[h3][color=ff0000]Part 2[/color][/h3] [@Awesomoman64][@spicykvnt][@Shift][@Shu] Hunched over the control panel, another nameless guard of Militech punched in key after key. [i]Access Denied. Access Denied. Access Denied.[/i] Over and over again the man furiously typed into the pad, hopelessly getting no where. The whir of the turret next to him, shifting from side to side, combined with the error codes of the elevators control panel were not enough to drown out the distant noises of horror and death. "Code red, code fucking red!" He yelled into his radio, nothing but static echoing back. "What the fuck is happening?! I've been locked out of everything and I can hear nothing but gunshots ou-" The whoosh of the door to the hallway interrupted his rant, his heart swelling with hope. Had it worked? Had control been rendered back to the facility? Unable to turn fully around in time, the motley crew of prisoners had only seconds of advantage. Neither the guard nor the turret had properly seen them. JV broke into a full sprint, the electric from his fists crackling up his arms with excitement. The man would see his part of the plan through, would the others? – Kade raised an eyebrow at Rodrigo’s suggestion before letting out a short chuckle and shaking his head. Did he not fully comprehend their situation? Of course Kade would have preferred a slow methodical approach to their escape, but that wasn’t in the cards. They needed to get out before Militech brought reinforcements and stopping to plan every situation was not something they could fit in the window of time they had. [color=148c80]“Oh Rico.”[/color] Kade responded in a tone matching Rico’s and placed a hand on the man’s shoulder. [color=148c80]“Tell you what? When we’re not in a time crunch and people aren’t trying to kill us, I promise we’ll pause to have a lovely chat. Until then, be a gentleman and let the professionals work.”[/color] Kade pulled his arm back from Rico and turned away to face the door before looking over his shoulder. [color=148c80]“Oh, but do use that weapon glitch on the guard. I think that should help make this go very smoothly.”[/color] Standing at the side of the door again, Kade was ready to peer around when the door opened and locate the turret. What he was not ready for was JV’s sudden rush into the room. Did he forget about the turret? He was supposed to wait! Shit. Kade had to act fast. His eyes flashed with light as he pivoted around the doorway and hastily located the turret. In an instant he connected with the system and uploaded the proper hack. A burst of electricity erupted from the turret as its systems were overloaded with power. A small trail of smoke bellowed out of the now destroyed- Why was it still moving? [color=148c80]“You have got to be joking!”[/color] Kade cursed to himself as he watched the machine continue to rotate, albeit at a much slower rate than before. [color=148c80]“Arms! The turret is still up!”[/color] Kade warned JV before pivoting back behind the doorway for cover. – Rodrigo's deadpan expression was directed toward Kade's back as the Suit turned away. Leave it to a Corpo to give a condescending lecture only to follow along exactly with what had been suggested. He'd wait for that lovely chat to speak his mind. For now, there was too much that required his focus, and if he wasn't concentrated, more lives could be lost. A panging ache tugged at his heart, the Aussie's face flashing in his minds eye along with another smaller, rounder, younger face - but Rodrigo turned away from those images, willing himself to focus intently on what was happening before him. He followed the action closely, no longer surprised by the speed and deftness of Gorilla Arms. Rodrigo could be fast too. By the time the other man had gotten a few feet away from the guard, Rico had managed to break through the guard's ICE. A complicated manoeuvre, and due to the high level security implants Militech had undoubtedly equipped their employees with, all his hacking accomplished was to jam the weapon momentarily. No problem, Gorilla Arms should still have enough time to-- Kade's surprised yell pulled Rodrigo's attention away from the guard and to the turret, and called the guard's attention to their presence. Oh no, he felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. There wasn't enough time for Gorilla Arms to handle both, and there definitely wasn't enough time for Rodrigo to attempt another glitch on the turret. His gaze turned back to the woman who held the gun, eyes pleading. Was she a good shot? – [color=f0b824][i]Oh, for fuck sakes.[/i][/color] Either pretty boy had screwed up with his hack or that turret systems were on the next level. Either way, the glitch in their little plan here paired with the sudden shout and alerting of the guard had just complicated this to say the least. Luckily Dejah was good at handling sudden shit situations like this, most of the time. The turret was crippled, or at least slowed, and the guard while alert was still a wide open target - and Dejah was a crack shot. Acting on training and a tad of raw reflexive instinct the assassin brought her pistol up with a snap - like a snake arching for a strike - and fired, the pistols’ discharge loud and bright in the tight quarters. The guards’ head snapped back, red sprayed across his face and from the back of the head as his knees buckled and down he dropped, the thud of his body following the clink of an empty casing on the floor. Dejah exhaled slightly through her nose, otherwise keeping a cool composure. Now just to handle that turret. – JV felt the rush of the bullet tear by him through the air. Expertly aimed, it missed his head and plunged deep into the guards. The Militech agent hadn’t even fully pivoted in place before Dejah’s target found its home, his blood painting the wall and elevator panel behind him. Without flinching or looking back, the Haitian changed his trajectory in an instant. Stepping heavily off his left leg, the man skipped into a bound, bouncing off his right leg as if he were performing in the long jump. With a final leap off his left, JV sailed through the air towards the turret, his torso twisting back as he loaded his fist. There were no screams, no war cries or bursts of rage, the man was silent, simply bringing down the hammer. Slamming his gorilla arms through the machine, the metal gnashed and shredded as if it were made of foil. As the turret practically disintegrated, the ceiling creaked and groaned as a chunk of concrete gave way, tearing from the roof. Dust billowed up like smoke as exposed wires zapped. It was safe to say the turret was no more, nor would it ever be again judging by the damage. Walking out from the cloud, JV flapped dust from his trench coat and wiped debris from his shoulder. Without a word, the Haitian walked back into the centre of the room and waited for his next order. Looking around he noticed they were in a barracks, which was perhaps somewhat of an armoury too. Along the eastern wall sat a series of bunk beds, each personalised in different ways. Some had posters or pictures on the wall above the bed, some had bedside tables covered in personal effects and one was made up perfectly aside from a pillow that looked slightly lopsided. Further down was a lounge area, complete with a fridge and kitchenette. An opened packet of chips sat on the coffee table, some of its contents scattered about as if they’d been thrown down in haste. On the opposite side of the room sat a series of lockers. Some were opened and empty while others appeared locked. With solid doors, there was no way to see what was on the inside, though each had a digitised lock with a keypad. At the end of the row sat a rather large trunk. The chest looked heavy, fortified well with no number pad in sight, rather just a small pane of glass on top, no more than an inch and a half long and wide. Just as JV’s eyes fell upon the hardcase, the radio chimed, as if the voice knew where he was looking. “It’s biolocked.” It said, still with no hint of emotion. “Lucky for you, we don’t need that guard's face to unlock it. His thumbprint is the key. All your items are in there. You will need them to escape.” Dragging the corpse over, JV did as he asked, mashing the guards thumb into the glass pane. The trunk hummed to life as the panel lit up with a green colour. Gears turned as the lock disarmed and the chest opened. It was a small treasure trove of goodies, with the man quickly spotting and retrieving his revolver. “Search the room, there may be other items of use in here.” The voice commanded. Bending down, the Haitian removed a Unity Pistol from the dead guard's holster. A middling weapon as far as handguns went, it would be enough to do the job. – Back outside the room, Bea had listened, while trying not to listen - while being forced to listen anyway to the riotous din of it all. That unease kept growing and gnawing away at her. She really was just among killers, wasn't she? [color=e803db][i]Should they have actually been allowed out?[/i][/color] Her fingers grazed the cold steel of the doorframe and she let herself into the room. Her cold gaze drawn to the Rorschach painting across the wall. [color=e803db][i]Urgh[/i][/color] she thought, not daring to vocalise it - lest his Royal Prince of Darkness try and quip off again. Despite being filled with light, and having housed the guards, this room too, felt eerie to the woman. The way that each bunk had character even in the cold, unforgiving space. God it was ugly here, those fluorescent lights seemed to sap energy rather than light up anything. She closed her eyes and thought of something more comfortable. Her fellow escapees would all scramble for their belongings - whatever they were. Hell, it wouldn't have surprised her if one of them had been packing a rocket launcher or something of the sort. [i]Who[/i] were these people? [color=e803db][i]Oh, let them scramble over the box of tricks,[/i][/color] she thought - eyeing up the kitchenette for herself. Bea realised that it could have been hours since she was down there - and seeing that tap woke up an incredible thirst, and she headed immediately to it like a moth to a flame - next to the sink was a bottle of water, half filled, and she brought it to her lips immediately. It didn't take her long to finish off the bottle. [color=e803db]"Holy shit,"[/color] she sighed aloud, leaning over the sink. Next to take her eye was a locker - and a little box that was sticking out. [color=e803db][i]Is that...?[/i][/color] she thought to herself. [color=e803db]"Yes!"[/color] she said allowed again, shimmying on over to find a cigarette box, and a lighter. [color=e803db]"Thank yooooooou Mr Guard,"[/color] she sang out, tipping out the single cigarette into her hand and lighting it up. Her lips clung to the butt of it as she drew it back, a long breath powered by her bionic lungs. [color=e803db]"Holy shit,"[/color] she repeated. – From behind the doorway, Kade peered back into the room and confirmed it was safe before pivoting around the corner and strolling in. Things may not have gone exactly as planned, but the turret was destroyed, the guard was dead, and they were not. All in all it was a success. And to top it off, they now Had access to their equipment. Nova. Kade slipped up next to JV in front of the unlocked chest to snag his own gear, but couldn't help first looking over the body that had been dragged over. [color=148c80]"A single shot clean through the head."[/color] Kade spoke as he analyzed the dead guard. He turned back to Dejah with a glint of admiration in his eye. [color=148c80]"Damn good job, pistol!"[/color] Though speaking of pistols, it was time he got his own. Reaching into the chest, Kade pulled out his automatic M-10AF Lexington and his customized silenced Nue. The grips of his reliable weapons filled the corpo with renewed confidence. One for keeping quiet, another for going loud; A pistol for each occasion. Now he was more than prepared for anything that lay ahead. The only thing that could have made this moment better was- [color=148c80]“What's that smell?”[/color] Kade asked as the tantalizing aroma of nicotine suddenly filled the air. His eyes darted around until he saw the source. Bea was smoking a cigarette and holding an…Empty carton… Kade’s eyes widened. His jaw nearly hit the floor in response to such an atrocious sight. [color=148c80][i]That fainting floozy![/i][/color] He thought as he watched her take another satisfying puff. How dare she? They had done all the work while she sat around yet she saw fit to take the only thing that offered any relief from their stress? She didn’t even offer to share! How easy it would be to hit her with a quickhack and take it, but Kade’s senses won over. Now was not the time to turn on each other over petty squabbles. Regaining his cool, Kade closed his mouth and eyes, took a deep breath, and allowed his smirk to return once more. [color=148c80]“Just so we’re all clear.”[/color] Kade strode over to Bea and gestured to the cigarette in her hand. [color=148c80]“I call dibs on the next one.”[/color] – Bea turned her eyes to Kade, watched him cycle himself through the stages of grief for a cigarette. She smirked too, drawing again from the cigarette. [color=e803db]"You know,"[/color] she sighed with a faux wistfulness. [color=e803db]"Nothing like this to keep away any more of those [i]screaming fainties[/i] that you so wanted to keep away..."[/color] Her eyes sparkled. [color=e803db]""Besides Cupcake, if you want some, all you have to do is ask."[/color] After a pause, she blew out a ring of smoke that momentarily framed his porcelain mask before it was whisked away by the air itself. [color=e803db]""Would anyone else like some?"[/color] She added with a flourish of her arms in their direction. – JV approached the two just as the smoke dissipated from the Corpo's face. He didn't care about their back and forth, nor was he bothered about the cigarette or its fumes. Instead the man loomed over the woman, presenting the butt of the pistol he'd taken from the guard. [color=101010]"Take it, you will need it before the end."[/color] The Haitians face sat like stone, his thoughts or feeling impossible to gleam. Deep down, he knew the truth, they were all cursed just like him. This wouldn't end with their escape from the facility, no, their lives were forever changed. The woman would need to learn to use it. [color=101010][i]Either on them or on herself.[/i][/color] – [color=e803db][i]I'll play along,[/i][/color] Bea thought, quietly taking the gun. It was heavier in her hand than she could have thought. So heavy. The trigger was nothing to them, so much more to her. A line uncrossed. JV's face was the stark reminder of their situation, and while she would not flinch at his presence, she dared not press at his request. Not now, not now... – Relief flooded him when the woman's shot rang true and took out the guard easily so that Gorilla Arms could dispatch the turret in full. The irony that this loss of life was acceptable, and even welcome to him, was not missed by him. The memory of the raspy voice from his earlier vision caused the hairs on the back of his neck to stand. While aware of the spat between the Suit and Bea, Rodrigo chose to avoid the exchange. It wasn't like he smoked, or even had reason to give a lecture against it. Gone were the days when lung cancer was a concern over a smoke, when new lungs could so easily be exchanged. There were other options to keep his mind occupied, anyway. First objective, to obtain his weapons. Stored away with other interesting finds were his pistol and poisoned blade. He quickly took those but was unable to find his supplemental tools. [color=598527]"Puta mierda,"[/color] he cursed under his breath. He wouldn't allow this to happen again. At the first opportunity he had, he would get cyberware implanted to prevent anyone from removing his tools from him. Done with the chest of weapons, he pulled back and ran a hand through his hair. [color=598527]"Anything else of interest over there, or just the cigs?"[/color] – Kade stood perfectly still as the ring of smoke circled his face. He wasn’t about to beg for anything, especially not something as miniscule as a used cigarette. The man’s smile hid his anger well, but the audacity of this woman was starting to get to him. Luckily he wouldn’t even have to excuse himself as JV took Bea’s attention, giving him the opportunity to slip away without another word. The voice in the radio had suggested they search the room before moving on, but Kade wasn’t keen on sticking around longer than they had to. After a brief internal debate, he decided they had enough bodies to search the room quickly before moving on so long as they each took a part. Under the assumption his hacking skills were the best of the group, he stepped to the lockers and attempted to open the leftmost one. His eyes illuminated as he connected to their systems. What he assumed would be a simple firewall turned out to be some very advanced ICE. What were they hiding in these lockers that needed this much security? It would take a long time to break through this way, time they didn’t have. However, he did just acquire the tools for a more uncivilized yet effective method. The corpo took a step back from the locker, aimed his Nue at the keypad, and fired a single shot. The silencer kept the sound to a minimum, not that stealth was needed, and the bullet proved more than capable for the high tech security. Unfortunately, it was also more than a match for the only item the locker contained; a tablet that lay right in the path of the bullet. The device had been rendered completely destroyed by the hole Kade put in it. Any data it may have contained was now forever lost. [color=148c80]“Oh forget this.”[/color] Kade grumbled to no one in particular as he turned his back on the locker and headed for the door. [color=148c80]“Let’s just delta already. The sooner the better.”[/color] – [color=f0b824]“Hold on.”[/color] Dejah said sharply, raising her gun again. The woman lined up her shot on the locker next to the one Kade had shot, the dot sight centered slightly to the left center of the keypad. Hand steady the assassin fired, the keypad shattering apart and sparking as the shot connected. Unlike Kade, Dejah had better luck in her “find”. The locker door swung open to reveal a ballistic vest in good shape and untouched by Dejah’s shot. Dejah eagerly slipped her gun away and seized the vest from where it rested, slipping it on and securing it over her torso with a satisfied smirk. While not of the highest quality the vest was better than nothing and would do well enough at protecting her from any stray rounds sent her way. [color=f0b824]“Perhaps better luck next time, Slick.”[/color] Dejah smugly said to Kade. – Cigarette in hand, Bea's attention was taken by the beds. They looked comfortable right about now, and that thought disgusted her. She needed to get out of here. [color=e803db][i]I need to get out here, being a barbarous bitch isn't going to help at all, she mused. God that pillow looks off - wait. Wait...[/i][/color] She walked over to it, the others distracted by their belongings, Slacks doing something to the locker, and doing it badly. [color=e803db][i]HA![/i][/color] she thought as her hand landed on a stash of eddies. Quite a nice one too. Just as she had with her fallen beads, she made some adjustments with the cups of her dress and found those eddies a home between underwire and a double d. [color=e803db][i]Might come in handy later, oh well. Tits up,[/i][/color] she thought with a small smile. Then there was the Suit. He was ready to leave, and pouting about it too. He needed to pick himself up. In the pecking order of usefulness in this shithole, he was still way above her and she knew it. [color=e803db][i]Opportunity to right a wrong.[/i][/color] She softened her stance, wrapped one arm around her other bare arm, and made her way to him. Her face was soft too, her eyes pointed to the ground, [color=e803db]"Listen,"[/color] she said quietly, sighing ever so, biting at the corner of her lip. [color=e803db]"Take it."[/color] She held out the last half of the smoke to him. [color=e803db]"I'm hardly any help down here."[/color] She rolled her eyes a little. [color=e803db]"I'm just a dancer, you know. So, maybe this will help you. You have it."[/color] – Kade looked at Bea, then at the half gone cigarette, then back at her. Was she actually trying to make amends? What possibly could have made her change her tune from before? Wait... did she see his pathetic display with that locker? Oh god. This wasn't her trying to apologize, this was pity. And worst of all, he was seriously tempted to take it... Fuck it. He reached out and took the cigarette from her hand. [color=148c80]"Thank you... Bea was it? I appreciate it."[/color] He said and took a long satisfying drag. As he exhaled he made sure to blow the smoke away from Bea's face. [color=148c80]"Heh. A dancer, huh? How did someone like you end up... Actually, hold that thought. There will be plenty of time for talk once we're out of here."[/color] – [i]Jean.[/i] A whisper echoed down the hallway, its familiar tone causing JV’s head to snap away from Bea and the others instantly. Obviously he had misheard it. Perhaps it was the dying gasp of some poor fellow from the other room? Or maybe a squeal from structural damage to the facility? Taking a step closer to the door, his chest tightened. No, no, this was impossible, surely, there was no way it could’ve been her could it? Standing at the threshold of the hallway, JV closed his eyes, straining his ears for anything. Oddly, the noise from the other room had ceased completely, hell, even the team behind him was dead silent. Turning to his head to look back at the gang, he heard it again as if there were someone right next to him. [i]Jean.[/i] Her voice was smooth like butter. Deep and sultry, as if you could feel them drip from her plump lips. [color=101010]“Oshun.”[/color] Her name escaped his lips, as if drawn from him by a snake charmer. The Haitain's head snapped back to the hallway and he began marching down the corridor. [i]Jean.[/i] It came from around the corner to the left, where the prison cells were but just as he rounded it, it happened again, instead coming from behind him. The man’s heart began to pound, his breath drew heavy as if he had run a marathon. Swinging around there was still nothing but dead silence. A bead of sweat dripped down past his temple as he grabbed the radio. [color=101010]“Voice, is this you? Sa fout la ap pase?”[/color] Nothing, not even static echoed back. Feelings long suppressed flooded back into the man causing him to hoist the radio above his head, ready to destroy it when… “Stop!” The voice responded, its first tone change of the night. “Whatever you are seeing is not real, the virus has begun its infection.” Breathing heavily, the Haitian looked around, hearing the sounds of death coming from the next room and the quiet chatter of the prisoners down the hall. Closing his eyes, JV attempted to meditate, quiet the noise from within. Bringing the radio to his lips, he replied. [color=101010]“What is next?”[/color] “Return to the group and I will give you your next instruction.” Doing as told, JV returned to the others, not bothering to ask if anyone had seen his outburst. Holding the radio out for all the group to hear, it explained. “The next room is the experimentation room. In there, I have unleashed a distraction that is currently occupying the main contingency of guards in this facility. Your objective is to retrieve a demolitions expert and use her to blow a hole in the weak point of the facility. That weak point will lead you to the sewers and freedom. It is recommended that you do not engage the distraction or the Militech team unless necessary as it’s more than likely you will not survive the encounter. Maxtac is also on its way to contain the threat, you will not have long until they arrive, so act quickly.” The radio paused, allowing the instructions a moment to sink in. “Good luck.”