Thread: Empire - City of Corruption (Black_Out and Violet8518)

The single earbud resonated with music that barely was audible to anyone beyond the man whose workman like black boot quietly tapped in tempo with. Demarius stood with his arms clustered around his chest as he gazed over the abandoned Steinman Hall . Various clean up efforts were underway in preparation for the coming rave that was scheduled to be held here in a little less then two weeks time. Being put in charge of the oversight for this effort wasn't exactly how he wanted to spend a Friday night, but his employers were the hands off sort. They kept themselves squeaky clean of the whole affair. nothing ever seemed to trace back to them. Even the money they funneled into the operation linked to false off shore accounts. Oh well, his wandering thoughts mused, such was the life of a well paid and talented mercenary. Weeks ago the local law enforcement teams that patrolled this forgotten cluster of buildings and streets had been given enough cash to keep themselves clear of the derelict arts hall. The homeless and drug addicted filth that had cloistered together in the sanctuary of the decaying massive stone building had been cleared out. To ensure cooperation a special little package had been delivered to the wild card calling himself the Vagabond. A nice snug fitting suit of light weight kevlar body armor. From the reports Demarius had gotten back he seemed quite overjoyed with the gift, and was content to allow their little party to go off without any interference. There was more at play here though then a some large party to profit off of. Those socialite elitists didn't make meager investments with their money. No, they had plans, and Demarius was one of the few that knew what those plans entailed. Ten girls were going to be selected out of the assembled flock of drugged up revelers. Ten pretty things that would go missing that night. They'd be swept out of here through secured exits . Loaded into waiting vans that would see them swiftly off to the docks. There they'd be loaded in sound proof metal containers while kept in a state of helpless slumber. Where they went to from there, he didn't know or care. All he knew was that they would eventually be sold. That's where the big profit for this all would come pouring in from. His commission made the bore of it all worth it. Out of habit he checked one of his disposable phones. Still no word and he found his lips pursing in curiosity at that. He was expecting a message rather promptly when the package of Euphoria was secured and waiting on the answer back about receiving more in the next shipment. Sometimes these things took time, or just didn't go as planned. He figured he'd give them a little longer, then if he had to he'd call in a favor and have the scene checked out. Alfonso Cinder owed him that much at least. Breaking his pyromaniac reckless ass out of the high tech hell that was Empire Asylum Isle was no easy or cheap task. Alfonso was good at cleaning up messes. Typically it was hard to find anything of worth in the ashes he was prone to leave behind. Demarius took in a deeply bored breath which caused his mustache to flutter as he looked about the vast old hall. Fresh bright and vibrant paints were being sprayed in layers that would make the room shine in the strobing black lights that were to be installed in the coming days. Thin hoses spider webbed almost invisibly across the ceiling. They were meant to provide a cooling mist that would cover the majority of the wide open dance floor. Once the party was in full swing, with the flick of a switch that cooling spray would be flooded with a short blast of Euphoria. The entire packed crowd would be saturated. Give it a little time to kick in, then the ten young ladies they planned on abducting would be easy pickings. Plan for the worst though, his mind turned to dealing with another potential pitfall that was harder to anticipate. The vigilantes, the so called heroes of Empire City. They could be a particular menace to their intentions here. Especially the one the media was calling the Crystal Blade. Though they butted heads from time to time, news traveled fast between the different criminal aspects operating in the city. The unpredictable heroes were a thorn in plenty of their sides. Which made it a rather well known fact among those in the loop that she'd been actively working to disrupt the Euphoria trade. At least there was one less to worry about with Justicar recovering in the hospital. That probably meant two, as that sassy little vixen calling herself Major Power would potentially be preoccupied. They'd been known to work together, hopefully she had revenge on her mind. His habit returned as he was once again drawn to check his phone. Still no word from that deal taking place at the park. Just a few more minutes, then he'd call that favor into Cinder. ----------------------------------------- The crew of men, members of the Hell's Helpers were always on call. It was all part of climbing the totem pole of the Hell's Helpers. The fresh new recruits sold the drugs. They didn't know enough to cause much trouble if they got snagged. After enough of that they were taken under Tom Tanner 's wing. They were to be ready to go at a moments notice at his word. They never knew when or where the next shipment was going to show up until Tom told them. It was always a hustle as soon as those words left his lips. Face's came and went from the operation, no one ever stayed to long, except for the man they called Tanner. He was saddled with running this particular show and he made it quite clear to not bother the driver of the boat one bit. Just unload the stuff, get it loaded into the vans, and get it to their dealers. The speedy little boat had pulled up alongside a large unlit section of the public docks and remained lightly tethered there. It's engine was softly purring just above the sounds of the waves that were washing up and around the thick beams of the dock. Hugh Morgis watched from the darkness as a small train of assembled men worked to unload a palette of Euphoria that was strapped to the open flat bed of the boat. He hated the elevated seat on this fast little schooner, this suit was so fucking uncomfortable. After awhile he just found himself standing. That caused his knees to ache though. The fucking cherry on top of it all, well that was the sea legs he was going to inevitably get. He was the only one that brought the Euphoria in. Which meant he was the only one who dealt with the actual source. The Doctor, his location, and his identity were things that the mysterious and secretive Cult of Horns were very protective of. That's why he was in charge. They needed someone who wasn't just smart, but possessed the talent to keep himself out of trouble. And as much as he griped about the fit of the suit, it was worth the discomfort and was one heck of a hefty signing bonus. He lifted his gloved and gauntlet clad hand up over his sleek and hardened helmet. With a press at a few buttons from his fingertips the mask let out a hiss. Portions of his dull grey mask slid away, allowing the cool air of the night to caress his face . Even in the dark he kept his hand resting against his cheek, allowing it to obstruct any clear view of his face. After allowing himself that brief pleasantry the mask hissed again and sealed his image away beneath it's cover. Let's go. You know the drill. In and out. Pick up the pace. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel as he watched them start to chip away at the second to last layer of tonight's cargo. Another ten or fifteen minutes and he'd be out of here. ----------------------------------------- Blood streamed out of what he was sure was a broken nose. The snap of bone from the impact of her shin and the resulting pulsing pain that emanated from his blood clogged nose was evidence enough. The crack of the Crystal Blade's boot had left the mutton chopped thug feeling like putty as he slumped to his knees and nearly fell over face first into the asphalt. But her hand reached out. Caught him by the scruff of his long pointed beard and simultaneously kept him from falling over while pulling his bleary eyes up to her intense and fierce orbs. He let out a gurgled cry as he felt the energy blade she so frequently used sink into his shoulder. He practically forgot about his busted up nose as he shook his head about. Tanna...Tanner knows everything! His fingers weakly tried to claw at her wrist as the blade sank in deeper. Fuck'a runs a crew, they pick tha shit up. Fuck!.. Fuck that hurts! Some guy in a some sort o battle suit let's ihm know wen and whare! He grit his teeth, spitting out the last of the words, and fucking so happy that he was the only one conscious right now. Maybe he could weasel his way out of being pegged as a rat. He tehls em at the last fucking minute! Fuck bitch! He bringhs it in by boat! Knock me out aht least! I'm a fucking deahd man if they know I tolhd ya any o this shit! Last edited Oct 8, 2018