Feminine words flowed through the mic and into his ears. They were laced with a hint of confidence, but the male agent had a hard time sharing that sentiment. Though it was true there wasn’t any suspicious activity yet, the night was still young, and still unpredictable. Chrom was about to respond when a pair of men walked by. Each carried a glass, brown liquid, no doubt some sort of liquor, on the rocks. They happily chatted about theories and data, both wanting to brag about their success. The two seized the wall behind him as their little pow-wow area, and continued their flaunting.
The agent could feel a brow twitch in irritation, as any forms of verbal communication were silenced. And so, a small inclination of his head, barely a slight movement, and Chrom acknowledged her words. Not that she could see it, but it was more for his sake. He’d rather not speak, and too loud at that. It would seem as if he was talking to himself, and any attention that he drew because of it would be unwanted.
He had wanted to believe in his partner’s words, Naga knows that he’d like his job to be a bit easier, but things always had their way to give him a swift kick in the ass. With the feeling of dread he was getting the longer he was in the building, it seemed that someone had a boot en route to his rear.
Chrom had hoped that a bit of walking would shake the feeling. Arms pushed off the railing, bringing him to full height. A quick glance to the men behind him later, and his legs slowly brought him to a saunter back around the way he came from earlier. The heels of his dress shoes clacked against marble, providing the only noise the man made. His vision floated to the left as he walked, switching between his partner and the client he was to protect.
Everything seemed normal. That was, until a man in a tuxedo was coming awfully close to Olivia. As if he was intentionally seeking her. Chrom’s slow pace was brought to a halt. His breath caught in his throat. Olivia turning around to greet him didn’t help matters at all. Were they found out? Did they already know that the agents would be there? As the two conversed, more and more unknowns pounded at his mind. A tenseness gripped his body. Surely this cult wouldn’t try anything in the open?
No, of course not. There were too many people nearby, and the resulting chaos that it would bring would cause too many inconvenient possibilities into their plans. For all he knew, that man could just be someone trying to hit on her. Probably not the most likely of guesses. As far as he knew, scientists weren’t the most well known playboys. Still, that answer brought some peace of mind back to him. Enough so that he could resume breathing small breaths.
All he could do for the moment was trust in his partner. She was a trained professional. She could handle herself. Still, a bit of worry ate at him. She was his partner after all, and he was to have her back no matter how capable she may be. Hesitant as he was for the moment, he shifted azure eyes to their client as she took the stage. She was the main focus for now, not Olivia and her whatever flirting adventures she may be involved in at the moment.
The white haired woman began her speech, and the various speakers placed throughout the room amplified the thank yous she gave out to various peers. The stage she was on was aglow with lights focused on her. The black dress she wore sparkled almost as brightly as her grateful smile. She was truly the star of the night, standing alone above everyone else there.
Alone. That word. It struck him like a lightning bolt. She was alone on the stage. If this cult was going to make a move, this was one hell of a chance right now. The realization snapped his head left and right, immediately looking for anything out of place. The odd thing was, nothing was happening. Like before, no one or thing was suspicious.
With nothing happening, Chrom’s guard lowered for a moment. That moment turned to be a brief one as in a matter of a split second, everything went black. Every light in the room shut off, blinding Chrom’s vision with darkness. Screams erupted from the attendants, caught unaware by the sudden blackout. And if the deafening sound of footsteps was anything to go by, mass panic consumed the crowd.
Chrom gritted his teeth as one hand went for the switch to his mic. “Olivia!”, he barked, “Quickly, get to the client!” Soft words be dammed, it was time for action. His other hand dived into a suit pocket, reaching for a slim pair of night vision goggles. Slipping them on over his eyes, he made a running start for the railing of the balcony. A hand reached forward, making contact against the marble rail, before using it to vault over it and down to the scene below.
He landed on his feet with a thud, before rolling forward, lessening the impact of his maneuver. Azure orbs enhanced by the night vision technology swiveled to the stage. It was empty. Robin was gone. Chrom bit back a swore. There would be time later for cursing over this blunder. For now, Robin’s retrieval was top priority.
