The Crypt

JP with Jaxx, mdman, Lorem, Trustno1, Redsword and Cindy

Alyssa first went through and noted all the entrances. She then started going through the tunnels, for a while there seemed to be nothing, then something caught her eye. The computer hacker backed up the images and the map. "There," pointing to what might have seen like a small spec on the screen, but then zooming on the image. It was a crescent shaped, looking a little like a mark someone might make with a finger nail. She moved slowly to the previous image, there was no marks. Then the image after the marked one, and then another and another. She kept pointing out the markings as they went. It seemed to be marking a path which Alyssa followed. The path kept going, around a few corners, down several passages until it stopped. Alyssa went two more images and said, "I've got something. It looks like a possible crypt with an upside-down star sigil on the door.”

Earlier three agents came to pick up the two suspects and the girl they were dressed as FBI agents and had a black van. Tt only took 5 minutes before they were gone.

Sung watched as Alyssa showed all the footage she had quickly running through the information but not missing any details. Sung was impressed by Alyssa and her skills. If it was not for Alyssa's skills Sung would have not caught the jars and bones. "Alyssa wait hold that freeze that footage." asked Sung as she did "Go back frame by frame," asked Sung Alyssa worked her skills even improving the frames. "Stop, does that look like a jar and the bones look like a symbol to you? asked Sung

Agent Powers watched as Alyssa was looking up maps of underground tunnels and talking to the two Dragons about her findings and realized he was about as useful as a handful of sand in a desert. So he sighed and went to the kitchen and made himself a sandwich to deal with his stress. Then he looked in the fridge and found a gallon for Orange juice. Since he was feeling peckish, he poured himself a glass of OJ and enjoyed his snack in solitude as he pondered what he had experienced so far. Sadly he had little to go on with and was just glad he didn't have to do all the smart person stuff. After finishing his snack he cleaned up and made his way back to the room to see the others still working on the case. He tried to look serious and ended up making another smoldering face.

Eun-Ji continued observing their collaboration. She was measuring the information being uncovered to determine when she would have enough to take her leave of them. She was about to, when Master Sung discovered something that was worth sticking around a little longer to see what it entailed.

Meanwhile the illusion of Moon moved closer to Max and sized him up with a judgmental expression; like looking at a strange painting.

Alyssa did as asked, and when Sung said stop, she did. "Yes," she responded. It did look like a symbol to her.

Piper said, "That symbol is supposed to be good, it was carved on the trees......... We read about it in the End Rite.”

“Someone turned it upside down to make it evil. It. I had a vision of it carved on trees in a Florida swamp and in woods in Louisiana;" said Phoebe.

"The men with the cult, the ones that were just taken away, were from Florida and Louisiana." Alyssa realized that connection, useful or not.

Sung shook his head looking down. "Now you know why our organizations said to work together. Every time we find something new this problem gets bigger. They must have seen it was a big threat to order us to share information and work together." Sung said with some frustration in his voice. "I almost feel we are being set up. Whatever is at the end of this search will have the ability to kill us if we do not work as a team, " suggested Sung grimly.

Even in Eun-Ji’s limited experience, she had come to the realization that most things in the secret world had the ability to kill. She had expected nothing less than that since her assignment began. Her instructions, coming from the Voice of the Dragon himself, were to undermine the other factions anyway possible. Ensure victory of the mission and strike a crippling blow to the other factions was her directions. It was something she had not yet shared with Master Sung and Choi, both men seemed all to eager to make nice and she feared they were emotionally or morally compromised.

She spoke up, “Does this upside down symbol provide any useful details on what we will be up against?” The crescent scar meant the master of the fades were likely involved. But what did that actually mean in regards to tangible threats?

Agent Powers caught on to part about them working as a team since this mission was way to dangerous for just one group. He knew he was being observed by someone in the room and ignored it since he was used to it. His presence alone intimidated many enemies especially in combat. He then thought about what type of monster the cult might be trying to summon like in the video games he played when alone in his room at night. He then asked, "If this mission is to big for only one faction then does that mean we have to work with the Templars as well? I can see this getting more difficult already." He then looked as Eun-Ji and gave her a smolder then looked at Sung as he said, "As you already know not everyone will play nicely in the same sandbox.”

Sung looked over at Eun-Ji’s exasperation at Sung's comment. Sung sighed. Then looked at Agent Powers. I am not a well-arcane specialist. Yes, I do hold some skills in that field I am no expert in the use Anima at this level. This is someone well-trained and experienced with expertise in necromancy. They are not using live creatures for their magic. whoever they are more powerful than a Ghoul. Probably closer to a Vampier or Lycanthropes perhaps. I am talking from experience a Vampier could kill all of us even if we do work together." Stated Sung with no uncertain terms.

Looking back at Eun-Ji, we don't have to like it. We do not have to like each other. But we do follow orders! And do what is expected of us." Sung expressed with a smile. Looking at the screen "Alyssa, which entrance to the catacombs has the least traffic and people let's say in the last two weeks?" asked Sung looking at the big map on the second screen.

It took Alyssa a few moments but she then said, "It looks like the one between 7th and 6th street. It's down an alleyway, so not much traffic." She said nothing about anything else Sung said, but was glad he said it, Alyssa would likely not have been as tactful talking to Eun-Ji with the way the other woman had been acting.

Alyssa turned to Max, "If the Templars are meant to work with us, they can reach us. So far, as far as I know, there's been no communication from them.”

Agent Powers nodded as he thought about what Alyssa and Sung talked about. He knew the tension was going to be an issue either way. He was used to the death stare considering his past missions. If he left anyone alive he targeted he would have to worry about revenge plots. However it was not a good idea to point out that the relationship with the Dragons was shaky at best so using the Templars as a reference made his point clear for all. He then gave a smolder to Alyssa as he asked, "So the Templars are either avoiding communication or are being blocked from it by a third party. Either way we look at it, we will be dealing with some trouble when we do encounter them. Just out of curiosity, if we are dealing with the supernatural as an enemy, what weapons, tools or precautions will we need to take before we reach the point of no return?”
"The cultists, they have a connection between those two states. As if they've been operating in both states for a long time. Something connects the states to each other. Perhaps what ever the veneration of the cult's worship. It might have something to do with portals.

Speaking of which, Prue, you said you came back here through a portal that a man dressed in black opened.

Did he say his name?" asked Phoebe.

"He didn't say his name, but he said he been around quite a while. Around this world quite a while." He didn't say much, he gave me the address to Chick and Sartre's hotel room." Prue said

"The way he was dressed......... he looked like he was dressed like people would have 100 years ago. He had a fedora hat. It's been twenty-three years since I've been here, so yes Chick Chicken, I remember when people were still using dial-up. It made me think of time travel, if things are not predestined as in your vision you had in 2006. Then what exactly is the universe?" said the raven haired sister

"I have a feeling you'll know soon enough Prue. I know you want answers." said Piper.

"I want answers now! How soon is now?" Prue asked angrily.

Alyssa didn't answer Max because she didn't know what they should arm themselves with, funny enough, she thought that was one area Max would be more knowledgeable than herself.

Alyssa, had been two years old or so when Prue had been last on earth, it was a strange concept for the hacker. "Well, alright old lady, glad I don't have to deal with the 1900s torture device that was dial-up." Well if Prue insisted on calling her Chick, then she would call Prue "Old Lady" and possibly rub it in occasionally.

As Alyssa was talking though she was also adding all the new info to the database about the investigation.

Eun-Ji locked her gaze intensely at Master Sung, in a way that indicated him to be careful, as if he was walking on thin ice. She maintained a polite demeanor despite her sudden urge to rebuke him with a hammer upside the left temple. She owed him the respect for being her past trainer and being an elder; however, she did not appreciate what he was insinuating publicly in front of strangers. Likewise she did not appreciate his patronizing remark about knowing how to follow orders.

With a smile on her face, masterfully fabricated to conceal her chaotic rage, “Master Sung knows full well my desire to uphold the Voice of the Dragon’s commands. Thank you for stating it so plainly.” Eun-Ji held her eye contact a moment more, before bowing to the man. That exchange solidified her thought not to share what she had been told by the Voice of the Dragon with Master Sung.

Meanwhile the illusion of Eun-Ji, the one that was scoping out and taking measurement of Max Powers, moved gracefully closer to the giant smoldering muscle. She was now socially unacceptably close, but not touching, merely standing in front of him as if undressing him with her eyes. She was messing with him to test how he would respond. Would he hold his ground, become aggressive, or defer the space to her realistic illusion. What kind of man was this giant inside?

Agent Powers looked down at the smaller but older Korean woman who was looking at him as if he was some kind of oddity. He gave her a smolder as he was about to make a comment to her his phone rang. He then paused and sucked his teeth before let it ring two more times as if he was not in the mood to answer it. Then he gritted his teeth and picked up his phone and answered it. He answered, "Yeah its me. (pause) Yes. (pause) I understand. (pause) Yes. (pause) Alright. (pause) I get it already. (pause) But.....(pause) Are you sure? (pause) So when will I get it? (pause) Okay then. (pause) Okay thanks pop. (pause) Yeah. (pause) I promise I will. (pause) Love ya to pop. (pause) Give my love to Mr. Tinkles. (pause) Okay. Later." Then he hung up the phone and took a deep breath to calm down. He then looked at Eun-Ji and gave her a smiling smolder for a moment before he paused. Then he said, "You remind me of my former nanny. She had that whole strict psychopathic loving assassin thing going for her too." Then Agent Powers kissed his fingers and blew them up in the air as if he was thinking of his former nanny in the next world before making the sign of the cross on his massive muscular chest. He then muttered, "Till the next world Nanny Fran." He then looked at Alyssa and said, "Dad said he is sending me a package through you. So please let me know when you get it.”