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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Rybaer" data-source="post: 1515235" data-attributes="member: 118">The Hightower Convention Center Ballroom, Downtown, Coast CityApril 1621:20Leon, Steven's driver, agrees to fetch the bag and bring it up the appointed location.  Steven continues to feign a conversation while wandering over to the southeast corner of the room.  This is off to the side of the stage near the kitchen door.The two guys in armor have been watching this area, but one just walked off to accost someone behind the curtain dividers and his comrade is watching his back.  Steven takes a quick look around and then does his act - turning insubstantial and acting as though he was pulled through the wall.  He finds himself in an empty service hallway.  Through the door at one end, he finds himself back in a public area outside the ballroom.  There are several hotel staff and police officers running around the area.  The four sets of double doors that lead into the ballroom have all been sealed from this side with metal, much like the kitchen door had been from the ballroom side.A hotel employee hurries over to Steven.  "I'm sorry, sir, but you're going to have to get out of this area.  There's some sort of situation going on in the ballroom and the cops want everyone out.  If you have companions in there, you'll have to wait downstairs in the lounge until they give us other instructions."  Noting the SE Stairway sign just a short way down the hall, Steven nods to the man and heads for the stairs.*****The heavily armored guy watches Jorgi intently as he slowly makes his way out from behind the divider.  Jorgi notices that the other armored guy is not too far off.  Through the video feed, he see the Pestilence guy still on stage - scowling through his rags - and the centipede woman patrolling the opposite side of the room."Jackareyouallright?" Jorgi says through Jack's headset."Yeah, doing alright," comes the reply.  "Just trying to figure out where I'm going to come up with fifty grand if these guys are serious.  Don't really have that kind of cash lying around.  You got any cool powers that could knock all of em out at once?"Jorgi is about to reply when, out of the corner of his eye, he notices a tuxedo-clad man with a cell phone disappear through one of the ballroom walls not too far from the kitchen.  It happens so fast, he isn't entirely sure of what he saw.  It does bring him a little hope, however, that there may be metahumans among the guests that could rise up against the hostage takers...if only there was a way to coordinate their efforts.None of the bad guys seem to have noticed the disappearance of the man.Out from behind the screen, he takes a look around the room.  He only spots one of the hotel wait staff (not the girl), back in one of the corners.  At this point in the presentation, most of the tables were cleared and the waitstaff had been keeping themselves scarce until after the speakers.*****SE Stairwell - Parking level 1, Hightower Convention CenterApril 1621:21Moving quickly and quietly, Lawrence and Thomas make it to the stairwell without the cops noticing.  (Move Silent - Thomas 15+3=18, Lawrence 15+12=27)  Through a heavy metal door, they find themselves surrounded by spiraling concrete and metal.Standing on the landing, not four feet away, is a short guy in what appears to be a driver's uniform.  He's holding a fancy, black duffel style bag in one hand and his cap in the other."Good evening," he says with a nod of his head.Hurried footsteps echo through the stairwell from above, and a tuxedo-clad middle aged gentleman appears at the landing directly above them.  (Cue Dr. Faturius)Faturius, hurrying down the stairs, spots his driver standing in mixed company.  One is an older teen in somewhat scraggly condition.  The other is a heavily muscled man.  Faturius notes traces of blood on the latter's clothing as well as what might be a bullet hole in the front of his shirt.  (Steven's Spot 18+2=20; Lawrence's Sleight of Hand for concealed guns 11+11=22)</blockquote>

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