[h1]Vale Systems Offices, Singapore[/h1]
[h2][color=lightblue]Skye Rosalind Lyons[/color][/h2]
[h2]Two to One[/h2]

[img]https://archello.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/images/2020/03/03/-4-Wilson-Associates-Singapore-Office.1583241971.6681.jpg[/img]

Skye felt the fear, but whatever it was, kept it down. That stoic nature, trust. It came from doing this over, and over, and over. The term "operative" covered a lot, but you killed people, lied to people, stole information, did everything, Skye knew the members of her team had seen it themselves, but in that regard, Skye had to be one of those who still played it her way.

They were in the same area as the infiltrators were now, and Skye knew that they would be sneaking out of the way, and staying out of Skye, Pavel's and Alexei's reach, knowing they were unmarked and unfollowed aside from the occasional patrol. But then again, no better place to get the support if things went to shit. Though knowing the fact it was likely soundproofed, it would be risky. Worse so, because Skye knew with this chat, she had to get what she could, and play the situation out. The office was like a house almost, wooden decor reducing the wide open spaces down on this area, with Pavel's office being a large, tinted glass suite of its own kind in his own area.

Entering the office, Alexei standing at the back, Pavel took a seat, his strength clear to see in this position, the power a CEO had in his lavish, almost luxurious Singapore office one to behold. It was clad in a modern style with wood finishing and a soft wooden floor that felt like it bled money, without being tasteless. The sort of guy who didn't fly Emirates clearly, because he valued warm, clean aesthetic over garish, loud noise.

[color=LightCoral]
"So, you're in the presence of a CEO, a man with power. You are lucky indeed."[/color]
His voice carried, as Skye shook her head, now knowing pretenses were off. She needed Alexei out of the picture. This wasn't going to go perfectly, not the way she envisioned. He wasn't going to leave Pavel alone if she asked nicely, so she'd have to force the matter. It meant being a bit difficult, and well, setting her expectations a little too high.

[color=LightBlue]
"Is that how you address a lady like me?"[/color]

[color=LightCoral]
"I address you how you I like. File please. Before we talk anymore, I need trust. Then we talk terms, conditions, and all that shit."[/color] Pavel couldn't hold back his tone here, seeing the girl across from him as just another pawn in his game.
He felt angry to be doing business here, but he'd get his way, after all, he held all the cards and if she was so desperate to come into his clutches, he wasn't taking her tone. And she would come around after the money, just that he didn't like being spoken to like that first. Skye knew it was his weakness. And she was using it against him.

[color=LightBlue]
"You know I'm not giving you that. Not without you telling me what it's worth to you."[/color]

[color=LightCoral]
"It seems to be going down in price, as well as your life. And such a pretty lady, too. I would make a woman out of you."[/color] Pavel slyly retorted, leaning over the table, his womanising gone and now something far more sinister. It was like a switch tripped and out went the rich CEO, in came in the monster that had done what he did to Freya's workmates, and the other girls that were rumoured about.

[color=LightBlue]
"They commonly say that, but I'm smarter than you think. No dice. It's 50 million, and that's the preliminaries, only."[/color] This was a rather aggressive interview, but Skye was driving it up, not down. It would put Alexei in position and she'd know if he was armed, or not.
Skye retorted, as Alexei walked behind, Pavel sighing.

[color=LightCoral]
"I don't accept a waste of my time. I always get what I want. Alexei, if you would remind her of the situation."[/color] Skye smirked at him, watching as he went for his Sig Sauer pistol, Skye rolling back on the chair as she drew her own chunk of acid out of her handbag that was contained in her purse, swinging out simultaneously and grabbing his arm, twisting it over and smacking the weapon out, though the big man certainly had his wits on him. A hard hit came from him as he twisted out and threw Skye against the glass of the office, hurting plenty as he walked over, dusting himself off, pushing her back up the cracked glass, and wrapping hands to throat and up her neck, the air beginning to be squished out, Skye watching as he silently pushed tighter.

[color=LightBlue]
"Not my kink!" [/color] Skye wriggled, using a heel to get him in the groin and smashed the acid-filled perfume against his throat, allowing her to pull him down like a mountainside, wrapping herself up on top, punching him hard in the head. It wasn't enough as he rolled back, hitting Skye hard in the head with a response, enough to push her off and roll across and grab his pistol. With a pickup of the pistol by Alexei, Skye had no other options left, the whip cable off her purse taken as she charged, Alexei firing a couple of rounds at her, and yet unlike the anticipated effect would be, Skye didn't stop. She simply lept up with a kick, aware nobody normal would do this. The whole getting shot thing, that is.

It was why you had a ceramic lining in your dress, because it helped that idea out.

Alexei tried to grab but the kick sent him down as she wrapped the cable around his throat and pulled, winded as Skye lept onto his now weakened grip and turning the Sig Sauer in his hands out into her grip. The cable she held with her legs and knees was working, but this pistol was faster. With it, she pulled his hand back towards him and clacked him in the head, tapping twice with the trigger in his hand bent back towards him, the claret spilling bloodily from the bald Russian at point blank.

With Alexei out, Skye panted, exhaling as she drew the pistol up again, seeing Pavel try to get up and past the mess, of course, Alexei making it easy for the two to block the way out as they were at the door of the room. He'd been scrambling through his drawers, but his draw wasn't fast enough as he fumbled the pistol into hand, Skye already having hers raised before he could take hold. He wasn't even holding it right.

[color=LightBlue]
"Sit the fuck down. You're not going anywhere."[/color]


[hr]

[h2]One to One[/h2]

[color=LightCoral]
"You work for a competitor? Then I'll pay double what they want. Jesus!"[/color] His shock was palpable seeing his bodyguard get iced, but even more so, how easy Skye made it look, considering the size of Alexei and his talents. It seemed freakish, his nerves clear to see.

[color=LightBlue]
"It's not money I want, Pavel."[/color]

[color=LightCoral]
"Then who the hell are you? And what are you after then? This is in the way of a greater good, whatever you think you're doing, this goes so much bigger than what you are!"[/color]

[color=LightBlue]
"The greater good? You mean how your tech is in the hands of a shadowy organisation?"[/color] Skye's voice carried, as she knew the exact words she'd let slip. 

[color=LightCoral]
"No idea what you're talking about....."[/color]

[color=LightBlue]
"Bullshit. I know you're in with Artemis."[/color]

[color=LightCoral]
"Well, it's like I don't have a choice. Artemis want the same thing, and nobody is going to change a thing. You can't see this, can you? The world is going to shit. How do you think the world keeps turning with all the gadgets, everything you get?"[/color]

[color=LightBlue]
"And you think that makes it okay to fund organisations trying to create a dirty bomb? Or is it just so convenient your algorithms are all over their work?"[/color] Skye was fuming- oh, she knew what Artemis might be like, probably enriching the rich for their own good through anarchy, but this, oh this was pandering to the worst.

[color=LightCoral]
"Because nobody will do what is needed. You live in fear, I live in opportunity. So tell me, what do you want? If you want to kill me, do it. They'll eat you alive by the hour. You do not know what you're messing with, MI6, CIA, whoever the fuck you are."[/color]

[color=LightBlue]
"None of the above. And I'm not going to kill you, Pavel. You're more valuable to me alive."[/color]

Skye pulled up her handbag once again, containing a vial that was encased inside a lip balm canister, drawing it out. This was nothing like what Sam had prepared- nope, this was a Skye special, from back in her day. She didn't want the team knowing she had something this awful, given that well, if Xan got his hands on it, the pranking would be terrifying.

[color=LightBlue]
"See this? I think it'll tell me a lot. It's a truth serum, I put this in you, and you tell me everything you know about Artemis, what you do, and who you've been hacking lately. Side effect is though in about five minutes, you'll be in a state of mind that is what you feel like after ten shots of vodka...and you will crap yourself. Choice is up to you if I inject it, though."[/color]

[color=LightCoral]
"What?" [/color]

[color=LightBlue]
"You'll need to go back to the party after our little chat. Your security isn't coming for you because you're not to be disturbed. I can get you up there, but what happens to your image, reputation, all of what you are is up to you." [/color]

[color=LightCoral]
"So that's it? You think Artemis will let me live if I tell you. I'd be a dead man walking."[/color]

[color=LightBlue]
"That is it. It's a risk you have to take. Gut tells me you'll live because you're too important to them. And to yourself, Pavel. Just get better bodyguards, yeah?" [/color]

He sighed, knowing he was truly screwed. There was no way out of this. And to him, his image was all that mattered. Being the best, on top. There was no fighting his way out of this. If Skye could do that to his henchman, and the pistol that she had was centred right at his head, there was little chance he would have. 

Trick was, she had to engineer him a little here. Skye knew what she had spilled was risky, but it was enough to make him scared because she knew what he was involved in. It was enough to make him run to his network, rather than hide- the fact that someone like Skye had come in and done this would make him talk to his friends in a panic, realising he was under threat. It was more the idea of the fact that the bad men were coming after Pavel, more than anything. Making a man who thought he was invincible feel very mortal, and save his skin for now, before the team got the details they needed of him and his wider connections. 

[color=LightCoral]
"Alright. After a few years ago and the original setup of Artemis fell apart, a group of government officials, CEOs, companies, realised that drastic measures need to be taken to protect us from our own mess. I heard it was much worse, what is on the table is better, and that is all I know. Artemis is going to put the world back on course, after some....setbacks. I'm just a supplier and I don't know shit, I promise, but the cabal on top in Artemis, they want to fix this whole thing. They don't want anarchy. They just want an order."[/color]

[color=LightBlue]
"What are you fucking talking about?"[/color]

[color=LightCoral]
"None of these solutions are going to work to solve all of our problems. They're all linked. Governments that don't work. Overpopulation. Climate change. Inequality, resources, water, food scarcity, all of it. There will be anarchy soon. People fighting over basic amenities let alone smartphones. And nobody wants to do a thing. We are out of time for the solutions. The only answer is to control, and that is down to people like us. People won't listen to speeches, technology, promises, they listen to fear. People will die, but we might keep things intact, and ourselves too. You kill me, there'll be another tech billionaire who has the same idea."[/color] Pavel paused, clearing his throat, his swear and fear dying back as he backed himself, Skye respecting that bravely enough, he was trying to justify it.

[color=LightCoral]
"Listen, you seem clever enough. Whatever your name is. You don't have to do this. You can replace Alexei, call it here and give in to reason. If you want to stop Artemis, I don't care what government, company, anyone you work for, it won't stop. It's inevitable. Because if they don't the wave of shit comes for us all and it all burns."[/color]

[color=LightBlue]
"No thanks, you seem like an asshole to work for. You know, I know about Pascha and Talisa. They thought they could do the same after they did what they did. They were going to fucking nuke major population centres, and kill billions for their cause. Because they believed they could repopulate the world with perfect people, and rule the ashes. And you think otherwise? Or did your overlords not tell you?" [/color]

[color=LightCoral]
"Not like that. They were a rogue element. They don't want to kill everyone, but you know as well as I do, the brakes need to be put on all of this. And it keeps me where I need to be. And the rest."[/color]

[color=LightBlue]
"Sure there's no more? You want more power for yourself in your crypto-fucking-fantasy? Control corrupts, and soon you will kill plenty more than you imagined. Starts with a few, ends with everyone. Way I see it, you're part of the fucking problem."[/color]

[color=LightCoral]
"Not just me then. I just host their servers and they keep me off hitlists of people like you, and keep business going. I promise, I've got nothing to do with any of the dirty work. Just a lot to gain if it goes right. And it's so much bigger than you think.....all of it. All the people in this. Listen to me, you can't stop this. You're either with them, or you'll be next. I have my bunker when it all goes to an end. Do you?"[/color]

[color=LightBlue]
"Well, clearly it's not working, keeping the riff-raff like me away. I feel fucking sorry for you, Pavel. All that money, status, power, everything. And yet you talk you're above it all, keeping your hands clean of blood and talking about people like they're things. At least I'm honest about killing Alexei. Not sure about you." [/color]

[color=LightCoral]
"So you'll join that world of hurt then. Whoever it is that is paying you will too."[/color]

[color=LightBlue]
"That's not for you to decide. I'm not getting any answers I like, so let's cut the crap."[/color]
Skye pulled the vial out, and knowing Pavel was scared, would get the last bits she needed, one way or another.

[color=LightCoral]
"Shit.....wait." [/color] Pavel mumbled, as he put his hands up, now the shoe being firmly on the other foot.

[color=LightCoral]
"There's my satellite network. It got used in a hack on an organisation I don't know anything about....a difficult one. My contact wanted it stopped badly. They came for something that was valuable to the organisation, and whatever it was, it was critical enough for me to throw everything I had at it. I want you to know that, before you do whatever you do to me, you won't be able to do anything with it, given it's out of reach. Even if you hack my computer, I don't see you living long enough. That's how it happened. Look, now you know, it won't matter."[/color] He retorted, chuckling, yet somewhat still in fear and worried. Gloating now was probably worth it, given he knew he'd done enough not to die. 

Pavel knew his security would pick up the pieces quickly enough for this chancer, well, if Skye was alone they would. Little did they know that they were occupied, disabled, or worse, being snuck into.

[color=LightCoral]
"The security will lock this place down, or Artemis will find you again. They seem to know you personally. And I bet they're trying to send a message, whatever it is the Cabal want. It must have been you. Make them know they noticed whatever you are. So good luck putting it to use. With or without me, they get what they want."[/color]

[color=LightBlue]
"That sounds like you can't even own up to it. Like you're scared of what you gave them, and have to lie to yourself to keep it going. You know what I said about lying?"[/color]
Skye retorted, eying him up, rather sick of his semantics. Fuck, he was so much like a Bond villain, he had gone DOWN in her estimations. At least he'd just been a regular twat before that, but right now, he was a weaselly, snarky little bastard.

[color=LightBlue]
"You really deserve a bit of clarity."[/color]

With it, Skye took the concealed balm and with a flick, pulled the syringe and dabbed it straight into his neck, pushing him against the wall as he squirmed, before leaning back. 

The cocktail wasn't exactly a truth serum, but more like a mix of rohypnol, anaesthetics and other psychoactive drugs from the time of MK Ultra, fused in a chemical cocktail known in the industry as "Runner's Martini". It would put him under for about three minutes, and waking up after that in recovery would feel like getting roofied, being so drunk, high and out of his ass, he'd start spewing all kinds of nonsense, as well as in time, fluids and other bodily functions that didn't need thinking about. There was no antidote, and it lasted for a good hour of utter comedy till his stomach was cleared. The sort of thing you used because you wanted a target incapacitated, and then very much awake, but a bumbling, utter train wreck. The sort of drug that wasn't a sleeping agent, but more like a spy's wet dream. A perfect distraction that ruined people.

Pavel had spilled some interesting details too. The satellite launches and network that everyone knew about clearly had some effect on the mission in being able to tap into comms and could have some wider impacts beyond that as well as other activity that Artemis had for communications or untrackable data, but they wouldn't be everything that they needed. That was likely to be on the servers, and computers, including right here, in his office. That was one part- and likely it held much of Artemis's information, not just the hack itself. That bit was small change, what was more important was who was tangled in it- namely, this shapely bastard and his role in it, and the wider network would emerge from that. That, and the fact that they weren't done here for information. Sam had bugging to do, and they would find out who, what and where he was calling when all was said and all was done.

What concerned Skye was the fact Pavel clearly wasn't all the way in with Artemis's activities. He was involved, but more likely than not, doing it for his own protection, and everything pointed to that. Like he was paranoid about people coming for him and taking his crown. For his own defence, which in some way, scared her a hell of a lot more. If even Pavel couldn't look after himself, then who the fuck was in the middle of this? It suggested Artemis's motives were far darker than anyone knew. Not just some corrupt government, but if they'd convinced Pavel he was safe from what was to come, Skye almost wondered how bad it would get.

A few years ago, a black on black debrief document came out after a mission involving a suspected set of nuclear launch sites in Kerala and Idaho being hijacked by fringe elements of Artemis, the kind that Skye's predecessor had to go and deal with- even then, most of it was redacted. It was a lunatic thing to have read, but it had been stopped just in time, and very, very quietly, everyone had been sworn to secrecy given the world as everyone had known it had almost ended. And it probably wasn't the first time. Not that the main elements of the team knew this, of course. What she wondered was that perhaps Artemis were thinking the same. If at all something like that could happen, then it wasn't just some shady anarchist group. Perhaps they were even bringing modern day feudal lords like him over the table. Live, in a new world, or die, with the old. Just how they were doing it, Skye didn't know. But it didn't sound good, and Pavel had been convinced he had to be there on the right side of things, and blackmailed to whatever was required.

The last bit though, that one sunk in. Skye had to wonder. Maybe it was a nudge, to let whoever she worked for know, they were being noticed now. Pavel probably had no idea, but perhaps, he'd put the dots together and finally saw his enemy in the flesh, not on other side of a screen.

[hr]

[h2]One to None - A Workplace Guide to Human Resources, Project Management and Motivation with Skye Lyons[/h2]

On that note, Skye started the process for any HVT's personal details- biometrics for scanners in particular, and anything on his person. There was no personal alarm on him, and his security team were probably too busy with Freya, as she got to work. In the field it would have been too much work given it took time to do a full scan, but with the hidden phone, she could do that, starting to get his handprints onto their network, as well as his eyes, where he sat out cold.

It was going to be an interesting process to say the least- Skye now had clear space to properly talk, and address the team properly given they were all at work. 

[@Wayward][@LadyAmber][@Theyra]

[color=LightBlue]
"Change of plan, team. I had my chat and I'm in his office, currently with a very out of it Pavel. Guard details are minimal, but keep your eyes open. Hornet, Chaos, Jaguar, I'm getting his fingerprints and his retinal image. I need to get him back upstairs soon, so I might need a hand sneaking up to drop him at the top of the stairs. Recommend you get to me soon as you can, that gives you time to hack his computers. Jaguar, the servers the next level down will be more difficult to break into, but Chaos might be able to help from Pavel's computer. We do not have much time, so everyone, hustle your shite." [/color]

Skye seemed confident as ever, firm as ever even as the team lead dusted herself off, the marks on her neck clear to see that she'd nearly been choked out, but hey, once again, not dying was always a top thing to do when you were held by a Russian bodyguard.

Could recommend that, checking her dress and the metal rounds falling out from where the weave had stopped the rounds. If they weren't hollow points, she'd be hurting a hell of a lot more, when the adrenaline wore off.

She felt for Mateo, who clearly was going to be a little more pissed at Skye than she was comfortable with, yet couldn't blame him for. No doubt Freya might be the same. She had a lot of apologies to make, but sometimes, the greater good like Pavel said, needed a few sacrifices in the short term, as awful as she had to agree with him there was. Besides, she knew she'd have the details for them both soon, there'd be a way back at some more revenge. Opportunities and all that, and she hoped that she'd make it up in the long term as a result of this work, as likely the network might include some people they wanted to see.

[@Awesomoman64][@BigPapaBelial]
[color=LightBlue]
"Frigga, Glitch, recommend you tell Carl to short Vale stock, and stay on top of their security until you see me. Trust me, it'll be the best financial investment you ever make, so Glitch, make sure the cameras are all eyes on Pavel when he comes back. We may need to go with Plan B for our way out. When we do, follow my lead and don't stop. That's a way I don't want to use if the alarm goes off, but we might not have a choice." [/color]
Skye looked around after she'd finished up, and pulling up his computer kept her eyes open, knowing that Sam, Mateo or Michelle could get to her now- likely it would be Sam in here and Mateo to the servers, though she knew that they would figure that out for themselves, as she cut the comms to Mateo, last of all.
[@Theyra]
[color=LightBlue]
"Just trust me on this one, Mateo. We'll get him, we'll have ID on the cameras but not here."[/color]

She began to pull the slobbering Pavel up against the desk, and with an uncomfortable pull, got him in a position that could be fireman lifted onto her shoulder when ready, sighing, as she murmured to herself. It wasn't the first time she'd done this.
[color=LightBlue]
"The things I do for drunk people."[/color]