Fandom Power Rangers Neon

[VolcanicAccelerator]

"Hm." Pondered Faunt at the team's own admissions of their abilities, or lack there of thus far. Mint seemed to have a grasp on the extent to hers, but Decker only a broad overview. The experienced agent had suggested they put the two most suited to recon on the main floor of the casino, but hearing both their comments made him question if it was too soon to rely on those abilities. Still, the two seemed competent enough. He was sure they would adapt and overcome. Bryson having no knowledge of his own was of no surprise, though could become problematic if he were kept in the dark. Faunt decided to elaborate. "Mint and Decker, you two have pretty much got it. Mint, your only issue would be needing further control and training in the sheer power of your powers. We need to push your upper limits. Decker, you've barely scratched the surface of what's possible, from what our scientists say. You might be able to go as far as opening dimensional rifts, from the looks of it. View it as a sign of good faith we're sharing this information." Said the old detective. This was a bit of a bluff. He was sure to find out sooner or later with the way he was already taking to his abilities, and it's not like there are any contingencies for something like a Power Ranger. They were the contingency.

"Bryson, your abilites are the most recent to manifest, so don't feel bad about not understanding them quite yet. You can, oh blast, WHAT WAS IT PIPER?" Yelled the older man to the front. Without looking back Piper spoke over the speaker in her flight helmet. Her voice rang out over the speaker at a comfortable speaker-phone level.

"You can control and manipulate kinetic energy. Physical Push is the name we've taken to calling it. You can amplify the kinetic energy of your attacks by drawing in the momentum from other sources, like picking up speed with a sprint or falling a great height. We think you may even be able to absorb and release kinetic energy with training." Said the woman as she deftly piloted the massive ship through the city like it were a bug traversing so many blades of tall grass.

"Yes, thank you Piper." Said Faunt, relaxing into his seat just a bit. He let Decker say his comments about disliking the armor with no emotion or argument. These were inconsequential to the mission, and matters of opinion had no room in the workplace to Kenneth. "Jason has the ability to create heat straight off of his body with levels reaching that of stars. He can form balls of plasma, and walls of heat so great they could melt through the planet. All of his abilities seem to be related to this, however." By this time in the conversation they were nearing the Casino, and out the front windshield it's lights beaming into the sky could be seen surrounding the pyramid shaped building. It's colors wafting over the seemingly massive LED screens upon the whole structure, shifting all the colors of the rainbow each in turn.

As the ship circled the building, seven commercial helipads could be seen layed out in a strip outside a loading dock on the far side. They all were constantly interchanging various forms of hovering aircraft. Some private whirlybirds, others shipping crafts the size of their current ride. Though it seemed for a moment it looked as if they might land, the ship made a wide arc to duck down an alley way formed by two massive skyscrapers. The cloaking activated on the ship, and from the outside it became a luxury sports aircraft meant for transporting celebrities. They landed in the alley behind some tall temporary barricades covered in tarps. On the other side, surprisingly, was a setup of communication arrays and screens showing various feeds inside the casino grounds similar to the ones from the penthouse. Several agents manned their various tables and tents. In one corner, next to a tied gate, was a regular cab. It seemed a little beat up. "Mint, Decker, this is where the three of us get off." Said Faunt, as the back hatch's hydraulics moaned in response to being activated. When it was open he headed out without looking back to make sure they were following.

He led the Pink and Blue rangers passed a table, at which a young agent handed Faunt two earpieces, which he passed back to the rangers swiftly without stopping his forward movement towards the cab. None of the other agents seemed to take note of their arrival. Once near the yellow taxi, a squat man in a green sweater stepped out and smiled at them with his hand up in a friendly waive.

"This is Rajesh. He'll be your driver past the gates. Before you ask, no he isn't an agent. He's a cabbie. Your ID's that came with your uniforms will get you in at the security check. Test your comms while you're in line by radioing in. We'll keep you update on everyone's situations. Any last questions?" Faunt asked, opening the door to the cab.

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The ship had taken off after dropping off the two rangers, carrying away both Bryson and Piper back towards the casino's helipad area. Piper had blown a kiss decker's way before they exited, though whether he caught it or not she wasn't sure. It was no longer a military-esc aircraft they flew but a luxury private model with a sleek white paintjob and tinted windows due to the cloaking technology. When they drew near, Piper radioed their tower. "White Dove One to AB tower, requesting permission to land." A voice responded in a rather monotone voice that they had permission, and Piper guided the ship expertly. When they landed, she took off her helmet and teased out her hair, scratching her head with her painted nails. She shut off the microphone before speaking. "It's just me and you from here on out, big guy. Here's your earpiece." He said, handing the large man his custom-size earpiece as she reached the back. When the hatch opened once again, a hologram shot over the back area which made it look more like a private jet with full amenities and two very pretty alien flight attendants. Piper marched out with just as much vigor that Faunt had had before her, but was stopped by a security guard with a list.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but we only have two passengers okay'ed to exit this plane." He said, looking from her to the massive man accompanying her, at whom he raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I can see your friend is on the main card, but his coach is supposed to be with him, not you."

"I am his coach." Said Piper, frankly.

"You? You're the nine time world champion training an up-and-coming heavyweight prodigy?" Asked the guard incredulously. In response, Piper gave him a textbook straight right directly to his nose. A burst of blood covered his lip, and her knuckles at once, and he held his face. "GAH FUCK!" exclaimed the man.

"I don't know, how's my jab?" She said, bending over to speak into the man's ear while he let a stream of blood fall onto the concrete below them. "Piper Blatvatsky, nine time women's middleweight world champion, and PHD. Fucking google me." She said, before straightening up and looking back to Bryson. She gave him a finger wag signaling for him to follow her inside, and turned back around to continue along the path to the door.

Directly inside they were ushered towards a long hallway, at the end of which was the boxing locker room. A couple of the fighters on the night's card looked their way as they entered, and one of them hurried to cover himself with a towel when he noticed the woman. Piper took up residence on a bench next to a locker who's nametag said "Bryson G." She scanned the room, ignoring any eyes on her, and her eyes fell upon a man with similar height to Bryson. He was much more vascular, and top heavy than the black ranger, but clearly the same weight class. The man had a foot up on the bench by his locker room, and was injecting something into his right buttock with a syringe. Piper clicked her tongue and winked when she caught Bryson's eye, and then nodded towards the man using steroids openly. Bryson's opponent, was turned away and did not notice.

Bryson Gorath

Bryson wished his teamates good luck before they were whisked away leaving him with Pepper, Bryson didn't particularly like the pretty boy. The way he talked didn't sound to genuine and reminded Bryson of how the salesmen and barters talked when trying to swindle others into making deals at the market, deals that would surely screw them over given time, he also looked like more of a runner than a fighter so how could he even be trusted to have the rest of the teams back instead of saving his own hide? Then there was the tiny pink one, she seemed weird, off in her own world sorta and not a talker but Bryson could get that. He wasn't the best at words either so he let his fists do the talking most of the time, you cant mispronounce a right hook now can you? The Old man Bryson kinda liked, seemed like the type to stand his ground and always know what to do. Bryson ain't mind working for somebody like that, he wasn't the type for plans. Plans tend to need lots of extra thinking and Bryson found extra thinking led to trouble, so he tried not to do it often.


He followed Pepper off the ship, where they were stopped by some guy asking about a coach before WHAM! Pepper gave him a good one right to the jaw, Bryson couldn't help be impressed! She didn't seem like the type to know how to throw a punch or the type to show it off like that, Bryson cracked a smile "Not bad Pipe's" he'd make sure to remember her name from now on. Bryson helped the poor guy up before following her down a corridor to some locker room of sorts. Bryson was getting excited, a lot of these guys looked like good fights and he hadn't been able to let loose ever since he'd met that Red fella...Jamason or other. However when Piper caught his eye and nodded to the biggest guy in the room shooting up something into his ass...that excitement turned into rage! Letting loose a noise not to dissimilar to a Bull's snort. His body tensed and he clenched his fists, how dare this sorry excuse for a fighter use enhancements! Had he no honor, had he no pride as a fighter! When two men step into a ring for a brawl, they're only supposed to use their own raw strength and nothing else and here was this jackass disrespecting the entire sport! Now Bryson was normally jovial and quite chill, all of that was stomped by sheer rage and determination to crush this bastard! A angry Bryson was a dangerous Bryson.

 

[Kobe Nathan Wade]

-Ten Four, Decker, We See You.- Rang Faunt's voice in the earpiece in response to his signaling. The sound was, of course, silent to anyone else, even the woman leading them inside. They spent a few minutes on an elevator, which was rather spacious and quite ordained with red fabric on the walls and gold inlay holding the paneling up. The woman pressed the second from the bottom of the seven buttons after Mint and Decker joined her inside the cabin. There was enough room for all of them to sway their arms and not bump into one another while standing in a row parallel with the doors.

"Well, that depends. Does the second one intimidate you?" Said Camille with a chuckle at Decker's question. "The hiring department said you had training in dealing blackjack, so after your initial tour with me I'm sure the shift lead would be fine with throwing you to the wolves. We saw your experience in bartending as well and have you on for a couple shifts there. You'd get to talk to more of our regulars that way, and I don't know how well you know Mint, here, but she's scheduled over there today too so she can make some tips before your time is up! It's really up to you, for now just stay close."

When the doors opened the babble of a crowd littered with the dings and jingles of slot machines overwhelmed the soft jazz music playing in the tram. A high flat ceiling with several screens broadcasting the in house sporting events hanging from it seemed to stretch for miles, which they did. Six, exactly. This was, after all, the second level and thus the second largest. A single room devoted to slot machines around the outside, an asteroid belt of Blackjack and Roulette tables, and a central bar which had a wide birth before it to cut some of the noise from the machines. As Camille led them through the initial ring of slot machines of every variant, as well as every alcoholic and gambling addict of just as many variations, she attempted to explain how much money was on the floor at any given time and how much money Decker would be responsible for as a dealer. Most of it was useless to his mission, and likely just as both the rangers realized this Faunt once again spoke in their ear pieces.

-Decker, hang back. Relay to us what Mint tells you telepathically. We can't risk her getting caught whispering notes. Mint, do you think you can target that lady and glean any thoughts she may be having? Now while she's preoccupied will be the best time to learn. Tell Decker via telepathy, and he'll tell us via intercom.-

Ace Cream shadowstrikr25

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The massive opponent Bryson would be facing had finished with his performance enhancement for the day and packed his kit away into his bag. After a minute, and some trash talk with his entourage lined up on the opposite bench to Bryson, he caught the black ranger mean mugging him. Well, the house heavyweight champ was not about to be stared down by this know-nothing noob. Therefore he stood up from his bench, and locked eyes with the fellow genetic-freak of nature. He puffes his chest out, and his bald head wrinkled as he seemed to be processing what he should do about the challenger so blatantly out to disrespect him on the first day. It was already unprecedented, a rookie being allowed to fight Grodd Fontain, Khan of the Ring. Piper's eyes widened at the tensions in the lockerroom rising at such an alarming rate. She looked between Bryson and Grodd rather quickly, as if trying to figure out if there was even anything she could do if they decided to start the fight early backstage.

"Whoa big guy," She said, as if trying to calm a grizzly bear. She spoke so that only Bryson could hear from her place at his side, still seated with her legs crossed. "Save it for the cameras. This is your debut!"

VolcanicAccelerator

 

[Ace Cream]

Mint Blaun

"I'm ready for the job, I can juggle eight bottles just fine." Mint replied to their guide as they walked through the outer circle of the second floor. Mint couldn't help but get overwhelmed by the amount of stimulus that entered her head. There's the blinking light, the loud noises, people talking to each other with their mouth and their talking to themself with their mind. She was a bit pale after accidentally snooped a few of the thoughts but immediately hyper focusing herself on the task at hand when Faunt talked though their intercom.

"I'll try." Mint gave an affirmation and then fixed her sight on the woman who guided them. She was busy explaining money so she didn't notice Mint intensely staring at her for a few seconds.

She wants us to be good workers so she can rest in the backroom. Mint shared what she read from Camille to Decker, or at least she intended to. But everyone near them suddenly look around as if they were getting called by someone and Camille was especially panicking for no reason. Mint tilted her head in confusion, her mind racing with possibilities of what just happened until she was left with the most probable explanation. She waited until the situation calmed down and stared at decker.

Too much thoughts lingering. I must be able to focus on you to send a message properly, otherwise my telepaty will alert everyone nearby.

shadowstrikr25

 

[shadowstrikr25]

Decker Grayson

Throughout the elevator ride, Decker kept a smile on to show that he wasn't intimidated by the idea of being thrown to the wolves. That smiled faded when the doors opened to the main floor. All 93.2 square kilometers of the floor started being mapped into his head. Every table, slot machine and person was being noted and tracked before Decker managed to throttle his awareness down to only his immediate area. Even then, there were more people moving through than usual and he was aware of every single one. Once he was able, he started to listen to exactly what their trainer was saying, only to hear the incoming communication.

With a slight grumble, Decker pretended to be pushed back by the crowd. Never leaving Camille's visual range, but doing what he could to be mostly unnoticed. Unfortunately, Mint's little trail run had fairly noticeable consequences. Still, he had a job to do as he acted like he was scratching at his ear to activate the communicator. "She wants us to not need help so she can kick back, and Brainwave has to focus to send a directed message otherwise it spreads out to everyone within about 10 meters. Maybe a controlled environment next time, yeah? And not to get something useless?" The task at hand finished, he managed to push through the crowd and rejoin Mint and the trainer. 'Someone should tell Kenny that the middle of an op is a terrible time to try a hunch.' Once again, he was smiling, trying to use his presence to put everyone back at ease. Unease meant attention, and attention meant getting caught.

 

[Kobe Nathan Wade]

Oh god, and I hope that scary manager isn't on at the bar today. I don't understand how he still has a job when all he does is sit in a booth and drink with his girlfriend. This was the tail end of the train of thought of the shift lead the two undercover rangers were following. Decker wouldn't know this, of course, but Mint definitely caught it after she relayed the first part of her thoughts. Whether Mint shared the information was up to her discretion. Their leader didn't take much notice of the psychic outcry Mint had, which seemed to stir several gamblers out of their trance briefly. When Decker relayed how Kenneth's plan had gone awry, Faunt rang in their ear again.

"We'll keep that in mind. Strictly classic intel gathering from here on out." Said Faunt, who did not seem worried as the floor was so crowded and overstimulating the gamblers would likely forget all about it in a few moments. Finally the two had reached the inner circle which the bar area inhabited. Ringing a large dance floor were restaurant-style booths. All three would need to wade through the dancers and minglers, but once they reached the bar they would be able to see a slightly disgruntled bartender attempting to serve the crowd which was shoving each other to be near him. He caught Camille's eye, and then looked at Decker whom was in uniform. He tossed his head for the blue ranger to join him. "Well, John, looks like you get to put your money where your mouth is. Want to go help him out of the weeds? Jane, I'll need you to follow me to the back room to get you some change for the customers."

Just as she said this, a freakishly tall man in a black fur coat bounded past them. He hopped the bar, paid no attention to the struggling employee, and raided his ice chest for beers. With a dozen or so in his long scraggly arms, he stepped over the bar as if it were nothing but a low fence in his way. Camille seemed to flinch as he passed. The bartender scowled at him as the man trotted across the dance floor to the booth where an equally tall woman dressed in designer leather clothes and straps was clapping happily at the arrival of more alcohol.

shadowstrikr25 Ace Cream

 

[VolcanicAccelerator]

Bryson Gorath
Minotaur Of The Black Eclipse

Bryson felt his blood start to practically boil as he stared down the Khan, no words were exchanged between the two beasts of men..there was no need for them. Their fists clenching spoke epic poems, their hearts starting to thud with a mixture of excitement and rage were essays written in the book of brawling. The twitch of a bicep was a slick jab with a silver tongue, but no words were said between these men for fighting was not a sport of words it was a sport of action. Bryson deciding he couldn't care less about some damn cameras. He fought because he loved it not for some rich snobs in the stands looking to get their fix on violence. However just before he threw a punch that would most likely lead to lots of property damage, there was a crackle of ebony energy from his right hand...it lasted barely a second and only the observant would catch it but it was there..a glimmer of the power that had yet to be harnessed however that glimmer was enough to remind Bryson of his debt to Jeremey (Jason), he'd give up his fighting in exchange for freedom and he'd have to act as the black ranger. That meant putting his pride aside and getting done what needed to be done, to protect folks like Pops back home and Bryson was a guy of his word.

Putting aside his pride was hard but with a feigned smile he managed to choke out "Sorry sir, just excited for my match Im a fan of yours" through clenched teeth.

-Ten Four, Decker, We See You.- Rang Faunt's voice in the earpiece in response to his signaling. The sound was, of course, silent to anyone else, even the woman leading them inside. They spent a few minutes on an elevator, which was rather spacious and quite ordained with red fabric on the walls and gold inlay holding the paneling up. The woman pressed the second from the bottom of the seven buttons after Mint and Decker joined her inside the cabin. There was enough room for all of them to sway their arms and not bump into one another while standing in a row parallel with the doors.

"Well, that depends. Does the second one intimidate you?" Said Camille with a chuckle at Decker's question. "The hiring department said you had training in dealing blackjack, so after your initial tour with me I'm sure the shift lead would be fine with throwing you to the wolves. We saw your experience in bartending as well and have you on for a couple shifts there. You'd get to talk to more of our regulars that way, and I don't know how well you know Mint, here, but she's scheduled over there today too so she can make some tips before your time is up! It's really up to you, for now just stay close."

When the doors opened the babble of a crowd littered with the dings and jingles of slot machines overwhelmed the soft jazz music playing in the tram. A high flat ceiling with several screens broadcasting the in house sporting events hanging from it seemed to stretch for miles, which they did. Six, exactly. This was, after all, the second level and thus the second largest. A single room devoted to slot machines around the outside, an asteroid belt of Blackjack and Roulette tables, and a central bar which had a wide birth before it to cut some of the noise from the machines. As Camille led them through the initial ring of slot machines of every variant, as well as every alcoholic and gambling addict of just as many variations, she attempted to explain how much money was on the floor at any given time and how much money Decker would be responsible for as a dealer. Most of it was useless to his mission, and likely just as both the rangers realized this Faunt once again spoke in their ear pieces.

-Decker, hang back. Relay to us what Mint tells you telepathically. We can't risk her getting caught whispering notes. Mint, do you think you can target that lady and glean any thoughts she may be having? Now while she's preoccupied will be the best time to learn. Tell Decker via telepathy, and he'll tell us via intercom.-

Ace Cream shadowstrikr25

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The massive opponent Bryson would be facing had finished with his performance enhancement for the day and packed his kit away into his bag. After a minute, and some trash talk with his entourage lined up on the opposite bench to Bryson, he caught the black ranger mean mugging him. Well, the house heavyweight champ was not about to be stared down by this know-nothing noob. Therefore he stood up from his bench, and locked eyes with the fellow genetic-freak of nature. He puffes his chest out, and his bald head wrinkled as he seemed to be processing what he should do about the challenger so blatantly out to disrespect him on the first day. It was already unprecedented, a rookie being allowed to fight Grodd Fontain, Khan of the Ring. Piper's eyes widened at the tensions in the lockerroom rising at such an alarming rate. She looked between Bryson and Grodd rather quickly, as if trying to figure out if there was even anything she could do if they decided to start the fight early backstage.

"Whoa big guy," She said, as if trying to calm a grizzly bear. She spoke so that only Bryson could hear from her place at his side, still seated with her legs crossed. "Save it for the cameras. This is your debut!"

VolcanicAccelerator

 

[Kobe Nathan Wade]

The black energy erupting from Bryson's fist made Piper let out a little "eep." And she nearly covered her eyes. Then, something in the Black Ranger seemed to soften, and so did she. The Khan of the Ring chuckled at the rookie's arrogant comment, and he gave a wide smile with a few teeth missing and horrible breath spilled out of it as he approached closer to Bryson. "Really? Such a fan you had to get the shit beat out of you personally?" The bigger man's posse made a cacophonous array of laughter ring throughout the locker room. Some of the other challengers looked tense as well, wondering if they're about to be involved in breaking up the fight between the two largest men any of them had ever seen in person. Just then, over the intercom, the voice of an old man came through.

"Mr. Fontain, they're about to announce your entrance, please come on deck." Grodd's head tilted at the sound, and he looked back at Bryson only long enough to wink at him before lumbering towards the locker room exit which lead to the arena. The spotlights floated about the crowd, the dull roar of thousands of people becoming slightly louder as they all focused in on the ring. A man in a nice striped suit holding note cards in his left hand ran his fingers over his slicked back white hair just as he was lit up. He seemed unassuming, old, and frail, until he began to speak.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMAN!" He said with all the enthusiasm announcing two gladiators approaching required. "TONIGHT'S MAIN EVENT IS SCHEDULED FOR THREE ROUNDS! NOW APPROACHING THE WRING, WEIGHING TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY THREE POUNDS, YOU KNOW HIM AS THE CURRENT UNDISPUTED HOUSE CHAMPION, GRODD, KHAN OF THE WRING, FONTAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNN" The Bruce Buffer lookalike then watched as Grodd climbed into the ring and tossed his shiny gold robe into the crowd. While he had been speaking, despite his microphone, the noise of the crowd had nearly drown out his voice. "AND NOW, THIS EVENING'S CHALLENGER, IN HIS FIRST PROFESSIONAL FIGHT ON RECORD, BRYSON "THE BLACK MINOTAUR" GORATH!" The crowd switched almost immediately to a low hum of boo's or whispers. None of them had heard of this rookie before, and were unsure of the show they were about to be given. Most of them just wanted to see him get mauled by Grodd.

Meanwhile, ringside, sat the owner of the whole Casino, Shu Takemora himself. He eyed the rookie up, and leaned over to his compatriot whom had sold him on the match. A man in a shiny suit whom Bryson and Piper would recognize as the Red Ranger.

"You're sure he can take Grodd, Yusuke? He looks fit, sure, but ehhhhh a little... fresh." Asked Shu, seemingly unaware the man he was speaking to was an undercover Power Ranger and not, in fact, a fight promoter. Jason waved his hand incredulously at Shu's question.

"Shu, come on. How long have we been working together? Months! And every fight I've set up for you so far has, done what now? Remind me?"

"Broken records..." Said the Billionaire, as if still unconvinced.

"BROKEN RECORDSSS." Emphasized the Red Ranger, whom in fact had not set up any of the fights himself. There was a task force at the SDF whom had handled those details. This match was, in fact, the only one that had been his idea. He needed to stay near Shu to make the arrest when they found the evidence, and with the Black Ranger right in the wring to back him up when that time came, he felt sure the operation would succeed. All he needed was the go-ahead from Faunt when he relayed Decker and Mint had accomplished their own goals. "Look, I found this kid fighting in the UNDERGROUND! He can take a beating like you've never fucking seen, and that right hook! Just wait. Just wait."

"If he gets knocked out in the first round, I'm going to have Miles here take you out back and break your legs. And you'll still owe me six more fights." Jason laughed and clapped the crime boss on the shoulder, as if it were a hearty joke. Mentally, he did wince a bit. Miles, the bodyguard he had referred to, was about the same size as the men about to go to war in the ring. Shortly after Bryson entered the wring, the ref would go through the usual motions and once both the fighters put up their dukes, Grodd let out a quick double left jab followed by a hay-maker hook with his right.

VolcanicAccelerator (I'm going to need you to just take at least one of those punches for plot purposes, and after that you can style on 'em)

 

[shadowstrikr25]

Decker Grayson

With Faunt's acknowledgement of exactly how risky that play was out of the way, Decker seemed to relax a bit more as he started to effortlessly weave through all the guests in their approach to the bar. 'Maybe next time he'll think of training before throwing us into a job in progress. At least my tricks are a bit harder to notice.' Once they could see the bar being absolutely slammed by a bunch of rowdy customers trying to get booze, the career barman had to feel sorry for the one poor bastard currently working the counter. When the bartender gave him the signal to get over there, his body was already moving before Camille started talking. "Already on it!" And then the new tallest motherfucker he ever saw walked right past him.

Bryson was larger and more muscular pound for pound, but this guy had a severe height advantage. There was always talk of experimental gene mods in more upper class circles, maybe that's why he was nearing 2.7 meters tall with a face one could charitably describe as 'alternatively attractive'. However, the thing that caught his eye the most, he was stealing from the bar. 12 bottles of beer, and no one was stopping him. Two impulses clashed within Decker. The first, wanting to remind the gentleman currently making his way towards his fuckbuddy that drinks are meant to be paid for and that he would need to pay for the dozen bottles he just lifted. That shit would not slide at his bar. The second, wanting to just let it slide and not draw attention. After all he was undercover and no one was doing anything to stop him.

In the end, he decided not to draw attention to himself just yet and made his way through the crowd, vaulted over the bar, slicked his hair back on the landing, and started providing some much needed assistance. "No need to crowd, another set of hands has arrived! You, what's up? Mint Julep? Classic, like your style, coming right up. And you? Old Fashioned, nice! Any preferred whiskey? Gotcha." With that he started moving through the bar with practiced efficiency, even giving these patrons a bit of a show as he spun bottles, shakers, glasses, and even napkins through the air, getting payments with each drink. With a breif lull in the influx of drinks, he asked the older barman, "So who's tall, dark, and steal-y over there? He got a tab we should add to?"

 

[Kobe Nathan Wade]

Slowly the crowd which had formed was thinning out, and the bartender on duty seemed to stop holding his breath for the first time all shift. Out of the corner of his eye he watched the man take his seat at one of the booths out of ear shot before answering Decker's question. The remaining patrons seemed content to let the two work now that the first had some backup, and things calmed down considerably.

"Well first off, thanks ah-" He eyed Decker's name tag "John. Glad to have you on board, I'm Bryan." The man said, shaking a martini and serving it. "That is the manager on duty tonight, so don't go starting him a tab if you want to keep your job. I don't think I've seen the guy so much as balance a register since I got here, and I've had the position for six months. Our last guy who had your spot was piss poor, so I'm glad they found someone with experience. The owner will come through occasionally with some 'friend' of his he insists has a job now, and none of them ever know how to work. I think old dude is in maintenance now? I don't even know what the maintenance team does. He didn't seem qualified for that either." And by the end of Bryan's rant, all the expecting thirsty guests had been satiated. The man turned around and immediately started loading the small compact dishwasher they had behind the bar next to the taps. A new arrival took a seat at the bar, not in as much of a rush as the previous flock. He raised a hand to get Decker's attention, and asked him for a beer of any kind on draft.

Meanwhile Mint was being led off to the corner of the room where the chip-buying counter and accompanying vault were. Once they were let into the caged booth they would need to shimmy past it's occupants to a break-room. There were two doors within it, one which was open showing the office and a small safe meant specifically for the bar. The other was closed, with an electronic lot and slot to scan a key card. The red sign on it read "Restricted, Maintenance." Camille began digging through the safe for some change to give mint for her training shift. "Now don't worry, I'll be shadowing you and giving pointers the whole time, so no need to be afraid to stumble while you get your sea legs." She said in a motherly assistant-manager sort of tone.

shadowstrikr25 Ace Cream

 

[Ace Cream]

Mint Blaun

Mint followed silently, noting the important snippet of thought but didn't really bother to tell Decker or Faunt about it. Her eyes widen for a brief moment when she saw the very tall guy raiding the bar of some beers. Her mind immediately thought of some articles in the internet about genetic modification, bone implants, hormone injection and a few other way someone could achieve that kind of form. Fortunately she didn't need to deal with him as Camille dragged her into the break-room, seems the senior employee wasn't comfortable being around the tall man either.

As Camille digging through the safe for a suitable change for her. Mint was thinking about her mission and what she should do next. Her only experience about this kind of infiltration mission was from games like Meteor Gear Solid and Hitman so she considered asking Faunt for some more instruction, but then there's Camille and she couldn't do much with her around. When Camille said she would shadow her and help her with the work it gave Mint idea on what to do: eliminate Camille. No, Mint didn't have any intention to kill Camille, she's a civilian, but her presence made it difficult for her to snoop around. Mint glanced around the room, making sure there's no one nearby. The blaring music outside should be enough to muffle any noise from the struggle so it should be fine. Slowly Mint closed the door to the room they were in and pointed a finger at the clothes Carmille was ruffling about.

Mint wasn't overestimating herself when she told Faunt about her being confident in her telekinesis. Professor Ender was more than enthusiast to help her with various experiments to test her limit and Mint herself had an active imagination that made using it much easier. At the command of her thought the clothes lashed out at Carmille, entangling her in a net of fabric. It didn't take long before the employee was gagged, blindfolded and tied on the office's desk.

"Apologies. I won't hurt you, but do what I say. Listen carefully to my questions." Mint kneeled in front of the tied Carmille and whispered to her ear. While she's at it, Mint wanted to use this opportunity to gather more information.

"The general manager of your department, what does they look like?" Mint asked Carmille without bothering to ungag her. She was focusing herself on Carmille to extract the information right from her mind the moment she thought about it. She would gave the tied employee a few seconds to think about the answer, if she didn't Mint would pinch her stomach until she get it.

"Second question. The maintenance door, how to open it?" Mint knew it wasn't their target but in case things goes awry and she really needs to blow up a generator for distraction then it would likely be down there in the maintenance room.

Kobe Nathan Wade

 

[shadowstrikr25]

Decker Grayson

As the barman was venting after taking the first decent breath in a long time, Decker quickly keyed in his earpiece. After, of course, serving the man asking for a beer. He quickly spotted one of his personal favorites on draft and served it up with a bit more flourish, taking the payment. "So not only is the manager tall, dark, and horrible manners, but he also didn't help when you were getting swarmed by half the floor? And the owner throws people with no experience here and to maintenance?" With a subtle motion like scratching at his ear, he keyed the earpiece back out. "Didn't think I'd find that in the 5th. Seems like a lower District thing to me. But at least it's back to manageable now. For us, at least."

While conversing with Bryan, Decker got acquainted with all the bottles currently stocked. Amongst them, he found the exact ingredients he'd need for a little drink he liked to call 'The Bouncer.' It was a personal favorite way of getting unruly and ego-heavy customers unconscious and thrown out. After all, who could refuse a free drink when they think they're hot shit? With that weapon firmly in his arsenal, he was ready for the manager to stride on over and offer such a drink to try and get into his good graces. This was a very temporary gig, anyways.

 

[Kobe Nathan Wade]

"Uhhhhh uuh um, we saw the manager by the bar. He's really tall, dressed in all black and a fur coat, with his girlfriend I think. The maintenance door opens with a key card, only he would have one tonight other than the crew, and I think they're all downstairs." Camille was confused, and completely at a loss for any more words other than what would suffice as an answer. She was definitely quitting today.

"NO! BLAUN! STOP! WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Yelled Faunt in her ear the entire time she was being a psychic sadist of some sort. "We do not tie people up, I repeat, that is a no go for the rest of your life, got it?" Said Faunt, trying his hardest to sound less like a domineering law officer and more like a panicking father not sure how to discipline his child so that they didn't rebel but got the message. While he wondered how they were going to keep that woman from going public about the incident to the media, the intel came in from Decker's side of the op.

"That's the thing, Jay, do you mind if I call you Jay, you've seen the sign on bonus. As long as you work your years' contract and keep your confidentiality agreement in tact, you can practically retire on the benefits alone. No one seems to stick around long enough to care. Money talks, that's universal to all the districts." Bryan hit the button on the massive blender in which he was mixing eight adult milkshakes for an apparent bachelorette party. They chattered amongst themselves. None of the rotating parties seemed remotely interested in the conversation so long as their orders were filled. Faunt addressed Decker now.

"Decker, you're on your own on the floor. Mint has a mess to clean up in the back room. You've got to get that security pass off of the manager. Actually, I think I know how we're going to get security away from that secure stair well. Run with your gut and wait for my cue." He switched back to Mint's channel. "Mint, ask the lady where the silent alarm is, do you think you can overpower a couple of men? After all this flashing of your telekinesis, I'd hope you can fling a few ball point pens at high speeds if you need. And lock the door until they get there, don't attract too much attention." Faunt silently prayed Piper and Jason were handling their ranger better than he was his own.

Ace Cream shadowstrikr25

 

[VolcanicAccelerator]

The black energy erupting from Bryson's fist made Piper let out a little "eep." And she nearly covered her eyes. Then, something in the Black Ranger seemed to soften, and so did she. The Khan of the Ring chuckled at the rookie's arrogant comment, and he gave a wide smile with a few teeth missing and horrible breath spilled out of it as he approached closer to Bryson. "Really? Such a fan you had to get the shit beat out of you personally?" The bigger man's posse made a cacophonous array of laughter ring throughout the locker room. Some of the other challengers looked tense as well, wondering if they're about to be involved in breaking up the fight between the two largest men any of them had ever seen in person. Just then, over the intercom, the voice of an old man came through.

"Mr. Fontain, they're about to announce your entrance, please come on deck." Grodd's head tilted at the sound, and he looked back at Bryson only long enough to wink at him before lumbering towards the locker room exit which lead to the arena. The spotlights floated about the crowd, the dull roar of thousands of people becoming slightly louder as they all focused in on the ring. A man in a nice striped suit holding note cards in his left hand ran his fingers over his slicked back white hair just as he was lit up. He seemed unassuming, old, and frail, until he began to speak.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMAN!" He said with all the enthusiasm announcing two gladiators approaching required. "TONIGHT'S MAIN EVENT IS SCHEDULED FOR THREE ROUNDS! NOW APPROACHING THE WRING, WEIGHING TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY THREE POUNDS, YOU KNOW HIM AS THE CURRENT UNDISPUTED HOUSE CHAMPION, GRODD, KHAN OF THE WRING, FONTAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNN" The Bruce Buffer lookalike then watched as Grodd climbed into the ring and tossed his shiny gold robe into the crowd. While he had been speaking, despite his microphone, the noise of the crowd had nearly drown out his voice. "AND NOW, THIS EVENING'S CHALLENGER, IN HIS FIRST PROFESSIONAL FIGHT ON RECORD, BRYSON "THE BLACK MINOTAUR" GORATH!" The crowd switched almost immediately to a low hum of boo's or whispers. None of them had heard of this rookie before, and were unsure of the show they were about to be given. Most of them just wanted to see him get mauled by Grodd.

Meanwhile, ringside, sat the owner of the whole Casino, Shu Takemora himself. He eyed the rookie up, and leaned over to his compatriot whom had sold him on the match. A man in a shiny suit whom Bryson and Piper would recognize as the Red Ranger.

"You're sure he can take Grodd, Yusuke? He looks fit, sure, but ehhhhh a little... fresh." Asked Shu, seemingly unaware the man he was speaking to was an undercover Power Ranger and not, in fact, a fight promoter. Jason waved his hand incredulously at Shu's question.

"Shu, come on. How long have we been working together? Months! And every fight I've set up for you so far has, done what now? Remind me?"

"Broken records..." Said the Billionaire, as if still unconvinced.

"BROKEN RECORDSSS." Emphasized the Red Ranger, whom in fact had not set up any of the fights himself. There was a task force at the SDF whom had handled those details. This match was, in fact, the only one that had been his idea. He needed to stay near Shu to make the arrest when they found the evidence, and with the Black Ranger right in the wring to back him up when that time came, he felt sure the operation would succeed. All he needed was the go-ahead from Faunt when he relayed Decker and Mint had accomplished their own goals. "Look, I found this kid fighting in the UNDERGROUND! He can take a beating like you've never fucking seen, and that right hook! Just wait. Just wait."

"If he gets knocked out in the first round, I'm going to have Miles here take you out back and break your legs. And you'll still owe me six more fights." Jason laughed and clapped the crime boss on the shoulder, as if it were a hearty joke. Mentally, he did wince a bit. Miles, the bodyguard he had referred to, was about the same size as the men about to go to war in the ring. Shortly after Bryson entered the wring, the ref would go through the usual motions and once both the fighters put up their dukes, Grodd let out a quick double left jab followed by a hay-maker hook with his right.

VolcanicAccelerator (I'm going to need you to just take at least one of those punches for plot purposes, and after that you can style on 'em)

Bryson Gorath

Bryson understood the difference in enthusiasm for him and his opponent, why should they cheer for him? He understood that he was the metaphorical David stepping into the ring with the not so metaphorical Goliath, he'd enjoy this, all the same. Bryson allowed that rage to flood back inside, in this ring he could let loose! He was practically buzzing with excitement and as the announcer left the field leaving the two men to brawl, Bryson raised his fists and smiled. Reacting quickly he ducked the jabs with surprising speed for someone of his weight class, in order to dodge the haymaker he leaned heavily backward feeling the rush of force as the fist cleaved the air where his face had been moments before. He wanted to see what this Khan was made of, he didn't deserve to be called a true fighter but from what Gramps said back in the tower the fight needed to last for a bit to serve a decent distraction. Bryson would give the occasional jab but this was more goading the khan to attack rather than to cause actual damage, ironically he was playing the role of the matador.

 

[Ace Cream]

Mint Blaun

Mint stopped pinching Carmille's stomach when she hear Faunt screaming on her earpiece. She listened to what he said but couldn't help but got confused. She didn't injure the civilian and didn't cause any harm to the mission, what's the big deal about tying one or two people?

"No tying civilian? Understood, and I can beat a few men just fine." Mint kneeled back next to Carmille and pinched her stomach again.

"Silent alarm? Where?" She asked in her flat cold tone.

Kobe Nathan Wade

 

[shadowstrikr25]

Decker Grayson

There was a shrug in Bryan's general direction. "Call me whatever you want. I've worked places where I was just called 'motherfucker' more than once." Decker then fell back on the classic barman tradition of cleaning something, in this case one of his shakers, before continuing. "And yeah, the bonus is nice, but if that's the way management is gonna be? On the busiest casino floor on the planet? Almost isn't worth it. Almost." There was a wry grin shot in Bryan's direction before he placed the shaker down behind the bar and got news from Kenny.

The more experienced professional let out a barely contained sigh of annoyance. 'Of course she fucked something up, someone had to. Why was he worried about me doing something off script anyways? And he came up with this stupid alias that is still working?! Whatever, just gotta lift a keycard off the guy when he comes back for a refill.' As he looked upwards to try and regain his focus, he spotted a screen broadcasting Bryson's match. 'Wow, that is one quick fridge. Didn't think he could move that... wait a... IS THAT RED IN THE FRONT?!' Rubbing his eyes, he could indeed confirm that Jason was in the front, watching the fight. 'That tears it, I want the good position next time.' Another order broke him out of his trance, which he quickly worked on completing.

 

[Kobe Nathan Wade]

A few jabs tapped Grodd on the chin from the upstart in the wring with him, but nothing meaningful, seeing as they were all practically feints. He could tell he was trying to let Grodd tire himself out, but that was a poor strategy against the champ. He kept on the pressure, throwing some rather wild haymakers over and over. One caught Bryson on the chin, making Fontain even more confident. He practically charged through his slightly smaller rival nearly stepping inside clench distance with his assault.

VolcanicAccelerator

 

[Kobe Nathan Wade]

"It's there! Ouch! It's there under the desk right by your damn chair!!" Said Camille, her eyes watering from frustration and a bit from pain.

"NO! MINT! No more hurting civilians! Save it for the security, damn, you little sociopath." Grumbled Faunt over the radio. His head was spinning with paperwork. (I'm going to assume Mint reaches over, and flips the switch on the underside of the manager's desk.)

In the security booth, directly on the opposite side of the room from the service desk the two guards jolted in their booth with tinted windows. The light had gone red overhead. One of them put down his bikini magazine and the other choked on his coffee. Frantically they got up, one of them barely remembering to grab his belt with it's tazer in it. He clipped it on as he caught up to his partner. The lead man pulled his walkie talkie from his belt and spoke into it.

"Front door be advised we are investigating a disturbance." They said passing right in front of the bar as they said so.

"Heard Main Hall" Buzzed the electronic voice back at him. It was mere moments before the two fit dudes were instructing the tellers in front of the vault to close the exchange booth. Many patrons groaned about this, but didn't exactly seem outraged, as if this happened occasionally and was not a crisis. They were both 5' or 6' and looked like they might do jiu jitsu on the weekends or maybe wrestled in high school. They both gripped their tazers as they took up position on either side of the break room door. One nodded at the other, and they entered. They both swept the left and right of the room respectively, until both weapons fell upon Mint. They relaxed a little at the site of a petite woman, but concerned at the hostage she held.

"Um, ma'am, we're gonna need you to let Camille go."

"Y'okay Camille?"

"Kind of." Whined Camille.

Meanwhile back in the bar area, the freakishly tall man had plodded back to the watering hole proper. He looked at Decker out of the corner of his eye as he stepped over the bar once more, not thinking much of him at the moment. He grabbed a glass and began pouring a Super Nova IPA TM* into the pint. While it poored he snatched another cup from the Auto-Chiller Shelf TM*.

Ace Cream shadowstrikr25

 

[VolcanicAccelerator]

Bryson Gorath


Bryson in his attempt to put on more of a show played safely and goaded Grodd into swinging somewhat wildly but Bryson misstepped and he knew he made a mistake. Clenching his jaw in an attempt to somewhat minimize the blow, he realized in slow motion this would most likely be futile since Grodd probabdly punched with the force of regular men however when Bryson expected the pain to flare through his jaw...there was nothing? Bryson was sure the fist connected since well it was still on his chin, Grodd had expected him to fall or react in some way but he didn't? Bryson was just as confused, where was the pain? However not missing a beat the steroid using behemoth, aimed another blow right to Bryson's midsection which again....did nothing? Bryson watched that one connect and felt no more bothered than if someone lightly blew against him, Now Grodd looked genuinely befuddled. However, Bryson had already started to put the pieces together and it terrified him. Gramps back on the ship said his power was Kentucky or something energy manipulation right? Punches had that kinda Kentucky energy didn't they? And that spark in the locker room, that had never happened before. Thinking this to be some sort of trick, Grodd unleashed a barrage of blows all over, not caring for leaving himself open just caring for pummeling this upstart into submission! While all of these blows connected, Grodd was sure of it the rookie still didn't react, sure they somewhat pushed him backward but they left no bruises as if they'd bounced off!

At first, Bryson reacted with fear, 'No No No something must've slipped in my sandwich o-or this is some trick that Jeremay pulling from the stands' he rationalized in seconds, but no that wasn't it...with a glance, he noticed that Jeramy was looking as astounded as the rest of the crowd. Which left only one option, his ranger powers had taken away his right to feel pain, his right to feel the crack of a strong opponents fist upon his face, the right to feel the adrenaline pumping as you stand up to take another beating, his right to feel satisfaction after pulling through that beating...his ranger powers had taken it all. They took everything, they took him away from his home into some penthouse, they took him away from his pops, they took away the one godamn thing he loved in this world...fighting.

They took it all.


Bryson's face twisted from confusion and somewhat sadness into an utter and pure rage, a rage that made his glaring in the locker room look like a tantrum. Jeremy lied, he said these powers were a blessing, a gift to change his course in life, Bryson disagreed. It was clear as day that these powers were a curse. Forgetting all about the crowd, the mission, the damn match all Bryson cared about was hurting the thing in front of him because that was the one thing this curse still let him do. After letting out a guttural roar, that nearly shook the stadium. Bryson threw a terrifyingly strong gut-punch at the astonished Grodd, a punch that made the mammoth of a man nearly buckle over a feat no other veteran forget a rookie had done to the Khan for as long as anyone remembered. Bryson didn't let up, he gave another cross punch that sent the man spiraling backwards several feet. In another universe Bryson would take great pleasure in this fight, the Khan while a scourge on the sports name was quite strong and beating him fair and sqaure with a beating would've filled Bryson's heart with joy and pride...but there was no joy or pride in the black ranger, there was only the Minotaurs wrath.

 

[Kobe Nathan Wade]

Bryson’s endless days of training and will to fight definitely came through in his movements. He was pointed, and wrath filled not like a predator but more like a ruthless killer who’s switch has been flipped, that is under the rules of boxing using only his fists. In any case, the punch to the gut following a viscous combo he landed on Grodd Fontain had the crowd nearly quiet. Grodd was thoroughly confused, and turtled his gloves over his head to block any shots and give him a moment to breath. The shot had knocked the wind out of him in a way which hadn’t happened since he got his enhancements. No normal human, no matter how well trained or brutally strong could have hit him like that with his shock absorbing nano-weave beneath his skin active. He could take a truck head in and survive! Though he did get a broken arm the time he tried it.

Regardless, this man was not going to get the best of him. Not in his wring, not when he still owed a scary crime king pin a shit ton of money for the nano weave and the polymer-skeleton. He glared at Bryson, and ducked to the right, stepping past his cross-punch. He came around for an outside clockwork punch, which smacked Bryson in the ear just as his powers faded off due to his lack of control over them. It caused his ears to ring and made the vision in his right eye go a little fuzzy. An even trade for the damage he had just received. Whatever made his punches feel like air a moment before was gone, so Grodd steadied himself to prepare for another assault. He would be more technical next time, knowing the man was somehow observing the power from his blows and then dealing ones of his own which defied logic in their force.

VolcanicAccelerator

 

[Ace Cream]

Mint Blaun

Mint only stared blankly as the two security guards entered. The door suddenly slammed shut behind them. After flipping the switch, Mint was thinking hard on how to deal with the incoming guards. Would they be considered civilian or not? Mint didn't want anymore scolding from Faunt but fortunately the solution came in the form the weapon that the securities were equipped with, tazer gun, so she decided to take a more peaceful approach for this. Bluff and talk. Yes, no more hurting civilian. Mint's hand gripped the edge of the desk as she used her power to lift the entire furniture above her head, making it looks like she was capable of superhuman strength. This would surely scare them right??

"Someone might lose their head. Don't do funny stuffs." Mint said monotously as she glanced at the tied Carmille on the floor. It's just bluffing, she didn't intend to crush Carmille's head at all. Though for some reason she had a veeery slight curiousity about it. What would her crushed brain looks like? She shook out the thought. Focus on mission.

"All weapons, drop it all. On the floor. Then raise hands."

Kobe Nathan Wade

 

[shadowstrikr25]

Decker Grayson

Luckily for both the barmen, the rush that Decker had helped deal with seemed to be the worst of it. Things were fairly quiet now, leaving time to properly evaluate the surroundings and let his spatial awareness stretch out a bit more. Unfortunately, it wasn't to last as the manager drunkenly lumbered on over to help himself to yet more booze. 'Wait, this guy actually drinks Super Nova? Shit person AND shit taste I see.' And there within the folds of his jacket, was the reflective plastic of a keycard. 'Well, at least I don't have to get out from behind the bar.' The only thing he needed now was a distraction, something to get this guy to look somewhere else for just a moment. At that moment, the crowd in the bar went silent.

On one of the large screens, Bryson could be seen completely no-selling some equally big jackass. Decker, not one to waste an opportunity, made sure to speak loud enough for the manager to hear. "Well. That's a new one." As if on cue, Bryson's roar shattered the silence, launching a single straight into his opponent's gut. With the manager's attention now, hopefully, taken up by the match currently being broadcast, Decker gave a new method of pickpocketing a shot. From his height, he couldn't reach into that pocket without drawing attention to himself. However, his ability might allow him to move his arm to where it needed to be.

With a quiet breath, Decker focused on his own position, and the position of the keycard. He began narrowing his focus to the hand currently behind his back, getting ready to send it into that pocket for a retrieval. Imagining a razor thin connection between his hand and the keycard, his power began to work its magic. A small portal appeared over his palm, one that he willed to go wider. Just as he was about to reach through the portal, something fell into his hand, shaking him out of his trance. It was smooth, rectangular... the keycard? A quick look at the managers jacket confirmed. It wasn't there anymore. 'OK... not how I thought that was going to work.' Quickly slipping the keycard into his back pocket, he got Bryan's attention. "Can you hold down the fort for a bit? I gotta use the can." 'And apparently do Headcase's job for her.'

 

[Kobe Nathan Wade]

The two men recoiled at the tiny girl in front of them raising a whole desk above her head. They were horrified, having seen nothing of the sort in their lives. Their security handbook doesn't cover super powered young women holding the shift leader hostage and threatening to crush her head, apparently. As such, Mint's bluff worked. They both put up their hands and placed their tazers on the ground slowly.

"Alright, alright now." Said the left one. "Whatchya want, you want money?" While one of the men was lowering his gun his jacket fluttered, and Mint would notice their key cards clipped to their belts were identical to the ones the managers had. In her earpiece Faunt spoke clearly.

"Well, Pink, not how I would have done it but it's gotten you this far. Tell him to give you his badge and get down those maintenance stairs."

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Meanwhile, Bryan had nodded his head and focused on setting up the other thirsty customers while Decker escaped the bar area. The security booth was empty, and Decker slipped unnoticed by patrons behind it and into the security door. The hallway which unfolded in front of him was long and darkened, with only red emergency lights illuminating it. It was a rather thin corridor, akin to the size one might find in a New York apartment, only a yard and a half across. Valves, pipes, and meters lined the walls exposed. Some of them released steam occasionally.

The manager on duty had sat down at his booth, and started making googly eyes at his girlfriend. After a few moments of kissy faces, and he had finished his drink, he leaned back and folded his arms over his chest. Something bothered him, however, when he did this. He did not feel the key card he was given to keep track of. Panic began to set in as he patted himself down. It wasn't there! The man cursed in his mind, and then out loud.

"FUCK!" He yelled, causing his girlfriend to jump.

"What is it baby?" She said in an ugly scratchy voice.

"The card! It's gone!" He said, searching the seats of the booth. The boss had told him he could drink whatever he wanted, do whatever he wanted, and completely fuck off while he was here working as a "manager" on one condition. No one EVER used that key card without his permission. Shival's excessive drinking had gotten the better of him, clearly, failing to do his one job. That's when he remembered the face of that new bartender. That little shit had been eyeing Shival up all night! And now that fucker wasn't behind the bar. It had to have been him. Shival slithered out from behind the bar, and his equally snake-like girlfriend followed on his heels. He caught Decker's form heading into the security booth, and broke into a lumbering sprint after him. Decker was already inside, but before the door could close Shival's bony fingers latched onto it's edge and stopped it from doing so. He entered the room, followed immediately by the woman. Both of them stood and stared at the Blue Ranger for a moment, like ghosts with unfinished business of some sort. "Well... it seems one of our employees is the curious type."

"Baby! Baby! Can I eat him?" Asked the female excitedly, her voice changing from less of a heavy smoker sound to more of a hiss.

"Not until we find out why he thought he needed to come in here, a completely unmarked hallway. And don't tell me you were trying to find a keg, bartender."

Ace Cream shadowstrikr25

 

[shadowstrikr25]

Decker Grayson

With the other barman's confirmation that things were good, Decker made his move into the security hallway. However, when the door failed to close as expected, a few things became very clear to him. First, his little trick didn't buy him nearly as much time as he would have liked. Second, this was probably going to end in a fight in a cramped space. Finally, his spatial awareness was back to normal. He didn't feel them approaching at all. It was still there, but off, like it ran out of power. 'OK, gonna have to work with that. Maybe next time I should follow my own advice.'

He turned around to face Shival and his girlfriend, both clearly poised for the attack. 'With my awareness down, I don't think the usual redirect is going to work. Can't let them know I'm not at my best.' With a smirk that loudly broadcasted confidence and his body ready to move itself out of the way of any inbound attack, he answered the manager's question. "You're not wrong, I wasn't looking for extra booze. However, I was hired by Mr. Takemora to see if I could get anywhere I wasn't supposed to be. Enterprise like this needs top notch security, of course, and he wanted to see if there were any weak links." With every word, he was slowly inching further into the hallway and undoing his tie in an attempt to both get an improvised garrote and get just close enough to one of the steam valve to use it somehow. As he moved, he never took his eyes off the pair. The second he looked away, he'd be dead and eaten.

Kobe Nathan Wade

 

[Kobe Nathan Wade]

Shival and Somera both wandered further into the hall, not exactly without purpose but seemingly sedated by Decker’s words.

“That does sound like Shu...” said the female.

“And you’re clearly a professional.” Said the male. “No one can touch me without me knowing...” the woman laughed a high pitched cackle, more human like in tone before dropping back down to a hiss. Suddenly the female dipped to the left behind her mate, and a long arm slithered up the wall until it gripped a pipe on the high ceiling. She pulled herself along the wall until she was completely off the ground, and eventually looking at Decker upside down prone to the top of the hallway. Her head turned halfway around so that she was looking at him sideways, all nine feet of her. The ten foot one was hunched over a bit due to his height, but it did not seem uncomfortable to him. It served to have his head closer to his prey, after all.

“And where are you from then? A pro like you?” The man suspected that even an undercover cop wouldn’t have a convincing backstory to fool him. He had grown up in the lower districts, and only recently had even been granted access to territories such as this. In fact, Shu Takemora had made that change in his life. As such he felt a terrible sense of loyalty to the man, and invoking his name was a good play on Decker’s part. For the moment, anyhow.

shadowstrikr25

 

[Ace Cream]

Mint Blaun

"Badge, maintenance. Understood." Mint nodded at Faunt's instructions and then dropped the desk on the floor before shifting her attention towards the two security guards.

"Your badge, give me please." She asked as the two taser on the floor hover by itself and then shoot them on the chest, sending jolts of electricity at them. The power of neuromuscular incapacitation! Mint didn't bother removing the barbs as she started tying them up and stripping the badge, if they try to resist she would shock them again. Three people tied for her first mission wasn't a bad thing she thought, could be worse. She pocketed the tasers for later use, might be handy.

Mint quitted the room and glance around to see Decker position but she couldn't spot him, nor the very tall manager and his girlfriend. Well, he probably lured them outside and threw them unconscious in a garbage dump. At least that's what Mint would do if she was the one handling that and poses spatial power. Swiping the card on the door's scanner, she entered it and walked down the stairs to the maintenance area.

Kobe Nathan Wade