A Mulched Fiction

Hell in a handbasket. A strange saying, but one the ex-marine was fairly certain fit given the current state of things. It hadn’t even been ten minutes since the majority of the occupants from the diner had left and already everything was going to shit. Explosions could be heard in the distance, sounds of gunfire, and apparently a griffon flying off in the not so distant skyline. Sunglasses leading the three of them over to his car, as Tigress suggested they all work together was a welcome surprise. The man dropping his fake accent and showing his true new yorker accent showed he wasn’t who he claimed to be. A point towards the theory that he was perhaps like Romulus. A vigilante of some sort who heard about the package and decided to come in undercover and make sure it didn’t fall into the wrong hands; and maybe catch a few loose ends along the way.

When they got to the small car, Et Bellator opened the passenger side door and moved the chair up. Despite his initial thought of getting in the front seat so as not to be trapped in the back. The third member of their ‘group’ was an entire foot taller than Romulus was. Meaning the backseat was where he got in. It was definitely a tight fit for the armored 6’2” vigilante but it would have been a lot worse for the false Black Tigress, and in this enclosed area if this was a trap no one was going to escape when he activated the knockout gas he had easy access to. Sunglasses made mention that the sheriff had already called for a citywide lockdown and called in the national guard. Who had a very quick response time given the close proximity of Nellis Airforce Base. Things were about to get very tricky for the trio, but it would also make things more difficult for the ‘opposition’.

Romulus decided not to comment on sunglasses ‘order’ to someone that was not himself or ‘Tigress’, filing the information away for later. It was probably a partner, contact of somesort. More than likely a tech expert. This gave a bit of insight into how the new yorker operated, and would help to give them an eye in the sky. “After your stop. Caeser’s Palace is the most well known of the three given contact locations. Might be best if we head there. More civilians that will be in trouble if other unsavory types decide to hit it as well.” This was said to gauge the reactions and answers of the other two individuals in the car. Everything wasn’t out in the open but it was enough to finally see if they were on the same side as he himself was. While also allowing plausible deniability.

June hopped into the car and it visibly shook from her weight . “Alright let’s make your stop then hit this Kai-sar’s palace.” June said, rocking the Latin pronunciation.  There wouldn’t be much fighting on the streets as the survivors were off to the Casino.

CAESAR’S PALACE – GARDEN ENTRANCE
They were then on their way to Caesar’s Palace, one of the most vast and luxurious casinos in Vegas. The drive would not take long, but the streets were filled with the bodies of the weakest, the unpowered participants the first to be knocked out of this deadly game. Perhaps as was natural given the pecking order of things.

As they arrived in a lavish gardens and fountains at the entrance, it was clear people were in a hurry to leave the area. The first group the trio would encounter would be the Anachronists, pinned down by the MS-13 gang. A mob of extremely violent gangsters. These 13 regular dudes with automatic weapons had split up into 3 teams, and exercised fire and maneuver tactics, constantly pinning Cowboy Kelly and Spartan Stan. A literal single action revolver in a modern gunfight was a terrible decision, all things considered. They had a handful of minutes left to live, as a group was moving to flank them and tear them to shreds. Chronos, the D lister leader, was curled up into a ball.

Only Crimson Katana was actively fighting back, swinging that sword and taking names against a group, preventing them from closing their trap. But, as she delivered a heel kick, a gangster tackled her and began working on smashing her armored mask with the butt of his soviet purchased weapon.

June’s instincts kicked in and before the car even came to a stop. Momentarily forgetting she’s supposed to be undercover; she displayed an ounce of borderline superhuman agility, she leapt and broke into a sprint, hiding out of sight of the guns then from an unseen flank and joined the fight in what felt like a handful of heartbeats. June collected herself mentally and toned down her Eskrima attacks and spinning Taekwondo kicks down to lovetaps, consequently appearing a bit amateurish or sluggish – holding back some- to canny observers. Though, one gangster who were too slow to duck a heel kick to the face or a number 3 swing at the knee were sent to the ground hard.

CAESAR’S PALACE – STANDARD SUIT BALCONY
Working for Lloyd had brought Iapetos to the uncomfortable conclusion that he was not only metahuman in nature, but outright otherworldly. He had been instructed to simply pass through a cleaning storage room at the diner, and exited into a Caesar’s Palace suite. He surveyed the carnage in the garden. As they expected, greed- desire- made them start tearing into each other. He watched the carnage with a mixture of glee and confusion. What was the final game plan? Even he couldn’t figure it out. Surely, Hiring all of them might’ve been more utilitarian.

On the balcony, there was another anachronistic rotary phone resting on an antique dresser. It rang, and Iapetos picked up. It was Lloyd.

“There’s a chess set in the drawer, mister Iapetos. Set it up. Shall we play to pass the time?” he asked nicely.

“You can play over the phone?” he asked, pleased that he was working with a man of many talents.

“Of course. You may open.”

Iapetos set up as instructed, the finely crafted, antique wooden set fitting for Iapetos’s own taste. He set up the pieces accordingly, though he noticed something peculiar about them- the pieces were warm to the touch, quite so, though some of the pawns were now cold. Iapetos felt an unease in the back of his mind.

“White pawn to E4, Mister Lloyd.”

“Ceasars palace it is...” Michael said as they drove off towards the Luxor. “Circuit, drop a line to the Sheriff, tell him the Warden is going to be onsite, providing assistance, accompanied by two others.”

“I don’t know exactly how the Vegas Police force feels about masked vigilantes, but letting them know we’re here may reduce the risk of them shooting us.” If there was any doubt, Michael made sure to eliminate it.  

After grabbing his dead drop and suiting up, they made their way to Ceasars Palace.  

What was once a beautiful, triple fountain pool walkway, with trimmed bushes, flowers, and trees, was now body riddled, bloody war scene, with guns going off like crazy, as the MS-13 gang had dug in, ambushing anyone who came near. Using cover fire maneuvers, as well as their numbers, the gang had the Anachronist pinned.  

As he drifted the car to a halt, Tigress had leapt out, stalking towards nearest gang member. He quickly followed her lead, now suited up, and armed with some new toys.  

His first marks were distracted, providing cover fire for an advancing unit. He bull-rushed the two gunmen, shoulder checking one into the other. “Sorry, gentlemen...” He said, in a modulated voice, kicking away their dropped guns. “But this is where the game ends for you.”  

The two men clambered back to their feet, whether out of fear, or the idea that they could take him two-on-one, and drew out knives.  

“You’re going to regret this.” Michael stated with a sigh, drawing out two twin steel-core police batons.

His words proved true, as the two assailants charged him, together, slashing and stabbing at the armored hero. Their attempts were futile, as either the armor itself took the hits, or he managed to easily dodge or parry.  

Every attempt to strike the hero, would result in a counter attack, when they slashed high, he would jab low, when they stabbed mid, he would swing for the head. The factor that he was outnumbered seemed to be a non-issue, as he moved quick enough, and was well protected, that he easily overwhelmed them. In less than a minute, the first attacker fell, having been clocked with the baton across the face, the sound of bone crunching indicating a broken jaw.  

The final attacker followed his friend quickly, as he went for a final lunging strike, only to have what felt like a sledgehammer strike him in the chest, except it was a mans size twelve combat boot, as Michael kicked him square in the torso. He went flying back, thankfully landing in a nearby brush, as his ribs felt like they were shattered into a hundred pieces.  

Michael rolled his shoulders, turning to find his next target. “Circuit, what’s the ETA on that overwatch??”  

“Drones are being launched now, and I’ve already linked in, two minutes, and we’ll have eyes on all of Vegas.”

On the relatively short drive over to ‘Richardos’ drop point and then to Ceasar’s Palace, Romulus was thinking. Running through the events that had occurred up to this point, categorizing the people they were able to witness out and down for the count. Trying to piece together the knowledge they had and either figure out what this package could be, or what the point of all this nonsense was. There was no possible way a simple courier had pulled a fast one on the Crime Syndicate, and this mysterious benefactor ‘Lloyd’. ‘The Warden’ had to have been right about that. This smelt like a set up. A way to turn their competitors against one another? Draw out any vigilantes or super heroes that were undercover and had picked up information on the ‘package’? Maybe to test the group and see who came out on top. Determine who was worthy enough to join the Syndicate?

The three contacts were found too quickly as well. None of it was adding up, there was something they were missing. An important factor that was being obscured or overlooked. Romulus did not enjoy not having all the pieces, especially in a situation like this where not knowing could mean life or death. “Warden, have your hacker patch us all in on the same comm system if he can. Also, when he gets those drones up check out the other three locations. This whole scavenger hunt smells like a set up. A three-card monte.” Misdirection, have the idiots all running around looking in the wrong place while the real deal was going on somewhere else. Maybe. His thought process would be interrupted when they arrived on scene. To say the once luxurious hotel and casino was a mess, would be an understatement. The outside at least, as they had yet to make it to the interior.

Black Tigress leaped from the moving vehicle, racing towards the MS-13 gang with escrima sticks drawn. Warden followed suit, using two police batons to swiftly deal with two attackers of his own. Et Bellator calmly exited the vehicle, his trench coat flapping behind him as he removed his revolver, loading it with plastic non-lethal rounds, and firing all in one smooth motion. The first two shots were sent out at the gang member, bloodying the butt of his soviet purchased weapon with Crimson Katana’s face. One at his hand, shattering the bone and forcing the man to drop the weapon in pain, the other to his side. Striking the man in the ribs, sending him down to the ground, knocking the wind out of him and removing him from the conflict.

Four more shots rocketed out of the modified colt .45 revolver and four more MS-13 members joined their brother in unconsciousness. ‘Non-lethal’ rounds though they may be, with as practiced and well disciplined shot as Et Bellator was they were still enough that one shot was enough to remove the gang members from this fight. Holstering the gun he too reached for and armed himself with his own escrima sticks. Spinning them in his hands as he rushed forward to join The Warden and Black Tigress in the thick of things, “Coming up on your left” He got out to Warden to allow the other vigilante to know where he was. A bullet firing from one of the few remaining MS-13 gang members slamming into his bullet proof armor, and receiving an escrima stick to the back of the knee and then the head in response. Once this was dealt with they could move inside.