"… abracadabra, alakazam, I'm shining like a diamond in the hot desert sand. Getting my kicks on the Las Vegas strip, I'm a hot shot, sure shot, banking on a jackpot…"

"What are you singing?"

Nero looked up from his phone, and shot Christina a grin over his scotch, "What's it sound like, Chrissie? A song about Vegas, of course!"

Christina rolled her eyes and turned back to surveying the crowd around them. The Lily Bar and Lounge at the Bellagio was alive with the chatter and laughter of rich businessmen and women, drinking and dealing and not even bothering to pay any mind to the two blondes sitting at the bar.

"Well, if you're goin' to sing, you could at least stick to Sinatra," Christina muttered.

Nero snorted, and pocketed his phone into an inside jacket pocket, picking up his scotch to sip at it, "Killjoy."

Christina didn't answer, her eyes narrowing as she caught sight of who Kuro had sent her and Nero to find. Or, at least, one half of a duo, "Check it. Ten o' clock, black suit, gold tie."

Nero's eyes flickered over to the man in question, and a small smirk toyed at the corner of his lips. Together, he and Christina watched as the man introduced himself to a group of three couples, lifting watches and diamond bracelets as he shook their hands.

"Now that's impressive," Nero mused. "Who is this guy again?"

Christina turned back to Nero, smirking, "Ryuto Katashi. World class thief, arguably one of the best in the world."

"Katashi… where do I know that name?" Nero frowned.

"Ryuga Katashi, CEO and president of Katashi Records, a major music company down in LA," Christina said. "Bought out by Nebula Media and Doji Akura, who has strong connections to Nemesis Inc."

Nero's frown became deeper, "Christina… Does Kuro know what she's doing?"

Christina blinked, "What do you mean?"

"I'm talking about the fact that right now, over half of this team she's pulling together lowkey have a vendetta against anyone who works with Rago Black," Nero pointed out. "You, me, Lucas, and now Ryuto? Whose partner is Kakeru Tategami, the younger brother to the former founder of Tategami Tech?"

Christina sighed, adjusted the glittering necklace around her neck. Nero's eyes flickered down to it, then to the side, and he tilted his head just a little, letting her know Ryuto had apparently noticed it. Christina glanced down at Nero's glass, and saw in the reflection that Ryuto was approaching.

"I think… her reason for putting this cast together with the people she's choosin', is because she knows they'll be able to pull off their roles flawlessly. After all, with their motivation, they'll be able to pull off their characters easily!" Christina smiled, "Because this is showbiz, ain't it?"

Nero smiled, though it turned into a smirk he hid as he took a sip of his glass. He stood up and walked away, putting himself into a conversation with some random group of people, a few seconds before Ryuto Katashi appeared beside Christina, sliding on to the stool next to her.

"Well, aren't you the prettiest thing in here?" Ryuto asked, giving Christina a charming grin, "What are you doing here all alone? Did your company abandon you?"

"Oh, no," Christina chuckled, smiling coyly. "He's simply talking shop."

"Hm, I couldn't help but overhear," Ryuto hadn't lost his charming grin, but Christina noted that his eyes kept flickering down to her diamond necklace. She fought to keep her amusement hidden, seeing as it was a fake, "You were talking about a movie, was it? Are you an actress?"

Christina ducked her head, hiding a smirk, "Something like that. I prefer to sing over act, though, if I'm honest."

And sing while driving, Christina thought.

"Well, with looks like yours, you could probably make it big in either industry, dear," Ryuto smiled. "Oh, but where are my manners? I'm Ryan… Ryan Kelly."

He held his hand out, and Christina shook it, acting as though she didn't notice when he slipped her bracelet off her wrist. She bristled internally, though, because that bracelet had been a gift from her brother when they were younger, and she wore it everywhere she went. She'd be getting it back before the night was over.

"Christina," Christina smiled back, because she may as well give him her real name, seeing as they'd end up working together. "Nice to meet you."

"Pleasure's mine," Ryuto chucked. "Can I buy you a drink?"

"Ah, no, thank you," Christina said. "Not unless it's water."

"I think I can work with that," Ryuto said, as he flagged a waiter down. "Now, do my ears deceive me, or do I hear a bit of a drawl in your voice? You from the south, Christina?"

"You're good," Christina bit her lower lip. "Yes, I am. I'm from Alabama."

After the waiter had dropped off a glass of water for Christina and bourbon for Ryuto, Ryuto asked, "Now, is Alabama the magnolia or peaches state? I'm afraid I always get those confused."

Christina laughed, sipping her water, "Neither. Alabama is the heart of dixie, darlin'. Peaches belong to Georgia, hence the term 'Georgia peaches' and, Mississippi is where one probably coined the saying 'magnolia in May'. Don't worry though. A lot of people get them all mixed up, sometimes even me."

"Oh, well that makes me feel a bit better," Ryuto laughed, placing his hand on Christina's upper arm in an action of affection. He trailed his hand down her arm and kept it lightly on her forearm, maintaining contact, "So, tell me, Christina, what's brought you to Sin City? Business? Pleasure?"

"Business, as it happens," Christina said, leaning in closer. "With my brother."

"Oh, was that him that left earlier?" Ryuto glanced over his shoulder, looking in Nero's direction. Christina took the opportunity to deftly undo the wristband on Ryuto's own watch and pocket it away into her purse and pull her phone out at the same time.

"Oh, no, he's just a friend," Christina said, drawing Ryuto's attention back to her. She smiled again, "Business partner, really. It's been a while since we've seen each other, so we were just catchin' up."

"Sweet," Ryuto nodded. "It sounds like you've been in the scene for a while. Have you?"

Christina considered the question, tapping her finger against her lips as she made a show of thinking it over. After a few seconds, she answered, "Since I was fifteen. So, eighteen years, now."

Ryuto looked her up and down, "Lord, but you wear thirty-three well, Christina."

Christina giggled, "Thank you kindly, darlin'."

"What exactly is it you do, though? You've mentioned acting, singing, your brother's business… but I don't believe anything concrete, though," Ryuto asked.

Christina's phone buzzed. She looked down to see a message from Kuro waiting for her.

KB: We got him. Reel the other in if he's not hooked already.

Christina smiled, and looked back up at Ryuto. Ryuto's body language changed minutely, his expression suddenly wary, and Christina wondered what he was seeing in her now. Probably the criminal she was.

"Why, Ryuto, haven't you figured it out by now?" Christina drawled, lifting Ryuto's watch from her purse, "You and I are in the same profession!"

Lucas McKandless owned a mansion in Vegas, because of course he did. It wasn't as big as some people had, but it was still definitely on the pricey and more lavish side than Christina wasn't used to.

"Funny how I come from old money and yet I chose the life of the con," Christina muttered, and Kuro snorted, before she stood up and addressed everyone spread out at the dining table. She cleared her throat and tapped the metal clip of her pen against the side of her champagne flute.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Has everyone eaten? Yes. Everyone sober? Hm, close enough. What I'm about to propose is both suicidal and highly crazy, so if that isn't your particular brand of work, then there will be no hard feelings if you want to walk away. But if it is, well, you can join myself and Lucas in the living room," Kuro smiled, turned on her heel, and walked off in the direction of said room.

Christina grinned and followed, and the scraping of chairs filling the air told her the others weren't too far behind her.

Lucas was already in the living room, having turned on the television to reveal a 3D model of the hotel and casino, Armageddon, and every few seconds, the image would be replaced by a 3D model of the interior of the building. He held a glass of scotch in one hand, standing between the sliding door leading out to the back yard, and a leather chair.

Nero claimed said chair, dropping into it and then sprawling out over the arms with a theatrical groan. He arched his back and Christina heard something pop, and watched as he grinned sunnily up at Lucas, who was watching in faint bemusement.

"Hi, there, hottie. Come here often?" Nero asked, grinning salaciously.

Lucas raised an eyebrow, "Yes, actually, considering I live here."

Christina chuckled as Nero's grin dimmed a little. That probably hadn't been the reaction Nero was wanting.

Kuro took up standing next to the television as the group all spread out to sit down. Christina perched on the arm of the couch that Nefertiti and Tyler had made themselves home on.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Las Vegas' latest luxury hotel and casino, the Armageddon, owned and managed by Rago Black, founder and president of the Nemesis Inc. I think it goes without saying, I don't need to tell you all who he is," Kuro addressed the room. There was a consensus of bitter but confirmed mumblings in the air, and she continued, "Now, two months from now will be the opening week for the Armageddon, and with the numbers graciously provided by Lucas McKandless, it's looking to garner at least a hundred million dollars in profit, maybe more."

"Pretty good for an opening night," Nefertiti commented.

"But, on top of that, Lucas has the insider knowledge that Rago is going to be using the vault below the building to put his own money in safekeeping…" Kuro trailed off, "Well, money he's made off the backs of others. Lucas, care to tell us how much that is?"

"Three quarters of a billion dollars," Lucas answered, taking a sip of his scotch.

Nero let out a low whistle, "So, we're going to rob him of all that money?"

"Yes," Kuro nodded. "As well as the hundred million he'll need to provide for every chip on the floor in the casino. There's eight of us, each with equal shares… do the math."

Silence fell over the group. Christina bit her lower lip and fought back a hysterical laugh.

"Now, thanks to Lucas, we have insider knowledge on the employees, the security system, and who is going to be on the guest list of the gala on opening weekend—the gala which is going to be open only to those Rago invited. And yes, everyone he ever bought out is on that list, which includes most of this room's occupant's families," Nefertiti pitched in. "The week itself is only open to the public"

"Hardly a coincidence that you gathered us in particular together then, huh?" Kakeru Tategami asked, arm sitting in the armchair closest to Kuro, with his arm wrapped around Ryuto's waist, who was perched on the arm of the chair.

"Hardly," Kuro agreed. "Both because I need people who are motivated to do this job, and because you're all the best at what you do."

"Flattery will get you everywhere," Christina drawled. "What's the security on the Armageddon?"

"My father, Caspian McKandless, is head of security, and despite the fact he has his own system, he's using Tategami Tech's system to secure the Armageddon," Lucas said. "And to get to the vault, we'll have to go down through three hundred and fifty feet of solid earth, which is guarded by four different doorways with a different eight-digit code changed every eight hours, cameras, motion sensors, and eight armed guards."

"Tyler, that's where we'll need you," Kuro spoke again. "To get into the system. Caspian will have an eye and ear on everything, so we'll need an eye and ear on everything, too. Lucas, you'll be keeping an eye on your father, seeing as he'll be wanting you by his side when he's on shift, right?"

"Unfortunately," Lucas' voice was flat.

"Christina, your job is driving. We'll need to be able to get away from the scene of the crime quickly," Kuro looked at the blonde.

"Three quarters of a billion weighs a lot," Christina muttered. "We'll need two cars for this, maybe three."

"You'll figure it out, and once you do, come to me," Kuro nodded. "Nefertiti, you have the most important job. You'll be getting close to Rago himself and getting on the team that's organizing the gala that weekend."

"Seeing as I'm the only one he probably won't recognize, besides you or Tyler," Nefertiti hummed.

"Exactly. Ryuto, since Nefertiti will be busy with the organizing, you'll need to learn to love Rago's shadow. Kakeru, you're going to be hired as one of the Armageddon's blackjack dealers, another one of our inside people," Kuro said.

"Okay, and that brings up a question," Tyler raised his hand.

"Yes?" Kuro raised an eyebrow.

"What happens if any of these families of yours happen to recognize any of you? Aren't they going to wonder what you're doing working for Black when he took their companies from them?"

Christina crossed her arms and gave Kuro a questioning look, curious of that herself. Kuro didn't look worried.

"I'm counting on them to see and recognize us," Kuro grinned. "Because then, they'll know something's up, and they'll probably be more than likely to help."

i was watching scooby doo where are you while i was writing this chapter, and the episode 'Riva Ras Vegas' came on. I knew the chase theme song would just be something Nero would sing, so I included it there at the beginning.

So Ryuto and Kakeru are in on the job, and now the team is all together! Let the chaos begin :3

Hope ya'll enjoyed and will leave a review! Until next time, ciao!