Katana exchanged the money for chips, and the game was readied. The cards were dealt neatly across the table for a game of poker to start.
Jack and the other members of House 21 had stacks of gleaming metal chips at the ready in what was clearly their usual places at this table.
“Might as well give everyone a chance to lose some pocket change before the real game starts,” Jack said with a smirk as he pushed an even stack of chips to the center.
“Buy-in is ten big ones.”
Angel whistled low as she pushed a stack of chips forward, the others putting their own tokens forward as well.
“Not that you have a choice at this point but this table is not typically a place for rookies,” Jack added.
“I hope you've played more than just Go Fish before.”
He pointed at Shield and Alias.
“And no fancy algorithms with your tech,” he stated.
“We allowed you to keep your signature style, but don't think you'll pull any fast ones on us.”
The first few hands were simple. Lance played tight, Angel watched House 21 to see their reactions, and Adam measured his opponents. Cody, however, was feeling the pressure, folding on hands he should’ve played.
Jack, sensing weakness, pushed hard, shoving in a heavy raise early. Maverick played even more aggressively, grinning maniacally all the while. Ace and Tesla played their hands and bets more patiently, leaving the majority of the increase to their colleagues.
The flop came down—King of Hearts, 9 of Spades, 4 of Diamonds. Cody checked his hand. Two Jacks. Decent, but risky. Jack, grinning, threw in a massive bet—$15,000.
“Let’s see if you’ve got the guts, kids.”
Cody hesitated, second-guessing. Alias called the bet without hesitation. Cody swallowed. If Alias was in, he might as well trust it.
“Call.”
The turn card—Queen of Diamonds. Jack’s smirk widened.
“All in.”
Cody’s heart pounded. So much was on the line and this was still the first game.
Lance matched the bet, eyes unreadable behind his mask.
Cody took the leap.
"Call."
The river card—Jack of Hearts. Cody’s pulse stopped for a beat. Three of a kind. Jack flipped his hand—King and Nine. Two pair. Not enough.
Cody showed his three Jacks.
Silence.
Maverick laughed, a mad grin on his lips. Tesla cursed under her breath. Ace stared at the cards with his typical impassive look.
Jack exhaled, forcing a smirk.
“Alright, maybe you’re not a lost cause.”
As Cody pulled the massive stack toward him, the mood shifted. House 21 wasn’t grinning as much anymore. The vigilantes were in the game now. And next was going to be even more of a challenge.
The warm-up rounds had given both sides time to size each other up. Poker and blackjack had been a battlefield of its own, the vigilantes gaining ground, losing some, then reclaiming small victories.
But the real fight started now.
Jack’s voice was smooth, self-satisfied as he gestured toward the freshly shuffled deck.
"Now that we've warmed up and distributed the wealth amongst the people," he said, his smirk widening.
"We’re going to move on to the main event."
The dealer placed the cards into a shuffling machine, which neatly separated them into two uneven stacks. A hush settled over the table. The top card of the smaller stack was flipped over and placed on the table.
King of Spades.
House 21’s expressions subtly shifted. The arrogance remained, but there was an unmistakable focus now.
“This is our house specialty,” Jack continued.
“We’ve… appropriated it from another venue we used to frequent. The face card is what is called the Mark.”
Tesla tapped the table with her fingers, her amusement clear. Ace’s sharp eyes flicked toward the Mark—the King—already calculating. Maverick cracked his knuckles and muttered something under his breath, grinning like this was the real fun of the night.
Jack leaned forward as three number cards were dealt next to the Mark:
Five of Diamonds.
Seven of Clubs.
Six of Hearts.
“The rules are simple. You will be dealt three cards, and you have one action per turn.”
Cards slid across the felt, landing in front of each player. Jack picked up his cards, studied them briefly, then placed one face-down.
"You can ready a card to be revealed on your next turn..."
Play passed around the table. The vigilantes observed, adapting.
Then, Ace placed a Four of Spades next to the Mark’s points.
“Or you can bolster the Mark, raising the target number—but only with a matching suit. Typically you can also win the round by Protecting the Mark at 40 points, but we are playing to 50 here.”
The game continued. Cards were armed, strategies forming.
Jack flipped his face-down card—a Five of Clubs.
“You can also steal a card from another player—but only once per round.”
A slow smirk curled at his lips. "Or expose someone else’s hand. Of course, if that backfires, you might just go over and ‘die’."
There was a slight pause at that. The stakes were sinking in now.
Jack’s gaze flicked to Alias, then to Cody.
"We’re also playing a little differently tonight. A win for one of you is a win for your whole side. Three wins, and Vigilantes & Co. take the game. But if you go over the mark, you’re eliminated entirely from the game."
He leaned back.
“Lose enough players, and your side’s chances of winning go up in smoke.”
There was no hesitation in Alias’ voice when he spoke.
“Understood.”
Clark huffed, glancing at her cards again. Shield gave a silent nod.
Across the table, Charlie shifted slightly in her seat, her expression unreadable, but Alias noticed the subtle movement. His attention flicked to Cody—the last player to act this round.
The mark’s total was steadily creeping higher. The pot was growing as House 21 confidently tossed in chips, the game moving at a dangerous rhythm.
Jack grinned, eyes sharp. He was waiting for someone to crack.
“Your move,” he said smoothly.
Cody gripped his cards a little tighter.
The game unfolded quickly. Too quickly.
The vigilantes were still getting used to the mechanics, reading their cards, hesitating before making moves. House 21, on the other hand, played with cutthroat efficiency.
Tesla bolstered the mark, sliding a Nine of Spades next to the King, pushing the target value higher. Maverick exposed Angel’s card with a flick of his wrist, grinning as the number pushed the threat dangerously close to exceeding the mark.
Jack? Jack barely had to do anything.
He played patiently, letting his crew do the heavy lifting.
When the turn came back to him, he revealed his card—a calculated, precise play that matched the target value exactly.
Round won. Just like that.
Cody sat stunned, staring at the table. Angel exhaled sharply, masking her frustration.
Jack leaned back, stretching.
"Well, that was quick," he said, his smirk infuriatingly casual.
The pot slid toward House 21, chips clinking as Tesla raked them to a collective representing their side.
“Might want to start taking notes, kiddies!" Maverick chuckled.
Alias kept his expression neutral, but his fingers tapped against his chips. This wasn’t going to be as simple as they’d hoped, despite also having been warned otherwise.
Jack’s gaze flicked between them, smug, confident.
"Alright, let's reset. Maybe you'll last longer this time."
The dealer shuffled. The next round was about to begin. This time, the vigilantes had to adapt—fast.
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