here." Santa replied.

"Thank you." She set her bag on the side, to which Santa quickly picked up and typed something on her computer. "Anyway, I shouldn't keep you any longer. Be seeing you, Ms. De Le Vega. You have a wonderful rest of your day." She smiled before taking her leave, but not before grabbing her room key.

"You as well, Ms. Higashi." She said, bidding farewell to the expectant mother. "Please, take care."

Having left her bag and her purse with the Concierge, Nanami began waddling down a nearby hallway towards the elevator. Upon entry, she straightened out her dress and her hair before taking a deep breath. As her feet were now starting to hurt due to standing for a little longer then she would have liked, Nanami found herself eager to go find a place to sit down. As the elevator doors opened, Nanami made her way into the lounge, where most people were just dining or drinking. Nanami looked away from the bar of course since drinking was off the books. Once more she turned a few heads, but Nanami mostly shrugged it off. It wasn't like she was gonna drink at all. However she did go up to grab a glass of water at the very least. While Mr. Thatcher had ordered a Jack Daniels, Mr. Moretti ordered a Martini. Mostly averting eye contact, Nanami went to go sit down in one of the leather chairs by the fireplace, awaiting the Manager's arrival. Feeling a strong sense of relief, Nanami took a deep breath as she looked towards the fire and gently began caressing the ever-growing belly.

---

Although she had left the dark life behind after exacting revenge on the people who murdered her Father, Asumi already knew that the sins of the past would eventually come for her. And indeed it did, in the form of a letter sent with the Triad seal. Now taking care of her elderly mother, former hitwoman Asumi Yamamoto thought she had finally found peace and wasn't all too thrilled when that letter showed up. However, ignoring the summon by the Triads meant certain death. Before leaving home, Asumi would send her Mother to another relative to take care of her while she's away.

And a couple days later, Asumi was at the Sanctuary Hotel. Been a while as she was focused on spending time with her Mother and taking care of her, traveling the world and all. It was great to be back of course, but to come out of retirement was not exactly on her agenda. But she had no choice. Perhaps the world outside was truly no place for a trained, ruthless and bloodthirsty killer like herself. Vengeance consumed her once and Asumi refused to let it happen again. Upon arriving, she immediately made her way to the Concierge. "Ms. De La Vega, good afternoon."

"Ah, Ms. Yamamoto. Been a long time. I hope you've been well. How's your Mother doing?" Santa asked.

"She is well, but I had to send her away to be with our extended family while I am away on business as I don't feel the most comfortable with leaving her at home alone." Asumi replied, frowning as she did miss her Mother.

"I'm glad to hear she is well. Hopefully soon, you can return to her." Santa smiled. "Anyway, please, scan your brand."

Asumi lifted the sleeve of her blazer to show the brand on her wrist and have it scanned. "You'll be in room 309 this evening. Your room key." Santa proceeded to put the card key on the counter, to which Asumi grabbed it as she straightened out her tie and jacket collar. "Would you like for your belongings to be delivered to your room?"

"Yes. Thank you."

"I'll have it taken care of for you. Is there anything else you needed assistance with?"

"No, thank you. I'll be headed to the lounge now as I am expected there."

"Very well, I won't keep you. I'll see you around, Ms. Yamamoto." Santa smiled as Asumi nodded to her before going on her way.

Leaving her two suitcases behind, Asumi made her way to the lounge in a swift manner. While she was not too interested in a drink at the moment, she was curious as to why the Triad had called for her. Looking around, a few people stood out. A well-dressed man with a clean shaven face, a scruffy looking man drinking some Jack Daniels and a pregnant woman in a formal green dress sitting by the fireplace. Her eyes went wide when she saw the pregnant woman. She was...very pregnant. Judging by the size of that belly, she was probably due any day now! Did the Triad even know? In this line of work...Who in their right mind would summon a pregnant lady? And she couldn't say no assuming that she was here by the Triad's request like Asumi herself. Sighing, Asumi made her way to the bar for a Chocolate Stout on draft, looking to have one peaceful drink and maybe a snack while waiting for the Hotel Manager to arrive.

 

[Mister_Veeeee]

After just finishing his trials about a month ago, Viktor starts to prepare for his first assignment from the Triad. Getting there wouldn't be a problem due him still being in town. Now going over the gear he laid out to double check the items for inventory purposes. "Barrett eighty-two-A-one with 5 mags, Browning ten guage forty shells, Negev NG-Seven with three two-hundred round belts...," thinking aloud as he goes further down his itemized list. Bringing enough to be flexible and fill whichever role The Triad needed him for this time. Prep work is always the tedious task, but one Viktor has learned is necessary. Unfortunately due to trials being so varied in itself he had no idea what to expect. Wether this next job will be solo or with a group. Is discretion a must or does he need to bring a whole building down. Is he part of the main force or will be needed to get operators out if things get ugly. All things Viktor considered as he finished up his preparation on what to bring with him. With prep work complete he went and checked into sanctuary a few days early. Being it would be he was still unfamiliar with the place.

Day of the meeting.

Putting on a rather simple but functional grey suit with black dress shoes. Far from his normal everyday wear but this place makes him feel out of place. Being at such a luxurious place that has makes wearing a suit seem mandatory, if not brand name clothes. Nothing like the abandoned buildings, back alleys, militia bases or random locations far from civilization. The amenities also outstanded him. Viktor sure that this employer, or employers, probably the wealthiest he has ever worked for. After a quick conversation with concierge, he learned that almost anything he wanted could be obtain. All except the information he was looking for. That would take time, and the Triad would have to deem it necessary for him know. Suggesting they probably already know but he has to play his part for them before they share such information.

Making his way down to the lounge for the meeting. Viktor was curious to what the job was. Curiosity that turned to concern when entered the lounge and seen the few new faces that might also be hear for the meeting considering the time. He didn't know any of them but the fact the matter is, the group looked mismatched and one of them was pregnant. Hoping not all of them where here the same reason, he took a seat at a table towards the middle of the room. Thinking if these people are here for the same reason, the job is far from a simple one. Not including the pregnant woman, two looked like professionals. The rough looking guy reminding him how mercenaries tend to be. Two professionals, two mercenaries, and a pregnant woman potentially. Whatever was about to go down, Viktor had a bad feeling about it.

 

[Lyrikai]

The Sanctuary Hotel. To anyone not knowing any better, it might just look like any ordinary luxury hotel. At least Tane supposed it would be so. He hadn't had the chance to see the building before knowing what laid within, but it did make him wonder if there were others just like this out there. Elsewhere. Hidden in plain sight. Wouldn't have surprised him any. He was still fairly new to all of this, but the summon led him here nonetheless and he'd be a fool to try and ignore it. Not like he wanted to anyway. He chose this... He wanted this. If this was further chance to prove himself, to show he belonged, that he had something to give, then he would waste no time at all to show his worth.

He tried to hide his eagerness, surely that it might offend much more experienced, much more stable minded individuals to see another looking too excited to be here.

What was he supposed to do? Smile and be polite? would that look too weird in a setting such a this? Maybe he ought to put on his best stoic, uninterested in the world expression, and walk in like someone who had so many better places to be. Sometimes it was hard to pick the right emotion to slap onto his face when it was sometimes so hard to reign them in. There was already an itch at the back of his head, nagging him to move this along already so he could get himself into a quiet corner and away from other eyes for just a few moments so he could unwind. Relax.

The passage through the concierge was, thankfully, quick and uneventful. He absentmindedly scratched at his wrist while he walked down to the lounge. The room was already filled with people and he held in a sigh. Was he the last to arrive? Terrific. what kind of an impression did that leave? Did it matter? Did anyone care? This wasn't a race, after all.

Still, he scanned the faces, people he didn't recognize. Well, there was always times to get to know them. If they were all here for the same reason, surely he'd have to at least learn names. A small smile crept up across his face as he found a spot to take a seat. Silent for the moment, he tried to watch everyone without making it blatantly obvious that he was, well, watching them. He might have been relatively new to this, likely compared to others who also frequented this hotel, but he was sure enough in his abilities that he could handle himself.

 

[Reina]

The manager slowly exhaled the smoke from the cigar he held to his lips, examining the screens before him. Arthur was staring at a wall of monitors that gave video feed of various areas and angles from inside the Sanctuary. There was a camera almost everywhere with the exception of inside the actual rooms. Though if he ever needed to see anything within the rooms, there were ways of him doing so.

He was particularly focused on the lounge, watching the patrons as they moved throughout it and examining the ones that were exclusively invited to come for the evening. He held the cigar between his fingers as he carefully watched each one. There was Mr. Thatcher, a loud redneck man that knew very little about boundaries but was the perfect man for the job when examples and spectacles needed to be set. There was Mr. Moretti, a stuck up and narcissistic prude with a penchant for the expensive but was excellent at discretion and subtlety. He was the man called when you didn't want anyone to see him coming.

His eyes shifted and landed on Ms. Higashi. His eyes widened just slightly as he took in her condition. "That will certainly make things more…difficult," he remarked to himself. She was the most skilled in hand to hand combat however the late stage of her pregnancy would pose a problem for sure. "Hmm," he hummed to himself as he brought the cigar back to his lips and took in another puff, holding the smoke in his mouth, tasting the flavor notes of oak and cedar before blowing it out again.

His eyes moved from the pregnant woman until they landed on Ms. Minatozaki, a legacy member with a taste for blood and guns and an ego to match. Then there were Mr. Salvador and Mr. Kooper, the newest additions to the Sanctuary and newest Sanctus members. The Triad was insistent that they prove themselves immediately and Arthur held high hopes for the men. One bared more similarities to Mr. Thatcher in his enjoyment of the spectacular while the other was more like Ms. Higashi, though Mr. Kooper was more of a street fighter than trained in martial arts.

He moved from the monitors and towards a phone on his desk that began to ring. He brought the receiver to his ear and just listened to instructions. "Of course," he answered. "They're all here. I will brief them now." He settled the phone back to its place, adjusted his tanned suit and headed out the door. Santa was already on the other side with a glass of scotch waiting for him. He gave her a small smile before taking the class from her. "You always know just what I need," he told her. She returned his smile with one of her own, held her iPad a little closer to her chest and began to walk with him. "It's why you keep me around, I guess," she responded as the two moved in tandem towards the lounge area.

Arthur continued with his cigar, taking turns smoking it and drinking the scotch until they arrived at the lounge. Their presence caught everyone's attention almost immediately. Arthur was a man of presence and few words. Once he knew the attention was on him, he gestured for the invited ones to follow him. They all moved to a private seating area in the back of the lounge that was specifically blocked off for the evening. Arthur took a seat at the head of a large table. Santa quickly reached into a side drawer and laid an ashtray and coaster in front of Arthur for his cigar and scotch before taking her place to his right, ready to take notes and whatever was necessary of her as everyone else adjusted themselves and made themselves comfortable. "I trust you have all been well," Arthur commented once everyone was settled.

"I will spare us the pleasantries and formalities. You have all been summoned by the Triad for a special mission. You all have unique giftings and the Triad has deemed it necessary for you all to work together to accomplish its next goal." Mr. Moretti was already adjusting in his seat, sitting up a little higher and ready to speak. He was about to protest but Arthur stopped him, raising a finger to shut Mr. Moretti and instructing him to allow Arthur to finish first. "I am aware that many of you work best alone, however it is not the Triad's wish for that to happen for this particular mission. You must work together. It is their will." Mr. Moretti sat back, deflated and slightly embarrassed but knowing that he could not say anymore.

"You see, this mission is highly sensitive and requires various parts to move at once. You all must virtually strike at the same time so they don't see you coming." He could see the various looks of confusion on their faces, the raised brows and curiosity. "Ms. De La Vega, if you will." Arthur passed the torch to Santa who turned her attention towards her iPad, where she keyed in a few commands and the table before them came to life, going from a dark wood to the bright LED of a screen.

"Well goddamn," commented Mr. Thatcher. "Ain't never seen a table do that before…"

Arthur ignored his comment as a satellite view of the globe came into view. Santa typed in a few more commands as a few red dots appeared on various points of the map. The manager took a sip of his scotch then continued. "These are the last known locations of the Renegades. They are a group of conspirators looking to overthrow the Triad." He let his words sink in for a moment. It was almost hard for him to believe for himself. He had never experienced an actual threat to the heads of the Sanctuaries, had never experienced those that might be willing to actually attempt a coup against the most powerful among them. He never experienced anyone who might actually come close enough to know who the Triad members actually were.

"The rumors of mutiny are true and the Triad seeks to eliminate the threat immediately. They cannot let something like this go unpunished nor let it fester for long. Your mission is to find the Renegades and eliminate them before they garner more members towards their cause." He set his glass down and gestured to Santa who continued the briefing.

"The Renegades are expelled Santus members that were not eliminated as they should have been and instead amassed influence and have encouraged others to abandon their vow and stand against the Triad." Santa entered a few more commands on the iPad and the screen zoomed into each location one at a time. "They are believed to have headquarters in Milan, Morocco, and Seoul. The threat is immediate and requires precision. All locations must be targeted simultaneously. They cannot know you are attacking and they cannot be allowed to warn each other and formulate any plans. Eliminate them completely and be handsomely rewarded."

The table returned to its dark wood as Santa once again pressed the iPad against herself. Arthur puffed out more smoke from his cigar. "$5 million…each. But, there is a caveat. You only receive the reward if you all participate and if you all are successful. These are experienced members. They will not be easily taken down. Failure is not an option."

 

[Blood Lightning]

Nanami A. Higashi

​

A couple more people had arrived while Nanami waited for the manager, but given how spread out everyone who had arrived was, she could not help but wonder if the others were also here to see the manager, who would hopefully show up soon. While she waited, Nanami just caressed her belly, bonding with her unborn baby, smiling at each kick. A couple minutes after the last few people had arrived, the manager and his concierge had shown up, prompting her to look back. As the manager, Arthur Courtland, gestured for her and a couple of others to follow him and Santa. Must be for a private meeting. Slowly, Nanami got out of her chair and went to follow both Courtland and De La Vega, straightening out her dress as she did so.

---

Asumi Yamamoto

​

Asumi was ever more curious as several more people showed up after her, even more so about the pregnant lady. Did this line of work even have maternity leave? Was that something provided by the Triads? Probably not. It was very rare for people in her line of work to have children. Let alone get married. In the case of Asumi, her parents had her and she followed in their footsteps. While wondering about the Triad summons, Asumi proceeded to continue enjoying her Chocolate Stout.

She then proceeded to scan the room, examining the other patrons, her eyes wandering with curiosity. There was the bearded guy with the flannel and just by looking it at him, Asumi could presume that he was a loud-mouth troublemaker. Probably the brazen type for sure. Then there was the well-dressed gentleman, probably a vain and pompous narcissist. Then there were two other gentlemen, one that appeared to be in his late thirties, maybe early forties. The other in his late twenties, early thirties. The only thing Asumi didn't have on any of these people, not even their names.

Finally, the Manager himself, Arthur Courtland, showed up with his Concierge, whom she saw at the front desk. Along with several others, Mr. Courtland had motioned for her to follow him. In response, she finished her chocolate stout, wiped her mouth with a napkin and straightened out her suit before standing up to go follow everyone else.

---

The Meeting

​

The entire group congregated at a blocked off meeting area. Taking note of Mr. Courtland smoking a Cigar, Nanami proceeded to go find a seat further away from him as she didn't want to inhale the smoke, worried for the health of her baby, while Asumi took a seat closer, not entirely all that bothered by the cigar scent.

"I trust you have all been well."

While Asumi nodded and set her interlocked hands on the table, Nanami just started rubbing her belly again, only nodding as she set one hand on the table. However, before either she or Asumi could say anything, Mr. Courtland went straight to business.

"I will spare us the pleasantries and formalities. You have all been summoned by the Triad for a special mission. You all have unique giftings and the Triad has deemed it necessary for you all to work together to accomplish its next goal."

So she was right, everyone here was summoned by the Triad. However, Nanami was surprised to hear that the Triad was specifically requesting that they all work together. The Sharp-looking man then proceeded to try and protest, but was quickly shut down by Mr. Courtland.

"I am aware that many of you work best alone, however it is not the Triad's wish for that to happen for this particular mission. You must work together. It is their will."

Who were they to argue with the Triad? Being expelled from the Sanctus was a death sentence, so disobeying even the request for them all to work together. Nonetheless, Nanami was hopeful that everyone could get along, mainly because that was going to be integral for working as a team. Asumi on the other hand, wasn't too thrilled, but was at least willing to try as she had often wondered what it was like to work with a team. This was also an opportunity for her to get out of her shell and be a little more...social. After all, it was what her Mother suggested. 'Mother knows best, I guess...' she thought.

"You see, this mission is highly sensitive and requires various parts to move at once. You all must virtually strike at the same time so they don't see you coming."

Up next, was the question of who they were hunting, killing. And for the Triad to call for her even though they knew she was pregnant left Nanami to think that they were desperate or in a very precarious position. But for all the targets to be eliminated at once...how was that going to be accomplished?

"Ms. De La Vega, if you will."

Playing around on her iPad a little bit, the table in front of everyone proceeded to go from an ordinary looking wooden table into an LED Screen, much to the surprise of both Asumi and Nanami, as they always knew the Triad for being more old-school, since it offered more of an opportunity to be discreet, versus cutting edge tech, but perhaps times have truly changed and the Triads were looking to modernize the respective sanctuaries.

"Well goddamn. Ain't never seen a table do that before…"

The man's comment ended up being largely ignored. Must've been a stranger to these kind of things though. However, Nanami did agree with him, mainly because she was surprised too. The screen then showed a global map, prompting Nanami to frown as traveling by pain was terribly uncomfortable for her, not to mention the trouble she went through to get a Doctor's Note to board the plane to get to this Sanctuary. And now she had to travel to eliminate a few targets on the behalf of the Triad. At least she could have one last hurrah before labor and delivery?

"These are the last known locations of the Renegades. They are a group of conspirators looking to overthrow the Triad."

Both women could feel their blood running cold. To overthrow a world leader or even a crime boss was one thing. But to overthrow the Triad, one of the most powerful groups in the world of organized crime? That was unheard of! Impossible even! But for someone to even have the courage and the ego to attempt it, Asumi couldn't help but wonder if she should be impressed or terrified. As bloodthirsty as she could be at times, even she knew better then to cross the Triad! Nanami on the other hand, was more alerted to the danger of the upcoming job. Well, as long as she didn't get hit in the stomach, she'd be okay, right? Stealth and fast reaction time were going to be not only her best friends, but her greatest allies as well. Along with the element of surprise, the last enemy she truly wanted to face right now. To make it even more crazy, she didn't even know WHO the Triads were. As far as both women knew, until recently, or even now, someone has finally seen the face of the Triad! After all this time...

"The rumors of mutiny are true and the Triad seeks to eliminate the threat immediately. They cannot let something like this go unpunished nor let it fester for long. Your mission is to find the Renegades and eliminate them before they garner more members towards their cause.

Nanami nodded in agreement, while Asumi took in the gravity of the whole situation. Find those who have been expelled from the Sanctus...and kill them. Many of them. And because there was the matter of them swaying others to their cause, chances were they'd have to kill several others to get to their targets should things get out of hand, which was going to be likely. They were renegades, expelled from the Sanctus and marked for death, of course they'd turn to just about anyone for help if they could! But a mutiny...? The perpetrators of that attempt weren't only going to die, but they were going to die screaming...

His Concierge proceeded to take over the meeting on his behalf as he set his glass of scotch down.

"The Renegades are expelled Santus members that were not eliminated as they should have been and instead amassed influence and have encouraged others to abandon their vow and stand against the Triad."

She then pressed another command on her iPad and three red dots lit up on the map. Milan, Morocco and...Seoul. Nanami proceeded to let out an audible sigh as she saw that Seoul was one of the main targets. Asumi wasn't too happy about it either, but if she needed to go there, she would. Still there were a total of...six of them. So it was going two people per location. But how many renegades were they going to be taking down? How many more were standing in their way? Many factors needed to be considered and everything had to be done right. One wrong move and it was going to be an all out war and a successful mutiny. One other question that Asumi did have, was how were the renegades able to travel between the three places without risking detection?

"They are believed to have headquarters in Milan, Morocco, and Seoul. The threat is immediate and requires precision. All locations must be targeted simultaneously. They cannot know you are attacking and they cannot be allowed to warn each other and formulate any plans. Eliminate them completely and be handsomely rewarded."

After a few more commands entered on the iPad, the Table reverted back to its original form. It was going to be a hell of a mission and the Triad wasn't going to be taking no for an answer. But they were being rewarded handsomely. All they needed now was a list of names, passage to these three cities, arrangements on who was partnering with who... Mr. Courtland puffed smoke from his cigar and then broke the brief silence.

"$5 million…each. But, there is a caveat. You only receive the reward if you all participate and if you all are successful. These are experienced members. They will not be easily taken down. Failure is not an option."

At the thought of going in pairs, Nanami averted eye-contact with her colleagues, as she knew that it was not likely any of them wanted to pair up with her because she was in the late stage of her pregnancy and they were likely thinking about the possibility of her going into labor mid-mission. But the Triad did not care. As long as these renegades were handled and eliminated, killed, would they be satisfied. "I may be about to pop any day now, but I don't think the Triad really cares. I shall be of service. One way or another." She finally replied, able to break her silence now that the briefing was near its end.

Asumi nodded and straightened out her sleeves and her hair. "I am as well. The sooner these Renegades are eliminated, the sooner I may return home and go back to spending time with my Mother, whatever time she may have left in this world. All we need is a list of names of who we are hunting. And between the six of us, we need to decide who will be partnering up with who." She looked around at her Colleagues, wondering who would speak up first in terms of partnership, as she didn't know where to start on that.

Neither did Nanami. However, she did look towards the well-dressed man. Mr. Moretti, was it? The two could pass as a wealthy couple and make their way to their target and eliminate them quietly. Nanami did have a plan, the question is would Moretti listen and would it work?

 

[Mister_Veeeee]

Three locations, each in a different country, with multiple targets at each. All must be eliminated simultaneously by effectively three two-man teams. All probably strangers to each other, and few that probably don't understand teamwork since they prefer to work solo. One of them is pregnant and expecting any day now. Five million payout each and only if all three team are successful. Stakes are high as the difficulty of the mission with such low pay. In Viktor's eyes, it's a shit sandwich and disaster is bound to strike. To many moving parts and to much that could go wrong. Especially with such a small team. Personally thinking this should've been split into three separate missions with three separate teams of four to six. Sadly these five other individuals will be all he has to work with and refusals was impossible. Getting through this alive is going to be a very tall order.

After two of the members spoke their piece he sat back in his chair relaxing before he spoke. "I have several questions. How many targets are there and who? How much personnel do each of the headquarters have at their disposal? What gear do they have for combat? What's security like at each location? What's the deadline? What's the acceptable amount collateral damage? Are we allowed to hire additional help? Are there any other restrictions other than the attack on each location starting at the same time? Also I would like to request the pay be increased to twenty million each. An operation this size normally requires much larger team and easily cost more than quarter billion to pull off." To Viktor these questions were standard, and price negotiation were important if he was to get acceptable compensation for the amount work required to be done. While awaiting the response of man giving the brief or concierge. Viktor gaze swept across the room to guage the others reactions. He may not be new to the business but being new to organizations he still needed learn more on how things work here.

--------‐‐--------------------------------------------------------------
(By @Reina )

The manager flicked the ash from the tip of his cigar onto the ash tray. He was pleased with Ms. Higashi and Ms. Yamamoto and their quick response to the call but had his attention diverted as he listened to Viktor's questions. He was one of the newest members of the Sanctuary so Arthur knew he was still learning.

He straightened a little taller and stared into the eyes of the other man. "Most of those questions, Mr. Salvador, you will have to find the answers for yourself. All of you will. What we do know is the Renegades have headquarters in those locations and that they stick to those headquarters for safety. What's inside? Well, you will need to find that out to be successful. They are all very much aware that there will be a bounty on their heads. Anyone who challenges the Triad would know that. What they do not know is that their plan has already been uncovered and they do not know who is coming, when, or in what way. That is our advantage. Hence the need to strike at once."

He turned to look at all the members at the table. "You are all responsible for the gathering of information and the reporting back to the Sanctuary what you know in a timely fashion. There is no deadline however I am sure you are all very much aware that time is of the essence to ensure this uprising is handled accordingly." He turned his eyes back to Viktor. "As far as collateral damage? Well..."

Miles chimed in in that moment. "Whatever the fuck gets the job done."

The manager paused but nodded in agreement. "Just get it done. It doesn't matter how. Should you need additional assistance...please let Ms. De La Vega know. She will handle such things as discretion is a must for this mission." He set his cigar down onto the tray and sat back in his chair. He steepled his fingers under his chin in quiet contemplation for a moment as he thought of Viktor's final question.

"Mr. Salvador. I am aware that you are new to the Sanctuary and this is your first call directly from the Triad. It is a very large request for a first timer. I am sure. Both you and Mr. Kooper have a slight disadvantage in that aspect, however, make no mistake, the compensation proposed is adequate. Any armor, ammunition, weaponry, technology and accommodations will be provided for by the Sanctuary. All overhead costs will be covered. Think of it as the cost of your...labor. "

Santa bent over and showed something on her iPad to the manager quickly. He nodded and continued, "What we can do, as we know it is quite the request, is also provide Sanctus coins. This should prove to be beneficial to you, yes? As a newer member, you are most likely in need of that. Does that answer your questions, Mr. Salvador?"

--‐---‐-----------------------------------------------------------------

Viktor listened to man's words carefully. "It indeed does. Six to take out multiple targets at three locations. Presumably two personnel per location. All attacks will start simultaneously. No limits on the amount destruction as long as the job is complete. Parts and material cost covered by the Triad. Very well, i shall do what I know best." Stating his compliance to the task at hand. He held his other thoughts to himself as he waited for the others responses. Feeling that the time for planning would come after this meeting was adjourned. Though he had more confident look about him, he knew it's still a rough situation. Just that now budget and method was of no concern. The only thing left was to confirm the headquarters location and plan the best way to level it along with the targets inside.

 

[Lyrikai]

Without having to wait long, pleasantries all set aside for the moment, the matter was open and laid out before them. Right to business then, was it? A stipulation had been laid out straight away that they were to work together with seemingly no exception. At this, Tane allowed himself to take several glances at the others in the room. He didn't know any of them. He didn't know their names nor their skills, nor anything about them save for what he could see and decipher at a glance. If he was supposed to work together with these folk, he supposed that, at the very least, it was going to be one hell of a great opportunity to get to know them.

It was hard to think of himself as anywhere near their level. Certainly most everyone here had been here far longer than Tane had. It was obvious. He was the epitome of the poster child "new guy" on the block here. All he could hope was that he could prove he was able to stand with the rest. If this was the mission to put that to the test, he was so ready. "Looking forward to working with you all," he said, giving the sweetest of smiles. He could put on a bright face, politeness just dripping. He was in a good mood and there was no reason to sour that just yet.

The mission in particular did sound like quite a handful, however, if he was being honest with himself. He was listening as calmly as possible, face impassive once he lost his cheery little smile of greeting towards the others. Multiple targets through multiple parts of the world, all needing to be eliminated virtually simultaneously. If that alone didn't sound like a tough thing to do, they were former members. Expelled. Rebelling. Rogue players. Tane let out a loud sigh of air through his nostrils. Tricky tricky indeed.

This definitely was going to be one of those make you or break you sorts of jobs. Questions were being tossed back, the important sorts that they were all going to need to know; such as the number of targets and what security they were leading. Unable to answer most of them, it was just as well. These were all tasks they were going to have to perform, answers they were going to have to get for themselves.

"Sounds like it'll be anything but a walk in the park," he remarked, eyebrow quirked curiously. Upon the sound of his name, he felt it necessary to speak up. "It's not quite... what I was hoping for as my first big assignment, but, hey... can't win 'em all." He shrugged his shoulders haplessly. He couldn't very well back out now, could he? "When you're going up against an experienced fighter in the ring, one that has a distinct advantage against you, best way to fight back is to find a way to turn their own strength against them. If you can't out-box them, out-wit them instead. I'm all about turning my disadvantages into advantages." There had to be a way. There were always options. Hands dragged up his face, digging back through his hair.

"Yeah," he said a moment later, "Yeah alright. What the hell. Count me in if I gotta say it officially. I'm looking forward to working with you all."

 

[Reina]

"Well I'll be damned," remarked Miles as he sat back further into his chair and looked around at the various members of the Sanctuary that were called on this mission. "Three destinations, six people and we have to hit them all at once?" He whistled his sigh and raised his brows. "Well shit if that ain't the hardest mission I've ever been on." His eyes moved once again over everyone. "Means we gotta split into groups of two, at least."

"No shit, Sherlock," interjected Vincent who looked more uncomfortable than when he first came in. Vincent sat up straighter and leaned forward a bit over the table, turning his attention away from everyone and towards Arthur. "Mr. Van Courtland…Arthur. Surely the Triad does not expect us to completely work together. Surely they are aware of the… conditions of some of these members."

Arthur steepled his fingers beneath his chin again and stared back at Vincent. "Are you doubting the will of the Triad? Or that I did not deliver the message appropriately? Everyone at this table is best suited for this mission. Each carries unique qualities that the Triad has found to be most beneficial."

Vincent moved even closer. "No, no. I do not doubt the Triad or you. I simply suggest…what I mean is that…" This time it was his eyes that fell on everyone before coming back to Arthur again. "For fuck's sake, Arthur, you cannot expect me to attempt to team up with two newbies, a fucking hillbilly and an extremely pregnant woman! There's probably only one other person at this table worth a damn but I work best alone."

"The fuck you say?!" Miles pushed his chair back suddenly, rose to his feet and stared angrily at Vincent.

Vincent's eyes turned back to Miles and stared into them with equal parts anger. "I didn't stutter."

"Gentleman," interrupted Santa. "I do remind you of the rules of the Sanctuary."

Miles sat first but kept his eyes on Vincent the entire time mumbling 'asshole' under his breath. Vincent's gaze met his but ultimately returned them to Arthur. "Clearly, it won't work."

Arthur had remained stoic throughout the exchange, keeping calm and silent the entire time until the attention was returned to him. "I see." It was all he said for a solid minute. The time ticked away slowly, tortuously until Arthur spoke again. "The Triad's decision is final. There is no further discussion or negotiation. You know, you all know, the repercussions of not following Triad orders." He pushed back on his chair and rose to his feet, rebuttoning and adjusting the jacket of his suit. Santa grabbed his drink for him and Arthur grabbed his cigar, placing it in the corner of his mouth before taking the drink back in his hand.

"We will reconvene in this room at 9am sharp tomorrow morning. I expect to hear preliminary plans by then. Please enjoy your evening," he said as he began to make his way, with Santa, out of the room.

"Arthur…Arthur, wait," Vincent called back but Arthur paid him no mind and left them in the room, the six of them alone. Vincent ran a hand hard through his hair in his frustration and sat back defeated in his chair. He refused to look at anyone.

"You're a fucking prick, you know that?" Miles commented as he looked at Vincent but didn't say anything more to him and Vincent didn't return any insults. Miles sighed and looked around the room. "Well, it doesn't seem like we got much choice in the matter so might as well make the best of it. If we're gonna split up into teams then we gotta get to know each other so we can team up properly. For those that don't know me, I'm Miles Thatcher. Explosives extraordinaire. I'm loud and I ain't apologizing for it. I'm the guy the Triad calls when they want to make a spectacle of things. That asshole over there with the stick up his ass," he said as he gestured towards Vincent, "is Vincent Moretti. Heir of the Moretti family and he thinks he's better than everyone. We go way back."

Vincent returned his attention to Miles, glaring at the man but knowing he couldn't do anything to him…at least not here. "Fuck you, Miles. This is ridiculous. There is no way any of us can make this work. There is too much on the line and not enough…assets. And I am especially not working with you."

"Doesn't seem like we got a choice, Vinny," Miles teased.

"Do not call me that," Vincent said through gritted teeth. For once, the fool was right. They didn't have a choice. He sighed heavily, not at all hiding his disdain for all of this but knowing he had no other options and time wasn't on his side. "As the buffon over there has already mentioned, I am Vincent Moretti and I'm a sniper. I have specialized in various weaponry and hand to hand combat. I am a black belt but mostly I keep to the shadows."

"He's the guy you don't see coming until it's too late," Miles interjected.

"Unlike you," Vincent retorted. "Either way, you can see why that would pose a problem for me. Most of you would draw attention to me." He rolled his head back in disbelief. "But since I apparently either have to team up with one of you or be executed…What's everyone's story?" Not that he actually cared about any of them but he needed to know who he needed to team up with.

 

[Blood Lightning]

Nanami A. Higashi & Asumi Yamamoto

​

Well, Miles wasn't wrong, this was going to be the hardest mission they've all been on. Multiple locations with multiple targets that must be taken out in a simultaneous and synchronized attack. While everyone else showed some form of excitement at the proposal of working together, Vincent seemed rather unhappy with the arrangement and proceeded to speak out against it. However, Mr. Courtland was rather quick to put the arrogant man in his place. If everyone had their way, Asumi was confident everyone would go it alone in some capacity, or on bare minimum, Vincent goes off by himself and everyone else works together. Unfortunately, that would be a relatively unrealistic scenario as one location would be left unattended and that would give surviving renegades enough time to go underground to escape the wrath of the Triad.

Asumi folded her arms when Vincent had said that there was only one person worth a damn at the table, then displayed her annoyance when she realized that it was her. Because Miles was the 'fucking hillbilly', Tane and Viktor were both fresh blood...and Nanami was the 'extremely pregnant woman'. Well, that was disrespectful. Of course, Miles was a little worked up at being called a hillbilly. Likewise, Nanami was offended at the remark towards her pregnancy. Before it could escalate further though, Arthur reminded both men of the rules of the Sanctuary, which included not conducting business on hotel grounds. Overall. despite Vincent's objections, Arthur remained firm and true to both the will and the wishes of the Triad, before reminding everyone in the room what would very likely follow should any of them go against the Triad in any way. At that moment, Nanami took her chance to speak, even if it was to make a quip given Vincent's current attitude. "Never crossed my mind, Mr. Courtland...I'm too pregnant for that."

Before there was much of a chance to say anymore, Arthur said his peace, letting the group know that they'd reconvene in this meeting room at 9AM tomorrow morning to discuss preliminary plans...and bid them farewell, wishing them a wonderful evening. As he walked away, Vincent had attempted to call out to him, only to be ignored as Arthur left the room. Next, were introductions, starting with Miles. And given that he addressed Vincent by name, both Nanami and Asumi could only assume that they have encountered one another in the past at some point. But it was quite obvious that they did not get along. So one guy was a loud mouth with a thing for explosives and Nanami could only guess he also had an itchy-trigger finger. On the other hand, Vincent was an heir to a crime family. Hmmm, at least they now knew where the vain and arrogant demeanor came from...

While Miles specialized in explosives, Vincent was a Sniper, or at least a Weapons Specialist with training in hand-to-hand combat. When he mentioned a Black Belt, Nanami became curious. Well, at least until he said that he mostly kept to the shadows. Almost the opposite of Miles, who preferred to go in guns blazing, Vincent preferred the Stealth approach. After the two had their back and forth, the introductions would continue. Asumi and Nanami looked at each other and at the two fresh blood. Nanami then decided to go next, caressing her belly as she contemplated on where to start. "Mmm, guess I'll go next. I'm Nanami Higashi and I'm a Martial Artist. I'm a Fourth Dan Black Belt in Taekwondo, a Purple Belt in Brazilian Jujitsu, Brown Arm Band in Muay Thai, First Dan Black Belt in Kyokushin Karate, Red Belt in Jeet Kune Do, Blue Belt in Krav Maga...and I have seven years of experience in Bokh, Mongolian Wrestling." And Nanami was quite proud of her resume, and the experience she held as a Martial Artist. "I also have a decade of training in the use of Firearms and Knife Combat. I prefer the use of my hands over anything else, but since I'm...very, very pregnant, I will have to keep my distance. Any hits to my stomach can easily prove fatal to my baby. And look, if it was up to me, I'd be at home in bed, drinking tea and reading a book, but I guess Maternity Leave isn't really a thing in this line of work, so...here I am." She sighed. "About three days from now, I'll be thirty-seven weeks into my pregnancy, so hopefully we can get everything done within the next three weeks...five weeks if my baby wants to be stubborn, but I have no way to gauge that." Nanami then straightened out her dress and took another deep breath. "And whoever decides to team up with me, know that we'll have the element of surprise on our side. I suspect that the renegades won't give me much of a second look, which would give my partner a chance to take them down without too much opposition. As a last resort, I'll keep at least a Handgun on me...just so that I am not a complete sitting duck."

With that, Nanami's introduction was concluded, leaving Asumi to go next. "My turn then. My name is Asumi Yamamoto. I followed in the footsteps of both my parents and my Brother, which leads me into today. Initially, I followed this path and went into this life to avenge my Father before retiring to take care of my Mother as she enters her twilight years, but looks like the Triads have other plans. As a Combatant, I prefer the use of firearms and like to take my enemies down fast and hard. Rifles, shotguns, pistols...I use them all. Go in guns blazing, take the quiet approach...name it, you'll get it. One way or another."

Now all that was left, were the two new bloods.

 

[Mister_Veeeee]

Viktor listen quietly as the briefing came to an end and introductions began. After the two ladies introduced themselves he could feel shift of the attention of the room turn towards him and the other new member to speak up. Focusing his attention on Vincent first, "Mr. Vincent, while I may be new to this organization I'm far from new to this line of work and have over twenty years of of experience. If anything I could teach you a thing or two kid." He states calmly before addressing the rest of table."Names Viktor Salvador. I specialize in recon, artillery and operating in hostile environments. I can operate anything from motar setups all the way to missile launchers. Normally sitting over five kilometers away. Also have long history of being in active battlefields using machine guns, shotguns, grenade launchers, and any other small arms. Outside this organization I'm called in for one of three reasons. One, is help coordinate and make plans for all manner of operations. Mostly on how personal get in and how they can get out. Two, operation and coordination of artillery fire. Getting gear into position and delivering the payload of motars, shells, and/or missile. Third and the most common reason. Operating in in the most hostile and war torn battlefields. From open fields to urban districts where one wrong step is a landmine or battalion of enemy troops around every corner. Cause when shit hits the fan and air is filled with lead and explosives. I'm the ticket home. That said, while this type of mission isn't new to me. Doing it with only six people wont be easy."

Now turning to face Nanami. "As for you and your pregnancy. It would best to use those three to five weeks doing recon and planning to make sure each team has a reliable plan with backups. Excuting the operation after you given birth and had a few days to recover. While using it for a cover as you mentioned is a good idea under normal circumstances. For this missions specifically your pregnancy would only be a time bomb that will have this whole operation go up in smoke and probably get all of us killed. Also you'll be more useful not carrying such..," Viktor pausing for second to think a bit more carefully about what he was going to say, "...precious cargo." Leaving a short pause before turning to Miles. "As for partners I would like to team with Mr. Thatcher. Artillery and demolition typically go hand in hand after all. I'm thinking of going to the targets in Morocco. Get a few the local warbands in the area to start fighting with their hq in the middle of it probably protected by one of the such warbands. We go in taking advantage of the chaos to clean up the renegades while they think it's just another dispute between rival warbands. That or just liter their headquarters and everything in a mile radius of it with missiles. Maybe flood the area with Mustard gas? Cut off all escape routes and force them to move through a choke point only to be met with a wall of lead from mounted machinguns and an active minefield? Which do you think sounds more fun?" The sound of excitement creeping into his voice as something more sinister peeks it's head out behind his calm demeanor.

His body language and the look in his eye slowly start to shift. Like his brain just changed gears. The ruthless battle junkie side of him starting to show. The side of him that some men have been relieved that he's on their side. Some respecting his way life as form of art. Others though, fear him, wondering from which Hell hole did he crawl from. The polar opposite of the man he carries himself as on day to day life. Part of the reason the Triad recruited him and why he earned his title of 'Jekyll and Hide' amongst the few members that have worked with him.

 

[Lyrikai]

Just a few minutes into this meeting and already was one among their ranks going at it, ready about to pick a fight he looked like. While Tane didn't blame him in the slightest, it was getting increasingly harder to sit here and listen without losing his cool himself. Vincent and Miles they introduced themselves as. Tane smiled at least in Miles' direction, saying, "It's a pleasure to meet you." An explosives expert, eh? Well that was certainly an exciting, high energy sort of business to be in. Dangerous, sure. But useful as well. Something that could easily come in handy on such a dangerous mission like this. Of course, a sharp shooter like this Vincent was an equally (if not more so) useful skill set, but Tane wasn't quite sure yet what to make of this fellow if he wanted to try and get along or just get this job done with. Smiling still, he gave a dip of his head, "And you as well." Well, he could at least extend a courtesy and be polite. He was good at that.

He was much more interested in hearing about the ladies of the group. They were far more polite, less willing to go at anyone else's throat, it seemed, and he appreciated that. Right to business Nanami went with introducing herself and laying out quite the long string of martial arts training He could only assume that very little of that would be of much use right now while she had that precious little life growing inside her. Up close and personal, it would be all too easy to take just that one hit that might end that life before it even came into this world. Now that would be a tragedy, wouldn't it? "A pleasure," he said once again, "I think, or at least I hope I can speak for everyone here that we don't want anything tragic to happen to that child." It deserved a long and full life and to not end abruptly before the poor thing even had a chance.

His fellow new blood was eager and chatty, though he seemed to know what he was talking about. Thankfully no bullshit came spewing out of his mouth and Tane found himself nodding along. Maybe this would be another he could get along with. He wasn't exactly here to make friends obviously, but being on friendlier terms definitely made working with someone a whole hell of a lot easier.

"Guess that leaves me last then," he said, speaking up finally with more than just his greetings to the others. "Tane Kooper." Giving his name firstly, he didn't exactly have a whole impressive string of proud titles and skills to offer, so he mostly just said, "I don't really like talking about myself, but if it helps and everyone else is doing it... I mostly get my kicks in the ring. Street fighting and all that. Boxing, wrestling, you name it. It's mostly improvisational. You make do with what you can and anything that isn't tied down is fair game for use. If you can pick it up, I can probably make a weapon out of it. But if it's traditional weapons you want, I've spent a lot of my free time out in the woods or on the range and I'm pretty skilled with a gun just in case you need me to hang back." While he found much more satisfaction in breaking someone's teeth with a fist or a shovel, a bullet would also do the job just fine.

"I know I'm a new guy here, but I'll follow your lead and obey any rules laid out so I don't hold anyone back."

 

[Reina]

Miles slapped the side of his leg in excitement. "Dammit, Viktor! You just spoke my love language! You're my man now!" The clear excitement in his tone was enough to annoy an already annoyed Vincent but Miles didn't care. He turned his body completely to face Viktor, enthralled at the prospect of turning a country upside down. "I ain't never been to Morocco but blowing shit up is my middle name. You had me at demolition and set me over the edge with chaos and landmines. I'm in. Let's do them all!" It was hard for Miles to find someone who had a similar love of all things chaotic as he did but he was happy the Triad brought in this particular newbie. He was an asset for sure, even if Vincent didn't see it that way. "Looks like we're all set on this side. Now y'all have to decide who you're teaming up with," Miles said as he returned his attention to the table.

Vincent rolled his eyes and groaned in frustration but turned his attention to Nanami. "Now that those two are set…Answer me this. Do you honestly think we can take down these Renegades before you give birth? In just three weeks? Are you absolutely mad, woman? We'll be three weeks in with just recognizance alone. There is no way that works." He remarked before slumping further into his seat. "I'll admit you have an impressive set of skills, especially in hand to hand combat, and would have probably thought differently about it but your skills are useless in your current condition. You're useless in this condition."

"Hey!" spoke up Miles. "That's uncalled for, you hear me? Didn't them damn Morettis teach you any manners? That's not how you talk to a woman."

Vincent continued, unbothered by Miles, "I'm just speaking facts. At least, the old man has some sense to know that we need to do recon first," Vincent remarked, making a dig at Viktor's earlier mention of kid. "You're a fucking liability," he said to Nanami. "You're going to get us all killed or discovered which would kill the whole goddamn mission. I might as well have the manager just execute me now instead of walking into a fucking suicide mission."

He rose to his feet and paced around the room, unable to contain the discomfort and unease he felt. "Fact of the matter is, this whole goddamn thing is doomed from the start. Miles wants to take care of the elderly, that's on him. I'll warn you though, old man," he said to Viktor, "that he can't keep his trap shut." He continued his pacing, knowing there was very little he could do from this point. He couldn't even walk away or couldn't try to change the manager's mind. Things were set and there was no point in trying anything else but he just couldn't be with any of these people. He couldn't stand any of them and he didn't even know most of them.

"Tane, right?" he said as he looked at the other newbie in the room. "You'll need someone to guide you and I'm no teacher. I don't need a street fighter's skills when I literally work diligently to not draw attention to myself. You're best suited with someone else. No offense, I just don't need you. I can throw a punch myself if I need to. Maybe you can throw a punch for the pregnant one," he said as he gestured carelessly to Nanami. "Good luck with that. Which leaves me with Asumi. If you're fine with the quiet approach…we can team up. We can take Seoul."

 

[Blood Lightning]

With the way Vincent was behaving, Nanami was pretty sure she could just fart and he'd get mad. And at this stage of her pregnancy, she could get relatively gassy depending on what she eats. While he went on his rant, the expectant mother just silently caressed her belly, listening and wondering when it would end. Even Tane, in her mind, was a little more mature. And nice. The only thing that Nanami wasn't the most thrilled about was the fragility she was being treated with. Not that she blamed anyone. After all, her baby was indeed precious cargo. But at least Viktor and Miles were getting along great!

"Now that those two are set…Answer me this. Do you honestly think we can take down these Renegades before you give birth? In just three weeks? Are you absolutely mad, woman? We'll be three weeks in with just recognizance alone. There is no way that works."

'Oh really?' She thought. Wow, this man really was full of himself, very arrogant and vain too. Sure, she's pregnant, but she wasn't disabled or sick. Like if she was in a wheelchair or had a terminal illness, then okay, she'd understand and the Triads would just be the worst people at that point. Right now, they were just terrible for yanking her out of maternity leave. No doubt they knew that she was pregnant and approaching her due date...and decided to call upon her anyway under the threat of death if she refused...

"I'll admit you have an impressive set of skills, especially in hand to hand combat, and would have probably thought differently about it but your skills are useless in your current condition. You're useless in this condition."

Now Nanami was taken aback by this comment. Goodness, just when she thought that he couldn't go any lower in degrading her, he did just that. Even Asumi thought that the jabs at Nanami's pregnancy was uncalled for. Really, the Triads were real jackasses for calling her here. Wasn't her fault. If anything, judging by how everyone felt about Vincent by now, they could probably all agree on that he was probably going to be extremely insufferable to work with if this was how he was gonna be.

As the conversation continued, Miles proceeded to stick up for her. To be fair, if this was how he spoke to Nanami, how was he gonna treat Asumi if she screwed up his careful, meticulous planning? Not that she would...Though she might just to spite him, which, from the current interaction, was gonna be a very easy thing to do. However, even Asumi found Vincent to be overstepping when he said that he may as well die at the hands of Arthur then go on a mission on behalf of the Triads because it's allegedly doomed from the start. Well that's not very optimistic...

The two women then looked at each other when he decided to leave some mean comments for Tane, who hasn't even done anything wrong. Well, unless being fresh blood was a crime. Because it might as well be. Sure, Viktor may be new as well, but he did retain a lot of combat experience, which would definitely help him in the long run. Finally, Nanami took her chance to speak now that everyone was finished, to some extent, talking. "To answer your question. Yes, I'm pretty confident that we can lay waste to the renegades before I deliver my...precious cargo." She said, breaking her silence. "Hell, if Lady Luck is on our side, maybe the last person we kill will hit the floor right as my water breaks." Nanami shrugged. "Does it sound insane? Yeah, a little bit. However, we are all going to separate locations, so it's not like we're all scouting one place at a time. If we're taking longer then a week for reconnaissance, then we're the ones being too slow. And if you'd rather die then work with any of us, I don't think we're gonna argue. Apparently me growing another human being and denied rest will ruin everything. Viktor and Miles are too loud for you. Tane is too fresh. And Asumi is your last resort because apparently the rest of us aren't good enough, even though Viktor probably has more combat experience then all of us combined. After all, mercenaries aren't called soldiers of fortune for no reason."

Nanami then scanned the room, looking towards the other occupants then the snobbish nobleman before them. Then Asumi took her opportunity to speak. "Not gonna lie, Moretti, you are being really irrational and pessimistic. And really, I'd just take the suppressors off just to spite you because of how obtuse you're being. And since you're so confident on working alone, as all of us are to an extent, you're welcome to go to Seoul by yourself and...I'll catch up after having fun with the boys in Morocco." She said, pointing towards both Viktor and Miles with her thumb.

"And Tane will have more of a proper mentor with Nanami. He may not be as...proficient...for lack of a better word in unarmed combat, but if there was no confidence in his abilities, the Triad would not have requested for him. And he can fight up close, and she'll provide him suppressive fire from a reasonable vantage point." She then stood up from her seat and walked towards Nanami, standing behind her.

"And I think you should play a little nicer with Nanami. It's taking quite a lot for her to put up with your terrible manners, take on probably more then her fair share of the loose renegades...and grow another human being." Asumi then adjusted her tie and straightened out her suit. "And I do agree with her. We can waste the renegades before she pops. And if we're taking longer then a week for reconnaissance, we are being too slow."

She then looked towards Viktor, given his earlier comment. "If we wait until after Nanami has her baby, I don't think it'll go very well for us. Because she needs to take care of a newborn, which, may I remind you, cry a lot and we're gonna be more likely to die because of that. At least while she's pregnant, we won't hear the baby crying out of the blue."

 

[Mister_Veeeee]

"Not sure all of it will fit but worry about that later". Viktor said almost as gleefully. The battle junky starting to show his true colors. Though so did soldier in him when the rest of the table started going back and forth like kids in his eyes. The realization of why he was brought in becoming obvious to him. To babysit a a vain brat that thinks he's on top of the world, and two women that don't seem understand how operation bigger than solo missions work. The fact that greenhorn wasn't the problem boggled his mine but was grateful he was more agreeable than those three. One thing was clear though. Being the gentleman wasn't going to work here, and the battle junkie in him took reign. His voice went from slightly exited to commanding. Like a Four star general just lost his shit. "Are you kidding me?! In all my years I never seen such naivete from so called professionals." His attention turning towards the two women. "I would've expected that from damn greenhorn here due to lack of experience, but professionals that been in awhile. No way! Sit down! Shut up and listen good. You to Moretti I'll get to you in a second. First off, no body body in their right fucking mind brings a damn baby on mission much less let the damn cretin be on comms during an op. So why that was even a concern is ridiculous. Second of all, recon and planning is going to take three to five weeks and it has nothing to do with being slow. It because there's only six of us and three separate locations to account for and we have to gather information on our own. Meaning we don't have any of the networks of personal that can get us the information we need faster. Information that will be key to the success of the mission from infill to extract. With Seoul and Milan requiring the stealth approach cause of JDF in Japan and the Mafia families in Italy. Both of which will ensure you won't make it out alive. Third, the pretentious asshole here is right Nanami. You are useless while pregnant given your greatest asset being your martial arts experience. Also you already pointed out the Triad doesn't grant maternity leave so you're gonna have suck it up and live with not seeing you're newborn for twenty-four to forty-eight hours it will probably take to execute this missions from infill to extract. As for playing nice Yamamoto. Do realize how stupid that sounds? We are all hired killers who just been tasked with a mission that if we fail we die. Playing nice won't get us anywhere nor will underestimating our enemies and thinking they be so easy to take down that should only take week. That kind of shit is how you wind up dead. I've seen to many situations go south and up in flames cause dumbasses underestimated the enemy and tried to do a rush job. If you wanna die then do it on your own damn time. Not when there's a missions with others to be dragged down with your death wish. So as the man, as you mentioned, that has most battle experience here. You will stop that foolish line of thinking and trust the man that's done this kind of shit before." Viktor pausing his rant to take a breath before turning his attention to Vincent.

While Viktor wasn't exactly yelling he was definitely projecting voice as any soldier would when told to sound off. "As for you, get off your high horse you spoiled brat. Just because you're part a family with prestige doesn't mean you're the shit. In fact if you didn't have your head so far up your own ass you would know that others see you an ill mannered disgraceful trash to Moretti name from what I've heard. So maybe you should clean up your act before thinking you can give anyone a warning. Especially an old man that can beat your ass across any battfield you can think of runt." Viktor pausing once to take few deep breath. The look in eyes changing back slightly from battle junkie to man the saw at beginning of the meeting. His posture and demeanor returning as he continued to address the table with a more normal voice. "That said, unless the Triad says otherwise. We will take three to five weeks to do recon. Other than their location we need ascertain the information I mentioned before. Numbers, gear, security, the works. We also need to go in with assumption they are already aware that Triad is sending agents after them because they be fools to think otherwise. The only thing we have drop on is time in which we strike and how we strike. Meaning they won't move hastily or carelessly. Meaning they can't move that fast unless they wish to welcome an exploitable weakness I say. Also there's a secondary mission that be expected of us and that is gathering information during the operation. Making sure those are the only three bases and all members there are only members left. Meaning we will have get all their data once we're in. Make sure there's no additional bases or members in other locations that Triad might've missed. Reporting all findings on at debrief. Any questions?" Viktor said finally opening up the floor so others may speak. Sitting back with calm demeanor he had when he entered the room.

 

[Lyrikai]

The slightest hint of a smirk crossed Tane's face. "No offense taken," he replied back. He was the new guy, there was no taking that away. If the majority here wanted to treat him like a little squirt because of that, who was he to stop them? At some point in their lives, every single person here had been the "new guy" and, surely, they probably received much the same from their elders in the field. It was like a bizarre initiation process that everyone had to go through. All he had to do was work hard and prove that he had been brought in here for a reason. "But I'll get you to eat those words one day."

Being vaguely gestured towards the soon to be mother, Tane sighed. Liability, he had called her. Well that was a little harsh, wasn't it? "Come now. It's not like she knew this was going to happen all those months in advance. Bringing a new life into this world is a beautiful thing no matter the timing." The timing was terrible, but who could be blamed for that? She was here and it was happening, and it wasn't like they could change that. No one could have seen the future to know that 'Hey you're going to be going on an important mission, so maybe put the family on hold and focus solely on work'. The poor lady. She had a life and was being verbally assaulted for being useless because of it.

He was impressed and could relax that he was being vaguely defended by Asumi. So she was right, they were all right in that he didn't have nearly as much experience, but whatever the Triad saw in him, he had no intention of letting them down. "Thank you very much," he said to her, giving his best smile. "I really am looking forward to proving to everyone that I can belong here, too. I may prefer being up close and personal, but that doesn't make me completely useless, does it?" He knew that groups were only as strong as their weakest link, and he was clearly getting dealt the weakest link card. But. He was a hard worker. He was tough. He was resilient and strong and wasn't afraid of getting bloodied to get a job done.

He was doing his best to hold in his temper and keep himself together, just letting others have their say and keeping his words to a minimum. Viktor now, he went all out. Just unleashing like a beast, it would have been nice to have drinks for this, for numerous reason. It was amusing, but it was also kind of painful. Even as he was doing his best to try and maintain some politeness so that they could try to get along long enough to get a job done, there were absolutely going to go nowhere fast if they just kept trying to tear one another's heads off.

Hopefully Viktor's speech would be the end of it. Coming 'round to the end, he finished his spiel with that nice and calm 'Any questions?' remark and Tane's eyebrows were shooting for the roof. "Uhm..." he said firstly, "Well no. No I don't think I] have any questions at the moment. At least not about that first bit. But thank you for that. I think you've said pretty much everything the rest of us were thinking and wanted to say."

 

[Reina]

Vincent had had it. The women had lost their minds thinking they could do recon in a week and execute the mission in another. Nanami, he could almost understand. She needed to be done quickly so she could have her baby but Asumi also thinking the same? It made him seriously doubt any alliance with Asumi. If she thought they could take this all out THAT quickly, then perhaps she was no better than Nanami. Even Tane was starting to look like a much better option for him! He was fucked either way and there were no good choices among any of them.

But even worse was when Viktor went on a whole tirade as if he was some de facto leader of their makeshift group. He went after the women and he most definitely went after him and Vincent was boiling inside the more the man talked. He thought Vincent had some stick up his ass? Well this asshole had a much bigger one and he wasn't about to just take being bashed.

He was being attacked on all sides and he wasn't going to take it anymore. Plus Viktor had pushed one too many buttons with him. Within seconds, Vincent had reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a 9mm he had tucked inside and aimed it straight at Viktor's head just as the man took his seat. "Want to try to say that one more time to me, old man? You think you can just come here and bark orders? Fuck you. Why don't you try to beat my ass now? Let's see how well that goes. You'll have a bullet in your head before you can even get close."

Miles rose to his feet immediately and pulled out a similar pistol he had tucked in his boot. He aimed it right at Vincent's head. "Back off, Moretti. We're in the Sanctuary. You've lost your damn mind if you think you'll get away with pulling that trigger. Hell must've froze over if I'm the reasonable one here lately! Now put your gun down, dammit! Do not risk all of us, you narcissistic asshole!"

Meanwhile, in his office, Arthur was watching the entire interaction with Santa by his side. His assistant tensed when she saw the guns being pulled but Arthur remained stoic. He pulled the cigar from his mouth, puffed out smoke slowly then moved a finger towards a red button underneath his desk. He didn't move. He just watched and waited, finger hovering over the button. If any Sanctuary rules were about to be broken…the consequences would be swift and instantaneous.

 

[Blood Lightning]

Unfortunately for Asumi and Nanami, it was going to get worse and way worse, before there was even a one percent chance of it getting better. If they can't get along within the next few days, they may as well be wiped out, where the hunters become the hunted. Why the men disagreed on the three strongholds being taken down within a week was a bit beyond Asumi. If she was able to eliminate an entire street gang on her own within twenty-four hours with limited resources, then everyone here should be able to eliminate the renegades within a week if not a week and a half, and they had much more resources at their disposal! Either way, the primary reason why both women wanted the job done quickly though, was because they wanted to go home. Nanami wanted to rest and Asumi wanted to spend time with her Mother whose health was in decline. While she couldn't speak for Miles or Tane, it was rather agitating that Viktor and Vincent wanted to take their time. As if they were willing to put everything on the line and risk everything by waiting for Nanami to have her baby. A crying baby could jeopardize everything...but it wasn't like either Viktor or Vincent took that into account. Or if they did, they were ignoring it...

Before Asumi could even speak to justify how they could be done swiftly, Vincent's overinflated ego practically got the better of him and he brandished a pistol on Viktor. And it didn't take long for Miles to do the same, telling him to back off. Nanami flinched as Miles raised his voice. While Victor and Vincent had primarily attacked her, Miles had been nicer to her and she now felt bad about judging him when they were in the lobby. He didn't even make any underhanded comments about the pregnancy. So hell must've really frozen over if the obnoxious redneck was more reasonable one of the three men were now at each other's throats. Once more, before Asumi could take a chance to speak, Nanami practically lost it. "Really!? Naïve!? Are! You! Fucking! Serious!?" She asked, anger lacing her voice as she stood up.

Sadly for Vincent and Viktor, Nanami was already pretty moody and the underhanded comments on the pregnancy, by this point, have pushed over the edge. So she was mad, but not necessarily about to cry quite yet. "At least we can agree that we don't want a newborn with us, which is why I want to get it over with then take our time! If this was a time of war, then okay, sure, we'll take our time. But we're not going up against trained soldiers. We're from different worlds. And if the Triads wanted a war, we'd just throw everything out the damn window and go in guns blazing. Sure, unarmed combat may be my specialty, but it didn't get me through every single fight, every single encounter that I've had over the course of my career." She took a deep breath. "Guns are the workhorses in this world, even I know that. Pulling a trigger can undo years of martial arts training in seconds. Because if I didn't know that, I wouldn't be here! And no one put you in charge! No one's asking you to take the lead. If the Triad wanted us to follow your lead, they would have said it!"

"Not only that, but how the fuck do you think I get into certain places? Not using bombs!" Asumi briefly looked towards Miles. "No disrespect because you've been way more polite then these two." She turned back to both Vincent and Viktor. "Anyway! I don't bat my eyelashes to get into certain places. Deception can work in your favor if you're not continually settling your fights by throwing bombs or using the biggest gun you have and shooting everything in your way."

Nanami's anger slowly faded as she felt a sharp pain in her belly and it worked its way towards her back and down her legs to her feet. She took a deep breath as Asumi went to keep her steady and from falling. "You know what, fuck this. We can talk about it more once we all calm the fuck down. THEN we can sort out what we're good at, what we're not and coordinate more calmly then we are now. And I will admit, maybe one week is too little of time. I'll give it two or three weeks. Max. But if my water breaks midway through...then I hope one of you knows how to deliver a baby while getting shot at."

"Here, let me help you out." Asumi was quick to assist her and the two of them started heading towards the exit. "Good evening, gentlemen..." She said curtly as Nanami opened the door and both women left.

As they walked out towards the bar, Asumi took note at how Nanami was moving slower then usual. "Should I go get the Concierge and ask if she can give you a massage or something? You're really tense at the moment."

"Yeah, actually, that sounds really good right now." She said before taking a deep breath as she held her back.

Asumi then helped the expectant mother to her initial seat by the fireplace before going up to the bar to tell the bartender to call for the Concierge.

 

[Mister_Veeeee]

All Viktor could do was laugh. The girls didn't bother making a remotely decent counter argument. Not that there was one as far as he was concerned. Just they simply failed to address and comment on anything he said. Then Moretti thinking he's tough pulling a gun and talking shit when he forgot his safety. He has delt with tougher crowds but none quite this ridiculous. After he stopped chuckling he looked at Moretti with a smug grin as he pulled out his fifty caliber pistol. Flicking off the safety and chambering a round in one smooth motion. Then firing one round purposely close too Vincent head, the round smashing into wall behind him. Though only to the trained eye it was a deliberately miss. As if it were more to make a statement. "Kid, like I said before, you should clean up your act before you think you can try a damn thing. Cause if this wasn't Sanctuary you be dead Mr. I-Forgot-My-Saftey. Seriously can you do anything other than drag your family's name through the mud? When I heard you're name I was hoping you weren't the stain of a brat your uncle mentioned. Though I'm convinced now that stain must be you. In which case if keep going the way your going. You're going to get disowned boy, with bullet in your back to go with it. As why I'm the one barking orders. It's obvious my job here it babysit you the pretentious brat, and two delusional women who are having trouble understanding the circumstances. You three are worse than most new recruits. I'm unsure what the Triad see in you, but in case you're puny brain didn't understand what I just said. It appears my job is make sure this jobs succeeds and get us out alive. Now stop your pointless bitching, swallow your stupid pride, and try to team with one the two ladies or Tane here. Then come up with a plan with them to present to manager tomorrow. You will do this unless you rather show up empty handed and further embarrassing your family by being incompetent and unable to follow the manager's simple orders."

Viktor's voice was cold and collected. This was obviously not his first time dealing with difficult individuals. He flicked his safety on and holstered his weapon. "Now if anyone cares to join me, I will be having a few drinks at the bar. Good evening gentlemen." He stated as he got up and left the room ignoring anything Vincent had to say. Making sure to find Ms. Vega too discuss covering the cost of repairing the wall before retiring to bar for the evening. He needed to unwind a little after having deal with three troublesome people that might turn this whole operation into a wash. With a grim future lurking ahead, Viktor made his way through Sanctuary.

 

[Lyrikai]

Good fucking grief on buttered toast.

Tane was almost naive enough to think that they were going to be able to calm down and have some reasonable and mature conversation. He had been ready to! He'd been struggling to be one of the calmer ones, doing his best to behave and not lose his mind. His temper was frequently shorter than a match stick and he was truly amazing himself with how well he'd been hanging on to it while others were melting under the pressure and the insults. Here, in this sanctuary, guns were drawn and a sharp hiss escaped Tane's throat. He'd sure damned picked the wrong damned time to fall in with this lot and change his whole life's work and meaning.

Here he'd been about to relax, hoping that the heated bickering was done and that they were about to have finally a normal discussion and a few moment's peace, but the flash of a gun silenced that one straight away. "H-Hey!" Tane protested stupidly. His mouth opened a few times and then shut a few times, racking his brain hard for words. They weren't supposed to be drawing weapons on each other! Okay, so he was new blood and definitely feeling a bit naive and silly that the first and only thing he wanted to declare was 'Oy that's not allowed in here!'. Good job, Tane, he told himself, Keep up with the words of wisdom. He was feeling stupid, so completely stupid.

The ladies were leaving and a he waved a hand, saying, "Now look what you're doing! We're really doing a fantastic job working together. Yes A+ on that!" Lord almighty in whatever heavens above, if this was going to be the level of disfunction between the group, they weren't even going to get close to literally any one of the targets. Nevermind taking them out, they were going to take one another out instead! Terrific. Just terr-fucking-ific. And a hell of a lot of pointless fighting and death that was going to be, too.

He slumped forward in his chair, elbows on his knees, head burying itself in his hands. At this point, he just wanted to go home. A drink at the bar sounded like a nice invitation, but this was more than just a 'I need a drink' matter. There were too many conflicting personalities here and he was struggling to reign himself back from the urge to slam is fists into a few skulls hoping to knock some sense into their brains.

At least weapons were put away before any bullets blasted apart any innards and turned them into any... outards. "Good evening," he uttered softly, voice muffled from where he buried his head. After a tick, he picked up his head. "Ugh. On second thought, maybe I do need a drink. This has been too much excitement for a sober mind to handle."