[center][h3][b]A Fortunate Encounter[/b]
[i]Loom -Armax HexTech Inc Headquarters
Afternoon[/i][/h3]  

[i]Collab: [@yoshua171] and [@Synthorian][/i]
[hr][/center]
Having concluded his business with his newly conscripted hunting dog, Dane chuckled to himself, one hand on the wheel of his car, and the other tapping on the dashboard absentmindedly. The black tinted windows of the normal looking vehicle were the only indicator of its ownership and in a world where many had such cars, it didn't stand out at all.

Glancing at the dashboard he tapped a few spots and then turned several dials, adjusting the sound and station he was listening to. It was classical music from an era so many had forgotten. He enjoyed it, though he had very little idea as to why it always sounded so familiar to him. It was one of the many things he was consistently looking into, no matter how trivial it seemed. Turning his mind away from the music he looked ahead and frowned somewhat. He was nearing the building. It always gave him mixed feelings. On one hand his lab was in the Armax HexTech Inc. Headquarters he was about to enter, but on the other being within its walls meant constant surveillance and annoying as fuck people--some that now outranked him, which was indeed a fact that greatly displeased him.

Sighing he turned the car into the parking complex, went to the same spot he always did, and then let it sink down, hiding the car altogether, before replacing the spot once more. He felt, rather than heard or saw, the scan go through his vehicle. It only lasted a moment, but it always made him shake himself of the sensation. Had he been [I]normal[/I] he would have been unable to feel it at all, but alas he was not.

Exiting the car after a minute or two of waiting, Dane closed the door behind him and entered the building. It smelled sterile, and felt of power and organization. It was nothing new.

[I]One day I'll have my own private lab again and I won't have to come to this damned place so often,[/I] he thought, his internal voice a bitter one. Perhaps he was right, but first he'd certainly have to prove himself again and while that wasn't a terribly daunting task for one such as him, that didn't mean it was easy.

Turning several times and taking two elevators on his way down to his lab, Dane's mind began to turn to his research. However, on the third elevator he ran into someone he had never expected to see:

Logan Bain.

"Mr. Tessarin." Said the O-5 Operative. He was the Chairman's personal lapdog, and the only person in the Three Worlds who even got to see the elusive entity's face. He ran the operations here most of the time, since being an O-5 Agent made him a near equivalent of one of the company's major stockholders. The man was a Gene Spliced, Cybernetic Chimera. A walking supersoldier who got his rank in a span of mere weeks, rivaling the talents of an agent who went Rogue just over two hundred years ago, and some were saying that Logan was even better. He was also known as Sundowner, due to his demonic traits. He was an ugly man, his body a burnt mess that made him look like a baby smooth skinned nightmare. Probably an intentional design, based on the genes he was cloned from. "I hope I'm not intruding on your busy schedule."

Dane, punching in the floor he intended to go to, barely glanced at the chimera, the roll of his eyes obvious. [color=#98AFC7][b]"Oh hardly, not that it would matter,"[/b][/color] he looked at the man once more, appearing to briefly size him up before looking away, watching as the elevator ticked through the floors, descending with every moment. It'd be awhile till he could escape from this guy. [color=#98AFC7][b]"So, Logan, what brings you here exactly? I don't see you around base much after all, so you must have a good reason."[/b][/color]

"I spend most of my time running this place from the field. But what brings me here today are orders from the One and Only." He pulled out a folder from his trench coat and handed it to Dane. "I noticed that you want your Agent status back and have seen the talent you show daily. So I used my position to pull some strings." He folded his arms, examining Dane, and his D.A.R.T. chip. "Agent Miles' grip on you has been revoked. You have been under my jurisdiction since 3 hours ago. Continue to use your talents wisely and I can get you back into O-1. Miles wanted you in the grave anyway."

At first Logan's words meant nothing to him, but that all changed when he mentioned his status. At its mention his eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth, as if to rebuttle him, but before he could he was handed a folder and told that he was essentially being given another chance. He looked down at the folder for a long moment, then a smile crossed onto his features. [color=#98AFC7][b]"Miles would've never gotten what he wanted, I'm too valuable an asset,"[/b][/color] he said, the satisfaction dripping from his voice. He glanced at the elevator and hit another floor, [color=#98AFC7][b]"I think I'll pay ol' Miles a visit,"[/b][/color] he said with a grin on his face.

After a moment he exhaled and looked back to Logan. [color=#98AFC7][b]"I almost forgot,"[/b][/color] no he hadn't, [color=#98AFC7][b]"...what's the catch exactly? Oh, and not to mention the One's involvement. I know I'm important, that much has been made clear to me, but why exactly would [I]he[/I] give a damn?"[/b][/color] He raised an eyebrow, his silver eyes staring through Logan, a look of expectation and mild doubt in them. He was not one to take such things lightly, doing so was foolish--especially in an organization where failure often meant death...or worse. Yes, Dane knew some things, this was for sure, and he was a valued asset, but they still had his DNA, and that meant they could clone him if he died, or they deemed him unnecessary.

He had no intention of missing such hints.

"Number 5 has deemed you a loss. But the Chairman and I think otherwise. He has been watching you very closely and has found N-5's decision to revoke your status... Hmm... Disappointing." He pulled a phone out of his pocket as it beeped, he had recieved a message. He navigated its menus as he continued to talk. "Minor mistakes such as that previous event are trivial, at best." He was reading the message just as he spoke. "And Miles already knows. Sorry I rained on your parade." He placed his phone back in his pocket, seemingly satisfied with something that he read. "The catch is I need your skills for something big. But for now we need to deal with a small problem. I got wind that you hired Sanguine for a large hit on the Ravens. Did you do your research on the man? His background, current associations, that kind of intel?"

[I]You're damn right it is disappointing,[/I] Dane ranted internally. Still, he had won in the end, and that's all that mattered. He shrugged a bit as he mentioned Miles already knew, his mind already moving on to new topics and how he'd elevate himself back to his former status. Then Logan mentioned the Ravens, and furthermore Sanguine. In response he scoffed, having opened the folder. He was reading over the contents faster than any human ought to have been able to. [color=#98AFC7][b]"Younger sister, he hangs around her at the academy a lot. He's got ties internationally. Szayeis considers him a toy,"[/b][/color] he'd dug real hard for that last one, [color=#98AFC7][b]"...what else,"[/b][/color] he paused for a long moment and stopped reading, feeling like he'd forgotten something important. This was not a thing he did often.

"Forgot something, haven't you?" Logan noticed the pause and his facial expression. "Mr. Kasio has ties with a Rogue Agent. He knows everything about us. So, Dane. What position does that put you in?"

Dane flitted through the rest of the pages, having only a few left to go over. He then closed the folder and his eyes flitted back and forth as if reading something in front of him in the air. Algorithms ran in his mind, recalculating the odds of his plan backfiring. They went up slightly, he'd need to compensate for that. He knew he couldn't really too much on the organization, at least not for any direct personnel. [color=#98AFC7][b]"Heh, not bad. I considered quite a few variables before going into this. I knew he was dangerous to begin with. Although, if he decides to go to the Rogue Agent it might be...slightly troublesome. Then again..."[/b][/color] he trailed off, a smirk finding itself on his face.

"The Rogue Agent is Solus Grim. You read the file. Now recalculate your odds." Logan's tone was serious now.

Dane showed not the least shred of surprise. [color=#98AFC7][b]"Oh I know. There aren't many Rogues that are still alive, last I checked. Hmmm,"[/b][/color] several holograms opened up in front of him and he began to flit through them and rearrange various [I]slides[/I]. After roughly five seconds he nodded and blinked, closing them down in the same moment. [color=#98AFC7][b]"Solus Grim has the knowledge, and the power to be a threat on certain levels. However, even with the tech he carries, he doesn't really mean much. Sanguine is getting compensated handsomely and while it's likely he'll try to kill me after I pay him, I've faked my death before. Plus, my essence doesn't stay the same for long,"[/b][/color] he glanced at Logan with a grin. He knew the chimera only cared about his orders and destruction, so he doubted the man would take any mind to what he said aside from whether or not it'd be a problem for the organization in the long run.

[color=#98AFC7][b]"Even better, if Sanguine decides to go on instinct and anger and get Solus involved, it'll be pretty evident pretty damn fast. I've got a few nanobots in his system and while they're not enough to kill him, they're enough to inform me who is in his vicinity and the acitivity of any tech he utilizes. If he walks into Solus' home, or calls the bastard, I can set a trap for him, and we won't have a Rogue Agent anymore, now will we."[/b][/color]

"You underestimate him far too quickly. Solus has singlehandedly obliterated Solstice, Site 11 in Loom, destroyed countless experiments, killed a Demon Lord, and is in direct contact with a Deity. And we barely managed to find out about the latter." He folded his arms again. "Here's what you can do for the moment. Pretend you are some rich businessman who wants the Ravens gone, play the game as the ball is still in your court. I'm sure you had this scenario thought out already. But if Solus gets involved, no matter what you do, you will fail. He will find you faster than you can blink. He's a former O-5, he uses our own methods, and some of his own, more creative ones." He paused for a moment. "But that does not matter, I'll deal with him by the end of today. Just make sure Sanguine doesn't figure out who you are, and Grim won't hunt you down."

[color=#98AFC7][b]"Have you read mission report 031B?"[/b][/color] Dane suddenly asked, seeming to ignore what Logan had just said. The smile on his face had faded. He was much more serious now.

"I did. Impressive. But Solus isn't that easily fooled. Especially when dealing with our kind of personnel. But like I said. He isn't your concern for now. Deal with Sanguine, make sure he hasn't got a clue and pay him. Then we will talk about the bigger picture that I want you to be a part of. If we pull it off, you will be an Agent again." The elevator pinged at the designated floor and the doors slid open. "This is your stop."

Dane chuckled, putting the folder under his arm as he walked out of the elevator. Before the door closed he turned to Logan and smiled. [color=#98AFC7][b]"That little trick happened months ago. Wait till you see the shit I've come up with recently."[/b][/color] As the doors were about to close, he finished with, [color=#98AFC7][b]"Oh, and noted. I'll be...extra careful with the Blood Hound...sir."[/b][/color] Then he was gone, off to his lab to finish his plans and, likely, make some afternoon discoveries.

Yes, things were going well. A normal mission he'd taken almost on a whim, now meant that should he preform well he'd soon be back to Agent status, and from there he could only continue on upwards.

First though, he had to figure out just how far the cloning programs went.

[I]Yes, one thing at a time,[/I] he thought to himself, his smile broadening.

[I]One thing at a time.[/I]