Session 36

← Session 35 | Session 37 →

The party helps plan a raid on UNITY HQ, and Nyx has some pointed questions for Valencia Gray.

## Characters

* The Party
* 0-771534
* Zaida Loch
* Weston
* The Sculptor
* Legacy Byrnes
* Hollis Tucker
* Na'arisiel
* Pax Furyk
* Tressa Gillespie
* Jamie Nejem
* Fillan Bailey
* Emmett Malek
* Ephraim Malek, Jr.
* Naberius MacLaughagan
* Orias
* Valencia Gray

## Summary

##### **Tuesday, May 25th, 543:**

With UNITY trying to break down the door, Ollie goes to fetch Legacy. Kuno calls Jamie, but she doesn't pick up.

Ollie and Legacy return soon after, Legacy holding climbing gear and setting it up in windows. While emergency protocol tends to be women and children out first, there's an entire police team in the street outside, so Legacy, Sam, and Asa are the first wave down the building, with Kuno providing covering fire. It's a perilous trip down, particularly with the encroaching drones, but they make it down. Legacy and Asa go for cover on the ground floor of the building, while Sam wades into the sea of riot cops. Sam and Asa take to fighting the police.

The next group to descend is Colby, Nyx, and Zaida, who is carrying Weston. Zaida surrounds herself and Weston in a shield bubble, which Colby benefits from as well. Nyx, on the other hand, has some trouble making it past the drones, and gets to the ground floor with a few new bullet holes. Kuno makes it down, but slowly, and taking several bullets, until he remembers he's been rock climbing before (though several decades ago), and this is similar. Ollie is the last one out of the building on the ropes, and makes it down quickly.

When everyone (save Samuel) has ducked into cover on the ground floor, the street is filled by the Sculptor's descent. He's cornered in the middle of a firing squad, but his tarry nanites spread through the street, disassembling the police droids. Sam manages to duck into a tiny alleyway, and heads for Kuno's apartment. The first nanite wave doesn't take care of all of the police, more flood into the street, but enough were taken out that everyone in the ground floor can make a break for the alley Sam didn't duck into. The Sculptor follows just enough to cover their escape. Zaida is hesitant to leave him behind, but takes off with the rest of the group when it's obvious he isn't coming.

When everyone is out of danger enough to take a second to think, Ollie recommends they find a place to crash, and fast, as he's on a time limit now. They head to Asa's apartment, at which point Ollie grabs a computer, and everyone else tries to figure out where they know that would be safe from UNITY's scrutiny. After some thought, Kuno suggests Hollis's apartment, though he's not going to be a fan. Kuno warns Hollis he's bringing people over, with an apology.

A block from Hollis's apartment, Ollie collapses, and Asa has to carry his limp form the rest of the way. Hollis isn't pleased to see everyone Kuno's shown up with, but lets them in, and Kuno does introductions. Weston explains Ollie's program was running off equipment in the apartment, so he's either in UNITY's custody or smashed into pieces. Reis is pacing around, since he's been antsy about wanting his eyes back, which has been driving Hollis up the wall recently.

Kuno asks mostly Weston if UNITY had any seraphim eyes, which none of the ex-UNITY crew recognize. After explaining they can be used to see the future, Zaida thinks they could have been what UNITY has been using for their predectivity after her project (Ollie) got defunded.

With this information, Hollis starts right in on planning a way to get Reis's eyes back. He's willing to let everyone stay at his apartment if he and Reis can get into UNITY, which he doesn't expect is going to be a stealth mission. Zaida is willing to provide information, though she doesn't think she can do much more than that. Kuno points out UNITY was who started the food shortage, so if Hollis is looking for a distraction Legacy could organize something like Paragon again.

Legacy starts to protest that he hasn't agreed to anything, and isn't going to, and goes to leave. Hollis pushes back, which Legacy isn't used to and doesn't know how to deal with. Legacy tries to insist everyone's been sitting around doing nothing, and doesn't know how to react when Hollis points out what this entire conversation has been about.

Floundering for more reasons he's given up on the revolution, Legacy says Hollis couldn't possibly understand what he's been through--and is quickly put in his place. Hollis, with momentum now, insists Legacy is going to get him the distraction he needs, and to make sure that happens he's going to make a phone call that will get Rain Caudell out of prison. Legacy, stunned several times over by this conversation, but particularly by the fact Hollis can get Rain out, agrees to organize a protest as a distraction. Weston and Zaida are similarly impressed by Hollis's effect on Legacy, and Kuno is just proud, while Nyx has been enjoying the show.

True to his word, Hollis calls someone the party realizes over the course of the phone call is Cairo Nejem, who will be able to get Rain out of prison, with his position in the Bratva. Nyx asks how Cairo's been, and Hollis is surprised she knew to ask, but that he's doing well and has a daughter now. He knew Cairo what's now a while ago, for about a year and a half.

With the distraction assured, Hollis gets back to planning. He decides to bring along Colby, since he knows the building reasonably well, and Sam and Asa to have more fighters along, since they're going loud. Kuno suggests Jamie, but Hollis would rather not have a werewolf along, who could go feral on them, and recommends she and the rest of her crew be on damage control. Zaida would rather stay with Legacy, also on damage control. Hollis expects this won't happen for something like a week, especially since Cairo wanted five days to get Rain out of jail.

Having constructed most of a plan, and given Zaida, Weston, and Legacy a place to stay, the party heads out. When he gets home, Kuno gives Sam the highlights, including that he's going to be helping break into UNITY.

##### **Wednesday, May 26th, 543:**

Nyx goes looking for Pax, in search of more soul water, but doesn't find him at his storage unit.

Kuno texts Jamie, letting her know they have more information. Since it isn't urgent, he's given a time tomorrow afternoon to drop by.

##### **Thursday, May 27th, 543:**

The next morning, Asa takes Kuno and Colby shopping for break-in supplies. The three of them pick up bulletproof vests, mostly financed by Kuno, and Colby gets his own gun while Kuno buys something with a bit more firepower than his 9mm.

In the afternoon, Kuno drops by the wolves' apartment. Tressa answers the door, and Jamie and Fillan are sitting in the living room, both looking very tired. Tressa, apparently unaffected, is baking. Kuno explains the situation and the plan, and Jamie is enthusiastic to have an opportunity to cause problems for UNITY. All she needs is a time and a place, and she can pull together something. She's particularly excited to learn UNITY has automated security, and thus she doesn't need to worry about hurting people.

Nyx drops by Pax's storage unit again, dropping off the clothes she acquired and obtaining another thermos of soul water, which she drinks immediately. The two go to meet up with Emmett, where Nyx does introductions before they head for the Toska District.

Emmett's apartment is very torn apart, which Emmett says is a long story. He's supposed to stay in this apartment, which he didn't take to well, but the guest rooms should be livable. Emmett orders dinner while Pax and Nyx get settled into their rooms.

Over dinner, Emmett explains Gray is having a party tomorrow evening to celebrate a show she's launching. Emmett has some opinions on this as a reason to have a party, but it's convenient for Nyx and Pax. He mentions his presence at the party is going to be an event, since he does very little being in public these days. The party will be busy, since it's also a meet-and-greet of sorts, but Gray will have a quiet room off to the side that should be a good place to corner her. Given Gray has been gaining popularity among a younger audience, Pax shouldn't be out of place.

There is a knock on the door, and Emmett, surprised, tells Nyx and Pax to be not in this room. They hide in the kitchen, and unabashedly eavesdrop. Whoever was on the other side of the door is let in, and expresses concern about Emmett's living conditions. He starts considering calling their father, at which point there is a loud crash, and Emmett ends up tying his unconscious brother to a chair.

Emmett calls Danila, which ends up doing nothing to calm his nerves or give him an idea of what to do in the situation. He tries to convince Nyx that it's all fine, but obviously isn't having a good time. Pax recommends they don't get involved, and just get what they need out of Gray so they can leave Emmett to deal with this. Emmett mostly just hopes his brother, whom he refers to as Ram, will be alright with the situation.

Before going to sleep, Nyx looks around online, and recognizes Emmett's hostage as Ephraim Malek Jr., the Malek family heir. Ram is generally considered to be pretty reasonable, and Emmett's lack of disdain for his brother is telling, given Emmett's general opinion of his family.

##### **Friday, May 28th, 543:**

The next morning, Ram is awake, and is evidently taking the whole situation impressively well. He and Emmett have ended up in something of a stalemate when it comes to whether or not Ram should tell their father Emmett leaves his apartment, but are otherwise getting on. Ram isn't too pleased to learn Emmett is consorting with murderers, a notion that Nyx and Pax don't defend themselves on. He manages to negotiate not being tied to a chair, as long as he doesn't leave or try to contact anyone, and the day is spent uneventfully, if chaotically.

Everyone else decides to drop by Hollis's apartment again, to do some more planning, but instead they enter a block where the light quality dims to that characteristic of the Host's presence. The four turn to find themselves facing down three Dominions. Sam swears, then proceeds to half apologize to and half call out for MacLaughagan. Kuno wastes no time in attacking the Dominions, which the other three join in on. Asa is also only shooting them, with Sam throwing handfuls of hellfire, and Colby calling on his holy lightning to smite the Dominions. Colby's smite is particularly effective, twice frying a damaged Dominion and sending it crumbling to the street. While the party is putting up a fight, they're also taking damage, as the Dominions' tracing beams of light are multitudinous and cover much of the street.

Two of the Dominions have fallen and the party is turning to the third when a mechanical roar fills the air, accompanied by a section of the road cracking as it falls. The mechanical roar only gets louder, heralding the arrival of a demonic motorcycle (a concept the party isn't familiar with) and two figures. MacLaughagan puts a handful of bullets in the final Dominion, and it crumbles heavily the way the other two did.

Mac hops off the back of the bike, as extravagant as always. After some chatting about the fight with Kuno and reintroducing Orias, he turns to Samuel, and mentions he's made a deal recently involving Absinthe Romero's soul, tasking Sam with cornering her somewhere and giving the demon a call. When Kuno asks, MacLaughagan assures him he's caught up on current events and Romero's role in them. This leads to the fact the party is breaking into UNITY soon, which Kuno mentions is because they have a friend who would like his eyes back--a vague explanation, but one the demon can make some educated guesses about.

MacLaughagan also dares Sam to give him an excuse to go after the Host at UNITY, which would consist of almost dying at the hands of someone reasonably important. Sam points out the cherubim at UNITY, and Mac thinks those would do brilliantly. He can't make the first move, but if the Host should start anything, it's well within his rights to defend his interests in whatever way he sees fit. When Sam muses Mac would get along with Na'arisiel, the demon recognizes that name, and agrees.

Though Mac has only been here about five minutes, he has to head out, though urges everyone to keep in touch--as long as it's only for Romero's soul or letting him raise Hell on the Host at UNITY. Orias has been tending to his bike, the handlebars of which are snakes, including one Kuno recognizes was a broom handle in Hell. The two demons take off again, leaving the four party members to continue on to Hollis's apartment.

At Hollis's, planning goes well. Kuno mentions Jamie agreed to run damage control. Reis doesn't recognize either of MacLaughagan's names, which was a long shot of a question.

   That evening, Emmett brings Nyx and Pax to Gray's event. As he mentioned, Emmett's presence causes a stir, but his demeanor dares anyone to call him out on it and see what happens, so no one does more than whisper. He leaves Nyx and Pax alone, and Nyx finds the room off to the side before listening to the gossip around her. One of the main topics is Emmett's presence, filtered through speculation on what he's been doing in the years since he's been to a social event voluntarily, but mostly surprised to see him.

The party drags on. Later in the night, Pax is about ready to snap, from having to evade the gaggle of Gray's fans who have been following him around all evening. Nyx talks him down, keeping him distracted, and it's late enough in the evening that they don't have to wait very long before Gray excuses herself and ducks into the break room. Pax protests vehemently to being the distraction, so Nyx texts Emmett--who's willing and able to cause a scene, but Nyx will owe him for it.

True to his word, Emmett causes a scene across the room, which draws everyone's eyes. Nyx and Pax slip out of the crowd, into Gray's break room, where Gray wonders both who they are and what's happening outside. Gray doesn't recognize Pax, but is familiar with the name Callum Eldridge, though she thought his death would be the end of it. She thinks everything she heard from Eldridge is nonsense and not worth anyone's time, but has no qualms about answering Nyx's questions.

Over the course of the conversation, Nyx learns Eldridge knew of UNITY, but didn't think very highly of them or their work. Apparently, they didn't know about the Starving Plane, but Eldridge thought they were getting it involved unnecessarily, and that it would be bad for it to be involved. Gray had gotten instructions to break some kind of machinery on the Starving Plane, and has been getting automatic correspondence about it since his death, but doesn't know how to get there. More generally, Eldridge liked to ramble on about what he called a superplane, though Gray didn't tend to pay much attention after he got that far.

Having gotten what they came for, Nyx and Pax leave the break room. Outside, things have escalated to chaos. Undeterred, the two upyr head for the exit, picking up a very drunk Emmett on the way.

## Quotes

**Kellen:** “It’s equal-opportunity, I’ll flesh tree anyone if they deserve it.”

**Legacy:** “It’s almost like I do being criminal for a living.”

**Kellen:** “Kuno’s rock-climbing skills are gonna go the way of the sniper rifle.”

**Hollis:** “Sorry, I’m just having a hard time reconciling myself with the fact that the spearhead of this entire frankly fairly impressive movement is a little bitch.”

**Hollis:** “Common knowledge dictates that every little headstrong leader archetype with delusions of grandeur can’t fucking function without a mom friend, so we’re gonna get that fixed.”

**Nyx:** “So how’s Cairo been?” | **Hollis:** “Ummm…. That, you’re saying things. But well, since you asked.”

**Kellen:** “Forget donating your body to science, donate your body to Tressa Gillespie.”

**Kellen:** “He’s never wanted to commit murder more in his entire life, but he can *read*.”

**Emmett:** “What do you do? I don’t know how to take a hostage!”

**Abby:** “This idiot baby man doesn’t know how to do a *crime* properly.”

**Kai:** “When you have a capitalist oligarchy all you can do is crime, that’s how we ended up criminals.” | **Kellen:** “True! Crime is more fun, that’s the real answer.”

**MacLaughagan:** I *dare* you to give me an excuse to go stick it to those Host *assholes* who are currently running the show over there. I *dare* you. It’ll be a spectacle.”

**Nyx:** "Oh, one last thing. You're welcome, by the way, for offing the man." | **Abby:** "And then Nyx shuts the door behind her."

← Session 35 | Session 37 →