[hr][hr][center][h1][color=00aeef]Dean "Trigger" Rourke[/color] & [color=007272]Noelle E. "Benji" Aether[/color][/h1][sub]ft. NPC Arlo Keyes[/sub]

by [@DeadDrop] and [@omerta]; tagging [@shivershiver] [/center]
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Rourke walks down the desolate hallway, on his flank two security personnel flank him. Armed with their various firearms and security equipment, they trudge along in armor. Watching corners, entrances, and movement, the guards continue to tactically walk behind Rourke. Rourke himself carrys the 40mm one handed, it rests on his left shoulder as he continues to stroll along the facilities corridors. He whistles to himself, the tune echoing the halls as the agent, his boots clapping the ground with every step.

While she waits Noelle fidgets in the small space under her trainer's desk, picking at her cuticles and occasionally shuffling to keep from going stiff in the cramped position. Arlo had been gone but only a minute and yet her mind kept wandering, exploring all the possible outcomes of this. Not necessarily the good ones. What if he's caught? What if he sells her out? What if the cameras somehow spotted her sneaking in and they're on the way to drag her out now? Noelle flicks her ears and listens closely for the door or anything beyond it. Arlo had locked it before leaving but that doesn't extinguish her concerns of someone else walking in. She has no doubt that the entire building is being cleared out, room by room, for the missing Hybrids.

Meanwhile, Arlo strode down the corridors in a poised manner. He almost feels guilty for what he's about to but the thought only lingers a moment before it is roughly pushed to the back of his mind. The man has to remind himself that Noelle isn't entirely human anymore and the risks she and her 'kind' pose to the public aren't ones he's going to tarnish his conscience with. Arlo stops at the first split in the hall and looks both ways, then catches the sight of Rourke's back. The man isn't alone and Arlo can't help but feel a pinge of regret as he approaches the trio. [color=db7d63]"Agent Rourke"[/color] he calls out as he closes the distance in between them.

Rourke turns his head, half his face showing as he looks behind him. The guards swing around immediately, they make a one eighty and face Arlo weapons drawn at him.

Arlo immediately halts mid-step, both hands going up. [color=db7d63]"Don't you fucking aim that shit at me"[/color] he grumbles, more of surprise than actual annoyance. But there is no malice in the man's voice -he realizes he's probably startled them. Everyone's on edge now and he briefly reflects over the notion that he could have just gotten shot. There's a long pause before the man finally lowers his arms and jabs a thumb over his shoulder, pointing in the direction he'd just come from. [color=db7d63]"I've got an early Christmas present waiting you you in my office."[/color]

Rourke looks over to the man, now turning around fully to face him. [color=00aeef]"Who the fuck are you and what are you on about?"[/color] He says, the guards lower their weapon, albeit they eye the man suspiciously. Rourke pulls the grenade launcher which was resting on his shoulder into both of his hands. Holding the rifle with two hands he aims the launcher down, in a cautious stance.

Despite the gesture Arlo doesn't feel worried. He internally cringes once he's realized his mistake; after having worked here for some time, Arlo just sort of assumed that all the staff were familiar with each other. It's times like these when he's reminded just how big the facility and -its staff count- really are. He sighs and attempts to start again from the beginning.  [color=db7d63]"I'm Officer Arlo Keyes, Noelle Eden's trainer"[/color] he explained. He hesitated before continuing. [color=db7d63]"She's hiding in my room now."[/color]

Rourke's face contorted into a smile as the man explained himself, he went to speak with the guards. [color=00aeef]"Follow Keyes, I'll be right behind. We'll catch this cat, you know cat out of the bag?"[/color] The guards just walked over to Keyes, obviously not entertained by the poor joke. The two men, both at around 6'4-6'5 stood tall over Keyes as one motioned with his gun to "lead on." Rourke followed along, 40mm in hand.

Arlo wordlessly turned around and began retracing the path he'd just come from. He didn't need to look behind to make sure he was being followed, the heavy footfalls of the large and armed men was more than enough indication. He hadn't been walking for long when he first found Rourke so it was only a couple of minutes before the door to his office was once again in sight. He doubted Noelle had left, just by showing her face he knew how much she trusted him. But he was worried about her abilities. Could she sense them approaching now? If that was the case then there was nothing he could do to stop her from climbing back up the ventilation system and escaping. The man reached into his pocket and pulled out a small set of keys and unlocked the door before pushing it open. He stepped aside and gestured for the guards to go in. There was no way he could bear to face Noelle right now.

The guards pushed Arlo aside, flashlights on they scoured the room as their weapons were raised and ready. Rourke stepped in behind them with his rifle leveled, he didn't have a gas mask on but his guards did. He looked behind his back to check if Arlo was going to shoot him in the back or something. He didn't, not yet at least. Rourke turned back to the room. He looked around as the guards cleared the empty office, lights shining everywhere. Where could she be?

Noelle realized her mistake too late; only when the unfamiliar smell of strangers alongside Arlo's was right outside the door did she realize she was in trouble. But she couldn't exactly reach the vents, even with the chair there was still a considerable distance she'd have to jump before even hoping to get a grip on the stupid thing. So there she was, a sitting duck with nothing to defend herself as she waited haplessly for the inevitable. There was the sound of a very distinct and animalistic growl emanating from beneath the desk. Noelle was on all fours, peaking through the small gap between the carpeted floor and the bottom of the wooden piece of furniture. Arlo looked away when her wild gaze met his. Too late to back out now. [color=007272]"So that's how it's going to be..."[/color] The disappointment in her voice was hard to disguise, even when she flashed her teeth at Arlo. Noelle snarled and turned her attention to the two armed men.

Arlo was a man who worked for some very powerful people, betraying them would be suicide and he knew it. The two guards raised their guns in the direction of the desk, they began yelling at it. [color=ed1c24]"Hands let me see your hands!" "Give yourself up freak!"[/color] Rourke raised his 40mm in the direction of the room. [color=00aeef]"Noelle, you don't want this to end badly. These guys are serious, give yourself up or they'll haul you out of there. Most likely screaming in pain, your choice but times on the clock - starting now."[/color] He said now turning the safety off the 40mm.

Noelle paused and seemed to take her options into consideration. When she had first signed up for HYBRID, she thought of it as working [i]with[/i] them, not [i]for[/i]. She was acutely aware of how severe the situation was but she was also aware that she'd never be happy if she let them lock her up. Or were they going to simply kill her? Neither were something she wanted but the latter option almost seemed like a mercy. The woman unsheathed her claws and looked around as she tried to asses her chances. Probably slim but hopefully nonexistent. How desperate was the organization? Noelle never paid much attention but it would take a real fool to think that this was cheap work. She knew the whole project was expensive and she was likely a valuable asset. How much could she get away with before she was deemed too much to be kept alive? Noelle decided to try her luck and lunged for the first armed guard closest to her.

The guard was taken by surprise as Noelle - the graceful Noelle jumped him. The large man struggled with the hybrid, the other guard jumping in. Attempting to push the mutant off his partner. Rourke, taking no time, shot the 40mm tear gas into the room and closed the door. The shell bouncing off the floor and into the guard Noelle struggled with, knocking him over. Gas spews out of the shell as it lays still in the closed room. Rourke took out his phone to text his partner, Octoman Werner! 

[color=00aeef]"Noelle <3 is at Arlo Keyes office, need help lol."[/color]

It was only thanks to her artificial lack of fear that she didn't flinch, didn't relent in her fury-driven assault. At this point the pain of the non-lethal was inevitable and Noelle knew there was absolutely nothing she could do. Not while she was trapped and without a mask to protect her. At least this way, she knew that they weren't going to kill her (yet, anyways). Using tooth and nail, Noelle fought as hard as she could. She hissed and snarled and bit and kicked. Her claws were useless against the Kevlar suits for the most part but she tried using those anyways. [color=007272]"I'm going to kill you!"[/color] she shrieked, ire blindly driving her on. But the rage didn't last long, didn't have the chance to. After Rourke had shot the tear gas capsule, the room immediately began filling up with the burning cloud of chemicals and now she was beginning to feel the consequences. The guards were entirely unharmed by this and she was left to suffer in the agony of it alone. There was no proof but she had a strong suspicion that her enhanced senses just intensified the effects of it and sped up the process. Noelle felt herself pulled off her target and struggled to escape the other man's grasp, only to curl up on the floor in pain. Her eyes burned and blurred with tears while her nose felt like it had been set on fire. Even her tongue began to feel dry and her flesh felt like all hot and irritated. Noelle sneezed, then began helplessly coughing.

The two guards pushed the now irritated and gassed Noelle off themselves, they stand up and turn the mutant onto her stomach. One guard takes out a pair of handcuffs while the other grabs her arms, restraining her arms behind her while the other guard cranks the handcuffs tightly onto her wrists. Both the guards press their knees into her back to keep her down. [color=ed1c24]"Don't struggle you bitch!"[/color] One of them yells as he strikes the furry Noelle in the back with the butt of his Mp5 stock. Rourke peers into the room, unaware of any change since it's pouring with tear gas, the tear gas makes its way out through the vent Noelle came out of. The guards continue to struggle with the crumpled Noelle, attempting to restrain the beast!

Noelle was reduced to a limp mass, barely able to writhe from the discomfort of everything. The only sounds escaping her was the pathetic whimpering as the guards did with her as they pleased. Unfortunately the restraints also kept her from being able to rub at her face (that hadn't been helping but she kept doing it anyways until they cuffed her) so she squeezed her eyes shut and hoped the effects would wear off soon. As embarrassing as it was, she was also crying now. Noelle was hurting and frustrated, not to mention that she hadn't forgotten what they'd done to Clyde. She wasn't in any position to put up a decent fight anymore but she wasn't going to be very compliant either. [color=007272]"I hate you"[/color] she hissed, snapping her teeth at anything that came too close.

Out in the hallway, Arlo frowns. He can hear Noelle but doesn't dare move to assist. Nor does he ever utter a peep of complaint. There is no reason left for him to remain. Rourke has everything under control, so he leaves.

The two guards drag the mutant out of the room as she lays limp in their care, the guards nod to Rourke before taking the kitty - dog - wolf hybrid off and away to the Octo-Agent Werner! Rourke takes out his phone and begins to type to the Octo-Agent

[color=00aeef]"Nvm, cat in the bag LOL."[/color]