Something's rotten in the Hamptons

[laughing_mage]

While the glittering elite of the business world are gathered together inside to pay homage to the Josephs John is smoking on the balcony with what appears to the untrained eye to be Angelina Jolie. Trading information and formulating a plan

Comments

[jla_extras]

The air in the ladies room begins to suddenly drop in temperature as Zatanna rushes Hyacinth out of there. The hint of frost clings to the trail of Zatana's dress and a dark sense of an intangible presence seems to have just manifested in the room behind them.

Zee's instincts however are too finely tuned for whatever it was than turned it's eye to Hyacinth and it grasps in vain at the fading hints of their precence in the bathroom.

Once back into the sound of idle chatter and the soft tones of the string quartet in the ballroom, they smoothly rejoin the party. Hyacinth's hand clutches Zee's with white knuckles and Zatanna can feel her trembling, but none have seemed to notice her emotional state...yet.

With years of experience under her belt, Zatanna takes in the room while seeming to be idly noticing flower arrangements. She immediately notes three new additions to the party. Large men wearing tuxedoes to blend in are currently passing through the room. They make attempts to remain 'unobtrusive' to the partygoers, but Zatanna knows them for exactly what they are, security. They're looking for someone and Zee has a pretty good idea 'who' that might be and why.

[zatanna_z]

She keeps a firm hold of Hyacinth as she "admires" the flower arrangement. A scowl forms more firmly on her face upon sighting the security and grumbles under her breath. "....fuck..."

She quickly looks around the crowd for Vi and Alexis, having come up with a slightly devious idea. Upon spotting them, she leads Hyacinth through the crowdest route that will bring them up behind the harpies. On the way there she whispers to Hyacinth through a smiling face.

"Listen to me. I can help you, but not here in this crowd." She shoots a sideways glance towards the smoking room hoping she's not going to have to go there. That would suck beyond the telling of it.

"There are at least three men looking for us. I can cover that for a little bit, but we need to act fast. In a couple of minutes we need to get out of the party but not the house. Understand? Can you do that with me?"

PLEASE don't fight me on this Hyacinth! The thought isn't spoken.

[jla_extras]

Hyacinth is like a deer before an oncoming truck. Will she freeze? or will she bolt? To her credit, she does neither. Perhaps it is a seed of courage she has never known or perhaps it is that she has so little to loose now.
Clearing her throat, she blinks and puts on her best meek smile and barely nods in Zee's direction.

In the crowd, the security detail sharply raise this heads as if 'listening' to something. Zattana can feel the subtle hum of magic in the air, something is communicating with them.

[zatanna_z]

She frowns again and pulls Hyacinth in close to her as they get as close behind Vi and Alexis as possible without actually touching them yet.

Under her breath, she whispers to Hyacinth. "Hold very still until I say otherwise. We'll be away from this in a moment, I promise."

Right behind Vi and Alexis she glares at the harpies' backs. "seye 'seitiruces ot htnicayH dna annataZ ekil raeppa sixelA dna iV."

She only wanted the spell to hold for the security looking for them otherwise the entire party would give them away. Cover made, she takes hold of Hyacinth and beats feet for the kitchen.

[jla_extras]

The spell works beautifully. Vi and Alexis squawk their indignant protestations in vain as they are taken away by the tuxedo wearing bruisers.

Meanwhile Zee and Hyacinth make their unnoticed escape from the party into the empty kitchen.

"What are we going to do Miss Zatara?" Hyacinth whispers fearfully.

[zatanna_z]

I haven't a fucking clue! That's what she wants to say but instead she gives Hyacinth a smile. "Please, call me Zee, ok?"

She also gives the confused kitchen staff a smile and continues further in, Hyacinth in tow.

"We need to find the hub of his power...an altar maybe...someplace they do the sacrifices. If I can find that, I might be able to monkey up the works. Any ideas?"

Yeah, right. She doesn't really think Hyacinth can be that helpful but it gives the poor woman something to focus on while she summons up a guide.

"esuoh siht ni nommaM ot ratla eht ot yaw eht tniop ot tnaw gnihtemoS?" Can't hurt to ask, right?

[jla_extras]

At that moment Angelina Jollie, of all people walks into the kitchen carrying an infant girl with two green eyed little boys in tow.

"In the basement." she remarks casually as the three of them make their way to the refrigerator.
Opening it up she tsks disapprovingly.
"You'll never grow up right eating this kind of food."

She sighs.
"Come on boys, lets go get your things."
As they depart, 'Angellina' looks back over her shoulder to Zee and adds,
"Hurry, your boyfriend is running out of time."

And she and the children are gone.

[zatanna_z]

Her eyebrows disappear into her hairline and her lips part in...well...frankly awe! The fact that Angelina Jolie just waltzed on in and gave her that information was enough but the energies Ms. Jolie is giving off is enough to choke a whale!

She couldn't do more than blink for a few moments until she is given the information about John and that snaps her out of it. They will definately have to exchange notes on this whole fiasco tonight!

She pulls on Hyacinth's hand as she bruskly asks one of the staff which way to the basement and it's off on a run.

"Stay close, Hyacinth. I wouldn't want to lose you!"

[jla_extras]

Hyacinth in a rare moment of practical wisdom kicks of her narrow shoes and dashes along the corridor with Zee.

Zatanna comes to a flight of stairs that leads downwards. While there is no physical smell, the supernatural stench picked up by her Awakened senses causes her to retch. Something horrible and fouls is definitely down there.

Descending the flight of steps swiftly the wood paneled walls give way to rough hewn stone. Crude and inaccurate sigils of dark magic have been roughly chiseled into the surface of the stone. Someone has been playing with fire.

At the bottom of the stair, Zee and Hyacinth find themselves before a wrought iron door held shut with a large padlock. Zatanna can sense the vile energies of demonic magic behind the portal.

[zatanna_z]

She had clapped a hand over her mouth as she gagged. She had forgotten how much she hated dealing with this kind of shit and wonders how John can deal with it so much!

She doesn't want to spend much time down here. The smell alone is enough to make her impatient, but also if John is upstairs in the thick of things, she needs to move fast. This lock is pissing her off by just existing.

"nepo dna kaerb kcoL!" Simple, to the point and maybe it'll work....provided these dorks are stupid enough to not ward the door which by the looks of things down here, they very well might be just that stupid.

[jla_extras]

The door is laden with crude but strong dark magic, most likely residue build up from what's inside. The lock however seems only too happy to comply with Zatanna's spell.

Now free of the lock, the door swing open revealing a hemispherical chamber cut from stone. It stinks of rotten flesh and coagulated blood. in the center of the chamber is a ten foot tall statue made of gold in the likeness of the demons Mammon. It's the first thing Zee's seen that the inept magicians of this place have gotten right. All around the statue are tributes both gory and decadent. Gemstones and gold and bolts of silk sit along side the skulls of infants and urns of vile fluids. In the midst of this is a small table upon which sits a computer and monitor. Zee notes a think fiber optic cable leading away from the machine and disappearing into the wall. Several windows are open on the screen. Stock quotes and financial information steam down the display in a torrent of data.

Zee can feel the evil in the air and knows that magic in this chamber might draw unwanted and deadly attention down upon her in seconds.

[zatanna_z]

She scowls, coughing against the stench of this place, giving Hyacinth's hand a hopefully comforting squeeze before going into the room.

She wishes she had brought a kerchief of some sort to cover her nose and mouth with as she makes her way to the altar. Yeah, working energies here would just be a bad idea but hold on...a computer? You have GOT to be kidding me!

She has a look at the windows displayed. The stock quotes are pretty standard but it's the financial reports that catch her eye and her imagination.

She doesn't touch anything just yet, formulating her idea as she scans the information. The actual account numbers are encoded but the names and passwords are already logged in. Oh this is gonna be fun!

"Hyacinth! I think I got it. Come here and watch. I think you'll like this!"

Quickly, she opens another window off of the financial accounts for transactions/transferals. A few quick searches and she begins a VERY generous and VERY public donation to the following charities utilizing all of the financial accounts currently under operation in the windows:

The ACLU
The United Jewish Communities and
Alley Cat Allies...one of her personal favorite charities, dedicated to the catch/neuter/release of feral cats throughout the country.

With a giggle she clicks the command to authorize the transferal of all available funds currently and for the donations to continue so long as the stocks keep feeding the accounts.

She steps back from the monitor letting the computer do it's thing then takes Hyacinth's hand again.

"I'm terribly sorry, but your husband is about to go bankrupt for the worthiest of causes." Then a thought occurs to her.

"And that we should probably be out of this room when that happens." She begins leading them out very hastily.

[jla_extras]

A look of glee spreads across Hyacinth's face and she dashes out of the room with Zatanna.

As the exit, Zee can hear the room collapsing and a howl of pure hate thunders through the mansion and soon fades to nothingness.

[zatanna_z]

She winced from the sounds following them up. Once the proverbial dust had settled though it was back to giggling and a quick hug for Hyacinth.

"It wasn't much but I hope it helped you."

She gives her hand a quick squeeze. "Now I have to see if my date needs rescuing."

[jla_extras]

Tear of joy are flowing form her eyes as Hyacinth hugs Zee back.

"Oh Miss Zatara, I owe you everything. Thank you!"

She begins removing every stitch of jewelry and expensive ornament from her person and presses them to Zatanna.

"Please! Take these and give them to a charity. I don't want to see them ever again!"

She then turns and runs down the hallway in search of her husband.