Axis

[NicoJoe]

The rush of people filtering into the kitchen had distracted Harrison and, consequently, he had lost sight of Basia as everyone moved into the dining room. The spread was impressive; it rivaled the variety he had seen once when he dined with a Saudi prince while on a mission a few years back. Harrison loved food. He thought of himself as something a connoisseur of fine dining since he had spent so much time at high class parties and social events that he knew good food when he saw it. And this was good food. High end sushi, filet mignon, beluga caviar, and moose milk cheese which Harrison knew to sell for five hundred dollars a pound. He always liked that cheese, though it was a bit too sharp.

By the time he located Basia, the seat next to her was filled. Disappointed, Silk moved to the seat across from her and began to pile food onto his plate. As he looked to Basia, about to speak, he noticed Jimmy’s eyes closed and his hands stuck together, steadfast in prayer. This made Harrison stop, thoughts and memories flooded to his mind. His mother was a religious woman, a stanch catholic and attended church every Sunday without complaint and without missing a day as far as he could remember. She had taken him a few times but never forced the church or her beliefs onto him.

Harrison remembered one night when he was young. It was a late, but his father wasn’t home. It was their one day off from the show, Sunday, so he was out at some bar with his buddies, leaving his family at home. Harrisons mother, Cecelia, was in her room and Harrison was on his way to his back to bed after getting up to use the restroom. Her door was cracked and he heard her talking, but not as if she was speaking to someone in the room. He creped to the door and listened, quietly, to her words as she prayed.

“Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep;
if I die before I wake,
I pray for God my soul to take,” she opened her prayer with the same words she had taught Harrison when he was younger. ‘For when you need God,” she had said. Harrison peeked into her room and saw her, knelt by her beside and her hands clasps together, begging to her God. Betwixt her fingers she held tightly to a set of white beads with a crucifix hanging from the end of them. Her black hair, her long black hair, fell in to her face as she bowed her head at the words.

“I thank thee for all thou have given me,” she said slightly louder than a whisper, “For the love and safety thou has seen fit to bestow upon me. For all the things I’ve been given to help me in my life and keep me safe and secure. But most of all, I thank thee for the wonderful son I was able to bear and I pray that though may bless him and make sure he knows of my love for him.”

He could hear her voice tremble, tears were probably flowing from her eyes but he couldn’t see her face through her hair. “I am sorry for the sins I have committed. I pray for forgiveness for my inequities and wrongdoings. I pray to be a better person, the person I was placed on this Earth to become. I shall strive to follow thee completely and return to thee. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, and he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Amen.”


The memory brought a tear to Harrison’s eye, but he wiped it away before any could notice. It wasn’t a tear for the prayer, but the memory of his mother. He hadn’t seen or heard from her in so long. He wondered if she was alive. He wondered what his actions had done to her. He loved his mother, but she was his past now and he must again put her behind him.

The thought of God was interesting, but not a firm belief to Harrison. He couldn’t fully accept the thought of a man in the sky watching his every move, judging him for the choices he makes and the life he chose to live. Of course, accepting this would mean that all the things he had done- the killings, the thefts and the sexual improprieties- were all to be the end of him. Damn him to Hell for all eternity and assure a forever of torture and suffering. No, he couldn’t accept this. Not without proof. He couldn’t allow his mind to believe in a deity that disapproved of him and his life. He may, someday, go to Hell. But he wouldn’t accept it until he was there. Until his soul was at the mercy of that man is the sky, he wouldn’t believe.

Harrison turned back to Basia and smiled bright at her as he continued placing food on his plate. “So, Basia, you dance? What style, if you don’t mind me asking?”

[Tusk]

Ghost had sat down quietly and began to eat with a nervous look. This time it was not about the people in the room. This time it was about the meeting with Clemintine. This man had found every single one of them and brought them here. They were soldiers, thieves, assassins, demolitions, and His computer abilities. Ghost was no amiture and neither were anyone else here. Just looking into their eyes, he saw they were hardened in their craft. Too many questions, not enough data. The more he ate, the more he pondered just what was going to happen.
As the talking drowned out into one long buzz, Ghost nibbled on the small amount he put on his plate. Ideas of what Clemintine looked like popped into his head. He thought of an older man in a business suit and that one stuck. Ghost began to get antsy as the dinner went along. He needed something to do. He was usually typing away in the vast world of the internet, or creating some sort of robot. He looked at his plate, void of food and then began to put his forks and spoons in such a way that they began to stand up in a teepee like fashion. He then worked diligently to balance a knife on top of the forks and spoons. Childish? Yes, but he could not maintian any sort of focus on conversations that led to nowhere. Plus he did not trust anyone, so small talk was almost illogical.

[charleymander]

Clementine, such a unique name. One we all new well, and once the butler said it, Basia noticed the change in everyone’s expression. For some it was excitement, others it was skepticism; but one thing was for sure they all wanted to see their new boss. Basia tried to picture the different uses Clementine would have for each of the new members, but the thought of getting to use her rifle soon pushed them aside. She couldn’t wait to be back out on the field.

Basia took a bite of her food, as two late comers entered the room. The man, Pilot, took a seat next to Fox. By his facial features, Basia figured he was Russian, but whether he was a friend or foe she didn’t know. But considering they were both on the same team now, did it matter? Probably not. She nodded a hello at him, before catching Fox’s eye.

Fox sighed, opening her mouth to say something. Oh god, Basia thought. She readied herself, building herself up to be nice.

“So, Basia, you dance? What style, if you don’t mind me asking?” Basia snapped her attention toward Harrison. She could kiss the man for cutting in, which she knew was sad. She just wasn’t comfortable around women like Fox, and she would have to get over it and play nice. Just not right now.

Basia picked up her fork tapping it on her plate, “Ballet. I’m a Ballerina. My mother put me in dance lessons when I was a little girl, and it has stuck with me throughout the years.” She looked at him smirking, “What about you Mr. Hartley, Do you dance? Or perhaps you have a different hobby?”

[NicoJoe]

Everyone in the room looked so preoccupied with thoughts of the mysterious Clementine. Harrison, admittedly, was curious but he could go his whole life without meeting the secretive man. He didn’t need to see the signer as long as his checks got the ol’ John Hancock. Basia responded to him and Harrison smiled, thinking of his other hobbies as he prepared to answer.

“In my line of work, one finds oneself forced to learn to dance so I think I’ve picked something up. Mostly ballroom and styles like it. I’m not trained or anything but I can hold my own. I’m sure you’d dance circles around me, though and I could never do ballet. Not disciplined enough,” he laughed lightly and smiled at the enchanting woman in front of him. He picked up a piece of cheese with the end of his fork and placed it inside his mouth, chewing it completely and swallowing before continuing. “If you’re looking for a partner, I’d be happy to oblige.”

[Rose]

(( Hey guys, sorry for the slow movement and filler posts here. We're just waiting for the Clementine post. This isn't dead, don't worry. ))

[Rose]

((( *grabs Axis and takes it over* I’m still going off of bella’s ideas, I’m just sort of playing her role now )))

“Yoko. I can’t express how pleased I am that you agreed to meet with me.” The voice that met the young woman as she stepped out of the unmarked black van was like silk slid across tender skin, charming and alluring but making your hair stand up on end where it graced. The figure waiting for her was tall and slender, his regally held body draped with a suit that screamed luxury. He had a head of black hair with a bit of gray coming in on one side, but somehow it made him look more refined, more intelligent. His face, however, gave nothing away. He could have been any age. There wasn’t a wrinkle in sight, not on his clothes or skin. His eyes were gray.

Clementine, the face behind the curtain. The voice on the other end of the phone. The mind of Axis.

“The others have already gathered in the dining room. I do hope they are all getting along. Ah, here, let me-” The man took the bags from Yoko’s hands and passed them to a brutish guard who stepped from the back of the vehicle. He reached out a slender hand and took the woman’s arm, helping her out of the van.

“Come with me, please. There is much that needs discussing.”

-----

“CLEMI!” Unfortunately, Cally was the first to notice the door from the kitchen swing open to reveal Clementine with Yoko in tow. Or perhaps she was the only one who recognized him for who he was, or she was the only one with the guts to call out to him. Or she was just insane.

Before Jimmy could stop her, Cally had slid out of her chair and run for the suave man. Yoko barely had time to step out of the way before the girl was throwing her arms around her boss. It was frighteningly unprofessional and space-invading, but that didn’t seem to hold her back. There was a slight flicker of surprise in Clementine’s face with something that might have been a curl of his lip, but after a breath he sighed and smiled, patting her on the back.

“From your reaction, I can assume you got my gifts?”

Cally nodded quickly, her cheeks flushed pink with excitement. From his seat Jimmy sighed and shook his head, but he quickly rose and bowed low to his boss before settled back down at the table, absent-mindedly pushing away his clean plate. No one was going to be eating anymore, not with their focus on Clementine. All the anticipation could finally be sated.

“Alright alright, go sit down. I have too much to say and not enough time to say it.” Clementine shooed the girl away with a wave of his hand, but he was still smiling sweetly at Cally as she skipped back to her seat. His smile lingered as he looked over everyone before gesturing for Yoko to take a seat herself. He bowed his head to all of them.

“I’m afraid I don’t have much of an introduction planned. We will have time to speak later, once you have all returned home safely from your mission- and I have no doubt you will.” He combed back his short black hair, a contemplative look in his eyes. “Even as we sit here, we lose time, so I will cut straight to the point.”

Cally fell oddly still and silent, her eyes trained on him. The only other time she ever looked this way was when she was concentrating on making her beloved bombs. Jimmy’s body was a slab of stone, his posture the same as always, his jaw held firm, his hands folded in his lap. Everyone turned to business when the mission was brought to them.

“You are all the best at what you do, so I trust you will complete your tasks perfectly. Perfection is never getting caught. Perfection is getting every detail of the job done. Perfection is following your orders without question. Is that understood?” Clementine didn’t wait for an answer. He didn’t need to. Everyone here was well versed in going on missions save for Jimmy, and he could take a hint. They knew what their bosses expected of them.

“There is a man that goes by the name of Dominik Vic.” A fake name, of course. Another thing everyone was used to. As Clementine spoke, the silent butler emerged from the corner, a picture in his hands. He tossed it to the middle of the table and Cally’s eyes followed it as it settled before her. A frowning Russian man looked up at her, a scar across his cheek, one eye a little droopy. His tooth was chipped. His eyes were a bit red around a blue iris. These were things she had learned to look for at a young age- little details to help you remember a target. Even she knew this. Across the bottom, “Dominik Vic” was printed in red.

“You will break into two teams, Alpha and Beta. Jimmy Kawowski, Fox, Basia, Yoko, Pilot, and Ghost will be Alpha. Dominik goes to the same strip club every Saturday night. Alpha is to meet him there, drug him, and get very specific information out of him- the access code for his personal files- then get rid of the body.”

This time, the butler set a vial onto the table, its contents clear, odorless, and tasteless. No one had to ask what it was. Any good spy could recognize when they were using a truth serum in a mission.

“Fox, Basia, and Yoko- the three of you will be posing as dancers for the club. You will find clothing in your rooms waiting for you. Jimmy, you will be a bouncer. The club is already expecting you. The girls will lead Dominik into a back room, then come to you complaining that he is being uncouth. No one will think twice about you hauling his body out of the club. Take him to the van, where Ghost and Pilot will be waiting for you. Interrogate him there. Once he gives you the access code, Pilot will take you to Dominik’s mansion. This is where you will meet team Beta.”

The room was silent. No one touched their food. Cally was nodding eagerly, but Jimmy’s face had gone pale, then a bright shade of angry red. His fists curled in tightly and he had to bite his tongue to remind himself of his vow of silence. He swallowed hard, trying to repress the thought of the women being demeaned like Clementine expected. He tried not to think how they’d be forced to dance around for men like the rest of the women who’s hopes had long ago been crushed, who’s eyes were lifeless like they had no real reason to live anymore. He tried not to think how they reminded him of his mother. Jimmy barely heard the rest of what Clementine said.

“Team Beta will consist of Captain Cally Carnage, Silk, and Lauren Brie Masterson. The three of you will be breaking into Dominik’s mansion- yes, such a filthy man has more money than it would seem- and you will do so without getting caught by the police, of course. Kill whoever you want, but do it quietly. I need only one thing from you, and that is the locating of a safe or holding room Dominik has hidden somewhere in the mansion. Cally, you may use explosives, but inside is his personal computer. Do not harm it. Once the safe has been broken into, wait for Alpha to reach you. Ghost, you will use the code to get into the computer. There is a single file. Copy it, destroy the computer, and bring the file to me. After that, Pilot, get them out of there before the cops show up and bring them home.”

Clementine smiled and nodded as if he had said so little, then waves his hands.

“Now go, get ready quickly. Beta will be driven by my men, but they will leave immediately after dropping you off. You will all find radios in your room, should you need to contact me. I hope you will not have to. Go.” He waved his hands again, though Cally just sat there in confusion, trying to process everything. She’d heard “explosives” and stopped thinking there.

[Tusk]

Ghost looked at the man who entered the dining room and knew that this was Clemintine. He did not need Cally screaming out his name and running up to him for Ghost to know this. Here was the man who found him. He had hoped to ask the all important question. How did Clemintine find him? However it seemed this man was all about business. He talked about the mission and Ghost took a look at the picture. Something was not adding up. He could not help but feel there was a lot more to the mission than just what Clemintine was telling them.

Ghost was given his mission, though he dreaded the thought of feild work, he had the tools he needed to get the job done. When everyone was dismissed, Ghost hurriedly ran up to his room, partly to avoid Fox and the other part was he needed a lot more time getting ready. He still had to copy and transfer everyone's files on to his laptop now and not his main computer. Plus he did not want anyone messing with his computer. Clemintine may of found Ghost, but accessing Ghost's personal computer would be far more complicated. He soon made it up into his room and took out his laptop. With a strange looking thumb drive, he transfered everyone's files to it and put the information on his laptop. He then took his radio and several cords and placed them neatly in a bag with his laptop. He then quickly did a scan of his main computer. He knew it from the inside out and could quickly find if anything did not belong. He was not about to be spied on. Ghost would have to check his room later for bugs. No doubt Clemintine knew he was accessing files, so he had to be much more careful.

After Ghost had made sure everything was secure, he made it to where if someone touched his computer, he would be well aware of it and his main computer would shut down and only Ghost could reboot it. He then headed out of his room, still feeling that he might be watched in his own room. However, that had to wait. He watched as people began leaving their rooms, excited about the mission and went down stairs. He made sure he had a spot to himself as he waited for everyone else. Ghost soon took out a small hand held electronic and began typing on it.

[Aubs]

“Anything for you Michael,” Gretchen casually responded to Clementine, as she sat inside of the van outside of the mansion. She was ready to go inside to stir up some trouble. Gretchen slowly brushed her hair behind her earlobes, gathering herself to make the first impression, all the while still looking at Clementine. He was such a handsome, suave, and cultured man. He could have talked any woman out of their panties if he’d wanted to. Knowing him, he probably had.

“The others have already gathered in the dining room-” Michael began, talking to Gretchen from outside the window of the vehicle. “I do hope they are all getting along.”

“I do too,” Gretchen replied sarcastically, staring rather deeply into Clementine’s alluring gray eyes. If you hadn’t known better, you could have thought that they’d had some kind of prior romantic rendezvous with each other they were so close. Gretchen certainly wasn’t a girl who kissed and told though. She might have let you tell everything you knew, but she was extremely secretive with information unless speaking about it would benefit her.
Watching Michael back up from the van, she opened the door revealing some of her luggage next to her. “Ah, here, let me-” He took the bags out of Gretchen’s hands and handed them over to her driver, who had been out of the car probably ten minutes by now. Clementine offered his hand, which caused Gretchen to act on it offering her hand to him. “Always the gentleman, huh? A lot of men could learn a thing or two from you Michael. You never cease to amaze me. But I know that arousing me isn’t the reason why you brought me here, so let’s get to the task at hand.”

“Come with me, please. There is much that needs discussing.” She listened as the dapper man addressed the very reason Gretchen had been invited. As she followed him into the entrance and into the corridor hallways of the mansion, she couldn’t help but think to herself that this was the perfect opportunity that she couldn’t pass up on. After getting blacklisted from every government corporation she’d ever been in contact with, Gretchen obviously hadn’t gotten any more work as an Intel Operative for the past year. No one wanted to be associated with someone like her. She was a snake in actions with the outer coating of a doberman. Nothing about her was as nice and sweet as her appearance made her seem. Even judging by that, within the first few moments of meeting Gretchen her bitchface expression caused you to know that there was more than met the eye with this girl.

The sounds of voices starting to echo across the mansion caught Gretchen off guard for a second. She hadn’t expected most of them to become such great friends with each other that fast to be so enthusiastic. Where they that green? You weren’t supposed to be so comfortable with a complete stranger in the few hours of knowing them. Or was this some type of new thing she wasn't aware of?

“CLEMI!” the voice of a woman shouted aloud, as Clementine and Gretchen entered the room. Not even seconds after, the mystery voice revealed itself to be a tiny redhead with a larger than life personality. . . and wardrobe as the girl sprinted over to introduce herself to Clementine. Gretch hadn’t expected her to be practically knocked out of the way, but if she had then maybe she would have known to move over and give the girl a little space in her greeting to their boss. Hell, she should have given Cally ten feet to be more specific. Clementine and the girl exchanged a few words before he instructed everyone to take their seats.
“I’m afraid I don’t have much of an introduction planned. We will have time to speak later, once you have all returned home safely from your mission- and I have no doubt you will. Even as we sit here, we lose time, so I will cut straight to the point”

Gretchen started to eye the room to observe her colleagues (competition in her mind). There was of course Cally Captain Crazy is more like it. *She seriously needs to take her weirdo pills, like immediately.* A dark haired beauty (Audra) *Unfortunate and ugly. She needed a facelift years ago*, another redhead (Basia) *BOR-ring*, some foreign blonde woman (Lauren Brie) *snore…*, a gray haired guy who looked desperately under fed. (Ghost) He had to have been malnourished. *Or bulimic.* There was a older gentleman (Pilot) *eh.. ain’t got nothing for him. He’s just.. there*, and a rather stylishly dressed man. (Harrison) *Try hard*. She’d gone through everyone and thought the group had been pretty pathetic when she stopped upon the last person, a tall, masculine, and extremely low-key man (Jimmy). To her, he had to have been the most interesting person in the room. She smirked devilishly at him, folding her arms across her chest. *He looks like he’ll be a challenge; I think I’ll have fun with him.*

“You are all the best at what you do, so I trust you will all complete your tasks perfectly. Perfection is never getting caught. Perfection is getting every detail of the job done. Perfection is following your orders without question. Is that understood?”
If Gretchen hadn’t known what he had been talking about, she would had assumed he was talking about her. After all, she was perfection.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They’d been given their first task and were split into two teams, Team Alpha and Team Beta. As everyone silently sat, taking in everything, Gretchen stood up out of her seat. “Let the games begin,” she smugly announced as she hooked her hand against her hip and proceeded to walk out of the room. She didn’t need to wait and introduce herself to anyone. They didn’t need to know anything about her. Yet. There was a job that needed to be done.

[Rose]

“We won’t disappoint you, Mr. C!” Cally said, leaping up from her seat with an exaggerated salute to show how pleased she was with the news. Though, it was safe to say that everything Cally did was exaggerated.

“Oh, of that I have no doubt,” Clementine said with a chuckle, turning away and strolling out the door. He raised a hand as he went and snapped his fingers, but otherwise made no further inclination that he was aware of anyone else but himself. The silent butler detached from the corner and followed after his boss, throwing a skeptical look over his shoulder at the new recruits of Axis.

Cally didn’t notice a thing. She slammed her chair into the table and sprinted out of the room, her bare feet sliding over the tiled floor of the kitchen. Her pots and pans filled with various liquids were right where she had left them. The butlers learned long ago that Cally could throw a rather frightening tantrum, should she come to find that any of her “babies” had been touched. From the cabinets, the eccentric woman fetched a few more of the bomb shells and thin plastic containers that Clementine supplied her with. She carefully poured the liquid into three of them, watching the thin rainbow coating swirl around precariously. Cally delighted in how beautiful something so destructive could be. Maybe that was why she liked Basia so much.

“Annddd….There,” Cally whispered, hunched over the stove. She left the empty pots where they were, not bothering to clean them up. It never crossed her mind that someone might try to cook with them and likely die because of it. With her nearly-ready bombs bundled up lovingly in her arms, Cally pushed past Fox on the stairs and scurried up to her room, slamming the door behind her.

The room looked like one might expect- like a bomb had gone off in it. There were enough kinds of explosives decorating every surface for that to be a believable scenario. Cally set her cooling cases down on the nightstand and bent down on her knees, poking her head under her bed. She pat around beneath it a few times before withdrawing a big bag of sawdust. Oh sawdust, how misunderstood you are. To think, some people use you for…what the hell else do people use sawdust for? Cally shrugged to her internal question and hefted up the bag, carefully pouring it over the explosive liquid.

“Cats and rabbitssss, would reside in fancy little housessss….” Cally sang as she poured, the song clicking to her head as she worked. There was always a Disney song buzzing round in her head, pushing out of her lips before she even realized it. Singing helped her focus, helped her busy mind work. “And be dressed in shoes and hats and trousers…. In a world of my ownnnn.”

The half-empty bag of sawdust hit the floor with a thud as she tossed it aside, some of the powder spewing up and drifting through the air. The lights were dimmed to a soft, warm hue, but Cally didn’t need them to see what she was doing. This was all instinct now, all a natural function of her body like eating or sleeping. Gently, she slipped a wooden spoon from the nightstand into one of the mixtures, letting the sawdust soak up the liquid.

“All the flowersss, Would have very extra special powerssss…” Cally stirred each of them, and in turn fit a lid securely over them, keeping the bombs’ solidifying insides from moving around. She lifted one gently, turning it slowly around and around, expecting every corner. It was nearly perfect.

“They would sit and talk to me for hoursss…When I’m- umph.” As Cally moved to take a step away from the nightstand, her foot caught the edge of a tray on the cluttered ground. Yellow paint sloshed from it and over the expensive, very illegal rosewood floor. She muttered a curse and used her toe to pull over an old sock, pushing it around with her foot to soak up the bright, spilled paint. “When I'm lonely in a world of my ownnnn…”

Cally yanked up the tray, spilling a few more drops from the edge, though she didn’t notice. She stepped back to the nightstand, to her precious bombs, her life, the only thing she had ever been good at. Ever. She stepped up to her bombs, and with a big paintbrush she slathered the yellow on until it made a dripping circle across the black surface. With a smaller can of black paint she made two smaller circles, and then a long, curved line. She stepped back, admiring her work.

“I keep wishing it would be that wayyy….” A messy smiley-face stared back at her, the happiest bomb anyone would ever have the pleasure of watching explode. She nodded, satisfied, and ducked under her bed one last time. Ever so carefully, she pulled out a long, heavy steel box. It was her pride, her joy, and one day she would find the perfect use for it. An angry but smiling face stared back at her, painted red with sharp teeth. Cally kissed it before slipping it into her bag, laying the other bombs on top of it. Ah, the exhilaration of carrying a bag full of explosives that might kill you and everyone else around you at any moment.

“Ohhhh, I keep wishing it would be that way…”

She threw the bag over her shoulder and hurried out, nearly shoving Fox aside on the stairs again. She skidded to a stop before the door, beaming at the driver that waited for Beta team. She opened the bag, peaking at the red face, knowing how intricate and deadly of an explosive lay behind his sneer.I can’t wait…

“Because my world would be a wonderlandddd….”

[NicoJoe]

Upon hearing Clementine’s orders, Harrison once again became Silk. He smiled at Basia and nodded, as if telling her they would continue their conversation later. He did care for her company and he felt as though she could hold a good conversation with him; not to mention be very nice eye candy if not more. Silk stood and began the walk back to his room, just barely seeing Clementine disappear behind a door. He thought about following the mysterious man, but knew he had a mission to get ready for. Silk thought that actually seeing the reclusive, billionaire, criminal mastermind would shed some light on who he was, but, if anything, Silk was more confused than ever. He wasn’t even positive that man was who he claimed to be. He wasn’t sure if any of these people were who they claimed to be; certainly, he wasn’t who he claimed to be. He didn’t even know who he was anymore.

Reaching his room, Silk made a B-line for his closet. It was mission time and he would be well dressed. He changed into a black, Armani suit and a pair of fine, Italian leather shoes. Once his ensemble was complete, he moved toward his empty suitcase. It was empty to the naked eye, but the spy new better. He ran his hand along the bottom until he found the hidden release and lifted the false bottom out of the bag. Under it was his lock pick set, a silencer and a pair of night vision glasses that cost him a fortune but would pay for themselves tenfold. Placing the glasses and lock pick kit in his jacket pocket, he removed a gun from a drawer and screwed the silencer onto it.

Now, he was ready and he returned to the foyer where he saw Cally standing at the door, seemingly singing to her bag. He smiled at the odd woman- her antics were strangely entertaining to him, even if she was certifiable- and stood beside her.

“I hope you’re ready to blow stuff up, Captain,” he said with a slight chuckle.

[Rose]

Cally smiled down at the black boxes in her heavily patched and decorated backpack before slinging it over her shoulder. Cut-outs, stickers, patches, and paint from various cartoons, video games, Disney movies, and Fight Club all decorated the frayed fabric, nearly covering its entire surface. It looked like it was falling apart, but the inside had layer of bullet-proof armor sewn into the lining. It was a lightweight, state-of-the-art material called dragonscales. Needless to say, often times her backpack still weighed a ton, but the tiny woman had grown accustomed to the burden, as well as gained some hidden strength over the years. At the moment it wasn’t bad, and Cally let the bag hang off of one shoulder.

“I hope you’re ready to blow stuff up, Captain,” a smooth voice called from beside her. Cally twirled around to face the new arrival, beaming at his words. Her long, wild and bright hair flew around her as she moved and she put her hands on her hips, posing like a cheesy old superhero.

“Fuck yeah I’m ready to blow shit up!” She announced. Her bright neon-green shirt obviously wasn’t the only colorful thing about her persona. She reached back and tapped her bag a few times. “Me and the kids are ready for a day at the park. Its been so long since we’ve had time to bond….”

Cally chuckled mischievously to herself, but as always her mind clicked over to a new thought instantly. She looked over Silk, taking in his eloquent appearance. She looked down to her black jeans and colorful dinosaur belt.

“Hm. You know we’re going to get shot at, right?” She asked skeptically. “I know this feels like a supercoolamazing party, but…its not.”

Cally whispered the last part, cupping her hands to her lips like she was telling Silk some secret no one else should know. She drew away again quickly, smiling that off smile.

“Though, with all these strippers running around, it makes ya wonder!” She chuckled and turned to the man by the door. “Jenkins! Have you prepared the vehicle?! Why are you just standing there?!”

The burly driver waiting by the door just rolled his eyes and gestured outside, where two unmarked vans were waiting for the teams, one for him to drive and the other for Pilot.

“Excellent, shall we go then- umph” Cally started marching for the door, but a rough hand caught her arm and pulled her back. Started, she was ready to start throwing weak, spazzy little punches, but she relaxed when she realized it was just Jimmy. His lips were drawn in a hard line and his jaw set firm, obvious signs that he was really stressed about something, though she couldn’t fathom what.

Jimmy let go of her arm but took her by the shoulders instead, staring down into her eyes far below. Cally beamed up at him then wrapped her arms around him tightly, burying her face into his chest. He grunted, then gave a resigned sigh and shook his head. He should have seen the hug coming. It always did.

“Sorry Jimmy!” Cally said, her voice muffled by his black t-shirt half in her mouth. “I almost forgot to say goodluck!”

Jimmy nodded, fixing her with a look that said “be careful”. Cally never said goodbye- she didn’t believe in the word, it just sounded too sad- but the two never went on a mission without this exchange. Jimmy always grunted and sighed while Cally hugged him vigorously. It was nearly a ritual at this point.

Jimmy stepped away, finally breaking the hug, but not before ruffling Cally’s hair slightly. She grinned up at him, then punched him as hard as she could in his chest. He just rolled his eyes and pushed her toward the door, beckoning her outside. Cally skidded to a stop just long enough to grab Harrison by the hand and drag him out with her.

“Come on, Mr. C already said we were short on time!” Cally climbed into the first van while Jimmy ducked low into the identical second. There were only two seats in the back, stretched along the vehicle like a limo and leaving open space in the middle. Cally settled into the back by the doors, her bag nestled in her lap lovingly. She smiled to Silk and waved him in vigorously.

[Eva]

Lauren Brie didn't waste a second. She stood up from her chair and ran to the staircase. She already knew what she needed.

Once in her room, Lauren Brie looked for the place where she had dropped her bags. All of her 'mission' items were in one bag, a dark pink one with the Barbie logo pasted across. She opened the bag and checked it to make sure that absolutely nothing had been disturbed. It all seemed in order, so there.

Lauren Brie slipped her dress off and put on a regulation pair of tight black pants and a black tank top, with a black leather jacket. She liked black, what could she say? Lauren Brie tied her hair back, and just for giggles, applied some makeup. No reason not to look great, right? With her preparations done, Lauren Brie grabbed her bag and ran out of the room.

She climbed into the vehicle with Cally and gave her a brief smile. "You are our leader for mission, yes?" she asked.

[Aubs]

As everyone gathered in the two vans outside, Gretchen slowly strutted out of the front door. Clad in only a cream Chanel trench coat (expensive lace lingerie underneath) and white pumps she let the wind blow graciously through her dark hair as she made her way over to Team Alpha’s van. The way she elegantly flounced, you would have assumed she were on a High Fashion runway in Milan or New York, walking for some of the top couturier fashion houses. She definitely had that swagger and aura about her that said she was someone who thought their shit hadn’t stunk.

Opening the door to the van, she took a quick glance inside to see who had already been in there and to her surprise it’d been the one person she looked forward to spending some alone time with, Jimmy. This is just precious, her mind thought as she deviously smirked as she scooted inside of the vehicle. Jimmy had been in the back of the van and there was no way she was going to pass up the opportunity like the one she had to seduce him. Although there had been room for one more in the back, she slide over next to the burly monk.

“Hi,” She voiced rather flirtatiously. “I’m Gretchen. What's your name?” Gretch smiled, crossed her legs slowly, and placed her hands in her lap. Turning a little, she eyed the man and waited to see if he was confident enough to make a response. Not that that mattered or anything, Gretchen was able to make the most silent of men squirm out a response eventually. She had that puss- I mean pull. She had that pull to make them talk. No one could resist her after long.

[Rose]

Jimmy was not completely oblivious to the motives of women. But he also wasn’t the most experienced man in the dating game. He’d had a girlfriend or two in the past, but because his job and his morals he never so much as kissed a single one of them, which always lead to them leaving him for less occupied men. He also believed that every woman was something akin to a demi-goddess, a being to be treasured and respected and taken care of.

And so, as Gretchen slid into the van next to him, Jimmy had to force himself not to think about what Clementine was making these women do, and what was beneath that trench coat of hers…for multiple reasons. Whatever happened, he would make sure no men got to ogle Basia, Fox, or Gretchen for too long. And may the gods help any man who tried to touch them.

“Hi, I’m Gretchen.” Jimmy glanced over to her, giving her a soft but slightly nervous smile. He could feel the flirtatious intent coming off of her in waves and it made him slightly uncomfortable. The stiff black blazer and pants he’d forced on weren’t helping him feel any better.

“What's your name?” Up through her eyelashes, her body much too close to his, Gretchen gazed up at him. He stared at her a long moment before looking away, the silence settling into the van.

It took Jimmy a moment to realize that Cally wasn’t there to answer for him. He’d grown so accustomed to either being ignored as he stuck to the shadows or climbed on by a living microphone that he’d never thought of a way to explain himself to people who didn’t know of his vow of silence. The monk turned his head slightly to look over Gretchen, then sighed and turned to her fully, his long legs stretched out into the aisle.

Jimmy drew a finger over his lips to signal that he didn’t speak, hoping she’d get the message. he was the only man on the mission besides Pilot, so he could only hope the women would at least guess at his name. In the future, he thought, a nametag would be wise. But for now he’d introduce himself the best he could.

Jimmy took the young Asian beauty’s hand gently into his much larger, rougher ones. He looked up at her and bowed his head as he did so, making sure it went lower than hers, despite how difficult that was for him in the cramped space. He held the position a moment before nodding and releasing her, looking at her a second longer before folding his hands back into his lap and angling his body away again.

The monks had taught him everything there was to know about fighting, but his training had been so much more than that. Lessons on etiquette and respect took place ever afternoon while Jimmy peacefully ate his lunch. How to greet an equal man or woman, how to treat a superior, it had all been drilled into his head from a young age. However odd anyone else might have taken all of his bowing and nodding and praying, to Jimmy is was the only bit of normality in his new, chaotic life.

“I see you two are….getting well acquainted.” Fox climbed into the van, her eyebrow raised at the two of them. She was wearing a sleek black coat over the lingerie, much of her long, slender legs and flawless skin showing through. Jimmy sighed, nodding to her before looking away from the two of them toward the front of the van, his fingers drumming anxiously on his knees.

[Aubs]

Gretchen pulled a compact out of her purse. Nonchalantly beginning to powder her nose, she suddenly stopped. “We are getting well acquainted just fine, thanks.” She replied sharply to Fox as the two women glared at each other eye to eye. She’s so useless. Why would we need her when we have someone who’s gorgeous, intelligent, and stylish? Someone like.. well me. I’m already on the team so there’s really no reason why she should be here, is there? I need to find a way to get rid of her. Immediately and permanently. Forever. Gretchen sized her up in seconds and decided there was nothing beyond the face. There wasn’t any substance.

Going back to powdering her nose, she caught Jimmy taking a quick glance her way which made a smile form across her face. She didn’t know much about him but just assumed he would be putty in her hands in a matter of time. Quite frankly, if Audra hadn’t been in the van she’d already jumped his bones. Hell, she’d probably still have done it with her in the van.
“So,” Gretchen stared as she closed her compact shut and glanced back over toward Jimmy. She decided from this point on, she'd ignore Audra. It was for the best. She just couldn't deal with basic bitches. “Where are you from? Sorry if I’m intruding in your personal business or anything. I just..” She paused as she eyed him up and down, finding herself getting lost in his body. “I’m curious to learn more about you. You seem like someone who’s had a really interesting life.” She hadn’t really cared much about his life, she just wanted to hear him speak. She knew he could but was playing hard to get. She wasn’t going to give up, not until she got him to say her name (in bed of course).