{1x1} Saisentan & Tarieles

[Tarieles]

Tis made, go ahead and post yo.

Probably doesn't need to be said, but don't post here unless you're me or Saisentan.

 

[Saisentan]

August 8th 2015, Mutalab, somewhere on the edge of town. A day much like any other for Steve Gauss and the other test subjects. Their stay was much akin to life in prison. Mostly solitary confinement, with a few hours a day to hang out with whoever else was scheduled to have recreational time at the same moment.
That day, he shared his free time with four others, but he wouldn't know who until he showed up in the mess hall. With a groan, he got himself out of bed, reaching for his mechanical arm to attach it back to his, literal, arm pit. The socket is a large metal inward cone with guiding grooves. In the center lies the point where the arm attaches to the nervous system. Attaching it hurts like a bitch, but sleeping with cold as ice metal arm on makes it impossible to sleep. Luckily the pain doesn't linger. At the very least, it served as a nice way to let everyone in his hall know he was up. A deafening scream could be heard outside his door when he quickly slotted it into the socket.

He looked down at his palm and checked if all the fingers were properly functioning, if the weren't, he'd have to do it all over again, but he'd gotten it right, that time.
"Alright..." He muttered as he stood up and got dressed. A few minutes later, he'd made his way to the gym for his mandatory morning workout. With a beep, his implant checked him into the gym and he went to work, starting with a two mile run.
Bench pressing doesn't do much when you've got a powertool for an arm, so that he skipped, opting for things more suitable for just one arm.

 

[Tarieles]

Ellen sighed, staring at the ceiling. Another day of hell. However, she knew she had to make the best of it, or she'd never get out. After all, things could be worse. She could be dead. She sat up, and brought herself to walk to a small dresser in the corner. Here, she found her day clothes. Nothing fancy, a tight black shirt, and some black knit leggings. It was what they wanted her to wear. It was easier for her to learn some martial arts that way. She made her way out of her room, and down the hall to the gym. She swiped her pass across the reader, and opened the door, stepping inside. She waved gently to Steve, and went to where her trainer waited.

She started stretching, as was commonplace. The fighting technique they had been teaching her was Viet Vo Dao, a highly acrobatic type; something good for her. She wasn't all that strong, and acrobatics was a better situation for her. Once done stretching, her and her instructor immediately got into it, throwing punches and kicks. It was something she was decently good at, and she actually did enjoy. If she ever got out, she'd be putting it to good use.

 

[Saisentan]

Steve waved back at Ellen, smiling as inconspicuously as he could. The less the labworkers knew about what experiments had befriended which, the better. The'd been working on an escape plan. The only thing that was missing....well, the most important part, really. HOW to get out. At the very least, they were getting stronger, and the idiots even trained them to become more skilled fighters. It wasn't hard to figure out they were supposed to be sold off as human weapons, some time in the future.

His trainer had decided to switch from a leg oriented fighting style to one more focused on the arms. Not strange, considering he had an arm capable of delivering megaton punches. Figuratively speaking, of course.
Baji Quan, or Eight Extremes Fist, focuses on powerful, precise strikes to end a fight quickly. It does a good job of keeping the user occupied only shortly before going back to their preferred style of combat. In Steve's case, marksmanship. Today, his trainer didn't show. In stead, Steve was instructed to work on his stamina. So, he just ran for the remainder of his workout. The last five minutes, he quietly walked around the gym to wind down, before heading to the showers.

 

[Tarieles]

After a good warm up, Ellen was now sparring with her instructor. She won two out of three matches, and she then told Ellen to go take a shower and get ready for the day. She did so, getting clean clothes- the same type- from her room, and tossing her workout ones in a laundry basket. They'd be gone when she got back and back in the dresser by that night. She didn't know who even washed the clothes. It just sort of happened.

After her shower, Ellen made her way to the mess hall, where many of her fellow inmates were getting breakfast. Most everyone waved at her as she walked to the counter to grab a tray. At least the food wasn't absolute shit, it was about the equivalent to high school lunch. She made her way to a table, where a couple others had already settled down. Looking around the room, she got a weird vibe. It seemed a lot less... friendly. In fact, Number Three looked really uncomfortable. She didn't know why, either.

Deciding to leave well enough alone for the time being, she started chatting with her table. 14 and 20. They were nice enough, she didn't mind them. She knew them as their numbers, but they were Louis and Kayla. She didn't like calling people by their numbers. She generally called them by the name they gave her. She started off the conversation. "How are you guys doing?"

 

[Saisentan]

Steve sat at a table nearby, sporting moist post-shower hair, quietly munching on something or the other. He and Louis didn't get along, otherwise he'd sit with the others. It wasn't so much that Steve disliked the guy, but Louis liked to use his abilities to pull pranks, and he had an unhealthy sense of humor. Trickster, or so was his alias, only pranked the guys, often sitting with the ladies to avoid repercussions. Steve isn't one to get back at anyone for crossing him, but Louis didn't know that. Even if he did, he's too paranoid to take the risk.

Number three had no issues sitting with him, it even seemed to calm her a little. Steve did have an air about him that kind of exerts serenity. She spoke to him in the only way she could, smiling awkwardly. [BCOLOR=#ffcc00]"Say, Ray? I've been, uhm, listening in on the guards and labworkers."[/BCOLOR] Steve raised a brow and tilted his chin up a little, asking non-verbally to go on. The girl shyly placed her hands between her legs and continued. [BCOLOR=#ffcc00]"They know something's up.[BCOLOR=#ffcc00] They plan on upping security. What do we do?[/BCOLOR]"[/BCOLOR] Steve's brow furled into a deep frown and replied with a whisper, barely even moving his lips. "I don't know, Voice." [BCOLOR=#ffcc00]"That's Grace, Ray."[/BCOLOR] "And that's Steve." He said with a smirk. His eyes panned up to the group sitting across the room and he lightly bit his lip.
"Where's two or eight when you need them?" He groaned.

--------

"Oh, you know. The usual." Kayla replied with a small shrug. "Trying my best not to burst into barking or whatever else my body feels like doing." The beastling had trouble controlling her 'gift', more so than the others. Her power is among the more potent, but her problems made her a wild card at best, and a liability at worst. They needed her to succeed in their escape, and they needed her to be on her A-game. All they could do is trust her to control her power.


(I'll leave Louis to you owo)

 

[Tarieles]

Ellen chuckled softly, nodding to Kayla. "Understandable." She said as she picked at the chicken on her tray, black leather gloves covering her hands so she didn't suddenly turn into plastic from the fork. Louis grinned at the two. "I'm looking for my next victim obviously." He was indeed looking around the room. However, what Ellen didn't realize was the fact that he was actually looking around, counting the guards. He was probably one of the more important people of the plan, being able to become invisible and all.

Ellen sighed a bit, shaking her head at his antics. "You're gonna make some enemies, Louis. I mean, I can already tell Stevie Wonder over there isn't a fan of you. It's not exactly a secret." She gestured over to Steve and Grace, giving them a smile as well. Ellen did always try to be friends with everyone. At least that meant she wasn't suspicious looking when she was a chatty Cathy with all of the people, and even occasionally he staff. She was a pro at getting info out of people, because she was just so gosh darn friendly.

 

[Saisentan]

Steve raised his hand to greet Ellen in return. His eyes fell upon her gloves and he couldn't help but wonder why she had never turned into leather. Maybe she couldn't assimilate organic matter? That's the only explanation he had. Especially considering she never turned to cloth, either. He snapped out of his pondering and politely excused himself from Grace's table. He'd had his full of lunch, and honestly, he wanted to spend his recreational time in the courtyard. Fresh air might help him think. Though, even then he'd usually rather make somebody else do the thinking. It wasn't his strong suit.

As he passed the other table, he shot a curt look at everyone. Kayla looked tired, he figured because of her training. Louis still sported his shit-eating grin. He couldn't stand it. But he kept it to himself.

The courtyard was on the far end of the hallway, in the center of the complex. A large, electric net span across the gap in the roof, allowing fresh air to get in, but nobody to get out. Trust me, they tried. Or, at least, number one did. That ended with a one way ticket to the morgue, so nobody after made an attempt at even touching it, let alone jumping straight at it in hopes of breaking through.

 

[Tarieles]

After finishing her food, Ellen stood, saying goodbye to all of her friends at the table. She returned to her room, taking a book they had been so kind to give her, and left, wandering about the halls while reading. It was common of her to do such a thing. She may not have enjoyed the kind of book they gave her (it was a historic novel that she had never heard of), but it helped her not go completely insane. Deciding she needed some air, she opened the door to the courtyard, her ears twitching at the sound of the electricity humming above her. She glanced up, noticing that Steve was out there too. She laughed a bit.

"Sorry, probably seems like I'm following you." She kept her face down in her book, leaning against the wall of the building. "Random happenstance, I promise." She added with a friendly grin. "But now that we're here, what's up Steve? How's the lab life treating you?"

 

[Saisentan]

Steve looked up at the door when it opened. What luck! He'd still been wondering about Ellen's ability happenstance. His shoulders rose a little when she mentioned the twists of fate that had them end up in the same place multiple times that day. "Don't worry about it. There's only so many places we can be at one time in here. If anything, I'd rather bump into you than Louis." A playful smile met her grin before he continued. "Oh, you know. Eat, sleep, bored, repeat." The male experiment lightly yawned, wishing he'd get literature to keep himself busy with. All he ever got to read were history books and other educational works. Speaking of education, by now he really itched to know how Ellen's power worked. He hesitated for a moment, before finding the words he found to be least offensive.

"Say, Ellen? How come you never transform into cotton or leather?"

 

[Tarieles]

Hearing his question, Ellen looked up and placed a marker in her book, placing it next to her on the ground. She smiled a bit, taking off her glove. "Can't transform into organic matter. I'm guessing it has something to do with the cells." She said, picking up some blades of grass. "See? Nothing." She then poked the side of the building, her skin quickly transforming into the stone and plaster they used. She pulled her arm away before it went to the rest of her body. "So I have to be careful with what I wear. They only give me cotton clothes, or I could turn into spandex or something." She giggled a bit, thinking about how funny that would feel for her and those who touched her. She dispersed the crumbly rock from her arm, and it turned back into skin. She picked up her book. "Can't turn into paper, either, because it's wood." She stated, still putting her gloves back on just in case. She quickly looked up at the net, and sighed.

"Unfortunately, only my skin changes. I'd totally try to bust through that, but I'd probably die." Ellen gestured towards the electrical field. "Unless I found something I could turn into that doesn't conduct electricity and is inorganic, not to mention something I'd even be able to get." She kept her voice down, in case someone was eavesdropping. She then shook her head, and looked up at him, deciding to change the subject. "Aw, Louis ain't that bad. Just a little too into his abilities."

 

[Saisentan]

He'd seen Ellen's power in action a few times before, but it still bewildered him. Sure, his power wasn't anything to scoff at, but it didn't affect his body pretty much at all. Other than when he made stupid mistakes and burned himself or worse, of course. Speaking of which... His gaze averted towards his arm, tapping it lightly. A dull metallic 'tink' sounded every time. A moment passed, then he reached his arm to her. "Superiorite is nonconductive." He said with a curious expression. "And its tensile strength approaches that of titanium. We could surely use that in our little scheme." He purred.

He'd never even figured that out, or at least thought of it, despite knowing his prosthesis as the back of his hand, pun not intended. Sure, he didn't know Ellen as well as he did Matt, but her power he was familiar enough with.

 

[Tarieles]

Ellen peered over at his arm, her grin widening when he mentioned it wasn't conductive. "Oh really? Then maybe-" She was cut short, when the alarm of the compound started blaring. She looked at Steve in confusion, then back to the building. "I thought they weren't going to try anything until later." She muttered to him, touching the steel door frame, and covering herself in the metal. "We should check it out." Her voice was a little muffled from her lowered flexibility, but still coherent. Her clothes were still covering her body. As she looked through the door, two armed men ran past the doorway, seemingly ignoring them both.

"Something's not right." She said, now sounding very concerned. Just as she finished her sentence, an explosion sounded throughout the building. Was it 25? She had never really met him, but she knew he was in on the plan. He was their way out, but the plan wasn't supposed to be put into action until much later.

 

[Saisentan]

The male jumped up the moment the alarm went off, looking VERY confused. "Please don't tell me we're being left behind. We didn't plan on launching the plan, yet, did we?" His robotic arm nearly tore the door from its hinges and he gave her a quick glance. "No time to plan ahead. Touch my arm. The courtyard net might have to be our backup plan." He allowed her to take point. Whatever happened, a literal tank of a woman would likely be leas vulnerable to punishment, between the two of them.

 

[Tarieles]

Ellen did as he said, touching his arm, her body turning from steel to... Whatever this new metal was. She wasn't even quite sure she had ever heard of superiorite before she had met him. Probably something they cooked up in the lab. She walked in front of him, making sure to keep an eye out for any soldiers. After the initial few, it seemed like they were away from this wing. That meant what was threatening the compound was elsewhere. She carefully turned the corner, seeing nothing. Suddenly, Louis popped out of the ether known as invisibility, giving her a start. "Louis! What's going on?" She asked, gesturing for him to come over to them. He looked worried. "Lucian, 25, went ahead with the escape plan. He didn't warn anyone. There's a huge hole in the cafeteria. I managed to get out without getting caught. Some others weren't so lucky. Last I saw, Grace was being dragged into solitary. Kayla went with Lucian. I don't know about anyone else." A tear was actually falling down his cheek, but he quickly wiped it away. Ellen looked to Steve. "Any ideas?"

 

[Saisentan]

Steve wanted to just bail, knowing the chaos to be a perfect cover for a swift escape. However, leaving Grace behind wasn't an option. The girl had no means of defending herself, relying on the others to keep her safe. His mechanical hand went for the nearest door handle and wrenched it off with a gut-wrenching snap. For a moment, he stared at it blankly, overthinking his options. When he'd decided on what he figured to be the best course of action, his eyebrows furrowed as his stare became intense. In an instant, the brass handle melted into a red-hot ball, floating maybe two inches above his now open palm. "I'm gonna get Voice out of solitary."

 

[Tarieles]

Ellen nodded to Steve. "I'll go with." She said, turning to Louis. "You should get out of here. Try and help as many people as possible get out. I'm sure there are some who ran and hid. You can get past most of the sensors, so you can find them easier." She told him. Louis seemed to agree, and quickly disappeared. "Careful." He told the two, before dashing off. Ellen looked to Steve. "Come on. I can help to make sure you don't get shot." She said, starting off towards solitary. She was a bit slower when covered in metal, but this was pretty light. Better than the steel, that was for sure.

 

[Saisentan]

Steven gave the female a curt nod, signaling her to lead the way. "Be careful, Makeshift. Superiorite is strong, but it's not unbreakable." He glanced at her dark, glinting 'skin' for a moment. "I don't want you to get hurt."
He had no issue staying on her tail. In fact, he'd probably outrun her normally, but it was even easier now that she had been covered in metal. Her footsteps softly clanked on the floor, completely overpowering the light shuffling of Steve's sneakers.

 

[Tarieles]

Ellen nodded, agreeing she also didn't want to get hurt. She wasn't about that life. "Don't worry. I'll try to stay out of the fire for the most part." She told him, continuing down the hall, peering into rooms as they passed. No one seemed to be around in this area, which was good for them in the way of guards, not good for saving their friends. She stopped at the end of the hall, peeking around the corner. "Solitary's just up ahead, through those doors. Before that will be a lot of guards patrolling probably." She told him, motioning to the solid double doors. It had an electronic lock on it, something that could potentially be a problem. She knew she could probably just punch it and break it, but she wasn't sure if that would trigger an alarm or not. "The lock might be an issue."

 

[Saisentan]

As they approached the double doors, the PSI marksman slyly glanced left and right. No guards at first glance, perhaps they were all out chasing escaped experiments. "The lock wouldn't be a problem, had it not been fashioned out of titanium. Most super heated projectiles will just splatter on the surface of it like paint-balls. I could use part of my hand, but I'd like all my fingers to be in tact after we break out." An apologetic smile shot her way. "You got any ideas?"