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Tick. Tock. Tick.

With each passing moment, the dread gnawing at Maddie grew stronger. The contact hadn’t arrived yet. That was a problem. If he had gotten spooked then she was in a very dangerous situation. If not, then the delay was likely intentional - perhaps meant to either scout her out or unnerve her. It was highly probable that she was currently being watched. Still, the woman remained stoic, feigning boredom to glance about the dimly lit bar. As far as dives went, she had seen worse. A number of patrons sat at a scuffed and scratched bar, with a few hovering about a billiards table watching a couple of older men take turns taking shots at both the cue ball and each other. Maddie wouldn’t go so far as to call the place packed, but it was still more people than she would have preferred.

It turned out that she was, in fact, being watched. Albeit, not quite in the manner she had thought. A number of patrons had approached her, offering drinks and...other services. She politely declined them all, claiming to be waiting on somebody. She was careful to keep up the warm Naomi persona however. She couldn’t afford to allow the wrong person to notice any discrepancies. 

She had little want to remain within this den of vipers any longer than was necessary.

After turning down yet another hopeless suitor, however, the woman’s phone vibrated. She was just about to check it when it seemed as if her wait was finally over. She smelled the man approaching before she actually saw him. Even with the dive’s air reeking of a dozen different brands of tobacco, his was particularly strong. It was a sickly sweetness that stung her nose and clung to her throat. 

Now, Naomi had never met the contact before. She only had a vague description of what the man looked like but the man before her was unmistakable. He might as well have been carrying a sign reading “Mr. Subversive” or “I am a Terrorist.” Or perhaps she was unfairly judging the man - seeing knives in the bouquet.

[b]"We're going to need stronger explosives.  I've already got men pulling together the materials.  We need you to make ready use of them for the next mission."[/b]

Or perhaps she was right on the money. 

Maddie was stunned by how brazen and nonchalant he was. To openly discuss something of this magnitude in a seemingly public place? Even if they were on his home turf, it came across as careless and dangerous. Was she dealing with a madman? Maddie silently kicked herself for not setting her phone to record or even wearing a wire of some sorts. She had been so sure that she might be taken to a secondary location - the bar’s backroom, a warehouse, SOMETHING - that she decided against it. It seemed too risky at the time...but now? Was she simply too paranoid, or was he not paranoid enough? Either way, Maddie didn’t like it. 

[b]"We're going to strike at the very heart of Shinra power, literally.  Blow the Midgar reactors, one after the other, and leave nothing behind but their shattered dreams."[/b]

His clarification left Maddie speechless, although she managed to retain her composure and nod along while feigning complete adoration. That dread which had been building within her wrestled for control. This man was not only dangerous but deranged. He wasn’t just a terrorist, he was a butcher. She could eliminate him right now. That would leave seven shots. One for the bartender, one for the doorman. Five shots. She replayed her memory of the bar. The older gentlemen playing billiards had arms. Three left. Two holdovers for any agents not accounted for plus one for herself if things went south?

No. It wouldn’t be enough. It would be too close. Besides...the way he spoke suggested that the plan was already in motion. Even if she eliminated him right here and took herself out of the equation, Avalanche still had the resources to move forward with the operation.

She would do more damage than good were she to burn herself right now. Her best course of action would be to go along with the mission, pass on information and do what she could to minimize the destruction.

[color=1BC6D0]“That’s...massive. If we could pull this off, it would change everything. It would show them what we’re truly capable of.”[/color] ‘Naomi’ added, barely containing her ‘excitement’ [disgust]. [color=1BC6D0]“Just so I know for later, uh...do we want to just disable the reactors or…?”[/color] she asked, miming out an explosion with her hands and mouthing a boom.