[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/EKNTTqu.png[/img] and [h2][COLOR=INDIANRED]RACHELI[/COLOR][/H2][/center] [indent][color=e6ac00][b] L O C A T I O N:[/b][/color] Somewhere in the Sewer System under New Haven [color=e6ac00][b] T I M E:[/b][/color] Sometime in the Evening[/indent] [hr] Not to say that he wasn't unused to the idea of going down under and looking for any particular person underground, but with Leila as his partner back somewhere safe, it made the search easier. For someone like him who was supposed to be taking it easy, he didn't seem to be. "Jai, don't dawdle too long." The voice crackled in the small earpiece in his ear, enhanced and protected by traces of mystic power. [color=e1a900]"I wouldn't dream of it,"[/color] Jai stated dryly. If he could see the pretty blonde now, he could only imagine she was pouting. Leila discovered a loosened manhole that was being serviced not too far from the garage. Sending Jai to investigate it as a prospect of where to begin looking for Rach, Jai quirked a brow at the sight. Confirming with Leila the loosened manhole, he noted Rach's overwhelming strength had tossed the metal manhole cover to the nearby building to leave a decent-sized dent. She couldn't have gone far from the garage, reflecting her storming out of the garage, only to come back "different" the next time he saw her. Donning a sleek black helmet, its HUD sparked to life the moment the air hissed around him while the helmet adjusted to the wearer. A flash of bright blue light peeked from underneath the helmet before it finished its adjustments. [code].... User Identified. JAI HALE. Loading Interface 001... [/code] [color=e1a900]"Load up protocol Alpha Uniform four."[/color] He silently dropped down in the darkness below, the rank air washing over him like a fog. [code]Confirmed. Loading…[/code] Before his eyes, his dual-colored gaze watched as the map of the city's entire underground sewer network was spread out before him like a three-dimensional map. The soldier perused over each tunnel and mentally steered the computer to mark off areas that were unlikely for Rach to have ventured into. Tunnels that were under quarantine, out-of-service, or inaccessible were easily marked off of the map. Leila confirmed areas that were no longer in service and were entirely closed off. If she was running, she'd run in directions that'd be easiest. But he didn't have to move very far. There were traces of a fight, familiar l.p.black blood lacing the concrete that his gaze narrowed. Rach could handle herself, he knew, but tackling something by herself in a place so narrow was always a gamble. Scuff marks from a creature bigger than what should be in the area gave Jai reason to believe this was "Rach." Now, what was the easiest place to toss a body from here? Jai's gaze moved toward the wide hole nearby. [code]Detecting a heat signature. 7.6 klicks in the southwest tunnels.[/code] Jai prepared for the possible combat should he encounter "Rach," but in retrospect, he imagined that it'd be difficult to lie through his heat sensor since Rach didn't have heat compared to "Rach." It'd be another ten minutes before he'd get there. [quote][color=e38c2d]"Leila, heads up,"[/color] the archer said, having pulled out a communication device from her left pocket. [color=e38c2d]"I've lost contact with the target and he's gone into the sewers. I'm heading down after him, but be ready for him."[/color][/quote] "Got it—did you hear that Jai?" Leila asked. [color=e1a900]"Affirmative. En route, ten minutes."[/color] [hr] Racheli slooshed across waist-high water. Rust, sewage, and salt mingled together in her nostrils. Thankfully her empty stomach had nothing to toss into the putrid mix. She held her breath as she continued toward. The tunnel seemed to pen her in, the walls curving up and forming a funnel. Her head had a dry black scab caked with filth across it. It had already healed, but she didn’t care. It had been ages since she woke up from the fall and no exit in sight. [color=indianred] “Nice going Rach, you’re lost. Wonder how long I’ve been fucking wandering down here.”[/color] She snapped at herself. [color=e1a900]"Hey, Rach, where are you?"[/color] Her ears caught the voice and froze in place. Several moments clicked by before she began to wade toward it, her mind questioning her sanity. The water sloshed about her waist before it began to lower with each step. Her legs worked against the combination of water and inclining path until the levels reached to about her thighs. [color=indianred] “Is that you, Jai?”[/color] [hr] [color=indianred] “Is that you, Jai?”[/color] Racheli’s voice echoed through the tunnels. Moving toward the response, Jai continued to move until he was in the near range of Rach. [color=e1a900]"Yes, it is,"[/color] Jai stated, lifting a brow faintly in the direction. [code]Sensors picking up activity just ahead.[/code] He turned a corner and found himself in a vast cavern after wading through several klicks of murky waters. His helmet was a stark contrast to the rest of his form: covered head to toe in dirt and grime and other unmentionables and his dark olive skin already darker than was normal. The only thing that remained spotless was his helmet. [color=e1a900]"Rach."[/color] He spoke once he identified the figure ahead of him showed no signs of a heat signature. Jai's helmet hissed open, revealing his dual-colored irises—his blue one gleaming in the darkness. [color=e1a900]"You look well."[/color] It was uncertain if that was sarcasm or not. Racheli frowned and her eyes narrowed. She had waded to the center of the sewage water before she stopped in her tracks, locating the origins of the voice. Already the hairs on her neck rose causing her posture to become defensive. She stepped back, unsure if this was the real Jai or a copy. [color=indianred] “How did you know I was down here?”[/color] Her voice asked in a firm fashion. [color=e1a900]"Unless there is someone else I know with the strength to lift a manhole cover and chuck it several feet away from the hole, we can only guess,"[/color] he stated dryly. Her apprehension was noted. His blue eye blinked several times, switching between his alternate visions to verify that it was indeed Rach. [color=e1a900]"If I didn't know any better, it almost looks like you came down here for an adventure and got lost,"[/color] he said, the helmet hissing back closed again. When it did, a thin pulse of orange light shimmered across its surface like an electronic circuit board. [color=e1a900]"I take it that there are gators down here?"[/color] If he recalled how the saying goes right. [color=indianred] “If you’re being sarcastic, now isn’t the time. I’ve already been attacked by a duplicate of myself and got tossed down here. For all I know, you’re not who you say you are…”[/color] Racheli stated as she began to pull back, wading deeper into the water. He lifted a brow, though he was aware that Rach wouldn't be able to see beyond the shade of the helmet. [color=e1a900]"I visit the graveyard on occasion, and once, I saw you put down a rose. A black one, specifically."[/color] Silence settled in the air, but finally, she let out an exhale of relief. [color=indianred] “For fuck’s sake, I wanna out of here. Where’s the exit?”[/color] Racheli asked, trudging closer and finally toward the shallow end. [color=indianred] “I don’t want to be here when he comes back.”[/color] There'd be traces of a smile if she could see beyond Jai's helmet. [color=e1a900]"It's several klicks in that direction,"[/color] he said with his head gesturing in that direction. He paused, stilling when his sensors picked up another heat source. [code]Heat signature approaching in three minutes.[/code] [color=e1a900]"Here,"[/color] he said, offering a hand to help Rach trudge through the too thick water. [color=e1a900]"You look like you've been through some sort of time if I'm saying that correctly."[/color] Rach was too tired to brush his help aside as she took the offered hand. [color=indianred] “How would you feel being tossed down a sewer drain and lost for who knows how long? I feel as bad as I smell. When we get out, I’m in need of a long hot shower.”[/color] Jai idly shrugged. [color=e1a900]"There are always worse situations,"[/color] he remarked, his voice coming in clear through the helmet as though he wasn't wearing one at all. [color=e1a900]"But, a shower is always nice—especially after a long mission or in this case, a very long... adventure."[/color] He helped her trudge through the waters, heading in the direction of the exit that his helmet marked for him on the map. [color=e1a900]"You look well enough, in spite of it though."[/color] In spite of what he could only assume was anger for being lost down here. [color=indianred] “I assume he thought he killed me. Or was aiming to finish me off later. Asshole seemed rather pissed at seeing me.”[/color] Racheli’s foot misstepped. The ankle jerked to the side and she jerked up, her balance tilted to the left. She leaned heavily on Jai to keep herself upright. [color=indianred] “Fuck! I hate this damn place!”[/color] His grip on her was stable, and his other hand shot out to steady Rach when she misstepped. Leaning against him, he adjusted himself to better accommodate before helping her upright again. [color=e1a900]"We'll be out soon,"[/color] Jai said in what could be considered a reassuring tone. [color=e1a900]"At least, you were easy enough to find so you can be out sooner."[/color] [color=indianred] “For now, but asshole is still out there. There’s no telling what damage he did.”[/color] Racheli growled as she continued to walk, eager to get out of here. [code]Heat signature approximately five meters behind Racheli.[/code] Though she was unable to see or detect as Jai could, his dual-colored irises focused on the two gleaming red eyes lurking in the deeper parts of the water. As though realizing something, the eyes disappeared and left. [code]Heat signature departing…[/code] With a mental note, he added that the helmet calibrates to memorize the heartbeat and body signature of the departing enemy. [I]Another day.[/I] [color=e1a900]"I hope not more than what I can only assume. Leila has been worried about you—she's going to want to make sure nothing invasive or bad happened to you."[/color] Jai slowly led her away from the heat signature and toward the exit at long last. [color=indianred] “Personally, I would rather avoid a check-up. That’s not the type of poking I would enjoy. I doubt I’ll get sick from shit and piss.”[/color] Racheli grumbled. Within a few minutes, the light from the manhole could be seen.