Draven stood in line with Master Al'Manti Sygvar. They had come to Club Love to investigate the lead they pulled from the mind of one of the rebel laboratory guards. Cleaning up the abandoned Power Plant the rebels were using as a lab was a nightmare. The sight had to be quarantined off while they systematically destroyed any blight that survived the explosion. Draven, Sygvar, Olina, and Eknar had been placed in quarantine for twenty-four hours, ensuring they were not infected by the blight. After that, they spent the rest of the time recuperating for the next mission. President Nero was not too happy with their mission results, but when he heard about the intel about the rebel meeting, he was thrilled. He instantly wanted them to organize a raid and capture as many rebel leaders as possible. It was the perfect opportunity to severely cripple the rebellion.
"It's too cold out here. I'm wasting Essence just to stay warm," Draven zipped up his fur coat, neon blue highlights painted the tips of the black fur. The heels of his platform boots clicked against the sidewalk pavement as the line inched forward. "How much longer do we have to wait? The sooner we get inside, the better."
"Just be patient. I've been in much slower lines to enter nightclubs," Sygvar responded from in front of Draven. He was wearing a black trench coat and ripped jeans. What annoyed Draven the most was that Sygvar wore sneakers and was still taller than him. "Look, there's only a few more groups ahead of us."
Music from inside the club made its way outside. It was faint, barely audible to Draven's ears. It sounded like some type of techno music. Bright lights from inside radiated through the windows of the club. The lights shifted with the music, becoming blues, greens, reds, and more. They pulsed with the beat, staying in tempo with the music. From what Draven could see from the windows, hundreds of people were in the club, dancing and raving to the music, and this was just the first floor. Club Love had ten floors dedicated to partying.
"Your ticket, please," a feminine voice said.
Draven's attention snapped back from the club. The line had progressed until it was their turn. In front of Draven was a woman dressed in a pink suit and wearing a pink panther mask. In her hand was a tablet.
"Is this event animal-themed?" Draven questioned the woman. Draven searched her for a name tag. He found one on her left chest. Her name was Jin.
"No, it's not. The staff are required to wear animal-themed masks. Now, can you please hand over your ticket?"
"We don't have one. We thought we would just go in." Sygvar responded.
Jin scoffed, "You thought you could just enter Club Love? Do you have an invitation then?"
"No, we don't have one of those either," Draven said.
Jin then started typing on her tablet. "Lucky you, we aren't at full capacity this night. So we have some spare tickets on sale." She turned her tablet around for Draven and Sygvar to see.
"A thousand dollars per ticket. Are you crazy?" Draven asked.
"If you're too poor to afford this, then you can just leave. Everything else inside is just as expensive," Jin turned her tablet back around. She then signaled the two bouncers behind her. "Remove them from the line."
Both of them were tall and muscular. Each was wearing a black suit with an elephant mask. They approached Draven and Sygvar, ready to fulfill their orders.
"Wait, we'll pay," Sygvar said.
"Good, then that will be two thousand dollars plus tax." Draven could hear the smile in her voice.
"Go on and pay for it," Sygvar said.
Draven sighed and pulled out his debit card. He placed it against the card reader on the tablet, and the transaction went through.
"Thank you for your business. Enjoy your stay at Club Love." Jin stepped aside, and the two bouncers followed her lead.
The doors to the club opened. Loud music bombarded Draven's ears as he and Sygvar entered the club. The doors slammed shut behind them, the sound drowned out by the music and the partiers. Draven nearly gagged as he inhaled. The club stank of a nauseating mix of musk and alcohol.
"Move it," some dude shouted as he shoved Draven out of the way. He disappeared into the crowd of people dancing to the music.
Draven shook his head. Some people were just rude. Draven leaned over to Sygvar's ear. "What do we do now," Draven whispered into Sygvar's ear.
"Split up and look for any rebels. Once you find them, contact me and then follow them. They will likely know where the meeting is being held." Sygvar said.
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Draven nodded and headed to the right. He maneuvered his way between partiers as he kept his eyes searching for the emblem of the rebellion visible on any of the club goers. The music was loud, causing a constant pounding in his head. Lasers of various shades shown down from above, painting the dance floor in a variety of colors.
His eyes landed on red stitching sewn into a jacket. He recognized it as the symbol of the rebellion. The person wearing it disappeared past two girls dancing with each other. Draven rushed towards the stranger, pushing people out of his way. Draven pulled out his phone and texted Sygvar that he had found a rebel.
"Hey! You fucking asshole! You spilled my drink!" A large hand grabbed Draven by his shoulder and rooted him in place.
Draven whirled around to find a large, towering man standing before him. The dude was shirtless, exposing his bulging muscles covered in neon yellow paint. Draven had to crane his neck upwards to look the man in the eye. "My bad, but I really need to get going." Draven tried to pull away from the man's grasp but could not move.
"Not before you pay me for a new drink," a wicked smile blossomed across the man's face. "Plus a little interest."
Draven was annoyed, this asshole was wasting his time. The rebel was getting further and further away from him. Draven cycled Essence around his body. Instantly, the world became more real and vibrant to his senses. His muscles were filled with energy, ready to burst. He grabbed the man's arm and squeezed. Bones snapped as Draven's grip tightened.
The dude screamed and let go of Draven. "Fucking hell!" He yelled, trying to break Draven's grasp with his other hand. "Fucking let go! Please just let go!"
Draven let go of the man's arm; it felt limp and bent downwards at an unnatural angle. Draven turned and followed after the rebel. He pushed past the two dancing girls, revealing two guards standing before an entrance that descended downwards.
"Where are they?"
Draven flinched; he stopped his fist a few inches from Sygvar's face. "I think he disappeared down there." Draven pointed towards the entrance guarded by the two men in grey suits. Both were wearing white skull masks that completely covered their faces.
A server dressed in a white shirt and black pants pushed a cart with a white sheet draped over it. Food and drinks were placed on top of the cart. A bunny mask covered the server's face. She arrived before the two skull-masked guards, and they stepped aside, allowing her to enter.
"Let's go," Sygvar headed directly towards the two skull-masked guards.
Draven followed after Sygvar.
Both guards locked onto them. They reached down to the pistols holstered at their waists.
"Can we help you with something?" The guard to Draven's left asked.
Sygvar pulled out a badge with the symbol of the rebellion on it and showed it to the guards. "We're here for the meeting."
"Names," the one on Draven's right asked as he pulled out his phone and started scrolling through a list.
Draven was getting irritated. This mission was throwing them hurtle after hurtle. "No one told us about a list. We were invited by Olina. She's a geneticist."
The guard shook his head and put his phone away. "You can't get in if you're not on the list. How step away, or we will have to use force."
Sygvar and Draven complied, moving away from the skull-masked guards. Draven could still feel their eyes trained on them until they disappeared from their view into the crowd.
"You have any ideas for getting in?" Sygvar asked Draven. "All I can come up with is either taking out the guards or cutting a hole into the downward path. Both methods would be loud and put us at risk."
Draven's mind drifted towards the staff and how they delivered food down to the lower levels. "I could pretend to be a staff member. Disguising myself in a mask and their attire. While you can then hide underneath the cart. Then I can get both you and me past the skull-masked guards."
"Lead the way," Sygvar ushers Draven forward.
Draven takes the lead, shifting through the dancing clubbers. He tunes out the loud music and screaming crowd. He had his head on a swivel, searching for one of the serving staff. He locked onto one woman wearing a deer mask. Draven followed her, keeping her at a distance but not too far away that he lost sight of her. Eventually, she entered a door with a plastic plaque that was emboldened with the word "Staff."
Draven entered the door, Sygvar following after him. Before him was the kitchen. Chefs were busy preparing food and drinks, oblivious to Draven and Sygvar. Draven found the female serve and followed after her. She moved quickly through the kitchen and entered another set of double doors. Draven followed, finding a room filled with serving carts. The female server looked up to find Draven and Sygvar at the door. She hurriedly sat the plate of food down onto the cart and rushed over to them.
"You two shouldn't be back here. This place is only for staff," the woman said in an Authoritative voice.
Draven smiled, revealing straight white teeth. "The restrooms out there are all occupied. We were hoping we could use the staff's restroom."
She paused for a moment in thought, then shook her head. "Management is already pushing us to work double time. You two need to go before I get in trouble." She started to push Draven and Sygvar out.
"Please, we'll be fast, I promise. And I love your hair."
She laughed, "Thank you. My stylist recommended it to me. It cost me a fortune. I can let you both use the restroom, but you must be fast. Follow me."
The server turned around and started walking towards a door further into the room. Draven and Sygvar followed after. She opens the door, revealing a restroom for them to use.
Draven moved swiftly. He wrapped his arm around her neck and covered her mouth with his other hand. Draven squeezed his arm, cutting off her air. Her screams were muffled by Draven's hand. She struggled, kicking and punching Draven, but he did not let go. Eventually, she grew weaker, and then her body went limb. Draven laid her on the ground in the restroom and took off her mask. He turned around to find Sygvar staring at him with a smirk.
Draven grew annoyed, "What? I need her mask and shirt." He took off her dress shirt and then put it on himself. It was a bit tight, but he could work with it. He then put on the mask. Taking out a pair of zip ties, he then bound her legs and hands together.
Sygvar shook his head. "Let's just go before the meeting starts."
Draven and Sygvar walked to the cart the female server had been prepping. Draven loaded the rest of the food and drinks onto the cart. Sygvar hid under the cart, using the white cloth draped over the cart to block himself from view. Draven pushed the cart out of the staff kitchen into the greater club. He navigated the dance floor back to the skull mask guard. They stepped aside and let Draven pass.