[Plot] We Wear Masks to Hide our Feelings

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

With two sets of eyes to observe, the addition of more security hadn't escaped Jez's notice. "I should get this to the Princess, before some formality happens and I'm not able to approach the table anymore. You already know what to do if something goes down, I'll make sure that she follows you if it comes down to it."

"Oh... and try to hold onto that dress for me, will you? I'm not normally for for skirts but I so want to borrow that sometime."

[Nika Novak]

Nika nods at the notes Jez is writing down, giving them a quick once over. "Erika's concern is probably the unfortunately familiar mask. Lilith is just vain. I doubt there's poison, too likely to be noticed and taking an antidote would imply it's in nearly everything and you can't rule a body that was beheaded. Francois might have ambitions, Valarie I don't know. It seems too blatantly disapproving. Hana, well, you can probably figure that one out yourself. Not ruling out anyone in particular but any attack isn't going to come form them directly anyway. Their behavior might give us precious seconds though. I'll do what I can." she finishes and it's unlikely she's talking about the dress, but who knows.

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

Jez nodded and turned to head back into the ballroom proper. Along the way she took a moment to ask one of the other waitstaff a simple question just to give the appearance that her trip to the main table wasn't immediately related to her recent absence, or very urgent. It would be best of the conspirators continued to think that she was a clueless and ignorant foreigner oblivious to the potential peril at hand. The interaction between herself and Katarina was only as long as she dared make it, which was extremely brief. Just enough time for her to whisper something into her ear on her "good" side while slipping the piece of paper into her palm and coaxing her to hold onto it. To anyone who wasn't blatantly eavesdropping it might just look like she was reassuring the princess that her father was on his way. And if it weren't for the note, Jez's whispered message of "You're doing great, trust your gut" might've seen out of place and a bit nonsensical, surely not worth leaving her table for.

The note was brief and to the point, but lacked the subterfuge of code and innuendo. It read;

A house is gunning for you tonight.
If it happens, follow the waitress - she'll protect you.

[Victor Von Doom]

To Katarina's credit, she read the note without making much of a reaction -- very stoic and stonefaced, taking it in stride. Jez's actions were quick, but they definitely caught the attention of some of the other royals, who watched as she returned to her seat and her other self.

And, indeed, some of them may had made some sort of comment or quip, had the fanfare not struck up again, heralding the entrance of the King. King Stefan paused at the entrance to the ballroom, raising his hand to greet the assembled masses.

And then the band struck up again, hesitantly, with a second anthem. One they had certainly played before, and certainly would play again; one that announced a visiting head of state had arrived.

And so, into the Symkarian Grand Ballroom strode Victor Von Doom, flanked by two Doombots, all dressed in formal attire. To say this provoked a startled reaction in the room would be an understatement.

As if Nika and Jez's jobs weren't difficult enough as it was.

[Nika Novak]

There's no 'Ah fuck.' big enough, but at least Nika isn't the only waitress freezing in their steps at Doom's entrance. There's little doubt in Nika's mind that he's here to graciously save Katarina's life and a non-zero chance he spurred whoever it is into action in the first place. She might not be good at courtly intrigue but she knows that Viktor von Doom, Despot of Latveria, always has another card up his sleeve.

Her eyes immediately dart to the Duchess Erika Sebkova.

[Masked Socialite]

The mystery woman chuckles quietly, and joins the rest of the assemblage in honoring the arrival of the neighboring emperor in-all-but-name. Things are getting very interesting!

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

Jezabelle however was not as stone-faced. While her mask may have hidden her mouth it did nothing to obscure how wide her eyes had gotten or eyebrows had risen. Let alone the physical start of both the standing and sitting forms. She felt much the same as she had when she first set her eyes upon him all those many weeks ago. It probably told many of the others at the table her true social status when she remained stunned and still like the wait staff rather than applauding as the other nobles and elites did.

[Katarina Karkov]

Jezabelle however was not as stone-faced. While her mask may have hidden her mouth it did nothing to obscure how wide her eyes had gotten or eyebrows had risen. Let alone the physical start of both the standing and sitting forms. She felt much the same as she had when she first set her eyes upon him all those many weeks ago. It probably told many of the others at the table her true social status when she remained stunned and still like the wait staff rather than applauding as the other nobles and elites did.

The applause wasn't quite as much as Jezabelle had anticipated. This wasn't the first time Doom had come to Symkaria on official, invited business, though it was clear no one other than possibly the king was expecting him to show up tonight of all nights. There was a definite tension in the air, though diplomacy did require at least some polite responses. For what it was worth, it didn't look he was immediately going to cause trouble as he crossed the floor, headed for Katarina.

Her eyes immediately dart to the Duchess Erika Sebkova.

Duchess Sebkova had rose to her feet immediately, eyes glaring -- the least polite response in the room, by far. She had taken a step forward, but was cut-off by the rising Katarina, who strode across the floor to meet Doom head-on in the middle of the dance floor.

"Doctor," Katarina said. "To what do we owe the...pleasure of your company this evening?" she asked. She almost looked confident, too; it'd take someone who'd known her quite personally to catch the quiver caught in her throat, the slight tremor in her knees, the hitch in her step as she strode across the floor.

Doom had no such hitch or tremor. Despite being deep inside the territory of a long-time rival, Doom knew he had no equals, no rivals; he reigned here as much as he reigned anywhere; it was just not yet clear to the assembled rabble.

"I have come to congratulate you on your recovery, Princess," Doom said, "And your return to public life.

And Doom forgives you the pantomime of a masquerade you are holding. For Doom knows what is is to suffer the pain and indignities of disfigurement caused by the hands of those who would be jealous of our superior gifts. You wear the mask well, Princess. You shall make it your own -- wiser, stronger, and more powerful than ever before. To rule a country as proud as Symkaria, one must be tempered. Doom believes you have steel in you, underneath the golden exterior."


"I thank you for the mask, Doctor," Katarina replied. "It is a...surprisingly compassionate gesture from one such as yourself; may it be a symbol of future peace and harmony between our nations. Though I am afraid you still have me at something of a loss, as to your purpose here tonight."

"Doom has many purposes, each grander than the one before it. And all shall become clear when Doom decides it is most proper to do so. But as for now, Princess, Doom requires...that we dance, as is the custom of your people.

The doctor reached a hand out for Katarina, who paused for a moment, her eyes flashing to the table of nobility, to Jez, to her father. Then, steeling herself, she took Victor Von Doom's hand, and strode to the center of the floor; the string ensemble hurriedly and somewhat nervously striking up a waltz -- apparently, the dinner portion of the evening had ended, and the dancing portion had begun.

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

During the entire conversation Jezabelle had remained standing and silently watching the scene playing out before her. Would Doom's arrival throw a wrench in the conspirator's plans? If they were not set in motion by Doom himself perhaps, to make an attempt on Katarina's life now would be akin to making an attempt on his own, and for the nation of Symkaria that would spell certain... doom. There was no way to rule out madness, be it jealousy or revenge or lust for power, there were countless stories about such things in royal settings - fictional or historical. Things had either just been made easier for her and Nika, or much more difficult - only time would tell.

The Jez at the table noticed a few glances in her direction, and it was then that she took in what they saw in her. She was one of the few not staring at Katarina and Doctor Doom as they stepped out into the dance floor (if only because she had other eyes doing the watching) but she realized what her body was doing. Her hands had clenched into fists and her cheeks were flushed. Her teeth were clenched and lips flat in a pinched expression. Jealousy did not look good on her.

[Narrator]

It's easy to see why Jez would be jealous, as Doom and Katarina danced across the floor. Jez was taken out of her reverie, however, when her chair was kicked under the table, giving her a brief jolt back to reality. Johanna pointedly was looking at her plate, finishing her dessert, showing no signs that she had been the one to try to snap Jez out of things.

After a few moments of Katarina and Doom dancing alone, to some smattered polite applause, other stood up to take to the floor themselves. With so many important people entering the dance floor, if there was a time for someone to make a strike on Katarina, now may well be it.

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

The sitting Jez started at the impact, her reaction not at all subtle, but there was little she could say or do to try and play it off either. So she instead opted to pretend it had never happened at all and actually have some of her dessert as though everything was as it should be.

The standing Jez did her best to try and snake her way through the crowd and toward the princess, in the hopes that if something were to occur she'd be there in time to intervene. Whether by attacking the assailant from behind, or putting herself between them and Katarina, only time would tell and only if now were the time.

[Masked Socialite]

The mystery woman took a small sip of her wine, enjoying the spectacle on the dance floor. She glanced at Jez as she made her way towards her lady, then looked back at the Aide’s table, and smiled before turning her attention back to the dance floor with the rest of the guests.

[Narrator]

The mystery woman took a small sip of her wine, enjoying the spectacle on the dance floor. She glanced at Jez as she made her way towards her lady, then looked back at the Aide’s table, and smiled before turning her attention back to the dance floor with the rest of the guests.

Just for a moment, the masked socialite made eye contact with someone across the room at the nobles table. A near-imperceptible nod ensued, indicating that it was time to take things to the next level.

The sitting Jez started at the impact, her reaction not at all subtle, but there was little she could say or do to try and play it off either. So she instead opted to pretend it had never happened at all and actually have some of her dessert as though everything was as it should be.

"I do not believe your princess has eyes for Doom," Johanna whispered to Jez. "But then, you would know better than I."

The standing Jez did her best to try and snake her way through the crowd and toward the princess, in the hopes that if something were to occur she'd be there in time to intervene. Whether by attacking the assailant from behind, or putting herself between them and Katarina, only time would tell and only if now were the time.

Navigating the dance floor alone wasn't the easiest task in the world, with Jez having to weave her way through multiple dancing pairs. There was a comfortable cushion around Katarina and Doom she could squeeze towards, as most people shied away from dancing too close to the Latverian monarch, who was currently whispering something in the Symkarian princess' ear.

[Nika Novak]

Meanwhile Nika does her best to hover near the edge of the dance floor, tense, discarding her gut instinct of suspecting Erika discarded at the expression the Duchess put on display at Doom's entrance. But that just meant she had zero leads on top of being unable to get close to Katarina. She's doing a terrible job being a waitress at the moment, pretending not to notice people trying to get her attention, one hand in her pocket and clutching one of the pieces of cutlery she tucked away, feeling like she's going to bend the silver fork in her clenched fist.

[Masked Socialite]

The masked lady finishes her wine, and dabs her wet lips with a very fancy napkin from the table. Noticing a slight redness, she opens her mini purse, and begins applying lipstick using a small mirror.

[Narrator]

After a while of dancing, the quartet finished one song and began to play another, the couples resetting for another dance.

One of the barons, who had clearly enjoyed the fine wine selection at the royal palace a bit too much for his dexterity to handle, tripped as the tempo of the song changed. That sent him tumbling closer to the incircle, towards Doom and Katarina.

His especially gaudy, black shiny jacket caught the glint of a small dart as it impacted into his neck.

[Nika Novak]

Once it's clear the man falling to the ground is not just the result of too much alcohol and Nika catches a glimpse of blood through the crowd she runs along the edge of the dance floor, eyes scanning the crowd to try and determine where the attack might have come from. She figures she has perhaps seconds before word spreads through the crowd and sets of a chaos that'll make it so much harder to find the attacker.

[Narrator]

Nika's trained instincts and years of experience leads her to quickly recognize that the attack, whatever it was, didn't come from ground level -- it came from above, in the direction of one of the large windows overlooking the river below.

Also, whatever it is that hit the man appears to have...melted? Evaporated? Vanished through a portal to a nether dimension? Or maybe he just had really bad timing and fell down at the same time a bird hit the window or something. I mean, coincidences do happen, right?

____________

As for the baron, he staggers down, and into Katarina, who releases Doom to catch him before he can faceplant fully onto the floor. She does not immediately pick up on the cause, though Nika and Jez can see Doom looking up towards the same window.

[Nika Novak]

From outside? Nika allows herself a second to glance over the windows to see if one is open or broken, then makes a break right across the dance floor and towards Katarina. If there's a follow-up attack her best odds of protecting her if she can't pin-point the exact vector of attack is as close as she can possibly get. And if that makes her look like the attacker then so be it, what does she possibly have to lose at this point anyway.

"<Katarina!>" she shouts. "<Take cover!>"

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

Jez may have been observant, but she wasn't so observant to see a dart being fired, only the aftermath. And once the alarm had been raised she tossed aside all formalities and began pushing aside whoever was in front of her, nobility or otherwise. The guards would be quick to swarm around the king and princess once the alarm had been raised, but they were standing off to the sides. The crouching princess would find, when she looked up, that she was almost completely surrounded by a close net of persons in the same shadbelly coats acting as human shields. Maybe these oversized hats had their benefits.

Almost surrounded, of course, because of the presence of Dr. Doom, and the struck noble. She wasn't exactly going to step on an injured man, or try to shove past the metal-faced monarch... the taller one at least.

[Narrator]

A shouting waitress and a multiplying handmaiden were definitely enough to cause some commotion, bordering on panic, in the room.

Many of the guards, seeing that Jez was surrounding the princess, went to surround the King, instead -- priorities.

Katarina tried to hit the deck, but Doom kept a hold on her. Doom did put himself between Katarina and the original direction of the shot, observing the chaos that occurred.

Several of the other handmaidens and servants had rushed over to the noble's table, and were starting to grab their respective charges. Jez's sniping friends, the Zakovs and the Machovas, stood tall and were trying to restore order. Nika's original top suspect, the Sebkova's, had whirled and was watching the DoomBots closely, her hand slipping down to something hidden on her belt.

Others -- most notably and perhaps most relevantly the aristocratic Prince Francois, the young Prince Richard, the socialite Princess Lilith and the dour Prince Boris -- were rushed towards the exits by their charges.

[Masked Socialite]

The masked socialite looked towards Katarina and Doom, and showed some visible consternation.

Sighing, she tugged twice on her right earring.

A few moments later, a series of muffled explosions took out the opposite wall from where the shot originated, tumbling rubble inward, and exposing the assembled party to several large hovering drones armed with military hardware.

They began shooting over the heads of the crowd, intending to further incite panic.

[Nika Novak]

This she knows how to deal with. She pulls a soup-spoon from her pocket and infuses it with her power, letting it hang about a yard in the air, stepping on it to jump and propel herself above the crowd for a clear shot. Holding a butter-knife flat on her palm she flicks her arm out and imbued with her power the cutlery snaps through the air with near super-sonic speed, aimed at one of the drones.

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

Some of the Jez's who formed the shield-wall partially around Katarina (and by proxy, Doom) raised their arms to shield their faces from the debris as the explosion rocked the room. One of them placed a hand on the woman's shoulder.

"I think it's time for us to go, your Highness."

Another looked up at the man in the iron mask, with an expression that made it clear that while she had no business in telling him what to do, that perhaps it was best for them to make their exit. And if Doom happened to have decided that he would be traveling in the same direction, that would be a convenient coincidence. Great minds think alike, and all that.

-----

About the only one who hadn't been panicking was the Jez seated at the table with the other "attachés", her duplicent nature letting her take it more in stride. Her sitting calmly definitely stuck out, but it allowed her to take notice, if only briefly, of someone else who seemed much more calm than those whom surrounded them. She got up from her seat and began to try and make her way through the crowd toward the masked woman.

[Narrator]

And incite further panic the gunfire did! Any attempts at a calm, orderly evacuation were shot (hah! jokes!) as the drones started strafing the very valuable palace ballroom.


Katarina took Jez and Jez's hand, and nodded. "Yes, yes very much so," she said, beginning to scurry for the exit.


And as for Doom? Doom scurried nowhere. Were it not for the princess, he surely would have strode into combat, proudly and boldly. Instead, he walked upright towards the door, keeping himself and his armor between the drones and the Princess.

[Masked Socialite]

About the only one who hadn't been panicking was the Jez seated at the table with the other "attachés", her duplicent nature letting her take it more in stride. Her sitting calmly definitely stuck out, but it allowed her to take notice, if only briefly, of someone else who seemed much more calm than those whom surrounded them. She got up from her seat and began to try and make her way through the crowd toward the masked woman.

As the lone Jezabelle made her way towards the now-suspicious woman, there were several loud snaps as large projectiles punched through the ceiling, impacting into the ballroom floor at different points.

One landed close to the masked woman, where it opened up, revealing an armory’s worth of small barrel guns and various bladed weapons.

The woman picked up several selections, before a large mass of fabric ejected and wrapped around her, unfolding into a form fitting, bulletproof costume.

“You really need to work on your covertness, dear.” She said, tossing a couple knives at Jezabelle before leaping towards Katarina, intending to cut her off.

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

Acting purely on instinct Jez grabbed one of the banquet chairs and lifted it up between herself and her assailant just in time to feel the THUD THUD of the two blades striking it level with her chest. It was lucky for her, perhaps luckier for anyone behind her that she hadn't tried to get out of the way instead. Seeing the woman running for Katarina she spun and tried to hurl the impaled chair at the assassin's legs.

-----

The two other Jez's gave Katarina's hands protective squeezes, speaking rapidly to her in turn.
"Probably multiple attackers."
"And now they're armed."
"You should do your golden girl thing."

[Nika Novak]

Nika's projectile slams through the drone leaving just a flat hole, but after a moment sparks erupt and the drone plummets from the air as Nika lands in a three-point crouch. Her eyes seek out Katarina and she starts pushing her way through the crowd. "<Out of my way, damnit!>" she starts shoving socialites and probably a minor noble or two when she notices someone attacking Jez and chasing down the Princess.

[Narrator]

Katarina nodded, her skin going golden as she went back into her mutant mode.

"To the back, then. There are places there where we can safely await a response," she said, breathing quickly.

"Assuming they have not fallen as well," Doom added. "We can already see the efficiency of Symkarian defenses," he said, gesturing at Nika.

_______________

The masked socialite was baring down on Katarina and the others, with Nika dashing in to cut her off. Nika was moving with a speed granted to her by the desperation of defending her charge, and would arrive before the socialite, unless she had something else up her sleeve.

[Masked Socialite]

Acting purely on instinct Jez grabbed one of the banquet chairs and lifted it up between herself and her assailant just in time to feel the THUD THUD of the two blades striking it level with her chest. It was lucky for her, perhaps luckier for anyone behind her that she hadn't tried to get out of the way instead. Seeing the woman running for Katarina she spun and tried to hurl the impaled chair at the assassin's legs.

The mystery woman easily flipped out of the way and continued towards Katarina’s party, firing several shots to scatter those people acting as obstacles. She reached to her bandoleer, retrieving something that looked distressingly like a power dampener collar.

Nika's projectile slams through the drone leaving just a flat hole, but after a moment sparks erupt and the drone plummets from the air as Nika lands in a three-point crouch. Her eyes seek out Katarina and she starts pushing her way through the crowd. "<Out of my way, damnit!>" she starts shoving socialites and probably a minor noble or two when she notices someone attacking Jez and chasing down the Princess.

The remaining drones were not affected by the destruction of just one of their number. They easily pursued Nika, switching to tranq darts and strafing her path.

As the masked woman passed one of the weapons canisters, it started dispensing thick smoke, obscuring her further.

[Nika Novak]

Nika skids to a stop to avoid the shots fired by the drone, head swiveling between the drones and the assailant still pursuing Katarina. Seemingly catching her breath for a moment she holds her fist up in the air and let's out a slow breath. Angles, direction, timing. Her power helps her feel the potential path of the knife in her hand like moving it across invisible grooves until she finds the one she's happy with. She withdraws her hand, the knife remaining fixed in the air until Nika closes her fist and yanks it down against her chest, sending the knife flying forward through the drone but instead of discarding the projectile, Nika flings out her hand again and the knife comes snapping back along the same path, puncturing the lilting drone again and continuing on right through the path of the masked socialite.

[Narrator]

"Yes, out now, I believe," Katarina said, scrambling to her feet and trying to outdistance the mystery woman.

She was not going to make it on her own, so it would take a combination of Nika's precise aim and the varied people who had various reasons to protect her to keep her upright and safe as she made her way for the door.

Doom mostly stood and watched.

[Masked Socialite]

Nika flings out her hand again and the knife comes snapping back along the same path, puncturing the lilting drone again and continuing on right through the path of the masked socialite.

The intruder has had experience and intuition regarding guns, bullets, and mutants it seems.
From the smokescreen, she suddenly jumps in a new direction, propelling herself away from Nika’s vector attack and closing on Katarina, the glowing collar armed and ready for attachment.

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

With eyes on the back of her head in the form of the copy left behind, Jez could see that the mystery woman was gaining and ready to strike. She'd been around the block enough times to know what that device was, and what it could do - she'd worn one more than once. Timing was critical. Still trying to clear a path through the fleeing guests with some copies, she waited until the woman was swinging the collar at the princess, and tried to put herself in its path instead.

[Katarina Karkov]

Being tugged along by several other Jezzi, Katarina just looked over her shoulder as Jez put herself between the mysterious stranger and herself.

"Jez!" she cried, because that would help.

[Nika Novak]

"Oh no you don't!" Nika shouts and flings a spread of knives out in front of her, all firing off at a slightly different angle as she tries to pierce the inhibitor collar (or the arm wielding it. She said she'd have Jezabelle's back and she meant it.

[Masked Socialite]

Lots of little things add up.

The masked attacker was slightly distracted by Katarina’s yell, just enough to focus her attention there, and miss Jez’s lunge into her path, as the collar triggered and locked around Jez’s neck.

Cursing, she moved to reset the collar for a second charge quickly, but was cut off by one of Nika’s knives impacting into her forearm. A short shriek resulted.

You could almost see all the options draining out of her mind, as she turned in anger back towards Nika.

“You want to make this personal? Fine. Let’s see exactly how much blood you need in your body to stay conscious!”

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

Poor Katarina. When the collar closed around Jez's neck and activated, she was treated to quite the unpleasant sight. The gaggle of girls around her who were holding her hands and trying to shield her suddenly lurched in all directions before breaking apart in an extremely rapid decomposition and instantly crumbling into dust. That was kind of graphic for someone who hadn't experienced before.

But this girl had. This was not Jez's first time wearing a collar, it wasn't even her first time being rendered "alone" and without her power this year alone. So instead of falling to her knees in disorientation she instead grabbed a banquet chair again and swung it over her head to try and smash it over the assailant while she was distracted with Nika.

[Katarina Karkov]

"Jezabelle! GUSKA!" Katarina cried, forgetting about or not caring about the surrounding crowd.

And that's when Doom scooped Katarina up and carried her towards the doors, out of the room and away from the assailants.

[Nika Novak]

“You want to make this personal? Fine. Let’s see exactly how much blood you need in your body to stay conscious!”

"Doesn't matter. I have nothing left to lose." Nika spits, pulling out to steak-knives and flipping them into a reverse grip as she advances on the assassin.