Rogue: The Uprising

DarinValore

129% of people exaggerate.
Original poster
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Posting Speed
  1. 1-3 posts per week
  2. One post per week
Writing Levels
  1. Adept
  2. Advanced
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Male
[fieldbox="Aspida Labs Miami Branch, blue, solid"]
The click of high heels echoed through the halls as Maxine Redwell walked, a clipboard in one arm and a red hazard container in the other. She wasn't alone though. Three men dressed in black accompanied her each one sporting a R.E.I.F. patch on their shoulder. Brown door after brown door passed by until she finally stopped. Knocking on the door, she opened it before the occupant could answer , “Ms. Ramsden? Hi, I'm Maxine Redwell and I've been tasked with conducting random blood tests on employees. Your employee I.D. Number came up, so if you could accompany these fine gentlemen to the testing lab in a moment, we’ll get this done and have you back to work in no time.”

Her red lips parted revealing perfectly white teeth as she stepped to a clear counter and placed the red case upon it. Opening it, she pulled out a vial and then removed a sticker from the clipboard before gently placing it on the vial, “Take this with you,” she handed the vial and a sheet of paper to her, “And be sure to fill the paper out first. I’ll meet you down there.”

She smiled again before exiting the room.

In the testing lab, Maxine waited until Ms. Ramsden joined her. With steady hands, she slipped and tide the rubber band around the woman’s arm before gently slapping at her vein, “I don't know why we do these random tests. It seems to be silly to me,” she slipped the needle into the woman's arm and watched the red liquid fill the vial, “We’re all tested before we start work,” she pulled the needle out and pressed a piece of gauze against her arm before taking away the band, “Hold that there for a few minutes while I run this test. It’ll come back negative, I'm sure, but protocol insists you wait.”

She patted the woman’s shoulder before stepping out the door and rounding the corner before stepping into another room. The three other men were standing there only now they were dressed in tactical gear carrying automatic weapons. Maxine popped open the red container and pulled out the testing kit, “Once this shows up positive. Take her hard and fast, non-lethals only. Aspida wants her alive.”

She poured the blood in the testing kit and introduced the identifier. While they waited, one of the men handed her a pistol, “Come on, Come on, Come on,” she said. After another minute passed, the blood stayed red, “What?” Maxine inquired, “How?”

“Maybe the intel was wrong?” answered one of the men.

She shook her head, “The intel wasn't wrong. She beat it somehow. Go. Take her and we’ll find out how she beat it later.”
--------
Go. Take her and we'll find out how she beat it later.

“Send them in. Do it now!” Keegan ordered right away.

“Lex,” Jade’s voice came over her earpiece, “Go! Hurry! Josie’s been compromised. Get her out now! Your whole team’s a go!”

“Wait,” Keegan interrupted, as he looked up at the screens, “Mack and Luna, get Josie. Lex, you need to get her notes. Keith can walk you through it. I don't need to tell you how important it is to retrieve both of them, but if you must choose, rescue Josie.”

He watched on his screen as the Rogues jumped into actions, “Godspeed,” he spoke as he watched the scene unfold.
[/fieldbox]
@La Reina @Reythaak @Kat @CloudyBlueDay @Elle Joyner @Shizuochan @Mobley Eats @Kimberlyn

Link to Character Index
 
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Keegan leaned on his cane, more out of security than necessity, he passed his other hand through his hair, the raven color long faded away by time leaving behind more salt than pepper that even shaded his goatee. The weight of his duty never seemed to show in his shoulders though each step he took seemed weightier than it ought to be. While fierce determination shone in his light blue eyes so, too, did the cost of a forty-year war.

In two rows on both sides of him ran a dozen tables each host to four computers all intricately wired into a secure network safeguarded by some of the best hackers and techs he ever had the pleasure to meet. Thick bundles of cables, tied together with zip ties or duct tape, ran along the floors where any information would speed through until they were brought to life on the six massive screens that clung to the rustic wall of the bunker. Keegan spent much of his time here looking up at the screens and interpreting the data on them while others worked tirelessly behind him. Never once did he complain, though. These were the responsibilities of a leader, to care for and protect the people who trusted him and to save as many as he could who were like them.

With a sigh, he looked up at the lower right screen and pointed, “Put him up there,” a moment later a picture of a hooded figure filled the screen, “This is the last known location, Penny,” he spoke in a gruff tone, “It's a small abandoned warehouse by the docks. There are a few squatters that have made a home out of it, too, so try not to alarm anyone that you're there. Last thing we need is R.E.I.F. Breathing down his neck. If he so much as thinks you've led them straight to him, he could disappear and we wouldn't find him for another six months. I cannot stress the importance of you convincing him to come back with you. But I must warn you, do not, under any circumstances, try to force him. He’s a telekinetic.”

“So no pressure…” Looking over the screen, Penny smiled a little, but it was strained. All of her smiles generally were. Penny wasn’t one to give away her emotions so easily, and even in front of Keegan, who knew her perhaps better than she might have liked, she was a bit of an enigma, still. Six years with the Rogues, and she had only just begun to open up, allowing him in to the world that was her twisted past. Whatever Penny gave of herself, emotionally, physically, mentally… it came at a great tax to the girl, but where it came to missions, she had never faltered.

“I think I have a pretty good idea how to bring him in, reading through the file. But I might need one or two along for the ride, just in case he gives us any hassle. Who do we have available?”

“Hmmm,” he turned to another screen sporting a list of names and faces, “Keith, Luna, Max, and Lex are all on Josie duty. Bradford’s available, but he’s a little aggressive. Deckard needs a softer touch, a non-threatening touch. You could take Mara and…..” the corner of his lip turned up and he crossed his arms over his chest after leaning back on the table, his cane beside him, “Finn.”

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Penny swore softly, “Finn? Really? I know we're going for non-threatening… but…” Finnegan was trouble and a half, still as green as a freshly mowed lawn, even after being their resident knucklehead for five years. He was a lazy, stubborn pain in the backside… but he was also a lot of things that reminded Penny of herself, when she'd first come to Rogue. And more importantly, he was available.”Ugh. Fine. Astroboy it is. Comm them to meet me in the garage in twenty. With any luck, in a few hours we'll have Guns here rounded up and recruited… And Finn’ll still be breathing.”

“Maybe you'll have better luck than the rest of us, Penny. Just remember, don't push him too hard,” the cane clanked against the concrete floor as he pushed off the table, “Succeed where I failed, but most importantly, come back,” his eyes lingered on her a moment before he turned to the closest tech, “You heard her. Tell Finn and Mara to meet her in the garage,” turning back to the monitors, he sighed, “Be careful, Penny.”

“Aww, Keeg. You’re gettin’ soft, Old man.” Penny winked, and gave him and nod, before she turned to the door. But as she neared the exit she paused and glancing over her shoulder, she grinned, just slightly on the edge of sly, “...But really, you think there’s any chance he’s gonna turn me down?”

“I hope not,” he replied soberly, “Now get out of here before I have to use this cane. I'll show you old man,” he smirked.

Laughing, she held up her hands, “I’m going!” And with a shake of her head, she slipped out, into the hall.


Less than an hour (and one intensely irritating car ride) later, the black SUV pulled up alongside the curb to the warehouse. The building itself was a dilapidated ruin of concrete, the crumbling facade and corrugated tin roof caked with fading graffiti and white paint-like streaks of bird droppings. Not a single window remained whole, cracked and broken panes in wrought iron shells, wind whistling through, carrying the briny scent of the waters behind the building.

Twisting the keys, she killed the engine and the cry of gulls pierced through the momentary silence. Twisting in her seat, Penny looked to the two in the back with an expression that suggested any sort of argument would lead to unfortunate results, “Remember… this guy spooks easy, so we don’t go into this like we’re lookin’ to tranq him and drag him back to HQ in a burlap sack. Keegan picked you both for a reason… You’re easier on the eyes, and you don’t look like crazy axe-murderers. But that doesn’t mean he won’t be on guard, and we can’t push. He’s a ghost, and we might lose him for good this time, if we can’t get him on board. And before you ask, Finn… yes. We need him.”

Turning around again, she pulled on the door handle and pushed it open, “Let’s go get us a new Rogue…”

TAGS || @CloudyBlueDay, @Kimberlyn
 
Luna Cambridge | Codename: Nostalgia | Aspida Labs Miami Branch


Interactions: Aspida Infiltration Team (via Earpiece)


"Hello anxiety, my old friend," Luna muttered under her breath as her eyes roamed the monitors with the vigilance of a skittish hawk. Everything about this mission had her teetering on the edge of her seat, both metaphorically and literally. The poor hunk of leather beneath her was forced to face the abuse of her digging fingernails and constant moving about for the better part of an hour. She didn't like the idea of Josie being in the lion's den, but orders were orders.

As Luna waited for the call, she typed away furiously as the building's security systems raced across the screen like
glowing sling-shot blocks, popping up left and right, up and down, diagonally. Soon, she would work her magic and hack into the main floor's grid, disabling the alarms and proximity readers. Then boom--open access. A quick in and out.

God, she couldn't express how lucky she was to have been staking out in a black Volkswagen, crammed away in a discreet alley way not far from the Aspida building. She wasn't the best operative in the heat of the action and usually got in the others' way. She was far more useful behind a computer screen. But still, if push came to shove, she would dead sprint into the fray without a second thought.

Five screens interconnected by bundles of cords covered one side of the vehicle's interior. An assortment of Luna's hacking equipment colonized the counter before her. She personally referred to them as her "hackin' doo-hickeys"--

A small *bleep!* emitted from a monitor, prompting Luna to throw her arms up in brief celebration. She pressed a finger to her earpiece and whispered to the group, "All in, guys. Every sensor, alarm, and lock are TKO-ed."

With that out of the way, Luna started sifting through the cameras, which proved to be a tad harder to pound her way in--this firewall was a beaut, she could admit, but not unfamiliar. Her cheeks inflated as she puffed out a heavy sigh, head knocking as she flexed her shoulders back. "Challenge mother effin' accepted."

Send them in. Do it now!

Luna's jaw clenched. Shit! she thought before cranking even more fervor into smashing that damn wall to pieces.

Mack and Luna, get Josie. Lex, you need to get her notes. Keith can walk you through it. I don't need to tell you how important it is to retrieve both of them, but if you must choose, rescue Josie.

"Understood," Luna rushed out. Her finger flew to the earpiece again. "Guys I need some time to get into the cameras. But for now Josie's in Sector D. I don't know which hall or room yet." She wasn't going to let R.I.E.F. get a hold of Josie--over her dead, scrawny body.
 
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FINN WESTFALL
Slouched in the backseat like a dejected child being haulted to a dentist's appointment, Finn stared out the window with a frown. He'd been strung along on this mission before he even had a chance to say no... of course, that was only because Penny was heading it. Only Penny could have Finn geared up and in the car before he could think twice.

"And before you ask, Finn… yes. We need him.” She said, staring him down with a look that could kill.

"Do we really, though?" He chirped. Why work so hard to find someone that didn't want to be found? Clearly this guy was doing alright on his own if he'd evaded both R.E.I.F and Rogue. He did have to admit, though, this dock didn't seem so homey. Kind of reminded him of the days before Daniel picked him up.. he'd hide in places like this. Finn shuddered. He wasn't too big a fan of docks, 'cause everything was wet and soggy and gray. Hm. Yeah. Maybe living here was so unfun that this guy would just be dying to hop in their car and drive away.

He wasn't too big of a recruiter. He wasn't too big of anything. Rogue had treated him well, but he couldn't say he'd done anything in return. Finn had no idea why they would want him along for this, even if he did have a non-intimidating look. Frankly, he was surprised they hadn't given him the boot, bein' a lost cause and all, but Keegan was a little bit too soft for that, he supposed. It'd defeat the whole point of the rescue and recruit deal, right? Sorry, kid. You're not meeting our standards. Back to the streets, where you'll most likely be kidnapped and tortured! Anxiously rubbing his left palm and the scar planted in the center of it, he pressed his cheek against the window.

Finn hadn't left the base in so long. For all his whining, no one ever took him out, which was the way he liked it.. maybe he was nervous.

Psh. Finn yawned and stretched. Nah. Only problem was here avoiding spooking the dude so Penny wouldn't murder him. Seriously, was this guy a cat or something? Get too close and he'll run? He'd better be powerful, maybe powerful enough to make everyone finally leave him the hell alone. They all already knew he was hopeless, and he was fine with that! Who needed to fly anyway. Having the skill of a baby bird was already extremely impressive. To him.

Hopping out of the car with a toothy grin, Finn nudged Penny's shoulder while flashing Mara a quick smirk, prepared to expertly deliver his next joke. "So.. who exactly did you mean when you said some of our lovely pals look like axe murderers? For research purposes, Pen. You know. Oh, and can I just get you to repeat that last bit, about how I'm easy on the eyes and all?"

@Kimberlyn @Elle Joyner
 
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fright

Keith Fuller
Location: Van outside Aspida Labs Miami BranchInteractions: @Mobley Eats ,@La Reina

Keith caught Nostalgia's words just barely, and his lips twisted into a very faint, empathizing smile. He was probably just as nervous, just as anxious. Going into Aspida Labs was... risky. Really risky, and a really good way to get caught. He shook his head a little bit, watching Luna out of the corner of his eye. Even not focusing, he could see the faint glow of [glow=#bcdf3b]Anxiety[/glow] lurking within her aura. He tried to ignore it, for the most part. Seeing it would just make him more anxious. With a firm shake of his head, he shut down that part of his brain, attempting to throughly close himself off from his ability. It wouldn't be useful right now anyways.

He closed his eyes, taking a slow, deep breath. Several more followed, carefully measured, before he looked back at his own pair of screens. He couldn't hack like Luna, but sprawled before him were atleast mostly-current schematics of the building they were parked nearby. The one where Josie was. He couldn't help the slight flinch as that thought drifted through his mind. He hated this kind of thing. But it was what it was, and he would help how he could. In most cases, it had him relaying information. His dad had gotten these schematics, and over time the schematics for most Aspida buildings, and had taught Keith to read them- thoroughly explaining the layout of the labs and offices he knew.

A smile, one far more genuine, flashed across his features as he familiarized himself further with the schematics before him; one mistake could cost them a lot of time. ”Pfft. You're awesome, Nostalgia,” he complimented over his shoulder. He risked a glance over, warily eyeing the absolute mess of... well.... everything across her various screens. Yeah. He didn't get it. He should probably ask Luna about them sometime, see if she could teach him anything. As this tended to be his role in things, well... being able to help rather than sit around for the first bit of things might be nice.

Then he flinched.

“Send them in. Do it now!”

That was exactly what he wanted to hear; he could feel the knot of anxiety tighten firmly around the butterflies in his stomach. His own aura would likely look like a gross, swirling mass of green and yellow and orange. He didn't want to think about it.

The notes...

”Right. Got it,” his voice crackled over the comms.

Keith gave a sharp nod, not that anyone but Luna might see it. He definitely needed those cameras. The schematics were usually close-to-right, but Aspida wasn't above adding bits and bobs to their facilities after the schematics had been approved; sometimes there were multiple versions of the same schematics floating even on their mainframe and it was a toss-up as to which were the “real” plans. He made a frustrated noise in his throat at that, watching Luna vanish from the van.

”Alright, Lex. You've got Natalie's ID, right?” the question was probably unnecessary. She had probably already shifted into the other woman, an Aspida worker. One that was having an affair, and often left the building around this time to go see her... special friend. There wasn't any way for Keith to confirm it though, not until Nostalgia had gotten to the cameras. He pinched the bridge of his nose; he hated running on limited intel. He knew he wasn't in the middle of everything, but that didn't change the fact he hated it. ”She should be out of the building already, so you should be able to just slip in. West side entrance will get you in closest to where you need to be-” I think... ”-without worrying about a camera seeing you coming in through a door you shouldn't. Once you're inside, head straight. Past the first-” a pause. ”Two off-shoots, then hang a right.”

As Lex was making her way into the place, Keith would pipe up with the next set of instructions at a measured pace, guessing about how long it would take for her to reach each milestone. At the same time, he was skimming over the schematics, searching for the most likely place for Josie to be stuck.

”I think I remember something about them saying D-2z had some containment locations in it- schematics kind of support that theory. Not 100%, but it's something...” he added.

Them. The Archivists. In this case, his dad. He didn't want to mention his dad's name over the comms, that would just be a practice in sheer stupidity.

And Keith did try not to be stupid.
 
[fieldbox="Deckard Hallows, green, solid"]
The Florida sun beat mercilessly down on the streets, not a cloud in the sky. Deck took each step purposefully as he carried the one hundred pound punching bag over his shoulder making sure he did not fall victim to the debris that littered the path of the potholes that dotted the streets. Sticking to the back streets made the trip longer, but ensured that he dodged the scanners, or worse, the drones.

The drones were like birds from hell disguised as angels. They barely made a noise as they passed over and their armor was as white as clouds allowing the machines to blend in. You never knew they found you until it was too late.

The familiar warehouse finally came into view. He had been calling the ruined building home for a couple of weeks now and shared it with a handful of other people, all destitute people whom the world had turned their backs on. None of them were like Deck and he did his best not to alarm them to what he truly was.

“You found one!” Richard spoke as he came out of his boxed shade, “I thought you weren't going to be able to. It's not like people just throw those things away.”

Deck smiled and tried not to breath, “Yep. Found one,” he hurried passed Richard before taking in a deep breath. Richard was friendly but just like most people in his position, was extremely unaware of his hygiene simply because he did not have the luxury that most others did. Baths were a commodity graced by a church or a shelter every so often.

“Maybe this time you’ll let me go a round with it?” He asked.

“Maybe,” Deck replied before he stepped through the door. Sometimes he did simply because he had had to learn to trust men and women like Richard in order to stay ahead of R.E.I.F.

When he made it to the center of the room, Deckard dropped the bag on the floor. After retrieving the chain, he swung it before tossing it over the metal beam he used to suspend the back. Clipping the back to the chain was next before he stepped back and began to raise the back into the air. After anchoring it, Deck removed his shirt opting for complete freedom without it.

“Jab...cross...hook,” he said before throwing each punch. He started slow to warm up before increasing to a quick steady pace. Then he incorporated ducks, and footwork.

This and survival. They were the only things that mattered to Deck now. He often got lost in his thoughts while working the bag, such was the case now. Memories flashed through his mind making him punch harder...faster. Sweat glistened his tattooed body and dripped from his beard as dust kicked from the bag with each slam of his fist. It was the only way he knew how to deal with his problems.
[/fieldbox]
 
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Looking over to Finn, Penny smirked as she shook her head. The kid had attitude, that was for sure. There were days when Penny was sure the only way he wasn't lazy was in moving his mouth, but it was all part of his charm... or something, "I'm not makin' your ego any bigger than it already is, Astroboy. And maybe it's less that they look like axe-murderers and more... this guy's bicep is larger than your entire body and you're less likely to freak him out."

Before Finn could bite back, she pushed open the door to the warehouse and crossed over the threshold. The inner workings were filled with grime of all kinds, a sanctuary, no doubt, for the homeless... who these days seemed to outnumber those in steady, comfortable positions. Dust motes filtered through streams of sunlight, the only source of light in the dingy space, and soft thump of hands on leather drew focus to a man near the center of the room, pounding the life out of a second-hand punching bag.

Light glinted off glistening muscles, dark ink covering pale flesh, woven around a physique that suggested better the bag than one's face. She could see the appeal, even without his powers. He was an unshakable foundation, and hell if they couldn't use more heavy hitters on the team. A single brow arched as Penny watched the man work, and the corner of her lip twitched up in a smirk, "God bless you, Keegan Hull."

Eyes twisting over to Finn, she shrugged, "...Try not to say anything that'll get you punched, okay?"

And with a nod, she started towards the man, pausing a few feet from the bag, "Your right's a little slow. If you pull your left shoulder back when you swing into it, you'll move quicker without losing your stride."


TAGS || @CloudyBlueDay, @Kimberlyn, @DarinValore
 
[fieldbox="Lex, goldenrod, dashed, 10"]
Lex waited patiently in the shadows for the signal. She twirled the ID in her hand over and over, having already memorized the person and how she needed to shift. Lex’s brown eyes settled back on the image on the ID. Natalie Miles. Soft ivory skin, big doe eyes and long red hair. Simple enough. Rogue had scouted ASPIDA for some time and when sweet little Natalie began to show certain patterns, Rogue immediately came up with the plan they needed. All Lex had to do was wait for Natalie to slip out and “accidentally” drop her ID. Getting caught up with men was poor Natalie’s downfall, something Lex refused to do. Lex was distrusting of people in general and romantic feelings clouded your judgment. Lex needed to be on alert at all times.

"All in, guys. Every sensor, alarm, and lock are TKO-ed."

Good, Lex thought to herself. It wouldn’t be long now. They would have to move quickly. ASPIDA would realize their security was down soon. The signal had to be only moments away. “Ok, Natalie. Let’s take you out for a spin.” Within a split second, Lex’s long brown locks had changed to red, her brown eyes had gone green and her skin shifted to look more like Natalie Miles. If they stood side by side, they couldn’t be told apart. Even her clothes had changed. She now wore the long white lab coat in Natalie’s ID photo and even her same makeup. She was ready.

“Send them in. Do it now!” Keegan’s voice ordered over the comms.
“Lex,” Jade’s voice came over her earpiece, “Go! Hurry! Josie’s been compromised. Get her out now! Your whole team’s a go!”


“Got it,” Lex replied and was getting ready to move on out and retrieve Josie when Keegan’s voice resonated in her ears again.

“Wait. Lex, you need to get her notes. Keith can walk you through it. I don't need to tell you how important it is to retrieve both of them, but if you must choose, rescue Josie.”

“Anything for you, boss.” Lex said as she pinned the ID to her white lab coat and moved towards the nearest staff entrance.

”Alright, Lex. You've got Natalie's ID, right?” Keith’s voice said as it came into her earpiece.

“Of course I do, kid. Shifted a while ago. Just lead me where I’ve got to go and we can get the hell out of here.” Keith’s directions sent her to the west entrance and Lex immediately slipped inside. The florescent lights were almost blinding compared to the dark alley but Lex proceeded down the hall, following each of Keith’s directions. Brown door after brown door until Lex finally came across the hall marked D-2z. “I found it, Keith. Heading inside now.”

She turned her head right, then left, ensuring no one was coming, opened the door and stepped inside quickly. The lights flickered on in the lab, bright light shining over the various lab equipment. There were papers everywhere, computers of all kinds with some data on them that Lex had no idea what they could be for. “Alright Josie. Where’d you put those notes?” Lex moved about the lab, rummaging through the various papers and opening various drawers and folders. “Ah,” she said once her eyes landed on a blue binder. "Here they are." She removed the papers in question from the binder for easier transport. “Good job, Josie. Now time to get you out of here too.” Lex was about to head out the door when she crossed paths with one of the guards.

“Hey Nat,” the guard said as he walked into the lab with a brow raised. “I thought you stepped out for a bit.” Lex smiled back at the tall guard. He was young and of firm build, not an easy man to just walk around. “Hey…” she looked to his name tag. “Officer Cummings. I did. Just came back to get some papers. I’ll be on my way.” The man remained firm in the doorway blocking Lex’s exit. “You never call me Officer Cummings.” The man stepped out of the doorway and into the lab forcing Lex to take a few steps backwards. Lex stared up at the man as he continued. “What’s my first name, Nat?”

There weren’t very many options available to Lex at the moment. She knew ASPIDA was aware of her and her shifting capabilities. It was only natural that the guard would suspect a shifter when one of his own was acting unnaturally. But Keegan had given her a task and she had to get the notes out of the lab. In one quick motion she jammed the bottom of her palm up and against the nose of the guard. Blood rushed out immediately and he grabbed his face to stop the blood. Lex took advantage and began running for the door but didn’t make it far as the guard pulled her back hard from the lab coat and threw her onto the floor.

She grunted but held on to the papers for dear life. “Who are you?!” the man yelled at her, blood dripping down his face. “Natalie Miles!” Lex yelled back as she got back to her feet to head back to the door. The guard grabbed her again and threw her against one of the tables knocking down some of the glass equipment to the floor that held various liquids making the floor slippery. When the man came towards her again, Lex pushed hard against his chest with her heels, the guard slipping on the liquid and hitting the desk behind him knocking down more papers and liquid to the ground. Lex again tried to leave but the guard noticed how hard she held onto the papers in her hands.

“Give me those!” he yelled to her. He lunged for Lex and the two struggled to hold on to Josie’s notes. The slippery floor didn’t help and their tussle with each other saw papers flying in all directions and the guard ripping and getting a hold of half the notes. “Dammit!” Lex yelled as she reached for the guard’s other half of the notes. He pushed her hard and knocked her into a table that held a burner knocking it to the ground. Lex’s eyes widened, despite the pain in her sides, she knew that fire and a bunch of unknown chemicals were no good. The floor immediately lit up. She wasn’t going to get those notes now. She had to get out of the lab or risk not getting out at all.

The guard had the same idea and the two fought to get out of the door. Lex jammed her elbow up and back into the man’s face causing him to be thrown back into the lab. She scurried out of the room and slammed the door shut, locking the man inside. It was her or him and she wasn’t about to be burned again, metaphorically or physically. She ran in the opposite direction and had just rounded a corner when she heard the explosion. The blast was so large it tossed her straight across the hall and to an adjacent wall. Her vision blurred, her ears rang and she couldn’t hold the shift any longer. She had morphed back to her normal self.

“Keith!” she managed to yell into the comms. “Think the explosion should be a good enough distraction to help Josie. Now get me out of here kid.” She dragged herself back to her feet, pain radiating from everywhere. She clutched the half of the notes she managed to get tightly in her hand and attempted to exit the building.


Tag: @Reythaak[/fieldbox]
 
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The blinds to her lab in Aspida had been closed; it’d provided her a sense of control and concentration within her own area. A large blue binder to her right laid open in the middle, various mathematical and chemical formulas distributed all across the page in such a format that no one would be able to understand unless Josie pointed everything out.

She had a few notes scratched on the side here and there, but the graph paper and the notebook paper still appeared crisp and clean cut, despite having the binder for six years now. She scratched a few formulas down and turned to the closed capsules on her right, away from the door and stared at one filled with a strange black liquid. Josie’s last few years hadn’t been easy. She wasn’t known for being discreet, but formulating the blockers had been one of utmost importance and caution, so being discreet was a necessity and a risk. An extremely high risk. Josie hadn’t stepped foot inside Aspida Labs everyday without feeling an anxiety rush.

Josie knew how good Apsida and the government were at catching mutants; it happened everyday in public and she’d been grateful to Cecily for giving her a chance to make the world a better place. She still was. Josie took a small erlenmeyer flask filled with a clear liquid and tossed away her old gloves, replacing them with new ones. A petri dish was not far behind. Josie took five liters of the clear liquid into the dropper and placed a few drops onto the dish. She stashed the case of capsules away inside her filing cabinet and turned to the microscope, adjusting the dial to allow her to see the bacteria inside the liquid up more closely.

A sudden knock came at the door and she immediately turned off the microscope light. Josie turned, surprised to see an unfamiliar woman standing in the door. The lady introduced herself as Maxine and as much as Josie wanted to insult her for coming in unannounced, she complied with Maxine’s instructions and took both the vial and paper. Maxine was not the same woman who usually came around to do blood tests; it elevated her fears, but she kept on a straight face.

When Maxine exited the room, Josie grimaced and fiddled around in her drawers, heart pounding in her chest. “This isn’t good,” Josie muttered. She couldn’t remember the last time they’d drawn blood and on top of that, her blockers were nowhere near done. “Fuckin’ buggers.”

She opened the filing cabinet and removed all the files to find the capsules again.

“Please work,” she pleaded under her breath as she opened the small case and took out the only capsule that was worked on so far. “Please, please work.”

Josie raced to cover the case back up and popped the capsule inside her mouth. It tasted disgusting, like a bland gel of some sort, but the water in the water bottle nearby helped her swallow the pill with ease, much to her dismay. She took a deep breath and left the lab, fighting every nerve in her body to calm down.

The same mantra— please work, please work, please work— repeated in her head as Maxine wrapped the rubber band around her upper arm and spoke. She stared ahead as Maxine gave off some sort of stupid, long-winded statement about how silly these tests were and how they always needed to be tested before they start work. Josie rolled her eyes, willing herself to remain calm as Maxine stepped back, throwing up yet another stupid statement. She held the gauze to the small hole in her arm and prayed hard because sooner or later, they would find out, and she would be dead.



TAGS || @everyone @DarinValore
 
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As far as ‘go-times’ went, this was whelming.

Pearl Halladay. Season seven. Penultimate episode. Love triangle conveniently resolved with Derek’s reveal as the season antagonist. Pearl Halladay, archaeologist turned secret agent, leaps from the side of the helicopter through the skyscraper glass. Derek stammers as Pearl, leather jumpsuit not the least bit frayed, approaches. He stammers something about “still making this work” and “I love you”. Pearl, now archaeologist turned secret agent turned hell hath no fury embodiment of heartbreak-super strength, cold-clocks the son of a bitch. That’s a go-time. This was a little less Daughter Halladay following in her mother’s footsteps, a little more clumsy teen pretender.

Mack felt the uncomfortable pressure of her swimming goggles, a vice that pressed perfectly against her orbital bones and the back of her cranium. There was the distinct feeling that her head would burst like a hammer-struck watermelon if the implement was worn for upwards of, say, another second. She fingered past the torturous rubber band, prodding at her earpiece.

“This thing waterproof?”

No sense in wasting away seconds waiting for an answer, she unslung her backpack - pink with black splotches, in the vein of a particularly one-note Jackson Pollock - from her leather-garbed form. The top of a kickboard, electric blue with the water-eroded design of a skateboarding shark-kin, poked out, foremost amongst a variety of “don’t-drown” redundancies: water-wings, inflatable ring, what appeared to be a lone, useless scuba mask. She settled for the kickboard as her aegis. She didn’t expect to go deep-water, but then she was just a dumb kid, and rad-shark was too good to leave behind.

“Whatever,” she intones, an addenment to her inquiry, “Keep me posted; I’m poppin’ in.”

An explosion sounded, like some dramatically-enhance starter pistol. She took the cue, denim-bound legs carrying her into the wall, which gave at her slightest touch. A finger-tip first, before the surface rippled in circle-patterns, opening and expanding outwards. Liquid-cobalt crashed against the plastic of her goggles as the wall enveloped her, colder than she imagined. The pull, the suck, imposed their impetus upon her. The exit, too, was a struggle waiting to happen, a barrier of film almost viscous, like fat barely-rendered in consistency, refusing to give quite as easily as the entrance.

It did, nonetheless- and Mack felt distinctly like some B-movie science experiment emerging from a vat of butter. Delicious mad science.

She gave her earpiece a single tap, as if that would undo the damage in the case that it hadn’t been waterproof, “Hey Nostal’, you gonna figure that camera out before I run into some creep?”
 
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Luna Cambridge | Codename: Nostalgia | Aspida Labs Miami Branch


Interactions: Keith @Reythaak | Mac Attack @Shizuochan | Lex @Kimberlyn | Josie @Kat


Luna had barely caught Keith's comment as ten-twelfths of her brain focused on the security cameras. She was close to bringing these technological suckers to their knees. Unsurprisingly, Aspida's system was far more complex than the normal firewall; this grid was constructed like a Russian Doll, except for it being slowly blow-torched until the outer most layer melted and intermingled with its inner ones. To put simply, gaining full access required an exact series of breaches. One step out of line and the entire system would lock down on her faster than a Venus flytrap.

But still, somewhere deep in the discord scrambling around her head, Keith's compliment finally clicked. Without breaking her gaze from the screen, she shot back, "You're awesom-er. So there. D-don't look that up, Urban Dictionary won't help." She almost wanted to laugh at her own painful awkwardness, but knew that wasn't the time or place. She could properly apologize for her cringe-factor afterwards. Her posture straightened as two more *bings!* resounded.

"That's Sector D and C."

Then another pair.

"B and E...Come on," she huffed. If she wasn't so devoted to cracking these cameras, she would've noticed the soreness pulsing through her bottom lip as she nibbled on it to oblivion. As she waited for A to bow before her technological might, she rolled over to the monitor on her left and started sharing the acquired camera angles with Keith's screen. "Sectors B through E coming in hot, Keith." She tapped her earpiece. "Mac, I've got eyes on you. You're in E and Josie's in D-2z, that's a straight cut right through C and then a left until you reach the second hall. I'll keep an eye out for anyone coming your way--"

Even with the distance separating her and Keith from the building, the sound of an explosion was undeniable. "Oooooh shhhh--Okay. It's fine." She tried to pinpoint where the explosion came from but the cameras weren't giving her any direct answers. They must've came from A, which would explain why feedback from it was trickling in so slowly. The damn lenses were likely goners...so she had no chance of getting views on that area.

"Frick," she mumbled, "A is a no-go for us, guys. We can't get it." She could work with this. It was fine. Definitely no reason to panic, besides the possibility that a huge batch of men could be manning Sector A just waiting for Mac and Josie to fall into their hands. Hell, forget waiting. They were surely in the process of sprinting to each corner of the building by now. Nope. Nope, nope, nope. Luna, I swear to God, if you don't kick your old raggedy brain into high gear and think of something!! When did oxygen become so scarce in the van? No, that had to have been a figment of her imagination--

Oxygen...

Oxygen!

"I just had a brain baby and it's a boy if you're curious which is unlikely," she announced in one breath before locking into the alarm system again. "Keith, can you make sure Lex gets into Sector E with the others please?" She started honing in on Sector D's grid. Holding pods, holding pods, where art thou, evil holding pods?

It was a long shot, especially since a lot of this depended on timing and her observations from the cameras being right, but she hoped it would work. Mac, Lex and Josie's routes to E should lead them away from the blindness in A and the holding pods in D.


Of course, they still had the journey to worry about before the destination.
 
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Mara remembered quite vividly the day that the Rogues had shown up on her doorstep. They'd enticed her with sweet words, offering her a place of freedom and belonging. She'd taken their offering without question, not realizing the dangers that came with it all. Still, she couldn't really complain. The Rogues had provided her with guidance and, in a way, a sense of family. As it was, she was more than happy to help others see the benefit of joining their society of misfits.

She also took a special sort of pride in her work, as mundane as it might seem. So while Finn bemoaned their lot as recruiters, Mara was rather excited. Especially since this particular case was supposed to be a bit of a challenge. She rolled her eyes at Finn's pitiful attempt at a joke, pushing past him and following Penny into the warehouse.

The place was a mess, though she wasn't exactly expecting anything more. The stench alone was enough to make any decent person run for the hills, but the Rogues didn't have that luxury. It was quite the perfect place for mutants to hide; the R.I.E.F. probably wouldn't even want to poke around in this dump. Mara took everything in with silent calculation, automatically marking the available exits out of habit.

She stopped in her tracks when she saw Deckard, baring his well-earned muscles for the world to see. Her manners forgotten, she let out a low whistle, wondering if it was even legal for a man to be that appealing. Well, she supposed it technically wasn't, given that he was a mutant and all. And the tattoos.. Holy shit. Shaking her head to clear it, Mara crossed her arms and took a deep breath, although she instantly regretted it due to the foul smell. Damn hormones.

She glanced at Finn, a smirk playing at her lips. "I think he's got you beat in more ways than one," she muttered just loud enough for her companion to hear, chuckling to herself. Jokes now aside, Mara waited for the opportune moment to speak, opting to let Penny do most of the talking for now.​
 
[fieldbox="Aspida Labs Miami Branch, blue, solid"]
Maxine watched as the three other R.I.E.F. members took breaching positions around the door to the containment room. Unsure of what ability this mutant had, Maxine made sure to signal with her hand that they were to fire as soon as the door was breached. In order to shock the mutant inside and take her by surprise, they had lined the door with charges that would blow it inward. Once they captured her, Maxine would use all the tools in her belt to extract just how it had managed to beat the screening test this time without her Archivist to help her.

"On my count," Maxine stated and the three men nodded, "One....Two...."

An explosion rocked the building. Maxine's eyes turned up toward the source when her earbud sounded, "Third floor, south east corner."

Where had she heard that before. She thought a moment, "The mutant's lab," she whispered, "Ned, Will," the two of you go find out what happened and see if there's anything we can salvage from that lab. She beat the blood screening and we need to know how. If anyone is out of place, hit them with a non-lethal and drag their ass away."

She watched as Ned and Will broke away from the door and started up the stairs against the flood of people that had just begun to head down them to escape the blast. The sprinkler system kicked on a moment later and Maxine shook her head, "Could this get any worse?" she turned back to the door after nodding to the last remaining R.I.E.F. member, "One...Two...Three!"

The man pressed the button and the precision explosions sent the door catapulting inward in a puff of smoke.

"Go. Go. Go," she ordered.
[/fieldbox]

[fieldbox="Deckard Hallows, green, solid"]
He heard the door open and close. There wasn't much he didn't hear in the hollowed building. Sound seemed to ricochet off of every wall invading the steady, rhythmic pounding of his fists against the back. It swayed as he threw his weight into the punches and used the momentum of the drawback to launch the combo. A short burst of air left slightly parted lips with each drive of his fist; he did not stop as he was approached. Usually the fact that he pounded away at the bag made the other locals skirt around him, but these three...they came straight to him, and, based on their garb and lack of assault weapons, they weren't R.I.E.F.

"I thought I told Keegan 'no' already," he looked passed the back to the woman that had approached him, "twice."

He chose to ignore her advice for the moment, taking mental note to check if she was right when he was alone again. When they didn't budge or move to leave, he sighed and stilled the bag before stepping away from it. It was then that he noticed just who Keegan had sent this time and it brought a small smile to his lips, "Keegan must be desperate," his eyes bounced from the boy, to the dark-haired woman, and finally to the blonde before him, "Doesn't he have an army of you guys to accomplish his goals? He doesn't need me."

Walking away from the bag, Deck began to unwrap his hands and wrists, "I appreciate the lengths that you guys are going to recruit me, but I told Keegan that I wasn't interested when he and I had talked the first time, and when that guy..." he paused, his brow narrowing in thought, "Ricky...Richard..." he shook his head, "Whatever his name was, tried to force me back the second time," he whistled, "I know that Keegan didn't tell the man to do that, but," he made a painful expression, "That was a solid 'no'."

He snatched up his grey tank top and slid it over his head, "I like Keegan...even respect him, and what you guys are doing for others is admirable, but I'm not going to fight in this war. I'm doing fine on my own. So before you waste your breath with empty promises and lofty ideals...saving the world and restoring the balance and all...No, thanks," he turned his back to them, "You can go the same way you came in."
[/fieldbox]
 
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Watching his movements, Penny didn't bother to conceal the glimmer of amusement in her eyes, as Deckard stilled the bag and reached for his shirt. No doubt, he was a man accustomed to having eyes on him, but this gesture wasn't a sheepish one... It was calculating. He was preparing to run.

"War's already here, Sugar. You might not wanna pick a side... But there ain't enough shadows to hide in, anymore and I promise, R.I.E.F. sure as hell doesn't discriminate on whether or not you go Switzerland."

Casually, she looked to Finn and Mara. They were fresh in the field... Mara because she was newer to Rogue, Finn because he was... Well... Finn. Idly she wondered if they could pinpoint those nuanced actions or not.

"See, Sugar... Keegan, he's a smart man. Persistent as hell, too, and he knows better than most that you gotta pick, sometime. Ricky was a mistake. We know that, now. Guy like you? Needs a softer touch. And I'm not one to paint my own portrait, but well..." With an easy smile, she stepped away from the other two, giving the man a pointed once over.

"But I dunno. I'm not all that impressed. Definitely don't see what R.I.E.F is fussing over. What are you? Two-thirty? Two-fifty? You've got force, and a half decent form... Pretty as a daisy. I'll give you that, but I could take you... And I ain't exactly Wonder Woman. Hell... Finn or Mara here could take you, and they've got more in common with toothpicks, than people."

TAGS || @CloudyBlueDay, @Kimberlyn, @DarinValore
 
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If Josie didn’t make it, she’d try and find some way of intercepting information to Rogue. That was plausible, but only if R.I.E.F. didn’t kill her after they found out she’s a mutant. Rogue was a smart group; she was smart too. Josie always found a way out. She mulled over her options, leg beginning to shake involuntarily. She took a few deep breaths.

It was difficult to stay calm, but that was what she was good at, at least whenever she was working in her lab and not doing blood tests. Josie couldn’t sit still. Her fingers began to drum against the arms of the chair and her mind blanked as she waited for the results. The mere fact that it was taking longer than usual had her pining for the worst.

An abrupt explosion knocked Josie back against the glass cabinets on the back wall. The glass shattered on her and the back of her head felt as if it was going to split open. Josie coughed and groaned as she got down to floor level. It looked like those fire drills in school were useful afterall, but she couldn’t think straight.

“Shit, where’s everyone?” she grumbled. She heard footsteps pounding on the floor and yelling, but she couldn’t tell what was going on. It was probably Maxine and the other men, here to take her down. “Perhaps it’s finally time to plan my funeral.”



TAGS || @everyone @DarinValore
 
FINN WESTFALL

"I'm not makin' your ego any bigger than it already is, Astroboy. And maybe it's less that they look like axe-murderers and more... this guy's bicep is larger than your entire body and you're less likely to freak him out."

Finn frowned with a roll of his eyes. “Whatever. People that look like inflatable bean bags aren’t attractive anyway.” He sneered as Mara blatantly pushed past him. “Ow, jeez. My feelings.” Finn muttered, gaze lowering at the clear lack of humor behind Mara’s actions. Normally people tolerated him with a joking roll of the eyes, but Mara quickly lost the patience to do so. He didn’t blame her.

"...Try not to say anything that'll get you punched, okay?" "I think he's got you beat in more ways than one,"

“Really? He’s not even that hot. You’re all just being mean to me.” Finn whined, despite gulping at the sight of Deckard. They were, unfortunately, very right. The guy could easily play whack-a-mole with his head. He needed to hit the gym. Slinking into a position of defeat behind Penny, hands jammed in his pockets, Finn bit his tongue.

Seemed like Keegan had been a bit overly aggressive with this guy, and Finn couldn’t understand why. There were plenty of stragglers all over the place. Keegan didn’t need to focus on this guy.. Especially when, all things considered, he seemed to be doing alight. Man, Finn could only dream of being so self sustainable. And buff.

Finn was ready to throw in the towel (as he always was) but Penny seemed hellbent on making the third time the charm. First she rambled about Keegan’s genius, and all the mistakes they’d made in trying to pick up this guy. But then she started egging him on, and Finn could see no reason why she would ever like make a guy like that want to beat them up. Her last comment made him sure that she was joking. Strange tactic.

“Ha ha, real funny. I get it, Penny.” Finn muttered. Turning over her shoulder, Penny shot him a glare. Finn met this glare with a look of surprise, before getting a clue and puffing up his chest. “I mean, yeah. I could totally take you. I could totally beat your ass.”

@DarinValore @Elle Joyner @Kimberlyn
 
fright

Keith Fuller
Location: Van outside Aspida Labs Miami BranchInteractions: @La Reina, @Mobley Eats

Keith allowed himself another smile. Of course Lex was already doing her thing. He wasn't surprised, but it was in his nature to be a bit on the paranoid side. It was always better to check all the moving pieces if you had the time; it led to fewer surprises later on.

He let out a little laugh, "Nope. Pretty sure you're more awesome," he shot back to Luna as the cameras popped up on his screen. Lex and the lab were in A. Josie was in D. Keith opted to start mentally mapping the major cameras he could get to, focusing on intersections and the like to give him the most important views, including of the area surrounding A. While he couldn't see in that sector itself, at least being able to see stuff coming out of it would be something.

He winced at the explosion, briefly thumping his palm against his forehead. Fuck. He let out a little huffed sigh, releasing a little bit of the tension in his body as he heard Lex's voice come across the coms. That was definitely good, seeing as she was the only one they couldn't track on the cameras at the moment.

"Yeah. Yeah. That ought to be enough," was his response to Lex. Even if they didn't get all of the notes, if they did get Josie, she could still work from what they had to continue her research. Maybe. Rogue didn't exactly have the same kind of facilities ASPIDA did, though... And his dad couldn't doctor up too many of the SHA-13 tests; he would get suspected if he did too much of that...

He shoved that train of thought to the side, double checked his cameras, and started rattling off directs to get Lex out of the lab as safely as possible.

There was a little pause at Luna's comments. He tilted his head to the side, then gave a shrug, "Yup. Can do that," not bothering to question.

"New plan, Lex. Further into the monster's lair. Nostalgia has an idea, we need to get you to Josie and the others." He would have rathered Lex and the notes get out now but, he definitely didn't rank high enough to make that kind of decision. And he trusted Luna's brain; it was bigger than his.

"Once you get out of Sector A, I have cameras. The explosion seems to have knocked 'em out in A, though," he explained as he worked on the quick reroute to get her to E. "Alright. Here's what ya do..."
 
4MH70K3.png

@Reythaak @Mobley Eats @Kat

“Hey. Hey! Hey. Can you two stop bonin’ on the earpiece?”

She stomped through E, rad-shark's toothy grin bobbing in and out of sight as her kickboard swung in tune with her steps. Hey, kid, you’re the most radical awesomest. - what the rail-grinding, ollie-doing shark would say if it could talk, Mac imagined. A teenager with her dignity was a strange thing, the anxious motherbird that thought every awkward social interaction overheard was a potential threat. In having thoroughly snarked Keith and Nostal’, those weird muthers, Mac felt inordinately pleased with herself.

Back to business, Spitz.

A straight-cut and left for Luna meant something altogether different for Mac. Being able to bypass solids meant that, amongst other things, she derived quite a bit of utility from ‘Pythonaran’s theory’ - or whatever it was some Rogue had tried to tell her about. Straight and left was a simple, efficient diagonal. Granted, that was if you could nail the dimensions and pick out that whole Hip-pot-and-noose business. Mac stared blankly at the left wall as she trudged onward, attempting to intuit whereabouts she should make her ‘crossing’.

She decided so suddenly that it must have been entirely random. A quick side-step into the yielding whirlpool that formed along the wall, the right of her body quickly pushing forward, combatting the brief intentions of ‘the suck’ with torque. Or perhaps it wasn’t torque; applicable usage of science terms was… arbitrary, Mac-wise.

Coming out the other side of the wall, she prepared to right her body into sprinting form, before the sight of their backs cause her to stutter and give pause.

Her first step was just a smidge too heavy.

Mac caught the sight of black steel in her periphery before bounding forth and downwards off that first, unfortunate step - dive. The threatening downward pull was a boon this time, yanking her even further - and faster - downwards than she had anticipated, out of harm’s way as a spattering of shots made themselves heard. The percussive impact of bullets against hard surface was a relieving vibration; bullets would go straight through the area of the flooring she had rendered a rippling liquid.

Mentally, Mac allowed a quick “fuck-you” to rad-shark as she fought against the kickboard’s natural inclination to surface. Legs kicked out in a furious flurry, calves burning and tightening faster than Mac would have expected them to. She just had to keep going diagonally and, if she had measured out the lengths right, she’d pop up where she needed to be. Where Josie needed her to be. The various external forces at work in the maelstrom had better ideas, pushing, pulling, prodding in ways that disoriented her.

Before long, she relinquished the delusion of mastering the tide, and gave in to it for a short stretch, hoping that she had angled herself just right - like a sniper’s bullet subject to Coriolis - so that when she eventually forced herself to surface, the ‘waters’ would have propelled her right underneath…

A gasp for air as she surfaced, hand clawing around for a solid, and another gasp as she felt the jagged touch of glass.

“Ow, what the fuck!”

A spike of pink hair, followed by a cussing teenager, greeted Josie. The sound of a veritable stampede and gruff hollers spoke to a more unfortunate, if less foul-mouthed, visitor. The aquatically-challenged Rogue snapped to attention:

"Hey, you swim good? dontanswerjustgetinhere"
 
Luna Cambridge | Codename: Nostalgia | Aspida Labs Miami Branch


Interactions: Keith @Reythaak | Mac Attack @Shizuochan | Lex @Kimberlyn | Josie @Kat


She wasn't sure what to expect.

Luna figured that a containment system designed to hold nullified Mutants would be regarded in higher importance. Higher importance tech usually equated top quality security. And top quality security led to the birth of a grid so tightly wound that tracing one pathway of breaches would be nearly impossible. Well, then...It was safe to say that Christmas arrived a tad early for her. Oh Saint Nick, you considerate jolly dude you, she thought as a smile threatened to pull at her lips.

The threat transformed into reality at Keith's reply. "Touche," she chuckled, completely missing Mac Attack's grumbling over the earpiece (okay, fine, not exactly missing it...Mac's uniqueness and commentary were always received with love, so Luna couldn't bring herself to be offended in the slightest bit). Luna followed Mac's position with growing apprehension and visible winces as she dodged flying bullets, weaving through walls like a punk guardian spirit (she would wisely keep that observation to herself).

"Oh heck yes!" Luna cheered with a mini fist pump as Mac's head popped up in Josie's location. "Shoosh yeah, Mac! That's what I call a dope burrito with some spicy sriracha on the si--..." However, her rambling crashed point blank into a brick wall as she zeroed in on Josie, who laid in the middle of a mess of glass shards. Injured. Heart hammering and hands shaking, she pressed into the comm with a force that struck her ear with discomfort. "O-oh dear, oh God. O-okay. Okay. Um, Lex? If you're not in E yet, just sprint to the stairwell on the west wing as soon as p-possible and get out of there."

She gave the briefest pause to blindly extend a hand out towards Keith, which was still trembling like a soaked chihuahua. She was never ashamed to admit that her anxiety was getting the better of her, nor of admitting that physical contact from a friend assisted in easing the miasma flooding her lungs. Whether Keith got it or not was up to him. She just knew that the support would help.

"M-Mac? Grab Josie and r-run to the west s-stairwells too. They'll lock f-from the main rooms as s-soon as you step through." Just as she managed to wheeze this out, her attention flew back to containment pods' gas reserves. She could only count her lucky blessings how intimately interconnected they were with the building's gas distribution system.

As soon as Lex, Josie and Mac cleared out, she would disable the pressure regulators in Sectors B through D and override the locks on every entrance leading into the stairwell. Oxygen levels would rise in the rooms holding Maxine and her men, leading to fatigue and unconsciousness in under a minute, which should've been more than enough time for the group to escape. She was practically creating a massive gassing chamber. The thought made her somewhat nauseated, but she battled the sensation with the thought of her friends safe.

But, of course, she knew herself. The guilt would catch up quickly.
 
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The wait was hopeless. Josie stared off into space as Maxine and her goons fought to search for her. She could've sat up and lit a few bunsen burners, made her deathbed, and gone to sleep, but she didn't have that in her. She didn't want to be seen anymore, so she concocted an outrageous plan of attack against the R.I.E.F. operatives and the stupid lady who'd taken her blood.

The plan involved an uncomfortable level of risk showing off her abilities and her dying in the heat of the moment. She laid low and inched forward a little, wincing when a few shards dug into her elbows. Her back wasn't doing so hot either and her back and neck ached from the impact. The smoke from the precision explosion on the door began to dissipate when a familiar voice suddenly appeared.

'-fuck!'

A very common word in Mac’s vocabulary. Josie turned her head cautiously to see the teenager and breathed a sigh of relief. Rogue was here. They were saving her.

“Hey Spitz,” she grinned. “Glad to see you.”

Josie groaned as she stood up and let the glass fall off her back. The moment she stepped into the whirlpool, the mass of water enveloped her completely, and she fought tooth and nail to kick her legs and move her arms. Her body stung with open cuts and Josie felt the weight of the ocean pulling her down. The pressure against her lungs was suffocating, but maybe that was better for everyone.

She hadn’t been able to grab what was left of her lab before she’d escaped. She didn’t even know where the other explosion came from. The one far away, the one that shook the building. It could’ve been her lab, for all she knew. It didn’t matter anymore though. She couldn’t come back here to grab her things; they’d found her out and there was no doubt her things had been scavenged.

We’re all gonna die. I’m gonna die.

The waters brought her a strange sense of peace. Spitz was here and so were the others, but it was time to move on. It was time to accept the fact that things wouldn’t change, no matter how hard she tried to force it. No matter how hard she tried to make the world a better place and go to all the trouble of sacrificing her life. It just wouldn’t work.

You’ve done enough, Josie. You’ve done enough.


TAGS || @Shizuochan