The Syndicate

[Bryden]

[[I'm so shameless in my RP-naming... but this, my friends, is what I feel like whenever I read the stuff for our syndicate or I think about slasher.
Fun, don't'cha think??]]

It sounds like a science fiction novel. For emo teen girls. The crime group in a mildly futuristic world. Featuring a techie genius, a thief extraordinaire, a leader who may or may not be a sociopath, a getaway driver, a con artist who loves to live it up. They go on massive heists, undertaking “projects” other crime organizations only dare to dream of. Then they live it up in an apartment complex built just for them.
Because in this world, crime is a thriving business opportunity. Not just for petty thieves picking pockets on the street, but also for the big corporations who do it up right.
These people have tech that not even the government has yet. These people have money that makes the lottery look like a drawing for a fruit basket. These people would kill you without a second thought if you get in their way. No matter whom you are. There is no one who can’t be bribed, threatened, or simply killed.
Well… almost no one.

A new president is in office. And he (or she; nobody has seen this person face-to-face. The elections were held online, just as they have been held for fifty years) will not be so easily corrupted. The president is cracking down on organized crime, and newly appointed police officials will stop at nothing to carry out their new orders. Nothing.
But The Syndicate isn’t about to lie down and let their heads be chopped off. No way. They are going to fight for their right to crime. They like the world they have wrought.
And they will stop at nothing to keep it that way. Nothing.

[Bryden]

Memo to Employees:
Welcome to Seattle, 2209. Crime is the driving force of this city, just as it is in the rest of the world. And the leader of this crime? The Syndicate, of course.
If you are not in The Syndicate, you are afraid and ignorant. And that’s how We want it. We want the masses to fear, to try and protect themselves. It keeps us amused. It would be far too easy to just break in to places without a bit of challenge, wouldn’t it?
We are an organization of crime. The best and the brightest, all dedicating their lives to crime.
We have never been caught. That is because We are the best, you see.
And We refuse to be cowed by the new chief of police and the new president trying to squash us down.
We declare war on the law.
You are the best. You are the brightest. You are the ones who will rule this world, one way or another. You are The Syndicate.

… “You’d better get up here,” Neve Estate said coolly into her intercom. Her fingers released the button and the intercom buzzed. The doors to the boardroom would open any moment, and in would come the members of The Syndicate, ready and waiting for orders.
They were a motley group, to tell you the truth. Not at all what one might picture as members of the leading crime corporation in the world.
Neve, however, was the picture of “crime lord”.
She sat, legs crossed, at the head seat of a long mahogany table, set with a row of black leather swivel chairs on each side. Blonde hair cascaded down her back and framed her face in a recent-looking blowout, and her pencil skirt and jacket looked freshly pressed. Her nails were manicured red, the same shade as her painted lips. The only things looking out of place were the large sunglasses over her eyes, and the fact that one black stiletto heel dangled off the tip of her toe on the crossed over leg.
Behind the glasses, she looked out the glass of the “window”.
The entire room was a window. Made of glass- ceiling, walls, even the floor- and jutting off the top floor of The Syndicate Building. Nearly a mile off the ground, and looking for all the world like it would be so easy to fall out of into nothingness.
The room was a bridge, connecting one half of the building-the offices- to the next- the apartments of the members-, and crossing over a busy-looking main street. Below, people bustled on, unable to see into what was actually one-way mirror and into the board room.
One door led into her office. This was directly across from her, and the majority of The Syndicate would probably come through there. Behind her was the door of an elevator, and that led to each of the members’ apartments. (That said something, as they each had their own floor.) Anyone who had been lazing in bed at 10:00 in the morning would likely come through there.
Neve drummed her fingers on the table impatiently. They were taking too long, and she had plans to go over. She pressed her intercom button again, broadcasting a message to the phone-chip each member had inside a tooth.
“NOW.”

[Tusk]

Jason had been on his floor merely making sure his assortment of guns and interigation tools were ready. The boss liked to send him to places in a hurry, so he trained himself to be ready to leave at a momment's notice. He heard the message and did not even look suprised. He was dressed for the most part, he just needed to put on his tie and coat before he deemed himself ready for the meeting. Just as he put on his coat, he heard a demanding Now. It sounded like someone was having a bad day, but he did not say anything about it.
He walked to the elevator with just his pace, a slow direct walk. Once in the elevator, he just stood there, not talking, not paying any real attention to the elivator music, and waited to hit the top. Once he did, he walked into the meeting room. It was a very interesting room. He himself perfered not to sit in a chair and simply stand near the table. His eyes were covered in shades but they did not really look around. He just nodded to Neve like he always did. Other than that, he did not really move.

[Grimn]

Guilford sat kneeling in his darkened room, hands up in prayer. "Lord allow me to do thy will through the talents that have been bestowed upon me" murmured Guilford silently. Guilford heard the memo and the angered retort that soon followed it. Slowly getting up he opened his personal chamber door and walked through his floor and into the elevator. His floor was mostly open with a few couches and paintings on the wall. The elevator rose the few floors that stood between his floor and the top floor. The door slid open and Guilford slowly walked out. As he passed Neve he reached into his coat and withdrew a package of cigarettes. He withdrew one as he made his way to the opposite wall. He leaned against the wall, one leg raised against the wall, partially covered in the shadows, and lit the cigarette, putting his hands into his pockets. He replaced the lighter and pack into his coat and allowed the nicotine to enter his body. His black hair hung down in his face and the small light at the end of the cigarette was the only telling sign as Guilford and the shadows seemed to blend. He looked out from his one eye to Neve and waited for the meeting to start.

[GnomesAteMyCake]

OOC: I've left a Bio in the Bio section, Bry, so if you could check it and give me a thums up or not, that would be awesome. I'll go with my character till then!

IC: Roxi's eyes snapped open with a start as Neve's voice echoed over the intercom, and she fell from the bed. Groaning, she stretched on the floor and grabbed one of her converses and pushed her foot into it. Still wearing the jeans she went to bed in, she grabbed a baggy shirt and stuffed her arms down the holes. Leaving it unbuttoned, showing her tank top underneath, she grabbed her tool belt and looped it around her hips. Yawning, she grabbed her goggles and put them on her head, running a hand through her knotted hair, before realising it wasn't tied up and pulled her goggles off again. Tying it up untidily, she jammed her goggles back on her head as Neve's voice rang through her room again;
"Now".

Still drowsy, Roxi headed for the door to her rooms and walked towards the elevator that would desend to Neve's main office, where she assumed Neve was waiting, along with the rest of the Syndicate. She entered the elevator, and pushed the button, feeling a small twinge in her stomach as the elevator went down. She lent against the wall, her eyes closed, feeling that it was too early to be calling business. She cracked one eye open and saw that the clock above the buttons on the wall said it was eleven. Screwing her eyes up slightly, she felt the usual twitch in her brain that confirmed that her chip was releasing her morning caffine boost.

With a small ding, the doors slid smoothly open, and Roxi walked into the room, Neve sat in her usual place at the head of the table, Guilford stood in the shadows on one side of the room, and Jason stood by the table.
"Morning boys!" She said cheerily, her caffine boost starting to kick in. "Morning Ma'am" she added to Neve, to whom she had the upmost respect for, as she should. She walked over to the table, and lowered herself into a chair near Neve. She propped her elbows on the table, and rested her head on her hands. She swung her legs slightly, being extremely careful not to kick Neve by accident. Her caffine boost was really kicking in, and she was beginning to get hyper.

[PsychoKath]

(( okay guys, go and read my bio. Otherwise you might be lost...))

Mirei sighed as the impatient voice of Neve sounded from her tooth. It was a pain, really, but she would do anything for the woman. Even get up and out of bed at 10 a.m. when she had no jobs lined up. Days like this she wondered what it would be like to be a normal person. Nevertheless, is was never a good thing to keep Neve waiting. That was one of the first lesson's she learned as a little girl, living surrounded by organized crime.

After running a comb through her hair she paused at her wardrobe- what to wear? Briefly she looked from her work clothes to her normal ones before squinting in resolve. She was allowed to be Mirei, today. Grabbing a black top and skirt, her black boots, and her red jacket she threw them on quickly and raced to the elevator. When she entered the conference room she let loose a relieved sigh, no one here that didn't already know her. That was good. With her normal peppery smile towards the others she plopped into a seat near Neve. " Why does everyone always look so grumpy in the morning?" she asked allowed.

[Vale]

Beating his eyes slightly he turned his head a little bit to the right, then back to the left.
"A Blonde and a Red head...decent turn out last night." He spoke as he sat up and realized something peculiar.

Lifting up the blanket he smiled.
"And a Blonde. I've been busy." He said, pushing the blonde off of the bed as she met with a thud on the floor, quickly waking her up.
"Hey! What's going on?"
"Get out. All three of you, there's probably a cab downstairs, it'll take you three home." Cyrus spoke, as the commotion woke the other two as well.
"But Baby...come back to the bed...we're not finished yet." One of the harpies spoke.
"But I am. So you can leave now." He spoke as he opened the door and gestured all but the blonde out.

"You stay." He spoke, as the blonde provactively strutted towards him.
"You've got good taste..." her voice was cut short by Cyrus grabbing her throat and slamming her up against the door.
"So the Syndicate sent you...interesting." Cyrus spoke, forcably turning her face from side to side. "Yes, It's you." He smiled as he reached for a kitchen knife and used it to caress the sides of the blonde's face.

"I won't kill you. That would be counterproductive." He spoke, slicing the side of her face, ear to bottom chin. "I'm going to mark you, so you can make the choice yourself. You cannot kill me, because you are far too weak in comparison. Mentally, Skillfully, and Physically. " He said, slicing the inside of her leg then moving out again.

"To make sure, that you will not be able to kill me..." He smiled crushing her left hand with the partially opened door. "I never liked that one anyways..." He spoke again.

"Get out of my sight." He spoke, bringing her into the hallway and right up over the small balcony, dropping her unto a pile of garbage cans and assorted other dumpster materials.

Three men came out from the first floor and threw the blonde's body into a car, with one destination set.

Cyrus on the other hand, gazed out the window of his loft apartment.
"Good, let them come."

[Bryden]

Neve smiled faintly as each person entered the room. She also made a point to address them each by name.
"Jason."
"Guilford."
"Roxanne." (She made it a point to never use nicknames.)
As Mirei entered, she smiled more widely. Behind the dark glasses, her eyes followed her adopted daughter as she entered.
"Mirei."
They were all present... but for a few glaring exceptions.

And speaking of glaring exceptions....

Xee, resident bitch and getaway driver of The Syndicate, barged in through the elevator to the apartments. If elevator doors could slam, she would have slammed them.
"You woke me up, Neve," she growled, collapsing into a chair at the far end of the table and promptly placing her feet on the mahogany.
Something in her cargo pants pocket fired a blank.

Neve didn't look pleased. "Why isn't the saftey set on your firearm, Xeenia?" she asked, her voice cold.

Xee scoffed. "Fuck that!" she said loudly, "I don't need no stinkin; saftey! I need my weapons ready-to-fire out a window of a moving vehicle."

Neve sniffed at the uncouth Japanese woman. Xee was not all all in her taste... but she put up with her, just as she put up with the others.
"As soon as Rosa arrives, I believe, we should begin."

[Eva]

"I'm here."

The soft, slightly wavering voice of Rosa Martell called. She entered the room with her white heels making a soft clinking noise. Her entrance was a sharp contrast to Xee's, as she made no point to draw pointless attention to herself. "I'm quite sorry for being late. One of my girls needed to go to the emergency room, and you know me, I refuse to leave them alone in situations such as that." Rosa's voice was still calm and whispery, but still loud enough for the others to hear. Her golden blonde hair was tied into a bun, with her bangs framing her face. "Don't worry, if she dies I'm sure nobody will be able to trace her back to us." Rosa added.

[PsychoKath]

Mirei's widened a bit when Rosa told them what had happened. She knew personally what Rosa's girls were capable of, having investigated many of their cases, so to hear of one getting hurt badly enough to be sent to the emergency room was a rare thing and not one to be taken lightly. Mirei looked at Rosa, already beginning to feel the pull of Mirage, " You want me to look into it for you? I could trace the incident and have all you need to take him down before tonight, if you want. Or I could do it myself," she offered. Belatedly forgetting that Neve needed to speak to them.

Cringeing slightly, sh efixed herself, "As long as Neve doesn't have something for me, that is."

[Bry]

Neve nodded at Rosa as the woman entered. If one of her girls had needed medical attention so badly that it made her late... well, it was not a desirable sign. But as long as a death could not be traced back to The Syndicate, Neve was not concerned. She put very little stock on human life.
She placed a hand on her daughter's arm to silence and... ah... reassure her. Her long nails could have dug into the girl's neck and drawn blood if Neve wanted them to. Mirei was that trusting of her. Neve relished this fact, but did nothing and took her hand down a moment later.
"Now that we are all present and accounted for," she said, getting to her feet.
The woman walked around the table. Her heels clicked on the thick glass floor. Anyone looking up at the time would see a small shadow tracing the outline of a larger shadow as Neve paced around the table.

"Get on with it!" Xee rudely interjected. Neve flashed a warning glare at her,and she smirked but shut up. Even Xee knew better then to push her boss too far.

"We have a bit of a situation," she continued, acting as though the interruption had never occurred.
"Despite our efforts the new commander-in-chief of this stinking country has proved un-bribe-able. And further then that, she- yes, I figured that out- is bound and determined to eradicate us." She took a breath.
"Obviously, this cannot be allowed to happen."
She had made a full circuit around the table, and finally stopped and sat back in her own seat.
"What do you propose we do?"

"Kill 'er!" Xee promptly supplied, crossing her ankles while her feet were still on the table.

Neve sighed. "I don't think you realize just how difficult an assassination of this scale is, Xeenia."

"So? Anyone can die, Neve!"

[PsychoKath]

"Take out her allies" piped up Mirei. When no one scolded her for her idea she continued. " The president can't possibly think to overtake us with only her authority- to even think the idea she has to have some really powerful allies- so I say we find 'em, and we bribe 'em. And if they are too stubbourn to be bribed we take them out, until the president is all alone and either has to join us or leave us alone."

Many would not think such a cold remark to come from the sweet looking girl at the table. Thankfully, the people in the room were used to her- and to be honest it wasn't Mirei who was fueling the words. As she sat there, planning was to find the president's allies she could feel the pull of Mirage coming on even stronger. Struggling to fight down her counter-part she looked at Neve to see what she thought.

[Grimn]

Guilford stood against the wall and took another drag on his cigarette. He listened to the problem and the proposed solutions. "Either solution posses problems" he thought, thinking through the two different scenarios and outcomes. "If we kill her then it is possible she is used as a martyr for the fight against individuals such as ourselves" began Guilford. "However if she is allowed to live then it shows we are weak as an organization to our competitors" continued Guilford.

He held the cigarette in his hand and looked up at the group, a strand of hair falling into his face. "Whatever action we take we must consider all variables and determine the best outcome. I propose that we first remove her support and then come to her with a proposal. If we can get her to step down then she will lose the public support for being a coward. After she steps down then we shall eliminate her to maintain our Syndicate image" rasped Guilford, running a hand along his right forearm. Guilford replaced the cigarette and looked out at the table of Syndicate members in front of him. "Neve if you will allow me to, I will get the Acolytes working on this problem immediatly and set up the appropriate..scenario" rasped Guilford.

[GnomesAteMyCake]

Roxi listened to Neve quietly, which was surprising concidering how hyper she was getting.
"Oh oh oh oh! Neve, I have an idea!" She blurted out, sticking her hand up in the air and jiggling in her chair. Mirei may have been the youngest member of the Syndicate, but it was Roxi who acted it most of the time. "Ok, here it is. You say we can't kill her using our usual methods-", she indicated respectively to the Assassins present in the room, "- but she still needs to be gotten rid of right? Here's my idea". Roxi stood up and planted her hands on the table, her goggles falling from her head and hanging around her neck.
"We all sneak into the sewers underneath the White House, right, and thanks to yours truely, we rig a couple of hundred pounds of explosives underneath the building, right, we retreat to a save distance of a couple of miles and BOOM!" She finished, slapping her hands on the table and grinning at everyone. "Then, we pin it down to a gas explosion. Everybody wins, and we stay undetected and the President is out of the picture".

Roxi sat back down, and jumped up and down in her chair again. "It would still be a difficult choice of action, should you think it's appropriate, Neve, but deffinately do-able".

[Tusk]

Jason just listened to everyone speaking. He, himself did not speak at all. This was not his usual time to speak. People could come up with ideas all they want, but his best bet was extorition. He then came across an idea.
" She is in a political spot. There has to be some skeletons in her closet. If we find them, we have black mail. If she does not cooperate, then give it to the press and they will tear her apart. If she does not, then we could always fabricate something. Eitherway, do what you will. "
He said in a monotone voice. He then returned to not talking. He simply had nothing more to say.