Game was 5/23/20.
Lila hands them the menu for the Student Prince and collects their orders. Josh advises, "Two of everything, and obviously non-pork." As Lila calls in the order, Anita sits quietly, as the events of the past few days suddenly catch up to her while Dr. Ranjip continues to sit in silence, clearly exhausted. Josh notices the doctor's condition and asks Lila, "Is there a way you can frighten Ahmed suddenly?" Lila frowns and replies, "Yes. I should ask you why, but I actually don't care." The other hunters look confused until Josh tells Dr. Ranjip, "Pay attention to the kitchen." Lila enters the kitchen and yells, "ICE is here! Run!" Ahmed shrieks in terror and Dr. Ranjip jolts forward, suddenly a lot more alert.
Anita howls with laughter as Lila returns to the study, and she jokes, "I bet you enjoyed that." Lila offers her a little enigmatic smile but says nothing further. Dr. Ranjip nods his thanks to Josh, who then takes the temperature of the room. He sees Anita swiftly revert into morose silence, so he sits next to her in case she needs someone. William remains silent and doesn't notice the dagger materialize into his hand. Leta waits patiently for the 'num-nums' while watching Abby carefully. The hunters lapse into a silence that threatens to turn awkward until Polly suddenly blurts out, "I'm sorry, but I have to ask. Why would a Muslim household have a guest ham?" Lila's smile freezes in place and she says coldly, "It was a gift."
Josh frowns and asks, "Who in their right mind would gift you a ham?" Lila's smile turns brittle and she growls, "I'll give you three guesses." They swiftly figure out the 'gift' was from Caleb when they accepted him into their cell, and Josh offers, "Is there something else we could gift you instead?" Lila eyes him and Anita makes another joke about Josh being a golden retriever. Lila mutters, "I kind of want to rub his tummy." Anita snorts but tells her, "I don't think Abby would appreciate that." Abby frowns but replies, "Honestly, I think that would be funny." Josh looks perplexed but decides he will give the household a gift card to a pet supply store later in case Lila actually wants a puppy.
As they wait, Lila asks, "How much do you know about the hunter scene in Springfield?" Leta retorts, "There is one!" Anita interjects, "Less of one, now." Lila nods and explains, "Our cell is – was one of the larger ones. Ahmed, myself, Samir, Trish, Petey, Mags, Kori, Stan, and Tito. We adopted Caleb last month. We basically patrolled the X, Forest Park, East Forest Park, and Entry Dingle Heights. Someone controls Sixteen Acres to the northeast and is vehement about keeping other cells out. You've met the cell at AIC already. As for Belmont Heights, Forest Park Heights, and Cozy Corner, well, that's your old friends the Ashwood Abbey." The hunters of the Troy cell tense immediately, but Anita looks confused. Josh asks, "A different group?" Lila smiles coldly and replies, "Not entirely." Leta hisses, "Really?"
Lila nods and explains, "They had an arrangement with the Night Watch, and as for us, we're in a state of polite tension. Thew two survivors from Northampton came south." Polly leans over and tells Anita, "The Abbey hunts for sport and illicit thrills. The two injured Abbey hunters were hurt in a fight with us when they went after Veltis. The other three hooked up with Josh's older sister Serena Troy and came after me last Thanksgiving. They gut-shot me and would have killed me if Hope hadn't intervened. They all died. Remember that guy Clive in Stamford last April?" Anita nods and Polly reveals, "He was the manservant of that cell." Anita nods again as she processes this information and Lila deadpans, "They're the My Life with the Thrill Kill Cult of hunters." Josh is startled by the comparison, but concedes, "That's basically it, yeah."
Lila adds, "Oh, one important thing. Baystate Medical is controlled by the Cheiron Group." Leta nods although the others look lost. Lila explains, "They're another hunter group, embedded in healthcare and the like, but they are significantly older than they claim. They harvest parts from monsters to implant in their hunters and for biomedical research. Supposedly, some of their numbers have migrated north to Cooley-Dickinson." Veltis curses as Leta mutters, "Flo and Sarah. That's where Flo's eyes came from." William and the others file that away for later consideration and Lila adds, "The Night Watch had Metro Center, the downtown. Oh, and Silas Black operates out of one of the old Victorians in Forest Park Heights – we think." Anita sighs and mutters, "Of course he does."
The doorbell rings and Lila says sweetly, "I'm going to need help from some big, strong men." William jokes, "Which one is Josh?" Josh replies, "I'm not strong, but I'll do my best." Lila snickers before sobering and replying, "I suspect I'm going to need help keeping my brother at bay while we get the food." The cell immediately agrees, and they head to the front of the house. The kitchen is at the front of the house and Ahmed has emptied the refrigerator. Leta and Josh get haunted looks while Anita gapes. Mick leans in and says softly, "Those things are something else. The last time we had to deal with the bandages, we got a mystical chest freezer from the pack to protect the food. Only William could open it, and trust me, Leta tried. In demon form." Leta mumbles, "There was bacon in there. I wanted it."
Anita murmurs, "Again with the bacon. Those things really like pork products." Behind them Dr. Ranjip muses, "I never noticed that before, but you're right. I did harvest them from a pig-like animal in the Hedge, though." William, Josh and Leta stay behind to keep Ahmed at bay while the others head to the front door to get the food. Ahmed's head jerks around as soon as the door opens and the scent of German food starts wafting in, so he charges for the hallway. William scrambles back as Leta tackles him and brings him down. Josh crouches next to him and does his best to reason with Ahmed, telling him, "The food is coming, but if you charge out madly, you'll lose some in the process."
William spots movement from deeper in the house and realizes Samir is up and moving forward quickly, also heading for the food. He darts forward and slams the door to the hallway closed. Samir slams into it, but William braces and keeps the door closed. He feels an impulse to stab Samir through the door but pushes it down. The others retrieve the food from a very unsettled deliveryman and bring it into the kitchen.
The hunters settle in and start parceling out the food, but then hear someone being violently sick upstairs and then high-pitched screaming! Dr. Ranjip grunts, "Ok, that's what's supposed to happen." They hear the toilet flush and the screaming flow into the pipes. Josh gets plates out and Lila silently doles out the food. She throws some of the food into the blender to make smoothies for Samir. She also eyes the pipes in confusion. Josh asks her softly, "How weird a day is this for you?" Lila admits, "One of the weirder ones, to be honest." Josh nods as they settle in to enjoy their food. A few moments later the black woman with cornrows stumbles into the kitchen. She eyes the strangers in the kitchen before turning to Lila and asking, "What did you give me?" Lila shakes her head and replies, "Later. You need to eat."
Lila pushes her a plate and Trish dives in. In between big bites, she says, "I have so many questions. But first, how long was I out?" Josh replies, "Um, maybe ninety minutes?" Trish stops and stares at him incredulously, and he quickly adds, "Oh, we're the Troys, by the way." Trish retorts, "Yes, I know who you are." She looks around and then asks, "Wait, where is everyone else?" An awkward silence settles, and even Ahmed and Samir hesitate. Lila looks away before replying, "They're gone. Black and his men killed them. Thankfully the Troys intervened and saved you, Ahmed, and Samir."
Lila frowns and adds, "I have no right to do this, but I need to ask you another favor. I'll need help retrieving their bodies." Josh nods and says, "I'll help, but I suggest we listen to the crime brigade." William retorts, "The one that stops crime or the one that causes it?" Josh shrugs and says, "Both, actually." Leta says proudly, "I make fire good." Lila retorts, "Yes, you are from Milan." Trish nods slowly as she realizes what Lila means, and then she frowns. She asks, "Wait, where's Caleb? He survived, right? I want to kill him." Lila glares at her, but Anita replies, "He's upstairs."
The assembled hunters then hear violent puking from upstairs, followed by screaming. The screaming continues unabated as Caleb staggers downstairs, looking haggard. He stops and stares at the unfamiliar faces for a split-second, before Anita starts yelling at the young man in Spanish while Lila swears at him in Arabic. Caught completely off guard, Caleb says sheepishly, "I'll be right back," and he races upstairs. He flushes the toilet, and the hunters hear the screaming as it swirls through the plumbing. Leta mutters, "That can't be good for the pipes," and Lila looks pained.
Trish eyes Anita and says, "How do we keep you?" Josh protests but Anita replies, "I have a dumbass younger sister. Although she's not as bad as your idiot. Barely." Trish looks unconvinced until Mick leans over and stage-whispers, "Her sister ran over a cop and then fled the scene." Trish stares at Anita, who grumbles, "I still have a dent." Leta retorts, "No, you don't. You got it fixed." Anita counters, "But I still know that cop-shaped dent is there!" Josh says dryly, "I can understand that feeling," with a sideways glace at his grandfather. William shrugs, unrepentant.
Caleb returns, looking slightly better, until Trish tears into him verbally, ripping him down one side and up the other in rapid-fire Spanish. Caleb wilts and Lila turns to Leta and asks sweetly, "You're the closest. Can you reach over to that drawer and pull out the bottle for Caleb?" Leta complies and snickers when she pulls out a bottle of burn cream, which she presents to Caleb with a flourish. Caleb struggles to regain his dignity when the air in the house suddenly goes very still.
Most of the hunters hesitate as instincts kick in, but Abby and Anita both see the ghosts of Konstantin and the five dead Ascending Ones appear in the kitchen! The ghosts all wear masks, and Konstantin's fingers end in sharp blades! He plunges those blades into the back of Josh's neck1) while the five other shades attack Caleb, bearing him to the ground! Josh screams in pain and drops to the floor. Leta hesitates while William dives for Josh, resisting the impulse to use the blade on something he can't see. Anita screams, "It's the rest of your crew! And Konstantin!" She unlocks the Rage Haunt with the Key of Blood and her hands warp into Wolverine-style claws as The Witch merges with her, twisting her flesh. She charges forward and skewers Stan, one of the shades attacking Caleb while Abby does the same thing and charges at Konstantin, her fingers transforming into silver straight razors!
Abby slams into Konstantin and drivers her razor-fingers deep into his Corpus, throwing him off Josh. Josh scrambles forward and William and Leta grab him and haul him to the other side of the kitchen. Konstantin swings at Abby and connects but doesn't do much.2) Two of the Ascending Ones turn on Anita while the other three continue beating Caleb; Mags, the woman who now wields her severed arms with thin strands of plasm – and Stan, who she already stabbed. Mags misses, but Stan buries a ghostly knife in Anita's chest!3)
The other hunters see the ghosts partially manifest into the land of the living, enough to be faintly seen – and avoided. Josh staggers back to the other side of the kitchen and looks out the window, worried about anyone coming at them while they're distracted. Leta holds while William surrenders to the impulse and drives the dagger into Konstantin. Konstantin's look of smug superiority twists into agony as the knife slides into his Corpus, causing terrible pain as William drives the blade to the hilt and then twists! Abby lays into Konstantin as well, while Polly and Mick help Dr. Ranjip, Lila, and Trish out of the room.
Josh sees a familiar figure charging at the wall of the kitchen and backs away yelling, "Incoming business-class train!" The other hunters don't have time to react to the bizarre statement as Silas Black powers through the outer wall of the house! He bypasses Konstantin and lays into the ghosts attacking Anita, swinging a massive sword that crackles blue white with energy! Anita yells, "What the fuck!" Stan collapses, bisected at the waist, and fades away as Black places himself between Mags and Anita. The ghosts now fully manifest, and Konstantin throws Abby and William away and charges Josh!
Konstantin slams into Josh, bearing him to the floor as Kori turns to assist Mags in attacking Anita, while Petey and Tito continue beating and stabbing Caleb. Josh does his best to make as much space as possible under Konstantin while remaining unstabbed as he calls out, "Hello, Mr. Black!" Silas Black swings out again, decapitating Kori's ghost. Leta snaps, "So is that your business sword?" Black retorts, "Hostile takeovers are a thing, Miss Mackenzie." Mick and Polly grab Samir and Ahmed and hustle them out; even addled the two injured Ascending Ones don't resist. Trish calls out from the other room, 'But I wanna watch!" Anita yells, "I'll make sure there's some left over for you!" Trish replies, "Godspeed!"
Leta charges forward and grabs Konstantin. She yells, "Batter up!" as she pivots and throws Konstantin into the middle of the kitchen; Black turns and Konstantin skewers himself on Black's sword! Black looks vaguely irritated but Tito's ghost pisses himself in terror. Mags joins Petey and they continue beating Caleb until Anita grabs Mags from behind and pulls her off. William and Abby charge into the center of the kitchen and both stab Konstantin while he's pinned, the ghost screams in agony! Sadie Hawk and the unknown man step into the rubble of the kitchen; he looks amused while Sadie scans the room carefully, and the hunters see her eyes glowing red!
Konstantin roars in rage as he pulls himself off Black's glowing sword and hurls himself at Josh. He snarls something in an unfamiliar language and Mags jerks free of Anita and dives for Caleb. Konstantin manifests a ghostly medallion and then the hunters feel reality lurch as two Avernian Gates open underneath the two ghosts, dropping them – and Josh and Caleb – into the Underworld! Leta and William dive forward to save Josh while Anita tries to grab Caleb, but only Leta reaches Josh in time – and is also pulled through the Avernian Gate with Veltis! The gates snap shut, frustrating William and Anita. Anita roars, "Fuck! Ow! Fuck!" She turns on Black and screams, "What are you doing here?"
Black shrugs languidly and replies, "Long story. Do you want to go after your friends or not?" Anita curses but nods, so Black says calmly, "Everyone, step back and give me space." The hunters obey and Black raises his sword and then slashes down. The hunters hear reality scream as it tears open, forming a gate! Abby and William don't hesitate and dive in, followed by Anita a moment later. Black turns to Mick and Polly and snarls, "Stay here, protect them. Give this to my men so they don't charge in and kill you all." He tosses something to Mick and then dives into the gate, followed by Sadie Hawk and the unknown man.