Players:
Summary: A necessity to steal brings out a bit of humanity in #4ARMS
Date: January 28, 2010
Rogue's Challenge
Rating: PG
NYC - Central Park Lake
Bethesda fountain sits at the edge of the lake with a large terrace for people to hang out and relax. Benches sit under the trees creating a peaceful atmosphere. A dock stretches out into the lake for people to rent row boats to enjoy the entire lake. In the distance Bow Bridge can be scene crossing the man make lake.
A demon was called out, a deal was made and now Siegfried has to realize exactly /how/ he's going to go about acomplishing this. The German acrobat is a distance away from the castle and in an area clear of demons. Since he has his danger sense, he can actually feel what might happen a few seconds before he gets hurt, but then nothing is certain. He's not a superhero. He speaks to himself in German. <Alright Siegfried, you have to do this, for you and Roy.> Then switching to English. "Now how am I getting into the Castle. Vhat vas I thinking?"
He's been walking through this area, looking and trying to figure things out. He doesn't know what those creatures are or why there's a castle that's so out of place in a city like this, but that hasn't stopped Shiro from trying to figure it out. He has already learned that they're quite violent, so has taken to letting his abilities keep him hidden. That, coupled with the small pair of knives he picked up somewhere. Just basic large knives. Crude. Inelegant. But they work. At the moment, he's standing, almost invisibily, near Siegfried, looking up at the castle. Hearing the words, he ponders responding, but not yet.
Siegfried looks around, and like an idiot he brought nothing with him. Siegfried doesn't know about weapons or combat but he has to try. "I'm a dead man anyvay." He says as he starts to walk around the area, anything he can use as a weapon. A large stick, a metal pole, any sort of debree. He doesn't find anything but he does find a tree and with incredible agility and balance, he swings up, trying to find a good branch to try to get to rip off.
"You're obviously not dead, or you wouldn't be trying to look around and get into that castle." Shiro says, as softly as always before stepping away from the tree, form melting into his natural. "What is the castle anyway? And why do you want to get into it? Most people are seeming to avoid it, regardless of the cost." He says, looking over Siegfried before he looks over the castle again.
"If I do not get in there, I am a dead man, so I my friend." Siegfried says. He looks at the kid and sighs. "They're a demons in there, the castle isn't normally there. It vas errected vhen the demons game. I need to get in there and get something but I do not how how. I cannot avoid it, I need to get in there to live." He's telling a stranger all this because right now, he has nothing to lose.
A challenge. This is something that appeals to the teenager. "What do you have to get?" he asks, looking up at the castle. With his skill and powers, he's sure he can get in. "How far inside and where is it?" He asks, considering it. He's needed a good workout since he got here. He's felt a little soft, resting even the one day.
Siegfried takes a deep breath and finally drops out of the tree. "I am not sure vhere it is, the demon did not give me that much information. There was a specific demon named Ba'yl, he has something, a crystal or gem of some sort. I need to retrive it but I don't know how. How do I even find out which one Ba'yl is?"
"Would he have it on him, or just keep it up there?" Shiro asks as he begins planning out a trajectory to run and jump, popping the knives out of their hiding spots. "The easiest way is to be unobtrusive and listen carefully." He says, looking up at the closest entrance.
"I am used to being seen, not hidden." Siegfried says as he's used to being a showman. He doesn't think this will help him here. "I believe he keeps it up there, I was told he usually doesn't have it on him but Ba'yl keeps it. Vhat are we listening for?"
"To hear who Ba'yl is." Shiro says succinctly as he takes a running leap, flipping the knives out to grab into the steep stone if he can't find a hand-hold. Otherwise, he angles them to the side, so as not to dull and break them. He doesn't know the details. He just knows Ba'yl's stone or gem. Maybe that will be enough. Well, that and the desire to do SOMEthing rather than sitting on his rump all day.
"Vait!" Siegfried tires to call out to Shiro but it's already too late. He watches the kid and says as loud as he can without bringing too much attention to the two, he hopes. "I cannot follow you, but if you get it, I vill help you in vhatever vay I can to return the favour." He says watching Shiro go.
As for Shiro, he's on his own once he starts to scale the steep stone. The smells of the demons are strong and not pleasnt but as he gets closer there are voices, bragging about kidnapping this one, boasting about torturing that one, and one voice, yelling that a woman named Amanda Sefton still can't be found.
As he scales, he becomes all but invisible to most people, listening closely. He climbs until he finds a way inside. He tacks away the woman's name for future knowledge, if necessary, but is primarily listening for names that sound like the one that Siegfried gave him. That, and peering around to see what he can see from his vantage. Once he finally reaches a window, he tries to take his time, to not be seen if he can, to make his way JUST inside. He's internally hoping that it's dark and shadowy. He's best that way.
It turns out Shiro is a bit in luck, the hallway is dark and shadowly, being lit by a lot of torches and it's hot in here. He will eventually hear the name Ba'yl mentioned, and it turns out the demon that was yelling about the mission woman, is threating to send the demon to Ba'yl on the lower levels.
It's never that easy, is it Shiro? Lower levels. Staying where he is, he searches about, trying to find out how he can go lower. In the shadows, he's all but invisible, not even his eyes being apparent. However, the heat is annoying. At least he's dressed lightly. He creeps quietly, staying near walls, so he can blend to them if the lights ramp up. Along with that, he's keeping his guard up, as best he can.
As Shiro goes down lower and lower there are demons going up and demons going down and it's getting hotter. Lucky for Shiro he isn't spotted. Bits of random conversations and screams of people can be heard and he doesn't hear the name again for quite some time. Eventually he hears someone order someone else to take something to Ba'yl. It right down the hall.
Watching them lead down the hall, Shiro moves along, quickly and quietly. AS he reaches the doorway, he stays outside, preferring to listen for just a few minutes before actually entering. It's the best way, to him, to get a feel for what's going on inside. Most things, however, Shiro can handle. After all, he is a warrior in his own way.
There's a conversation on the door once the demon goes in and Shiro can hear him address Ba'yl. Shiro can hear quite the arguement going on between Ba'yl and the lesser demon and the demon is thrown out of the room, landing not to far from Shiro. Once thrown out the door, Shiro can get a good look inside the room and of Ba'yl. A large scaly blue demon with a pair of wings, horns and goat like legs. There's a display case with a glowing yellow crystal shard in the far corner of the room.
Hmm. How to get the shard from the case without alerting the bossman. Suddenly, Shiro has an idea. His voice always sounds so light… so distant, it might work to his advantage. Staying near the door, but just inside of it, he call's Ba'yl's name. And adds at the end, 'Emergency'. He may not sound like a standard demon, but it might work. Here's hoping! Beyond that, he'll just have to wait while he comes up with another plan.
Turning around abruptly, Ba'yl screams and storms out of the room and looks around. "What the hell is the matter now, I swear if it's more bad news about the Sefton woman, I'm going to be very unhappy!" He says storming down the hall muttering about how he's going to torture people in various ways. The door is left ajar and there doesn't seem to be anyone around.
Creeping across the room, Shiro moves towards the case. He inspects it as best he can for traps. If he finds any that he can detect, he will, of course, try to disarm them, but if they're beyond his abilities, it won't matter, because it'll be too late then. He doesn't have a clue what demons are capable of or what their items can do, but he's trying to do this, just to prove he's better than these… people here. He knows he is. He has to be.
There aren't any traps that Shiro sees but then there could be spells on it, protecting it, that he can't see. There's a frustrated growl down the hallway along with thundering foot steps on it's way back to the room. It seems Ba'yl found out noone called him.
Quickly Shiro tries to open the case and grab the gem. After all, he doesn't know about magic. He's never heard of it or have any clue of it's existence. To him, a trap must have a physical side. If he can open it, he'll take the gem and shove it up behind his body while he slides against the wall, to keep it hidden.
As soon as Shiro opens the case and removes the gem, there's a high pitched noise that sounds, enough that with hightened hearing it might really hit Shiro a lot louder than it is. Ba'yl comes runing back into the room and looks around, not noticing Shiro. He lets out a scream and starts to tear apart his room. "I'm going to kill you, you little theif!"
Thank goodness for Shiro's dampening field, it would prevent his frightened gasp from being heard. AS things break and are torn, he tries to find the quickest and safest route out of the room. If he needs to, he'll hide near some wreckage for a bit, to remain unseen. That was unexpected. He doesn't know how he could set off any kind of alarm with no physical trip. Along with that, he doesn't see any speakers or any holes for the sound to come out of. He's confused.
Having what he came for, Shiro is able to duck out of the room and head back to the hallway. The sound keeps going and the anger is in the room but he's not spoted and he's able to head out. Though there are a few demons heading toward Ba'yl's room from all directions to figure out what the alarm is.
Shiro clings to the wall as tightly as he can. He's got adrenaline pumping something fierce right now. He considers breaking into a run to get out of the place, but decides against it. It's best to continue slow and steady until he gets outside where he has to climb back down. Though, when nobody's looking, he will shove the shard down his pants. After all, he can't physically carry it and climb down.
If luck is on Shiro's side or if it's just skill, he makes it out undetected and some where Ba'yl is beyond mad. Those demons above him on the food chain will probaly let him know their displeasure as those demons below him will feed him to the wolves. Not to far from the inital spot Shiro saw him is, Siegfrie waits nervously.
As he slowly climbs down, Shiro appears on the ground not far from Siegfried. He has a dangerous gleam in his eye. A dangerous… yet pleased gleam. "That… was exceptionally interesting. How would they know that I had taken it without any tripwires or sensors? He asks, outloud, to nobody in particular.
Siegfried looks at Shiro with surprise. "You have gotten in, and vithout being killed. Vhat are you?" The question is rhetorical. "You are okay? Vhat can I do for you, vhat I can do to return the favour? I vill do anything I can." He says sounding like he's in a state of shock.
"My brother, sister and I need a place to stay while we search for our other brother. Other than that, there is nothing that I really need in this time." Shiro says, pulling the crystal out of his pants. What is he? "#4ARMS. Designate: Shiro." He explains. To him, that says it all. He offers the crystal over. He doesn't need it for anything.
"I am Siegfried, here is my business card." He says handing him a card for a flying trapzee school. "Come by, I can give you and your brother and sister free lessons. Also I have an apartment I am not using, you can stay there? I can pay the rent for you for a few months until you get settled?" #4ARMS that's a strange name. "I am in your debt Shiro."
Shiro nods as he takes the card. He tries to remember what the people he trained with would say when properly helped. "Arigatou." He says with a nod. "We all thank you. We have been kept by She-Hulk. But we do not wish to trouble her. We wish to find a way to earn our stay as we look for Three. If you see a blond boy with purple eyes. Tell him that we are looking?" He doesn't know how many people are here, after all.
Siegfried nods and looks at the crystal shard that Shiro took, hopefully that will mean he'll live. "I'll show you where the apartment is when you and your siblings are together and help you move in. You need /anything/ let me know. I owe you my life."
"No, I simply needed something to do. I was beginning to feel… lazy. This land is full of people who… lack discipline." Shiro says with a nod. "Alright. We will be gathered soon and I will contact you. I hope that is what you needed."
Siegfried nods and looks down at it. "It is, I vill have my life, and Roy's life back tomorrow. This is not just something to do, you saved two lives. Thank you so much Shiro." Siegfried says with a nod as he'll be waiting for Shiro to contact him.
Shiro simply nods. It does feel… interesting. To have someone thank you for something within your ability to do. He has to say he likes it. He doesn't bother to say anything else, simply moves to walk towards where he last left his siblings. They will want to know of this.
