One More Hand To Play

[the_new_shaman]

If it was one thing about rich people on this earth, Nate found, it was that they tended to be easily rattled. They have the best protection money can by, they figure no one can get past their security, they figure they have nice little bubbles where they'll be totally safe and no harm will befall them. Burst that bubble, you scare them to death

Comments

[venom_blast]

Spider-Woman grins at the party in front of them, her stance purely defensive at the moment. She isn't going to quip - she's Spider-Woman, but she is going apologize for coming dressed in costume. "Really," she explains. "We weren't sure what the dress code was, so we came dressed for comfort." Okay, so maybe she was feeling a little quippy.

[red_sonique]

"Ours, not yours," explains Sonique kindly.

[barwithnoname]

"Our walls!"

"The new wallpaper!"

"Who would dare attack the Golden Calf casino!" Roars the paunchy man sitting in the throne-like center of the room.

"Eet does not matter..." The boss's very shadow says, twisting into a vaguely humanoid shape...which moves open, caul-like, to reveal a fantasticly pretty man in dark armor and a grim domino mask, "...for theese meddlers face the power of...DARK ROBERTO!"

"Roberto...WHIP!" Dark Roberto shouts out, moving his hands and sending a trip of inky black tentacle-whips at the invading metahumans!

[the_new_shaman]

A shield goes up between the whips and those three.

"I guess this must be our host for the evening. Ladies, would you like to give him a proper greeting first?"

[stark_inc]

Meanwhile inside the room...

"Do I dare ask what that was out there?" asks the industrial billionaire playboy. "Or is it dealt with enough for the next hand?"

Not that the Iron Man doesn't have a very good idea already of what's happening and that the three metas from the other side of town aren't testing his poker face more than the high stakes game already is.

[barwithnoname]

There were a fee muffled noises coming from the other side of the door as Jessan stepped back into the room. Moments later, there was the sound of an explosion, and the walls shook a little, though the room they were in was otherwise undamaged.

Jessan waited a few moments, then smiled to herself.

"The situation has been dealt with. You've nothing further to worry about, American. Shall we continue?"

[stark_inc]

This is a real test of his pokerface. He wants nothing more then to leap from this table, go and see what the the hell that was and see if they lived through it, and then take Tyger Tiger to Sing Sing.

But then the Symkarians wouldn't get the weapons they need to repel Doom, and thousands more horribly then those three semi-professionals might have.

"Absolutely." His cards show a pair of queens in a hand of mostly random clubs.

[barwithnoname]

"You seem to be slipping, Tony," said Viper as she entered the room with a smirk on her face. She, the current ruler of Madripoor, was followed by General Nguyen Ngoc Coy. And the two of them, along with Tyger Tiger were the leaders of the alliance that allowed them complete control of Madripoor's underworld.

"Perhaps you're tired of playing games." She looked at him with an almost knowing grin.

[stark_inc]

Both the LMD and the real Tony smile. The Three Stooges and the Three Stooges could be useful in this.

"Open the envelope, Tyger -" The LMD leans forward. "And you -" He points to Nate, "Pull up a chair. We'll settle this all like the gentlemen and ladies we are. Losers leave the island?"

Should give him enough time at least to take out the three dozen guards in this place and reroute the security system without anyone being the wiser. If he can pull this off he can leave and everyone will be blaming one another for any losses.

[red_sonique]

Oh, no. You're going to play poker? With them? Her worry is evident along the psi-link, though she keeps her outraged expression firmly in place. They'll clean your clock.

[barwithnoname]

Jessan raised an eyebrow at Tony, and briefly glanced over to Viper. She still seemed amused by all of this, so she opened up the envelope and tossed its contents, a stock certificate for two shares of Stark, Inc, onto the table.

"Your move, American."

[the_new_shaman]

Nate thought about this offer. Really thought about this offer.

~You know, as much as I hate to admit it, that bitch has a point. We haven't done much to change the big picture. Doesn't mean we can't change things.

Whatever that piece of paper is, they find it worth more than peoples lives. I don't think they should have it anymore.~

Settling on that, he pulled up a chair and sat down. "I'm in." Time to beat these guys at their own game.