The ordinary Taxi van pulled into the mansion's drive of one Ororo Munroe. Ororo opened the door with Kitty behind her to see a group of people that looked like they didn't belong anywhere near a goddess. "There must have been a group rate," she said to the valley girl. They walked through her house and out the back door to the pool area. Kurt was building something using playing cards by the pool with Kitty watching intently. Others were talking; either catching up or discussing business until Evan came out.
"Welcome to Las Vegas, people," Evan said. Everyone stopped talking and started to pay close attention to him. "Has everyone eaten? Good. Everybody calm? Close enough. Alright, before we get started no one's committed yet. What I'm about to propose is both highly crazy and highly dangerous. If that doesn't seem like your kind of power, eat as much as you'd like and have a safe journey home; no hard feelings. Otherwise, come with me."
Everyone except Bobby got up to go into the house and Ororo noticed and walked over to him. "How've you been Bobby; how's Chicago?"
"It's okay," replied Bobby.
"You like it there?"
"Yeah." Bobby was chewing on a piece of gum.
"That's wonderful; get in the house." Bobby was a little taken aback at what she said but did as he was told anyway while Ororo smirked. No one wanted to get on the weather witch's bad side.
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"The 3000 block of Las Vegas Blvd." Evan was standing beside a large TV that showed the layout of what they were to do. "Otherwise known as the Bellagio, the Mirage and the MGM Grand. Together they're the most profitable casinos in Las Vegas." Hank then changed what was on the TV. "This is the vault at the Bellagio, located below the Strip beneath 200 solid feet of earth. It houses every last dime that passes through the three casinos above it; and we're going to rob it."
"Smash and grab job, huh?" said a smirking Bobby.
"Slightly more complicated than that," Piotr replied. Bobby didn't reply.
"This is courtesy of Kitty Pryde, a new dealer at the Bellagio." Kitty nodded from her place next to Kurt. "Okay, bad news first; this place houses a security system that rivals most nuclear silos. First we have to get into the casino cages which anyone will tell you, takes more than a smile. Next, through these doors, each of which requires a code that is changed every 12 hours. Past those, the elevator; this is where it gets tricky. The elevator won't move without finger print I.D."
"Which we can't fake," said Piotr with an almost robotic voice. He wasn't used to this many people in one place. Ororo put her hand on his shoulder and he relaxed somewhat.
"And vocal confirmation from the system within the Bellagio and the vault below it."
"Which we won't get."
"Furthermore, the elevator shaft is rigged with motion sensors."
"Meaning if we were to manually override the lift, the exit would lock down and we'd be trapped," Piotr said with finality.
"Once we get down the shaft, though, it's a piece of cake. Just two more guards with Uzis and the most elaborate vault door ever conceived by man and mutant. Any questions?" He asked the last question brightly and Ororo smirked.
"Can't we tunnel underneath the vault?" asked Kurt. "Or teleport in for that matter?"
"No, tunneling is out. There are sensors monitoring the ground 200 feet in every direction. If a groundhog were to nest there, they'd know about it," said Piotr. "Teleporting is also out as you wouldn't know exactly where to teleport. Anyone else?"
"You said something about good news," said Scott.
"Yeah," said Evan. "The Nevada Gaming Commission requires that a casino must hold enough cash for every chip on the floor. That means on a weekday it must carry between 60 and 70 million in cash and coin. On the weekend, between 80 and 90. On a fight night, like in two weeks, the night we're going to rob it…150 million without breaking a sweat. There are 11 of us, each with an equal share. You do the math." Alex whistled.
"Exactly," said Piotr.
"I have a question," said Amara. "Say we get into the cage and through the security doors and down the elevator we can't move and past the guards with the guns, into the vault that we can't open…"
"Without being seen by the cameras," Piotr added.
"Yeah I forgot to mention that," said Evan.
Amara shook her head. "Yeah, well say we do all that…are we just suppose to walk out of there with 150 million dollars in cash on us without getting stopped?" Everyone looked at Evan.
"Yeah," he said like it was no big deal.
"Oh," Amara said like the world had gone topsy turvy, "Okay then."
"Alright," said Evan, "here's how we'll begin. First task: Reconnaissance. I want to know everything that's going on in all casinos, from the dealers' rotation to the path of every cash cart. I want to know everything about every guard. I wanna know where they're from, what their nicknames are, and how they take their coffee. Most of all, I want you guys to know these casinos. They were built like mazes to keep people in; I want you guys to know the quick routes out.
"Second task: Power. One the night of the fight, we'll throw the switch on Sin City. Wolverine, that's your job."
"Sure; you want Broke, Blind, or Bedlam?"
"How about all three?"
"It's done." Logan smirked evilly.
"Third task: Surveillance. Security has an eye and an ear on everything; so we want an eye and an ear on them. Mr. McCoy?"
"Well, it's not the least accessible system I've seen but it is very close," the blue ape-like man said. "I don't suppose they have a closed-circuit feed that I can tap into?"
"Nope," replied Evan.
"Then it's definitely a Black Bag job. Do they employ an in-house technician?'
"Two," said Piotr. "And one of them is lonely."
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"Thanks Charmanie," said Piotr. "I'll return it in an hour." He was standing outside the Crazy Horse Too. "Say hi to your mom for me."
"Say hi yourself; she'll be on in ten minutes." Piotr shook his head to get the mental picture out of his head.
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Scott was walking through the Bellagio casino holding a bouquet of balloons.
"Watch it, bud," said Alex as his brother walked into him.
"Who you callin bud, Pal?" he retorted. They started to argue and the bouquet of balloons floated up to cover a security camera.
"We have a visual impairment on the casino floor," said a security guard.
"Copy that, I see them," said the guard on the casino floor and he left leaving the door wide open for a human looking Hank to do his job without having to answer questions.
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"And we're up and running," Piotr said as the computers came on in the hotel room.
"Why do they always paint hallways that color?" Evan asked.
"They say taupe is a very soothing color."
"Uh oh," Evan said as Hank looked a little lost. After a brief encounter with a security guard, Hank made it out without being caught. "I thought I was gonna have a heart attack." Piotr laughed at his friend.
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"Fourth task: Construction. We need to build an exact replica of the Bellagio vault." They were all in a warehouse getting the materials ready.
"To practice?" asked Piotr as he carried a huge box.
"Something like that. Fifth task: Intelligence. We need those codes, Bobby, from the only man who has all three."
"Who, Pyro?" Bobby asked nervously. He had never done a job that big before.
"Learn to love his shadow," Evan replied.
"Wait, all I get to do is watch the guy?"
"You gotta walk before you can crawl."
"Reverse that," Piotr smirked.
" Whatever. Sixth task: Transport."
