[center][h1][b][color=6ecff6]B L U E B E E T L E[/color][/b][/h1] [/center][hr] [color=6ecff6][i]Running diagnostics. Gap in memory suggests physical trauma to the head or an active chemical agent. High levels of foreign compounds in blood indicate latter. Brain activity is up. Muscles, relaxing. Blood concentration returning to normal.[/i][/color] The body lay across the floor of their glowing red cage begins to shudder, shook awake as the last of the sedatives and the neuroleptics wear away. Having an alien scarab with the ability to regulate the body's functions could really come in handy some days. [b][color=0076a3][color=0076a3]"Nice, uhh. Nice to see you too."[/color][/color][/b] The occupant yawns with a tired smile, worn as it was. Shaking herself awake, she notes the looseness around her neck. [color=6ecff6][i]Collar that suppressed neural link was removed following induced sleep. Connection now reestablished but Cassandra Lang is weak. Blood sugar and body fat are concerning. Suggestion: search for a new host.[/i][/color] Cassie sits up, scouring her blonde, matted hair with a tingling hand and a dumbfounded look. [color=0076a3][b]"Okay, assuming that [i]that's[/i] off the table..."[/b][/color] She asks, equal measures perturbed and enthusiastic, as her eyes begin to gravitate to the red energy field surrounding her, and her hand continues to wander. Pinching down, she pulls out a particularly damaged hair from her untended scalp and brings it close to her face. She looks at it for a moment, before refocussing. [color=6ecff6][i]Pause and collect.[/i][/color] [color=0076a3][b]"Inspiring. You could have made a killing as a motivational speaker. You are [i]so[/i] wasted with me"[/b][/color] [color=6ecff6][i]Agreed.[/i][/color] Cassie smirks, stretching her leg out from her seated position, her other foot mooring her as she attempts to get up. Having already caught a few glimpses of the amphitheatre below, she suddenly feels all the more exposed. Her arms move guardedly to her torn attire in an effort to preserve modesty. The ruined architecture jutting from the floor gives her a pang of unease as she struggles on her feet. [color=6ecff6][i]If you are set for us to continue on with this faulty host, it would be logical to rest.[/i][/color] [color=0076a3][b]"Concern now? What's wrong with [i]you[/i] today? Usually you're the one getting me hurt. Seriously. It's like it's your job."[/b][/color] While a gratuitous smile does invade Cassie's lips, she does take a moment to comply with the scarab's request and gently takes a knee. [color=0076a3][b]"Anyone else might think you were softening up, Bug-Suit."[/b][/color] [color=6ecff6][i]Two months is a long time to have only yourself to talk to.[/i][/color] Cassie's expression softens a little. Her thoughts linger on the unrelenting solitude she had faced during her internment. Those thoughts threaten to linger a little too long, before she shakes herself out of it. [color=0076a3][b]"Hear, hear. [i]Amen[/i] to that." [/b][/color]She smiles, stopping. Her eyes optimistically fix on the mechanisms surrounding their prison bubble, following the wall of energy down to a sturdier looking wall made of a shinier and far more solid looking material. Its bulk was intimidating while wholly impressive but they'd broken through tougher looking she thought. [color=0076a3][b]"What are you making of all of this?"[/b][/color] A silence draws as she becomes aware of her other, hard at work. [color=6ecff6][i]This would seem to be the arena the cyborg supporting the multiple appendages --[/i][/color] [color=0076a3][b]"-- Arm-Freak-Lady."[/b][/color] [color=6ecff6][i]...The arm [i]freak[/i] lady briefed you on before you passed out of consciousness. Not unrelated, you will be pleased to know that my access to your memories has been restored."[/i][/color] [color=0076a3][b]"Can't have you slumming around my brain without you knowing my private thoughts and desires now can I?"[/b][/color] She smirks, relieved at least that her sense of humour had survived the beatings and torture. Incidentally, she hoped nobody had been taping her during all of that. She really wasn't at her best. [color=6ecff6][i]I fail to see the relevance of our captors --[/i][/color] [color=0076a3][b]"Shush. We need to focus on finding a way out of here."[/b] [/color]Feeling a little sharper, she hesitantly finds her feet again, standing loosely but with conviction. Shuddering but with some force, she extends her arms to the force field. At their touch, she draws back sharply as a short burst of pain hits her fingers. [color=6ecff6][i]Caution: energy field likely to be engineered to inflict pain during interaction with organic material.[/i][/color] Sucking the tip of her index finger, she scowls. [color=0076a3][b]"You [i]seriously[/I] need to work on your timing." [/b][/color]The pain begins to ebb away as she surveys the field again. [color=0076a3][b]"What now?"[/b][/color] [color=6ecff6][i]I would suggest attempting to breach again. Statistically speaking, there's every likelihood you were just doing it wrong."[/i][/color] [color=0076a3][b]"...I [i]really[/i] missed you, Bug-Suit."[/b][/color] [color=6ecff6][i]Irrelevant but noted. We have to find a way to extract ourselves.[/i][/color] Cassie had been through a lot to get this far. She was trapped on some alien world, possibly billions on billions of miles away from home. Her father and everyone she had ever cared about were all on Earth, possibly fighting the remnants of whichever invading force deemed her fit for this mess. She owed it to them to get out of there. She owed them at least that much. [color=0076a3][b]"How about we shine some light on this situation? I can't do much like this. And if it's a fight these guys want, I wouldn't like to keep them waiting."[/b][/color] With a single, shared thought, the two begin to change drastically, as the scarab begins to expand, tendrils reaching out from her spine. Such black legs stretch across her body, intertwining and weaving. Blue armour juts out from her with some sensation as her alien mail materialises and solidifies. Continuing up her neck, it ends in a familiar mask as the host tenses. [color=0076a3][b]"It's uhh, business time."[/b][/color] [color=6ecff6][i]How do you sleep at night?[/i][/color] [color=0076a3][b]"Better knowing that you're ground against my mattress all night."[/b][/color] [color=6ecff6][i]How ever did I survive without you in my...[/i][/color] The train of thought careens off its tracks as the cell begins to change. Taking a darker shade of red and humming violently, the energy shield throbs with changed and invigored purpose. A loud, thumping klaxon can be heard as the shield fizzles away. It recedes down to little more than a transparent aura. [color=0076a3][b]"...Did you do this? I feel like you had something to do with this."[/b][/color] She asks, taken aback. A single prod confirms the expected: the barrier was gone. [color=6ecff6][i]Highly unlikely. Reason: I haven't actually done anything. Proceed with caution.[/i][/color] The horn dies down as the floor beneath them seems to shudder. [color=0076a3][b]"Yeah, to hell with that..."[/b][/color] She laughs, leaping out of the emptied sphere gleefully with a confident push, her arms stretching out as a pair of wings grow to catch her. As the cell decends behind her, she gracefully hovers toward the ground, turning her attention to those to her left and right. She grows increasingly aware that she's not the only one in there anymore. [color=6ecff6][i]Scans are picking up multiple lifeforms. Their energy signatures are... Perplexing. Advise that you neutralise them before they can cause any more harm to the host.[/i][/color] [color=0076a3][b]"Our priority is returning home. If I can help it, I'm not going to be playing into these guys' hands. It's possible whoever we're stuck in here with are in the same boat as us. You, know against their will?"[/b][/color] She pauses briefly, biting her lip.[color=0076a3] [b]"Or maybe they're just blood thirsty maniacs. Regardless. the less time we spend hanging around, the less likely we are to find out.[/b][/color] [color=6ecff6][i]Suit yourself.[/i][/color] [color=0076a3][b]"Cheer up. I really thought this might be your scene. We got to see aliens. We're [i]part of[/i] a gladiator match - a real one this time. It must be just like Christmas for you, you lunatic."[/b][/color] [color=6ecff6][i]I cannot contain my joy. Searching for structural weaknesses.[/i][/color] [i]This is going to be fun.[/i]