A Face in the Crowd.

[Skylar]

She looked over at him in mid-chew as he stopped eating himself. The look on his face said something was out of place, and frankly, it made her nervous to continue, thus she followed suit with the conversations, setting her fork aside.

“No, it’s fine for you to ask. As for family, I have some, somewhere. None that I personally worry about, and definitely none I’d know if I saw. That’s something we needn’t worry ourselves with.” She smile, not a forced smile either, she was being honest. Her family had never wanted anything to do with her, and she managed this long without them. She didn’t need them now.

Before she turned her attention back to her food, she couldn’t help notice the growing towel in his lap, while embarrassed, she was slightly flattered too. Hey, she never said she was normal....

[Syntaphar]

Dario was among those who came off the lift around the time the servers came out, but he did not actually join them in serving the food. He split off from the pack and started walking around the floor, nodding and smiling at the customers as though he were a manager there to ensure everyone's happiness. All the while, he would keep an eye on the Gottheit table of two. And actually, this was the first time he saw him in person. DAMN, he looked heroic. The sinking feeling came back to Dario's stomach, but was quickly averted when he remembered that Mr. Xavier was a trained and paid killer, just like Prospero.

It would take a few minutes for the poison to have an effect, but not long enough for them to finish their meal and leave. If Dario knew anything about winged people, and he really probably didn't, the extremities would be first to go, which would probably leave his wing muscles (is that how it worked?) mostly useless. Soon, neither would be able to fly. And if Dario was lucky, the poison would paralyze Gottheit to the point of respiratory collapse. Which would probably be blamed on anaphylactic shock from some seafood glaze or some such. But, Dario was hardly lucky, so he nervously pawed at the retractable razor wire garrotte hidden in his pocket, and waited.

[Sage]

Xavier began to feel slightly lightheaded as he worked at his lion. His right hand shook slightly as he reached out to fill his glass and drink deeply of it. He hoped that the sweetness would cure whatever was wrong with him, considering it as just a reaction to hunger or something similar. His wings, which he hadn't bothered to retract after his last buzz around the rooftop recoiled themselves into his back. He groaned slightly, uncomfortable with the sensation of the forced action.

" Hrm. All of a sudden, I don't feel so hot. "

Xavier slumped backward into his seat, careful not to lean his weight on Frankie, and took a deep breath to calm his breathing, which was slowly becoming light and irregular. Xavier had a longer lifespan, higher metabolism, and a stronger resistance to environmental aggressors than most average mortals, but he was by no means immortal, immune, or untouchable. If he was having some sort of allergic reaction, as was his best guess, he wouldn't have had any idea what foodstuff was causing it.

[Skylar]

She couldn’t help but notice the small changes in his behavior. His hand shook as he filled his glass, he was much more quiet, his wings retracted, and his color looked dreadful. Something wasn’t right.

“You don’t look so hot either.” She became concerned, thinking back on the way he paused when he began eating, as if something was wrong with his food. “Can someone help us here please?” Her voice was abnormally loud as she spoke.

Sliding over closer to him, she used her napkin and dabbed his forehead. “Tell me what you’re feeling.” She was no medical doctor, but living on the streets taught her a thing of two. Perhaps he was allergic to something he ate.... “Who prepared this meal?” She looked at the faces of those around them, taking in as much about each of them as she could.

[Syntaphar]

YES. It was working surprisingly well on a man of Xavier's fortitude. However, it needed a follow through. It was a risky move, but he came forth and raised his hand, giving his best algerothian attempt at an accent. He lied as he had never lied before (recently). "I am the man who made the sauce for it, and I know what's happening here! No one get help, it will just crowd him, and if he can't be saved immediately then he is done for. Do not worry, I shall do all I can! This man is suffering from acute Panylexia! Its a very rare reaction to a glaze I put on his steak! Symptoms include shallow breathing, sweating, acute blood loss, terrible paranoia and muscle paralysis. I have to check for the symptoms! Give me some space!"

Assuming the people would clear around due to a Stanley Milgramish obediance to authority (which was very likely), Dario would go up to Xavier and pretend to count his heartbeat. While he did that, he would cock his hand back so the razorwire in his wrist would become exposed. If he could manage it, he would slice almost imperceptibly, painlessly into the skin with his weaponized hand. Nervously counting the seconds with everyone watching, hopefully dario would nick the artery coursing through his neck. And also hopefully, that would be enough. He would pull back his hand and yell: "NO! DAMMIT! The blood loss has started! Men and women... Im afraid I can't save him..."

[Sage]

Xavier's eyes widened. He knew why this was familiar now. After all, Xavier had been working for the Mondoch Syndicate for nearly one hundred and eighty-six times longer than Prospero. In a desperate attempt to defend himself, he reached forward and firmly grasped the thick table before them, and spun around, falling off the couch. He swung over Frankie's head with the force of a ballista bolt, and aimed his slow arc of a swing directly for the saucier's body.

Both his balance and aim were off, though without a direct dodge on Prospero's part, there was little chance for error in the strike, though he would have thrown himself off of the furniture and landed himself directly on his pair of exotic swords, causing two moderate cuts on his back, coupled with a large slice across his right jaw, issuing up from just above a critical flow of blood leading to his brain.

How could he have been so stupid. He wasn't ready to believe Frankie had been someone sent to help end him, but at the moment getting her away from him served her and him both.

" Get these people out of here! "

The table was large enough that whether Prospero dodged away from it or was slung through the nearby furniture, he would have the slightest of moments. He used this time to regain his footing and ready his weapons, shredding his swordbelt as he snatched them off the ground.

Great. High metabolism will put the poison out of me quickly enough, but once that loses it's effect, I will have lost enough blood to suffer similar detriments to fighting ability. But at least I'll be able to fly. Gotta hold him off.

Xavier swung his swords together in a flourish, causing them to reverse direction and connect at the hilt, creating one double-ended weapon in his right hand, as he drew one of his two new toys of Jack's from a pouch on his back pocket. It was a tiny red bag full of some sort of sand. It did not look friendly.

[Skylar]

These pieces were all from different puzzles. Puzzles that could be put back together after Xavier was well again. The “cook”, while checking his heart exclaimed Xavier could not be save? And this he knew by simply checking his heart rate? Lies....

All at once Xavier moved much more quickly then she had expected he would be able to. It took her a moment, and Xavier yelling for the people to be gotten out of the place for her to realize what was going on.

The look in her eyes had to tell him she was innocent of any part of this. She was genuinely scared, and leaving his side was never really an option for her, even now. “Everyone get out of here, now!!” Her voice was demanding and authoritarian.

As quickly as her words left her lips, she stood and took a bit of cover, but stayed close by Xavier. She couldn’t help but study the man that was obviously out for blood. Who was he, and why would he want to hurt someone like Xavier?

“Xavier?”

She didn’t know what to do, what to say...maybe he would...

[Syntaphar]

Dario had a few choice words for Xavier. Some of which could not be repeated in mixed company and the rest of which were entirely made up AND could not be repeated in mixed company. these were only multiplied when Xavier threw the table. Sturdy looking thing, too. And Dario hated dodging like he couldn't dodge. Yet he had to, because the people were still running out. He would leap backwards and fall flat on his back just in time for the table to fly over him and still look like a lucky break. He would yell at the dashing people, encouraging them further: "The paranoia has set in! Everyone run! I'll try to stop him!"

While Xavier was preparing, so would Dario. In his sitting position, ready to diveroll out of the way of whatever came next, he would roll up his sleeves and pant legs beneath his apron, so he could be armed (and legged) at a moments notice by removing the coat. After that, he would get up and spread his legs, keeping his center of gravity low for dodging purposes.. If he wasn't further preoccupied, he would remove his gloves and kick of his shoes, stretching his hands and feet out in the air he hadn't touched with them in a good long while. Once everyone else was gone, he would throw off his chef's apron, revealing his Xexorian right arm, New Xexorian left arm, Kalmarden born right leg and Cizokian left leg, all of different sizes, agility and strength, razor wire gleaming from all of them. And not one donated of free will. He would yell at Xavier: "When ya get ta hell, Gottheit, tell 'em I sent ya! they'll give ya a discount!"

[Sage]

" Been there, done that, assassin. " His voice was gruff already, but with his heaving whisper, he hoped that Frankie would not have heard this. She didn't need to know he was a hellion, literally. Though, as with the other truths so far, he would not lie to her were she to figure it out and ask. He couldn't expend any more precious energy convincing her that this was exactly why he didn't want to take her with him back to the Grandmaster, or that he couldn't keep his promise like this. But he gave her a stern look, and resolved to protect her as best as he could, while also keeping himself alive.

Xavier took one more labored breath before he stepped his right foot forward, looking away from the assassin and slung the pouch of powder upon the ground before them. It erupted into flame, creating a blinding flash and a choking smoke which was compounded with an elaborate spinning of Xavier's swords, which he had angled just slightly to create a fan effect. He turned one full rotation while pushing the sediment-filled smoke forward, which would find any and all cavities and escape into it; irritating every possible orifice it could access.

[Skylar]

Many things quickly became apparent to her. For starters, this man was obviously not employed here, but an assassin? Furniture was flying and she knew this was going to be a dirty fight, least to some extent, and she, well she could be used against Xavier, that was, if he had been true in his actions toward her thus far.

She moved to the nearest corner, out of sight from the assassin, keeping Xavier, lease in his current location, in her own sight. Pulling her knees up to her chest, and wrapping her arms around them, she sat there, confused....scared.

Only at the mention of hell did she look up from her hiding place. “Been there, done that?” What? Granted there was much they didn’t know about each other, but....hell? With all that was going on she decided it was best to not jump to conclusions. Perhaps he wasn’t meaning this literally......perhaps...

[Syntaphar]

Dario saw the tell tale signs in Gottheit's face and body that he was about to use an ace in the hole. He did not know what the red powder did, but when someone looks away and is about to throw down a small pouch, it's a fool's mistake not to look away as well. Not having the opportunity to get in too close, Dario reached into his inside dossier pocket and retrieved one of the obsidian plates. Thinking quickly, he would dart his other hand into the pocket with the fire candy, pull one out, deftly and quickly unwrap it and pop it in his mouth, trying for sparks. When he looked back, residual red dust was being blown at him by a technically impossible sword motion. He better get paid A LOT for this one.

Fretting about the range of his next move, he would put the obsidian in front of his face and run within 5 feet of the advancing cloud. Then, on a wing and a prayer, he would blow as hard as he could. Hopefully he was in the kind of adrenaline rush where things go right for you. And hopefully the dust evaporated with fire, or even was flammable and would add to his attack. If he was right, Gottheit couldn't see him between the dust and the fan blades. at least not until it was too late.

[Sage]

He had planned on using the distraction of the powder for his own blind attack, but as the flames burst out of his haze of dust, he could only increase the speed of his windmill motion with the blades in an attempt to blow it back from him. He was not completely unsuccessful, either, managing to keep the almost living fire off his body, though he managed to coat his blades in sweet-smelling flames, burning his knuckles.

He howled with pain as he withdrew his second toy from Jack, a segmented sword which clanked together as he touched it's hilt. He could vaguely see the man's outline as the dust began to disperse early, and he used his free hand to fling throw the sword end over end, horizontally at the man's knees. He threw low, not only for a potential disable, but also so that if he missed, or the throw was evaded, the sword would hopefully not clatter off the roof of the building.

Meanwhile, the meager shower clattering against the invisible shield of the restaurant began to turn into something like a torrential downpour, fully compounded by an electrical storm that seemed to be brewing, central to their location. Even worse, it appeared as though sharp shards of hail were beginning to pelt the invisible spell, which it was not equipped to handle, and their surrounding would begin to shimmer and fizzle.

[Syntaphar]

Dario hated these people who did the literally impossible. But at least it kinda worked. He would shove the obsidian back into his inside pocket just as he heard a whooshing from Xavier's side. peering through the fog, he would make out the image of a sword just in time. He would step quickly to the right, but by bad luck, the blade would be spinning around just right to cut rather deeply in his leg and continue on. It didn't really bleed though, and he looked as though he hadn't noticed. Because there was no muscle damage, there would be little change in how he moved.

He noted that the sword did not clang off the roof, as he might have hoped. As much as Dario hated to admit it, Xavier was slightly more dangerous at a distance. He would dash forward at him, and settling quickly into a boxing pose, throw a haymaker at him. This would not actually be aimed at his body, but rather slightly off to the right, with the intention of skating past him and opening a nasty wound with the razorwire in his arms. Then, going with the momentum of his punch, he would twist and dash past Xavier, ending up behind him if he wasn't watched at all times.

[Sage]

Xavier listened intently, and felt relief as he heard metal cut flesh. However, the man seemed to rush at him as though completely numb to the injury. He was either on some powerful painkillers, or--wait. What had he cut him with? He was not carrying a knife or any other sort of weapon in hand, yet Xavier's skin still stung from the cut to his jaw. If he knew the Syndicate, and indeed he did, there was likely some sort of wrist-mounted weapon hidden purely by stance.

That conclusion being drawn, he decided taking a punch from a fist potentially concealing a razor-sharp blade was the last thing he wanted for himself. Luckily, however, as long as he had his swords, he had the advantage of reach. The blade spinning in his right would quickly pass to his left, passing in front of the punch in an attempt to shred the man's arm were he to follow through. At the same time, Xavier opted for a quick right kick, aimed to attack his assailant's left knee. He might have aimed a kick for his chest, or even face if he thought he could pull off the balance required for that in his present condition. He only hoped he could set the man off balance as much as Xavier was already or, with some luck, snap his leg like a twig under the force of his kick.

[Syntaphar]

Dario was experienced far more at dodging damage than doing it. The blade would indeed shred his arm, but with careful timing and quick twisting, he would get out of it with, again, no muscle damage. And that's really all that mattered. However, further attacks to it would have a better chance of cutting him up badly. As he heard his foot scuff off the ground behind, him, Dario would instinctively leap up into a forward somersault, especially as he was already leaning foward from the haymaker. Gracefully, he would handspring and land on his feet.

With that, he would pivot around and go into a flurry of strikes. They were much faster than usual, because he wasn't trying for force with any one of them. He was trying only for contact, skin to skin. The slightest scuff would leave a nasty cut, and this was a war of attrition. The less able to fight Xavier was, the more Dario would be able to win. If Dario was able to strike a vein or artery, all the better. however, a series of superficial cuts, along with his relaxed heart muscles could prove deadly.