(will add styling later)
The guard that Ezekiel approached was six foot six and just a little over two hundred pounds. He was muscular without being overly so. He had jet black hair that was cut in a military fashion and dark blue eyes. He studied the boy with a mild curious look.
Ezekiel approached him carefully. He couldn't avoid feeling threatened by the man's imposing figure, even without taking into account his riot equipment and weapons. But even so, the boy was relieved at the fact the guard did not attack him or try to stop him - Vlad's dictator-like manner constantly made him feel like he was trespassing, and he subconsciously expected the same behavior from the rest of the staff. But the challenging part was ahead of him - he knew that to get what he wanted, he needed an exact amount of confidence.
"Hi." he said, in a business-like manner, "I am one of Vlad's new recruits, and I'm looking for the library?" He cursed inwardly at the unnecessary question mark. "Do you know where it is?"
The guard smirked. He thought that this boy wasnt very smart. First he told him something that every guard in the building knew then he asked the worlds stupidst question. "Considering that I have worked in this building for over ten years I wouldnt be a very good guard if I didnt know where the library was.?"
Ezekiel smiled uncomfortably. He could recognise a predator's smile quite easily. It was obvious the guard is going to toy with him, but the actual words he said gave the young man some hope. Despite this, he would not be enjoying what was going to come. "Ten years, really?" He made an innocently curious face. "So you must've seen lots of guys like us come and go?" It was a good question, actually. Was this project really new? "What were they like?" He wondered in the back of his mind how good the pay was to make this guy so unambitious.
"You are only the second patch of criminals that the doctor has had here. Before that this was a pretty regular job." the guard answered. He didnt approve of letting teenage criminals roam the facility freely. He believed that they should be locked up but the doctor was in charge. He would follow orders and only keep them out of the restricted rooms.
"Hmmm... I wonder what happened to them." Ezekiel rubbed his chin, while underhandedly trying to read the guard's expression. Then he remembered the Shadow Girl - she must've been from the first batch. Was she the only one who survived? Then again, he couldn't tell if the others were really new or were faking it. He decided to get back to the mission.
"Listen, I'm sorry to bother you with this, but we are on a timed research mission given by Vlad. Could you point me to the library?"
The guard snorted. "I could point you in the right direction but if this was an enemy base you would have no one to ask and if you were stupid enough to ask you would probably be killed. You will have to find the library on your own."
"An enemy base?!" The young man raised his eyebrows. This changed his entire understanding of the mission. He considered saying something about the man being an enemy guard and other things involving knocking him out and picking his pockets. "Well then, are you going to stop me from trying to enter this room?" He gestured at the door next to the guard.
"No. The doctor said you were to have access to all but a few of the rooms. This isnt one of the restricted rooms. I am just here to make here you dont damage or take anything." The guard told him. He watched the boy to see what he would do next.
"I see. Thanks." Ezekiel looked at the door before turning to scan the entire hallway. It was important to know he wasn't supposed to sneak around or break into places. He figured he'd best check all the rooms, mark their purpose on the map, and continue from there. But since he had no pen and paper on him, all he could do was check the rooms in his immediate vicinity.
"I'm Ezekiel, by the way." He told the guard over his shoulder before entering the room at the end of the hall. "Have a nice day."
"I know." The guard answered without hesitation. He knew all the teens, their abilities, and their crimes. He was familiar with the skills that had been documented. He watched the boy in the room. It was a simple storage room with suppilies like towels, sheets, and blankets. Nothing that was helpful to the teen.