Cipher simply snorted at Michel's attempt at a joke but was clearly unwilling to continue engaging in anymore conversation. Her mind was already on what would be awaiting the poor child. She really had to hope that his father had at least given him some preparation, otherwise this was going to be a painful experience for all involved.
When the car finally stopped, Cipher looked up to see the bank. She blinked for a moment, taking in the fact that he'd actually gotten it right. "Good job, Princess. You did it." She congratulated him.
Taking her feet off of the dash, she leaned up and stepped out of the car, closing it gingerly behind her. "Well... Let's go." She told him, her voice cold. She honestly wasn't really looking forward to this. Mostly because she was itching for a fight but she wasn't allowed to enter the fight at all. Probably for the best anyway...
Cipher turned towards the nearest subway station and began heading down the steps into the darkened hallway. She looked up to see Michel looking at the bank and then the subway, confusion written across his face. "You didn't honestly think our mission would be at that bank?" She asked, laughing hardily. "Come on, Princess. Down to the depths we go." She told him, motioning for him to follow her.
They weaved through crowds, passing by silently. It took all of Cipher's concentration not to leave the poor boy behind. She never liked crowds though they were often the best cover. She pulled out a card when they reached the terminals and paid for both herself and Michel with it. She silently motioned for him to follow her once again as she walked over to a dark corner of the station, near the tracks. Looking this way and that, she quickly picked the lock using a hair pin, and they were in. She locked it behind them, making sure that no one had seen them and then continued down the dark tracks.
"Stay close to the wall. Don't want to have to pick your body parts up off the tracks should a train come by." She warned him. Soon, they found a door labeled, "STAY OUT." Grinning, Cipher turned the knob and found it opened easily. They were late. In the hallway leading into the next room, Cipher turned and faced Michel, stopping him in his tracks.
"Whatever you do, don't give up until you've exhausted everything you've got. And God forbid, don't call Henry Boss. You'll never hear the end of it." She explained and without waiting for a reply, she walked through the next door and into the large cement room.
Inside were several boxes stacked haphazardly on the north and east side of the room. On the west side was a small staircase that led up to a observation landing where a man with slick-backed blonde hair stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the railing. In the center of the room stood several men of varying appearances, all of them with various scars. They were all geared up in combat uniform, white shirt, cargo pants, and black boots.
When Cipher entered the room, Henry, the blonde man on the landing, straighten up and threw his hands in the air. "Cipher! Good to see you, my girl! My, this must be Michel." He spoke, his arms slowly lowering as he noticed the boy behind Cipher. Cipher walked up the stairs, motioning for Michel to stay where he was, and joined Henry. He patted her back gently and then turned to look at Michel. Cipher rolled her eyes and leaned against the railing bored already.
"You probably have a lot of questions for me!" Henry shouted, everything about him smiling, even his bright blue eyes. "Sorry to say it, but everyone that comes into our group must go through the same initiation, no amount of friendship can change that. So, you'll be needing to fight these lovely men you see before you!" As if on cue, the men all turned to look at Michel, glaring daggers at him.
"No matter though, you'll be fighting them one on one. But in order to pass, you must beat at least three of them to even begin to qualify for Venom. If you don't, you'll have to leave Cipher and go through some rather rigorous training with one of our other operatives. If you can beat three of these five men, you can stay and train with Cipher. You may chose which man you will fight every time, so don't worry about things being too unfair. If, at any time you'd like to give up, all you need to do is shouted, 'I give up!'" Henry explained, ever smiling. "Go ahead and pick your first fight." He spoke, grinning so largely that his eyes were forced closed.
Before Michel stood five men, each of varying height and build. The first two men had several scars and were about 5'8 and fairly muscular. One man was fairly skinny and had very few scars on his face, he kept looking at Michel with a slight twitch. Another man look rather ordinary at 5'6 but had a weird twitch in his hand. The last man had emotionless face but stood at a towering 6'6 and was fairly muscular.
When the car finally stopped, Cipher looked up to see the bank. She blinked for a moment, taking in the fact that he'd actually gotten it right. "Good job, Princess. You did it." She congratulated him.
Taking her feet off of the dash, she leaned up and stepped out of the car, closing it gingerly behind her. "Well... Let's go." She told him, her voice cold. She honestly wasn't really looking forward to this. Mostly because she was itching for a fight but she wasn't allowed to enter the fight at all. Probably for the best anyway...
Cipher turned towards the nearest subway station and began heading down the steps into the darkened hallway. She looked up to see Michel looking at the bank and then the subway, confusion written across his face. "You didn't honestly think our mission would be at that bank?" She asked, laughing hardily. "Come on, Princess. Down to the depths we go." She told him, motioning for him to follow her.
They weaved through crowds, passing by silently. It took all of Cipher's concentration not to leave the poor boy behind. She never liked crowds though they were often the best cover. She pulled out a card when they reached the terminals and paid for both herself and Michel with it. She silently motioned for him to follow her once again as she walked over to a dark corner of the station, near the tracks. Looking this way and that, she quickly picked the lock using a hair pin, and they were in. She locked it behind them, making sure that no one had seen them and then continued down the dark tracks.
"Stay close to the wall. Don't want to have to pick your body parts up off the tracks should a train come by." She warned him. Soon, they found a door labeled, "STAY OUT." Grinning, Cipher turned the knob and found it opened easily. They were late. In the hallway leading into the next room, Cipher turned and faced Michel, stopping him in his tracks.
"Whatever you do, don't give up until you've exhausted everything you've got. And God forbid, don't call Henry Boss. You'll never hear the end of it." She explained and without waiting for a reply, she walked through the next door and into the large cement room.
Inside were several boxes stacked haphazardly on the north and east side of the room. On the west side was a small staircase that led up to a observation landing where a man with slick-backed blonde hair stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the railing. In the center of the room stood several men of varying appearances, all of them with various scars. They were all geared up in combat uniform, white shirt, cargo pants, and black boots.
When Cipher entered the room, Henry, the blonde man on the landing, straighten up and threw his hands in the air. "Cipher! Good to see you, my girl! My, this must be Michel." He spoke, his arms slowly lowering as he noticed the boy behind Cipher. Cipher walked up the stairs, motioning for Michel to stay where he was, and joined Henry. He patted her back gently and then turned to look at Michel. Cipher rolled her eyes and leaned against the railing bored already.
"You probably have a lot of questions for me!" Henry shouted, everything about him smiling, even his bright blue eyes. "Sorry to say it, but everyone that comes into our group must go through the same initiation, no amount of friendship can change that. So, you'll be needing to fight these lovely men you see before you!" As if on cue, the men all turned to look at Michel, glaring daggers at him.
"No matter though, you'll be fighting them one on one. But in order to pass, you must beat at least three of them to even begin to qualify for Venom. If you don't, you'll have to leave Cipher and go through some rather rigorous training with one of our other operatives. If you can beat three of these five men, you can stay and train with Cipher. You may chose which man you will fight every time, so don't worry about things being too unfair. If, at any time you'd like to give up, all you need to do is shouted, 'I give up!'" Henry explained, ever smiling. "Go ahead and pick your first fight." He spoke, grinning so largely that his eyes were forced closed.
Before Michel stood five men, each of varying height and build. The first two men had several scars and were about 5'8 and fairly muscular. One man was fairly skinny and had very few scars on his face, he kept looking at Michel with a slight twitch. Another man look rather ordinary at 5'6 but had a weird twitch in his hand. The last man had emotionless face but stood at a towering 6'6 and was fairly muscular.
