Welcome

[Zack Quinn]

If he had his way, he'd be decked out in his comfy jeans and with a coat just for the sake of the formal attire requirement. But of course, Zack rarely got his way, which is why he's mingling about with boring old folks, sipping mocktails, and suffocating in this black and white monkey suit.

Tugging at his bow tie again, Zack blew out a long breath before looking down at his Converses. Well, at least he got some part of his way and in respect for the formality of things, he wore black ones.

Looking out at the crowd all suited up in gowns and more monkey suits, Zack was dying to talk to a familiar face but with the whole secret identity thing going, he couldn't just walk up to a Guild member and say hi like they were old buddies. In fact, he was here on the mayor's invitation due to the work he did on the satellite project codenamed CLIENT.

Somehow, his unease was showing itself in the form of his shivering leg.

No wait. It was just his phone. "Hey," he shuffled off into the corner with his cellphone pressed against his ear.

"Sounds like fun," Six's warm voice came across loud and clear.

"If by fun you mean a bunch of rich jokers in a big ballroom pretending like they care what this charity event is about then yeah, it's a completely blast," Zack added with a fake smile even though Six couldn't see him. "You should be here. The mayor did invite the Guild. You're the leader, you know."

"As far everyone knows, I don't exist," the older man said with a slight chuckle. "In any case, with that much jewelry on display, it's like hanging a block of cheese in front of a mutant rat."

There was a pause as Zack raised his eyebrow, "Dude... your metaphores are weird."

"Right," Six chose to ignore the comment and continued, "How's the situation there?"

"Apart from boring?" the teen stopped for a while, "So far so good. The bling are still brightly on display while the Mayor's letting everyone drink a bit more alcohol before they do serious damage to their wallets and bid for the pretty diamonds--all in the name of sick children."

"Good. Let me know if anything happens."

"I'll set off the fireworks, don't worry. Besides the team's here, right?"

"Most," Six added with slight hesitation.

"Most?"

"Something came up and they were called," he ended it there and Zack knew not to question that much. At least not now.

"Okay... will let you know." tucking his phone back in his pocket Zack brushed his hair and scanned the room. Most were already in their cliques and talking in polite tones. Until he spotted her in the middle, a hot brunette all prettified in an equally hot black dress. Even the pro looking SLR camera hanging around her arm was making it an even prettier package.

Seeing she was alone, he figured it wouldn't harm to say hi. With his hands in his pockets trying to look as cool as he could, he moved right by her and bent closer to her ear, "Hi," he said and smiled, "You here for business or pleasure?"

[Stephany Blake]

Sighing heavily, Stephany looked around her, searching for anything good to do. Of course, there was always the exposition she could steal something from or simply put people up against each other but all in due time. For the moment, she reminded herself she needed to lay low and act as if she was somewhat enjoying it. As if. However, her expression couldn't betray her more, arms crossed over her chest and starring at nothing in particular, waiting for time to go by. She surprised herself wishing her power to be time skipping but quickly shook that thought out of her head. She preferred hers way more.

A hint of a smile appeared on her lips at this thought but quickly faded away again. Avoid suspicions. She took a deep breath and straightened up, looking down at herself. She was looking damn good in that black dress. Short, but not too provocative, unique, but not too flashy. She was also wearing a pair of matching high heels. Not her favorite thing to wear but she couldn't imagine herself with anything else on to go with that dress.

She got out of her thoughts as someone spoke next to her. She looked up and glanced at him, slightly raising an eyebrow. He was actually speaking to her. She forced a smile back, nothing overly sincere but definitely the best she could manage. She wasn't a people's person much but a little entertainment couldn't be refused. As long as it helped this night go by faster, she was willing to sound interested in whatever he had to tell her.

As he asked about her being on business or personal, she looked down at her camera strapped around her arm. "Business," she said, looking back up at him with a slight chuckle. In fact, she had finished taking the pictures she needed for the paper a while ago but had been told to stay at the event until the end. Not to her great enjoyment. "Not something I absolutely wanted to be assigned to, however." She flashed him a smile, sincere this time. Her eyes looked at him from head to toe, noticing for the first time his quite young age... and his Converses. "How about you?" she asked out of politeness.

[Zack Quinn]

"How about you?"

Zack was beginning to like her more and more. Not only did she not brush him off but rather seemed sincere talking even despite his age. There were tonnes of people out there who thought that a 17 year old couldn't possibly know anything. "A mix of both but mostly business," he replied with a smile. "You look like you're having a blast, too." Zack added sarcastically and sipped his non-alcoholic beverage that he swiped from a waiter.

Damn the legal age that he had yet to reach.

[Stephany Blake]

Stephany chuckled at his last comment and couldn't help but add a smirk. Apparently, he was just as bored as she was. She definitely needed entertainment. Good entertainment. But the young man would be satisfying enough for the moment.

"You have no idea," she replied just as sarcastically, glancing around them to see people engaged in never ending conversations. She even wondered what she was still doing there but reminded herself she wanted to have fun later on. And she definitely would.

She looked back at the young man and hesitated for a long moment, starring at him intently. She wasn't the one to usually introduce herself - at all - but something in him inspired her to have somewhat of a chat with him. Maybe it was his young age, she didn't exactly know. "Stephany," she said, introducing herself with a simple nod. She gave him a smile, however not a shy smile that most people would do in this situation, a smile that suggested something more, that inspired great self-confidence.

[Zack Quinn]

Soaking up the smile, he had one thing on his mind.

Oh yeah, he definitely liked her a lot.

"Zack," he smiled back and returned the nod. He was about to say something when the vibration from his pocket irritated him again, becoming an unwelcomed distraction. Pulling it out, he looked at the number and recognised it from one of the Guild guys--though he figured it wasn't important. Canceling the call, he tucked back the phone and returned his attention back to Stephany. Would be great to get a last name, maybe he could look her up in the database and find out more about her.

Was it too stalker-ish?

Nah. Zack figured stalker-ish would be when he started tapping into her phone calls.

"So, you capturing the scenery for the mayor for a newspaper?" he motioned at her camera. ""Because I really don't think you're here to immortalise the grandeur of the night just for kicks."

[Stephany Blake]

Stephany narrowed her eyes slightly in amusement at Zack's next question. There was definitely something in him that was different, not that she'd fall for him or anything, neither get friends with him, but something wasn't making her want to pull back and have him leave her alone. As an answer to his question she smirked, letting him know he was right. "Working for the Post," she added as a detail. She looked down at her camera for a brief moment and tapped it with her finger. "A lot more in there that the mayor would want," she commented with a sly smile that reflected her true personality, one which was all for personal pleasure.

In fact, at some point in the event, she had gone invisible and had taken a bunch of pictures from all angles. Private conversations, compromising situations and secret intimacy between the members of the city council. The mayor and one of his counselor for instance. Male counselor. Definitely nothing that he would want published but she'd make a pleasure trying to get it published anyway. That was part of what made her a good photographer, always able to catch the exact right moment.

"You said you're were here for a bit of both business and pleasure. Why's that?" she asked, now curious about him. What could bring a man so young for business in this kind of place?

[Zack Quinn]

He caught a glimpse of an expression as she mentioned the mayor and he was curious. Even as he tried processing it, he was about to ask what she meant but Stephany beat him to it and was already asking him a question,

"You said you're were here for a bit of both business and pleasure. Why's that?"

Hmmm... truth or not truth? "Pleasure comes in the form of standing around and watching old men in monkey suits and beautiful women with charming personalities--present company definitely included, of course," Zack said with a small wink.

Turning back and looking at the crowd, he caught sight of more familiar faces--or in this case masks and costumes--mingling about. "As for business, well, doing my duty and turning up for an event I was invited to. My university works closely on one of the Mayor's funded projects. I just got picked to represent," he was somewhere in between on the truth. Sort of.

The device vibrated against his leg again and Zack was about to curse his phone when he realised it wasn't his cell that was ringing. Digging into the other pocket, he pulled a similar looking device and looked at it. He had forgotten he brought iy along; a gadget that could pass off as a pager only instead of informing him about messages it'll alert him when a meta was nearby.

Which of course was completely useless since he was surrounded by them.

Disabling it, he shrugged and laughed, "Technology's a pain... makes anyone too reachable," Zack covered up and looked at the podium. Seemed that some sort of action was finally taking place. That is if you call the Mayor doing his 30 minute long introductory speech.

"Whoopee," he said into almost a sigh.

[Stephany Blake]

"Pleasure comes in the form of standing around and watching old men in monkey suits and beautiful women with charming personalities--present company definitely included, of course."

Stephany gave a mocking roll of her eyes. However, it was also a real expression coming from her. If only he knew her true personality, he would probably think otherwise. She was herself surprised at how nice she was with him but as long as he didn't pose a threat to her, she had no reason to act like a villain to a young man.

Simply nodding at the University bit, she was quickly distracted by him digging into his pockets and taking out what looked like a pager. She recalled seeing him taking out a cellphone a minute ago and she repressed a chuckle, wondering who the hell used pagers anymore. Thinking of it, she remembered seeing one of those small pager-looking thing for a different use, but she couldn't remember what it was. Before she could have a better look at it, he had put it away.

She looked at him and gave him a brief smile, still curious about the gadget. However, her thoughts were brought back to reality as the mayor stood, ready for his speech.

"Whoopee."

Smirking as she was thinking just the same, she grabbed her camera hanging from her arm and readied herself for a couple of snap-shots of the speech. She already had most of what the paper had asked her to get but a couple more would simply make them happier.

A couple of minutes and a dozen of pictures later, she lowered her camera and looked aside at Zack. "Excuse me, I'll be right back," she said in a low voice for him only to hear before she turned around and disappeared in the crowd towards the washrooms. Now was the perfect time. Everyone was concentrated on the mayor, they'd never see anything coming. They would all run around soon enough that she figured Zack wouldn't remember she had left and maybe he'd just think she had ran off as well. She'd avoid appearances, the plan was perfect.

Standing next to the washroom door and making sure she wasn't seen, her features started fading away until she was completely invisible. A sly smirk appeared on her face, one which no one knew about but her. Now, she just had to figure out what to do...

[Kansas Wynters]

Kansas wasn't much for fancy gatherings, especially fancy gatherings that she had to attend in costume. Now, on any other occasion, a crisis across town would be a godsend for her - can't very well attend a benefit of boredum induced tears if there was a criminal rampaging through town, right? Well, saving the day today was a rushed affair, since the invitation to this particular event held the two most magical words in the english language to this particular meta: open bar.

"You there, point me to the watering hole," she demanded of Zack the moment she found a way to escape the necessary handshakes and chit-chat. "Need to get my drink on," she added lowly with a grin, eyes twinkling behind her mask. She felt a bit strange in her costume, given how little it left to the imagination, but after a few drinks any lingering insecurities would fade.

[Zack Quinn]

The old geezer could certainly talk. And talk about basically everything and nothing at the same time was a gift of his. Best part is, the crowd laughs at the precise moment where a joke should've been funny as if this whole thing was rehearsed.

Oh God.

"Excuse me, I'll be right back," Stephany whispered to him and slipped away before Zack could respond or even hold her back.

A little dissapointed at the a companion who understood the meaning of boredom, Zack gulped down his drink and was looking for another when a rather large woman popped up pretty much suddenly. "You there, point me to the watering hole. Need to get my drink on."

The costume of hers was enough to tell who exactly this was plus the added desperation for booze, there was only one superhero of that kind. "It's the spot where the bald guys are hanging trying desperately too look cool." Then again, since there were meant to play strangers... "Hey, aren't you that superhero named Canada?! Yeah, the one with powers of mass destruction?" This was one of those rare moments where Zack could make fun of Kansas without getting pummelled almost immediately. Better make the best of it.

[Stephany Blake]

Stephany shot a last glance towards Zack to make sure he wasn’t waiting for her to come back and she noticed a tall woman in a very.. light costume. A hero, no doubt. This would be a lot more interesting than she had first thought. Smirking again, she turned her attention over to the exposed jewelry in an opened area completely opposite to where the mayor was making his long, uninteresting speech. Therefore, all of the guests’ attention were drawn elsewhere, even the guard keeping it was looking away. Of course, if anyone came close to the jewelry, he’d stop them but he didn’t have a single chance at seeing her and there was no way they’d suspect it to be gone. She wasn’t interested in the value of what she’d steel, just to the chaos it would cause. Coming to think of it, it would be an even better idea if she’d have someone else falsely accused...

Chuckling silently she slowly made her way to the area, making sure not to touch anybody in the process. Not that they’d figure what it was anyway but the less chances she took, the better this plan would work out. Once in front of the guard, she waved her hand, knowing already that he wouldn’t have a single reaction but just making herself a pleasure in knowing she couldn’t be seen. Passing in front of him, she went for the presentation bays and walked around them slowly. Their starting bidding prices were already showed, added to a short description of what made it even more special and pricey. A bunch of bullshit only to make even more money out of it, she thought. And people actually fell for that? Stephany shook her head slightly in discouragement.

Taking a last glance around her to make sure no one was watching, she went for the most expensive items, all in the front row. Reaching out her hand and making sure she wouldn’t disturb anything, she took a hold of a diamond necklace and under her touch, it faded off into invisibility just like she herself had a few minutes ago. She pulled on it, no alarms were heard. She repeated the same process for 5 or 6 other items, which she all kept hanging around her arm or twirled up in her fingers. A couple of rings did look good on her and she even wondered if she shouldn’t keep one of them for herself, an idea she quickly resigned to. Enrich herself wasn’t her primary goal, even though it was the easiest thing on earth. Too easy, exactly. It didn’t provide her with enough challenge.

Looking back at the bays, she smiled to herself. It would probably not take too long before they discovered the most expensive items were gone. She would start slow, making it look like it was just a simple robbery, or attempt of a robbery, and then she’d move up in the ranks of chaotic scene. She already had an idea of what she would do next, she just needed to wait for the perfect moment. Of course, that hero chick would realize after a while that this wasn’t purely coincidental but Stephany would be gone before she had a chance to figure her out. For the moment, she kept her new acquired “toys” on her, waiting for the perfect moment, once they’d figure out it was missing, to slide them into a purse or a pocket.

[Kansas Wynters]

Kansas grit her teeth, but forced herself to turn the look into a very toothy smile. "Well, aren't you just so darn cute," she asked, reaching out and pinching Zack's cheek some. "Why, I bet when you're old enough to join the grown ups at the bar you'll even learn the ancient art of getting older people to buy your drinks for you!" she said, letting go of his cheek after quickly patting it.

She glanced around the room, spotting the case that contained some jewels or something - Kansas hadn't read much on the invite after 'open bar.' Speaking of, she made her way over to the bar eagerly, ordering a line of shots right away to get herself started. A few people watched her down them in quick succession with barely restrained awe, which she was used to - both the stares and the drinking too much too fast.

She stacked the last shot glass on the table, forming a small pyramid of empty glasses, before stretching out some with a satisfied grin. She looked around the room again, and the smile dropped into something infinitely more confused as Kansas noticed the case with the jewels in it looked different than it did a bit ago. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but it did look odd. 'I have a feeling I'm going to get blamed for something..' she thought dimly to herself.

[Zack Quinn]

Zack grimaced when Kansas made a pinch and pat for his cheek. She knew how much he really hated being treated like a child. But then again, he deserved it and it was worth it too.

Grinning as soon as she sauntered off to the bar and showed off her alcohol tolerance to the gawking middle-aged man, Zack casually looked around again hoping to find some sort of entertainment that didn't involve the Mayor's speech, which was already droning on into the 30th hour.

Wait... he squinted at the display cases and made sure he was seeing right. He looked around at Kansas and noticed she had seen it too and her expression showed that she was as shocked as he was. Oh crap...

"Err..." he stuttered to one of the security beefs nearby and pointed things out, "But weren't there million dollar jewels in those cases?" he watched along as the security guy looked where Zack was pointing, "Or was I imagining it?"

"Code red! Code red!" the dude announced into his communication devices and basically alerted the entire force on ground. With a blink, the whole legion of security guards in their black suits were surrounding the empty cases and looking completely confused as everyone else was as the guests buzzed with questions between themselves.

Zack shuffled over to Kansas and whispered through gritted teeth, "This is NOT good..."

[Stephany Blake]

Stephany had been bored out of her mind for the past minutes, leaned against the walls and fiddling with the jewelry in her hands, observing each and every diamonds and stones with an interest that she normally wouldn't have got if she had something better to do. In fact, she did. She could have continued making a mess but she decided to take it easy on the chaos, for the moment anyway.

Finally, she thought to herself with a roll of her eyes as she noticed all of the guards running over to the empty cases of jewelry and all of the guests looking quite confused about what was going on. Straightening herself as she gave a slight push on the wall with her elbows, she looked at the commotion with an appreciative smirk. Let's roll...

Spotting a woman further away, known as one of the mayor's counselor, she recalled having seen her chatting with one of the police officers present. There had been something more than only friendly chat, a lot more lust than what could normally be seen between two friends. Perfect, she thought, her smirk still plastered on her face. Carefully, she moved towards the woman and slid half of the jewelry in her purse without being seen. As soon as she unlocked her fingers from it, they became visible again for a normal eye, while they had always been to Stephany's. One of the necklaces was half coming out of the purse, of course it had been placed there on purpose for someone to notice it.

Satisfied, she then moved to the police officer and repeated the same process, however putting it into his jacket pocket. Once they'd realize both those people had the missing jewelry, all hell would break loose. Not only because they were important figures in the city but also because they had been seen together and might have planned it together. Stephany suspected them both to be married as well, but not together.

Leaning back against the wall in her observation point, she crossed her arms over her chest and watched the room intently. "Let the show begin."

[Kansas Wynters]

Kansas nodded absently, saying with a grossed out expression, "I know, the aftertaste on those shots is just disgusting. Remind me to avoid whiskey that fresh, ick." She knew he was talking about the jewels, but she really hadn't anticipated an aftertaste that bad. She hopped up onto a chair when the reaction of security began to make people panic.

"Alright alright, let's just calm down a sec. Nobody leaves this room until we find what was stolen, so just sit tight and relax. This shouldn't take long..." 'Unless it was a meta who stole them, then this could take for freaking ever. God, why does this shit need to interrupt me getting my drink on?'

She hopped down and walked back towards Zack to lean against the bar. "Fill Six in, would you?" she asked, speaking to Zack but gesturing towards the empty shotglasses and looking at the bartender. "I'll be right back," she said before going to discuss with the security staff what should be done to get this over with. "Put two people on the exits, tell everyone to sit at their table, then have whoever on your staff is left after manning the exits search their belongings. Purses, coats, equipment bags, and so on," she told them. They stared at her for a few moments before she frowned and smacked her hands together in front of their faces. "Time is of the essence, people."

OOC: Sorry this took so long - was working on putting another site together