Two days after the twins left to pack up and settle things where they've been living, Stephen gets a call shortly after dinner.
"Right." He leans back against the wall, closing his eyes for a second, features tightening. "...I'm not sure we need a more detailed plan than... see who's awake from outside the house, and then knock out or have Sawney stop the people who are awake, and secure the people who are asleep. I'm feeling pretty reckless and impatient right now, though, so someone else should check my logic," he says candidly.
"Some preliminary warding beforehand. Could do things like Invisibility but that would cut on our lifeforce budget."
"Might be a good idea to have someone invisible so they can go ahead and get to Davin before we start."
"If he is not inside the definitely sound-proof room where they are keeping Alex. I can at least break the door in that scenario."
"He'll probably be in the room. So yeah. It'll give you that defensible position to make clones from, too. Should we take Aaron as well, then, or limit the size so we use up less lifeforce on wards?"
"Uh, sorry, Aaron. But while I think you should be our fifth man. I think the four of us," he points between himself, Stephen, Franklyn and James, "should be the ones inside."
"I should be able to sneak in better than you. And a nice electrified pat in the head from me is faster than you saying 'don't do anything'."
He sighs, frustrated, "The longer we debate this-" he cuts himself off. "I don't think it actually matters that much who goes where, I think any of us could deal with Davin on our own, especially if we catch him by surprise. Just - whoever it is will have to deal with - with whatever he's done to my brother, too. So they'll need to be ready for - that." As ready as they can be, anyway. Jamie turns his attention to scanning the room around him as though he'll be painting it later, rather than getting caught up in guessing what they'll find. His guessing has been straying too close to remembering lately. He really can't afford to backslide right now.
"Every single one of us know how to deliver magical healing and one Davin and the other two are contained we will be able to fix anything."
Hug. He nods at Morgan's words, "Just... draw lots or something, figure out the warding, and let's go," he mutters into Franklyn's shoulder.
They get on moving then. Warding themselves against general harm. Then driving near Davin's house and performing the invisibility ritual from a van.
The house is dark, like most of the others in the neighborhood at this time of night, though there's one or two lights on in three of the others on this street, the residents up late working or playing. A scan over the people inside will find one of the minions sleeping, while Davin, Alex, and the other minion are awake. The awake minion is occupied with something mindlessly entertaining, while Davin and Alex are... in much the same states they were hours earlier, with a some slight variations. No one seems the slightest bit alarmed by Jackie's continued absence.
Good, Percy gives Stephen for the go ahead, using the map of the house that they took from Jackie's memories.
Invisible, Stephen does so. Are there any easy access points? Ideally an open window?
Heh, easy enough. He removes the screen and uses some stones as footholds to go up and through the sink.
There's some boxes on the counters, full of various kitchen items, and more on the table in the breakfast nook which overlooks the backyard. Down a short flight of stairs past the nook is the living room, where the minion is watching TV. The hallway leading to the basement stairs is just a few feet away from the screen.
Alright. Stephen goes straight to where Davin and Alex are, making notes of any potted plants are around the house.
There's a couple on the main floor, though none in the basement of course. The basement is pretty sparsely furnished in general, even more than the partly assembled rooms he'd seen upstairs. He passes a mostly empty recreation room, a small kitchenette with a minibar, an open door leading to a temporary bedroom with a cot containing a sleeping minion in it, and then finds himself outside of the soundproofed room.
The door is locked, of course.
He uses some clay to jam the sleeping minion's door. Then he... politely knocks at the door.