Perpetrations (Victor) - A Golden Cage - Areron/Victor Morton

Areron had secured the place. She waited outside an unassuming building in a more industrial part of town. It was plain concrete and littered with security cameras and other state of the art security. The workers had been sent home for the day, so that Victor might come and inspect the building unmolested.

An unmarked van drove onto the lot, heading towards her. It slowed and stopped a short distance from her, the side doors opening and out poured 7 men dressed in full body black body armor from head to toe, a sword sheathed at their side. Each moving into formation as the door of the van slid shut and started to drive off.

As they formed, from the ceiling Victor floated to the ground before them, facing Areron. "Let us see what you have prepared." Until they were inside pleasentries would have to wait. Every moment exposed was a risk, even though he had scanned the local area just minutes ago.

Areron wordlessly gestured to the door and hurried inside, secrecy was the utmost after all. Once the door closed and everyone was inside, Areron went straight into pointing out the mundane security measures.

"Every inch of this place is under video surveillance. The walls are solid concrete, three feet thick, the inner room where the bait will be is cocooned in steel and lead. The areas in the walls you requested are to your specifications and the bait itself is rigged with blood stones."

She paused right before opening the heavy door to the inner most room.

Victor followed her lead, his men wordlessly remaining behind him. His scanned the room, from corner to corner, then did the same of the vault

"The lead is a worthy addition." Commenting, only because he had overlooked it in their initial conversation.

Taking another moment, he scanned the room once more, evaluating everything, and finding it satisfactory.

When she opened the vault, it was big enough for several people to stand in, white stone covered everything and in the center on a pedestol and protected by thick glass was the most stunning piece of art.

It was a phoenix rising from the ashes, the metals were grey and dull at the base and as his eyes went up the sculpture the metals had been carefully mixed to smoothly transition to an incredible vibrance.

Even looking at it was a little overwhelming as each feather of the bird was in fact a portrait of a kindred soul from the most pathetic at the base to paragons of virtue and will at the head. Little blood stones dotted the creation, adding to its beauty.

Looking at it, one could not help but feel triumph.

((44 successes))
((Absent swap: Triumphant))

Upon first glance the phoenix was a finely crafted piece, as his mind comprehended the full depth of detail of her creation, he became paralysed, and for once understood the depth of admiration that transfixed the Toriador in seeing such things.

It moved him, every curve and tinting of metal, its transition of color and detail. He was awe struck by the piece, and instantly felt possessive of it. This was no longer about catching a thief, it was about coveting, and an unwillingness to be denied its presence.

Several seconds passed as he stood enamored. "It is... Brilliant." The word finally escaping him. Eventually recovering from the initial shock, he followed her into the room, wanting desperately to feel it, caress it, and hold the sensation it stirred in him closer.

His eyes never left sight of it, as he entered. His men were effected, yet less so by its sight, they were not educated or well traveled and their mind could not comprehend let alone appreciate the intricicy of the piece. They continued to keep a respectful distance from Victor as they too entered the room.

Areron like a proud new mother at seeing Victor's reaction. She silently vowed to give the piece to Victor after they captured Danya as a thank you gift.

"Thank you..." She said, admiring her own work, though it doesn't really have the same effect on its creator, to be fair though she could not find flaw in her work. Something she rarely expeirenced.

"This should be enough to draw her. She will be ours. I will throw a little Toreador party and get them all a flutter over the peice and word will spread."

She said "Toreador" like it was an insult to them.

"This piece will indeed draw the attention of kindred across the globe, her most of all. A shame for her, that she shall not ressurect from her ashes. ." Taking his eyes off the phoenix long enough to examine the room more thouroughly. "How do my men get to their chambers?"

His mind once more focused upon the work before them.

She brushed a card over one of the panels and it clicked forward and then she could swing it open. There was a bar across the door on the inside.

"They can open the door from the inside by leaning on the bar. So they can jump out rather quickly."

She wondered how long his men could sit in the walls.

It may not have been exactly as he had hoped, yet design and construction did place limits on such. "It will do, the time it takes to open the door, should be less than her reaction to it."

"How soon until the party, where the piece is shown for the first time?" He wondered how long it would take their thief to make her attempt once the piece was seem.

"The party will be in a couple weeks time. Will that be long enough?"

"More then adequit. Do you believe the phoenix shall require added security until the party, or do you trust thats its existence is adequitly secret? "

He looked back to his men, who in turn moved carefully about the room, familiarizing themselves with it.

"I trust that no one knows. I have plenty of fine pieces running around. People can be distracted by those. I've only hinted that I made something I plan to reveal at the party."

"Very well, then two nights before the party I shall place my men within their respective chambers, where they shall remain until our target arrives."

A glance and a few words, "Return and feed" directed at his men sent them from the vault and towards the buildings exit.

He would be annoyed that his men would likely be occupied for several days, yet the reward would be more than worth while.

"I don't know how long it will take for word to spread about the statue. It could be months and certainly not before the party." Areron was uncertain how long the men could stand there.

"They will remain, as long as required. Your task is to make certain word travels as rapidly as possible."

"It would be best to only have the piece on display for a limited length of time, so there is a sence of urgency in its viewing." A sence of frustration, he knew before hand that his men would be locked away for a long time, yet the idea of months was beyond his expectation.

Areron nodded, "Alright I'll announce that the piece will be moved to an undiscolsed place in Paris after a two month stay here while it's new facility is being constructed in Paris."

She hoped Danya would be desperate enough to make the mistake of hastily stealing her statue. She hadn't been reckless so far however.

"Very good. are their any other matters that need to be spoken on now?" A moment of distraction as he spoke.

"I have nothing of substance. Thank you Victor. This would not be possible without you."

"The act of inspiration is as important as the ability to act upon it. Continue to inspire and I shall continue to do." There was a darkness to his words. Inspiration had driven him to the darkest depths of depravity and that legacy still clung to his words when he spoke of such.

"Then a pleasant evening to you." A final glance towards the phoenix, then he disappeared.

"You as well," She said quietly as he left.

(Scene)