14600/Mister Yi is expecting you

Mister Yi is expecting you
Date of Scene:	11 November 2022
Location:	Manhattan Mini Storage, Water Street, Two Bridges, Manhattan, New York
Synopsis:	Significant trouble in Little China Town, as Bucky, willow, Nick and Buffy pay a surprise visit to a gang run by vampires. Theatrical vampires. Such a show, they slay it.
Cast of Characters:	Winter Soldier, Phantasm (Drago), Willow Rosenberg, Buffy Summers

---

James Barnes has posed:
"Two, possibly three. But I don't know if that means we can expect just those two or a hundred, you're the expert." There's no point denying that there's a whole lot that Bucky doesn't know about the current situation. Not his preferred situation, but needs must when the spawn of darkness are abroad. Call him oldfashioned, but Bucky has taken an immediate dislike towards vampires.

He's about to ask for the binoculars when he spots movement in the alley opposite the target. Another patrol? A sentry he somehow missed? And then the outline resolves, and Bucky grabs his gear, throwing open the car door. "Why are things never simple?! Nick, time's up!" It seems that, without a plan, without proper reconaissance, they're going in. Just like the old days. And as he jogs away, he throws a half explanation over his shoulder. "Nosy civilian in danger."

It takes a special kind of mind to stand in front of something all night. A mind that can turn over slowly throughout the hours, a mind not much given to introspection or initiative. A mind, in short, that is destined to inhabit a body that stands out in the cold in front of a loading door with concealed weaponry. We shall call this man Thug One. Opposite him, on the other side of the loading door that is currently wide open, stands his counterpart, who we shall designate Thug Two. One and Two rarely speak to one another. They don't look at one another. In short, One and Two are in a state of rivalry with one another. The object of this rivalry is the coveted position at the eastern end of the door, which is out of the wind and gets decent shelter when it rains, versus the western end which is blustery and damp even at the height of summer. Unable to compromise on this vital feud, One and Two have arrived at that curious state of compromise that exists between, what we are by the circumstances forced to name, two professionals. A discreet cough, a shuffle of feet, and Two sets off to the Eastern end, meeting One halfway along the doors trudging towards the Western end. And thus, through the exchange of position once every thirty minutes, peace is preserved.

If either One or Two were actually doing their job, they'd have spotted Willow for certain, and probably Bucky as he's coming up at a trot.

Nick Drago has posed:
To the 'expert' title, Nick gives a slight snort and a shake of the head. The movement is short lived as he focuses back on the building. "Only relatively speaking. I just know when the face turns ugly, they're either demon or vampire. If they're trying to bite someone's neck off, they're probably not one of the good ones either."

Getting the times up, Nick turns his head to see Bucky grabbing his bag and heading out of the vehicle. "wh-shit." Giving a grumble the musician, puts down the binoculars, grabs his own bag and gets out of the vehicle, the knit capped man scurries after the agent with the head start. To the mention of Nosy civilian he looks over. Unlike One and Two, Nick is looking where he and Bucky are going. As Willow comes into view, he gives a curious glance but doesn't call out. They're a bit too close for that.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Civilian! Ha!

Well in the definition she was technically. Technically. But these guys weren't that much of a difference from the people she had captured before. Mind you, she didn't do it by herself.

The thugs were not the brightest bulbs on the Christmas tree. Which made Willow frown. She quickly ran over behind a box sitting beside the nearest door that the men were not at.

So far, she hasn't seen Bucky or Nick.

James Barnes has posed:
Movements in the shadows?! Odd sounds?! People running towards them?! One and Two share a very rare glance and then return to staring directly forwards. These people are neither police nor a rival gang, and so none of their business. By this logic, they make the ideal guards... And, let us be fair to them, who ever expects the Winter Soldier, a rock star, and a witch to show up at the door? Why, it's a laughable notion. The odds to it are so remote that they'd have a better chance at winning the lottery.

They might want to check their numbers. Soon.

Bucky comes to a halt next to Willow, frowning. "I'd ask what you're doing here, but I'd be a hypocrite. If you're coming with us, stay with my partner." Has he explained who is or what he's doing? Nope. Time for that later, probably.

Instead, he walks up to the doors, bold as brass and twice as cold, shrugging his backpack a bit more securely on his shoulders. One and Two try to follow his movements without moving or turning their heads, which eventually makes them shuffle into a pivoting turn as if they're mounted on turntables. Technically they should stop him from entering. But he hasn't actually entered. And they can't throw him out of a building he's not actually in. Running him off might be slightly more effort than they're prepared to invest. Eventually though, it's Two who breaks the silence, shouting out.

"What you want?! Market closed!"

A slow grin, and Bucky eyes Two, currently at the Eastern end and therefore closest to Nick and Willow. "I'm here to see Mister Yi."

"Nobody see Mister Yi!" One calls from the other side, worried that this is not going entirely according to script.

"He's expecting me."

After exactly two and three fifths of a second hesitation, One legs it away to the West and Two breaks into a run towards the East. Leaving the door unguarded.

There is the sound of multiple weapons being unsheathed, readied, cocked, and in one case, wound up.

Nick Drago has posed:
The backpack wearing Nick soon reaches the other two in time to hear Bucky's instructions to Willow. As they're close enough to speak he smiles to the Wiccan, "Hey again."

As Bucky makes a sizable distraction to draw the attention of the doofy duo, Nick reaches to the side of his backpack where an unloaded pouch for a waterbottle resides, there's a quick tug, causing for that portion to flip down to reveal a fold of fabric. A hand reaches through, grabbing on to something and tugs it out. Moving the escrima stick to the other hand, he reaches back to pull out the second.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Of course, the nice man would just happen to be here. In fact, the more she thought of it, the more she wondered: Who was this man anyways???

But Nick she knew.

Blinking at Nick, she blushed. "I got curious. I guess you know him? Who are these guys? And can I help?" Bucky isn't aware of what she is capable of doing, but Nick sure is.

James Barnes has posed:
The only thing Bucky knows for certain, is that around Willow there is always a chance for clear skies and sudden lightning. In fact, had he not been half secure in the knowledge that she's capable of defending herself, he'd have made evacuating the civilian his first priority. As it is, One and Two get clean away, soon no more than a receding sound of running feet in the alleys.

All in all, not a catastrophic blow to the forces of light and justice...

And seeing Nick ready from the corner of his eye, Bucky steps forwards, into the warehouse, where an assortment of weaponry is ready for him, wielded by an assortment of thugs who are, by various degrees, conceiving they are ready for him. The advantage they have is overwhelming numbers, and the knowledge that they are fighting on their own turf, following a plan they are certain at least some of them must have read at some point. All they have to wait is find out who those people are and follow their lead...

... any moment now...

... pretty soon...

Crap.

By the time the gang are aware that nobody is going to be the first to rush forwards, Bucky is already ten yards into the warehouse, now in prime position to be ambushed.

Surprisingly, he is ambushed, from his right side, where three men with various bladed objects make a rush at him, running in that curiously energetic but restrained way that makes it clear they're all three expecting one of the others to be first. As a result, they arrive simultaneously.

One flips end over end after being acquainted with Bucky's boot, the second sails into a stack of nearby boxes after a close encounter with the Bucky fist, and the third gets a solid strike on Bucky's left arm.

In short, he disarms himself by breaking his weapon over solid vibranium, and then makes a parabolic exit over the heads of about a dozen other thugs who were waiting to see how that encounter was going to go.

As one, they rise up and rush forwards, yelling like demons.

And soon, it is clear, there is sizeable trouble in little China Town. Sizeable. Not any larger copyrighted amount...

Nick Drago has posed:
Nick nods in response to Willow's question, keeping watch on the situation, "...possible vampires in their number." He whispers softly to Willow, "Prepped for that?"

Hearing the large collect yell, Nick grumbles. "He's going to sleep well tonight." Now that the outside crew are inside, Nick looks over to Willow, "Can probably get closer." He nods over to another set of boxes, projecting his chosen destination before he darts over to the new cover.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Apparently Bucky isn't the only one who isn't aware of the identity of the other person. Because, after that Willow could sit back and munch on popcorn while Bucky swept up.

"oh." Little 'o'. There was no need for her to protect him.

..Until Nick's words broke through. Vampires she knew. Very much. "Let me get ready for the protection spells." After that.. her very favourite spell! How lucky! "I'll be ready." Of course, she slips from here to there very easily. "Have you any sharpened sticks? Does he know how to protect himself against vampires?" She knew Nick did.

James Barnes has posed:
s Pandemonium reigns. Or, if not Pandemonium, one of the lesser demesnes of Hell. The inside of the warehouse is a war zone. Somewhere, Bucky has gotten hold of nunchucks, one of the most impractical weapons for a chaotic melee, and is holding off half a dozen thugs with precise strikes and frequent changes of position. Little by little, he's turning the entire fight so that his back is towards the far wall, and the thugs are turning with him.

With their backs to the open door.

Secure in the knowledge that there is only one of him, and relieved there isn't a second or third, the whole gang has found a reserve of courage and is giving their best. It should be noted that their best is pretty good, when they all work together. Unfortunately most of the time they end up going at Bucky one at a time, as if it were some sort of second rate Kung Fu movie.

Suddenly, a loud *TWANG* and the silken hissing of something fast and deadly slicing through the air. At the last moment, Bucky ducks right and low, throwing his hand out. He spins with the impact, taking the momentum to roundhouse one of the thugs in the side of the head, and then turns to face the horde again, holding the crossbow quarrel between his fingers.

Peculiar, that quarrel... no metal tip, all wood. But sharp at that.

It's launched through the air, courtesy of a vibranium enhanced super soldier's throwing arm, and returns to sender. There is a meaty *THUD* and a sudden shriek.

The rest is dust in the wind.

Nick Drago has posed:
"He's helped Buffy with an instance." Nick confirms, shifting his sticks over before he reaches back into his own bookbag to pull out a drumstick. With the sound of the battle going on he finds it safe to break the stick tip to give it a pointed end.

"He's got the more traditional ones." Nick points out.

As Willow prepares, Nick does as well, bringing the sticks together. The voice is low, but there are the faint murmurs betraying the intent.

'Protect against the horde
That holds control of the weak,
From you, solution we seek
Michael present your sword.'

There's a soft glow to the sticks before the light absorbs into the wood. He looks to the stick and then offers one to Willow. "I expect it back when we're done. Not for throwing or stabbing."

Another smile is given. "Right. Time to head up top to register a complaint." Under the cover of the Bucky brand brawling bonanza, Nick scoots forward on the quest to find Yi.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Apparently vampires made certain their minions had sharp tipped *wooden* quarrels. Which meant one of two things:

They were dumb. After all they could be used against themselves.

Or (most probably)..

These guys were afraid of being attacked by another vampire. And that made Willow shiver. Where were they all from?? No matter what, someone (Willow) had better let Buffy know. Sooner than later.

The fact that he knew Buffy was good. But dragged out of her, "Does everyone know Buffy?!?" And did Nick mean preThomas or postThomas Buffy? It may be important before Willow blurted this fact to Buffy.

Making a circle around her for protection, Willow then started to collect lighting in her hands. Ready to release.

"They are afraid of another vampire you know."

James Barnes has posed:
Judging by the sounds coming from the warehouse, the gang is well and truly distracted. Judging by the sound of breaking furniture and occasional truncated screams, there will also soon be enough loose evidence around to start a rummage sale. The crates that have been broken open, usually by means of ballistic thug, are stuffed with counterfeit goods, counterfeit money, real drugs and very real looking assault weapons. This gang may have drawn the short straw in the way of muscle, but someone at the top knows what they're doing. Up top. Probably in the offices off the catwalks of the warehouse itself. The thugs that were guarding that area are... around. Generally speaking. Hanging around, one might say.

And curiously, up on high, there are more crossbows loaded for vampire. The way to the office is clear, and someone is clearly moving in there, visible by their shadow against the drawn blinds across the windows and door.

Nick Drago has posed:
"Are you that surprised?" Nor is Bucky's right now. He holds both sticks as he continues forward. He doesn't look back as Willow shares her observation. "There may be humans mixed in with them you know." He respondss back, holding out the second stick.

Stick passed on and Catching a glimmer of movement up top and running on a basic description of who to look for, Nick starts up what stairs he can find to get up there.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Quickly Willow grabs up the escrima stick that she had thrown to her. She wondered if she could amalgamate the two: escrima and force lighting. Hrm.. Seeing as everyone was following Bucky, she reluctantly said goodbye to her circle of protection and followed.

James Barnes has posed:
Suspiciously, the movement of the shadows in the office stops as Nick and Willow approach. Something may have betrayed their movements, someone or something may be preparing a surprise for them. Possibly someone is getting themselves in a suitably impressive posture of nonchalance when the heroes burst through the door... because appearances are important. You don't get to have a reputation as an unflappable spectre of the night if you go off shrieking and flailing every time some do-gooders break down your door. Standards must be upheld.

Less is holding up the upper floors of the warehouse than before, if the sounds of breaking oak and tumbling walls are anything to go by downstairs. It's like a wrecking crew has arrived, and occasionally something or someone bounces off the bottom of the catwalk, frequently leaving a dent. It makes the whole structure sway ever so slightly... no matter what happens tonight, this gang will always remember the day when SHIELD came calling.

Is that a pair of eyes peering through the curtains to see what's keeping the heroes? Sure looks like it.

Nick Drago has posed:
Ideally the floor that Nick and Willow cross on will hold long enough for them to make their assessment and leave. Nick's general assignment was pretty straight forward. If it turns out to be a vampire problem. Handle the vampire problem. Otherwise, step back and let Bucky handle the human problem.

Simple right?

They take their time getting up there. While having time to compose oneself is night, an extended time period can do quite a bit for disrupting the composure once more. Case in point, Mr. looks through the curtains, is not giving off the desired cool vibes. What an excellent display of mental warfare.

Right. Yeah right. The slow down is intentional. Suuuuuure It can't possibly be because of Wibbly Wobbly Floor's kind of spotty.

Either way, as Nick approaches the door, he seems to have acquired another stick from his bag to take the place of the magically imbued one he loaned out to Willow.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"You know what?"

Willow catches sight of Nick and follows along carefully.

"If we take out these guys out, that still means there's a whole nother gang headed by a vampire, who we just helped. And furthermore, we won't know where he is." She is? "That leaves us in an extreme disadvantage, just saying."

By now they are at the door. Willow let's Nick open it, after a quick sigil to protect them. "There. We're ready!"

Buffy Summers has posed:
The intention was to kick in the doors and go in with stakes blazing. Only, the doors seem to have already been kicked in. Leaving Buffy to leeeeean around the corner of the doorframe to see what is going on inside.

"Huh," was her verbal assessment as she took note of the carnage going on in the bottom floor, while stepping into the double doorway. Then through. She was dressed comfortably, jeans and a tshirt with a lightweight jacket over that. Her messenger bag slung cross body and a Mr. Pointy in her right hand. She looked around at the bodies scattered here or there and the many people attacking. Not her. They didn't even seem to notice her at the moment. They were too busy trying to take down the absolute beast of a fighter in their midst.

Though, he didn't seem to be trying too hard. Which had the Slayer tilting her head to the side, trying to piece this one together.

A glance was tossed to the upper level, a moment of consideration. "Well, dammit. I had a one liner all ready and everything," she muttered to herself.

James Barnes has posed:
There is nothing stirring in the office. Not a thing. No movement whatsoever at all. Muttering, yes, in an oriental language, but it's all in hushed tones. What is Mister Yi doing in there? Preparing a powerful spell to repel the insolent invaders? Calling reinforcements to trap the impertinent heroes? One thing is for certain... something unholy is beyond that door. The dread chill of the unnatural is palpable. Or that might be the airconditioning vent that has been knocked to the floor from the violence of the violence downstairs. It's quite violent. And then, all of a sudden, a thin voice calls from within.

"Mister Yi will see you now."

It's a cultured voice, a suave voice, a voice so slick that it seems to insinuated itself into the ears and so onto the brain. A voice that makes you want to have a shower after hearing it, just to get the dirt off.

The general melee below is in absolute full swing, and the occasional shattered sword or bent pipe sails through the air near Buffy. A few moments later there's even a thug that goes into and then through a partition wall... although moments later he stands back up, dusts himself off, bares a set of fangs, and makes to dive back into the fray.

Nick Drago has posed:
Nick's jaw clenches as the point is brought up again. To avoid the eternal back and forth, he just opts to not respond. But he does wait for Willow to do her own magic. When she gives the all clear, he sets his hand upon the door and pushes it open.

It's not a good sign with they don't bother locking the door first, is it?

The invading sound of the invite to come in causes for pale eyes to look over in the direction of the speaker. If the man was intending for a shiver of discomfort or a grimace, he wsn't getting that from Nick. The musician has had his share of concerning fan mail. Coupled with years of fundraisers that are chock full of politicians trying to get publicity shots, Nick is quite well vaccinated against creeps.

Now. In theory one could just whack Mr. Li and be done with the Vamp or not test. But there's the nagging question going on behind Nick's head that's putting the stops to the original plan. Nick tilts his head, "So, I hear you have a bit of a vampire problem going on. What's his name?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
By now, Willow has let go of her spell. But when she hears 'Master Yi shall see you', she almost wishes she had it up again. Not that it would take too long. And she still had the escrima stick. Between the two of them, and the sigils, she felt pretty good.

But didn't Master Yi want to speak with Bucky?

She shivered in spite of herself.

Entering the room behind Nick, she looks around before centering her vision on Master Yi.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Where's the popcorn? That's the first thought that goes through Buffy's head. Because she feels like she's watching one of those epic fight scenes she usually sees in movies. And epic it was. This guy was damn good! Hell, she wouldn't want to fight him. Thankfully, he was human. Or enhanced human. But still. Not a monster in the sense of what she hunted.

Her second thought was that she was kind of feeling a little useless. She tracked the guy flying through the nearby wall only to watch him go all vamp face and start back toward Bucky.

Which is when Buffy opted to take care of that particular problem because she really should earn her title, right? "Hey, Bumpy!" she called out loudly to him. Which didn't seem to get a reaction at all. "This is just ridiculous," she murmured and she flung the stake in her hand in the direction of the vampire about to go back into the fight. "Take a load off." The flick of a wrist and the wood embedded itself deep into his chest, piercing his heart. A moment later, he burst into dust and she had already closed that distance to catch the stake before it hit the ground. "He already has enough dance partners," she finished though obviously he wouldn't hear her anymore.

But there was something more going on here. There was this guy, this dervish of violence just casually flinging vampires about like they were dolls. But why wasn't he finishing it off? She glanced up toward the upper level again. Was he keeping them busy? Was someone else here?

James Barnes has posed:
Behind an oldfashioned desk in the office, a prim and proper man sits. Mid fourties, white suit, impeccably slicked back hair. So suave he makes the room look shabby. And it's a room that's meant to impress... oriental rugs, lacquered red cabinets, gold, gilt, silver and various other precious metal trimmings. It's an office that could be imagined somewhere in Hong Kong, where a Triad boss plots the downfall of entire clans. In fact, it looks exactly like that, as if it's out of a catalog. Behind the man, another man hovers nervously... with eyes that were previously seen peering out from behind the curtains. This man is dressed in non-descript grey. In fact, he could be described as non-descript grey, from his grey suit, to his grey shirt and his grey shoes, all the way to his grey hair. A figure of no consequence trying hard to hide behind the big bad boss. What a time to be a secretary!

"Ah, names. So important, and so ephemeral. Please, call me Mister Yi. I insist." the man in white intones, with that silky voice, and eyes that watch both Nick and Willow like a curious cat eyeing an impertinent canary. "In the nature of problems, would you give me your names, please?"

Before there is any response, the man behind the desk snaps an order at the man in grey, a rapid fire string of Cantonese from which, for various reasons to both Nick and Willow, a few words stand out.

'Master'<bgr> 'Disappear'
'Stall'
'Quickly'

The man in grey nods nervously and gives a deep oriental bow, before starting to edge towards the door, around Nick and Willow, fearful eyes on them both.

On the ground floor, there is a shriek. Not of tortured metal, but of a vampire collapsing into a cloud of dust. It's enough to make a few heads snap towards Buffy, until Bucky uses that distraction to straight up kick one of the distracted thugs into another thug, sending them both into the shadows further into the warehouse.

Away from the stairs.

Away from the access to the catwalk.

Nick Drago has posed:
Nick looks to the man in white and gives a sigh, shaking his head. He glances to his hand for a moment before looking over to the nervous looking one in grey trying to back out. "I'm aware of your name, Mister Yi. I'm asking for the name of your OTHER problem. Please stay. You'll find my approach better than what's outside the building."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Now they notice her! Buffy gives a look at the ones that turned her way, raising her left hand and giving a little wave with her fingers. Easy choice, right? They can continue to fight the scary man or they can try to attack the blonde.

Which probably will also be scary for those who might recognize who she actually is.

But now that they noticed, Buffy had picked up on something. The guy was keeping them away from the stairs. Not that any seemed interested in those stairs but he was keeping them away for some reason. Answering her question. There was someone upstairs. And he was the distraction.

"You're the good guy, right?" she called out toward Bucky as she kicked the vampire closest to her in the face casually. "Because if you aren't, talk about embarassing."

James Barnes has posed:
"Opinions are divided on that." is Bucky's reply, because honesty is a virtue. "But if it helps, I hate vampires." Perhaps hatred isn't the right emotion to describe it, or the sheer viciousness by which he's handling these thugs. Some of them are clearly human and are beginning to hang back. The smarter ones are taking the opportunity to rapidly seek other career opportunities in the outside world. Outside being the key. With the doors wide open, soon the thugs are fleeing in ones and twos, only the truly rabid and dangerous remaining. These don't go in for rice flails, throwing stars or other cheap Hollywood ninja knockoffs, they're coming in with murderous intent after being kicked around for a while.

Finally, and with a happy sigh, Bucky reaches behind him, into the cleverly created flaps of the backpack he's still toting around, and coming out with a stake in each hand. The vampires that can read a room are deciding that the blonde woman is a better target, although they begin to realise their mistake soon enough. Their mistake, though there are stakes around that don't miss.

In the office, the man in grey comes to a complete and utter stop, watching Nick with frightened eyes and then, finally, draws himself up imperiously. "Very good. We talk." The body language, however, shows that the bravado is all exterior. The grey eyes flick from Nick to the man in white, and then back again. Arms are crossed, and the grey eyes narrow. "I am Mister Yi. We talk now."

From behind the desk, the man in white hisses and grips the desk as if he's seeing a perfectly good plan ruined. It's a crack in the armor of suavity, and it looks like pretty soon this is one man who will be losing his cool. The Cantonese that follows needs no translation, being mostly invective. Inventive invective at that, there's nothing like a tonal language for a really good swear.

Nick Drago has posed:
As the man in grey tries to get into the role and the man in white curses, Nick, gives a polite, closed mouth smile. "Very well." He gestures over to the sofa with the smaller of the two weapons, "If you two would be so kind as to relocate over there. I would appreciate it. I'd feel just awful making one of you have to stand while talking to you two."

He allows a moment for them to either move over or turn down the offer. "Now the question is an easy one, I think. Just WHO would have someone like you so concerned?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow gives a bow, with her body taking the feminine form, as opposed to the masculine. She notices the guy in white was the one that she had originally burnt with lighting. Funny. He probably was a vampire, or similar.

But something didn't make sense. She had known a few phrases because of her roommate. And he was afraid.

Why?

She knew what they were up against in the bigger picture. But he was afraid. Too afraid for a gang that was off in the distance tonight..

And then it clicked: They were expecting an attack. Right now. Right then.

"Uhm.. I think we have a little bit of a problem, Nick. We are about to be in the middle of a clan war, with vampires. Like now."

Buffy Summers has posed:
But of course now they notice her. When Buffy has something else she'd rather be doing. The answer to her question has her giving a sharp glance over at Bucky but she is a little busy with her own dance partners. The ones that aren't just making for the exit. Thus she is busy now fighting the few that thought the petite blonde would be far easier to fight than the Scary Man <tm>.

They were wrong. In fact a few were reconsidering because at least the Scary Man hadn't been killing them willy nilly. Buffy had no such qualms. As soon as she was certain they were human, which was easy enough since they were cooler to the touch and didn't actually have a heartbeat which she could actually hear--that's a freaky thing that came with Slayer powers and was the stuff of nightmares really--, she could just drive that stake into their chest and move on to the next before the dust even cleared.

James Barnes has posed:
It becomes obvious that, very soon, the warehouse is going to need a good cleaner. Not simply because it's been redecorated by means of main force using blunt instruments and occasional heads, but also because soon a whole lot of dust is starting to build up. Now the vampires are stuck between a stake and a sharp stick, a slayer or... or whoever the actual infernal hell the other one is! It's somewhat unfair. They're undead, nobody cares.

And it's obvious soon enough that Bucky is not used to fighting vampires. He seems to think that a stake is a one use weapon, and despite the backpack full of them that he's wearing, he may eventually run out. Then again, it looks like he walked through a room not touched in centuries, with the particulates of vampire sticking to his clothes. Not quite up to Slayer speed of vampire dispatch, but making up for it with sheer strength and brutality.

Mister Grey bows quickly to Nick's demand, literally, scuttles a few feet, bows to Willow, and then sits primly on the sofa with not a further word spoken. He seems comfortable sitting there, as if that's where he usually sits. There's even writing implements nearby, a fancy brush and a pot of ink. It must take him hours to take the minutes.

Mister White Suit stands, slowly, glaring at Nick. "Concerned? You ask, what makes us concerned?! Come in here, with, with..." and he rattles off something in Cantonese, before pointing at the floor "With Demon! You ask what we afraid of?"

And then he fixes Willow with a glare, but does finally go to sit on the sofa. Lounges, in fact, almost instantly, in a spot that might as well have been made for him. "Hah! Clan warfare... of course we expect attack. What else you call this?! So, demons, at least tell me your names before I visit hell!"

Out on the catwalk, on the other side of the office wall, there is the sudden sound of running feet. Small steps, quick steps, but running regardless.

Nick Drago has posed:
Nick's jaw tenses as Willow points the problem out loud. He takes a deep breath and looks to the two men before him. Grey suit turning out to actually be subservient to white suit but he's not about to draw attention to that. But considering the man in white's rant and overly dramatic behavior drawing thoughts of another, Nick shakes his head, giving a sigh.

"All I asked for was a name. The person. The group. Whoever this rival is. And you have given nothing but theatrics coupled with a tantrum and apparently a desire to be dispatched. So, let me rephrase what I've been asking for these past few minutes into an offer. Give us the name of this rival and I'll be sure to let the demon downstairs know who to cause problems for next."

There's a glance to the door. "Short term offer."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow draws herself up to her full height (which isn't much, being 5'5"). "We're not demons. Though I did date one once." She did!

But what really should she call what Bucky was doing out there, on the ground floor? (She doesn't know about Buffy.. yet.) "Sheesh. Don't you read up on your enemies? Though now we can come in here all the time without you trying to kill us."

Willow beams. Too bad Buffy and Bucky weren't included in that invitation.

"Can you? We're invited guests. Think about that. You were hoping to trap your enemy into something more civilized then.. well, downstairs. He's on our side, don't you know."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy was more precise and focused, since she knew what she was fighting and how to deal with it. It was literally the first thing she had learned. Though learning was a bit more than what it was. She just had known. Thanks to that heritage of being the one to become the Slayer when the last one died. Though actual training came later, the bane of her existence at first. She eventually learned to embrace it. Even enjoy it.

But now she was busy fighting and slowly they were running out of foes. Though, he was running out of something else. "You do know you can use the same stake over and over, right?" she offered conversationally, as though they weren't in the midst of such violence against the more aggressive vampires.

"You really only need one though I carry extras in case I get it knocked out of my hand. Only had to have that happen three times to figure it out!" Which....may have the Winter Soldier a bit more concerned about her qualities as a fighter suddenly.

James Barnes has posed:
There's a brief pause in the violence while Bucky seems to think about something, and then reaches down to grab the last stake he'd just discarded, incidentally rising as he slams his shoulder into the abdomen of a vampire about to go in for the kill, flipping the fiend in the air and staking him on the way down. "That makes a lot of sense. Thanks!"

There's really not many left now.

White Suit suddenly stands and lunges for Nick, all pretense of cool lost, only to be grabbed by grey suit. The shabbier of the two tries to hang onto White Suit, while imploring with Nick and Willow. "Please! Mister Tsun, he still very upset you beat him in store. Very upset you let him live after declaration of war. Please, just give name, so he may go to nether hells with honor! He need know, which clan you are, why you declare war on us! Please!"

White Suit is now clawing at Grey Suit, the Cantonese quick and incomprehensible. His face is distorting into the unmistakable vampire visage, and his loss of control is obvious to see.

And from the way he lunged at Nick, it's clear he wasn't going to be stopped by any kind of custom or curse.

Meanwhile, further away on the catwalks, a figure is rapidly running to the stairs to the lower floor. Well, not exactly rapidly, because he's being hindered by his attire. It's all there... the round cap, the red silk robes with golden dragon motif, the long hair, the long fingernails, the attempt at lofty moustache... Even hitching his robes above his knees, Mister Yi isn't getting a good turn of speed.

And is now visible to literally everyone.

The lacquered cabinet in the office slowly opens, the door pushed by a soft breeze... coming in through the now open false back, revealing an open hatch in the office wall.

Even Mister Yi's final escape route was theatrical...

Nick Drago has posed:
Well, if there's any indication that shit's about to go down it would be when someone Scrappy Doos in a scene. As white suit 'Lemmie at 'ems' Nick lifts up the escrima stick. That'd probably be enough of a deterrent for some but the stick is not of the stake variety and most decidedly not pointy. Perfect conditions for a pissy vampire.

As White suit lunges to him, it stands to reason that Nick would swing the stick. But there is a slight difference to his approach. "There is no clan." He states aloud before the stick strikes, triggering the burst of ash where the man in white stood. A mercy perhaps to one so willing to die.

Grey suit, who made no requests beyond repeating Tsun's wishes, doesn't get much time to make requests. They burned it up on dramatics as Nick's backswing strikes the more cowardly Grey.

Ashes to Ashes.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Ohhh. Maybe she didn't have everything about the invitation correct. Willow scrunches her brow up. What happens when vampires threw out the long standing traditions? Grey Suit had very obviously damned himself to all the deepest, foulest depths of hell by breaking his word.

And all hell breaks out

With White and Grey arguing whether they were going to attack Nick or not, he probably would have a really good chance to take them both out with one strike. Willow looked around to see what was what, and noticed someone (Master Yi) trying to get out of there. Very quickly.

Not knowing if he was a vampire (she /thinks/ he is?) she aims for his upper back and aims about where his heart would be. So she wasn't polite by hitting him in the back.. but they had called her a demon. So that sorta made it even.

Dust to Dust.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Things were winding down on floor level. Which had Buffy starting to move toward those stairs. Only to see the reject from a 1970s Kung Fu movie running along the catwalk just outside and office up there.

And a moment later she saw Willow just inside that office and something flying out toward the fleeing figure. Not lightning, which she knew was scary enough. It looked like a stick? When did Willow learn to throw Stakes?! Much had happened during her memory lapse so maybe that was one of them.

Course, that wasn't what was actually happening but it did seem to be to her mind and viewing from the nosebleeds, so to speak.

James Barnes has posed:
It is an ignominious end to Mister Yi and his minions. What was once a thriving criminal operation now lays in ruins... almost literally. As a sad coda to the theatrical being that was Mister Yi, the eskrima stick clatters to the catwalk floor, while a fine dust seeps through the grating to land forlornly on the ground level floor. Perhaps it would have made Mister Yi feel better to know that his dust, by sheer random luck, forms the ying and yang symbol.

With the last vampires now gone, and the last humans either recumbent or fleeing into the night, Bucky makes his way over to the stairs and looks up, towards the office, and the sight of Nick standing there as seen through the open door. Dust seeps through the office floor as well, but Yi's lieutenants fail in demise to meet his panache, and the dust only makes an untidy heap, grey and white mixed together.

"Wow, you guys don't mess around, do you?"

And then, of course, he has to confront the inevitable... to hide the evidence of this, he may have to burn down yet another building...

Nick Drago has posed:
With the office emptied out of vampires and Willow having already left to dispatch Mister Yi, there's little reason for Nick to remain in the office. Quietly he walks along the length of the catwalk, pausing to bend down to pick up the discarded stick.

Nick smiles to it and looks to Willow, "Don't even have to hit dead center." He comments, continuing down the steps to look to those remaining. He looks over to Buffy for a few moments, before giving a quiet nod to her. A thin layer of light seeps out of the wood of the ornate Escrima sticks, floating off before fading away. He looks over to Bucky, "Sorry for the delay, Willow posed the idea that they may have been expecting a rival to show up tonight. So we were trying to get information on the rival."

He starts shoving the sticks into the side opening of his backpack. "Funny thing. Turns out they thought WE were the rival clan."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"I still think they were. But.. oh, hey Buffy! Have you met.. Who are you, really?" Willow turns to Bucky. "They were depending on us to obey the rules of invitation. And I don't think that they knew who their enemy was. Just a vampire."

After all, they shot Bucky with a quarrel meant to take a vampire out.

"Somehow I don't think you are done with this. My friend Buffy is the ultimate vampire Slayer. You would be thankful for her help."

Buffy Summers has posed:
And that had Buffy looking at Bucky in a bit of surprise. "You are talking about us not messing around? You were handling all those vampires on your own. And not handling cause you were distracting them." She held up a hand, pointing a finger at him. "See, I figured it out! Distracting them to help."

She looked over to Willow and Nick, eyeing the sticks a moment and having that weird deja vu feeling. She was starting to think that was the norm, not the exception.

Then a look back to Bucky. "No, don't think we've met. But you are great to have in a fight. And as Willow said, I'm Buffy. The Slayer. Y'know, killing vampires and monsters. I'm just glad you're on our side."

A glance to Nick and Willow. "All of you."

James Barnes has posed:
In the spirit of waste not want not, Bucky has noticed that some of the broken open crates contain unlicensed and untraceable firearms, and is helping himself to a small selection. There's a nod when Nick explains the situation about the fear of vampire attack. "I can see where they got that. But hey, nobody accused them of being smart." He doesn't mention that he initially thought they were HYDRA... too many things work in the dark, dammit. Now he's going to have to double check everything in case of vampires.

And he inclines his head towards Buffy respectfully. "Can say the same about you, miss. You could probably have handled this entire mess by yourself from what I can see." And the respectful nod finally turns into an offered hand. "James Barnes, former international assassin, reformed. Currently on the payroll of the good guys, pleasure to meet you." Again, but he's getting the feeling that might be a sensitive topic. "Friend of Nick's."

And as the greetings are exchanged, some more of the building gently collapses, leaving the entire lower floor in ruins, strewn with dust and recumbent figures that would make setting the place on fire impractical.

"And I think I owe all of you either a late lunch or an early breakfast while we get out of here before police shows up."

Oh well, he can always make the report disappear later. Fury will understand...

... hopefully.

Nick Drago has posed:
Nick looks over to Bucky as Willow starts to introduce Bucky but falters at the name. Interesting question though, does Buffy remember running into him or was he forgotten as well?

When it gets confirmed to be the latter, Nick glances aside. He had heard about the issues through others but it's a bit different having it confirmed by the source. Hearing his name he blinks, looking over to Bucky and then to Buffy. "Uh. Hi." Again. He reaches to the side of his backpack, reattaching the outer pocket to hide the opening used to access the items inside.

The protests of the building and Bucky's urges to leave gets a nod. "Yeah. Uh food's good. Let's go."